It works!

Apparently it is our computer or internet (A.L. - I could use your live-in computer guy!) that rejects my every attempt to open Blogger.  I am on my parents' computer at their house, and Blogger likes me again.  Maybe I will have to post things on Sundays when we come.  I have been trying to post some pictures on Facebook for grandparents and great grandparents to see, so check there if you'd like to see the kiddos. :) 

We are back in the swing of things with Lily in second grade, Eli in Kindergarten, and Kaylee wanting to "do school" too. :)  We've got 2 weeks under out belts.  So far, so good!  Girl Scouts, ballet, running club, and events with the homeschool group will be in full swing soon. 

I am in a weird place that I am not very accustomed to right now.  I am not pregnant or breastfeeding or potty training.  As far as we know we don't have any moves or job changes in the immediate future.  Since we've been married something "big" is always coming up or happening.  Now, ????  Funny how I thought for so long that I just wanted "normal" or "stable," and now I don't know what to do with that.  Jon's hours can still be a little weird and unpredictable, but in many senses I think this is what "normal" is.  Of course my days are still full, but this just feels different.  I find myself asking God, "Now what?"  I wonder if there is something, or if it is a time to be more settled and restored?  I can't articulate what this all feels like even to myself, so this is perhaps super confusing since you aren't in my head. :)  Would you pray for me (for all of us) as we walk in this previously uncharted territory?

Our littlest one just got out of the pool and needs help putting dry clothes on, so that's my cue to sign off. :)

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

A great article for mamas to read:

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

A little excerpt...

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Okay, now go read the whole thing :)

Again! Again!

Last night I read to our kids the section in our Helping Children Understand the Gospel booklet about God being the sovereign creator of all things.  It started off with a bang as the first scripture reference was a favorite of Lily and Eli's (Go ahead, read it out loud!  You'll see the way it feels rolling off your tongue :) ):

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Psalm 19:1

The illustration of this concept was a hit with all 3 kids.  So much so that I repeated it over and over last night, and again at the breakfast table this morning.  The book suggests paper and crayons, but we happened to be sitting by a chalkboard and chalk.  I started drawing a butterfly and then pretended the chalk said things to me like, "I don't want to draw a butterfly!"  Laughter like you wouldn't believe and the chance to talk about how just like it'd be crazy for the chalk to be in control, it would be foolish for us to believe we're in charge.  Sovereign creator is a big concept to wrap your brain around, but I think this helped give our kids a glimpse of what it means.

Meet Hopper {Pet For a Day}

 Meet Hopper.  I love how original our children are.  Creative geniuses I'm sure. :)

 He's kind of cute in that really slimy, gross kind of freaky-eyed way.

The sound of cicadas in our backyard was replaced with the sound of frogs.  Is there anywhere I can live where things that fly and hop don't invade our backyard?  If one or two creatures wanted to join us and let the kids torture them enjoy some hands on science, that'd be perfect.  It's just that I feel like we're living in Egypt during the time of Moses and the plagues.  It's a little beyond my comfort level to shine a flash light on a kiddie pool infested with frogs and then find thousands (I am not kidding.) of eggs and some type of clear goo all in the pool and pre-getting in the pool foot washing bin the next morning.  Nastiest thing I've seen since watching an army of cicadas crawl out of the ground.

I scrubbed that pool with a magic eraser and some heavy duty cleaner not wanting the kids to swim in such conditions.  Not fun or quick if you were wondering.  I did that on two separate occasions and then the frogs were done laying eggs.  The stinking (literally) water still looked like lake water though.  No doubt those frogs were partying in our pool still.  I told the kids it was like having a pond in our backyard.  They bought in to the excitement, and got in the nasty water.

I think I horrified Jon just a little at my frighteningly low standards for water cleanliness and lack in judgement.  He instantly told them not to drink it, not to even put their face near it.  Oh yeah, should have mentioned that.  I guess I just assumed that was understood.  Maybe not a safe assumption when you have kids who make choices such as putting a bandana over their eyes and walking around running into walls just to get a laugh from their siblings.

And in other backyard news, our kids like to make rides out of fallen tree branches.  It is likely K only has on a raincoat.  Again, low standards. ;o)

Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Operation Make Our Kids Think I'm Awesome

So it may not be my most important goal as a mom, but what parent doesn't want their kids to think they're awesome?! :)  It's a huge bonus when I enjoy whatever has been deemed awesome and/or it was accomplished with little effort {I may have just completed Operation Show People Your Laziness}.  A few ways to make your kids think you're the coolest on the block {Not hard for me since most people on our block are 60+ years old - no super cool, super fun moms to be compared to right here. ;o) }....

 1.  Let them be naked or mostly naked all day.

 2.  Make Let them stay outside ALL day.  I think this pool was around $30.00 at Big Lots - best purchase of the year. 

 3.  Laugh loudly at their silly faces and at every show they put on for you {even when they are all virtually identical}.

 4.  Let them play outside after dinner until it is "late."

 5.  Make rice krispy treats {easiest dessert ever}.  For bonus points add sprinkles.  For even more bonus points eat them as a snack, not a dessert. :)

And a bonus picture of my Lily Girl who woke up yesterday with another tooth missing!  We've scoured the bed and can't find it.  She's bettin' she swallowed it.  Would you believe the tooth fairy forgot to come last night?  Minus a thousand awesome points.

You Have Absolute Power

{Hear that title in the older brother from E.T. voice.  If you don't know what that is, go watch E.T. :) }

The kids decorated and stapled together a paper chain to help count the days until we go to the beach.  I wanted to give them absolute power (You heard it again in your head, didn't you?!) to count the days themselves without asking me every twenty minutes. :)  Little KB conked out on the floor during the process.

Everything about this says wipe the hair from my face and kiss my head, eye, nose, cheek and lips.  Don't forget the warm little squishy hand!

Countdown

Nana and Papa have invited us to go to Florida with them in about a month.  Other than the fact that Jon won't be able to join us :( , the kids and I are really excited!  Lily and Eli can't wait to get their little toes back in sand, to splash in the ocean and find shells.  Kaylee B. will get her first ocean experience.  This makes me glad, because the girl asks me on occasion if the pool is an ocean.  She has no idea what awaits her!  She knows she is waiting for something awesome though. Every.single.time. I load her in the car she asks, "Are we going to the beach?!?"  When I try to tell her it will be a few weeks she gets disappointed (every.eingle.time) and says, "But you SAID we could go to the beach!"  Note to self: keep all things secret until 5 seconds before they happen.

It is important to me that our kids experience and enjoy God's creation.  Not to worship nature, but for the way it points us to the mighty, powerful, creative God who spoke it all into being.  Won't the ginormous ocean, countless grains of sand, shore birds, and crabs be an amazing testimony to the Creator?!  Oh to stand and feel so small by the vast Gulf, but know that God is gently and lovingly mindful of us!

Psalm 8

How Majestic Is Your Name

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.  A Psalm of David.

 ¹O LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
 ²Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
   to still the enemy and the avenger.

 ³When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴what is man that you are mindful of him,
   and the son of man that you care for him?

 ⁵Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
   and crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
   you have put all things under his feet,
⁷all sheep and oxen,
   and also the beasts of the field,
⁸the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
   whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

 ⁹O LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Heard Around Our House

Me: Watchya doin' out here [on the back deck putting your shorts back on]?
KB: I just tee-teed in the yard.  Watch out for it, you don't want to step in it.
Me:  Ok, thanks for the heads up.  Next time try the potty, ok?

Treasures

Cleaning out closets and cabinets always leads to rediscovering treasures :) ...

like the wooden tic-tac-toe game your Pops made you.

LC3 - Hats off to Jon & Luke :)

Aunt Nat-Nat working the registers :)

I will apologize to Kaylee when she's old enough to realize her mother put a clown shirt on her.

 Our 3 with cousins Mayme and itty bitty Raegan.  Let the record show that our children all fought over who would hold the baby.  Someday, Raegan, they might not want to share or something.  Just know they love you.

Yes, we really were eating dinner these weren't just photo props. :)  And it was super duper delicious!  I don't know what K is doing.  Playing the part of the clown perhaps.

I {HEART} Dollar Tree

There are other dollar stores out there, but this is my favorite.  The reason is a little silly since it has nothing to do with their products, but the fact that everything is $1.00 just makes it easy to shop there.  I'm there maybe once a month to replenish our tape and glue stick supply (our children can burn through rolls of tape and glue sticks like nothing I have ever seen).  Since I'm already there, :) I look at the rest of the school/office supplies.  The kids like playing with all the junk toys there {not sayin' we don't own any of said toys}, so they are happy little shoppers too.

Where in the world did all this DT excitement come from?  My finds today:

space folders, land forms cards with writing prompts, earth science sheets with information and questions, prefix/suffix - meaning matching game, bingo markers, vinyl badge holders, & tab dividers

This is getting long, but if you are a teacher - that'd be every mom, right?! - or just like school supplies :) you can keep reading for what I am doing with all this stuff...

We are studying earth science and space next year, so that explains those items.  And the tab dividers will be used for their assumed purpose. :)

I hope the matching game will be fun for Lily and help improve her reading skills.  Could be used as a filler - something for her to work on while she is waiting for me if I am busy helping E or K or if I am looking at just.one.more.thing. on Pinterest.  (It's ok to laugh...I am just kidding...I think...though last school year I didn't know about Pinterest...and it is pretty much a black hole...a pretty, fun, informative hole, but a black hole that sucks me in nonetheless.)

The bingo markers work wonderfully as dot painters for a fraction of the cost!  I bought some a while back thinking Kaylee would enjoy them, and she LOVES them more than I imagined.  I was surprised at how much Lily and Eli also enjoy using them.  I grabbed more today, because they are such a hot item in our house.

The vinyl badges caught my eye because of a post on Brown Paper Packages.  That link seems to only be going to her home page, so scroll down and enter "mini quiet books" in her search bar to see where I got the idea.  DT had the badges 10 for $1!  There are so many possibilities with these little do-hickies {Mimi, that was the first "word" that popped in my head and I do believe I got that from you!}.  I'm thinking in addition to mini books to look at, the kids could also use dry-erase markers on them to trace things like shapes and words, store Bible memory cards in them, or for a car game where there are pictures of different things they might see out the window and they can cross them out as they find them...lots of options!

And last, but not least in my babies' eyes, we bought a 4 pack of ice cream sandwiches to take to the park. :)

Heard Around Our House

KB: {from the backseat} Ooowwwiiieee, there's a bump on my leg.  It HURTS!!!  Mommy, but DON'T cut it off!

Poor girl.  Apparently she never knew I was kidding when I jokingly tell the kids we might have to cut a limb off when they are wailing over getting hurt.  Just one of the many things our kids will need therapy for later.

Motherhood as a Mission Field

Motherhood as a Mission Field (click that title to read)

A highly recommended read for mamas, and anyone who knows and loves a mama! :)

Newsom's Mill

Jon planned a fun family day for my birthday - a perfect gift!  We hit up a couple of parks and enjoyed exploring and hiking together.  Here are some pictures from one of our stops, Newsom's Mill.

Ballerina

Lily's fan club ;o)

 The morning of Lily's recital Eli threw up. :(  Papa was so kind and brave to hang out with him so Jon and I could both make it to the show.

Some Fun

Pinterest

I kept seeing Pinterest popping up all over the place.  I gave in to the pressure ;o) when I found out one of my favorite people was pinning her favorite things and fun ideas {Love you, D - now we don't have to constantly email links!}.  Pinterest is a fun way to save all those ideas you see online that you will really implement, or pretend you will "someday." :)  Click on the little red Pinterest button over there and let's get connected so we can share the interesting, fun, cute, and helpful things we stumble upon online (plus, you can save things there now instead of having 783 bookmarks on your computer - or is that just me?!).
Doesn't look like the little red button is showing up...click on the ? under Amazima.

First Day of Summer

Last year we celebrated the first day of summer with a firefly party.  We wanted to do the same this year, but there are only a few scattered lightning bugs.  Plus, the first day of summer 2011 will be celebrated with the opening of our third Little Caesars.  :)  Maybe our bug parties will resume next year.

The Valley Song

This song was sung at Emmett's celebration of life service. What a powerful, beautiful testimony to see his sweet wife singing praises to the Father while she held their little boy who has had to say goodbye to his Daddy. They grieve and hurt deeply, but not without hope.  Hope in a God who ordained these days before one came to be.  Hope in a God who will love and carry them as He redeems all things.  Hope in the God who says in Isaiah 42:16,

"And I will lead the blind

in a way that they do not know,

in paths that they have not known

I will guide them.

I will turn the darkness before them into light,

the rough places into level ground.

These are the things I do,

and I do not forsake them."

Hope in eternal life with Christ where Emmett already is in glory.  If you haven't already read their story, I encourage you to head over to Team Emmett.  Wendy's latest and final post there also provides the link to her new blog where she will continue writing.

Toddler & Preschool resources

I found out about Homeschool Creations and 1+1+1=1 (click the buttons on the right side - those are for you, AML since I didn't link to them in the email!) at the end of the school year, so I haven't really used them yet.  I think they have some good ideas and some free printables that I will be using with Kaylee.

Another good resource for those age groups (I know our older kids will enjoy parts of it too) is


The first half of the book tells you about 20 - 25 books to read with your children.  Lambert provides fun ideas to help you connect with the books and incorporate Bible, science, art, language arts, math, etc.  The second half of the book is a "Parent's Treasury of Creative Ideas for Learning Readiness."  This includes ideas for reading readiness, motor skills, activities in the kitchen, and more.

I always love to hear what other people have found useful and fun for their families, so let me know if you have some other great resources!

Heard Around Our House

Lily {Holding Raegan yesterday}: Once you hold a baby you just don't want to stop!  I don't want anyone else to take her!  [There's a girl after my own heart. :)]
* * * * * *
KB: Can I have a bar?
Me: No, but you may have your dinner.
KB:  I don't want it.
Me: I hope you eat your dinner, because otherwise you'll go to bed hungry.
KB:  OH NO!  NOT AGAIN!!! [My thoughts exactly.]
* * * * * *
KB: I'm not dead yet, but when I die how do you get to heaven?  How do you get to that place?
Me: Well, it isn't like a place on earth you can go to by car or plane.  You have to believe in Jesus and trust him to save you from your sins.  Then, when you die, your soul will go to heaven forever to be with God.
KB:  Will Daddy go, and you, and Nana and Papa, and Grandma and Grandpa?
Me: Yes, Love - and I pray you will too.
KB:  Will I be naked?  What happens to your clothes?
Me: (insert explanation of storing up treasures in heaven, not on earth)
KB:  Buuuut, will. I. be. naked? [As though I hadn't heard her the first time.]

She's never looked more beautiful

Lily's eyes well and let loose silent drops down her freckled cheeks.  She's run up against anger.

I feel like I am on holy ground peering into her heart.  I fight to dam up my own tears.  It's okay, Baby.  Cry.  Tell Mommy.   I know.  

She reaches for words.  Gropes around and sputters sentences.  She says she just doesn't understand.
Totally unawares, she has echoed the Apostle Paul.  I read her Romans 7:15,

"For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."

Baby,  Mama fights the fight too.  Everyday.

This recognition and overwhelming understanding of the sin in her heart is beautiful.  It is then that she again sees and feels and knows she cannot live up to the Law.  She needs a savior.  She needs grace.

You're right, Love.  You can't do it.  No one can.  No one but Jesus on our behalf.  He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and he came for the sick - for sinners (Matthew 9:12 - 13), 'member?  He came for us, Lil!  


*This was in my drafts folder.  I remember thinking I wanted to add more, but that was about 3 months ago!  Time to hit publish.  I don't want to forget precious moments (no, not the dolls with the teary eyes - gag) like these.*

Cousin Love {Raegan Joy}

There's just nothing quite like a fresh baby.  I could stare at her and smell her all day...and then let Katherine nurse her all night! :)  Love this tiny new addition to the family!

Rackin' 'em up

***The score for my parents' grandchildren is now 4 to 2.  Girls are in the lead.  Raegan Joy is here! :)***

Our kids are rackin' up cousins. :)  Katherine is in labor now!  They'll be up to 8 cousins when this baby makes his/her entrance. :)  Can't wait to meet this little baby!

Bingo!

Our kids were really excited to start playing Summer Bingo today.  I saw the idea here and modified the activities in the squares, rules, and prizes to fit our family.  I also just printed blank cards and hand wrote in the squares different things for each child, because I think that is faster for me than typing them in.  What a fun way to get some work done and have fun ideas already planned out!
Here are our rules & prizes for this week.  We'll see how it goes and might tweak them before we begin new cards.

The Rules

1.  You must make your bed, get dressed, brush your teeth and ask Mom or Dad how you can help around the house before you can play bingo.

2.  Tell Dad or Mom what square you have done to get your sticker.

3.  Do your jobs with excellence and No Whining about an activity or being unable to do the square you want when you want.  You will still complete that task, but an "x" instead of a sticker will be placed over that square making the rows it affects ineligible for bingo.

4.  Cheerfully help your siblings earn stickers.

5.  You earn 1 ticket for every bingo.

6.  You will have to pay Dad and Mom tickets for disobedience.

7.  You will have each card for 1 week.

 The Prizes

2 tickets = chew a piece of gum

3 tickets = 20 minutes of computer games

4 tickets = stay up 10 minutes late

5 tickets = rent a movie at the library

Blackout = pick a treat from the treasure box or a special drink (root beer, Sprite, etc)

Psalm 126:5 - 6

The last week or so has been full, and I am rather worn out.   Some, but not all of the things going on are happening directly to our family.  They are all affecting extended family and friends we love.  Serious health issues, a wounded soldier, car issues, storm damaged homes, financial strains, parenting struggles - life feels like it is piling up...sound familiar?  I know God is sovereign.  And not only that, He is also good and faithful.  I take joy in the ultimate hope of Christ.  Still, God created us with emotions.  A while back I read (posted somewhere?!?) this devotion from John Piper's A Godward Life about Psalm 126:5 - 6.  I hope you will read it and be encouraged, because we all sow in tears at one time or another.


Talking to Your Tears 

“May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy! He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5-6

There is nothing sad about sowing seed. It takes no more work than reaping. The days can be beautiful. There can be great hope of harvest. Yet Psalm 126 speaks of “sowing in tears” It says that someone “goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing.” Why is he weeping?

I think the reason is not that sowing is sad or that sowing is hard. I think the reason has nothing to do with sowing. Sowing is simply the work that has to be done, even when there are things in life that makes us cry. The crops won’t wait while we finish our grief or solve all our problems. If we are going to eat next winter, we must get out in the field and sow the seed whether we are crying or not.

This psalm teaches the tough truth that there is work to be done whether I am emotionally up for it or not, and it is good for me to do it. Suppose you are in a season of heartache and discouragement, and it is time to sow seed. Do you say, “I can’t sow the field this spring, because I am brokenhearted and discouraged”? If you do that, you will not eat in the winter.

Suppose you say instead, “I am heartsick and discouraged. I cry if the milk spills at breakfast. I cry if the phone and doorbell ring at the same time. I cry for no reason at all, but the field needs to be sowed. That is the way life is. I do not feel like it, but I will take my bag of seeds and go out in the fields and do my crying while I do my duty. I will sow in tears.

If you do that, the promise of this psalm is that you will “reap with shouts of joy.” You will “come home with shouts of joy, bringing your sheaves with you,” not because the tears of sowing produce the joy of reaping, but because the sheer sowing produces the reaping. We need to remember this even when our tears tempt us to give up sowing.
...

So here’s the lesson: When there are simple, straightforward jobs to be done, and you are full of sadness and the tears are flowing easily, go ahead and do the jobs with tears. Be realistic. Say to your tears: “Tears, I feel you. You make me want to quit life, but there is a field to be sown (dishes to be washed, a car to be fixed, a sermon to be written). I know you will wet my face several times today, but I have work to do and you will just have to go with me. I intend to take the bag of seeds and sow. If you come along, then you will just have to wet the rows.”

Then say, by faith in future grace, on the basis of God’s Word, “Tears, I know that you will not stay forever. The very fact that I just do my work (tears and all) will in the end bring a harvest of blessing. God has promised. I trust Him. So go ahead and flow if you must. I believe ( I do not yet see it or feel it fully)---I believe that the simple work of my sowing will bring sheaves of harvest, and your tears will be turned to joy.”

Faithfully, Not Perfectly

We've wrapped up our first year of homeschooling, and intend to begin second grade -wow!- and kindergarten - double wow! - after summer break.  The Middle Tennessee Home Education Association (I know it simply as MTHEA - I sort of made up what the words are ;oP but you get the idea!) curriculum fair is this weekend.  I have been busy planning for next year and thoughts of why we are on this path have been dancing around in my head.

As I imagine explaining these things out loud or typing them on a screen I am constantly aware that my words have the potential to offend families who choose different routes for educating their children.  For that matter, our reasoning behind and methods of homeschooling are different from other homeschooling families we know.  I want to say loud and clear that I do not believe home educating the way we do is the only way, the right way, or the Christian way to do school.

I could (and probably will one of these days) list the things I love about homeschooling and specifics of our personal choice.  Today, I want to keep it simple.  We are not after perfection, but faithfulness.  We need not step outside our front door to find imperfection and sin.  It is in my heart and the hearts of Jon and our children.  The education choice is about prayerfully and faithfully parenting the children God placed in your care.  For us, for now, this is how we best know to faithfully obey.

Ann writes today about homeschooling. click here  I like her answers (and want to live on a farm and do school in her beautiful school room).  Her posts about homeschool were means used by God to nudge me in this direction.  Thanks, AML, for sending me the link. :)

Heard Around Our House

KB: I NEED another birthday.
* * * * * *
E: I heard a noise [that woke me up] and then I realized it was me throwing up all over my bed.

I AM

I AM 

Who’s my protection when I go where I’ve not gone before? (I AM) 

What’s my direction when I can’t find the path anymore (I AM) 

When you are shown the way, 

But you still feel afraid 

I am the Source that sustains you, and 

I am the Light that will guide you, and 

I am the God who provides when you give your life,  

I AM. 

Who is the strength when I can’t find the strength to go on? (I AM) 

Who is the power that drives me when all hope is gone? (I AM) 

When you have all you need, 

But you’re still feeling weak 

I am the Source that sustains you, and 

I am the Light that will guide you, and 

I am the God who provides when you give your life, and 

I am consumed with compassion, and 

I am the King of the nations, and 

I am the One who can save them 

Because I am I AM. 

You are the Source that sustains me, and 

You are the Light that will guide me, and 

You are the God who provides when I give my life, and 

You are consumed with compassion, and 

You are the King of the nations, and 

You are the One who can save them 

Because You are I AM. 

Words and Music by Jeff Bourque, Sammy Ward, Rachel Bowen, and Isaac Treesh.  ©2003 Manicotti 

Music (ASCAP).   

Keys

Jon picked up keys to the Bellevue LC space today from the realtor!  :)  Access to space = this feels real.

Invasion

A blurry cell phone shot of one of the MANY cicadas in our yard

The emergence of the 13-year cicadas out of our yard is both disturbing and fascinating.  A few nights ago, Jon and I went out with a flashlight to watch them crawl out of the ground.  I commented that it was one of the most bizarre things I had seen with my own eyes.  Thanks to YouTube and TV channels like Discovery and TLC, I have seen things that made my skin crawl and stomach turn more (have you seen the tree man?!), but those don't count as real life experiences.  Without hesitation he made some remark about watching me birth our 3 children.  Yes, he wins the prize for the real life disturbing and fascinating experience! He can always make me laugh. :)
If you're unfamiliar with the phenomenon, here is a short article on the invasion:
13-year cicada will soon invade Middle Tenn. - WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather and Sports |

Eli's new found hobby: catching cicadas

We found out last night that some missionaries from our church live in a place where cicadas are a delicacy.  I can't imagine getting one of those things anywhere near my mouth - can you?!?

Just outside the front door

LC Update (and the way God used barf for our good)

The lease for LC3 {in Bellevue} is signed, and the contractor should start work this week (might even be pulling permits as early as tomorrow)!  Thank you so much for your prayers and continued encouragement through this process of building a business.  Would you please pray for LC4 as well?  We (I use that term so loosely.) need to find a fourth location pronto in order to maintain our growth rate agreement with corporate.  We know God will work all things for our good and for His Kingdom...we just don't know what the details will look like yet. :)

Can I give you a little glimpse into the way we've seen God use something that seemed miserable to work for our benefit?
We went camping Saturday night and intended to come home today to celebrate the end of our school year and Mother's Day.  KB ended up throwing up 8 times between midnight and 4am.  Let me just say it was nasty.  I detest everything about throw up, and having it all over me and all over the sheets and pillows in a tiny camper made it worse than normal.  I guess now I can say I have faced one of my fears, and we are all still living!  We were bummed, but came home a day early.  You know, for a shower and to do laundry even if we didn't need it.  Fast forward to today... Jon had a rather discouraging talk with a county employee about LC3 this morning.  Later he got a phone call back requesting a measurement of part of the Bellevue store and an invitation to come to the county office this afternoon.  You guessed it, at that meeting all the last details were APPROVED and our permits are ready for the contractor to pull.  Did you catch that?  We were supposed to be out of town today.  The being covered in puke episode resulted in our coming home early which resulted in Jon's ability to pop right on over to the county office.  No small deal considering it has taken from April 5 until today for Jon to finally reach this man at the county.  Thankful tonight for interrupted camping plans!

Cinco de Mayo

{Re-post from 5-5-2009 because Cinco de Mayo will always make me remember.}


Cinco de Mayo has  been my reminder to give DinDin (my paternal grandfather) his birthday phone call.   I ask how he is doing.  He chuckles and says something to the effect of, "I've never felt better...the good Lord (I guarantee you he'd also be pointing his index finger toward heaven) has blessed me."  

This is the first year I haven't been able to make that call, and I kept feeling like I was forgetting something all day.  DinDin would have been 86 years old today.  He died almost exactly 12 hours after Kaylee was born.  I didn't want that to happen.  I wanted his suffering to end.  I didn't want the entire family to be torn between his bedside and mine.  God had intended this emotional day for us, though.  DinDin was holding on, waiting for word that mom and baby were well.  The occurrence I had dreaded was, in a strange way, very special.  

We will get to share the whole story with Kaylee when she is older.  She will know how much DinDin loved her even before she was born.  She will know that though he could scarcely whisper, he was excited about her.  (Imagine then how our holy God loves us, and is excited for us!)

Toothless little Kaylee often reminds me of DinDin in his last days.  I get good laughs when she is eating, when she closes her mouth and pulls her little chin up..."You're making a DinDin face!"

The Power of the Gospel Over Hatred

The sermon Scott preached at Grace yesterday morning, "The Power of the Gospel Over Hatred," was so timely considering the news of Osama Bin Laden's death last night.  I often forget to pray for our enemies.  I made a point of it during Jon's time in Iraq.  More often now I have a hatred (as partially defined by Scott as not grieving for their souls) for them.  I am not at all condoning what the extremist, terrorist groups do, but I don't grieve over their lost souls like I should.  There are so many people living in darkness without Christ.  This sermon has encouraged me anew to pray for the lost - even the ones who seek to harm us (whew - that feels really personal as I think of what Jon faced in Iraq).  So, today as I am thankful for and praying for our military and their families, I also pray for those fighting against them (Luke 6:27 - 33; Matthew 5:43 - 46).

Easter with family

Heard Around Our House

{After reading about David and Psalm 23}

Lily: How is oil on your head an anointing or a blessing?!  Then you'd need a BATH (in disgust as though bathing is a terrible thing).

We have 1 toilet

We have one toilet in our house.  It has been the cause of some fighting character building episodes.  Somehow the need to use the restroom is more contagious than the stomach flu at our house.  Without fail, at least a few times per week (sometimes more than once in a single day), all 3 kids have to use the potty at the same time.  Maybe if they wouldn't announce where they were going, it wouldn't spread the need to everyone else?  Hmmm.  I should work on that and see if it helps.  Anyway...this morning we were all ready to head out the door when suddenly Lily, Eli, and Kaylee needed to use the bathroom.  To poop.  58 - fifty-eight - minutes later we were walking out the door.  Good thing we were just running errands and not headed to an appointment!

In Christ Alone

Good Friday service

Are you in the Nashville area?  Please join us at 6 pm (there is an 8pm service as well, that's just too late for our kiddos) at Grace Community Church Nashville for a Good Friday service!  We would love to sit with you and let our kids wiggling and coloring distract you  (for infants to pre-k there is child care...KB will be there).  :)

Isaiah 53: 5 - 6

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

{Mom & Dad - Remember when I memorized v.6a in kindergarten?  I can still picture the illustration from that page in my memory verse book. :)  Thank you for training me up in the way I should go (even when it included last minute Bible memory before I needed to recite at school! ;o) ).  Your love, direction, and prayers have been means of grace in my life.}

Simple Good Friday Project

It seems easy to think of cute little projects with bunnies, chicks, and eggs (nothing wrong with these - they are fun!).  Coming up with appropriate things to do to celebrate and symbolize the true meanings of Good Friday and Easter feel a little more difficult.  Here is a simple little project I did with our 3 year old Sunday school class (we're learning about the time of Moses) and then again today with our kids.  In writing what to discuss and possible verses to study, I will barely scratch the surface.  Keep digging and answer all those 1,273 questions your kids ask!  Don't let the big truths of Scripture intimidate you from sharing with even the youngest ones!  You are planting seeds - and I have a sneaking suspicion they understand and remember more than we know. :)

1. Read (and summarize for shorter attention spans!) Exodus 25 - 30.  

2. Discuss how the veil separated the two rooms of the tabernacle and the people were separated from the Ark of the Covenant (the presence of holy God).  This is a picture of the way man's sin separates man from God (to expand: Genesis 1-3; Romans 3:23, 5:18-19, 6:23).

3. Make a very simplified :) little Ark of the Covenant and veil (we just used construction paper, popsicle sticks, paper napkins, glitter and glue).

4.  Remind your children (and yourself!) that from the beginning God had a plan to restore right relationship with his children.  

5.  On Good Friday read one of the Gospel accounts (Matthew 26 - 27:61; Mark 14 - 15; Luke 22 - 23; John 18 - 19) of the betrayal of Jesus and his death on a cross.  When you read about his death and the veil being torn in the temple (this detail is in Matt., Mark, and Luke), let your kids rip their napkin veil in half.  {Our kids - especially Eli! - are in to destruction...I suspect this is going to be a hit :) }  Jesus is the way to relationship with the Father!  

6.  On Easter celebrate the resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 27:62 - 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20 - 21) and what this means for those who believe in him (check back to those Romans verses :) ) - eternal life in the presence of God!

***Update :)  The kids all asked this morning, "Can we rip the veils?!?  Is it Good Friday?!?"  Love how a simple illustration gets them so excited.  Also, yes, the Exodus story is about the tabernacle and at the time of Christ it was the veil in the temple which was torn.  I had just already done the "homework" on reading about the tabernacle recently, and decided the picture was the same, so we went with it. :)

Heard Around Our House

L: (singing) In the Civl War America fought America.
E: WHAT?
L: In the Civil War America fought America.  America America my home sweet hoooooommmmeee!!!!
Me: (in my head :) ) WHAT?

Cousin love

#3

L, E, and K helped clean the front windows and this LC sign on Saturday :)

The plans for our third Little Caesars have just been approved!  Bellevue here we come!  I wish you could have heard the kiddos praying for Daddy and Uncle Luke's big meeting this morning.  We're thankful to be moving forward.

With that new information and because this is probably the simplest of the answer questions post to write, I will start here. :)

Are you still building more LCs?  Why the wait from store 2 to store 3?  Are you on a schedule/timeline?

Well, I already happily announced the official approval by the city to move forward with #3. :)  And we are on a timeline.  We purchased 2 TRAs (areas we can build in that no other franchisee can build in) from LC corporate and in a contract with them agreed to build those markets at a certain pace.  If we don't, they can re-sell those areas to someone else.  There is a sense of pressure, but we serve a sovereign God who will carry out His will.  If it pleases Him to provide a way for us to quickly continue growth, so be it!  If the Lord has another direction to lead us in, so be it!  We don't take the situation lightly or flippantly - Jon works HARD to operate this company.  We just know and trust Who has written our story and by grace we'll faithfully serve Him whatever the future holds.

I will spare you most of the details about the why we've waited so long, because 1)I don't understand many of them myself!  2) It would bore you to tears...unless you like shows like American Greed and then you might want details but remember point 1 and the fact that the kids will only be quietly reading for so long. :)

Very shortly (just days if my memory serves me well) after #2 opened we learned some "interesting" (not the good kind) information about one of our partners.  A federal court case against this individual ensued.  This case was not brought by us, but affected us as he was an owner in the company.  We were put on hold with corporate as well as with any type of bank financing while he was on our books.  Praise God, that case is over and we are buying back his shares.  

Whew - this has been quite the experience and almost nothing has gone the way we thought it would (I'm sensing a pattern for my life here!) with this business.  I'll try to be better about keeping you updated - perhaps a picture of a new "coming soon" banner will be posted in the near future. :)

If you are still reading this you must really love us and are probably one of the sweet people praying for us in all the LC craziness. :)  Thank you X infinity!