The kids' Christmas Program

The kids had their school Christmas program last night. Here are some of the random shots we took during before and after.Daniel's on the top row in between the fifth and sixth graders. He's only 4th grade...that's why he looks so little!
Hannah got to be one of the angels. Not too many angels I know wear pearls with their costumes, but then again, Hannah's not an ordinary angel, that's for sure!

Hannah with her teacher, Mrs. Norris. Mrs. Norris is tough on her students and sets the bar high for them, but that makes them strive harder. I'm a firm believer that students will rise to meet your expectations of them. What I appreciate most about Mrs. Norris is the love that balances everything with. She loves her students, and they know it, and they love her in return!

Daniel with his teacher, Miss Jansma. Daniel has had Miss Jansma for 3rd and 4th grades. She's the perfect transition from homeschooling to the traditional classroom. She's laid back and fun, but still manages to get the kids to learn. She's young and energetic which is perfect for this age--especially the boys!

Sarah loves her bath so much she'll do just about anything to be able to play in the tub! I was doing Hannah's hair for their school Christmas program tonight and Sarah decided she wanted to play--in the tub--in her clothes--with water in the bucket leftover from Hannah's shower! Yep...she's pretty much soaked and not caring one bit! She's still in there in fact and we've all been long gone from the bathroom! I have a gazillion pics to post from the last couple of events around here...probably will get to that tomorrow after the school festivities wind down!

A quick prayer request

Please pray for my dad...he's been in the hospital the last several days with some internal bleeding. He began hemorrhaging Tuesday night, and they took him to the ER. The bleeding is a result of diverticulosis that he's had for about the last 7 years. While the bleeding has slowed, it has not stopped. Our family doctor is calling in a specialist to see how to proceed. Surgery is not likely, but is a possibility. He just turned 69 this last week and is starting to really feel his age. We're not overly concerned at this point, but would really feel better if the bleeding stopped--obviously! Thanks for praying...I'll keep you posted on how things are going.

Twins?!?

As you'll read in my first post today, my family is here with us this weekend. My sister went and helped out a ton at the fellowship for our church after our praise service. One of the ladies asked another lady if she was my twin!!! Now I realize we definitely look like sisters...and we act even more like sisters, but twins?!? We got that all the time growing up, but now I'm several inches taller than she is and much younger looking than she is, too! :-) hee-hee!!! What do you think? Do we look like twins?

One of the best things about family is laughing and reminiscing about all the family jokes from the past. It was amazing how quickly my food worked through my system when were growing up. As soon as supper was over and the dishes needed washing, I always had to go to the bathroom--and the dishes were always almost done by the time I came out. So of course that was brought up today when I went to print coupons off the computer for our shopping trip to Green Bay on Black Friday while my mom and sister were washing dishes. It was totally unintentional...this time! And we can never get together without calling each other "Sh-De-Bobby" a combination of all 3 of our names (Sheri, Debbie, and Bobby) that my mom used on a daily basis while she was trying to get one of our names out.

Fun times with the Fam!

My family is here for Thanksgiving this weekend, and we have been having so much fun! No stress in getting Thanksgiving "Lupper" ready because my mom, sister, and I just slid back into our old routine of working together in the kitchen just like old times--even after all these years! (Lupper is a cross between lunch and supper since we ate around 1:30...like Brunch, only later and better since we had yummy, yummy cinnamon rolls for breakfast--well, I had the icing, others actually tasted the cinnamon rolls!!!) And to make it even better, my parents bought each of our families a Wii and gave it to the kids this morning so they could play while we putzed in the kitchen. It would also keep everyone out of the kitchen so we could snitch all the food ourselves--superior planning on our part, I must say!

Sarah has been warming up to everyone being here quite nicely. She's fighting a cold so she's getting a bit tired and cranky at bedtimes, but all in all she's doing her best to charm everyone's socks off!

One of our favorite things about the Wii is the "Mii" that you can create for yourself. You can pick out different facial characteristics and hair color even your "thin or thickness!" We got such a kick out of the Mii that Brent created for my dad. The likeness is uncanny right down to the really thick Kelley brows that are so characteristics of my dad!

And of course, after the kiddos went to bed, the adults pulled out the Wii and had a hilarious time bowling and playing tennis! Who knew 6 adults could have such a fun time with a video game! It provided some of the best laughter we've ever had for sure--I'm sitting here laughing out loud as I type remembering it all! Hence the reason for my posting this at 1:00am...the men are boxing where I'm supposed to be sleeping! And laughing so loudly I'm not sure how anyone in the house is sleeping at all! :-) So much to be thankful for these days! Family is so near the top of my list!

Sarah actually cooperated!

I had a few extra minutes after I got the kids ready for church so I snapped another quick picture. I was shocked when Sarah stood between Daniel and Hannah exactly where I told her! No squirming, no fussing, just stood there! She did get a bit distracted when she heard Brent come up the stairs (right behind her), but she went to see him, and then came right back and stood where I had told her! Perhaps she's getting used to it since I've been doing this every Sunday for the last several weeks. But I did notice something different about it this time--she's standing, not sitting and no one is holding her. She's an independent little one so I'm wondering if she enjoyed the freedom of not having to submit to her brother or sister by sitting in their lap!?!

Another reason for taking this picture...this is another outfit of Hannah's my sister had saved. Hannah gets such a kick out of seeing Sarah in her outfits. Sarah's gone through a growth spurt recently and I'm not sure we're going to make it through the winter in her current size! I noticed yesterday when I was working in the nursery that she's the tallest of all the kids in there. Hard to believe she'll be 2 in January!

This is one of my favorite things about our house--our laundry chute! I loved it when we moved in because of the convenience of it all, but I love it now so much more because of what Sarah does with it. The laundry chute goes down to the downstairs bathroom that Brent uses to get ready each morning. One day he was singing in the shower while I was doing Sarah's hair for church. She figured out that he was down the chute and would not stop calling for him until he came and talked with her. It was the start of something that happens all the time! If she hears Daddy anywhere downstairs she will run to the chute and call for him until he comes and talks with her!

It makes me sad to think...

This article is a sobering reminder that people are dying and going to hell today...and many of them don't care. When I was at Bob Jones, Dr. Bob would get up in chapel and say, "The most sobering reality in the world today" and the student body would respond, "is that people are dying and going to hell today." It never soaked in then, and I'm sure I still don't get the soberness of this reality today. But I see articles like this one that came across my homepage and am saddened by the future reaction of these people, who now deny the existence of God, when they stand before the Lord. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow--whether they acknowledge Him now or not, their knee will bow. And to think of the sheer terror and horror they will feel as they realize that it is too late. Now that, my friends, is a sad thought--people are dying and going to a very real hell today.

a few pics for the family

nothing special here about these pics...well...except that they're adorable children of course! Just something for the family who lives far away.

Our date

Even though we're going away next weekend for our anniversary, we wanted to do something on our actual day. We were able to get a sitter and go for dinner and a play at the college. It was so nice to sit and talk without being interrupted, and the play was wonderful as well. Brent surprised me by bringing home flowers. There are no flower shops between campus and our home...there's not much between campus and home when you think about it...someday I'm going to take pictures of our little town to help you all understand where we live (but I digress, again!) So this meant he took time out of his busy afternoon to make a trip to town. I'm on a bit of a sappy kick about Brent, but I'll leave it at this--what a guy! :-)

On a funny note, the sitter, who is a college student at Northland, asked Hannah what her daddy does at the school. Hannah's answer: He goes to work and has lots of meetings! We got such a kick seeing it from her perspective. But in thinking about it, He just came back from the big Northland Board Meeting, and when we talk at dinner about his day, it's usually about the meetings he's had that day! Still funny to think that's all he does at work--meetings--there are days when he feels that way, though!

The flowers Brent brought home for me--such a bright spot in a really dreary and potentially snowy Saturday--1-3 inches are forecasted for today! And to think that it was 72 on Tuesday!

I can't believe it's been 10 years!!!

10 years ago today I was so blessed because the man of my dreams married me! I was amazed then that he had chosen me from among all the girls around, and today I stand in awe at how the Lord has worked through Brent to bring me here. I was thinking the other day about one word that would describe Brent's character best. The word I came up with is integrity. He's a man who thinks carefully through a situation and is able to come up with the best answer. The integrity part really comes into play because he's willing to do the right thing no matter the cost. He's willing to say the hard thing to someone. He's willing to put his neck out there and state what no one else is willing to say. He's willing to stand alone and do what is right even if he's the only one standing. The amazing thing to me is that he's usually able to do it in a way that is not offensive. The Lord knew that I needed a man like that because I am by nature such a follower...one who takes the road with the least amount of confrontation. He's helped me learn to figure out what is the right thing, to think Biblically about an issue, and live by the principles gleaned from God's Word that pertain to the situation--regardless of the cost!

Another thing I love about Brent is that he truly dwells with me according to knowledge. He can look at me and truly see me and know something's not right--whether it's an emotional struggle or most importantly a spiritual struggle. He's been my iron sharpening me even when I didn't want to be sharpened! The Lord has used Brent to challenge me because of his example and outright exhortation to get in the Word.

I could go on and on about how amazing Brent is, but then again, most of the people that read my blog are people that know him and are just as amazed that he chose me as I am! How I praise the Lord for bringing Brent into my life--he's a man worthy of honor who loves the Lord more than he loves me, and I would have it no other way!

These last 10 years have flown by for a number of reasons. The Lord has been working and moving us around. He's given us 3 amazing children to train for Him. But I think the biggest reason they've flown by is because we've just had fun. I'd choose to spend time with Brent over anyone else. Thanks for making it this far through my emotional musings. Brent would get on here and say, "We've been happily married for 10years--praise God!" but I had to mush a bit more than that (no surprise there, heh?!?)

The theme of our wedding was, "This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes." And now
after 10 years of wedded bliss, I must say now even more emphatically, "This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes--now more than ever!"

Great shopping deal at Kohls!

For those of us who don't live near a kohls...deals like this are almost as good as walking into the store...almost! But honestly, even if you do live near a Kohls, you probably can't drive to it for less that the 99 cent shipping! And the online selection is often better and the most always have a better size selection...just a few perks I've found living in the middle of nowhere!

Use code ELECTION15 at Kohls.com from 11 am to 4 pm (EST) today only and get 15% off. 99-cent shipping per item.

A new dress and a new boy

Made a new dress for Sarah. I found this blouse at the Hartstrings outlet last year for $2!!! Can't pass up anything Hartstrings for $2! I made a big deal out of Sarah's new dress when I tried it on her after sewing it--when I put it on her today she walked around with it on saying, "pretty...pretty...pretty!" She's quite the ham--but still won't stay still long enough for a decent picture!

So there's a story here...We always keep the half door to our basement closed since it's in the main walkway and Sarah could easily tumble down them since she's blessed with her Mamma's gracefulness. Ever since she's started crawling around we have grilled it into our kids to "lock the door" We are forever asking, "Is the door locked?" Sarah has picked up on this and is terribly bothered if the door isn't locked. This morning it wasn't and she could NOT STAND IT!!! She could think of nothing else until someone shut the door! She's definitely our spit-fire, but she's showing signs of being our stickler for the rules, too!

I also gave Daniel a hair cut tonight since school pictures are tomorrow. You can tell by the before and after here that it was a long time in coming! That's his super cool airplane on the microwave behind him. We gave him the Klutz airplane book for his birthday. WAY WAY WAY TOO COOL! It shows you how to make a ton of different paper airplanes that really fly well. Most Klutz books are good, but this one is GREAT! It also comes with patterned paper to make so your planes look cool with fancy designs and such. It was about $16 at the teacher's store--if you're looking for a good gift for a 7-10 year old boy this is definitely it! Brent and I had to help him at first, but he's got the hang of it now and loving it! Unfortunately our house is overflowing with paper airplanes and one never knows when she'll get hit with one. I've banned them from the kitchen while I'm cooking supper because I'm tired of getting hit with them while I'm working!

I Love You cake

One of the things I do from time to time is make what we call "I love you cakes." There's no special occasion, just wanting my kids to know I love them. I made one today while they were at school in honor of the beautiful fall weather we're having these last couple of days. It's 65 degrees here right now which is a warm welcome from the snow that we started the school week with. We've got about 5 more days of this weather according to the forecast and then we're back to snow...real snow! I got this idea for the pumpkin cake from the internet --it's a bundt cake with a frosted ice cream cone in the middle--so simple and turned out great!

Arghhh Matey!

Tonight is Pirate Night at Kids' Club at our church. The kids loved having pirate costumes. Well, the littlest pirate wouldn't keep her hat on, but it really wasn't for the nursery kids. They were all running around the house yelling, "Arghh, Matey" and seeing what cool things they could do with their hook. Of course it didn't take Daniel long to figure out he could use his hook as a stylus for his DS.

A fun thing the Lord did for us...Daniel tore the knees in his only pair of jeans that fit. I've been looking for his size, but since he's a slim, they're very hard to find around here. I even looked when we went to the ladies' conference and couldn't find anything on sale. I had talked with the Lord about it and asked Him to give me a pair at the right price and help me know what was the right price. I found nothing! BUT, the next day our pastor's wife walked up to me at church and said, "What size pants does Daniel wear?" I told her 10 slim...she handed me a pair of jeans that her son had outgrown! Talk about letting me know!!! The Lord literally dropped them in my lap! Little thing I know, but still a wonderful reminder that the Lord is so good and provides for our needs and the extras like jeans!

for fun!

I was reading something on FB this morning and got a kick out of it. I'm not one to usually post much about politics, but I couldn't pass this one up:

On television today a Democratic operative pointed out that when Obama holds a rally 25,000 to 30,000 people show up, whereas when McCain holds one, he only draws 10,000 to 15,000. The Republican spokesman replied, "That's because McCain's supporters are at work."

Here's another random fact that showed up on my google homepage:
A woman can consume 6 lbs of lipstick in her lifetime.

miscellaneous pics

We went outside to play the other day, and Sarah took off like a shot! I couldn't figure out where she was headed, but soon realized it was the fire pit! She had such fun down there the other night that she wanted to go back!
For some reason she could not understand the idea that we were NOT going to start a fire. She insisted someone build a fire! Needless to say, she was quite determined, but we still did not have a fire!Sad to think about, but cold weather has arrived in our neck of the woods! We celebrated by getting out the winter church coats. I was relieved to see that Hannah's still fits from last year's Ebay find. And she was thrilled to get to dress up like Little Red Riding Hood again this year.I'm so thankful I gave some of my favorite things of Hannah's to my sister for her daughter...she held on to them so I still have some of them for Sarah. It brings back such memories to see Sarah in Hannah's things, and Hannah loves to see how small her clothes used to be! Unfortunately, Sarah hardly stands still long enough for a picture so I can't get good shots of many of the things for you to see. Much to my surprise, Sarah loves her hat, too, and wants to leave it on. Now if she would only leave her hairbows in!

One of my new favorite verses...

I've been working on a Bible Study we're doing with our Ladies' Group soon...It started out as a study on Dorcas--she was a disciple and a servant to others. It's morphing into a study on Dorcas, Mary, and Martha--not sure how it's all going to come together quite yet, but I've got a couple of more weeks yet! I've been scouring commentaries and taking notes for a couple of days now. I've also gone back to Joanna Weaver's book, Having a Mary Spirit in a Martha World. This book is such a blessing to me (probably because I suffer from the Martha syndrome and spend way too much time in the kitchen and not enough in the Living Room with God!)

As I skimmed the book this morning, the Lord reminded me of a verse that is such an encouragement to me! As a mom, I struggle so much knowing what is the right thing to do with my children. As a wife, what things do I take to Brent or what do I figure out on my own. As a friend, what do I say to this lady who is hurting or needs help. What do I jump in and volunteer to do or what should I leave for someone else to do? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Isaiah 30: 21, "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." I don't need to stress about what to do! If I'm walking with the Lord, He's there telling me what to do and where to go! Decisons that need to be made? The Lord wants to help me, but I must make sure that I align myself with Him daily so that I can hear Him say, "This is the way, walk in it!" What a blessing this is to me!

On another note...Sarah's completley better today! Well...not completely, but I haven't even had to wipe her nose one time. Her fever's gone and she's hardly even sniffled. I'm wondering if this might be the fever that preceeds her bout of Fifth Disease that the other 2 had. There are 4 other kids in school that have it now. I guess I'll be looking for a rash to appear on Sarah's face soon--Fun times for sure!

My poor baby!

How pathetic is this face? Sarah has a bad cold, and her eyes and nose are faucets! She's miserable you can tell just by looking at her. She's been in my bed watching cartoons for a good part of the day. She's letting out a moan every once in a while...it's so sad! The worst part is they've taken all the over the counter medicine off the shelf so there is absolutely nothing I can give her. The fact that she's being still is enough to let anyone who knows her realize how badly she must be feeling.

I might just bust!

Here at Northland they have what is called "Works of God chapels" on Mondays. It's an opportunity for the studnets to stand up and share what they've seen the Lord doing in their personal lives, extensions, families, etc. While I've never been able to attend one, they are among some of the Northland Alumni favorite things to recollect. I just have to share some of the neat things the Lord's been doing for me lately--it's like a mini Works of God Chapel coming your way!

Our 10th anniversary is coming up and Brent and I were hoping to get away for something special to celebrate. It was really looking like it wouldn't work out and I was so discouraged to the point of tears yesterday. I was so convicted that my first thought was not to talk with the Lord about it, but the Holy Spirit worked in my heart and I spent the rest of the day pouring my heart out to the Lord asking Him to help me get over the disappointment and even for Him to maybe work it out if that was best. (I know...such a flair for the dramatic!) But you know what...He did! We're going to be able to get away the weekend after our anniversary! Such a simple thing in the light of eternity but what an amazing reminder that as our heavenly Father, God delights in doing good things for His children. He's promised to meet our needs, but what a special way for Him to remind me of His love--giving us so much more than just our needs!

I've been praying about some paper crafting things that I wanted to get to use for Christmas gifts--a couple of stamp sets in particular. I went to teach piano lessons last night for a friend of mine who is AMAZING in the card industry--get this--she makes cards for HGTV!!! That's impressive, even to someone who doesn't stamp or care anything about it! She has been so very generous in the past and the Lord has used her to encourage my heart countless times. She and I were chatting about her latest projects and whatnot...had not said a thing to her about what I was praying about. She sent her son downstairs to get some things...I walked out with exactly what I needed for one of the projects...exactly what I had been talking with the Lord about and then some! And it was free! Again, did I need these things? Absolutely not--total want--even above what I would have thought to ask for! (Let's see if I can use any more exclamation points, heh?!?)

And then I came home and checked blogs on my google reader. I missed one of the online events I had been hoping to get to, but there were a ton of blog posts about the event. I have been praying for wisdom to know when to buy something I want to use to make Christmas gifts. The thing (I can't give it away...too many people who will be getting the "projects" are reading this!) was $24 and not exactly what I was wanting. The company released a second edition of it--perfectly meets my needs for the project with nothing extra I can't use--for only $15! I'm telling you...God has been showing me so much about His love and genuine care for me that I might just bust! Talk about overflowing! Poor Brent...he was asleep when I got home (it was a late night by the time I got my grocery shopping done and put away) I waited until this morning to tell him...talk about rambling on and on in a stream of consciousness sort of way! But he just patiently listened and smiled as I got more and more excited and remembered more and more things to tell him about how the Lord was working! And there's several other things the Lord has been showing Himself strong to me about but I won't bore you any more!

I could have just written that God is good and is doing some neat things for me...(Brent would be much more concise and to the point)but anyone who knows me will understand the amount of constraint I'm using to stop going on and on even longer after this novel I've written! God is so good and does so much more for me than I could ever come close to deserving...oh that I would learn to hope in God who is the help of countenance and my God!

Trying...trying..trying for a good shot!

Our bon fire from Friday Night

Make a Smilebox slideshow

This is a link to an amazing blog of friends of ours. They are going through a real trial with their new baby. I'd encourage you to take a few minutes and read through their journal entries starting with the first one to help get the complete story. There are not that many and they are short. And then please pray for them. I know they will appreciate your prayers for them.

They're growing up so fast!

I can deny it no longer...Pictures don't lie!

As I was looking through these pictures I took this afternoon with the kids outside after their jogathon, my first thought at this one was, "This one's not too bad!" I pulled it up to look at it closer and was amazed by the crows' feet around my eyes! I've never noticed them before! But I have to say pictures don't lie...they're really there! I am getting old! Sad but true...it's time to start acting like a grown up!

A helpful URL to check out

http://www.sonicwall.com/phishing/

This is a link to a really helpful online quiz to educate yourself about phishing scams and spam. It gives you your score at the end and then points out the things to look out for in the scams that you may or may not have missed. Yes...I got 100% accurate on it...not sure what that says about how much time I spend on the computer, but at least Brent doesn't have to worry about me giving out our credit card numbers to anyone I don't know...unless it's a really good deal I can't pass up! I'm only kidding...

When I'm an Old Lady...

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid, And bring so much happiness...just as they did. I want to pay back all the joy they've provided. Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues, And I'll bounce on the furniture...wearing my shoes. I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out. I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they're on the phone and just out of reach, I'll get into things like sugar and bleach. Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head, (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat, I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat, I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table, And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click, I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick. I'll take off my socks and throw one away, And play in the mud 'til the end of the day! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh, I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes. My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping, And say with a groan, 'She's so sweet when she's sleeping!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Random thoughts this morning...

Just a hodge podge of things to say this morning...

It's 28 degrees here--a very heavy frost is covering the ground. At first glance it looks like snow. It is way too early to be thinking about snow!

We had a group of students over last night and had a great bonfire! We made a firepit and roasted hotdogs and had smores. It was such a clear night, too! The best part? After I came back from taking the students back to campus, Brent built the fire back up and the 2 of us sat around the fire and talked for hours! And amazingly enough, I only thought about what I would do if a wild animal came out of the woods a couple of times. I would say after 4 years of living here, I'm adapting rather nicely to country life. And after such a great evening, I'm actually preferring the country life...now if we could only get the mall a bit closer!

Hannah got in the car Wednesday afternoon without her barrette...her bangs were in her face to the tip of her nose. We've been telling her that if she didn't take care of her long hair better, we would force her to get it cut. I reminded her of that (rather emphatically) on the way home, and much to my surprise she said she wanted it cut! I actually tried to talk her out of it, but she was adament! So Wednesday afternoon, I cut her hair and the struggle to grow her bangs out has ended. I like her hair both ways. She looks so much older than 6 with it long. Now, she looks like Dora again--the way every 6 year old dark-haired girl should look! And she loves it! She's bouncing all around swinging her hair back and forth. And loving the lack of tangles and the ease of doing it in the morning!

Hannah woke up yesterday morning with a strange rash on her face. It was only on her face. It was warm to the touch and almost scaly. I put some anti-itch medicine on it, and it seemed to change it. She cried when she found out she had to stay home from school. I'm not sure if it was because she couldn't show off her new hair do or if she really likes school that much! The rash got progressively better as the day wore on. The only thing I can think of that she had to eat that was different was Sunny Delight. She's never been allergic to anything before, but she drank quite a bit of Sunny D at dinner Wednesday night. Any thoughts? A couple of the students said they were allergic to anything that has Vitamin C added to it--Sunny D being one of them. Regular orange juice with natural Vitamin C is fine for them, but anything from concentrate or "fake" causes them to break out in a rash, too. Anyone ever seen anything like this before? I'm on my way to wake them up for school...hopefully it hasn't come back! I'll try to get a picture of her hair if her face isn't all splotchy!

Happy Friday! I'm curling up with a big ol' cup of coffee and having my devotions while I watch the frost melt away...

Daniel turns 9!

I'll post more pictures of Daniel's birthday in the next couple of days. He is so into Star Wars and this is the best cake I could come up with for him...It's supposed to be a light sabre if you couldn't tell. He was thrilled with it!

Ready for church