Past Few Days

We had a great Officers Councils this past week which is like a Pastors retreat/revitalization.   Our Speakers were very experienced husband/wife team Corps Officers (Pastors) from Ohio who are venturing into building a Kroc Center.  They were very good speakers and Paul and I both enjoyed the subject matter and felt that we were ministered to very much.  I especially came  away with a fresh look at all the human "vessels of God" in my life.  Praising Him for the unique ways that he made each of us in order to be a container of Christ!

  Of course, Mary came with us while Grandma (my mom from CA) held the fort down back at home with the other 4 children.  They all did great!! Time with Grandma is always fun and treasured!

During free time, Paul and I (and Mary) drove down to Salem to see the Kroc Center.  It was amazing!  I was such a dork, I felt like crying because it was so awesome. What a tremendous ministry oppourtunity Ray and Joan Kroc left to The Salvation Army.  HOLISTIC ministry... NOW we're talkin' !!

 I would encourage anyone to take a look. Click HERE  to see it for yourself.

Here is one of my friends and comrades

putting Mary in the basket of her husband's scooter.

Mary got passed around a lot.  It feels real good that she is so loved!

Of course, we do get asked, basically anywhere we go,

how many children do you have? And are you going to have more?

To which I have so many answers besides my usual "just 5". 

I fight the urge to share my personal/biblical convictions about this

because I've learned that not everyone wants to hear our why. Let alone my own defensiveness to say/prove "Yes! (By the grace of God),  I am a fully functioning Officer even with 5 children!"

I am always more than happy to share about this when I feel genuinely approached ;)

but I don't think my blog is the place to do it.

Anyways....  back to the sweetie pie stuff...

We ate lunch at Stone Cliff Inn, not to far from camp.  A bonus was that it is where the movie "Twilight" was filmed, so after lunch, we hiked around to all of the filming locations.  Very cool!

Also, this is Mary sitting in her first high-chair and eating her first "real food" (besides momma milk) of crackers.

We got home Thursday evening only for me to rush right in and help David with his school project for the next day.  His class runs a mock city and at the end of each quarter, they run a business to sell their goods and services.  The kids earn "fake" money throughout the year and the "mini-mall" is their chance to spend it.

David volunteered our FonDue maker.  We decided to call it "fun-do" though, like we do at home.  One of his business partners brought their remote control car to rent out. 

And I pimped out my baby... and charged for "baby cuddles".

David played his guitar for tips only.

My mom and I came to the school before and during the mini-mall

to help David set-up and so I could run the fun-do maker.

Mary's "baby-cuddles" sold like crazy!! 

Even the other parent volunteers paid to have a cuddle with her.

We sold about 12 cuddles in less than 30minutes.