Aug. 18, 2008 - ALL skate and passed bed-time!
its around 8:00pm ...... it's ALL skate and passed their bed time!
my living room and dining room area is open to eachother. so we have wall to wall with all hardwood floors. its a good amount of space. i was sitting there thinking i wished we could turn this side of the house into a skating rink! (now me thinking isn't the problem. when i actually sit and try to figure it out IS~just ask my husband).. i thought we could take everything out, put up a disco ball. my 10 yr. old son suggested some tubing lights to run around the floor. get a huge bench so that everybody would have a place to sit and remove shoes. my daughter suggested pads on the other end of the room. we(me and the kids) just ran with this whole idea.
realizing we couldn't really move all that furniture...we did the next best thing. we compromised. we moved the lamps, the picture frames and a FEW pieces of furniture, we did not have tubing lights, but christmas lights will do! (before you fall off your rockers...i didn't do any lights, BUT it was a great thought).
all three of my kids put their skates on. i sat comfortably on the couch watching them skate and do tricks-LOL
WHAT AN EVENING!
i felt really good. we didn't have to get ready to go out. we didn't have to fight the crowds. we didn't have to pay. we didn't have to listen to unacceptable music.
this would be a great b-day party idea don't you think? i can see the invites now~ you're invited! FREE ALL SKATE NIGHT at the Ellis HOUSE-lol. parents would be scratching their heads. .....you know, my kids b-days are close to eachother. like within maybe 5 months . i could do this 1 time for all the b-days. i could move it all out and really set it up. then after the last b-day, we could move our stuff back in. that would be a blast, a little crimped throughout the other parts of the house.
ummmmmm .......my wheels are turning as i write to you!
you know when we got this house, what sold me on it was the open entrance to kitchen and homeschool room. i could see the kids running circles around those entrances. i could hear the laughter. NEVER did i see us making a skating rink!
well, i have to go...i have to put the living room and dining room BACK TOGETHER! it was fun while it lasted!
" When i stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, "I USED EVERYTHING YOU GAVE ME" "
ttfn!~selina
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Aug. 15, 2008 - a BINGO game that makes me cry!
if you know me...you know my Granny Riddle. the stories of her and her days never tire my ears or my mouth!-lol
my Granny has been put in a nursing home- a HEART BREAK for me! we visit her once a week. out of all the people i see there, granny is like the best looking and able one-lol. she strolls the halls saying "Hi" to everybody. they have a huge tree she goes and sits under. she doesn’t like eating in the dining hall. she eats in HER ROOM-i guess that is considered HER HOUSE. but one thing out of all this has just knocked my socks off.
one of the NEW things granny has adventured to do, is BINGO!-lol something sooo simple to us, but a whole new world for my granny. Granny Riddle is 79 years old and can't read or write. a staffer there has been helping my granny to learn BINGO. she sits with her, and has TAUGHT my granny the letters BINGO. ant that the BEST THING IN THIS WORLD!!
my granny has learned the letters BINGO and now can play and win prizes-which she gives my kids when they visit her. the bible says that our latter will be greater than our former, and my granny is an example God's word in action!
...you probably won't be able to catch us at home now. we have added to our school days.... BINGO with Granny!
ohhh, and the little 85 year old that granny rooms with..WE KNOW HER! i have been thinking she looks familiar, but couldn't place her. when i was in 11th/12th grade, we lived in a tiny house. we had just lost our home through bankruptcy, and my parents found this house next to a church. it was the church parsonage. the people who was over that, was my bus driver in school. so they let us rent this house for $100.00 a month. we had to clean the church once a week and keep the grass cut. these same people who had been such a blessing to my family at their lowest, walked into the room the other day. the wife of that couple is the sister to granny's roommate! can you say WOW backwards? right...its still WOW! i just couldn't believe it...that is the blessing of the Lord. and before they recognized who my mom and sisiter were, they walked in saying to granny's roommate, that they had brought her friend(which they were referring to my granny) some watermelon. they bring her little happy's along the way. what a blessing!
ttfn!~selina
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Aug. 12, 2008 - Calgon or Jesus?
...let me take you through my past week.
if i said this 1 time, i found myself saying it a thousand: if you open a door -shut it, if you take it out-put it up. if you make a mess-clean it up...turn off the tv, this isn't game time, stop taddling, its time for school, please come here, get out of the garage, stop provoking one another, bow your head, sit down, stop interrupting and etc.....! this week has been FULL of those types of quotes. i found myself in need of patience beyond reasonable service.
somehow this week, i got a new title-"house fairy!" for some unknown reason, everybody around here has thought a house fairy just comes in and twinkles her nose and whaaalaawww-presto, the house is clean! ohhhh, don't worry..i set the record straight on that imagination flaw.
and so onward i go!
then my 7 year old, which has never cared about cutting her hair, decided that it was time to take to her bangs. what you need to know is..i had just cut her bangs a few weeks ago. well, that was not good enough i reckon. now there is a huge straight gash on the top of her head. only the bottom layer of her bangs are actually hanging over her forehead. AND........while she was playing beauty shop...she decided that her EYE BROWS were tooooooooooooo bushy. she took to them like there wasn't going to be a tomorrow. she cut one side of her eye brows down to fuzz! you can barley see the thang. the other side, instead of one line of eye brow there is 2-lol. she cut down the middle and its just a mess. and on top of all that, she don't have her 2 front teeth. so, imagne all this now! i guess for christmas, she'll be singing that ole song.."all i want for christmas is my two front teeth" but she will have to sing it this way..."all i want for christmas is my 2 front teeth, EYE BROWS, and BANGS!" i am going to ask her to put a toy on that list just for the fun of it-LOL
and onward i go!
then if things couldn't get any worse....i messed all over myself. (ohhhh, don't get holy on me ) i couldn't make it to the bathroom in time. i guess MY NERVES were shot by now.. ( you need to know this isn't a habit of mine since i was 2-lol).... I find myself trying to believe there was a house fairy so she come do her magic . then i remember...THAT HOUSE FAIRY IS ME!!!!!! so i have to mop my bathroom AGAIN! at this point i am saying "CALGON take me away or come quickly Lord JESUS! either way was fine!
sunday came, i rested all day! by now i am having chess pains. the stress of this week i just kept to myself..which fueled the next happening, and this is where it led. i don't know how an anxiety attack feels, but if i had to guess, i was right in the middle of about 3..
today is tuesday and i feel better. my heart isn't throbbing where i can feel it and i can breath just fine. the "rest" did me good. we are having a family meeting this week to talk about what went wrong, and how we are not going to repeat ourselves!
even with all that-....they are my treasures. however, i didn't value the outcome of slothfulness. this is where we have the opportunity to redirect and come up higher... and for me to realize that cleaning up after children(including finding hair from a fresh haircut beside dressers) is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing! 
even on my worse day...its better with JESUS! thank God for Jesus
ttfn!
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Aug. 2, 2008 - when you get a minute..could you hurry it up!
hiddie,
this week on top of school, i have been finalizing my real school list. what we are doing right now is left over remnants of last years work.. it has been buying me time until i have that "minute" to pay attention to my start of this year. GOOD-NEWS...my list is ready! wheeewwww-hooooo, boy don't that feel great!!!!
SINCE THIS IS SUMMER.....we came up with a great way to have some summer fun plus keep going with school. every thursday evening(if school work is completed from the week) we take the kidos swimming. not just anywhere either..their favorite place to swim is about an hour from here...this is where they feel comfortable in the water, they have learned to swim (under water-lol), they go down the slides.., so this a big deal. for the past 2 thursday's it has rained us out. and this thursday called for rain again. i wised up! as soon as school work was done...i grabbed one of those "minutes" plus some "hurry" and scooted to the fountains so they could play. they were able to dance around in the fountains for 2 hours or better. it wasn't swimming, but it was a great way to have some fun. and of coarse i took pictures!
speaking of the hurry it up. my husband was mowing our yard this afternoon. it started to rain. first thought, no big deal. just a little rain. then here came the down pour..the rain brought a few friends to play with..i heard the thunder. now here's the lighting, and last but not least... HAIL. i was outside with him. so neither of us had any sense-LOL. i was running around trying to finish picking up the sticks, and he had that mower in 5th gear...going as fast as he could. i am in the garage by now laughing at him! no matter though.. we were both a mess.
well....we all have those "when you get a minute...could you hurry it up" moments. just remember in those minutes or hurry...don't forget to stop and smell the roses!!
have a wonderful week! ~selina
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Jul. 26, 2008 - wow, what a ride!
it never fails...the week you don't plan much, that is the week that gets somehow slammed! while my troops are outside with daddy picking figs...i have a minute to gab.
oh, and i am listings to my almost 3 year old's music play list-lol i have to stop every now and then to do the motions...its habit-LOL
my day started with us cleaning. and one clean lead to something else that needed it-ugh. that is one strand i could do without! then, one of our families bestest friends called . she needed a few things from the grocery store. so i finished up cleaning, and off we went. , after putting the effort in getting all of us ready, i went outside only to find my tire was flat...of coarse i started rebuking the devi, no big deal, simple solution, we have a foot air pump, after a few good pumps the thing broke, sweat is pouring and now i have no way to blow up this tire. i then started rebuking my husband behind his back,(it wasn't his fault, but it made me feel better) and the list just grew from there- i was so upset. my neighbor had a pump, but it needed to be charged. he tried it anyway. in order for it to work, i had to start my van and leave it running. (i was on empty, so that didn't help me),...and so now we are on our way...don't know how far we are going to get cause i have no gas in my van. i had counted our change right before we left . GOOD THING,
we got her stuff, and finally we arrive. when we got there, she was excited to see us. we were excited as well. we caught up on the year. she couldn't believe the growth of the kiddos. as we were visiting, she wanted me to damp her hair and try to do something with it. ends up, i styled her whole head-lol. i told her that she may want to look at this. but she approved and all was well .
we all got a hankering for icecream. so i took off back to the store and filled all the variety of orders. it tasted sooo good.
we had a very unexpected treat that day with her and our visit. this is the type of person when you walk away from them, you fill like you can do ANYTHING....you are soo encouraged just listening to her. my family is blessed beyond measure to have her in our lives.
i am thankful to have people that bring "refreshing" to me when i need it most! she had no idea of the trouble we went through that day just trying to be a blessing to her. and as soon as we arrived and started our visit, NONE of that mattered. it went out the window! it was worth it all, but WOW, WHAT A RIDE!
today....my mom brought me 5 gallons of purple hull peas. she picked them, the girls and i shelled them(mostly me, although they started out real cute and helpful), i am cooking them now, so i can "can" them. first round of cooking is done. only 2 more hours to go!
ok my troops are in and with no less than a gallon of figs. they have started eating them already.
ttfn! ~selina
ps...i repented for rebuking my husband behind his back. i told him eveything that i said AND nicely let him know he would hear ALL OF THAT again if i had to repeat another day like that!--LOL
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Jul. 24, 2008 - what does inheritance mean to you?
i put up 2 quarts of tomatoes for the first time this week. they look soooo pretty in the jars. last year, i learned how to make strawberry jam and canned some figs. this year i am doing those again but adding to my learn "how to" list, peach preserves , canning tomatoes and peppers.
between my husband and me, we only have 1 grandmother still living. her name is Granny Riddle-79 yrs. old. i pull from her what she knows about canning...i think she can "can" everything she touches-lol. she'll be the first to tell you" that is how the old days were". they preserved everything they could.
greg and i still have our mothers. with our mothers being at their mothers feet, they have the knowledge of "canning" as well.
when i was canning this week, i thought about my children and if i were to go to heaven anytime soon, what would their inheritance be. well i can tell you this, it wouldn't be a chuck of money so they wouldn't ever have to lift a finger. they might get enough money to buy them a movie and popcorn. -LOL so i had better have a different plan ...right?
so right now, we are learning from the best to preserve our food for the winter.
we were in our garden tuesday afternoon. i gave the kids 1 roll of green beans they had to pick. now, right in the middle of gathering our harvest, it began to rain-lol. the kids first reaction was to go get in out of the rain. i changed their mind. i said, it was better to pick in the rain verses it being 101 degrees. so after about a minute, they began to have fun and could appreciate the cool down pour! plus they picked the whole garden in the time it took me to finish my section of beans. we looked like wet rats-lol, but we got the job done, well for now at least!
inheritance isn't all about getting something after the death. i want my children to hear, see, touch, taste and smell their inheritance while i am living. death isn't an option to wisdom, to knowledge, to the biblical prosperity one can gain from having the Lord as their source. i just refuse to let my children fall in this world's crack system. there, somebody is always left behind. i refuse for my children to gain this world and lose their soul.... because GREAT in their inheritance says the Lord!
what does inheritance mean to you?
~selina
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Jul. 16, 2008 - this is what its all about!
last weeked, we had our Family Reunion. the kids have been just on pins to go. a few weeks ago, we were crossing the decatur bridge, and i said, "hey, that is where our reunion is going to be"...they couldn't wait. the excitement wasn't in vain. most of our family was there. there was way to much food for the gobbling! oh, on top of reunion, we had a DOUBLE baby shower. two of my cousins have girls that have grown in fine young ladies. both of them are expecting around the same time. maybe within 3 weeks apart. anyway...the shower went well. we shut down all activites so everybody could gather for it. THAT WAS THE BIGGEST BABY SHOWER I HAD EVER BEEN TO-LOL! we only played one game. the 2 daddy's- to- be, had to sit facing eachother. my husband blind folded them. THEY HAD TO FEED EACHOTHER PUDDING!-
I CAN SAY THIS...THEY REALLY NEED TO WORK ON THEIR COORDINATION SKILLS-LOL
after the baby shower, it was BOAT time. we all went down to the docks to load up. we had a relaxing ride that could fit 10 people, or the fast boat that could sit 5. the water was real chopping, so i voted for relax ride. both boats was pulling intertubes. i don't think i have been on one of them in about 12/15 years. my cousins(my mother, and kids) convinced me to hop on the intertube. i was getting on that crazy thing, and remember saying, "Lord, i know you don't bless ignorance, but please make an exception in this case!", so the rope that is going to pulling me, is now stretched all the way out and then off i go! they took me over by the docks where my husband was at (he was fishing) and i screamed "HEY HONEY", he about fell over. he couldn't believe that i was on that thing flying down the Tennessee river. well, i couldn't believe it either, but i was..... we are still laughing about it!
later on, that evening, the kids and i took a break from fishing, and took another boat out. my son was watching everybody riding the intertube. we asked him did he want to. he would say no. we got about a mile from docks and he announced that he would. so on he went. we went real slow, then he gave us thumbs up to go faster, then he was both thumbs up for speed, that boy! he was all smiles. all teeth! he was sooo afraid, and he kept saying, "i overcame my fear. i just kept telling myself, i could do it, and i did it! THANK YOU GOD!"
i am thanking my God today to. i started to cry. i saw my son take a step forward beyond his fear to conquer. what a blessing. "ground" in the making. one foot in front of the other...this is what its all about!
school is calling, well yelling-lol. its 11:00, 
. my 2nd grader starts some new books today. her daddy signed and gave her a certificate for completing this round of reading. my 5th grader thinks division is fun. and my "full of life" almost 3 yr. old has a new found hobby...she loves to sharpen the pencils. i am down to my last few packs for her to sharpen. i need to keep those in stock -lol.
ttfn! selina
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Jul. 11, 2008 - humility at its finest!
my day starts with many thoughts. i am reminded of one saying i hold dear and near my heart..."today is the beginning of a new day. i trade a day of my life for it. i can do with it as i will. it can be used for good, not evil: success not failure, in order that i don't forget the price i paid for it."...many years ago, one morning i woke up getting ready for my day...and i found this letter on my dresser. i finally got to the end of it to find that my daddy had signed his name. it wasn't like those birthday cards that moma signed for both of them. this was his handwriting to me!
eventhough my daddy is with Jesus, i can still remember everything about that morning getting ready for school. most importanly, i remember how i felt to have something that he took time to write. took time to sign.
yesterday, i found myself in a place of the highest complement that could ever be given. and in turn, i fell to my knees weeping..my son and i were talking about "you haven't walked in my shoes" stories. after our conversation, he begin to cry. i was thinking "what in the world?" he told me with a tender voice that he has walked in my shoes. i am puzzled at this point. i asked him what he was talking about. he said, moma i try to be just like you. thats what i want, to be just like you.. his heart was broken cause he thought i was suggesting to him that he couldn't do "WALK IN MY SHOES" anymore. i had to explain what "walking in my shoes" means. i was able to redirect his feeling. my mind went through about 50 scriptures as he was talking trying to find that "RIGHT" one for the occassion. you know that fitting word in due season. i could feel my heart beating 90 to nothing cause i knew i needed to point to jesus, i just didn't know what to say. then out from my mouth came those precious living waters...i said son, if there is any good thing about me it is Jesus! i know there was more i could i have said, and after thinking about it ,,,there is sooo many things, scriptures i could have used.
after he left and this conversation was over, i just fell by my bedside and cried unto the Lord. i was humbled and honored and SHAKEN at the same time. my fleshy desire to get that pat on the back(like when the laundry is not just washed, but folded and put away, socks are mated and ironing is done...all at the same time-lol) didn't arise. my heart spoke and pointed to Jesus. its because i know him...its because i have a relationship with an all knowing God. and because i know my son was His before He ever gave him to me!
me getting that letter from my daddy made a difference in my life. beyond his natural death, it stills rings in my ear. i am prayerful that my journey through motherhood/parenthood will point my treasures to their destiny. beyond today, into tomorrow and throughout eternity, Lord they belong to you. SHOW ME YOUR WAYS OH GOD! i know they are watching and hearing. i know they are learning. this goes beyond the book work. its the issues of the heart. well... its humility at its finest!
"Teach like Jesus"
momabean
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Jul. 9, 2008 - "SPRING" in my cleaning and in my step!
ok,
well the past few weeks i have been doing the dreaded "SPRING CLEANING". i had been putting it off for a few months cause i knew it would consume my time and light the fire to get it done! i am thankful to report, I"M DONE! wow. the front of my house has looked like sanford and son for the past 2 weeks. nice to only roll out cans for trash day!
we are already shaving those school days off. i have a 5th grader, 2nd grader, and then there is my tater tot. she is almost 3, and this year we will hold a graduation service for her. she is graduating "10th grade"-LOL...her little desk is set for coloring. (i am hopeful that the desk will help contain some of the messages on the wall)
we are starting something new at our Homeschool group this year. we have some GREAT classes. the kids are so excited. i was telling them of the changes, and they lit up. 4th of july didn't hold a spark to their reaction.
last school year was a BIG change for us.
from the very beginning of us choosing to homeschool, i have had a desire for our home church to be strengthened in the"homeschool way." last year the Lord spoke to me very clearly and said "now, is the time to come home." we had to say good-bye to where we were at and to what we have known for almost 4 years. it has been a trying year for us. because at first thought i was thinking that we would just restart from here(our home church) and keep going. but that is not how it was. fought through some discouragement,, feelings of unsurities,...you know the second guess game! all the while i am saying to the Lord, "i know you called us, so now what". my children had went from excited about co-op classes, excited about our group getting together, excited about their friends, to just at home. i had to keep reminding them that it isn't always what we think...its what we know that fuels our going forward. i had to encourage when i needed it myself. but God is FAITHFUL. i see so much more now than at the beginning. we are at the right place and at the right time. we are refreshed from change. it has been worth it to hang on, it has been worth it to build. it has been worth the practing "i knows".
sometimes even with the vision, i can't see the BIG PICTURE. i am so thankful that God is in control and not me. if you are starting a fresh and new, or maybe you need a refreshing right where you are at, don't listen to the loud scream of disappointment. the frantic call of "what if". that still small voice moves mountains, puts rivers in the dessert, he makes a way where there seems to not be one...give me an ear Lord, that i may know your voice, and none other shall i follow!
have a great, refreshed, day!
selina
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Jun. 2, 2008 - shake it off and step up!
After a long day, i sat down to read. i thought this would encourage you along the way...enjoy!
SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!
A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule braying -- or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back . . . he should SHAKE IT OFF and STEP UP!
This he did, blow after blow.
"Shake it off and step up . . . shake it off and step up . . . shake it off and step up!" he repeated, to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows or distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF and STEPPING UP.
It was not long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well. What seemed like it would bury him, had actually blessed him, all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
That's life! If we face our problems, respond to them positively and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness or self-pity, the adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to benefit and bless us!
As you go through your week, remember that forgiveness, faith, prayer, praise and hope are all excellent ways to SHAKE IT OFF and STEP UP, out of the wells in which we find ourselves!
Have a great week!
selina
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Apr. 15, 2008 - bargains!
Well, let me collect my thoughts,
I was thinking the other day about sales. How we all look for the greatest deal. It may be from groceries to furniture. I must say this is a helpful way to shop. But a sale isn't a sale if you don't have money-LOL
With that same thought of dealings, my mind went to things eternal we have. i have been guilty at times for shopping around..even with this. I look at this person. I look at this situation. All in efforts for an example or a conclusion i need spiritually. This may be harmless. But i know its not the absolute my soul desires.
For one thing....people make mistakes. WHO KNEW? In the past, i have put trust in people/friends. This is a real good thing, don't get me wrong. However, the recognition for a mistake was not also applied. Meaning, my unaware expectations were so very high, it left a lot of room for unknown disappointment. So when it came, i fell completely apart. Shattered if you will. It seemly unraveled right before my eyes. I was left empty.
For the second thing...situations are always subject to change.....I have based a few spiritual decisions on a situation i have seen. This is also a real good thing...and needed! However, the guiding hand of the Lord was limited to only what i saw. A Paul Harvey quote is "the rest of the story." What is the rest of the story? What goes beyond my sight that i really need to see?
With both of these, i have had to learn some more than "i thought i already knew" lessons. You view both people and situations. There is always something deeper you should know. God is the only one that can take you to that place. and if you stop at just the person or just the situation by sight or feelings(there is a place for these), you have probably just missed the bargin. The sale. The thing you were after from the beginning. You see, when we take the time to find what He finds in people or situations, we don't misplace attributes. The BARGAINS we find stops at the surface. Regardless of good or bad. The "take from the bank" BARGAINS we find, is that of a far more lasting kind!
HAPPY BARGAIN SHOPPING!......Selina
