Father and Son

Just a moment,

Seize the time.

Gift from God,

Son of mine.

Take A Guess

Can you guess what we were doing Saturday afternoon?

Here's a clue.

An Attentive Ear

"If an earthly king were to issue a royal proclamation, and the life or death of his subjects entirely depended on performing or not performing its conditions, how eager would they be to hear what those conditions were!  And shall we not pay the same respect to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and lend an attentive ear to His ministers, when they are declaring, in His name, how our pardon, peace, and happiness may be secured?"

~George Whitefield

The So-Good-You'll-Never-Eat-Canned-Again Hot Dog Chili

Yep.  That's what Mountain Man said....canned hot dog chili....banned.

Of course, I like it because you cook it in the slow cooker. :)

Chili Coney Dogs

1 lb. ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 c. water
2 T. worcestershire sauce
1 T. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
dash cayenne pepper
 8 hot dogs

In large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink.  Drain.  Stir in the tomato sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, onion and spices.

Place hot dogs in 3 qt. slow cooker; top with beef mixture. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through.

Enjoy!

99 Allegros for just $1.99

Wow!  This is a great deal from Amazon.  Over nine hours of beautiful music for just $1.99.

99 Allegros

First Reading Lesson

....from Miss Boo's first reading lesson yesterday. I don't remember learning being this fun.

Well, now it is, and so is the teaching. :)

Weekly Rewind 8/15-8/21/10

Well, something is in the air because for the first time in the 12 years we've lived here, I'm suffering from allergy symptoms....yes, itchy eyes, runny nose, tickling in the throat, etc.

Could it be these?

We're back to our walks, and our roads are lined with gorgeous sunflowers.  To live in the desert, we sure enjoy bursts of color from the many wildflowers.  Mountain Man spent hours this weekend getting most everyone's bikes in shape, so now they're able to ride while some of us walk, and the children are super-happy about that.  "Getting bikes fixed" was actually an item on their summer list....pretty simple, huh?

Here's the reason it's hard for some lovelies around here to get out of bed.  Jedediah   makes for some sweet cuddlin'.

~PRAISE!  My Mom will be able to visit while Scribe has his surgery.  This was an answer to prayer, and we're so thankful to God for making a way for my Mom to be with us.

~Jedediah had his 2 month check-up, and he is doing great!  Whistler captured this sweet shot.

And this one.

Lovely Boo's favorite phrases this past week...."I can't wait to learn to read, " and "I can't wait to be a Mommy."

Another project the guys finished this weekend was the shed.

I'm so pleased with it, and I can't wait for the guys to tackle painting the house next year.

And just when you thought it was safe to play in the front yard....

the rattlesnake shows up.  He didn't last long, though, thanks to Little Big Man and Scribe.  The BB Gun and the sledge hammer were quite effective.  Surprisingly, this is the first rattlesnake we've seen this summer.

And these were the skies last night.

The heavens declare the glory of God.....

Parting thoughts from my reading....

"How many perish by reason of vain learning in this world who take little care of the serving of God.."

"And he is truly learned, that doeth the will of God and forsaketh his own will."

~Thomas A Kempis

Love,

Hand Holding and Rock Climbing

Jedediah turned 2 months old yesterday!  He's rolling over from his stomach to his back and giving us the sweetest grins.  (I told him the baby acne would soon go away, and of course, double chins really are the "in" thing with babies.)

This past Saturday Scribe and Little Big Man were able to enjoy one of the activities from their summer list.....go-kart riding and rock climbing.  Look at these great shots Mountain Man got with his iPhone camera.  (Ahem, I bet my Droid would have done an even better job.  :)  Yes, the Verizon Droid really rocks, and I just don't use that expression about much nor am I even fond of those smart phones...until I met the Droid.)

Jedediah is also great at hand holding....a few fingers at a time.  Lovely Whistler was  blessed enough to have her little brother grasp her hand ever so tightly while cuddling with him. Did you know that Cuddling with Baby Brother is an official school subject around here?

Can you tell I'm really liking Picnik?  It seems that even a novice can create some beautiful keepsakes with this site.

Love,

If you give a boy some wood and bricks and toss in a few lovely sisters....

God's creation.  Bricks.  Wood.  Possibilities.

The seating

The door

The fireplace

The Landscape

A Lovely Sister

Another one!

The Place

The Cuties

C'Mon, It's Not That Bad

Like some adults, Jedediah can now go from "Woe is I" to sweet bliss in a matter of seconds.  Thankfully, Scribe was right there to capture the transformation.

Ok...life with this clan is LOUD, very loud, but I guess it's good. :)

Prayer Request

One month from today, on September 13th, Scribe will be having surgery to correct a condition that is causing his ribs to press in on his heart.  He is expected to be in the hospital for a week, and the doctor is telling us Scribe will be in a lot of pain the first month after the surgery, requiring strong pain meds.  He'll be able to start exercising, etc. about 3 months after the surgery.

We humbly ask you to pray for the following:

~skill and wisdom for the surgeon

~no need for strong pain meds for that whole first month

~no complications or infections from the surgery

~that God would be glorified and we would be a witness for Christ

~that all of us would grow deeper in our love for the LORD through this

~for wisdom for me as I continue to homeschool, love on a brand new baby and all of our other blessings, and take care of our home

~peace and calm for Scribe and a very real knowledge of the presence of the LORD with him

Thank you for loving us through your prayers!

Now This is SWEET Sleep

~Nap time this week

Weekly Rewind 8/1/10-8/8/10

Sorry for the absence.  We purchased a new computer, and the transition has been a bit time consuming.

Plus, in general, the days just seems to pass through my hands so quickly.  I'm focused on discerning what is needful to do...really needful, and what things simply aren't part of God's plan for us right now.  It's hard to let go of what is comfortable, those things that are "planned."  How assuring it is, though, to know that God has promised to give me the wisdom I need.

 James 1:5  "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."


Speaking of promises...God blessed us with beautiful double rainbows this past week. 

Aren't they majestic?  

~Friday evening we enjoyed celebrating the 10th wedding anniversary of some very special friends.  What a lovely time it was of remembering God's faithfulness to them.  Everything about it was very intentional, and if you know me, you know that I LOVE that!  They had a slide show of their past years together, Scripture verses proclaiming the goodness and promises of God in poster size on the walls, and recitations by their children from His Word.  They spoke of their love for each other and their love for Him.  There was a great time of dancing and fellowship, too.

~Jedediah will be 8 weeks old tomorrow!  Scribe noticed that his brother is very busy doing "head-ups" these days.:)  And, Sweet Cap'n enjoys his bath time.

~Scribe and Little Big Man will be listening to a couple sermons weekly, downloaded to their iPods.

Last week they listened to Doug Phillips' teaching about honor, called The Promise and S.M. Davis' sermon "What to Expect from a 12 Year Old." (The second sermon being one they've listened to before...this listening was for a self-evaluation.  There isn't anything juvenile about this one...so many adults haven't even mastered the goals outlined here.)  These are both excellent teachings and are highly recommended. 

~Scribe broke his glasses this week, and God, in His amazing kindness, blessed us with being able to get them repaired at no cost.  :)

~We were so privileged to have our Pastor and his family with us last week.  He preached about Psalm 1, and the message was such an encouraging reinforcement of the many things we desire to impart to our children....watching your walk with the LORD, discerning the voices that you're allowing to speak into your life and the effects thereof, remembering the mighty acts of God and His faithfulness, and more.  Scribe took great notes, and I quote from them here.

"The righteous man has his roots not only in what God requires, but also in what God has done."

~Pastor Brainerd

~This week is full of lessons, potty-training, computer-related tasks, more de-cluttering, and a Mountain Man ham shoot for the guys.  We're also starting a book study with some of the children.  Mountain Man, Scribe and Little Big Man are reading Thoughts for Young Men by J.C.Ryle and meeting twice a week for discussion. The goal is the have their book study finished before Scribe's surgery in September.   Whistler and I are beginning How to be a Lady by Harvey Newcombe and meeting early Wednesday mornings for tea and discussion.

~I'll leave you with a quote from J.C.Ryle to encourage you to press on in the things of the LORD, redeeming the time and guarding your affections.

"Let us watch our habits of mind jealously, lest we fall into sin unawares.  If we love life, we must hold the things of the world with a very loose hand, and beware of allowing anything to have the first place in our hearts, excepting God.  Let us mentally write POISON on all temporal good things.  Used in moderation they are blessings, for which we ought to be thankful.  Permitted to fill our minds, and trample upon holy things, they become a positive curse.  Profits and pleasures are dearly purchased, if in order to obtain them we thrust aside eternity from our thoughts, abridge our Bible-reading, become careless hearers of the Gospel, and shorten our prayers.  A little earth upon the fire within us will soon make that fire burn low."

Love,

Red and Blue

Dress so red and eyes so blue

Sweet Claire is having a rough time of it these days.  Perhaps it's the pain of SIX teeth coming in at one time.  Perhaps it's just adjusting to the changes around here.  I do know she'd love Mommy to grow two more arms.  Isn't it amazing how God bonds the hearts of children to their mothers?  In our home, we have many, many arms available for cuddling and holding and loving, but only Mama will do right now.  So it was sweet to capture those blue, blue eyes and her sweet smiles the other day... no tears and no whining, just a happy face...and her cute feet, of course.

Mirror, Mirror

~Seeing such a cute baby in the mirror

~Claire decided she'd give her a kiss...:)

Weekly Rewind 6/25-7/31/10

What a week full of God's blessings it has been!  From tackling dreaded projects to finding great bargains to hearing good news, the past days have been full of gifts from the LORD.

~We've started easing back into our school schedule.  We'll be having to take off time this fall because Scribe will be having major surgery done in September (which I'll share more about later) , so we're trying to prepare for that. 

~Maintenance is an essential in a family our size with a home our size. We end up with big messes when the little things aren't taken care of. This week we tackled the girls' room.  Ugh...how quickly things get out of hand.  Many hours and lots-of- purging later, we were refreshed by a tidy space that's more manageable. 

~I had my 3 month check-up for skin cancer, and I'm so thankful to say the doctor saw no areas of concern!  This is such good news, especially with everything else we have coming up. I brought Whistler, Reaches Up, and Boo along with me (and Cap'n, of course), and they were so well behaved while waiting for the doctor, inviting praise from the staff.  It's wonderful for others to see that children ARE a blessing! 

AND JUST WHAT DO THE MICE PLAY WHEN MAMA CAT IS AWAY AT A DOCTOR'S APPT.?

~Chef Scribe whips up sweet dishes like this.

~And shows he feareth not messes when he giveth Peep free reign with the smores. :)

~BONUS....he knew Mama cat would want a picture.

~Scribe has been blessed with the opportunity to be a research assistant/writer for the host of a local weekend radio show focused on political issues.  This is what Scribe loves to do, so we're especially thankful for this blessing from the LORD!

~Isn't this amazing?  It's the tiniest horned lizard we've seen here, yet.

~Whistler's got the touch for keeping Cap'n content.

~Another glimpse of a smile

~God also blessed us in so many ways with unexpected shopping deals....

~I bought "just a few" of those wonderful composition notebooks...25 cents each. :)  We love these and use them quite a bit for our lessons. 

~We needed a new lamp shade, so I picked up an inexpensive one at Wal-Mart for $15.00.  What a blessing to discover when checking out that the shade was on clearance for $4.00. :)

~While Whistler and I were stocking up on some great buys at Wal-Greens, we came across these cute journals.  Somehow my daughter has inherited my affection for papers and pens.  We decided to purchase these beauties and have matching journals, thinking the 7.00 price tag was well worth it.

Surprise!  These were on sale for just $2.99.  Another blessing from His hand.

~Yesterday we enjoyed a trip to the Nuclear and Atomic Museum.  What an interesting and family-friendly place it was.  This was one of our "summer list" items, and it was a great way to spend a few hours.

God's goodness is all around us...in the BIG and in the LITTLE.  Are you thanking Him for every good thing He's given you?  How kind He is to pour out daily blessings upon all of us.  Pray for the grace to see them and then faithfully praise Him.  God truly is good....all the time.

Love,