Overhand, little desks, updos, and other ramblings

Fall is one of the busiest times of the year around here. So rather than take a ton of info and try to make this blog post cute or creative, allow me to ramble a bit.

Volleyball season is nearing its end. I wish I calculated how many hours we spend in practice, games and travel each season! But, the girls have gotten better as time has gone on.

Becca is using an overhand serve now- and when she nails it, it's a beautiful thing. Hannah's overhand serve cracks me up because she grunts when she serves- hilarious! It's like she's mad at the ball and is spanking it! The middle school has been winning lately and that's always fun.

I've been working at my new job for a month now and I love it. The Luke Lee Listening, Language and Learning Lab is a happy place to work. To say its a preschool isn't really accurate...it's a combination of preschool and auditory/verbal therapy. The kids are all deaf but are able to hear artificially with hearing aids or cochlear implants. We don't use sign language, but instead teach them to listen well and make the most of their aid. At the same time... we have a lot of fun!

My job is a new one- there was no one doing my job before me, so there was no place for me in the classroom. A nice new desk has been ordered. Until then, my computer is sitting on a preschool-sized computer station with a preschool-sized desk. (sigh) Well, at least it makes me feel tall!

Since I'm on the MU campus four days a week, I decided to join the Rec Center. After all, I'm right there and I really want to stay in shape. (I hear that's really important when you get past a certain age) Plus I get a (small) employee discount! I've gone a few times and I like it a lot. What a gorgeous facility! There are so many ways to plug into the treadmill and elliptical, it was a little much. It had an HDTV, cable, an iPhone cable, and more. It was actually so distracting, I turned it off, and just listened to my little 'old school' ipod shuffle. The Rec even has an indoor track I had to try out. I think I'm going to love it- except that it takes 7 laps to equal a mile. So after I ran several laps, I realized I'd only gone 3/4 mile. Also, the track is on the 3rd floor and at some points, overlooks the 3 floors below. The first time I ran around it, my knees were a little weak to look down!

Last weekend, Hannah went to the Huntington High School Homecoming Dance with her boyfriend, William. Louie and I laughed because when WE each went to homecoming, it wasn't that big a deal. Now... it's a VERY big deal.

First of all, the day began with an "updo". Hannah is blessed with cool hair- it's thick and wavy and looks great styled. Becca and I hung out with her while her hair was being pinned up. Becca was quick to point out that I was "too old for an updo". Hmmm. The jury's still out on that one.

We met at his house which is next to the Ritter Park Rose Garden and his mom and I had to practically beg them to pose for pictures.

They were thrilled to meet up with their friends and head to the restaurant.

So, school is well underway and Hannah's senior year seems to be going very well. She loves her American Fiction class... except writing poetry, that is! Becca is doing fine. She's finally finding her way through the new experience of having 6 classes and different teachers- with different personalities and expectations. She's also having to find her own study style. She's a different student than Garrett or Hannah- and so we're having to find out how to help her be the best student she can be.

This assignment was a fun one- do you know what it is? The phases of the moon... via Oreo. That's a yummy project.

We talked to Garrett this week and he lived through his very first college mid-terms! His two hardest were on the same day- Biology and Chemistry. Becca and I will be traveling to Chicago for a long weekend soon to see him. She's never been on campus, so we'll have to do all the fun stuff- eat in the cafeteria, see a concert or game, stuff like that. It's really, really fall in Chicago right now. Actually, I've already ordered Garrett's winter coat because he'll need it before we know it. He's singing in the Wheaton Glee Club and they're awesome. I watched them online last night and saw him in a tux- so handsome! I hope I can see them sing live soon.

And it was a beautiful fall day here today. As a matter of fact, I glanced out the window earlier and saw Sasha, our 5 month old Boxer-Lab mix. A gust of wind blew a shower of leaves off a tree and she went into a puppy craze, running really fast around the tree, through the falling leaves. All of a sudden the wind died down and the leaves stopped falling. She stopped running and looked right and left as if she wondered who turned off her leaf toy. She cracks me up.

I'm planning on enjoying the rest of my fall just as much as Sasha- minus the craze!

Just As Promised

As some of you may know, on Monday Hannah and Becca were in a car accident. They were shaken and bruised and it scared us all. Basically, Hannah was driving herself and Becca to volleyball practice at school. She turned from a turn lane across traffic when she should have waited and another car hit them. It spun them all the way around, knocking them across two lanes of traffic and off the road, making the air bags deploy. The car filled with air bag dust and the car was smoking which created a sense of extra panic because they thought the car was catching on fire. Once safely out of the car, they called me and then 911.

God was merciful in countless ways. I won't go into all the 'what-ifs' I noticed once I saw the way it all happened, but they were fortunate. The first officer on the scene was Tom McComas, our county sheriff, a sweet Christian man whom I know, who immediately had his arm around Hannah. There were three other school moms on the scene before I got there, having just dropped off their daughters. The other young lady wasn't hurt and was very kind.

There were consequences- Hannah was at fault and it will be documented. We no longer have a 3rd vehicle (it will be a total loss) which means a huge inconvenience with my new job, bills for towing and insurance, and so on.

But one thing jumped out at me as I was still at the scene. I was holding it together emotionally because I needed to and thought to myself... 'I'll think about that later'. You see, I needed to check the glove box for some paperwork, so I opened the passenger door. Dust flew out and I waited a minute for it to subside. Then I looked at the dashboard I'd seen hundreds of time but now it was crumpled upward and had what looked like a large, thick pillowcase hanging from it. And it occurred to me- "It worked". When we bought the car, we knew it had airbags that were supposed to deploy if there was an accident to protect the passengers... and what do you know? In that moment of crisis, it worked like it should have and they're ok. No broken bones, internal injuries or stitches needed. And for some strange reason, the fact that the airbags actually worked surprised me.

Later, after I had time to have a small melt down over the whole scary event, I could finally think about that dashboard again. You see, I think I have a tendency (maybe you do, too) to feel the same way about God as I did about those airbags. I know that God- like the airbag- is always with me. As I drive through my life, He's always there no matter where I go, just below the surface, and that brings me a great deal of comfort. But I also know that in a moment of crisis- in a split second- He will come to the forefront and be a shield and comfort in a mighty way if and when I need Him. I know this because I have a relationship with Christ that's personal and I believe what the Bible says to be true.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted" Psalm 34:18.

He's an ever-present part of my life but in times of crisis, it's as if He's suddenly closer, just as He promised He would be.

And the fact that He keeps that promise should NOT surprise me.

September is here.

You know it's September when...

it's volleyball season at Covenant School. Becca is playing on the Middle School team and Hannah is playing on the High School team. They have a new coach- Kaycee- who I've been a counselor with at Senior High Camp at Cowen. She's doing a great job with the girls- she can make them run and do push ups and say it with a smile and a sweet tone that makes you want to please her. Becca has improved a lot, especially setting the ball. Their first game was last week.

You know its September when...

Sasha has grown like crazy. Our puppy- part Boxer and part Lab-is three months old and getting bigger (and cuter) and every day. I'm walking her regularly, trying to train her so that one day I'll have a lean, mean running buddy.

You know it's September when...

it's Senior Picture time. I have no idea who started the tradition of taking pictures the very beginning of your senior year. But... through some friends, we found a nice, reputable guy who takes awesome pictures. (BTW, there are a lot of creepy photographers out there taking pictures of teenage girls- beware!) The only thing that bugged me was how mature Hannah looked! She looked 25, not 17. But she looked gorgeous and had a ton of fun.

You know it's September when...

it's Labor Day weekend. That means my 41st birthday. And that means the Kirk Family Reunion. That's Louie's mom's family- about 60 people gathered at his parent's house for food and games and a LOT of loud laughter. Louie's aunt and uncle live outside of Chicago and since they were driving to WV, Garrett hitched a ride. It was so good to see this face! (I got to hear him singing beside me in church, heard him cracking up laughing with the girls over something, and saw him help Becca with her science project.) This year, Lou made T-shirts for everyone at the reunion. They turned out great and made his mama very happy.

You know it's September when...

it's back to campus. I just had no idea that this fall, it would be me! Ever since May when I knew Covenant School wouldn't be needing me for the fall, I started looking for a new job. In early July, I saw a job posting that seemed absolutely perfect and I applied. This week, I found out that I got the job!

I was hired as a classroom teacher in the Luke Lee Listening, Language and Learning Lab at Marshall University. (It's nicknamed "the L") It's an intensive program for hearing impaired preschoolers that teaches them to speak and prepares them to be mainstreamed into Kindergarten. You can read about it at the website. www.marshall.edu/commdis/thel

I will work four days a week with an audiologist. The kids are 2 to 4 years old and our classroom is in Smith Hall. It's sooo strange to be back on Marshall's Campus- but I love it. I'm in the same building where I spent 4 years struggling as an undergrad. As I filled out my paperwork and walked all over campus, I got my MU faculty ID and parking pass. So cool. I'm an MU faculty member. Never in a million years did I think this would happen. AND I get to work with some amazing kids who I know will thrive despite the challenge they face. I have a lot to learn but the woman I will be working with is passionate about what we're doing. I can't wait to get started!!!

Tonight, Hannah got to do something cool. She went to WSAZ with the Huntington Mall fashion board (she's a member this year) and got to answer phones for the MDA Telethon. So I sat here with my laptop, looked up and there she was on tv, grinning. So funny.

Wheaton College Move-In Weekend

Two weeks ago, Garrett's took his first giant step of independence. Having packed all his things for college and leaving them stacked on his bed, he packed a duffel bag and grabbed his guitar and we took him to the airport. He flew to Chicago and made his way to the Wheaton campus. He and over 200 freshman left to spend a week bonding at a camp called Honey Rock in the northern woods of Wisconsin. Lou and I would be driving up a week later to bring his stuff and move him in, but for the girls, this was a big goodbye.

This picture of Garrett waving gets to me. It reminds Lou and I of when Garrett rode the school bus as a kindergartner and would have his backpack and wave at us...

So this week, Lou and I packed the car and headed north for a nine hour drive. I actually like road trips but he doesn't at all.

It was an easy and uneventful drive, but super boring through Indiana- no offense to people from Indiana... but it was nothing but flat land and corn... and more corn and more corn and more corn...

We arrived just about the same time Garrett arrived from Honey Rock. A swarm of kids (aka the Welcome Committee) descended on our car and carried everything to Garrett's room.

Like every other freshman family, we ended up at the Wheaton Target for some school supplies and essentials. That evening was the opening of New Student/Parent Orientation. Over two days, we heard some professors speak, saw cute skits, and mingled with other Freshman families.

Now that's an organ! It's in the chapel of the school. It's a non-denominational Christian school and their services always have a wide variety of music. Each graduating class of Wheaton has their own theme scripture and they have a song written especially for their class based on the scripture. (Their scripture is 1 Chronicles 16:8-11)

They learn the song and will sing it again in four years. :)

Evening on campus and heading to an ice cream social.

Here are some pictures of Garrett's 11x17 dorm room. The guys decided to bunk the beds to gain precious floor space. His roommate, Patrick is 6'5"! He barely has to step up to get in the top bunk! Yep, he got the top 3 dresser drawers. Patrick is also a drummer- they may try to fit an electric drum set in the future...

Their desks are turned in to face each end of the bunk bed, giving them each a separate study space.

The bed is actually really comfy!

Fischer Hall is Garrett's new home for now. For him and a few hundred other freshman and sophomore girls and guys.

He and Patrick have the 'penthouse'- a room on the 5th floor. The guys that I met on his floor are really nice and his R.A. is right next door. One night, they invited their 'sister floor'- the girls and R.A. from the other wing of Fischer Hall- over to meet them. They ended up singing and Garrett's R.A. sang and played guitar, them handed Garrett his other guitar so he joined in and Patrick played a drum.

I swear, Garrett already knows more people at Wheaton than are enrolled at Covenant School where he graduated! Everywhere, I'm not kidding, everywhere we went someone would say hi to him and he would call them by name. Weird. I'm glad we sent him to Honey Rock for that reason. But... no one called him Garrett. They were calling him 'Doc'.

When we asked why, he said that at Honey Rock they were in cabins, like at Camp Cowen. He had a counselor that had received info about each of them ahead of time and gave them a nickname for the week. 'Doc' was a fairly normal one... some nicknames the other guys in the cabin received were obscure and required a 5 minute explanation. They weren't allowed to use their real names all week... so everyone met them by their nicknames and so far, they've stuck.

Louie's aunt and uncle live about 45 minutes north of Wheaton, IL and I know, will be looking out for him while he's living there. They came by and spent a day with us and gave Garrett a bike for using on campus. It's blue. The Wheaton College colors are blue and orange... so almost every bike is blue! Louie gave him some advice on how to 'personalize' his bike so he could spot it quickly.

This slide makes it seem so real! I actually talked to him today and he met with an advisor for biology/pre-med majors. He's a sweet Asian man in his 60s that Garrett said reminds him of the guy from the Karate Kid movies. He found out that the MCAT will change in 2015 and what classes he should take and that even as a freshman he may be able to do some research.

This is Perry the Mastodon. He was unearthed near Wheaton and is sort of a mascot for the brand new science building.

So here are some campus pictures... this will all be covered in several feet of snow come January!

This is the oldest building... where Garrett will have his English/Fiction class.

This is Darrell and Sandy. Louie's aunt and uncle who will watch after Garrett a bit for us.

Not far from Wheaton is a town called Naperville. It's larger than Wheaton but they have a trendy downtown with cool shops. We checked out the candy store. They're sort of famous for their caramel corn.

Sunday morning we were getting ready to leave. We drove into Wheaton for breakfast. It has a cute downtown area just a 5 minute bike ride from the campus with restaurants and shops and parks.

This sign was hanging in a the window of a kitchen store in town- I just couldn't resist taking a picture of it.

Mrs. Magnusson, a teacher at Covenant School, suggested this resaurant. Her husband and one son graduated from Wheaton.

This stinks for me. But is great for him.

It's hard to explain what its like to drop your child off at a college and drive away. It's great and terrible. And exactly within the will of God. Which is where we all want to be. So I'm trusting Him to help us wade through the emotions and help us keep our eyes on what's important.

Every Day

I teach an adult Sunday school class at church and one of my biggest prayers for the precious people who attend is that they will not only learn something new from God's Word... but that they will take it to heart and it will become very personal.

For the last several weeks, I've been leading discussion on a story from the Old Testament when the Israelites are traveling through the desert to the Promised Land. During those 40 years, he has loved them, been patient with them, and met their needs. One of the most valuable lessons he taught them was that they can and should live their lives, daily dependent on Him. And if they live this way, He will be faithful to give them what they need, when they need it. The reason for this dependency was not so God could 'control' them. Instead, it was so he could protect His children whom He loved. He knew that if He gave them everything- if their lives were without need- then He would be forgotten and they would make terrible choices. For themselves and their children.

This morning, I went for a long walk because going for a walk or a jog is a great way for me to think. (So is cleaning- I do that when I'm really upset and need to clear my head. So if you ever stop by and my house is spotless... you know I have issues!) Anyway, as I walked I was thinking about last week's lesson. We talked about how the Israelites finally made it to the Promised Land. As they were entering, they were warned... "Do not forget the Lord" (Deuteronomy 6 and 8). They had learned valuable lessons in the desert, now they had 'arrived' and had every tool they needed to succeed in front of them... and no longer had that every day need for survival like in the desert. And guess what? Because their lives were more successful and they weren't in such desperate circumstances, they DID forget the Lord and all He had done for them in the past. They made stupid choices and suffered huge consequences- for themselves and their children and grandchildren... and it broke God's heart. (Isaiah 5)

As I kept walking, I couldn't help but think about Garrett. For the last 18 years, he's been dependent on Lou and I every day. We've given him everything he's needed every day of his life- and many times things he's wanted. But there has been no way that he could have survived without us. Now, he's living away from us. I don't know if I'd call Wheaton College the "Promised Land" (ha!)... but he's in a place now where he isn't dependent on Lou and I every day... he has every opportunity to succeed right in front of him... and he has a choice. How would I feel if- now that he is living in his land of opportunity- if he forgot Lou and I? Didn't call or come home to visit ever again and forgot all we'd done for him? It would break our hearts. I know this is a poor analogy- but magnify it and you have some idea of God's broken heart when we don't 'need' him.

I've been moping around a bit too much these last few months. My contract with Covenant School wasn't renewed and I've been job hunting. Add to that the opening of Louie's new agency, Garrett moving to Chicago to go to school and Hannah beginning her senior year and college hunting... I've been needing God a LOT. Above all else, I want to bring him glory with my life in whatever capacity that is. But I've been whining to God that I don't like all the 'unknown' and I'd like Him to please order my life neatly so I can get on with things instead of feeling so uneasy. This morning as I was walking, I feel like God spoke to my heart loud and clear. Things will unfold in the right time... but having me in a place in my life where I need to go to Him every day... is right where I need to be- Always. If I ever am at a place where everything is peachy and I don't feel a need for Him, I'm in trouble!

I'm new to facebook. I've managed to post a few things myself and read and enjoy other people's family news. But there's one thing I've noticed consistently that underlying in most people's status... a need of the day.

..."my family member is sick and I'm worried... my kids are growing up and is scares me to death... i'm just sitting on my porch alone (aka does anybody care?)... had a good time last night out with the girls- who needs 'him'?... so glad it's Friday and I get a break from this job...

It just seems like whether is't stated right out or more subtly... being in an every day place of need is actually very, very normal- and from what I'm continuing to discover, a blessed place to be!

The Other Nightstand

So the other night, Louie grins at me mischievously... and says, "Why didn't you mention MY nightstand on your blog? Doesn't it say a lot about who I am?"

I looked over and yep- I think it does! (I know he was kidding, but...) Lou, this blog is just for you!

1) Our nightstands don't match and Louie's nightstand is considerably smaller than mine. When we first moved into our house, he let me have the larger one. So sweet... or he just knew about my book pile and that it might just tip over the small one. There are only four small items on his nightstand. He is a man of few needs.

2) One thing is the alarm clock. This is simply because he has to be up earlier and tries to be considerate, smacking the alarm before it wakes me up, too. Plus, he really doesn't like to be late. Ever.

3) Another thing on his nightstand is a small, clear glass plate that Becca creatively covered in pictures (on the underneath side) and gave him for Father's Day. It's just the right size to set a glass of water on. It's not unusual for him to find little notes and cards from Becca on his nightstand or under his pillow. I hope she never grows out of that!

4) The only other thing on his nightstand is a little girl teddy bear and a little boy teddy bear. They're attached by the magnets in their noses, so it looks like they're kissing :) I think I got them for Lou as a Valentines Day present back in the early days of our relationship... when you still buy things like kissing bears for the man you love! Today, because I love him I bought him cordovan shoe polish for his dress shoes- hey, it makes him happy.

So does it say something about Lou that he doesn't need to keep much on his nightstand? I don't know... maybe it just says that he likes to keep things simple. That's a good idea.

My Nightstand

I've been told you can tell a lot about a person by what they keep on the nightstand beside their bed. I have no idea if this is true, but it got me thinking. What do I have at arm's reach? Does it really reveal something about me... or is it just arbitrary? Hmmmm... let's see.

The largest thing on my nightstand is a stack of books. Right now it has five to be exact.

1. "A Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stern, the CEO of World Vision. Our entire church, from kids to adults, will spend 10 weeks studying the major ideas presented in this book during the fall. I'm almost done.

2. "The Daily Bible in Chronological Order" by... God. :) Louie got it for me as an anniversary gift because I've been really convicted this last year that I haven't quite read the Bible all the way through. How can I teach an adult class at church and claim that I live my life based on the truth of scripture... when I haven't read it all? So... I'm on a mission to do it. There's actually a man at my church who takes this so seriously that he's actually written out the entire Bible in notebooks-more than once!

3. "The Grand Weaver" by Ravi Zacharias. This was recommended by a friend and when I saw it on a shelf discounted to $3.99...it was as if the Holy Spirit was screaming at me to pick it up already. The theme of the book is basically that God ordains and uses all the moments in our lives... good, bad, momentousness and mundane to weave together our lives like a beautiful tapestry.

4. "1,000 places to See Before You Die: In the US and Canada" by Patricia Schultz. I know this list is simply someone's opinion as to what they think people should see... but since Louie and I love to travel and see new places, I like the book. I've had it a while and pull it out every so often. I have checks by the places we've been and smiley faces by the places I want to go... the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory and Museum was #52 out of 1,000. We have a ways to go.

5. "And the Shofar Blew" by Francine Rivers. I don't read a lot of christian fiction. But, I looove Francine Rivers. Her book, Redeeming Love, is the absolute best book I've ever read. It's a fictional adaptation of the Biblical story of Hosea and Gomer. Anyway, this current book is one about about a young pastor's wife as she finds her role in his ministry. I got it to read at the pool... but I obviously haven't made it to the pool much because I'm only on chapter 2!

What else is lingering on my nigh stand?

A pretty little 3" box that my sister-in-law got for me. I'm not sure what it was originally intended for... but I keep chocolate in it! I don't eat a ton of sweets, but every now and then I want a piece of dark chocolate (hey! It's good for you!) and so I keep some individually wrapped pieces in there, hidden from view, for obvious reasons. (My box is currently empty)

A pretty, small candle in a jar. Well, you never know when you're going to need a little ambiance.

Two cards from Louie that he stashed in my luggage when I went to Senior High camp for a week. About 7 years ago, we started a little trend of hiding notes to each other when we were going to be apart. Sometimes it's a fancy card from Hallmark... sometimes it's a Post-It note! (There's still a post-it note in Louie's side of our closet from when I went to Russia on a mission trip in 2005- now that's one sticky post-it!)

A Thirty-One catalog. A friend of the family is selling Thirty-One products and I'm debating what to buy... too much to choose from! They carry every form and fashion of bag and purse you can image in different combinations of materials, threads and they'll monogram your bag. But I'm happy to support her- and the company, started by a Christian woman who based it on Proverbs 31!

Our home phone. (sigh) I've been toying with the idea of getting rid of our home phone for months. For heaven's sake- we have 5 cell phones! No one calls the land line hardly- except telemarketers. I need to pull the plug. I'm just trying to get up the courage.

Um, a crocheted doily is the only other thing. No, it's not homemade. I bought it at Wal-Mart. But, it reminds me of my grandma. She had several crocheted and embroidered doilies covering dressers in her and my grandpa's farmhouse in Mississippi. It just seems cozier somehow.

We,, that's it. My nightstand is analyzed. I don't know if it says anything about me or not... except that I need to slip away to my bedroom a little earlier in the evening to get some reading in, loosen my grip on our home phone and replenish my dark chocolate stash!