Art Award

This weekend Malori was recognized at the SWOPE ART MUSEUM for her photography "Waiting on Time". It is an honor to be selected for the exhibit. Only 65 are chosen out of 345.

We made a quick trip down to Terre Haute to see it. (I am still not feeling the best from getting my teeth pulled) Her art teacher, Mr. Wagoner, met us there. He was very proud of her. He even got choked up. Mr Wagoner has had all 3 of my girls in his art class. He is a wonderful teacher, mentor, and encourager. He puts in a lot of work for the school and we are lucky to have such a gifted art teacher. He puts the kids work in contest, and art shows to give them exposure. He is a potter at Billy Creek Village and his pottery is well known. In these days many schools are dropping art programs because of funding, I am glad our school sees the importance of this program.

So tomorrow is the day I get my wisdom teeth out. I have put it off since January. Why? I have no idea. It has been hurting, makes my ear hurt even but I am a wimp. So I am not suppose to eat or drink anything after midnight. So what do I do, scan the kitchen for any food I won't be able to eat for about a week, crunchy things, things I probably wouldn't eat anyway. Do I think I'm going to starve in a day?
Oh well tomorrow I'll be all drugged up so I'll use that as an excuse.

Wish me well!

PS Malori and Kevin better take care of me instead of just dumping me on the coach.

Easter

It seems by accident when the kids were little we started making traditions that we still carry out. Sometime you just start doing something, it works and is enjoyable, and then you blink and it is 25 years later.
Our typical Easter Sunday consists of
going to church as a family (many time sporting new duds)
taking a family picture at church
going to mom's for dinner
a mega egg hunt (including special eggs with special prizes)
hanging out and talking, playing games

So this year we did exactly the same thing. We do now have more than 6 kids. We have added 1 husband, 1 fiance, 2 boyfriends, 1 baby, 1 mother (Kevin's mom), 2 friends and a little girl. We took pictures at the church and had dinner at moms. Mom has done a fun egg hunt for the kids and each year the threat is it's the last, but some how she still does it. This year 340 eggs. Only 326 recovered. loser get cash, and then there is always candy, change, secret numbers, and duties required. (Dave singing I'm a Little Teapot) Somehow everyone goes home with stuff. A lot of the items aren't much but the kids get a kick out of it. It is also VERY competitive. When Carter was trying to state a rule, Malori informed him he couldn't make the rules until he was officially in the family. Drew even had to give stuff to Elias!
They even have 7 wooden eggs that have been in the family since the begin of egg hunts. No one dares to lose them. Plus they are always worth something great!
We sat around and caught up on every ones life, enjoyed passing the new baby around, and teasing the new fiance.
I love my family and these times even though they seem like a lot of work getting ready are so precious. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
The older kids finally off to college, and their homes out of town. I wish they could stay longer.

A place to fit into

I have been struggling with finding a place I fill that I fit into for a Sunday School class. Every since Kevin has stopped going to church I seem to be miss placed. I enjoyed going to a "couple class" with him but now find I don't seem to fit in with the other classes. I had been going to a younger couples class with a friend. The teachers are great it's a fun, interactive and down to earth class but everyone in there is young married, or young kids. There is only one or 2 who have a teenager but still younger kids. It just doesn't seem like the place I am in life. My youngest is heading to college. Just a different time and place in my life. Today I went to an older class. I was then the youngest in the class. Many of the people in the class I have know for years but as I sat there, alone, I looked around the room and thought, I don't fit in here either. Frankly, I am tired of being half a couple. I could tell everyone in the class enjoyed being there, and had a bond with each other. Sharing their lives with each other and praying for each other. I just feel like I am not like any of them. I know everyone has their own struggles, sickness, family situations. I know I belong in church and a Sunday School class but just feel like I am looking in not being there. Sort of like a dream your not in the picture just looking in on it.
After Sunday school Mal and I went downstairs to talk to my sister for a minute. They have been working hard doing some changes and it looks great. Some of the adult teachers and workers were standing in the new "teachers room" kitchen. It was really nice. They were all laughing and excited about what was going on. I though this is what I want. To be in a place I have a vision and excitement for. I was excited for them and long to join with them but knew I didn't belong their too. You can not live off of others joy in Christ. I have to find my own.
What does this mean? I have no idea. I have struggled with going to a different church, but my family and Kevin's family all are still at there and some I wouldn't see at all if I didn't go. I also stay for Malori. I keep thinking maybe when she goes to college.
I think the real problem isn't others its me. I long for God to be real to me at this moment and place in my life. Not just was, or did but is and doing.

Lord Move or Move Me

The other day I heard this song on the radio which I haven't heard for several years. I almost had to pull the car over because of the tears. Several years ago at a very low time in my life I took a trip by myself. At that time I was searching for some answers and made a list of things I needed to turn over to God. After walking on the beach and praying over each item, the Lord urged me to then throw away the list because I couldn't hang on to those things anymore. I walked out in the water and throw the list into the water and watched the waves wash away the piece of paper. Then I looked down and a sea shell was sitting on top of my foot. The Lord took my hurts and left me with His promise. This song came to my mind and meant a lot to me.
Here is the words to the chorus:
Lord move in the way, that I've never seen before
Cause there's a mountain in the way and a lock on the door
I'm drifting away, waves are crashing on the shore
So Lord move (move), or move me.

This is just a very short version of all that happen but it is the highlight. I will never forget what God did for me that day and I keep the shell on my window sill in the kitchen so I am reminded daily.

Wisdom Teeth

At Malori and my last dentist appointment it was decided we both need to get our wisdom teeth out. Malori's bottom ones are coming in sideways and before it messes up all the brace work we had done they need to come out. I have one top tooth that is braking apart. In fact when I chew parts of the tooth fall out. The other top one is falling down. Which to me doesn't seem like a problem but about 20 plus years ago I had the one under pulled and apparently since the top one doesn't have anything to hold it up it is pull down and can pull down the jaw bone. Then the bottom tooth that is perfectly fine has to come out because now if you pull the top one you don't have anything keeping it down. Why didn't they know all of this 20 years ago when I had the first one pulled?
So today was the day Malori had hers pulled. Kevin took her and she did OK but they had a hard time getting one of the bottom ones out. They had to cut out part of the root. The top 2 hadn't even broke through yet so she is all stitched up. One side of her face is pretty swollen. The funny thing is they gave her pain meds which she has been taking every 4 hours, but it isn't making her sleepy. Really weird. They knocked her out and she came out of it pretty alert and hasn't sleep but about 2 or 3 hours all day. If I take pain med I usually sleep all day.
I wanted to take her picture to put on here but she refused to let me. Whats up with that? I did manage to get her to eat some chicken broth. I sure hope mine goes better in a couple of weeks!
You wouldn't believe how expensive it was to get hers out. $3700. Thank goodness for at least some insurance! Mine won't be but about half of that. I am definitely in the wrong business. Maybe we should have done what they did in the old days, go to the barber! I happen to know one.

The Love Boat

Where has this month gone? It has been a crazy month so far. We knew Malori would be going on a cruise in March every since October. We decide we wanted to go but would book our own tickets and not go with the school. We weren't sure who all could go and so we delayed getting tickets. Finally the first part of March we booked our tickets just a week and a half before we were to leave. We got a confirmation, and emails the next day. Then we get a phone call stating we lost our tickets. They didn't come out an totally admit the problem but they over booked it. So in one week we were to be on a boat that we took vacation time for and to watch our daughter preform on a ship, but we didn't have tickets. We did get our names on a waiting list and called 3 to 4 times every day to check. We were told if we showed up at the dock and someone didn't show up we could get their room. So we decided to take a chance.

Wednesday Kevin, Cortni, and I took off for New Orleans. We arrived at the port around 11 and checked in. They put our names on the top of the list and told us to come back at 3. Everyone is suppose to be checked in by 2:30 and the ship was scheduled to leave at 4. We walked around the French Quarters for awhile and then headed back to the port.

It was about 10 till 3 when we checked in again. We were told to wait and they would see if they could find a room. At about 3:45 we were told to head up to check in, they weren't sure yet but just in case wanted us to be ready. We left our suitcases by the front and went through security and to the registration. The workers were all leaving (because everyone else was on the boat) but the manager had to call and finally found us a room on a sold out ship.

We were trying to check in but then they realized our luggage wasn't going to make it so Kevin and Cortni took off back out of the terminal to get it. Then back through the security carrying all of our luggage while I continued to get us book. We then ran through the tunnel and made it on the ship about 4:10.

to be continued . . . . ..

watchin the boat we really want to be on!