Me, I am my kids' teacher

Stale donuts in Hell

2009-07-12T22:09:00.005-05:00

Sitting alone at McDonald's this afternoon, which was the rendezvous point for a Mom/Kid trade (and the only reason I would be alone or even at McDonalds!), I was enjoying my dollar iced tea and had whipped out my beloved handy purse Bible to read while passing the minutes.

Next thing I know I'm chatting with a man about the weather. He was passing the time inside the air-conditioned restaurant to avoid walking home. He had a "couple" of DUIs he said, and couldn't drive.

I commented that I saw the temp was 107 on the bank that I had just driven by. He mentioned how horrible this Oklahoma heat was and how different it is from the Arizona heat.

We (Okies), all have this conversation ... so enough about that.

He asked what I was reading. When I told him, he said, "WOW. I never really understood the Bible," and told a story about how he would get picked up for church and went because someone had promised donuts.

They sat through the boring stuff to get the donuts. "They were stale, but we didn't care ... we were just kids."

I told him the Bible is anything but boring, and that he should try reading it again. I also confessed that sometimes the Bible doesn't even make sense to me, but other times, I know the Lord speaks right to me through his Word. So I keep reading it.

And, I told him, without Jesus, I would have no reason to hope or make it in this HEAT or this world!

Are you married? he asked! (oh dear).

Yes!

You got a husband, that should give you hope.

Yes. I love my husband and he loves me, but not as much as God loves me. We are here on this earth to be able to spend forever with God. So you should try to get to know him. He's waiting for you.

I told him about a nearby church that I thought he could walk to. I told him that I knew for a fact that they didn't have stale donuts and had really good coffee and would be a great place for him to learn about Jesus. (By this time Keli and all of the kids arrived).

The conversation turned back to the heat, and I took a deep breath and actually (actually) said ...

"Hey. If you think it's hot out there, just think how hot hell is going to be. Isn't that a great reason to get to know the Lord?" (something like that).

We laughed. By this time I could smell that this guy had not been drinking anything from the soda bar at McDs, but maybe something from another nearby bar ... and prayed silently for him. He did have a job and a home. But no Jesus.

I've never done the hellfire and brimstone evangelism before, let alone to a drunk stranger at McDonalds!

Why am I sharing this? Dunno. Just sometimes I feel like I don't come across unbelievers in my "isolated" world of kids and homeschool and church. What a pathetic excuse! Maybe this was God showing me that we have to take the opportunities where He presents them.

Money is a Great Motivator!

2009-06-03T22:54:00.005-05:00

I debated about whether to blog about this. Don't want to sound vain, or self-absorbed or boastful ... but it is what it is! Truly, I hope to convey a "if I can do it, you can do it" motivation when it comes to taking control of our health and our choices!

Back in February, when the producers of the Biggest Loser TV show came to Oklahoma to screen future contestants, two of my friends came up with a great idea to do their own "biggest loser" contest. So, they sent out a blanket email inviting friends to join them for this contest. They invited us to show up, weigh in and plunk down $100 each.

Then we were to head out the door and try to lose as much weight as we could over the next 13 weeks and meet back to weigh in. The winner would get 70 percent of the pot. Second place would get 20 percent, and the rest would go for a door prize to whomever showed up that day.

A hundred bucks is a lot of money for me to throw around for our family. But I knew that I needed to unload some pounds. And even though I am not particularly competitive, I was in it to win it.

The quick end to the story is ... I WON! By a hair (less than two pounds) ... and under a bit of controversy (reminding me why I loathe competition).

I lost approximately 11 percent of body weight. I would share the numbers of pounds, but I don't want to. I'm not done yet. Goal. Not. Reached.

Here's the picture of me on weigh in day.

Nice, no?

Immediately, I began counting calories. I had never really done this. I am very good at counting Sodium because of Stan's specialized diet (450 mg a meal), but c'mon ... now I really had to pay attention to calories, carbs and fat, like for real? Yes!

About that time, I also found this review from one of my favorite blogs. And set out to incorporate as many of the superfoods as I could ... almonds, spinach, eggs, lentils, oatmeal.

I cut out white food. I always heard you should. And really really loathed refined flour and sugar anyway.

I heard Bob say on the Biggest Loser that pop, even diet pop, produces belly fat. So I gave up Diet Coke and Coke Zero.

I did NOT join or a gym nor did I start running (hate running). I just can't disappear from my family for long periods of time, nor can we afford a gym membership. But I did buy Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred video, and committed to WALK by myself in the neighborhood or with friends at parks while the kids played. Thank you friends!

I plugged along. Did my Jillian video. Did other exercise videos that I got from the library including the Abs Diet workout, and Bollywood dance workouts (that I loved so much the family got me an entire set of videos for Mother's Day). Walked. And watched calories.

Most mornings, I whipped up delicious spinach smoothies ... inspired by my friend Kevin. A handful of frozen spinach (or other green leafy stuff - including romaine or other salad greens), a frozen half-banana, handful of frozen berries, 8 oz of water and ice. Do NOT knock it til you try it. Seriously. Not bad at all. (Banana is the key.)

Sometimes, I'd also eat one for lunch. I ate lots of raw almonds (lots). And Kashi bars. And oatmeal. I would make sensible dinners for the family and watch my portion control. And I would try not to pout when everyone else ate ice cream or desserts!

Instead of sitting at the computer watching the kids play basketball outside, I played with them. And we played hopscotch. And I practiced the 50 and 100-yard dashes with the kids for their field day. And I would throw in extra squats or reps when doing springtime yard work - bagging leaves, planting flowers, hoeing weeds.

And I did situps and push ups and chest flys with weights and leg lifts and whatever exercise I could think of while watching TV ... 24, Loser, American Idol.

The clothes kept getting looser, and I found myself NOT dreading shorts season (I'll always dread swimsuit season).

I'm writing all of this to say ... if I did it, anyone can do it! :-) I didn't need a gym membership, a trainer or super regimented diet ... or even a treadmill (tho I really want one).

But what I did have were three unbelievably supportive accountability partners who encouraged me. When I might try to swipe a french fry from Grant, or just a little taste of a shake from Giles ... they would scream at me "a thousand dollars Mom. A THOUSAND DOLLARS!" And it worked. Stan was also very encouraging.

The pay out was actually $910! Minus the hundred, the video and all of the almonds!

Oh, the controversy. We were supposed to do the final weigh in wearing the same clothes. I dug out the sweater from the winter clothes bin, and I had already ditched the jeans in a garage sale.

I had another pair of jeans selected. But morning of, my old pair of size SIX j crew jeans that I was saving "just in case I ever got thin enough again" beckoned. I was quite certain they wouldn't fit and didn't try them on one time during the contest. But that morning, they went on ... easily. Since they were heavier jeans than the weigh in jeans, I felt okay about it.

However, at weigh in, I FORGOT to put on the stupid sweater. It went unnoticed until after we got home (Lydia went with me to the weigh in). So, I went back and reweighed with the sweater, and still barely won. And that reminded me why I don't do well with competition. Yucky guilty feeling for second place! And feeling like people might have thought I tried to cheat. All of the contestants did great ... and I wish we all could have won. We did all win though ... we won our health!

But still, there had to be a winner! And now, the cash is gone. We had sold and given away our junky living room furniture in the same garage sale that I sold those baggy weigh-in jeans, so we've been sitting in camp chairs since March. We went today and I plunked down nine Bens for some brand new living room furniture! CASH! We thought about getting that treadmill ... but like the lure of getting outside instead.

That's the story. Money, turns out, is a great motivator! So, start your own contest, just remember to wear the sweater ... and eat your almonds!

Walking the Walk

2009-03-18T13:07:00.003-05:00

Wew. Almost forgot how to tap into this blog, it's been so long.

No big reason to post now, except I felt like it. And maybe it's a prelude to chronicle a new journey our fam is about to embark on. Intriguing, no?

So, I've always wanted to walk to the grocery store. Even more now that I have "green" reusable grocery bags, and when I need just a few things that I could easily carry.

So grabbed bag, cash, shuffle, list and mace ... just kidding. I packed heat. No, not really. I went in the daytime. No worries.

Lots of people do this. I'm trying to be health-conscious, carbon-imprint conscious and adventurous. There's lots of folks around here who have to walk to the store, or anywhere. I don't know if they pack heat, but sometimes they pack a lot of little kids in a stroller, push their own grocery cart, and some people carry drinks in brown paper bags. If they do it, I should try.

Anyway. Loved it. As a bonus my shuffle's shuffle gave me ...
"All By Myself" (Eric Carmen's 1970s hit) to make me laugh
"We Love You Lord" (David Crowder) to make me praise, and
"All We Need" (Charlie Hall) to make me cry.
Then I was at the store ... and got a couple more Charlie songs for the walk home.

I could have improvised everything I needed for tonight's menu of jicama slaw and fish tacos, except for the cilantro. How do you fake cilantro? So I walked to the store to buy it (and strawberries on impulse) but I want to grow it.

So on my urban dweller TO DO list. Walk to the grocery store. Check.
Now, let's head to the country! And grow some stuff.

Published!

2008-10-10T09:08:00.003-05:00

The Shelts went to the MUSIC BUILDS concert last weekend and volunteered. Since the music was TOO LOUD for Stan's ear, he hung out with the staff while we rocked out inside ... and he mentioned that I write a blog and volunteered me to write something for them. Like I minded! But the surprise was, they wanted my drivel! :-)

NOW ... join ONE and share some food.

Here tis.

And here are pictures to go with ...

Here's "Mr. I Got More Names than You." in action.

"Please sign my petition to stop world hunger."
JARS OF CLAY .... they're signing his HAT.
Familia ...
Fans of the FOOT.

Mirror Mirror

2008-09-24T16:16:00.002-05:00

Blog plug: my friend Full of Joy (can I say her real name? Can't remember.) has started a Bible study on her blog. Great --- now she has a much awesomer looking blog, and now better things to say on an important topic.

But I'm not envious ... I'm glad to soak it in, and pass on the love to you.

Here's what she said about it today on our homeschool email loop.

"I have been teaching a class on Body Image that I am absolutely passionate about. I have been working to write and edit down the material in order to share on my blog. This is such an important topic for girls, and women. In learning this I felt overwhelmed with the desire to be able to pass this on to my daughter, but I was reminded that as free as I wanted my daughter from it, the Lord wanted me free from it even more. I would love for you to join the study."

Intrigued? It's an issue that hits me head on, and now I have a daughter also who's also getting this body image pressure.

Okay, I just checked and she signs some of her posts with "Tiff." So I can use her name.

Go read Tiff's study.
Here's the main blog: but scroll down to where it begins with Monday's intro.
http://fullofjoy3.blogspot.com/

Life Lesson from TR

2008-09-24T13:15:00.002-05:00

Giles is doing a report on Theodore Roosevelt. And we've been researching the question: "how this president's spiritual life affected his term in office."

Gee, that sure hasn't been mentioned in all of the picture books we got from the library. But we did find a copy of his speech given at the dedication of the house office building on April 15, 1906.

"Materially we must strive to secure a broader economic opportunity for all men, so that each shall have a better chance to show the stuff of which he is made. Spiritually and ethically we must strive to bring about clean living and right thinking. We appreciate that the things of the body are important; but we appreciate also that the things of hte soul are immeasurably more important. The foundation-stone of national life is, and ever must be, the high individual character of the average citizen."

That TR was such a muck-raking rough rider!

Waiting for the Bus

2008-09-21T21:07:00.003-05:00

If I could do one of those coffee table books ... that's what I would call it. "Waiting for the Bus."

It would be of pictures of the people I see around our neighborhood sitting on the benches and congregating around the stops ... waiting for the buses to take them to work, home, school, the store.

Think there's some good stories? That and a lot of wisdom.

There's a cute older couple that I see a lot. She always has an umbrella to protect against the sun or the rain (or snow). There's another lady who rides with about three kids. Another lady I know from Cross & Crown. She takes the bus to work and back every day. Yes, most people look poor. It's not so hip around here to ride the bus. But the riders are way hip. And they're savvy. They know this city, the schedules, the routes. And probably their driver's name. Fortunately, our city wants to expand our public transportation which might make it a more hip option in our greening consciousnesses ... and dwindling gasoline budgets. And I'm all for it.

My dream is to commission a real photographer, like Joy's Tapestry Photographs, to shoot it. So, do we first find a publisher? How do you do that?

In the mean time, I found this book at the library, Finding Grace: The Face of America's Homeless. And I think I'll have to buy it for my coffee table.

Amazing photography. And the best part about it is the text. Sparse and not on every picture. Certain portraits will have a paragraph ... a brief paragraph. But the story gets told. And many of those graphs bring a tear.

Waiting for the Bus.

Stuff Christians Like on Homeschooling

2008-09-17T21:05:00.002-05:00

Haven't checked this blog lately but was humored to see this post on homeschooling!

It's kind of like the skit on SNL the other night (the Tina Fey as Palin and Michael Phelps as host episode that, yes, we all stayed up to watch and then were grumpy at church the next morning). Humorous, but could have been WAY funnier.

Thoughts? The comments on his homeschool post are interesting. Mostly, they make me sad. And I'm too chicken to say why. Kinda like I'm too chicken to get into a debate about Sarah Palin. I'm mostly for her, but my very very first thought about her before we knew anything more than her name was "I hope she's done raising her kids." Oh. Nope. And look at that new baby.

Oh well. I kind of feel the same way about Obama too ... missing out on his kids' lives to do this. (On the other hand, what a ride for those kids. Talk about educating for life!)

See, I'm not "sexist." (whatever).

Some of us are called to do MORE and can do more.

I can't.

Not Getting My Kicks

2008-09-17T08:32:00.004-05:00

This one is hard to share ... but here I go anyway.

After our first 4-H meeting on a rainy Saturday morning, the fam stopped at a local German bakery. The kids, preferring chain food, were resistant, but the parents pressed on. Great place. Great food. We used to come here all of the time BEFORE WE HAD YOU.

There will be a little band in there and a lot of seniors. So cute! And there will be a lot of plates with food that includes kraut, schnitzel and wurst. But there will also be fantastic bagels and other treats.

Come on.

Most all of the kids were pouty (even while munching on yummy bagels and cinnamon rolls) until the band started. And we began watching people dance. So cute!

Then, Get Your Kicks on Route 66, started. And mom started swaying ... but only with her pointer fingers, thinking my only audience was at our own table. And we were all singing along.

The rest of it is a blur ...

From out of nowhere, a gentleman approached our table and grabbed my hand TO DANCE.

Oh. No. No. No. Please NO! I said.

I don't dance. (I was raised in the Church of Christ).

I have on crocs.

I don't know you.

He, uh, did not take no for an answer. And by this time had my very own husband and children helping him get me out on the dance floor.

I'll spare the rest of the clumsy details. However, I am certain the band played a few extra choruses just to carry on the mirth.

Stan was in stitches. The children were afraid for me. "We don't know him."

"Is mom ever coming back."

The song was over. I bowed to my partner. And we were outa there.

But should Stan be worried that I caught the eye of an octogenarian?

Not cute!

Current Events

2008-09-15T21:07:00.008-05:00

When we heard President Bush was coming to Oklahoma City ... I thought it would be way cool to try to see him ... or at least see the motorcade. I wished I still had media contacts or knew rich Republicans to get us in. No such luck. But what great timing. We had immersed ourselves all week in election and presidential studies. We added to our presidential notebooks (started during the primary), chose presidents to write reports about and took online quizzes to see which president we were most alike.

Pres. Bush was here last Friday for a meeting and a high dollar fund-raiser. We watched the arrival live on TV and giggled at the local TV reporters who kept saying "I didn't realize Air Force One was so .... BIG."

He doesn't come to Oklahoma very much. Nor will the presidential candidates in this electorally thin red state. I was fine and comfy watching it on tv ...

But I was talked into doing a little motorcade stalking. Doesn't take much for me. The kids and I loaded camera and snacks. Binoculars and another camera would have been helpful. And maybe some flags.

We wandered around the area where the fundraiser was (in other words, wasted gas) ... the fundraiser was held at a little 13,000 square foot mansion built by a beer distributor (and we thought Oklahoma money was in oil and natural gas). We drove all around the area, hit roadblocks and turned around (very exciting) - Giles was sure he saw snipers hidden in the bell towers of the mansion. Counted troopers. Counted secret secret service. Counted motorcycles. Watched the helicopter overhead. (passed troopers blocking intersections ... repeatedly ... while holding my breath. I thought they'd either tell the minivan driving mom to beat it, or take us in on a stalking complaint).

We then figured out the motorcade route back and got bold enough to figure out where to stop (without getting frisked, arrested or told to vacate).

Finally, we saw a group of flag waving homeschooling kids that we knew in front of an animal kennel business (with very nice employees who were as excited as we were). Incidentally, I would have even joined some protesters, just for the educational value (and considered making a "We still love ya, double ya" sign) ... but we couldn't get close to them either.

If you haven't seen this in real life or on TV .. check out our motorcade movie. The old reporter in me wonders ... just how much money does it take out of the local economy to host our own head of state for a mere four hours for the purpose of raising money for a political party ... or how much does the nation spend on it since he gets (and deserves?) this treatment for every move he makes ... but it's just more fun to be ga-ga.

For another perspective on the visit that is hilarious, check out my friend Jim Stafford's post. He was the pool reporter and got a front row seat for the entire visit (and from whom I borrowed the big Air Force One pic).

We were positive the president waved to us!
What do you think about that dog following the action?

Finally

2008-08-20T22:46:00.003-05:00

I can stand up and shout that I am for John McCain.

I ultimately knew I would have to support him ... or else I'd have to hide my vote from my children and my husband and the rest of you.

I was underwhelmed to say the least. I like the audacity of hope. I like "change."

But I have Rick Warren to thank for sealing the McCain deal for me. I missed his faith forum at Saddleback, but tried to watch snippets of it on youtube (does anyone know where to watch the whole thing?).

I won't get into what Obama said ... (except that he thinks if an American family makes less than $150,000 a year, they are POOR and he has no idea when life begins.)

McCain was on fire. Full of passion and totally comfortable in this setting. Consice (gotta love it) and FIRM answers. Conviction. (The other guy was NOT ... did he even finish one sentence without qualifying something?)

He had me at homeschooling.

A presidential candidate mentioned homeschooling not once, but thrice. I wish this wasn't a huge deal, but it is.

He said it in the context of school choice and said that Americans need to do what works for their families ... charters, private or HOMESCHOOL.

I was also really impacted by McCain's answer to Warren's question to name his biggest personal moral failure.

Obama, by the way, played victim a bit on this one. Blamed being raised without a father for his choices to do drugs and drink and live egocentrically (like, who hasn't done that?). That's it?

Anyway, McCain, without hesitation said, "the failure of my first marriage."

Woah. There is was. Bold and sad.

I also liked his repeated assertions that faith based organizations, and just about anyone else, does service better than the government (i.e. Katrina, homeschooling, health care coverage, serving the poor and taking care of the children)

That's it. Just had to share.

Happy Birthday Lovie!

2008-08-18T08:30:00.008-05:00

Oh, she is NINE!
NINE.

How could it be? She fills our days with laughter, song, a bit of drama ... and JOY.

She was my date on Saturday for a Quinceañera for a beautiful young friend. We were so honored to be invited to this fantastic tradition. While I took pictures at the Myriad Gardens, Lydia patiently waited by going into "her world." She never whined. Never begged to leave. Never asked to be in the pictures since she also had on a gorgeous dress! Never even complained about her feet in those shoes. And we were there a LONG time. I would snap pictures of her, instead of the party, trying to catch "her." Skipping and twirling. Talking to the trees. Smelling the flowers. Following a butterfly. Dreaming.

She was so content. I think I scored capturing these pictures of her last days of eight.

And then later ... she partied it up like it was 1999 (the year of her birth)! Mexican dancing. Mexican games. Mexican FOOD. (and total language immersion).

One of the activities at a Quinceañera is for the birthday girl, at the ripe old age of 15, to toss a beautiful doll into a waiting crowd of little ones (like a bride tosses a bouquet). She is tossing out her childhood, as she heads toward being an adult.

Wew. We don't have to worry about that yet. Bring on the dolls. Hallelujah for a few more years (hopefully) of blissful childhood.

Today a party for Lydia. Swimming, in the rain. She won't care. But how will we keep the pinata dry?

Didn't see it on NBC

2008-08-14T09:45:00.004-05:00

We've been Olympic Couch Potatoes this week. Watching and marvelling at Michael Phelps, and talking about that cute Nastia, Jonathon Horton and Shaun Johnson like they were our bffs.

I do want to learn how to do the Phelps dolphin kick. Think he'll give lessons?

I haven't taken off my Praying for China band since I got it. I bought 10, and passed them out. My kids wear there's intermittently (grant lost his ... but his wrist is pretty tiny).

Today, I received an email from Voice of the Martyrs saying that the man who inspired the whole Prayer for China idea has been arrested.

Here's some stuff from the email:
"Pastor Zhang “Bike” Mingxuan, known for traveling across China on a bicycle to evangelize, was arrested by Chinese police just two days before the Olympics began. Pastor Bike was the inspiration for the recent partnership between The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association to create the Olympic Prayer Band.

Pastor Asks for Prayer Band
Earlier this year, Pastor Bike pleaded with VOM staff to ask Christians to pray for persecuted Christians in China during the Olympics. The pastor voluntarily preaches the gospel openly in China despite being persecuted. He has asked for his identity to be revealed to bring continued attention to the persecution of Christians in Communist China.

Thanks to Pastor Bike’s inspiration and the commitment of concerned Christians across the United States, more than 800,000 prayer bands have been circulated. On Aug. 6, Pastor Bike was arrested while trying to deliver medicine to his ailing wife. His wife and another pastor were also arrested. We have also learned this week that Chinese officials are opening a full investigation of the Olympic Prayer Bands that were distributed to house church members within China. Despite this increased pressure from Chinese authorities, Chinese Christians continue to ask for prayer and to make their plight known.

Order your Prayer Bands today!
As the Olympics goes on, the harassment of Chinese evangelists continues to increase. Please help remind others to pray for persecuted Christians like Pastor Bike by ordering your prayer bands today!

More about Pastor Bike
Pastor Bike, president of the Chinese House Church Alliance, rode his bike more than 10,000 miles, visiting 24 Chinese provinces to introduce nonbelievers to Jesus Christ. Armed with a Bible and his business card, which declared “Believe in Jesus, Earn Eternal Life,” Pastor Bike brought the gospel to thousands of people. He and other Chinese evangelists have been repeatedly harassed by Chinese officials during this Olympic year. Please pray for the release of Pastor Bike and his wife.

Of course, they are still hawking the bands. Still want us to BUY them. So the cynic in me rises up. Is this just a way to make money? And the doubter also rises up to wonder ... "is this what our prayers are doing? ... getting this dude arrested?"

Then, I feel shame. Who cares? They need money. They need our prayers.

God will be glorified. Even while Pastor Bike and his wife are in jail. Let's pray for him. And pray for Christians in China to be protected AFTER the world looks away.

What happens at Deer Run ...

2008-08-11T11:58:00.004-05:00

Well, not really. Deer Run stays here in our hearts. Giles just returned from his second year at Camp Deer Run, a one week "overnight" church camp in E. Texas ... five hours away.

Last year we left him and came home. Besides being that far away from my "baby," it's a brutal trip - there and back Sunday and there and back on Friday.

This year, his brilliant mother, and two brilliant mom peeps had the idea we'd stay down there all week in a cabin and let our younger ones go to the day camp. Down Sunday. Back Friday. The only caveat was having to drive the church van. But that was no big ... even with a tire blow out! (What was that boom and why do we hear air blowing? Let's just say three women and 17 kids CAN git r done, thanks to the wonderful folks in Antlers, OK.)

To say that Giles LOVES this camp would be a huge understatement. He dreams it. Relives it. And talks about it every single day. He could not wait.

When we got there, I parked while he got his cabin assignment. Once he found out he was NOT in a cabin with the other guys from our group, he gave a big shout out and raced off to his cabin where he knew no one.

The moms ran the circuit of settling all of our kids in, making bunks, greeting counselors, praying and hugging. (btw - it was about 100 degrees.)

When I got to Giles' cabin, I offered to make his bunk and settle him in. NO.

I was shewed away.

I barely got a hug and a "see ya"out of him.

This could have been hard on a mom's heart. Uh, it was a little hard on this mom's heart.

But as I was about to let myself have a pity party, I had an overwhelming sense of peace.

"Your son is independent. He is secure. He has courage. He LOVES his parents. He loves God. Give him this week. He is going to be a MAN."

On pick up Friday, in heavy rain ... all (except one) of our kids were waiting to go home. Hugs for us, their transport to their waiting parents. Ready.

We were nearly loaded ... and entirely soaked in the rain. Giles was MIA.

I found him in the mess hall. Sitting in a corner with a few new BFFs (Texans, even). They were tattooing each other with their phone numbers on skin and tshirts.

He was fighting tears after I told him it was time.

On the bus, driving away, Giles was so quiet and let the tears fall. I heard one kid say he couldn't wait to get home and feed his video game addiction. Another one couldn't wait to get his cell phone back, and his bed.

I had a flashback to 1987 when Stan and I were on a plane leaving Paris and headed back home after a fantastic semester traveling in Europe with a group from college (yes, we got credit!) All of our compatriots were jubilant. Home. America. McDonalds. Baseball.

Stan and I cried. We knew it was over.

Precious boy. Live it. Soak it in. And we'll figure out how to get you there for two weeks next year!

But as a little payback, I am posting this dork picture of him. On Wednesday night, we visited camp for a community worship service. We got lots of hugs from our campers ... but had to FORCE Giles to take this picture with us.

Skool Shmool

2008-08-01T08:35:00.003-05:00

Getting excited and about to get ready. But resentful of all of the "back to school" hype.

When school was letting out last May, we would be asked when our last day of school was. My typical response is "never."

We're educating for life! So it's never over. Plus, that was the guilt ridden homeschool mom answer to being able to catch up or measure up or one up.

But when summer hit (when the school kids got out), it was OVER. And I was relieved. I needed the break. They needed a break.

Mostly I needed the break just to let myself off the hook of feeling like a failure at the end of every day or week. Or that we didn't do enough ... or that TOMORROW will be the day we figure this out.

Educating for life.

I really need my support homeschool group. I'm letting the guilt, satan and feelings of inadequacy creep in.

Wouldn't they be better off in school?

Doesn't everyone else's family do it better ... or correctly?

Who am I kidding?

Wew. This entry is all over the place. A true journal thought that has no business on the internet ... but keepin' it real. Keepin' it real.

So now the question ... when are you starting school again?

NEVER.

We're educating for life.

And going on vacation when everyone else goes back to school (taking our school with us, of course!).

That's how we roll.

Wearing ...

2008-07-29T22:25:00.004-05:00

Do NOT ask me where these were made. I don't want to know.

Got these in the mail today from Voice of the Martyrs to remind us to pray for China and the persecuted Christians there as the eyes of the world are on the Olympics.

Maybe it's okay that these were made in China!

Baseball Camp

2008-07-29T11:22:00.004-05:00

Here is a quick slideshow from our baseball camp on Saturday. The boys ranged in age from seven to teen. Some had NEVER had a ball glove on. By the end of they day though ... they were hooked. I need to work on making videos that appear small ... cuz I know these image are fuzzy. They look better ... bigger. Fun day.

Oh. The slipnslide was part of the day's activities. How else do you learn to slide into first base?

The best part of the day was on the way home. I asked them the best part of the day. One guy said the best part was the centers, where they broke up into small groups to work on various skills. Because, he said. "That's when we got to know each other better." Everyone agreed.

Shock factor

2008-07-29T08:01:00.005-05:00

God tells us not to live of the world while we live in it, but sometimes it might be helpful to brush up against the world to remember what we're dealing with when we are safe in our homes, reading our Bibles quietly, planning a nice dinner and meeting our friends for coffee.

And I am not talking about what we watch on TV.

Although the scene I am about to describe most of us have seen played out on the tube before.

So last Saturday morning, early, right before 8, G and I were at Rock Island (part of Cross & Crown mission) to pick up some kids to go to baseball camp that my nephew, Chaney, did a fantastic job organizing.

We were waiting for some more kids to come. Chandy was in the van and I was sort of in the street talking to her. (One of us better blog about the baseball camp soon, because it was such a super great HOT day. I am working on a little slideshow to show off my 250 pictures that I took).

As we chatted, a little old SUV drove right by me. I was all neighborly and waved and smiled. "Hey!"

Then it's like my brain went into reverse and replayed the seconds right before that vehicle drove by me (just like on TV).

Didn't he just stop and pick her up down the block?

Are they?

Is that?

For real?

I looked at Chandy with my "are they doing what I think they are doing" look.

Yep.

The girl looked to be introducing herself to him, but she already looked pretty strung out ... a requirement for her line of work. The guy was looking straight ahead.

This is the kind of thing that stops me in my tracks, every time. I just wanted to cry out to God (which I silently did) and go grab that girl. I never do that though.

Giles didn't observe any of this, I don't think. He was bonding with the Rock Island kids in the back of the mission van. Doesn't matter though. He's seen it already. One time, a girl in that same line of work FLASHED our van as we drove by one Sunday morning after we picked up someone for church.

Shocking! Yes. Good grief. We were going to CHURCH ... we were all clean and ready to go worship God. She shouldn't have been flashing us, or trying to score a job on Sunday morning. Geez.

Love her for flashing the minivan. She knew it was full of a bunch of hypocrites.

Not Green

2008-07-28T21:56:00.008-05:00

Even if it's on sale ... those cute graphic tshirts at places like Target might remind us to be more green ... but they are not green.

I was tempted tonight though. 30 percent off!

Something deep in my consciousness flicked on to alert me ... THAT IS NOT A GREEN TSHIRT.

Go on ... check the label. You know it's made in a sweat shop somewhere, probably by children or at least men or women who are woefully underpaid. How else could it be marked for $8 or whatever.

How much fossil fuel did it take to get that Tshirt here for me to buy it on sale? On the ships to get it from their coasts to our coasts, and the trucks to haul it across the country.

Guess where it was made? The Philippines. Other "green" shirts were made in Guatemala and Cambodia.

Learning.

Learning to not buy cheap c$#p anymore.

Learning not to eat asparagus anytime other than early spring. If you eat it "fresh" in the hot summer or dead of winter ... think of where in the world it might be springtime or mild enough to have it grow and what it took to get it to you. (learned that from the Kingsolver book, Animal Vegetable Miracle).

Just finished East of Eden (thank Sojo Ann! for the book recommendation). And, how does a Steinbeck classic figure into this ramble? Ah! There's a big scene where Adam Trask wants to utilize the just built railroads and new refrigeration processes to send southern California lettuce to New York, in the winter. As a delicacy. That's how it started. Lettuce in the winter. Grapes (that lost their seeds) in the winter. Sweet potatoes in the summer. Delicacies turn to market demand and expectation. And that's why we can find bananas on every grocery store shelf in America. Anyone you know have a banana tree?

We are doomed. Doomed!

Learning. Laughing.

(UPDATE: Laughing because we will never give up bananas at our house. Mr. Anti-Sodium would not have it. What would he put his organic locally produced (no sodium) peanut butter on? Laughing because he's laughing at me over this post. Laughing because someday we might move to where bananas grow! Yay!)

Refreshing!

2008-07-23T08:29:00.006-05:00

I'm reading Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal Vegetable Miracle, a year of food life.

Love it although it scares me!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding, and so it goes with the food God gave us. I'm "beginning" to understand it. And it's about time.

This book is a narrative non-fiction ... no black mamba snakes from the Congo like in her beloved Poisonwood Bible.

The most amazing thing about the book is not so much what Barbara (I feel I can use her first name) and her husband (Steven L. Hopps) write ... but it's their daughter's contributions also. Their 19-year-old (at the time) daughter.

Camille Kingsolver contributed most of the recipes. She just didn't type them in for her mom to get her name in the author credits. They are her recipes that SHE cooks and has cooked for years. And she not only knows how to can, but she loves it more than shopping at the mall! You go Camille.

Beautiful stuff. The scariest and saddest part as it would apply to our life is that their family swore off CAFO (feedlot beef) over a decade ago ... and their youngest daughter has never had a restaurant burger before. Yes, dear ones, that means she knows not of the Happy Meal.

Dang. My oldest son is about their daughter's age. And I shudder to think of the happy meals, big kids meals and now value meals that he, and the rest of us, have consumed. We are doomed. Doomed.

Reminds me that even though I am trying ... I still get tricked. I got tricked just this week at Walgreens buying school supplies for a nickle with my coupons (mechanical pencils, anyone?). I also had a coupon that worked for trail mix or dried fruit. After having a wonderfully friendly employee help me find the proper package, I saw that the coupon worked for dried blueberries. Dried blueberries on sale. Lucky me. Yay. I imagined them on salads, tossed with our fresh peaches and thrown in smoothies.

I had a little taste when we got home. Kind of funky. THEN, and only then, did I look at the package. Ingredients: blueberries and the evil high fructose corn syrup. It might not have even been in that order.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHY? WHY? WHY? Why do we need soak our beautiful naturally sweet and perfect blueberries in CHEMICAL CORN?

Foiled again.

Always. Read. The. Package. Closely.

Or dry your own blueberries like the Kingsolver's would do.

In other food news, our awesome college friend Kevin has a website chronicling his journey back to health. If you look at his pictures and see the June post ... you'll see the Kevin we knew when we were college brats touring Europe together (along with Full of Joy and her parents when she was but a young lassie) ... back in the 1980s! Check out his green smoothie recipe. Really. It is GOOD. Really. I just made one ... spinach, fresh peaches, banana, ice (and no chemical blueberries).

Widows and Orphans

2008-07-14T10:57:00.002-05:00

While I'm swiping videos from other sources, here's a small vid we did last week for Cross & Crown Mission that "aired" Sunday at a local suburban church. Paul spoke on James 1:27 ... the widows and orphans verse.

I love The Message's interpretation of that verse. "Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world."

Here's how I had always read that verse from the good old NIV:
"27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

I like the Message's "homeless and loveless." Nails it.

Loveless. Doesn't that stop you in your tracks? Love the loveless. Man, that is HARD.

I was surprised when Paul wanted me to "feature" one of the orphans they take care of at the mission. He's not a baby or a little kid. He's 20. We have a heart-wrenching answering machine message from him (in this vid). He gets cared for at the mission ... and loved through the trouble he gets into, the "harassing" he might do to get some cash or meal cards ... and how he fights his demons. He's an orphan.

The widow in this vid is a neighbor. She is blind and frail and scared of the sounds she hears in da hood around her. She has the most beautiful little hands. She's been a "widow" since 1942!

Read the Bible to her. Hold her hand. Bring her some blackberries. Love on her. Listen to her stories. It's all it takes.

Do you ever have an overwhelming feeling of panic sometimes that God is going to hold us accountable for how his church did not take care of the widows and orphans (homeless and loveless)? The way we have let the state take care of them through behemoth bureaucracies that are inefficient, overwhelmed and cold? (Not saying the church doesn't do it, sometimes, or that all state workers are cold.)

I do. What should we do about it?

Okay, I'm sliding back into my hidey hole now. Just typing words ...

Stealing ... cardboard testimonies.

2008-07-12T17:06:00.004-05:00

Is it stealing? I don't know.

But my friend, Keli, sent me a link to this video. She doesn't have time to forward stuff or spend eight minutes watching (with her four precious bebes) ... and you think you don't have time either. BUT MAKE THE TIME.

I'll save you a little search time, this comes from Hillside Christian in Amarillo.

Now, this is church.

Mercy

2008-07-07T22:54:00.003-05:00

When I'm rocking along whining about my kids wanting cell phones and "mall" clothes, I meet a new gal at the mission today who brings a little perspective to what we're dealing with in this world.

Cross and Crown opens at 11 and the staff prays at 10:30.We got there during that time, and so we waited outside with the others who were there for prayer and food. I sat next to a lady, and started some chitchat. How are you, I asked. Not great. She said. Then I'm thinking ... DUH, what'd I ask that for? She was there, right? She needs HELP, doesn't she? Get a clue, I said to myself.

She was older and had some pretty impressive tats, including a cool tat ankle charm bracelet complete with tat charms that included a cross.

Anyway, the conversation finally opened beyond the weather and "how are yous" ... and pretty soon I found out she's raising her grandkids because her kids are in prison (drugs). The preschool age child wants to see her mom all of the time. The older child doesn't.

Add to that, gasoline is too expensive to make as many trips to the pokey that is in another town.

She's had heart trouble and a stroke ... no doubt exasperated by the added stress in her life. Can you imagine?

Mercy.

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Welcome to Minco

2008-07-07T22:37:00.002-05:00

Love Lucas Ross. Famous OC alum. Hilarious. He doesn't know me from a hill of beans or a beehive, but I know who he is. Just heard about this vid today ... and laughed and laughed.

Summer Trends

2008-07-07T22:00:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to snap this picture all summer. G and his buddies sit in front of us each Sunday morning. And each Sunday, they have on their plaid shorts. I feared they wouldn't let me take a picture of their backsides or flaunt their fashion savvy in this way. AND, I confess, I actually took this DURING our worship service. But at least I tried to be discreet (no flash!) ... so the picture isn't the best.

Then there are the girls. And what I call the Kit hairdo, that I wonder if I myself could pull off. There's a whole gaggle of 7 - 10 year old girls who are precious in every way. Young enough to ALL be best of friends without boys, jealousy and icky junk interfering with their sweetness and giggles. Every week, there's another one who shows up with THE hair cut of the summer. Wonderfully adorable. (I took this AFTER service ... but wish I'd try to art direct a little more. But as cute as they are, they didn't get WHY I wanted to take a picture of the back of their hair.)

These trends are easy, but I am finding myself more and more distressed and ill equipped to handle the intense pressure of hearing from my kids about what "everyone else" has. Cell phones at ten years old? (Do their parents know they are texting at midnight?) Ipod nanos (we have one shuffle in the house and it is MINE). Bikinis (yes, even at 8 or 40). Abercrombie (I might write about that some day). It's tough. When that was rolling around my head today, I read this from Many Meadows. She rules. Her post on comparing helps put it in perspective - being content, understanding (2 Cor 10:12) ... AND ... not conforming to the pattern of this world (Rom 12:12) ... which is a lot easier for me to DO myself (at this old age) than it is to explain or communicate EFFECTIVELY to my children. Do I have any amens? Do I have any advice?

I am ...

2008-06-30T08:06:00.003-05:00

4-0!
it happened in the midst of a sweet spa-la-la weekend with my sweetheart!

Good times.

Hours and hundreds of seconds left

2008-06-25T15:28:00.000-05:00

before I'm cuarenta anos.

Tiny Stops of the Road to Bountiful

2008-06-25T14:14:00.007-05:00

Carrying the camera with me in the mornings along with hoe and hose seems silly to some (probably because camera doesn't start with an "h" like hoe and hose).

So ...

Carrying the camera with me in the mornings along with coffee cup and clippers seems silly to some.

Stan is a bit embarrassed that I am taking pictures of our sparse garden babies. Somehow, it doesn't honor our heritage ... or pay tribute to the generations before us who were the salt of the earth. Those before us who dug the wells that we drink from (Deut. 6) ... who planted gardens and crops to feed themselves and survive (and fail). Who dug so that we could have "professional" jobs and live in the big city and have clean hands.

Who toiled and tilled. And got their hands dirty.

The earth skipped ME somehow ... the spoils of grocery stores and money and fast food. And being a spoiled kid. Why didn't I pay attention when mom and grandma were canning all of those green beans, vegetable soup and tomatoes in our basement with that giant canning contraption that made a lot of noise and seemed like it would explode any second?

One story of our family lore that my grandparents LOVED to tell on me is how I would bawl and squawl when mom forced me out to the green bean patch to pick. I would cry all the way down the rows. I remember that garden. Each of the 5,000 rows was five miles long. I was afraid of snakes out there. What's hilarious to me now is that we were in MICHIGAN where there are no scary snakes (hardly). Blue racers were scary, but they weren't much in the garden. I was petrified of garden snakes. Why?

Then we had to snap ALL of those stinkin' beans! My grandparents would sometimes take pity on me and take some of my snap load when mom wasn't looking, or let me have popsicle breaks. I think I would have wanted to smack me. Right now, I would give to have a big bowl of them to snap and eat raw. TOO YUMMY. Sitting there with Grandma and Grandpa Giles.

Life is easier when we do not dig our wells. But easy isn't always better.

Thanks God for letting us relearn the lessons we squandered.

Sunset By Grant

2008-06-24T07:27:00.003-05:00

Grant (6) snapped this shot on the evening of Friday last. Sometimes, it's not so bad to turn our world 90 degrees (or is that about 65 degrees?). Our friend (name dropping) Dave with OKCKAYAK.COM had invited us to be part of the background when the crew from Discover Oklahoma came out to do a piece on the sport of flat water kayaking ... and Dave's niche biz. It's supposed to air on July 12. We did that, then whipped over to another part of the lake to eat our picnic while the boys fished and the sun went down (Grant grabbed the camera after he hooked his line in the rocks for the 100th time).

I finally got in the water. I am HOOKED. Love it. Friday night in the big town.

Nope.

2008-06-24T07:21:00.003-05:00

still not "that."

Don't fear crazy cats. No breakdown here or anything! Just enjoying the last week of an AWESOME decade of my life. As I told my friend Beatrice (her HS name in our French class .. if only I could remember how to type accents), the 30s RULED ... and I plan on the 40s being rulier.

I am still not ...

2008-06-23T07:49:00.001-05:00

forty.

I am not ...

2008-06-22T12:55:00.001-05:00

forty.

BOUNTY!

2008-06-20T09:53:00.004-05:00

This is what we've pulled from our garden so far! These were plucked a couple of weeks ago from our pitiful little pea plants that we planted too late for our hot days. I do have a little lettuce outside that is coming in today, enough for a SMALL salad, but the spinach didn't make it either ... it got a good little start though before it got too hot. Plant it in early spring? Oh. I'll remember that next year. (Stan already knew all of this, of course. But I planted most of those seeds while he was at work).

Next year ... we'll try that much earlier.

We didn't plant any annuals this year, in our long front "beds" where we usually spend a lot of money to plant periwinkles .... Instead, we have tomatoes and green beans! Along with a couple of squash, pepper and eggplant. I know my neighbors are horrified. But won't they be pleased if I bring over a basket of veggies later this summer?

I got a gorgeous basil plant this week at the Farmer's Market. And am growing cilantro, rosemary, thyme, chives, parsley and mint (for iced tea, dahlin'). Hurry up tomatoes ... salsa is calling!

Fifth Quarter Faith

2008-06-18T14:24:00.002-05:00

Just heard today that our friend Eric Littleton has this new ministry. So, I'm helping spread the word here so like two more people will know about it.

He and Marci are some of my fave people in the world. On fire for God. On fire to raise their family to be God followers. Catch their fire! And book him.

The Church Has Left The Building, Part 2

2008-06-17T09:44:00.003-05:00

This is us at Lake Hefner Sunday with a couple of hundred people picnickin, boatin and chillin.

My biggest disappointment of the day was that I didn't get out on the water. Grrr. I've been wanting to do this, but we have another opp with our friend, Crazy Dave, with OKCKAYAK.COM, pretty soon, so I'll wait.

It was a ton of fun to take 250 pictures of the event with our church family (although pretty crummy shots of my own fam. doh). We're doing this "series of fortunate events" as an alternative to the craziness of VBS. Sunday's fortunate event was kayak and picnic at the park. Great fun. LOW organization and stress. EASY to pull off. No glue, costumes or paint required. And FAMILY FOCUSED (imagine that, a church event that doesn't "require" childcare or dropping your kids off to run to the mall! Bonus!)

And it got us out of the building, where we could pull in other parkees to join us. We could tell them ... "boat with us. eat with us." They would ask ... "how much does it cost?" We would say, "IT'S FREE." Because we're not buying paint and glue for VBS! That look of shock and awe ... "Really? It's free. You don't mind if we join you or eat your awesome food?" PRICELESS.

The church has left the building.

The church has left the building

2008-06-17T08:40:00.009-05:00

Someday I'll get into the whole story of finding my new birth sister, and all of that. It's still pretty raw, and new, and freaky, and glorious.

It's coming up on 40 years ago that our birth mom gave one of us to a family to raise because she did not want her baby to live as a "bastard" (quote). The other one of us was born a couple of years later to a young couple struggling in a marriage. But her dad walked out on her and she never knew him.

One of us got the parents - intact. One of us got a broken family.

Both of us have the same Father.

One of us knew about Him her whole life - had a church upbringing, but didn't KNOW Him. One of us lived in a home (sometimes a commune, even, for real) where He was feared and loved, but where there was hiding because of sin and shame, and not feeling "welcome" in church.

We both found the Real Father.

It's funny, that when I met my new sister, she was disappointed that I was already a believer. (I think that's really funny).

She planned to convert me if I ever found her.

She might get her dream. She's a new believer. On fire. Passionate. In love with Jesus. And at peace with her life ... her mom's short life ... and her dad's choices.

I've shoved a lot of this to the back burner recently. Too much. But she's back. Our congregation had an event this week, that wasn't even dubbed an "outreach" ... it was just fun kayaking/picnic on the lake. But it was church out there in that park and on that lake. It reminded me of my sister's awesome church where they wear tshirts that say "the church has left the building" when they go out and serve.

This post was intended to gush about our fun Father's Day at the lake with pictures and everything. How this came out, I don't know. But I let it flow!

And now, I'm turning down the burner to let those flavors meld some more. (I first used simmer instead of meld, but that sounds angry. Melding is better.)

Not ashamed

2008-06-15T21:31:00.003-05:00

I am not ashamed of the gospel and I am not ashamed to copy and paste and share this email I received today from our friends Bryan and Holly Hixson who are serving in Rwanda (or to steal a photo of a Rwandan sunset from their blog). They are doing awesome work ... all related to glorifying God, but ranging from teaching, months of wrangling over an outrageous water bill with the local utility, to ministering to genocide victims ... oh, and bumping elbows with the country's president.

They are such name droppers!

To see photos of their beautiful family and the beautiful country, go here
.

Hixson June Post:
Not Ashamed of the Gospel

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes…" (Romans 1:16)

As we finish month ten in Rwanda, I am mindful of the verse above and I wonder if my actions and words daily reflect someone who is unashamed of the gospel of Christ. I wonder if what people observe and hear reflects Jesus. I believe that all of our interactions with people either influence others negatively or positively for Christ. We are either for God or against God. In Rick Warren's book, The Purpose-Driven Church, he writes that there are two kinds of churches: growing churches and dying churches. I believe there is a spiritual parallel: growing people or dying people. We try too often to take positions of neutrality when God would call us to stand unashamed. Ask yourself whether your actions proclaim that you are not ashamed of the gospel when you take the positions you take, when you speak specific words, or when you take certain actions.

Living in a culture where it is virtually impossible for us to blend in makes us feel as if we are livng in a "fish bowl". As we walk the streets of Rwanda, it seems that all eyes are upon us. The constant stare can be very annoying, but it can also be very convicting. At times I wonder if this is what it must feel like to be a famous person who never gets a break from the eyes of onlookers. What I'm convinced of is that it does put us in a position of greater responsibility to reflect Jesus. As a young person, I remember hearing over and over that "you may be the only Jesus some people see." It sounds like an old cliché, but I believe it to be true. At minimum, I believe each set of eyes upon us represents one more opportunity to positively influence others, unashamed of the gospel.

A day in our life in Rwanda can mean that we will encounter those with incomes of less than $1/day, followed by a meeting with a cabinet member or ambassador. When I'm among those in poverty, it seems hard for most of them to see me as little more than a walking dollar bill. I would prefer that they see a child of God, but I wonder how. Some might say that, by giving them money or bread, I have shown them Jesus. I can certainly fill an occasional tummy, but the question lingers--how can I help to fill the soul? This question constantly stares us in the face, and there is often no obvious answer. I'll share with you two vastly different experiences that represent opportunities to answer this looming question.
A group of 8 boys ages 8-12 gathered at the door of my vehicle to ask for money. With sixteen hands forced into my window, my gut brought me to a mix of frustration and empathy. My heart told me I must do something, but my head said, "but how can you help so many?" As I wrestled in my head with how to respond, I saw another young boy coming toward the car with a small toy bicycle he had made from a clothes hanger and fabric. I had no need to buy the roughly hewn toy but, for the one dollar he asked, I knew he would have more than the average person for the day and possibly a lesson could be taught. I gave him 500 Francs and he skipped away in joy with the money above his head in celebration. The other boys watched him as though they were trying to understand why he was able to skip away happy and they were not. Their hands all fell to their sides and their minds followed their peer in wonder. Unfortunately, these children should be enjoying the years of playing with friends, followed by cookies and milk. Instead, they worry about finding their next meal.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, yesterday we had an encounter with President Kagame. As our family ate in a new coffee shop, the President and his family entered (surrounded by a cloud of security guards, of course). As they walked to the protected area where they would eat, His Excellency (as he is most often referred to here) stopped and patted Alexis on the shoulder. She glanced up and he asked her how she was doing. At first, she didn't look closely enough to realize who was speaking to her. I spoke up and said, "How are you Mister President?" She looked again, a little shocked that the President was standing there with his hand on her shoulder. He greeted each of us, including our guest, Erin Estep (who is here working with the Let's Start Talking program). We visited for a few minutes before he went on to his table with his family. He came by again for a few minutes and inquired about how we were doing in Rwanda and thanking us for feeling comfortable enough to live here. He was very warm and genuine in his conversation, which reminded me that he is just another man in God's creation, but with a great burden of a nation on his shoulders. I stood humbled by this man who has led a nation from one of the darkest periods of humanity to a nation that is becoming one of the greatest leaders on a continent. I realize that those boys with outstretched hands are a burden we share because of the positions God has given us. My reaction to the boys was based on both a policy of the President and a conviction of my faith. At that moment, I realized that from the poverty-stricken boy, to me as a middle-class American, to the leader of a nation, God has placed us in the same place at the same time for a purpose. I have to ask myself, "What is my purpose in this moment?" Once again, I am reminded of Romans 1:16. At least one purpose is to demonstrate to those around me, regardless of their status on this earth, that "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ."

You may not see a child begging for a dollar or meet a President in your favorite coffee shop this week. However, you can still demonstrate the gospel to your spouse, to your neighbor, to your children, or to the cashier at a store who has had a rough day. How will you demonstrate that you are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ today?
God has blessed us through many people who enable us to serve in Rwanda. If God has blessed you in a way that you are able to partner with us in monthly or one-time giving please find details below for how contributions can be made. We are sustained on a range of monthly and one-time gifts and honor all giving of any amount as a blessing from God though His faithful servants.

But and stuff to read

2008-06-13T10:08:00.004-05:00

Go read this post by cool Jon at Stuff Christians Like. I love to read this for giggles, but no giggling with this one as he tells us about an orphanage in Kenya that suffered during the violent political power struggle earlier this year. Reminds me, that while this was going on, our dear friends were "stuck" in that very region and in neighboring Rwanda trying to bring home their sons who spent their first months in another orphanage.

They're home, and they're one big happy family. And every day God shows them, and all of us who are thrilled to be part of their lives, how those boys were destined to be part of this fam ....

We were all over the news THEN. I confess, it has slipped from my radar since.

The causes are big - there and here. The need is great. BUT WE WHOLLY RELY ON THE LORD.

To bring up another part of the world, I've been reading about tea. Who's read Three Cups of Tea ? (thanks for the copy, Penny) I finished yesterday, over a hot cup of tea (NOT made with rancid yak milk) and made curry for dinner last night (sans goat meat). We trust that WE WHOLLY RELY ON THE LORD because the Afghans and Pakistanis apparently can't trust the Americans to do what we promised. The book is not really about that ... but it is about taking the triteness out of a cliche ... "one person can make a difference."

We can make a difference, and with God, all things are possible.

I think I have more to say about it later ... have you read the book?
I'm interested in getting the kids in on Pennies for Peace.

Sweet Sixteen

2008-06-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

May 30, 1992!

On our anniversary, I had planned on posting a love story. But life was happening, and I try to be fully involved when that's going on, so we've been living our love story, I've not been writing about it!

Some have heard Stan freely admit that he has a crush on the pioneer woman. (I am purposefully not linking to her here because I am so jealous). He has read her site. Loves it. He even googled her enough to find out where they really live (she need not fear he'll show up), and that there are pioneer woman haters out there. Why? But really, there are blogs that dis her. Poor girl.

Her writing is engaging and funny. Her photography is artistic and beautiful. But I think one of the real reasons that she has such appeal is because of the way she loves her man ... the Marlboro Man.

She gushes every time she writes about him.

What man doesn't want to be a Marlboro Man? Gee, I sound like John Eldridge.

But it's a reminder of how much we need to love our men. My Marlboro Man is amazing. Not sure I have it in me to write our own Black Heels to Tractor Wheels love story. But I bet I love my man more than she loves hers. So there!

Seriously, it might be a great exercise to recount and record our own Black Heels to Tractor Wheels which in our case, should be called ... hmmm .... I better think on that a while? Any ideas?

Here's about where it began. When we had matching hair ... this is probably taken in the year of marriage! :-)

Island Schooled

2008-06-12T16:42:00.002-05:00

We took advantage of 50 cent day at the "dollar movie" this week to see Nim's Island. For $2, the kids and I enjoyed a fantastic summer delight. I think I liked the movie more than they did.

And it had me from the opening scene narrated by Nim (Abigail Breslin soon to star as Kit Kittredge later this summer).

She said something like this when describing her amazing life on a private island with her marine biologist father:

"I am home schooled ... or island schooled ... I love to read books."

Then it shows her pouring through the trove of books that are her friends, and you see her imagination fired up as the pictures in those books, such as World Book encyclopedia, come to life.

She was educating for life!
Awesome.

The girl is super smart. Very creative, industrious, independent and adventurous.

Her best friends are a seal, a pelican, a sea turtle and a lizard. Yay for girls who love lizards!

When the power goes out in their "hut" ... she fixes it herself, enabling her to get back on the family MAC! When the Jodie Foster character needs some information about volcanoes, Nim dons her climbing gear and expertly climbs one to take a look around.

Definitely a fantasy adventure that pays tribute to our imagination!
And educating for life.

The lights are on ... la casa es vacía

2008-06-10T19:28:00.004-05:00

If you watched Lion King 1 1/2, and you only did if you had a pre-schooler in your house in the early 21st century, you might remember that scene where Nala is passionately and patiently explaining and re-explaining to Timon and Poomba the travails of the pride's life since Simba left them.

The whole time Timon and Poomba don't hear a word she says because they keep wondering whether she's going to eat them.

I am not afraid of being pounced on by my patient and passionate friends, but alas, the lights are on but no one is home in my head when it comes to the whole CVS thing where you get a lot of stuff that doesn't cost any real money.

It's been explained. I've read websites. I've had blog posts written just for me.

Still.

What? How? Why?

But we want to save money on things like toothpaste and Fiber One cereal (which has, by the way, the most grams of fiber of any similar product, and the lowest sodium. Trust me. I know this)! And we want to be debt free and spend $6.70 on our monthly grocery bill (and have fresh goat's milk from our farm ... might as well continue the fantasy).

I've had the CVS card on my keychain for so long (probably when it dumped Eckerds) that it's worn, but not from use. Just from riding around with the BassPro and grocery store "rewards" cards. As I explained to my neighbor and CVS Expert Jan (who never posts anymore but who has apparently twittered) ... the other big chain pharmacy is so much more convenient to the house. It's not across a big intersection like CVS.

I've clipped coupons for years. I use them ... but have never gone crazy with it.

But I'm trying CVS this week. They have 3 boxes of Fiber One for $10 (which in my mind is NOT a deal, really ... ) but apparently with coupons - that I have, elusive savings-that I'm figuring out and waving a magic wand ... I can get these for a steal.

Warning to all CVS diehards. If I'm getting in on this ... CVS is close to pulling the plug on the whole deal. It's my day-late-dollar-short luck. Hopefully not this time.

Bad news

2008-06-10T12:53:00.004-05:00

What kind of sick person uploads a picture of her own feet that are badly in need of a pedi and whose toes match the grass in the back yard? Me. Because of the sad sad story I read in the paper today.

Headline: As all-day gear, flip-flops flop, research shows

I have to read it in the paper instead of listening to my better half, the gait, posture, balance analyzer and PT extraordinaire, who regularly predicts my future back, hip and foot pain.

Now studies show we are only supposed to wear flops at the beach and after a grueling game of futbol for post-game relief.

DRAG! He's right ... or he's wrong along with all of the fine folks at Auburn who studied a bunch of feet.

Given the options - sand or soccer career, I think it's time to move to the beach house.

Curbside parking

2008-06-04T08:12:00.000-05:00

Where are the pictures?

2008-05-28T14:50:00.005-05:00

It is confirmed, that to some extent, probably more than I should, I think BLOG. I blame the newshound in me ... it's deep. Something happens. I must tell. I must blog.

Something happened last night and I wasn't even here to tell about it. I'm telling anyway.

Let's pretend I'm writing this for radio ...

Screeching tires and a crash interupted a quiet evening in a near northwest side historic neighborhood (oops, that's not present tense, as all news leads should be, but I never hear it on air anymore either).

The clamor signaled the end of a police chase where a stolen car crashed into a curb on the corner near the home of 10-year-old Giles Shelton.

(sound bite) "It was wild. We saw four guys get out of the car and start running everywhere. Then the police came and the police chopper."

Shelton said he wasn't afraid. But the family did stay inside behind locked doors until the ongoing drama drew them outside again. By that time, all of the neighbors were outside pointing out which way they saw the suspects scattering through backyards and sidewalks.

In the end, two juveniles were arrested at a nearby church parking lot. They led authorities to an adult male who allegedly masterminded the theft. He's in jail too.

No word on the driver, another passenger ... or when the Honda Civic was returned to it's owner.

###

I got the version of events this morning. I asked them if they took pictures. NO! Good thing I wrote this for radio.

The thrill of third, the agony of the double hoop

2008-05-23T09:56:00.006-05:00

I am not a coach. This piece of self-evaluation came to me during our foray into the Home School Olympics this week. And it became painfully more clear as I navigated my children through their combined 14 events, along with the throng of other young Olympians.

I'd rather be a photographer. Looking into my viewfinder is where I was when Giles ran his first event, 50 yard dash. When I popped my head out of the camera, I was a little surprised to see that he was the last one running. Is he last? Dead last? Oh dear. This will be bad. What my eye didn't catch in the sea of gray tshirts was Giles crashing a third of the way into the sprint. He picked the lane with the "hidden rut" where apparently many children throughout the day who were destined for blue ribbons ... instead crashed. So the "lessons" to be learned were "good sportsmanship" ... and handling public embarrassment!

This is where I wish I'd paid more attention to Remember the Titans or even The Bad News Bears for some great coaching advice. Somehow ... "you finished - that's great" .. or "better luck next time" or "win some lose some" just wasn't making it all better. I seriously was close to tears myself and just wanted to take him out for a big ice cream so we could cry together.

But he learned ... NOT to pick that lane. So the next event, the 100 yard hurdles ... he claimed a fifth place ribbon. Oh the relief. He is a player. He went on to grab a couple of more ribbons in green and yellow.

Meanwhile, the other two had not ribboned. Grant, being young, could be cajoled and encouraged by telling him he would get his ribbon at the end of all of his events. Since he is new to this scene, and can't read (hallelujah) ... he didn't catch the nuance of the shiny rainbow colored "participation" ribbon.

Then to Lovie. With each event and each no ribbon, whilst her buddies were ribboning, I knew her sweet little heart was sinking a little more. (In addition to the fact that we stayed up way too late the night before to watch the Idol final that we recorded). Cheer up. Cheer up. Your best events are coming ... jump rope and hula hoop. You are going to finish strong!

I must add here that some of her friends also didn't ribbon. But they had no tears (that we saw). Note to mom: emphasize more selflessness!

Five and a half hours later, we reached that final event. Hula Hooping. She has this. I know she does. Her tender emotional state is completely taken from her mother's genes. But hooping, mom could never do.

As she hoops, I'm praying and shooting video. Giles and Grant are cheering. She checks out the competition. More and more are going down. Finally there were four left, and this quad set could have hooped all day (I have the minutes of video to prove it). BUT NO. The organizer had the girls stop and announced they would DOUBLE hoop. Two? She's never doubled!

"You can do it."
"It's the same."
"Steady."
"Steady."

She lasted seven seconds (as per the video) and got a yellow third place ribbon. Funny, she was a big Syesha fan too.

The thrill of victory. The agony of doubles.

I contemplated how I was going to write this for a long time. Thought it would be funny and others would commiserate.

But really. We run the races. We finish. We try again.
While at it, we put others first and glorify God.
Easy. Nope. No one ever said it would be.

She's already planning for next year.

"Mom, I need another hula hoop. No, two more. I'm going to practice with three."

Flying the Coop

2008-05-20T13:24:00.005-05:00

Announcing the Robin Triplets (I still think there are only two, but Giles insists there are three)! At least someone has had some egg hatching success around here. We've been watching this nest for a few weeks ... it's under the eave (or is that fascia, I never know), way up there. Too high up to spy on the eggs, the hatchlings or the growth ... or take pictures. Oh, the chicks have a Smart Mama! She should do seminars for celebrity moms on dodging the paparazzi. She's also smart to build her nest way out of reach of Keisha the Hunter (aka, Pouncer, our stray cat). But she is waiting and watching just like us, but for more instinctual, and palatable reasons.

The chicks are big enough to see ... and we feel they will fly the coop very soon. I am keeping the video cam ready!

UPDATE: After a half day of sparrow rehab, Giles was convinced to let it go. After all of that handling and force feeding, I don't know if the poor thing survived after the trauma. But the chick was a good sport ...

Back to nest watching!

His Eye is on the Sparrow

2008-05-17T12:07:00.000-05:00

Outgrown

2008-05-14T09:14:00.003-05:00

Here is one reason for visionary planning for your family. When we bought our sweet old house that was very BIG at the time, when there were just two of us and no real family planning going on ... (as if) we didn't consider the SIZE of the backyard or that we would someday have TWO boys, one big, and one getting big, who like baseball.

Why, you might ask, do they pitch toward the back door? Very good question. It is preferred over the windows that take up the rest of the space at the back of the house. Although one basement window has met ball.

Why do they pitch toward the house? They hit more than they strike. Despite the photographic evidence.

Why do they use a piece of firewood for a bat? No idea. Bats are in the garage.

Why don't you move? (Be content with what you have!)

Please note the Brinks sign ... so don't even try it.

Who is trying not to show his irritation?

The next picture after the camera holder went inside to finish dinner would have captured the swan song of that plastic thingie over the screen of the back door. GONE!

The lesson: a little vision never hurt anyone. BIG BACK YARD.

Soccer Cubed

2008-05-13T09:11:00.004-05:00

Ask us where we will be this Saturday morning AND afternoon?????

NOT at the soccer field.

Hallelujah.

Gas prices. Neglected yard work. And kids who spurn their soccer practice equipment for baseball practice in the back yard (pictures on that coming later). Oh, and the missed time with the kids' friends, birthday parties and other junk.

What a time commitment. I did treasure the family time. Parents in chairs, two kids sitting on our laps while we cheered on the other one. And a little Soccer Mom tan, when it finally warmed up.

With three games each Sat, way across town (with practice during the week - way across town, during rush hour) - most times we would take a picnic and hang out between our breaks which were never much more than an hour.

Last Saturday we had a four-leaf clover hunt during the break. I found one!

We had super fantastic coaches, and met a lot of great people. And observed, er, a lot of family dynamics with some of our teammates. And dealt with a lot of kids who complained about the snack, or wanted more or cried when some awfully irresponsible mom FORGOT the snack. It IS all about the snack.

I know lots of families do this and are way more involved in way more activities than we are, every day of the week. Woah. Makes me tired thinking about it. And seriously, why? Why do we do it?

See ya soccer.

Roses are red

2008-05-12T18:22:00.005-05:00

hurrying to post before the kids find out I'm exploiting their silliness on the www. It's the annual picture in front of the rose bush ... never before quite so zany. Note the scene stealer cat who had to be in every shot!

A day late, and a dollar short

2008-05-09T18:40:00.003-05:00

I am totally putting my foot down. Dan and Angi have totally snubbed blogging for twitter. What is twitter? And why? Facebook is about the outer limits of my coolness. And I don't even get that. But I am on. Why? Je ne sais pas.

I have more Facebook friends than I have in real life, and hardly any of them are my BFFs in real life, mostly old acquaintances or people I know. And mostly I don't care what groups they joined or movies they like. Well, I am mildly interested. I don't really care what they were doing 27 minutes ago either. It's a strange strange thing. If I was smarter and more interested (interesting), I would research it and maybe say something profound about it all, or write some devo about it.

And why do I blog? I am not funny like the QC Report or wise like Many Meadows . Hmmm. Why does anyone blog? I waste enough time surfing from one blog to another to another, to realize that almost "everyone" blogs but mostly everyone should not. I mention no names!

Happy Homemaker never even posts anymore. Oops. She just updated some stuff. Cool, because I was beginning to wonder if she had left us all for twittering instead. She does get props for sending us to this one: Stuff Christians Like. It IS funny.

That is all.

Run, run for your lives

2008-05-07T16:44:00.004-05:00

I think I finally can write a "brief" post. I feel I've been far too wordy lately, with frilly inside jokes like icky olives (clearly my memory can't be trusted).

As I was writing up something to go with these pictures from last week's storm ... the tornado alarm went off. Seriously.

It was time once again to play the Rated G version of the Gary England Drinking Game (google it yourself for I can't vouch for any website that I found it on, but there are plenty!)

Seriously. It's hilarious (probably only to those who live here) and sure helps with my kids' storm jitters. NO ... not because of that ... we play the non-alcoholic version! But interesting idea. KIDDING. And, uh, great geography lessons! We all need to know where Slaughterville is!

When the going gets tough ...

2008-05-05T22:14:00.004-05:00

time to go to the movies.

There was nothing "tough" going on, except navigating the home school convention and work last Friday with the kids. I had a complicated schedule going on to attend convention, drop the kids off with dad so I could attend a luncheon for my part-time job (that requires me to leave the house only occasionally), pick the kids back up, maybe hit the convention again, and then home.

Such a day would be no sweat for me in the old days. Now stress and dread. That's pretty much how I anticipate any day that I have to wear makeup and not wear a tshirt.

I got out of the the luncheon deal but then the kids were bummed out they didn't get to go have lunch with Dad, so without thinking I popped off, "hey, let's do the convention and then go to the movies in Bricktown!" (We had a pass!)

At the convention we bumped into many friends, and was pleasantly surprised to see other people we know who are home schooling (yay) ... I did pretty well this year with the intimidation-overwhelmed-failure-over-stimulated emotions I had the first time I went. Lots of stuff. Lots of "eye candy" curriculum and "widgets."

We had the most fun at VISION FORUM's booth where of course, the boys bought toy pop guns, and a three-man water balloon slingshot. I bought this book I had been eyeing, Passionate Housewives Desperate for God!

On Saturday, I went back to buy Math U See.

But back to Friday, we ditched the convention and walked a few blocks to the theatre to see .... IRONMAN.

I was looking forward to a nap. But NO!
The movie is fantastic. There is one brief adult scene, but the kids were hiding their eyes before I could even do it for them.
Normally, I do not like comic book movies or that junk. I loved this one. And we never see movies on opening day!

Bonus. The movie "broke" twice, so we got free passes for another movie!

Great redemption. Great good vs. evil (good wins, sorry to spoil). And great message about peace not war. Please save us, Iron Man!

Lodestar online

2008-05-05T10:36:00.002-05:00

FINALLY.

God was so gracious to our family when we literally jumped into home educating with no preparation, no plan, and no idea whatsoever. I often tell people that we made our decision in about 25 seconds, and that is about right. Although God was preparing us along the way ... we just didn't know it. I know we didn't know it because I would say things like ....

"we will never ever ever ever ever EVER home school."

"Home schooling? Icky Olives! NO WAY."

I know God is still laughing at that one. It has taught me to refrain from any future "never say nevers."

God's grace in the beginning was by sending me a friend, Keli, who pointed us to Educating for Life and it's leader, Cheryl Lange.

That first meeting I attended, I heard for the first time about a person named Charlotte Mason, getting off of the conveyor belt of public education, and about a revolutionary little book and concept called "Better Late Than Early," and another book called "A Thomas Jefferson Education." It was heady stuff. I was freaked out and exhilarated.

I have wondered how our course might have been had I tried to bring school home with expensive curriculums, schedules and worksheets. Actually, I know what would have happened. We would have failed.

Yep. We still could be "failing" by certain world standards. But we are having fun! And I wouldn't trade this wonderful intimacy, joy and opportunity to learn together and disciple our children for anything. Thank you God.

And thanks Cheryl, you are a lodestar!

FINALLY ... her much anticipated website is online.
Lodestar Ministries.

Au Revoir

2008-05-01T16:49:00.006-05:00

Parting is such sweet sorrow. We said TTFN to our 10 Rwandan students last Thursday, including Alain!

We had no word on whether he made it, until this morning (Mon) when Alain tried to Skype us. We missed him.:-(

Apparently he made it to Rwanda. No word yet on whether all of his stuff got there.

The days before he left were a flurry of shopping and packing. Many trips to WalMart, Best Buy, The Apple Store, WalMart, Radio Shack, WalMart, oh, and WalMart. Throw in the bank, and a few other stops and we had a pretty busy week.

When I was tempted to be grumpy about all of that running around, I just remembered that he was buying NONE of that for himself. He was buying cool things for his family who put him on a plane two years ago to go get his college education in America!

Contrast this to what I observed the day we moved him out of the dorm and to our house before the trip home to Rwanda. I noticed a guy digging through the dumpsters, and was intrigued (nosy) enough to ask him what he was doing. "Are you "freeganing" or did you lose something?

He didn't want the word to get out, so I said I'd try to protect his secret, but apparently dumpster diving outside of dorms at the end of a school year is some pretty great fishing. Clothes. Expensive shoes. Furniture. Sunglasses. Laundry soap (that he gave me!). School supplies ... all tossed in the garbage ... these guys couldn't even bother with donating their junk to the needy. Spoiled American college brats was my thought! Sorry. It's true, no?

Alain scraped together the money he earned at the "caf" (eteria) to get a computer (macbook, good boy), digital camera, video camera and all of the related cards, cords, batteries and power adaptors to give his family. We added to that MP3s, Giles' gamecube system and games that he relinquished to Alain's brothers, jewelry and pictures.

The night before he left, I asked him what he would like for dinner. Had it been me, I definitely would have hinted strongly for steak or lobster. My kids would have begged for pizza! He wanted beans! He'd be getting the real thing from his mama in just a few days, but he still asked for it. So we made beans and sweet potatoes and fried plaintain. A meal that cost about $1.87! And leftovers before the airport the next morning.

Amidst all of that packing and anticipation, would you believe that boy, and his friend, Placide, gave me Mother's Day cards?!

Love them. Miss them. See you in August!

Oh, Elizabeth, where have you been?

2008-04-29T18:11:00.005-05:00

Okay, totally. Who has heard of Elizabeth George Speare?

Full of Joy's mom who is a PhD extraordinaire and expert on the subject of early childhood ed, turned her on to this author. Since Dr. S was also MY mom for four months when she was our faculty sponsor on a college European studies tour (like a couple of years ago), I do everything she tells me. Thanks for passing on the Speare love.

Our first borrowed book from them was The Sign of the Beaver. Fantastic book. So good. We chose it for Giles ... a boy book. Wilderness living. Hunting. Fishing. Indians. Surviving. The main character who has to live in the wilderness, hunt, fish, meet (and befriend) indians and survive is 12 years old. It's a fantastic read. We read it aloud, and it knocked off My Side of the Mountain for the top spot.

Then, we borrowed The Witch of Blackbird Pond on audio discs from the library. And listened to that in the car. Rich and awesome book. I was weary of the witch in the title, but it's okay! It's a look at New England in pre-revolutionary years and a struggle in a Puritan community with an outcast (witch) Quaker living by the swamp. Beautiful book. We all loved it and I appreciated the look into Puritans and Quakers, groups I've largely ignored. Sorry.

And, we read The Bronze Bow.

Oh, Elizabeth. Where have you been?

She won the Newberry for The Bronze Bow in 1962 ... and only started writing after she had raised her family. She was born in 1908. She won at least one more Newberry (The Witch of Blackbird Pond), and received the Laura Ingalls Wlder Award for her "fine body of work."

Indeed.

The Bronze Bow. Oh wonderful. This is her only book set outside of her native New England. It's set in Capernaum! Yes, in Bible times! Jesus is a character in the book. Oh, it's great. Especially for lovers of historical fiction.

One of my homeschool mentors, Cheryl Lange, talks about higher level thinking and learning, where we receive information in such a way that we process it and order it ourselves, as opposed to having it fed to us in a textbook. Reading works that expand our vocabulary is one tool to use, and books that help us order events in our mental (or posted on the wall) timelines. Indeed, Charlotte Mason herself told us to lay off of the twaddle! I think they both would recommend this book.

Incidentally, I bumped into a family last night I knew when we were at our elementary school. I was catching up on the news (still the same - teachers don't respect the principal, immeasurable discipline problems with the kids, a Maps for Kids plan that took away a new gym). They were so excited their son loves to read. I was excited for him too! And still am. I always ask what they are reading to make sure we are not missing out. He's reading Captain Underpants. It might be very fine literature and is probably along the lines of Junie B. Jones who has entered our house. But I wonder if these vocabulary words are used by Capt. Pantywaist?

phylacteries
transparent
exhilarated
confident
clamoring
inveighled
avenge and revenge
forge
oblique
gaity
phalanx
litter
centurion
catapult
fissure
niggardly

We wrote those words down as we read, and Giles' assignment is to look them up and write down the meanings. He looks them up on our handy widget dictionary. I know we're missing skill building by not getting out the old Webster's and flipping through, but it's also so cool to be able to have information so quickly.

We also became familiar with the Hebrew calendar ... the months of Ab, Nissan, Tishrei. (Thank you widget Wikipedia on those).

Thank you to the late Mrs. Speare! Calico Captive is next on our list.

Friends in High Places

2008-04-28T19:46:00.005-05:00

This was my kind of day. Spontaneous and special.

My friend and radio mentor Billie Rodely works for Oklahoma Congresswoman Mary Fallin as her communication director. Very nice and not a bad pay off for getting up around 2 am for the better part of her career to get folks to work with all the news they needed to know during the morning drive (the coveted slot for radio folks)! Billlie also had a fantastic career at OETA with the documentary show Stateline, where she garnered an EMMY award. She has an entire credenza FULL of awards acknowledging her fantastic talent and wonderful career.

I love Billie.

She had invited the kids and I to come visit the congresswoman's OKC office when Fallin, "please call me Mary," was in town.

Another opportunity happened today, and I emailed Billie to see if it would be okay if we brought two Rwandan college students with us! Alain and our friend Placide who are going home to Kigali THIS week after spending two years here at university. They come back here in August to finish their undergrad degrees in engineering.

Sure, she said.

After a morning of shopping for electrical adaptors, various electronic devices and accessories for folks back home, we rushed home, tried to dress up and headed downtown for the meeting. In the elevator, I had to give a couple of kids spit baths (not Alain and Placide), and I wished we had dressed more nicely, and had hair cuts.

On the way to the office I briefly coached the kids not to give home schooling a bad name (don't embarrass me or cause her to run back to Washington to try to outlaw homeschooling!). We reviewed the proper way to speak to her, and that they better answer questions they were asked politely and loudly. All the while, I was secretly praying she didn't ask some complicated math question (like 12 x 11) or ask anyone to recite the Gettysburg Address.

Billie led us on a grand tour of the office, but Cong. Fallin wasn't there yet. While we were peaking into the congresswoman's very nice office, we heard her come through the main door. We were in her office. BUSTED. I don't think she minded! (hope). Later, the kids and I giggled that we should have hidden behind the furniture and jumped out and yelled "Surprise" when she came in!

She met Alain and Placide, and Giles, Lydia and Grant and let us get a quick picture in between important meetings about important matters. She heads back to Washington tomorrow.

She was impressed with the Rwandans, was familiar with their country, was proud they are receiving their education in Oklahoma to take back home to help in building up their country. And to me and the kids she said it was a very neat honor to be able to homeschool!

Great day.

Because we had not had enough fun, we then walked over to the Renaissance Hotel because Giles was SURE someone famous was there. There were at least four big tour buses ... you know, the star kind. One of the bus tags was from Tennessee. Isn't Kenny Chesney coming to OKC soon? Hey. Maybe it's him. The Rwandans, of course, didn't know who he was, so we started singing any song we knew ... and all I could think of was "when the sun goes down."

Because I am an adventurous (lookey loo) mom, we went over to the lobby to people watch. It was a great decision because Alain and Placide thought the lobby, with its open atrium covered with skylights 15 floors above us, was really cool (too bad we didn't have time to go to the Skirvin). Giles (and his child at heart mom) was sure Kenny would saunter in any moment, just like in a country video!

Then, we decided to ride the elevator to the top floor to look down!

Oh. We can't get to the top floor, we discovered, without a special key. At the next elevator stop, a gentleman got on, with the special key! Hey, I said, mind if we get out just to look around?

Sure, he said. No big. Our elevator opened right in front of the pres. suite. Kenny's in there! We were sure. Did we even know when his concert is? No. Do we even really like him? Nah.

Besides being goofy, it was just neat to watch the guys look down! They loved it but admitted a slight bit of squeamishness.

Then there was a magnetic force dragging us into the free concierge room. You know, the places we've heard about, with free food and drinks and fancy furnishings and all of the latest magazines. And only certain special people ($$$) get to go in there.

NO, we didn't take any food! Be for real! But we did take some pictures of future executives in deep negotiation! And checked out the view from 15 floors up of Bricktown, interstate system, and the hospital where Stan works.

We finally left, but just as our elevator door closed to take us down, the Pres. Suite door OPENED. It could have been Kenny. Probably not, Giles. Probably not, I assured him.

Hey, wasn't it cool to meet the congresswoman! Remember that?

I just checked the Ford Center schedule and see Kenny is not here this week. But Kanye West is! I'm pretty sure that was some of his posse we saw, and probably his people in those buses.

I can't wait to tell Alain and Placide. I think Kanye would appeal to them more than margarita cowboy hat dude ... oh, but not as much as meeting a politician!

Here we are on top of the parking garage.

Beavers Bend Moment

2008-04-25T08:24:00.000-05:00

Be Content With What You Have

2008-04-24T08:36:00.003-05:00

I love our children's ministry at church, though I do teeter on the brink of burnout. I'll just admit that. But sometimes the lessons are just as much for the adults as the children.

We do a large group format where the kids sit and have a lesson presented to them based on scripture. Then the kids break up into small groups to dig deeper and be shepherded by our awesome volunteers who commit to serve these kids for 9 months at a time.

Large group is usually funny, and zany. Our main teacher Brian, is hilarious, and can also send those key messages home and into little hearts ... with the "cross-training" of the holy spirit, of course. (this picture was from another lesson - about reading "recipes" to know that you don't put onions and pickle relish in donut batter just because you like those things on your hotdog. Don't ask me what the scripture was, I was too busy taking pictures.)

Anyway a few weeks ago, our lesson was based on the scripture, Heb 13:5 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."

The illustration was so funny. Brian played a greedy guy, and Lance, his buddy, got to absorb the lesson with being able to say "I am content with what I have" (with lots of help from the kids) when Brian presented himself with a king size candy bar, and Lance with a little fiber bar. Brian got a box of donuts, Lance got one. Brian got an iPod, Lance got a cd. And on and on.

Be content with what you have.
Be content with what you have.

For the parent volunteers in the room, it was a reminder of great scripture ammunition to take home!

"I want an iPod."
Be content with what you have.

"All of my friends have been to Disney World."
Be content with what you have.

"All of my friends have (wii, xbox360, trick bikes, shotguns, hunting leases, american girls AND accessories, every piece of Star Wars gear ever made)."
Be content with what you have.

"So and so has a cell phone."
(egad) Be content with what you have.

But really, this lesson went straight to my heart.

"Different house with a big yard and dogs (and maybe llamas)."
Be content with what you have?

"A vehicle that can safely leave the city limits."
Be content with what you have?

"Furniture that is not torn, not out of style and doesn't require slip covers to hide its ugliness and that HAS CUSHIONS THAT DO NOT SLIDE EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU SIT." (ahem. I'm okay).
Be content with what you have?

even "Highlights in my hair"
Be content with what you have?

Be content with what I have.

I don't think necessarily that just throwing that scripture at our kid's will take away their natural tendencies to want and want and want. Be content with what you have, BECAUSE the Bible says so, that's why.

Sometimes that doesn't even do it for my greedy heart.

We can add that God takes care of our daily needs and way much more.
We can talk about perspective - of the families we know that are broken, or the families we know that are here illegally and live in fear, people living in war zones, people who are lonely, the people who don't have anyTHING and people who have EVERYthing, except the joy of Jesus.

We can also let scripture truths reassure us that we are called to something higher and better, it's eternity with Jesus. And we are not to conform to the world, or live of it but in it.

Ultimately, that we TRUST God with what he gives us. And his plans to prosper us, not to harm us, and to give us hope and a future. And, to whom much is given, much is expected.

BTW

2008-04-22T11:29:00.002-05:00

By the way, we failed at chicken egg incubating. Entirely.
Too emotional to write about right now.
And sort of ashamed that we bungled life so badly.
But we learned. Oh boy. Did we learn.

LIFE is not easy. For a chicken or anything or anyone else.

God's masterpiece and design for everything, however, is so brilliant.
This experiment made that point a "teachable moment" for all of us.

I have a new respect for Hens. They are great moms.
No manuals needed for them to keep their eggs the right temperature, the right humidity and to know which ones needed turning without making a sharpie mark on the shell.

RETREAT

2008-04-19T11:43:00.005-05:00

Our vocabulary word for Friday was RETREAT.
Definition: what our family does when the parking lot of the zoo, and all adjacent parking lots are crammed full of school buses! Back slowly away .... turn and RUN, in this case to the park with Living Joy and three other home schooling moms (along with 16 kids, one awesome aunt and one awesome grandma, by the way).

Geography for the day ... reading all of the school names on the sides of the buses and figuring out if we knew what towns they represented.

Logistics of the day ... coordinating the mom minivan/car brigade and redirecting to a park.

Ultimate word of the day ... FLEXIBILITY!

Lesson of the day for moi ... find my cell phone or get a new one. Sorry!

Nothing against field trips. I went along on a few while G was in K and 1st grade, including the zoo. It was the worst day of my life. Being responsible for six or so kids whose personalities I did not know (were they wanderers, would they listen, can they run faster than me) and who belonged to other parents, was pretty stressful. I had never counted to six so many times in my life as during those few hours there. Head count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 .... panic panic ... where is SIX?

Oh there he is, trying to climb into the alligator pit.

Postscript (a few minutes later, while throwing some clothes in the dryer, and picking out a million pieces of a former tissue stuck to every piece of clothing) ... I was reminded of how very very very blessed we are. We have a zoo pass. We can go to the zoo anytime we want. We throw garage sale money, or some extra cash for it, because it is a fantastic "bargain" to have that pass. So we can go to the zoo anytime we want. In fact, we go so often, that only a few of our 16 kids (mostly mine) were bummed that we didn't go this day.

I am reminded about the folks who don't live within ten minutes of a great park or zoo, like we do, and could not afford the admission cost or a pass. And I was also reminded of Chandy's post during Spring Break , some of her kids had NEVER been to the zoo. We take it for granted. WOW.

On Target

2008-04-16T19:46:00.003-05:00

Announcing Grant Shelton as the second place finisher for all K - 2nd graders at the Archery Contest he participated in last weekend with Campfire USA! SECOND! Signing up Grantie was an afterthought. The real archer in the family is Giles!

But so are lots of other 3rd to 5th grade kids out there, for G was edged out of the top three in his age bracket.

And Giles' friend who came with us, in the 6th grade level, placed second, for his age. Go Lane!

Giles was a champ for being ecstatic for his bro and his bud!

Grant is so proud to be getting a ribbon. The rest of us are in shock. The poor kid is left handed but right eye dominant, and that eye was dilated with a drop to help strengthen his other eye. This was also his first time to shoot real arrows at real bulls eye targets. Most of his arrows went under the target! The instructors were champs and very patient in helping him. So were the other archers behind his flight, since Grant kinda slowed down the entire tournament.

Way to go Grant. I should have taken more pictures!

Here's the second place archer.

Here's one of Giles' targets.

We are corn

2008-04-16T08:03:00.003-05:00

Has anyone seen King Corn, the little independent documentary that traces a couple of best friends who forego getting jobs after college graduation for an adventure into solving a mystery of why we are corn? We saw it last night on PBS. (Handy to have that little indie film company go along with ya).

In 2006, these dudes moved to Iowa to learn where our food comes from. They rented an acre of land, planted genetically altered corn with stalks that will grow close together and resist even the most harshest poisonous herbicides. And signed up for government subsidy. They attempted to trace their bumper crop into the food chain and found that about a third of it would go to export or to make ethanol, a lot of it would go to feed animals and a lot of it would go to make high fructose corn syrup that is present in virtually every box and jar on the shelves of the grocery store. (I have found that you have to be totally on the ball as a label scanner to avoid it. But sometimes you get tricked. I bought some barbecue sauce the other day from a little lady selling it for her church. She said it was her recipe, and they cooked it. Stan had bought it before and raved about it so I was so excited to get some. I read the label when we got home. It's in there. How does that happen? Can you buy high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient?).

The documentary was fascinating and frightening. I knew it would be. One of the premises the guys stated for this journey is that some say this (our) generation will be the first to have a SHORTER lifespan than the previous generation. Why? Corn has a lot to do with it.

They showed us some cattle feed lots with cows packed like sardines gorging themselves on grain. They interviewed scientists who told us how awful corn diets are for cattle. They showed us how the freak-of-nature-resilient-and-horrible-tasting corn makes it's way into every part of a Happy Meal. Corn fed beef, syrup in the bun and the pop, the corn oil fries are cooked in, and probably the napkins too! Oh, don't forget the ketchup.

We are corn. It's in our hair.

In Iowa, the old homesteads are gone. Replaced by corporate farms that plant miles (literally) of rows of corn. More yield and time saving when you don't have to turn those behemoth tractors! The local farmers who are still around and playing the game don't much like it, but what to do?

Our food scares me. For my family and for all of us. Stan told me he heard (on NPR) a story about how Asian countries are backing off of rice production because of costs, and a lot of that rice goes to feed the hungry in places like Africa. (How Africa came to depend on food from another continent is another thought thread entirely).

Another reason to move to our own little farm. I am encouraged that we, the people, do seem to be getting it, and trying to make changes. We belong to an Oklahoma Food coop, where we buy eggs, grass-fed beef, chicken and buffalo, awesome cheese, and vegetables from farmers all over the state.

Even in our neighborhood, I see we are going to offer a little farmer's market on the first Saturday of each month.

I've been rereading Jordin Rubin's books again, The Maker's Diet and Rx for Healthy Living. Good stuff and scary. Such a complete turnaround to the way we eat and think and buy and cook. We still eat too much at McDs and rely on convenience food more than we should .. my children's (and my) tastes love it all. It's hard to eat healthy. And expensive. And takes planning. I'm not a planner.

But we try.

Brooding

2008-04-13T22:37:00.003-05:00

We are ready.

The brooder is ready. The eggs are in their hatching stance.

Waiting.

We've made a few mistakes along the way. Perhaps fatal. And we all feel anxious and terribly guilty.

Just goes to show that artificial nature can never really take the place of momma. And the Dad of this house is in charge of all future projects that involve LIFE. Because he's the one who reads directions.

(still need a farmer, btw)

Catching up

2008-04-10T08:26:00.006-05:00

For Grant's birthday, Dad took the day off and we Amtrakked down to Paul's Valley. Actually Stan drove the van because we didn't want to be stuck in PV America til the train came back that night. It was awesome. Train riding is the way to travel. Since it was Feb., we saw lots of winter scapes (sort of lifeless), but we could also SEE through the formerly leaf-filled trees lots of pastures, ranches and towns. We would love to do a long trip on the rails. But it costs about the same as chartering planes, so it's probably not happening.

The Conductor found out it was Grant's birthday so they wished him a Happy Birthday over the loud speaker. Called him a handsome guy wearing cool camo. Grant was so embarrassed. Loved it!

In order, are some pictures of our arrival in PV ...

OOPS. (note Giles pulling my hand down ... my animation apparently was embarrassing to him)

After trespassing on the old train, we went to the Toy Museum in downtown Pauls Valley.

Then Dad showed the kids his former haunts from when he lived there right before he took his lovely bride. Then we ate at Bob's Pig Shop, visited Bedree chocolate factory, got cherry limeades at Ballard's drive-in for the ride home (just to make sure we were getting our RDA of sugar!), and had the kids at their gymnastics class back in OKC by 2:45. WEW.

Outside Bob's Pig Shop. (Seeing Lydia's face in this picture reminds me she was kicking the end of the flu, but we forced her to come along anyway ... and like it.)

Later, CAKE.
I never want to wish our time away, but I do love it when we are all at even numbers ... 6, 8, 10. We live this way til August when Lovie turns 9.

Happy Birthday Grantie!

Honorable Mention

2008-04-04T17:34:00.004-05:00

Giles entered a nature photography contest from the Oklahoma Historical Society. He got an Honorable Mention (and no money, as he pointed out).

Still, we're proud. And he's fired up. If you have a chance, look over all of the entries. I think some of the photos are oustanding! I admire all of the parents/teachers out there who let their child enter the photo that might not have been quite in focus, or one that with just a little cropping or altering, would have been a winner! What restraint!

Makes me proud of all young photographers in our state. And I'm also proud of the great nature in our state! Backyards. Parks. City. Country. Flora. Fauna. Buffaloes. Ice. Sunsets. We have it all!

View Photo Gallery

Hope

2008-04-03T11:40:00.006-05:00

Grant came up with the word to describe our candling exercise. HOPE.

Who knew incubating eggs could be so metaphorical?

Our candling exercise to check the development of our 28 eggs was an adventure in patience, trial-and-error and ingenuity. One of the hardest parts was "making" our candler. But we persevered and finally figured it out. One clear result we found is that instead of candling in a "darkened" room, it's best just to candle at night! But sheets and blankets over windows helped this morning.

(28 because two met with accidents while turning. We are not pointing fingers).

We read about egg development.
clear means no development,
a blood ring means the embryo is dead,
a small dark spot within a mass of little blood veins floating means life.

Our emotions were not in check and started to nosedive when the first half dozen eggs presented clear or blood ring.

Failure. We had failed.

But then ... is that a small dark spot? Are those veins. Is it floating? LIFE.

YES! We have floating! We have dark spots.

Our moods improved and we proceeded. We decided to mark the eggs with the bloodrings and clearness with a "U" for unknown. We just could not throw them out or call them dead without Dad doublechecking us.

The life eggs got a happy face.

Tally:
18 smiley faces
10 U

Parental Discretion is Advised

2008-04-02T14:42:00.002-05:00

I feel I should warn, since I've been blathering on about John Adams. The last episode reunites Abigail and John after their three year separation. She joins him in Paris while she's been back on the farm, and enduring the war. Their initial greeting, after this absence, was sweet but a little distant. No embrace. No tears. Just joy. Hmmm. Okay. Those were modest times!

Then they went to the privacy of their chamber.

Parental discretion is advised.

I had begged the kids to come downstairs and watch the show with Mom & Dad, but they ignored me. For once, I was glad!

Steamy.

Had the kids been watching, I can just imagine the comments we'd be making. "Kids, look at that bird out the window." ... or "Let's go pop some corn."

I know I would have said ... AT LEAST THEY'RE MARRIED.

Couldn't help but wonder what the high school students watching it in history classes thought.

HBO.

Other People's Books

2008-04-01T08:27:00.002-05:00

I've been re-reading Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza. I read it the first time very quickly more than a year ago (I couldn't put it down), and I needed to go through it again.

It's a book everyone interested in Rwanda, faith, God, hope ... should have on their shelves.

But I borrowed it this time from the library! I can't remember if I have purchased this book already, but it's not in the house. I love sharing books. So, to restate, books about such topics should NOT remain on shelves, they should be shared and read and re-read.

On page 190, near the end of the book Imaculee is recounting her God-destined journey to finding a job after the genocide, after she lost almost all of her family, after she survived the war, crouched in a tiny bathroom with several other women for three months ... there was a pencil underline on three statements on this page, marked by someone else ...

I envisioned it, I prayed for it, and now I had it! (her job)

I was living proof of the power of prayer and postitive thinking, which really are almost the same thing.

God is the source of all positive energy, and prayer is the best way to tap in to His power.

God has given me a dream that I can envision and am praying for. It is a vision of having Alain's parents in the audience when he graduates from Oklahoma Christian University. Can you just imagine? Sending your amazing son off to America, trusting in the value of the education he would get in a place called Oklahoma, and trusting in God's plan for him, that he would be safe and looked after? How they miss him. How proud they are of him. His school marks are excellent. He's a leader. He is one of the kindest, most amazing young men we know. His future is bright!

We have two years to plan, save and make it happen. Any ideas on fund-raising?

This is why we recycle

2008-03-31T11:47:00.004-05:00

We all got a late Monday morning start. Even this guy. We had a recycling bonanza this week from Alain's party with a ton of aluminum cans (with the tops torn off for the Ronald McDonald House). We are used to our recyclables and big trash day refuse being picked through. And I was hoping the cans would be found because we know there's money to be made gathering aluminum.

This man got to our cans before anyone else and before the truck came. I grabbed my camera (what? I'm not sharing his face or selling his image) and shot through the window.

A few minutes would pass and I'd check again. He'd still be crushing cans.

The last time I looked, he was about to ride away on his bike but looked to see a funeral procession from the church across the street about to drive past him. He stopped. Got off of his bike. Took off his hat and bowed til all of the cars passed.

Precious. The kids and I are discussing it. And we prayed for the guy (and the severe weather all around us). And we are (I am) thankful for our house and the reminders of the broken world that we have the honor of seeing from our curb.

Happy Birthday Alain

2008-03-31T11:39:00.002-05:00

Our oldest son turned 21 on Sunday! Happy Birthday Alain.

His day started early with a phone call in his dorm room from home. He got to speak with all of his family who were thrilled to wish him a happy birthday.

Home is in Rwanda. Family are his parents, two brothers and his sister.

They are all counting the days for his summer visit home! Only about a month left.

We'll miss him so much this summer. How selfish is that?

He invited some friends over and we had a fantastic afternoon with our house filled with more college students than I thought possible.

We made beans, cassava, rice and grilled chicken (we also had hot dogs for some filler). We also had some fried plaintain for an apppetizer.

Happy Day.

There's a teacher's guide

2008-03-29T08:49:00.002-05:00

I'm finding it difficult to sit down and soak up all of the John Adams episodes. Instead of sitting in front of the TV, I should be writing love letters to my husband!

“ I look back to the early days of our acquaintance and
friendship as to the days of love and innocence, and,
with an indescribable pleasure, I have seen near a score
of years roll over our heads with an affection heightened
and improved by time, nor have the dreary years of
absence in the smallest degree effaced from my mind
the image of the dear untitled man to whom I gave
my heart.”
—Abigail Adams, wRiting to John Adams in 1782

The documentary runs a little slow ... but that is part of the draw, I think. We need to feel the slowness of those times. The long sea passages from the colonies back to Britain transporting news of treaties, battles, surrenders and victories. The time it took to powder one's wig before any meeting of the Continental Congress.

When I saw a trailer for the movie, Tom Hanks, executive producer, said something to the effect that researching Adams led him to an understanding of our history that had he realized as a school child, would have blown off his little head!

But he didn't say WHAT that was! What was it?

One remarkable detail of the movie/Adams life was that at 14-years-old, John Quincy, who had accompanied his father to Paris, braving British fire on the sea, was sent to St. Petersburg as the secretary to the new US Ambassador ... BECAUSE he was fluent in Russian.

Stan commented that he wouldn't have sent his son off with that man who looked a little suspect (must have been that wig). So is the taint of our modern times and fear of child predators.

Still. 14.
We know how wise Jesus was at 12! I just listened to a sermon on that (What Your 12-year-old Should Know).

We better download and start working on that teacher's guide (though it's produced from TIme and HBO, so I am a little suspicious of the bent!)

Peep Peep Peep PUP Peep Peep Peep

2008-03-28T18:17:00.006-05:00

Those words were on the bottom of a poster that hung in my childhood room. I would study it during dozing off and waking up times and count the letters of the words and look at the tiny chicks in the barnyard scene surrounding a little golden lab puppy. I had this elaborate head game of counting the number of letters in words, names, sentences, and a scoring system in which anything that ended in the number EIGHT was the best.

But I digress (11 letters. bad).

Peep Peep Peep has moved in. (But no PUP). Didn't I just laud Webkinz in the post just previous to this. The inanimate, virtual, carefree sort of pet?

How then, could it happen that the very next day after the Webkin post, we drove in our real car using real expensive gasoline to pick up our real batch of 30 chicken eggs to incubate?

I thought it would be a great educational experiment. Easy: Put the eggs under a light. Watch them for a couple of days. Experience the miracle of life through hatching. Cheer on our chicks. Nurture them. Find a farm for them to live. It would be just like the fair where they have those large incubators with glass walls and chicks were hatching all of the time. Cool.

My first lesson in chicken incubation was that it takes real 21 days for our peepers to hatch. I am such a city girl sometimes (who actually grew up in the country with a mother who liked to raise chickens from time to time).

Until then, we must turn the eggs THREE TIMES A DAY ... ensure their incubator remains a steady 99 degrees, and to keep it humid. Sounds like the vacation I'd like to have (with a swim up bar, of course).

Did I say we have to turn those eggs three times a day? For 21 days?

It's day three. And so far, we are remembering. We are logging our progress, checking the temperature, the humidity. We are learning new terms like chalazae, albumen and candler. A candler, by the way, is a contraption with a light and a box that we need to make in order to view the inside of our eggs in a few days to check fertility and check development! And see whether we'll be expecting 30 peeps ... or fewer.

The eggs have been named things like Speckly, George and Duke. And Grant has shed tears more than once when we remind him that we will NOT be keeping the 30 (or?) chickens. It breaks city ordinances. And our neighbor would turn us in. Not that I wouldn't like to try to keep them! Our own eggs (for eating)!

Anyone know of a farmer who needs chickens? We wouldn't mind taking a trip out to the country for delivery. Think of the educational opportunity.

Candling update coming up.

Cody, LizzieJessica, Brownie

2008-03-25T09:00:00.002-05:00

We've welcomed many new pets into the house. I love them. No messes. No training. And the kids are totally into taking care of them. And they are already taxidermied (word?). And their live versions all live inside the computer.

We are a little late into the Webkinz craze. But we're in.

We are a ridiculous stuffed animal house anyway. Now, there's more. Even the cool oldest kid coudn't resist anymore. And he's into it. But won't admit that to just anyone.

I've rationalized this noting how the kids have learned that each of their webkins(z) has to be fed before you can buy them clothes. That you have to work (play games) to earn money. And you have to save money to purchase items, such as hottubs and fancy pirate beds for their webkinz rooms and backyards!

It's interesting to see how they decorate their rooms, and what's most fun is to see their community together in Webkinz world. Grant sent Lydia a gift yesterday, and she was so thrilled. He got a squeal and a big hug for his gesture.

I should have thought of that for Easter baskets. Instead, they each got a new Webkin. Luckily, I found a 2-for-1 sale on them at the last minute.

Another educational application (in the REAL WORLD) happened yesterday when Giles said he heard of a kid that has 92 Webkinz. What?!

For one thing that would be a fulltime job to take care of all of them! (The kid would have to quit school for that).

But mostly my eyeballs rolled back into my head and my brain started cha-chinging. How much money is that?

So the multiplication problem of the day ... 92 x $15.

I pointed out that answer could buy a real hot tub for the back yard. Be a nice chunk of change toward a real car. Or pay for lots of education for orphans in Rwanda.

Tah.

Off the deep end ...

2008-03-24T15:53:00.003-05:00

or ... where have you been all of my life?

Our new home educating journey has led us to so many new aspects of approaching our life. From bread making to nature study, and beyond. Who knew? Some of it is radical, some practical. Some of it convicts me. SOme of it makes me roll by eyes. Some of it is as appalling as it is exciting. All of it is challenging. And most of it makes me tired.

I often joke that I wake up in a new world every day. And I do. It takes me a long time to grasp some concepts that are no brainers for other people. So I might have heard all of these things before but didn't listen? My poor kids.

But we learn together as a family. The parents along with the children. My mistakes and the years I lost not knowing stuff, will hopefully just give them a stronger foundation to build their lives upon, and their children's lives. And their children.

As an example, here are the titles of some of the books and cds I've been listening to lately ...

Preparing Sons to Provide for Single Income Family, by Steve Maxwell
How Modern Churches are Harming Families, by John Thompson
The Role of Children in the Meeting of the Church, by Douglas W. Phillips
Making Wise Decisions about College, by Douglas W. Phillips
Why Satan Wants Your Firstborn and What to do about it, by SM Davis
Home is Where the Heart Is: Teaching your daughters to cherish being keepers of the home, by Susan Bradrick and daughters

Most of these materials I gathered from this outfit, VISION Forum.

We are who we win?

2008-03-23T21:27:00.004-05:00

Love the game Apples to Apples. Here's one day spent during Spring Break at Beavers Bend. The rain day. Missing are the cousins/aunt/uncle with us ... but they don't know I blog, and I do not have their permission to post unmake-upped cabin-haired pictures of them on the internet.

Funky and exciting

Lee Greenwood

Refreshing

Glamorous

Corrupt and comfortable? I prefer cunning and carefree! Also prefer unmakeupped and cabin haired days!

Sunday nights

2008-03-05T15:42:00.005-06:00

When I read the book John Adams by David McCoullough more than a year ago, I was so enthralled that I started making notes and writing down quotes to incorporate into home school to tell the kids about this man. He did rise to the top of my fave presidents list. A year later, I can't find those notes, ack! And I can't remember a lot of particulars about the man, except I still admire him, and of course, love the wife!

Principled. Wise. Confident. Visionary. God seeking. Home educated as a child. Wife adoring. Committed writer. And I think humble, at times. Some people think he was a jerk. I almost got into a friendly argument the other day with a friend (except I'm too chicken to argue) who didn't like him because he was against women's suffrage. Well, maybe, but he was against slavery. So there. (I thought of that later).

You have to love those men who rode their horses from Boston to Philadelphia for the sake of founding a country ... there were no road breaks at Steak N Shake. Or podcasts to help pass the time trotting along the paths. Or sometimes fresh water and oats for the horses. Hard life. At home. On the road. And in yellow fever infested Philly. And that was all before the horrible war started.

So when I walked into the post office the other day and saw a large poster of "John" advertising his movie, I was elated! Then I was dejected, HBO. No HBO, yo.

Still it didn't take long for me to do a little mental rebudgeting, and wondering whether we could subscribe for the duration of the THREE MONTH LONG MINISERIES that shows on Sunday nights. And wondering whether it was time to get the DVR! Afterall, this could be school related ... and all of us love this period. The kids still play colonial times, Rev. war, etc.

Then those smart people at Cox Communication offered a deal to the dorks. Three months of HBO for $5 a month just for John Adams!

Signed, sealed, delivered. And Giles has already programmed the DVR to record for me.

I'm going to look for those notes. And I can't wait for the series!

Summation

2008-03-03T10:18:00.001-06:00

From newsok.com about Sunday ...

The high temperature in Oklahoma City today was 70 degrees. The expected high on Monday is 37, with a 60 percent chance of snow.

Prized Possessions

2008-03-02T21:04:00.003-06:00

Scene: Mom walks into the house after attending worship service at Cross & Crown. The short ride home was lit up with lightning flashes and an incredible stillness ... no rain. Upon getting out of the car, I hear the tornado siren and went skipping into the house.

"Is this tornado warning really for us?" I yelled to my family who was nowhere to be found. It's never for us. We are tornado immune as evidenced by the 80-100 year old homes that surround us ... and the false scares we've had for the last 11 years in this house. There's some security in that! Probably unfounded ... but we do know the sirens blare for any possible tornado groan anywhere in our vast county.

"YES. Get down here." They yelled from the basement.

Two of three children were near tears, panicked and very frightened. Grant kept laughing and emphasizing that he was not afraid ... at all!

We listened to the radio coverage as they tracked a possible tornado that came within a half mile or so of here.

NO damage to anyone though. No touchdown of any tornado.

Giles had enough time to get his Play Station and take it downstairs. Lydia grabbed her "Beary" stuffed animal. Grant brought a flashlight! I wanted to sneak upstairs for a drink.

Tomorrow we anticipate snow.

Love Caddie Woodlawn

2008-02-27T17:57:00.005-06:00

Lydia and I just finished another book that found its place in our Top Five. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink written in 1935. A fantastic book about a little pioneer girl growing up in Wisconsin during the Civil War (we just can't seem to get away from that era). Caddie is a tomboy and it vexes her mother very much that Caddie doesn't seek to do lady things like make quilts and cook jam, preferring to romp in the woods with her brothers or sneak off to nearby Indian camps. Sounds a little like someone we know.

Caddie got into a bit of trouble. She pulled a prank on her prissy cousin from Boston and got switched good by her mother and sent to bed. After tossing on her bed all day (without supper of course), her dad came to talk to her. And here is a speech every Father should give his daughter ... I love it so much that I am RETYPING it!

"... Perhaps Mother was a little hasty today, Caddie. She really loves you very much, and, you see, she expects more of you than she would of someone she didn't care about. It's a strange thing, but somehow we expect more of girls than of boys. It is the sisters and wives and mothers, you know, who keep the world sweet and beautiful. What a rough world it would be if there were only men and boys in it, doing things in their rough way! A woman's task is to teach them gentleness and courtesy and love and kindness. It's a big task, too, harder than cutting trees or building mills or damming rivers. It takes nerve and courage and patience, but good women have those things. They have them just as much as the men who build bridges and carve roads through the wilderness. A woman's work is something fine and noble to grow up to, and it is just as important as a man's. ... I don't want you to be the silly, affected person with fine clothes and manners, whom folks sometimes call a lady. NO, that is not what I want for you, my little girl. I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind. Do you think you would like to be growing into that woman now?"

Love Caddie. Love her daddy.

God is my sponsor

2008-02-26T10:49:00.003-06:00

Here's a video testimony featuring Stan's brother, Scott. We taped this to use at church to feature the recovery program at Cross & Crown Mission. He did great. There's so much more to his story than our five minutes would allow but hopefully this gets his message across ... "God is my sponsor!" It's an incredible journey of recovery.

Who is this boy?

2008-02-21T11:57:00.002-06:00

I have an ode to Grant coming. He's been SIX for a whole week, and we've had a pretty wild week with illness, projects and such.

But just a glimpse of our little dude.
In a brunette household, Grant is the golden child. Blond blond. And hair that needs a haircut, but it's pretty wild and cute right now.

He wandered through the room yesterday with his long blonde hair, Michigan State hoodie and ripped jeans singing ...

"little red corvette."

It was a little mom moment. Who is this kid?

And the mom is glad he doesn't know the rest of the words to the song. And that always leads me wondering whether I "heard" the words to the song as I sang along on the radio when I was also SIX ... plus ten.

Gone Country

2008-02-15T22:45:00.002-06:00

Apparently we are the only ones out there who do not watch LOST, but we do watch Gone Country.

Maureen McCormack, Carnie Wilson, Bobby Brown, Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Julio Iglesias, Jr., an American Idol girl, and a rapper are in Nashville, competing to become a country music star.

Hilarious and bizarre. I get teary every episode, right along with Marcia.

The Twister

2008-02-11T09:25:00.000-06:00

One of Grant's favorite radio stations is 101.9, The Twister. Yes, it's country. Might as well admit it.

The point is, that is what his temperature registered before I quit holding the digi thermometer under his armpit. He didn't want to hold it in his mouth and the other option is not an option.

Pit checking also cuts down on germ spreading perhaps, since Giles is down with it. And I'm spending lots of time at the sink scrubbing temperature taking devices between uses. They are following their father who was down with the ague last week.

One of our favorite books we've read together is Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls. It's an excellent living book (the movie just doesn't compare.) We loved it, and if you're from Oklahoma, the book is even more special because it's setting is in the north eastern part of our state.

Anyway, the main character's sister, Daisy, loves to be a nurse! So anytime her brother had the slightest ailment, she would don her Red Cross nurse uniform and start taking "care" of him which her brother loathed entirely.

My mom sewed Lydia a Florence Nightengale costume and she is about to put it on. It's she and I against the ague today.

Grant is a pretty good patient so far. And gratefully, he doesn't have much experience as a patient. What a hearty and healthy kid. What a blessing!

I haven't checked Giles' temp yet, but I think we're double in for it. We have beds made on the loveseat and couch, with bedside tables for tissues, snacks, juice, tea and water.

Maybe we'll be able to finish our current excellent book today. Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder. It's historical fiction set in Virginia right after the Civil War. It's a fantastic book about respect, honor, courage, principles and family.

Circle Time

2008-02-08T09:12:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday night at Cross & Crown, Paul tried something a little different for worship time. It was Superbowl night, so when I got there the game was on, but the crowd was a little thinner than usual and not many were watching it anyway. Eventually the TV went off and he had us move our chairs into a big circle and Paul sort of opened the floor to let people speak their hearts. I sat between a non-English speaking mom who is still grieving the loss of her stillborn baby, and a homeless man who will NEVER let me take his picture, although I tease him about it every week. Next to him was one of the youth group teens who's pregnant and was kicked out of her house because of it. On around the circle was "R". No one had seen him for a few days. Turns out he spent ten days in jail. He got out and then got beat up. He was banged up on Sunday night and drunk, but he was there.

I should have written about all this last Sunday when it was still fresh on my mind, but I hoped the professionals might post about it and would do it better. I guess it really doesn't matter if there's duplication anyway.

One man wanted to confess a sin and ask for prayers. He didn't give many details, but later I talked to him a little bit, and found out that his teenage daughter was there and she won't have anything to do with him. He was seeking her forgiveness ... not sure exactly when their relationship deteriorated ... it could have been when he went to prison (he's been out for a few months), or when she caught him smoking crack the other day. He also told me about his 12-year-old son who faces five felony charges. He said he wants to do right by his family, find a decent job (with his criminal record) and get back on his feet.

Then John shared. He's who we call John the Baptist because he lives in the wilderness of the streets (on purpose) and brings people to Cross & Crown. I love this guy. There's so much of his story I do not know, but little by little I am getting a better picture of his life. The other day, when he was helping me decorate the church for a wedding, he said he wishes the guys in Phoenix could see him playing with flowers. He said his nickname used to be something like "Smoke and Bones" because he was always smokin' dope and beating up people.

Anyway, on Sunday night he talked about Jesus and choices. He shared that not long ago he had been sucked into sorrow. Sad and depressed all of the time. He said that you can become addicted to the sorrow and almost relish in it. But instead, he chooses JOY.

John doesn't drive. He doesn't have a home. His possessions are few. He has lots of aches (from his smoke and bones days). He still gets in a few brawls. And the other day, he mentioned losing a daughter and I'm thinking that might have led to his entrance to street living back in the mid-80s. I don't see him every day like most of the staff does, but every time I see him, I know I'll get a bear hug and a story about his mom, his past or his friends. He will also take time to talk to all my kids and bless them.

I don't have a great ending point to tie this all together. As I just read back through my rambling, it occurred to me that I just typed away the phrases about a CHILD facing felonies, a crack addict trying to find his way, a beat up drunk man who calls one of the staff ladies his Mom.

It was an awesome time of worship and perspective. I'm grateful for this community of real people ... and for the reminder to choose JOY and believe in HOPE. Thanks God.

For the four of you ...

2008-02-01T08:44:00.001-06:00

who wanted pictures!

Lydia and I had some fun with our photo booth camera. She helped pick my outfit. A little number we got at the thrift store for her (our?) dress up bin. I imagine it was a mother of the bride dress, or maybe the girls from ABBA wore it?
Here's another photo booth example. The kids have had a blast the last few days taking these shots and playing with the different feature like "fisheye," "dent" and "swirl" ...

And now from the 1970s ...

Talk about dent and swirl!

Shag me baby!

2008-01-29T21:28:00.000-06:00

Comments from my loving family after they saw me with my new haircut:

Lydia: "It looks like you've lived in the jungle for 48 years."

Giles: "It looks like a pile of "c*&%." (I so wish he got his crude mouth from his father). This did not either offend me or cause tears. And that delights me for there have been numerous tears shed over my coif during my lifetime. I'm growing up! And I appreciate my son's honesty.

I also appreciate his father's honesty. When he came home today, I sprang out from around the corner.

Stan: "I love it!"

Isn't he just awesome? He meant it too, I could tell.

Then he said ...

"Nice shag!"

I had been trying to put my finger on it all day. I knew it was a haircut of yore. But I couldn't quite remember.

It is a shag! Oh dear! Are shags in? I'm not sure.

I told Stan that I remember having a shag at some point. He commented that no one has had shags since Carol Brady. Ouch. But I finally figured out that I think I had a shag version in the mid-90s.

I have one in the mid-00s too.

I thought I was getting my "every six months whether I need it or not" trim that typically involves thinning out the mane and leaving me with the pony tail option.

I am between stylists. With two haircuts a year, I guess I can take some blame for my last fave girl switching shops without a forwarding number! But I just needed a thin and shape, so I headed to a no appointment needed quickie place with the kids were at PE today.

While in the car, I gave myself a peptalk about the whether I'd let just "anyone" cut my hair. It would only be a stop for products if the person had horrible hair, pink hair, body piercing that look like they hurt, and a few other traits that I probably shouldn't mention.

The shop was empty, and I interupted the middle aged lady who was about to dive into her hot pocket and root beer.

My self peptalk went out the door even though this lady resembled the "beauty operator" back in 1999 who scalped me like Sinead O'Conner while I was expecting Lydia. Yes,I think those were the last tears I shed over hair, or lack of. So, why I didn't just buy some spray and get out of there, I don't know.

Instead I was transported in time. My thinning, shaping and layering idea apparently translated into wacking off the hair of her graying minivan driving, sweats wearing (I was supposed to be exercising), hair unattended client with a "style" that could be defined as a mullet with just a couple of more wacks!

And why I would let a complete stranger give me bangs? She assured me the bangs could be blended in any day that I wanted something different. To me that meant, long bangs that would bug me to death but that I could clip back.

But her first wack was my first clue that I would not have long sweepy bangs.

Not since second grade have I had bangs this short ... when my mom cut them. I also discovered I haven't grown out of the cow lick either.

Turns out what she meant by the bangs was that I could wear them as bangs or FEATHER THEM BACK ... giggle.

I had a 20 percent off coupon for this place. But when she rang me up for $12.95, I was too embarrassed to whip out the coupon.

You do, indeed, get what you pay for.

Sir!

2008-01-15T07:41:00.000-06:00

There is an ever so slight spousal disagreement going on in reaction to our oldest son's entry into pre-pubescent lunacy.

Let's just say that one of us thinks he's funny and laughs at him.
The other rolls his (or her) eyes and gives his (or her) soulmate the look of "don't encourage this!"

The phase no doubt will be short and is merely a precipice to full pubescent lunacy. And that lunacy might not be so funny.

Deer Boy's answer to every request, assignment, comment is the word ... "Sir" ... with a slight lisp to sound like "thir" with his nose scrunched up and teeth bared.

All of us in the house (except for the grownup parent) are now saying it also.

There's also the "scream and run." He has a high-pitched little girl scream that emits when he is startled, acting like he's startled, has to do a math assignment, take out the trash or is being chased by a sibling. Both parents agree it's highly annoying but at least one parent sees the boy becoming a man and wishes she (or he) could get this on video to show at his wedding rehearsal or senior banquet.

The amused parent has been in a funk where most of the time everything in the world appears broken, believes her (or his) efforts are all futile and she (or he) has a bad attitude about everything ...

so let's take the laughs where we can get them!

SIR!

If you give Alain a cookie recipe ...

2008-01-06T09:08:00.000-06:00

you'll have a delightful time in the kitchen.

Two of our Rwandan son's wishes over break have been to make cookies, and to drive.

I called cookies, and left the driving lessons to Steely Nerve Stan. (Let's just say that apparently there are too many stop signs to keep track of out there in our neighborhood.)

Cookie baking was a big hit. Who wouldn't get excited when someone uses a teaspoon and a tablespoon for the first time? It is interesting to smell the flour and consider the properties of baking soda. How exciting to teach someone to crack an egg without the aid of a fork. Who wouldn't share the joy of getting to put the entire bag of chocolate chips in the dough! Really!

Cooking with G, L and G is usually a blast too ... but that comes with less wide-eyed amazement and more whining. Maybe because we're always working in math?

And since G and L have been convalescing all week with a virus, and Grant's photo taking skills are not quite up to the task, I tried to chronicle this major event as best as I could. Is that flour on the lens?

It's New Year's Day so of course we had Black Eyed Peas today. In year's past, we've had friends over, cooked up a big southern meal and had one last (first?) holiday bash. This year, I hoped we'd get an invitation to eat someone else's peas, and felt some guilt for not inviting anyone over. But in the end, after a long trip last week, and a long month (year), we decided we needed the rest. (Notwithstanding the knowledge that hardly anyone likes black eyed peas as much as we do!)

But Stan's brother did come through and made the good luck peas! We (Stan) made the collard greens and Mexican cornbread. Check out that pot Scott cooked the peas in ... slowly with many extra "flavors" thrown in. That pot is HEAVY and it gave us a new appreciation for our grandmothers and their grandmothers who hauled around pots like that daily to feed their hungry families.

We threw in some chow-chow, sweet potatoes, venison (thanks Giles!) and iced tea.

We were too full for dessert, so evening brings a slice of fresh coconut cream pie!

It should be a good year!

In the category of ...

2008-01-01T19:14:00.000-06:00

if you can't beat 'em, join 'em ...
this is a terrible drive-by picture, but it's all I have for now.

Can you tell what it is?
Our clever neighbors are displaying their senses of humor. Making the most of our newly tree (limb) lined street, they added a little Christmas cheer to the scene. In other words, they strung some lights on their curbside post ice storm limb pile. So funny.

I keep hearing folks refer to the limb piles as looking like a "war zone." Although I see the aim of the comparison, I hardly think so.

Although I've never seen a war zone up close and personal, I doubt neat piles of tree limbs ever accompany blood, violence, death ... the detritus of war.

I love that word "detritus." It always reminds me of Dan who helped expand my vocab from this post way back in 2003 ...

Merry Christmas Judy

2007-12-21T08:44:00.000-06:00

When out of nowhere yesterday, I found myself flooded with tears as I was SHOPPING. I was at Mardel (Christian bookstore) and probably saw a little angel or scripture that triggered it.

But it was a wave of incredible grief.

It was for my birthmother, Judy.

In a previous post, I eluded to this love story that happened in my life in October. It's a long story ... well, not so long in telling, but long in emotion. I can't write it yet.

My search was tentative but once we started, it took only a few days to find her. In one phone conversation with a volunteer researcher, I learned her name, the day she was born and ... the day she died.

The teenager who selflessly let her child go to a family with a mom and a dad, grew up, suffered through failed marriages, addictions, abuse and had two more children. She was funny, a free spirit, vulgar, a great friend, adventurous and beautiful. She beieved in God. I would say she was also hopeful. And she waited for me to knock on the door the minute I turned 18 years old.

She died at age 43. That's when I was a young married 26-year-old.

The whirlwind of finding her also led to a half-sister that I have met and am getting to know. That is so so wonderful. And we both admit, is strange. But I'm sure I'll get to all of that later.

It might seem strange to mourn someone I never met. But I was part of her. And in all of my years wondering about her, and thanking God for her, I never dreamed she would not be here anymore.

She died without knowing I was okay, which was one of her wishes and mine.

She died?

Lately, when all of this floods over me ... all of the new history of myself that I have, concern about my family and letting them know I love them, getting to know a new sister ... I just wish it wasn't me, not my story. Too complicated. I'm too busy. Yet, I trust God in it, and thank Him for his timing. He knew.

I'm okay, Judy. Merry Christmas. And thank you. I love you and will see you in heaven.

Peace and Fun

2007-12-21T08:30:00.000-06:00

Here it comes. Christmas weekend. The long Christmas weekend. Lots of activity ... lots of cooking, traveling and being nice to family. (and lots of fun).

Still, I tend to veer close to meltdown.

The kids and I came up with a plan. If they observe me being stressed out, they are going to say, "Mom, I love you. Peace and Fun."

They practiced it several times yesterday while they were standing on the couch, pounding on the piano, fighting with each other, chewing their food too loudly.

It works.

Limb envy

2007-12-20T08:52:00.000-06:00

So I encouraged Giles to help pick up the limbs at a neighbor's house. Their mighty oak suffered mightily in the ice storm. Husband travels, they have a toddler ... so we thought we'd help a bit.

G started dragging the limbs to OUR curbside. He was embarrassed by our wimpy limb pile from our one tree that actually survived the storm pretty well. And Stan cut up a lot of those branches to keep for future camping trips.

G wanted to beef up our limb pile.

It's all about status ... and being one of the "haves."

It is so difficult to be among the have nots.

Okay, sweetie, drag those limbs ... but you'll have to figure out how to be content and grateful when you open the NOTS in the packages under the limbs of our Christmas tree!

On

2007-12-19T16:56:00.000-06:00

Guess I should update to say we are now warm and toasty in our own home. It took four days and just as we were getting the hang of how to live life away from our house (with awesome meals prepared for us, other people's towels to use, and wifi), the power returned.

Giles cried. His cousin Chaney just got home for Christmas break from college, and they were having a blast.

But it's good to be home. The limbs are sort of cleaned up, except for about two million tooth pick sized twigs from the neighbor's oak. The fridge is sparkling clean and refilling. The freezer is full of venison (I'm cooking up a stew for Stan's fam this weekend). The laundry is caught up. The fish survived. And being away from my home computer and forced to check my webmail prompted me to trash more than 5,000 accumulated emails. That felt good.

It was a weird week. It was kind of tricky to handle the "out of power" life and related chores with the normal life. I never do that well anyway. I got one of the biggest shocks of my life when I discovered the world did not stop when I had my first baby. Everything went on ... and we were expected to truck right along. It took to the third kid to realize, no, we can get off the truck and live life differently ... slower.

It was a weird week and a weird year. Weird. Good in so many ways. God has revealed much. He's stirred up much. He's helped us grow. But it's been, well, weird.

I blame a lot of that on some of the books I've read this year ... books that challenged my thinking (or challenged me to think) on such topics as home educating, immigration, taking care of the poor, sweat shops, whole foods, slavery, war, civil rights, Jesus, his apostles, and more ...

Someone ... get me a dimestore novel.

Warm and toasty ...

2007-12-14T09:51:00.000-06:00

at Stan's sisters house where we slept in a warm house, after two nights building our character in our cold house. Hot baths, warm beds, lights, tv ... and this morning, hot breakfast, not made by the mother! We are living large.

Things we miss about electricity, (contributors G, L & G and mom).
1. heat
2. webkins
3. lights
4. video games
5. freezer that protects our food, including our venison!
6. blow dryer
7. clean underwear
8. HOT COFFEE IN THE MORNING
9. Reading lamps
10.tv

The bright side of no electricity
1. At least a dozen offers of places to stay from family and friends! (blessed!)
2. eating out nearly every meal
3. laundry vacation
4. another cooking vacation!
5. appreciating excesses of our spoiled lives
6. singing Christmas carols by candlelight
7. batteries for flashlights
8. candles
9. It could be a lot colder
10. It's not The Long Winter
11. Dad's job where he is presently, and unable to contribute his two cents to this post!

That's all for now. Time to play Monopoly.

Ice Tour

2007-12-11T11:23:00.001-06:00

Thank you for the ice ...

2007-12-11T08:51:00.000-06:00

It's a sad commentary on our lives that I hardly ever see "Stan's laugh" anymore. The kind where he shakes and cries. He laughs so hard it looks painful but is contagious. We don't laugh that way very often ... and I'm not sure the kids have ever seen it.

Oh that is sad. Where has the mirth gone?

But they saw it last night immediately following the evening prayer. Lydia volunteered to pray, and we all threw out prayer reminders to her. One of us said, "remember the ice."

So she thanked God for the ice storm.

He held it together til after the amen and then dear Stan, the one who took the bus to work because we couldn't even crack into the 1/2 inch ice shell around our vehicles, the one who has dragged our crashed limbs and the neighbors' crashed limbs out of driveways and streets, has checked on the powerless (electricity wise) ... lost it.

Laugh. Shake. Tears. Compose. Laugh. Shake. Tears. Compose. Laugh. Shake. Tears. "Lydia, please come back to the table." Laugh. Shake. Tears.

She initially got her feelings hurt because we laughed "at" her, but we coaxed her back to the table. She just couldn't miss this mirth ... even if it was at her expense!

While we were explaining how we were not "laughing AT you" we all came up with reasons to thank God for the ice storm. Because she is right, and we thank God for all things.

We were thankful for the moisture that our state needs ...
We were thankful for the beauty ...
We were thankful that our power has held ... (that sounds so selfish given all those whose power is out)
We were thankful for fun outside observing all of the God-made ice sculptures.
We were thankful for his care.
We were thankful for the day when mom didn't make us do math
We were thankful for the laughs!

Fixed

2007-12-06T22:57:00.000-06:00

Need to update that Stan the Man fixed the range in about five minutes. On his birthday. With assistance from Giles. Saved $350. Cooking vacation is over. We were going to bake his birthday cake today to celebrate, but didn't get to it. So I baked fish for dinner instead!

Coconut cake coming soon.

He fixed the washer too. The usual method for that is to bang around some hoses, but mostly pray, we pray over it.

The Deerslayer

2007-12-05T08:12:00.001-06:00

Tricky business to share this news with anyone who reads who doesn't, er, uh, share the same verve that a certain someone in our house possesses for deer hunting. It's not for the squeamish.

Nevertheless, much hoopla around here about our oldest son and his first deer.

Here is how Giles told the story in an email (with an attched picture that I'm not posting here) to a fellow hunter ...

behold my spike once in the back leg and once in the
shoulder 54,field dressed-2 from his head pounds but he is mine!!!!!!
antlers were about an inch.my uncle rick couldn't believe I shot it
we had just gone out for lunch. and we decided to stalk hunt for
awhile we had just crossed over
a fence 3 minutes before I shot it was 30 yards we thought he
didn''t see us because away about a 100 yards and it right by us I
pulled the trigger at 12:45
Giles

This was an 11th hour deer. Last day of the season. Our whole family was thrilled because we did not want to imagine the next year living with him as he lamented his misses.

Hunting is his passion. So, we cheer him on. I am grateful we don't have to mount anything or need to reserve any wall space for a trophy! We do have a little meat for the freezer and an upcoming feast.

Way to go Giles.