90 & 11 Months

Today is a special day for 2 people!

Today is Mammaw Layne's (David's step-grandma) 90th Birthday! WOW!!! Can you even imagine what it must be like to have lived just about a century? I certainly can't! Think of all the changes she's seen in her lifetime. It's pretty crazy, if you ask me! The family is having a surprise party for her today and we're quite disappointed not to be able to participate, but I suppose that's life sometimes. Hopefully, we'll be able to make it to her 100th birthday! :) Below is a photo of Mammaw, Cora and Sue at Thanksgiving! Mammaw sure does love her great grandchild! I can't remember, but I think Cora is #8 for her! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMMAW!!!!! We love you!



Today also marks 11 months for Cora! WHAT???? Seriously???? Yes, seriously! I can't believe it either! Again, where have the months gone? What has Cora been up to this month? Well, she is just about to start walking. She does not like to crawl much any more and takes off if you stand her up and hold on to her hands. She's able to walk with you holding just one hand now!!! She is loving peas now! Who knew--she hated them when they were pureed, but give them to her whole and she chows them right down! She also loves yogurt and carrots and just about anything. We're gearing up for her b-day party in a month so we're starting her on egg whites to be sure she can tolerate eggs. After that I'm going to say she's "good to go" and probably won't be so cautious with what she eats! This month has also been a sick on for her. January was long and tiring with double ear infections and bronchitis. This month she was fine, we were just getting back to normal and she got sick again. However, she seems to be doing much better now, hopefully that's all!!! She is starting to mimic our sounds and I swear says "daw" for "dog." Cora loves to read and likes to sit and "read" on her own! Oh, she also likes to do this to her books! :) We love you Cora!!! :)

A Very Lovely Lady

I "met" my mother-in-law 4 1/2 years ago through email. Since David and I were dating long distance, through email and phone calls, it was only natural this would be how I meet her! :) I knew she would be my MIL, though I didn't tell her during our first conversation! :) Apparently, one of our first phone conversations was when she was packing David up to leave his job in TX. He and I were talking to each other and he told me he loved me and then handed the phone to his mom. She then told me it was weird hearing him say, "I love you" to another woman. Apparently, I told her to get used to it! :) I don't remember saying that, though it does sound like something I would say! :) :) We have grown to love each other very much and appreciate each other for our differences. I'm sure there are times she wishes I wasn't so blunt, but we almost always end in laughter! :)

My MIL is a very giving person. She gives of herself, her time and her money. She has been a HUGE help to David, Cora and I in all of these ways over the past 4 years, especially this year. She loves us and it shows.

So, why a blog dedicated to my MIL? Well, today marks the last day of work for her. She has worked at Marshall University in Huntington, WV for 33 1/2 years. She has worked all over campus during those 3 decades and is finishing up her time in the athletic department. My husband will, of course, miss all the free tickets to various sporting events, but hopefully he'll get over it!! :) My MIL is a wonderful woman. She was a single mom for most of my husband's life. She worked hard, scraped and saved to make ends meet, and if she was as she is now she did it without complaint. Life was not always easy for her but she did what she had to do to make sure she and David were provided for. I know she will be missed at MU. She was/is a hard worker, and well, just a fun person to have around!

So, what's next for this lovely lady? Well...as God would have it, she's getting married!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!!!!!!! She met "M" on eHarmony (same place David and I met) a year ago and they will be wed the end of March. We are SO excited for Mom and can't wait for M and his daughter, D, to be a part of our family permanently! Mom has waited a long time for this, and I guess now is the right time! Plus, now that she's retired she'll be able to come see her grandbaby and granddog as often as she wants (within reason, though, Mom! :) :) :) ). Cora and Molly will be so excited!

The photo below is of my MIL and Cora, who was only a few minutes old! I love this photo of her. For a woman who tends to be a bit more reserved in her show of emotion this photo says it all. I love the raw emotion in this photo--the shear joy at holding her first grandchild, the knowing that life has come full circle and she's had a big hand in it.

We love you Mom and are so proud of you and all you've accomplished! Congratulations! Now, go enjoy being a married woman and being retired! :) And...smash that alarm clock! :)

Pray

Hello readers! I am asking for your prayers. I know that it's mostly family who read this blog, but I also have friends and maybe the occasional wandering blog reader, so I ask for all of your prayers!

The next several days are going to be very busy and mentally draining for my husband. He will be making his way to IN tomorrow for a Face 2 Face put on by the American Baptist Churches in the IN/KY region. It's a time for him to meet with 8-10 different churches for short interviews. We liken it to speed-dating for pastors! :) :P In any case, it's a long 2 days and David will be very tired when he gets home Saturday late afternoon. However, he won't get to rest for too long as Sunday he'll make his way to Columbus, OH for another interview with a sales company. Sales is not something he's excited about, but at this point we can't be picky! He'll have another day-long interview with this company (2ND interview) to learn more about them, the company, etc. Again, it'll be a long day, he'll be tired. He'll then come home Tuesday, and I guess at that point we'll begin waiting to hear from someone!

We would ask that you please pray that something comes from 1 of these interviews. Of course David (and I!) would love for it to come from a church, but as we've prayed all along we want to be and do what God would have us do. Pray also for strength for David. He's going to be wiped out!

Thank you for praying! I'll keep you posted!

A Salty Wife

Do you ever want to look back on life and wish things could be as they were? Have you ever left a life you knew well, and though it wasn't perfect, you knew it and changing it wasn't something you wanted to do? I have been thinking a lot about Lot's wife. You know the story. Lot and his family lived in Sodom and Gomorrah and were told to leave the city as Lot was found to be the only righteous one there. So, as seems to be the case quite often in the Bible, the husband picks up his family and moves them to a foreign land. However, Lot's wife must not have really wanted to leave because she turns back. God had told them not to turn back, not to look back at the life they were leaving. (There were probably lots of reasons: He was destroying their home which would cause some measure of pain and sadness; maybe he didn't want them to look on the unrighteousness any longer; or maybe he just didn't want them to look back on the life they had had, but rather look ahead to the life God had waiting for them. Who knows?) But, what happened? If you don't know the story, Lot's wife did turn back and looked and as soon as she did she turned into a pillar of salt. Salt? Really? Side note: as a child it always intrigued me that God turned her into salt and not just stone. Anyone else?

Anyway, what has prompted all this? Well, as we sit day after day, week after week, month after month in Osseo, I have been tempted to say, "It really wasn't all that bad." I have been looking back at times wishing to just go back. I know, this is silly. Our situation was not good there. Our time of ministry was finished. But isn't it so much easier to want to go back to what you knew rather than just sit and wait for something you don't know? I think so. I have been struck with the thought of, "would we have been obedient if we had known this would be what it meant?" It scares me to think that we probably wouldn't have. Or, what was already a very difficult decision would have been even more so.

In any case, I do not want to be a salty wife. I want to be a wife who looks ahead to whatever God has in store for me, us as a family. I want to look ahead with expectation and excitement and not grumble just because that life wasn't great it was at least something familiar.

Let me encourage you to not be a "salty wife" today!

Random Thoughts...

...running through my head...which may or may not (probably not) be connected!

It was Mardi Gras yesterday--"Fat Tuesday." The day we are "allowed" to do whatever we want; act as sinfully as we want; eat, drink and be merry. It's all "OK" because today is Ash Wednesday. And, don't we all know it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission? I have no desire to ever spend Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I can't even imagine the debauchery that must have taken place.

Which brings me to another thing--Lent. I understand the premise of Lent. I understand we're supposed to be spending this time giving up something that would bring us some measure of suffering so we're more apt to remember what Christ did on the Cross for us. But, I have to ask you...does giving up chocolate/sweets/coffee/TV, really produce suffering in your life? I mean, really? And, can we truly grasp the kind of suffering Christ went through for us? I don't think so. What if we gave up things like gossiping, gluttony, judging others, selfishness, and actually tried to better ourselves in an eternal way? I think that's more along the lines of what Lent is supposed to be. I mean, let's give up true "addictions" not just chocolate.

Mmmmm...chocolate...I love it, I live to eat it, I eat it because I live...

I can't wait for Cora to start talking. I know, I know, when she does she won't stop. Who cares???? I don't! I can't wait to communicate with her verbally. Being one who relies on verbal to communicate I just can't wait.

Waiting is so hard, isn't it? I mean we've been waiting for 14 months now for David to find a job. I'm tired of waiting. Isn't it time for this to be over yet? Have we "done our time" yet? I know, it's not in our control. We followed the Lord out of Bankers not knowing what the economy would do. If we had known would we have been as obedient? I hope so!!!! And now, we wait. I guess I'm not learning my lesson in patience very well because I feel I do a lot of waiting in life.

I'm so glad we're not getting all the dreadful snow everyone else is getting! Being in Michigan would make you think we'd be getting slammed, but thankfully we're not!

I've been reading these community discussions on another blog, and I have to say, really? I have been very disturbed by how open women are being about their SEX LIFE with their husband, their relationship with their husband, etc. And, what I've found is most of these women haven't even tried to talk to their husbands about the issue(s) at hand. They just go to this discussion place then ask everyone else what they should do. Thankfully, there are many women who tell the woman to go and talk to her husband, but I can't help but look at this discussion board as one big hen fest. One big gossip circle. One big gripe time. If things are that bad go see a counselor!!!! These strangers can't help you. I don't know. Call me crazy, but I would NOT be happy if I found out David was airing our dirty laundry on a blog discussion board for any and all to read. I would be so hurt!!!! I will no longer be reading these discussion boards. They're much too disturbing.

OK, enough random thoughts. I could go on and on, but I won't! :) I hope you have a very great day today!!!

Valentine's Day at the Hardin's

Ok, so at the Hardin's home we are not oozing with creativity as they are at my sister's home! (Ruthie, I love your creativity and am, quite frankly, just jealous! :) :) :) ) However, at the Hardin's we're not bursting with creativity. Our Valentine's Day consisted of, well, nothing! :) I made chocolate chip cookies for David (I usually make heart shaped sugar cookies but wanted to do something different this year). David preached on Sunday, we dressed up in red (mostly Cora...) and well, just spent the day together. Pretty uneventful, but we don't mind. We just like being together. Here are some photos of our little Valentine. :) She makes all holidays much more fun, afterall. I'm sure as she gets older we'll try to be more creative! :)

And this is not from Valentine's Day, but she LOVES strawberries! :)

No good, horrible, rotton, terrible, just plain awful...

...week! I thought about writing a blog on how terrible my week has been--since it has been in a lot of ways. However, I thought I would put that silver lining on the bad things instead! The good will be in silver! :) So, here ya go!

1. I got sick. I went to the dr and got some meds and am feeling much better now!

2. I got a speeding ticket. The cop only charged me for going 5 mph over rather than what I was really doing...

3. I had to be at work on Tuesday until 7:00 p.m., meaning I spent about 20 minutes total that day with Cora. She won't remember, and she was with her Daddy, whom she loves very much! And, I'm thankful it doesn't happen all the time.

4. I have been terrible about fixing dinner. OK, I haven't fixed dinner at all this week. We've done McDonald's and pizza and leftovers. I have a husband who loves me and knew that work was extra crazy this week and was understanding and didn't complain when I set the "slop" in front of him! (except the leftovers, they weren't slop, just leftovers! :) )

5. We have a creature of some kind living in our house (other then the usual 3 humans and 1 dog). We don't know what it is, but we have heard it in the living room in the heating duct, and then last night in the kitchen under one of the cupboards. I have a husband how diligently set the trap for us and hopefully we'll catch the little bugger yet!

Well, there you have it--my attempt at making a terrble week a little less awful! How has your week been?

Oscar-ette the Grouch

Unfortunately, this has become a typcial conversation in our house lately:

David: Why are you being so grouchy?

Me: I'm NOT! (said in a very grouchy tone)

David: Yes, you ARE!

Me: Well, I'm grouchy now that you keep saying I am!

Unfortunately, my husband is right. (Shhhhhh! Don't tell him, it'll only go to his head! :) ) I have been a grouch. I've been malcontent, grouchy, touchy and just no fun to be around. I snap my answers, huff and puff around, roll my eyes (stop laughing, Ruthie) and am just generally not a nice, let alone fun, person to be around! Why am I doing this? I mean, I'm usually the "glass is 1/2 full" person, the one who can laugh at everything/anything, the woman who always sees a silver lining. What is my problem? I mean, I have a husband who loves me, a daughter who is so sweet and fun, a dog who never ceases to bring laughter, a family who loves me, a warm, dry house, food in the cupboards, clothes in my closet, a job...why am I being such a grouch?

I think it all comes down to pride. Don't most things in life usually come down to pride? I may have all these wonderful things, but I don't have the 1 thing I really want. And, that one thing is for my husband to have a job so I can stay at home and take care of our daughter and our home in general. I don't want to be the one leaving the house every day (today was especially hard) and leave my husband to do the things I'm supposed to be doing. I want things to go my way. Wow. How selfish is that? How proud does that sound? I think very much on both accounts. And so, instead of just dealing with life as it is right now I have chosen to deal with it by being a grouch. I could give Oscar a run for his money.

But, this is not how we're supposed to be, is it? I mean, God doesn't tell us to just be however you want when life doesn't go the way you planned, does he? Nope. He tells us to "consider it pure joy when you endure trials of many kinds." WHAT?????? JOY??????? Are you SERIOUS????????? How in the world am I supposed to find joy in this journey? How am I supposed to "rejoice in the Lord always?" I mean, God must have had a "senior moment" when he wrote those things. And yet, it's true.

This whole year has been stretching for me (and my husband) in many ways. But I think one of the biggest ways is finding joy no matter what the circumstance. I have really struggled to find that joy, to be thankful, to rejoice always. I don't know why. I mean, the Lord has blessed us greatly this past year (as always). We have never wanted for anything.

I have been making huge efforts to not be a grouch. I have taken to praying on my way home from work that when I step through the door at home I will be genuinely happy and joyful. It's not my husband's fault the job market is so terrible. It's not my daughter's fault we're not where we want to be. It's just life. And well, sometimes life isn't the way we want it. But, God is still good, God is still faithful, and God is still providing for us.

Are you a grouch? Have you addressed the reason why? I encourage you to be less like Oscar today and see how much better your day goes!

How much does he love me?

After being inspired by our brother-in-law, J, David decided it would be a wonderful, sweet, and brownie-point awarding thing to do to make something special and extra chocolaty for me! :) Well, he doesn't need "points" to be a really wonderful husband, but I definitely wasn't going to turn away the "fruits" of his labor! :) I went into the kitchen to see my hubby melting some Ghiradelli chocolate chips for dipping Oreo cookies! :) YUM!!!!!!!!!!!

Um, yes, I quite enjoyed these!!! :) I you, David!