BIG Week Here

"When it rains, it pours" is a phrase that usually has negative connotations. But I am here to put a positive spin on it.

This week the blessings of God have poured out. It's been a big-deal week for us.

On Monday we bought the Saab convertible. I love it. I am such car nut, it's pathetic. (Pictures soon!) In many ways I wonder if I'm not more man than woman when it comes to loving car design, engineering, speed, style, all that. This baby does zero to sixty in 7 seconds. With a minivan, I was used to doing 0-60 in an afternoon. Okay, so we bought it for Sarah and Stephen, but I keep reminding them "it's in my name, it's in my name." I drove it home from Paradise, PA, and tried not to scare horses pulling buggies. This car handles turns like nothing I've ever driven. The only thing I don't have a full peace about is visibility out the back. But it's okay, the mirrors are fine, and I haven't hit anything yet. I had the pleasure of driving it in the rain last night to Panera, and just loved hearing the pitter-patter of raindrops on the top. It's like driving under an umbrella; kind of relaxing, actually. Anyway, I hope I am not coming across as a show-off. I get just as excited over finding pretty dishes at Goodwill. This thing was paid for with 2/3 of an income tax refund, so you know it wasn't a mammonth cash expenditure for the sake of fun. I repeatedly asked Paul for his opinion (not trusting my instincts at the moment) and he was fine with it. CarFax report shows it was owned its full life by a leasing company, who take impeccable care of their fleet. The dealer was not pushy, was very reasonable with our offer, and all in all it was a well-informed decision, I believe. Anybody want a joy ride?

Tuesday 10 a.m. Paul started his new job. Since his boss was recovering from jetlag, she told him to come in at ten when she'd arrive. How's that for an easy request? Then she was telling him how they have been doing things, and Paul, being so used to the yes-man syndrome, kept nodding along. She finally said something like, "Around here we want your input. If you think there's a better way, please speak up." He is going to have to shift gears (okay,sorry for the car analogy, can't help myself) but I am sure he's eager to have his opinions matter--and possibly used! He is supposed to give a presentation to the big wigs in Connecticut on Friday, so he's got his work cut out for him.


Tuesday afternoon, Ben passed his physical and will be working at Pier 1. He said the money really makes a difference (better than the Depot) , and he likes what he saw at least in the HR departements (clean, neat, friendly, professional). Being the muscle man he is (and likes to joke) he said they asked him to lift a 50-pound box to his chest and he said, "With one hand or two?" (He told us this later and 6-year old Joel said, "I'd use two, Ben. That's pretty heavy.") I like Pier 1's style, so maybe he can inquire of the employee discount ASAP for his mama??

Tuesday night Sarah wrote her Philosophy of Education paper. Why is this "big" to me? Because as a mom, it is so gratifying to see how the Lord has crafted my children with certain gifts and adds enthusiasm and joy in using them. To me, discovering a child's "bent" is one of the most exhilarating parts of parenting. Having four kids, I can see 4 different "bents" and I just love it. I can definitely look back on 15 years of homeschooling and say it was so worth it; if nothing else, I had the privilege to walk closely with them while observing their gifts, and was (am) able to tailor schedules and opportunities to fit them. I wasn't locked into observing them just from 4 pm to bedtime. Sure there were times I longed for a big yellow school bus to take them away, after breakfast, but those days were few and far between. (Rougly 28 days apart, if you know what I mean.)

Wednesday (today) I heard from one of my penpals.  She got my package the "All About Feet" theme and says the girls will put it to much use. "Imagine wearing combat boots 12 hours a day," she wrote in her email. "We've been having sand storms and have only 5 feet visibility." The sand is really hard on their feet, skin, and hair. I had prayed to hear back from any of the troops I sent boxes to, by March 5th, and lookie what happened. It does my heart so much good! She says they are so grateful to know people back home really care.

This afternoon I have the intention of taking Joel to the library for his card. In our home, a special tradition for turning 6 is that you get your own library card.

Sometime this week, Stephen wants a different kind of card. You know, the kind that the DMV issues. Yes, that kind.

Big week, big deals, big blessings from a Big God!