Counting to 625...........

601.  The heart of my "healing steward".  So big and deep, just precious beyond belief.
602.  Son who asks about my computer at home...did I remember to grab it from church.  Searching diligently and wanting to help me in. Then he gets the doors, shutting the behind and opening them before me.  Where did this gentleman come from? 
603.  Listening to "The Man" race to say "I love you" first everyday. 
604.  "The Man"s need to say Good Morning at 4 in the afternoon, because he "never got a chance to say it yet"
605.  Fun Girl's willingness to prepare a whole chicken in the crockpot.  Yucky meat to have to handle.
606.  A child's acceptance of punishment and not argue, complain or ask to be released from his/her consequences.  (Thinking of several...so don't try to place names.)
607.  Watching my children Grow and Develope into who God created them to be, not what I could possibly imagine, which could never be as grand as what God has dreamed up. 
608.  Beautiful sonogram photos. 
609.  A sister that chooses joy.
610.  God's work is never down. 
611.  Zoo trips just before the rain came.


612.  Fun Girl delighting in introducing The Man to the goats at the zoo

613.  Feeding the goats
614.  Seeing the beauty in all God creates
615.  Answered prayers before the prayers even start
616.  Discussing the attributes of God in the car with my children.
617.  Self improvements in the pool for Fun Girl
618.  600 in under 25 minutes for me in the pool
619.  Visits from Grandpa
620.  Shelfs from Grandmama and Papa...new organization for school and the dining room
621.  Fun Visit with Mom and Henry
622.  Braums
623.  Book It coupons in the mail.
624.  Dad's Bud interest in reading is growing.
625.  Little Princess completing another book and excitedly ready to start another...after so many vision struggles to be reading !!  What joy in my heart.

Wednesday night quoteables

 Dad's Bud

at Awana asks Commander Evans,

"Do you know what is better than a hug?"

~"Nothing is better than a hug," and he gives her a great big one.~

 

 

At Awana ~ The Man is learning a new verse.

 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord

for this is right.

Ephesians 6:1

He looks at his leader and says,

This should be easy!

 

He thinks super hard.... he is struggling to get the "for this is right"

 

Leader comes to tell me this,

and then she adds, "I just couldn't figure out what part was suppose to be easy."

"The reciting the verse, or living it out."

 

I asked him at home.

Didn't get an answer.

Best to claim the fifth anyhow when you are 6 going on 7.

One sweet ride!

This is Hockey Player's dream car.

Maybe in a different color.

But the car nonetheless.

 

 

McLaren

 

 

So imagine my joy when at the zoo, I turned around and saw this baby!

 

 

Oh yeah!! I can see my Hockey Player zooming down the hill in this baby!

He quickly pointed out the spelling was off.

But hey, it is not in yellow+! 

Check out those wheels.

 

Campout with the Gorillas!

We have an awesome Kidz Ministry at our church.

I adore how they reach out to the 5th and 6th graders.

Knowing they are capable of much.

Not as big as Middle and High School-ers

But definitely not as little as the younger set.

So what do they do?

They have their own weekly Bible Study through the summer

They do service projects.

Like yard work for home bound members

Gardening for the church

Helping with VBS

It is not all work and serious study.

They have fun. 

Mighty Goofy Fun that can only be had at this age.

We have some awesome leaders.

This time it was a campout at the zoo.

Camping in the Gorilla exhibit.

Not in the enclosure with the animals.

But in the viewing area.

Listening to the animals throughout the night

and the first morning stirrings and rumblings.

Puts a whole new light on waking up at home with brothers and sister.

 

Entering the ZOo!

Happy and Caffeinated

 

The next morning, the smile is there just not as big and bright.

 

William, the whale.

A bigger smile, just a few less sparkles in the eye

She had a great time.

The next day, she had lots to say,

after a good night's rest.

 

My Grand-Neice!!

Just Telling it Like it is....

So, I am not much for pretending to be perfect.
Far from Martha Stewart. 
My home will never be featured in Better Homes and Gardens unless it is a before shot or maybe in a what not to do article. 
But that is okay.
We laugh, we smile, we cry, we live and we embrace all that life is at the moment. 

Imagine all that bubbled into a home school day.
Gonna be one of those stories.
I wake up.  Kids are getting along.  (yes!  Maybe I should stay under the covers and let it last a little longer...and yet I get up. )  I shower.  Still harmony.  Kids are cleaning the kitchen (without being asked, oh yeah! ).  Some kids are working on school without being asked!  Hallelujah, the angels are singing.  We are communicating. Laundry is going. Lunch is in the crockpot.  I come out of bedroom after my shower and I smell yummy lunch cooking. 

This is an incredibly awesome day.

I sit down with The Man and we start school.  He is doing so well.  He is motivated.  He is reading with interest.

I pull out the flash cards.  Yes!  there is no crying, whining or begging to stop.  What an amazing day. 

The angels are singing. 

Oh yes.  Please come into my home and see all this.

The Man, doesn't have to sound out "THE" any more. 

Heaven is exploding with praises. 

We have been working on "THE" for weeks, months...can I say I was starting to raise my voice a little everytime I said THE....why couldn't the darling remember it?  But I hear the choir singing. 

Next sight word.... "SH*T"

The angels stop singing.

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!  SHE    SHE   SHE  SHE  SHE

Silence and then the older siblings start laughing and come running to see what the word was?
"WHERE did THAT come from SHE?" they ask.
Well The Man just likes to add "it" into any word he is sounding out when he chooses to be lazy.
We say, SHE SHE SHE SHE over and over.
I mix flash cards and it comes up again.  What does he say, but, SH*T again!
NO!
WE don't say THAT word, son.
TM:  What is SH*T?  in all innocence.
A Very BAD word for POOP.  DON'T SAY IT AGAIN YOUR MOUTH WILL BE WASHED OUT WITH SOAP!
Siblings STOP laughing.

Oh yeah, everyone who came into my home to hear the angels singing, they aren't anymore.  My 5 minutes in Happily Ever After has come crashing back into reality.  This is life, My Absolutely Crazy and Fantastically Humorous Life.   I secretly wonder how many first graders and kindergartners say colorful words in the classroom when reading out loud.

What on earth? Better yet what on high seas?

 

It is Hockey Player still. 

So the plastic bag trick doesn't work too well in the shower.

He had to get another cast.

I begged. I pleaded.  I offered this kid $20 to get a hot pink cast.

To get out of his normal color palette.

Nope

I offered $40.

Still no.

I offered his choice of places for lunch.

Still no.

I offered $40 and lunch.

Still no. 

He is a man of principles and he sticks to them. 

For that I am very proud.

 

Considering he would only be stuck with it for a week, I am shocked.

His jeans are long and baggy. They cover it up. 

Glad he didn't take his mother's money though.

As for lunch, well it was food and he was happy.

He was really happy when I showed up to his piano lessons with pizza in the suburban.

It was an eat in the car kind of day!

And yes, minus one slice, he did all that damage.