WE'RE BACK!!! We have been on a whirl wind adventure on top of adventure for the past 16 days and I can honestly say that I now know how some people become "crazy". It is called taking 3 kids and 2 dogs and 1 husband out of town for 2 weeks and 2 days. Can you say, "insanity"? Okay, honestly, the 2 dogs and 1 husband went home after 10 days, somebody needed to pull in some income for the rest of the vacation, right?
The first week was bittersweet. We were able to spend some precious time with Mark's family, but unfortunately, his mother had to go into the hospital on Sunday (complications from the leukemia), please pray for her. It is so hard to see someone you love going through something like that. It is difficult to know what to say or what to do. Praise God for a little 6 year old who is not afraid to go up and make sure that her Nanny knows who Jesus is and how much He loves her.
We cleaned, played, explored, treasure hunted, cooked, and just stirred up as much mischief as we possibly could before bidding them good-bye the day after Thanksgiving. I wasn't quite sure if we would be able to get up Friday morning, after stuffing ourselves until gravy was nearly running out of our eyes. But, it was good eatin! Yum!
However the prospect of seeing my beautiful new niece was enough to get me up and running the next morning. What a precious precious little baby. Holding that little angel and smelling the new baby smell and hearing those little cute gurgles and tiny little cry made me want to adopt a village of babies. I was mentally rearranging every room in my house to accommodate the next 12 kids I plan to adopt, just so that I can always smell that newborn fragrance. I love it! I could have held her forever.
Then we saw my 15 month old nephew who has got to be the cutest little 15 month old on the planet. I love that age. He would just take my kids in with amazement in his little eyes, watching their every move. I suppose he was asking himself if these crazy creatures were adults or just aliens. They are bigger than me, so they can't be babies, but they sure do act strange. They dance and play and laugh and make funny noises. I think I will join in on the fun. He would slowly creep closer and closer to them and then his little feet would start stomping up and down and his little tooshie would start wiggling back and forth and he was doing his own little dance. We were just rolling on the ground laughing. Cute! Cute! Maybe I should adopt a village of 15 month old's instead of babies?!
We were able to spend time with Nana and Papa playing and laughing and having a ball. What fun, What fun we had.
But, on day 16, a melancholy mood fell over us all and we realized that as much as we love our family and love to visit, we missed our home and our own beds, and most of all, we missed Daddy. So, back we came 10 hours later! Yes, 10 hours in the car! Did I mention that we spent 10 HOURS IN THE CAR!!! Thank God we are back safely.
Good night, all, I am off to snuggle with my beloved pillow. I will post pictures soon!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE ALEC!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!! WE HOPE YOU HAVE AN AWESOME DAY AND WE WISH WE WERE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS YOU!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Uncivilized
While at lunch today, Briley downed his entire bottle of water "to get strong and healthy" and let out a loud burp afterward. He did say Excuse me, but not before Sabree exclaimed him to be very "unsymbolized".
Friday, November 9, 2007
Fruit Inspections
One of the many pearls that I took away from the family worship conference was Mark Jantamaso's suggestion to do a weekly "fruit inspection" with your family. Just to ask each other if we see the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. Nobody has to answer or say anything out loud, but just ask yourself, "If I were standing on the outside looking in at myself, would I know that Jesus was Lord of my life? Would it be evident in the fruit that I bear?"
We recently went through each fruit and had some very humbling revelations in areas of our lives where we need to "bear more fruit". In some cases, it seems as if we go to the extreme opposite of where we should be:
patience....only if we are not irritated or in a hurry.
love...do you mean the 1 Corinthians kind of love?
joy...I suppose we should not get so irritated with each other
peace....does that mean we should not accuse each other at every opportunity?
kindness....it is so hard to be kind when she...he....does....
goodness....does that include our thoughts toward each other?
faithfulness....it is not enough to just go to church and do devotionals every day, we have to live it???
gentleness....what does that mean??? We can't push each other around anymore?
self-control...but, she...but, he...whine...whine...whine...
Does anyone have some hedge clippers? We have some pruning to do.
Thank you, Lord for revealing Your words to us. Please help us to please you in every area of our lives. Please help us to glorify you in all that we say, do , and think. Help us to remember that we definitely SHOULD take your word as literal. We were created to worship You, Father, and I pray that You will show us how to do that in every area of our lives. Praise You, Lord. You are so worthy to be praised. AMEN.
We recently went through each fruit and had some very humbling revelations in areas of our lives where we need to "bear more fruit". In some cases, it seems as if we go to the extreme opposite of where we should be:
patience....only if we are not irritated or in a hurry.
love...do you mean the 1 Corinthians kind of love?
joy...I suppose we should not get so irritated with each other
peace....does that mean we should not accuse each other at every opportunity?
kindness....it is so hard to be kind when she...he....does....
goodness....does that include our thoughts toward each other?
faithfulness....it is not enough to just go to church and do devotionals every day, we have to live it???
gentleness....what does that mean??? We can't push each other around anymore?
self-control...but, she...but, he...whine...whine...whine...
Does anyone have some hedge clippers? We have some pruning to do.
Thank you, Lord for revealing Your words to us. Please help us to please you in every area of our lives. Please help us to glorify you in all that we say, do , and think. Help us to remember that we definitely SHOULD take your word as literal. We were created to worship You, Father, and I pray that You will show us how to do that in every area of our lives. Praise You, Lord. You are so worthy to be praised. AMEN.
Insanity
This puzzle is proof that OCD and ADHD can co-exist in the same person. It took 4 days of coming and going, getting distracted, and being so obsessed with finishing it that I could not put it away. My kids were literally pulling me away from the puzzle, "Mom, let it go, it is a monster that cannot be finished!"
And, in the end, they were right. There was this one little tiny piece missing from the box. I think the dogs may have used it as a snack. Oh, well, thank you, Lord that it is finally over.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Patches of Teeth
In a recent homeschool discussion on the importance of maintaining a healthy body, we turned the conversation to the health of our teeth. As I was explaining the importance of brushing your teeth for the required two minutes and not just having a toothbrush in your mouth for two minutes, Sabree input some extreme wisdom on the subject.
"God only gave us two patches of teeth, not three. The first patch is a starter in case you make some mistakes, but the second patch is forever. If you don't brush your teeth good with the second patch of teeth, God won't give you a third patch."
If only we were all so wise.
Lord, please help us to see that we need to be good stewards of all we have in this life. Thank you for allowing us to share in your glory and help humble us to realize that it is all yours and yours alone.
"God only gave us two patches of teeth, not three. The first patch is a starter in case you make some mistakes, but the second patch is forever. If you don't brush your teeth good with the second patch of teeth, God won't give you a third patch."
If only we were all so wise.
Lord, please help us to see that we need to be good stewards of all we have in this life. Thank you for allowing us to share in your glory and help humble us to realize that it is all yours and yours alone.
Still playing like it's summer
We just can't seem to let go of summer, playing in the pool is too much fun. These are just a few pictures from the kid's swimming class. But, it will all be over for us next week. Good-bye summer.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Isaiah 65:24
I tend to forget that God knows what's in my future and plans ahead for me.
This beautiful story was written by a doctor who worked in Africa.
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. "All right," I said, "put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm." The following noon , as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bo ttle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also t old them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God" she prayed, "Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon." While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?"As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot.. Could I honestly say "Amen"? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland.I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel fro m home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the veranda was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle.. I cried.I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out,"If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!"Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?" Of course, I replied!That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, pac k ed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."
"Before they call, I will answer." (Isaiah 65:24)
I tend to forget that God knows what's in my future and plans ahead for me.
This beautiful story was written by a doctor who worked in Africa.
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. "All right," I said, "put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm." The following noon , as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bo ttle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also t old them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God" she prayed, "Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon." While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?"As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot.. Could I honestly say "Amen"? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland.I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel fro m home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the veranda was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle.. I cried.I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out,"If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!"Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?" Of course, I replied!That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, pac k ed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."
"Before they call, I will answer." (Isaiah 65:24)
Just add snow
Who needs snow when you have a sled+ a ramp + a bigger stronger child?
Looks like fun!
Thanks for coming over, we were blessed by your company.
Right of Passage
As every mother will tell you, there is a "right of passage" to motherhood that we are all soon to be initiated into whether we like it or not--the night time "cry-whine-burp-and finally vomit" fiasco. I call it a fiasco because it will probably happen more than once during the night, accompanied by a bath (if the child is still sleeping during the episode), a sheet change, comforter change, PJ change, and the careful arrangement of bath towels on the bed and on the floor. Oh, and let's not forget the cold wash cloth which must be placed on the forehead and back of the neck and the ever present, all important trash can which will be strategically located as close to the child as possible.
But, it does not end there! The fiasco continues after the child has drifted off to sleep as you contemplate where you should sleep. Is it best to sleep next to the child in case of a future episode or do you risk contaminating yourself which will ultimately contaminate all the children in the house who will be compelled to hug and cling to you the next day? Or do you go back to your own bed knowing that sleep will evade you because you have turned your "mom radar" on high to hear the slightest stirring down the hall? If you are blessed enough to drift into dreamland, your dreams will be of children crying-whining-and burping all around you without a trash can or toilet in sight!
Oh, yes, the right of passage of motherhood is one we can all relate to especially this time of year. So, join me, ladies, in a Lysol solute to Motherhood.
But, it does not end there! The fiasco continues after the child has drifted off to sleep as you contemplate where you should sleep. Is it best to sleep next to the child in case of a future episode or do you risk contaminating yourself which will ultimately contaminate all the children in the house who will be compelled to hug and cling to you the next day? Or do you go back to your own bed knowing that sleep will evade you because you have turned your "mom radar" on high to hear the slightest stirring down the hall? If you are blessed enough to drift into dreamland, your dreams will be of children crying-whining-and burping all around you without a trash can or toilet in sight!
Oh, yes, the right of passage of motherhood is one we can all relate to especially this time of year. So, join me, ladies, in a Lysol solute to Motherhood.
Happy Harvest
This year I challenged the kids to create a costume out of anything that we already had in the house, nothing could be purchased.
As a result, I introduce to you, Pippy Longstocking, the Karate Kid, and Woody riding the noble steed Bullseye. They had more fun trying to figure out what to be than they have ever had and the bonus is that I did not have to spend the usual $100 on costumes. This is what we call a win-win situation.
God is good!
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