Only a mother can offer up...

Dear Missionaries at UK,

Matt, Tom, Laura and Becca...I try to pause and offer up some of the little mundane trials of my life for you and your work on campus. When I am tired, or exasperated, IF I THINK OF IT (and it is my New Year's Resolution to think of it more often) I think, "Jesus, I give this to you for the students at UK!" I know these little hidden offerings can have eternal significance if I unite them to the Cross of Christ! Now, they are supposed to remain hidden, but I can't help wanting to share with you all (and the world, via blog) the unique mortifications of today.

We just got back from two weeks "on the road" - Christmas in Ohio, then Orlando for the FOCUS National Conference and Disney World. My house looks like suitcases exploded in each room. I am on my fourth of nine loads of laundry. I have Christmas gifts and goodies mixed with New Year's noisemakers and Disney souvenirs, strewn all over the place. I decided one tangible place I could start today was to clean the girls' car seats. It does not really help put the house in order...it makes more of a mess. But, my 3-year-old wet her car seat as she slept during the last hour of our 13-hour drive yesterday, so we had an emergency clean-up on our hands. These car seats have not been thoroughly cleaned in YEARS. They have endured our cross-country trip to Illinois and then our cross-country move, not to mention hundreds of trips to the grocery store, dance class, etc, often with snacks.

First, I shook the seats. M&Ms, peanut and plain, Cheerios, Pringles, Cheetos, Life cereal, raisins and assorted Disney princess accessories fell out. I broke most of my nails trying to get the plastic pieces out of the holes in order to get the covers off, then pulled the straps out and tossed the covers and straps into the wash. While they washed, I took the plastic seats to the bathroom. There are little deep holes in the seat part of each seat, and in these were stuck gum, and sticky sludge made of Chocolate milk, various juices, and, yes, you heard me say the 3-year-old wet her seat....well, that was not the first time. I put each seat into the bathtub, and ran water in the little crevices, and worked off the sludge with my fingers. While I was washing, Ann jumped on my back, saying "me...me...bath!" She wanted to get in the tub, and she pulled on me and whined the whole time I washed the seats. This is when I was first inspired to lift my thoughts and think, "Jesus - I offer this for UK and for Matt, Tom, Becca and Laura! And I am going to tell them about it!"

So, I got the seats washed, and after the crumbs, etc washed down the drain, I filled the tub and plopped a delighted Ann into it. I turned my back for 2 minutes, and then looked back, and Ann had done her business and was now bathing in a tub surrounded by floating you-know-what. I threw up my hands and thought, "More to offer up...with joy!" For you, for your work with the UK students - praise God!

Give Thanks!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Nona and Papa and Uncle Teddy at our house. It was a fun Kentucky holiday! We talked to Uncle Tony in Rome on Saturday while we were all eating our lunch at Chick Fil A.

Mom and I went to see Julie and Julia on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. Inspired by the movie, I made Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon last night for Matt's team. Yes, it is every bit as scrumptious as it looks on the big screen.

The Bells of St. Mary's and the Flu

Yes, Jane has a confirmed case of H1N1. The rest of us are taking Tamiflu, and staying close to home, except Matt, who would love to be home eating grilled cheese sandwiches, drinking gatorade and watching videos. I brought home The Bells of St. Mary's (1945, Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman) from the library a few days ago, since I had never seen it, and I thought it might be something the whole family could watch. And how! These girls have watched it 3 times already in the last 36 hours and are asking for it again. It really is wonderful. I am surprised they like it so much, since it is in black and white and is a little slow, but it is such a wonderful story with important lessons to teach that are not lost on even 3 year old Jane.

Photos from this fall. We enjoyed spending Aunt Mary's birthday with her in Columbus over this past weekend!

PS - How on earth do my mom friends blog as much as they do?? I have broken up 3 or 4 squabbles, wiped two noses and cleaned up a spilled juice box in the past 10 minutes I have been "blogging."

Boyd Orchards

We had some fall fun yesterday at Boyd Orchards, near Versailles (pronounced vur SAYLs). My favorite treat were the iced pumpkin donuts. YUM.

Kentucky Rain

We have had several downpours today. During one, Jane and Ann could not help themselves, and scurried out the front door together to splash. Cate watched reluctantly in her leotard for awhile, then put on her rain boots and joined the fun.

I finally dragged Ann in, soaking wet, with mud on her hands and face, and a full diaper. She was giggling and shivering at the same time.

New Dining Room Table

One thing Matt and I really enjoy is shopping for furniture. On a missionary budget, we certainly don't buy a whole lot, but we have accumulated some nice pieces that we plan to use for the rest of our marriage, mostly thanks to gift money from relatives, especially my grandparents, the late Al Ariniello and Mary. So here is our long-awaited dining room table, the Farmhouse Table from Ethan Allen. We will pray for Grandpa and Nanny when we share meals around it. The black ladderback chairs are the ones we purchased with the table. The pink chairs are always a conversation piece - they were in my mom's parents' (Roxie and Tom Podhaisky) kitchen. They are so durable, and so pink...

Fall in Kentucky

We so enjoyed mom and dad's visit last week. I can't believe another week has already gone by.

It's fall - we need jackets to be outside, the wind is blowing, and our noses get red. Ann scraped her little knees on the driveway trying to keep up with the big girls. Homeschooling has its ups and downs, but mostly I am delighted we are trying it out. I think the biggest blessing and challenge is that I view all of life as "school" - this means not necessarily "teaching" all the time (which turns kids off anyway) but looking at every opportunity that presents itself as a lesson in patience and an opportunity for wonder.

For "recess" on Tuesday, Cate and Jane headed out the door for an adventure, coats, boots, bikes, broom from my kitchen. Cate was calling Jane "Becky" and using an English accent. They came in once for lunch and once for Oreos. They built a fire out of stones, sticks and rocks. Their adventure lasted for a few hours.

School on Wednesday was Little Sprouts at the Arboretum. We learned about leaves, found leaves, and made leaf rubbings. That afternoon/evening, I cooked a simple French dinner for the FOCUS team, for the vigil of the Feast of St. Therese. The girls got to see me make whole chickens and they served chocolate mousse in wine glasses to our friends. They loved chocolate mousse! We also watched Babette's Feast, and even though it is in Danish an French, they were attentive through the entire movie!

I have to include some photos from Kiddie Kapers, their little dance class that started yesterday. Both Cate and Jane loved it. It was too short, according to Cate.