Reality Strikes

Wow what a week.  If this is any indication of what is too come I need to  get a better seatbelt.  Sunday was a normal day.  We went to church in the morning, maple syrup Sunday in the afternoon and then in the evening we had our normal Nacho's and worship night.   More of our friends, past and present, were able to join us and it was such a sweet time for us as we are getting more used to our new home.  Curtis read Psalm 70 and we had worship, and as usual the kids ran around crazy.  This week and I use that term loosely seeing as it is only Wednesday, we have fed people, I have been dealing with 2 very crazed littles, meetings, migraine, company, someone stole our "mud covering" from our backyard (plywood that we walked on so as not to track too much mud in the house)- Believe it or not that was most upsetting.  I also didn't get my recyclables picked up for the 3rd time.  My trash has only been removed once.  Over the last few months I've called 5 times about trash. My car sounds like it's playing the flute - not sure what that means.....We lost power last night when an apartment building caught fire a block away.  6 families were displaced last night and lost all their stuff.  So sad.

This table has fed an additional 13 people this week and it's only Wednesday.  Tonight I received a call from a friend that is in human services.  She had another friend that was a caseworker of a family that just moved here and didn't have any food.  I didn't have any food or any money to give them but I did have dinner and Praise God they actually came over and ate it.  They had the most beautiful baby girl. So precious. I told the caseworker that we don't have much but we are always willing to share a meal or help in any way we can.  I think she kept my number.  Very exciting.  We've only been here 2 weeks.  
We had a very normal Saturday last weekend.  What a breath of fresh air to be a family.  I went grocery shopping and the kids did yard work and got muddy.  It was awesome. Later that night  Curtis, Justin and I saw Phil Keaggy, He has got to be the my all time favorite.

On a more personal note we were able to get away 2 weekends ago to Bar Harbor.  I have never actually stayed there and it is beautiful.  This was our first beach day of 2011.   We drove around the cove the long way and came across this pretty little beach.  The kids had been in the car for a while so they were happy to get out and run. There was this funny dog that wanted to play fetch but didn't want you to touch him. Curtis was being goofy and it was so nice to play as family.  I would encourage you all to think the next time you see a family going through a hard time what that could mean and how that plays out in just the ordinary parts of life.  I try to stop and think about this now when I see people.  Today I say an elderly man ask me for a cigarette from across the street through hand motions.  I was in my car driving.  Kinda funny but what a life that man must have.

Kiana is so funny and such a cutie.

LHS jazz band. Justin is 3rd from the left sporting a ponytail. He played 3 solos, and is really liking the improv.

Well the whole reason for our visit to Bar Harbor was the  Lewiston High School jazz band was in a competition at the local high school.  We decided to go because we hadn't been able to be apart of the things he is involved in this year.  It was the same weekend he was to get an award for his oil self portrait but he choice to go to the jazz competition.  He has come so far with his clarinet. I'm proud of his progess,  he really enjoys jazz.  He has even purchased a record player and listens to Benny Goodman.   So, thank-you Justin for a fun filled weekend,  and thank-you LHS jazz for giving us the excuse to take a little weekend away.