Can-can

Oh my!!!!!
I think I need to take more pics.
But honestly, my hands were just too messy!!!

This past weekend, we went peach picking. In much less than an hour, all 8 of us picked two bushels of peaches. YUM!!!!
I made.....
two pies
a batch of low sugar jam
a batch of regular peach jam
a large batch of peach butter
13 qts of sliced canned peaches
All canned in my hot water canner.....

and 2 frozen gallon bags of slices
and I will be making a double batch of peach cobbler for dh
And I STILL have peaches in my fridge!!!

Oh, and I gave away a basket of peaches and a jar of jam to my host this week in Chapel Hill as a thank you for letting me stay there.

I will try to get a pic of some jars.
Iz sees the Dermatologist tomorrow so.....

Oh....and I did all of this right after I had the world's most terrible cold!! And for fun, I drove about 6 hrs in two days (not counting all the time I spent getting lost) in the middle of all my canning spree.

U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A...

I can't believe next week is August already. It feels like May was just a week or two ago. In 12 days, something else happens that I've been looking forward to, The Summer Olympics in Beijing.

I'm pretty much an Olympics junkie. I watch everything. B likes the "primetime" coverage of diving, swimming, and gymnastics. (She likes the wrestling too!) I actually prefer the "lesser known" sports like equestrian, archery and (*GASP!!*) rhythmic gymnastics. (Hey, it's pretty much like Cirque du Soleil!)

Oh, and I will say I'm not a fan of 1) women's beach volleyball, 2) most soccer ---zzzzz 3) water polo--more zzzz,unless you're in the pool AND 4) Ego-inflated USA Men's basketball--though they've got some good (humble) guys on the team this year (like Chris Paul), plus all the UNC fans have to watch Coach K (hee, hee!) so the jury is still out for me on them.

One cool thing I got to do this past April was volunteer at the canoe and kayaking Olympic trials at the US Whitewater Center. It was neat to see the Olympic athletic world from the "inside". My job during the trials was "Score sheet runner". Basically there's 20-odd gates that each judge and their team of spotters mark for each competitor. If they touch or skip a gate , there's a penalty that's taken off of their time at the end (the times are also scored electronically-but the manual scoresheets are stored in the "dispute tent", in case a coach has a problem). I would pick up the sheets from the judge and get take them to the scoring area. It was a lot of walking and I got pretty sunburned!

I also, (during breaks in the competition) got to talk with some of the Olympic judges, most of whom have been involved in the sport since the 70's. The athlete's are mostly 14-18 year old boys and girls--it felt strange thinking that my skibums could be old enough to compete in the Olympics! The weekend event was also part of the PanAmerican games so there were about 15 different countries represented from North and South America, each having their own requirements for making their country's Olympic team--the better they did, the better their chances. I was there all day Friday. That Sunday, several countries would be finalizing who was going to Beijing.

One funny thing I noticed was, regardless of their ethnicity, each country would cheer their athlete down the course by yelling. "bup-bup-bup-bup-bup..." as loud as they could while running after them down the sidewalk next to the course. I guess you can hear that over the roar of the water and there's obviously no language issue since it's a nonsense word.

I took some pictures including the Olympic cheer presentation trailer from BofA. Their logo was everywhere. I was proud to be there.

On 8/8/08 (did I mention I LOVE watching the Opening and Closing ceremonies?), I'll be in front of the TV cheering everyone on for sure! "Bup-bup-bup-bup..."

Billy Graham Library

One place I would recommend anyone visit is the Billy Graham Library. Actually, it's more of a museum than a library (though it does have a rather large bookstore). Billy's childhood home has been moved to the site and has tones of pictures of his family inside. The library is shaped like a huge barn with a giant cross-shaped window.

As you enter, you pick up your free tickets at the information center and the kids can pick up a scavenger hunt sheet that they can turn in for a prize at the end. It really does help them pay attention to the displays, though everything is so well done, that's not too hard to do.

The first thing you watch is a talking, gospel music-singing animatronic cow. Billy did grow up on a dairy farm after all (hence the barn shaped building and dairy bar restaurant attached). after the cow, you're herded (moo) into an open theater area to hear some video testimonies of people who eventually came to faith in Christ. This blending of story telling, technology and a humble presentation of the Gospel carries through the entire tour. You can take your time walking through 20th century history as seen through what God did throughout Billy Graham's life and ministry.

As a big Disney park fan, I appreciate environmental theming detail, and this place is AMAZING! Plus, they have tons of Smithsonian-worthy artifacts from Billy's life from the medal he received when knighted by Queen Elizabeth to a hand written poem from Bono of U2. The whole place is riddled with beautifully sharp video screens and peaceful inspiring music plays in the background everywhere you turn.

Keep in mind that everything you can see is totally free and purposed to give glory to God alone. Everyone involved, including the very friendly volunteer staff, looks at this place as primarily a tool for sharing the Gospel of Christ.

I've spoken with several volunteers and have found out that Franklin Graham was the primary person behind the design of the library and that he did enlist at least one former Disney employee when the animatronics were built and the displays were configured (no there's no animatronic Billy, don't worry).

We went here for my birthday and went again when B's family was in town. You can't take flash pictures inside and I haven't brought a tripod there but I was able to snap a few pics of the family on the grounds. I'm not sure why it seems we're all squinting in each shot--blame the photographer!! (=

I once thought I was wrong , but I was mistaken

Know what I'd REALLY like in a Presidential candidate? I'd like someone, for once, to come out and say, "You know, I was wrong about that..." I think I'd fall out of my chair. And I don't mean blame shifting by saying "I was wrong in supporting that other guy who made a really bad decision." No just "I was wrong, and I'm sorry."

I realize their opponent would probably copy the confession and create a negative campaign ad: "Ski for President, wrong on issue X, wrong for America". But COME ON!! How about a little humility? I'd vote for someone who isn't perfect and shiny but who is willing to admit his mistakes and point out what he's doing to change/rectify them.

The news doesn't tell many stories about when a surge is working or when a major bank has MUCH better than expected quarterly net income in a "slow economy". Nope, instead "if it bleeds, it leads" on TV. We get answers like, "I wouldn't phrase it that way, I don't see it as being wrong, I understand things from a different perspective now." So Welcome to the magical land where no one is wrong folks!

Phooey!

I think an underlying reason politicians don't admit to being wrong is it shows that God is in total control and He can keep our world going in spite of all the stupid mistakes our leaders make. In a way, they and their parties are not really that important.

I know this is true in my own life. I can, and I know B and the skibums can easily come up with a long list of things I've been wrong about. RECENTLY.

Yet, do they love and support me any less when I confess my sins and mistakes to them? Nope. In fact, they freely and regularly admit their love, devotion and respect for me.

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble".

I experience grace when I look in B's green eyes and hear of her trust in God's leadership through me. She still holds my hand, smiles and lays her head on my shoulder. My children speak realistically, but kindly in their support of me--having seen many examples of my impatience and selfishness towards them.

I'd love to see God pour out that kind of grace on our present/future President. We'll see if I'm wrong about that too.

Mistress Mary

Today is a proud day at our house.
We have gone from this:



To this:



We have picked our first veggie from our garden!!
We planted late because this was my birthday present this year.
We'll be eating this at dinner.
Yum!!!

May the fourth be with you

Since I won't be in town for July 4th, )= here's a little something to bring a smile. Ok it's not really patriotic either--work with me people:



Have fun and be safe!

Our Walk By Faith

I thought that I would share a few of my thoughts on a tender subject for me. What I'll share applies to our life and is simply my personal opinion. It is difficult for me to put this all into words when people ask me about it. I have a difficult time gathering my thoughts and presenting them firmly yet kindly and in a Christ-like manner. I am a much better writer than I am a speaker. So often, I walk away frustrated and sometimes angry because I did not share my heart. So, this is my poor attempt at putting my thoughts together in hopes that I can share them more clearly in the future.

If you have been reading our blog long enough, you might have figured out that our youngest son has multiple food allergies. Most of them are life-threatening. He also has asthma and eczema. We did not discover his allergies until he was 1yo. He is now 5 and a thriving, happy little boy! Along the way, we have met people who think it is "no big deal." This was not too surprising to me because I used to think the same way. I thought that parents of allergic children were overreacting. For some people, they will never quite understand unless they see their own child go through anaphylaxsis. Hey, that's what happened to me!! Another thing I have run into is alternative treatments to food allergies. You name it, I have heard it all. I first ran into alternative treatments for food allergies within one month of our son's diagnosis. I was sent a link by someone I had met on an e-mail loop. I read about this, researched and Ski and I made a decision on it. It is a wonderful thing in the Christian life that we are given choices. I am thankful for it.

First and foremost, Ski and I have chosen mainstream medicine. We are seeing a wonderful doctor who really knows his stuff. Our Skibums have had a multitude of medical issues. We have also had the good fortune to have excellent doctors with one exception, which we remedied by finding Iz's current allergist. We have seen God use gifted physicians and feel they are valid and useful. We have truly been blessed!!

Secondly, we have seen our son near death more times than I would like to admit. From my research, I have never found any independent medical studies done to support the alternative treatments. Everything that I have ever heard has been anecdotal. While I have no reason to doubt personal experiences -- especially those of people that I know --- I am not willing to jeopardize the life of my son for an unproven treatment.

I have heard that people have gone from anaphylactic to not allergic. I want to see the test results. I want to see real studies. Rightly or not, I have experienced guilt when I have given my son a food that he has reacted to. There is currently no guarantee that these methods are safe. My son is my responsibility and I will do what I can to protect him. I will not let him endure a treatment that is unproven because I believe that the risk is too great.

Alternatives are always presented to me as a "cure." Dr. Wood has an excellent chapter on alternative treatments in the book that he co-authored, Food Allergies for Dummies. Dr. Wood is severely allergic to peanuts and is a Professor of Pediatrics and International Health and Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. He states that he would readily submit to these practices if they were a true cure. As my friends of severely allergic children would say, "if there was a cure, it wouldn't be a secret." There may be benefits for things like relaxation techniques and acupuncture for conditions like asthma when used with both rescue and maintenance meds. But claims of cure have not been documented in medical journals using blood tests. Until they are, I am not ready to commit. I am happy for my friends and acquaintances who have found things that they feel have helped them. I am glad that they feel healthy and happy and they have 100% of my support if God has led them that way. Who am I to argue with God's leading in their life? If you're reading this and have chosen alternative treatments, please know I am speaking from my heart and life and the application is not for you. ;)

Then there is the aspect of suffering, a subject near and dear to my heart. This is probably the greatest reason for why I choose what I choose. First of all, many people assume that my ds is suffering greatly with the allergic foods removed from his diet. I can assure you that the only thing that suffers is my grocery budget. Within 6 mos of removing the offending foods, our ds jumped three growth curves. If you placed him in a crowd of 5yos, I doubt that you could pick him out. He is healthy and thriving.

So often, we, as humans, fear suffering. Even many Christians see suffering as a bad thing. But scripture tells us to rejoice in our sufferings because God is present and at work.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9

Ski and I have learned much about suffering although our trials have been indeed light and momentary. I don't claim to know it all, but I don't want to run and hide in anxiety every time that things get a bit tough. That has been a looooong time coming!! :) I have seen God do so much good in the midst of trials and suffering. If I can see good, I cannot imagine what He is doing behind the scenes. I am not saying that people who choose these treatments are afraid of suffering. But so often, the way it is presented to me is that people want to help our ds to stop suffering. I find it interesting that people who have seen us walk through trials and our day-to-day life rarely bring things like this up. I wonder if it is because they see our outlook on it. We don't see all of this as some terrible burden on our life. We do not think that we deserve great pity or recognition. We see it as part of the life that God has chosen for us. We see that when God allows trials, He builds our faith and provides us an opportunity to glorify Him in a trusting response.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

My personal faith does not allow me to choose an alternative treatment because that would be, for me, the equivalent of running and hiding and not living in faith. So, instead we choose what we choose because it is what God has led us to. But it becomes discouraging to hear someone's interest in our son disintegrate into "but I have a better way". I know that there is caring and love behind those words, but I become tempted to clam up and not share our lives. But thankfully and somewhat frighteningly to me, God urges me to press on and share. And God grants me grace daily to do what I do that people around me find so difficult to imagine. But to me, most of the time, it is not difficult because God DOES give grace -- every day!!

We believe God can miraculously heal Iz. We believe in praying for that. But if God should not choose miraculous means, we choose what God has drawn us to walk in by faith -- strict avoidance of all allergens and a wait and see approach with testing, etc along the way with board certified physicians. There is a real possibility that there will be a proven cure for life threatening food allergies in as little as 5 years. This does give us medical hope. But if that should not happen and should our son remain allergic to some or all of the foods that he is allergic to today, he will be no less of an amazing person. He is indeed a boy who is fearfully and wonderfully made and we marvel at that and the intricacies of the human body. But we marvel most in the Lord and our hope is in Him.

Thank you to all of you who want to see Iz cured. Please keep praying for his soul and body, that everything we do would be an example of walking a life journey of faith and trusting God's will and ways, and wisely avoiding any other path.