Whiskers on Kittens

But, we know all good things must come to an end...

2007-09-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly. This will be the last post on Whiskers on Kittens.

Now, surely you aren't thinking that the whiskery kittens family is giving up blogging! What a thought!

Goodness no! We are simply starting anew.

Our new blog is www.kudzugrows.blogspot.com

Please, go take a look. :D

The Boy likes Opera!!

2007-09-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

See, here is proof.

I was watching a video of some opera singers when I looked down at Noah who was not only watching the video intently, but smiling with one of the broadest smiles I've ever seen.

TSJr. took the camera for a reenactment, and Noah smiled again! Proof that the boy loves opera! I knew we were raising him right ~wink~

~Flibby

M.P.R.Q...9/7/07

2007-09-07T05:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers, I am changing the name of this series from "Question Of The Day"or "Q.O.T.D." to Miss Poppins' Random Question" or "M.P.R.Q.". Because I am obviously not posting them every day (actually I haven't posted one for several months!). So here I begin:

Miss Poppins' Random Question!

Today's question: What colors are you wearing right now?

Lady Why: "Purple and blue"

Flibby: "Bright red and navy blue"

Miss Poppins: "Fushia and green"

Karate Kid: "Gray and blue"

Hannah Banana: "Yellow and pink"

Cindy Lou Who: "Pink and yellow with a neon green headband"

Noah: "Baby blue (of course!)

You're next! Please leave your answer in the comment section!

Works for me Wednesday!

2007-09-05T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's the Brand Loyal Edition of Works for me Wednesday and I just couldn't resist. I've been rather preoccupied with a certain irresistible young man recently and so I haven't been very diligent in my Works for me Wednesday posts... or any posts for that matter! But, I was drawn back in with the enticement of the Brand Loyal Edition Wednesday!

I have several brand name items that I buy and that I would consider the crème de la crème of the product world! Would you like me to share? I'll be happy to...

First of all, my favorite line of children's clothing is Gymboree. There are several reasons why. The quality of the clothing cannot be matched! My six year old daughter is wearing some of the dresses I originally bought second hand for my now 17 year old daughter! So, originally second hand and going through the beating of four daughters, the dresses are still like new! The colors don't fade, the fabrics don't stretch and the snaps and buttons stay tighter and intact more than any other I have seen! Plus, you can resell them and nearly recover your entire cost... especially if you buy them second hand! Win, win situation all around!

Another love affair I have is with the best sweet tea in all the world... Milo's Tea! If you don't have Milo's Tea in your area of the country, I am truly sorry. It's probably best that you don't know what you are missing. Milo's Tea cannot be duplicated. I don't know how they do it, but there are certain times of my life... especially at certain stages of pregnancy ;-) ... that I would be willing to sell the tires off my car for a tall icy glass of Milo's Tea. What more can I say?

Next on my list is my dishwashing detergent. I will only use Cascade. Now it doesn't have to be the special 'Bleach Enhancing' or 'Super Duper Advanced Formula'... just simple Cascade. But, nothing gets dishes cleaner than Cascade. Ask me how I know!

Ahhh, what can I say about Dreft? I adore Dreft detergent and it is a 'must have' for every new baby in our family! Is it outrageously expensive? Yes! Would another dye-free, fragrance-free detergent be just as safe and effective on our tiny baby clothes? Probably. Is there anything in the world that smells as good as Dreft detergent on my baby clothes? No way! I admit, it's the smell that gets me. There is nothing that welcomes a new baby into our home better than all his things wafting in the intoxicating smell of Dreft detergent!

Continuing on with baby products, Johnson's Baby Cream is another required purchase for our babies. I have used this cream since my oldest daughter, now 17 years old, was born. It is the best remedy I have ever found for diaper rash. I use it on my babies after every bath and I rarely, if ever, have to deal with diaper rash or any of the usual newborn scaly skin issues. Plus it smells divine! I love those baby smells! They used to market it in cute little lidded jars like cold cream but now it comes in a tall pink squeezable tube. It is the best of the best!

Well, that's all that I can think of right now. I am generally not brand loyal and I tend to always buy generic or what's on sale with these few exceptions. But, when I find something that works, I stick with it!

I won't mention my love of Blue Bell Fudge Bars right now because I want my gentle readers to continue on with the illusion that I always eat sooo healthy. Yes, you just keep thinking that! Suffice it to say that no one knows fudge bars like Blue Bell. Accept no substitute! (...and that's all I have to say on that matter.)

For other great tips on brand name products, visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer!

The Little Boy Thou Gavest Me

2007-08-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord, I bring to Thee my son

Whose tender years have scarce begun.

In this wee frame I know full well

A living soul has come to dwell

Who needs Thee now at childhood's gate,

Ere he shall grow to man's estate.

I covenant through hours apart

To pray for him with fervent heart,

To teach Thy Word with winsome voice

By day and night until his choice

Be but Thy blood for sin's deep stain,

And my small son is born again.

Then onward shall I pray the more

And teach Thy precepts o'er and o'er,

That he may grow, each boyhood hour,

By Thine indwelling risen power,

Lord, some small boys with none to care

Will never hear a mother's prayer;

Prepare my son with love aflame

To reach them with Thy saving name.

And make him, Lord, a polished tool,

A learner in Thy highest school.

A mother's part seems, oh, so frail!

But Thy strong arm can never fail.

To teach, to pray, to stand are mine;

Expectantly I yield to Thee

The little boy Thou gavest me.

~Louise B. Eavey

Hebrews 12:1

2007-08-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

As I continue to pirate wonderful words of wisdom from other bloggers, Crystal at Biblical Womanhood pointed me toward this fabulous post! Homemakerang has some profound words to share with 'busy' moms. It's all about a subject near and dear to my heart... the better thing!

I'll share an excerpt...

"Even things that seem "good" like church activities are still distractions to us. I am saying that your family (hubby and sweet babies) is your first mission for Jesus, not your Bible Study, not your sewing class, not blogging (speaking to me here!) not the Internet, not your choir, not your church meetings, not your group you lead and find so much fulfillment in.... Family first! Your mission field is your family first, then others. If one of these things is becoming bigger than your family mission you should really consider opting out of it after asking God what He would have you do."

This article is worth reading in its entirety! You can find it at Homemakerang.

I used to be one of those mothers that attended a local megachurch and found myself through those doors every time they were open. I was on multiple committees, was director of this and that, taught Sunday School, attended every class and even volunteered up there on my "free" days helping the office staff with copying, filing and such. What was I thinking? My family suffered for it. How did they suffer from a mom that was so committed to her church? We ate lots of fast food, my house was in a perpetual state of disorder, I was too exhausted to play, too exhausted to do a very good job homeschooling, and I had nothing left to offer them of myself.

I remember when the Lord convicted me, revealing to me that my church work was not for Him, it was for me. I loved the friends and social time that I had when I was at church. I loved the challenge of teaching. I loved helping and the recognition that comes from being in charge and doing a good job at something that is helpful to so many people. I loved it all. It wasn't as "exciting" to stay home with preschoolers all day and homeschool. It wasn't as "exciting" to cook and clean and serve my husband well. Those things were OK, but didn't carry the same "WOW factor".

Once I left all those responsibilities behind and turned my eyes to the mission field where the Lord has truly called me, I realized that all my "church work" was nothing more than wood, hay and stubble. My true mission field is my family! Nothing in service to anything else - other than what the Lord has given me - brings me any deeper fulfillment, any truer joy, or any more meaningful accolades. I want to hear the Lord's praise for my service, not man's praise. It was very freeing and my family has been the welcome recipients of a wife and mother that is focused on them... my life's work which the Lord has given to me. My relationships with my husband and children are deeply close, incredibly strong, and bring me so much joy! I want the same to be true of my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren should the Lord be pleased to grant me that long of a life on earth! I will take no other responsibility, engage in no recreation, and focus on nothing outside the Lord Himself until I have formed and nurtured those relationships with my husband, children, grandchildren and so on. What work is more important than that? None!

I so enjoyed this post and I am hear to vouch for its truth because I have been there and back again. I'm so thankful to the Lord that He showed me what was most important early on. I would not want to trade this inheritance for any of the world's mess of pottage!

Baby Firsts!

2007-08-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

I've been lax in updating on several momentous occasions in our home lately. First, our sweet baby boy began smiling real smiles - not those beautiful little sleep induced smiles that all babies do right from the start. No, these are real smiles! Noah has dimples!! Forgive the less-than-perfect pictures of his smiles. Being some of his first, (he actually smiled his first real smile at 3 weeks of age... yes, he must certainly be a child prodigy!) they are few and far between so catching them at just the right unpredictable moment with the camera is a challenge. These pictures show the beginning of a smile, which then radiated into a huge ear to ear grin complete with dimples. But, alas the camera was setting up for the next snap... which captured the tail end of that great smile. So, it was really bigger and better than the pictures portray. Just use your imagination! As they get more frequent and more predictable, we'll post some terrific pictures of our smiley boy!Also, right after Noah's umbilical cord fell off, he had the "pleasure" of his first bath in his new duckie tub. You would think that would be a joyful thing for a boy, wouldn't you? Not so! He wasn't completely upset with me the whole time... but, even when he wasn't turning purple from screaming, he certainly did not find it a fun activity!First bath and first smiles... ahhh, the joys of newborn babies are endless!

One more gray hair on my head...

2007-08-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

I lost some sleep last night... a lot of sleep, actually. My son kept me awake.

Oh, you might be assuming it was the tiny little newborn son. Nooooo... the child that kept me awake and staring at the ceiling for several hours with eyes as big as saucers would be my eldest son... the one who is nearly 12 years old.

Yes, TSJr. added one more gray hair to my increasingly graying coiffure. I'm sure you'd love to hear the story...

My itty bitty son decided to go to sleep - one of those nice deep sleeps where you can move him around, make all sorts of noise and generally do anything you want to him and he will not even stir - around 8pm last night. This is a little unusual but, not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I decided to go with it and take full advantage of some rest myself. Mr. P and I turned in early and waited to see how long the baby would go before letting us know it was time for a late night meal.

Around 11pm... I'm not quite sure because I was in such a deep and much needed sleep... I heard a small creaking of a door somewhere in the distance. Have you ever been startled awake by an unidentifiable sound and you just weren't sure if you dreamed it or if it was truly real? That was the situation I was facing. Hmmm, did I hear a door creak or did I dream it. I decided Mr. P needed to investigate. Now, Mr. P just LOVES it when I wake him up from a sound sleep and say, "Did you hear that?!" (In case you were wondering, this has happened before.) I told him what I heard. He grumbled at me that I must have dreamed it. I asked him to go check the doors. He grumbled a little louder and staggered from the bed to the doorway of our bedroom. From the doorway of our bedroom you can see the door going downstairs to the garage and you can see the front door. He grumbled that the doors were closed and locked and told me I must have imagined it. Well, I wasn't perfectly satisfied with that answer but I assumed that if the doors are closed and locked, they certainly couldn't be creaking. I turned over intending to go back to sleep.

Just then, I heard the storm door on the deck moving?... rattling?... just not being still. I again gave Mr. P a poke in the ribs and told him it was the back door I was hearing and he needed to go see about it. He told me it was probably just the wind but he climbed out of bed anyway knowing I would not rest until he checked. He came back to bed a little perplexed and said that the back door was ajar. This is unusual because I would never go to bed with the back door open... air conditioning if nothing else! He told me he had secured the storm door and closed and locked the main door. I was staring at the ceiling wondering how that could have happened ...when we heard it.

What was it? It was the very quiet and light rattle of the doorknob. Mr. P was now wide awake and on his feet out of bed. A cold chill ran down my spine as I realized someone was on our deck and that someone was trying to get into my house! Mr. P sneaked out into the hall slowly making his way toward the kitchen. I was trying to think of every plausible explanation. The dogs? No, they were inside. The wind? There hasn't been a breeze in our 100 degree weather in over a month. A moth hitting the glass? Moths can't turn doorknobs!

Then I heard Mr. P in a booming and extremely deep voice yell, "WHO'S OUT THERE?" At that point I knew that he saw someone outside trying to get in. Someone was trying to break into our house!! In that split second I was coming up with some sort of idea of how I was going to protect my children. I grabbed the phone knowing I needed to call 911 and decided I would take the baby, run upstairs, get all the other children in one room... and then from there I would have to decide later. Great plan, huh? I had the phone in my hand and literally only five seconds or so went by until I heard Mr. P yell our oldest son's name along with a "What in the WORLD are you doing out there?!!"

Yes, my son was outside. The first creak I heard was him quietly trying to sneak out the back door. He was being very sweet in trying his best not to wake us up. He was taking the puppies outside. They were whining and he was taking them out for a potty break while trying not to disturb us. I didn't hear him or the two dogs coming down the stairs. I didn't hear the click, click of their toenails on the wood floor as they walked past our open bedroom door. I didn't hear my son walking around. But, I did hear the faint creak of the back door being opened! Explain that!

Imagine his surprise when he tried to come back in the house only to find that someone had closed and locked the backdoor! He never realized - until later, of course - that we didn't know it was him. He knows now!

That is a terrible feeling! Knowing that someone is outside and trying to come in your house in the middle of the night presumably to do you and your family harm is a terrifying experience... one which I never want to experience again... even though it was only TSJr. in the end!

After I started breathing again, we sent the perplexed TSJr. (who couldn't think for a minute why we would have been scared by HIM!) and the puppies to bed. Needless to say, Mr. P and I were no longer sleepy. We discussed all the ways our house is unsafe and all the things we need to do to make it more safe. I think by the time we finally went back to sleep, we decided on four inch steel doors, alarm systems, a few rifles in the house, motion sensor flood lights, barbed wire and a good attack dog.

As we finally settled down and decided we might be able to sleep again, you guessed it.... Waaaahhhh! from the cradle next to me. Noah's lovely long nap was over and he was waiting for a little late night dinner and a show.

It was a long night.

Grandpa's Little Helper

2007-08-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Today Grandpa Fred and Grandma Pat came by to visit with Noah and he was sporting his 'Grandpa's Little Helper' outfit just for the occasion! That baby is so cute I could eat him up!
Of course, I'm a little bit partial... as are my mother-in-law and father-in-law I do believe.... and all of Noah's siblings, etc. etc. My apologies to those of you that are getting a little bit of 'Noah overload'... not that any of you are suffering from that. But, I am aware that there may be someone, who is not necessarily consumed with a certain little baby boy, who might like to read book reviews or recipes or maybe a rant or two on the latest news makers. I'm sorry. My mind is too consumed with baby love right now. Maybe tomorrow... or next week... or another month... or two. You get the idea. In the meantime, check back often for more Noah features! I can promise you there will be one or two - or more - of those! ~wink~

One month old today!!

2007-08-19T06:52:00.001-07:00

My tiny newborn baby boy is growing right before my eyes! Today he is one month old. He's smiling at us every day, he loves to watch his mobile go around and around, he adores listening to the children play the piano and he can lift his head like a pro! He is sleeping less and is alert and happy more and more hours of the day. (and night!) My baby is growing up! He's getting a double chin, is outgrowing some of his tiniest outfits and no longer enjoys being swaddled. I can't believe the changes I'm seeing in him. The newborn stage is fleeting... and ours is fleeting right on by. But, it is a joy to see those toothless grins when I'm talking to him and to know that he is recognizing me. It's a joy to watch his eyes track around those funny bright colored animals on his mobile and to see him settle down and listen when some wonderful classical music - which he had quite a lot of exposure to in utero! - is being played on the piano. He is learning... even at this young age and that is a joy and a delight!

Having a one month old baby is a priceless treasure and I'm not going to waste a single moment of it!

Noah Art

2007-08-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures at 3am this morning. Notice how alert he is...

~Flibby

Yes, I know what causes that

2007-08-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

I was talking to some of my co-workers this week about the number of children I have. I got the standard question..."Don't you know what causes that?"

Until recently, when asked that question, I would just laugh at their ignorance. But now I have a different answer.

I know several couples that desire children. Some have struggled with infertility and all the treatments and interventions that go along with that diagnosis. Still others have lost babies to miscarriage and birth defects. These families long for the blessing of children.

In the middle of all this, my wife and I, who already have 5 perfect, healthy, beautiful children, asked the Lord that if it was His will, we would love to have more children. Four weeks ago, our healthy new baby boy was born.

So when people ask me "Don't you know what causes that", I now say "Yes, the Lord has made it painfully clear to me recently what causes that. Nothing more than the underserved loving grace and sovereignty of God causes that."

That answer, along with the above explanation, usually results in one person who never asks that question again.

A little preview of the Father Son Retreat...

2007-08-17T07:36:00.001-07:00

Mr. P is working on some wonderful narrations of his time at the Crooked Creek Ranch in Fraser, Colorado where he and our oldest son spent five glorious days recently! But, as he has come back home and gone back to work after a even more wonderful four weeks of being at home with us, he is acclimating back into regular life and hasn't put pen to paper... or fingertips to keyboard as the case may be... quite yet.

Thrill Seeker Jr. (once known as Karate Kid) is also compiling his thoughts and insights into the big event to be reported to everyone very soon. In the meantime, so as not to keep you completely on the edge of your seats, I'm giving you a few tidbits that have been shared with us by the traveling duo and sharing a few gorgeous pictures... just a few as Mr. P and TSJr. took over 500! They made me proud!! Now I don't want any more grief over my 900+ Disneyworld pictures!

I've already shared a bit about the weather... that incredible 70's-for-highs-and-40's-for-lows weather! Mr. P said every day felt like a warm fall day! Ahhh! How wonderful would that be? Mr. P mentioned he'd like to move there at which point I asked him to wait and let us visit in January before we make any rash decisions! But, a nice summer home there would be just the ticket! That I could enjoy!

Of course, the best part of the trip was the brilliant, convicting and challenging talks given by some huge 'heavy hitters' in the Christian world... Doug Phillips (one of our heroes!), Scott Brown (another one of our heroes!) and Lew Sterrett. Lew Sterrett was new to us. We've heard Doug Phillips and Scott Brown many times before... in fact, they feel like old friends when we have the opportunity to hear them again. But, Lew Sterrett was a new breath of fresh air! Mr. P and TSJr. loved him and his horses! One of Mr. P's favorite "Lew zingers" - as he called them - was 'grace is free but righteousness has a price'! He elaborated on "Christians" who say that Jesus is their Savior but don't have Jesus as their Lord. One cannot exist without the other and if you claim Jesus as Savior, there is a price to be paid for the righteousness that comes from Jesus as your Lord.

Doug Phillips challenged the sons not to waste their youth. Youth is preparation for adulthood, not play time. He encouraged them to 'Slay the Dragon of Slothfulness' and challenged fathers to call their sons into account and put them about the business of men from an early age.

Scott Brown spoke on purity in mind, body and spirit. He gave convicting talks on doctrine and theology and challenged dads to share that with their families - which was especially convicting to the dads because they had to evaluate whether or not they were qualified to teach these things. These are things which are not taught in the majority of churches today so fathers must work especially hard to learn and understand the difficult points of doctrine in order to impart that to their families and, most importantly, their sons. Sons will be required to teach these things to their own families one day which puts a larger burden on the fathers to get it right for the generations to come. I also love the emphasis on multi-generational faithfulness. This is something that is near and dear to our hearts and it is so wonderful whenever we get the opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded families with the same multi-generational vision! I know Mr. P and TSJr. really enjoyed the fellowship with the other men and boys!

They will be able to tell it so much better than I can but that's a little preview for you! You can see some of the commentary and pictures from the event at Doug Phillips' blog and at Scott Brown's blog. Here are a few extra pictures of a great week surrounded by great men... especially two of the greatest men which happen to be from our own dear family!

TSJr. enjoying the cockpit with the co-pilot after his first ever flight!

The Crooked Creek Ranch and one of many spectacular views!

Flowers! They have beautiful flowers there! It could be that they have had more than an inch of rain in the past three months but I tend to believe it's because everything is simply more beautiful there!

Here is one of the games of the Father/Son Olympics! Mr. P and TSJr. were eliminated in the first round of tug-o-war so they took pictures of the finalists. That is Doug Phillips in the blue untucked golf shirt.

Does this picture really need any comment? Note the winter coat! On this one a picture is truly worth a thousand words!

Here are two of the men I love most in this world! The wonderful vision-filled, multi-generational minded, Christ honoring patriarch of our family and the future visionary patriarch who will one day lead the church and stand in the gates. May the Lord be pleased for it to be so.But the mercy of the LORD [is] from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. Psalm 103: 17-18

I have it better than my dad...

2007-08-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Carmon from Buried Treasure for this post... I'm still pillaging posts from my favorite writers because my brain is still sleep deprived and not capable of anything more than simple picture books and lullabies. Which is just fine with me because this is the most precious of times and I'm trying not to feel too groggy to enjoy it all! In the meantime, this clip is sweet, funny and sentimental. It won't be but the blink of an eye and that cherub faced little blondie girl of his will be a mother herself and these precious moments of childhood (maddening as they can be at times) will be a distant memory. The ending says it all... I definitely have it better than my dad!

Now I'm off to curl up in the rocking chair with my own cherub faced boy before I blink and he's old enough to shave!

Blobbing on the blog!

2007-08-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

Here are Thrill Seeker and Thrill Seeker Jr. enjoying what is affectionately named "The Blob"! I'm told the video does not do the height from which Thrill Seeker Jr. jumped justice. I can't believe my eyes as I watch my reformed 'Slow and Educational' son plummet into icy water from unbelievable heights!

Where in the world is Karate Kid?

2007-08-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

Our world travelers have sent in some photos of their recent adventures. Here are a few pictures of their scenic surroundings. Any guesses for where they are with all this majestic handiwork of the Lord?

Here is a hint... today's high where Karate Kid is located is 71 degrees and tonight's low is 44 degrees. Karate Kid has been sporting a winter coat each night. Hmmm, that lets you know that he is NO WHERE close to home!! According to my outdoor thermometer, our current temperature is 103 degrees. Whew! That's hot!!

No fair for family to guess! You all already know!

Thrill seeker!

2007-08-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

In our family, there are two types of people. We've discovered this through our various family vacations at various places that contain roller coasters. I do not 'do' roller coasters. I do not 'do' any ride that in any way simulates falling even if it's just going down a small hill at a somewhat higher than average rate of speed. These types of experiences give me what I call a "stomach drop". I do not 'do' stomach drops!

Well, up until now, my dear eldest son has been in my camp. We call my camp the 'slow and educational' riders. We got this name from the same son! One year, when he was about four years old, we were vacationing at Disneyworld. He, not being one that enjoys drops or spins or speed of any kind in a ride, said to me after exiting a particularly lovely slow ride which taught us all about communication from Roman times until present day, "Mom, I just love a ride that is slow and educational!" After we picked ourselves up off the ground from laughter, we have forevermore been known as the 'slow and educational' group. Mr. P and all the other children old enough to make such a decision, however, are what we call in our family 'thrill seekers'. The bigger the roller coaster, the longer the drop, the faster the spin, the more they like it. That gene must have come from Mr. P!

Mr. P has been working his magic on my dear oldest son! Watch this video of the fun they are having! I can't believe my eyes!! Any child of mine that can do that can no longer be considered 'slow and educational'! That is a pure bred 'thrill seeker' if ever there was one!

I guess it's just Nana and me on 'It's a Small World' from now on. Maybe Noah will be a 'slow and educational' child. One can hope!

First Flight!

2007-08-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

Here is our dear Karate Kid enjoying his first ever airplane ride! He is one excited boy!!

What we do for fun at night!

2007-08-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight we played one of our favorite games! It's been around since the beginning of the Whiskers on Kittens family. We call it 'Daddy Sandwich'. The object is to make a human sandwich! We like to make up which part of the sandwich we are. Daddy's always the bottom bun! Tonight we decided to turn on the self-timer on my camera and see if we could all jump into place before it went off.

Here is the final product:
In this particular round, Flibby is the Veganaise, I'm the turkey, KK's the tomato, Hannah B's the pickles, and Cindy Lou's the top bun.

~Miss Poppins

The world is in need of my children

2007-08-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

Since I am not very prolific on the blog myself these days, I thought I'd share two particularly wonderful blog posts by two particularly wonderful blog writers!

The first appeared on Doug Phillip's blog at Vision Forum. He was telling the story of his own mother who had her youngest child in her late forties. In fact, she attended her 25th college reunion while 9 months pregnant! I hope I can do the same thing... except I'll probably skip the reunion. Anyway, while 'large with child', she ran into a critic. Those of us with more than 2.5 children know about that, don't we?! Here is an excerpt from the article...

"Well—many mothers who have allowed their wombs to be fruitful for the glory of God, and who have been blessed with the gift of children, know what it is like to be pummeled with comments and questions. One day my dear mother, then large with child, was confronted by one such critic. I will share the two most important lines of the conversation.

Critic to Mrs. Howard Phillips: “You’re having another baby. Don’t you know that the world has too many children already?”

Mrs. Howard Phillips: “The world is in need of my children.”

That sums it up. Thank God for mothers who see the potential for changing the world which lies in the lives of the children God gives them.

Christian mothers and fathers, listen to Peggy Phillips—the world needs your children!"

To read the article in its entirety... and I highly recommend that you do... go here.

I LOVE that response!!! I believe I'll add that one to my list of answers for the 'Don't you know what causes that?' questions. What a brilliant answer... and what makes it so brilliant is that it is true! The world does need my children! It is in desperate need of my children and others like them. The Lord is raising up a faithful generation and I am humbled and in awe that He has chosen me to be a part of nurturing that generation for Him!

Also, Amy, another brilliant blogger, wrote a wonderful blog post entitled 'Made for another world'. It is about the church and how the modern church has morphed into the world. We are not set apart but blend right in with the secular and perverse culture. Here is one particularly compelling part of her article...

"In his preaching this past Sunday, my husband asked, “If someone were to come into your home, would they be able to tell you loved Christ by the books on your shelves, the show on your TV, the way you spend your time?” Does the way that I spend my money reflect that I am living for another world? As recipients of His grace, we are made for His glory and our obedience flows out of love for Him: “In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?’ tell him: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.’” (Deut. 6:20-21) Put another way, we were blind, but now we see.

This week a friend told me the story of some karaoke fun at a church function in which the teenage girls took the occasion to sing all their favorite Britney Spears songs. Some parishioners protested, as such things weren’t fitting for a church function. The question, though, is not why this was allowed at a church function, but why do our girls know and rehearse all those lyrics in the first place? Is this OK so long as it’s at home in our bedrooms?

We are a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people.” (I Peter 2:9) When did good orthodoxy (correct doctrine) become enough, replacing orthopraxy (right living) in its stead? If ideas have consequences, then it is fair to say that I really believe if there is no evidence? And this is the heresy of our modern churches– that Jesus can be your Savior but not your Lord."

To read the rest of Amy's insightful article, go here.

Don't even get me started on Christian parents that allow their children to dress, act and listen to the music of the world. You tell them, Amy!! Is it OK to play Britney in your home, just not at church? NO! How many churches do you know that preach and teach Jesus as Savior? Many... the question is how many of them teach and preach Jesus as Lord? But, I'll save that soapbox for another day. There is a far better thing that I have to do right now and it has to do with a blessed little boy named Noah who has stolen my heart... and most of my time for now.

Until I return to my own commentary on the world at large, I'll leave you with these capable and worthy writers!

Vision Forum Giveaway!!

2007-08-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

Crystal is hosting a wonderful contest over at her blog! She is giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to Vision Forum. For any of you that might not be familiar with Vision Forum's products, I highly encourage you to head over there and peruse through all their wonderful, family building, Christ honoring products. Our family has been richly blessed by their ministry over the years and I can think of no other company that I enjoy supporting more than Vision Forum!

In addition to the gift certificate, Crystal is also throwing in several of Vision Forum's CDs!! Hurry on over and enter to win!

Noah's New Trick!

2007-08-07T05:47:00.000-07:00

Early this morning when I was taking care of Noah I was changing his diaper. After I had changed him but before I picked him up he began to cry. While tossing and turning he managed to flip over onto his side and then all the way onto his stomach! Well of course the first thing I thought of was the blog! So I grabbed the camera and flipped him back over and started recording. In just a few seconds he did it again! Such a smart boy.

Here is the video of Noah's new trick:

~Miss Poppins

Noah's weekend adventures!

2007-08-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

We had a very adventurous weekend with little Noah! He smiled and cooed and generally 'WOW'ed us with his cuteness!! Also, a very big milestone in a newborn's life was reached... he lost his umbilical cord and is now officially sporting a 'big boy' belly button. It's bittersweet for a mother, let me tell you! I want time to stop so he can be a newborn baby forever... but I love watching him grow too. I love all the stages of childhood, but 'newborn-ness' is just so very sweet!! I'm planning on cherishing every moment of it!!

I wrote this during one of my many particularly happy moments...

2007-08-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, I have found a new song that I love. It's from the Broadway musical, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!" and it's called "Happiness".

Here are the lyrics:

HAPPINESS IS FINDING A PENCIL.
PIZZA WITH SAUSAGE
TELLING THE TIME.
HAPPINESS IS LEARNING TO WHISTLE.
TYING YOUR SHOE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

HAPPINESS IS PLAYING THE DRUM IN YOUR OWN SCHOOL BAND.
AND HAPPINESS IS WALKING HAND IN HAND.
HAPPINESS IS TWO KINDS OF ICE CREAM.
KNOWING A SECRET.
CLIMBING A TREE.
HAPPINESS IS FIVE DIFFERENT CRAYONS.
CATCHING A FIREFLY.
SETTING HIM FREE.

HAPPINESS IS BEING ALONE EVERY NOW AND THEN.
AND HAPPINESS IS COMING HOME AGAIN.
HAPPINESS IS MORNING AND EVENING,
DAY TIME AND NIGHT TIME TOO.
FOR HAPPINESS IS ANYONE AND ANYTHING AT ALL
THAT'S LOVED BY YOU.

HAPPINESS IS HAVING A SISTER.
SHARING A SANDWICH.
GETTING ALONG.
HAPPINESS IS SINGING TOGETHER WHEN DAY IS THROUGH,
AND HAPPINESS IS THOSE WHO SING WITH YOU.
HAPPINESS IS MORNING AND EVENING,
DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME TOO.
FOR HAPPINESS IS ANYONE AND ANYTHING AT ALL
THAT'S LOVED BY YOU.

This song inspired me to write this:

WHAT'S LOVED BY ME AND IS THEREFORE DEEMED "HAPPINESS":

Getting to be a big sister to five gorgeous, daring, brilliant, impressionable, children who look to me for a godly example.

Getting to bless my family greatly by performing simple tasks like cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc.

Getting to help teach my little sisters the joy of the piano.

Getting to snuggle with and sing to my little baby brother who will, Lord willing, grow up to be a godly leader and family patriarch with a passionate vision that will bring glory to God.

Getting to make things for my family and learn new skills that help me to serve my family better and glorify the Lord.

Getting to study together with my siblings and aid my mother in teaching them.

Getting to play with my siblings and make them feel special.

Getting to sit around the table at dinner and have a conversation with my whole family at the same time.

Getting to observe and learn more about the individual members of my family each day.

Getting to bring joy to my father everyday by helping him, serving him, and remembering to turn off the lights when I leave the room.

Getting to try out new recipes and have plenty of feedback!

Getting to enjoy the smiles on my siblings (and parents!) faces and watch them use their brilliant minds to invent new games and ways to play.

Getting to have a baby asleep on my chest in the middle of the night and enjoy the precious time with him, and at the same time allow my parents to have precious time to sleep!

Getting to show my siblings how to do things like tying their shoe, caring for puppies, peeling a tomato, cracking an egg, changing a diaper, and singing harmony.

Getting to sing with my family, and they don't mind my constant caterwauling!

Getting to go to a wonderfully, fantabulous church every Sunday.

Getting to learn from and experience life from a wonderful, spontaneous, visionary, set of parents that are superb examples for me and my siblings.

Getting to laugh and have fun with my family, and go places altogether!

Learning to empathize with those around me.

Getting to experience the wonder of God's creation.

Getting to fully appreciate the magical qualities of classical music, opera, musical theatre and old movies!

Getting to plan for and look forward to the things God has in store for my future and be utterly content with my current season of life.

THE END

Two weeks old today!

2007-08-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Our boy is two weeks old today! It's been two whole weeks since this little blessing joined our family... and in some ways it doesn't seem like it could have been two weeks by now but in another way it seems he's always been part of our family.

Here are some of the outtakes from our 'photo shoot' for our birth announcement picture. A simply perfect baby boy!

More random cuteness...

2007-08-01T17:08:00.001-07:00

Noah and Me.

2007-08-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

These are a few pictures that I took of Noah today. He is getting cuter by the second!

~Miss Poppins

Grandmas know their granddaughters SO well!

2007-08-01T05:56:00.001-07:00

Grandma Pat blessed little Cindy Lou and Hannah Banana with one of their favorite things yesterday... a prairie bonnet!! Cindy Lou and Hannah are quite obsessed at the moment with all things prairie life related thanks to their love of Little House On The Prairie. Cindy Lou has been sporting this bonnet since Grandma Pat arrived... including wanting to sleep in it. We decided that wasn't the best idea so she let it hang on her bedpost until morning... when she insisted on a Laura Ingalls braid to go with it. Now I think she's ready to churn some butter!

Two brothers... 11 years apart

2007-08-01T05:26:00.000-07:00

We recreated a picture with Noah yesterday with the same outfit and even the same chair where we took a picture of our own Karate Kid some 11 1/2 years ago. Can you tell who is who?

Fruit Tart Recipe

2007-07-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

Flibbertigibbet
I tried a fruit tart recipe yesterday, and although it's rather unhealthy, it was excellent! Here's the recipe for the delicious fruit tart! I love cold desserts, especially ones with fresh fruit! It was delicious and beautiful!!
(I had a little extra of everything and so, Miss Poppins made a "baby tart!")

~Flibby

The three men I love most in this world!

2007-07-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

What a joy it is to me to watch the most noble and virtuous of fathers... a father with a multi-generational vision, full of honor and integrity... truly a man as defined in Scripture, interact with his two boys. Our two noble sons have the rare blessing of a godly father and it thrills my mother's heart to watch them together! The Lord has richly blessed me far more than I deserve and my most recent blessing is watching this man, that I love more than my own life, father his two future patriarchs who will one day lead the church, stand in the gates and proclaim the name of Jesus to the world. True joy! To The Father Of My Boys

There are little eyes upon you,
And they're watching night and day;
There are little ears that quickly
Take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager
To do everything you do,
And a little boy who's dreaming
Of the day he'll be like you.

You're the little fellow's hero,
You're the wisest of the wise:
In his little mind, about you,
No suspicions ever rise.
He believes in you devoutly,
Holds that all you say and do,
He will say and do in your way
When he's grown up just like you.

There's a wide-eyed little fellow,
Who believes you're always right;
And his ears are always open
And he watches day and night.
You are setting an example
Every day in all you do,
For the little boy who's waiting
To grow up to be like you!

~Unknown

Honey, for them to grow up and be just like you would be a blessing indeed!

You'll have to indulge me a little longer...

2007-07-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not inclined to write book reviews or write on the political topics of the day or even to write on witty 'goings on' around our home. All I want to do is hold this precious baby, admire him, coo over him and smell that perfect baby head. You'll have to indulge me a little longer, I'm afraid. It's nothing but Noah on the blog for the time being. I'm sure I'll get back to those things that are good, but for now I'm doing the better thing! He's 'practically perfect in every way' - as Mary Poppins would say. Ahhh, there's nothing like the sweet smell of a newborn head. I think I'll go drink that in a little while longer... ...one of these days I'll stop neglecting my blog. But, not today!

Extreme close ups!

2007-07-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

Miss Poppins was having fun with the camera and Noah this morning!

One week old today!

2007-07-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Here is Noah at one week old!

Daddy's boy

Sweet little newborn outfits... Eric Carle is my particular favorite!
Nothing more precious than newborn baby toes...
...and feet!

Q.O.T.D - 7/26/07

2007-07-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Question Of The Day!
hosted by Miss Poppins!

Today's question (provided by Sherlock):What is your favorite word?

Mr. Potato Head: "Volkswagen."

Lady Why: "Baby."

Flibby: "Fantabulous."

Miss Poppins: "Darling pronounced 'Daaahling'."

Karate Kid: "Grape."

Hannah Banana: "Prairie."

You're next! Please leave your answer in the comment section!

Baby this and that...

2007-07-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

On the baby blog, I published the detailed account of Noah's birth story. If you are interested in reading that, just head on over... I also added some more pictures from the labor room for your enjoyment!

For those of you that requested some pictures of our baby bow, here it is! Mr. P carved the quiver from wood and my mother made the surrounding bow. I painted the Scripture and Noah's name on the ribbons. It was a family affair! Now the bow proudly resides on our front door greeting all of Noah's many admirers. We are also heralding his arrival with a smart looking blue mailbox bow. We want to make sure everyone in this neighborhood knows we are welcoming a noble son!

The many moods of Noah...

2007-07-25T19:22:00.001-07:00

Noah Mania!

2007-07-25T11:25:00.001-07:00

Our house has a wonderful case of 'Noah Mania'! Every member of the family is thoroughly and completely in love... as evidenced by the little hands and faces that are never more than inches from little Noah! He is quite a beauty! (and I'm not at all biased, you know!)

Lifting our eyes unto the hills...

2007-07-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

During Hannah Banana's recent illness and hospital stay... back when we didn't know what we were dealing with and all possibilities were very scary... our dear pastor came by to visit Hannah. He brought his Bible and read Psalm 121 to Hannah explaining each and every part to her. Since that visit, we realized her problem was easily cured by removing that dreaded tick. But, Hannah has not forgotten the talk she had with our pastor over Psalm 121. She has been talking about looking to the hills for help from the Lord and how He delivered her from her illness. He did not slumber nor sleep. He preserved her from all evil. It has been such a blessing to watch that passage come alive for her... and for me. Psalm 121 has a new meaning, significance and beauty to me now. God's Word is new every morning.

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalm 121

My favorite picture!

2007-07-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite picture of Grandpa Fred and his namesake, Noah Frederick!

"But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to their children's children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them." Psalm 103: 17 - 18

The Tick

2007-07-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer... this post contains a picture of a very yucky tick! Those of you with weak hearts should probably divert your eyes!

Now, with that said, Hannah's Grandpa Fred was with her at the hospital when the tick was found. Ready with his camera, he snapped these pictures so that Hannah can always remember "The Tick". Amazing how such a little varmint could cause so much trouble... and could take a few years off my life in the process!

We continue to praise the Lord for His mercy toward our sweet Hannah Banana. Today she romped and played at her Nana's house in a little baby pool with Cindy Lou. She has danced, run and she has walked... trotted... and even sprinted up and down the stairs! Two short nights ago, she couldn't walk unassisted. She couldn't color in the lines. She couldn't hit her mouth with a spoonful of food. She couldn't climb on and off a bed. Her healing is truly miraculous and we give all the praise, honor and glory to the Lord!!!

His mercies are new every day!

The Newborn Boy

2007-07-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

I hold within my arms today,

A priceless bit of mortal clay

Divinely fashioned, and so fair

The angels well may kinship share.

My soul with gratitude is filled,

My heart with mother love is thrilled.

My eyes brim o'er with newborn joy,

While gazing on my cherub boy.

O precious one! Through tears I see,

A mighty task awaiting me.

My happy sky grows overcast,

Life's duties loom, so grand, so vast.

To shield from wrong, to right incline,

This little life now linked to mine-

Divine the gift. Oh may the mould,

A heart of truth and honor hold!

Help me, kind Heaven, to know the way

From out the tangle of each day,

To guide him safe to manhood's prime,

And all the glory shall be Thine.

-M.I. Piatt

I'm still here...

2007-07-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you, everyone, for all your love and support over these last few days... which strangely enough seem like weeks and weeks to me. As Charles Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That was Charles Dickens, right? My brain is a little foggy these days.

We have had our beautiful and perfect-in-every-way, Noah! What a blessing he is to our family and we are full of joy! The same day that Noah was born, Hannah Banana woke up and couldn't walk. Mr. P and Hannah spent the first day of Noah's life in the emergency room getting cat scans, spinal taps and a bunch of other horrifying and scary things that I can't remember at the moment. The diagnosis was Guillain-Barre Syndrome. I had never heard of that before. Being trapped in the hospital myself, I was unable to get a lot of information for the first few days, but my doctors... those fabulous doctors I've been raving about for the past nine months... arranged to let me break out of the hospital a day early so that I could get to Children's Hospital and my girl. Hannah Banana has been deteriorating over the last few days as she's been receiving treatment for Guillain-Barre Syndrome. One of the treatments gives you severe headaches and Hannah had a very bad headache yesterday. Mr. P was rubbing her head and he found an engorged tick in her hair! Yuck! The neurologists came in, looked at it, then told Mr. P, "Congratulations, Dad! You may have found our problem!" They told him that a sickness called Tick Paralysis mimics Guillain-Barre Syndrome very closely and that the cure for Tick Paralysis is to remove the tick. That's it! I didn't even want to get my hopes up because we were gearing up for a 7 to 10 day hospital stay and weeks of physical and occupational therapy in hopes of Hannah fully recovering. After getting my heart and mind around that, to have the problem be so easily solved is truly miraculous! Hannah is coming home this afternoon!! I haven't seen her today but Mr. P tells me that she is her old self again after just one night!

I have so many things to write and share about the grace and mercy of the Lord to us during the birth of our baby and Hannah's medical crisis, but I don't have it in me to get it all out in coherent sentences right now. I'm so thankful to the Lord for His provision for us during this time, and for the miracle He gave us in healing our sweet Hannah! I'll tell you all about it before too long... I promise!

In the meantime, I've got an incredible blessing of a baby boy to feed and a spunky wonderful 7 year old girl who will be home in a few hours! Praise be to God!!!

Update on Hannah Banana

2007-07-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hannah Banana doesn't seem to be any worse today and everyone has been able to go and visit her...even mom! She seems to be losing interest and she says that it's boring being in the hospital. But, despite everything, she still remains to be the same old Hannah Banana! She's just as witty and as perky as ever! We took some pictures today when we went to visit her. Mom says that someday, we will want to have pictures to look back at and remember this time.

Hannah Banana with her plethora of balloons and gifts! She loves these and they make her day so much brighter! She also loved having all the visitors come to see her!

There are wagons everywhere for sick children to ride in. She loves to ride around the hospital in the wagon!

At this point, I believe our Hannah Banana was getting weary of being photographed!

To end with, Miss Poppins took a very short video of Noah this morning. I thought you might like to see it!

Noah and his admirers! UPDATED!!

2007-07-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our good friends the Ackers These are our good friends the Lowes
Hannah Banana getting her first glimpse of Noah
Nana
Cindy Lou Who
Karate Kid and his Mini-Me

Here's Noah!

Noah's Aunt Lynn
Grandma Pat
Grandpa Fred holding his namesake, Noah Frederick
UPDATED.... Here are a few more admirers to add to our list of Noah fans! Here is Mr. P's mother...

... and sister enjoying the perfect-in-every-way Noah! Isn't he a cutie?

~Flibby

Noah is here!!!!!!

2007-07-19T05:06:00.000-07:00

Mom went into labor very early this morning and now our Noah is finally here!

Noah Frederick
8 lbs 5 oz. 21 and a half inches long
Born at 6:38am

Look at that dark hair!!
Mr. P holding Noah
Lady Why's first look at Noah
Mr P. and Lady Why
Miss Poppins gets her turn!

And my turn!

We are all thrilled beyond words!!

From the labor and delivery room,

Flibby

Sweet sleepy puppies...

2007-07-18T14:08:00.001-07:00

~Big yaaawwn~ I think I need a nap too...

Baby Shower Fun!!

2007-07-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had the pleasure of being 'showered' with all sorts of love and attention from the wonderful ladies at our church at a beautiful baby shower! They were so sweet to hostess such a lovely party for me and we all enjoyed ourselves tremendously! We came home with all sorts of treasures for Noah that will be well loved and well used in the coming days, weeks, and months. Here are a few of the highlights of our super special afternoon...

Have you ever seen a more beautiful cake?

We had a wonderful assortment of fruits and sandwiches. I especially love the watermelon baby carriage!

A beautiful table with all sorts of goodies!

Cindy Lou was longing for and admiring the cake all at the same time...

Loads and loads of gifts!

Opening presents! Flibby helped me write down everything while Hannah Banana and Cindy Lou were in charge of tissue paper disposal and bringing me presents.

So much fun!

Super cute baby blue clothes! We are having so much fun with all this blue!

A precious baby book from Noah's grandmother!

Gifts, gifts, and more gifts!!

My mother made Noah two of the most beautiful blankets you have ever seen!! Noah will be coming home from the hospital in one of these. Now to decide which one!
OK, it's official... I'm ENORMOUS!!

Thank you so much to all the sweet ladies who honored me in such a special way this afternoon! I love and appreciate you all!!

Last night I dreamt...7/14/07

2007-07-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

*I actually dreamt this several nights ago, but I didn't get to posting it until now*

Last night I dreamt that my friend Frontiersman and I were members of a secret spy society. We both were dressed in strange, black spy outfits with big black sunglasses and we were walking around bent really low so that we wouldn't be noticed. We were working under cover at a daycare for handicap children. We both had our own cars that the head spy gave to us and we knew how to drive them. At the beginning a few people who worked at the daycare were supposed to get into there cars and go pick up some handicap kids. They chose me to go, so I went out to all the places they told me and picked up the kids while Frontiersman stayed to spy. When I got back I drove my car over to the side door so the kids could get out. They were taking FOREVER to get the kids out of my car when the secret spy society called me on my hi-tech cell phone. They said that Frontiersman and I were supposed to get in our cars and come there right away, so he went as fast as he could. I told them that the daycare people were using my car, so they told me to find another car in the parking lot and use it. Well the only one that my secret spy key would open was a mini van with a car seat in the back. I didn't want to steal a car, especially from a nice young mother. Right at that moment the lady who owned the car walked up and she said that she would give me a ride to the nearest bus station. So that is how I got to the secret spy society. A few days later one of the kids who was at the daycare wrote me a thank you note for picking her up that day. While I was reading the thank you note, Flibby woke me up.

~Miss Poppins

Now it's your turn! Please share what you dreamt last night in the comment section.

The birth of a noble son!

2007-07-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Peter and Kelly Bradrick in the birth of their firstborn son!! Scott Brown has many delightful pictures, as any proud grandfather would, on his blog. Be sure to stop by and see this handsome new grandson in the Brown family. You may remember the Bradricks wedding which was a year ago this coming August. What a pleasure and inspiration to see a young couple doing things right and to watch the Lord bless them so abundantly as they faithfully follow Him!

A Storm's Beginning.

2007-07-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

~Miss Poppins

The evolution of a labor coach...

2007-07-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday Flibby, Miss Poppins and I had the pleasure of attending a baby shower for a member of our church. Baby showers are such fun and one of the great pastimes at such events are the birth stories! I had a wonderful time hearing about everyone's experiences and relating a few of my own. In talking about each of my children, I found myself reminiscing over each labor and thinking about various funny and not-so-funny-then-but-funny-now stories. A lot of those stories centered around Mr. P and his fun loving antics! As I thought about each birth, I realized what an incredible labor coach he has become!! I have gone back through my mind over all five births thus far and I've seen some changes during that time. In fact, I could say that about us both and about almost every area of life. But, as far as being an excellent coach for me while I'm in labor, Mr. P is the cream of the crop!

I've been married to Mr. P for twenty years this September. Flibby is seventeen years old. Obviously Mr. P and I were mere babes when we had Flibby! We were green, wet behind the ears, novices when it came to all things having to do with babies, parenting, and most especially labor and delivery. I went two weeks late with Flibby and I was induced. This was an anxiety producing moment when I arrived at that hospital and they started sticking me full of IVs, hooking me up to all sorts of monitors and virtually strapping me to a hospital bed while starting me on a medicine that was designed to cause me pain. I might want to mention at this point in the story that I am not now, nor ever have been, a fan of pain! Mr. P however was in no pain and was delighted to be getting the show on the road and he was even more happy and exuberant than usual. Mr. P is the life of every party! He is a lover of all things fun, and his cup is always half full. He is an extrovert!! I, on the other hand, tend to be a tad on the pessimistic side (I generally justify this bad behavior by calling myself a "realist". ~wink~), am more likely to enjoy peace and quiet, and I am just a little bit introverted... just a little bit. These are not things I really knew about myself until Flibby's birth.

Also, being a budding new television director, Mr. P felt he owed it to the world to produce the best birthing documentary ever filmed. He wanted to make Spielberg proud with his close up shots, cut aways showing the equipment, interviews with the nurses, and angled shots showing my point of view. I on the other hand couldn't have cared less about remembering this moment. In the words of a famous movie actress....Mr. DeMile, I was NOT ready for my close up!

Some things Mr. P and I learned about me during that first labor...

~I do not like to be photographed or videotaped EVER when not feeling and/or looking my best.
~I do not like to listen to jokes or be interviewed during contractions.
~Idle conversations amongst people in the room are annoying to me.
~People in the room are annoying to me.

Poor Mr. P... he was so happy and having such a wonderful time and I was a big wet blanket on his joy! But, at the end of it all, we had a beautiful baby and all was right with the world!

Then came Miss Poppins... Mr. P was very in tune to my feelings from Flibby's birth and did so well not to bring photographic equipment into the labor room, he made very few jokes with the doctors and nurses and showed enormous self-control all to accommodate my feelings in that labor room. He was a champ!

Karate Kid posed a whole different set of difficulties. I won't go into to all the horrible details but suffice it to say I had one of the most incompetent patronizing doctors ever to roam the earth. The doctor did not listen to me when I told him it was time for my epidural. I missed getting my epidural. Did I mention that I am NOT a fan of pain? It wasn't pleasant. I wasn't pleasant. Having anyone in the room when I was in that kind of pain... and anger... was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me and poor Mr. P didn't quite know what to do with me!

It was around lunchtime when Karate Kid was born and we had a number of family members waiting for Karate Kid's arrival. Once our first baby boy arrived, one of the family members suggested Mr. P go for some lunch and that they would stay with me. He needed a break, and it was just one person, so he agreed. Well.......this person didn't understand the "rules". Less than an hour after giving birth, my recovery room turned into a party of people wanting to see the baby, hold the baby and talk to me all about the delivery in detail. Normal and joyful things to most people... not to me just after giving birth... especially without an epidural. I didn't look good. I didn't feel good. When Mr. P returned, there were more people in my room than Mormons in Salt Lake! Now, he would normally be overjoyed at the chance to be the life of the party, but he quickly learned that the guest of honor (me) wasn't enjoying the fun (to put it mildly) and cleared the room.

Things Mr. P learned about me during the birth of our first born son...

~Do not leave me alone!

Most people know that parenting is a learning process, but we were beginning to understand that the birth experience had a learning curve. We HAD to keep having children. We still had so much to learn!

By the time Hannah Banana came along, I was getting my feet under me and I would say I was starting to be an experienced child birthing mother. I told the doctors (my current doctors whom I love dearly!!) how I wanted my labor to go. I knew what I wanted and when I wanted it and I was not shy about asking for what I needed. Mr. P knew very well how I would be feeling at each and every stage of the process. He knew I didn't want a room full of people, he ran interference to make sure that didn't happen. He was generous with his attention, quiet, soothing, and knew exactly what to do and when to do it. He was the best! Hannah Banana's birth experience was one of my favorites. It was a thrilling time and that first hour with just us and the baby was a precious time of bonding!

Cindy Lou's birth was even better. Mr. P and I have a rhythm now. We know each other like the backs of our own hands. He anticipated my needs even before I knew them. He went above and beyond the call of duty to provide for my every need... and my every want. They don't make labor coaches... or husbands, for that matter!... any better than Mr. P! He has become a master labor coach, a professional at child birthing, and - most importantly - an expert on me. (I laugh sometimes and tell him he should be teaching the child birth classes with all we have learned.)

We are soon to embark on our sixth birth and our sixth precious labor and delivery. Mr. P is already making his preparations. He is far more organized than I am and he has his bags packed, plan made and lists in place. I, without a doubt, know that he will be my rock during this joyful day! Even after so many babies, heading into child birth always produces a certain level of anxiety. Mr. P will know exactly what to do and exactly what to say to make me feel better and to help me put aside the worry and enjoy each and every moment of the day. It will be over far to fast. I remember that from the five times before. I want to cherish every second of it!

Mr. P will be my labor coach... the perfect labor coach... I couldn't do it without him! Get ready, honey! It won't be long now!

Puppies, puppies, puppies!

2007-07-09T05:17:00.001-07:00

Tracy's having a baby!! UPDATED!!!

2007-07-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone head over to Lines From The Vine and cheer my dear friend, Tracy, on as she is in labor with her 9th sweet baby, Jon! Paul, her husband, is 'live blogging' her labor even as I type. As of this post, she is 3 cm!! This is wonderful news because Tracy's labors usually take many hours and sometimes those hours go into double digits! Please stop by and leave an encouraging note for Tracy as she labors and be in prayer for her today!!

We can't wait to see pictures, Paul!!

UPDATE!!! Baby Jon is here and mother and baby are doing beautifully! Head over to Tracy's blog for super cute pictures!!

4th of July festivities!

2007-07-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had as wonderful a 4th celebration as we did!! We celebrated the 4th at my mother's house with a wonderful cookout which is a family tradition. Mom went all out, as usual! We had ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken from the grill. She also grilled zucchini and squash with onion. Yummy! And, it wouldn't be the 4th without her famous potato salad!! It is a highlight of any cookout at Mom's house!! We spent the afternoon and evening there eating, playing, and having a grand time!!

Even Maddie and Ella enjoyed themselves!

Unfortunately, we've been in a drought situation here so many types of fireworks were banned this 4th of July. But, we were allowed to light sparklers and other colorful fireworks as long as they didn't fly. That didn't dampen our fun because sparklers and the other 'milder' fireworks are all we like to do anyway. So, the day ended WAY past our bedtime but no one could bring themselves to leave Nana's... and Nana doesn't help much since she can't bear to see us leave! Ha! Ha! It was a joyous and grand event... as usual! Thanks, Mom!! You're the best mom, mother-in-law and Nana any family could ever hope to have!!

Happy Birthday to our nation!

2007-07-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

"Hallowed be the day, forever bright its memory in the heart of the Nation.Sing to it, poets;shout to it, freemen;celebrate it with bonfires, parades, and triumphant assemblies"

(Daily Alta California, 4 July 1855)

Preparations! Preparations!

2007-07-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

Our preparations for baby Noah are nearly complete! There have been many home renovation projects that I wanted to complete before he arrived... and many more that I still want to do but they won't be done before the 'Big Day'. One of the things that I hoped to find was a wonderful old world map to hang in our newly refurbished boys' room. I wanted it to be big... I wanted it to be antiqued... and I wanted it to look regal. In a nutshell, I wanted it to be befitting the room of two noble sons!

I have been looking for this perfect painting at yard sales all summer. When you have something very specific to find, it is often hard to locate at a yard sale. But, the Lord always provides for us and so we continued to look and wait for the Lord's provision.

Here it is!!

It didn't come from a yard sale at all. In fact, while in our local craft store, Nana found this poster on a clearance rack for $3.99. It was perfect! But, it was also HUGE (40" x 27 1/2") and to have it framed would have been in the hundreds of dollars. I knew that Mr. P would come to the rescue with is creativity and his uncanny knack of making something out of nothing. He did not disappoint! With scraps from his workshop, Mr. P designed, built, painted and antiqued this beautiful frame!! It is a work of art!! He didn't have a piece of glass that big so he used plexiglass. It is regal! It is elegant! It fits right in the room in just the way I had imagined it would!

Magnificent!! Mr. P is a genius!! But, you knew that about him already, didn't you?

The psychological equivalent of selling indulgences.

2007-07-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

R. C. Sproul Jr. is working on a new book and has posted several excerpts from it on the Highland Study Center website. This one was particularly convicting...

"Tetzel, the seller of indulgences that first got Dr. Luther's goat, was known for a rather crass sales pitch. "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from Purgatory springs." This practice is what sparked the Reformation. Intent on raising funds for refurbishing the church at Rome, the Pontiff offered to use his powers to hasten the day that people could be set free from purgatory. All it took was a sufficiently sizable donation. Write a check, and grandma can skip the torment of having her sins purged, and skip right to heaven itself.

We, of course, because we are moderns, believe ourselves to be past all that. The Reformation happened, and now even Rome wouldn't practice such flim-flammery. And we, because we are moderns, are hopeless fools that just fell off the turnip truck. The devil doesn't give up easily on successful stratagems. On those rare occasions that we figure him out, he simply repackages the same old snake-oil, and we rush to buy it.

Here is how it works in our day. First, we buy into the world's therapeutic revolution. We believe, like our unbelieving neighbors, that the good life is one of psychological wholeness. We believe, like our unbelieving neighbors, that the purpose in life is self-actualization. We believe, unlike our unbelieving neighbors, that the right church, or church program, or church guru, will get us there. We believe that the church will give us our best life now.

The church offers to help us feel better about ourselves. It promises programs and premium coffee. It presents feel good talks delivered by some charming guy in a sweater, the Christian equivalent of Dr. Feel-Good. And all it asks in return is that we drop a check in the plate, that we purchase the program, that we donate to the guru. These will drive our guilt far from us, and we will be purged of all that makes us feel utterly unlovely. That is how the program is supposed to work, and now we, heirs of the Reformation, build cathedrals to our own glory.

Luther did not have as his goal psychological wholeness. His beef wasn't that indulgences didn't deliver the emotional goods. Neither was his goal the recovery of an abstract doctrine. He wanted instead to recover the very work of Christ. He wanted people to not jettison their feelings of guilt, but to have their guilt taken away.

The church is that place where we must be told the truth. We must be told the ugly truth that we are in ourselves nothing but ugly, a poisonous blending of dust and rebellion. We must be told the ugly truth that our sins drove Christ to the cross, that we crucified Him. We must be told the shocking truth that because God brought this to pass, we now, if we are His, have peace with God, that we have been adopted into His family.

Here we stand. We can do no other. God help us."

To read the remainder of the excerpts, visit the Highland Study Center website. You won't be disappointed!

For your Tuesday morning amusement...

2007-07-03T06:43:00.001-07:00

Pugglie Love!

2007-07-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of cute pugglie pictures from this weekend. I think Miss Poppins is hoping to break into the circus with Ella! Does Ella look like she's enjoying herself?

She certainly was quite tired after all her acrobatic training!!

Requested: Dog Beds

2007-07-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Many people have been asking me to put the dog beds that I've made for Maddie and Ella on the blog, and I'm just now getting to it! I've been quite busy lately!

Here is the bed I made for my dearest, darlingest Maddie!And of course, I had to make one for Miss Poppins' dearest, darlingest Ella!

Aren't these puppies precious?

They love the beds, but unfortunately they don't like to sit still long enough to really enjoy them!

Wonderful old books... wonderful old quote!

2007-06-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading a wonderful old out-of-print book called The Family Circle. It is a wonderful compilation of poetry, essays and quotes published in 1843. I am thoroughly enjoying it!!

I found this quote in the book that I simply must share...

"If there be reserved for human life a joy more exalted than all the others, it is that of beholding its last moments cheered by the fondness and affection of a virtuous progeny; and if there be a pang more agonizing than any other, it is that of a dying parent, whose last thought rests upon the crimes of a depraved by fondly loved child."

This quote is printed at the bottom of a poem by H. W. Longfellow though I don't know for sure that the quote came from him.

What a blessing it will be that at the end of my days I can be cheered by the fondness and affection of my virtuous progeny! It is my daily prayer that the Lord will renew the hearts of my children moment by moment and make them into His image... that He would grow them in honor, integrity and virtue. What a cheer that gives to my heart now and will also in my later years!! On the other hand, how many of us know poor parents that are suffering the anguish of watching their children turn away from the Lord and go their own way of depravity? I know many.

Thank you, Lord, for Your redemptive power in the souls of my children, my husband and me! It is a priceless gift of which I am not worthy... but, what a tremendous blessing and joy it is to my heart and how very grateful I am for it!

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. III John 1:4

Happy 6th Birthday, little Cindy Lou Who!!

2007-06-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Today is a very happy day around our home! It's our baby girl's sixth birthday!!! Can you believe she is six years old? That happy chubby baby always had an award winning smile for each and every one she met... and she hasn't changed a bit! She's a cheerful, joyful and enthusiastic girlie girl with a zest for all things fun... not to mention a beautiful toothless grin that will melt your heart!Since we're just a few weeks away from having a new baby, it makes me really stop and reminisce over just how quickly time flies by. Just six very short years ago today, I was in the hospital snuggling this newborn baby girl. I blinked and today she is six. Time with our children is so short and I strive each day to enjoy every moment of it! There is no higher or more noble a calling than mothering children and I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China!

That being said, today we celebrate our dear Cindy Lou. She is the delight of our family and a joy to her parents and siblings alike. I asked her this morning how it feels to be six and she cocked her mouth to the side and thought for a moment. Then she said (with a completely straight face), "It feels just like being five." We all roared with laughter! She is a funny girl... especially when she's being completely serious. She asked me, "Do you think everyone knows it's my birthday?" Oh, they know, Cindy Lou... they all know! That girl loves to share the fun of birthdays with everyone she knows and loves! Cindy Lou received cards, phone calls and presents from friends and relatives far and near! That is really her favorite part of birthdays! There is just something about getting mail that thrills a six year old like nothing else! Thank you to everyone who called, sent cards and visited!! You don't know how important and special that is to our little Cindy!

This afternoon we had a big birthday party complete with a cake - lovingly baked by Miss Poppins, tons of presents, and all the usual festivities!We then headed off to see the new Disney movie, Ratatouille. Cute movie... one or two parts I could have lived without but that is usually so with all movies. From there we met some more family members for a wonderful dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. It was the perfect end to a perfect birthday!

Our baby girl is brilliantly talented on the piano, she is a reading machine conquering Olivia just last night all by herself, she is our only 'leftie', and she has this funny habit of calling her grandmother, "Grandpa Pat". Grandma, Grandpa... it's all the same to Cindy Lou. She's doesn't fret the small stuff!

Here are a few of our favorite pictures from these last six years. I say a few, because I have hundreds of favorites! If it weren't for Flibby, you would be scrolling through pictures all day! Flibby picked these for me to post...

Little Cindy Lou's first picture!

Here's Flibby holding her on the day she was born

Cindy Lou was such a cute baby!

She obviously doesn't like the slide

Her first birthday!Learning to walk

Chubby little baby legs!

Age 2: She looks so cute in pigtails!

Cindy Lou's 3rd Birthday

Last year...Cindy Lou's 5th birthday!

When I was one,
I just begun.
When I was two,
I was nearly new.
When I was three,
I was hardly me.
When I was four,
I was not much more.
When I was five,
I was just alive.
But now I’m six,
I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six now,
forever and ever!

~A. A. Milne

Cindy Lou, you certainly are a clever, clever girl! We love you! Happy Birthday, sweet baby!!

Ballantyne Christian Adventure Book Giveaway!

2007-06-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Vision Forum has a wonderful new series of books entitled the Ballantyne Christian Adventure Library. There are ten titles for sale now at a great price for high quality hardback books! Here is a portion of the books' description from Vision Forum's website...

"Boys [should be] inured from childhood to trifling risks and slight dangers of every possible description, such as tumbling into ponds and off of trees, etc., in order to strengthen their nervous system.... They ought to practice leaping off heights into deep water. They ought never to hesitate to cross a stream over a narrow unsafe plank for fear of a ducking. They ought never to decline to climb up a tree, to pull fruit merely because there is a possibility of their falling off and breaking their necks. I firmly believe that boys were intended to encounter all kinds of risks, in order to prepare them to meet and grapple with risks and dangers incident to man’s career with cool, cautious self-possession...."

—R.M. Ballantyne, The Gorilla Hunters

Robert Michael Ballantyne“The Boys’ Storywriter”1825-1894

He was perhaps the most influential writer of boys’ literature of his generation. He was also a devout Christian of the Scottish Covenanter kind and the only outspoken advocate for Christian boyhood to have a monument paid for and dedicated in his honor by grateful children.

His name was R.M. Ballantyne, and he not only inspired a generation of writers to take up their pens in defense of the ideals of biblical manhood, but he changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of boys for the better with his globe-trekking adventure stories that emphasized Christian character in the face of adversity.

In the twentieth century, many publishers declined to carry Ballantyne because of his strong biblical emphasis. Others hoped to capitalize on the past popularity of his books, but required that Ballantyne’s overt Gospel Christianity be stricken from his storylines.

Now, Vision Forum is pleased to introduce R.M. Ballantyne to twenty-first century children. Our Ballantyne Christian Adventure Library comes complete with the faith-affirming Christianity of the original volumes, just as intended by the author. And we are pleased to announce that the first ten volumes are hot off the press!"

For the remainder of this new series description, go here.

I am always on the hunt for high quality Christian literature for boys. It is very hard to find! So, I'm very excited over this latest addition to the Vision Forum product line. The best part is that Kim over at Life In A Shoe is having a Ballantyne book giveaway!! Head over to her blog to enter!

Also, Crystal at Biblical Womanhood is hosting a similar contest! Be sure to visit her blog and enter to win these fabulous books!!

A clash of cultures, maybe?

2007-06-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

This morning while going about my normal morning activities, I received a solicitation phone call from a guy who most likely was sitting 8,000 miles away inside some telemarketing center in India. This surprised me because we are on the 'no call' list, or so I thought, and I almost never receive these types of calls.

I must confess that I am usually less than charitable when I receive telemarketing calls. My usual response is, "No, I'm not interested. Take me off your call list and do not call me again." I'm not rude but I'm quite firm lest they be inclined to think that my 'no' does not really mean 'no'. Maybe it's my increasing euphoria over the upcoming birth of our sweet baby Noah, but I was in the mood to engage the barely English speaking gentleman in a little banter... just for sport.

The heavily accented caller informed me that he was with Direct TV and he was about to make all my financial problems fly right out the window with his incredible offer! I didn't know I had financial problems. Isn't it nice to have someone call you and identify a problem you didn't even know you had? I thought so, as I smirked... to myself, of course! He then told me he would save me hundreds of dollars on my cable bill and droned on and on about the benefits of his satellite TV vs. our cable system. Wow! This guy makes a lot of assumptions. Who told him we had cable? Again, this was just a passing thought to myself. I allowed him to give me his entire spiel uninterrupted. I'm sure his anticipation was climbing as he readied himself to close the deal and reel in another American fool for his commission. He started the close with the question, "How much do you pay per month for your cable service?"

This is where it gets good...

Me: "We don't have cable."
Him: "What type of television service do you have?"
Me: "We don't have one."
Him: "I'm sorry... maybe you don't understand. How do you watch television?"
Me: "I don't."
Him: "What programs do you watch most often?"
Me: "I don't."

Him... clearly assuming we were having a language barrier problem, and we were since my answers were obviously not printed on his laminated script card of all possible customer objections. "What channels do you watch most often."

Me: "I don't." (OK, now it was getting funny and I was almost feeling sorry for the poor guy as I was anxiously anticipating how many times I could say "I don't." and get away with it!)

Him: "Do you watch television?" (Ahh, now he was getting the idea!)
Me: "No."

Long pause... you know the kind where they are pushing the mute button because you suddenly can't hear any background noise when you could before. This is so he can call over some help with the crazy American lady.

Him: "Do you want to watch great programs with a bazillion channels for some supposed small amount of money per month?" OK, I'm embellishing this quote because I don't really remember the offer itself. I was having too much fun to pay attention to the details!

Me: "Oh, absolutely not. I don't watch television."

Another pause, then I do believe he finally abandoned his laminated script card and out of complete frustration he asked, "Why not?!"

At this point, the door I had been waiting for was kicked wide open and I began my long explanation into the mind numbing programming of television, the evil that is perpetuated over the airways, my responsibility to protect my children from the debase and sinister influence of secular television, the wonderful world of books, exercise, the great outdoors and such that there is to do besides television, engaging the mind in meaningful thought, and our goal as a family to please the Lord in all we say, do and the things with which we fill our mind because we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and we believe His Word to be the infallible Word of God. Then I told him that if he could show me in Scripture where television fits within our call as Christian mothers and fathers in our own lives, much less in the lives of our children, I'd gladly listen to his argument. I'm sure I said some other things too. I was definitely on a roll, as they say, and having a most wonderful time too!

Long period of silence... he was still there. I heard the background noise followed by another moment of the mute button. Then, without even a goodbye, he hung up on me!

Hmmm, I guess my response wasn't on the card.

Morning Skies and Lemon Squares

2007-06-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ever since the puppies have been in our care, Flibby and I have been waking up at 5:30am to take them out. Normally, with all the chores, school and everything else going on, we don't get outside until after lunch, though lately with the swing we have been getting out there at about 9:00am. But I never really realized how beautiful everything is at 5:30 in the morning, until now. The light is so new, the clouds are so pretty, the sky is so blue, the air smells so clean and everything looks so fresh before the heat of the sun hits it. This morning I tried to take some pictures, but none of them did the morning justice. Even so, here is the beautiful and unique cloud formation that I woke up to this morning:

Also, after we went to our usual garage sales, I decided I was in a cooking mood. I scanned through our cabinets and our cook books and decided to make some lemon squares. The little girls love to help me cook...especially desserts. So Hannah Banana and Cindy Lou Who helped me a lot with these. They turned out to be delicious!

~Miss Poppins

What type of homeschooler am I?

2007-06-23T05:11:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, interesting question! Tracy over at Lines From The Vine posted this quiz on her blog and I thought I'd give it a try. Usually these things aren't very accurate but this one has described me rather well. Even my children were amazed!

What Type of Homeschooler Are You?

Abraham Lincoln You have a Bible and a library card what more could you possibly need? You prefer the Charlotte Mason Method of reading living books for everything: historical fiction, biographies, real histories, nature guides, etc. No soon-to-be-outdated textbooks for you.
Take this quiz!

Fun quiz, Tracy! Thanks for sharing it!

Nessun Dorma at its finest!

2007-06-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

OK, I must begin this post with a plethora of disclaimers. First of all, I do not watch television in any measurable form these days. Secondly, if I did watch television, I would not watch Britain's Got Talent even if it did air in the United States, which it does not. And, most importantly, in no way and I even slightly recommending anyone watch the garbage that does air in the United States called America's Got Talent! Please, take my word for it!

Now, on with the point of this post! Mr. P, working in network news, picked up on a story coming out of England about this incredible gentleman - a cell phone salesman by trade - who entered a talent show called Britain's Got Talent to sing opera. Mr. P came home and found the clip of this fellow's audition online. What can I say? It speaks for itself! I leave you to experience it...
I happen to adore opera and this performance by Paul Potts took my breath away and left me speechless! His other performances, which we followed online, were equally as wonderful and gave me "goose pimples" - as the English would say - each and every time! Needless to say, Paul Potts won the competition and will begin recording his first album this weekend. I am waiting with breathless anticipation for that CD to make it to stores in the United States. I can tell Paul Potts is going to rank right up there with some of my favorite opera singers!

As a side note, we searched and found the other competitors in the finals of the British competition. Connie Talbot is the sweetest little six year old with the purest and most beautiful voice I've ever heard from such a little girl. Watch this and see if you're not a puddle of tears at the end! I know I may be a bit partial as little Connie bears a very striking resemblance to a certain nearly six year old girl that I know and love. Cindy Lou Who wouldn't dare step on a stage and perform like Miss Connie... her knees quake at the thought. But, that award winning toothless grin, those perfect little blondish bangs, and that charming joyful personality are the spitting image of our own Cindy Lou. Grab your Kleenex! You're going to need them!

Mr. Potato Head 1, Poison Ivy 0

2007-06-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

I believe everything in the Bible is true. So when God's Word describes Eden as a paradise, it can be known with a great amount of certainty that poison ivy was NOT in the garden. This official flower of Hades and I have had a history. I hate it and it hates me.
Which brings me to.......Honey Do # 122- Remove the poison ivy infestation from the front yard.

This seems like a simple task. But that's what the ivy WANTS me to think. I have removed poison ivy before, but I always come away with the itchy, scratchy wounds of battle. It may die, but I usually pay the price. But THIS TIME, it will not win. It will not leave it's mark on me!

Regardless of the fact that it was 100 degrees outside today, I adorned a full hazmat body suit, gloves, boots, breathing mask, helmet, ear protection and a face shield. The only part of me exposed was the whites of my eyes. Then I grabbed my Excalibur (weed eater) and slew the beast.

I lost about 4 pounds sweating, but I PREVAILED!

No one was home to share in my victory, so I have chosen to immortalize the occasion with a self portrait I call "Warrior Back From Battle".
Now on to the showers... and Honey Do # 123!

Can anyone tell that rain is my inspiration?

2007-06-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

~Miss Poppins

Puppy Mania!

2007-06-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... the puppy posts are becoming quite prolific! But, I can't help myself. The puppies are just so incredibly cute! Here are a few new pictures of our delightful puppies. We will entitle this latest puppy exhibit 'Puppies At Rest - or at least trying to be!'

Maddie and Ella particularly like to sleep on Cindy Lou's bed.But, Cindy Lou rarely lets them stay asleep... a lesson we are going to have to learn very well before Noah arrives!One tired little Ella trying to get back to her nap while the camera flash keeps her awake.After a long day of romping and playing, the puppies are tuckered out on top of Flibby. The puppies always rest better 'on top' of somebody, even if it's just each other!Awww, they are just so cute!

Q.O.T.D...06/20/07

2007-06-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

The Question Of The Day!

hosted by Miss Poppins!

Today's question: What was the last tune that you sang,hummed or whistled before you read this post?

Mr. Potato head: "The 'Sanford and Son' theme."

Flibby: "For some reason, 'Kill the Beast' from 'Beauty and the Beast'."

Miss Poppins: "I hummed 'June is bustin' out all over'."

Karate Kid: "I was singing '76 trombones'."

Hannah Banana: "The 'veggie tales' theme song."

Cindy Lou Who: "The 'It's a small world' chorus."

You're next! Please leave your answer in the comment section!

(Stay tuned, more answers to come.)

Lessons from the sibling tour... UPDATED!

2007-06-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

Last night Mr. P and I took Hannah Banana and Cindy Lou to the hospital where baby Noah will be born for a fun little tradition known as the 'Sibling Tour'. It really is lots of fun! The nurse demonstrated all about how babies work with the soon-to-be siblings, allowing them to hold, dress, change and rock a nice plastic baby (whose cranium was never damaged no matter how many times the two year old behind us slammed it into the back of my chair!) Then we had the pleasure of walking around the hospital and seeing the labor and delivery rooms, the hospital rooms where we stay once the baby arrives and the newborn nursery... my personal favorite! That's not all!!! We also were served delectable sugar cookies with grape juice and we received goodie bags filled with diapers, wipes, coloring books, and a doctor's hat with a mask just like the real doctors wear! I guess you can imagine what a thrill that was!

It was a lovely time! But, as we are "older" parents... we were the only ones with a touch of gray hair and a few barely noticeable laugh lines... we made some interesting observations.

~First of all, twenty something parents look like babies themselves! Wow!! When did adults get so young?

~Secondly, twenty something parents cannot even fathom in their wildest dreams having six children! The look of horror on their faces said it all.

~Third, by the kicking, slapping, biting and all around bad behavior of the toddler-and-up siblings in the room, these parents have a lot to learn. There are some lessons people have to learn the hard way. Mr. P and I just smiled that knowing smile at each other and watched them wrestle their little munchkins to the floor and back. Munchkins 27... Parents 0 was the final score.

~Fourth, the sibling tour never loses its appeal no matter how many times we go or how many children we have. It's a tradition and we love it! I hope we can do it again... several more times, in fact! ~wink~

Updated to add...

~Fifth, you can squeeze 40 people - 8 whom are pregnant so that would technically be 48 people - onto an elevator with a maximum capacity of 30 passengers. (This addition is compliments of Mr. P's own observations!)

As we were leaving, Mr. P pulled his stomach muscles in a bit and said, "I'm getting a t-shirt to wear up here that says 'I'm NOT the Paw Paw'". I laughed. I laughed really hard... because I know that no one will mistake me for the 'Ma Maw' since I'll be the one in a hospital bed!! Woo Hoo!

Having babies after 40 certainly does have its light moments... in fact, I'd say these moments are pure joy!

I just had to post this...

2007-06-18T14:52:00.001-07:00

I was upstairs in my room doing some embroidery when I heard this:

Hannah Banana singing "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" as an opera.

( I wonder where she got that idea...)

Here is exactly what she is reading:
...emperor-beyond-the-sea....you atleast know that the magic which the emperor put into Narnia at the very beginning....you know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery...

She has quite a personality, don't you think?

Happy Father's Day to our Daddy!!

2007-06-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

FATHER OF MINE

Father of mine, some years ago

You showed me the way I ought to go;

You led my feet past the treach'rous sand

By the gentle clasp of your own strong hand.

Father of mine, let me thank you for

The prayers you prayed and the burden your bore.

Like a guiding star thro' the tempests' strife,

All your precepts have shone on my path of life.

Father of mine, when the time has passed

And the work of my life is complete at last,

When I step ashore on the glory strand

With a grateful heart I will clasp your hand.

~Sarah K. Marinee

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADDY! WE LOVE YOU!!

Love, Flibby, Miss Poppins, Karate Kid, Hannah Banana, Cindy Lou Who, and Noah

Another Rainy Afternoon.

2007-06-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful for the rain we've been getting this week! I'm sure you can all guess that I have been outside enjoying it to the fullest with the camera by my side. So at the request of my mother, I will share some of the quick snapshots I took.

~Miss Poppins

Puppies on parade!

2007-06-16T13:29:00.001-07:00

Maddie and Ella are a joy and a delight and we love to watch them play! Mr. P and a rubber snake make for hours of puppy entertainment!!Of course, a good finger to gnaw is a wonderful thing... especially one as tasty as Mr. P's!There is just something about a sock on a foot that brings a twinkle to a puppy's eye! Ella is sure she can pull that sock right off...But, Maddie decides she needs a little help from her sister!Two tuckered out puppies and one tuckered out boy...
After hours of romping fun, a little nap amidst all the toys is just the thing!Ahhhh, aren't they the cutest!

New Look!

2007-06-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that we have 'spruced up' our Whiskery Kitten site a little bit compliments of our resident graphic designer and all around computer expert, Flibby!

Here's a round of applause for you, Flibby!! Fabulous job!!

Our own personal Bible School

2007-06-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

I took this week off from school to do my end of the year paperwork as well as tweak my lesson plans for the upcoming year. The children, being so imaginative and innovative, decided they would have their own personal Bible School this week!

Miss Poppins took the lead and wrote her own curriculum, designed crafts, organized drama presentations, designed and prepared some impressive snacks that fit the theme of the week, chose Bible verses to study and memorize and designed a plethora of games for the other children. It really has been amazing! I think Miss Poppins is a natural at teaching and will be a spectacular homeschooling mother one day!! All the children have had the best time and Mr. P and I have had the joy of watching their dances, plays and viewing their art shows at the end of every Bible School day.

Here are a few pictures of the week so far...

Miss Poppins chose a Hawaiian theme for the week!

Flibby dressed as the widow with her son who helped Elijah with the last of her flour and oil as the children listen to her read the account from the Bible. The Hawaiian lei doesn't exactly fit the Biblical time period but it went with the Hawaiian theme!

Here are the name tag leis that the children made on Monday. They've been very faithful to wear them each day to Bible School. I guess you never know when your teacher may forget your name! Ha! Ha!It has been a fun week to watch all the activities and fun the children have had but what has most impressed me was their desire and passion for studying God's Word and learning the Scripture. When I asked Cindy Lou what her favorite part of Bible School was one day, she told me that it was the time they read the Scripture together. What a blessing to a mother's heart that was for me! (...especially when you consider the snack that day was tropical jello made with flower molds! ~wink~)

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." III John 4

Puppy Love!

2007-06-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

We are having the most fun with our sweet new puppies, named Maddie and Ella by certain children who love the book characters Madeline and Eloise! Maddie and Ella are beautifully behaved and smart as can be! My favorite thing is to watch them play with each other and their toys. This morning we only had a little while to play with them in the yard before we were off to piano lessons. So, we took them outside with a few dog toys and these are the pictures we took. I may be a little partial but I think they are as cute as a lady bug's knees!

I am IN LOVE!!!!!

2007-06-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Those of you that have been around the Whiskery Kitten family for a while know that I love to foster dogs and cats for various rescue organizations. I have been on a 'foster sabbatical' over the last eight months since little Noah came into being. Well, I have a dear friend that fosters for our local pug rescue and the pug rescue recently received a pure bred mother pug and her six babies that seem to be mixed with beagle. Puggles! My friend sent me some pictures... she knows me SO well... and wondered if I might be able to take two puppies "temporarily" - ha! ha! - until they are old enough to be spayed.I picked them up this morning... OH MY GOODNESS! I AM SO IN LOVE!!!! I am not at all sure these babies are going anywhere at all. They may be home for good... which happens a lot when I foster animals. In fact, all of our current dogs and cat just never left once they came to my house "temporarily"! They are 12 weeks old and weigh just four pounds. Did I mention how cute they are? Oh, and did I mention that I am IN LOVE???? Puppy breath! It's the best, second only to the smell of a newborn baby's head... another smell I am looking forward to very soon!

Happy Birthday Lady Why!!

2007-06-07T07:57:00.001-07:00

Flibbertigibbet

Today is a very special day in the Whiskery Kittens family...it's our dear mother's birthday! Our mother is a very special lady. Today each of her children compiled a list called, "The Top Ten Reasons Why I Love My Mother!!" Here they are:

Flibby:
1. Because she loves the Lord.
2. Because she is a wonderful example of the Proverbs 31 woman.
3. Because she strives to teach us all that is good, holy, and useful for the future.
4. Because she embraces her biblical calling as wife and mother.
5. Because she loves children and believes them all to be blessings.
6. Because she is very articulate and witty!
7. Because she is spontaneous!
8. Because she is selfless.
9. Because she is has a beautiful smile and a beautiful laugh!
10. Because she loves all her children very much!

Miss Poppins:
1. Because she loves God.
2. Because she is goofy sometimes.
3. Because she is having another baby for me to love.
4. Because she loves everything I love.
5. Because she is so much like me.
6. Because she teaches me, not just school, but others things too.
7. Because she is so content.
8. Because she takes me to DisneyWorld.
9. Because she loves vacations.
10. Because she loves me.

Karate Kid:
1. Because she loves me!
2. Because she feeds me!
3. Because she takes me to fun places!
4. Because she takes care of me!
5. Because she gives me things!
6. Because she is very fun!
7. Because she gives me presents!
8. Because she loves the Lord!
9. Because she loves kids!
10. Because she's my mother!

Hannah Banana:
1. Because she helps me learn.
2. Because she feeds me.
3. Because she bathes me.
4. Because she helps me when I get sick.
5. Because she takes me to the pool.
6. Because she birthed me.
7. Because she takes me to church.
8. Because she takes me out to eat.
9. Because she takes me to the movies.
10. Because she takes me to the park.

Cindy Lou Who:
1. Because she brings me to "Build-A-Bear".
2. Because she brings me out to eat.
3. Because she gives me presents.
4. Because she gives me cakes on my birthday.
5. Because she does things I like.
6. Because she brings me to the pool.
7. Because she brings me to the park.
8. Because she lets me bring caterpillars into the house.
9. Because she gives me dolls.
10. Because I love her.

Here are some things you might not know about my mother:
~ She was born on 6/7/66 at 1:00am, just one hour shy of having a 6/6/66 birthday!
~ She loves labor and delivery!
~ She can't sew a straight line on a sewing machine.
~ She can roll her r's better than a native Russian!
~ She has a contralto voice.
~ She is a very good artist and used to teach art.
~ She is very good at cake decorating.
~ She is very outspoken (okay, you all should know that by now!)
~ She loves the smell of Wisteria.
~ She is hot natured.
~ She always props her left foot on the car door when she's driving.
~ She loves chocolate!
~ She loves llamas and wants to have some llamas on a farm one day.
~ She hates Wal-Mart and loves Publix
~ She used to be very fashion conscious and when she was a child, she begged her mother to buy her knee high lace up boots!
~ Her house burned to the ground when she was 14.
~ She loathed school as a child and would fake an illness to stay home with her mother.
~ She has perfect teeth, has never had to have braces and has never had a cavity.
~ She has perfect vision and has never had to have glasses or any other kind of eye correction.
~ Her childhood pictures are the spitting image of Miss Poppins' childhood pictures!
~ She loves chemistry, and wanted to be a chemist when she grew up!
~ She loves the beach and Florida weather.
~ She's lived in New Jersey and Florida.
~ She hates roller coasters and anything else that is fast, spins, or "drops".
~ She loves "slow and educational" rides!

Here she is at 2 weeks old!

Playing with her favorite teddy bear (She still has it!)

Learning to crawl...

Age 2 (She looks like Cindy Lou Who here)

Age 4 (The spitting image of Miss Poppins!)

Little Miss Personality! (Notice the boots, I mentioned those earlier...)

Holding her new baby brother

She's always loved dogs!

Here's one of her family photos

School Portrait from the fourth grade

Lovely outfit there mom...

Miss Poppins insisted I put this picture on here. This is Mom and Dad making googly eyes at each other during their rehearsal dinner.

Here she is pregnant with her first child (me!). Notice the ghastly shoes.
I think my mother looks so beautiful in this picture. It was taken in 1992 I believe.

"Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also,

and he praiseth her..." Proverbs 31:28 KJV

Long awaited school room update...

2007-06-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

I know many of you are probably thinking that our school room just fell right off the face of the earth and was never completed! Please accept my apologies for the lack of updates on the school room! It has actually been finished and in use for nearly a whole school year. I've just been lazy in updating you with finished pictures... but, remember that spring cleaning bug that hit me? Well, yesterday it was time for a school room spring cleaning and since it is so nice and shiny and organized and clean, I thought this would be a good time for a picture or two.

Before...

After...If you notice, on the sofa are all of my book characters. It seems my book collection is growing and growing, therefore, not leaving me much space on the book shelves for things like book characters! Hmmm, it's a dilemma indeed!

I might want to add that since spring has arrived, our wonderful school room has been quite neglected and all our educational pursuits have actually taken place on or around my Mother's Day swing on the deck. But, don't worry... we'll make our way back down there when the weather turns to either scorching hot or a bone chilling cold... which ever comes first. I'm thinking it will be the cold. It never gets too hot to enjoy the summer breeze on the swing!

Piano practice

2007-06-06T07:16:00.001-07:00

Little Cindy Lou was diligently practicing her Minuet in G this morning when I snapped this picture. I just love to see little girls with their dresses flowing over the back of the piano bench and their foreheads furrowed in concentration as they play some of the most beautiful piano pieces on earth! A lovely backdrop to our morning chores indeed!

June!

2007-06-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's finally June!! That means I can finally sing my favorite June song:

March went out like a lion
Awakin' up the water in the bay;
Then April cried and stepped aside,
And along came pretty little May!
May was full of promises
But she didn't keep 'em quickly enough for some
And the crowd of doubtin' tonuses
Was predictin' that the summer'd never come

But it's comin' by dawn,
We can feel it come,
You can feel it in your heart
You can see it in the ground

You can see it in the trees
You can smell it in the breeze
Look around! Look around! Look around!

June is bustin' out all over
All over the meadow and the hill!
Buds're bustin' outa bushes
And the rompin' river pushes
Ev'ry little wheel that wheels beside the mill!

June is bustin' out all over
The feelin' is gettin' so intense,
That the young Virginia creepers
Hev been huggin' the bejeepers
Outa all the mornin' glories on the fence!

Because it's June...
June, June, June
Just because it's June, June, June!

Fresh and alive and gay and young
June is a love song, sweetly sung
June is bustin' out all over!
The saplin's are bustin' out with sap!
Love has found my brother, Junior,
And my sister's even loonier!
And my Ma is gettin' kittenish with Pap!

June in bustin' out all over
To ladies and men are payin' court.
Lotsa ships are kept at anchor
Jest because the captains hanker
Fer the comfort they ken only get in port!

Because it's June....
June, June, June
Just because it's June, June, June!

June makes the bay look bright and new
Sails gleamin' bright on sunlit blue
June is bustin' out all over
The ocean is full of Jacks and Jills,
With the little tail a-swishing'
Ev'ry lady fish is wishin'
That a male would come
And grab 'er by the gills!

June is bustin' out all over!
The sheep aren't sleepin' anymore!
All the rams that chase ewe-sheep
All determined there'll be new sheep
And the ewe-sheep aren't even keepin' score!

On acounta it's June!
June, June, June
Just because it's June, June, June!

~Flibby

Summer School at its finest!

2007-05-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the joys of homeschooling in the summertime! It's always more fun to do your schoolwork in the summer morning breeze on the swing with your baby doll, Peter, by your side. Beats a stuffy old school desk any day of the week!

Why gauge is important

2007-05-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I didn't check my gauge before beginning knitting booties for Noah! Big mistake! For all you knitters out there, gauge is important! I used the recommended size needles and the recommended yarn so I thought I could skip this step... bad idea! I had to go down a needle size and cut the pattern by 1/3rd to get the desired size.

When you don't check your gauge, you can get a bootie big enough for a five year old!
Gauge is important!

Updated to add...

Here is Cindy Lou, who will turn six in a few short weeks, modeling the rather huge baby bootie! This will give you an idea as to the scale of this mammoth thing! That's quite a bootie, don't you think?

Ensembles Concert!

2007-05-24T18:53:00.001-07:00

Tonight we had a wonderful ensembles concert with each of the children performing duets with each other as well as our terrific piano teacher! Here are a few clips for you to enjoy!!

Finished projects!

2007-05-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd show you my most recent project I completed for Noah. Here is his baby hat and matching blanket that I knitted for him for the hospital! I can't wait to see him in it!I've almost finished hand quilting his quilt and sewing his matching diaper bag. Stay tuned!

Spring Cleaning update...

2007-05-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't get everything finished on the list but we did get a good start... and we accomplished one of the most important things - the pool!! Ahh, it was glorious and refreshing as always!!

In the post below you can see the things we were able to cross of the list. Several of the things are partly done such as the cleaning out and organizing of all the cabinets. We are about halfway there with that and with the cleaning, washing, and dusting of the knick knacks over all the cabinets too. I feel confident we will make quick progress to finish up tomorrow along with our other 'Wednesday Cleaning' list.

Here are some pictures so you can see how everything is coming along!

Before....

After....

Spring Cleaning!

2007-05-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of getting ready for a new baby and it is spring... so what do you think that means for our family this week? Spring cleaning!! I love spring cleaning and I always try to do a little of it here and there throughout the year so there isn't just one time of the year where we cram in all this cleaning. This year I am being extra thorough since we are preparing for a baby too. So, this week, I have set up a spring cleaning schedule which I will share with you and we'll see how much of it we can accomplish!

For today...

~~~normal daily chores~~

~~~catch up on laundry~~

~~~regular school work~~ (which will be complete by the end of this week, praise the Lord!)

~Spring Cleaning -kitchen-

...~~clean out, wipe out and organize all cabinets~~

...~~take everything off counters and thoroughly scrub counters~~

...~~clean out and wash out refrigerators~~

...~~wipe down all cabinet fronts~~

...~~clean oven, stovetop, microwave, refrigerator fronts and tops, and dishwasher front~~

...~~wipe down table including legs and chairs~~

...~~wipe down all baseboards and window sills~~

...~~vacuum rug~~

...~~organize the bulletin board~~

...~~clean ceiling fans and light fixtures~~

...~~clean, dust and wash all knick knacks above cabinets~~

...~~clean windows and back door inside and out where possible~~

...~~mop and wax floor~~

~Spring Cleaning -hall closets-

...empty and vacuum or sweep closets

...refold and sort linens

...cull out any linens we no longer need

...organize folded linens on shelves

~Once all work is complete... ~~GO TO THE POOL!!!!!~~ Yippee! That is motivation enough for me!

We'll see if we make it to the pool today. We are well on our way with our list. All daily chores have been done and school work is in progress. In another hour or so we should be able to tackle the first of our spring cleaning days. Stay tuned!

Drawings.

2007-05-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my dear Grandpa Fred and Grandma Pat gave me a book. It is called "How To Draw and Paint Fashions." Yesterday I traced some and today I decided to try to draw my own.

Here are some of my drawings:

These are the first ones I drew. I traced the body shape and then drew the hair, face, clothes, and feet.
I traced all of these also. I drew the clothes, hair and face on the far left.

My last traces.

This is the one of the ones I drew on my own. I call it "Lady At The Beach."

This is the other one I drew on my own. It is called "The Dancer."

~Miss Poppins

Meat vs. Milk

2007-05-18T05:54:00.001-07:00

I've been following an interesting discussion over at Kim's blog about homeschooling. The comments that have followed this thread on her blog are what are most interesting to me. Those Christian parents that justify their decision to send their children to government schools use 'churchy' catch phrases such as "I feel led to send my children to public school" or "I am called to send my children to public school." and there is not one single Scripture quoted to back up this 'feeling' or 'calling'.

"And Jesus answering said unto them, 'Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God?" Mark 12:24

I see this a lot. Among many Christians, the Scripture is not their light. It is not their source of information on how to live and the methods the Lord would have them utilize for this situation or that. Most Christians do not read their Bibles other than to flip to a one sentence verse as directed by their pastor on Sunday morning. They certainly do not know the Scriptures... it is not hidden in their heart and they do not know where to find most of the books of the Bible. They rely on a man to tell them what the Bible says and how to apply it to their life. They rely on their feelings... if it's convenient and it feels good it must be the Lord's will for their life, right?It's a sad day.

"Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." John 5:39

I know all to well this phenomenon because it hasn't been that long ago that I was one of those Christians. I am so thankful the Lord delivered me from the 'milk' of knowing Him and His Word into the 'meat'. Once you begin to study the Scriptures for yourself, you become amazed at all the error you've been taught, all the incorrect thinking you've held, and all the incredible things of God that you never knew. I am still amazed... I hope I always continue to be amazed.

"If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou has attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness." 1 Timothy 4:6-7

What I've also discovered is that the life the Lord has called us to lead is not without its "trials" and "persecutions". I put these words in quotes because they are nothing compared to what the martyrs have suffered - past and present. But, they are difficult nonetheless. Living a life fully surrendered to Christ will cause your friends and family members to pause, to question, and many times to criticize. It can cause division.

"For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, 'The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.' For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Romans 15: 3-4

Living a life fully surrendered to Christ involves sacrifice. It is not always the most 'convenient' option. It can be hard work. It does not always bring with it prosperity. But, God's Word is true and what He has called us to is good, and it brings peace, and it brings LIFE! What could be more important than that? What could be better than that? Nothing!

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word. With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments. Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee. Blessed art Thou, O Lord: teach me Thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of Thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy Word." Psalm 119: 9-16

I'm sad to see the state of churches today. I'm sad to see 'praise and worship' music that is so vague in its wording you can't tell if the words are written to the Lord ... or to someone's prom date. I'm sad to see our churches filled with 7-11 songs (songs with the same 7 words repeated over and over 11 times)... Bible verses printed on screens so that no one has to bother bringing the Word of God with them to church. The worst of all are pastors that dumb down God's Word to simple catchy illustrations sprinkled with cute jokes. I could go on and on.

"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." 2 Peter 3:16-18

Of course, it's not about what you wear (to some extent), what you sing (to some extent), and what your traditions are (to some extent). But, it is about the Word of God. How can anyone know the will of God for their life, for their family and for their children if they do not know Him? If they do not know His Word? If they have not studied daily the Scriptures for themselves? Can't be done!

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:15-17

I pray that the Lord will always give me a burning desire to know Him and His Word. I pray that I will never try to make the gospel more 'fun' or more 'relevant' in order to witness to the lost. As Amy Carmichael said, “The gospel needs no frills.” I pray that Christians will be drawn to Him and Him alone without gimmicks, potluck dinners, and/or programs involved.

May we all love the Lord and seek to know Him through His Word alone. May we all be as the Bereans!

"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11

Glorious Nature!

2007-05-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

I can't help myself! When it's a rainy day I just must go out and take pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. Here are my favorites.

Our caladium bulbs have finally come up!

Our miniature roses. Aren't they beautiful?

I can't help taking pictures of the wet leaves.

I just love sepia tone photographs.

Wet hostas.

This one is very pretty.

A reflection in a puddle.

Raindrops are so beautiful.

A touch of abstract art.

Ripples in the water.

Honey suckles.

A bit of color.

Pink mandevilla.

~Miss Poppins

WFMW

2007-05-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

Hello! Miss Poppins here. I am posting 'Works For Me Wednesday' for my mom today.

Every year LadyWhy, Flibby, Nana and I attend a Christmas craft fair in November. My mom always buys soaps, creams and bath fizzes at her favorite booth. But one of her very favorite things to buy there is bath salts. She loves them! The only problem is that she runs out of them very quickly and then she has to wait until next November to get some more. So this Mother's Day I did a little internet searching and found a great recipe for some quick and easy homemade bath salts for my mom.

Start with a large mixing bowl and a spoon or other utensil. Add 3 cups of Epsom salt, 2 cups of baking soda and 1 cup of table salt into the bowl (this makes a lot of bath salt so I reduced the recipe). When all ingredients are added, begin mixing them with your spoon. Next, slowly add food coloring of your choice to the mixture. Regular food coloring will work perfectly and should be added according to the color that you desire. After your coloring is added and mixed evenly, begin to add essential oils until the desired scent is achieved. (I used the scented oil from some bath pearls that I already had on hand and that worked perfectly.)

This a very simple craft that only takes a few minutes to make!

For more helpful tips, head on over to Rocks In My Dryer!!

Mother's Day blessings!

2007-05-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

I must tell you that my family goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to spoiling me on special occasions as well as every day!! Mr. P leads the pack and has trained them all very well in this area!! Mother's Day was no exception. When quizzed by various children as to what I might like for Mother's Day, I gave them a few things that I would really like to have such as some new bath salts and a Mandevilla Vine for my mailbox. I was really excited knowing that my family would most certainly make sure I have the things I want. They are so good to me that way!!

Well, how shocked and amazed I was when on Mother's Day morning my family escorted me out onto our deck and this is what I saw!!Oh my goodness! I am IN LOVE!!! This swing is the most wonderful sancutary. It blocks the sun and lets me enjoy the glorious breeze! I've spent hours on it already.Mr. P then took me to the store today to choose plants for the deck to complete it's transformation into the perfect oasis. He told me he wanted to give me a swing where Noah and I could spend lots of quality time once he arrives. Have I ever mentioned what a blessed and thankful girl I am to be married to the most thoughtful and generous man on earth? They truly surprised me! I had NO idea they were planning something so elaborate!

Lest you think they forgot about my bath salt and Madevilla Vine, I received both in addition to a plethora of beautiful cards, breakfast prepared for me and served on my new swing and dinner sometime this week at the restaurant of my choice! Mr. P also took me out to lunch today just because. In addition to all these blessings, I received this special figurine that the children picked out for me. I'll cherish it always!My cup runneth over with blessing!

Things I love about expecting a baby...

2007-05-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

~I love resting my hand on my tummy and feeling something moving from one side to the other... all the way across. Amazing!

~I love how great I feel!

~I love washing tiny baby clothes (and my hospital nightgowns) in Dreft (the best smell on earth!)

~I love packing my hospital bag and anticipating my hospital stay!

~I love anticipating labor and delivery... there are few 'perfect moments' in life and I've already been blessed with five of them, soon to be six! When the doctor pulls that baby up and puts him on my tummy... a perfect moment. I can't wait!

~I love all the 'milestones' of pregnancy... the positive test, the first time you hear the heartbeat, the first little flutter, the sonogram to find out first if everything is as it should be and then if we have a boy or a girl!, now the 4-D sonogram!!, when doctor's appointments start coming every two weeks, then when doctor's appointments start coming every week and the baby is right around the corner!

~I love wondering what color his hair will be, what he will be like and how it will feel to hold him in my arms.

~I love the way I look when I'm expecting! There is nothing more beautiful than a woman expecting a baby!

~I love it when the cashier at the grocery store asks me when my baby is due.

~I love it when the teenage boy sacking my groceries asks me more than once if he can help me to the car with my groceries... there are a few noble young men out there willing to come to the aid of an expectant mother.

~I love that I have a big - and getting bigger all the time - family that fills up an elevator and half of a doctor's waiting room.

~I love baby hiccups!

~I love when the baby wakes me up in the middle of the night and I have him all to myself. I can play 'Guess That Appendage' when he stretches and pokes a little foot, knee, or elbow out for me to grab.

~I love that my children look at my tummy instead of my face when they talk to me.

~I love that each and every one of my children have to kiss Noah goodnight as well as me.

~I love that every little girl that sees me wants to touch my tummy and feel the baby kick.

~And, I love when my husband puts his face down to my stomach and talks to his newest son.

Moments as precious as these are few and I cherish each and every one of them!

A kiss for Noah

2007-05-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

Bliss! Pure bliss!

2007-05-11T05:53:00.000-07:00

Life is grand! The weather is fabulous... 85 degrees and sunny most days. Of course, we could use a little rain but I just love the sunshine so I'm not complaining. We are preparing for a baby who is a gracious gift of the Lord and truly a miracle in our lives! We have blessings upon blessings from the Lord... from new furniture to garage sales full of exactly the baby things we need and have asked the Lord to provide. I feel terrific! I do always tend to feel better pregnant than not and having this precious baby with all his kicks, hiccups and squirms inside of me has carried with it an extra measure of grace in my happiness and physical wellness.

Life is truly grand! But, there is one thing that is just the cherry on top of the sundae. THE POOL!!!! I dearly love the pool and make good use of it every summer. This summer I was a little bit sad that I would miss part of my summer sun and swim time since little Noah is due the first of August. That meant I wouldn't be able to swim in August. But, again, the Lord blessed me tremendously because our pool opened a full month early this year and our weather has been so nice and warm that we have been swimming several times in the last two weeks. Yesterday was no exception. Off to the pool we went and it was bliss! Pure bliss! The water was refreshing, the sun was glorious and the people were few and far between. Does it get any better than this? No way!

So, I'll be able to spend my full three months enjoying the pool, acquiring a healthy tan... which will look great in my hospital pictures!... and exercising in the pool in preparation for labor and delivery. And, I'll be enjoying every minute of it!!

One more thing I found that is particularly relevant to my current poolside enjoyment was this cute cartoon. It was so funny that I just had to share it. My two favorite things... the pool and books! You probably already know this about me, but when it comes to libraries and pools, I spend all my time in the deep end.

The Lord's continual provision!

2007-05-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

Once again the Lord has blessed us mightily providing us with even more than we could have asked!! To give you a little background, my third trimester nesting has kicked into full gear and a few weeks ago I told Mr. P that I would like to get rid of a big entertainment center in our living room and find a smaller one with doors we could close which would then free up a wall for another loveseat. I have been thinking about our need to expand our seating capacity with our ever growing family.

The very next weekend, Mr. P drove up to the house and in his truck procured from a local garage sale was a beautiful knotty pine armoire! It is even more beautiful than anything I had imagined! I absolutely love it!! As I thanked the Lord for this incredibly quick answer to prayer I began to pray and ask for Him to provide a matching loveseat. We have some beige leather furniture now and I wanted something nice that would match leather. I didn't necessarily need another leather piece because leather is sooooo expensive, but I thought a nice heavy tapestry fabric (we are tough on upholstery in this house!) in matching tones of burgundy and khaki would be just the thing to make the living room complete!

This week we received a call from some dear friends of our family. They are remodeling their den and wanted to offer us a full set of wine colored leather furniture complete with a variety of accessories! Amazing!!! The Lord has richly blessed us once again! Yesterday Mr. P and his friend went and picked up our new living room furniture. We now have a deep wine colored leather sofa, a matching oversized leather chair and ottoman, a stone and iron coffee table and end table, a beautiful Tiffany floor lamp, a new chest of drawers which we are using to replace a rather old and dilapidated chest belonging to Miss Poppins, another armoire and a corduroy camel colored loveseat!

We are thrilled and delighted with our new living room. It has increased our seating capacity by three which was sorely needed. Here is the furniture in its current configuration. I must add that this is one of many arrangements we've made with it as we decide where everything should go. I also didn't change any of the artwork yet so just ignore the sporadic and unordered placement of pictures. Once I get it all together, I'll post some pictures. Of course, with new furniture comes new paint for the walls and new curtains! Mr. P gave me 'that look' when I mentioned paint! I already have a four page list of home improvements that I want to make before the baby arrives and they are pretty labor intensive. What can I say... I'm nesting!

Whiskers on Kittens

But, we know all good things must come to an end...

The Boy likes Opera!!

M.P.R.Q...9/7/07

Works for me Wednesday!

The Little Boy Thou Gavest Me

Hebrews 12:1

Baby Firsts!

One more gray hair on my head...

Grandpa's Little Helper

One month old today!!

Noah Art

Yes, I know what causes that

A little preview of the Father Son Retreat...

I have it better than my dad...

Blobbing on the blog!

Where in the world is Karate Kid?

Thrill seeker!

First Flight!

What we do for fun at night!

The world is in need of my children

Vision Forum Giveaway!!

Noah's New Trick!

Noah's weekend adventures!

I wrote this during one of my many particularly happy moments...

Two weeks old today!

More random cuteness...

Noah and Me.

Grandmas know their granddaughters SO well!

Two brothers... 11 years apart

Fruit Tart Recipe

The three men I love most in this world!

You'll have to indulge me a little longer...

Extreme close ups!

One week old today!

Q.O.T.D - 7/26/07

Baby this and that...

The many moods of Noah...

Noah Mania!

Lifting our eyes unto the hills...

My favorite picture!

The Tick

The Newborn Boy

I'm still here...

Update on Hannah Banana

Noah and his admirers! UPDATED!!

Noah is here!!!!!!

Sweet sleepy puppies...

Baby Shower Fun!!

Last night I dreamt...7/14/07

The birth of a noble son!

A Storm's Beginning.

The evolution of a labor coach...

Puppies, puppies, puppies!

Tracy's having a baby!! UPDATED!!!

4th of July festivities!

Happy Birthday to our nation!

Preparations! Preparations!

The psychological equivalent of selling indulgences.

For your Tuesday morning amusement...

Pugglie Love!

Requested: Dog Beds

Wonderful old books... wonderful old quote!

Happy 6th Birthday, little Cindy Lou Who!!

Ballantyne Christian Adventure Book Giveaway!

A clash of cultures, maybe?

Morning Skies and Lemon Squares

What type of homeschooler am I?

Nessun Dorma at its finest!

Mr. Potato Head 1, Poison Ivy 0

Can anyone tell that rain is my inspiration?

Puppy Mania!

Q.O.T.D...06/20/07

Lessons from the sibling tour... UPDATED!

I just *had* to post this...

Happy Father's Day to our Daddy!!

Another Rainy Afternoon.

Puppies on parade!

New Look!

Our own personal Bible School

I just had to post this...