7 Quick Takes (Volume 194)

1) It's been another quiet week at the Boesiger house. Ladies Man has been gone on a missions trip to Mississippi. It's kinda cute to see my girls missing their brother so much. There's been lots of sighing. We'll be happy to have him home again.

His absence, and his sister's lament over it, is causing me to reflect on the tremendous blessing I have in my kids. All four of them are people I really like, fun-loving, open, tender-hearted, goofy. They like each other and I suspect they think we're okay too. So forgive me if I gush about my kids in this week's edition. They're pretty great and I just can't help it.

2) We had a blast hanging out with our girls at the mall Saturday. I've always thought our daughters looked more like their dad and our sons look more like me. What do you think? And isn't this pic a dead giveaway that they like their daddy?

It was tons quieter traipsing around the mall than the last time I was there with all four kids, but don't think these girls are subdued and quiet. Hardly. And obviously their dad likes it that way. In fact, I'm quite certain Drama Queen would say they get all their quirkiness from him.


3) I had to make an impromptu trip to Lincoln for Drummer Boy to sign some papers. We took care of business and then . . .

Drummer Boy: How about I take you out for ice cream? I'd like to do that.

Any mother alive knows when your kid wants to spend time with you and do something nice like that you are sucked right in. No persuasion needed. And he even paid. We had a great talk, closing down Culver's. We moved to the parking lot and he kept talking, even telling me about his love life.

Drummer Boy: I can be a charmer, Mom.

Me: Oh, you don't need to tell me that. When you hug me and say, "I love you, Mom," it gets me every time.

It started raining or who knows how long we would have stood in that parking lot talking. We said goodbyes (more than once, complete with his killer-go-straight-to-my-heart hugs) and parted ways, but a mile down the road I got a text.

Text from Drummer Boy: Drive safe. Btw, don't think I didn't see you tearing up:) love you.

And he did it again, making his mother misty.

I drove home feeling all warm and gooey inside. See what I mean about being knock-your-socks-off blessed with my children?

4) While I was enjoying a pleasant evening with Drummer Boy, the rest of the family caught the best glimpse yet of our neighborhood owl, perched on top of our light post in front of our house. Miss Innocent One tried to snap a picture, but it was too dark. Why do I always miss these owl sightings?! Boo! Now I'll be checking our light post every night to see if it comes back. If you drive by my house and see me peeking out my front picture window repeatedly, don't get worried. I'm only owl watching.

5) It's been awesome to have my niece, Sweet Cheeks with us this week. She and Miss Innocent One are having a great time together. I'm already wishing we could have had her longer. Both being the youngest of a family of four kids, Sweet Cheeks and Miss Innocent One are used to rolling with the punches and neither care if they get their way. Talk about easy!! Since it is the first time ever our house is full of girls, I've dubbed this GIRL WEEK (aren't I original? It's like calling your fish goldfish Goldie.)

You come stay with us any time, Sweet Cheeks. We love having you!

6) Kevin (to his Pinterest addict daughters): I don't get it. What's so special about Pinterest?

Drama Queen: I've learned all kinds of great things, like how to get fingernail polish out of carpet or clothing.

Me (impressed): How?

Drama Queen: Well, I don't know, I just pinned it.

Kevin: Then you don't really know how.

Drama Queen: If the need arises I know exactly how to find out.

Kevin: So how many things have you pinned?

Drama Queen: Oh, like 487.

Kevin: And how many have you actually tried?

Drama Queen: Maybe 3.

Kevin: What's the point of that?

Drama Queen: Dad, I'll be the person who knows how to do everything. A crisis will come, I'll whip out my laptop and take care of it.

Kevin: It's like Facebook where you have "friends" you never see or talk to. With Pinterest you have "knowledge" you've never used.

Drama Queen: Dad, you just don't understand.

Of course we don't.

7) We're headed to my cousin's wedding in Salina, Kansas this weekend. It's sure to be a super fun time with my extended family. Can't wait. Say a little prayer for us. Kevin, my sister and I are supposed to sing and I've had this weird cloggy ear the past few days. Who knows what I sound like!

And glory, hallelujah, Ladies Man will be back Saturday night. He wasn't allowed to take a cell phone, so contact with him has been sketchy. He did call last night and told us about using The Worm as motivation to keep kids quiet during VBS lessons. But his biggest news was his amazingly good deal at the thrift store--a football helmet, 3 lacrosse sticks and Ray-ban sunglasses, all for $4.25.

Ladies Man: It was like the best deal EVER!

Of course he didn't think about how he was getting a football helmet and 3 lacrosse sticks home on a crowded bus, but he'll figure it out. He and his "awesome deals" crack me up.

Since the noise level will raise dramatically upon his return, I'm not gonna get too excited about seeing that owl back right away. Better to have the chick home anyway.

I hope your weekend is fun and you recognize the blessings in your life. Read more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

7 Quick Takes (Volume 193)

1) Can anyone explain how I can possibly get another mouse in my pantry when there are a least a dozen cats roaming my neighborhood? ARG!!! I have cat prints all over my vehicles and yet a mouse lives in my pantry? ARG!!! again.

No worries though. I caught the sucker in a day. I think a key to my success was that I'm way overdue for a lip wax. I practically have whiskers which surely gives me mouse-catching saavy. Meow.

2) Ladies Man returned from his singing tour with important news.

Ladies Man: Mom, I got some acne on this trip and there's two reasons why.

Me: Okay . . .

Ladies Man: First of all, I couldn't play my guitar . . .

What do guitars have to do with acne?

Ladies Man: and second I didn't see my girlfriend. Both of those things relieve my stress.

Of course. Acne has nothing to do with hot, humid weather, and working up a sweat every night dancing. And really, who needs Stridex when you have a guitar and a girlfriend?

3) If you read the Friday Quick Takes regularly, you may have gathered that our dinner table can be a lively place. For some reason, our children think of the dinner table as their personal stage for entertaining each other. This is where Drama Queen performs her hilarious impressions, Ladies Man regales us with "The Nipple Song" (don't ask) and everyone practices inappropriate extraneous noises (aka, who can burp the loudest). It's also the place of maximum sister torment as Drummer Boy and Ladies Man envelop their sisters in a brother sandwich, raising their shirts high enough to gross them out with their belly hair.

This week Ladies Man was trying to get a rise out of Drama Queen and went too far, putting his huge, smelly feet on the table.

Me: Ew. Get your feet off the table.

Ladies Man: What?

Kevin: If you don't get your feet off the table, we'll never make it into an etiquette magazine.

Yeah, because Ladies Man's smelly feet are the only obstacle. What?! What planet are you living on, my dear husband? Was that ever a possibility?

Kevin: Emily Post will never ask us over for dinner.

You can guess, can't you? Blank stares.

Me: They don't even know who that is.

At this point, it's probably too late to explain it to them, don't you think?

4) Miss Innocent One's foray into Pinterest is giving her all kinds of fun ways to spend her summer. The other day she and a friend made sidewalk paint and prettied up our back steps.


5) There's a new girl working at the coffee shop I frequent. Call me weird, but I like knowing the names of the people I see often, so I asked. When she told me she added, "Your husband plays piano at a church, doesn't he? Yeah, we go there. I recognized you by your hair."

She recognized me by my hair? What does that mean? Please tell me this is a good thing.

6) Kevin and I attended a wedding last weekend. I've told you before that every time we go to a wedding now I imagine myself as the mother of the bride or groom. Apparently Kevin is experiencing the same phenomenon. During the toasts he leaned over to me and whispered, "Oh my gosh. I just had a scary thought. Can you imagine what our children will say at each other's weddings?!"

Yeah. Sheer panic.

7) It's gonna be another quiet week at our house. Ladies Man left yesterday for a Missions trip to Mississippi.

Drama Queen is in mourning as both he AND her boyfriend will be gone for ten days. Not sure how his acne will fare. He took his guitar with him, but had to leave the girlfriend behind. And if you think of it, would you say a little prayer for him? He was feeling awful when he left, waylaid by a sinus infection.

And that's a rap at the Boesiger house today. Enjoy your weekend and catch more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Pointing Out the Beautiful

She likes it when I tell her she's beautiful. The smile she tries to suppress and the pink in her cheeks confirms it, yet I sense as much as she wants it to be true, she doubts it. She simply can't see it in herself.

None of us do really. We don't recognize the good, the lovely, the beautiful we carry. We dismiss the comments of others as kind, but misguided. If they only knew who we really were . . .

What would it take for us to believe them?

It's easy to look at others and recognize fantastic qualities, beauty, insight, passion, multitudes of enviable characteristics. Why do we think everyone has them except us?

When I say it, I mean it. I'm not blowing sunshine up anyone's skirt. Why do I assume others are just being nice if they say something to me?

If we tell each other often enough, will we eventually believe? If we continually point out the beautiful, will it sink in one day? Do we have a responsibility to utter aloud what we see? Do we need to do it often and consistently and every single time we see it? Is this part of building each other up?

Is this love?

Though she's embarrassed when I tell her she's beautiful, I see her head rise, her countenance brighten, her spirit lift. And I wonder if she believed it, even for a short time, how might she let God use her?

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Hebrews 3:13

Encourage one another daily. Point out the beautiful. Say something when you see it, every time you see it. If we did, what might we enable each other to do?



Photo Credit: niiicedave

7 Quick Takes (Volume 192)

1) I'm feeling scared as I start these Quick Takes. I can't think of anything funny or monumental that happened this week. No stitches, no celebrity deaths, no fun in the sun. We've been a boring family which makes for boring Quick Takes. Here goes nothing.

2) Part of the reason it's been a boring week is that Ladies Man left to travel with a Senior High singing group for the week. They travel to Denver, Colorado and will be back home Sunday. He's home a few days, then hits the road again for his youth group mission trip to Cary, Mississippi. It's already been pretty quiet and both his sisters have said they miss him. I guess Kevin and I need to come up with some silly songs to entertain them. Hey, maybe we can break out our recorders and play them on our noses. That was a hit in youth group once. Experience tells me we'll get eye rolls, but if Ladies Man did the same thing, they'd be laughing so hard they'd wet themselves. Not fair. Ladies Man, know you are missed!

3) Have you ever noticed you can pick up the personality of people by their texts? My children are prime examples.

If Drama Queen texts me and I don't respond right away, I'll get another text that says, "Mother!" as if she thinks I'm ignoring her on purpose. When I don't give her the answer she wants I get, "RUDE!" Totally consistent with who she is.

I know Drummer Boy doesn't like the answer I give him or doesn't plan on attending the event I suggest, when I text him and he doesn't answer back. Ever. Yeah. He's a phlegmatic who avoids conflict. I don't take it personally.

So far I can't gather much about Ladies Man's texting style, as he hardly ever feels his phone vibrate. Or is that just what he's telling me? Hmmmm....

Miss Innocent One doesn't have a phone yet, but occasionally texts me on her ipod. This usually happens when she's spending the night at a friend's house. She says things like "Thanks Mom!" or "I love you, Mom."

And now the rest of my children just rolled their eyes and muttered, "Of course. Perfect Baby Angel Child." Don't worry, my beloved offspring, I get each of you and love you just how you are. Whether you text me or not.

4) Miss Innocent One had some time on her hands again and tried a new nail design.

She recently got a Pinterest account and I've seen her looking over all kinds of nail and hair designs. We're sure to see more.

5) I often feel the need to open the curtain on Drama Queen's true identity. She may sound all sassy and tough, but she's really a closet softie. The other day I was super tired and had to spend the afternoon and evening at church. I left money for she and Miss Innocent One to get something for supper since I was going to be gone. About 6 they showed up at the church with a giant iced tea saying, "We thought you could use a little caffeine."

Sassy? Yes. Tough? Sometimes. Thoughtful? Always. Thanks, babe. You are sweet. Sorry I just spilled the beans. Love you!

6) I've decided I possess some kind of mutant gene that won't let me give things up. I participate in activities I don't even enjoy because something in me won't let me quit. My latest such activity is running. If you've read this blog for any length of time, you'll know my utter frustration with it. I keep telling myself I just need to give it time and I'll get better Once I get better, I'll enjoy it more, or at least that's what logic says, right? But this summer, after a year and half of giving it a try, of running inside, outside, short, long, you name it, I still found I hated it. I decided a few weeks ago, while hobbling along on sore knees that there was no good reason for me to continue and released myself from the burden of doing it.

A few weeks passed and I felt like I was already losing the muscle tone in my legs I worked so hard to get. Then I came across a book titled Born to Run about some remote tribe in Mexico who are known for being superathletes and can run at least 50 miles in one shot with no trouble at all. The book supposedly gives the secrets to achieving such stamina. I was hooked when the author said he began this quest after trying to figure out why he couldn't run like he thought he should be able to. I bought the book, hoping to find the magic secret, and am on board again, although not with the same intensity as before. I may only run once a week or whenever my workout buddies are busy. I'm not taking it out entirely, but I'm not going to stress over it either.

And I'm hoping for an attitude adjustment by approaching it differently. My husband says I am easier to live with when I don't step on my bathroom scale. It's true. When I don't get on that thing I don't obsess about my weight. Using the same logic in my running, I've decided to quit timing myself. If I don't know how slow I am and do it strictly for the exercise, it may take the pressure off and I can quit beating myself up about how awful I am. That will work as long as the weather's nice, but when I'm forced to use a treadmill I'll know exactly how slow I'm going. Hopefully by that time my attitude will be dramatically better.

Or maybe I just need to forget the whole thing and visit a psychiatrist.

7) I am super excited for Ladies Man's return as I get to take out four stitches the PA decided to leave in. How did she know he is a wild man on stage? Anyway, it is right up my alley to dig into things like that and having permission to do it will guarantee no fight from him. He was disappointed he couldn't do it himself on tour, no doubt with an audience, but I think I should get the pleasure, right? Yes. Can't wait.

And that's all the boring stuff running through my head this week. Hope your weekend is more exciting than this. Try reading more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary to jump start your fun.

A Reason to Be Faithful

I'm spending TONS of time this summer writing a script for a Christmas musical. I can't tell you how many days my thought process goes awry.

What were you thinking? You can't do this!
No one is going to give a rip about this story.
Does this make any sense at all?
WHO CARES?!
What do you know about writing? You're a math major for crying out loud!
BORING!
You're going to spend all this time and it will be ho hum.
I hate this. I got nothin'. GRRRRRRR.
Is there any way I can get out of this?

Most days I have to make myself sit at my computer. It's easy to ignore it when life presses in or the sun beckons me outside or a book is calling my name or laundry needs to be folded or there's emails to be sent, bills to be paid, people to have coffee with, bathrooms that need cleaning, Facebook begging to be checked, floors to be vacuumed . . . I'll use any excuse to avoid it.

But avoiding it doesn't get the job done and for reasons I don't understand, God has given me this task. I have to do it.

So though I feel inept for the job, though everything in me would rather be doing something else, I sit myself down for a few hours each day and give it a shot. Some days little gets done. Some days I'm surprised at what comes out. But every day I keep in the back of my head the words of David.

To the faithful you show yourself faithful . . .

Psalm 18:25

I must do my part--show up. As I am faithful to do that, God is faithful to bring the ideas. And every year, to my astonishment and delight, a script gets finished.

It's true for other areas of my life where I feel inadequate too. I'm not the best mother in the world, but He fills in my gaps as I keep at it every day. No matter how well I prepare for Bible study, there's always a little twinge of nervousness going in, knowing one comment could send discussion in an unexpected direction. A clarinet player is only as good as the reed on her horn which changes often. I might not know the right thing to say to a hurting person. But in every case, I push through and do it anyway, resting in the assurance of His faithfulness to me as I make myself available. If I do my part, He'll do His.

It takes the pressure off and puts things in perspective. I'm not writing a script. God is. I don't have to make it beautiful. God will. I just have to show up.

To the faithful He shows Himself faithful.

That's a promise to spur us on, to remind us it's not up to us. It tells us to keep going in and be patient and wait for the amazing things God will do. We don't have to do it all. We just do our part.

How can you be faithful to see His faithfulness?


Photo Credit: apollonio&battista

What I've Been Doing This Summer

You may notice my posts have been more infrequent this summer. It's not that I'm dogging it or hating summer. After a rough start, I've very much enjoyed getting some down time. I've taken my sweet time each morning in my Bible and journal and prayer and have read some stirring, thought-provoking books. Basically I'm recharging.

And it feels good.

So good, that I thought you might like to take a look at these books too. (Clicking on the cover of a book will take you to more information about each title.)

I'm always feeling like I need to do more or be more, so this book immediately caught my eye. Seeing that it was written by popular Women of Faith speaker Marilyn Meberg made it irresistible. The whole time I read this book, I kept wishing I lived close enough to have this woman for a mentor. The message I came away with was something I already knew, but the reminder gave me a shot in the arm I needed.

This next book was a free e-book on Christianbook.com for a while and I snatched it up right away. Really interesting read.

I read All is Grace on our vacation to Okoboji and it stirred some confusion in me regarding grace versus obedience. Do not read this book if you don't want to visit that subject or tax your brain. I'm serious. I've been thinking about this book for weeks.

This next book is my favorite read of the summer. I probably highlighted half the stinkin' pages. I am a "good girl" who's always followed the rules. This author suggests those of us who fall in that camp may be looking to prove our worth to God. Ouch. Her message of freedom in Christ and acceptance of His grace is one any good girl will love to hear.

I actually read this last book earlier in the year, but it's generating a lot of buzz lately. If you haven't read this beautiful, beautiful book, do it. I see it becoming a Christian classic. I will be reading this one again. Soon.

I'd love to hear from anyone whose read any of these. If not, get busy, folks, so we can talk. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

7 Quick Takes (Volume 191)

1) I thought a tan was supposed to make one look more youthful, rested, vibrant. I've just found another hazard to aging. I now have a deep enough wrinkle between my eyes that it left a little white line where the wrinkle is! My wrinkles are giving me weird tan lines! Oh brother. And ugh. And sigh.

2) Drama Queen has this classic look, a scowling eyebrows, wrinkled nose thing that screams her. You've seen it before.

It's classic because she's always had it.

We get this look probably a hundred times a day. The other day Ladies Man was talking and she flashed him "the look."

Ladies Man: What?

She said nothing, just flashed it again.

Ladies Man: I feel like your eyebrows are scolding me.

Nailed it. Perfectly.

3) I attended a bridal shower out of town with my sister, sister-in-law, Miss Innocent One and my niece, Sweet Cheeks. Sweet Cheeks brought a few snacks along--some fruit and confetti popcorn--and the girls were chomping away in the back seat.

Miss Innocent One: Mom, you would totally hate this popcorn.

Me: Why?

My Sister (without thinking, OBVIOUSLY): Because it's colorful and fun.

Me: What?! Cause I'm so boring and gray?

My Sister: Wait, that's not what I meant. I didn't finish. I mean it's colorful and fun and full of fat and sugar and you would hate it.

Me: Yeah, yeah, whatever.

It took me back to the days when she and my cousin would tease me, making a square in the air with their fingers and singing, "Square, square. Tami's a square."

She felt terrible about it the rest of the trip and kept explaining herself. I know she really didn't mean anything by it, but I'm gonna hang on to it. I kind of like having something to razz her about now. Apparently I need to learn how to have more fun.

4) Miss Innocent One had a super time on the Fourth. First she and I made this festive pizza.

After dinner, her siblings ditched us and she was left with us and her grandparents. She made the best of it and had fun planning a little fireworks display of her own. Everything had an order. And she followed it very carefully.

That girl knows how to have fun anywhere.

5) I bought a new furniture polish with Febreeze in it to use in my office. My new chair has a smoky kind of smell and I thought it might help. The polish smelled so good, I got going and couldn't stop, even using it on the floor. It smells terrific, but now my floor is so slick everyone has to catch themself coming into the room. It's so funny. I'll be typing away at my computer and someone will run into the room to ask me a question and the minute they hit the floor they're stopped, something like this.

"Mom, can I (foot hits the office floor) . . . Whoa! (slides five feet) . . . Oh my gosh! What the heck?"

Sometimes they even forget what they need! Bonus!

6) Ladies Man knows how to keep things interesting at our house. He decided one night this week at 9:PM that he needed to cook. He found a recipe online for onion rings and decided to use some of the batter to try his hand at mozzarella sticks. He didn't do too bad.

Later in the week he regaled us with songs about stealing tacos and feeding them to puppies. You ever watch something and know it's completely ridiculous, yet you can't turn away? Yeah. It's kinda like that. It's so dumb, but that stupid taco song is catchy! Then he went to singing at the top of his lungs until I hollered at him to stop and then he started singing popular songs in his Elmo voice, which is another thing I have a hard time resisting.

If late night kitchen adventures and silly songs with Ladies Man weren't enough, he had all our hearts beating when he gashed his leg open at a friend's house on the Fourth. At the end of Miss Innocent One's fireworks display we got a call from Drama Queen saying they were on their way to the emergency room. If you're particularly squeamish, you may not want to view these pics. Here's what we found when we arrived.

Here's a view of his whole leg to give you some perspective on the size of this thing.


Apparently God has a sense of humor as the attending doctor was the same guy who stitched up Ladies Man's frozen turkey wound back in November. He did a super job on that injury, so we were happy to see him. Here's the finished product, 6 inside stitches and 9 outside stitches later.

Nope. Never a dull moment with this kid around.

7) Ladies Man is also in mourning after the passing of Andy Griffith. He's a huge Matlock fan which seems out of character for a 16-year-old, but I guess he's spent enough sick days at home through the years comforted by the television show, to develop some kind of nostalgic love for the guy.

At dinner, I told him to tell his dad the sad news.

Ladies Man: One of my favorite actors died today, Dad. The world will never be the same.

Kevin: Who? Chuck Norris?

I thought it a good guess. Matlock reruns occur as frequently as Walker, Texas Ranger episodes, another Ladies Man favorite. He can even sing the theme song to that, in perfect Chuck Norris form (yet another train wreck I must watch). So his response to Kevin's guess caught me off guard.

Ladies Man: Dad, Chuck Norris won't ever die. If Chuck Norris dies, Jesus will come back.

Does anyone understand what that means? I'm scared to ask. I guess if you hear of Chuck Norris contracting a fatal disease you better get your heart right with God.

And that's all she wrote today, friends. Have a glorious weekend and read more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.