So Thankful

For the last several weeks, I have been visually inspired by so many different things I have seen on blogs, websites, and the all-encompassing Pinterest. I had wanted to refresh and revamp my front door wreath for some time, since the flowers kept blowing out and I had to rescue them.  Besides that, I was just ready for a change.  You know.  :)

So, during one of my crafting moments (making yarn roses) the great inspiration struck.  I knew what I wanted – something that would express not only creativity, but gratitude.  This is the story in pictures…

The old wreath – nice, but tired

The inspiration – yarn roses

It’s starting to emerge!

Add a little banner and a large burlap ribbon bow, and voila!

I love that every time I walk in my door I am reminded to be thankful for all that God has given me.  How do you express your gratefulness?

Colorful Blessings

Recently, I received a great windfall of yarn.  A church in the area had been given excess yarn from some ladies who made blankets and things as a ministry.  Since no one really wanted the yarn (or knew what to do with it), I ended up with all of it!  Woohoo!  Of course, I had to take some pictures to convince myself that it was not all just a pleasant dream! 

The first haul was about 65 skeins of yarn (some partially used, but most were intact) and 18 balls of colorful cotton thread for crochet.

Of course, I was ecstatic, and only took some of the yarn at first, leaving a good deal for anyone else who might wish to find a home for all those lovely fibers.  Later in the week, I learned that the yarn had been sitting there for some time, and that they really wanted to get rid of it.  I was only so glad to oblige.  No arm-twisting required.  So I cam home with another boatload of yarn.  I won’t be needing to buy yarn for a while.  I love the variety of colors, but it makes it hard to do one single project since you need so much of the same color for normal projects. 

Before I began any projects, though, I had to find a place for all that yarn in my craft/laundry room.  Remember that hutch that I repainted last year?  Perfect hiding place for all those lovely yarns!  Sigh. I love it when a plan comes together!

So now that my fibers have a snug little home, I am beginning to put them to use.  Stay tuned for updates on all my upcoming projects! 

Twelve

One whole dozen.  Many things come in dozens – eggs, doughnuts, disciples, months… but not years.  They come slowly, one day at a time, slipping past like so many jewels on a string.  Drops of water that run continuously, forming a large stream, small things that turn into larger things.

12 years.

4,383 days.

105,192 hours.

6,311,520 minutes.

378,691,200 seconds.

That’s how long I have had the privilege of knowing this little man.  This miracle of life known as my son.  My precious child.  The baby I loved from before the first time I saw him.  Josiah, my firstborn.

These are a few pictures of the birthday boy.  His life began before I had a digital camera, so the first several years will be omitted in this pictorial history.  Suffice it to say, he has always been a cutie!

Over the years, he just continues to amaze me with his humor, sweet spirit, and tender heart.

Cute as can be…

He’s a great big brother.

All boy – not afraid to get down and dirty (or wet).

Loves to have fun with the family.

Never ceases to make me laugh at his antics!

Oldest child born of two oldest children (think about that for a while).

Enjoys making bunny ears on his siblings…  :)

Finds a solution.

Thinker.

Adventurous.

Good example (most of the time) to his younger brother.

Always ready to laugh!

Standing on the brink of life, just waiting to see what will happen next!

It scares me to death to have a child on the brink of adolescence, with the infamous teenage years just around the corner.  Where has all the time gone?  More and more I understand why God compares our life to a vapor – here for a moment, and then gone.  It really does seem to pass in the blink of an eye!

All that to say this: I love you, Josiah.  You make me so proud and happy!  I am so thankful for the privilege to be your mother.  Have a wonderful birthday!

Unexpected

This week we have had some unexpected things happen.  Some have been good, and some – well, not so good.  On Sunday, the church in which we were ministering gave us money for new truck tires.  This was a great blessing, since our tires have about 80,000 miles on them (they are rated for 60,000 miles), and really needed to be replaced.  We had prayed about this need, and God saw fit to answer in a miraculous way! 

We also had an unexpected side trip – to Montana.  It seems hard to believe, but it is one of the few states we have not visited in our travels.  Another is Hawaii, but I’m not holding my breath for making it there this summer! :)  We were just a few miles away, so we drove into the great state of Montana and had lunch there!  This was the first sign we saw after entering the state.

That’s what I call a great sign!

 

Gotta love the name of this guy – wonder how he got that moniker?  Perhaps indigestion?

We also stopped at the Little Bighorn Museum where George Armstrong Custer met his famous end.  It was a blistering hot day, and as the ranger explained the battle, I could see the tragedy unfolding in my mind.  Abigail, after listening to the story, asked this question: “So, who were the bad guys?”  Let this quote from the memorial wall answer the question.

It is obvious from these quotes that the Indians were only protecting their homes, lands, and freedoms.  The white men were definitely the aggressors and therefore, the “bad guys.”  It was a great opportunity to explain the principles of freedom and the need for its preservation.

Monument to all the fallen soldiers, buried in this mass grave on the top of the hill.

This is where the battle took place, with each white marker representing where a US Cavalry soldier fell.

White markers were placed for the fallen soldiers, and red ones for the fallen Indians.

After our short field trip, we headed back through Wyoming with the plan of heading toward Yellowstone National Park for a few days with our family.  The country is beautiful out here.

However, while driving through the mountains, we had another unexpected event.  Our truck overheated.  Several times.

Cooling down – with the benefit of a magnificent view!

And again…

We ended up turning around and heading back to Sheridan, WY in hopes that we can figure out why the truck is overheating and hopefully fix it (at minimal cost).  In the meantime, our mini-vacation has to be postponed.  We are hoping that we will still have time to go after getting the truck fixed, but right now , all is rather uncertain. 

Here is the scenic overview where we turned around.

I also managed to get some pictures of the kids as they played on the side of the road. They were having a great time, even though we were having truck issues.

Diggin’ in the dirt

Canadian goldenrod

Trying to call for help

Studying the Prairie Field Guide

Love these little guys!

I kinda like these gals, too!  :)

Everybody say, “Cheese and pickles!”

I guess the moral of this story is that unexpected things will happen.  When they are good things, praise the Lord, and when they are not-so-wonderful things, praise the Lord, and enjoy the everyday blessings that He gives us.  I am so thankful for my family, and also for the Lord’s protection and provision. 

Happy Birthday, Pixie!

Those were not the first words out of my mouth this morning, but they were the first ones my little pixie-girl heard from my lips!  Yes, another birthday at our house.  She is now seven.  This little bundle of energy, joy, sunshine, and giggles is growing up way too fast for my liking.  She already has boys standing in line to marry her (three at last count).  I know why, too.  She is such a sweetheart!

I am ashamed to admit it, but this was her first official birthday party.  We have always tried to have a special meal and cake, but when your birthday falls during the week of camp, or the week of moving, it tends to be less than expected.  She has uncomplainingly endured for all these years, and I believe she deserves a little praise for her sweet attitude.

Today was extra special.  We took a trip to a really cool place that I will post about later – been wanting to visit there for years.  Are you wondering??  :)

Here we are, driving down the road (well, Paul was, anyway – we were just along for the ride).  You can see she is wearing her special birthday scarf made by Grandma! 

Here are all the kids sitting down to a delicious birthday dinner of hamburgers and green beans.  Yep. That is what she asked for.  Of course, we had cake and ice cream, too.  Chocolate.  That’s my girl!

She wanted cupcakes, so that’s what I made.  Yummy!

I had left all my cake pans at home, so I had to get a little creative.  Plus, the oven in the trailer is not working for some reason.  Thank goodness for the toaster oven!

Mmm, mmm, good!

Then the opening of gifts.  Such unspeakable delights!  Sour Patch Kids from Daniel!

Socks?!?  Okay, there was a really awesome clearance sale at Wal-mart the other day! :)

There were a lot of other miscellaneous items from all of us, and she had a wonderful time opening and exclaiming over them all.  It was a very fun day for our whole family.

And a new outfit for Polka-dot Baby (that is actually the doll’s name, and yes, I do fear for my future grandchildren!  Other dolls have been named Little Italy, France, and Mrs. No-Head).  Hopefully, the name choosing will improve with age.

Happy Birthday, my sweet Esther!  I love you!  I am so thankful that God gave you to us seven years ago!

So Great Salvation

Last we was a frenzy of activity, since we were home for a few days.  I made a list and was checking it twice, trying to make sure that I completed all the necessary items before leaving town for a few months.

Winter clothes were removed from the trailer, summer clothes were dug out of storage bins in the house and placed in the trailer.  Junk was discarded, too-small items were given a new home, school books were switched out for the approaching school year (I really don’t even want to think about school starting yet), papers were graded, new clothes were sewn…  You get the picture.  The kids, reveling in their summer vacation, were everywhere at once, dragging out toys and games, and generally making a huge mess wherever they went.  It was absolute chaos!  Add to that, our church was hosting our annual missions conference that week, too. 

It was one crazy schedule.  There were times that I sighed within myself and wished for one whole uninterrupted day to get some things done.  Thursday was especially hectic, and my attitude was one of despair as we hustled out the door to go to church that evening.  I still had so much to accomplish, and I didn’t even seem close to getting it all done.  I am ashamed to say that I thought about staying home.  However, I went.  I decided that I would honor the Lord and just let the house be a disaster, if that’s how it ended.  I am so glad I did.

That night, in the invitation, Daniel, my youngest, asked me if he should go forward.  “Why?” I whispered.  His serious little face looked up at me and said, “I need to get saved!”  My heart leapt for joy, and I sat down and held a whispered conference with him, asking why he thought he needed to be saved, what is sin, and was he a sinner.  He answered each question with understanding, and I told him we would wait and talk with Daddy(who was playing the piano) after the service.  I knew Paul would want to be a part of this precious time. Accordingly, he talked to Paul, who quizzed him over the same things and was satisfied with his understanding and answers.  Then Daniel bowed his head and prayed the sweetest little prayer, asking Jesus to forgive his sin and come into his heart.  Tears of joy ran down my cheeks and I hugged him tightly, thanking God that salvation is so simple that even a little child can comprehend it. 

The next evening, since it was to be our last night at church for several months, Daniel was baptized.  It was hilarious!  The water was quite deep, so the pastor had placed a stool in the baptistery, but it floated away when he turned his back to reach for Daniel.  He picked up Daniel, who was quite excited until he saw how deep the water was, and the baptism proceeded.  Daniel had such a death grip on the pastor’s arm that he could hardly extricate himself.  In the end, Daniel was baptized, and we praise the Lord for this first step of obedience.

Excitement and anticipation

Explanation of what will happen in the baptistery

Getting ready to go in the water

Uh-oh!  This is pretty deep!

There is no way I am letting go of Pastor’s arm!

Down into the water!

My sweet boy!  I am so proud of him!