We did some babysitting. They are a bundle, a packet, a whole load of energy! We did toys, and colors, and plumbing, and bike rides, and walks, and Veggie tales, and Thomas and Curious George. I got pictures galore, then erased them before I got them downloaded. How clever was that? Things they love: eating.playing outside in the dirt.helping grandpa with the tools. That tools thing was an overwhelming success!
Conversation:
Ron-Isaiah hand me a screwdriver.
Isaiah- a flat head screwdriver or a phillips?
Ron-Flathead. And, Isaiah can you find the chanel locks?
Isaiah-Sure Grandpa. (hands him the yellow handled chanel locks)
Ron-Isaiah, work that putty for me so I can put it on the sink
Isaiah-I love molding putty when we plumb. It's like silly putty! Hey, Grandpa, is that a 1/2horse or 3/4horse motor on that garbage disposal?
Ron- Why, it's a 1/2 horse. It's a little less expensive, but it should do what we need.
Isaiah- Grandma will appreciate not having her sink back up all the time, Grandpa. You won't have to use the screwdriver to get it going again.

Miracle of the moment

I found this poem in, of all things, the poetry section at the library a few weeks ago. I rarely have time to read the books I'm tagging so why this jumped out at me is amazing. I have thought that I really need to share this with you because it is so beautiful in its simplicity. But today it speaks volumes to me when I think about people like Stephen Curtis Chapman and the tragedy that his family is facing. May I be as full of grace:

Amen, Father on your planning.

Amen, for you'll see us through.

Amen, when the cross weighs heavy.

Amen, everything you do.

Forgive me this once, for posting this music video by Stephen Curtis Chapman. It really spoke to me this morning as I got ready for the long weekend:

2008 Orange City Tulip Festival: All the photos worth seeing!

May Word

Community. We were in Sioux City Sunday. As if I hadn't had enough to do through the weekend, we decided we needed to go biking. We chose the riverside trail along the Missouri River. And what a beautiful day for it. Everyone was out. Walking dogs. pushing strollers. Dads with boys pulling carts with little sisters, families,couples strolling hand in hand.... everywhere, people together. At the park they were celebrating...something. With loud music and cake. At the river they were fishing. Everyone that I passed greeted me. Was the friendliness born of the lovely day? I think not. It seems the midwest is always friendly. The need for each other runs deep here anyway. It did get me to thinking about our need for each other. Rugged individualism is overplayed. We need more than a nodded greeting. We need from each other real encouragement. We need community. That whole idea, not of living together, but of casting our lot together. That seeing each other through when we aren't such nice folk nodding to each other on a sunny day. That encouragement. "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (I Thes.5:11) or "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Heb. 3:13) and this one-"but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."(Heb. 10:25) Like I've heard from my pastor many times-it gets messy. Indeed, but it's part of learning and growing in grace. Community isn't exactly an action word. Something easy/hard for me to put into practice. But I think the translation is this: "One anothers" first. Be devoted to one another, honor one another, love one another,live in harmony with one another,accept one another,instruct one another,serve one another,encourage, encourage encourage one another....

"We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race."-Cicero

"The religious community is essential, for alone our vision is too narrow to see all that must be seen. Together, our vision widens and strength is renewed".

AMEN.

Prince Caspian

Ok. I can't help it. I have to give my 2 cents worth about this movie. I see that it was at the top of the box office for the weekend. Reviews that I've seen were mixed and my feelings about the movie in general were mixed as well. Most of you know I am a huge fan of the Chronicles series and generally, I like my movies to be like books that I like as well as this series. I was bound to be disappointed. Overall, though, I really liked the movie. The action and cinematography (now there's a word I didn't think would ever come out of my mouth) were really great. It was such a fun movie to watch. It was way more action packed than the book ever was. There in lies some of its problems. It took out a lot of the faith journey that the Pevensie's/Narnians were on. Very little was ever seen of Aslan and his role was crucial in the book. So I didn't think they did a very good job of developing the spiritual aspects of the story.

Scenes that I hated were the little crush that they had Susan develop with Caspian (Oh My, can anyone say "really cheesy") and they definitely got it wrong when they cast Peter and Caspian as rivals to the throne. On the other hand, I loved Miraz. He was exactly as evil as I would have pictured him. Very believable. Why is it easier to develop the evil than to get the good/God stuff right?

Edmund was wonderful and he had some of the best one liners in the whole movie. The fight scenes were fantastic. Even the short appearance of Aslan was very well done.

Since Ron didn't get to see this with me the first time, I think I might actually go again and not really mind it at all. I know I'll notice things I didn't see the first time. But be sure to go. Don't read the book first if you haven't. but don't let the movie put you off from doing that. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5!

Things You Haven't Seen

Here is the last of Tulip time pictures..well, for the time being. Saturday was one of the most beautiful days and apparently 50,000 other people thought so as well. I don't remember ever seeing lines so long for food stands or hearing that they actually ran out of poffertjes and had to close early! Saturday was Artburst and the tulip 5 and 10k runs, a 5k and 1k walk. This is the 5th time I've been able to participate in that. Isaiah and Phinehas and some of their friends joined us again for the day. To top it all off, I got to see the evening play, The Sound of Music. What a great day. Mix in friends,music, junk food, sunburn, warm weather, a parade or two and beautiful tulips and you've got reason #1 as to why I love living here.