So is the silence. First day and I was hoping to get to hear all about it. Nope. Not Kal. He had nothing to say except for "it was not what I expected." Is this good? Is this bad? I don't know. Kamden and I drilled him with questions. Kamden started by asking if he had made any friends. I asked him what he ate for lunch. We got, "yes" and "mashed potatoes that smelled like green beans." GREAT. I do think, overall, it was a good enough experience for him. He does want to go back tomorrow. He was so brave today, went in without so much as a wave good-bye.
Kamden and I had a busy day today too. I was, of course, up early to start work. Then Kamden got a hair cut, came back for a couple of hours, then went to the dentist (for the first time). That kid is too much. He charmed his way through both the haircut and the dentist visit. He kept telling the dentist "this is awesome!" I think he made an impression. The girl cleaning his teeth would stop every once in a while and say "You are just too cute!" He sure can work his magic. It's a good thing he is cute, because he sure is a pill. He is so full of personality, I love it!
I, for one, am very glad the day is over, well, except for the homework Kal's teacher gave me. Kal told me there were 100 pages and Adam and I can split it 50 pages each. Thanks. Sad thing is, that's pretty close to accurate!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The First Day Of First Grade
School starts tomorrow. My firstborn will begin the first grade. He is very excited about it, and so am I! He thinks he was born to go to the first grade. For about 3 weeks now, that is all I have heard about. First grade this...in first grade that...
I am glad he is excited about it. I cannot imagine how hard it would be if he was dreading school and scared to go in. I don't ever remember being scared on the first day of school, but things were different where I come from. I knew everybody in my class already (all 18 of us who went through all of school together). I always already new my teacher (there was only one per grade). I cannot imagine going through the first day of school now. Kal is in one of 4 first grade classes. he has met his teacher only once, briefly. He has a locker. He has a pin number for the lunch line. He will be logging on to the computer with his own log in information for his school work. Wow. I think that would make me nervous...even now.
He is fearless. He loves to forge through new things. When he falls down, he gets back up again. Sometimes it may take a while, but he does. He forgives. He forgets. He goes on. He keeps his eye on the goal. He is not afraid to be himself. Oh, the innocence.
I have learned a great deal by watching Kal grow. He complements me, which makes things like the first day of first grade not so scary for either one of us.
I am glad he is excited about it. I cannot imagine how hard it would be if he was dreading school and scared to go in. I don't ever remember being scared on the first day of school, but things were different where I come from. I knew everybody in my class already (all 18 of us who went through all of school together). I always already new my teacher (there was only one per grade). I cannot imagine going through the first day of school now. Kal is in one of 4 first grade classes. he has met his teacher only once, briefly. He has a locker. He has a pin number for the lunch line. He will be logging on to the computer with his own log in information for his school work. Wow. I think that would make me nervous...even now.
He is fearless. He loves to forge through new things. When he falls down, he gets back up again. Sometimes it may take a while, but he does. He forgives. He forgets. He goes on. He keeps his eye on the goal. He is not afraid to be himself. Oh, the innocence.
I have learned a great deal by watching Kal grow. He complements me, which makes things like the first day of first grade not so scary for either one of us.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Beauty From Ashes
Sometimes it feels like the world is spinning so fast and things crumble all around us. That seems to be the case in the Colter household lately. It is like we are all trying to find a new normal. I am not even sure why we need to but we have very clearly entered a new phase of life. This is challenging and chaotic, but in a good way, I think.
I can only imagine how the people in Haiti feel right now. I feel like my world is crumbling some days when their's actually is crumbling, literally, around them. Sitting on my nice cozy couch, checking up on the Internet, drinking my nice hot coffee after a good work out and Bible study I learn of another earthquake/aftershock and I am afraid. I can only imagine how afraid I would be if it were my home, my family, my body stuck in the rubble, killed, life as I once knew it...GONE. Without my faith I am sure I would be angry, bitter, and wish myself dead. With my faith would it truly be any different? Would I be able to handle it better? I would like to think my faith is genuine, strong, withstanding. Would I be blinded by the tragedy? What would comfort me? What would comfort you? God. God is the answer to all of those questions. God, I pray my faith is strong and can withstand any test. I believe, God, that you can bring beauty from ashes...That is what Jesus was sent for! THANK YOU!!!
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from the darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devestated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Isaiah 61:1-4
I can only imagine how the people in Haiti feel right now. I feel like my world is crumbling some days when their's actually is crumbling, literally, around them. Sitting on my nice cozy couch, checking up on the Internet, drinking my nice hot coffee after a good work out and Bible study I learn of another earthquake/aftershock and I am afraid. I can only imagine how afraid I would be if it were my home, my family, my body stuck in the rubble, killed, life as I once knew it...GONE. Without my faith I am sure I would be angry, bitter, and wish myself dead. With my faith would it truly be any different? Would I be able to handle it better? I would like to think my faith is genuine, strong, withstanding. Would I be blinded by the tragedy? What would comfort me? What would comfort you? God. God is the answer to all of those questions. God, I pray my faith is strong and can withstand any test. I believe, God, that you can bring beauty from ashes...That is what Jesus was sent for! THANK YOU!!!
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from the darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devestated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Isaiah 61:1-4
Monday, January 18, 2010
Parenting?!
I love my boys. I love watching them grow and develop. I love how they are night and day different but still best friends (which I hope will never change)! Kal is very smart, very thoughtful, and has a HUGE heart. So sweet. I teared up yesterday when after church I had the boys up in the high school room and the teens had left a ton of trash. He was picking up all of the little papers and throwing them away telling me "I just don't like to see this mess." So sweet! Last night at church they made "rainbows". Kamden's was just green. He loves green. The entire rainbow was, well, green. Kal's was a perfect ROY G. BIV! It had to be just right. Kamden is so fun-loving, care-free (maybe a little too much so) and FUNNY!!! Kal is our perfectionist.
The challenge has hit us that now we can really see their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, how do we encourage them without inflating them? How do we correct them without making them feel ashamed of their gifts? Kal needs to lighten up sometimes. He is so serious and, dare I say, prideful. It can come across as mean sometimes especially to his friends and he needs to be corrected but I do not want to discourage him from taking pride in what he knows or does (in a healthy way). Kamden needs to take some things more seriously, he needs to shake off the stubbornness and eat his dinner. He needs to listen and learn instead of being the clown in the back of the class...or in front of the class but I do not want to discourage him, he truly has a gift! That kid can bring a smile to ANYONE's face! I thought parenting was hard before, but now the challenge is a little scary.
I suppose this is the phase of life when I can look back and see why my parents may have made the decisions they made or handled things the way they did. Were they just as clueless as I am? I hope so. We all turned out okay, that gives me hope!
The challenge has hit us that now we can really see their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, how do we encourage them without inflating them? How do we correct them without making them feel ashamed of their gifts? Kal needs to lighten up sometimes. He is so serious and, dare I say, prideful. It can come across as mean sometimes especially to his friends and he needs to be corrected but I do not want to discourage him from taking pride in what he knows or does (in a healthy way). Kamden needs to take some things more seriously, he needs to shake off the stubbornness and eat his dinner. He needs to listen and learn instead of being the clown in the back of the class...or in front of the class but I do not want to discourage him, he truly has a gift! That kid can bring a smile to ANYONE's face! I thought parenting was hard before, but now the challenge is a little scary.
I suppose this is the phase of life when I can look back and see why my parents may have made the decisions they made or handled things the way they did. Were they just as clueless as I am? I hope so. We all turned out okay, that gives me hope!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Life. It happens.
It seems like everyone now days is very busy. Everyone. Very rarely do I hear "I'm bored." Even my boys don't have time to get bored. If they have nothing to do, they cherish the down time.
I find if I have a few minutes uncluttered I try to figure out how to clutter it. Should I get on the computer? Watch me some HGTV? Read a book? Go work out? Call my mom? Why can't I just sit in silence?
"Life" has been going on all around us...the contractor, the plumber, meetings, losing parents, friends diagnosed with cancer, report cards, play dates, Bible studies, earthquakes, freezing temps, conferences, visits, engagements, announcements of first pregnancies and third...life, death, healing, hurting, happiness, and joy all wrapped up in this thing called life.
I have been overwhelmed with so much lately. Why? Because I tend to stress about things. I am so jealous of those who take it just one day at a time and not stress out. UGH. Listen to me... "Overwhelmed, jealous." YIKES.
"In this world you will have troubles, but I bring you My peace." "In this world you will have troubles, but I bring you My peace." "In this world you will have troubles, but I bring you My peace."
Peace. Ahhhh. Thank GOD!
I find if I have a few minutes uncluttered I try to figure out how to clutter it. Should I get on the computer? Watch me some HGTV? Read a book? Go work out? Call my mom? Why can't I just sit in silence?
"Life" has been going on all around us...the contractor, the plumber, meetings, losing parents, friends diagnosed with cancer, report cards, play dates, Bible studies, earthquakes, freezing temps, conferences, visits, engagements, announcements of first pregnancies and third...life, death, healing, hurting, happiness, and joy all wrapped up in this thing called life.
I have been overwhelmed with so much lately. Why? Because I tend to stress about things. I am so jealous of those who take it just one day at a time and not stress out. UGH. Listen to me... "Overwhelmed, jealous." YIKES.
"In this world you will have troubles, but I bring you My peace." "In this world you will have troubles, but I bring you My peace." "In this world you will have troubles, but I bring you My peace."
Peace. Ahhhh. Thank GOD!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Over a year later...
Wow. December 6, 2008. Seriously? Where has the time gone? I must admit, it is kind-of fun going back and seeing old posts and pictures. It is amazing how time can pass but something as simple as a picture or a few words can just bring the memories rushing back.
For Christmas, the owner of Curves here in Newburgh gave the staff wives at the church a free 1-year membership. So, of course, I am taking full advantage of that...and loving it!!! But I have realized that I have very few T-shirts to work out in that are decent enough to be seen in public. Most of them are very oversized, stained, painted, and even a few with holes. So, I figured I would go to my local thrift shop to pick up some T-shirts for working out. I then remembered that my mother had saved a bunch of my old T-shirts from Jr. High and High School to make a quilt. Well, I had not seen or heard of any quilt yet so I figured they were just being stored somewhere in the basement. I gave her a call and sure enough she had an entire tub of them! She brought them down to me this past weekend and with every T-shirt and every sweatshirt memories, feelings, thoughts all came rushing back.
What is it that triggers your memories from the past? Certain scents? Pictures? T-shirts? Movies? Music? Sometimes it does not take much. Do we have certain triggers when it comes to our relationship with God? When we have strayed from the discipline of Bible study...is there a phrase, a verse, a song, a concept that just can send us rushing back, even for just a moment? What about when we are in the "habit" of church. When it just feels like you go because that is just what you do. Is there an old hymn that can take you back to when you first accepted Christ? To a time when you could see God active and working in your life.
It seems to me that we all go in cycles. We have different sets of memories at different times. Some good, some bad, some funny, and some sad. It is nice to be reminded of where we have come from, what has shaped us, BUT I am very thankful that they are just memories and that we do not have to hold on to them as though they are life right now. And, what is life right now will one day be a memory and we will have new experiences and create new memories. Life is fascinating. God is always active and working in us and through us. Though sometimes Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection seem to be just a memory, we must know that it is so much more! Let every time we stray, every time we sin, every step we take, be a trigger to that memory.
For Christmas, the owner of Curves here in Newburgh gave the staff wives at the church a free 1-year membership. So, of course, I am taking full advantage of that...and loving it!!! But I have realized that I have very few T-shirts to work out in that are decent enough to be seen in public. Most of them are very oversized, stained, painted, and even a few with holes. So, I figured I would go to my local thrift shop to pick up some T-shirts for working out. I then remembered that my mother had saved a bunch of my old T-shirts from Jr. High and High School to make a quilt. Well, I had not seen or heard of any quilt yet so I figured they were just being stored somewhere in the basement. I gave her a call and sure enough she had an entire tub of them! She brought them down to me this past weekend and with every T-shirt and every sweatshirt memories, feelings, thoughts all came rushing back.
What is it that triggers your memories from the past? Certain scents? Pictures? T-shirts? Movies? Music? Sometimes it does not take much. Do we have certain triggers when it comes to our relationship with God? When we have strayed from the discipline of Bible study...is there a phrase, a verse, a song, a concept that just can send us rushing back, even for just a moment? What about when we are in the "habit" of church. When it just feels like you go because that is just what you do. Is there an old hymn that can take you back to when you first accepted Christ? To a time when you could see God active and working in your life.
It seems to me that we all go in cycles. We have different sets of memories at different times. Some good, some bad, some funny, and some sad. It is nice to be reminded of where we have come from, what has shaped us, BUT I am very thankful that they are just memories and that we do not have to hold on to them as though they are life right now. And, what is life right now will one day be a memory and we will have new experiences and create new memories. Life is fascinating. God is always active and working in us and through us. Though sometimes Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection seem to be just a memory, we must know that it is so much more! Let every time we stray, every time we sin, every step we take, be a trigger to that memory.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Well,it has been a while since I have posted...I don't know where to start.
After Christmas (26th and 27th) we traveled up to Brown County State Park and had a Christmas gahtering with the McKee family in the lodge. IT WAS SOOO COOL! There was a very comfy atmosphere and a super water park...inside! It was nice to spend time with the family too! I would post pictures but...
...that leads me to the new year. To begin, my hard drive crashed. Thanks to the Geek Squad we managed to get a new hard drive and boosted my computer a little...but I lost everything. Everything. So, I have no pictures to post. I'll try to get some from the fam and post them later.
Oh yeah, Adam's birthday was the 29th and I got to be a part of the biggest surprise of his life. One of our girls from F-ville flew down to surprise him for his birthday and we pulled it off! It was great!
Just last weekend we got to take our new group down to TCTC in Gatlinburg. It was a great conference! It was nice to spend time in the mountains too.
So, there is nothing exciting going on to update...maybe next time there will be something to talk about.
After Christmas (26th and 27th) we traveled up to Brown County State Park and had a Christmas gahtering with the McKee family in the lodge. IT WAS SOOO COOL! There was a very comfy atmosphere and a super water park...inside! It was nice to spend time with the family too! I would post pictures but...
...that leads me to the new year. To begin, my hard drive crashed. Thanks to the Geek Squad we managed to get a new hard drive and boosted my computer a little...but I lost everything. Everything. So, I have no pictures to post. I'll try to get some from the fam and post them later.
Oh yeah, Adam's birthday was the 29th and I got to be a part of the biggest surprise of his life. One of our girls from F-ville flew down to surprise him for his birthday and we pulled it off! It was great!
Just last weekend we got to take our new group down to TCTC in Gatlinburg. It was a great conference! It was nice to spend time in the mountains too.
So, there is nothing exciting going on to update...maybe next time there will be something to talk about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)