The blue balloon...

We had been coloring. Fep reminded me I had not colored with her in several years. But a cute Winnie the Pooh coloring book in the dollar section at Target compelled me to dust off my Crayolas. And I sat there with her. She admired my coloring thinking me the queen of the Crayola. And I soaked in her love.

The next day Fep was back to coloring on her own, and she colored a picture of Christopher Robin handing Pooh a balloon. The balloon was blue and I immediately thought, "Not sure that's the color I would have chosen." Moose followed that thought with, "Fepper, why did you color the balloon blue. It's supposed t0 be red." And then we all had a big discussion on the color of the balloon in the Disney Winnie the Pooh that first aired in the late 60's. I agreed with Moose that it was red. Fep insisted it was blue. Moose dug through the old VHS's and found that first Disney made Pooh. On the back of the box was several pictures from the movie...one of Pooh on his blue balloon. I said, "Well, it may be blue on the back of the box, but I really think that's just on the box and it's red in the movie."

A night later, we piled in my bed, coloring book, Crayolas, and a bit of excitement in hand, and watched that Pooh video. And what do you know, but the balloon is blue. I asked Fepper if she looked at the box or if she just remembered it was blue. She said she just remembered it. And for some reason that filled my heart. I think it's that Fep is going to be 13 this year and to know that as she's growing that her little girl days are still in her memory and in her heart makes my heart filled with it all.....

I find myself lately growing and stretching in ways I'm uncomfortable with. Wanting to let go of what is life draining to find and take hold of what is life fulfilling. Again, I'm uncomfortable and I find that the ugliness of my heart greets me at every corner. "The heart is desperately wicked..." the Scriptures so aptly testify. When I talk with Jesus, I say often "Lord, I'm so glad you've shown me this so that I can work on it, so that I can repent....but it's so hard to see who I really am." I'm so thankful for the One who extends grace when He's known all along who I really am. His grace goes further still.

And with this growing and changing, I wonder often what to do with this blog. I barely post anymore, and I wonder is it because I'm still trying to post for others...is it because I'm caught up in the busyness of life I can't find the words or time...is it because I've nothing of worth to say...is it a combination of all of that??? Does this blog give life or does it drain? I've gone private and back public again. Does any of it really matter?

I've decided that maybe it does matter. That maybe this blog gives life. Because most of what is recorded is the goodness that He creates. They are my memories. My loves. My family. Our stories. One day when I'm gone or if something tragic were to happen to me, my husband and children could come to these pages and remember me. The good parts of me that loved the great parts of them.

Something Beautiful...

I made time. I pushed the work to the side and for an hour I went swimming with my children. After I got out of the pool, I laid on the hammock to get good and dry and even get a little sun. I set the timer for 15 minutes which was all I had left to spare of anything that looked like free time for the day. I turned on my iPod and "Something Beautiful" by Need to Breathe started playing. Suddenly, I was 15 again and laying out in my backyard with a small radio playing. I was seeking that savage tan...not caring at that age how unhealthy it is to "lay out". But being 15 again was something beautiful. And laying there on that hammock, Moose came and curled up beside me. Yes, we found the lost "I love you". That too, was something beautiful. I thought about Dawn as I always do when I hear that song, cause she often has it playing on her blog. And "the lady with the smiling eyes" really is something beautiful. And finally I thought about a nameless lady at church. I call her nameless, because I don't know her...although I want to. A few weeks ago, we had baptisms. They ran some video testimonies, and the nameless lady had the sweetest, most genuine testimony. It truly touched my heart. And when the pastor baptizing her asked her before submerging her in the water if she'd given her heart to Jesus, she said with a smile, "You know it." I giggled and tears filled my eyes. Her new believer enthusiasm for Christ was contagious. The following week they ran video of the baptisms and it was done with "Something Beautiful" playing in the background. And my eyes caught what my ears did not. After the nameless lady came up out of the water, she pumped her fist in the air as she proclaimed victory. Victory in Jesus was hers. She knew it, too...and she knew it was something beautiful.

And with all those random thoughts running through my mind as I laid on that hammock, I found that my 15 minutes was up. Who knew that 15 random thought filled minutes carved out of a busy day could be something beautiful?

The goal is not just good choices...

I had the privilege of going to a Mother/Daughter type conference with Fep yesterday. The speaker was outstanding. She had three children: an oldest son in college, and daughter in her first year of college, and her third son in his senior year in high school. She said that when the first two were teenagers, starting to branch out on their own, able to leave home and go do stuff, stuff with their friends, that one of the last things she would say is "Make good choices." And then with her 3rd she realized was that the goal? Good choices? Because even the world's best choices are not necessarily even "good choices" for a Christian. So with the last son still at home, but ready to branch out, she tells him before he leaves the house, "Remember the Cross". Remember the Cross. Mmmmmm. I love that. Because if we remember the Cross in all we do, we will not just make "good choices". We will, hopefully, make "His choices". So, when my children are of age that they are branching out, I can already see them walking out the door, with my voice reminding them to "Remember the Cross."

You can find out about the speaker at our conference here.

And with this being Palm Sunday, read Dawn's post here. I thought it was lovely. Embrace Passion Week with your family this week!

Their Adventure Books...

If you haven't seen the movie UP, you really should. I took my children to see it last summer, and I expected so little from it. I only went because my children wanted to see it. When I cried at the beginning of the movie and again at the end, I couldn't believe that such a little movie would bring out such emotion. And again I expected so little of it when I walked in the theater.

Yesterday, Fep put in the UP dvd. I was in the kitchen only half watching it. I was cooking up some spaghetti for supper...slicing onions to be exact. The little boy character, Russell, began telling grumpy Mr. Frederickson what he liked doing with his Dad. At the end of his conversation he said, "I know it sounds boring, but the boring stuff is what I remember most." And that line cut to my heart, and I wasn't sure if the tears were from that movie line or the onions. Maybe it was both. But I can't help but have my heart filled by that one simple statement. Because it is the boring stuff that I like to remember most from my childhood. The simple everyday stuff. And it fills my heart to know that that is what my children will remember, too. Just the simple everyday stuff their Mama did with them, that they did with their Dad, and that they did with each other. The days pass so quickly that I can't remember it all. But they will. They will remember the boring stuff the most. And just like Ellie in the movie, their Adventure Books will be full.

I'm a Foodie

Hello. My name is Kat. I am a Food Network addict. You watch American Idol and like the sharp tongue of Simon Cowell, you say. Not me. I never watch that. I watch Chopped and like the sharp tongue of Alex Guarnashelli. You don't even know who that is, do you? I adore Bobby Flay, Barefoot Contessa, and Duff. I think you know that you have Food Network on a lot when your children take up the art of plating their food. Plating your food is an art, you know. You know plating it...plating food requires creativity and makes food lovely and attractive....so that you want to dig right in. Sunday, Fep was put in charge of fixing lunch after church. Moose requested a PB& J sammy no crust with chips on the side. When I come into the kitchen, this is what I see....

Yes, Fep is taking up the art of plating your food. I think she's a Foodie, too.

A Day in My Life (Part 2)

My goodness. I feel like this is the post that will never end...my hat is off to Jessica and Candy who have done several of these post. They take quite a bit of time and thought. It did for me anyway.

So, picking up where we left off....

12:15 Lunch Break. The kids ate lunch and had some "screen time" and Fep got on the computer while Moose finished a DVD he had started the day before. Then they both went outside to play. I eat, check the computer (blogging and such), clean up kitchen from lunch, finish the laundry to do for the day, and start dinner preps making a chicken casserole to put in the oven later....

Time to start back to school work at 1:20. Fep has to do spelling and history. Moose has to do spelling, penmanship, and practice guitar. Normally he would do this late afternoon /evening, but I have errands to run later, and he has guitar lessons this evening...

While the kids work on school work, I work on Payables and Receivables for our company. They finish their work and I finish mine, and we leave for the library at 2:50....

We are regular library patrons. But today, Fep "officially" gets introduced to the Dewey Decimal System. After going over it with her, I have her look up books to test her new knowledge....

After the library, I go completely brainless and forget that it took me 15 minutes to find something to wear, weight gain, etc., etc. We stop here for a Frosty...

Right across the street from Wendy's is my next stop...

Once every 4 - 6 weeks, I go to Sam's and stock up on some meat and household items. I like to buy my chicken, ground beef (or any beef), laundry detergent, and some other misc. items there. After Sam's, I take Moose to our office to meet up with his Dad who will take him to guitar lessons...I also pick up the work left in my "Box". I handle payroll, personnel stuff (benefits, insurance, 401K), and deposits....Sometimes we don't know if we own a business, or if it owns us.....Anyway, I do all my work from home, but this is the main office :)

Fep and I get back home at 6:15. I unload my Sam's purchases. She does her afternoon chores. I started back on dinner preps and looked through the work I picked up at the office. Got frustrated when looking at the work laying before me. Decided I would look at it when I was fresh tomorrow. Then I tidied up the house. I love me a tidy house. Love it with me, will you....

At 7:00, I did more dinner preps. Fep had been on the computer, and I told her it was time to get off. When she did, she set the table for dinner for later when The Bob and Moose got home. After helping, she went outside to play.

7:15...I sat down to work on this Day in My Life post. Fep comes running in to look up something about a bird she saw in the yard. Fep is a bird nerd :)

7:30....The Bob calls and he and Moose are on the way. They are running late as he forgot to transfer the company phone to the answering service and had to go back to the office :( Looks like it will be a later dinner....

8:00 The Bob and Moose arrive home. Moose is excited because his guitar teacher went over music from Star Wars with him. Moose loves Star Wars.

Then we eat dinner....chicken casserole, green beans, rice, and roll...

The cake on the end is supposed to be for a pot luck over the weekend. Oh, and The Bob is smiling in the picture, but he's really thinking, "Woman. I'm starving. Come on and let's eat!" ;)

8:20 The Bob and I go on the front porch to talk while the children clean up the kitchen. When they get dinner and the kitchen cleaned up they join us. And we all chat for a few minutes.

8:45 We come inside. We decide that the cake I bought will not make until the potluck on Sunday, and we decide to cut it and have a piece ;) The Bob checks emails from work, I lay down on the couch and listen to a sermon on CD from my pastor, and the children play.

9:00 The children get their baths and resume play afterwards.

9:45 The Bob comes to chat with me on the couch, so I turn off the sermon I've been listening to. It's a sermon on submission. The Bob comments it sounds like a good sermon, and asked if I put it on for him to hear. I told him no that it was on the wife's role, but if he wanted I could give him the sermon CD on the husband's role ;) We chat for about 15 minutes and realize that it's 10:00 and that the kids should have been in bed 30 minutes to an hour ago. At 10:00 we all go to bed....

I'm not sure if this was a typical day. But this was my day yesterday. The Bob works a lot of hours, but if at all possible, we try to eat earlier in the evening. 8:00 is not our normal eating time. Also, the days I don't have to leave the house don't seem so hectic. As I scan back over this day, I think it looks like I'm living like a crazy woman. But the day really did flow smoothly. My heart's desire is to be at home and to be a keeper of my home for my family and for the Lord.

Mowing along....

I'm not sure where the time goes? I'm quite certain that just yesterday he was scooting around on a plastic toy tractor? Or wasn't it just yesterday that he got a bike? And was it yesterday that he got to take the training wheels off his bike? I thought it was.....so now here we are. I'm certain it must be a definite passage into manhood when you get to drive....even if it is the lawn mower ;)

And when you have almost 10 acres to mow, you'll let anybody get on the lawn mower....and often you have two mowers going at the same time......

"Hey Dad. Beep. Beep."

Camping Memories

Our first camping trip is under our belt. It started with a few mishaps, but we recovered and regrouped quickly. We forgot the key to the camper, our dog ran off, and the water heater on the camper was leaking. However, The Bob in his wisdom said, "Let's camp somewhere close for the first time." Our campground was only 20 minutes from home. So, we came back home and got the key, found our dog and brought her back home, and he fixed the water heater.


And what did we do for the past three days? We about rode the tires off our bikes. I have not ridden my bike like that since I was 11 years old. Memories of summers spent peddling my bike flooded my memory. I loved it. I loved every single minute of it, and I can't even express how much. Also, our kids swam in a lake for the first time ever. We played basketball. Played at a playground. Made new friends....my particular favorite was was another camper's dog...Buster the Basset Hound. Watched a raccoon as he contemplated what a fellow camper might leave him for a tasty snack. And we ate....I ate the most....lots of cake....and the scale showed it this morning. Don't even ask. We left cup cakes out at night to see if the raccoons would see them as tasty....and they did. I ate a lot of cake, but I did share it with nature, too. I'm nice that way.



I am sad that I don't have any pictures to share. I was so caught up in the fun of nothing to do that I didn't take any pictures. But I remember. The images are etched in my mind. I remember the smell of the trees as I peddled my bike through them in the morning...and afternoon. I remember the only sounds to be heard at night were the locusts singing. And I remember the joy of my children when we arrived at the campground and their dismay when it was time to go. But we'll go back, and we are already thinking of how soon that will be........


This post is linked at Tuesdays Unwrapped:

Learning to be grateful...

I hope we are teaching our children to be grateful. We are trying. Last week Moose had a birthday party, and we are having him send Thank You notes to those who brought him a gift. It's something The Bob and I are serious about. Thank You notes, that is. We are serious about sending Thank You notes. Moose feels like it's torture. He hates to write. He is thankful for his gifts, but he does not see a need to hand write everyone a note. He'd rather give thanks in person. But in the day of high technology, there is something wonderful about a handwritten note. It says you took time. It says you were mindful and thoughtful. Really, don't you just love to get a handwritten note or letter from someone in the mail? I do.

I don't think I've always had an attitude that was as grateful as it should have been. No, I know I didn't. Especially in my teens and twenties. I think those are days that many young adults are completely absorbed with self. At least I was. Since then and over time, I have learned to be thankful and grateful for what others do. I have even gone back and written a couple of people who I never properly thanked or told them how much their love and support meant. People need to hear that...even if it's years later than it should have been.

So, I hope I teach my children to be grateful and thankful along the way. In doing so, they will not only find an attitude of gratitude, but also an attitude of humility.

Good Blogging Finds #2

The second great blogging find this past week was from Pretty Organized Palace. She did a post a few days ago about managing and scheduling her children's time over the summer so that they are not in from of a TV or video screen all summer long. I needed this post. Just two weeks into summer break and my children have lost all sense of responsibility. And so have I. So, after reading her schedule, I developed one for me and the children that will fit the summer weeks and months. I hope Fep and Moose will come to appreciate it. Right now, not so much :)

***The day after I wrote this post, we made an unexpected trip to the doctor with Moose. He's fine, but was having severe ear pain and jaw pain due to....swimmer's ear. Again, he's fine now. With a simple trip to the doctor taking 3.5 hours out of my day, we had to rearrange the schedule a bit ;) But once we got home, we kicked into gear, got productive, and the kids and I cleaned the whole house. All this to say sometimes you gotta' roll with the flow, and sometimes the best made plans will be broken. Oh, and you can find Pretty Organized's post about summer scheduling here.

Finding the good...

The past week was pretty crummy to say the least. I won't even bore you with all the details. Really, why bother? Shouldn't our focus be on finding the good? Yes, in the midst of a not so great week, each day had a treasure of it's own.

Monday - Memorial Day. Remembering self-less sacrifices of others. Time spent with The Bob and the kids.

Tuesday - a quiet day at home. Just me and the kids. Front porch swinging. A special young lady comes over to announce she's engaged, and asks Fep to be a bridesmaid! Awesome.

Wednesday - A rainbow. A reminder of God's unfailing love and always kept promises.

Thursday - a loved dog that likes to lay with her rear end sticking out from under the bed. I'm not sure if she thinks she hiding or what?

Friday - Moose turns 8!! Swimming with friends. Opening some birthday presents. What gets better than that?
Saturday - Missing dogs give us a scare, but return safely home.

Sunday - Moose's official birthday bash. Swimming. Hot dogs. Hamburgers. And lots and lots of friends. He got to spend time with his friends, and I got to spend time with mine...

Might I mention that the lovely blonde haired lady on the left is 50 years old and has 9 children. Yes, I said nine. She is amazing! I heart these ladies.

And I heart Heathahlee. Oh, I do.

Yep, it was a good week after all. There's just no telling what treasures I'll find hidden in this week....

Grown Up

Is this the young girl that walked in my kitchen at 14, just a teenager, to keep my children for me? Is this the young girl that kept my children for me for years and was the best babysitter you could ever ask for? This is the young girl who taught Moose that he didn't need to be pushed to swing, and he could do it on his own. This is the young girl that gathered sticks in the yard with Fep and built a real tee pee. This is the young girl that modeled godly character to my children and loved them. She loved them and still does. But now...


this young girl is all grown up. And she's getting married. Man, she still looks so...young. Congratulations, Jarah. We love you!

Nothing is everything.

When I started this blog, I didn't do it to become "big" in the blog world. There are others far more worthy than myself for that. I did it because blogging makes me really notice things. It makes me very reflective. The blog was to be my little online journal. My little online scrapbook. My Reflections. I would say that for the most part, I've stayed true to that purpose.

Last week I didn't link up with Emily and Tuesdays Unwrapped., but I could have. I realized that every other post I have could be linked. This whole blog, for the most part, focuses largely on the simple little things that my family does that brings me joy. Things that would be largely overlooked if I didn't put it out here on the world wide web. Not for the world wide web and it's audience, but for me. So, that I'll remember.

I want to remember these faces,

these times,

and goodness knows that I would not want to forget this dog.

To most this blog is nothing, but to me it's everything.

Stormy

It's 4:00 in the morning, and I've been up Storm Chasing, as The Bob likes to call it. I must admit that one of my weaknesses is being too fearful of thunderstorms. Our weather radio started going off between 2:00 and 2:30 with thunderstorm and tornado warnings. Being that I have my priorities straight, I got up to check the weather online with the National Weather Service and then I visited blogland. Again, I have my priorities. I did check the track of the tornado warning first. About 3:00, my county was under a tornado warning, so I got up The Bob and the children. We have a storm cellar, and being that I am on the overly fearful side when it comes to storms, it doesn't take much to get me down there. The Bob wants to see the tornado with his own eyes before he goes to the cellar. Sure enough, The Bob went back to bed and the children and I hit the cellar. Needless to say, there was no tornado. False alarm. Here is some of the conversation snippets that we had while down there:

"Mom, look at Moose's eye. It's red. Does he have pink eye?"

"Don't touch me. You'll give me pink eye."

"(children laughing hysterically) Let's pretend....."

"Has Aunt Heathahlee ever told you the story about Uncle "M" wearing his hard hat in a hail storm?" (me giggling) And yes, Heathahlee, that still makes me giggle after all these years.

"Do you see that cockroach?" (In which I thought of Daisy and this post.)

"Where DID that cockroach go?"

"(yelling)It's behind my head!" It's been a while since we've been in the storm cellar, and it needs to be cleaned. My first thought at entering the cellar was if the tornado didn't get us the spiders would.....

And finally.......

"Can we go yet?"

Yeah. I think the cockroach did them in. So, now that I'm good and awake, I'm off to bed.

What is this sickness?

So, my last post was a bit of a rant. I'm not sure if I like that? I like everything happy here in my bloggy world. But seeing as I'm on the subject of homeschooling, I have to tell you I am so ready to be done with this year. I long for summer. I dream of summer. I'm like those kids in High School Musical 2 who at the beginning of the movie are tapping their pencils on their desk, looking around anxiously, and chanting "Summer. Summer. Summer." Yes, I think when we finish, I will break out into song and dance for no good reason.

However, as ready as I am to be done with this year, I'm excited about looking at curriculum for next year!? I can't wait to pour over homeschooling catalogs, visit our local homeschool bookstore, and decide what curriculum my children will use next year. I dream of a "perfect year" with no outside interruptions, children who happily complete their work in a timely manner, a Momma Teacher who is always patient, and finishing all our work before I'm sick of it (like I am now). Think of it as Stepford Homeschooling. Anyway, what IS this sickness that has me so ready for summer break I can barely stand it, but has me all excited about looking at curriculum and dreaming of our term in the fall? It's a strange, strange sickness, I tell you ;)

Yeah. I'm one of those people.

I homeschool. I'm one of those people.

One evening several days ago, I had someone approach me and say, "So, you're one of those people that homeschools......" I thought, "Oh boy. Here we go." Actually, he turned out to be very friendly, but not all conversations concerning homeschooling end that way. Why is it that homeschoolers more often than public schoolers or private schoolers have to defend or explain their reasons for their choice of education for their children? Really. Why is that? I live in a community that is filled with homeschoolers, so much so in fact, that when I meet people who public or private school that seem fascinated or even disturbed that I homeschool, I find it odd. Really. Why is homeschooling so fascinating? Why is it disturbing? Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. It is a HUGE responsibility, and it involves a lot of sacrifice. So, why I'm often labeled "one of those people" I just don't get it?

Choose to Dance Lately?

Because I have nothing to post, I am going to link you to a post that touched my heart...very much. It is from Jen at Balancing Bedlam and Beauty and it's about a simple outing of blueberry picking with her children. The reason this touched my heart is that lately I've been thinking I don't play with my children anymore. I feed them, teach them, train them, move them like cattle. But when was the last time I *played* with them? Knowing that the days are passing quickly, and my babies are growing too quickly for a momma's heart, I've been thinking I should play with them more. Enjoy them more. Love on them more. When do we love our children? When we feed them? Yes. When we teach them? Yes. When we move them like cattle? Probably not so much. But I know they *feel loved* when I stop and take time with them and play. I am ashamed to say that until Monday I could not remember the last time, I spent time playing. So then I stumbled across Jen's old post, and it brought tears to my eyes both times I read it. Why? Because I know I wouldn't have danced in the rain. I absolutely know it. And I would have missed a beautiful opportunity of hearing my child say, "Mom, I am never going to forget this day." It makes me cry even as I type the words. Note that this is a two part post and the beginning is about window treatments, so scroll down just a bit: http://inpassionatepursuit.blogspot.com/2008/07/when-it-rains-it-pours.html
May I dance in the rain my next opportunity...

ENDANGERED!!

Did you know that these are endangered? Not Sonic Zoo Tots (and yes, we've spent way too much money and time going to Sonic to get these), but tigers. Right now in Sonic Wacky Packs (aka kid's meals), you get a little Zoo Tot for your "lovely prize". They are collectible. Or so Sonic wants my children to believe. Anyway with each little Zoo Tot comes a list of all the Tots to be collected, and it is being done in partnership with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. (Wooo!) According to the Zoo Tot list, the following animals are endangered: tiger, crocodile, gorilla, leopard, snow leopard, panda, and the Asian elephant. Who knew crocodiles and gorillas were endangered? I didn't. Really. I think we need a field trip to a real zoo instead of Sonic.

I'm trying to decide though.

Do you think these make nice mantle decor? Nah. Probably not.

And this is what I put up with while taking pictures of my children's toys ;)

Blue Bird in Pink Flamingo

That sounds like the title of a not so great work of art or something. Anyway, I got this birdhouse for Christmas.

Cute, eh?

I know these aren't the greatest pictures, but I couldn't take it down or move it. Why? Because soon after putting it up, bluebirds built a nest in it. I just love little bluebirds. So does Fep. Tuesday she just happened to be at her bedroom window looking at this birdhouse when Mr....or Mrs. Bluebird stuck their head out. At her request and in her honor, I give you the following Fep pictures. They are a bit blurred as she was taking them through her window, and well, she is 10 years old. So, I give you Blue Bird in Pink Flamingo...

And then there's...(my favorite, you can see it's blue and orange the best here)...

And the final Fep bluebird picture...

I just love little bluebirds. So does Fep :)