Getting the Mail

We cannot even get mail in a normal way.



But they are just adorable...



Aren't they?



Yep. I thought so.

County Fair, in Whoville, KY

I must go on record as saying that we LOVE our little town. It is small... everyone knows everyone, and they all love children.

Last week was the annual county fair. On August 1st they had a free youth day, where the children could go and run races, and win prizes for first, second, and third. There was no entrance fee, and the children could just have a grand time. It was hot (especially for a woman in her third trimester), but a thoroughly enjoyable morning.

Here Nathan joined the girls race. He was happy as a clam until we stopped him, then he was too embarrassed to join his own race.



The competition is intense....



Good friends having fun...



The three littler ones...



Listening to instructions...



Good job, Nate.



Some more competition...



We learned that the homeschoolers definitely don't know how to aim a baseball...



Yep... him neither...



And I love these of Nathan and the sack race... I do not have permission from the other little guys parents to post this, so if anyone local knows who this is, please let me know so I can get their permission or pull these photos off. They are just adorable, though. I love how much these boys enjoyed themselves.







So that is Youth Day in Whoville... next year come join us!

Conviction and the Simple Life

I have a point to today's post, but I will need to set the stage for all of you.
There are these two ladies in our church who are sisters. They live in a trailer by themselves, since their father has passed away. Their mother (and brother, I think) is in the local nursing home suffering through Alzheimers. These wonderfully sweet women take turns going to the nursing home each day and sitting with their mother and caring for her. They don't drive, so people take care of getting them to and from the nursing home each day, and to stores when they need to shop.

A couple years ago, we all went out to eat, and I jokingly asked them what would happen if one of them got married... and they said something to the effect of the fact that they had the perfect life, and why spoil it with a man.

Now, many people looking at them would disagree with their having the perfect life. But they convict me almost every time I spend time with them. Their love and service to their mother, and their contentment with their lives is a beautiful thing to behold.

So last night we were going out to dinner. We were passing through a part of the road where they are building a new bypass of our town. No one knows exactly why, but maybe the ONE light in town holds up traffic too much. Either way, one of them said, "I guess there was some extra money they didn't know what to do with, so they decided to build the new road."

I jokingly commented that if they didn't know how to spend all the money, they could give some to us. I'd know how to spend it. Then I asked, "How about you all? Could you all figure out how to spend some money?" I was thinking how I could drop a couple hundred thousand and spend it in a flash. Although I didn't say that.

They responded... "We have everything we could want. Except a cure for Alzheimers. "

Oh to be so content in my life. They truly are the pure in heart, and I am sure they will see God. We could all learn a lot by having their simple life.

Just a Quick Hello

I only have a moment... lots to do around here!

- I am heading out today with Angela and a friend of hers to a Bright Lights Radiant Purity conference. These are so wonderful!!! I got back late Wednesday night from taking Emma and Anna to theirs... it was titled Strong in the Lord. The group's mission is to encourage girls to live as Bright Lights for the Lord... strong in their youth. It was wonderful. Topics included Honoring Your Parents, Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends, etc. I highly encourage anyone who can attend one of these conferences to go. And I will be starting a Bright Lights Group (Bible Study) for girls ages 8+ in January.

- Came home to yesterday... had a manageable amount of work to do on my one day home between now and Tuesday, and we went out to the garden. Seems it's been busy while we have. We got a 5 gallon bucket of beans, 5 5 gallon buckets of tomatoes, some green peppers, jalapenos, and banana peppers, cilantro and basil, and 7 cantaloupes and 4 watermelons!!! What a dream come true! I crave cantaloupe and watermelon this pregnancy, so it is delightful... Although it definitely changed my plans for the day. We made a bunch of salsa, and a pot full of spaghetti before running out of time. Still have two buckets of tomatoes, but that will just have to be fine.

And- although it is producing prolifically, the garden is an overgrown weed patch. I have photos to prove it. Just not the time to post them this morning. It's a little hard to weed at 33 weeks pregnant.

- Our church has been working with the fair board to provide the carnival that canceled on them last week. So last night Eric and the three oldest children went to help out there. While at the fair, Eric got a call that the pilot on duty had a family emergency and needed to leave for the night, and would not be back until at least Sunday. So Eric came home at 11, dropped the kids off, then went to work. I sure hope he can find someone to cover the shifts for tonight and tomorrow since I will be gone!!!

- Bible Bee memorization trudges on. Only two of the kids are continuing to make a real effort to memorize all the verses, the others chose to start school and just work on Category 1 verses. We'll just keep plugging along. I am so thrilled by the amounts of Bible they all HAVE learned... we'll just keep on going this way. I figure to keep using these verses for our memory work during the school year.

- Sara has taken off on reading since her "Reading Party"- she has read over 2 months of her school reading in about 4 school days. It is so fun to see her excited! Nathan is even motivated since he wants his own party... he's starting to sound out letters (no words yet- he'll get there!) all on his own too.

- Mercy is wonderful. The hemangioma continues to regress. It is getting lighter and lighter, and smaller and smaller. More importantly- she has ENERGY! Enough to fight over toys with Nathan (a mixed blessing, to be sure...), and to run and play all day. It is a treasured time... one I don't take for granted. I think when you have to work so hard for a child's health, and worry and pray so much for her, that there is just some sort of special bond which develops. Either way- she looks and feels great.

That's about all I can remember right now... I know there have been other things since we have been running all day long every day- but for right now I will sign off and get ready for my fun couple days with some wonderful young women! Have a great day.

If I Could Freeze Time...

If I could freeze time...

 

I would freeze this little girl right where she is...

 

And keep her 2 forever...

 

Isn't she just the sweetest thing?

 

Emma's 8!

 

Our Joybird is 8... hard to believe. But it is true.

 

She is a wonderful mix of free spirit and tenderness.

 

Her main interests are playing and webkins. She is artistic... and wants to be a horse rider when she grows up. She likes Math and doesn't like to read.

 

And, as you can see, she has lost her front teeth. We know what will be on her Christmas list.

Sara's 6th Birthday Celebration

Last week was Sara's Birthday. It's hard to believe our little sunbeam of sweetness is that old. However, she insists she really is 6. And she refused to stay 5 even if we gave her the presents just didn't have her turn to another age. Bummer.

Sorry for the poor quality of a couple of these photos, but... here she is making her cake (Really- she wanted to do it by herself!)... wearing her new apron from Oma. Thanks, Oma!



And with one of her new dresses I found at a consignment store with Uncle Laurie and Aunt Marian's money. Thanks, guys! She looks adorable.



~~~~~~~~~~

I don't have any photos of it, but on Monday Sara and I got to go out for her "reading party" and to spend the birthday money Grama and Grampa Ott sent her. I decided after reading another blog that each of my children should have a reading party when they can independently read Dr. Seuss level books. We went to Barnes and Noble, picked out a couple other books she could read, and got her a drink and a cookie.

She also had her first trip to Toys R Us to spend her money on princess things and another book for her Tag reader she got for her birthday. All in all it was a fun week of celebrating for her... she claims that it was more fun to go on her reading party than to go with Mercy and me to Cincinnati for doctor appointments. Truer words may have never been said.