You know it's a slow news day when you get excited about...

Hannah is shy...very shy...we've really had to work with her to get her to talk with adults. We role play, we practice, we discipline (she's also very stubborn!) but she still doesn't like the limelight. In fact last Christmas I made her a dress that I thought was beautiful...and she loved it, too. But people made such a fuss about her "puffed sleeves" that she begs me not to make her wear it because she doesn't like the attention!

One of the down sides of her not talking much is that she doesn't speak clearly. She's getting better about her shyness and her speaking now that she's in school, but one word that has given her fits is "the." She always says it "fa." The other day I noticed that she was reading "this" correctly so we set to work. Brent and I both sat down with her and through our team efforts helped her get her tongue going the right way and say it correctly. She's been practicing and practicing...since I told her we'd make cookies to celebrate the day she could say it right all the time. So today was the big day...she was able to show her teacher, Mrs. Pacyna, that she could say it correctly, and yes, we made cookies, too!

I know, I know...it's a slow day...maybe tomorrow we'll have pictures of the blizzard we're supposed to get, but for now, you get cookies about "the!" It's actually a pretty big deal around here!

I did it again...this could be a habit forming here, people!

I finished another book...yep! Read it cover to cover! That's TWO in recent times, folks! And it'a a biography, too (well--sort of!) I've been challenged to read more biographies, but I have a hard time because my brain just gets bogged down in details that I don't find the list bit interesting or applicable. I suppose it's just my lack of acadamia--is that even a word!?! I'm not intellectual enough to wade through all the extras to get to the good stuff...I need someone to break it all down for me and give the important information that I care about. Enter John Piper's, The Hidden Smile of God. It's a book that someone was reading for a counselling class here at Northland--and it caught my interest. It is a biography of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainard. It was right up my ally, too, because it gives enough details of their lives while not going into what they ate for lunch each day and what time they had a doctor's appointment when they were 27! And it made application, too...which is what I liked best. William Cowper, the man who wrote There is a Fountain, was incredibly depressed most of his life. Piper drew conclusions from Cowper's experiences with deep depression that help one counsel those who are struggling with the same things.

I need people to connect dots for me...Piper did that very well in this book and even might have encouraged me to pick up another biography that contains a few more details...recommendations anyone...but go easy on me...I am still a stay at home mom of 3 who doesn't have much intellectual stimulation on any given day and might just give up reading all together if pushed too quickly! :-)

Now I'm all inspired...oh great!

One of the down sides to sewing is realizing how much cheaper things would cost if you made them instead of buying them in the store. It can, if I were to let it, take some of the fun out of shopping because you realize how much the fashion industry is making at our expense. So I really try not to think about it especially since I don't get to hit the malls very much anymore...not much can dampen my spirits when I'm breathing in mall air!

This really hit home when we took the kids to Build A Bear over Thanksgiving break, and I saw how much they were charging for clothes for these silly bears! Hannah and Daniel had saved and saved their money to be able to buy bears with outfits so we let them each buy one outfit. But the bigger mistake came when I mentioned to Hannah how easy it would be for me to make other outfits for Abigail, her teddy bear named after one of our friends, the Farmers, little girls. (Interestingly enough she named something else lately and wanted to know the names of the other Farmer girls so she could use that name--she doesn't even really know them that well, either...go figure!) But ever since I told her that I could make outfits she has been after me to do it...and I mean after me!

Hannah only goes to half day Kindergarten so she and I have some good quality time together in the afternoons. So finally, I broke down and made her bear a dress today. It took some doing since I didn't have a pattern, but I think it turned out okay...not bad for having an almost 6 year old literally hanging on my machine asking a gazillion questions as I fenagled something on the fly that would hopefully turnout to resemble a dress! The fun thing is that I used this same fabric to make her a school skirt so she and Abi can now match for show and tell...oh to be able to get that excited about something so simple again! Perhaps I'll venture out and try something else for her bear from my ganormous totes full of scraps!

One last thing...Hannah was very concerned that people be able to see her ring she's wearing...it hardly shows, but I told her I'd make sure people noticed that she's wearing a beautiful flower ring! She's almost as vain as her mommy!

Confirmed, Plausible, or Busted!

It doesn't take too much of a Discovery Channel junkie to recognize those words are from Mythbusters, one of our family's favorite shows. Brent, Daniel and I love it, and Hannah would rather watch it in good company than be by herself, so we usually watch it as a family. So the kids were quite intrigued when I told them we were going to bust a myth! I have heard that if it's cold enough outside, water thrown into the air will freeze before it hits the ground. We tried it several different ways, but decided to stop short of blowing something up (much to the kids' dismay and not in keeping with true Mythbusters' fashion). It was right before church tonight so it wasn't as cold as it will be getting...it was about 2 degrees. Although the water was not frozen when it hit the cement steps, it was frozen in just a matter of seconds. It was quite amazing. Daniel and I decided that it's plausible--I might get up the nerve to go out in the morning since it's our last forecasted day of subzero actuals, and it's already at 9:30pm -3 actual! Brent told me he heard it had to be -50 actual before that would happen, so I hope to never confirm or bust that myth! Awww, the joys of living in the middle of the northern woods of Wisconsin...at least in the winter, we can always find an icicle to ward off the coyotes and mountain lions! :-)

CAKE!!!

I let Daniel and Hannah choose what cake they thought Sarah would like best from Family Fun's website, and they chose this doll cake. It was much easier than I thought--baking the base in my Pampered Chef Batter Bowl. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I imagined making clothes for the doll from frosting either. Notice the earrings and necklace with matching hairbow? I put those on to humor Hannah. The doll pick came with holes in her ears for earrings, and guess what? We don't happen to have Barbie sized earrings sitting around our house, so I had to get creative. She was pleased with the results and wanted to know who was going to get to eat them! Sarah didn't notice the accessories, but she did notice the cake was within reach, and she went for it! I was secretly happy they chose this cake...I always wanted one as a little girl!

It didn't take her long to dig into her cake, and true to "kid form" she went for all the icing first!

But it didn't take her long to figure out that the cake was really good, too! She was shoveling it in like a pro!
By the end she was playing in it more than eating it...I let her squish it around for a while, but then put a stop to it before it caused electrical issues by getting into the outlet above! No...it wasn't quite that messy...but only because I stopped her...she was definitely trying to figure out what else she could do with the fist fulls of cake since her tummy was full...Brent's engineering mind, my creativity...we're in for it!

Can my baby really be one already?!?

We always let the kids choose what they want for their birthday meal, and since Sarah isn't old enough to let us know, I persuaded Brent that she would say, if she could, that her favorite meal was in town at the new McDonalds that the older 2 kiddos have been wanting to check out (mainly because it has video games instead of a play place--exactly how that fits in with all the hype McD's seems to be pushing lately about kids getting off the couch and getting physical, I don't quite understand. They replaced the playplaces where kids run themselves ragged with sedate, sit still while you move only your fingers video screens...go figure...but I digress!) Even though her birthday was really Friday, we had a meeting Friday night, so we celebrated it Saturday, and she didn't seem to mind at all. Try that next month with our soon to be 6 year old and it'll be different scenario, I guarantee it! But we had fun at McD's and even let the kids play the video games...but not until all those healthy fries were cleaned off those cheese covered wrappers from those nutritious burgers that they weren't able to exercise off after they ate...
Sarah really is a very happy baby...we've been blessed with 3 very pleasant babies, but she does seem to be the most happy but yet most determined and stubborn of the 3. Brent and I both agree that behind that sweet smile is an incredibly strong will we're already beginning to clash with! We're in for it, for sure!

We bought her a "walking toy" that converts to a ride-on toy once she gets a bit older. She loved it and took off right away surprising us all...but then she figured out it was easier to hold on to it and walk on her knees instead of walking upright...she's a long ways from walking on her own...but that's fine with me. Once she's walking, it's a whole new ball game! Some one told me they knew of a mom of twins and also several other children. Whenever the twins would start to try to crawl, the mom would push them flat onto their tummies to keep them from becoming mobile! (no, it wasn't' my friend, Carissa--although she might have done it if she had thought of it!)

My parents gave Sarah this sweet little bunny with a giggle box in its tummy. Daniel and Hannah loved to make it giggle for her. She even gave the bunny a hug and some "luvin!" She's all girl!

Wow...I knew it was bad, but...

Fans take games seriously in Chicago, so I thought I understood how deep Packer Pride goes, but I had no idea! People bleed green and gold around here, let me tell you! And it doesn't matter what kind of season the Packers are having--people are D-E-D-I-C-A-T-E-D!!! I saw this story on my yahoo homepage this morning and thought you'd get a kick out of it...there sounds like an almost decent explanation at the end of the story, but it still makes for an interesting read!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_disorderly_fan

The snow has finally started...we're supposed to get 6-8 inches today so maybe I'll be able to get some good pictures of the kids before the windchilll dips to -38 this weekend! And I have to run...I have to get to town for some things before it gets too bad. Can you believe I just said that?!? I have been completely converted to a country bumpkin...I thought the day would never come...even fought it for a while, but alas, it has arrived...I'm a yooper...sigh!

This and That

So Dr. Olson changed the rule at Northland about no facial hair. The faculty and staff can have beards now, but they have to grow them over a break so they don't look all scruffy in the classroom. He changed the rule just before Christmas Break. It was comical how many men have grown beards and what not! It was the big joke during inservice this last week, trust me! Dr. Olson said that we were all going to take a vote at the end of inservice to see who gets to keep them!

Brent had a gotee before we met, so I had never seen him with one. He decided to grow one to see what I thought. I didn't mind it, but I must say I did like him with a full beard better. He has since shaved it, though, because it wasn't worth the extra trouble, not because he was "voted off!"

I had to catch a quick shot of this...they were actually playing very well together, until I took the picture that is! As soon as Hannah realized I was watching she started whining about Sarah being in her way...just couldn't stand to leave well enough alone, could I?!?

Around the house...

It's hard to believe that Sarah is just a couple of weeks shy of one year old! I was posing her for a picture to go in her "Baby's First Christmas" ornament and couldn't believe how big she looks! But then again she is big! She's crawling like a banshee (a word taken from my father-in-law--still not quite sure what that means, but I'll figure it out once I get my "little-red-wagon-fixed!) and standing at all the furniture. She's not quite cruising the furniture yet, but the other two kiddos didn't start walking until 14 and 15 months, so I'm not expecting too much from her--she is after all my daughter and coordination has never been my forte!

We've been pretty cold around here lately...happy to get into the double digits, but we're in for a warm spell this weekend with forecasted highs in the 40's! So Brent and the kids went sleigh riding for a bit after school today. Hannah fell off right away, but Brent and Daniel made it down the hill intact.

Look at where I get to live!!! For all of our family in the country in Ohio, this is not that big of a deal, but for all our friends living in the city, I'm sure you'll understand! Even after 3 years, I'm still amazed at times at how happy I am living as a country girl...truly a testament of God's grace making me content in His will...it also helps to know that our friends, the Alberts, who live just minutes from where we used to live in Chicago also had a coyote in their yard! Perhaps they're taking over the world and we don't realize it yet...the coyotes, that is, not the Alberts! My sister bought Daniel a tent for Christmas...it's meant for outdoor use, but given the current weather conditions it's found it's way to our living room. They've spent a lot of time playing with their new toys while sitting the tent.

I'll be back someday...maybe! :-)

Yes, Marsel...I'm still alive...I'm just so far behind on the blog thing that I'm a bit overwhelmed and don't know where to start...much like my diet! :-) I might just skip everything from the past month and move on with a resolve to do better posting. I know several family members back in Ohio check often to see what's happening with the kiddos (Hi, Great Grandma and Great Aunt Rosemary!) So I will try to do better...if it makes things any better, I didn't get Christmas cards sent out this year...please don't take me off your list...I love getting them and even sending them when I can get a family picture taken that doesn't have Sarah crawling away from every pose I put her in--The one little curl at the base of her neck just isn't as cute as her little nose all wrinkled up as she smiles! Hard to believe she's only 15 days from her first birthday! This past year has flown!!!

I'm making a resolution to do better at blogging...and we all know how well I do with resolutions--enjoy the next 3 posts because I'll have fallen off the blog wagon by then :-)

My three kiddos

There are times when a mom looks at her children who are up to their elbows in something they know they're not supposed to be into and wonders who in the world could these children be! And then there are times when a mom looks at her kiddos and just wants to hug 'em and squeeze'em, and like the old Bugs Bunny cartoon, call their name George--but I digress--as usual! When we had all the cousins ' pictures taken together this Thanksgiving, the photographer did such an amazing job that I had to get her to take a picture of just the 3 of ours together...and it turned out so great! It's not often I say that about a picture, but I do love this shot! This is how I want to remember my kids when I'm old and gray...I might get this blown up to life size and pretend they're real for those days when their antics simply can't be real!

(in case anyone is wondering or concerned, I used my free "Smile By Wire" whatchamijigger and had the pictures sent to me to view and share electronically--hence the sharing them legally on my digital blog--no copyright infringement that I'm aware of!)

It's rare, but here it is!!!

Hardly ever do Brent and I agree to pose for pictures, but we could not let the ivory tuxedo he had to wear for his brother's wedding go undocumented! It turned out to be better than we thought since all the groomsmen wore the same tux--there were 7 men the kids were calling "Mr. White Cloud" so no one sufffered alone! :-) It was a really nice time to get together with family and meet some of the friends that my in-laws often speak of when sharing tales of their boys growing up! Anytime you get that many guys together who are forced to wear ivory...you know there's going to be a whole lot of joking going on!

A great day for a picnic...or not!

We packed a picnic lunch to help break up the LONG drive to Brent's Brother's wedding this last week. It turned out to be pretty cold and we sat and shiverred as a we ate our lunch, but the kids had a great time playing at the rest area, and they were so glad to be out of the van!

I've been tagged...

So I was tagged by my friend, Erin, to share one of my favorite recipes...and my wonderful and patient husband just showed me how to include links in my blog so it now works to just click on her name...what would we do without computer geniuses?!?

This is one of my favorite recipes to pull out for showers, ladies' fellowships, church potlucks, etc. because it is so very yummy and just as easy!
One package Oreo cookies--crushed (I use my Cuisinart)
One 8 oz package cream cheese, softened.

Mix these 2 ingredients together and form them into balls. (My small pampered chef scoop is the perfect size!) and freeze for an hour or so until firm. Then dip each ball into melted chocolate and let the chocolate harden (adding a tablespoon or so of shortening to chocolate chips makes the finished product really shiny and professional looking) I keep them refrigerated since the insides do tend to get gooey after sitting out for a while. It also keeps them out of sight, which is the only way they last around my house!

Hope this helps get me "untagged!"

Some of that "Mom Sentimentality"

I must confess I cry at commercials (anyone who knows me, won't be surprised by that!) but I am especially sentimental when it comes to those commercials that show a bride walking down the aisle and then flash backs to her childhood hinting at how fast she's grown up. I've been super sappy lately about Hannah for some reason and wanting to capture so many of these everyday moments so we'll have them later on. I had to have a picture of her in this outfit. Maybe it's the ruffle socks, or the sparkly sweater...I know she won't want to wear bows in her hair forever, but I don't ever want to forget this stage of her life. She really is at a great stage. She's still wanting to crawl up into our laps and snuggle, but she's old enough to really be thinking deep thoughts and want to talk about them--okay, most of the time she's thinking about what she wants to take to show and tell and what color Scooby Doo's collar should be on her coloring page, but she gets deep every once in a while!

Another thing I'm going to try to capture on video is the way she comes running out of the school building everyday and climbs into the van. It's just another one of those things I want burned on my mind forever, but since my mind is so full of groceries, laundry, and ways to help Daniel remember to bring more than one of his p.e. shoes home at a time, I'm going to try to video it!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving...God is good and I have so much to be thankful for!!!

I am so proud of me!!!

Does anyone else have trouble finishing a book? I am so proud of myself for just finishing "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver (It was excellent, by the way...) I can finish a work of fiction no problem, but I must have a gazillion non-fiction (more Bible Study style) books started! Am I the only one with the attention span of a 4 year old, or do you
struggle with the same thing?

Other books I am in the middle of reading:
Shepherding a Child's Heart (this is acutally about my 3rd time through the book) by Ted Tripp
A Woman After God's Own Heart, A Mom after God's Own Heart, and Beautiful in God's Eyes by Elizabeth George
Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow--also my second time through it, but I don't think I ever made it completely through the first time!
Twelve Extraordinary Women in the Bible by John MacArthur


I did start and finish Mardi Colliers book "What do I know about my God?" and it was amazing, too! I have been having a great time using her notebook idea to keep track of what I see about God in my quiet times of devotion. That and my ESV Brent bought for me have really made a huge difference in the quality of my time with the Lord which has in turn increased the quantity of my quality time in the Word. So wait...I take it all back...I've finished 2 books this last year...that's not so bad is it?!?

Anyone else have a good book to recommend I start reading?!? :-) I'm always a sucker for a good book to start! But hey...I did just finish two. I'm kind of inspired to finish some of these others...kind of! :-)

In honor of my long lost roomie...

I won't mention any names, but you know who you are...It seems Sarah has inherited the uncanny ability to put rather large things into her mouth. I thought of a dear friend of mine immediately when I saw Sarah putting the entire end of the phone in her mouth! I had to take these pictures as an ode to a dear friend who can put her entire fist in her mouth! How I miss those days, don't you, former roomie?!?

SNOW!!!

We had our first official snowfall the other night. It didn't quite cover the grass but it was enough to make the kids go wild with excitement! They had a hard time concentrating on the task of getting ready for school so we were running late. I didn't think being late because we had to take pictures of the kids and the snow for the blog would go over real well with the school office so you have to settle for just a picture of our backyard that I took after I got back from dropping them off. The snow had all melted before lunch and we haven't had any since, but we know we'll be having our fair share of it all too soon!

These pictures cracked me up!

Sarah normally loves to be outside, but sitting in a pile of poky leaves is another story I guess! She was happy and loving life while I was holding her, but the minute I tried to pose her in the leaves she started screaming. It was either the leaves or her brother and sister that were poking her...one never knows these days! :-)

It's long...but worth it--Come back when you have more time to read it! :-)

In addition to my quiet times with the Lord recently, I've been reading the book, "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver. It's been excellent so far--very, very good--but I haven't finished it yet, so I can't whole-heartedly endorse it until I've read it in it's entirety. But something I read recently was a real help, and I wanted to share it with all of my frazzled-mom-friends especially...but it's good for anyone who's not a mom, too, just busy with things older than 8! :-) Yes...it's a very long post...probably my longest yet, but it's only a page and a half from the book...so look at it that way...it's only a bit more than a page in a book (a book without pictures, mind you, but only a page or so nonetheless!) And well worth the time!


"Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.
My thirty-something birthday had dawned bright and busy. Tucked into a pile of bills and credit card applications I found a card sent from my friend, Janet McHenry. The message inside wished me a “Hoopy Birthday,” and that made me smile, but the picture on the front was what really grabbed my attention. It illustrated everything I’d been feeling that dreary, getting older day.
“That’s me,” I said to my husband, poking at the black and white glossy.
Taken back in the early 1950’s, the photo showed a young woman in Greta Garbo shorts with eight or nine hula hoops swinging madly around her waist. “How does she do that?” I wanted to know.
It had been a frustrating day of too many responsibilities and not enough of me to go around. One by one, I named the Hula-Hoops I had been trying to keep in motion: wife, mother, pastor’s wife, friend, writer, piano instructor, cook, cleaning lady, and the big one—Little League mother. If we weren’t racing to baseball games, we were rushing to church; if I wasn’t folding laundry, I was stealing a few minutes to write.
“That’s me!” I laughed. I made exaggerated motions with my hips, trying to keep my invisible hoops afloat. My eyes darted from the photo to my husband’s concerned face then back again. “That’s me!”
After a few cups of chamomile tea and some chocolate chip sedatives—I mean, cookies—I calmed down and read my friend’s letter while my husband ran our kids to yet another ball game. Chatty and full of humor, Janet shared her hectic schedule and the things the Lord had been teaching her.
I finished the letter, closed the card and looked once more at the girl on the front. There were so many hoops, but she appeared calm. Her upper body seemed to be perfectly still, her arms outstretched slightly, as the hoops raced around her waist in synchronized chaos.
Her face captured me. Looking straight into the camera, she smiled peacefully as though she hadn’t a care in the world.
Then it dawned on me—I saw her secret. “She found a rhythm,” I whispered to myself. “She established her center, and then let everything move around that.”
That’s exactly what I wasn’t doing in my life. All the things I’d been trying to accomplish were important, but I had lost my center. Busy being busy, I’d forgotten to tend to my inner self, the spiritual me. Like a wheel without an axle, I’d careened through life, bouncing off one duty and onto another.
If there was adequate pause, I’d spend some time with the Lord. But lately, more often than not, my busy days had slipped by without a quiet time. And my life was revealing what my spirit had missed.
“Teach me, Lord. Show me the rhythm of life,” I found myself praying.
“Be my center.”

Life is filled with Hula-hoops. We all have responsibilities, important things that need our attention. If we’re not careful, however, our hearts and our minds can be consumed with the task of keeping them in the air. Rather than centering ourselves in Christ and letting the other elements of our lives take their rightful place around that center, we end up shifting our attention from one important to-do item to another, frantically trying to keep them all in motion.
It’s easy to forget that while there is a time to work, there is also a time to worship—and it’s the worship, the time we spend with God, that provides the serene center to a busy, complex life."
(Taken from "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver pp 99-100 Waterbrook Press)

Messy Handwriting--A sign of Genious?

So I've heard it said that the smartest people often have really bad penmanship. If this is true, Daniel must be pure genious!

Yesterday Daniel came home after school, and I was checking his homework. I came to his handwriting paper that he had finished at school and quickly realized he'd be doing the entire thing over. He knew it wasn't acceptable--not even close, but was obviously less than thrilled by the prospect of doing the entire thing over. I took it as more of a character lesson about working carefully and doing your best more than actually being concerned that each letter be perfect (I mean come on...I do have a heart after all!) So after a few miutes of grumbling and then a few minutes of "correcting the grumbling" Daniel started in on the assigment--for the second time. I've always worked with him on his handwriting, but he's just never "got it" before. But something clicked this time. Perhaps it's a maturing thing, and he's just got more coordination and fine motor skill all of a sudden, or perhaps it was me standing over his shoulder...both can be pretty effective...but the light bulb came on (my favorite thing to see as a teacher--that moment when the kids "get it" and their face just lights up!) We were both literally beaming when we realized that Daniel figured out how to slant his letters and make them neatly, too! I know it sounds silly, but it's a big deal to both of us! He was so proud of himself. I jokingly said it was good enough to put on the blog...and Daniel loved the idea...so here it is...Daniel has made huge strides in his handwriting--even slanting! Yahoo!!! So does this mean his IQ has suddenly dropped many points because he writes neatly? hmmmmm...

Okay...for all you teachers out there, I know it's not perfect, but trust me...the light bulb has come on and pushed us light years ahead of his handwriting before! Seeing the look of accomplishment and pride in his work made the effort worth it all...like Mastercard...priceless!

And now for a more serious note...

One of our greatest desires for our children is to see them get saved at an early age and grow to love God with all their hearts and have a real, vital relationship with their heavenly Father. Daniel made a profession of faith a few summers ago, and there seems to be true evidences of his relationship with God as found in 1 John. We understand that our children's relationship with God is between them and God, and that we can never know for certain what is in their hearts....except when they tell us they're not saved...like Hannah's been doing for quite some time now. For about the past 6 months, she's shown a real interest in learning about salvation. We've done our best to point her to the Scripture each time she brought it up. About a week ago, she started getting really serious about it and was getting less and less distracted when we would open the Bible with her. It was probably last Saturday or Sunday that we really thought she would get saved, but when Brent asked her if she wanted to be save, much to our surprise she said no, that she'd do it another night...maybe tomorrow. We talked with about the imminency (sp?) of Christ's return and how our lives are but a vapor, but she just wasn't ready. Brent and I spent this last week really praying for her (and trying not to imagine all the what-if scenarios as I drove down the road--"What if we get in a car accident and she dies before she gets saved, or what if she chokes on that hot dog and dies, or what if"--and before you know it, I'm in tears thinking about her funeral--come on...most of you girls have done that before even if you won't admit it!) All week long she kept saying, "Maybe tomorrow night" or "Maybe tonight at family devotions" We wanted to be careful and make sure the Holy Spirit was the one working and not just 2 sincerely zealous parents so we tried to encourage her without pressuring her. But tonight, she came to us and asked if she could be saved. After lots of questions and making sure she understood and the Holy Spirit was indeed drawing her to Himself, we knelt beside the couch and Hannah asked the Lord to forgive her for sins and allow her to go to heaven. We rejoice in the Lord's goodness in helping our little girl see her need for a Saviour and the thought of spending eternity with her as our heavenly sister! God is so much better to us than we deserve! I took this picture of Brent and Hannah after she prayed...no need for a flash here, the beaming from my face was probably enough to light the entire room!

Just answer me one question, "Son, What were you thinking?!"

Daniel is such an 8 year old boy...I keep telling myself, "He's only 8, He's only 8" So I was in the garage putzing around Saturday afternoon--it was gorgeous outside--about 65 and sunny--we're enjoying those kind of days knowing full well they are numbered! And I hear Daniel say, "Mom, we've got a problem, but don't come out here!" So of course I went in the house and ignored him...no, that's what I wanted to do, but knew better! Not sure what he was thinking, but I heard him continue pounding with something--even after he told me there was a problem (He's only 8, He's only 8!) I went outside only to find him with the 2 foot long (or thereabouts) croquet post hammered into the ground so that only about 6 inches were above the ground. "I got a little carried away..." (he's only 8, he's only8) I explained in no uncertain terms that his father would not see the humor in the situation and he'd better do his best to get it out of the ground before Daddy realized what he had done. So what's he do? He starts digging with his fingers thinking he can dig the foot and a half down to get the stick out. I just walked away muttering "He's only 8, He's only 8!" I came back with the camera--I figured if he's crazy enough to hammer the post all the way into the ground, he can stand for me to take a picture of it and put it on the blog! (I ended up having mercy on him and somehow managed to wriggle it back and forth enough to get it to come out) Don't go thinking it's all cute and what not--to quote my friend Carissa when people tell her how cute her kids are..."It's kept them alive!"

Bananas in Pajamas are coming down the stairs...

Okay, so this adorable baby has nothing to do with the ridiculous kids show from a few years back about Bannanas is Pajamas, but she is in her nightgown and has bannanas smeared all over her face. This was our first attempt at putting a few pieces of real bannanas on her tray and letting her feed herself. Yes...it's up by her hairline...what can I say, she's got my double chin and lack of coordination--poor thing! She's doing very well with baby food. VERY WELL!!! She weighed in at 23 pounds 2 ounces at her 9 month well baby check up last week...yes, she is an overachiever and is weighing in well above the 95th percentile...she's not even on the charts...that's my girl! :-) Just a note of concern, though, the doctor is watching her for asthma...she's not quite ready to diagnose her yet, but most indicators are saying that Sarah has asthma. Her bout of pneumonia came as quite a surprise to us since she had no other symptoms--just a really bad cough that she could not get rid of. The doctor ordered a chest xray just to rule out pneumonia, but sure enough it came back showing that she had it in both lungs. She responded very well to the antibiotics and has stopped coughing now all together (finally!) We're thankful for a great doctor who likes to be cautious!

Fun with our Campus Kids

Mr. Collin's a sophomore History Ed major.

Mr. Tim's a Senior Missions major.
Miss Lydia's a transfer student--technically she's a sophomore, but this is her first semester at Northland. We missed having our other 2 with us--Miss Nikki and Miss Julie.

Campus Kids at Northland is a big deal! Each of the students are assigned to a staff family, and the staff family acts as a family for them while they are away from home. We only have 5 campus kids since we live off campus (Those families on campus can have upwards of 12!) But Daniel and Hannah have taken a real shining to our campus kids. We had them over for dinner the other night and the kids enjoyed some good old fashioned wrestling and looking Waldo--it's what we always seem to end up doing with our campus kids. 2 of our girls weren't able to make it since they were in a block class, so we'll have to get together again soon!

She's getting into everything!!!

So Sarah's really on the move now...she's still doing the soldier crawl most of the time, but she's doing a full-fledged up on all 4's now more and more...which means nothing is safe! She managed to find a box of goodies that I left by the fridge. She didn't manage to get any of the packages open, but that's because she didn't realize it was food. Had she realized that, there would have been no stopping her! Brent and I have observed that Sarah is much more determined than our other 2 have ever been. Daniel and Hannah definitely had their issues, (ask anyone from New Hope about Daniel's scream echoing through the hallways when it came time to leave him in the nursery!), but both of their temperaments were pretty mild and easy going as babies. Then came Sarah...She's one strong-willed child...when she gets something in her mind, nothing stops her, not even a little, shall we say, "persuasion" from us! We both think we're in for some tricky times with the terrible two's and three's!

Fall Fun!

We went to a fall festival of sorts at a nearby orchard a few weeks back. It was a small orchard (The trees were fenced in with a chain link fence to give you an idea how small it was) but the kids had fun playing with friends and going on a wagon ride around the orchard. It was one of those great and FREE family entertainment things that make everyone happy!

Daniel's Birthday

I'm going to post quite a bit tonight since my children and husband were so kind and let me get a 2 hour nap--which now means I'll be up until 1 or 2 in the morning, but it sure was nice to get a much needed nap! I know I've been remiss about posting lately...things sure have gotten busy around here with school and all. Hannah and Sarah have been sick so we we've added several doctor's appointments to the mix. Sarah ended up with pneumonia, but she's better now after a round of antibiotics. Hannah had a horrible cough as well and wasn't responding to the month of expectorants so the doctor put her on an antibiotic as well. Both patients are doing great now and I'm thankful I don't have to be giving medicine anymore or running to town for doctors appointments! :-) Daniel turned 8 at the end of September. Here are a few pics from the big event...


Brent and Daniel are so much alike. I think if Daniel could choose to do one thing for his birthday, it would be to spend time with his Daddy either playing video games or on the computer! I'm thankful for a husband that sees the value of a daddy spending time with his children...and not just playing video games (although they both seem to enjoy it no matter how old they get!)

We always let our children choose their birthday dinner...and with a little coaxing from me they usually choose to eat out. This year Daniel chose to eat at Dairy Queen...they like to get the free Dilly Bars with their kids meals. I do have to add a side note here that Daniel won't be eating off the kids' menu for too much longer...there are meals he out eats me and Brent! His birthday was on a Wednesday so we were able to eat out before we headed over to church.

Daniel loves legos. When we were looking around familyfun.com for what kind of cake he wanted me to make for his birthday, he loved the lego cake immediately! I also made him a snake cake for his friends at church. I baked and decorated cakes all morning long (enter sigh here with a hand dramatically swiping the perspiration from said brow) but it was worth it to see how much the cake actually looked like a real lego block! Familyfun.com is an amazing website for birthday cakes, party ideas, and family crafts. The explanations about how to make super cute cakes is a great help!

Just for fun!

He really does delight in talking with us...Amazing!

So I'm sitting here reflecting on something I just read...I often journal during my quiet time with the Lord since it really helps me put coherent thoughts together...so I thought I'd blog it instead...

Dr. Olson just sent out an email to all the staff here at Northland encouraging us to be faithful in our prayer lives. He talked about how God delights in us coming to him. I was reminded of a great picture of this that made it all real to me. You'll have to excuse the emotional musings of a mother...

When I was in the hospital room after I had given birth to Sarah, I was waiting for our children to come and see her for the first time. I knew they were on their way and had been eagerly waiting for them to make their appearance and meet Sarah for the first time after nine months' wait and anticipation. I'll never forget that twinge of excitement I felt as I heard them timidly knock on my hospital room door because I was going to be able to show them such an exciting thing that I knew would please them so much! The awe and wonder they had on their faces as they made their way ever so quietly over to my bed where I was holding their tiny baby sister is forever burned in my mind. I wanted to so much for them to sit and talk with me and let them see this amazing gift I had to share with them. That time together was priceless...I wouldn't trade it for anything! The way we looked at her little toes together and the intrigue they displayed over her umbilical cord and their gigles of delight at Sarah grasping onto their fingers...Daniel and Hannah both were wanting to soak it all in with such an unusually hushed excitement.

What a tiny picture of what our prayer time with the Lord could be like! He is waiting for us to come to Him...when He hears us drawing near to Him the Bible teaches that He draws near to us. He delights in sitting and talking with us and wants to show us amazing things that we have no clue about. That sweet time of fellowship is something we should look forward to, just like Daniel and Hannah were looking forward to coming in and fellowshipping with Baby Sarah for the first time. He wants to sit with us and share things with us that He knows will please us and encourage us. He's sitting there waiting for us to peak our heads into the room and come before His throne. He's waiting for that little knock and to hear us say, Lord...can I come in...I have something I want to talk with you about; I want to see what special things You have to show me today. We can display such wonder over his character and attributes, and sit in hushed tones as we wonder in awe over His majesty and unmatched glory.

I'm a word picture kind of girl...the next time I go to the Lord for my personal time with Him. I'll be picturing myself knocking on the door and hearing the Lord say, "Yes...come in! I have been waiting for you...I have something wonderful I want to share with you!" And I will walk over to His bed and curl up next to Him and talk with Him and let Him show me what He has for me to learn about Himself. I'll sit in wonder and awe at how mighty He is and hopefully leave His presence with a renewed sense and desire to change whatever He pointed to in my life and become more like His precious Son than I ever thought possible! How thankful I am that we have a relationship with our heavenly Father who delights in spending time us and doing things for us as only a Parent could!

Some of my favorite pics from recent days--No text--just some pics!

What a great reminder!

I was reading a friend's blog just now and was a bit overwhelmed by how our feelings as parents for our children are only a small glimpse of how the Lord must feel about us as His children. Erin was talking about how her son has been really sick this summer and explaining the anguish of her "Mother's Heart" wanting so desperately for her son to be well. It must be the same but only more so as the Lord looks down at us with his perfect love and wants us so desperately to do what's right and serve Him. The sickness of soul that He must see in us as we choose our own way and the consequences that come from those choices must break His heart, much like we feel as we watch our children suffer. God is so good to us and we can learn so much from Him as our heavenly Father. What a mighty God we serve! And what a great example of parenting He gives to us.

(You can catch the blog off to the right here--it's Erin Neiner's blog...it's worth the time to read it and pray for her family!)

What all my children do best!

The other day I decided to take this video to post for all the family that lives far away to show them how Sarah is growing and rolling over like crazy to get wherever she wants. As I was previewing it, I realized that I managed to capture all 3 of our kids doing what they do best or at least what they do most! Daniel is playing his gameboy...pretty much oblivious to everything else--occasionally looking up to see if anything interesting is happening. Sarah is rolling all around the living room and coughing on demand. And then there's Hannah--at my elbow, copying just about everything I say, doing just about everything I do. "How sweet!" some of you might be saying, but let me remind you that she's right at my elbow...most of the time, saying everything I say...most of the time! Yes, it's sweet, but come on...you have to know, no matter how cute she may be, that gets a bit old after a while! She's definitely my little shadow!
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She's so much like her mother!

She tries, she really does try, but she is still so much like me that the poor thing is doomed to be a clutz the rest of her life! We bought this little toy for a dollar at Walmart before we went camping, and it was one of the highlights of our trip! It has 2 velcro paddles/mitts and a fuzzy ball that you use to "catch" the ball. Brent and the kids played with that goofy toy more than anything else! Maybe there's enough of her daddy in her that there's a bit of hope for her athletically, but I'm not holding my breath on this one!
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