Our Family Circus

This morning a young woman hopped around the church and shared with me that she was singing a solo.   I aked her in what part of the service because I did not want to miss it! As this middle schooler stepped toward the microphone and sang about our incredible God, my eyes began to fill with tears. You see two years ago, this little lady came  to our AWANA club via the bus ministry.   One night she got very upset with the directions that were given to her and I had to  literally use safe physical managment techniques to contain her.   She is my height and could probably flatten me.   My friend, Tom, stood close by making his presense known as he allowed me to work through this struggle with her.   It left me mentally, emotionally, and physically whipped!  BUT, for some crazy reason,  she continued to come to AWANA.   I sought her out each week in attempt to mend my relationship with he...

I am the middle sister.   I have an older sister and a younger brother.   Because I am the "little sister" my wardrobe, for the most part, was prewashed- to say the least!     One day, I asked my sister if I could wear her nightgown.   She replied no.   I informed her, that was okay because soon she would out grow it and it would be all mine!   My sister said, "Oh NO It Won't!"   AND as usual, my sister's determination won out.   I NEVER owned the nightgown.   She kept it hidden away from me until I was too grown to fit in it or even want it.   BUT THEN.....   a blue eyed, blond middle sister won her over and cleaning out at home, she loaded a trash bag of goodies for my house.   So, Kim, this picture is for you!             Nana, nana, boo, boo, I HAVE THE NIGHT GOWN!!!

I used to try to blog once a week and now I am trying for once a month.   I know it appears as if nothing is going on but it is just the opposite! My sweet niece moved in with us, yes, we are a full mini van! We celebrated a year of Tall, Dark, and Handsome being with us. Billy celebrated his 11th birthday. My Dear began a redo on our rotted deck. Got to visit with my dad and Miracle Mama. We started school using Tapestry of Grace and Easy Grammar with good ole Abeka math. We added Miss B. to the mix of school- she is so fun! I resigned from my part time job to continue doing some of it for free!   Only Jesus would call someone to do that! AWANA began! Billy was hospitalized with pneumonia. Miss B. and Dolly attended a Teddy Bear Tea Party Billy earned his green belt in karate ( a week after his hospitalization!) Attended my High School class reunion.   FUN! and we ate, slept, laughed, cried, prayed, praised, loved, and di...

A week ago, I walked into the living room after evening bath time to find a sweetie perched upon daddy's lap with a tissue compressed on a little finger.  I saw the blood and asked what happened but the sweetie said they did not know.   I asked again how a cut that large could happen and a person not know.   Shoulders shrugged.  We seem to forget how things happen when we should not have been doing them.   I asked again and again and flatly declared that the truth was not being told and that God and the child knew what happened.   As I thought of the behaviors and activities before the cut, it occurred to me what probably happened and this sweetie was to ashamed to tell on themselves.   I asked bluntly, after much prying, if that is what happened and I heard a low peep, "maybe."  I explained that we needed to know so that we could care for the sweetie properly. All band aided up, hugged, and pr...

Last year, I announced to my father-in-law that I would not be having a yard sale this year.   He smiled and chuckled and I knew he did not believe me.   So at Christmas time, we donated lots of used toys.   When folks had yard sales for charity, we donated even more!   I gathered books and teaching materials and sold them at a homeschooler sale.  I was SURE we would not have enough to have a yard sale.   While preparing for the homeschool sale, the children gathered things out of their rooms and decided.....they wanted to have a yard sale.   So guess what Pops, you were right! There is something about purging that makes me feel better!   Perhaps it is an illness but we have so many blessings and I spend way too much time maintaining or fussing about them.   Let's be honest, most of them no one even likes or cares about.   Our 4 year old, Miss B., is more than willing to get rid of something...

I just saw the date of my last post...how embarrassing!   Truth is, all kinds of blog worthy stuff is going on but since life is so busy, I just have to keep on living it! It is baseball season for Billy.   Things did not quite work out as we had hoped with his team but I see now how divine the arrangements are.   I have been keeping stats for Billy's team and hanging out in the dug out for crowd control (along with Dolly, Miss B., a bag of coloring books and Kirsten books from the American Girl series.)   Since   so many other distractions present themselves, I sometimes miss stuff in the game. A young man on our team named Blake has decided to be my assistant and help me keep a count.   He is a cute little thing, Billy enjoys his company, and he is a pretty good ball player!  Blake will seek me out in the dug out and hang close.   He also has a sense of humor which is essential if you are going to spend any time...

Miss B. improvising on a set of roller skates! Billy decided he wanted to wait until Saturday to finish some school work. A great plan, until Saturday and friends showed up in the back yard. So this is, Saturday School! Dolly is dog sitting this week. Not this sweet little pup but another. This is Candy and we share her with our neighbors. We buy dog treats and play with her and they get dog food, grooming, vet bills and such. Like her flower? This dog will tolerate Dolly for a while. She knows Dolly will save the bones from meat, treats and even slip her some cheese or lunch meet on occasion. Just one little bark at the door and her mere exsistance is rewarded!

With the warm temperatures, it was time to switch out the winter for the summer clothes! It is like Christmas as the children are reunited with favorites or find new favorites to wear. This outfit was the top pick for Dolly! And this outfit (or should I say her brother's hand me down pjs) was Miss B's top pick. I heard My Dear instruct her to put shoes on as she walked outside in her " outfit." She got a bit upset and said, "But I am a firetruck and firetrucks don't wear shoes!" Then the voice of wisdom said, "then you need tires!" Apparently, she likes white walls! Our Dolly had a date planned with My Dear and eagerly awaited her time to go! My Dear works hard to maintain time with the children despite his work schedule. Even an oil change becomes an opportunity to talk.

Billy is all ready for March Madness! Check out his new accessory! Way to go Billy! GO CATS!!!

A few years ago, I was challenged by a radio station to choose one word as a goal for my year. The one word would sum up what I was to work on over the year like a New Year's resolution. That year, I chose the word LESS. LESS selfishness, LESS stuff in my house, LESS baggage in my life, LESS debt, LESS orphans in the world, LESS physical weight on me, and LESS thought about me and more about the Savior. I had no idea what God had planned for me that year, only to choose that word. At the end of that year, I assessed the year and I indeed had gotten rid of many material possessions and refrained from purchasing others. We had paid some debt down. I had maintained my physical weight. I took a mission trip to aid the orphan and had began to deal with some baggage. Pretty good huh! Well, not good enough as God called me to the same word the following year. THEN he showed me how to do it! He called me to LESS than the LESS I had already presented. The baggage continued to be laid down, ...

Every Christmas my mom blesses the children and I with a new ornament. She loves Christmas ornaments and is a Hallmark Queen! I had told her last year that it was no longer necessary that she give me an ornament, but she is my mom and well, she disagreed! My Dear has been putting the tree up with the children as a surprise for me while I was away at our church's annual Christmas Tea. They did not have the tea last year so I simply sat on the couch, uninvolved. I received the new ornament in the mail and kinda tossed it into the storage tub in no mood to unwrap it or the other ornaments dating to 1995! I was going through a private battle in my life and could see little beyond it. Frankly, the only reason we even had a Christmas tree was because My Dear put it up and the children begged him to do it! This Christmas I was in a much better place-MUCH! My Dear put the tree up and I opened the storage tub and enjoyed trying to create the Norman Rockwell Christmas. Th...