Playing Ketchup

Phew! Home School is taking up all my blog time! wink, wink
I have some pictures and stories to share...

Be careful whom you laugh at...


When we first moved to Moscow, Idaho, we were pleased to discover that we lived across the street from Batman! He was shorter than I expected, but every day (every day) he walked up and down the sidewalk, cape and mask and all, patrolling the neighborhood, I guess. Later we discovered his real name was John (not Bruce), and by the time he was in kindergarten he was no longer Batman at all, but to us he is to this day. Fast forward to the beginning of October, when I got our Halloween stuff out, and Rebecca saw this Tigger suit. Yep, you guessed it--she wore it everywhere. I wonder how our neighbors feel about Tigger moving in?

Crazy Hair Night at AWANA

Jessica did her sisters' hair, and Mike did Jessica's. Jessica won First Place in T & T!! I'm so proud.

Good clean fun

This week Jessica made dolls out of pine needles for herself and her sisters. Together they've made houses for them out of more pine needles, pine cones, bark, etc. in the front yard. The weather has been nice and cool, and they've been outside every chance they get, playing with their dolls. It does a Laura Inglalls Wilder wanna-be's heart good!

Jehovah Jireh

We've made some friends in Magnolia. :) They have a daughter one year older than Jessica, a daughter one year older than Mikayla, and a son one year older than Rebecca. We had them over to eat, and 2 weeks later they had us over to eat. We all enjoyed it. Then, a few days after we went to their house, the Mom, Rebecca, asked if I could use any hand-me-downs. As Jessica said when Mike asked her out on her first "date", "OH my goodness YES!" They gave us several garbage sized bags full of NICE, quality, name-brand, boutique, cute as anything clothes!!!!! It looked like Gymboree exploded in our family room. It was so much fun. (Except for Jessica. She's taller than any of them, and kept holding up things saying, "Oh, how cute, will this one fit me?" And I kept having to tell her no. I felt so bad for her.)
My Tuesday night Bible Study with the college girls is called "What To Do With Your Wait," and this week was about what God does for/with us while we wait. I got to thinking about how wonderful it is that when we pray for something we're waiting for, God answers with what we really need, but don't know enough to ask for. I've been praying and waiting for our house to sell, (and I still want it to and it will someday) but what I really mean is I want our needs to be met. So God gives us dinner invitations and nicer clothes than we could ever afford! I thought I waited and prayed forever for a husband, but what I really wanted was intimacy, which God gave/gives me in Himself. He is so good!
Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Psalm 27:14

10-20-30 Virus

Oooh, oooh, I wanna play! I got this from Angie. Where were you and what were you doing 10, 20, and 30 years ago?

Ten years ago Mike and I were living in Lewiston, Idaho, where he was BCM director at Lewis-Clark State College, and I was teaching Title I in the morning and 2nd grade in the afternoon. We spent all our free time with Tim and Denise Simpson, staying up late playing games and singing 80's songs and acting silly. I was 6 months pregnant with our first child, after 2 years of trying and tests. I'm still praising God for that miracle!! In my pregnancy journal I wrote that I was excited about "being parents. I can't wait to hold you close and feel you, look into your eyes, bathe you and meet your needs." But I was also "still anxious about childbirth, and about whether we'll be good parents, and about breastfeeding. I do not look forward to going back to work in April."

Twenty years ago I was a junior elem. ed major at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. (You just have to say all of it once you get started.) I was rooming with Angie in O.C. Bailey, 3rd floor. We had so much fun. She was engaged to Charlie, and the 3 of us spent a lot of time together. I was boy-crazy, and being asked out on dates for the first time in my life. I was confused, excited, hopeful, depressed, and embarrassingly stupid. Angie, I've tried to find a journal entry I can share without crawling under a rock for the rest of my life, but I can't. I will share part of one, though. Edited. ;)
"November 28, 1987: Homecoming was, of course, perfect. Troy got here Friday, and we went to the Fish Net with the Batesville crew, had fun. We won the game Saturday! (editor's note--that's surprising) My corsage was beautiful. It was cold, so Troy & I cuddled. I sure do love him. (editor's note--phileo, brotherly love, just friends. At that time.) Chuck (Charlie), Ang, Troy, and I ate at Brown's, and laughed the whole time, harder than I have in months. And the dance--man what a dance--I had the best time I've ever had at a dance--every guy I wanted to dance with asked me to dance--I danced non-stop from 10:30 to 1:00! With Troy, Steven, Tim (freshman), Brad, Joe (He proposed again), Brian, Kent, Shaun W., Chuck McClain, Mark N., and Steve Hendrix--Mark & Steve were FUN--"La Bamba" and "Wipe Out". BUT--I was sick at my stomach all the next day. BUT--Chris called, and was sweet. I'm home now--Thanksgiving was good..."
and it goes on from there. Just think, that's the edited version! Yikes.

Thirty years ago I was 10 years old, and living in Spring Valley, California (near San Diego). We had lived there since summer. I was in the 5th grade, Mrs. Moynihan's class. I remember she used me to help teach other kids to tell time. My best friends were Dana Callahan, in my neighborhood, Angie Rowan, from school, and Kim Venable, from church. I hated California, except for the beach. Mostly because I missed Virginia so much. My 2 big brothers were in high school, and they teased me all they could. When I tried to get them back I could only think of things like, "I'm rubber, you're glue, it bounces off me and sticks on you." I would get so frustrated and mad when they laughed at me! My best memories from this time are eating dinner and playing games (like Red Devil! So much fun) at our round table, with my parents and brothers and David Meinung, Mark's best friend, making puns and laughing so hard David would literally fall on the floor.

Just like Angie, I won't tag anyone, but you're all invited to play! Let me know in my comments if you do, so I can read all about you.

Twister

I love living in the South again...but I had forgotten what a chicken I am about tornado warnings!!! We were finishing up home school this afternoon (BTW--we started Monday, and it's very satisfying, but please pray for us!) and the tornado siren started going off. I thought to myself, "Self, it's Wednesday, but it's not noon." "Girls, let's finish math in the bathroom!" We stayed in for 30 minutes, during which time Mikayla decided to put it to good use. (pee-yew) Just like with bees and other stinging insects, I had to act brave to keep from scaring Jessica. We held hands and prayed for God to keep us safe, and kept doing our work, and now we're all just fine! Thank you, Lord!
Psalm 91:4 "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge."

My Mom's Happy List

I'm in Pickle's Gap this weekend, visiting my Mom (and painting the pink and yellow bedrooms in the house we're trying to sell...now they're beige). We were going through a box of my Dad's things, and I found my Mom's "happy list"! Actually, she titled it "Things I Love," and it's a great list. Just reading it makes me happy. Read it and see if you agree!

Red roses, one at a time
Violets in the yard in spring
Babies' wet mouths
The back of a little boy's neck when he's just had a hair cut
Watching Tom shave
Watching Tom sleep
Watching Tom read his Bible
Watching Kecia put on her make-up
Seeing Mark in church with his children
Hearing Matt preach
Coconut cream pie
Hot coffee
Apple pancakes and sausage on a cool morning
Cutting wood for winter
The crunch of leaves under your feet in the woods
Fall
Baking Christmas goodies
Old things--antique or not
Having a crowd at the dinner table
Green
Diamonds
Christmas
When my son's wives call me "Mom"
When I'm thin! (groan)
A fire in the fireplace

3, 3, 3 Posts in One!

Do you remember Chris Farley? Did you ever see him hit himself on the head saying, "Stupid! Stupid idiot!" I've been doing that all day today.
I had a dr's appointment in Texarkana yesterday, so we ate lunch at TaMolly's and then went to Sam's and bought (among other things) chicken breasts and taquitos. We went AFTER lunch so the food wouldn't be out of the freezer too long. Then I dropped Mike off at work, came home and put a sleeping Rebecca on the couch to try to finish her nap. This morning, after Mike left, I was loading the dishwasher and thought "I wonder if Mike brought the new dishwasher detergent in out of his car...wait, it was in the van...it still is in the van...along with the CHICKEN AND TAQUITOS." I literally felt sick. When I told Mike about it (emailed, actually, because I'm a big chicken), he laughed out loud. He called and asked me to fix him taquitos for lunch. I have the best husband in the WORLD!

Random question: When you eat candy corn do you eat it in sections, by color, or all at once?



Okay, one more TV comment...The Unit last night was supposedly at the arsonal in Pine Bluff, Arkansas...apparently no one connected with that show has ever been to Arkansas! They were in a flat, dusty place with scrubby little bushes and yucca looking plants. PINE Bluff was named that for a reason. I know there are pine trees in California they could have put in that scene. It was a good episode, though.


Why don't you ever see this Arkansas on TV?

Confessions of a TV Junkie

So I'm sitting here on the computer while my 2 younger daughters watch "High School Musical 2," and Rebecca keeps saying, "Mama, watch this! Lookie, Mama, look, look at Troy, look at Troy's hair. Look close...see?" as if I haven't seen it at least once a week since the premiere. Ever since that fateful night (our first night in our new home and we had no microwave popcorn) I've been wanting to say **SPOILER ALERT: if you live in Africa or the mountains and haven't seen HSM2 yet, watch this precious video then skip all the purple words**



how disappointed I was in this sequel. It's still clean and sweet and all, but the dancing looks like it's done in front of a blue screen, and the voices sound synthesized to me. I love the first one, sing all the songs with my girls, but the second one--eh. It's okay. I do like Ryan turning out nice. I always knew he had it in him.
Next *SPOILER*: Survivor China.
I know Survivor isn't really "cool" anymore, but Mike and I are still addicted. (Along with Dancing with the Stars, NCIS, The Unit, Amazing Race, Lost...) This season one of the castaways is a Christian radio talk show host, Leslie, and in the very first episode they are welcomed to China by some Bhuddist monks, and invited to participate in a ceremony that Jeff says is just a cultural thing. But it involves folding your hands and kneeling with your face to the floor...and Leslie can't do it. She starts crying and leaves the temple. When Jeff asks her about it, she says it felt like worship to her and she only kneels to Jesus Christ. Woo hoo! Go Leslie! Another castaway, Courtney, a waitress from New York, rolls her eyes and looks cynical.
[Time out--ooh ooh, the song I do like is on now: "I Don't Dance"--I gotta boogie with my baby a little--okay I'm back]
So last night, the third episode, Courtney is in a challenge that's difficult for her, and Leslie is sitting it out--Courtney gets her attention and mouths, "Pray for me!" What?! Where did this attitude change come from? Could it be from living with a genuine Christian showing Christ's love without compromising? Leslie ended up getting voted off, and Courtney's face showed true grief at her leaving. It was so awesome to see the results of a woman living surrendered to Jesus on national TV. Even if Courtney hasn't given her life to Christ yet, it's obvious she's way more ready to listen now than she was before she met Leslie. I want to have that effect on people.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?

Copeland

If any of you were following Copeland and praying for her and her family, make sure you check this blog again. The memorial video is heart-breaking, but beautiful.