Monday, November 28, 2011

Thanking God for...

{Gifts 361 - 398}

- Tears
- God's goodness to me - over & over again
- Memories of over 4 years at Grace Pregnancy Resource Center
- Jenn Rowland & her ability to empathize & love
- Donna Peak's love for Jesus so readily displayed, wooing me in to love my God more

- Lessons from & on the Holy Spirit's work in His people
- Opportunities to tell women they are made by God and are beautiful
- Babies, little pieces of rice flickering on a screen
- Smiles spontaneously erupting with the sound of a heartbeat
- Women who pray & love & pray & pray outside the abortion clinic, in all kinds of weather

- Being a God who protects the weak, who is just, and who loves the sinner
- "Life more abundantly" through Christ and because of Christ
- The angst, the tears, the joy, and the draining...all of which brought me to my knees again and again
- The privilege of serving, of being in the fight
- Being a God who is always good

- Another Momma-daughter shared birthday (Hooray, Merilee!)
- A clean kitchen - just for Eric ~;-) (!)
- My Ergo
- Children able to help & cheerfully helping
- Hives in new spots each day, preventing craziness from setting in and reminding me of my frailty

- No known cases of squirrels transmitting rabies to humans in the United States
- Drenching rain to water broccoli and lettuce and to loosen the roots of pasture weeds
- Time to discipline calmly and to talk long
- Sore hip flexors
- Worcestershire sauce & pumpkin seeds

- Early morning exercise accomplishments
- Viruses that happen when Daddy is home
- Frozen pizza - saving many a meal
- Heart wickedness revealed - a grace!
- Prolonged snuggle time with Haven

- A little boy's "cool" black eye
- That the one with repeat throw up is the only one who can control where it lands
- Charlotte
- Husband running errands with 3 kiddos (Alone Time!)
- MawMaw's Yahtzee on ones...and the resulting smiles

- A fire going all day
- Cooking beans and banana bread
- Wise husband - remembering names, giving sound counsel

Daily Life

{Because I want to remember how these days go...}

- 4:58 AM: wake up. Return to sleep only to dream I forgot to plan Christmas Spectacular!
- 5:43: get up
- 6:00: meet Ronda in Bldg #3 for Ripped in 30
- 6:47: get kids up; start breakfast
- Dress the children/diaper change/potty
- Send Elijah to handle the cats and chickens
- Find out the creek rose and cows can't be butchered today
- Start pinto beans in the crockpot
- Fold one load of laundry; start another
- Enter into the birthday party with the babies. ("And PINK cake, Momma!")
- Hide babies under the bed when bad guys attack the party
- Call USAA to ascertain why homeowner's rates have increased
- Clean out ashes; build up fire
- Put on Christmas cd; dance with Jolly
- Wrap and organize a few Christmas presents
- Package a book & cd to mail. Post another dvd on website
- Diaper change
- 9:10: Put Polly Jane down for her nap
- Bible time with Elijah and Haven
- Start 2nd load of laundry
- Play a Christmas carol on the piano; start another Christmas cd
- Work on cleaning my room
- Be the tickle monster
- Read a few pages of Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning: An Approach to Distinctively Christian Education (so helpful, thus far!)
- Shower
- Get Polly Jane up
- Read books on the couch
- Send Elijah out to gather eggs
- Make lunch
- Clean kitchen; kids clean playroom
- Discipline Haven for screaming; discipline Elijah for fighting/having a fit/throwing his horse at me (what?!?!)
- Change diaper/potty
- Read two wonderfully long chapters of The Long Winter while marching in place (super fun naptime read!)
- Add ingredients to cooking beans
- Make coffee
- Read Bible
- Check MoneySavingMom for any hot CyberMonday deals
- Work on Wish List & email to family
- 3:42 PM: Blog post

...now off to get to work! I love this life!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Beach Babe Bonanza

This was one of the best weekends of the year, no doubt about it! I don't have many pictures of this year's gathering probably because I was too busy talking, laughing, racking up exercise competition points, and generally whooping it up. My college friends came to town!!! Through a turn of events, everyone ended up staying at my house at the last minute. It was so, so, so fun. I LOVE these girls. It did my soul good to be with them again. The only sad part? We were desperately missing Annie & Merilee.~:-(

These girls are all so dear to me. We know each other. Better said, they know me - yucky stuff and all. AND YET, they still love me!
Anne & Polly Jane:

Jenelle with Peter, Lauren's super-chub baby: Jenelle & Polly Jane: (I love this picture!) Michelle with a very happy Jolly: Lauren, Momma to super-chub baby: Mexican dining at its finest~:)
This baby! He is wonderful! Ooooh, and so is she!

Would you like an example of how these girls are so wonderful? When I emailed everyone "I'm in this exercise competition...I'll probably have to exercise a lot over the weekend...Bring any workout you have..." I was met with enthusiastic responses. Things like, "Great! I'll bring my Hip-Hop-Booty-Bop! It's a great workout!" And then they let me march and kick and punch and twist while we all talked. Amazing friends? Yes.
It was especially fun to have Anne & Jenelle in for a prolonged visit. Seeing dear friends with my own children is such a blessing. It seems like you can't really love someone - totally, anyway - until you know their family and see their kitchen. I treasured these few short days with a whole houseful of fabulous friends. And I can't wait until we are all together again!!!
3.19.2011 & 3.21.2011

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Eric Turns 30!

We celebrated Eric's 30'th birthday with a really fun weekend. Some good friends came over Friday night for dinner. Saturday we visited Rock Castle, a place I had been wanting to take Eric. Haven made sure we brought her cup with us.
Elijah pretended to rest in a patch of incredibly dense clover. {Do I look sleep-deprived, or what?} Haven played among the old tombs. (Inappropriate? Yes.) Polly Jane took a nap.We ran. We climbed. We peeked into windows. We threw rocks into the water. We looked at an old fort. We imagined how people had lived in that home. We looked around the (excellent) gift shop.There was even a tiny little hike through the floodplain there. Here, Eric initiates Elijah's current tree-climbing passion.Sweet boys! Sunday night we celebrated with Eric's family.Luke was super pumped.
Happy Birthday wonderful husband! I'm so thankful I get to be a part of your years!
3.12.2011 & 3.13.2011