Saturday, January 31, 2009

Draw nigh to God and HE WILL draw nigh unto you...

In getting an inbox of emails from you all, I have been humbled, encouraged and simply awe struck by the scope of people peeking-in on our corner of the world. And now, though I am glad to hear from you all, it is also a curse to me because I now see all of your faces when I sit to try to write anything.... so forgive me as I pretend you all are not here for a few moments okay?

Today something so sweet happened that from the minute it transpired I KNEW I needed to share it with even one person who needs it. And I begin by saying that if you are spooked by someone telling you that the Holy Spirit himself spoke to them, by all means FIND ANOTHER THING TO READ AND PASS YOUR TIME........UM, NOW.

This week, as was stated earlier, has been one of the roughest, most emotional weeks I have had in a LONG time. Yes I am 11 1/2 weeks expectant, and I am sure that has some to do with it, but my Hubby hugged me tonight (well one of a zillion times today) and told me that this HAS INDEED BEEN A WEEK. So there, it is not ALL hormones.

Today was no exception. Now sometimes I am real funny....well most times, and sometimes I am real honest, but I hope that those of you who know me personally know that I am nothing if not "real." I don't think I could fake something if I wanted to. Today I was reminded that the Lord cares for me personally and will draw any man (or woman) to Himself. Just yesterday I told a friend of mine that I wanted to be reminded that the Lord was still there, still knew my struggles, knew where I live that we were almost out of peanut butter. The Lord in his great love and mercy answered my prayer today.

Today was the culmination of me being so "full" of everything else except the Lord Himself. (Calm down I am not Charismatic.....why on earth have we let them steal every phrase and feeling?) And today the Lord refused to let me go any further. Last night that friend encouraged me so greatly and had a sweet letter waiting for my reading first thing this morning. Actually she stayed up way too late to write me to make sure I had it in the morning for which I am forever grateful. I read the letter and then got on with getting the day started in a rush, forgoing my devotional time with the Lord (if you have never done that, again this is too much for your intelligence, there are other perfect blogs out there friends..) quite forgetting it frankly in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for a bus workers banquet today. But the Lord had been slighted and He was not about to let me get off easy.

I am at the church setting up. I am cold, hungry and no one to be trifled with friends. Then I am off, alone to run errands on one side of town, while Joel runs errands on the other. Right before pulling into my first stop a song is playing from my radio that sends my trodden down spirit soaring for a few minutes........I sit in the lot and enjoy it and let a tear trickle down my cheek. "Thank you Lord, you knew that is one of my favorite songs and I needed it." It was here that the loving Holy Spirit answered me the first time, "That comforted you for a time, but now the song is over...what will you do now?" I teared up and left to go into the store, possibly thinking that the gracious Holy Spirit would sit in the car and wait for me???? In the store the sales people were unmistakably kind, and the verse, "the goodness of the Lord leadeth thee to repentance..." (Romans 2:4) flashed into my mind. Well It was off to another store and again the sales people were the nicest I have had in a long time. Again the verse and the Lord telling me, "I can use anyone to draw someone to myself Deena."

I felt like Mary, pondering all these things in my heart, which was almost to the point of overflowing. Again another stop for banquet items and I, realizing that I had missed lunch thought about something that would make me feel great. I love, enjoy, get such satisfaction from eating out. I think any mother of lots of small kids does! So as I get to my treasured fast food stop to satisfy my hunger there is the Holy Spirit prodding again, "If you eat this you will hunger again, but I have meat to eat that ye know not of. " So I am standing in front of the cash register and shielding my eyes as I place my order so as to not let the teenager see me crying over my order! I walk out and begin to head back to the church. I reach for my purse looking for my phone to call my sweet sister Dawn. She can tell me anything and I can tell her anything and we still love each other and still like being together! I am upset because I want to talk to HER and left the phone at the church! Yep, you guessed it, the Holy Spirit again pleads with me, "Who else will you run to? What else will you fill yourself up with? Nothing will satisfy you, comfort you. " And then I remember a song I love to sing in church.....


"The World will try to satisfy, that longing in your soul,
You may search the wide world o'er but you'll be just as before.
You'll never find true satisfaction until you've found the Lord,
For only JESUS can satisfy your soul."

I have sung this song many times, from my heart pleading with whomever my eyes would meet in church to come to the Lord, and Now I am the one who needs to run to Him. I am now at the church and Hubby greets me. He knows me and knows that I am struggling. Not just struggling, but STRUGGLING and wrestling with something heavy. We let the kids run around like the hoodlums that they naturally are and find a room to sit alone and talk. I tell him, wearily what has transpired. I told him that I am so full of "noise," and when it is quiet and I can actually think all I want is more "noise" to console me. And the Lord has said all day to me, "Come unto ME, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) It doesn't say, "Come to the Internet..." or "Come to your favorite CD," or "Come watch your favorite movie," or even "Come call your bestest friend." It says "Come unto ME.......I will give you rest." And that is exactly what I needed..........much sought after REST. Hubby let me cry and cry and interrupt his banquet preparation and friends that means more than a dozen roses every Tuesday to me!

Made it through the banquet and home at long last and as soon as the kids were tucked in and Hubby had yet another errand to run, I headed to the basement. Here it gets all Charismatic so be forewarned! I knelt on a blanket, and burying my head in a pillow, cried out to the Lord. I felt like Jacob wrestling with the Lord telling him in my heart of hearts that I would not let Him go until He blessed me......until He was there meeting with me.

I have always been against people putting God "in a box." Our lives are so fast paced, we get food fast, instant messages, instant tax refunds directly deposited to our accounts.........we have no time to wait on God. We do our "ditty" pray, read, and then get going. I am no exception friends. I learned a great lesson today. Wait on God. Get with Him.........alone, for a long time. Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." Do you get the significance of the commas????? No? well I will elaborate......wait (HEY YOU) I say (Yes YOU... DO IT!) on the Lord. Did that clarify? Don't want ya left in the dark on that one friends. I wept there on the basement floor with my rear end up in the air for a long time. I sang, I prayed, I thanked, truthfully I worshiped the Lord on the basement carpet. There I said it. I WORSHIPED. And I am not ashamed of it either. And no my singing did not include repeating "Our God is an awesome God." It was sweet and I hope as you read this you are jealous of me and want YOUR time with the Lord. He is jealous of you friends. He wants you all to Himself. What noise is in your life that is so deafening that it covers the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to you??

My prayers are with you tonight. I wish you could see me, no not in the blue chair...I am still downstairs, with my raccoon eyes from my mascara running. My Husband came home, found me and loves me for deciding to spend more time with the Lord. Spend time with your "Husbands" this week.


P.S. For my sake, if you don't agree or have some odd comment.......um, refrain. At least let me get to next week before you do!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Fond recollections from the Big Blue Chair

It is evening. Some are crying, some are drinking their last sips of water before bed, some are trying to talk Dad into letting them sleep in their "fort" on the couch, and some are refusing to get into their jammies. And I am pretending to be invisible on the blue chair where I can watch everyone and enjoy my melancholy, which may be a result of a lack of butterscotch topping in my recent diet...... This has been a week. Some of you know, some of you don't want to know, and some of you know me and so you have an idea how this week might have transpired! Joel laughs at me because the minute dinner is over, I pull him to sit on the couch with me where I can just lay my head on his shoulder and hide from the world for awhile. There are weeks when I long to just sit all day and talk with him and share my burdens with him and hear him check them off one by one and fix my "unfixables." Without sounding sappy, we all know that our husbands should be a picture of Christ and his love for us as Christ loves the church. I am convinced that no one talks about that much because they either a) Don't think it is possible, or b) Refuse to try to make their marriage that way. Mine is. Everyone's can be. Pray for yours. I say the previoius because today when I was giving my burdens to my husband I was again thinking of the verse in 1 Peter 5:7- "Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you." Not only do I cast my care upon the Lord and trust Him to take care of me because He DOES care for me, but I also cast my cares on my husband, who loves and cares for me as the Lord himself. Love, care, gives comfort and support and I get those from my Heavenly Father and my Earthly Hubby.

Lately I am looking at my little house and the contents of it in a more meaningful light. Tonight during family devotions I just cherished the feeling of me being right next to Joel, so close he almost couldn't turn the page in his bible....loved my 3 and 4 year olds on my other side sharing a blanket with me, loved holding their hands to keep them warm, loved it all. Loved Isaac and Abbs following along in the blue chair (I sometimes relinquish it yes) in their bibles, loved Anna on Joel's lap every once in a while looking at me and gibbering and having to tell her for the um-teenth time to "SHHH." Loved my wonderful family. I am where God wants me, and nothing compares to that. Not even butterscotch. I hope that tonight, reading this over your cup of hot beverage of choice, (I am plugging Sleepytime with honey here....) you can smile, scroll down and feel the same way.

Take time tonight to reflect on God's goodness to you. Tonight I am thankful for my family. Thankful for another little mouth to feed sometime in August. That means one more "I love you Neena," in this house. That means one more little one to let eat Oreo's for breakfast once or twice. 6 kiddos to pile on you when you are pretending to sleep on the couch and 6 kiddos to teach more than anything to love God with all their heart and to be thankful to everyone for everything.

Goodnight friends. God bless you wherever you are. Thank you to the sweet person who said to me today, "I love talking to you and Joel. You guys make me happy to be alive." Praise the Lord, we ARE happy to be alive serving the Lord!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Private Format

Hello all Joel here,

Since we don't know who all is reading this, we thought we would spread the word in a post. We will switching to a private format blog on February 17 th. We just did not want to be left out of this whole transition thing. :-)

Anyway, If you would like to continue to read ( which we sincerely hope you do) Please send us your email. Hurry there is only a limited number allowed.

Wow! Are we sales people or what!!

Really, this has nothing to do with Deena's old piano teacher finding her. :-)

Hope to hear from you all soon!!!

joelanddeena@att.net

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

A small Poem

After hearing a poem written by our favorite poet- Edgar A. Guest- recently, Isaac was inspired to write a poem derived from Mr. Guests own "She Mothered Five". He had to make slight revision to adapt it to our circumstance.

Enjoy!


She Mothered Six

By Isaac Royalty



She mothered six!
Each night she covered six little noses with Vicks.

She mothered six!

And told them not to play with sticks.

She mothered six!

She taught them how to bake and mix.

She mothered six!

She showed them how their bed to fix.

She mothered six! She mothered six! I wonder what she
Will do next.

Think "outside" the box.......Have a blast "inside" the box!

I am more convinced than ever that kiddos do NOT need the zillions of toys that the media pushes on us parents. And for those of us fortunate enough to not be able to finance all of them, we improvise. I am also convinced that brothers and sisters can have just as much fun themselves when they seek to help another sibling have a great time. So.....this was us one lazy snowy afternoon. Anna+a diaper box= a lot of laughs for us all.





Everyone enjoyed a turn sliding Anna-banana around the kitchen floor and we all loved listening to her giggles!



A sweet cheesy grin of thanks to her brothers and sister!

Monday, January 26, 2009

The kids are taking piano...........be afraid, be very afriad.

The kids have begun piano lessons with Grandma and what a ruckus (literally) this has caused in this small house. Did I ever mention that we have 5 kiddos in a 600 square foot house??? Add a piano and those practicing it daily and I should be Queen of something..... just for not losing my mind!

We are not music aficionados by any stretch, tho my Hubby and I met while singing in a traveling College Ensemble, and we sing all the time as a family. Joel has picked up the trumpet again with much delight, and I myself have picked it up off of the floor to try to shield it from dents and have felt little to no joy myself in doing so. But to each his own. So, now that the home-students are well into reading, this was the year to begin piano. I must get over this weird picture of a guy from college playing the organ with his shoes off, to enjoy my son playing piano. Guys and piano never really mixed when I was growing up and those that did play were usually REALLY enthusiastic about it, and um truth be told, I think they are still unmarried. Just something else goin on there.... I digress.

So, now we have, sit-down-plunk-it-out-as-hard-as-all-get-out Isaac, and did-it-while-you-weren't-looking-tho-you-didn't-hear-me Abbs. Isaac gets down to business and the neighbors can even hear him hit a wrong note. Abby is easily distracted and has to be prodded to find each note. I am glad that Isaac enjoys it tho I do not enjoy hearing him at this stage, and for the record I am going to start making him wear shoes while playing.... just because. Abby is going to get a large sign that she will be made to wear while playing that says, "Boredom is a state of mind." And tho she will have no clue as to its meaning, it sure will give me some comic relief every time I head over to her and get her to keep playing.

And I am just waiting for the day to arrive when they play the song that my piano career ended with. Yes I did attempt to play some myself, and also attempted the clarinet for a year as well....... the secrets I have kept hidden... Well in college I did want to learn piano. I actually have always wanted to learn piano, AND my parents had, and still have, a Baby Grand piano who's sole purpose is to hold old embarrassing pictures of us kids on top of it. My parents did not want to be bothered with me learning, which I now can understand, and so I waited until college to try again. Several obstacles met me head on. One, to take piano at college you had to have One-hundred dollars up front before lessons even started. Now I was not a Pastor's kid, or had some benefactor from home, so there was no money to be found anywhere......not even to get my things out of lost and found! So that was hard and I still do not know between working in the library, and cleaning apartments HOW on earth I ever got money to begin, but begin I did. Obstacle number two was my teacher. She had almost a dark personality, enjoying your failure a little too much if I do say so myself. She also had no respect for that 2 inches in front of your nose that I like to call my "personal space." I remember she kept the record for the amount of girls she could bring to tears after each lesson. I did find great comfort in discovering that I could imitate her to the "T" and would use impressions of her to get other piano students out of their doldrums.....wha ha ha...

So I left off on a dinky child's song, which, when my kiddos reach I will be somewhere either impersonating my old piano teacher or cringing.....or both perhaps.

I do find great pleasure in hearing my children sing, during devotion time especially, when we all pick a part of a hymn and try to see if we can make it to the end without all the kids singing the same note! Recently we learned the hymn, "Ready," and Nathan will walk the house singing, "Ready my suffer grief or pain...!" Now this is what he is wanting to say, tho it sounds more to me like, "Ready my suffer re-fer-tame." Kind of like some derivative of aspartame. And then this morning Isaac was getting his chores done singing, "There is a BUM in Gilead...." NEVER a dull moment.

So in conclusion, I have come to recognize that the Bible does indeed say "joyful noise," I believe meaning, that the one creating the NOISE for you will most likely be a little too JOYFUL for your taste, but if it is indeed towards the Lord then reach for the headphones and your favorite cd and smile at them when they look your direction for affirmation.

Friday, January 23, 2009

I was TAGGED!

I was tagged on facebook to list 25 Random things about me, and since it has been a while since the "Bad News Blog Post," I thought I would give it a go. So here are 25 MORE things you will be so glad you know about me.........remember we are all about humor here.

1. I have saved Chinese take out for a week in the fridge and ate it. (Um that was today :)

2. I love, love, love holding Anna until she falls asleep.. and I fall asleep also. (again today)

3. I lived in Mongolia for 10 months.

4. I cooked from "scratch" for those 10 months, and did quite well I might add.

5. I have a dog named "Buddy."

6. If I could live anywhere it would be Idaho.

7. I still am puzzled at what my spiritual gift is!

8. I am the 3rd of 4 children and have 2 older sisters and 1 younger brother.

9. I can rollerskate really well backwards. (remind me to tell you about Joel sometime.... ;)

10. I am one of a very few who STILL does not wear pants. (Nope not even in Mongolian weather folks.)

11. I have been to see and thoroughly enjoy the Bar-J.

12. I LOVE turtles...like the kind you eat. Though sea turtles are really cool as well.

13. I am getting better at homeschooling.

14. How many more of these do I have to fill up????

15. I give my husband the best Starburst flavors instead of eating them myself.

16. I can sing with my mouth closed........keep pondering that one.

17. I remember where I was at when I knew I would marry Joel.

18. Yesterday I read an amazing article on the relationship between Mrs. Susanna and Mr. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and one on the deaths of John and Betty Stam. I read REAL stories about real people, and things that can help me be better at something.

19. Do you ever wonder what happened to John and Betty Stam's 3 month old daughter Hellen that they hid so she would be spared???? Hmmmmm you are wondering I can tell.

20. My husband teases me and tells me that what I don't understand I make fun of. I think I make fun of what I do know just as much.

21. I got engaged in a castle.....in Illinois. Yep there is one.

22. I watch the Duggars because I just love em'.

23. I hate politics....I mean between organizations, not governmental. I hate that there is usually a catch to everything.

24. I do love tea, even herbal tea.

25. I consult Consumer Reports on a regular basis.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Mixed-blessing Bars

Tonight we, my 8 year old and I, made Mixed-blessing Bars. If you have an 8 year old in the kitchen I am sure you have made them before also!

Here's the mix:

Take one excellent Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe

One unbelievably animated and chatty 8 year old

Brown sugar that Hubby went out into the frigid weather to bring just for cookies

And one distracted Mom

Mix thoroughly, forget the other half a page of ingredients in the hustle and bustle (and CHATTING) and spread em' on your favorite stone, knowing that you never have time or patience to wait and drop each individual cookie, and making them into bars tastes better so you say. Pop em' in the oven at 375 and head down stairs to chat yourself with Hubby, telling him how your ears are ready to fall off. A minute or two it will hit you, as you recall to Hubby how distracted you were, that you did indeed forget some major ingredients and you will in a mad dash run upstairs taking two at a time, pull the stone out of the oven and stand and stare at them for a good minute wondering what to do. Then you will scrape them off of the stone BACK into the bowl, add the precious ingredients, and realize that all the chocolate chips have had just enough time to melt and make the dough a brown ugly mess speckled with walnuts. You will at this time remember the old addage, "When life hands you lemons.." and you will frown and tell yourself that you would throw the lemons back at whomever dared give them to you in the first place!! (Of course "you" would do all these things and not "me" of course...completely ficticous! )

And after the bars are out and cooled off, and you have as well, you will realize that you will keep the bars and the 8 year old, knowing you are only reaping what you put your own sweet Mother through, and smother them with ice cream and butterscotch topping. (The Cookie Bars that is..not the 8 year old for clarification.) Everything is better with butterscotch on it friends.





You will sit in the blue chair and forget all about the figurine that he broke, how your Hubby sweetly pretended half for your sanity and his sake that it COULD be put together granted we owned some stock in the Crazy Glue company. Memories of you taking off your glasses making you half blind so that you could not see the damage or the perpetrator, will vanish into thin air.... which is the only thin thing these days thanks to butterscotch. You will listen to your Hubby read you your favorite Poet, Edgar A. Guest and watch as one by one the kiddos come out of their beds to snuggle with Dad to listen as he reads "I Don't Want to Go To Bed" a fitly choice for the hoolagins. You look, laugh at their mis-matched pajamas and realize that all is well with the world. We are one figurine less, one batch of cookies down, and one day spent as a blessed family.




Wednesday, January 14, 2009

A Little Levity

I LOVE QUOTES. Love 'em. And in college a favorite Professor and I would swap them. Good times. So I am going to post some now and then in hopes that you can get a good laugh. You know we're all about humor here.

Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

He, who laughs last, thinks slowest

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

The 50/50/90 rule: Anytime you have a 50/50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

It is said that if you line up all the cars int he world end-to-end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them.

If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

the things that come to those that wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day.

Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries

The shin bone is a device for finding furniture in the dark.

When you go into court you are putting yourself in the hands of twelve people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

Gravity: it's the law.



Pr 17:22a " A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:"

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Just Like I promised

I posted a poem a while back that my wife wrote and I said that I would post more. Problem was that I could not find the book that they were all in. Well, I finally found it!! So here are one or two more.....

Others Kindness

I'm overwhelmed by the kindness
Through others the Lord does perform.
Anonymous money, a fresh bag of groceries,
A coat to keep little ones warm

It's true that the Lord has a storehouse
To reward us for our faithfulness.
But so often I lose sight of whom God does choose,
As a channel to give us his best.

Ah, the joys beyond measure,
At sight of the treasure,
That makes our weary soul sing!

On this side of heaven,
One cannot understand,
God's miraculous blessings
Through mere human hands.




True Friends

I thought of you dear friend today,
Across the many a miles.
And how I missed your friendliness,
your sweetness and your smile.

For today Satan tempted me
So hard and strong to sin,
But in my heart I heard your prayers
And fought on hard to win.

Today apart from other days,
My heart discouraged grew.
And even though some tears did come,
I joyed to think of you!

So thank you for your prayers for me
Which carried me along,
And for your love I felt today
which gave my soul a song!
~ April 2003


I am so thankful for a wife who can see the hand of the Lord. I am thankful also for her ability to write- not only humorously but also thoughtfully and poetically. I know that these writings will be a great legacy in the years to come for our family.

The Lord has been so good to allow us the years that we have had together. They have been the best of my life.

I love you too ,sweetheart!!!


Friday, January 9, 2009

You Are What You Read.....

My Mom always tells me I was "born in the wrong era." When she calls and I am pickling beets, crocheting a scrubbie, or cutting-out culottes for Abbs, she laughs and repeats to me this familiar phrase. I actually like hearing it. I am a die-hard cute apron wearin', jumper sportin', fancy table settin', bread bakin' kinda woman. The other day when I was getting ready to head out the door to the car for church, my Sweetheart who was right behind me stopped me, took me by the arm, spun me around, looked me dead in the eye and said...."THIS is you." Now before you think he fell of the hay wagon, or wonder if he had someone else roaming the house impersonating his wife, let me pontificate.....

A week or so ago, I was having one of those, "I look frumpy to others and need to look spiffy kinda days." COME ON....you know what I mean. That skirt that makes you feel uncomfortable but you keep for when you go and visit family or for your class reunion so you look to "the nines." That was the kind of day I was having. And my husband did not disapprove of what I wore, he just hugged me and told me that "it was nice, but it wasn't me." I mumbled something at the time like....."Yeah it doesn't have gravy stains on it! Amazing!' But I knew what he meant.

So back to right before leaving for church....

You guessed it, I was wearing, a jumper. Yep. A long, cordoroy one. With matching turtleneck....snazy to you I know. But while I wasn't looking, my old modest-homemaking self returned. And. He. Was. Glad. And so was I. We had a good laugh. That really IS me. And funny thing is....Joel married me for who I am. That homemaker he saw on her way to church. Friends, he even married me and fell in love with me before plucking my eyebrows was even thought of by me.......yes this man is unbelievably wonderful.

And tonight I am in the blue chair with an omage to Hubby. Today I texted him and just lightly told him that I wished we could talk....right then. Go to lunch and just sit and talk about some things that were troubling me. I got in the shower and when I got out and checked to see if he had written, he had with a, "Be ready at 1." :-) Our sweet college girl Clara came wizzing over to watch the two kiddos that were not napping and we left for the corner Italian restaurant. WOW! This is like in the movies! ;-) We talked, and he listened, held my hand and reassured every fear, worry and fret that I had, and that meant the world to me.

Everyone who knows Joel knows that he is a good man. He is a Godly man, and he loves his family. But I just cannot help but reitterate that he is the best example of Christ's love for the church that I know. Even his sister who can tease him to death knows these things. :-) He would do anything at anytime for anyone. We literally rejoice when he comes through the door and even hope beyond all hope that he will one morning get snowed-in with us so we can enjoy him all day long. Now I know, he is not perfect....he doesn't like rosemarino....but he is (as the teens have heard me say a zillion times!) the nearest perfect person I know. I don't believe in "luck" and I don't even like to say it. So I believe that in God's gracious "providence" He gave Joel to me before the foundation of the world. And I will spend the rest of my feeble existence thanking and praising Him.

So you can now browse these pictures taken tonight (excuse the date on my camera...gotta figure that out!) and see what a blessing I live with, and maybe get a glimpse of why I love him more than anyone in this world.



Renee I wish you could've come over while Joel read to us! Renee knows how much I love when Joel reads to us. PBS should get a deal with him....he is soo fun!




Abby was so cute. She was intently listening about David Livingstone.


And yes, that book is OLD....and GOOD!!! Joel is famous for reading us stories that you haven't heard in a long long time or even that you have never heard. At the end of the 3 stories about David Livingstone he read tonight, Mr. Kerr added what was famously said of Mr. Livingstone and I wanted to include it because I was facinated with it!

"He needs no epitaph to guard a name
Which men shall prize while worthy work is known;
He lived and died for good -- be that his fame;
Let marble crumble: This is Living-Stone."

And I thought about my dear sweet husband, and thought that he shares a similar testimony for the Lord. I love you Joel!!!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

A Lazy Day at our House

The morning is underway........hubby kisses me goodbye when he leaves and with my eyes closed I smile, tell him I love him too, and enjoy the smell of his cologne on my cheek while I have my devotions. Every wife should wake up this way!

This morning is underwear??...... Nathan comes in with underwear on backwards, telling me (with a huge smile) that he wet his pants last night on the couch! Yes he would have used an exclamation mark had he written this incident to someone... Half awake I ask him, "Where are your pants now?" He informs me that Daddy took them off, got him new underwear and so, tho he is absolutely freezing he is dry and so all is well with the world. He just didn't want me to miss out on the morning's headlines I guess.

This morning's discovery........ We have a 50 pound bag of rolled oats that we have been enjoying this Winter. We fill an empty 5 gallon ice cream bucket and dip out of that until we need more. And when we do need more, Nathan is usually thrilled to venture downstairs and "Help" fill the bucket with whomever is lucky enough to have to take him with them. A day or so ago, we thought we had reached the end of our resources, so to speak. Alas, Dad informed us that the bag WAS down there, it would probably just take an Act of Congress to find it. Well this morning was that morning. Isaac and Nathan headed downstairs in search of the Oats. Patch the Pirate is playing, Abby is washing dishes, and up from the downstairs come the peals of joy..... Yes, friends the Oats have in fact been located. EVERYONE was tickled....literally. They were jumping, yelling......you would have thought we had in fact discovered the New World once again. The look of achievement on their faces even tickled me. Good for them. There will be happiness now, and tomorrow...there will be oatmeal.

This morning's shock......While checking email my nose started bleeding.....Ugh! I can handle just about any weird strange thing, but nosebleeds look awful, take forever to go away and give you that Blah taste in your mouth! So I am in the blue chair with a lovely wad of tissue in my nose, which for MY nose, is almost half a roll. One of my dear children asked me about it at breakfast and before I could answer turned to their sister and commented..."She probably was picking her nose." You guessed it. Right then I felt like the "joyful mother of children" that the Bible speaks of. If you don't have a sense of humor, you simply cannot make it in this life. Plain as that.

This morning's plan........To keep my little ones happy and warm and give them good memories to look back on. I unashamedly announced awhile back that once (or twice) when I was expecting, I let all the kiddos eat Oreo's and milk for breakfast. That, my friends, is a memory. Today at the breakfast table Abbs asked me if we could do all our chores, get the house ship shape, and then snuggle on the couch and watch Sheffey. Couldn't think of a better idea myself!!! Today we are setting routine aside, and we are making a memory. If you are bored of YOUR routine you are more than welcome to enjoy a memory with us. Warning tho, if you choose to make fun of my wad in my nose, you will be forced to miss the best parts of Sheffey. For those of you wondering if I am torturing my kids with numerous watchings of Sheffey, THEY are asking me to watch it!! And funny thing, the movie Sheffey is beginning to be one of those untouchables with me. Kinda like you can tease your family, but no one else can. You can have Nemo, (ha ha can't even think of any more!!) that Rat movie.... that is the best I can come up with! MY kiddos are gonna watch Sheffey. And they can watch it everyday like some kids watch cartoons, and in years to come we will evaluate who has benefited from what! Ok, I am getting off the soapbox....the height is making my nosebleed worse.

This morning I am enjoying my family, wishing my Sweetheart could be snowed-in with us, and happy to be a Mom. We have determined to enjoy this day. I am hoping you find some happy spot yourself and enjoy YOUR day. If not, the blue chair will be warmed and ready for you.

Monday, January 5, 2009

The Royalty Kidds Chorus

When we arrived home from our date, Clara had the kiddos waiting for us with this..... thought you might like it too!!!





Thanks Clara!!! She is such a wonderful babysitter :)

Home on The Range

The Shooting Range, that is....


His....



And Hers..

My Semi-shootin' Sweetheart

Pistol-packin' Momma

Enjoying some time alone


Yep, a date like this will definitely put a smile on your face!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Back in the Saddle Again

Hello you two faithful viewers you! I am back in the blue chair and back online. After a few weeks of break I thought we would give it a go today. I have half been staying away due to the fact that we are expecting another blessing (yes I did say "blessing" at least that is how I interpret Psalm 127:3 read it. WOW it says REWARD you all! ) and I can be anywhere and at any time fall completely asleep. Seems like lately my "get up and go has got up and went!" I have in the past weeks fallen asleep at the dinner table of all places and too many other places to announce publicly. I.Have.Been.Tired. So....that has been an issue. Remember with me will you that this blog is on the bottom of the totum pole as far as priorities go when raising 5 kiddos. Also, though, my creative juices just seemed to have dried up. Then after a brief hilarious chat with my "Jeffersonian" friend they started flowing again.


I have been pondering New Year's Resolutions....... notice I just said "pondering" and not "making" resolutions. These days my only goal is to have clean underclothes for the family each day and dinner on the table when Hubby comes home. Yeah, not a lot of ambition goin on here. Well then today in Sunday School we were asked what resolutions we had made and it got me REALLY wondering. And I think I know what I want mine to be this year.

I want to spend this whole year REALLY looking forward to heaven.

I want to get my eyes off of a house that is older than Methuselah and realize that this is just a "pit stop" as I finish the work that God has called me to and head to my real home away from home. I get caught up in financial stress, confrontations, world wars, gas prices, and even scare myself silly when someone has some medical problem that looks like their time here on this Earth might be coming to an end. ?????????? THIS IS NOT HOME. (Repeat that to yourself 5 times) Look at your walls, your Kitchen Aid mixer, your Yankee Candle, your Home Interiors picture and tell yourself as you look at them, "This is not my home. This is not where I will spend eternity. All of this is God's and on lend to use for His glory until I get settled into my new place." Okay stop talking out loud, you are worrying the neighbors...

Think of your things, your life as one giant loan from a Heavenly "Rent-A-Center." Um, without all the hidden fees! :) I want to look at Heaven in a new light. Not as something that is wonderful and glorious............if you HAVE to go there. Yes the Lord is there......but squeeze the life out of everything you can HERE before you HAVE to go and be with HIM. I am going to spend less time worrying about cancer and more time laying up things that I will enjoy forever. I am NOT going to bawl like no tomorrow when a sweet saint dies, but will rejoice that they are once again reunited with their sweetheart. Why should I be selfish with them here where they have pain, discouragement and loneliness when they can be with their loved ones in a perfect body.

Yes I said a PERFECT body. All in favor of going home today raise your hand!!!!

Now all of this includes being a better wife and mother and loving investing my time and love and energy in them because...TADA!!! they are coming along for the ride too! What can be better than making your rented home a little heaven on earth until you ALL are reunited IN HEAVEN? So get out your nice apron, read more books, make more biscuts with real butter and serve them with your homemade white peach jam. Put a hot cup of tea in Hubby's hand when he gets home while humming "When we all get to heaven," and pause a moment to look Heavenward.......................