Friday's Fave five... Indian Summer!

It's been a few weeks since I last linked up with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for Friday's Fave Five... five things for which I am most grateful this week.  


It's been a beautiful, Indian summer week around here.  The high temp today reached 80 degrees!!  Here are are five reasons I love Indian summer....

1) the colors

2) beautiful days to spend at the park

3) quiet, contemplative beaches

4) flowers are still in bloom

5) football!

Do you have 5 things for which you are thankful today?  Join up with Susanne and share them with us!

a few faves from a great week...

It's that time of week again...Friday's Fave Five hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.  Even though this is my favorite blogging meme and the only one I participate in on a regular basis, it has been a few weeks since I've posted my 5 favorite things from the week.


It's been a great week around here and here are my five faves in no particular order...

1) My Bible and my quiet times... when I am really busy with life the first thing to go in my day is my time with Jesus.  This summer was no exception and by the time I escaped to the lake I was seriously burned out and my reserve tank was empty.  Three weeks later, my reserve tank is still empty but I feel like my primary tank has been blessedly filled each morning with my time with my Savior.

2) THIS CHILD RIGHT HERE... this one...known to us as Ellen Mercy... will soon be 7 years old (in 11 days, as she says) and the past week has been a time of unknowns with her.  I was reminded, anew, of how fragile life is... and how thankful I am for each and every day.  Our gift of mercy continues to be just that... a gift that I cherish!

3) SCHOOL... I so love homeschooling my kids.  I know that in the spring I will be pining for summer and for a break but really, really I love what I do.  In the two weeks that we have completed, to date, we have had some great school days... you know the days, the ones that resemble a Norman Rockwell painting.  I know the stormy days will come but for now I'm just savoring the moments.

4) UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS... this thanks goes to Susanne!  She drew my name for her Friday's Fave Five giveaway and is blessing me a cup of coffee from Starbucks on her.  I didn't know it until she emailed me because I never thought to look to see if I had won.  I love how God blesses me through others!  Thank you Susanne!!

5) NOA NOA... I've blogged about this restaurant before.  The longer I go here, the better I like it.  It's become my all-time favorite restaurant and it is about a mile from my house!  It doesn't get any better than that!!  
Two of my favorite people came down this afternoon to celebrate a late Father's Day dinner at Noa Noa with us.  Great food... great fellowship... great family!!  And a great way to end a great week!

Friday's Fave five... a celebration!

I've said it before... Friday's Fave Five meme with Susanne is my favorite blog meme!  I look forward to reflecting on my week... thinking through blessings and finding five things for which to be most grateful.


This week marks Susanne's 100th week of Friday's Fave Five.  I wish I could say I've been with her from the beginning.  To the best of my recollection, this is my 13th Friday's Fave Five on Friday, the 13th.


1) AIR CONDITIONING!!! I can't tell you how thankful I am for a/c!!  This week has been HOT and I hate being hot!  As I get hotter, I get grumpier.  So, I'm sure my family is thankful that mom has stayed cool.


2) FRIENDS WITH POOLS!!  A pool is one of life's luxuries that my man will never agree to... so, I am so very thankful for generous friends who willing share their pool with us!


3) GIRLS NIGHT OUT!!  Last night was one such Girls Night Out.  My friend, Donna, opened her pool for Moms at 8 pm.  We floated, watched the meteor shower and laughed until 12:15 a.m.  Girls Night Out always makes for a shorter night of sleep but it is sooooo worth it!  Thanks friends!


4) SUMMER VACATION!!  I'm still holding out for some sort of summer vacation.  Emily mentioned yesterday that she can't wait for winter for life to slow down.  It really is that way in our home.  Winter is slow and quiet and summer is on the run.  Next week, I think I will have about 4 days of summer vacation at my parent's lake home with the kids... looking forward to it!!  After which, we will start school.


5) TEACHING KIDS BIBLE TRUTHS!!!  This week has been a lot of planning for our upcoming kids' conference which will be held on Monday.  I can't wait.  More to come on that one....


Thank you, Susanne, for hosting Friday Fave Five! Congratulations on your anniversary!

Friday's fave five... in a 5000 words...

I'm linking up, again this week, with Susanne over at Living to Tell the Story for this week's Friday's fave five... five things for which I am thankful this week.

A year and half ago, our family was blessed with a new cousin.  He came to us through the foster system.  We have no idea how long we will be blessed to know and love him. 

Yesterday, while traveling from one campground to another, we stopped and had lunch at Cracker Barrel with my sister, niece and nephew. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words... here are five thousand words of love for one little guy I am most thankful for...

Friday's Fave Five... at the County Fair

Once again, I'm linking up to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for Friday's Fave Five.  Each week, Susanne asks us to post the five things we are most thankful for from that week.


Here is my five favorite things from the county fair...

1) AIR CONDITIONING!!  We've had rain, heat indexes of 104 degrees and storms.  I'm so thankful that we can bring our camper to the fair and can have a place to escape the elements... with the heat this week, I've been most thankful for the air conditioning in our camper!

2) 4H AUCTION Each year the 4H kids have the opportunity to auction their animals and make a little money in exchange for their hard work raising the animal.  Eric auctioned his chickens... small breasts and all... and did very well.  He will use this year's auction money to help pay for next year's animals and feed.  

3) FAIR FOOD  This is one of my 2 favorite food stands at our fair.  I'm a fair food snob.  I hate buying food at the carnival stands.  However, I love to spend our fair food money at the local stands that support local not-for-profit organizations.  This one is a local food bank and soup kitchen and the profits from the sale of food during the fair help their organization throughout the year.  Their fresh cheeseburgers are soooo good!

4) THIS MAT My Dad made me and my sisters these mats last year for Christmas.  At the time I thought I liked it but now I know I LOVE it!!  For the first year we haven't had sand burrs in our camper.  I love that all the sand burrs fall between the slats and stay outside!  I've heard several acclamations of "Where did you get that mat?  I want one!"  Thanks again Dad!!

5) CAMPING AT THE FAIR We are so blessed to be able to camp at the fair with friends!  In this picture, our camper is the farthest one that you can see along the row of campers.  Of the other campers, only the pop-up is a family that I don't know well.  The others are filled with friends.  It has been so fun to have the kids play in the evenings together and to be able to run back and forth between the campers.


my one not-favorite-thing....

THIS HILL... we climb it several times a day to get to buildings, barns, etc.... the picture of all of our campers was taken from the hill.  The kids love rolling down it, riding their bike down it and running down it.  I don't have quite such a love affair with the hill...

Friday's Fave Five...

My favorite blogging time of the week has come around again... time to link up with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for another week of Friday's Fave Five.


Here are the five things I am most thankful this week...


1) my kids... I tend to repeat myself often on listing the kids and Chad as my favorite things.  It's really because they are!  This past week, my kids have been amazing.... We've been running around for 4H.  The two older kids have shown a lot of responsibility and maturity in getting their things done and done well.  


2) my friends... this is another I've repeated over the weeks of listing my favorite things.  There was a time, in the not to distant past, when I felt alone... without friends who understood me or my choices in life.  Now, I'm not only blessed with friends but with friends who are willing to walk alongside me and encourage me.  It's only because of His great mercy that I have been blessed with a wide array of friends... different ages, different walks of life, different views but all very precious to me.


3) my church... last Sunday our church had a big church picnic after the morning service.  Once again, I was moved at how God blesses me.  He heard my prayers for a home church where Chad and I could grow in our faith and our children could as well.  As He always does, He blessed above and beyond what I could have imagined.  Yesterday I spent the day with a new friend from church.  It did my heart good to hear her testimony of how our church has met her needs and the needs of her children.  


4) 4H... This time of year, I become very overwhelmed with all that 4H entails.  However, if I allow myself to take a step back and see all that 4H offers my children... I realize, anew, how much I love that my kids are involved in it.  We have an awesome 4H club with an incredible leader who takes a personal interest in each project the kids work on.  She's amazing and we are blessed to be part of 4H with her!


5)  my God... I can not list my faves each week without thanking the One who gives me blessings.  I love the way He works in my heart and in my life and I love, even more, the way he works in the hearts and lives of my children!

Friday's Fave Five...

It's Friday again... time for Friday's Fave Five with Susanne at Living To Tell The Story.


Here are my five favorite things from this week...


1) my man... seriously, he's my favorite every day.  I feel like I don't give him enough credit and enough thanks.  Yesterday I allowed my mind to get stuck on the "little things"... those things that he does that have a high probability of getting under my skin.  If I don't take those thoughts captive and surrender them at the Throne of Grace, they multiply and take over my mind and my heart.  My man is amazing and I am so blessed to journey this path with him!


2) my mom... on Wednesday, my mom took my youngest to see her Ohio cousin for a few days.  Seriously, Ellen could not sleep because of the anticipation!   Sometimes it stinks being the youngest and watching your older brother and sister go do all of the fun things that they do... I'm so thankful mom came up with a fun and special thing for Ellen to do without her siblings.


3) my kids... we are in the throws of 4H right now.  Every June is like this and every year I forget just how crazy it can get.  However, each year gets easier because the kids get older and take on more and more of the responsibility of their projects.  I love watching them use their creative talents to follow a project from start to finish... especially when they just do it and not complain!


4) Benadryl and Pepcid... I have a bee sting allergy.  It's not life threatening at this point but I do have a prescription for an epi-pen.  When my doctor gave me the script 5 years ago, he said that each time I got stung I would most likely have a stronger reaction.  So, I've lived in fear of getting stung again.... until I found out about combining Benadryl and Pepcid....


Last night I was out fixing my grape vines that were blown around by the storm and a yellow jacket brushed up against my hand and decided to let me know he was mad I was there... he stung me twice!   Thankfully Benadryl and Pepcid took care of the reaction... cheaper and easier than an epi-pen!


5) my LORD... yes, my LORD and Savior is always on my list of favorites.  And, yes, He is number one....  Today, though, I couldn't figure out how to put into words all that is stirring in my heart, so I saved this one for last.... 


My friend, Cindy, and I have a saying "How do you say thank you to the One who created it all?  There are no words!"  Seriously.. I have no words today to thank the One who knows me best and loves me unconditionally.  I have no words to thank Him for His grace, His mercy, His provisions in my life.  So, I offer Him my bruised and tattered heart... my pitiful life... my pathetic existence to be used by Him and for Him as He sees fit to glorify Himself... and I offer it again and again and again because it is all He wants...

Friday's Fave Five...Father's Day...

Once again, I'm linking up to Living To Tell The Story for Friday's Fave Five.  I'm finding my life is too full to link up to many memes but this is one that I look forward to each and every week.


In honor of Father's Day and my dad, here are my five favorite things about my dad...

1) Dad has many euphemisms ... dad-isms.  I didn't realize, until I went away to college, that many of our family's catch phrases were foreign to the rest of the world.  I assumed that everyone knew what "she goes up and down like a toilet seat" meant (for those of you who don't know... it simply means that she changes her mind a lot).


2) Dad's favorite phrase isn't a euphemism.  My Dad says "Praise the Lord!" often... really, really often.  I love it!  It doesn't matter to whom my father is speaking, if there is something worth praising God about in the conversation, he will.


3) My Dad still occasionally calls me "lamb y".  I'm so glad I haven't outgrown this!  It's not often and it may even be a slip up but I know that though I am 41, he still treasures me.  Honestly, I'm not sure how many of my friends can say that about their own father.


4) My Dad loves my man.  I think there was a time he had some serious reservations about the man I fell in love with but you would never know.  My parents decided that they would have no in-laws.  Instead, their family just grew larger and still hasn't stopped growing... the 22nd member of our family is due to arrive in December!!


5)  My Dad loves being a grandfather.  He could hardly contain himself when within 4 days in 1997 he had two grandsons!  After 11 grandchildren, he's still excited about the new one on the way (btw... in case there is some confusion... it's my sister who is blessing our family with a new little one).


6) My Dad loves people.  I've never met anyone who can put people at ease quite like my father.  Over the years, he has invested much of himself in the lives of people around him.  It won't be until he reaches Heaven that he will know the impact he has had on so many lives (yes.. I know I said "Friday's Fave FIVE" but I couldn't resist a bonus one!)


Happy Father's Day Dad!  I love you!!  

Friday's Fave Five... VBS style...

I'm a few hours early on my Friday post of my Friday's Fave Five...  I've got a few minutes tonight to do this.  Tomorrow VBS ends and I may be too wasted to think, so I thought I'd rather be a little early than too late on this post.


Here are my five favorite things from VBS this week...


1~the park where we hosted VBS... in one word... tranquil!  Absolutely beautiful wooded lot with stone cabins, outdoor ampitheatre and a great view of the lake!

2~the kids... at present count, we have had over 60 kids come to VBS this week!

3~ Silly Songs with Eric and Ridley... sometimes it's the spontaneous things that turn out to be the most memorable... the most talked about... the most fun!

4~ teaching Bible class... there is nothing that thrills my soul more than teaching kids about God from His Word.  We had a blast this week learning about the Children of Israel's exodus from Egypt.  I think the kids enjoyed the Sword Drills more than anything... (definitely not the most flattering pictures of me... but that isn't the point, is it?)

5~ there's always one... one child who steals your heart when you least expect it... one child who connects... who "gets it"....  

one child whom you hope you've made a difference in their life... or at least made their life memorable for five days...

This year... this VBS... this week... ... this is my one...

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.  

favorite quotes... Friday fave 5s

It's another Friday! Another day to post my 5 Favorites hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

The wonderful, classic, 1986 movie The Princess Bride has made another surfacing at our house. The kids are enjoying it again. I have loved, Loved, LOVED this movie since I first saw it. I know, I know... it's not the most intellectually simulating movie of all time, but it makes me laugh every single time.

I have no idea how many times I have seen this movie. It probably is well over 50 and maybe even closer to 100. I can quote much of the movie. In honor of Friday Fave Five I am posting my five favorite quotes from The Princess Bride in the manner that they are said in our home...

1) "Mostly dead" This describes deep fatigue around here and begs the question "Are you dead or just mostly dead?"

2) "My name is Indigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die" Chad starts this and it is often repeated quietly at first and then with more volume and expression until we are all laughing around here!

3) "No more rhymes I mean it! Does anybody want a peanut?" this is especially funny when it randomly comes out of the mouth of the 6 year old. As with anything in life, because we've laughed at it, it's not so random anymore...

4) "LIAR!... I'm not a witch, I'm your wife and I'm not even sure I want to be that anymore!" please, please understand this is only said at times of complete hysteria at our house!!

5) "Inconceivable!" this covers most anything at our slightly neurotic home...

Chad got a new phone and downloaded the Princess Bride ringtones and so the kids have had a blast playing them over and over and over and over and over..... again. We're all kind of warped around here!

Happy Friday! Have fun stormin' the castle!!

In honor of Mom...Friday's Fave 5

It's that time again.... Time for my favorite weekly meme hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story... Friday's Fave 5!

In honor of Mom and Mother's Day, here are my favorite five things that my mom taught me...

1) MARRIAGE IS FOR LIFE. My parents have been married for almost 44 years. They have set an incredible example for us to follow!

2) STAND BY YOUR MAN. I've seen my mom stand next to my dad in all kinds of situations and circumstances... some good, some not so good. It hasn't mattered if it was good or bad, she hasn't moved from her place at his side.

3) IT'S NOT BOOZE AND IT'S NOT WOMEN, SO STOP COMPLAINING!! I learned early on in my marriage to stop complaining about Chad to my mom. Whenever I complained about him and whatever hideous infraction I thought he had committed, my mom would say "It's not booze and it's not women, stop complaining!" Soon after she first told me that, a friend's marriage broke up over porn and infidelity and another friend discovered her husband was an alcoholic. My problems suddenly didn't seem so significant.

4) THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE YOUR CHILDREN IS TO CULTIVATE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR FATHER. Mom told me this the day my son was born. She held him in the hospital and said those very words to me. Those words, later, became the catalyst that propelled me into homeschooling.... Chad began nursing school when Eric was ready for Kindergarten. Our local school only offered all day Kindergarten. If Eric would have gone to school, he would have seen his dad every other weekend for 2 years. Mom's words rang loudly in my heart each time Eric would see his dad for an hour before Chad went to work.

5) CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES WISELY, SOME THINGS ARE NOT WORTH THE WAR! I wish I would have been smart enough to heed this warning during our first years of marriage. I'm sure some wars would have been avoided!

Thanks Mom, know that at least some of your words have made an impact! Happy Mother's Day! I love you!!

it's Friday!

It's Friday! Time for Friday's Fave Five hosted by Living to Tell the Story. Several times this week, I found myself looking forward to being able to share my five favorite things from this week. Here they are...

1) GOD ~ again and again and again God is my favorite thing in my minutes, days and weeks. This week He has been making Himself known to me... showing me how He showers me with blessings...

2) LAUGHTER ~ slowly (ever so slowly most days...) I'm learning that it is much better to laugh in the midst of life than to yell, scream, stomp my feet or throw an all out temper tantrum.

3) MY MAN ~ I have so many regrets when it comes to the first decade of our marriage. One of those is that I never appreciated my man for who he is. His gifts are WAY different than mine and therefore, I never viewed them as gifts. Instead, I saw them as annoyances. Thankfully, God has done some major heart surgery on me. This week I have sung my husbands praises to all who will listen... including telling him how amazing he is.

4) MY NEW TRUCK ~ my F150 drove out my driveway Monday evening without me. It was kind of sad. I've only felt that way about one other vehicle in my life. Usually, I don't get too attached to them. However, I really liked my red truck! I knew when we bought it that it would be a "turn over" truck. So, I got to drive it for 9 months and when we sold it, we actually made money on it. This is where my God and my husband are so amazing! God because He blesses abundantly more than I could ask or think and Chad because he knows how to do this sort of thing.

I actually told my man Monday night that I missed my truck but God must have something better in store for me. Chad laughed and said, "yeah right!" But, sure enough, Tuesday morning he called me and said "What do you think of a Yukon?"

So, my new truck is a "turn over" truck too. It's a Yukon and my kids are loving it! Don't know how long I'll drive this truck but am so thankful that God provided us with another wonderful vehicle without any loans. He is so good to us!!

5) HOMESCHOOL ~ We are almost finished with 8 years of homeschool and I doubt myself all the time! Worries, fears, failures are a daily struggle for me but I have never doubted my calling. Sometimes I feel like Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah, Daniel... men who knew they were called but often doubted their ability.

Lately, God has blessed me again by reminding me of this calling and reinforcing my faith in Him to accomplish it!

2 Corinthians 12:9

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

Another week of incredible blessings... thank you LORD!!

more Friday faves...

Last week, I joined Living To Tell The Story and posted my five favorite things from that week.


Today I am in a quiet, reflective mood. It does my heart good to slow down occasionally and reflect on the blessings in my life. Sometimes, I think I hurry through life so fast, I miss the opportunities to savor special times.


Here are my favorite things this week. Maybe next week, I'll be more prepared and have pictures to share as well...


1) NOA NOA I live in small town, middle America. However, even gems can be found in small places. We have one of the world's greatest restaurants here. Noa Noa Wood Grill and Sushi Bar is just that! Noa Noa is our favorite local date spot and Wednesday we took my parents and my cousin for a fun dinner of fish, steak and sushi. Two hours of laughing, sparring, talking and just being together. Wonderful! (I'd give you a link, if Noa Noa had a website, but they don't. Instead, just come visit and we'll take you there!)


2) SCIENCE CENTRAL A local science museum came to our homeschool cooperative yesterday. They brought bubbleology, shark dissection and LEGO robotics. The kids had a blast!! Check out www.sciencecentral.org.


3) SUSAN I had an incredible visit from my cousin this week. We've never been especially close but in the past few years, we've re-connected. She came for some R&R... not so sure how much she got in our sporadic, chaotic life! So glad she came though!!!!


3) CHAD Sixteen years ago, today, I was in a white dress waiting to walk down the aisle for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and health, for as long as I shall live. Aside from the day I accepted Jesus as my Savior, this was the greatest day of my life. I love celebrating it each year!!!!


4) QUIET DAYS I find that I recharge best when I have a few quiet days in the midst of this season of my life. Today is one of those. I've actually cancelled school today for a mental health day for the teacher. ; ) It's a blessing to just relax and enjoy my kids. I'm the type of mom that gets burned out going, going, going. If I do this a couple of times a month (I don't always cancel school), I am much nicer to live with!


5) OLDER KIDS It is SOOOO nice to have arrived at the point in our parenting journey that our children don't need a babysitter. I'm am finding this season of life so freeing! I love being able to run to the store or go for coffee with a friend without spending time figuring out what to do with the kids.


What are your favorite things this week?

my favorite 5 this week...

The longer I explore the blogging community, the more fun stuff I find. There are A LOT of incredibly gifted and creative people out there... who knew?!?

My blogging friend, Heidi, finds the best memes to join or links to follow. I've come to the conclusion that I'm just going to follow Heidi while she follows everyone else. After all, her name reveals that she is beautiful, intelligent, creative, wise and a whole lot of fun, right?!?

She found Friday's Fave Five at Living To Tell The Story. Heidi posted her five favorite things from this week and I think I will do the same (because, of course, she's Heidi...)....

Here they are in no specific order...

1) The Weather...the weather here in Northern Indiana has been absolutely beautiful! Yesterday, the temp was in the mid 80s and we had a wonderful picnic with our homeschool cooperative at the park.

2) My Lilac bush... my favorite lilac bush is blooming again! Ellen looked out of the window this morning and asked "Mom, where did those flowers come from? They weren't there yesterday!" I love it!! It blooms deep purple double lilacs and they are beautiful!! There was a time I thought I had lost this tree forever. Fifteen years ago, my darling soulmate decided to "trim" the lilac bush. Seriously, I yelled, screamed and cried for days. Apparently, he and I have differing views of the term "trim". Know what, though? He was right. Every year after that, this bush has been absolutely beautiful and it has grown into a gorgeous rounded bush that blooms abundantly. Hmmm... I think there may be a spiritual lesson here... analogy, anyone?

3) My friends... God has blessed me with incredible friendships. Each day this week, I have spent either time with or on the phone with different friends who have all encouraged me in my daily walk with our Savior. There was a time where God did to me what Chad did to our lilac bush, He "trimmed" me, including removing most of my friendships. Again, I yelled, screamed and cried for days. However, He reminded me again today (7 years later) how much more beautiful and abundant my friendships are now. Thanks LORD! (I warned you that a spiritual analogy was coming...)

4) My children... After being away from our kids last week for some much needed Mommy and Daddy time, I have so enjoyed the time with them this week. I truly missed them while they were with their cousins and it's been a blast hearing all of their "stories" this week. I've come to the conclusion that my sister is a saint for taking on 8 children for 5 days. (I've also begun praying for myself because I have the pleasure of returning the favor in a 5 weeks).

5) My God... Actually, this should have been #1 and should always be #1. However, often I put God off in my "busyness". I'm so thankful that He woes me back, time and time and time again. This week has been that. I feel like I'm rediscovering Him and it feels so nice.

What are your five faves this week?