School is almost over again

May 9th is my last day of school, I CAN NOT wait! I had last week off, the girls had their spring break and I have to say I loved, not having to run around like a crazy woman, but I am back to it this week. I have a test today in A&P Lab (my last one) a quiz in lecture and then tomorrow I have to sign a song in ASL. Now I was supposed to be working with this girl Ashley. She asked last week if I would do it with her but she hasn't called or emailed me back so I don't know what to think. I guess I should just learn the whole song just in case.
This is what my kitchen table usually looks like during school. I am applying for a scholarship for next year, I am hoping that I get it. I have to write a little something to go along with the application and it is due on Thursday. So I guess I should get to it.

Blue Skies

The girls are off this week and I have been wanting to paint Sarah's room for some time now. But I hate to paint, and I really hate to paint by myself. So I asked my friend Katinka (who likes to paint) if she would mind coming by and helping me. So between her schedule and mine (I still have classes) we picked yesterday. She came about 8:30 am with all the rollers and trimmers and I had the paint. We painted the walls within a couple of hours and it looks fantastic!! I forgot to get before pictures but here are a couple of after.

The pictures don't do it justice, the color is a little darker then what it looks like in the picture. It's called summer blue and it looks so much better then those old ugly white walls, that weren't white so much any more (LOL). I still have to paint the trim and I also want to do a wide green strip about 3/4 of the way up the wall, just to give it some pizazz! I also want to get her a new comforter and sheets. Faith's room will be next! I don't think she has decided on a color that is okay with me yet. She wants a color called Hot Lips, a very dark pink. I just can't do that!! It is amazing what a little color on the walls will do to a room.

What we did today

So we went to church where I had a hard time concentrating because of what happened on Friday. I will go into that with another post, but we came home Craig worked on the trailer and the girls played with their friend Gabby. After she left we ate dinner and then I started jones-ing for something sweet and had nothing so I decided it would be a good mother daughter thing to make cookies.

We made Peanut butter cookies and oatmeal cookies. YUMMMMM!

ASL Class

I did my ASL Autobiograpy last week, boy it was nerve wracking. Now in two weeks I have to sign a song. I was thinking about just finding one on the internet and using that, but I decided that if I don't do the work I won't learn as much. But I love this song and I love the way it is signed. So I thought I would post it to my blog. The song is Beautiful by Christina Agulara. Enjoy!

Spring

Well spring is here, thank goodness! I have been waiting for the trees and flowers to start blooming and it looks like it is finally here. I have been wanting to take a picture of our little bird house that has been used by only one bird family. That disappoints me, I like seeing the mamma bird fly in there and knowing she is taking care of a family in there. We had gotten this on a trip to Cape Cod with our friends, Niki and Eric a couple of years ago. Even though only one bird family has lived there I still like the way it looks on our tree.

Another thing I like about our house is our backyard. It is pretty big, at least to me it is, and I love the pond that Craig put in about a 8 months after we moved in. He has always wanted a pond in the backyard. He wanted to put one in the house we had in Asbury Park, but the yard wasn't big enough for two kids let alone a pond. Last year we bought 4 small Koi. It was all we could afford HA! But I have to say it is very peaceful and relaxing just to go out there and sit on the bench and watch the fish swim around and hear the sounds of the waterfall. It's not the best picture, but you get the point.

Anticipation

Yesterday I started my bible study with the ladies at Grace. I have been looking forward to this as it has been so long since I have opened my bible, actually I had to find it before I left the house. There's a group of about 17 women who showed up and there are a wide range of ages and family situations. Married forever, married a while, newly married, divorced, single mom's, women going through divorce, a very diverse group of women. It seems to be a good mix. So we watched the intro video and I was surprised at how funny Beth Moore was, and how passionate she was for Christ. On more then one occasion she made me cry, not so much so because of what she was saying but how she was saying it; she had so much passion and I want that. I want to be passionate in my desire for the Lord. Anyway, this study has homework and I have to say never once did I think, "Yeah, just what I need more homework!" I eagerly anticipate meeting God in this study. I have no idea what He's going to do, I know it's going to involve a lot of tears because that's just who I am, but I will wait!

So today's topic was on the identity of family. We are learning about John, the beloved disciple. One of the scripture readings was about the command we are given to

"Impress them (this commandment) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of you houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:19

I want my children to be grounded in the word of God, but I find myself lacking in this area. And as their principle role model (at least at this age) I am not setting a very good example. I have always believed that God has a hand on them for some work of His, what that is I do not know but look forward to seeing it. But I need to help them grow, I need to be more focused on helping to build good character and to widen their vision. By that I mean not concentrate on what they have or don't have but to see oh so many who have so much less then they do. I know that I sometimes fall short of that. I want the latest and greatest and sometimes I feel that there's not a whole lot that I can do for others. I guess that is where I need to think and pray for something outside of the box. So that is my prayer today.

Lord, I want to see what I can do, not what I can't. Help me to see the possibilities and to close my eyes to the impossible.

Adoption

I know a couple who has adopted a few children. Now this in and of itself is not very perculiar but that they have adopted 4 and have 5 of their own with another on the way, some would say they are strange or fanatical. In the beginning I thought it strange that they would have so many children. But they have such a love and tender heart for children that sometimes they inspire me. I have to say I haven't seen a happier family, with good values who are not only thriving but living life to the fullest. I not only admire them but I envy them in a way.

I have always wanted to adopt! Even before I had kids I always thought that I would adopt at least one child. It just seems like it is the right thing to do. Now I mentioned having another child the other night (I think I feel by biological clock ticking, LOL) and Craig asks how we could afford it, what do I say to that??? What I want to say is we just do, we rely on God to take care of us, like we would the child we would bring into our family. In reading my friends blog I realize there is a whole cyber community of people who's life mission is to save a child from not knowing what it means to me loved and cared for by a family. This community has supported each other in prayer, encouragement, giving emotional support and financially. It is almost like the church in Acts where everything was shared.

So I don't know where I am going with this, but my desire is to help a child, to give a child a family. I want them to know they are loved and desired and a gift. I guess for right now I will have to live vicariously through my friends. For now, but who knows how God will work this out.

I hope she is okay

Criag, Sarah and I were sitting around the dinner table tonight and Sarah was talking about a child in the nursery today (she was helping out). This was a child who had Downs Syndrome and that led to us talking about her Turner's Syndrome. Craig had mentioned how in the scheme of things, Sarah's TS is hardly noticeable. She had questions about some of the characteristics of girls with TS. I had my laptop open so we searched the web and saw some pictures as well as reading a post from a woman who is now 50 years old and found out she had Turners when she was 16 years old.

Sarah left after we read the post. I often wonder what she thinks about when that subject comes up. She seems to be fine with it and that's great, but I hope that she knows that it is okay to not feel not alright. I had a meeting with her teachers last week and one of the guidance counselors were there and said that there was another girl in school who also has TS. She is going to contact the mom and see if she would be alright with talking to me and maybe having the girls meet. I think that would be great! Sometimes I think that Sarah feels very isolated when it comes to that. I am also going to try and get some information in the TS Society here in NJ. I think it will be beneficial to Sarah now that she is a little older. I know it sounds kind of selfish, but I think I have put this off because it will be just another thing that I have to do. But I guess it is something I have to do...... for Sarah. I want her to grow up to be well adjusted and feeling okay about herself, its something I don't think that I felt and it led me to all sorts of bad places.

True Love

My mom called me a couple of weeks ago and told me that my Great Aunt Opal Ruth died. Now, even though this wasn't a complete shocker, I was deeply saddened. She was a great woman and role model. She was always so pleasant and nice and always had a smile on her face whenever I saw her. She left behind a daughter, Renee, a grandson, Tim and a great grand-daughter Heather, and a husband of many, many years Fritz. I have to say that out of all of these people in her immediate family I am most saddened for Fritz. Never have I seen two people love each other more. It was so plain that there wasn't anyone else they would rather be with then each other. I admire that and only wish that my marriage was like that although I haven't seen that in to many marriages.