Update ...

I made it to LA safely! The children were great on the road!

My niece, Sarah Jane, is having a MRI tomorrow afternoon to rule out anything else they can not see! Right now she has been diagnosed with a form of vertigo, but neither her pediatrician nor her ENT have ever seen it in a child her age. She has been very dizzy and sick with this on and off for a few weeks now. They are doing the test tomorrow to rule out other things. The procedure they did on Sarah Jane last week hasn't helped her symptoms a whole lot! Please pray for them tomorrow - she will be put to sleep to run the test! I will try to update when I know more! Thanks!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

We love you!

Well ...

tomorrow morning (EARLY - Lord willing) I will head out on my first trip back to LA since we moved! My second time to travel alone with the full crew and just me! :) Please pray for me! John will fly in to join us on Friday evening. We will be attending our sweet friend's, Mandy B - well - now Mandy S, wedding reception! We will see a few friends we went to college with and I also found out that it is homecoming week at my high school - and they are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the school! Cool! So, I may see more friends!
Well, I have to finish packing the van and get in the bed!

Fall is Fun!

I love the fall! I love getting up to the crisp mornings and drinking my coffee and reading! Fall is so refreshing! I started reading about some fun fall things and thought you might want to read too! Click here for a refreshing look at fall!

Isaiah 26:3-4

Isaiah 26:3-4

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

Grace in the Morning

Title: Grace in the Morning
Book: Streams in the Desert
Author: Mrs. Charles E. CowmanProgram
Date: December 31st, 1969
Web Page: http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/print.php/streams/256

"Come up in the morning . . . and present thyself unto me in the top of the mount" (Exod. 34:2).

The morning is the time fixed for my meeting the Lord. The very word morning is as a cluster of rich grapes. Let us crush them, and drink the sacred wine. In the morning! Then God means me to be at my best in strength and hope. I have not to climb in my weakness. In the night I have buried yesterday's fatigue, and in the morning take a new lease of energy. Blessed is the day whose morning is sanctified! Successful is the day whose first victory was won in prayer! Holy is the day whose dawn finds thee on the top of the mount! My Father, I am coming. Nothing on the mean plain shall keep me away from the holy heights. At Thy bidding I come, so Thou wilt meet me. Morning on the mount! It will make me strong and glad all the rest of the day so well begun. --Joseph Parker.

Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh,
When the bird waketh, and the shadows flee;
Fairer than morning, lovelier than daylight,
Dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with Thee.
Alone with Thee, amid the mystic shadows,
The solemn hush of nature newly born;
Alone with Thee in breathless adoration,
In the calm dew and freshness of the morn.
As in the dawning o'er the waveless ocean,
The image of the morning-star doth rest,
So in this stillness, Thou beholdest only
Thine image in the waters of my breast.
When sinks the soul, subdued by toil, to slumber,
Its closing eyes look up to Thee in prayer;
Sweet the repose, beneath
Thy wings o'er shadowing,
But sweeter still to wake and find Thee there.
--Harriet Beecher Stowe

My mother's habit was every day, immediately after breakfast, to withdraw for an hour to her own room, and to spend that hour in reading the Bible, in meditation and prayer. From that hour, as from a pure fountain, she drew the strength and sweetness which enabled her to fulfill all her duties, and to remain unruffled by the worries and pettinesses which are so often the trial of narrow neighborhoods. As I think of her life, and all it had to bear, I see the absolute triumph of Christian grace in the lovely ideal of a Christian lady. I never saw her temper disturbed; I never heard her speak one word of anger, of calumny, or of idle gossip; I never observed in her any sign of a single sentiment unbecoming to a soul which had drunk of the river of the water of life, and which had fed upon manna in the barren wilderness.--Farrar

Give God the blossom of the day. Do not put Him off with faded leaves.

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Egg Toss at the ESa Picnic

OK ... it may be working again ... I will try!
Shelby and I were playing the egg toss game they do every year at the picnic!
The lady next to me with the tan shorts ... she and her husband had theirs bust on the first or second throw. The man in the white t-shirt went on to win the toss for the third year in a row. His partner was a teenager that we went to the county fair with a few weeks ago!



I will try to fix the other post to have the pictures.

ESa Picnic

John's company picnic started yesterday around 3PM. Activities went on until almost 6PM when our dinner was served! We all had a great time! I am sure you will be able to tell by the pictures! We also met some nice people!


Jack decided to ride! Uh oh ... I hope he doesn't acquire Shelby's passion for horses! :)


Spin art! I am going to try to scan our art work and add it to the post later!


Michael is having fun watching everyone!


Daddy and Grant jousting! Pretty funny to watch!


Shelby is eating this up! She knew the horses names right away ... Hosanna and Grace.


Surprise!


Balloon swords!


A teddy bear!

The Bellevue Library - Bummer

Well, we went to the library a few weeks ago just to get an idea of what they may have! When I had first seen the outside of the library I told John we were going back in time! :) Well, yesterday was verification of that! Our branch library is smaller than the children's section at "our" Allen library! Not only that - it is not organized well at all. To top it all off, the front librarian that was helping me get my library card activated told me that story time was a good time to bring children to the library because of all of the other kids that were already there (so we wouldn't be the only children and bother others is what she was getting at). Well, I personally want a library where children are welcome ALL the time! I was a little bummed. I know that my children were not disturbing others etc. I was highly aware of the noise level the entire time I was there - trying to be very careful that we didn't disturb others. A lady that was there looking for books for her children (she homeschooled them last year, but they are in school this year) - told me that the main branch was better organized and had great story times etc. Guess we will be going downtown to the library when I can't get it put on hold online! :) I am thankful that I have options!

Thomas the Tank Engine

We had planned to go visit Thomas next weekend, but since our weather has been so nice this weekend - we decided to go today! Shelby says it is "freezing" - but it is in the 70's and wonderful!

Thomas the Tank Engine

Shelby on the train!



The boys on the train!



Michael is hanging out with Daddy on his first trip to see Thomas!



The gang is all here! :)

Sunday

We had a great day at church. Michael fussed only a little during Sunday School, but after a brief nap during the church hour ... he played and was happy when I picked him up! Thank you, Lord! What a blessing for Mommy!
The big children got settled in their new classes as well, and so did Mommy & Daddy! I pray that this will be our church home for a while. It is a little different from what we are used to ... but it isn't good to compare - totally. The pastor began preaching from Romans 8 today! The next few weeks should be most enlightening on church beliefs!
Grace starts their fall small groups this week, but John will be out of town. We will probably wait until next week to go for the first time.
Can you tell I am a little excited about the prospect that this could be our church home? Only a little time will tell! Keep pray'in!

August

It will take a couple of posts, but here are some highlights from our month!

Michael is pulling up ... EVERYWHERE!

Our first county fair in TN!

Michael knows his is a BIG boy! He immediately started pulling up and cruising down the futon when he started crawling!

Shelby and Grant rode their first "scrambler" ride!

Jack hanging out with Dad & Mom while Shelby and Grant are in an ancient Egypt class at the museum!

Michael at the museum.

A mummy case at the museum.

Jack and Mommy built a pyramid with blocks.

Michael is crawling all over!