Mornings

My sweet nephew Micah...

Mornings... you either hate them, or you love them... and it's a feeling that changes with every morning. For instance... my alarm clock rings Monday through Friday at the same time, 6 am. I set it, to make sure my daughters have set theirs... they are 14 and 16, usually they are up on time, but there are those occasional mornings when their alarm has not gone off. If one of them has asked me to fix their lunch the day before, or another special request, I usually comply... I mean after all, I am the Mom, right? But, back to mornings... today it is my car pool turn to take the girls in, so I did it, rushing back to laundry (this is always the case, or so it seems) and whole list of "things to do TODAY". I'm going through my list, wondering "how in the heck, am I going to get all of this done", when I hear a little voice in my head calling me Martha... the story of Martha and Mary came to me... take some time out to sit down and pray, pray for your family, pray for your friends... pray... So of course I turned on some worship music (currently it is the Michael W. Smith, A New Hallelujah CD). My morning perspective changes... in fact, just sitting with God and talking to Him, changes so much on how I am viewing my day. I am learning that just by acknowledging the day and thanking Him for it, no matter what it brings, can bring such peace. I know that He has created me for this day... and I will try to do my best to make Him proud of me. I feel sorry for those who can not sit down, wait... those who don't want to sit down (I mean it is a choice right?) with the Lord and just enjoy His presence. I mean, goodness, no one love you more than He does... and to let a minute go by without knowing it, is a total waste of time... and the waste of a perfectly good day :c) All I have is from Him... and I am nothing without Him... and realizing this... makes my mornings and the whole day a very special day! His Grace will shine on me every morning, every day, every minute... His love is reflected in the palm of my Savior's hands... things I will not take for granted, but hold preciously close to my heart and to who I am. If you are reading this... take some time out... spend it with the One who loves you the most... and is the very reason you are alive at this moment!

Memory, A Leaving Poem

Mom's lilies that come up every Spring.


Christie is becoming our little poet. When we knew that my Mom had only a few short days left on this earth, my sisters came to Houston to spend those days with her and help me with her care. Looking back, it was probably a few of the most memorable days of my life so far. God taught me so much about my Mom, about my sisters... and about my family. The weeks up to my Mom's death was hard and very busy... she went from bad to worse... and like I said... it was hard. My sweet husband and precious daughters were there to help out as well. Kevin would play his guitar for her, the girls would help rub her head and her back... etc. On July 31st, Kevin and I took Kim (youngest sis) and her small kids and my daughters to Sea World, while my sister Linda, stayed with Mom. Linda is an RN, and when we returned very late, she told us that Mom didn't have much longer. So Linda, Kim, Christie and I sat in Mom's room, talking about the "old days", our childhood, just having some fun. Christie was busy under my Mom's hospital bed writing away... this is what she wrote:

Memory,
A Leaving Poem

by Christie Andersen

If God would give you one more day,
I think I would use that chance and say,
How much in my heart you mean to me,
Before you had to get up and leave

I’ll miss you more than anything,
But I’ll see you again dancing with my King.
You will dwell in my memory,
And in my heart is where you’ll be.

There are billions of people living here,
None of which I hold as dear.
Forgetting anything you’ve done wrong,
You’ll be in Heaven where you belong.

I’ll remember your laugh and smile,
The way the baking plans would pile.
The sewing machine stitching,
Wild jokes pitching
Cards flying, fun never dying

Now I see lying there,
Drifting into Jesus’ care.
Everything will be okay;
We’ll see each other again someday.

Distractions...

I really wish I was more dedicated to this blog stuff... I have tons of thoughts that I want to share, but basically, I think I am either too lazy or just don't have the time to keep up with it... or I get distracted... which leads me to today's post.

"Distraction is the diversion of attention of an individual or group from the chosen object of attention onto the source of distraction. (I hate definitions... so I was distracted while reading it... do you see the irony? even this is a distraction!) Distraction is caused by one of the following: lack of ability to pay attention (hello! me!) ; lack of interest in the object of attention; greater interest in something other than the object of attention; or the great intensity, novelty or attractiveness of something other than the object of attention." That's Webster's definition of distraction, but my version... and how it applies to me... "Distraction is Satan's attempt to keep me from learning what God is trying to teach me, attempt to keep me OUT of my quiet time, attempt to keep me from the Bible, and my willingness to allow it." Simply put... I absolutely HATE distractions! Funny, even as I am typing this, the buzzer of the dryer goes off, the phone rings, my "Absolutely HAS to be Done Today" to do list falls off the desk, Michael W. Smith's "A New Hallelujah" CD is playing... and of course you have to sing with that... yep, distractions! I am determined to finish this though...

Last Sunday was my day of distractions... Kevin leads worship for our church, so he leaves earlier than I do. I always stop by Starbucks to get coffee for him, our dear friends Walt and Rebecca and myself (occasionally a carmel whatever it's called for Christie). After getting to church I realized they messed up the order... so I had to drive back to Starbucks to get it right... after all, I have to have coffee to start the day... as I was driving back (three minutes away) I realized I was MISSING my worship time by doing this. Sure, I enjoy having coffee in the morning, but it can not replace coming face to face with my God during worship! I hurried and exchanged the coffees and got back... but a distraction from worship had occured. When I got back, worship was still going on (Thank you Lord!) In the middle of it, Kevin's string to his guitar breaks... distraction, then the other guitar player's string breaks... Distraction. Then, while our Pastor was teaching... people were getting up and going to the bathroom and passing in front of our Pastor... there are back doors that lead to the restrooms, but for some reason they chose the front. Not just one person, but several and even though I am sure it was very unintentional... it was a distraction from God's Word... a couple had a toddler in the front row (yes, we have a nursery... really nice one too) who was throwing her toys, bottles, whatever she could throw to get them to retrieve (we have all played this game once)... she had them trained... DISTRACTION! Finally, our Pastor also was tired of the distractions and dealt with them... in the middle of the service. See how all of that works... the enemy really does not want us to know God... especially in an intimate way.

You know... but the enemy has been defeated... I have decided to turn these distractions around to work for God, not the enemy. In everything, God is present, whether it be a distraction or anything else... God is present. I need to stop, listen and pray... whether it is for myself, a friend or for the person causing the distraction. I feel that if I turn it around to a praying time or praising time... the enemy has been defeated. I guess I could have called this blog a distraction as well, but I am choosing not to :c) It feels good to be able to say what's on my mind and what God is teaching me, and I am thankful for those who read it and leave comments. I hope it isn't distracting you from your time with our Lord. If it is... please stop and find your Bible... that's the place we all need to be... sitting at His feet, is where we should want to be... at home when we are with Him... renewed by His grace (Michael W. Smith is singing this on the CD, but how appropriate eh?) Have a great week, may it be filled with only His distractions!

Even in the Simplest Things

My friend Shonni had a really sweet post about praying that God gives us eyes to see.... who to pray for, how to pray, etc. Then I went to Chris Tomlin's concert and he challenged people in the same way... so, I have been praying the same prayer too. It really has "opened my eyes" not just to what I know God wants me to see and what He wants me to learn, but it also has changed my perspective in so many ways. Every morning that I awake... I believe... that if I am alive in this day that the Lord has made, then it is with purpose and with meaning... I don't for a second believe that this world was created by chance, nor anyone in this world was either. I don't believe that in coincidences... or chance, I believe in a Mighty God that weaves paths and pieces lives together to serve mighty purposes... to heal hearts... to serve what ever purpose it needs to at that time.

My sweet, sweet friend Shonni shared a story on her blog... if I knew how to link you there... I would do that, but you should just check out her blog, because everything she shares in it is from her heart and her sweet spirit... she is an amazing lady with a heart for the orphans of the world... actually, her whole family is like that... amazing people... http://nationsaroundourtable.blogspot.com/ Shonni was in the hospital waiting for her mother who was in surgery for her leg, when she noticed a couple whose grandson had hung himself and wasn't going to be with them for very long... she started to talk to them and then... long story short... prayed for them... in the waiting room. I thought to myself... what a beautiful story...not just that by Shonni's obedience to God to pray for the family that may or may not be believers was such a witness to them, but to also her own children... because when we train them up according to the way they should go (in God's Word)... we should be teaching them this.

So... I have been praying for the same opportunity... lesson 1... don't pray for something if you really don't want it to happen ... LOLOL! This meant... if someone pulled out in front of me while driving... pray for them... bad service at the mall... still smile... for the person living on the street... the list goes on. I found you have to be in constant prayer just to hear what God wants you to do... what He wants you to see. I was filling my van with gas... at a Shell station of course... thanking God that my husband has a great job with this company and that I am able to fill the 20 gallon gas guzzler (actually not that bad... it is a Honda after all) when a man pulled in to the tank next to mine. My daughter and her friend were in the back of the van, listening to Switchfoot very loudly. I could tell that the man was very troubled. He started to talk to me and tell me that his grandmother had just died and he drove here for her funeral. Someone had booked him a room in the hotel across the street and used a credit card that did not work. He was $11.68 short and needed to get home as well. I normally do not carry cash with me, but happened to have $20 in my pocket. I rarely ever give money to someone on the street because in Houston, this happens a lot and you don't know if they really need it or not... but I heard God tell me to give it to him, but to also pray with him. As I gave the money to him, he said "I don't know how to thank you", and I told him not to. Then I really feel that it was the Holy Spirit who was telling me to tell him to "Don't thank me, I believe in a God that I know is watching out for you and your daugther (she was in the car with him). I believe He brought you here, knowing that I have this money in my pocket and that I am able to give it to you. I believe in a loving God, who loves you and your family, no matter what you are going through right now... I believe in your heart, you know that too. If you want to be thankful, then to everyone you see today, tell then what God has done for you." We prayed. It was very simple, because God is SO simple in His love for us. He does not make it complicated... because He wants everyone to know that He has defeated all things, everyone deserves compassion... everyone is forgiven... everyone is loved by Him. His love rains down on us all the time... not when we feel like it. I remembered that I had more money in my wallet and turned to get it... when I turned back around, he was gone. I looked up and down the street, but didn't see him. We are talking seconds... I jumped into the van and started to look for him when I heard God say to me, "I brought him here for what he needed at this minute... I will provide for him for the rest of his trip." How simple, again, was that? I have been in reflection about what God has planned for us... do we miss it sometime because we are so caught up in ourselves, in our own lives? Even when we are hurting... God uses everyday experiences to heal us. He lifts us up so that we can lift others up. How awesome is our God? Even when we are not hurting, when our days are so doggone fantastic, I think that is when we don't hear Him the most... because we are caught up in our own lives... Take the challenge... how do you see things? How does God want you to see things? How do you see God? How do you see our Father, His Son, His Spirit? Hmmm... how is your life? Is there a void? "Healing Rain is falling down... I'm not afraid"

By the way, the pictures are from a Mission Trip in 2007... please pray for the one coming up in 2009, that we would not be afraid to pray for those who need prayer... again... simple!

Random Picture Post

Now for the picture fun!
11th folder
or
September 2007
11th picture

I opted for the 11th folder and 11th picture. This is a picture of my sister Kim, and her son, Micah, watching the water skiers at Seaworld. It was a really fun day! It was also the day before my Mom passed away with lung cancer, so it brought back some bittersweet memories :c)

A Mother's Love

My daughters continue to amaze me daily in everything they do. Kevin and I are very blessed to have daughters that seek God daily and love Him with all of their heart. We go through the same things all parents go through with their kids... and if there is one place that is the hardest place to live your Christian life... it's at home. I mean face it, we all know that we are not perfect, but we all know that we have a Creator that loves us so much and shows us grace and mercy. My girls try their hardest to show God's love to their friends at school and at church... and by praying for them. They are very talented girls too. Christie loves to write poetry and this week I am going to try to display some of it daily. I hope you like it as much as I love it!

A Tear For Dawn

A masterpiece beyond all compare,

Beautiful majesty and undying care

For each stroke of color and sight

The lovely warmth of dawn’s morning light.

Overshadowed by sleepy eyes

Of coffee brewing and baby cries.

No thoughts of the warmth, our thoughts are cold

Wondering how the day's events will unfold.

The sun grows higher in the sky

followed by birds starting to fly.

Still we don't stop to stare up above,

At the celestial embodiment of hope and love.

Never a time where one stops to think

of the watercolors red, orange, yellow and pink

Of the giant canvas painting in the morning,

At least not yet, but we’re still learning.

Random Picture Challenge

Okay... how fun is this... sometimes we forget about certain pictures... and thanks to Shonni, who found this challenge through another friend and shared it...here is a neat way to help re-discover those pictures! There are 2 ways to pick your random picture this week so more of you can play along. March 2008, 5th picture from the end
or 10th picture folder 5th picture from the end. This picture is from my 10th March folder and is the 5th picture in that folder..

This is Danielle at Galveston... we went to the Moody Gardens over Spring Break and HAD to visit the beach!

Getting Older... Who Me?... Never!

I don't know why, but lately, I have been reminiscing about the... past... okay, childhood. (I suppose it is not helping that as I type this post, my husband is playing old songs by Chicago, Genesis, Rush, etc.) I don't know why I have been thinking about growing up, getting older... maybe it's what you do at age 45...

It's funny, but usually I don't feel old until one of my daughters have a birthday (November and December). Lately, though, I have been reconnecting with friends on facebook from my childhood, from high school, from college and current. It is as if all the chapters in my life are coming together to form a book. Also, when my Mom passed away in August, I remember her now from my childhood rather than just my Mom who lived with us.

Looking back, I can see that the Lord has really blessed me with the people in my life. I have learned from each one... whether it be good or bad, it has been a lesson. Acts 17:26: “And He made from the one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation.” So, it's not coincidental that my family is the family He gave me, or that my friends and acquaintances are more than just faces... there is a purpose for them being in my life and for me being in theirs. I just need to make sure that my heart and my life are right with Him to find out what those purposes are. Everything happens with a purpose...

"This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it." Since I am alive in this day... I have a purpose for this day and I need to seek out His purpose for me in this day... I can choose to waste this day, or I can choose to live this day for Him... and in doing so, I believe, with His help, I can make a difference, whether it be in the little things of this life, or the big things in this life... God can use me for His purposes...

So, I guess... getting older doesn't really matter... it's what I decide to do with the days God gives me... as I get older. I am blessed with family and with friends that help me see the differences we are able to make with Him, either by their examples or by their words in love and in friendship. I am also able to learn through my mistakes... as much as I hate to admit it, they are sometimes the best lessons to learn by.

So for every second, every minute, every hour, etc that I grow older... I hope I learn more about the God who created me, more about my husband and my girls, more about my family and my friends... more about life in general... and more about growing older...

Jobs

I love it when people ask me what my "job" is. "Where do you work?" "What do you do for a living?" Most can't believe that I am still a "Stay-at-Home Mom", as if they don't exist any more. I guess, for the most part, people just can't believe that we can actually afford

for me to stay at home because the crisis our economy is going through. Who knows... depending on how bad it does get... I may have to go back to work, but for now, I am a "stay-at-home Mom".
(Pictured is Kevin volunteering at a nearby elementary school, helping kids make slime. Adalia is one of my little mentees (on the right) and her buddy Catherine.)

No... I don't sit around watching Oprah and eat bon bons... and no, my house is not spotless and the laundry is not finished all of the time... (I laughed so hard at my dear friend Shonni's blog when she asked the question "is anything ever really finished... like laundry", I spit up my coffee I was drinking while reading it!). I tend to volunteer my time... a lot. I volunteer at the schools in my community. Not just my daughters' schools, but all the schools in my community.

One of my favorite volunteer jobs is mentoring. I mentor girls in the elementary school whose Moms have left them. I get really frustrated too. I listen to these little girls as they tell me how much they miss their mom, how no one is there to put them to bed at night, how no one is there to fix them dinner, how no one is there to brush their hair... the list, sadly, goes on. These sweet little lambs feel so rejected, so hurt... confused... There is no one there to tell them that they have a God that loves them, that wants to give them life, that knows their deepest hurt. There is no one there to talk to them about boys, what's it like to grow up, are these feelings that I have normal... My heart goes out to them. With one of my girls... yup they are mine, or at least it feels that way... I have been mentoring her for the past 5 years. Her mother was a big part of her life for her first five years... then she tried to kill the little girl's father with a butcher knife in front of her and her small brother. Of course she went to jail for two years and then she was released. I am willing to bet that her mother was probably not loved by someone as she was growing up either... so the cycle begins... but where does the cycle stop? The little girl is ten years old now and really wants a Mom. If I was able to, I would snatch her and her little brothers and they would come live with us... but I can't do that. It's funny, physically, anyone can be a Mom or a Dad... you don't have to fill out any forms, you don't have to be responsible, you don't have to do the right thing... but in the end... who really gets hurt by it?

I know that our Father puts us on this earth for a reason, and sometimes, man can mess that up. I know that sometimes we have to take the chance on others, so that others can really know who He is. Who says we can't preach the Word of God in a public school, who says I can't be Christ's example in a public school? It's exactly what we are suppose to do. We are suppose to reach out to those who are hurting, draw them in, love them... I want to be an example of my Savior... with His mercy and with His grace, I want to reach out to those who are hurting and I want to love them. If you have a little bit of time on your hands, please consider doing the same. Volunteer your time... take the risk and get involved. So far, no one has complained about what I have been doing... and if someone does... what are they going to do... fire me?

Have a blessed day!

How Can You Not Believe?

It had been almost a year since they diagnosed my Mom with cancer, September 26, 2007. She decided to try the chemo, she was sure she couldn't feel any worse than what she did. Slowly, gradually, she regained her strenghth after a few sessions. The steroids they gave her with the chemo treatments gave her more strenghth. Pretty soon, after visits from all of her children and grandchildren, she was able to work in her gardens again, go shopping (with the help of a motorized stroller), do things around the house, bake, travel back to Indiana for one last visit... and then it came back again...
Beverly left on May 30, 2008 for a visit to Indiana. She stayed with Joe and Linda, visited her cousins, her great Aunt, played card games. Her oldest son, Jeff, and his daughter Kelsey came out for a visit, she saw her nephews, old friends... on Friday, July 11th, she flew back to Houston, went to church on July 13th. Something didn't seem quite right that Monday of July 14th, so Kevin and I took her to the emergency room. I knew it was not going to be good, but I didn't expect it to be as bad as it was. Looking back, I guess I knew that the next time the cancer grew again, it would be worse... but during those times you really don't think, you just live through the storm, roll with waves, and pray. See, this is where you either sink or swim... you either have faith or you don't. Pretty simple when you write about it... but again... living through it is a whole different thing. The Doctors told us that she was too weak for chemo, Mom decided to call in Hospice. We took her home after Hospice dropped off her "new bed" and all of the other accessories of a "peaceful" death. We put a CD player in her room to play her favorite CDs. There was nothing wrong with the CD except it would only play one CD and only five songs off of that CD. It would only play Chris Tomlin... don't know why... it works great now.
The next week was a week of visitors from the church... her girls, Jean, Stell and Cheryl visited, Kim stayed with her in the hospital. Kim, Genesis and Micah already had plane tickets to fly out July 24th. I was never so glad in my life to see my "baby" sister. From the day Mom got home ( July 17th) she was able to do a few things... from having Chinese, to having her favorite grillled steak, with a glass of wine... why not? We took our last trip to Target and Pets Mart (she wanted to get the dogs something). Her health deterioted quickly. By the time Kim got here on the 24th, she was in bed and needed help to the bathroom. My other sister Linda, a RN, was on her way too. On July 28th, I will never forget it... all the other days she would talk and not make much sense. She was so cute, like a little kid, making faces at Kim and I... but on the 28th, she was fine... like nothing was happening. She talked to us, called the kids in to tell them how much she loved them... told us she knew she was dying... told Kevin she was a little scared... he read her words from the Bible, telling her that she would go from this world to stand right before Jesus, he played his guitar for her, we stayed with her and talked. The day after that she started to drift in and out of conscience... Linda got there on a Wednesday and was able to talk to her some... on that Thursday, Kevin, the girls and I took Kim, Micah, and Genesis to SeaWorld to dine with Shamu :) When we got home... we knew it was a matter of time. Linda, Kim, Christie and I stayed up until 4:30am, it was August 1st, we wanted to be there for you know... when she died.
We sat in the room all day... our Pastor came and prayed for Mom and with Mom at about 2pm. Then here is what I remember...
The song "Glorious" started playing on the CD for the 1 millionth time... it was one of the five songs it the player would play...
"We lift our hands in praise to you
We lift our hearts in worship to you oh Lord
We lift our voice to You and sing
Our greatest love will ever be You, Lord"
She opened her eyes and looked at each of us one at a time... she wasn't conscience for the past two day, until now... we knew her time had come... Linda told her that her girls were here and her boys were coming soon... she took her last breath as the three of us were around her, holding her...
Frank and Kevin came in and we started to pray... in the back ground we could hear...

"There is a King that we adore
With humble hearts we bow before You, Lord
There is a place we long to be
Face to face we long to see You, Lord"

"Glorious
Over us
You shall reign
Glorious
Majesty and Power
are Yours alone FOREVER"

Then she passed from this life... into the next... and then she was in HIS presence... and not ours. Our precious Mother... was now with her Savior and suffering no longer... because He who was tempted in ALL things as a man... overcame EVERYTHING.
Hebrews 4: 14-16: Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, leet us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 10: 23-25: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised IS faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not farsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as IS the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
I am so thankful for my husband, for my daughters, for my sisters, my brothers... my family... my Mom...

What a Weekend

Wow... reading in Acts today wasn't just coincidental. It reminds me how much the apostles changed from the men they were in the Gospels to the men they became with the Holy Spirit. They went from falling to sleep while waiting for Christ in the garden, to denying they even knew Christ, to men filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking boldly to people about Christ. Christ told us that a Helper would come and the Holy Spirit was sent. Now, the Spirit dwells in those who believe in Christ and have accepted Him as our Savior. Our God is so GOOD!!
He blesses us with children, and we do our best to raise them in a home with Christ as the Head of the house. We pray with them, talk to them, teach them and discipline them. It's not an easy job, but it is a blessing. Then they become teenagers... Okay, we were all teenagers at one point and we know what they are going through, it's not an easy job either. We pray for them and sometimes with them, we love them, talk to them, teach them and still discipline them. What I am learning is that they begin to find out who they are in Christ, who the Holy Spirit is and how He helps them. I am learning that I can't do that for them... I can help them with their homework, give them rides, still pray with them, still talk with them... but God is causing the growth within them and they either allow it or don't. So, I still pray for them and sometimes with them...
This past weekend the girls went to an "Acquire the Fire" conference. I don't think they knew why they were going, maybe because all of their friends from church were going, they got to stay overnight at a hotel, get away from home... They came home and talked about how they cried, about how they felt the Lord's presence, meeting the Holy Spirit. What a blessing! As a parent I can't even express the feelings inside, how thankful I am to God... because He knew what they needed, He knew how to draw them to Him, He knew/knows their heart... He knows mine and Kevin's desires for them as parents... because He is our Father. Our God is an Awesome God.
So, I will keep praying for them, sometimes praying with them, talk to them, listen to them, drive them everywhere, and discipline them... and I am excited to watch Christ work in their lives. Kevin and I will also be there for them when they need us, whether it is to congratulate them on jobs well done or to catch them and help them up when they fall, it's what parents do. We try to raise them the best way we know how... it's between God and them to cause the growth now... we just sit back and thank Him and praise Him for every moment and every breath. To God always be the Glory!

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
There is no one like our God
- "God of This City" by Chris Tomlin

Reasons to Blog

To Blog or not to Blog, that is the question...

I chose to blog, frankly, because it was easier than mailing Christmas Cards, emailing several people at one time, writing letters (okay, so no one BUT our Grandparents and parents choose this method now), mailing out pictures to family etc., etc., etcetera. I am hoping to update this daily, okay maybe weekly, but I am still going to try :c)

I also liked the idea of being able to post thoughts, or things that you've read, life experiences. I have several other friends who have blogs and I really enjoy reading about what they have learned, how their families are doing and seeing pictures of growing kids! Let's face it, life is short sometimes and we can lose track of dear friends, this can help us keep in touch.

It's not that we want to lose track, it's just that life gets so darn busy at times. When you have children of your own, you get so caught up in their lives, how to raise them, wondering if you are doing everything right, that we lose track of time... not just minutes and hours, but sometimes week, months and years. Pretty soon we lose track of one year, then five, then ten. People come in and out of our lives like chapters in a book. Pretty soon a book gets finished and you wish you spent a little more time in a certain chapter. Anyway... I digress... as usual...

If you want to keep up with the Andersen family, this may be a way to do it.