It's all in a Name...how smart are you?

During breakfast this morning My Beloved and Joe were kidding with each other. My Beloved  says "I'm going to give you a new name... elic, as in 'smart elic'." Next Miss K pipes up "That's not fair! Joe always gets the smart names." We laughed so hard we couldn't tell her that he really was getting the raw end of the deal. BIG GRIN (0:

A Memorable Memorial Day 2010

What a busy holiday weekend our family had...

Friday night we had a superb steak dinner with the Click family. Steaks so tender you could cut them with a fork(!) yummy. We enjoyed lots of eating...fellowship...and music late into the evening. How blessed we are to have these 'new' family friends!

Saturday we were blessed to have Grandma T and Leelee here for lunch and a play time. I so enjoy seeing my sweet mom and grandbaby whenever I get a chance.

Sunday we had Home Church Fellowship with the Elliott, Henry, and Burnett families. We had a lovely fellowship meal and lots of play time. After the official get together ended Tamy and I worked on the quilts we're making until 11:30 that night! My Beloved took most of the older kids to see the 'Prince of Persia' movie, then back to our house for a pizza, brownie, and video game fest.

Monday started out ordinary. My Beloved ran 4 service calls before noon. The children and I did a little school. At 11:30 AM the S family arrived with TONS of food...too much to eat. We had burgers, chips, dip, and dessert. After eating all afternoon, we headed to the Russell's for a cook out. They were so kind to invite the Elliott's and us for burgers, chips, and cold watermelon. What a nice treat to spend the day with so many of our dear friends.

On Memorial Day I always remember my dear 'special grandma'. It would have been her 84th birthday. Hope you had a great holiday weekend.

Changes and happenings...life everyday

Many changes are going one around here everyday...some big, some so small you don't hardly notice them.

This week Josh's commitment to braces expired and he is now the official owner of a (BLUE!) retainer. Yes it really is that shade of blue!

School is almost out, only 4 glorious days left!!! I'm not sure what summer break will bring, but I'm looking forward to a little while of no book work.

My beloved is out working fence, cattle, and general farm maintenance. He hopes to start the new fence around the house soon. He's finishing up the north fence line today. Our cattle are in calving season and so he watches the heifers daily to be alert for any trouble.

~~mini cattle lesson that I've learned since moving here. A heifer has never had a calf. She can be full term, but until the calf is born she's still a heifer. Once she's delivered she becomes a cow. If it's a steer or a bull it's never a cow, a calf is never a cow, only something that has given birth. It took me a while to get the concept of not calling the neighbors and saying 'your cows are out'...'are you sure it's not the bulls'...'I don't know, it just looks to be of the cow variety!' I'm sure they thought 'city gal' every time I delivered the message. ~~

People often ask about our oldest daughter. My response is to keep praying, for now I'm still asking that. I'm sure being a single, teen mother must be one of the most difficult things she will ever face in life. She has been blessed with a beautiful little girl who is super smart and cute as a button...at least if you ask this MeMe. I just pray that she will realize that.

Miss A did something so grown up this week it kind of shocked me. While listening to our dear friend Mrs. Click play the piano, she scooted up to the bench and said 'you teach me to play the piano'. Mrs. C. replied 'what song do you want to learn?' 'Jesus Loves Me please' she said. I guess I was just surprised that my 2 year old could phrase such a grown up request.

Miss K sat down with her bible last night and read aloud during family devotions. This was a first for her to show off her reading skills to the family and be really successful doing it. YEA!!

Joe changes a little more each day toward a man. He has put away more and more of his boy toys. It makes me a little sad to think no more Legos, wooden guns, and Hotwheels. Maybe someday the LORD will send another 'little brother'. I've sure enjoyed these boys!

Miss M is going through a rough spot at this point. She's always been my 'sunshiny girl'. Happy, content, cheerful was how I would describe her. Now she's trying to assert her independence in a house not quite ready for that. She gets more direction and correction than she'd like right now.

Grandma Mary has stepped back toward independence a little more too. She is now making a few of her own meals and asking to stay home alone when we go out in the afternoon or evenings. I think this transition has been good for all of us. We were pressuring her by having her go everywhere with us and she was pressuring us by asking us leave early from most events we attended. This new medium has been a happy one.

As for me, I'm always searching - changing- evaluating life....probably much more than I should. Daily, I'm searching scripture, but I also am reading, listening, and absorbing the things around me. I just read a good book called 'Plain and Simple' by Sue Bender. It gives a view into a journey a woman took to see for herself what the Amish lifestyle was about without becoming Amish. She wasn't looking for the spiritual side of their faith, just a reason why they chose to live life in the unhurried way they did. The answers she found profoundly affected her in her everyday life.

She said 'This quilt, this book, this life is teaching me to trust, no matter what life turns out to be--even if it is not what I expected, or what I thought I wanted".

Her other insights into their life she named patches, as in a quilt:

Patch 1: Valuing the process and the product. All work is important and all work is of value. All aspects are important...the process as much as the product.

Patch 2: Living in time. All work being honored evenly, this one was about not always rushing through your work to get to the next thing, but enjoying the work and the final results.

Patch 3: Celebrating the ordinary. The everyday things give life its stability and it's framework.

Patch 4: Home. As a woman this spoke to my heart. Home is an Amish woman's focus. The way she lives reflects her faith. It is a place she can practice what she believes.

Patch 5: Community life is an extension of the home. Entertainment and chores do not compete for attention, they are practiced together. The fellowship while achieving their work goals.

Patch 6: Life as Art: Every woman in their community quilts and sews, not for artistic reasons but to feel a need. Making a quilt or sewing a doll is just as important and beautiful as canning green beans or baking a cake. The beauty of the object or task is important.

Patch 7: Limits as Freedom: If your expectations and achievements match then you are content. Amish standards are to do the best you can. This helps them to accept who they are and they don't spent time questioning where they belong, bring them freedom from this endless game we play.

Patch 8: Power of contrast. Whether they are displaying simple homes contrasted with beautiful gardens or plain, geometric quilts with fancy stitching it is a balance of vibrant energy contrasting with peaceful energy to bring eye popping results!

Patch 9: Choice. She showed the difference between having a choice and making a choice. Making a choice~ declaring what is essential~~ creates a framework for a life that eliminates many choices while giving meaning to the things that remain. The satisfaction comes from no longer wishing I was somewhere else or doing something else.

These 9 patches represent this journey just as they are the first basic quilt pattern. I hope you enjoy the book if you choose to read it. I had to get it through interlibrary loan from OU's library.

Blessings...have a great week friends!~

It's a Bubble Gum Birthday Party!!

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum in a dish how many pieces do you wish?

(me) chew as much as you want, just put it in the trash when your done!

~~ We're having a Bubble Gum Birthday Party to celebrate Miss M's 5th Birthday!!~~

When your child says "I want a bubble gum party", what comes to your mind??

I first thought, "buy the big bucket with 380 pieces, hang gum from the ceiling on strings, tape it to the sliding door, fill up a jar and bowls, spread it on the table, and let them chew as much as they want"
...at least for one day!

For breakfast she chose for mom to 'make' her poptarts...then she was so excited about the gum that she couldn't eat! For lunch she says burritos, dinner hot dogs (because she thought Miss K would like them. Miss M is always thinking of others). For her cake, if all goes well this afternoon, it will be shaped like a bubble gum wrapper and iced in pink. Pink lemonade should finish us off. It will just be a quiet, small family birthday...

~~Happy 10th Birthday today to our dear friend Brittney!! Love you girl!!

ATI ~ Big Sandy Conference 2010

Just barely two weeks ago our family headed to TX for the annual ATI Conference. This year brought many pleasant surprises with it. One, this was the first time for our family to tent camp. Two tents, eight people, and gorgeous weather...perfect for camping. To make things a little more cozy we skipped the ice chests and brought our own commercial refrigerator and ice machine. In all fairness, we tried to make it easier for all our camping neighbors by sharing our ice.

We went down on Sunday, set up camp and just relaxed until the conference started Tuesday evening. We visited with lots of old friends and made a few new ones...

The Fleshman family camped across the road from us and we enjoyed their fellowship greatly!

The Elliott's were down at the end of the lane, so we were able to spend a few evenings around the campfire with their kiddos.

The Dugger family from '19 Kids and Counting' camped just across from us. Our little girls made fast friends with one of their older daughters Jinger. She was so gracious to make them feel loved and welcome. She rode bikes with them...even tried the unicycle, played her violin for them, and took them for rides in the Kaboda 4 wheeler. They had a great time and came away feeling like they had a new best friend.

We were also blessed to have our friends from the dorm rooms, the Burnetts, Chathams, and Sholtesses stop by. Another fun visit was with the Fagala family...it was a blessing to get to hug our sweet friend Jessica once again and meet her 'soon to be hubby'!!

Joshua was blessed to visit with his newly made 'Journey to the Heart' friends. He also had our close friend Bryan Russell along for almost constant conpanionship. They attend the Student sessions together each day.

Joseph once again got to enjoy Alert Cadets, although this year was a new and exciting time for him as he got to be an assistant leader. He took this job seriously and diligently tried to help his friends Becker and Parker learn their scripture memory to complete their handbooks.

The Little Girls...Miss K and Miss M were very blessed by their Children's Institute class. They enjoyed singing about Abraham at the top of their voices. They also really enjoyed riding their new bikes to and from CI each day. Miss A is still too young for CI, but she took many exciting rides in the wagon or just pushing the wagon all over the campus with mom and dad.

Finally My beloved and I were encouraged, motivated, renewed, and refreshed by this year's conference. It seemed to have so much down to earth 'real' honest usable information. I love the way each year ATI casts a wonderful vision of godly families living for the LORD, but often I come home feeling that the endeavor is so hard or that we'll never measure up. This year's conference seemed to speak to me to take off the mask. Show others who you really are, share your hurts, your struggles, and expect no less from those you speak with. LOVE...remembering that 'Love is patient and love is KIND!' We are not to cast stones or judge those around us for being less than perfect, we are to look to Christ the only one who is perfect!

Each place I turned God had this lesson renewed in my mind. From the dear new friend who visited in the bathhouse with me from 4:30-6 AM(!) encouraging me to cherish my children making them feel special every day. To the young lady I met filled with gentleness for our girls, but was impatient and unkind to her siblings...boy was that a reminder to be patient and kind to those closest to us ~ our family! (Daily Struggle!!)

My beloved was very blessed by the men's sessions. The men who were self employed were a great encouragement as we seek to support our family with 'GODS' company Quiver.

Gil and Kelly Bates testimony was awesome... "How to support a family of 19 with no salary"

They shared time and again of how the LORD was faithful to provide for their needs through people they had never met blessing them. They told of praying, but not sharing their needs outside their home and GOD sending people to answer that specific need... They were a great encouragement that GOD is our provider, we do not provide for ourselves. We simply manage or mismanage what HE has entrusted us with.

This was by far the best conference we've attended. I would encourage anyone interested in growing, challenging, and changing their families heritage to seek to attend one of these conferences. http://iblp.org/iblp/discipleship/conferences/atiregional2010/

The First 24 Hours at Home...

Josh flew home yesterday evening~~ YEA!! The guy was sure missed around here. We've spent the last 28 hours talking nonstop except for a brief 6 hours of sleep.

We've been blessed to learn about his Journey team mates, the jokes they told, the adventures they had, and the food they ate. We know about all the sites he saw, the tours he took, and how impressive 'Headquarters' was to see. He really enjoyed the printing/ warehouse area in the basement, seeing where all the publications are printed, and the methods they use.

I think what has blessed my heart the most so far was to hear him tell me he took notes on how to be a 'fisher of men' and then he opened his bible and read them to me step by step, explaining along the way, how to lead others to repentance.

I look forward in the days to come continuing to see the bigger picture of how this once in a lifetime experience has changed and matured our son. May God direct his path all the days of his life...

~one blessed momma

Josh's official Journey picture

Caleb  is in a white shirt front~ left and Josh is in a blue shirt front~ left. Look for the cowboy boots on both guys... Mr. F is on the white team also and his son David is on the blue. Other than that I don't think Josh knew anyone. I'm looking forward to hearing from my guy again next week! Our family sure misses him!!

Josh is off to Journey to the Heart

Today I put my child on an airplane for the first time...not really a child I guess, more I put my first born son, a man on a plane headed to a "Journey to the Heart" Conference.

Journey is described as a place where 'Christian life becomes real!'

The initial objective and ultimate goal of the Christian life is to discover what is truly in your heart

and what is the genuine heart of God. This 10-day journey will help you learn how to love

God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

https://secure.iblp.org/iblp/discipleship/journeytotheheart/

He was so excited about going to Journey, but a little apprehensive not to know anyone. The Lord worked that out that one of his friends Caleb will be there and even flying home on the same flight. I pray that this will bless Josh greatly and that he will learn and apply the truths being presented to him.

Miss K's 7th Birthday Party Extravaganza

We had a great time celebrating Miss K's 7th Birthday. It was postponed by two weeks due to a late March snow storm...it's hard to have an outdoor party in the snow.















All worked out great as we were able to have an Easter Egg Hunt. Six and under crowd up in the yard hunting their own color eggs. Miss M - purple, Miss A - orange, Clay - blue, Emma - green, and Cammie - pink. Each of these guys got 10 eggs hidden and had a great time looking for them.

The 7 and up crowd took to the fields to search for their loot. Josh found the prize egg and ended up with a Chocolate bunny. Everyone else enjoyed a basket full of candy.

After the hunt, the young men and woman went off to play volley ball, while the kids ran, yelled, played in the clubhouse, played basket ball, and lots more. Mom's and Dad's had a great time just visiting with each other ((except for my beloved...he was found with the young people and the volleyball game!))

We ate hot-dogs, BBQ sandwiches, chips, lemonade, and cake. We decorated the house in spring bright colors and hearts (found on the bargain after Valentine's Day aisle).

All in all, I'd say Miss K was very blessed with this party, as was our entire family. We are SO thankful for the friends and family that came to celebrate with us!

Looking towards tomorrow...

Saturday is a big day around our house. We finally get to celebrate Miss K's 7th birthday with her 'outside' party. Volleyball, egg hunt, food, and fun are all on the agenda.
We're expecting 28 plus our 8, so we should have a full yard. The weather is supposed to be warm and sunny. Perfect for a spring party. I'll post the pictures when I get a chance...

Also, it's Good Friday...time for us to remember our Lord and Savior Jesus who died on a cross for our sins, was buried, but rose again on the third day! Praise the LORD!! Easter is the perfect remembrance of FORGIVENESS. If you are a sinner (hint-hint, you are!) then there is nothing you can do that will remove the sin in your life. Only Christ's death can do that and He only does it when you accept Him and repent. Repenting is turning from your sin in brokenness and choosing to follow Christ. May the Lord prick your heart with your need for HIM on this Resurrection Sunday..

April Fools Day...

No Joke...If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got. Well I got it and more!!

I don't want to settle for the same old, same old. I want a change! Today I'm going to make a focused effort to get healthier. I tell myself this all the time, but I don't write it down and I sure don't share it. Something about not wanting others to know how I'm struggling with my weight right now...funny thing is, anyone who looks at me knows that!
So here it is...my true confession and hopefully a release from this prison of despair. I don't want this to be an idol in my life and if I'm thinking about it all the time, it becomes that. I've gained 19 pounds since November 09. Every day the scale is going the wrong way. (no I'm not pregnant!) While my goal is much bigger, I'm gonna start with those 19 pounds. Pray for me if you get a chance...this is the hardest battle of my life I think, the battle against 'self and self will'.


Today's the day to start doing 'something' different. I've got my change picked out!

Grandma 'Wrussell"

Our dear friend Virginia isn't really our Grandma, but if you saw her with our girls you'd never know it! She was a grandma long before she became 'Grandma Wrussell' to our girls...but she makes our girls feel like they are her one and onlys!
We invited Virginia, Jess, and Brian over for her birthday dinner this month. What a fun time to just surround her with love. The girls made her cards, the whole time debating on how old she 'really was'. Here's Miss K's card...


I thank the LORD for this fellow Christian sister who has invested so much time and energy into our family and especially into making our daughters feel special!

You know you're a redneck when...and other cute pictures!

When your new pink boots can come in the mail, get all muddy, and not even have the tags removed yet!! I found Miss K out in the muddy yard seeing how they fit just moments after UPS delivered them. She's one happy cowgirl!

When your perfectly happy to wear your patriotic red, white, and blue with your aunt's pink boots (that are many sizes too big and on the wrong feet 'to boot'!)

Leelee is too cute!!! This MEME is smitten with her!

March 20th has come...spring has arrived!

Saturday was March 20th, the first day of spring. Lots of exciting things happened around our house.

~~ It snowed...and postponed a 7 yr old birthday party.

~~ New PINK boots showed up...the perfect cowgirl accessory.

~~A snazzy RED violin was one of the many gifts...so exciting that "you'll jump out of your pants grandma!"

~~New Rollerblades insured that the old ones could be passed onto sister and now we can skate together on our wonderful new driveway and sidewalks.

~~We had just finished crop club on Friday night...women who get together every month for food, fellowship, and FUN! What a great time we have together.

~~The following day was HOME CHURCH...a blessed fellowship of like minded believers who pile into area homes once a month to pray, sing, and fellowship with others who love the LORD. A constant refreshing encouragement to our family.

~~Monday brought work for David...praising the LORD for the provision. As we like to say "We'll eat next week!"

~~The daffodils perked back up after the freezing weather and snow...they always bring me such joy to see their cheery yellow blooms!

~~My beloved gets the opportunity to crappy fish this week...and hopefully get his limit for the freezer, yummy!!

Spring brings many things...Easter-the Lord's resurrection day, homeschool conferences and camp outs, new baby goats, flowers and gardens, green grass, clothes drying on the line, windows open and a sweet smell in the air. I'm so blessed by this season of the year. May we enjoy each day as it comes and not rush for it to be over.

Being in One Accord...

At first glance, you might think I'm talking about a ride in a small 'Honda', but make no mistake 'One Accord' is much bigger than a little compact car. Being in One Accord with someone or something means to wholeheartedly embrace the same belief system. It means that you move and function as one. This can apply to a marriage, a church, or even our government.
This has been a hot topic in our house recently. Questions like "Are we moving in the right direction as a family?"..."Are we choosing friends and a church fellowship that are like minded?"..."Are we receiving the support we need to accomplish our goals and aspirations?" It's obvious to even the most naive person that you will not succeed in anything if your not on the same plan. The Bible even speaks of "And if a house be divided against itself,that house can not stand" Mark 3:25.

My beloved attended the ATI Father's conference put on by IBLP in January. (www.IBLP.org) This conference focused heavily on being in one accord spiritually within our families. The fathers that attended had such a sweet fellowship with one another. The group that David rode with was filled with awesome men who have a life goal to live out a Godly testimony and strengthen their families daily in the process.

As thy headed back, the car was filled with 7 people (six dads and one lady who need a ride back from Indy). Each of these people has the potential to reach out to so many others they meet in life. They could each share what this truth means in their life, even the many ways they were changed at this encouraging conference. In one split second all of that potential had an almost deadly change of direction.

.

A little after midnight as the car full of sleeping people came through Tulsa, OK they began to see snow and ice piled on the sides of the roads and bridges, the remnants of a recent deadly storm. As they started to cross the Arkansas River on I-44 they hit a small bump. Unbeknownst to the driver the car had a small problem, the steering no longer worked! While the driver tried desperately to control what he thought was a car skidding on ice, the other passengers were waking up disoriented. As the car slid up the side guardrail and proceeded to ride straddle down the guardrail, the passengers were crying out to the LORD for safety. After knocking two light poles into the river below, the car came to a gentle stop allowing the passengers to slide out of the driver's side while remembering that the passengers side was hanging off the bridge. God was so merciful to give each of these people another day to live their life for HIM.
One thing that stood out to me about this accident was the automatic cry for deliverance. In a situation like that you cannot pre-plan what you will say. What is in your heart will come out of your mouth. Proverb 23:7 says "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." This verse reminds me that no matter who I pretend to be, my true self will come out. Each of these men (and lady) choose to thinketh of things above, and not be controlled by the speech of today.

When I first heard about the accident I could only praise GOD that my dear husband was safe. How my world would be turned upside-down without him!! My beloved is such a precious gift to me. He is my best friend and confidant. Our married life does reflect being in one accord. That's not to say we never argue, everyone does of course. It's to know that we're on the same path, headed the same direction, even holding hands while we travel.

I hope that everyone who reads this also enjoys the blessings of being in one accord with your spouse. There is no better place to be!