Life and Times of the Sharp Family

I got to go to a concert tonight with my husband and dear friends.  We saw Need to Breathe at the Spring Arbor University Fieldhouse. In short, it rocked. In addition to their immense musical talent, the band was exceptionally entertaining to watch live.  Their music flooded my soul and made me feel alive. Beyond this, I cannot express in words how grateful I was to be able to experience this concert tonight.  It was truly something that I will remember for the rest of my life. Thank God for Need to Breathe! Lord, thank you for giving us the opporutnity to see Need to Breathe live in concert tonight.  Thank you for their music that glorifies you and inspires me.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I remember that we live in a house on a river.  It just doesn't seem possible.  The Mill Race river runs north-south literally 20 feet from our front door, and the Kalamazoo River finds its infamous "fork" just off the southwest corner of our property. Tonight I was feeling so lucky to live on a river.  There were so many people out enjoying the lovely evening in Reiger Park, which is directly on the other side of the river from our back yard.  They were walking their dogs, fishing in the river, or just sitting on its banks with their toes dipped in.  The thing that they packed up and left their houses for tonight is literally in our backyard.  Tonight, we spent a huge chunk of time on the swing, holding AJ and watching Bres and Lou Lou pick up sticks and chuck them into the river.  Of course, every time that Breslin got even a tiny amount of water on his clothes, he freaked out until he either stripped...

I had so many nice surprises on my birthday today.  I love to be pleasantly surprised, and today was full of fun and unexpected events. 1) When I walked into my classroom, I saw that the birthday fairies had visited over night.  My room was strung with colorful banners and streamers all proclaiming the arrival of my birthday.  Which leads me to... 2) Upon the very obvious fact that it was my birthday, my student were almost all very sincere about making sure they made it a good day for me.  A couple even went as far to make me a birthday card in another class which they signed and left little notes on.  It gave me warm fuzzies on the inside.  A surprise, indeed! 3) My aunt called my classroom on speakerphone and sang "Happy Birthday" to me in front of the entire class. 4) My assistant principal sent out an email to the entire staff with a poem that was an ode to me on my birthday.  It was flattering and very cool. 5) My dad sent a gift to my ...

I got a pretty vicious email from a parent during school today regarding a simple misunderstanding her student and I had yesterday.  I know that I am far from perfect, so I had no problem with humbling myself and calling this parent to apologize, but the whole conversation left me feeling low about myself as both a person and as a teacher. Historically, I have a hard time letting these sorts of situations go.  I wish desperately that I had thicker skin, but I just don't.  I am so grateful that God knows my heart and knew that I would need encouragement in light of what happened.  On three separate occasions after receiving this email, He sent a person into my path to lift my spirits through a kind word of reassurance.  I won't say that it made everything completely better--I haven't stopped thinking about it nor have I fully relinquished my feelings of inadequacy--but I do have a healthier perspective from people that I trust...

As I was pulling in the driveway this afternoon, I noticed that my neighbor's magnolia tree had tightly closed buds all over it.  Pointing straight up into the sky, they made me smile to think that soon the tree will be an explosion of pink and white blooms.  But, right now, they are a symbol of hope and anticipation, the beauty of what God has in store. Thank God for the magnolia tree! Lord, thank you for the beauty of your creation.  Thank you that for everything there is a season.  Thank you for the renewal and revitalization spring brings, for the hope new buds symbolize.  I pray that you would help me to appreciate fully your power to make all things new.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Did the title throw you?  This is Colby.  Alaina isn't feeling the best today, so I asked her if I could post while she got a little extra sleep.  I apologize for not being the witty, clever, engaging writer that she is.  Everyday I write in front of 25 fourth graders, and they usually are not too impressed.  That is enough of a disclaimer. Today, and everyday I am thankful for my wife.  This post could go on and on, and get all sappy but I have decided to give you 10 quick reasons of why I am thankful for her. 1. She let me name my son Breslin. 2. She is my best friend. 3. She helped me find the Lord. 4. She always believes in me. 5. She is still smokin' hot! 6. She makes the best cookies. 7. She has a wonderful family. 8. She is a perfect mom. 9. She makes me laugh. 10. She never quits. My wife is wonderful.  I guess that if you are reading this you would have to agree with me, otherwise you wouldn't be reading her blog. ...

My mom and my grandmommy (maternal grandmother) make the BEST deviled eggs in the whole wide world.  Today I got to eat them at our Easter supper.  For that, I am so thankful! Is it weird to anyone else that a food with such an unfortunate name is so popular at Easter? I am also grateful that I got to see my love for these delicacies passed on to Breslin and Dharia, who each ate an egg at dinner this afternoon and both gave their overwhelming approval. Thank God for deviled eggs! Dear Lord, thank you for the excellent supper with family today and for the loving hands that prepared it for me and my kids.  Thank you for family traditions and the chance for my kids to experience them too.  Thank you for Easter -- for what it means to me as a Christian and for the opportunity it presents to be with those I love.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I cannot even tell you how many times I visited the Midland Mall as a girl while visiting my grandparents.  I am fairly sure that this attraction was not there when I was a girl, otherwise I am certain that it would be something I would have done.  Today, I am so thankful that I got to see my Dharia show her wild, fearless side to the entertainment and amazement of all those around.  This video honestly does not do justice to how high into the rafters her little body was sailing.  Nor does it capture how much she loved it.  The rest of the day she talked about how she "jumped high into the sky." I am thankful that I had the chance to visit this mall with my mom and my grandma.  We had a great time just shopping and eating.  My favorite quote came from my mom at the end of our trip as we unloaded bag upon bag from the trunk of my grandma's car: "There might not be a whole lot we do really well, but shopping is one thing we do REALLY WELL." As you can...

Thank you for the cross, Lord Thank you for the price you paid Bearing all my sin and shame In love you came and gave amazing grace. Thank you for this love, Lord Thank you for the nail-pierced hands Washed me in your cleansing flow Now all I know is your forgiveness and embrace. Worthy is the lamb Seated on the throne We crown you now with many crowns You reign victorious. High and lifted up Jesus, son of God The darling of heaven crucified Worthy is the Lamb! Worthy is the Lamb!

Lee came in to my second hour class today, which is my team-taught chemistry class.  This means that the students in the room need some extra resources, so the class generally moves at a slower pace and there is another teacher in the room with me.   Lee and I exchanged the usual teacher-student pleasantries as he came in.  I always enjoy seeing Lee, because he works really hard, takes pride in his work, and has a good attitude.  We pick on each other a little back and forth too, but it's all in good fun.  As class began, I noticed him about to rip into a bag of fruit snacks.  I don't allow my general chemistry students to have food in my room, so as class began, I naturally gave him a hard time about it, saying that I would be happy to take care of the fruit snacks by eating them for him if he needed me to...after all, I was starving. As the bell rang and he stood to leave, he said, "By the way, there's a surprise ...

I was tired and crabby after school today, but through the strength and grace of God, I was able to get a decent amount accomplished.  So much so, that I didn't have to bring a school bag home with me tonight.  That's always a good thing!  Not having any school stuff hanging over my head made this tough night signifcantly easier. Thank God for no school bag! Lord, thank you for giving me the strength to get a lot done after school today.  I know it is only through you that it was possible.  Thank you for helping me to see your blessings even on the most difficult days.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I can say without reservation that if my very best cooking was up against Bob's leftover pasta, sauce, and meatballs in some kind of strange cooking contest, I would come up woefully short.  And while that might be a source of shame for some, I consider it a blessing -- especially on crazy days like today where I'd rather shove a stick in my eye than cook something. Additionally, the prep for this delicious meal is mercifully easy.  By the time you boil the water for the noodles, the sauce and meatballs are simmering.   When the noodles are done, the sauce is hot.  Just like that, dinner is done. It sounds perfect, doesn't it?  Clean-up admittedly is a little bit of a problem, especially when you consider that Dharia Lou is eating, but that seems like a pretty minor setback, really.  If you know me very well, I bet it doesn't come as a surprise to hear that when I cook, there's a fair amount of clean-up work that needs to be done afterwards, anyway. ...

I finished an amazing book tonight, titled The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim. It wasn't exactly thrilling or suspenseful.  If anything, the plot moved a little slowly.  But what I loved about it the most was the rich characters the author portrayed.  I especially enjoyed the heroine, Najin, the Korean daughter of an aristocrat whose father refused to give her a proper name.  The story weaved its way through her life and her journey towards defining herself despite not having a name.  All of this took place in a time where Korea was also struggling to form its own identity, when the traditions of the past seemed to be directly in opposition to inevitable modernization.  I also got to know Najin's parents and little brother.  By the end of the book, I felt that I was a part of the little Korean family on which the book centered. It was so interesting to learn about the language, customs, culture, and history...

In the mid-90s, when the peace sign became re-popular for the first time, I was all over it.  I had a peace sign shirt, hat, and buttons, and I loved to wear the articles promoting peace over violence.  I remember well-intentioned adults telling me to be careful with wearing the symbol, as it offended some who believed it was an anti-Christ sentiment and others who believed it was protestation of whatever war was going on at the time.  I suppose that's the problem with symbols.  In this broken world, they are subject to human interpretation. I know now that the original peace sign was created by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (or CND), and is not, as some people mistakenly believe, a broken cross.  Rather, it is a representation of the flag semaphore symbols for N (nuclear) and D (disarmament), as shown here: Based on what I've learned this week through my devotionals and in Sunday service today, I think it's funny that anyone could accuse ...

Today we had the official birthday party for AJ.  It was amazing.  Some of my favorite people in the world came over.  We had some of Bob's famous spaghetti with homemade sauce and meatballs.  We had cake.  There were presents and LOTS of pictures.  I am so thankful that we were all able to spend time together celebrating this little girl. I am also thankful that my very dear and talented friend was willing to take some pictures of the occasion so that I had something to remember it by.   Thank God for the official party! Lord, thanks for the great time you blessed me with tonight hanging out with my favorite people, celebrating my daughter.  Thank you for the memories captured through photography.  This was truly I day I want to never forget.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Every night that I put Dharia to bed, I sing her a song.  Sometimes I sing her lots of songs.  Tonight was the first night she joined in with me.  With gusto, she belted out "Twinkle, Twinkle", "ABC's", "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat", and "Jesus Loves Me". It was loud and out of tune, which I don't know to attribute to the fact that she's two and a half or that she has some of Colby's genes -- but it doesn't matter.  It was stinking cute.  It was our first duet.  I loved it. Thank God for tonight's duet! Lord, thank you for my daughter and for our chance to sing together tonight before she went to bed.  It was so cool to hear her little voice ring out so confidently.  I pray that you would give us many more opportunities to sing duets.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Colby and I have this thing we do when we get home from school. We make coffee. We call it 2nd coffee.  2nd, because we drink coffee in the morning too, you know.  Today I'm so grateful for 2nd coffee.  As I inhaled deeply, the rich aroma cleared my head.  As I sipped from my mug, I could almost feel the caffeine coursing through my veins, revitalizing my inner being. Without it, you might have had to scoop me off of the floor with a spatula.  With it, I was able to hang out with my kids, fully functional.  I was able to do this post.  I even went for a swim (after biking earlier this afternoon). Thank God for 2nd coffee! Lord, thank you for a way to perk up a bit this afternoon.  Thanks for allowing me to be able to accomplish some of the things I wanted to accomplish this afternoon because I was awake.  Thanks for coffee.  It's one of those lovely little things in life that I so enjoy.  In your name I pray, Am...

Last year, at those strange hours through the early morning when I was up with AJ and the line between being awake and being asleep was blurry at best, I would hear this sound: "Chang-----chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka!" "Chang-----chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka!" "Chang-----chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka!" Silence.   "Chang-----chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka!" What the heck was it?  At first, through the delirium of tiredness, I thought it was simply the rain on our roof. After realizing that  it was not raining and that we did not have a tin roof on our house, I thought maybe it was our pipes banging.     Then, one day a few weeks later, as we were all getting loaded into the van, I heard it echo off of the rooftops of Linden Avenue and across the river to Reiger Park.   "Chang-----chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka-chinka!" I looked up and saw the source of the mysterious and oddly perplexing noise.  A...

Today, I am thankful for bandanas.  I have about 50 in a drawer in my upstairs hallway in all patterns and colors. For many years, they have been a staple of my hair regimen.  They are a solution to every bad hair day, a way of keeping hair out of my face when I work out, and a critical part of my housecleaning experience (something that was passed on from my mother).  In a strange way, just putting one on can make me feel better about life in general.  I truly believe in some sort of twisted way that they are a defining part of me.  Thank God for bandanas! Lord, thank you for such a simple thing that brings joy and comfort to my life.  Thank you for what they represent to me, for the memories they bring to mind, and the way they help me to feel like me.  In your name I pray, Amen.

It seems like whenever I come to pick up my kids in the afternoon from daycare, the afternoon staff is always wanting to tell me how cute, funny, and smart my kids are. You'd better believe I relish hearing it.  It never, ever gets old. I'm sure that they take the time to tell all of the parents cool things about their kids, but the fact that they can share specific things that my kids did or said during their time with them is very meaningful.  To me, it says that they care enough about them to pay attention.  I love hearing the stories of what went on throughout the day, how my kids surprised them or made them laugh. Most of the afternoon staff at Heaven's Little Helpers are college students at Spring Arbor.  Man, do they seem young!  Or maybe, I just seem old compared to them.  It's probably a bit of both.  But, my kids love them and they do a fantastic job.  One thing that I so appreciate about them is that they are always so upbeat...

Today we did something super-conventional: We went to church and afterwards we had dinner with our family.  Weird, I know.  But we definitely found it delightful. We visited my brother and his wife at First Church of the Nazarene in Jackson and then followed them home, where they had lunch ready for us.  We ate, lounged around, and enjoyed each other's company immensely.  It was a nice surprise to be able to have my dad join us as well.  Even though he had been in Florida all week, he drove up from Terre Haute to spend some time with us at the tail end of our spring break. To top off the afternoon, we all went to get ice cream.  The kids got baby-size vanilla and chocolates in a cup.  It was so cool because this particular ice cream place puts eyes and a nose on the kids-sized ice creams.  They loved it.  It was hilarious to watch Breslin carefully eat his chocolate (not an easy feat on an 80 degree day in Michigan) and then see Dharia im...

This morning I managed to get AJ and Dharia in the tub at the same time.  I have been noticing how much Dharia enjoys pouring water from one thing to another in the bathtub, so I brought in her tea set from her bedroom.  When I was a little girl I had a tea set at my grandmommy's (maternal grandmother's) house that I always played with in the tub when I visited overnight.  I remember having so much fun with the dainty cups and saucers, engaging in imaginary conversations with the guests at my tea party until my fingers were ridged with pink wrinkles.  Dharia was no different.  She loved filling up the tea pot and pouring the bath water into her tea cups, stirring the hot tea with her elegant plastic teaspoons.  She even gave AJ a cup and poured her baby sister some "tea" too.  It was like a tiny, naked tea part in the bath tub.  I loved every minute I had watching my girls have fun with each other and their tea set. ...

"Set me free, O God, From my empire-prison of human self-importance. Help me to serve you and your creation with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love." I read this in a book today and desperately needed to hear it. I was feeling a little trapped in my own little world.  I was feeling a little down, a little sorry for myself. If this could be truly be the prayer of my heart, what a difference it would make in my life!  It did today. Thank God for a completely appropriate prayer! Lord, thank you for leading me to this prayer and for the difference it made in my day.  Please help me to adopt this prayer as the desire of my heart.  I want to serve you with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.  Show me how.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Today I went on a stupid bike ride.  It was stupid for so many reasons: It was cold.  It was windy.  It was long.  It was hilly.  I had to ride over a zillion potholes.  My butt hurt.  My legs hurt.  It was boring. I almost got hit by a car. I got honked at by a car. I almost got hit by a truck. I had already worked out in the morning by swimming, yet here I was, busting my butt on the bike when I could haven been at home with my family. Do you agree yet that it was stupid? At so many points on this ride, I wanted to quit.  I kept turning in different directions, waiting for the wind to be at my back instead of in my face, but it never happened.  I tried to call my husband to come get me, but I didn't have my phone. But, I finished the ride, by the grace of God.  I did not get blown away by the wind.  My legs did not fall off.  I was not hit by a car.  I arrived a...

What is this face?  Who knows?  She's the birthday girl, she can make whatever face she wants.  Note the new kicks.  Yep, they are zebras. A child's first birthday is a very interesting thing.  For one, it's a much bigger deal for everyone else than it is to the one year-old.  AJ slept away most of this rainy, dreary day without a second thought.  For her, it was just another day.  Colby and I have run the gamut of children's first birthday parties from absolute giant, multi-family monstrosities to laid back, private affiars.  I felt guilty today that we did as little as we did in celebration of this momentous occasion, but AJ didn't seem to mind.  In fact, she seemed to relish the extra attention from mom and dad at home (and the extra nap time, too).  She definitely enjoyed all of the singing of the happy birthday song that went on in our house.  And I have to believe she ...

Today, I'm grateful for my Toms shoes .  Not only are they super comfy and cute, but when I got them, a pair went to another person in a faraway country who needed some.  What's it like to need shoes, I wonder?  I think of them more as a frivolity than a necessity.  I have never wanted for shoes.  In fact, the sheer volume of of shoes in my closet upstairs seems to confirm that I have spent more than Dave Ramsey would approve of on these things that are a luxury item for some. So, today when I wore my Toms, I was grateful that I had them.  But I was also thankful that there was someone in the world walking around in an equally fashionable, comfortable pair because of me -- or perhaps, more accurately, because of an amazing, world-changing company like Toms shoes. Thank God for Toms Shoes! Lord, thank you for this amazing company with a world-changing idea.  Thank you for allowing me to support Toms by giving me the financial ...

Let me just say that I am not a huge Ke$ha fan.  That being said, every time I hear her song "Tik Tok", I can't help but dancing...or at least doing my best to suppress the dancing. Tonight I'm grateful that I am obviously not the only one in my family who has this feeling. Check it out.  The girl's got skills.  I managed to cut out all of the parts that had me dancing in that video as well, which is a whole separate reason to be thankful. Thank God for Tik Tok! Lord, thank you for my daughter.  It is so amazing to see little parts of me in her.  Thank you for her spontaneity that brings light to our lives.  In your name I pray, Amen.

If you have not been subject to the Wonder Pets, what I am about to post will probably make no sense at all. The Wonder Pets are a group of three classroom animals that save other baby animals who are in some kind of trouble, always requiring some form of teamwork and problem-solving.  My kids are bonkers for this show.  Of course they have the theme song memorized, we have spent many an evening creating a "fly boat" (the vehicle the pets use to get outside of the classroom to the aforementioned ailing creature), and we have all three Wonder Pet Beanie-Babies.  The Wonder Pets save everything from a pigeon to a unicorn.  One of my favorite episodes (I can't even believe that I'm saying this) is when the Wonder Pets save the Beatles, who are beetles trapped in a yellow submarine under the ocean's surface.  One thing that is actually pretty great about the Wonder Pets is that the whole episode is laced with singing dialogue, much like an op...

This morning, I woke up in beautiful South Haven, Michigan next to my husband in a suite at the Old Harbor Inn.  After sleeping in and taking our sweet time getting around, we strolled the streets of downtown South Haven until we stumbled upon a quaint little bakery cafe.  We ordered breakfast, found a table by a window and spent well over an hour eating, sipping coffee, and talking.  I was so grateful for this opportunity to reconnect.  It was a wonderful way to begin spring break! Thank God for coffee in South Haven! Lord, thank you for the opportunity Colby and I had to spend some quality time together.  Please continue to provide these chances to reconnect in the midst of our hectic days.  Thank you for my husband and for the amazing person he is.  I am so thankful for him.  In your name I pray, Amen.

There's nothing like that feeling of having all of spring break ahead of you.  When that bell rang at 2:35 today, I felt the weight of the world lift off of my shoulders.  No obligations in the nine days ahead.  Nothing to be concerned about except for making sure that I am spending some quality time with my family. Sure, it will fly by, but right now, the possibilities for the next week are endless.  There's nothing quite like that feeling of freedom, where anything is possible. Thank God for that Friday before Spring Break Feeling! Lord, thank you for a much-needed break.  Thank you in advance for the nine days ahead and for the rest, relaxation, and revitalization they will bring.  In your name I pray, Amen.