big foot lives here!

The other day Scott went for a run and told me that his feet kind of hurt, which is one of many reasons I try to abstain from that form of body jarring exercise.
"I think my shoes are too small," he said. I looked at his feet. I think the shoes look fine.. but his feet look too long.
"Holy cow! I hope you grow into those!" I said jokingly. "When did we get those shoes?"
"Last year when I joined Civil Air Patrol. I got them at the same time I got my boots."
"Well," I continued my shoe investigation. "How do your boots fit?"
"They are way too small. I just have to crunch my toes up when I put them on."
I had visions of the Chinese ladies with their feet being bound in a way that they could hardly walk. I wondered how in the heck my thirteen year old could run an 8 minute mile with his toes folded in half!
The next time we went to Auburn we stopped in at the Big 5. Scott tried on boots and running shoes. Thankfully they were both on sale.
He went from a 9.5 to an 11 in shoe size. Yikes! No wonder it hurt to run, I am surprised the kid could walk!

Beware Sasquatch- there is a new "Big Foot" in town!

note to self: How many times do I limp along because I am putting on something that does not fit?

juggling goldfish

A few days ago a wonderful writer friend, Mary DeMuth, posted a question asking if others felt overwhelmed.

Boy, was that relevant to me, especially since I had just grounded myself for not having my homework done, laundry finished, and to top it off my room was a mess!

Sometimes things get done and at the end of the day I breath a sigh of contented relief. Then, there are days when the vacuum expoldes, the toilet overflows and the kitchen floor needs pressure washed due to canning buckets of pea sized grapes into jam.
It isn't always the big things that throw me off my game as much as the incredible amount of little things.

Sometimes I feel like I am juggling goldfish!

I do get overwhelmed. But recently I have been working on my "They Shall Rise Up and Call Me Crabby" book. The chapter I am working on is "Seasons". It is comforting that no matter how crushed I feel by everyday busyness I can have hope.
Paul wrote in Phillipians 4, "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me."

Even if it means learning to juggle!

puppy love

It is hard to believe Lucy's puppies are almost 7 weeks old. It has been such a special time for us. The kids watched her give birth, which was a lesson in itself. Later that day after Emma and I had left for a meeting, I called home to check on the little family. Amy said that Jack needed to talk to me because he was FREAKED out.
"He is watching all the puppies nurse and needs to know how he ate when he was a baby," said Amy.
"Put him on the phone."
"Hello?"
"Jack.."I paused trying hard to not laugh. "It is true. That is how you ate when you were a baby."
"That is disgusting! Why didn't you use a bottle!" said my traumatized nine year old. I was sure that he would never want to look at me let alone hug me again.
"Bottles and formula is plan "B". Nursing is God's design. Get over it."

Before the day was over we were all mesmerized by the eight miracles of life that squirmed in the straw lined kiddie pool we had set up as a doggie play-pen. Watching the puppies grow has been not only a lesson on life, but on love. Puppy love.

flyposuction!

We were so blessed with an abundant garden. The down side was the crazy amount of fruit flies that decided living in the house was way more fun than living outside of the house. One day we had the shop vacuum out and John had a brilliant idea. He decided to suck them out of the air. FLYPOSUCTION!

It totally gave a new twist to the saying time flys when you are having fun! From now on the kids will always remember their Dad, armed with a craftsman shop vac, taking care of business one bug at a time and say times fun when we were having flies!