:. opec schmopec .:

Oh happy day! Gas just dropped below $2 a gallon! Where a mere few months ago it was hovering around twice that much, it has been declining steadily . . . and may I say, rapidly . . . for the past few weeks.
It's enough to make this girl forgo my self-imposed oil embargo, and head for the hinterlands (i.e. the suburbs) for a little shopping.

So, take that, OPEC.

However, I do vow to remain a much greener driver from here on out.

:. withdrawal .:

Gavin and Liam left yesterday. For two months they called this place home . . . but now they've decided to take their show on the road.

I will miss seeing their bright, shining faces at dawn . . . reading Little Quack's New Friend over and over ad nauseam . . . having my dining room look like a Chinese restaurant after a food-fight . . . listening to Gav recite the Pledge of Allegiance . . . watching Liam use his muscles . . . tripping over toys . . . the scent of not-so-fresh diapers . . . dancing to David Crowder . . . many, many moochies . . . singing silly songs . . . hanging out in the garden . . . cuddling sweet-smelling, freshly-bathed, pajamed boys . . . snorgling them any time I felt like it.

Those two little guys mean the world to me.

I will miss them dearly, but I guess I'll get used to it.*

Hats off to you, Forest Ave house, for taking two whole

months to complete!

I'll be over often to get my fix!!

*Josh and Em, I'll miss you, too!

:. saturday .:

I just spent a lovely morning with my youngest. Her husband was busy practicing servanthood (i.e. helping someone move), so Kate and I thought it would be a good morning to get her spring bulbs planted. Only it was far too wet for that. So we decided to just hang out, drink coffee, and have girl time.

Wow, do I love girl time.
I have two absolutely wonderful daughters, both of whom married absolutely wonderful men.
I love seeing my girls all grown up: being wives, moms, confidants, helpmates, etc etc. I'm so proud of them. Pretty much everything a mother could hope for, and then some!

So, yeah, here's to my lovelies.
Emily and Katie, you're both amazing . . . and I'm proud to be your mom!

:. eyes to see .:

Ever notice how hard it is to really know yourself? To know your true motives? To understand the deepest places in your heart?

It's like standing too close to a large oil painting.

At best, you see some bursts of color, perhaps some vague shape or outline. No way do you see the whole composition.

You can't even tell if the picture is crooked.

Most of the time, we are 'standing too close'.

We are way too fond of ourselves . . . too familiar with ourselves . . . too forgiving of our 'idiosyncrasies'. We need to step back every so often.

Just to make sure we don't need some straightening.

:. holy ground .:

Picture it: a shepherd tending his sheep in the wilderness. Nearby, the shrubbery suddenly bursts into flame . . . yet doesn't go up in smoke and ashes.
Moses and the burning bush is an amazing story.
The part that gets me, though, is the fact that God didn't speak until Moses went to have a closer look.
God came down to deliver some pretty important news, but He remained silent until He had Moses' full attention.

It makes me want to remove my shoes and listen.