I went to a women's conference last night here in Bolivar. Open to the community and non-denominational, it was a good experience as I was feeling weary and worn out with life's cares. It was great to see so many lovely faces - ladies I knew from various places. Women from 15 to 95 filled the auditorium - there were a lot of people there. We sang and there were skits. We prayed together and there were lots of hugs. It felt peaceful and powerful and right - sort of filled up the dry well of my soul with "living water." It is so good to know that I am not alone in my struggle to balance being a wife, career, motherhood, and navigating the joyful, painful, and often confusing world we live in. All of us were "in it together" so to speak.
While there I saw the most wonderful video - it truly affected me.
The feelings and images it evoked in me will stay with me for a long, long time.
I found it online today and felt the need to post it here.
These links also work - the first one is better quality and bigger, I think.
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA
Sometimes the problems of the world and of my paitents (who come to me for help) are so much bigger than I am. (Not sometimes - all the time.) Honestly, in the last few months I have sat hand in hand and heart to heart with a gentleman who lost his love of 50 years, a girl who can't stop cutting herself to try to relieve the pain in her heart, two women who are held captive by the need to self-medicate their pain with LARGE quantities of alcohol, one who lost her precious little one in the second trimester....I could go on and on.
There are no easy answers for these things - no quick fixes or magical solutions. When I cry with them and offer them what hope and help I know - the best I can really offer them is love. I can love them because I have known the unconditional love of the Father that gives me the strength every day to keep loving and hoping and fighting. I can hope that somehow, through prayer and the love of others, they can know the unconditional love and never-ending strength of the Creator that longs to "gather (My) children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings." (Matthew 23:37)
So when I look into the future and I am afraid - when I hate my own weakness and selfishness - when I cry for the suffering I see around me, I remember to huddle under His wings and to stop long enough to feel His arms around me and hear His whisper "and lo...I am with you always...even unto the end of Earth."
Lori
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Haircuts and Pigtails
The kids got their hair cut at our friend/hairstylist Amy's yesterday.
Amy put Katie's hair up in pigtails for the first time and it looked so cute!
I had to take photos.
We are all doing well and we seem to have escaped the winter doldrums by staying so
incredibly busy. Everyone is healthy and we are looking forward to spring.
Go Patriots!!!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
A blog for the new year
well, it's 2008 and since it is important for me to blog at least 1 time every 6 months so Lori has asked me to blog a little about the kids, Christmas and such. Pictures will follow.
Ryan is continuing his pre-school education in the new year. i am not sure why I send him since he is quick to tell everyone he is the smartest person in our family. I am beginning to think he may be right. He speaks more eloquently then me, his vocabulary is amazing (interestingly filled with words that sound like they came from TV shows and commercials), and he is very polite. Like all kids, he is ornery at home but I'm very proud of his performance and attitude at school.
Alex continues to learn how to be a big brother. He seems to be enjoying his new role as leader and role model for Katie. While they are great, the two of them together are dangerous. He continues to be shy at times and loud at others. He has the sweetest smile and loves to cuddle when he is tired (which is rarely naptime or sleep time). He is going through some sleep issues these days, but otherwise he is doing really well.
Katie's surgery on her thumb (we removed her extra thumb from birth) went well. Our surgeon was amazing. Everything seems to be going well and we are very excited. Katie took a while to get used to no cast or splint, but now it is an afterthought. Her speech and language are progressing very well. She loves her big brothers and spends a lot of time mimicking them.
The kids loved Christmas and got tons of great gifts. It was interesting seeing Katie's first chance to celebrate Christmas. She wasn't sure what to make of it all, but when books and toys start getting opened, it is easy to get into it. Lori got a chance to take the kids out in Katie's first snow, we went to Silver Dollar City (more on this with pictures later), and we enjoyed time with our families this holiday season. It was awesome.
it's been a trip of nostalgia for Lori and I as well. Lori got a chance to see an old High School friend and his mother. I have heard about Jon for years now and we finally got to meet. It was a wonderful evening and we enjoyed catching up/meeting each other. We hope to make it to New York City to visit with him sometime.
As for me, I have been in contact with a few old friends this past year. Marco and Jay from my high school years (I owe you both phone calls if you are reading this) and now Grant from my college years. It was awesome catching up with him today. I hope to catch back up with a few other friends this year.
Anyway, our family would like to thank you for reading our blog and comments you have made in the past year. It is awesome to be able to share our lives with you all and we hope to get a chance to share more great moments this year.
God Bless you all.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Snow Day!
It snowed! It is really beautiful outside and we all went out to play today.
Katie's first snow as she has always lived in a sub-tropical climate.
Maybe we will have a White Christmas.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Lessons Learned from Decorating the Christmas Tree
ALWAYS put all of the candy canes very high up in the tree. (Or better yet, skip them altogether.)
We keep finding sticky, semi-eaten pieces of candy cane all over the house. This occurs even though we tell Alex he can't have a candy cane about every 3 and a half minutes. Katie loves the tree and had a great time putting the ornaments on. All three of them think it is the best Christmas tree they've ever seen. Ryan got a bit freaked out by the Abominable Snowman on the Rudolf show this year but they all loved the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. I haven't made them watch "It's a Wonderful Life" yet...but I make Eric watch that one every year.
Mostly good news from the doctor about Katie today. He took off her nasty little cast and the incision site looks great. The ligament in her thumb is still more loose than he would like and therefore he is keeping her in a teeny little splint for another month. At least this is removable for bath time and washable!!!
Ryan and I are ringing the bell for the Salvation Army for awhile tonight.
I love the holidays!
Blessings,
The Cohen Clan
PS - Okay, all the rock fans out there should go and vote for the Greatest Rock Band of All time. (http://www.votenumber1.com/)
Right now, Queen and Brian May (Greatest Guitarist of All Time) are winning...largely due to the fact that I vote for them, like, every day. They are THE CHAMPIONS! (I love Queen.) LJC.jpg)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Holiday Happenings
We had a great time visiting in New England for the Thanksgiving holiday. The kids had a fun playing with their cousins and the Cohen family has really grown! Now there are seven grandchildren running around and that makes for lots of fun and chaos. We went to the Boston Children's Museum with six kids between the ages of one and seven. It was a great time and we spent over five hours there I believe. It sits right on the Boston Harbor - on a pier. The day we went was the first snowfall of the year (at least for me). It was beautiful looking out the huge glass windows- watching the snow fall over the water. I love Boston! It will forever remind me of the romantic and adventurous days when Eric and I were first dating. Very "Sleepless in Seattle"....
We were able to see many many wonderful friends and relatives while we were there. It is astounding how fast time flies. Friends who we remember when all of us were single and dating now have two and three kids - several in kindergarten and older!!
It is amazing to have friends so close that when you see each other, though it has been 18 months or so almost since we last spoke, it seems that no time has passed.
We will miss Massachusetts very much and will count the days until we can go back again.
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November was National Adoption Month. Our local newspaper ran a nice story about our family and the link is here:
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We are now in the full swing of the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays. It is Katie's first Christmas home and there is so much for her to see and experience. We plan to decorate the house and tree soon. The Christmas parade is this Saturday. We will head down to the Silver Dollar City Christmas Celebration later in the month and I've reserved a fun "lunch with Santa" for the kids. Christmas is my favorite time of year. It always brings back so many wonderful memories for me and reminds me of all that is good and wondrous in the world. There is so much hope that this time of year brings. I love the focus on giving. Ryan and I have volunteered for an hour to be bell-ringers for the Salvation Army at a local store. That should be interesting.
A great quote I found that I want to remember:
"Tradition and closeness aren't based on what you do … it's based on what you've already done. It's the memories of giggles and knowing glances. It's the feeling of Christmas that only comes when you can sit in quiet reverie at the end of the day, speaking with your family in hushed tones after the kids are finally asleep, a cup of something warm in your hands—the comfort of something inexpressibly warm in your heart. A moment that will sit in your mind among the thousand memories of comfort and quiet joy that mingle together to form family, love and Christmas."
Whitney Scott
Whitney Scott
Carthage, Missouri
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