Friday the kids had a merit activity. They had a day planned with fun at the Royal Oaks Apple Orchard.

I was very sad that I wasn't able to go with the kids. Since my helper at school had already requested that day off well.....someone had to make lunch. Thankfully Beth was able to step in and help me that day. We made chili and cornbread for lunch. It was super delish!!!



But since I didn't go, Daddy went with them. He was um....thrilled....to go. ;)






Each child was allowed to pick a bag of apples while they went on their wagon ride.




I put my camera into the very capable hands of my friend Rhonda. She so kindly took pictures since Hunny wouldn't. :)



These are pictures from 2007 at the Apple Orchard when the kids were in 1st grade.

Fear

My favorite quote of late......

Anonymous~ Do not fear little flock, it is your Father's desire to give you his Kingdom.

If Fear were not holding you back, what would you do?

I was shocked to hear what my answer was. My heart answered this question even before my brain could answer.

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." (Exodus 14:13)

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)

The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

Do not Fear little flock, it is your Father's desire to give you his Kingdom.

What would you do???

HHEEEELLLLOOOOO

It's Thursday night. Thursday night is the night when I am just so tired. My favorite show is on right now, but I honestly have no desire to watch it. I have no idea why. Oh well...I'm not to upset to miss it.

I have neglected my blog. Not really on purpose, I think it's more that I really haven't had much to say. We basically have just been getting up, going to school, coming home, doing homework, chores, dinner, bath, bed. So to say that I have been uninspired is an understatement.

Please don't read into this and think that I am depressed, b/c I am not. Life is just busy, with Hunny working the hours that he is, it makes things harder on me when he isn't here. It's ok. I am just glad that he has a job. :)

Although some big news in our household is that Dada got something new. Notice what it is??



Yep, these last couple weeks while we have been waiting for her glasses to come in have been the longest weeks of her life. She has asked me a couple times a week when her glasses are coming in. FFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLYYYYYY they came in. To say she was overjoyed on our way to pick them up is the understatement of the century. She was beaming from ear to ear walking out of the eye doctor.

Who knew glasses could be so exciting!?!?!

She wouldn't let me tell Daddy that she was able to pick them up tonight. She wanted to surprise him when he came home. And then she was to shy to show him!! ;)

I think she looks so much older in them.

I have had such a hard time with my baby girl growing up. I daily pray for wisdom in dealing with her. We are so much alike and yet so different. My prayer is that she has a good relationship with God and me as she gets older. I love that little...I mean big, girl so much.

Tonight is the 1st really cold night in our neck of the woods. It makes me glad for my new slippers that are keeping my feet warm!

My old pair bit the dust last spring. Literally. And I can't even blame it on the dog!!

I wonder if we should turn on the heat yet.

Maybe not. We will see how long we can make it.

This was Brother tonight at 7:45. Think he was tired?? He almost broke my back carrying him to bed tonight.


It melted my heart to hear his half asleep....I love you Mom.

Take a minute to spend a little extra time with your child tonight. It will mean the world to them.

Names

Have you ever thought about the many names of God? I have known for what seems like forever that God has many different names.

How many names of God do you know? Have you ever thought about it? I can name of few maybe if I think really hard. Have the names of God been made real in your life?

Let me try and explain.

In this study I am doing, it was talking about the names of God. And how through the Bible, God revealed different parts of himself....his names.....to different people at different times throughout the Bible. And when God revealed himself, the person didn't just know it in their head about God, they KNEW it in their heart.

So I thought about that for a while and I wrote down a couple of the names that I know about God.

He is my Comforter

He is my God of Peace

He is my Provider

He is my Healer

He is my God of Grace

He is my My Hiding Place

He is my Shelter in the time of storm

He is my Protector

He is my My Hope

He is my Potter

He is my Gardner - my Pruner

He is my Father

These are a couple that I can look back to a specific time where I really felt where God showed himself to me. And I KNOW these things ABOUT him. He made each of these names real in my life and I know them in my heart to be TRUE.

It made me thankful for the times, even though some were so difficult so...almost unbearable to walk through, but it was worth it to see God, to know God better.

So take heart you who are struggling in Life. You who wants to give up in this trial that is so heavy. God just wants to show you something of who he is. He wants you to know ABOUT Himself. Not just know of Him.

PrAy FoR a CuRe

Last night we had a Pray for a Cure extravaganza at school in support of Lori.

It was a time filled with fun and a way to show Lori how much we love and support her. The whole school was able to get involved.

I don't have enough words in the English language to describe how excited my children were. This is all they talked about all weekend. Dada just insisted that she HAD to be there.

Where else would be be???

They involved all the kids in the evening which was wonderful.

The 1st and 2nd graders played vball against each other. Brother kept telling me.......those 1st graders are going down!!!!



And they did.

The 2nd graders won.

Brother was ecstatic.

Dada's class was next.

The 3rd graders played the 4th graders.

Dada wasn't to sure who would win.

She kept saying that you just don't know those things.....who is going to win and who is going to lose.



But the 4th graders won.

And she was happy.

(Daddy was able to come for a little bit before he had to go to work. It was nice that he could at least see the kids play.)

My dear friend Lori.

Doesn't she look amazing!?!?!

Through all that she has been through, she still smiles through everything.

She is truly a picture of grace.

Lori was named honorary coach last night for the varsity team.

They won!!



My friend Jan. She just makes me smile.



And guess who came?!?!

Reitha surprised me. I was in the office and she just walked right in, just like old times.

I sure do miss her.

It was so nice to catch up with her.

The story of the lobster

The other night, our neighbor knocked on the door with a hot steaming lobster in his hands. He wondered if we liked lobster and wanted to give us 1. He had them flown in from the east coast just that day.

Now with my love for seafood what it is........ the smell alone deterred me from thinking that I would like it. But how many times does a lobster literally show up at your door.

So I thought why not?? I'll try it.

And I did.

I didn't like.

The kids were watching my response and whether or not it would be safe for them to try it.

Needless to say, they didn't try it.



(it did at 1 time have 2 claws.....it wasn't a retarded lobster)

Hunny had never tried it either. He ate it but said he probably wouldn't order it.

(And speaking of ordering Lobster.

What's the point??

I don't understand why it's so expensive when you have such little amounts of meat. It just doesn't make any sense to me. )

I am glad that I tried it though.

Now I know I don't like it.

And speaking of not liking it........

Neither did the dogs.

However, I did think it was cool that the neighbor thought of us.

And that is the story of the lobster.

A couple weeks ago the S family gave Lindsie a baby shower. It was fun getting together and seeing all the aunts and cousins. (We did miss Liz though!!) We don't get together as much as we used to and I miss "my aunts."

But we did have fun at the shower. It was a joy to "shower" Lindsie with clothes I am sure she doesn't need. I know I had fun buying some little tiny outfits.



I think Elisa is in heaven having such a little cousin.



And Grandma S loves to hold her new little grand baby.



Doesn't Lindsie look amazing for just having a baby?!?!



If the little girls weren't running around, they were spying on the baby and waiting for their turn to hold her.



Dada loves to hold her any chance she gets......I wonder who she gets that from?!?!



The cousins.

Dada was asking how she was related to Brooklynn. If she was her 2nd or 3rd cousin. After a minute or 2 of trying to discuss it. we finally just told her that she was just her cousin. And Dada was happy with that.

Thankfully.



I don't think we should wait until another baby shower to get together with the aunts and cousins again.

Maybe we could all just get together for dinner one night.

We went to the Apple Orchard today. I have been wanting to go for a while now and with the kids out of school today and tomorrow, it was a perfect day to go.

The weather is perfect. It's supposed to get cool this weekend, but today was low 70's and gorgeous sunshine.

The kids played for quite a while in the little school room they had set up in 1 little barn. Dada especially thought it was great......until she saw a bee.




Brother at the apple orchard 4 years ago.




Dada at the apple orchard 4 years ago.





We had a nice family time today which is what I wanted. We had some of the best cider donuts and cold cider ever. The donuts were just out of the fryer. YUMMY!!!



I hope you get out and enjoy some of this beautiful fall weather.