The Week at a Glance . . .

To be quite truthful -- I was sort of glad to get back to school last Monday -- even though it was really nice to spend the time catching up with lots of projects -- being snowbound can get a little old -- so it only took
the students and me about a day and a half to get our groove back on -- but by Tuesday noon--it was business as usual.
While I was on my 9-day snow hiatus -- a text message from one of my students made me realize that as soon as we finally got back into classes our calendar would resume and all the things I had scheduled pre-snow would come due.   Tuesday my Youth Alive students and I fed some 50-60 visiting French students, their teachers and some of their hosts  at a baked potato / salad bar.   These kids had just arrived at the airport on Monday afternoon, I'm sure were still in jet lag and culture shock, but they hadn't lost their appetites.  (Don't know if they serve chili-stuffed potatoes in their part of France -- but we do in Oklahoma)
Thursday it was time for another Pastor and Pizza day with Youth Alive during both lunches.  111 of us crowded into my classroom.    It's one of my favorite times as I watch them really tuned in and turned on to what the youth pastors are telling them.  One of my youth leaders has a goal of 300 kids by the end of the year -- He says it's gonna happen.  They're raising funds to buy goats for families in a third world country.  The family will be able to build a herd, use the milk and become more self-sustaining.  They want a Youth Alive Herd somewhere in Africa and want to think up names for all their goats (I'm suggesting the weirdest names they can find in the Bible!)

Yesterday -- was all about celebrating the rites of Spring in my backyard -- Wasn't it just last week I was posting pictures of the snow berm halfway up my dining room window?  

This week I am clearing out the dead plants to welcome the daffodils that are about to spread.  

Terry and I are starting  some seedlings in our garden room to transplant mid-April.  I am determined there will be no more snow days!!

Enough of this cold weather -- Jan Bell is ready for cook-outs and flower beds!


Our Baby James parenting support group today was all about family fun -- and building those special moments together.  The group shared ideas on what they like to do with their children for fun times. I slipped in some slides of our family growing up -- (Pulling out the pictures yesterday, Terry and I would ooooh and aaaah as we remembered those days when our younguns were still at home.) 

Aren't they sweet???

Trailer camping at Niagara Falls -- We pulled that old airstream all across the country.

     
Lunch with our parents' group was like a BIG family reunion. We did a build-your- own-pizza lunch which was a little chaotic and then I let the kids decorate a cookie cake.  We had about 20 bazillion kids ages 15 months to 13 years and  40-eleven adults (not really ;-)   -- I found us running out of food -- should have made 5 big pizza crusts for that crowd instead of 3 -- sent Terry across the street for frozen pizza and pizza rolls.   My man is awesome -- he just sees what needs to be done -- does it and finds all the folks who need visiting with and makes them feel special.


Last night at Winter Jam -- (Thanks Denise for the invite to sit in the special suite) -- it was awesome to see the BOK center packed with kids on their feet praising God. 5000???  -- don't know ---but it was an overflow   ---As one speaker termed it "Enjoying Jesus Together".  I like that -- wouldn't that be a great way to describe what happens at Church???


I like something else he said -- We're children of the King and the physical can't dictate the Spiritual.  Hmmm . . . . .that's something I'm gonna think on and apply to lots of my concerns and deadlines this week!