The blessing of a broken dishwasher

My dishwasher isn't working, so I spent alot of time this past weekend hand-washing all the dishes that we used all of last week. At first I had a really bad attitude about it, but after I did one batch of dishes, I had this fulfilling sense that I was experiencing life the way women in earlier times did and it really wasn't that bad. Now don't get me wrong, I am having a guy come out this afternoon to fix the dishwasher, but I was surprised at how I really didn't mind doing them all by hand for one weekend. Avery has been mesmerized watching me wash dishes by hand. Pretty funny that she has never seen me do it before!


Here's a few recent pictures of the kids...

The oldest of my four children, and the handsomest, I might add:

He has been working so hard lately. He is coaching girls volleyball again this season and feeling alot more comfortable with it now that he knows what he is doing. He is also still working on his masters degree and should finish up in just 6 months! I am so proud of him. And of course, the list of projects we have here at home is never-ending, so he definitely has a full plate right now. But you would never know because he just goes with the flow and takes everything so well. The Lord knew I needed him because I am a crazy nut without his laid-backness.

Avery is so grown up. She calls Tatum "honey" and leads her two little sisters like the mother hen. She has needed alot of re-direction lately because she has become a little bossy, but I know she is the oldest for a reason and God is using this role in her life to shape her into the beautiful young woman He wants her to be. She has a great imagination and can always think up a fun pretend game to play with Tatum. I love that she doesn't care what anyone else thinks, she just does her own thing. She's alot like her daddy.

Tay-bird, we like to call her. So submissive and cooperative to all her big sister's imaginary games. Such a rollercoaster of emotions... one minute the happiest, most joyful little girl in the world, the next minute a sobbing, tearful mess. You never have to wonder what Tatum is feeling because she wears every emotion on her sleeve. She refuses to have anything to do with the potty right now. She uses her manners really well. She is in love with all things froggie.
My baby is pulling up! I walked in to her room last week to find her standing up in her crib holding on the rails, just smiling at me like she knew she had accomplished something big. Now she crawls everywhere and pulls up on every table or chair she can reach. The only problem is she can't get back down to sitting, so she cries until you come help her sit down. She woke up from her nap a little while ago crying and usually I let her cry for a few minutes and she goes back to sleep. Well that didn't happen so I caved in and rocked her back to sleep. There is no feeling in the world that compares to knowing that you are the cure for one little persons' every need. I'm so glad I caved. She completely owns me.

School is going so well. I am at peace about working, my students are all so cute and sweet (I am sure I will be taking that back in a few weeks), and I am enjoying learning a few new things this year about how to teach kids on laptops. A prayer request... one of my good friends since I first started teaching back in 2003 just found out she has breast cancer. She is having surgery in a couple weeks and chemo and radiation to follow. I can't imagine what she must be feeling and going through and I don't really know what I can do to help her during this time. I know she needs Jesus so please pray she will draw close to Him through all this. thanks!