Out for a breath of fresh air.

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

Just another Manic Monday.

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

Happy Mother's Day!!

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

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

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

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

Spring Day at the Park

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

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

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

Birthday Weekend-Tyler Azalea Trails

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Birthday Bonanza

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Retreat

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

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

San Antonio Visit Tuesday, Part 2

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...

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*