Fantastic Fall Fotos

Fall is always one of my most favorite times of the year. The colors are beautiful, the photo ops are countless, it's hard to be bored and I always think that I'd rather be outside on a brisk day than indoors because who knows when winter will arrive. Here are bunch of some of the things we've been doing lately.

With The Boy in Middle School one of the things we got to do is watch him perform in a special Friday night football pre-game band show! He was able to dress in uniform and they played with the high school.


Picking apples is another fun thing I like to get out to do. Although the day we went it felt more like summer than fall, but we had fun anyway! Fresh picked apples are the best!!! We've enjoyed several apple cakes and apple sauce and Little Dude can eat an apple a day by himself!



Homecoming was next on our list. The Boy got to march in the band for the first time this year too. I sadly missed this event because I was attending Walk to Emmaus weekend which I had committed to long before I even knew when homecoming would be. Thankfully, The Daddy took pictures! Notice the green sticks!!! His favorite color!


We've been so busy these past several weekends with grown-up things to do and the kids have been with grandparents. I feel bad when we have so much at the same time, but I know that things will slow down again and we'll go a long time again living as hermits. HA! Anyway, last weekend was the first that we didn't have too much else going on so we crammed a lot of fall fun into one weekend. Really awesome rest stop off I80 overlooking the Mississippi, Pumpkin , Galena, IL, Mississippi Palisades.....all great opportunities to take some great pictures!


I'm looking forward to yummy smelling candles, pots of soup, hot bubble baths, crunchy leaves, baked pumpkin seeds and cozy couch dates with My Sweetie. Fall time is THE BEST!!!!

God Speaks....

Yes, I'm listening.....I may be dragging my heals in the ground and scared to death but I am listening. He's really speaking to me in every way He can possibly think of these days...

Through the Pastor's I heard speak while serving on a Walk to Emmaus weekend.....

Through the words of this Sanctus Real song which I heard once in the morning and then turned off the radio to let sink in and then again in the afternoon when I turned the radio back on...

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Revaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow your will
or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is you want from me
I give everything I surrender...


Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly
Something heavenly

Though the readings of my Bible study....as I read about Noah's obedience and doing "everything as the Lord commanded him" Genesis 6:22 and Genesis 7:5 No worries, God is NOT asking me to build an ark. He's just asking me to be obedient, He's asking me to trust Him, He's asking me to be patient with what plans He has for me regardless of how CRAZY it may sound and regardless of what others may say, regardless of obstacles I may face along the way.

***SIGH***

There is a sense of chaos stirring inside, but the more I surrender, the more peace He gives me. I know that this truly is bigger than me and the only way I can do this is with His strength. I don't know how to be obedient enough, trust enough or be patient enough without Him there to lead me down this path.

We need some practice on "Thou Shall not Lie"

We took The Daddy's car up to the bus stop today because that is where Little Dudes car seat was. I let BuhBuh just jump in and put a seat belt on, no booster, for the block and a half trip to the bus stop.

BuhBuh: What if a police officer catches us?

Me: I'm sure we'll be ok.

BuhBuh: If the police pull us over we can just lie and tell them I am 8.

Me: No we won't.

BuhBuh: But if we lie, you won't have to go to jail.

Me: NO!!!!!! We don't EVER lie.

EEK!!!! Should I worry about this one or what??? Maybe I should follow the rules better and make sure he's always in a booster regardless of how short the trip is!!!!

"Look Mom....

"...I'm a Chrysalis!!!!"

6 Quirks-Edited

I think this may be my first "official" tag. I feel so honored, so loved, so included!! YAY!!!!

Jen at My Life with Dogs has tagged me to list 6 Quirks about ME. So, here it goes....

1. I have serious issues with my feet. First off, DON'T TOUCH my feet....EVER!!! If you do, or try to tickle them, I cannot be held accountable what may happen to you during said touching or tickling. I become vicious and simply begin to kick and I don't care who is in my way, I"m sorry, but really, don't go there. The only exception is that I am able to maintain some self-control during pedicures. For whatever reason, I love pedicures....I think it's because it gets my feet all nice and pretty (as pretty as feet can be)My hair/pedicure gal feels very, very honored that she may be the ONLY person whose teeth I don't attempt to kick out.

2. I can NOT STAND to be barefoot-ever!!! I prefer to wear shoes at all times as well....except when I'm sleeping of course. I'm trying to figure out a way to not track my shoes and whatever is on the bottom of them into the house because I'm in and out so much. Changing shoes seems like a good idea, but I don't think about it and it's a lot of work to change back into outside shoes should I need to go outside again. My tennis shoes are my "work" shoes. My mother-in-law gives me money for my birthday every year and for the past few years, I've put that money towards a new pair. As soon as the shoes come off at night, usually while watching TV, I'm don't "working". I will wear flips....I like flips because they are easy to slip on....I especially like The Boys new Nike Flips which are like heaven for my feet. HOWEVER, I do not generally prefer to wear flips to places like the park and the baseball/soccer fields because then my feet get dirty and I HATE when my feet are dirty.

3. On the rare occasion when My Sweetie and I go to bed at the same time I have to have my foot touching his leg or foot in order to fall asleep. I do this so often, sometime not even realizing it until he says, "What, you don't love me anymore, why isn't your foot touching me.

I think that is all for my feet....moving on to #4.....

4. If the house is all nice and tidy and clean I get very grouchy when people can't figure out maybe they should put their dish in the dishwasher (even though I too will re-organize so that I can fit more in and place things in their proper spot) or their clothes in the hamper or clean out the "sink paste" when they are done brushing their teeth. But, I seem to care less when the house is in shambles and I will admit, at times help contribute by adding to the mess. This is what I call Saturday, Sunday, and most of Summer.

5. I always have to have a plan. I have a plan for our menus for the week, grocery lists, birthday parties, vacations, summer schedules, the new year, my scrapbooks, meetings I run, classes I teach, sermons I give. I can become very obsessed with details and will spend lots of time researching, reading and at times re-planning before plans are finalized. I am not a spontaneous person and don't deal well when there isn't a plan in place. I live by my calendar and the clock. My Sweetie is NOT generally a planner. This drives me crazy. However, we tend to balance each other out and some of the best things we have done have come out of the balance we bring into one anothers lives.

6. I have a tendency to burn myself whenever I am cooking. So much in fact, My Sweetie went out to find the longest pair of oven mits he could find. Seriously, they go all the way up to my elbow. This has saved me from many injuries, but I still can somehow find away to burn myself at least once a week. Most of them go away with time but I have very visible burn on my arm from this past June....it's pretty, let me tell ya.

Unfortunately, that was easier than I thought it would be. So, I am going to tag, Sarah, Heather, and Andrea and anyone else who reads and wants to participate. :) HAVE FUN!!! :)

***Edit*** I can't stop!!! I've thought of MORE!!! I gag when I brush my teeth, I have to always stop the gas pump on a nice round number...this is an improvement of when I use to have to round up to the nearest dollar, and I can never end on a sweet treat..i have to have something salty to balance it out.

Successful Birthday Checklist

Steamer Art by Daddy...
CHECK!

A pile of birthday gifts from mom and dad (including licorice!)...
CHECK!

Skate Board Ramp....as requested (just a little smaller)...
CHECK!


A special breakfast...
CHECK!

A Birthday Treat to share at school...
CHECK!!!

Ribs for dinner...also as requested....
Topped off with the first soccer game of the season.....
...scoring 3 goals for his team!!!
CHECK! CHECK!! CHECK!!!

When I asked BuhBuh if he had a good birthday he said, "Well, I didn't get a four-wheeler or a motorcycle like I wanted."

Later in the evening he also reminded me that I had forgotten to get him his own deodorant like I said I would when he turned six.

One mommy can only do what one mommy can do.

Six years of BuhBuh

Today he is 6. I've been so blessed to have been able to be home with him everyday since he was born. Getting pregnant with him and his birth symbolizes a new beginning in my life, marriage and family. It is also symbolizes God's awesome grace (and My Sweetie's grace and love for me as well.)

I am thankful for him in so many ways, because had I made one different choice all those years ago, he would not be here. As frustrated as I get with the strong willed boy BuhBuh can be, he also melts my heart when I see him showing empathy, love and kindness to others. I've had the opportunity to watch him grow from a content baby to shy toddler to self-confident preschooler and into the determined 6 year old boy he is today. He continues to make us laugh daily with the things he says. He has taken on the role of big brother well and knows how to push buttons of his older brother. He wants to do what he wants, when he wants, and isn't afraid to protest when he doesn't agree with mom and dad. When my mom lost her brother this past summer, only BuhBuh knew how to comfort her in her sadness. He always has big hugs to give his grandmas as soon as he sees them, but is too much of a big boy to show mom any affection at the bus stop. He is a leader on the soccer field and a role model in the classroom. His faith and love in Jesus continues to grow and I can often see Christ in him through his actions. He enjoys helping mom with chores and cooking and dad and grandpa with outside chores. He has a love for Star Wars that makes his daddy proud and a sense of timing with his humor that is beyond his years. He still wants goodnight kisses-on the cheek that doesn't touch the pillow at night and he still looks to me for comfort from middle of the night nightmares. He feels sad when he falls into the trap of the middle child.He claims his favorite color is black. He often thinks of others and their needs. He is an awesome boy.

He is growing up in front of my eyes. It's fun to watch but sad to let go so that he can continue to spread his wings. I look forward to what this next year will bring and look forward to seeing what else God has in store for this boy of mine. Ever since I held him in the hospital 6 years ago in my post delivery room, I remember looking down at him with tears of joy and gratefulness. Because of the path I was following just a year prior, he shouldn't have been there. But there he was, my "little" 8 lb 12 oz swaddled baby boy, in my arms and full of so many promises. From that very moment of stillness and peace in the hospital I've always known that God has awesome plans in store for him. How blessed I am to have a front row seat; how grateful I am that the seat comes with a seat belt!

Pump It Up Fun!!!

We celebrated BuhBuh's 6th birthday last night.

He if you remember his number one request for his birthday was for a Kids Only party. Well, I couldn't NOT have our family there and all but the grandparents have kids anyway, so we just did one BIG party. We went to Pump It Up and we all had a GREAT time! All of the kids there played hard and were nice and sweaty when they left.

At one point during the party, BuhBuh came up and gave me a hug and said, "Thank you for my party" He had a smile plastered to his face for the entire 2 hours.



I was so proud of my boy. He played nicely with everyone and was truly grateful for all of his gifts. He LOVED getting the royal birthday treatment.

Sometimes being the middle child he feels, and often rightly so, that he gets left out of things. So this was a special day JUST for him; he deserved it and boy did he shine!!



At the end of his party I asked him to say thank you to everyone...not only did he say thank you, but he also gave everyone a hug. It was such a blessing to be able to see his heart. Watching him show his appreciation to everyone was the only thank you I needed.

"Just the Way You Are"

I love Billy Joel. When I was a kid I remember having his Greatest Hits cassette tape that I listened to all the time. When I was in college I had the opportunity to go and see him in concert...they were nose bleed seats mind you, but I WAS THERE!! You can imagine my excitment when I saw that PBS was airing a live concert of his from 1978...he was in England I think and he was performing songs off his record The Stranger.

Last night My Sweetie and I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it off our DVR. As we were listening to this song:

Don't go changing, to try and please me
You never let me down before
Don't imagine you're too familiar
And I don't see you anymore
I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times
I'll take you just the way you are

Don't go trying some new fashion
Don't change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care

I don't want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are.

I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you.

I said I love you and that's forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are.

We were both having the same thoughts. I was thinking what a sweet, "romantical" song it was and how the words were a good fit for he and I.

My Sweetie, said, "Why wasn't THIS song our first dance when we got married??"

"I don't know! But it should have been," I replied.

He can't even remember the song we danced to. It was a song that was popular at the time and you rarely even hear it anymore. I picked it because at the time, I liked the words.....still good words I suppose, but not as classic as Billy Joel's "Just the Way you Are".

So, My Sweetie and I have decided to make a little edit to our past. From here on out....we will "remember" our first dance and tell people the song we first danced to at our wedding was actually "Just the Way You Are" Chances are, no one else who attended our wedding remembers, and I don't think there is any documented proof that it wasn't. If there is, we've decided to continue to stick by our story and assure everyone else, as lovingly as we can, that they are wrong and we remain to be right. Hehehe....

How sweet it is to be loved by someone who truly, loves me just the way I am. And how blessed we've been as we've traveled the adventure of life together for the past 12+ years.

What's My Excuse????

So, I decided to be a good girl today and open up the devotion that gets sent to my email inbox. I began having one sent to my email because I thought "Surely, this will make it easier for me to get my devotional readings in" At first it did....but it's just as easy to let the day pass and delete it and tell yourself, "Tomorrow I'll make time"

I'm better about it some days than I am other days....today I opened it and it was one of those devotions where you know it was for you and that you were the one who God wanted to hear/see/read those specific words. But I think it's one that many of us can relate to in one way or another so I thought I'd share the part that spoke loudest to me.

...Perhaps you have been hiding behind some excuses of your own lately. Maybe your excuses involve exercise like mine did. Or maybe they involve other things like why you can't give up a bad habit, why you aren't able to forgive someone, or why you are continuing in a sin God has been convicting you of. Maybe you have been letting excuses keep you from a more intimate relationship with God, or maybe you have been excusing the fact that you need to accept Christ as Savior. Even as you read these words, God is impressing on your heart that there is something you need to do--but you have been letting excuses serve as a barrier between knowing it and actually doing it.

I'm good at making excuses. How about you?? There are excuses that are weighing on my heart heavier than others as I read and re-read this passage. The solution in the devotion was this:

...Today I invite you to remove the excuses in your life. To choose one excuse today and begin to tear it down, taking just one brick out of the wall. Over the next days and weeks, choose more bricks to remove until one day, nothing is standing between you and that scary thing you know you need to do.

I could come up with excuses to NOT tear down the wall of excuses. Like for starters, "that wall is just too big to tear down right now. I just don't have time." and, "What if this really isn't what God wants me to do? How foolish would I look then for pursuing something that isn't and wasn't ever His will?" It's like I'm waiting for the neon, flashing sign or something.

UGH!

My joyful, aching heart

My brother and his wife welcomed their first child into the world on Friday, September 5th at 7:20 p.m. My sister-in-law, bless her heart, figured when all was a said and done, that she had endured 37 hours of labor. They had a little girl. This is so exciting....I am already an aunt to my niece and nephew on My Sweetie's side of the family. This is the first time I get to be an aunt on my side of the family. Not only that, but this is the first girl in a long time!!! Mom had me then she had my three brothers, then I had three boys. It is always exciting to celebrate and rejoice in new life. I'm hoping to make a trip up to Wisconsin in a couple of weeks to get in some baby snuggles and smooches.

Sadly, during the time my one sister-in-law was in labor, I had another sister-in-law who was going through a miscarriage of her second child. She was towards the end of her first trimester. My heart just aches for her. It's the end of a dream; the end of a life that her, her husband and the rest of the family was looking forward to. My Sweetie and I are at a complete loss of what we can do for her right now. I don't know if there are really any words of comfort to offer that will be the fix. The best thing I can come up with right now is prayers and to maybe send her a card later this week.

Birthday Countdown

We have a carry over rule from when My Sweetie was growing up:

No talking about birthdays until it is two weeks away.

BuhBuh's birthday is officially 2 weeks away. For a soon to be 6 year old he certainly knows what he wants.

1. A Kids Only party
2. Ribs for his birthday dinner
3. A skate board ramp, helmet and elbow and knee pads
4. A very specific birthday treat to share with his class at school.

Me: Your birthday is coming up here soon. You'll have to think of something you want to take to school to share with your friends.

BuhBuh: How about licorice?

Me: Well, we could do that. But mommy really doesn't mind making you something.

BuhBuh: Like what?

Me: I could make cupcake ice cream cones, I could make sandwich cookies, I could make any other kind of cookies....

BuhBuh: OH!!!! I know what I want!!! I want Ms. C's brownies!!

Me: You want Ms. C to make your birthday treat for school?

BuhBuh: YEP! She makes THE BEST brownies!!!

Me: ****feeling like I need to brush up on my brownie makin' skills*****

That's right! He doesn't want ME to make him anything for his birthday, but rather his friend's mom!! And if he can't have her brownies....then he'll settle for licorice.

I....

If you are reading this....consider yourself TAGGED!!!

I am: a child of God

I think: I should go back to school someday (shhhh....)

I know: that I am blessed in so many ways

I want: to be the person God wants me to be

I wish: I could remember something from my 6 years of piano lessons

I hate: gossip

I miss: my brothers

I fear: loosing someone I love

I feel: relaxed...it's nice not having a lot going on for a change.

I hear: Chad's video game

I smell: the air conditioner-yup! I can smell it because it smells like cats. YUCK!

I crave: chocolate and tacos
I search: for a house we can call home

I regret: the wife and mother I was the first 5 years of our marriage

I love: my husband and children

I ache: for others who face hardships in their lives

I care: for people

I always: kiss my husband 3 times in a row

I am not: perfect

I believe: that there is a reason for everything even when I don't understand

I sing: in the car
I cry: when I'm mad,sad, happy and often when I'm feeling sympathetic for others

I write: to express what I'm feeling

I win: when I'm able to bless others

I lose: when I get stressed out

I never: want to miss an opportunity
I confuse: peoples names-especially my kids
I listen: to all the cute things my kids say

I can usually be found: at home or at church

I am scared: of missing
I need: to go to bed!!! geesh! it's late!

I am happy about: how well the kids are adjusting to school

I hope: to make a difference-even if it's a small one

Little Buddies

Is it such a terrible thing that I try to manipulate who my children are friends with?? I want my kids to be friends with other kids who are going to lift them up, encourage them, make good choices and grow up with memories of good, strong friendships. Is it really so bad to sway them in certain directions???

Today Samuel and I met Emery and his mommy Sarah at the zoo. The boys are both "experienced" walkers now. We let them out of their strollers to explore a little more independently. They seemed to have fun. So much in fact, that they never once turned around so I could get a picture of them A. Together and B. Looking at me.

They are both very unaware of one another still. But with some more play dates, growing a little older and some slight manipulation from the mommies, I'm certain they will grow up buds!

Both Emery and Little Dude seemed to like the ducks the best. You see, "Duck" is Emery's favorite word and Little Dude fell in love with ducks on our vacation.


We had a good time. Remember how I said I thought I was manipulating my children's friends??? Well, it got me thinking of all the ways/chances Sarah and I could have met. We actually met on our Walk to Emmaus weekend. But it just so happens that our in-laws live across the street from one another, we both graduated from the same high school within a few years of one another, and her sister is friends with my mom. Hmmmmm.....it seems we were meant to run into one another at one time or another. I have truly been blessed and inspired by her story, her strength, her bravery in showing when she's hurt and/or scared and in the fact that her faith has remained strong throughout this journey that she has been on. I remember reading their Carepage and now Blog thinking how much I was looking forward to our boys being able to meet and hopefully grow up being friends. That day has arrived!!!! I look forward to more play dates and hopefully they will pose for a picture one day!

I So "Escited"...

Yesterday morning at 6 a.m. I was laying in bed knowing that I needed to get up and get The Boy up and moving. I heard some noises coming from the living room and I tried to figure out which kid it was. It didn't take me long to realize the quick moving bare feet on the floor were BuhBuh's. Then a moment after that I realized what he was doing; he was cleaning up the living room!

The Daddy got up out of bed and BuhBuh came in and took The Daddy's place.


Me: Were you cleaning up the living room

BuhBuh: Uh-huh. I wanted to surprise you

Me: Honey, why were you cleaning?

BuhBuh: I just so 'escited' for school that I can't sleep.

Me: You know that you don't start until tomorrow right?

BuhBuh: Uh-huh, I just so 'escited'


I did get a little choked up yesterday as we were heading into town to do some grocery shopping. I was telling him how nice it was to go and be able to do this with him his last day before kindergarten because he has been my little shopping buddy for the past almost 6 years now! He was, as always, a good little shopper so we had a Starbucks treat afterwards. (which btw, I think they FORGOT to put the coffee in my drink as it was pink. EWWWW)

We had a chill out day yesterday after The Boy got home from school which was nice. And since we had all gotten up so early yesterday, BuhBuh fell asleep while I was reading to him...he's never done that before!! When I came back downstairs, Little Dude was also already asleep. I once again procrastinated (read as: WASTED my time playing Sims) my bedtime knowing what today was to be.

We were up bright and early again....although BuhBuh wanted to know WHY I was up in the night time. The funny thing is it was only a wee bit later than he was cleaning yesterday. As soon as he realized that TODAY was the first day, he was soooo "escited"!!

It was kind of nice having an hour between bus times. BuhBuh was all ready and there was no mad rush to get out the door. I made sure to steal some bonus hugs before he left. We went and did our normal first day of school pictures.



We looked like a mini army heading up to the bus stop: Me, The Daddy, Little Dude and Gpa B!! Bus time wasn't so bad. This was a normal routine. Everyday for the past two years BuhBuh has gotten on the same bus, with the same driver, at the same time and gone to the same school because he was in the PreK program at our elementary school. I was there, chatting with my bus stop mommy friends, watching the kids, sipping coffee. He was comfortable, he knew what to expect and he looked like a pro!!! So, to me it didn't really feel like a big change.



It will be tomorrow when it will be weird when he's not here for lunch.

Middle School Already?????

The first picture is of The Boy's first day of school today.....his first day of Middle School!!!! The second picture was taken 5 years ago on his first day of first grade. WHERE has time gone???? And why has it gone so fast??? Middle School???? Really???? Already????

As we pulled into the parking lot of the Middle School last night to get his schedule and locker assignment he said, "These kids all look so big." Funny how he was thinking the same thing I was. We practiced the locker several times and helped him find his classes so he could meet all of his teachers. He seemed pretty excited.

Last night I was procrastinating my bedtime because I knew what this morning was. I'm sad partly because I wish that I could either freeze time or at least slow it down to keep my kids from growing up so quickly!! But I can't and I know that. I was worried about the transition between being in a contained classroom in elementary school to changing classes and teachers in middle school. I am worried about how to parent a pre-teen child and help them to continue to learn and grow and feel good in their own skin while dealing with all the changing hormones and drama that can come during this season of his life. I am worried about him having friends, about him having good friends and about how others will treat him. I am worried about how he will react if he is ever faced with a negative situation. I just have to trust in the young man that he is and know that he does makes good choices and know does not put up with people who don't. I just hope that others don't take advantage of my sweet boy. What's a mother to do??

I also have academic worries. I've told him the secret to success in Middle School is organization. Towards the end of 4th grade we did a ADHD screening which scored him at about 70% with his biggest challenge fell into the inattentiveness part of ADHD. I have refused to label him as such because it's just a label. I don't want him to ever feel that he is in any way different, he just has different ways of learning and doing things and occasionally needs guidance towards the best way. I worry too that he may have a little bit of a learning disability called dysgraphia.....he hasn't been screened for this like he has the ADHD, so I'm not sure if it's just part of the ADHD or if it is an additional challenge for him.

My goal this year is to be in early contact with the school counselor about my concerns and worries, and to watch his grades closely so that we can fix any problems that may arise. I want to be in regular contact with his language arts/communications teacher because this is the area he struggles with most. I need to be patient because I know from the past that homework is a struggle. I need to be his advocate and voice if there are academic struggles so he doesn't get lost. I need to be his biggest supporter and try my best to keep his confidence and self-esteem up. I feel that it is extremely important for him to learn the ways in which he learns best now so that he can have a successful academic Middle School experience which hopefully will carry on through high school and beyond.

Well, he is home now....he clearly survived and just told me, "I really like my new school."

Kid Day

Friday August 15th 7:45 a.m.

BuhBuh: Hey dad, can you open this for me???

Daddy: Sure buddy.

*crack*

Daddy: WAIT A MINUTE!!!!! POP for BREAKFAST?????

BuhBuh: Don't worry dad, it's "do whatever you want" morning.
runs off sipping his drink

For the past couple of summers I've let the kids have an entire day of whatever they wanted. A mostly, no NO day. They get to eat whatever they want, drink whatever they want, play their video games without mom saying, "turn them off, you've played all day" and they can watch as much TV as possible. Everything has to be safe and still abide to the house rules. Like yesterday when The Boy was watch Cartoon Network, I did tell him to change it to something else because even though it was "do whatever you want" morning, Cartoon Network is mostly off limits in our house.

We weren't able to devote an entire day to this household kid holiday because we had other things to do and have basically run out of summer. So at 11 they were asked to turn everything off, get dressed and brush their teeth...REALLY GOOD. We packed up and made a Subway run then headed to the park for a play date with friends. Then after we got home they were able to play with the neighbor for awhile before Gma and Gpa picked them up for the weekend.

So, even though they didn't get an entire day of doing whatever they wanted, it still ended up pretty good I think.

Cleaning the Mississippi Mud

I just got home today from a week long Youth Mission trip. It was a long, hard week, but it was good because God is good All The Time! It was a week full of mud, corn, dust, heat, KIDS, no sleep, challenges, learning, praising, worshiping, growing and blessings. All The Time, God is Good!!!

The Boy and I left from home last Sunday around 1:30. It was hard leaving the others behind especially since I had never left Little Dude home before. 9 youth ages 11-16 and 4 adults piled into two vehicles and headed for Quincy, Illinois. When we got to Quincy we met up with another group from Lincoln, Illinois which was made up of 5 more youth and one more adult. One of the United Methodist Churches in the area had offered to let us use there Church for the week. Bless them for their willingness to allow us to literally take over their church the week of their big Ice Cream Social.

We began our work on Monday morning on a family farm. The water had filled to about 6 inches below the ceiling. The dry wall and insulation was out. But it was amazing at the difference that our crew was able to make. As a group we did things like remove nails from the studs, gutting the basement, cleaning out buildings, cleaning up around the yard, removing nails from the sub-floor, cleaning off the bricks that had been knocked off of the house from the waves of the river pounding up against the house, did lots of sweeping, finished gutting the garage, took out the duct work from the home, walked the length of the fields picking up garbage and debris left behind by the water. This was most of the kids first work trip, and they all worked their tails off EVERY DAY!!! The first day we were there The Boy was eager to try out his new rubber boots in the icky basement. He and I worked down there together taking down paneling and getting it gutted....I found it ironic that I HATE my basement but had no problem working down there for three days. I suppose it's different when you are doing it FOR someone else whose needs are more than you can imagine. On Thursday we went to another farm just down the road and did various odd jobs. I spent the entire day raking corn husks that ended up in their yard.

We were so blessed in so many ways while we were there which made this trip possible for these kids. The church that opened their doors to us for sleeping, cooking and eating the week of their big Ice Cream Social, the same church provided us dinner one evening so that we didn't have to come back and cook, Chaddock which allowed us to use their showers at the end of the day and let the kids also use their swimming pool, another UMC offered to buy us dinner out one evening at Buffalo Wild Wings the week that they were doing VBS at their church and then invited our kids to join them for their VBS swim party afterwards, the Red Cross for bringing us our lunch to the work sight everyday, the son of the homeowners who took the time and patient to help the kids whenever they needed something, his wife for designing our t-shirts and the home owners for paying for them. The hospitality and generosity itself was overwhelming.

Then there were the kids. 10 out of 13 of the kids on this trip were from broken homes. Some were being raised by grandparents, some had parents in jail, one girl lost her dad a few years back in a car accident and was moving across country with her family to start over. One sweet, hard working girl was clearly having a down day and said she didn't sleep well because she didn't want to go home....not because she wanted to continue to work necessarily but because home was that bad. Two of the kids were in constant need of attention and nurturing and guidance. It was a very high needs group of kids which in itself drained you mentally and spiritually. But my prayer is God remains their rock and that they continue to trust in HIM for the strength they need to preserver. I also pray that they were each able to take something home with them in which they learned from this experience that will help them continue to grow.

After 5 days of hard work we ended the week at Six Flags in St. Louis. What a BLAST I, uh, WE all had!!!! Roller coasters and water rides seemed to be the favorite for everyone. At 7 we saw Newsboys in concert there in the park. They were AWESOME!!! All of the kids really seemed to enjoy it. When the concert was over we had time to ride a roller coaster in the dark!

On a personal note, this was an AWESOME time with The Boy. I really enjoyed working side-by-side with him in the yucky, yucky basement, I enjoyed being there to help encourage him, I enjoyed the one-on-one time that I was able to give just to him without the interruptions of little brothers, I enjoyed screaming our way (my way, he didn't scream) through roller coasters and singing and dancing next to him at the concert.

On a spiritual note, I thought that maybe youth ministry and missions was the place that God has been calling me to serve. This past week just proved those feelings to be true. I know I'm serving in my church just where I should be. I hope that I can be more involved in youth ministry and missions as God allows.

Home is....

I was getting ready for bed last night and I was looking around our house feeling a little frustrated with the fact that we are still in this house. Twice within two months this year we had found a house that we were very interested in buying. Both times, the door of opportunity was shut on us on each of those houses. It didn't take me too long to get over it the first time. I was bummed but within 2 weeks I was ready to keep on looking. The most recent one still burns. We went to bed one evening thinking we were getting a signed contract to buy first thing in the morning just to wake up to a phone call with a counter offer that we just couldn't accept. That home is still listed as "under contract" and had we bought it we would have been moved in already.

A year ago we completely renovated our living/dining room area. We got it all put back together just in time for Christmas. But the one thing we haven't done is put pictures back up on the walls. I'm not much of an interior decorator but I LOVE having family pictures all over the place. We haven't put up pictures for two reasons, My Sweetie doesn't want holes in his pretty, new walls and we have always had the sense that this home was temporary until the next thing comes along. Why go through all the work of hanging pictures if we're going to sell and move? This spring we did something kind of fun. We went to Lowes and bought chairs, tiki candles and flowers for the deck and around the house. In the 11 years we've lived here we've never done that. As I looked around I experienced a sense of peace that THIS was home and I was comfortable. Ironically, that was about the time we found the second house that we liked. I think it's time we get some frames and hang up pictures so we can have that sense of peace again that THIS is home until God leads us someplace else.

The quote, "Live simply, so others can simply live" rings loudly in my head. My Sweetie has been doing so well at work and we are FINALLY at a point where we are financially comfortable. I can't tell you what a great feeling it is to take a vacation and not worry if there is going to be enough money left or to simply go out to dinner and not feel guilty for doing so. We have made good choices the past several years and that's why we are where we are. I know that there is a reason and it is God who is in control and has a perfect plan. Maybe that's why "Live simply so others can simply live" is never too far from my thoughts. If we would have bought the house, we would have been able to continue our tithes, but we may not have been able to do the extra giving that we do; the other random acts of kindness that we enjoy.

After I got into bed, My Sweetie rolled over and said he just didn't feel in control of things and didn't understand how two houses that we actually liked fell through. I had to smile a little since I was just thinking the same thing. I wanted to say, "DUH! None of us are in control." But control is the one thing most of us want to maintain more than anything. I'm just as guilty of this as the next person. I guess it's not until we fully give God control that we can actually feel like we have a handle on things. Someday I pray I'll be there 100%. Until then, I just try the best I can on a day to day basis.

I have come to realize something, home for us isn't found a ranch home with a pool and a large yard or in a restored turn-of the century farm house with 3 acres. As they say, home is where our story begins. This house is certainly where our story began. This is the home where My Sweetie and I spent time with his family while we were still just dating; this is the home that we discussed our wedding plans in; this is the home where my sister-in-law gave me a baby shower; this is the home we moved into when My Sweetie graduated from college; this is the home where all of our babies took their first steps, celebrated their first Christmas and Birthday; this is the home where we share family meals and play games; this is the place I want to go after I've been away; this is the place that makes me feel safe; this is the place where we all rest our heads at the end of the day. That is our story and for now this IS our home and I know when and if God leads us someplace else, this place will always hold a very special place in all of our memories and hearts.