This Week...
...Lainey graduated from preschool. We love Miss Amy so much. The past two years with Lainey in her preschool class have been awesome! The most trouble Lainey ever caused was being way too comfortable in Amy's home as a friend instead of a student. Haha! Miss Amy would often let Lainey and several other students stay after on Wednesdays to play and have lunch (which Lainey and I packed beforehand). We've been spoiled by the way Miss Amy creates fun, themed weeks with engaging activities and projects. And also by the way she interacts with them. She definitely knows how to relate and talk to them at their level.
Lainey sat by her cousin Allie and sang along with much gusto and enthusiasm.
...we made a trip to Mattawa and got to see the brand new little puppies. Cowboy had eight puppies. They're such a mix of so many different kinds of dogs-Chihuahua, Terrier, Labrador, Poodle, and probably more.
We took a stroll in the garden. I always love taking pictures out there. It's always been a wonderful place for me. I'm so grateful we had a garden growing up-vegetable and flower garden alike.
This picture makes me laugh. It's one of those where I'd love to have others write the caption. Doesn't Jason look like he's saying, "Mom, this is how it needs to be. You know I'm right." Notice the leaf right in my mom's line of sight. She could be thinking, "Should I clip this thing before or after Jason gets done talking?"
My mom pointed out this Clematis vine that has completely taken over the tree across from it. The minute I saw this, I knew there was an analogy to be found.
Take a look at where the Clematis is planted and how far away the tree is. The Clematis is a climbing plant. It sends out feelers, reaching and stretching, intertwining with anything in it's path. It has a beautiful blossom, but it creates a tangle of a leaf-y/vine-y mess.
Look what the vine has done to the branches of the tree. It has taken hold of the tree branches, as they grew too close to the trellis where the Clematis was growing. The Clematis has twisted it's way around the tree branches, wrapping the branches in it's powerful grip. "How is this done?" you ask. Or rather, "How is this to be undone?" Not without a lot of cutting and trimming is the powerful presence of the Clematis to be reduced and eradicated from the branches of the tree.
Analogy time!
We are often like the unsuspecting tree branch that grows too close to the cunning Clematis vine. We know the dangers of getting too close to sin or straying too far from the straight and narrow path, but we do it anyway. At first, the vine of the adversary just slithers over our branches, making contact and searching for the perfect place to get a good hold. At this point, trimming back the vine and making course corrections is easy for it has yet to get a strong hold in us. But if we continue on such a path, the vine only gains strength and a better hold in our hearts. Before long the branches of our testimony, once straight, are twisted and bent to the will of the vine of the adversary. Where freedom of agency and righteousness were once enjoyed, enslavement now commands.
...we went out to the park for some Sunday evening fun with the kids. Jason tried a game of 500 with the kids. It went well for the most part and they had fun. That is until someone didn't get the ball that really wanted it.
...there's nothing like fresh strawberries and beautiful flowers blooming in your own front yard.
...the puppies came to our house for a visit. Not my favorite, but necessary. Cowboy, the mama puppy was having a hard time keeping up with the demand for milk with eight new puppies. My sisters took her to the Vet and found some fortified food to help her out.
...Jason made his yearly law enforcement presentation to Paul and Ben and Claire's classrooms. We did them both together and had the kids meet outside on the lawn. It's always so fun to see the kids' excitement and hear how Jason challenges them to be honest and do what is right.
