just two sweet little girls!!! Hosanna (9) Mercy (5 on Sat.)
I don't know your experience with parenting but I have a few thoughts of my own. I guess they are more observations. To be honest I have read very few parenting books, not that I have anything against them, but I have found that you have to do what works for your family and your measure should always be God's word. A perfect scripture for parents is that one that tells us not to compare ourselves with others, it proves us unwise!! Now, on to original post of observations! I have observed that the lowest maintenance ages of parenting my children is ages 3 years to age 15! At age 3, they can communicate well, of course are still needy, yet they are beginning to be able to dress, do some things themselves, and I think 3 year olds have such cute personalities. The years that precede, continue to be low maintenance, they are still "at home," kinda still under your wing, you are making, guiding, molding most of their decisions, they basically do as they are told, they depend on you for daily needs, such as food and clothing, they interact and play with siblings so they are not continually "hands on material!" :) They for the most part of content to be at home, playing. Your prayers for say ages 3-15, are certainly important, needful on their behalf but to me they are not "high maintenance prayers." As they get closer to the double digits, they are getting strengths that one can use to "help," they are still all in the nest so to speak, they still don't have big "life decisions," they still are operating on the parents times and schedules, and at this age even if they do have activities, the whole family tends to participate together. So to get to my point, ages earlier than age 3, are so precious but as we know, definitely lotsa work. I love the baby years, holding, cuddling, nursing, caring for all their desperate needs. Now about age 16, things began to happen, and from our own family, it really has been all good, I feel so blessed to have young men and young women and now adult women and men who by His grace are seeking the Lord and fear Him. But I have to say, I think "maintenance" begins to dip the scales again. They began to "do" bigger things!!! Like dangerous things. Jumping outta airplanes, hunting, racing dirtbikes, firefighting, working/walking on 20 foot scaffolding, walking like monkeys on rafters, driving. Praying for protection is like a major prayer around here!! :) They are gathering truths, principles they have been taught and are now able to conclude how they want to lead their own lives, their families. Seeking out future opportunities, meeting people, planning, going and participating on a daily basis events that are availabe. They have adult emotions, feelings, desires, prayers, dreams that only ONE can fulfill. They have "life" decisions before them!!! In our home at age 20, they are bonifide adults who have freedom to go and do as they desire, (according to God's word.) So, this list/paragraph is not exhausted but I read a scripture that made me think of how the age say 16 until they get married is "much maintenance!" Colossians 4:12, Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and be fully assured. Sometimes, its hard not to be afraid for them. As parents we have walked through much in our lives and we just dont want our children to know/experience some of the pains, hurts we have known, but that is impossible, nevertheless, its the love of a parent for a child to want to protect them. When I read that verse, it was as if, "so true", the wrestling in prayer for them, for the decisions that are before them, that will be before them and so desiring that they receive nothing less than God's best which would be His will!! Of course I long for them to "stand firm" in the revealed will of God, which is the Words of scripture. Carrying out the black and white that they read each morning. But there is the will of God, that as they seek Him, he shows them and that is the part that my prayer of wresting falls into, what lies ahead that we do not know yet. The maintenance or actually prayers seems so heavy, or alot of work sometimes. So I guess it kinda looks likes this to me if it were on a time line, the beginning is alot of work, the middle is a break kinda and then, one/me has to pick it back up with the work/wresting of prayer desiring that they find God's will, being mature and fully assured its the right path, His path!! But ya know, at any stage its all worth it, its a blessing, its a reward because our children are God's gifts to us! So like I said, this is just my own personal observation! I am not gray headed yet, but after all the wrestling in prayers for my children, one day I will wear it proudly, (maybe undercover, haven't decided if I will ever color it) ahahaha!!!!
The guys will Lord willin be home tonight!!! Mercy's BIG day is tomorrow!! She was 17 hours of labor, I should be having a party!!! haha!!! Just a happy weekend ahead of work and play, Lord willing!!
I love all you peoples!!!
P.S. Guess what I just got????????????? FLOWERS!!! from my wonderful husband!! WHY?? because its Spring!! (and he loves me!!)
* someone suggested this site for info on royal icing and after checking it out, I think she knows her stuff!!!!
When grandparents call to check and see if your still "alive," because you have not written a blog post, then its time to write a blog post!!!
I had a "royal" experience today!!! You can too!!!! That is if you have a "billion hours!!" I always seem to get myself into consuming opportunities!!! Mercy is having a "Hippity Hop" birthday on Saturday. She will be five years old!! So as usual I have all these ideas for her party. One being, making my traditional sugar cookies. This time I wanted to try something different, and that is where my "royal" experience comes in!!! I have seen sugar cookies decorated with the royal icing and they look incredible!! So, I thought I would try it out! First I found the recipe and tips to do it here. Then I had to gather a few materials that I did not have in my cake decorating box, the meringue powder, and the plastic bottles. I baked the cookies, cooled them and then the "long"fun began!! I only had 18 cookies to do, and I have not totally finished them yet, because you have to let them dry before you layer other colors of icing on, but oh my, I think I might make a vow not to do this again. I guess I wont make a vow, maybe a half a vow!! So if you have a "zillion hours," by all means make these cookies for your childs birthday. I am sure he/she will remember you spent a zillion hours making them after they take the first bite, which I hope they even taste good! So here are some pics (below) of how it went. You'll have to check back after Saturday to see the finished bunny cookie WITH ROYAL ICING!!!! hahaha!!!!
Anna is fixing dinner tonight!! So relieved, because I don't feel like cooking after my "royal" experience of a billion hours!! :) She is making King Ranch Chicken!
Bethany is really into technology!! She has always liked buttons, electronic things and she is very good with computer stuff. So for her 2011 kidding season, she has invested in a security camera for the barn/stalls. It is "live" feed right into our house on our flat screen. So we get to "watch" goats all day on TV!!! hahah!! She purchased it so she would not have to be at the barn all the time. Now she can just watch and wait from the house and monitor the labor until the its very close for the does to kid. Farmers have it easy these days!!! :)
The Texas job is going fairly smooth. There are some kinks they are having to work through, getting supplies there, communication ect. Terry and Elijah are working here in OKC and will go back and forth as needed.
Had a happy weekend with everyone being home. Cooked some burgers, Terry worked in the garden much of the day. Josiah, Josh, Jeremiah and I made a cowboy boot run and got some new boots for these fellows.
Dinner is almost ready. Terry and Elijah are almost here. Some are doing bowling, lazer tag with our church tonight,so guess it'll be Terry and I and the littles!!
Have a great evening!!
you outline the cookies first
handy bottle, a must!!
after outlining, you then "flood" the cookies using the handy bottle filled with royal icing, then you use a toothpick to spread the icing to the edges
you have to let the cookies dry for many hours before you layer with other colors
With this job in Texas, all the guys that Terry took down to the job had to have a "background" check! They did that yesterday. This morning they found out 5 of the 7 guys did not pass it!! Three of them, my sons!!! Two of them great friends!!! I guess not much info in the system about them!! I guess like someone said,"maybe you can be too clean!?!" haha!!! But as Terry said, when its tax time, they are in the system!!! I got the biggest laugh outta these pictures!! Made my day!!
they look SOOOOOO dangerous dont they?????
at the ss office in Texas... they "look" so illegal dont they????
Elijah, Caleb B ( 2nd row) Sid, Daniel and Caleb Morris
I am still laughing!!!!!!!!!
Terry and the two guys that did pass.....ummmm
interesting........
surely I could make some money off this picture, a classic for sure!!!!!!
P.S. Bethany and I did the clean out and haul off stuff at the Ada rent house. Let me put it this way, wasnt much salvagable, and wow, guys cant live with out mothers, sisters, and a wife!!! It was verrrrrry interesting to say the least and thats being nice!! So I can check that off on my "to do"list for the week!!! Back home, unloaded truck, cowboy movie, coffee, anna has dinner going and I need a nap!!!
I know now why this verse is in the scripture.......when you look at these pictures, you will know too!!! The equation is this....... (mom has boy+he does whatever with all his might ) x ( he likes to live dangerously + dirt bike) = a mom needing to pray without ceasing!!! I am glad I was not there!! AND especially to see the one crash, flip, flop that happened and brought him home alive but with a fleshy, meaty looking arm! His friend said,"that cuda killed ya!" duh!!!!
Elijah jumping "over" his buddy, Anthony!
Well, the guys got off to Texas but not without a few challenges. Two diesel trucks pulling two trailers filled with supplies. A few hours away and the flatbed trailer lost the whole wheel! Had to buy a new trailer. The Ford 350, was seemingly having some steering issues so Terry decided to send everyone on down in the other truck so they could at least get started. He headed back to OKC to our mechanics place to get the Ford fixed, and hopefully head back to Texas shortly. Terry and Elijah will come back to OKC on Wednesday after they get them started. Caleb Morris will be the Supervisor of this job of the 5 man crew. A big load! I know he will do a great job! He will get to know what all his dad goes through dealing with all the paper work, safety regulations, meetings with his crew, and the folks there over the building of the school coming to him for every jot and tittle that they have inquires about. I know from the Ada job, Terry was wanting to pull his hair out at some points and Terry said these folks are way more "picky" than Ada. Soooooo, I know I will be praying "without ceasing" for Caleb these next few months!!
Mercy attended a birth this afternoon!! A goat birth. Bethany is in full swing of "baby season." The dates on the March calender is filled with names of mama goats "due."
Here are a few more pictures of the guys houses. Anna took these with her camera. The pictures in the previous post were with my phone and they were ok but I always like "real" pictures!! haha!!
working on Caleb's house
Daniel and Caleb B. they had some guys come over and help them work on both houses.
Caleb's house
Caleb's house
Caleb
A busy week ahead. Already got one thing checked off for today, cant tell ya!! Anna has a surgery check-up with her tooth, grocery week, and Lord willling friends coming to see us for a day of play and we have to go to Ada to do the dreadful pack up and bring everything back home!! Most of it i got at thrift stores, so I am going to kindly return it to the thrift store! :) We'll have to get the couch and chair later plus Micah wants to sell it on Craigslist.
The cabinet man came out Saturday and got measurements for the 3rd phase of cabinets. It will be the north wall that will hold the cook top, the veggie sink and the coffee bar or station. Excited for the next phase being underway. it will take him about a month but I am hoping maybe by the end of March. The list of "to do's" is getting shorter:
*he (cabinet guy) will still have to build the cabinet box for the double oven and a floor to ceiling pantry *tile on the floor *all the trim work, windows, doors, around posts, and beams on the ceiling *3 ceiling fans, and an over the island light fixture *the marble back splash on the 3rd section * to re-arrange and build a new laundry room in existing part of old kitchen area
This 4 year project has been a long wait but its already a huge blessing to our family!!! We thank the Lord for work and jobs to be able to continue each phase!!!
front of Daniel's house, one day a big long covered porch all teh way across the front!
Daniel's
Daniel's
Daniel's
Mercy visiting her brothers house, she can not wait to sleep in the upstairs!
Daniel's .......one major roof!!
back view of Caleb's
back side of Caleb's
Caleb's
Caleb's...... a side view, the large open space there will be french doors off the dinning/kitchen
front of Caleb's house, the front entrance is where the two tall boards are, (bracing) and also there will 'be a turret going up there! major!!
I am still alive!!! I am still alive!!!! Whats been happening around here???? "LIFE!!" Plus sometimes my brain just freezes up as what to say. :/ Hard to believe, huh??? I am shy!! hahah!!
Anna had her oral surgery yesterday! It went very well and she is actually back to normal today and even baking the guys some cookies!! She will get "brownie points" for that. Wonder what she wants from them!!
The guys have had a deserved several days off and they have been working on their houses!! Ada is OVER!!!!! yippee!!! jump up and down!!! It was a great provision, ready for more adventure now in Texas!! Terry and one of the guys have to go down there tomorrow for a meeting and then come Monday, off they go to the big state of Texas!! Hope they can handle it!! Their houses look great, if I may so! I have not been out there in awhile and I was totally impressed and grateful and happy for them!! Once they get the walls built up, next step is pouring the concrete in the walls! Good job guys!!
I read a verse this morning and as always when it makes me think of Joel, I have to share it. But its really a verse or two for all of life. Like a "from here on out" verse. Gen 41:29-31, Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
I am learning that there are seasons in life. As the scripture says,"a time for everything!" There are seasons of plenty and seasons of famine. Before Joel's illness, I would have to say, plenty far outweighed the famines that our family has experienced. I am thankful that famines don't necessarily last 7 years. But the one thing that I want to do, is be a good steward even when a famine comes. One thing that will serve as "grace" to our hearts, our minds is to NOT forget the land of plenty. Of Who, what God has done in our past and resting that since he is the Same Yesterday and Forever, He will see us through the "famines." Famines can consume folks, it can cause bitterness, questioning God, even forsaking him because we feel we did not get dealt with fairly. Your right, God is not fair, he is Just. That means all his actions, Providences, workings are all right even though we can not comprehend. I think one way God is glorified in a famine is to be able to do something else the verse mentions and that is not forget the plenty, like the verse says "and the plenty shall not be known." We often are quick to tell and testify of all the bad things, or the things God has dealt us that we do not like, but how He wants to make "known" and tell of all the "plenty of the past and present" He is doing in and about our lives. So remembering personally the plenty, his faithfulness and then making known the plenty to others. Famines will come! But remember the plenty to get you through it!
Anna's about got them cookies made......happy guys! The littles are begging!!
I gotta go figure out what to cook for a bunch of hungry guys tonight!
just two sweet little girls!!!
