Little Person

How can someone so little capture my whole heart? If I had $5 for every time I said, "Look at Ella, she's so adorable." I'd be rich and we'd have no more debt. What a gem of a human being. It's been almost a year now since she's been born - each day I think she's cuter and smarter than the one before. How is that possible?

Things that make me go #%@$

I'm not typically a cursing woman, however there are a few things that get under my skin and make me want to curse like a sailor.

• Dog hair in the house
• Stepping in water with socks on (I call it wet sock syndrome)
• Barking dog
• Jeremy's sock and t-shirt drawers
• Being poked in the face
• Having my pillows thrown to the floor
• Not being able to find a matching lid for tuperware when trying to put away leftovers
• Being asked questions during a TV program when the questioner doesn't really care what the answers are and is just being annoying
• The Minnesota Twins playing lousy and losing

Flowers and palms

I can still say I'm in my 20's. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but I choose to believe it is. However, I can say that for only one more year. Today I turned 29. There's nothing special about 29, unless you have a husband like I do. He's a gift giver, and give gifts he does.

After he made me breakfast (not in bed - let's be practical) he gave me a bouquet of flower seeds to be planted. And a palm pilot. He doesn't like my current planner - it is rather old and ugly looking - and since I'm chief organizer for the family and business he deemed it a practical gift. So far it is a very fun toy.

He also sent me a bouquet of flowers at work.

He had been given strict instructions to not get me anything big or expensive - but he so rarely listens to me. And truthfully, it's nice that he doesn't.

Pastors and Turtles

As I drove to work this morning, I saw a number of turtles in the middle of the road. They were just haning out there, perhaps crossing from one side to the other. Do they realize how dangerous that is? Do they understand how quickly they could be smashed flat by an oncoming car?

As a pastor, that is how I've been feeling lately. I'm stuck in the middle. I have been given a job to do, even if it's just crossing from one side to the other, but I have people coming at me from all directions threatening to smash me flat.

But as the turtles cross the road no matter the danger, so I feel that my job is important. I feel that it is my calling. And so I, too, cross the road, no matter the danger.

Budding Trees

It seems that just over night the trees have come to life. I love it! I for one have been so tired of the cold, dreary rain and clouds. Bring on spring! We here in SoDak live in a climate of extremes, however. The last two days have reached in 90 degrees - in April! While that may be a bit too warm, I'll take it compared to cold.

For now, I love seeing the trees grow their leaves, increasing spots of shade. Green is overtaking brown. Life is overtaking death. Spots of color appear in flowers and laughter fills the evening air as children ride their bikes and play outside.

I look forward to taking Ella outside and watching her experience the coolness of the grass and the breeze in her face. I embrace the challenge of keeping grass, rocks, dirt, sticks, and bugs out of her mouth. This summer will not be like any other.

Birthday

Today is my dad's birthday. For his sake I won't say how old he is. A couple of days ago Jeremy and I, along with my brother and his wife and mom and dad went out to eat at his favorite restaurant, Famous Dave's, in SF. While Jeremy and I had just been there 2 days before and weren't real excited to go again so soon, it was worth seeing how happy my dad was eating ribs and getting BBQ sauce up to his elbows.

The only thing missing was the presence of my two sisters who don't live near us.

While birthdays were never a huge deal at our home growing up, I am particularly grateful that I am living near him to help him celebrate; none of us are getting any younger. In fact, it is a reason we're living in Freeman. To be near family and to have Ella grow up with both sets of grandparents.

So, happy birthday, dad. Don't work too hard and enjoy the ribs!