Ever think back to events in your life and know God used them to prepare you for where you are today?

I know, without a doubt, that He did that for me.

In college, the only work study job I could find as a freshman was to work at an outside after-school program that helped elementary school kids with their homework. We tried to make it fun and we also incorporated educational games and stuff. By my senior year, I had been named “assistant director” of the program and was very close friends with the director. (Hi Kris!) I was also given some of the more difficult kids to work with most of the time.

Fast forward to today. I practically run a preschool around here. We officially start homeschooling this fall.  Who knew back then that my insane incentives to encourage learning would one day help my life, happening in my dining room daily? This prior experience is the one thing that makes me a little less scared about the idea… (well, that and proof of answered prayer.)

The summers during my college years I spent as a camp counselor at a Bible camp. Each week I was assigned between 12 and 18 campers. I did my best to create a memorable experience, to teach them a bit about who God is and how He works in our lives, and to keep things hopping so their short attention spans wouldn’t implode.

Fast forward to today. My aforementioned preschool is starting to benefit from my experience as a counselor. Just today, Brady and I had some one-on-one time. We discussed just what sin is and how God views us. It wasn’t major, but it was a big step for him to understand that we all sin. I felt like a camp counselor as I showed him verses from the Bible. Also, my kids are starting to enjoy learning some of the wacky camp songs we used to sing. (”If I were a teddy bear, I’d thank you Lord for my fuzzy-wuzzy hair…” Everybody now!)

Also, back in college, I had one crazy roommate. (Hi Rosie! I miss you!) Not only did she use play-dough for study breaks, but she also drove an ambulance “signal 10.” (That means lights and sirens.) Rose was an EMT and kept the tumultuous hours to prove it. She was often “on station” all night long, or sometimes jumped out of bed in the middle of night to answer the “tones.”

Fast forward to today. My police officer husband often works midnights. He and his canine sometimes get called out in the middle of the night to chase down drug dealers. (I wish I was kidding.) I’ve been in the squad car numerous times when we’ve pulled over to help someone on the side of the rode, or blocked traffic so an on-duty unit could get the bad guy. I’ve watched many dinners get cold on my kitchen table because my husband was doing CPR on someone before the paramedics arrived. And though our 12-passenger van is not an ambulance, my husband sometimes drives it like he’s racing to a call. (Love you, honey.)

Oh, he doesn’t generally pull out the play-dough like Rose did, but my kids do.

I’m not trying to be all philosophical or anything. I’m just saying it’s fun to see how so many of my life experiences have helped prepare me for where I am today. It’s not that God hasn’t been teaching me new things, too. Otherwise, my husband would be an OB/GYN and, early on, I would have had lessons in how best to throw up in a helicopter. I’m just saying.

Do you see it in your own life, too? How?

Happy Anniversary, Nana & Poppy!

Today my parents have been married for 36 years! Whew.

Switching gears a bit, I thought I’d relieve everyone by letting them know that it seems my little snake friend has moved on. Perhaps he’s afraid I’d run him over with the lawn mower? (Sorry, PETA. I would have done it.)

I was mowing the back yard today and I heard a weed eater (weed whacker?) nearing. I though our neighbor was coming to help out again. (They’re terrific like that.) But, I was wrong!

It was Nate!

He has been working midnights and woke up a bit earlier than I thought. So, he just joined in on the lawn work.

I’m sure this may be surprising to some people, but I thought his gesture was very romantic. I was already trying to keep four kids corralled (Ferris was inside sleeping), so help was so welcome. (I’m pathetic… I know. I don’t even want him to buy me flowers on our anniversary. It’s too trite and wasteful!)

My husband’s the best. I can’t wait ’til we celebrate 36 years together. Maybe then we’ll actually take a honeymoon. ;) 

… Father’s Day to the King of the Multi-taskers.

For those of you who’ve never met my husband, this photo depicts him perfectly… except he should be teaching someone to fly a helicopter, writing someone a ticket, changing a diaper, giving a dog commands in German, leading an Honor Guard, singing a special at church, buckling car seats, leading congregational singing, and having a very intellectual conversation about pregnancy to a guy friend, all at the same time. And probably other things, too.

You make us all so happy. You’re our hero. We love you more than you know.

As a teenager and college student, one of my favorite Bible passages was Psalm 37:4-5:

Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

I remember having all of these wants, but desperately wanting to do the things that would please the Lord the most. I found this verse and took it to heart. By letting go of my own desires and turning to Him, He’d see to it that my needs and wants would be taken care of. I just needed to get out of the way!

I really wanted to find a great guy to marry. I always said, “I’d rather be single than settle.” Along came my husband, just months after I graduated from college. (Someday maybe I’ll share that story.)

I wanted to be able to be a wife and mother, but still get to do graphic design. I really wanted to use it as a ministry… To be able to help out missionaries and the like. My dream projects were prayer cards and cd covers. Now, I have enough of that kind of business to keep me busy! My husband recently said it could easily turn into a full-time job if I let it. (Alas, I’m a wife and mommy first!)

I wanted children, if God allowed it. Along came five babies in a little over five years.

And, selfishly, I wanted my kids to be Cubs fans and my sons to maybe play baseball. Well, just last night, all seven of us sat around eating a leisurely dinner of pizza and watching the Cubs game. You should have heard the cheers when they won the game… And the noise wasn’t all from me!

Above all, I wanted — and still do — to know that “my children walk in truth” 3 John 4). I see tiny evidences of their growth toward God everyday. May I be a help in that direction and never a hindrance!

God is faithful and His Word is true. Once I got out of His way, He worked everything out in my life. I’m so thankful.

Andy was having T-ball practice the other day and he made an exceptionally good play. (Since he’s just turned five in December, I’m amazed at his instincts. He fields the ball and knows to tag first, etc.) I know it was just practice, but I cheered.

Yeah, I’m a proud mama. I try to suppress it, but they’re just so cute out there on the field.

After cheering, I looked over at my husband. He was proudly grinning. I said to him, “How old do you think Andy will be when he gets embarrassed by my cheering?”

At the same time, we both said, “Five-and-a-half?!”

Reason #514 I love my husband. He’s just as goofy as I am.

My husband is a goofball. It’s true. I love him because of it, not in spite of it. He cracks me up. He’s one of the few people in the world that has a twisted sense of humor as whacky as mine.

Last night, he was channel surfing and stopped on a PBS documentary about the Everly Brothers. Neither of us are particularly educated on the group, but we did recognize a number of their songs. At first, however, I wasn’t sure who we were even watching. Here’s our conversation:

Me: “Who are these guys?”

Nate: “The Everly Brothers.”

Me: “Oh, I’ve heard of them, but I’m not sure I could name any of their songs.”

In the meantime, the song “All I Have to Do Is Dream” finishes up on the TV while I sing along. Ever-helpful Nate chimes in to my previous comment and says…

Nate: “Yeah, they’re the guys that sing ‘All I have to Do Is Dream.’”

Ah… Einstein, isn’t he? But he’s all mine.

My husband sleeps like a rock. I really think a tornado could hit our house and he’d sleep right through it. Don’t believe me? When he works the midnight shift, he sleeps during the day while three rowdy boys and one screaming baby girl get shushed by their loud mommy. He never hears a thing.

Last night at 3:45 a.m., I woke up famished. (I’m allowed to do that from time to time… I’m pregnant, remember?) I waddled to the kitchen to get a bowl of Rice Chex cereal.

While I was reaching for the ceramic cereal bowls (the “adult bowls;” the kids are plastic,) I accidentally dropped the stack and broke three of them. Three! Our already mismatched “set” of seven is now down to four. Ugh. At any rate, here’s the amazing part: Nate actually got up to see what was going on! He wanted to be sure I was OK!

So, here’s my theory. If a murderer ever breaks into our house and tries to kill me, I’m doomed. He’ll sleep right through any screaming or gunshots… BUT, if I can reach the dishes and break a few while fighting off the attacker, maybe he’ll save me. My hero!

My husband knows me well. He knows what I like on my sandwiches, what time I generally wake up, when I need some “Mommy time” in “the Bahamas,” when contractions are real just by looking at my face, and that I’m generally more practical than frivolous. (Reasons #507-511 I love my husband.)

Last night, he did the most romantic thing. No, he didn’t bring me flowers. (He knows I’d rather spend that kind of money on something we need. Besides, roses are trite, don’t you think?)

He brought me a hair dryer!

Isn’t that sweet? Mine started making some strange dying sounds on Sunday morning. The groan was accompanied by a burning scent so strong that he told me to shut it off immediately and never turn it back on. (He used to be a fire fighter, so I thought I should listen.)

Sadly, I went to church with crazed hair. My hair has just enough body to be dangerous and not enough to look “done” if air dried.

I didn’t need to go anywhere Monday, and the kids and I stayed put Tuesday, too. I asked Nate to bring home a gallon of milk on his way home from the airport and he did. Along with my new, super cool hair dryer.

Not only did he think of my needs, but he bought one nicer than I would have bought myself. (Reason # 512 I love my husband.) He rocks. Now maybe he’ll be able to look at me again without thinking of Medusa.

I’ve written before about how any one of our sons will willingly volunteer that “Daddy is my hero!” Tonight, I got further proof of that fact.

 Brady sweetly asked me, “Mommy, am I very, very strong?”

“Sure, honey. You’re strong,” I said.

“Just like Daddy and Superman?”

Um, sure… cause Daddy is more powerful than a locomotive and can change the course of mighty rivers and bend steel in his bare hands, too.

Well, at least he really does fight a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way. He’s my hero, too.

Besides, isn’t he hot in the uniform?

My poor Brady is allergic to birthdays. Strange diagnosis, I know.

Last January, when he turned three, he got sick repeatedly, all evening long. Today is Nate’s birthday, and just after we put the boys to bed, Andy came in our room and said, “Brady’s chest hurts.”

Now, Brady is not one to complain. His aforementioned brother could take home and Oscar with his “ailments,” but not Brady. So, just as Nate got up to check on him, we heard the gut-wrenching sound coming from their room. There’s nothing quite like the sound of a top-bunker vomiting to strike fear into the hearts of his parents.

Sure enough, he had gotten sick — and it was everywhere.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You think he eats too much cake, right? WRONG. He had maybe three bites of the lemon cream cake I made for Nate. And he acted fine all day. It hits him suddenly. It did on his third birthday, too.

So, as Nate and I started cleaning up their room, he got sick a second time. I changed sheets and wiped down hard surfaces with bleach wipes while Nate helped Brady. (Reason #506 I love my husband: He scooped up the worst pile because it was making my gag… just another side-effect of my pregnant bloodhound nose.) We had to throw away a few toys and a favorite book. Tragic losses. (You can do your own search for an mp3 of “Taps” to play here.) 

We got him settled on the living room floor (no more top bunk tonight!) for the night with a “bucket” nearby and tried to settle ourselves down. Nate soon got called out on a canine call and I was relaxing when it happened again. Poor kid. It had only been a half hour since he fell asleep… and he was still half asleep while getting sick again.

I’m now on my third load of laundry for the night. Brady’s sleeping under one of Evan’s pink blankets, too. He doesn’t even care. My birthday’s coming up in a couple of weeks… I hope he doesn’t have a similar reaction then.