Home Alone!

The girls and I have the house all to ourselves for a few days!! WooHoo!!! We're gonna party like it's our birthday....gonna make hot chocolate like it's our birthday!;)

...Normally, I must admit, I get a little anxious at being a single parent for days on end, but this time I'm excited about it. I guess Elle is old enough that we can all do things together now, Rae and Reece are such great helpers, that it's a fun girl-time.

I am a middle child. There are two years between my younger sister, Jenny, and me. I always shared a room (and sometimes bed, also). I went straight from sharing a room with my sister, to sharing a room with my college roommate(s), to sharing a room with my husband.:) I've never had a room to myself, or much alone time, for that matter.

So even though the thought of alone time is enticing, especially as I'm trying to take a bath, too much of it kind of weirds me out. I'm a people-person, what can I say? Over the last year Gavin has traveled quite a bit more than he ever did before (that's ending soon) but it has forced me to figure out "alone time". For a while, it would take me until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning to get to sleep.

Now, I find myself looking forward to these short trips! Wow! What a change for me. I always miss Gavin very much. He is the most interesting person I know, and the person I love most to talk to, among other things:) I'm just saying this has nothing to do with Gavin. Rather, it's much more about me being okay with me. ...and I am.

I pray a peaceful and blessed day over you, my dear friends.

Yes We Can!!

It was interesting to see the responses after the final State of Union address tonight. Hillary responded in a very partisan manner. Obama responded in a hopeful, unifying way that was encouraging and inspiring. It is consistent with his message.

I've never been so involved with Elections, much less Primaries. Many share this sentiment and it is reflected in the record number that is showing up at the polls. I think it's much more than just a crucial race upcoming, and desire for change...we've had several of those kind of races over the past eight years. I think it is the clear fruit of Obama's message of hope and unity - that we can MAKE a change.

I believe in Obama's message and believe that change will happen under his presidency - YES WE CAN!!!

All I can tell ya is this....

We had dinner with our friends, Mike and Meredith, tonight. It was a fun night of laughing, hanging out, great conversation, singing praise songs together, more great conversation, wine, home-made meatball subs!! (Mike is a great cook:) We had a wonderful time.

Their daughter, Caroline, and Reece are the same age and total "peas in a pod". They are both rough and sweet and charming - even more so together.

Meredith was telling me a hilarious story about Caroline that I just have to share. So here's your theology lesson for the day:

Meredith took the kids to visit their great grandfather. Caroline crawled right up to his chest (he was reclined), grabbed his face and kissed him saying "I love you grandpa". She sat back and thought a moment before asking "Grandpa, do you love Jesus?". He replied yes that he did love him very much and that he was his Lord and Savior. Grandpa then asked Caroline if she loved Jesus. Caroline looked down at the floor and shaking her head, replied, "Well, Grandpa, all I can tell ya is this, if a snake starts talkin' to ya, it's not a good sign".

......so funny!!! ...especially if you knew her.

Have a great weekend everyone! We're taking it easy and just hanging out with the family. Much love

Obama Nation

This man has been one of my heroes since I first heard him speak 4 years ago. His life is an inspiration and he gives me hope for our country. I'm not saying he's perfect, but I do know that his influence has caused me to be even more passionate about the world we live in, the politics that govern our country, my brothers and sisters around the world and my neighbors down the street.

Blessed by our girls

The girls have blessed Gavin and myself so much this weekend.

Rae has had a great "sister" weekend. She's done a wonderful job looking out for her younger sisters. Rae has found ways to play with each of her sisters and love them in their own special way. (It must be noted here that both Roo and Elle completely adore Raegan so anything she does with them is golden in their eyes) She's played make-up, put together puzzles and read to Reece. Eliot has greatly enjoyed the "lucky" rides (on the stuffed horse), tea parties with her sisters, and playing in the girls kitchen.

Reece, on the other hand, has had a great "daughter" weekend. I'm not sure when the shift took place, but she is a full-fledged daddy's girl....and I love it. It goes without saying that Gavin loves it.:) She woke up yesterday asking if we could bring daddy breakfast in bed. She was very specific and requested coffee, also. (Gavin loves coffee in the mornings, but usually has to make it himself because I'm so busy getting the girls off to school). She did countless other things over the weekend that surprised both Gavin and myself. Her thoughtfulness amazes us. Whether it's offering to feed Eliot so daddy can watch the football game, and mommy can fix dinner, or bringing me my clothes while I'm in the shower.....she was constantly ahead of the game and meeting our needs before we could meet them ourselves.

Eliot has us completely wrapped. She's bold and fearless. She's gentle and sweet. She's strong and smart. ....wrapped.

Sorry to gush - Gavin and I just finished putting the girls down and we walked in on Rae reading to Reece, again, and I had to share. Thanks for loving our girls with us....:)

SNOW!!!!

It snowed yesterday. Our first snow of 2008!! Apart from several really scary incidents on the road yesterday coming home from picking up Roo, with Elle in the back screaming her head off (I was shaking as I drove); Rae being stranded at the school because we couldn't get to her; Gavin and Nick freezing due to walking home over 2 miles since Nick's car got stuck on their way to get Rae (we did eventually get her with the help of our friend with a 4-wheel drive vehicle), and after Gavin and I had written a scathing note of reproach to the School board, Superintendent, and anyone else we deemed responsible for not closing school before the roads got so ridiculously dangerous, ....we're now having fun and enjoying the beautiful snow:)

(side note: in Boston, or Boone, NC these 5 inches of snow would not be a big deal because the road crews can handle it......I can not say the same for this area. You wouldn't have believed the roads yesterday. I've never driven on roads that bad..NEVER. Cars were wrecked on the side of the road, in the middle of the road. Some cars were just stopped in the middle of the road. I had to drive in between, zig-zag through so many groups of vehicles.... No one should have been on the road yesterday, but there were a LOT.)

Now that we're all home safely we're really enjoying every part of the snow. The girls asked for hot chocolate this morning. After I fixed it they asked if they could have their hot chocolate outside. I said, "Sure, why not?!" I gave them some place mats to sit on and told them to get bundled up before heading out.

Reece came down with thin, white tights under a plaid skirt, with a striped turtleneck and thin jacket.......I figured they wouldn't be out that long, so after I had her put on some pants on top of the tights, they headed out. Here are some pics....It was too funny. Does she look Irish, or what?!

Here's to a SAFE and fun winter season! Let's all be careful out there:)

CAN

I'm borrowing this from my friend Anna. It was just too powerful to pass over. It's a video about a father-son marathon team, Team Hoyt. The son, Rick Hoyt, had always dreamed to run a marathon, but was born with muscular dystrophy. His father figured out a way for Rick's dream to come true.

Blessings

Blessings: A Reflection on 2007

For Christmas every year I make collage calendars of the coming year for my mom and grandparents. In addition I decided to make a dvd of the year in pictures. (Shutterfly rocks, btw:)) As I was going back over our year of pictures I was blown away. At the close of each year there is always an element of shock of some sort, disbelief of all that has transpired in 12 short months. Perhaps that will change as the children get older and our lives are no longer defined by the school year. But for now, and at this season of life with our children, it is quite shocking to reflect on a single year.

This year is especially shocking. It has been one of great blessing. Not necessarily monetarily, or materially, though the Lord has certainly more than provided all our needs and even many of our wants, but a sweet kind of blessing I don't remember ever having experienced in my adult life. I wish my words could give justice to what I feel. The only way to describe it is: a sweetly, peaceful, blessed year.

As I looked back over our pictures I was struck with the remembrance that Eliot was born this year. (I can't remember our lives without her and I'm dumbfounded that she only just entered our family) I am struck by how much my sweet Reece has matured and grown. She brings me such joy. I am pleased to see my very mature Raegan continuing to grow in her role as the oldest sister, and grow further in her understanding that she is a valuable and precious part of our family.

I fondly think about our friendship with the Wood family and how their friendship has ministered to us. Gavin hasn't had a friend like Sammy in years and it is precious and coveted. I couldn't be more thankful for the love we have found in them and their children. I am also blessed by the many friendships the Lord has brought us from Reston Bible.

We've been blessed to have many visitors this year: The Treas family, The Willis family, The Ryan family, Mr. Caine, The Dolan family, The Murriner family, our friend Jeremy Pryor, whom we've known for many years, our friend Marwa who brought her family from Israel, Nick's mom, Rita, my precious grandmother whom we call "Mom", many visits from my dear mother. What a blessing each of their visits were to us!! We LOVE hosting and are always blessed by company. (So if you're reading this and haven't yet visited...get to it:)!!! We'd love to have you!)

We have missed my sister, Jenny, greatly while she has been gone on the "World Race" through Adventures in Missions (AIM). However, she also has experienced incredible blessing through her many adventures. She has seen and experienced more this year, than many do in a lifetime. The Lord is continuing to bless her trip. (She'll be home at the end of April)

Our dear friend and brother, Nick, who lives with us, is also experiencing blessing. He has come back to a passion of cooking and will be attending culinary school later this year. We are thrilled for him to be following this dream, and to see where it leads.

God is so good! We are so blessed! I couldn't be more thankful.

As I look ahead to the coming year, it is unclear what is to come. There is transition in the months ahead. I'm not nervous. I know our dear Lord is in control and I trust Him. I'm praying for clear paths. ..closed doors where our ambitions may vary from His, and wide open doors for the path He is leading us down.

I pray your 2008 is a blessed one, my dear friends and family.

All our love - Em

Christmas recap

We had a wonderful Christmas! The day was magical. Waking up early with the girls and experiencing their excitement is always fun. Our friends, the Wood family, came over for a traditional southern Christmas feast, and brought a new friend along with them. (He was quite fascinating to talk to and a very humble spirit. We look forward to getting to know him better in the months to come.) My dad was here and Nick's mom was, as well. Everything was very yummy. We had great conversation, and the kids loved playing together and sharing their new treasures. It was lovely!:)

Mom was in Manilla with my sister for Christmas! It was quite an adventure. We are thankful to have her home safely....and back with her luggage:) She's still jet-lagging a little bit. (to be expected since they are 13 hrs. ahead of us)

We headed down to NC the day after Christmas and visited with both of our families for the past week. It was wonderful to see so many of my cousins this trip! We very much so enjoyed our time in NC and are now happy to be home. We just got back last night.

I pray you all had a wonderful Christmas and fun New Year. I'll post pictures of our trip soon.

Date Night

Tonight was date night.....not mine and Gavin's date night.....Raegan, Reece and daddy's date night! This tradition was born long before Rae first looked at her daddy with a sparkle in her eye. My dad used to take my sister and me out on dates. Those were extremely formidable times and they are proving to be so for my little girls, too.

A few weeks ago Rae wrote Gavin a letter asking to speak to him seriously, in private about something serious. I'll have to find the letter and write out exactly what she wrote...it's hilarious! Anyway, the serious talk was about going on a date...at night...just the two of them. (Rae decided tonight that it would be okay if Reece came along, too) She wanted to go somewhere French because that's romantic. She also wanted to go somewhere where they could sit by a fire...because, you guessed it, that is romantic.

They both got dressed up in their favorite dresses, put some of their new make-up on that they got from their Aunt Gina for Christmas, fixed their hair all pretty and were ready to go. Daddy took them to Dante's, a very nice Italian restaurant, then off to Starbucks where they got a pumpkin spice latte. They had a beautiful time and were beaming when they got home.

It was very cute. I even got a few hours by myself to crash. Fun was had by all!

The love of a father is truly like no other for a little girl. I always knew my dad was proud of me and loved me. That knowledge, and lots of grace, got me through several sticky moments as a teenager who was boy-crazy. I'm very thankful for the love my dad poured on me as a child. I know the girls will only grow in their appreciation of these special moments.

Rae lost her first tooth!

Hi everyone! The big announcement of the day is that Raegan Elizabeth Long has officially lost her first tooth! She couldn't be happier with herself!! and we're all very happy for her. Enjoy the picture of her one-tooth-less smile!

It's Comin' on Christmas...

We have been enjoying this Christmas season immensely:) Christmas music plays as long as we're home, which is just lovely. Our house has been decorated since the day after Thanksgiving, and I'm so inspired as I look around the room. Also, this year we have begun a new family tradition. We're officially celebrating Advent.

I'm so happy to have incorporated this into our family culture. My mom always had us celebrate Advent in our home. I have such fond memories of this festivity. It's also a wonderful way to keep our focus on Christ's birth being the reason we celebrate Christmas, and be tied in to the historical catholic (meaning universal) church. We have so enjoyed the weeks of anticipation and expectation as we look forward to Christ's birth. The girls look forward to it every night! (It's so easy to do and makes a huge impact. I highly encourage you to look into it, if you're not already observing Advent, even more so if you have children.)

We made some baskets of goodies and went Christmas caroling last week, to a local assisted living center, and our neighbors. Our neighbors didn't know what to think and only one of them actually opened the door.......quite different from the poor neighborhoods we caroled in growing up where they were completely delighted to have carolers at their door. But the assisted living center was really wonderful, as I knew it would be. We even had some of our Shepard group join us - totaling about 30 people (8 adults, the rest were children). The children were the biggest hit, of course. I think they could have cared less about our singing. They were just so happy to see little ones dressed up in Christmas dresses giving them hugs and holding their hands. ...oh, what a blessing it is to serve, even in the smallest way.

It's comin' on Christmas...and I couldn't be happier about it...sick or not!! We are blessed and so thankful. God is good!

much love to all of our friends and family. We are praising our Lord and Savior for you this Christmas season and praying for a blessed holiday.

November recap

Unfortunately our family has been hit hard with sickness this fall. I believe the last time I went a long period without writing was because of sickness, and I must use the same excuse this time, as well. Being sick is such a bummer!!! We're a very affectionate family and we keep passing things back and forth to each other.

I must stop and praise the Lord, though, because we are so thankful to not be struggling with anything serious. We are so thankful for the too-many-to-count blessings the Lord has poured out on our family. This season of sickness has been a good excersize in remembering to "give thanks in EVERY circumstance". "...when the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say Blessed Be Your Name!"

November was a whirlwind of Nutcracker activity! Raegan was in her first Nutcracker ballet the weekend after Thanksgiving. She played a mouse. The little mice stole the show! They were so cute! I've posted some pictures of her in her mouse costume, with her friend Megan, also in the show, and her with her two favorite professional performers, "Clara" and the "Sugar Plum Fairy".

Mrs. Haddad does a great job producing this show. She does it every year and brings in professional guest dancers for the key parts. It was a wonderful treat to be a part of. I got to help out back stage for two of the three performances. Mom was here and got to attend one of the performances, and our friends, the Wood family, were able to come, as well. You can see a picture of Ellie Wood with the girls.....SO cute. It was a great way to kick off the Christmas season!

Halloween in Great Falls, VA

Ahhh, Halloween in Great Falls, VA.... There's nothing quite like it. Everyone gathers in the 'village' where the local vendors are dressed to the 9's and offering candy to the children, and some offer champagne or wine for the adults. Last year when we went to the 'village' we saw a dad walking around with a champagne glass and were like "man look at that lush!! I can't believe he's out here drinking champagne while his kids are trick or treating...." Then we saw more....then we got excited! ....hahaha! (btw, I do know that it's kind of lame to get excited about such things, but it's kind of like in college when churches would come on campus giving away food. Few things were more thrilling, even if it was something you didn't like......am I the only one that got excited about .....cold green bean casserole?! ...c'mon!)

I must say that Halloween is still a bit of a novelty for me. I grew up on a farm, in the middle of 55 acres. We never went trick-or-treating. Mom and Dad would always take the three of us to our church, dressed as bible characters, and we always had a great time. Years later (post college) Gavin and I were living in S. Hamilton, MA before I saw my first trick or treaters. I didn't even realize kids really still did that anymore. It was like watching a movie the first time I saw it. So, even though we get rid of most of the candy, I still really enjoy the efforts we take to redeem Halloween from something that celebrates something evil, to a time for safe, family fun.

It was great fun, as usual. We are not fans of candy and do not keep it in the house. So, the girls got to pick out one piece of candy for each day, for one week (seven pieces total). We gave the rest of it to a dentist's office that buys it back, which then allows you to donate the money to a local shelter. It's a great way to put all that junk to good use and NOT in our bodies. The girls were excited to give it all away.

Rae was dressed as Princess Jasmine.

Roo was supposed to be dressed as Jasmine, as well, but realized that night that her Jasmine costume had been demolished at Raegan's Little Gym birthday party. So she picked a Cinderella dress out of the dress up basket, that was still in good shape (many are not). She got very much into character!:)

Eliot was, as you can see, a Red Hot Chili Pepper! ...hahaha. She HATED it, but didn't protest too much. The ONLY time she smiled was in the picture I have above. The rest of the night she just kept this look of "I can't believe you have me in this". She got a lot of attention, but couldn't have cared less. ..It was hilarious!

Everyone in Great Falls comes out for the festivities and it was lots of fun to see many of Rae's friends from school. Elmo was there to pose with all the kids. There is a pet store that sends treats home for your pets. The gazebo in the middle of the courtyard is setup for professional pictures to be taken with special props, etc. And, as I've already said, most of the adults are following their children around with wine or champagne flute in hand.........ahhhh:)

Challenged to Listen

Gavin and I are blessed to be a part of a shepherd group (fancy lingo for small group) with our local church, Reston Bible Church (RBC). Though I just deleted several paragraphs describing the group to you, you should still know that I absolutely adore this group of people, and count myself very blessed to have them in my life for this season.:)

We're reading excerpts from a book called Classic Devotionals, which gathers excerpts of sermons, writings, etc. from classic Theologians and Christian leaders throughout history - great little book, btw. The most recent read was by Henry Nouwen about finding solitude in our prayer life. We had a great discussion and I left feeling very challenged.

Our beloved pastor Dave, from the Cambridge Vineyard, issued an amazing challenge a few years back that relates to this very topic. I can't remember how he titled it, but it was basically prayer journaling. The concept is to quiet your mind for the purpose of conversing with God. As you begin to speak to God the way you would to a precious loved one, you right down the conversation that begins to unfold.

It goes something like:
me: Hi, God
Hi
me: How ya doin today?
doin' good, thanks. How you doin?
me: I'm feeling a little depressed. What's going on with me?

..you get the picture. ..and you sit and listen, typing what you hear even if you think that may have just been yourself answering that question. Eventually, you learn to distinguish between your head voice and His. ...I am still blown away, as I read back through those entries, the amazing things my daddy revealed to me when I was quiet and listening, conversing with him.

{...don't judge it, till you try it!! I know, I know, I know what you're thinking; how quickly things like this can be taken to an unhealthy extreme; how you can do some damage with this if what you hear is not held in check with scripture and accountable to someone outside of yourself, and on and on. But! don't judge it, till you try it! Meditation and solitude are consistant themes held throughout scripture. Just because the enemy has taken this concept and twisted it to have a negative association, doesn't mean it is not redeemable, and should not, therefore, be redeemed, to the glory of God.}

The months that I practiced this were some of the most amazing times of revelation in my spiritual life to date. Not only was there power in just taking time to listen and speak little, but the power of carving out time for solitude is enormous. I have great intentions for starting to prayer journal again (Trish do you remember what he calls it?), but in the mean time I am focused on redeeming every moment I can for really listening to God; our amazing God who is still speaking.

Today, I was out and about for a few hours with the girls. I began those few hours asking for God to use my current vulnerability to please speak to me - I was listening. He spoke - so sweetly. He gave me three sweet opportunities to be used by Him. The girls were a part of two of those opportunities. How precious are the things God will show us, if we just stop our inner noise long enough to listen.

As one of our dear friends shared this week in our SG (shepherd group), we just need to get in touch with our sheep-ness. Even though sheep are a pretty dumb animal, at least they recognize their Shepherd's voice, and listen.

Today was a blessing. The challenge is to keep listening....

(to be continued)

Raegan is 6!!!!

Our first born is now six years old!!! I can hardly believe it. She turned six on Saturday, the sixth of October. Her actual party is next Saturday but we had a small celebration this past Saturday. Gavin's parents came up a few days before to be here for her special day. We had her best friend over and all headed over to our local mini-farmer's market. It's called Krops Crops and we are faithful patrons. They sell pumpkins, apple cider, apples, and other produce during the appropriate seasons, and Christmas trees. We've gotten to know the owner's daughter, Lori. She's great.:)

First the girls played in the corn pit (kind of like the ball pit except with dry corn kernels instead), then we had freshly picked apples (SO YUMMY!), and fresh apple cider while we waited for our hay ride. Umm, it was so good. The hay ride was fun and cute. The girls LOVED it! It was a bumpy ride and they laughed every time we hit a bump. We ate our apples on the ride. Eliot especially loved the apples. She sucked on Gavin's like it was a pacifier!

Half way through the ride we got to stop and pick our very own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch! The girls took their time searching through all their choices before finally deciding on the perfect pumpkin. They really were the perfect pumpkin for each one, too. ...so funny.

Then we loaded back up on the wagon and finished our hayride. The girls played in the corn pit a little longer while the adults went inside to buy some more apples and cider.

Once we were home we had cake and Rae got to open her presents. ....there is so much to say, but I won't. I'll just tell you simply that every other present we had planned fell through and we decided on something that we would not normally have gotten her, but are now so happy that we did. Raegen is now a proud owner of a convertible corvette - barbie style, of course. Yes, it had to be convertible, her mommies first car was a convertible. How could I not pass on the tradition.

Even though this gift is a little extravagant, it has been a source of much entertainment. We have all laughed more in the last few days over this silly little car than anything else I can remember of late.

Long time, No Blog....:)

Well, it has been a while since I've blogged because the Long household has been sick, sick, sick. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. Thankfully I haven't really gotten it. First Rae came home with a cold and passed it on to Roo. Reece is just like my mom in that her colds go straight into her chest and cause an awful cough. I took her to the doctor and found out that she had strep:( ..poor baby. But she always amazes Gavin and myself with her cheery disposition even though she feels so bad.

Next was Rae: she came down with this really high fever, just as Roo was healing after a week of antibiotics. I felt sure it was strep also and took her to the doctor. She tested negative and they said it must be some kind of virus. Her fever began very early in the morning Sunday and lasted through Wednesday. It was a pretty high fever but no other symptoms. I heard on Thursday that this was a virus going around: high fever for four or five days and then gone, with no other symptoms. Isn't that strange?!

Now little Eliot is sick:( Sickness is so much worse on little ones! I hate it. She can't breathe to nurse, so I'm having to bottle feed her. She can't sleep. She is pretty miserable, and yet also has her moments of delightfully surprising cheer. It's been almost a week. I'm hoping her cold is almost over - or it could always be teething! You never know at this age - but it seems worse than just teething. Who knows! I remember taking Roo to the doctor, completely convinced that she had an earache only to be told that she was cutting a tooth. I couldn't believe it! I felt so silly.

Anyway, I'm coming up for air after several weeks of little sleep, wining babies and short fuses. We're doing okay. Everyone survived! Gavin is unfortunately gone for the week - he's still a little sick - so please keep him in your prayers. Some things are changing with USBX, and therefore, may be changing with his position. This seems to be an entry way back into an entrepreneurial venture for us, and we're excited about the possibilities.

Enraged Parent.......not really that enraged, but still!

(this is an email I sent to all the local news channels this morning. Now I know that on the scale of things, this is no big deal. This is not doing anything to solve world hunger or save the environment, both of which I care very much about, but it is something that matters to Raegan and it's worth my energy:))

I am outraged and don't know anyone better to vent to than this news station - hoping for justice!

You've seen stories popping up all over the country, about enraged parents looking for tickets to a Hannah Montana concert, only to be denied. It is not the "being denied" part that I am so furious about. ...that's just life. However, when the tickets go on pre-sale for fan club members, the tickets should ONLY be available for FAN CLUB MEMBERS!

I was on ticketmaster at 9:59 this morning, and again, immediately at 10:00, when these pre-sale tickets became available. (I was there earlier, but you get the point) I entered my daughter's fan club access code, but was told, at 10:00, that there were no tickets! How is this possible?! I ask myself this question because when I do a google search for tickets in DC I get sites like: StubHub offering me tickets - that I just tried to buy for $66, now for $400+; or TicketsNow that have 54 tickets available at this venue alone? The list goes on.

Surely Ticketmaster has a way to monitor where these tickets are going. If I couldn't get 4 tickets at 10:00 then how did TicketsNow have 54 tickets, minutes later?! Even if TicketsNow, for instance, had 14 agents ready to log on at 10:00 and purchase tickets (4 tickets at a time is the max), how were they able to get through and have ticketmaster approve this amount going to the same address, which must be verified before purchase is complete?

This doesn't add up. It's more than just not being able to get tickets. It's the principal behind maintaining a moral, upstanding business acumen. This is nothing short of shady. I would love to know if any actual fan club members were able to buy tickets this morning, or if they all went to brokers? What's the point of having fan club pre-sales if brokers are the majority ticket owners by the end of the ....minute?

I could understand the price gouging on the sale of tickets to the general public. But it is crossing the line when you intentionally are deceptive (posing as a fan club member) in order to make a buck. Why would I encourage this business by buying overly priced tickets from a broker? I would pay more than $66, easily, to go see Hannah Montana, but I am not about to pay some broker that is in for an easy buck. I WON'T encourage that behavior.

I would love to see one of your investigative reporters do a story on the shady business of ticket brokers. How exactly do they go about cheating little children out of seeing one of their heroes? It's not right.

A concerned parent,
Emily Long

Crown of Thorns

So I must say that I am a hard sale when it comes to worship meetings, bible studies, etc. Not that it's hard to get me to go - I love worship and studying the word - but I'm usually pretty skeptical about the depth of the content.....does that make sense? I have approached this Beth Moore study with equal caution, not wanting to expect too much. I am already really pleasantly surprised! Really!

Today was our first discussion about the text we studied this past week. These kind of biblical discussions are always difficult, I feel, when you're with a group just getting to know each other. Everyone is kind of on edge trying to figure out where you come from, spiritually and biblically. But they are a very nice group of women and I'm so happy to be a part of it.
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The subject that occupies my thoughts today is the account of Abraham and Isaac. Anyone who was raised going to church - at least Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian - knows well the story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, in order to show his faithfulness to the Lord. You know that just as Abraham was raising the knife to kill his son on the alter the Lord stopped him and provided a ram for the sacrifice instead. Abraham was rewarded for his faithfulness, being willing to give up the most important thing to him in the world. Isaac also represented the covenant God had made to Abraham, promising that he would be the father of many nations, that his descendants would outnumber the stars. Abraham had enough faith to trust that God had a plan bigger than he understood, and obeyed with wreckless abandon.

This is an amazing story in and of itself. One can clearly see, through the Christian lens, that this was a precursor to the plan already in motion of God sacrificing his only Son, Jesus, as the ultimate and last sacrifice. It is fascinating, troubling, amazing, and precious all at the same time.

In this study, however, Moore digs a little deeper regarding the way God provided a sacrifice that day Abraham found himself standing over his son with his knife drawn. Beginning with the fall, God tells Adam that, as part of the curse, thorns and thistles will grow from the ground. Thorns are evidence of the curse.

...a little side note: on their way up the mountain Isaac basically says, hey dad, we have the wood and things for a fire, but where is the lamb? Abraham replies back, "God will provide himself a lamb". God didn't provide a lamb. He provided a ram. For the first time, I wondered what was the significance of a ram vs. a lamb. So a ram is an adult sheep - sadly I had to look that up. You may have already known that, but I thought it was very excellently significant, and should be noted.

The ram was found in a thicket, caught by its horns. Moore suggests that a thicket in the Middle Eastern terrain was normally a thorn bush. So the ram, an adult male sheep, was caught in the thorns by it's horn...

"Luke 1:68-69 says, 'Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because
He has visited and provided redemption for His people. He has
raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant
David' (HCSB). Blessed be the horn of our salvation! Jesus
Christ was the Ram whose head was wrapped in thorns to secure
God's blessing for all who would receive it." -B. Moore, A Woman's Heart

Wow!!! Jesus wearing a crown of thorns takes on a whole new meaning for me now. I don't know if that hits you as hard as it hits me. It may be my simplicity, but to think of how that ram, caught by it's head in the thorn bush, was symbolic of the sacrifice our Lord would make, humbling himself to literally wear the curse of sin on his head, a crown of thorns, levels me. Wow.

some pics of the girls

You can see Rae's adorable dance outfit, and both of the girls gymnastics leotards:) oh, and there are a few of elle...:)

(thanks, Anna, for the slideshow idea:))

Ministry of Reconciliation

I've just begun a women's bible study at RBC (Reston Bible Church) on Thursday mornings. I'm very excited about it. I tried to do this last year, when we had first moved, but too many things were going on for me to commit the time and effort it requires. (btw, I can't believe it's already been a year?!?! What?!!!:)) So when the opportunity presented itself ...they've been doing this women's bible study ministry at RBC for over 20 years ...I jumped at the chance.

Childcare is provided for Elle, and Roo and Raegan are in school, of course. I am pretty sure that I'm one of the youngest, if not the youngest woman attending among the 50+ women, but there are several little babies in the nursery with Elle. The church gets older women from an assisted living facility near by to come and watch the children. They all love the children dearly and it is a wonderful little side ministry. The women get paid, too! It's a great idea. The older women are always sad to see summer come because they miss the children. I met all of them last week, as we all came in at the same time. They are really precious women.

I am participating in a Beth Moore study called "A woman's heart", based on the study of the Tabernacle in the OT. I'm excited to do a Moore study as my mom and sister have done several and always rave about their time spent doing so. I'm several days into the first week of study and I am intrigued. Not only is this the first time, in a long time, I've been challenged to really dig into the word on a daily basis, but this topic of the Tabernacle is not one I have studied since college, and then only briefly.

I'm sure I'll be writing a lot about what I'm learning through this study. The first thing to have caught my attention is the verse, 2 Corinthians 5:18: ...[God] reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation...

The ministry of reconciliation... I think of this, much like I do of chapter 1 in 2 Corinthians, a passage I have clung to for many years which says that He is the great Comforter who has comforted us so that we may comfort others. We have been reconciled so that we may be bring reconciliation to the world. ...priesthood of the believers. ...which takes place, not through an individual, but through the BODY of Christ, us, His people. We have been given a ministry of reconciliation.

Though this may seem a trivial discovery, it took me aback. I don't recall ever hearing about this ministry before. I'm not really sure what it means...practically speaking. It certainly does make me think a little harder about my relationships and what it really means to share the life of Christ with others.

It seems this thought of "bringing reconciliation" is much more than being evangelical, though the act requires such a heart. Evangelism has taken on a connotation of an apologetic delivery of the gospel message. In other words, to be evangelical means that you "present", in argument fashion, the gospel of salvation. Whether that be through a brief explaination of the 7 Spiritual laws, or through many conversations, it is still a presentation of some form. ...it seems cold and distant, though delivered with the absolute best of intentions, no doubt. The word "reconcile", however, denotes a sense of healing. It carries a warmth that surpasses information or knowledge.

After three years of marriage, Gavin and I went through the most traumatic thing either of us had ever experienced in our marriage/life, and we understood the words "restored", "redeemed", "reconciled" in a much deeper way than we had ever imagined knowing. These words were personal. They were healing. Their realty was a blessing full of joy and new life.

Reconcile means:
To reestablish a close relationship between.
To settle or resolve.

This is our ministry to the world, through Christ, who has reconciled us, so that we may bring reconcilation to others. It's personal; it brings healing and, to participate, is a blessing full of joy and new life.

Lord, please continue to work this out in me. I still don't really understand what this looks like, but I want to.

thoughts?

Old Murphy

Yesterday was quite eventful! We started out the morning just like any other. We got out of bed at 7am. The girls used the potty, got dressed and met me downstairs for breakfast. I had their food ready and was popping some left over omelet in the microwave for me. Music was playing throughout the house. Everything was relatively peaceful - as peaceful as busy mornings can be - and we were on schedule. ...until I hit the "start" button on the microwave.

As soon as the microwave started, or rather tried to start, I immediately knew something weird was going on. The light inside the microwave was very dim, much more so than usual, and it started making a funny buzz noise. I quickly stopped it and tried again, thinking maybe it was a little glitch. This time it did the same thing, and the speakers in the living room blew out, and the ceiling fan knocked off.

....OKAY!! strange! The speakers are new, so maybe there was something weird with the wiring, so I take the girls their breakfast, because there's no time for stopping. The very tight ship must go on:) I went to turn the light on in the dining room, which are set on a dimmer, and they wouldn't come up past a low dim. As I did this more things began popping around the house. I immediately yelled for Gavin and Nick and went around the house unplugging everything I could get to.

The night lights in the upstairs hallway were as bright as spotlights, when they are normally very dim, things were popping left and right! AGGHH!!! What is going on?!

Nick shut the breaker off and the three of us gathered in the kitchen to figure out what in the world just happened. The girls were still eating breakfast, as Gavin called the electrician. He referred us to the power company, saying that if it is house wide it has to do with the power source. The power company was out a few hours later discovering that when Verizon had come down our road months ago, installing a new fiber optic line, they had cut part of our neutral line, which stabilizes the ebbs of flow of electricity coming into the house. Over time the line had finally completely severed.

After getting the girls to school I decided Elle and I would stay out while they were trying to get the power back on. They had to dig up the road to install a new line. Thankfully, Gavin and Nick decided to turn around and come back home to be there when the power company got there, otherwise I don't know that they would have been so thorough. ..by now they were heading, once again, toward work.

On Monday's, in Virginia, the teacher's get out at noon. For Kindergarten, since it's only until noon, usually, they get out an hour early, at 10:45. I know this. But this was no normal day. Murphy was visiting and was making our lives ____, um, interesting for the afternoon:) I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE EARLY PICK UP! The school was able to reach Gavin, who was still on his way to work, and he and Nick turned back around, for the second time, to go pick up Rae.

I went ahead and picked up Roo and then we met Gavin, Nick and Rae at home. By this time the power was back on and we were assessing the damage. We lost the dishwasher, the double ovens, the washing machine, our IHome, the new dvd/vcr combo that was downstairs, both garage doors......that's all for now, but we're still looking. The surge protectors we had did their jobs and saved us from an electrical fire that would have burned the house down, no doubt. They were fried so we've already replaced them. A must, in our home.

Well. Thank you, Lord for surge protectors, and for being the great protector of our lives. I'm so thankful that it wasn't any worse than it was. It could have been devastating!! God is good. Murphy is evil. And we're just fine:)

I hope everyone else is doing wonderfully! We're all healthy, happy, safe, and extremely thankful:)

Today, is already a MUCH better day! Lots of fun. Today is gymnastics and dance:)

Be safe out there!:) ...get some surge protectors if you don't have any already.

First Week of School

Well, we did it!! I have to just praise the Lord for a wonderful week.

(this last picture was just before bath time - typical Roo - she came in completely naked except for her socks. Gavin ran to get the camera because it was just too perfect - that's me censoring the pic, with Elle's bald head making a cameo:))

Raegan started school on Tuesday. She did great. Raegan made lots of new friends. One of her best friends, already, is Megan who also takes dance at her ballet class.

Dance is a wonderful blessing. I'm going to get pictures of her uniform - so adorable. They all look the same - all the students wear a maroon, long sleeved leotard, light pink tights, and a pink headband. The teacher is very good. She demands a lot of the girls, and isn't exactly warm and fuzzy, but the all the girls love her. She's originally from Russia, if that gives you a better idea of what kind of personality she has. She's really great. I'm happy with how that is going.

Reece began her first day of school on Thursday and I was completely shocked at how well she did! She didn't hesitate a bit. She walked right in and got busy working on a project.....!!!! Wow! ...not even a pouty face!!:) I waited and observed her for a while to make sure that she would be okay - she was. Her teacher Mrs. Rous (from France:)), said that you would have thought she had been going to Montessori for years. I'm so proud of her! I can't believe it!

Gymnastics was also on Tuesday. I'll get pictures of that, too:) Also a really wonderful activity for the girls. The gym is owned by a family that is wonderful. They've been doing this for over 20 years. The dad, mom, and daughter all teach and are wonderful, along with the other teachers.

We are so blessed!

What a week!

Wow! This week has already been full of firsts for our family. First on the list of firsts...:), Rae started Kindergarten today! We spent a lot of time talking about what the day would entail as we prayed together last night. She had lots of questions, mainly about what she would do if someone was mean to her. We prayed for God to give her strength through her fear. We went back over one of the previous devotionals from our princess book, about how she is chosen, and that crowns and jewels don't make a princess, but sharing God's love and the light He has blessed her with does.

As we walked into her classroom this morning, I did get a little misty eyed, but mostly I was so happy for her and proud. I knew she was ready and that this is going to be a great experience for her. She's strong.

Roo, Elle and I picked her up and she was beaming. She made lots of friends today, and was sure to tell me about one very sassy boy - who we prayed for tonight:) hahaha my little Rae, she is quite the evangelist:)

After school we headed home for a quick lunch and an even quicker nap. It went very smoothly - thank you, Lord!

We then headed out to our first day of gymnastics at NVGA (Northern Virginia Gymnastics Academy). Wow!!! It was great. Roo was a little nervous at first because she forgot that we weren't going back to the Little Gym, but then warmed up quickly and had a fabulous time. Raegan loves it, too. Elle and I spread out on the matted floor and played together. Fun was had by all:)

Next, we piled in the car and headed back into Great Falls for Rae's first day of Ballet at her new school, Margaret Haddad School of Ballet. Rae didn't skip a beat. She couldn't wait to get into ballerina mode. Roo, Elle and I played in the lobby together. I think next time we'll go across the street to our favorite library:) All of the other parents dropped off their daughters and showed up again when it was time for class to be over. So I think we'll try the library to pass the time. Although it seemed to go by very quickly today.

We got home and crashed! What a day! Thankfully this is only a Tuesday thing. I had the option of doing gymnastics on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but dance is also twice a week on those days, and I don't think I'm strong or sane enough to try another day like today twice in one week.

The other really big first, as you can see, is that Elle had her head shaved this week! Don't worry! Even though this is a first for Elle, it is also her last. Gavin and I used team work to get this one done. As we were shaving her head, I couldn't believe that I had shaved Roo's head all by myself, when she was six months old! She looks adorable. We used the electric razor first, then "bick"ed it.

Though the kitchen is quite messy right now, I am proud to have come through this day having had fun and enjoying my precious little ones. They were amazingly wonderful. It was a blessed day:) ...and one I'm sure to remember for years to come.

Fun with family

Over our vacation we spent lots of time with family, some that we haven't seen in years. We had a great time catching up with so many of my cousins and their families. One such occasion was the celebration of my Nana's 80th birthday (my dad's mom).

We had a wonderful time playing in the pool and chatting up my very wonderful cousins, Jason, and his wife, Janet, and Marnie, and her husband, Dave. Gavin and I got really close with Jason and Janet when we lived in Cary, just before Roo was born. They are wonderful friends. Jason and Gavin have a lot in common and share a very sweet bond - the Carolina fanatic bond....;) So, it was great to see them and really catch up. I loved being able to spend time with Marnie and Dave's adorable little Jack, and Jason and Janet's cutie pie, little Anna.

Of course, we spent lots of time with my brother and his family, too, which was really fantastic. I love my brother very much and we've become much closer since getting married and having children. I still vividly remember the first serious conversation I ever had with my brother. Gavin and I were living in Boone, having just left Boston the first time, and were celebrating our sister's graduation, when he asked me how I knew Gavin was the one. He then began to describe a very beautiful, and strong woman, who I now know as my sister-in-law, Stephanie:) His girls and mine are about the same age. Macy and Rae are two weeks apart. Abbi and Roo are more like a year apart, but still play great together. (their son Hayes is the oldest grandchild and we had a great time with him, too. He is a very talented musician and he got to show off a little for Gavin and myself while we were home. We were both extremely impressed!)

They were at the party, too. We had so much fun being all together, and seeing our little ones play together. We did, however, greatly miss our little sister Jenny. It's the first time we've all been together in years and we all greatly missed her presence. (She's away on a year long mission trip)

The girls and I also got to spend several days with my cousin Elizabeth. She also has three girls. Hannah and Rae are three years apart. Roo and her second little girl, Mckenzie, are only two months apart in age, and her most recent little one, London, and Elle are only two weeks apart in age. Everywhere we went we got SO much attention. I guess it was quite a site to see the two of us girls, who look young for our age anyway, being followed by six little girls! We felt very "girl power"-y when we were together! They all played so great together and it was the most time I've ever spent with her precious little girls. We even got to spend the night one night!!! We had such a great time.

I am very blessed. I love my cousins, dearly. We never spent that much time together growing up, but it is wonderful to be friends with them now. My sister and I have always been friends, but it's also a special blessing to be friends with my brother and sister-in-law. We talked about real things on this trip, shared some of our dreams, went out on a double date. It was wonderful! We all have children and are coming into our own. It is a special kind of friendship, unique to my other relationships. I'm very thankful for each one.

getting my feet wet again:)

It has been over three weeks since my last post!!!!! THREE WEEKS! I was doing so well there for a while. Vacation took a huge toll on my blogging, and then this week has been packed full of getting the girls prepared for school and tying up loose ends. School begins next week for Raegan, on Tuesday, and for Roo, on Thursday. Dance and gymnastics begin this coming week, as well. Life is about to get a little crazy, but I'm ready and excited! I'm looking forward to seeing how this will work.

I have lots of pictures to upload and lots to share, but I thought I'd begin slowly for tonight (this will probably show up as tomorrow's blog, but it is currently Saturday night as I write this.) So here are some quiz results that I found from one of my friend's blogs. Enjoy:) ...and stay tuned for much more to come:)

You scored as Martin Luther,The daddy of the Reformation. You are opposed to any Catholic ideas of works-salvation and see the scriptures as being primarily authoritative.

Which theologian are you?
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Which theologian are you?
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Martin Luther		80%
John Calvin		73%
Charles Finney		60%
Jonathan Edwards		60%
Jürgen Moltmann		47%
Anselm		47%
Paul Tillich		40%
Karl Barth		33%
Augustine		33%
Friedrich Schleiermacher		27%

Which theologian are you?
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