A Break From Regularly Scheduled Programming ...

to bring you this conversation I had with Emma this morning. It was a totally typical morning.. cereal bowls, messes made by toddler, morning chores and the "litany" of things to get accomplished today. Emma stopped me and said "Mom, when you are a grownup, who decides what things get done first?"

I said, "I do." And kept going. Faster, as the clocked ticked closer to the time I needed everyone out the door for school.

"So ... God doesn't tell you? I thought He told you everything." ( Note ... this is in response to the "hard questions" as they come up. My "go-to" answer is always God. This is not in reference to my superior praying skills or Bible reading. Not even close.)

I stopped. No good answer there. Because He does tell me what to do first. I just don't always listen. Dishes before Prayer? Girl Scouts (or any other after school activity) before filling my Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box ... still sitting there from Sunday?

I searched her face for sarcasm. She's 9. It happens. There was none. She was simply curious. How does a grownup choose what to do first? How to fill their day? How to spend their money?

I searched my heart for the answers I knew where there. God does tell me. I just don't always listen. So that's what I told her.

On that note ... while I am completely "out there" ... there is a little girl orphaned in China with a heart defect. I got an email about her months ago and prayed she would find her family. She hasn't yet. If you are reading this and this stirs something in your soul, let me know and I can get you her information.

Thanks to Emma, this is getting out there instead of the Halloween decorations getting put away. I guess that's what God wanted me to do first.

Halloween 2010

Belated Boos to everyone from the south - where we wore our flip flops on Halloween!

We started the day missing old "haunts" from the midwest ... but rallied in time to trick or treat in the neighborhood. It didn't take Cooper long to figure out what that was all about ... and he was out and about far longer than we anticipated! His candy bag weighed as much as he does ... apparently because nobody could resist the 2 yr old elephant charm.

Emma was a hippie, Grayson was a ghoul, Claire dressed as a "good witch" and Cooper wore the elephant costume yet again. Old habits die hard. It will be difficult to retire that costume as it has been worn many years with love. Chocolate covered blessings to you all ...