Project 365: Week 25

Sunday, June 13, 2010

I looked over during church this morning to see Gabriel resting his head on Saylor's lap,...and she was gently patting his head!

After all the kids were in their pajamas this evening, Paul let them go outside and watch him water our newly-sodded slope out front. Of course, ride-on toys had to be dragged out. By the time I got out there, I discovered my oldest son pushing my youngest child in his little car waaaaay up our sloped street. (This had apparently been going on for a while.) "That's too high" and "He's not going to like that" and "You're going to scare him" and "Be careful" are the thoughts in my mind, especially when I saw this look on Atticus's face as they came barreling down the road:

And you should have heard him screaming! It sounded awful!! I was so scared for him.

But take another look.

He was actually screaming with laughter. He loved it!! (And yes, he was buckled in. I DID manage to ask that before they took off.)

Monday, June 14, 2010

Tonight we're having oatmeal for supper.

'Cause sometimes that's all I can muster. Oatmeal with a good tablespoon of butter per 1/2-3/4 cup serving of oatmeal. Mmmm... I believe in the health benefits of animal fat, especially when eating grains.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Saylor went to a birthday party today. It was a "dress-up like a fairy princess party." I thought it was pretty silly, but Saylor enjoyed it quite a lot. From the hair-do (complete with glitter) to the nail polish (oh, my!), it was definitely her cup of tea.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Today I wrote a post about our precious friends. Will you please read it???

Then I went to make dinner and get a shower before Bible study. But before I got into the shower, I found this little catastrophe awaiting my attention. This is why it does not behoove me to spend my "alone time" in the kitchen cooking. This is why. (Do they make slings that will hold two toddlers at once?)

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Having the front doors refinished.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Noah at his school desk.

Don't think for one second that he is smiling about schoolwork right now...

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Today we shopped some more for a dishwasher. (For those of you keeping score, we are now at five weeks and counting without a working dishwasher.) The kids? Well, between riding the lawn mowers, the excitement of the escalator, and dancing to the likes of Tom Petty and Heart, they seemed to have had a grand time.

So, that's about it for this week. All the "Project 365" participants are linked up at Sara's. If you need me I'll be washing dishes. Many, many dishes. By hand.

In Faith

I want you to do me a favor.

We have these great friends. The kind of friends who come over at the drop of a hat when you have an emergency appointment to see the doctor, the kind of friends who are available to help install dishwashers, the kind of friends you can call anytime to borrow something, the kind of friends who visit you in the hospital, the kind of friends who will run errands for you if you need it, the kind of friends who will sit and talk with you when you need to work through something, the kind of friends who pray for you, think of you, and call you, and most importantly, the kind of friends who hold you accountable. These great friends of ours...are moving in just a couple of weeks. And about as far away as possible.

First, they are moving IN FAITH to a training program called Beautiful Feet in Oklahoma City. They will be there for a mere six months, and then...THEN they are moving to Africa.

Africa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To be family to the scads and scads of orphaned children there.

To help meet their physical and emotional needs.

To parent them.

To love them with the love of Christ.

To teach them about Christ.

To do what God has called them to do in His great Kingdom plan.

So far, it has not been easy. And they're still here in Arkansas! They have met with some adversity, they have wondered "How?", they have NOT been given an easy ticket. But they are still going. IN FAITH.

These friends of ours have eight (EIGHT!) children, seven of whom are moving to Africa with them. These friends will be doing this thing IN FAITH, supported one hundred percent by regular folks like us. One hundred percent! And while a large, one-time gift would be VERY much appreciated, what they really need is monthly support they can count on. Even if all you can do is just a little bit per month.

Here's what you can know about sending your money to help them. You will be serving a family with your resources, and they, in turn, will be serving the multitudes. You will be showing God's love and mercy to the needy through real hands and feet, even though you yourself have not sacrificed everything to GO THERE. Do you need to know how many will be saved as a result of this family's work in Africa? No. You only need to know that God will take what you give IN FAITH and will multiply it for His purposes. Do you even need to know exactly what they will be doing 24/7 for the next however many years? No. You only need to know that they love these orphaned, abandoned, and forgotten children and will love ON them, because as believers that is what we are called to do for people.

And we are commanded to give. We don't need to know all the whys and wherefores. Give IN FAITH. God will bless that.

"Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys." -Luke 12:33

You can follow their blog at SuubiFamily.blogspot.com to learn more about our friends and their heart for missions, especially for orphans. Feel free to contact them for more information about where they will be going, what they will be doing when they get there, and how you can help.

I am asking you to prayerfully consider them, IN FAITH, as a possible place to send your money, knowing that it would be going to support a godly family doing Kingdom work.

I am even asking you to tell others about them: your friends, your family, your churches. Get involved!!

I am asking you to take seriously John Piper's command so often quoted, yet so often ignored (even by those who quote it): "Go, send, or disobey."

This dear family is GOing. Will you help SEND them?

IN FAITH,

Project 365: Week 24

Sunday, June 6, 2010

After church today Paul and I "restfully" cleaned out the garage, mowed, and trimmed hedges, all of which desperately needed to be done. Even the car got cleaned out!! Then we went to a baptism out in the country.

It was so bloomin' hot. I was grateful to not have the kids there in that heat with that many people, trying to feed them and watch them swim. It made for a nice (but hot), relaxing (but hot) visit with our fellow church members (who were also hot).

And then on the way home...we just might have found "the land." We'll see...

What do you think??? Not bad, eh?

Monday, June 7, 2010

After sleeping late (again), vacuuming the entire downstairs, and doing various other necessary-before-my-children-come-back chores, I headed southward to pick up the kids from my parents' house. In some ways it seemed like we had just left them, but in others it seemed like a lifetime since we'd seen them. We were all happy to be reunited. Here are a couple of cute moments mom captured while they were there. (I was on the road for over four hours today. I was in no mood for photographs.)

And, no. That's not a horse. Cubbie is my mom's greyhound. Gabriel calls him "My Dubbie."

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Today was a day of catching up with each other. I "locked" us all in the bonus room upstairs (not really, so please don't call DCFS), where the kids played and watched movies while I cleaned and organized all the random stuff that gets designated to the bonus room. We even ate lunch up there! It was a pleasant change. We also read lots of stories together today. And then, probably because I had missed them so much, I just had to end the day with a little sweet for them: swirled lollipops from our trip to Eureka Springs.

Can't believe I let my baby eat a lollipop...

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Today we spent a couple of hours at the zoo. From 10:00 - 11:00 the weather was pleasant, but the next hour was downright miserable. Even the kids were complaining!

One of these days I'm going to the zoo...just me, myself, and my zoom lens. 'Cause I really wanted to capture this moment UP CLOSE.

Saylor fell in love with this sweet baby. I think he liked her, too!

All Aboard the Zoo Train!

Another animal Saylor really liked. Wonder why??

We quickly made our rounds to the things we missed the last time and then headed home for lunch in the air-conditioning like good, sensible folks!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

We had plans to go skating tonight, but that didn't pan out. We had decided to cash in the kids' free chicken sandwich cards at Chick-fil-A and then let the kids play. Our dinner took a little longer than planned because the play space was closed for "clean-up" (don't ask) when we got there, so that took a while. By the time we were all fed, though, it was finally ready, so the kids got their fill of tubes and slides. For now.

Noah made friends. As usual.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Tonight was our friend's birthday party. TEN years old!! (Don't know where the time has gone.) Anyway, his mom did a Highlights Magazine party. Cute, huh?

And then while the kids played outside, my little Gabriel decided he was big stuff and hopped on this battery-powered four-wheeler and headed off into the woods all by himself!!

(Ugh. This picture is wacky-looking. That's what I get for taking this from underneath the trees and using a cell!!)

Saturday, June 12, 2010

We went to family story time at the Main Library this morning and enjoyed a KinderSongs concert. We're fans.

Wah-ha-ha!!!! I caught Noah singing and dancing!!!

Hooray for egg shakers!

Wow. Sometimes I get to the end of these posts and think, "How did we DO so much this week?!" (And occasionally--"How is it that I found myself without a REAL camera for the better part of it?") Anyway, I'm certainly glad to have a way to keep up. And I enjoy getting to know all the ladies in Sara's project. See y'all next week!

Project 365: Week 23

Sunday, May 30, 2010

The boys are enjoying the sprinkler one of them got as a birthday gift.

In other news, I scrapbooked with a friend today. Just for a few hours. Which means I got next to nothing done. But it was fun, and that's what counts.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day

After spending the night in Conway with Poppy, we purely relaxed all day today. Didn't even cook!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

My angel. Perhaps you've seen his artwork and his wood carvings. Well. He's obsessed with squirting out all my diaper wipe solution onto his carpet, bed, chair, whatever looks inviting. And it's driving me plumb crazy. He does have a good time, though. Until he gets caught. Another two empty bottles. Yay for me.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

I did an obscene amount of laundry over the last couple of days. Obscene. I think it was time... What do you think?

And then we drove to my parents' house (two hours away). A lot goes on in the car, as you can imagine.

This is Atticus (well, at first it's my finger...) jabbering on the phone. I didn't get the first part of his "conversation," which was even more animated!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

All four children are staying with my parents. I'll give you a moment to get over the shock....

That's right. We are just a "couple" until Monday morning! So after a nice, quiet drive together, I am shopping with my hubby this afternoon. We stopped at Williams-Sonoma (drool) to use a $25 gift certificate we've been hoarding saving since CHRISTmas. $25 at Williams-Sonoma. We may be here a while...

In the meantime, Noah is riding his bike on a nice, flat circular driveway. No picture of Noah, but there's documentation that he had an audience.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Today I went to a women's retreat and heard from several very wise ladies about parenting, housekeeping, and leaving a legacy of prayer. So, so good. Timely even! Don't you wish you could just bottle up those kinds of events and use them any old time you feel like it? I enjoyed lunch with a couple of my "besties" and had a quiet drive home. Well, not quiet exactly. Some of the time I was blaring Chris Tomlin or "Highway Man." (Yeah, I'm a perplexing sort of gal musically...)

And then...I came home to this:

Man. It looks so much better than the nothingness that was there before!! I can't tell you how excited it makes me. All this and a date with Paulie tonight! Doesn't get much better than that.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Today was my man's day. He had me all to himself. He could go where he wanted, eat what he wanted, stay out as late as he wanted. We slept late this morning and then got up and scouted for land until almost 3:00, at which time we decided to grab some lunch! (Can you imagine doing that with kids in the car?!) We shopped a little more and then came home and did some laborious housework. But it was nice. It's pretty hard to mop the hardwoods in our living room when children are present. Got that done and then took some pictures of our much-cleaner house...for selling purposes. Kinda made me wanna go out and celebrate...again. Which is exactly what we did! In the meantime, the children were making memories with Mimi and Da.

It's been a wonderful week/weekend. This week Lisa is hosting for Sara while she's away. I'm off to go fellowship with my church. Tomorrow morning I will be reuniting with four beautiful blessings...

Drooling

Y'all do realize why we want to sell our house and what we want to do next, right? Well, here's a hint.

I've been wanting this set for a while. The best way to get something is to win it. Right?

Go here to get in on the action. (And severely diminish my chances...)