but I may need to exchange it for Chinese instead.

The other night I was chatting with my brother, Gary, on the phone, and we got to talking about mission work. I told him that since I turn the big 4-0 next year, Sharon (our sister who is a nurse) and I were talking about going on a medical mission trip to celebrate my big milestone. He mentioned a retired dentist at his church that he routinely gives frequent flyer miles to for his 3 or 4 med/dent mission trips each year. Cool.

So a day later Gary calls back. The dentist is going to China for three weeks to do an oral/facial reconstruction mission. Do I want to go? I could go for anywhere from 1-3 weeks, they would have plenty for me to do with my background, and the dentist would take me under his wing so that I get plugged in properly since I've been out of practice for six years now.

My benefactor has agreed to fund the trip and take the kids to visit his grandparents in New Jersey while I'm gone, so we're going to all get together at Gary's for dinner soon and talk specifics.

Of course there's food.

And then there are books:



I'll be joining the Summer Reading Challenge, and I've got the following books on my list:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (lifted from Donna)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (lifted from Sandy)
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

In addition, I will begin studying Greek, in hopes to read the NT in it's original language. So I plan to go through one unit of Mounce's Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar each week.

If you'd like to join the challenge, go to the SRC page for instructions to join. The deadline is May 31, so hurry!

Hat tip to Sandy at Maple Grove.

Donna posted about graduations today, and we've got a lot happening in that department, too.

Last weekend, my nephew graduated from college and was commissioned into the Air Force that same day. His brother is the one who served two tours in Iraq, so this is a bit stressful for our family. Their younger sister is leaving for Uganda next month to spend the summer doing mission work before she leaves home for college (she's been at community college this year). This will make my sister and bil officially empty-nesters. It's crazy!

My niece (another brother's daughter) is graduating from high school next week and will leave for college, the same one as her cousin above is going to, at the end of the summer.

It seems like yesterday that they were born! I know it is mind-blowing for my siblings, watching their little ones fly off.

Also, it brings back memories. I can't find a high school graduation picture, they're in the attic somewhere, cooking. But I did find these:


Graduation day at Texas A&M with Gena (Gena, if you want this off of here, just say so!).



And med school graduation. It was exciting to get the hood! Who knew that caps and gowns made such good maternity wear? I was six months pregnant, when I became an M.D. Now that baby will turn 8 this summer and he has a sister. Time surely flies!(I apparently learned to use a pair of tweezers between my undergraduate and med school ceremonies. Who says you only learn important things in school?)

Why not post your graduation picture? Be sure to let me know in the comments that you've posted it!

And happy graduation to all those new graduates out there!

I love to click on the link for Allsorts, listed under "Flowers" on my left sidebar. It's always a treat to see her artwork, and I use her cheery blog as a leaping off point for many wonderful crafty blogs.

Today I got a double whammy when I went over to visit Allsorts. First, I copied her and bought this:



A total spur of the moment impulse buy. I secretly imagine Peyton fiddling with it on my wrist and remembering it when she is grown. I have a pearl ring of my mom's that I used to twirl around her finger. My dad bought it for her in Japan, and I just wore it this weekend, so I suppose that's why I thought of that. Of course, this funky bracelet is not as sentimental or as fancy schmancy as the pearl ring, but it's definitely memorable!

Second, Jenny linked a new blog called Kiddley. It's an amazing blog about fun things to do with your kids, by the author of Loobylu blog. Check it out here:




And the final pretty, my gorgeous daughter at her dance recital this weekend performing "Beauty and the Beast":



And performing "You've Got a Friend in Me":


Her Nana gave her flowers and took her out for ice cream after the performance, and then her best friend brought flowers later that evening. The child was on cloud nine! (So was her momma, of course.)

See you Monday!

We've joined Lifetime Fitness. Oh. My. Goodness. We are having a blast. While I work out, Luke and Peyton play in the kids club, with real activities for them - basketball, air hockey, jungle gym, crafts, etc. They love it. Then we all hit the pool. Luke just goes down those huge slides over and over and over. We are loving it.

And the big decision I've made this week - I will not try to hide myself while at the pool. I don't remember my mom ever wearing a swimsuit my entire life. I won't let jiggly thighs* get in the way of having a great time in the pool with my kids.

I hope you won't either!



*Just because I won't be hiding under a beach towel all summer doesn't mean I'm embracing my jiggly thighs. The battle continues against them and the cholesterol they carry with them.

I married my dear husband. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. He certainly didn't! But now, after seven moves, the deaths of three out of four of our parents, a layoff, startups of three new businesses - only one a success, med school, a miscarriage, two amazing children, and lots of less spectacular, but equally meaningful moments in our lives, I'm so thankful I married this man.

God knew us, took our weaknesses and put them together to make something only God could make. We fought Him, and because of our disobedience we got there the hard way. But here we are thirteen years later and I thank God every day for this man.

Happy Anniversary, Bud! I love you more than you'll ever know!

The other evening we had some big, puffy white clouds, all lit up by the falling sun. They were so white it was almost blinding. The kids ran to get me so I could see the beautiful show.

Peyton said,

"Mom, I think God is showing us a little bit of His glory."

Yes, I believe He was.

Remember when your tiny newborn, who couldn't lift his head or track movement with his eyes, could slither up against you, on his back, from five feet away while he was sleeping?

This is normal. Babies need to eat and keep warm, and God made it so that they know Mommy will take care of those basic needs.

I've always thought it was funny that even to this day, when my children near 6 and 8 years of age, this same phenomenon exists. On the rare (once a month or so) occasion that one of them finds him or herself in our bed at night, it does not matter that we have a kingsize bed and Bud is equally as warm as I. They slither right up next to me so that I'm hanging on to the edge of the mattress by sheer willpower. It's actually a good abs workout, but that's not the point. It's amazing that they still do that in their sleep.

But wait! It doesn't stop there. They also do it while awake. Today I declared a much needed day off for myself. Bud took the kids out to lunch and to Target to spend the allowance money that was burning a hole in their little hands. So after they returned, they found me on the sofa with a bag of chips, some salsa, a Diet Coke and an Oprah rerun on t.v. It's where she tells us how to avoid many of marriage's pitfalls, which I find compelling, in that SHE'S NEVER BEEN MARRIED! But I digress.

They pull out their new loot from Target and start playing across the room. Within 5 minutes of starting their game ACROSS THE ROOM from where I was sitting, this is what it looked like from my view on the sofa:



I was completely surrounded by my children and their Littlest Pet Shop village.

It must be the Mom Scent. I hope it never goes away.

Already May ?

It's amazing how it gets away from me! I'm spending a lot of time outside doing yard work. We're trying to landscape our backyard so we don't get cooked in the Western sun this summer. It's pretty much an uphill battle - plants don't like the west sun anymore than we do.



Currently Reading:

Back to Jerusalem. I've started this and so far I'm completely hooked. It's about the Chinese Church and their call to spread the Gospel through Western China and the rest of Western Asia - to Turkey, Iraq, Palestine, etc. Very inspiring. This quote has been settling into my gut for the last few days and I've wanted to share it with you.

Satan's first choice is to cooperate with us. Persecution is only his second-best method.

Ow, ow, ouch.



Also on the May booklist:

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Open Heart, Open Home: The Hospitable Way to Make Others Feel Welcome and Wanted by Karen Mains.
And, I'm doing a pretty fast read through the New Testament, taking particular note of how the early Christians operated, as we discuss the possibilities of a neighborhood church with our neighbors.


April's selections were enjoyable. I found Pocketful of Names to be excellent and frustrating in turns. It's a good book overall, and it sparked some captivating discussion among the neighborhood ladies.

I don't recommend God's Outrageous Claims. Much better books are available if you want to look at God's promises.

Season's of a Mother's Heart is of course fabulous. I really enjoy Sally Clarkson's books. They always make me examine myself and my ways as a mother without making me feel like a complete failure. And guess who's speaking at our homeschool bookfair this weekend? Yep, Sally Clarkson! I usually just go an browse the booths, but this time I'm going to listen to her and Andrew Pudewa (I'm still struggling with the cash outlay for Institute for Excellence in Writing).

So that's it for now. I'll link all the books in the sidebar under "Veggies" so check them out for further detail.

Ta!

I am from mayonnaise and white bread, from homegrown tomatoes and black cast iron fried chicken.

I am from the sprawling, welcome home embrace.

I am from the crookneck, cornstalk blackland, the sweet scent of peach trees and gardenia.

I am from "I Doubt It" and knee deep, surf fishing, from Alexander and Booth and Sullivan.

I am from hot tempers and cooling tears.

From Jesus Loves Me and Sunday best.

I am from that-leaves-more-for-me and watch yourself and hush little baby.

I'm from moon-tugged tides and sweet chess pie and sideways flounder.

From the tight-lipped heroes, the protectors of liberty and the patriots of tomorrow.

I am from straight-backed wives, smiling, tanned husbands, babies in white, girls with bobbed hair, pocketfuls of snakes, the broken-hearted gambler, the unmarried mother alone on the train, forgiveness and salvation, wrapped in the quilt of family.

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If you'd like to write your own "Where I'm From" click here for some prompts and also links to other Where I'm From poems. This was fun to write because of all the memories it jarred.

Susie at A Little Luxury designed my new blog for me. Doncha love it?

If you're at all interested in sprucing up your place, go check out her work. She' got several blogs on her site that she has done, and she is awesome to work with!

Thanks, Susie!