Looking forward to July ~

~ and our imminent return to Niger always brings with it a huge temptation to worry, because between here and there are several flights... in a plane... and frankly, planes, particularly flying in them, terrifies me... even more than snakes.

And so, this post was a huge comfort to me today. Different "fear," but the same truth. As a missionary mama who is terrified of flying, I cling to the truth that the Lord is with me – everywhere – EVEN (especially) on that plane – and I'm never alone. We landed back on this continent nearly 8 months ago… 4 months more and I'll be back on a plane, quaking inside, but clinging tenaciously to that truth. I have to. The battle against worry, however, begins.

I must add, nevertheless, that I'm so thankful for this struggle every single time, for it confirms that was God Who called, is still calling, our family to go… that it is not something I do in my strength because I know that I couldn't.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me… for when I am weak, than I am strong."

Anyone Else Love this Song?

(Don't forget to turn off the music, down at the bottom of the sidebar, if you want to listen.)

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

Oh to see the dawn of the darkest day

Christ on the road to calvary

Tried by sinful men, torn and beaten then

Nailed to a cross of wood

This the pow’r of the cross

Christ became sin for us

Took the blame, bore the wrath

We stand forgiven at the cross

Oh to see the pain written on Your face

Bearing the awesome weight of sin

Ev’ry bitter thought, ev’ry evil deed

Crowning Your bloodstained brow

This the pow’r of the cross

Christ became sin for us

Took the blame, bore the wrath

We stand forgiven at the cross

Now the daylight flees, now the ground beneath

Quakes as its maker bows his head

Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life

‘Finished!’ the vict’ry cry.

This the pow’r of the cross

Christ became sin for us

Took the blame, bore the wrath

We stand forgiven at the cross

Oh to see my name written in the wound

For through Your suf‘fring I am free

Death is crushed to death, life is mine to live

Won through Your selfless love

This the pow’r of the cross

Son of God slain for us

What a life, what a cost

We stand forgiven at that cross

Hmmmmmm.... Random Thought I've been Pondering

Given an inch... why do I often feel like I'm entitled the whole mile? Given the command to "have dominion," why assume that domination is acceptable?

Dominion... ruling... a powerful sphere of influence or authority... is a legitimate privilege and responsibility. Domination has an abusive, uglier undertone,... an overpowering, smothering influence that grasps, tramples, destroys or renders impotent.

Gorgeous glimpses of Spring's arrival have prompted serious reflection on how we should be caring for God's creation...

What do you think?

The Creation of the Animals, by Raphael, 1518-19 (detail from the Stanze e Loggia)

"Why am I so uncomfortable with doubts?" by CD Baker

A young woman I know recently remarked that her life is made miserable by doubts. She said that her unhappiness started when she began to doubt a few points of her church's doctrines. She began to panic. She thought if she doubted a few things, she would soon doubt everything, and that would leave her in a place of disbelief.

I told her I doubted that would happen. She didn't appreciate that.

Another friend doubted her salvation to the point of depression. Her church insisted that "knowing" was to be the source of her assurance.

I invited her to doubt her church. She was too afraid.

I wonder: Are doubts the bane of faith or faith's driving edge?

In the examples above, healthy doubts and hard questions could have been doorways for many to know God more deeply. Instead, a desperate need for certainty prevented authentic encounters with God.

Doubts threaten our sense of control, don't they?

As church communities and as individuals we prefer to be sure about things, but doubts have a way fo disrupting our confidence -- our control. They lead to worry, fear, and insecurity. But here's an idea to consider:

What if our discomfort with doubt is really a symptom of an addiction to control?

Doubts also threaten our foundations. We think we must be absolutely certain about the things we believe. Otherwise, how could we survive? We've come to trust our knowing. So, what about this:

What if our discomfort with doubt is a symptom of misplaced faith?

Maybe we should look at doubting a different way. After all, who said doubting must always be a bad thing? Jesus instructed Thomas to "stop doubting and blieve" (John 20.27, NIV). Does that mean that all doubt is bad? What if doubt and faith are sometimes related?

Martin Luther observed that the opposite of faith is not doubt or unbelief but rather self-reliance. Healthy doubt can actually drive us to faith by putting us beyond ourselves.

Most of us see doubting Thomas in an unfair light. Few of us want to be like him, do we But, if we're honest, most of us are like him. We do secretly wonder about the things we say we believe. That's reality.

At least Thomas had the courage to admit his doubts.

Did that make him a bad disciple? What did Jesus do when he learned of Thomas's doubts?

Did he rebuke him? No.

Did he shame him? No.

Jesus invited Thomas to explore his doubts... to come close to him and touch him so that he might believe.

Healthy, humble doubt simply wants to know Truth (Jesus) better.

So what if we gave ourselves permission to doubt, at least once, the spiritual ideas we've been taught to believe? Now, I'm not talking about close-minded cynicism like Zacharias's dismissal of the angel's promise (see Luke 1.18). That earned him a pretty stiff rebuke.

I am talking about sincere, yearning doubt like Mary revealed to the angel who foretold her virgin birth (see Luke 1.34). This is not scoffing dismissal; this is the kind of humble doubt that longs to believe. This is the kind of doubt we find in Matthew 28 when some of Jesus's disciples came to worship the risen Lord... while still doubting.

Humble doubt offered in a spirit of honest suspicion invites the Holy Spirit to teach and to inspire deeper and deeper faith within us. It liberates us to cry, "I do believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24).

------------------------------------

from 40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with the Master, by CD Baker

February, 2010 Prayer Letter

Then said David,

"Ye shall not do so, my brethren,

with that which the Lord hath given us,

who hath preserved us, and delivered the company

that came against us into our hand.

For who will hearken unto you in this matter?

but as his part is that goeth down to the battle,

so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff:

they shall part alike.

And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute

and an ordinance for Israel unto this day."

1 Sam 30:23-25

It is Sunday night… we are home after visiting one of our supporting churches, the house is somewhat picked up, kitchen ready for the attack by breakfast hordes in the morning, piano is practiced, homework mostly done (a few touches need to be finished in the morning), the kids are all clean and in bed (except for the energizer bunny baby) and in the quiet, we've a few moments to reflect and catch our breaths. It seems like almost every time we come home from a meeting, we are completely stunned, overwhelmed by the love lavished upon us by the many partners with whom God has privileged us to work as we seek to glorify His name in Niger.

This Sunday, we were at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Bay City, MI. While there, Pastor Wood reminded his congregation, and us, of something very important… the principle (laid out in 1 Samuel 30 above) applied not only to Old Testament battles and warfare, but also pertains to missions today. God has called our family to a front line battle ministry; those of you who remain here, vibrant and active in your local churches, faithfully praying, encouraging, remembering and giving… guarding the supplies (or "tarrying by the stuff") on the home front, your part is just as great as that of those on the front lines. Please don't ever think that we don't need or value these, your faithful contributions to the fight for souls in Niger.

We thank each one who has been praying specifically for our family. We are enjoying a wonderful time of home assignment here in the States. As we come to the end of February, we are reminded that our furlough year is 2/3 gone: "Hmm, what are those things left yet to do? A couple of doctors' appointments remain as to a few more trips to the dentist, some vaccinations (the kids love those), one more trip up North… think we could fit in a swing through Québec City?" Seriously, we have certainly accomplished much of what we needed to do, including some much needed rest and relaxation. We even have been able to enjoy watching the Winter Olympics. ;-)

Our thoughts, however have been returning often enough though to Niger. To say we left a lot of "irons in the fire" would be an understatement! We are excited to return to the ministry of the Niger Radio Project, the churches, and to so many of our friends and neighbors. Many of you have already heard that on February 18, there was a coup d'état. The president was overthrown and the military has placed a civilian prime minister in office to help the country transition back to complete democratically elected civilian rule under the jurisdiction of a new constitution. We are trusting that this has diffused much of the political tension in the country and trusting that the new government will be as open to our presence as previously. We are keeping as up-to-date as possible regarding this situation through the news as well as via information communicated by our many friends and colleagues still ministering in Niger. We are also hearing that many parts of the country will be struggling to meet food needs as last year's harvest was a lean one.

We are still in the process of visiting our many supporting churches and friends. We thoroughly enjoy this part of our ministry! Many that we have spoken to are facing significant budgetary challenges. We are still looking for 20 new supporters at $100 per month. This additional support is key as we return to Niger. These funds allow us to live and conduct our ministry effectively. We are trusting God to provide for these needs and our presently planning on a departure date in mid-July. We know we still have a long way to go, but we also know that our Almighty God is well capable of providing our every need, as well as those of all the other ongoing ministries here and overseas. We serve the God of the Remarkable.

Because of this firm belief, We are going to go one extra step and provide you with information on 3 special needs.

1. Our Passage account has roughly half the money needed to pay for our return plane tickets to Niger. We need to raise approximately $5,000 for our one-way tickets. We do fly economy on the most economical routes we can, but the need is what it is.
2. A second need is new tires for the 4x4 we use for family and ministry. Niger roads take their toll. We have not replaced the tires since we purchased the vehicle almost 3 years ago, and those tires were not new when we bought it. One even has a large chunk out of its side. All tires in Niger are imported and must have customs paid on them, so our purchase price will probably be close to $1,000. Any gifts for tires can be designated specifically to our "Vehicle" subaccount.
3. A final need we would ask you to consider is the studio. Over the last 9 years, we have been producing a large volume and variety of quality radio programs, evangelistic cassettes, music, scripture recordings, and audio film tracks – working from a studio control room that is about the size of a small bedroom in the States. With trained Nigerien technicians, we have often been working simultaneously on multiple projects (i.e. 3 or 4) in this small space. We have asked and been approved by our mission board to raise funds for an addition that would provide us with a second control room and small recording booth. If you would consider giving towards this special need. Please send any designated gifts to the Niger Radio Studio Expansion (account number – 043312).

Praises:

• Excellent meetings with our supporting churches and prayer partners! Y'all are AWESOME!
• Several small increases in support. Now, instead of hanging just under 80%, we are a little bit above!
• A couple of very positive contacts with churches new to this ministry and who are considering having us visit for a meeting.
• A few individuals/families who have indicated that they are interested in and are praying about taking on our monthly support.
• Several consecutive weeks of relatively good health for our family.
• Safety on the road.
• Daily provision – even when we aren't sure the night before exactly where it is going to come from.

Petitions:

• Please pray for Niger at this time of political and economic difficulty. We are praying specifically that God's will be done in the heart of the Nigeriens and the missionaries working there, that God's peace would spread out over the country, and that His name would be glorified.
• Pray as well for those new churches and folks that are currently considering monthly support.
• Pray for diligence and a good focus as we are starting to make plans to return to Niger.
• Pray for church meetings: *In already scheduled meetings, pray that God alone is glorified and that we accurately represent "His"-story as it is taking place in Niger. *Also pray that we'd be able to schedule visits with churches who are seriously interested in considering partnering with us in this ministry.

Two final thoughts (the first one is a repeat because it is so true… and we find it funny!):

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito."

–African saying

"…or we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."

–Romans 8.24-25

Thankful to be serving the Savior together with you,

Tim, Richelle, Brendan,

Rebekah Joy, Nadia, Anna, Victoria,

Jonathan, Elsie Mae and Mary Michelle Wright

It's About Time...

I'm FINALLY getting around to posting the photos from Brendan's photo shoot at Captured Memories... thanks again, Gampy! (I know, I'm a delinquent mom... can I cry "Better late than never?") Can't believe he's 14... getting closer to 15 all the time.

Fiction Finders

Nadia and Anna have participated in a fun and exciting program run through the public library here in town called Battle of the Books. This is the first time that Calvary has had a team from the school, and so it has been a learning experience for us all... we never dreamed that their team would make it to the "semi-finals!" They've read lots of great books, learned much about teamwork and cooperation... and we can't wait to see how they do in their first "oral battle!" We are traveling the weekend of the semi-final competition, but wouldn't it be exciting to see our team make the finals?

Go Fiction Finders!

Finding Victoria

Tori's teacher blogs, too... and recently posted this, with pictures from her classroom. When you find the picture of Tori... you'll also get to see her haircut!

Stirring...

My favorite books to read - fiction or nonfiction - are ones that stir up lots of thoughts and ponderings, ones that direct my thinking to things about God, ones that lift my eyes to look upon Him and worship. I've read several books this year (enjoying our public library!), and this one has to be one of the top two so far: Crusade of Tears, by C D Baker. Set in the 13th century, the reader pilgrimmages with two brothers, their young, handicapped sister and an old, wandering priest who befriends them (as well as several other children)as they take part in the "Children's Crusade." Terribly sad, yet ultimately hopeful, this book (rather eloquently, I believe) tackles head on the issues of suffering and injustice in this world... I'm including a small excerpt below - one of my favorite conversations in the book. If you want to know more, find a copy and read it for yourself. I highly recommend the book, and... be sure and let me know if you do!

"...hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perserverance we wait eagerly for it."

~Romans 9.24b - 25

EXCERPT, from pages 360-363

Pieter leaned hard on his staff and turned a sincere eye toward his new friends.

"I simply cannot grasp this God of ours. My mind fails me oft, for at one moment I see His love in bounty all about me, and on the next, it is as if He abides neither in this place nor any other. He seems, at times, to be the most intimate presence in all the kosmos; at others, the most distant."

"Ach, my soul is anguished and aches. It cries out in sunlight and in darkness, for my mind is tangled and woefully weak. I have roamed this troubled world for some seventy-seven years and have seen much. But surely, the more mine eyes do capture, the less I discern. I have labored to comprehend that which I encounter so that I might be more certain of what I do yearn to hold... but I have failed to understand and my faith does fail me often."

The two men listened carefully, even sympathetically, as Pieter lamented the confusions of his life and the vexation of all efforts to snatch meaning from the chaos all about. Pieter finally quieted and sat with his silent friends to watch the sun crest the craggy summits.

Jean filled his lungs with the mountain air and broke the silence with a calming confidence. "Mon ami, Scripture teaches us that when times do well we ought to be happy, but when times are not, to consider that God has made the one as well as the other."

"Ja, ja," answered Pieter, a quality of impatience rigning in his tone. "I am not ignorant of such counsel. Ach. But why... why does he allow evil to fouls us, why such pain and misery? Why does his love fade and wither like a weak bloom in autumn?"

"Ah... 'tis a fair challenge," observed Philip. "Might I ask if strong faith is a good end?"

"Ja, so it is. And...?"

"And has struggle with hardship brought you increas or want in your faith?"

Pieter paused. "Surely both, it would seem."

"Then, good fellow, beg my leave to ask how you are so certain such suffering is by His failure? Could it not be a mysterious blessing from the only One who knows what Pieter... or Jean... or m'self... must needs endure to grow in faith?"

Pieter hesitated.

"Might I pose another question? When have you wrestled most with your Maker? When have y'shook your fist or fell, despairing, to your knees?"

"In times of sorrow and pain," answered Pieter slowly.

"Oui. It seems we creatures are always wont to drift from the One who longs to but hear our cries... or see our face turn even an angry eye toward Him. 'Tis sad, but as we are we've little interest to look to Him for any cause save when we've suffered loss or blundered our way."

Pieter stiffened. "Misery seems an odd way to draw us... yea, perhaps even a cruel way, methinks. I've yet to understand such as He."

Jean smiled kindly. "It is not the heart of God that lacks, but ours. He is not a hard taskmaster; we are stiff-necked students. And you shall not know the mind of this God ours, brother, not ever; 'tis not meant for us to know the why. Such a thing would leave little room for faith. We would soon only trust in our own understanding."

Pieter stood to his feet and protested, "Nay, we ought be able to know His ways so we might know what to expect. I wake by lauds and tremble to imagine which of my children I m ight lose this day or which might be spared! I know not whether He's a mind to feed us or tear our bellies with hunger again, or whether some mischief shall pounce upon us or whether mercy shall lead us. If I could but see His mind... have a sound hold of His ways..."

Jean took the old man by the shoulders and faced him squarely. "Though our faith be reasonable, we are clearly instructed, nonetheless, to 'lean not upon our own understanding,' but rather to allow for the mysteries of a God who owes no debt of explanation to His creatures. You, priest, by your own words do toil to deny such submission. Pity, indeed to waste a life in such futility of effort."

Jean signed and narrowed his eyes at Pieter's. He spoke gently, but firmly, "Brother Pieter, hear me say this: 'Tis plain that you are a most arrogant and prideful man."

Pieter was startled by the charge and stood hard-faced and flushed in the early light.

Philip set an affectionate hand on his shoulder. "It is love for you that draws truth to my lips. Jean is right to say he sees a haughty spirit shadowing your mind. I discern you to be beset by a sinister, subtle pride, a wily and elusive pride that keeps you in bondage..."

Have you ever really thought about why we moms don't say "Yes" more?

Head over to Holy Experience to read "When You Can't Figure Out What the Answer Should Be."

OK, so I'm not "sighing" anymore...

Anyone remember this post?

I was so disappointed when Rebekah made a choice

~ for the record, I NEVER thought she'd made a BAD choice, it was just one that I would have never made myself ~

and I reluctantly realized that something which I'd been eagerly anticipating, since her last basketball game the previous winter, just was not going to happen.

*SNIFF*

*SNIFF*

*SNIFF...*

*WOW!*

*NO WAY!

*WHISPERING QUIETLY... 'cause I don't want to embarrass her...*

"Can that really be MY LITTLE GIRL?"

I just love this photo... see her daddy's hands up in the air, ready to catch her if she falls?

I certainly never dreamed that I'd get to watch her do this... and it has been a TON of FUN!

Current Events in Niger

Remember Niger in your prayers, please!

HIP HIPPO-RAY

Staring out the window, looking at all that snow on the ground, tired of coats and a little bored with sledding, scraping the car and shoveling the driveway (and the snow volume hasn't been nearly as high here this winter as it was last year when I was without hubby and very pregnant, but that's an aside to which I will add that I do think it has been colder this year)... Well, it makes us remember warmly the advantages of living on the backside of the desert: short sleeves year round... a sandbox anytime you desire digging... regular pilgrammages to the pool, lots of sunshine through harmattan skies... no real concerns regarding activity cancellation due to weather incooperation... lots of lizards and other incredible critters... So, in reaction to a nudge of nostalgia, we thought we'd repost this glimpse of our "other" earthly home! Hope you enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hippos are huge, fascinating, sometimes scary and dangerous animals. ...[Here are] some photos from a boat trip we took [back in June, 2007] to see the Niamey "locals" - a pod of hippos that are generally found in the vicinity. Thanks to our colleagues, Bob & Lois Gillespie for graciously sharing these photos with us ... as you can see, Tim & I had our hands full ... without a camera and Elsie hadn't yet made her official debut!

DEPARTING

SILHOUETTED BOATMAN AS WE SEARCH FOR HIPPOS

FRIENDS OF OURS WHO JOINED US ON OUR EXPEDITION

WE ARE LOOKING OFF TO OUR RIGHT, LOOKING AT THE POD OF HIPPOS

JUST RECENTLY SPOTTED!

LONG VIEW

AND A LITTLE CLOSER

THESE CREATURES HAVE BIG MOUTHS

REALLY, REALLY BIG MOUTHS WITH BIG "TEETH"

OOOOH- WE DIDN'T REALIZE THE WATER WAS THAT SHALLOW

HUGE AND IMPOSING ANIMALS

I THINK THEY ARE WISHING US A "BON VOYAGE..."

...OR GOOD RIDDANCE?

ARRIVAL BACK AT SHORE, SAFE AND SOUND

ENJOYING THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSET -

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS TERRIBLY HOT

AND WE'D BEEN IN THE BOATS FOR OVER 2 HOURS.

Answers that only lead to more questions

Yesterday, I posed a riddle.

Last night, at our house, a rather rapid fire discussion ensued as "they" tried to solve it. Can you guess which one of the older kids (Brendan, Rebekah, Nadia, Anna or Victoria) actually came up with the solution? =D

For those of you who are dying (not literally) to know: "The souls of the condemned are, by their very nature, selfish and self-centered and think only of how the world affects them. They took their long, pointed sticks and tried to feed themselves. In so doing they paid the price of all such selfishness... they were left empty and hungry and angry. On the other hand, the souls of the departed pardoned had learned the futility of serving the self and had experienced the joy of sharing and serving others. They used their sticks to feed eath other and each received the blessings of a life given to service and a life given to loving one's neighbor."

Well, actually, that wasn't a verbatim answer to the riddle... the child who successfully solved simply said that the folks in heaven fed each other, which was, of course, the correct solution.

And it really didn't take them too long to figure out that correct response... what got interesting was when I asked them why that was the answer.

Essentially, the "whys" boiled down to the fact that the people in heaven were good people acting like good people and the people in hell were bad people behaving as bad people generally did.

Does anyone else see a problem with that thinking? I do not believe that it is truthful or right... if we look at it biblically. Biblically, we are all self-serving sinners and any change in behavior has nothing to do with who we are, but who we are allowing to direct and change us... who our God is. This riddle reveals a deeply held belief that it is the good people who end up in heaven and the bad ones who are condemned to hell. It fits our human concepts of fairness and justice. Yet the Bible is quite clear that we are all bad people and that the inhabitants of heaven will be there on the merits of Christ's righteousness, not on the merit of what they might have learned and accomplished during their lifetimes.

We must be so careful that an insidious "other Gospel," one contaminated by any unbiblical messages such as

• salvation won or earned in part or in whole by works,
• salvation kept or lost based upon what men do, or
• works that result in earning God's love

for these all draw away from the truth that once a person has been justified by faith in the atoning work of Christ, God sees the righteousness of His Son, not the works of the man, as He gazes upon us. Any works are to be the outpouring of God's love, grace in grateful hearts.

This side of eternity, it will be a continual battle to stop myself from saying, "God, look at me! Look at what I've done for You, in Your name!" instead of thanking God for covering me with the garment of rightousness, purchased by the blood of His Son and enabling me to be His instrument.

Interesting and Thought Provoking Riddle...

Do you like riddles? We do... Here's one that has provoked some interesting thoughts, and I can't wait to discuss it a bit with our older kids, too. Do you know the answer?

A young man was sent to observe a feast in hell, and he immediately remarked that the condemned had been given sharpened sticks with which to eat, each one as long as a man is tall . The famished souls tried as hard as they could, but could never reach their mouths with the meat they impaled. This, in turn, led to fighting and cursing. The sad young man was then escorted to heaven where the angels were inviting the pardoned to engage in the same activity. The heavenly residents were handed the same sharpened sticks with which to eat. Yet in heaven, each was able to enjoy the good meat, as well as much joy and fellowship.

How could this be so?

Wordy Wednesday... but not too wordy!

"To worship is to...

...quicken the conscience by the holiness of God,

to feed the mind with the truth of God,

to purge the imagination by the beauty of God,

to open the heart to the love of God

and

to devote the will to the purpose of God."

~William Temple

-------------------------------------

Heard the quote in church last Sunday morning... thanks Pastor Dan!

Image is "Freedom to Worship" by Norman Rockwell, The Saturday Evening Post, February 27, 1943 (story illustration). Oil on canvas (46 x 35 1/2 in.) and is displayed in the Norman Rockwell Museum of Stockbridge (Massachusetts).

Fabulously Fondantly Fun

One of my goals each furlough year is to try new recipes... learn some new things that I can prepare for my family's enjoyment... this year, I wanted to learn how to make and use fondant to ice and decorate cakes. Part of the challenge includes finding recipes where all of the ingredients (or acceptable substitutes) can be regularly procured in Niger. The fondant recipe only requires generally available products, so I've been having fun...

Nadia's birthday cake, however, has been by far my favorite. Not only was it fun to do, Nadia was delighted!

Even the littlest ones could help roll the snowballs, too... however, I must disclose that the ones they rolled tended to end up eaten and not on the cake!

Doesn't it look like fun?

All the King's Horses and...

...all the king's men have finally connected us once again!

They must have felt sorrier for us than they did for Humpty...

This week is a crazy week for our family. Tim is at a pastor's conference in Minnesota and it is Spirit/Homecoming Week for the kids at school with tons of extra stuff and dress-up/costume days every day. I've also got tons of ideas for blog posts I've been wanting to do. That forced fast from the Internet must have flowered my imagination. *grin* And that doesn't even touch all the photos I'm still wanting to post from before the holiday rush. I'm just hoping I have computer time before I start to forget... we are getting older, after all... Tim especially... today's his birthday... and it is one of those decade ones...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best daddy and hubby EVER!

“Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?”

Please forgive our silence over the last week ~ we've been internet-less (and not because our pint-sized clone lasered the modem, either). We are changing providers and will continue to be "without access" for a yet unknown bit of time; hopefully we'll be back to our regular schedule of posting several times each week soon... but in recent days, the Internet "force" has certainly NOT been with us.

“Help [us] Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re [our] only hope.”