Morning Walk

So refreshed and ready to start my day after an early morning walk. This was my view today! Thank you Lord for another beautiful day!

Summertime

Summer is now in full swing and I wanted to share a few fun ideas to keep the kiddos occupied. I started playing with a few ideas that I found at a blog called "Brown Paper Packages".I found $1.00 flower pots at Walmart and painted a letter for each of the childrens names, then let them decorate with stickers and markers. Every time they read for 20 minutes they put a tag in their flower pot. I have an awards system set up so that every time they have 7 tags, they get to pick a prize. The older ones are allowed to count a tag if they spend time reading to the younger ones. It has been exciting to see them all sitting and reading books without my prompting. Another thing that has been a lifesaver so far is this handy dandy old window that I found out in the shed. I used permanant marker to make the Chores and Piano Points chart(for my daughter who is taking piano lessons) and use a washable marker to write daily chores. I also decided to make the hallway into an art gallery. The children love it! They are so proud of their work. Everytime someone comes to visit they like to show them the beautiful display. Ah yes, summertime...Only 3 weeks into into and still so many adventures to come!

Refreshment

This morning I have had one of those rare, but refreshing mornings. Yesterday was a busy day for us and a long day for the kids. So this morning they are sleeping in and it is almost 9 am!! WOW!! This doesn't happen very often. In the past the 3 & 4 year old wake me up. Now that they are getting a little older they are sleeping in just a little longer. So this morning I actually have a few hours to myself. I enjoyed an extra long devotional, reading my bible and praying. Had time to sit still and enjoy my coffee while reading the paper, went for a short walk, now want to plan my menu for next week.
Last night we picked up our 10 year old daughter from summer camp. She had a blast and was already talking about going back next year! I can't believe she is 10 already! She has grown into a lovely young lady.


I know God has something special in store for her. His hand has been guiding her life every step of the way. If you've never heard her life story so far, well, you should=) Some day I might just have to write a book about the many blessings God has given us....even in the some of the hardest, most difficult times in our lives...God never stopped holding us in the palm of His hand and just told us to trust Him!! Please never believe that God has forgotten about you and left you to fend for yourself. He never stops loving us, even when we fail him over and over again. He always has the best plans for our lives, we just have to wait on His timing, not ours.

Caught!

Daddy~ "Hannah, what did you do?"
Hannah~ "Nothing."
Daddy~ "Where were you?"
Hannah~ "I went potty."
Daddy~ "What did you do in there?"
Hannah~ "Nothing!"
Daddy~ "Did you get into mommy's make up?"
Hannah~ "NO!"

Contentment

I have been trying really hard to just be satisfied with where I am in life right now. Sometimes it is so hard to not always want just a little more out of life....a little more space, a little more time, a little more things.....a little more peace and quiet=) I have been working on enjoying being a mom to 4 children....notice I said working on it. There are many times I feel overwhelmed and unqualified for this....it is the hardest job I ever had, but with 100X the benefits of any other. With God's help and His wisdom and patience (which I ask for a lot), I can do this!! I love seeing my youngest two play so well together. They are 16 months apart and lately they have been enjoying each others company more than usual. It makes my heart happy to hear them giggling and talking to each other throughout the day...Here are a few shots of them over the last couple days:

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 148
Praise to the LORD from Creation
Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!

Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;

Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;

Mountains and all hills;

Fruitful trees and all cedars;

Beasts and all cattle;

Creeping things and flying fowl;

Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
Both young men and maidens;
Old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For His name alone is exalted;

His glory is above the earth and heaven.
And He has exalted the horn of His people,
The praise of all His saints—
Of the children of Israel,
A people near to Him.

Praise the LORD!

Cousins

A favorite dish made when family gathers from a distance:

Carol's Pork BBQ
Roast pork tenderloin or roast in oven 6 or 7 hours on low or 350@ 3-4 hours.
Sauce:
1 cup veg oil
2 cup vinegar
1 cup broth
4 Tbs salt
1 Tbs pepper
2 Tbs garlic powder(can cut back)
1/2 cup lemon juice
*Pour over roast after shredding and reheat a couple hours

I have many good memories of spending time with my cousin growing up. Now, our daughters and sons are best friends.

They have this thing with the ducks...every time they get to spend time at each others houses they make sure they bring their ducks with them=)

Horse back riding with my cousin


My girls loved all the attention they got the whole weekend!

Best friends and cousins

Fresh Air Fund Conference

Here are a few highlights from my trip to New York City. It was a busy weekend, but had an exciting time.

Times Square


Ate at a Peruvian restaurant Saturday night called Pio Pio.

There was a performance by "Rosie's Kids". They sang a couple songs for us Sunday morning. They were a very talented group of NYC kids.

Got to see "Lion King" Broadway show! It was spectacular!

Sunday noon I had the opportunity to meet up with Neomi, our Fresh Air girl, and her mom and sisters. I was brave and got on the subway to Chinatown=) I was so happy to meet her family. They showered me with gifts, bought me lunch, and gave me money to get a taxi to the airport! I was so humbled by their kindness!

It was a celebration of the Chinese New Year, so Chinatown was packed! There was a parade and lots of exploding confetti=)

New York City

I'm so excited for another opportunity to go to New York City this weekend. I am going for a Fresh Air Fund Conference. The Fresh Air Fund is a program that allows New York City children to enjoy the simple pleasures of summertime fun in the country through free vacations. I will be staying right on Times Square and will hopefully get to see a Broadway show. I am a Chairperson for our area and occasionally have the opportunity to visit New York for conferences or to chaperon a bus load of children.
A few years ago I crossed paths with Carl Edwards (my favorite Nascar driver=) on the streets of NYC and he was nice enough to take a picture with me. It was pretty sweet!



Here are a few pictures of our Fresh Air Child, Neomi, from this past summer. We are planning on inviting her back this summer. It was a great experiance for our children as well.



If you are interested in hosting a child, go to www.freshair.org. Hosting a child does not take much- just a little room in your heart and your home- but the experience creates friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.