Sunday Afternoon of Imagination

Imagination=Childhood

How Should a King Come? (Merry Christmas!)

Honesty

At dinner the other night I said to the kids "Tell Daddy what you learned from Proverbs causes contention." Gabriel quickly and correctly said "pride" and then I heard Ross say quietly "me". Ross does have an issue with stirring up contention but he is refreshing because a lot of of people hide or ignore their wrong and Ross is able to see it for what it is and admit it.

Hebrews 9:11-14a

Hebrews 9:11-14a

¹¹But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

¹²Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

¹³For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

¹⁴How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God . . .

Most of all I am thankful for what verse 14 says . . . "the blood of Christ . . . that offered himself without spot to God". He did it for me and for my family and for the world. I can't imagine life without the hope that His shed blood gives us. Amazing Love from an Amazing God. I am so grateful.

Ladies Tea

Annalina and I had an absolute BLAST at the Homeschooling Ladies Tea. The food was beautifully spectacular, the fellowship a blessing, and the speakers encouraging. Annalina had never been to anything like that and thoroughly enjoyed herself and learned about tea manners. We worked on refining the manners some. So funny at one point she whispered to me where to put trash. I said that she could just put it on the table (thinking it was a tea wrapper or chocolate wrapper). I said what is that on your finger? Her answer "A booger". Ok, it is good we had this tea to practice!!:-)

The fellowship with the other ladies was such a blessing to me. The women that came to this tea and spoke were so humble I was so blessed by their Christian spirit. I sat next to a lady whose husband has a very important job for a nationally recognized and respected organization. She was so kind and normal. The speakers encouraged me in what I was doing right and I was challenged in areas I saw myself failing or falling short. I was challenged both as a wife and mother. I needed that spiritual lift so much. It gave me a huge boost focusing me in on where I needed hand things over to my Saviour and things I need to be actively working on with the kids.

I waited to check my messages during the day for awhile and by the time I checked them. I found out that Brian had ended up at the ER with a broken ankle. He broke it while elk hunting with Gabriel. That is another story! It has been weeks and the ankle still has not been repaired because he has been to swollen for them to fix it. Now we are waiting to find out if it will need to be rebroken or have surgery. We'll soon see.

Gross

I was down stairs the other night to make the top bunk of a bed when I heard Ross calling for me upstairs. Annalina came down and said that Ross wanted to show me he had corn in his poop. I was busy and wanted to complete my task without getting side tracked so I told Annalina to tell him that was ok and completely normal. I wanted him to be sure he understood it was nothing to worry about. I finished my task and came upstairs to find that Ross had waited me out and was VERY SERIOUS about me making sure I saw what happened. He picked the piece of corn out of his poop and put it on a towel on the bathroom counter!!!! Yep, I was pretty grossed out.

Sweet

I've written before how Carson's speech has been slow to come but we continue to see progress.
Tonight at dinner I just melted when he looked at me and with a smile said "This is good kool-aid Mommy." Ahh, my heart. What a sweetie!!!!

Tea With My Big Girl

Next week is elk hunting week which means we will see little of Daddy and Gabriel from Thursday very early in the morning to Saturday night. I am thrilled they get to go and have fun. Gabriel is to young to hunt elk yet so he will be hanging out with Daddy to learn and have fun. It would be GREAT if an elk was brought home we have an empty freezer in the garage waiting!

Recently, I found out about a Ladies/Girls Christian Homeschooling Tea down in the Springs and I really wanted to take Annalina. It is a whole day event from 9am to 4 pm. I got one of my friends daughter who is great with kids to watch the 2 younger boys so we can go. We are both soooo excited. I look forward to hearing the speakers! I anticipate a day of encouragement and fun with my daughter! Another fun thing to look forward to!

Baby Steps To Talking

Carson's speech has been very slow to develop which has been different for us because that was not the case for the other 3! But we know he is bright (probably does puzzles better than any of the other kids at this age) and engaging (loves to be apart of whats going on) and involved (he LOVES to help and actually does a great job) with what is going on around him so we have just waited and I have worked with him on his speech and it is coming. He has a really hard time with putting endings on words but that will come.

I wanted to post that last night my mom took us out to eat because she leaves tomorrow after spending the fall with us. We have the kids order their own food because we want them to learn to do things on their own and learn how to communicate with people but we did always order for Carson. Last night I decided to try and let him order and he did it!! He was so cute and pleasant and he ordered "mac and chee" and "Gray" (grapes) and "choc milk"! The waiter was so kind and could tell we were training him and told Carson what a good job he did! That was so kind. Brian and I were so proud of Carson. Talking takes effort on his part and he did it so calmly and sweetly.

It is also fun to watch he and Annalina together. Annalina does such a great job in being a little Mommy to him. She loves to talk to him and praises him for what he does right. He LOVES his Sissy. When they ride in the car and the sun is bothering Carson, Annalina will tell him to push the sun and together they push and push the sun to get it out of their faces. So cute!

The Mighty Lysnes'

I blogged shortly ago about the boy's room turning into a wrestling match. Well, here are some pictures of the Mighty Mighty Kiddos from that day!

My Sweet Annalina's 8th Birthday!

It is hard to believe that my little Annalina is now 8 years old. Time flies. She loves being a kid and doesn't want to grow up which I think is great because we should enjoy the stage of life we're in and not wish for any other time. Annalina wanted to have her birthday dinner at Olive Garden which I thought was a GREAT choice!

We actually had her birthday cake the next day. A lot had been going on and so I went with Carson the day before her birthday to order a cake at Safeway. I think we picked a good one! Anyway, we found out it couldn't be ready the next day which ended up working out well. We got back Saturday night from Olive Garden and were able to extend the celebration to Sunday after church.

Annalina loved her birthday and loved her cake!

Months ago Gabriel saw this frog at Walmart that when you squeeze it the tongue sticks out. He thought of his sister and knows she loves stuff like that and had me take him back to the store with his money to buy it for her and he saved it for months. SHE LOVED IT!

A long time ago Annalina said she would like a pair of moccasins with soft soles. I found a website that sold what they called "Teepee boots". The leather is SOOOO soft and Annalina LOVES these and even wears them to bed. I bought some boyish ones for Ross and Carson for Christmas.

Holding her present from Daddy and Mommy.

Annalina with her Teepee Boots on and her birthday balloons!

We love Annalina so much. She is such a sweetheart. Recently, I have been so impressed with her deep thoughts and questions.

Homemade=Made with Love

Annalina's 8th birthday was this past Saturday which I will post about later. Ross came to me the day before and wanted to make sure he had a gift for her! My friend H had sent me some GREAT ideas for activities a few days before. H is a friend that is so industrious and always sharing what she learns instead of just keeping it to herself. She is also caring and encouraging and a blessing. I get emails from her saying "God brought you to my mind and I am praying for you."

This project was so simple yet soooo much fun! I did help with the letters for Happy Birthday but Ross did a great picture of he and Annalina! Ross really enjoyed making it and his sister really enjoyed the finished product! In fact, almost as soon as she got it she wanted to be taught how it was done! :-)

Here is the website for how to make this salty craft!
http://www.housingaforest.com/raised-salt-painting/

It's Not Just a Box!

Ross LOVES boxes. If the big kids are busy with school work he will sometimes get a box and cut on it. The other day he became what reminded me of a gumbie! Before he cut this box like this he got inside the box COMPLETELY and road this down our stairs! He ROCKETED down very very fast! Carson was thrilled but had no interest in doing it himself! Ahhh, never a dull moment, never a dull moment. Today Ross made a gate with a box. Who knows what will come next!

My blessings from my blessings . . .

Some stressful things have hit here recently but the Bible says "In everything give thanks for this is the will of Christ Jesus concerning you." Yet another item on my to work on list. (I didn't look that verse up so it may not be word for word accurate :)
I have MUCH to be thankful for.

"You're a nice Mommy."--Annalina today. I asked why she said that and she replied she "just thought it."

Ross often tells me that he loves me and that I am "the Best Mommy ever". I KNOW I don't deserve that but I'd love to keep this super hero status with my kids forever.

Then there is Gabriel with his hugs. Just happy sweet hugs that are so numerous.

Carson with his sweet soft cheeks and his head on my shoulder and arms around my shoulders. He loves to be with his Mommy.

Last night, my hubby reached over and gently put his hand on my arm and said "you're a good wife."

I am thankful for my Kiddos and their Daddy. Thank you Father for a family with love for you and each other. I can't imagine it any other way.

My friend K called today with FABULOUS news of answer to prayers!

Memory of the Day: My memory comes two fold. Annalina and Carson came up this morning and were upstairs awhile and there was no Gabriel and Ross. I went to check on them. I asked them what they were doing. "We're relaxing . . . wrestling and reading Elk magazines." Eventually, the fun downstairs they were having was discovered and the kids lined the boys beds with bean bags and a huge stuffed animal bear and had wrestling wars. The boys took their shirts off to look tough and one or two of them happily came to show me their war wounds. They had a blast. They called Carson "the rocket" he would get on a chair and come shooting off at someone. They loved his tactic!

Oh, just thought about another thing. It started to snow today and the kids were all excited and yelling that it was snowing. Carson stood at the window and said to Gabriel "bad night". A few weeks ago he was saying "snow white, bad night". Too funny. I know he doesn't like playing in snow but he does enjoy seeing it.

The Beauty of God's Hand

Snowflakes are kisses from heaven. ~Author Unknown
I woke up to this seen in our back yard a short time ago and it was sooo beautiful. Only the work of a loving and powerful God could make such beautiful scenery and to think it is for His children to enjoy.
Thank you Father!

Recently Read Books

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell was a book we all enjoyed. It is about a girl that gets stranded on an island off the coast of California. She and her people lived there and then they were viciously attacked and many were killed. As she and her people are leaving the island to escape she sees her brother has been left behind and so she jumps into the sea to be with him. He dies of a wild dog attack within 24 hours of the being on the island alone. She is already aware of how to live off the land which helps her a lot! But it is interesting to read the story about how she lived on the island about 8 years until she was taken off. The kids loved her story of survival. Obviously she has no knowledge of the Living God but the book doesn't go on and on about her beliefs or lack thereof it really concentrates on what she did more than her thought processing. It does show in one part of the book that the beliefs she had grown up with were false and for a short while she struggles as to if she would make weapons since she had been told that women can not build weapons because they will fail in time of need, etc. This book was, from what I understand, based on a true story.

We really loved this book (George Mueller by Janet and Geoff Benge--a YWAM book on Heroes of the Faith) and were surprised by it! The kids and I were surprised by Muller's early years as a rebel and godlessness which is not what we pictured of him! But God did a miraculous work in his life and his life is clearly a picture of what God can do with one of His children when they completely surrender to Him. This book brought be to tears. It was so moving and challenging. The kids loved it for sure. Thanks K for the recommendation.

Our pastor at church on Wednesday nights has been studying the Names of God. Gabriel had really been enjoying it and I told my parents. They had purchased some books and when they heard Gabriel's interest in the study of God's names they said we'll send them to you then! This first book Names of our Father by Yvonne Riley was really good. It gives a name like "Abba" then describes it's meaning in many short phrases then gives about a paragraph on how to think about and how that name applies to your life as a Christian. We read one a day before devotions since they are so short and we went through the book twice. The illustrations are VERY VERY childish and look like they are meant for preschoolers. I do think this book is easily understood by small children but a lot to glean for older children as they learn the names of Christ and how those names apply to them. The second book is slightly different and we are still going through it. I liked this book and what it taught. I would quiz the kids over previously learned names and meanings.

My parents also gave us this book Passport to the World by Craig Froman. This book takes you through many countries of the world and tells you small amounts about the country and shows some pictures of the people or items of interest. A cool feature is it has a passport with stickers from each country that you "visit" to put in your passport. This book the kids enjoyed more than I did. I did not like the way it was written. I thought they put unnecessary info into it while leaving info that I thought kids might really enjoy about the countries out. That said the kids enjoyed it anyway, right? One thing I did really like was they tell you how to say different words from each of the countries and we all really enjoyed that. The book is valuable in introducing many different cultures. Our prayer devotional book that I blogged about awhile back said to be praying for other countries and if you didn't know a whole lot about them to get a book. Well, we got a good tour through the world. I can't say we have been praying for specific countries but we do at times pray for the persecuted Christians because we read Voice of the Martyrs publication. I want the kids to be aware of the price other Christians pay for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Another book from my parents. Gladys Alyward by Janet and Geoff Benge. One of the many books put out by YWAM (Youth With A Mission) This book is PACKED FULL OF ADVENTURE. All I can say is this women is absolutely amazing in her faith! Again the end of this book brought be to tears! Gladys was a missionary to China. She was flunking out of her Bible classes and dismissed from missionary school. She toiled and worked and researched and after an amazingly courageous journey to China she meets this grumpy missionary that she thought would be so excited to have her come to help but instead is well just grumpy! But they do indeed minister along side each other. I just can not begin to tell the adventure and faith described in this book. I am not a good writer and could not do it justice! There is no such thing as a boring chapter! Christ is so evident in her walk through life and she endures so much. You must read about her coming back home to England and what happens on the train station platform. She eventually does go back to minister to post war China. Her story of being what seemed to be an average person with no obvious talent who struggled in school but with Christ in her life she became extraordinary. I love it.

Bump in the Night

Every once in awhile during the night there would be BUMP that was a mystery. The kids would be checked on and would all be fine but no clue of the sound. It is not unusual for us to hear animals during the night. Last night we could hear the elk bugle so we look out our window and sure enough they were in our yard (probably about 40 of them walked through over time) and one was close enough to Annalina's window to reach out and touch it! We went and got the kids up and for about and hour sat in the dark up to a window that goes just about down to the ground and the elk would walk up to the window and look in!!! Even a bull elk walked up to the window and looked in and bumped his nose to the window and we were right there! SOOOOOO cool!!! We had such a blast. Well, we may have figured out the bumps we hear . . . one of the elk made a loud bump against the house!

Babe and I thought it was so cute that after Ross heard the elk sounds he referred to it as them "yawning". The kids got to hear the elk bugle for the first time last night and that was super exciting to them.

Anyway, we had a great time enjoying the things that go BUMP in the night!

Jeremiah 17:5-8

⁵Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

⁶For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

⁷Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

⁸For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Lord, Teach Me To Pray for kids-by Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt

For weeks now the kids and I have been working through the above devotional. It has been SOOOOO good and we are days away from being finished in this study. For fun it likens you as being a special forces soldier and each day is a mission or training. A few days ago we studied the above verses in Jeremiah 17:5-8 (this training was about receiving the supplies we need from our Commander in Chief -God our Father-)and this study proved to be a great reminder and lesson of the difference in a life between those that live a life of faith dependent on God and those that rely on human strength. It touched my heart and convicted me. When we got done Gabriel said "That was good!" The lesson challenged us at the end by asking . . .

"Are you anxious in hard times (times of heat)? Or are you resting because you know that the heat can't destroy you because you are rooted by a stream and God will meet your needs? . . . How dependent are you on God? Have you sent your requisition (inquiry) to the Commander in Chief asking for the supplies for your mission? Communicate with Him and ask Him so supply your needs from his riches . . . (Lord Teach Me To Pray for kids-by Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt)

One last Bible Verse

II Corinthians 1:20:

"For all the promises of God IN HIM are yea, and IN HIM Amen, unto the glory of God by us." [emphasis mine obviously:-)]

Fun at the Bike Park with Cousin C

My older brother B and his son C and my Aunt B came for a visit last week. It was so fun spending time with them. I had not seen my Aunt in about 9 years and it was so fun to catch up with her!

I wrote before about the new bike park in our area. We went twice while Cousin C was here and the kids had a blast. Cousin C is a more experienced rider than the others but we all had fun and both times were beautiful Colorado days. Yep, that is my hubby on the pink bike just having fun and giving laughs! He is definitely secure in his manliness but I had fun sending these pictures to his brother! My older brother took all these pictures while we were there.

Gabriel and Cousin C enjoyed playing monopoly. The other popular activity was building forts in the play room and have nerf gun wars. Uncle B gave them survival lessons out in the woods which was also a highlight!

"I want to be on Active Duty"

A short time back Gabriel came to our room one night after the kids had been put to bed. He was emotional and as we talked I found out he wanted to be baptized. He talked about how pastor had preached a message about baptism being the Christians uniform. Gabriel said as he went to bed he thought . . . "I'm a civilian in the army, I want to be active duty!" He wanted to put on the uniform and identify with Christ as baptism is an outward show to identifying with Christ. Gabriel was struggling he wanted to be baptized but he said "I don't like to do important things in front of people." He does not like to be the center of attention in larger groups. We talked to him and prayed with him. He decided he was ready to go forward to get baptized. The day he was baptized Gabriel was THRILLED. He told me 2 times "I am so glad I am baptized!"

I saw this week, as a mother, that my little Gabers is turning into a young man. He is listening and responding to the Holy Spirits work in his life. Also, he has been helping our church as they build our new Sanctuary. He had WAITED for the building to start and was so eager to help. He was thrilled that he got to help put the main beam in!! He got to drill the holes in the main beam. He also got to help with demolition and tightening bolts in the new foundation. I loved hearing him say "I worked with Mr. R doing . . . this and "I drilled holes and Daddy did . . . " My little boy isn't little any more. I am thankful for a church that allows the next generation to help and doesn't consider them a hindrance. They don't roll their eyes about how a kid does something and get annoyed. They love them and want them to be apart of ministry.

First Piano Recital

This was both Gabriel and Annalina's first piano recital. Gabriel has only been taking lessons for about 2 months and Annalina has had to take a few steps back since starting with this new teacher. We are grateful this teacher saw the gaps in her learning!! Mrs. W is the best piano teacher! Babe caught just the very end of one of Annalina's recital songs on tape.

Why I Love Homeschooling in 1,000 words. Well, maybe 2,000!

A picture is worth 1,000 words! :-)

O.k., there are days I feel like pulling out every hair I have on my head but it is all worth it. The kids love each other (and yes they fight too) and have a BLAST in just the small stuff. So, I may be bald early but I'll have GREAT memories and so will the kids.

Coleslaw, Cabbage, Carrot, Arrow . . . Baby #5?! and a Poem by Mommy

Carson at Casa Bonita Resteraunt in Denver celebrating the news
that a baby brother was coming!

At Casa Bonita to celebrate the news that a baby boy
would be coming to us in the spring.

We had the BEST seats in the resteraunt. We got to watch the diver up close!

Annalina at Casa Bonita Resteraunt in Denver celebrating the news
that a baby brother was coming!

August 20th we found out we were expecting a new little one! When Babe and I found out we hugged and then went to our knees to thank God for this little one and ask God for its protection. Each baby in the family, before it is born has been given a pre-birth name . . . Gabriel was "Turnip", Annalina was "Tater", Ross was "Pickle", and Carson was "Sprout". Unfortunately, this time around to many people care what the name is. Gabriel calls it "Cabbage". Annalina calls it "Carrot". And Daddy decided he would call it "Coleslaw" as a mix of the 2! Poor kid!

I have again been really sick during this pregnancy which at times can really get discouraging but I am thankful none the less.

October 12th was my first doctor checkup and he did a QUICK ultrasound just to get a glimpse of the baby and the heartbeat. I saw a little arm floating and the cute head and of course I'm in love. Most importantly I saw the heartbeat! It was a low tech ultrasound so the picture wasn't real great but it was still fun to see! A big praise from this was also that I got a GREAT doctor which had been a really big concern. If a doctor was going to be made for me it would be just like this doctor. I drove away and felt in God's hands. He knows our concerns and He watches over even the little things showing His love and care. How can I not feel blessed with a day like that!

Today is October 26th and I believe I have already felt the baby kick on 2 separate occasions in the last week or so!! Seems early but what gives it more validity is I have felt the kicks when I have been really busy and than sat down to rest which is how they usually do it. They are lulled to sleep when Mommy is working and then when you sit down the cradle isn't being rocked anymore! Needless to say, I got a KICK out of it both times! Sorry couldn't resist!

November 11th we went in for a 3D/4D ultrasound. The lady that did the ultrasound was fantastic. I have never been so comfortable during an ultrasound nor have I gotten to interact with the baby like I did in this ultrasound. The technician showed me where to push on my belly and then on a big screen on the wall we could watch how HE, YES HE reacted. He is an ACTIVE little guy. The technician commented about how active he is. I said he has to be to keep up with these 4!

I knew probably within seconds of the ultrasound starting it was a boy. Annalina commented that maybe he was hungry and he gave her a thumbs up sign which she just went crazy over. Annalina poked at him to and watched him react. Everyone fell in love. Carson was taking it all in and watching the screen. Gabriel was so excited and loved seeing the pictures. Ross also really enjoyed the whole experience. I wish I had written this post sooner because he said something so cute and now I can't remember what it was. Ugh. Babe loved it. He loved that at a stage of pregnancy where he can't feel the baby kicking and interact much yet he loved the bonding experience so early.

It wasn't like waiting for a baby after that it was like you met someone you adored and you look forward to seeing them again. Annalina had been praying for a girl but after the ultrasound and the interaction she said "I don't even want a girl anymore!" The technician really enjoyed watching how excited the kids were about this little one and she was impressed with their behavior. She complimented about the kids and said "and I see a lot of kids."

After the ultrasound we went to Casa Bonita's Resteraunt near Denver. It is an unusual Mexican Restaraunt that has a guy that dives off a cliff with fire in the restaraunt and they seated us right next to the pool area!!! It was fantastic to sit there. I went there as a kid and wanted to take the kids. I thought they would enjoy it but I was thrilled that they loved it beyond my expectations!!!

December 7th- Carson has been unsure of the whole baby thing but is slowly coming around. He picked out some PJ's for the baby the other day. He pointed at the ultrasound pics on the refrigerator and said "baby" and later when I was telling Babe about it he said "our baby".

December 16th- Another ultrasound today. But this one is the medical ultrasound. I am really looking forward to seeing our littlest little guy again . . .
. . . had the ultrasound and thankful he looks perfectly healthy!! Praise the Lord! Something funny though is that the ultrasound technician said that on one of his feet the toe next to his big toe is longer than the big toe and asked if Brian or I had that. We think it is cute we'll have a little monkey foot!

January 20th-Update on names. We think we have picked a name but what is funny is the names Ross and Carson have picked. Carson has said MANY times he wants to name the baby "Daniel Boone" which really comes out Da Boo. Ross (NOT JOKING) seriously wants to name the baby "Bunker Hill". His reasoning . . . "It's the name of a battle!"

January 25th-Carson now says to me "lay baby" and he puts his head on my stomach and cuddles with the baby. So cute. Today the older kids were gone at homeschooling group and Carson and I were praying for breakfast alone. We prayed for the baby but when I was done Carson said to me "not die" and I knew what he was talking about. I didn't specifically pray that the baby would not die which is what the kids pray. So Carson added on to the prayer that the baby would not die.

This little guy is VERY active and strong so curious to see what he looks and acts like!

I had complications with my last pregnancy and I don't take the life of this child for granted. I know my Heavenly Father could take this child home at any time but it is my prayer that we be able to keep this little one we already love. During one of my sickest times I went to bed feeling overwhelmed with my sickness and feeling discouraged but blessed. I wrote this poem. For those of you that are into grammar and the fine points of poetry you may not want to read on. This is a mother pouring out her heart not concentrating on English grammar. Prayerfully, someday this little one will be able to read this and know some of my heart.

To My Smallest Arrow
by Mommy (September 9th, 2011)

The torture is all worth it the fear, nausea, and pain.
For I know when I look into your eyes it will be nothing but gain!
You're an answer to my prayers, child of mine,
I know from God my Father you are a sign.
He gave you to me as a sign of His love.
I will carry His grace with me until I am with Him above.
When your Daddy and I found out about you we embraced
then got down on our knees to pray.
We thanked God and petitioned Him that with us you would stay.
I know some people snicker and wonder why
Why we are giving having a child another try.
You are an arrow in Daddy and Mommy's quiver the Bible says . . .
An arrow to shoot out into this godless world.
Our prayer for you is that you accept God's Son above,
And that your arrow would shoot the world evidence of HIS love.
May your arrow be ever sharp, straight, and true.
This is our only prayer and really our only hope for you!
There is no need to pray or hope for anything more,
For when you walk with God you have His grace, peace, and blessing galore.
Satan will try to distract you as in life you take aim.
He'll send people to criticize you and bring you to shame!
"How can Almighty God use a person as you?" Your response "It's not I but Christ"
Just remember that it's all about His abilities not you.
So as in life you take aim hand the bow to the Lord
And He'll use your arrow to be sharp and straight as a sword.
So you as an arrow will not go off course on your own
But be used to make His Word, the Bible, sown.
But in the meanwhile I can't wait to feel your sweet breath and to see and touch your face.
I had to write a poem to tell you that I know you are a gift of God's grace.
P.S. It's not just Mommy and Daddy that can't wait to see your face.
You have 3 amazing brothers and a loving sister
that are ecstatic and praying you home to our place!
They love you and love Jesus and we pray for them too
that all our precious arrows shoot straight and Bible true.

Can't wait to hold you! We are never ending in our prayers for you! No matter what, I know I will see you even if not on this earth.

Video of the Kids Sledding Fun

First Big Snow of the Year!!

Grandpa J helping the kids get started on the sled! Sooooooo much fun!

Grandpa J's turn to have a ride down!!

I had an absolute BLAST with the kids. I loved sledding and throwing snowballs with the kids. I loved it when I was a kid myself and it is fun sharing that joy with my little ones now.

The forecast said 2-4 inches of snow. REALLY? Ross is standing!

Our sweet snow angel. She and Gabriel and Ross LOVED the snow.

Gabers

Ross

Carson wasn't so thrilled about the bundling up and being stuck in snow.
Next year will be better when he can move around more easily.

We found something Carson likes to do in the snow . . . shovel!!

Daddy taking a turn riding down!