Dirty Coffee Cups

I felt bad for a moment as I realized we were leaving her with dirty coffee cups to clean. It seemed unfair; she showed such care for the women in her Bible study. Mentoring and serving (and I don't mean just coffee!) She routinely opens her home and her heart in her (and our) quest for a closer walk with our Lord Jesus.

The clock brought us back to the reality of children to be picked up, jobs to get to, appointments to keep. I hated to leave those cups but there really was no choice.

Then something occurred to me... She was exactly the type of woman who would appreciate those dirty cups. Not for the brown circles in the bottom or the lipstick marks on the side. But for the women who had used them. She would be thankful for the laughter, the shared stories, the revelations, and the very presence of Jesus with us in that very room. A group of women sharing a part of this journey called "the Christian life."

No, on second thought, I no longer feel bad about those dirty cups, but I do pray that God continues to bless this woman and her heart for Jesus.

I Came Back...

Hello!
Wow, it's been awhile since I've written. No earth-shattering news; just the same old tired excuse everyone else has..."I've been busy."

I love this blog. I worry sometimes about what I write here. I don't want to whine too much. Don't want to sound like a know-it-all. Don't want to be preachy or too moody. I also know that I've done each of those things (and more) from time-to-time. Thanks for sticking around and traveling this winding road with me.

This week's bullets...

• Saw oldest son today. He had car trouble and we met him to see about that and then went out to dinner. His Easter break starts at the end of the week. Hoping to see Shan and Matthew Tuesday and again on Friday.
• I'm having a great time with my Mary Kay business. Utilizing parts of my brain that have been on "hold" for the last 6 years or so. Re-connecting with some long lost friends and meeting new folks along the way. Playing with great products and having fun.
• Bible Study is great despite the fact I missed class tonight and will have to make it up Thursday morning!
• Izzie and Bailey are doing well. They went to the vet today for a puppy check-up and shots. Bailey is now larger than Izzie and they're right at 3 months old. They weighed about 5 pounds each when we brought them home. Now they're between 15 -19. They are sweet little girls and have been a wonderful addition to our family. Speaking of family additions...
• (It's not what you think) We believe our black cat, Mischief, is pregnant. Keep us in mind if you're interested in kittens! It just doesn't seem fair that she's the last one to become pregnant but will be the first to have her babies.
• We've become "Wii'd" - Over the weekend we became the owners of a Nintendo Wii system. It came with 5 cool sports games good for the whole family. But wait...there's more... Guitar Hero III and a 2nd guitar "controller." Guitar Hero is truly loved by all of our children. We had to have a "Mario" game and the Olympics one looked like it would be good for both the younger kids to play together. M&M Racing looked fun (and cheap - relatively speaking). We found "Wii Games" which came with a controller so that seemed like a deal. We got one controller I don't even know what it's for. Oh, can't forget the charger. Then Abbey had to have a game. She's a High School Musical fanatic and hey, that one came with a microphone controller for singing along! 'm not sure if that's all or not. I know my husband said there's only one other thing we need...a wee (Wii?) 2nd mortgage!
• Did I mention I really hate video games? I hate the obsession that takes over. I hate the way it alienates kids from other forms of entertainment. I 'try' to balance my personal dislike for them against my kids' love of them. I was totally against a personal gaming system that the kids take everywhere. I like the idea of the more traditional games encouraging some family game time we might not otherwise have. I really hope this was not a disastrous decision. I still have some misgivings.
• Remember "Greta?" The original Greta will be guding another's vehicle now. She's been passed down to our oldest son.
• WE'RE ON FINAL COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTOPHER'S BIRTHDAY...IT'S FRIDAY!
• WE'RE STARTING THE COUNTDOWN TO ELISA'S - IT'S 3 DAYS LATER.
• COUNTING, COUNTING, AND COUNTING. MINE'S 9 DAYS AFTER ELISA'S.

I'm planning on a great week. I hope you are, too!

Focus and Baby Steps...

Slow steps and focus - that's the phrase that comes to mind when I think of all that's going on these days. The following probably contains much more info than you'd care to know. Feel free to scroll down to the end for the wrap-up.

I'm not doing as well at eating in a healthful manner this last week. I think it's a matter of focus. I do best when I have a single major topic to focus on. The only problem with that is that I, and I'm sure you, have many more things to focus on.

I am a child of God. I do best when I am actively working (read: focus) on my personal walk with the Lord. Regular church attendance, Bible study, in-depth teaching and study with the kids, etc. For this reason I'm glad I have a new Bible study beginning tomorrow evening. This class was scheduled to begin a few weeks ago and I had a scheduling conflict. Circumstances caused the class start date to change and now my conflict is resolved and I can attend the class (with many of the same wonderful ladies I've done studies with in the past).

I am also a wife and while it's easy to put one's relationship with their spouse to the side, it is not wise. I don't do well with distance between me and Ken. Constant attention to and awareness of our relationships is key to keeping them nourished, strong, and ever-growing. The more in-tune we are with each other the better we are at going through this crazy thing called "life." I'd love to say that this comes naturally, but it doesn't always. It takes conscious-effort to get back on track from the many side-tracks that grab our time and attention.

I am a mother. I am both mother and teacher to my two youngest children. Our schooling follows everything else; the natural ebbs and flows. Particularly energized at certain times of the year, rather "normal" most of the time, a bit "blah" following the holidays and toward the end of the school year- only to re-energize for the start of the next. This, of course, requires a lot of focus - on the curriculums, the teaching, the 24/7 demands.

I am also a mother...
to a bright and beautiful adult daughter expecting her 2nd child. She has not made life easy on herself. Many of her choices thus far have been detrimental and she both endures and causes much more hurt and pain than seems necessary. Although an adult, she is still my daughter and I cannot stop trying to guide and direct her. She has wonderful business and organizatilnal skills and would be an incredible asset anywhere she chose to go. Reliability is a positive trait and not something to be feared or avoided.

to an adult daughter expecting her 1st child this fall. A capable young woman seeking to prove herself to the world. She hasn't yet realized she's the real thing and doesn't have to be perfect. Perfect, while impossible anyway, would be so incredibly boring! What she looks for from her mom is different than her sister. She and her husband are making their own way in this world. They ask advice occasionally and both seem to have a strong sense of family. We enjoy time spent together.

to a college freshman son. He and his friends quickly realized and actively discussed what they see as the status of college students. They realize they are adults in the eyes of the world but know they "aren't quite there yet" because they are full time students. They aren't self-sufficient and it's an odd, in-between time. Mothering this young man is different from his siblings. We have "weekend visits," discussions on current-events and politics, share ideas on college papers, ask about grades (not nag, mind you), schedules and such. It's difficult on both mother and son for him to have "home" as one address but live on campus. He doesn't realy feel that either place is "his home." An incredibly bright young man who lacks self-confidence.

Grandmother -
This is a fairly new role for me. it has not turned out to be like I expected (then again, what does?). I love my grandson; he's incredible. He lives mostly with his father and that has put a distance in our relationship I don't always know how to handle. It is also difficult to be a grandparent while still parenting ones so young. Let's just say we're playing this one by ear.

Business Woman -
Being a woman in business is one thing. Beginning a business at this point in time is a challenge. It's a challenge I'm looking forward to. I love the products I'm selling and this will provide a wonderful teaching/learning opportunity for my kids. We're a homeschool family with a single income and that puts a lot of stress on Ken. That's why I need for this business to succeed.

Extended family, friends, acquaintances... these all have extraordinary influence and input in our day-to-day lives. We are blessed because of them.

This circle leads back to my opening of Focus and Baby Steps... Focus is a requirement in order to get through each day, each project. Baby steps will be the way to get things done. We can't get life done by trying to tackle huge projects in their huge form. All has to be broken down in manageable pieces.

Am I telling you anything you don't know? Of course not. I'm simply reminding myself!

Mid-Week Musings...

It's time for the mid-week musings; a great time to reflect on the last few days and look ahead to the next few.

• Life Event...We found out today that Shannon's having a baby girl! See, it worked. I told you all to "think pink!" Good job! I love my Matthew but I'll be happy to see pink again!
• Update...A friend asked me about my diet (healthier eating plan). I'm happy to announce that I'm doing well. Not perfect...but pretty well overall. I've lost 10 pounds which is a good start. I'm not exercising the way I'd like but I blame that on the added demands on my time. I still believe I'll get that going.
• Observation...Have you ever noticed how sad and lonely a park looks on a rainy afternoon?
• Strange, Off-the-Wall Observation...I think people have very mixed feelings about fairy-tales. We read fairy-tales to our children, holding them out as the "ideal." Later in life, though, when our kids are searching for fairy-tale endings, we tell them to be realistic. At times we even hold fairy-tales up to ridicule, treating them as silly, negative things. About the best I can figure is that we'd like fairy-tale endings for our kids but must caution them if they're expecting such things. I told you this was off-the-wall.
• Business Goal...I have a goal in my new business. The purpose is to get me going and not sit back and wait for everything to be perfect. I have given myself until 3/31 to introduce 30 faces to Mary Kay. Basically "30 faces in 30 days." Wish me luck... Better yet, how 'bout a facial pampering session???
• "Duh" Observation...Puppies and babies are the only things I know that grow faster than weeds. You should see my puppies now. They're really growing quickly!
• Can you spell "tomorrow?"...Yep, tomorrow's the big day. The "Family Touch" Spelling Bee. I heard yesterday there are 21 participants in Christopher's grade range. This bee is only providing a small number of words for study. The remainder will be "cold" spelling. I've never heard of a spelling bee doing that but it should be interesting.

Well, that's about it for now. I hope you're having a great week!

Another Sunday Evening...

Sunday evening again, and a wonderful time to reflect...

No news... just means I've been busy. I know it's been quiet around here lately. There is a good reason, though. I've started a new business!!!

For 2 years now I've been a fan of Mary Kay cosmetics and skin-care products. My middle daughter, Elisa, won a facial and makeover for her, her bridal party, and "the moms" before her wedding. We had a great time and really loved the products. So much so that now I'm an independent consultant with Mary Kay! I've been busy learning and organizing. I've been in the market for just the right business opportunity for a while now. It could be said that my prior business ideas have come right from the pages of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears... "This one too this, that one too that, but ahhhh....this one is juuuuussssstttt right!" I'm really excited about this!

Come check it out at www.MaryKay.com/SWiren

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Gone to the dogs...

It's been a nice weekend. Darrell home, a furniture moving project tackled, a good business meeting, a fixable flat-tire, great morning at church, a visit from Elisa, Rob and their dog, Kacey, and our favorite Sunday evening dinner of blueberry pancakes and bacon!

This was the first time our daughter's dog and our puppies have "met." It was also the first time we have seen Kacey since the day Elisa got her as a little puppy, about a year ago. We spent a lot of the afternoon outside and the dogs had a wonderful time together. It was a beautiful spring-like day with temperatures in the high 60's, a cloudless deep-blue sky, and lots of laughter in the air -mostly at the dogs' antics. Believe me - Izzie and Bailey are sleeping soundly tonight!

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The week ahead...

I'm looking forward to the coming week.

• We may learn if Shan's baby, our next grandchild, is a girl or boy by mid-week. (Rob and Elisa have decided not to find out with theirs so we'll have a surprise this fall.)
• Our homeschool classes are going well. I'm seeing light at the end of the "long division" tunnel and Abbey's really got the hang of her phonics and reading.
• Christopher's last spelling bee of the year is Thursday. He hasn't spent much time studying for this one so I really don't know if he'll be competitive.
• I anticipate a great week here - hope yours is great, too!