The Journey . . . Installment #2 - Focus on the Family

After skiing at Loveland, we returned to Colorado Springs to stay with my sister-in-law, Bree, and our sweet cousin, Anna-Jane.

We had many adventures together, such as . . .

- Shopping at Wal Mart together

- Walking to the park and letting the children play while Bree gave me some photography pointers. Anna Jane walked the entire way there! Quite an accomplishment for a new walker!

- Heading to Focus on the Family headquarters where we shopped at the bookstore and took the kids to their HUGE play area. There were so many things for them to do and all of them really enjoyed it! It didn't cross my mind how incredibly "germy" the play area must have been! All of the kids that played in the ropes/slides/plastic bubbles ended up with a horrible virus that has lasted more than a week in some of them! Not very family-friendly!! I honestly can't complain, though. The kids had a wonderful time and we haven't been sick once since Abigail Grace was born. Seven months is a great record - especially with four kids 7 and under!

- Lots of fun just playing together/cooking together and enjoying being in the same state for a while! We don't really get to see each other outside of Christmas each year, so it was a great blessing! Thanks, Bree :)

The Journey . . . Installment #1 - Skiing at Loveland, CO

Our trip over Spring Break could definitely be labeled a journey, but it sure was fun! Our first destination was Loveland, Colorado. Hannah and Joshua attended ski school all day long and really excelled. They had a great time learning to ski and they even got to drink some hot chocolate at the end of the day to celebrate! Sarah Elizabeth's ski instructors were none other than Mama and Daddy since she wasn't quite old enough to go to "official" ski school.

They all loved it! I have a recording of Sarah Elizabeth coming down the slopes saying "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" and asking Jason to go faster! Hannah and Joshua were really picking up the speed as they came down the mountain, too! I always remember those little kids flying past me every time I skied - now my children are one of them :)

The kids only skied one day this year, but next time we will definitely keep the whole family on the slopes longer! Enjoy the pics!

4 Audio Books, 3 Viruses and 3000+ Miles . . . .

Well, make that 5 viruses now, but by the time we returned home there were only 3 children in my family that had been stricken with the disease. Now, Abigail Grace and I have joined their number :)

A Beaming Beauty

A sweet little girl just fell asleep and she was still beaming from the wonderful evening she spent with her Daddy. Tonight was our CHENM Father/Daughter Banquet, and it may have been even more incredible than last year, though I doubt that could be possible.

A date with Daddy. Curled Hair. Special Dress. A bouquet of flowers. Pictures. Spending an evening with friends - families - fathers - who love the Lord. Encouragement. Games. Laughing. Challenge. Ice Cream and Brownies. Simple elegance. Beauty.

All these things present a portrait of God's grace in our lives. What a good God to grant us such special, treasured moments!

Is there anything better than an entire evening spent with Daddy? Nothing that comes to mind. How much more precious is that special time with Daddy, though, when it is shared with special friends who also love the Lord. I am so thankful that my family has the privilege of being in a group that honors Him in such a precious way. Over 40 families were represented this evening - what a testimony! It gives me great encouragement as I am reminded of all the families in CHENM (Christian Home Educators of Northeast Mississippi) that are also walking the same path that we are on.

It was an odd feeling as I clicked away taking pictures of Hannah before her special date with her Daddy. Though tiny, she looked so grown up - so full of joy and confidence - so poised and prepared. My little girl is fading away and becoming a beautiful young lady. It is bittersweet, for sure. A reminder of the fleeting gift of time with her that has been entrusted to me. She already has such deep compassion for others, such a servant's heart, such a passion to learn. Her love for the Lord is already so great. What a treasure.

Tonight is yet another sweet memory to reflect on in the future. My beaming beauty - basking in the afterglow of such a special night. I know that one day she will look back and realize how much more special it was because the Lord was the reason they were together in the first place. What a precious gift!

Big J Playing B Ball

The beginning of 2009 brought the start of something completely new for our family - our entrance into the world of sports. I have never been a huge fan of sports - that is, until my little man was the one out there on the court!

Jason has headed up a team of people to begin an Upward Basketball League in our town and it has been an incredible experience for all of us. The focus is on Christ and allows for each player to have equal play time and equal competition with the other teams.

It has been amazing to see such a huge difference in Joshua's skills and in his enjoyment of playing the game. His very first game he got the ball and ran as fast as he could down to the other end of the court - a feat that would have been great if he were a quarterback! When I asked him about it, he said that he didn't want to let go of the ball because someone else might get it from him!

By the end of the season, he was dribbling the ball, shooting goals and working hard at playing defense, rather than trying to see if he could switch his jersey to the other team's color and "become" one of their players while he was out there on the court!

What a joy it has been to see him delight in having something that was special just for him - manliness in a world of (mostly) women! He has treasured the special time he has had with his coach (Daddy), and it has been so wonderful to see them out on the court together.

Thank you, Jason, for the countless hours you have put into this league, and most importantly into our precious son! We love you, Joshua! Way to go, Bobcats!!

The Stash Continued . . .

I must admit that I walked through the kitchen right after I posted about the stash and I couldn't help but bend down and check if there had been any new deposits. All clear. The food must either be in the tummy or in the trash.

I had a friend tell me how strange it was for there to be a stash at all. At their home, they just have a slop bucket for anything left uneaten. But we don't have any goats or other animals to eat up our leftovers, so no slop bucket around here.

It is not that we stand over our children and force them to finish their food before they may leave the table, but they do have to finish their food before they can have a fun snack later on or a treat at the end of the meal. Sometimes, what's coming must seem much better than what has already been given - hence the stash.

On Thursday morning while we were "super-cleaning" the house I walked into the kitchen and was greeted with a pile of dried-up, old food on the floor. Apparently, it had been discovered within the deep recesses of the booster seat of one of my children when it was removed from the chair. It was obviously neither in the tummy or the trash - no more assumptions on my part! When I asked her about it, her only reply was, "Me did that a long time ago," and she walked off to finish her chore.

Now her booster seat is flush to the cushion and is she is no longer so "boosted" with the ability to deposit the remains of various meals within.

As of yet, I have never found a fruit, vegetable, nut, or piece of pasta stuck aside. I may need to consider scaling back on the initial portion sizes for some of the other "food groups." (Yes, pasta and nuts really could be considered a food group around our house.) And, of course, I will probably continue to check out the original stash for quite some time. At least you'll know what I'm doing if you are at my house and you see me looking under the table after a meal!