The Good List 4-23-14

10. Despite just coming out of one of the coldest and snowiest winters we've experienced since living in Vermont, we didn't have one episode of frozen pipes or extended power outage. Kind of amazing. (Special thanks to Deacon Dan for whatever he did to beef up the insulation on the back wall of our house. Clearly, it worked. :-)
9. Cooking with Chorizo. Have you ever tried this stuff? Do it at least once just to experience the smell. So yummy.

8. The Barn. (It's a restaurant.) We don't go very often, 'cause it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere and not really near anything else that we do in life. ;-) But the food is really good, the prices are reasonable, and the view could be a lot worse. 

7. We learned just a few days ago that during Macy's recent Mathcounts competition, she got 2nd place in the entire state among 7th graders for her individual score. YAY MACY!!!

6. When technology shrinks the world and creates opportunities for fellowship that would otherwise likely never occur. SO grateful to have friends worship with us at MSCC on Easter Sunday that we had only known via the internet until last week. Online communication can be a very good thing indeed. But hugs are better. :-) (Brittany and Adam, come see us again SOON!!!!)
5. Spring Break last week! Good times. AND Nana and Papa were here the whole week! EXTRA fun to spend time with them, especially during a less-crazy-schedule-than-usual week. :-)
4. A night of laughs with Brian Regan and Joe Zimmerman at The Paramount a couple weeks ago. SO MUCH FUN! And it didn't hurt that we got to share the experience with Jeff and Mark, who just happen to be 2 of our favorite people in the whole wide world (but don't tell them I said that. It might go to their heads. ;-) )
3. Jared turned in individual MANUSCRIPT #10 to his publisher last week! WUT?!? So proud of that guy!
2. When Macy says to me (every single night), "I'm going to get in bed, Mom." Because this is code for, "Even though I'm almost a teenager and don't want to say it quite so explicitly, I really want you to come tuck me in and give me a hug and kiss goodnight." Gladly. :-)
1. Romans 6:9~  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.  

Of Sunsets, Sketches and Specialness

Can I tell you about my favorite art piece I will likely ever own? It's right here:

Can I tell you why it's my favorite? I'm going to. You can stop reading if you want, but I'm still typing. :-)

Several weeks ago, my friend Jeff came across one of Anne's sketchbooks. Y'all remember my friend Anne, right? The one I can't seem to stop talking about? You probably thought I was done, didn't you? NOT A CHANCE! ;-) But I digress. . .

Back to the sketchbook. Jeff found a sketchbook that Anne had been filling with various drawings from trips she had taken with her family and special memories she wanted to preserve. Sort of a hand-drawn photo album. Kind of amazing. (I can't draw. This is why I take a million pictures instead. But I wish I could draw.) Tucked away in that book was this:

Those are her little knees at the bottom covered in a blanket, and straight ahead is the inside of the big umbrella that was blocking her view. (Stay with me. It'll make sense in a minute.) 

This is a drawing that Anne created during my family's introductory trip to Stonington, Maine with none other than Jeff and Anne Miserocchi, who just knew we would love it there. (They were so absolutely right.) There is a story here, most of which wouldn't mean much to you, but suffice it to say this is a memory I will never ever forget. Some of it is captured in the note I attached to the back of the frame, which says this:

We sat in this spot and talked and talked and talked and laughed and laughed and laughed. It was one of my favorite days ever. You were still getting over lyme disease, and the antibiotics you were taking made you super sensitive to sunlight, so we had to shroud you in blankets and set up a massive umbrella to help you stay comfortable. You sketched (the inside of the umbrella since that is mostly what you saw), and I took a million pictures, which made you happy, because you assured me you would just relive the whole experience later through my photos. (You even told me that Mark had been coaching you on how to take better pictures and asked if you could send him some of mine to show him how much you had improved.) :-) 

When the sun started to go down, you were finally able to uncover and watch the sunset with me. Just gorgeous. And I wondered out loud what Heaven must be like if plain ol' earth could be this beautiful at times. But then we agreed that this probably looks like a crayon drawing compared to Heaven. 

I miss you so much, Anne. But somehow at the same time my heart is full to overflowing when I imagine you standing in the presence of our Savior, where the radiance of His glory glows with a brilliance you never saw on earth, even during the best sunset ever. I love you so very much, and I always will. Thank you for one of my sweetest and most favorite memories.

Here is a better shot of the picture in the frame above. This is quite possibly the most brilliant sunset I've ever witnessed in person, and I'm so happy to have shared it with my friend Anne.

The Good List 4-9-14

10. Three monster lasagnas ready to pop into the oven for our community group tonight--2 with pasta, 1 with zucchini strips, all with tons of meat and cheese and tomato-y deliciousness. YUM! 

9. Macy's latest art project. Inspired by The Hunger Games for those who aren't familiar. ;-)

8. There is a Peanuts movie in the works for 2015. I feel like this will either make all of America do a group hug and collective "Awwwwwwww....." or singlehandedly ruin all of our childhood memories. I hope it's the former.



7. Captain America 2. Not my favorite in the series, but definitely super fun to watch. Now, I CAN'T WAIT for Avengers 2!!!

6. Lazy Saturday mornings. They're rare but welcome in this house.

5. Back in February, Jared had the honor of speaking at the Desiring God Pastor's Conference in Minneapolis. Last week he received a scrapbook from the event. Pretty cool. So special to see him pictured alongside some of his favorite teachers and mentors. (This is a hastily taken picture of a picture of a picture, so forgive the poor quality, but you'll get the idea.)

4. The sound of massive water flow off the mountains surrounding our house as the snow melts. I mean, full disclosure: I don't love mud season. It's pretty much gross. But if it has to happen, at least it brings with it a lovely soundtrack. :-)
3. Overhearing Gracie practicing the flute. She's only been at it for a few months, but the more she learns, the more she enjoys it and wants to play. So grateful for so much music in my house!
2. Macy's Bistro Cafe performance last Friday night. So sweet. I love it when that girl sings, and she looked so beautiful (but WAY too grown up) in her fancy dress.

1. Psalm 103. Sort of makes you forget you have anything to whine about, no? ;-)

The Good List 4-2-14

10. This little dude. My new favorite kitchen toy. Zucchini "noodles" (or any veggie really) in just a few twists of the wrists. Pretty fun and very yummy.

9. Muppets Most Wanted. Very clever. And PACKED with cameos.

8. This is one of Macy and Grace's all-time favorite snacks. That makes me very happy. Whatever I can do to steer them away from junk food, I'm in! :-)

7. My friend Dave let me borrow his not-even-jokin'-around bow. And as soon as all of this snow melts so that I don't lose every single one of my arrows, it is SO ON! Dear 802: You've been warned.

6. Grace has started training for her second Girls on the Run event. She is so excited! Here are her "before and after" pictures from last year. Adorableness.

5. Macy is multi-talented. She is brilliantly musical, clever and smart, and endlessly creative. Here is one of her most recent drawings. Owl. I love it.

(Also, fun fact: my friend Mark points out that "if you turn it upside down, it looks like 2 suns rising on either side of a mountain with a giant ear of corn sitting on top like a radiant holy temple." He probably needs some counseling, but this makes me giggle. What do you think? ;-))

4. This is my favorite thing I've seen on the internet in a long time. I LOVE THIS. But fyi--I strongly suggest listening with headphones or plugging into a much better speaker system than the flat sound of a computer or phone. Totally different experience.



3. On Monday nights, Jared is almost always away from home in meetings until pretty late (sometimes very late.) So. Macy and Grace and I spend these nights cooking together with lots of ridiculousness, giggles and loud music. It is way more fun than it probably sounds. :-) I love these times with my girlies.

2. This guy literally never stops writing. Literally never. If he isn't doing so with pen and paper or computer, he is doing so in his head. He ponders and writes and ponders and writes. And I'm so grateful for his thoughts and words.

1. Psalm 121. The promises in these words work such a precious "settledness" in my heart. Oh how I need them!

The Good List 3-19-14

10. Yesterday I heard chickadees singing for the first time in quite a long time. It was a welcome sound. ;-)

9. Captain America 2. Next month. Yes.



8. When my pantry and refrigerator are full of fresh produce. This makes me a special kind of happy. :-)
7. Texting with Macy. Sometimes I'm still weirded out by how quickly she is growing up, but she makes me giggle when we chat, and it has been fun "staying in touch" this way when we aren't under the same roof. 
6. Gracie keeps every single one of her "lunchbox notes." This makes me smile.

5. The people of CB Northwest, who invited Jared to speak at their Pastors' Conference in Seaside, OR last week. They were such sweet and gracious hosts, and it was a joy to spend time with them.
4. Jeff and Keri Seavey. I told you a little bit about them here. But there is so much more to tell. And I can't possibly do it in one little point on a list. So for now I will just say that they are entirely fabulous and that I am eternally grateful that God saw fit to intertwine our lives--even as we continue to be separated by pretty much the ENTIRE United States of America. One day we will intersect again, my friends. Oh yes. We will. And it will be glorious. :-)
3. Coming home from Oregon the day after a huge snow storm to find our friend Jeff shoveling a path to our door. He must love these Wilson people. Which works out well, 'cause we sure do love our Miserocchis. 

2. Lunch with my Mom on Monday. Sadly, it was on my way to take her to the airport and send her back home :-(, but at least we got to sit still together for a little while. These times feel way too few and far between.
1. Yesterday right out of the blue, Grace said to me, "Mom, do you think some time soon we could spend some time together, just the two of us? It doesn't seem like we get to do that very often." Be still, my heart. Also: YES. We most definitely can. And I can't wait.

A Tale of Two Pastors' Wives

It all started a little over a year ago when Jared was scheduled to speak at a conference in Moses Lake, Washington. This dude named Jeff Seavey (or maybe Jeffrey. I'm not even really sure which he prefers, but I've been calling him Jeff, and he hasn't corrected me, so if he prefers Jeffrey, then he should learn to speak up.) But I digress. . .  Anyways. . .  Jared was speaking at a conference in Moses Lake. Jeff got wind of this via Twitter or something like that and messaged Jared to see if he would be interested in speaking at his church in Vancouver while he was "in the area." With very little pretty much zero research or follow-up of any kind, Jared agreed.

This led to a 5-6 hour drive across Washington after the conference with Jeff and his wife, Keri, neither of whom Jared had met prior to this encounter. In a white van with no windows. (OK, just kidding about the van.) But you get my point. ;-) This could have gotten shady pretty quickly. Also, there was apparently a gallon sized bag of gummy bears involved in this excursion, so that is certainly questionable at best. But. . .

. . . thankfully, they didn't have any shady plans in mind (other than consuming those nasty little globs of goo), and they did in fact deliver Jared all the way to Vancouver safely. ;-) In fact, by the time they had reached Vancouver, Jared had come to the conclusion that Keri and I would be BFFs if we could spend some time together. (Jeff's not too bad either, but we can talk about that some other time.)

Fast forward about a year. Jared was scheduled to speak at a conference in Seaside, OR, and that same dude named Jeff Seavey asked if Jared would like to speak at his church in Vancouver again. And guess who joined him this time. :-D And guess who finally met the utterly fabulous Keri in person. And guess who ADORES her! (It's me just in case any of you slow people were struggling with the guessing.)

In some ways, we are kind of polar opposites. She is in the Northwest. I am almost as far away as you can get within the continental U.S. in the Northeast. She is in the city. I'm about as rural as you can get. She is a pro, having ministered with her husband for several years. I still find myself feeling very inexperienced at this pastor's wife thing. And then there's the fact that we're kind of photo negatives of each other--me with my white hair and light eyes, she with her glossy dark mane and beautiful brown eyes. BUT. . .  I'm pretty sure our hearts are identical twins, and I love that.

What a gift to me is this precious woman! I'm always amazed (not really surprised anymore, but still amazed) by the way God knits hearts together so quickly and securely when the Gospel is the common ground. When you add to that common experience and similar struggles, it seems like the bond becomes even stronger more quickly. And let me just tell you, pastor's wives need each other. And that's about all I'll say about that for now. ;-)

Through Jared's stories and Facebook, I already felt like I was getting to know this entire wonderful Seavey family. But this week we shared stories, we shared meals, we shared laughs (SO MANY LAUGHS), and we even shared the Gospel with some unsuspecting associates at the Seaside Dairy Queen who were just trying to close down for the night. Bless their little hearts. :-) And we dug into the Word together via the CB Northwest Pastor's Conference under Jared's teaching. And every second of it was a blessing.

I'm so grateful for another sister with whom to lock arms as I continue to learn and grow into what this whole "Pastor's Wife" thing is supposed to look like. It's a challenging journey, but much less so when shared with loving, Godly, FUN ladies like Keri who help lighten the load and share JOY along the way. This week was such refreshment to me. It truly felt like a glimpse of heaven. Beautiful fellowship, all things in common, and staring into Christ's glory together. I wanna do it again SOON! So much AWESOME!

Love you, Jeff and Keri! (But mostly Keri. No offense, Jeff. It's not like you didn't already know. But if you'll get me a coupon for a $243 trip to Paris, I'll elevate your status immediately.)

The Good List 3-5-14

10. These. The beginning of happiness.

9. The scale at my doctor's office weighs me lighter than my scale at home. Hers has to be more accurate, right? ;-) (Work with me here, people. Sometimes it's the little things...)
8. Our friend Kathie brought this book to Jared on Sunday. Makin' me giggle.

7. This. It's old, but it still makes me giggle.



6. My Mom brought us boudin all the way from Houston, TX to Vermont. I haven't had that stuff in years. It was yummy!
5. Packing for a trip to the Pacific Northwest this weekend. I've only been in that area once. Looking forward to another visit.
4. Ohhhhh. Yes, please. I would very much like to see this.



3. Treats from EPCOT. Aka, what happens when Jared goes to Orlando without us. ;-)

2. This was one of our favorite parts of the Sing Off concert. (It was just a little bit different the night we were there, but even funnier I think.) So fun! 



1. This entire scenario:

Jeff calls and says something like, "I know this is a little crazy and a lot last minute, but if we can get enough tickets to the Sing Off concert in Schenectady tonight, do you want to bring the girls?"

Me (making a mental list of all the reasons a late concert 2 hours away on a school night is probably a terrible idea): "Oh, I think we just HAVE to! I mean, when will they get this opportunity again?!?"

Jeff: "Ok, we'll let you know as soon as Mark hears back from Tim.

Mark texts: "Call me."

I call.

Mark says something like, "We're leaving here in 5 minutes to come pick y'all up."

Five minutes for 3 girls to get ready? Not likely.

Five minutes for 3 girls to get ready for a Sing Off concert featuring Home Free AND the opportunity to meet those guys? We'll make it happen. 

I say, "Ok. We'll be ready."

And these are some of the things that happened next. Judge my terrible parenting if you must ;-) , but I don't regret a second of it. SO MUCH FUN!!!

To the left: The Filharmonic. Center stage (as they should be): Home Free. To the right: Voice Play.

Autographs after the concert:

And then as we were standing around talking to Tim after the concert, he saw the girls looking up at him with this exact look on their faces and said, "How about a picture?" (Or something like that. ;-))

Utterly starstruck.

Minds. Blown.

And THEN: Tim joined us for dinner after the show, (about which Grace later said, "I can't believe we shared a dinner table with a guy who has his own holiday.")

And while we were there, Austin came in to say hi too.

The final little cherry on top of an already perfect night.

And as I was tucking the girls in way past bedtime, Grace said, "Mom, that was probably the best night of my life. (brief pause) Well, maybe a tie with Disneyworld." :-) High marks indeed.

THANK YOU, MARK and JEFF, for inviting us into all this crazy fun! It's one of our favorite memories ever! Good times. Good times.