Trust

I am a huge planner by nature.  One of my favorite parts of each semester while I was in school was planning my classes, and watching as my plan fulfilled my graduation requirements.  My husband has been so patient with me as I considered more school.  I realized that my spirit is tired, and no, more school is not the answer for me.

It has been harder to follow a neat and tidy plan as I got older.  I ended up working for great people in a city that I had never visited before my interview.  I have learned a lot here.  I have also learned how to be a strong woman here.  I'm still not the kind of person that enjoys going to the movies by myself.  But I really don't mind evenings alone now.  There are endless opportunities to learn, create, and explore our beautiful world.  We have been working on new plans as we think about having a family.  I am excited to report, allbeit vaguely, that new plans have been made.  I have been praying about whether this is the right course of action.  I've never felt God's booming voice speak to me.  However, I have found ways for me to feel that he is guiding me.  Today I received one of those affirmations that our path is the right one.  I know it will be many months before our plan is fulfilled and we live together 24/7.  I hope we are heading where God wants us to be though.

Source: ragstostitchesboutique.com via Angela on Pinterest

God is Real

I read this interesting blog post today.  “The Last Post” by Derek Miller.  It was posted by a man who had passed away.  Obviously his family posted it for him.  I found it profoundly saddening because of his untimely death and his lack of faith.  Apparently his atheism was very important to him.  He talked about how wondrous and beautiful humanity and this world can be.  I found that so confusing.  How can you appreciate the intricate amazing things that our world and humans in general have to offer, without really considering how they were created?  I do realize and think that some evolution has happened over time.  I cannot argue with science and skeletons of early humans.  However, I do not think that humans evolved from mice.

I will pray for your soul Derek Miller.  I realize that you probably would not like me to, being an atheist and all.  But I know that your soul is somewhere, even if your body has died.  I will pray that your family can be strong and find their own faith along the way.  Even though I am catholic I do not think that any of the various Christian faiths can know that they 100% have it right.  I just know that Christ died so that we could be in heaven with him.  We obviously could not come into a perfect place and be with perfect beings without someone paying the price.  Thank you for doing that Jesus.  I'm sorry that some people refuse to acknowledge your sacrifice.

As much as I did find Derek Miller's last post very sad because he thinks his soul has gone to nothing now, I did not want to leave a comment.  I just am not a combative person.  I did not want to cause more pain to his family.  I hope they find their way to faith in a way that works for their heart.  Lord please help guide them to a knowledge of you and your wonder.

Winery

Grand Canyon

This is exactly the same area as the first picture.  I just switched to black and white mode.  I like how it brings out different textures.

The Grand Canyon is so immense that I found myself taking pictures of smaller parts just to make the scope of it more manageable and relate-able.  I often found myself thinking that what I was seeing in front of my very eyes looked fake almost!

These were some cool clouds that we came across while driving back to Vegas.  They look like the ....at the end of a story to be continued. 

Hoover Dam

Joshy and I wanted to stop and see Hoover Dam on our way to the Grand Canyon from Vegas.  I'm glad that we did.  We first ended up driving over the dam...that was no good because we couldn't see it!  I did get a cool shot of the bridge that allows you to see the dam.  We then back-tracked and walked across to the middle of the bridge and got a great view of the dam.  It really is an amazing feat of engineering.

Vegas....picturesque?

I've often heard about the great times that people have had in Vegas.  No one ever mentioned that there are mountains surrounding Sin City!  Maybe not the rocky mountains...but mountains to THIS Kansan. ;).  To be fair...these pictures were taken about 15 minutes outside of Vegas.  However, you can see mountains from the strip.

This is Lake Mead which Hoover Dam keeps in shape.

The patch seen 'round the world

I read a really funny blog post today about this mommy's boy growing up.

The patch seen 'round the world

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Summer has been crazycakes around here. The book I am working on is due in two weeks. The campaign I have been working on for my alma mater ends this week. I have already started working on projects as our  elementary school PTA's VP of Ways and Means (read: fundraising, a specialty I never knew I would hone). We've had one week of camp and several weeks of Oh My God I am Going to Lose My Shit.

This past week, I took Firstborn to the pediatrician for a camp physical in preparation for his first sleepaway camp experience later this summer. Everything was going routinely until my long-legged offspring stretched out on the examining table and folded his arms under his head. I am not huge on sleeveless shirts for my boys, but I did buy Firstborn one tank for the summer because it says "Baseball Legend" on it -- something he definitely believes he is.  My point is, I never see my child's armpits.

And there it was: a patch of hair.

Not fine little blonde body hairs. This was a patch of longer, brown, still fine and delicate hair. In his armpit.

Firstborn turned nine last week (another post I have yet to write). He's only just nine years old. I didn't really expect patches of anything to be growing on his body yet.

I wasn't able to contain myself. I audibly gasped, and I called his pediatrician over to him. "What is THAT?!" I demanded.

"Hmm," he answered. "Nine is a little young for puberty in boys. But yeah, that looks like the beginning of something right there!"

He asked Firstborn if he could check "under the hood" one more time, and he confirmed that nothing else was growing patches. Which is reassuring, yes, but... still. There is a patch. In his pit.

The doctor told me to watch for any more signs of things revving up, like body odors or growth spurts, but explained that sometimes these things pop up and go nowhere for a while. That would be nice, since we haven't even tackled fourth grade yet.

Shocked, I walked zombie-style through the rest of the exam, left with our completed camp physical form, and piled the kids back in the car. "Mom, why did you get so upset when you saw that hair under my arm?" Firstborn asked from the back of the van as we pulled out of the parking lot.

I paused. "It just means you are growing up," I answered slowly. "And sometimes that is hard and a little scary for mommies to see their babies grow up."

He snickered softly from the back, and he said nothing more. Since then, it's been like Poe's Tell-Tale Heart, pulsing from beneath his clothes and glowing in my brain: pit hair. Pit hair.

Puberty.

Here it comes, ready or not.