Life and Times of the Sharp Family

Tonight my older two kiddos got to try out karate for the first time. I loved seeing them concentrate so hard and I was incredibly proud of them for trying something new. Not to mention, they were terribly cute throwing their tiny punches and yelling their "HI-YA!"s. They both enjoyed their time immensely and were pumped to go back again. In the car on the way home, Breslin was practicing his low block and chanting in Korean. I was thankful that they now have a physical activity that they can look forward to for the next five weeks. Thank God for karate! Lord, thank you for a fun new activity that my kids can enjoy. In your name I pray, Amen.

I am so thankful that I have 5th hour prep this semester. I am enjoying it so much more than the 3rd hour prep I had last semester.  I feel more relaxed and productive. The day seems to go faster.  It's good.  I l ike it. Thank God for 5th hour prep! Lord thank you for the change in schedule this semester. Help me to be a blessing to the students you've given me for the rest of the year. Amen.

My trip to get the oil changed in my car tonight can be summed up by explaining how it started and ended. It began with the young man doing a check if the car's exterior. When checking the wipers, the driver's side wiper broke off in his hand. It ended with gas from my gas line spraying all over him.  So in addition. To needing a new windshield wiper, I also need to take my car in to get my gas line leak repaired before someone next to me throws out their cigarette and blows my little Saturn to kingdom come. There was more, but I think you get the idea. Tonight I'm thankful that I made it home safe (ie the car did not explode) and that we have the means to repair these problems.  Within a half an hour, Colby had made arrangements with his dad to get the car into a mechanic and had secured alternate transportation for us.  I am grateful that a not so good situation didn't escalate into a horrible or dangerous one. Thank God for a disastrous oil change! Thank you for a ho...

It's not often that I get crafty or creative at home.  I don't really do pinterest and I'm not much for do-it-yourself projects. But today, as the temperature plummeted and we roamed the house finding various play activities to keep ourselves occupied, I decided it was time to try out some homemade play-doh. When I was a little girl, the lady who watched me while my parents were at work would make homemade play-doh all the time.  We loved the way it smelled as she worked it into existence and could hardly wait as it cooled down enough for us to handle. The kids were amazed to watch the Play-Doh come together and happily played with it for a grand total of about 15 minutes. But that's okay.  I was proud of myself for making it and I think they were pretty impressed with my mad skills too.  I am thankful for this fun snow day activity and for the time it meant we got to spend together.  Thank God for homemade Play-Doh! Lord, thanks forgiving me fun time today...

I love having a Biggby in Albion.  Usually, when I go, I just stick to plain old coffee.  Because, at Biggby, even plain old coffee is very, very tasty coffee. But, today, after snowshoeing for well over an hour and feeling tired, cold, and wet, I decided to treat myself to one of Biggby's specialty drinks, the Caramel Mellow.  I didn't see how I could go wrong.  The drink has all of my favorite things: caramel, coffee, and marshmallow flavoring. I wasn't disappointed.  The Caramel Mellow was warm, smooth, and an explosion of deliciousness.  The coffee balanced out the sweetness of the caramel and marshmallow and I felt warmed from the inside out. As soon as a finished, I started craving my next one.  The experience brought me disproportionate happiness. I am thankful for this small luxury and for a day slow and easy enough to both snowshoe and make a stop at Biggby. Thank God for the Caramel Mellow! Lord, thank you for a day home from scho...

Tonight, I took my kids to Awana at First Baptist Church in Albion for the first time. According to their website, Awana helps churches and parents work together to develop spiritually strong children and youth who faithfully follow Jesus Christ. Our programs offer a proven approach for evangelizing and discipling kids in the church and community. The kids learn verses and play games.  They are surrounded by caring adults who love Jesus.  They are immersed in God's love for them.  They are fed cupcakes (at least tonight, they were...but there is always some kind of a snack involved). I am so thankful that we took them to Awana tonight.  Dharia and AJ LOVED it.  When they saw all of the other kids sprinting around the gym before the official program started, their eyes lit up and they immediately jumped into the fray.  When it was time to go, they sobbed tears of desperation as they begged to stay. Breslin, was not quite as sold.  He never is....

Today I tried something new that I have had my eye on for a long time. It was intimidating and and I had no idea what to expect, but I braved the slippery, wintery roads and arrived at Crossfit517 on Horton Road nervous, but excited to work out. The hour was filled with mostly strength training based on olympic weightlifting.  It was unfamiliar territory for me, a dedicated long-session cardio person, but I did enjoy the challenge of attempting to perform the skills that others in the class made look easy.  Within a few minutes I was drenched in sweat, and it was humbling to see that some of the exercises that seasoned Crossfitters did with ease and grace were impossible for my body to even execute.  I believe that I will be all kinds of sore tomorrow. I'm still not quite sure what I think about Crossfit.  The instructors at Crossfit517 encouraged me to try at least 4 sessions to get a complete idea of what the program entails.  They told me that many peop...