Your Hair Looks Great That Way!

The kids are off to a great start at their new schools - Marti at Lewis Middle School, Megan and Mallory at Highland High School, and Matt at Timber Creek High School in his Job Transition 2 Program. He astounds and amazes us at his progress. This year he is working two days a week at CVS Pharmacy with a job coach - can't wait to see how that goes. LOVE his school program!

Yesterday Megan went to visit her friend Cianna for the day and came back with her "chemo curly" hair straightened - very cute!! (It looks gorgeous curly too Meg!) All of us were gathered around in the family room playing with the puppy and getting ready for family prayer. He saw the new "do", looked right at her with a huge smile on his face and said, "Wow Megan! Your hair looks GREAT that way!" We all looked at each other and laughed!! He noticed - and he said something! Yeah baby! If you know Matt, you understand why this was memorable for us :)

On Belay? Climb Away...

This was a wonderful summer and it passed much too quickly. It was at least a million times better than the summer of 2009. I think that as a family we've come a long way in that time. We've learned so much out of necessity and have become stronger as we have learned to trust that we are watched out for in miraculous ways.

At Camp Sunshine there is a rock climbing wall. In the summer of 2009, I made it about half way up the wall, looked down, and said, "I'm done. Get me down from here!"

A year passes, and I find myself standing at the bottom of the rock climbing wall once again.

A sign is posted on the fence - BELAY ON. ON BELAY. READY TO CLIMB. CLIMB AWAY. I'm hooked up to my harness and the person at the bottom of the wall has my rope - they are "on belay". I'm secure.

My goal is to climb only a little bit higher than last year. I had been visualizing this in my mind for weeks. I scramble up to the half way point, look down and am not afraid. I look back at the wall in front of me and say, "Heavenly Father, I did a Half Marathon this year. I can do this. Please help me."

It takes me no time at all to climb the rest of the wall. Charlie snaps a photo as proof as my hand reaches up to touch the top.

My lesson this year? The Lord has the rope - He is "on belay". He is with us, and He will never let go. It's up to us to trust. Ready to climb? Climb away...