finally.....!

 Lesson for the day:  do NOT procrastinate buying airline tickets.  They just get more expensive.  Jonathan and I are going to Oregon in June, and we may not be there for the birth, but we'll at least be there to spend some time with new baby...it's not easy to figure out exactly what dates to go, but when you put off buying the tickets until you iron out details, whoa, there are more factors than ideal dates, because those prices fluctuate so much.  We are going from a Tuesday to a Tuesday, getting there 3 days after her official due date, staying one week.  ?  We'll see, I guess!

I am super excited to go though.  It's a total rip-off to raise children, then they turn into grown ups and move across the country.  It just isn't fair.  I am thankful for FaceTime, and family chat, and instagram, but it's not the same.  If I were rich, I'd spend most of my money on plane tickets.  Or maybe I could be a climate activist and get my own jet!

Kids grow up, turn into teenagers, teenagers who know more than you ever did, act all moody and sensitive, then if you react in any way, they say to each other, "Wow, what's wrong with MOM today?"...

It's freezing here this morning, well 33.  That's chilly.  The sun is out though, it's going to be a nice day.  I'm thinking to drive Miss Sonja K. to college today, and spend the afternoon in the small city again.  It's nice to be out and about, and we are running out of milk and bread, bananas, snacks for lunches.  The two youngest are going five days a week now, and doing fine, but every single day, they need to pack a lunch.  And every single night, there's dinner to make.  I am running out of ideas, aren't we a spoiled society?  I tell the kids how lucky we are that we have options, and we need to be so thankful for that.  

There is so much to be thankful for.  Yesterday in our church meeting, we heard about having a true Godly fear, as opposed to caring what people think.  Every thought we think, every thing we do, should be done to please God.  If you're caught up in the snare of doing things to please people, you won't have peace.  It's really something to think about, and it's liberating.  It's easy to say, "I don't care what anyone thinks."  But if you're honest, after making that statement, you'll find that all day long, you do care.  

Our thoughts are the rudder that steer our body through life, and we have full freedom to think whatever we like.  But if we let bitter, judgmental thoughts have a home in our hearts, we will reap from that.  

I have so many things I could be doing, but oh my, this is a comfy chair this fine morning!  

The second cup is never quite as good as the first one, but this kitty mug is my current favorite.

Since we're going random here for a change ha, here's the charcuterie board Emily made for our gathering at her house on Friday night:

And here is Miss Lydia and her little sister Ophelia...

I think I'll just stay home today and putter around...there is plenty to do, I just need to get started...(this post took me all the live-long morning, because I spotted two bugs on the ceiling, got out the vacuum cleaner, then proceeded to vacuum the entire living room and kitchen, then I put some plants out for sun on the deck, then this and that...while this post sat there unfinished...now Miss Sonja is visiting with me before she leaves for college, so bye for now!)