Grade 8 Graduation!!!

Well, my little girl graduated from Grade 8 tonight. It was a really nice program and she is now off at the "After Grad party"...on campus even!

Here she is all dressed up:

oophs that was the picture with "attitude" - here's a more "proper" pic:

Nice program where they introduced all the students with little bio's of each, then the speeches (all short and sweet), handing out of the scrolls, power point presentation of pics through the year and end of program. Visiting and cake.
Here's a pic with her dad (still showing the attitude...)

Sometimes it seems like yesterday I was so worried about her in the NICU, we brought home a little 5 lb baby to love and nurture.... and now... wow time sure flies!

Thank you Lord for blessing me with such a great kid, thank you for her humor, her big heart, her mischievous grin, her loyalty to her friends, and her fun spirit. Thank you for all the friends and family that you have placed in our lives to help us love and nurture this beautiful young lady. I can not imagine my life without her.

CONCERT AND TOURNAMENT...

my good friend, Alrene, scored some tickets to the Soul to Soul Faith Hill and Tim McGraw tour, and invited me to join her on Thursday night. This is all I have to say about the show (okay I confess if you talked to me I'll have a lot more to say), it was ...

FANTASTIC!!!

Worth every penny!

Here's my photo of the concert (the one above I pulled off the www...

This weekend...soccer tournament. (Update on tournament: lost but they won the shootout!)

Contemplating Psalms 143...

When I would read this psalms I would think of "enemies" in the physical sense not in what my "enemies" are. Today I thought of it in relation to me. My "enemies" are not of the physical kind but of the emotional/spiritual kind, and they can "crush me to the ground" and make "my spirit grow faint within me." But as Samual spoke in his sermon today "Victory over your enemies can not be achieved unless you start with God." And therefore even though I find the rest of this psalm to be a scary prayer ("Teach me to do your will" my knees shake thinking of the ways that God could "teach" me) it is also a very powerful prayer.

"Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you.
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
For your names sake, O Lord, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble,
In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
Destory all my foes, for I am your servant."

Spiritual Potluck...

Bob made a comment during his sermon along the line that if we are worshipping and praising God during the week, you come to the corporate worship more excited and joyfilled. Then he alluded to it being like a potluck - how we bring different "dishes" of praise and worship that we all get to partake in.

Today I felt like a brought diluted koolaid.

But you know, other's brought main dishes, some brought side dishes and some brought the all important desserts! And with fellowshipping and worshipping with each other, you end up partaking in everything that people brought. So even though I came with diluted koolaid - I had some main dishes (seeing people's strong faithful faith, the choice of song during communion), I had some side dishes (sharing, encouraging words) and dessert which is always my favorite (hugs from friends, laughter, joy).

So my koolaid doesn't feel quite so diluted anymore.

I am thankful for the safety of being allowed to be honest at church, for hugs from friends, for a husband that bbq'ed supper, for a daughter that cleaned the bathroom, cool breezes, still quiet house, and an ever patient and faithful God.

Letting your soul catch up...

Excerpt from "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World"...

"The story is told of a migrant South African tribe that regularly went on long marches. Day after day they would tramp the roads. But then, all of a sudden, they would stop walking and make camp for a couple of days. When asked why they stopped, the tribe explained that they needed the time of rest so that their souls could catch up with them.

Isn't that a great concept? Letting your soul catch up. When I read this little story, it resonated deep within me. I can get to running so fast that I leave everything behind. Not just God. Not just people. I can lose my own soul as well."

hmm...maybe that's what's wrong - my soul is so far back I can't see it anymore...hoping that my holidays in July gives my soul a chance to catch up because I'm really missing it. Camping without tv, without the computer, without the phone - just me, my books and God's creation to remind me what an awesome God he is.

So your busy - you're not the only one so suck it up!!

I had planned on blogging about how last week I felt so overwhelmed and busy at work, and stressed from some personal issues (which were a result of my own character flaws); how I had a wonderfully busy but relaxing weekend that helped destress me - only to come back to work today and by end of day feel overwhelmed all over again...

But then as I walked home I started to think...

Really Heather, you are not the only one - everyone is busy these days. Yeah your busy, yeah you feel overwhelmed but hey you have a job, and you are challenged instead of being bored, and you have a lot to blessed about. So instead of writing a pity me blog I decided to change my attitude and look at the blessings instead:

1. I am blessed to have a fulltime job that pays well and job security.
2. I am blessed to have a job I enjoy.
3. I am blessed to have a job that challenges me, improves my organizational skills, problem solving skills, communication skills and teaches me how to priorize duties .
4. I am blessed to have a job that I feel supported in and where we can still laugh.
5. I am blessed to have a boss that I can go to and say "The furniture is arriving today, I'm in an all day meeting - can you deal with it?" and he does...without complaint.
6. I am blessed to have staff that are open to me delegating work to, who I know will do it and do it correctly.
7. I am blessed to have a job where people appreciate what you do and tell you.
8. I am blessed to have a job that helps me learn to roll with the punches, be flexible, and how to think fast on my feet.
9. I am blessed to have 2 beautiful daughters that make me laugh, proud and are independent enough to bike to soccer practice (and is improving on the skill of communication so I know where she is). And who don't mind starving once in a while because I haven't had time to get groceries.
10. I am blessed to have a husband who is interactive with the kids, takes them to soccer games, helps them get their camping equipment together, teases them and loves them.
11. I am blessed to have a dad that drives with me to Regina so I don't have to drive by myself, and will even drive across town twice to make sure he does.

ahhhhh....already I'm feeling destressed...though it could be that the house is empty, quiet, half decently clean and I have nothing to do but get groceries... :-)

My baby's growing up.....into a young lady.

This time last year it was "There is no way I'm wearing a dress to grad."

Not only is she wearing a dress to grad but we have had to go looking for the perfect shoe, the perfect necklace and a hair appointment to have her hair done the day of her grad.

Yesterday she bought (with her own money) a skirt and wore it to school today. She looks cute in it.

Today she got her ears pierced.

As we drove by her elementary school I realized that this is the last year for any of my kids to go to that school, I no longer will have a reason to enter the school doors. After both of my daughters going through the school from Kindergarten to Grade 8 - it's going to feel weird that neither of them attends that school anymore.

Listening: to Dr. Phil in the background
Reading: Just started The Year of Our War, still reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.
Feeling: a touch tired from driving Kristie back to school but really loving the weather!