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Maybe the problem was that I stayed up too late. I am usually in bed at least by 11:00 or so, even on the weekends. Friday night, I was not really sleepy. I worked on my cross stitching a while, and watched a show that was not that interesting. Then, about midnight, I was almost ready to call it a night just because decent people are usually already asleep by now. While I was putting away my sewing, another show began that caught my eye. It was about the science behind a super comet impacting the earth and the devastating aftermath. Another one of those shows, I thought, where they pummel you with statistics and predictions until you are so confused that you run into the yard screaming, praying that a super comet would put you out of your misery. This show, however, was very different.
The aftermath was devastating. Of course, the immediate loss of life from the impact was overwhelming. But for those who survived, it was the ensuing circumstances that were surreal. All communications were fried from the electromagnetic wave that encircled the earth. Shock waves leveled cities and massive tidal waves obliterated coastlines for hundreds of miles inland. The impact disrupted the climate of the entire world. Depending on where they were located on the planet, survivors faced temperatures from 50 below zero to 200 degrees. Fire rained down from the skies as debris from the comet impact re-entered the earth’s atmosphere. All social and lawful infrastructures broke down as people moved underground to survive. Life resembled nothing that our main characters had ever seen before. When I watch anything gripping, it is easy for me to put myself in the place of the characters. I must tell you that sitting alone in my living room in the wee hours of the morning, I was gripped with fear. It was a physical fear that caused my heart to lodge in my throat. There was even a sense of panic as the events unfolded in front of me. It was almost irrational. On one level, I knew that I was watching a television show. On the other hand, the drama part of this show was interlaced with interviews from scientists confirming that this sort impact had happened before, causing the extinction of the dinosaurs and the Ice Age. They said it was inevitable that it would happen again…it was just a matter of when. And they are the authorities, right? As I sat there in the moments following the drama, I struggled with my inner turmoil. Things seem so much worse in the middle of the night and I was wondering if I should go ahead and start stockpiling my underground secret shelter. My problem, I eventually surmised, was the power I was attributing to the unknown future. A lot of our battles are waged in the recesses of our own minds. We give something power by focusing our time and attention on it. What we don’t realize is that as we give something power in our mind, we turn away from the power of the Lord. God is all powerful and we only have to turn toward it and bask in its glory to see it. David knew this power and mentioned it all through the Psalms. He admonished us to focus on this perfect power. In Psalm 66: 3-4 he says, “Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.’ ” Now that is powerful! Our God is powerful! Does that mean natural disasters will never occur? No, but know that our God is still in control even when the world around us does not make sense or it makes so much sense it scares us silly. And what of our docudrama characters? Well, most of them made it, resilient and hopeful for the future. Their lives had forever changed, never to return to the sense of normalcy they once knew. I am so thankful that our future is not resting in the hands of our leaders to save us, for they are men just like us and capable of making mistakes no matter how good the data seems to be. I am thankful that our future, even though unknown to us, is safe and secure in the hands of our God. No matter what awaits us, whether it be small personal tragedy or a catastrophic meteor hurtling toward Earth, we know that God is in control and he works everything to our good and for his purpose (Romans 8:28). |
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Today I am burdened by two things in my life. I pray for all areas, but there are two that are constantly before me: our finances and my desire to be a good mom. Financially, we are on that perpetual roller coaster of plenty and scarce. One day, we are doing well and seem to have more than enough. The next day, we have creditors calling us again and wonder where all the money went. We try desperately to be good stewards of what God has given to us. We tithe and we try to put the remaining money to good use. That is not to say that we have not made some bad financial decisions. Sometimes we “nickel and dime” ourselves to death. In other words, we spend ten dollars here and twenty dollars there so it doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but in reality, it adds up quickly. I wish we could get this financial thing down pat! I feel foolish going to the Lord AGAIN to ask for his hand in our finances. Then I realize that I should have never taken the finances from His hand. Is that what we are doing? When things are good, do we still consult Him with what to do with each dime? Do we seek His counsel even though there is no “problem”? I think that is our downfall. We pray and the Lord helps us to get out of financial bind. We begin to do well again and we forget to pray and ask the Lord where he wants the funds to go. We get this haughty attitude that after we have given God His share, we can delegate the rest as we see fit. Let me tell you, this realization is coming to me as I type these very words and it is not a nice feeling! 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that we are to glorify God in everything we do, whether we are eating or drinking or WHATEVER. I don’t think we have been glorifying God with our plenty. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells them that through Christ and Christ only, he can survive when he has nothing and he can survive when he has plenty (Philippians 4:12-13). Why would he need Christ’s help in the times when he was content? Because having enough is just as dangerous as not having anything. We get complacent and apathetic toward our relationship with God because we just don’t see how we “need” Him. Oh, that I could wake everyday in desperate need of my God even when things are going great! I wish that my walk could be consistent and my need for Him be ever present regardless of my circumstances. It is going to be my prayer that I can say, every morning (regardless of the good and/or bad around me), “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” (Psalm 42:1)
The other burden I have this morning is in regard to my children. I am not a negligent mom. I take care of my children. But there are so many aspects to raising kids that when you get one area settled, there are three more to take its place. And even if you happen to get one child content and going the right way, there is always another one with a problem to correct. Isn’t there a time when everyone is doing great and traveling the right path? Parenthood is full of joy and contentment, but it is also littered with guilt and feelings of inadequacy. Caleb is my oldest and I see him as my “pioneer”. He and I are traveling a road that neither of us has been down before. He has hit this “preteen” age. He has never been 9 before and I have never been the parent of a 9 year old before. So we are gingerly making our way down this path. There are times when he cops an attitude and I want to strangle him. I tell him to do something and he looks at me like I must be talking to the wrong person because surely I WAS NOT talking to him! I am waiting for the day when he rolls his eyes and says “Whatever!” I will need the strength of Samson at that moment, not to tumble columns in the temple, but to sit on my hands to keep from strangling him! In that moment, I am the diligent parent, ever teaching and correcting while I lead my little lambs on the right path. Then the clock ticks and the moment is gone. In the next moment I may be the proud parent as one of my children finally “get” something I have been trying to teach them forever! They may help each other with chores without being asked, or I may overhear a conversation with their friends where they are talking about scripture or doing the right thing. Or they may do something as simple as thank someone for a gift without being prompted or say they are sorry when they hurt someone’s feelings. Those moments are wonderful and I get to take a deep breath and praise God that some of the teaching is sticking in that head.
And then…I have to start a new paragraph for this one…there are those moments when you feel chastised by your child. You are put in your place by a word or look or deed that reminds you that you are wretched sinner in need of a Savior and not a parent who deserves a pat on the back for anything. Such a situation occurred yesterday morning. I was not feeling well and had decided that we were not going to church. I was hurting physically and I was in a really bad mood. I was not in any mood to get dressed and teach little ones (it was our turn) or pretend I was having a great morning to the adults. I just wanted to lay in bed and feel bad. Dewayne didn’t argue with me, which for some reason made me angry, too. He was supposed to lead our household spiritually, right? So he should have put his foot down and made us go to church! The irony in that is that if he had actually done that, the fallout from that explosive confrontation may have been enough to actually disrupt church services in the three adjoining counties. It was a lose-lose situation. As I am laying there watching news, there is a knock at our door. It was Caleb. He had showered and completed all his chores for the morning. He had eaten breakfast and even fixed his sister something. He was dressed and ready to walk out the door to go to church. My eyes slid over to the clock and the time sealed my fate. Even if I had jumped up then to get ready to go, we simply did not have enough time to get ready and be there even remotely on time. I gently explained to Caleb that I did not feel well and we would not be going to church. I cannot explain the look that came on his face. He was genuinely disappointed. That in itself was enough to make me melt into the floor. But then he seemed to shake off the disappointment and said, “That’s okay…I hope you feel better soon, Mom.” Well, I think I would rather he had pitched a fit and called me names for keeping him from going. Instead, he acted like a mature young man and put my feelings above his own desires. And the real kicker was that his desires were RIGHT. That is what we were supposed to have been doing. To be put in your place AND realize that your child is acting more mature than you are all in the same moment is a lot to swallow! I was so proud of him, yet so chastised myself, it was a strange sensation…kind of like sitting in front of a campfire on a really cold night when your front is nice and toasty and your back is freezing. I was warm and toasty from pride, yet cold and freezing from my own conviction.
In a nutshell, the Lord and I are working out the mistakes from this weekend. I have spent time reading my Bible, praying, and journaling this morning struggling to get my mind and heart to the place where it should be. It is not quite there yet, but it is moving in that direction. May God give me perseverance and determination. |
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Less than a month before school starts! My friend, Gayle, and I went to Walmart last night because we needed something to do while the boys played their video game (for those of you who do not know, we are NOT talking about the kids here, we ARE talking about the hubbies!) So I needed some thread for my current cross stitch project and it seemed like as good of an excuse as any to escape and buzz through Starbucks before we dropped by Walmart. While contentedly sipping our lattes, we spied the school supplies, freshly stocked on the shelves. Here is where my confession comes in…I am an office supply junkie. I love pens, pencils, sticky notes, paper clips…whew! I could go on and on. This addiction extends to school supplies, too. I have been known to sniff fresh, new crayons or stand for five minutes debating liquid glue versus glue sticks. When I saw that 24 count Crayola crayons were 20 cents per box, we had to snag a shopping cart! Needless to say, I stocked up on few things and am more excited than ever about school starting.
I have almost all my textbooks and workbooks in. I love getting everything in order. I am currently working on lesson plans and getting the schoolroom in order. It has been kind of the dumping ground this summer. I have my work cut out for me this week! The danger in this is that I tend to neglect other things while I am focusing on the fun stuff. So, the housework and cooking department becomes really tedious and boring. I have to make myself get the day to day chores out of the way first, then I can focus on school planning and organizing.
I am so thankful that the Lord has allowed me the opportunity to homeschool. It is never something I ever thought I would be doing. But it is truly the hardest, challenging, most REWARDING thing I have ever done. Praise God for allowing me this chance! |
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So today has been one of those days where I have been feeling sorry for myself. You know the ones. Everything is going wrong, no one likes you, and no one wants to be your friend. I feel I am a bad mom, a bad wife, a bad daughter…no matter how hard I try something is going to be messed up! It was supposed to be a good day. Dewayne is off from work, we had plans to grill out, the pool is nice and clean and the weather is great. So why was I feeling down? Why am I feeling downright irritated with everyone? I couldn’t explain it. But I hated it. I went to visit my parents and had a nice talk with them. I also weighed in there and realized I had lost close to one more pound. That is almost 13! So far to go yet, but at least it is progress. I was feeling a little better when Dewayne called and asked me to run to the store to get a little more meat. Well, that just irritated me more. We already had meat, but the “Grill King” wanted more. Don’t get me wrong, I love to put grilled meat in the fridge and freezer for upcoming meals. Just pull out the already grilled meat, warm it slowly in a water bath and fix a couple of sides. Ta da! Dinner is served. But today was different. I had not fixed my hair, put on make up, nor was I dressed well enough to leave the Ranch. I was annoyed that Dewayne would ask me to “run to the store” (seven miles away) because he didn’t think the trillion pounds of meat we already had was enough. Wanting to avoid an argument, I agreed to run the errand. I went to a small grocery store in the next town because they were having a great Memorial Day sale on meats. And the quality is wonderful. I figured as long as I had to run in the first place, I may as well get the good stuff. After paying for my purchases, I was making my way to the parking lot when I saw an elderly woman standing beside my van. She was looking intently at it and pointing with her cane to the side door. Great! I thought she had backed into the side of my van! Just add one more cup of misery to my day! As I approached, she called out, “Is this your van?” “Yes.” I replied cautiously. She laughed that elderly chuckle, the one that takes years and experience to obtain. “You caught me,” she said, “I was asking my husband to take my picture beside your purty (that is southern for pretty) van. It is so nice!” A little confused, I thanked her. She admitted she was joking about taking the picture, but not about liking the van. We have a 2004 Nissan Quest. It is gold and has a lot of the bells and whistles. We did not go looking for that nice of a van, but the Lord really opened up the doors for us to get a nice vehicle for a great price. We were in awe at the time we drove it off the lot, marveling in God’s goodness and provision. I had forgotten about that until now. I told the woman exactly that. I gave praise to the Lord and his goodness right there in the parking lot. She reminded me that it says in James we have not because we ask not. And she joined me in praising the Lord. She said quietly, “You are so blessed.” I had just explained that the DVD system had come in really handy with our kids and long trips. After her quiet declaration, she grasped my arm and looked directly into my eyes. “YOU are so BLESSED!”, she said again with more emphasis. She had my full attention. In that moment, I felt she was speaking to my heart. She was speaking to my day, my inadequacies, my doubts, my fears, my bad mood. She had no idea how my day had gone, no idea what I was feeling. Or did she? You know, the Bible says that we entertain angels without knowing who they are. She got into a car with two other people and drove away. I am not saying for sure that she was a REAL angel, but I know she was my angel today. |
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So this is the time of year when I begin evaluating everything in our homeschool. The curriculum, the schedule, the boys' grades, etc. I look at everything under a microscope. This is not necessarily a bad thing because it allows me to find weak spots in my homeschool. On the other hand, I tend to be over critical of the job I am doing. I even get a little overwhelmed with the choices and I over analyze everything. It did not help that I went to the graduation ceremony of our homeschool cover. It was a lovely ceremony. We had a graduating class of around 95 kids and they seemed so excited! I watched as the Valedictorians and Saluditoriuans made their speeches, I clapped as the kids were awarded scholarships from various schools, and I shed a few tears as I watched the parents present their graduate with a much deserved diploma. I couldn't help but fast forward in my mind's eye to the point where I hope to be standing with each of my children presenting their diploma and marking the official entry into adulthood. And that is where I began to panic. Am I doing enough? How did these guys get their scholarships? How did these parents know exactly what to teach and when? What about extracurricular? Do I allow my children to socialize enough? Do I provide them with enough opportunities outside our home? Are they too busy? I guess everyone goes through this at some point in time, but it is very trying when you are actually facing it. I pray that God will lead me to the appropriate edcuation curriculum for each child and lead me in dealing with each set of needs and challenges. I pray that during these next few weeks as I make decisions and begin to slowly get ready for our August start date, I will have the right focus and attitude for this rewarding yet difficult job. |
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For anyone who thinks that I have disappeared, I am here! I am always hard pressed to find time to update my blog without getting "stuck" on the computer. Well, my wonderful hubby found a way to get me a laptop! So, I can sit here in the evening with my family and watch whatever they want to watch on television and update my blog, check email, surf the net, and still feel connected to the family. We are done with our school for the year, Garth is with his family out of state, and we are gearing down for the summer. Our VBS is soon and I am in charge of the snacks again, so I am anxious to get that going. Dewayne began a new job and things are really going well, although he is still getting used to the ins and outs of that job. They are a great Christian organization and really seem to be concerned about Dewayne and his family. The pool has been cleaned, the kids are already spending time daily there. I plans to take them to the park to ride bikes and just hang out. It is kind of weird not having to think about school. But soon enough, I will begin making plans for next year and gathering the curriculum I have not bought already. Well, maybe I will be able to keep this blog updated now that I have a way to be "portable". Have a great night! |
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For those of you who don't know September IS my birth month...
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Thanks to JammyPhoto for this link...something to think about... | ||
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Today is the first "official" day of our school year!! I am excited and nervous. Last year, I was a newbie and every mistake I made could be blamed on the fact that it was my "first year". This year, I have a better grasp on my strengths and weaknesses and those of my children, so I am out of the ignorance-is-bliss stage. This is no longer a year that we are just "getting accustomed to homeschool". I have spent the summer thinking about what worked, what didn't, what I need to improve on and what I need to leave alone.
Thanks to my blog surfing and the input of my good friend, Gayle, I have my offical three ring binder with cleaning rountines, schedules, menus, grocery lists, devotionals, inspirations, notebook paper, and even a pocket with a pen and pencil. On paper, my life looks pretty organized and very structured. In reality, Dewayne set the alarm wrong so we woke up late, the shower floor was so slippery I almost busted my rear, I forgot to start the dishwasher last night so I could not do step one of my kitchen clean up which of course threw the whole routine out of whack, I forgot to get the sausage out of the freezer last night so all we had was half of my super duper first day of school breakfast, and Hannah is waking up about 30 minutes ahead of schedule...
Needless to say, my prayer time this morning was spent begging God for his blessing on this year and for enough patience to get me to the end of this day. But I have to echo the sentiments posted on Gayle's blog: I am so blessed and would not want to be anywhere else in the world. Have a great week!! |
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My parents moved into the house they live in now when I was almost 13 years old. Just as I was beginning the tumultuous teenage years. And of course, about that time, I fell head over heels for a boy at school. My life, it seemed, would not be worth living without the love of this particular young man. Many nights I spent sitting on my parents deck, begging God to give me the heart of this one and only boy. I would listen to the crickets and other night sounds, thanking God in one breath for these things, and then telling him what he needed to do in my life with the next breath. I prayed this prayer a thousand times over during my high school years. Sometimes, when our prayers are selfish and we fail to illuminate them in the light of our God's will, I think maybe He takes His hand of blessing off our life to show us that which we think we can't live without is really the exact thing we do not need. I know this was the case with me. Through high school, I was able to be this guy's girlfriend. For a while, it was great. In my own mind, that is. There were so many signs telling me this was the wrong direction. But I just kept begging God to give me what I wanted. And thinking I was facing unanswered prayer, I wasted so much time on something that was not God's best for me.
Fast forward 15 or so. I now have my own home just a short walk from my parent's home. I was out on my deck a few nights ago, listening to the crickets as I prayed for my dear children and my sweet, sweet husband when the irony of the full circle hit me between the eyes. I was sitting on a deck a few hundered yards south of where I used to sit (ironically enough both decks were built by the same wonderful man - thanks Dad!), offering up prayers from my heart for those who were dearest to me. And the crickets...although they were obviously not the same crickets (maybe they were in the same linage, however) served to bring another irony full circle. I had been given the desire of my heart...a wonderful husband, loving children, stabilty, a strong network of family, good friends, a church home...everything I had been demanding out of life from God. But it was given to me in His time. Not those years ago when I stomped my foot and told him who, what, where, and when. He is God. He is soverign. And those unanswered prayers I thought were still hanging in the air somewhere has really been answered after all. Who am I to be given so much? Who am I to be so blessed? No one except a child of the King. And if it is all taken from me tomorrow, God has given more than I ever deserved. |
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I have told Caleb from the time he was old enough to listen that no matter how big he gets, he will always be my baby. I guess I have repeated it enough, because now he can now finish the thought for me! Well, I was reminded this week that he is indeed growing up. It was the simplest of things...I taught him to play dominoes. In this particular domino game, you have to line up your dominos in a train, then play them one at a time, in turn, on the board. I tried to teach him the best I could, but he scattered his dominoes hand in no particular pattern, much less a neat line. As we played this first hand, he was pulling dominoes from all different places, in seemingly random order. I could barely stifle a laugh
Yes, I realize it was just a game, nothing important in the grand scheme of things, but the symbolism was so strong to me. These 8 1/2 years of Caleb's life have gone by faster than any in my entire life. Before long, he will be a young adult, making decisions, making mistakes, taking my advice, not taking my advice. Now I still have a lot to teach Caleb and he has a lot to learn yet, but time goes so quickly. It is a reminder of the awesome task given to every parent. Have I done enough? Will I do what I need to do between now and the time he goes into the world? Just the thought of this made me cry out to God for wisdom and guidance.
And our God, who gives to those who ask, added an extra special blessing in response to my prayer. Only about 30 minutes or so after the domino game, my Caleb shuffled into the kitchen to ask me a question. I couldn't tell you what this question was because I was too busy looking at the babyish stuffed animals this big kid was hugging close to his body. Thank you, God, for allowing me to see my little baby boy, even through the young man he is becoming. |
as I thought of the "I tried to tell you to line them up" speech I would be able to tell Caleb after the hand was finished. Weeeellll, three hands later, as Caleb beat me for the the third time
, (for those of you who are slow in Math, that means he won every hand!), I slowly realized that Caleb's way worked for him. My baby, the one who used to be dependent on me for everything, had his own way of doing some things, a way that was not my way, and it worked. What a bittersweet moment for a mom...proud and sad at the same time. I sat there and watched this young guy play what he used to call a "big people" game, make strategic moves, and win hands WITHOUT hanging on my every word. What a bittersweet moment!
May I treasure every moment.|
Just wanted to say that I was still alive and kicking! After we finished our school year at the end of May, we struck out towards the state of Pennsylvania for our family summer vacation. We were taking Garth to his grandmother's and we were ready to celebrate his birthday with members of his mother's family whom we had never met. Well, the day of departure arrived and we set forth with excitement and anticipation. If you will read back a few posts, I mentioned the fact that nothing EVER goes as I planned. And this trip was no different. We got as far as the rest stop in Chattanooga, TN when a terrible stomach bug attacked Garth. After spending three hours in a Walmart bathroom, we thought the worst was over. We were wrong. We spent another hour in the restroom at Shoney's and it was there that we decided to head back home. Not only was Garth miserable, but we were pretty certain other members of the family would probably contract the same bug simply because we had been cooped up in the van together all day. (And we were right...Caleb had it the next day and Dewayne the day after that!) Can you imagine being 15 hours from home, supposed to be enjoying a vacation, with three of your five family members taking turns in a hotel restroom? Neither could we, so we returned home. The good news is that Garth recovered enough the next day so he was able to make a Sunday flight home in time for his big birthday party (well, he was a little late, but he made it!). Whew! Maybe we will try the PA trip another time.
So Caleb, Hannah, and I have been spending the summer days together. This week we have had VBS at church, so it has been pretty busy. But we have had a wonderful time! God is at work in our small town and we give Him all the praise!
Next week, Caleb will be taking a trip to Chattanooga with my grandmother and aunt. He is so excited! They are going to Lookout Mountain and will probably ride the big boat on the Tennessee River. I am so thankful that Caleb had such wonderful family to "play" with this summer. Nah, he's not spoiled at all...hehehe...
The next few weeks will be spent getting this house in order and preparing for next year. I need to go through the kids' clothes and weed out those that don't fit...I have a couple of closets and cabinets to clean out and organize...I have lesson plans to finish and books to buy...and I also have penciled in some lazy time. That's what summer is all about, right? I wish you a relaxing, lazy summer break...even if it's only for a week or two...God bless you and your family! |
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As I sit here on this Saturday morning, I am watching a thunderstorm slowly move through the trees. We have these spring storms that will pop up out of nowhere, varying in intensity from irritating to downright scary. I actually love to watch the storms roll in: the darkening of the sky, the increasing speed of the wind, and the rain turning from soft to hard. I especially love to watch the trees. These massive trees bend and sway with every gust. The tops twist and turn with the wind like they are engaged in a lively dance. Every now and then, a weak branch may snap, but for the most part, the trees hold their own. Each tree is grounded in the earth by a massive root system that has taken years to form. This root system keeps the tree anchored even in very strong winds. Ironically enough, the trees I love to watch are rooted in land owned by my parents. At this time of year when we honor our mothers and dads, I really reflect on what my wonderful parents mean to me. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very stable home. My parents loved each other deeply (and still do!) and I always felt like they were very involved and interested in my life. Like their land that has allowed those trees to grow tall and strong, they provided me with a stable foundation, allowing my roots to develop as I grew toward adulthood. I have weathered a few storms so far in my life and although I bent and swayed with the wind and even had a few branches to break and fall to the ground, yet I still remained stable with the root system cultivated by my parents. A love and fear of God, importance of family, respect for others, a sense of humor, and a responsibility for my actions are just a few of the many roots laid by my parents. That foundation has made all the difference. As a parent now, I have to wonder what kind of root system I am cultivating for my children. Do I teach them the things that are eternally important or a love of things that are superficial? Am I a good example of Chirstian love and compassion or so they view me as a selfish human being? Are they seeing a righteous representation of a God ordained marriage or do they think love keeps track of wrongs? Am I teaching them to have a sense of humor or to take offense at everything? These are important concepts that are crucial pieces of their root system. Thankfully, I am not in this alone. My awesome God loves these children infinitely more than I ever can and He wants their roots to be grounded in Him. By committing my life daily to God in a personal relationship with Him, I am taking the most important action to ensure that I will be able to give my children the roots they need to grow tall and strong. What roots are you cultivating in your children? |
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Does it seem to anyone else that the spur of the moment ideas seem to work better than the carefully planned trips with itenerary and maps? Last night, after having dinner and playing cards with my parents (we had a great time!), we were all doing our own thing, which of course put me on the computer, when I decided to look up our professional minor league baseball team's schedule thinking that maybe we could go Sunday afternoon or something. Both my boys are playing baseball this year and going to see a "real" team play was one of the things they really wanted to do. So as I am sitting here perusing the upcoming schedule, I notice that they have fireworks every Friday night.
Hmmmm...maybe we can go next Friday night., I thought. But as I started matching our schedule to the team's Friday night home games, I figured it would be about two years before our schedule meshed with the Friday fireworks.
I wish we had thought of this sooner, I mused, we could have gone tonight.
Yep, tonight would have been perfect...wait a minute...tonight's not over...I know the game started 40 minutes ago and we live about 30 minutes away from the ball park...but we could pull it off couldn't we...I mean a whole game would be too long for the kids anyway, right? And the fireworks would be cool...
So I summoned by hubby from the Xbox (where he had just gotten all comfy and really into his game) to let him know of my brilliant idea. He blinked twice and just kind of stared at me like I was growing a third eyeball or something. And with all the honesty he could muster said, "Well, I'm not against it...I'm not really for it, but I'm not against it..."
That was all I needed to swing into action! Telling the boys we were going to a real baseball game ("Right now?" Caleb said, "Woohoo!!") sealed the deal and there was no turning back. Shoes were flying, clothes were thrown, and records were broken as we tried to make ourselves presentable in 15 seconds or less.
We arrived at the ball field in the middle of the 5th inning. Since the ticket booths were closed already, it was only two bucks a person to get in. We found some seats and settled in to watch the game. It could not have went more perfect. The weather was not too hot, not too cold. The stadium was not crowded so we had plenty of wiggle room (which was great for Hannah!). And the boys were mesmerized by "real" ball players right there in front of them. We spent the remainder of the game talking about strategies, why this person did this or that, proper attitude and sportsmanship, never giving up...we covered it all. And since the game went into extra innings, we didn't feel like we were cheated on the amount of baseball we were able to watch (our home team finally won in the 14th inning...). Follow all that with a spectacular fireworks show and you have a perfect night that probably would have never materialized if we had taken the time to plan every detail.
My ONLY regret is that I forgot my camera |
. But even that oversight is not enough to make me want to change one minute of what we experienced last night. Sometimes you just have to go with your impulses and not worry about if it is the "best" way to do something...don't overthink it...just do it!!|
You may win...it's worth a shot...
Good luck!
DonDee
P.S. Thanks for the chance, Spunky, and thanks to Benz Microscope and thanks to Apologia!! |
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I have recently found out something disturbing about myself...I am getting old. I have been plagued with foot pain for the last few weeks and have finally narrowed it down to fallen arches. Fallen arches?!? Isn't that for little old ladies with orthopaedic shoes and a walker? Not for me! Well, wake up and smell the Dr. Pepper because that is my problem. It stems from this year of homeschooling, actually. Until this year, I have worked a full time job that required you wear shoes...my current job (homeschooling) has a much more relaxed dress code. Sooooo....around the house, I never seemed to put on shoes. It didn't even occur to me that I needed the support everyday from shoes. I didn't notice an immediate problem, so I went day after day without the support my body needed.
Well, you can imagine that as soon as I began feeling that pain and I narrowed down the problem to no shoes, I became a shoe wearing fool! I bought inserts, I laced my shoes properly, I wear comfortable socks...I am now an expert. I am even going to spend more money than I normally would for shoes just to get a pair of shoes that is supposed to be good for this kind of problem. My "sole" pain sparked immediate and intense action. It also occured to me that if I had been supporting my feet all along, I would not have had this "sole" crisis.
How often do we go without the support our "soul" needs? We plug along day after day without the critical uplifting of the Father through his Word and through spending time in desperate prayer with Him. If things are going smoothly, we tend to think we can handle things just fine with Him. But just let our soul feel some pain. Let our lives be disrupted by an unexpected turn of events and we are clinging to the Word every minute. We are breathing cries of help every minute, wondering how we could have gotten so far off the beaten path.
I am so incredibly guilty of that! When I am facing difficulties, I read my Bible for encouragement and guidance. I pray without ceasing during the day and often catch myself just conversing with God, pouring out my heart and requests to him. But when times are good and I am content, I find myself with an apathetic attitude toward my relationship with God. How much more prepared would I be for those crises if I had the support EVERYDAY from an intimate time with God? I am not talking about the time spent teaching the Bible in school or making sure your children read their daily scriptures. I do that. I am talking about that one-on-one time that a child spends with her Father, her Creator. That's the kind of Soul Support I desperately need. Maybe I am the only one who neglects to do that... |
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When we went to visit Dewayne's family last night, we were met with a very nice surprise! They had gone to all the trouble to have a Dora cake and gifts for Hannah on her birthday weekend. We had a very nice visit, eating dinner and talking, then playing cards. I am trying to teach Hannah to count, so I told her before she had a piece of cake, she needed to show Nana and PaPaw how she can count to three ( bribery is not beneath me!) So she says, "One...two...Dora cake!!" Close enough, don't you think? Here are some photos of our great party:
Thank you Nana, PaPaw, Candy, & Ambur for this great evening! |
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Today, my sweet little girl turns two years old. She is already being homeschooled by default. It's amazing how much the little ones can absorb just be being in a homeschooling home. She already knows all her colors and can count to three. We are working on the alphabet, too. Here are some photos from her party which, due to my dh's work schedule, was last Sunday.
Happy Birthday Hannah!!! Here is Hannah before we gave her the cake...
And here is her Dora cake...
And here she is AFTER the cake...can't you tell? LOL
One more picture of all three of my "babies"...
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We are a family brought together by God. I truly believe that. My dh Dewayne and I have been married for 3 and a half years. I had a beautiful 4 year old boy at the time we married. You see, God brings wonderful, undeserving things to us before we even know we need them. God knew that I needed this little boy and knew that he would teach me things I had not learned in all my 22 years. It was my love for this child that helped me to understand better the love that the Father has for me. If I, in all my sinfulness, disobedience, and pride, could love a child more than life itself and do whatever I needed to protect him from harm, how much more does my heavenly Father, who is perfect, who is love itself, love me? It is a love I cannot even wrap my brain around. Today, Caleb is a wonderful 8 year old and gives me a new reason to love him everyday. Here is his school picture from earlier this year...
God also brought another light into my life at the time of my marriage. I became a stepmom. Dewayne also had a four year old son (they are two months apart) and we determined to make our new little family as cohesive as possible. Being a stepmom at first was tricky. I was not sure how I was supposed to relate to Garth's mom and her family and they were not sure about me. Today, I am so thankful to say that we have a lot of admiration and respect for one another. Garth's mom allowed him to live here with us so he could be homeschooled with his brother and sister because she and Garth's dad agreed that it would be best for him. That took a lot of courage and selflessness on her part. She lives 800 miles away! And Garth's extended family, who also lives near his mother, loves him so much and keeps in constant touch with him, so that he feels safe and secure in the love of his ENTIRE family. He is a blessed litlle boy. I love him dearly and couldn't imagine our family without him here. Introducing Garth...
And that brings me to Hannah. Dewayne and I found out we were pregnant almost as soon as we said, "Let's try to have another baby...we know it may take a while..." Well, it didn't. Our daughter will be two this week and is definately the firecracker of the bunch. This sweet one will steal your heart one minute and make your blood pressure rise the next. After six years without a baby in either mine or Dewayne's life, it was almost as if we began all over again. But changing diapers is like riding a bike...you never forget how. We love our sweet, sassy little girl and are praying daily for her future husband already...
I am proud of the family God has blessed me with and I pray that I can inspire them to be Godly adults.
Thanks for allowing me to brag for a minute or two...they are my life.
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...Here is Hannah...
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We decided to do science experiments a couple of weeks ago. I found a really cool website that has easy science experiments. My ds8 chose the one where we put hard candies in soda to see what happened. Hard to believe, but this is what happens when you put a pack of Mentos hard candy in a bottle of diet soda...
Here is Caleb doing the Vanna White thing to demonstrate the items used in this portion of the experiement.
My dh was chosen to be the "funnel holder". I haven't seen him move that fast in a while
And it went up...
...and up...
...and up!!!
That is no trick photo...the diet soda spewed out in a column higher than our house! Go figure. The moral of the story is...never eat Mentos and drink a diet soda. Here is the link to this experiment...it has step by step directions and an explanation of why this happens...Steve Spangler Science.
Enjoy! DonDee |
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