Wordless Wednesday

Square Pegs

As my kids grow and I get older I seem to question things more than I used to. When the older girls were little we automatically enrolled them in the local school. It was what you "did". You didn't think about it, you just "did" it. Did it ruin them? No, they are incredible kids. Our adventures through childhood has been a journey to remember for sure. It seemed as they got older and in high school there were times that I had definite clashes with school policy. But again they did fine and for the place we were they were where they needed to be.

Then many years later when Logan was born we looked at things differently. Curriculum is incredible and easily available. The class size at the local school was just outrageous. 1 teacher with a part time-aid to 30 kindergartners. Does that even compute to you? Not me, how many kids would fall between the cracks. We decided that we couldn't do worse than that. I had used a modified pre-school at home for him the year before that went very well. We had several recommendations from neighbors and friends from church so we jumped into the world of home school.
It is 3 years later and there has been no looking back. I LOVE spending time with the kids and watching them learn. Seeing the moment that they really "get it". Sure there are days that I think I could pull my hair out but I wouldn't trade it. The boys have such interactive education and they seem to be thriving.

Today Taylor is off to go for standardized testing. I still am not sure how I feel about the "grading" of kids. But, I am so proud of my boys and how they see the world. They are so grounded and they love God in a way that I don't remember experiencing at their age. I pray everyday that Tim and I can be the example for them to follow to keep them in a close relationship with God.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Well this week I did NOT spend most of the week preparing for my daughter to come and visit. I have NOT been missing her like crazy, she is so special and I am NOT one of those Moms that just does not want to let go.


I did NOT have said daughter fix me up with ring tones for my new phone so now I can tell who is calling without looking at the phone. Only to have so many of them that I can't remember whose is whose?!!?

I did NOT make my first ever hand-made card this week and it only cost me 22.00 in supplies from Micheal's. Yea, I think that scrap booking would be way to dangerous for us. Not only would we be broke but I would need a room built on to hold all the supplies that I would (not be able to live without) need.

I did NOT once again blow off finishing the taxes, nope not me. I am very good about being organized and timely. I would NEVER let the entire year go by without logging any of our expenses.... not ME! I would have an incredible hard time logging all that in at one time.

I did NOT allow the boys to play the Wii way too much this weekend because Courtney was home and they were having such a good time.

I did NOT make a HUGE pot of Chili so that I wouldn't have to cook for several meals. I will NOT have mutiny on my hands after the first few days of serving it but I have decided mutiny is better than cooking.

I did not spend a lot of the evening in tears because Courtney went back to school. I did NOT spend time feeling like this is close to the end of this snapshot of life. This time when we are a family of 7 and the kids are all just that kids. We are so close to toppling over the edge and as an adult I know that once this frame is over we will all be forever different and not as close.

So I guess I end the Not ME in a funk..............

I love you kids more than anything in this world.......... you are my reason to get up and go everyday. Love you so much Mom

Mixed bag

I have spent the last couple weeks throwing myself back in time. Not an easy time, not one that I would want to miss, a turning point in my life. A time when I was rudely reminded that I needed God in a BIG way, for every decision not just the tough stuff. A testament to God's love and and his faithfullness to carry us when we can't walk alone.

One of the special women from my Bible Study lost a baby to miscarriage. A baby longed for and prayed for. This exceptional woman is one of the many in the not-so-exclusive group of women who live a life of infertility. She has such a beautiful heart and love for Jesus. Her animated style has impacted so many people and children in particular. She has longed to be a Mother all her life and has struggled to make that dream come true. She has a wonderful little boy that is the light of her life. She thought like so many of us that she was being blessed with a miracle. She let herself believe that God was giving her a blessing and then in the blink of an eye at a bit over 7 weeks her tiny baby was gone. Now she is picking up the pieces and trying to make sense of what has happened while she grieves a dream.

I am grieving her loss right along with her........... do I feel pity? No, I feel her pain, her loss. The loss of a dream that was never in God's master plan. I know that she will be blessed, I just am not sure how. I wish she could fast forward through this pain....... but I know that there is purpose in this pain and she needs to experience it.

Just when I felt that life might really be in the pits I got a phone call from another exceptional woman. This woman has been in my life long enough for her to be a daughter. She has been there for us and with us for a long time. She called to tell me that she is expecting a baby, a gift from God and I was so excited. I am so excited for her. So excited that she is going on this journey. Her life is going to change in BIG way and I can't wait. I can remember back to when I found out the first time that I had gotten pregnant. How excited I was and that bit of fear in the pit of my stomach. Could I raise a human??? Hmmmmm and give birth to one... Yikes! It has been a journey that although I do very poorly in the puke department, I have done 5 times and treasure each trip. This baby is going to be a lucky little one to have such grounded and well-rooted parents.

My prayers go to this special family in the making for a wonderful healthy pregnancy, easy birth, and fabulous lifestyle change. God Bless!

Wordless Wednesday- Then and Now

Not Me Monday

***** Update******

Please take a moment and click on the link for Veiyah! she needs our prayers now, her sweet Momma does too. this little one has been through so much and is continuing to struggle. say a prayer now if you could and then go catch up on her story.

Okay.....take two! I hate it when this happens, my post was ready to go and then the whole page disappeared! So we’ll see which Not Me’s pop up this time or I should say which ones I can remember.



Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Time to fess up about the week and let everyone know that we all are indeed human and God did allow some flaws to seep through.

I did NOT pick up the cell phone this week and have several minutes of conversation before realizing that I wasn’t talking to the person I thought I was. My vision is NOT that bad, I can see the name on the screen when I hold it very far away and close to a light. I think that bulbs are just not as bright as they used to be right???

I did NOT have to reel in my dear husband this week when our 5 K garage door started doing this.... well you can't see it exactly but this is the closed position for now. Not good enough for you??? Hmmmmm not him either. I actually am not as upset about the door as I am the extremly cute hat I bought for Kendall and seem to have lost. It cost me a buck, but really now..... it is an ADORABLE hat.



I did not after many times of reminding the boys to pick up their shoes decide that they would “disappear” for a time to let them be uncomfortable in old worn and small shoes. It did NOT backfire a bit when the boys were delighted to see their “favorite” shoes and then needed to wear them to the adult birthday party last night.......



I did NOT for the first time ever this week direct the boys in Valentines Day box making. They attended their first ever V-day party. Where you may ask Chuck E Cheese, another first for us. I guess we live in a very sheltered life.



I did NOT get a phone call that went a bit like this:

Hello

Hello, this is Gaby from WifeSwap.

Who from WHO???

Gaby from WifeSwap, your family has been nominated to be on our show

Your Gaby from WIFESWAP?!?! Us, on the show????? The fear started to creep in the edges a bit. I have seen the show and well.......... hmmmmm. The raw food family and the witch family come to mind. Well, apparently if you are a farm family that raises llamas, heats with wood, homeschools your multiple children, have 2 distinct age groups, and blogs away the day then you are a rare commodity. Will we do it???? well, we did immediately head to the barn in our Carharts and boots. What??? Do you say you don’t have Carharts and boots in every size for your family??? hmmmmm...... well as for the show we are awaiting direction and giving it much thought before stepping off that ledge.







I did NOT decide that I was too tired to once again clean the bathroom in what seemed like mere hours after cleaning it the first time. Living in a house with 3 people of the male gender is NOT getting to me when it comes to AIM! I was so tired that I decided that I could "wipe" the entire bathroom with these...... and look they help combat flu virus!!



I did NOT get the most beautiful spring tulips from my wonderful husband for Valentines Day! They just look so pretty I can almost feel the sun starting to come through the cold winter.




Lastly I did NOT try to use my own warped parenting on myself and not allow myself to take my computer to bed to make it high on the list again this week for the Not Me Monday, unless I got our taxes done. As you can see I didn’t get done and I DO follow through with punishments around here....... Still trying to bask in the #3 spot of long ago last week.

Hmmmm pictures to come later and it isn’t just a ploy to get you back I just can’t wait for them to download right now and be lower in the line!??!!?!? Hmmmmmm after 10:00 and no school started yet..... that is what Not Me does to me!

a Pet Lovers must read

I got this in my e-mail and after a few days of thinking about it it is still just on my mind. That would be the mind of a pet lover Mom. The one who cringes at the thought of loosing one of the many furry or feathered creatures that live with us.

God lives in the Post Office

This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.



Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:


Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith
_________________________________

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, "To Meredith " in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called "When a Pet Dies". Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

_____________________________________

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven.

Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.

Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love, God