The Northside Elementary Ambassadors.

This is the singing group Austin is involved in. They preformed this evening. It was a dinner theater. The kids did a fabulous job. I was blown away by the talent. They all looked so nice in their uniforms. The pictures is a little blurry, but I guess that is for the best, since it is not of just my children. This is a group of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade children. They each had to audition, were chosen and have worked very hard for this performance. It was great. I thought it was so neat at the end, as the guests left, the children were in a "receiving line" and they shook hands with all the 180 guests. Great job Mr. Hoggatt training the children. I'm so very thankful for a christian teacher, who loves music and takes so much of his personal time to have this group.

Christmas Card picture

Look at these hansdome boys. These are the pictures I used to make my Christmas cards. I thought the jammies were fun, and of course Jordan is a little beyond the "snuggle jammies". It was fun for the younger boys to have a new toy from Thanksgiving/Christmas to have in the picture. I'm pretty excited about the cards we created this year.

I LOVE family worship

Tonight in our family worship the question we worked on was this.

What is justification?

Justification is the act of God's free grace by which He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight. He does so only because He counts the righteousness of Christ as ours. Justification is received by faith alone.

Is that awesome or what?! God is so stinkin' AWESOME. Nothing we can do, or have done can earn us justification. It is totally an act of God.

What a thought to ponder.

A few pictures of the weekend. I'll post more later, and give some details. WE had a great weekend.

Zach making brownies

These are a few pictures of Zachary making his first pan of brownies.

They were YUMMY! I didn't take a picture of the finished product.

In Christ Alone

I love this song. Check out the you tube video. I don't know how to put the video on here, so you will have to link to it. It is a fabulous song. It is so rich and true. Listen/watch and be blessed.

Check out this blog.

My husband found this blog and saved it for me. I hadn't had time to read much on it until this morning. What a wonderful post. It is so true. Check it out if you have time. It is well worth the read.

Weekend fun. WOW! What a weekend we had. We stayed at home, with the exception of church on Sunday. It was ABSOLUELY WONDERFUL! The weather was beautiful. The boys played baseball outside for a while, we did some baking, and just simply enjoyed each others company. On Friday when I got home from work we ate supper, I made some caramel chex mix, and some haystacks. YUMMY!! Austin and Zach bought playdoh with their allowance, and they created all evening--like for about 4 hours. Cookie cutters everywhere, and lots of neat creation, I just wish again that I'd taken more pictures. Saturday we slept in--ahh this is the life--and when I woke up I thought, "I haven't made cut out cookies in forever." I made sugar cookie dough, and then made a pot of "White chicken Chilli", the boys enjoyed the weather outside for a while. We ate lunch, which was tacos--an all time favorite in this house. Tacos at least once a week. Then to decorate the million cookies. Really there were only about 65 cookies. They were divided between boys, and let them go. Zach got tired and left a few undone, so between Austin and I we finished them. Now, Austin, my artistic one, took great care with each cookie. It was just a wonderful weekend of family. Much needed relaxing.

My boys and their pumpkins. THey didn't enjoy cleaning them out very much. In fact, I think it is absolutely disgusting myself, so they sure didn't get cleaned out much.

This is from last weekend also. I had to work on the weekend, because I was off Thurs/Friday, and Rob took them to a orchard. They had a great time. WE thought we could all just meet there, however, they would be closing by the time I get off of work. They got apple slushies, apples, took a hay ride, and fed some animals. It was fun for them. Rob took me and the 2 little ones for a "quick" visit (just so I'd know where it was) on Sunday afternoon when Jordan was at a youth function. (We had planned on going to the fruit farm the weekend prior, when I was off of work for the weekend, however, the weather was just not fall like at all. I think it was near 80*)

This is one of the projects I worked on in my house 2 weeks ago. I had my Thursday/Friday off that week. On those days, I rearranged the house, cleaned carpets and did some extreme cleaning. It was so rewarding when it was done. This is obviously is my bedroom, with our bathroom. They are both painted the same, and I did have a cream shower curtain and rugs. Well, a few months ago I saw this shower curtain in LTD catalog for less than $20 and ordered it. It just came in, and then I got a few $ from the in laws for my birthday so I bought towels for the bathroom. I think the whole redecrorating thing cost me less than $30.00. (each basket--there are 2--cost $1.80, the shower curtain was less than $20, and the rugs I got on clearance a while back for real cheap--can't remember exactly) It looks really nice too.

Quit an eventful 2 days

Our school had a bomb threat yesterday in the morning. The children were all evacuated to area churches. There were suspicous backpacks found in the general area of the churches. They do not have 1 person in custody for the threat, and that is all I've heard today. We didn't send the boys to school today, it was just a little much for us to do today. Let me back track, the school had had a threat on Friday also, it was thought to be a copycat, because there was one at another neighboring school on either wed/thurs of last week. The kids were evacuated on Friday, school searched, and all that goes along with it. Then this happened on Monday, today there were more threats at neighboring communities schools. Not sure too many details right now, I just knew I would feel much better with my boys at home and not at school today. Even though in all actuality it was probably the safest day, because of the security checks and such. Now, let me tell you we live in a nice rural community, and not much happens so this is quit an event. Please keep our community in your prayers.

http://www.wishtv.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=1840074&h1=Explosive%20Devices%20Found%20in%20Union%20City&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=135433&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//www.wishtv.com/Global/SearchResults.asp%3Fvendor%3Dwss%26qu%3Dunion+city&rnd=8919482

stuff

What a wonderful weekend we had.

Rob's sister and her family came for a short visit. They called on Thursday evening and said that Brent had to take a piece of equipment to Fort Wayne (about 1.5 hours from here) and wondered if they could just continue on for a quick visit. It was nice. I was off this weekend, we sure enjoyed our time with family. Their little boy is so stinking funny. He is almost 3 and he is a hoot to be with. He loved playing with the boys, and when it was time to go he said, "I don't want to leave the boys". Right before he left he found out box of stickers, and wanted some, so I gave a small sheet of stickers, which he promply put on his face. He had smiley faces and stars all over his face. One fell off and you'd thought it was the end of the world. Of course i couldn't find my camera for any pictures.

My 2 little are still in their new members class for church. 2 more weeks of that on Sunday afternoons. We will be glad when it is over, not because they are not learning or anything like that, it is just that we travel so far to church, that it makes for a long day. We miss just chilling out with the boys on Sunday afternoon/evening.

We did some house rearranging this weekend. When it is finished I'll post some details and pictures.

I need to also take some picutres of Austin and his creative play. He loves to build things out of cardboard boxes, and anything else he may find to use. Nothing is trash to him. He built a hotel, complete with elevator, and door bell for a dog that he has. He built a play ground, complete with slide, teeter totter, and I can't remember what else for his dog also. Pictures to follow--when the camera batteries are recharged.

I have a story running through my head that I want to share, however, I need to listen to the sermon again, so as to not misquote the illustration. It was so wonderful. I don't want to loose the great depth of it.

It was such helpful illustration. It reminds me of the first time I hear John Piper talk of Abraham and Sarah, and how when they were old--well beyond childbearing years, God gave them a child. Out of the deadness, came a child. It only came from God, nothing they did, just plain and simple God. It is how we are made new. It is all God, we are spiritually dead, and he does the "waking" up, nothing we do can make us alive spiritually. It is all God and all for his glory.

Okay, I must go and check on the 2 younger ones, they are being awfully quiet. What in the world could be happening.

Today I was off work. Now, when you are me, your days off consist of lots of things. For the past, well, I don't know how long it has been, I've scheduled doctors visits, dentists visist and lots of fun stuff like that on my days off. Today, was my turn. What fun! I finally after 8 years decided that I should probably go to the doctor for that fabulous yearly exam. Boy, what a great way to spend your day off right. At any rate, I went to a new doctor, okay not new to the area, but like I said it has been 8-almost 9 years since I've gone, so he was new to me. He was funny, really, I had my exam complete before I knew it. At any rate, he wrote this down for me to go home an watch, since he saw that I had 3 boys, and thought I'd enjoy this. Check it out.

Enjoy!

Well, you can no longer view this on You tube. I was getting ready to email it to someone, and found out, it is not longer available.

Hop over to 5 Minutes for Mom and check out this awesome giveaway. Wouldn't it be great to vacumm in style.

Hop on over and sign up. Hurry, the drawing is Monday October 1.

Goodbye tree

Here are a few pictures of a quit funny little incident at our house last week. Here goes.

We are trying to sit and eat together, which is nearly impossible with 4 ADHD males, and beautiful weather outside. Rob eats and disappears, and then Zach runs in the house as I'm cleaning up from supper, and is yelling "Dad has a chainsaw and is cutting down the tree." His eyes were bright with excitement. Well, of course all the boys had to go and watch, it was quit a site to behold. You can see Zach laying in the lawn watching. It was so funny. My husband sometimes amazes me. He hadn't even let me know his plans for the evening, and then down comes the tree. Well, in his defense, the tree is dying and needs to be taken down, but I guess I just didn't think it'd be that day. Then he said last that this is the last week for brush removal by the city. Good enough excuse I guess.

Happy Birthday Me!

Well, again it has been forever. I think things to post all the time, but getting it done after working all day a "trying" to keep my house in somewhat order is nearly impossible. I work every other weekend, which means I have Thurs/Friday off every other week.

I was off last weekend, in fact I eve took a vacation day for Friday, I was so excited to have a 3 day weekend. Guess what! I got sick. Well, in all reality it was my allergies, but it was awful, I could barely move around I felt so awful. It is so aggrevating to be sick on my days off. I plan to get so much done, and then *WHAM* I'm Sick. Last Friday was my birthday, the boys got invited to a birthday party for a neighbor, so Rob and I decided to go out alone. It was nice. We went to O'Charleys. The food was wonderful, the atmosphere was a little more peaceful than say Chilis or Texas Roadhouse (which is one of our favorites), so we enjoyed the evening, except for the fact that I didn't feel so hot. On Saturday we did not do much of anything, because Ididn't feel so well, but the boys made me a birthday cake. (Like the candle) It was yummy! Butter Pecan Cake with Butter Cream frosting(Jordan baked the cake, and Zach frosted it). Rob and the boys decided to put candles on the cake, but of course we didn't have 35, so they opted for the black candle, and boy did the kids think it was funny!

You know how not fun it is when you are a sick Mom. I was kind of grumbling about it, then the Holy Spirit put me in check. You know there are so many Moms suffering so horribly. Like, Heather, who is suffering with a horrible illness herself, plus a sick child. Then there is Amy whose is finished with her suffering on this earth, but left behind a husband and toddler. And,there are many more I just dont' have the time to find them all and link them. Through all of the sufferings they give praise to God. I was so convicted of my complaining, that I had to repent, and realize that God is in control off ALL things. Why, oh why, do we loose sight of this awesome truth so often. God is so good, God is faithful, and EVERYTHING, absolutely EVERYTHING that is done in our lives is to bring glory to him. My boys, all being ADHD, and requiring so much, I don't even know how to describe it, but you know again, the Holy Spirit has put me in check yet again, when I want to gripe and complain about it, and how hard it is most days. God made each one of us exactly the way he wanted us, and our purpose in everything is to bring glory to God. Why do we wonder around coparing oursleves to others, hoping maybe we could be more like so and so, or why can't I have things this way, well, plain and simple. We are exactly the way God created us to be. I could go on and on, but I don't feel it necessary.

Rob found out yeaterday that he got his raise. YEEHAW!!! Another $1.05, effective this past Monday. He has gotten his CDL license now. That was a major feet for him. He was so nervous aobut it, and God is so faithful, he remained calm and past with flying colors. He was so pleased.

Well, you know I am a talker, and I could go on and on forever. I really must get up from this chair, clean the house somewhat, and go to the gorcery for supper. Dinner tonight is meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. This was requested by both Zach and Rob. Zach thought is was so *funny* when Rob said, meatloaf sounds good, and Zach had just told me that.

Have a blessed day.

Funky Robot

And I wonder why my camera batteries are always low when I go to use the camera. Evidently I have some little movie makers. Too funny! IT is really dark, but I got a good laugh.

What is God's providence?

God's providence is his completley holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and governing every creature and every action.

The Westminster shorter catechism in modern english.

I posted this catechism question and answer just to clarify what I mean when I say "smiling providence" or if I use the phrase "frowning providence".

I may post more on these thoughts another day. Like I said, lots and lots of thoughts running through this mind of mine.

I haven't had much time to read lately, well actually I'm not much of a reader at all. But, I've been thinking lately that I need to read Hinds Feet on High Places again. We read that book as we were leaving the UPC and it was such a blessing. I think I need to read it again. We'll see how that goes. Oh how I wish that I still had it on CD and could listen on the way to work.

Well, just some of the thoughts running in my head lately. There really are lots of thoughts running through this little mind of mine, just don't always have words to express them.

More smiling providence

The vehicle that God blessed us to be able to purchase last week, and the boat that we were blessed to be given along with the trailer. Ain't God good.

Well, while the boys were in Illinois this summer, they stayed with Uncle Rick and Aunt Paula a few days, and they live across the street from Ricks parents. Well, Rick's family used to have a lake house, which they allowed anyone and everyone to use at one time or another. We stayed one year for a vacation. No charge to us, we just had to buy our own food. WOW!!! They had this lake house forever, and used it to bless others, this boat was at lake house, and was also used to bless others for many years. Well, recently they've sold the house, and the boat was stored in their back yard, and they wanted to just give it away. Well, Jordan evidently went over and did some "work" for them and the boat and trailer was his payment. Well, we were able to go and get it this past weekend, since we were able to purchase the Durango, in which to haul the boat. These are some pictures of the boys "cleaning the boat". What a blessing that Rick's parents have been to the Kingdom of God, and now not only have we been blessed by staying at the lake house, and using this boat then, now the boat has been given to us. My boys will get much use out of this boat, since you can tell from many pictures I've posted, they LOVE to fish. I guess there are a few little leaks that need some repair, but hey, no big deal.

Now, to the Durango. We have had this minivan that God blessed us with last year, and it had served its purpose for us. We had it one year, and only paid $1200 for it. Well, as of late it has been having some problems, and we didn't trust it to drive out of town, so it was Rob's work vehicle. See this van was purchased right when Rob lost his job, and he no longer has a company vehicle to use, and that left us with one vehicle. Well, God made it possible that we were able to get that $$ scrounged up and purchased the van. Again, I say it was not healthy now. Well, with me working out of town and working every other weekend this wasn't going to work well for the church situation. We were worried about how Rob and the boys would get to church safely. When I was working at the store in town, he'd just drive up to my store, and we'd all go together, well this certainly was not going to work with me being 30 minutes away in a different direction from church. Well, smiling providence allowed me to have 3 Sundays in a row off, this bought us time. Last week, with the $$ we'd worked on saving, and then trading in the van we were able to purchase the Durango for a great deal. Rob had been looking for a few months at a car lot here in town, everyone whose is anyone will deal with this family owned business. So, at any rate, we'd toyed with the idea of a truck with extended cab, then a minivan, then anything we could use to tow the boat and trailer, then this vehicle came on the lot. We drove it and loved it. If you don't know, and Durango has 3 seats, so it is like a minivan with the seating capacity but it is like a truck in other ways. The best of both worlds. So, needless to say that the boys all took a trip up north in the new (not really new) SUV (as they call it--constantly) to go to a family reunion and get the long awaited boat. I think we'll be going camping in 2 weekends when I have a full weekend off. Oh yeah, that is another reason for a dependable vehicle with space, we could not camp well in our car. It just didn't fit the stuff very well. Oh another blessing, we needed a hitch to tow the trailer with. The Durango did not have one, which we thought was good, means it hadn't towed anything yet, and we had kept aside some $$ for that expense. The car lot we bought the Durango from took in another Durango before we picked up ours and it had a hitch, Rob asked if we could buy the hitch and they just removed it and gave it to us. Boy was that some "brownie points" in my boys eyes. Isn't that funny. Oh, and no we don't always have the box on top. We were just thrilled to have a vehicle we could use it on again, so Rob was able to buy an inexpensive kit to make it work on the new vehicle. See, there was not kit for our Malibu of the minivan--so man is this extra space for us.

Well, enough ramblings for now. I just wanted to share all the many "material" blessings God has given us lately. You know, the job, the raise in income, the Durango, the boat and the list goes on. We truly have been blessed with the smiling providence of God.