Take On Me: Chris Griffin

Easter

When we began having children, we got serious about developing traditions for our family. Easter is one of my favorites. Well, until this year....
Creighton and I were involved in campus ministry which had us on the university calendar: Fall/Winter/Spring.
This year, because we both work in local churches, we are now on the umm liturgical calendar: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Ordinary time, etc.

Since Canon was 1, we have spent Easter with my dad. The kids look forward to it every year because Dad takes them fishing, takes them for rides on the horse or the tractor or on the feed truck. Kimaw (his wife) hides what feels like hundreds of candy filled eggs all around the front and back yards. The kids spend half an hour at the break of dawn searching every crack and crevice for eggs. We attend worship at their charming traditional Methodist church and then come home to an enormous Easter feast.

we were unable, this year, to go to the ranch.

Here is what Easter weekend looked like this year:

Mom worked all day on Saturday.
The kids had a "play date" with our Jewish friends on Sunday morning.
Bethany (our nanny) fixed lunch and put kids down for an afternoon nap.
Creighton and I raced to the grocery to pick up some plastic eggs. Filled them with goodies and busted into the house shouting, "Who wants to have an egg hunt?!"

It was nasty outside so our egg hunt lasted about 3.5 minutes (living room, dining room, kitchen).

Improvising, we told the children that we were going to take them to a movie. What a great idea to tuck away for future Easter activities! We saw Aliens vs. Monsters. The kids loved it.

It is what it is, you know? We made the best of it. Turned out beautifully.

Facebook Song

Copy and paste this link (can't figure out how to make it active) to hear my Facebook song.
Enjoy!

http://web.mac.com/cr8onik/iWeb/Site/Podcast/BF9ADF6F-8492-4F88-A05E-F583F0DECDD3.html

Whitby's first tooth!

Fact: At first, there are a lot of "firsts".

First tooth is one of them.
First bath.
First birthday.
First haircut.

There are less and less "firsts" as they get older. Whit is now 5. She has just lost her first tooth.

It was loose forever. She kept telling me everyday that she was going to lose the tooth. It took months. When it finally happened she was so shocked she cried!

Apparently, she twisted it out and it bled (a little). She asked me if she was going to die.

Now, where did I put those quarters????

Obsession de jour: Barefoot Merlot

Usually skittish about trying new wine. Don't want to spend the money on a beverage I do not enjoy. Every once in a while though, I bust out something new just to expand my proverbial horizons.

Tonights purchase: Barefoot Merlot.

Pros: delish
Cute lable
3$ cheaper than Blackstone (my usual)

Is that God's blood?

At New City (5pm Sunday nights at Central UMC - KCMO), Creighton serves communion every week. This is the first time that my kids have participated in communion on a regular basis. They love it. Why wouldn't they? It's delicious!

As I tried to explain the holiness and sacredness of it, Whitby busted out with the (totally legitimate) question, "Is that God's blood?"

I nearly fell over laughing. Then I looked at her stone-cold expression and realized - - oh, she's serious.

Try to explain that one to a 5 year old.

Games and Toys

Today I had a great conversation about the Big Wheel.
As kids, we used to love the Big Wheel and cruise around on it constantly.









I started reminiscing about the other toys and games we owned and played as children.
Here are the ones that immediately came to mind:

Mornings.....

Lately our mornings have been such a bummer.

My children have been waking up grouchy and whiney. I don't know about you but I have always felt strongly that people who whine should be immediately punched in the throat.
This is a problem when the people are your children.

So I am trying to analyze what might be the source of this.
I think it might be - dare I say it - my parenting. I have been slacking in the mornings for the last few months. Cosmo is 3.5 how and is no longer in need of 24/7 supervision. So in the mornings, I have been letting the kids go down to the playroom and watch a kidshow or play a video game every morning when they get up. This has allowed me an additional 30-45 minutes of sleep.
However, I thought back and remembered the not-so-distant-past when I was getting up with them every morning and starting the day off with a morning routine.

Get dressed for the day
10 minutes of yoga
Sit in a circle and have a morning prayer
Bow to one another and say, "God Bless You."
Breakfast

As I thought of this simple routine, I realized that perhaps it is the lack of structure that gets my kids off to a rocky start in the mornings. I am planning to start the routine again tomorrow morning.

I will keep you posted....

Obsession De Jour: thepioneerwoman.com

My sister told me about thepioneerwoman.com a while back. I have been slow to check it out. But now I am obsessed. I want to be her. Go there now!

Those People

Thursday 9:50 pm. I realized that we had become "those people".

It was a long day so when I left at 9am I decided to let the dogs stay outside all day. All day turned out to be 12.5 hours. Apparently, the scoundrels barked at anything and everything that moved that day.
When I got home at 9:50, there was a note stuck in my door from the police who informed me that a neighbor called them about barking dogs at my residence but did not want to file an official complaint at this time. It was a warning....
3 minutes later, my next door neighbor came over and kindly confronted me about the dogs. Told me that they went at it non-stop all day long and ended with, "and this is not the first time, Nikki."
What a nightmare. We are "those people". The neighbors that everyone hates but won't say anything to their face.
Well, the good news is that we are teachable. Though slightly embarrassed, we are determined to do whatever it takes to silence the nuisance barking.
Not sure what the plan is - - I will let you know how it goes!

Shaped by the Gospel

"We pray that our lives will be shaped by the Gospel"

This is part of our nightly prayer with the children. They all know it. They all pray it. This morning I woke up with this prayer on my lips.
Frankly, I have to ask, "What do I really mean when I pray this?"

The origin of the word gospel is Good News. Does my life speak of good news?
Am I open to being shaped? Do I allow the teaching of Jesus to penetrate my will?
Do I live and work in a manner that provokes the questions for which the Gospel is the answer?

Woo Hoo!

No news really. Just wanted to post the photo I took yesterday of my sweet vertical.

:)

I broke one of my fashion rules today.

Jean on Jean.

I have felt strongly about no jean on jean for quite some time now. But today, because of apparent lack in my closet, I did it.
Friends, you have to be really careful when trying this. You run the risk of matronly or elementary school teacher.
Because the jeans and jean shirt are both a dark earth wash, and because I added a scarf, the combo is not too bad. However, in general, I do not condone the pairing of jean on jean.

I am BY NO MEANS a fashion expert!
But, here are a couple more of my rules:

Layer.

Accessorize. A stylish pair of sunglasses can make you feel great even on the days you have dark circles and puffy eyes. I remember that my mom always looked put together - she was never without her sunglasses. Scarves and jewelry complete an outfit.

I try not to be too matchy with my jewelry. If I am wearing a turquoise ring for example, I don't go all out with earrings, bracelet and a necklace. Maybe necklace and ring. Or possibly bracelet and earrings. But it's better to have a splash of color than to overdose on it.


My friend Dagney told me today that "What Not To Wear" has a book - - WITH PICTURES.
It targets different body types and "problem areas" and gives specific guidelines for your wardrobe.


Also, I subscribe to a daily email called whowhatweardaily.com
It is a fashion email that shows current fashion trends (most of which are too over the top for me). It at least helps me to see what's going on out there in the world of fashion so that I don't get totally out of touch.

Your thoughts??

Yoga

I want to encourage anyone out there who is getting oldish.

Try Yoga.

Ever since I got into it, I have felt healthier and stronger. My back feels great and I don't wake up with a stiff body.
Granted, you don't burn many calories like you do with Cardio. But as far as flexibility and strength go, it can't be beat.

If you are worried about the clear your mind meditation stuff - - most of the yoga I have seen in the past few years is simply fitness yoga.
I personally think the practice of yoga is very spiritual. I intentionally find moments in my poses to pray. Everytime I lift my arms to the sky or bring my hands to my heart, I whisper a little word of praise, "My all for you Jesus."

Kingdom Beatitudes for a better world

1. Blessed are those that share what they have, for they will be a community of life.

2. Blessed are those that are able to enjoy the fruit of their labor, for they will be a community of honesty.

3. Blessed are those that stand together for equality, for they will be a community of justice.

4. Blessed are those that release their grip on their possessions, for they will be a community of freedom.

5. Blessed are those that feel the pain of others as their own, for they will be a community of mercy.

6. Blessed are those that teach their children Kingdom values, for they will be a community of hope.

7. Blessed are they that show Love instead of the Law, for they will be a community of grace.

Roy Soto
Red Del Camino, Costa Rica

Stunning.

Check out this passionate and moving video about our Savior.

Why we don't have nice things....

This morning, my friend Melissa was searching for her phone everywhere in the office. She walked by me with the remark, "See, this is why we don't have nice things."
We both chuckled, and I thought about how many hundreds of times I heard that from my mom and grandmother because of how I treated the many fine things they had bought over the years.

At staff chapel this morning, the pastor walked us through a reading of Genesis 2:6-3:1.

2:6 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

2:7 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

2:8 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

2:9 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

3:1 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

At first I was reflecting on the beauty of creation and that God called it good. I thought, "What an honor it is to be the keepers of this creation." He gave us dominion over all the plants and seed and trees and fruit and of all living creatures!

Suddenly, the statement from earlier that morning hit me. How poorly humanity has treated God's creation - which he has placed in our care.

Sure, it's a bummer that I cut my moms couch with a knife when I was 7. It was sad that I broke my grandmothers lead crystal vase and lost the ruby ring my mom gave me for graduation. We'll get over that.

But it is staggering to think about how we - the very children of God - have defaced, vandalized and abused the beauty He entrusted to us.

Will creation get over that? Will we?

Awareness

I like to think I am a pretty intuitive and sensitive person. But sometimes I guess I am unaware of how what I say flippantly, affects others (negatively).
On Facebook:
I think it is a joke that people try to sum up their entire religious views in a one-liner on their profile.
In response to this I jokingly wrote: Jesus loves you, I'm just his favorite.

Recently I friended someone on FB and they confirmed me.
38 minutes later, they deleted me and wrote me a note about how offensive it was for me to write that.
To this person, who is non-religious, it was self-absorbed and narcissitic (BTW there is a history there).

On the one hand, I think the (un)friend misunderstood the intent of my religious views. I was trying to make a statement that people should not take themselves so seriously. Also, I think I am funny.

The way it was taken, though, is what I am intriqued by this evening.

I'm not trying to make it more than it is, and I am not beating myself up. But it did make me sit up and think. I want to have better filters. I want to be aware of my words and actions, knowing that there are people out there who have differing views. I want to be salt and light in this world, not cause others to stumble.

NEW CITY!

New City begins tonight!
New City is the service that Creighton is starting at Central UMC.
5pm Worship
6pm Meal
7pm Spiritual Formation classes

Come check it out!

ER!

Poor little Whitby!

She cut her foot on a piece of glass in the garage yesterday. Yikes!

Guilt overcomes me as I think about the fact that there are shards of glass on the garage floor.

We (me, Canon, Whit and Cosmo) waited 5 hours to see a doc. Then two hours later - we headed home. Talk about quality time with the kids.

She's doing fine now - - children are so resilient.

Texas Independence Day Party: All Are Invited!

Our heart is to share the love of Texas to those here in Kansas.
Come one, come all!

Friday, Feb. 27th
7pm
Our house: 13009 Knox St.
Overland Park TX 66213

keep it cool

Photo Shoot: Iphone. Starbucks.

Harbinger of death

What would make Leobin run from Kara Thrace? Is she the 5th Cylon or not? Wouldn't he be relieved and excited if she was? What am I missing?

Vicious domestic dogs

Current Tally on dog bites:

Canon 3
Whitby 2
Cosmo 2

Some are worse than others. But all have broken the skin. At this point, we're shocked that someone hasn't lost an eye!

Yesterday, Canon got bit on the belly by a dog we don't know. He was with Bethany (our nanny) at the time and she chose to console him (good choice) rather than chase down the guy with the dog that bit him.

We have always told our kids to ask first, "Excuse me, may I pet your dog?" and then to approach the dog slowly with out-stretched hand.
Apparently, something my kids do in the approach makes dogs attack them! Even when the owner says, "Sure - he's very friendly".

The school nurse counseled us to file a dog-bite report with animal control. Animal control counseled us to contact CDC. And before we knew it, Canon was in the ER getting RABIES shots! Poor guy (2 in the butt, 1 in the belly, 1 in the arm and 1 in the leg). Plus he gets three bonus shots- once a week for 3 weeks afterward!

Needless to say, we are now forbidding our children to go near dogs we don't know. It is so sad because these kids LOVE dogs. We do too! I don't know who to be mad at - - the kids or the pet-owners, ourselves or the dogs!

For now, I will just be thankful that my child is ok.

We're desperate to go sledding.

We're so desperate, we will sled on ice-grass.

LOVE146.ORG

At church, the Young Adult ministry hosted Justice Jam, a benefit concert to raise awareness and funding to end child sex trafficking.

The ministry we invited is called LOVE 146



Check out their webisite. Prepare to be angry, challenged and inspired.

An important announcement from Whitby Alexander

Please Recycle.

My friend Brenda

What a gift - - my friend Brenda, who I have not seen in years, came to see me twice over the holidays.
Her folks live in Ohio, so she and her boys stopped off at our house on the way there and on the way back.

The kids had SUCH a great time. And it was balm to my soul to catch up with my friend.

Why don't we all take more time to fit things in like that?

We were just a little bit out of the way on her journey, but she took the time (an extra day and a half) to stop, have dinner, visit after we put all the 6 monkeys to bed, let the kids play for a day, and then head out the next morning.

I am inspired and want to be a better friend.

Today I remembered how much I love Gwen Stefani.

Heard "Hey Baby" in the car today.
Got to work and downloaded a few of her tunes - including "Don't Speak", which my friend Stephanie Donley and I used to try to out-impression each other in a role-play performance.
Got home and watched some of Gwen's music videos on youTube.
Got on Facebook and discovered that my friend Stephanie just finished her first CD. She sounds a little bit like Gwen....

http://cdbaby.com/cd/stephaniedonley