Happy Easter!

I bought my family all new clothes. Don't we look spiffy?

My youngest son loves Jimmy.

Opening up Grandma's Easter Baskets.

We had a great Easter weekend. On Saturday we had a great crowd for the Easter Egg Hunt. At church we had a packed church, I couldn't find a place to sit. It is sad that people make sure that they come to church at Easter and don't find much time for Jesus any other time. The weather was beautiful. Kim and Lance came for Easter Dinner - Thanks for coming K&L! We went to the park later that day. I will post some of those pictures later.

Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday

Wagon Rides

The Easter Story

The Easter Egg Hunt

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I am slowly catching up. I have read through March 11th. It is a fitting New Testament reading, since it is about the Crucifixion and we have just past Easter. The passage I read today was about Simon of Cyrene. I have recently been thinking of the song, Watch the Lamb, by Ray Boltz. Although he took some liberties to the song, it is still touching. Mark 15:21 NLT

A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.)

I hope that you all had a blessed Easter Weekend. I will be posting pictures of the kids soon.

Art Night

My daughter with her painting, "Hearts in the Air," and her Kindergarten teacher at art night. Her painting also was on a silent auction and it went for $20 to her little brother. I put a video of her talking about it on my Kirky's Turkeys blog, for those who have permission to use it. Her picture is of mommy, herself, The Cross, and some hearts. Kirk asked her, "Where are daddy and your brothers?" She said that there wasn't enough room for everybody.

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I have just finished reading the selected passages for March 3rd. Psalm 46:10a says, "Be still and know that I am God." Proverbs 10:23 says, "Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible."

I need a little help remembering those things, sometimes I am a busy fool.

Pictures

Birthday

In February, my "baby" turned 2. I tried to make Red the Fire Truck (from the Cars Movie), but it was a little more difficult than when I made Thomas for my 3 year old. We invited a few of his favorite high school friends to his birthday party. He loves Jimmy, Kelly, Ryan, Tyler and Amanda.

Saturday School

My daughter's school has 4 required Saturday schools every year. Today was all about doing projects. We skipped the drama one because I didn't have the patience to take care of my two boys and explain to my 5 year old what to do. We just went to the playground instead with the other skippers. She did go to foil sculpting, where she sculpted a butterfly and flower. We also went to shoot her bottle rocket. She made a bottle rocket with her dad the other day and even though ours wasn't too technical, it went pretty high. Next year, ours will be way cooler. I wish Kirk would have been there to see it, but he was on a youth trip this weekend in southern California.

Leprechaun Trap

One other project that my 5 year old had to do for school was to make a Leprechaun Trap. She got some help from her dad. We will find out Monday if she caught a Leprechaun over the weekend.

Psalm39:4-7

I have tried AGAIN this year to read through my One Year Bible NLT, and AGAIN I am behind. I am trying to play catch up. I have to admit that I don't enjoy reading all the ceremonial details in Leviticus - it bogs me down. I feel so guilty for not being able to stay with it. Eventually I get so far behind that I just quit - I need to make it past June this year to beat my record. Maybe I will use this blog once a week to comment on what I read and you can note my progress. If I don't post, however, please get on my case, keep me accountable. Today I was reading the Feb. 22nd passages and the Psalm selection struck me like never before.

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered - how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. my entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so Lord, where do I put my hope? My hope is only in you.

What Does Jesus Look Like?

My youngest son is still not talking much, although in the past few weeks he has said "dad" and "mom" more often, which makes us hopeful. I have been working with him to say "Jesus." There are some pictures of Jesus in our church nursery and when I worked in the nursery, I would take those pictures during snack time and show them to the children sitting at the table saying, "This is Jesus. He loves you. Can you say Jesus?" This past Sunday, I wasn't working in the nursery, but I was showing some new workers the ins and outs of the nursery before service began. I showed them the pictures of Jesus and tried to get my little one to say "Jesus" for them, of course he didn't. After the service was over, I picked up my child from the nursery and the workers commented on how he didn't want to put the pictures of Jesus down and he kept pointing to it until one of the workers said, "Jesus."

At the table while we were eating lunch, I started asking the children what they learned in Sunday School. I have now since forgotten what they said, but then I started telling the family about our youngest child and the picture of Jesus. My logical husband says, " How do you know that is a picture of Jesus? We don't know what Jesus looks like." And my middle child says, "Yes we do, he has hair and a nose and arms and legs." That of course made us all laugh. Then Kirk said, " You're right son." In his sweet way, my middle child gets it - Jesus was just like us. It doesn't matter what Jesus exactly looked like. It matters that he became like us - arms, legs, nose, hair, and all.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus; Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, and at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Philippians 2:5-11

Shame on the Tooth Fairy

Last Wednesday morning, my daughter came out of her room exclaiming, "Mom, the most exciting thing just happened, my tooth came out!" Obviously this is the first tooth she has lost and she has been waiting for it to happen ever since she read a book about it. The next morning, she came out equally dejected, saying, "The Tooth Fairy didn't come." For shame Tooth Fairy, for shame. This is my daughter's first tooth, YOU could have remembered at least that one. I felt so bad for her, but I did tell her the time when the Tooth Fairy forgot to visit me. I also told her that the Tooth Fairy is very busy and just ran out of time. My daughter was so dejected that she talked to her dad about it. Her dad said that maybe something happened to her. After some thought, my daughter said, "Maybe she was in an accident." Thankfully, the Tooth Fairy came the next night and had not been in an accident.

Some interesting facts that I have been pondering since the visit of the Tooth Fairy:

1. That I am a supporter of the Tooth Fairy, however, I am not a supporter of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. My children still get presents from Santa - I am just not that happy about it.

2. Santa Claus - a man - only has to work one night a year and he gets a lot of credit. The Tooth Fairy - a woman- has to work every night and how does she rate? Do you see the correlation here?

My Birthday Present to Myself

One of my favorite books is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Sunday night I caught part of the 1996 movie on Masterpiece Theater and it got me all excited about reading it - Again! But alas, I had gotten rid of my copy because it was so worn out. (I got it from a Scholastic book order when I was in Middle School) Monday night, my husband and I were out with friends celebrating his birthday and we stopped into Barnes and Noble. There on a display table was Pride and Prejudice and other Jane Austen books. (It was meant to be!)I have not read any of the other books although I do have a desire to. How could I not buy this book? As soon as we got home and after getting the kids to bed, I started reading it. As the kids played the next day I read it. As the children slept, I read it. I finally finished it Thursday, but about 3:30 am Friday morning, I was wakened by one of the children and after she was back asleep, I couldn't sleep. So I got up and read my favorite parts all over again. Of course after I finished doing that I had to put my own copy of the latest movie in and watch it. What a beautiful story! Good thing that Friday is my husband's day off. Of course, now I have pile of laundry that needs to be done and other tasks that have been put off - but what a pleasure! My husband does not understand my need of this type of pleasure, but I am glad that he puts up with it - probably because it doesn't happen that often.

February 17th Communion Devotion

Every once in awhile the pastor asks me to do the communion devotion in church. To tell you the truth I sort of feel uncomfortable doing it. Can you believe that came from the girl who took Expository Preaching in College and gave a Senior Sermon - memorized? I do love to talk and express my thoughts, so I continue accepting the opportunity to do the devotion. So I posted it for you.

Have you ever been reminded of a memory that you had forgotten about? Maybe a parent, a sibling, a cousin, or a friend asked you if you remembered when you did something and you had completely forgotten the incident. Have you just sat there in wonder, how could you have forgotten that?

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the rocking chair singing to my youngest right before bedtime. I have a list of songs that I always sing - Away in the Manger, Silent Night, Jesus is the Sweetest Name I Know, His Name is Wonderful, I Love you Lord, Seek ye First, and for whatever reason that night I added Jesus Loves Me.

You probably know the song. Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes Jesus loves me. Yes Jesus loves me. Yes Jesus loves me. For the Bible tells me so.

How many times have I sang this song in my life? Millions. How long have I known that the truths in this children’s song were true? Ever since I can remember. Yet that night when I was singing that song to my youngest, I started to cry. I had forgot. My head hadn’t forgotten – I think my soul had forgotten that Jesus loves Rebecca Evans.

Maybe you have forgotten that Jesus loves you. Maybe you think too much about others and their needs that you have slipped in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Communion time is a personal time. A time to think on what Christ did for us. Many times, though, after a few seconds in consideration of Christ’s sacrifice, we slip and we think about the people around us or we think about what we are going to do for lunch or something else. Communion time is a discipline.

Today, as you take the juice, remembering that it represents Jesus’ blood that was spilled, and as you take the bread, remembering that it represents Jesus’ body that was broken. Remember John 3:16, 17

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. That whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Do not forget that.

Lets pray, “Father in heaven, I am sorry that I take you and your love for granted. Thank you for the reminder. Help us to discipline our daily lives so that we take time for You. During this communion time help us remember your Son’s sacrifice and Your love.
In Jesus Name
Amen”

Steven Curtis Chapman ::

Faith, Not Facts

I heard this story this morning on KLOVE. I wanted to post it because I think that it is relevant to my post last week.

Published: January 25, 2008 08:16 am

Faith, not 'facts', carries woman forward

By Dan Irwin
NEW CASTLE NEWS (NEW CASTLE, Pa.)

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Search the Internet, and there are several “80s” that come up in reference to Down syndrome.

Eighty percent of babies with Down syndrome are born to women who are under age 35, the March of Dimes reports.

With recent advancements in clinical treatment, as many as 80 percent of adults with Down syndrome reach age 55, and many live even longer, according to the National Down Syndrome Society.

However, the most prevalent “80” — appearing on multiple sites — is that in America, more than 80 percent of babies diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome are aborted.

Bobbie McIlwain, though, refused to go along with the crowd. Today, because of her resolve, she and her husband, Jeff, are the parents of healthy 17-month-old twin girls.

During her pregnancy, McIlwain was told that certain test results showed that one of the girls had Down syndrome and that the other likely had a bilateral cleft lip and/or palate.

Despite the fact that she was encouraged to have an abortion, McIlwain and her husband made the decision to continue to carry the twins, then stuck by it.

“I was determined that God had hand picked my babies for me, that these were the ones I was meant to have,” said McIlwain, who, along with her husband, is a member of New Life Baptist Church.

“He must have thought that I was going to be a pretty special mom to give me such a special delivery.”



PRESSURE

Once doctors told McIlwain of their diagnoses regarding her unborn twins, they recommended that she and her husband see a genetic counselor, who would tell them about their options.

“Up until the time of my appointment, I kept asking myself, ‘what options?’ ” McIlwain said. “We found out what they were looking for. Our counselor told us that the best option would be to terminate the pregnancy.”

The counselor, McIlwain said, enumerated all the possible consequences of Down syndrome, as well as some of the chromosomal disorders that babies with cleft palates generally face.

“Then she asked us again that, now that we knew the facts, was it still our decision to carry them?” McIlwain recalled. “Absolutely! It took me six long years (because of various health issues) to become a mother. Do you think I was going to give up the first time something difficult was thrown at me?”

Nonetheless, the McIlwains were encouraged to have an amniocentesis, a test that would determine conclusively if one of the twins Bobbie was carrying had Down syndrome. The results, they were told, might make their decision an easier one to make.

However, the McIlwains also were informed that the risk for miscarriage because of the procedure was 40 percent and, because the twins were fraternal and developing in separate sacks, the test would have to be done twice.

“The outcome of the test was in no way going to influence our decision to carry the twins,” McIlwain said. “I declined it again.

“But by this time, I was getting a little upset with the visit. I felt like it was their choice to make, not mine. Finally, I had enough and told them that if this was what a ‘genetic counseling appointment,’ was, well, I didn’t need counseled on abortion, and I wouldn’t need any of the other appointments.”



PUSHING ON

Apparently, McIlwain is not alone in her feelings.

In a 2005 survey of nearly 3,000 parents of children with Down syndrome, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a majority reported that the obstetricians who gave them the diagnosis had focused on the hardships ahead and ignored “the positive potential of people with Down syndrome.”

In response to such reports, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) has sponsored a bill that would require doctors to offer more thorough medical information about Down, as well as referrals to support networks.

For McIlwain, though, the only help available came from her family and her faith.

“I’m not going to lie,” she said. “My decision to carry the babies was easy, but my daily walk was not. I thought if I had to smile at just one more person and tell them I was fine, I was going to pull my hair out.

“You’ll find that everyone has an opinion, and always wants to tell you what is best for you, and what is best for the world. I would just smile, take my little sip of Jesus from my cup, and just say thank you.”

In the weeks ahead, McIlwain said, doctors continued to stand by their diagnosis of Down syndrome, and the news she got with each appointment continued to be dire.

“Finally, I had to tell myself to stop, that this was not going to be a pity party for me,” she said. “I have to remember, ‘Do not tell God how big your storm is, but tell the storm how big your God is.’

“So from that day forward, I refused to let one thing steal my happiness.”

Thus, she said, she went through the rest of her pregnancy “with the most upbeat nature you could think of.”

And the joy only heightened when, on Aug. 17, 2006, she delivered Emily Grace and Ava Marie by Caesarian section. Though Emily came into the world with a bilateral cleft lip and an incomplete palate, subsequent surgeries have corrected the defect.

“Emily was born at 11:20 a.m., and had no other genetic defects associated with the clefting,” McIlwain said. “None. She was, and still is, beautiful. And Ava Marie was born at 11:23 a.m. — with no signs of Down syndrome. She is perfectly healthy.

“She came out screaming because I really think she had something to say to those doctors.”

Now, nearly a year and a half later, McIlwain’s days are full of the responsibilities of both work — she’s employed at Liberty Mutual — and motherhood. However, she’s also got a deeper faith that helps her deal with it all.

“The tests were wrong, the doctors were wrong, the genetic counselor was wrong,” she said of her pregnancy ordeal, “but my God was right.

“If I let him lead, he would show me the way. And he did.”



Dan Irwin writes for the New Castle (Pa.) News.

Thank you God for showing us that we humans aren't always so smart and right. Thank you God, for showing us this lady with courage and faith in YOU!

A Fairy Tale- or is it?

At bedtime last night, I read the story "The Emperor's New Clothes" to my kids. You probably know the story. Two thieves convince an emperor that they can make clothes out of such fine cloth that only those who are wise and worthy can see the clothes and those who cannot see them are fools. After the clothes were made, the king had a royal procession through the town to show off his new clothes. Everyone was afraid to say that they couldn't see the clothes at the risk of being called a fool. The only one brave enough to say that the emperor had no clothes on was a child. The story took a long time to get through because my 5 year old daughter kept asking why the people didn't catch on that the thieves were lying to them. I kept explaining to her that they were afraid. My daughter couldn't grasp the thought.

On this Super Tuesday, I know there are some trying to feed us a line and we, Americans, are taking it because we don't want to seem foolish. Are these politicians really trying to make America greater or are they just trying to get a vote. Even so, are they also afraid of being called foolish and are they backing an agenda whether they believe in it or not? The election has been on my heart and mind and in my prayers. What should I do? Who should I vote for? For some it is clear, for many others it is not.

It is not clear to me what the best answer is to Iraq, to illegal aliens, to health-care, and a host of other issues. What is clear to me is the one line that the American public is being fed and eating up. The issue that women have the right to choose an abortion and that a fetus is not a living being, therefore it is okay to dispose of it. How foolish is that? In our own vanity, we have fallen into a pit of everyone telling each other that it is okay. When are we going to stop the foolishness?

My Prayer

As a mom, there are many dreams that I have for my children. As a mom, I also know that there is little I can control over these dreams, since they are my dreams and not theirs. I do have prayers for my children. One is Proverbs 4:20-27 (NLT)

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

What are your prayers for your children?

The Mark Of The Lion Trilogy

I read this set at Christmas time. I read it in 4 days. Can you imagine, a mother of 3 kids reading non-stop for 4 days. I can't do it very often, but it was like taking a mini-vacation. I took care of the kids' needs and it was back to the book.

I just can't stop thinking about the story. It is so beautifully written. Kirk got this set for me for Christmas in 1999. This is just the second time that I have read it. It is a love story, but it isn't as much as a human love story, than it is about God's love. There is action and historical facts, I think that even men would enjoy it. I truly recommend it.

My Grunter

As many of you know, my 23 month old son doesn't talk. He grunts, points, and uses sign language. He understands a lot of what we say to him, but he has no interest in making any distinct sounds. There are times that I worry about him - did he hit his head too much as a baby? I went online to see if I could find any answers. One article I read said not to worry and one said that I should worry. I am going to post the article that is more positive. It really fits my son to a "T."

Judith Hudson, developmental psychologist

Although it's not typical, your 2-year-old's situation is not necessarily cause for great concern, either. Some more cautious and reserved 2-year-olds tend to wait until they understand a great deal of what they hear before they actually speak. Look for these signs of language readiness:

• Does your child point to objects? Pointing to a toy he wants or to a picture in a book is closely related to the beginning of actual speech.

• Does he seem to understand what you say? Does he react when you call his name when you're out of sight? The ability to understand language precedes the ability to talk. If your child seems to comprehend a great deal of what others are saying, he's well on his way to talking.

• Does your child use gestures and facial expressions to communicate? Many kids communicate what they need nonverbally, and in fact most 2-year-olds develop a host of nonverbal signals.

• Does your child grunt? Research shows that the little grunts 2-year-olds make while pointing to pictures or playing with their toys are actually a kind of commentary. Children who aren't yet talking and don't grunt are more likely to later be diagnosed with a language delay.

If your child isn't showing these signs of readiness, you may want to make an appointment for a speech and hearing screening. Talk with his pediatrician, and, if he's in preschool, with his teacher. His preschool may refer you to an early speech and language intervention program (usually coordinated through the county or public school system) that will provide a free speech and language screening. Or his doctor can refer you to a private speech-language pathologist for an evaluation. In general, the earlier a language delay is detected, the easier it is to treat. Many language problems can be treated effectively during the preschool years so that your child will have no long-term deficits.

babycenter.com

Christmas

My parents flew to California and surprised us for Christmas. What a special surprise. Thanks mom and dad!

I hope that all of you had a Merry Christmas and are enjoying the New Year of 2008!

Journey

Every December, our church does an interactive journey to the manger. We dress up in costumes and take groups of people on a mile long walk. They get to meet a mapmaker, run into beggars, cross the Jordan, be interrogated by Roman soldiers, talk to a broken down Jewish family, meet the Wise Men, talk to shepherds while an angel appears with a wondrous message, become accosted by robbers, experience the demeaning tax collector, shop in the Bethlehem marketplace, get turned down at the inn, and see baby Jesus with his mom and dad in the stable. It is really quite the experience. I wish that I could show you pictures, but cameras aren't allowed, as it would take away from the experience of going back into time and it may scare our real life animals -( we even have a camel!)

This time can be a lot of work and very tiring. On busy nights, the tour guides walk the trail 5 times. It can be cold and wet. There are times we don't get home until midnight. There are times we do this ministry just out of duty and with an unwilling heart. But how can one be around so much Truth and not be blessed at least once. Our journey to the manger is such a great start to the season. It truly is a blessing. I want to end my post today with the lines that people hear when they come into the stable and see the baby Jesus.

Tour Leader's wife: Family, look! There's the baby. It's as the angels have told us -"A babe, wrapped in swaddling---" look, it's Joseph and Mary from Nazareth!

Leader: The Messiah! Family, we have found the Messiah!

Singer: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Singer's Comments: This is the final scene. We hope that we've brought a meaningful portrayal of the events that led up to the birth of Christ.

Permit me to share with you the message of this special birth. Through our disobedience, we were separated from our Creator and a penalty had to be paid. Our Holy God loved us so much that He provided a way to pay that penalty and bring us back to Him. Somehow, God came to earth in the form of a baby, born of an earthly woman - truly God, truly man. And Jesus willingly took the punishment we deserved upon Himself and died at Calvary on a cross, that we might be forgiven and set free. It would serve us well to think seriously on these things as we celebrate this Christmas season. Wise Men still seek their Christ.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas. May God richly bless you this coming year. Shalom.

Whatcha Cookin'

I started a new blog. rebecca-whatchacookin.blogspot.com It comes from the fact that I get discouraged with cooking. This is my outlet. I am going to share recipes/foods that I make. This will help me get out of my rut of cooking the same food over and over and over again. I will have to be stretched, so that I will be able to share them on my blog. I have a bunch to share now, but I am exercising restraint, because I am sure there will be a time when I will be at a loss of something to share.

PLUS, I am hoping that you, my non-commenting readers, will also share. Just think you would be helping me out - giving me new ideas of foods that you make. If you are unsure how to do this, you can leave me a comment. If you have my email, you can send me your ideas and I can post them for you. Also, if you want to be a regular food contributor, we can share the blog. Just think of the possibilities.

As you know, food brings people together. Do you think that people would really travel to such great distances for the holidays if there was not food involved. My great friend Kim and I, and our families of course, celebrated Thanksgiving together. We had a great time making the food together and everything turned out wonderful. Food is important and I want to use this blog to celebrate and encourage each other.

My Big Mouth

Have you ever said anything and then wish that you hadn't?I am sure most of us have, but it seems like some of us have a knack for it. I also know that there are times that I have wished that I had said something, but I didn't. (I attribute that to my slow thinking). Well, this past Sunday in church, I needed to get up and make 2 announcements and while I was up there I may have said a little too much.

You see, our church building, as new as it is, is rather small. While church is going on, there is a children's program going on at the same time. There are few times that we have been asked to keep it down because we are too loud. My opinion is that as long as the doors are shut and we are not being destructive, that "Big Church" really needs to get over it. Of course I didn't say that, but I did say that there may be times that they could hear the children and that part of me was sorry to hear that it was desruptive, but a part of me is not sorry. The small church that I grew up in, didn't have children's church and the children came into the sanctuary, so we at Grace have become a little spoiled that someone else is taking care of our children. And when we hear the children, we should remember that they are learning about Jesus and we should be grateful for that.

I prayed about it before I went up there, so I was confident about it at first, but I didn't sound so confident and afterwards, I felt even less confident. So even now I have been teeter-tottering about if it was the right thing to do. I guess only time will tell.

The fact of the matter is that the children aren't running around with their heads cut off - maybe only if Kirk is teaching their class and he is doing it with them, and the only people who hear the noise are the ushers in the hallway or the people in the very back, if the sanctuary doors are open. I think that I would rather be apart of a noisy church that is being used, than a quiet church that has no children.

Break

I have been taking a break from the computer, although it was not in my plans. Kirk disconnected our DSL for reasons that are way too complicated to share at the moment. As much as I miss having the internet, it has been nice too. A kind of fasting from something that sometimes takes too much of my time.

We went to a movie last night. We don't get out much, so it was a real treat - eating at Red Lobster and then going to Dan in Real Life at the the theater.(We had gift certificates for both - thank you to our church and pastor appreciation month). I must admit that I cried practically the whole way through. Not that it is a real tear jerker - everyone around me was not crying. It touch my heart and once I started crying, it was hard to stop. The movie was also very funny - so here I am cryng and laughing, crying and laughing. Have you ever done that? I highly recommend it - it is good for the soul. And I recommend the movie - Kirk even enjoyed it, and didn't mind his weepy wife.

The Question at Breakfast

Mom: Hey kids, do you hear that sound?

Daughter: Yeah.

Son: What is it?

Mom: A siren.

Son: What's a siren?

Mom: The sound that firetrucks and ambulances make. I don't know which one it is though, I can't tell.

Son: It is a fire truck.

Mom: I think it is an ambulance.

Daughter: I think it is too.

Son: Fire truck.

Daughter: Ambulance.

Son: Fire truck.

Daughter: Ambulance.

Son: Fire truck.

Mom: That's enough.

(while mom's back is turned getting something out of the refrigerator)

Daughter: (whispered) Ambulance.

Mom: I said enough.

Daughter: How did you hear that?

Mom: Because I am mom.

Coffee - the Great Spiritual Experience

I love the fall weather. I love the cooler mornings and evenings. In the summer I sometimes partake in a morning cup of coffee, but when fall and winter come - I enjoy it a lot more.
I love the feel of the warm cup in my cold hands. It is comforting. It is energizing. Coffee crosses historical lines, social lines, ethnic lines, and ages (even my kids like to drink "coffee milk"). It brings people together in fellowship.

One of my favorite times is meeting some of my friends at a coffee house and enjoying a cup of coffee. We could sit there for hours, enjoying each others company. There is always plenty to talk about and we usually have to tear ourselves away because we know if we stay any longer we will be in trouble with our husbands. It is a great release of our frustrations and we know that we can go home and be moms of little ones once again.

Another favorite time with coffee is in the morning while I do my Bible study. (I make that sound like I do it everyday.) It is my dream to do it everyday, but I struggle to get that time, but when I do, coffee adds to the experience.

Dear God, thank you for coffee, for cappucino, for frappucino, for latte, need I go on? Thank you for the wonderful gifts that you have given us in this world to bless us as we go about our day. Amen

Playing with Shadows

The kids and I had fun playing with their shadows. I still remember the first time my daughter discovered her shadow when she was 18 months old and she chased it . I so wished I had a camera.
I am so glad that I had a camera this time.

A Mother's Love

A mother's love is this: cleaning up stinky, make-you-want-to gag, projectile vomit at midnight and not minding so-much.

All three of my kids have been sick, including myself, but last night's sickness was one of the worst messes I have had to clean up. I have not had too much of a problem cleaning up my own kids' messes - whether it is dirty diapers or vomit. I don't know if I could clean up just anyone's vomit. That takes a lot of love.

Good-Bye Duck Friends

As many of you know, at the beginning of the summer we had about 20 chicks, 10 ducklings (4 were geese), and 10 turkey chicks. Kirk thought that they would be a good addition to our VBS. Unfortunately, a fox got into their pen and killed all of them except 3 ducks and 1 goose. Ever since, we have had them at our house. When they were little, we enjoyed being outside with them.

Unfortuately, babies grow up. We just didn't have the room for them and we have been considering what we should do with them. After having considered butchering them, we found a duck pond for them to go to instead.

I didn't have a camera with me and it was late Friday night when we dropped them off, so we went back today and they are doing great. They won't leave each others side. Our 3 year old had a hard time leaving them. He cried the whole way home on Friday night. He was much happier today when we went to see them. The kids had a great time chasing all the ducks around the pond. I bet they were glad to see us go. Good-bye duck friends.

Another Favorite Recipe

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show:	30 Minute Meals
Episode:	Get the Day Started Right

1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces, 1/4 cup, chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 really ripe bananas, mashed up
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup, melted, plus additional for buttering skillet
Maple syrup or honey, for drizzlingHere's a great tip: if you cannot find really ripe bananas, just nuke them in the microwave for about 15 seconds and they will become super soft for mashing.

Mix dry ingredients, the first 7, in a bowl. In a another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, the next 4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then fold in the mashed up bananas and the raisins. Stir in the melted butter.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush with additional melted butter. Cook pancakes, each about 1/3 cup, until bubbles form on the top, then turn. Cakes will cook in about 2 minutes on each side. Keep pancakes tented with foil as they come off the griddle to keep them hot. Serve with drizzled honey or maple syrup over the top.

Some of My Latest Favorite Recipes

Baked Beans

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Show: Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee

Episode: Weekend Gathering

1/2 pound slab bacon, thickly sliced and chopped into 1/2-inch dice
2 (32-ounce) cans baked beans
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons honey

In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, add the chopped bacon and cook over medium heat just until the fat begins to render, about 4 minutes. Add baked beans, ketchup, brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, and honey and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until flavors are combined.

Baby Back Ribs

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

2 full racks (quartered) baby back ribs
1-quart beef broth
2 cups barbeque sauce (recommended: Bullseye Original Barbeque Sauce)
1 cup honey

Place ribs and beef broth in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, and add enough water to fully cover ribs. Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour. Once tender, remove and set aside.

Preheat the grill to medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine barbeque sauce and honey. Baste ribs generously with sauce and grill for about 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Rainy Days and Mondays

Karen Carpenter use to sing a song called "Rainy Days and Mondays." It was about how those things, "always get me down." Well no more - not me. Rainy days and Mondays don't get me down anymore. In fact, I look forward to them. Living in the part of California that I do, it doesn't rain all summer. It does start raining until sometime in the fall and goes off and on through the spring. It gets so dry here in the summer that I long for the rain. Doesn't rain make everything feel so fresh and new and clean? I can't wait for rain. I am praying for rain - isn't that another song?

And Mondays. Who likes Mondays? Well, now that I am a stay-at-home mom and a wife of a minister, I enjoy Mondays. The weekends are always so busy that Mondays are my let down day. A day to get everything refreshed and start a new busy week.

Thank you God for rainy days and Mondays.

Life's a Beach

This picture was taken this weekend while we were visiting our friends, Kim and Lance. I was just thinking that it would be way cool if we lived close to the beach and we could go there all the time. I saw one house that was super cute and it was just a few blocks away. What a life.

Thanks Kim and Lance for all you did this weekend. We love you!

Looking Back At Our Summer Accomplishments

With summer drawing to a close, I have been looking back at some of our accomplishments in the last 3 months.

Our dughter started the summer being too afraid to jump into the pool, even with her swimming vest on. She loved swimming, but she did not like going completely underwater. We tried to force her to do things, but she just screamed through the whole ordeal and was mad at us afterwards. What helped the most was having other kids her age over for a swim party and seeing that other kids would go down the slide, jump in the pool, and go completely underwater and have a great time. Slowly, after the party, she started putting her face in the water. Then she started swimming without her jacket (daddy taught her to swim) and jumping in with her jacket on. After we got home from our big trip, she started jumping in without the jacket and going down the water slide.

Our 3 year old son was also afraid of jumping in the pool. Now he does, while wearing his big floaty swim suit. The biggest accomplishment for him is just in the last week he is finally potty training. He tells us if he has to go. He had 2 accidents this past weekend, but other than that he is doing fabulous. What a long year it has been. I have been trying to train him for a year. He would go if I took him, but wouldn't tell me if he needed to go and would just make a big mess.

My 18 month old son started sleeping through the night just this summer. He is still not a great sleeper, but I am finally getting some sound sleep. Yee-haw! Plus, I finally weaned him from nursing about 6 weeks ago. It took a little bit longer than I had wanted, but it is finally done. ( I may have to blog about my nursing experiences at a later time.) Also, he started the summer hating the pool. Now he likes it. (Don't worry grandma and grandpa, daddy was nearby in this picture. The baby is never out of arm's reach when we are near the pool.) Isn't he a cutie?

I have learned a lesson in all of this - the kids had to be the one to decide that they could do it. I couldn't force them, or when I did force them, it all ended in frustration for everybody. Could all of these things been done a little earlier? Perhaps. Maybe I could have created situations that encouraged them more. Now, with all of these accomplishments behind us, I think, "Those things weren't so bad. Why did I get so frustrated?"

I do know that the kids acted just the way I act sometimes. When I have to learn somthing new, I don't enjoy being forced to do anything. I need to make the decision to change, before change will be even attempted. I think that is how it is at church too. A preacher can preach until he is blue in the face, but until the listener can say, "I need to change my ways", than nothing will get done. I think that can be very disheartening to a pastor of a church. What can pastors do to encourage change?

Our Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday we celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary(My profile has said that we have been married 9 years for the last 6 months, but it wasn't correct until now. I guess it felt like we had been married longer than 8 years. We have known each other for 13 years - wow! If we would have gotten married when Kirk wanted to get married, we would have celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. I am glad we waited.) Anyway, Kirk took me to a fancy restaurant. We know the owners of the restaurant, but we can't afford to eat there very often. The only reason that we went there is because we had 2 gift certificates that we had been holding onto since Christmas.
It was so good and the waiters were so classy. They put the napkins on our laps and moved our silverware around for us. They have a wine list - although I don't drink wine, it sounds very classy, don't you think? The whole experience got me to thinking about when I worked as an intern at CIY(summer of '97). I was at a CIY in San Diego and one of the guys took the CIY staff out to a fancy restaurant. While we were there, the director of the conference, who shall remain nameless, asked me what the fanciest restaurant that I had eaten at. He says that I said that it was my prom, where we ate with plastic forks in our high school gym. (Which is true, we did eat in our gym with disposable plates and silverware.) I don't remember telling him about that. A couple of years ago, I saw this director once again at a California CIY (Cal Poly) and he was telling me (in front of someone I went to college with) how he had related the above events to the current CIY interns. I have to tell you I was quite embarrassed. Not that I am embarrassed about my background, but I am sure that I told him that because I was joking around. By that time in my life I had eaten in some classy establishments, but he took me seriously. I think what bothered me the most was that event was the one thing he remembered about me. I could think of a few better things for him to remember me for. Now as I am writing this, I just laugh. What a thing pride is. What a silly thing to be bothered with. There are plenty of other things in life to be bothered with than someone making fun of me. I do have a ton of respect for this man and I will not to let a silly old memory ruin it for me. That being said, the restaurant that I ate at last night is the most classy place that I have eaten at.
Kirk and I had a great time. We talked about the last nine years and we talked about our next nine years, Lord willing. I must say that they keep getting better and better as time goes by.

Friends

We just had an enjoyable visit from one of my Best Friends, Kim Marshall and her husband, Lance. Kim is one of those people in my life who has made me a better person. Plus we have great times together. It was great that they came over and the time went by fast. They introduced a new game to me called, Blokus. It is for ages 5 and up - only four players. If I was describing it, I would say it is a competive puzzle game. You are trying to get all your pieces to fit on a game board, but the other players can block you. If you like to play games, I recommend it.

Sunday, we went to Chuckie Cheese. That was a real treat. I was unsure how the afternoon was going to go, but the kids had a good time playing the games. It was good that we went with friends, because it would have been a lot of work keeping track of 3 kids.

Thanks Kim and Lance for the great weekend.