Laurie's Everyday Notions

In the back row: Stepson, Hubs and Stepdaughter Front: The Boy, Me and my daughter Tonight I was blessed with time. Instead of quickly eating dinner together and rushing off to bible study, we were given a night to stay home. As we sat around the table, sharing a meal, sharing in conversation and laughter, I was filled gratitude for my family. My family is my greatest blessing.  Thank you, God, for each moment that I have with my family. May I cherish every single moment. 

This weekend didn't go quite as planned. You see, in Minnesota we have "MEA weekend" every October. This is a four day weekend for public school students and one that we've taken advantage of for several years (even if we are homeschoolers). I usually take the time off and take my boy on an extended field trip. In 2008, my son and I traveled to Hannibal, MO to explore the childhood home of Mark Twain. In 2009 my stepson was attending Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MI so in lieu of a field trip, hubby, The Boy and I went for a visit. The following week my son went to Disney World with my parents (lucky kid). My dad and The Boy, Disney 2009 In 2010 we decided to stay a little closer to home. We took a Wisconsin road trip, stopping at neat places along the way and ending up in Eau Claire, WI. We stayed in a hotel that was sandwiched between an awesome water park and a super cool "fun center" (laser tag, arcade games, batting cages and...

are my blessings. Today my eyes were drawn to my many blessings......... I spent a few hours cleaning the house and as I washed windows and chased dust bunnies I thought of how blessed I am to have a home to clean. Cleaning was followed by grocery shopping to get food for the week. Again, blessed. Tonight I attended church with my husband, my daughter, my son and my son's friend. As I looked down the aisle at my family I was overwhelmed with love and gratitude. Church was followed by a "date" with my daughter (the boys went to youth group and hubs went home). Breanna and I browsed Hobby Lobby searching for knitting needles (no luck) and smelling every candle (we chose Baked Apple Pie). Before picking up the boys we stopped for pie. :) I love spending girl time with my daughter and am so thankful for her! Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.  Ephesians 3:20 Thank y...

Today I am overwhelmed with the love I have for my children. On this Mother's Day, I thank my Creator for creating my beautiful children and for entrusting them to my care.  I am blessed to be a mother.

Comfort is: holding a warm cup of coffee between both hands on a cold winters day the warmth of a hug when the tears won't seem to stop cuddling with a nursing baby my favorite over-sized cardigan wrapped tight around my body my mother. Mom, you comforted me when I was a child, calming my fears of the boogeyman and the mean kids. As a young wife and mother I'd often make daily phone calls to you. You'd patiently tell me again how to make spaghetti sauce or meatloaf. When I had hard decisions to make it was always you that I would turn to. All those little things that you did gave me comfort. The big thing? You prayed. I find huge comfort in knowing that my mama, the woman that knows me best, loved me enough even during my most rebellious years, took time to pray daily for me. And she still prays for me. Mom, you are my comfort. Sharing my comfort with many at Lisa-Jo's

This summer, on the 12th day of July, my husband and I will celebrate five years of marriage. Somewhere in the last five years, I stopped seeing my husband as my friend. It's not that I saw him as my enemy. He was "just" my husband. I became focused on my duties as a wife. Sometimes, when we can't look past our duties, we forget the gift that we have. Last weekend my husband and I attended a homeschooling conference together. My son and I started our homeschooling adventure before my husband and I married. My son, although my husband completely accepts him as his own, is mine. I'm learning that "mine" and "yours" are words that should not enter a marriage. Last week I felt my husband come beside me in this adventure. It's not that he'd never supported our schooling from home but I had never fully allowed him into the realm of our family life. I may still be the teacher but my husband is my support and my encourager...my friend. ...

Sunday blessings as I reflect on my weekend: 199. Date Night with my darling son. I'm not sure why he's looking so forlorn because he really was excited for Medieval Feast that we were attending.  200. Our Saturday night routine is attending church followed by dinner at church.While hubs and I have dinner my son heads off to Student Ministry activities. After dinner, my husband and I have an hour to "kill" before Isaiah is done which usually involves grocery shopping. I enjoy my Saturday night date night with my husband even if it includes dinner with others and grocery shopping.   201. Instead of grocery shopping last night, Barry and I wandered a few stores at a local strip mall. I ooh'd over pretties at Pier One, we scrounged the Dollar Store for great deals (we left empty handed), and joked about the "stylish" clothes at Savers (thrift store).  202. Going to church on Saturday night allows me to sleep in on Sunday mornings. After ...

After posting this morning I decided to take out the old photo albums of my "babies".  I love these kids and I am so thankful for both of them! The middle photo is of my son wearing grandpa's glass and reading the newspaper. If you asked Isaiah what his name was while he was wearing these glasses, he'd respond in a deep voice, "My name is Bruce!"

Science Museum of Minnesota Attempting to "balance the world" The Renaissance Festival Tree Man King's Dungeon features many ways of torture and punishment used  Riddles from the Wizards Four jolly men sat down to play, and played all night till break of day. They played for gold and not for fun, with separate scores for every one. Yet when they came to square accounts,  they all had made quite fair amounts! Can you the paradox explain?  If no one lost, how could all gain? Fairy from the Enchanted Forest

Happy Birthday dear boy who has turned my world upside down. You have stretched me, challenged me, and taught me so much is the past thirteen years. You continue to amaze me and I am so blessed to be your mother.

Today we celebrated my daughter, Breanna's 22nd birthday. Most years on her birthday I am brought back to the day she was born. The first day I held my precious baby girl. I remember all the times that I rocked her in my arms and whispered in her baby ears, "I'm so glad that God gave me you."  Today, as we celebrate Breanna's birthday, I'm brought back to June 4, 2012. The day in which I prayed for her not only to live but to live a complete and "normal" life. That day I cried as I held her hand and looked at her broken body and pleaded with God to heal her. Two months ago I could not even fathom the progress that she would make, the miracles that God would perform. Today I celebrate not only her birth but her LIFE! 

After my daughter's accident, there were a few decisions that the doctors required me to make. One such decision was surgery on her clavicle. At first the break looked slight which meant the bone had a 85% chance to heal properly on it's own. That left a 15% chance of it NOT healing correctly which would mean range of motion could be lost and/or surgery to correct. I turned my decision over to God and asked Him to give both the doctors and me wisdom. A day later it was decided that a new x-ray was necessary. The first x-ray was done while Breanna laid on a bed. A new, upright x-ray was ordered to find if the weight of the arm would change the displacement of the fractured bone and to also rule out the possibility of a double clavicle break (one on each side!). The picture on the left shows the displacement. Surgery was clearly necessary. And only the left clavicle broken. Thank you, God, for taking the decision out of my hands. The picture on the right shows the hardware th...

I've been MIA on my blog lately as I've taken my writing to my daughter's Caring Bridge page. One month ago my daughter, Breanna, was involved in a car accident. She and her friend were heading back to town after swimming at a popular swimming hole when her friend lost control of the car on a stretch of loose gravel. The car rolled multiple times and both girls were ejected from the vehicle. Megan, Breanna's friend, was air lifted by Mayo One and Breanna was taken to St. Mary's Hospital via ambulance.   To read more about this experience visit Breanna's Caring Bridge . Here's today's update: We've had a couple of great days! Breanna is becoming more independent, napping less and experiencing less pain.  Yesterday she had an x-ray of her clavicle and although the fractured bone hasn't fused together yet, they are where they should be. We brought Isaiah along so that he could see the x-rays. Dr. Torchia had two residents with him so...

A game of Dominion. One year ago I was overwhelmed with commitments. I was a Cub Scout leader, Women's Bible study co-leader, I was also involved in two different bible studies, and I was trying to fill my calendar with home parties to promote my Wildtree business. At night I'd rush out the door as soon as the last daycare kiddo were picked up. Later I'd rush home after my activities, exhausted, only to find the that the kitchen wasn't cleaned up during my absence so I'd angrily do the dishes, pick up the house and often times go to bed mad. The verbal conversation in my head was, "Can't my family see that I am busy. ALL.THE.TIME? Why can't they help?" until one day, at my breaking point, I prayed. And I prayed. I prayed until the verbal conversation in my head changed. Suddenly I wasn't trying to "fix" my family but I knew I needed to fix me. I learned that I can't expect my husband to have the same priorities (regarding hou...

I am the daughter of a great man.  7 month old me with my daddy (isn't he handsome??) While I was growing up I thought my dad knew EVERYTHING. I still do. I can almost hear the squeal of a happy baby when I look at this picture...and I can hear the very familar sound of my dad's laughter (more of a chuckle)

 My Grandma and The Boy, Easter 2011 Yesterday was my Grandmother's Birthday. She turned 82, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her. Grandma is this cute, petite woman who is a fashion diva. She has more style than I have in my little toe. Beyond her beautiful exterior is an equally beautiful interior. In many ways Grandma and I are complete opposites. She shops, I garage sale....similar yet quite different. She gets her hair "done" religiously. I don't even wear makeup. She likes to go dancing. I like to garden. In the past, she'd try hard to convince me that I should wear makeup and style my hair because I was "so beautiful when I did"... I always graciously listened to her loving advice. Out of love, she patiently advised and out of respect, I patiently listened. She's finally given up on changing my opinions on beauty. :) The one thing we have in common is the love that we have for our family. Family is her first priorit...