WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO....

We finished school in mid May. Took three weeks off and now doing our summer session.

We are cooling off via the water hose.




They kids turned the couches into tents.




Peacock, HooDoo, and I are reading "The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Ring." I loved the movie. I never thought I would read the over 1000 page book. I mean, come on that is crazy. Peacock has been wanting to read the book for years and he is finally doing. We are loving the book!!! I bought the comp guide from Veritas Press. It has questions from each chapter. A game to go with a chapter or two. Filled with activities. Totally worth it! Amazing how boys and homeschool can change a person's view.



We are truly enjoying our daily walks picking wild blackberries and american plums. You know you have picked too many blackberries when you start picking blackberries in your dreams.








Our very own Joan of Arc batteling against Savage.




A combined video of My Doll walking and a battle. Error is not allowing me to upload. Will publish later.

YET ANOTHER GIVEAWAY

My friend Alissa linked about these beautiful and elegant hair clips. Now they are having a giveaway!!!! Good luck.....

Go HERE.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif to enter the contest!

PRAY WITH US....

I personally am still in shock at what happened that day in our state. Not a day or chore goes by when I think about the many folks who lost all their stuff, home, a loved one, etc. The kids and I walked around the property and collected four bags full of debris. Debris that came from across the state!

That day we knew a bad storm was coming. The levels were high. I don't remember the technical term something HI was extremely high. We were watching the ustream on the internet. I told Daniel there was a tornado in Cullman that touched down. We went for our evening walk, or late afternoon on this day. Watched the ustream again to see the tornado in Tuscaloosa. I cannot believe how long it stayed on ground! We got serious in our shelter. We completely cleaned out the kitchen closet. The kids got two pillows each and a sleeping bag. Daniel brought down the big mattress from upstairs and moved everything out of the dining area of the kitchen. The kids were getting nervous. We prayed and we sang song after song. Then the storm was over! Rachel saw a yellow dress fall from the sky. I was like yeah right. It was actually insulation. Then we noticed more.

The death count is high! The stories are amazing! Please don't stop praying for all the families. Please help in any way that you can!!!!

Local church that has family hit by the tornado.  Please lift them up in prayer!

Christ Church Branch Cove



Thanks. To God be the glory.....

COME

join us for a walk while the big kids ride bikes.....

OUR MAMA BIRD

SPRING

We have baby birds in our bird house. I found this yummy edible nest!





WARNING.........

NEXT PICTURE IS NOT A FAVORITE OF MINE NOR ANYONE WHO FEARS SNAKES....

I WARNED YOU....

The ugly part of spring is these guys in the yard or pond. Smiley informed me that the dogs were barking at a big snake in our driveway. Not one to get too close to check it out. I just assumed it was a water moccasin. My only solution was for all of us to hop in the van and drive over it. We ran over it at least 50 times!! Just to make sure it was dead!!!! It is dead. Mom could not find any fangs so not sure if it was in fact a poisonous snake. My rule of thumb is a dead snake is a good snake, or safe snake!!! Oh I could not eat or sleep the rest of that night. My mind played horrible games on me!!!

Why did I put all the kids in the van? Well to prevent from any wanders running behind the van while I backed up very fast!!!! What was it like inside the van?? Oh Peacock was beyond excited!!! "Go again, go again! To the left, to the right! You got it, Mommy!!!" he excitedly proclaimed!!! HooDoo on the other hand has my fear of snakes. "Please don't do this again!!! Let me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he cried! Myself pulling my legs up and screeching making sure in fact we did see him again when we backed up. Lord forbid he climb up under.... oh not going there with that thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough of that... shivers just writing that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PARTY

We finally got to celebrate some birthdays!!!!

My Doll turned one year old!!! She got beautiful dresses and fun books for us to cuddle and read! She is already interested in board books and looks at them constantly!

Vanilla cake with lemon filling. Actually really delicious!

The dress that inspired her cake!







Smiley turned five. He wanted a construction cake. Chocolate with peanut butter icing!! Oh so yummy. I should warn you to use every bit of icing on the cake unless you can stop yourself from eating all the left over!!!



Side note... notice in the background? Various children are reading some of his new books! I love that they love to read!!!

BONUS:
The Peanut Butter Icing

1/2c peanut butter
1/4c margarine
vanilla
4c powder sugar

Mix it all up!!! This amount will cover a small cake. I had to double it for this cake's crumb coat and the top cover. Enjoy!!!

COMPARISON

I want to be honest. Some days I hate parenting!!! Seriously, it is hard, frustrating, and tiring! It is a smack in the face!

You ever have a child that just frustrates you to the core? This child does not even deserve a birthday cake. I will make that child a cake because I love that child. He has unkind words to people. He never does a chore happily. He never says thank you. He grumbles and complains. Maybe not NEVER but it seems like it!

STOP and sit down with the child. Hug them, love them, and they will have a change of heart! If not, continue to have a hard battle for the rest of the day! Slamming the door on their way out will only hurt the relationship and problem.

Here is the smack in the face. I am a child of God. Do I always say thanks? I grumble and complain all the time. I don't deserve my gifts. Maybe not always but it seems like it. Yet, Christ LOVES ME and everyone no matter what! Do I deserve salvation? No, but he gives it to me as a GIFT!

Do I close my heart to prayer and God's word? If so, then I will continue to face the battle for the rest of the day/life. If I stop, pray, talk to God, REPENT, then and only then will our relationship be healed. Then and only then will my heart be changed!

Our family verse that we are learning right now in time for Resurrection Sunday is Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrated his love toward us, in while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Thank you Lord that I am learning these lessons even through the hard days of parenting. Through my own selfish flesh. Through my own sinful heart.

All of this seemed worded better in my head while I was sweeping the floor....