VBS

This week has been VBS at our church. This was the first year that Abi was old enough to go.
She had an absolutely "fabulous" time!
She, of course, loved craft time, and we have a whole new batch of "treasures" to hoard and carry everywhere we go! :o)
It was so neat to see her every morning when I went to pick her up, swaying and clapping and singing to the music. I wish "big people church" were a bit more like that sometimes -- do you think I might be a closet charismatic?
She's at an age where she is so spongy -- soaking up God's Truths and Words! It's so tender to hear her quoting Scripture and to see her actions be a reflection of the Things she's learning.
I am so thankful for our church family and to be part of a church that ministers so well to families of all stages, especially children.

²He called a little child and had him stand among them. ³And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:2-4 (NIV)

Room to Breathe

Forever gone are the days when we'll have 3 behemoth car seats lined up in the middle row of our van.
When we found out we were expecting Camryn, a few of my first concerns were how we'd convert the upstairs bonus room into a fourth bedroom and how in the world we'd seat everyone in the van without it taking impossibly forever to load them all up.
It was so much a part of life, comically so, to open up the sliding doors and see an infant carrier next to a convertible seat next to another convertible seat. Today, no more. Camryn is now the only one in a "baby seat." She's moved to a convertible seat. Brandon is in a high-back booster, and Abi is in a bottom-only booster.
Sigh. Wipe tear. Sigh.
I love being mom to these "babies!" Those days are quickly passing me by. I know each phase has its ups, but I do miss my "babies!"

Minnie in L&D

I most certainly did NOT just see my SON, dressed to the hilt in a Minnie Mouse dress, pass through the kitchen walking as if he were 9 1/2 months pregnant, complete with one hand on his hip and one hand on his "huge tummy," who was "on the way to the hospital to have my cute little baby!"
Wow!
Do you have a 3- or 4-year-old-boy who would like to have regular playdates with Brandon? I am thinking he needs a little more boy influence in his life!

Yes, Bubba, We're in Arkansas

I am generally not one of those people that impulse advertising in the check-out lane of stores is designed for . . . c'mon, first of all, who can look at what's on the shelf when you're just trying not to lose a kid or trying to keep a kid from getting a concussion, inflicted upon said kid by the spinning bag holders at Wal-Mart!
I usually couldn't even tell you what they have in the check-out lanes.

However, today I could not help but notice the display at the end of the lane! I so badly wanted to take a picture of it to post -- but was afraid that would make me seem like a fan of all things redneck!
The display, from floor to almost ceiling was exclusively RC Cola and Moon Pies! No Kidding!

Classic!

Check Your Eyesight

³³"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. ³⁴Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. ³⁶Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you." Luke 11:33-36 (NIV)

One of the pastors at our church, Jeff, shared a message this past Sunday, titled "Staying Focused," that really spoke to me. It is so easy to lose focus on what is truly important, to get distracted, overwhelmed, and, consequently, sometimes attacked.

One portion of the sermon that I was captured by was verse 34 (Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.) The Greek word haplous, translated "good," means "single, simple, sincere."
Literally, this verse is encouraging us to focus single-mindedly on Christ!
Healthy, focused spiritual eyes allow the full light of Christ to flood into us!

Jeff always has some of the most amusing, but perfectly fitting, stories to illustrate his sermons. He told stories of Christian haunted houses he and some of his youth group buddies used to create at Halloween ("to scare people into Heaven"). One year, they decided to make it exceptionally scary by creating a haunted trail through the woods on a family friend's land. So, they spent weeks constructing the trail and putting together dark costumes to wear. However, their best plans for a haunting experience were dashed when they received 3 inches of snow on Halloween and discovered they'd forgotten to consult the lunar calendar -- full moon, too! He said you could see them in their black, now not-so-scary costumes from a hundred yards away, running across the snow under a full moon! :o)
If we hide parts of our life in dark corners, not allowing the light of Jesus to illuminate them, it is easy for Satan to sneak up and attack.
However, if we are single-mindedly focused, our lives will be full of light and will make it much more difficult for Satan to attack us!

We Woke Up to Snow!

The first thing Brandon said this morning was, "Can I go look and see if we have snow?!?!"

Not such an unusual request for an eager young boy --- except that it's June!
My mom gave them a "Mystical Garden" kit for Christmas. It was something I put aside to save for a rainy day, when we needed something different to do ... well, yesterday was the day. We set it up and watered it with the "magic water," and, indeed, magically, the garden began to grow. Strangely enough, the flowers and cherry trees bloomed, and the snow simultaneously piled up on the mountain. It takes about 12 hours for the full blizzard and blooming event to occur. So, Brandon was quite pleased to find that it had snowed overnight!Uncle Matt and Aunt Cori also came down to watch Abi play her last T-ball game today. She was very excited but a little nervous about the extra attention when she went up to bat. So cute! Since it was the last game, Coach Ryan also handed out trophies with their names on them. Abi has carried that thing around all day and has said several times, "This is my first trophy ever! I love it!"We also went to Daddy's work to take a peek at Uncle Matt and Aunt Cori's baby "Peanut" and try to determine Peanut's gender. No such luck, but he/she did wave at us and do a few tumbles!

After a much-needed nap, Nick "helped" Abi and Brandon build a birdhouse and a bird feeder. They thoroughly enjoyed watching him build them, handing him nails, wood glue, and hammer. I love Brandon's expression in this picture! He's so interested in what's going on!Camryn kept getting smack in the middle of construction, which is no great surprise. The true surprise, near miracle, in fact, is that 1/3 of my children are outside and clothed! :o)

Bouncy, Giggly

Not since my first trimester of pregnancy with Camryn have I been so simultaneously giddy and nauseous . . . enjoy (I'd just close my eyes and listen, if I were you!)

Technology Flunkie

By "flunkie," I don't mean genius-in-training. I mean a form of the word "to flunk!"

I read some quotes in "Reader's Digest" that celebrate my technological inadequacies:
* "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." -Arthur C. Clarke
* "We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology." -Carl Sagan
* A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kickboxing." -Emo Philips

And a great quote on wisdom:
"Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar." -Edward R. Murrow

Melancholic Funk

Several people have asked me if I'm on a blog-cation . . . not so much -- just really behind on all of our family going-ons and just kinda' melancholy- funky-blah lately. And it's hard for me to know where to start when I'm so far behind with our family's daily adventures.

I kinda' feel like our family has taken some blows lately, as a couple, and individually. I'm just feeling a little beat up, tired, and down. There's nothing in particular especially wrong, just your standard-issue, relatively insignificant irritations that for whatever reason have been weighing heavily on me lately.

I blame part of it on hormones - my body is still trying to re-learn what to do on its own without a fetus or suckling child sending hormonal directives! First time in a looong time! :o)

And God's been really working on me lately. I think the natural response to seeing myself clearly, in comparison to God's holiness, is to be humbled, which, in me, is often translated into introversion and withdrawal.
At risk of sounding on the verge of whiney right now, I'll leave this post with my favorite line from the "Father of the Bride" movies:
"Every pahty haz a pooper; that's why we invited yeeew, Mischelle [or insert mopey family member's name when appropriate]!"

And a few pictures . . .

It's a home run!
So big!! Who needs a highchair?

You think this is a violation of child labor laws?

So tired! You should've seen the cheeks jiggling as we bounced on the road!