FEBRUARY

I've said over and over that I need to catch up the blog...

...and then I don't...

...so today, I start rewinding so that I can begin moving forward!

Checked back with my own blogging so I do know that I posted a few things in February: 

Life was crazy busy!  (Still is) 

Christopher was recovering from his prostate cancer surgery back in January.  He was still in the process of learning that 6-weeks post surgery means NOTHING!  He felt horrible WAY LONGER!!  Other people began to tell him that it might take six months or more before he felt "normal" again.  (It did)

Normal life at the time included BASKETBALL for Josiah and Elijah!  I admit it...I love watching my kids play sports!  (or my girls dancing)  Practice schedules and weekend games had me literally driving back and forth across town to drop-off and pick-up kids.

(Love that face on my sweet boy)

Another big event in February - Caleb's senior pictures!  So thankful for our fabulous friends/photographer and his wife/assistant!  Neither Christopher nor I could be there with him for the photo shoot, so I sent him with half his closet and let my good friend tell the boy what to wear.  (Less arguing with Mom that way)

Another worth noting item - We began seeing a therapist in January with our two little girls.  Both Keziah and (Hadassah) Peiwu exhibited some signs of attachment/adoption related issues.  Neither one is horribly bad.  Neither one has RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder).  But we just felt that we needed some help to work through any issues NOW...instead of waiting until we had two miserable, depressed, or out-of-control teenagers on our hands.  (That may still be a part of our future...with any of our kiddos...so just keep praying for us)

For me, the best part of the month came at the very end.  Christopher sent me away!  Thankfully, he knew better than I did just how much I needed to leave, even though I didn't really want to go. 

My sweet friend and ministry leader at church hopped on a plane for San Diego right after leading Children's Worship Sunday Febraury 26th.  We attended INCM's CPC (simplest translation - a huge children's ministry conference).  We both had very...EVENT-FILLED...years in 2011.  We both needed to get away.  And...honestly...we were both reluctant to go.  That first morning, before all the conference stuff started, you would probably have expected us to have gotten out and enjoyed the beauty of San Diego?  We didn't.  We slept in late, and then took an afternoon nap.  It felt like heaven to my poor tired body and soul.

Then the FUN started! 

(Yes, I am a conference addict.) 

That very first night, we wandered around to find a table for dinner.  We ended up way up front in the huge banquet room very close to the stage (and speakers).  As we were eating, my Roomie poked me and pointed to the table right behind me.  Okay, here is the part where I totally lost my mind and went teenager-groupie-ish.  Right there, eating their own dinner, sat TWO of my FAVORITE BOY BANDS whose music I not only used regularly in Children's Worship but have LOVED all their stuff even before they did kids' music!!! 

The GO FISH guys were sitting right next to DENVER of Denver & the Mile High Orchestra!!!!

So I hop out of my chair with my phone in hand and snap a picture...two in fact!  Uhm...yeah...the flash did surprise them a bit...and interupt their dinner...and made me look like a crazy maniac.

I wish I could say that I totally gained my grown-up composure, settled down, and was refined and dignified the rest of the conference...NOT!  Come on?!?  It was a conference filled with all us crazy people who love God and love kids!  Honestly, I'm not sure how much better heaven will be!?! 

I met incredible people -

Phil Vischer (Bob the Tomato & Veggie Tales),

Beth Guckenberger (amazing story!)

Craig Jutila (Empowering Kids curriculum),

and even got my picture taken with Go Fish! 

We discovered old friends and made new ones.

Most of all...I loved the music and worship time!  I just let go...and sang to my God.  I didn't care who was watching as I praised my God with all I am...choreography included. My friends let me sit up close all the time, one night right by the woofer.  My heart beat to the music. 

Go Fish and Denver led worship. 

Yancy,

Rob Biagi,

Jana,

 and Miss Patty Cake shared their music too.

Plus we were even treated to a mini-concert by Jamie Grace!

(Loved her shoes!  She's such a sweetheart!)

 I had truly forgotten how long it had been since I had WORSHIPPED...not led...not planned...just worshipped my God.

Throughout the conference, keynote speakers and workshops, I kept hearing an unexpected message repeated over and over again...

1st God

2nd Your Family

Then...ministry...work..etc.

Craig Jutila spoke at a breakout session and to the entire conference about his own struggles with balancing his family life and his ministry and what it truly cost him.  He and his wife Mary co-authored a book that had not yet been released but shared the first chaper with us. 

(It is now available. Have it. Read it.  Highly recommend it.)

Wasn't really expecting that.  But it became a HUGE piece of the puzzle of our life as a family.  Both Christopher and I started our own journeys this year with this theme of organizing our time, our life, our home, and our family with our priorities in proper alignment.  (Uhm...note..."journey" not "destination"...we haven't arrived yet).  So hold on to this thought, you'll see it coming up again in future blog postings as I update you on our life!

Oh!  And I have to include a few extra pix I took!  So I had introduced Miranda to the Pantone Color of the Year - Tangarine Tango! 

She HATES the notion that someone dictates what she wears and isn't too happy about orange being the "IT" color.  Well, while on the West Coast, I saw orange everywhere!  So I kept taking pix just for her to text or post on Facebook.  I had so much fun torturing her!!!  We've kept it up all year long.  I can hardly wait to find out in December what the color will be for 2013...just so I can drive my daughter crazy!!!