Playing Sorry

Since C.J. left playing Sorry has been a nightly occurance at our house.  

Sometimes, when I am busy, I don't really want to hear, "wanna play Sorry."  But I wouldn't trade trade the time it takes to play a couple games for anything in this world.  I know someday I am going to miss this.

Ollie "helping out"  aka getting in the way

Cool Dog

Driving back from the airport after dropping off C.J. can be sad so Zack tried to lighten the mood a little... -

Ollie Auditions

Because Ollie has "stage experience", is well-behaved, and is okay for those with dog allergies to be around, the drama teacher approached me and asked if Ollie could possibly be Toto in our school's production of the Wizard of Oz.

I brought him in to school today for an "audition" to see how he would do...

He did pretty well. We are so lucky he is such a calm, well-behaved, go-with-the-flow kind of dog.

And so cute...at one point the girl in the sound booth shouted out "that is the cutest dog I have ever seen."

The only problem is his size...he may be too big.  he has to fit in a basket on a bike.  They didn't have the basket there today so we just don't know yet.

The girl playing Dorothy was so cute saying that the whole reason she wanted to play Dorothy was so that she could have a dog!!!  And, of course, Ollie just adored all the attention she gave to him.

From what I could see of practice it should be a great show.

Dinner Out

On Tuesday night, we set out to have dinner at one of our traditional places to eat when C.J. is here (Fuddruckers).

Unfortunately, Fuddruckers is out of town and we were having sleet/freezing rain/snow.  Whatever it was the roads were in pretty bad shape and I soon decided it wasn't safe to travel a great distance.

So, we stayed in town and went to one of our favorite restaurants - Tortilla Flats.

It is so nice being with all three of boys.  Being there reminded me of all the Friday nights we would eat there when the boys were High School when Jerry would work nights.

But actually the memories go back much further than that...I remember going here when C.J. was just a year old and he would get a cup of black olives to eat and drink the salsa like it was a beverage.

Jon wouldn't let me take his picture because he hadn't taken a shower.

C.J. paid and was upset that Jon didn't eat more and wasted a lot of food.

Oh...happy times.

Stalking

This is where Ollie sits every morning while watching me get ready for work.

It Is Well With My Soul

I have often been intrigued by this song.
 
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It was written by Horatio Spafford after a series of traumatic events in life. He not only endured the death of a son and financial ruin brought on by the Great Chicago Fire, his four daughters were killed in a sinking ship while crossing the Atlantic Ocean. 

His wife was the only survivor.

It was while Spafford traveled to meet his wife that he wrote this song.  He was inspried to write the words as he came close to the area where his daughters had died.

As a parent I know that his heart was grieving...but he was, at the same time, comforted in the knowledge that our all powerful God held every tear that he shed and rejoicing in the fact that Jesus had shed his blood on the cross for us so that we could have the assurances of heaven.

Oh how his faith and love of God puts me to shame.

The trials I am going through are nothing compared to the crosses he had bear...so why then, can I not have that same comfort? 

I want to...I strive to...I even want to believe that I do.  But deep down, I know that I want things to go MY way. 

Once again, instead of having total reliance on God to fulfill his will for my life, Satan barges in and brings forth all the sinful qualities in me - worry, anger, resentment, jealousy...etc.

Oh why oh why do I have to be human?

Like Mr. Spafford, I need to make a conscious effort each minute of each day to depend on my almighty Father...by reading my Bible, and praying, and going to church, and turning over all my worries and fears to HIM...who loves me unconditionally and without end!!! Amen.

Family Game Night

C.J. is here for a visit and we have had a great weekend together.

Last night we had a spontaneous game night.

We started with a couple games of Sorry.

Zack reacts to being bumped back to start

Ollie, of course, had to be right in the way

Zack's color green was missing a pawn so he decided to use the pone cone instead which had us all in stitches.

I was red...Jon won the first game and I won the second

Yep...we're watching The Office.  Greatest. show. ever.

And then played a game of Sequence

Jon and I were green.  C.J. and Zack were blue

Jon and I won

Ollie eventually moved to the couch for a nap

It was a great night filled with many laughs.