Celebrate!

Today we celebrated Kaleb's 12th birthday! Where does time go?? I remember the day he was born. We were living in Ft Lauderdale and it was the Tuesday after Easter. Mom was visiting with Gram, hoping that grandson # 2 would come while they were there. We gave mother nature a bit of help and scheduled to be induced. The hospital was just a couple of blocks down the street so Greg and I got up, ate breakfast and walked to the hospital. It was already quite balmy.

I don't recommend being induced when nothing is happening yet, it takes awhile and seemed to be extra painful. Joshua came so fast there was no time for an epidural so this time I was prepared. What I didn't count on was that it wouldn't work! ARGH!! Two babies, no pain meds. I am woman...hear me scream, lol!! Finally around 4:30pm we had a baby to hold. Nathan Christopher was the name we had chosen. Yep, you read that right, Nathan. But once we looked at him we knew the name did not fit. Babies come out all shrivelly and a bit Yoda-like so why Nathan wasn't as good as any other name I can't tell you. It just didn't fit. It took another day to decide he should be called Kaleb Christopher. Kaleb with a "k" so he could be nicknamed KC (which he has never taken to, go figure!) and also because it was the spelling in the German Bible. He was beet red for many days and had a bad case of jaundice but several doses of Florida sunshine took care of that. Look at this young family...ahhh the memories.

And now here we are, 12 years later. He is growing each day into this incredible young man. He still doesn't like attention to be focused on him but he is sly. You gotta watch him. And a goofy sense of humor. He laughs easily and often, I like that. We have so many silly moments. Here is one such silly moment...he took the bow from his present tonight and fashioned it into a mustache, lol.

He works hard at his school work even though he would rather be outside playing hockey. He runs super fast. He gets grumpy sometimes but I can hardly fault him 'cause he gets that from me. He still hugs his mom! I hope that part never ends. He says please and thank you most of the time. He has blue eyes that will melt the girls someday if they don't already! I'm not ready for that yet though. He is one special part of this family.

Josh celebrated something rare and super cool today as well. While he was outside practicing with his bow he managed to shoot a "Robin Hood" which is when you shoot an arrow directly into the end of another arrow. He was so excited he almost won't mind the fact that he has to go spend money to replace the arrows that are now permanently fused as one. He immediately hammered some nails into his bedroom wall so he could display it.

I missed posting about Greg's birthday three weeks ago. We cooked up some delicious steaks and asparagus. Mmmm was that a good dinner. The following day we enjoyed a walk along the Erie Canal. The canal is still drained but we were so glad to have nice weather we just had to get out and enjoy it. Daisy enjoyed it too! She quickly forgot all her walking training, there were simply too many things to see and smell...ducks in the canal, dogs on the path, flowers in the grass, ducks in the canal, did I mention the ducks? By the time we returned home we were all tuckered out, even the dog.

That about gets you caught up about life in Ransomville. We keep chugging along. Hope you are too!
Blessings,
Tracy

Looking For...

an accountability partner. You have heard of those right? The people in your life that you give permission to be honest with you even when it hurts, the ones who steer you in the right paths, away from wrong paths and who hold you to your word.

Let me give you an example. When I was in high school my best friend and I held each other accountable in our Christian walks, in our relationships and even in our eating. We were both dieting and I gave Michelle permission to keep me accountable to eating the right foods. One day, I really, really, really (catching my desperation??) wanted an ice cream during lunch. I waited in line, purchased the ice cream and had it unwrapped already when I walked out of the line. Michelle spotted me across the cafeteria, ran towards me, grabbed the ice cream and slam dunked it into the trash!
Oh yes she did!!
OH. MAN.
WAS I TICKED?....You betcha!!
But she had done the exact thing I had given her permission to do.

That brings me to my current need. I need someone in my life who will never
and I mean never
allow me to have a weak moment again when I am begged to get a dog. Who knew they could have so many annoying habits? Who knew that dog hair would literally be everywhere, including getting in-grown into the skin of my feet like a sliver (3x's?!)? Who knew they would sniff you so much that the fibers on your clothes would come off?????? Ok, so maybe that last one was a bit of an exaggeration but not by much.

I think I need to write "The Dog Owners Reality Check" book. Think of the lives I could save! Don't believe the lies they tell you...."you'll love her, just wait and see" or "she'll grow on you". Yeah right. That is like the gals who are convinced that moving in together will make their guy only one step away from wanting to get married. Honey, I've got news for you... one has nothing to do with the other!

This is an important job so think seriously before you respond.

Oh yeah...dog lovers and those of you (you know who you are) who covertly or overtly aided and abetted the Harp family in the procurement of current black lab, need not apply.

Takers??

Cha-Cha-Changes!

change
Pronunciation: \ˈchānj\
Function: verb
a : to make different in some particular, alter
b : to make radically different, transform
c : to give a different position, course, or direction to

2010 is going to be a year of changes. Some have already begun, others are still to be revealed. I want to be intentional about making some changes and be better about adapting to the inevitable changes that are outside my control.

Inevitable change like the growth of our boys. About once a month Josh and I do the back to back height check. On Friday I lost. Then I proceeded to lose it....emotionally! My boy is now officially taller than I am, he is growing up in more ways than his height. I am overflowing with pride for this young man, or M.I.T (man in training) as Greg calls them.

Both boys embarked on a BIG change in January. They are both now in braces. Well, Josh is in braces and Kaleb has a spacing retainer to prepare him for braces. They had their first check up yesterday and all is moving along nicely. I have been amazed by how well they are handling things. Kaleb has to "turn" the spacer in his retainer 2x per week to widen it and has been responsible to do it without prompts. Once his upper teeth have spread far enough to make room for all his teeth they will proceed with the next phase of braces. Take a look at our handsome fellas...



The other big change in our family is that Greg is starting a Doctoral program. He will be pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry with emphasis on Family Counseling. The three year program is through Gordon Conwell and he will need to travel to their North Carolina campus twice a year for 2 weeks. His first session will be this June and he is both anxious and excited. Although he has always expressed interest in more schooling it has been interesting to see God plant seeds in his heart for counseling. Even cooler is the affirmation he is receiving from church. People recognize his gifts and abilities and are so supportive of this challenge he is undertaking.

We are extremely grateful for our family that make these things possible! I see mountains too tall to overcome but God sees them as avenues of blessings. I am so glad I am not in charge, lol.

I am still waiting to see what changes are in store for me. God continues to till the soil of my heart, breaking up those clumps of dirt otherwise known as stubbornness and doubt. Honestly, with all the changes happening around me I am good with status quo.

Blessings!

Closing the Door...

on 2009. Before I jump into what the new year brings I want to close out the old year. We had a very nice Christmas here is Ransomville. Mom and Dad joined us for a couple of days which made it even better.

Going to church on Christmas Eve has been one of those things we have done since before we were married. Actually, it is one of the few things I can say I have done pretty much my whole life. It is usually a candlelight service and has long been one of my favorite times at church. In the past it was also one of the times you wanted to be early to church or you would risk not finding a good seat. That was until we moved here. There is some odd phenomenon here, the church has been less full on Christmas Eve than on a regular Sunday. I KNOW! Totally strange! I always felt like people were missing out on this very special time. This year I even prayed about it, asking God to impress upon people the desire to worship on Christmas. Well, this time, things were soooo different! The place was packed, we had to add chairs, we ran out of worship folders! It was glorious! Maybe someone was reading my tips to a meaningful Christmas, lol!! It was cool beyond words to see regular faces, old faces, new faces. One of the best services of the year. God is so good!

On Christmas day we enjoyed a nice breakfast and time of opening gifts. Last year I remember shedding tears about how few gifts we were able to afford. This year we didn't have much more under the tree but it felt very different. My heart was different. It was okay because the gifts were not the focus. I also fixed a fantastic dinner, if I do say so myself. It was all about my childhood memories of Yorkshire pudding. I loved it as a kid but had never dared make it myself. I was determined to give it a try and after a last minute panic when I discovered Greg had used up all my eggs, I pulled it off. Prime Rib, Yorshire pudding, roasted aspargus and mushroom gravy....mmmm




It was just like I remembered!



The week following Christmas we joined the rest of the Harp clan at a cottage on Seneca Lake. It had been more than a year since we had all been together. We had a week full of games, fun, and lots of food! My brother and family joined us several times that week. On Friday, even more family joined us, Greg and I cooked dinner for 22 people! I thought for sure we wouldn't have enough food for everyone but I was wrong. Here is just a snippet of our time together...




I thought I took tons of pictures and still managed to come home without a single shot of Jon, Gail or Thom! Sheesh!

The new year is full of possibilities and adventures. I'll be back with more on that soon!
Blessings!

Last Tip...

We made it all the way to the end folks. Today's tip for having a more meaningful Christmas comes from Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God". Just be still and take the time to be with Him. Take time to know Him.

Slight detour. Did you happen to catch this Time article on the Advent Conspiracy? It is an interesting read.

Christmas is an interesting time and provides an interesting opportunity. As frustrating as all the commercial hype is, Christmas is still a time where hearts are open. People who may not normally be receptive to the Gospel may be more willing to have a conversation. Going to church on Christmas seems more likely than other times. In between the many secular Christmas/holiday songs on the radio, you will hear one clearly about Christ. Articles and movies on TV briefly highlight the spiritual unlike other times of the year. Yes, it seems that secularism and consumerism is taking over CHRISTmas, but it also seems we have a greater opportunity to share Christ with others this time of year. Even if they don't celebrate it, in some way they know that Christmas is supposed to be about more than gifts. What will you do this season to make Christ known?

Usually when I see that verse from Psalm 46 somewhere, it is just as I wrote it above. But there is an all important second half..."I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." In the end, no campaign can take away Christ, at least not fully. God will be exalted. You and I are part of God's plan to reach to the ends of the earth. We need to exalt Him. This season, let the light of Christ shine bright. Invite someone to church with you on Thursday night.

Sharing God's love with another will give your Christmas meaning beyond measure.

Tip #11...Knock it Off!!

Do you ever find yourself saying that to your kids?? "Knock it off"? I do. It is my way of telling them to quit the foolishness! Are you caught up in foolishness? Running around like a chicken with your head cut off, wondering how you will possibly get it all done? If you are, I have 2 things to say to you. One...go back and start at the beginning with these meaningful Christmas tips I have been posting. Second...knock it off! Literally. Knock things off your list. Stop the foolishness. I promise the earth won't stop turning, the kids will live, it will ALL be okay.

Kaleb asked me the other day what it meant when people say "what they don't know won't hurt them". We talked about several different examples but it got me thinking about some of the foolishness I get caught up in. No one but me will know I planned to fix 12 different kinds of cookies this year but only had time for 3. They won't know I wanted to get the living room painted but couldn't squeeze it in. Take an honest look at your list. What is essential and what isn't? Give yourself permission to knock some things off the list. Take a deep breath and move on.

I took a few days off from posting because I am working on all these things myself. Taking up time on the computer was one of things I had to "knock off" the last few days. Instead we invited someone over for dinner. We baked some cookies. We spent time together as a family. Yesterday we let a woman cut us in line at Walmart. {{gasp}} Little things, yet big in so many ways. Greg will tell you that I reach a certain point and then my stress spills over. It affects everyone because I snap at people and get agitated at the smallest things. It can get ugly. My goal this year is to never reach that point. The Lord is my helper...and yours!

Tip #10- Movie Time

I heard the other day that Americans now watch an average of 31 hours of television a week. WOW! That is scary. My question is how do people have time to watch that much?? I have no smart remarks to make about TV watching. Rather, I want to talk movies. Christmas movies to be exact.

Do you have a favorite? Most of us have at least 1 that comes immediately to mind. For me it is the Muppet Christmas Carol. "Light the lamp, not the rat!!". If that means nothing to you, you need to go rent the movie. The Nativity Story that came out a couple of years ago was a great one to watch with the family. For kids, such a visual can really help them understand better.

Watching a movie isn't necessarily going to add tons of meaning to your Christmas. I know that. But in the midst of all the busyness, stop for a bit. Pop some popcorn. Gather the whole family up and snuggle in for a family movie night.

That's it. My whole tip for today.