Lavished !!!

Last Friday, my hubby and I returned from our 2nd honeymoon!! We took a trip to New Hampshire to celebrate our 20th anniversary a little early. Officially it is on December 16th but M's co-worker offered him a timeshare week, Mimi and Pop-Pop were available to watch the kiddos, and it was a convenient time for M to get away at work. Wow, how lavished I felt to have 5 uninterrupted nights and days with my one and only. We have not had time extended time alone since our Liberian blessings came home and until we were away, I did not realize how much it would refresh us! Believe it or not, we went skiing for 3 days in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire. The scenery is just breathtaking and we had such fun and lots of laughs together. Some of the highlights:
* Just being with my hubby and best friend non-stop!!
*Watching Fireproof and rejoicing anew in the gift of marriage~
* Eating dinner out 3 nights (we ate leftovers in one evening) while enjoying uninterrupted conversation~
* While sitting in his office waiting for him to work a 1/2 day on Monday, I managed to clean out my purse, organize my Daytimer, and purge my coupon box of all expired coupons...then on the 8 hour road trip, we listened to a great sermon, and actually had time to discuss it afterwards while I clipped/organized several weeks worth of coupons....you can't imagine how incredible it felt to actually complete such seemingly insignificant but necessary tasks!!
*Catching a glimpse of the snow capped Presidential Mountain range, whenever it was in view.
*Calling the children each night and hearing what wonderful memories they were making with Mimi and Pop-Pop (who decided to cash in a week of their timeshare at a Marriott an hour away--the kids enjoyed swimming, activities, and just all around fun with Mimi and Pop-Pop---not to mention yummy meals and ice cream each night!!!) Rejoicing also in how the Lord specifically met 2 of our children and helped them to do well in our absence.
*Meeting so many interesting people...including "Anne of Green Gables" from Prince Edward Island! Really! We were taking a break in the lodge at Black Mountain and began chatting with a sweet family of 4...when we heard they were from PEI we made mention of our daughters' love of Anne and they told us their daughter, Abby (who has red hair and freckles!) actually portrays Anne for the many Japanese tourists who come to town. The dad even ran to his car and gave us an apron with PEI logo on it :) he works for the PEI "Potato Board" and shared this piece of his home with us! We also met a dear older man (79) and his wife who were "Mountain Hosts" At Bretton Woods Ski resort. M was getting our lift tickets and I got out of the car to enjoy the spectacular view ... this dear man Arthur, introduced himself and began sharing his life story. A few minutes later he called his wife over, who was also working in the parking lot and she identified us as "The Honeymooners". Later we saw Pauline in the lodge as we warmed up around the fire waiting for the rains to cease...she informed us that Artur is like a kid and was out on the mountain skiing in the rain! Did I mention he is 79 years old!! We also met many neat families from Canada as they were enjoying their winter break on the slopes.
How kind of the Lord to provide for us in this way... thanks, Mom and Doyle for taking on 6 kiddos for 5 days! They came back from their timeshare on Tuesday night (after a very eventful day!) so that they could bring them to Homeschooler's Day Out on Wednesday....then they drove the 1.5 hours back to the timeshare to finish out the week. What a blessing that the kids didn't miss their classes and could keep pace with their workload.
My heart overflows with gratitude to the Lord for His kindess in blessing us this way, to my hubby for making 'us' a priority and for the many kindnesses he showered upon me during our time away, and of course to Mimi and Pop-Pop for making such a sweet memory for our kids. I certainly did nothing to deserve such rich blessings...once again I have been lavished by the Lord !!
My heart is full!!
Love,
MamaB

On Sunday night, we drove the kiddos to Mimi and pop-Pop's timeshare where we enjoyed dinner together. M and L were having a difficult time with us leaving -- it was significant to see how the Lord met them during our time away. Great is His faithfulness!!

We saw these signs frequently during our time away...but no moose sightings :(

This picture does not capture the beauty of this place! This is the view of Mount Washington from the top of the mountain we later skiied down~

M explored some of the more difficult runs alone while I rested my fatigued legs in the lodge...here he snapped a picture from the top of one of the trails I never saw~the pictures really don't capture the beauty of these views!

This picture was taken from the deck outside the lodge where we enjoyed our bagged lunch...this is the view we saw from the windows... I never tired of enjoying this beautiful mountain range!

The view from the road as we passed the M0unt Washington Hotel

A self timed photo...we were taking a break for lunch and warmed up in front of the fire:)

Happy Birthday to my One and Only!!

My hubby turned 46 on the 14th! It's hard to believe that we met when he was in his 2o's and that will be married for 20 years this December! These years have sped by. There are so many things I appreciate about my husband but one of the qualities that sets him apart is his diligence. Mark has abundantly provided for us over the years so that I can stay home with our children. This is a privilege I do not take for granted...even when I am having one of 'those' days, my heart is full of gratitude to M for being such a good steward with our finances, for being a hard worker, and for fully supporting me in our homeschool endeavors over the years. For the past 20 years, M has had a 2 to 2.5 hour round trip daily commute which as you can imagine, can be wearisome...but he never complains about it~He just plugs along knowing this is the Lord's gracious provision for our family. Happy Belated Birthday!! You are well loved around here!!!!

On Thursday, Mom and DadB came over for a birthday dinner for their #7 child. (M is 7 of 8!) It's always a blessing to have them join us for an evening. Mom B never comes empty handed and always brings her famous pumpkin bread (this is the recipe I use to bless friends and neighbors at Christmas!) and a huge batch of blond brownies which the kiddos and Daddy devour!!!! C had a fun time with Pop-Pop B perusing the Ellis Island website' and they found the Manifest entry of Pop-Pop's Mother's arrival to Ellis Island from Ireland. We are currently studying immigration and it was so neat to find this treasure :)!!

Daddy spent his birthday doing outdoor work with his 4 boys...we topped off the evening with his favorite meal and everyone sharing what we love about Daddy :)

Healing the Hurt...

In recent weeks, Mercy has begun to finally articulate her grief...it is raw and real. Typically, it comes spilling out after a meltdown episode but I am hoping over time she will be able to talk about it preemptively before a huge scene develops. A few weeks ago after a major melt down incident, she asked me to remove the picture of her Liberian Ma from her dresser. As she went downstairs, I sobbed as I considered the deep pain and confusion in her little heart. Just a few days ago she announced that she would once again like the picture of her Ma displayed. I retrieved it for her and before she set it up again on her dresser, she lovingly attached a note to the back letting her Liberian Ma know she missed her and loved her. I am so grateful we are finally, after 2+ years able to address this underlying issue which seems to be simmering under the surface of her heart . As her mom, I wish I could just heal her heart, take away the pain, and make her whole without her having to endure the long and tedious process of grieving, questioning, and sorting out so many emotions for such a little girl. I am filled with hope though, because the One who longs to comfort and heal is at work. Only the Lord can soothe the ache deep in her soul, only He can satisfy the burning questions of her heart, only He can turn her sorrow into joy.

I have mentioned the sunflower analogy over the years in earlier posts. The other day we had a huge issue stemming from a big mommy blunder. Mercy had plopped a sunflower seed in a dixie cup and covered it with backyard dirt. It has been sitting on the kitchen windowsill for quite some time. I was on a late night cleaning spree and since it was dry and there was no apparent growth in the cup, I assumed it had been forgotten by my little girl and I tossed it . BIG MISTAKE!! The following morning she was looking for her 'sunflower plant'. I explained that I had thrown it away not realizing that she was still caring for it. She was beside herself in a torrent of angry tears and told me I had thrown away her treasure. For several minutes she was inconsolable. When she calmed down enough to hear me, I asked her forgiveness for not checking with her first and assured her that I never would have tossed it had I seen any evidence of growth in that little dixie cup or if I had known it was so precious to her. I explained that the conditions were not right for that seed to grow...the soil was not fertile, it was too cold on the windowsill and it was not receiving the proper amount of light and water. I promised we would plant some sunflower seeds in another pot with good potting soil in the coming days. Then we talked about the sunflower analogy yet again and how it applies to her life. We spoke of the goodness of God in planting her in fertile soil where she is watered by the love of so many. We remembered the sad day when last summer her sunflower was uprooted after a storm blew through. We talked about the importance of deep roots. We spoke of how often God uses sad things to bring good...we talked about the death of my own Dad and how God brought the blessing of Doyle and my 'blended' family into our lives.
She really is assimilating this all and astounds me at times with her insight. One morning during devotions, the topic was being good stewards of the gifts God has given us. We went around the table and each child shared what they felt their gift was and how they could be a good steward of it. Mercy shared that her gift was being adopted into our family. When I asked her how she could be a good steward of this gift she said,"By not saying I want to go back to Liberia when I get angry" Wow! God is definitely at work and slowly she is coming to terms with His sovereignty in the midst of all the change she has endured over these past 2+ years. So, if you think of us, please pray that M and I will have supernatural wisdom in helping Mercy to appropriately articulate her grief, that He would continue to give us 'teachable' moments during peaceful times for her roots to grow strong and deep as she processes all of her jumbled emotions.
Soon enough it will be planting season. We plan to stake her sunflowers this year to give them a chance to really grow. The stakes remind me of how Mercy needs to be staked to the truths of God's word so that she will not bend to her constantly fluctuating emotions.
So, I am praying for a harvest of deeply rooted sunflowers this summer and praying for the roots of our little girl to grow deeply in the fertile soil God has transplanted her in.

Love,
MamaB

Emmanuel's picture

Just thought you all might enjoy seeing the picture we received from Emmanuel for Joseph's miracle. It arrived last week, well protected in a huge box...Now to find the perfect spot to display it :)
Blessings,
MamaB

Cyber Boy strikes again!!

Well, my computer whiz just figured out how to enable comments on our blog... so comment away, my friends. I blog mostly to keep a record for our family since my scrapbooking days seem to be a thing of the past (I wonder why?!) but I'd love to know if you're dropping by.

Love,
MamaB

Keeping the Winter Doldrums at bay....

This time of the year can be the most challenging for me as a homeschool mom as the combination of cold weather and time indoors can get us all a little stir crazy. Thankfully, we have had the privilege of skiing several Tuesdays over the past 6 weeks(pictures forthcoming!) and the Lord has provided little diversions for us over the past few weeks.
For months, we have been watching a hornets' nest hang precariously high from one of the trees towering above our yard. Recently we had high winds and guess what blew into our yard?? There we were at 8am poking at this marvel of nature. Don't worry --all live critters have long since abandoned ship. Incidentally, there is another one hanging from our neighbor's tree...my hubby has been dubbed the official 'nest remover' but has not gotten around to it yet. I'm sure they'll be a crowd as everyone curiously inspects the nest we watched all last summer. We all warned our kiddos to dare not throw a basketball anywhere near this buzzing marvel of nature...we could only imagine the disaster that would result!

This hive picked the right yard to drop into!!

It's a little easier to fully appreciate how amazing this really is now that it is no longer humming with little stinging creatures!!

A few days later Odesco was screaming about something bloody out on the lawn...that definitely got my attention!! Sure enough, there was a large hawk perched on our front yard devouring an early evening snack...amidst the comments about how disgusting this was, G reminded me to snap a picture.

Not the best picture since it was through the window glass...

Just look at the lovely present Mr. Hawk left us!

Gross, I know, but I was amazed at how speedy and thorough this hungry hawk was in cleaning all the meat off the bones of his victim!

From the skeletal remains and the feathers dotting the yard, I'm guessing it was a pigeon, but Mr. Hawk sure didn't leave much evidence to be examined!

I almost forgot to mention the morning we woke up to a winter wonderland:

This was the view from our kitchen window (laden with snowflake clings)

The kids were begging for a 'snow day' but since we had been skiing the day before they had to get their work done before heading outside...nothing like a little motivation to prevent dawdling!

SNOW ANGELS! L opted to sit on the heater vent and watch the fun through the window from his cozy perch:)

It's also fun to 'skate' around the backyard on our very own 'rink' with our dear friend, E... (this slippery mess was the result of an ice storm)

Brrr! Nature's popsicles found hanging off our picnic table!

Then there was the day it was warm enough to dig in the dirt and get muddy!

Mercy was very proud as she 'planted' some weeds and a tuft of grass in our blah brown backyard

So, that's what we've been up to lately.Our Homeschooler's Day Out classes begin in 2 weeks and we have our final ski excursion this coming week....that means that spring is coming!!!
I'm grateful for these little sanity savers which serve as reminders of His handiwork all around us~
~MamaB

Summation '09

This is a very belated post....At the end of January, my hubby and I attended our 2nd Summation event with our firstborn. It is put on by the Catalyst youth ministry in our church and is a celebration of God's grace in the lives of our youth over the past 12 months. Each year the members of the 'Creative Team' brainstorm and come up with a fun theme. Last year it was Pirates, this year it was the '50s...moms, dads, and their youth attended together in costume. It was a night to remember, for sure~ Hysterically creative costumes, fun contests, LOTS of laughter, a yummy themed meal, amazing decorations, and even servers in poodle skirts on roller skates!! The evening also had serious moments when our youth pastor recounted the faithfulness of God in the lives of our youth...we watched a video in which some of the youth(including P) shared how God had met them in the past year and how they were applying the truths they have learned in their everyday lives. We also celebrated as 2 senior high students were honored for their godly character and enjoyed hearing their dads commend them. The evening ended with each youth receiving a personal note from their parents encouraging them in the evidences of God's grace recognized over the past year. M read the note we had written to P (after taking off his wig!! It was hard to take him seriously in that thing--scroll down and you'll understand why!). ..and we were able to share with him the many ways we have seen God at work in him over these past 12 months. One of the things I most appreciate about the way our church approaches youth ministry is the parental involvement. Parents attend youth camp and youth meetings and are given application questions to discuss with their child. This promotes biblical fellowship and encourages a deeper level of interaction between youth and their parents. That's not to say our kiddos don't have time during the meetings to socialize and have fun with their peers--believe me, this is certainly happening as well, but our children are being encouraged to build first with their parents. I am amazed once again to have the privilege to raise our children in such fertile, well watered soil. We obviously still have issues to work through but what a blessing it is to be equipped to do this alongside of so many like minded friends!

Grateful for yet another evidence of His mercy to our family,
MamaB

We frequented the local thrift stores to pull together costumes. P decided he wanted to go for a more classic look. It looks like he's the Dad in this picture :) Then we had the predicament: how could M be a 'greaser' without a full head of hair?? Mrs. Di came to the rescue with the above-oh so attractive wig. I like my man better with no hair! There are definitely no plans for hair plugs in his future!

The multi-purpose room in a local Christian School was creatively transformed into a 50's diner.

Yummy center piece...note the record album under the candy...it was actually the first album our friend produced years ago... these hung from the ceiling all over the room and served as the base for the centerpiece. It's a good thing Johnny V held onto his vintage album!!

The order of events...

These 'girls' from the college age ministry gave up their entire evening to be our 'servers'...and they amazed us as they toted trays full of drink and food on rollerskates--there was not even one fall/mishap that I am aware of. Pretty impressive,huh?! The skirts were also hand made by 2 of the girls.

Don't they look great?!

I think the most fun of the night was watching the stream of families come in and especially enjoying our adult friends' creativity. Some of the costumes were just hysterical!!
Here are the K's...Mr. K stayed in nerd character the entire evening and as you will see below, he was joined by a few others!

~The A's~ Doesn't she remind you of June Cleaver?!

The G's...she made this poodle skirt out of a sheet...I was impressed!!

Here I am with my friend, "Laverne"...doesn't she look authentic? Her hair is actually quite long and her SIL curled it and pinned it up so she would look just like the Laverne from the old sit-com. She actually won the adult prize for best dressed Mom :)

Our friends the B family....very creative--they even visited a local 'Pop Shop' for the official hats!

Here my friend K is wearing her mom's vintage hat -complete with veil in the front. Click on the picture to get a good look!

These 2 sure stayed in character:Mrs. Hospitality and her hubby, the Brain!

A group of Dads all came dressed as nerdy 'brainiacs'...too funny. One even sported an 'Alphapha' sprout on the top of his head (remember the character from the Little Rascals?!)

The girls were at the computer looking at these pictures and decided that Daddy is 'scary' with hair!!! Yep...we all love him with his 'sabu' head, as Mercy would say.

I never did get a chance to post a Summation picture from last year's Pirate theme...once again Daddy is sporting some scary hair!!