I wanted to update those of you who were thinking of me and praying for me during my impromptu job supervising a non-custodial parental visit.
The visit went really well. The dad was extremely emotional, and I struggled holding back tears of my own. It was upbeat and positive. And I'm actually going to be supervising a visit with the same family again this weekend.
Also, there is a possibility of more work like this for me in the future. It's rough, emotionally, but I think it will be good. I'm in contact with someone...
I prayed for him, the kids, and the mom throughout the whole visit.
I can't imagine that being a bad thing for a broken family...
Thanks for your prayers!!!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Snow Day
I'm thinking of you today, Jeny! I know that ground cover in December absolutely delights your heart. I'm putting on some Christmas music, heating up the tea kettle and thinking of you today!
Oh, and bundling up four little people for some outdoor play.
Oh, and bundling up four little people for some outdoor play.
Float
It's Wednesday. The Candlelight Christmas parade is Friday. In two days.
Did I tell you that Pathway enters a float into the parade every year? This will be our 4th parade since we moved here. The first year, Seth was only two months old. So natually, we thought, Live Nativity. (Okay, so maybe that's not the "natural" first thought the average mother of a newborn has. I think that natural first thought is, "I'll stay home with the baby." Maybe I'm not so average.) Anyway, our generator stopped working, so none of the strings of lights we painstakingly hung were lit. (Lights are kind of important in a nighttime Christmas parade.) But we did have paperbag luminaries, each filled with sand that anchored a small candle. The kids were dressed as shepherds, a couple of grownups were wisemen, a Joseph was thrown in there, and I was Mary holding a very red-headed baby Jesus, who thankfully slept through the whole parade. I was so thankful, because I didn't really have a plan B if baby Jesus was uncooperative. Oh, and we all sat on bales of hay on a trailer, pulled by a pick-up truck. So, why did I think that real candles and dry bales of hay and small children were a perfect parade combination? Thank the Lord none of the little shepherds set the float ablaze. And the luminaries were actually as charming and lovely as can be, and we won a little trophy for our float as the Chambers of Commerce Choice award. Fun. Kind of. It was FREEEZING.
The year after, we set up a little living room scene with a Christmas tree and sofa and had the families huddled together. Last year, we set up rows of chairs around a Christmas tree and the kids all held battery operated candles. We also made two signs that said, "PATHWAY," with the "T" shaped like a cross, out of Christmas lights.
This year...we have no idea.
We still have no headway into our float. Basic problem? We don't have a float. Basic solution to problem? Find a float.
The fellow who loaned us his trailer the past couple of years just repainted it beautifully, and we really didn't feel like we should ask to use it. With so many kids and decorations, we really couldn't guarantee a scratch-free return.
So...I'm not sure what we'll do. Our neighbor has an old hay wagon. Maybe he'll let us use it? Or we could just deocrate the sides of Rob's pick-up and pile all the kids in the back? But then how do we decorate it?
Anybody have any ideas "floating" around out there?
Did I tell you that Pathway enters a float into the parade every year? This will be our 4th parade since we moved here. The first year, Seth was only two months old. So natually, we thought, Live Nativity. (Okay, so maybe that's not the "natural" first thought the average mother of a newborn has. I think that natural first thought is, "I'll stay home with the baby." Maybe I'm not so average.) Anyway, our generator stopped working, so none of the strings of lights we painstakingly hung were lit. (Lights are kind of important in a nighttime Christmas parade.) But we did have paperbag luminaries, each filled with sand that anchored a small candle. The kids were dressed as shepherds, a couple of grownups were wisemen, a Joseph was thrown in there, and I was Mary holding a very red-headed baby Jesus, who thankfully slept through the whole parade. I was so thankful, because I didn't really have a plan B if baby Jesus was uncooperative. Oh, and we all sat on bales of hay on a trailer, pulled by a pick-up truck. So, why did I think that real candles and dry bales of hay and small children were a perfect parade combination? Thank the Lord none of the little shepherds set the float ablaze. And the luminaries were actually as charming and lovely as can be, and we won a little trophy for our float as the Chambers of Commerce Choice award. Fun. Kind of. It was FREEEZING.
The year after, we set up a little living room scene with a Christmas tree and sofa and had the families huddled together. Last year, we set up rows of chairs around a Christmas tree and the kids all held battery operated candles. We also made two signs that said, "PATHWAY," with the "T" shaped like a cross, out of Christmas lights.
This year...we have no idea.
We still have no headway into our float. Basic problem? We don't have a float. Basic solution to problem? Find a float.
The fellow who loaned us his trailer the past couple of years just repainted it beautifully, and we really didn't feel like we should ask to use it. With so many kids and decorations, we really couldn't guarantee a scratch-free return.
So...I'm not sure what we'll do. Our neighbor has an old hay wagon. Maybe he'll let us use it? Or we could just deocrate the sides of Rob's pick-up and pile all the kids in the back? But then how do we decorate it?
Anybody have any ideas "floating" around out there?
Saturday, December 1, 2007
B-b-b-b-baby, It's C-c-c-c-cold Outside!
As I type this I'm listening to ice from the heavens angrily pelting my window. It's as if the snow was in too big of a hurry to drift softly, silently to the earth, but impatiently scrunched itself up into little balls of icy mischief and threw temper tantrums from the clouds, who are floating by, shrugging their shoulders at the path of winter they've left behind.
I think winter is here. I'm praying we won't be iced out of church tomorrow.
And I have this feeling that Michigan is going to be one snowy tundra this season. We're due for a hard winter.
Lily and I did a little bit of Christmas shopping today and found the big boys' presents. I won't spoil the surprise, but snow will sure come in handy!
I have a very interesting job ahead of me tomorrow. A lawyer friend contacted me, and he is working on an ugly, brutal divorce case. The dad has been issued a restraining order from his soon-to-be ex-wife and his two young sons. However, he has been granted a supervised visitation tomorrow. He's somewhat of a flight risk, which is one of the reasons it must be supervised, in addition to having made some threats. Also, he hasn't seen his boys for 5 months. So, the person who was supposed to be supervising the visit is no longer able to...and my lawyer friend asked me if I would be able to do it! I've never done anything like this before, but I said, Sure. The whole situation is totally heartbreaking, and I know this dad is going to hate me, just because of my role. But it's my job to keep them on the premisis (What do I do if he grabs his kids and tries to run?) and to make sure the visit is safe (especially emotionally) for the kids. (No talking bad about the mom, etc.) He's coming here to the church, and as far as I know, I'll be by myself. Seems kind of weird, doesn't it?
Rob will be just across the yard at the house, so I won't be totally alone.
I'm so thankful for my husband and my family and that I'm not having to parent alone or worry about visits with the other parent, etc. God has been so gracious to us. I can't imagine what this family must be going through at this time.
Please pray for us! And for them.
I think winter is here. I'm praying we won't be iced out of church tomorrow.
And I have this feeling that Michigan is going to be one snowy tundra this season. We're due for a hard winter.
Lily and I did a little bit of Christmas shopping today and found the big boys' presents. I won't spoil the surprise, but snow will sure come in handy!
I have a very interesting job ahead of me tomorrow. A lawyer friend contacted me, and he is working on an ugly, brutal divorce case. The dad has been issued a restraining order from his soon-to-be ex-wife and his two young sons. However, he has been granted a supervised visitation tomorrow. He's somewhat of a flight risk, which is one of the reasons it must be supervised, in addition to having made some threats. Also, he hasn't seen his boys for 5 months. So, the person who was supposed to be supervising the visit is no longer able to...and my lawyer friend asked me if I would be able to do it! I've never done anything like this before, but I said, Sure. The whole situation is totally heartbreaking, and I know this dad is going to hate me, just because of my role. But it's my job to keep them on the premisis (What do I do if he grabs his kids and tries to run?) and to make sure the visit is safe (especially emotionally) for the kids. (No talking bad about the mom, etc.) He's coming here to the church, and as far as I know, I'll be by myself. Seems kind of weird, doesn't it?
Rob will be just across the yard at the house, so I won't be totally alone.
I'm so thankful for my husband and my family and that I'm not having to parent alone or worry about visits with the other parent, etc. God has been so gracious to us. I can't imagine what this family must be going through at this time.
Please pray for us! And for them.
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