How would you answer?
Hydroelectric power?
Fishing?
Not Mikayla.
She said:
"Nicely"
I love my job!!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
My center child
I was going over Mikayla's history notebook tonight. We're studying Africa, and one question asked: How do Africans use their rivers?
How would you answer?
Hydroelectric power?
Fishing?
Not Mikayla.
She said:
"Nicely"
I love my job!!
How would you answer?
Hydroelectric power?
Fishing?
Not Mikayla.
She said:
"Nicely"
I love my job!!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Survivor Finale Survivor
Some friends invited us over to watch the Survivor season finale (sooo glad Russell didn't win!). We were having fun, eating snacks, while the kids were upstairs playing, when all of a sudden Jessica runs in the room yelling, "Rebecca's hurt--her head's bleeding real bad!!" I ran upstairs telling the oldest girl of the house to bring me a washcloth, with Mike right behind me, and found her in the bathroom squalling, and yes, there was a lot of blood, but just a nick on her forehead. A deep nick, but no stitches required and no concussion. :) See?
I'm so glad it wasn't any worse.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sydney's Legacy
My friend Karry sent me this article in an email. I am proud to say Syndey was a friend of mine, and while reading this brought tears to my eyes again, how precious to know she is still impacting lives today. Grand Canyon University fulfills a promise of free education made 10 years ago#comments#comments#comments
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Family Stories
When I was in Conway for Easter, I heard a family story I'd never heard before--and in my family, that's unusual. We like telling the same stories over and over, and laughing like we'd never heard them before. My mom's sister, Aunt Sue, told this one as she was admiring Rebecca's dolls. She said that when she and Mom were about 6 and 3, they were playing baby dolls and left them inside "asleep" while they went out for a few minutes. While they were gone, Papa (their dad) put mustard in the doll's diapers!! She said they fussed and fussed at those babies while they washed the diapers out in the toilet and hung them out to dry. What makes the story even funnier is that Papa wasn't usually the jokester--Maw was. She was not even 5 feet tall, but when my brothers and I went to stay with her for a week once, she held a broom in one hand and made a fist with the other and told us to behave because "This hand is 6 weeks in the hospital, and this one's instant death." One Christmas she decided we should draw names to buy gifts. She wrote the names on little pieces of paper and had us draw them out of a hat, instructing us to keep the name we drew a secret to make it more fun. Of course, just as she knew they would, before an hour was up my Mom and her brothers and sister started pulling each other aside to whisper, "Who'd you get?" The conversation went something like this: "Billy, who'd you get?" "Mama! Who'd you get?" "No, I got Mama. Wait a minute--Sue! Who'd you get?" "I got Mama!" "What?! Jimmy...!" She had written her own name on every piece of paper!! I wish Mike could have met her. They would have loved each other.
I was thinking of another family story this morning, looking at our old broken toilet we're throwing away. When Mikayla was about 3, we ate with our friends Tim and Denise at the Red Lobster in Lewiston, Idaho. The kids had enjoyed looking at the lobsters in the tank and fish and crabs on the walls. As usual, as soon as the food came, Mikayla had to go potty. And you don't argue with a 3-year-old about that. So I took her in the ladies' room, led her into a stall, and as she pulled her pants down she looked into the toilet and said, "Oh, is that the crap hole?" I was of course shocked to hear such words from my precious angel's mouth, and said, "WHAT did you say???" She asked again, more clearly this time, "Is that the crab hole, where they get the crabs?" Ohhh....
I was thinking of another family story this morning, looking at our old broken toilet we're throwing away. When Mikayla was about 3, we ate with our friends Tim and Denise at the Red Lobster in Lewiston, Idaho. The kids had enjoyed looking at the lobsters in the tank and fish and crabs on the walls. As usual, as soon as the food came, Mikayla had to go potty. And you don't argue with a 3-year-old about that. So I took her in the ladies' room, led her into a stall, and as she pulled her pants down she looked into the toilet and said, "Oh, is that the crap hole?" I was of course shocked to hear such words from my precious angel's mouth, and said, "WHAT did you say???" She asked again, more clearly this time, "Is that the crab hole, where they get the crabs?" Ohhh....
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
2 more!
I thought of 2 more Mom sayings:
"You're like a dog with a bone." I said this to Mikayla yesterday. She is ready to go swimming at our neighbor's pool across the street and will not let it rest! Maybe Friday...
"You are slow as molasses going uphill in January." Usually I end up saying this to/about Rebecca, getting ready for school or church. That or "it's like pulling her through mud."
"You're like a dog with a bone." I said this to Mikayla yesterday. She is ready to go swimming at our neighbor's pool across the street and will not let it rest! Maybe Friday...
"You are slow as molasses going uphill in January." Usually I end up saying this to/about Rebecca, getting ready for school or church. That or "it's like pulling her through mud."
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Vicki Courtney in training?
I'm no Vicki Courtney, "author mom smack-dab in the trenches of teen culture," (you can and should visit her blog here) but I've noticed two disturbing things lately that made me think of what she would say or do about them, so I decided to say and do something myself!
The first is the latest Bath and Body Works advertising campaign. Have you been in the store lately??? Did you get the latest coupon in the mail??? That's a naked woman on there!! I honestly didn't even see the woman when I went in the store last Friday night, but when my husband walked in, he immediately turned his head, saying, "Holy smoke! It's a good thing the girls aren't in here!" I'm so thankful for a husband who responds that way. But really, it just shows how visually sensitive men are; he's just very aware of temptation and his own weakness. He left the store, but I am ashamed to say that after complaining to the worker, I did go ahead and buy what I needed. I did just send an email to the corporation, though, telling them how I feel about it and that we will not buy anything else from there until they change the image. Sigh. I will miss my foaming hand soaps. You can do the same thing by clicking here.
The other thing I saw was an ad in our state newspaper for a "Total Makeover." I read it with interest, since I'm always wanting help with my hair, and a little fashion/make-up advice could definitely come in handy, too. (Can you nominate yourself for "What Not to Wear?") Then I read what the prize includes (I cut and pasted this from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette website): "The winner's total makeover will be revealed at the Arkansas Women's Show on June 12. One winner will receive the following: Hair, makeover and clothing from Dillard's, membership at fitness center for one month and one or a combination of the following (up to $500 value) Botox; Restylane; Sculptra; Dysport and Juvederm from The Cosmetic Surgery Center and Dr. Rhys Branman." Cosmetic surgery? Excuse me? So now a total makeover means surgery?! I had no idea! Now some women have physical needs due to accidents or debilitating disease, and I think it's wonderful that we live in an age where they can get surgery to restore them. But how sad that many women will sign up for this prize to try to be as perfect as the images they see in magazines or movies--false images that are totally unattainable! It's not easy to look in the mirror and thank our Creator; trust me, I see every frizzy hair, mole and freckle. I want curves where there is flatness and flatness where there are curves. But I choose to believe God and agree with Psalm 139:13-14: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
The first is the latest Bath and Body Works advertising campaign. Have you been in the store lately??? Did you get the latest coupon in the mail??? That's a naked woman on there!! I honestly didn't even see the woman when I went in the store last Friday night, but when my husband walked in, he immediately turned his head, saying, "Holy smoke! It's a good thing the girls aren't in here!" I'm so thankful for a husband who responds that way. But really, it just shows how visually sensitive men are; he's just very aware of temptation and his own weakness. He left the store, but I am ashamed to say that after complaining to the worker, I did go ahead and buy what I needed. I did just send an email to the corporation, though, telling them how I feel about it and that we will not buy anything else from there until they change the image. Sigh. I will miss my foaming hand soaps. You can do the same thing by clicking here.
The other thing I saw was an ad in our state newspaper for a "Total Makeover." I read it with interest, since I'm always wanting help with my hair, and a little fashion/make-up advice could definitely come in handy, too. (Can you nominate yourself for "What Not to Wear?") Then I read what the prize includes (I cut and pasted this from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette website): "The winner's total makeover will be revealed at the Arkansas Women's Show on June 12. One winner will receive the following: Hair, makeover and clothing from Dillard's, membership at fitness center for one month and one or a combination of the following (up to $500 value) Botox; Restylane; Sculptra; Dysport and Juvederm from The Cosmetic Surgery Center and Dr. Rhys Branman." Cosmetic surgery? Excuse me? So now a total makeover means surgery?! I had no idea! Now some women have physical needs due to accidents or debilitating disease, and I think it's wonderful that we live in an age where they can get surgery to restore them. But how sad that many women will sign up for this prize to try to be as perfect as the images they see in magazines or movies--false images that are totally unattainable! It's not easy to look in the mirror and thank our Creator; trust me, I see every frizzy hair, mole and freckle. I want curves where there is flatness and flatness where there are curves. But I choose to believe God and agree with Psalm 139:13-14: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
Monday, May 10, 2010
10 on the Tenth
In honor of Mother's Day yesterday, here are 10 sayings I've heard my Mom say my whole life:
1. Thank your father. After every shopping trip, when I thanked her for the new clothes, she's tell me to thank my father, since he was the one working to provide us with all our needs. As I grew, I realized there was another Father I needed to remember to thank.
2. Put your lipstick on. Until I got married Mom told me this all the time. She thought I should have lipstick on every time I left the house, because "you never know who you might meet."
3. This room looks like the wreck of the Hesperus. Whatever the Hesperus was, she was probably right. My house looks like the wreck of the Hesperus right now.
4. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. That kind of sums up all the friend-making advice she gave in all our moves, such as "sit in the middle of a row so you meet someone on both sides;" "whatever questions someone asks you, ask them;" and of course, "to have a friend, you must be one."
5. Let those words roll off of you like water off a duck's back. When someone was being mean to me, she taught me how to keep it from hurting too bad.
6. Home is wherever we are together. It might be a house, a duplex, a campsite, or a car; as long as we're together, that's home.
7. You can always come home. I always knew I'd be loved no matter what I did.
8. It's better to be overdressed than underdressed/first impressions do matter. I thought those two kind of went together.
9. If you don't stop (insert bad behavior)
...I'm gonna snatch you bald-headed.
...you'll be picking yourself up off the floor/peeling yourself off the wall.
...you'll wake up in the middle of next week.
and the last one is a song, not a saying, but I've heard it so much from my Mom:
10. Cheer up ye saints of God, there's nothing to worry about!
Nothing to make you feel afraid, nothing to make you doubt!
Remember Jesus never fails, so why not trust Him and shout-
You'll be sorry you worried at all tomorrow morning!
If you'd like to list your 10 on the Tenth, go to Meredith's blog here and join the fun.
1. Thank your father. After every shopping trip, when I thanked her for the new clothes, she's tell me to thank my father, since he was the one working to provide us with all our needs. As I grew, I realized there was another Father I needed to remember to thank.
2. Put your lipstick on. Until I got married Mom told me this all the time. She thought I should have lipstick on every time I left the house, because "you never know who you might meet."
3. This room looks like the wreck of the Hesperus. Whatever the Hesperus was, she was probably right. My house looks like the wreck of the Hesperus right now.
4. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. That kind of sums up all the friend-making advice she gave in all our moves, such as "sit in the middle of a row so you meet someone on both sides;" "whatever questions someone asks you, ask them;" and of course, "to have a friend, you must be one."
5. Let those words roll off of you like water off a duck's back. When someone was being mean to me, she taught me how to keep it from hurting too bad.
6. Home is wherever we are together. It might be a house, a duplex, a campsite, or a car; as long as we're together, that's home.
7. You can always come home. I always knew I'd be loved no matter what I did.
8. It's better to be overdressed than underdressed/first impressions do matter. I thought those two kind of went together.
9. If you don't stop (insert bad behavior)
...I'm gonna snatch you bald-headed.
...you'll be picking yourself up off the floor/peeling yourself off the wall.
...you'll wake up in the middle of next week.
and the last one is a song, not a saying, but I've heard it so much from my Mom:
10. Cheer up ye saints of God, there's nothing to worry about!
Nothing to make you feel afraid, nothing to make you doubt!
Remember Jesus never fails, so why not trust Him and shout-
You'll be sorry you worried at all tomorrow morning!
If you'd like to list your 10 on the Tenth, go to Meredith's blog here and join the fun.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day!
I hope all my blog friends who are mothers or mothers-to-be or who have mothers have a wonderful day today. I know I am! My Mother's Day started Friday night, when my impatient family decided I needed to open my presents as soon as we got back from our shopping trip to Texarkana. Not that I'm complaining! Rebecca gave me this:
Jessica gave me this:
(I already drank one!)
Then Mike handed me a box to unwrap that looked the same size as the griddle he wanted to buy at Sear's. He said, "I hope you're not disappointed." I said, "Can I guess what it is?" and said it was a griddle. I unwrapped it, and sure enough, it was a griddle box. But then Mike said I should look inside and make sure I liked it. Well, inside the box was THIS:
WOW!!! I was so surprised and excited. My very own, very new and fast laptop!! I love it.
Mikayla saved her present for today, after church, because she was still working on it in Sunday School. Here it is:
(I don't know why blogger is turning some of my pics sideways. grr) It's an alphabetical list of words describing me, from "Awesome apple pie, Beautiful as a butterfly, Curly hair" to "X-specially special, Young, and Zealous." I love that girl!! All 3 of them are such amazing gifts from God, especially when I think about the time I wondered if I'd ever have any children at all. Thank you Lord!
In other news, our week was a little calmer than the ones before but still fun.
On Monday we had students over for BYOM (meat). We grilled and ate together,
and played croquet and volleyball. Everyone seemed to have a good time.
Mikayla and Rebecca had a good time playing on it yesterday, but not Jessica. She spent the day with a fever, looking like this.
Poor baby; I hate it when she's sick. She was supposed to play handbells in church this morning, but still had a fever, so Mike stayed home with her. Mikayla played, and I was so proud of her. I could see her mouth moving as she counted the beats. :)
Hopefully now that I have a new laptop (did I mention that?) I'll be able to post more often and more interestingly. I have all kinds of things bouncing around in my head that I've never posted.
Enjoy your Mother's Day--I think it's time for a nap!
Then Mike handed me a box to unwrap that looked the same size as the griddle he wanted to buy at Sear's. He said, "I hope you're not disappointed." I said, "Can I guess what it is?" and said it was a griddle. I unwrapped it, and sure enough, it was a griddle box. But then Mike said I should look inside and make sure I liked it. Well, inside the box was THIS:
Mikayla saved her present for today, after church, because she was still working on it in Sunday School. Here it is:
In other news, our week was a little calmer than the ones before but still fun.
On Monday we had students over for BYOM (meat). We grilled and ate together,
It was so hot this week--in the 90s already! So on Friday for "science" (wink-wink) we set up the sprinkler under the trampoline and jumped on it. It was all fun and games until Jessica decided to pour water down MY back!
 |
It cooled down a lot this weekend though--it feels great, and just in time for the girls to enjoy this:
Hopefully now that I have a new laptop (did I mention that?) I'll be able to post more often and more interestingly. I have all kinds of things bouncing around in my head that I've never posted.
Enjoy your Mother's Day--I think it's time for a nap!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
RWYK and answered prayers
A week ago Thursday I woke up, had a nice long prayer and Bible study time, and then worried. I worried all day, and went to bed worried. About what, you say? Everything. I worried about what the girls are missing being home schooled, and about what they would miss if I put them back in school. I worried that I'm too hard on them and that I'm not hard enough. That I give them too much, or not enough. That I'm not a good wife or mother or friend. I worried that I was worrying too much. I would pray about it, but as soon as I would stop praying, I would start worrying. (Maybe that's why we're supposed to "pray without ceasing!") I couldn't get to sleep that night, even though I kept on praying and trying to stop worrying. When I got up the next morning, tired and grumpy, I thought about what my Dad would say: Remember what you know. One of the most life-changing Bible studies I've ever done is Beth Moore's Breaking Free. The concept in that study that had the biggest impact on me was tearing down the wallpaper in your mind that is keeping you in bondage, and re-papering with the Truth. (Paul said the same thing in Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.") So I looked up worry and anxiety in my concordance and started quoting 1 Peter 5:7 every time a worry came up. Victory!
Mike preached at our pastorless church Sunday morning. He got a cold last, oh, Monday or so, but was feeling much better. When he got up to speak, I could tell from his voice he needed water. You know how sweet church people put water on pulpits for preachers? Never happens for Mike. I was in the choir loft thinking, "OK, I'll pray that God will put a thought in a deacon's brain to bring Mike a glass of water." Then I had an even better thought--Jesus told the woman at the well he'd give her living water that would never run dry. I prayed that He would be Mike's living water right then, 'cause he really needed it. Then I forgot about it until after church at the college picnic when Mike said, "I was dying, my throat was so dry before I preached, but as soon as I got up there, I was fine!" Wow. God is amazing.
Mike preached at our pastorless church Sunday morning. He got a cold last, oh, Monday or so, but was feeling much better. When he got up to speak, I could tell from his voice he needed water. You know how sweet church people put water on pulpits for preachers? Never happens for Mike. I was in the choir loft thinking, "OK, I'll pray that God will put a thought in a deacon's brain to bring Mike a glass of water." Then I had an even better thought--Jesus told the woman at the well he'd give her living water that would never run dry. I prayed that He would be Mike's living water right then, 'cause he really needed it. Then I forgot about it until after church at the college picnic when Mike said, "I was dying, my throat was so dry before I preached, but as soon as I got up there, I was fine!" Wow. God is amazing.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Another busy week
Last weekend Mom came to visit and to see the girls in their children's choir musical at church. All 3 girls were in it, which may not ever happen again! I loved it. And it's always fun spending time with Mom. :)
Monday night my college girls' Bible study was at our house. We had lasagna and cheesecake and a good discussion about breaking negative cycles. I love my BCM girls!
Tuesday night was our BCM end of the year banquet at a local restaurant. The girls all dressed up, and some of the guys, and we had good food and silly awards and emotional good-byes. *sniff*
Wednesday night was Rebecca's AWANA Grand Prix...she came in, um, dead last. But had fun.
Thursday afternoon Jessica, Mikayla, and I drove to Conway. We went to the ladies' banquet at my Mom's church (our old church) and saw so many old friends! It was fun. We spent the night with Mom, then got up early and drove to Little Rock to see the "World of Pharaohs" exhibit with our home school group. I've always wanted to be an archaeologist/historian, so I LOVED it. The girls seemed to enjoy it too--most of it, anyway. :) We looked at the other exhibits there, too, and they got all giggly over the nude paintings. Just like I did at their age. We were done there pretty early, so we went next door to the Arkansas Military Museum, which was pretty good. Did you know Gen. MacArthur was born in Little Rock? From there we went downtown and once we found a place to park, toured the Old Statehouse.
That may have been the girls' favorite--all the governors' wives' inaugural gowns are on display. We walked past the Peabody on our way back to the car, so we went in and saw the ducks and rode the glass elevator. That was a whole new experience after riding the Tower of Terror at Disney Hollywood Studios! The tornado watches were starting about then, so we decided we should get on home. Which we did with practically no rain or storms.
Saturday I had to be at the church at 9 for a wedding shower, and the girls had a good-bye party for some friends that afternoon.
Today Mike preached at our church this morning and the other SBC church tonight, plus I did the children's sermon and we had a college dept. picnic/wallyball game at lunch. The students have finals this week, and then our lives should start to settle down. They sure make it fun around here, though!
Oh, and I finally made a photo album of our Easter pics. Go here to see them.
I have to show somebody this picture, too. I found this in Rebecca's suitcase at Easter when we went to Mom's.
The 2 cups were taped together, and made noise when you shook them, like there was something inside. I asked her about it, and she said that she packed q-tips in it!! Isn't she clever? :)
Monday night my college girls' Bible study was at our house. We had lasagna and cheesecake and a good discussion about breaking negative cycles. I love my BCM girls!
Tuesday night was our BCM end of the year banquet at a local restaurant. The girls all dressed up, and some of the guys, and we had good food and silly awards and emotional good-byes. *sniff*
Wednesday night was Rebecca's AWANA Grand Prix...she came in, um, dead last. But had fun.
Thursday afternoon Jessica, Mikayla, and I drove to Conway. We went to the ladies' banquet at my Mom's church (our old church) and saw so many old friends! It was fun. We spent the night with Mom, then got up early and drove to Little Rock to see the "World of Pharaohs" exhibit with our home school group. I've always wanted to be an archaeologist/historian, so I LOVED it. The girls seemed to enjoy it too--most of it, anyway. :) We looked at the other exhibits there, too, and they got all giggly over the nude paintings. Just like I did at their age. We were done there pretty early, so we went next door to the Arkansas Military Museum, which was pretty good. Did you know Gen. MacArthur was born in Little Rock? From there we went downtown and once we found a place to park, toured the Old Statehouse.
That may have been the girls' favorite--all the governors' wives' inaugural gowns are on display. We walked past the Peabody on our way back to the car, so we went in and saw the ducks and rode the glass elevator. That was a whole new experience after riding the Tower of Terror at Disney Hollywood Studios! The tornado watches were starting about then, so we decided we should get on home. Which we did with practically no rain or storms.
Saturday I had to be at the church at 9 for a wedding shower, and the girls had a good-bye party for some friends that afternoon.
Today Mike preached at our church this morning and the other SBC church tonight, plus I did the children's sermon and we had a college dept. picnic/wallyball game at lunch. The students have finals this week, and then our lives should start to settle down. They sure make it fun around here, though!
Oh, and I finally made a photo album of our Easter pics. Go here to see them.
I have to show somebody this picture, too. I found this in Rebecca's suitcase at Easter when we went to Mom's.
The 2 cups were taped together, and made noise when you shook them, like there was something inside. I asked her about it, and she said that she packed q-tips in it!! Isn't she clever? :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)