Well, a month has gone by since my last post. When will someone be able to solve the conundrum of how time can simultaneously fly past and yet seem so long? I am sure the speed of time is directly proportional to how many events have taken place in a given amount of time!
We had a difficult event happen in our school family at the end of January. A parent of one of my little kindergarteners was killed in a car accident. She left three young children behind. A tragedy like this is always difficult to go through, but it is even more difficult when little ones are involved. It was a comfort to know that this young mother knew the Lord as her Saviour, and so we know she is in a better place. The little ones in my class have faithfully mentioned their classmate for prayer every day since the accident. Oh, that we could have the faith of these little ones! They believe with their whole hearts the simple fact that Jesus is their friend and cares about every little detail of their lives. From big things like a friend's mother dying to little things like how their sibling treats a family pet, they rest in the knowledge that once Jesus knows, they don't have to worry anymore. Which, of course, they don't. At what point do we as adults lose this concept? Do we think that because we have "grown-up" problems, the fact of God's sovreignty is somehow diminished? Learn from the faith of children...our Saviour used it as an example for a reason.
The rush of the holidays has settled, and routine is returning to our lives. This is always a relief to me, as I am a creature of habit. However, much as we encourage trying new things in our kids, I have been attempting to begin one or two new things in my own life. I can't very well tell my kids that it is important to try new things if I am not trying new things myself, can I? So, with that in mind, I have returned to my 5K running program. I had begun this at the beginning of the school year, but a foot injury put me on hold. I have discovered that I enjoy the challenge of pushing myself to do something that I never thought I could. I hope to do a 5K event sometime in the near future as well. I have never considered myself to be a super-athletic person, but I enjoy being (mostly) in shape, and the energy boost is great. And running doesn't take fancy equipment or a gym membership...just a good pair of shoes and a place to do it. Emphasis on the good pair of shoes...lesson learned!
Another new project, less physical, but no less difficult (for me at least!) I have been working on is learning to knit and crochet. Hubby gave a me a "learn-to-knit" kit for Christmas. Knitting is hard, y'all! But I managed to keep at it without throwing it across the room, and was able to learn the basic stitches and make a little knitted skirt for one of Little Sister's dolls. I have now started to learn some crocheting, which is nominally easier, but still a bit of a challenge for me. One thing I have learned from this experience is that these skills are only relaxing for people who have mastered them! I am still at the novice stage, so I am a bit more "intense" with mine!
Little Miss turned three a couple of weeks back. What can I say about this little ray of sunshine in our lives? As a parent you know that each of your kids is different, but the difference between our boys and our girl is so huge. She can be sweet as sugar one minute, and the next she has a brother in a headlock! She is really enjoying being three, and she tells everyone that she is "bigger enough" now. (She hears "You're not big enough" quite often around here!) She loves pink, princesses, purses, jewelry, and her babies. She likes being mommy's helper, and she is Daddy's girl. And she is definitely the boss of her brothers, of course! Happy birthday, Little Miss! We love your sweet smile and spunky attitude!
