Hi all, I'm still working on schedules and goals and new ways of doing things, but I thought I'd stop in for a quick announcement. Yes, you guessed it, we are expecting another baby! (well, it is a gift from God, right?!) We haven't announced it to anyone yet, so I thought I'd post it here and see how long it takes my family to hear about it!  We are due in November; and, despite the fact we will be the parents of half-a-dozen, we are quite excited. Say a prayer for us!

Hugs,

Kerrie

 

PS Sick joke from my mother: How do you turn a fox into a cow? Answer: You marry her!

Love,

Kerrie the Cow!

Josh had a job opportunity recently that would have required us to move about 2 1/2 hours south of here. When we didn't get the job, I was surprised at how much of my disappointment stemmed from not being able to move. Josh's cousin wisely pointed out that our emotions regarding the move were a litmus test indicating our satisfaction (or lack of) our current situation. I had to analyze why it was I was hoping to move. What could be so wrong that I would want to leave our church, all our family, and my lovely home just to change it?! I did some soul-searching and realized I was hoping just for the "excuse" to change. Somehow moving (to me) is a way to "start over" in so many ways. You get to reestablish things - find all the missing socks in the house (and throw the mateless ones away!), clean behind every piece of furniture, find a better way to organize the linens - things like that. And I have always used it as a time to reestablish good habits and attempt to eliminate bad ones. I am realizing though that moving in order to "change" things is like my sister closing her bank account and opening a new one in order to balance her checkbook! So, after some reflection, I realize that I do want to start over. Mostly in areas having to do with my kids. I have procrastinated and rationalized away enough of thier lives - now it's time to really DO all those things that I think a good, homeschooling mom should be doing. I realize I am not spending as much quality time with my kids as I want to. I find myself saying, "Not now," "I'm busy," "Maybe later," much too often. (You know it is bad when your 2-year old tells her doll, "I'm busy!") So, my new resolution is to shut off all the electronic media in the house and do everything as a family. We don't do much TV time, but the computer seems to steal much of my time (all for GOOD causes, of course!). I want to slow down and make memories with my kids. So, I'm not sure how long I will be gone, but I'll let you know when I am back. Pray for me (and my precious children!)

 

Josh read this to the family last night (not knowing of my resolution! - tell me there's no God!)

From Matthew 5

29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

 

So, I think it may be a little painful, but I must cut off this keyboard from off my fingertips rather than see my children perish!

 

Have a great week (or two!)

Hugs,

Kerrie

 

Hey all my cyber friends, I have a spaces question. Twice in the last few days I have had an odd thing come up in my history of recent visitors. Instead of just listing the page of my site they visited, it says RSS: in front of the page. Also, each entry posted that way is recorded at exactly the same time as the others. Does anyone know what this means? Is it good, bad, or neutral?

Thanks,

Kerrie

 

Added later:

Thanks for the responses. Since I'm not sure who it is that is linking to my site, I think I'll just turn off that option. It has me slightly freaked out!

I was doing some research today on Blake's digestive issues, and this was the ad that came up on the side of the page:

 

Yes, it's hard to believe, but Blake turned one yesterday. I would love to tell you that we had an all-day bash dedicated solely to the celebration of our third son, but... alas, the closest thing to a birthday cake he had was his fleeting glimpse of the cake at the Superbowl Party we attended last night. (Ok, so if you know me, you're shocked about the Superbowl part. But, for me, any excuse to party, ie: fellowship, is a good reason! I don't know the first thing about football, but I actually enjoyed the game! We rooted for the Giants [I'm a sucker for the underdog!], so we were able to be pleasantly surprised at the outcome of the game. Back to the topic at hand:) We did have a great first birthday party for Katie and even a bigger shindig (I am suddenly wondering about the etymology of that word!) for Miles' first, but we digress from there. Once you have a child of each sex, the first birthday becomes a little pointless. What could a one-year old possibly need that he doesn't already have or that hasn't been handed down to him by his older siblings? A grandma called the other day to find out Blake's wish-list, and I stammered and stuttered until I thought of what it was that I would like him to have, namely: diapers!! I've never thought to ask that before on a child's first birthday. You'd think I'd have this down by now! He doesn't need anything new, but he goes through 4+ diapers everyday! That's what we're going broke buying around here (no, I have not reverted to cloth. Buy me some of those fancy ones with several of the fancy $11 covers and I'll switch!).

 

However, we don't need a birthday party in order to reflect on how much we adore that happy little camper (as Blake is affectionately known around here). He is truly a joy; and despite the fact he didn't sleep through the night until two weeks ago, he has been a really easy baby. He isn't walking yet, but will stand on his own for long periods of time. He adores mobility, but seems to like to keep it closer to the floor. He has no first words to share yet, but has some great noises (did I mention he is a boy?!). When we walk into a room with lots of people in it, he will raise one hand and give a loud ... noise ... cry ... call ... vocal utterance as his "HI" to the room. It's rather cute. He also started shooting last week. Miles taught him to point his fingers and make gun noises. Of course, being a boy, he can already make more realistic gun sounds than his sound-challenged mother. He can also play a fair game of peek-a-boo albeit with just one hand slapped anywhere on his face. He does find it rather amusing though. And of course we find it highly intelligent! He has a doctor's appointment on Wednesday - a yearly checkup, so I'll give you all his one year stats later this week. He sends you all a nice slobbery kiss for remembering the birthday that he never will!

 

With an effort at no regrets,

Kerrie

 

This is an video about schooling. Although I'm not sure I agree with everything they say, it's certainly food for thought. I don't know what happens if you sign up for the email list at the end. I haven't done it yet - probably won't. If you do, let me know how it goes!

 

Here's another something I copied off another blogger's site. Sure glad I got drugged growing up!

Yep, it's E. E. again. Can you tell I feel strongly about all this? I'm preaching to myself though too. How often do I let things slide because I don't want the "conflict" in my home (the drawback of being a phlegmatic personality type - avoiding conflict at all costs!)? My neighbors have three kids and can't imagine having four because the kids are so out-of-control. When you have five - you HAVE TO get some rules going - or you'd go nuts! Someone asked me how she could become more organized - I told her to have more kids!  That's how I did it! I'm so much more together with five than I ever was with one. Another side effect of my personality - things rarely happen unless they are fun or URGENT! Housekeeping becomes and urgent matter with five little bodies and two big ones around! Anyway, if you aren't a proponent of disciplining children and you have more than two children, my question is, "How's that working out for you?"

Happy parenting! Enjoy:

When I was the newly widowed mother of a fourteen-month-old daughter, my mother sent me this quotation from Matthew Henry, an eighteenth-century commentator whom my father had been reading aloud to her that morning in April, 1956:

"Proverbs 19:18, 'Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.' Parents are here cautioned against a foolish indulgence of their children, that are untoward and viciously inclined, and that discover such an ill temper of mind as is not likely to be cured but by severity.

"1. Do not say that it is all in good time to correct them, no, as soon as ever there appears a corrupt disposition in them, check it immediately, before it takes root and is hardened into a habit. Chasten thy son while there is hope, for perhaps if he be let alone awhile, he will be past hope, and a much greater chastening will not do that which now a less would effect. It is easier plucking up weeds as soon as they spring up, and the bullock that is designed for the yoke should be betimes (before it is too late) accustomed to it....

"2. Do not say that it is a pity to correct them, and, because they cry and beg to be forgiven, you cannot find it in your heart to do it. If the point will be gained without correction, well and good; but it often proves that your forgiving them once, upon a dissembled (pretended) repentance and promise of amendment, does but embolden them to offend again, especially if it be a thing in itself sinful, as lying, swearing, ribaldry, stealing or the like. In such a case put on resolution, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. It is better that he should cry under thy rod than under the sword of the magistrate or, which is more fearful, than under divine vengeance."

The language of the eighteenth century sounds a bit stern. We rarely call our children "untoward and viciously inclined," but we see other people's children--in the supermarket, in church, in our own newly decorated living room--who fit that description exactly. Children need a rod, and they need it early. Not a big stick. My parents found that a thin eighteen-inch switch did the trick so long as it was applied at an early age and immediately following the offense. It is important to note Henry's specifying "a thing sinful in itself." Punishment for such things should be different from correction for childish mistakes--spilled milk (have him clean it up if he's old enough), a forgotten chore (have him do that one plus another he doesn't usually have to do).

One grandmother recently told my daughter a method of persuading children to eat what was put before them. When others had finished and a child was dawdling over his plate, she set a timer for five minutes. If the plate was not cleaned it went into the refrigerator to be presented at the beginning of the next meal. "Worked like a charm," she said

Elisabeth is on a roll! Here is another another one:

 

"I have four boys, ages sixteen months through nine years. When I ask them to empty the dishwasher the oldest often says it's my job. I feel they need to learn to work and help around the house, but why? I'd like a specific reason why he should have to do it. I have nothing against big families, but isn't it possible that older kids have to do a lot of work because Mom keeps having babies and can't handle it all? I often feel guilty. Don't children deserve a childhood?"

Good questions. Let me begin with the last. The idea that a child deserves to play rather than work is a mistake. Play is a natural part of childhood but so is work! It better be. I think I read that we learn half of all we'll ever know in the first two years! Watch a child who is given a piece of real work that he can do. He is even happier than when at play. When I phoned Valerie one Saturday she was cooking up fifteen meals to put in the freezer. I heard her six-year-old putting carrots through the food processor and he was having a ball.

Now the first question. Why should they help? Try something like this: "Because you are a working member of this family, for a start. The only one who isn't is the baby. I'm your mother and one of my most important jobs is to teach you to work. I can cook, you can't, but you can empty the dishwasher, so that's your job. The Bible says if a person won't work he can't eat. I'll cook for you, you clean up for me. Doesn't that make sense?"

Teach children the joy of work by your own example. Let them see that you don't hate it. Give everybody a real responsibility, starting early. Two-year-olds can empty waste baskets, set the table, pick up toys and put them away, put silverware in the drawer (provide a step stool), hang up their own clothes, help fold diapers, sharpen pencils. Time in teaching is very well spent. I believe that words of encouragement should be the only rewards offered for routine work. Giving money or special treats delivers the message that working is beyond the call of duty.

Amen, and Amen!

Ok, here I go again, back on my soapbox. I got an Elisabeth Elliott devotional this morning that must be shared. Here are snippets of it:

 

"Aren't children nowadays often getting far too much of the wrong kind of attention and not nearly enough of the right kind? Does it really make sense for kids of six and seven to be so frantically serious about organized sports and to be geniuses at computer games, but to have no idea how to amuse themselves without a coach, a team, a uniform, an arsenal of weapons, or an expensive and complicated piece of electronic equipment--not to mention daily transportation to and from the athletic field, park, ice rink, anywhere but the back yard? Must they be rounded up, herded, instructed, shouted at, praised, coaxed, and hovered over by adults who are paid money to pay attention to the poor little hooligans in order to keep them out of the adults' hair during 'working hours'?

"Is anybody paying attention to how a child works? Is it assumed that if asked to rake a lawn he'll do it halfheartedly? Will he sweep the garage in silent fury or will he rejoice in doing a thorough job of it? Will she scrub a sink till it shines and know herself to be a useful member of a household? School teachers desperately try to teach children who have never really labored with their hands to do schoolwork--not a very good place to start, it seems to me. If a child is not given to understand that he has a responsibility to help make the wheels of home run smoothly--if he is not given work which matters, in other words--why should he imagine that it matters very much whether he cooperates with teachers and fellow students? His parents have failed to give attention to a vital matter. Their attention has been elsewhere--on their own interests, jobs, amusements, physical fitness, or only on the child's health and a misguided notion of happiness which leaves out work altogether. If the 'quality time' his father spends with him is limited to amusements rather than work, small wonder the child assumes nobody really likes work. His choices in how to spend his time, like his preferences in food, are taught at home--by observation of parental attitudes.

"...Is the situation irremediable? I don't think so. Surely we could eliminate some of the frustration and discontent of 'civilized' family life if we took our cues from the 'uncivilized' people who work almost all the time (and enjoy it) and play very little of the time (without making a complicated chore out of it). Happiness, after all, is a choice. Let your child see that you put heart and soul into the work God has given you to do. Do it for Him--that changes the whole climate of the home. Draw the child into acceptance of responsibility by starting very early. Expect the best. If you expect them to oppose you, to 'goof off,' to be terrible at two, rude at ten, intractable as teenagers, they won't disappoint you.

"It takes longer, of course, to teach a child to do a job than it takes to do it yourself--especially if you have not given him the chance to watch you do it fifty times. It takes sustained attention--the sort of attention a child desperately needs. He can't get too much of that. He needs to be convinced that he is a necessary and very much appreciated member of the family.

"What about the sacrifices? We're going to have to make some if we mean to correct our mistakes. Instead of sacrificing everything for money and sports, which most people seem ready to do without a qualm, we may have to sacrifice money and sports for our children. We will certainly have to sacrifice ourselves.

"But, of course, that is what being a father or a mother means." - Author: Elisabeth Elliot  Source: Keep A Quiet Heart

And a bit more from another one of hers:

"...The earlier the parents begin to make the laws of order and beauty and quietness comprehensible to their children, the sooner they will acquire good, strong notions of what is so basic to real godliness: self-denial. A Christian home should be a place of peace, and there can be no peace where there is no self-denial.

"The task of parents is to show by love and by the way they live that they belong to another Kingdom and another Master, and thus to turn their children's thoughts toward that Kingdom and that Master. The 'raw material' with which they begin is thoroughly selfish. They must gently lay the yoke of respect and consideration for others on those little children, for it is their earnest desire to make of them good and faithful servants and, as Janet Erskine Stuart expressed it, 'to give saints to God.'" -  Author: Elisabeth Elliot Source: Keep A Quiet Heart

When Josh and I were driving home from church yesterday, we started discussing the movie "Cowboys" (John Wayne  - When all the adult men go off in search of gold, a veteran rancher is forced to hire eleven teenage boys as trail hands, and in the process of driving 1200 cattle across 400 rough miles, the young cowboys become cowmen.). Although it is a movie I would have to edit considerably before I would put it on my shelf, there are some lessons to be learned from it. Josh commented that he wanted to treat his kids the way John Wayne treated those boys. He didn't mean the common insensitivity that J.W. shows (and learns to change), but the way JW was determined to properly prepare them for what they were going to go through. He looked at what they would experience (400 miles of the toughest wilderness) and trained them accordingly. He didn't coddle them, he gave them what they needed to survive.

So... my question to myself is, "Am I giving my children what they need to survive this life?" They are going to face a world so fraught with temptations and agendas meant to pull them away from Christ - what am I doing to ensure their spiritual survival? When I see an act of disobedience, do I deal with it, or choose to pretend I didn't see it so I won't have to discipline? Do I make sure there are consequences for bad attitudes as well as bad behavior, or do I allow grumbling or delayed obedience? If I cannot teach them to say no to themselves, then how will they ever say no to sin? I think my new phrase to see every morning when I wake up should be "Are you giving them what they need to survive this life?"

Later in the afternoon, my friend Cindy was telling me that she had been reading "Little House on the Prairie" books to her kids. She was pointing out to them that obedience in that time of history often became synonymous with safety. If they had disobeyed and took the cover off the unfinished well, what would the consequences have been? What would have happened if the girls had let Jack, the bulldog, off his chain when the Indians came to the house? Cindy described a situation she had seen at the mall recently where a child was doing everything in his power (including kicking his mother in the shins!) and vocal ability to get to the candy machine that his mother was trying to keep him away from. Cindy pointed out to her children (as she was fleeing the disgraceful scene!), that if the object in question had been life-threatening instead of benign, the mother would probably have been a little more serious about requiring obedience from her child - even if it meant a minor amount of pain inflicted upon him in order to save him from a great amount of pain (or death!). We live in a culture that allows us to be more complacent about our child-rearing: guard rails, warning signs, and (often ridiculous) safety laws do their best to "think" for our children. We do not have to train them to stay away from the edge: the edge has been protected by an OCIA approved railing. And we rarely think beyond the physical realm into the spiritual realm. By failing to train them in physical things, we neglect the spiritual disciplines as well. It is a day for reform. My children were awful in church yesterday. I realize I've been slacking in my consistency. Time for some training lessons. It's clean the house day, so that should afford plenty of opportunities!

Enough blogging, time for living!

Hugs and prayers for a day of self-denial, 

 Kerrie

Today I am the mother of nine children. I have my sister's kids in addition to mine. I know, you think I'm crazy, but to be honest, it's not that hard. The kids play so well together that it is more like I added four babysitters. No squabbles, no fights, no requests for my participation - I should be able to accomplish loads today! (I am blogging after all, aren't I?!) I plan on rounding them up in a little bit and going outside to rake leaves. Hey, why waste this many helpers? Last night we had pancakes, eggs, and hashbrowns for dinner and I delegated almost every task. All I did was mix up the batter. Kids were peeling and grating potatoes, cracking and scrambling eggs, flipping pancakes, and setting the table. When I told Josh everything they had done to help, he decided we needed to have more. So don't be surprised if we suddenly send out an annoucement saying we are heading for 10 kids!

 

I am contemplating thankfulness today (ok, so I'm a week late, but it's never too late to change, right?!). It started by trying to brainstorm ways to add grace to our home. Robert Wolgemuth recommends more gratefulness. I was trying to come up with more specific ways to be thankful, when I came across all these verses on thankfulness. I think God edited the Bible yesterday, because I'm sure that these weren't there yesterday! Here they are:

 

 20They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed." 21When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, "Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting." 22When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.

 

23"He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
         And to him who orders his way aright
      I shall show the salvation of God."

 

2 Corinthians 4:15
For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

 

Ephesians 5:4
and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

 

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:18
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

 

Hebrews 13:15
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

 

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

 

Deuteronomy 8:10
When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

 

Psalm 107:22
Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, And tell of His works with joyful singing.

 

Ungratefulness is a sin; conversely, thankful praise to God for His deeds is the very purpose of our existence. So, if I am focusing on being thankful to Him and letting others know of His excellencies, I will not be focused on the hurts I am receiving and I will see more things from a grateful heart instead of an attitude of expectation. I know, a rather "duh" statement, but I guess I had never thought about it in quite that way. I've heard it said I should be focusing on Christ, but that doesn't always translate into real life. Focusing on being thankful and looking for ways to praise Him to my children and others gives me a tangible action to go home with. And so, giving thanks for you all, I go to my expanded brood.

 (and me! )

Kerrie  (just cause I said it wasn't as much work as you think, doesn't mean it's EASY!)

 

Well, I've been meaning to write for a while now, but it's hard to keep up with a computer and a journal. I keep thinking I'll do this instead of a journal, but somehow things just seem to flow better on paper for me. I did want to put down a few things from last week's worship meeting though. Doug does such a good job. Despite the fact we are small and tend to want to be desparate for talent, Doug keeps us on track and accountable to living the worship we are trying to lead others into. This last week we watched a DVD from a seminar put on by Matt Redman (or at least I think he put it on - he was there, nevertheless). I can't remember the speaker's name (Louie Giglio?), but he was speaking about the greatness of God. He was saying that true worship is proportional to our perception of the greatness of God. The speaker is a big outer space fan; not as in Star Trek, but as in planets, galaxies, and nebula. He showed slides of the sun, 93 million miles away. It takes 109 Earths to fill the diameter of the sun - that's BIG. But... the sun is only an average star in our Milky Way galaxy. And the Milky Way is comprised of billions of stars. In fact the Milky Way is roughly 180,000 light years across. Ok, so that sounds big, but think about a light year for a minute. A light year is the distance light can travel in one year. So if light can travel 93million miles from the Sun to the Earth in 8 minutes, then in a year it can travel... [this is where my sister interjected "A LONG WAY"]...5.8 trillion miles. My calculator won't multiply 5 trillion by 180,000, but I have a feeling that's a big number too! As a guide to the relative physical scale of the Milky Way, if it were reduced to 130 km (80 mi) in diameter, the Solar System would be a mere 2 mm (0.08 inches) in width. Ok, so that's the Milky Way, but guess what, there is more. We're just beginning at the Milky Way! Howabout the Perfect Spiral Galaxy, 30 million light years away. And the scientists all quit work to pat themselves on the back when they were able to set up a telescope that photographed it! Excuse me, God created it!! And to create all this, means God is bigger than all this! That's ... BIG!! Giglio showed a few other slides as well of mind-boggling things. And then he hit us with the big one - the REALLY incredible one ... he put up a slide of our Saviour, nailed to a cross. The place went silent (as did our worship team!). Giglio just let it sink in. Then he said it was like God had painted this enormous canvas and then he picked one speck (our solar system), and one dot in that speck (Earth), and sent His Son to die for it. Insignificant us. He calls it the "otherness" of God - as in "the Lord is God; there is no other" 1 Kings 8:60. And when we ponder the "otherness" of God, it should make us shout for joy and then fall on our faces before this Holy and Awesome God. Makes me want to sing a lot more songs like How Great Thou Art and a lot less like God is My Buddy. For me, too, it really made all my "problems" insignificant. This is the God who keeps all those stars perfectly in place and I'm worried that He's dropped the ball on my life. No, He's still there, perfectly in control. Praise be to Him.

 

Quotes from Matt Redman's book (which I do not yet own, but hope to soon!)

"There's a whole lot of shouting for joy to be found in some of our worship gatherings, but how much face-to-the-ground devotion do we see?"

"Without true glimpses of God, we will invariably try to shrink Him down to our size rather than allow even the tiniest peek of His infinite glory to stretch our mind and soul upward as we try to fathom His. ... But when our eyes are opened to drink in His matchless beauty, we are intrinsically drawn facedown to the ground - that place of worship where we are both secure and somewhat afraid, in love and in awe, bowed low yet somehow lifted high."

"Sometimes in the Church, we find ourselves tak[ing] the extraordinary revelation of God and somehow make Him sound completely ordinary! We fail to communicate the sense of God's otherness."

 

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD

The splendor of the King, Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice, All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light, And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at his voice, And trembles at his voice

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see 
How great, How great is our God

VERSE(2):
Age to age he stands, And time is in His Hands
Beginning and the End, Beginning and the End
The Godhead, Three in one: Father, Spirit, Son
The Lion and the Lamb, The Lion and the Lamb

CHORUS(2)
Name above all names. Worthy of all praise,
and My heart will sing how great
Is our God

 

For His Glory alone,

Kerrie  

(feeling very small!)

 

 

Well, it's been 20 days since my last entry! Wow - how that time thing does fly! (I used to hate it when my parents said that!) I posted pictures of our hot air balloon, but I thought I should put some info down about it. I kept hearing a strange intermittent noise one morning and when I went outside the front door to check it out, I caught a glimpse of the basket of a hot air balloon RIGHT over the top of our house!! I thought it was just passing over, so I yelled for the kids to come outside. I was trying to get them to hurry and yelling so excitedly that Steph started crying thinking there was some tragedy transpiring! When we finally got out the front door, there was the hot air balloon just landing across the street from us! All the neighbors had to come out to see, so it was a little block party (the first in the two years we've been here!) out there by the balloon. They were switching out passengers, so after a few minutes, they took off again and drifted up, up, up into the blue sky right over our heads. It was a gorgeous fall day - clear and 70 degrees. We hadn't had our first frost yet, so all the colors were in full splendor. If I ever go hot air ballooning, I will go in the fall. It must have been quite a spectacular trip! The balloon was the WWJD balloon around here. The chase car gave out cards with the picture of the ballon on the front and the gospel message on the back. They said WWJD meant "Walk With Jesus Daily." Another side of the balloon says WDJD for "What Did Jesus Do?" Referring to salvation, I presume. Anyway, it was a fun experience for us all.

 

I've had my nose buried in a book almost constantly recently (one of the benefits of nursing - plenty of sit-down time!). Reminds me of wendy's comments when we were little, "Kerrie, you're too stuck in a book to even READ!" She's always been funny about her sayings! Anyway, the two that have consumed my time are "Family driven Faith" and "The Most Important Place on Earth." Wow, are they ever great. Maybe it's just that they are exactly what I needed right now in my life, but I'd rate them as two of the best books I've ever read!! (Barring those inspired by the Holy Spirit!) So down to earth and back-to-basics. I am inspired with tons of ideas on how to build a Christian home around these precious kids. One of the authors instructed the reader to pick from the book as you would pick from a cafeteria style restaurant - you can't take it all - just take what looks good. My tray is heaped WAY too high - in fact, I think I took a little of EVERYTHING! And now I'm wondering how in the world I will ever be able to eat (do) it all! Just one thing at a time. They both really impressed upon me the value of each day. Time is truly flying, and I can't afford to waste one minute of it. The negative voices in my head are telling me I've wasted too much time already - that it's too late; but I really need to just be thankful that God brought this all to my attention NOW, before my children were even older! Speaking of being thankful, I'll let you in on what one author calls the "Family Vitamins" - things your family must say every day to stay healthy (or recover from serious illness!). 1) "I love you." 2) "I need your love" (it's healthy to ask for what you need " I need  a hug" "Can we talk?") 3)"I'm sorry. I was wrong. Will you forgive me?" 4) "May I help?" (That is my particular favorite! - I could listen to that one all day!) and 5) "Thank you." Take them daily and serve them liberally and you can't go wrong. There's lots more in those books - that's just a snippet. I recommend them to every Christian parent! I flew through both books so fast - now I am going back and journaling through the study guides. Now the kicker is to put it all into practice, not just leave it as notes in my journal. Please help me, Lord!

 

to be continued...

Ok, so two blog entries in one day - what will my fans say?! Just thought you might like to hear a Gage"ism". His "Aunt" Leah loaned the kids a Muppets music CD. They love it. As they were listening to it yesterday (and my overly protective, sheltering mother's mind was dissecting the lyrics and contemplating the morality and godliness of the messages of each song - the Miss Piggy and Kermit wedding song themed "I know he'll make me happy!" - my poor children!), Gage came to me and said, "Mom, I like Miss Piggy; she sings great!!" Or in Gage's case "gweat"! His unfeigned admiration and adoration were equally hilarious and sweet to me! Josh didn't seem amused when I told him, but it had me chuckling for hours. THis morning he informed me that if he were an animal, he would marry Miss Piggy! Perhaps we do need to limit this exposure!

Well, we finally have resolved our car issues. We received a check Monday from the insurance company for our smashed "burb", and we were able to go get our "new" suburban tonight.  God is so good. After the insurance company paid off our loan on the old rig, we were able to get the new suburban without going back into debt. It's actually four years newer than ours and has 5,000 less miles than ours did. It also has a load capacity of 9 instead of 8 (no, we aren't pregnant!). We wondered where God was taking us in all this. It really has turned out to be a blessing. No one was hurt (in our family - we aren't sure what the long term injuries on the other vehicle's occupants), and we were able to get out of debt, and our new rig is just as nice (if not nicer) than our old one. Oh, and we get better gas mileage now with a smaller engine and no four-wheel drive. How come God is so good to us? Thanks be to Him!!

The kids wanted to name our new rig. The old one was  "The Blue Sharkburban". One of the kids seemed to think it looked like a shark. It was also known as the Chamburban. We decided this one would be the C-burban. The C is for Chamberlain,  a twist on "su"burbuan, and Miles thought the color was blue like the sea, so that works too! Come see us and we'll take you for a drive!

Kerrie

Well, I posted some more pictures today and some of them need a little explanation. It's mud. Yes, the big blobs of stuff on Blake's back are mud blobs. You see... I was chatting on the phone to my mother while watching the kids play in the backyard. Blake had crawled out the back door and was sitting on the porch investigating dirt. As I kept an eye on him from the doorway, suddenly these grey-brown blobs suddenly appeared on his back. Since most of my brain was involved in the conversation with my mother, the small remaining portion was having trouble locating a match in the archives for "grey-brown blobs." The closest I was coming was to the small frog I had seen the day before leaping across the sidewalk - somehow his hop and the appearance of the "blobs" fit in the same brainfile. As I spent a few nanoseconds contemplating all this, I heard from across the yard, "Got him!!!!" Gage came running into view swinging a long stick with thick, gooey mud all over the end of it. Yes, he had flung mud at his baby brother and was so proud that he had scored on the target! As I interrupted my mother with a yell of, "No, no, NO!" (since Gage was apparently closing in for the kill!), Gage stopped in mid-swing, evaluated my meaning and dropped the stick and his head in a look of dejected despair at the kill-joy of a mother God had bestowed on him. Amazing what boys will do!  My sisters never prepared me for all this.

 

I'm also feeling a need to respond to the wonderfully clever blog by the mom of 6 who posted that ebay listing about the pokemon cards that she unwittingly bought at the grocery store because her children put them in her (chaotic) cart. Perhaps some of you have seen her site or that forward. Although I laughed 'til my sides hurt while perusing her blogsite, I couldn't help but also be slightly put out. Basically, she has 6 out-of-control children (unless she is dramatically exaggerating!). There was even a comment from one of the readers about some other woman whose children were only good because they were scared of the stick she kept somewhere I won't repeat. I instantly found myself blushing, not out of shame for her analogy, but because I thought it must have been written by someone I know. I am known for carrying a rod of some sort in by back pocket most of the time. (A guest arrives at the door. Guest comes in and takes off their shoes. Guest comments, "Why is there a large plastic tube in your back pocket?")  But then I had to check myself. My children are not (usually) a pain in the grocery store (barring the urgent cry for a bathroom just 5 minutes before I'm ready to leave the store). They know better than to stand up in the cart, put their fingers in the meat packages, or put things into the cart of their own choosing - in fact, they know better than to even request that we buy something (the acceptable question is, "Mom, is this on your list this week?"). Should I be ashamed of that? Yes, my children have their moments. I too am the mother of mud flinging children (oh, and did I tell you about Stephanie's run-in with the nail polish? not pretty). Perhaps the clever pokemon mom just knows how to highlight those events in her life and doesn't let us know that the kids really are a joy in public and at church. I'm just tired of other moms being offended by my children's good behavior. I don't do it to annoy you, I do it because it makes my children a joy for ME to be around too. Oh, and yes, because God said, "Do not hold back discipline from the child,  Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod and rescue his soul from Sheol." Prov 22:13 & 14 I think I'd rather offer that to my children than a legacy of clever blogs about their misbehavior. Don't mean to offend, but there it is.

Whew, I think I feel better now. Better get on with the day,

Hugs from me and the kids to all of you -

Well, I'm in the mood to type, I guess. Not sure what I have to say, but feeling like I need to get it off my chest - whatever it is! I'm looking forward to our ladies Bible study group starting up again this month. It keeps me accountable to my Bible reading and my journaling. It is nice to be able to go back and read up on what God has taught me. Embarrassing when I realize I've forgotten the lesson! Thank goodness for His mercy and patience.

The car huntiing is going along nicely. We are still waiting for an offer from the at fault party's insurance company; so we aren't sure what we really have to look at. We have two very nice rigs for very nice prices lined up - boy do I hate decisions. Especially ones like these where there is no black or white in them. It would be so much easier if there were verses for every occasion. "When thou art faced with the decision of buying a donkey of higher price but younger age, or a donkey of lesser price but older age, consider thou thy choice and tell it to thy brother, and whatever he tells thee to do, go thou and do it, even unto the letter." But... it is not so. I guess it is another lesson in trust. Trusting God that the decision we make will be the best for our family. I suppose that is really what life is all about. That place of trust where we pray and do our best and then go on "anxious for nothing" even when "circumstances" seem to be against us.

Better get to my dishes and laundry. Time to take off my philosophic hat and put on my housewife apron.

Hugs to ya,

KB -

 

As you may already know, Josh and the kids got rear-ended last week in the Suburban. (See picture album "poor smashded 'burb'") Thanks to God for keeping them all safe! But our "Burb" is considered totalled. When I got home that evening after the wreck, Gage solemnly told me, "Mom, the car is damaged!" When he showed it to me, he put his hand on the crunched back doors and said, "Here is the damage!" I guess this experience is expanding our vocabulary, if nothing else! Josh and I are now trying to figure out what the smartest option is in all of this. Do we a) let the insurance co have the 'burb' and take their offer of $; b) keep the burb and fix it ourselves and keep any leftover $; c) take the 'burb' to the wrecking yard ourselves and find a new 'burb'; d) let the insurance co have the burb but demand more $ for it; e) drive the burb off a cliff and take a year's trip around the world?  Any suggestions??

 

The latest on the kids: Blake is crawling!! He's figured out the advantage to mobility and is using it to our disadvantage as often as possible. This morning he managed to find a cup of water on the floor (I'm not naming any husband's names!) and pour it all over himself. That did not make him or his mother very happy. It is nice that he can now find his way to the excitement in the house rather than crying because he wasn't part of it. Katie is becoming quite a good reader and Miles is not far behind her. We digress from there as Gage is only able to write his own name and identifies the "E" as a "T". He can throw a baseball in the air with one hand, though, and hit it with the bat in the other hand! (Something quite fascinating to his uncooridinated and unathletic mother!) He is also quite talented with the baseball tee his Aunties gave him for his birthday. (The tethered ball came just in time to keep us from losing our relationship with our neighbors who were tired of returning whiffle balls to us from their yards!) Stephanie prances about here like the queen of the house and we follow her around removing her from her pedastal. It's a slow process, but I think it's working! Speaking of which, I've got to go - she's at it again!

 

Type at ya later,

KBC