A Lesson from Bad Fish

*DISCLAIMER: Some references might be a bit TMI, but they illustrate the message.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" Psalm 139: 14

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 6:23

Saturday night started out perfectly. Our sitter arrived, the kids were eager to play with her, and Scott and I were free to enjoy dinner and a movie. Ahhh, time together. All continued to go smoothly when we arrived at Outback. We hadn't been in quite some time, despite our history there (some of you may know that our first date was at Outback), and we were pleasantly surprised to discover that there wasn't a wait (shocking, I know, but maybe it had something to do with us arriving at 5!). 

We ordered, then talked while we waited for our meals, fish (mine) and steak (Scott's). Our food finally arrived, and neither of us was disappointed. The fish was perfect: Mahi mahi topped with artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and a lemon sauce. It hit the spot, satisfying a craving I didn't know I had.

Next up, the new James Bond movie (definitely recommend it!). We made it in time for the 6:30 showing (the time is important, especially since the movie is about 2.5 hours long), found decent seats, and got comfortable. Sometime during the movie, I started feeling slightly uncomfortable. My once satiated tummy was twisting and turning, and not in the regular digestion sense. (Leah had the stomach bug last week, so that was at the back of my mind, too.) Still, I lost myself (mostly) in the movie, willing the gurglings to pass... and made it safely through the movie (though I was only too happy to be heading home). 

We made it home... and none too soon. Scott bid our sitter good-bye, as I was incapacitated in the facilities... where I also spent the first half of the night (well, alternating between there and bed). Chills, aches, and fever accompanied my hourly visits to the bathroom, until, finally, my body had nothing left to expel. And then... rest.

Sunday, feeling much better after two naps, I had a chance for some quiet time and reflection. Funny how I could then see God's hand (in a positive way) even in the midst of food poisoning. 

First, Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." How grateful I am that God designed our bodies in such a way to remove the harmful bacteria that I had inadvertently ingested. Here was something delicious yet dangerous... and I had no idea. Yet God, in His ingenuity, gifted my body with another defensive mechanism (though certainly not pleasant) to protect me from greater harm. How amazing!

Second, Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." My dinner was beautiful, delicious, much like sin. How often have I relished in my sin, excusing it or justifying it because it "looked" acceptable by society's standards? Yet smothering it in a delectable sauce doesn't change it; it's still sin, it's still deadly, and it still separates me from God. 

BUT... there's hope for I know that Jesus died for my sins. He suffered the pain of my sin-- separation from our Holy God and Father-- even though He was perfect. Even though, he did nothing wrong. Yet suffer He did so that He could rise again, interceding on behalf of believers, forgiving us, and allowing us to avoid the physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish that our sin deserves. 

So, thank you, Lord, for bad fish. For a physical reminder of what I won't have to endure because I know my faith and trust are in you. In whom is your faith and trust? May it be "the author and perfecter of our faith (Jesus), who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12: 2).

Slipper Dancing

So, I was going to write about the election, especially since this has been quite the lesson/ ride for me this past week. And who knows, I just might write, if only to convey the peace that God has given me in the midst of my own feelings of despair. But for now, a more light-hearted, and enjoyable post: Hunter dancing.

My son LOVES to dance. The other night, Scott turned on some "cruising" music for Hunter to listen to while riding around in his Cozy Coupe. Every time they drove through the living room, Scott had to stop the car so that Hunter could get out, dance, and then return to the car for the rest of the ride. Seriously. This boy LOVES to dance.

Big sister passed along her Car slippers after she received new piggy slippers. Nevermind that the slippers are still too big for Hunter; he LOVES shuffling along in them, stopping every so often to reposition a foot that slipped out. So stinkin' adorable!

Now just combine those two images --dancing and slippers-- and you can imagine the result. Better yet, just watch the video. (My apologies for the angle; I can't rotate it.)

Like a Million Bucks

This past summer, Scott and I talked about saving up for a swingset for the kiddos. I looked at a few to get an idea of cost, and then we started socking away some money. Not only would we have to save for the swingset itself, but we'd have to save for the tree removal service, too, since we didn't have space in the backyard for a sizeable set. We knew this would take some time, especially since there were other house projects (the front porch) that took priority.

And then God, like He usually does, intervened.

Turns out our neighbors had a swingset that their kids had outgrown. A playset that they just wanted to GIVE away. Yes, GIVE.

And that upped our initial timetable.

Being the handy husband that he is, Scott borrowed a chainsaw and cut down the trees in our yard. Little. Big. They were no match for him (though a rotten tree did put up a good fight). That took about two weekends.

Another weekend, he ground the stumps down. (That turned out to be an all-day affair, much to our surprise.)

Come September, he and two of our neighbors carried the playset over to our yard so that Scott could begin the make-over. First a face-lift (power-washing). Then some nips and tucks here and there (board replacement). Finally, the make-up (stain). But she still wasn't ready.

New "jewelry" (rungs on the rope ladder). A new "hairstyle" (a new steel roof). And finally, she looks like a million bucks. And all for about a quarter of what just a new playset itself (not factoring in tree removal) would have cost us.

Don't tell me that God doesn't provide. I only have to glance out back to see that He does.

 The view from the bay window in the kitchen. Scott hadn't anticipated the tree falling toward the house. Thankfully, it was just short enough to miss doing any damage.

 Hard to tell, but notice the color difference between the playset and the ladder on the right. Just staining it made a big difference. You'll notice that there's no roof  and that the rope ladder isn't functional (the wood rungs were rotting).

 Leah enjoyed helping Daddy "paint" the ladder.

 Like a million bucks! Notice the roof that Scott designed and built, as well as the PVC rungs on the rope ladder. All of his hard work has been well worth it. The kids LOVE going outside to play.

Hunter LOVES the slide, particularly walking up it (assisted, of course) and then sliding down. He tumbled off the end and landed in a bed of leaves. I think he would have stayed there all afternoon had I let him!

 Leah had to try out the bed of leaves for herself.

 Playing pirates with big sis in the "fort". Or just looking adorable!

Weathering the Storm

Looks like our playset was the perfect place for our hawk (okay, the neighborhood hawk, but she holds a special place in our hearts, especially since she's helping to rid us of the adorable but pesky chipmunks that have taken up residence in our yard) to weather Hurricane Sandy. She (the hawk) showed up yesterday around 3 and stayed for about 30 minutes, before a particularly strong gust of wind encouraged her to find refuge elsewhere. I do hope she fared okay; like I said, she holds a special place in our hearts.

As for our family itself, we're just fine. The kids didn't mind staying inside all day yesterday (Hunter was upset today, though, when we were outside only long enough to get the mail and remove the trash can from the garage; that boy LOVES being outdoors), and were unfazed by the wind and rain last night. (Apparently Scott and I were, too; once I fell asleep, I didn't wake until Scott's alarm went off this morning.) Thankfully, too, there's no damage, just lots of leaves and several branches. Even better, my hubby didn't/ doesn't have to extend his shift at work. Considering what we had been expecting, I'd say that we fared really well.

Happy Day!

Eight years ago today Scott and I joined our hands and hearts in marriage. Much has happened since that beautiful fall day in 2004, but every moment together has helped us grow and strengthen our marriage.

Tonight we'll celebrate with an annual tradition: dinner at Arby's. Of course, unlike our visit there on our wedding night on the way to the airport hotel, tonight we'll have two kids in tow, and simply return home afterwards to partake in peanut butter cup s'mores bars (Yum! Thought an anniversary was the perfect "excuse" to try this recipe!) before putting the kids to bed.

(And for those concerned that we won't have a chance to celebrate sans kids, we did; when my in-laws were in town for Hunter's dedication, Scott and I went out to dinner before checking out the new shops by Wegman's. We were actually away for THREE HOURS! That's a LOT for us!)

Be free! Be free!

As part of Leah's study on butterflies, I ordered some caterpillars back in September. I was a bit wary when the little critters arrived; they weren't moving, and the brown food in their jar wasn't exactly aesthetically pleasing. Still, I held on hope that the caterpillars would grow and proceed through their life cycle before our very eyes.

Turns out that all six of our "pets" lived; they proved a daily source of entertainment (in short amounts) for all four of us (yes, even the hubs and I were interested). The kiddos would clamor around the island (well, Hunter needed some assistance) to peek at the caterpillars crawling around their home.

Then one day, they started "the change", and we were the fascinated bystanders. The first caterpillar to spin his chrysalis did so during Leah's rest, so I ran upstairs to get her. Granted, it did take it a little time to finish, but I didn't know that at the time. Plus, it was fun experiencing the moment with Leah.

Finally, after a couple days, all six of our caterpillars had spun chrysalids; now we just had to wait... and wait... and wait. Then, last week, just after breakfast, I happened to glance at our butterfly garden, and there, hanging on to the side, was a butterfly. Just like that! Number two arrived later that morning, and then number three appeared that afternoon. Number four arrived the next day. (Sad to say, but number five wasn't fully developed; it never fully emerged from the chrysalis, and ultimately died. Number six must have died in its chrysalis for it never appeared.) The kids enjoyed watching the butterflies flit around their garden or sip nectar from the orange slices and sugar water we gave them. (Leah was good about looking and not touching, but Hunter didn't quite understand. He'd pound on the top of the garden with excitement, sending the butterflies trembling down to the bottom.)

Sunday afternoon, Scott and Leah released our "pets" in the backyard (though Leah had told me earlier that she wanted them to fly around our house. Uh, no.) They were hesitant to leave the comfort of their "home", but soon gained the courage to fly off into the "great unknown".

 Scott set the two unopened chrysalids on the food plate in the hopes that the butterflies might still make it.

If you look closely, you can see one of our butterflies on the log.

Change of Plans

So, initially I was going to update everyone on the backyard project/ addition, but then I saw something this morning that made me change my mind. 

We have been so blessed by where we live: our neighborhood is convenient to EVERYTHING; our neighbors are great; our home is in good condition (even if we have been updating it here and there); and, unlike many homes in this area, we actually have privacy thanks to our wooded lot. 

Though I am not a tree-hugger or environmentalist by any means, I do enjoy and appreciate nature (after all, it is God's creation and one of many ways in which He demonstrates His creativity and His love for us). So is it any surprise that I often find myself scanning the backyard for critters of one sort or another: chipmunks (so cute... but so destructive! Argh!), squirrels (eh, see one, seen 'em all), chickadees (can't get enough of these. Maybe that's because of a report I wrote back in elementary school), doves, woodpeckers, cardinals, rabbits (don't see these often enough), foxes (thankfully our yard is usually just a cut through; too often, these are rather mangy looking), deer (REGULARLY! Scott keeps telling me that one day he's going to hunt them from our deck), snakes (ugh!!), turtles (saw a baby one crossing our driveway last year), toads, and hawks (saw one just last week. He hung around for a few days. Friday he was on our deck. Saturday he went zooming past Scott's ear while Scott was outside working.).

And then Sunday, and again today, I saw something I hadn't seen in our neighborhood before. Something beautiful, majestic, and strong: a bald-eagle. As I was driving to church, he flew over our street. Then today, as we were playing outside, he flew down our street, prey (a squirrel) in talons. So amazing. Guess I know what I'll be keeping an eye out for now.