Wait

Those who know me know that I am horrible at waiting. I hate waiting. Yesterday it snowed about half an inch and traffic was bad. I sat in traffic for sixty minutes waiting to get home with a two year old who wanted a graham cracker, a pumpkin sticker, a bando (bandaid), and to watch just the race, just Lightning's race. I hate waiting.

I am anxiously waiting to meet the new member of our family. I am 22 weeks along and I already feel like time is at a snail's pace. What will the baby be? What will the baby look like?

I hate waiting.

I am waiting for a new career direction. For four years I have longed to be in a high school and I think I reached my limit this year. My love for teaching is zapped by middle schoolers who can't remember their pencils or what a verb is or how to raise their hands or how to talk without rolling their eyes at me. I hate waiting.

I hate waiting and God knows it. He sent me a devotion today on patience; a lesson I have been taught continually for 29 years. The devotion said patience is a virtue that can only be developed with God and through a strength that comes with knowing God has plans to prosper me.

So I wait, and while I am waiting I am going to try my hardest to remember that I can do all things through Christ who stregthens me.

Quality Time

The women's small group bible study I am in is going through the 5 Love Languages and last week we talked about quality time. While I am pretty sure it is not my primary love language, I was reflecting on the times I cherish the most and the first thing that came to my mind is the daily commute with Elijah. My talkative two-year old has created some of the greatest moments in the past few weeks.

Here are snippets of conversations:
Elijah: "Mooooo"
Mom: "Is there a cow in the back seat? What is the cow eating?"
Elijah: "Grass, oh mom!"

Mom: "Did you finish your banana?"
Elijah: "No"
Mom: "You better eat it up like Curious George, good monkey"
Elijah: "I good monkey, oooooaaaa."

Elijah: "How you day mommy?"

Mom: "Be careful climbing in."
Elijah: "I love be fareful, mommy."

Elijah: "Does the baby need a blankie?"

Elijah: "I wuv you mommy."

The conversations never cease to amaze me. I just hope they continue throughout the duration of his life!

Night and Day

Sometimes I am just amazed at how two people can be so different. Growing up my sister and I were often questioned on our family status. "You two must be cousins, distant cousins." She was studious, organized, obedient, and often annoyed with her little sister. I was messy, always late or in trouble, and only got good grades because my sister got them. The one thing that stands out about our childhood is that I loved my sister and wanted to be just like her.

She always struck me as a girl who was confident in herself; I on the other hand struggled with what everyone thought of me. She was smart and beautiful and so talented and she had this...this..."thing" about her that I just didn't have. It annoyed me as a teenager because it was the one thing I couldn't pretend to copy about her.

She shared that "thing" with me when I was heartbroken and convinced at 17 that no one would ever ever love me enough to marry me. (Yes, I was a drama queen too) She shared the joy of the Lord, something I had heard and practiced before but had forgotten. She saved me, and it wasn't the first time nor the last. There was the time some cleaning water got "spilled" in the midsts of a fight one summer day. She quickly came up with a plan that would ensure no one got grounded. She has continually rescued me. Through all my irrational thinking, ideas, and troubles she has spoken the truth to me.

As Chris and I have been discussing names for our new addition we have struggled but the one name that we always agree on is Sarah. If we are blessed with a little girl she will be our Sarah Joy, mostly because my Sara has brought so much joy to me!

Thanks sis!

A year in pictures

Here is a slideshow of some of my favorite pictures from 2007. Note the some, there are so many to choose from.
Enjoy.