Summer Evenings...

It has been hot and dry where we live. I feel like we water plants and animals from the time we get up until we go to bed!

The two little boys had already had their baths and I went out on the porch to water flowers. The next thing I knew, Myles had followed me out.

I dumped the water out of his baby pool. A boy and water (or dirt) are like magnets!

I heard Malachi knocking on his window. I looked up and he was giving me a thumbs up. :)

Madeline bringing in the last bit of laundry off the line.

We always look forward to seeing what they plant across the street from us. They have planted cotton the last couple of years but I found out this evening that it is peanuts this year. We like when they plant peanuts because we glean after the harvest!

Goodnight!

Laughs with Malachi...

Mariah: "Mama, come quick! Look what Malachi is doing to the kitty!"

Malachi wakes up in the morning with a smile on his face. He is a happy child that enjoys life to it's fullest! Sometimes that enthusiasm wears me out! :)

Yesterday I heard Madeline screaming. I looked out on the porch and saw Malachi swinging his sword at her (with a huge smile on his face!) I brought him in the house and told him he needed to go stand in the corner and think about why it isn't nice to swing his sword at his sister. He said, "Ok, I will mommy." A few minutes later while I was in the next room I heard him singing to the top of his lungs, "When the ROLL is called up YONDER I 'll be there!"

Conversations with Malachi:

Malachi: "When is your birthday mommy?"

Me: "December"

Malachi: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!" (as he gives me a big hug!)

Me: "Thanks Malachi. When is your birthday?"
Malachi "I turned four on my birthday."
Me: "No, when IS your birthday?"
Malachi: "You are so silly mommy!"

Last night when I brought him inside to take a bath, (after he had spent a good bit of the day in trouble) he was fussing about not wanting to come in.

Me: "Son, you are driving me crazy!"

Malachi: "SERL?? SERL?? You are SO silly! You can't call me SERL!"

Me: "I didn't say serl, I said SON!"

Malachi: "Mommy, can you do me a favor? Can you be sweet tomorrow?"

Me: "Can YOU be sweet tomorrow?"

Malachi: "Sure, I'll be sweet tomorrow!"

Everyone needs a Malachi in their life! :o)

Faith of a Child

Last week we had a missing library book. I don't know about your household, but no matter what system I put into place we always seem to lose books around here! I have a library basket that they are supposed to stay in unless they are being read. Without fail someone forgets and leaves a book somewhere and then it sends us into a tailspin looking for it. Mariah is our child that will search until she finds it. However, she looked and looked and couldn't find it. Matthew kept telling me that he thought we had already taken it back. There have been several occasions that our library has made a mistake and not checked something back in. I called them and after they checked the shelf and said it wasn't there I announced that I would give a prize to the person that found the book. Mariah set out on her search again. About an hour later she came downstairs and said, "Close your eyes mama." She had found the book. She told me she had already looked all around the bunk bed and didn't see it. She said, "I closed my eyes and prayed that God would help me find it. I opened my eyes and saw blue sticking out! He helped me find it!"

It made me think of the verse in Matthew that talks about having a "child-like faith". I don't think God wants us to have a "simple mind" or there wouldn't be other verses like:
"How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
and the man who gains understanding"(Prov 3:13).

Faith in the original language has more to do with confidence in something that is trustworthy (or faithful). Mariah's "child-like faith" was that she knew the Lord was faithful and He would help her find that book! Makes you wonder if we as adults had that kind of faith what God would do!

McKenzie's Graduation Day

On Friday we met some friends at the church to set up for the graduation ceremony on Saturday. It was a huge blessing to have so many people willing to help.

McKenzie, Madeline and Madison (a friend from church) working hard in the kitchen.

A very talented and creative friend of mine suggested that I use clay pots and Gerber daisies to put on the tables. I waited until the day before to get the daisies to make sure they were blooming. I looked at Lowes, Wal-Mart and Ace and couldn't find any! I was so stressed out. I went into Publix to get some things for the reception and there sitting in the floral department were.... Gerber daisies! It was like the Lord put them there just for me! :)

Two ladies from church working on the tables. I think everything turned out so pretty. We wanted it to look nice yet fun.

Our pastor spoke and gave McKenzie a "charge". He did a great job. There were several different men including my dad that prayed during the ceremony. It was a very special day!

Marc spoke for a few minutes after our pastor. He talked more about the past. It was a sweet time of reflecting on memories of when McKenzie was growing up.
Here is Marc giving McKenzie her diploma.

Her piano teacher was there and we combined graduation with her senior piano recital. McKenzie played some hymns and classical pieces that she has been working on.

McKenzie's friend Becca made this cake from a picture. Didn't she do a great job!?

McKenzie with my parents....

and with Marc's parents.
This is a lady in our church that everyone affectionately calls "Aunt Donna". McKenzie has been quilting with her once a week since she was fourteen years old. She has been one of her best friends during her teen years.

McKenzie was pretty down that her closest cousin wasn't going to be at her graduation. They live in Kentucky and couldn't make the trip. I found out one of her friends that she met four or five years ago at the Vision Forum Father/Daughter retreat was going to come. I kept it a secret and she was very surprised when Julia's family walked in!

It was a very special weekend and I think she will have lots of good memories!

Happy Graduation McKenzie!

It is hard to believe that our first child is graduating! It seems like just yesterday I was starting her first "official" day of home school. She was only four years old! We had a calendar, weather chart, ABC's and even aprons to wear during school. We crack up at that now! :) If I knew then what I know now, we would not have been doing school at four. Sad that it is so hard to relax with the first child. We call her our "guinea pig" and joke that we will pay for her therapy.

Here are a few of my favorite senior pictures that a friend of ours took.

Well, the big day is tomorrow... I better get to bed. I will post pictures from her day later!

Happy graduation McKenzie. We love you very much!

Budding Artist

Malachi needs to be busy. We pulled out Mariah's old art easel the other day and bought him some paint and paper. Best money we have spent in a long time!

I am always reminded of the saying, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." It is so true. Our home is a much happier place when everyone is busy doing something! We now have artwork hanging all over everywhere! :)

Funny Mariah...

Note left by Mariah this morning when she wanted to come back to finish her oatmeal later.
What is funny, that is exactly how she pronounces the word "bowl" too.
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Another encouraging note from Nancy Campbell...

‎"A mother had better be missed in the church, and at the public meetings--than be missed in her own household.:"~J. R. Miller. I am reminded of of the words of the Shulamite in Song of Songs 1:6, "They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard have I not kept." Don't let society, or even pressure from the church keep you from keeping your own vineyard.

Painting...

I have two children taking ITBS tests right now. I am sitting here with two different timers going. The house is never this quiet! McKenzie is down the road spending the day sewing with a friend, the baby is napping and two are upstairs playing quietly. I thought while it is quiet and I can't move around and get anything done that I would upload some pictures.

Last week Marc was off all week. He and I worked three different days getting some painting done. We did the playroom, office/classroom and the stairwell. We still have lots more that needs to be done but this was a start. I hate painting but I love the results. Thankfully, Marc doesn't mind painting, especially when I work with him. We went darker in the playroom in hopes that the dirt won't show up as much. We painted over several pieces of "artwork" done at various times by different children! Here is the playroom when it was finished.

I love when I know the whole room is clean, curtains and all!!!

We are finishing up school and I am really looking forward to the break! I have so many projects I hope to do this summer!

Well, one timer is about to go off. Better run........