Christmas has come... never mind Thanksgiving!

Everybody's doing it...

I guess since everyone seems to be using the blog templates on this site I might as well join in!  I'm like that you know.  ha ha ha.  Yes, I'm feeling much better- well, good enough to be playing around on this computer late into the evening.  I know I'll regret that tomorrow.  Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement.  Either this penicillin is really kicking in or maybe it's the coffee that I had today for the first time in THREE WHOLE DAYS!  (I had terrible headaches and if I ever wanted to kick the addiction it would be now... but that was a big IF I ever wanted to!)

a long day contd...

second night in a row of no sleep.
throat hurts too bad to swallow.
just found out it's strep.
day 2 of corn dogs and juice boxes.

A long day

I've spent the day on the couch.  Last night I started getting a terrible headache and soar throat and then spent the rest of the night with a fever and chills and upset stomach.  It continued through the day today.  This is kind of ironic because I was just talking to a friend yesterday and saying how happy I was not to have gotten a bad cold yet this year.  Last week I had the starting of a cold and it only lasted for a few days!  This evening I am feeling a little better.  It's not killing my head to look at the computer screen.  

I'm not sure how Kate and Ella took care of themselves today, but I guess they managed somehow!  I put way too many movies ("foovies" as Kate calls them) on for them and kind of passed out in between episodes of Little Einstein's, Letter Leapfrog DVD, and whatever else they watched.  PLEASE tell me you've all had days like this!  I was beginning to feel a little guilty when I saw Kate after her nap carrying around a cold half-eaten corn dog that she found on the table from hours ago!  Poor kid.  She won't remember this, right?  Ella said a very sweet prayer for me tonight before bed.  "Dear God, please help all mommy's hurts to go away so she can read the princess story to me when I wake up."  

Jason had such a long day.  I kept him awake a lot last night and then his day started at 7:00 and didn't end until 9:00.  He made 3 trips back and forth from home and church today (about 2 hours driving time).  Jason brought Jonas home from school at 3:00 and then had to go straight back for 3:30 basketball practice, but before he left he gave me a $20 and said, order Jimmy John's.  He's such a good man!  

Super-hero's come in all different shapes and forms, right?  Well, tonight when the Jimmy John's guys showed up at the door with our food, I think he was concealing a cape and boots!  Yes, I took a picture of the poor guy.  I let him know that I was deranged and a very sick person with 3 little children who were going to starve and possible hurt themselves had he not arrived with our food!  

It's been a long 24 hours...

"our" dog

This is our neighbor's dog, Lady.  She's such a great dog and they are WONDERFUL neighbors. We're very thankful for them!  The kids look for Lady everyday and run along the fence that separates our yards with Lady chasing them.  It's always fun to watch.

everyday girliness

Trick or Treat!

dressed and ready to go

They look thrilled, don't they?  I don't think they really knew what to expect.  They thought we were going to go talk to the neighbors and show them our dress-up clothes!  

Painting Pumpkins

Raking leaves

Today was a beautiful day!  I'm not sure how many more days like today we'll have here.  The kids and I spent much of the afternoon raking and bagging leaves.  It was fun!  I love the trees in our neighborhood, but there are TONS of leaves.  This was the second time raking and we aren't even halfway done.

The girls just ran around but Jonas was actually pretty good help.

  My tree huggers

This is the grandaddy of all trees in our yard.

There's still a lot of work to do!  We haven't even touched the backyard.

Pray for their salvation

At times I get discouraged when my kids are not gentle, gracious, kind, loving, meek, tender-hearted, Spirit filled little people.  Instead of being so frustrated about my kids not having the fruits of the Spirit produced in their lives or having outstanding character qualities of honesty and integrity I should be working on their salvation!  Through faith we are saved and through faith we are sanctified (Gal 6).  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  This is not excusing wrong behavior!  Immediate obedience with the right attitude is what we are working on all day (at times a monotonous, grueling task) but be in prayer for salvation of the souls we shepherd!

I've been convicted lately about praying more specifically and more often for the salvation of my children and their growth in grace.  Psalm 63:8 -a passion for God  "Lord, please instill in my children a soul that followeth hard after thee, a heart that clings passionately to you."

Isaiah 45:8 , II Tim 2:10- salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory"

II Peter 3:18- growth in grace "I pray that they may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"