The Joy of the Lord is My Strength

What have they done to Blogger?!?!?!?!

2010-06-14T09:12:00.003-05:00

Okay,
I admit it has been awhile since I have blogged so I am probably behind the curve on this one. But, why is it so complicated and why can't I add backgrounds from other sites?? I have gone to the Help button. It was not so helpful. Any suggestions.
Help!

Sister this is for you!!

2010-06-14T08:41:00.001-05:00

My sister has been complaining that I have not updated my blog and that I needed to get something on here besides Rosetta Stone. So, here you go sister!!!!! LOL!

Heart of the Matter Rosetta Stone Giveaway!

2010-01-31T22:55:00.001-06:00

Here is a chance to win a Rosetta Stone language package. But even if you don't win there is a lot of great stuff at Heart of the Matter. See below for details!
Surround your family with language. By taking them there!
Travel to Paris, Madrid and Barcelona with Homeschoolers from all over the United States. Join Rosetta Stone Homeschool, Heart of the Matter and Fusefly on the inaugural Homeschool Language Learning and Networking Trip August 2-11, 2010. Become immersed in new lands, explore history, culture, art and community. And truly speak to the world. For more details visit www.RosettaStone.com/Homeschool/LanguageLearningTrip.
Hurry, registration for the trip ends February 15, 2010.
For your chance to win a Rosetta Stone language product, please visit Heart of the Matter. Entries are being accepted until February 1st.

Pictures in the Park

2009-05-25T01:18:00.004-05:00

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

2009-05-25T00:05:00.012-05:00

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

2009-05-22T14:18:00.002-05:00

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.

2009-05-14T21:29:00.004-05:00

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.

2009-05-11T22:51:00.002-05:00

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!!

2009-05-10T14:58:00.002-05:00

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....

2009-05-06T21:26:00.004-05:00

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

2009-05-06T21:20:00.003-05:00

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

2009-05-06T21:05:00.004-05:00

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.

2009-05-06T20:03:00.009-05:00

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

2009-05-06T19:23:00.006-05:00

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

2009-03-11T09:50:00.004-05:00

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.

San Antonio Visit Tuesday, Part 2

2009-03-10T23:39:00.007-05:00

After bowling we went to my sister Lee's shop for haircuts etc. I always try to get my hair done when we are down here. She has been doing my hair for years and I love how she works with it. The boys also needed haircuts so off we went..

BEFORE

DURING

You can see how much they absolutely LOVE having their hair cut......

"Come on C, Is is really that bad???".........

He is such a clown!!!!! Already you can see they look so much better. Sorry I didn't get actual after pictures but I think you get the gist of it.

The girls had their eyebrows waxed and J had her haircut. Though I have pictures of the waxing, out of respect for their wishes those will not be posted. So, here is a before picture of A ...

and then the after. She has such beautiful eyes and it really brings them out more.
We didn't have a before for J but here is her after picture. She did NOT get a perm. That is all her natural curl. It so suites her personality. I just love it and so does she.

We went back to my mom and dad's house when we finished where some played cards and the rest of us watched the finals of "American Idol". I had never seen the show before and neither had the kids. There were some talented folks on the show. Will we watch it again? Since we don't watch TV at home it will have to be when we visit again. So, who knows. Tomorrow? Who knows what exciting adventures it will bring.

*Quick Note: Please know that though we think it is fun to have our hair done etc. we do not believe outward beauty is what makes anyone beautiful. It is the gentle, quiet spirit within a person that comes from the Lord that helps anyone to shine. Physical beauty is deceptive sometimes. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" Psalm 31:10

San Antonio Days...

2009-03-10T22:59:00.010-05:00

Since I last blogged we have had a quiet weekend. Sunday I was down with a terrible sore throat and missed worship. I didn't think I would be able to drive to San Antonio on Monday. But, Cold-eze is a wonderful supplement. It has always shortened my colds and lessened the severity. So, Monday we ran some errands, packed and hit the road. We spent most of the day Monday driving. We did get to listen to some really funny "Adventures in Odessey" CD's and some good music. About 2 hours out of San Antonio, I began to feel my cold hitting me again. I was getting tired so decided to get some fluids in me to perk me up. I know most of you think I mean coffee, well, it was getting late and I did NOT want to be up all night so we hit the last few minutes of happy hour at Sonic. Thanks to my dear friend Laura T. LemonBerry Real Fruit Slushes are my favorite treat!
When we arrived, we said our hellos, chatted and off to bed we went.
Tuesday
This morning was a much better start to the day. Well rested and taking it easy we enjoyed my parents and a great breakfast. Two of my sisters and my nephew arrived and we were off to the bowling alley. It was lots of fun but rather amusing at the same time. It has been a LONNNNNGG time since we last went bowling.
Here are some of the highlights....

Here is R with his older cousin giving him some pointers. His cousin is the youngest of 4 boys so he had always been the recipient of the teaching. Now the student has become the teacher!
I love this picture!

Here R is explaining to his aunt the need for one of the bowling helpers since in the forefront.

The Thrill of Victory!

And, the Agony of Defeat.

Lito (Grandpa) has always been a great bowler. However, we all have our off days! He did get back into the swing of things as the game went on though.

Even teachers have less than perfect turns at times....

If you look closely in the background you can see why he is not thrilled. He did much better later in the game. Afterall, it has been awhile since we were last bowling. I will have to remedy that !

One of the problems with bowling is the weight of the balls and being the youngest in the family. Though everyone helped R out with his bowling, his arm just got tired which made for some....hmmmm....gutter attracted bowling on his part. This was very frustrating to him. He couldn't get one pin down and he was getting very distressed. However, he has a wonderful aunt who has always been gifted with kids. When we suggested bowling "granny style" he was even more upset because he wanted to bowl like everyone else. So, his Tia (Aunt) Let came to the rescue as you can see below.....

First she bowled a few "granny style" balls herself, as did I and a few of the others. He was still very upset and unsure if this would work so he tried a few and he still missed. So, after a few pointers, his Tia Let bowled with him...

Maybe if I lean really far it will help the ball roll in the right direction.....Wait for it......

YES!!!!! The pins went down!!! VICTORY!!!!!!!

The rest of the game went much better for him. He hit more and more pins down. We all enjoyed the game and then off we went for haircuts etc...

*Please note that I did not realize the genders in the Victory/Defeat posts above. However, I did find it amusing to see when I was reviewing the blog before posting! *grin*

Spring has Sprung...

2009-03-06T08:34:00.002-06:00

Spring has sprung here and so it is time for an updated blog look. This look is springy but I don't like how the pictures look. They show up better and look better on a darker background, but it does reflect Spring and my Spring time attitudes of freshness and brightness so I think we will stick with this look for a little while.
In the meantime I did catch up on my blogging. Only 2 weeks since the last posting this time. So feel free to catch up with our daily antics. Maybe next time I post it will be only a week in review.......LOLOLOLOL!!! Okay, maybe it will happen!

Final Post of my 2 weeks in review...

2009-03-06T08:02:00.006-06:00

It was another blogging marathon but not as long as before. This time I managed to blog after only 2 weeks instead of a month. So here is my last post of my 2 week review. Scroll down and you will be able to catch up on our antics for the last 2 weeks......
March 3, 2009 Marshmallow Molecules
My boys are using the science series "Real Science 4 Kids". It is a great introduction to the sciences and a great review for my older girls before jumping back into high school science. We are in Chemistry right now but will complete both Biology and Physics before the end of the summer. They are 10 chapters each and can easily be done one chapter per week.
Because of various other studies we simply did the chapter reading over the last few months. So, we are now taking the time to do all the experiments. We have had nothing but science this week as we gear up for our Spring Break.
Tuesday we studied molecules. We first started by making molecules out of Marshmallows with no rules. Simply, put together some molecules using marshamallows for atoms. I discovered my children are very creative as you will note below.....

Needless to say, anyone who knows anything about Chemistry will recognize that only 1 of these models would actual work according to the laws of Chemistry. We wanted to show our kids that rules even apply to the natural world. Our Creator is a God of order not chaos. We then gave the rules for the number of bonds each atom could hold and had them build molecules with these "laws". They then understood how atoms combine to form different substances. This was a great way to grasp this concept and it was yummy too!

Here J and C discuss how it was much easier to make the molecules without the rules and how much more creative they could be. We discussed that creative did not necessarily bring forth function but we did all agree that it was fun.

A really enjoyed this as she is a very orderly and careful individual. Her molecules were put together very nicely.

Here is one of R's creations. He named it very aptly. He call this...."Chaos". LOL!

We are really enjoying our experiments this week. We have done chemical reactions with household items, learned about different forms of chemical reactions and will be working on acids, bases and determining ph today.

As a person with a science degree, I highly recommend this series for younger students. It really is Real Science 4 kids.

Advent, Lent- keeping our focus on Christ (Week 2 in review cont.)

2009-03-06T07:36:00.005-06:00

Scroll down to see the rest of our 2 weeks in review....

During the Christmas Season we choose to focus on Christ and the "Advent" of His birth. We have used a series of books that give us a daily reading of a story following a Jewish child during the time right before the birth of Christ. It also has a little "devotional" after each night's reading to focus us on Christ and His birth. You can find the books here Jotham's Journey Series.

However, Easter or Resurrection Sunday always seems to sneak up on us and that which should be greatly celebrated, The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, seems to get overlooked too often. The author of the above books has written a book leading up to the death and resurrection of Christ much like his advent books for Christmas. You can read about it here: "The Mystery of the Temple Court" Unfortunately, it is not in print yet. So I was looking for a way to focus on this season and as usual, I found some fabulous ideas at my friend DeEtta's blog, Choosing Joy. She got the idea from another blogger to make a "Lenten Cross" and do devotionals similar to our Advent Devotionals but instead focusing on the death and resurrection of Christ. Well, for those of you who celebrate Lent regularly you know I started late. We should have started on Ash Wednesday but I did not read about this idea until later. But, better late than never.
So, off I went to Hobby Lobby to find items to make my Lenten Cross. Here is what we came up with.

I love the piece of wood that I found to build our cross on. It just symbolized the tree our Savior hung on as he thought of us in the greatest act of love ever given to man.

Here C is helping R out with the lighter. Remember he wasn't feeling well? He was still not doing well here either.

The lighting of the first candle. There are 6 candles, one for each Sunday of the Lenten season. There are 5 purple and 1 pink . We also found some devotions and Lenten ideas online. You can go to Choosing Joy to link to some of the materials we found and are using for this.

I am so glad we are able to do this and to help focus the kids, once again, on Jesus. It is a great, fun way to help them learn and grow in their understanding of the greatest gift ever given to them, Salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

If you would like to learn more about this incredible gift, please leave a comment and a way to contact you and I would love to help you learn more.

Jesus Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Our 2 weeks in review- Week 2

2009-03-06T07:24:00.004-06:00

Scroll down for our first week review. Here we start March 1, 2009

Saturday was beautiful and so we decided to go to the park. We played Frisbee Golf. You had to fling a frisbee at a certain tree and counted how many times it took you to actually hit the tree as your score. The lower the score the better. There were no handicaps in this game so I took pictures! LOL

J is a lefty and so it took her a little more effort to get the frisbee to hit the tree. Notice R through these pictures. He is the one up against the tree above.

C was pretty good. He had really good aim and was able to catch the frisbee when it was thrown back to him. Once again, notice R....

Dad, of course did great. Oh, I forgot to mention. You had to keep your hand on the previous tree when throwing to the next tree on your first throw.

A would have won had high score been our goal! LOL! She had a lot of fun but it took some doing for her to hit the tree. Good thing I didn't play or I would have taken high score away from her!

Once again, notice R...

I just love this picture but it is very telling along with the other pictures. He did not feel well but we didn't really know it until the next morning. Here he is on his favorite tree. Poor little guy.

2 weeks in Review

2009-03-05T22:40:00.006-06:00

Ok, so at least it isn't a full month this time! LOL A lot has happened since the last time I blogged almost 2 weeks ago. We have done school, had the flu, stomach virus, muscle ache virus, gone on field trips, had a date, enjoyed the warming of the weather and many other mundane things like taking care of hospital bills, going to eye appts. etc. etc. etc. So I have decided to make a "2 weeks in Review" post. The last time I blogged was the 15th of Feb. I don't really remember what happened from the 15th to the 20th so I am sure someone was ill during that time.

Glass Blowers
But the 20th was a good day. It started out with a field trip to a glass blowing factory. It was amazing and if you get a chance to go see this I highly recommend it. Here is a quick step-by-step sequence that took an hour to complete.

Here they take small pieces of glass and put them in the oven an melt on really high heat. He is shaping the first small blob of glass that they melted to start the piece.

Next they blow the glass. (This is not the actual piece but I missed that picture so here you can just see how they blow the glass).

You can see the piece taking shape on the end of the pole. The final piece looks nothing like this.

After heating the glass again in the oven they shape it by hand. You can see that he has a pad in his hand to shape the glass. It is just a thick stack of newspaper. They moisten it and let steam help shape the piece and keep the paper from sticking to the glass.

They use blow torches to keep the glass heated as they shape it. They had these going non-stop and walked so close to them I was certain someone was going to get burned. But they are so comfortable around flames.

After heating the glass and making it pliable again they take what look like hotpads and stretch the glass to shape it further.

Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the final piece. It ended up to be a goose-necked open wine decanter.

Friday Evening 3D Movie "Coraline"

Later in the evening Phillip and I actually got to go out on a date! Everyone was well and we were free to go. We went to see the movie "Coraline". I do not recommend the movie but, the 3D was fabulous. It really was better than the 3D of the past. I really enjoyed it even if I did not enjoy the movie.

Here we are in our very fashionable 3D glasses. LOL!

NEC Marriage Retreat 2009

2009-02-15T22:42:00.006-06:00

February 6-7, 2009 Doubletree Hotel, Dallas Texas

It was finally here. The 2009 NEC Marriage Retreat. We had 51 couples attend. We were blessed with an overnight stay at a local hotel. After much prayer the Lord blessed us at every turn and took care of the little details to boot. Much praise can go to the Creator of the idea of marriage and the blessings he bestowed on us over this weekend.

Our Speaker was Al Pickering. I would list the amount of letters on the back of his name but there are so many I am sure I would miss a few. He is well educated and trained in marriage therapy and on marriage in general. He was fun and entertaining. His materials were very insightful and we only wish we could have had a week to listen to all he had to share with us. If you ever need a speaker for a marriage seminar we highly recommend him.

We wanted this to be a fun, informative, and relaxing weekend. We wanted it to be a time where couples could share time together as they were given tools to enhance their marriage. Friday night Al spoke and started off our weekend. After he spoke we had planned some fun and games. Here you can see our version of "The Newlywed Game". However, since we had couples who had been newlywed up to married for 30 years we created our own game called "The Really Wed Game".
We had predetermined our contestents based on the different stages of marriage. We had a Newlywed couple of 7 months, a couple with young children, a couple with a teenager who were soon to be empty nesters and empty nesters who had been married 30 years (needless to say, they won, but it was close!) We had a prize of an upgraded suite for the winner and they were able to move into an executive suite for the evening.

We even had an emcee and hostess dress up for the fun.

After the newlywed game we had some ballroom dancing for those who were interested.

Saturday began with a wonderful breakfast and then 4 different sessions with Al speaking. Between sessions we played some videos relating to marriage. Tim Hawkins provided some of the material : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZnIaPl8BsM We also used some materials from the special features on the "Fireproof" video. We were able to laugh at the differences between men and women and just laugh in general.

We also played some games in between sessions to keep eveyone's blood pumping. Here are some scenes from the games we played to demonstrate non-verbal communication. Since most communication is non-verbal it is important to be aware of it. However, since non-verbal communication is often misunderstood we thought we should demonstrate the pros and cons of nonverbal communication.

We gave our couples a sealed envelope with 3 other sealed envelopes inside. They were marked 1, 2 and 3 and were to be opened in that order. One envelope said "For Her Eyes Only", one "For His Eyes Only" and one "Both Must Read". The only instructions they were given were that they were to open the envelopes in order, do what they said but they were not allowed to speak a word. Here are some highlights of the games.

"Both Must Read"

Without saying a word and with your hands behind your back, you must work together to get a balloon from the starting point to the finish line before going to your next envelope.

Most of the couples finally figured out how to "communicate" and pick up the balloon. Some watched how others managed and "non-verbally" agreed to do the same. As you can see by the pictures and all the smiles the couples were able to enjoy each other and laugh together.

In the "For His Eyes Only" or the "For Her Eyes Only" envelopes they either had a charades word they had to get their partner to say or a task they were to get their partner to do by acting it out but with their hands behind their backs and without saying a word....

Charades

Getting your partner to complete a task.....

The confused looks on the faces were a common site. All of our couples were able to complete their tasks and all comments were very positive at how much they enjoyed these games.

All in all it was a great weekend. But aside from all the fun we had many comments on how much they enjoyed the retreat. Though that was one of our goals our main goal was also accomplished. We wanted to give marriages some tools they would need to enhance their marriages, to be able to work through the tough time and to be able to laugh together. With these tools their marriages could flourish, stay united but more than anything else, they would glorify God.

Our speaker said that in his counseling experience he realized that most marriages struggle simply because they do not have the tools necessary to understand each other and work through the hard times. He also mentioned that the main ingredient for the successful marriage was having our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with in the marriage. That as we build our vertical relationship with Christ we are able to enhance our horizontal relationship with our spouse. Without Christ in the mix we tend toward selfishness and self-centeredness.

We know that the Lord worked through this weekend through the many comments we received from the couples who attended. We are thankful the Lord blessed us with this opportunity to serve Him in this capacity and would love to help any who would like help in their marriages. Struggles happen but there is hope, not only for those marriages who are struggling but also for those that are coasting and for those that are doing well but want to draw even closer to each other. Please feel free to contact me if you would like help in any way.

Satan trys to destroy people and churches through destroying marriages. It is our desire to come along side couples and share the ways the Lord has taught us to work through the tough times and enjoy the good times to the fullest.

To God be the Glory!

NEC Marriage Retreat Prep

2009-02-15T22:27:00.006-06:00

Phillip and I have been serving in our Marriage Ministry at our church for almost 2 years. We have seen some tough times in our ministry but God is faithful. We had a time of focusing on healing many struggling marriages and had come to a point in our ministry where we wanted to focus on all marriages not just the struggling marriages. Our leadership decided we should have a Marriage Retreat.
Well, neither Phillip nor I had ever led an endeavor like this, but with much prayer and much help from others the Lord blessed our efforts and multiplied them tenfold. The week before the retreat was a busy one for us. Here we are getting the materials for the retreat ready. We had 110 notebooks to stuff.

Thankfully our children have always been willing helpers. Here A is helping out with her usual smiling face and very helpful hands.The finished product turned out very well thanks to my very talented husband. Here is the completed notebook.

Here is a better picture of the completed design. I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed him with these gifts. I can stuff folders but the design both inside and out came from his talented hands.

We worked a lot that week preparing for the retreat but in the end, the Lord blessed us beyond measure for our meager efforts. We had 51 couples at the retreat and our speaker did such an amazing job. See my next post on the retreat itself.

Ants!!!!!

2009-02-15T21:56:00.004-06:00

February 2009
For some time now we have had a problem finding ants in our shower. No matter what we did they kept showing up every morning and quite often wanted to join us as we showered. Needless to say, this was not an acceptable situation for me. Phillip finally had a chance to work on this situation and here is what we found.

First, I found the kids all watching Dad do something.....

After listening to much pounding this is what we found. Phillip had to break through a lot of tile to get to them all. The kids were a little concerned as he started pounding the tile with a hammar to break it up. Dad finally handed the hammer to the kids and let them each break up some tiles. They thought this was great fun.

The ants were in the walls and behind the bathtub. They had an anthill throughout the wall and up a water pipe.

The more Phillip dug the more ants he found.

Between our shower and bathtub is a half wall. This is where we found most of the ants.

There were so many ants that I suggested the shop vac. Phillip went to the garage, grabbed the vac and proceeded to vacuum them out. It was amazing how many there were. But he eventually vacuumed out the nest. We knew that we would have to make sure all the ants were killed so we sprayed and set out ant poison to make sure they did not decide to rebuild.

February 15,2009

After a week of no shower or bathtub in our masterbath Phillip saw no more ants and began the repairs.

The finished product. He did a great job. It looks like new!!!

Now we just wait for it to dry and I will have my shower and bath back looking better than ever.

Speaking of Boys....

2009-02-15T21:52:00.001-06:00

The weather finally warmed up and the boys were outside on the trampoline as soon as they could. Here they are.....doing what boys do.

Boys and Sam Moon

2009-02-15T20:34:00.004-06:00

January 2009
Boys are a new experience to me. Although I have had boys now for 11 years as they grow I learn more and more. Thus far my boys have been more joy than I could have ever imagined. I was one of 4 girls. My first 2 children were girls. I know how to do girls. Boys, on the other hand, are a learning experience for me. The younger ages, though busy and full of energy, were exhausting but fun and fairly easy. However, as my oldest is transitioning from boy to young man, I am having to learn to treat him differently. He is patient, kind and understanding. He "tolerates" his mom a lot. Every now and again he shows his growth into a young man in his understanding and patience. He is an excellent big brother to my youngest and amazes me over and over again at how much he can tolerate in a house full of women. For example, my sister came for a visit. She and my neice wanted to go to Sam Moon. My two daughters and I thought this was a great idea. A store full of purses, jewelry and accesories, who could resist? Well, I am certain my boys would have if it were possible.But, since the boys were already with us and it was a considerable way from our home they "tagged along".
One thing I do know is that gameboys are a good thing to let them bring when we will be shopping. My oldest son is very good at occupying my youngest. They take their gameboys, find a quiet corner and patiently wait for "the girls" in their family to finish their shopping. After enjoying a time of shopping with my sister, neice and daughters this is what I found....

We can learn from boys. Today we learned how to make the best out of an "unpleasant" situation. LOL!

NOTE: As we were walking out of Sam Moon my oldest son C told me that I "owed him big". R jumped right in and said, "Ice Cream!" To which C responded, "Be quiet! Think bigger!" LOL!

They did tolerate a lot of shopping that day and so we did "pay them back big".....It was Cinnabon for all~!

The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling and Ice Days

2009-01-28T16:07:00.003-06:00

Today we woke up to 20 degree weather (those of you up north can stop laughing now). It rained most of the night so the roads were icy and schools and businesses were closed down (okay, I will pause a second while those of you up north can catch your breath from laughing so hard). Better? Okay. So, as a homeschool mom do we take an "ice day" or keep schooling?

Our deck in the backyard.

My wishing well up front. (Ignore the Christmas lights, we will get to them eventually.

Well, if it had been snow and the kids would have been occupied outside then we would have taken the day off. But, ice just causes them to have nothing to do inside and so school keeps them busy and engaged. However, there are some pros to homeschooling too. It was very cold today. So the boys were up early and started a fire. I love my fireplace and can sit next to it all day on a cold day like today.

Another advantage of homeschooling is that we can still do school but we can do it in front of the fireplace. Here we are doing writing class in the family room right across from the fireplace. We are all dressed very comfortably and warm. Anything we have to get out for we can do tomorrow.

I am not sure the kids agree with these thoughts, but I have loved sitting in front of the fire doing school.

Tim Hawkins Live

2009-01-24T22:16:00.005-06:00

We were blessed with the opportunity to see Tim Hawkins Live tonight. He is such a great comedian and seeing him live is an experience! He did a lot of his material from his most recent DVD "I'm No Rockstar" , but he had some new stuff too. His physical comedy just makes his show.
The kids all wanted to meet him and get his autograph. J got an autograph for herself and for a dear friend . When she told Tim she wanted it for her best friend he signed it, "Hi Emily!" Tim Hawkins. Now imagine him saying it as he signed with a big flourish to his signature.

C told him to just sign Tim Hawkins to which he replied, "Why didn't I think of that? I was going to sign another name. James Burley!" As you can see he had the boys cracking up.

Phillip asked if he could take a picture with all the kids and Tim was so gracious and jumped right up to pose with them. As you can see, He was classic Tim Hawkins!

We all had a great night with lots of laughs. If you get a chance to see him live, I recommend you go. We also got to see Cleto Rodriguez who is another comedian that performs with Tim Hawkins and the improvisational group HimProv . Tim used to perform with Himprov before he moved on. If you get a chance to see them they are fun and quick with their wit.

Today was a better day.

2009-01-23T17:43:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had a pretty bad scare. My dd J had a migraine headache. So did I so I was not surprised. She began throwing up pretty violently so we decided to give her phenergan so we could ease her stomach enough to give her some pain meds. She fell right to sleep. As I had already taken pain meds, so did I. My oldest A realized I was not in very good shape and neither was J so she called her dad and he came home. Thank God she did this. While I was sleeping and thought J was sleeping she had stumbled downstairs. Phillip found her on the couch. When he asked her how she was doing she could not talk and was making no sense so Phillip came and woke me up. He brought her to me and her tongue wasn't working, she couldn't talk and she was not making sense. We immediately called the doctor. While on the phone they told us to give her benedryl, which we did. We noticed that her right arm was no longer working and it was "posturing" (held in a position she could not change). This is a neurological sign. At this point the nurse had us hang up and call 911.
When the ambulance got her the paramedics checked her over and wanted us to send her to the hospital. No problem. I could not go as I was still very ill so Phillip hopped in the ambulance but they made him sit in the front seat. They were not going very fast and had only one light flashing so it seemed okay at that point. Then Phillip heard movement in the back of the ambulance and one of the guys told them that everything was fine but to bump it up. So, all the lights and sirens came on and they were speeding to the hospital. Once at the hospital she was already starting to do better. While in the ambulance she could not answer simply questions like, name, age, birthdate or answered wrong. She told them she was 9??? She was talking more clearly in the ER but her arm was not working well. It was working some. They did a CT Scan to rule out any brain problems and she was fine.
She is allergic to phenergan. She was sent home with a different med for nausea.
Today she is back to her same bubbly self but a bit sleepy. She had an awful lot of medicine pumped into her yesterday.
It was definitely not the way we had planned our day but the Lord was fully aware of it. There were so many things that just fell into place.
A called her dad to come home and he could come home.
For some reason J stumbled downstairs.
Phil checked on her just at the right time.
With me sleeping and thinking she was upstairs sleeping there would have been no reason for me to go check on her. She could have had this reaction and no one would have known.
I could not have gone with her to the hospital even if I had called 911, if Phillip weren't home I don't know what we would have done.
God had it taken care of. We had so many people praying and all turned out well. Thank you to everyone who lifted her up to the Great Physician. She has always been in His hands and that is a strong tower of protection for her.

Smart Cookies...

2009-01-21T13:58:00.004-06:00

Mom: J, we need to get you through Algebra 1 so you can take the PSAT next year.

J: What's the PSAT

Mom: It is the pre-SAT. Remember you need to take the SAT for college. If you do well on the PSAT you can get scholarships etc.

J: Really?

Mom: Yes, I was a National Merit Scholar and was automatically accepted into the colleges I applied for and received a few full scholarships.

J: (Looks at mom amazed or shocked, one of the two)

Mom: I know I may not look like it but your mom is one smart cookie.

J: (pointing to self) smart cookie!

C has walked in during the end of this conversation....

Mom turns to C: C, are you a smart cookie?

C: I'm a tough cookie,... but I don't know if I am a smart cookie.

At this point all I can do is laugh. How does he come up with these witty replies so quickly? LOL!

100% No Broken Bones......still

2009-01-14T21:20:00.002-06:00

With 4 kids you might expect to have at least 1 broken bone in the bunch. Well, so far so good. Yesterday we almost lost that record. R managed to jam his finger while on the trampoline ( I know, I know, I am a nurse and know that trampoline injuries are quite common. We have had one for years and this is the first incident.) It did look misshapen but afer x-rays we were assured it was just a lot of swelling and he will have to wear a splint for a few days until it starts to feel better. Here is the splint that R says is VERY limiting to his activities.We sent him to AWANAS tonight with instructions to be careful with his finger. Well, he was. However, his hip was not in the stipulation and he is now in bed with ice on his hip where he landed on it. It is swollen and bruised and painful to the touch, but once again, not broken.

In the Hands of a Child - Kit Pack - Sale Announcement

2009-01-14T08:40:00.010-06:00

Jeff and Kate Estes are an intregal part of the homeschooling community and have faithfully supplied needed projects to help many homeschools run more smoothly. They have served by putting together many wonderful history kits with all the needed items including some hard to find items so that homeschooling parents, like myself, can save time as we school our children. It is with great saddness that I post here to help this precious family. They run the company Hands and Hearts.
Below you will read about a new law going into effect on Feb. 10 that will prevent the Estes' from continuing in the business. Please read the notice below and help this family and other homeschooling businesses if you can as they try to sell off their inventory. For those of you who do not know the Estes, they are Noah's (see sidebar) parents, whom many of you have been praying for.

From another Company - "In the Hands of a Child"
January 12, 2009

Dear Valued Customers,

Due to the new CPSIA law In the Hands of a Child for the time being, is discounting our Kit Pack inventory in order to lessen our possible loss in the event that an exemption is not granted.

While we are still praying for this situation to work out for all small businesses we feel that it is in our best interest to lessen our possible loss. And what better way than to pass the savings on to you, our wonderful customers, who are praying with us through this difficult situation!!

Please help us clear our shelves and enjoy a 35% savings on all Kit Packs!! Savings will be automatic! Spread the word and help us empty the shelves!!

This sale will continue until our Kit Pack inventory has been exhausted, so purchases will be on a first-come-first-served basis.

Once they are gone, they are gone!

In the event the law is modified, In the Hands of a Child reserves the right to bring back Kit Packs in the future at full price without any discount, implied or expressed, during this sale.

Cannot be combined with any other offer, special, discount, coupon or sale.
Super Member discount DOES NOT apply to this sale.
Tax and Shipping not included in calculating discount price.
Not valid toward prior purchases.
No rainchecks.

DO YOU HAVE A BLOG? YOU CAN RECEIVE A FREE KIT PACK!

Help us spread the word by posting the above notice on your blog. Then place an order for at least 1 Kit Pack, email us the link to your blog where the notice is posted along with your order number and your choice of Kit Pack and we’ll add it to your order. How easy is that?*

*Please note customer is responsible for shipping costs for free Kit Pack, shipping will be combined with original order if email is received same day as order is placed notifying us of blog posting.

Sunday Catch up

2009-01-11T20:34:00.003-06:00

Since I see Monday as the first day of the week, Sunday is my wrap-up day. We started the week cold and icy which turned out to be a good thing. It kept us home, by the fire and all working well on our first day back to school.

The kids were focused and worked really hard on their school work and were up most days doing their schooling without any prompting from me. I was sooooo proud of them.
We didn't really get out the rest of the week except for our usual bible studies etc. but we have had a lot of family time together.
We have introduced the kids to "Hogan's Heroes", an old sitcom about a WW 2 POW camp. The kids needed a little background and an understanding that this show is a comedy and in NO WAY reflects the truth of the matter. However, we don't really hit WW 2 until next year in our studies.
Today we enjoyed worship and fellowship and then came home and napped and relaxed. When I woke up it was back to the Christmas decorations. It took awhile and the effort of all involved but we did get it done.

All in all it was a really good week. I need to get prepared for next week. I also have some further musings on the New Year and Resolutions, habits, thoughts but that is for another post, another time.

Back to School, Pencils and Ice

2009-01-05T21:53:00.004-06:00

We started back to school today. The kids were up and going and were very diligent in their work. I was really proud of them. We finished up school shortly after 3. It was a long day but a productive day.
While teaching writing today I noticed an odd site.

I don't know how this pencil was sticking to the wall or how or why it got there. Unfortunately it peeled a little of the paint off when we pulled it off. But it was a nice distraction and a good laughing break in the middle of a long school day.

It was a good day to start back to school. It was cold, rainy and icy outside. No one wanted to go out for any reason so it was easy to focus on school. The boys had to make several wood runs to keep the fireplace going and came in exclaiming the icicles on the trampoline and all over the trees. It really was one wintery day.
Here is a picture of our pecan tree and the crepe myrtles covered in ice. The picture does not do the beauty of the scene justice.

It was a good day all in all and we are back to school full force.

Holiday in the Park at Six Flags

2009-01-03T09:59:00.004-06:00

1-02-09
We have made several attempts to attend "Holiday in the Park" this year. We finally made it and it was the most beautiful day we could have gone. The weather was perfect and the park was not crowded. We were able to take a couple of the kids "cousins" with us and so it was me and 6 kids. What a blast! We started our trip on the carousel like we always do. However, those pictures are on another camera and I have learned that if I wait to blog until I get all the pictures it will never happen. So, here are a few highlights of our day.
Here are the kids on the Teacups. I love this picture!

While some of the other kids rode the Superman, A and R rode the "Gunslinger" or "The Big Swings".

Snow Hill is part of Holiday in the Park. It is some of the only "snow" we will see here in Texas. As you can see by the short sleeve shirts it was not exactly snow weather. LOL! I went down first so I could take pictures.

The Tony Hawk is a new ride. We all wanted to ride this one. It was so much fun. Here are the girls who rode in one car....

and the boys and I rode in the other.

Most thrill rides at Six Flags have a station on the ride that snaps pictures as you are riding. However, they have stepped up the pictures on the Tony Hawk. On this ride there are four seats. Two seats facing two other seats. In the middle of the four seats are 2 video cameras. One facing the first set of seats and the other the second set. The boys said the ride was okay but watching me scream made it all the more fun. Thankfully, the cameras were NOT operating that evening. God is good. LOL!
After the Tony Hawk, we only had 15 minutes left to closing so we ran across the park to ride the Yosemite Sam. This is a boat that floats you through a Looney Tunes story of Yosemite Sam stealing the gold. Well, it was definitely relaxing.

After the Yosemite Sam I had promised the kids Funnel Cakes for dessert. We had 4 minutes until the park closed. Where do you get Funnel Cakes? Back at the opposite end of the park from the Yosemite Sam! So we were off and running again. I definitely had my workout for the day.
Here they all are enjoying their funnel cakes and a wonderful ending to a wonderful day at Six Flags.

The Year in Review Blog Challenge

2009-01-01T20:41:00.002-06:00

I saw this on DeEtta's blog. She saw it on Lisa's blog who found it at Small World. I thought this looked like a fun way to summarize 2008. 2009 begins my third year of blogging. I began in March of 2007. In 2008 I posted 93 entries. I realized that I have had many blogging marathons where I spent a considerable amount of time catching up on blogging. My goal is to do better this year.

How to Play.
1) Look back to your archives for 2008.
2) Collect the first sentence you wrote every month for the whole year. (This doesn't have to be the literal first day of the month--just the first post.)
3) Entertain us on your blog, link back here , and post a comment here with the link to your blog. (And if you're blogless, just remember the first sentence you spoke every month for the whole year and post it here. LOL)

Jan. For years we have had a New Year's Party at my house with 4 families from my college days.
Feb. Monday started out with everyone grumpy and not quite as obedient as usual.
Mar.Earlier I blogged about an event that happened last weekend called a GeTOGether.
Apr.Since my birthday is between A and J’s BD’s and Easter is usually in there, it is not uncommon for me to forget.
May I just realized it has been almost a week since I last blogged and it was a blogging marathon.
June Today in worship our communion talk was about Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-36).
July Okay, Today did NOT start out well.
Aug.Week 1,
Clean and reorganize my bedroom
Clean Office, Set up kids computer/work room/empty bookshelves
Finish Family Room (We had already rearranged and cleaned the room but had all the bookshelves and school supplies and books to take care of)
Empty and clean out understairs closet (Now this was a major ordeal!)
Clean and rearrange Dining Room/Living Room (ie Front Room)
Sept. What a week we have had. J has been in the hospital since Sat.
Oct.After J was hospitalized we were finally able to take a long awaited vacation.
Nov. My sister let me know that she has noticed my lack of blogging.
Dec. While trying to get out Christmas decorations down we realized the garage needed cleaning.

Happy New Year!!!!! 2009

2009-01-01T19:03:00.007-06:00

As another year rolls in we return to where we started the year, back in our home celebrating the New Year with dear friends and family. Every year we celebrate with 4couples who have known each other since college. We figured out we have known each other for 28 years. We have not always been together. We have had moves, hardships, and health issues but it is something we look forward to every year. This year we were blessed to have everyone here. There is no greater joy than the bond of friendship that can only be made through our common bond of loving and serving the Lord Jesus Christ. We have our ups and downs but when we come together on New Year's each year it is a time of celebration, laughter, fun and general silliness. Here is a sneak peek into our celebration....
The Faces of New Year's
Who is that Masked Woman?

Relaxing as we wait for the clock to count down.

Can't wait to celebrate!

Even our nurses join in the celebration.

Captain "Dad Pants"!

Live Long and Prosper.

A smile that will steal your heart.

Grandma Jo waiting to bring in the New Year.

Aubrey does not want her picture taken!

Ringing in the New Year
Laura is ready to snap a picture as the New Year comes in.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

G blowing her horn!

Wendall all dressed up and bringing in the New Year. G's nurses have always been a part of our New Year's celebration and are such a blessing to us all.

Toasting the New Year (It's Ginger Ale! LOL)
After ringing in the New Year we lift our glasses in a toast to the many blessings the Lord has brought to us. Not the least of which is the promise of eternity with our dears friends and loved ones.

Marc and Laura were able to join us again this year. We were so blessed to have us all together again! God is good!

G was able to enjoy some giner ale too!

Our "children" are not so little any more. They are growing up to be such wonderful young adults.

Relaxing took many different forms after we rang in the New Year. Reading, uploading pictures to the computer and general snacking and conversation could be found in all corners of the house.

Enjoying Tim Hawkins "I'm No Rockstar" This picture was taken just as it was starting. Once it started we were all laughing too hard to think about taking pictures. LOL!

After our big celebration, laughter, eating and fun...All is calm....

The Next Morning we were treated to a wonderful breakfast of quiche, cinnamon rolls and caramel rolls compliments of Laura. Many sat down to a relaxing game of "Electronic Monopoly". They use Credit/Debit Cards and transfer money electronically. There is no cash! The pieces are an LCD TV, a Segue, a puppy in a purse, altoids, the space shuttle and a baseball cap.

They use Credit/Debit Cards and transfer money electronically. There is no cash! The pieces are an LCD TV, a Segue, a puppy in a purse, altoids, the space shuttle and a baseball cap.

The New Year has already started out as a wonderful blessing. We will continue to thank the Lord daily for the blessings He gives us throughout the year. May you all know the Lord and the blessings that He offers.
Have a blessed New Year!

Allergy Testing

2009-01-01T19:01:00.002-06:00

12-29-08
As the year came to an end we did a lot of end of the year check-ups. Dental appts., eye appts. and finally allergy testing. J was tested first and is allergic to 59 of the 60 allergens she was tested for. We knew she had allergies but now we can start her on allergy shots. A week later we took the 2 boys. The both reacted pretty severely to many but not all of the allergens.
Here you can see how badly they reacted.

Gameboy helped keep their minds off the itching as they waited for the final test results.

They, too, have started allergy shots and we are praying this will help them not only ease their allergies but that it will also keep their asthma from being triggered. The doctors are very optimistic and encouraging.

Christmas Poem

2009-01-01T18:50:00.002-06:00

One of the gifts we received was a poem that C wrote for us all.

Presents and Christmas

Christmas is a special time for celebrating fun and cheers,
Because we know that Jesus Christ was once born in flesh here.
Thus God gave us the first Christmas present ever
that we should treasure for ever and ever
Presents symbolize this every morning,
like bicycles or lions that are roaring.
It's time for me to leave now and I tell you this with love,
that God up in Heaven is looking down in love from up above.
It was signed, Love, Mystery Writer.

Here he is after he finished reading it to us.

What a joy it is to see our children's desire to give on Christmas and to use the gifts and talents God has given them to bless us.

Christmas Day 2008

2009-01-01T18:08:00.007-06:00

12-25-08
Christmas Morning. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and enjoy birthday cake for breakfast.

After breakfast we sit around the fire as Phillip reads our Christmas Day reading from our advent book. This year it was Bartholemew's Passage by Arnold Ytreeide. First we light our advent candles and Phillip lights the Christ candle that is white and represents the purity of Christ in His sinless nature that brings us the promise of salvation to all who surrender to Him as Lord and Savior.

We follow our advent reading by reading the story of the birth of Jesus in Luke Ch. 2

The kids enjoy the fire as we listen to the Christmas Story.

After our devotional time we open up our stockings. Chocolate Oranges are a Christmas treat in every stocking.

We love listening to Christmas Music as we open our gifts. Here Phillip and I stop for a quick dance.

Seeing the joy on their faces definitely proves the adage it is more blessed to give than to receive. If we who are sinful love to bless our children with good gifts how much more does our loving God love to care for us.

We enjoyed the rest of the day relaxing at home until we went to dinner at my Sister-in-law. We ate, played games and just generally enjoyed each other's company.
Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-28T16:09:00.006-06:00

For some reason this year we were down to the last minute for everything. So we wrapped gifts and made our Birthday Cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve.
Wrapping gifts gets easier and easier every year. Here are the kids wrapping their gifts to each other. We would send one child out of the room while the other three wrapped and rotated until we were all done. Then, after we sent them all to bed Phillip and I finished our part.

J is measuring very carfully.

As usual, A is all smiles.

R is really concentrating on what he is doing. He did a great job!

Look at that concentration on C's face!

Our Jesus cake is always chocolate to signify the sin we all carry. It is then frosted with white frosting to show how Christ covers over all our sins and makes us pure and therefore worthy to enter the kingdom of Heaven and see God. We have an angel on the cake to herald in the birth of Christ and a star that points the way to Him. The evergreen tree represents the everlasting life we are promised if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and the cross it the price our Lord had to pay to make this possible. The drops of red represent the blood that was shed as a sacrifice for our sins and the 12 candles are to show that His light shines 12 months of the year. We must remember to keep our focus on Christ always and not just at this Christmas time.

Each kiddo got a turn at decorating a part of the cake. Here R is doing his part.

Here are the kids with their work of he"art".

The finished product.

Visit with the Kansas Sandlins

2008-12-28T16:01:00.003-06:00

I have one sister-in-law who does not live in TX. So, we do not get to see her very often. They came in for the weekend and we got to spend a little time with them. We had a wonderful lunch together and then the kids and Aunt Cleta played Nertz.

The "boys" had other ideas.

Uncle Greg "watching" the football game.

Phillip making sure Snickers is comfortable.

Baking Cookies!

2008-12-28T15:56:00.001-06:00

We did get a chance to make cookies this year. We went over to Kimberly's to make cookies and were able to make quite a few. The girls did most of the work.

We were supposed to have another day of cookie baking but the best laid plans.....maybe next year. After all, it is only a few days away!

Cranberries

2008-12-28T15:48:00.004-06:00

Hey Sis,
Remember those cranberries you sent home with us that we had no idea what to do with? Well, A figured it out. She learned how to make jellied cranberry sauce and she even made cranberry juice! She truly is going to be the next Martha Stewart. She loves this stuff!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-12-28T14:12:00.011-06:00

Every year we put the Christmas tree up on the weekend after Thanksgiving. We were a little late this year but it was fun getting it all together and decorating. As the kids get older this gets easier and easier...and goes a lot faster!

"Fluffing" the tree.

While Dad handles the tree the boys handle the tree topper.

Putting on the tree topper. R has it all ready

Upsy Daisy...you can do it!

Way to go!

A quick break for some Christmas music.

Ready to decorate...finally!

Time for the ornaments to go on. All of them...What fun!

Everyone can use a little help every now and then.

Reminiscing over older ornaments and homemade ornaments.

Daddy doing his Santa imitation much to the delight of the children!LOL!

Putting the angel on the tree.

The finished product (Taken several days later!)

Family Landscaping

2008-12-28T13:59:00.005-06:00

While trying to get out Christmas decorations down we realized the garage needed cleaning. We also realized we would need to clean up the landscaping before putting lights up. So, off we went....

Getting in the Christmas Spirit while working on the garage

Dad teaching C how to use the electric hedger....

Fast learner!

Distracted by an anthill....

pretty cool.

It was a really good day and we accomplished a lot. The kids really worked hard. We were so proud of them. I love it when we work together as a family.

Family Pictures at Thanksgiving

2008-12-28T13:35:00.003-06:00

Where it all began...

Daughters (we are missing our brother due to health but we missed him)

Granddaughters and Great-granddaughter

Grandsons and Great-grandson

Sons-in-law with grandchildren

Daughters with grandchildren

Grandparents with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. (We are missing a few but they are in our hearts always)

Sisters

2008-12-28T13:19:00.005-06:00

During our Thanksgiving celebration we took family pictures. Here is a set of me and my sisters. How many sisters does it take to get a good shot?

Can you tell who is the oldest?

Then the baby sister steps in to add her 2 cents.

Are we ready yet?

NO! Wait just a minute.

Finally! I think it was well worth the wait. LOL!

What a joy to have all my sisters together again. Can you tell we laugh a lot when we are together?

Thanksgiving 08

2008-12-28T11:33:00.006-06:00

We were able to travel to San Antonio for Thanksgiving this year. For the first time in over 4 years all of my sisters were together. Health prevented my brother from joining us. We had almost all the grandchildren present and both great grandchildren were there. It was a wonderful time together.
There were MANY cooks in the kitchen.

But there were many more willing to eat!

After lunch while the girls cleaned up the boys enjoyed the game.

That turkey will get you everytime!

Vacation October 08

2008-12-28T10:54:00.006-06:00

After J was hospitalized we were finally able to take a long awaited vacation. We went to the cabin of a friend on a lake in East Texas. We had a wonderfully relaxing time without computers or TV or even telephones for the most part. We were able to read, relax, swim, canoe, paddleboat and just enjoy each others company. Here are a few highlights of the week.
CANOEING
Phillip enjoyed teaching the boys to canoe.

Hmmmmm??? C watch out!

Can you see the concentration on their faces? LOL!

Beautiful girls enjoying the sunshine.

Phillip and I got to enjoy some alone time too. But, we had to go out on the lake to get it!

SWIMMING

FISHING

The boys really wanted to fish. They went fishing on the canoe, on the paddleboat (don't know what happened to that picture??) and early in the morning on the dock. I love this picture.
All in all it was a very fun and relaxing vacation. The Lord truly blessed us with this opportunity. It was a much needed rest.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T16:34:00.002-06:00

I know I have not blogged in a long while and am hoping to catch up on blogging in the next few days. But I wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Chistmas. As the world shuts down to celebrate this time I pray you are able to experience peace, a peace that was brought to the world when our Saviour was born and which we can have so long as we call Jesus our Lord and Savior.
May this season focus you on our beloved Lord who became Savior on the cross at Calvary. We celebrate his advent into this world as we look forward to the advent of His second coming.
Come Lord Jesus!

Mom, Dad, Sister, Lee, Babe, Bill if you are out there, and all those attached to you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We love you all!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

2008-11-16T21:41:00.003-06:00

My baby is 9 today. He was not supposed to be. I was told after my third child I could not and should not have any more children. Thankfully we serve a mighty God who knows what doctors do not. We were both surprised and overjoyed when the Lord decided to increase our family by one more. Life has never been the same. R is full of life. He takes it at 110 mph wherever he goes. He is a bundle of energy that spreads joy wherever he goes. So today we celebrate the gift the Lord has sent to us. We celebrate 9 years of wonder at God's creation.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-15

All that God makes is wonderful. We celebrate the wonderful life he has given us in our youngest.

Happy Birthday R!

Hopefully I will post pictures in a few days!

Oohh!! Look at me!!! LOL!

2008-11-15T10:56:00.002-06:00

Thanks to DeEtta who sent me to "The Cutest Blog on the Block" I have now changed my blog to a fall theme. Like it? Anyway, it was quick and easy and fits my personality of liking to change things on a regular basis!
I am hoping to blog more these days. In fact, I have some very cute pumpkin patch pictures to post soon. I will try to get to it later today.
Off to enjoy my Saturday with my family and to get some things done!

Sister, This Ones For You!

2008-11-07T21:51:00.004-06:00

My sister let me know that she has noticed my lack of blogging. When I checked I realized I have not blogged since Sept. 8. That was 2 months ago!!!! Confession: My digital camera broke and for some reason I think I must have pictures when I blog. Well, I now see the error of my ways.
We have been very busy. I committed this year to be HOME to HOME School. I dropped all of my outside activities but somehow am still very, very busy. I have started working a part-time job and it has taken time to learn. I have 2 in high school, 1 in middle school and one in elementary. I cannot teach them all at the same level so I have 4 different schedules to plan. On top of all that my body has decided to develop allergies I have not had before and so I have been battling sinus headaches that lead to migraine headaches, but the Lord has been faithful and has kept me moving.
The kids are all doing great. In fact, they have some friends over tonight and are sleeping in the backyard in tents and it is only 47 degrees out! LOL They are determined to make it through the night. We are leaving the back door open!
I will take pictures, but since I am back to my 35 mm camera I will have to actually develop the film first!
I will try to blog within the next couple of days to let you know how they kids fared.
OK Sis, it is your turn.

First Day of School.....well, sort of

2008-09-08T22:21:00.002-05:00

Today was our first day back to school. We started out very slowly. A little history, some placement testing, some math, bible...not much really. The kids tested either at grade level, above grade level or improved a grade level or more on everything we tested. The kids were very productive. I was so proud of them all. It was nice to get back into the swing of things at least a little. I don't know when we will get up to full speed but at least we have started.
We had a nurse come in to do blood work and change J's dressings. We are adjusting to our schedule. I hope to get some pictures over the next few weeks as we get school going.

Flowers!!!!

2008-09-08T22:15:00.003-05:00

9-6-08
Later that day J was surprised with these beautiful flowers from her "Lita and Lito" (my parents). She was thrilled.

Thanks Mom and Dad! What a beautiful bouquet. As you can see, she loved them!

A little bit of normal....Saturday

2008-09-08T21:51:00.007-05:00

Those of you who frequent the blog know that a favorite summer past time for our family is going to our favorite creek on Sat. mornings with donuts in hand, ready to enjoy breakfast, wading, skipping rocks and just being together as a family. J was feeling so much better and we wanted to give her a little bit of normal so we headed out to the creek.

Skipping rocks is a favorite for all of us.

C is the Skip Rock Champion in our family with 13 skips with one rock!

J knew she couldn't get in the water but wanted to come anyway. She says she always writes better at the creek so she came prepared with notebook and pen in hand! She also did much of the photography.

R was not quite himself that morning.

We found out why a little later that morning. Everything he did was upsetting him. He loves the creek and "accidently" falling in is one of his favorite things to do. However, this time he fell in and burst into tears. He cried all the way to me.I was further down the creek quietly letting the tears flow as I decompressed from the past week. He was inconsolable. I talked with him but he could not stop sobbing.

I asked him if he wanted me to hold him and he said yes. He held on as though he never was going to let me go.

Too often little ones go through a tough family time and go with the flow because they really don't fully grasp the situation or don't know how to express themselves. R never showed that he was upset the entire week his sister was in the hospital and Mom was away. But Sat. it hit him all at once. I just sat and held him as he cried. It broke my heart. We knew he had to feel something or that he was dealing with things in his own way but we missed how deeply it hurt him. We are so thankful we did not miss this. Phillip took these pictures before he fully understood what was going on. I am glad. I am thankful the Lord gave us this opportunity to help him.

It was a great morning all around and the morning ended with much more smiles and a feeling of things definitely getting back to normal.

Rejoice in your sufferings...

2008-09-08T21:25:00.002-05:00

Seeing God is hard for some. For me, I have learned to ask to see His hand in my life and in the life of my family and those around us. Over the summer I have been praying about my schedule and activities would could do in the upcoming school year. We were in a co-op for 7years and when I prayed about doing it this upcoming year, God said no. Since I was just getting my feet wet alongside my husband in our newly formed marriage ministry I figured that I would need that free time for ministry. I had the opportunity for an online co-op that I felt was very doable since we would not leave the house and I would only be committed to teaching 4-6 of 36 lessons. That was doable. But, once again I was thrown a curve. God said no. So we dropped the co-op. Once again I was trusting that God knew my future and He was not going to allow me to overwhelm myself. Then, we opened up a very successful marriage class and NO ONE signed up (well, one couple who was training for ministry did). This was very confusing. Now I had lots of free time on my hands. Since I thought the Lord was clearing my schedule for ministry and other circumstances that would take my time I had worked on getting my house in order and school planning through Jan. I am usually a "wing-it" kind of person so this was very unusual for me. So, now my house was in order, school planned, lots of free time but, no ministry, no outside committments, no....anything. But I did trust the Lord though I did ask Him if it was within His will to show me what He was doing. Well, He did. He know that I was going to have a very sick child that I would need to be home with for some time. What a joy to be allowed to see a small part of His plan for us. He knew what was coming and prepared me in as much as I was willing to be obedient to Him.

So what about the "Rejoice in your sufferings"? This is such a hard concept for people to grasp. It has taken many hospitalizations and hardaches for me to begin to grasp this concept. But God truly is good and knows what is best for us.
I have always prayed that my children would learn to know God deeply and intimately. I know that for me that has taken many physical hardships for me to grow in Him. When J was admitted to the hospital I began to pray that she would grow and mature in the Lord through this trial and that she would be able to experience God. I prayed that I would be able to help her see God's hand and presence throughout all she went through. It was a tough week. Time after time she was afraid. Time after time, she asked to pray. We listened to christian music on Godtube. We quoted scripture to help her reach out and trust God's hand. J went from a happy-go-lucky teen one day to a very sick, in pain, and frightened young lady the next. She was given very little notification for some pretty scary tests and surgery. No time to prepare, fearful of the unknown, tired, worn out and in pain. But, she trusted the experience God had given me over the years with hospitalizations and surgery. At every turn I knew her only hope for getting through this was focusing on Jesus. So at every turn I pointed her to Him. She showed such strength of character as she was so frightened but cried out to God. She sought prayer, comfort in songs that reminded her that God would never leave her or forsake her. She questioned God but never in disrespect, only in confusion with a willingness to accept His will.
There truly are very few ways to learn to lean on God except in those circumstances that test you physically, emotionally and spiritually.
I watched my daughter cling to the Lord and learn to trust in a way that only suffering can truly bring. It broke my heart to watch her go through this. But the Lord let my heart soar as she clung to Him.
Watching your child in pain and frightened and exhausted when you cannot do anything to stop it is more pain than I ever care to bear again. But, I can rejoice in my suffering as I saw her get one step closer to God. I pray that she will one day truly be able to rejoice through her struggles in life though I pray they are minimal.
There is so much in which I can rejoice. God was with her through this whole ordeal and showed us His fingerprints over and over again. His Spirit was prompting me from the beginning and we caught this early. I can't imagine what it would have been like had I ignored those promptings. I am thankful that I was listening because I don't always. But I was listening this time because He had been preparing me for over a year to listen more closely. His hand is everywhere if we are willing to look for it. Thank you Lord that you were patient enough to help me learn to see. Thank you that you are letting me see a glimpse of how you are working in J.
God truly is so good. All the Time!

Homecoming 9-5-08

2008-09-08T20:41:00.002-05:00

We were able to come home Friday morning. We finished up planning our home health care and her last dose of antibiotics to time our antibiotics at home and off we went. Here she is being greeted by her siblings and TACO!

Everyone was so excited to see her. We moved a bed downstairs so we could administer her meds in the night without waking anyone else.
It is so nice to be home and have all my kiddos under one roof again!

A Week in the Hospital

2008-09-04T22:01:00.004-05:00

9/4/08
What a week we have had. J has been in the hospital since Sat. She was one sick young lady. After many tests,x-rays, blood tests and confused doctors, we have figured out that she has osteomyelitis. This is an infection of the bone. The collar bone in J to be more specific. She also has an infection in the skin, muscles and facia (layer between the skin and muscle) surrounding the bone. She has had 2 surgeries to help clean out this infection and has been on pretty high dose IV antibiotics.
How did she get this infection? We have no idea. The doctors were stumped and said it was very rare to get an infection in the collar bone. She was the object of much discussion in the hospital.
We were blessed with fabulous doctors, nurses and staff in all areas of the hospital.
The good news is "WE ARE GOING HOME!!!!!" We have 2 more doses of antibiotics and then we will go home and change to home health care. J will continue to receive IV antibiotics for the next 10 days and then hopefully we can switch to oral meds.
It has been a long, hard week. She has gone from being so sick and in pain that our main concern was finding a way to get her some relief. Her fevers were so high we had to ice her down and she was isolated because of the infection. But she is now back to her smiling, laughing self. We are both almost giddy at getting to go home tomorrow. Here are some pictures of her and her Dad goofing around after finding out we were going home. It is so good to see this smile again.

Thank you to everyone who prayed continuously for her healing. We have been so blessed by your prayers, visits, phone calls, gifts, encouragements etc. etc.
We praise God for His care and provision for us this past week. We thank God that we will be back together with Phillip and the kids. We were blessed with a perfect peace as we endured this trial. We serve an awesome God. Thank you to everyone who was "Jesus with skin on" to us this past week. We still have a long road ahead of us but the worst is over.

Please Pray for J.

2008-08-31T10:18:00.003-05:00

J is one sick teen. She is presently in the hospital fighting some kind of infection. Please keep her in your prayers. She has been sick since Tues. and has continued to get worse as the week has gone on. Here she is after she saw the doctor the first time.

We still do not know what she has. They are treating her for cellulitis. She is fighting severe pain and very high temps but today she seems to be a little better. She did finally eat something today. Thank you to all who have been praying for her.

Mad Scientists

2008-08-31T10:08:00.003-05:00

Thursday was a slow, lazy day for the boys. C decided to try his crystal making kit. R joined him. Here they are putting everything together.

Here they are examining the chemicals before they are mixed. I am a homeschool mom afterall. We must do the scientific method!

R is wondering how long it will take for the crystals to start to grow.

So far we have had no success. No crystals have grown. We will try again later.
8-28-08

Things that make you go...hmmmmm?

2008-08-31T10:03:00.003-05:00

August 26, 2008
Since he was very little, R has always liked pants with pockets, Lots of pockets. He always wanted to wear his overalls when he was little because it had a lot of pockets to put things in. We have found many a strange thing in his pockets though the years. Apparently, he has not outgrown his love for pockets. Here he is with his pockets full of rocket launchers! You never know just when you are going to need a rocket launcher. LOL!

Happy Birthday C!!!!

2008-08-31T09:54:00.005-05:00

August 26,2008
11 years old today!!! Time for family presents. What a ham!

Here he is enjoying the gifts his brother and sisters got for him. These will be fun to do later.

This just warms a mother's heart! Thank you's and I love you's all around.

I can't believe the young man my boy is growing into. We are so proud of who he is becoming. His heart for God is unbelievable and he is a constant joy to us all.
Love you, C!

Birthday Party!!!

2008-08-31T09:46:00.004-05:00

August 22,2008
C celebrated his birthday party early since school was starting early this year. We had 8 boys storm our home. We went swimming then had hotdogs!

After we sang Happy Birthday and ate molten chocolate lava cake we let him open his gifts. Here he is with a gift card he received.

Mine! Mine! All Mine! Bwahahaha!!!! He is such a clown.LOL!

What a great smile! Happy Birthday C!

Where have I been and What have I been doing?

2008-08-31T09:26:00.002-05:00

August 2008
Over the last few weeks I have been planning for the upcoming school year. I have been at my desk surrounded by teacher's manuals and books trying to plan 4 different levels of study from High School to elementary.

It has been a very productive time but it really is time consuming. It feels good to have it done though!

Calvin and Hobbes

2008-08-16T16:24:00.003-05:00

The other day I was at the library and told the boys to go look for some books to read. Well, they couldn't find a single book in the whole library! LOL! Then an inspiration came to me. Many homeschool moms have mentioned getting their boys to read by getting them Calvin and Hobbes books. Well, our library had 2 so I checked them out. I have not seen my boys since. Here is what I am finding on a regular basis!

Live is good.

Saturday....ahhhhhhh

2008-08-16T16:10:00.005-05:00

See the previous 2 posts to see why we are simply enjoying our Saturday. We worked hard all week and so are just relaxing today.
Here the boys are enjoying some computer games in our nice, clean and organized computer/workroom.

A is working with a candy making kit she received as a gift. She loves working in the kitchen.

Her candies look great and taste great too!

Phillip is doing what he loves to do most....something on his computer.

I have not seen J all afternoon so she is either reading or working on her lastest novel.
Me, well I am BLOGGING!!!!!

Where have we been???

2008-08-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

Well, here I go again. I have not updated my blog in about a month and a half. Well, let's see if I can sum up. The last I blogged was on July 2. Since that day I have celebrated the 4th of July with some dear friends. We went to a local park and were able to see the fireworks up close. It was a spectacular display. Pictures you ask? Well, I thought my camera was broken. I think, however that it was the lens that was broken. I can use the telephoto lens just fine but the regular lens seems to be having trouble. What do you expect when it was dropped! LOL
We also were blesssed to share our house with another family for a couple of months. They are friends from college moving back to Dallas. They stayed with us to job hunt and buy a house. Needless to say we had a full house!
They had moved in the week we went to JAM camp.
July 19-26- The girls and I left for NEXT camp. This is our teen camp that we run up in Colorado. It was a fabulous week of daily worshipping and learning about the Lord along with whitewater rafting, hiking, zip lines, and high ropes courses. It was a busy and very relaxing week.
When we returned we had only a few extra kids at this point as the parents left to go pack up their apt. and move their stuff down to move into their new home.
We began school immediately (well, part-time school) while we unpacked and planned to wash clothes. Did I say planned? Well, the dryer vent needed replacing so we had to hold off for a bit but made up for it the rest of the week.
That about brings us to the first of August. Today is the 16th so what did we do????
Oh, I remember. We did take some time to allow our guests to get moved out. We went to the movies, went swimming, did school, relaxed a bit.
So, we are now to this past week.
On Thurs. A had her wisdom teeth pulled. We were so blessed that 3 came out very easily but the fourth tooth had to be cut out. She doesn't remember anything but the first numbing shot. She was a trooper and did beautifully. Here she is with her "swollen" cheeks. Yes believe it or not she is swollen here. She is so thin that unless you know here it is hard to tell.

After taking care of Amanda and getting her settled and after much stressing about school planning, getting the house back together and getting ready for another school year to start with all that entails, I finally broke down, went to Phillip and said I desperately needed his planning skills. I am NOT blessed with scheduling and planning, I am more of the spontaneous, seat of my pants type of gal. You must understand how desperate I was to seek his help. I would not under any other circumstances ask for his help because he willingly and excitedly gives it. Did I mention I am NOT a scheduled type of person. Anyway, after he was able to tie me down so we could work on it he scheduled out my next 3-4 weeks. See the next post for how that went!

First Scheduled Week

2008-08-16T16:02:00.003-05:00

Week 1,
Clean and reorganize my bedroom
Clean Office, Set up kids computer/work room/empty bookshelves
Finish Family Room (We had already rearranged and cleaned the room but had all the bookshelves and school supplies and books to take care of)
Empty and clean out understairs closet (Now this was a major ordeal!)
Clean and rearrange Dining Room/Living Room (ie Front Room)

So, did we get it done? YES!!!! The kids were troopers and worked very hard. We were even able to fit in swimming and spending sometime with friends. My house is amazingly clean and organized. Now keeping it that way will be a challenge but we do have "Make a Chore Chart" scheduled for this next week. LOL

It was so nice to have accountability to my hubby! It was also great to know when we were finished for each day. Once I completed the assigned task it was not too difficult to go on to another task since there was no pressure at this point. Phillip does NOT pressure me but I am a "rule follower" so I can really stress myself. LOL!

Here is Ryan doing one of the tasks we "occupied" him with. He is going through our sets of dominoes to make sure they are complete.

"Quote of the Day"

2008-07-02T03:41:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned earlier we are studying the Proverbs. Each day one of the kids or myself, as evidenced earlier, is hit with a proverb that identifies what we had been struggling with that day. By the time we had gone through Chapter 12 I asked the kids to sum up what the Proverbs were saying to them up to this point. J responded very matter of factly....

"If you are not following God, you are toast!"

I think that about sums it up. LOL

Terrific Tuesday

2008-07-02T03:25:00.002-05:00

July 1, 2008
Today started out much better. I had determined that I would not succumb again to my own foolishness. The morning started out very slow and quiet. However, there was somehing in the back of my mind that kept nagging me that I was forgetting something. However, I could not put my finger on it so I continued my leisurely morning.
At exactly 9:04 am I remembered. It was NOT Monday. It was Tues. Every Tues. at 9:00am I meet with my accountability partner. Needless to say, the day went from very quiet and peaceful to frantic and hurried. I ran to my phone to call my friend and there was a voicemail. She was running late. I was so thankful. I called, told her not to worry about being late and that I had thought it was Monday and was running out the door as we spoke. We had a wonderful meeting. However, this really did get me flustered. J was laughing at me and saying, "Mom, I have never seen you flustered before!". She found it quite amusing. I rushed some instructions concerning school at them and out the door I went.
When I got home we finished up schooling, had lunch and then went to the pool with some friends. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon. Where are the pictures, you ask? Well, my camera is either dead or dying and I have not had opportunity to see if it can be fixed so we will be without pictures until I can remember to bring A's camera or I can see what is up with mine.
After swimming we came home, showered, ate dinner while watching a movie and then got ready for our midweek home group meeting. As we were walking out the door I checked my phone and had a voicemail letting us know it was cancelled. Since we were all in the car ready to go we decided to go somewhere anyway so we head down to the park and to the creek. It was cool. Dad and the boys had sword fights with various branches they found at the park. We discovered 2 very large trees that had grown so close together that that fused together. (Again, sorry no picture). We went to the creek and skipped rocks and just sat together and listened to the creek ripple by. It was quiet and peaceful as we watched the sun go down. The we headed home. We finished our movie we had started earlier and then it was off to bed for the kiddos.
Unfortunately, I am up now because one of those kiddos began throwing up. C is now stirring on the couch in our bedroom. He is asleep but not sleeping well. Hopefully he will settle down soon.

Manic Monday

2008-07-02T03:00:00.004-05:00

Okay, Today did NOT start out well. We had our regularly scheduled pulmonology appt. for 3 of my kiddos. This is usually a 3 hour appt. It takes planning ahead, making lunches, packing up schooling and things to do while we are there. This is NOT the morning to get up, NOT eat breakfast and then choose to go on a walk. But, that is exactly what my kiddos did. Did I mention they needed showers also?
I woke up to find them gone. Needless to say, this did not start my day off well and I did NOT handle it well either. I managed NOT to yell but I did become what our preacher calls "Queen Mother". Essentially this means I become very forceful and expect the entire household to immediately respond to my every whim. It is NOT pleasant. This did get us ready and out of the house on time and we did make our appt., but this did NOT make a happy household.
We worked on school while at the appt. One thing we are doing right now is studying the Proverbs. Everyone reads a chapter in Proverbs for the day and then we share what stuck out to us most. We were in Chapter 12. What stuck out to me?
16 A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
Sigh. I blew it again. It has been awhile since I have fallen for this mentality but, I allowed myself to live in my flesh again and I became a fool. As I discussed this with my children I openly confessed this to them and apologized. In the car on the way to the appt. I had already apologized and we had already decided to redeem the day. My children know that no matter how badly we blow it (whether it is them or me), God is a God of second chances and we can always repent and start over. However, when we went through the Proverbs and read this verse I knew the kids needed to see God's loving rebuke of me. But, they also needed to see Him redeem me and see us move on.
The rest of the day went so much better. Thank You Jesus!
The appt. went well and the kids do NOT have to go back for 6 months! This is huge. Their pulmonary functions tests were the best they have ever been which means we are managing their asthma well. We got our schooling done and enjoyed our time in the doctor's office.
Our doctor's office is on the other side of town for us which is a significant distance. However, right down the street from his office is IKEA.

www.ikea.com
It is a housewares warehouse. It has a map to guide you through all areas, it has many apartments set up in it to show you how efficiently you can use space. It is designed for small places and just has the most wonderful furniture, housewares etc. It took us 2 hours to get through the store. This was my first time there but my A had been there before. She did NOT let me get a basket. She stated "Don't get one Mom. You will just end up getting things you don't need." I had to laugh but I am so glad she showed such wisdom. If I could NOT carry it I could not buy it. By the time I had left the store I had so many ideas of how I wanted to redecorate my home. Alas, it is a dream but it was fun! At the very end of the store we found a little cafe that sold .50 hot dogs so we all sat down and enjoyed one.
After IKEA we went to Sam Moon which is a store with wall-to-wall purses and jewelry. Do you remember that I had all of the kids with me? As we were walking into the store C leaned over to me and quietly stated, "You owe me, Mom." I just had to laugh. Taking sons into a purse store truly is a sacrifice on their part.
I had a chiropratic appt. at 5pm and so we rushed back to our side of town for the appt. After the appt. I remembered the boys had earned free ice cream coupons from Braum's in their reading program. They expired that day so off to Braum's we went. We all enjoyed dessert before dinner.
All in all it was a good day. We throughly enjoyed our time together even though it started out a little rough.

The Bible in 90 Days. It is finished!

2008-06-28T13:29:00.002-05:00

June 28, 2008
I have just had the most amazing 90 days. I was challenged to read the Bible in 90 days. When this was first proposed I had to think on it awhile because I am a student of the Word. I like to read, study, research, define and just dig deep when I read the Bible. Doing this in 90 days did not make this possible but, I decided I would try. Afterall, there have been many a time that I have read a huge novel in no time and asked myself why I hadn't just read the Bible straight through. So, my journey began on March 31, 2008.
There were days that I began reading and ended up lost in thought. I would have to go back an reread a passage or two. There were days I read and was amazed at the connections I was able to make as I read through book after book in the Bible. Reading the 4 gospels back to back was a very interesting experience. Getting to know Paul better as I read each of his books back to back has given me many things to think through and mull over.
Today I finished my study by reading straight through the book of Revelations. How awesome it is to see God's hand and the end of the story. A story of fallen people who are redeemed by a loving God who is faithful to His promises and is victorious in the end. I found myself in tears as I saw the loving hand of our God end the torment of the saints. Tears also flowed as His glory was revealed in the human terms that are just a shadow of the reality of God. I then found myself face down in prayer and praise to our awesome God, in humble submission that He would even consider me to enter His eternal rest, that He made me worthy to be reconciled to Him through the death of His son. How can I be humbled, exalted, rejoicing, ashamed, awed and in tears all at the same time?
I issure forth this challenge to you all. Not that you accomplish reading the bible in 90 days (though I recommend it), but that you seek His Word that you might come to know Him more, that if you have not made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior that you seek to find Him and the promise of salvation that comes only through Him.
I will end simply with the end of the book....
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen, Come Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
Revelations 22:20-21

We're Home!!!!

2008-06-21T08:41:00.002-05:00

What a great week we have had. Our entire family left for JAM (Jesus and Me) Camp on Monday. This is our children's camp for kids who are going into 1st grade through kids going into 6th grade. My sons went as campers, my daughters as teen counselors and Phillip and I as adult counselors. It is a tremendous joy for the whole family to go. It was a busy, exhausting, exhilerating, happy, joyful, fun-filled week spent teaching children about the love of Christ. Our children's minister calls it "A little taste of Heaven". He is so right. There is no greater joy than to focus wholly on children and the Lord for a week. We are told it is our job during this week to be "Jesus with skin on" to these kids.
We returned home yesterday afternoon and real life started up again. But we are ever so grateful that this "real life" is temporary and that our hope is in our home in heaven where we can "JAM" forever.
Phillip and I have hit the ground running so I will try to get pictures and more information up sometime this weekend, if not then maybe Monday.
Off to do more laundry and help the kids to settle back in to being home.

Happy Father's Day!!!!!!

2008-06-15T17:33:00.006-05:00

There is no greater gift to a child than a Father who is involved and loves his children. Today we give thanks to the Lord for the blessing of my husband who deserves a "Dad of the Year" award every year. He has a love for his children that will help them to understand the love of our Father in heaven. His children can not wait for him to return home everyday and frown when he has to work late or on weekends. Happy Father's day Phillip! I know you would say it is happy simply because of the blessing of your children.
Here is how he started the day. He is working on slide shows for our children who are graduating from camp this year.

Here is how he spent the afternoon!

He is back to working on JAM Camp for our kids.
I also want to say Happy Father's Day to my Dad. Thank you for all you taught me and how I have never doubted your love for me. Thank you also for loving my kids. What a great Grandpa you are! Praying you are enjoying your day. I love you!

Living her dream. Mounted Horse Performance

2008-06-14T14:04:00.003-05:00

J has loved horses from before the day she could say "Horsey!". She has always wanted to ride. But, every little girl wants a pony so we watched to see where her passion would take her. Last year she had the opportunity to take riding lessons. The instructor informed me that she only took students who truly loved horses so we sent J to horse camp for a week. At the end of the week her instuctor assured me that J had a true passion for horses and her lessons began. She has now been riding for just over a year and yesterday we got to watch her first "Mounted Horse" performamance.
Here she is with "her" horse Poca short for Pocahontas.

They began the performance all lined up.

She was chosen to be one of two leaders and here you can see how seriously she took this.

They circled the arena and then in unison turned and came toward us.

Toward the end of the performance they did a "Wagon Wheel". They had 2 horses in the center circling each other while 2 others formed a larger circle whild trotting around the 2 inner horses and then 2 others made the outer circle while galloping around the 2 inner circles. It was wonderful!!! They learned all of this in a day and a half.

After the performance they each introduced themselves and their horses and told a little about them. J's horse is and Arabian with Paint coloring.

I was really surprised at how emotional I was watching her in the performance. My baby girl is living a dream she has had for a long time and she looked so natural on that horse. J is not known for her serious nature but you could see how important this was to her as she lead her team. We are so thankful that the Lord has blessed her with this opportunity and has provided us with what we need to make this dream come true for her.

God's Little Confirmations

2008-06-12T21:27:00.003-05:00

One of my constant prayers for my children is that they know Christ. Not that they believe there is a God or even just believe in Christ or that He is the Son of God, but that they know Him personally and interact with Him. As I watch my children grow I wonder if they are truly getting to know Him and trust Him and have a deep relationship with Him. I don't want my children to "have religion", I want them to KNOW Christ.
As I watch them grow in their faith I pray that their faith is their own. I ask God to show me. In His faithfulness He does. This is what He gave me recently from my youngest dd. She recently was at a youth group retreat where they sang the song "I Want to Sing You a Love Song". She shared with me that she physically felt Jesus next to her. She said she tried to tell others but they just did not understand. I told her I understood and then she told me she had written something that she felt the Spirit had led her to write. I only wish you could hear her read this as I can feel her heart as she reads it.

I stopped, trembling, before a huge, golden gate. The pearls set into it gleamed like diamonds. I stepped forward, hearing singing from within. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. Who Was, and Is, and Is To Come.” The gate swung slowly inwards, making no sound, not even a whisper. A man stepped through, garbed in glowing white. My breath caught. He smiled warmly.
“Welcome, Brother! I am Peter.” I stared transfixed as he led me into Heaven. We walked together through rooms of gold and jewels, down a street made of gold bricks-which was lined with beautiful houses-and up to the ornate doors of a huge room.
Peter smiled encouragingly when I faltered, and then, turning, he walked away. Hesitantly, I pushed open the doors.
I was surrounded by brilliant Light and a warm Voice saying, “Welcome, Child.” I stepped forward, and then fell to my knees. Before me stood a man, His face the very picture of Love. His deep eyes were filled with more passion than I could comprehend. His face was too beautiful for words. His voice was enough to make you feel like if you had ceased to exist at that moment, you would have done it willingly, because your life had been fulfilled.
A song that I used to sing in church came to mind. I Want to Sing You a Love Song… I knew He could hear my thoughts. For You are the Thief of my heart… I pressed my face to the ground. Rhythm and Rhyme try to describe it. No matter how hard I try, I can’t hide it… I was wracked with involuntary tremors as His Light washed over me.
Faithful, You are Faithful… I spoke out loud. “ But I’ve turned my back on You so many times.” …I have found nothing but good in Your Heart… “Search me, Lord. I’m unclean.” …Loving, You are loving. I am in love with the way that You are… “And I’ve been so hateful.” …Thankful, I am thankful… “Not thankful, Lord. Ungrateful.”
…I had been running away on my own… “I’ve turned my back on You so many times, Lord, and you always took me back.” …And then You found me… “You searched for me incessantly, Lord.” …Oh, how You love me… “Why, Lord? Why?” …I know You’ll never leave me alone... “When I left You so many times?”
A warm Laughter emanated from the all-consuming Light. “Child, I died for you. How could I not love you?” I looked up into His loving face. “Why did you die for me?” The Lord pulled me into an embrace that I felt I could stay in forever. His answer told me I could. “Because I made you.”

There is no greater joy than for me to see my children knowing God.

Sunday-Thursday....and Boy's Haircuts

2008-06-12T17:11:00.010-05:00

Sunday-Phillip and the kids went to worship. I was blessed with the honor of sitting with Gillian at the hospital while her mom and dad went to worship together for the first time in several weeks. It was such a joy. She is smiling again!! She recognized me and made he happy noises as I kissed her hand. She also sat up in her wheelchair for 2 hours!!! This is such an accomplishment as she continues to get better.
After worship Phil and I went to a meeting to finalize plans for JAM Camp (Jesus and Me). This is a week long camp for our 1st-5th graders up in Oklahoma. C will be graduating this year. Look for pictures later of camp and his graduation. I can't believe he will be middle school age soon!
Later that evening we were able to participate in an ice cream social/church service. We are meeting on Sunday nights in a new location to see what the Lord has planned in that area. We are excited at what He is doing.
Monday-hmmmmm? Oh! J started horse camp this week. They are preparing to do a performance with the horses this Friday. J has been riding for a little over a year now and is so comfortable around horses now. I wish I were! LOL Oh, we also did school.
Tuesday-Same as Mon. except that we met with our home group Tues. night.
Wednesday-Same as Mon. and Tues. but we also worked on cleaning the garage again. We cleaned it out recently but then the kids cleaned out their rooms and put everything in the garage. So, we spent about 1 1/2 hours yesterday working on getting things separated out to donate, give away, and store. We still have more work to do but we made a good dent in the garage. The girls went to youth group, Dad to an elder/staff meeting and took the boys with him so I was alone at home last night. It was wonderful to have a quiet house all to myself for a little while.
Thursday- Horse Camp for J, I ran several errands getting things ready for camp, then came home to find out some friends were coming over. We had lunch, enjoyed catching up, kids played "Apples to Apples" and then they were off to spend some time together.
I then took the boys for haircuts. One of these days I am going to remember to take before pictures before I go to get their hair cut. But these "before" pictures are recent enough.
BEFORE:

What a difference!

Martin Family Campout June 6-7,2008

2008-06-12T16:23:00.014-05:00

This past weekend we took a trip to Lake Cooper for our Martin Family Campout. We enjoyed camping with Grandmommy and PawPaw, Aunts and Uncles. There were no cousins there because they have all grown and were busy doing other things. Here we are sitting around enjoying hamburgers for dinner.

Throughout the weekend we had a little visitor who really enjoyed the mirror on our car. He did not seem to be afraid of anyone and really enjoyed seeing himself in the mirror.

We went hiking.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the lake.

The boys also got a chance to do some fishing.

Here Dad helps C out.

Dad helps R with his pole and gets him fishing.

It must be hard work! LOL

A went hiking against her will be ended up enjoying it. Here she is mugging for a picture.

We are blessed to have grandparents nearby. PawPaw showed the boys how to tie hooks on their poles. Unfortunately they kept losing their hooks to tree branches and they eventually ran out. But, they got a lot of practice tying them onto their poles.

All in all it was a great weekend. We did go swimming and enjoyed family. The weather even proved nice for June!

The things you find around my house...

2008-06-02T19:08:00.003-05:00

Two days ago I walked into my room and found this....

I snapped a picture without it's knowledge and then sat at my desk to do some work on the computer. When I turned around I found this......

What goes through the mind of a little boy?LOL

Today I walked in to find this going on in my room. That same little boy is now eagerly helping his dad put a desk together. He was behind the desk earlier hammering away. I love how he loves to work with Daddy.

Good and Faithful Servant

2008-06-01T22:42:00.005-05:00

Today in worship our communion talk was about Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-36). It was pointed out that so often we think we are safest in the boat during a storm. But Peter was truly in the better, or should I say safest, place when he was walking on the water in the midst of a storm. Why? Because he was with Jesus. There is no safer place to be.
Peter knew that Jesus asking him to walk on water was scary. He knew it was impossible and he knew the only way he could do it was with Jesus.
The young man giving our communion talk called himself a "math" guy and so he summed it up with this little formula:
A little faith + God = The Impossible!
I have a precious friend, no a sister who is in the midst of the storm. She has been walking in this storm for the last 4 weeks. Her daughter has been in the Intensive Care Unit very, very sick. Several times during this hospitalization she has been in an emergency situation and held onto life with medicine, machines but mostly with the prayers of many petitioning God.
Throughout this time Kimberly has prayed without ceasing. Much of the time it has been through tears. She is scared, she knows that what she has been called to do is impossible, but, she knows that the only way she can do it is with Christ. She is walking on water because she is keeping her eyes on Jesus. At times the storm overwhelms her and she begins to sink. But, she knows who her Savior is and crys out to Him and He lifts her up again. She is in the midst of the storm walking on water. But she is safer than all of us because she is where she knows she needs to be. She is in the midst of the storm but, she is with Jesus.
She feels weak and pulled and stained. But she is walking on top of the water because she is focused and completely dependant on Christ.
This is for you precious sister-friend because I see what you cannot right now. I see you walking on water because you are surrendering all.
After communion we sang "I surrender All". All I could think of was how perfect this song described you right now.

All to Jesus, I surrender
All to Him I freely give.
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all.
I surrender all.
All to thee my precious Saviour,
I surrender all.

I know our Lord is saying "Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done!"
I love you Kimberly. Keep doing the impossible. Keep walking on water as you keep your eyes on Jesus.

Wednesday- What more can I say?

2008-05-29T09:16:00.005-05:00

5-28-08
This past week I have been gone from home a lot. The kids have missed me and everytime I walk out the door it is to very sad faces asking me if I have to go. Well, today I didn't HAVE to go so I cancelled my morning meeting to be with the kids. We did school, continued working on decluttering our home and then had a picnic lunch at the park.
While we were walking to our picnic area J found this huge dandilion.

Here she is with it up against her hand to give you an idea how big it was.

J,C and R all blew it away together. Unfortunately I missed the picture of that one!
We then enjoyed a picnic in the shade.

After lunch we were going to skip rocks in the river but it was too muddy from the rain so we just went for a walk in the park. I love that I can do this with my kids in the middle of the day. It was fun to just be with them.
Well, tomorrow is another day. We will see what it holds.

Day at the Creek with Friends

2008-05-26T06:58:00.010-05:00

Sunday 5-25-08
As I mentioned in the previous post we took the kids to the creek Sunday evening. We had a picnic lunch and then went "wading" in the creek. Well, I am sure you are not surprised to find out that they got a little more wet than wading would do, but that is why we planned ahead and put them in swimsuits! LOL
The water was cold and we had a few who were a little reluctant to get in. Here are A and RT as they attempt to get in the creek.

Of course the boys had no problem getting right in!

Here Dad is helping R remember how to swim with his "big arms", his over hand stroke. He is too busy playing to take the time to work on this but we do have Summer Camp (JAM Camp- Jesus and Me) coming up and they swim daily.

The creek is pretty full this year so we have a little area of rapids the kids like to play in. Here they are trying to come back upstream.

RT was nervous about walking in the creek as the current was a little stong. Nothing we worried about but he had never been wading here before so Phillip helped him out.

Once he was in, he loved it!

Everyone had a blast!

Then it was time to head home.

The kids played some more and stayed up until there were signs of exhaustion. They stayed up pretty late and are still asleep now. It is only 7:30am but I don't usually get uninterrupted time to post.
Soon all 6 kids will be awake and they will hit the floor running. How blessed we are!

Don't you just love it.

2008-05-26T06:38:00.003-05:00

Well, another week has passed and so a quick update. We did school most days this week. The kids are catching up nicely and we are moving right along. We are going to have to school through the summer but I am looking forward to a more relaxed time of schooling with less activities to take us out of the house.
We have also been doing some late spring cleaning. We are taking it in baby steps and are making quite a bit of progress. I wish I had thought to take some before pictures but maybe I will get some "in progress" pictures and then some "after" pictures later.
5-23-08
Friday after school and some cleaning the kids were quiet while I worked on some school planning. I have our Science planned out for the summer. Woohoo!!! When I finished I went looking for the kids and this is what I found the boys doing.

I love seeing how well my kids get along with each other and how they love to share doing things together.
Saturday we did some more cleaning and the boys then went to a birthday party while the girls stayed home and lazed around. Phillip and I were able to catch a movie. We went to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. We enjoyed it. It is much tamer than the previous three but still had some scenes that were tough to watch.
Sunday we went to worship and then out to eat with some friends. We took their boys home with us and I was able to nap for a short time. The neighborhood pool opened up but since it was the first weekend it was open we were sure it would be crowded and we were right. So we decided to take the kids to the creek. I will post pictures in another post.
All in all a good week.

Hawaiian Falls 5-19-08

2008-05-25T00:51:00.006-05:00

Every year the water park "Hawaiian Falls" has a Home School Day. We love to go on this day as it is not crowded and the kids can go on all of the water slides and rides as often as they like. The only bad thing about it is that, since it is so early in the year, the water is ICE COLD!!! It takes a bit to get used to. The kids however didn't mind at all. Here they are in the Wave Pool. It is like the surf coming in on a beach. J and C were in it for sometime. This pool was shallow and so it was warmer.
I caught J and R coming out but they don't look so warm to me.

Here are A and R....well, at least the bottom half of R. LOL!

At one of the pools in the park there is a crossing challenge. They have to cross over several flotation devices in the form of wood and logs. Three of the four gave it a go....
Here is R's attempt. He started out a little slow.

But, then picked it up quite a bit.

Earlier he had done this without batting an eye and was so quick I didn't get a picture!
Here is J's attempt. She did great until the very last step and fell in! But ever the go-getter, she went around and tried again with no problem at all!

Not to be outdone, C went and made it across too!

Where was I during all this excitement? I was lying in an inner tube going round and round on the "Lazy River"!
All in all it was a good day. I only wish we could do it later in the summer. The kids kept saying that you will get used to the cold water and then you won't even notice it. Well, I don't think I got used to it, I think I went numb! LOL!

Piano Recital 5-18-08

2008-05-25T00:34:00.003-05:00

R had his end of the year piano recital this past Sunday. He was soooo nervous. He opened the program with his solo and then finished it with his duet of "When the Saints Go Marching In".
He picked out his outfit the night before and made sure he had everything he needed.
(Mom, Dad, Sister-do you recognize the outfit? It is C's outfit from the 50th anniversary!)
When we arrived for the recital he was certain he did not know his solo by memory so his teacher ran upstairs to practice with him. She said he did perfectly. When it came time to start he went right up to the piano and played flawlessly!
Here are a couple of pictures. Sorry they are so blurry. I forgot my camera so these were taken with Phillip's phone.

At the end of his program he played his duet without missing a note. We were so proud of him and he was very proud too! Way to go R! Take a bow!

Home to Home School

2008-05-17T15:39:00.002-05:00

This week we have had an interrupted week. We have a friend's precious dd in the hospital stuggling with pneumonia. She is a very sick little girl and is in the PICU. Please keep her in your prayers. She has been there for 2 weeks and still has several more weeks in the hospital. My youngest calls her "G". I have been going to go visit her and her mom, but not as much as I would like to.
I have spent a lot of the week getting my house back in order. After healing from surgery physically I realized I was also battling healing from the surgery emotionally. So, I talked with Phillip and asked for help. He, as usual, jumped right in to encourage me and help me get through the "funk" (for lack of a better word) of post-surgical healing.
So, I have stepped up to my place as Keeper of my home. We have a menu plan and groceries, we have begun spring cleaning and putting away fall/winter clothing and getting rid of that which no longer fits. I have made meals most days for most meals. Yeah!!!!
I have caught up with medication orders I needed to make for my kids, appts. scheduled or re-scheduled as needed, ran J and C to the orthodontist, made it to the doctor myself and am generally getting back in the swing of things.
Wednesday- we had our last day of our Ladies Bible Class. It was fun as we simply had fellowship together. We went out to eat and then came and played a great game called....hmmmm....what was it called????? I can't remember! LOL
Well, I need to find out the name because if was such fun and is an excellent game for getting to know each other better. Then I ran to the hospital, then to the library, never made it to the bank and finally home later that evening.
Thursday Ran to the hospital, visited with my accountability partner, came home, cleaned up a bit and had a book study with the ladies from my homeschool co-op. We are going over the book "Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe". I will review the book when we are finished and maybe even try a giveaway! I have not done that before but would like to try.
Friday- Well this was appt. day. We ran from one appt. to the other and then we ran to see "Prince Caspian". We loved it!!!! Since it is so new out I will not say much about it. But, we will be using it to study some biblical principles we saw in the movie in school come Monday. All of us, including Phillip, got to go. We love C.S. Lewis and were very much looking forward to this movie coming out. There are so few movies we can take the kids to without previewing it first. I will say that my kids are older and I would be cautious taking little ones because the battle scenes, though not gory or bloody, are a bit more intense.
Saturday-Today we worked on the house and the garage after sleeping in and having a late breakfast. We are now enjoying the fruit of our labor and just generally relaxing as we wait for friend to join us for dinner tonight.
Not much exciting in the Martin household but it has been a good week.

What are little boys made of....

2008-05-13T16:37:00.003-05:00

Can you see it?

"What?", you may ask, "is this?".
Well, it started off with a distraught young man coming to me to tell me he was NOT doing what he was supposed to do. He confessed that he was throwing a screwdriver like a knife and......well.....he missed his intended target and got, you guessed it, the wall.
What you see is a nice hole in the wall put there by an errant screwdriver. LOL!
I assured him that I understood it was a mistake but that his father would need to be told.
His father laughed first and said, "it is in the nature of boys to use things as knives". However, he also said that "if a boy was going to succumb to his nature then he was also going to be repairing the wall!".
However, the story continued to unfold. When the young man's sister heard the story she told him, "You were supposed to be throwing it at the cardboard box!" Then she proceeded to explain how she had been throwing it at the box and not missing. When I realized she could have been the example my son followed I immediately asked who put the first hole in the box to begin with. Both the oldest son and the youngest daughter pointed in opposite directions directly at their little brother who was in the middle of them! LOL!
When said son realized he was being accused he exclaimed "All I did was poke it, I didn't throw it at the box!"
So there you have it. A day in the life....Kids, you gotta love 'em!

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!

2008-05-13T16:29:00.007-05:00

Mother’s Day 5-11-08

Mother’s Day was an absolutely wonderful, relaxing day for me. This is what greeted me before worship.

It is always so much fun seeing what they pick out for me!

R picked this out himself. He just knew I would love it and he was right!

Mother’s Day is not the day to go out and eat. So, we opted to get some fried chicken and go to the park with some friends. The weather was great for a picnic.

The kids had a great time climbing trees, sword fighting, taking pictures and just playing around.

Da Boys!

After a long relaxing lunch, we went for a walk to the creek.

It was a great day. I was able to call Mom and wish her and my sister’s a Happy Mother’s Day. Then we went home. God is good.

Home School Day at Six Flags

2008-05-13T16:05:00.004-05:00

5-08-08

Last Thursday was Homeschool Days at Six Flags. This is our favorite day of the year to go. It is never crowded and the weather is usually beautiful. We missed last year so we did NOT want to miss this year.

We always start out on the Carousel.

A and R pose for the picture

J and C (my hams!)

Mom

We rode ride after ride after ride.

The end of a long, fun day!

Another Birthday Party

2008-05-13T15:40:00.011-05:00

Lest I forget....

We have young adult living in our home. I have know her since before she was born. We celebrated her birthday at Cafe Brazil. Here are some highlights.
Smile Everyone

The candles completely covered her pancakes

We didn’t think about the pancakes being hot. The candles melted into her pancakes. oops!

Bethany being the “dancing type”, her card played “Everybody do that Conga!”

Here she is opening her gifts. Does she look surprised? What fun this was giving it to her.

Group Picture

Bethany Dancing the Conga, or not! LOL

Everyone decided to help her out

Happy Birthday Bethany!
5-03-08

Missed the Bluebonnets...

2008-05-13T15:12:00.004-05:00

April 30,2008
So we did Wildflowers instead! This year even though the bluebonnets came up late, we missed taking pictures in them so we opted for wildflowers. The kids are always so willing to humor Mom.
Here the girls give me their best smiles!

I call this one, “Tough Guys in Flowers”

But, as usual, they will smile when Mom asks them to.

I love my boys!

Aren’t daughters a treasure

Well....

Why do we still have the Happy Birthday Banner up?

2008-05-02T21:26:00.001-05:00

Well, today is Bethany's birthday! Happy Birthday Bethany! We will be celebrating tomorrow. Hopefully we will have pictures! Stay tuned!

Another Week Goes By

2008-05-02T20:45:00.003-05:00

I just realized it has been almost a week since I last blogged and it was a blogging marathon. So, I thought I would do a quick update and add pictures tomorrow.
Sunday-Sunday Morning Worship, out to lunch, a quick run to drop off the boys at Planet Pizza for a birthday party, quick trip to Target to buy the birthday gift, run to Home Depot to pick up the soil for our garden, pick up boys and back home. Enjoyed the family at home.
Monday-School, Migraine. That about sums up the day.
Tuesday-Got the kids school started. Went shopping and out to lunch with a friend for a free birthday lunch. By the time I got home I was fighting to keep my stomach from a tummy bug. Unfortunately these cause stomach pain and so I took pain meds. The kids watched movies. That about sums up Tues.
Wednesday -Up and going. Ladies Bible Class. The girls do the child care for the young moms. Ran lots of errands. Library. Realized we had not taken bluebonnet pictures this year and went off hunting bluebonnets. It is really late so we did not find any but did find a patch of wildflowers. I will add the pictures to another post sometime this weekend.
Thursday -Got the kids started on school and left for a "Gastric Motility Test". The endoscopy revealed that my stomach is not emptying very quickly and this test should help determine why. It was a very easy test. I had to eat radioactive scrambled eggs and then have an x-ray of my stomach taken every 15 min. for the next 2 hours. The good thing is that I was able to do a lot of Bible Reading in between x-rays. It was wonderful to be able to have that focused time. Had lunch with Phillip and came home to nap. Didn't get to nap. Started having pain which I believe is a ruptured cyst on my ovary (unfortunately I am very familiar with this pain), off to doctor who drew some blood, ordered pain meds and ordered an ultrasound. Went home, took pain meds. So much for Thurs.
Friday -feeling much better but very sore. Got the kids started on school. Went to meet my accountability partner for our weekly meeting, took the kids to the park to meet with co-op moms and friends, thought we lost a child. Thankfully his mom had him at the bathroom. C found "an exoskeleton of a crayfish". Can you tell he is homeschooled! LOL! "A" caught minnows to add to her animal collection here at home. It was a beautiful day at the park. Unfortunately since this was a last minute decision I did not have my camera. Sorry, no pictures. After the park I went to my ultrasound appt. It went well, results next week.
On the way home I witnessed an accident. Thankfully everyone was okay. Picked up some things for dinner, grilled and watched a movie with the kids. So, here we are at the end of another week.
I hope to be home next week to "Home" school. Thankfully the kids are old enough to get some schooling done on their own. But, I will be really glad to be home with them to get more schooling done.
Mom and Dad, I will try to call to fill you in tomorrow. Don't worry!
Hopefully I will get some pictures up some time tomorrow. All in all, it HAS been a pretty good week, but I am really glad it is almost over.

Visit from my Sister

2008-04-26T12:51:00.003-05:00

This week I got to enjoy a visit from my oldest sister. She is both my physical sister and my spiritual sister and I am so greatly blessed to have her. This week we shopped, talked, laughed and just enjoyed each other. I also got to spend time with my neice which is always a joy.
Today we had to say good-bye. So we met at Cafe Brazil for breakfast with my sister's family -1. It was a great breakfast and lots of fun. Here we are all after we filled our tummies!

I realized that I do not have a picture with my sister so after the group photo we had our picture taken together.

I cherish the times we have together. I wish I could see my other sisters more too. There is nothing better than having a sister in family and in Christ.

Blogging Marathon

2008-04-25T18:07:00.000-05:00

I realize I have not blogged in awhile, but that does not mean that nothing has been happening. So, here is a blogging marathon. Just keep scrolling down until you get caught up on all our doings!!! Sorry for the delay. I really will try to get better!! LOL

Funday Friday

2008-04-25T18:03:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day of our Spring Break. We decided to spend it at the park. It was a beautiful, warm, cloudy day that threatened rain most of the morning. However, it held off and the kids got to enjoy the outdoors. They explored, hiked, played on the playground, captured a fish at the creek and enjoyed time with friends. We spent the day with friends from co-op and it was a relaxing time. The weather determined when we were finished. The winds blew up and the clouds darkened and then it began a light rain. It was light until we were in the car and then the skies opened up. It was a good day. We then came home and the kids watched "Alvin and the Chipmunks" while I blogged. We will have to get back to school on Monday with a goal of finishing up this year by the end of June. If we are diligent and barring any more complications we should be able to accomplish this with a few days off here and there.

Happy Birthday, Sweet 16!

2008-04-25T17:49:00.008-05:00

Can you believe it? My baby girl is 16! Time goes by so fast. My sister is in town and we had planned to celebrate A’s birthday while she was here. However my sister could not be here on A’s actual BD so we scrambled to get everything together the day before! What fun we had shopping, planning and surprising!
We locked A in her room while we got everything together.

Come on down!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you!

She has the most beautiful smile!

She asked for an ice cream cake. Thank you DeEtta for your wonderful recipe!!!

BLOW!!!!

She is always so appreciative of her gifts. She loved every one.

For her 16th birthday we bought her a purity ring. This ring shows her commitment to remain pure until the Lord binds her to her husband someday. Dad presented her with the ring....

It was really hard on Dad. His “little” girl is growing up.

These are truly bittersweet moments.
Happy Birthday baby girl. We are so proud of you.

MIDNIGHT!!!!!!
As you may recall we surprised her sister on her birthday with an early morning run to IHOP. Since her sister is NOT a morning person this worked out well for her. However, A IS a morning person so we had to really think to catch her by surprise. Leave it to her Tia Let to come up with the perfect plan! What if we wake her up at midnight and take her then?!?!?!? GOTCHA!!!!

Happy Birthday to you! Wake up!!!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!!

Happy Birthday dear A!!!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!!!

Off to IHOP we went!!!! Her cousin Erin joined us for the late night festivities too!

This was a great idea when we planned it at 11:00 that morning.....

Needless to say, we all slept late the next day!!!!!