Home-safe and sound...

Just a quick note to let you know we are home and L is recovering...having quite a bit of pain but the pain meds have kicked in and he has managed to eat an ice pop, twizzler and gummy bear!!
Will post pictures later of his exciting day...right now he is painting a craft that was sent home since he missed Home Schooler's Day Out.
Thanks for praying for our little man ...we are praying tonight goes well!!
Love,
MamaB

Thankful Eyes....

Don't let his tiny size fool you...what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in spunk and spirit!!

Daddy went into work extra early so he could travel an hour to see the kids play their last soccer game...then he traveled the hour back to work to finish out his work day. Odesco actually scored 2 goals... it was such fun to see him so excited. P and C's team won their game too. Both big boys played their hearts out and were grateful that Daddy was there to watch them. We got our exercise as we ran back and forth between the 2 fields :)

The littles enjoy one last team huddle with their wonderful coaches!

Boys and their toys! This picture cracks me up...after the soccer game the G brothers came home with us. Don't worry, they did get outside and run around a bit but this seems to be their favorite thing to do!

I just love home schooling...here, Andy who is a 17 year old home schooler ( and one of our prized babysitters!) was teaching our history coop about Napoleon and his military tactics .. he also expertly led a discussion regarding whether Napoleon was a hero or villain. What a blessing to see the fruit of our friend Kim's labors as her son did such a fine job!!

King Odesco, Spiderboy Jenkins and soldier L

While the older kids were learning upstairs, the little ones were having a grand time of controlled chaos in the basement.

People often ask what the younger ones do during school time. Well, after I have finished with their 1:1 time, they work on activities...yep, these times often challenge my love for order but it keeps them busy and out of harm's way and it gives them ample opportunity to practice their clean up skills!!

"And God saw all that he had made and said,'It is gooood!' " Odesco cracks us up with his creative interpretation of these words as he says them and gives the thumbs up sign when we review their lessons from All of God's Creation class-

Miss Britt and Mercy after an impromptu Sunday afternoon together...G was invited to a friend's house after church and Mercy was a bit put out but almost instantly pulled it together...a major evidence of God at work in her heart! Later, Daddy took the rest of the kids to watch Brittany's brother play in a soccer game and Mercy was invited to go home with Brittany ....what an unexpected blessing and in light of her earlier choice to 'do what is right and good', it was a great teaching opportunity to show how God does reward us when we honor Him~often our rewards are awaiting us in heaven but this day, Mercy was able to receive a tangible reward here on earth :) The news of this unexpected blessing also gave G the opportunity to flex her 'rejoicing with others' muscles. He certainly does use all circumstances to train our hearts :)

Odesco has been pretending he is a dog...he races around on his hands and feet(his knees don't touch the ground) and he is quite the speedy pup...he loves it when the girls attach a 'leash'(aka: scarf) to his waist for the full effect.Never a dull moment~ these guys certainly can entertain themselves !! I think Odesco spends more time getting around in puppy mode than walking...it amazes me how fast he is and that his back doesn't ache!

Mercy was given the opportunity to 'teach' a segment God of All Creation class by reciting the days of creation using her illustrated book that she has been working on in class.She was in her glory as being the center of attention is what she loves best.....

Daddy's little helpers ... ripping out the old powder room.

Our little construction site' right in or very own backyard...these guys thought it was such fun to pretend they were building with the ripped out remains of the bathroom.

Mrs. Di bought a coconut at Produce junction and had the unique experience of watching Mercy and Odesco crack it open and devour it!

Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes...filling up these boxes with the treasures I'd been collecting all year was a bit chaotic( an understatement!) but I'm grateful the kids have the opportunity to think outside of themselves. If you are interested in this wonderful ministry, go to www.samaritanspurse.org and click on the Operation Christmas Child link.You can even enclose a letter and picture of the child sending the package. Once we received a letter back from Jamaica(written by the child's mother) and another time from Moldova (written by a family friend).Moldova is near Ukraine...don't worry, I had no clue either and had to look it up on our wall map when we received the letter!
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The aftermath of a 'little help' from my little helper :) 3 Days later and I'm still finding remnants of dried up pumpkinbread batter on the window screen, plant, windowsill etc.

Mercy sporting her new 'do'. I tried a head full of 'microtwists' which look really cute on her. She kept trying to say this and could not get anything but "macaroni twists" out...so,I have a feeling this new style will forever be dubbed 'macaroni twists'!!

P, our growing boy with the endless appetite requested something other than cold cereal for breakfast on Saturday morning. He wanted to know if we could have pancakes...I was about to get in the shower and told him if he wanted to make them, that was fine with me...so here he is with a little help from 'King Odesco' making breakfast...he did most of it but needed a bit of help with the actual cooking and cleanup :)

Since my post about my growing need for a meek and quiet spirit- specifically within our home, God has granted me opportunity after opportunity to be stretched in this area! I have sensed Him at work in my heart challenging me to view situations through 'thankful eyes'--these are situations that would typically be my 'meek and quiet spirit robbers'. Here are a few examples:
* L has definitely been showing signs of anxiety regarding his upcoming surgery (scheduled for 10/31-please pray!). He is easily provoked to anger, very whiny and just overall not himself. He is able to articulate and attribute these outbursts to his fears ("I just can't stop thinking about it and I have a plan...I'm going to hide under my covers so that I don't have to go!!") but is frequently reminded that 'choices have consequences' and God still holds him accountable for his sin. By God's grace, 'Thankful eyes' helped me yesterday to see the many opportunities to point my little boy to the compassion and faithfulness of a loving heavenly Father who will comfort and carry him during this time. I am also really sensing that this is part of the 'making of the man' for our little guy...that God is doing a mighty work in his little heart and will use this experience to grow his faith and secure his trust to anchor him in the years ahead. I am asking God for grace to deal graciously and patiently with L in his "high maintenance mode" and that the Lord would supernaturally grant him peace to walk through this scary time. Daddy has been having sweet talks with our little man as well assuring him that trusting in a sovereign God is the only way to have peace...tough truths for an adult to consistently put into practice and even more challenging for a 5 year old
*On Monday I learned from Amazon. com that they suspected fraudulent activity in my account and closed it . Curious, I checked my paypal account 'just in case' and learned that a huge wad of money had been charged to my account for jewelry and other stuff! By God's grace, 'thankful eyes' helped me to be grateful that this was caught early and that the charges were reversed. Had I not received that Amazon email, I would not have known about the paypal mess. The hassles of spending much time on the phone( and the kiddy chaos resulting from a distracted mommy) , paled in comparison to the hassles that would have surely ensued had the problem not been identified so early!!
*Yesterday, Mercy in her typical enthusiastic( but just a wee bit impulsive) manner wanted to 'help' me as I prepared to turn the mixer on to make pumpkin bread. Only problem is she pushed the lever to '10'( before I could instruct her to start at the lowest setting and gradually increase the mixer speed)-This sent flour and pumpkin goop all over her hair, shirt, the cabinets, and counter. By God's grace 'thankful eyes' helped me to actually laugh, snap a picture, and rejoice that she was in the process of undoing her hair in preparation for the next hair style. How grateful I was that this did not occur after I had just spent the typical 4 hours doing her hair!!! I definitely would have failed that test and am grateful for God's kind timing!
* Right now, we are in 'remodel mode' as M gutted our powder room on Sunday due to a chronic leak and a much needed face lift since this room has not been improved (aside from a new toilet seat and wallpaper!) since we moved in 14+ years ago... Remodel mode means that the family room is now home to all of the contents of the old bathroom(except the toilet...I'm grateful for that :)) and the living room is now home to the sink and cabinets soon to be installed. Typically, my idol of order would be rearing its ugly head... I still feel it lurking around under the surface of my peace & order craving heart, but by God's grace I am choosing to focus instead on being grateful for my hubby's handyman giftings and the expert help of DaddyK (Jenkin's and Felicia's Dad) who gets a job done in a hurry. Oh, I'm thankful also for the fun of choosing a new wall color, towels, throw rug, and a trash can!!!
* Upstairs is also very disorganized as we pulled down the 10 bins from the attic in order to do the labor intensive clothing switchover for all 8 of us. God's prodding to look with " thankful eyes" has helped me to see the immense blessing of all of those bins which typically feel like endless work and clutter...how blessed we are to have such generous neighbors, family and friends who graciously gift us with hand me downs to clothe the kiddos year after year!!! God has provided with such an abundance that we are often sending huge overflowing bag loads out the door to bless another family :) In fact, I have 2 large bags awaiting our annual homeschool clothing swap and I'm not even near finished yet :)
Now, I wish I could report that every 'opportunity' has been viewed with 'thankful eyes'...unfortunately, more times than not, my gaze is less than thankful -often viewing these God given 'opportunities' as unwanted interruptions. Or, my view is skewed by unbelief instead of viewing the goodness and wisdom of God in the midst of the challenge. So, for now, I am praying for the grace to view all things with 'thankful eyes' as I seek to honor Him with a growing meek and quiet spirit.
We would be so blessed if you would pray our little man L and his upcoming surgery on Wednesday. As I type, he is snuggling with Daddy on the recliner chair, watching the World Series and eating a chocolate chip cookie...attempts at drifting off to sleep were futile as he crashed this afternoon and took a much needed 2 hour nap. Now he is quite chatty and not at all sleepy! Thankfully, everyone else is in bed :) We are actually letting him sleep with us tonight since he has been waking up fretful and scared...it seems he just needs a little extra TLC right now :) Shh...don't let the other kiddos know!!!
I'll try to update after his surgery on Wednesday...
Thanks for praying and continuing to check in~
Praying for grace to grow in viewing 'those moments' through 'thankful eyes'...
Love, Mama B

Fall Fun...

No news this post~ just pictures...this past Saturday, our church hosted our first ever Harvest Celebration. It was a festive, beautiful, memory- filled afternoon and the little ones had a blast.The big boys were there also and had an entire afternoon to hang with their friends, play football, and eat! We even discovered that Odesco has a hidden talent: he won the sunflower seed spitting contest for his age category--yup, that's our boy - the seed spitting wonder :)!!! Enjoy the pictures!
MamaB.

Mercy waited until Miss Brittany was on duty in the face painting booth :)

We learned that black face paint does not show up on our handsome fellow's face so Miss Brittany had to get creative with the color choices!

SpiderBoy

Firefighters Odesco and Jenkins....Even the local Fire Department joined in the fun...they had 2 trucks there for the kids to climb up in and of course, they were all given firefighter helmets!

There was a "Thankful Tree" at the Harvest Celebration and the kids were able to write on a leaf what they were thankful for...Odesco needed help so he told Mrs. Daniels,"My family." This momma's heart was touched :)

All 4 littles were on the pony ride at the same time...they went back to ride at least 5 times throughout the course of the day-such fun!!

Ride em' cowboy Odesdco and cowgirl G!!

Mercy just loved these pony rides!!

Never one to hold back, Mercy boldly made herself known to the Chick Fil A Cow who came and joined the Harvest Fun!!

Thanks to Chick Fil A , we had a nice free lunch out on Monday . They had a booth set up and gave out lots of coupons for meals and ice cream :) It was a great motivator in keeping everyone in line at P's orthodontic appointment which was strategically scheduled right before lunch to give me enough time to get school done and bargaining power to encourage obedience!

All this fun tires a little guy out!!

A Meek and Quiet Spirit

I know this is fuzzy but this is L's first glimpse at Mercy's shiny, shiny new tooth and I thought it was hysterical to see these 2 in action!!

Coop time-standing in a tub of ice cubes with a loaded backpack on.. Attempting to reinforce some of the hardships Napoleon's soldiers faced as they trudged through snow/ice covered mountains in Russia with little protection from the elements. Of course, the weather being near 80 degrees here did not give the desired effect...I think the ice cubes were a welcomed treat but Jenkins(standing with feet behind the ice...not on the ice!) was sure he did not like cold feet!

On Saturday, MamaK and I took our youngest kiddos to the premier showing of the new Veggie Tales movie- a cute take off on the Wizard of Oz and the Prodigal Son with many jokes only adults seem to get...but the kids enjoyed it too and Mercy even boldly gave Larry and Bob hugs! She was the only one who wanted to wait in line to meet the veggies:)

The 4 littles wanted to enter the 'pumpkin decorating contest' at our church Harvest party this weekend. We went to Produce Junction, they picked their pumpkins, and then I set them loose with markers and other assorted craft items they uncovered.

Our little man perusing the atlas and reminding me that anytime I need a navigator, I can call on him :)

Pop-Pop and Grandmom B came for a visit...the little boys had fun with Pop-Pop on the swings~Odesco is barechested and wearing pants 5 sizes too big because Grandmom brought a bag of hand me down clothes -Odesco was sure these perfectly fit him!(yeah-maybe in about 5 years)

C (in Phillie's hat) at Homeschooler's Day Out during Zoology class . They were dissecting owl pellets which contain the remnant bones of whatever the owl ingested...pretty cool! Right up his alley-he said it was his favorite class ever!!

C was so excited he sorted through the various bones again and categorized them for me...yes it is the kitchen table and don't worry I did disinfect after he was through!! Interestingly enough, our neighbor happened to see a large owl perched on our roof just last week! Guess it's time to go hunting for owl pellets in the yard?!

The Lone Ranger and Tonto in action- A very happy L found the mask in the 'free' pile at Homeschooler's Day Out.

This little guy cracks us up with his goofy outfits...he wore this all morning-even during school.

We went for a 'leaf collecting' walk with our friend E and the kids were convinced it was 'freezing' outside. The temperature dropped significantly and they insisted on getting gloves, hats and scarves out...I think they have forgotten the frigid days of winter! Of course, the little boys may have been quite a bit warmer if they had agreed to put pants on! They all had such fun collecting an assortment of leaves-this is Mercy and Odesco's first Autumn experience and they are enjoying God's creative display as the leaves are just beginning to change.

Mercy with a very patient "Miss Maria"-she is smiling once again after the dreaded mold impressions.

I have begun re-reading the book Homeschooling With a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Terri Maxwell.
http://www.titus2.com/ecommerce/products/prod_listing.php/1120
It is built around the principles outlined in I Peter 3:4:
"...but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a meek and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."
We are only weeks into the new school year and I already desperately feel my need to grow in this area. Since blowing the dust off this treasure, my days have been full of opportunities to grow in these much needed character traits! If you are wondering what a meek and quiet spirit looks like, here is the dictionary definition:
Meek~ mild of temper, soft, gentle, not easily provoked or irritated.
Quiet~ peaceable, not turbulent, not giving offense,mild and contented.
I am trying to remember in the midst of these situations to thank God for giving me ample opportunity to flex my 'meek and quiet spirit' muscles and that He would be my strength as I seek to honor Him in these challenges. I have so much growing to do in this as my 'cup ' ( heart) gets bumped throughout the day and often all that spills out is dirty water(sin!!). The bumping(often in the form of my children) didn't cause the water to become dirty...the bumping is just revealing what was already in the cup !! So once again I sit back amazed that the Maker of the universe cares so intimately for my soul that He allows very specific circumstances and situations into my life to refine my character. Truly the crucible of the home is a wonderful training ground and there is no place on earth that I would rather be...Lord just help me remember this the next time my 'cup is bumped'!!

Onto some family happenings:
* Last week, I took L to his pediatric ENT appointment to discuss his huge adenoids and tonsils. Truthfully, these organs are the only huge part of our very little man and he is quite proud of them!! He enjoyed showing them off to the nurse practitioner as he widely opened his mouth for her to see his tonsils and then he pointed out his 'hibernating teeth' on the x-ray . It was no surprise that the recommendation was to schedule surgery :( The nurse practitioner was extremely likable and full of information...only problem is she very clearly(she was not talking in 'code') told me that he will have lots of pain following the surgery and he heard every word!! He also happily heard her instructions that he needs to eat lots of food like gummy bears, chips, pizza, and other chewy candies immediately following the surgery! Evidently, the chewing motion is supposed to deal with the referred pain to the neck and jaw region. Just thinking about him eating anything but smoothies and ice cream makes me cringe... I can't imagine the discomfort that will bring but trust it will be short lived and the benefits of quiet sleeping and a cleared airway (hopefully this will help with his appetite) will be worth the few days of pain. We also had to have some blood work drawn which I did not prepare him ahead of time for since I didn't know it would need to be done.So I broke the news to him as we waited to go in for it and he was not a happy camper...fortunately they were able to get the vial of blood from his finger alone so that was God's kindness to our little guy!
On the way home I needed to run an errand so I did get him a slurpie and gummy bears (I know- highly nutritious!) hoping to give him something fun to anticipate instead of focusing on the surgery! It worked for a few minutes...then we pulled in the driveway and his mood changed. I got out of the car, turned around to get a package and couldn't find L. Last I saw him he was standing at the front door waiting for me to open it....our van is so big, he scooted around it without me seeing him. I found him in time to see him turning the corner of our cul-de-sac (thankfully on the sidewalk). He was determinedly walking and when I caught up to him he very forthrightly announced that he was NOT having surgery and he was running away!! I picked him up and he started to cry about what he heard the nurse tell me...I assured him that it would all be worth it in the end and that God would be with him...he calmed down and then we called Daddy as we sat on our neighbor's lawn to tell him the news. Soon L was ready to head inside and this time he was so excited to tell his siblings that he gets to eat junk food!!! Oh, what a fickle pickle he is and I expect these fluctuating attitudes will continue until October 31st- the day of his actual surgery. Please keep him in your prayers :)!!
*As we walked into church this Sunday, L was once again declaring his excitement over the prospect of unlimited junk food( as if he eats unlimited anything!!) when Mercy reminded him that we are getting ready to worship God...then she said," L-please stop talking about this...it makes me think about wanting to eat!!!!" I got a good laugh out of this interchange between siblings :)!! One who barely eats and one who loves to eat!
* Last week during our first soccer game, L was on the side lines with a few of his teammates waiting for their turn to be in the game. From the other end of the field I noticed that he and one particular teammate were quite animated as they engaged in conversation and totally oblivious to the game going on in front of them. Curious, I walked over to where they were sitting and overheard their conversation which was all about STAR WARS...yep it's official ... we have a 'teenage toddler' -(I'm borrowing my friend Kim's creative label for her youngest son ) P and C had no clue about Star Wars until just a few years ago and here is Mr. 5 year old actively engaged in a very dynamic conversation about this very topic... and if you know L, you know exactly what I am talking about!
*Early this morning I was greeted by a very smiley, cuddly Odesco. I was reminded of how glum and moody he and Mercy used to be in the mornings when they first awakened. I am sure it was all part of their grieving as they left Liberia and all they knew to come to us. Just seeing his smiley face and getting a bear hug from this little guy reminded me of the mighty work the Lord has done in just 10 short months!!
* Last night, Mark went to check on the kiddos before turning in and was surprised to see the little boys' beds empty!! Sure enough , C in his quest to awaken earlier in the morning, asked the little boys to sleep with him. We heard many bumps and kicks against the wall last night...at one point Daddy went in to check on them. Somehow they were all asleep even as L was situated across the other 2. They were all up by 7am and Odesco was so excited he got to share his big brother's bed!!
Today Mercy had her appointment to have the molds taken to make her orthodontic appliance...She was her typical self, taking her shoes off before climbing up in the 'cool' chair, then getting out of the chair to check things of interest out on the counter but responding well to the instruction to get situated and stay put! She was pretty upset when they put the goop in to make the upper mold-if any of you remember this, it is not a pleasant experience-especially as it hardens inside your mouth! Anyhow with hand-holding and much encouragement she made it through the longest 60 seconds of her life and stopped howling as soon as they removed the mold which did not come out easily. The bottom mold was a breeze and she was a champ for this! I do think she had a bit of pain with the upper one as their was some bleeding near the tooth that was just worked on last week. After this, she had to lightly bite on a piece of wax but first they needed to convince her it was not cheese as she rubbed her belly saying, Yummy, yummy!!" She is such a character!!! In three weeks they will fit the appliance on her and give her another 2 weeks to adjust to it in her mouth before applying any tension to the tooth that needs to be moved. Then she will wear this 24/7 for 6 months. So I am praying for God to especially meet L and Mercy in a significant way in the days ahead. Praying also for abundant grace to deal with any of their complaints and fears as we walk through these minor procedures (that seem HUGE) to a little one.
Trusting that with His unfailing grace, I will grow to be more like Him(with a meek and quiet spirit!)...especially in the precious but fiery crucible of our 'cup bumping' home!!
Love,
MamaB