100 Things to do before I go...

Okay...so 100 is a bit much, but my mom raised me to finish what I start, so here goes:

76. Finish other things I've started. =)
77. Celebrate my 70th wedding anniversary.
78. Spoil my grandkids.
79. Adopt or help someone adopt.
80. Explaining the Lenten and Easter season to Hannah.
81. Strengthen my patience.
82. Relish conversations with girlfriends.
83. Know the names of everyone living on my street.
84. Go mountain climbing.
85. Visit with my sisters while our kids play.
86. Buy a cabin in the mountains....big enough to share.
87. Learn how to bake chewy, chocolate chip cookies.
88. Bring baby Gaff #2 home (no, not an annoucement!).
89. Plant a garden with Hannah.
90. Go back to Mexico with Isaac.
91. Take at least one ESL class this fall.
92. Make homemade pasta.
93. Laugh, the side-hurting kind, almost everyday.
94. Make Hannah and Isaac laugh like this on a regular basis.
95. Read the comics with Hannah every morning.
96. Use our car less and the trail more.
97. Kiss the Blarney Stone.
98. Take advantage of the free concerts & events in town.
99. Find more ways to ease Isaac's load...and do it joyfully.
100. Start each morning thankfully and prayerfully.

What we've been up to...

While I'm trying to come up with my last 25 "100 things..." (much harder than I thought it would be), here are some photos of the last week or so.
Palm Sunday, we were in Indiana visiting the Gaff family. Here's Uncle Nick dressing up as Tinkerbell.

After the whole Tinkerbell episode, she warmed right up to him. Who wouldn't? =)

Decorating Easter eggs...



A big Easter egg hunt on a cold, cold morning....


It was fun after all!!

Empty eggs?!

Easter Sunday...
Daddy and his girl

Hannah and Grandma and their puzzles

Another hunt at Vickie's house with H's new friend/superhero, Ben

I took this about 2 weeks ago.
I knew it was going to be a good day when the paper accidentally printed THREE of these:

theodicy

I keep hearing about the release of a new book, God's Problem, by Bart D. Ehrman. He's been interviewed on NPR, and since it's the Easter season, many people have been discussing it. From my limited understanding, the author questions an existence of God because of the presence of suffering in the world.

I read Ben Witherington's blog and I like what he says concerning this issue:

"In one sense of course, Bart Ehrman's views are understandable. If you are raised to believe that a good sovereign God before the beginning of time pre-determined all things that have happen in this world, then indeed you have a severe problem of logic when it comes to both sin and suffering, both misery and mayhem. But in fact the God of fatalism with all things predetermined is not the God of the Bible. That is the God of Islam, but not Christianity at its best.

The Bible teaches that most of human suffering is of our own making, not predestined by God. There is this little doctrine called the Fall, and also the matter of humans being created with wills of their own. Both the Fall and at least the power of contrary choice in fallen persons more than adequately explains most of the wickedness we see in the world--- it is, as Tennyson used to say 'a case of man's inhumanity to man'."

This is such a crucial topic...one that Christians need to carefully think about, study, and discuss. I think I might add this book to my list of must-reads. Anyone want to start a book group?

100 Things to do before I go...

Okay the handful of you who are kind enough to read this.....I need some ideas!!!
If 100 is too much, go for 10.
Pretty please?!

51. Reduce our need for "storage"...simplify.
52. Go whitewater rafting again.
53. Help pay for a student's college tuition...and Hannah's, of course.
54. Go to Haiti with my parents.
55. Take a similar trip with Isaac and Hannah.
56. Go for coffee with Isaac on a regular basis.
57. File our taxes without professional help.
58. Learn how to change a tire (yeah, I don't know how...).
59. Learn how to play Bridge....fits with my love for crosswords.
60. Explore Washington D.C.
61. Travel to the old & new 7 wonders of the world.
62. Take one of Dr. Castelein's & Dr. Lowery's courses.
63. Spot a moose at Yellowstone.
64. Go to a Broadway show.
65. Visit every continent (or all but Antarctica).
66. Be a more informed voter.
67. Laugh and talk with friends on our patio late into the night.
68. Study more about planets, stars and galaxies.
69. Gaze at the stars on summer nights.
70. Enjoy and honor my family's accomplishments more than my own.
71. Audition for a community theatre or choir.
72. Regularly seek God's approval over the approval of others.
73. Be teachable.
74. Speak out of kindness and love.
75. Eat ice cream.....guilt free.

100 things to do before I go...

This is more difficult than I thought. Please post yours.....I need more ideas!!

26. Invent and patent something
27. Teach Hannah how to ride a bike.
28. Hike the Grand Canyon.
29. Expand my cooking repertoire.
30. Go on a 2 week vacation without computers.
31. Read everything written by C.S. Lewis.
32. Complete a Wil Shortz crossword without help.
33. Host a block party.
34. Write a children's book.
35. Take Hannah to Chicago via Amtrak.
36. Speak basic Spanish.
37. Work for Habitat for Humanity.
38. Establish a way to volunteer monthly as a family.
39. Get this dang basement finished.
40. Improve my piano skills.
41. Take violin lessons.
42. Take art classes.
43. Establish Fondue Fridays.
44. And Waffle Wednesdays.
45. Write thank you notes to my teachers.
46. Start a neighborhood book group.
47. Put some of my dad's lyrics to music.
48. Be less selfish about my time.
49. Listen to others better.
50. Overcome my fear of needles and give blood.

Evidence that she is a reflection of what she sees....

"I'm not very happy of you." (followed by an exasperated sigh)

"I will in a minute"

"Ah, he's being sweet."

"You need to go to your room and get dressed."

"You know what the Bible says? It's my turn first." (She got this one mixed up....just to clarify.)

"Mommy, I like you just the way you are."

"What you said?...What she said?"

100 things to do before I go

One particular blog I subscribe to, made a list of things she'd like to experience/accomplish in this lifetime. I enjoyed her list, but felt a bit leery to make my own for various reasons. One is that sometimes these lists can shift my focus onto things that won't last...until she convinced me it was worthwhile by challenging us to ponder these questions:

-What would surprise me if I found out I hadn’t done it by the time I died?
-What are the little things I expect to just unroll in front of me?
-What are the big, amazing things that absolutely wouldn’t happen without some heads-down, teeth-clenched work?
-What things have I been concentrating on that don’t really matter?

So I'm going to give it a try and post 25 at a time. If you feel so inclined, I'd love to hear your ideas and read your list!

1. Learn how to swim.
2. Write a song.
3. Run the New York City Marathon.
4. Ability to and continue to run.
5. Read everything by Henri Nouwen.
6. Start a business....maybe cake decorating??
7. Pray more and more.
8. Be comfortable in my own skin...body, personality, etc.
9. Hike Pikes Peak and Longs Peak.
10. Listen to Hannah read her first book and write her first sentence.
11. Buy Isaac a bass guitar and a piano.
12. Attend Isaac's graduation next June.
13. Finish my masters degree.
14. Always have time to make a meal, visit, serve, and encourage others.
15. Be willing to let others do the same for me.
16. Pay off our debt, mortgage and all, early.
17. Enjoy long conversations with Hannah, as an adult.
18. Enjoy long conversations with Hannah, right now. =)
19. Go camping, the rugged kind, and enjoy it.
20. Backpack Europe.
21. Explore Hawaii.
22. Take Tae Kwon Do lessons.
23. Recycle more and find ways to waste less.
24. Grow an herb garden.
25. Establish meaningful family traditions following the church calendar.

a day of firsts

This morning's events have made me realize I do way too much for Hannah. I think she's been capable of doing these for awhile, but in my hurry to move things along, I take charge. So today marks the beginning of some new responsibilities, er, opportunities...yeah, that's how I'll set it up.....for Hannah.

She made her bed and dressed herself from head to toe.


She completed this puzzle.