First Day of School

Children went back to school today. It was a big relief for general daycare operations and my own children were eager to get in the swing of things. Don't ask me why they are leaning in this photo. I was already at the daycare when the official "back-to-school" pictures were shot. No new children starting school this year. Randy would be old enough to attend the district's half-day pre-k, but since I assure the parents that my center will have their children "kindergarten ready," I figure sending my own child off would not be good advertisement for my business.

Saturday Nine

Saturday 9: Welcome Back
1. Where were you the last time that someone welcomed you back?
In my front yard. No, wait, that's not right. I went to a teacher conference last week, and when I went back into the daycare that afternoon, I was welcomed back by MANY small people.

2. Tell us who is you favorite non-family member to hang out with?
Gosh, that is a tough one. Can't say for sure about one particular person, it varies so widely depending on my mood and the circumstances, but I was thinking the other day, how I would love to slip back in time to college and spend a few days lounging on the beds in the dorm rooms of Merle Bruce, brushing each others' hair, talking and laughing...those were some good times.

3. What was the last thing that happened to anger you?
See prior two posts.

4. What was the last thing that you saw that was shocking to see?
Usually it is something I hear about that shocks me. Not something I see. I guess the last thing I first-person saw that truly shocked me was meeting Cara's birth mother two years ago. What drugs and degredation had done to the body, mind, and spirit of what had been a beautiful young woman was so disturbing, I still wake in the night and cry over that memory.

5. What is your favorite thing to do on Saturday besides Saturday 9?
Sleep in.

6. Have you had your summer vacation yet? If yes tell us about it.
Besides weekend getaways to the lake house, we haven't had a vacation this year.

7. Pick out one of your cousins and tell us about them.
My cousin Karen is five years older than me. She and her sister inherited all the beautiful Native American features--high cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes, and jet black hair. (My sisters and I got the shaft.) She is HILARIOUS. She just had her first baby in April. It's been fun and...wierd...to read her new mommy posts on facebook, because I always looked up to her as a kid and now I think, "Oh, yeah, been there. Done that."

8. Do you have any special plans for next week?
Kids go back to school.

9. At what age will you consider yourself old and why?
I think 72. Not sure why that number just popped into my head.

Update

The master is still employed at the church with an 83% vote. I would say something regarding the other 17%, but my husband thinks that I shouldn't and he is reading over my shoulder. Suffice to say, I hope they will be very happy wherever they end up.
Thank you all for your prayers. There was no visible ugly last night.

Prayers Requested

I haven't posted (much) about the L-O-N-G drama of church, but since sometime before Easter, we have not had an easy time of it. That is putting it far too mildly, but I digress...
What it has boiled down ('up?' because I've no doubt that the fires of hell itself has fueled it) to is a vote of no confidence in the master tomorrow night. He has the support of a majority of the church--if it had been otherwise, he would have resigned months ago--but, according to the by-laws of the congregation, the vote must be carried by 75%. That is a rather high percentage, and we know that the people who are opposing him have been on a phone campaign and will undoubtedly bring as many members as they can dig up to the vote tomorrow night.
Side note: Can we get any more childish? Are we really going to drag His name through the mud before a lost and dying world? Really? How did we come to this?
At this point, I don't know how to pray for this situation. If the minority succeeds in running the master off, it will surely kill the church. The majority who love and support him are also--coincidentally--the ones who actually do the work of ministry. Many will leave if he is forced out. But he has been hurt very badly by these people. It's been ugly. That's the only word for it. Ugly. A 'no' vote would be almost like a release from prison. Permission to shake the dust off our feet and move on.
So just pray for God's will to be done. And especially pray for no more ugly. O.K.?

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. Psalms 90:17 emphasis added

Big Girl Bed

Yes, she was using the potty and speaking in full sentences, but still slept in a crib. No longer. We dug out the old toddler bed today, slapped on a new paint job (it was looking sad and pitiful after Marina, Randy, and two moves), and gave Cara her final "your not a baby any more" promotion. As you can tell she is pretty darn excited about it.