Goodbye Herb

This month we said goodbye to one of the sweetest men I've ever known.  

Herb was more than my son-in-law's dad.  He was our family too.  We spent our holidays together.   We ate at each other's houses.  He was my kids' science teacher and foreign language teacher.  He invested very heavily into our entire family.  And we all loved him.  

And he loved us. 

He loves us all very very well.  

We were all hoping that he would be well enough to attend his son's wedding in Nov.  

He wasn't.  We were really really (Oh pleeeease God) praying he could meet his unborn granddaughter.  But He didn't. 

We visited him 2 days before he passed.  We all sat in his room and talked and laughed.  My kids told him all the latest Bible verses they were memorizing....including Psalm 100 that he strongly encouraged them all to memorize about a month before.  Zeke did his part in the church Christmas play for him since we knew he wouldn't be able to go.  Herb was not able to talk but he could look and blink and smile a little.  Even then we knew he loved having us there.  

Then we went back 2 days later.  Everything had changed.  It was so very clear that He was about to meet his Savior.  The minute we walked into the room every eye teared up.  We visited with each other a little.  Prayed.  And hugged him goodbye.  He went to Heaven about an hour later.  

We will miss him so much.  Christmas was not the same without his stories.  Without his smiles.  Without his current issue that he feels passionate about. 

A few weeks before he passed he wrote us all a letter.  He had this gorgeous calligraphy penmanship that was so perfect.  He wrote his wife several letters.  He wrote letters to his kids and to our unborn grandbaby.  Our letter was full of love and encouragement.  I'm using it as a bookmark so I can reread it often.  I'm going to make each of my kids their own copy of it.  He wrote us another one that we haven't received yet.  I'm looking forward to it.  

On the day of his service, his granddaughter was making her arrival.  His wife said, "Herb said bye and Brycen said Hi."  He would've loved the timing.   And though Brycen never got to meet her Opa, we will be sure she knows all about him.  

An Unexpected Home Day

One of our babies had a family visit today in Magnolia.  That's 4 1/2 hours away!!  That meant Baby would be picked up at 8am, ride in the car a LONG time, visit, ride in the car another long time, and come back home in time for a bath before bed.  I hated it for him.  He's not even 2 yet and that's a long day no matter how old you are.

I tried to talk the case worker out of it.  I offered another solution.  No go.
So I just prayed for him.  And I bought him special snacks and juices and packed a bulging diaper bag to try to make his day as good as it could be.

But this morning he woke up not feeling great.  Of all mornings!!
CWs will rarely cancel or reschedule a visit because they don't want to get in trouble at court; and since this one was particularly adamant about this visit I didn't even ask for him to be excused.
Looking back, I should have.  Because that's kinda my job right?  To help stand up and fight for this guy that can't really speak for himself right now.

The transporter assigned today is my favorite.  I was immediately happy about that knowing she'd take good care of him and be attentive during the visit.  And when she picked him up I told her he was under the weather and might need to make a few stops along the way.  She said, "Do you think he should stay home?"

REALLY??  YES!!  Yes I do.
She was perfectly fine with that.  And I imagine it only made her day easier to not have a cranky baby for 10 hours in the car.

And so just like that, he not only got out of a very unpleasant day but also got to be home when he didn't feel good.  I'm so thankful that she was sensitive to his needs today.  And praising God for the extra care of our boy.

"Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you."  1 Peter 5:7

He sure does.

What I'm Reading

Reading is such a luxury.  There is nothing like snuggling in your bed after a big day with an awesome new read.  It's my favorite part of the whole day and I start looking forward to it around 7:30 in the morning.

Sad thing is that I just finished my favorite book.

Giddy Up Eunice by Sophie Hudson
I heart Sophie Hudson and I'm sure we would be besties in real life if only we could meet in person.
This one is little different from her other books and is less about family and more about cross generational relationships of all sort.  We all need that older wiser voice that we admire to speak into our lives with wisdom and experience.  We also need to turn around and invest in those lives that are coming right up behind us.  Using women of the Bible...Ruth and Naomi, Mary and Elizabeth, Lois and (of course) Eunice...Sophie demonstrates not only how well they modeled a cross generational relationship, but also how we can do it in our own lives.

I loved this book.  And now I kinda wanna go back and re-read my other Sophie books.

One of our favorite ways to start the new school year is by reading the book of John.

I'll usually read a few chapters out loud and then we pop in The Gospel Of John dvd and watch those chapters of the movie.

Have you ever seen it? It is the whole book of John acted out without any embellishments.  The words are straight from John and nothing else.  

The Armor Of God by Priscilla Shirer

Have we talked about my Bible study group?  It's a group of friends (from all different churches) that meet together every week at my neighbor's house to study, visit, and share our lives with each other.  

I had no idea how much I needed this and how they would fill an empty spot in my life that I didn't even know I had.  I love them. 

This is the study we are doing now.  There is SO MUCH here.  I like Priscilla's boldness and confidence in delivering God's Word.  I am woefully behind but the videos are good even if you aren't caught up.  

Quieting Your Heart Bible study journal 

This fills my need to doodle and color while I think out whatever God has given me lately.  It's a fun way to end the day and to write out my thoughts.  

The Stories Of The Pilgrims by Margaret Pumphrey  

This is the same book I've read to my kids at Thanksgiving for nearly 20 years.  My scratchy trying-to-get-sick throat is causing me to have to read a LOT next week to catch up.  I do NOT want to take this beyond Thanksgiving and cut into my Christmas reading!

And one more....

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

I spent the better part of this year working my way through this very hard book knowing full well it had all kinds of greatness between the covers yet trying to figure out just how to put it into practice in my own life.  I've been finished with it for awhile, but since I'm done with Eunice (hello reading hole) I'm going to re-read the chapter on Proactivity to get me through until December when my Christmas reading list starts.  

So that's it!  What are you reading? 

When A Fishing Trip Even Involves A New Chapstick

So I had reached the point of fullness where I was on the verge of tears over EVERYTHING. 

And the fact that I couldn't see an end in sight only made the matter worse.   I could easily compile a lineup of events responsible for the waterworks but I'll just sum it up with LIFE.

A lot of life.

But then Honey texted me and reminded me that he had a 3 day weekend coming up and did I want to take the boat out on Friday.  Well YES, yes I believe I do.

The boat motor had recently been in the shop and we wanted to see if it worked.  So we dropped off babies, settled the kids, and loaded the fishing poles.  On the way out, we ran into the Super Stop to get me a fishing license and you won't believe it..... right there at the cash register was a new chapstick I'd never even heard of!  Not only that, but it was full of the natural ingredients that are my favorites in a good chapstick.

Well now.

Not only did I have a 3 day weekend AND a fishing trip, but now I had a new chapstick too.  I tell you sometimes life just does a complete about-face when you least expect it.

Selfie on the water.  And the motor worked perfectly.

It was so quiet on the water.  Hardly anybody was there.  I had all the time to talk, or not.  And just think.  And unravel all the thoughts.   And I only cried a little bit....which was a big surprise to us both I think.

And to make it even better I caught this MONSTER fish on my blue swimmy lure.   He was the icing on the cake.

Next week we have another 3 day weekend.  Hopefully the weather will hold out and I can put Blue Swimmy into service again.

Because Jeremy Wade has nothing on me.  

And Here It Is Almost A Whole Month Later

You guys.

I had the greatest intentions of blogging about our new school year with each kiddo.  I even took extra pictures and all.  But then the days turned into weeks and here we are.  And who even cares about a new school year when most people just finished mid terms for crying out loud!  So there went that.

Then there were those times when something funny/sweet/cute/exciting would happen and I'd be like, "Hey, I want to blog about that!"  But then it was bedtime.  And while that is usually my best time to blog, it seems like lately (read: 18 months) I just have no words left by the end of the day.

And just like that it is October.  But guess what DID happen?
I decorated my mantle for fall.  It's nothing you'll see on Pinterest but it just makes me all kinds of happy.  Especially since I actually did it .... Oh I don't know...before Fall was actually OVER!
It seriously made me feel like one of those crafty moms that seem to be all over my Facebook.

The end of October also meant the end of 8th grade football.  I won't lie.  I'm THRILLED to be done.  This will clear up a good 3 1/2 hours a week that I won't be sitting on a bleacher watching everybody else's kid play.  Because for whatever reason Jes barely touched the field.  So yeah, I'm good to skip it.  Plus this is also the last week of soccer.  Whatever will we do with all our free time ya'll?

I am so looking forward to some winter.  Cold weather, warm soups, more time for cooking,  hot chocolate, and snow.  Please let there be some snow!  As a matter of fact I just bought the babies a new snow suit and new boots that are adorable.

Babies.....did I mention we have three?  One of our babies that went home in February came back into care.  And though it took some juggling, we were able to make it work so we could take him back.   I tell you, I do think my family members are rock stars.  Because 3 little boys that are all under 3 years old can take a huge toll on everyone in so many ways.  But they always adjust, always love, and always make room.

Anyhow, here we are in November and I just had a very needed 3 day weekend that included some time to THINK.  And I can't even describe how that makes me feel a little bit more human and normal than I have in awhile.  And one of the oh-so-many things I got to think about was how I really hope to step up my blogging game this month.

And you know what else?  Joshua just got a new camera for his video editing crush and he is all set to help me satisfy my new craving for a YouTube channel of my very own!  It's a happy thing.

Our New School Year (Part 2) And Our Fallen Tiger Update

Look at his progress!

He had a dr. appt Friday and all is looking good.  No surgery needed.  Just rest and continue with the crutches.  Again, the worst part of all of it for him is being out for the season.  

But he dressed out and supported his team Friday night and helped them pull off a huge win against Ozark.  I think it made him feel better to be around his football peeps for the night.  

He can sit up a little bit now and that means he has the freedom to ride in the car.  He can also put one shoe on without help and even walk without crutches.  He is still not able to bend much but every day seems a little better.....so we're getting there!

His school work is mostly done on the couch right now since he can't sit at the table for very long. But it's just one of the perks of homeschooling.  This is his sophomore year and my greatest goal for him is ACT prep/practice/testing.  He's not my greatest tester so we will need plenty of time.  As for his day-to-day, it looks like this.....

English- Easy Peasy, Wordly Wise, Spelling Power 
Government - Easy Peasy
Biology - Easy Peasy
NT Bible with Dad
OT Bible with Mom
Math - Saxon and Teaching Textbooks
Misc. art studies
Football

As you can see, we are hitting the basics hard and heavy.  This seems to be the best option in the high school grades.

Easy Peasy is brand-new for us this year.  I stumbled onto it when I was planning school this summer. I'm using it for all my kids in various ways this year and so far it is a great fit.

Spelling Power and Wordly Wise are my old-faithfuls.  They have served us well for many years now.  And even though EP may be fairly complete, I feel like it's still a good use of his time to have this additional work.

He's also doing 2 different math programs; algebra and geometry simultaneously.  He may be feeling just a little bit sorry for himself for this one!! 

A Timely Word

For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up...Ecc. 4:10

A very great friend of mine posted this on Facebook last night.  It was such a reminder of friendship, love, and support when I really needed it.  And don't you just love how God does that?  He takes the Word you know and speaks it to you in a fresh and different way making it entirely new again.  And at just the right time, y'all!!  

That is what is meant in Heb 4:12, "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword."  

The body of Christ is one of God's greatest gifts to the believer.  
Because sometimes there are just no words.  
Sometimes emotions are too raw.  
Sometimes there is too much anger fury.  

But even that doesn't seem to matter to God.  He meets you in the mess.  And one of ways He does that is through His people. 

I am so humbled and thankful for all the ways God continually shows His love.  Over and over and over again.  

When It's Not Somebody Else's Kid

I had been looking forward to Friday for quite awhile.

The Tigers took on Little Rock Episcopal three hours away.  After some discussion, we decided to stay the night since Honey was also leaving for Dallas the next day.

A big car ride alone with my man.
An awesome Tiger football game.
Watching my boy kick.
A night in a hotel.

Yeah, it was a lot to look forward to.

The car ride was just as great as I hoped.  So nice to have a conversation without a toddler in between us or an older kid hovering and waiting for their chance to jump in.  3 hours worth!

The game started off just the way I like it....touchdown after touchdown.  And the man in front of me commented that the band would be worn out by half time!  It was clear a mercy rule was in the future.

But then.

Right in the middle of a kickoff my boy hit the ground.
And it was the worst feeling ever.  Especially when he wouldn't get up.
Because first of all, that's always somebody else's kid.  NOT MINE!
Both teams took a knee.
The crowd hushed.
The game stopped.
The coaches and trainers were working on him.
And I was praying.  HOW CAN THE KICKER GET HURT??

He finally got up with lots of help and hobbled to the side.  But there was no hobbling off the field all the way to the car and he had to be carted off.

My gosh. 

So it was time to go home.  

We left at the half with the score of something ridiculous like 42-6.  

Joshua couldn't bend at all so we had to put the seats down in the Explorer and have him lie down the whole way.  He was in a lot of pain but did well in the car.  

So this morning we went to the urgent care clinic for an x-ray.



Turns out he tore a ligament and some bone tissue from his hip and will be out for the rest of the season.  Let me tell you....that news brought some tears.  Monday we make an appointment with the orthopedic doctor to see what's next.



In the meantime, this set of crutches has given him some freedom and brought his smile back.  He still can't sit.  He can only stand or lie down.  But at least he can take himself wherever he wants without help.  We are praying for a very speedy and complete recovery.

Our New School Year Part 1

Summer 2016 was the best ever.  In between all the fun I spent some time praying and brain storming our upcoming school year.  I took 6 pages of notes and looked at all sorts of new books online.  I watched homeschool moms review curricula I was interested in on You Tube and I slowly started to work a new schedule.

Public school in my town started a week earlier than my college kids.  I wasn't about to waste a second of summer break with them so we waited and started at the same time.  That's actually a little early for me since I will usually wait until after Labor Day.  But this year I was antsy to start.  Too long of a break, no matter how awesome, doesn't do us any favors.

We always start with our Back To School Party.  And almost every year it is raining or my personal favorite....we lose power.  This year was no exception.  It was raining.  Maybe that's a good sign for a good year.  I don't know.  Anyway the pictures are dark.



This is one of my favorite things ever.  It's almost like second Christmas and I get so excited about school supplies.



And I didn't forget our babies.

The next day was THE DAY.
Laney started her junior year in college.  Half way done!  And I'm so incredibly proud of her.  It is awesome to watch her succeed the way she has.

And Laura is a newbie on campus this year.  I know she'll do great.

Christian is also a junior.  He has lots of leadership roles in the college and basically started the year with a big interview at a fancy place working in his field.  Second interview this week!

We are now in week 3 and college kids are busier than ever.  All working and schooling.   And all of them are doing great.

Next up, I'll show you some of our school for this year and the pretty faces that go with it!  .......

A Happy Birthday Texas Trip

Just take a look at these beauties!!  

This is my grandmother (middle) and her two sisters about 70 years ago.  Aren't they just the cutest? 

And this weekend we went to Texas to help them celebrate their 86, 88, and 90th birthdays. 

Being an only child, I have no idea what it's like to have sisters but it seems such a great blessing that they still have each other (and love each other) after all these years.  

I tell my kids all the time that their siblings are the only people that will know them from the cradle to the grave.  PLEASE cherish those relationships kids!!  It is a blessing to know and to be known.

We asked them to tell us stories from their lives and my favorite one was this...

When they were little girls they had a front porch with a low rafter.  They would stand on a chair, jump and grab the rafter, and swing out.  One day Momma caught them and said, "Stop jumping off that chair, you're gonna get hurt."  Well Aunt Nay (middle) said, "She said not to jump off the chair, but she didn't say anything about this box."  So they got a big box and jumped and grabbed and swang until Aunt Nay fell off and broke her arm! Her arm had to be casted for a long time and when the cast was off her arm was still bent.  She was supposed to straighten it by carrying around a bucket of sand everyday.  Each day they would add a little more sand to the bucket.  But Aunt Nay didn't like to carry the bucket.  It was heavy and it hurt her arm.  So Aunt Roxie, being such a good sister carried the bucket for her!! 

And even though this picture is not the best, it brings tears to my eyes.  Aunt Roxie helping Aunt Nay with her sweater.  So so very precious. 

My Aunt Barbara came from California for the party too.  I hardly ever get to see her and we found ourselves with lots of time just to visit and catch up.  I loved every word of it.

My parents spoiled us rotten and we had the best time.   Mom took us to the park and the splash pad.  Baby Boy LOVED this and it kept him happy all morning.  Can you see how big he's getting?

And one more.....
Mallory's favorite reading nook at Grandma's.  It's a huge space in the blanket closet that she has to hoist herself up into and snuggle down.  

Thank you to my family for such a wonderful time.  And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my grandmother and my aunts.  I love you all!!  

A School Supply PSA

I LOVE school supplies!!  So. Much.

I get so excited to see them on the aisles in the store and I start planning months in advance.  Then Laney and I take a day to shop for everyone.  They never know what they will get and it's all a big surprise.

I am approaching our 20th year of homeschooling.

Twenty Years Y'all.

And twenty years will teach you a couple of things.  As we were shopping this year, I was reminded of a few school items that are absolutely a waste of money.

1.  Off-brand crayons.  Spend an extra quarter and buy Crayola.  The other ones are waxy, break easily, and the colors are not right.  They aren't even fun to use.

2.  Cheap 3 ring binders.  Yes, they will hold the papers.  Yes, the good ones are expensive.  But the cheap ones are cheap.  The rings are not tight and soon the outside folder part will bend in the middle and break at the seam.  The heavy duty Avery binders will last a long time.

3.  Fancy pencils.  You know those pretty pencils that come in all those cute designs.  You can buy a whole pack at the dollar store.  All pencils are not the same and those are the worst.  They are nearly impossible to sharpen correctly and that pretty foil design will tear up your pencil sharpener.  And since I've had the worst time keeping a good pencil sharpener running for an entire year, I avoid those cheap pencils at all cost.

It doesn't cost a whole lot more to buy the good school supplies and they will last you much longer.  That means you won't have to replace them in January when they won't be on sale!

Today is the first day of public school in my town.  I'm so excited for these kiddos and praying for all the great teachers this year.

hacked for now

Hello everybody this is Joshua on moms blog cuz she left it on and just went somwhere else. anyway i have the coolest mom in the world and i love her:)

Four Faves This Week

ONE~ As if the summer hasn't been great enough, we have also had a lot of guests to make it even more awesome.

We haven't gotten to see the cousins in 7 years.  SEVEN YEARS since we moved back to Arkansas and this is the first time we've gotten to see them again.  They were so little when we left and now they are practically grown!

TWO~ A tractor ride for date night!  We have a bee hive at my inlaw's and it's fun to take the tractor back there to mow and check on it.  

THREE~ My boy's clean room.  AND the cute baby in the picture that is walking, jabbering, and making our life better than it was before.  

FOUR~ I was cleaning out my nightstand and ran across this little chalkboard that Shelley gave me years ago.  It was a reminder to live our lives free by "erasing" all the hurts, disappointments, and irritations of the day and start the next day with a clean slate.  

It's Almost Not Summer Anymore

It's almost over.

Summer 2016 has been the best yet.  We have packed it FULL with all kinds of trips and activities and people and fun.  We have one more week of company coming then it is back to real life and busy and normal days.

But I'm ready.  Or at least I'm getting ready.  The lazy moments of summer with a loose schedule start to make me antsy.  It never seems like I've done enough by the end of the day.  I talk too much and move too little.  And that's not really how I like to live life.

So I am almost finished with school planning and Laney and I need to shop.  This is always a highlight of our summer.  She and I LOVE to do the kids back-to-school shopping together.

Public school starts Monday and college starts the next Monday.  Our friends from Colorado will be here Saturday and that'll be our last hurrah before starting school on the 22nd.  You know what else is Saturday?

TIGER FOOTBALL!!

And you know that's its own thing.

Summer is waning and fall is around the corner.  And I can't wait.

Kansas City!

I'm smiling all over as I type this out.  This trip was so fun and I'm going to love retelling it all. First off please excuse my overuse of the word FUN because you will be reading it a lot.

I had been looking forward to this for a few weeks.  Our anniversary was coming and my parents were amazing and gave us money for a weekend away.  I KNOW!!  And they babysat.  AND cooked all the things.  It was the first time we'd been away by ourselves in 13 years.  So yeah.  I was kinda excited.



It worked out so perfect to go to Kansas City because I've been wanting to go anyway plus the US National team was playing there on our actual anniversary night!  SO AWESOME! 

Before we even checked into our hotel we stopped at Ikea.  I've never been.  It was huge and I felt like I needed a ticket to attend this big event.  It was every bit as fabulous as everyone says.  I loved all the stuff.  ALL THE STUFF.  We took pictures and made notes and got lots of ideas. 

We checked into our beautiful hotel and really y'all.....I felt like I was going to cry the second I saw it.  Everything was perfectly clean and in order and neat and perfect.  So absolutely completely different from my real life of scattered laundry and sticky tables.  I loved it.

Then we headed to Cabelas. That was fun too.  

I especially loved the fish tank.  And this guy!!  It's not a great picture of him but he was pretty cute.  

The taxidermy stuff was incredible!  I had no idea I'd love Cabelas as much as I did. 

Our hotel was walking distance from the field.  So nice!  And the weather was hot but not too humid so it was bearable and walking was no big deal.



The next morning, we explored the town and saw the new Star Trek.  The theater was so nice with leather recliners! And the movie did not disappoint.  We ate and shopped and walked and had a fun day.

Then it was GAME TIME!  And I got a Hope Solo shirt.  She's my fave.



Our seats were pretty good too.





The game was fantastic and we won 4-0!  Hope barely touched the ball since it was always on the OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD.



Another night in our very clean hotel and then it was time to pack up.



A shot of his new Alex Morgan shirt!



This trip was absolutely perfect and so much fun.  We HAVE to do it again!!

When You Bite The Dust

"For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity."  Prov 24:16

Fostering makes me feel like this guy who keeps falling over and over again.  The crazy balance of family life and trying to help broken kids heal and adjust has made me stake my claim on this verse lately.  It holds so much hope.

It doesn't say "when a righteous man slips, or trips, or stumbles.  It says he falls.  He wipes out.  He busted.  And not once or twice.  Several times!

But then he gets back up.  And he gets back up again.  And again.  He doesn't wallow around in self-pity or believe the lie that he is a failure.  His identity is not in question.  He is still righteous.   He is still God's man.

And he keeps going.

Another Year DONE

VBS 2016 is DONE!  It was not perfect.  But it was wonderful. 

It may not surprise you that I was more than a little interested in the food portion of it. 

Being farm themed, we got lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.  Those were my favorite days. 

But who wouldn't also love these cheese ball carrots and cereal corn cobs? 

So cute! 

And these chicky cupcakes!!  I can't even. 

Speaking of cute!...

So all week long the classes were accumulating points for attendance, bringing Bibles, bringing a friend, tithing, and memorizing Bible verses.  At the end of the week there was a prize for the class with the most points.  

Guess who won.

And guess what? It was my first year ever that I didn't have the worst behaved class. 

I KNOW. 

The only thing I can figure is that there were too many girls.  The boys still outnumbered them, but it was almost equal.  Girls tend to balance it all out.  

I think my kiddos were sad it was over. 

There were a lot of, "This was my favorite church time." 

"I love coming here." 

"This was fun." 

And yes.  Yes it was fun. 

Laney had a brilliant idea.  Let the kids take home their favorite flower to make the clean up easier. 

STROKE. OF. GENIUS.  They took every flower, every leaf, every bee.   And what took days to create was disassembled in a matter of minutes. 

So it's over.  And now comes the part where I dissect the whole week and think of the millions of things I couldn't done better.   And also the part where I wish I could be a bigger and longer-lasting part of their lives.  

Someday SOMEDAY I'm pretty sure I will tackle second grade Sunday School.