creation lovin' garden gal

When You're Up, You're Up...

2011-04-19T13:48:00.004-06:00

and the rest of that song goes: "And when you're down, you're down." That seems to describe me pretty well. I am usually such an "up" person, but recently I have been a little more "down" than usual. I'm pretty sure it is due to the long hours of training at my new job. My training is over now so I think I will notice a difference. I really don't know how Mom's function working a full time job AND maintaining a home. Well I know now, more than ever, something has to give. I'm SO thankful for this opportunity to help pay off our house as quick as we can and am even MORE thankful that it is part-time and feel blessed by how willing they are to work with me. I am finding out the answer to a question I always had in the back of my mind, "What DID I do this morning!?" Well, now that I'm not here, I come home and realize all that I DID do and now have to be even more organized to get things done the way we want them to be around here. That is an area that has always been a little challenging to me (ask my Mother *grin*) -- organization! So I feel this is a really good thing for me. It is stretching me and helping me get my priorities where they need to be. I want my life to be one of balance, one that helps my wonderful husband as best as I possibly can, one that loves my children as much as is humanly possible, and most importantly one that brings the most glory and praise to my Savior Jesus Christ. My life means nothing without the grace He has poured out on me, and for that I am eternally grateful!

Silas after a great Spring Band Concert

Prae and Savannah after Prae's Spring Choir Concert

Prae's original "U.S.A. Pizza"! So fun to make and even yummy to eat, if you can believe it...

A New Friend

2011-04-06T13:29:00.004-06:00

Thanks to my new job I have had the opportunity to meet a new, wonderful friend. We started the same week and it was quickly apparent we had a lot in common. The funny thing is, if you only knew a little bit about each one of us, you would think we are worlds apart. And the fact is she grew up on the other side of the globe in a communist country. As a child I remember running for cover when a plane flew over low to the ground because I thought her country was bombing us. Who would have ever guessed 25 years later we would be sitting in the same office chattering up a storm like we have been friends forever. The nice part about our job is that it really doesn't take a whole lot of thinking power, so we are able to chit chat while we work. I think the other secretaries are a bit jealous because we have such a wonderful time every morning. A few have even said they were going to move to our little corner because it sounds like we are having too much fun :-). I am amazed by her childhood stories. They tell of a time when life was very hard for many people. She said she didn't know any better and has very fond memories of her childhood despite the hardships that went with it. They had very little but loved life in a way that isn't seen very often in America. She said those times taught her to work hard and to be thankful. Her husband is also a police officer and so we laugh about the similarities our husbands share. One of us is always bringing in a recipe to share with the other or passing on tips that we know of about parenting, food, decorating, or life in general. She is a person driven to make her life better in every way and I love that about her. I praise God for this new friend and hope the friendship will only get stronger.

Sunday Reflections

2011-03-20T21:03:00.002-06:00

God of Grace and God of Glory
text: Harry Emerson Fosdick
music: John Hughes

God of grace and God of glory, On Thy people pour Thy power;
Crown Thine ancient Church's story, Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage
For the facing of this hour, For the facing of this hour.

Lo! The hosts of evil round us, Scorn Thy Christ, assail His ways!
From the fears that long have bound us, Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,
For the living of these days, For the living of these days.

Cure Thy children's warring madness; Bend our pride to Thy control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness, Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom's goal, Lest we miss Thy kindom's goal.

Set our feet on lofty places, Gird our lives that they may be;
Armored with all Christ-like graces, In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor Thee, That we fail not man nor Thee. Amen.

Wednesday Potpourri

2011-03-16T15:51:00.003-06:00

I'm taking a break for my story for a few random things I've been wanting to post about.

First: Silas got glasses!!

Second: Prae grew the most awesome amaryllis. She had fun measuring it every few days and watching how fast it grew.

Third: We have been having fun with art at our house. We are trying our hand at sunsets and will soon cut out silhouettes from black paper to finish our projects. Then, I'm going to hang all three in our bathroom. Tonight our bible study is on "Art: Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder?" Can't wait...

Fourth: Prae is entering her Science project in the fair at the School of Mines. She did an experiment with M & M's and tested to see if people's favorite colors had anything to do with their choice of M & M's. She will get to spend the whole day there on Friday. They even get to go have lunch and shop at the Mall! :-) Not sure what that has to do with a science fair, but I think it is to give the judges time to do their judging - ha!

Fifth: I am enjoying my new job at the Police Department. I am working in Records and really like it so far. My hours are great and they are willing to work with my schedule, which is wonderful too!

And Last but not Least: We are having our families favorite meal tonight: Rice & Beans. I'm really not exaggerating!!! I will make homemade flour tortillas to go with it and it is really one of our favorite meals. Can't wait to pay off that house, and we're having so much fun coming up with good ways to do that. And really -- Rice and Beans are wonderful!!

The Battle Pt. 3

2011-03-03T12:41:00.009-07:00

The sun warmed our faces as we all headed down the dirt path. The kids raced on ahead squealing and chasing each other, enjoying the chance to stretch their legs. Aticus and I walked behind them smiling at their youthful energy and playful bantering. We hadn't gone far when Titus ran back to us and started walking beside me.

"Could we get some candy today, Mom?" he pleaded with those dark brown eyes. "We haven't had some in awhile and your friend Lydia usually has some for sale."

"We'll see, Ti." His shoulders drooped just slightly.

The girls didn't want to miss out on the conversation so they stopped and waited until we caught up with them.

"Whatcha talkin' about?" Sadie wondered in her normal inquisitive manner.

"We were just discussing what we would be needing in town," I answered.

"Oh! I sure hope we can get something pretty for my hair. It is finally getting long like Prisca's and I need something to keep it out of my eyes. Something with feathers would be SO wonderful."

"Sadie, you should know better! Father and Mother have many more important things they need to buy today; namely, food." Priscilla said. "Mom, did you see how low our flour is getting? I couldn't even make pancakes this morning for fear we would run out. I was wondering, though, if we could check around town to see if there were any new books available."

Aticus chuckled and opened his mouth to answer but stopped when his eyes noticed movement far down the road. The rest of us looked to see what he was staring at and soon saw the figure too.

"Now who could that be?" wondered Priscilla.

"Whoever it is sure walks funny," added Sadie.

"Sadie, that's not polite," I scolded. "When we reach whomever it is I want all of you children to be on your best behavior!"

"Yes Mom," rang three voiced in unison.

It didn't take long and we could see the form was a man walking very slowly and he had a terrible limp. The man looked familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place him.

"Demas!" Aticus exclaimed as soon as he reached the man's side.

"Hello Aticus, Hanna, children." Demas replied in a rather weak voice.

"What happened, Dear Brother?" Aticus asked as the rest of us stood there gawking, not knowing what to say.

The last time we had all seen Demas he had brought us news from the King. He was one of the King's most trusted couriers. He was responsible for carrying the Word of the Master to many different districts in our land. To see him in this manner was definitely a shock to us all.

With misty eyes Demas shared his story with us. He told us that on his many travels from town to town he started hearing stories about a certain road. He knew exactly which road they were referring to and in fact, had passed it many times. He had never been tempted to go down it until he heard them talking. He found himself dwelling on that road more and more and would find excuses to pass by it more often than necessary. One day he made up his mind.

"Aticus, I made the turn and headed down the road. I loved this present world and all of the fleshly things it had to offer. I knew my breastplate would not be welcomed where I was going, so I took it off. I can't lie - I felt free and so much lighter skipping down that path. I was looking forward to giving in to my lusts and passions. But the enemy was watching my every move. Without my armor on I was an easy target. One of his arrows hit me in the chest, the other in the leg. I found myself crying out to the King, knowing He would be the only One who could save me from such injuries. He tended to my wounds and brought me back onto the narrow road. But because I chose the path of unrighteousness, I will never be the same." Demas paused to wipe a tear from his eye. "I can no longer carry His messages as I once did. I still share it, but not with the same vigor and effect. I thank the Lord for His forgiveness, and look forward to the day when the battle is done."

Aticus threw his arms around Demas and they clung to each other for awhile.

"Thank you for sharing with us, Demas. An important lesson for us all," he said, looking at each of the children. "We need to put our armor on daily, submit to the King, and resist the enemy. We are all susceptible and it is only by the King's grace that we are even in this army. Let us never think we are better than another Brother and yet always try to warn one another of dangers that we see."

I went over and wrapped my own arms around Demas and told him we would come visit him very soon.

We continued down our little narrow path and I heard Demas yell to us: "Stand firm, Dear Friends" as we started to turn the corner.

The Battle Pt. 2

2011-03-02T06:55:00.005-07:00

"Daddy!" Sadie squealed as she ran over to Aticus and threw her little arms around his legs. "Can we go now, Daddy? Please, please? We've been waiting for you, and all of our chores are done, and Ema and Mary and Lydia will all be waiting for me, and maybe we could even visit Grandpa and Grandma, and-"

"Whoa, Little Girl. I know you are excited and yes, we are going to town, but give me a few minutes before we do."

The look he shot me across the room told me it had already been a tough day even though the sun hadn't been up for very long.

"Look, Dad," Titus said as he came over holding out his hands. "I've been working on these all morning and I think they are turning out pretty well. Do you like them?"

Aticus gently took the small arrowheads from Titus' hands and inspected each one.

"Good work, Son. You are getting a very good eye for detail. These will be ready for me to help you mount soon."

"Have you had a hard day today, Father?" Priscilla asked.

"Prisca, Prisca -- you don't miss a thing, do you? Yes, I have seen some of the battle already this morning, but don't worry your pretty little head. I'm here now and soon we will all go for a nice stroll. But for now, will you please take your brother and sister outside so your Mom and I can talk a few things over?"

"Yes, Dad."

I could tell by the look on her face that she was not thrilled with the fact of being left out of the adult conversation, but she obediently took her sister's hand and led them all outside.
I went right over and wrapped my arms around Aticus and rested my head on his broad chest. I could feel the metal of his breast plate through his shirt. It's shape conformed to his chest so perfectly it had almost become a part of him. He ran his fingers through my hair and let out a soft sigh. He slumped onto a chair and patted the seat next to him.

"Oh, Hanna. The battle is fierce. Sometimes I wonder if I can go on. It seems as though we have fewer and fewer standing with us to fight. And what is worse is seeing those who say they have been called by the King stand by and do nothing. They don't even put their armor on, Hanna!" As he spoke, I could see the vein in his temple pulse as the blood rushed through his troubled body. He went on. "Content to spend their days doing what they please, they don't engage in the fight for truth. They don't care about the King's orders and have such a small understanding of what He asks of us. And it's not because there is nothing for them to do - so many are boldly attacking. It is a time for us to stand firm!"

I swallowed slowly and quickly searched my mind for the right words. Oh Lord, help me say the right things. Help me fill him with Your hope but to also let him know that I understand what he's so upset about.

"I know what you're saying, Aticus. I see it too. It is getting harder and harder to tell people the truth. But we can't give up! We cannot forget that our King is victorious. He is the One who opens their eyes to the truth. Our job is to speak it, He will cause them to hear it. Remember David's words, 'Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You. For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens,And Your truth reaches to the skies.' We must keep our eyes on HIM, not the battle."

"Thank you, Hanna. You are right. Let's talk more about this later. I'm sure there are three very anxious children outside ready to get to town. We should get going."

To be continued...

"The Battle"

2011-03-01T11:39:00.002-07:00

"I'm scared, Momma," Sadie whined as I leaned down to straighten and tie her little belt.

"Why do we even need to wear these things? Hardly anyone else does anymore and mine gets so heavy," complained Titus as he fidgeted with the leather belt around his waist.

"You know it's because we have been called by the King. He's given us our gear and we need to get it on so we can go!" Priscilla quickly explained in her common matter-of-fact tone. I glanced over at her and was again reminded of how much she had grown recently. Not only in height, but her mind was sharp and she was so anxious to get out in that battle. My heart quickened and I could feel a fear for her creep into my neck, but I forced my mind back to the TRUTH.

I paused and breathed a quick prayer for the right words.

"Children, we must hurry. Your father will be here soon to walk with us to town. Priscilla is exactly right. Our Almighty King has called us into this battle and we are fighting for the TRUTH. Many have come before us and have stood firm and fought well. Recently, though, it seems there are fewer and fewer soldiers."

Again I could feel that rush in my neck, but tried to keep my mind on my explanation.

"But we don't need to be afraid, Sadie. Our King has given us all that we need to be prepared. Look at your belt, for instance. Our Master knew we would need something to keep us all together, to keep our clothes close to our body and out of the way. Something to hang our weapons on and to show we are ready to face the enemy. When you put this on, my Dear Children, you are showing the world that you are committed to TRUTH."

"But Mom, Giles says that no one really knows the TRUTH anymore. He said that it's old fashioned to stand for something let alone to fight for it. I try to be strong, Mom, but I see the look in his eyes and most of the time I get scared and just start talking about something else. How do we know there is a right and wrong?"

"Titus, that is a very good question. To help you understand I'm going to have you three children do something for me. All of you close your eyes. No peeking. Now I want you to point to the North. No peeking, Sadie Girl."

Priscilla shot her arm out in her usual confident manner while the other two took longer to decide.

"Okay, open your eyes."

Little Sadie quickly glanced at her sister and swung her arm in the same direction to match Priscillla's.

"Those are all great guesses, but you are all wrong. North is straight that way," I said gently, pointing toward the tall oak in the distance.
"Priscilla, you seemed very sure of yourself when you were pointing. You thought you were dead on, didn't you?"
As she nodded I went on,
"Life is like that too. Many people think they are right, but haven't checked out their "facts" with the TRUTH. The King has given us His Word and all that He says is TRUTH. There is only one right way, Dear Children, and we must continue to stand for the TRUTH that we have been in trusted with. Come now, I hear your father coming. Let's not keep him waiting."

To be continued...

B-I-N-G-O

2011-02-26T13:08:00.004-07:00

We had "President's Day Bingo Night" at the kids' elementary school last night. It was the first time I "co-chaired" something at school. It was a ton of work, but a huge success. I am generally more comforable being a "worker" than a planner, but thankfully the gal I was working with is great at it :-). We organized helpers, called around getting prizes donated by local businesses (they were SO generous!), and then set it all up and cleaned up afterwards. We had cute patriotic decorations and then came up with the great idea to have 44 prizes to go with each president. I found cool presidental cards that had a picture of the Pres. and info about each one that we then taped to each prize. So the winner would come up and draw a president's name to find out what their prize would be. We also made it more fun by having rounds and each round was a different kind of bingo: postage stamp, X, Ring around the Rosie, Black out, etc. The weather was cold and snowy so the numbers were down, but all 200 bingo cards got sold out :-). We even made sure we had little prizes for the end (tatoos and candy) so that every child got a prize. I wish you could have seen Savannah come running up to the front yelling "BINGO!". Little did she know that by that time almost every kid had a bingo too. But she was so proud and thankful for her little tattoo and mint. The hardest part for me was knowing if I was calling the numbers too fast, but Eli said I went at a good pace. :-) So, it was a great family night full of fun memories. Now off to register Prae for High School -- can that really be right!? I'll save that experience for another blog...

Snow Day!

2011-02-20T15:49:00.004-07:00

Today we called off church because of the winter storm warning. We have been having a wonderful day and Si and Savannah even enjoyed some time out in the snow. Some things accomplished today:
1.) Two loaves of whole wheat bread
2.) Chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles
3.) Reorganizing scrapbook supplies
4.) Moving some of Savannah's things upstairs - almost ready for that room to be her "very own".
5.) Shoveled 5-6 inches of snow off driveway and sidewalks -- one of the best ab workouts I know :-)
6.) Going to go take an hour long bubble bath now that my work is all done *grin*.

Old Family Video

2011-02-19T19:52:00.002-07:00

Here is an old family video that we did Summer 08. We recently "found" it again and thought I'd put it on here for those of you how haven't seen it :-). We plan to do another one this year...

My Thoughts on Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T13:11:00.007-07:00

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. I know I still need to write about my 2011 resolutions -- I've just been so busy trying to get them all accomplished - ha! I will get to them, but had to jot some thoughts down about love first.

I was contemplating the whole idea of Valentine's Day and I was struck with how it really seems to make more people sad than happy. Maybe it is just where I am in my life right now, but I couldn't help but think of all the people that might be sad because of the day: widows missing their husbands, wives with husbands away to war, single adults who don't have a "Valentine", husbands that are wondering "Did I do enough?", wives who are wondering "Did he do this because he HAS to or because he means it?", and those whose marriage has been torn by divorce who can't help but think about their past "Valentine".

Now don't get me wrong -- I'm sure it is a happy day for many, I just couldn't help but think of the others. I then turned my focus to the One who loves me more than any other. The love God has for me and every other sinner is what I want to celebrate! I thought of how many times I am unloving to Eli because of what he did or didn't do. That is so wrong! God is not like that. I marvel at the thought of God, in all of His holiness, loving me, before I ever loved Him. Looking on me in my sin and disobedience and loving me so much that He sent Jesus to earth to take my punishment. I praise God for a love so unconditional that even as I continue to sin, He promises to forgive me.

So, that's what I celebrated on Valentine's Day. Am I in love with my earthly Valentine - you bet!! Do I love the flowers he gave me -- So MUCH!! But God has used the love we have for each other to show me a little picture of God's love for me -- and that is a love anyone can have whether they have a Valentine, or not!!

Coming Soon: My 2011 Resolutions

2011-01-08T23:42:00.002-07:00

With five people in this family it is hard to find time when the computer is not being used :-). I have been thinking about my next blog and have decided to write about my New Year's Resolutions. I heard a great little clip by Dave Ramsey on this area and plan to write about it and how I plan to follow through with it. But, alas, the night is late, I'm tired, and so it must wait one more day...

Murphy's Knocking!!

2010-12-21T11:35:00.002-07:00

Well, Dave said this would happen. (It's so funny how many times we have said that phrase recently--"Dave says...") And yes, he's right again. We have gone through the whole year with very little unexpected expenses and have squeezed our monthly budget each month and achieved our goal of 3-6 months living expenses in savings. Now, essetially we are our own "bank". Well, wouldn't you know...December comes and everything starts falling apart: the furnace, the water heater, some sort of pump on the Jeep, toilets running, pipes dripping, it really is almost comical. Praise God that we have been able to save and have the money for these repairs, but it still hurts knowing how many months it took to get there :-). Next year after the savings is built back up we will begin to put specific money away for household repairs. It is so fun to see those accounts grow each month they are not needed and then be there when you DO need them! And like Dave says, Murphy WILL come, just don't let him in!! :-)

What!? Pay for Christmas Presents with Cash?!!

2010-12-05T19:55:00.002-07:00

O.K. I would normally NEVER recommend something from Saturday Night Live, but this one skit is so perfect for what we've been learning at our Financial Peace Class.

It really is so sad how true this little skit is. We have bought into this concept that "things" are so important and we need to buy them whether we have the money or not. Which brings me to my title -- how does that fit into our thinking of Christmas? What does giving extremely expensive gifts to our children even have to do with Christmas? What are we celebrating, what message are we sending our kids and what are we setting ourselves up for next year when everything is more expensive and our children are one year older wanting bigger and better things. These are just a few things that have been rattling around my head for awhile and I will continue with thoughts along these lines. Any ideas would be wonderful and I would appreciate any and all advice in this area!

Dopamine or a Taste of Heaven??

2010-11-30T08:21:00.003-07:00

This morning was a rough morning. First day of school after an amazingly fun, busy week of family, food, and fellowship. I made sure everyone was clean and in bed by 8 thinking that would help the morning go better. Nope...So on the way to school I asked - not to anyone in particular - why this always happens after we have spent time with "cousins". Praetoria, without missing a beat replies, "Dopamine". Going on to explain that it is a chemical in the brain that is released in moments of joy. The kids had used all of theirs up and now it was needing to be replenished and so they would be grumpy until that happened. *grin* I have to admit that some of that is indeed true. After having an enjoyable time with the ones we love it seems hard to get back in the swing of things and deal with the pressures of life. Then it hit me while I was washing my hair. I also think that we get a little taste of heaven at those times. Not only are we "family" in the natural sense, but we are more than that. We are bound together by Christ and will be spending eternity together - enjoying food and fellowship in the presence of God Almighty. I think we would all agree that the greatest time together was when we filled the basement on Sunday and lifted up our voices in song and listened to God's Word being preached. What wonderful worship together and THAT is what we will do for enternity!! So whether Dopamine comes into all of that, or not, I am living today with "One Foot Raised" and anxiously await the day when Christ calls us to our true Home that we will never have to leave and where the word "Good-bye" will not exist.

Why I Kissed Facebook Good-bye

2010-11-20T13:26:00.003-07:00

I promised I would write why I got off FB, so here it is:

Really a number of reasons went into it, but the main reason was time. I found that I was spending WAY too much time on Facebook. The reality become very clear when everytime I helped Savannah get on-line for something I had to first check FB and Savannah would say, "Not FB again, Mom!!" The funny thing is, I was spending so much time trying to keep up with people I really don't even know that well, but are my "friend". I would even find myself looking through pictures of people I didn't even know only because it was linked on another friend's page. I WILL miss the pictures, but I figure the people I am really good friends with will continue to send me pictures other ways. A verse from II Thes. 3 really hit me one Sunday. It is talking about an undisciplined life and warns about those going around as busybodies. I felt like a busybody. There are so many needs right here in my neighborhood that I should be attending to. People I need to be having face-to-face conversations with. Not to mention my own family! So, I've been trying to play more games with Savannah, check in with more neighbors, and write more hand-written letters. The funny thing is, I don't think most of my "friends" from FB even know I'm gone! As personal as it feels at times, it still falls short of true fellowship. So, I guess that is it in a nut shell. I really don't miss it. One day will I be back? Maybe...but for now I'm enjoying the freedom from my little addiction. :)

And I get paid for this!?

2010-11-19T22:14:00.004-07:00

Just had an awesome time at my very,very part-time job. I am blessed to be able to go to these amazing parties and get paid for it at the same time. Granted, I work my tail off most of the time, but it is FUN work! Most of the time I see many people that I know and get to chat with them. But it is also fun just knowing I'm helping people have an enjoyable evening out with great food, good drink, and that it's all presented in a beautiful way. It really is right up my alley and I LOVE it! Tonight was no exception. A beautiful party at an attorney's office. For a thank-you we were each given a bottle of wine - how cool is that!? So instead of that greasy burger I was going to pick up, I decided to go to the store and get the things that we served at this wonderful party to have with my wine when I got home. I should have taken a picture. We had our wine, green and red grapes, specialty sharp white cheddar cheese, rolled salami, fresh bakery bread, and to top it all off -- dark chocolate. I put it all out on a fancy long plate that I have. The kids thought it was great fun and then were soon sent downstairs so Eli and I could enjoy this royal meal :-). What a life God has blessed me with!
P.S. The night could have ended up much differently -- Eli and the kids got hit by a drunk driver while I was gone. Thankfully it was only in a parking lot so they were all fine and the Jeep didn't even sustain any damage, but the guy hit them twice!! They were pretty shaken up, but we are all praising the Lord for His protection!

The Simple Things of Life

2010-10-27T21:46:00.003-06:00

As some of you know, we are in the middle of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course. Eli and I are loving it and we feel it has really put us on a great path and has given us some great ideas to implement. But with everything there needs to be a balance. And with all of the talk recently about money, budgets, and wealth building I have also started to see even more clearly what money CAN'T buy. So tonight while I was taking an extremely long bath I started thinking up my list. Here are a few to start with:

1.) Having all of my dishes washed, dryed AND put away -- something that doesn't always get done around here.

2.) The grin on Silas' face when he told me about the "A" he got on his test we studied for last night.

3.) The little finger-wave Savannah gave me on her way to P.E. while I was volunteering at her school.

4.) The twinkle in Prae's eyes as she took the fresh, hot cinnamon rolls we made to her Bible Study class this morning.

5.) The warmth of snuggling up to Eli while the wind is blowing so terribly outside.

6.) The little jars of apple butter on the counter.

7.) Getting to talk to my sister on the phone uninterupted.

8.) Praying with Savannah that she won't have the same nightmare as last night and seeing the peace wash over her face.

9.) Going to bed knowing my Sovereign God is watching over us, protecting us, does not sleep, and will wake me up with the strength I need to face tomorrow.

Those are the things life is made of!!

Harmony

2010-09-27T08:45:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I was trying to take my Sunday afternoon nap and this word picture popped into my head. I was thinking about unity with Believers and the image that came to mind was a string on a harp or guitar. When that one string is played it is hard to tell if it is in tune or not - just playing by itself. But add another string (person) to that and you will be able to tell if they are in tune to each other. BUT there is a possibility that BOTH are out of tune even if they are tuned together. So there has to be something to be tuned to - a pitch pipe, for example. Well, the Bible should be a Christian's pitch pipe. The more each string is tuned to the Word the more harmony we will share. God has made us to interact with each other - to strum our strings. The question is are we playing in harmony or discord? I am afraid that there are many Christians strumming along thinking they are in key because they are all sounding o.k. together, but suddenly the pitch pipe is blown and it is obvious the whole group is off -- they aren't listening to the true pitch -God's Word. I think there are many different ways to look at this analogy, but you get the idea. Today as we go about our lives rubbing shoulders with fellow "strings" let's make sure we are all tuning our lives to the only absolute -- the Bible, and together make sweet music that will glorify our God!!

When Dad's Away the Mice Will...Paint!! :-)

2010-09-23T20:50:00.002-06:00

I love to paint when Eli goes out-of-town. This time we decided to paint Si's room because he had border up from when he was a toddler. We went to Menard's and he helped me pick out two really cool colors -- we took his comforter and got the idea from that. Burnt orange and dk. brown. It looks SO cool. He has been a trooper and we are almost done! Eli comes home tomorrow night from Aberdeen. I asked him before he left if we could, he just doesn't know what color yet. I really like the brown and would like to use it for our living room upstairs. We'll see...

Being a Christian

2010-09-21T14:45:00.003-06:00

The longer I am a Christian the more I am aware of God as a Person rather than a cosmic Genie in the sky. How many times have I flippantly prayed (demanded) for something like a spoiled child. The more I study Scripture the more I realize that God is more concerned with my heart for Him than He is for my physical well-being. In fact He will use everything -- things that look bad and things that look good to me -- in order to draw me closer to Him. I am asking myself this question more and more: "Do I love God for what He has done for me or for WHO He is?" Jesus wanted nothing to do with the people in John who were just following Him for his bread. I want to follow Christ not because He is the bread-giver but because He IS my bread -- in Him I am completely satisfied no matter what comes my way in this life.

Callie

2009-10-20T21:34:00.002-06:00

We are all so very excited -- Will came over tonight to ask if we really do want to watch Callie for two weeks. We were all afraid that his mother took her home to NE to take care of her. So, in the morning she will be "ours" for awhile. She is a sweet girl and definitely a snuggler! It just amazes me how God worked this out for us. He is concerned about the little birds that fall from the sky, so I KNOW He is pleased with how this all worked out. Thank you, Lord!

Our Princess

2009-10-19T09:00:00.004-06:00

Savannah has been begging me for weeks to buy her a princess dress. Her Dear Aunt Natalie found out she likes princess things and sent her a big box of not just ONE dress, but THREE! She even had shoes that match and earrings and a purse too! She was soooo thrilled. Thanks, Nat, for getting that out to her and sharing with us. Savannah was trying them all on, with Prae's help, when she suddenly looks up at me and asked, "Do you think Emily has any left!?" She was worried that Emily didn't have any dresses to play with now. Every day we go from being Cinderella, to Snow White, to Fairy Princess and then start all over again - ha! I tell her she is God's Princess because He is our King. I hope she never forgets that...

Max

2009-10-13T16:00:00.002-06:00

This is such a hard post to write. We had to take Max to the vet this morning. He has started having trouble going to the bathroom, but I was watching him and switched him to a half wet, half dry diet. I was also giving him some cranberry vitamins once in a while. Well, yesterday morning Max was acting very sick. He had two accidents on the carpet and was hunched and moaning. I made up a plate of his wet food that he normally goes crazy for, but he never touched it the whole day. I couldn't even get him to drink. I kept him in the washroom hoping that whatever it was would work it's way out and he would once again get better. He never did. Last night was a long night. I stayed up with him until 1:30 and he seemed to like me there -- snuggled up against my foot once in a while. It was terrible seeing him suffer so much. I got him in right away at 8 and found out that he was totally blocked and it would be $500 to fix the initial problem and then we were also looking at an additional surgery. After telling the vet that I couldn't afford that he left and room and then came back and said I could sign him over to the clinic and sometimes people donate funds to fix an animal and then they would do their best to find a new home for the "special needs" cat. He is so beautiful so I have little doubt that someone would take him in a heartbeat if he survives the surgery. My heart has been heavy all day but at the same time is at peace that it was the right decision. I am thankful for the time we have been blessed with Max and the many wonderful memories we have of him. Thanks, Max, for being such a great asset to our family: for being a companion to Prae, a play-mate for Si, for being a rag doll for Savannah, and for being a foot-warmer for me. You will be missed!

What a Wonderful Day!

2009-09-19T21:34:00.003-06:00

We had such a great day today! It started off with Si testing for his red belt. It was a three hour testing that was very rigorous but he did such a great job! My dad and mom were able to come and watch. He is so focused and can kick so high!! But he's also very humble and quiet about his strength and ability. I praise God for his healthy body and mind to be able to do this sport!

We then had Mom and Dad over for sandwiches and enjoyed hanging out and catching up on life's events. We love fellowshiping with them! While Savannah was taking her nap, Aunt Connie came over and grabbed Mom, Si and Prae and off they went to go shopping. When they came home they surprised Savannah with a brand new bike and the two older kids had brand new scooters. They had their old ones stolen two nights ago. (I will be blogging about that later.)

So all in all we had a very busy, very blessed day!! The kids are so very thankful and so very excited about all that happened today! My heart is so full of praise too because of how blessed we are.

Passing it On

2009-09-17T21:37:00.002-06:00

Today Prae came home so excited because she wanted to bake her teacher Snickerdoodle Cookies for school tomorrow. He happened to make some comment about "getting on his good side" if someone would bring him some tomorrow. I had already made Sour Cream Twists and they were just about ready to put into the oven. I asked Prae if she just wanted to take a few of those, but she said she'd rather not. Well, the afternoon soon disappeared as I whipped up a quick supper, got Si to Tae Kwon Do, ate supper, cleaned up after supper, helped Prae with her piano, went on a walk with Eli, and before I knew it it was well after 8! I could see the disappointment in my daughter's eyes. Again I asked,

"Couldn't you just take a few of those twists?"

No, she really would rather take what he requested. Why not? I asked myself. So quick as we could we whipped up one batch of Snickerdoodles and put the rest of the dough in the fridge for tomorrow. She was absolutely beaming. I thank God that I took just those few extra minutes out of my night to make Praetoria's night. It would have been something my mom would have done for me. (Thanks Mom!!) And one day I can see her in her kitchen, with her daughter doing the exact same thing!

Making Empanadas

2009-09-15T06:17:00.009-06:00

I had so much fun making this new Mexican/Spanish dish! Here's how I did it:

First I threw a pork roast in the crock pot on low over night. I had some extra enchilada sauce so added that as well.

Let it set and when cooled shred the meat and mix in the juices. Heat oil/butter and cook onion, garlic, and peppers. Add meat mixture to pan and add two cups beef broth.

The recipe called for making a volcano in the flour, adding eggs, butter, and water and just mixing it all up with your hands. It was fun! :-)

I rolled the dough into a long tube and cut off a small portion and rolled it into a circle. Add the meat into the middle and fold over to make a "half moon".

Seal the edges with a fork all the way around. Fold up each side. Eli and I decided to turn it over, but there was some leaking of the juices, so I think next time I will leave it with the folds up, not down.

Then, mix one egg and paint on the top.

Place on grease baking sheet, make a small air-hole, and bake at 375 for 20 min.
You can also make them up and freeze before baking, then take out as needed and bake frozen.
Fun to make and Yummy! Silas ate two! Next on my list is corn tamales...

2009-09-12T22:04:00.002-06:00

Well, so far so good. "Missy" as we have renamed her, has been a very good kitty all day long. She hasn't had one accident and is such a sweetie! She hisses at Max but I really think it is because she is blind and it is all a big show. Max has been the BIGGEST gentleman and just looks at her like, "what is your problem!?" He seems to understand that there is something special about her and even lets her eat first!

I just need to add that I am so proud of my kids. They saved up their money all through the summer and pooled it together and bought themselves a Wii. We are having a blast with it! They have done pretty well with the whole taking turns thing and take very good care of it. It will be fun to see what they save up their money for next time -- good life lessons hopefully being learned early.

That's all for tonight...

New Cat

2009-09-11T22:03:00.003-06:00

Well, it's been almost a year since I last wrote. NOT a very good blogger, I'm afraid. But I'm willing to try again.
We brought a new cat in the house tonight. Her name is "kitty" and she is from two houses down. She is partially blind and has been "put on the streets" by our neighbors. Not sure why, but since it's pretty chilly out tonight and raining, we thought we'd see if she and Max get along. I'm afraid of what I'll find in the morning. I tried locking her in the bathroom but she wouldn't quit crying. Everyone's asleep so I didn't want her waking everyone up. So far so good as far as Max goes. He follows her around and she will hiss at him if she realizes he's too close and that is that. I just don't want to deal with messes -- especially now that I'm finally getting my house in order. I even have my spices alphabetized! :0) (Owww, how "Kitty" is claiming the couch as her own. We might have to change that name...) I have more work to be done in the washroom and in Prae's room and finally in my room. I feel I need to purge the most there. I've already gotten rid of two FULL black garbage bags full of my clothes and another of the kids' clothes. That felt good! I am paining the bathroom and when done with that will head into the living room. I'm afraid I've been bit by the "home improvment bug" and just can't quit. I'm sure Eli's thinking "It's about time!!" LoL :-)

I am so tired tonight...

2008-10-02T21:39:00.002-06:00

I'm not going to write much at all tonight, but thought I better keep my momentum going!! I feel like a human ping-pong ball after today. I got Sam's and Wal-Mart done this am, and then of course had to put it all away, which isn't even done yet, but can wait 'till tomorrow. Then the afternoon was nothing but driving tither and yawn. Anyway, it's over, my bed is calling me, and it doesn't have to ask twice. Hopefully I'll be more inspired and fresh tomorrow. Prae got a part in the play "Buffalo Gals", so that has added to our busy-ness, but I'm so happy for her and she is just floating on air since she made it. There will be really fun costumes and lots of lines to learn, but she'll do fine with that! I'm glad she has found something she loves :-)!
Night, night...

I Don't Ever Want to Forget These Days...

2008-09-28T18:13:00.004-06:00

Never uploaded a movie before, but I think this one is worth it. At least for my sake. This was taken today -- a Sunday afternoon. Homework is done, chores are finished, and the kids were told to "find something to do!" Before I knew it they all came up with their "outfits" on, turned on some music and just started dancing and dancing. I grabbed my camera and shot. Totally unpolished, obviously ;-), but that's what makes it darling to me. I praise God that they are still such good friends; love spending time together; and come up with some great activities that don't include a tv or a computer. You made my day, Kiddos!

It's Gone!!

2008-09-27T21:46:00.002-06:00

Whew -- glad to have that little part of my life over with. We finally got that little tooth out yesterday. Not an easy task and I see now why it was so hard for her. Because of the fact that there was no adult tooth coming up underneath it pushing it out (it was already completely grown in behind it) there was still quite the root left there. So, after two really hard pulls it came out, left a huge gapping hole, and bled quite a bit. My sweetie let out quite a scream (pretty impressive for Prae!) and then after the initial pain went away hugged and hugged me thanking me over and over. She was so relieved to have it out of her mouth and likes the fact that she can now start eating on that side again. There's got to be a lesson in this one for me! Let see: I guess doing hard, painful things can actually make you feel a whole lot better once the hard part is over and done with. Easy to say, hard to remember and follow through with when the time comes. I pray I will.

To Pull or Not to Pull...

2008-09-26T08:25:00.003-06:00

Ugh!!! This parenting thing is a lot harder than my parents made it look!!! Prae has a loose tooth. It is no ordinary tooth, though. Her adult tooth has fully come in behind it and the two on each side of it are sort of corraling it in, if you know what I mean. So, a number of months ago she came to me asking me to pull her tooth -- that in and of itself was a miracle. I tried and failed -- TWICE! I didn't have a good grip and that puppy just didn't want to let go. So she is SOOOO gun-shy!! I went to the dentist thinking he would totally help me out, be the bad guy and get that silly thing out of there. NO. He proceeds to tell me that it will fall out on its own right in front of her! I explain my worries about her not brushing well there b/c it hurts, the length of time it has been loose, and the fact the she NEEDS more space in there to help the other teeth not be so crooked. He still seemed reluctant, but said he would do it if I wanted him to and all the while Prae is squishing my toes silently begging me to wait. So we wait... Last night we decide we are getting that thing out. We tried for an HOUR. We got the dental floss around one side of it around the back and started down the other side when she lost heart. The tooth moved, it hurt, so that was that. I tried every tactic. Calm, nice, funny, stern, encouraging, demanding, forcefull, etc, etc, etc. We decided to quit when she worked herself into such a frenzy that her hands and feet started feeling numb. I'm assumming from lack of oxygen!? Does it need to come out? Do I leave it alone, not make such a big deal about it, and let it fall out? HELP!! Any ideas out there???

P.S. I wonder if I just "stole" this pic. off the web. Are there any rules about that...

I KNEW I wasn't going to be good at this...

2008-09-25T08:30:00.004-06:00

Well, I'm back :-). A month later, but I'm back. So many times I've thought, "I need to blog that...", but am unable to get to the computer. I think this calls for a laptop!! My daughter would be thrilled *grin*.

Today Eli left for a two day retreat with Leadership Rapid City, a class he is taking through the PD. He is going with two other guys from the dept. and I know they will have a great time, although he wasn't so sure :-). Before he went he had to take a personality test online and send his results to the key speaker. The site was open to anyone, so I took it too! The outcome was hilarious. Eli was described as a "Mastermind" and it fit him to a T!! Said only 1% of the population have this personality, they tend to be very introverted, like order, will think things through ALLLL the way to the end and not only that, but will have a plan a,b,and c in case the first plan doesn't go well. They don't immediately rise as leaders, but will do so when they see inadequate leadership happening; then they will step up and get the job done correctly. Like I said, "to a T"!!!

For me I didn't think it was exactly me, and Eli wasn't so sure either, so he went through and retook the test for me *grin*. We both got the same outcome. They described me as a "Performer". Marilyn Monroe had my personality...as did Ronald Regan --ha!! Parts of it were definitely true: love to have fun! Am the one to brighten the place where they are. A negative side is instead of dealing with problems, we prefer to just ignore them, thinking that they will just go away. Very much a people person and get great joy from spending our time with them.

None of this was new to either of us, but it's just fun to see how answering a bunch of questions can really show what our personalities are and point out how very DIFFERENT Eli and I are from each other! I know God did that for a reason and to me, it just shows how much we need each other to "complete" each other and together we make one!! People as serious as he was described as NEED someone who "just wants to have fun"!! And people who would rather ignore the obvious sometimes, NEED someone to come around and pull them back to reality and the real issues.

So all-in-all it just confirmed in my mind How Great My God Is! We didn't date very long (well, we didn't even have our first date until after we were engaged) and for sure didn't have both of our personalities all figured out before we were married. But GOD knew we needed each other. And even though our differences drive us CRAZY from time to time, I rest in the fact that we are GOOD for each other, we NEED each other and our lives wouldn't be near as FULL without each other!

I love you Honey!!!

What DID I do today!?

2008-08-22T22:27:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I get to the end of my day exhausted and yet at a loss for what I really DID! So tonight I'm making a list. Who knows, maybe I really did accomplish a few things today :-).

Accomplishments:

* started the day out with a walk

* watered my garden bright and early

* rearranged and organized my room

* went shopping and found a lot of great deals!

* helped Si make homemade clay so he could make a ton of little jalopeno peppers :-)

* FINALLY made the kids' beds with sheets I had hung out on the line days ago --ugh!

* made a yummy meal everyone seemed to enjoy

* got Most of the dishes done

* doing one last load of laundy

* am going to go read!!!

2008-08-21T22:18:00.000-06:00

I think I was born in the wrong century...

These are pics that I took at Jodi's house in NE. A neat lady and her two daughters took us down there to take Jessie home. The girls had a BLAST trying on dresses that Jessica had made and taking these fun photos. It felt like we were stepping back in time. I like how that felt! Sometimes I think I should have been born then -- I like to do the kind of things woman HAD to do back then: grow a garden, preserve food, hunt, bake bread, make quilts, make homecooked meals for my family, etc. But I must say there are things that help me do that today that those women did not have. For those things I am grateful!! :-) I also love some of the technology. That is something else that I would miss. So, I guess God has me right where I'm supposed to be. But it's sure is fun to take a step back and enjoy what used to be!!!

Paycheck

2008-08-09T21:14:00.003-06:00

I find being a stay-at-home Mom both very rewarding and yet very challenging at times. I think one of the most challenging aspects of it is that my kids hear me teach them from sun-up to sun-down who God wants them to live and yet we are all together and they are watching ME from sun-up to sun-down as well. The good and the bad... The other toughy is that sometimes in a low moment of self-pity I wonder what it would be like to have the admiration of a boss, of co-workers, of the public. AND I wonder what it would be like to get a paycheck every other week, or so. But like I said, those thoughts come in moments of weakness and I am almost immediatly reminded in different ways why I feel so strongly that God has called me to this "profession".

Two such things happened today:
1.) We were driving in the car and I was mentioning that a neighbor asked me if I knew any good babysitters in the area and I was talking out loud saying that I assumed they were hinting if I wanted to do that. I was weighing the pros and cons to myself and of course, my Praetoria doesn't miss A THING! Then I said something like, "It would just be nice to make some money to help Daddy out." Prae immediately spoke up and (assuming I meant going out to get a job) said, "Mom! We wouldn't be able to LIVE without you for even a week!!!"

2.) Tonight I was getting the kids moving toward bedtime and told them to go to their rooms, but they could read a while. Sweet Silas just got a model car today that he is working on for the fair next weekend. He asked very politely if he could start working on that instead. I said he could, but only in his room. You know where this is going...He comes running up the stairs with the most terrified look on his face and says, "Mom, don't be mad, BUT... I spilled a little bit of paint on my carpet." By the time I got down there he was madly scrubbing a spot the size of a dinner plate that was as black as black could be. This is model car paint, mind you. Not easy wash out Crayola! I ran and got the Laquer Thinner from the garage as fast as I could, scrubbed and scrubbed and would you believe we got most of it out!? It stunk to high heaven so we opened the window, moved Si and his fish into the girls' room, turned on a fan, and shut the door. After I was done praying with them Si turns to me and says, "Mom, I am SO sorry about that!! And thanks for not getting angry at me."

So as you can see I got paid TWICE today!

Trying to Keep Up

2008-08-09T14:03:00.003-06:00

My poor daughter is frustrated with me. I'm trying to keep up with this ever changing world. I asked her to help my with setting up the "about me" part and she couldn't handle it and had to go in the other room and read Nancy Drew :-). What is this world going to be like when she is MY age? Well, all I know is that so far this has all been pretty fun and is just one more thing that can keep me from my housecleaning - ha! The other thing she told me was, "Mom, you don't even have any friends, well, that know how to even do this!" Ouch... So, Dear Friends, here is my link. Come check it out and see if you can "figure it out" HA!! Bless my daughters heart.

Somehow I lost my first blog...

2008-08-08T20:23:00.003-06:00

Ok, this isn't starting out very good. I already typed a nice couple of paragraphs telling all about why I'm finally starting to blog. When I went to go see how it looked, it was nowhere to be found.

So anyway, here I am. I'm giving this a shot, and we'll see how long I last :-)!

Pictures from The Ranch:

First Blog

2008-08-08T20:05:00.002-06:00

Wow! Here it is: my first official blog! I've always wanted to be great at journaling all of my daily highs and lows, but have never stuck with it more than a few days. We'll see if this is any better...Another reason I got this was because I think people are getting sick of me putting all of my pics. on facebook. Here is another place to put them :-). I love taking pics and sharing them with the people I love. So....here I go...

Today my Aunt Connie took the kids and I to The Ranch. It was a blast and we all really enjoyed ourselves! We all had lunch together and then she took the two older kids for the afternoon. She is an amazing example of dying to self! She RARELY gets a day completely OFF, and here she is spending it with her great niece and nephew. God will bless her above and beyond, I know!!

I guess that's all for now.