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.

I know I haven't blogged in awhile....

I keep saying I am going to keep up my blog so I don't have to do a blogging marathon. Well, keep praying for me. I may yet be able to accomplish this, but not today. I have updated from March 11 to today. Just scroll down aways and you can catch up with some of our activites over the last few months.

But for today I actually am blogging about.....today! Our homeschooling has been going really well. We slowed down this week to focus on our writing and so it has been a more leisurely week. As I walked out of my bedroom today I found this..... We have had a nice, cool spring day with the windows open. R found a nice spot to read.
Nothing much else to report. J has come down with something, sore throat, runny nose, fever. We will probably be visiting the doctor in the morning if things don't improve. Maybe it is a good thing we took a leisurely week this week.

Spring Day at the Park

We have a walking trail by our house that takes us to a wonderful park. The real beauty of it is the creek that runs by it. Here is a picture.
On the way to the park, along the trail are rows and rows of honeysuckle that you can smell from the trail. The kids just love it.

Here they are trying to get the "honey" out of it. The smell is heavenly and permeates the air in the spring time.

On the other side of the creek is a playground......ummm.....for little kids. Phillip found this out the hard way. LOL!

Birthday Weekend-Tyler Azalea Trails

This year for my birthday I was blessed with a weekend away with 3 of my dearest friends. We relaxed, watched movies, painted our toenails, and just did girly things in general. We did get out and got to go to the Tyler Azalea Trails. Here are some pictures. These are the backyards of some of the homes that are on the Azalea trails.

You can see the water drain that runs down the middle. This travels through the backyards of several homes. You can walk from backyard to backyard and enjoy this beautiful landscaping that goes through these yards. Down below was a hedge sculpture in one of the most beautiful yards. We got to talk to the owner and she said they had only lived there 6 years and it had been completely un-kept. What you see in these pictures is the work of her husband who restored it all.

We did get to see some animal friends in some of the yards. If you look carefully you can see a lizard in this picture.
This was one of my favorite sites in the backyards that we walked through. I just think he has such character.

All in all it was a very relaxing weekend. Once again I can add to the blessings the Lord has given me, relaxation and the blessing of Godly women to call my friends.

In Texas the Lord blesses us every year with the most beautiful array of wildflowers. But, the most beautiful are the Bluebonnets. This year we had the most exceptional bluebonnets I have ever seen. They were huge, bold in color and exceptionally abundant. The picture below does not do them justice.

In the picture below is the a small sampling of the field of bluebonnets where we took pictures. The bonnets were so tall that when we told the kids to drop they literally disappeared into the bluebonnets.

Since we homeschool I try to get individual pictures of the kids every year. Our bluebonnet pictures are some of the best.

When did R get to look so big. My "baby" is not a baby any more. He has lost his little boy looks but at least he still has he "all boy" personality.

When I brought up this picture it almost brought me to tears. When did he get to be a young man. My heart soars at the young man he is becoming but it also breaks as I watch him grow. I know we can't keep them little and that truly we don't even want to do that. But, as I watch them grow I am so proud of them but also a little meloncholy as I know this season in life will pass. I will enjoy it while I have it.

My young J is growing to be such the beautiful young lady. Her heart for the Lord shines through as her heart desires to please Him. What a joy it is to watch her grow.

Isn't that the most beautiful smile! She always has that smile on and brightens up the room whenever she does. My oldest, the one I learned on and made so many mistakes with. Thankfully she has a forgiving heart and will be such a wonderful woman of God.

Brothers. R will one day realize the blessing C is as a big brother. He will never lack so long as big brother is around. C's life would not be as exciting without his little brother either!

Sisters and Friends. Different as night and day but there for each other when needed.

Rarely do we get to have Phillip with us when we take our bluebonnet pictures but he obliged me this year. I love this picture.

It is fun to go through the pictures over the years and watch them grow. What beauty the Lord allows us to see in the flowers and in our children. We are blessed.

Birthday Bonanza

In March and April we have 3 birthdays in a row with Easter right in the middle of them. It is a busy time. So here is a quick run down of birthdays. Our first Spring Birthday is my Sweet J! She turned 15. After making her cake I realized I did not buy more candles. So, that is why you see the interesting display here. She was perfectly fine with it. She has grown into a beautiful young lady, inside and out. She has a joy in her spirit that can bring a smile to anyone. What a blessing God gave me in my sweet J. Happy Birthday! What fun it is to watch you mature.

She and her sister got their own rooms and a new paint job and comforter sets for their birthdays. However, I have not been very good with pictures lately so you get these interesting views.
The comforter she picked out.

The color she picked out to go with her comforter. It looks really good together. I will try to get another picture of the whole room later.

Next in line was me! For my birthday my daughter made me a homemade Lemon Meringue Pie. The kids had asked me what I wanted and so I told them that is what I would like. A did the research and without any help at all gathered the ingredients and made me my pie. It was FABULOUS! She is truly gifted in the kitchen. I will never have a store bought pie again! I was blessed with a weekend away with some girl friends of mine. You can read more on that in another post!

Easter was a little bit of a bummer. I woke up with a migraine. I sent the family to church and our Easter Celebration. But, no one took pictures and I was unconcious most of the day. But, it did not keep me from praising our Resurrected Savior!

Last, but not least, was A. She turned 17yo and is every bit the beautiful young woman you see below, inside and out.

I had a really hard time with this birthday. I thought 18 would be what got me but having my first so close to adulthood just really hit me. It was a bittersweet day. She is such a joy and is transitioning into adulthood in the most amazing way. Being my first, I am glad she is making it so easy. Happy Birthday! Thank you for being who God made you to be. You are amazing!

A received her new bedding early. Here you can see the distinct differences in taste the girls have. She was so excited to receive this and decided to paint her room a light brown to go with this set. It turned out beautiful.

Next Retreat

I forgot to blog about the kid's teen retreat last weekend. A, J and C went and Phil and I were home with some one-on-one time with R. I think he would be fine with being an only child. LOL!
Here are some pictures taken at the retreat by a friend.

Here you can see A next to Aubrey during praise and worship. According to our photo source, terrorizing our youth was a common occurance during the weekend. Here you can see the terror on my son's face! LOL!
Now, this was early March. The water is freezing. But, the kid's decided a "Polar Bear Jump" sounded like a good idea. J is on the end. So that you do not think our kid's go out and do these crazy things on their own, the guy 3rd from the left is our Youth Minister! J said it was colder than the river we go rafting down in Colorado. Ah, Youth.