Playing Catch-Up

As usual, I have been so mired in the actual hullabaloo that I have not had a chance to say a thing on THE Hollinhead Hullabaloo...heehee. Is it okay if I take just a minute to catch up on what has been happening around here the last month or so?

~ Irene's violin lessons are going swimmingly...she struggled a bit at first and still sometimes, with getting things "right" with it and even wanting to try, but she is coming along. She is working on the introduction to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. (side note: we love her teacher so much...besides being a very accomplished musician for her young age, she is a great role model for Irene!) We were able to go to a strings concert at Spivey Hall recently for a field trip and we are all amazed at what musical gifts God has given some people, and what can be accomplished with hard work.

~Rachel is continuing to work hard at Southern Crescent at her classes and debating on whether or not to take some summer classes. What she would really like to do is find a camp counselor position for the summer, so if anyone knows of some leads for that, we would love to know!

~ Matt is doing great, working hard on his Life Scout rank and almost there. I am so thankful that the Lord led him to a niche that is such a great fit for him and where he feels acceptance and is also stretched and challenged a bit. Academics are a whole 'nuther story ...

~ Abbie is doing well, just being Abbie! Sometimes I just look at her and have this overwhelming feeling of how much I like her. Obviously, I like and love all of my kids, it is not something more than how I feel about the others, I think it is just because she is coming out of being a little girl and seems to be acting more like a big girl in some ways. Mostly just expressions and things she says. As always it is bittersweet but I am appreciating what a gift and blessing I have now and will have in years to come in the companionship with my children.

~ Things to bore the reader, but are exciting to me...after 15 years of abuse by 5 kids and 2 rather messy adults, we are having new carpeting put in. TODAY! It has been a much bigger job than I imagined. It feels like we have basically moved. A full 2/3 of our house is sitting out in a portable trailer in the front yard (you've gotta love that portable trailer look, right?) And tomorrow come the new appliances. I am not complaining, in the least, but after 5 years with no dishwasher, and 6 years of bending down to light the pilot light on my oven every time I need to cook, I am SO READY!!!! I am so very very thankful. God provided this through a bonus from work for Mike. Although it took just about the whole thing, and I am fighting feeling guilty about that, I do feel like it was a good investment. Especially if we do decide to try to rent the house out, which is looking less and less likely. This will sure make it more fun to stay here!

~ My Aunt Jeannette passed away, and I took a very fast trip with my sister Karen and the two girls up to Michigan to go to the funeral. It was very sad of course, but good to spend the time with Karen and good to see my mom and two of my other siblings, Joe & Kathy.

~ That about wraps up all of the factual info about what has been going on, but I want to end by sharing the thing that I have not been able to shake free from my mind....the other day we were driving along in the car and we were listening to Amazing Grace, the one redone by Chris Tomlin that changes some of the lyrics and adds the "My chains are gone, I've been set free" part. The kids all know that song pretty well because we used to sing it at South Point quite a bit. Well, the part that warms a mama's heart is that I glanced up in the rearview mirror to check my move into the next lane on I-75 and glimpsed Irene...eyes closed, faced tipped up toward Heaven, arms spread wide and lips singing the words silently. We don't really ever truly know all of what is in our kids' hearts, and sometimes it seems like we mostly get to see an oversized portion of the selfish side. It is good, so good to see that she loves her God, and it shone all over her face. She wasn't expecting me to see, she didn't even know I did. I believe it was a gift from God to me that day. It was enough to encourage me to press on, press on...