The Shack

Those of you who know me well know that words are my life. I don't just read for knowledge, information or entertainment; I let every word I read sit in my mouth so that I may savor its imagery. I am not one who typically loves a top-seller or commercial read (couldn't really get hooked on The Davinci Code, for instance) , but every once in a while, I find a book in such category that really grips me. One such recent selection has been The Shack by William P. Young.

Now, let me first say that, though most reviews of this book have deemed it nothing less than stellar, some people do find offense reading it. This is primarily because God is portrayed as (gasp) a woman throughout most of the book, although this portrayal later changes. Mr. Young has a good reason in doing this, but I won't explain, as this would reveal too much of the plot for anyone who might want to read the book. Also, some people have tried to pick at details in the book, complaining that some aspects do not line up precisely with the Bible. I am not a Biblical scholar, yet I do know the Bible well enough that I did notice some slight deviances. However, those small, wayward moments in the book were non-offensive and very menial compared to the absolutely beautiful story of God's love.

Though I certainly see God as omniscient and all-powerful, my view of God is primarily that of daddy and friend. I often find a pillow, close my eyes, rest my head on the pillow, and then imagine that it is God's lap. I imagine God comforting me in his lap just as I comfort my little ones in my lap. There, resting my head on God's lap, I talk to Him much like I would talk to my dad, and He, in turn, gives me comfort and love that is unimaginable. That comfort and love is very real to me. When I'm talking to God in this way, I feel like it is just Him and me. This book portrays God in a very personal and individualized way, and that is why I loved it so much.

I recommend you all go out and buy a copy of The Shack. I bought mine at Lifeway, although I'm sure you can find it at any bookstore, as it is a New York Times bestseller. I hope you all are touched by it as I was.

It's Almost Football Time in Tennessee!

The Muppets and UT football have always been big in my life, so in celebration, I just have to share this video with you! Click on the link below. GO VOLS!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k0uPCTChpg

"Virginians will Dance or Die!"

An 18th century diarist said it so well! For Virginians in the colonial period, dance was their dearest diversion.

While Mom was visiting, she sweetly offered to watch the girls one evening while Dave and I went out. We were originally going to try to see a movie, but we realized we'd have to rush through dinner to make it on time. As evident in so many of my posts, Dave and I LOVE spending a quiet evening in Colonial Williamsburg, but most of the time we have the girls with us so we have to forego the quiet, if you know what I mean.

So we were thrilled to get the chance to eat at one of the restaurants we'd been wanting to try and then stroll down the street to the Governor's Palace for An Evening of Dance. The event is spectacular! I wish I could have taken more photos, but to preserve the historic "aura," guests can only takes pictures before and after the dance. We all gathered in the palace ballroom and were greeted by some fancily-clad characters ready to host an evening of dance much like one often enjoyed by colonial Virginians in their large plantations by the river.

We watched as romantic drama played out among the colonial party-goers, and we watched them perform exquisite reels, minuets and cotillions. The musicians were wonderful and the candlelit chandeliers made the ballroom look lovely. Once in a while, the colonial dancers would pair up with the party-goers to teach a more complicated dance. Dave was selected to join one of the colonial ladies in a reel. He did quite well, despite his two left feet. :) Below is a picture of him and his dance teacher.

Nana's Visit

A couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed Nana's annual summer visit! She stayed with us for a week and spoiled the girls with tons of kisses, hugs, slumber parties, sweets and other such goodies-- she's got this nana gig down pat! :)

While Nana was here, the weather was scorching, so we spent a lot of time playing at home. My mom is the type that loves to get down and roll all around the floor with the girls and make them feel like they are the most important people in her life. I enjoy how she turns into a big kid whenever the girls are around. But she's always been that way. I think my sister and I probably rolled our eyes a few times over it, but she was always super-involved and very interested in everything we did as kids. And now that she's a nana, she's that times ten. Where does all her energy come from?! :)

We had a wonderful time with you, Nana! The only thing that could have made it any better would have been having Pop with us, too! We miss you both so much!

Fun on the 4th

In line with our plans mentioned in my previous post. we spent our 4th of July in Yorktown! What a special privilege that was! Come to find out, the 4th of July celebration is the biggest event historic Yorktown hosts all year. It was a lot of fun and evoked a lot of pride in all who attended. Some people traveled in from all over the country to experience Independence Day where independence was won.

We arrived in the afternoon and headed straight for the kids' play area. Caroline got the chance to run, slide and jump while we waited for the parade to start. Yorktown has some very large, old trees that provided some great shade for us to picnic in. Then we lined up along Main Street for the parade, which featured the Fifes and Drums and Uncle Sam dressed in overalls. Then we continued to stuff ourselves with hotdogs, popcorn and snowcones while we strolled the rest of the festivities.

We didn't originally plan to stay for the fireworks (since we didn't think the girls would last that long), but both Caroline and Claire seemed up to it, so we found a great spot at the Victory Monument where we camped out while waiting for the reading of the Constitution, the U.S. Air Force Band performance and finally the fireworks over the water. Well, just at the dramatic conclusion to the reading of the Constitution was drawing near, we received an announcement that the rest of the evening's festivities had been cancelled due to a storm headed directly for Yorktown.

Talk about a mass exit! Everyone had parked just beyond one of the British battlefields, which has a landscape of massive hills constructed by the British for defense in the Revolutionary War. Well, let's just say they worked really well. No one could get over or around them safely, so we all had to bottleneck through this tiny little trail in the rain. Once we found the van, the girls were a little damp (they had stroller hoods and an umbrella), but Dave and I looked like drowned rats. On our way home, we picked up a pizza for dinner, and once we reached the house, the girls were asleep. We ended up watching Colonial Williamsburg's fireworks from our house (they still finished their festivities despite the scarry weather). All in all, it was a great day!

Saturday, we took the girls to Chuck E. Cheese (or, as Dave would call it, "the home of the animatronic rat"). It was a lot more exciting for Claire now that she can walk, although Chucky's towering stance scared her a little.

Today (Sunday) we went to church and then Caroline and I went to the movies to see Kit Kittredge, an American Girl. Caroline loved it! She even cried during the sad parts. I thought it was a great film, and it teaches children all about giving to others.

I hope all of our friends and family had a wonderful weekend, too!

A Special Place to Be

Independence Day proves to be an especially exciting time to live in Colonial America! The historic triange (Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown), is rich with tributes to people, places and events that contributed so much to the freedom we experience now. One such place is Yorktown. We have decided to spend part of our Fourth of July in Yorktown (just down the road since we live in York County) becuase it will be so thrilling and memorable to be in the place where America's war with the Brittish essentially ended.

Although Yorktown has every reason to boast a large, proud Independence Day celebration, I have been told their event has a small-town feel. I love Yorktown because it has all of the history and pagentry that Williamsburg does, but it has a bit of a more quiet aura. Friday, we'll enjoy a classic car show, live bands in the church yard, a colonial parade, the Fifes and Drums, the USAF Heritage of America band, and fireworks.

Below is a link to a Youtube posting of last year's Yorktown Fifes and Drum appearance on Independence Day. What makes it so amazing is that all of the players are just kids! And so, in the spirit of colonial times, I would have to give them a hearty "Hoozah!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpuJIKkJRM4

Hope you all have a fun-filled fourth!

Go, Claire, Go!

I have always said my sweet Claire is easy going. Yes, lately, she's gotten a little...well... spunkier than before, but overall, she's so laid back. It was evident when she took her time wanting to crawl, pull up, and toddle. She just turned 16 months old a few days ago, and Thursday, she took her very first steps! Yea, Claire!!! We are so proud of her! And she didn't just start off taking one or two steps at a time-- she took off! Here's a video of her newly-mastered skills. Sorry-- you'll have to tilt your heads to the left because I filmed this with the camera positioned vertically. I don't know how to rotate the video.