Avatar: Yes. Go see it. In the theater. In 3-D if you are able...

Out of 5 stars, I would give this one 4 1/2. It was fun. It was sad. It was eventful. The picture was amazing. Worth the money to see it, which is MUCH more than I'd say about most of the movies nowadays!

I refrain from 5 stars simply from personal preference. A little language, a "mating" scene (not sex... but.... obviously meant to be such), some chanting that actually made me feel uncomfortable. But all on the barely noticable side, other than the chanting. And no "F" words. Phew!

A few things that I brought away from the movie were these:

1. The beauty of the night scenes were seriously intense. Absolutely gorgeous. Stunning. Loved it. My thoughts took this turn: Our eternity with Christ will be more than we can imagine. This movie was imagined by a human mind... We serve an amazing, mind-blowing, God!

2. A paraphrased quote from the main character went something like this: "Reality seemed to be a dream, where my dreams had turned to reality." It reminded me that this world is merely a shadow of what is to come. God's work in our every day is so much more epic than we realize, eternity is at stake.

3. Part of the plot was that the bad guys were going to kill the native's deity, and the good guy was pleading for help from that deity, claiming that the bad guys had killed the "mother" on their planet. Consider how "dead" God is to so many today, and what a difference He makes in our lives who know Him.

Great movie, and I left feeling oh so blessed, although I highly doubt that was the intent of the writer! ;-) But He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world....!!

Christmas Bliss III

I know. Last one. I promise.

BTW, these kittens have got to go. If you know anyone who wants a Bengal trouble-maker, let me know. I'll make them a great deal. Half Price!

Anyway, back to Christmas fun and revelations...

Isaac started crawling on Christmas. And here 5 days later, he is awfully speedy. Yea! Yeah.... ;-) Just kidding. Each day is a new step with babies! And now we've entered this step. Next week, he'll be standing up. Oh... I hope not....

Another thing I forgot to mention was something I heard long ago, and the Duggar book reinforced it. I don't remember exactly how the statement went, but it was something like this: "Credit removes God's opportunities for blessing and provision."
It struck me at the time, and has ever since. Reading 20 & Counting, I was blessed by the miracles of provision they'd seen God work in their lives. Early on, they chose to live debt free, honoring God with their financial responsiblity. From cheap sod to amazingly cheap property, plus selling things for more than the purchase price after they'd used it... and the examples of what happened when they moved forward on something without praying about it, and seeing it fail... (This is all stuff I already knew, but it still served to build my faith.) In our lives, I am encouraged to pray for His Will about the things I'd like for our family... like cheap piano lessons for Melia. A backyard. A replacement van, when and if this one bites the dust. The parable in Matthew 25 also corresponds with these lessons- "you have been faithful with a few things, now I will make you ruler over much..." I am encouraged to honor God with the many blessings we do have, and pray about which directions to take in the future. The direction right now? Get that truck paid off! (But I must say, I also feel led to pray that someone would seek to purchase it from us if it is not something we are supposed to have...)

Anyway- that was just another rabbit trail lesson my mind had been taking lately that I wanted to share. :-)

Christmas Bliss II

Again. I will have to create my own sublime dessert....

Christmas Eve was lovely, as was Christmas Day. The great part about spreading out all the different celebrations is that we get to spend more time with each group of people. With kids, this makes ALL the difference!!!

After being married 9+ years, I think I've finally learned that it's ok to express myself to Gabe about what I really want. So this year, I asked him to get me the 20 & Counting book (the Duggar family), because if no one bought it for me, I wanted it badly enough that I would probably spend any Christmas money received on it! So, he did :-)

I finished it in two days- what a blessing! I loved it. God verified to me through their experiences that I need not doubt His ability to reach down and provide for us. The book is full of their real-life lessons about praying for His guidance and the amazing provisions He has made for their family.

Then on Sunday, we had a visiting pastor who delivered a very powerful message. Of the many notes I took, one that spoke so strongly to me was this: "If you want to accomplish His will for your life, Seek HIM." It's not about me doing what I am supposed to do, or how well I do it, but how closely I walk with Christ. If I'm pressing in hard to Him and His Word, He will be accomplishing His will, and I get to be part of it.

Why was all this so important to me? Because He is so Faithful to meet us where we are. He met me where I was, with the doubts and questions I have. Both Gabe and I are pretty sure we are supposed to have more children. How many- we don't know. But in my heart, I wondered how in the world I could actually successfully raise more kids. With homeschooling, training, our house space, lack of organization, etc... Read "I" "I" "I." My perspective needed adjusting, once again :-) It's not about me; it IS about Him. And if what we are called to do is raise up God-honoring and fearing children who will serve Him, it is He who will provide the wisdom, the finances, the guidance, and the perserverance to accomplish His will. We just need to walk with Him. In my own abilities, I could hardly raise one child, much less one who loves the Lord. But, as we have already seen in our lives!, He has provided huge amounts more of everything we needed since we found out that we were unexpectedly expecting Melia. I need only trust Him with everything, and follow closely with Him along the path He has for us. To quote Miss Michelle Duggar, "Where He guides, He provides!" AMEN!

Christmas Bliss

That should be the name of a divinely delicious candy to make at Christmas time....

So many thoughts are bouncing around in my head. I am unsure of how to efficiently share them...

Christmas Eve, I find myself working, enjoying the hustle and bustle, and yet feeling as if I'd missed the whole Christmas season simply because there was so much to do in a certain amount of time. One of my favorite things about my job is that I am in a little room, all by myself (most of the time) and can totally spend that period of time in a worshipful mindset. If I want to. Sometimes I forget to focus on Him, and then that time passes by... and it's gone, just another day at work, forgotten, caught up in the days of life....
Anyway, back to Christmas Eve. I'm prayerfully pondering why and how the business of Christmas takes over the season when what I really want to enjoy is the vast profound depth of God's gift to us which, to us, defines this whole season. All of the sudden, I am completely full with said "profoundness." Clear to the top, full of peace and grace and love and joy... exactly what I'm praying that I don't miss about Christmas. Not because life slowed down enough; Christmas Eve at Costco doesn't get "slow!" But because I chose to focus on Him, which is only because of Him in the first place, (since we don't do anything "Godly" of our own accord!) He blessed me with a full sense of what only He can give. And I didn't miss Christmas... It's interesting, when you're full of what He has given, no one can take it away. No rude customers, bah-humbug co-workers, impatient drivers. It's mine, for me, from Him.
Merry Christmas, from my King, Lord, Father God, Bridegroom, Prince of Peace, Faithful and True Witness...

To be continued....

And, not so ahhh.. Wait. I'm done. Ahhhh.....

I'd forgotten how long it takes to make 12 pans of cinnamon rolls. That's probably why I only make them once a year.

Remind me of this next year. They all might just get Pillsbury....
;-)

Nah. I love blessing them with these. I just need to plan a little better. Like don't go shopping with three kids on Dec 22, otherwise when I wait for 15 MINUTES just to get out of the Fred Meyer parking lot, I may truly go crazy from the "Why can't we just go?" "why aren't we moving?" "where's the red light?" "Why is everyone else shopping too?" "why can't I eat an orange in the car?" Why why whyw hwy whwywhwywhwywhywhwywhywhy........

Oh. Right. Sometimes Christmas music is the cure for everything.
:-)

Ahhh...

Today was nice :-) Other than an eye appointment I had, we stayed home and played new games and relaxed all day! This weekend we had two different Christmas gatherings... and I am exhausted! Which then makes me so very thankful that we didn't have to do anything important...

Tomorrow, on the other hand... we have cinnamon rolls to make! It's our Christmas tradition to make cinnamon rolls for all the people on Gabe's team at work. So my aim is to get really good sleep tonight, and work hard tomorrow.

Some fun stuff from the kiddos...

Kiera: "Thank you Jesus for this conversation!"
Melia: "Mommy, you need to send a note to every one in our whole family to tell them I don't like white cheese!" (she later rescinded this...after she spit it out and I made her eat the whole piece...then apparently it was good.)
Kiera: "I might poop on me!" (why she couldn't wipe herself)

Isaac also had several exciting new moves this weekend. First, he is recognizing what "No" means. Second, he is now able to maneuver to the sitting up position from his stomach. Third, he gives me high fives. :-) Totally fun! Oh, and he's saying mamamamama, which is AWESOME because both girls said daddaadad first. And he just feels sooo good. I am really trying to treasure this time with him...

Chuckles

Gabe and I chuckle from time to time. Our energetic girls handle life's surprises with grace and enthusiasm. From "catching deer" to throwing away dead mice in the traps, it's all normal to them. :-) They are, however, still afraid of spiders.

Dead mice, you say? Yep, 6 in the past three days. Thankfully, we found evidence quickly that they were attempting to enter again this winter. Peanut butter is great stuff.

Chickens: Day Two

The Easter egg was broken open. All the nice fresh straw I laid out in the boxes was scattered everywhere. It's like I have messy chickens. Hopefully, tomorrow we can separate the two questionable ones, and see if any eggs show up...

Random drama in the midst of the holiday season...

Oh, and I finally got our Christmas letter done on Wednesday; I went to print the trial copy, and ran out of ink. Figures :-) But I had it refilled today while I was at work, and the printer was humming away after I came home tonight! So, some of you may have cards this weekend!

Chickens: Day one

After a fun night with the girls last night (Thanks Girls!) I came home with a suggestion about what to do about our chickens. We've still got two roosters plus 6 hens... equaling no eggs. ever.

But one of my friends mentioned putting easter eggs in the nest to see if it would encourage them to use the different boxes, and I thought maybe I would try putting one in to see if it would encourage them to start laying again.

Buttt...... I had shoveled out to them, fed/watered them, and then brought the girls back inside to warm up. I then (15 minutes later) took the easter egg out. We throw the feed along two boards that line the wall of the coop to minimalize fighting. HOWEVER, I saw one of the barred rocks pecking at something along the back wall- NOT where we throw the food. After further inspection, I found evidence that they might have been eating someone's egg. (All along I've said we don't see evidence of eggs being eaten. That would be because they do such a good job apparently.) I also inspected beaks, and found that both of Cheever's birds (the chickens from Gabe's friend) had goopy beaks...

I think we'll be having chicken soon... And we'll see if the easter egg survives...

Whew...

I am exhausted. Two nights in a row I've been up until 1am, plus Isaac's been waking up at night... I think he must be growing. It's like he's never full anymore! ;-) Plus busy busy busy! Yesterday the kids and I went to the Ladies Cookie Exchange at church, then to a friend's house for a presentation by some long-time friends who are preparing to head to Malaysia as missionaries, then home to get ready and venture off to the jail's employee Christmas party. That party is always half awkward and half hilarious. Awkward because I barely know most of the people, and hilarious because once the booze starts flowing, people get really really bizarre :-) And this year was an open bar, so it was "freely" flowin'... This morning during the service Pastor Doug said something that coincided with a funny moment last night, and I had to hold in a chuckle so that I didn't laugh at an inappropriate moment. "I'm just sayin'...."

I love the holiday season- except it's such a blur of festivities that fuzz from one to the next. We aren't ready for all of them, but step by step we are making progress. And I am hoping to get an "alone-time" shopping trip here in the next few days... After I get some sleep tonight. Again, hopefully. And if not, we'll make it through another day.

Only 2 1/2 weeks until Gabe moves to day shift! It will be different, but it will result in more time for him during the waking hours for the rest of us. Not so many all night solitary work parties in the shop or his "hobby" room.... More days that we can spend on family time!! (And maybe even grocery shopping! EXCITING!!)

I am feeling a little bit giddy. I think it's time for bed.

Interesting and Suprising Emotions

Today at work, I heard on the news that Michelle Duggar (18 Kids & counting) gave birth to number 19 baby (Josie) via emergency c-section. I was almost overwhelmed with... sadness? grief? empathy? I don't even know what to call it. But a distinct reminder that I'm not sure I will ever get over this deep sense of loss I have about not being able to have a baby naturally. It almost seems silly to me that I feel sad over Michelle, when she has given birth to 18 babies... but I still do. It's probably more about me than anyone else, but I was surprised at the depth of emotion I felt, especially over something I'd thought I'd left behind.

I need a little joy...

I got a TON done today. But I don't feel good about it because it wasn't fun. And I am unsure how to fix it. I finished our calendars, ordered them, then things went downhill... I sold our old carseat on craigslist, and was meeting the gal today to exchange it. So, in my hurry to leave the house, I realized after we left that I had forgotten lunch. That was my first mistake, because hungry me = grumpy me. And the three stores we went to were not "kid-friendly," "cart-friendly," nor "cart with carseat and two tagalongs- friendly." Grrr. But we knocked several things off our list.

If you have any suggestions about the "PLEASE STOP TOUCHING!! PLEASE STAY NEXT TO ME!!! PLEASE STOP ASKING FOR STUFF!!!" problem, I'd love to hear them. I get so distracted by taking care of those three issues, over and over, that I loose my concentration and forget what I'm looking for and we end up going round and round the store. Yes, I have a list. It doesn't always help. And when we're done, the only kid I want to take shopping is Isaac. He's fairly quiet, doesn't ask for anything, and I never have to worry about him walking away to look at something. Yet. I know.

Maybe a new brain would help. That's all I want for Christmas. A new brain.

And every store should be like Costco. Wide aisles with big carts that will hold all my kids. And samples to eat for lunch. :-)

Playing Catch Up...

I finally caught up, just in time to be done :-) I finished my last two posts in our Galatians class, quickly took the final, and now our Revelation 2 class starts Monday! My goal is simply not to be laxadaisy in getting these posts done on time- while I still get the good grade I desire, I miss out on a lot of exchange and fellowship.

Last night at work I listened through the first hour of our next class, and had some treasures to share. I may have posted these before, but I just adore them. I love the details the Spirit has included in Scripture... the parallels, the types. It is simply amazing, each one laying another brick on my foundation of faith...

Types in the Book of Ruth
Boaz: Goel, the Kinsman Redeemer; must be a kinsman, must be able to perform, must be willing, and must assume all obligations
Naomi: Israel
Ruth: Gentile Bride

Observations from the Book of Ruth
* In order to bring Ruth to Naomi, Naomi had to be displaced from her land.
* What the Law could not do, Grace did. (Boaz marrying a gentile woman)
* Ruth does not replace Naomi.
* Ruth learns of Boaz's ways through Naomi.
* Naomi meets Boaz through Ruth.
* No matter how much Boaz loved Ruth, he had to wait for her move.
* Boaz, not Ruth, confronts the nearer kinsman.

Aren't those rich?
From the Koinonia Institute's Notes on Revelation compiled by Chuck Missler

...And is laxadaisy a real word?

Games

The girls are so funny. I'll ask them what they are playing, and the answer is always something more than just "cats," or "horses."

This morning, it was "princess with a normal girl and her cats." Others include "momma and baby kittens take a nap;" "dog and her person go for a walk;" and "horses eating lunch."

Narnia

I love Narnia. I started reading the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to the girls last year, but they didn't really understand... But yesterday we watched the movie together (although, yea, I forgot that it was kinda scary... but they always wanted to keep going) and now we are reading Prince Caspian. I'd like to read it and then watch it together. I find it quite difficult to explain some things... like why Fauns aren't real, but I'm open to the thought that in heaven, animals can talk. (living creatures worshipping the Lamb...) Better keep it simple. But how simple is too simple, where they might miss the glory of Lewis' masterpiece? Yes, I know. Narnia is glorious in itself. It cannot be missed, especially by the mind of a child. It just gets more profound as we grow.

Anyway. Somewhat random.

Oh, and the other day, I ate brocolli. :-)

Crib Skirt... Done!

Woo Hoo! I am so proud of myself *insert big grin here* !!!

So now Isaac has a valance (sp?) and a crib skirt that match. I am still hoping for a little quilt- haven't sorted all my scraps yet... But I AM happy because when I laid out the pieces, the two ends were shorter than the deck (the part that goes under the mattress) and the sides were too long. But I curved them around and they look great :-) The cartoon bears aren't going to work though... but I'm not sure if I'm even going to worry about it. I'm just happy it's put together.

Mondays

Even months later, it still is taking me time to get used to working Thurs/Fri instead of Sun/Mon. I LOVE having Sundays off to spend with whatever family we end up with- I am so grateful for everyone in our lives. We are truly blessed with such an extended and loving family.

But the whole beginning of the week/end of the week just throws me for a loop! I do like this so much better though. Instead of being hectic, Mondays are our "slow-down, catch up day." It's great.

Saturday, thanks to Brooke hosting a "crafty day," I got restarted on Isaac's bedroom linens. :-) Because he's already 6 months and still in the bassinett, I'm skipping the bumper and just doing the crib skirt to match the curtain. I'm hoping to have enough scraps to do my very first quilt too! Today I'm planning on making further progress, and if I'm really good, I might finish it. But knowing me and sewing, something is bound to go wrong; especially if no one is around for me to seek guidance from!

Wish me skills ;-)

Said Deer...

Guess which one is Melia's....

All I could do was laugh...

Background: Mark and Linda brought down two reindeer that were originally intended to be made into Christmas decorations- picture cardboard paper-mache type deer. They didn't get around to making them, so they were passing the deer along to someone else who might want to be creative. But the girls fell in love with their new pets, and they came home with us. At co-op, Melia did some painting, and her paints came home as well. Paints + Deer. Fun at our house...

Melia: I am making this to be one of Daddy's deer.
Me: That's a great idea, hon.
Melia: That's why I put red on him. It's where Daddy shot him.

And laugh I did. :-) She will definitely be ready to go hunting with Daddy when she's old enough!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow....

It's only a day awaaayyy.....

Guess who comes home tomorrow!?!

And, for the record: the cardboard went out. And I vacuumed. And things are mostly picked up. But I do have 3+ loads of laundry to fold, which can wait until tomorrow, cause they're kids clothes... and the kids are in bed. Oh, and I did do three posts in Galatians, so only two left. Yea!

Tonight we went to dinner w/ Darc and Mom, and on the way home Kiera piped up...

K: Mommy, next time we should go to a great big restaurant. That one was little tiny restaurant. (don't forget to think "little tiny" in a singsong little tiny voice...)
Me: Which restaurant is a big one? (looking for a name here....)
K: BIG restaurants are big ones.

We are going here.

Great Wolf Lodge, Grand Mound, WA

I saw the ad in my new Family Fun magazine... we are SO going. Period. The reason I set up a vacation account was to provide for getaways like this :-) Well, that and someday I really want to go to Israel. Really really really. But maybe when our kids are older we can do a mission trip over there... Sorry, thinking out loud... or thinking with my fingers...

:-) I am excited. The only thing I wish they had was a childcare center... so I could make use of the spa...

Wrong

Picture this. I am shopping, with Isaac in his seat, in the top of the shopping cart. Both girls are in the main basket, munching on samples. A nice old man smiles at me as I round a corner and comments on what a full cart I have. I smile back and say something about not much room for groceries... The lady he's with glances at us, and without a smile, says "Oh, you poor thing." Her tone of voice is neither joking nor sarcastic. She means what she says. She is a woman without joy.

I disagree. I am not poor.

On the contrary, I am rich beyond measure.

Blessed with what I do not deserve, gifted to me by the Lord of all creation.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalms 127:3

Love it- Dave Ramsey quote

"The difference between men & boys is whether you put your family before your toys."
– Dave Ramsey

Let's say a little progress...

The Vitamixes did go away. But the cardboard is still there. The kitchen counter is now clean, sort of. Organized anyway! Plus 3 more load of clothes. And we did get to Albies and Costco. And dinner with Papa and Grandma, Darcy, and Gma&Gpa Elliott. Busy! All three of them were asleep when we arrived home; I was able to bring all the groceries in before getting them out of the car. (Some almost always sit there for a day or two- I have to prioritize what comes in when, cause someone always needs fed, put to bed, changed, what ever...)

Now, I want to go to bed, but Gabe reminded me on the phone that I need to do some more posts in our Galatians class. We are to the end, but I have 5 posts I still have to complete before I take the final. So my goal is to do at least one tonight. Maybe two, if I get on a roll...

Tomorrow: Get that cardboard cut up and out of here!

Because some of you did ask :-)

I cleaned the master bath yesterday. Not truly deep (that would have included organizing the shelves- yuck), but thorough anyway. Then I moved outward into our bedroom, cleaning up the real mess on HIS side of the bed :-). I've done 5 loads of laundry, and it took 4 to get through the pile! One more to finish up our laundry, then on to the girls'.

Plan is tomorrow to attack the counter in the kitchen, and maybe, just maybe, burn a bunch of cardboard in our burning barrel. Or does anybody I know with a wood burning fireplace want some cardboard? (We have a pellet stove.) OH- if nobody wants it, I'll take it out to the barn so he can burn it in the stove out there. WOOHOO- that is a huge pile in our main area! And tomorrow it will be GONE! And I'm moving those Vitamixes too. Ok, so kitchen and entry-family room. That is the PLAN! (plus costco and albies thrown in, after Isaac's always long morning nap...)

See. Progress. Yea me!

And by the way, if you haven't seen our mess, let me quote my dear friend Brooke when she saw it.... "It looks like a hunter walked in and exploded!" (I just loved that. It justified my frustrations!)

Plus, if you remember to include me in your prayers... I was pretty down yesterday. Tired, plus missing Gabe. A whole week is hard. And yes, I feel somewhat guilty verbalizing this considering Matt (bro-in-law) has to be gone for MUCH MUCH longer. But that doesn't make it less easy, it just makes me appreciate that hunting season is only a few weeks, not months. And helps me in how to pray for Darcy (and soon, Marissa).

Ugh.

I hate it when I start off so strong... and then falter. I was picking up like crazy yesterday after he left, but then had to go to work... and crashed. So tired. So tired this morning. CanNot get motivated... It's almost noon, and I can only list these done so far...

Ordered gifts online (actually took forever...)
Made waffles for breakfast
Fed Isaac... twice
Started cleaning the bathroom...

I just can't decide if I want to deep clean the bathroom, or surface clean it and then put more stuff away. I know, I'll do the bathroom really good, and that will motivate me, right? :-)
I'll give it a shot anyway...
But what I really wanted to do is deep clean the kitchen...

Will You Be My Accountablity Partner?

Not in the normal sense of the position, but without sharing details, I have a a specific amount of time which would be very useful in my attempt to clean/organize/tidy.

Would some of you be willing to email or comment with encouragement during this time? I know keeping busy will help with the missing part, but it's easy to keep busy doing other things, instead of being productive like I want to. I've been doing ok with the tidying part, but getting a hold of the organizing has been more difficult. He has so much stuff, all I can even do is put it in boxes so he can organize it. But at least right now, there won't be an "influx" of more clutter from his person.

My goal would be to have the main living part of the house de-cluttered by the time he returns. Unless of course... he gets something and I decide to haul the kids 6 hours away to celebrate with him. Which I very well might.

Anyway. Just a thought. And a goal. Motivate me, will you? I've done a bit this morning, but have to work today. Off we go...

And, more pics...

Some fun ones... And for those of you whom I told about the picture that I thought looked like my dad, it's this first one... Just evidence that Isaac did come from my side too, even though he looks so much like his daddy :-) Plus... that hair looks like it may still be on the orangy side of blond...

This one looks TONS like one we had of Melia making the same face!

Pretty girls...

Kiera's Chore

"Mommy, can I fold your bed?"

Leapster

I am not a fan of video games. For one, I pretty much suck at them. Two, I think they can be a huge waste of time. I told Gabe a long time ago that I would prefer not to have our kids play video games. They need to be active, playing and learning, and being kids! (Note: Gabe does have an XBOX. And a farm on Farmville... which I struggle with holding my tongue against. Ask him. "Struggle" may not be a strong enough word... but I do try.)

But last summer he found a Leapster at a yardsale, with a game. It has sat around for several months because I am not going to take the time to figure out how to work it... I'm impatient like that. He's played it a few times with Melia. I guess. I don't even think I was around. :-)

This weekend, she asked him if she could play it. He said he didn't know where it was, but she piped up that she did! Long story short, I was pleasantly suprised. And unfortunately, not suprised. She plays it well. Kiera, kinda. Kiera can even sit and watch her play for a while. And they are learning by playing it. Today, Melia was counting by fives. And she doesn't even know her numbers by sight! (She can count, she can add, but she can't look at a 7 and say it's a seven. Or pick out an 8 in a bunch of numbers.)

The not suprising part? She wants to play all the time. And wants to tell Kiera how to play, so Kiera doesn't even want Melia to watch her... AT ALL. I did go to clubhousejr.com (found it in our magazine Brenda!) where there are some little games they can play. Memory is good- they can learn to use the mouse, moving it and clicking on squares. Melia was doing puzzles, under the Frog Mazes button. And a few others.

So, I am stretching myself. It's not such a waste of time, as long as it's supervised and limited. Let me capitalize that. LIMITED. There. That's better. I did splurge and buy the Kindergarten game for the Leapster... I am annoyed that I had to get it off Amazon because the only ones they have in the store are the copyrighted characters. But I digress...

Oh, and did I mention how quiet they are when they play on it? yes... quiet. Perfect for when Daddy is sleeping. Or mommy. Not that mommy sleeps. But she does dream of one day being able to sleep... hmmmmzzzzz ;-)

And by the way, I am open to your thoughts on the subject. I know I am just one person with an opinion, which doesn't seem to match the rest of the purchasing power out there... So I know there are other opinions that you all have... :-) Share away. Especially if it has to do with regulating time on the game... finding good deals (because I'm just plain always interested in that)... and recommending games that are more worthwhile to play. Like NOT the pet pals... I don't think they really need to learn how to raise a pet. We do have chickens after all.

Weird Feeling

Tonight, the kids and I made a final run to Albertsons to take one more advantage of their current (at least for 2 more hours) catalina promo... And take advantage we did. Not more than usual, but somewhat...

As the cashier is ringing us up, she asks if I am attempting to do something, I didn't exactly understand her. I said, "the catalina deal? yes, we are." She explained that apparently, today, the catalina's weren't printing, so she would just take the $15 off my order, if that was alright... Well sure! That's just fine, same difference, right? We finish ringing up, she takes off the $15, then my coupons, then my doublers... Then my total is $9.44. I have $15 already in catalinas. I hand her two $5 catalinas, and it kicks out $.56 for me. "Have a good night!" And behind me in line I hear a "whoa...." I paid $0 for $56.78 worth of groceries, plus got change!

Now, this is not usual. But it's not wrong either. Had it been working, I would have paid the $9.44 and gotten $15 back again... It just felt really weird to not have to pay anything in cash for the groceries, even just a little bit... *grin*...

Antiquities photos

http://wenatchee.craigslist.org/bab/1458911129.html

One day left to sign up. This is the deal where you pay $10 and you get the sitting plus one 10x13 picture. They do try to sell you others, but I didn't find them irrisistible- easy enough to say no.

It's the picture we have in our living room of the girls.

Ziva the thief

Ziva stole a chicken egg off the coffee table. No, I won't tell you why an egg was on the coffee table. It's not like Melia brought it in, set it down, Kiera took it and washed it, then brought it back to the table, and I just haven't grabbed it and put it away... or anything like that, I promise. (Oh yeah, and it's been there for two days..) The point being, Ziva stole it and I spotted her running through the house with something in her mouth- Gabe snagged her in the kitchen and she spit it out... We both looked at each other with open mouths, thinking "She just stole a chicken egg!"

(Ziva's the doberman, by the way...) Why would she steal an egg? Yeah, if we drop one I normally let her come in and do the really gross clean up work... but still, a whole egg?

And before any of you give me grief about leaving an egg out... Martha Stewart says you can leave your eggs out. I promise. Like 10 years ago, but I swear, she said it on TV. So I leave our fresh ones out- not for a long time, but a couple days anyway.

Reminder: Christmas lists..

I am trying to add new things to our Christmas lists as I come across them. You can view it from the link on my sidebar... :-)

Real breakfast...

Kiera: I want my own pancakes... (after I had given her a bite of my leftover french toast)
Mommy: You already had breakfast. This is my breakfast.
Kiera: I was a REAL breakfast. The other one is dinner.


:-) So cute...

AW Tozer Quote

A.W. Tozer: “Nothing deadens the heart more than the continual handling of holy things.”

So true... We get "comfortable" with God instead of allowing Him to stretch and teach us, mold us and use us. Father, I pray that I will never "get comfortable!" Keep me learning and pliable so I can be of use for Your Kingdom work!

The Good Stuff

Melia likes to nibble the crust off her bread first. Not because she thinks the middle is best, like I do, but because she loves the crust.

This morning, Kiera decided not to eat her toast (which is not normally ok, but just this morning 'cause we're taking it easy on her tummy...). I typically give her the end piece if we have one, just because she doesn't know any better, and I don't like them. But I told Melia (who wanted seconds) that she could eat Kiera's toast, and she saw that it was an end piece- Whoa! It was like I had given her a treat :-) I never thought I would have children who would fight over the end of the loaf...

(And yes, Mom, I remember how we used to fight over the end of the loaf. But that was homemade... this is plain ole storebought bread!)

Kiera is better. The noise level in our house has risen back to normal... Pretty good, I'd say. A few hours of vomit, a day of fever. For being sick, it wasn't too long or yucky :-) Thank you Lord! Now if the rest of us can stay healthy! (I've had Thieves diffusing most of the time the last few days, so hopefully it wiped out any lingering bacteria/viruses...)

A little sickie update...

Kiera is moving along. No more puking today, or heaving, but she was running a roller coaster fever. Maybe. She was feverish anyway. Our nice Braun thermometer stopped working, so last time we had fevers Gabe picked up another Kroger one at Fred Meyer. But I got a 4 degree range when taking my own temperature... Not sure it's reliable. Or easy to use. Or... user malfuntion? I won't deny it. But I never had this much trouble with the last one.

Anyway, she sleeping soundly, and I'm off to bed. Good night.

Oh, yeah, I forgot. I had a moment of inspiration tonight at work. I've been wondering what I could contribute to co-op... Lots of subjects are covered, and I didn't know what different I could do.... And then tonight it hit me. I've been wanting to learn Hebrew. So I should teach it! What great motivation. I just wonder if any kids would be wanting to learn it too.... Apparently, if you learn pre-Babylonian Hebrew, (letters have not only a sound, but a meaning to each one) you can read Hebrew and be able to figure out what the words mean by the meaning of the letters. It is so fascinating! The cool thing is- Gabe mentioned this before, just offhand when discussing Melia's Spanish class at co-op- that if he could pick something for her to learn, Hebrew would be high on the list! :-) God is good!

Thank you for your comments!

It made my day. I think a great deal of it has to do with talking to other adults instead of children all day! And you are all right- the blog is for me and things I want to remember, especially since now you can have them printed. Hmm... someday.

Speaking of remembering....

Kiera threw up just minutes after we got home from co-op today, with no warning other than she had been pretty sleepy. She then fell asleep for several hours... then woke up and puked again. And again. And again. And again. And again. Is that 5? I think it was 5. Five or six times. Every 15 minutes. At one point I was handing her a cup of water to rinse her mouth out, saying, "Are you ready to rinse?"

She says, "Rinse the worms out. See, those are worms. And they're in my mouth..."

Oh. Gross. Plus, one time, she was returning to the pot in a hurry, and smacked her forehead on the back of the seat... Glad it's cheap plastic. :-) At least she's using the pot. For that I am inexpressively thankful.

Figuring out the difference

Between Facebook and my blog. More people on facebook. More people means someone out there will probably comment and/or like whatever I put. Or we talk about it in person. :-) Here... sometimes it feels like I'm talkin' to the computer.

Oh yeah.... I am.

Details of our day:

**Kiera bit Melia again. Again.
**Isaac absolutely refuses to "settle" when he's being held. 99% of the time, we have to lay him down for him to go to sleep. It's hard- at some point, isn't being held supposed to be a comfort? He just fussed and flexes himself back and forth, struggling to get free. How many parents have this problem??? Issue: what happens when you can't "lay him down" somewhere??? I would at least like to have the option of having him fall asleep on my shoulder...
**Melia wondered yesterday, as she's holding the phone after trying to call 4 different numbers to talk to someone... "I wonder why no one calls me..."
**I tried to make Hungarian Beef Goulash for dinner. But used venison. And didn't have paprika. Or one tablespoon of tomato paste. (why open a can for 1 T? that ridiculous) Added red peppers instead, and diced tomatoes. And rotelle noodles. Called it soup. It actually was incredibly good, and I will definitely make it again... but without red peppers. Not hot at all, tiny bit of spice, but Melia said it was too much. Sigh...
** Watched "The Proposal" tonight on recommendation. Surprisingly good compared to other chick flicks lately. I'd given up on them...
** I wish we could figure out how to have the stove heat the house up a little less. It's 78* in here now. On low. Low low low.

:-) Life. it just never quits. Need my perspective adjusted. Again.

comedians

I wish my mind was like a recording. The girls have me rolling with the things they say lately! I always think- "I've got to blog that one!" but quickly forget it because along comes the next funny statement. But here's one that had us howling last night at Gramps' house....

We're playing keep away with a bag of candy from the girls. (Mom, Celeste, Chelsea, Mark, Linda and I) Melia suddenly stops with her hands in the air...

"WAIT! EVERYBODY STOP! STOP!.... The chocolate's going to milk!"

(cluch chest, try to breathe.... )

Reformation Day... And PICTURES!

Finally :-) I know. Absent. Busy. Whatever.

A Quick Explanation: I asked Gabe earlier this fall what he was feeling about Halloween and our personal family convictions. Every year I've struggled with it. It's like all year long I feel on the inside that we shouldn't do it, but then as it comes, it's so easy to just go along, plus they have so much fun... blah blah blah. This year, I really wanted to know what his convictions were; something we should have discussed long ago. Sure enough, we felt the same- that this was just something that God was telling us our family shouldn't participate in anymore. Hard part? How to tell the 5 year old who knows exactly what she's missing that we aren't doing it anymore? Simple. God answers prayer before we even worry about it; our church + co-op plans a Reformation Day celebration. So we go and have dinner, the girls still get to dress up 16th century-style, get candy, have a ball with their friends, and learn a little about church history. Isn't HE good!?!!

And here's the fun part... pictures!

Jealous? Yep, I was. I totally wanted to try it too. Isn't she cute? ;-)

Some things that touched me...

On a T-shirt at the SP conference last weekend:
It's against my relationship to have a religion.
Love it.
From Galatians class:
There are only two religions in the world: the true and the false. False religions are alike in that they say, "Something in my hand I bring." The true religion revealed from heaven [Not created by any man!!!] leads one to sing, "Nothing in my hand I bring."

From Galatians
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (13)
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.(16)

Along those lines...
"Go, and sin no more..." John 8:11

Good Encouragement

Here's a link that I found in my inbox this morning. While I appreciate most people saying that it's best to give God your time first thing in the morning, although it's ok to just find what works for you, I didn't necessarily feel that was truly "ok." But after reading this, I did feel at peace. It probably helped that I laid in bed last night praying for a good 20 minutes, and was totally blessed doing so, even though it was the end and last of my day.

:-) He knows just what we need to hear, and when we need to hear it the most!
Finding Your Quiet Time in a Busy Household

Conversations

Melia: I miss Daddy.
Kiera: Me too. I miss Daddy too. Daddy's up on the mountain; he's catching deer.

Kids: Can we go see Daddy?
Me: Yes, maybe when he gets a deer.
Kiera: He's catching a deer RIGHT NOW!
(Like we need to leave immediately.... Not thinkin' she gets the whole "hunting" idea yet... :-)

Melia: Can I have the phone? Mommy, can you make Kiera give me the phone? (old cell phone)
Kiera: IT FELL ON THE FLOOR DOWN THERE AND NO ONE CAN REACH IT. STOP TALKING ABOUT IT, OKAY???

Sad Day

All our condolences and heartfelt sympathy to my parents and sister. Last night I arrived home to the news that Ditzi/Gypsy had fallen ill again, just a few weeks after being sick previously, and they made the tough decision to put her down. This is the filly that has been with our family since her birth at the Joe Miller house so many years ago. She entertained and terrified us with her clumsy antics, and warmed our hearts with her sweet disposition.

A Good Excuse

When the "Elders" in suits come-a-knockin', tell them you are sick :-) One good thing today about having a fever for the third day in a row....

Uh Oh...

At not even 5 months, I think Isaac qualifies for the "partially" mobile status. He can scoot backwards and sideways.... Now I can't count on him staying on a clean blanket :-( Boo... Although, as always, it's fun to see him learning what he can do!

Denaye's Chili

I didn't follow any particular recipe, but mixed and matched from several different ones... Here's a *rough* recount of what I threw in...

2 cans black beans, not drained.
1 can great northern white beans, not drained
1 can corn, drained
1 small onion, diced
1-2 sweet bell peppers, diced
1-2 cups cooked roast, diced
16 oz salsa
couple sprinkles of garlic salt
a sprinkle of pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of chipotle rub
sprinkle of italian seasoning
couple sprinkles of cumin
Cook in crockpot for several hours :-) I've heard the more the better!

I called it medium spicy. If you withheld the cayenne and chipotle, I think it would be mild.

I can say this because it's my blog...

Yea ME! I won the Bean Queen cook-off!!! Woohoo!

(although I totally would have thought I had a better chance winning the baking contest instead of the chili one... ;-)

Kids Chore Chart

If you like our plan to pay for above and beyond chores, here's our list of to-dos:
Feed Leo and Kerzon... .25
Feed Chickens & collect eggs....25
Sweep and Vacuum Ziva's room......25
Wash Ziva's floor......25
Wash dining room chairs......25
Sweep Kitchen/ dining room.....25
Make Mommy's bed........25 (no, I am not slacking- they enjoy doing this, especially Kiera, so it's a gimme for her to do it :-)
Help Mommy w/ Daily cleaning.... 25+

So far, rewards are as follows:
Treat (yogos, capri sun, cookie)....50
Confiscated toy (something they've left out and I picked up, such as jewelry or other small items they need to remember to pick up before Isaac starts crawling)....$1
Anything I purchase for them... The actual retail value, to the nearest .25.

I am starting with quarters so it's not too confusing for them to get. After we are good with those, I may add some cheaper treats, and more expensive chores. I don't know what yet... but praying for wisdom to keep it exciting :-)

Eight Days later...

Our computer got a bug. Several bugs. Annoying.

Anyway, I am so thankful that Gabe has the patience to figure out which bug it is, and how to fix it. And while I didn't like spending the $ at the time, I am thankful that we have the laptop so he can go online to find the information he needs to do so.

A lot has happened the last week. Here's a few update :-)

Daily cleaning list: I like the way this works. I only have to focus on one thing per day, and it keeps the house tidier overall. The problem I am encountering is that the days when Gabe is sleeping, I have a hard time fitting in the routine in that room. And at some point every two weeks, Gabe is sleeping every day. I have not yet found a solution to this hindrance.

Chore Chart: We are instituting a chore chart for the girls to use to earn money, which they then can use to buy snacks, confiscated toys, and special items that we will purchase and then they can earn $ to purchase from us. This morning they were so eager to get started! Kiera washed the dining room chairs and then helped Melia finish Ziva's room. Melia swept, vacuumed, and washed the floor in Ziva's room. They each earned .50. Kiera promptly spent hers on snacks, as expected! And Melia had picked a few things out of the AVON catalog which she wanted to save up for- so she's saving hers. I like this. I am encouraged by their enthusiasm.

Ezri: Ezri died this morning. I was suprised yesterday to find her suddenly weakened, as in a state of organ failure. I recognized this because right after Gabe and I were married, my cat Spook took a very sudden turn for the worst, and Ezri had the same look in her eyes. This time it was easier on me though- I knew that if I took her in to the vet, I would probably get the same reaction as I did when Spook died. They basically said there's nothing they can do. IV's with fluids, force feeding Nutrical, but Spook died within 2 days, so I knew Ezri was not going to recover. I brought her in the house, put her in a box with a cushion and water, and tried to keep her comfortable. It's hard emotionally, especially with not knowing what went wrong. But it's done now. At least the suffering is short with whatever causes this sudden illness. So these two kittens are the last ones we will have. And I'm ok with that too. Having kids and kittens is pretty difficult, so it's alright to be done. Although it may be harder to let them go...*sniff*

Gift Wish Lists

There are numerous items on Amazon.com on Denaye's wish list for most all members of the family, Melia's book list is under my list.  It looks like you should be able to get to Gabe's list through mine as well, but I'm not sure. 

Gabe

L-XL clothes (roomy)
sporting goods gift cards (Hooked On Toys, Big 5, Bimart, Walmart)

Denaye

silicon baking liners
2 cup glass measuring cup
mini whisk
bamboo cutting boards (examples on amazon)
Fred Meyer, Costco, Coffee, Amazon, Target gift cards
classical music cds
chalkboard paint
new waffle iron
crossbow :)

Melia

Joanns' or Hobby Lobby gift cards (knitting, jewelry)
Academic Toolbox gift cards
Schleich animals/horses
Hair design book/ideas/braiding'
Palace Pets (Pipkin preferably)
maybe a jewelry making book?
Size 10-12 clothes
Socks (shoe size 4)
PJs

Kiera

Schleich bunny set
Academic toolbox gift card
Caroline American Girl Mini Set
Stretch pants/clothes size 7-8
socks (shoe size 13)
PJs

Isaac

race cars and trains
watch (spiderman, Cars, Trains are all ideal)
Size 4T clothes, pjs.
New water bottle (ideas on amazon)

Caleb
Toddler socks (18 mo+)
size 18 mo clothes winter
size 24 mo summer
new water bottle (ideas on amazon)

Melia's rendition of John 3:16

John 3:16
For God so loved the world He gave His only gotten Son, Whoever believes in Him Should not be punished but have everliving lasting life.

*grin*

NGJ Order Here!

Ok, so for those of you who wrote earlier this year that you wanted some of the NGJ products, I have you down. If anyone else is interested, let me know. I arrived home on Wednesday to find a box bigger than me on the deck :-) It was like Christmas! So fun, and I can't wait to explore the goodies that I haven't read or heard yet!

And... Friday's Cleaning Job done.

Today was a little harder. They hate picking up their stuff. Not even the ominous "If I have to come in there, I'm going to throw everything on the floor away" works on Kiera. She just says, "My toys go in the garbage." Onery thing she is- trying to use reverse psychology on her mother. Hmph.

But we finished. It was bigger today, as it will be for this first week. And now they are happily eating juicy pluots :-)

What Works For Me: I don't know yet, but I am trying...

Yesterday at Co-op, I discovered that 3 of the 4 hours I am in the nursery (to be expected) and the other hour I am a hall monitor. Now, when I first learned of this "job," I was less than thrilled. But now, I am more than thrilled. I basically get to sit by myself for 55 minutes in the hallway, being a monitor. Sound fun? I know- but it is SO NICE! (Can you tell I am just up to my ears in chatter every day? :-)

So, again, yesterday I was sitting in the hall wondering what I was going to do. All I had with me was my attempted "brain" notebook, so I decided to start making some lists. I have three dividers: TO DO, TO BUY, TO REMEMBER. *grin* I know, but hey, this is my life right now. And you know how I said those messies emails just weren't cutting it? I set out to form a new plan.

Here's my plan:

Weekly (deeper) cleaning list
Monday: Dining, Master Bed, and Living Room... Wash sheets.
Tuesday: Kitchen
Wednesday: Family Room, Door, Living Room... Vacuum
Thursday: Girls Bathroom and Both toilets (no shower)
Friday: Living, Dining, Girls Bedroom.. Wash sheets.
Saturday: Master Bath, both showers, (no toilet)
Sunday: Computer Desk and Surrounding area

This looks painfully obvious, but I hope it will help to restore a little order to our lives, instead of the chaos that comes with cleaning "what I feel like at the time," which often means that which demands the most attention.

Today I accomplished the Thursday job- and feel great about it. The girls were so excited. We talk a lot about how we need to clean the house... but getting them to do it is less than easy. But today was a different story. I did most of it by myself, but they were right there with me watching and learning.

A trooper friend told us one time that what makes a good trooper is when the offending party thanks you for giving them a ticket. I say what makes a good momma is when the 3 year old asks when she will be old enough to clean the potty. *GRIN*

Doing the wrong thing...

Melia: "Mommy, when I do something wrong, it hurts my feelings, and it rips part of my heart off. You just don't know how it feels."

Two Free Roosters... Seriously

Ok, so we have 7 hens. And we get zero eggs. My newest thought on why is that those two dumb roosters stress the hens out. Plus, we don't need them.

So, anybody who wants a rooster... They are both cochens. I will even drop them off. Within reason... I don't even care if it's your house- Got a grudge? I can help.

*grin*

So Stinkin' Busy...

I need to clean my house...

I don't think the Messies Anon emails are very helpful, just for those of you who are wondering why I haven't transformed my world overnight. Or overweek. Or overmonth... They are very general-- I work better under strict tutelage! Clean the car! Clean the entryway! Do 5 loads of laundry, and put them all away! Mop the floor! Do it now!

In other words **Don't get distracted!**

Restaurants.com Sale!

Restaurant.com is having a sale for today only, 09-09-09 where their regularly priced $25 gift certs for $10 are 90% off... So $25 gift certs for $1!!! Not bad, eh? I have bought a few, but haven't had the opportunity to use them..... and now I have a few more! :-)

Krazy Coupon Lady's link

Surprising Read in the Wenatchee World

It's funny. Being strict parents, we get all sorts of reactions. But they basically either fall on one side or the other, not so much in the "you do what you want" category. We are either "way too strict, no-fun parents" or "your kids are so well-behaved and nice." Sometimes it's just "you are so lucky," which is about the biggest bunch of baloney... I know we're strict, and while my kids aren't perfect, I do appreciate that the child rearing advice we have been SO blessed with (called No Greater Joy! along with parental examples, etc.) greatly helps us in our quest to raise God-fearing and honoring individuals-- because this is our goal. Enough of this "entitlement" and "self-esteem" stuff- it's not about us anyway. It's about Him, and what we can do to serve Him!

Anyway, off my soapbox. What I was meaning to put here was that today I read an article in the Wenatchee World that surprised me. Surprising mainly because I don't believe our society's perspective has moved in the direction of this article, so to see it in a media source that isn't a fundamental Christian publication was encouraging! (Granted, it didn't say anything about God, but it still swung the pendulum away from the SELF/MEMEME factor in raising children.) It's possible I just really appreciated how the author did not sugar coat everything. He was blunt and to the point. And I like that, especially when discussing what works and what doesn't.

Time for 60's Parenting to Grow Up

enjoy :-)
** I'm not saying that all non-Christian publications have bad child-rearing advice. I just haven't found any I think are worth the time I spent reading them, so this was different from the norm in that way. :-) (Ha- I wonder how many hackles I've raised with this one! hee hee)

** edited to add: I am also not saying I have all the answers-- I don't! But I am perceptive enough to know that there are some people out there with whom it just stinks to work with. You know, those who think they are entitled to this and that, and shouldn't have to drudge through life with us normal people; after all they are something special... :-) You can sense my sarcasism, I hope, but for the most part I'm not kidding. I work with some of them, and have no pity for those who think that consequences for actions should not apply to them... or that they should not have to start at the bottom of the ladder and WORK their way up. I hope you get my point.

FINALLY!

You know how I said I was making a big order to NoGreaterJoy??? I finally did it. But not only did I order, I signed up to be a distributor. I am very excited about this... it's no pressure on me OR you, but I get to have books available that I know will make a great impact on people's lives.

So, just in case you were thinking about NGJ books and stuff, here's what I ordered:
Created to be His Help Meet
Good and Evil Comic books
By Divine Design
Child Training Sets (To Train up a Child and the No Greater Joy volumes)
Holy Sex
Jumping Ship
When Forgiveness is a Sin
Young Adults and Marriage
Pornography- Road to Hell
Rebekah's Diary
Eight Kingdoms
ABC Bible Verse Songs CD
Authority Praying
Joy of Training DVDs
Marriage God's Way
Teaching Responsibility
Only Men

They will be the same price as their website (nogreaterjoy.org) but you won't have to pay shipping.

Kiera's Reaction to my Pedicure

Yesterday to celebrate Darcy and Matt's 3rd Anniversary, Andrea treated Darcy and I to pedicures! Fun stuff, although I am just plain ticklish!

This morning Kiera spied my toes for the first time (I grabbed them, dropped them off, and headed to work, so she didn't have a chance yesterday) and had an extremely enthusiastic response:

"WOW Mommy! Those are prudiful!!! Sooo Prudiful Mommy!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

This is HILARIOUS!

Isaac Rolls...

Kerzon Update

It turns out he did not break his tail, but had a bite abscess on it. So to the tune of $$$ they cleaned it out and gave him a shot of antibiotics.

Kind of a bummer, since I have been successfully treating Leo's abscesses with a home cleaning and essential oils... Way cheaper. But being able to knock a cat out is sometimes necessary, especially when you can't see through the hair to find out the problem!

Anybody want to share a home recipe for cat anesthetic?? :-)

Funny Answer

Mommy: Melia, do like it better when I sprinkle the cheese on top of your scrambled eggs when they are done cooking, or when I cook the cheese in with the eggs?

Melia: Um...... I like both!

:-) She's so funny....

Poor Kerzon... Curzon.... whatever...

Somehow he hurt his tail! So now it's limp from the middle on out... I still have to make an appointment for him to check it out. He looks so pathetic, but it has mellowed him out quite a bit. Kinda nice, but don't tell him I said so...

Kiera and Ziva

Just a little overwhelmed...

The rental is almost done. I feel good about it... what I don't feel good about is the fact that when we spend all our free time up there, we don't get to work on our house at all. Even though I confessed to being a messy a couple of weeks ago, I have yet to make any significant progress because I'm so busy up there!

There. I let it out. So, if you come over, please comment on how great the rental looks and ignore how many weeds there are and the jungle they are creating. And how I haven't yet picked my corn... And all the crowded shelf space... At least I'm not terribly behind on the laundry.

But we listed it today. Finally. Now just prayers for wisdom and the right neighbors for us. :-) One day at a time. And sometimes, 5 minutes at a time.

A Sweet Revelation...

Do you know what Isaac means? Do you know what kind of baby we have?

I have known that Isaac means "he laughs" or "laughing one" forever... I mean, it's right there in scripture! But the sudden revelation that we named our happy little laughing baby "he laughs" just hit me yesterday, and brought tears to my eyes...

He is such a blessing :-)

Clarification!!!

I've really enjoyed reading your comments and thoughts on Facebook vs. Blogs. The funny thing is that I never intended to give up my blog! I agree that there is just way too much I can do here that I can't do on Facebook, especially personalizing it. I never did like MySpace, so that wasn't an issue. It was way too hard to read people's pages with all the interference and distractions.

My desire is to be able to talk to more people... mainly the group who isn't going to take the time to visit here... like old highschool friends, youth group kids, and others from church or work.

So don't worry! I'm not going anywhere :-)

So I like my blog... but

How many of you think I should get on Facebook?

If I do, the requirement I put before you is to make sure you tell me if you think I am on there too much. I don't want it to be a distraction and further temptation to steal time away from my kids. But I do like how you can network so much more than waiting for people to comment...! I need accountability partners here people... any volunteers? The bad part is that you have to be on there too if you're gonna keep tabs on me!

Edited to add: And I have to make sure it's ok with Gabe. I know he has some security concerns on there.. that's why his name is a little "off." Mine might be too... :-)

Just a few pics from summer camp...

These were from another person's camera, sorry they're so blue, but I thought they were too cute not to share!

Kiera coloring with Helen (our pastor's wife)
Beautiful Girls

Momma and Isaac

More to come, I promise, but it takes so long :-) So you just get a few at a time....

So Relieved...

I am so glad tonight is done. It was inventory tonight at work, and this makes three days working in a row. Warning... TMI... That's a lot of pumping...

But cool news- the gal I had the priviledge of praying for THANKED ME for yesterday. This is huge news because she's the type of person who will just rebuild the shell and hide the emotions away. Plus I left her a letter last night with some stuff I felt she needed to know- like not to be afraid of the pain of letting Him heal her heart, and not to be embarassed because we all have stuff that hurts, so I understand! I am thrilled that she didn't put up a wall yet :-) I am PRAYING that she will come to church tomorrow. I told her I was saving her a seat!

Breathing a sigh of relief that today is done... and praying for strength for tomorrow.

Awesome afternoon at work...

I don't know if I've mentioned it here or not, and I'm not going to take the time to look :-) Often my prayer is that God will just make me into someone He can use for His glory, because I feel like I mess up what I'm trying to say, or don't say anything at all... all around don't fit in well with His plans.

But today I definitely had the blessed opportunity to minister to someone. The crazy thing is that it wasn't even the person that I've felt led to pray for for the last several months. But we were talking, and got onto spiritual stuff (she's saved), and she really shared some deep, raw pain that she struggles with. I was so honored that she would share with me. I prayed for her (right there at work! Can you believe it?) and did my best to speak truth and be encouraging. I am excited for her because when you invite Him to work, HE NEVER FAILS! His name is FAITHFUL and TRUE, and I can't wait to see what He does in her heart.

Thank you Father, for answering my prayer to be used for Your Glory, and for the amazing opportunity to speak Your Truth into Your daughter's life. I pray that she stays open for what You have for her, and that she doesn't run from growth but walks in obedience. You are Awesome Father. I thank you for allowing us to be involved in Your Kingdom work. Amen.

Co-op!

Tonight I went with Brooke to register the kiddos for CCHC- in short, Christian homeschool co-op! I am very excited for them, as well as for myself, as this will be a great way to network with other homeschool families. It's hard to believe the summer is winding down, and I am learning that the new Thurs-Fri work schedule is cutting into more activities than I had anticipated. But that's ok. Hopefully Gabe and Rennea can take care of AWANA, and since Gabe and I were considering leading a bible study anyway, I wasn't planning on participating in the women's group at church. It's feels odd though, thinking about our new routine. Almost a little panicky, I'll admit. But I'm sure it will all be fine. Positive thinking, right??? :-)

Not even kidding....

It's almost 9:30pm... I am sitting here at the computer, with a little worm in my arms. Is worm the right description? Maybe more nlike a monkey, and I ms am just going to stop correcting my mistakes. Every one of his limbs i s moving 90 miles an hour, in addition to his head. He 's' cooing ath t at the computer... and i'm wondeirn g whe n this little fal fella is going to fall asleep! and now my hadn is wet with dorolll... oi. I lov ehim so much. his little voice, sometimes his beig bvoivce he's like a litle dinosausr. :-)and his nonstop moving when he's awa,ke. plya hard sleep hard, nad make momma not be able to tyep worht beans. :-)

our little isaac
what a blesising he is.

Back to Life...

Things just never slow down! Now that the jam-packed weekend is over, we are back to trying to get the rental finished up and ready for new tenants.

Good news- Yesterday Melia and I went to the Dr to get her hearing checked and stuttering considered. They think she is just fine, although because of her "easily distracted" personality, we may get her rechecked in 6-12 months.

After the appointment, since it took much less time that I had planned, Melia and I made a quick run to Albies to utitilize the doublers that came in this weekend's paper :-) We did amazingly well- In three transactions, we spent $33.45 oop, got back $8 in catalinas, and will receive back $30 in rebates! So, we basically got all this food and more for free! (The cold stuff was already put away when Gabe decided to make a tower...Yes, it ended up being 17 boxes of cereal!!!)

Oh, and don't tell them, but the sugary cereal is for mom and dad! They love their frosted shredded wheat!

Profound Quote from Church yesterday...

"It's not how long you live for the Lord,

but how you long to live for Him."

Ken Anderson

Valley Community Church

August 16, 2009

We're Back!

Lots to share, along with some fabulous pics... I love summer camp. God never fails, especially when you invite Him to work in your life, open to what He has in store. He really suprised me this year.

More later :-)

Off To Summer Camp!

Adios for a week or so! We are so very blessed to be able to help work at our church's youth summer camp. Please keep us in your prayers- for health, safety, traveling mercies, patience, and most of all for God to work a MIGHTY work in All our lives, showing His Glory and transforming our lives into vessels to further advance His Kingdom! The theme is "Unveiled: Revealing the Glory of Christ."


In the meantime, here's more fun pics :-)

Isaac's New Best Friend

He's a thumbsucker, just like his momma :-)

Ok, You Tell ME!

Would you take your family swimming in a river that people are drowning in almost yearly?
Hmmm?

This afternoon I went up to pick up the girls from camping, and I drove up Tumwater Canyon. The Wenatchee river as it flows down Tumwater is very dangerous- and literally almost every year something so tragic happens... I also happened to notice that a certain area that is normally very calm was rushing and scary looking... so there's a lot of water running through.

And YET! I saw at least 5 groups of people in their bathing suits, and some even had tubes. How many kids have to die? What kind of enforcement do we need up there to keep people from losing their life? What do you think? How do you remind people that "Hey, a teen died here last year, and a couple the year before that, and a toddler before that...." and maybe you shouldn't swim here with your children!!!

I'm a Messy

Last night, as I was painting trim and Gabe was laying sticky tiles, we were listening to Positive Life radio... I don't know why, as I think we both prefer KLOVE, but I digress.... I do miss that Focus on the Family and Family Life Today are on PLR but not KLOVE....

Anyway, Focus on the Family was on, and the guest was Sandra Felton. She was talking about Cleanies and Messies, and lights were blazing on all over my brain. I finally felt freedom to call myself a messy and not have to apologize for it! I knew Gabe was, but I had always felt that inside I was a cleany because I always am trying to get somewhere with the mess and have that constant additional pressure because our house is cluttered. But she used lovely words like "perfectionist," and "drowning" and "overwhelmed" that I so completely identified with! And I loved that she said that a messy wife who is married to a messy husband is harder than a messy wife married to a cleany husband! That the problem is still there, it's just compounded! Amen!!! HA!

Somehow, I am going to read her book, or two or three... and we are going to make progress so my internal stress level goes down and I won't be embarassed everytime someone comes to our house.
(And yes, Brooke, I think her methods are similar to FlyLady... But this time I have a husband behind me who listened to the broadcast too, so he will be encouraging me!)

Woo Hoo!

Just got the girls on the road with Grandma Debbie to go camping for a night!!! Free Time!!!

Actually, work time... on the rental and the trailer to get ready for summer camp... but that just doesn't sound as good... Hopefully we can fit in a little fun somewhere in the next 24 hours...

Some Entertainment for You...

An albino grasshopper in our yard...

We are blessed!

Mama and the kids...

....

Flower Girls at Jake's vow ceremony

Melia's first buck...

He said he would... I didn't realize he was serious!

Super Baby!

Sweet Husband!

I've been having issues with my phone for a couple months now (so if you've called and I never called you back, it's the phone's fault!! really!) I told Gabe that I thought I was ready to spend $20 on a new phone :-) because I am such a big spender! He is definitely the "electronics" guy in our family, so I was happy to let him pick one out for me. I don't use it for much, just calls and maybe the MP3 part for taking our bible lessons along, and it needs to be very user friendly...
Anyway, this is the one he picked out. Isn't it cute? It costs more than $20 though, so it's a good thing he was shopping and not me ;-)
I am excited to get it- it'll be nice to have a phone I can hear when it rings and which will tell me when I have a missed call or voicemail. (I Told you it was the phone's fault!)

Blessings: Answer to Prayer!!

So, you all know that I have to go back to work next week. Remember that they were thinking about switching me to Fri/Sat instead of Sun/Mon, and how I didn't really like either of those options? Gabe helped me to be "ok" with whatever happened, saying that we can't really afford to give up my work yet and we would make it work, whatever happened... Read on!

My manager was on vacation, so he just threw me in for one day the first week instead of two- which was totally ok with me!! Blessing Number One...

A few days after that, he called and said, "So, what's working for you lately?" I have not asked for anything, trying to simply be thankful I have such an blessed position there at Costco and thankful they are flexible with my reduced schedule. I responded that I had just been waiting to hear from him where they needed me. And he said "well, Jackie's been thinking she'd like to have Thurs/Fri off...." Me:"I can do that- let's try it and see if it works!" Inside I am jumping for joy and trying desperately to hold the tears in until I can get off the phone. You see, Thurs/Fri is just about perfect! That way, MIL would never have to have kiddos two days in a row (barring OT or unforseen Gabe activity.. *wink*), Gabe would still get his one day in a week with them, and we would still have 2 days together of his 3 day weekends! And SUNDAYS OFF!!!! (that's me squealing with joy!) Huge huge HUGE praise- I am so thankful that He cares about our little concerns, and assists us in blooming where we're planted! Blessing Number Two!

Feeling courageous, I mentioned that we had summer camp coming up, and said while I completely understand if this won't work, but for that week, could I not work until Fri, and Sat or Sun? He said sure, they have lots of backup now, so that week I will ONLY work on Fri! I won't miss any days of camp!!!!! How many more exclamations can I add!!!!???!!!!

He has been so good to us- I pray that we remember always to give Him the glory and praise, and serve Him first! Amen!!