Jurassic Turtle

(Alan's photo)

linking up with Wordless Wednesday

{this moment}

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Shipwreck!

(photo credit Alan Pennington)




linking up with Wordless Wednesday

Counseling in Malaysia

Just wanted to share this exciting news with all of my readers. My husband is going to Malaysia to help others learn about marriage and family therapy. We are very excited for him to have this opportunity.

(Alan and Claire on a previous mission trip)

I would like to ask all of you to pray for us as he prepares for the trip and especially while he is traveling and out of the country. Please pray for me as I will be here at home. Pray that I will feel peace and comfort knowing he is doing good works.

If you would like to make a donation to the trip just follow the link -- Alan Goes to Malaysia

Thank you for your continued support and reading of my blog. You are all part of my extended family and I am grateful for our connection.

Collage #1

linking up with Wordless Wednesday [courtesy of Alan Pennington (aka "dh") at Mama Kat's request]

Kickin' Back

Share your top favorite photo you took in June. Give us the back story.

We got a new sofa for the den in June. Alan got right on selling our old one. In fact he did such a good job, that we found ourselves without a sofa for nearly 3 weeks! So we played make-do.

We have a couple of chairs in the den, but it's a small room, so the sofa provided the lion's share of the seating. 

As we waited for the new sofa to be delivered we tried out a variety of options. Alan's go to spot became a lounge chair he bought several years ago. It's really an outdoor lounge, but he bought in to use inside because he injured his sit bones doing long distance biking several years ago. Frankly, he can't sit comfortably much of anywhere.

I snapped this picture with my phone one night while we were watching TV together, and then posted it on Facebook. Lots of friends commented on it. Most were humorous of course. But, truth be told, I really like this picture. 

We don't have many photos of Alan as he's a semi-professional photographer, so he's always behind the camera. But I also like this one because it shows the Alan I know -- relaxed, but intent. Comfortable in his own skin and clothes. And there's something terribly appropriate about him being framed by the dog bed and dog bowl!


linking up with Writer's Workshop

{this moment}

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

photo credit Alan Pennington

Snack Time

photo by Alan Pennington

linking up with Wordless Wednesday

{this moment}

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

photo credit Alan Pennington

Fractured Childhood

I've been thinking a lot about a conversation I had recently with another survivor. We don't know each other well, and don't know each other's story, but we know we are both survivors. I mentioned that those of us with fractured childhoods need to find ways to reclaim that time in the present. I've done it through collecting stuffed animals and dolls. I color. My husband bought me a silk and flannel fairy blanket that I slept with for years. And of course there is Yolie. 

The greatest gift toward reclaiming my childhood has been my husband. From the very beginning he embraced the idea of creating new memories. Part of my attraction to him all those years ago was his ability to have fun and be silly without worrying about perceptions. I have learned much from him. He is constantly making suggestions and reminding me to do something nice for my inner child. 

She is Lucy. Years ago I named her to avoid confusion when discussing things with my therapist -- not another personality, but a way of recognizing the little girl who was so damaged in those years. I still have difficulty talking about the abuse in the first person, so Lucy carries a lot of the weight for me. I owe her a great deal. 

She is named for my great-grandmother who cared for me while both of my parents worked, before I was old enough to go to school. "Nur" (pronounced nuh) loved me unconditionally. She taught me to make biscuits and how to braid hair. She sang hymns while she pegged the laundry to the line. Her sister was my dearest Auntie whose home was a refuge. 

I read the verses in scripture about children. About how Jesus honored and sat with children, and I am reminded that He still loves me like a child. And if He does, then I will too.

linking up with imperfect prose

It's Me!

linking up with Wordless Wednesday and Wordless Wednesday at The Jenny Evolution

photo credit Alan Pennington

Random Facts

6 random facts about Alan and me . . . 

1. Alan is 17 months younger than I am. He really enjoys those months where it appears that there is a 2 year age difference.

2. He says he knew after our first date he'd marry me. I broke up with him, but we never stopped dating.

3. Alan's Mr. Fit/Outdoors/Let's Do Something. I'm Ms. Let's Eat Dessert/Watch a Movie/Take a Nap.

4. We are a complete person academically: he's math/science and I'm history/English.

5. He is a human calculator. I am not.

6. I think he's pretty terrific, and so does he.


linking up with Writer's Workshop

{this moment}

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

(photo by A. Pennington)

"I shall call him Squishy"

photo by Alan Pennington


see more at Wordless Wednesday

Ode to Christmas

(guest post by DH aka Alan Pennington)

Ode to Christmas

It was the day before Christmas

Sam in his bed,

Melanie coughs up a lung,

And Claire baking bread.

The Y was half empty,

A chin up, a sit up,

A squat and a lung,

Not too much work out but still had some fun.

Sam made the pumpkin bread,

Already half gone,

Claire made the sour dough,

Not quite ready, but it won't be long.

The packages are half wrapped,

The house is a wreck,

Clothes are all dirty,

Except for my sweats.

Though tattered and scattered, our lives may be,

I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.

My son and my daughter, getting along,

And Melanie, though groggy is coming around.

Santa oh Santa,

On this Christmas eve,

Help us remember,

Help us believe.

Christ in the manger,

Mary so calm,

The stars watching over,

The savior has come.

Lord lift my heart,

Draw us all tight,

Share with us joy,

And if is not too much trouble, could you heal my wife.

Merry x-mas all!!!

Wordless Wednesday

photo credit Alan Pennington

for more images go to Wordless Wednesday

Transitions

Yesterday afternoon, I put my son and husband on a plane to fly out west. They'll be gone for two weeks visiting wonderful destinations like Devil's Tower, the Grand Canyon, Sequoia National Park, and Mount Rushmore. They will hike, climb (Devil's Tower!), rappel, and have lots of time together just the two of them. I am very happy that they'll have this time to make memories that will, as the saying goes, last a lifetime.


On the other hand -- this is longest I've been away from my husband since before our children were born. I've never been a way from my son for this long. It's an odd sensation. I know they'll be fine, and it's not as if we are cut off from each other given that we all have easy access to cell phones, Skype, Facebook, and email, but last night as my daughter and I prepared to go to bed, the house just seemed too big and dark and quiet. Where was my husband laying out his early morning work out clothes? Where were the sounds of X-box emanating from my son's room? And all that pre-bed chatter? 


Claire and I have lots of fun things planned for the two weeks they'll be gone, and I have lots of ideas (too many probably) of great things to be accomplished while they're gone. But I had trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep last night, because things were not as they should be.


Maybe this is a good training period for the fall when my son goes off to college. A good test run to see how I'll fair without his laughter, chatter, and even annoyance and anger around the house on a daily basis.


Then again, maybe I could homeschool him for college.

Wordless Wednesday -- Under the Sea

(photo courtesy of Alan Pennington)


for more images go to Wordless Wednesday

{this moment}

for more moments visit SouleMama

A Guest Post from the Dh

I'll turn 48 this year. Sam will be a senior at Lipscomb High School and Claire will start her junior year at Lipscomb College.

Melanie and I have been married 25 year and I've been working at the same job for nearly 21 years. If I'm not old, I'm surely middle aged and maybe a little more...lol.

The earth has revolved around the sun over 2010 times since the birth of our Lord (depending on when you actually place his birth . . . sometime between 3 and 6 BC if I remember my Bible classes).

Each time the earth rotates around the sun another time, we celebrate our victories and mourn our losses. I lost my mom 22 years ago, my grand dad 38 years ago, and my friend Bob almost 3 years ago.

I watched Claire graduate from Mercy this year, which has been the greatest blessing I could have ever asked for her. I've watched her grow and heal and it's been wonderful.

I still have a job and these days that's certainly something to be thankful for, and a Godly wife who loves me more than I deserve.

Sam is just fun to have around and is making really good progress in school. He's dating Samantha and they're already talking about maybe getting married one day (wow!). He struggles with his faith, but I pray he will find that religion is not from God. Christ is. What the world needs is a relationship with a healing savior. Unfortunately, religion often gets in the way (did I mention the crusades...lol).

Anyway, on this January 1, 2011, I squat in my chair (because I still can't sit) but I'm thankful that I can squat because standing is tiresome and makes my feet hurt and I'm thankful I'm learning to sit Indian style again. Maybe my butt will heal this year or I'll get some shots. Anyway, its a minor inconvenience.

It's dark outside and has obviously been raining. I wonder what God has out there for me this year. I wonder how many more times the earth will rotate around the sun before the Son comes back to claim the victory and we will find an eternal home. I wonder what heaven is like. 

I don't know what heaven will be like and its hard to believe in something you can't imagine. I read The Shack this year and I imagine God's love is what will be at the center of heaven, so maybe the particulars don't matter so much; only I'd really like to get a little better idea of things there. I mean, is there really no marriage (so no sex). That seems terrible depressing, but then again, I'm sure it won't be depressing. It will be wonderful. I just can't imagine it.

Well, however many more times the earth rotates or however more days God gives me breath on this earth, I hope you will find the Love of God in Christ to be more important than any of the temporary problems we have to deal with and joy will grow in your life and blow a calm air of contentment and peace over your heart each day.

I want to do a good deed each day but some days it's just not enough. I want to know what I'll be doing in 5 years, 10 years, 40 years. I want a plan. I guess God has a plan. I just don't get to see all of it and I guess that's OK.

Let us all pray more this year. Let us all read the Bible a little more this year. Let's all love each other a little more this year and by all means lets all take more opportunities to say thank you this year.

There's no better way to let love grow in your heart and the hearts of those around you then to express a little gratitude. I haven't read this book but heard the author interviewed on NPR so its definitely on my reading list this year: 365 Thank Yous.

So, if you read this. Thank you. If you commented on any of my posts this year. Thank you. If you prayed for me or for Melanie or for my kids. Thank you.

May this year be a blessing for you and yours and may your heart be filled with thankfulness each day.

God bless you.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

A