Letterboxing

My dear friend Faith introduced us to letterboxing and we just love it. At the end of the school year when the summer began I had bad cabin fever and decided we needed to be outside. . .

We decided to go letterboxing at a local state park. The kids really do love this almost as much as I do.
There were 3 letterboxes on this route. One we still haven't found. I was on the phone with both Faith and Steve to try to find it. However, you had to go off the beaten path . ..
which meant there might be a possibility I might step on a snake. . .
which, I went a little ways for the sake of the children. . .
but then got the heebeejeebees and told them we'd come back later with Dad.
There were some other letterboxes that were really cool. We had a great time and letterboxing is a GREAT way to make fun memories.
Here the girls and I are stamping our stamp.
Ash was a trooper. She went into the snake-ridden grass to find this one.
If you're interested in finding out more go to www.atlasquest.com. It is a GREAT family activity.

Awana Awards

Awana is such a great program and I am so glad our church participates in it.

The kids are so motivated to memorize a ton of Scripture and hide God's word in their hearts.
The have an awards program at the end of the school year every year. The girls got several awards.
But the biggest reward is the hiding of God's word in their precious hearts.
Every year one child (boy and girl) is chosen out of each grade as the most Christlike. Hanna got that award this year. She was very excited!

Ash was really excited as well. She had gotten some awards for mission projects and some passport projects.
Again, I'm so grateful for this program and for all the people who volunteer their time to make it a success.

Frustration

Okay, I'm giving my lazy self 5 minutes to collect my thoughts and type them out over frustration.

I'm so frustrated with myself and with this blog. I have so much to say, sweet memories to record, and yet I'm so very lazy. I'd rather sit down and watch "Monk" with the kids or read a book or take a snooze. . . it's almost like I don't want to collect my thoughts for even 5 minutes. . . ughhh!!

And when I go back and look at all the memories I've recorded over the last years, I'm just sick that I haven't blogged about our camping trip, the memories we made from last school year, things we did this summer, and just everyday mundane life.

And, then I have this whole thing about chronologically blogging. I don't think I can blog unless I'm caught up. . . which seems to be never these days. I used to blame it on work, but work is slow. . . it's just my mind is lazy.

Okay, I've got 3 more minutes. . . I put all these rules and regulations on myself when it comes to blogging. . . ridiculous I tell you. . . simply ridiculous.

So, here I am . . . new school year. . . I'm going to try to do better. And, yes, I will definitely blog about Awana Awards, God's Great Faithfulness to our family, My handy-dandy notebook, our fun camping trip (so much fun we just booked another one), my mom's birthday, my mission trip to Guyana, and this-that-and the other (whatever that means.

So, since I have one more minute I'll blog about this weekend.

Friday night we had our sweet friends the Greenwoods over for dinner. Our downstairs air is broken, but they were such sports. We got good laughs out of Greg holding the fan next to him in the family room, and then the oscillating fan at the kitchen table while we taught them how to play "Hearts". Their youngest gave us a big hooping laugh when Jenn served him a brownie out of a tin dish the bread was in. He thought it was Cookie's bowl. We are so blessed with such sweet friends. . . and they were so gracious to eat in our home with sweat running down their backs. Abby and Julie spent the night and the girls didn't get to bed until I awoke at 4:45 Saturday morning.

Saturday morning Ang, Becky and I ran 14 miles. Ang has been killing me in runs lately, but I've been very purposeful with my nutrition this week. I could've gone another 2 miles I think. We all had a great conversation. . .about the Lord. . . such honesty with struggles. . .freedom from judgement. Good stuff. We almost got attached by some ferocious dogs and the next set of dogs we saw Becky picked up a stick bigger than her. Then, I saw a dead snake on the road and it scared the living daylights out of me. From that point on on Saturday I was a lazy bum. . . seriously. It was M-A-R-V-E-L-O-U-S!!

Okay, now I'm 3 minutes over my 5-minute limit. . . so since I'm making the rules here I'm giving myself 10 minutes. . . sheew . .. 2 minutes left to talk.

We had church this morning. Started a new Sunday School year. . . so very excited. Lydia is teaching with me and I just know the Lord is going to use her in great and mighty ways in the lives of these girls. I just love teaching 9th and 10th grade. I was so giddy with excitement this morning I could hardly stand it. We had a Fox Fever meeting after church, came home and gobbled down lunch. We then met mom, James, Melissa, Scott and the kids at Buffalos for dinner to celebrate James' birthday. I love my parents so very much. We all had a great time and lots of laughter. . . y'all know I love to laugh.

Times UP!!!!

P.S. My heels hurt my feet so badly in church this morning I took them off while teaching and then I took them off during the whole service. It must've looked funny to the people sitting behind us when we got up to leave that I had grown several inches. I was barefoot so much I reminded myself of my girl Jessica D.

Flashback Friday- Ash's Ear Piercing

When Ash was about 3 or 4 she got her ears pierced. Jon's rule has always been 1) they have to know what they are doing, 2) they have to know that it will hurt, and 3) it has to be their decision. I think we took her earrings out too early or we found out she was allergic to nickle by putting some cheap earrings in. . . I can't remember. Anyhoo, her holes grew up.

So, last summer. . . July, I think, she decided she was up for having it done again. So we went and had her ears pierced. I just loved her excitement.


While Ash isn't about hair bows and high heels. . . she does love to look pretty. . . doesn't every girl? She was so very happy not to have to ear clip on earrings anymore. I just love that girl's excitement for life!

Dining at the Lord's Table

Our church takes communion the first Sunday of every month. I love this time of examination. However, since the children are now in the service with us, I've struggled about whether or not to let my children take communion. I would never want them to take of it in an unworthy manner, and I'm just not sure they understand the significance of it. We just started letting Ashley take communion (Alec has been taking it). However, I usually talk to them just about every time we take it and ask them did they examine their hearts and ask God to reveal sin in their lives. . .did they ask forgiveness?did they repent? and we always talk about taking the Lord's supper in an unworthy manner.

We don't let Hanna take it. Hanna has been saved, but I just don't think she quite understands the importance and significance of dining at the Lord's table. Sometimes this is hard for her. I always stress to her this does not make her saved or unsaved. In fact, one Sunday, it was so hard, she bowed her head and covered her ears the whole time during communion.

One day at the pool this summer I asked several of my friends their approach to communion and their children and they all pretty much said after their child has been saved, they allow them to partake. Honestly, I felt like an odd ball, but I knew my convictions. Not that they're wrong or I'm wrong, but it is just a personal conviction for me. I'd love to know any of your thoughts!

I still struggle whether or not Ash should be taking it. However, after today, the Lord really confirmed in my heart she is ready. Ash is starting to get at that age where she struggles with friendships. I know this is normal (since I work with teen girls) and I've really been trying to help her with her own heart issues. And, that's just it. . . it's not really her friends. . . it's her own heart issues. This morning as she and Hanna and I were cooking breakfast casserole together, we started talking about taking communion. I told her that she knew if she still had bitterness in her heart against some of her friends. . . if she had not repented and turned from it. . . if she was still struggling with that sin. . . that it's okay if she just passes the communion plate. . . it would be better for her NOT to take of it, then to take it with sin in her heart. She listened intently, but you just never know if they really take in your words or not.

This morning, she passed the plate. My eyes welled up with tears and I reached over and took her sweet hand. I so hate that she is struggling. I hate that she can't get over the bitterness within her own heart. Yet, I love her heart for the Lord. . . her desire to please Him. . . her knowing the seriousness and the depth of dining at His table and remembering what He did for us. What an example my sweet child was for her mother. I'm so honored the Lord chose me to be her mom. She blesses my heart so.

Flashback Friday - Gatlinburg/White Water Rafting

Last summer right before Jon started his new job we needed a little family vacation together. We were so very excited and decided to take a vacation to mark something off our bucket list.

We decided to go to Gatlinburg, TN, and then head to white water rafting in NC.

First stop, though. . . The Varsity. . . This was actually a chain and not the original. The chili dogs and onion rings were just as good though.

In Pigeon Forge we decided to see a show one night. The Jon Dee hypnotist show had great reviews. . . . and since we all love to laugh. . . we decided to give it a go. . .

Jon Dee. . . He hypnotized people and made them do all sorts of silly things.

Isn't that hilarious?

We walked around downtown Gatlinburg and took in some of the sites. The boys, of course, loved this cool car.

And, if you are apart of our family, vacation always resolves around eating good food!!!

The girls loved the candy store. . .

My pictures all out of order. . . This is at the Jon Dee hypnotist show.

Don't worry, none of us volunteered to get hypnotized.

One of the funniest things about our mini-vacation was our hotel. We use priceline a good bit and really find some nice hotels really cheap. However, we knew we were in trouble when we drove up to our hotel. . . The Vacation Lodge, I think is what it was called. You know it is bad when the remote control is held together by duct tape :) Alec had to sleep on a pallet on the floor. We took the sleeping bag. However, it was full of Jon's stink and sweat from when he was working on a house. Poor Alec. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw this. . .

He is our germaphobe in the family. Every inch of his body was covered in clothing.

Check out his sleeping mask!!! I was laughing so hard I was afraid I would wake everyone else up.

We decided to go and do a little hiking. Faith was so sweet to lend me her hiking bible. We are all about some accessories, so we all got a hiking stick. Alec had some leftover birthday money and go him a camelback.

This little house was at Cades Cove.

Up the stairs of the little house

The room where the children slept. Reminded me of Little House on the Prairie.

Here we are inside the little church at Cades Cove.

Beautiful Smokey Mountains

We decided to hike Abrams Falls.

Poor Ash was so upset. Her camera fell in the river. Thankfully it still worked.

Alec was hilarious. He had his new camelback, but drank all of the water at the beginning of the hike. Not only did have have to go and use nature's restroom, but he also didn't have anymore water left. This was July and it was HOT! We loved hiking and are so thankful our friends Faith and Steve recommended it.

As you can tell, Ash had a blister on her foot and hiked the last part of the trail with her shoe off.

As we were leaving Cades Cove, we did get to see a bear. Hanna was scared and so I stayed in the car with her. Jon and Alec and Ash went to get a view, but not too close a view. They snapped this picture. However, there was this lady who started trying to get reallly close to the bear. Jon said he and the kids decided to leave. They didn't want anything to happen based on her stupidity.

That night. . . we ate somewhere. . .don't remember where now, but I do remember it being good.

Jon wanted to get his feet wet in the river. This was outside the restaurant.

Ash followed her Daddy's lead.

This is a cute picture. . . I can't remember why they were posing this way, but Alec's face is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!!

The next morning we were up and at 'em to head home and on the way go white water rafting. I've been wanting to do this for so long. Our old church used to go every year, but I was either pregnant or nursing, so we never went. It was actually very chilly the morning we left.

Beautiful Smoky Mountains.

Unfortunately, I dont' have any pictures of us white water rafting. The things I remember though:

The water was freezing cold.

We had a BLAST!!!

I want to go again!

We laughed like crazy!

On the way home from rafting we did not want to get stuck in traffic so we decided to take the kids to the park where we ran Sweet H2O (50K) that same year.

This was actually a mill used during the Civil War.

Alec is so funny posing!

We all had such a great time and made lots of wonderful memories!