thoughts from the deep recesses

Here's the video Savannah made yesterday as part of her 'Summer Bingo.' I finally got it to upload!!! How could you NOT love this? It does this mama's heart good... spelling error and all.

So after trying ALL last night and today to get a WONDERFUL video that Savannah made uploaded and onto the blog, I've given up and will now post two pictures instead of one video and one picture. But I'm frustrated. Because her video was SO sweet. Alas - technology hates me. And so it goes. So here you go. Pictures. A project I made for my Memory Box blog ... I've been working hard to get entries written and scheduled to post while we're on vacation next week... My newly painted house. It's almost finished. I'm SO happy with the colors and feel like I'm pulling up to a new house every time I pull into the driveway...

Okay, so it's two photos. Shoot me. I totally copied Stacy Julian  today and gave my kids summer bingo cards... the general idea is that they can mark off spots on the the cards as they do the activities listed - when they get a bingo, they get a ticket and tickets can be redeemed for fun stuff like popsicles, sleep overs and even money. Anyway - it was a wonderful day for the kids. They were building things, reading in secret spots, making and editing videos, baking, doing Wii fit, making blanket forts and capturing and observing bugs... all good things for kids to do in the summer and not once did one of them come to me and complain about being bored. In these pictures, Savannah and Ethan were building structures - using the same building materials (marshmallows, toothpicks, cardstock and tape) to see who could build the structure that would hold the most pennies without collapsing... they totally came up with this themselves and were busy with it for over an hour. ...

And with that, he said goodbye to third grade.

Tonight is the last school night of the year. As I prayed with my kids, I had to fight the lump in my throat. I've got three really great kids. And as I prayed with each of them, I was reminded of God's goodness to us over the years. And I felt the deep, primal need to be on my knees even more for them as we finish out this school year and walk into the next... Before I prayed for Kyler, (who leaves in the morning for distance running camp with his high school cross country team,) I had to stop and tell him how thankful I am for his last two years of junior high. He's made it through a huge school with over 800 kids with nary a scratch. Oh - and some pretty impressive grades too. He managed to find a sport he excels at, made friends, stayed out of trouble, and has yet to display anything resembling teenage angst. He's a great kid. Of course, I also had to tell him I didn't want him to keep growing up - to which he replied "I'll always be your little boy,...

Here's what it comes down to: My computer is lame. And I am lamer. And the combination of the two have created a dark void here on Thoughts From the Deep Recesses. Even when I find the time to write, I stare at the blank screen with an equally blank brain. I'm not sure what that's all about. I am almost to the end of the school year. I am officially done with all my PTG responsibilities - the last school newspaper went out last week - the 6th grade memory book was delivered today and the slide show is out of my hands - complete and handed over to the committee doing the 6th grade reception tomorrow. So I think maybe my brain will open up again now and there will be room for other thoughts. And maybe, just maybe, blogger will let me post some pictures. I have lots of pictures to share. And I'm planning to do 'a photo a day' again this summer because I enjoyed it so much two summers ago. So I'll be around... Yay for summer!

For some reason Blogger doesn't like my computer and won't let me upload photos the last couple of weeks. So while I've taken pictures of life, I can't share them with you. This makes me very sad. I am now leading two Weight Watcher's meetings each week and looking forward to adding more in the near future. I'm enjoying them so much. Funny how much these meetings remind me of my classes - it's all about inspiring people to be their best... I already love 'my' members so much and am so thrilled to see them succeed. I think it's amazing how God provided a job for me before I even completely lost my job at the store. The overlap was a bit much - but now that I'm down to only working WW and the Memory Box blog , I'm so glad I never had to go without some income. The timing was PERFECT. Savannah and I got home last night from five days in Canada, visiting Corey and her daughter in Canmore, Alberta. The weather was glorious and the company was ...

I know. I know. It's been ages. Things are slowing down just the teeniest tiniest bit for me now. So I should be able to post something soon. The store closed on Friday. And I'm diving head first into the sixth grade memory book project for Savannah's class at school. And heading to Canada for the weekend with Savannah for a girl's weekend with Corey and her daughter. But at least I'm not working six days a week anymore. And I think I'll have time to upload pictures and write. Soon.

Asia and I do a lot of pre-marital mentoring with couples from our church. After a session with these couples, I always find myself overflowing with gratitude. Thankful for my husband and how the years have shaped us into the people - the family - we are today. While it's still hard for me to swallow that somehow we became the 'older, wiser' couple who can now mentor others, I acknowledge that we have come a long way. Over the almost seventeen years we've been married, we've settled into what I consider a very sweet, comfortable rhythm. I know this man. And he knows me. We seldom fight anymore. We can predict each other's behavior with uncanny accuracy. And we become better friends with each passing year... Tonight when we go to bed, I know his hand will rest on my hip - like it always does. And I will go to sleep with a thankful heart. Thankful for this man God gave me. Thankful for the way our rough edges have been made smooth over the years. Thankful for eac...

MVI_8506 Originally uploaded by cathyandasia

IMG_0190 , originally uploaded by cathyandasia .

Savannah wrote this for a homework assignment the other day. She was only required to write three paragraphs. I think someone else in this house enjoys writing... The Box By: Savannah Goins One sunny afternoon after school, I look out the window and see our UPS delivery guy, (Kenny) walking up to our front door. And of course, my dog Gracie starts barking like crazy, as always. My mom asks, “Savannah, why is Gracie barking?” “It’s just Kenny.” I say, smiling and waving at him as he drops the package on our front porch. As I open the door and look down at the package, I realize that it’s addressed to me. So I pick it up and I start walking to my room. As I walk past my mom’s work room she says, “Who’s the package for?” “It’s for me?!?” I say, looking as puzzled as she does. “Ok, then, maybe you won a contest or something.” “Maybe, I’ll be in my room.” “Ok, then.” As I walk back to my room, my dog Gracie looks up at me, her tail wagging and her eyes sending the message of “Take me for ...

Want to see my schedule from the last few days? Thursday, April 30th Work at Apropos 9:45 - 2:00 Go to the kids' school to work on school newspaper for 1/2 hour Pick up Savannah at 2:30 for a Dr. appointment Go straight from Dr. appointment to Kyler's track meet Home from track meet at 6:00 Feed the family, do dishes, fold clothes, take my walk, go to bed Friday May 1st Take my walk after I get the kids off to school Work at Apropos 9:45 - 4:30 Go straight from Apropos to a Weight Watcher's training from 5:00 - 7:30 Back to Apropos - work until 11:00 at the crop night. Saturday, May 2nd 6:45 am Arrive at a Weight Watcher's meeting to work 8:15 am Still at WW - now in official mentoree mode - week three of leader mentoring 11:00 Home - pick up Savannah and Ethan and head downtown to pick up our Bloomsday race packets, then to the grocery store 1:00 Home again - make goodies for a party we're attending later 3:30 Leave for the party - celebrate wi...

I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of my busy-ness. Not that I'm anywhere near the end of the tunnel - but I know it's out there... I'm actually beginning to soak in the knowledge that in less than two months, I'm going to have an unusual amount of free time and may actually get to apply some creative energy to my own personal projects . Can you even imagine? Tejan always used to say "Can you imagine, Auntie Cathy?" I totally got my tendency to say that from him. I cannot find my passport. I have been looking for it for weeks in anticipation of a trip to visit Corey next month. I know I had it when I got back from Sierra Leone, because they let me enter the country in Houston. But I can honestly say that was the last time I remember seeing it - or the purple document envelope in which I stored all my important papers for the trip... I really really want to find it. If you believe in prayer, would you toss one up for me that I ...

So yesterday marked the anniversary of the day we said goodbye to Tejan. I've been pondering this milestone for the past month or so... it's an especially hard occasion for me to write about. I struggle with putting my heart down on the page. A friend asked the other day how I was doing with missing T. - did I still miss him each day or had I settled into his absence in a way that it was only an occasional thought - a sort of passing sadness ? I struggled with answering that. Because yes - some days, I'm just fine. And I can even go a whole day without thinking of him as the busy-ness of life takes over and I find myself on auto pilot. But then I remember. Something makes me think of him and I feel horrible guilt over forgetting. I don't want to forget! I want to remember him each and every day and make good on my promise to keep him in my daily prayers... And yes - some days I miss him still so much that I have to steal away to my bedroom and shut the door and just let...

In April of 2003, I was featured in a newspaper article in our local paper in an article about scrapbooking. As a result of that article, I received a phone call from the owner of a small rubber stamp and paper arts store called Apropos. Kathy, the owner, wondered if I would be interested in teaching classes for her. She was wanting to expand her business to include scrapbooking supplies, and needed someone who knew the industry and could teach from a scrapbooker's perspective. Two days before that phone call, I had been talking to my mother on the phone and told her I thought maybe I'd go into a cute little store called Apropos and talk to the owner about maybe teaching for her. The rest, as they say, is history. For five and a half years, I've had the privilege of working for and with Kathy - not only teaching classes, but helping to choose product, make samples, and help gazillions of customers with their paper projects. It's been a dream of a job. I tell people all ...

Woke up to snow this morning. On April 14th. Silly Spokane weather. (Note to self: Change blog banner - it's April 14th, dummy!) BUT - it's supposed to be 70 degrees this weekend. Break out the flip-flops! Been gettin' the urge to spring clean... my closet is a horrible mess and desperately needs purging. One of these days - soon - I've got to get in there and clear it out. Gracie's leg is still bothering her. I'm a-feared we're going to have to have surgery. $800 surgery to be exact. Ugh. The vet thinks it's a torn ACL. And it's not healing. Ugh again. Getting excited about the Farm Chicks show in June... anyone want to join me for a fun girl's day out? Making a date with myself for Monday... it's the one year anniversary since T. left. Going to take myself down to the river for a nice long walk... time to reflect and pray and ponder and celebrate the ways God has changed me in the past year. More on this later... Just finished reading An E...

If you have a half hour, this is a heartbreaking and eye-opening documentary about the plight of the capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown. It certainly helps direct my prayers...

Oh, people - if I could transport you all here and take you back in time, I'd love to bring you back to yesterday. It was so sunny and glorious, Gracie and I spent the day going in and out the slider to the back deck. Inside the house to do some chores but then back out as soon as possible to sit on the deck and drink in the sunshine. It was actually WARM out there. Amazing what a little sunshine can do for one's soul. I even got to hang the clothes out on the clothesline. What bliss! Of course, this happens every spring in Spokane - an early warm day or two and we're all excited and thinking it's summer. But there's more cold in the forecast and I wouldn't be surprised at ALL to see more snow falling here and there. It's just WAY too early to get out the summer skirts and shorts. I know that. But it was SUCH a lovely day and I'll take whatever I can get. I took Gracie for her first walk in three weeks last night. She has a torn ACL in her back left ...

We woke up to four new inches of snow this morning... this chart is from Monday - so now I imagine our total for this year will be close to 97 or 98 inches. They measure it at the airport, which is at a lower elevation than our house, so it's always less out there... I say we should just go ahead and get 100 inches. Why not? At this point, we might as well try. And THEN spring can come.