No electricity today as the electrician was replacing our box. We also couldn't open the windows due to the radon testing. I figured it would be one hot house!
So I called up my friend Yvette and invited ourselves (and our crockpot) over for the afternoon. There are not many people whom you can call and invade with 9 kids. Not only was she very welcoming, she even went so far as to invite Wendy and Laurie to spend the day with us too.
Oh my. I can't even tell you how wonderful it felt to be in the company of these good friends today. We talked about God, school, church, food, and even chinchillas. My cup was filled.
Thank you God for these sweet friends and how they point me to You, encourage me in everything, and have been such a help in every way.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Revamping The Kitchen Work
I've noticed something. Whenever I assign certain jobs in the kitchen, the kids only do that job and nothing more. They have a "it's not MY job" sort of attitude about anything that has not been assigned to them. There is not the collective feeling of working together to finish a project and being proud of the end result. No, it's more of a get-it-done mindset.
After some bickering over who's turn it was to do dishes and who did them last I excused them all from the privilege of cleaning the kitchen tonight. No one would receive the blessing of serving God by serving the family through kitchen work. I did it all myself.
And as I worked and listened to my iPod, I prayed.
Assigning kitchen duties has not been an easy task. It's a huge job. And while we have many hands, if we're not careful there are *too* many hands and it ends in waiting and tripping over each other. But it was time to rethink it and try something else.
Thinking and praying through it, I realized that I need to be more hands on in the cleaning of the kitchen. They have gotten into some bad habits that need to be fixed and don't have eyes to see what has been missed.
Soooo...my new plan is to work in the kitchen with COW (child of the week) not only in the cooking of the day but also in the cleaning. Babies can play with Daddy and I can call in more help for certain areas if needed.
It'll give me a chance to work on the bad habits and spend more time with each child.
Anybody else have issues with kitchen chores?
After some bickering over who's turn it was to do dishes and who did them last I excused them all from the privilege of cleaning the kitchen tonight. No one would receive the blessing of serving God by serving the family through kitchen work. I did it all myself.
And as I worked and listened to my iPod, I prayed.
Assigning kitchen duties has not been an easy task. It's a huge job. And while we have many hands, if we're not careful there are *too* many hands and it ends in waiting and tripping over each other. But it was time to rethink it and try something else.
Thinking and praying through it, I realized that I need to be more hands on in the cleaning of the kitchen. They have gotten into some bad habits that need to be fixed and don't have eyes to see what has been missed.
Soooo...my new plan is to work in the kitchen with COW (child of the week) not only in the cooking of the day but also in the cleaning. Babies can play with Daddy and I can call in more help for certain areas if needed.
It'll give me a chance to work on the bad habits and spend more time with each child.
Anybody else have issues with kitchen chores?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
What I'm Learning This Week....
The Lord has been talking to me lately about what it means to really forgive. Not just say you forgive. But to forgive completely.
I've been working with our ortho office to get the balances on the kids' accts before we leave. So I asked her, "Did my insurance pay their portion?" She said, "I don't know, but it doesn't matter. Whatever they haven't paid we'll write off."
So I thought about what that meant to write something off. Erased. Gone. Like it wasn't there. We don't have to negotiate about it or work it out. It's done.
That was what Jesus did for us. That's forgiveness. When you feel like you must "work through" something then it's not true forgiveness. It's based on your ability to reconcile the events in your mind. What if you're not able to do that?
And while I can "write off" an offense, the irritated feelings can still surface. I need to examine my own heart and see WHY that bothers me.
Jonathan Edwards said, "Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or of the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination."
So I ask, why do I care? Am I holding on to a right that I don't have? Am I exalting a man in my mind to care too much about what he/she thinks? ....fear of man. Is my significance in what someone thinks of me or my actions?
Those are what I need to get right before the Lord. I am only accountable for my own heart.
I want to deny all "natural" feelings and ask God for supernatural power of writing it off.
I've been working with our ortho office to get the balances on the kids' accts before we leave. So I asked her, "Did my insurance pay their portion?" She said, "I don't know, but it doesn't matter. Whatever they haven't paid we'll write off."
So I thought about what that meant to write something off. Erased. Gone. Like it wasn't there. We don't have to negotiate about it or work it out. It's done.
That was what Jesus did for us. That's forgiveness. When you feel like you must "work through" something then it's not true forgiveness. It's based on your ability to reconcile the events in your mind. What if you're not able to do that?
And while I can "write off" an offense, the irritated feelings can still surface. I need to examine my own heart and see WHY that bothers me.
Jonathan Edwards said, "Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or of the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination."
So I ask, why do I care? Am I holding on to a right that I don't have? Am I exalting a man in my mind to care too much about what he/she thinks? ....fear of man. Is my significance in what someone thinks of me or my actions?
Those are what I need to get right before the Lord. I am only accountable for my own heart.
I want to deny all "natural" feelings and ask God for supernatural power of writing it off.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Today
Really I have no idea how it was possible to squeeze so much goodness into one day. Here goes....
~I had a great quiet time with the Lord this morning.
~The house is clean b/c we had a showing.
~I cancelled all other showings b/c we got an OFFER!! Oh yeah.
~We had a friend over, took muffins to the park, and walked around looking at the prairie dogs.
~I took a nap.
~Watched my son win 2 soccer games.
~Got new shoes.
~Had a fun night with my church family. Oh I will miss them.
~Read to my little ones and tucked their sweet heads into bed.
It's been a good full day.
~I had a great quiet time with the Lord this morning.
~The house is clean b/c we had a showing.
~I cancelled all other showings b/c we got an OFFER!! Oh yeah.
~We had a friend over, took muffins to the park, and walked around looking at the prairie dogs.
~I took a nap.
~Watched my son win 2 soccer games.
~Got new shoes.
~Had a fun night with my church family. Oh I will miss them.
~Read to my little ones and tucked their sweet heads into bed.
It's been a good full day.
Friday, June 19, 2009
A Blessing And A Missed Opportunity
During a recent showing we headed to a local park. Arriving at the playground it was immediately clear that a day care had beat us to it. My little son was amazed at the coincidence that everybody had on orange shirts. ;-)
2 kids were on the tire swing, leaving one spot available. My 5yo asked if he could swing with them. I said "yes" and he headed off. Unfortunately an orange kid saw this and took off running to beat him to the spot. Nate just smiled at me, shrugged his shoulders, and did that cute thing with his eyebrows that he's so good at.
One of the three yells out "Will you push us?" to his 2 teachers chatting under the gazebo.
"NO, find a friend!" was the answer from the shade.
My little guy smiles big and says, "I'll push you!"
I was so proud of him for blessing someone who was ugly to him.
Across the way there are 2 single swings. Mally and Z want to swing but they are full. So we go over to the slide to play and wait.
In one swing was a momma pushing her little girl. In the other was an orange kid.
The orange kid yells out to her teachers, "Will you push me?"
"NO, find a friend!" Apparently the standard answer.
Then the girl asks the mom, "Will you push me too?"
She was flatly refused.
She asked again and the mom told her, "No, I'm pushing my own little girl."
Really? I mean she was right there! How easy it would've been to push 2 swings side by side. This kid does not have the advantage of having a momma there to push her. Her teachers are more interested in visiting then helping her. Doesn't this momma see that? I couldn't believe the easy opportunity she missed to bless this little girl.
I don't mean to be overly critical b/c I know I've missed countless opportunites b/c of my own selfishness. But I came away from there hoping that I would eyes to see like my son and not like that mom.
2 kids were on the tire swing, leaving one spot available. My 5yo asked if he could swing with them. I said "yes" and he headed off. Unfortunately an orange kid saw this and took off running to beat him to the spot. Nate just smiled at me, shrugged his shoulders, and did that cute thing with his eyebrows that he's so good at.
One of the three yells out "Will you push us?" to his 2 teachers chatting under the gazebo.
"NO, find a friend!" was the answer from the shade.
My little guy smiles big and says, "I'll push you!"
I was so proud of him for blessing someone who was ugly to him.
Across the way there are 2 single swings. Mally and Z want to swing but they are full. So we go over to the slide to play and wait.
In one swing was a momma pushing her little girl. In the other was an orange kid.
The orange kid yells out to her teachers, "Will you push me?"
"NO, find a friend!" Apparently the standard answer.
Then the girl asks the mom, "Will you push me too?"
She was flatly refused.
She asked again and the mom told her, "No, I'm pushing my own little girl."
Really? I mean she was right there! How easy it would've been to push 2 swings side by side. This kid does not have the advantage of having a momma there to push her. Her teachers are more interested in visiting then helping her. Doesn't this momma see that? I couldn't believe the easy opportunity she missed to bless this little girl.
I don't mean to be overly critical b/c I know I've missed countless opportunites b/c of my own selfishness. But I came away from there hoping that I would eyes to see like my son and not like that mom.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Scrambled Thoughts Of Moving Part 2
I love this blog. It helps me sort out the mess in my brain. I think this will end up sounding more like something that should be on my husband's blog than mine!
Fear will stop you in your tracks. That's where I am now. All of a sudden.
Was there fear involved in the move from AR to CO? Yep. But it was different. Fear of the unknown...more like uncertainty. New city, new house, new friends, new church, new everything.
But we moved ahead with the leading of the Lord and with noble motives to boot. And boy did we move in! We pretty much jumped in with both feet and ran with it.
Oh there was the homesickness. Much much homesickness. And crying calls back home. And lots of walks with Joey convincing myself that I DO like CO.
And I do. We all do.
Then there was the day when I checked my e-mail to find a soccer registration from my son's team in FSM. And my husband got a job offer. AND our old house was for sale again. Oh my. BUT we did not have the leading from the Lord. And that was ok. A bit of a sad sigh, but ok anyway.
Life went on and we were still enjoying CO. More so everyday with new friends and growing closer to our church.
Then there were the miscarriages. And the lack of conceiving in general. And while I don't even have a reason for mentioning it, it's there all the same. Sort of the feeling of ....this never happened back home.
Graduation in AR. A fun trip back with Eldest to watch our friends. The comfortable feeling of being home and praying to the Lord with questions like..."can this ever be home again?" Lots of tears saying goodbye. And that was it. I decided that I could not have a foot in both worlds. We couldn't go back unless it was to stay. But could we go back to stay? Through prayer I felt the Lord's permission to talk to Mike about it.
That time didn't come. You see, the next morning we woke up and he prayed with me about going back! What? I didn't mention it. I was happy to be home. This was the first I'd heard anything about him having similar ideas.
A job became available and he got an offer the same day. What does that mean? A chance to go home...but is it right?? What about all the reasons we left? They are still there.
We don't have a good answer when people ask "why?". There's no particular reason. We don't hate it here. We're not moving toward more money. In fact there's every reason to stay. I go back and forth between excitement to go home and fear of leaving all that is good.
And there is plenty of good. Free college tuition. A job 2 miles up the road. A great house with lots of open space outside. Opportunities for our kids. A church that is more like a family than any we've known before.
And while we feel the Lord's permission we do not feel His leading. As in the reason to go or the command to go. Just like permission if we want to.
So now what? I'm gripped with fear and confusion and the inclination to just sit down and stay. I know the verses about fear. And right now they don't shed any light.
Please pray for peace.
Fear will stop you in your tracks. That's where I am now. All of a sudden.
Was there fear involved in the move from AR to CO? Yep. But it was different. Fear of the unknown...more like uncertainty. New city, new house, new friends, new church, new everything.
But we moved ahead with the leading of the Lord and with noble motives to boot. And boy did we move in! We pretty much jumped in with both feet and ran with it.
Oh there was the homesickness. Much much homesickness. And crying calls back home. And lots of walks with Joey convincing myself that I DO like CO.
And I do. We all do.
Then there was the day when I checked my e-mail to find a soccer registration from my son's team in FSM. And my husband got a job offer. AND our old house was for sale again. Oh my. BUT we did not have the leading from the Lord. And that was ok. A bit of a sad sigh, but ok anyway.
Life went on and we were still enjoying CO. More so everyday with new friends and growing closer to our church.
Then there were the miscarriages. And the lack of conceiving in general. And while I don't even have a reason for mentioning it, it's there all the same. Sort of the feeling of ....this never happened back home.
Graduation in AR. A fun trip back with Eldest to watch our friends. The comfortable feeling of being home and praying to the Lord with questions like..."can this ever be home again?" Lots of tears saying goodbye. And that was it. I decided that I could not have a foot in both worlds. We couldn't go back unless it was to stay. But could we go back to stay? Through prayer I felt the Lord's permission to talk to Mike about it.
That time didn't come. You see, the next morning we woke up and he prayed with me about going back! What? I didn't mention it. I was happy to be home. This was the first I'd heard anything about him having similar ideas.
A job became available and he got an offer the same day. What does that mean? A chance to go home...but is it right?? What about all the reasons we left? They are still there.
We don't have a good answer when people ask "why?". There's no particular reason. We don't hate it here. We're not moving toward more money. In fact there's every reason to stay. I go back and forth between excitement to go home and fear of leaving all that is good.
And there is plenty of good. Free college tuition. A job 2 miles up the road. A great house with lots of open space outside. Opportunities for our kids. A church that is more like a family than any we've known before.
And while we feel the Lord's permission we do not feel His leading. As in the reason to go or the command to go. Just like permission if we want to.
So now what? I'm gripped with fear and confusion and the inclination to just sit down and stay. I know the verses about fear. And right now they don't shed any light.
Please pray for peace.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Today
~Such a good day. It started a bit rushed as I saw Honey and 6 kids off to a soccer tourney in Greeley. At the same time I loaded up the babies to drive Eldest to her ACT test.
That was weird.
In 17 years I've never ever had to take a child of mine and drop them off at a school. I wanted to cry. In all her years of schooling, I've been in charge. I've had my fingers in everything. I've loved her and looked out for her best interest and encouraged her in what she loves. Now here we are at college prep and it's out of my reach. I can't go sit with her. She could have a mean proctor. She could sit by someone disagreeable. A crazy lunatic could come in and shoot the place up.
That was hard. So I thought about her and prayed for her throughout the day.
~We all left a mess in the kitchen this morning so I really hoped I wasn't coming home to a message that said they were showing the house. The machine still showed "0". whew!
~Just me and Mally and Zekey! What fun. I got them dressed and we cleaned up the house for whenever the next showing would be. We didn't have to wait long. 10:30-11:30 and 1:30-3:00.
~What to do on a beautiful Saturday when you gotta be out of the house? Garage sale!! I picked up my friend, Mrs. Whitsell, and we followed the signs. (I'm planning on blogging about and introducing you to Mrs. Whitsell later.) I'm sure we spent way more time getting little ones in and out of car seats than actually shopping but it was fun all the same. Mrs. Whitsell took Mally and I took Zeke.
~I had just enough time to get home and make lunch before the next showing and picking up Meg. This house showing stuff is cramping my kitchen freedoms. I'm tired of quicky foods and need to think up creative ways to make real food quicker and more portable. I'm spoiled to eating at home and cooking whatever I want.
~So happy to pick up my baby girl!! All in one piece and even a smile on her face. She found a friend from fencing at testing and that made it more fun for her.
~Still not able to go home, I grabbed a burger for Meg and we went to Savers. I can not believe we walked out with NOTHING. Not one single little thing. Baby Z is about to fall over he's so tired and we still have about an hour until the showings are over.
~Out for ice cream! I miss my big crew but I'm also enjoying the special splurges I can do with just a couple. Meanwhile, my boys are winning all over the place in Greeley.
~Home at last and down for naps. My guys came home with pink noses and huge smiles. Lane was happy to see her dog. Honey rushed off to church. Gigantic rain just after I watered the backyard. LB threw up (not sure why yet).
~Tonight I'm enjoying some blogging time while Honey is loading up my iPod with my favorite Henry Blackaby message. Littles are tucked in. Big kids are still rattling around the house.
~It's been a good day.
That was weird.
In 17 years I've never ever had to take a child of mine and drop them off at a school. I wanted to cry. In all her years of schooling, I've been in charge. I've had my fingers in everything. I've loved her and looked out for her best interest and encouraged her in what she loves. Now here we are at college prep and it's out of my reach. I can't go sit with her. She could have a mean proctor. She could sit by someone disagreeable. A crazy lunatic could come in and shoot the place up.
That was hard. So I thought about her and prayed for her throughout the day.
~We all left a mess in the kitchen this morning so I really hoped I wasn't coming home to a message that said they were showing the house. The machine still showed "0". whew!
~Just me and Mally and Zekey! What fun. I got them dressed and we cleaned up the house for whenever the next showing would be. We didn't have to wait long. 10:30-11:30 and 1:30-3:00.
~What to do on a beautiful Saturday when you gotta be out of the house? Garage sale!! I picked up my friend, Mrs. Whitsell, and we followed the signs. (I'm planning on blogging about and introducing you to Mrs. Whitsell later.) I'm sure we spent way more time getting little ones in and out of car seats than actually shopping but it was fun all the same. Mrs. Whitsell took Mally and I took Zeke.
~I had just enough time to get home and make lunch before the next showing and picking up Meg. This house showing stuff is cramping my kitchen freedoms. I'm tired of quicky foods and need to think up creative ways to make real food quicker and more portable. I'm spoiled to eating at home and cooking whatever I want.
~So happy to pick up my baby girl!! All in one piece and even a smile on her face. She found a friend from fencing at testing and that made it more fun for her.
~Still not able to go home, I grabbed a burger for Meg and we went to Savers. I can not believe we walked out with NOTHING. Not one single little thing. Baby Z is about to fall over he's so tired and we still have about an hour until the showings are over.
~Out for ice cream! I miss my big crew but I'm also enjoying the special splurges I can do with just a couple. Meanwhile, my boys are winning all over the place in Greeley.
~Home at last and down for naps. My guys came home with pink noses and huge smiles. Lane was happy to see her dog. Honey rushed off to church. Gigantic rain just after I watered the backyard. LB threw up (not sure why yet).
~Tonight I'm enjoying some blogging time while Honey is loading up my iPod with my favorite Henry Blackaby message. Littles are tucked in. Big kids are still rattling around the house.
~It's been a good day.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Showings
I really knew better than this.
Never wreck the whole house at the same time when you KNOW the realtor could call at any minute and want to show it.
Loads of laundry waiting to be folded.
A HUGE mess of a kitchen.
Packing projects everywhere.
"Can we show the house at 1:30?" What?? It's 1:15 now. Fifteen minutes?? No way.
I pushed it back to 2:10. In that short time all my worker bees flew around the house helping me get it in tip top shape. We're calling ourselves "The New Extreme Home Makeover Team". What would I do without them? Thinking back on the mess of it all, I have NO idea how we pulled it off. Especially since we didn't hide anything in the oven.
They seem to like to show it at dinner time. Last night we grabbed sandwich stuff and had a picnic at the park. Not wanting to do sandwiches 2 nights in a row, I had Eldest make dinner in the morning so we could reheat quickly and take it to the park if need be.
Great idea...except if it rains.
Taco Bell for dinner tonight.
Never wreck the whole house at the same time when you KNOW the realtor could call at any minute and want to show it.
Loads of laundry waiting to be folded.
A HUGE mess of a kitchen.
Packing projects everywhere.
"Can we show the house at 1:30?" What?? It's 1:15 now. Fifteen minutes?? No way.
I pushed it back to 2:10. In that short time all my worker bees flew around the house helping me get it in tip top shape. We're calling ourselves "The New Extreme Home Makeover Team". What would I do without them? Thinking back on the mess of it all, I have NO idea how we pulled it off. Especially since we didn't hide anything in the oven.
They seem to like to show it at dinner time. Last night we grabbed sandwich stuff and had a picnic at the park. Not wanting to do sandwiches 2 nights in a row, I had Eldest make dinner in the morning so we could reheat quickly and take it to the park if need be.
Great idea...except if it rains.
Taco Bell for dinner tonight.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
My Current Reads
Isaiah. Hands down my favorite book of the Bible even though I don't understand half of it. To me it is a book of comfort and my first place to go when life goes awry. It's the most marked up book in my Bible. I'm working my way through the Old Testament and I'm glad Isaiah falls in my regular reading plan right now. Bookmark - my Bible's ribbon marker.
Philippians. Paul's letter of joy. I'm working on memorizing this book and internalizing Paul's joy, thankfulness, and contentment. I'm still on chapter one but plugging along. Bookmark - my Bible's ribbon marker.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. For about the last 10 years I've been slowly (Ok, veeery slowly) reading through some classics. I've enjoyed some, and others are a bit too dark for my taste. Wuthering Heights fits into the dark category. Or at least weird and disturbing. I'm only 1/2 through and wondering how it will end since one of the main characters just died. Bookmark - 2 cute ones that my 13yo son made for me when he was 4 and spelled my name "mome"
The Railway Children by E Nesbit. This is our tea book. I love the mom in this book and how cheerful she is amidst hard circumstances. It's a fun read and easy to read aloud. Bookmark - I still don't have one. The tea book always suffers in the bookmark area.
Pelican Cove by Milly Howard. My read aloud to the little boys. It's a treasure hunting mystery story with short chapters. The only mystery is why I'm reading it. Huge waste of time and boring BUT my guys like it. No bookmark for this one. My boys are eager to show me which chapter we're on....though I kinda wish they'd forget and skip a couple!
Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald This is a pretty girl book from Vision Forum that I'm reading aloud to the girls. It's meant to be a mom/daughter study. I like this book b/c its full of practical Truth and sweetness with a good measure of boldness. I confess that I'm behind on this one and need to pick it up again. Somehow I run out of steam at night and this is what gets left behind. No bookmark for this one either. What's up with my lack of bookmarks anyway??
A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23 by Philip Keller. BINGO!! I LOVE THIS BOOK. I can tell it's going to be a book that I read over and over. It is written by a real live shepherd and explains the significance behind why God calls Himself our Good Shepherd. If you're looking for a book of encouragement, love, and comfort, this is the one! Bookmark - A pretty blue and white one that LB made for me special for this particular book.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. This is LB's favorite book and she wanted me to read it too. Oh my, I was totally "enchanted" by it. Action packed, girly, and full of suspense. A quick fairy tale read that was lotsa fun for me. I was disappointed when it was over. Bookmark - a Quiznos receipt. She gave it to me to read in the airport during my last trip to AR and that was all I had.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Today
As I've been praying this weekend and thinking on the week ahead, one message rings loud and clear...."Don't neglect the littles." It is easy for them to get pushed aside in the hustle and bustle of packing and moving. I'm going to try extra hard to carve out some special time for them and include them the business of the week.
~I want to spend my time carefully while I'm here so I will still have time to spend with my friends before I go.
~I'm hoping to meet with the realtor today. Our pictures are ready and I thought I'd post them on my blog soon too. Just for fun.
~I have quite a few good boxes to get us started. I've prayed for free boxes and the Lord has delivered in abundance. Again!
~I've looked online for moving tips. Most of the things were pretty obvious but here's one that I didn't know. Label boxes by priority with A,B, and C. "A" boxes are the ones that are essential to life and need to be unpacked first. "B" boxes are helpful but not essential. And "C" are the ones you save for last.
~Potluck at church yesterday was sweet. Mrs. Whitsell was blessed with her 1st b-day party in 85 years! It was simple and homey and she seemed happy. How I love those ladies there.
~My son's soccer team won the Rush Cup last night! GO SWOOSH!!
~Meg is getting in as much open fencing as time and money will allow before we go. She also had a tournament this weekend and had a big fun time.
~Here's the house I'm praying for in FSM.
Spacious with a big level backyard (enough room for the tramp and pool)
Nice neighborhood on a quiet street with a cul-de-sac
4+ beds, 3+ baths
Workable kitchen
A good laundry room
Today's meals....
breakfast - bagels
lunch - sandwiches
dinner - smothered chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and salad (So much for meatless Monday)
tea - biscotti and milk
~I want to spend my time carefully while I'm here so I will still have time to spend with my friends before I go.
~I'm hoping to meet with the realtor today. Our pictures are ready and I thought I'd post them on my blog soon too. Just for fun.
~I have quite a few good boxes to get us started. I've prayed for free boxes and the Lord has delivered in abundance. Again!
~I've looked online for moving tips. Most of the things were pretty obvious but here's one that I didn't know. Label boxes by priority with A,B, and C. "A" boxes are the ones that are essential to life and need to be unpacked first. "B" boxes are helpful but not essential. And "C" are the ones you save for last.
~Potluck at church yesterday was sweet. Mrs. Whitsell was blessed with her 1st b-day party in 85 years! It was simple and homey and she seemed happy. How I love those ladies there.
~My son's soccer team won the Rush Cup last night! GO SWOOSH!!
~Meg is getting in as much open fencing as time and money will allow before we go. She also had a tournament this weekend and had a big fun time.
~Here's the house I'm praying for in FSM.
Spacious with a big level backyard (enough room for the tramp and pool)
Nice neighborhood on a quiet street with a cul-de-sac
4+ beds, 3+ baths
Workable kitchen
A good laundry room
Today's meals....
breakfast - bagels
lunch - sandwiches
dinner - smothered chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and salad (So much for meatless Monday)
tea - biscotti and milk
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Scrambled Thoughts Of Moving
My mind is full of a million thoughts and I have many cares to cast upon the Lord.
The Lord put the last puzzle piece in place yesterday morning and we will be heading back to our hometown of Ft. Smith AR next month.
So many emotions! They come and go and change like the wind.
I've done this before and I pray that I remember the lessons learned the first time. I pray that Eldest will too.
If there is any lesson that I feel has stuck it is this....someday we will all be together forever in Heaven. That is the promise I hold on to when I'm feeling sad about leaving.
I love my church. I love my friends here in CO that make me feel like we'll really be missed. I love LOTS of things here. Not so much the snow.
How are the kids? Everyone's happy except Eldest. There are 4 things that hold her here that she'll miss very much.
~Our church
~Cherry
~Our homeschool group
~Fencing
She loves AR and I'm praying that re-entry will be easy for her.
I'm praying *really* hard for a church. I'm praying our house will sell quickly. I'm praying for a new house in a great neighborhood with a cul-de-sac. I'm praying for Honey's new job. I'm praying for boxes that I don't have to buy. I'm praying for discernment of what to move and what not. I'm praying for strong backs and moving help. I'm praying for cheerful faces and good attitudes and content littles.
The Lord put the last puzzle piece in place yesterday morning and we will be heading back to our hometown of Ft. Smith AR next month.
So many emotions! They come and go and change like the wind.
I've done this before and I pray that I remember the lessons learned the first time. I pray that Eldest will too.
If there is any lesson that I feel has stuck it is this....someday we will all be together forever in Heaven. That is the promise I hold on to when I'm feeling sad about leaving.
I love my church. I love my friends here in CO that make me feel like we'll really be missed. I love LOTS of things here. Not so much the snow.
How are the kids? Everyone's happy except Eldest. There are 4 things that hold her here that she'll miss very much.
~Our church
~Cherry
~Our homeschool group
~Fencing
She loves AR and I'm praying that re-entry will be easy for her.
I'm praying *really* hard for a church. I'm praying our house will sell quickly. I'm praying for a new house in a great neighborhood with a cul-de-sac. I'm praying for Honey's new job. I'm praying for boxes that I don't have to buy. I'm praying for discernment of what to move and what not. I'm praying for strong backs and moving help. I'm praying for cheerful faces and good attitudes and content littles.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Limited Time
In the 38th chapter of Isaiah, Hezekiah becomes ill and is at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah tells him that he will not recover; he will die. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.
God spared his life and gave him 15 more years.
15 years, including leap days is 5748 days. Talk about a guy who's days were numbered!
It got me thinking of how I would live my life differently if I knew the hours I had left.
~Every minute would be more precious than the one before it.
~Time would never be taken for granted.
~My words would be measured much more carefully.
~I would hug and kiss everybody more.
~I would write lots of love notes and letters to everyone I love.
~I would teach the Word of the Lord to my children with new zeal.
~Would I ever be in a bad mood?
~My fear of sharing Jesus with others would be totally eliminated.
~I would sing louder in church.
Imagine how the temporal cares of this world would mean nothing. How carefully I would live every second. And the fact is that this could be my last day, my last second. I'm ready to start on this list NOW!!
"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Today...Well Yesterday Really
~Random picture of Eldest.~Honey and I needed to talk. There's some big things going on that we needed to figure out. So we planned to have lunch together.
BUT about 10am he called to tell me his parents were on the way for lunch to see us one more time before they head home to TX. How glad am I that I went to the store yesterday?? So I threw together a quick lunch and put away the school books.
We had a fun afternoon with them and there's talk of going to Yellowstone together this summer. They are fun to vacation with.
Plan B: Take sandwiches in the car for dinner and sit in the car together while Eldest was at fencing. It worked! Even the simplest date nights are nice when you're with the one you love.
~We're painting the girls' bathroom. I was sure we had enough paint to do such a small room. But no. Off to get another gallon today. Maybe that one will stretch to do the hall too.
~While we were at fencing last night, my son made a coffee cake for this morning's breakfast. HUGE surprise. Thank you my good son!
~I cleaned up my laundry room really nice this week. I spend so much time in there and I hate it when it's the mess that it was. I LOVE my laundry room. It's just the right size and has plenty of storage. That room is recently painted too. Now I'm thinking I need a curtain for the small window above the sink. Perhaps I should pull out my sewing machine this summer.
~We're all taking lunch boxes to the park to meet friends today.
~The grass and the garden are growing wonderfully. I love the green of it all.
Today's meals...
Breakfast - coffee cake and carrot/orange juice
Lunch - lunchboxes at the park
Dinner - (Winged Wednesday) baked chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, and something else that I haven't figured out yet.
Tea - graham crackers and apples
BUT about 10am he called to tell me his parents were on the way for lunch to see us one more time before they head home to TX. How glad am I that I went to the store yesterday?? So I threw together a quick lunch and put away the school books.
We had a fun afternoon with them and there's talk of going to Yellowstone together this summer. They are fun to vacation with.
Plan B: Take sandwiches in the car for dinner and sit in the car together while Eldest was at fencing. It worked! Even the simplest date nights are nice when you're with the one you love.
~We're painting the girls' bathroom. I was sure we had enough paint to do such a small room. But no. Off to get another gallon today. Maybe that one will stretch to do the hall too.
~While we were at fencing last night, my son made a coffee cake for this morning's breakfast. HUGE surprise. Thank you my good son!
~I cleaned up my laundry room really nice this week. I spend so much time in there and I hate it when it's the mess that it was. I LOVE my laundry room. It's just the right size and has plenty of storage. That room is recently painted too. Now I'm thinking I need a curtain for the small window above the sink. Perhaps I should pull out my sewing machine this summer.
~We're all taking lunch boxes to the park to meet friends today.
~The grass and the garden are growing wonderfully. I love the green of it all.
Today's meals...
Breakfast - coffee cake and carrot/orange juice
Lunch - lunchboxes at the park
Dinner - (Winged Wednesday) baked chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, and something else that I haven't figured out yet.
Tea - graham crackers and apples
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