Time with Mr. G

Last weekend, was the first time ever that all 3 of our children were away all at the same time.  It was truly surreal around our house.   Friday evening when I returned home from dropping the kids off at camp, (I know I'm weird here...) I truly wrestled with cleaning my brains out or resting.  I had briefly thought of calling my husband and talking with him for a moment to see what he needed me to do before making my decision, but honestly...(sigh)  I knew he'd tell me to rest.  Later, I found out I was right!  

While I waited for my beloved to get home from work I snacked on pistachios and watched CSI: NY.  Shortly before he arrived the Netflix went out.  I tried fixing it, but it just wouldn't do anything.  I got online to all the different websites the thing told me to, but it wouldn't work.  Mr. G decided to surf the other Wii channels and we found out we could download YouTube on to our Wii console.  The rest of the evening we watched Mark Lowry clips.  What fun we had laughing together!  And boy can that Mark Lowry S.I.N.G!!!

The next morning was busy writing bills, balancing the checkbook, then heading out to a Sunday School meeting.  After that we decided to head north and make some stops on the way to pick up the kids.  We stopped for lunch at a convenience store for something quick on the road.  Strangely enough they had just what we wanted--salad and sandwich.  LOL  We continued up the road until we came to the turn off for Kinzua Bridge.  Hubby decided to take the turn and follow the signs.  I figured he was going to the auction by the way he was going, but I sat quietly to figure out where he was headed.  When we passed by the auction I figured he'd seen something else.

When we arrived at the packed parking lot, he noticed a plane and decided to take a bunch of pictures because it looked neat with the wispy clouds in the background.

We were both amazed at the lack of leaves through this area too.  Further up the road there were leaves on the trees still, but not through the Kinzua Bridge area.  It makes one wonder if the weather patterns are different through this area. 

The bridge was destroyed by a tornado some years back and they refurbished it only out to a point so people can walk out on it and not only enjoy the view, but marvel at God's creation and the fierce force of nature that took down the MASSIVE steel, bending the supports over like play dough in a child's hands.

I didn't see the steel beams until we arrived at the end, but I marveled at the devastation that took place that is still apparent years later.  This tornado didn't last long by the looks of the land, but the wind sheer could be seen even through the trees at the top of the hill where we'd walked from.

They'd kept the original part of the bridge in tact, but built a walk way around it.  This picture is looking through the rails to the ravine below.

We were not sure if this was a foot bridge or a log that someone had placed over the stream.  Mr. G took a picture to blow it up and see if it was a bridge or a log.  LOL

A truly humbling, terrifying sight for me that took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes.

It left me awestruck with a humbling reverence for my God.  I didn't see this until we made it to the end of the foot bridge.  Even though I saw the tornado's path, I still didn't gain a full understanding of the true magnitude of the tornado until seeing this. 

Awestruck...

Walking back, the plane passed by a few more times.

We stopped at a store that was going out of business to find that their prices were not indicative of a place that wanted to get rid of their merchandise.  We also stopped at a thrift store and found a few items of clothing for the children.

We arrived at our friends' house to visit and help make dinner because we knew that everyone would be famished when they came back from camp.  What a lovely and wonderful time we had of fellowship and laughter.  I won't post the last picture my husband took of our friends together.  Lisa would kill me!  LOL

Over all our time together was bitter sweet...more sweet than bitter though.  It simply wasn't long enough.  I'm looking forward to the time when the kids will be able to go to camp again and my Mr. G and I can have more time alone together. For some reason we don't have that very much, but hopefully we'll be able to fix that soon.

God Bless,

When to Rest

Years ago a wise friend counseled me to guard my time.  Make sure there is time for family, meal times and times of worshiping together.  I've tried to consistently be aware of those time stealers and guarded how much the children were involved in.

Times are changing.

Our kids are getting older and beginning to test their wings.  Our oldest son owns his own car now.  He bought it with his own money, but my Mr. G wants him to have more behind-the-wheel time in his car in hazardous driving conditions before allowing him to take his behind-the-wheel driving test.  He could pass it right now, but my husband would prefer to have the peace of mind in knowing that he knows what to do if he ever needed to drive in weather.  

Once he gets his driver's license he will be "cut loose"--in a manner of speaking--to head out and find a job.  He is a senior in high school this year, but he needs to have a job to pay for his vehicle expenses.  With his up and coming job, time together as a family is at a premium at this point.  He won't be able to go with us on many more vacations or family outings.  It will be time for him to spread his wings and fly.  In the mean time, we cherish every moment of time we have together as a family.  Once he spreads his wings, our family dynamic will change.  It's both exciting to see, but also bittersweet for this Momma's heart.  

Time is so very elusive.  Sometimes it runs by fast and other times so very slowly.  Time to make sure everything gets accomplished that is needful is right where I am right now.  The schedule for our comings and goings is getting busier, so time spent together as a family will have to be rethought and moments in the vehicle capitalized on as best as possible.  Discussions need to be made the best of with purposeful meaning or with erupting silliness.  The times together in this way need to be planned out whether it is to listen to scripture, Christian radio, sermons, or a young person's choice of venue.  Purposeful discussions need to be planned out in advance with topics such as is needful whether political in nature, therapeutic or character development.  

With all of this coming and going with activity, it begs to question "When does someone rest?"  In my humble opinion, rest is not only wanted, but desperately necessary.  In six days the Lord worked to create the entire earth and universe, filling it with every kind of creature as well as man and woman.  On the 7th day, He rested.  My Mr. G and I have come to the conclusion that "our" 7th day is the day we'll rest.  Since his schedule is not really set in stone as of yet, we follow what it is for that given week.  While I try to rest for half of my Sundays while he is at work, I also try to rest with him on his 7th day.  Yes, I know the Lord rested on the 7th day.  Yes, I know He didn't break his resting up in to two half days.  However, the Lord knows my heart and I'll let Him be the guide for me of when to rest.  In a couple of weeks things will change again, then my rest days will change.  For now, though, I rest on half days.  

My young folks rest their minds from school on Sundays.  They work hard on everything every day, so they need a brain break.  They've decided to join Civil Air Patrol and with all the work involved with that program, their work load (and subsequently mine) will increase depending on their rate of progression in ranks through the program.  They need brain breaks on Sundays.  It's a good thing. 

God Bless,

Finished Bolero

In the Spring I decided to make a lovely Victorian Bolero for my daughter.  Forgive me, but I've lost the link and cannot find it.  I promise that when I do find it, I will post it!

This is my first piece of "clothing" that I've ever knitted and finished.  I'd started a grand task of making her a sweater about 5 years ago, but it didn't pan out.  So here I am, making her something cute that I know she'll like.  =0)

This is it with some tails that need to be woven in.  I had lost my needle, so I waited until I could find it before finishing.  =0)

Close up.  For those of you who knit, yes, you're seeing correctly.  I had to undo things half way up and the loops twisted making that lovely line straight across in the middle.  To this day I still don't know how to undo  it when that happens! 

The other side.

All of this was made my hand, sewn together with a needle--no sewing machine.  The yarn would have been sucked up by the feed dogs on my sewing machine and I'd be sitting there in tears.  I figured I'd better take the safe route and sew it all together by hand.  

And she loves it!