The Scottish Festival

My family and I went to the Scottish Festival in McPherson today. We went last year for the first time and really enjoyed it. We all have different things we enjoy--Joey LOVES the sword and knife booth (picture in a moment!), Sarah enjoys the Blackheart Fencing Club, Zach enjoys the different Scottish and Irish dances (especially the hardshoe jigs today), my husband likes the sheepdog demonstrations, and I REALLY enjoy the 'tossing of the caber' and the bagpipes. The Massed Pipe Bands are amazing, and when they all play Amazing Grace at once my heart feels incredibly full! Last year was the first time I heard bagpipes live, and I was enthralled. It was also the first time I saw men in kilts! I also love the way the drummers twirl their fleece-covered drumstick 'thingies'--seems like quite a talent! Watching the men in the Athletic competitions is fun, but there is just something wrong with 500 pound women in kilts flinging large metal balls around...

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Joey's purchase - where were his parents?? The cell phone is there so you can see the size of that knifey thing!

My purchase! Santa in full Scottish kit playing the bagpipes

Zach bought a jacket...looks quite dashing with his shorts! He is sitting in the trolley that takes everyone back and forth from the Festival to parking

The Blackheart Fencing Club

Outside the Scottish Festival - I liked the bridge!

My Dream

A friend asked me the other day what I dreamed of before I became a pastor's wife. Hm, good question. As a kid, I wanted to be a scientist, then a doctor, then a cowgirl. Apparently I lowered my sights over the years!

At first I couldn't remember having any dreams as I got older, then I remembered that I really wanted to be a mom; since I have 4 kids, I guess I achieved that one! Once I became a mom and a pastor's wife, I started dreaming about becoming an author. My mom, bless her heart, must have had an inkling, because she kept every email I sent her over the years and later sent them all back to me since they told about our lives here in the middle of nowhere.

Then I started writing articles about my kids for a column in our paper called Village Voices. The paper wanted to add my picture to it, but something my dad always said came to mind--Fools' names and fools' faces often appear in public places! So I decided I better not! I had quite a following of little old ladies in town who told me I brought back memories of when their kids were little. This was all a few years back, and some of those ladies still come up to me and tell me they miss that column! Many of the articles were about my youngest, Joey; since he couldn't read yet there was no danger of him finding out what I wrote about him unless one of his siblings told on me! He was a wild little fellow, all boy, and always out to get himself killed. We were in the park one day, and he was doing something dangerous (as usual), and I yelled, "JOEY!" A lady came up to me and said, "Is that THE Joey?" I had to laugh because I didn't even know her.

Anyway, back to the author dream. I decided to start on a book using those old emails and columns; I even had a couple of titles: Living Life in the Middle of Nowhere, or maybe Diary of an Insane Pastor's Wife. Wait, that sounds like the pastor is insane... Anyway, then I started thinking about what Dad said...and then I figured if I wrote a book it would probably end up on a shelf in the Dollar Tree...and then I put it away. Someday I'll take that file with half a book in it, blow the dust off it, finish it up, print a few copies...and give them to those sweet little white-haired ladies who cheered me on, should they still be alive. I even have the perfect cover picture for it:

Some day!

Boys and Girls

I've decided if nothing exciting is happening in the present I'll revisit the past, and now that I'm babysitting a little girl, I'm remembering how different my little boys and girls were from each other even as little bitty kids. I was looking through some things and found this conversation from when my oldest daughter and son were 5 and 3:

Daughter: Let's pretend we're in love.
Son: Yeah, and let's pretend we fight.
Daughter: And let's pretend we want to get married.
Son: Yeah, and let's pretend I have a sword and spear.
Daughter: And let's pretend you say you love me.
Son: Yeah, and let's pretend I knock your head off with my slingshot.
Daughter: And let's pretend I'm a beautiful princess.
Son: Yeah, and let's pretend my RC car came alive and ran over a boy and Sherriff Woody came along and arrested RC and took him to jail and RC got out and ran over Sherriff Woody and took his head off.
Daughter: And let's pretend that we couldn't get married because you're not a prince, and a princess can only marry a prince so we can't get married after all, and I have to go find a prince...

Don't tell me God didn't make boys and girls differently :)

Touching Base with God

I had a revelation this evening. It came to me as I sat staring at the phone, waiting for Oldest Daughter to call. I planned to call her earlier this evening, but then she told me, via IM, that The Boyfriend had called and she would call later. So I sat here and waited. And waited. And continued to wait. It is now bedtime and I am still waiting.

Which led to my revelation. So many times I get busy and forget to touch base with God. I plan to, I really do, but then something comes up, something draws my attention away, sometimes seems really important and has to be done just then. And God waits. And waits. And continues to wait. Because He's my Father and He loves me and wants to hear from me.

So, I guess I'm thankful for this waiting period because it has opened my eyes. I'm so thankful God doesn't give up on me. But I'm giving up on my daughter. For now. I'm going to bed!

Wait, she is calling... !!

My usual sleeplessness

I'm sitting here mad at my husband. Not because he did anything, but because he is asleep. He turns off the light...he starts snoring. How does he do that??? Meanwhile I toss and turn, toss and turn, toss and turn, get up and wander around, stare at facebook for awhile, finally realize no one has updated their statuses in the 20 minutes I've stared at the screen, go back to bed and start all over. Sigh.

Today marks the end of my first week of babysitting. She's such a sweet little thing. I asked my youngest son if he thought having her around was ok...and just then she exploded in her diaper so we got a good laugh out of that! I think my youngest daughter was happier this week playing with the baby than she has been in awhile. Maybe because she had something to do besides facebook. It's kind of lonely in this town for homeschool kids. Most of the other kids are involved in sports and really don't have time for those who aren't, which would be...my kids. There aren't any other homeschooled kids their age here either. Funny thing is, I was homeschooled and lonely and said I'd never homeschool my kids. And here I am. Homeschooling. With lonely kids. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. Will they look back on these years and resent me? I try to give them plenty of opportunities to see places and do things, but is it enough? I'll be honest, I just don't know.

Wow, rather melodramatic tonight! Must be the lack of sleep!

Little fingers and toes are in the house!

Here I am, blogging late at night again since I can't sleep. I should change my blog name to "The Midnight Blogger" or something.

We started babysitting this week. I've been excited about it ever since this beautiful little girl was born, but when she actually came this week, I was--no exaggeration--ecstatic. Little fingers and toes in the house again! A tiny sweet-smelling head! All the funny faces and sounds that only such a wee one can make. It was hard the first day to do anything but sit and watch her and hold her. I'm thinking being a grandma will be awesome! I'm also thinking that's a few years down the road so I'll settle for borrowing babies for now... I think my youngest daughter has fallen for those little fingers and toes too. She's going to be a great mom some day.

I still remember the day I dropped Oldest Daughter off my first day back at work. Leaving her was awful. I felt like she would change so much in just the short time I would be gone, and I would miss it. And so, when this new little one's mommy said a very tearful good-bye that first day back to work, I knew how hard it was and felt so bad for her...

My little one is all grown up now into a beautiful, confident college student. But...leaving her at college was awful. I felt like she would change so much in just the short time she would be gone, and I would miss it...hm, I guess some things never change! My kids don't understand these wacky maternal feelings of mine, but someday hopefully they'll have their own wee ones, and then, I'm just guessing, they'll finally get it!

Good night everyone!

Oh, the weather outside is...awesome!

This has been a great weekend so far! There are several pastors and their families in this area that are like-minded and we really enjoy being together. So yesterday the wives went out for lunch at this new little coffee shop here in town. I had the prime rib sandwich which was totally amazing (the sandwich, not the fact that I had one), and the company was great. We just sat and visited for 2 1/2 hours about kids, books, schools, our lives, Bible studies...there was no gossiping, no cutting anyone down...it was good to be with a godly group of women!

Then last night the family and I went to the first football game of the season. We have never really had much of a team, our school just doesn't have enough big guys compared to a lot of other schools...I suppose it's good that our guys are thin, but it doesn't do much for town morale! Anyway, this year the school switched to 8-man instead of 11-man, and we actually won the first game! Woohoo! Personally I'm not really into football, but I enjoyed it! Perfect weather, our guys actually scoring...it was a good evening.

And this evening was the annual Harlan/Portis picnic, put on by several churches in the area. The pastors and wives were out in force and I really enjoyed visiting with everyone again. Two days in a row, wow, some kind of record! I also enjoyed visiting with people from the different communities since I don't see some of them much. Again, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and I was sorry to see the evening come to an end. Funny what a difference friends make...I used to be so shy that I dreaded going to anything. I would just sit like a bump on a log and not really enjoy myself. I'm thankful times have changed! Or maybe the change has just been in me!

Have a great weekend everyone!