Pool day!

Our city pool opened today and we took the kids for about an hour! Everyone is looking forward to a summer of splashing, diving and sliding! A family pass is $100 and we can go anytime that we like...a really great deal for a large family! (Anna seems to be feeling better this afternoon, too!)

Anna

has had the stomach flu for a few days and is feeling poorly. When she gets an illness of this sort, it really hits her hard. Poor thing has not been able to keep very much down. Thomas and Garrett had it, as well, but are doing better. This is her 3rd bout with it since February and it is getting mighty old. Thank you for praying for Anna!

Heat!

It feels like summer outside and I am loving it!!! 92 is the high today. My plants are all doing great, the strawberries could use some weeding. I have a new clothesline and am having fun with that. Our dryer went kaput...that is okay in the summer, but will have to get a dryer eventually. My neighbor (an elderly lady) told me that she didn't have a dryer until recently. Always hung her clothes out, even in the winter!!! Seems like things go *kaput* in groups. Colton's car needs worked on again. If the fix is too expensive, we will park the Colt and get the Olds out. The Olds isn't pretty, but it is driveable.

Only 4 more days of school work! That is exciting. I placed my order for materials through the school and will see what I receive. I can't order anything from a Christian publisher, so that is limiting. I do get Easy Grammar, Wordly Wise, Teaching Textbooks, Handwriting without Tears. Otherwise I want to make sure our history, science, literature, etc is from a Biblical perspective.

My SIL suffers from MCS and has had a rough time. She was exposed to some pesticides lately and it really set her back. We are all praying for her. She can't go inside most buildings and has to be so careful what she is around. It is hard to understand why we go through trials, setbacks at times. God is always faithful to us. We can't see what is around the bend, but He works things out constantly for our good. I feel that living with depression has helped mold me and continues to and I pray that she can look at this trial and see the good out of it.

Take your children out of government schools..

I found this very interesting post on Yankee Mom's blog


Dobson Again Calls For Parents To Pull Kids Out of Public Schools

Pictures

The first photo is a bit dark, but it is Thomas' classic funny face. Alicia & Julia next (Julia is grimacing). Anna riding on a toy. Garrett, Katie & Colton, all at the graduation party. Colton lost 35lbs on the South Beach diet!!

Sisters & cousins

The kids are blessed to have a few cousins close in age. Here are Alicia, Julia and Carlina with cousin "A".

Warehouse stores..

HERE Life with 7 talks about her experiences with Costco.

What are your thoughts about warehouse stores? Jesse and I did the bulk of our grocery shopping at BJ's when we lived in Florida. We had a big kitchen with lots of cabinets and a large pantry for storage. It was ideal, not only for food, but also for household and paper products.

This past Fall, my mom bought us a membership to Sam's Club. Prior to that we had been doing most of our grocery shopping at Super Walmart. Now Sam's is our main stop and maybe Super Walmart if we can't find something at Sam's. It is much simpler shopping. We buy very basic....chicken, ground beef, lunch meat, bread, fruit, vegetables, juice, baking products, ketchup, barbeque sauce, maple syrup, cereal, milk, butter, cheese, noodles to name the main items. Sam's is never crowded when we go (we avoid the weekends, if we can help it--although the kids love to go on the weekends to get samples) and we can also get a cheap meal while we are there--delicious large cheese pizza for around $8.

Will there be war?

Sanctions against Iran have no teeth courtesy of Joel Rosenberg's blog

Great photo

of Jesse and his 4 siblings. They were all together recently for his brother Joe's daughter's graduation. Jesse is smack in the middle with an older brother and older sister and younger brother and younger sister. They also had a little brother who died right after birth, so sad, I can't imagine.

There are some great things..

out in bloggy world today...check out these articles:

Daily Duties/Divine Order from Generation Cedar


When to Stand and When to Hide from Large Family Mothering


Building Character: A Mother in her Realm also from Generation Cedar


Woman's Beautiful Sphere of Influence from A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

More pictures..

Alicia was so thrilled to receive the latest Sisters Grimm book today. It was a perfect day...75 and sunny. We walked to the library and the park. Also, isn't my hanging basket so pretty? It was my Mother's Day present.

Some spring pix...

Carlina is working on her math. She is not a huge fan of math but the Teaching Textbooks curriculum has been wonderful. Carlina is doing Algebra I this year and Julia Pre-Algebra. Alicia is goofing around in the kitchen. She is going to camp for the first time this summer. It will be a week of swimming, crafts, games and fellowshipping with other young believers--should be a blast! Jake has crazy eyes in this photo. He is living up to his bulldog heritage by getting into 2 fights in the past couple of days. My peonies are growing and will be blooming soon. They are my absolute favorite spring flower. Next photo-my little strawberry patch. All the strawberries are from Mom and Terry's garden. Finally my big yellow house. There is a huge Maple tree out front and a smaller cedar tree off to the side.

Do all paths lead to God?

Kathleen Parker thinks so:

Article

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother's Day with my delightful children and extended family. My dear husband had to work but left me a beautiful (hand made) card. After church, we enjoyed a tasty lunch at my MIL's of loosemeat sandwiches, salads, chips, and later homemade ice cream. YUM!

I was contemplating my mom and all the sacrifices that she made so she could raise my sister and I and further thinking about the wonderful sacrifices that all mothers make for their children and families. I am enjoying this season in my life, so much. I know how fast it will go! My firstborn is graduating from High School. Although he will live at home next year and take classes nearby, things are changing in his life. He is becoming independent. So here are some thoughts:

1. Someday I will have peace and quiet in the bathroom......although for now, I usually have someone in there with me or at least one banging on the door.

2. Someday I will have no more diapers to change....I have been changing diapers since July 1992 when Colton was born. I think I had a small break between Alicia and Katie...maybe 6 months. Otherwise I have had a child in diapers for almost 18 years.

3. Someday I will not have to worry about wearing a nursing bra.....I have also been nursing a baby since 1992 except for that time between Alicia and Katie. Alicia weaned at 2 years of age and Katie was born when she was 3 1/2.

4. Someday I will be preparing food for just 2 people instead of 10!

5. Someday I will have time to read, write and do the projects that I have put on the backburner.


Let me say that I am not that excited about the "someday"....I hope I have grandchildren to fill my home with love and laughter. My friend commented to me the other day that it was a wonderful blessing to still have a baby after all the years of child raising and I am so thankful for Anna. She adds much to our lives.

On another note...here is a wonderful article from Large Family Mothering about the "so-called" Woman's Movement....check it out!

Gorgeous Apples...

Right off the truck from Selah, Washington... (Fuji's)

Large sized...

We go through lots of chocolate chips in our house... thank goodness for Sam's Club!

We love our Jake!

WOW...must read

Lastest on Joel Rosenberg's blog:

Nuclear Free Zone

Remy came home and other things..

to be grateful for! It turns out that he was trapped in our neighbor's garage. We are all thanking God! When I was praying for Remy the other night, God reminded me that I needed to be more concerning for the lost in my neighborhood than my lost kitty. I am so thankful for that reminder.

Today...

May 4th
Sunny outside
Alicia munching cheerios on the couch
Anna pulling baby wipes out of the box as fast as she can
Katie making a play house behind a chair
Jesse getting ready to go up and see his dad
Remy has disappeared and we are all sad
Carlina is going to put up posters about him today
We think someone is systematically killing off our cats
Need to start on school
Everyone have a great day!

For Good!!

I've been meditating on this verse lately:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Isn't that a reassuring verse? For the good! We know that bad things will happen to us in life...there will be floods, tornadoes, misunderstandings, injuries, death...but God takes all those bad things brought about by sin and works them out for our good.

DH and I have had lots of bad things happen to us in the past 5 years.. terrible (extended) family troubles, miscarriage, failing business, bankruptcy, losing most of our physical possessions. But those things God has continually been working out for our good. He has given us peace through extremely troubling situations and held us tightly as we walked some dark roads. I've learned that things in this life...money, possessions, a nice house..don't amount to happiness. All these things will one day disappear. We will lose our health, family members and one day we will die. But God turns all these things...including and especially death...for the good! Because of what His Son has done for us we will live again. There will be no more evil, pain, sin...it will all be GOOD!