Sunsets, dancing with my kids and love

The other day we were driving home and saw this beautiful sunset...........

I love the sunset.  It is like God painted the sky with all the colors of the rainbow.  

Tonight the kids and I were listening to a service on line. During praise and worship we got up in the living room and danced our hearts out. I love it that my kids asked to watch the preaching with me and liked that I got up and danced.  I might have no rhythm and I might not dance well but to my kids.........I am a good dance.  When we dance as David danced, unto the Lord........He finds it beautiful. His love accepts us as we are even if we have two left feet. His love hears our praise no  matter how off key and adores it. He looks at us like we look at our children, with complete  love. 

That is LOVE..........unconditional love of the Father that says.......I love you, even if you can't dance because to me, you dance like the best dancer in all the world. THAT is what HIS love says.

School days...........days 1 and 2....

It's that time of year again, back to school.  Yesterday was their first day............my how fast they grow.

and how they have changed since kindergarten.

Chris willing to take a photo at home and mark the day

Jenny eager and excited

Hannah excited but nervous.

Jenny wanting a picture of everything possible.

Hannah taking a reluctant picture at school with her sister but a bit embarrassed by Mommy and her tendency to take pictures.  She did want one with her teacher, which I obliged. However, she did not want one outside her room like Jenny.  

How they grow and change.  Yet, I am glad that they enjoy school and when it gets down to it, they don't mind enjoying the little moments. 

Today is day 2 and I am tired..................so very tired.  Getting up early is not my strong suit...........but I am working on it.  There will be much coffee drinking.  I want this year to be a growing year for all of us.........not just the kids.

I commit this year and our ways to the Lord and pray we bring glory to His name. Lord watch over our dear children.

Bus time.................my girls and I walking to the bus.......birds singing, air fresh and clean......two little girls hand in hand.......makes my heart sing too.

Summer Day 77--Last day of summer vacation...

We bought most of the school supplies today, we just have to get the numerous boxes of kleenex, paper towels, hand sanitizer and the like but we are mostly done.

After lunch we took a last summer visit to the Creek..........one of our favorite places to be this summer and I even stuck my feet in. This time I did not bust my bottom in the mud.  Yay me.............so here we are on the last day of summer vacation. I am a wee bit sad and the kids are happy and excited to be going back to school.  Time goes by way too fast.  So glad it stopped raining today so I could take the kids to the creek. It was so much fun.

Summer--Day 76--Take time to dance in the rain.

When it rains and there is no lightning take some time to dance in the rain. Not only is it fun, but it is good exercise.  Thank you Lord for the rain today and the chance to dance with my treasures in the rain.

Summer--Day 75 ---Devotions and prayer time

Devotions with the niblets and prayer time is one of the most precious times of day.  Hearing their innocent thought and prayers.  Listening to their simple, child filled faith, makes my heart pound with joy.  I wish that I could bottle these moments and keep them forever.  It is times like this I become even more thankful that Jesus chose us to be His own.

I listened to their innocent prayers tonight.  Chris prayed for his family and that we'd all sleep well.
Hannah prayed and thanked God for and I quote "My lovely parents who take care of me".
Jenny prayed for all the people who do not have food or homes.

How precious are the prayers of children.  As we teach them to pray for forgiveness, their families and others we need to pray that they grow a desire to not only pray for themselves and their needs but the needs of the people in the world around them.  It is a learning process for them, but it is a beautiful process.

Prayer time...........truly a sweet time in the evening.

Ready to hear the Word.  I pray that they will not just be hearers of the Word but doers of the Word

 Group prayer 

Making their own petitions known to the Father.  

Summer --days 73 and 74 Home sweet Home--There's no place like home

We had a good few days visiting my Dad but yesterday we had to come back.  It was a pretty good trip. However, I do have to say the drivers around Atlanta drive like maniacs.

We stopped for supper somewhere ..........out there.......okay outside Atlanta but it was fun having dinner with my sweet husband and kids.  We made them sit on one side and us on the other.  At first they were like but I want to sit by Daddy or I want to sit by Mommy.........but soon enough they realized it was pretty cool sitting all on one side.  What a blessing..........they are.  I am so thankful for them.

As we left from getting dinner last night and continued on our journey home, this beautiful sunset was there to greet us.............

And while visiting family is such a blessing, there is truly no place like home. Home is a special place.  I am thankful that God has blessed us with a home filled with love and faith. I know there are some that long for that. I pray that those who do not have it, God will bless them with Home Sweet Home.

Today was church and my favorite day of the week.  I taught the PreK children's church group and had a blast.  Those kids are cute and fun and they love Jesus.  Children, that is who we are to be like, children, faith like children.  I find that church too is Home Sweet Home and there is no place like a church home who loves and serves Jesus and preaches the Word of God with love and truth.  

Summer day 72 Memories are pictures the heart takes.

Watching my children with my Dad is precious. I am sure it is that way with all grandparents. They are different people than when they were our parents. Being a grandparent changes them. There is a depth to love in that of a grandparent that defies explanation.  I watched my kids enjoy my Daddy this weekend and it brought back memories of having time with my grandmothers. I didn't grow up with grandpas due to their deaths. But I had the best grandmothers this world has ever known. I see that same feeling in my kids.

My bonus mom (aka step mom) has fed us good this weekend. I love her country cooking. Although, I am going to have to work it off for days.  Watching her with the kids is precious. She loves them as if they were her blood born grandchildren.

We went to the water park today. I had to take photos with my heart because water parks and cameras do not mix. I didn't want to risk losing it or dropping it in water.  Playing with our children in the pools and slides and waves was priceless. Seeing them face the fear of a huge drop on a water slide and like it better than me was priceless.   Memories were made today, precious memories.  Memories are just that, pictures our heart takes.

Summer Days 70-71...Wednesday nights and Over the hills and through the woods to PaPa's house we go...

Yesterday evening was church.  We didn't do a lot yesterday but do some laundry and get ready to go to my Dad's house.  We went to church last night and then home again to get read to leave this morning.  It was a good day.

Today we drove down to Dothan, Alabama to visit with my Dad and Bonus Mom (aka step mom).  It has been a good day of travel.  The kids love playing in this big yard and sitting on the porch rocking in the rocking chairs. We waited for humming birds to shows up, but just as it flew up the kids happened to giggle at the kitten outside the screen. So hopefully, we can catch one on film tomorrow.

Scenes from time at PaPa's house...

PaPa has a big, big yard to play in...

Rocking away

The kitty wanting to play with the kids.

Summer--Day 69--Baby steps and thankfulness for God's blessings.

Chris took a baby step today in his quest to walk in his healing from sensory issues.  He is a work in progress, trying to balance faith and fear of the new.  He is 12. He isn't trying to disregard what God has done, but is trying to come to terms with what it means and what the Lord requires of him. That is not easy for an adult, much less a 12 year old boy who has more faith in his little toe than most people have in a life time.

Chris trying to taste a cherry.

Tonight I kept the nursery for our church's Music and Media fellowship. It was fun. My kids were there for a bit but then Mike picked them up and took them home. That left me with 6 kids.  We had a great time. These are great kids.  They played, they laughed, they watched movies and were very good kids.  

Obviously I can't post their pictures without permission but I took some to be sent to the parents.  As I drove home from work, I realized something. I really, really enjoyed it.  This being a nursery director and all the tasks it involves is a part time job. However, it was so rewarding.  I felt like a Mom who went to "work" enjoyed it with all my heart. I am so thankful for this job.  God is allowing me to walk in my calling for working with kids. It is my heart and my heart is filled with joy.  I am so thankful for a "job" that is fun. God is so good.

I am so thankful for His goodness. He is faithful in the little things and the big things. My God is good and I am so thankful for His many blessings.

Summer--days 67 and 68...church........praise and shopping

Yesterday was Sunday. The Lord's day, as I have said before, my favorite day of the work.  I love seeing my children worship the Lord. They do so of their own free will. There is no pressure to "perform" and they aren't "brain washed". They have made their own decisions to serve the Lord. I was once accused by a non believer of brain washing my children.  My answer to that is that teaching your children about the Word of God, values and taking them to church is not brain washing. We help our children become educated in academics. We teach them history based on our history books. We teach them math based on our mathematical concepts, yet that is not brain washing. It is simply teaching. We can give our children all the basics in academics but we can't make them learn.  By the same token, we can give them the Word of God, take them to church, pray with them and love them like Jesus would, but we can NOT make them believe. We encourage, and even push them forward in academics.  When it comes to faith we encourage but we do not PUSH or SHOVE them to believe.  If we did so, it would not be their choice.

So yesterday I watched my Jenny praise Jesus and later that day I watched her all of her own accord go forward to the altar to pray. She didn't ask, she just did it. She chose to seek the Lord just as other were. She knelt there for a long time.  Her sister joined her at one point, hand on her little back praying with and for her. No one asked them to do this, they chose to from their own little hearts filled with faith. It was precious.

Praising Jesus during praise and worship, Sunday Morning.

Praying at the altar........a friend close by.....

Hannah moved with love for her sister, praying with Jenny.

Jenny answering questions by Pastor Emily about her recent birthday party.....the one Jenny chose to be Jesus themed.  Her sweet act of love and faith for her beloved Jesus touches hearts. I know it touched mine. I know that I know it touched the heart of God.

Today we went to the grocery store and my kid were so helpful.  They love to help me and they like to be with me when I buy groceries.  I realize that all too soon, they will be grown. I cherish the moments I have with them. I cherish the daily tasks I get to do with them, because all too soon  they will grow up and be doing this all on their own. I will miss the little hands next to mine as we push the shopping buggy together.  I will miss the things they get enthralled over that seems no big deal to me. MOM........look at this...isn't it cool.  Yes, the amazement of childhood. I choose to enjoy it with them.

Eyeing the candy and snacks on the shelf.........wishing and hoping and dreaming...

Mom it's a pet laser.  Yes, but we don't have a pet can I get one it use it with y'all. ( I said kiddingly,).  Yes, yes Mom.....that would be a great idea.  I will take them up on it another day. Today I was not in my budget plans.

Helping me put groceries in the car.........ahh yes, I have trained them well (wink, wink). LOL

And yes my girls have blue in their hair. Jenny received some "hair paint" from Pastor Emily for her birthday and she chose to share with her sister. I say blue hair or not, kids are only kids once, let them have sparkles and blue hair.  All too soon this will not be something they wish to do and it's just hair. Paint washes out, memories are forever.

Summer Days 65-66 Fun time and birthdays......

Yesterday was not a hugely interesting day. The kids and I went to the church and they helped me clean the nursery, mop and wipe down toys and such. They LOVED it.  Mommy we like to help you. They had a blast.  Who knew that 3 kids could get such a kick out of helping clean part of God's house.  We should all get such joy. They made my heart smile.

Today my in laws came and we celebrated her birthday. We made a cake and the kids helped decorate it and we took a walk and played Pictionary man. Fun times, memories made, full bellies and smiles on our faces. This is what family is about.  I thank God for family.