Jan. 20, 2008 - The Fam
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Jan. 3, 2008 - Dishrag Poetry
My Husband is a true Renaissance Man. He's a complete computer geek who is also quite handy when it comes to home improvements, teaching our son guitar, and writing the occaisional poem. For Christmas, I had knitted our neighbors some dishrags. I know, it sounds cheesy, but it's the thought that counts, right? ;-)
The first year we were married, my mother-in-law gave me a knitted dishrag at Christmas and I must have been looking at it with that blank expression we all sometimes get because my mother-in-law said, "It's a dishrag." I had never seen a knitted dishrag before, so I was afraid my neighbors would have the same response. I asked my Husband if he could compose some sort of poem that would explain to our neighbors what they were receiving along with their cookies, and here is what he wrote. :-)
Christmas is a time for giving,
So it must mean the neighbors are coming.
So get the milk ready,
The chances are steady
That cookies are forthcoming.
But what else is this they are giving?
Something made by knitting.
It seems a bit small
For a blanket or shawl.
We just don’t know what we are getting.
So let me explain what you have received.
There is no reason to be grieved.
It’s a rag for dishes,
With soap and swishes.
Your plates will certainly be cleaned.
It was knitted with care and love
And thoughts of you to be sure of.
Too pretty to use,
Oh, but please do!
And Merry Christmas from Heaven above.
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Oct. 31, 2007 - Blanket Head
Did you ever see the movie Parenthood? As new parents, my husband and I loved that movie. Watching it now, after not seeing it for several years, we were shocked at the language and other themes in the movie that didn't bother us "back then." God sure can do a work in us, eh? (No, I'm not Canandian, just raised 45 minutes from the Canandian border, so I can't resist an occasional "eh." ;-)
Anyway.....
There is one part of that movie that I have been reminded of lately. Remember Steve Martin's youngest son? The kid was always doing something weird. The funniest part was when he was walking around the house with a bucket on his head, banging his head into anything he came into contact with.
First and Only Husband and I have a kid just like that. It's so bizarre. Third Son, who is 19 months old now, puts his trusty "blankET" (he places a huge emphasis on the "et") over his head and walks around banging his head onto whatever he runs into.
It never occurred to us that there were little boys who actually did that for entertainment. How could we NOT keep having children until God says we're done? Experiencing all these different kids from the same two people is just too much fun. Of course it's all a done deal with our new baby girl. I am determined that this baby will be extremely obedient, giving, kind and would just faint if a single unkind word towards her brothers or sister ever came out of her mouth. Now that's something worth experiencing! I've actually heard that kids like this exist....or is that only in the movies????
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Oct. 27, 2007 - Be the Pen
I've prayed for issues in foreign countries before and always figured I would never, this side of Heaven, know how or even if my prayer was answered.
Back in 2004, my Husband went on a mission trip to Kyrgyzstan. He's a web/graphics guy. He and a partner were going over there for two weeks to teach graphics design classes. Those that took the classes were going to use their knowledge to create Christian materials for distribution in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and other countries in Central Asia. This was way out of his comfort zone and a friend of ours encouraged him by telling him this story:
There was a man who had been arrested and was in prison for his faith in Christ. The man received a visit from his daughter. She gave him a pen. The man took that pen and wrote scripture on any stray piece of paper that came his way and then gave the scripture away to others. Many of them became Christians from reading the scripture on those bits of paper.
Our friend encouraged my Husband by telling him, "Be the pen! Be the tool that helps others draw others to Christ."
So he went, and it was a wonderful, life-changing event for him. He came back feeling as if he had been able to "be the pen."
In 2005, we began studying the Eastern Hemisphere, using Sonlight. One of the books included was titled Praying Through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window. Such a great book! It includes prayer requests for 100 of the major cities in the 10/40 window. On page 91 of our copy is Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where my Husband went. And guess what prayer request #5 is??????
"Pray for the distribution of the Kyrgyz New Testament and other Christian media and literature."
This book was first published in 1990. The man who sponsored Darin and his partner in their trip runs a print shop in Kyrgyzstan. He uses his business to support the printing and free distribution of Christian literature. One of his proudest moments was when he was able to print a little booklet of Proverbs to be distributed and used in Kyrgyz schools. He set up his shop around the mid-90's. Then in 2004, my Husband and his partner traveled to Kyrgyzstan to teach the graphics classes - there is no school in Kyrgyzstan that teaches graphics design. So now there are more people in Kyrgyzstan and the surrounding countries who can make an impact for God through printed materials.
It has been such a blessing to be able to look back and see how my husband, his partner, the print shop owner, and the others who work with him, are direct answers to prayer. I think about all the people who prayed this prayer for Bishkek, and I wonder how many of them know that the prayer has been, and continues to be answered in so many different ways, through different people from all over the world. It's just so NEAT!
So if you ever get to the point where you feel your prayers for a foreign country are ineffective, think again, and say another prayer! :-)
If you would like to read my Husband's journal of his trip, go HERE.
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Oct. 15, 2007 - Home-Life
Our family is very low-key. My Husband and I do not sign our kids up for a lot of outside activities because we feel we would be cheating ourselves of some quality family time if we were constantly on-the-go with sports and such. Some friends have expressed the concern that our kids will grow up the be bitter towards us over this issue, but we can only do what we feel God leading us to do with our family, pray about it, and hope for the best.
Something else we do work hard at is making our home a fun place to be for our kids. We make a point of doing things together that are fun and challenging for us all, be it chores (yes, we can have FUN with our kids while doing chores TOGETHER), special projects or fun times together watching movies or going on bike rides. I love the book Home-Making by J.R. Miller. Here's a great excerpt from it on this very issue:
No instruction is needed to teach any intelligent parent how to give to the evenings at home a charm which shall make thier influence all-potent. It is necessary only that parents shall see about doing that which their own hearts tell them so plainly ought to be done. Of course it will take time. Something must be left out of life if this is to be done. But is there anything else in all the round of life's calls, and even its seeming duties, that might not well be left out for the sake of anchoring our children to their homes? Is there anything else that it would be so fatal and terrible to leave out as to leave our children out to perish in the ruin of the streets, while we are at lodges and operas and parties, or even at church meetings?
.............
Human lives will never grow into their best in gloom. Pour sunshine about them in youth; let them be happy; encourage all innocent joy; provide pleasant games for them; ROMP AND PLAY WITH THEM; be a child again among them.
.............
If the home is dull and cheerless it must not be considered an indication of extraordinary depravity that the children and young people seek pleasure elsewhere.
.............
It needs only a heart in full sympathy with youthful feelings, a little skill in arranging and preparing these pleasures, small expense in furnishing the simple games and other requisites, and interest enough in the matter to devote a little time and pains to it. There is no parent of ordinary intelligence who may not make his home-life so bright and sunny that no one will ever care to go outside to seek amusement amid the senseless frivolities or the debasing pleasures that the world offers. Homes that are made thus in all these ways so bright and happy acquire a resistless power over those who live within their doors, which will hold them under its subtle influence wherever they go in all their after years.
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Sep. 17, 2007 - Do You Have Real Fall?
All of our kids were born right here in Texas. In fact, my Husband and I have set a family record, on both sides. All of our kids have been born in the same hospital and have had the same OB deliver them. It's a bizarre record for both our families, who are known for their moving-around ways. But we have stayed put, and even more bizarre to me is the fact that my Husband and I are raising up a bunch of Texans. Yeeesh! I swore when I was in college that I never wanted to live in Texas. I mean, WHY? It's ugly and hot. Man. NEVER say never!
So my children have no experience with a northern fall. I do, and so does my Husband. I grew up in Buffalo, NY, and my Husband spent some time living in NC, IL and KY. What amazes me is that here it is September 17th, and it's 90 degrees outside. Well, at 9:33 p.m. it's 79. ;-) What really amazes me is that my little Texans keep waking up, expecting to be able to wear sweaters and see the leaves on the trees changing colors. First Daughter told me the other day that we need to be on the lookout for changing leaves. I reminded her that it ain't happenin' this early. We didn't need to rake our yard of leaves until late November/December last year, and pretty much every year before that.
What is it that makes them think that when it turns September it's going to be cold outside in Texas? My first thought is that they are suffering from wishful thinking. It's been hot here for months. We are all ready for a break from the heat by this time. And then pretty much every thought after that is that they are suffering from wishful thinking. How could it not be when we look at 90 degrees as the high as a break from the heat?
So while you real-fall people are up there drinking your hot apple cider and dreaming of pumpkin muffins, say a toast for my own poor kids, who have no clue. God bless 'em.
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Jul. 10, 2007 - Oyve
So I'm just going to stop posting here. ;-) Everytime I post on something "meaningful?" it comes right back around to bite me. In my last post, I wrote about how techonolgy is a potential character-killer for our kids, and how we're not watching t.v. for the month of July (big, BIG sacrifice since there's no hockey or football on, but it's a start, eh?) and lo and behold, this weekend, the Verizon dude came to our door for a "service check." No really, I'm sure that Verizon is sincere............and the Dude was really, really very nice.
I usually leave conversations like this up to my husband to conduct, and as he was talking with the Dude, he found out that we could get our t.v. hooked back up to the world of a thousand channels for only 5 bucks more than we have already been paying. We haven't had anything other than our free antenna-inspired t.v. for about four years now, and I've been happy. It's just been harder on the men of the family because they've had to miss an occaisional hockey or football game, so when the Dude let my husband in on the 5 dollar deal, well, you could have heard his "REALLY??????!!!!!!!!!!!!" all through the neighborhood. Next was, "Becca! Come listen to this!"
So we are now scheduled to be hooked up to the juice on July 17th - First Son's birthday. He's thrilled. My husband is thrilled, and Second Son is thrilled. My daughter doesn't seem to care too much, Third Son has no clue, and me......well, all I can say is "Oyve."
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Jun. 30, 2007 - Slower Days
I haven't posted in forever. Well, I tried to on Wednesday or Thursday of this past week. Man, it was a really good post, too, about the ERA and what I found in my Bible. But when I was nearly done writing, I had a brain freeze and lost it. Doh! Maybe one of these days I will feel like trying it again. :-)
Part of the reason I haven't posted in so long is because my husband has been sloooooooowwwwwly recovering from the pneumonia he had at the end of May/beginning of June. When he went to the doctor after a week of non-stop headaches, sleep and coughing, we were not expecting the doctor to tell him he had pneumonia! A really bad strep infection, maybe. But pneumonia???? Isn't that what really old or really young people get in the hospital? LoL We just weren't expecting that diagnosis. So it's been a slow summer for us. We have no garden planted, a tree on the side of the house needs trimming before it breaks through our bathroom window, and the pile that I started of stuff that NEEDS to go up in the attic (for my own anti-clutterer's deep needs) keeps getting bigger. The guy is just TIRED, and I don't blame him. The timing hasn't been the best with me being such a sleepy pregnant gal right now. We both feel as if we're short a shovel or two of fuel. Our kids have given us those "Who ARE you?" looks since we are not our usual slave-driving selves. Little do they realize this will all pass. Bwaaaaaaah-ha-haaaaaaaaaaaa! I keep telling them not to get too comfy with all the slack around here, but I don't think they believe me. ;-)
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Jun. 18, 2007 - So Long, Ol' Friend
Yes, we're saying goodbye to the old Huggies wipes box that has been duct taped to our door for almost a year. You're not the first to wonder at our reasoning at having a box like this taped over our entryway door. Just about everyone who visits, just HAS to ask, and by the time they leave our house, they have ALL become true-blue believers in the Huggies box over the door because they all get to try it out. ;-) We use the Huggies wipes box as a basketball goal.
One evening, on a rare date night, my husband and I were cruising around Target (I know, we are SO romantic) when we came across the old Nerf hoop. We both had one as kids, it was super cheap (I think it was about 3 bucks), so we bought one for our kids. FUN!
It lasted about a week. It was so cheaply made, it didn't stand a chance with our rowdy kids. But we gave it another chance. We bought another one and it died just as quickly. By this time First Son had come to love having something hanging over the door to throw a ball through, but my husband and I refused to put down another 3 bucks towards the Nerf hoop. So one afternoon, in a lull in all the excitement that goes on around here, First Son tried to hang the Huggies box over the doorway, I helped tuck in the flaps and recommended the duct tape, and he took it from there. It has been a permanent fixture ever since. Much beloved. Much used. We all love the Huggies box, man.
But it's dead. Too many slam dunks have worn it out, so when I go shopping this weekend, I will buy some new wipes in a BRAND SPANKING NEW Huggies box and we will get a new basketball goal. We're all giddy with excitement. If you only knew!
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Apr. 26, 2007 - Rangers Game
Monday night was Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Quarter Finals between the Vancouver Canucks and our Dallas Stars. What an agonizing series! My husband was geared up to babysit the t.v. until the game came on to make sure no one messed with his TIVO settings. He wasn't going to miss a minute of this very important hockey game. Hockey is HIS sport.
But the night before the big game, a friend offered free Texas Rangers tickets. The boys heard me mention it to their Dad and they immediately started jumping up and down saying, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" My husband only heard their excitement about live baseball and said it would be great to have the tickets. By the next morning, my husband realized that the baseball game was clashing with his hockey game, so he did what any Dad would do. He asked the boys if they were SURE they wanted to go to the baseball game. God bless him - First Son said he would rather stay home and watch the hockey game, but my husband knew he was saying that just because he knew that was what his Dad wanted. Second Son had no issues - he said he wanted to go to the baseball game.
So my husband gave up Game 7 of the series between the Canucks and the Stars for his boys, and they loaded up and went to watch the Rangers lose to a bad team. ;-) He is such a great guy. I sent the camera with him so they could take pictures so I could always show the boys and remind them about the great Dad they have. They made it home with one picture, and my husband isn't even in it, but I guess even one picture can serve as a good reminder for a wonderful sacrifice that was made for them.
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