the bishop's wife: September 2007

Milestones....

I have a friend who has been blessed with the opportunity to visit England. I would love to do that one day as well. So much history. So many things to see and *feel*...you know how you just *feel* the history when you visit old places? lol Maybe I am a freak.

In any case....this friend told me how she loved to see the old milestones along the roads. As she went along, she could imagine travelling by horse and buggy 200 years ago and spotting the milestones out the carriage window as she approached London. I think that would be a very cool experience.

Milestones are great, aren't they?

I just hit a significant milestone myself....50 lbs GONE!!

50 lbs was not a goal of mine, it was one step in a long journey.

However, I feel it is a milestone that needs to be acknowledged...it feels good!

I have reduced my bmi by 7.4....I now have 5.6 lbs to go to get to my goal.

Now THAT will be a milestone!!

Nothing Much to Say....

Except, I am still losing weight...

not as fast as I would like, of course...

However,

I am now down

46.4 lbs

since Jan 1st!!

I am looking forward to hitting that 50 lb mark.

That seems significant.

I am also looking forward to hitting my next real goal...

It is 9.2 lbs away....I will be *normal* when I lose 9.2 more lbs.

Normal sounds good to me.

After that....my next goal will be 8 lbs more.

Nice, reasonable goals.

After that....15 more lbs and I will be like I was in high school!!!

I am not sure I even want to go that low...but it is on the radar for me to consider.

A girl has to have goals, right?!

The Bum Tree

Boys are different from girls...

no matter what the head shrinkers,

the public school system and Oprah tell you...

they are different!

In our household, we have three children. The girl is 13. She acts like a girl. She is a girly-girl...which I love! The boys are 11 and soon to be 9. They act like ~~animals~~ boys. I have found similar likenesses in various families....so it just isn't *our fault*. I think it is a common experience amongst most parents. They look down at their male offspring and shake their heads, every now and then.

If you can relate to what I am saying, you will also know that the idea of bums, butts, cracks and the like are extremely fascinating to boys. Such words have our daughter scowl in discust, but have the boys rolling on the floor in fits of laughter.

We ran across this interesting tree last year. We re-visited it this year. As you can see, there was great triumph and joy in finding *The Bum Tree* again.

What can I say?

*shrug*

More training is obviously needed...

but we struggle ourselves as jars of clay.

I must confess....

The Bishop & I were equally amused!!

My Empty Nest...

Talk about tramatic....nobody is home!!!

This morning I had to say goodbye to my three children, as I sent them off to Christian school. I know there are a lot of mothers out there that look forward to school being back in so they can send their offspring back into the hands of others....I am not one of them.

I have homeschooled these kids for the past two years and although there were times of stress, tears and even torment...there were also times of joy. The joy of having my children with me during the day. To hear them playing after their lessons, to hear them laughing, even to hear them bickering. Our house was full of their presence....but now it stands empty, with only me.

I packed up their lunch boxes, filled their new backpacks, prayed with them and took numerous photos of them before The Bishop drove them off to school. I stood on the front deck, bawling my eyes out. There is something about sending my kids off that doesn't make sense. They are mine. I miss them and they have just been gone a couple of hours.

I am making some fresh muffins for their return from school today and I have a chicken all ready to go for dinner. I will be picking them up today and I am looking forward to having them back with me. To hear their stories about their new friends, teachers and classrooms.

I adore our children.

My heart is aching as I type this and of course, true to being me...

I am crying.

I praise God for the blessings He has given to us in those three children....

I can't wait until they are home and my nest is full again!!