God's Possession

My mom's having heart surgery!

2012-01-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

Well, I decided to journal about my trip to AZ and to write something while I was there as well. I found out that my mom was having surgery at 10 p.m. on 1-24-2012. So, when she called and told me that her surgery would be the next day at 1 p.m. I started looking at flights with Southwest. I looked at Priceline, but none of their deals could get me there in time to see my mom before her surgery and I really wanted to be there before her surgery. It's very hard not to entertain the idea that this might be the last time I see my mom if she doesn't make it throught he surgery. So, I booked a flight with Southwest for $466 round trip, coming home February 15th. I don't think that's too bad of a price for practically the same day flight. Priceline was $320.

Spent a lot of time sending e-mails and updating facebook with the details of mom's surgery the next day. Doing laundry, packing, checkbook stuff, and making sure I can access our accounts while I'm in AZ. Said goodbye to Paul when he got up at 2 a.m. to go to work at FedEx. Slept from 3-4 p.m. Got up. Jim switched to the couch so I could turn the lights on in the bedrooma and finish packing for the trip. Our little puppy is howling. He just got taken out to the bathroom (I think he peed on the porch because it is raining really hard and Daniel probably didn't want to walk out in the yard with him) and he doesn't want to be put back in his kennel, but it is raining really hard, along with the thunder and lightning, so he is probably scared too. But he finally quiets down when he sees no one is going to rescue him. I am packing and I realize that I took Cindy Casper's labcoat home with me and I have not sewed the hem or switched her buttons around like I said I would. She needed it for class that day. Around 4:30 a.m. I got out my sewing machine and sewed the hem and the did the buttons. It only took about 15 minutes. I was going to wash it since it had a definite "dissection" smell. But I can't do everything. :o)

I woke Jim up at 5 a.m. and then I noticed that we had a leak by the entertainment center. I got a towel to soak up what was on the floor and then I got two buckets, one to put on top of the entertainment center and one to catch the drops right beside it on the floor. It must really be raining hard! I don't know if we are still classified as being in a drought situation, but we haven't got that much rain in a long time! (I heard later that we got over 6 inches of rain at our house!)

We left the house at around 5:30 a.m. to head to the airport.

2012-01-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

There are some stories that you just have to write about before you forget about them, and this is one of them.

We just got a new puppy on Thursday, January 19th, and of course, we are working on potty training him. He's doing really well and I have learned that he does a lot of his business after he eats. So, I fed him, and I am outside waiting for him. He went pee and I am waiting for the poop part. Sorry to be so graphic but it pertains to the story! Well, Tom brings me the phone in the backyard to talk to my mom who is in the hospital, but he forgets to shut the back door. While I am engrossed in a conversation with my mom, the puppy went in the house and pooped right inside the door on the tile. I finished talking to my mom, went to find the puppy, and see that he has pooped in the house. So, I clean that up and take the puppy in the backyard, and discover John is in the backyard, has taken his pants and underwear off, and he is pooping in the backyard!

"Wait a minute," I am thinking, "something is messed up here! My dog is pooping in the house, and my 3 yos is pooping in the yard!" And I thought I was DONE potty training, but not quite. I started potty training John on 5-21-2011 (I don't know why that date is so engrained in my mind!) and this day is 1-23-1012. Up until a few weeks ago, we were still setting an alarm and taking him to the bathroom, so at least he is finally taking the initiative to go to the bathroom on his own. I just never invisioned this scenario!

A few more snow pictures!

2011-02-18T13:09:00.001-08:00

I have a few other snow pictures to post that are worth posting. Hope you enjoy them!

This is Mark's dog, Trooper, in the snow. He was so frisky that day and he ate a lot of snow that day too! After he ate some snow, he was shivering so hard that we felt sorry for him and let him come inside until he warmed up.

These are some pictures I took of a cardinal in our yard. Not as pretty as the cardinals in Grandma's snowy yard in IL, but it was still pretty!

This was a block of ice that had frozen in a bucket. We turned it upside down to get the ice out and it looked like a trash can made out of ice!

A snowball to the head!

Snow in Texas?

2011-02-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

February 4th, 2011 was an amazing day! We woke up to snow covering our land with a blanket of white! The most fun thing to me is seeing how the kids react to it. Sarah ran to get the camera so she could take pictures of it before anyone stepped in it.

They were all upset when our neighbor drove his truck up the road and messed up the road with his tire tracks.

Mark walked up the hill in the tire tracks so as not to mess the snow up anymore than was necessary. They were just enjoying it and soaking it all in. Later in the day I saw Ben walking around and he told me, "I just feel like I have to walk everywhere and see it all before it melts." I just thought that was so sweet to see him enjoying it.

Our other neighbor tried going up the hill a few times but didn't make it out until later in the day, so everyone had fun watching various people drive up the hill. Our neighbor said he was going to the store to get kitty litter and we thought that was pretty unusual.

In the morning it was too powdery for it to stick together to make snowballs. Mark and I walked up to the top of the hill to see how much snow was there and then we went back to the house. We were analyzing all the animal tracks as we walked on the road. Mark even "made" his own mysterious tracks. Very funny! Can you guess who made the following tracks?

Everyone went back up the hill, but this time we brought some big tree buckets to try sliding down in. They were big enough for Jim and I to get in too. It was fun, but someone had to pretty much push you all the way down the hill or you would stop pretty soon once they stopped pushing. But I think the kids had a lot of fun anyway! Jim went with us but you could tell he was cold!

Tom and I made a snowman, but it was mostly me. Tom made the middle of the snowman and I made the top and the bottom part. He came out and I told him if he wanted to help me, then he needed to put on some shoes because he had been walking around everywhere without his shoes and no mittens. So, he told me, "Well, I guess I'm going inside then." So off he went into the house. I guess he cared more about being barefoot than about being with me. Oh well! At that moment it was Tom's way or the highway! Some of the kids came out and helped me decorate the snowman. Notice he is making the longhorn symbol!

I was planning on taking some pictures of the kids with the snowman, but after I took 2 pictures of the snowman he unexpectedly fell forward and that was the end of him! He had a clean snow veneer that I had put on the front because underneath he was really a mixture of snow, dirt, grass and leaves! So, when he fell over, he lost his clean veneer for the pictures! LOL (Oh, and I gave up on Tom with his shoes and mittens because he walked around all day like that. It was go outside and get cold to the point of red hands and feet, then come inside by the fire and get warm, outside, inside, etc.) But later, Tom and I made a tiny snowman and decorated him with cedar tree berries, a little piece of pointy carrot that I carved, a wreath made from morning glory vines, a little feathery grass top, and some twigs with berries on them. It turned out really cute. He helped me walk around and collect stuff for it and he made it from clean snow that he had collected. So we still made a snowman together, just a small one!

The kids had fun throwing snowballs at each other.

Regressing back to the morning, the kids took John outside in his footy pajamas. I don't think it was a good experience because he got really cold and started crying. I told them to take him inside and we would get him officially dressed, along with shoes and his coat. So, we get him dressed and I try to put on his mittens and he just starts crying like he realizes that he is going outside and he doesn't want to. It was so funny! I just wanted to take some pictures of him outside in the snow and he is mad and doesn't even want to look at me!

We are definitely not outfitted for snow. No wool socks, no good snow mittens, etc. So, I got my pictures and we went inside. He seemed to enjoy looking outside at it from the inside though.

He calls it "snowf" so it sounds really cute. Even today he is saying "snowf gone". He is starting to put two words together at a time. My little baby is growing up! Sniff, sniff!

I forgot to tell you that they saved all the snow on the trampoline and then they jumped on it at one time. By the time they got done, they were just covered with snow! Looks like fun. I kept thinking someone was going to hit their head or something like that, but everyone survived! I tried to upload the trampoline video but it does not want to load, so I will have to try some other way for you to see it. It is 2 1/2 minutes, so maybe it is too long to load. Frustrating! I might add a few more random pictures at some point that are pretty interesting.

Love all of you,

Darlene

Unnatural Fear?

2010-10-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I spent some time together today running errands. We went out to Miss Carol's mother's place to get some peacock feathers for Lacey Medina's wedding album. But we had to vote on the way there, go to the post office, drop something off for Celeste at the BPRC. We were laughing, because if it wasn't on my list of things to do, I had to write it on the paper and then cross it off. Well, Sarah mentioned that we should go out for lunch before I headed to AZ. I said, "Yeah, we should spend some time together before I die in a plane crash!" Of course, I'm half joking and the other half is seriously how I feel. As I have gotten older, I seem to think more about all the catastrophic scenarios that can happen along the way. I said, "I wonder what would happen if I got on the plane with a parachute on my back?" I mean I don't think anything will happen on this flight, but just in case. I would probably be arrested as a terrorist instead of the worried passenger that I am! But I learned that Rebekah and I are kindred spirits in the worrying department. I remember when we lived in FL, there was a particular bridge that we always had to cross over and I would always practice in my mind what I would do if the bridge were to collapse. I would unlock my seatbelt as the car was falling, then decide which one I would get out first. Of course, at THAT time I had 4 children under the age of 5.

Well back to our errands. After we got our peacock feathers and worrying about what if a mouthy horse would bite Sarah or if Red Cloud would somehow kick her as she steps into the stall, we went to Subway to eat. We met a cute older man that didn't go out to eat very much and he had one tooth on the top in the middle of his mouth. The lady was waiting on 4 of us at a time and she slopped the mayo and mustard in mostly just one place because she was in such a hurry. As she is wrapping it up, I see the mayo and mustard slopping out of the middle and towards the front of the sandwich. Then it was off to Wal-mart to buy butter, lettuce and gum (Although I ended up getting mints!). Then to BCOC to pick up the backpack that Benjamin and Elisabeth had forgotten there the day before. Then to the junkyard to get bolts for our van window that had fallen out. So, Sarah and I got a tour of the junkyard and got to walk all the way to the back of the junkyard to where the vans were where we found a very close model of our club wagon. I refrained from picking up every nut, bolt, screw, and washer that I saw like Jim has taught me. I did pick up one bolt! We went back to the shop and waited for our parts. He told me they would be $10, but I said how about $5, and he said that would be fine. Jim told me I did good when we got home, that I had brains and beauty all wrapped up into one! Sarah and I had a good time while we were out and then it was on to the packing for my trip.

I did realize one thing just now - I don't really worry about John being carried off by a coyote! But I don't know why?

Miscommunication Comedy

2010-10-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

This is on the subject of John knowing how to unlock the doors by himself and get outside. Jim and I are concerned about the fact that he might get outside without our knowledge and get hurt. So, one day last week we were discussing what kind of lock we were going to put on the door to keep him from opening it and going outside by himself. There were several different opinions and then Daniel said, "I have an idea." So Jim says, "See, Daniel probably has a different idea." Then, Daniel says sarcastically, "I think we should have no lock on the door." So then Jim starts telling us a story about a little boy that gets carried off by a coyote and how we are doing this for John's safety - I don't remember the whole story correctly. Well, then several of us start smiling and kind of chuckling which sets Jim off on a spiel about how he doesn't think it is funny that John could get carried off by a coyote. Well, when he started saying this again, I just couldn't hold it in anymore and went from a smile to a full burst of laughter! Poor Jim! I told him I could explain why I was laughing and he said he would really like to hear it because he would like to know why I thought it was funny that John could get carried off by a coyote. Hearing that again just started me off again into this unstoppable burst of laughter and I couldn't even talk anymore about it. I actually asked him if I could go spend the day with Rebekah, so I went and did that, all the while trying to think about how I could explain why I was laughing and how I still loved my little son! :o) I left the house around 1:30 and I got home around 8 p.m. So, when I got home I was able to explain to him why I was laughing. It was obviously not the fact that I didn't love my son or that I thought the lock was a bad idea, in fact, I was on board with putting the lock on the door. I told him that when I think of something happening to John, him getting carried off by a coyote is probably way down on the list of possibilities and it seemed so unlikely, that that was why I was laughing. Plus, when he kept saying this thing that seemed unlikely to happen, it just set off my funny bone. I told him that when I thought of the dangers, I thought of him wandering off and getting lost, going down the driveway and into the road and getting hit by a car, stepping into an ant pile. getting stung by bees, climbing up the steep stairs and falling out of the tree house, finding a snake, etc. But I never really thought of John being carried off by a coyote. I guess I was thinking of the things that could happen during the day. Not that it couldn't happen, it just wasn't on my radar. But I guess it would be more likely to happen if he got out at night. So, he said he understood and we had a good laugh about it! But for the first few days, every time I thought about him saying that statement, I would just start laughing out loud!

We have affectionately named it the "coyote lock"!

There could be a coyote on the other side of that thar door!

Rosie

2010-10-02T02:26:00.000-07:00

This is our sweet kitty, Rosie. She is the most loving cat ever and I have never seen anyone like her. When we come home from church on Sunday nights, she is sitting on the tree stump where the van usually is parked. Abby just loves Rosie and Rosie endures Abby. She has lived through people pulling her tail and dunking her in a bucket. Mind you, I don't condone any of this activity but I only have 2 eyes. She pretends to eat when she thinks you are going to put her outside, she hides when she knows we are leaving the house, she got a ride to church one time and pooped in our van to make her presence known, she follows us around outside, participates in picnics (especially when turkey sandwiches are involved), even comes when you call her sometimes, and talks to us. She is adorable!

A new blog after 5 months!

2010-10-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't blogged in so long I had to hunt up my login and password and then figure out how to put a post on here again! Pretty sad!

I have missed blogging a lot. I have recently begun to listen to more music and I heard this song on the radio that just made me cry today. I'm at the gas station filling up with gas with red teary eyes!

Who am I? by Casting Crowns
(words are not in order)

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.

Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.

Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear,
Whom shall I fear,
I am yours,
I am yours!

I remember when I was coming back from Houston to be with Sarah after she broke her leg, I kept passing all these broken down old barns and it just made me think how much I am like those buildings. I think I look pretty spiffy, but on the inside I am so broken and in need of repair. I think I put my trust in the Lord until something comes along and shakes my trust and I give in to fear. You know how us mothers are! I am the eternal optimistic pessimist (I am positive that the worst WILL happen!). I need the Lord to help my heart believe what my mind knows!

Oh God, give me a sure foundation that is based on Your Word. Fill me from the inside out! Make my roof strong so that it can withstand the storms and anything that would threaten to cave it in! I need the Master Builder!

The rest of the story . . . . . . . .

2010-04-17T23:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I told you that I accidentally let 6 cows escape out of Rebekah's yard, but I didn't tell you the "rest of the story"!

I went on Tuesday to stain the wood floors for Rebekah and Travis. Since she is pregnant, it is not good for her to be breathing stain and paint fumes. Rebekah left the house with Eliana to go get a pregnancy massage. After Rebekah left, I got to work and realized there was still dust to deal with, so I called their neighbor and borrowed a shop vacuum cleaner from them to use. I went with Miriam to their house, we got the shop vac and she brought me back to R & T's house. I vacuumed the back room and then went to screw the pad on the end of the broom handle. So, I am standing there at the front door and I look out and see two cows walking out the gate and down the road. I see a little baby cow still in the yard, so I ran to shut the gate, hoping that the cows would stick around since the baby is still in the yard. I called Miriam and asked her if she had shut the gate. She said she did not and I had neglected to make sure that she shut the gate, I just assumed that she would shut it when she left. So, I asked her if she could come down and help me get the cows back into the yard. I just remember how I was just shaking, feeling terrible that I had just let these cows out of Rebekah's yard, and they are not even her cows! So, Miriam, Christian, and Phillip came down and they were pretty easy to shoo back into the yard. Boy, was that mama mad though when she got back in and I remember thinking she was going to run me over trying to get back to her baby! But all was well. I shut the gate and Christian told me if I needed their help again just to call. :o)

So, I am going about my merry work of staining. I decided to take a little break and I notice one of the cows is standing by the gate again. I can see it is still shut but I was wondering why she is there mooing. Well, beyond the gate, on the other side of the road, and behind a fence, there are about 5 other cows mooing back at her. I just thought how cute that was that they were talking to each other back and forth across the road! But that cow just stayed by the fenceline and finally laid down and just stayed there. I began to think that was strange and that maybe those were actually more of Rebekah's cows and that possibly I had only seen the tail end of the cows going out the gate. But we had looked for more cows and had not seen any, plus, there were no gates open down the road, and these cows were behind a fence.

When Rebekah got home, I told her the story and she told me that she saw those cows and in her mind she was thinking, "Those look like our cows!" She rode around the property on their 4-wheeler and could only find the two cows and the baby, so she was pretty sure that those were her cows. So, she called the cows' owners and the property owner and they were able to get the cows back onto Rebekah's property. It took them quite a while because they didn't want to leave because of the long green grass. I think Rebekah said that they used a horse, a tractor, a motorcycle, and someone on foot to get them out of the property and back into their rightful place! The man who owns the other property didn't own any cows. But this is what happened. He came home for lunch, opened his gate, had an hour for lunch, the cows walked in, he left after lunch and locked the gate, and didn't realize the cows had come in. That's why we didn't know how they got in! At least they were locked in and nothing happened to them. But it sure was a lot of trouble, and all over an unlocked gate!

Does anyone need me to come help them with anything? I'm available!!!!

Hannah's New Pad!

2009-01-17T22:27:00.000-08:00

Well, here are pictures of Hannah's new place. I couldn't take a picture of her room because she wasn't able to move in yet because her roommate needed to clear a space for Hannah since she had the whole room to herself for the previous semester. I do know that her roommate's name is also Hannah! I thought that was kind of funny.

Her new address is:
2000 Pearl Place
Room # (check back for this info)
Austin, TX 78705

Frosty the Snowman - Then and Now?

2008-12-30T00:15:00.000-08:00

I hope you guys will go ahead and take the poll. Obviously, those who have known us the longest can make a more educated guess as to which one of my children are the snowmen, but go ahead and try. I will publish the results after a few days and let you know who the little snowmen are.

PICTURE #1

PICTURE #2

Little John is here!

2008-12-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

For those of you that didn't get the details:

John Boucher Benoit
(Boucher [pronounced boo-shay] is Jim's mom's maiden name - keeping with the French theme, I guess!)
Born on 12-17-2008
8:58 a.m.
9 lbs. 10 ozs.
20 1/2 inches long

Isn't this the cutest little baby!

We discovered that John really likes music. When he was crying, if you brought him into the room where music was playing, he would stop crying and just listen. It is so cute. For our family devotions, we just got done using a book with Christmas hymns on CD that my mom sent to us done by Joni Eareckson Tada. We recently sang "Silent Night" and it was so touching, I just started crying. There was little baby John (I know he is not Jesus!), and we are singing the words, "Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light, Radiant beams from Thy holy face, wwih the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.". All I could think of was how sorry I was feeling for myself that day, and here God sent down His Son to earth for me! He lowered himself from heaven and came to earth as a little baby. How humbling that was to me that night.

This picture was taken the night we were getting ready to leave the hospital.

A Beautiful Diaper Cake!

2008-12-08T23:48:00.001-08:00

I just had to take a picture of this adorable diaper cake that a lady from church made for our new baby! Mrs. Terpstra made it. She is so sweet and she does so much for us in other ways as well. She made an offer to help me with my mending and she has been doing that for probably almost a year now. What a blessing that has been. I almost feel guilty not doing my own mending. Thomas took his blanket to her and she did a wonderful "restoration" job. I say "restoration" because I didn't really think it was fixable! She is also a Celiac, along with Daniel, so she has been a tremendous source of information and has sweetly remembered to make Daniel gluten-free snacks at church, as have other ladies at church. This past Christmas dinner, so many people accommodated Daniel with a GF turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and sweet potatoes (me, his mom!). I have noticed that it's usually other people that have food sensitivities. I guess it's not really something you think about until you develop a problem yourself. God has used so many people in our lives! Thank you Lord!

Mt. Everest has disappeared!

2008-12-08T23:26:00.000-08:00

No, not the real Mt. Everest, the one in my bedroom! Jim had affectionately dubbed the pile of clothes and miscellaneous junk in my room, Mt. Everest. After being told that my blood pressure was high on Friday, did I rest on Saturday? Of course not! I was a bad girl and cleaned my room for about 8 hours. Sarah helped me and it took from about 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. at night. Notice the lump in the bed is Jim, who couldn't wait to get into bed until we were done. It looks so nice. I wish I had a before picture. But I can tell you that before we cleaned, the mound was so high that when you opened the door, you could not see the bed and it was almost as tall as me. So, it is an amazing transformation. Even today, Jim was still marvelling at how nice the room looked! Ok, NOW I'm ready to have the baby! I think my blood pressure just went down. :o)

Sunday Musings!

2008-12-07T23:11:00.000-08:00

I decided to post something from Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon. I remember how it blessed me years ago when my dad passed away and I was just kind of pondering it today and decided to look it back up and type it out. I hope that it blesses someone else today!

March 22nd

"Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am."
John 17:24

O death! why dost thou touch the tree beneath whose spreading branches weariness hath rest? Why dost thou snatch away the excellent of the earth, in whom is all our delight? If thou must use thine axe, use it upon the trees which yield no fruit; thou mightst be thanked then. But why wilt thou fell the goodly cedars of Lebanon? O stay thine axe, and spare the righteous. But no, it must not be; death smites the goodliest of our friends; the most generous, the most prayerful, the most holy, the most devoted must die. And why? It is though Jesus' prevailing prayer - "Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am." It is that which bears them on eagle's wings to heaven. Every time a believer mounts from this earth to paradise, it is an answer to Christ's prayer. A good old divine remarks, "Many times Jesus and His people pull against one another in prayer. You bend your knee in prayer and say, 'Father, I will that Thy saints be with me where I am;' Christ says, 'Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.'" Thus the disciple is at crosspurposes with his Lord. The soul cannot be in both places: the beloved one cannot be with Christ and with you too. Now, which pleader shall win the day? If you had your choice; if the King should step from His throne, and say, "Here are two supplicants praying in opposition to one another, which shall be answered?" Oh! I am sure, though it were agony, you would start from your feet, and say, "Jesus, not my will, but Thine be done." You would give up your prayer for your loved one's life, if you could realise the thought that Christ is praying in the opposite direction - "Father I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am." Lord, Thou shalt have them. By faith we let them go.

Enjoying our granddaughter, Eliana!

2008-12-05T22:45:00.000-08:00

Well, we watched Eliana for 3 days this week and we enjoyed being with her and getting to know her better. She is so sweet and easygoing! So, here are a few pictures we took of her while she was at our house. She is really becoming mobile too. She will 8 months old on December 19th.

Sunday Musings!

2008-11-30T23:15:00.000-08:00

I decided today to remember and write down all the things I'm thankful for! This could take a while! Psalm 92:1-2 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: to shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night."

I'm thankful for the Lord and His mercy to me when He saved me. His unconditional love, His life that He laid down for me so I could be forgiven and have a home in heaven with Him someday, His forgiveness, all His attributes that allow us to have a peace that passes understanding, how He shows that He cares for us!

I'm thankful for my husband. He's such a hard worker and a human "rock" that we can all lean on. He takes looking for a job seriously, a time of daily family devotions is important to him, he cares for us, he has been mopping the house once a week for me at least 14 years now (if not longer!), he changes diapers, babysits, cooks, fixes stuff - I just couldn't ask for a better husband!

I'm thankful for all my children - what a blessing they are to us! They are such a joy at every age and I pray for the ability to appreciate it ALL the time. My only thought it how unworthy I feel to be blessed with all of them and ask the Lord for help to be a good mother. It is so wonderful to see them grow up, become independent people, and most of all, to see THEM love the Lord. We pray that for all of our children. 3 John 4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." THAT is our prayer for them!

I'm thankful for our new little one being knit together inside of me! Jim told me this morning that he found the meaning of John in his Bible, and it means, "God has been gracious." It couldn't be a more fitting name!

I'm thankful for my son-in-law Travis (married to Rebekah) and my new granddaughter, Eliana. Travis takes good care of Rebekah, and Eliana is a little sweetie pie! I just enjoyed a night out with Rebekah, Eliana, and Hannah for my birthday. What fun to spend time with them as grownups! Times that I only dreamed about long ago!

I'm thankful for the godly heritage of my parents, David and Elaine. I'm thankful for all the love and the lessons I learned growing up in their home. (My dad passed away in 11-99.) I'm thankful for my stepfather, Richard, and for the love that he and my mom have for each other. Thankful for how they have grown in the Lord together, how you watched over them through all of Richard's cancer treatments, for the love they have for our family! God couldn't have given me a better mom. She is so caring, understanding, and enouraging in the Lord, just like my dad was! I won't even go down that road - I'll be crying for sure!

I'm thankful for my husband's parents and the family I inherited when I married Jim. I couldn't ask for better in-laws. They have been supportive and loving to us and we always have a good time when we get together. Gennie taught me how to successfully cook and manage a Thanksgiving Day feast. Jim's father just passed away this past summer and we mourn the loss.

I'm thankful for a good church with a pastor that truly takes his responsibility seriously and shepherds his flock. I'm thankful for the visits to our home, the times he has taken our children out for lunch to talk to them or invited them to his home to keep up with their life, or hosted Bible study get-togethers for groups of teenagers and young college students.

I'm thankful for our church family and Christian friends. As a mother, it is a real blessings when people show a genuine interest in my children and spend time with them. It makes me smile when I think of Mr. Johnson playing ball outside with Elisabeth, Mrs. Johnson teaching Joel to crochet a potholder for me, Mrs. Terpstra teaching Elisabeth to cross stitch or sharing a pear with Thomas, Mrs. Collier spending time teaching Elisabeth how to play the piano, Mrs. Fujii spending time with Daniel and Joel teaching them Origami and how to speak Japanese, Mrs. Levy spending time with Joel in the nursery, and I'm sure I'm forgetting many others. Oh, Mr. Udwary teaching grammar to the children! And Mr. Terpstra trying to teach the children how to have an Australian sense of humor! All the Sunday School teachers/youth group leaders that spend their time teaching my children and us. The list goes on and on!

I'm thankful for their home school educators that care more about our kids' education than they do about money, that forgave our tuition until Jim is able to get a job. Friends that have helped us with rides, helped our computers rid themselves of viruses, given us wonderful farm eggs, helped us with the fence on our property. It is so good to remember how good people have been to us and how God cares for us through human means! It makes me cry and so thankful for all the blessings that I have.

I'm thankful for all the trips and time spent driving in the car, flying in airplanes, helicopters, riding bikes, buses, and how God has kept us safe through it all. Preserved us through sickness, surgeries, C-sections, childbirth, falling out of tree swings, household accidents, lost children, snakes, scorpions (in the yard, wash rags, Bible covers, playpens, falling out of AC vents, on the floor), etc.

I told you this would take a long time! I'm sure I could keep going! When you start thinking about it, it gets overwhelming.

God has provided for everything that we have ever needed! Note - I said "needed". Sometimes we get "needs" and "wants" confused. God has provided WAY BEYOND what we have needed and wanted! Praise the Lord!

How long was the Mayflower?

2008-11-19T17:10:00.000-08:00

Today, we were doing some activities associated with the Pilgrims and their voyage the New World. We were cutting, pasting, coloring, etc. and we learned that the Mayflower was 90 feet long and had 102 passengers. So, I told them we could probably go outside and measure 90 ft. to see how big it really was. Jim was sitting at the computer and he said he had a tape measure they could use, so I suggested that they go outside with Dad and measure 90 ft. They all flew outside, tired of the sitting. In a little while, they ran inside and told me to come outside and see how long 90 ft. was. So I went outside, thinking they would have measured in some wide open space, like the driveway, or maybe the big open area in the front yard.

But no! There was a starting line drawn diagonally in the back corner of our driveway and Jim is practically standing in the woods!

(Now look carefully - there is Tom, all the way across the driveway, through the opening there by the garage, over the upside-down wheelbarrow, and just beyond the camper shell!)

I asked him why he measured it through the obstacles? He said that is just where Tom wanted to measure, so that's how they did it. I thought it was so cute that he seemed to pick the hardest way to try and measure 90 ft.

But you know, I NEVER do things the hard way! :o)

Top Ten Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election

2008-11-18T00:33:00.000-08:00

At this point, I feel like changing the title to "Top Ten Predictions Even If Your Husband is Unemployed!"

1. The Bible will still have ALL the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost.

I'm sure there are plenty of other things we could think of to add to the list. If you have more ideas, send them - I could use the encouragement!

I guess this list came from a Christianity Today Blog. I thought it was really good so decided to post it. I originally heard it on a radio program, Hope for the Heart, but later found it online when I searched for it.

Economic Experiment on Wealth Distribution!

2008-10-29T23:38:00.001-07:00

I received this in my e-mail today and thought I would pass it along:

Here is a creative approach to redistribution of wealth as offered in a local newspaper...

Today on my way to lunch, I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read "Vote Obama, I need the money." I laughed.

Once in the restaurant, my server had on an "Obama 08" tie. Again I laughed as he had given away his political preference -- just imagine the coincidence.

When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the "Obama Redistribution of Wealth" concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $5 and told him to thank the server inside as I've decided he could use the money more.

The homeless guy was grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment, I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn, even though the actual recipient deserved money more.

I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application.

Organized Pantry!

2008-10-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

Well today was a day for organizing my pantry. I knew that I needed to get rid of some stuff and organize Daniel's gluten-free food as well. Rebekah came over today and helped me. It always makes it more fun when you can work together with someone. Rebekah is a real no-nonsense practical person and that is good. She told me even before she came, "Mom, if you aren't willing to get rid of anything, it isn't going to help." So true! So, here is a picture of the finished product. I forgot to take a "before" picture, but we didn't feel like putting everything back just to get a picture! I realize that it may not look organized to the average person, but you should have seen it before!

All of us enjoyed Eliana too. She is such a sweet baby! She is my grandbaby, you know, and I feel blessed to live close and be able to see her when I can. At one point, the kids had her in a box and were pushing her around the house. She looked like she was having a good time.

Goin' Green!

2008-10-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

Gotcha on THAT title! Daniel spotted this little green beauty in the grass while jumping on the trampoline in the backyard. I probably took about 50 pictures before I found the right lighting, distance, etc. to get some close, clear pictures of this caterpillar. I have no idea what its name is, but it sure was fascinating to watch! God has made some interesting creatures. Mere, I know your boys will appreciate these pictures.

Here he is on our driveway:

Here he is headed up the first step by our side door:

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can! Almost there!

I think this last one is so cute! In this picture, he is hanging on to the edge of the step and looking down. He looks like he wants to get down, but doesn't know how!

Sunday Musings!

2008-10-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

LORD JESUS,
Give me a deeper repentance,
a horror of sin,
a dread of its approach;
Help me chastely to flee it,
and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust,
that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,
the ground of my rest,
the spring of my being.

Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself
as saviour, master, lord, and king.

Give me deeper power in private prayer,
more sweetness in thy Word,
more steadfast grip on its truth.

Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,
and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman,
that my being may be a tilled field,
the roots of grace spreading far and wide,
until thou alone art seen in me,
thy beauty golden like summer harvest,the fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no master but thee,
no law but thy will,
no delight but thyself,
wealth but that thou givest,
no good but that thou blessest,
no peace but that thou bestowest.

I am nothing but that thou makest me,
I have nothing but that I receive from thee,
I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

Quarry me deep, dear Lord,
and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

taken from The Valley of Vision

Visit with Friends!

2008-10-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm going to post some pictures of our visit last week with our friends, Doug and Susan, and their children: Ariel, Caleb, Melody, Tarin, Luke and Noah. They came into town for a Bible conference with John Piper on Saturday night and Sunday morning. So we had a late lunch on Saturday together and then fellowshipped over lunch on Sunday afternoon before they left to go home. Of course, there is always drama when you have a lot of children, so I don't want to leave that out. Some of the kids at our house had been sick and it was Abby's turn to have a croupy cough and a sore throat. I called Susan on Friday night and told her about it and she said , "No problem." As long as the kids weren't throwing up, she wasn't going to worry about it. On Saturday morning, Abby is coughing so much that I decide to take her to the docotr that morning and her appointment is at 11 a.m. Well, on the way home she throws up in the truck. So, I called Susan and told her that the unthinkable has happened. But they decided to come anyway and I'm am soooo happy. Susan said that Caleb said he could get sick and get better or he could get sick and die, and then he would be even better off. Jim thought that was a pretty good attitude! (Just so you know Susan, no one else has thrown up, so I think she just had an upset tummy!)

We enjoyed our time together and they got introduced to Daniel's gluten-free pizza that he made by himself so he could enjoy pizza that day too.

The younger kids played out in the woods for part of the time. Little Noah was so cute. He came inside and said all of the kids left him and went into the woods. We told him he could get his shoes on and go in the woods, but he said, "I don't WANT to go into the woods," and he looked like he was going to cry! Hannah had a nice time with Ariel. We moved away from the Angleton area about 9 years ago, so it was a time of getting reacquainted for Hannah and Ariel, along with Mark and Paul and Caleb.

Caleb, Melody and Tarin spent Saturday night with us after the conference. I really enjoyed hearing about the conference and just sitting around discussing Biblical topics with the older kids. What a treat!

Susan and I have been good friends for over 14 years. She is truly the definition of a good friend, one that encourages to love and good works. I'm so thankful for her friendship and I hope my children find a friend like her, just closer proximity!

Here are the all the boys/men in a group picture!

Here are all the girls/women in a group picture!

Here is one final picture of Hannah and Ariel. We moved away from the Angleton area about 9 years ago, so Hannah doesn't remember a whole lot about Ariel. Plus, they have never known each other as adults. But she commented on how nice and personable she was and how much she enjoyed getting reacquainted.

Abby the hairdresser!

2008-10-22T02:35:00.000-07:00

A little toy poodle from across the street came and spent the day with us on Tuesday. We weren't sure who it belonged to but I had a pretty good idea. She had a cute poodle hair cut, and was wearing a pink sweater with white polka dots. I found out that the owner was gone and couldn't leave the dog in the house. I guess she was lonely, so she came and stayed with us for the day. Well, Abby was having a great time playing and spending time with the dog until Tom came in and said Abby was cutting the dog's hair. Apparently, Abby has not let go of her fascination with scissors. So, here is this cute little poodle with tufts of hair missing off the top of her head. Jim called on the phone and we were having a good laugh about what she did and Abby overheard me talking and she says, "What, am I funny when I'm bad?"

Here is the incriminating evidence!

Elisabeth learning how to play the piano?

2008-10-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

An older woman from church has been working with Elisabeth and helping her learn how to play the piano. Well anyway, sometimes at night I go to bed early only to get up and make sure all the little ones are getting into bed. So, this evening is not any different. I come out of my room, turn the corner and what do I see? Elisabeth has the front panel taken off the piano and she is peering into the body of the piano while she is playing, watching the keys hit against the strings! Mind you, this is an 8 year old! I will have to ask Mrs. Collier is she has been teaching Elisabeth how to play the piano or take it apart! That would have been a good picture if I had thought to take it.

One more test result.

2008-10-22T02:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we have one more test result in for Jim. Drum roll, please!
Negative - Yeah!

How we stand so far:

Jim - negative
Darlene - not tested yet
Hannah - not tested yet
Mark - negative
Paul - negative
Sarah - negative
Daniel - positive for Celiac's Disease
Joel - negative
Benjamin - negative
Elisabeth - negative
Thomas - negative
Abby - negative

I found it!

2008-10-22T02:03:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I found it! I knew it was in the house somewhere! This is a picture taken 5-19-08 at the first ultrasound of our sweet little boy and I thought it was so cute. He just looks so perfectly formed and he is only 8.9 cm long. I don't think I was even 2 months yet. It is so amazing how God forms us in the womb and I never cease to be amazed.

Sunday Musings!

2008-10-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

Today seemed to be a day of teaching about God's sovereignty and trusting that He in on His throne in the midst of all the problems that are around us: the upcoming elections, the uncertainty of Wall Street, economic concerns, etc. So this one seemed very appropriate for today!

Resting on God

O God Most High, Most Glorious,
The thought of thine infinite serenity cheers me,

For I am toiling and moiling, troubled and distressed,
but thou art for ever at perfect peace.

Thy designs cause thee no fear or care of unfulfilment,
they stand fast as the eternal hills.

Thy power knows no bond,
thy goodness no stint.

Thou bringest order out of confusion,
and my defeats are thy victories:

The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
I come to thee as a sinner with cares and sorrows,
to leave every concern entirely to thee,
every sin calling for Christ's precious blood;

Revive deep spirituality in my heart;
Let me live near to the great shepherd,
hear his voice, know its tones, follow its calls.

Keep me from deception by causing me to abide in the truth,
from harm by helping me to walk in the power of the Spirit.

Give me intenser faith in the eternal verities,
burning into me by experience the things I know;
Let me never be ashamed of the truth of the gospel,
that I may bear its reproach,
vindicate it,
see Jesus as its essence,
know in it the power of the Spirit.

Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill;
unbelief mars my confidence, sin makes me forget thee.

Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut at their roots;
Grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to thee,
that all else is trifling.

Thy presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy.
Abide in me, gracious God.

taken from The Valley of Vision

Results so far!

2008-10-17T23:21:00.000-07:00

Well, these are the results that we have so far:

Jim - tested but no results
Darlene - not tested yet
Hannah - not tested yet
Mark - negative
Paul - negative
Sarah - negative
Daniel - positive for Celiac's Disease
Joel - negative
Benjamin - negative
Elisabeth - negative
Thomas - negative
Abby - negative

To me, that is good news. It doesn't feel so overwhelming. We had a meeting with the nutritionist today and that went well. She has a lot of resources to tap into. There is a gluten-free product list that you can buy for $30 each year/updated annually and it lists products by type and company. It is really neat. I found out that the toothpaste we use is gluten-free (Colgate). I would have never thought of worrying about toothpaste! She gave Daniel a pizza crust recipe, so he is going to make himself a pizza tomorrow and see how it turns out. We are having some out-of-town company for the afternoon, so he can eat pizza along with the rest of us. Tonight for supper, we had sausage casserole. I had to modify it with quinoa/corn pasta, gluten-free sausage from Whole Foods (there was no gluten-free ground Italian sausage at the regular store), and corn starch as a thickener instead of wheat flour. But everyone really liked it. Tom said he wasn't eating, but after he tried it, he liked it. Some of us actually liked it better than the original. God is good!

More Celiacs?

2008-10-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

Time will tell! Jim had his blood test for Celiac's today and 7 of the children had their blood drawn for Celiac's yesterday. I got the orders from the doctor on Wednesday afternoon and decided that I would just go for it. So, all 7 of the other kids under 18 had their blood tests. The doctor told me that we could come into his office and have it done. I don't think so! (They did a horrible job drawing Mark's blood a few years ago!) But I said I wanted to have it done at a Lab near our house. The nurse that works has always done such a good job, so I really wanted the kids to have a good first experience with her. We started with Paul, who I was sure would turn pale, sweat, and pass out, but he did great! It looks like he has grown up from when he was 6 years old. Hee, hee! Then on to Sarah, Joel, and Ben. I have to tell you that Elisabeth started crying while we were still at home saying that she didn't want them to take her blood. I kept explaining to her what they would do and that the only part that really hurt was the stick of the needle at the very beginning and that it only took about 15 seconds and it would be done. Well anyway, when we get to Ben, she really starts crying and she says, "I feel so sorry for Ben." I told her, "Ben's not crying", although he kind of looked like he wanted to. So then, it was Elisabeth's turn. She resisted going into the room, then I had to hold both of her arms. She started the screaming, but we told her it was OK to cry, but not to scream. (It reminded me of Rebekah when she was younger and she was going to have a Tetanus shot. She told me she was going to hit the nurse and I said, "Oh, no, you're not!") So after it was over, she says, "Mom, you were right about everything you told me. It wasn't that bad." Next is Thomas, Mr. Stoic. He is resigned to being Mr. Brave. He is watching the needle the whole time. I hesitate to write this next line, but it was just so cute. As soon as she puts the needle in his arm, he toots, which tells me he was a little surprised. The nurse laughs and asks him if he is OK. He nods that he's OK and he's done. Now, it's on to Abby, who has been watching everyone before her go through this. The nurse has her sit on my lap and hold both of her arms. She is crying, but not resisting which I was happy about. Then it is over. (Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the good veins!) Everyone is done in about 25 minutes or less. She lets ALL of them pick out a piece of candy (she had some yummy candy too) and a sticker!

So now, we are just waiting for the results that will probably come sometime next week. Maybe Daniel will be the only one, I don't know. Hannah and I are still waiting for the orders for our blood tests.

So, that is the latest in the Celiac's Disease saga! I have an appointment with a nutritionist tomorrow, so I am looking forward to that. Daniel and I went to a Celiac's support group meeting Wednesday night and then we stopped at Whole Foods to pick up some gluten-free cereal and a few other things to try. Daniel said he is already feeling better and that his stomach doesn't hurt anymore, so that makes it all worthwhile!

Rain, and more rain!

2008-10-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah! We are praising God for rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. I think we probably had around 2 inches total. (Mark told me we are about 12 inches behind in rainfall.) I could tell that the kids really wanted to go out and play in it. I was going to let them go out and get wet, but it was thundering and lightning, so they had to stay inside and be content with watching instead!

I did have a little escapee that managed a few runs in the rain until I saw her and made sure she came inside.

I was thinking about how refreshing the rain is to all of us and I found this verse:

Hosea 6:3
"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth."

"He shall come unto us as the rain". I think how the dry ground and plants soak up the welcome rain - Lord, help us to be soaked in your presence. The plants look refreshed instead of wilted - help us to be refreshed by your word and renewed for the day. The wonderful thing is that we don't have to wait for the rain like the plants do - God is readily available to us in His word, His presence is with us whether or not we realize it. Lord, refresh us for each day. Make us fruitful for you with your life-giving rain. Rain over us and soak us with your presence! Just as You send the rain to clean the air around us, clean our hearts and help us to glorify you.

Lord, I need MORE rain!

Sunday Musings!

2008-10-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

The Valley of Vision

LORD, HIGH AND HOLY, MEEK AND LOWLY,
Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,

where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.

Taken from "The Valley of Vision"

C-section Date is Set!

2008-10-11T01:26:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor today and the date for this little guy to make his debut into the world is set for December 19th at 7:30 AM. Of course, we have to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM to get ready - yuck - but that's just the way it is. I will be so happy to hold this sweet little boy that it makes it all worthwhile!

Positive Diagnosis for Celiac's Disease today

2008-10-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

Well, the gastroenterologist called me personally today and said that the biopsy proved positive for Celiac's Disease. We had a long conversation and she answered a lot of my questions. I'm really thankful because she seems so kind and personable, which is refreshing. She is going to have the nutritionist call me next week so we can set up an appointment to meet with her. She will be able to answer a lot of my questions and I will finally know how paranoid I have to be! :o) I mean there is so much involved if you take it to the highest degree. Someone told me that MSG is free-gluten (whatever that means) and that Wal-mart adds MSG to their ground beef, but Sam's doesn't. Then someone tells me that shredded cheese might be dusted with flour to keep it from sticking. Then you have allergy warning labels all over everything telling you that the product was made in a place that processes wheat, etc. (My doctor told me to remember that allergy warnings were put there by lawyers to cover themselves and it may not mean that the product has gluten, so that made me feel a little better and that there is hope.)I just don't know how strict I am going to have to be. She said that after Daniel has been on a gluten-free diet for 3 months, they would do another blood test, and if the diet is good, the blood test should test negative for Celiac's Disease. I can tell that Daniel is going to be a good self-regulator. He turned down bread and lasagna tonight, and opted for a big salad and an apple for dessert. I don't know how soon the rest of us will be tested but I'm sure it will be in the near future. Mark already tested negative a few weeks ago, so that just leaves 10 more of us! Hee, hee!

Thanks for your prayers!

Fun with Paper Airplanes!

2008-10-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

I just had to write about this story. Thomas had a paper airplane and was playing with it around the house. I told him that I had a paper airplane book somewhere and it had a whole bunch of different types of airplanes to make. I found it, we looked through it and decided on which one to make. I think it was called a "Sharp Shooter". It didn't fly as well as the one that Tom had. The airplane that Tom had was one that I had taught the kids how to make because it was how I remembered making paper airplanes in high school. I remember at school, we used to launch airplanes and homemade parachutes from the second story window of our English class. Well, anyway, Tom threw his airplane and it went in the air, did a somersault in the air, and then came towards me and landed right in my mouth, with the tip between my lips, where it stayed until I took it out! We were stunned for a few seconds, then we laughed so hard and I almost peed in my pants! What are the odds of that happening? It was so funny! I wish I had a video of that. I think I would be rich if I could have entered that in Funniest Home Videos.

Maybe I'll add a tutorial for how to make our paper airplanes!

Sunday Musings!

2008-10-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is taken from The Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions. I decided that every Sunday I would try to share a selection from the aforementioned book. I have been really blessed by this book.

LORD'S DAY EVE

GOD OF THE PASSING HOUR
Another week has gone and I have been preserved
in my going out,
in my coming in.

Thine has been the vigilance that has turned threatened evils aside;
Thine the supplies that have nourished me;
Thine the comforts that have indulged me;
Thine the relations and friends that have delighted me;
Thine the means of grace which have edified me;
Thine the Book, which amidst all my enjoyments,
has told me that this is not my rest,
that in all successes one thing alone is needful,
to love my Saviour.

Nothing can equal the number of thy mercies
but my imperfections and sins.

These, O God, I will neither conceal nor palliate,
but confess with a broken heart.

In what condition would secret reviews of my life leave me
were it not for the assurance that with thee
there is plenteous redemption,
that thou art a forgiving God,
that thou mayest be feared!

While I hope for pardon through the blood of the cross,
I pray
to be clothed with humility,
to be quickened in thy way,
to be more devoted to thee,
to keep the end of my life in view,
to be cured of the folly of delay and indecision,
to know how frail I am,
to number my days and apply my heart unto wisdom.

Sarah's New Recipe!

2008-10-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

Sarah usually makes banana bread for us with all the old bananas. When the bananas start taking over the freezer, she is the one that takes care of it. Well, on this particular occasion, she comes to me in the living room and asks me a question. She asks, "What should if I do if I was supposed to add 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp vanilla, but I added 3 cups of buttermilk and 2 tsp butter flavor instead?" The first thing that came to my mind was, "How did that happen? Those ingredients and measurements are not even close?" I guess she came to the last two ingredients of the banana bread recipe and looked at the last 2 ingredients of the cornbread recipe instead! The only thing I could think of was to try and make pancakes out of it, so that's what we did. Tonight, we had banana pancakes and tortillas with eggs and cheese. It was pretty good but definitely sweet and they didn't need any syrup. Chalk that up for experience for Sarah! Sarah made the "pancake" batter, and Daniel cooked them up on the griddle. He's a cute little chef!

Daniel is beautiful on the inside! :o)

2008-10-02T14:07:00.001-07:00

Well, here are Daniel's endoscopy pictures from yesterday. When we went to the room to get ready they have written on the whiteboard E.B. I told Daniel I bet you can guess what that is. He said, "Well, those aren't my initials. My initials are D.B." Well, I told him it probably stood for Endoscopy w/ a Biopsy. The lady overheard us and went over and changed it to D.B. because it was SUPPOSED to be his initials. Pretty smart boy!

After the procedure, the doctor came and showed me the pictures. I took one look at the stomach pictures and asked her if that was normal. She said that THAT picture was the normal one and that it was the other ones she was worried about. She said from looking at those other pictures, she was pretty positive that he had Celiac's Disease, but we will still be waiting on the results when they come in next week. She said the intestines usually have the look of a shag carpet and that it looked like the villi were missing. So, that's why close up it looks more like ripply folds. I guess the villi is what absorbs the nutrition from the food. But it's good to know that they will regenerate themselves on a gluten-free diet. I would have liked to see a picture of a normal upper intestine (the duodenum), but I didn't think to ask that at the time.

There is nothing like real life situations to teach you about your body! But we know that God is in control. People are coming out of the woodwork to share advice and resources with us and I'm thankful for that! So, we know that God is going to help us with whatever we need to do.

Sleeping beauties!

2008-09-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I spelled beauties right or not? Maybe someone can tell me. Well, anyway, this first picture was taken at church. We happened to have Mark's camera with us that day otherwise we would not have this picture. Abby asked Elisabeth if she could lie down in her lap and they both ended up falling asleep. Isn't that cute!

This next picture is Tom sleeping under Hannah's bed. For some reason, he has an aversion to sleeping in his own bed. It doesn't seem like it would be that comfortable and I did notice this morning that he was sleeping in his own bed. I would feel claustrophobic under there!

Abby fell asleep on the couch. Everyone was getting ready for bed and she was screaming and causing general trouble in the bathroom, so I made her sit on the couch and wait until everyone was done brushing their teeth, etc. Well, while she was waiting, she fell asleep sitting on the couch. Brings a new meaning to the phrase "ladies in waiting"!

Our New Baby? Huh?

2008-09-28T23:20:00.001-07:00

Thomas and Abby asked to sleep in our room tonight. I left them in there and told Abby I would be back in a little while. When I came back in the room, at first I couldn't find her and then I noticed she was in the baby bassinette meant for the new baby! I laughed so hard and went to get the camera. I told Hannah and Sarah that they just had to come in my room to see something. They laughed as hard as I did. I don't know how she even got in it without toppling it over or doing damage to it. I wish I had a video of that!

I don't know if our new baby is ready for Abby! He better be one tough little guy! When Rebekah babysat for us, Abby transferred Eliana from the pack-n-play to the bassinette all by herself. When Rebekah asked her how she got in the bassinette, Abby denied knowing how she got there until Rebekah pressed her with the knowledge that Eliana couldn't climb out of the playpen and into the bassinette by herself. I guess she seemed pretty repentant after that.

Abby doing her thing!

2008-09-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I COULD post an exciting picture of my worn, wires-showing, balding tires, but I didn't have my camera with me today. As a side note, the van now has two new tires (will have two more next week) and is getting aligned tomorrow.

So, in lieu of tire pictures, I decided I would post these sweet pictures of Abby that I took last week. She had fun cutting out an Eskimo and his sled dogs one day, then cutting out and coloring some farm animals another day. At least she is doing something permissible with her scissors, instead of cutting her hair or her clothes. Progress! :o)

Rattlesnake in the Dark!

2008-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, I am having to post this one again. It didn't post the first time. I remember now how frustrating this computer is!

Well, anyway, about 9 p.m. tonight I heard gunshots but didn't know what was happening in the neighborhood. As it turns out, our neighbor saw a rustling in the yard (but heard no rattle) and ended up shooting a snake. When they found out it was a rattlesnake, they thought it was a good idea to come over and show it to the kids as a warning of what to watch for in the dark. I didn't think snakes would be awake at night, so I learned something. But I guess there are rabbits, frogs, and other kinds of prey out at night for them to catch. It was pretty sobering to see him.

Be afraid, be very afraid!

One more rattlesnake pic !

2008-09-20T23:48:00.000-07:00

On this one, you can actually see where she shot him.

I also got to thinking about the differences between Tom's yard and our yard. I know exactly why there was a snake in his yard at night and not one in our yard. His yard is quiet, peaceful, people are getting ready for bed, etc.

Contrast that with our yard that is full of screaming, crying, yelling, running, bike riding, bouncing balls, barking dog, etc. You get the picture. No one has bedtime on their mind.

If you were a snake, whose yard would you choose? I rest my case!

God cares about us!

2007-07-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

Mark, Paul, Sarah, Daniel and I volunteered at a park cleanup event in Austin. As a door prize we won a free night stay at Canyon of the Eagles and a free dinner for two. Daniel's ticket was the winning ticket and for a while I think he thought he was going. I said, "Someone needs to explain to Daniel that this is a romantic getaway for two people." Father's Day was the next week and Daniel gave it to Dad, along with $10, so that Jim and I could go together. I thought that was real sweet and generous of Daniel!

We went on June 29th and of course, it was raining! For a while, we didn't think it was going to rain, but as we got close to the hotel, it starting raining and then raining harder. Jim said, "I think we are almost there." I said, "No, we're not. It needs to be raining harder!" That shows my pessimistic attitude about the rain at that particular time. But when we got there, we were going to go for a hike, but it started raining. So we read a book, then it stopped raining, then we went for a hike, then it started raining, so we came back and read some more. Then it stopped raining and we went swimming. Then it was time for dinner. We were able to order pretty much whatever we wanted. The buffalo wings were wonderful - crispy and spicy! We both had steak and then cheesecake for dessert. Night time was great not having to worry about the kids going to bed or staying in their bed, or any crying!

So, as you can see, we had a good time just being together. When we won that door prize, it really showed me how much God cared for me. When they were talking about the door prizes after the cleanup event, I was thinking, "Wow, Jim and I could really use a night away, but I won't win anything. There must be over 100 people here." What a blessing it was to have a night away.

Ooooh, we also saw this beautiful peacock on our way out! Originally he had all of his feathers out, but I didn't have my camera out in time for that.

2007-06-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

2007-06-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Sarah's Horse Camp

2007-06-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

Sarah went to horse camp from June 12-14th. Jim's first comment was, "Where are the horses going to camp?" Sarah, not the horses, camped in a tent with 3 other campers. There were 10 girls in the camp. It was held by the same people that run King's Daughters Club that Sarah attends twice a month. On Tuesday, when she arrived, the first activity was to play a game called "Swat" and a few other games. After lunch, they went and rode horses. They practiced saddling, bridling, and grooming the horse. They took the horses on different courses in the arena so they could get used to their horses. Sarah had "Shoofly". She was really sweet and always did what you asked her to but she shied a lot too (according to Sarah). After that they went swimming. Then they did a craft, started an early campfire, had a Bible study, ate supper, took showers and braided their hair. They got ready for bed, had a short Bible study in their tent, and then went to bed. Wednesday morning, she woke up to a funny "Good Morning" song playing outside. They had Bible study, one team went riding while the other team did archery and BB guns. When they went riding (2 hours), the counselors set up different cones and poles on the ground for the horses to maneuver around. After that, they took a break and went swimming. Then they saddled back up and went riding again (for another 2 hours)! That's what you do at horse camp after all! After supper, they went into the woods and shot fake deer, pigs, and turkeys with archery bows. Sarah got a horrible score of 4 points! They did a campfire, and saw Charlie, a ventriloquist puppet. The gist of the lesson was that everyone is different but that we each have our own talents. Then the normal routine of shower, Bible study and bedtime. Thursday morning, they had Bible study with a lot of singing. Sarah's team went in the arena and then went for a trail ride. Then they did games and just "hung out" according to Sarah. After they went swimming, they were told to stay in their swimsuits. Everyone got their horses, washed them, and then took them into the arena, where they brushed them and braided their tails. They put the horses back in the stalls until the rodeo. All the families started arriving at 4 p.m. We ate hotdogs and chips for supper and then the rodeo began after that. They had barrel racing, the straight away, then the flag race, the keyhole, and then bobbing for apples. The last one was the funniest. They rode their horse to the bucket, got off the horse, dunked their head into the bucket to get an apple, and then remounted and raced back with the apple in their mouth. It was a lot of fun for Sarah. In between the horse activities, they had family activities such as 3-legged race, wheelbarrow racing, tug-of-war (boys against girls - boys won), and chicken herding. Sarah packed up and we left after the rodeo was over. It was a lot of fun for Sarah and it was a lot of fun for us at the rodeo!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

2007-06-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't seem to figure out how to organize these pictures in order, so you will just have to look at them as is!

2007-06-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

2007-06-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Wedding Pics - finally!

2007-06-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

It has been really nice to have some time off school to work on other things. More like, working on normal things without having to worry about keeping the schooling going! I have so many projects that I need to work on, like cleaning my room. The house looks pretty good, but our room is kind of like a dumping ground for things that no one knows what to do with! Even for things that have a place - that can be even more frustrating!

I wanted to put some pics of Travis and Rebekah's wedding. They were married 3-24-07, but it took a while to get the photographs. A friend from our church did a great job! They seem to be adjusting to married life and we enjoy visiting with them on Sundays. Hannah spends most of the day on Tuesdays visiting with her. They were so close as sisters, so they really miss each other. But at least Rebekah is only an hour away, instead of a state away. I told my kids that we live in such a big state, it shouldn't be hard for them to stay close by!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Darlene

Dad's Birthday

2007-06-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

We went to church today and had Jim's birthday dinner in the afternoon. Rebekah and Travis stayed, along with Maribeth, Paul and Mary. We had meatloaf, baked potatoes, green beans, homemade German Chocolate Cake, and ice cream. We gave Jim his card and he liked it. Of course, everyone helped him eat all the stuff glued to the card! We tried to watch the DVD of the kids' driving lessons, but the boys laptop wouldn't play all of it. It was hard to hear too. Maybe another time. I'm going to try and include a picture of Jim's card and one of Abby with her short hair.

Reactions to Abby's Haircut!

2007-06-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Today is Jim's birthday but we are celebrating tomorrow. Only he doesn't know it yet! He probably thinks that we forgot about him. Rebekah and Travis are staying after church for a birthday dinner together.

Hannah, Abby, and I went to an Ice Cream Social for Paul (an army chaplain) and Mary since they are leaving soon for SC with the military. We went to Barbara's house and rode with her and Noah to Katie's house. It was funny seeing everyone's reaction to Abby's haircut. Mrs. Johnson thought she looked cute. Mr. Van Dam didn't even know it was Abby. He was handing a hymnbook to me and then he started to hand one to Abby. I said that she didn't need one and then he realized that it was Abby. He looked so shocked. Travis and Rebekah didn't come to the party until after the singing had begun. When they came into the room and sat down, they got this strange look on their faces and then started laughing. Rebekah was laughing so hard she was crying. Hannah had to go out with her and explain what had happened. Rebekah thought at first it was Thomas and wondered why Thomas was wearing a dress. Then she realized that it was Abby! I'm finally getting used to her hair being short after a week. We went out to eat with Travis and Rebekah at Arby's when we got back into town. Barbara and Noah went with us too.

While we were gone, Jim and the rest of the kids stayed at home. They went to the baseball field and played a game of baseball. They said they had a really good time. A few other things happened that were pretty exciting. Somehow the passenger window on the van got broken. When they went to get in the van to go to the baseball field, Jim found a broken window. It's a GREAT mystery! I guess we will be driving to church with a broken window tomorrow. Then later in the day Elisabeth and Thomas jammed a stick into the driver's side lock of our truck and now the lock doesn't work. You can lock and unlock it from the inside, but you can't use the key from the outside. Too bad all those things had to happen on Jim's birthday. We'll make it up to him somehow.

Well, that's all for now.
Love,
Darlene

Abby's Haircut

2007-06-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, now I know this is working. It took me a while. Now I can tell you that Tom cut Abby's hair. He cut her bangs, one side of her head completely short, and the back in various lengths. So, she pretty much has a boy haircut since we couldn't see a better solution to the problem. At least hair grows back, but it is pretty obvious that hair is a woman's crowning glory! That happened Sunday night. I was picking up Hannah at Mallie's house and Mark said everything was pretty quiet and he thought they were sleeping. Instead, Thomas was cutting Abby's hair in her bed. I don't know how he got the scissors, since I have them put in a bag hanging high in the pantry. So, the next day, SHE cut her hair (what was left) and even showed me the hair in the trash. Then later in the day, she cut Rose's hair (our cat). I will have to find a better place for the scissors, but it is hard when people use them and forget to put them back. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Blessings,
Darlene

First Blog

2007-06-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my first blog, so we will see if this even works. Today, Sarah, Thomas, Elisabeth and I went to a friend's house and she showed me how to make a Philippino food dish call "Ponset". I don't even know if this is how they spell it. But it has chicken, pork, vegetables, and rice noodles. It is so good. We have had it several times and we love it. She also showed me how to make "Puto", another Philippino food. It is like a steamed muffin made with rice flour. It is really good.

Mark got his permit this past Wednesday and he had his first driving lesson on Thursday night. He did the best out of the first three kids learning how to shift. He told Hannah that he didn't think he would have a problem learning to shift and he didn't. We had to pretend we were being thrown around in the back of the truck. The kids didn't have to pretend when Hannah was learning how to drive! We found all the videos of the driving lessons that we had and put them all on one CD for our viewing pleasure! We laughed so hard watching Hannah's driving lesson from 2 years ago.

Well, I'm going to go for now and see how it posts on my blog! I want to try and put pictures on it too, but I don't know if it allows that.

God bless,
Darlene