Chopped Liver......

Happy 2014! This New Year's Day finds me basking in the joy and love of my family...all 20 of us under one roof. The Nicks clan is all together visiting my brother Joe and family in Canton, Texas. It's been WONDERFUL! Just a truly joyous and relaxing time together!

As with many of you the new year conjures up all kinds of thoughts in me. Thoughts of the past. Thoughts of the future. Thoughts of a clean slate. A fresh start. Etc. Etc. What it all boils down to though is people! When I strip my thoughts of all the hub bub. It's about the folks in my life...and loving them well. This is what is most important. It's what brings me the most joy...the people. God first and then people. God tells me this.....the first and greatest commandment...Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. And the second is like it...Love your neighbor as yourself. Love people. It's about the people. About loving well.

No matter who we are... we are making an impression on the people in our lives.....leaving the ones we touch feeling either better or worse. We all leave a legacy behind. Jacob opened a gift for Christmas. I asked him if he remembered to thank the giver of the gift. His response, "Of course Mom! What do I look like? chopped liver?!" It made me smile. I smiled because...Yes! It was humorous! lol! But, it made me smile because I have never heard Jacob use this phrase before and it came straight from his Gramps...my Daddy! :) Kids are always paying attention. People are paying attention. I love that my kids are emulating their Gramps! If they are emulating the little things like chopped liver, they are emulating the big things like his walk with Christ!

I hope that I can love well today. I hope that I can love well this year. The past several years I have been picking one word to focus on for the year instead of a bunch of New Year's resolutions. I am still working on my word for 2014. I have narrowed the list down to a few, but have not picked my one word of focus just yet.  I do know that I want to always focus on what is most important though...God and people. My hope is that I will leave the people in my life feeling better and more positive after my contact with them. May I never leave them feeling like chopped liver! ....(because in my opinion it doesn't get any worse than that folks! Sorry Ann Ritter! ;) )

Love, Wendy

God is good!!

 

So, the kids are married! :) It has been an awesome year leading up to this special event, which took place on July 27th. It has been an awesome 5 years watching these two grow up and mature right before my eyes.....watching their love slowly blossom.  They are honestly just so good together....good for each other!  They compliment each other so well...what do they say...like peas and carrots! ;)

 

During the course of the planning I often got questions like these: "So, how is Mom doing?" "How are you holding up?" "Are you pulling your hair out yet?"  I kept waiting for the ball to fall because after all the mother of the bride is supposed to feel STRESS right?!! I honestly never did! I just felt calm through the whole process and enjoyed it IMMENSELY!! I never felt stress during the planning of the actual wedding event. I was as cool as a cucumber the day of the event. Perhaps it is just my temperment?? Idk?  The only anxiety I felt was about the weather. It was an outside wedding. I don't think I have ever watched the forecast so intently as I did the month leading up to the wedding. Ha! On the wedding day the weather was threatening to storm. I was really hoping that it would NOT! lol. But, even then...I knew it wouldn't be the end of the world if it did. They would still be married and have the wonderful memories of the day.

 

The wedding day was simply beautiful!! Just SOOOO nice to have all of the people you love the most in this world come together to celebrate and share the joy of such a beautiful occasion in our lives! It's the people that make a special occasion like this beautiful!

 

Now, where my emotions DID go wonky on me this year was with the realization of the fact that an era was ending. My first baby out of the nest so to speak. The idea that things will never EVER be the same was difficult for me to grasp at times. It was nice that this was all a very gradual process for me. The kids became engaged in Aug. of last year. I had time to prepare myself emotionally for what was going to happen. It's the goal right?! The goal is to raise your kids to spread their wings and fly! Now, I had a date. I had time to prepare. lol   I am a thinker. I'm not one to jump in and do things on the spur of the moment too much. I think and then do. I think and then speak. My nature. So, this was good...I had time to prepare! ;) And, I did! I kept my mind and thoughts wide open! I was very aware that many many "lasts" were occuring and I savored them!  Many of you know that James moved in with us when he turned 18. He lived with us for over a year. In Feb. of this year he moved out on his own. This was the first step. I had to get used to not having his energy around on a daily basis. It was difficult for me. I love him like one of my own!  I missed him!!

 

It was good though. It gave Heidi and I more alone time together. Time that we wouldn't have had if James had continued to live here. Time to laugh. Time to cry. Time to reminisce. Time to enjoy mother and daughter moments. And we DID!

 

I had lots of sorrowful times this past year. Lots of tears as I thought about her childhood being over. I also had lots of joyous times at the new things we were experiencing and the once in a lifetime things that were happening in preparing for a wedding and joy at the thought of the new experiences we were about to embark on together. Bittersweet is acurate!

 

As the day drew closer I read something Heidi wrote. I don't think she knew that I read it. (she does now! ;) It said something like, "I think the only difficult part about my wedding will be seeing my mom cry" gulp. I did cry a lot the week before the wedding. Mostly silently alone at night. I cried the night before the wedding as I watched Heidi sleep peacefully in her bed.... thinking that it would be the last night Heidi would be sleeping in her bedroom....the room where she has slept since she was two. The week leading up to the wedding I prayed that I would get all of my tears out before the wedding and not get overly emotional AT the wedding. I wanted Heidi to feel complete and utter happiness on that day!! I did not want her to feel any sadness from me or for me.......I wanted her to only feel my JOY!

 

As it turns out God did help me get all of my tears out before the wedding. On the day of the wedding I did get misty a bit at the ceremony because of the enormity of the moment. Tears of complete and utter happiness and joy!! That was the end of the tears for the day. My heart was just oozing with happiness and joy to see the kids SO HAPPY!!! SO VERY VERY HAPPY!! :) :) It just did this Mama heart so good!! I LOVED that day! Will forever be remembered as one of my best! :)

 

So, now my baby girl and her man have flown the coop. They are out on their own. The good news for me....they are only 12 miles away. I still get to see them quite a bit. YES! Gradual adjustments. :) I realize that someday they may be much further.

 

They have now been married a little over a month. And, during that month I have had moments of sadness....moments of tears.  Last night we had a bonfire and weanie roast here at the house. James and Heidi came. As we sat outside... all of us together.... I felt total and complete happiness and contentment. Any sorrow and sadness I have felt this past year is definitely becoming less frequent. The happiness and joy is taking over completely. The Bittersweet is gradually becoming just SWEET. God is good. He is so good! Two young people, whose lives are centered on Him together and happy and enjoying life. It's all a part of His plan! I am one blessed lady!!!

 

Love, Wendy

 

ps...I have not lost a daughter, I have gained a son! So happy about that Mr. Avery!! Love you!

KNOW....our God is a consuming fire.

~Heb. 12:28-29~ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

~Deut. 4:23-24~ Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

~Deut. 9:3~ But be assured today that the Lord your God is like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you. (Speaking of God going ahead of the Israelites and destroying their enemies)

~Ex. 24:17~ To the Israelites the GLORY of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. (when Moses was on Mount Sinai with the Lord)

As I mentioned at the beginning of the year, my word of the year is KNOW. My desire is to KNOW God...to really know Him. The past several weeks I have been  studying and thinking about...and sometimes struggling with the fact that my "God is a consuming fire". As a child, growing up, I really struggled with this idea. If God is Love and Peace and Goodness and Mercy and Forgiveness  HOW can he also be a consuming fire. In my mind fire was a bad thing. After all, the wicked will be spending eternity in an everlasting fire!

I have come to the conclusion, that the reality is that God is so completely, totally and utterly HOLY and GOOD that He is a consuming fire of holiness, burning up anything unholy. The holiness of God is that part of His nature that most separates Him from sinful man. Only the righteous can withstand the consuming fire of God's wrath against sin, because sin is an offense to God's holiness. But, no amount of our OWN righteousness is sufficient. Fortunately, Christ mitigates God's wrath, exchanging His perfect righteousness for our sin.! "God made him who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God:" 2Cor. 5:21

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God (Heb. 10:31), but we need not fear the consuming fire of God if we are covered by the purifying blood of Christ.

God's wrath is against all the godlessness and wickedness of men. (Rom 1:18) Wrath is not upon men themselves, but upon the SINS of men. God's wrath is against the sin to which man clings and will not leave. God is so loving and holy that he can absolutely not tolerate sin. Hell was not prepared for men, but for Satan and his angels. God's total and complete desire is that no man should perish, but that EVERY man will have everlasting life with him. He has gone to GREAT effort to assure that it is possible for us all to be with Him. He sent his one and only son to assure that. A GIFT for all mankind. We must accept it!

Our God is a Consuming Fire of LOVE and HOLINESS!!!!!!!

Love,
Wendy

Snowdrops

Look what I found peeking through today. Aren't they beautiful!!! A sure sign of spring! I've always called these crocuses......only because I've been told that the crocus is the first flower to show itself in the spring.....and these are actually the first to arrive at our place. I looked at pictures of crocuses on the internet before sharing this photo on facebook and I wasn't quite positive that these were crocuses.  A friend helped me out by telling me that these are actually snowdrops and show up even earlier than the crocus. I'm very glad to know what they are. Thanks Steve!! I think we may have some purple crocus around here a bit later. I'm going to pay closer attention this year and get them identified correctly! :) Happy Spring!!!

Love,
Wendy

Marbles

I've always loved marbles. I've never played "marbles" as a game like my Dad did when he was a boy. So, I'm not talking about the game of marbles, I'm just talking about marbles.....the small round balls of glass. I like them. They come in so many beautiful colors and designs. I like them so much that I thought it would be fun to collect them. I found this poem:

Ode to Marbles

By Max Mendelsohn Max Mendelsohn

I love the sound of marbles

scattered on the worn wooden floor,

like children running away in a game of hide-and-seek.

I love the sight of white marbles,

blue marbles,

green marbles, black,

new marbles, old marbles,

iridescent marbles,

with glass-ribboned swirls,

dancing round and round.

I love the feel of marbles,

cool, smooth,

rolling freely in my palm,

like smooth-sided stars

that light up the worn world.

 

I have a few marbles of the boys' that I have found here and there and when I would find one I just put it in a glass jar to enjoy. I've learned that marble collecting is a pretty big deal. Tom got me a marble collecting book for Christmas. Wow! I don't really care about the value of a marble. I only care about how much I enjoy looking at it. ;) Tom also got me started with some cool and fun marbles for Christmas.

 

These are my "roosters". ;)

 

And, my "sea turtles."

 

And, My "bluejays"

I also have suns, meteors, and jellyfish, but I know most of you will likely not be as enthused by my marbles as I am so I won't share ALL of my photos here. ;)

Here are all of my marbles together. Aren't they pretty!

 

And they all fit perfectly into this jar.

 

 

And, I have them sitting on the shelf by my kitchen sink so that I can enjoy them a LOT! ;)

 

 

 Love, Wendy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grandpa Dick

Grandpa Dick is safe in the arms of Jesus. He passed from this life on Thursday January 31, 2013. He was 79 years old. This is one of my favorite pictures of him.

Grandpa Dick had the kindest and gentlest soul! Being in his presence was always just calming for me. You could always count on him to be constant and solid. Just genuniely good! So blessed to have had him in our lives. He taught us well! He will be greatly missed by "the crew". After almost every visit we had together I would depart with a pat on the back from Grandpa Dick and his kind words to me "You keep taking care of this crew, it's a full time job". What an encouragement that was to me as the mother of a busy household. I shall continue taking care of "the crew" Grandpa Dick until we all are united with you in our eternal home. We will hold you in our hearts until that day! We love you!

Love, Wendy

Lasts....

In July 2011 I wrote a post about lasts. If you are interested to go back and read it, you can read it here: http://zipadeedodadays.blogspot.com/2011/07/lasts.html

To sum up what I said there in a nutshell: It's very common for us to acknowledge and celebrate firsts.....first step, first tooth, first year of marriage, first house, etc. etc. We have a party and shout it from the rooftops!! But lasts, are just as important...even more so sometimes...and they often come and go without us realizing it. We don't celebrate because we don't know it is a last. If we knew we would celebrate and shout it from the rooftops!!!  It dawned on me today that a "last" has probably occured in the lives of my family. Grandpa Dick has loved and supported us through MANY sporting events, birthday parties and life celebrations. Always there cheering on the kids and supporting them (and us) with his calm presence. Jacob has a basketball game in Pittsford next Tuesday. Pittsford is Tom's hometown. Grandpa Dick IS Pittsford.  ;) He's been there all his life. He has been battling cancer for several years now. Sadly, Grandpa Dick is so weak that next Tuesday he will be  unable to attend Jacob's ballgame in Pittsford. It's one I know he would love to be there for!!! Grandma is going to see if she can get someone to stay with him at home so that she can be at the game. A last has likely occured. Yes, only God knows the future. Perhaps he will give Grandpa Dick his strength back. I am dealing with a lot of sad emotions though! :(  I fear a last has occured.   If I would have known at the time it was a last I would have at least quietly acknowledged it in my own mind and savored the moment more. It happened in Bronson at one of Gracie's basketball games. Grandpa Dick and Grandma came to cheer on our girl, like they have been doing all of  her life! I want to acknowledge it and celebrate it now!!! I want to shout it from the rooftops that we love and appreciate Grandpa Dick's love and support for our family at so many, many, many, MANY special events in our lives!! Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers!!! And pray for Grandma too! We love you both!! xo

Love, Wendy

Scruffy

Gramps and Neena came this week for a visit. Yay! We had such a nice relaxing visit. We played a lot of Phase Ten. We went to one of Jacob's basketball games. Made a visit to the Amish store and Pizza Hut. It was just NICE! Mom and Dad have a new doggy. Well, they have had him since Aug I think. He is a doggy from the pound and is just perfect for them. Such a sweetheart! We had a lot of fun with him too! :) Sad to see them go today!

Love,
Wendy

KNOW

In 2011 I picked a "word of the year".  I liked this better than New Year's resolutions, which just have never seemed to work for me. I am always striving to do better, but for some reason New Year's resolutions?? I don't know, maybe it's the added pressure. I just kinda stopped doing that a long time ago. But, I like this one word of intention idea. Something I can explore and bring into my life for the year. I never clung to a word last year. I attempted to at the beginning of the year, but it just never stuck like it did in 2011. In 2011 my word was EASE. This year I have picked the word:

KNOW

My desire is to get closer to the Lord this year.....to KNOW Him! My intention is to read the scriptures with the mind set of KNOWING Him. The Lord desires a relationship with me. He knows me soo well. But do I really....I mean REALLY know Him? I think I often get hung up on what I should or should not be doing rather than knowing God. What I do should simply be an overflowing of the relationship I have with my Lord. The first verse that came to mind when I picked this word was this one:

Most of the time when I consider this verse I focus on the STILL part. I need to take the time to slow down and be STILL. But, I now want to consider the KNOWING part of the verse. He wants me to KNOW Him!!

Another verse I am thinking about this morning is this one for Jerimiah 9: 23, 24

My Lord has a deep desire for me to KNOW and UNDERSTAND Him!!

I will be striving to grow closer to Him this year. I want to KNOW Him.....really KNOW him!!

Love,
Wendy

Happy 2013!!!

So, we set the timer on the camera and told the kids not to blink. This is what we got....

lololol! The boy always manages to keep a smile on my face!

Happy New Year!! I try to remember that no matter what....there is good in EVERY day!!!!

Love,
Wendy