Word-Filled Wednesday: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

Here We Go Again...

Today I start a new practicum placement.  Now if you're thinking that I just posted this sentiment less than a month ago... you would be completely correct.

Here we go again -- a new three week practicum placement begins today.

I am grateful... but I am also exhausted.  I'm exhausted, and I haven't had my first day yet.

On a hopeful note -- in addition to five days of work this week, I am hoping that my last week in Michigan with my wonderful Hubs include the following:

•  Dinner at Fricano's pizza
• One or more movie nights
• The Bachlorette finale!!!
• Snuggles, Giggles, Hugs, and Kisses
•  Taking Lloyd to the beach
• Tennis, Tennis, TENNIS!!!
• Card games with my parents

Happy Monday, and hopefully tomorrow you'll be reading about how amazing my new placement is.

Why Do I Run?

I have been wanting and waiting to write this post for MONTHS!

Last fall I was working like crazy on a sewing project for my parents.  It was a poem called "Why Do I Run?"

My parents used to have a framed beautiful hand-stitched piece of this poem done by my dad's twin sister, Aunt Helen Lee.  She was AMAZING at sewing!  Cross-stitching was her favorite, and since my parents are both runners, she stitched this poem along with a few little runners in the margins of the work.

It hung for years in my parents Vail condo until one year, during a big renovation, the beautiful framed sewing piece disappeared.  It was never found.  Aunt Helen Lee died about twelve years ago, and ever since the internet really took off, I often thought, if I could find a copy of this poem, it was a gift I'd like to sew myself and re-create for my parents.  I searched for this poem online for YEARS.  The only line I could remember was "Why Do I Run?  Maybe I'm Crazy."

FINALLY, this past fall, I FOUND the poem on someone's blog, and thus began my fall of sewing, and trying to create my own pattern for sewing a poem.  Both Lexie and Lloyd took it upon themselves to help me throughout the process.

I finally got the stitching done in time for Christmas, but I didn't have time to have it framed.  So I gave Mom and Daddy the stitchery, and told them a frame was coming.  They loved it and immediately recognized the poem as the same one that Aunt Helen Lee had given them 30-plus years ago.

This August is the first time I've seen the finished project -- the framed "Why Do I Run?" poem hanging on the wall right by the door that they use to go out running three times a week.  They have assured me that this wall hanging is NOT going out to Colorado where it might disappear like its predecessor.

For anyone who, like I, spend YEARS searching the web for a part of this poem, please enjoy the "Why Do I Run?" poem in its entirety (author unknown):

Why Do I Run?
'Tain't No Mystery --
Wanna Have a Good
Medical History,
Doctor Told Me
Runnin' Is Great --
Helps Them Blood Cells
Circulate,
Great For The Lungs,
Great For The Ticker,
Can't Nothin' Getcha
In Better Shape Quicker,
Feels So Healthy,
Feels So Sweet,
Pumpin' My Arms
And Flappin' My Feet,
Moldin' My Muscles,
Firmin' My Form,
Pantin' Like A Pack Mule,
Sweatin' Up A Storm,
Keeps Me Youthful,
Keeps Me Loose,
Tightens My Tummy,
And Shrinks My Caboose,
Beats Bein' Sluggish,
Beats Bein' Lazy,
Why Do I Run?
Maybe I'm Crazy!

We Love Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan is beautiful!  There are very few places where I would up and move tomorrow, but north-western Michigan is one those places.

Hubby and I saw a great dinner show, listened to a timeshare presentation, ate some cherries, saw some old friends, and just had a great few days together.

Here are some pictures of the fun:

Wednesday night, Hubby and I saw an AMAZING dinner theater show up at Boyne Highlands.  The Young Americans Dinner Theater.  The show was fabulous -- we laughed, we cried (well, I did), we sang along... we had so much fun.

Remember last September when we hosted three Young American performers at our home in Rifle?

... We were able to re-connect with two of the three guys at the Boyne performance.  It was so great to see them again!

We had some wonderful time spent along the coast of Lake Michigan, and the Grand Traverse Bay.  It was a little windy.

Hubby thought it would be a great place to try out the new panoramic setting on his iPhone...

... which led to some playful panoramic fun

On Friday, before we headed back south to my parents, we reconnected with some good friends of mine since childhood.  One of my best friends growing up was like family, and so her grandma became like my grandma.  We stopped by her summer cottage for our biannual visit (we always try to see her in the summer and at Christmas), and her daughter was there as well.  I really grew up as just part of this family, and so I knew the daughter, and grew up with her kids, as well as many of the other cousins.  It was so nice to see them again.

 All-in-all, it was a great get-away, and a place we would love to return in future summers.  Now, at home in Muskegon for a few treasured days before I start a new O&M placement in Kalamazoo.

A Little Getaway

Hubby and I are so blessed that although we have only seen my parents about 24 hours this summer, they have whole-heartedly supported us in the decision to take a little getaway for just the two of us while we are here in Michigan.

My parents are keeping both Lexie and Lloyd while Hubby and I escape to northern Michigan for two nights.

While I am less than excited to go on another car ride, I think the trade off is going to be worth it.  Chris has never seen the northern part of Michigan, and we will soak up this rare summer time together.

I am not sure if I will blog while we are away.  If I do, it simply means that I had the time and wanted to document things that happened immediately.  If I don't, it simply means that I didn't have the time and other things took priority over my time.

Hubby and I do have some specific things we are going to be praying about and discussing  during this time away, and so please support us in prayer as we go before God with some specific things on our minds.

Northern Michigan, here we come!

The Best Parts of Home

So far, I've been in Michigan about 12 hours and the best parts of being home are as follows:

• Knowing Hubby and I will be OFF THE ROAD for at least a day (2,000 miles in 3 days)
• My KITTY CAT greeting me at home!!!  I haven't seen or held my Lexie-Girl in 11 weeks and she's been spoiled rotten at my parents' house, but it was SO nice to have her greet me at the door and purr in my arms as soon as I arrived.  I have missed her SO much.
• Knowing Hubby and I can SLEEP IN today!
• Knowing that Hubby, Lexie, Lloyd and I are ALL in the same house for the first time since early May!!!!  Our family has been incomplete with missing pieces all over the country, and I am going to savor these fleeting days when we are all together again.
• Enjoying the COOL temperatures in West Michigan right now.  After my month of baking alive in Tucson, I don't know that I'll ever complain about cool summer temperatures again!
• Seeing my parents, and knowing they are going to take care of us while we're here.  We're at Camp Sanden, and the counselors make sure we're fed, cared for, and entertained.  :-D

There really is no place like home.

Through St. Louis

Last night we arrived in St. Louis for a few -- a very few hours with family.

We were greeted by our very excited, sweet puppy, and now today, we're on the road to Michigan -- to see my parents, and our wonderful kitty cat.

We are SOOO ready to be at our final destination!

Here are a few pictures of us with 4-week old Zivah, our niece. 

I hope she won't always cry when I hold her...

Next stop:  Home Sweet Home, Pure Michigan!