Big Congratulations to Uncle James Upon His Graduation From Boot Camp!

You can do anything with children if you only play with them!

This being said as the hollering, singing, roaring, and dancing echo through the house this morning! I took the kids to play at the lake the other day and they amused themselves (and me) for hours...but it didn't seem so noisy there! This afternoon we will play again outside...at the orchard...and hopefully Daddy can join us! This little break from school has been nice...but it will also be nice to get back on our schedule...I am more tired because of the lazy days we have had! All play and no work...

"Precious Memories...how they linger...how they ever flood my soul..."

" in the stillness of the midnight..."

Pray for the Brokering family, friends from college, as Tana and her children will be clinging to those precious memories in the days, weeks, and months to come. Warren's fight with cancer is coming to the end. What a blessing to know that this family can rest in our Father's arms and know His peace and comfort!

"Precious, sacred scenes unfold."

"...Up Where The Air Is Clear..."

"...Up to the atmosphere...oh, let's go...fly a kite!" It was the picture perfect day for kite flying!
UP, up, up, and up! "Mom, don't let that seagull poop on my kite!" shouted Alisa. Oh...dear...
Mr. I have it all figured out by myself!
Run, baby, run...actually, it isn't necessary...but if that is what you want to do...go for it!
"Girls, they don't know how to fly kites! Just look at me...my kite is way up high...and it is not even crashing!"

Letting the older teach the younger!

"THREE!" "No, Teddy, you have to put 10 popsicle sticks and then take 5 away..." instructed Alisa. I guess he has to picture the popsicle sticks in his head! (Alisa got to bring her class bear home for the weekend...it is a he/she bear...depends on who is dressing it and who it goes home with for a visit! We have housed B.A. Follower in the past.)

Enjoying the things of fall

What would you do if a friend brought you grapevine? It was a huge pile of vines!
Find your wire and wire-cutters and spend a couple hours free-forming whatever strikes your fancy! A grapevine cone...to use outside with little lights wrapped all over it for Christmas.
10-12 wreaths to pass out to friends and family. I chose to form them with the leaves on...easier on the hands! I will pull them off as they dry out.
Celebrating the fact that we don't have school this week (Tues. throught Fri.) due to a conference being held at the church/school we attend. Alisa was excited to learn that we "won't be setting the alarm clock"!
MMM...carmel and peanuts smothering an apple on a stick...sheer sticky pleasure...uh, after Mom cut each into pieces! We have more loose teeth!!!

Praying for Brad and Mari and family...

Friday, Brad's grandfather went home to be with His Lord. Pray for the family today as they gather for the service in Iowa. Pray for safety as Brad and others travel home. What a blessing to know that all is well in the Father's arms!

Have a restful, sweet weekend!

No kisses for the cook this morning!

"Oatmeal tastes like paper!" grumbled Teddy at the breakfast table this morning. (Sweet paper though...Mommy sprinkled it with sugar to make it go down better!) No amount of coaxing got him to take more than three bites...hope his morning is going well! (Correction...hope his teacher's morning is going well!)

A Retort On the End of My Tongue

"We really need to find Cinderella...the cobwebs are all over," exclaimed Ted after he crawled in the corner to unplug a clock in the basement.
My retort...I just did that two weeks ago! (Can't look bad as a homemaker!)

"Mom, that fan is super dusty again," observed my son as he watched the ceiling fan come to a halt.
My retort...How about you clean it for me! (Delegate!)

"I am not happy with the way this is going...here is what is going to happen," stated my husband. My retort...They are tired, it was a long, busy weekend with no naps. (Excuses!)

"You do not multi-task, you simply change from one thing you are doing to another and back again," cooed a higher educated man on liberal talk show.
My retort...How does he know? Every mother multi... (Oops, had to stop rolling cookies, wash my hands, put the pan in the oven, and finish washing the dishes...uh, his explanation is true.)

Ok...it has been a week since our ladies retreat. It was wonderful and I was challenged and rebuked. I have that phrase of the verse coloring every thought..."that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves..." Which is exactly what God's Word should do for us...affect our daily living!

That was last week...and the challenging and rebuking continues!!! Honestly, I didn't even consider that my retorts...even while just in my head...were not pleasing to the Lord. I didn't say all of them out loud, but the Lord brought to mind some of the most recent retorts. The verse, 2 Corinthians 5:15, has been cycling through my head and my heart over and over! Any and all of the above comments did not make me upset...I just had a response for each of them. Sometimes, we call them responses or explanations...we have to defend ourselves, you know! Then I looked up the word "retort" because that is a good description of my heart attitude. Umm, I think that is exactly what the Lord is talking about when He talks about a soft answer! I always feel more spiritual by sticking that verse in when someone else is upset and speaking loudly! Of course, as a mother, I am justified to speak loudly to get my point across and let my frustration be known to mankind.
It all goes back to my heart...I haven't even gotten past the first page of the Bible study book, Refresh Your Heart, without conviction beginning! Out of my heart comes my attitudes and actions...I can't deal with heart problems with my children very effectively if my own heart is selfish!

World's Worst Mommy Revisited and Put Away!

But he is ok! Yesterday, when I picked up Teddy from school I let him know that we had our appointment for the last shot at 1:00 p.m. Can I tell you how awful I felt when I saw his big, brown eyes well up with tears? Way to go, Mom...Sigh...well, these hazel eyes filled up too! The tears evaporated bravely as he considered the option he was given about where to go for lunch...I felt it was the least I could do for the continuing saga of "World's Worst Mother to a third child". We ate at his favorite...KFC...and stopped in to see Daddy. Our afternoon was even more eventful because we had to stop for a train (Look, Mom, that is cool!) and then slow down to be directed around a car accident (with two police cars, ambulance, and fire truck). We felt bad for the lady (Teddy watched intently as she was put on a stretcher and noticed every detail) and other person (their car on McDonald's landscaping and we don't know if they were hurt).
All those things were more exciting to remember later...the "shot hurt" didn't last long and he got two more pencils!

The rest of the pics...and Happy October 1st!

The table decorations for the retreat weekend...some had coffee pots, grinders, cups, or cans with flowers inside and coffee beans sprinkled around them. Each place had a favor. The yellow sheets had fun sayings about too much caffine.
Mom's grinder
Walking into the chapel, there was a table with nothing on it...we fixed that!

A big cup planter filled with coffee grounds...the place smelled divine...that is if you love the smell of coffee! Today is the perfect day for a "grande"! It is cold and breezy with color beginning to touch the leaves ...mmmm, autumn is here!