Quick! Happy Birthday, Joyce!

I was going to write a long glowing birthday message to my bestest bud! But my phone wasn't working yesterday and I couldn't blog at home last night, and now I'm in a rush with my early students coming in 5 minutes! So here it is--short and sweet (just like her)!

I love you! --as do many many people to whom you are a wonderful blessing, as a friend, a wife, a mom, a grammy, an aunt, a sister, sister-in-law, daughter, cousin and so on and so on and so on....

My world would not be the same without you! EnJOYCE your birthday!

I'm trying again to post this--it wouldn't post for me yesterday. I feel like I've neglected by pal on her birthday!

"I Have Called You by Name, Lucy Anne"

“I have called you by name.
You are mine.”
--Isaiah 43:1

Lucy Anne,

In your lifetime, you will hear your name called many times— sometimes in love, sometimes in anger; in times of joy, in times of sadness; urgently or gently; officially or passionately; by those who love you with a great love and by
those who don’t know you at all.
Our prayer for you is that you will always remember the One who has called you by name on this special day –September 24, 2006 - the day of your baptism.
Today, God has claimed you as His own. You belong to Him. He knows you and loves you better than anyone ever has or ever will. As you hear your name called throughout your life “Remember Whose You Are” – God’s special child!

Prayers for Pat

My twin sister Pat is sitting in a hospital room recovering from surgery on her clavicle. She had an unfortunate "sandwich" incident between a wall and a horse and badly broke her collarbone. She is quick to point out that it wasn't the horse's fault. Suffice it to say that she will beep the next time she tries to go through a security check at an airport.

Pat is in my prayers a lot and moreso this week. I'm grateful that she has lots of friends down there to help her out--especially with her 20 some horses. I would be very little help since one horse scares me, much less 20 or so.

But I'm doing my best to help her up here with my prayers. Recover quickly, Pat!

Meetings, meetings, meetings!

If I don't post this morning, I'll never get it in this week.
- Monday - Starting with all my students this week
- Meeting with a parent after school
- Meeting with other LSEM teachers after that
- Jewelry party tonight (I may skip this one)
- Meeting with parent between students Tuesday
- Back to School Night at one school
- Wed- students all morning, leading a Bible Study at COK, back to school to make a presentation at one school, back to COK for children's choir and adult choir
- Thursday - students all day - meeting after school
- Friday - Whewwww!

I hope I have forgotten anything! Blessings on your week!

Pictures I tried to post yesterday

More pictures later! It let me put these in, but that's all!

A Trip Back in Time

Joyce and I had a wonderful weekend exploring the architecture of yesteryear! Logan Square Boulevard (where Mike now lives) is lined with homes built in the very early 1900's. Such craftmanship in woodworking, art glass, and masonry. I couldn't help but think about my two great grandfathers who both lived and worked in Chicago at the time--one as a cabinetmaker, the other as a sculptor. I wondered whether they could have done any of the work on those beautiful homes.

We also went to visit my grandparent's former home on the northwest side of Chicago, built in 1925. We were brave enough to ring the doorbell and gracious Beverly invited us in to see the home that I knew as a child (My grandparents moved to Florida when I was ten.) I told Beverly that I would email her pictures of her home and here is one of them. My mom went on a hunt for the pictures and when she did she also found some pictures of my great grandfather Peter Toneman and some of his sculptures. Now, I'm anxious to go back to Chicago to see if they are still there. I'm hoping to post these pictures of Peter Toneman, his sculpture of Archbishop Quigley and St. Peter located at Quigley Seminary in Chicago and Symbols of Love, Law, Peace, and Wisdom from the Cook County Criminal Court Building. My next project is to Google these places and see if the sculptures are still there. If these pictures don't post I'll try again later.

The Early Bird is Getting Old I Think!

For many years of teaching I have set my alarm for 5:10. I'm an early morning person and like to get to school early to get things ready, check my emails (and blogs) and generally feel ready for my school day.

Last night I changed my alarm setting to 5:30. It has been sooo hard to get up at 5:10 this week and so I gave myself 20 extra minutes. It was much easier. I actually only got to school a few minutes later than I usually do. I just didn't linger over my coffee as long.

The question is, will this work for me--especially since my Monday and Friday morning school starts 15 minutes earlier this year. We'll see. I may have to fool myself and set my clock a few minutes earlier each day until I get back to 5:10.

Blessings to all of you as you start your day!

God's Perfect Timing!

A Saturday in September during halftime is the perfect time for Lucy Anne to come in to the world. It meant that she could have her own birth day and month. It meant that her grandmother could have the rest of the long weekend before she has to go back to school. It meant that sisters Sophie and Ella could meet her on a fun Saturday afternoon and it meant that Uncle Andy and Christy could come and meet her 3 hours after her birth because they were in town for the U of M game! What a great day and a great birth and a great God!