Dry Ice Wonders

One of our latest learning experiences...

Dry Ice!

Did you know???

that dry-ice is also known as frozen CO2?

that dry-ice is unbearably freezing cold to the touch?

that when you press metal tongs to the ice it makes a high pitched screaming sound?

that if everyone puts their faces around the bowl and blows all at the same time, a plume of "smoke" goes straight up in the air?

that sniffing the "smoke" makes your nose tingle?

that if you watch very carefully, you can see little "O's" in the "smoke"?

that you can scoop and hold the "smoke" in the cup of your hand and pass it along?

that white grape juice always tastes better with dry-ice?

that you can buy it at the grocery store for just 1$ a pound and enjoy an hour of fun and learning?

I am looking forward to doing this again with our Youth at Church. 

I am planning a Very exciting Bible School full of Science!!!

Thank you Lord for your wonders!

Dinner tonight:  Chicken, Roasted Potatos, Peas and Streusel Cake

Women Officers--- Tough Times

     I wrote this in the back of my  Bible when I was in training college.  The words aren't so comforting, in fact they are quite harsh.  I did not even fully understand the reality of Officership when I read them the first time, but as the years go by, and we have faced some difficulty, I begin to really get it. 
     When we consider the cost of following Jesus, of answering His call,  we must also remember that Jesus was rejected, despised, spit upon, mocked, tortured, and ultimately crucified, for the sake of OTHERS.
     And the most glorious part of all was that He rose from the grave, victorious over it all.
    
     "Then one day, for unknown reasons, God just isn't there anymore.  The Presence that has guided us and strengthened us is gone.  Our covenant with God feels broken and void.  The Scriptures stops comforting. Every page condemns!  We continue to read out of obedience, but the Word becomes the letter that kills.

     Pastoral skills become worthless.  The church is no longer a warm, nurturing environment where friends gather.  The church expels us from the secure womb.  Evil rages against us.  The boundaries of the church are not walls keeping evil out but a boxing ring keeping evil in, so that it can come back and strike us again and again and again.  We can't run.

     I'm up a tree.  High, far out on a fragile limb I cling.  I climbed out there because God said that He wanted me there and  that He would be with me.  Now the limb is cracking off the trunk.  God isn't there anymore.  The picture changes like a dream.  I am not out on a limb, but strapped to a tree.  I am hanging from a tree.  I am dying on a tree.  Pinched in God's vise, dangling helpless, I am made into the bait of God, but for whom?
  
      Nobody  pretty wants me now.  The world wants winners.  Nothing succeeds like success.  Look good to attract the good-looking.  Die to attract the dying.  Suffer to know the being of suffering.  Cry out to know the crying out.  Hear the blood of the innocents screaming; searing pain rises from the blood soaked dirt.
     Only now am I a parable of Jesus Christ."

-David Hansen, "The Art of Pastoring"


This can really apply to any area of life, couldn't it?     Not all of our days will be perfectly perfect.  In fact, not many.  We trust in Him, no matter where it takes us or who it leads us too.  At times, we may face unbearable pain and frustration, just like Jesus.   But we trust that His purpose and plan is being accomplished in us- bringing us closer into perfect fellowship (holiness) with Him.

More Snow Days

The snow is mostly gone now, except for a few piles here and there.

We've had such a mild winter. 

The children enjoyed the snow every chance they got.

This used to be my snow suit. 

I have memories of laying down on top of it to get zipped in. 

I also remember my Mom sending me to the potty first.

This one was my twin brothers.

I bet my Mom and Dad never knew how much use we'd get out of these!

So far, 6 children have worn these- Jacob and Rachel- their children

and David, Elijah, Ann and Hannah- their grand-children.

Mary will be next.

Ann

Elijah

Hannah

David

Mary

Building a fort.

Preparing the snowballs to cream Daddy.

Snowball chute they built for rapid-fire!

Poor Paul.

The boys built these bird-houses with their Grandpa in Michigan, then he shipped them out. 

They are a source of much pride!

Elijah took most of the outside pics.

Back of our home.

Update and Baking Frenzy Pictures

I had a most wonderful time at our Women's Officer's Retreat earlier this week. I took Mary and Paul cared for the other children.  I am hearing story after story of all the fun they had together and the evenings full of adventure- sleepovers, Wii battles, spaghetti-o's, and more.  I was a  little disappointed to miss David's big speech and demonstrations at school, but he filled me in. 

 It is always a good thing for me to be gathered with like-minded women.  I just plain need that!  I also celebrated my 34th birthday there, by just happening to go have High Tea at the Historic Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland, joined by three other fabulous women salvation army officers. 

Now, after only being gone 2 1/2 days, I am trying to play catch-up at the Corps and at home. 

I went through some pics and forgot that I never did share much about our Christmas

.... it was a wonderful couple of days, no sickies and much rest and relaxation. 

Except for my Christmas Eve Baking Frenzy!  I think I was trying to make up for lost time!

I love my kitchen aide mixer. 

Rachel + KitchenAide= True love forever and always

Making the famous MIL fudge, also her mother's.

She gave me the fudge-pot, spoon, and recipe years ago.

THIS is one area of which Paul always compares me to his mother.

I don't mind though, he's right- her fudge is always better anyway.

 I come in a close second though ;)

I ended up freezing a lot of our goodies. 

I just went way overboard, like I do so well.

You Know You're a SA Woman Officer

You Know You're  A Salvation Army (Woman) Officer when...

you have pantyhose strategically placed in your office, car, and purse

your children come home from school with canned food in their backpacks to donate to the food drive

you silently pray that the visitors don't walk out when you approach the pulpit

your pillow talk with hubby too often turns to the Corps (church)

you buy your house decorations in neutral colors so that they will match wherever you live

your Spring cleaning is subconciously your "in case we get moved" cleaning

your kids start calling you "Captain Mommy" so they can fit in with the Corps (church) kids better

you have your uniforms classified into 3 groups- office, church, and special events-  based on the wear, tear, and fit (or is that just me?!)

you have learned to just bite your tongue and quit explaining when people call you the "Pastor's Wife", afterall that is one of our roles

you consider your Corps people surrogate family because yours live so far away

you can be at the store growling at your children one minute and letting someone cry on your shoulder the next, and then go back to growling (all in a days work! ha!ha!)

you are your children's Pastor, Sunday School teacher,Youth Activities leader, and more  (they get a LOT of us!)

your office has a desk, computer, books, program supplies, files AND a playpen, toys strewn all over, children hiding under the desk,a musky dirty diaper smell to it and your staff and people know to KNOCK before they come in or they may just see a bare breast (that could be just me too?! LOL!)

your toddler points to the portrait of William Booth and calls him "Grandpa"

you generally go through 3 changes of clothes a day- uniform, civies, lounge/jammies

you've walked lopsided through a Sunday because you put two different sized high-heels on

you're consumed with the pursuit of Jehovah and His Way

you are daily guided, (but still sometimes need reminded!), by this:    God has given you a passion to reach men, women, children and in-between-   with the miraculous message of salvation from sin and hell

*I thank you Lord for the privelege of serving you. 

I know you don't really need me at all,

 but I'm so glad you want me.*

Dinner Tonight:  Chicken (crockpot), Salad, Pears, Hawaiin Rolls, trying to think of a yummy dessert still

IT NEVER FAILS...

It never fails....

that as soon as I get the kids all bundled up in their snowgear, someone has to go pee

that I can spend hours preparing for a program and yet all I hear are complaints about the coffee being too strong

that the very night after my monthly bed washing, someone pukes or pees or boogers all over

that I can do 100 things right that go unnoticed, but the one thing I do wrong is the one thing that IS noticed and harped on again and again and again (such as "Capt. Rachel.. you forgot to buy water for the Corps")

that the moment I'm drifting off to sleep, someone needs something

that when I'm in a hurry to be somewhere at a certain time, Mary explodes in her diaper or someone gets hurt and needs extra lovin'

that as soon as I get done vacuuming, someone wants to play with play-dough

that when the kitchen floor is sparkling clean, someone tracks mud all through it

that people never cease to amaze me, in good ways and bad

that as imperfect as this life can be--- it feels perfect to me

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverb 16:9

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TOO....

Thanks to a generous Christmas gift, we were able to get away for a couple days to Portland.  What a wonderful time we had!  Of course, I like to overlook the bad stuff (ie- "head in the clouds") - like 2 of our children throwing up, a very long drive home due to a snow storm, 3 HUGE poopy messes, and waking up about 15 times a night (which happens when you have 7 people in a room).  But even with that... it was still SOO enjoyable and I just love when our family is confined to small spaces (motel room and van) because it forces us to be together and usually ends up with much laughter and an even better understanding of each other.

We stayed at the Oxford Suites, which has been our favorite hotel for a couple years now.  It comes with a fully cooked to order  breakfast and a light dinner complete with fancy soda drinks for the kids.  It has an indoor heated pool and spacious rooms. It is such a great place for large families that I recommend it to everyone.  The rooms each night can be a little costly ($80 +) BUT when you include breakfast, dinner, and swimming galore, it ends up being a fantastic deal. 

We took a trip to ChuckECheese, our new favorite one in Vancouver.  Again, another great deal for us because it ends up being about 3 hours of FUUUUN and a big lunch for under $45. 

And theeeeeen....  my most favorite find of all... was the $3 movie theatre right near the ChuckECheese.  We went to the movies for $15!!!!  Two year olds and under are free.  We paid another $15 for snacks.  We rarely go to the movies, maybe like twice a year as a family and maybe two more times a year for "date-night".  We saw "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs" which was quite enjoyable!  A very cute movie, (even if you are juggling an 8 month old on your lap!)

And... while driving around, we found a KMart that was going out of business and like I say... "their loss, our gain" (hee!hee!).  We went in and I found a few clothing items for the children very cheap and Paul found some liquid plumber or something like that.

We did lots of swimming, playing, visiting, and just plain relaxing after such a busy Christmas season for us. 

I feel refreshed.   I'm the type of person that has to flat out leave town in order to feel re-charged and rested.  Otherwise household chores call me and work at the Corps calls me and I don't truly feel like I have "permission" to relax.  When we get away... aaaaaahhhh... it just gives me an extra spring in my step.

As soon as we hit the door, I spent half an hour getting the kids all suited up for snow play.  Now they are out sledding and playing while Mary and I get some of this laundry done, much of which has puke and poop. Paul went to go check the Corps.  After 2 whole days away, I'm sure it burnt down (jk!).  I will head in with the boys Saturday to set-up for Church and Sunday School since I didn't get to it this week.

It is good to be home on this last day of 2009.  I have been doing a lot of reflecting about what I want for my new year.   I am really seeking the Lord about some of the things on my heart;  mainly about simple living and intentionally doing the things that are most important in my life of child-rearing, keeping the home and salvation army ministry.  I hope to post about it soon.  

Until then, I wish all my dear family and dear friends a very fabulous New Years Eve.  Perhaps you may be able to spend it with your loved ones and have some time to share about some of the most significant things in your life that has happened in 2009.  Whether  they were good times or bad times, or some of both, perhaps you can thank the Lord for constantly drawing you to Himself and refining you to be entirely His.

PS... Just when I was just about to post this, a friend came by and dropped off some Butterhorns!  I am excited to try them!  Thank you so much *D*!  You made my day.   The kids will be enjoying them with some hot cocoa when they come in from the snow.  I think I'll go sneak one for myself first...