Life and Times of the Sharp Family

Tonight after karate, Dharia and I did some shopping. We started off looking for a robe for her. We couldn't find any at any of the stores we visited. There were, however, oodles of swimsuits on the racks. We got to looking and talking about our trip to the ocean here in a few weeks--before we knew it, we had a swimsuit in the cart for every member of the family. We even managed to find each of the girls a hat for the beach too. The suits did us good. It lifted both of our spirits to know that soon we would be on our first ever real family vacation hanging out on the beach. When we get home, we were able to share the love. Although Breslin was less than thrilled, AJ was so pumped that she wore her new suit to bed. http://instagram.com/p/k_8ggWnnpQ/ I didn't wear my suit to bed, but I was thankful that such a silly piece if material could bring me such joy.  I am grateful to have the promise of a spring break as something to look forward to. Thank God for a suit! Lord, thank you

You are my sunshine, My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, How much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away. To AJ, my sunshine.  From mom. Thank God for my sunshine. Lord, thank you for the sun AJ shines into my life daily.  In your name I pray, Amen.

This morning on the way to school, I noticed something glorious: daylight! Not driving to school in the pitch-black darkness was a blessing. It is a reminder that the days are getting longer.  Soon, we'll be playing outside and spending long lazy days at home together as a family. It was a nice reminder. Thank God for Daylight! Lord, thank you for the turning of the seasons and for the reminder that our moments are fleeting.  In your name I pray, Amen.

This evening I was invited to the MHSAA for A Call to Meet. This is designed to bring together all of the officials who have been selected to judge at the state gymnastics finals. The discussion was lively, intense, and focused. I had a blast talking about the sport I love with others you were just as passionate about it as I. It is an honor to be asked to judge states, and in the meeting tonight I was struck by all of the strong, smart women I was surrounded by.  I consider it a high compliment to be included in their company. Thank God for A Call to Meet! Lord thank you for a successful evening with wonderful women. In your name I pray, Amen.

I stayed home from school today. I slept. That's all I did. I felt so lucky to be at home resting when I felt so physically terrible Thank God for sleep! Dear Lord, thank you for a day of rest. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to sleep all day. I needed it. Amen.

This afternoon we headed to airport lanes to do some bowling in celebration of one of Dharia's very special friend's birthdays. This young lady has been close with Dharia Lou since Dharia was just a couple of weeks old.  The family is very dear to us, and it is always a delight to spend time with them. Seeing our kids hold hands and help each other bowl, giggle, and chase each other around the bowling alley was a blessing. One thing that I especially love about the families represented at the party is that our kids have quite literally grown up together, so we all watch out for each other's families. It's such a relief to know that if AJ wandered off, I had extra eyes on her to help bring her back. Similarly, in 12 ears when she's in high school, I'll have the parents of four of her closest friends making sure she's doing well. It's a teenager's nightmare, but it makes me feel good. Being at the bowling party today was a blast, but it was also affi

On our way out to Plymouth this afternoon, we had to stop many times for bathroom breaks. We were just leaving the rest area northeast of Ann Arbor when a man wearing a motorcycle outfit and helmet was walking in! AJ, in my arms, gesticulated wildly and shouted loudly, "LOOK, MOMMY, a SPACEMAN! ... HI SPACEMAN!" I stifled a chuckle as I ducked out the door.  I wasn't able to see how the cyclist responded to being called a spaceman, but it sure made my day. My daughter is cool. Thank God we ran into a spaceman! Lord, thank you for AJ -- for her imagination, friendliness, and free spirit.  Thank you for the way she makes me laugh and for the joy she brings to all those around her.  In your name I pray, Amen.

My son doesn't get too excited about physical activity. Scratch that. My son doesn't really like any extra-curricular activities.  At all. Consequently, I can't fully explain to you the swell of happiness and relief that floods through my chest as I see him falling in love with karate. Tonight he got his white uniform, which, I'm sorry to say, definitely has some kind of technical name that is escaping me right now. The pride was radiating off of body like a happy glow. He is joyfully making plans for getting his colored belts in sequential order. He is excitedly showing friends, family, and strangers his newly acquired skills. I am so thankful that my son has something that he can pursue passionately and love fiercely. Thank God for some karate love! Lord, thank you for giving Breslin the gift of karate.  I pray that as time passes his love and passion for it would only grow as he strives for excellence.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I received this email: _______ Mrs. Sharp, I just wanted to tell you that your "Choose Kind" tattoo has really inspired/challenged me lately. At first I didn't really know how to apply it, but today, I was challenged a couple times and the quote came to mind. thank you. ______ How cool is that? I am blessed.  I am thankful for wonderful students who make me awe at their potential and give me hope for our profession. Thank God for this email from a student! Lord, thank you for an amazing profession, wonderful students, and encouragement when its needed most.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I took Breslin out on a "date" tonight to Biggby. I had a Caramel Mellow.  He had a hot chocolate (with whipped cream, sprinkles, and chocolate sauce, of course). We talked, laughed, and he read me his latest book obsession, The Flying Beaver Brother s.  He made ALL of the sound effects.  I was cracking up. I am amazed by this little man who is so smart, witty, and wonderful.  I was thankful to give him my full, undivided attention tonight as we spend some amazing time together--just the 2 of us. Thank God for my Biggby date! Lord, thank you for giving Bres and I some time to just be together tonight away from home and all of the craziness that is usually associated with being home.  Thank you for the opportunity to just enjoy the lovely person he is and to bask in his wonderful-ness.  In your name I pray, Amen.

This weekend was so crazy busy, I found myself going to bed last night saying, "I just wish that I had one more day before I go back to school."  I hadn't fully recharged and was dreading the week ahead. Lo, and behold, I was blessed with a whole day of nothingness.  At 5:15 I got a phone call saying that school was cancelled. I don't know what the roads were like because I stayed in all day.  But I do know that taking a nap, a bath, and watching 2 movies snuggled with my kids is probably the best way to spend a cold February day in Michigan. I couldn't believe my ears.  How often do you say you wish you could have one more day...and then you actually get one more day?  I am so thankful for this gift! Thank God for just one more day! God, thank you for a snow day and for all of the amazing benefits that come with them.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Lately, AJ has gone to bed asking if she can tell me a specific number of "secrets" before I leave her. The secrets vary in volume and in content, but lately, they have very much veered towards sweet compliments. Tonight, she wanted to tell me five secrets.  Her face trembled in happy excitedness and she whispered the following five statements into my ear with a goofy grin that went ear to ear. Secret 1) "Mommy, you're beautiful." Secret 2) "You're the best mommy in the whole wide world." Secret 3) "Mommy, I love you so much." Secret 4) "You're the best mommy in the whole wide world." Secret 5) "Ummmm, you're so beautiful." I have found that if I don't count, these secrets can go on and on.  But, who would get tired of hearing any of these secrets? Not me.  After a full day of feeling lame, it's amazing how she can make me feel like a million bucks. With tears streaming down my face,

This afternoon I got to give Colby his Valentine's Day present--a trip to East Lansing to see MSU play basketball against Nebraska. It was a trip long in the making and I planned and conspired to make it a surprise. I had purchased the tickets nearly a month ago, only to find out on Friday that I had bought tickets to Thursday's game on accident.   I had worked too hard to throw in the towel, so I bought tickets for today and the surprise went down exactly as planned, other than the fact that State didn't really show up to play basketball. The game was absolutely terrible, but spending an afternoon and evening with my husband free of interruptions and obligations was pure bliss.  Even though the main event wasn't what I had hoped for (by the way, State won easily on Thursday), it was. Blessing just to be with my favorite guy in one of my favorite places. Just being on campus makes me happy, and today was no exception.  Thank God for A Day in East Lansing! Lord, thank yo

This evening, all five of us caught The Lego Movie at the Bogar Theatre in downtown Marshall.  We all cracked up as we watched the zany antics of the Lego characters while sporting our 3D glasses. After the movie, we went for a late dinner at Pizza Hut.  My gracious grandparents gave my kids a gift card for Valentine's Day, so they took us out.  We enjoyed each other's company, talking about our favorite parts of the movie, which characters we liked best, and completing the puzzles on the back of the kids' placemats  (Breslin was able to make an insane number of words out of the letters that spell television...it was truly impressive). I am so thankful for this time with my family.  More than once this evening I thought about how charmed our lives are.  I know these days of family movies and dinners are numbered, and tonight I was able to soak it all up.  For that I am truly grateful. Thank God for dinner and a movie! Lord, thank you for a wonderful evening with my

I am so thankful for the Ismon Ball.  I had the time of my life last night.  It will go down as one of the most fun nights I have ever had. Some may argue that I had a little too much fun, but that's okay. Huckleberry Groove was absolutely amazing.  I have a feeling they gained 80 new fierce fans last night.   I had a hot date, great friends, and the opportunity to dance all night long. It was a blessing from top to bottom and I'm grateful I was able to experience it.  What a party! Thank God for the Ismon Ball! Lord, thank you for a smashing success of a night.  Thanks for the chance to kick back and just have some fun.  In your name I pray, Amen.

This was night 4 of judging.  Four meets in four nights is a new record for me. Attempting to pack for school, working out, and judging is no small task.  Every day when I walk into school I feel like a pack mule.  I struggle in from the slippery, cold parking lot with my bags for everything, lunch, coffee, and hangers with judging clothes. One thing that has made all of this a bit easier, however, is my new Van's bag.  I purchased it in California specifically to serve as my judging bag.  It has been extremely versatile.  This week I've managed to be able to use it as a judging bag and purse.  I can also place a few critical school items into it so that I can do things at home without having to bring a whole separate bag.  Overall, it's been sturdy and most excellent, despite being used and abused on a daily basis. Plus, it looks really cool. :) I'm thankful for a high quality item that I can depend on through these crazy days. Thank God for my Van's bag!

I traveled to Mason tonight to judge a(nother) gymnastics meet -- my 3rd in three nights. This one was a quad, so I was steeling myself for a long, tiring evening. Adding to my irritation was the fact that the teams had only just begun to warm up when we arrived onsite. I walked into the high school girls' restroom and was surprised to see colorful sticky notes all over.  Upon further inspection, I noticed that each and every note was one of positive encouragement and affirmation, geared specifically to young women.  For example, on the mirror, it said, "Keep your chin up, beautiful." Inside the stall was, "You're worth it ." Hanging by the hand dryer was, "This is your moment. Seize it." The notes were handwritten and incredibly powerful. I was so grateful to see such a positive outpouring from high school students. It gave me hope and lifted my spirits for the rest of the evening.  Thank God for sticky notes! Lord, thank you for t

This afternoon I tried Crossfit for the second time. I'm still not totally sure how I feel about it, but it did feel good to workout after not getting any workouts last week. Oh, wait, I do know how I feel about it: It's hard, but I love a challenge. I feel like a complete nincompoop during class, but that only motivates me to want to learn more and do better. It's strength training, but I am dripping sweat by the time I'm done. I feel like I'll never be able to do the amazing things the awesome veteran Crossfitters can, but in a way I can see myself getting there. Despite my conflicted I'm thankful that I had the time available to get there and the opportunity to push myself physically. Thank God for Crossfit! Lord, thank you for giving me time to work out today and for the chance to try something new.  Amen.

Tonight when I got home from gymnastics, I discovered that AJ was still up too. My first clue was ta lot of banging and thumping happening directly above my head. My second clue was that the dog came downstairs smelling very much like my perfume. I decided to investigate. Immediately upon seeing me, my daughter broke down into gasping sobs. Apparently she wa aware that spraying my perfume everywhere was a bad choice. We had a talk about it, and everything seemed cool although she was still very upset. I thought his mostly had to do with the fact that she had gotten some of the perfume in her eyes and they were now itchy. I got her a cool washcloth for her eyes, but she was still inconsolable. As I rubbed her back and stroked her hair, she finally looked at me and said, "Mommy (sob), do you (sob) forgive (sob) me?" As soon as I convinced her that I had, she calmed down and snuggled into my shoulder. I am so thankful that our relationship is so important to her and I am gratef

Today marked my 6th time running a pep assembly for the entire school.  I'm not sure why, but the pep assembly always freaks me out more than any other Snowfest or Homecoming activity.  Formal would be a close second and halftime after that, but for some reason, I'm always the most stressed out thinking about the pep assembly. And today, it was in a brand new gym for the first time. I am so thankful to be able to tell you that today's pep assembly was a smashing success.  From watching the "Boy Leaders" perform their hilarious routines, to seeing teams of girls attempt to spell words out of giant poster boards in a real-life "Word with Friends", it was a ton of fun.  The jazz band played and the candidates were introduced in their Olympic-themed costumes (one of the king candidates impersonated the male figure skater from "Blades of Steel", which was extremely funny). We capped off the entire thing with a tug-of-war between classes, which i

I seriously don't mean to complain, but this week has been one of the longest and toughest that I can remember. After Snowfest all week, grades being due, taking a student teacher through her paces, and judging at a 16 team invitational today... I'm toast. So, I am so thankful that I get to go to bed (even if it is only 8:30) and that I can get up when I very-well please tomorrow morning.  There is nothing that has to be done and nowhere that I have to be. Thank God for bed! Lord, thank you for the opportunity to rest.  Please give me the chance to recuperate tonight and tomorrow.  Amen.

I wore my tights today for a long time. Over 17 hours, in fact. And, MAN, it feels good to take them off and put on my sweatpants. I am so thankful that after a very, VERY long day, I am finally home and able to relax.  And also I am grateful that everything for Snowfest is (pretty much) set and ready to go! Thank God for no more tights! Lord, thank you for getting me home safely tonight.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I was dreading my meet tonight because I was just grumpy, tired, and irritated.  I didn't want to go.  I knew I was in for another long night. To my surprise, the meet started on time and went extremely fast.  The coaches and gymnasts were ready, and our judging crew was on top of it.  We were out the door BEFORE EIGHT -- virtually unheard of in the gymnastics universe. I am so thankful that I was able to go home, eat, and get to bed at a decent time.  It was wonderful. Thank God for a quick meet! Lord, I am so thankful to be home and relaxing at a much earlier time than I expected tonight.  Thank you for helping me to get through another long day and for helping me to see how blessed I am in things big and small.  Amen.

Most nights at home are filled with business and exhaustion.  By the time Colby and I get the kids to bed, we are puddles of parents on the couch.  We have no energy to look at each other, let alone have conversations deeper than, "Who's picking up the kids tomorrow?" or "Do we need to get groceries sometime?" So it was a pleasant surprise tonight to be able to sit on the couch together and play a round of Wheel of Fortune on the Wii.  No, we still didn't have stimulating conversation, but we did laugh and interact rather than communicate in monosyllables.  It was nice to spend a little time together having fun.  Wheel of Fortune in one of my most favorite games ever and it was even more fun kicking Colby's butt in it. :) Thank God for Wheel of Fortune! Lord, thank you for some nice time with my husband tonight.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I didn't have time to go home after school today. I needed to get some stuff done at school before heading off to Mason. As I was getting changed to go to the gymnastics meet 10 minutes before I needed to leave from school, I realized that I did not have any black dress shoes ( or any color  or that matter). All I had were the big, brown snowboots that I had worn into school that morning, and my running shoes, which I had planned on using to work out after school. in a panic, I called my husband, who helpfully suggested "wear the running shoes!" In a text two minutes before my ride was scheduled to arrive. I don't even know how to explain what happened next. Courtney pulled up in her car and I hopped in. I explained to her the situation, whereupon she produced two black dress shoes from the backseat. Apparently, they belonged to her freshman daughter, who is frequently leaving clothes and shoes in the vehicle. It was nearly perfect. The shoes didn't fit exactly, b

Tonight we visited our friends the Gastons at their house in celebration of the Super Bowl. I'm pretty sure the only people who even watched the game at all were Colby and Russ, however.  Karen and I spent the evening catching up and the kids played for the solid 3.5 hours we were there. It was fantastic fun and I was beyond bummed to have to have to leave, even though it was well past bedtime and Monday was looming large on the horizon. There was great food and I so enjoyed Karen's company. It was such a blessing to me. She's an incredible person and I'm am thankful that I was able to be around her tonight. Thank God for our Super Bowl Partay!  Lord, thank you for good times with friends tonight. Please give us more opportunities to hang out with them in the weeks and months to come. In your name I pray, Amen.

This morning I had to leave extra early to officiate an invitational in Tecumseh. It didn't start off well.  I woke up late and walked outside to a icy, snowy vehicle that needed substantial brushing and scraping.  To make matters worse, I couldn't get it out of the snow-covered driveway without getting stuck.   I tried vehicle number 2 with the same results.  More scraping.  More brushing.  More getting stuck. I didn't know what to do.  I was already running late and with the roads bad, it wasn't looking good. I was on the verge of panic when my handsome hubby came outside and offered to try to get the van out of the driveway.  It only took him 2 tries and he was free. He was my early-morning, snow day hero.  I made it to the meet in plenty of time.  I am so thankful for his mad snow-driving skills. Thank God I made it out of the driveway! Lord, thank you for my husband and for his help this morning.  Thank you for helping me get to and from the meet safe