Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Fishing Day
Hunter & I spent about 3 hours on the dock fishing on Sunday. Chloe, Kamrie & Parker fished off & on too. It was so much fun! We were using little bread balls & corn-so I didn't even have to touch sicko bait. We caught about 10 (ok, hunter is correcting me, he says 7) fish altogether, but none were big enough to clean.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Children's Church
It was fun to be back into Children's Church today. Another mother & friend of mine, Angie, has started a Children's Church ministry in our Minden church--this was week #3. Angie was gone today, so I got to teach!
After being so involved with a GREAT Children's Ministry in Imperial (keep up the great work Sonja!) I was really excited to hear about Angie's desires to start this ministry here. We are still figuring out how we're going to rotate teaching, for now we're just doing it together & filling in for each other when the other person is gone.
Anyway, I was pumped all week about getting to teach & sing with the kids. I bought snacks & spent days preparing. I had 3 (yes, count 1, 2, 3) kids there & 1 high school girl helping me! And 2 were my own (Kamrie & Chloe). There was another adorable 4 yr old little girl, Jaden also. She was an absolute angel.
My two little angels were anything but angelic. They were terrors! Wouldn't listen for ANYTHING! I told Jaden's dad afterward that I probably scared Jaden because I spanked Chloe, then Kamrie & Jaden probably thought she was next! I told him to make sure & tell Jaden that I am their mommy & I'm not just going to go around spanking kids in Children's Church! I thought of that later, that Jaden probably didn't even know that I was their mom. Yikes. I could have stories going around about me!
Keith, I need you to be the Thumper. Can you handle it?? Can CWC spare you for a week or two? Or maybe I need the Kitchen Man...
p.s. one of the little boys who was naughty in awana the other night came up & apologized to me this morning at church. i told him i forgave him & that i know we're going to have a great year together. it was really sweet.
p.s.s. to my SONShine gardens friends...i miss you & our fun times. keep learning about Jesus & how to have a relationship with Him! you're so lucky to get to sing songs like superhero & Jesus loves me rock!!
After being so involved with a GREAT Children's Ministry in Imperial (keep up the great work Sonja!) I was really excited to hear about Angie's desires to start this ministry here. We are still figuring out how we're going to rotate teaching, for now we're just doing it together & filling in for each other when the other person is gone.
Anyway, I was pumped all week about getting to teach & sing with the kids. I bought snacks & spent days preparing. I had 3 (yes, count 1, 2, 3) kids there & 1 high school girl helping me! And 2 were my own (Kamrie & Chloe). There was another adorable 4 yr old little girl, Jaden also. She was an absolute angel.
My two little angels were anything but angelic. They were terrors! Wouldn't listen for ANYTHING! I told Jaden's dad afterward that I probably scared Jaden because I spanked Chloe, then Kamrie & Jaden probably thought she was next! I told him to make sure & tell Jaden that I am their mommy & I'm not just going to go around spanking kids in Children's Church! I thought of that later, that Jaden probably didn't even know that I was their mom. Yikes. I could have stories going around about me!
Keith, I need you to be the Thumper. Can you handle it?? Can CWC spare you for a week or two? Or maybe I need the Kitchen Man...
p.s. one of the little boys who was naughty in awana the other night came up & apologized to me this morning at church. i told him i forgave him & that i know we're going to have a great year together. it was really sweet.
p.s.s. to my SONShine gardens friends...i miss you & our fun times. keep learning about Jesus & how to have a relationship with Him! you're so lucky to get to sing songs like superhero & Jesus loves me rock!!
Trouble with a Capital T
What do you get when you cross a 2 year old with red & yellow food coloring???
A BIG mess. Did I mention that it was all over the CARPET & the COUCH??? And this 2 yr old is very creative. He was putting the drops of red food coloring into the fan & letting it blow it. So we had a MILLION ZILLION tiny drops of red food coloring on the carpet around the fan. The older kids thought that was a pretty cool idea. Not cool for the cleaner-upper (me).
The only good thing is that it was downstairs on the basement carpet & the basement couch. The carpet leaves much to be desired down there anyway, so we weren't going to lose lots of sleep over it, but since we are renting this home we didn't want to make the icky carpet WORSE! (plus we'd really like our deposit back...)
Anyway, after about 45 minutes of steam cleaning & bleach (yes, bleach, like I said I wasn't too worried about making the situation worse on this carpet) it is now a faded pink. And the couch looks good too. I don't even know if you can see it anymore. Thank goodness for Grandma's choice of brown plaid on the couch! :) It all kind of blended right in.
Brad said "Why didn't you take pictures of that for your blog?" Good question. I didn't think of it beforehand. You'll just have to take my word for it.
A BIG mess. Did I mention that it was all over the CARPET & the COUCH??? And this 2 yr old is very creative. He was putting the drops of red food coloring into the fan & letting it blow it. So we had a MILLION ZILLION tiny drops of red food coloring on the carpet around the fan. The older kids thought that was a pretty cool idea. Not cool for the cleaner-upper (me).
Have you ever tried to clean up food coloring?It just spreads.
The only good thing is that it was downstairs on the basement carpet & the basement couch. The carpet leaves much to be desired down there anyway, so we weren't going to lose lots of sleep over it, but since we are renting this home we didn't want to make the icky carpet WORSE! (plus we'd really like our deposit back...)
Anyway, after about 45 minutes of steam cleaning & bleach (yes, bleach, like I said I wasn't too worried about making the situation worse on this carpet) it is now a faded pink. And the couch looks good too. I don't even know if you can see it anymore. Thank goodness for Grandma's choice of brown plaid on the couch! :) It all kind of blended right in.
Brad said "Why didn't you take pictures of that for your blog?" Good question. I didn't think of it beforehand. You'll just have to take my word for it.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
New Reptile...Sort of
Hunter & a couple of other neighborhood kids found these tadpole/frogs today at the pond. I've never seen them this big, I've only seen tiny tadpoles. They kind of grossed me out. Hunter thinks they are pretty cool & is anxious to show Parker his find.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Turtles Everywhere
Parker & Hunter found a huge snapping turtle the other day & put it in our captivity pond--it has pretty much had some sort of animal in it since we moved here. Mostly turtles, some frogs. This turtle was SO big it escaped! It must have managed to crawl out...Maybe it's for the best that monster got away...
Aren't small towns great?
This week has been Homecoming. The kids have had fun dressing up for pajama day, color day (where each class had a competition for who would have the most of one color on), camouflage day, Hawaiian day & of course today was Purple & White day.
Purple & White??? We have NO purple! We have orange & black. It's amazing how much orange & black we accumulated in our years in Imperial. So, the kids wouldn't have won any purple & white competitions today. Kamrie had some purple, but only because she is a girl. We've got to start buying Minden Whippets apparel in purple...
What is a Whippet you say??
This afternoon they had the homecoming parade around the town square & it was so cool! Small towns are great for stuff like that. Hunter walked with the Drug Free Team from the Middle School. There were so many people lined up to watch the parade all around the town square. Then they crowned the Homecoming Royalty on the Minden Opera House balcony. It was a lot of fun. Emiley, I thought you'd appreciate the picture of the High School Marching Band. They were pretty good!
Purple & White??? We have NO purple! We have orange & black. It's amazing how much orange & black we accumulated in our years in Imperial. So, the kids wouldn't have won any purple & white competitions today. Kamrie had some purple, but only because she is a girl. We've got to start buying Minden Whippets apparel in purple...
What is a Whippet you say??
This afternoon they had the homecoming parade around the town square & it was so cool! Small towns are great for stuff like that. Hunter walked with the Drug Free Team from the Middle School. There were so many people lined up to watch the parade all around the town square. Then they crowned the Homecoming Royalty on the Minden Opera House balcony. It was a lot of fun. Emiley, I thought you'd appreciate the picture of the High School Marching Band. They were pretty good!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Cursive Writing
Hunter has been doing a terrific job with his cursive handwriting. He has nicer writing than I do, that is for sure! Good job son!
The Invisible Woman
Here's a great email I got yesterday (thanks louise!).
Perspective: The Invisible Woman
By Nicole Johnson
It started to happen gradually.
One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you, young fella?" "Nobody,"he shrugged. Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, "Oh my goodness, nobody?"
I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like "Turn the TV down, please" - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn the TV down?" Nothing.
Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm ready to go when you are."
He just kept right on talking. That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me. I'm invisible. It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.
I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?
Can You tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.
She's going, she's going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well.
It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
1. No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
2. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
3. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
4. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens f or the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Perspective: The Invisible Woman
By Nicole Johnson
It started to happen gradually.
One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you, young fella?" "Nobody,"he shrugged. Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, "Oh my goodness, nobody?"
I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like "Turn the TV down, please" - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn the TV down?" Nothing.
Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm ready to go when you are."
He just kept right on talking. That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me. I'm invisible. It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.
I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?
Can You tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.
She's going, she's going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well.
It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
"To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
1. No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
2. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
3. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
4. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens f or the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Awana
Tonight was the kickoff for Awana. I got to help with the Sparks kids. It was a fun (??) time. Games were great & the kindergarteners were SO cute! They all listened & were so into following the rules.
Then you had the 1st graders. They were still pretty good, wanting to please. Only a couple of times did we have to tell them to shhh!
The 2nd graders were another story...I got "initiated by fire" with 2 boys. When I told one of them to do something he said "no." Hmmm. Now what do I do??
I need Imperial Awana's Kitchen Man! Parker still talks about not wanting to have to go see the Kitchen Man at Awana. Maybe he would come & teach someone here how to be the Kitchen Man...
Then you had the 1st graders. They were still pretty good, wanting to please. Only a couple of times did we have to tell them to shhh!
The 2nd graders were another story...I got "initiated by fire" with 2 boys. When I told one of them to do something he said "no." Hmmm. Now what do I do??
I need Imperial Awana's Kitchen Man! Parker still talks about not wanting to have to go see the Kitchen Man at Awana. Maybe he would come & teach someone here how to be the Kitchen Man...
Monday, September 17, 2007
Are You Kidding Me??
Seriously, that answer was not really one I WANTED people to use! I know who is voting that way! SYB & EJB!!
ICK!!!
OK, this is seriously disgusting. If you are squeamish about animals CRAWLING UP WALLS don't look at the photo below...
I'm not sure if I should be extremely freaked out about this little frog or not. I don't think it's NORMAL to have a teeny-tiny frog CRAWLING up the wall of your basement, is it???
This frog was downstairs this morning. I know it is a test for me because Brad & I just decided last night to STOP looking for a house to purchase & be patient for awhile. Pray for there to be NO MORE reptiles (or rodents--although we have not seen any as of yet) in our house!
p.s. I updated the photo for a close up view of the frog for my YC friends...
I'm not sure if I should be extremely freaked out about this little frog or not. I don't think it's NORMAL to have a teeny-tiny frog CRAWLING up the wall of your basement, is it???
This frog was downstairs this morning. I know it is a test for me because Brad & I just decided last night to STOP looking for a house to purchase & be patient for awhile. Pray for there to be NO MORE reptiles (or rodents--although we have not seen any as of yet) in our house!
p.s. I updated the photo for a close up view of the frog for my YC friends...
Sunday, September 16, 2007
40th Wedding Anniversary Weekend
What a weekend of fun at Harlan County Lake, celebrating (belatedly) my parent's 40th Wedding Anniversary. It was a great reason to celebrate--their 40 years of marriage is a wonderful example for all of us.
We rented 3 cabins for us kids & Dad & Mom had their camper. The playground equipment was really close by & the lake was near enough to walk down to fish or swim...Wait, no swimming, since is was only about 50 degrees out!
As you can see from our pictures on Saturday, we went from winter coats & huddling around the campfire to the kids getting out on the tube behind the boat. All the kids rode behind the boat but no one actually got in the water. Chloe was out there in jeans, long sleeve shirt, tennis shoes & a lifejacket! She didn't even get wet--of course they were going REALLY slow with her. They all had a blast.
Grandpa & Uncle Bruce were brave & took nearly all the grandkids out on the boat at once. It was quite a challenge just getting all of them into lifejackets. That took nearly as long as the boat trip itself.
Chris was battling poison ivy all weekend, so he was a bit miserable. But I never heard him complain. The deer will be worth it, my brother! (he was setting his deer stand when the poison ivy found him.)
We watched the Huskers play while sitting outside around the campfire. The guys finally shut the TV off out of frustration & went to bed, only to find out they missed a closer game than they thought. We bundled up in our parkas to eat homemade ice cream that night, too.
It rained both mornings we were there, so we spent more time inside & around the campfire than a "normal" campout, but it was great quality time together. We're thinking it should be an annual event.
We rented 3 cabins for us kids & Dad & Mom had their camper. The playground equipment was really close by & the lake was near enough to walk down to fish or swim...Wait, no swimming, since is was only about 50 degrees out!
As you can see from our pictures on Saturday, we went from winter coats & huddling around the campfire to the kids getting out on the tube behind the boat. All the kids rode behind the boat but no one actually got in the water. Chloe was out there in jeans, long sleeve shirt, tennis shoes & a lifejacket! She didn't even get wet--of course they were going REALLY slow with her. They all had a blast.
Grandpa & Uncle Bruce were brave & took nearly all the grandkids out on the boat at once. It was quite a challenge just getting all of them into lifejackets. That took nearly as long as the boat trip itself.
Chris was battling poison ivy all weekend, so he was a bit miserable. But I never heard him complain. The deer will be worth it, my brother! (he was setting his deer stand when the poison ivy found him.)
We watched the Huskers play while sitting outside around the campfire. The guys finally shut the TV off out of frustration & went to bed, only to find out they missed a closer game than they thought. We bundled up in our parkas to eat homemade ice cream that night, too.
It rained both mornings we were there, so we spent more time inside & around the campfire than a "normal" campout, but it was great quality time together. We're thinking it should be an annual event.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Nice to See Family
It was great to see some family yesterday. My Aunt Joyce & cousin Kendra came to visit & brought us delicious cookies. Also, Brad's dad, Pete, was here for supper.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Braces Off!
Yeah for Amanda! Our neice, 10, just got her braces off this morning. Can't wait to see you & your pearly whites this weekend!
Snake!
Yesterday Kamrie came in the house & said, "Mom! Parker & I found a snake in the garage. It's just a baby one, it's only this big (as she holds her hands about a 1 1/2 feet apart)." They couldn't catch it, though, it was TOO FAST!
I haven't seen it, but don't really want to go dig around in the garage very badly. The only consolation to me is that it is a garter snake & nothing dangerous. Unless you count me having a heart attack because of it. The garage isn't exactly weathertite, so I'm sure it's not the first or last rodent or reptile we'll have visiting in there.
But, as Todd has told me several times, if we have snakes at least we won't have mice...I'm not sure I'm willing to share my living quarters (or garage) with either, however. Maybe I should have done a little target shooting with Todd while he was here over the weekend. Can you guys come back & bring your guns? :)
I haven't seen it, but don't really want to go dig around in the garage very badly. The only consolation to me is that it is a garter snake & nothing dangerous. Unless you count me having a heart attack because of it. The garage isn't exactly weathertite, so I'm sure it's not the first or last rodent or reptile we'll have visiting in there.
But, as Todd has told me several times, if we have snakes at least we won't have mice...I'm not sure I'm willing to share my living quarters (or garage) with either, however. Maybe I should have done a little target shooting with Todd while he was here over the weekend. Can you guys come back & bring your guns? :)
Monday, September 10, 2007
Baby Bird
The boys found a baby bird yesterday & built it a little nest in the garage. They even smashed up a worm for it to eat--I wish I had a picture of him doing that. They didn't want to chew it up for the bird, like a mama bird would, so Hunter smashed it with a rock...Brad convinced them to let it go, but pretty soon Kamrie had it in captivity again in our wading pool/turtle home. Luckily there were no turtles in it at the time, or birdie would have probably been lunch.
To everyone's dismay the little bird was dead this morning. Good try, boys. Maybe you'll be veterinarians someday!
Cooper's New Toy
Cooper got a different car seat (thanks Uncle Chris & Aunt Nikki!) & doesn't want to get out of it! He sat in it all buckled in at grandpa & grandma's last night for about 15 minutes. Then today, I had it in the house & he wouldn't get out of it to eat, so I set him in it at the table. It made a pretty good booster seat. It's in the suburban now & he is pumped about his new seat!
Boy Night
The boys slept in the living room Saturday night to watch Nascar. I think all of them fell asleep before the race ended, though, because they asked me who won...
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Family BFF's
Kindergarten Fun
Kamriehas improved in writing her name so much over the last 2 weeks of school. I'm so proud of you sweetie!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to Brad!
Whether you're shooting par or shooting missles,
I'll always be your number one fan!
Whether you're shooting par or shooting missles,
I'll always be your number one fan!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
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