"I can do hard!"

"I can do hard!" said Emma.

Emma.
My great niece.
My niece - Natalie's daughter.
My 3 year old backseat comic and commentator.

Most Mondays I pick up Emma and her 5 year old brother Lincoln. Emma usually goes to my mom's house to play girl stuff with her and Lincoln hangs out with me for a few hours. The 15 minute car ride to and from Grandma Marshmallow's house (their nick name for Great Grandma Short) is never dull.

In 15 minutes...just 1 short car ride...Emma can tell me about her latest fashion (usually a pink outfit complimented by her well worn and loved pink snow boots), she can give me a breakfast report, request a her favorite songs (The Muffin Man or Peter and John or Jingle Bells), sing along with all the motions, read at least 3 books out loud, remove her snow boots and socks and during all this put her window up and down nonstop (weather permitting).

In those 15 minutes, Emma starts every comment...every sentence... every breath with "Aunt Jee'hanna..." But every once in a while she will get mixed up and she calls me 'Gramma'. I remind her, "Emma, I'm not a Grandma because I don't have any grand kids." The first time I said that to her, she actually stopped talking for at least 30 seconds to think about that. Her comment back was, " Ok...Aunt Jee'Hanna, so instead of grand kids...someday you will have Aunt-kids!"  ha ha!

That is our very funny and oh so wise Emma!

By the time I get her to my mom's house...Lincoln and I are ready for a few hours of Lincoln-time.

This past Monday, my mom wanted to come to my house with Emma to do some gardening. The kids brought their bikes. We were going to have a fun 'play outside' day to keep an eye on my mom. They gardened with my mom (probably for a whole 2 1/2 minutes), we played on the swings for a long time.

Emma loved showing me how high she can swing all by herself. 

After lunch we got out the bikes. 

Emma has just learned to ride her bike with out training wheels. 

She was showing me how well she can ride her pretty pink bike. 

 And how well she could ride and keep up with Lincoln too! 

Emma told me she was sure she could ride Lincoln's big boy bike too. 

I told her that his bike was too big...too hard for her to ride. 

Her comment right back to me was, "Aunt Jee'hanna, I can do hard!"

With that she jumped off her little pink bike and asked me to help her hop on Lincoln's big boy bike...

and no kidding.... 

she took off...

not just on the easy flat area...

she headed right down the hill...

pedaling her heart out! 

She sure can 'do hard'. 

Lincoln couldn't believe it....

he just fell over in the grass amazed.

Isn't that just like us. Life gets hard sometimes and we forget that God can do hard. He is really good at doing what we think is hard or impossible.

All we have to do is ask him to help us ...It's all down hill from there. Everyone around will see and be amazed at what hard things God can do in our life too...if only we would ask.

What hard place does life have you in? Remember ..."God can do hard!"

"O Lord God! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power; nothing is too hard for you!" 
Jeremiah 32:17

"He got on the bus!"

"He got on the bus!" said Sandy Short

Sandy.
My favorite & only sister-in-law.

My brother, Dale's wonderful wife.

My newly married niece, Lindsey's sweet mom.
...and Travis' new mom-in-law.

32 years ago I had the opportunity to live with Dale and Sandy - the year before my wedding. I was still living at home when my dad took a job in Florida which left me homeless. Looking back, I now realize how very generous they were to take me in. They were married just a few years, they just bought a house and it was before they had kids. I actually slept in the room that would be Lindsey's when she was born a few years later.

It was during this time that I got to know my sister-in-law Sandy quite well. We became good fast friends way back then. Sandy has a big heart and loves to do for others. You can count on her to get any job done, to think it through, talk it through and to do every detail well.

Well I got married and moved away. Fast forward 32 years. Dale and Sandy now have 2 girls and a boy and lucky them ...both girls planned weddings 5 months apart!

We traveled back to Minnesota for the first wedding last month. We found Sandy enjoying all the last minute wedding details...working hard to get it all done well - just like I remembered her. And Dale...he was working hard too at anticipating the big day...just like I remember him.

After the beautiful wedding...

My brother's fun family

Sandy was busy getting the last minute items from the church to go to the reception. She could not find Dale to help her. So she went outside just as the big Limo bus was leaving with the wedding party for the reception. She comes straight back in with the most puzzled look and says, "You won't believe this...He got on the bus!"

She felt like he left her to finish up....but in his mind he was doing what he did best...enjoying sharing this special time with his newly married daughter. He was off on a once in a life time adventure. All he had to do was to... get on the bus.

I wrote about an adventure I was beginning in my last post, Detour. I have the opportunity to write for an online magazine called  My Kid's Adventures. This would be my first time to submit an article in hopes of it being published. I left my blog behind for a few months to get on the bus...take a bold risk and write for this new adventure.

What a trip... I am now a published author!  Here are the links to my first two articles. 

5 creative pool noodle activities that don't not need water

How to have a mystery road trip adventure with your kids

Check them out...and...thanks for your 'likes' and comments at the bottom of each article. Each one helps promote my writing and support the site. This is just the beginning of a great new adventure for me. I am so glad I got on the bus! (So was Dale...Sandy was once again very generous and gracious to let him enjoy the ride.)

I'm not sure where this adventure will take me but I am enjoying the ride. It is good to back on the blog too.

What adventure awaits for you?

 It may be a bold risky undertaking with an unknown outcome....but it will definitely be an exciting experience.

Just get on the bus...you will be glad you did.

"God knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold!"

Job 23:10 

"Detour!"

"Detour!" said Johanna

Johanna.
That would me.
Blogger/writer for my JoStory blog.
Soon to be writer for a new adventure ahead.

Blogging was going well until I ran into a detour last month.

What do you do when you come to a detour?

• Do you follow the signs and trust they will get you to your destination?
• Do you try to plan ahead and stay away from the detour - take another route or just don't go there?
• Do you ignore the signs and take a chance that the road is not closed?

What do you do with your detours?


I have run into my share of road detours in the past few years. Detours can really be an inconvenience. I have to admit that sometimes I just don't have time for detours.


Last year I ran into a detour on a road I often travel. I knew the detour was there but forgot to go the other way. So this time I took a chance on the road being open. The sign said 'No Through Traffic'.

It didn't say 'Road Closed'. How would they know if I lived there or worked there? I didn't have time to go around ...so I drove right through that detour sign. Big mistake. 5 miles down  the road I discovered the sign was right. The sign now said 'Road Closed'.

I had to turn around and go 20 minutes more out of my way. Good lesson to follow the detour sign. It is ALWAYS the best way and the shortest way and...it could save me from driving into a big hole someday.

Another detour was last Spring on a road trip to Ohio. Flooding was bad in Ohio which meant many detours that took us through many cute country towns that I never knew existed. We passed by a whole road under water. My kids wanted to take some photos of the flooded road. So I detoured for a few minutes...turned my car down the street that said detour - Road Closed Ahead!

I drove as close to the water as I could get and still be safe. We all jumped at the car to take a few photos of the swollen river and flooded road. Soon another car pulled up behind ours and a man jumped out and ran towards us to warn us not to drive any further. We thanked him for his concern and chuckled as we got into our car and drove away. To think that he really thought we were thinking about driving into that river?!?

Sometimes I like to check out the detour just to see what I might be missing. Good lesson to see that detours protect us from danger...just keep going...no need to check it out.

One more detour I often remember was on a road trip to Maine with my kids. We took the northern route from Michigan through Canada to Maine. I planned out the route I wanted to take and I never thought about detours until we ran into one in Quebec. It wouldn't have been a big deal except...the road signs in Quebec are mostly ALL in French. I know very little French. When you are going 70 mph on the interstate there is no time to translate the detour signs. I had to totally trust that arrow on the orange sign to get me to my destination.

We followed the signs about an hour out of our way. This detour ended up being a little side trip through the beautiful city of Montreal - which we had not planned. We did get to Maine a little later then planned but I was so glad I just trusted and followed those detour signs. We also found ourselves learning a few more French words - just in case!

I have learned this is the best way to do a detour...to totally trust it and follow it. It may take longer but it is the best and safest way to get to my destination.

Road detours are like life detours. Life changes and goes different ways.

• Sometimes we choose to not follow and trust God in the detour we end up paying for it.
• Sometimes we stall by trying to see what trouble is ahead. 
• Sometimes we get it right and follow and trust God to detour us safely his way. We may have to go places we never been before and we'll learn and experience new things. 

When God gives us a life detour we can know he always has our best interest in mind.

This year I have run into one of those life detours. Blogging has been going well but a new adventure-a detour from blogging has appeared. I have been given an opportunity to write for an online magazine -
My Kid's Adventures.
It means deadlines & learning more electronic/technical writing skills, and facing the possibility of rejection. But I know God is in this detour. Hopefully in a few months we will be reading my articles online. I am going to trust and follow God on this detour. This sign says, 'Detour - New Adventure Ahead'. so....Stay tuned for more...

What detour are you facing?  

You could be in for a new life adventure too...if you trust and follow.

Jeremiah 29: 11-13 
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart."

"Be still!"

"Be still!" said Winter Storm 'Polar Vortex' 2014

Winter Storm 'Polar Vortex' 2014.

2-3 ft of snow so far.
-30 below plus temps.
Kalamazoo is snowed in big time.

My favorite day is snow day. 

Because a good winter storm always says, "Be Still!"

Be still ...empty shelves cleared of groceries.

Be still ...closed schools, churches and businesses.

Be still ...cancelled events and activities.

Be still ...snowed in homes filled with families and pets.

Snow days allow us to just be still...to enjoy the gift of time with family and to appreciate the beauty and power of winter at its best. 

We get to stay home and be still together.

There is time to talk, play games and shovel snow.

Time to do puzzles, watch movies and shovel snow.

Time to read books, catch up on chores and shovel snow.

Time to enjoy a fire, take a nap and shovel snow.

Time to make soup, shovel snow and.... 

....my favorite is...to just be still and watch it snow. 

While the snow decorates the outside, 

God decorates my inside with time to relax and enjoy his best gifts to me.

How do you ... or... how would you enjoy a snow day?

"Be still and know I am God."
Psalm 46:10