Update

I started writing a series of posts on Monday about the lessons the Lord has taught me this year. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to put that project on hold. My mom has been in the hospital for almost a week now. Hopefully she will be getting better soon. Your prayers in that regard would be greatly appreciated. When I'm not fulfilling daughter duties, I'm trying to prepare for our daughter Grace's confirmation this weekend. Grace is ready to affirm her baptism before God and men. As her parents, we couldn't be more pleased with what the Lord is doing her heart. In the midst of suffering, there is celebration. Isn't life so often like that? We serve an awesome and Holy God who has us all in His tender care.

Happy Flag Day

Weekend in Review

Friday night Bible study-- We're still working our way through The Truth Project.
Saturday morning--yard sales. Joel got a new Woody doll and gun holster.
Then off to Grandpa Bob's company picnic at the park. Bouncy houses, rock climbing, face painting, balloons, pony rides, watermelon eating contest (Matt and Lydia each won their divisions), train rides, BBQ, hot dogs, cotton candy and ice cream. We had loads of fun.
Saturday night--Shabbot. It's been a while since I've made the effort. I forgot that it's worth the effort.Sunday--church, Grace's last confirmation class and a drive out of town for family worship. We had a blessed evening of prayer and fellowship, but we didn't get home until almost 10 p.m.

This morning bright and early we started swimming lessons. Joel's first lesson was a success. He loved it and he almost got his head completely under water (I'll betcha tomorrow he'll do it). Jude thought he should be allowed in the pool, too.

We met the cousins late in the afternoon for an impromptu dip in the river.
It was a beautiful day today. After so much non-stop activity over the last few days, we're completely fried. I'm sure the kids will sleep well tonight and if they sleep well, I know I will, too.

Special Delivery

Joel came to me this evening and said, "Mama, me got eggs!" I only saw one egg. It was in his hand. I asked Joel where the other eggs were. "In mine pockets!" he said. Joel had put a pair of jeans on all by himself in the late afternoon. The problem was the jeans were Jude's, not Joel's, so they were a bit tight. The eggs were really difficult to get out of the pockets. We did manage to get them out without any breakage, but one egg fell to the floor as Joel was attempting to put it on the kitchen counter.

Grace's Bread

Grace continues to hone her bread making skills. Each loaf she produces is tastier than the last. Several months ago, I ordered a few different kinds of flour and some vital wheat gluten from King Arthur Flour. The quality of the products was great, but the price tag was a bit steep.
I discovered that I can buy all of the equivalent flours and enhancers at our local health food store for half the price of King Arthur Flour. We've really enjoyed the whole wheat white flour. Not only has Grace added a small portion of the flour to her whole wheat loaves (higher rise, less dense), we've experimented with it in lots of other baked goods. We've added the whole wheat white flour in a 1:1 ratio with all purpose flour to waffles, muffins, biscuits and pizza dough. I've been really pleased with the results. You can hardly tell a difference between a conventional baked good and our baked goods with the added whole wheat white flour.

My uncle is raising hard white wheat this year and has offered to give some to us. I've been hedging on getting our own grain mill, but a wheat donation might get me to finalize my purchase decision.

Now that I have a girl that can whip up some biscuits for dinner, I've found we're baking a lot more and not purchasing as many baked goods from the store. It's so nice not to have to shoulder the entire burden of dinner preparation by myself anymore. As a result, we're much more consistent with actually getting dinner on the table (instead of having Daddy pick up pizza on the way home). Many hands make light work, as my Grandpa used to say.

Little Man Jude

Jude is a tough little guy. He can hold his own against his big brother Joel and he's learned that pulling Lydia's hair is a very effective tool to have in his arsenal.

In between Jude's testosterone bursts, he likes to cuddle with his Mama (and sometimes his Daddy). In his eyes, he's just not cuddled properly unless he has his hands up Mama's (or Daddy's) sleeves. Weird. He perfected his hand-up-sleeves technique around Christmas time of last year and he's used it extensively ever since.
When we went to the homeschool conference a couple of months ago, Jude found a little girl there that he wanted to befriend. He squatted down next to her on the floor. She was about five and she thought Jude was cute. Then Jude put his hand up her sleeve. Boy, did she give me a look! I just laughed and said that Jude's way of showing someone he really likes them is by putting his hands up their sleeves. She wasn't impressed.

Logic & Three Year Olds

This past Sunday we took a road trip to my uncle's house for a family reunion. Sunday morning started with a mad rush to get out the door by 7:30 a.m. so that we could attend early church. More than a few people were surprised to see us there at that time. I was a little surprised, too.

We ran a couple of errands after church, then headed home to finish up food preparations for the big party and to pack up all the swimming gear, extra outfits, diapers, sunblock, etc. that we would need for the day.

We arrived at my uncle's about 2 p.m. Matt and the kids got right into the pool. I spent the entire afternoon getting Jude dressed, undressed, swimming diaper on, then off, earplugs in then out. He couldn't decide where he wanted to be. When he wasn't actually in the pool, he wanted to be dangerously close to it, so I wasn't allowed to get too comfortable in my pool side chair.

We finally loaded into the van about 8 p.m. to begin the 2 1/2 hour drive home. I was exhausted, to say the least. However, Joel asked, "Mama, can we go to da zoo now?" He must have reasoned in his little three year old mind that such a town must surely have a zoo and he didn't want to leave until he'd seen it. I was too tired to remember to use three year old logic. I just gave Joel a common sense answer to his question.

"There is no zoo here, Joel. Besides, even if there was one, it would be closed by now." Undeterred, Joel asked, "Can we go to da zoo now?"

"Joel, I just told you, there's no zoo here."

"Can we go to da zoo now?"

Time to change tactics. "Joel, the animals are are all asleep at the zoo. It's their night night time."

"Oh. Da nanimals go night night? O.K." Then he settled into his car seat and was asleep before we hit the first stop light.

Cute Quotes

"Mommy, I can speak robot and American." (Lydia)

"Mama, me uv you best." (Joel, as he snuggled with me. And he
said it more than once, too.)