Thursday, May 21, 2009

Abigail's Dance

Abigail with her dance instructors, Ms. Dana and Miss Shaun.

We have been so blessed by Abigail participating in dance at Cathedral Oaks Dance Arts this year. Each week during class, Ms. Dana shared a devotion with them, they prayed, and often times the girls would lead the prayer time. Girls 4-6 years old!!!!!! She has learned MUCH more than dance technique this year! Last weekend was CODA's Dance Recital. Unfortunately, 3 hours before she was to perform the Friday night show, Abigail came down with a nasty stomach bug (the same one Aliza got 48 hours before, and Anna got 4 hours earlier that day). She was crushed to miss it, but clearly was looking out for her fellow dance friends. "I don't want to throw up on stage and get everybody else sick", she said to me an hour before she was to get ready. She rested all night and the next day, pulling herself together to dance for Saturday's show. All of the songs at the recital were praise and worship songs, and these dancers of all ages just took your breath away by the way they lifted their bodies in praise to The King! For the finale, the Prince of Egypt theme song, When You Believe, played as all the dancers held hands and spiraled the stage. "There can be miracles, when you believe"...dancers tiny and tall lifted their arms praising God....it was phenomenonal! I could hardly see Abigail through my tears of joy, but she was up there, with her graceful arms, reaching toward heaven.

For Outreach Week (this past Wed.) they went to a local nursing home and performed their dances for the residents. They adapted well to a much smaller "stage" and just did wonderfully! After the 4 classes were done, the dance students were encouraged to mingle. I was so touched by Abigail who walked RIGHT over to a gentleman, shared her scarf with him and the two of them just played together. She was so gentle with him as if she sensed he was frail. He was so cooperative and played and danced right along with her. My, how God uses our children!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

30 Reasons I Love My Husband

Happy 30th Birthday (May 2) and 9th Anniversary (May 6), Louis

1. He seeks God's Will for his life and loves serving Him!
2. He adores his 3 daughters.
3. He never thinks my ideas are
bad, even when they turn out to be.
4. He doesn't seem to mind my organizing and re-organizing, and re-re-organizing, until I'm happy with it. He just always asks "Where's ________? without looking first!
5. He has a way with preaching so that ALL can relate and understand- He's never over your head!
6. He's a terrible speller, and ALWAYS makes me feel needed!!
7. He praises me often.
8. He is sensitive, and I appreciate this quality about him.
9. The first time we met at band camp in 1995, he was just as shy and nervous as I was.
10. We can always find something to talk about.
11. He isn't critical of my absent-mindedness, and I have a lot of that!
12. He often goes after food requests of mine, at any time of the day.
13. He's good to clean house "just because".
14. He'll take all 3 girls to McDonald's for a playdate if I'm not feeling good.
15. He makes accomodations for us to be together as much as he can.
16. He keeps the grass mowed, the trash out, and the bills paid on time!
17. He talks out loud as he plans his day so I know where he'll be and when, in case I need him.
18. He can be silly with the girls when I don't feel like acting so silly.
19. He is the perfect Daddy of daughters!
20. He supports me in more ways that I can count.
21. He often ends up giving me my gifts early, because he's just too excited to wait.
22. He is spontaneous.
23. He is always looking for ways to make things better.
24. He likes simple things.
25. He loves being outdoors as a family.
26. He has molded some of his interests to fit what we like.
27. He has painted fingernails, put up hair, and has participated in tea parties with his girls!
28. He makes the best french toast EVER!
29. He has eaten everything I've cooked, even when it hasn't turned out perfectly.
30. I love listening to him laugh and joking around with him. He TRULY is my best friend!

I love you SOOO much, Louis, and truly thank God for you daily!! I have been so richly blessed knowing you these past 14 years and have loved being your wife for 9 of those years!