Choose

Ro's having dinner with a friend tonight in Boulder. I think it's great that he can do that, but man I miss him. With him working full days and commuting (35 minutes each way) ~ I miss him. You'd think by now I'd be used to it, but I'm not. By 6 in the evening I'm really wishing him home. And tonight it will be even later, since he's going out, but I'm glad he has a chance to see his friend anyway. :)

So, since he's gone tonight I took the kids out to Runza for dinner. My goodness, I like this place. We haven't been in a long time. I'm not sure I've been since I took my dad there back in October. I really like their food, and it's so encouraging to sit and eat with Christian praise music playing over the speaker. We had a good time.

All is well here. It was a balmy 34 degrees today. Believe me, after yesterday, it felt balmy. :) When I took Josh to school yesterday it was only 1, and overnight it had been several degrees below zero. In fact our kitchen sink pipes froze. :( It was weird, because there aren't any pipes exposed outside, and none of the other pipes froze, but those did. It could be because they're still on an outside wall, or it could be because the previous owners had routed some of those pipes into the basement or something and it's cold down there. Whatever happened, they froze. We got the cold water going through there in the afternoon, and by evening we had hot water through there as well.

At least it didn't affect our showers and such!!!

The cold doesn't bother me much, because frankly, I'm not in it a lot. Some days I'm not in it at all, since I don't even have to open the garage door until I'm buckled in the seat. But even when we do go out, like tonight, it's not so bad just walking from the car to the business, because there's no wind. What a difference that nasty wind makes. That is one thing I do NOT miss about soCal.

Someone asked me how cold it is here. I said, "It's a toasty 68 degrees." Yeah, inside, but hey, that's where I'm at. :)

This week the kids began the second semester of school. The big difference (not much other difference, either, except that report cards come home this week) is that Chris will be taking PE instead of health, and they'll be dressing out beginning tomorrow. That, to me, is such a milestone in growing up. I remember clearly how I felt a little anxious about dressing out in front of all those other girls when I began junior high (although we started dressing out in 7th grade, not 6th)... She, too, is a little nervous, but we've been doing our best to make her realize that it's really not that big a deal. Funny enough, she's actually looking forward to gym, although I never really considered her the athletic type. She's also planning to go on a ski trip through the city for students from her school in March. Can you believe that? Chris skiing?!?! Who'd'a thunk it? :)

Josh's OM team is working hard and gearing up for their competition in March. He really amazes me with all he is learning, and one of the best parts is that he engages us in what he's learning. Today he came home talking about how Bush is in the Middle East and there are people running for President. He told me that his OM team has to change to a different type of dinosaur, (insert whatever he called it here), because it was important it was an herbivore and not an omnivore. And tonight he debated with me about what technically the word "guy" means. What a kid.

Miss Grace has learned to undress herself. The first day she did it all day; now she just does it I think when she's bored. She moos, howls, and honks all day long. She pushes her baby (or duck or elephant) in the decrepit stroller she got for Christmas. She keeps me entertained all day long.

Ro and I are doing well. We've been talking lately about making choices. I'd been dealing with some (negative) things and one day I literally woke up and heard in my head, "Choose this day Whom you will serve." I realized that I could continue to mope and pout and deal with those things that were growing old (serving myself), or I could choose to change my attitude and my focus to serve Him fully. Maybe it doesn't sound like much to you, but the idea of making a choice - a conscious choice - to change my attitude, outlook, productivity, and more - was profound.

So, for about the last week, we - Ro and I - have been conscious of making that choice each and every day. And guess what? It's been a great week. No more blahs, no more dealing with those other things (or rather they're dealt with and over now). We're choosing to give our best to God, to be disciplined, to honor Him with our best. And it's been cool.