And he's off and running.....to chase a dream

Remember my one word prayer for Zach? Well, he's off and running this morning...taking that first big step in the direction of a big dream.

He's nervous and uncertain....

and he went on his own...

without his fellow teammates, buddies, or mom and dad....

that's a big step for him....A. Really. Big. Step.

Praying for Acceptance....along with a heart of thanksgiving.

Snow Sweater 2011

No mistakes, a fairly decent fit, and I even altered the directions for the sleeves... just a tiny bit.

9 Days and Counting

That's how many snow days we've had this year. Last week we were out for the entire week. We huddled down and kept a fire going in the wood stove. I knitted all week and went to work today with a new sweater to wear.

Pictures of the Snow Sweater 2011 coming soon.....

One Word Prayer

I like this idea.....http://lysaterkeurst.com/2011/01/one-word-prayers/

My word for Clay: Revelation

• A thirst for God and a reliance on Him for guidance, wisdom, and discernment.
• A true understanding of the verse, "I can do all things through Christ."
• God's perfect plan for the future.

My word for Zach: Acceptance

• Focus on the amazing plan God has in store for him and give him the confidence to step through the doors that God opens...while accepting the doors He closes.
• To see others as Christ sees them.

My word for Adam: Confidence

• Refuse to let others define who you are. Be bold, be faithful, and trust God.
• Follow through on the God given love for music and use it to honor Him.

Since my feeble brain is prone to distraction and forgetfulness, I decided to create a daily reminder. I printed each word and placed it in a simple frame for the shelf in my bathroom. Every morning I will have a visual reminder of my pledge.

Adam's Gift

Adam made this bird feeder for me....with a little help from Papa and Dad. What a treasure...both the bird feeder and the sweet young man who made it.

I don't know about you but those dimples melt my heart.

My First Sweater...that fits

Zach took the photo. He held up the camera, and quickly snapped...hence the wonky angle.

Ta-da....it fits.

It is somewhat presentable (if you don't look too closely) and a huge improvement over my first sweater...which will never see the light of day. Let's just say that project taught me a stitch gauge is your friend and not something to be ignored. It also taught me that binding off and weaving in the ends will not improve the end result.... despite how much you try to pretend and convince yourself the fit "really isn't all that bad."

I'm encouraged that maybe, just maybe, I can someday be considered a bona fide knitter. There's hope for me yet.

Thanks to Spud and Chloe for this step-by-step pattern.

Morning Head Count

The holidays brought Clay home from college.

I have a little habit that developed a couple of summers ago. Each morning of that first summer of "teenage mobility" (aka - driver's license), I would wake up and complete a mental head count.

One, two, three.

Who was here...who spent the night with a friend. Some mornings would find a few extra heads to count.

One, two, three, four, five, six....

I didn't realize I had developed this almost unconscious habit until Clay left for college. The head count had become a little ritual that provided me a sense of peace because everyone was safe and accounted for.

Then Clay left for school, and my little morning ritual was disrupted. *sigh*

But the holidays brought him home again and for one sweet week, my morning head count was

one, two, three :)