Permits and Knives and Birthdays, Oh My!

Yesterday was a big day for our family as we took Scribe to get his learner's permit!  He passed his test just fine and went for his first drive with Mountain Man last night.

He has 6 months to practice his driving and complete his driver's education, and then he'll get his provisional license.  (Meanwhile, Mountain Man will be looking for extra work, and we'll be taking in boarders to live in our shed and on our roof so we can afford our new insurance premium.) 

The Men of the Poff House are off to throw hawks and knives today in the annual competition.  It's been a morning of "the passing down of the shirts."  Reaches Up is wearing Little Big Man's and Little Big Man is wearing Scribe's and Scribe is wearing Mountain Man's.

And we also celebrate Little Bit's 4th birthday today!

Boo loved holding her baby sister.

MeMaw with the Spectacular Six.

Birthday pics to come later....

Love,

Morning Readings

The children and I just finished reading through James Smith's Daily Bible Readings for the Lord's Household.  These are short but very meaty devotions that we read together in the morning at breakfast.  It's a wonderful way to be meditating on the same Scriptures throughout the day.

We're now moving on to The Pastor's Morning Visit.  And, yes, I print out all of the readings.  It's worth the ink!

You can find more to choose from at Grace Gems.

With love,

Easter 2011

We had a delightful Easter celebration this year.  Our church service (the best Easter service we've ever experienced) was followed by an evening dinner celebration with our dear friends, and our time together was simply perfect.

We enjoyed beef roast, biscuits, fruit salad, baked potatoes, and a new roasted asparagus recipe that was a big hit.  Dessert was the favorite cream cheese pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream.

The girls and I had a great time decorating the tables and making special treats for all of the children (13 total).  And wonder of wonders, this year I have a picture of me and Mountain Man and not a group one of the children. :(  It's a good thing I'm capturing pictures of them every day!

Sweet little Anna loved holding Cap'n.  She's practicing for the arrival of their new baby coming this November!  There was much rejoicing around here because of that great news!

"After the guests drive away down the road, we put the food away and load the dishwasher.  Then we...decide all over again what wonderful friends...we have."

~Gladys Taber

 I didn't even get the Easter baskets done until Monday, but no one minded.  They were very grateful for every surprise.  I never get tired of their excitement over the simplest of treasures.  It's such a joy to watch them!

Of course, Cap'n didn't get a basket, and was instead left to wonder why he just ended up with a newly found pack of Daddy's gum, only to enjoy the cardboard packaging.

With love,

O Sweet Exchange!

"O sweet exchange!  O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single Righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors."
Epistle to Diognetus

Contrast in Dark and Light

Daddy and his girl

Deep contrast in dark and light

Same but different

Hold Me Up, O LORD!

"Hold me up--and I shall be safe."

~Psalm 119:117

We need God's constant presence, power, and grace.  Except He upholds us, we shall certainly fall.

We would have fallen before this, if God had not kept us!

We would fall every day, unless we are upheld by an invisible arm!

This day Satan may lay some snare for us!

This day our evil hearts may deceive us!

This day the world may lay some unexpected bait for us!

And unless the Holy Spirit...

opens our eyes,

gives us fresh supplies of grace, or

holds us back by an invisible power---

we shall utterly fall!

"Hold me up--and I shall be safe!"

Let this be our daily prayer!  It will never be unsuitable!

~James Smith, 1840

The Baby and the Green Balloon

....or how to entertain your baby for hours (ok, at least 10 minutes).

Don't worry.  Cap'n was not left alone with the balloons. :)  

Exercise much common sense if you decide to try this at home.

Daddy's Kisses Sweet

Daddy's kisses sweet

Scratchy chin makes you smile big

Precious memory

You Backslider, You!

Such delightful breakfast conversation to start our day....

This morning's chef to a sibling:

 "First, you praise my pancakes and then you blast them."


"That's called backsliding!"


I love how our children redefine words!

Power Outage Necessities, Screaming Littles, and Walking a Balance Beam

We lost power a week ago Sunday.  Mountain Man had gone to church while I was worshipping at home with sick little ones.   I decided homemade pizza would be a wonderful treat, and God in His kindness, preserved our power until I had put the last two pizzas in!  They were done enough to make a yummy Sunday meal.

It was nice to have some notice, too, that the power would be out for some time.  The electric company said it might be the next day before the lights came on, so we were able to prepare a bit for the night.

I was thankful to have just finished a big shopping trip.  The freezers and refrigerators were full, which is a good thing, unless you end up without power for DAYS.

However, we would have gotten a D on a preparedness report card if we had been graded on how many of the essentials we had that  you see on a government check list. Water.  Well, yes, but not that many gallons.  Candles.  Yes.  Oil lamp oil.  Umm..we didn't have much of this, but there was enough.

But there are a few things that even those government check lists don't have on them.  REAL NECESSITIES when the power goes out!  Thankfully, we did have those.

While we sat around the table having our strategy meeting, Clairesy was a bit concerned about the implications of life without power.    "What?  I can't turn the lights off and on?  What will I do?"

Then Mountain Man explained that all would be well.  We had oil lamps and flashlights and candles.  And we had even more important things than that.  Like:

sugared strawberries

"Now Daddy, I know I'm cute, but that doesn't mean I'm not sharp as a tack.  Why would sugared strawberries be helpful during a power outage?"

"Because, my little Cutie, we can finally have Scribe's birthday dessert!  Yes, whipped cream and sugared strawberries atop angel food cakes, eaten by oil lamp."

"Oh Daddy, now I understand!"

So we enjoyed dessert as the sun was setting.  It was a bit of a race for time because I didn't delight in the thought of 9 of us eating strawberry shortcake in very little light.  After all, we're still in the life stage where enough food lands on the floor that we might have had squishy surprises as we walked in the dark.  No thanks. :)

There's another necessity when you're without power, though.  This one is sometimes kept a secret.  I don't think anyone else knew I had one of these stashed away.......

Enough said.

Praise God, we didn't have to go through the night without power.  By 10:00 we were  able to open the refrigerator without being in a hurry. :)

******

I've never believed in the "terrible twos," but we have something terrible going on around here lately.  Vivaldi has been replaced with the continuous fits of Mommy  the littlest people as we try to take away the binky and determine if Cap'n has any teeth breaking through or if something else is making him cranky. 

I left church early yesterday because he was so miserable.  He cried for 15 minutes straight as I sat out in the car with him.  Then when I went to get Ben so he could take us home, I realized the door was locked.  I kept beeping from the van, but it's the one time none of my people bothered to see what was going on. :)   Finally, Ben came to check on me, and when he tried to go back in, he couldn't get in the church either.  HA! He had to do the dreaded "knock" while service was going on.  

Cap'n still isn't himself, so prayers for healing and better sleep at nights are appreciated. 

****

And, finally.....drumroll please.....after about 7 weeks, Mountain Man seems to be free of all dizziness!!!!!  Yay!  I do believe my man could  walk on a balance beam if he wanted to, but really, he's just thankful to get out of bed without falling.  Thank you for all your prayers!  

Much love,

Friday Flashback~The Outerbanks, 2005

Of Blue and Brown

Bravo, Little Big Man, for capturing this contrast so beautifully!  

God's creativity in making us leaves me full of wonder!

Bury Those Injuries

"We are apt to forget kindnesses and remember injuries; but if we love God, we shall pass by offences.  When we seriously consider how many talents God has forgiven us, how many affronts and provocations He has put up with at our hands, this makes us write after His copy, and endeavor rather to bury an injury than to retaliate it."
~All Things for Good, Thomas Watson

Mirthful Monday~Check Your Pulse If This Doesn't Make You Smile

When Lego Love Goes Too Far

It always starts out most innocently.  Those bright, shiny Legos are irresistible.

Then you reach a little deeper, for a better view, of course.  Wow, that blue one looks different.

You then feel the pressure of other people liking the Legos, too.  You feel a sense of urgency to assert yourself.  "I was here first, my dear sister!"

And once the leg extends.....the battle is over, and self-control leaves the room.  "Hurry," you tell yourself.  "She might get the one I want."  Because the fact that someone else wants that Lego makes it all the more desirable.

And then you just fall, full-force.

And unaware of the trouble you're in , you try to conquer the next bin of Legos.  Then you realize you've gotten yourself into a bit of a jam. 

You can't get out.

Yes, Lego-love is a dangerous thing.

*****

***No babies or Legos were hurt in this adventure.  No babies were forced to climb in the Lego boxes.  Because Cap'n's was so distressed after he realized his folly, we have spared you that picture, lest your heart break.  We don't like to break hearts around here.