Daily Life, Project 365

P365 – Day 36 (Games & Swimming)

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It’s the close of a lovely day. The house is quiet (except for the hum of the washing machine and dryer and music playing in the kitchen), the boys (including Tim) are in bed, and the girls are off with Mamie and G’Dad at the hotel. I cleaned the kitchen this afternoon so that work is all completed. I need to pack a lunch for Tim, finish this blog and then go to bed myself.

We had a very relaxing day. No one seemed interested in heading out on an adventure or field trip so we stayed home and played games for most of the day. We started the morning off with Citadels which was lots of fun. I can see why Tim and the three older children have all been begging to play it again. [They played it for the first time on Saturday while I was gone.] Dad worked on his laptop while we played. Sarah and David busied themselves, coloring in the dining room. It was a contented crowd all around.

CitadelsSarah and David coloring

David and Sarah managed to convince Grandad to come and play Rat a Tat Cat with them in the living room. I think they played several rounds. Sarah sat by them, watching everything and cheering them on.

david and grandad

sarah sweetie pie

While we were busy finishing up our game, the little ones decided Grandad was bored (since he wasn’t playing with us) and should come out to the garage (brrr, it’s cold!!) and watch a movie with them. It was probably too chilly for him to sneak in a nap so he was forced to watch at least 30 minutes of Duck Tales. Now there’s some real movie substance. Lol!

garage time

They look like a snuggly group!

After lunch we decided to squeeze in one more game. Joshua and I really wanted to teach Mamie and Grandad Bang so we begged and pleaded and fussed until they gave in. Or something like that – I think everyone was sitting around waiting until Tim said, “Okay let’s play” and we all gathered around the table. Bang is a favorite with our crowd and the children have taught several of their friends how to play. It helps if most of the group already knows how to play – things move along fairly quickly.

Tina – this is one you should definitely think about for your group. It’s fun – Western theme (maybe we can get Tom and Casey to play), card based, doesn’t take too long, etc. Come home and we’ll teach you. Sniff, sniff.

Rachel and Mamie

Tim was incredibly kind and said he would take the children swimming at the hotel while Mom and Dad snuck in a quick nap. I stayed home and worked on things around the house. It was lovely having a little time to myself. The kids were still going strong when I joined them at the pool (except for Daniel who was out, taking a break).

danieldavid poolsarah poolRachel pool

We decided to go to East and West Cafe for some Thai food. It was absolutely delicious!!! Thank you, Michelle, for the recommendation. I think I oohed and aahhhed over my food with almost every bite. The meals are reasonably priced and the atmosphere is pleasant. The parking lot looked full but the restaurant did not feel crowded. I will DEFINITELY go again. Tim loved his entree until he accidentally added in some chili paste sauce that he thought was sweet. Oops! He does NOT like things spicy. Gotta watch those unmarked sauces in Asian restaurants!

We returned to our house for some Rocky Road ice cream and a showing of Nanny McPhee. We didn’t finish the movie – time for bed, especially for those on Michigan time. Tomorrow Tim heads back to work. Not sure what the rest of us will do – some school, more relaxing and game playing, and maybe a few work projects.

I’m trying not to think about how short this visit is. We’ll see everyone in June so I’m clinging to that – always important to have the NEXT visit planned.

Kathy

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Musings

70 Things My Dad Taught Me (part 5)

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Dad taught me about Work

Diligence – Dad works hard at the things he attempts, and keeps at it. Even if I hadn’t seen this part of my Dad growing up, I sure would know it from watching him develop the Refuge.

Work is not more important than the family or ministry. Many men struggle with this, but my Dad learned early to put his family and the Lord ahead of his work, and lived that out by being available when we needed him.

Be disciplined; set a schedule. My Dad created patterns of living that enabled him to keep doing hard things every day – we could set the clock by his arrival home from work, and (as much as my freewheeling nature dislikes it) I find myself falling into some of the same patterns, guarding my work from laziness and other distractions.

Have staying power – stick with it even when it is hard. Dad often required me to continue working at something long after I wanted to give up. Those lessons learned have stood me in very good stead in my job, where tenacity and ‘stick-to-it-iveness’ often make the difference between success and failure.

If you want it done right, do it yourself. As a perfectionist, Dad knew this truth; that sometimes, it is better to do something yourself if you are particular about how it is done. His example was more positive that it sounds – he wasn’t flamboyant or in-your-face about it – he just would quietly go off and take care of it himself.

How to be an over-achiever. I’m not sure where Dad learned this, but he often said it to me in various ways: “Don’t settle for mere achievement, be an over-achiever.” Dad knew that sometimes there was a substantial edge over competitors in the workplace by going above and beyond the requirements of a task (he called it ‘over-alping’), by demonstrating true excellence. Following my Dad’s example has netted me several promotions and raises, over the years.


At one point my Dad was deployed overseas, and learned about God’s faithfulness to a family back home.

Guard your integrity – don’t steal time from your employer. Dad always was willing to put in the time and worked hard at whatever work he was given. Often serving in administrative roles in the Army Chaplaincy, Dad sometimes worked long hours and had to prepare for preaching or teaching on his own time, while some of his peers rolled that prep-time into their workdays. This is something I reflect on often, as I strive to give my employer good value for my pay.

It is good to work with your hands. Dad always showed a willingness to get his hands dirty and never pretended to be ‘too important’ or ‘too busy’ to do the jobs that nobody else wanted to do. He was always the one who had to clean up illness-related messes around the house, and helped me to understand the way that a true man of God is a slave to others.

Do even unimportant jobs well, as though God were checking up on you. Related to Dad’s philosophy of ‘over-alping’, Dad took pains to put his best work into even the most trivial jobs. As a result, he was in good practice when it came time to do important work, and he has been given many important things to do. As the scriptures teach:

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! (Matthew 25:23)

Guard your time from work. As an outgrowth of his desire to make family and God more important than work, Dad knew that he had to protect his time from being consumed by his employer. One clever way he did this was to join a carpool when he worked at the Pentagon (he was there for almost 11 years, I think). Leaving at a set time and being beholden to others helped him to set limits on what his bosses could ask of him, an example I have followed in my current job.

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Musings

70 Things My Dad Taught Me (part 4)

Continuing the rather lengthy blog from yesterday … here are some more things my Dad has taught me.

Dad taught me about Finances.

Tithing was something that Dad did, faithfully, without complaining or even considering any alternative. One of the major blessings in my life has been his example in this area – it has made it very easy for me to obey my Lord in this area, watching my Dad do it so effortlessly over the years.

Offerings are gifts offered to God above and beyond the 10% tithe, which Dad also believed strongly in doing. He confided in me some details of the tithe/offering plan which he and Mom put together, and challenged me to give in ways that are meaningful and sacrificial. His example continues as an inspiration to me in my own gifts to God.

Frugality is an important part of good stewardship. Dad showed me that buying the cheaper item was often the best way to go, getting the most bang for the buck with money he considered not to be his own. As I have tried to be a good steward of the resources God has given me, I have been helped by Dad’s willingness to be intelligently ‘cheap’.

Bargain shopping: As taught by his own Mom, my Dad was always a good bargain shopper, and exercised his frugality by careful research and effort in finding the best deal. His example of thinking critically about purchases has probably saved me thousands of dollars, over the years.

Tricks with credit cards can be fun. I’m not sure Dad intended to teach this one, but he showed me how to rotate money at zero percent with zero or low transfer fees between credit cards. Sometimes you just need a little extra money, and there are banks out there dying to let you use theirs. It has gotten me out of a few scrapes, over the years, and I have enjoyed the cleverness of it. Whenever I take advantage of a zero percent loan, I think of Dad.

It is better to give than to lend. As an outgrowth of his generosity, I have seen Dad bless others by giving when they only expected a loan. By doing so, he has protected himself from damaged relationships when friends and relatives neglect to pay back the loan. Related to his generosity, I have always been proud of the way my Dad puts people ahead of money.

Invest in God’s Kingdom. My Dad was never one with a large stock portfolio or bulging IRA accounts, but has relied on his Army retirement and has invested in the Lord’s work over the years. As Matthew 6:19-21 says,

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Trust in God to provide your needs. A natural outgrowth of Dad’s example in investment, tithing and offerings, Dad trusted in God to provide for college expenses for us kids and for all the other things that people stress about. God has been faithful to my Dad in the matter of finances, and as I have seen this worked out in his life, I know God can be trusted in my life as well.


Some lessons even Dad gets to learn all over again, as he watches God provide for the financial needs of The Refuge during this construction phase.

Don’t fuss at your wife about money she spends. Dad believes in my Mom, and he trusts her to be careful with their money. As a result, Mom rises to that standard and is even more frugal than he is, sometimes. That has been a good thing for me to emulate in my own marriage, and has saved me many fights with my own wife.

Try to live below your means; don’t be greedy for stuff. I wish I had learned this lesson more thoroughly in my heart, not just in my head. Still, it is great to have a shield against the material idols that are so prevalent in our nation.

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Daily Life, Project 365

P365 – Day 35 (Sunday Skipping)

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Skipping along through the day via pictures. It’s so special to have my parents here in town with us. They came over in the morning, before church. Mom helped with Sarah’s hair.

sarah's hairdresser

I had the camera out (need to charge it) and so it wasn’t in my purse during church. I would have taken a picture or two of Sarah sitting beside me in Sunday School class. She brought her coloring book and pencils and a workbook/sticker book and was quiet and contented the entire time. Such an angel. Not feeling very well – cold symptoms.

We spent some time looking at the videos from Mom and Dad’s Costa Rica trip. Gorgeous rain forests and wild animals there in CR. The kids snuggled up for the video time.

mamie and danielg'dad and Sarah

In the middle of the afternoon Tim’s parents came by for an unexpected visit. It was so nice to have them here. We had been wishing that we had invited them to join us for lunch so it was especially pleasant to have them come by. We had a nice discussion time and then even snapped a few pictures. As Grandpa said, “Is this going to make its way into the blog?” Of course!!

the whole crew

We went back over to the hotel to swim, and came home very hungry for delicious steaks (the kids had scrambled eggs, except for a few fortunate morsels wheedled from the grown-ups). We finished the evening watching Facing the Giants.

It was a delightful day, well-filled with time with grandparents.

grandparents

Kathy

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Musings

More to follow

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Kathy tells me I shouldn’t post the remaining 40 things my Dad taught me, tonight, but that I should spread ‘em out over another day (or two). “Keep ‘em hungry”, she says.

I feel that I want credit, though, that I actually did write them all on my Dad’s birthday … but you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Tune in tomorrow for the next installment, if I can get a word in edgewise as I share this venue with a blog-happy girl posting her deluge of pictorial essays.

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The musings and ravings of a bloggart family