has finally arrived via email Friday evening. Dania is out of MOI. That was the final long leg of her journey home. Now all she needs is visas and passports. This usually takes a couple of months, but they gave me no time lines as of yet, that is why I waited to post something, hoping that I would hear some details, but I am too excited to keep this news to myself. My preparations for her homecoming are going into high gear. Maura and I hit the jackpot of yard sales Saturday, and I was able to pick up a few perfectly adorable things for cheap. I think that right now she is a size 5. In May she was 45lbs and 3ft 9in, so I am collecting some stuff for her now. Tonya and Nanny already gave me so cute stuff, and over the years I have picked up some stuff here and there. Shoe size is something that I would love to have, because I am a shoe horse and have not been able to buy any.
I will keep you all posted on the details as I get them. I am praising God for his perfect timing. Next week we close on the business deal, so everything is falling into place nicely. If you think of it, please pray that this last bit of paperwork moves quickly because my paperwork expires early December.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
A little deeper than usual
I have left most of my deep thinking material for my friends in real life, and I hardly ever write them down in this forum, but one topic has consumed my introspection's as of late. I have a deep longing (at times) to live very simply. I'm talking Little House on the Prairie simplicity. There is something so appealing about the lack of stuff and distractions. I long for some land in a remote place, with animals, gardens and the work of living off the land. I am discerning enough to realize that this would require an enormous sacrifice that I may soon grow weary of, yet my heart still yearns for it.
It all came full circle in my mind while I was traveling through Atlanta on my way to visit Tonya several weeks ago. As I was driving through the city, I felt a restless unease, that was not due to heavy traffic. I was passing billboards, restaurants, furniture shops, malls, vacation advertising, and a sundry of other distractions. I realized that I was being tempted to become discontent. There were so many tantalizing things out there to see and have, and if I lived close to these things, I would be thinking about them and coveting them. I want to try out these new restaurants, stop and get that cute pair of shoes that I don't really need, or try out some sort of spa treatment. The list could go on and on, but when I am away from those things, my mind rarely turns to them. It is only when my eyes see do I find myself in a discontent state of mind.
If I leave my house to have some alone time, I often just go the Walmart or the grocery store, because in our small town that is about the extent of the material distractions there is to offer. There are a few antique stores, and a Belk's that I will occasionally stop in, but as a whole there is not much to tempt me by. Nate often asks me if I want to go on a date and eat out, but since there is only one nicer restaurant, a chinese, a mexican, an Applebees, and the rest fall into the fast food category, nine time out of ten I decline his offer, and we end up taking a motorcycle ride or getting a sundae after dinner.
We end up spending so much less money living in a rural area than we would if we were in a metropolitan area. The funny thing is as I was telling Nate about this, he piped in and said it was easier on him as well because of the fact that there were less attractive woman. In the city, there are many more "put together" women and here it is not as prominent of an issue.
Of course I am not saying that it is bad to live in the city, I am only stating that for me I find it less distracting and easier to focus on the things that God has for me in this phase of my life. Someday I may love to live nearer a city so that I can hold aids babies or work in a soup kitchen. Since moving into this house, Nate and I have both noticed that we tend to stay home more and work on our land or do things with the kids here instead of trying to find something to entertain us outside the home.
There is something so peaceful and tranquil about living more simply, and maybe it is just the fact that my mind isn't being so stimulated and I can focus more on the whispers of God.
It all came full circle in my mind while I was traveling through Atlanta on my way to visit Tonya several weeks ago. As I was driving through the city, I felt a restless unease, that was not due to heavy traffic. I was passing billboards, restaurants, furniture shops, malls, vacation advertising, and a sundry of other distractions. I realized that I was being tempted to become discontent. There were so many tantalizing things out there to see and have, and if I lived close to these things, I would be thinking about them and coveting them. I want to try out these new restaurants, stop and get that cute pair of shoes that I don't really need, or try out some sort of spa treatment. The list could go on and on, but when I am away from those things, my mind rarely turns to them. It is only when my eyes see do I find myself in a discontent state of mind.
If I leave my house to have some alone time, I often just go the Walmart or the grocery store, because in our small town that is about the extent of the material distractions there is to offer. There are a few antique stores, and a Belk's that I will occasionally stop in, but as a whole there is not much to tempt me by. Nate often asks me if I want to go on a date and eat out, but since there is only one nicer restaurant, a chinese, a mexican, an Applebees, and the rest fall into the fast food category, nine time out of ten I decline his offer, and we end up taking a motorcycle ride or getting a sundae after dinner.
We end up spending so much less money living in a rural area than we would if we were in a metropolitan area. The funny thing is as I was telling Nate about this, he piped in and said it was easier on him as well because of the fact that there were less attractive woman. In the city, there are many more "put together" women and here it is not as prominent of an issue.
Of course I am not saying that it is bad to live in the city, I am only stating that for me I find it less distracting and easier to focus on the things that God has for me in this phase of my life. Someday I may love to live nearer a city so that I can hold aids babies or work in a soup kitchen. Since moving into this house, Nate and I have both noticed that we tend to stay home more and work on our land or do things with the kids here instead of trying to find something to entertain us outside the home.
There is something so peaceful and tranquil about living more simply, and maybe it is just the fact that my mind isn't being so stimulated and I can focus more on the whispers of God.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Major brownie points
Today is our 15th anniversary!!! Nothing much will be happening on the home front, but my dear, sweet, wonderful, gorgeous husband earned enough brownie points to last for several years.
We have an endearing tradition at our church that husbands are given time to do something sweet for their wives on their anniversary. Every week in the bulletin and during announcements we recognize birthdays and anniversaries. The pastor or the person giving the announcements always ask the husband if he has a song for his wife. Most people pass on the opportunity to sing for their wife in front of the church, (imagine that) but there are a brave few that do. A few weeks ago the pastor had a pick up band come and he sang an oldie to his wife. It was definitely a comedy performance. That same week a young man, married only a year, wrote and played on his guitar, a beautiful tear jerker song for his cute little wife. So every time someone does a good job or something original, the men joke that the bar has been raised.
Well, in my opinion Nate raised the bar once again. He made a beautiful picture montage of our life together and played it Sunday morning. There were several moist eyes in the congregation, and lots of pats on the back for Nathan when it was over. One dear feminist friend said that she was laying aside her feminist ways to say that Nate scored some major brownie points and he should get anything he wants for a good while.
This presentation was not a surprise, I knew he had been working on it for weeks. I actually bit his head off once because he was spending so much time in front of the computer. I had not seen it until Sunday morning, and when I did, I knew why it had taken him so long to complete. It was perfect! We tried to convert it from power point so that I could upload it here and share it, but he was unable to figure it out. I put the song on my playlist, so you can at least here the perfect song he picked for it. Go to the bottom of this page and click on "After all these years" by Journey and just imagine the pictures.
We have an endearing tradition at our church that husbands are given time to do something sweet for their wives on their anniversary. Every week in the bulletin and during announcements we recognize birthdays and anniversaries. The pastor or the person giving the announcements always ask the husband if he has a song for his wife. Most people pass on the opportunity to sing for their wife in front of the church, (imagine that) but there are a brave few that do. A few weeks ago the pastor had a pick up band come and he sang an oldie to his wife. It was definitely a comedy performance. That same week a young man, married only a year, wrote and played on his guitar, a beautiful tear jerker song for his cute little wife. So every time someone does a good job or something original, the men joke that the bar has been raised.
Well, in my opinion Nate raised the bar once again. He made a beautiful picture montage of our life together and played it Sunday morning. There were several moist eyes in the congregation, and lots of pats on the back for Nathan when it was over. One dear feminist friend said that she was laying aside her feminist ways to say that Nate scored some major brownie points and he should get anything he wants for a good while.
This presentation was not a surprise, I knew he had been working on it for weeks. I actually bit his head off once because he was spending so much time in front of the computer. I had not seen it until Sunday morning, and when I did, I knew why it had taken him so long to complete. It was perfect! We tried to convert it from power point so that I could upload it here and share it, but he was unable to figure it out. I put the song on my playlist, so you can at least here the perfect song he picked for it. Go to the bottom of this page and click on "After all these years" by Journey and just imagine the pictures.
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