The good thing about Thursdays

Back in Asia-land, Thursday nights were my absolute favorite. Me and all my lady friends chatting the night away - I usually had a coke with me that I would always forget to throw away - and loving on and praying for each other. Best night of the week, hands down.

Here in America, Thursday nights are now my girls' favorite night of the week. You see, every other thursday night, our local library has Dog Therapy time. It's billed as a non-threatening way to help your kids gain confidence in reading aloud. Emma and Samantha are there for the up-close contact with the dogs, not so much the reading...but still, it's a pretty fun gig.

Our first time to try it out was several weeks ago. They spent some very thoughtful time trying to make the perfect book selections - which stories would the dogs want to hear? which ones were too long? Finally, the selections were made and we headed through the one stoplight that separates us from the library.

Since we were a bit early, there was some waiting to be done. This is probably the only time my girls have ever played with a set of trains. The things you'll do when you're trying to pass the time...
Our library has such fun play areas for the kids - here is a puppet theater where they started creating an involved story with another little girl. There are also puzzle tables and lots of toys for kids Abby's age. Though in all honesty, Abby's favorite library activity is pulling handfuls of books right off the shelf.

She doesn't often come with us to the library.

Anyway, back to the puppet show picture:
Finally, FINALLY, it was their turn and the girls were SO excited! There were three dogs lying on their blankets with their owners next to them. Samantha chose to start with Buffy, a beautiful white dog with a super thick coat of hair.
Emma chose Sadie to start off her reading time.
It may look like Buffy is bored with Samantha's reading...
...but don't let her know that you're thinking so! She'll stare you down! This book was a My Little Pony selection.
To say that Emma was thrilled is such an understatement:

The children that signed up for the next 15-minute slot didn't show, so the girls got lots of extra time. They eventually moved to blanket #3, where Shelby the dog was. They liked her a lot - but near the end there was a bit of drama when Shelby's tail accidentally got stepped on. It all ended up ok, but there were tears on both sides - human and canine.
So Thursday nights might not be foot-massage-and-friends night, but it's such a blessing to my girls! Next thursday night, you know where we'll be!

Hmmm....actually next thursday night, we'll be at the BEACH! Woohoo! More on that to come...

Teach Your Child to Swim in Four Easy Lessons

I love teaching my kids new things.

Reading? No prob.

How to pray? How to cook? How to draw? Yes, wonderful, and I'll-try-my-best.

But teaching them to swim? Eh....I'd rather not.

I was really hoping to get them enrolled in swim lessons this spring, and even though we had to nix spring soccer to fit in swim lessons, I thought it was worth it.

I enrolled them at the Oklahoma City Community College, where a four-week class was only $25 each. They were so unbelievably excited about swim lessons. [You can also see that Emma loves her new swimsuit that has a skirt on it. She is all girl!]

We got there early for the first lesson and hung out in the bleachers watching the last group finish up.
When it was our turn, they gathered everyone together and shared the bad news: the pool had just been recently refilled and it was too cold to swim in. Instead, the group of 20 3-7 year olds were slated to have a pool safety class. Not cool. [You probably can't see Emma's face in this picture, but it cracks me up - she's all concerned and listening attentively to find out what exactly is going on.]
So then...we move to a different set of bleachers and everyone sits down to listen to 30 minutes of pool safety. While they all sit there in their swimsuits. And look at the water.

Talk about fidgety!

They did allow the kids to do two activities in the diving pool (which had not been refilled and was warm enough to use).

I quickly snapped this next picture as the girls were waiting to get life jackets on. I wish I would have gotten E&S in focus and the two other boys out of focus...but the moment happened in such a quick moment and I was so thankful I even got this. I loved what this moment spoke: sticking together, knowing you'll have someone next to you, there's a hand to hold when you aren't sure what's coming up next.
They were thrilled to jump into the deep end!
Emma with the skirt. Again.
Before they got to jump in the deep end, they had to practice rescuing someone using a wacky noodle. They hammered home the message - don't jump in to rescue someone! Stay out and help them to safety.

Finally time to jump in! Emma was first of the whole group and gladly jumped right in.
Samantha was a bit more hesitant, but eventually took the plunge.
She was proud of herself for being brave!
Pictures from future lessons to come...

Silas, as you've never seen him before

A few weeks ago, we got a call from Josh's grandpa. He'd been trying to track us down because his horse just had a baby.

I guess that's a foal?

We'd just recently been out there and noticed that his grandpa's horse had quite the sagging midsection! Once we found out she was pregnant and imminently due to give birth, that sagging made much more sense.

When we got the call, we happily loaded up in the car and made the 20-minute drive out there. Then we headed out to the pasture to see what a newborn horse looked like. All the girls made guesses of how big he'd be. They were all wrong. (They had guessed VERY small!)

Where's Silas in all this horse-business? Well, he's right here! (I fell in love with his little wobbly legs! )
That's right - Papa Al named the little guy Silas. =) Papa Al also told us not to get too close because the mama horse was pretty protective. He didn't need to elaborate - I totally understood. I've got a few baby horses of my own.
So we tried to watch from a distance as little Silas tried to keep up with his mama, figure out how to get some milk, and find a comfy spot to rest. It was such a wonderful experience.
Emma actually took this picture later in the afternoon - Jack the little dog had been sternly warned by Papa Al not to run in the pasture with the horses; I think he didn't want little Silas getting spooked or tripped up by anything. Or maybe he was worried about the mama horse tearing Jack to pieces? Either way, Jack obviously wasn't in the mood to behave!

Emma loved playing with Jack. [I tried to block out the fact that he is a farm dog and spends a good portion of the day walking through manure and dirt.] He was sweet to her, and very obliging to her love - so she was in animal heaven.

Samantha spent lots of time swinging on the swingset, Abby was running every which way, and human-Silas was camped out near Grandma Wanda. I think she'd hold him all day; no wonder he likes to stay near her!

Just as we were about to leave, I thought I'd try one of those cool jumping shots like my friend Carrie has on her blog.

Hers:

Mine:

Wow. I can't even imagine the amount of coordination it must have taken to get that many people jumping at the right time. We still need a little work. Ha!
I'm sure we'll be out to check on equine-Silas soon and I'll try to post another update. I don't think we'll try the jumping pictures for a while, though...

Good Friday meditations

Even with my specific efforts to be intentional about major Christian events (like Christmas and Easter), I find that it's so easy for time to get away from me. In the midst of planning and cleaning and schooling and normal life, it's like I look up and think "Whoa! It's Holy Week! And I'm totally unprepared!"

We plan to do our Resurrection Tree that was so meaningful last year, and there are a few other thoughts swimming around in my head...thoughts on how to make the reality of the Resurrection come alive in my children's hearts.

But, praise be to God! He's not just about the resurrection coming alive in my children's hearts - God wants to continually make it come alive in my own heart too!

This week, I've been reading Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die. [And for the record, it's only my second Piper book to complete, but it appears my tolerance for good theology is growing! I plan to start a 200-pager soon...]

There are so many points in the book that cause me to love and adore Christ more, but I'll include this one little paragraph that keeps sticking in my mind. This comes from Reason 10: Jesus Came to Die to Provide the Basis for our Justification:

Being justified before God and being forgiven by God are not identical. To be justified in a courtroom is not the same as being forgiven. Being forgiven implies that I am guilty and my crime is not counted. Being justified implies that I have been tried and found innocent. My claim is just. I am vindicated. The judge says, "Not guilty."

Justifying is a legal act. It means declaring someone to be just. It is a verdict. The verdict of justification does not make a person just. It declares a person just. It is based on someone actually being just.

WHAT?! I have been tried, and found...innocent?

I know I'm not innocent. I know all those sinful tendencies I have - to be prideful and defiant, to speak unkindly to my children, to act as though my time is my own, to subtly try to earn my righteousness through my "goodness".

So, really? God searches my heart, looks at the evidence, and finds me innocent?

Simply because I have responded in faith by putting my trust in Christ, God finds me innocent?

I find it hard to believe - mostly because it's easy for me to look at the evidence and come to a completely different verdict.

God declaring me just brings home the enormity - and the beauty and the value - of Christ's death and resurrection in a way that I've never quite experienced before.

We are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:24

zoo - fall and spring

During a long and cold streak last fall, one sunny day surprised us all...so we stashed the books and homework and busted a move to the zoo! =)

We didn't get many pictures, but the giraffes were being extra friendly that morning so we lingered at their homestead for a while and watched other children feeding them leaves.

Never mind that the giraffes were probably so friendly because they were being fed leaves...and never mind that the sign clearly tells you NOT to feed the giraffes...and never mind that said children's parents were encouraging the leaf-feeding behavior. At least the giraffes weren't sulking under their shade tree; they were happily engaged with all the little people.

Engaged, as in "Watch out, your hair might be mistaken for a pile of leaves!"
Abby loved watching the giraffes, especially since she wasn't able to participate in the trip to the zoo where you feed the giraffes by hand. She was still swimming in utero.
Back in high school, I had a big thing for giraffes. I believe I even joyfully owned a pair of giraffe-print pants.

And, I also believe I actually wore them to Las Vegas once.

Somehow I had convinced myself that they were very cute.

Actual giraffes = cute. Me sporting giraffe pants = not so cute.

Hindsight is always 20/20.
Our zoo membership also gives us tickets to use on various rides. Basically, that means we can use it to ride the carousel since the seal show doesn't open for several months. The girls don't really care, though...because they love the carousel.
Hmmm.....Josh does too.

So now, welcome back to Spring 2011 and the parentals and I decided Spring Break would be a great time to take the kiddos on a trip to the zoo. Note to self: Spring Break is not the time to go to the zoo! Fortunately, we arrived and were done before things got too crazy!

Our zoo does have this fabulous exhibit where you can play and interact with lorikeets - which are so funny and beautiful. You can buy some nectar for them to sip on at an aptly named little stand called "The Nectaraunt".

It was funny to see my dad holding Emma - as I was looking through these pictures, it occurred to me that I seldom hold her anymore.
The lorikeets will literally walk all over you, especially if you've got that golden cup of nectar in your hand.
But you'd better be careful! On our first visit to the Explorikeet Adventure, a naughty little lorikeet snatched the cup of nectar out of Samantha's hand. She felt devastated that a cute little bird could be such a sneaky little thief! But we were prepared this time and entered the exhibit holding on to our nectar with an iron fist.
The guide told us that birds are attracted to brightly colored stones and tiny little blingy things on clothes.
And that one time, another naughtly little lorikeet snatched the diamond right out of a lady's wedding ring.
Wow. Sure glad it wasn't my ring!
Emma was sure all her bling on her shirt would attract a crowd. She was right.

I'd love to get another trip to the zoo in before it gets too hot, but living here in Oklahoma, it's hard to know when that might be!

apparently with some sports, you can't start too early.

Recently, we were blessed by a visit from Josh's cousin's wife...which is not nearly as complicated as it sounds! Joe and Jessica have a cute little guy that's just about the age of Silas, so we're trying to get them started on the right foot. They'll just have to be friends for life. And wrestling buddies. And fishing and hunting buddes (except that no one in my family will be available to teach hunting or fishing. Waaaay too outdoorsy for me!)

Brady Joe, his mama and grandparents (Josh's uncle & aunt) came over after their fabulous lunch at Ted's. [Please note: don't come to my house after you've been to Ted's unless you're bringing some leftovers for me. Thank you.]

So anyway, back to cute Brady. Here he his - with his cute mama:

Then, Brady's grandpa (Josh's uncle Phillip) decided to go ahead and let them pretend like they were wrestling. Have you caught on that wrestling is big on Josh's side of the fam? Philip could have had them standing on each others heads and I wouldn't have known the difference!
I think Silas was looking to the sidelines for some verbal affirmation. He's like me and wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to do...
Do they do this in wrestling?
After a while, Phillip finally gave up on staging the 2028 State Championship match and we tried to get some typical my-baby-playing-with-your-baby pictures.

They sure are cute together! Thanks, Jessica (and Philip and Tonya!) for making the effort to stop by!