Never a Dull Moment

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T13:19:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T13:37:00.003-05:00

Love the unlovely

2010-11-17T22:20:00.002-05:00

Jesus doesn’t love us because He is obligated to or because He is guilted into it. He loves us because He desires to do so, and He wants us to do the same for others.

He wants us to see everyone, including those whom we would rather not look at, through His eyes–the eyes of love. He calls us to love those who bring us joy and those who bring us hurt. Those who make us laugh and those who frustrate and irritate us. Those who are easy to love and those who challenge us. Those who are in sync with us and those who disagree with us.

We are supposed to love the unlovely. Love those whom we find it most difficult to love. Get to know the ones who others ignore. Love those who are not accepted as easily. Look to those on the outside fringe and pull them into the center. It doesn’t matter if they are stinky, loud and obnoxious. It doesn’t matter if they have different values, different life styles, or if they make poor choices time and time again. Jesus tells us to LOVE them.

We also get to love those who are close to us, those who are accepted and those whom everyone loves. Love all people. Do not hold back. Love. Love like Christ, with no limitations.

It is so stinkin’ hard sometimes. But He never said it would be easy. As Todd Wilson likes to say, “It’s harrrrrrrrrrrd……. But it’s goooooooooood.” A few nights ago, Leeland said to me (along with several others who were in the crowd), “The highest form of worship is obedience.” God tells us to do it. So, we need to do it. But not only do we need to do it, we’re supposed to desire to do it. We can’t just go through the motions. Our heart needs to be in it.

Recently, God has given me many opportunities to forgive and love. He has forgiven me time and time again, and has never stopped loving me. It’s time I do the same for others in my daily life. “It’s harrrrrrrrrrd…. But it will be goooooooood,” because blessings abound when we say YES to God!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T20:45:00.004-05:00

Armadillos

2010-11-13T22:59:00.001-05:00

Armadillos half way across Texas = things a sleeping Benjamin says in the van when you try to wake him up to go into the house.

Seven years

2010-11-04T23:38:00.003-04:00

It's been seven years. Seven years since I've held you, touched you, kissed you. My arms are so empty without you and my heart aches for you. I love you and I will hold you in heaven my sweet baby Joshua.

I have so many things to share about this whole journey. Things I've kept inside. It's been painful but beautiful at the same time. That probably sounds strange but God's love, strength and mercy were evident seven years ago and still are even today.

If I could go back in time and choose not to experience the birth of Joshua, knowing that he would quickly return to Jesus, I would not change a thing. Even though I only knew him for nine short months, and losing him was the deepest, darkest, most unbearable pain I have ever felt, I wouldn't give up one moment that we had together.

Someday I'll tell the story as I remember it.

Joshua Stephen Carpenter, November 4, 2003

Shower Time

2010-06-23T23:11:00.004-04:00

Tonight Benjamin asked me if I was surprised that he took a shower without me telling him to do so. I said of course, are you feeling alright? Who are you and what have you done with my son? He told me he had decided to step up his game because pretty soon the ladies would be calling. Oh, my. I'm not ready for this.

Daddy's bedtime stories

2010-01-27T13:10:00.003-05:00

Me: Did Mrs. Stuckert read a story during library today?
Sarah: Yes, she read Goldilocks.
Me: You know that story!
Sarah: Yeah, Daddy tells us that story. I like when he tells us the story about you getting married.
Then Sarah leans in real close and whispers, "But I want him to tell the story about you getting preg-a-nant."

Ruining lives

2010-01-27T13:07:00.001-05:00

In a whiny voice, Benjamin complained that Rachel accused him of ruining her life. I told him to go tell her that was MY job. I will be the only one ruining lives around here. Thankyouverymuch.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T16:52:00.003-05:00

Not Me! Monday!

2010-01-11T15:31:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
I did NOT take my children sled riding last Wednesday instead of doing our school work. We are very disciplined when it comes to our academics and would NEVER play before our work was completed! We live by the motto, "Work first, play second!"

If we had gone sled riding, you would NOT have found me bundled up all cozy in the warm van. I certainly would have been out there slippin', slidin' and freezin' my pa-tooti off too!

The above sledding trip did NOT happen while the littles were at preschool because they have no boots (see below) and I wanted to stay in the warm van.

I do NOT have to carry the littles in and out of the van every time we go somewhere because I'm too lazy to venture into the coooooooold garage to find the 'boot box' in search of some hand-me-down boots for them.

Happy Birthday, SonRise!

2010-01-10T23:58:00.003-05:00

SonRise, the most fabulous praise team, celebrated their one year birthday today! And what a party they put on! We were able to shout out favorite songs, during church mind you, and if you were LOUD enough, they would rock the house to your tune! Thirteen songs today! Wooooohoooo! I certainly wouldn't complain if they did that many songs every week. It was powerful and touching to hear their testimonies in between the songs regarding what it means to them to be a part of the praise team. They commented on how they had found their niche, the friendships they have made and how they see beyond the everyday now. Tears sparkled in their eyes as they spoke because it is so real to them and means so very much.

I have to admit I have a crush on the worship leader. Well, actually I'm totally, madly, deeply, forever and ever in love with him. I am so very proud of him for the time and work he puts into making this a quality worship team. He has done a fabulous job and I know God is leading him to even greater things.

The entire team has done a tremendous job. The hours of rehearsals and practice. I can't imagine. I thank you SonRise for making this past year a beautiful one at Good Shepherd! Jesus' love shines through your beautiful faces each and every Sunday. You lead us in opening our eyes and ears, ours hearts and minds to Jesus. You lead us in praising Him. He comes and touches our souls and speaks to us through your words and music. We leave church with renewed energy to face the new week and its challenges head on! Thank you for your dedication! Thank you for your time! Thank you for just being you!

My prayer for you is this: That your faith will continue to grow and deepen as you lead others toward Jesus. That you will spend time with Jesus, in prayer and in His word, so that He will be able to speak to you and guide you. That you will come to know His perfect plan for you and be courageous in boldly following that plan. That His Holy Spirit will stir in you and you will overflow with His love. That your energy and enthusiasm for God will never die. That you will continue to be a vessel for God. That you will continue to allow God to speak to you and through you. That you will use the gifts that He has given you to honor and glorify Jesus.

OK, enough gushing. But really, it's how I feel.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-30T22:31:00.000-05:00

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

2009-12-29T20:20:00.004-05:00

The other day I wanted to go take a shower but Steve was busy in the basement. One of the kids suggested, "Why don’t you have dad put the thermometer on so he can listen to what we’re doing?" Umm, do you mean room monitor by chance?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a different occasion Sarah noted "Funny things come out of Emily's mouth."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not Me! Monday!

2009-12-28T13:10:00.009-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This was NOT the year of falling behind in most areas of Christmas celebrations/traditions.

We are NOT in the process of writing the Christmas letter and sending out our cards 3 days after Christmas.

I am NOT one of those parents who not only allow their children to stay up past their bedtime but also take them out late at night. That is why you would NOT have found us visiting Santa Claus at 10:00 pm on the day before Christmas Eve. We certainly did NOT then proceed to the train for a quick ride. Our children are religiously in bed each and every night at 8:00 pm sharp! NO exceptions!

Brusha Brusha

2009-12-27T21:41:00.003-05:00

Emily came to me crying the other morning because Daddy had sent her out of the bathroom so he could take a shower. She had been brushing her teeth, for quite awhile, and I guess he assumed she was done. When I asked her what was wrong she said, "I only did the down-lows(bottom teeth). I still needed to do the up-lows (top teeth)."

a Bit of a Blogging Break But now i'm Back!

2009-12-27T20:57:00.001-05:00

One of our annual traditions is to attend Country Lights at Lake Farmpark. As we pulled into the farm we saw this beautiful sunset.

Our first stop is always Santa's Workshop where the kids get to choose a wooden toy to build with the elves. With safety goggles in place, they get to hammer, drill and chat with the very friendly elves.

Look at that brave elf holding Sarah's wood while she's ~~armed~~ pounding with a hammer!
Every 20 minutes or so the music gets cranked and all the elves and the kids stand on the tables and dance. Presents are tossed about (Rachel got hit in the head this year) as well as the Grinch (Grouch as Sarah calls him) and it all ends with a huge snowstorm!

After the toys are constructed we move to the painting area of the workshop. All four of the kids really took their painting seriously this year. In fact, we were in there so long we saw the elves do their dance twice.

We can't forget the glitter!

Benjamin's finished toy soldier.

Sarah's finished teddy bear.

Emily's finished penguin.

Rachel's finished angel.

After we completed our toys, we bundled up and went on the horse-drawn wagon ride to see the lights. Many nursery rhymes are represented and it's sweet to hear the kids reciting them as they recognize the displays. The Twelve Days of Christmas are hidden throughout the farm so it's a challenge to find all twelve days. We have yet to find that partridge in a pear tree!

Nothing makes Emily happier than riding on a pony. Of course, once she saw the 'big horsies' she was determined to ride on one of them... maybe someday Em.

Sarah enjoyed her pony ride too, even though she would have rather rode on the tall kids pony that Benjamin and Rachel got to ride on.

Rachel made sure to bundle up (it was coooooooold, like 16 degrees!).

Gotta love the boots!

These horse rides were free, too bad we didn't see them first!

We visited with the other animals: there were several piglets, including an adorable runt, a turkey whom we had a previous encounter with earlier in the fall, bunnies, chickens, sheep, etc. We ended the evening by helping to milk a cow. All six of us had success. I think we might be farmers at heart.

Fun family times

Not Me! Monday!

2009-10-26T19:06:00.008-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT disappoint my older two children by telling them a special guest would be joining us for our trip downtown to see the play Stellaluna, only to reveal two stuffed animal Stellalunas.

On the other hand, the littles were NOT excited, at all, about our special guests!

My children did NOT behave like perfect little theater goers at last week's performance of Stellaluna at the Ohio Theater downtown.

I would NEVER allow my 4 year old to hold the camera in the van and take random pictures just to keep her ~~quiet~~ happy and I certainly would NOT have been, possibly, maybe a teeny bit curious to see what she would photograph.

I'm sure she would NOT have taken pictures of her foot...

or the scarecrow riding in the car seat next to her...

or several shots of her beautiful self, post-party frosting and all.

Sarah's Field Trip

2009-10-26T17:51:00.003-04:00

A couple weeks ago I went to the Brecksville Nature Center with Sarah and her preschool class. They learned how to identify different birds such as chickadees, woodpeckers, owls and hawks.

There are several bird feeders outside the big window and we were able to sit very still and watch many different kinds of birds feeding.
We took a short hike where one of the preschoolers spotted a beautiful butterfly on the ground. He was standing pretty close, bent over, watching intently when one of the adults walked by and... you guessed it. CRUNCH. Wow! We certainly weren't expecting that! Surprisingly, he didn't get too upset. Without skipping a beat the teacher scooped up the remains on to a leaf and under her breath said, "Well, at least now they'll get to see one up close!" And that we did! Never mind the gooey stuff coming out of the butterfly.

We learned how the ants live inside the trees and the woodpeckers make holes in the trees while trying to feed on those ants and other insects. Next, along comes the chickadee to live in the hole made by the woodpecker. We were able to spot many holes in the trees as we looked more carefully and we wondered who might use the holes for shelter.

It is indeed a marvelous and amazing circle of life our great God created!

(And, I have no idea whose crying child that is third from the right.)

Not Me! Monday!

2009-10-19T23:37:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

My husband and I did NOT unsuccessfully attempt to bring the basement couch upstairs to the Family Room.

It's a good thing we had NOT already hauled the current Family Room couch to the curb where we did NOT watch the garbage truck crunch-it-to-bits.

We do NOT currently have a pile of pillows where a couch should/could/would be located in our Family Room.

Our dog did NOT eat the powder at the bottom of the dog food bag for supper because we hadn't made it to Petsmart in a while.

I did NOT get caught skipping several pages while reading Dumbo at bedtime tonight.

Yippee Yi Yay

2009-10-14T13:39:00.003-04:00

Last Monday I was privileged to accompany Emily on her very first preschool field trip. She was very excited and for several days prior told anyone who would listen that she was going to the “big farm to see the animals.” We visited Spring Mist Farm in Brunswick and it was a dream come true (she got to ride a pony) and a little disappointing (there were no dragons) all at the same time.

Not only did she get to ride Cinnamon, but she was the very first rider! She was a little unsure when “Uncle Dave and Uncle Norm” plopped her down in the saddle but she quickly recovered and has been wearing her cowgirl boots ever since. Yes, even to bed when I let her.

Uncle Dave also helped her pet the lamb along with many other animals.

Emily helped to feed a bottle to a calf and

Uncle Dave fed a bottle to a 14 month old “Campbell” as Emily called it.

The wagon ride was fun and Emily was sure we were off to see the dragons at long last!

“I think I might see one over there….”

The trip ended with a rice crispy treat.

Oooo la la.... Life is good!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T13:36:00.000-04:00

Not Me! Monday!

2009-10-12T17:23:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT allow my 3 year old to play soccer in the frigid morning air on Saturday. If I had let her play, I’m sure she would NOT have gotten dirty and her adorable pink ~~shirt, jacket, sweats, mittens and hat~~ everything would still be pink.

I, also, did NOT allow my 3 year old to eat hay on a hayride.

It did NOT feel like we were in a blizzard while on said hayride.

My 4 year old loves to have her picture taken. She would NEVER pout because things weren’t going her way.

It did NOT take 2 teachers to pry said 4 year old out of the van in the preschool drop off line this morning. This does NOT, at all, make me feel like a horrible mom deserting my crying little girl. (I’m soooooooooooooooo glad I homeschool after they graduate from preschool. I simply couldn’t do this to her everyday!)

It was NOT 56 degrees in my house when I woke up this morning. We're Clevelanders... we're tough...we don't need stinkin' heat!

On the Adventure Guides Car Scavenger Hunt, I did NOT add a few spontaneous clues so that we would happen to drive by our own home so I could make an emergency potty stop in my own bathroom.

Not Me! Monday!

2009-10-05T15:38:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT, along with 2 nurses, hold my 4 year old down, while said nurses administered pain medication following ear surgery.

I did NOT bring my daughter home from her ear surgery and then proceed to take a very looooooong nap with her. Upon waking from the oh-so-delicious nap, I did NOT feel as if I was the one trying to come out of the anesthesia.

I have NOT mastered the fine art of bribery this past week in order to give Sarah ear drops and ointment 3 times a day. This bribery has NOT included dvds, ice cream, donuts, cookies, sleep-overs in mommy’s bed, new shoes, a new purse, trips to Mimi and Papa’s house and trips to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. This most certainly will NOT continue for the next 30 days!

I did NOT log on to my Facebook account to find that I now have literally hundreds of new friends. This would NOT be thanks to my dear husband, who plays a certain game ::coughvampirewarscoughcough:: using my account and needs to build up his clan to become more powerful and advance in the game.

Speaking of Facebook, I do NOT hold conversations with my husband via FB simply because I’m too lazy to walk downstairs.

Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine

2009-10-03T09:03:00.007-04:00

On our bazillion and one trips to the zoo, we have never ventured into the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine. This facility provides world-class care for the Zoo's 3,000 animals. I think it will probably be a regular stop from now on. Here, the displays feature hands-on interactives, tools-of-the-trade, and views to surgical suites where you just might be lucky enough to sneak a peak at a treatment procedure in progress! On this particular day we didn't have enough time to borrow an actual vet bag and become veterinarians for a day, but we did explore most of the other activities.

Rachel was busy preparing lunch for a Colobus monkey.

I think Emily may have been preparing her own lunch.

I mean, after all, you do work up an appetite taking care of animals, so if you do happen to get the grumbellies, just grab a snack.
We were able to open the cabinets and drawers (which were covered in plexiglass) to see what supplies and surgical tools were inside, use the scale and blood pressure machine.
This is the exam/operating room for large animals.

Smaller patients are cared for in this room.

Hands-on computers!!! Something the littles don't have much access to at home!

Uuuugh - Let's try not to think about the germs...
The stool was more fun for Emily than the phone because it had wheels... thus, the blurry picture.

We studied real xrays. This bird had swallowed 37 cents. They are quite attracted to shiny objects.

According to Rachel, this poor, unfortunate lemur had broken every bone in his body!

Have I ever mentioned how much fun it is to homeschool?

Sarah's surgery update

2009-10-02T03:06:00.003-04:00

Sarah was the very first to bring home the Alphabet Bag in her preschool class. She was assigned a certain letter and had to fill the bag with items beginning with that letter and return it to school to share with her friends. Can you guess what letter she had?

Peek-a-boo! Guess who jumped into the picture! It's really too bad they don't love each other. And look at those gorgeous tans, which will be quickly fading!

Speaking of our little Sarah Bear, she had surgery this week to repair the hole in her eardrum. It was a huge hole - 40% of her eardrum! I guess you could say she had a hole in her head.

The surgery went well. Waking up after surgery, not so well. She wanted everything OFF!!!! The blood pressure cuff on her leg, the pulse oximeter on her toe, the band aid on her ear and the IV in her hand. And there was going to be no discussing it or trying to reason with her. It was all coming OFF and quickly!!!! Like five minutes ago! She was in pain and it took three of us to hold her down and give her the medicine. Poor baby! She didn't understand why we were doing this to her and kept asking WHY?!?!?!?! She even requested a whole new ear, rather loudly -*ahem*. So much for a quiet recovery room.

We have to give her antibiotics once a day, ear drops three times a day and ointment on her ear three times a day, none of which she enjoys. I'm getting lots of practice in the fine art of bribery.

Tonight as I was putting her to bed (in my bed, the result of tonight's ear drops/ointment bribery), she said, "I think my friends at school prayed for me because we always pray for our friends who go to the doctor." She had the sweetest smile on her face as she was thinking about it. In the midst of her discomfort, it was comforting to know her friends were praying for her. A hug from Jesus.

Down on the Farm

2009-10-02T01:27:00.007-04:00

Last week we spent a beautiful, sunny, toasty warm afternoon at Lake Farmpark. Hard to believe that only one week later we are freeeeeeeezing, wishing we owned a pair of alpaca socks.

This was our first Homeschool Wednesday class at Lake Farmpark and we were not disappointed. The theme for this particular Wednesday was Harvesting. Our first stop was "Corn Binding" which I had never even heard of before. This horse-powered corn binder cuts the stalks and ties a string around 3 or 4 plants and then drops them to the ground.

These are the bundles of stalks that are left behind.

Bring your muscles to drag the bundles to the 'main teepee'. Oh, and you might want to wear long sleeves because I heard they can be itchy and maybe a little ouchy.
Voila! Thirty to forty bundles are made into these lovely corn shocks to allow them to dry out. Next, they will be shredded and stored in silos for animal food.
Next, off to harvest the potatoes. We are planning on saving these potatoes and using them to plant our own next spring. Stay tuned to see how that plays out!
Luckily, we found a hand operated water pump so that we could have sparkling clean potatoes, which Benjamin kept calling tomatoes. C'mon, city kid! Get your veggies straight! Actually, though, after a quick google search, I discovered potatoes are neither vegetable nor fruit. They are tubers. They are the root of a flowering plant related to Deadly Nightshade, as is the tomato. The tomato by the way is classified as a fruit.

Next stop: The 3 acre corn maze on the side of a hill. There were corn-related questions to answer at the forks in the path to help you find your way. It was all a scam. We finally ditched the maze and took the emergency exit out the side of the field. It appeared to be a well-traveled exit, so I think others had the same problems we encountered.

We worked up quite a thirst in that endless corn maze, so we were quite happy our next stop was cider making. It's quite simple. They use a magical combination of three different types of apples, put them in the cider press and squeeeeeeeeeze the juice out of the apples and there you have it! Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to taste that cider because it had not been pasteurized. They did have some cider from another farm for us to sample. YUM! See this turkey? Yeah, he looks innocent enough, but if you're holding an ear of corn..... WATCH OUT! Let's just say he gave us a good run for our money on our way to learn more about the many uses of corn.

Professional corn grinder.

Before leaving we got to take a peek at the many people preparing for the largest indoor display of balloons in the country! That is an oak tree made entirely out of balloons!

The kids used to think I was pretty cool because I could make a dog, sword and hat out of balloons. Someone always has to be 'one upping me'! It was pretty amazing though.

Wordless Western Wednesday

2009-09-30T17:51:00.002-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-16T18:37:00.002-04:00

Not Me! Monday!

2009-09-15T08:41:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

The littles were NOT the least little bit excited to start preschool this week!

People do NOT look at me in a strange way when they find out I send my kids to preschool but then homeschool them after they graduate from preschool.

I did NOT allow my children to dig around in a display at the zoo trying to find a hidden letterbox.

I did NOT send the oldies on vacation to Kentucky this week with my parents and forget to pack their tennis shoes. I mean, you wouldn't really need good walking shoes to visit a zoo or an aquarium, would you? Flip flops and crocs should suffice!

Speaking of a trip to Kentucky, I do NOT consider it an internal vacation when 2/4 of my children are under someone else's care for the week. Nope! Not me!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T23:51:00.001-04:00

Emily June Carter Cash College Carpenter

2009-09-08T22:14:00.005-04:00

That's what we were going to name her. But then we decided that might cause problems for her down the road.

No more crib...

No more high chair...

No more bottles or sippy cups...

No more diapers...

No more itty bitty babies in my house. Whatever will I do? Maybe get a good night's sleep? Well, at least a semi-decent night's sleep. Children in this house still like to play musical beds at night. I never know who I might wake up next to. (Wow, that would sound bad out of context!) I do know that most mornings I awaken, clinging to the edge of my bed for dear life, thankful for any little spare corner of covers they have graciously shared. Honestly, though, I do love to snuggle in bed. They aren't allowed to start out in my bed, but I don't mind if they show up during the night. Steve, on the other hand, might have different thoughts on this. Ahem.

This little ball of energy turned 3 last Saturday.

She is the climber, in constant motion, always doing things her way. She does things the others never even dreamed of doing. Like what? I'm so glad you asked! Walking across the kitchen table and reaching up to the light and making it sway (aka swinging from the chandelier), climbing the entertainment center, walking on the wrong side of the foyer railing, to name a few. Oh, and we must not forget about her potty gymnastics! She is full of personality, to say the least!

This precious girl of mine is always so happy and she is one tough cookie! If she cries after a tumble, you know it's a bad one. She doesn't pout very often because she can't go that long without smiling or laughing. I absolutely LOVE the sweet, sweet smile she has just as she is about to fall asleep. And those curls! They're to die for! People ask me if I curl her hair. That makes me laugh because we all know Emily would NOT be able to hold still long enough for that!

My baby girl is growing up!

But she'll always be my baby.

"No, Mommy, I big girl!!!!"

Amen!

2009-09-05T20:57:00.002-04:00

Sarah, my 4 year old, asked me today, "Mommy, is prayer when you talk to Jesus?"

Oh, how I would love to hear the thought process going on inside her head! I love it when they put things together and it starts making sense to them!

Adventure-ette Day

2009-08-31T21:04:00.008-04:00

Late Sunday afternoon we decided to head to the shores of Lake Erie for a Mini Adventure Day outing to close out summer vacation. Not to say this ends the fun, for we ALWAYS have fun at the Carpenter house, right? We just wanted to squeeze a few more drops of fun out of summer before we start hittin' the books again. It was quite chilly though, so it certainly didn't feel like we were celebrating summer. Downtown Cleveland can be seen to the right of the family and if you pull out your magnifying glass you will see something sticking out of the water to the left of Steve. We think it might have been the Loch Ness Monster?!

Looking for Canada... maybe it's warmer over there.

Cloudy with ~~a chance of meatballs~~ some glimpses of the sun made for a beautiful sky. I could stare at the lake and those clouds forever, except I was too worried Miss Emily might be swimming before long. She's in constant motion, moving rather quickly. I need roller skates to keep up with her these days.

Next stop the playground at Lakewood Park!

"The Climber" in all her glory, making momma EXTREMELY nervous, daddy playing it cool all the while.

See, it was worth the climb!

Now that's what I call a tire swing!

Our Adventure Days always seem to end with ice cream...and there's NOTHING wrong with that! You feel like you're stepping into a story book when you sit in the Lakewood Malley's ice cream parlor.

What a little lady sitting so nicely and waiting patiently for her vanilla shake.

If messy = yummy, Mommy's Hot Fudge Sundae was the BEST!

Good to the last drop!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

Not Me My Child! Monday!

2009-08-24T13:32:00.004-04:00

Did you almost die of embarrassment when your child pulled their own pants down at the library? Want to scream bloody murder when your toddler took a pair of scissors to the dog's fur? Feel like a terrible mother when your kid said a four-letter-word at a back to school event? Well don't! Mothers aren't perfect and neither are children. Let's 'fess up today because it's Not my child! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else's children have not been doing this week.

Sound liberating? Then let's get going!

We did NOT have to leave the playground approximately 3 seconds after arriving because Sarah got stung by a yellow jacket.

After waiting in line for a roller coaster at Cedar Point, my husband did NOT have to get out of line (just mere feet away from getting on the ride) with one of our dear children to use the facilities. They had NOT just used the facilities prior to getting in line. Nope! Not my kids! They have much more bladder control than that!

Sarah and Emily were NOT concerned when their soccer coach told them they were going to play a game at practice in which the monster was going to try to take their ball away from them.

My 4 year old did NOT attempt to play soccer face down on the soccer field.

We did NOT have to abruptly leave the church picnic because Rachel fell off the speeding merry-go-round onto the not-so-soft gravel. Her knee does NOT have a gash so deep that we were considering taking her to the ER.

We did NOT need to look up the number for poison control while tending Rachel’s wound because Emily did NOT get a hold of something she shouldn’t have been playing with.

I’m so glad these things did NOT all happen in the last week, because I would be thoroughly exhausted if they had!

DISCLAIMER: No animals were harmed in the making of the information for this post. However, several children were, but thankfully they are all doing just fine now.

Piano Recital

2009-08-21T01:26:00.011-04:00

My children are blessed with the absolute BEST piano teacher EVER…. Grandma! Yes, Steve’s mom comes over twice a week to teach the 3 older children. And if I’m not mistaken they are learning much more than just how to read music and play those ivory keys. They have special one on one Grandma-time and she is instilling a love of music in them along with many of her other admirable qualities: kindness, honesty, patience and perseverance, to name a few. Tonight we were entertained at their third piano recital. They have come so far in 2 ½ years. It has been rumored that some attendees traveled all the way from California to hear this recital!

This was Sarah's very first recital!

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this curly-haired princess sat quietly in her pretty pink chair to listen to her siblings play the piano. As soon as the first note was played she bounced out of her chair to dance her way through Benjamin’s first song. She then disappeared through the family room and somehow ended up on the stairs.

She was out of sight but I could still hear that little monkey. Daddy, however, could see her and it appears he did not approve.

The little left behind… don’t worry, Miss Em, it will be your turn soon.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-19T21:22:00.000-04:00

Not Me! Monday!

2009-08-17T21:45:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT drag my children to the zoo on a sunny, 97 degree day only to see fewer animals than we have in our own backyard, instead of our original plan to head to the beach on the shores of beautiful Lake Erie.

Now that summer has finally arrived, I did NOT allow the littles to play in the sprinkler sans clothes at grandma's house.

Since seeing Mary Poppins last week, I certainly do NOT exit and enter rooms or go up and down the stairs with any type of new-found dramatic flair. [That would be practically perfect if I did, though!]

My dear husband and dear son are NOT currently sporting mohawks. I am in NO way shape or form responsible for these fabulous haircuts.

My sweet daughter and I did NOT wake up 1 1/2 hours earlier than usual for VBS in order to give her hair an extra special touch last Thursday. That would be silly. We are all business here at the Carpenter house!

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie...

2009-08-16T20:45:00.003-04:00

If you take your kids to grandma's house for a birthday celebration they are going to want to eat.

If they eat a good dinner they will want to sing Happy 20th Birthday to cousin Christina and have cake and ice cream.

After ~~scarfing down~~ eating cake and ice cream they will want to venture outside (in the 90 degree heat) to play kickball.

While rounding 1st base on the way to 2nd they will spot a pile of mulch/dirt and feel the need to dig in it like a squirrel hiding acorns. Because they are sticky with sweat the mulch/dirt will cling to their bodies and become a second layer of skin.

Next, they will decide to have a grand old time with the "Crazy Daisy" which wildly squirts water every which way.

If you let them run through the Crazy Daisy sprinkler eventually all of their clothes are going to come off and sit in a sopping wet pile while they continue to run through the sprinkler, now naked.

If you let your children get sticky with sweat, grimy with mulch and dirt and then soaked in a sprinkler the next stop is going to be the bathtub. Three chicas in a tub... how sweet.

After the little ones are bathed and have clean clothes on they will smell so delicious you will smother them in kisses.

Occasionally, you will check on the older children (who are also sweaty, dirty and soaking wet - have no extra clothes to change into at grandma's house and thus are not allowed inside) and tell them to keep having fun on the glider on grandma's front porch. Uncle Pat will take pity on them and come to the rescue with drinks!

Someone will spot the birthday presents and remember that this is ~~Nixtina's~~ Christina's party.

After she opens her fabulous presents and cards we will want birthday cake and ice cream (again).

If we eat cake and ice cream we will realize that we should have had leftover chicken and rice for supper. And you know what happens after our tummies are full. Yep, those clean kids want to head back outside to play.

But the mean mommy snatches them up, puts them in the van and they are asleep before you reach the end of the street!

(Don't you just hate it when you have a perfectly fabulous day and you FORGET your camera!!!!! Hopefully, I will be able to get a hold of some pictures to add to this post soon.)

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-08-14T00:41:00.003-04:00

1. When will my house ever be clean and the laundry caught up?

2. Fireproof was the last good book I read or movie I saw or tv show I watched.

3. Everything has its beauty but sometimes you have to look for a long time before you see it.

4. Turkey hot dogs and baked beans are what I had for dinner.

5. I'd like your maid to come clean my house when she's finished with yours.

6. Sleeping in Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom is where I want to be right now. Then we would wake to the smell of breakfast and eat the most delicious scrambled eggs in the world at her Royal Table and all the princesses would come to say hello and take pictures with us. Next stop would be Buzz Lightyear, where I am known as a Galactic Hero!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to blogging and reclaiming the kitchen table, tomorrow my plans include the last swim of the summer at Ledge Pool and Nixtina's Bday party and Sunday, I want to go to church, out to lunch and then to Steve's Championship softball game(s).

Camp E.D.G.E.

2009-08-13T23:20:00.006-04:00

Last week the kids and I attended VBS at Good Shepherd. I led the science center, which is always a good time. It's an even better time when the experiments work, as they did this year. To Benjamin's dismay, there were no explosions as in the past... maybe next year. The kids had the awesome opportunity to sing one of the songs they learned with the SonRise Praise Band at the Contemporary Service on Sunday. Yes, that's LIVE music, not memorex, or whatever that commercial used to say. The kids AND the band were rockin! God moves in me and speaks to me through music and this song was no exception! Just look at those little ones singing their hearts out and praising God! Only 3/4 of the Carpenter children are present in this video. Benjamin, age 10, aka mohawk man in the back row, Rachel, age 9, green shirt on the left and Emily, age 2, yellow shirt on the left in the front row. Sarah decided to sing from the pews in the safety of momma's arms.

The theme this year was Camp E.D.G.E. It was an extreme adventure where we Experienced and Discovered God Everywhere! The 4th, 5th and 6th grade group decided to have a crazy hair day and yep, they took it to the EXTREME!

Crazy kids!

2009 ~ The Year of the Mohawk

2009-08-13T20:59:00.003-04:00

I never thought I would see my son with a mohawk.

I definitely never even considered ever seeing my husband with a mohawk.

And I certainly didn't think I would be the one to take the clippers to their heads to create such works of art! Steve says people look at you differently when you have a mohawk... especially when you're pushing 40 and sportin' a mohawk! Ahhh, fun times, fun times.

People look at you differently when you follow Jesus too. They wonder what makes you do the things you do, say the things you say, live the way you live. Perhaps they may even ask what makes you tick. Perhaps you will have the courage to answer truthfully about the Savior who paid the ultimate price so that you could live eternally and know a peace, joy and love like no other.

Or, maybe they don't even know you are a Christian. I'm reminded of a quote I heard a long time ago. Unfortunately I do not remember who said it. "If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Sadly, for me, there are many days that I would NOT be convicted. I've conformed to the ways of this world, given in to temptations and don't walk the walk.

As Christians we are called to live differently than the rest of the world. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Here's the same verse from Eugene Peterson's, The Message: "Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

So, here we are, Benjamin and Steve, living on the EDGE and going to the EXTREME for Jesus!

"You're my prince of peace and I will live my life for you!"
(the last line of You Are Holy, MWS)

A Double Triple and a Triple Triple

2009-08-01T17:14:00.003-04:00

Do you know what you're looking at?

That's my boy about to hit a double triple, as he likes to call it. That means he made it to second base with 3 RBIs. Wooohoooo!!!!

Today, at the Championship game, he hit a triple triple - made it to third base with 3 RBIs. This momma couldn't be more proud! Benjamin's team finished the season today in second place and what a nail biter of a game it was. I loved watching the boys play this year. It gets more and more exciting each year as they progress and grow and learn more about the game.

His little sisters even got into it, rooting for him and cheering him on to victory!

Or, maybe they're just into it for the end-of-the-season ice cream treats!

Friday Fill Ins

2009-07-31T23:02:00.003-04:00

1. It's time for Will and Grace, it's the new Seinfeld in my book. Can't fall asleep without it.
2. My bathtub; it's not a bad place for thinking. I do some of my best work in there.
3. I must be heading to bed soon. I have a lot to accomplish this weekend!
4. Salvation is the best thing I have ever known.
5. My life is simply blessed.
6. The last time I laughed really loudly was earlier this evening when Rachel told me she hit a fly ball at the Dragon Range.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to updating my blog and reading some more of my book Real Moms, Real Jesus in preparation for the Mom's Group I'm leading this year, tomorrow my plans include cheering Benjamin on at his Championship Baseball game, doing another homeschooling portfolio review and getting my science experiments ready for VBS next week and Sunday, I want to go to church, take Benjamin to his Adventure Guides Olympics, take Rachel to her softball team's end-of-year pool party, go to Steve's playoff softball game and pack everything up for VBS and get everyone to bed early since we have to be out the door by 8:00am on Monday. YIKES!!!

Goodbye, July!

2009-07-30T22:19:00.009-04:00

Summer is just rolling right along. August is going to be a busy month at the Carpenter household. VBS the first week and then family coming from CA for a 3 week visit will keep us hopping!
We're not ready to talk about the "S" word yet... you know... school ...shhhhhhhh. (HINT: Highlight the blank space to reveal the "S" word) However, I do have some fun ideas bouncing around in my head. For example, wouldn't it be cool to have a chalkboard wall? Or how about a magnetic wall to hang all our fabulous artwork? With 4 kids, my refrigerator doesn't stand a chance! I have so many cool magnets and we could even create our own. A place to hang our calendar, charts and photos... the possibilities are endless!
The idea that excites me the most, however, is Rain Gutter Bookshelves. We have enough books in our house to open a small library. If the books were more accessible and on display I think they would be read more frequently. The fronts of the books would be showing, as opposed to the spine, so they would be much more intriguing. Although Emily might look at this as a new opportunity to climb the walls! All I need is a hack saw and I think I can do it (when Steve isn't looking, of course).
These and many more awesome homeschooling tips and ideas can be found at a blog I recently discovered Raising Olives.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-29T21:48:00.000-04:00

Can you guess who these lil' piggies belong to?

My millennium baby

2009-07-27T22:23:00.007-04:00

Nine years ago today I cried because I had to leave Benjamin for the first time overnight. A few hours later, well maybe more than just a few, I heard the words, “It’s a girl!” and knew I could venture over to the ‘pink’ side of the store! I was thrilled to have my teeny tiny princess! She was a six pounder and just precious! And ya know what???? She still is! (Precious, not six pounds).

This daughter of mine is so many things:

She is an athlete who plays soccer, softball, ballet, jazz, modern dance and anything else you might challenge her to try. She is usually the smallest girl on the team but that doesn't discourage her in any way, shape or form. She's small but mighty! Her last soccer coach said she was the dynamite stick on their team!

She is a musician who plays the piano and sings her heart out. She also wants to learn to play the violin.

She is brave. It is NOT fun to have Celiac Disease but she is learning how to live with it. For the most part, she makes it look like a piece of cake (gluten free, of course!). I also remember a time when she was 5 years old and was the first child to give her Oral Presentation at our Homeschool group. The room was filled with many parents, grandparents and children. She was the only Kindergartner and I wasn't sure if she was going to do it or not. I know if I was in her shoes I would have wanted to hide. She was nervous, but she marched right up there to the microphone and recited Humpty Dumpty like you've never heard it before! That's my girl!

She is a friend and a sister. Her devotion to her friends and siblings is remarkable. She loves to play with them and is extremely creative. It's interesting to watch her create something she needs. It doesn't matter what it is, she'll find a way to make it work.

She is a helper. She loves to help me organize, fold laundry, bake cookies and take care of her little sisters. I don't know what I would do without all of her help! I don't think I tell her thank you often enough.

She is my little night owl who, since birth, has always loved that oh-so-delicious 5:00 nap! And she is also quite the snuggle-bug!
Most importantly, she is a Child of God. She has blessed our family with her sweet spirit, kind heart and loving nature. I am so thankful that God chose me to be her mom. My prayer for Rachel is that she remains strong in her faith, makes good decisions and seeks to honor and glorify God in all that she does. I pray that she will be happy and that God is preparing a special man to be her husband someday and that they will be blessed with children. God has a very special and unique plan for you, Rachel Nicole! I look forward to watching you follow that plan! I love you so very much, you'll never know just how much!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139: 13-14

Adventure Day

2009-07-24T23:20:00.014-04:00

Adventure Day is when you load up the van with curious children, plenty of snacks, food and water (note to self: pack even more H2O next time), sunscreen and mapquest directions. Then you head out for a fun-filled day of exploring. Your husband drives while you navigate. You give him one too many clues while driving and he correctly guesses the destination. Well, at least the first stop.
Today's Adventure Day took us to Chagrin Falls where they just happened to be having a Sidewalk Sale too. The Falls were pretty and I think we should return in the winter months to see what they look like when they're frozen!

Next,we had a picnic lunch in the South Chagrin Reservation of the Metroparks.

Then off to Preston's H.O.P.E. Playground in Beachwood. What a fun place! This 60,000 square foot outdoor play facility is the largest fully accessible playground in NE Ohio. Even though it is located on the property of the Mandel Jewish Community Center, it is available to children of all ages, religious, ethnic or racial backgrounds. Until now, there was no such place that provided accessible structures that were safe and secure for children using special equipment such as crutches or wheelchairs or one that truly enables children with and without disabilities to play alongside one another. The park was built with many custom-designed elements to accommodate youngsters with mobility issues, vision or hearing impairments. Here are a few examples: The park is wired with sounds (train whistle, flowing water, etc) that can help a sight impaired child navigate. The large windows in the village houses allow parents to use sign language to communicate with hearing impaired children while they play inside. Broad ramps throughout the park let youngsters in wheelchairs get a loftier view of the world. And, the slides have transfer decks so children in wheelchairs can be helped onto the equipment. Three million dollars were donated in loving memory of Preston, a little boy with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, to build this awesome place. We'll definitely be returning there!

Daddy decided to add one last stop to Adventure Day.... Handel's for ice cream....mmmmmm!

ABC

2009-07-23T12:18:00.003-04:00

Sarah: Mommy, I want to play this game (Trivial Pursuit).

Me: You have to know how to read to play this game.

Sarah: I know how to read, Mom. Remember that day I did the Alpha Bits?

It won't be long, my girl! You love books and know the letter names and sounds... You are on your way!!!

Systems

2009-07-22T18:49:00.008-04:00

I'm always saying, "Systems, we need systems!" You know. Just a little order and some routines to help control the chaos of the Carpenter household. I would love for things to happen efficiently and in a timely manner. Things like dishes, laundry, recharging batteries (for my camera that seems to need fresh batteries after every two pictures), the assigning, doing, grading and storing of school work. You get the picture.

Well, Rachel took matters into her own hands and devised a system to keep her little sisters out of her room. They love to sneak in there and play with all of big sister's treasures. I gave Rachel permission to lock her door to keep them out but so far this system seems to be working just as well. Here, take a closer look...

The sign says, "Pull on Doll". Meaning the tiny,bald princess at the top who is connected to a string that is connected to some sort of contraption on the other side of the door that alerts Rachel when visitors have arrived.

This is what you see when you "Pull on Doll".
If you ask, "What are you doing?", this is what you will see. More lovely hair dos!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T16:19:00.001-04:00

Not My Child!

2009-07-20T17:19:00.007-04:00

Welcome to Not My Child! Monday! a fun and simple twist on Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what everyone's kids have not been doing this week.

My 8 year old (I won't be able to say that for much longer!) did NOT construct a bun on my 2 year old's head that was so large and heavy she was having trouble staying upright. Nope! NO fabulous hair dos at our house!

Another child of mine did NOT yell across the baseball field, mid-game mind you, "Coach, I have to go to the bathroom!!!!" Said child did NOT then run across the field, directly into the woods. *Ahem*

We certainly do NOT travel with a potty in our van and even if we did we certainly don't stop just anywhere to use it! Most definitely not on the side of the road in the heart of Amish Country! Nope! Not us!

My children, especially the 2 year old, NEVER point at strangers, who are standing mere feet away, and call them things like pirates (because they're wearing eye patches) or Sharpay (from HSM - because they're blond). Not my kids! They're much too polite, kind and considerate for such behavior.

Lastly, my children do NOT cut their own hair or apply their own make up. They know better than to play with scissors or to get into mommy's things. Even if they did, I'm sure they would at least make it symmetrical.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-15T13:47:00.002-04:00

Guest Blogger

2009-07-13T17:59:00.009-04:00

How on God's green earth am I supposed to man-up, if you will, when she gives me a girl name and puts a pink dress on me????

I just want you to know that it was NOT my idea to wear a pink dress, sporting a picture of a dog none-the-less, and I don't even care if he IS a famous dog. Believe you me, I made my feelings on the whole matter clearly known after that hideous picture was snapped! And this isn't the first time she's done something like this and I assume it won't be the last. You should see, actually, you should NOT see, the slew of pictures she took for an album she's making titled "Stuff on Your Cat". I think she got the idea from a book she saw at Border's. At least I'm not alone.... there are others out there who endure this kind of thing.

How did I get on her blog you ask? She thinks I'm curled up, all cute-like, cat-napping next to her on the bed, but really I've got one eye open memorizing passwords.

So there you have it, folks.

Sincerely,
Shelby

PS - In case you are wondering what that rant was all about this post might clear things up a bit (or confuse you further).

Not Me! Monday!

2009-07-13T13:43:00.012-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Upon seeing my soon-to-be nine year old daughter in make up with her hair done for her role as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, I did NOT gasp at her beauty and begin to ~~fear~~ realize what is down the road for us when she is old enough to be interested in dating. You know, when she is like 30 or 40.

I did NOT worry AT ALL about my husband and son who were paddling down a river in a metal canoe during that horrendous thunderstorm on Saturday. Nope! Not Me!

I did NOT continue with my cleaning as my 3 daughters hid under their pillows and blankets on the couch during that same horrendous thunderstorm. I, also, did NOT overhear the 8 year old telling the 2 and 4 year olds, "Just keep praying, girls!"

I did NOT put a pink dress on my cat (just because). The fact that he is a male did NOT make it even worse and more embarrassing for him. Nope! Not Me! I would NEVER even think of something so absurd!

Fill 'er up!

2009-07-09T00:22:00.003-04:00

I long for quiet and crave solitude.

Maybe that's why I stay up too late, too often. There's a stillness in my house that you will not likely find during daylight hours.

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids and the sounds of their laughter, singing, silliness and playing. I have come to realize I truly love the craziness of this season of my life - the never-ending laundry, the always present toys on the floor, the clutter on every horizontal surface, the homeschooling books and papers and projects, oh and did you know they expect to be fed THREE times a day???? We won't even discuss the sports, play dates, practices, parties and all the other activities that require a chauffeur - a logistical nightmare to be sure!

Susanna Wesley, a mom of 19 kids (beat that, Duggars!), would pull up her hoop skirt over her head to find a moment to pray. One of her sons, John Wesley, was the founder of the Methodist Church and another son, Charles Wesley, was a great hymn writer. I wonder if she homeschooled? At any rate, she certainly understood the need to pull up to the spiritual filling station so she had the love, patience and energy to serve her family.

When we spend time with God, we fill up until we are overflowing and that overflow is what enables us to love and serve others.

However, before we fill up we need to empty ourselves of all the gunk and yuck that has been building up. The other day I heard a new song on the radio by Chris Sligh called Empty Me. He was on American Idol a few years back. I liked him then and I like him even more now. In the song he talks about emptying ourselves of selfishness, pride and foolish things so that we can be filled with Jesus.

I long for quiet and crave solitude.

I want to hear Jesus speak to me in those quiet moments. I want to put His word in my heart and spend time in sweet communion with the One who created me. I want to pull up to the spiritual filling station, empty myself of me and then overflow with Jesus' love on to my family and those around me.

I long for quiet and crave solitude.

Sarah's Advice

2009-07-09T00:04:00.000-04:00

"Eat slowly, Emily, or your tummy will laugh at you."

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T23:35:00.000-04:00

Not Me! Monday!

2009-07-06T11:11:00.006-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT send out many not-so-nice messages containing a virus via Facebook because someone hacked my account. Nope! Not Me!
I did NOT spend large amounts of time (which I will NEVER get back) trying to remember and then change passwords to countless other sites and accounts.
My dear, sweet husband did NOT spend even larger amounts of time (which he will NEVER get back) doing things to my laptop, which I will NOT pretend to understand or explain, so that it is all better now. Love you, hunny!
During communion I did NOT tear off a piece of bread large enough to be considered lunch! (The pastor did remind us beforehand to get a piece big enough to dip in the juice... I was simply complying....that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!)
After a yum-deli-cious cookout earlier in the day on the Fourth of July, I did NOT suggest that my son and I simply have ice cream for supper and then follow through with that suggestion. Nope! Not me!
I did NOT contemplate setting fire to my flowerless flower beds to get rid of the gazillion weeds that have taken over. Not me! Never!
We did NOT forego fireworks this year simply because sometimes it's easier to just stay home. Nope! Not at all!

Who needs Ethan Allen?

2009-07-02T17:29:00.004-04:00

Some people have furniture or decorative items in their foyer. I have a K'nex Motorized Ball Machine, the Chrysler Building and a fancy shmansy helmet of some sort.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T22:09:00.002-04:00

Not Me! Monday!

2009-06-29T10:53:00.009-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

My 4 year old did NOT paint her 2 year old sister's toe nails, as well as her own, during nap time. I most certainly was NOT scrapbooking while this was occurring. Nope! NOT at this house!
I did NOT have difficulty stifling my laughter as my husband threatened our children with serious trouble if their misbehavior at the dinner table continued...What exactly is serious trouble anyways???? And by the way, NO ONE was sent to the corner during this whole ordeal, including ME.

I do NOT have problems stifling my laughter at other inappropriate times as well. Nope! Not me!!!

I did NOT recently decide it was time to part with my maternity/nursing bras (holes and all). I, also, did NOT hide them at the back of the drawer just in case the new ones, you know, don't work out. Nope! Not me!

I do NOT test my husband's patience with my lack of computer knowledge. What do ya mean, just go to Windows Explorer? ISB port? Programs? Accessories? Huh? ABAPBAPBAP.
Yeah, and I CANNOT figure out how to center those 2 pictures up there and I'm NOT going to ~~bother~~ ask my husband again.
And I'm NOT late to pick up my daughter from cheerleading camp because of my ~~lack of computer knowledge~~ computer problems!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T16:07:00.000-04:00

Good Golly, Miss Molly!

2009-06-18T00:57:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday Rachel, Nelly and I had tea with some lovely ladies at Miss Molly's Tea Room. What a sweet bunch of girls! And what you can't tell from this picture is that they are also fabulously talented ballerinas!

And yes, everyone wore their seat belt.

One grain at a time

2009-06-17T23:54:00.005-04:00

I DID IT!!!! I found something to keep Emily in one spot for more than 2 seconds!!!

Last month Sarah's preschool class took a field trip to the playground at the library. They spent a good deal of time playing in the sand while I spent a good deal of time trying not to think about all the stray cats that probably pee in the sand every night. Anyways, Emily was fascinated and was picking up the sand one grain at a time. Now that would be a pretty time-consuming castle to build!

A homeschooling perk: Big brothers get to come along to the playground and push you and your friends on the tire swing! Sarah's friends adored Benjamin and he was so gentle, patient and kind with them.

Another homeschooling perk: Big sisters get to come along to the playground and help you play and build in the sand. They can also teach you how to do it faster than one grain at a time! Rachel was great with Sarah's preschool friends. They were amazed with her skills!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T17:32:00.002-04:00

Not Me! Monday!

2009-06-08T14:51:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

It did NOT take my hubby and me an entire day to clean out the garage. We did NOT find 17 phonebooks scattered about, waiting to be dropped off at the recycle trailer. Nope, not here at this house!
We did NOT see 4 raccoons hanging out in/under/around the recycle trailer so that said phonebooks were unable to be dropped off and are NOT still residing in my van, making a rather interesting obstacle course for children entering and exiting my ~~taxi cab~~ van.
I did NOT find 2 dirty diapers while cleaning out the garage. I guess that system of just tossing stinky diapers out the door with the intention of later putting it in the garbage can isn't working out so well. Good thing Emily does NOT poop in her pull up anymore.
Speaking of which, I did NOT have to wash the shower curtain, along with surrounding walls, cabinets, towels, toilets and children [read Emily] after hearing these frantic words from Rachel, "MOM, Emily pooped everywhere, it's EVERYWHERE!!!!"
I did NOT have 7 children ~~running around like screamin'mimis~~ angelically playing quiet games at our house yesterday. My son is NOT bitter that his sister's friends were able to stay 3 hours longer than his.
My neverforgetathingson, Benjamin, did NOT help me remember all these lovely things that did NOT happen this past week. Nope! No way!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-03T14:42:00.000-04:00

Sarah fell in love

2009-06-01T22:32:00.003-04:00

On Memorial Day Sarah found a new best friend. Sophie (which is pronounced Sue-Fee in Sarah world) was the cutest little puppy and oh-so-sweet!

Sarah, who is VERY shy and quiet, went to talk to Sophie's "mom" and to ask if she could hold the leash. That's a huge step for Sarah to go and talk to someone she doesn't know. Don't panic, it wasn't a stranger. It was a family friend who was at a Memorial Day gathering at Grandma and Grandpa's house. But Sarah probably doesn't remember seeing her before. Sophie was the perfect size for Sarah. I could just see Sophie and Sarah snuggled up sleeping together. Sarah would be such a good mommy to her!

Happy June!!!!

2009-06-01T16:01:00.002-04:00

June is my favorite month! The weather is warmer (although today it's chilly) and even warmer weather is coming soon; school work is winding down; we have the anticipation of the whole summer in front us! Lazy days at the pool and ice cream.... here we come!

Oh, and my birthday too. Only 29 shopping days :)

Not Me! Monday!

2009-05-31T22:35:00.010-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Last week I did NOT find a bottle of salad dressing (blue cheese, if you must know) that expired over two years ago. Nope! Not Me!

My husband is NOT obsessed with changing every stinkin' light bulb in our house (whether it needs it or not) to high efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs that supposedly will last for 7 years.

I did NOT allow my overly energetic 2 year old to ride in the trailer of Grandpa's tractor without following closely behind to make sure she would stay put! My 4 year old most certainly was NOT doing the driving and my 8 year old was definitely NOT the one that got hurt during the excursion!

The Pommel Horse

2009-05-31T17:55:00.006-04:00

A few years back I remember hearing a comedian talk about being able to afford to go on vacation now that his kids were out of diapers. I can relate.

Emily is our earliest, not to mention last, potty trainer and I am quite excited and very thankful. I just wish I would have had this, oh say, about 10 years ago. That's some good information.

We have one of those handy dandy seats that fits directly on the toilet seat. I thought it was a mah-velous find; much better than the traditional potty chair that you have to empty and clean each time they go. It worked great for Benjamin, Rachel and Sarah, but then of course you eventually have to wean them from it. However, weaning Emily won't be a problem because she doesn't want anything to do with it. She doesn’t like it because then she can’t do her acrobatic maneuvers to peer into the bowl to admire her accomplishments. I've never seen such potty gymnastics. This picture reminds me of Emily on the potty.
That girl! I have quite a long list of things that only Emily ever thought to do (in our family, anyways). No doubt about it... She's one-of-a-kind!

A Mermaid's Tale

2009-05-31T16:55:00.001-04:00

Rachel's fourth Ballet Recital was last weekend. She did a fantastic job and we were very proud of her! She loves dancing and does well so that makes it worth all of the time, taxi rides and $$$. I don't know if dancing is something she will pursue as a career, but for now it keeps her happy, healthy, in shape and focused.

This is my beautiful little Rainbow Fish!

All of the girls danced beautifully. It is so fun to watch them grow and progress. They have become quite the little ballerinas!

The Best Bun Ever! (after 4 years of practice!)
This was the costume for Rachel's Modern Class. They were a School of Fish.

And last but not least, Performing Company. Their number was called Under the Sea.

A little birdie told me that next year might be Tinkerbell and Pixie Hollow!

Come sail away

2009-05-20T21:06:00.007-04:00

Last Sunday, Rachel and I went on a Nautica Queen cruise with Ariel and other friends from the Cleveland Ballet Conservatory. It was a beautiful, sunny day although it was a wee bit chilly. After the crazy week we had with all the sickies in our house, it was WONDERFUL to take a break from it all and just ~~get away~~ sail away with my princess. As we sat down at our cozy table for two she breathed a big sigh of relief and said, "Whew! We finally get to enjoy a quiet, peaceful meal... just the two of us!" With a cute little giggle she added, "I'm on vacation!"
She hit that nail on the head! Yes it did feel like we were on a much-too-short vacation! After lunch, Rachel and her friends hit the dance floor with Ariel. I knew Ariel was a good swimmer, but who knew she could dance? The mermaid's got some moves, let me tell ya!

Since we were cruising on Lake Erie the DJ gave us a few nuggets of info concerning the Great Lakes. We learned how to remember the names of the five great lakes.... HOMES - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. We also learned that Lake Erie contains only 2% of the total water in the Great Lakes. Also, the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame was designed to look like a record player from the top (as in, if you're flying over the top in an airplane).

Then back to reality. This week has been full of rehearsals for Rachel's upcoming performance of The Little Mermaid. Stay tuned for pictures!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T14:36:00.003-04:00

Not Me! Monday!

2009-05-18T17:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT spend many hours this past week cleaning up you-know-what and you-know-what from my sick kids. My carpet will NEVER be the same!
I did NOT giggle to myself as my son (who has a very weak stomach) with hands held over his ears, ran from room to room, while one sister was *in* the downstairs bathroom and another sister was *in* the upstairs bathroom, looking for a quiet spot, while yelling, "Now, the cat's PUKING too!!!!" Sometimes I must laugh to keep from crying.
I most certainly did NOT ignore my older 3 kids pleas and cries of hunger as they begged for breakfast between the hours of 9am and noon last Tuesday since my 2 year old and I had NOT been up all night and we had NOT just fallen asleep on the bathroom floor.
I did NOT breathe a HUGE sigh of relief as my 2 year old had just slid off my lap moments before her... how shall I say it... pull up exploded?! I, then, did NOT furiously scramble for carpet cleaner, paper towels, plastic bags, etc.
I did NOT refuse to sleep in the same bed as my very sick husband. And besides that, the clean-waiting-to-be-folded laundry was NOT piled high, the entire length of my side of the bed.
xxx days later, the laundry is still NOT piled high, the entire length of my side of the bed.

So, there you have it. There was NO shortage on sickness in our house this week. I feel the need to open all the windows (except it's very chilly) and scrub this house from top to bottom with large amounts of bleach.

I need some Scotch

2009-05-13T19:06:00.005-04:00

My four year old is a tapir.

No.... not that kind of tapir.

She's a taper, meaning she LOVES to tape. She consistently finds and uses LARGE amounts of tape for just about anything. I know all kids are fascinated with tape, but she is especially fond of the enticing adhesive. So I have tried to ~~brainwash~~ convince her that Mommy is the taper in this family. She is not a taper! Maybe if tape (or money for that matter) grew on trees I could let her indulge on a regular basis. But I mean seriously. She can go through a whole roll of tape in a matter of minutes!

While driving home from preschool the other day I was admiring her latest art projects (while stopped at red lights, of course) and I reminded her that she's NOT a taper! Mommy's the taper in this family. She looked at me with this clever little smile and said, "I'm a glue-stick-girl!"

Crack.me.up.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-13T16:56:00.002-04:00

Not Me! Monday!

2009-05-11T22:41:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

After asking Steve to watch the kids so that I could take a much-needed shower in peace, I did NOT proceed to brush my two cats instead. When he saw ~~enough fur in the waste can to be another cat~~ the evidence he was NOT amused. Nope! Not me!

Upon hearing frightful screams coming from the bathroom (where my husband and 2 year old were located) I did NOT enter to find ~~stinky brown stuff~~ a mess all over the toilet seat, the wall and my 2 year old's legs, feet and clothes. We did NOT head straight to the tub. Nope! Not at all!

I did NOT dump the large tub of toys on the family room floor because I was so frustrated by what a HUGE MESS our house is in. I know, it doesn't make sense, but this is MY therapy session, so let's just keep moving along here.

I did NOT and do NOT continue to make my children listen to Michael W. Smith's new cd, A New Hallelujah, so many times every day that they have all the songs memorized, including the miscellaneous screams from the random people in the audience. Nope! Not me!

I do NOT thoroughly enjoy and look forward to Not Me! Monday! Nope! Not Me! Notachance!

Memorable Mother's Day Math in May

2009-05-10T02:52:00.003-04:00

Since July of 1998 I have been

pregnant for 47 months

nursing for 46 months

pregnant and nursing simultaneously for 7 months

I was pregnant and or nursing for 85 out of 112 months.

I changed diapers for 103 months. I changed diapers for 2 babies simultaneously for 53 of those months.

What has this produced?

10 year old boy
8 year old girl
4 year old girl
2 year old girl
2 angels in heaven

What does this mean?

I loved being pregnant.
I loved having babies.
I loved nursing them.

And now

I love staying at home with my children.
I love homeschooling my children.
I love watching them grow and learn new things.
I love to hear them laugh and sing and play.
I miss my babies that are in heaven and my heart aches for them still. But I know they are safe in Jesus' arms and I WILL hold them again.

I guess I just LOVE my kids and LOVE being a MOM!

God has blessed us immensely.

Deep In Love With You

2009-05-10T01:13:00.004-04:00

I heard this song by Michael W. Smith a little over a month ago when Steve and I went to see the United Tour. It has quickly become one of my favorites and I listen to it many times each day. That is, when I have possession of the CD. I love the music, but more importantly, the words touch me every time I hear them. When I listened to MWS sing this at the Allen Theater on April 1st it was powerful. I don't think Michael even knew we were there; he sang his heart out to his Abba Father. I could feel the amazing love he has for his Heavenly Father and I wanted that too. I wanted to be Deep In Love with Jesus. I wanted to have that "deep desire burning like a fire to know him as my closest friend."

That's what Jesus wants too... for us to be Deep In Love with him, to be our closest friend, to never have to search again. He will be our Everything, if only we'll seek Him. He wants to have a relationship with us. It doesn't matter if we've been attending church regularly wearing our Sunday best, taking Communion, singing the hymns and reciting the prayers. Not that there is anything wrong with those things. They are all good and pleasing to God. But I think what He also and more importantly wants is to be in a personal relationship with us - for us to talk with him and read his word in the Bible. He wants us to be still before Him so that he can fill us with his Holy Spirit and speak to us. He wants us to spend time with him and to feel like "we're at home" when we are with Him.

Sitting at Your feet is where I want to be
I'm home when I am here with You
Ruined by Your grace, enamored by Your gaze
I can't resist the tenderness of You

I'm deep in love with You, Abba Father
I'm deep in love with You, Lord
My heart, it beats for You, precious Jesus
I'm deep in love with You, Lord

Humbled and amazed that You would call my name
I never have to search again
There's a deep desire that's burning like a fire
To know You as my closest friend

Lord, my Redeemer, Your blood runs through my veins
My love for You is deeper than it was yesterday
I enter through the curtain, parted by Your grace
Oh, you're the lover of my soul

Click here to listen and watch MWS in action. I just love, LOVE, LOVE this song.

"Not me! Monday"

2009-05-04T17:35:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here's to my first "Not me! Monday"...

As I was sitting here pondering what I could possibly write I was NOT eating a bowl of ice cream after sending my kids to their rooms to play. Not me! No way!

I did NOT stay up too late last night trying to beat my friend's scores on Word Twist. Not me! Nope!

I did NOT let the dishes pile high while catching up on my blog reading today. Not me! Never!

I did NOT tell my 2 year old to just pee in her pull-up because I didn't want to take her in the ~~digustingly, filthy, repulsive, gross, smelly~~ public bathroom at the rec center. And besides that I would have had to pause my sewing of Adventure Guide patches and I was really NOT on a roll. NOPE! Not me!

I did NOT hear the timer on the stove. And supper was NOT a little ~~burnt~~ well-done because I was trying to finish up my post.

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-04-24T14:34:00.002-04:00

1. Apparently there's some sort of heat wave in Cleveland today. Yahoo! Bout time!
2. As I look out my window I see a magnificently sunny day.
3. 2009 has been pretty darn good so far. The new Contemporary Praise Service at church has been uplifting, powerful and consistently growing! My kids are healthy and growing and smart... must be that fabulous Queensbridge Academy they've been attending. I am very happily married and live a blessed and comfortable life!
4. I told Emily no more diapers and that was it. Now she tells us when she has to go and off to the potty we run. Never an accident, never a change of clothes involved, never waits too long to tell us she needs to go, never could I be farther from the TRUTH. A girl can dream, right? However, it is a work in progress that is showing MUCH improvement over the last couple days.
5. For too long I've been procrastinating starting my early morning walks again.
6. I am not obsessed with Facebook or reading blogs; I am not!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Rachel's ballet class and then going to my inlaws for supper (my MIL makes the absolute BEST homemade sauce EVER), tomorrow my plans include Benjamin's soccer game and Rachel's first soccer game immediately afterwards, then running home for a quick lunch, quick change of clothes and a quick ballet bun, Rachel's ballet class and then back to the soccer fields for Rachel's second soccer game and Sunday, I want to teach Sunday School, attend worship then attend the Pizza/Talent Show/Birthday Party right after church! Oh yeah, I have a boat-load of papers to catch up on grading too. Oh, yeah... and the laundry I fell waaaaaaay behind on this week. Ugh, I better stop now.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-22T18:55:00.000-04:00

In Emily world

2009-04-20T16:08:00.003-04:00

Cooby Cooby Coop = Scooby Doo

Dreamsville

2009-04-18T10:10:00.025-04:00

Yesterday we traveled to "Dreamsville" more commonly known as Dennison, Ohio to see the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum. This small village lies halfway between Columbus and Pittsburgh, exactly 100 miles in either direction because a steam engine could only travel 100 miles before needing to take on water.

During war times a million and a half G.I.s were served free coffee and food by volunteers at the Salvation Army Service Men's Canteen.
This isn't your typical museum. Part of the museum is housed in five railroad coaches and the kids are allowed to touch, play and climb on everything.

Purchase a ticket

Sleep on a Pullman Bunk

Fix a gourmet meal

Maintenance
It's hard work!
Many presidents rode on the trains and we got to try on their hats...

...and make presidential speeches with a working microphone while watching a real TV monitor. I think campaign promises were made such as, "Cupcakes everyday for everyone!"

We even learned about hobos.

They used "hobo code" to communicate with each other on trees.

Look at these down-on-your-luck hobos I spotted, about to eat their hobo-lunches on this beautifully sunny, 64 degree day.

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-04-17T19:47:00.003-04:00

1. Join me in cleaning this filthy house! I mean really. I can't be expected to get this house clean with all the blog surfing and face booking that needs to be done.

2. Put a little love in your day!

3. Happiness is a great day with your family in the warm sunshine.

4. Sometimes we are lost and confused and that's when we need to open our Bibles, spend time in prayer and listen for the voice of God to direct us.

5. I'm waiting for this movie to be over so we can all go to bed.

6. Cheesecake is hard to resist.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a movie with the kids, tomorrow my plans include Benjamin and Rachel's soccer games and laundry, lots of it and Sunday, I want to go to church and get ready for the week ahead!

Ahoy there, Matey!

2009-04-15T21:23:00.003-04:00

Some things in life are becoming easier. For example, I used to D-R-E-A-D trips to the store with all 4 kids tagging along. Let's just say we have provided entertainment for many a fellow shopper over the last few years. Today, as I was strolling through Marc's with all 4 kiddos, I thought to myself how peaceful this outing was. Everyone was behaving and cooperating and there was minimal whining and I don't believe any tears were shed! As we were checking out, Emily started pointing and saying, "Parrot! Parrot! Parrot!" Now, they used to have birds at Marc's but that was ages ago. I looked around for a picture or stuffed animal of some sort, but what I saw instead was a man in the next aisle (oh, about 4 feet away from us) with an eye patch. She kept getting louder and louder with more intensity as her pointing finger followed the man as he walked right passed us to leave the store. And then I realized she was not saying, "Parrot," but "Pirate"!!!!!! I don't know if she's been watching the news when I'm not looking or what but my baby girl was seriously concerned about this pirate being so close. Even after "the pirate" had left the store she kept saying, "Mommy, pirate! Mommy, pirate!" Rachel reassured her that "There's no such thing as pirates!" Obviously, Rachel hasn't been watching the news!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-15T13:47:00.000-04:00

Oh that wasckly wabbit!

2009-04-12T21:19:00.013-04:00

Well, you'll never believe what that Easter Bunny pulled this year at the Carpenter house!

Exhibit A

Sarah was the first to spot a hidden basket on top of the entertainment center. Coincidentally, it was hers!

Exhibit B

Rachel found her basket in the foyer closet.

Exhibit C

Rachel found another basket on top of the tv in our bedroom. This one belonged to Emily.

Exhibit D

After about 30 minutes of searching high and searching low Rachel found the last basket inside the dryer. Not a minute too soon... Benjamin was becoming a little worried, thinking that maybe the bunny thought he was too old for a basket of goodies.

All baskets found. All is good.

But wait.... usually there are lots of hidden eggs to be found. Benjamin glanced outside to check on the bird feeder and what to his wondering eyes should appear? No, not reindeer but a yard full of eggs. That bunny hid the eggs OUTSIDE this year.

Yes, I sent them outside in their PJs in the freeeeeezing 30 degree morning to collect their eggs.

Fun times, fun times.

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-04-10T21:55:00.002-04:00

1. Anonymous sure has written a lot of poems.

2. Rachel is a cutie pie.

3. Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, um, yeah, let's move on to #4.

4. Warmer weather and sunshine are what I look forward to most about Spring.

5. Who needs therapy when you've got Scrapshare.

6. M&Ms and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups MUST go into the Easter Basket!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Good Friday church and Friendly's afterwards, tomorrow my plans include the Easter Egg Hunt, grocery shopping, Easter preparations and Sunday, I want to go to church and praise the King! The enemy's been defeated and death couldn't hold you down! We're going to lift our voice in victory, We're gonna make your praises loud. Shout unto God with a voice of triumph, Shout unto God with a voice of praise, Shout unto God with a voice of triumph. We lift your name up! We lift your name up! Sorry....went off on a little Michael W. Smith tangent there (#6 on the new CD).

Another great field trip

2009-04-10T15:56:00.006-04:00

Alpacas are one of God's beautiful creatures. Their gentle nature, tranquil temperament, luxurious fiber and calming humming sounds make you want to bring a few home. Today we visited Full Tilt Alpaca Farm. We were able to pet, feed, walk, hug and even kiss them on the lips if we so desired. They were so loving with the owner but a little on the shy side with us. That is until we were holding carrots in our hands. Then we were quickly surrounded with sweetness.

Rachel wasn't too sure about getting up close and personal but she did a great job walking her friend on the lead.

Benjamin was great with them too.

And I think I found the solution for my freezing feet... alpaca socks! But at $20 a pair I decided I better wait and think about it. They were reversable so it would be like getting two pairs, right? What feet wouldn't be toasty warm and happy in socks like that? It might be just what I need to survive another winter in Cleveland!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-08T13:19:00.002-04:00

Double Digits!

2009-04-07T22:14:00.004-04:00

That's my boy!

Ten years ago today I was at a laundromat washing the comforter from our bed because it was too big to fit in our washing machine. While it was washing I popped over to Taco Bell for a bean burrito with sour cream and no onions. A lady at church had told me that Mexican food always put her into labor so I wondered if Taco Bell was Mexican enough to put me in labor. Apparently the answer to that question is yes. I woke up around 4:00 am pretty sure "it was time." I let Steve sleep until 6:00 and when I woke him up and told him he said something along the lines of, "You mean I don't have to go to work today?!"

The last decade has been amazing. God has blessed us tremendously with a smart, sweet, loving boy. He has a special love for animals and nature and he will read just about anything he can get his hands on. He plays the piano beautifully and has an arsenal of knock knock jokes ready to share. He can build and create masterpieces with Legos and K'nex. He has a special gift of being able to draw and is currently putting together a book of comics. There is nothing he can't do when he sets his mind to it.

I can only imagine how many hermit crabs and other creatures will be walking around when he gets a house of his own. (Although I do believe I have him on video promising to never leave home...I'll have to look for that.) Oh, and his backyard will probably be quite amazing if he puts into action all the plans he currently has for our backyard.

My prayer for Benjamin is that he will clearly see the plan God has for his life and courageously follow that plan. I pray that he will always be surrounded by people who truly care for him and who also love and serve Jesus. I pray that God will bless him with a wife and children and they will grow together in their love for each other and the Lord. I pray that Steve and I will continue to raise him in the way God wants us to and that we will provide him with a good, solid foundation. I also want his life to continue to be filled with happiness and laughter.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I love you, Benjamin Charles!!!!!!!

Crab update

2009-04-06T17:24:00.006-04:00

When your soon-to-be 10 year old, hermit crab expert of a son pleads with you to put the molting crab in an isolation tank, LISTEN to him.

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our dear hermit crab, Ariel, who later became Acrobat after discovering “she” was a “he”. Thorin, the “quiet” crab decided to attack while she was most vulnerable. He flipped the shell over and tore her legs off.

I really do feel bad about the whole situation. Benjamin took such good care of them and managed to keep them alive for a whole year. He had been patiently waiting for the molting process to begin and it finally did. Unfortunately, I didn’t listen. I didn’t read the web page that explained the importance of the iso tank. Benjamin repeatedly asked me to read the page on molting but I didn’t make time for it. After it was too late I did read it and very clearly in large, bold letters it said, “A NOTE ABOUT CANNIBALISM:” It went on to explain how hermit crabs find the smell of freshly-shed exoskeleton irresistible.

Nope, I won’t be getting mother of the year this year.

However….. in an attempt to make it up to Benjamin we went out and purchased three, yes three, more hermit crabs.

Allow me to introduce you to Hermie, Fluffy, Crabby and Thorin.

Thorin is now residing inside Ariel's old shell. Yes, that's right, he killed her and then immediately took over her shell. Watch out, new crabs!

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-04-03T19:12:00.003-04:00

1. Angel or not, I will always love Emily. She keeps us on our toes and makes our lives and family complete! Just love her to pieces!!!!

2. I'll cut your hair any way you want me to.

3. As my mother used to say, you're full of baloney. Truthfully, though, I don't think she ever said that and I doubt that's how it's spelled.

4. I drink a tall glass of ice water after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous. And then I head for the Cookies and Cream ice cream cause I deserve it, right?

5. Even in the most crowded of rooms I can find my way to the bathroom.

6. Today is a day fraught with peril. We had a hermit crab fatality...more on that later.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Rachel's ballet, my inlaws returning home from their 3 month stay in CA, practicing my memorized scripture for Sunday and a long, hot bath, tomorrow my plans include Benjamin's soccer game, Rachel's ballet, Henry's 1st birthday party, some shopping and practicing my memorized scripture for Sunday and Sunday, I want to go to church and Benjamin's 10th birthday party at Lazer Xtreme!

United Tour

2009-04-02T08:59:00.004-04:00

This was not a concert.... it was an incredible night of praise and worship led by two very talented and holy men.

The Allen Theater was filled with the Holy Spirit as Steven shared of his broken heart and the hope we have in Jesus Christ. This life is hard, but God is Good. He's got us and will never let go. When it becomes unbearable, He carries us. This servant of Christ is still hurting deeply from the tragic loss of his precious daughter Maria Sue. And he will for a long time. But God will be there, holding him, carrying him, loving him. Beauty will come from the ashes because God is good, all the time and All the time, God is good!

The Holy Spirit moved as Michael led us in an incredible worship experience. Jim Houser, SCC's manager, said on his blog, "I can't imagine King David led worship any better than Michael W Smith does. I'm looking forward to that co-lead..." Yeah, me too. MWS was moved to do, Here I Am to Worship, which wasn't on the set list and for me, it was one of the high-points of the night. He started in the middle of the song..."And I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross"....and sang it over and over. I love those moments in worship when you repeat the best part of the song and you can just lose yourself in the moment. The Holy Spirit moves through you and speaks to the deepest part of your soul. There were many other moments like this through out the night. These aren't moments that you can plan. These are God moments where the Holy Spirit leads and you follow. I crave moments like this. And you know what? I think they are all around us, happening more often than we realize. We just need to open our eyes and watch for them. God is always at work in our heart and our lives.

Here's a fun little tidbit: Just as we were pulling into the parking garage before the concert, who did we see hanging out, skateboarding in the street behind the Allen Theater? One Caleb Chapman. How cool is that? Lesson of the day - always have your camera at the ready! Although, he might not have liked that so much. He's trying to get some fresh air and enjoy a few moments of peace before the concert and here comes the crazy fan snapping pictures.

Now I just need to figure out how to get to Baltimore for tonight's concert... I still need to hear You Are Holy and Forever.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-01T10:11:00.000-04:00