A Quiet but Glorious Time

I was surprised I awoke at 3:36am! I looked at the clock, jumped out of bed, hurrying to catch the lunar eclipse. I had to run out front to the west and there was the shadowy moon. I thought it would be a black dot with the bright aura around it kind of thing. But it wasn't. Did I miss it? Then I got my big mama camera and looking through the lens, it looked perfect. And NOTHING showed up on the viewer. How disappointing. I kept trying. Drank some water, moped around not knowing if I should wake up the smart hubby or not. Then it occurred to me (don't have to hit me over the head with a lunar eclipse twice) that this is precious, uninterrupted time I could be spending with my Savior. Maybe He woke me up! Mmmm....

Gradually, ever so subtly, the brightest sliver of sun started showing again on the upper left corner of the moon. What an awesome sight. I had forgotten how bright it had been at 9pm when I took that other shot. It was glorious to watch. It is now after 5am and the eclipse is almost complete.

Thank You Father for meeting me here. For showing me Your majestic wonders, for listening to my heart and being so patient with me. I am grateful for Your speaking to me in whispers.
It teaches me to have a quiet heart and ears to hear.

"The quieter one's life, the more conducive it is to holiness" Elisabeth Elliot

Be encouraged and refreshed here: Beside Still Waters
Lula's Hardt

Lunar Eclipse Night

9:15pm in Arizona

I'm pretty sure, well kind of sure, almost sure, I won't be awake at 3:37am when the Earth passes between the sun and moon. I have my Nikon D2H with its 200mm lens and 1.7X extender on its tripod to get the shot. In case I'm not up, how about this lovely picture? What a clear, gorgeous night. What an amazing God that put the stars and planets in their orbits for us to enjoy. And our Earth is just a speck in the universe. That God would condescend to become man on our speck, is unimaginable, inconceivable, indescribable! You are amazing God!

What am I Feeding Them?

I have felt the conscience prickle that I get each new school year. How can we live in Scottsdale and guard our children's hearts? What appetites are we encouraging in our children that may not be fulfilled with their future spouse and may cause stress in that relationship? What appetites are they developing that will draw them from what God has called them to? What I mean by appetites are the things of this world. Things that are easy to dwell on and pull our heart from our one True Love. Anything can do that, of course it's sin. But so insidious today. We don't think of sports as a sin appetite, until we are completely obsessed with it that we can't get enough and eat and breathe it all day and have to attend this or that event or sit in front of the boob tube indefinitely. We don't think of outdoor sports that way either, unless we have to get a loan to feed our need for thrills on land and sea. And vacations can be to feed the lust of self instead of being a healthy respite with the family. What am I setting my kids up for as adults?

We head to Hawaii with Derrick's family this week.(hopefully I can get the laundry done today at my mom's!) I am not feeling one bit guilty, we have been home all summer, saving money and reading and talking about the beautiful paradise God has created within our own United States. The kids have never been there and we have been there as a couple twice. I have always wanted them to come back with us and I am so grateful.

When we come home, we will start school. So while we are there, I will find a relaxing chair on the beach or by the pool, to think and pray about a new year with these 5 blessings. We are in a co-op for the first time so it's hard to know what else we can do at home. I am convicted to do Family Time all together after breakfast like we used to do. Derrick prefers the morning for Family worship because he is so tired at the end of the day when we used to have it. But the kids and I will extend that Family time to include discussion of what we're reading and such. In previous years, that has been their favorite part of the day. Unless we are sitting down, talking and looking at each other, you really can't see into your children's hearts. You can see so much in their eyes and body language. I have been remiss in that. I read on a friend's blog, who has gone before me, that she notices she has let her kids read good books but not great books. I hear you! Our Sonlight curriculum from last year really did provide some great books. What about this year? I am excited about their classes in the co-op: Economics, Literature, Short story writing and poetry, Screenwriting, Worldview, Bible and Science. And the women who are teaching are amazing. But I have the responsibility of my kids' hearts. I can't forget that.

Garment Overload

I shall not be dismayed.

Yea though my washer has joined the ranks of the broken down..I shall not be dismayed.

Yea though it is only 2 years old and it's clogged before, I shall not be dismayed.

Yea though we leave for a week's vacation and have 7 people's laundry to do, I shall not be dismayed!

Yea though my husband can fix ANYTHING and has to wait a week for the part, I shall not be dismayed!

Yea though I chose to wash an old rug that came apart, I shall not be dismayed.

Yea though the kids were blamed, well, you get the idea.

Cuisine d'Emma

Emma making lemon bars and perfecting her own smoothie recipe. Ask her about it on her blog! emmabeatrix.blogspot.com

Braggin' on my Brother/ Pike's Peak Marathon

Someone has to brag about my brother. I know his wife and kids are proud too, but I am so amazed that he ran the Pike's Peak Marathon in Colorado Springs for the first time at age 44! Even more amazing is that a few years ago, he had a broken neck. He has always been in good shape, so those neck muscles kept it from being much worse! And God's hand on him as well.

The marathon was August 19 and there were a whoppin' 800 runners!!! He finished 242nd place and with a time of 6 hours and 46 minutes. Amazing! And we're talking 14,110 feet above sea level, running up the peak, then back down. How's that for working those knees? I don't know the elevation in Bend Oregon where he lives, but I think it's close to sea level.

Congratulations little bro!

Sitter Needed for Hollie

Our sweet 3 year old yellow lab needs some lovin'. It costs $250 to board her for a week! Does anybody have a dog that needs a playmate (she's fixed by the way) for their dog or their kids for a week? Or a month? There is cash involved, but we are trying to save money!! We are gone a week and then later we are gone a month. Her name is Hollie but I have affectionately called her DD. Those who know me can figure that one out! She is house broken of course, doesn't chew things up anymore and she's so sweet with kids. Very easy dog.

Any Dentist would be Proud

And so would any Mom. Perfect teeth. No work to do, Dex is just waiting on a molar. Braces done for Alex, pallet spreader done for Dex, wisdom teeth gone for Alex. I am so grateful! Now they just have to take care of them! Whew, 2 down, 3 to go.

Here's Why I Home School

I'm having another day to myself! Oh what to do! The dog is going a little crazy with no kids to keep her busy. But wait, she's found a friend outside. I checked, there's no rattle on the end to scare her off, the nitwit. I was throwing a ball (the dog thought it was for her) and rocks (she didn't chase those but the lawn Mower won't appreciate it) and still this reptile just kept slithering along.

Now it's in the pool area!!

So much for that afternoon dip. For me, that is.

Maybe I should paint the ugly pool fence? (see photo)

So why do I home school again?

a) the kids keep the dog happy
b) the kids keep wild animals away
c) the kids can learn about said wild animals and dog
d) all of the above

That's right, D!

Home Alone

What a treat! What do I do first? Dishes, forget that. Laundry, no that can wait, the kids do their own, it's mine that needs to be done. Scrapbooking, oh yeah. As much as I love scrapbooking with my 3 daughters, I never seem to get much done of my own. I realized, it is relaxing for me, my creative outlet. Decorating the house has taken a back seat to it. In the picture, that is 2004, I'm a bit behind. But I like to do "trips" and put those in. It's the every day life stuff I'm behind in. Oh, how that echoes my life.

So it's just me, the Sense and Sensibility sound track, coffee, paper and glue. How simple is that?

Later... okay, it was only a few hours, maybe a taste of Tuesday!! The kids have Tuten Tuesday at the in-laws. Is it bad that I look forward to that?? Sometimes just 2 go, maybe this week they can all go....

Fun with the Bubar Boys.. and Mom

Squirt guns, dart guns, velcro guns, swords, pirates

Driving John Deere

Motor boat, motor boat

Bloody hands and faces (from eating raspberries)

and Jimmy Neutron

It was a fun day.... oh yeah, and we moms even got to talk!!!

Drying Tears

Dobson says that moms have their little guys until they're 6. That's the 31st for Jefferson. So I get to keep drying his tears, as long as he lets me.