Happy 12th Anniversary

                                                            to the love of my life

my best friend

wonderful daddy to our children

I hope we have another 60 years together, you and me!

Camping

All summer long we've been talking about camping with the kids. It seemed every weekend that suited, the weather was predicted to hit 100 degrees. And since we tent camp, that was a little warm to be comfortable. We watched our summer tick away, and finally we saw our one remainiung weekend had a full Saturday schedule already. So we asked the kids if they'd be okay with camping at home in the backyard. The all consented. so last weekend we set up tents, and we camped. It was so much fun! I realize that this might not work when they are older, but it was great fun for us all, and oh, so convenient. We didn't have to pack, we could use the dishwasher, ;) and we still got that awesome campfire food and made some very special memories.

The first evening....

It was chilly enough that jackets and blankets felt good.

During the night we woke up and heard a kitty purring. Upon investigation, we discovered a kitty asleep deep in Brooklyn's sleeping bag. We threw Miss Kittycat out and she wasn't very happy about it, but Brooke never found out about her visitor until morning.

Daddy and Brooke snuggling.....

We wrapped up our projects on Saturday by late afternoon and then the fun began. Leon had a bunch of fireworks to shoot off and he set those up. I prepared a yummy meal of steak kabobs and roasted potatoes over the fire and we ended the meal with 'campfire donuts'. (Biscuits cut in fourths, roasted over the fire on sticks, rolled in butter and cinnamon/sugar, mmm!)

At dark, the fireworks began. What fun!;)

I love hanging out with my family. Sometimes these special times aren't all we think they'll be, but we gotta fight to have family time anyway. It's so easy to take time to have fun with other people but what about the little people you live with and love more than anything?! It's extra work, of course, but the memories you make are priceless. The time we have with our children is so short. Finding that balance between work and play is tough, I know. We've muddled through it all summer and still don't really know what we're doing. But I think our kids know if they are important to us or not. Work is important. We don't want to raise selfish little tyrants who think the world revolves around them. And yet, they gotta know that sometimes our work stops just for them. I hope this past weekend made them feel loved. I guess we'll find out in 10 years if they even remember it.;)

You love, you give, you invest, you sweat, you wonder if it's worth it....

You're a parent, so you do it all over again, and again, and you pray that God takes your mistakes and redeems them. You pray your kids grow up to know you loved them. But most of all you pray that your kids grow up to know the Father and His love.

Do Hard Things (Just Do It)

No, this is not an overview of the teen book "Do Hard Things" by the Harris brothers. (although that is a great read.) Neither is it a Nike commercial to Just Do It.

I love to work. This morning I even confessed to God that sometimes I love to work, to be productive, even more than I love to mother. I love to look back on the end of the day and see what I accomplished and feel satisfied. But my new goal is to look back on the end of the day and know I started well, (with God), the middle was fun, (I took time for my kids) and we ended well. (By having a calm, relaxing end to our day.) Granted, it doesn't always go like that, no matter how hard I try. But I really want to keep my priorities in the correct order.

I can also be lazy. Sometimes I lack motivation. Or maybe I have a very crazy productive day, and then the next day I'm recuperating and get nothing done. I guess there's a lack of self discipline going on there. Alright, I know my issues.;)

There are several jobs that I detest! This week, the week before the week before :) school starts here at our house was the week of Doing Hard Things or Doing The Things I've Been Pushing Off.  I patched/mended some things, ironed the shirts, painted the school room, (which ended up being fun because I had a new friend over to help me, and good conversation makes any job more fun!), and today was a real doozy- I cleaned out the jars that had spoiled food in them from my basement...oooh! Yuck!, and majorly cleaned out and organized the mudroom and laundry room closet. I pounded in more nails, hung stuff that had never been hung before, and totally loved the finished product. I'm trying to figure out why I push off those nasty jobs for so long?! When I made up my mind that I will attack those jobs, it really wasn't so bad.

So here's the rest of my to-do list for this week-

1. plant fall stuff in my garden
2. can strawberry tapioca
3. put tomatoes in the freezer for marinara sauce
4. clean the van
5. mow the yard
6. help my husband butcher several pigs
7. fill out the home school forms and send in to local school district

Next week is our last week of vacation and we have fun things planned.

What is one job that you hate doing?

Gratitude

After three days of incredible pain from sores in her mouth, diagnosis of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease by her Mom, there was no way I could say "No" to Brooklyn last night when she asked "Couldsh you please come watsh me play soccer, Mom?" Her words were still slurred together from those nasty sores on her tongue.

The rest of the family was at church, hearing a missionary presentation on their work in China. Brooke and I went for a long walk, and when we got back she really perked up. Watching her little legs run around the yard, seeing her big smile, watching the sun shine on her head, it was all such a Gift. I know, she was only sick for 3 days, refusing to eat anything or drink anything, even ice cream. The only way to get any nourishment in her was when Daddy forced it in, making her cry in the process.

When I was rocking her at night, I couldn't help but think of all the momma's who have sick children, not just a 3 day yucky virus, but a sick that goes on forever. I began counting my blessings that my little girl was actually quite healthy and would recover from this.

But then I thought, why does it take this to make me grateful? Yes, I often thank God for our children's health, but I also often totally take it for granted. How can gratitude be more a part of my life, instead of just after a calamity arises?

I am an avid follower of aholyexperience.com, Ann Voskamp's blog. I have her book "One Thousand Gifts" here on my shelf, waiting to be read. I absolutely love how she challenges me to think. But I still feel like a pretty ungrateful person.

I don't think we have to go through hard times to make us more grateful. I think for me it's more of an AWARENESS that everything I have is not really mine; it's a GIFT from God.

Today I am thankful for

• beautiful weather
• healthy children
• a hard working husband
• my garden
• sweet tea
• friends that challenge me
• my time with God this morning
• money to buy groceries
• the 1 1/2 inches of rain we had last Saturday!!!
• clean laundry

I got to thinking that for each of these I just mentioned, I could make another list that looks something like this.....

• the weather has been terribly hot and dry here
• Brooke has been sick for 3 DAYS!
• Leon has entirely too much to do right now and we don't get to see him nearly enough
• my garden needs tilling so I can plant fall stuff, but who knows when my husband will have time
• sweet tea rots my teeth and puts fat on my belly
• where are my good friends?
• I'm too busy to have a regular time with God
• the money barely reaches right now
• we could sure use more rain to end this drought
• I only did 18 loads of laundry last week!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes, even when I'm counting my blessings, I add these clauses to my gratitude that almost erases it completely.

God, help me to be truly grateful for what You have given me. And if You choose to take it away, help me still be grateful. I know that you desire a heart of gratitude in me. I choose to be graeful in whatever situation I find myself in.

The Wedding

He headed to college and started attending a new church, not realizing that  he was about to meet that Special Someone. It's a sweet love story, with enough humor to make it fun. We celebrated their marriage last week. Leon's second to youngest brother, a very special young man. Congratulations to Karlin and Megan!

My two nieces are getting the little flower girls all prettied up.

My 10 year olds attempt at a picture of Mom and Dad.

Leon's parents

The two oldest grandchildren

Flower girls and their Daddy

Brooke with Uncle Lowell

 Lowell with his sweet girlfriend

The only picture I have of the bride and groom. Isn't she cute in his tux?

It was a very special celebration of their committment to each other.

July Memories

After experiencing a really wild and crazy week, which included a wedding in the family and Leon's grandmother's death, we are all so exhausted. Then this morning I turned the calendar to August, and my heart sank. How can it be that we have only 3 weeks left of summer vacation? Why did summer seem to go so much faster this year? What can I do to make these last several weeks really count? I'm moving in a fog the last several days as I tackle the laundry monster and slowly put my house back in order. We all sleep and sleep, trying to catch up. Tonight we are going to a church picnic, which we are all looking forward to. Somehow, doing something normal and with our church family, looks so inviting. Refreshing, even. but before July is a dim memory, I have several events that seriously need documenting. The first is my B. family reunion that we enjoyed at the beginning of the month. There are some great photos that my niece took that I really want to post.

The whole clan

Siblings

                                                      Grandma with the grandchildren

more sibling pictures