dinosaurs need jammies, too!

isn't he beautiful?!?!

Well, so the time has come for me to take a breath, have a quiet moment, and put to words what has been happening in the life of Team Sharp over the last week. As of lately, the weather has warmed up, birds have begun to sing music to my ears, toys have been pulled out of the garage, we made a trip to NJ to see my cousin and aunt, and naps have been reintroduced to counteract the added activity! Lately, too, though, I have started counting down the days until I make a trip back to Alabama.

building a wooden train - FUN!!!

In the beginning of May, my dad will have the first appointment of many before he takes the big step of having Deep Brain Stimulation surgery - praying all goes well. I will be heading down there toward the end of May for an unknown length of time to help out. It is incredible at how God puts us in a position to be able to make trips such as this with such ease. Now, don't get me wrong in saying that it will be easy to leave, but all stressors that are involved on a trip like this - timing, work, finances, etc. - God has absolutely set 'just so' that I can leave and not take certain pieces of 'baggage' along with me. I am asked often how I feel about leaving for such a trip and I can't help but think that God is in such control that I can't help but look forward to what He has to teach me, show me, prove to me, and do for me in this tough time.

my at the concentration!

God will grow my marriage through the distance if I allow him too! God will strengthen my parents in the weakest moments of their lives if they allow him too! God will show me that timing IS everything if I open my eyes to see it! And, God will prove to me that He is the great physician if I surrender the physicians and surgeons to His power!

L to R: Day, Chip, Aunt Lisa, Tony, Me
(at the Mall in NJ before we all parted ways)

For now, though, I am still living my life to the fullest in Pennsylvania knowing that we are only promised today and this exact moment! The other day, Chip asked me if I thought that it was ok if he could sleep with his new dinosaur ("Smash"). After I chuckled at the thought, I said "Sure! I think that is a great idea!" and we headed upstairs to put on his pajamas. About that moment, the wheels in his little brain began to turn and he looked at me and said, "Mom, Smash needs jammies, too!" Well, like any good mom, I agreed that, yes, Smash needed jammies, too, and went across the hall into my office, found an old tshirt that I could cut the sleeve off of, did so, and then cut 'leg holes' in the sleeve along with a hole for his tail! What a proud moment as Chip reveled in the reality that Smash, too, had jammies and they were going to get to sleep together! Over the next few days, all of the 'important' toys got jammies, too, and I then realized that in an instant, and with just a little bit of effort, a boy can find joy in just about anything!

silly boys!!!

Chip has a sense about him that doesn't see race, religion, sexuality, political party, denomination, or anything else that we adults draw lines in the sand about. He sees a toy as a friend, a tree in the back yard as a hiding spot, an old rope out of the garage as a fishing line, a Red Flyer wagon as a train, and he sees his dinosaurs as his friends! These moments won't last long and his innocence won't be this pure forever and so until then, I have decided that even Dinosaurs need jammies, too, and I am happy to make jammies for them all!

L to R: Smash (with jammies), Bo (with jammies), Tower (with jammies)
and Chip (in jammies)