Zoo Fun!

We took advantage of James' schedule to take our first trip of the year to the zoo!  We were excited to see the Children's Zoo, but as it turns out, so were three gazillion other kids. SO, we did not wait in line for the exhibits, but decided to take an overview approach.  All Charis really cared about seeing were the monkeys, the baby giraffe, and the playground.  That's my girl...

We did get to see the new giraffe -- Charis could tell you her name.  I LOVE giraffes, so I guess I, too, was pretty excited to see this 7-foot "baby!" 

I took this flamingo pic for my mom. I remember a time in 7th(?) grade when we were shopping for a new shirt.  I wanted gray -- my mom said I looked like a shark.   (BTW, gray or grey? Did you know they're both acceptable? odd...)  Anyway, I told her the pink made me look like a flamingo -- at least this is how I remember the story. I acknowledge that the details are a bit sketchy in my brain.  All I know is that I ended up with a pink shirt...

Of course, we ended the day at the playground. Sweet Gwyn could swing for hours. And, praise the Lord, she avoided the pile of you-know-what that someone or something had left at the top of the slide. On a normal day, that would have been in her mouth.

Big Day (well, the biggest in a while)

James went crazy today, tearing out sheet rock and studs and tile and cabinets and sinks and counters. Awesome.  And what did we girls do?  Socialize, nap, and play.  Sounds like the perfect day. 

First up was the kitchen faucet.  After scouring the computer files, I am devastated to learn that I do not have a picture of the original faucet assembly.  Its most ridiculous crowning feature was the (non-functioning) sprayer right in the middle of the two sinks -- this meant you had to ram the faucet over the sprayer each time you moved from sink to sink.  Brilliant.  This was all fitting considering it was attached to the dumbest sink ever designed. This corner sink may be the death of me.  And I'm glad we captured it on "film" here.  Anyway, when James went to just remove the sprayer, we realized the problem was the valve, and he decided to just replace the whole fixture with one he salvaged from upstairs. That's right, the bathtub upstairs (that just got torn out) had a KITCHEN faucet attached.  Nice.  So today, we returned it to its original use, and I must say, I'm quite pleased. 

He then tore out the rest of the bathroom upstairs and placed it in our backyard.  Be assured, it is all now in the barn, but the pictures above demonstrate how closely we sometimes approach white-trashiness. Now if we could just move this to the front yard and add a car on blocks...

Then it was on to walls. For about 2 hours, the girls and I enjoyed the sounds of tile, sheet rock, and pipes raining down from the second story window.  That's one way to speed up the cleaning out process!   

looking from the top of the stairs

former kitchenette in foreground, looking into the old bathroom

When all was said and done, it was a productive day. I even made fresh chocolate-chip cookies for the handyman. What a lucky guy he is.  I was also thrilled to learn he wore one of two good pairs of jeans for this project today.  "I didn't think I was going to keep going."  :-)  They're just fine, by the way.

A (small) Step of Obedience

Recently, I've been in several "discussions" and heard many teach about the poor and about the Church's response and responsibility to them.  While I could spend days discussing the ins and outs of this, the principle that cannot be denied is this: Jesus called us as Christians -- not the government, but don't get me started -- to serve the poor, the orphan, the widow.  I must say that something that bothers me when Christians speak about helping the poor is that they rarely talk about WHY we help the poor.  I believe we do not give to the poor to merely meet their physical needs and thus "fulfill" that item on our To-Do list.   We can't separate their spiritual needs from their physical condition!  While a meal or clothing is incredibly helpful, and often a first step of obedience to Christ's command, what they need most is JESUS Himself.

With all of this discussion going on, I've been challenged to not only discuss, but OBEY.  I think our knee-jerk reaction is to shy away from the extremists with whom we disagree, but I want to discover BIBLICALLY what I am supposed to be doing. 

Enter Hungry Man on the corner of I-240 and Western.  We make a right turn here at least 3 times a week -- on our way to CHURCH no less -- and we frequently exchange waves and smiles with the man.  But I always have that pang of guilt(?) when I drive away having only smiled.  His sign says he's hungry, and let's just be honest here, I don't believe him.  For as long as I can remember, my first response to a homeless person has been, "Yeah, right."  I immediately question his integrity, wonder how many people have been suckered in today by his act, etc.  Well, I'm discovering that, while I should be wise with the resources God has entrusted to me, it should be my response to (wisely) GIVE with compassion.  Does my heart break for the man who has been reduced to standing on a street corner begging for food?  And more than that, do I see his SOUL? 

So, since he's asking for food, and because I believe giving cash does not fall under the "Give Wisely" category, I'm going to try something new.  Today, I got out breakfast bars and granola bars and packaged them with a gospel tract in a brown lunch bag.  I'm going to keep a few in my car, ready to hand out the window when I feel it's needed.  I am going to be the one who may possibly be suckered in, and that thought drives me nuts, but MY heart is the issue here.

And I hope that is the heart that comes across in what I've shared.  I say all this only to encourage others to obey -- in whatever way the Lord directs.  This is one SMALL step forward on the long journey of learning to be a disciple, and how grateful I am for the Lord's patience with me.  AND for providing precious companions to walk before and beside me.  To HIM be the glory!  That ALL may hear!

UPDATE:  I made these, and the next FIVE trips to church, our man wasn't there. Also, I had not seen another person ANYWHERE. Finally, on our sixth trip, the man was on the corner, and I had the opportunity to give him the bag, a smile, and a "God Bless You."  He told me that I was beautiful and thanked me, and I drove on.  And I have yet to see him, or another person, again...

Outside???

Well, for the last 6 years, we lived ON Pennsylvania, a major thoroughfare in NW OKC. We had endless pedestrian traffic in our yard and, of course, the famous bus stop outside our bedroom window.  Needless to say, we did NOT take the girls out in the front yard (or even the backyard for that matter), for fear of the kooks (is that a real word?) that could walk by at any moment.  James was content to let the neighbors believe we didn't even have kids.  :-)

Well, you know what we did today in our little suburbia??  Ate a picnic on the FRONT DRIVEWAY while James worked on the truck. We stood outside and TALKED to our neighbors, while the kids chalked up the driveway (and themselves) with the little neighbor girl.  We ENJOYED the incredible weather and just plain had FUN.  WHAT a difference.  Thank you, Lord, for the little things.  Looking forward to a fun summer! 

Becoming Martha Stewart...

or at least the Highlights Children's Magazine version.  I always feel guilty for not doing the cute crafts in Charis' monthly magazine, but I would like to state for the record, that I DO NOT DO CRAFTS.  It is not on my list of things at which I seek to excel.  Someday, I will bake bread, I will garden, I will sew something more than curtains.  But crafts?  The problem is that cute little smile and the "Please, Mommy?" And suddenly I'm headed to Target for paper plates, staying up late cutting strips out of wrapping paper and gathering scissors, tape, and ribbon -- the whole time wondering, "Who have I become??" 

Well, it was worth it. We had a blast.  Gwyn even got in on the fun -- usually, we only play Legos or Cooties -- lots of little pieces -- during her naptime because she's either eating them or spreading them all over the house.  Today, I was brave.  And she did great.

Charis had a fun time picking out what wrapping paper to put on next, and yes, I did most of the work.  But it turned out great!

She decided each of us needed our own (including Daddy), so we made 5 and then another for cousin Susanna. 

please ignore the fogged window -- trust me, I've tried to clean it,

 but apparently it's in between the panes -- can't wait to replace it!!

So, there you have our spring flower garden. I think I'm good for at least a couple of months...

Starting upstairs

Well, James is still measuring and drawing and planning, but it's time to get to work tearing out upstairs. 

Here's the kitchenette -- well, what used to be a kitchenette -- and no, I don't think I ever got a picture of it before! AHHHH!! I asked James to put it back in for a picture, but he wasn't amused. :-)  Trust me, it was fantastic. 

Then, it was on to the bathroom... 

That tub on the right? Used to be there on the left. He apparently did this on his own.  The only indication this was happening was the loud thunks as he (I later found out) rolled the tub across the floor. What a madman. 

I've included a pic of the vanity area (yes, littered with a baby tub and probably priceless vintage albums we found in the house -- I'll get around to Ebay someday...).  I'm assuming these sinks and cabinets are next on the destroy list.  But at least I've got a picture.

Poison Ivy strikes again...

Well, remember this??

Anybody see any poison ivy in the picture? Cause we sure didn't.  We didn't even consider the need to wear jeans. And the result?  Well, I won't post pictures, because it's near-nauseating, but James' legs became victim to the poison.  Gross, not to mention painful.  He ended up at the clinic a week later, got a steroid shot, and is currently taking a steroid pack and 2 antibiotics. Wow.  Poor guy. But boy, the fenceline looks really good where he was working!  :-)

Can you believe how much it has green-ed up in less than 2 weeks?! Crazy!