Guess who I saw at the Capitol?

Today was Home School Day at the Capitol, so I loaded up the girls yesterday afternoon (after taking Jessica & Mikayla to the eye doctor--no glasses yet, PTL!) and we headed north. First we went to my brother Mark's house in Mayflower. Sally wasn't there (had a class) but Mark and the 2 girls fixed us hamburgers and cupcakes, and took good care of us. I left the girls there to take baths and go to bed :) and I went to a birthday party for my mom and 2 of her friends! I think I've said it before, but I love my Mom's friends. They are an answer to prayer, and a lot of fun. And it was fun to get to see my Mom for a couple of hours before I went back to Mark & Sally's house to spend the night. We got up early this morning and drove to the State Capitol (yay GPS). I had a hard time figuring out where to park, but ended up getting a pretty good place. I was pleased with the girls' excitement when they saw the building,

and when we were inside they kept oohing and aahing about the marble stairs and columns and domes and chandeliers and stained glass, and saying it was like a palace.

On our way up the big marble steps to register, Jessica asked, "Where are the desserts?" We had made desserts for 2 representatives, and then left them in the van!!! Doh. But when I signed in they said not to worry about it, so we'll get to eat the cookie bars ourselves. We saw one home school family we knew as soon as we got there, but that's not who I was talking about in the title. At registration the lady behind the table and I both looked at each other and said, "I know you..." and then figured out her husband used to be the BCM director at UAPB, which was so much fun, but that's not it either. I'll give you a hint. They live in Northwest Arkansas and home school, and have 18 children. You can read about them here. Yep, they were there! I had joked about wondering if we'd see them, and when I did I wanted to take a picture, but we introduced ourselves instead, and Mrs. was very gracious and friendly. And then I didn't want to look like a groupie, so we wandered off again. After that I found a senator we used to go to church with, and said hello, and we walked around a bit until our tour of the Capitol Building. It's a beautiful building, which was started in 1899 and finished in 1915. I was taking this picture of the girls

when the head dude of the Family Council, whom I admire a great deal, offered to take a picture of all of us. See?

Then we were peeking at the Senate chamber and the sergeant at arms let us in and took our picture there!

I was amazed at the feeling of respect you automatically feel in there. Made me look forward to taking the girls to D.C. some day. It was a good day. The girls got bored and tired and hungry before the tour was over, so we snuck away and came on home, but it was still a good day.

In Other News...

Last Sunday night we had a Mozambique mission trip meeting at our house. Mike and I are taking 5 students to Maputo, Mozambique, to work with the missionaries there (Charlie and Angie!) for 10 days. I haven't been on a mission trip in years! And the only other time I've been on an international trip was in 1987, when I went to Ecuador with the OBU BSU. Getting more details and preparations makes me get excited. I have most of my money raised, praise the Lord, but some of the students are still struggling, so if anyone feels led to donate, please send it to SAU BCM,P.O. Box 9275, Magnolia, AR 71753. And please pray for us! And for my mother, who will be watching the girls for 16 days while we're gone.

Speaking of my mother...she broke her finger last week opening a pickle jar. She wasn't using the jar opener Mike bought her because it had been opened before, but it was still really tight. She was trying to open it when she heard a pop! and felt a sharp pain in her finger. A week later (grr-I wasn't there to make her go) she went to the dr and it was broken! Lengthwise, like a splinter. Ouch. The dr. taped it to the finger next to it, and she said that hurt, but it's better now because before it was sticking out funny and catching on things. Shudder. I started taking calcium today...

Mike just went to buy seeds for our garden. Red potatoes, carrots, green beans, purple hull peas, corn, yellow squash, and maybe watermelon. I love having a garden! We're talking about starting to compost--any advice from you composters out there?

A Stop Light for Pickles Gap and other unrelated news

The Little Rock paper "...remembers when Pickles Gap, just outside Conway, was in the country. Not anymore." The Highway Department said work on a traffic signal should start early this spring. Hurray!!! There have been more than a few fatal accidents at the intersection where my Mom has to pull out into 4 lanes of speeding traffic. I'll be glad when it's finished!

Mike was in Miami, Florida, this week, to prepare for his Spring Break mission trip. He got back yesterday, and Jessica and Mikayla got an invitation to spend the night with some friends, so we got an unexpected evening alone (almost) to catch up! Rebecca goes to bed early and sleeps soundly. It was kind of like a date!

I got an upsetting email from someone I care about this week. He had declared himself an atheist on his facebook profile, and after a few weeks of thinking/praying about what to say, I finally sent an email "begging him on behalf of God to be reconciled to Christ" (2 Cor. 5:20). But not in those words. I did it in love, and I didn't see it as a lecture, but he wrote back telling me he didn't need a lecture and didn't believe there is a God, and that the Bible is inconsistent and therefore can't be trusted, and he won't believe anything he can't prove. He basically said if he goes to hell, so be it. It not only broke my heart, it made me feel physically sick. I know all kinds of apologitic answers I could send him, and maybe I will someday, but I don't think he'd listen. For now I'm just praying for God to open his eyes to the truth and soften his heart.
The good news is, that very night I watched session 4 of "The Truth Project", since I'll miss that one next week, and it addressed a lot of the things he wrote me, which I found very encouraging. I love "The Truth Project"--it's intellectually stimulating and spiritually affirming. We have around 7 students going through it with us, and I hope it makes a difference in their lives.

In lighter news, all 3 girls got haircuts yesterday! Rebecca just got a trim, and Jessica got layers that you have to look hard to see, and Mikayla got the most dramatic change--an above-the-shoulders bob. They all look precious, and I'll post pictures if they ever come home from their sleepover. :)

Mike should be home any minute with half a cow to put in our freezer (yay!) and Rebecca is feeling neglected, so I think I'll stop babbling and go paint her nails.

Is that me??

I walked into the library today and did a double-take when I saw this book, that was apparently written about me! Can you see it? The resemblance is striking! It's Wanda and the Wild Hair, by Barbara Azore. I love it.

Parties, parties, parties!

We've had another busy week of parties! It started with our church Valentine's Banquet/dessert auction on Wednesday night. The Children's choir sang, with great big smiles on their faces. It was great. The next day was our home school co-op Valentine party at the library. We had lunch and treats, decorated boxes, and passed out Valentine cards. They all had a lot of fun. That afternoon Mike took Jessica and Mikayla to the BCM to "hang out" while I secretly took Mikayla's birthday cake, decorations, and treat bags to Pizza Hut for her surprise party! (She had opened our presents the night before, and that morning she said, "I kind of wish I hadn't opened my presents, so it would feel more like my birthday." Tee-hee!) Her friends all got there, and I called Mike to tell him to come. Here are the girls watching out the window for them:Mike said to the girls, "Hey, let's drive by Pizza Hut and take some home to surprise Mama." Then they came around the corner and we all yelled, "SURPRISE!" and Mikayla jumped about a foot in the air, came down grinning, and ran straight to hug me and bury her face in me. I think it overwhelmed her a little! (I wish I had a better picture of her--we were all pretty excited, and Jessica kind of got in front.) We ate pizza and had cake and ice cream and presents, they played a few rounds of "Doggy, doggy, where's your bone?" and we went home. It was perfect. My friend Angel helped a TON by video taping for me, and some crowd control--she was wonderful. :) The next day was Rebecca's preschool Valentine party, and she had a wonderful time. Came home with more loot than Halloween, and maybe even Christmas! That night Mike fixed a special dinner for all his girls. He grilled steak, and made soup and salad and special mashed potatoes and green beans, and served the cake he bought at the dessert auction. He used a tablecloth and china, and put a rose and personally-made Valentine card at each of our seats. We dressed up fancy, and felt very spoiled and pampered. While he and I cleaned the kitchen, the girls were listening to the love song station on our TV, and dancing around the living room. When Lionel Richie started singing "Truly," I grabbed Mike and got him to slow dance with me. I wouldn't even let Rebecca cut in until the song was over. Saturday morning I fixed heart-shaped pancakes for everyone, and gave my cards & little gifts. That night we went to Calvary Baptist in Hope, where Mike was the speaker at their Valentine banquet. It's a small church, but they decorated it up real nice, the food was delicious, the people were nice, and the speaker was entertaining. :) And now we have 6 weeks until the next birthday-phew. I have to say, as much fun as it was, I'm glad this week is over!

The Greatest Valentine

For God so loVed the world,

That He gAve

his onLy

BegottEn

SoN

That whosoever

Believeth In Him

Should Not perish,

But have Everlasting life.'



John 3:16

Happy Birthday, Mikayla!

Mikayla turns nine years old today! She just left with her Daddy to hang out at the BCM, which was our way of removing her so I could get ready for her surprise party! I can't believe we haven't let the cat out of the bag yet. She's such a fun little thing...here are pictures of her from birth to last night.

Look!

Spring Beauties!


And our Japanese Magnolia is in bloom!

I think Punxsutawney Phil didn't have southern Arkansas in mind when he predicted 6 more weeks of winter.

Weekend visit!

My Mom and my niece Kennedi came to see us this weekend! My brother Mark brought them to Prescott (an hour away) and I drove up there, picked them up and brought them back. (Side note...on the way there, Rebecca said, "I want to be a horse-rider when I grow up. And not a mom." When I acted shocked and asked why not a mom, she said, "Well, maybe later. Or maybe I'll just be a teenager.") Kennedi is a year older than Jessica, and all 4 girls played hard together all weekend, jumping on the trampoline and riding bikes and lots of girl stuff. After supper Friday night they played Life while I beat Mom and Mike at Phase 10. :) At bedtime they slept all over the living/family room, and I was going around giving hugs and kisses. When I got to Rebecca, she whispered, "Do Kennedi next...and tickle her as well!" So of course I did. She's so funny.
Saturday morning Mom and I went shopping in the town square, and that afternoon the girls decorated Valentine cookies. Rebecca put a pink blob in the middle of one, and I asked her, in my best kindergarten teacher way, to "tell me about this." She said, "Well, that's in case someone sins. Now I'm putting bad sprinkles on it." I have no idea what that means!!





Later that afternoon, Rebecca and I rode our bikes around the block, by her rules.
1. I was not to get in front of her.
2. She had to be able to see me.
3. It's a race.
Hmm.
That night we watched "Sarah, Plain and Tall" on TV. The girls just finished reading the book in school, and kept critiquing the movie for how it fell short. We kept telling them the book is ALWAYS better than the movie.
This morning we went to church, except Mom, because her eye isn't completely healed yet and she feels insecure. We lazed around this afternoon, and then Mom's friend Suzanne took them home. I'm so glad we live close enough to have weekends together!

Jessica's slumber party

A week ago we had 7 girls sleep over to celebrate Jessica's 11th birthday. Here are some pictures of the madness!

We had a 1950's theme, and they all looked so cute we took a group picture.

We danced to some '50's music, ate pizza, then had cake and ice cream...

and then we played a game that had them put bright red lipstick on each other, blindfolded.
See what a good job they did!
For our next game I put a bubble gum ball on each girl's plate, then covered it with whipped cream. They had to find the bubble gum with no hands, and the first one to chew it up "wins". (They didn't really win anything; I didn't even officially pick a winner.) They were so funny!










Jesscica had a great time opening presents, of course. :)



They were wild, and silly, and stayed up too late, and we were all exhausted the next day, but it was a lot of fun.