They Say The Cutest Things

I recently came across a notebook that I had written down funny things our kids had said/done while they were toddlers. Scott and I (and the kids) have had a lot of fun remembering and laughing. The following are a few highlights... (There may be some words offensive to Grandma - butt, poop...sorry!)


"That's my wicked finger!" - Jake (You can guess what he was doing...)

"My favorite color is bunner (butter)!" - Maggie, while eating butter off the butter dish with a spoon.


"What do you like better, toys or food," Maggie to Jake. Jake to Maggie, "Toys!"(In a very, "are you even serious??!?!" voice.) Maggie back to Jake, sighing, "Yeah, I like food."


"Where's Christmas? Where's the tinsel, where's the garlic?" Maggie, singing a song for her upcoming Christmas program. "Why garlic?" I ask. "You know, Mom, I don't really know." "Do you think it should maybe be 'garland?'" I ask. "Ohhhh. Yes!" Pause. "What's garland?"

During potty training: Jake: "Dad! Smoke came out of my butt!" Scott: "You'll be popular in college!"

After Scott blew air in Maggie's face with an air compressor: "Daddy, don't do that! It scares my hair!"

Jake asked if we could go see the dinosaurs at the zoo one time; I explained that they were 'extinct,' which meant that they had all died. He later told someone that "All the dinosaurs pooped and then they died because they stinked."

Jake, rubbing the head of a newborn cousin, "When will her hair be born?"

Out of the mouths of babes...

Saved...

I was recently looking through old notebooks, reading journal entries and bible studies from time gone by. I used to be a lot better about writing down my thoughts. One entry hit me in particular. It's something I wrote probably four or five years ago. (I'm not always so good about writing down the dates of my scribblings...) Funny how God can use your own words to convict...

Saved For...

As Christians, when asked, most of us can come up with a long list of what we've been saved from - starting with eternal separation from God. Some may add abuse, addiction, any number of temptations, lifestyles and past history. It's easy to fall into the pattern of always looking back when talking about our faith. "I can't imagine where I'd be without Christ," is a comment I hear often. It's not a bad thing to look back.

The greater question, I believe, is what we've been saved for. Many things, in some respects. First and foremost, we need to "spread the word" about Jesus as the shephards did that first Christmas night. But as James 2 points out, talk is only talk unless you put some muscle behind it. (Paraphrased, to say the least.) Faith without deeds is dead. How much farther would I get in spreading the message of Christ and his love with my neighbors if I actually went out of my way to do something for them, rather than just spouting religious platitudes when it seemed appropriate?

If we, as Christians, can't show the world who He is by what we do; by taking care of our own and others, then who will? Micah 6:8 "He has shown you, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

We Forgot Nancy!

We invited some friends from residency days to hang out with us in Phoenix this past weekend and just had a blast. One excursion took us to Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale. Scott and I were there on our 10th anniversary this summer and I didn't quite make it to the top. (A story for another day...) So, I was determined that I would summit Camelback on this trip and make Scott proud.

Camelback is not an easy climb for people like me who don't often climb mountains. We stopped frequently. Several times, when we would stop and rest, the same woman would also be there resting. We chatted; and discovered her name was Nancy. Every time we thought about quitting, there was Nancy, urging us on. We ended up climbing to the top with her.

We hung out at the summit for awhile and then decided to head back down and get some lunch. After about ten minutes, someone said, "We forgot Nancy!" Of course, we were really under no obligation to climb back down with Nancy, and I had looked around for her briefly at the top. We all kind of lamented briefly and kept heading down.

Several minutes later, Scott said, "Hey, there's Nancy!" She caught up with us, very out of breath and said, "I just had to catch you, I have the funniest story!" Nancy had been sitting behind a rock with her eyes closed at the top of the mountain, when a group of people wandered over. She overheard their conversation, and one of them said, "By far, the best comment we heard on Camelback was, 'hey, we forgot Nancy!'" She jumped up and said, "I'm that Nancy!!" And then felt compelled to tell the other climbers that we hadn't really forgotten her, we weren't really together. They all had a laugh and then she said she just had to catch up with us to tell us the story.

It really is funny how something like climbing a mountain can bond people together. None of us will ever forget our climb with Nancy, or how we ended up forgetting her at the top!

By the way, the climb was well worth it; these are some pictures our friend took...amazing view!

From MSP to PHX to ABQ to PHX

Scott and I were recently telling some friends how easy it is to get to Phoenix (relatively...). It's a direct flight from Minneapolis, blah, blah, blah.

Yesterday, we embarked on an adventure that had us laughing, simply at the absurdity of it all. We boarded a flight in Minneapolis (MSP - airport lingo) that was supposed to leave at 11:20 a.m. (Minnesota time) and arrive in Phoenix (PHX) at 1:51 p.m. (Arizona time.) At 11:45, they were de-icing our plane. At 12:15, we taxied back to the runway to have the hydraulics worked on. By 12:30, we were in the air. Yippee!

At 3:00, we were descending into Phoenix. The wheels were down, we could see the runway. The wheels went up. The runway disappeared as we once again flew up into the clouds. The overhead voice: "This is your captain. There are winds of more than 40 mph. blowing on the ground in Phoenix. We are going to fly in a holding pattern until we don't have enough fuel to do that anymore, at which time we will divert either to Las Vegas or Alburquerque (ABQ) (don't know if I spelled that right and don't really care).

3:30 - "We are diverting to ABQ. 4:30, land in ABQ. "An airline representative will meet you at the gate." The woman at the gate, "They told you that?!?" She was just working on getting the next flight boarded.

5:30, 6:00, 6:30...FINALLY - "Flight 941, you need to reboard." In the meantime, we are noticing all flights into Phoenix are cancelled. We reboard and the captain says, "The airline needed that gate so we had to taxi away and wanted you all on in case we could take off. If we haven't left in three hours, we will let you back into the airport." Well.

7:30...8:30... "We have been cleared to take off for Phoenix." A cheer arises amongst the passengers. "There are some pretty severe thunderstorms in the area, so we are going to have to fly around them." The cheer dies down somewhat.

9:30...bounce, shake, rattle, bounce some more. 10:30...finally, the lights of Phoenix (the first time we saw Phoenix, it was during the day - no lights). 11:00, we land. No other flights are landing in Phoenix; they just really needed that plane back, apparently.

Outside to hail a cab. Cab driver; no English and not used to driving in rain. The cab ride was more frightening than the flight. We hydroplaned for about a half hour until we reached our destination. Streets are flooded, trees are down. Phoenix has gotten more rain in one day than they normally get in a year.

Standing in the pouring rain, trying to unlock the door. "Are you sure this is the right key?" Apparently, it has to be jimmied just so. Finally we are inside and starving. The only thing in the place is frozen twizzlers, ice cream and pancake mix.

In desparate need of food, we go to the garage to start the vehicle. Click. Nothing. Scott runs (literally) in the rain to a gas station and buys beef jerky and two granola bars. Yum.

12:00 a.m. we fall into bed and thank God for the blessings in our lives and the fact that we are even able to take vacations. Now we need another one to recuperate from the one we are on!

A Few Favorites...

These are a few of my favorite youtube videos. This time of year, it's good to have something to make you giggle every once in awhile...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA (Don't try this at home.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spf7LJnJbrE (We're having one of these at our school auction in April - GOOD TIMES!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk3RahPkOPw (This one makes me think of my uncle...you'll know which one when you watch it!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmtzQCSh6xk

Enjoy!

One more positive...

Ok, I have one more positive thing about winter, although the name sounds like a negative. It's hoar frost. (Yes, it sounds like a word that's not very nice.) It means "hairy" and makes Minnesota look like a winter wonderland. It's beautiful; everything is covered, the trees are a ghostly white.

It only happens when the temperatures rise considerably. It was about 22 degrees today; which is about 40 degrees warmer than it has been.

And this is my last post about snow/winter/cold. I have given it too much time and attention the way it is.

On a bright note, Jake and Magdalene both made the Willmar Stingrays swim team. (They are actually "mini rays.") So, no more sitting in a cold hockey rink. I LOVE the warm pool area. They practice twice a week for an hour with huge smiles on their faces. We get home, take showers and they fall into bed, completely exhausted. Swimming laps non-stop for an hour will do that to a person! I should try out...

Oh, the snow.

I have an igloo in my yard. And a castle. And a sled run down to the lake with a jump on the end.

It's four-thousand degrees below zero, you can ice skate down the road I live on and the kids have not been outside for recess for about a week. (They go out if the wind chill is higher than negative 10) They are hardy. Me, not so much.

I decided to try to come up with some positives; so here goes. #1. I can go grocery shopping in the morning, buy ice cream, and not head home until evening and it will still be frozen. #2. Christmas is pretty and I can use ice skates and sleds to decorate and it doesn't look wierd.

#3. That's it. Let me know if you can think of any (and then I will invite you to live here and see if it's really worth it...).