Memorial Day Weekend

We drove to my sister and brother-in-law's house in Iowa for Memorial Day weekend. We had fun visiting with family and, most of all, watching the cousins play together.

Last Day of School

Today was the boys' last day of school. They've had a great year at school, but we're ready for summer vacation.

America's Favorite Pastime

J's first baseball game of the season was tonight. This is his fifth year and he did great catching, throwing, pitching and hitting.

Motherhood

Happy Mother's Day!

Even though I'm not living the life I expected, it's God's good and perfect plan for me. At times, I still get tired, overwhelmed and frustrated by my lot in life, but I'm still blessed. I'm especially thankful for the blessing of my sons. It's amazing to observe glimpses of me and flashes of Kent in each of them. They encourage me to persevere through life while making it interesting and fun. They truly are gifts from God!

Bailey is 15!

Bailey is 15-years-old today! He's old, can't see or hear very well and tends to be crabby, but Belle tries to keep him young. They're more foes than friends, but, every once in awhile, they'll lie together. They can be ornery, but they're definitely a blessing to our family.

Field Day

It was Field Day at the boys' school today. A lot of parents gathered on the football field to watch their children participate in four events. J, E and N did well in their events. In fact, I continue to be pleasantly surprised at their athletic ability. J placed 2nd in two events, E placed 1st in three events and 2nd in one event and N placed 1st in two events and 2nd in one event. I'm so proud of them!

Spring Music Concert

The spring music concert at the boys' school was tonight. This quote was at the bottom of the program:

GE hires a lot of engineers. We want young people who can do more than add a string of numbers and write a coherent sentence. They must be able to solve problems, communicate ideas and be sensitive to the world around them. Participation in the arts is one of the best ways to develop these abilities.
- Clifford Smith, President of the GE Foundation

Isn't this a great quote?! In an economy where school districts have consistently lost funding over the last few years and have had to make budget cuts that include the arts, I'm very thankful my boys are at a school that values them.

The boys and their classmates sang well and E even sang a solo. One of the highlights of the evening was the 4th grade class playing harmonicas. They played five songs including Amazing Grace. It's such a blessing to hear Christian songs in a public school!

What a great evening!

Easter

He is risen! 

On the first Easter morning many years ago, Christ defeated death through His resurrection and ascension into Heaven to the right hand of God. Through this, we're reconciled with God and offered the gift of eternal life. What a gift! I cannot grasp the enormity of God's love for the world in sending His Son to Earth to die for us and Christ obediently surrendering to God's will by suffering a torturous death on the Cross for our sins, but I'm forever thankful.

We had a wonderful Easter celebration that included Handel's Messiah, Good Friday Service, coloring Easter eggs, watching It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, Easter baskets full of goodies, Easter morning breakfast and service, an Easter egg hunt and egg salad on croissants. It was a blessed day!

Happy Easter!

E the Artist

E's artwork, Who is nocturnal?, is on display at the Museum of Nebraska Art's Student Art Show this week.

Huskers' Red-White Spring Game

J and N went to the University of Nebraska's Memorial Stadium for the first time today for the Huskers' annual red-white spring scrimmage game. They even went on the field during half-time! It was a beautiful spring day to be outside with over 60,000 other Husker fans.

NovoTTF-100A FDA Approved

The FDA approved the NovoTTF-100A today. This is Novocure's head device that uses alternating electric fields that enter the brain through electrodes to kill cancer cells. Kent was one of the 237 patients in the pivotal clinical trial for this treatment. It didn't work for him but it has worked for a lot of other GBM IV patients, so this is great news in the brain tumor community.

Grandparents' Day

Today was Grandparents' Day at the boys' school. The hallways were busy with grandparents accompanying their grandchildren to their classrooms, the lunch room and the playground. What a fun day!

The Brevity of Life

Today would've been Kent's 41st birthday, so we went to the cemetery where we reminisced about his life. His head marker is always a good place to start, because the pictures on it capture his life so well. I'm always amazed at what the boys remember about him. Some memories even made us laugh!

We also talked about James 4:14. It says we are mists that appear for a little while and then vanish. This is so true! We sure do miss him, but we're thankful for the time he was here. He was a great husband, father, son, brother and friend!

A Life Interrupted

Sometimes, I feel like my life has been interrupted, so I went to Priscilla Shirer's Life Interrupted Simulcast this weekend. Her message is based on the Prophet Jonah, because she says, like him, we tend to run - maybe mentally and emotionally instead of physically - when our lives are interrupted with something unexpected. If this simulcast comes to your area, you should go to it. It's so encouraging! There's also a book, Life Interrupted: Navigating the Unexpected, and even a Bible study, Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted. Check them out!

Leave it all with Him!

Leave it all quietly with Him: failures, fears, foes and future!

This quote from today's entry in LB Cowman's Springs in the Valley says it all, doesn't it? How encouraging!

Golden Dragon Acrobats

We saw the Golden Dragon Acrobats tonight which is China's premiere acrobatic touring company. Their performance also includes contortionists and jugglers.



It was an amazing show!

Riverdance

We enjoyed the traditional Irish stepdancing of Riverdance tonight. I saw it at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago in February 1999 and it was just as good last night as it was back then.

The Sentimental Swing Set

The swing set that Kent built (the weekend before our trial with cancer started) traveled well from Indiana to Nebraska and the boys are still getting a lot of use out of it.

Spring is here!

The first day of spring brought weather nice enough for the boys to shoot hoops in our driveway.

After baseball, basketball is the boys' favorite sport. J was a starter for his school's 3rd and 4th grade team this year and is looking forward to camp this summer. 

E and N have been learning the fundamentals of the game through a six week program at our local YMCA and are looking forward to playing on the same 1st and 2nd grade team next year through a league hosted by a local church.

N was goofing around here and actually made the shot!

What a great first day of spring!

Building Project

I'm God's building project! I heard this in reference to Ephesians 2:10 at church this morning and it really hit home. God isn't remodeling. He's still building from the blueprint. His handiwork just takes time. How encouraging!