Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful day! I hope everyone else did, too.
Our family has several traditions I did not mention in an earlier post.We permit the children to open whatever gifts they have on Christmas Eve. There is too much going on Christmas morning. We all swap names and shop or make something just for that person. On Christmas morning, we have blueberry pancakes, and bacon or sausage. ( I wonder if our northern friends made donuts today, as they usually do?)Then, we go to my Uncle and Aunts' house to eat.
The Lord did provide us with a white Christmas. I guess we got 2-3 ". It's also very bitter and windy.
This also kept some of our older family members at home. A few are sick,too. Of course, the children have been playing in it as much as possible.
Red and Farmerboy have upcoming birthdays. Time sure flies by.
Remember Jesus!

Luke 1-10 Hark the Herald Angels Sing

God's graciousness

Well, yesterday was a year since the fire. I have been dreading the arrival of that day, but you know what? It wasn't too bad. A friend from church asked me last night how things were going emotionally. I was a little surprised anyone remembered, but grateful. I know at least 2 people knew about it, and must have been praying for us. I know that God heard and answered those prayers. He has been so faithful to us. We could not have made it through the last year without His presence, comfort, and provision. Praise His name!
Christmas plans are finalized. This week will be busy, as was last week. We have some special things for just our immediate family, and a day for the extended family.
Yesterday, Farmerboy, Gypsygirl,Ms.Petite,Lionheart, Bell, and I went caroling with our church family. It was fun.
We missed the caroling with our friends up north, but it couldn't be helped :(.I guess you just can't do everything.
I have also been making trips to the dentist. 2 children had teeth that needed immediate attention. So, I guess I'll be shuttling them to and fro for a few weeks.
It may snow here w/in the next few days. It would sure be fun to have a white Christmas.
Have a blessed day!
1 Peter 1-2 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Great News

We got some great news on Friday. 'da Dad will be a bank employee as of Jan.1! We were all pretty excited. He was hired there originally through a temp service, so it's nice to have a little more sense of permanence (whatever that means these days).
The men in our family worked on the ceiling upstairs again. I believe it is completely prepped for hanging the material, so maybe we can get that done this or next week.
We have had some enjoyable times so far this season. A couple of parties and this week we will hopefully be able to go caroling twice. I am really looking forward to this, b/c we all love to sing. This is some of my favorite music.
This is how we remember our Savior's birth. (We do not believe He was born this day, we know the day is pagan in origin,but His birth was major b/c it fulfills prophecy.) We read scriptures foretelling HIs coming and the fulfillment in the NT. We want our children to know from the word that Jesus really was the Messiah.No one has control over where they were born, to whom, etc,UNLESS they are God:). We use symbols to help them remember the scriptures. This is done as our evening Bible reading. We have also used advent coloring books found on the internet that use scriptures and pictures for the younger children.
You can google Jesse Tree and Advent to help you pull up ideas if you are interested.
We also go looking at Christmas lights on houses one eveining and then have icecream afterwards, kind of a family tradition.
We have decided not to retain certain traditions b/c they don't seem to be readily identifiable with Christ, but we don't reject remembering His birth. Some people are more open to the Truth during this season, so we want to be a witness for HIm.
If He wasn't born the way He was born, He could not die for us. His word is reliable, from start to finish.

Hebrews 1 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Normal

Wow! It has decided to be December here in the heartland! Today the high is supposed to be 19. It is currently 15, with the windchill making it feel like -2. It is forecasted that the overnight temperature will be 5. It seems like the weather this year is about a month ahead of schedule. These are usual conditions for January.
This weather pattern started back in September, rainier and cooler. We had hoped to move home and work on the house in October, as they tend to be fairly mild here. Not this year, it was actually colder in October at times than November. So, we are behind where we had hoped to be on the house. (I know our WYO friends are going to read this and laugh, but remember-it's all about perspective!)
We have bought pvc pipe for the house, but we may be taking that back in exchange for pex pipe. We are to the point where we can put water in, but the pvc glue will not work in these temperatures. So, in order to move forward we will probably have to go with plan b. I think our contractor friend prefers it that way anyway :).
Yesterday, I was working with the children on schoolwork, and I realized we were having a routine day. This is huge for me. I never thought life would get "normal" again. What a blessing.
I deep cleaned the bathroom and dejunked under the sink yesterday. Today, I am going to do the same in the hallway/laundry area.
My arch nemesis in this house is the kitchen (the livingroom is a close second). It always seems cluttered, because it is. There is a lot of stuff that comes with cooking and feeding a family of 10. (I just feel so blessed as I write this, God has been so good to us. We have a houseful of wonderful children!)I guess I'll start working on that 15 minutes at a time, like flylady says.
I think my next post will be about how we handle Christmas at our house, in case anyone is interested.
Life is picking up for our family, on the ministry front. The church we are attending conducts an Upward basketball league. I was very skeptical about this for years, but after having Lionheart play last year, I'm convinced God is in it. God is really given the glory and the whole point of it is to reach people for Christ with testimonies and the love of Christ lived out by coaches, and support people. Anyway, most of our family will be involved in one way or another. So, our focus will be changing from house to ministry for a few months. That's okey, b/c a house is temporary but souls are eternal. God will make sure that house gets finished in His timing and His way.
Just praisng Jesus today and thanking Him for HIs faithfulness!
I just finished reading "Pathway to Christian Marriage" by John W. Thompson. This is an excellent booklet on Christian courtship and is available free from Chapel Library. Thier address is 2603 W. Wright Street, Pensacola, Fl 32505. Their web address is:www.mountzion.org. They are somewhat Calvinist (I think) in some of their materials (we are not),but a lot of their literature is good. We are using their "Catechism for Boys and Girls" by Erroll Hulse during Bible time in school. I have not come across anything yet that we do not agree with, but if I do, it will be a great time to deal with that from the scripture. No, catechisms are not necessarily catholic. It is simply a series of question regarding life( why did God create man, how many person does God exist as, how are we saved, etc) with scriptural proofs and answers. Basically, it's the teaching of doctrine in a systematic way. I hope that helps explain, if not, leave a comment and I'll try to answer.
Have a blessed day!

Psalm 1 I Need the Every Hour

Project completed and Meanderings

Last weekend we finally finished the electrical work (wooohooo!!!)
Now, we can move on to putting up the ceiling upstairs so we can insulate.
Ms. Petite played in a tournament Friday and Saturday. Their team placed 3rd overall.
Farmerboy and Gypsygirl have made awesome progress on their ponies. He says his is basically broke. It will be really nice for them ( and maybe some others....) to be able to ride once we get moved.
Our family is going to be able to host Thanksgiving dinner. The church fellowship hall was available, so we will be having it there. There is a lot more space there. I am so excited.
It is sort of a dreary day outside. It has been raining and it looks cold. I haven't been out yet. I guess I can ask Gypsygirl, she feeds the bunnies every morning.
I am determined to have sunshine in our home, though. That makes me think of a song "Sunlight in My Soul". I wonder, does anyone but me remember that one? It's out of a 1950's edition of the Broadman Hymnal. I do love so many of the old hymns. This one says " when Jesus Christ came in , and saved my soul from sin, I have sunshine in my soul today." Wish I could remember the rest.
I am so thankful to God for all He has done for us. I could make out a laundry list here, but I won't.
I will just leave it to this: I am so thankful that He is who He says He is, He loves me even though I am what I am (sinful), and wants to be a Father and friend to me. I am also grateful that He wants that for everyone He created. Isn't God good?
I was thinking of how the last year has been for me. There have been times when I thought I would go crazy or just wished I could die, b/c it was too hard. In this time, God has shown me that
2 of the keys to sanity are gratitude and contentment. These 2 are inseperable. You cannot be grateful and not earn some contentment to go along with it. Over the past year, I have been grateful for breathing, getting up in the morning, the children's smiles, etc. Of course there have been big things ,too. I have all of my family, lots of people to love me, a new church home, continuing to homeschool, and so on. But learning to be grateful for house that's is not as large as our original one and other things that are not to our preference, that is the real test. When I want to complain or feel grumpy, I stop and ask myself, "How could this be worse?" There has never been a time I could not think of some worse thing, so I am always able to be thankful. Praise the Lord! His command to be content whatever our circumstances has been such a blessing to me.
Psalm 118

HOPE

A lot has happened since the last time I blogged.
My brothers step daughter was murdered. Please pray for God to be real to the family and a source of comfort for them.
(pulling out soap box...) I am tired of hearing stories about young people dieing, killing themselves, using drugs, alcohol, sex, etc to blunt their pain. They have been told that they are just animals (evolution) and that there is no God (humanism, atheism-also linked to evolution). What is there to hope for, if this wretched life is all there is? I could not hope. I believe this is what is happening to our youth.
When the house burned down, I was able to turn to the comfort of a Father who loves me. If I didn't have hope that He was looking out for my LONG TERM good , I think I would have just given up. Maybe killed myself, I don't know. Life without Jesus is not worth living to me. He is my hope.
Titus 2 (the whole-NKJV)
"But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:that the older men be sober, reverent,temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women like wise,that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers,not given to much wine,teachers of good things-that they admonish the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children,to be discreet, chaste, homemakers,good, obedient to their own husbands,that the word of God may be not blasphemed. Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,in all thing showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity,reverence,incorruptibility, sound speech
that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering,but showing all good fidelity,that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you."(emphasis mine)
How different would our world, and your (mine) life be if we really believed, lived, and shared these things with those hurting around us?


Ok, now for the house.............
All that is left on electrical are 7 light fixtures, 4 outlets, and the water heater (which can't be connected until the water is on). The wiring is all in place, so it's just a matter of installation. We put up some ceiling in the upstairs hallway. It's actually beginning to feel like a house on the inside! Soon we should be finishing the ceiling. Then we can blow the attic insulation in.

As for our "regular" life............
We aren't really decided about polans for Thanksgiving. We have had several offers, but this is usually our "home" holiday. We'll just have to see.
Farmer boy and Lionheart are helping our next door neighbor from up home move. We will sure miss him.
Over the weekend Farmerboy also went deer hunting. He helped a friend get a nice 8 pt buck. They will be sharing the meat. Yay!
Ms. Petite is playing on a traveling basketball team with other homeschooled girls from church. She seems to be enjoying it.
Gypsygirl and Farmerboy have been able to ride their ponies some. We do need to try to get more tack, though.
'da Dad's job is going well. No slow down there, b/c everybody is refinancing their homes and all those loans must be reviewed.....
The littles are doing well.Some days are tough, when it's raining and they have to stay indoors.
I am doing alright. I have good days and bad days. God has been so good.
A couple of days ago, I was having a pity party, when I drove by a church that was burned (arson)
a few days after our house went. They haven't even torn down anything to begin their rebuild. It could be worse. At least I can see the relief to come!
James 1 I Need Thee Every Hour

Progress

The last 2 weekends I have stayed at home. The first week it was b/c some of the little girls were sick. This past week it was partially that, but mostly b/c I hurt my back. I am doing much better, but I would have been no help working on the house.
Everyone else got a lot done. Yay for them! I am so grateful to have children who step up when they are needed.
The wiring is nearly finished. Yay!
Several weeks ago we purchased the insulation for the attic. Now that the electric is finished up there, we can put the upstairs ceiling in and insulate. There was a lot of prep work to do for this step. Someone offered us a huge stack of painted, tempered masonite. We decided to use it for the ceiling upstairs. (We did this with the old house, too, only it wasn't prepainted :)So, the older children spent most of their time ripping down 2x4's and pre-drilling holes. It is now finished (the prep work). I'm so excited to see this done!
Next will come the water lines. I'm really happy about that. It goes so much faster than electricity.
The challenge I posted about last time was eye opening. I hope you all will try it sometime. Also, I would suggest that you ask your older children if they see Jesus in you. Then, really listen, and do it with a humble heart, especially if your children are brethern in the Lord.
Life is going well. We have had a lot of rainy days. That always makes this house seem smaller, and tempers are shorter. Mine included. I just keep trying to encourage them (and myself) that our situation is not permanent. We sure will appreciate that new house!
Thanksgiving is coming up. It is my favorite holiday. No commercialization. Just family, enjoying each other and good food, and (hopefully) being grateful to the God who made it all possible.
I need to go set down with the children and start school.
Have a blessed day!
the mama
Ephesians 1-3 Great is Thy Faithfulness

Challenge

Yesterday our pastor was talking about young people (18-20ish) leaving the church. He believes it is because they don't see anything real in the "christians" around them, even their parents. So, he proposed that we all document how we spend our time the next week, to see if there was enough evidence to convince a young person that we were really disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ. His premise was to pretend we had an 18 yo hot on our heals, looking for proof this Jesus "stuff" is real. So, I issue you the same challenge. Comments would be interesting.
Saturday, we put face plates on outlets and put switches in,etc., downstairs. We can now actually turn on some lights. I received a gift this weekend that should speed up progress. Praise God!
Last weekend the men went camping and we girls stayed up late watching the 6 hour (yes!) Pride and Prejudice. We enjoyed other girl activities. I did miss the guys, but I think both we and they enjoyed extra space. It was nice to not be piled all over each other.
Moving home will be so nice!
Another thing about yesterday that I forgot to mention was the life chain. It is a silent demonstration reminding people of the tragedy of abortion. I stayed home with the little people. Our 5 yo asked me why people kill babies. The Lord used this opportunity to show her how evil came into the world. I opened the scripture to Genesis 3,verses 1-7. The thing that I wanted to make clear was that people were responsible for the knowledge of evil in this world. Eve and then Adam,made a choice to believe satan rather than God (see Ch.2 of Genesis). Up to that time, they had only known good.
To shorten this up, people still want their own way,not God's.
We live in a fallen world. This is why bad things happen, even to good people. People have a choice,they can serve God through Jesus, or they can purposely,or by default, serve satan (also known as doing it your own way). There is no middle ground. More on that later. The truth is, man is responsible for the presence of sin (bad things, evil) not God.
Have a blessed day,
the mamma

Romans 1-3 I Will Call Upon the Lord

Not Much

We have worked on the house since the last time I posted. 'da Dad improved the water situation and completed more of the electrical wiring. Some brothers came from church and almost finished siding 2 walls of the house. Hoping to get more done this weekend.
We have been busy. Just life, but a rich and full one.
I need to get back to packing. We are moving eventually:).
Jesus died for you. Have you trusted Him?

Acts 12 I Need Thee Every Hour

Work

Last weekend we got an access point for water fixed up. Now, we no longer have to hook up hoses at the neighbor's place. Thanks Richard and David.
We also started working on the upstairs wiring.
Last Friday was Lionheart's birthday. There are now officially 4 teenagers in our family. It sure makes life interesting ;).
In a few weeks some men from church are planning to work on siding more. This is very nice, because it frees us up to do other work. I really appreciate all the help we have received. We could never have done this by ourselves. Thank you, Jesus.
Someone mentioned to me the other day, that we had a daunting task ahead of us (finishing the house). I just listened. It is very overwhelming if I think of it as a whole. But, if I take it project by project, it's doable.
The Lord is really working on the unbelief in my life. Sunday morning was a particularly hard day for me. My focus was all wrong. I was looking at all that we still need to do and buy,etc......Then, the Holy Spirit just impressed upon me that a God who couldn't be trusted for a little thing like a house, couldn't be trusted with my eternity either. That'll get you straightened out fast. I'm just going to trust Him. Period.


Acts 12-14 I Need Thee Every Hour

Tired and Happy

That's what we are.
We had a full weekend. Friday night most of us went to a baseball game with friends from church. It was pretty fun. 'da Dad's team won, so he was very happy.
Saturday we went to a homeschool music festival. It lasted all day. We enjoyed the company of our "home" friends.
Sunday was the Lord's day. I spent most of my morning working on training her to sit quietly. This work will really pay off later, then I should be able to actually sit through the service. After church we had a meal and played games with a couple other families.
Today (Monday and also Labor Day) we worked on the house. More electrical. Ms. Petite and Gypsygirl removed the hardware from some drawers and cabinet doors we are refurbishing for the kitchen. The girls and I are planning to paint them country red.
So, we are tired,happy, and grateful.
May each one of you find peace through Jesus, joy in every good and perfect gift from Our heavenly Father above, and comfort through the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1 Amazing Grace

Getting Real

A couple of weeks ago I was reading a favorite blog, and the writer stated that she was worried about another blogging friend. The lady had just had a baby (by c-section) and it seemed like she felt like she needed to jump back in and start doing all the tings she was doing before (baking homemade bread, fermenting veggies,etc...). The blogger writing was concerned that sometimes we only share the "good", so people think we are always in control. I do have a tendency to only tell certain things, but it is more to protect my family or myself. Having said that, I will share a few things today.
There are so many areas of my life that have changed in the last year. I loathe change.I'm still struggling to make adjustments.One of the hardest things for me right now is church. I know we are where God wants us. I miss our old church family. I am trying to learn to know people, but it just takes time. Sometimes, I feel very lonely and out of place. The folks there are as nice as can be, I think it's just me.
Also, our oldest is going to be 18 in January. There's a lot we need to do for him. Where did the time go. I guess when they get this age, you see every mistake you've made as a parent. I have made many. God help us.
As you know, we were hoping to be moved by 'da Dad's birthday/our anniversary. Those days are now passed. I am surprised that doesn't bother me more than it does. I really do not want to be living here come winter. We are paying more in just utilities, living here. This does not include the extra gasoline for him driving 2x the distance to work. We also spend more because there are so many "conveniences" in town. At home we did not make special trips for some trifle, now it's too easy to go to WM. :P (Wanting to go home.......)
In all of this I know God is control. Change happens to everyone. Not all change is bad. A great deal of it uncomfortable.
This is where I am at. Learning to be content in whatever state I am in,trusting Jesus and His love for me. He is enough. When I am lonely, He will never leave me, nor forsake me. When I am afraid,He is my Prince of Peace. When I am discouraged and sad, He is my joy and song. When I am tired, He is my strength. Oh, how I love Jesus! He is my best friend.
My friend, what have you done with Jesus?


John 19-20 More About Jesus

This and Last Week's Happenings

This was in yesterday's church bulletin. It's so good, I just had to share it here.

The Cross by the Numbers
by Stephen Bradd

0-sins;bones broken
1-Sovreign Lord;atoning death
2-natures(mortal and divine)
3-days;crosses(one died in sin,one died to sin,one died for sin)
4-way division of his garments
5-major wounds(back,head,hands,feet,and side)
6-unmerciful hours
7-sayings on the cross
8-days after the resurrection(John 20:26-31)
9-gifts given by Christ after His ascension (1 Cor. 12)
10-days between His ascension and Pentacost
11-apostles who waited in Jerusalem (Acts 1)
12-apostles who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6)

That just makes you want to go back and check it out doesn't it? You might just have to read all 4 of the gospels to catch them all ;)!

We have had some beautiful fall-type weather, courtesy of some hurricanes. I always feel bad about this, b/c I know someone, somewhere had a hard time first. We'll be praying for them.
Anyway, it did make for nice conditions to pick and can the last of the corn, and of course to work on the house.
We did more electrical work this weekend. A friend came and put in the wire that runs from the pole to the house. He knew exactly what he was doing, so we just let him do it. Farmerboy did act as his helper and gopher.
The next couple of weekends we probably won't be doing much b/c of prior commitments. Maybe we can do some work during the week, though.
School is going very well. All of the children are making good progress. There is one silver lining to our present circumstances. They are usually done with their schoolwork by lunch time or shortly after, so the balance of the afternoon(before ps lets out) is spent putting laundry away or doing daily cleanup chores. That way, as soon as 3:00 rolls around, they are free to go. Works for me.
There is a county fair here this week. Our family plans to go. I had thought about entering some of our produce for judging, but I never have found out the particulars, so I probably won't. Some of us are going to work in a food stand for the Upward basketball program, and 'da Dad and I will be attending the Right to Life booth. These are 2 good opportunities to speak for Christ this week. The children have their plans,too. :)


John 8-9 I Will Call upon the Lord

What Else We've Been up to

Farmerboy got his driver's license on Monday, too. We are all really happy for him. He got a 95% and even passed parallel parking!
Last week we canned 15 qts. of pickles, 8 bread and butter,7 sour dills. I don't think I will make more. That way if they are a flop, I won't have 30 qts. of them to suffer through ;).
Some friends of ours had a baby yesterday. Congratulations J&R!
Farmerboy, Lionheart, and 'da Dad got most of the trench dug for the underground wire. I was impressed. Those guys really worked hard.
Today I took Red and Ms. Petite down to the storage unit. We are finally done deciding what to keep and what to share. The bedding has been reduced to the final amount we can use, it needs to be boxed, as soon as we get boxes. After that, we are done with that step, and will merely be adding boxes packed out of our temporary home. I cannot say how much a relief this is. Thank God.
I stayed up late last night reading Pride and Prejudice. Now I am reaping the consequences. Oh, well, I guess we'll all have a resting time this afternoon.
I am looking forward to a nice day with my family. God bless each of you!

Luke 18-20 All the Way the Saviour Leads Me

Tidbits

Isn't God good? Yes, He is. Today my dear husband and I have been married for 18 years. It just doesn't seem like it has been that long, and in other ways, it feels like we've always been together. I give all the credit to our Lord for keeping it together. We are both way too human to have stayed together by our own merit or willpower. Jesus is the glue that keeps our marriage in one piece, even when we break each other's hearts. That said, he is my best friend this side of heaven. I am so grateful that God gave me to my husband, and He gave him to me. We fill in each other's weak spots. He keeps me from seriousing (not a real word :) )myself to death. Just thanking Jesus for my husband today. As an aside, because there is a husband, there are children. I am sure happy about that ;).
I always wanted to be a wife and mother. I know that's not P.C., but it's true. I thank God for putting that dream in my heart and for making it a reality.
Let's talk about the house. This weekend we were blessed with some great helpers who began working on our siding! They got most of the j channel up around the windows (still waiting on a window) and actually got to hang some siding. It looks really good.Thanks guys!
We got a surprise when we got to the place on Friday. 'da Dad came out of the house and asked me if I knew anything about wire. I ,of course, didn't. He took me into the house and showed me a pile of 4 aught (probably writing that wrong) wire, conduit,fittings,primer and glue, everything needed to run the electricity from the pole to the house!!! What a blessing! Thank you Jesus!
No one will admit to knowing anything about it, but I pray that our God who knows in secret will reward them openly and meet any needs they have.
Have a blessed day!

Luke 14-16 While I'm Waiting

Still Working on It

Still working on the electric. Almost done with the windows. Not too much to update on the house.
We are preserving the harvest. I'm hoping to make my first-ever pickles today, freeze some corn, and can green beans (if I can get the instruction manual to print off).
The Lord is keeping us uncomfortable, so we'll want to move on. I really miss privacy. REALLY.
Ms. Petite read Psalm 40 for us the other night. The phrase that stuck out to me is "Lord do not tarry." So, that is my request for the move home.
We took a little break from school, in preparation for moving, which will be a while yet. Sooo, we got back to the books this week.
God is good, all the time, He is in control, and He loves each of us. Have a blessed day!
Luke 6-8 Blessed be the Name

It's been a while. Right now the computer we were using is down, so I'm blogging at my parents' house.
The last 2 weekends we have worked on electricity. The downstairs is nearly done. This process is very time consuming. I know the whole family will enjoy the benefits, though.
The doors are also ready to hang. I spoke to the man who donated them, and he thinks the hinges we bought are not sturdy enough. I'm thinking he's right, b/c they are steel. We hadn't even thought about that. It sure is good to have " a multitude of counselors".
My dad fixed one of the double windows for the house. There is a second one he needs to repair, but there's time,b/c we have 2 windows we have to retrofit. Anyway, it looks nice, and will go to live in the classroom. Thanks, Dad!
We are still packing and purging for the move. 'da Dad and I went and worked at the storage unit, reorganizing and boxing those things up. I want that done before we move the things we have ready at the trailer. Otherwise, it will be a mess when it comes moving day!( No thank you!) So, that is one of the priorities this week.
Yesterday was a really good day at church. The pastor has been teaching out of John 7. He pointed out some cultural things that really added to my understanding of what was going on while Jesus was talking. I really was challenged when he spoke about Christians having rivers of life gushing our of their hearts. WOW! Can God use me like that, to bless others? Do others know that the Power of Christ and HIs resurrection are living in me? Not b/c of something I have done, how good I am,etc., but just b/c I am willing to lay down what I want and embrace Him and His will? I want to be like the apostles, their life was so different, that the people noted that they were but common, unlearned men, but they had been with Jesus. I want to be that kind of vessel. How about you?
God is just so good. I could not bear many things, if I wasn't firmly convinced of His love for me and my family. He is the rock which I cling to. There is no other real hope.
This morning I was reading Psalm 23-26. I have prayed a lot lately that Jesus would hold onto me, b/c I was climbing up on uneven ground (usually a bad attitude, or a pity-party) and I would be sure to stumble (say or do hurtful things to my loved ones or anyone else in my path :p). In Psalm 25 or 26 it says that God had set his foot on an even place. *sigh* That is just wonderful. Thank you Jesus.
Well, you all have a blessed day.

Memories

The other day I was thinking about some things we had lost in the fire. Then, the Lord pointed out to me that we have a lot of new memories made since then.
The day of the fire was an absolute whirlwind. We were ministered to almost immediately. (Maybe now would be a good time to share that. *SIGH*, here we go.)
Gypsygirl came downstairs from her room and said, "Daddy,there's a fire in Farmerboy's (not actual name ;) room." Of course, we bolted upstairs and sure enough, there was fire climbing up one of the walls! I ran and grabbed Nae Nae out of the bed , woke Farmerboy up and told him to take his wool blanket and try to put the fire out. I will never forget the look of horror on his face.
'da Dad told me to get the other children out of the house, so they all grabbed a blanket and went outside. I ran to our roon picked up Bunny,wrapped her in a blanket, grabbed our quilt and the telephone. When I got outside, I could see that the fire was actually on the exterior wall of his room. There was nothing 'da Dad and Farmerboy could possibly do. I called 911. When they asked for our address I just went blank. We had a rural route number, and they wanted our new E-911 number, which we had received about a week or 2 previous and I didn't have it memorized. So, I described it the best I could. It took 30-45 minutes after that call for them to find us. Anyway, 'da Dad came out and told us to go to the van. He ran back in and grabbed some clothes and my dayrunner,and no one went back in after that point.
After the firecrews showed up 'da Dad sent us to the neigbor's. He had been on a trip and the children had been doing his chores,so we had access to his house. Farmerboy started a fire(in the wood stove) for us and then he and 'da Dad went back over. I sat ther watching our house burn down, trying to comfort our children, and keep bunny asleep (yes, she had slept through all of this!). I started praying. I just told the Lord that it was allin HIs hands now,that we could do nothing for ourselves. I just had peace, God was going to take care of it. Oh, it hurt,to see all the work my husband, father,son,cousin,friends had put into it go up in smoke. I just knew God was sufficient. I thought about all the stuff we were losing. Heirlooms, years of homeschool books,on and on......I did cry, but after that I was just totally numb.
I made 3 calls. One was 911, then once we got to the van I called, by cell phone, my neice and my parents. That was about 3-4am. I called those people b/c I figured all of our friends,family, and church would find out. I was right.
So, the Red Cross came and talked to us. One of the volunteers had been through a fire also, so she had some good counsel to give. After that, my parents,brother , auntie, and our friends started showing up. One sister brought me a gift (tea,goodies) and a cup that said"The mighty oak tree was once just a nut that held it's ground." I love that. We received so much love and encouragement from frirnds, family,neighbors, and yes, strangers.
This seems so inadequate. I just can't say enough about God's goodness to us, and how He used and still uses people, especially His people to meet our needs and to push along. There are so many time we would have just given up, if hadn't been for friends loving us enough to give us a nudge.
Back to the ranch...........new memories.....
-my dad fixing up a place for us to sleep the first night, and buying us stuff for breakfast the next morning
-special people who donated our new beds ( not mentioning more,you know who you are)
-quilts from others (one from Costa Rica)
I could go on, and on. The point is, we still can have memories, they're just different ones.
Also, we worked on painting the exterior doors yesterday. All the children had a hand in it, some literally. Bunny, 5 minutes into the operation stuck her hands into the paint pan! Thankfully, Lionheart caught her just in time! Red, Belle, and Nae Nae did the "X" and triangle parts of the doors with a brush, and then, Ms.Petite, Lionheart,Gypsygirl,and I did the rest with rollers. We went with a medium gree color called "Summer Ivy" from WM colorplace. They look really nice. We bought 9 lite windows to put in the doors.
After that we worked on the garden. It is coming up very nicely. The children found and harvested our first zucchini. That will probably be part of lunch today.
When 'da Dad got there we started measuring for the downstairs wiring and planning for heat registers upstairs. The plan is to work on electrical this weekend. I'm very excited.
Need to go. Have a blessed day!

Mark 1-3 Wonderful Grace

Clarifying

I got a call from a friend last night. Somehow she had the impression from my last post that we were, right now moving. We are preparing to make the move. We are planning to be moved before 'da Dad's birthday and our anniversary. I'm not giving a date specifically, but those who know us personally know that means soon. Sorry, if I gave the wrong picture of our situation. Praise God we have a reasonable amount of time to pack and do more work on the new house before then.


Matthew 21 Sweetest Name I Know

Sorting, saving, sharing, and scrapping

Well, I know we are moving. The other day, I felt the Lord impress it upon me that I need to prepare
to move. That means packing the things we can do without temporarily, throwing away, giving away,and doing some deep cleaning along the way.
Last week I began addressing the storage unit stuffed with all the house wares we were given after the fire. This place had a terrible effect on me every time I went in there. Now after 2 days of paring down, I can actually feel good about what's in there. I am planning on taking the rest of the goodies to thrift/free stores, so they can be a blessing to someone else. God has been so good to us, we want to share with others.
I haven't really started packing yet, but I got some great ideas from Ladiesagainstfeminism.com and flylady.net. I want to call a few local stores about surplus boxes today, so I need to get off here soon.
I want to share something the Lord showed me this last weekend. I never made it up home last week. I had 2 fairly "bad" fire days (remembering stuff I lost in the fire that I need,etc). When I took the elder children up to do chores, I walked into the new house. My first thought was, "Who's house is this? This is my house? I'm going to live here?" I was shocked that I had gotten my focus so much on surviving in this present state, that I forgot about the blessing to come in my new home. That's when the Holy Spirit reminded me that as Christians, we need to keep our mind on eternal things and not get so caught up in this temporal world. We are strangers here, we need to remember the lost and their fate in hell. We need to retain in our knowledge a holy God who loves us and wants a relationship with every person, through Jesus Christ His son. We need to remember heaven is our home, so, live in anticipation!
Just one more thing. Farmerboy and I were hoping to purchase new laying stock. I didn't really think we should spend $ on them, since we are trying to be extra careful with funds right now. Anyway, he noticed several weeks ago that our cochin bantam (miniature,sort of) hen was setting.
Well, when we went to work on the place yesterday, we were welcomed by 10 bantam chicks. So, again the Lord provides!

Matthew 17 I Could Sing of Your Love Forever

Busy

Today we went up home to work on the garden. We laid plastic over the empty spaces to help with weed control and water conservation. I hope it works :). The children were very helpful, and so was 'da Dad.
After that, we ate lunch. Sandwiches, chips, and carrots. By the time we get moved back home I reckon we'll be burned out on sandwiches, but it makes for less time prepping food, and more work done on the house.
The rest of the afternoon was spent putting in more windows. We have 5 left to hang, then the doors (which also have windows). I think we have 19 windows, not including the doors. That's what happens when the wife (me) loves natural light. God bless my sweet man (installer) and all the helpers that cut holes for all those windows!
Now we are home and making preparations for another Lord's day. I look forward to this day all week long. Spending special time with the Lord and His people just sets the tone for the whole week. It helps me to regain focus on what lasts. Only what is done for Jesus will stand.
I hope you all have a blessed day tomorrow and find yourself refreshed to serve Him faithfully!


Matthew 10 Abide with Me

Roof

Our helpers finished the roof on Monday. I haven't seen it yet, but 'da Dad has. He has resumed doing our chores at home again, since his new job takes him up that way. I am hoping to see it tomorrow, since the children and I are planning on laying the plastic on the garden and meeting him there for supper.
Thanks to all who prayed for him to get a job. He seems to like it. The hours are different than any he's ever worked before, so we are all trying to adjust.
God is good!


Matthew 4 Amazing Grace

'da Dad and Framerboy finished up the housewrap today. I was the "ground guy" for them. I got crisp. It sure is nice to have that job done.
Over the week we have installed about half of the windows, too. It really is looking more like a house all the time.
On Monday, we had some helpers come and work on the roof. They were able to put the front of the hipped roof (think pyramid shape) before a storm hit. Now, we are waiting for another clear, still day to work on that some more.
The upside to all of this rain is that the garden has miraculously come to life. Ms. Petite and Gypsygirl helped plant it Friday and Saturday of last week. Itinerant planters and waterers were: NaeNae, Belle, and Red. I couldn't have done it as quickly, nor as well, without all of their good help. It makes me wonder how I ever got anything done before.;)
I read some very encouraging poetry this morning. Maybe I'll be able to share it on here sometime.
Have a blessed day!


Psalm 3-4 He Lives

Heavy Metal

LOL! Just couldn't help myself!
Anyway, we were able to buy the sheet metal ( barn tin) for our roof. It is dark green. We paid just over 50% off retail. We purchased it at an auction. Such a blessing from God.
The house will be sided in a greyish-tan vinyl with a green roof and doors.
Someday we will get some pictures put on here :).
We had planned to work on sorting the tin out by length and putting the house wrap on tomorrow, but we have an opportunity to help split and remove some wood. The new house will be heated with a woodstove, so we need to take the fuel when we can get it. We'll see how the day goes.
Have a blessed Lord's Day!

John 6 I Will Sing the Wondrous Story

Wet

Yesterday we went up to the place to clean some more. We got most of the construction "debris" out of the way so we can begin backfilling. This needs to be done before the siding goes up.
One of our neighbors disced our garden for us. I was hoping to till it, but it started raining. Maybe this weekend?
Monday we purchased the house wrap and roofing felt. A local chain store had a 20% off sale. We saved about $50.
Hopefully this weekend a friend will be able to get our roofing tin for us. We really need to get the house covered, it just keeps getting wet.
Please pray for 'da Dad's job situation. He's been looking, but hasn't been hired yet.

Revelation 16 I Need the Every Hour

Framing finished

Sorry, it's been a while. I just wanted to up date on the great progress! All the framing if finished, except the stairs (interior) and we will be finishing that up today! Praise the Lord! The shell of the house was raised in just 5 days!
Thanks to all the young (and older ;0) men who did the work. We are praying for God's blessing to rain down on you.
Now we'll be looking into the roofing material. We are not completely sure whether to use metal or shingles. After a real bad storm a couple of weeks ago, the only roofs that I've noticed that are damaged were shingled. So, we'll see.
We also need to get the house wrapped and siding up.
Farmerboy has been working some for an uncle, cleaning up a fence line so it's easier to mow. I'm glad he has something to do.
We went to 2 graduations this weekend. 'da Dad's is on the 23rd. I am very proud of all the hard work he has put in.
The public school lets out this week. We home school year round. It will be interesting to see how the neighborhood children react to our children still being "busy". Life sure is different.
The Lord reminded me Saturday that I needed to relax and trust Him to take care of me. I looked around at everything around me and realized anew that almost everything I now own, someone else GAVE me. It's pretty humbling to remember how God has used so many people to meet our needs, and even a few wants. Sometimes, I, just like the children of Isreal, lack faith and gratitude. It is so easy to judge them for their behavior in the wilderness, but most of us forget God's faithfulness. We get jaded. I want to remember.
I think we may only get tomatoes and corn in the garden, but a neighbor reminded me that I can put in a fall garden. I am now planning that. I was feeling a little bummed about the rain, but God was good to show me a different way.
Well, laundry and teaching are calling my name. Good bye for now.
the mama


Revelation 8 Blessed Redeemer

House work

(This title was suggested by Lionheart.)
Well, we got all of the block cleaned up. Two of the piers went in on Saturday, the rest on Monday (5th). Then they got all the joists, sub floor and 2 of the exterior walls done on the first floor. Today the framer was hoping to get the second floor up, but the rain held us up. The sub floor can go up tomorrow, Lord willing.
It sure is a blessing to see a crew of men and boys working on our house as though it was their own. Some of them we don't know at all, some are only acquaintances. May God bless each one of them and their families.


"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4

"Thou wilt keep (him) in perfect peace, (whose) mind (is) stayed (on thee) : for (he) trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3


I Will Call Upon the Lord

Work

Yesterday we got cinder block (from the old foundation) cleaned up to build the piers. Gypsygirl, Ms. Petite, and I worked on that. Today, we are planning on finishing that job. Just 14 more to go.
Red and Lionheart broke off the tie ins (these are pieces of metal with a hole in them, that a pin is slid into to hold the concrete forms in place) that were in the foundation walls.
Farmerboy tried to fix the wheelbarrow so we could mix concrete in it. It needed more repairs than he could do out at the place, so we ended up bringing it in town.
'da Dad and the three elders went to get lumber so it could be cut to length. Dad set the saw up to do some chopping, and then it began to rain. And rain. So, we came back into town and he, Farmerboy, Gypsygirl, and Lionheart chopped and restacked the lumber. We didn't get as much done as we had hoped, but we still got some things done.
We are hoping to get the piers in by tomorrow evening, but we really need a break in the weather.
I'm not sure we are going to try camping out after all because it looks as though it may be raining off and on those days. Praying for a break......
Working on those blocks yesterday gave me a chance to work on determination:). I am glad to have that nearly done.
The Lord has been so good to us.
We have Jesus, a home, our family, Christian brethern, food, and clothing. What do we have to complain about?
I have struggled with our change in circumstances. The lack of privacy, space, quiet,etc. But, God has been so faithful to give us other blessings here. I was hanging laundry the other day, and noticed wild strawberries! We don't have those at "home". Then Tuesday, we saw some live snails. I've never seen those before in my whole life. There are more rabbits here, due to lack of predators. Also, there is more opportunity to watch birds, as we have no trees near to the house site (nor did we before). All of these things please the children and me.
Another thing God showed me a few days ago was that we treally needed to reach out to all the little people coming to visit our children. One boy comes over almost everyday. I dont' know too much about him, except he's quiet. (The children are always watched over, call me paranoid.) I gave him a children's Bible the other day. It has lots of pictures and is an easy to read version.
I have decided that if we are still here when the public school children are out for the summer,that I am going to take the time to read them Bible stories when they come over. Just a little sowing.
Have a blessed day!
the mama
1 John 3-5 Showers of Blessing (lol)

Things I Forgot to Mention

Last time I blogged I forgot to mention that when we cleaned out 'da Dad's shed I found pictures!!!
Praise God! It has (the box) most of our pictures from before we were married till after NaeNae was born. Yay!
That cleaning project was....icky. One of the character issues my husband has challenged me on is my lack of determination (he's right). So, sticking to it was a good way for the children (oldest 4) and I to work on that:).
I need to get on with the day. I have laundry to do, school to teach, phone calls to make,etc.
Have a blessed day!
the mama
John 13-15 Grace Greater than Our Sin

Framing dates

God is good! Monday I was struggling with having a pity party. That afternoon He let us meet up with a man I grew up with, who has lost his business, his father (cancer-4 mos. from diagnosis), and his home (economy), all in the last year. And he was praising God! SOOOOO, that got me over my whining (mental-not out loud). At least we have a home to go back to. Please join us in praying for him and his family.
'da Dad and I made up a list of things we have to get done before we can frame. We accomplished two of those yesterday:).
He called the framer and he is available to give us three full days, starting May4th!!!! Pretty exciting!
I think we are going to camp out there on those days so we can get more done. The children are really jazzed about that. I'm praying for good weather, plenty of help, and that we get more done than we should be able to.
'da Dad graduates one month exactly today! That's something worth celebrating.
Romans 8:37 Blessed Assurance

Walls!!!!

Well, yesterday they poured the last side of our footing (we are using three sides of the old one-the back end, for those who've seen the original house) and set up 4 ft. forms on the other three sides.
Today, they were forecasting rain. I just really was impressed by the Lord last night, that today was going to be the day. So it was. It did rain off and on, but they got it done. I am sooo excited.
Gypsygirl, Ms. Petite, and I have spent the day freezing and canning peaches and peach preserves.
In fact, I can't spend too much time on here. I just wanted to let everybody know that the concrete (at least most of it-not sure about piers) is done!
Proverbs 8 Awesome God

News

The concrete sub called yesterday afternoon and said that he would be bringing up the forms this afternoon. We are going up home tomorrow, so we'll see. Some friends were supposed to bring up gravel for the driveway, not sure whether today or tomorrow. So, prayerfully, some concrete will be in the ground by the weekend. I'll update later.
I have been reading Hebrews, James, 1&2 Peter, and now 1 John. Much of what I have been noticing is our charge to love one another. We have been on the receiving end, am I sure that I am giving it out too?
God is so good.
Jesus, Sweetest Name I Know (song)

Various

Well, it has rained twice. Mightily. Last Monday, we got a call from the concrete sub. He said it was a mess at our house. He was right. 'da Dad and Farmerboy had to dig a drainage trench. The water actually covered the existing footing by several inches. Then, last night, it rained again.
The upside is, at least if it keeps up crops and gardens will grow well.
We did find out that the lumber for the floor joists is going to cost 1/2 as much as we thought, so that's a real blessing. We are still trying to get all the logistics in place, so, at least we're not bored :).
Today is Bunny's first birthday. We had the cake and ice cream last night. Daddy's at school today.


This is one of those "Only in Missouri" stories. (This part of the country is known for it's changeable weather. Heater in the morning, a/c in the afternoon. No, I'm not making this up.)

Saturday night we got about an inch or 2 of snow. Sunday morning it was starting to warm up when we headed to church. Just about the time the preacher got up, we all heard tunes floating from the ice cream truck! Snow still on the ground, and the ice cream lady, out peddling ice cream! LOL! The snow was completely gone by 3pm.

James 4 Spirit of the Living God

Phase 1 : complete!

Well, we are done digging for the foundation. I know we are all very ready to see some concrete in the ground.
I was talking to a sister at church today about cooking for the workdays on the house. We are blessed to have lots of friends and neighbors willing to help put the house up, and they do get hungry! Someone gave me an older cookbook after the fire. It contains recipes that serve 50 people. That should be helpful.
'da Dad just told me the concrete contractor called and gave us the estimate. It falls right where we had hoped, so he asked the sub to put us on the schedule. Whooohoooo!!!!
Tomorrow?? I guess we'll see what we'll be doing, based upon what the other subcontractors are able to do.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
Isaiah 26:3
"In the Garden"

Progress

Today was beautiful! We spent some time out at the place this afternoon. First, we went to see the chiropractor ( very refreshing), then, we drove up to see someone about engineered floor joists. Later in the afternoon, the concrete subcontractor came out and inspected our original footing. It looks like they'll be able to tie into it, and pour the rest of the crawl space walls. He thinks they may be able to get to it within the next 2-3 days. That would be just great.
The plans are changing some from what I posted earlier, so I am not going to post any more about that just now.....:)
We all enjoyed the fresh air, sunshine, and work!

Psalm 16 I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord

Yeah!

Well, praise the Lord! The ash and leftover junk from the fire has been removed and we are now back to the footings of the original house. It was so good to walk up there and see dirt and not smell fire!
It rained after that, though. Hopefully, it will dry up some so they can give it another go.
Thanks Joe and Marvin!
'da Dad has been re-arranging our house plans, so we need to be making a final decision about that. We have to be ready for the foundation digging and the concrete work.
The children have been getting their eyes checked (in turns) for cataracts (genetic) and glasses. Three of the 4 that have been to the dr. needed glasses. That should help them not to get so tired while doing their school work.:)
I,uh, had a birthday. Now I'm.......................Not telling+1! My honey took me to eat Greek food and then we window shopped for the house. It was fun.
My brother-in-law Wayne is back in the hospital, unconcious. They don't know what is wrong yet. Please pray for him and his family. I don't know where he stands with Jesus, so lift that concern up over all. They sure have been through a lot.

2 Thessalonians (all) He Leadeth Me

Prayer please

Well, we are going to be using someone else for the dirt work. They are planning to begin work tomorrow. Please pray for the weather to cooperate. It would be great if we could get the concrete work done this week, as well. 'da Dad is off school next week, so potentially we could get a lot done.
The folks that were going to do the dirt work ( father/son team) are both experiencing serious health problems. Please be praying for Johnny, Darren, and their families.
It has been so spring-like the last few days. The daffodils (jonquils) are all blooming. It's just gorgeous.
That's about it. Hopefully I'll have a lot to write about real soon.
God bless y'all.
1 Thessalonians 4&5 "Abide with Me"

Moving On

Yesterday afternoon we had a lot of errands to do up by the home place. When we were done, we stopped by to check the ground. It has dried some, but needs a few more dry, sunny, and preferably windy days.
The exceptional thing about that trip for me, though, was that I didn't look for or "see" the old house any more. I know it sounds odd, but I always tried to see it before.
I was able to imagine the new house sitting there. Ranch-style, story and a half, greyish/tan vinyl siding, blue doors, brown trim. Lots of windows and a big porch. *sigh* It sure will be nice.
Today Gypsygirl and Ms. Petite went shopping with one of their great aunts. It was a lot of fun for them. They came back refreshed. I hoped it blessed auntie as much as it did them.
Lionheart is going to his last practice ( I was wrong last week) and a pizza party with the team. 'da Dad went with him. It's nice to have special times like that with each child.
It's hard to believe that another week is almost past. Time just seems to fly by.
I guess we need to treasure the time we have with the ones we love and not be too lax in spending our time and energy on that which lasts.
Proverbs 19 Butterfly Kisses

Update

Not too much is going on right now. I did speak to our "contractor" and he gave us some good news about the concrete work. Right now, we are praying that God provides him (concrete sub) with plenty of work.
The weather this week is supposed to be dry and warm. Hopefully it will improve conditions for the dirt work.
It's all about timing.
We have decided to shorten the house 2'. This will help conserve materials without sacrificing too much space.
'da Dad invested in some bicycles and parts to fix some up. This way we can go on family rides on nice days. Trying to find things to do in town that are safe and healthy is kind of hard, but we are working on it.
Speaking of which, Ms. Petite is signing up for basketball. Just as Lionheart's season ends her practices will begin. She sure is excited.
School is going very well. Thanks and God bless you! to our unknown friend that donated the Robinson Curriculum! It has really simplified things.
I need to be sending more thank you notes. The help has been such a blessing, but it has been quite overwhelming at times. I just stand in awe of all that God has done. I'm still amazed.
Scripture-Galatians 1-4 Song-I'm Forever Grateful

Rainy days

Well, the backhoe guy called last week to say that mid- to late this week, they would be able to dig. It has rained/snowed here since Monday. Maybe next week :). God's perfect timing.
We may have to change our mind about how we're going to do the foundation. I guess it's just as well there's no hole in the ground yet.
I'm pretty sure we have decided to go ahead and use the siding we had purchased for the original house. It is a grayish/tan vinyl. We have chosen a blue color for the doors. Some of the windows are fancy, so that should keep it from looking too much like a man-cave. (Sorry,guys.)
Belle's birthday was actually Monday (bad mama). 'da Dad and I had a really nice time, just with her. She wanted a beginner embroidery project, so we had to go out of town. She found a horse picture and a stuffed bear to sew by hand. These she is working on with my mom in the afternoon. Mom is really enjoying this. She is currently somewhat house bound, due to a knee injury. So, this is an all-around blessing.
Life is getting a rhythm to it.
Lionheart plays his last Upwards game on Saturday. It has been a lot of fun. His coach deserves a medal. It has got to be taxing to try and get 6, 4-6 grade boys to concentrate on the same thing at the same time.
On Friday, Farmerboy, Gypsygirl, and Ms. Petite will be going to the bluegrass jamboree. I don't know if 'da Dad or I will be taking them. Usually, we decide who's more tired and they get to stay home with the younger children.
Life is good.
Scripture- 2 Corinthians 1-2 (these verses have brought me through a lot, I may have posted them before, oh,well)
Song- I Stand Amazed in the Presence

Waiting

The utilities are finally marked at our place. 'da Dad called yesterday and left a message with the backhoe company. I'm sure everyone is taking advantage of the good weather, trying to get their work done too. We'll just have to be patient.
This morning Bunny was really fussy, so I laid her down to check her diaper. She got pretty upset. I needed to change her diaper badly, but she couldn't understand why I had laid her down on that cold bed, taking her out of my warm, cuddly arms, where she was comfortable. In the end, she was better off, but she didn't see why I had put her in a position she hates and made her wait to be comfortable again.(Hang in here with me, I'm going somewhere with this:) Then, it dawned on me, God is like that too. He sees our needs better than we do, and knows just how to fill them. We usually aren't comfortable with how He does it, or the speed at which He is or isn't doing it. I've pitched fits, grumbled, and been discontent while He's tried to fix things in the past. It doesn't work. Some things just go at a certain pace, they can't go fast because the job won't be thorough. God is one who does jobs completely. So, I am trying to be still and let Him work. I think often of the Isrealites that didn't get to enter the promised land. It was complaining that kept them out. Yes, I know the Bible says because of their unbelief, but the grumbling was the outward manifestation of that unbelief.
God is always good, and does what is good for us. I will trust Him.
Belle's birthday will be next Tuesday. She will be 8yo then. Time sure goes by fast.
Some friends of ours from WY just became granparents. Congratulations J&B! That means eventually it will happen to us.*sigh* Feeling a little old today ;).
Scripture -1 Corinthians 5-6 Song-While I'm waiting

Grateful

This morning I woke up to the sharp sound of sleet on the rooftop.When I heard that, I was so grateful for a dry, warm place to live. Thank you, Jesus!
It has been doing "something" since yesterday about 2pm. It sleeted off and on from then until sometime this morning. After that it started snowing. It still is, I think. The snow is very beautiful.The children have hot plans to go sledding tomorrow. I'm trying to decide what goodies I can whip up for them after wards. Spiced cider (apple juice) and popcorn? Maybe.
We did call mo|one|call. The phone company didn't mark the lines because they weren't sure of the address. The reason why was because they couldn't find the house :). Hmmmm......neither can I. Anyway, so, no dirt work till that's done. Besides, they may not be able/willing to do any work because of this storm. Haven't asked yet.
Still trying to figure out the foundation.
We did get a phone call from the framer. He had some suggestions and a supply list. He and 'daDad talked for a long time.
We rearranged things ,again, and now we have more room and privacy. I think we'll all appreciate it.
The public school children had today off. We did school work, as usual. It is very different living in town.I'm not sure what they (the children's friends) thought about it, but I did offer to home school them for the day :). They decided it was time to go back home;).
My parents bought me some books of Norman Rockwell prints off ebay. They surprised me with that this afternoon.
This was to replace the one that burned. Dad and I used to look at it together when I was a little girl. I can't wait to flip through them with my own children.
Scripture-Psalm 24 Song-At the Cross

Remembering the Unforgetable

I am going to write about my original post, and then add a different one towards the end.
Today we attended a service in memory of the 50 million documented unborn children murdered legally in the US. I am not going to be politically correct here. Don't comment here on my blog, if you don't like what I have to say, get your own blog. You won't change my mind. Every year when the Roe vs. Wade anniversary rolls around I think about how my mom could have aborted me. She didn't. I don't buy how we supposedly "need" abortion on demand. I was one of those pregnant unwed mothers. If I had killed the baby (aka Farmerboy) I was carrying, 'da Dad would have dumped me and our family would not be here. God took our sin and created a new life, and a new family. I thank Him and praise Him daily for a husband who loves me and is my best friend this side of heaven. The children? They are just plain awesome. I would not be who I am today without them. None of this would be if I had aborted him.
Pray for our leaders, and our country.
This part came up after the service. Our family was visiting one of my aunts, when she received a phone call saying that one of my dearest friends had passed away. Wilma was very instrumental in helping me mature as a mother, wife, and Christian. A great deal of who I am in these areas developed across her kitchen table. We will miss her greatly, but we rejoice in her "graduation".
'da Dad is planning to call and see when this week we can schedule to get the dirt work going.The weather is supposed to be icy/snowy tomorrow, but nicer by the end of the week. We'll see.
Scripture-Psalm138-9 Song-I've Found a Friend

New Bibles

Our new Bibles came in the mail Thursday afternoon. We ordered them from Christian Book Distributors. 'da Dad and I got Open Bibles. They have lots of wonderful information in the front of each book, a concordance, definitions of archeich
words,etc. I have sorely missed a Bible with helps.This is the Bible 'da Dad used to preach out of. Belle got a pink Precious Moments Bible, and Lionheart and Red got Explorer Bibles. They have a lot of nice helps and activities in them. All the others had their Bibles in the van, so they didn't need to be replaced.
My desire for God's word has increased greatly since the fire. I really,really want to read and spend time with the Father.
I guess adversity is good for the soul. It causes me to cling to the one thing in my life that doesn't change, God-my Father, Jesus-my Saviour, Holy Spirit- my Teacher and Comforter. Nothing else is permanent.
Yesterday involved a lot of running. We took of the rest of the junk metal to the recyclers. Then, 'da Dad went tool shopping. It was kind of funny, me being in the "guy mall" (Harbor Freight, Academy sports is also a "guy mall") with him and Bunny. I was sure people were wondering why I wasn't freaking out over his purchases, but I was engaged in a rare win-win situation with his "toy" shopping trip. I get a house and he gets tools. How cool is that?
We are working around here on straightening up, laundry,etc. In a small house, we are constantly cleaning, picking up, etc., trying to some how make more space or better use of the space we do have.Always shuffling.
Lionheart has a basketball game today. Gypsygirl and Miss Petite are going to go cook and sew with some friends this afternoon. I wish I could go ; ). Life is full, and it is good.
"The Lord is the potion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins (mind) also instruct me in the night seasons.I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth;my flesh also shall rest in hope." Psalm 16:5-9
Song-The Great Speckled Bird (bluegrass song)

Hello! (from Miss Petite}

Hello Friends! Seems like the Mama beat me to the computer first! As the Mama told you all, Nae Nae is sick,and it's really scary when little people get sick.She just looks so bad,but she'll get better soon,with love and prayer,and I guess medicine. (I'm joking,she really hates the nasty stuff.)
Well,I really don't have much to write, so, I would like to sing a few songs,and if you know them,sing too.

"I Love You Lord
"I will Celebrate"
"Come,now is the time to worship"
Praise God we live today,to serve Him,and that we will some day live with Him!
Bye for now,Miss Petite. : )

(Note here from the mama- She had written the lyrics, but I deleted them. Just a little concerned about licensing laws:))

We got the concrete contractor's estimate. It is more than we planned for, but God was not surprised! ;) We are waiting for His leading as to what to do next.He is our only hope and strength.
Isaiah 40:31-" But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint."
NaeNae is down with respiratory flu. She's a trooper. Prayerfully, no one else gets it.:)
Today is Robert's other long school day. I miss him too. It will be a real adjustment for all of us when he returns to work.
It will be good though. I am very proud of his hard work. May God bless him.
I had a pretty bad day on the 20th. I was really struggling with some fears. I read a quote on BanjoHangout (a forum for banjo players) that says, "Courage is fear that has said its prayers." That was such a blessing! My whole day went better. I realized that I had not been praying, just worrying. Thank you, Lord!
Song- He Leadeth Me

'daDad's first post

I was told that I needed to post on our blog, so here I am. As you have read from the posts by the Mama, life has sure changed for us. We have our good days and of course our bad days, but for me the good days outweigh the bad ones. I had one of those moments when I realized that the only thing I had left of my father's was his pickup, I had a lot of tools that belonged to him which were in the house. That's okay because I still have the memories. My last semester of college started yesterday. It was a long day! I hadn't realized just how much I had become accustomed to being at home. I have been unemployed since June of 2007 and started back to school in the fall of that year, but all of my days had been partial days, but this semester I have two full days that I'll be gone from home, basically 10-12 hours with travel time included. Makes me wonder how long it will take for me to readjust to a full 40 hour work week. Anyways, God is so Good!! and I am blessed with a wonderful family!! I know that everything will work out for the best. I think I will close with some scripture: Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. My prayer for you all is to continue in the faith of passage and if you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior then please consider reading His word and make that decision soon! Take care and God bless!!
'daDad

Some of My thoughts (from Miss Petite)&Misc.

(This is Miss Petite-14yo dd)

Hello! I am what the mama calls Miss Petite on the blog I hope you enjoy reading about me, I guessed it was about time for someone besides the mama to write on this blog.
I'm kind of new at this blogging stuff, so I really have no idea what to write about.

Well,here goes nothing. Yesterday we went up to the place and chose the site for the new house. It was kind of weird having to do it over again. It felt like we were on a fresh patch of land,starting over again,and, in a sense,we are. It's kinda been hard for me to except the reality of everything that's going on right now. I'm mean,we're having to rebuild a house that we had spent so much time and effort in. It hit me the other day that NOTHING is going to EVER be the same again.
While I was making lunch the other day,I noticed that this isn't our stove,these aren't our dishes and this isn't our home. But God told me that He knows what He's doing and that He knows what I'm going through,what we're all going through.
God's been showing me some things here lately. He's shown me that I'm not depending completely on Him and that I don't fully trust Him for everything we need, that I need to have a better attitude about the house and about being in smaller quarters, and that I need to be patient as well.
I'll tell you, it's been hard to admit(well, at least for me) that we need help from other people right now, 'cause you get so used to being the person who gives, that it becomes hard to take.

God has been blessing us like crazy. It's funny how amazing we think God's provisions are when we see it and yet, we claim to have believed it's possible all along! We been blessed with lots of stuff we can't use so, we can share with others who can use the things we don't need.
He knows what He's doing, we just need to trust Him.
Well, write to you later. Sincerely, Miss Petite. :)
(oh yeah,the mama's the one who picked my name, not me!)

(This is the mama-and Miss Petite is actually Grandma's fault!)
She's just a pretty awesome girl.
Yesterday we went back to the place to do......more clean up. 'da Dad and the children moved the stove wood to our near neighbor's house. He's been doing our chores, and since he's burning wood and, uh, we're not, we want him to use it. Lionheart and Red moved some big logs together. The young bucks were rather proud of themselves. Gypsygirl (15yodd) and Miss Petite also helped. They are not proud, but they are sore.
We had to move the wood because it interferes with the new house site we picked out yesterday. It will set on an angle facing the southeast, instead of facing the road directly east.
Tomorrow we are going to call 1-800-dig-rite. Just as a preparatory step for the dirt work :).
Today, we were blessed to spend a good afternoon with some dear friends. They always refresh us. I hope they feel that way about us. They were able to give us a lead on help with the roof and electrical work, so that's exciting.
We are enjoying our family. Even when things aren't going the way we'd like for them to, we have God, and each other.
Scripture- 2 Corinthians 1 Song-Wonderful Words of Life

Other Things

Life moves on. Not everything in our life revolves around the fire. Today, 'da Dad spent the lion's share of the day getting our economy car legal. My brother, dad, and Farmerboy worked the last week+ to get the brakes fixed (thanks guys!), and we were able to get the muffler installed this morning. So, we once again have a quiet and inexpensive car to use. Yay!
It got up to a whopping 28 today. Whooppeeeee! I think we are going to clean at the place tomorrow. It's supposed to make it into the 40's.
Well, I need to go "bless" (clean) this house a bit. Have a great night!
Scripture-Acts 12-13 Song-Abide with Me

Timberrrrr!

(As in the UK word for lumber.) Forgot to say on last night's post that 'da Dad was able to go (with some friends and a few of the elders) and do some serious lumber shopping last Saturday. They went to a huge building materials auction about a hundred miles away and paid about 1/3 off retail!
Thank you, Lord, for timing!
They also picked up a few doors and some very pretty transom and paladium windows. I was really excited about that ;).
Today, we did schoolwork, some reorganizing of space and things (we did this all the time in the trailer we lived in before we moved into the big house), washed and put away the laundry. No one wanted to go outside. The high today was...............18. Toasty.
Tomorrow, we hope to finish cleaning up. We'll see how the weather goes. I think it's supposed to get up to a balmy 30-something.
We found out today that a friend from high school named John, may have lung cancer. Please be prating for him, his wife, and two children.
Scripture-Romans 8 (esp. 35-9) Song-All the Way My Savior Leads Me

Dirt and Decisions

Wow! Has it really been a week since I was on here? A lot has happened.
Last week we did a lot of metal cleanup. Yesterday, they took about half of it to the junk yard. It was worth the trip. Next time they'll probably only get enough to cover the gas, since there is no copper left.
We met with the concrete and dirt work men today. They were both very nice and had some good ideas.
The house site is settled. We are waiting for a quote from our concrete man to decide whether we will be having a partial basement or not. Either way, we are planning to have a poured crawl space.
Now, we are looking into various ways to heat the house. In the first house, we used an indoor wood stove. I don't know if we want to that again.
(Even though the stove was not the source of the fire. We are certain the fire began in our electrical system.)
Tomorrow, Lord willing,we are staying home. The high here is only going to be 14. Brrr. Did I mention we live on prairie land? So there's always wind. The wind chill is supposed to be -10.
Later this week it's supposed to warm up. Then, we'll finish cleaning.
Next week is hopefully going to be in the 40's and sunny. So, if everybody' schedules work out, we just might get some of the before mentioned work done.
I am trying to be grateful, but I'll be happy when we get moved back home. All the children and 'da Dad feel the same way. Even our nearest neighbor misses us.
School is going well. Other home schoolers have been generously donating books, etc. It is such a blessing.
Last Friday, the folks at the Bluegrass Jamboree took up a collection for us and gave us an opportunity to say a few words. We simply pointed them to the goodness of God, and the beauty of Jesus and His sacrifice for us. It is our desire to give Him the glory.
Scripture-Luke 4 Song-I will Sing of My Redeemer

Cleanup

Well, we finally got some closure. Yesterday, we went back to the place to clean up. A young neighbor friend came out with a skid steer and helped move the blocks that had been our foundation. It is good to have friends to help push us along. I'll try to get some pics posted soon:).
I think we have figured out how to plan the new kitchen. That's been a little hard for me. I really liked the old one. Oddly, the new one is planned very much like it. LOL!
I had a little attitude problem today. I slept in this a.m. and the children got up before I did. Very bad, must get Bible reading done before children are up! That is my link to sanity!
Scripture-(especially for the church) Romans 12 ; song "Blessed Redeemer"

What's Going On

My brother and his wife had their first child on Saturday. Congratulations John and Sarah! He is a sweetie!
The concert went really well. Everyone did a great job singing and playing. It's very humbling to have people willing to do what they can to help, especially something so personal. May God richly bless those who helped.
The children started their schoolwork again today. It is a good bit modified from what they were doing, but it works. I had the older 4 write essays. Three of them wrote about the fire, so they may decide to post that on the blog. I was very impressed. We are blessed with some amazing children.
Getting back to the books is another way for life to be normal. It is a part of our routine which is necessary and still achievable.
'da Dad is hoping to get started cleaning up tomorrow. That's the first step in starting to build again.
We went to do some pricing yesterday. Sticker shock! Most of the lumber we used in the 1st house was reclaimed (and built 5-6 years ago), so we are having to readjust our thinking a bit.LOL! Nevertheless, the Lord will provide.
Scripture Luke 11-13. Song-"Blessed Assurance".
You all have a blessed night.
the mama

Another day

Today is Farmerboy's 17th birthday. Hard to believe. We have been blessed to have him in our family. I thank God for him everyday. The days we have left with him are getting shorter. Time to redeem the time.
We got another phone call from a church community that is willing to help put up the house. This makes 2, plus other brothers in Christ that are from other churches. It will be neat to see how the house goes up.
People have donated pretty much all of the furniture we need, so that's a blessing. I really thought it would take a lot longer.
I need to get our story up soon, but I need someone to help with pictures.
Today's scripture Jeremiah 29:11-13, song "It is Well with my Soul."
the mama

Ooops!

That scripture reference should have been Psalm 136.
We finally got all of the clothing gone through and washed. Those clothes we weren't able to use, can now bless somebody else. Several friends came and helped, otherwise we'd probably still be there. It's a great feeling to be able to move on to the next step.
I was going to try and figure out what to do about the Robinson Curriculum. It has to be installed before you can look at it and I don't know if my dad's computer has enough memory. So, I'll have to check into that later.
We are having a fairly relaxing day. It's a nice day here and we enjoyed bbq with some church friends. Earlier, I took Lionheart (12yo ds) up to his Upwards coach's house to get a new uniform. The other one burned. He was grateful to have it, his first game is coming up soon. More normal.
The scripture for today is James 3 and 4, the song-" He Leadeth Me".
God is so good.
the mama