Well as you can read from the previous thread we've been a little busy.  Between taking care of and raising 2 Littles, taking care of me who's growing a new life in me, taking care of our house and working in the ministries God has called us too takes a bit of time!  So I haven't been blogging or reading blogs to much in the past few months.  I really hope to be able to get back to it as I miss it.  But first things first and that's family!

The Littles are doing well.  Both just had a check up about a wk ago.  Little Monkey's surgery back in October really did him well.  He doesn't get to many runny noses, coughing is gone, no ear infections or throat infections and no more snoring sinse his adenoids were removed!  Praise the Lord!!!  Princess JoJo is doing well too, but the Dr, well the Dr is another story all in it's self so for times sake...., thinks she needs to be seen by a Physical Therapist because she is not pulling up or walking and she's 11mns old.  Personally I find nothing wrong with this and between her Daddy and I she had to get one of our genes for walking.  He didn't walk til 16mns.  She doesn't crawl either, which I never did, but she finds her way around to get into plenty of stuff!  She's on God's time and He will have her walking when He is ready for it!  So we have a PT evaluation on her 1yr birthday.  So we will see what they think.  When talking to them on the phone they didn't seem to have a problem with her age and not pulling up and/or walking.  So all this really stims from one persons perspective on things!

Our Marine is doing fine, he is in the process of making a reenlistment package.  So we are awaiting those details.  Praise the Lord it's for staying here for another 4yrs and for him to go back to DI school!

We are getting ready to finish our K3 work and move on to some K4 but mostly K5 work.  But that's another post too!  So it's a busy time of year!

God Bless everyone!

There is a new interstate overpass and exit near our home. We pass by it frequently, but have only used it once. This frustrates my six-year-old daughter significantly. 

"Mommy, let's take the new bridge!" Julia exclaims. I explain each time why driving over that new patch of roadway is not necessary, but with no success. She is disappointed every time. 

The last time we passed it, she asked a different question, "Mommy, why don't you like the new bridge?" 

"I don't dislike it, Julia. In fact, I wonder why you like it so much," I replied. 

"Because it feels safe, Mommy," she said quickly. "It's new and wide and clean. There are no holes and it's prettier than our old roads." 

Her all-girl response made me smile at her in the rearview mirror. I could not disagree with that, but a lesson was afoot for both of us. 

"It doesn’t take us anywhere we need to be today," I said. "When we’re trying to get somewhere, we don't take a road just because it's new and wide and clean. We take the roads that help us get where we're going, even if they are old, narrow and dirty. Otherwise, we'd just be driving around and never getting anywhere." 

My reply satisfied Julia, but convicted me. 

As a mom, I sometimes feel as if I'm randomly taking exits and on-ramps in my mothering journey. I'm always trying new things, but am I really getting anywhere? In fact, do I even know where I want to go? 

It's time to stop evaluating the road I'm on by its condition, start figuring out where it is I need to be and if the road I'm on can get me there.

Dear God, direct my child to seek good, knowing that you will be with her wherever she goes. Amos 5:14

"Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live:

and so the LORD, the God of hosts,

shall be with you, as ye have spoken."

Amos 5:14

MOPS INTERNATIONAL

Tired PeopleBy Elisa Morgan, Publisher, FullFill Magazine

People in church are tired. Not just the professional pastor/leader people. Today the regular folks are tired too. The ones who work in children’s ministry and youth work, the ones who wash the communion cups and direct the parking. 

And yet these days, foreign missions – the short term trip type – is enjoying a GIANT insurgence of interest from regular folks. Somehow it seems more energizing and “value-adding” to fly to Africa to help HIV orphans than to show up week after week to do the everyday ordinary business of church. 

Perhaps we people, both professional and regular, will experience restored passion when we re-examine our offering in the body of Christ. How can we reframe our perspective so we understand the kingdom significance of even the most ordinary aspects of ministry? 

Cars need to be directed so that hungry people can find hope. Children need to be held so that their parents can be encouraged. HIV needs to be addressed so that our planet continues. Africa needs water wells. It all matters.

Here are some questions to consider: What can we stop doing so that we can do what must be done? And how can we have a fresh perspective on the everyday actions of ministry?

In Mid January we had our second trip to the Dentist for Little Monkey.  His first was in July of 2007.  He doesn't mind it at all.  He just lays back, puts the headphones on and watches cartoons.  What a life!  =)

Here is awaiting the Hygenist and Doctor to clean and look at his teeth, while watching cartoons.

The Hygenist cleans his teeth.  Another sucess, perfect teeth!  Well maybe too perfect, might have to get teeth pulled and braces on once his permant teeth start coming in?!

MOPS on the MOVE for March

We visited a Local Retirement Home with MOPS in March.  The kids had fun decorating and eating cookies and making Easter cards with and for the residents.

Here is Princess JoJo with one of the residents working on an Easter Card.  They all adored her and she was really nice and let them pass her around and love on her!

Here's Little Monkey making an Easter Card.  Nice shot right.  He was too busy for the camera!  I don't know if you can see the word HAPPY written on his card, but he sounded out and spelled out HAPPY all by himself!  I was so excited and proud! =)

AWANAs Grand Prix

Little Monkey got his first chance at making his first Grand Prix car for the AWANAs race at our church.  His Pap helped him design, cut, sand, primer, paint and put together his car this year.  His first of many!

Here's Little Monkey learning how to primer his car with Pap.

As you can see that didn't last long, oh the attention span of an almost 4y/o!  hahaha

A trip to Andy's

While in FL working on the race car we got to spend sometime with the rest of our family.  Here is Princess JoJo with her Great Auntie, my Beloved's Aunt.  Princess JoJo is enjoying her first ice cream cone!

Don't think it's hard to tell that it was good.  Yes she did almost finish it all.  She got about 3/4 of it down and then Little Monkey finished the rest and the cone, but as you can see below he also had his own ice cream, which Princess JoJo gladly traded him for her cone! =)

THE RACE

Little Monkey before the race.

The Line Up.  His is the BRIGHT yellow one!  It came in second in both heats with the other 5 cars, but didn't place over all for Cubbies.  Maybe next year.  Either way he was happy to be there and to watch!

Well that's mostly what we have been doing this year.  Dr's appts, MOPS, visiting family, AWANAs and church, and our everyday living with God at home with our "school work".

This was sent to me in an email today.  It will really make you think and look at yourself.

Author UNKNOWN

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in
Chicago.  They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of
time for Friday night's dinner.  In their rush, with tickets and briefcases,
one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display
of apples.  Apples flew everywhere.  Without stopping or looking back, they
all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE!!!  He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his
feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple
stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them
to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his
taking a later flight.  Then he returned to the terminal where the apples
were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16-year-old girl was totally blind!  She was softly crying, tears
running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly
groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one
stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them
back on the table and helped organize her display.  As he did this, he
noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set
aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl,
'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did.  Are you okay?' She nodded
through her tears.. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly'

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out
to him, 'Mister....' He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes.

She continued, 'Are you Jesus?'

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered.  Then slowly he made his way to
catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his
soul: 'Are you Jesus?'  Do people mistake you for Jesus?  That's our destiny, is it not?  To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His
love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.  Knowing
Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church.  It's
actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a
fall.  He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill
called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

"But be ye doers of the word,

and not hearers only,

deceiving your own selves." 

James 1:22

Oh wow, it's been 2 weeks since I have posted.  I didn't realize I had been THAT busy, but I have.  The weeks are just flying by, which is a good thing when your beloved is away!  Of course that means that the time I have to prepare for him being home is also flying by so it's a bittersweet thing! =)

So much has been happening!  We've decorated  the house for Christmas, has Christmas events to attend, been fellowshiping with other friends and families, having family in our home, spending time in Our Lord's house and so much more. 

Since last Wednesday afternoon I have been 1 child short.  The weekend of the 9th was when Little Monkey sang in church with the rest of the children from the church.  It was a "Celebration for our King"  that all the children put on.  There were SO many of them, it was cute!  =)  That weekend my MIL, sister and niece came to see him sing.  For my MIL it was a short trip just to see Little Monkey sing, but for my sister and niece they made a time of fellowship out of it staying til Wednesday afternoon.  Since it's a 4 hour drive to her house we decided just to go ahead a send Little Monkey down to her house since he was to be going this week anyway so they could go down to our parents house for the Annual Christmas Cookie Baking Day.  It's been nice to have a little break and to spend some one-on-one time with Princess JoJo.  She doesn't get that much even though I try.  It's also been nice to do some deep cleaning and get some sewing done while she is napping.  Little Monkey will be meeting up with us in N GA for Christmas, Christmas Eve day.  Our Marine will be getting off for almost 2 weeks of leave come this weekend, so we are really excited since it's been almost 3 months since seeing him!

The other day as I was driving I heard one of the radio speakers say something of this nature.  "At Christmas time a mom does not do the seasons tasks in lue of her other duties but in addition to them."  This is so true!  But I hope no matter what that I and every other mother are remembering to teach our children the REAL meaning of this season and that's to Celebrate our King and His sacrifice for US!

"For unto you is born this day

in the city of David a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord. " Luke 2:11

We had an awesome day in Our Lord's House yesterday.  Our pastor is away doing a revival in NC and one of our Elders stepped in and preached for him.  This man is a well known man in our community and he did something that I have never known a pastor to do.  He preached on Patriotism and how we as Christians need to stand up for God in our Country.  He said so many GREAT things that I pray, Lord Willing, I will share at another time this week.  But this one thing really STUCK!

"Seperation of Church and State", to keep the church out of the affairs of the state, is found no where in the Constitution our ForeFathers made.  Instead you will find that they wanted the opposite, in fact no Man could serve in Congress who was NOT a Prodestant Faithfollowing Believer.  What our ForeFather's wanted was the Serperation of keeping the State out of the Church and to make sure the State was being run by the "Church" (the church being the body of Chirst's believers).

Last evening was AWANAs.  Little Monkey started late and is catching up on his verses.  We had been working on the first 2 of his book plus the one for the week.  He said all 3 for the teacher and earned his "Jumper Badge" for his vest.  We have another 3 to learn for this coming week too.  He is doing so well and he really does know them and he is really learning their meanings too!  I am a "floater" for AWANAs.  I go where ever I am needed.  Mostly that has been with the 4y/o Cubbies, but last night I was needed in the 2y/o Puggles room.  This is the first year of having the Puggles and it is so great.  They have their own Bible Lesson and song time and story time and they get Learning Cards to take home and have their parents keep on with what they've learned.  It was so fun, it's been awhile since I have worked with that age!

Today we had a bit of an Unschooling day.  I was asked last week to be part of the MOPS Steering Team and to lead a Discussion Group.  I had been praying God's lead for a place to serve Him more and this was His answer.  So today I had my first Steering Team meeting in order to get ready for our MOPS meeting next Tuesday and for our MOPPETS (our childrens ministry for MOPS) Christmas Party.  It as such a blessing to be with Christian Military Moms.  Though we don't all share the same views on what we think is Biblical for women we all do share the same goals, to train our children's hearts for our Lord!

The rest of the day we rested, did some unschooling (Little Monkey did some what is this animals puzzles and was spelling 3 letter words in his word-whammer on the fridge), and did some cleaning.  We are having company this weekend and my Beloved might even be home for the weekend.  Little Monkey is singing in "A Birthday Celebration for Our Lord" on this Sunday and some family is coming to see him, as this is his 1st performance, and they will be staying with us.  So I am really kicking it into high gear with decorating and cleaning!

I hope everyone is having a blessed week!

"And when they had seen it,

 they made known abroad the saying

 which was told them concerning this child."

Luke 2:17

I'm so sorry that I have not been on this week.  It has been a very busy week and the Littles have both been sick.  On Wednesday I finally had to take both of them to the Dr.  We didn't see their regular pedi, but one of the partners.  She was just as nice and sweet and even let me be more hands on.  Letting me see their Ears, Nose and Throats.  Little Monkey ended up having a Sinus Infection which stemmed from a cold that just didn't go away, he also had a throat infection and swollen tonsuls (this was a first for that), he also has a double ear infection.  I'm having to deal with some issues of resentment for the ENT not putting tubes in his ears when he had his adnenoids removed.  This is his 3 set of double ear infections in the past 6mns!  Princess JoJo wasn't really sick, she was due for her check up and had an appt for Friday, but on Monday evening her left ear was snotty looking.  Tuesday morning it was the same so I called and moved her appt.  She ended up having a perferation in her left ear that was leaking puss, which was ok that it perferated b/c that let the pressure out and didn't cause a rupture!  So her left ear was infected and so was her right.  This makes double ear infection 2 in 4 months for her, so the Dr said she may be looking at tubes if they don't stop! =(  She was starting to get a little snotty herself, but wasn't much at the time.  So she had to get special ear drops to help the ***** ear, which Praise the Lord it is cleared up!  Both of them have been feeling better the past 2 days, Praise the Lord!  Princess JoJo has been getting a little cough, but I'm watching in because last time it started with a running nose and ended with brocciolitus (sp?).

I haven't really got much done this week.  Mostly cuddleing, which is VERY important, and a little bit of napping when the Littles napped, which they did A LOT!

Tuesday was Field Trip # 3 with MOM, MOPS On the Move.  We went to a local, big chain in the Southren Region, grocery and had a tour.  It was fun, we watched the cake makers decorate cakes, watched the bakers make bread and even got to hold so pizza dough and squish it around, we saw and talked about all the different meats, fruits, veggies and dairy products, and found out how the check out line works!  By the way I think we are going to start buying 1 new fruit every time we go shopping and learning about them and seeing if we like them, there were so many and it was fun finding out about them!

Wednesday after the Drs we spent the evening in our Father's House.  It was such a blessing!  A lot of it meant so much to me, but there was one line the our pastor said that I really needed to hear and had been praying hard about all day and just asking God to give me His answer in a VERY clear manner, and he did!  Praise God!  Princess JoJo always goes to the service with me, but this time Little Monkey did as well since he was sick and I didn't want him infecting the whole preschool!  He did so well in church, then Princess JoJo go very upset and we end up having to move to the close cirrcut TV room to finish the sermon.

Yesterday was shopping day and we did very well, on both time and money.  Today was Moms Day Out with MOPS.  It was a shopping day.  Our MOPPETS workers watched our children so we could do Christmas Shopping.  Little Monkey went, but Princess JoJo stayed with me.  It was a blessing because without my Beloved here I wasn't sure how I was going to shop for Little Monkey?  He's not naive anymore and won't not know that the something is for him.  During this time I also bought our Christmas Tree.  This year we are having an artifical tree.  Usually we have real trees, my beloved loves them I really don't mind one way or the other.  I saw this tree, 6.5' tall with lights for $30 and asked my Beloved if I could get this tree.  I got the green light, since he won't really be here (we're going to GA for Christmas Lord Willing!) for the next 2 Christmases (probably won't be back til Jan 09 from his det).  So it was a blessing to me to be able to get this tree.  I had origianally thought about not doing Christmas decorations, but thought that wouldn't be fair to Little Monkey, so we started decorating.  We wrapped our "candy lights" as we call them around the porch railing and banaster as well as around the front door.  Then we hung our star of Bethlahem and Angel in the windows.  I have some candles to go in the windows too and we started decorating the tree tonight as well.  We will probably not finish til Monday since tomorrow is the Lord's Day!

I also finished my skirt, just finished a little while ago after the Littles went to bed.  I took a picture, but I have no way to get it on here right now, so I'm hoping to get to the store soon and get them on CD so I can start posting so pictures and so I can start filing them too!

I hope everyone has a Blessed Lord's Day tomorrow!

"Blessed are they that dwell in thy house:

they will be still praising thee.

Selah."

Psalm 84:4

  It's been a fun filled week while YaYa was here.  From going to the dump to going to the zoo, reading inside and playing out, and so much more!  Sadly she had to leave this morning.

We were not able to see Our Marine this weekend as the funeral for his Marine was changed to tomorrow instead of today so they won't be getting back in time for us to see him before he goes into the field for the week.  We are just praying God's hand in our plans to see him next!

So far my Beloved has said that everything has been going well and the family is taking everything very well.  We still pray for them in their time of grief.

I wanted to share a few things that Little Monkey has said over the past few days since all of this has happened.  I was trying to explain to him why Daddy couldn't be home this week and told him that one of his Marine's had been hit by a car and died.  After telling him this he said:

"Mama, can we pray for her?"

and I said, "we can't really pray for her, she is either in Heaven with God because she believed He was her savior or she is in hell because she did not believe God was her Savior, but we can pray for her family that they won't be sad."

He said ok and we did just that.  It was so sweet and touching!

The following day when I told him that Daddy had to go to AZ he asked:

"to pay money to bring his Marine back to life?"

I said, "no he can't pay money to bring her back to life.  But he is going to bury her and be loving to her family." 

I then tried to help him recall my grandmama's funeral last year.  He remembered and thought that it was nice that Daddy was doing this.

Yesterday we had Daddy to Thanksgiving Dinner via his picture at the head of the table!  It was sweet and sad at the same time!  I cooked my first Thanksgiving Dinner and had a request for my Beloved's to be frozen for him to eat when he comes home next, so it is in the freezer as week speak, or type as the case may be. LOL  We had fun while cooking.  Little Monkey helped a little with the cooking, he decoreated the table with YaYa and read some Thanksgiving books.  We played a little outside too.  Since we have been reading about Squanto Little Monkey wanted to be an Indian.  Earlier in the week we made a beaded necklace and feathered head band.  I also made him an indian outfit out of some scrap materials.  YaYa painted his face and we had a little Indian boy to dinner with us.  Afterwards we decided to go to the Drive In Theater.  We are so blessed to have the last drive in in SC here inour town.  They don't always have great movies on, but every once in awhile we catch them and it is so nice and easy to go and be in your own car instead of having to lug around children and bags and make sure they are quiet.

Tomorrow we will be meeting my parents, sister, BIL and niece about 2hrs south of here in GA to spend the day. That should be a fun way to end our weekend before we worship in the House of our Lord on Sunday!

Have a blessed weekend!