If You're Happy and You Know It...

Then your face will surely show it...

I guess you think I picked that song just because it matches the pictures so well.  Well... you're wrong.  I just titled this post the song she was singing (and demonstrating) on her recently acquired trampoline.  Anytime I need to get her motivated to leave a place, I offer to "go home and jump on the trampoline."  When the bribe is in play, she's off to the car without even so much as a "goodbye it was nice to see you today."  I wonder if it'll still work in about 12 years?   I'm optimistic.

Busy Bee

This was my first photo of SB since late November when I took her Christmas pictures.  She's growing up and if not for my mom, I wouldn't have much of a record of the past few months because I have taken no pictures.  Mom takes pictures of her every Friday when she stays with her for the day.  Because I'm fairly confident that she takes pictures every week, I haven't worried about it.  Mom's photos are great for the most part.  SB doesn't make it easy.          

Work has kept me entirely too busy lately.  Our student art show is fast approaching and my students are never ready early.  I blame myself.  I have a hard time saying "no" to any student who wants to try to do something better days before things are due.  I end up staying after school every day until the very last minute urging them to work faster.  They tend to take the pressure as well as I do.

The word "yes" seems to fall out of my mouth freely for any reason whatsoever.  I have trouble turning anything down.  It's not so much that I feel pressured into doing some task, it's just that I like a challenge.  

Some of those "yesses" include:

-making a beauty pageant costume look like a head of cotton; I couldn't resist. 

-making a 4 tier wedding cake.  (I will never make another wedding cake again if I have any say in the matter.)

-have another exhibit of my artwork with no current pieces to speak of.

-exhibit my students work when it isn't required.

...and now I will abruptly end this typing spree because I'm really

t i  r   e   d  .  .  .

 

Brevity

Life is short which is why I never have time to post. So here's a picture my mom took of SB so I'm posting it because I haven't had time to take any myself. I plan to do it soon though.

I love the entire chapter of Psalm 103. We tried to make SB memorize some of it, but she prefers to make a joke out of it so we gave up. Instead of saying, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul." She says, "Bless the Lord... OH MY GOODNESS!!!" and laughs histerically. Here's a verse for you from that chapter:

Psalm 103:15-16 "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

The brevity of life really hits home when someone you love looks death in the eyes. God has reminded me of it all week. My pregnant sister's husband had a massive heart attack at 31 years of age.

It's a good time for us to examine what we believe when we are faced with the fact that we are not guaranteed our next heartbeat. It's been a bittersweet experience. While tragedy is never enjoyable, Jesus has been very present to my family and very kind to my sister and her husband. My dad was admitted to the same hospital this morning with an illness he's been facing. It's been hard to be so far away from them during this time, but I will make a trip tomorrow in hopes that I can bring some comfort to them as they continue to battle the aftermath of his heart attack and my dad's illness.

Psalm 103:17 "But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children"