This and That

Carlie has started her Upward Basketball again. It is amazing just how much one year difference makes in her skill level. She understands dribbling now, and bounce passes. She really enjoys the sport, and I am thinking next year perhaps signing her up for a more advanced program. As much as I love the Upward program, truth be told that advanced skills aren't necessarily taught. Basics - yes. Love of Jesus - yes. Having fun and laughing a lot - yes. Skills to get you a scholarship to Taylor University - not so much.

This weekend we took the girls to their first Komet hockey game. We had the suite tickets and invited our good friends the Fanchers. To our surprise (again, I am not sure why I get so surprised at these things...) the girls LOVED the hockey game. Carlie nearly sat for the entire game and even started to catch on to some of the rules. Lucy did better than we thought, although her DS was a nice distraction a times. I see many more Komet games in our future. Ha...never thought that sentence would come out of my mouth.

Finally, today was "Wacky Tacky Tuesday" and boy was it fun getting dressed this morning. Some mornings I just want to stay home from work and keep the girls home and just laugh and hang out all day long. Today was one of those days. I think the idea of getting to dress up put the girls in a better mood for school...which in turn, put me in a better mood (pre-coffee good mood mind you..) Just how hillbilly do they look??

Five for Today

As I sit here in my pajamas drinking my coffee at 9:34 a.m., I look out my window and see the beautiful snow God dropped down from the sky. The sun is shining and there are promises of sledding later today. Instead of breezing through my morning without acknowledging God's amazing works in my life, I am going to publicly thank God for five things right now.

Health. The stomach flu has invaded our house over the past week. As I hold back hair, wash towels and sheets and refill Sprite cups, I am thankful for the health of my family. When I think that some families have to hold their child's hair for months on end as their young children undergo chemotherapy. I often take for granted that the flu, a cold or a fever only lasts measly days in our house...in other households it lasts months, perhaps years. I take a moment to pause and thank God for my families health.

My Husband. I am not sure O'Sullivans is what God had in mind when I met my husband, but so be it. The man is not only my best friend, but he is my rock. When my over analytical, over anxious, worry wart persona kicks into gear, he is right there, reminding me that "it's all going to be alright." I love the attention his gives his family at all times. There is no second guessing his morals and values. Thank you God for providing a Head of the Household for our family.

Carlie. When pregnant with my first child, I was adamant I was going to have a boy. Nope, no girls for me. Nope, if it is a girl, no pink for her. I personally feel God was chuckling as I was having those thoughts. Carlie has brought not only plenty of pink and "bling bling" into my life, she has brought the joy only a daughter could bring. Thank you God for knowing me better than I know myself.

Lucy. Lucy has taught me that each child is an individual. You cannot expect a child to ride a bike at 5 1/2, or read at 6. Each child has their own love language. Lucy has taught me the love languages of Quality Time and Physical Touch. These are not my love languages, but Lucy thrives on them. Ironically, they are also Jeff's. Coincidence? I think not. Thank you God for giving me a daughter to grow my love languages.

My Job. Do I like getting up and leaving my kids each morning? No. Do I like my job? Yes. With today's economy, I am thankful for a job that more than pays the bills and provides my kids a Christian education, its flexibility allows me to spend time with my kids whenever I need. It provides me with a promise of retirement. It provides me with health insurance, so I don't hesitate when my child needs to see a doctor. It provides me with an opportunity to share the gospel with unbelievers outside my comfort zone. The last is slow moving...but moving nonetheless. Thank you God for allowing me to work.

I urge you to take five minutes and think about your Five for Today. It will leave a smile on your face, I guarantee it.

My Little Actress

At a recent parent teacher conference for Carlie, her teacher asked us, "Have you have considered acting for Carlie?" I mean...sure...she is a drama queen, but no...we hadn't even considered it. We were sweetly encouraged to explore that avenue, as she felt Carlie had much talent.

So today was Carlie's acting debut. Our children's ministries at church have a small acting team, which I sometimes assist with as the older, wiser mother of the club house kids, otherwise known as "Mrs. F" After sweet talking the leader of the children's ministries, I convinced him to add in some children's parts to our normal script. To which, he did without much complaint. Although Carlie's part was small, I have a feeling that we have sparked a love within her. She memorized her lines beautifully, moved about the stage like she had done it 100 times before. Yes, I am a bit bias...but the girl's got talent. You see...this should not come as a surprise to me. The Gongaware side is full of acting talent. From Uncle Rich, to cousin Sophie, and the list could go on. How far do we want to take this? And how can I keep my little girl "little" in a profession that perhaps isn't always God-centered? Okay...you are right...I am getting ahead of myself. For the next few years, I see Carlie's character "Sophie" be written into many more scripts. Proud? You could say that.