Here's what's happening...

Yesterday my time to blog got eaten up by helping Jeff chip away at the ice on our driveway. We were having small group at our house last night and needed to make a way for them to walk on the driveway without needing ice skates. It was hard work. Made me think of a book we read in school about men/boys who had to cut through the rocks to make a tunnel or something. Can't remember the name, but remember the feeling of the description of sore shoulders/hand/backs.

We got some cleared and then I made frozen pizzas for dinner: buffalo chicken and supreme. Pretty good stuff! Had small group with only Lisa's daughter Taylor for Abby to watch and started our new study called "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality." In the introduction DVD, the couple who wrote the book talked about how it came about and their struggles with unhealthy spirituality. He started a bilinual church in Queens, NY, and it was so busy and difficult for many years. They showed a video of the church, and I said, "Hey! I think we saw that church when we stayed in Queens!" They had showed a picture of "Queens Blvd." before that or I might not have even thought it could possibly be. Jeff of course rewound and we looked again, and then he looked it up (yes, during the video at small group) and sure enough, it was just down the street from the PanAmerican, and we walked past it every day on the way to the subway! How cool is that? If only we had known, we could have tried to go to church there--yeah, it would have been difficult, but ya never know.

Yesterday I cleaned and took down all remnants of snowmen, because I AM TIRED OF SNOW! So, I decided to rid my life of the snow I can control. :) It was very encouraging to me to have things back to "normal." Even though I like to decorate for holidays, I really like to have the regular stuff back up. I also took a walk before helping Jeff with the driveway.

Abby is finishing up the ACT now, and Jeff went to pick her up. She'll be wiped out! We've prayed hard, she has prepared, and it's kind of good to just go and take it to see what the real thing is like. The Barron's test she did was so different from the Princeton ones that it wasn't very helpful--asked about weird things that the Princeton book never mentioned. But we still went over a few things that hopefully will be helpful. I told her that taking the ACT/SAT is kind of like packing for a spy mission. In the last episode of Chuck, Sarah told Chuck that he always overpacks for a mission. He said, "I just never know what kind of mission it will be--a shooting mission, a dancing mission, a shoot-dance mission?" So, I was thinking that what you have to do to "pack" for the ACT is to take the things you know you'll need for sure, and then try to take as many little things that you can just in case, and then hope you can find them and pull them out of your giant brain-suitcase when you need them. Of course, there will be some things that you can't find at the moment and then come across later--"Oh, THERE you are!" I know she'll do her best, and that is the very most anyone can do!

This morning I made lunch for Eric's Intervarsity group at U of A. Eric is a friend of Chris and Rosie's from IV, and he's been coming to GSCC for church--very encouraging guy. He has a leadership meeting on Saturday with students and tries to provide a homecooked meal for them. He asked us to do it this week, so I made cheesy potatoes with ham, a loaf of bread (I gave them Katie's strawberry jam too--hope that's OK), banana cc muffins in little Valentine's Day cupcake cups, fruit salad, and some little bags of candy for Val. Day/dessert. I was going to make scotcheroos, but ran out of time, and since there are only 4-5 of them, they had LOTS of food! And since they have bread and muffins, the muffins can be kind of like dessert.

And I put some beef stew into the crockpot for dinner, but I used a recipe that I've only made in the oven before, so it may not be done until dinner on SUNDAY, but it looks good if only it will get cooked! I guess it will eventually!

So, now my cooking is done for the day, and I need to go to Target to get stuff on a list that has been accumulating. No Karen girls this week. EDD has quiz team and is going to a ballet tonight. Since we had small group last night, we decided to take this week off. And since Abby will be tired after the ACT. With only the three of us here now, we all have to be "on" when they are here to entertain everyone. But I feel bad because Ehne Thau called last night to see if they were coming over and said, "I need help with hard homework we got today. It's due on Monday, and no one will help me with it." Ouch--that's when I feel really bad about saying no. I certainly want to help her, but I just don't feel like I can. I suggested asking Ni Doh, and she said, "No, he doesn't know it either." She couldn't tell me what subject it was in. Oh my. Why in the world a teacher at an Akron school would give hard homework when kids aren't at school to get help (over the weekend) is beyond me.

Sounds like they're home, so I'll go and hear all about it! Until later, dear reader!