October 2009
Every day when arriving home from school M would disappear. After calling around he was always found outside gathering nuts. What was the purpose of this? He was collecting nuts so the squirrels wouldn't have to work so hard collecting them this fall.
October 6, 2009
I either want to be a scientist or a fireman. Oh, and a fork. Or bacon. I can't remember what L wanted me to be.... Oh and I want to be a regular dad.
October 2009
After visiting a friend with this coveted object, D enthusiastically spent his birthday money on four Nerf lazer tag guns. Not quite air soft, but the strategic element of the war intrigues him still the same. The younger siblings have enjoyed being included as well.
October 17, 2009
L was reading for Konos Daniel Boone's biography which mentioned frequently Fort Boonesborough. This is so close to my sister's home that we couldn't pass up a visit. Providentially, it was the same weekend as the big 275th Birthday Celebration complete with birthday cake.
http://www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org/
***M making corn meal.
The fort was full of activity. Each one of the cabins had either a display of artifacts or a living history demonstration. We interacted with a blacksmith, gunsmith, weaver, several French fur traders, Blackfish (the Shawnee chief who adopted Daniel Boone as his son after taking him prisoner) and, of course, Daniel Boone himself.
***A- in the frame of a Wikiup (Indian housing).
It was with deep disappointment that I read that Daniel Boone did not wear a fur skinned cap. Scott New (aka Daniel Boone) reinforced this fact and replied when I asked him about the old tv show I was raised on, "You pretty much have to throw the whole thing out if you are looking for the truth." How sad. L remained firm that she still likes the old reruns, but she enjoyed learning the truth about Daniel Boone as well.
October 21, 2009
...supporting God's call on this young woman?
K is busy this semester raising support for her two years at sea with Operation Mobilization. She is excited to report that she has reached the goal of her one time support! Thank you all who have supported her so far! As she goes forward, one time gifts are always welcome but her desire is to have a group of people who will partner with her in prayer and monthly support while she is away. As of today her need financially is about $850/month.
Lord willing she'll join the ship Logos Hope in late January 2010 after attending training in Germany with the ministry. The ship will be docked in Montego Bay, Jamaica. When hearing this people often inquire whether this truly is a mission trip. She smiles but never wanes in her desire to be part of this ministry. Below is a brief description of the goals and mission of the ministry. You can search the website for more information or talk to K. She'd love to hear from you!
****
The mission of the ships' ministry according to their website (www.omships.org) is:
Our goal is to bring knowledge, help and hope to the people of the world. We do this by supplying vital literature resources, encouraging cross-cultural understanding, training young people for more effective life and service, providing needed relief, and sharing a message of hope in God wherever there is opportunity.
The ships visit each port for several weeks each and open the gangways to hundreds and sometimes thousands of visitors each day. On average, over one million visitors have been welcomed onboard every year! The floating book fairs offer over 6,000 titles, providing many visitors their first-ever opportunity to purchase quality educational and Christian literature.
An international crew and staff of volunteers live and work on the ships. Teams from the ship go into surrounding areas to supply aid and community care. In each port, the ship's crew joins local churches to bring hope and show love to people whatever their circumstance, culture or background.
Logos Hope's itinerary through April 2010October 3, 2009
A non party year, no travel on the calendar and a Saturday birthday gave fuel to the imagination. A whole day to plan for the pleasures in life. What did he decide on?
***Meatball Grinders, Sprite and BBQ Chips was on the menu.
Sleeping in till 9. Video Games (his brother brought his PS3 in for the day and rented a game). Favorite foods. Setting up his Facebook page. And spending time with family.
Simple. Enjoyable. And pronounced "good" at the end of the day.
October 2, 2009
Orderly. Diligent. Responsible. E's character qualities add a bit of stability in our haphazard household. Over the past year she has waited patiently for her 13th birthday trip to materialize, tackled her Jr. high work, moved onto high school studies and participated in her first mission trip. Plenty of opportunities for growth and she has handled it all with a mature and sweet spirit.
To keep with the one year tradition of coffee cake for breakfast, we awoke early to celebrate with the family early before everyone scattered. To the surprise and delight of her siblings, she added ice cream to the menu. To her vexation, Mom insisted on keeping with the school schedule for the morning and bored her with Biology. To her relief, Dad soon rescued her and took her out to lunch.
***A day ending with Brusters - What could be better?
The day was capped off with dinner, bowling and ice cream with her mom, sister and two of her very best friends.
Happy Birthday E!
October 1, 2009
"I just can't make my head stop talking," said M a bit matter of factly and with a bit of annoyance.
September 22, 2009
(Cheese cake request by D. Design by N.)
A simple celebration was in order for D this year. No more taking the day off as in year's past but still plenty of simple pleasures...
Pancakes for breakfast
A day of school with his friends and teachers (he is still thinking this is a pleasure!)
A dinner request of Zaxby's chicken tenderloins.
Gifts from the family.
An evening of video games with the boys.
***
It has been fun to watch D grow over the past year into a more compassionate and diligent young man. He has taken the challenge of getting caught up in some areas of school that we didn't focus on with a determination that we saw in the gym as he tackled new skills. It is fun to watch him take the challenge and not become discouraged. He also is growing in patience and perseverance as he pleads with God for the finances to come in for him to begin training in the gym again.
***
Happy Birthday D!
(This is a revised note to a friend...Everyday doesn't hold these same challenges, but each day seems to be as full)
September 21, 2009
**A-, Dare I go in????
When you asked if I am still treading water, I had to stop
and think. …. I’m so busy treading it’s hard to think of life in any other way,
but since you asked, I stopped and thought. What I saw is a bit comical –
By 3:30 p.m. I was on my way home from the pediatrician visualizing the afternoon nap that may bring relief to my weary body and burning chest. Upon reaching home I realized I had no house key (the teens had dutifully locked up on their way to Spanish). We tried to access any door to no avail. Back into the car and back to C’s office to get the key to the house. In the downpour C ran to the car and threw in a key. Back home to witness the joy of children playing in the rain. And back home to discover the key was to our camp home and not to this home. Back to C’s office – all the while remembering our family devotions. We have been studying Our 24 Family Ways by the Clarksons. Way #17: I choose to be joyful even when I feel like complaining. “Lord does this count?” “Of course, Press On!”
Upon arriving home I find the three year old, seven year old and nine year old are shivering, drenched and happy. AND the key does open our front door. The children bound off to get changed and warm while I figure out a plan. There is so much to do. Our dishwasher broke so the dishes are piled, and what is in the dishwasher is ½ washed. Much of the afternoon school work has been left undone due to the MD visit, and the kids need to be encouraged towards afternoon jobs. Turning my back to the house, I tell L to bring her school work upstairs, and we’ll do a marathon reading in bed. Armed with throat lozenges, we begin. Somehow we finished at the time C got home wondering about dinner. I really did have a plan which he put into action as I fell into a deep sleep.
It was dark when I woke up. The alarm clock read 7:00 p.m. Oh No! I haven’t finished school with M and I knew C was due at a BSA meeting just then. I made my way down the dark staircase to the sounds of K and A enjoying one another and relative household calmness. Upon reaching the landing I discovered tactilely that our thunderstorm terrorized neurotic black lab had emptied her stomach in the entry. “Oh No! Baxter threw up,” I cried as I flipped on the lights. “I know. I told M to clean it up,” came the reply. Wide eyed M responded, “I think I’m too young.” He sympathized with me as I peeled off my soaked sock and threw it in the laundry since he had stepped in it BAREFOOT! (Can’t you just picture his big eyes as he said that?). This, of course, in the eyes of the others, had given him the right and honor of cleaning it up. Taking the dust pan in hand I urged M to follow so I could show him how to clean it up if ever he had the chance again. He replied perplexed, “I really did think I was too young.”
Now that I was fully awake, M and I sat down to finish the remainder of his homework. He set out to master his time drill while I wondered where his God’s World paper had “gone.” Hmmm... Maybe on the fireplace? As I walked over there I once again discovered a present from Baxter. For the past few days she has been terrified due to the illusive “someone” who decreased the range of her shock collar so small she is afraid to go outside to urinate. So I guess the dining room floor seemed the safe spot. As I discovered this, D was in the kitchen sweeping up a shattered glass that was precariously perched on the drying rack in the mound of hand washed dishes. The next venture for my poor foot was embedding a ½ inch shard of glass while I tried to get a paper towel to clean the Baxter mess. After a scream and popping out the shard, for some reason, I just wanted to clean up the wet spot. D was yelling at me, “Mom, you’re getting blood all over the place!” I was on a mission though and not able to prioritize, so the floor was cleaned, my foot bandaged and M’s homework finished – in that order.
By 10 p.m. all were in bed except for the high school Konos
student who was handing me her paper, for the first time, to be corrected. [I thought I said all papers were to be given
to me on Friday!] C had arrived at that time from a three hour scout
master’s meeting which involved scout masters in need of talking. I said to him with the slightest bit of
tears, “I’ve had a bad night…” Not believing much could be worse than what he
had just endured, he responded, “Oh? Why?”
I proceeded to tell him of the three things my foot had found while kind
of wavering between laughing and crying.
He gave me the sympathy that my evening deserved and told me practically,
“That is why I wear shoes.”
As I have been writing, A- has awaken with a croupy cough making her way to my room. As I hold her I notice her birthday sparkley sliver nail polish adorning her left eyebrow and striping her right leg. She snuggled into me with a complete look of peace and closed her eyes. I’m sure her relatively new sheets are going to testify to her bedtime activity. This is a job for yet another day.
So…am I still treading? Yes I am, but it OK as I, like Anna, have a place to sit and close my eyes in perfect peace, even with the mess of the day obvious all over me. The Lord is using all of this to accomplish His purpose as I press on doing whatever He gives my hands to do.
Thank you for asking – and reading if you’ve made it this far.
Press On! (or should I say Tread?)
