Pictures in the Park

At the park is a tree that my kids love to climb. We have taken many pictures of them on this tree. As they get older, climbing the tree becomes more of a task.

Once we got them all on the tree we were able to get some really good pictures.

I really love this picture. His laugh is great.

Cinderellas and Cinderfellas

May 23, 2009
I have been meaning, for some time, to complete my Spring Cleaning that was interupted by multiple cases of strep throat. Well, everyone is better so we decided to tackle one room at a time. Being the practical individual that I am, I decided to start with the most difficult room, the kitchen.
We had tile flooring put in several years ago. Well, for some unknown reason the people who installed the floor did not seal the grout on the floor nor did they find it necessary to mention this fact to us. So, needless to say, the grout on the flooring needed to be sealed but needed to be clearned before we could do this. So, off to work we went.

Everyone participated. I know you only hear it in horror stories, but I really did have the kids scrubbing the floor with toothbrushes!

The windows needed cleaning both inside and out.

I was really proud of all the kids. They all worked very hard.

And they all had great attitudes!

Lest anyone think I am a slave driver, I too, worked very hard. The kids got a good laugh at this picture. LOL!

I worked really hard! LOL

At one point as I worked to clean the underside of the windowsill I realized just how cool the floor felt. I mentioned this to the kids so they joined me.

We worked on half the kitchen floor, took a break and then finished the other half. We decided to run to the park for a late lunch at the creek. It was a very nice break.
After lunch we enjoyed skipping rocks, fooling around and relaxing.

Later we went to the park, played and took pictures. I will post those later. After we got home and showered everyone relaxed.
It was a very productive and relaxing day.

Week in Review

I really don't remember. So I will list what I can remember...
Last Weekend we went to worship, had 2 meetings simultaneously. That was fun. Oh! One of the meetings was our prep for our kid's summer camp. We run our own camp and this year we will be taking lots more kids than usual. This is fantastic. I will be playing counselor to the 2nd grade girls and camp nurse. I only have one going to kid's camp this year as the other three are older. C is now old enough for teen camp. It is hard to think of him as going to "teen" camp. Phil will be accompanying the other three to teen camp in Colorado in July. Me, I get Anadarko, Oklahoma for R's camp. It is a great camp and the week is always a breath of fresh air.
Okay, I digress.
We did school, played on the trampoline, the kids took off swimming once or twice this week, I had a few meetings.
Thurs. we met with our homeschool group for a park day. I took the camera with me, but did not take a single picture. I really need to get better at that! LOL!
Today we took the kids to a movie as a surprise. On the way to the movie we drove by a station wagon. J asked, "What kind of car is that?" I answered it was a station wagon. Phil asked if she had ever seen one before and her answer.......
"No, but I have read about them." LOL! We are getting old.
All in all it has been a good week and I will work on getting more pictures up. Kids are done with school and off to swim again.

Out for a breath of fresh air.

All the kids are feeling so much better today. We did school and then went out to run a few errands that turned into an entire afternoon. Library, Staples, Walmart, lunch somewhere in there, grocery store, stopped at a friend's house whose child is in the hospital. Got a chance to help clean, staighten up and put things away for them. Back home. Hot dogs and a show.
Not a very exciting day but we were glad to all get out of the house.
When we got home Phillip was showing signs of coming down with something. Hopefully just allergies or a cold.
Looking forward to tomorrow. Life is good.

Just another Manic Monday.

Today started out really slow. Two of the kids are recovering from strep and one woke up with possible strep and I was just plain old tired.
We did manage to get a little school done today but not much. Called the doc for our third set of antibiotics for A. But by the time I got back from the pharmacy and the library she had taken a nap and woke up feeling "so much better". Her throat is not red and now I am wondering what to do. We will see how she feels in the morning.
I will have to find some time to work on the house. I had been making progress in our Spring cleaning but we took a few steps back this week. That's okay. I will "just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming", Dory on Finding Nemo.
I really need to make a grocery list and get groceries in this house. I need to finish up my school scheduling and start thinking about getting things together for the kid's summer camps. They are coming up quickly.
All in all, things are going well, kids are getting better, and I am going to bed at a descent time tonight.
I love going to bed. As the Lord so sweetly puts it, "Joy comes in the morning!"

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there. My mother's day has just been a reminder of what it means to be a mom some days. I have 3 sick children. I was up until 5am with one of them. She has strep, asthma acting up and then she was put on steroids so she was awake all night long. The others are restless but not well enough to do anything. One is just now coming down with what looks like strep but not sure yet. She is laying pitifully next to me.
Being a mom has it's ups and downs but both are such a true blessing. Though tired, I enjoyed the time I spent with dd last night. Though we missed worship this morning we did get to gather around and watch is streamed live. Though I am beyond tired I am so joyful that I have the priviledge of caring for these 4 little persons God has entrusted me with. They are as different as night and day. You would never know they all came from the same two parents. But then, you would see some qualities in each of them that are distinctively how we behave as a family.
I often wonder how God manages to create such unique beings in each and everyone of us. He says in His word that we are "wonderfully and fearfully made and that everything he makes is marvelous". Marvelous? As I know my own heart I wonder how I can be marvelous according to the God of the universe. But then I remember, on good days or bad, my children are marvelous in my sight. I know their flaws, their character issues but I also know their hearts. Knowing their hearts is what makes me love them and see nothing but "Marvelous" in them. Isn't it just like God to create a realtionship that would give us a glimpse into His heart. He says that children are a "reward from the Lord". I have done nothing to deserve a reward, but the reward comes in allowing me to gain a better understanding of the God I serve.
I pray that as you mother the gifts God has given you that you take advantage of that little peek God gives us into His heart.
What a wonderful thing to celebrate; Mother's Day. Not because I am a mother but because God has chosen me for this high calling that I may be sanctifed through my children as He lets me see His heart through them.