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.

Summer Day 64----Just add water

Kids are bored of the same old pool play.........the pool needs cleaning?  Put in some kid safe soap, three kids and just add water................the fun ensues.

You don't need to go to a lot of expense for kids to have fun.  A few simple toys, some water, and soap is all they need. Bonus, no need for bath time tonight.  Summer on budget calls for the need of creativity.  The soap is non toxic and safe for pets, people, and grass.  It is cool, refreshing and fun.  

Not sure what we will do next by operation clean the pool (bonus of clean kids) is a success.  

Summer--days 62-63--- Arts, crafts and marshmallow people..

We have don this and that the last couple of days. The kids are into arts and crafts as always. Chris is painting his dinosaur model white because after all bones are white

The girls have each made pictures and crafts and presented the to Mommy......as a gift.

Hannah made me a scrap book and sand art.  As of now I have 7 different little things with sand art in them. I guess I have a collection of sand art.  One day all of these things will be as priceless to my kids as they are to me.

Jenny painted a picture with smiling flowers, heart clouds and a flying "lady bug butterfly". In her world, clouds are shaped like hearts and flowers are filled with joy so they small. If only we viewed life through a child's eyes. Our clouds could be shaped like hearts our flowers would smile and we could have lady bug butter flies.  

These treasures may not be worth a lot to some, they hold no worldly value............but to me.......

they are more precious than diamonds or rubies. They are gifts of love. Christopher's interest in dinosaurs and making it look so realistic is a gift to. A gift of his bright mind wanting to make things better.  

Great is the Lord's faithfulness because it shows in the very lives, thoughts and ideas of my children.

Edited to add the marshmallow people because I forgot them. How could I forget the marshmallow people my girls made and promptly ate.

Summer--Day 61..joy in the harvest

My little garden is dying.  Even though they had good drainage, I fear between critter tampering (something lay on my squash plants and damaged them and the chipmunk at some more roots), and all the rain my wee plants could not stand up to it. The last few days of hot, hot, hot weather, no amount of water seems to have been enough.  In any case they are dying.

However, my children were thrilled to see three green beans on the plants.

The enjoyed our wee harvest and found great joy in it. I pray the Lord sees fit to take our meager garden and get something more out of it.  However, just watching my children take joy in the harvest made me think of how we should take joy in the harvest of souls. We should rejoice in any harvest of souls, be it small or large. One life touched for Jesus matters. One heart changed for Jesus matters. It isn't about the number, but it is about doing the harvest. It is about showing the love of Jesus to ever soul. It does not matter the color of their skin, the beliefs they hold or what "sin" we think they have  committed.

The thing that matters most is LOVE. HIS LOVE and how He would have approached that lost soul. He did not see our sin, but He saw our potential in Him. When He met that woman at the well, He knew what her sin was. He did not shy away, but He offered her the gift water that never would run dry.  That is love and that is what the harvest is all about-------whether it is one soul or 1000s, every last one of them matters to Jesus and ever last one of them should matter to us. We should find joy in any harvest.

Summer--day 60--Daddy's grillin..........kids are chlllin

Mommy's hear with joy be a fillin............

I love Sunday afternoons..........family time, laughter.....good eats and NAPS.

We hear some thunder so Mike is checking the radar.....yes it looks like storms are a brewin..........but Sunday...........rain or shine is my favorite day of the week.

Cook chicken cook...........you will be so tasty in all your bbq yumminess.

Chilaxin....

I'm cold mom.......

The grill master and the man that I love.

Summer Day 59---ahhhhhhhhhhh relaxing......in our pool.....:)

The kids don't mind how small or large the pool is, as long as they get to play.  They can turn anything into play time.  I sat with my feet in the water and it was quite relaxing..............ahhhhhhhhhh coolness.

Summer Days 57 and 58--Remember when

Not much going on here on the home front the last two days.......well maybe a little going on.  My friend came over yesterday and she and I talked about the Lord.  It is wonderful to talk about our Lord with a friend.  We had planned to get outside but it was just way too hot.  The kids were fine with that.

Today the kids and I went to Walmart after I spent part of the morning with a headache.  Then Hannah became ill with some kind of tummy thing while at Walmart.  Poor girl was so embarrassed, she made it to the bathroom at the store but just barely. We had to make a mad dash from aisle 10...to avoid a clean up on aisle 10, with the grocery cart and me saying excuse me, excuse me and hang on baby hang on as we ran down the aisle to the closest bathroom. The employee,sitting on a bench, gave my sympathetic eyes as I rushed my child into the bathroom, upon which said child locked me out of the stall. She wanted to do it herself.  We were able to check out and get home and get meds in her.  Just one of those experiences that will become a funny adventure in growing up one day. She will say "do you remember the time I got sick at Walmart".  LOL.  She loves remember when stories.  Tell me about when I was little Mama.......and I am thinking you are still little sweetheart.  They all love remember when.............walks down memory lane.

They equally love stories about Mike and I when we were kids. Every chance they get, they ask their grandparents "Tell me about when".............and laugh and laugh over us being kids and the silly things we did. So I write these stories down on the chapters of my heart and  on Facebook and on my blog, LOL and one day they will love sharing them with their own kids.  There of course will be a time, we dare not breath a word of the remember when. Once we have weathered that passage they will relish, once again in remember when.

So here she is, sleeping peacefully now, curled up with her faithful friend Toto........the peaceful sleep of an innocent child and these are the remember whens I will treasure.

Days--55 and 56...best laid plans

I had all these plans for the summer..........plans to do this and that. Plans to go here or there. Most of them did  not come about.  We have been busy, we have had fun, but the plans I set out at the beginning of summer did not come to fruition.

Oh I had the temptation to be all disappointed and the enemy of our souls tried to whisper to my mind that I had failed or I had promised and not delivered. All these accusations.  Yet, my kids are happy. They have had a good summer. We have read together, cuddled, camped on the porch, played in water and so much more. To them.........in their words "We are having the best summer EVER"  Who do I answer to when I make plans?  Do I answer to the plans I made? Or, ........do I look at what we have done, the memories we have made and realize plans are just that PLANS. They do not have to be set in stone. The accomplishment of those plans does not have to be perfect. So I will go on with our summer and enjoy the days we have left and I will make some more memories.  I will take some pictures and some snap shots with my heart because the people that count the most..............are having a great time.

Summer --day 54 pool time is cool time--take time and be a kid again

Played with the kids in the pool, well before we got chased in by mosquitoes and other  biting insects.  LOL.

They cleaned out the pool..........

Well 2 of them..Hannah supervised with a sucker in her mouth...LOL

Then we moved it to a more level location.......not and easy task in our very slopey(new word just for us) yard.

The water was sooooooooooo cold.

But oh so refreshing........

and these are the moments of summer I remember too......playing in the water on a hot summer day and drinking from the water hose..........just one of those things we did as kids. Some people today don't get the fun of drinking from the water hose.........but being a kid again today, with my kids.............was the best.

So get out there, run through a sprinkler, sit in your kid's blow up pool and enjoy a cool drink from a water hose.  You'd be surprised at how it takes you back to days gone by.