~Rachel and Family~

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Zoo

On Saturday morning, our neighbors took us to the zoo.

Isn't that sweet?

They have twin boys.

           We had a wonderful time.
           The weather was perfect.
           The animals are fascinating.
           And we got friendly with our neighbors.

For Narnia!

We thought this sign was funny.
Notice the bottom line.

We brushed goats for a looooong time.
This goat was so longsuffering.

And this goat.

This one too.

I call this one "Man and Goat"

Ann had a rough ride.

Mine was rougher though.

Does Paul look scared here? Confused?

She scares me too ;) lol!

What's worse than pushing around a 9 year old?

Trying to reach high speeds with your 11 year old.

~The earth is filled with His Glory~

Friday, January 14, 2011

Tick-Tock

Wednesday was my birthday (my twin brothers too!)

35 and counting. I want to celebrate, I love having a day of guilt free my way day, but for me, it also reminds me that

I am running out of time...

"Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12

I'm trying to squeeze a lot out of this life, but I see that as I grow older, that some things just require more time, energy, and attention than others. That is where the wisdom has to come in. I need to seek God,"what do I really need to be doing right now?" I hate wasting time. Probably because there seems to be so little of it. I pray that the things that are most important to God, are most important to me.

Birthday Happenings!
After the usual early morning routine,
and taking the boys to school and getting gas,
I went to meet Paul at the ARC with the girls.
He was taking me to pick out my birthday present,
but before that, I was surprised with cake from our most wonderful staff.
I was also gifted by my 2 of my Comrads, an aromatic candle on my desk and later a decorative plate that is SO my taste and goes with my dream kitchen of cobalt blue and white and my heart for my home.
Paul put a lot of effort into my birthday, because he took me and the girls to a really nice shopping mall that of course he first "researched" to make sure they had the food and store I wanted. We ate at this really delicious Japanese place. I had teriyaki salmon salad. Very fresh and delicious.
Then he wandered the girls and I around the mall to the Lady Footlocker store where I picked out a quality pair of running shoes. I figured it's time to get serious with the shoes. I don't want to hurt my feet.
I had to hurry home after dropping Paul off at the ARC so I could change into my uniform and get the boys in time from school. Then back to the ARC with a stop in the Thrift Store to buy David a tye-dye shirt for his 70's day today.
We ate dinner and headed to Chapel. Mary was quite the stinker because in all my birthday festivities she didn't get her nap. BIG mistake. And that girl will not sleep anywhere but her crib. Paul took the girls out for Chapel because it was my birthday and I wanted to sit with my sons and hear the sermon.
When we got home around 7pm, we still had more celebrating to do. Paul had snuck home at some point and decorated! I was really surprised. We had cake with trick candles, and then Paul and the kids had me "hot and cold" for my hidden birthday gifts. One gift card to Ross from each of the children- that made 5! It was so much FUN! (loud too) And can you believe that I waited to open my birthday present from my Great Aunt Ruby until my birthday. A lovely stationary set.
I was blessed- happy, content, refreshed.
God so loves us!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Daughters

After our sons come our daughters. We almost didn't have them. We almost "fixed" something that wasn't broken because we had already had 2. Surely there's not enough time, money, energy, love for more ;)

What a crock.

Thank you Lord for taking us beyond our limits! (You still are, oh me-oh my!)

Mary

Mary is such a go-getter. She dances from morning till night, jumping, twirling. She can keep up with her brothers and sisters quite well. She is full of self-initiative. When I didn't immediately respond to get her a drink of water, she took her cup to the toilet and helped herself.

Hannah

Hannah

Hannah has selective hearing. She will flat out ignore me if I'm getting in the way of her plans. She loves to play hard, get down and dirty, let her hair go wild. But she still likes to dress up and have beauty shows. Hannah is really good about approaching things from every angle, like patiently walking Mary down the stairs one minute and then sharing her string cheese with her and the next minute pinching her foot till she screams. Hannah likes to make sure all the bases are covered.

Ann

Ann

Ann

Ann is a mother-hen. Having a big family has drawn out her nurturing and "keep-order" side. She loves to preach. She stands on top of the coffee table with the Bible open and preaches on and on and on.

Just the other day, she went to lead her congregation in a song and she began to bellow out "It's raining men, hallelujah !"

I laughed so hard! Still am! She hears it on my Just Dance Wii game. She swears it must be a Christian song because it says Hallelujah. Okay Ann.

Am I in for it or what??

~Choose Life~

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Still A New Year

Christmas is packed up and put away. Now it's as if it never happened except for the chocolates lurking in the cupboards and the toys that still haven't found a place to belong.

I wonder where our next Christmas will be...

"Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23

I'm glad every day is a fresh start.

Most every night, on my way to dream land I say to myself, and God,

tomorrow is a fresh start, and I'll do better.

I'm not all that much into New Year's resolutions. Why wait until Jan. 1 to resolve to do something that I'm not already doing, but should be. I make resolutions all year long.    Not that they always stay. But even if I do or don't do something a few times, atleast I'm better off than had I never tried at all.

This year, I'm asking God to make a resolution to me.  I want to be satisfied with Him alone.  He says He is ENOUGH. I want to really *get that*.    Sure, at times I get it. But I want more of Him. See, I'm not satisfied ;)     I just know that when He is enough for me, I'm not looking to other places. I'm not putting that demand/expectation on my husband, or family, or people around me. I'm not even looking to the ministry for fulfillment. None of those things will ever be enough for me. But God says HE IS. (Must I always have to re-visit this "lesson" in my life!?!)

So, I am going to make a habit of bringing my every need to Him. Yes, I pray. I pray hard. Like when I am facing a serious temptation- when my heart is racing and I have to will my flesh (mouth and mind) to behave! -that kind of temptation- I plead hard. But what about the subtle little temptations that God brings to my attention that I just dismiss as -well that's just the way I am- or -just the way I've always done it- I am going to pray about those too. And when I am feeling needy, lonely, mis-understood, I don't always want to tell God, because I know he'll deal with me- I am going to pray about that. When I am praying for others, I will pray about their details. Because God is enough for them too.   When I am dealing with my children, who I plead and pray for daily, I am going to pray about the "little" things too. Like- God please help me when the little girls are making me crazy trying to keep them quiet in church.   And my unspoken needs will go before His throne of grace too. I know I have them because I was listening to the Scripture the other day "ask and it will be given" and I am still stuck- what should I ask? What are my needs really?

~Enough is Enough~

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

~Christmas Eve~

(all photos courtesy of my DSL, Brandy)

Ann

I had all the hot food lined up on the table to eat. Paul opened the kitchen window and the veggie bowl broke. First the boys said to me "This means we don't have to eat any vegetables. Yay!" Then about 10 minutes later, my dad walks through the kitchen and says "Oh goodie, we don't have to eat our vegetables"

                        "The Twins"
                        Jacob and Rachel.
                        15 years since our last Christmas together.

Ann Mary Hannah

Paul and Elijah

David

Mary tearing off her clothes to get her new jammies from Grandma and Grandpa on.

Paul and his girls.

Me, opening a super-soft-pink bathrobe from my parents. I sleep in it, it's so cozy on my skin.

Elijah and David opening their marshmellow guns that Uncle Jacob made them. They love them and we don't mind getting pelted with marshmellows as long as we can pick them up fast enough to eat them.