Minnesota is Heaven, But Virginia is Home

Here it is already, the end of January.  How are all of your resolutions coming along?  I made one:  to take time to write down things that I am thankful for on a daily basis.  While we were in Minnesota, I read a book called "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp.  I would describe the book as scripture for the weary mother.  Ann is wife to a farmer and mother to six and writes about finding peace through giving thanks.  How thankfulness is at the heart of true faith.  I found her book very compelling and I've been trying hard to look around and be thankful for even the smallest things.  Ann was challenged to find 1,000 things and soon had notebooks crammed with little bits of life she was thankful for--tiny things like the rainbow of colors inside soap bubbles while she washed dishes.  I don't think I've quite gotten to that level of insightfulness just yet, but I'm watching more closely and taking note. So...that is it.  That is m...

It's Girl Scout cookie time!  Wow.  This brings back a lot of memories and unfortunately, not good ones.  I was a Girl Scout and I loved everything about being a Girl Scout.  Except for cookie-selling time.  All courage failed me as I timidly walked the neighborhood to knock on doors and ring doorbells.  I took it very personally when someone said "No".  I still to this day have a fear of selling things and pretty much say "Yes" to every child that approaches my door selling gift wrap/magazines/candy/cookies/whatever.  Here I am and now my daughter is a Daisy Scout and it's time for her to sell cookies.  I knew full well that this was part of the deal.  I signed her up anyway and she's enjoying Daisy Scouts immensely.  I wrote awhile back that she spent a Sunday afternoon serving 140 meals at a soup kitchen.  She is gathering patches and good experiences. But the cookies, ugh. How to sell when the people you would normall...

We are back home.  Have been for a couple of days now. Everyone heard our travel story TO Minnesota, right?  Well, I'm happy to report that our trip home was very uneventful.  No cancellations, no delays, no lost luggage, no random taxi rides to hotels, no surly airline employees. I'm glad to be here.  It was 50 degrees today and yes, I've become a weenie.  I think I could relearn to tolerate Minnesota's winters, but wow--it's just nice not to have to worry about things like icy roads and scraping windshields and where everyone's hats/mittens/mukluks are.  That being said, I love Minnesota and I'm still convinced that, for me anyway, heaven will be Minnesota.  Just preferably in the summer. We enjoyed our stay immensely and that is thanks in no small part to so many of our family members who came to us in The Cities.  Thanks Mom and Dad, for staying for so many nights, for coming to the science museum, for being an extra set of hands and eye...