Silly Songs...

Silly Songs with Eric and Ridley....

This is the part of VBS when Eric and Ridley come out and sing a silly song...

"I'm singing in the rain,
Just singing in the rain,
What a glorious feeling of shsh, shsh, woosh! shsh, shsh, woosh!
Arms out... thumbs up... knees bent... butt out... head up...

I'm singing in the rain,
Just singing in the rain, What a glorious feeling of shsh, shsh, woosh! shsh, shsh, woosh!"






This was yesterday's song... today's song was "Herman, the Worm".  I'm remiss to mention that I do not have pictures of the silly song "Herman, the Worm."


I'm sure tomorrow's Silly Song will be equally spiritually stimulating...  


oh the fun of being a kid!

So you had a wife...

I've been meaning to blog this post since last week.  Somehow, though, it kept getting lost in the deep recesses of my mind.... not intentionally... just got squeezed out several times.  So, here it is...


When I was preparing to travel to my sister's home to keep her five kids for five days, I realized that it would not be possible for Chad to go with me.  He was scheduled to work and because it was Memorial weekend, it is nearly impossible to trade shifts.  


Amazingly, I didn't freak out become concerned.  My nieces and  nephews are all really good kids and I figured we would just make it work.  Besides, the two oldest boys are 13 and could hold down the house, if I needed them to while I ran to the store or took kids to school.


Even though I didn't become concerned, that didn't stop me from thanking God when my mom called and asked if she could come too.   Of course, I was very diplomatic about the entire thing and instead of yelling "yes! yes! yes!", I calmly said "if you want to....".  So, Mom drove here early in the morning and jumped into my truck with the kids and I and we started our adventure.


The adventure was just that... a really fun adventure.  Often Mom and I commented on what a great tag-team we were.  Honestly, I could not have done it without her.  In fact, she asked me several times "what would you have done if I wouldn't have come?"  In hind-sight, I think I had three options.... a) lock everyone in individual rooms, slide their food under their doors and let them out for one hour a day for recreation... b) crawl under my nephew's bed and refuse to come out until my sister got home... c) allow them to have incredible fun and let my sister's house just deteriorate around me.   I would have chosen option C and I would have had to write a long letter to my sister apologizing for the mess in her house (as it was I had to apologize for the dead grass that the superslide left behind...).


Just yesterday, some friends were asking me how the trip went.  I think they were secretly hoping for some great survival stories of how I barely survived parenting eight children and escaped insanity by a slim thread.   Instead, all I could say was "It was great!  We had so much fun!!  The kids played all day every day and Mom did all the meals, dishes and trips to WalMart.  I did laundry and played with kids.  It was really an easy weekend."


To which my friend Rachelle said "Oh, so you had a wife for the weekend!" ... sure enough, I got to experience what it is like to have a wife in the house.  I highly recommend it for all moms!!

a little revved up...

Ok... so I get a little revved up from time to time... and today just happened to be time!

Our VBS lesson today was Passover and the Night Flight from Egypt.  I managed to teach the lesson three times without getting too riled but by the time we got to our morning "wrap-up" session... I could hold it in no longer!


You see... today's lesson was all about the tenth plague that God sent in judgment of Pharaoh.  In His love and because of His grace, He made a way that the children of Israel could avoid the plague... the death of their first born.  If the children of Israel obeyed Him and put the blood of a spotless lamb around the door posts and door frames of their homes, the angel of death would pass over their home and everyone inside... everyone covered by the blood of the lamb would be safe.  However, the angel of death took all the other first-borns who were not covered by the blood of the lamb... man and beast.


I told the kids that this is my favorite story of the Bible because it foretells God's plan of salvation for all of mankind (I also told them I would probably have another favorite story tomorrow....so this was my favorite Bible story for today because I LOVE all of the Word of God!!).  John the Baptist saw Jesus coming and said "Behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world".


This is where I got really riled up!  After teaching this lesson three times, we all met in the ampitheatre for our morning wrap-up session.  This is when I review the Bible lesson one more time for the day.  Today I did more than review.... Seriously, picture me clutching my Bible, tears streaming down my face, yelling talking in a loud voice so all could hear me"Jesus did this for us! He is our Passover Lamb!!"... I think I may have frightened one or two today.


I can't help it.  I hope I never tire of this story... am never not moved by it... am never callous toward it.  


When it comes to telling children about the blood of the Lamb that can cover their hearts and protect them from eternal separation from God... I get a little revved!

VBS...

It's VBS week here on the home front!

I have great memories of VBS as a kid.  Some times I went to the Vacation Bible School at the church we attended.  Other times, I went as a visitor to a friend's VBS.   For me, VBS was almost as good as camp.

Our church does not, yet, own our own building.  So, we rented one of our local parks to house VBS.  The park has a gorgeous lake view, suitable ampitheatre and great cabins to host Bible class and craft class.

We've been on a Journey To The Promised Land.  Thus far, we've learned about the sons of Israel who later became slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.  We've met Moses and his blood brother, Aaron.  We've walked with them as they have approached Pharaoh over and over again asking him to release God's chosen people.  We've observed plagues... 9 of them to be exact....

Tomorrow the journey continues with the 10th and final plague and the night flight of the Hebrews as they left their lives of slavery in Egypt.


As it often is, as I have been writing and preparing these Bible lessons, God has taught me much more than I could possibly communicate to the kids. Today I was moved by how well they participated and answered the questions.  Praise HIM these children love Him and His WORD!!


All of these years later... I still love VBS!

an incredible ending to Sabbath...

Though we've gotten into the swing of starting our weekly Sabbath, we haven't mastered the art of ending it.  Usually, the end gets lost in Sunday chaos or we wake up Monday morning to a new week.

One of my goals is to add an ending to our Sabbath celebration.  Something that marks another time of family worship to usher in the week.   Something to again remind us of the gift of a day of rest.  Something more to look forward to for the next Sabbath celebration.

Tonight we had just the thing... a cookout with brauts and hot dogs... chips and lemonade... marshmallows and s'mores... and lots and lots of fun and laughter.

We tried different ways to roast our marshmallows... daddy's way...

or Grandma's way...

another Sabbath done... a mom refreshed... a family renewed... thank you LORD for the gift of rest!

Humbled to be her mom!

My children never cease to humble me.  This one humbles me the most.  

Many times I have said "No one loves Jesus the way Emme loves Jesus!"  Her life... Her spirit... Her example... have convicted me over and over and over again.  

Last week, she and her brother went to 4H camp for 3 days.  They had a wonderful time and were tripping over each other's stories all the way home Friday night.  Both kids were excited and equally exhausted... though many stories were told, one was forgotten for the evening.

On Saturday, I heard Emme and Chad talking but I was busy working on VBS and cleaning up the house and so I didn't stop to listen.  She told her Daddy a beautiful story from camp....

Today in church, I heard my friend and pastor say "We're thankful that those of our kids that went to 4H camp had a safe and wonderful time.  Emily even took a golden opportunity to tell the kids around her about Jesus."

WHAT?!?!?

How did I miss this?  In my busy-ness... my hurry to prepare for VBS... my desire to clean my house, I didn't take the opportunity to listen to a beautiful 11 year old tell her Daddy a story that started with "Daddy, I have to tell you what happened one time with the kids in my line at camp...."

Rest assured that I took the first opportunity I had after church to pull Emme aside and ask her to tell me the story!  

I pray often that I am preparing my kids to have an answer for those who ask about the hope that is in them.  I pray often that I am preparing my children to not be ashamed of the Gospel.  I pray often that I am preparing my children to love the LORD their God with all their heart, their mind, their soul and their strength and to love their neighbor as themselves.  

I realized anew that I can pray this but it is really God who is preparing them... not me.  He may chose to use me or not.  This is His thing with each one of my kids, not mine.

For those of you who subscribe to Emme's blog, she is working on a post with the entire story.  It's best in her words.  However, the synopsis is that while the kids at camp were working on their craft, in the camp chapel, one boy spoke up and said "I don't believe in God!"  Soon, Emme was defending her God to several boys and giving answers for all of their questions.  

Emme said to me, "Mom, it made me mad that he would say he doesn't believe in God while we were in the chapel!"

With tears in my eyes and a mile-wide smile on my face, I am humbled to be her mom!

Sabbath rest

Tonight will mark our 8th family Sabbath Celebration, and I'm not sure I've needed one more than I need tonight.  

I'm tired... plain ol' worn out... seems like we've had more crazy days than normal around here.

I'm drained... I put the finishing touches on VBS late this morning.  In two days, we will embark on 5 day Journey to the Promised Land.  Writing always drains me.  There is something incredible about leaving it all on paper and walking away completely drained.

I'm spent... emotionally this has been a tough week in more ways than one... an emotionally charged week with high peaks and low dips.

I'm craving rest.  I'm starving for some quiet time at His feet where He will faithfully refresh and renew my soul, my spirit, my heart... through some Sabbath rest.

My treasure...

It's been a while since I blogged a post bragging on my man.  


He works hard for us.  Often I take my status as a stay-at-home-mom for granted.  I forget that this privilege wouldn't be possible if he weren't willing to work hard for us. He's worked in our local ER for over 11 years (6 as a Paramedic and 5 as a nurse).  Not only does he work hard, but he is really good at what he does.  


I was reminded of this yesterday when I got the following message from my friend, Kelly, on facebook.  I met Kelly years ago before either of us were married.  She just realized, this week, that the paramedic that helped her infant son in our local ER 8 years ago is my man.  


Her message was a great reminder to me that my man is amazing and I am blessed beyond measure to be walking this path of life with him.  My heart always knows this... sometimes my brain needs a reminder!




We think he is wonderful! When my son who is 8 now was a month and a half old we were at the ER with a high fever. The person attending the ER tried to do a spinal tap, which we were not able to be in the room, but your husband was. The person doing the tap was not nice to us at all. Your husband kept apologizing because the guy was really rude and didn't get the spinal tap done after sticking our baby several times. They admitted our son and Dr. K came in later in the evening to do the tap and your husband came up from the ER to be with our son while they did the tap and then came and talked to my husband & I. He was awesome! He told us that he was doing his round in the ER for Multi that evening. We knew that God had placed him there to reassure us during that difficult time! 
You've got a special guy there! Just wanted to let you know we appreciate him!


I love that not only does my man work hard, he plays hard with us too.  This picture is from our 4H Fair last summer.  He saves his vacation days to take the week of Fair off to help with 4H animals, to watch the kids show their various projects and to camp at the Fair with us.  


My brain needed the reminder this week of the treasure that I call MY MAN!

life...

Life is a gift from the Creator.... so often taken for granted... those living assuming that they are indeed entitled to life... abundant life.   In child-like immaturity, assuming they alone are most important and most entitled to this thing called life...


Life is pain... a deep stain left by sin.  Though there are seasons of joy and moments of laughter, life hurts.  Often, the lie is purchased... the  lie that says life would hurt less if only.....  and the search begins for the one thing that will make all of the pain worth it.  To often, the searching leads farther away from the One who comforts.... the One who heals... the One who offers the anecdote of eternal life with Him...


Life is grace...  the very definition of life reveals grace.... sin demands a payment of death... separation from The Holy One... eternal damnation...  and yet the Author of Grace gives life...  gifts life.... graces life...


...down through the ages... throughout the millenniums... from the beginning... He alone gifts life....

oh to see what she sees and hear what she hears...

Monday night, God ushered my friend into her eternal reward.  I doubt there are many people who have lived the way she lived.  She embraced life.  She embraced marriage and motherhood.  She embraced cancer.  She lived.


Which makes me think... when you embrace the life God gives you and truly live each day for His glory, perhaps the reward is sweeter.... To hear your Savior say, "well done, good and faithful servant, welcome to your reward"... there can be no sweeter words to hear.


...To see Him face to face... to gaze into His eyes... to bow at His feet... to see His throne... to drink in His city... to hear His voice...


...oh to see and hear what Tracey can see and hear today... my heart is envious and thrilled all at the same time because I know no one who has lived giving God the glory more than her.   I can only imagine that her reward has been sweeter than she ever hoped or imagined!

8 isn't enough...

This cousin's weekend has been a blast!  We've made a super slide, friendship bracelets and paper bag puppets.  We've had NERF wars, wii wars, Air Soft wars and water balloon fights.  We've dealt with allergic reactions, sunburn, rashes and scrapes and bruises.  We even managed to kill a patch of grass under the super slide.  


Cousin's Court, Cousin's Church and Cousin's Awards all began with these five days over this holiday weekend.  


It's been full....  and it's been fun but it hasn't been complete.  


You see, 8 isn't enough.  We're actually missing three of our cousins.  So this weekend hasn't been a complete Cousin's weekend.  While Clayton and Truman, who are both 1 year old, could probably care less about this cousin time, we have definitely missed 7 year old Jenna!


Next time, we'll plan a time when we can get Jenna too!!

a quieter day...

After a couple of intense days of cousin fun and late night giggling, today has been a naturally slower day.  The kids all pitched in and helped clean the house this morning.  After lunch, they have seemed to gravitate to slower things to do...


...like making paper bag puppets for a puppet show after supper...

...or working with beads...

...or yet another game on the wii...

... and, even homework that isn't due until Friday (Good Boy Drew!).

... and for the really worn out...

Grandma Lois is treating us to dinner at her house tonight and then we have our Cousin's Awards to pass out.  And, sadly, tomorrow another cousin's time comes to an end....

really?

The following account is completely, 100% true... all names have been kept...

Aunt Heidi... "Lydia, you wear me out."

Lydia... "Why?"

Aunt Heidi... "Just keepin' up with you wears me out."

Lydia... "I give my mom a headache."

Aunt Heidi...  "Really?!?"

all worn out....

After another day of great cousin time, jumping on the trampoline, building volcanoes in the sandbox, sliding on the super slide, throwing water balloons, practicing baseball and just going non-stop, this is what this house of eight kids currently looks like....

Five tired girls watching cartoons and...

three worn out boys watching Worst Case Scenario....


The greatest part of having 8 kids play so hard all day is that bed time happens without many arguments.  They are all wiped out!

Driving to church...

About a month ago, I was talking to my sister about this weekend.  As I was thinking through the dynamics of five days with eight kids (and at the time, I thought I would be flying solo...), I asked Gabe if she minded if we didn't go to church.  Graciously, she said "do whatever works!"

While driving up here on Thursday, I mentioned to Mom that I really didn't want the stress of getting all the kids ready and to church on Sunday.  Her response, "why don't we do a church service with the kids?"  Brilliant!


So on this Lord's Day, the ten of gathered our Bibles and some chairs in the living room. 

Soon, two of the boys drove to church.

They are even dressed in sport coats and carrying their Bibles... and, yes, they are 12 and 13!  


Cousin's Church consisted of prayer, sword drills, a discussion on the Fruit of the Spirit and a closing song.  Not fancy... but funny!  Church should always be as joyful as it is when you have a congregation full of fun kids!!


After church, they graciously gave a ride "home" to another gentleman from the congregation...

water slide... or super slide?

A water slide purchased by Grandma is a lot of fun on a hot summer day...

... but creating your own super slide is WAY more fun!

...especially when there is an "infirmary" for the injured...

Cousin's Court is now in session....

I love it when God directly answers my prayers in ways that are above and beyond what I could ask or think!  (He does this daily and yet I still doubt Him... but that is a post for another day...).


Thursday night, my nephew had a late baseball game.  His game started late because the game before went over and it lasted late.  So, I had plenty of time to pray.  While Drew was playing catcher and his brother and cousin were watching the game, I sat in my truck where I could see the game.  In the semi-privacy of my truck, I prayed out loud for my children, my nieces and nephews.  I asked for safety for the kids and for wisdom for my Mom and I this weekend.


One of my prayers was this... "God, please help me know how to handle arguments, disputes, complaints, etc."  It's one thing to handle your own children's arguing, complaining and disputing but it's entirely another thing to handle someone else's children's.  


Friday, after school, God answered with "Cousin's Court".  I gathered everyone around to settle the dispute of which group (boys vs girls) got the front yard hose and which group got the back yard hose.  Before I knew it, we were in a session of Cousin's Court with the Honorable Aunt Heidi and Special Magistrate Grandma.  Each side was given 3 minutes to prepare their argument to be presented before the bench.  Amazingly, both sides prepared well organized arguments.  Both sides were also very receptive to idea and they had fun with it.  


The Cousin's Court idea has now carried over to other disputes and arguments and is working great.  There is a Cousin's Court list on the fridge and when someone has a dispute they want settled, they write their complaint down and when the judge can get to it we have another session of Cousin's Court.  While I'm not sure everyone is happy with the judge's decisions, I think they all feel like they at least get a chance to state their argument, complaint or dispute.


Thanks LORD for supplying me with another supernatural idea!

Friday's fave five at my sister's house...

In honor of spending five days watching my sister's five kids at her house, I'm doing my Friday's Fave Five from her house.  


Here are my five favorite things at my sister's house.... I'm trying hard to keep from coveting...

1) her washer and dryer...  It should go without saying that any mom that does laundry for seven people would have an incredible system but I am in awe of this!  Absolutely amazing the amount of laundry I can get done in a few hours!!

2) her deck... does this not just beckon?  I keep thinking I'm going to take a book to this spot and enjoy it for a few minutes... maybe tomorrow!  Somehow, my minutes keep flying by...

3) her backyard... I tried to take a picture that best shows this incredible haven but it doesn't all fit in one picture.  It is awesome and has endless opportunities for 8 children... a trampoline, a swing set, a fire pit and coming tomorrow... a water slide!!

4) her living room... again pictures can't do it justice, as this is just half of the room.  There is something peaceful about this room.  I love it any time of day.  

5) her basement... this is the absolutely best place for three teen boys to hang!  Love it!!  I don't hear much or see much and they get their own space away from five girls.  

wordless Wednesday... friends...

... friends through thick and thin...

looking forward...

Lately, I feel like life is running me over... there's always someone to take... somewhere to go... something to do....  Some things more important than others but always, always lots and lots of things.


So, I've been doing some soul searching and I am looking to doing some more soul searching this weekend.  Something or more than one something in my life needs to give and I'm not sure what it is.  


In two days, I'm going to WI for 5 days to be Mom to 8 kids.  Honestly, I can hardly wait!  My kids and my nieces and nephews have a blast together.  There will be lots of fun, little sleep and some grumpy kids when it is all said and done but there will also be beautiful memories made.


I'm looking forward to beautiful memories but I'm also looking forward to leaving "life" behind and having a few days where I have nothing to do but be Mom.  


Maybe that is my answer... maybe I just need to return to being Mom and absorbing the beautiful memories that are made.