Lots of Treats!

We had a great day today! First thing this morning I gave the kids the "treat" of not doing math. They were thrilled! It's not that they hate math, well Sarah might, but it takes a long time to complete the lesson. So they were able to get through their school work in record time! As a result they were blessed with an outing! We went to the Camden Children's Garden with the Hinsons'. They had a "Trick-or-Treat" event and since we have a membership (one of the cheapest around) it would cost us nothing to go. They had a great time. The garden is a beautiful little place that has lots of garden paths and various sculptures that interest the kids. They even have this great butterfly house where you can walk around with butterflies flying all around. Daniel loves this place! They had a trick-or-treat parade in which the kids visited different areas and received candy! Once again, Daniel thought this was a great idea! He is definitely my sugar baby! Even though the event was geared for younger kids, Matt had a super time running around with everyone else.

After the Children's Garden we went to the Adventure Aquarium, which is right next door. It was such a treat! I think it was us, the Hinsons' and maybe two other families! We had room to roam and actually see the different fish. We were able to get close and touch the sharks, jellyfish and starfish. Sarah got brave and touched the sharks and jellyfish. It was all very relaxing and wonderful! When we were about to leave all the kids received a small bag with candy and some finger puppet pirates. They really made out well! Afterwards, we went to the Olive Garden and ate dinner with the Hinson's. The kids did amazingly well and we really enjoyed ourselves. It was nice to sit and talk a bit with Frank and Carisa as we don't get to chat with them often, even though we only live two blocks away! We had a great day and what made it even greater was that Andy could join us! We were very blessed to have lots of treats today! I am thankful we have friends that we can hang out with and places we can go to and enjoy with our children. God is so good! Daniel had such a huge day - he came home and started to fall asleep on the floor! He's so funny!

Creep in the Deep

As a rule, Andy and I have decided not to let our children Trick-or-Treat in the neighborhood. It can be dangerous as we don't know everyone in the area. So, we either visit home for their Harvest Party or other, safer, alternatives. So when I got an e-mail that the Adventure Aquarium was hosting a "Creep in the Deep" program I signed the kids and I up! It was a lot of fun! It wasn't crowded at all, making it nice to see all the different fish. We even saw the new Shark Ray - really cool! With it being less crowded I was able to let Daniel walk. He was such a good boy. He held my hand when I told him to and didn't eat any of his candy - though he was REALLY tempted! I often caught him peeking into his bag, but when I told him no, he closed it right back up! He and Sarah had a blast and Daniel picked up the trick-or-treating thing really fast! Daniel went as "Daniel in the Lions Den" and Sarah went as a Veterinarian. Daniel carried around a stuffed lion and Sarah carried around a stuffed Dog. They looked really great! In addition to trick-or-treating they also had pumpkin decorating. Each child got to pick out a pumpkin and decorate it. Daniel enjoyed this - he loves markers, crayons and stickers. Sarah was thrilled beyond belief! They also had a little Pirate Training Show. It was cute - they trained them how to be friendly pirates. Sarah laughed and enjoyed their antics! As you may have noticed Matt's name has been missing. Unfortunately, he had a horrible day and missed out on the blessing of attending this fun event. Matt sometimes gets it in his head he is 30 instead of ten and he doesn't have to listen to authority. I felt horrible about leaving him behind, but we have learned that Matt only understands the severity of the situation when we take away things that are important to him. Tonight was important. Please pray that he would learn to submit to his authority - more importantly, God's authority. Pray, also, for Andy and I to lead him in the right way.

Fall Weekend

We finally made it up to Andy's parents on Friday afternoon after almost 3 hours in the car! Between the rain and terrible traffic, it took FOREVER to get there. But it was well worth it! It was so nice to fall asleep to the sound of rain rather than the sound of partying, loud music and car alarms! When I went to bed I just lay there listening to quiet rhythm of the steady rain. It was wonderful. It was still raining heavily when we got up this morning. The great thing about the farm, though, is that there is a barn. The kids LOVE the barn, so many things to look at and investigate! Dad also has a pool table that the kids like to play around on. They had a good time.
After lunch, the sun came out and we decided to go for a walk. One of the things I miss most about living up there are the walks. I remember every Sunday afternoon we (Andy, his parents and I) would go for a walk. It is just so relaxing and at this time of the year so beautiful! It is also great for the kids to get out in the fresh air! Daniel loves the walks. Today we walked down to the creek to see how fast the water was flowing. It was going FAST! We really had to hold onto Daniel so that he wouldn't fall (read: jump!) in. We had fun throwing leaves into the raging creek and watching them float down stream. Unfortunately, it was too wet to jump in the leaves. It looks like we missed that activity for this year. We'll have to wait another year.Matt practicing his juggling (see the black walnut in the air at the top of the photo?)

He is his father's son!

It was a great weekend. It had been too long since we had been up to the country (since August!). The next time we'll get up is Thanksgiving. I can't believe we have to wait that long! It will be here before we know it!

What I'm Reading

So my friend, the one who encouraged me to start blogging, has encouraged me to get more creative with my blog. She taught me how to post pictures of the books that I am reading. She has it on her blog and I thought it was neat. I like seeing what other people are reading and learning if they thought the book was worth their time. I love to read, mostly fiction, but have been drawn to the two books pictured to the right. "Sacred Parenting" is an incredible book that I think anyone who is wanting to have kids or has them already should read. It is not a "how to" book, but a "why" book - why we have kids. It is very good and I highly recommend it! I wrote about it in an earlier blog about how convicting it is. Convicting, but very good.

The second book I have only started so I can't give a critique on it just yet. I am a screamer. I hate it. Everyday I work on this aspect of my parenting. Some days are better than others. But with God's strength, one day I will not be a screamer. I am reading this book to see what the author's thoughts and ideas are on the subject. I'll let you know what I think.

I have enjoyed today's weather. I love rainy days. The kids hate it. I keep trying to show them the great things about rainy days - they just look at me like I'm crazy. I am currently sitting in my school room listening to the patter of the rain drops on the skylight and windows. It's so very peaceful and settling. Now maybe I'll get some much needed paper grading done!

14 Years!

Today is our 14th wedding anniversary! I find it amazing that we have been married that long. It doesn't feel that long - I guess that's good! Our marriage has had many twists and turns, but when you go through it with a guy like Andy, it's pretty wonderful! He is a great man of God, wonderful husband, super father and my best friend! I look at some of my friends marriages and am so thankful to God for the blessing of a fabulous husband. It really is a blessing, one I never thought I would want or have! For those of you who don't know, I had planned on being a single missionary to Africa. But God, in His infinite mercy, saw fit to bring Andy into my life. And after much denying of the relationship, I finally gave in to His plan. What a great plan it has been so far! I can't wait to see what the next 14 years bring!

We aren't doing anything special today. We have Kids Club tonight (what a way to spend our anniversary, huh!? With lots of preteens!!!). The kids think we should have off school! We are, instead, doing a little extra work each day so we can have a half day on Friday. We are planning to go up to Andy's parents this weekend and hit Olive Garden for lunch. Andy loves their All You Can Eat soup and salad. We have a gift card from our Discover Cash Back points, too! That helps the budget. It can get expensive taking all of out to eat. The kids love it since we only go out to nicer restaurants about three times a year - anniversary, Valentine's Day, and my birthday/ Mother's Day since they are usually near each other, if not the same day. Andy knows I like to go out to eat - he doesn't care about his b-day. He would rather put something on the grill since his birthday is near Labor Day. God is good. I have a great husband, three beautiful, healthy kids, wonderful in-laws and parents, caring and loving friends and a ministry that we love being a part of. Praise God with me today!

Busy Sunday

I didn't blog yesterday because it was a crazy busy day! We had church as normal and it's my month to teach the Teen Girls Sunday School (we've named it HEART). We are currently working through Max Lucado's book "Every Day Deserves a Chance!" Teen Edition. It is a great, but challenging, book! Yesterday we talked about peace for stressed out days. It was a great reminder that God will supply everything we need on a daily basis and breaking down our days into manageable parts. Today I needed that reminder! Monday's are the worst. When we try to cram a lot of family time into two days, it wears us all out! I needed to get through each hour, trying to stay patient and be a good mom and teacher. I made it through! God is good!

After church Andy is coaching Little League Soccer for the church from 2:00-4:00 pm. Since church doesn't usually get done until 12:30ish (and yesterday it was 12:50 pm), it's a mad rush to get home, get lunch and get back out the door. While Andy is coaching, Daniel is napping and I am trying to get ready for the school week. The kids are having a great time playing soccer and there are almost 20 kids in the older group (8-10's)! I think it's the largest group we've had in a while. Andy is a great coach is really trying to teach them the basics of soccer.

To make things even more crazy for a Sunday we were invited to attend the wedding of Daniel and Marisol Ramos. That was at 5:00 pm. It was a great wedding. They are a couple that have been attending our church for a few years. Daniel started attending Kids Club with his two children when I was teaching the 5 & 6 year-olds. He would sit in with his kids and listen to the lessons being taught. Soon he started attending church and a while later Marisol started attending. They both have come to know the Lord and even separated because they knew they were not setting a Godly example for their children. It was great to see them walking in obedience to God's Word as they took their vows. They were so happy! It was beautiful. Please pray for them as they begin their new lives together.

By the time we got home (8:00 pm) it was bedtime and I still had much to do in preparing for school. It proved to be a late night! One of these days life will slow down, right?

DAY OFF!!!

Today was our first day off since we came home from North Carolina, September 23rd! It was such a great day! My step-father, Bruce, signed up for a fishing tournament in Ocean City, NJ and we told him that if it was a nice day we would come down and watch him fish. It was a BEAUTIFUL day!!! We left the house around 8:30 am and got there by 10:00 am. The company sponsoring the tournament was Colonial Electric and all their customers are welcome to bring family and friends. They really do it right! There was so much food! Dunkin Donuts and soft pretzels for the morning, a Pig Roast (a whole pig in a roaster!) and all the fixings, hot dogs, hamburgers, soda, water, EVERYTHING for lunch! It was free, too! We didn't just have to watch Bruce fish, either. We fished right along with him! Matt, Sarah and Daniel had a great time trying to catch something! We didn't catch anything, but the guy next to us caught three sand sharks! It was fun touching and checking them out! I am, however, a terrible mom. It is October 20th and the farthest thing from my mind was getting sunburn. Daniel and I look like lobsters! We are so red! I feel terrible about Daniel. He doesn't seem to be bothered by it. I bathed him and lathered him up in aloe lotion. Hopefully, he'll be good by tomorrow!
After the tournament we decided to walk the boards. It turns out that several of the stores participate in a Trick-or-Treat program two weekends before Halloween. Even though the kids had no costumes on, they were allowed to trick-or-treat with the other kids. They really made a haul! They got some cute toys and candy. Daniel, my chocoholic, thought this was great!!! We then had dinner at Primo's Pizza (our favorite pizza place on the boards) and called it a day! Everyone went to bed like a charm! They were so worn out! I, too, am tired and think I'll head off to bed early!

Beautiful Day!

This weather is crazy! I had just put all the shorts away last weekend - only to have to drag them out for today! All week I had been planning to go to the Elkins Park Library, Montgomery County (the BEST library EVER!!) today. I had put in a request, last Sunday, for some books that I need for history next week. They are the best library because they are always so quick to get requests in and they almost always have what I need for homeschooling, so unlike the Philadelphia Library system. Elkins Park is about a 20 minute drive and so worth the effort. They also have some of the friendliest librarians and a great Used Book Sale at least once a month! Can you tell I just love this library!?!?! It had been quite a while since I had been there. In my effort to be more creative, as well as literature based, I borrowed some fun and interesting books for our history lesson next week - Catherine the Great!!! Hopefully, we'll have fun and learn a lot. After our trip to the library, and since Matt and Sarah had finished all their work for the day (they woke up early and finished by 1:00 pm!) we went to this great little park across the street. The kids had a blast! They played hide-n-seek and tried to scare each other. Daniel joined right in! He LOVED climbing everything and even conquered the web-ladder (top picture). He was so proud of himself! Matt had a great time running around and climbing the wall. Sarah was everywhere! It was fun! It is my hope to try and visit the library every other week and then go to the park. If attitudes keep doing well, it should be a go! Here are some pictures from the day!

45 Days In!

We are officially 1/4 of the way through school! YEAH!!! I know to many of you that seems crazy, but it seems as if we have been doing school for forever - we started July 30th! I am praying about how to handle school. I am trying to listen to the hearts of my children, while also trying to complete the demanding PA requirements. Sometimes I feel our schooling is too schoolish - does that make sense? I had always dreamed that homeschooling would be more interesting and fun. I realize that some book learning has to take place, but it feels like we are in the room too much. I want to be outside and so do they!! Pray that I would find a balance. I know we do far more than Philly schools do, but I also don't want to get lazy and not teach them all they need to know. I wish there were people you could talk to about what to do exactly - but there are so many different theories to homeschooling - no exact set standards. Yes, you have to do math, English, PA History, etc. but I need to find some more creative ways to teach these subjects. Pray that creative juices would start flowing!

It was an okay day of school. Both Matt and Sarah struggled with doing what was asked of them, but we made it through the day. Daniel was a riot! He is REALLY into books right now - Andy says he's a mama's boy! Today he kept bringing me book after book for me to read to him. Even before bed we must have sat for about 30 minutes just reading tons of books - yes, I have TONS! I am also a sucker when it comes to reading and he often delays bedtime by bringing me books! He's so cute, though! I really need to get back to reading to Matt and Sarah before bedtime, too. Life has been crazy, but it is starting to fall into a semi-normal "routine". Maybe I'll get caught up on everything (cleaning, laundry, paper grading, etc.) this week!

A Quiet Day

There isn't much to write - I had a great day at home - our first since August! I love being home and being able to do projects that have been on my list of things to do! Today was the day to switch over the clothes - a huge project! Matt and Sarah did pretty well cooperating as they had to try things on from last year to see what it is they need for this year. Sarah surprised me the most by not really fitting into anything from last year! I guess she had to grow sometime! She had been wearing her winter clothes for the past two seasons!

Today was Dale's funeral. Andy left to go around 9:00 am and didn't return until about 12:45 pm - that was just the service! He opted not to go to the internment, but one of our co-workers, Jeff, did and he didn't get home until about 3:00 pm. Please pray for the Wilson family. They are struggling. Andy and Frank went over yesterday and spoke with Barbara, Dale's mom, for about two hours. Andy said it was tough, but he was able to share with her what Dale believed. She is not a believer. Pray that God would work in her heart and the hearts of her children. All but one son was present during the altercation. They, too, are struggling. It's so senseless to us, but God has a purpose and a plan for all this. Please pray we would listen to His prompting and leading in this situation.

The Light!

There are days that I just LOVE homeschooling - and today was one of those days. At its start - I wasn't into it at all, neither was Matt, but we ploughed through. We finally got to science (one of my favorite subjects!) and had so much fun! We were discussing Venn diagrams and classification. It was a little tough to get their minds wrapped around it - but then the light came on in Matt's eyes as understanding took place! It was so great! We then had to make a game out of classifying the different shapes and have the next person figure out the different groups. They really had a blast!

Then we did Art, which is Sarah's favorite thing. I am not into doing crafts with kids - you can ask my friend Carisa! But this is Sarah's thing and begs to do them - so we are doing Art on Thursday's. Today was making a shape collage out of two different print papers. They did a great job. I have to figure out how to scan them and put them on the blog. Check back to see if I figure it out!

Daniel has hit an age where he remembers things long term. Last week we went to our local Target to pick up a few things. Daniel's eye caught hold of a Matchbox Firetruck - about six inches long and three inches high with sound. He fell in love with it, but we put it back and put it on his Christmas list. Tonight we had to go and get bread and what not - when Daniel spied the firetruck again! He pointed and carried on! He held it and loved it! But again we put it back - I am definitely going to have to get this truck for him - even though it is noisy as anything! He also found the new VeggieTales DVD. He is really into VeggieTales right now. So we did get that and came home and snuggled on the sofa and watched it. He was so cute! Laughing at Larry and singing the songs afterwards. I think it's great that Matt will still beg to watch the new ones - at ten! I'm glad he's not too old yet! I know one day that will change - and it will be sad!

Please be in prayer for the Wilson family. In an earlier blog I wrote about one of our former teens, Dale, who was murdered this past weekend by his 19 year-old brother. In an article in the newspaper it was discovered that there was an argument over money between the brother and mother. Dale stepped in, essentially saving his mother's life, but losing his own. His mother was stabbed in the leg and is healing. Andy and Frank are trying to make arrangements to visit the family sometime tomorrow. The funeral is Saturday morning. Andy will be going, but I'll be staying home with the kids. We are afraid it may be too much for Matt and Sarah to handle. They knew Dale and Matt is already asking questions about living in the neighborhood. We have talked about how fear can rule our lives, but we know the conqueror of fear. Pray for Matt as he works through his faith in God and where we live. Pray for me as this is not the life I want for my kids, but our Heavenly Father knows best.

Kids and Clubs

Today was another great day of school. Matt finished his school work by 12:30 pm! He really worked hard! We then had Kid Sport at PBU. Today was the last session. I really wish it would go a few weeks longer. Several of us have made that suggestion - we'll see if they take it into consideration. The kids came home with tons of e-mail addresses as well as Webkinz ID's! If you don't know what a Webkinz is it is a stuffed animal that comes with a code you type into the internet and you interact with your virtual pet online. You can add friends to your list, hence the ID's. We only ever let Matt and Sarah add people we know, so right now their lists are small. They have to earn time online by having good attitudes and getting their work completed. Now they have an extra incentive - new friends!

Tonight was Kids Club and it felt so good to be back! I wasn't able to go to the opening week (9/25/07) as I had to stay home with Matt and Daniel - so tonight was my first time back since we shut down for the summer! We had 29 kids - 16 girls and 13 boys. The girls were pretty chatty and it was fun to goof around with them. Andy did "tape head" as the super challenge tonight. It is so funny to watch. We have the contestants put on a shower cap and then wrap their head in masking tape - sticky side out. They then have to roll their heads in a pile of wrapped candy and try to get as many pieces as possible! It is a riot!!! The girls won the super challenge for the second week in a row!!! We are hoping to shut out the guys this semester! I have to start remembering to take my camera and get shots so all can see the fun! Pray for the preteen leaders this week as we are having small groups next week and each of us will teaching the lesson to a small group. Please pray that He would speak through each one of us.

Life Is Fleeting

There are days when living and working here in Kensinton really stinks - today is one of those days. Andy went away to Camp Men-o-lan with God Squad for their annual retreat. I called him this afternoon to let him know how great the kids did with school and he sounded a little different. When I asked what was wrong he told me he had gotten a phone call that one of the teens we worked with was murdered last night. Dale Wilson was a neat kid. He could be trouble and push the limits but he had such a personality. More importantly he told numerous people about his faith. He wasn't afraid. Unfortunately, violence is a reality that these kids deal with on a daily basis. This weekend alone there were five murders. Friday night there was a shooting only a few blocks from our house where a 15 year old boy was shot in the head. It is never ending. In reality, I am amazed we haven't lost more of our kids to violence. It is a testimony to the amazing protection of our Heavenly Father and the faithful prayers of His believers. What is more amazing is that God has really protected our children from dealing with the violence. One of the struggles I dealt with when moving here was raising my kids here. I didn't want to do it. I grew up in an area of violence - I didn't want that for my kids. But God is good and knows what is best for my family. As they get older and start developing closer relationships with the kids in the area it will get more difficult to shield them. This is the first kid they really knew that violence has taken away. Please pray for them and the youth we work with as this will leave a void in their lives. Pray for Andy and the other leaders as they walk the kids through this tragedy.

This is a picture of the Teen Retreat this past June. Dale is in the lower left corner, sitting down. These are some of the kids this tragedy will effect.

On a lighter note, the kids did incredibly well with school today. They were both done by 3:30 pm! That is a first since we have started school! They were so excited! They were able to play on the computer and just enjoy themselves for a few hours before bed. I was thrilled to be able to get some other things done before making dinner!

Homecoming and Coming Home

Today was PBU's homecoming - or Crimson Celebration, as it is now called. We had such a great time seeing friends and getting updated on their lives. We were able to catch up with friends Shawn and Jen, David and Esther, Dave and Kristen, Janet and Scott, and most amazingly Deb and Gary!!! I haven't seen my roommate Deb in about eight years! It was so wonderful to talk with her. I really wish we could have stayed longer! It is amazing that after 16 years we are still such close friends. What is even neater is how well all our children get along! This year Matt and Sarah ran around semi-unsupervised. They could be seen as a mob of kids as they went from activity to activity. It is fun to see them form such great friendships with both Andy's and mine former roommates. Maybe they will be roommates when they attend PBU! It would be funny - second generation roommates! There are no pictures because we forgot our camera -BOO!!! I was really disappointed, but with the craziness of trying to get out of the house on time, they got left behind.

Coming home, Andy went right to the block party with Matt and Sarah, while I came home and laid Daniel down for a nap. It was very well attended! There were inflatables, 3-on-3 basketball competitions, preaching, pizza, snow cones, a Christian Rapper, and an i-Pod raffle. Matt participated in the 3-on-3 basketball with his two friends Josh (10) and Zach (12) - they didn't even touch the ball! They were three backyard kids playing three street professional Kensington teen kids! At least they were brave enough to try!! Matt was also in the front row for the concert. He really enjoyed it! Sarah, Daniel and I went home. She was upset because she had gotten run over and knocked down by an older teen roller blading, who wasn't watching where he was going. I think she was really tired! She had a huge day! I think they all fell asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows! It was a great day! Thank you for praying! Please pray that we may now be able to follow-up on the different people that we had contacts with today. I will post pictures as soon as I get them!

A Good Ending

The week ended so well! Much better than I ever had anticipated! Monday was such a horrible day, but God, in his infinite mercy, stepped in and worked in Matt's heart. He has been cheerful and willing to do his work. Today he finished his work by 4 pm and was able to enjoy the blessing of going to the church and playing. He was so proud of himself - and so was I! As a bonus Andy bought pizza for dinner! YEAH!!! So we had family movie night - we watched the new Backyardigans DVD. Daniel is really into them and Matt and Sarah are still willing to watch them! So we had a good evening to end our great week!

Tomorrow is PBU's homecoming. We are only going to be able to go for a few hour since it is also our church's big block party. Andy is involved in helping with things and the kids are really excited about the inflatables! Matt is also excited about the Christian Rapper - Da' Truth - who will be performing tomorrow evening - the drawback of raising an inner city kid! I will hopefully be able to post pictures of everything and write about all that happened. Please pray that this block party will impact our community and draw people to the Lord. Also pray for safety and coordination of all the activities - I know there is a lot going on in a short span of time.

God's Goodness

Today was another good day. We are really seeing some great things in Matthew. He came to a realization today - "School is so much easier when I have a good attitude!" It doesn't mean he didn't struggle in some instances - but he is learning to work through them and not BLOW UP! He has finished school each day with enough time to play the past three days. He would have been done much sooner today except we had to take Daniel to the doctor. He has had a bit on his forearm for several days, but today when he woke up it had a red ring around it. I thought I should get it checked out. It turns out he had a spider bite and it was a slow releasing one, causing the red ring. While he was there he got his flu shot. He was so brave! He didn't cry at all! That blew Matt and Sarah away! They do not take shots well! Now Matt is determined to be like his 2 year old brother!

Another good thing that happened today was I got to talk with one of the parents of a former student! I taught first grade at Plumstead Christian School for four years before I had Matt. In my first class I had a boy named Justin. He was one of the sweetest boys - and very tall! Almost my height in first grade! He also had strawberry blond hair! I know - a little partial! His parents were down with a group Joe Darrow was showing around the ministry. Andy was helping and they recognized him! I happen to call Andy while they were there and he put me on the phone with Justin's mom. He is now a junior at Penn State! It was so great to talk to his mom and hear how he and his sister (who I also taught) are doing! It is very encouraging to know I didn't damage them! Maybe there is hope for my own children!

Life is good with God - I have to remember that even in the bad times. I know everything has a purpose and a plan. I look back over the years and see his goodness through every step of my life. I hope and pray my children will see His goodness in their lives too. A verse we have started to memorize is Proverbs 4:25 - "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life." (NCV) We are all trying!

Relief!!

Today was a great day! Sometime during the night, Matt had a change of heart. He came to both Andy and I this morning and asked for forgiveness for his behavior the past week and has had a complete change of heart! PRAISE GOD! It is totally God! Andy and I were clueless as to what we could do with him. God has answered our prayers. Thank you for praying! Please continue to pray for us as I am sure this journey is not done!

Today I took Matt and Sarah to Kid Sport at PBU (Philadelphia Biblical University). They have such a great time there. I am so glad for this program. They get to run around and learn new games and I get to talk with other homeschooling mom's! Next Tuesday is the last week, it's a six week program. I am currently working on figuring out how to get my kids moving more. Living in the city is deadly to movement. Our backyard doesn't have enough room to run around and I can't let them out front by themselves. I am looking to walk with the kids in the morning and then as a reward for completing their school work by 4:00 pm, taking them up to the church playground with friends to play. Please pray that I wouldn't let my focus be on my "jobs to do in the house", but on my children's needs. They need exercise and air - they focus better and get to release their energy in a positive way!

Unequipped

I have come to the realization that I am unequipped for the job of parenting. I have known this fact for quite sometime, but it hit me squarely in the face today while dealing with Matt and Sarah. Instead of life getting easier, it continues to spiral downward. Attitudes were at there worst today - including mine. Matt has hit an age where he questions everything we tell him and flat out tells us no to requests made of him -- he's only TEN!!! I am not a fan of this behavior! Are we hitting a preteen stage early? Is this only the beginning? Is it going to get harder? (I surely hope not!) There are days I wonder why God has chosen to bless me, many times the most horrible mother in the world, with three beautiful children. It is in times like these that I have to remember God's providence. It was no accident that He gave me these particular children, placed them in my care. He knows my limitations, but still entrusted me with these children. So even though I am unequipped to parent these children - complete lack of wisdom - God is. Matt, Sarah, and Daniel are His kids. Please pray for Andy and I as we deal with Matt. We lack wisdom. Pray that we would love him and care for him and get to the root of his problem.

I am including a picture of Daniel tonight. It has grown quit chilly here and I decided it was time to put on the footy pj's on the baby. He was a riot! Matt and Sarah always fussed about the change in clothing - trying to pull things off, hating the feel of long sleeves and footy feet. Daniel rejoiced! He danced and laughed and celebrated! I am praying for that same kind of joy - despite the circumstances that fill my brain.