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• Monday, March 13, 2006 - SHARE and Tell: March 13th, 2006

So... for those of you who joined in "A Mother's T.R.E.K." in honor of Missey Gray, I'm curious how things went in your home...

To be honest... mine wasn't at all what I planned, but that seemed to be the theme of the day.  I struggled from the moment I went to bed the night before (the house was a mess and I had wanted it to be all clean to start out the week with my "great plans").  The morning digressed from there.

We got up late and had a doctor appointment (which my hubby came to and we got to see the baby!)... but my two little ones are so sick and the day seemed to just drag on!  I had planned on sculpting with the older kids to show them a passion I had when I was in high school, but we didn't have all the right materials and so we couldn't do that either.  The little ones had odd times for naps because they weren't feeling well so that "messed" things up too.

Then the whole plan with my hubby didn't work either... and even though we got to watch the Duggar family on TV, I still really wanted to do S.H.M.I.L.Y. Time #17.  (Our anniversary is this weekend, so maybe it will work out then, if not before. )

I sit here tonight and feel defeated.  I wanted to show my children and husband how much I loved them.  I wanted to be with them and enjoy them... and nothing went as planned... nothing...

But I had a plan... through it all, I was still there... I thought today was supposed to be about ME... You were going to bring glory to Me, remember?  Your plans to get done what you wanted weren't what Mine were and instead of sitting with your sick little ones, you tried to get them to bed to sculpt with the older ones... and you missed that time to cuddle.  Instead of letting your house stay messy for the day, you let it "eat at you" and make you crabby, and you missed moments with the older children while the younger ones slept.  To your credit, you had good intentions, but they weren't MY plans... there was so much about the day you missed...

Ouch! Do you ever feel as if you're trying so hard to do the right thing, and then in the end it turned out being wrong just because you "forgot" the MOST important part?!  I screwed up... even with the best intentions, I still screwed up because I tried doing things MY way instead of the Lord's.  (I went back through my blog and read the devotional for WEEK 11... hmmmmmmm... pretty bad when you slap yourself in the face!

I got so distracted with my plans and what "had" to get done, that I forgot the most important part.  It wasn't what I did with the kids that was going to make the difference... it was what they saw in me while I did it.  I didn't truly enjoy my children... I could have just sat and done that... when was the last time I did that?  A conversation would have been good... Missey's children don't have that opportunity anymore... I'm sure they will cherish the ones they had.  In trying to make the day something "special", I forgot what I would miss the most about my children or husband if something happened to one of them... I would miss just being in their presence... holding them... kissing them... smelling them... and taking every part of their being in.

So, tonight I am going to bed praying for another day with my loved ones... and another chance to seek His face ALL day.  I'm not sure what will happen yet... but I'm going to hold them a little longer and take every part of their life in my mind and hold it close to my heart. (And after what the Lord spoke to my heart tonight... I think I'll try His way first tomorrow!)

SHARE and Tell:
  • How did your "T.R.E.K." go?
In Him,
Amy
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Comments

•Monday, March 13, 2006 - You're Not Alone, I appreciate your honesty!

Posted by EEEEMommy
Amy,
I share your sentiments and my day wasn't glorious either, but I, too, learned from it and was still glad that I participated.
I have two posts on my blog: "A Disappointing Mother's T.R.E.K.: Reflections on Time" and "T.R.E.K. Weekend". The two experiences were almost polar opposites.
I hope you are able to get the right materials together to do some sculpting with your kids, that the little ones feel better soon, and that you have an amazing anniversary with your husband!
I'm praying for you!
In Him,
Angel
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•Monday, March 13, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by JavaMama
Well Amy I was in the same boat as you were today. My two little men were sick and my husband came down with a nasty stomach virus last night so today was not at all what I had expected or planned. I decided in the middle of the day that Thursday i will attempt to do another Mother's Trek day. I thank you for turning my eyes to the Lord through your posts.

Joyfully in Him,
Kelli
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•Monday, March 13, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by chickadee
you know what? i sort of felt that way too. i felt as if things weren't going as i had planned. we did the things the girls wanted to do but i found myself snapping at them a time or two, frustrated with the baby when i was trying to read to the girls and telling them, "just a minute" when i was on the phone or trying to get something done.

as i was thinking about it and wondering why it couldn't all work out i realized that our most special times and days happend without any plans at all. they just happen because of the moment or the situation and those are the best times. i don't want to minimalize planning a great day with your family, but i think we should keep in mind that we make memories every day. we have the advantage of being with our kids each day and building on those days which is where the memories will be.

i posted our day on my blog if you want to read it though.
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•Monday, March 13, 2006 - Our TREK

Posted by
I'm sorry you all didn't get to sculpt and that the Lord had another plan for the TREK day. When things go in an opposite direction that what we started from, we just have to trust that He had a reason.

Our day went pretty well. We did get off to a slow start, but that was my plan. I wanted to make it a bit more relaxed. We left around 11 to do errands and then made it to the painting studio about noon. The children didn't know where we were going, so it was fun to listen to them try to guess. "Does the place start with an N?" The kids had a great time and I splurged and let DD do 2 items. We had a quick lunch and then went to a friends house to spend the rest of the afternoon till dinnertime! Tonight they and DH are housesitting at my mil's while I get the house ready for 2 showings in the a.m. So, I kinda had a good TREK, too...a quiet evening...albeit a bit too quiet!

I knowy you're TREK went a bit differently, but I'm very thankful you made the suggestion to do this....it was a good thing for our family, which we would not have done without YOU. Thank you!

Oh, and I'm cooking up a good SHMILY after today's "field trip"...I'm going to make it something completely unexpected and fun...I may even put in a stop at the driving range...DH has been trying for years to get me to go out and hit golf balls with him....see, how you are touching lives!
Michelle

Edited by eyecorn on Mar. 13, 2006 at 8:59 PM
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•Monday, March 13, 2006 - A Good Day!

Posted by jaminacema
We had a good day which I have posted about over on my blog today. I let my kids plan out what we did. They chose board games, a bike ride, watching VeggieTales and making felt bodies complete with organs. We also talked about salvation and MANY other topics. If you would like to read more and check out our pictures from today come on over to my blog! Here is the link

http://homeschoolblogger.com/jaminacema/99621/
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous
To be totally honest I completely forgot all about it. But my post last night says something about what was on my mind and heart for today. Did I mess up-yes. Did I do something right-yes. I read to my 4yo this morning before breakfast because she has been carrying this pile of books around for 24 hours wanting me to read them to her. So I said yes. We did get a late start on school but everyone finished what they were supposed to do. My oldest gives me the hardest time so I ended up yelling. It is a vicious cycle. When she is difficult I am difficult and visa versa. My 7yo had a birthday party this afternoon. I ran errands with my other two. I came home and fixed dinner and ran off to a moms homeschool meeting where I was encouraged to put on the whole armor of God each day. Then I came home and was able to give one last kiss to 8yo while she was still awake and say I loved her. That was my day.
Susan
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Kristal
Well my day didn't as planned either but, it did go GREAT! I still managed to spend some quality time with our daughter and kiss her lots! She was even real lovey today so it was great! Dh works nights so its kind of hard to do something special for him but I plan on making it another night, when he doesn't have to work.
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - My TREK

Posted by BlessedbyGrace
Amy,
I am so sorry things didn't go as you had hoped and planned, but you're going to try again and you are letting the Lord lead you and that is what is important.
We spent a little time talking about what today was and why. Ds immediately knew what he wanted to do and asked if we could watch his new movie. He had been waiting patiently for this. We jumped in my bed, fluffed all the pillows and watched Benji Unleashed.
We then prepared sandwiches, grabbed some fruit and met dh for a surprise lunch. We had a picnic at a park that we went to when the children were little. We enjoyed the picnic and the walk down memory lane, but we did have to eat inside the truck because they had removed the picnic tables sometime in the last seven years and the wind was blowing fiercely. The lunch was enjoyable. We dropped dh off at work and then enjoyed our favorite shaved ice snow cones. They appeciated this special treat. We went to a used book store and looked for a book ds is wanting, Hank the Cowdog #10. They didn't have it, but we enjoyed finding half a dozen other books. We then went to the bookstore to get the Hank book. I also found a book for dh and I, Lists to Live By for Every Married Couple. I will share this book with him this weekend. We went to a pet store to look for Leopard tadpoles for dd's Planet Frog habitat. The pet store was closed. She has been so patient in her waiting but we will have to try again another day.
There were other things I wanted us to do today but when we returned home I wasn't feeling well. Tomorrow we will continue the TREK and hopefully get to plant flowers, create pictures with pastels, play a board game and buy a tadpole or two, but most of all take time to truly enjoy my precious children that the Lord has blessed me with.
Thank you for this wonderful way of rememberance and reminder to appreciate those that are dearest to us.

Blessings,
BlessedbyGrace
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Our day

Posted by danib
I don't quite know how to respond to the question. Our lives around here tend to happen very spur of the moment anyway, so not a real change in that sense. And I didn't really have a plan, other than to talk to her with Daddy, and spend lots of time together on our big shopping trip in Wenatchee (an hour away).

We talked in the car about Missey, and what her kids were facing. We talked about my dd's dream of our funeral, which was prompted by my grandmother's funeral a year ago. We talked about godparents, mourning but being happy to see them in heaven, and why we homeschool her (as well as other topics related to that -- Sunday School, church environment, why God expects us to discipline her, etc.).

Overall, I was impressed with her level of maturity on the topic. I had considered not taking her to the funeral last year, but remembered how I wish I had been able to attend my grandfathers' funerals when I was young. Now I see that God had directed my decision there too; she understood the idea of death and eternity. I had asked her, "Do you know what the happy part of Grandma dying was?" intending to tell her that Grandma now had a healthy body, but she told me the best happy part was that we'd see her again. Hallelujah! Something's getting through.

We had pizza and visited the model train store, shopped at Costco (she got to try all the samples, so she was happy with that), and she now has a cool book on human anatomy (different body systems modeled on each page, which combine to form a "see-through" model of the body!). We giggled and cuddled a lot, despite some of the earlier stresses of the day. It was all worth it.

Thanks again for the idea. I'll have to read up on the TREK and SHMILEY ideas a bit more so I better understand them. Hope to join you again in the future.
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Me too

Posted by writmm
I enjoyed reading about others' days and found in interesting how many of us didn't have the 'perfect' day we planned for. Missey was probably looking down from Heaven and alternately laughing and shaking her head at us:)

Amy, thanks for your inspirational post. Your honesty is meaningful and your ability to hear God (even if later than you would have liked) is inspiring to us all. If you want to read about my family's day, I have posted on my blog. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/writmm/99501/
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - New Every Morning

Posted by DreweLlyn
"Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:21-23
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - I didn't do my T.R.E.K. yesterday...

Posted by cudltot
We have been battling the stomach bug all weekend. I am planning on doing it tomorrow. It is a day off for dh and we will be together as a family :) Thanks for the wonderful inspiration that you give everyday.

Chrissy
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by blessedmom3
Our day didn't go as I hoped either. We began the day well enough. We read from the Bible ( we used The Message today) for almost an hour and the kids seemed to enjoy that extra cuddle time. After that the day seemed chaotic.
I did go to my prayer group at night, and believe me I so needed that.
I'll post more about our day on my blog.
Blessings, Cheryl
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - It was a Monday

Posted by homeskoolmom
Things at our house didn't go as planned either. We actually had the worst day we've had in quite a long time. We were all grumpy from being up late Sunday night as the storms rolled through. We tried to not be, but it just didn't work. We did finish the movie we had been watching-- and started the "Learning Character through Literature" cir. by BF. But that was the highlight of the day. I must add that it was mainly the Momma that was out of sorts, some school issues with one and eating issues with another. The children got along well with each other--if I could have held myself together it would have been a good day. Thankful that His mercies are new every morning. The birds are chirpping and the sun is out. It is a new day!
Have a blessed day,
Christine
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Mine is not good either!

Posted by PinayMom
Hi Amy -

Thank you for writing such very inspiring posts. Yesterday was a bad day for me either. My youngest boy is teething and he is being irritable all day. My beloved husband is not feeling very well either, he had walking pneumonia. My eldest boy had to catch up a LOT of schoolworks. The house is a total mess and I have been down for the past few days. Last night I went to bed so late as usual and very very tired. This morning when I wake up, I thank God for giving me another day, another chance with my family. Thank you for the reminder of what it ought to be.

Will keep you posted.
Blessings & Love,
Melanie
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by mom2tk
I am sorry to read things did not go so well for you & yours. I did enjoy reading about everyone's day. Though some may not felt it went "so & so", "not what I had in mind", etc .. etc .. I still bet it was a good day for all your children .. because they had you .. in any form of the way .. they had you. *smile*

I posted about our day on my blog if you wish to take a peek.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mom2tk/99765/
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by sherrydhoneycutt
"I wanted to show my husband and children how much I love them."

Hon, you do that EVERY SINGLE DAY!

I'm sure this has already been said a dozen times in your comments, but quit beating yourself up. I think we all had high expectations and built ourselves up about the TREK and lost sight of how happy it makes the kids when we forego plans and have a more casual time.

My TREK is today. I am letting Emme sleep in to begin with. I got up early and spent time reading His Word, listening to worship music and just thinking about how wonderful my children are.

I'll update tonight or tomorrow on how my TREK goes.

And Amy -- you are such an inspiration to so, so many of us on here! You are an awesome wife, mother, AND friend! Your family knows how much you love them each and every day. So please don't feel defeated!

Sherry
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Same kind of thing

Posted by Pattycake
First, thank you for connecting people with Tom's latest message. It blessed me so much, I wanted others to be blessed as well. I am so glad you linked it.

I had come up with a new schedule I was anxious to try. I should have waited. We never even did the TREK at all. : (

I need to do 2 TREKS, one with my teens and one with the 7 and 8 year olds. I am going to figure out 2 separate days to do this, and I will let you know what we do and how it goes. It's a tough time -- trying to wrap a year up and get ready for a graduation soon.
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by ChathamMommy
My whole WEEK is going like your day, Amy.

We had a direct hit tornado here on Sunday night. Although we were in a very lightly affected area, we still had the kids in the basement all night, Mommy trying to eventually sleep on the hard basement floor on a sleeping bag, and Daddy working through the night to get State computers back up. No power, either, so nothing got done.

When Daddy got home at 8 a.m., we wanted to let him sleep, so rather than hanging around the house with three rambunctious boys, after we cleaned up the yard a bit, we jumped in the car and drove around to check out the damage. Some was pretty bad. Some places looked about like normal. We came home at lunchtime to see Daddy heading back to work, ate lunch, and it was naptime. Exhausted Mommy fell asleep on the couch for an hour. Finally, we did get together for some face painting, dinner, and baths, but it just was not the day for a lot of activities.

You know what, though? The very fact that it was my intention to do it kept my children high on my priority list all day and I was determined to do at least one fun thing with them. And I did. So it worked-- even if it wasn't how I planned. :)

I might post more details on my blog. Thank you for sharing and devising this idea, however it ended up working out! :)

Chelo
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - My TREK Day

Posted by joyousheart
I'm right there with you....I thought we'd have this great "together" day but ds wanted to go fishing with a buddy, dd had a friend over and the little ones just wanted to run around the yard. DH had to work and then came home and worked on his thesis. Soooooooo, I didn't complain. I just told them I was so pleased they were enjoying their time and accomplishing what they wanted. It was a lovely spring day so I open all the windows and aired out the house and my tension with some very loud praise music (Stephen Curtis Chapman and then some reggae stuff...no one was in the house who cared so it was mommy's choice). That night I gathered just the boys and we listened to the spring peepers for the first time this year. DD friend thinks I am the coolest mom. So I guess the day wasn't a complete wash...I decided I will just keep on TREKKING....

Joyfully,
Barb
who also has the Pennsylvania blog
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - it was the HEART changes that were different....

Posted by
Did we do anything out of the ordinary? Not really. Monday is always "family day" since dh takes it off (he pastors a church). So, the "things" we did yesterday were to continue our search for a new home (something the kids LOVE to do, seriously!), went out for lunch, daddy and 1g8 had eye exams while I and 2,3g 31/2 went grocery shopping. Wasn't so much the things that changed - it was a rainy dreary day - but the heart attitude changed. My girls have been going through this period where they're either loving on each other or really fighting with each other. I tried to change my reactions to it and see from their perspective what was really going on. And just doing this brought about a difference.

Missy's story has done more than to change just a day for me. I have been continually reminded of just how blessed I am and how quickly that can change and it has translated into a change in MY attitude. If you were to read yesterday blog entry of mine, you'd see that it's even changed my attitute towards choosing HS curriculum and seeing what is best for MY children vs what the "Jones'" are doing.

I think we need a monthly reminder to set aside a TREK day - just to keep focused. Maybe it's something you could continue to do on your blog :)

ETA: We're taking the rest of the week off "school" for the kids to just enjoy life and to help mom declutter this house of all the non-essentials so that we can live more peacefully! lol When the house is cluttered, so is my head :)

Edited by IFBPreachersWife on Mar. 14, 2006 at 8:04 AM
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by KayinMaine
I'm sorry your day didn't go as you had hoped. Thank you for your honesty in sharing about it with us.

I tried to keep things fairly low key at our house. We all had dentist appointments in the morning, then I took the kids to sign them up for swimming lessons. When we got home, we spent some time painting (the kids choice) and I read to them for quite a while. The main thing I was trying to do was really be present with them and enjoy their company. When we tucked them in last night, my husband and I spent a few extra minutes with each of them.

I wanted to take this time to enjoy and appreciate my family. The biggest thing I have learned from Missey's passing is that life is too precious to waste on things that don't really matter. Relationships--the people in our lives--are what are really important.
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Mine did not go as planned either ~ but that was ok

Posted by
We had storm watches and warnings throughout the day, and I had planned to take the girls to Panera, their favorite restaurant. But I did not want to drive in all that. I have been in a tornado before, so I know what that is like. We did not have any tornados, just storms, but it was enough to keep us at home. We did not get to make suncatchers as planned because the time just got away from us. We have been having good prayer times, Bible readings and discussions in the mornings, and that makes up for all of this for us. We have been learning a lot of important issues of the heart this week, as we work through these things each day. Some of the lesson have been hard, as the kids have been a bit scrappy this week already, and working through the fighting is not an easy task. I do thank you for suggesting this trek, Amy.

Edited by stmichael94 on Mar. 14, 2006 at 9:07 AM
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - It's a beginning

Posted by schooldad
I'm sorry that your day didn't go off as planned. However, I am convinced that the Lord had another plan for you....

Our day, I hope, was just a beginning of things to come. Your posting about the value/reason for this event is exactly what's been laying on my heart for the last few months. I thank God for your T.R.E.K. idea everyday because it finally gave me the push I needed to begin, not just making plans and following through, but letting my family know the "why" of it.

It's something we have never done before. I blogged about our day this morning at my blog so I won't write it all again here, but I do want to share one thing. My family has made a commitment to each other in a much greater way than ever before. Simply because we took some time to connect, talk, and be a family. We sat down for an hour going over why we homeschool, why we are committed to Christ, the direction that God is leading our family, and some of the goals and plans we'd like to achieve.

Amy, I believe that your day went exactly as the Lord had planned. You gave the rest of us an opportunity to re-evaluate what we're doing and begin a lifelong adventure of growth and health. For that your day was a success. I'm sorry your sculpting didn't work out as planned, but I think, with the Lord's help, you sculpted a pretty awesome day for my family.

Thank you!
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Can I relate to you :)

Posted by Suzie
I wanted to get up and make strawberry whipped cream and waffes (which I only make for a special ocasion) however, I woke up with head ache and stomach up set. Then I thought we could go for a walk and talk all 3 of us.. That did not work out I had to get some of my medication I was out...Well we did however, talked about Missy's family at dinner time and what my goals and desires are for them and how much they mean to me...And how I want my legacy to be if God takes me before I get old is that my children, loved, adored, worshipped God, but also used the brains that God gave them to get an education and to show the world being a Christian is not about being relious, but by living a life devoted to God and using your gifts to lead others to God... Though nothing turned out the way I planned it I know its okay because we talked about it and maybe that is all I was suppose to do :)
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - My day & entry

Posted by Momof5littlewomen
I am sorry your day did not go as intended but we know God knows best. I am reminding myself of that as I am dealing with a fussy sick baby who won't let me put her down instead of getting the yard work done as needed before the weekend birthday party.

My day had a few glitches but overall it was memorable. Here is my entry http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Momof5littlewomen/99594/ complete with some pictures that I took to document it in my scrapbook.

June
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - My T.R.E.K

Posted by Aligirl
It didn't go like I hoped it would, but I did talk to my kids a bit about me( little things that they didn't ever consider like my favorite color), and why I homeschool them, about how much I desire for them to learn about God, all while cooking up a couple of big batches of green playdough (cause green is my favortie color!). It was a beautiful day outside, so I let them play out there for most of the morning. Then they played with play dough! My kids are still so very young, that it is hard to explain everything to them that I want them to know. As they grow they will learn more and more I suppose. I pray that the desires in my heart for my children will be instilled in their hearts over the years to come!

Ali
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - My TREK

Posted by maggieraye
Amy asked me to stop by and share about our TREK. I actually hadn't planned on participating. I often throw aside school to do whatever happens to present itself. This can be a curse as much as a blessing, when you can't kick your way through the house due to dirty laundry, toys and etc...

The Lord had other plans yesterday. I have a friend from college who comes to town 2-3 times a year. While here, she and her husband set aside a time to come and spend playing games with my children. Well, this past weekend was their weekend here and the official TREK also happened to be the day that they planned to stop and visit with us before returning to their home out of state.

Our day was spent table gaming. We were introduced to a new game called Settlers -- great for studying economics, critical thinking, planning and one could probably even tie in a little history if so desiring. It was great fun and the kids have requested that they bring it with them the next time they visit -- move over Blues Clues and Monopoly -- here comes Settlers.

Today we were back to routine - laundry is being done, slowly but surely. The dirty pile on the floor is now a clean pile on the couch. Lessons have been nearly completed. Project Fair projects have been given attention, normall chores are in the doing...

I didn't know Missey, but I've been so blessed by the things I've read. I'm encouraged to see how much of a positive impact one life can have on so many. It's a reminder that our life may touch many more than we know or realize.

A big thank you and a (((HUG))) to DandelionSeeds for her declaration of the Mother's TREK and an extra (((HUG))) of encouragement for having had a day that didn't go quite the way you'd hoped or planned.
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by AiBoon

Our TREK

March 13 did not go according to plan. Tim and I had a lunch appointment with an old school friend of mine, so that was good. After that, I planned a play time session for him with 5 of his friends in the void deck (the open space below our apartment block). We had some finger foods and the 4 mums including me chit chatted while the children played. I managed to recruit my neighbour (15) to help me out with the kids. I think they had a good time running around but it didn't really go according to plan. I had wanted to ask them to do a card collage for Tom and family but that was not done.

Upon reflection, I realised that I had not committed it to the Lord fully, so I decided to pray and try again the next day. Yesterday, March 14 went well. I woke up with a great idea which God popped into my head the previous night and started cutting pictures of some insects for Tim and one set for the Gray children. You see, the idea was to write a story. My little fellow loves it when I make up stories and type them out for him. When Tim woke up, we started writing the story and had great fun doing it. It's entitled the Land of Half. It's too long to post it here so I sent a copy to you by email. He even helped to spot spelling errors - great little editor!
Then we had his favourite lunch in the coffee shop nearby. Read a book of his choice to him and read the story we wrote twice. He drew some illustrations for me. We decided to complete the book with all the cut-out pictures on another day. When it is done, I will send a copy to Tom and his family.

Tim played by himself for a while and in the evening I brought him to a friend's place where he had a good time. Dinner was not good at all because I had no time to cook. Then we bought some lime juice and he was happy to help me prepare lime and fruit juice popsicles for the next day. All in all, I was thankful to God that He gave us a very good day, that I was able to be sweet-natured, what a change from the constant nagging. So He showed me that it can be done if I consciously determine to keep a check on my tongue.

As for my older boy (18), I did not tell him about TREK, but coincidentally, my dh brought him out for a big buffet lunch and they had a sumptuous feast.

I learned the importance of seeking the Lord first in anything that I wanted to do. I also learned that it was possible for me to control my tongue with the help of God. I enjoyed my little one's company and we had a beautiful day. Oh yes, at tea-time, we said a little prayer for Tom and his family.

Thank you Amy for making this possible. God bless you.

Ai Boon
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Prncsstefy
I'm sorry to hear that your day didn't go as planned.

Ours did, sort of. We had once incident where I didn't handle her behavior as I should have and we both lost it a bit. But I wasn't surprised and I wasn't expecting any miraculous changes for that day.

But we recovered and had a nice time.
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - a day later, but it was nice

Posted by ClagettsFLStyle
We took our day today, Tuesday the 14th. One of the many blessings of living in FL is if your DH is a fan of Disney (which mine is) you can go to Disney World when ever you like - or if your schedule allows.
I didn't tell my daughters of eve that we were taking the day off until last night. I had originally planned to wait till today - but I couldn't hold it. We took off late this morning ( to avoid traffic) and went to Epcot first. I didn't know that 1/2 of FL was off for Spring Break - and most of them were at Disney. We spent a little bit of time at Epcot then rode over to the Magic Kingdom. Still crowded but we just took the time to meander through the stores and people watch.
We had a nice day, I was a little bummed that it was as crowded as it was, but all in all it was nice. God blessed us with a beautiful day.
I had shared before with my girls why we were taking the day off. Just a time to have 'girl time' and to remember Missey, and that we need to take days like this every once in awhile and just have fun, love on each other, and remember why we do what we do.
Thanks again for the idea.
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•Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - Our TREK

Posted by Louscrew
Our weather was unusually warm, so we hit the fields and woods around our home. We loaded the stroller and headed into the wind (literally!). We were so excited with the finds....salamander trails, a millipede, markings of deer on the trees, and a freshly emerged yellow skipper who's wings were still wet (our "prize"). We returned home wind blown and refreshed, then headed out for hamburgers and hotdogs with dad. What a day...thanks for letting me share!

Lisa-Lou
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•Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - My TREK

Posted by sherrydhoneycutt
Things went really well -- here's the link to my post about the day:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sherrydhoneycutt/100011/
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•Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 2 days late

Posted by Amber
Sorry you had such a bad day. Hope the little ones feel better.

God Bless,
Amber
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•Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Molly from ChoosingHome
Your post really goes along with what Lydia just wrote about Process over Product. I've been thinking about that post a lot...just mulling it and mulling it...and I'm thinking that the Holy Spirit may have touched on the area that most messes me up in my mothering... Because I am so like what you just typed--I have these plans, but when things aren't perfect, then it ruins everything...and why is that? Because I am putting product (my plans, the end goal) over process (the relating, the little things, the moment by moment choosing to love, etc).

Here's the post:
http://www.choosinghome.com/blog/?p=157
I'm still processing it (no pun intended---lol).

Thanks for sharing so honestly and candidly. You are a sweetheart. :)
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•Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - Our day didn't go as I'd hoped, either

Posted by WendyFL
After the big weekend we had (going to campmeeting on Saturday, and the Civil War reenactment on Sunday), my body was so sore, and the sun burn didn't help much either!

So, we mainly lounged around, watching programs on TV--PBS Kids and the Science channel. The boys played with their Legos. Steven was a bit fussy, I think because he was so tired out, and his face was a bit sunburned.

We had hot dogs for supper, though!:-)

Wendy
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•Monday, March 20, 2006 - Our T.R.E.K.

Posted by
You can read about our TREK here: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/EvlHmSchlMom/

Edited by EvlHmSchlMom on Mar. 20, 2006 at 7:47 AM
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I'M "JUST" A MOM...
and a woman seeking the Lord's Will (daily), a wife (striving to keep the romance alive), a "Smamma" (Step- mother) of one and a homeschooling mom of seven (I was never going to have children), who starts every day over (after messing SOME thing up the day before), knowing God's grace is overflowing (just like my laundry), and so thankful He's blessed me more than I'll ever deserve.

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