What Spills when I am Bumped

I am afraid lately when my cup has been bumped some not so pretty stuff has been spilling out. My kids have borne the brunt of it. I have had harsh answers and angry attitudes. Ugh! I have been going often to the Lord and then to whichever individual I offended to ask forgiveness. I am very convicted as I have not been renewing my mind with God's word. I am so thankful for the Lord's continuous forgiveness and patience. His word has the power to change me! I am
setting some new goals for myself and purpose to be memorizing and meditating more. That way whether I am tired or worn out I trust Christ's perfect sweetness will spill from my cup next time it's bumped.

2 Timothy 2:16, 17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for
every good work.
Romans 12:2 . . . but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. . .

William Howard Hall - born 10/20/51 went home to be with his Savior on 8/7/10.

William and his wife Vicky treated me like one of their daughters. I met them shortly after moving to NC and they welcomed me into their home, family and life with true Christlike hospitality. I loved spending time with them and their two daughters. I have so many great memories of crazy times at their house. William had the greatest sense of humor. He loved to sing praises to the Lord and taught me everything I know on the guitar. He was a patient teacher (never minded when I was a fret off). He spent his life on earth bringing glory to God. Now he is forever in the place Jesus prepared for him! He no longer suffers from non hodgkins lymphoma on this earth but is in heaven were even tears do not exist! Imagine it - they don't even exist!! I sure will miss him on this side but look forward to seeing him again when, by the grace and blood of Jesus I too enter into the presence of The Savior.

His Caring Bridge journal is an awesome reflection of William, Vicky, Beverly and Angela faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chloe Talk-a-Gamma

I thought I posted this and missed it. Chloe just loved talking to my mom some time ago. She LOVES talking on the phone.

Huge-antic Moth

Drew and I took a quick date while the little three were napping Sunday. We stopped to look at a bike for sale and I spotted this amazing moth on a brick building. I just couldn't resist bringing it home to show the kids.

Snapshot Summary #5 (slideshow)

A Slideshow Summary

of

School Section Lake

Vacation

We had an amazingly wonderful vacation. The Aunts of School Section Lake showed us a marvelous time. Our accommodations in the Josibel lodge loft were fantastic! I think we covered every spare inch with bodies and beds at bed time. We hung out at Green Acres most of the time, enjoying Aunt Maxine's nice swimming beach and raft. Uncle Tim and Aunt Rita joined us Monday night for brats and burgers, Aunt Maxine famous cheesy potatoes and baked beans. Tuesday night we had spaghetti, Wed. Drew grilled out chicken and I made a huge salad. Aunt Maxine made some killer home made cookies and kept restocking her cookie jar! Mmmmmmmmmm!! (Dawn, I thought you would want to know about our menu :-) We just had a really really nice time. Now it is back to reality and it's hitting me rather hard.

Snapshot Summary #4

Tuesday 13 - July, 2010

I Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Encourage One Another and Build Each Other Up. We sang I Thessalonians 5:11 to Steve Green's tune after breakfast and then got busy writing our names on charts. The game,challenge, whatever you want to call it, is (we are still doing it) to see if you can catch someone saying an encouraging word. If you can catch them you both get to put a sticker on your name. It is so pleasurable to listen to children who love each other, that is my ultimate goal with this. It fits in well with part of our Family Mission: Raising to maturity men and women who love Jesus Christ. If dey love Jesus - dey gonna be lovin' one anodah!! Oh and thanks for all the sticker Aunt Dawnie and Aunt Terry, I think they are being put to good use.

Wednesday 14 - July, 2010

Jacob and Grandma took their game of Upwords very seriously - in a fun sort of way.

When the children heard the train they rushed out the back door to watch it. The tracks are just on the other side of the alley from Grandma's back door.
Abram's favorite toy at Great-Grandma's house was this martian top that spins when you pull the threaded plastic cord. It's one of those great timeless toys that has been around since Luke and Jordan's day I think.

We had a great visit with Drew's Grandma! She is in her 90's and spry as can be, and as sharp as a tack! We arrived around 10:45 AM. We delivered an essay one of Drew's cousin's daughters had written entitle "The Flag". Cora's essay won a prize which was written up in the newspaper. Grandma had the article clipped and in a scrap book. She was thrilled to receive a hard copy of the essay which Drew's sister had emailed to me the night before. Then we had lunch, after which Grandma challenged Jacob to a game of Upwards. It was a close game. The rest of us played some in the basement and in the Teddy Bear Bedroom. 2:00 rolled around and the game was heated. I hated to break it up but had to as we needed to get home. Grandma has such a positive outlook on life. She is refreshing to be around!

Thursday 15 - July, 2010

Spent the day getting caught up on laundry, baking cookies, playing games and working on loving each other. We had a really nice day. Ended the day with a trip to Wal Mart for extra items for our upcoming trip! Oh and crucial to Friday being a good day, made lists, lists and more lists! I plan to get these typed into the computer so I will be that much further ahead for our next trip!

Friday 16 - July, 2010

we packed our bags, dropped the bird off at our neighbors, and packed a TON of other sundry items and were . . .













OFF!

Celebrate Jesus

The more I thank the

LORD,

the more I find

to thank HIM for!

Answered Prayer

I just read a very convicting post over at Raising Arrows. I am so thanking the Lord for this post as I have been really concerned about the relationships between my children. What a direct answer to prayer. I am so convicted as I see so plainly how MY sin is adversely effecting their attitudes toward each other. Thank you Lord for this insight. Please help me to call out to You and have loving, proper, godly responses to discipline issues and just irritating behaviors. Thank you Lord for being my strongtower! Amen!

Forgot a Couple Things

I forgot a couple items in yesterday's snapshot summary.

First, the girls and I did get to go to a bridal shower for our good friend Mary on Sunday. She is getting married August 6th which is fast approaching. She was so cute opening the shower gifts, reminded me of an infomercial.

Second, the dresses. I picked up mine at a garage sale a few weeks ago, a neighbor found Chloe's at a garage sale the very next week. Then Mary received her skirt from some friends at church a few days later. We were at JoAnn fabrics a week ago today when I found the green fabric in Abi's dress for $1.00 and the shirts the girls are wearing for $3.00! The girls and I really enjoy wearing matching items. It was a blessing from the Lord the way the outfits all fell together and the bonus was that I got to sew up an easy dress!

Well I better be off to clean out the refrigerator. Hope I don't find too much mold.

Snapshot Summary #3

Another wonderfully busy week as a wife and mother!

Tuesday 06 - July

A package arrived from Aunt Terry. It was a slip n' slide! The weather was wonderfully hot and the kids played hard all day.

Well, they didn't all slip n' slide all day. They played in waves with various things. Cob practiced with his drum set quite a bit too. I finally got some pictures of him practicing. They also played with the tinker toys Pa and Grandma brought on Monday. They have enjoyed those immensely!

Wednesday, my sister Renee's 45th Birthday dawned beautifully. We ran to tennis lessons in the AM, talking - them talking, me praying - on the way about how to encourage the little boy, who takes every opportunity to course jest, not to. Or how to avoid being drawn into that behavior yourself, as one of the children was prone to do a couple lessons ago. We all prayed, they left, I followed, the little three following me. Then we picked up a lovely box of organic produce that was a gift from my dear friend Laura. Then we were on to the library where we did end up getting a hard copy of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Got home, as I was preparing lunch Abi began to get nauseous. Poor thing ended up very sick with a stomach bug. When Drew got home he was feeling a bit off. Poor man ended up with a bad case of the aforesaid bug himself. Then Chloe vomited ALL NIGHT LONG, with me lying on the floor between her and Abi's bed holding the bucket between winks. I was so worn out Thursday morning I slept all day. The children just laughed when 8 PM rolled around and I said I was so glad it was time for bed. I slept all night long but still only felt a bit better. I didn't feel my old self until later in the afternoon.

Friday - 09-July

We took a short walk just to get out of the house and catch some fresh air! Baruch did a bit more than just walk.

After the walk I even had enough energy to trim the bush by our back gate. Chloe helped. She was so precious bringing branches back to the brush pile one little stick at a time.

Saturday 10 - July

We got a LOT done around the house. Cob had one mowing job.

Abigail held a "manners" class for Baruch and Abram in hopes of teaching them a thing or two. They paid $ .25 to be a part of the class, which included a tea party with treats at the conclusion of the class. They were suppose to dress up for the class. Here is the outfit Abram chose.

Sunday 11 - July

We practiced last week, Friday and Saturday in anticipation of playing a song during the worship service at our assembly Sunday. Everyone woke up eager to greet the day. It was soon apparent, however that Drew was in NO condition to be out and about. His intestinal track was WAY off. He had delivered papers with Mary's help, feeling o.k. at the outset. He went straight up to bed when he returned from the route and slept until about 10 AM! Then he and the kids enjoyed a dvd from the library.

Wind in the Willows dvd followed the book very closely. It gets a five star from our easily amused crowd.

Monday 12 - July

Chloe is constantly on the go. As I have been typing this post she took off her swimsuit (they were on the slip n' slide again) and put on Jacob's. Then she climbed on a chair and started singing Yankee Doodle Dandy. Very Sweet.

E-Books

Jacob wanted to read The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. We just haven't had a moment to get to the library. I did a quick search for free on line books and found a wonderful site called Project Gutenberg. Click on the title to see the free on line book, The Wind in the Willows! All of this in a matter of ten minutes. Amazingly wonderful!

Snapshot Summary #2

Friday 2 - July we headed to a local park to participate in their - patriotic decorate your bike - be in a bike parade - event. I have great memories as a little girl in MI lining up for the neighborhood bike parade. I think the kids made some good memories too! Drew threw a couple bikes in the back of the van before we left for tennis. I threw two more on top and hoped my bunji cord action would hold as I navigated through the streets.

Saturday 3 - July We attended a great Independence Day party. There was a tire swing, tether ball, sand box and a couple pools set up for the kids. Plus the grandchildren of the host/hostess were giving Gator rides which the kids LOVED! The food was excellent. I shared a post about my favorite dish already. We were having too much fun to take pictures.

The picture to the left is of our evening doings. Here Abi is reading Goodnight Gorilla to the younger ones while waiting for the next event in the amazing air-show. We watched from a bluff and the view of the air-show was spectacular.

As soon as the fireworks started we realized our great view of the air-show would be a terrible view of the fireworks. We trekked off through some woods and found a clearing with an adequate view. There we "enjoyed" the fireworks. Well some of us enjoyed them more than others :-). Chloe obviously thought they were a bit LOUD!

We made a lot of great memories as a family that day. When we got home from the party we divided, Drew taking the older kids up to stake out a spot to watch the evenings happenings, I staying home to put the little ones down for a
nap. The plan was to connect at the park where Drew and the older kid were when the little ones awoke. Unfortunately I had clipped my fanny pack with my drivers license, phone, proof of insurance and money onto a chair that was with Drew. So when I was pulled over by officer Walker who wanted to make sure all the children were properly buckled I started praying, Lord, you know I deserve a ticket but I sure would LOVE a warning. As we waited the little boys prayed too. Baruch was praying we wouldn't be late for the air-show, being my lover of all things that fly. The Lord saw fit to have me receive a warning! Amazing! But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ(by grace you have been saved) Ephesians 2:4,5. The warning was so much God's grace!! As we cautiously proceeded to the park I realized afresh God's mercy, then had this sinking feeling. . . no fanny pack, no money, no buck for the park entrance fee. We parked at the entrance and footed on up and up, Chloe wanting to be held the whole way, and up and up, My broken toe protesting with each step, and up and up Baruch racing ahead with encouraging word for Abram with each racing step. Finally we saw Drew and Mary in the distance and I happily reclined on our blanket, sweat trickling down my back.

Sunday 4 - July We slept in some then enjoyed worshipping with the believers at our assembly! Had a nice relaxing day concluding with a trip to the park.

Monday 5 - July Had to wake the older girls up so we would be on time to minister to the oldsters at a nearby nursing home. My friend Marylins mom is a resident there. Drew introduced the kids and encouraged everyone to call out on the name of the LORD. Then the children enjoyed playing the piano, their fiddles and the guitar, along with singing a bit. Drew's folks met us their and we all enjoyed talking to the residents when the kids were done playing and singing. We had a very nice day with Drew's parents. Very low key which I needed after the past few days of flurry.

Delicious Autumn Salad Recipe!

This recipe was (in my humble opinion) The Best Bring to the Independence Day Celebration (potluck) we attended Saturday. Brought by my friend Marilyn whose modifications are in italics below. Find the original recipe for Autumn Salad here.

Autumn Salad

I made a double batch. It is easy, but a lot of chopping. A sharp knife and peeler help. Don't leave the pecans while toasting. I coated using only about 3/4 of the dressing. Recipe

Enjoy with blessings! Marilyn

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2 inch cubes -- strive to cut cubes the same size for even roasting time

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) -- I used dried

Kosher salt & freshly grated black pepper -- I used very old generic pepper :)

2 tablespoons finely diced sweet onion -- I used vidalia. I only used 3/4 of the onion

2 tablespoons chopped, toasted pecans -- I toasted them at medium low heat on a stovetop pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. Toss often. Removed about one minute after they became fragrant and spread on a plate

2 tablespoons dried cranberries, coarsely chopped -- plus raisins or instead would work too.

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley -- Did not use. And I thought snips of green onion stem would be good too.

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar free or regular honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper -- I used a shake and a half of cayenne powder instead

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place diced sweet potatoes in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes or just until fork tender. (Over cooking will cause them to be mushy when you stir them into the remaining ingredients.) Allow to cool slightly.

To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, black pepper, and chipotle pepper. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl. Stir in onions, pecans, cranberries, and parsley. Drizzle with dressing and gently stir until coated. Serve either warm, room temp or cold. Makes 5 side-dish servings.

Mary's Latest Creation

Mary whipped this bag together for Abi on Wednesday. Abi found the fabric and wanted to make a bag but told Mary she was just no good at sewing. Voila! Mary had this made is half an hour using the string they tie our weekly advertiser route papers together with. I give her an A+ for creativity and craftsmanship.

Snapshot Summary #1

Oh man! So much has happened over the past two plus weeks! I was thinking of all the events I failed to add to the blog and decided to do a Snapshot Summary instead. Here is to my first (and hopefully not last) Snapshot Summary!

We celebrated Cob's turning 11 two days shy of his turning 11! I am ashamed I didn't get more pictures!

We celebrated his turning 11 again with good friends on his actual birthday and I think Drew got video of that. But again I didn't get a picture. To be honest Jacob is a huge trial to me. We are just way too much alike. The kid has these awesome abilities and a heart to do the right thing. I just need to call out for mercy to be thankful instead of focusing on the the times he forgets, has a lazy moment or is stirring up trouble with the little ones. I continue to give this child over to the Lord and the Lord continues to bless despite my sinfulness!!

Saturday June 26 - we went to the grand opening of the new portion of the River Museum and were duly impressed!

Sunday June 27 - our neighbors had a party for their daughter Sienna's turning nine! Here is Sweet Sienna (above) and her mom and grandma (below)

After the party we had naps and then went on an explore or as Winnie THE Pooh would say, "an expedition!" However, unlike Winnie THE Pooh we did not pack "provisions". Thankfully Drew has a keen nature eye and spotted some black caps for us to snack on.

Monday June 28 - Chloe enjoyed a chat with my mom. "I taka gamma!" she chattered on and on. I'm not sure how much Grandma caught but it sure looked sweet on my end :)

Wednesday June 30 we went to Lake Oleary. Some of us fished! Look VERY closely to see the little blue gill Baruch caught. He was so so pleased!!

and some of us watched!

and some of us ate!