Good morning, everyone. How has your week been? Mine has been a good one, yet today is a very bittersweet day for me, one of reflection and remembrance.
This week I can say that...
- We're making good progress in our homeschool! We are getting back into the groove and enjoying the new year. My preschooler is thrilled to be included in more and asks several times a day to "do her school".
- The junior high literature class I'm teaching at our co-op is going well. The kids seem to really be enjoying the reading and are very engaged during the class discussion. I'm really having fun with it!
- My 6th grader designed the cutest notebooks for her homeschool co-op class! She is so creative and resourceful...check them out!
- The baby has recovered from his cold/congestion but now Peanut, my 3 year old has it. She's feeling better but was really miserable for a couple of days.
- This was our first "full blown" week with all activities starting back up and it wasn't TOO crazy. Of course, we still have several practices/rehearsals to go before the week is over so we'll see how I feel by Saturday evening.
- I ordered myself a Macbook and I'm super jazzed! It will be here Saturday. We switched to Mac a couple of years ago but went back to a desktop after having a laptop for several years. I love it but have missed the portability I had with my laptop. We have an ancient PC that doesn't have internet or a printer that the kids play games on, but my older two are having to use my computer more and more for schoolwork and it was time for another one. I can't wait to get it here and get it set up!
- I'm excited to be a part of the Kidlutions Preferred Product Review Crew. I wrote a little bit about what it's all about here. If you know of a product that you think should be entered, please direct the company or person here to find out more. I think it's really a worthy campaign and look forward to seeing what products are awarded.
- I was also thrilled to be invited to be a regular contributor to Mom's Marbles. Be sure to check out the site...Mary Ellen and Sarah have put together a great site full of tips for busy moms. Watch for biweekly posts from me with kitchen tips and ideas and some great recipes starting next Friday. I'd love input on what kind of topics you'd like to hear about...I have quite a few ideas but I want to gear it to what people are looking for.
And yet...
The kids and I will be taking some time today to reflect on what happened 8 years ago and discuss it a bit. My older two were 3 and 6 months old on 9/11. My oldest has vague memories of it but of course my 2nd born was an infant and has no memory of the day.
I, like most others, will never forget where I was when we heard. My husband had the day off and we were sleeping in when the phone rang. My sister in law, who worked for the government at the time, was on the other end. She simply told us to turn on the tv and hung up. We turned it on and watched in horror as, minutes later, the 2nd plane hit.
We had an appointment to sign the contract on the construction of our new house that day. It all seemed so unreal...we were filling out paperwork and trying to pick out paint/carpet/tile colors while simultaneously watching the news at the contractor's office. We were shaken, wondering if we should even be signing the contract, because the future seemed so unsure. It was difficult to focus on paint colors and what type of grout we preferred in light of what was happening in our capital and New York. Were we going to war? What was going to happen?
So much has happened since then...yet there is no doubt that our world was definitely forever changed by that day.
The day also holds special meaning to me because it was my grandmother's birthday...the last one she would have. 9/11/01 was her eightieth birthday...and the day she was diagnosed with lung cancer. When I saw her a couple of weeks later, she commented on how her birthday hadn't been too uplifting that year...more bad news in one day than she cared for. Barely two months later, she was gone. I still miss her so much. I wish all my children had had the chance to know her. She would be 88 years old today.
So, I will remember. And be sad. Allow myself to shed a few tears. But not lose hope. Not allow myself to be discouraged by the evil and hate in this world. I will choose to focus on God's promises to us and our calling to live as an example in this world...something that we all too often fail miserably at.
You will have courage because you will have hope. You will be protected and will rest in safety. Job 11:18
So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD! Psalm 31:24
Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone. Psalm 33:22
And, particularly relevant in today's political climate and in light of recent events, I think...
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...1 Peter 3:15
Blessings to everyone, and remembering those we lost that awful day, and all those affected by those tragic events...
Please visit Rachel Anne for more Coffee Talk and Real Life to see what others have been up to this past week..
Kara - you have had a busy week! And I love your 6th grader's notebook covers - awesome creativity! Congrats on your new Macbook, too!
ReplyDelete9/11/01 was certainly a day I'll never forget. My brother was in the Navy getting ready to be shipped on a 6 month cruise; my uncle worked at the Pentagon. It was a very scary day in so many ways - and I was so personally affected in many ways.
My uncle was safe - at a meeting across the street that morning; my brother was sent to Afghanistan for 9 months and then Iraq for 8. He is forever changed, too, scarred emotionally from his time in service.
Our world has seen many changes in the past 8 years - and we must continue to REMEMBER and to PRAY. My favorite verse for this time is:
II Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
I am glad you survived your first FULL week of activities.
ReplyDeleteWe are a military family so September 11th is a bittersweet day for us. I was watching the coverage and I was telling my oldest exactly what I was doing.
Thank you for your thoughtful post. It is good to remember, with hope.
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend, and be blessed in your next week of homeschooling! (I was one of the kids who survived being "home learn'd" and came out fairly normal!)
Wow...busy busy. I don't think anyone will ever forget what happened. Hopefully, remembering will help people appreciate the time we spend with others more.
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful post for sure. Thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the Macbook-I know you'll love it.
Good job on the homeschooling, kudos to you!
Y'all got a lot done for sure! Glad your week went so well.
ReplyDeleteI share your thoughts on 9/11. I too will never forget that day. I was in the 5th week of home schooling my oldest in K5 when my husband called and said "Turn on the TV." I had 3 children at the time and only my oldest remembers the details of that day. We too spent time today talking about the significance of that day. I appreciate your thoughtful words about that day and the scripture you posted as well. I'm so thankful for a soveriegn God in whom we can place all our trust!
Have a blessed weekend!
LydiaCate
We talked about 9/11 today too. I was pregnant with our oldest.
ReplyDeleteYeah for a new laptop! I got one earlier this year and love it (not a Mac tho). You are one busy woman. I hope you have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteI'm a new Company Girl making the rounds and saying hi.
Shawna
Congratulations on the Mom's Marbles assignment! Way to go.
ReplyDeleteIt is still hard to believe that 8 years have gone by. One of the things I remember most, besides sitting in front of the TV for days, was how silent the skies were. With no planes flying overhead, it was like stepping back in time. Very eerie.
Hope you have a great week!