Manners

For so long I viewed having manners as needed nightmares that were performed for other people. Stiff and awkward people. Or Holiday people.

I don't mean basic courtesies like not grotesquely belching at the dinner table. I mean dinner napkins on the lap, husbands pulling out the chair for their wives, "please pass the...", setting the silverware properly, etc...

Manners are meant to be a form of love. Of hospitality. There is a basic framework set for everyone to find the rhythm within. There are so many aspects of thinking about someone other than yourself (oneself?)within manners.

I'm not truly a fan of formality, but I love making people feel at ease. I'm definitely not the queen of details, but sometimes love is in those details.

What do you think?

Pop-pop

Levi's dad, "Pop-pop" was here for a great visit - the kiddos had a blast with him. Missed their Gramma Sue though.

This is the code for the photo of Copper Canyon that I can't upload

Adventure

OK - Secret grade school dream was to be an archeologist. Now, in your most childish treehouse dreams - if you could travel to somewhere deliciously exotic to explore - where would you choose?

Iowa is not exotic.

Just try it

Have you ever googled yourself? So strange. There was actually a "Bethany Fuson" who lived in the 1800's and one living in KY right now! And I thought it was a weird name. Try it!

Health and Healing

Sunday morning I stood in my "restaurant booth" at our new church. A girlfriend and I watched together as our Pastors, B&T, stood in front of our colt-legged church and committed to do "what it takes" to pastor our burgeoning body.

It was a moment.

All of the discussions Levi and I had waded through in deciding to move here, B & T's difficult journey to get even a small church to truly gel as they dreamed, T searching relentlessly for housing op's for us, B driving to Milwaukee in the middle of the night after grueling work hours to pick Afton & I up from the airport, praying, hoping, meeting and eventually filling Titletown's donated room, our Leadership Teams' growth from awkwardness to to fabulousness...and to look around and see all of the faces that have gathered in just a year...

It was overwhelming.

It's been awhile since I've felt really safe to open up some areas of the "real me" to exposure and growth. I can't believe it's finally time. I feel like a teenager before the high-school dance.

I am thankful.

Lipstick Terrorist

OMILORD IN HEAVEN!!!!! Help me FATHER! My daughter is on a rampage.

Determined to have her way and fueled by a chocolate milk, 2 yr old Afton armed herself with Mary Kay lipsticks, lipliners, lip primers and various weapons of her warfare. Hidden in night-night blankies and waiting until cover of night - she unloaded her arsenal of chaos. Retribution for unhappy bathtimes, pottie training, and lost toothbrushes all funneled into a seething-whirling-jambalaya of destruction upon the unsuspecting bathroom...

Leaving a solitary color. Mama's favorite and only red lipstick, "Chocolate Mousse", unscathed.

Until this evening. Once again the baby bandit struck.

Thank goodness for a product sample book.