We've had so many snow days here in Carter County that last week was the first chance for the kids at school to celebrate Valentine's Day!

As I walked around the room admiring all of the Valentine's boxes and watching the kids enjoy their treats, I noticed this little gift wrapped and sitting on top of one boy's desk.

I asked him what it was, and he said, "Oh, this is for my mamaw."

He had wrapped up the cookies that had been handed out for snack time and then placed a heart sticker on top to hold the paper towel wrapping paper shut and was happily watching everyone else enjoy their snacks while he had none.

Now that's what I call love!

A 9 year-old boy thinking of his mamaw before himself.

A child passing up immediate pleasure in exchange for the joy of seeing his mamaw's face when he hands her this gift later in the afternoon.

A human being taking whatever they have....even if it's just a few cookies and a paper towel and transforming them into something powerful and touching.

If we could see "love" through God's eyes, I think we'd feel a lot less pressure when buying gifts.  I think we'd realize that true love isn't measured by the cost of the wrapping paper or what is tucked inside. 

No, love comes from the heart.

It's the joy we feel when we're putting someone else's needs above ours.

It's the smile that comes from knowing that we gave all we had for the sake of someone else.

God definitely knows what it means to give His all.

I'm still learning.

Learning from 9 year-old little boys and thankful that God can speak even through cookies wrapped in love and a paper towel,

We spent Friday night in Lewisburg, Kentucky, where the Lady Raiders' traveling team won the first two games of their final basketball tournament!!

We head back tomorrow after church for the last two games of the tournament AND the season!!!!!!!

 

    I'll let you know how the rest of the tournament goes!

I had the pleasure of babysitting a sweet little eight-week old baby boy this morning for about an hour and a half.

I had forgotten...

what it looks like to have a bottle in my frig

how tiny babies really are

how dependent they are on us for EVERYTHING

that doing two things at once isn't as easy when fragile cargo is in your arms

that little babies love to be talked to even though they can only respond with tiny smiles

 

I wonder how different the church would be if we treated new Christians like infants...

dependent, needing fed, fragile, needing to be talked to

The Bible says that to enter the Kingdom we must become like "little children."

I think God just adores babies.

Trusting, content, approachable, non-judgmental...

These are just some of my random thoughts after spending some quiet time holding a baby.

Thank you, Father, for speaking through one of your tiny creations who can not yet speak,

I've tried to imagine before what someone does with "sin" if they aren't really a believer in anything past this earthly life.

I mean, if you simply believe that you're born, you live, and then you die-the end, then does sin really matter?

If it doesn't then why do we care when someone commits murder or steals or is unfaithful to their spouse or lies or any other thing that causes most to think, "That's not right." What makes it "not right" if there is no God, no eternity. In my opinion, none of that should really matter if there isn't Someone over us Who cares and calls us out of those kinds of lifestyles.

So, I guess before I started talking about the next chapter in the book Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy, I just felt like I had to put that out on the table as something to think about for anyone who might stop by my blog and not be a believer in Jesus or a believer in an eternal life somewhere after death. I couldn't just begin this blog post talking about sin when there may be some who don't believe in a God who longs to wash away all of that ugly stuff we carry around.

I think everyone of us should think long and hard about why we believe what we believe, so that when faced with questions like, "How do you know there is a God?" or "Why do you believe in something that you can't see?" we can hopefully give some kind of answer.

And I think that if you are reading this post and are filled with doubt about who God is or why he's allowed your life to hold the pain it holds, then you should go on a journey searching for answers...........a personal trek for more information............don't just look around for others to give you answers but look up and ask God to show Himself to you somehow......I believe that He will. He's longing for you to just look up and ask. He'll send the right people, the right words, the right books, the right life events...............He's waiting patiently for you. I believe that.

Saying all of that, I want to share about the next chapter in Nancy's book, "Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude."

Truly, this chapter means nothing if you are not aware and convicted by the tiny three-letter word -

Sin.

The dictionary says that synonyms for sin are 1. trespass, violation. 2. wrong, wickedness. 4. transgress.

We've all done something wrong, haven't we? I know I have. More than once.

I think we have to come to a realization that we are not perfect before we can truly feel guilt for our sin. A feeling of regret for decisions we've made. An awakening to our need for forgiveness.

Have you ever hurt someone's feelings and said "I'm sorry" only to be rejected with a response of "Sorry's not enough."

I think that's where God offers something that many humans simply cannot. Grace.

A sense that He has freed us from all that is weighing us down. A clean slate. A fresh start. A new morning.

That's what I think of when I read this chapter.

On the other hand, have you ever done something wrong, ask for forgiveness, and felt as if someone has truly "let it go." Aren't you full of gratitude in a moment like this? Just so thankful to be FREE from past mistakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's what this chapter is all about.

Being full of gratitude for a God who covers our guilt with His grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not just looking Heavenward now and then and saying, "thank you, Lord," when you get a good parking place at WalMart, or when a prayer is answered exactly as you have requested..........

No the gratitude Nancy is talking about runs much deeper.

It's the kind that says "thank you, Lord," even when you don't understand how or why life is going the way it is but you know that, in spite of how dark the valley, YOU ARE LOVED, FREE, COVERED IN GOD'S MERCY, AND LIVING A LIFE HEADED TOWARDS ETERNITY WITH HIM.

That's the kind of gratitude God longs for from us and the great part is this:

When we express thanksgiving in these kinds of times, guess what happens? Others are touched, blessed, inspired, and motivated to live better lives for Him and then they too begin to be full of thanksgiving for what God has done for them and the cycle goes on and on and on and on and on............................

Nancy compares it to the rain cycle and I love that analogy!!!

See when we are overwhelmed with gratitude, we are much more likely to reach out and bless others causing them to be thankful which then causes them to reach out. God is the direct link between us and the rest of the world and in a sense we are the direct link between God and the world. It's really amazing if you think about it!!! I just imagine little lines of prayers of thanks going up and down all over the world from people to God almost like rays of light beaming out everywhere. The Son is our light and our thanksgiving is His light reflected back to Him.

How do you feel when one of your children complains about something after you have given so much for them.............I know how I feel. Hurt, angry, disappointed. I do not like to hear my children grumble or complain. And they know how I feel. That's one area of life where I speak my mind clearly.

God, on a much, much larger scale, I believe, feels the same way about His children.

How dare we complain or grumble to Him or about Him after all He has done for us?????

To grow up or mature in Christ, we have to develop a deep gratitude for what God has given us and done for us.

How will we know when we are growing up???

I think we will know by the things we talk about, by the amount of complaining we get caught up in, by the amount of grumbling we allow to fall from our lips.

A thankful heart is a heart that gets it.

Believe me, if you are reading this and saying, "Tammy, I can't be thankful after..........," I want you to know that I understand. I really, really do.

Choosing to be thankful in the midst of not feeling like there is a reason to be is a tough choice.

But I'm writing this today from the depths of an aching heart. When you can get to the place where you can be honest and say, "God, I'm struggling to be thankful. I know You have done so much for me, but the road I am on is just too hard and I don't feel thankful. Help me, Lord," I promise that...............

He will cover you in grace and mercy and bless you not only for your gratitude but also for your honesty.

Try it, today.

Try to thank God in spite of what you are going through.

Just try it.

Our guilt covered in God's grace should be enough to send us to our knees in gratitude today.

I'm heading there now,

"Never again will I use this name," he said. "To have your identity is the most beautiful thing there is." 

These were the words of Francisco Madariaga when he heard the name that had been given to him by his kidnappers 32 years ago.

As I read this story of a father's 32-year search for his son, I couldn't help but think of God's constant search for us.

Oh, the joy He must feel when we finally choose to take His name as our name.

Are you a child of God's?  Do you find your identity in Christ?

I hope so.

The face of this father above speaks to me.  This is how I see God.  A Father who won't stop searching and hunting until He finds us....and when He does, oh the joy He feels when we choose to take His name as our own.

If you haven't read this story in the  news today, you should.  It is beautiful.

Luke 15:4-7

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Thankful for a Father who never stops seeking us,

Tammy had a little dog, little dog, little dog,

It followed her to school one day,

Which was against the rules.

Friday, I turned around during my photography class and there stood my dog Snoopy!!!!!! She had followed me upstairs in Lusby!

I don't really know why I decided to share this with you, other than the fact that I thought it was funny.

But after deciding to call this post, "Tammy had a little dog," I did a little research about the origin of the song "Mary had a little lamb," and I learned a few things I never knew.

First, the song was written about a real event in history when a student named Mary Sawyer actually took her lamb to school one day.

Also, the author of the song, Sarah Hale, is famous for a few other things I never knew!

She is credited with having the most influence on our country's decision to celebrate Thanksgiving as a national holiday. She spent 17 long years campaigning in favor of this holiday and through that period of time wrote to five different presidents sharing her reasons for wanting to see this holiday recognized. Her final letter, the one written to Abraham Lincoln, was the one that finally convinced the government to create Thanksgiving Day. Until then, the only holidays in America were Independence Day and Washington's Birthday.

Sarah also traveled and campaigned for the preservation of George Washington's Mount Vernon plantation and the completion of the Bunker Hill Monument.

Hale finally retired from from being an editor in 1877 when she was 89. In that very same year, Thomas Edison made his first ever recording on a phonograph, speaking the words of, believe it or not, Sarah's little rhyme, "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

I share all of this with you for this reason:

Some day we will merely be part of history.

So, what are we spending our time doing?

Where are our passions focused?

What will people remember about us?

Not that we need to be famous. I don't consider Sarah Hale famous.

But, I do think it's a good idea, every once in a while, to stop and simply reflect on our life goals. Have we given up on something because as much as 17 years have passed and nothing has changed? Have we felt convicted about something but then remained silent out of fear?

Tonight, I look at the picture of my determined dog Snoopy and I think of a determined Sarah Hale, and I have to ask myself, "What am I determined to do?"

Praying your day is a day of purpose and determination,

Romans 8:38-39 (New International Version)

³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

These words alone are enough for me today.

Enough hope.

Enough promise.

Enough assurance.

Enough........to keep smiling and believing.

Praying they are enough for you too.

Love,

 

My friend's husband took these pictures during the homecoming festivities Friday night, and they make me smile every time I look at them.

Tim loves our boys so much, and the pain of losing Nick has been almost unbearable for him.  See, Tim and Nick were the biggest football buddies.  They watched every game together, talked stats together, and played fantasy football together.   In the off season, they followed players and teams through drafts and recruiting.  While life will never, ever be the same for any of us, I think the void has been amplified for Tim because of the loss of his kindred-spirited little man.

So seeing Tim's face beaming with joy as he watches Erich and Jena receive their awards makes my heart sing.

Thank you, God, for being the Almighty Joy-Giver.

Thank you for loving us with a deep abiding Father's love,

I just realized that in all of my "thankfulness" for who was with us Friday night, I forgot to mention why Todd wasn't with us...

He was practicing with the honors band at Marshall University in Huntington, WV.  Mom and I went to watch him and several others from his high school play on Saturday.

They did such a nice job!

I

Our oldest son Erich was on the homecoming court at Kentucky Christian University this past Friday night and was crowned "king" during the ceremony between games. 

I was moved to tears as they called his name.

I really don't know why.

I think it was a combination of so many things.

The reality that our little boy is now a senior in college.

The thought that Erich is loved by his classmates.

The memories of so many past homecomings where Erich simply ran the halls playing with his buddies and now HE was standing in the middle of the court for this special honor.

And then the gnawing reality that Nick wasn't with us to share this moment.

All of these emotions welled up in me over and over and over.

I'm thankful Mallory was here to share this special night and that she made it safely back to Nashville yesterday.  

I'm thankful that Jeff (President Metcalf) was in the lobby so we could snap this picture!

I'm thankful that Evan and Maria both got to be there.

 

I'm thankful that Erich has made great friends like Justin, Shawn, and Matt.

I'm thankful that Mom and Olivia were both there too! 

I'm thankful that even in the midst of this honor, Erich and Jena could both have a fun sense of humor as they returned to the gym to draw scholarship names out of their baskets. (Notice their crowns)

I especially loved that the names Erich drew were "Nicholas and Nicole."  (How special was that?!?!?)  I think Nick was saying "hi!!!"  One friend whispered in my ear, "Nick is a child of the King and now he is the brother of a king."  I thought that was so sweet. :)

Most of all, I'm thankful that little things like the words Homecoming King remind me that the King of Kings is truly going to bring us to our knees weeping one day as we bow before Him thanking Him for all He has done for us.

I Timothy 6:12-16

¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time-God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

So for today, I pray that you will feel the presence of Your King as you venture into yet another week of life.

The mother of a king, but most importantly, a daughter of THE KING,

Shew!

I'm trying to read through the Bible again in a year...this is probably my tenth time to try but only my second time to truly commit to this in my life, but I am determined.

It's a littler easier to tackle Leviticus than it was last year, but I'm still struggling with the, honestly gory, details of what the priests were called to do to animals in order to present pleasing sacrifices to God.

I'm on a little mission right now to truly understand WHY God called His people to do the things they had to do in order to be forgiven, to remove guilt, to make peace.

I understand that the sacrifices taught the people about obedience, and that God was very clear in His expectations.  I also can see the analogy between the blood of the animals and the "life" it represented between God and the Israelites.

But I'm longing today to see if I can study enough to come to some sort of inner peace when I read about bull's heads being burned on an altar or the blood of a goat being sprinkled in proper places.  Just typing these words makes me cringe, because they bring ugly pictures into my mind.

But then I'm quickly reminded of how ugly the crucifixion of Jesus really was.  A human being hung to die on a cross....for our sins. 

Nothing more. 

Nothing He had done.

A sinless man hanging for me and for you.

We wear necklaces with crosses on them because we don't want to forget.

We have communion to remind us of His body and His blood.

And I don't question this ugliness like I do the Old Testament sacrifices.  I simply say "thank you, Lord" for giving us your Son.

Today, I want to remember just how ugly the sacrifice of Jesus was in the eyes of those watching.  I want to be brought to my knees in extreme thankfulness.

And I want it to really sink in that just as Jesus was sacrificed for my sins God is calling me to a life of sacrifice....which can sometimes be ugly.

Dying to my "self" and living for Him.

http://vitoriosantosa.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/inspire-sacrifice.jpg

That means that I don't come first.

That means that I put the needs of others above mine.

That means that His will becomes my will.

So, today, as I venture into life, my prayer is that I can truly be a living sacrifice for Him.........even when it gets ugly or feels as if I'm giving it my all so that others can find Him.........

If you are feeling like this chess pawn above, SMILE!  You are making a huge difference in the game of life even if you feel you have sacrificed yours in some way for Him.  :)

On the altar for Him,

When Chinese favorites Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo realized they had won the gold, they couldn't hold back their happiness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And sitting in front of my television set as this historic victory happened, I couldn't believe how tears welled in my eyes just watching the celebration!  I had been quietly cheering this couple on ever since I heard their sweet love story and how they had chosen to come out of retirement to fulfill one last skating dream..a gold in the Olympics.

There's nothing like accomplishing a life goal, is there?

The feeling that your hard work and dedication have finally paid off.

Well, we are setting out on a little journey towards a very specific goal every Thursday for the next eight weeks!

Our journey is life.

Our goal is joy.

A Journey to Joy!  Doesn't that sound rewarding!?!?!?

Working our way through the pages of Nancy Leigh DeMoss' book, Choosing Gratitude:  Your Journey to Joy, we will uncover together some secrets to a peaceful, joy-filled heart.

Last week, we talked a little about Joni Eareckson Tada's wheelchair being her life struggle and how she has to make a daily choice to either choose gratitude or not choose gratitude as she faces life as a quadriplegic. 

Then we learned a little about the introduction:  "Your Invitation to Transformation."  Nancy starts this section by sharing very transparently the struggle she often faces of living a life of gratitude when so many things cause her to feel fretful, negative, or resentful.  I love when she says that she has finally come to the realization that "gratitude is truly her life preserver."

When we are able to look at every thing this world throws at us and somehow muster the words, "Thank you, Lord," then we're on our way to becoming mature Christians.  She shares that, "Gratitude is a lifestyle.A hard-fought, grace-infused Biblical lifestyle."

Then in chapter one, "The Power of Gratitude," we started talking about whether or not we are going to worship or whine when faced with a difficult situation.

I remember reading a book by Jill Briscoe years ago when Nick was first diagnosed with a brain tumor.  One of the chapters challenged women to say "why not me?" instead of "why me?" when facing a difficult season in life.  I began looking at Nick's journey with cancer and my journey as his mom as something that truthfully could happen to anyone, so in reality "why couldn't it happen to us?"  Jill then went on to say that after realizing that we are not above the world's pain, we must decide if we are going to resist the pain or accept it as something God can use for His glory.

This chapter, "The Power of Gratitude" goes right along with the thought of accepting our pain.  It then takes this concept a step further and challenges us to look our pain straight on and say, "Thank you, Lord."

Just tonight Olivia had a friend stay all night and they dressed up and wanted me to take their pictures.  They wanted to do all kinds of poses and change costumes and honestly, I was getting tired.  After we were all done and Olivia sat down in the kitchen, she randomly turned to me as I was doing dishes and said, "Thanks for taking our pictures, mom."  I can't tell you what it did for my heart to hear those simple unrequested words come from Olivia's mouth.

I believe that when we say "thank you" to God, He smiles.  And I believe that when we can manage to mutter these words even in our dark valleys, He not only smiles but also places within us a strength we never knew imaginable. 

There truly is power in our gratitude. 

And Christian gratitude has a depth this world cannot understand, because we are thankful for more than just a sunny day or no rain at a wedding.  We are painfully aware that our gratitude finds its roots in something much deeper than the weather..our gratitude comes from understanding that ..  "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

So, next week we'll look at Chapter Two:  "Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude."

Until then, do not forget the faces of the skating pair above.  Remember the thrill they experienced from their hard-earned victory?

You too will experience victory on this journey to joy!

Your Thankful Reading Partner,

I'm not sure what the weather is like where you live, but here in Eastern Kentucky we are experiencing one snow right after another.....

which means we have not had school since LAST Monday and it's not looking promising any time soon. The extended forecast is calling for more snow all next week!!

It takes a conscious decision sometimes to choose to LOVE snow days.

kids up very late
friends coming and going
wet boots
soggy gloves
soaked jeans
dripping socks
noon becoming the new wake-up time for Olivia


Last night Todd and three of his friends slept here, and Olivia returned from being snowed in at a friend's house out in the country. I haven't seen a lot of Todd lately, so honestly, it was my turn to have the guys here....I think they all wander around between each others' houses looking for food and a place to sleep when they're not working in the college cafeteria.

I had to drive in the dark on a snow-covered road for several miles to meet Olivia's friend's mom last night so I could finally bring her home, and honestly, I was out of my comfort zone. Especially since my windshield wiper is broken and was not helping at all with snow that was coming down as I was driving.

I say all of that to say that at the Nischan house all routines have been thrown out the window.......and I am beginning to feel the effects of this upside down life.

I'm not eating right.
I'm not exercising.
I'm getting behind in my Bible reading.
I'm feeling a little yucky.

So, today, I have got to get a grip.

I'm committing right now to drinking 64 ounces of water today. You can only live on coffee for so long.
I'm going to at least do sit-ups, and I might try to go for a walk. (That may end up being a future funny story in all of this ice.)
I need milk, so I'm going to make myself go to the grocery store.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I AM GOING TO SHUT MYSELF IN A ROOM AND CATCH UP ON MY BIBLE READING! I think I left Moses alone in the wilderness somewhere with a bunch of whiny Israelites. :)

Have a good day, my blogging friends!

I'll leave you with this thought:

Snow days-
Love them or hate them.
You get to choose-
But I promise that your choice will determine what kind of day you have today

Tomorrow, we'll talk about the book CHOOSING GRATITUDE.

So, for today, I'd better be thankful for yet another...............

SNOW DAY!

 WE TOOK A DECK OF OLIVIA CARDS AND NUMBERED THEM JUST SO..

AND DREW THE WINNERS ONE BY ONE SO WE COULD LET YOU KNOW
WHO HAS WON THIS GIVE AWAY AND WILL RECEIVE A PRIZE

I HOPE THAT WHEN YOU HEAR THE NEWS JOY WILL FILL YOUR EYES!

BUT IF YOUR NAME WASN'T DRAWN, PLEASE DON'T BE TOO SAD

AND EVEN MORE THAN THAT...PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T BE MAD

WE DID OUR BEST.  WE REALLY DID.  WE HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND.

     OLIVIA HAD TO PARTICIPATE WITHOUT ENERGY TO STAND

SO HERE'S THE NEWS FOR THIS AWARD

I'll DRAG IT OUT NOT A SECOND MORE..

Jen (Australia)

Lisa Baker

Christine Adams

Janet Yoho

Karen (Cookeville)

IF YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THE LIST

ADD THE BOOK TO YOUR WISH LIST

AND JOIN US ON THURSDAYS TO LEARN ABOUT JOY

WE'LL ALL GROW TOGETHER...EACH GIRL AND EACH BOY

(OKAY, I AM STRUGGLING TO KEEP THIS IN RHYME

THAT'S PROBABLY A CLUE THAT I'VE RAN OUT OF TIME!")

Please email me at tammynischan@yahoo.com if your name is listed above and send me your mailing address as soon as possible!!

Congratulations!  And to everyone else, we will do another give away soon!  I promise!  I love you all!!

Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
       and lead me in the way everlasting.

I've found through the years that there's nothing like a season of "winter" to drive us to our knees....

illness

grief

loneliness

depression

hurt

rejection

marriage troubles

financial struggles

It's almost as if, when faced with these difficult seasons, we finally realize that we just can't make it on our own.

Then in time the snow melts in our heart, things get brighter, flowers start blooming, and before we even realize it we're back to "trying to make it on our own."

This can almost seem possible when things are going smoothly, but eventually we find ourselves in the next season of "winter," and like an injured child go running back into our Father's 'always-open' arms searching for comfort and peace.

I think God understands this part of our human nature, but I have to wonder if it makes Him sad.  As He watches us scurrying from here to there, He must long for just a minute of our time...

A smile towards Him

A whisper of "I love you, Lord"

or "Thank you, Lord,"

A chance to speak to us through His Word

His Creation

Anything...

But so often we wait until we NEED Him forgetting He created us to share life with Him..........

So, I have to ask myself,

Tammy, what drives you to the Lord?

And I desperately want my answer to be "EVERYTHING"....

When I decided to make a special "school-lunch supply shelf" in the closet in our living room a couple of years ago, I didn't realize I was creating a future "mouse cafe." 

And I sure didn't realize that a package of nutty bars had fallen down onto the floor over a year ago and not been noticed because of all of the notebooks, scissors, glue, pens, pencils, crayons, and other craft supplies that were stored on the same shelf.

So I thought you all should know:

If you feed a mouse a Nutty Bar.......

He'll come back and want some more......

And when he does, you'll trash your house....

Trying to find that sneaky mouse!

 

Friends will come from here and there...

 

Searching----looking every where!

 

They'll bring their muscles.....and maybe a bat. Some will even bring their cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They'll look high!

And they'll look low!

Finding a mouse can become quite a show!

You'll discover gifts you had bought on sale......

And freely give them to friends on the trail!

At the end of all of your hunting and seeking

The mouse who had earlier been running and peeking

Will mysteriously vanish as if he were a vapor

Leaving Olivia surrounded by craft supplies and paper.        And if you give Olivia craft supplies..........

More on that later. :)

(Inspired by the great "If you give a mouse a cookie" series of books)