If I can stop one heart from breaking...

I can't believe I found this picture on the net. This is an exact picture and poem by Emily Dickinson that my Mother took out of a magazine and framed for me when I was a small child. She put it on the wall beside my bed. Every night I read this poem and pondered it's meaning. At the time I don't think my Mother had a clue the impact this poem would make on my life. Although it is not the exact one that I had as a child I still have this poem framed beside my bed. I wish I still had the original one.

Satisfy us in the morning...

It's early Sunday morning. Communion bread is in the oven. I am the only one that is up (except for Seadra & Zoe).

I love this time of day.

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all of our days." psalm 90:14 (NIV)

"Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we'll skip and dance all day long." psalm 90:14 (The Message)

Jordan's Poem

Jordan wrote this poem for a class assignment. I was quite impressed so I wanted to post it.

I am complex and confusing like a Rubik's cube. So difficult to understand, only a few people can figure me out.

I am judged like the cover of a book. People see me as a "teacher's pet" or "goody two shoes" without even caring to take the time to know me.

I am insecure like a servant to his master. Always unsure of myself. "Am I good enough?"

I am optimistic and hopeful like a farmer planting his crop, hoping that what I've done today will benefit my future.

I am forgiving like a mom. I don't like having enemies and I can't hold a grudge.

Wild Hogs

Caleb and I went to see this movie tonight. I recommend it. You will laugh from the beginning to the end.........

March....In Like a Lion

I woke up at 4:00 this morning. In my still half conscious state I heard water running. I looked at the clock and said to myself "Who is in the shower at 4:00 in the morning?". Upon waking up a little more I realized that it was pouring rain outside. I got up and looked out the window but the window was all iced up. Then I noticed the constant lightening in the sky. Normally I would have loved it. One of my favorite things to do is lay in bed and watch and listen to a rain storm. But I couldn't get out of my head that soon I would be out driving to work and I was afraid it would be an awful drive with the ice and all. Luckily the roads were not bad once I was on my way to work. But I did drive through some heavy rain and even hail. Strange for March 1st.

I worked until 12:30 and then I did something some people would never do. I went to see a movie all by myself. There once was a time I would have never dreamed of seeing a movie by myself either. I used to even feel embarrassed for others when I saw someone at a movie alone. This is only the 3rd time I have done this. Sometimes there is a movie that I know Craig and the kids would not enjoy seeing so I go alone. This time it was "Amazing Grace". Pastor Ron showed a clip of this movie during church a few weeks ago. It was not what I was expecting. I was mistaken. I thought it was about John Newton, the slave ship captain in the 1700's that wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace". Although, he was a character in the movie it was about William Wilberforce and his life commitment to end the slave trade in England. I guess it was a good movie but it was very hard for me to follow. They talked like the King James Version of the bible and I had to struggle to understand. It did have a wonderful and inspirational ending. I'm glad I didn't drag the kids and Craig to see it. It was not their type of movie.

Craig left this morning with 3 others guys in the snowmobile club. They are going to a groomer workshop in the U.P. and while they are there they are taking advantage of being in snowmobile heaven and doing a few days of snowmobiling too. They will be home Sunday night. The kids and I will do what we always do when Craig is gone.....eat out.

Five Pines

You might have noticed a new name on my blog, "Five Pines". When I started this blog "Blessings" was not very original. I asked Craig to help me think of a new name for my blog that didn't sound so boring. I couldn't think of anything. Craig reminded me that when we bought our house 5 years ago that I said I was going to call our new home "Five Pines". "Five Pines" because of the 5 huge pine trees in the front yard. I like it. Most of my entries are about our "home".....kids, hubby, myself, dogs, family....... "Five Pines" fits well. I like it.....

You also might have noticed that I changed the template (if anyone really does ever even look at my blog). I did this so that I would have a white background. This was done for a reason. After each entry I copy and paste my entry onto a word document and print it out. When I was printing my entry's with the old template I was wasting a lot of color ink. I keep all my entries in a book for Caleb and Jordan. I hope that someday they will appreciate having them to look back on when I'm dead and gone.

There's a bomb in the road!!!

I was just thinking today about funny things my kids have done and said when they were younger. As much as I love this stage in their lives I miss the younger years just the same. One of my all time favorite funny Caleb stories is when he was about 5 or 6 years old. We were driving along one day when we happened to come upon an accident that had just happened. Being the first on the scene I figured I should stop. It was some teenage girls that had pulled out in front of someone. No one was seriously hurt but the girls had some facial lacerations. I instructed Caleb to stay in the car while I went to help them. When the police arrived they put out flares and laid one next to my car. It was not in my view but Caleb could see it. Next thing I knew Caleb was hanging out the car screaming "There's a bomb in the road. There's a bomb in the road!!!!". I had no idea what he was talking about and instructed him to get back into the car and be quiet. He was terrified and when I wouldn't listen to him he tried to tell others standing around. Finally I figured out what he was all traumatized about. At the time Caleb didn't think this was funny at all. He truly believed that a bomb was about to go off.

Caleb was my little one that worried and was sensitive about things that other kids never paid attention to. As the young man that he is today this is a wonderful trait. I continue to be amazed and proud of the insight and thoughtfulness that Caleb possesses.

A Woman's Work Is Never Done...

It's Saturday!! Craig went to Cadillac this morning for an annual guys weekend that he always goes to each year. They spend the day at a shooting range doing whatever it is guys do at shooting ranges. Jordan is at Grams today and Caleb is getting ready to go do something with Bethany, movies or something. And I get to stay home and do housework. I've already put a roast in for dinner, got the laundry going, cleaned the kitchen, and made a to do list for today. Don't pity me, I love these days. I can do what I want at my leisure and it feels so good to get this stuff done. I can enjoy my Sunday's so much better when I am not overwhelmed with what has to be done before I go back to work on Monday.

New Bathroom

We re-did the upstairs bath. Craig tore out the tile around the tub and put a new surround in. We raised the medicine cabinet and got all new light fixtures. The pictures don't do the color justice but it's painted a rich brown. It goes great with the green decor I picked out. It's so pretty. Amazing what a few new touches can do. I love it!!!

Threatening Weather Is Looming

Threatening weather is on the horizon. They are calling for 45 degrees and rain by the middle of this week. This puts all our wonderful snow in jeopardy. Craig and I went out riding tonight trying to get a little more riding in before the warm temps and rain. We are hoping to stretch it out a little bit longer.

Catching Some Rays

Jordan and Lindsey decided to catch some rays yesterday and have a snowball fight all at the same time. The pictures speak for themselves. Oh, to be 15 again.....

For My Sweetie

I used to love these cartoons when I was a kid. I found them on the internet and picked out some of my favorites. Happy Valentines Day Craig. I love you.








I bet you didn't know that I really do hug your pillow when you are away......

Diagnosis

Well, the diagnosis has been made. Jordan has a syndrome called "The World Revolved Around Me". Luckily it's only a temporary teenage syndrome and she will outgrow it. Treatment is pretty simple......She has to be reminded that she has this and she has to abstain from any TV, friends, i-pod, cell phone, telephone, and computer. It's amazing what a couple of days without these things does to bring her out of the relapse. You gotta love her, we do!!!

A 12 Hour Day In The Groomer......

My favorite groomer operator!!

Heading down the trail with Glenn following in the other groomer.

Driftskippers Snowmobile Club

Team work...

Taking a break.

Craig and Glenn.....Don't you love the hat?

Repairing trail signs.

Looking ahead down the trail.

Sunday Blessings

There were very few of us at church this morning. Maybe only 40 in attendance. Everyone was complaining about the blizzard. At our house it is a blessing. After church we went to my parents for dinner then we came home and Craig asked me to come outside to take some "winter wonderland" photos. I also got some great pictures at my parents house of my Dad's birds.

Big Mistake.......

This is what I looked like after I got home from driving to Dowagiac to pick up the snowmobile part for Craig this morning. I am totally traumatized!! It took me 3 hours to drive there and back to my parents. My parents live 5 miles from my house and I barely made it there. I had to stop at their house and compose myself before heading the rest of the way home. There were times that I was totally blinded and once nearly ran head on into a truck. I am now safe at home......

OOPS!!

Craig and I went riding last night. It was only 10 degrees but thanks to hand and feet warmers I stayed nice and toasty. I had my first crash last night too. Well, it wasn't really a crash. I was barely starting to move. I went down a steep hill and got off the trail and flipped the sled into some trees. I was fine but the windshield shattered. Craig and Caleb are on a club ride this morning and I am off to the parts store to purchase a new windshield.

Winter Welcome

Signs By Our Back Door

It's amazing what a little snow (ok, a lot of snow!!!) will do to put smiles on faces around this house. It's been feast or famine this winter and we are happy to be enjoying the feast right now. There is several feet of snow on the ground now with a storm warning for even more.

Seadra & Zo-Zo With Their New Winter Coats