Geek or Nerd?

So I over heard two of my boys, laughing and saying, "you are a geek, I am a nerd!"

Micah (11) proceeded to explain to Isaac (9) that a geek loves technology and is almost obsessed by it, where as a nerd is just different and weird, but doesn't really care that they are.

I was a little taken a-back by their conversation, but it intrigued me none the less.

Yes, Isaac is a geek by that definition. He LOVES taking things apart and seeing hoe they work.
For instance, we are learning about pulleys in science.
He had free time yesterday, so he thought it would be great fun to build a crane out of an erector set.
As he was building he discovered how to use a pulley to make it work better and is now in the process of trying to build an elevator... Yes, he's a geek.

Micah confessed, (with a HUGE grin and goofy laugh), that he is absolutely a nerd.
He loves being different and is unashamed.

It's not something you grow up hoping your children will be, but then I myself am a nerd...
I said he could borrow my theme song:

I began to sing it for him, "I'm not cool, that's OK. My God loves me anyway..."

He looked at me funny. He laughed.
I informed him the best of us have motto's... I informed him he could borrow mine, but that he should have a motto's.
He and then said , "My motto is to never judge a person by their appearance, but by their heart."

Most of you know me and know my family.
If you know my family, you KNOW Micah.
You know Micah has a heart of gold.
He is also blessed to have a benign tumor near his right eye that alters his face enough that almost everyday people ask him, "what happened to your eye there kiddo?"

Micah is full of life, compassion, mercy, and grace. He loves people and loves to make people laugh. Ironically, He is most comfortable in front of a crowd and is thrilled if he gets to perform in some way.
It never ceases to amaze me how gracefully he handles his "uniqueness".

For now, I am left with my heart in my lap. I am the nerdy blessed wife of a geek.
I have 5 children: 2 geeks, 2 nerds, and one daredevil.


I am NOT cool, and that's OK... my God loves me anyway...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSVpkPk883Q

A Cup of Coffee

Well, I am well into this journey of daily blogging.
I am taking pictures, enjoying life, capturing some of my thoughts, sharing them with others.

I have second guessed myself a gazillion times already. "Who really cares?"
Why should anyone take a moment to share a moment with me...

The truth is that I am going to keep writing whether I ever am blessed to hear that someone else likes what I share. But I have to thank the Lord publicly this morning for giving me a tear filled gift.

My mom sent me a note this morning that told me that she makes her cup of coffee and sits down each day to see what I've written. She said its like I am sitting right there visiting with her.

I had to put the email away quickly because my eyes filled with tears of joy.
My mom is about 2000 miles away from me and it has been nearly 4 years since I sat at her table.
How cool is it that by following my heart and doing what I love it brings me closer to her?

She's not the only one who has commented either... Just when I doubt whether I should continue, I get a quick "keep blogging email" from someone...

Thank you Lord! I do not deserve the outpouring of love You have given me...

Rose Colored Glasses

I believe I live my life looking through rose colored glasses.
I am often thinking about blessings and butterflies.
I used this picture on a blog to bless the moms who would read it, but most especially my mom. I love this picture. She is featured in the center with a loving look on her face as she snuggles and loves on two of my 5 boys. I was reflecting on this special today, the day after Mother's Day.
How blessed I am!
I love my mom.
I love my children.
How sweet my children are...

That's about when my rose colored lenses turned to clear:

All 5 of my children are in this photo.
Look closely and you'll see what my rose colored lens blocked out the first 50 times I looked at this...

Yes, that's correct.
My oldest is hanging one of his little brothers upside down while the other brother is getting ready to laugh at the upside down brothers plight...

My life is like this all the time.
I see what I want to see. I chose to delight in the blessing and I feel really good about what I am doing with my family. I feel like super wife, or super mom... And then I see my life as it truly is:
                  Blessed of course.
                                        Wonderful, absolutely.
                                                                  But controlled chaos might be a better description.

If I were choosing fonts for the title of the picture,
I would chose larger bold font for the word Chaos and lighter smaller font for the word "controlled".

I laughed when the picture came into view. I hope you will too...

"Now where are those rose colored glasses..."

Sights and Memories

I had to take a detour to capture this picture. Lilacs.
Oh, my goodness I haven't seen a lilac tree since I lived in Connecticut... That makes it about 31 years ago.

Lately I kept seeing a beautiful purple color begin to emerge as spring sprang here in the mountains.
I saw it as a blur for the first couple of days. I was conscious that there was something different and yet I didn't take the time to look at what I was seeing.

I really cannot tell you why I actually looked more closely.
Sometimes I never take the time to really "see" the world around me. I am so glad I didn't miss this one.

Lilacs.
I stopped the car to snap a few pictures and the smell hit me. Oh my goodness the smell!
I was transported back to being about 11 years old. I lived in Connecticut with my family on a 200 hundred year old farm.

The house was nestled in the country and there beautiful trees and flowers there. I think that small town of Middlebury is where I fell in love with nature. Birds and flowers, ladybugs and dragonflies, spittle bugs and spider webs, creeks and thick woods, I remembered it all with the first scent of the lilacs.
I only lived there about 4 years, from 4th-8th grade, but this is where the love story between me and my Lord began. If I were to write the story, I think I would start here... among the lilac trees.

Back to now... I am too busy! How many days had I driven by without seeing them? And what was I busy with? Grocery lists, bills to pay, kids to transport, work to do...

Slow down, Bekki. Life is but a vapor.
I know I've said this before, but I want to live life on purpose. I want each breath I breath to be a good thing.

If I speak, I want to speak words of encouragement and truth wrapped in love.

If I see, I want to see creation reaching toward the heavens- like those lilacs.

If I hear I want to hear the sound of the birds, the wind, and the voices of God's children.

If I touch, I want it to leave an aroma of love behind.

If I smell, I want to remember...

What do you see?

This morning I drove our oldest to school bright and early.
Today is the big day.

AP Test #1.

A years worth of effort to be tried and proved today in one long 4-5 hour test.
I did not want to be in his shoes at all. I was lazy in high school. I chose not to take the AP classes because I saw no value in them for my future. I have wanted to be a wife and a mom for as long as I can remember. I actually remember "husband shopping" in kindergarten... Goofy little girl.

I encouraged Thomas as we drove along, prayed for his mind to be anointed and that he would be able to remember all he had crammed in that brain of his: and then a sight in the distance caught our attention.

There in the mornings early light I saw the first hot-air balloon of spring here in Tehachapi... It was glorious! We loved the sight of it. OK maybe, I more than him, but we did enjoy it together. As I often do, I pondered what this balloon in the midst meant for my life today. I was reminded that it is the little things that rejuvenate our spirits. Quiet moments. Moments without phones and face book. Moments without smog and long to-do lists...

So I dropped Thomas off to school and took a detour home to try to capture the sight so I would remember it and share it with you. Of course I only had my iPhone with me and I couldn't capture the sight in its fullness. But isn't life like that?

The biggest most profound moments cannot be explained or captured on film. The fullness of the lesson was intended for my heart, I am well aware of that. The cool part is that my heart is left overflowing and frustrated in a good way. Its overflowing to the point that I cannot but help tell you about it, frustrated that you may be too busy. Hopeful that you'll stop long enough to become filled to overflowing and that the love and joy you are filled with today will spill on those around you...