March Inn

Why"March Inn?" March Inn was the name of that magic place where I spent my summers growing up. I have alluded to this place before, and I probably will again. March Inn is no longer standing. The waters of Katrina rendered it unlivable so my children will never know that "March Inn." That makes me sad. In fact it brings me to tears whenever I think about it. I want my children to have their own "March Inn," and I want to capture our lives as they are growing and changing. I invite you to "march inn" to our lives. My hope is that you will catch glimpses of the real world. You will see our creations. You will see our chaos. You will see our affection. You will also see our frustrations, fears, and disappointments. Enjoy your march!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Unfeignedly Thankful

A General Thanksgiving
 
ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you most humble and hearty thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all people;
We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your inestimable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ,
for the means of grace,
and for the hope of glory.
And we beseech you, give us that due sense of all your mercies,
that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful,
and that we show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives;
by giving up ourselves to your service,
and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory,
world without end. Amen.
 
The Book of Common Prayer
 
As we enter this Thanksgiving Day, I am reflecting on all of the many things for which I am thankful.  I am blessed beyond measure and have so much to be thankful for, yet I forget and I can certainly take these blessings for granted.

In recent years, as I recite this lovely prayer my ears take notice of the phrase, "unfeignedly thankful."  I pause and recall all the many things for which I am genuinely thankful.  While it may seem cliche, I am thankful for so much and recognize that these blessings could be taken away in an instant.  I am thankful for the here and the now but also for those who came before who helped shape who I am today.  I aspire to have a grateful heart and to be content in all circumstances ~ to remember all of the blessings of this life and to be thankful for the moment.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

What a Wonderful Class

Today we received what I thought was a really kind e-mail from Stephen's teacher. 
It said that she had 15 new friends to be thankful for this year.   
She went on to list each child in her class followed by a character trait that she is thankful for in each of their individual personalities.
It brought tears to my eyes, because she does have a really great class and a lot to be thankful for.

I have the opportunity to volunteer in Stephen's class a couple of times a month, so I get to see firsthand how awesome they are.
They are full of personality and ready to learn.
They have fun together and they really seem to get along well.
 
Without giving names here is the list she sent:
 

* easy going-ness * creativeness * enthusiasm * excitement * 
* smile * sweetness * kindness * artistic-ness * independent-ness * 
* cheerfulness * dependability * laughter * politeness * gentleness * humor *
 
Can you guess which one was Stephen?
 


Monday, November 19, 2012

Evidence of a Good Night's Sleep

Last Thursday Walker fell asleep on the sofa around 5:25.  Against all odds I was able to put a diaper on him and carry him to his bed where he slept soundly until morning.

He woke up with the happiest most cheerful heart.  He was the first little person to bound down stairs.  I scooped him up and a handful of new library books to hop in my bed for a little snuggle time.
His cheerfulness continued throughout the day.  Chief Roaring Lion was really excited to have his mommy and daddy at the Thanksgiving Feast.   
 
 At one point he looked at me and in the sweetest voice said, "This is really fun!"
 And this is just the beginning of our Thanksgiving festivities.
Wishing for more good nights sleep...

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Catching my Breath

Has it really only been one week since Halloween?

Yes, my friends, I checked the calendar and it doesn't lie.  Halloween was only one week ago.  Last week was a whirlwind.  Well really so was the week before that and the week before that.  Our elementary school has a mid-October teacher workday, and from that day until school starts back for the new year life is crazy.  There are so many disruptions in the routine and then throw in the holidays that it makes everyone off kilter and a bit frazzled.

Anywho, let's recap our Halloween...

We started our festivities the week before at Trunk or Treat at the preschool/church where my babies go to school.



Baths were necessary for all!
Walker was my only child who did not waiver on his Halloween costume.  He was a tomato for each and every event.  And to think, he was the one who I thought would change because really who wants to be a tomato!

The Fall Festival at the elementary school...
 The Halloween Parade*...
 And of course Trick-or-Treating...
 
The others waivered...

My cowboy became an Auburn football player, and my butterfly princess became a majorette.
And my flower, well she never really put on her costume - poor thing!  We're two for two! For the second year in a row there are no pictures of Betsy in a Halloween costume.  One day I might regret that...

Frank helped the children carve one of our pumpkins into a jack-o-lantern.  They thought that was cool.
 
I enjoying this week of not many activities.  But for voting, working in Stephen's class, starting with a new client, and a Veteran's Day parade there is nothing on my calendar.  Now, trust me, that doesn't mean there isn't anything to do though I'm bracing myself for next week.  On paper, it has the potential of being more of a whirlwind than last week and then dear friends do you realize that Thanksgiving is two weeks from tomorrow.
 
I've got some planning to do...