Heaven Is Rejoicing With A New Angel Today

My sweet friend Kaci went home at 9:30 Saturday morning. I find my emotions remarkably interesting.

I think of the awe you're in when a woman has a baby. The meeting of someone you love so much, someone you talked to and felt. Someone you couldn't see, but knew existed. The pain and exhaustion you feel and the relief you have the moment you finally meet.

The overwhelming excitement you feel as you embark on a new level of life and love.

Yes, that's how I see Kaci's passing. In her eyes. The moments she has spent getting to know Jesus, the people she shared Him with out of excitement and love for Him, the pain she went through these past few months, the exact moment of relief she felt as He reached for her, and her excitement as she embarks on eternity spent with Him.

Congratulations my sweet friend.

161. the power of prayer

162. the beauty all around us

163. those who love and live for Jesus

164. life. LIFE!

165. the cross

167. constant squeals and laughter from 3 little boys

168. spending my days with them...even when it's hard

169. the cool in the air as we welcome the coziness of Fall

170. friends

171. the comfort of familiar hugs and smiles from my family in Christ

172. cookies, milk, and a good book with clean little ones at bedtime

First Week of School

We wrapped up our first week of school here and it was REALLY a lot of fun. The boys didn't seem too thrilled about it before we started, but right into the first few hours, Tibby saild, "this is the BEST school I've ever been to!" Even though he has only been to preschool, I went ahead and took it as a compliment!

(he is totally not paying attention, but did ok)

We read The Story About Ping and looked up China on our globe and the Yangtze River online

Then we packed our suitcase, passports, and grabbed our airplane tickets and headed to Africa.

The boys thought this was the most fun of the day.

The long flight proved to be pretty exhausting. =]

We studied Georgia O Keefe and did her flower art project from this book

The next day we headed to the museum to do some exploring. I loved watching the boys exploring the place and oh the questions they had!

He loved doing these puzzles and had to do every one...while racing to see who could do it the fastest =]

We had a fun time making homemade pizza, and man was it good!

He loved his reading/listening center. It really helps me do a few lessons with the other boys.

We did cave paintings from our ancient history lessons.

Finding things (and making a collage) that begin with the letter "F"

We also went to a birthday party and did our outdoor nature study that I will try and post about tomorrow. All in all, it was such a great week!

Thinking Miracles

I asked You to heal our son, I asked You to heal a family member, and now, I ask You to heal a friend. I step out boldly believing You are the ONLY source of healing in these situations. Doctors have already claimed they can do nothing and it is You LORD and it always was and is You.


You see things so much different than we do here, and I never seem to understand the way You work through things like these, but all I know is that You do. You are at work constantly through the lives of others and there is where You work Your miracles. If we don't seek and trust, we just might miss them.

Abba, I ask that You help us to see the miracles You work daily. The miracle You work through a boy that can hardly communicate like "we" think he should, but You see different.

Please help us see the miracles You are working through her life. The people You are touching through her story and others like her. Thank You for giving her and her family strength and courage to see You as their only hope in this life. And thank You for them putting their trust in You and an eternity spent with You.

Thank You for working Miraculously every single second of every single day.

151. YOU, my Father, my hope, my love
152.  my dear friend Kaci
153. our sweet little boy and his brothers that were hand picked to live this life with him
154. eating living food
155. a woman after You own heart
156. my life.
156. my health
157. my home
158. food
159. every single little thing that I take for granted daily
160. miracles.

Please, please PRAY.

Doing What I'm Called to Do

Sometimes I find myself extremely frustrated and a little bit annoyed with some of my inconsistencies. I'm sure you've been there as well.... Right? Now I really have been praying and working on life and believe me, life has been good, BUT it seems when I feel like I get certain things under control like home school or cleaning/laundry (yes, we've gone a few weeks with a nicely kept home and laundry done daily We have a routine down and by george it's getting done!) I gradually lose the grasp I may (sorta) have on other things. Things as simple as quality time with my boys.

For some reason lately I keep having this thought...."what if this was the last summer, fall, winter, spring you have here on earth? what would you want today and tomorrow to look like? what would you spend your thoughts on? what would you choose to worry about or let get you down? who would you be?"

Now, I understand that may be a bit depressing, but I don't think of it that way at all. Instead I see an opportunity. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow, so how will we use this opportunity?

After thinking about it, I choose to love.

 How will I choose to show love to those around me? How will I show love to my boys?

*Praying. Praying for those I love, for those in pain, for those who need love. Praying.
*Time. Giving my time to God, my family, and others. Serving with a cheerful heart, doing things my children love...even when I don't feel I have the time, and visiting those who need company.
* Teaching my children. This is why I love homeschooling so much...the whole world is ours! We spend our mornings in the company or The Creator of the Universe! We travel back in time to Ancient Egypt. We stamp our passports and hop on a flight to Italy. We build things,  we watch caterpillars turn into butterflies, we visit the elderly, we paint like the impressionists, we listen to the many sounds of the orchestra, we take hikes, we go to Cub Scouts,  we cook, and we meet others for field trips and holiday parties.

Yes. This is how I would love. I would spend my last year in love with my Creator, with His world, and with His children. I would do what I was called to do.

In fact, that's how I want to live my life. Whether this is the last year or not, it sure would provide for a purposeful life. A life filled to the top with love, living just the way He called us to live.

Breathing His Name

I reflect on His beauty and His creativity. When I was a little girl, I would slip out of our home and walk. In the dark,  I would listen and talk. Just like chatting with a dear friend, and I was. All was quiet, all was still, and I knew I was in His presence.

As time went by, I grew away from these walks and this kind of reflection....until now. Now I realize that it was real, and I long for my first love. My first real friend.

In each new day we are meeting again. Just where we left off. I see more now than I ever thought possible. I feel and I see His presence.

137. just being

138. rowdy boys

139. finding who He made me to be

140. the excitement of a new school year

141. a boy learning to wait

142. finding our routine after a fun filled summer

143. people, loving them like Him

144. moving on

145. longing for Him

146. starting fresh

147. helping hands

148. loving what we have

149. an amazing husband

150. freshly bathed boys, slathered in peaches and cream lotion