Building Blocks

It's amazing what kids will do with a pile of 2X4 pieces of wood. Last week we hosted our youth group's annual "Quest" activity. It's loosely patterned after the TV show "Amazing Race". One of the activities we planned utilized 2X4 "cars" and "semis" that were used on a 2'X2' grid like the game "Rush Hour".

Colton, Katie and Naomi commandeered all of the blocks, and built some towers and sculptures in Colton's room this week. I'm not exactly sure how they got some of those blocks way up by the ceiling.

The Great Wall of China

"Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house." Proverbs 24:27

Fire in my kitchen

Yesterday afternoon I was preparing for company. I took time to bake a cheesecake in the morning, and had prepared the dough for my yummy rolls the night before (it needs to be refrigerated overnight). They were safely rising on the kitchen counter.

After dropping Jack and Chase off at football practice, I preheated the oven and put my first batch of rolls in. The little ones came clamoring into the kitchen wanting snacks, so they all sat down at the table for some peanut butter bars (that I had baked that morning, also). Bryce commented to me that there was smoke coming out of the oven. I had noticed some oozy stuff in the bottom of the oven for several days, but it wasn't really causing me much concern, so I kind of blew him off with some comment about goo in the bottom of the oven. I was busy washing dishes, when one of the children hollered that something smelled funny. I opened up the bottom oven, and found Katie's pink shoe. It was at that point that I noticed the flames in the top oven. I opened it up, pulled out the half-baked rolls, and quickly shut the oven door.

I hate to admit this, but I just couldn't remember what to put on a fire in an oven. I was pretty sure water was not a good option--you know, grease and electricity don't tend too mix well with water. I was hoping that turning off the heat and shutting the door was going to put the fire out, but no such luck.

I called Shannon. I was kind of babbling when I called him, and I think the conversation went something like this, "Hi Shan. Guess what? The oven's on fire, and I'm not sure what I should put on it. I don't know if it's a grease fire or not, or if it's something else burning, but I don't think that I'm going to put water on it. I think I'm going to put flour on it. Okay, I have the flour, are you sure I should do this? Hey, the flames are getting a lot bigger, are you sure this is the right thing? Hey kids, why don't you go in the other room? Katie, leave your peanut butter bar at the table. Quickly everyone, go in the other room." This is where Bryce shouts, "Mom's going to blow up the kitchen!". I'm not sure that Shannon has said anything yet.

I'm talking to Shannon again now. "Okay, I'm throwing flour on the fire. It's not going out yet. Let me put some more on there. I think it's helping. It's still burning on the element. Okay, it's almost out. Oops, there it goes again. Now it's really out."


By this point three smoke detectors are going off not quite simultaneously. The kids go outside, but not before I take a picture of them through the smoke. We open up all of the windows in the house, very aware that our company is due to arrive in less than half an hour. I decide to go curl my hair.

I'm kind of upset that I didn't take a picture of the fire while it was burning. It would have been cool for the blog. After the fire was out, it occurred to me that I have a fire extinguisher under the kitchen sink. I've had it for about 10 years, and have never had an occasion to use it. Hopefully there isn't a "next time" to figure out how the extinguisher actually works.


After the oven cooled, I had to vacuum out my oven, then scrub it. Ick. All while my company stood politely in my kitchen and watched the production.

The good news: No one was hurt. My house is still standing. The smoke odor is almost gone. The rolls turned out just fine after baking in the bottom oven. The top oven still works fine.

The moral of this story: Use the self-cleaning oven feature more often.

"Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, "I was only joking!" Proverbs 26:18-19

We're Still Alive...

It has been such a LONG time since I've taken the time to blog. I'm going to take a little time now to post a couple pictures from Family Camp, although that was a couple months ago...

"He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul." Proverbs 19:16

The best of intentions...

don't always get the job done. I have been attempting to view some pictures from camp that we have on cd, but my computer is out of memory. I have to go "clean house" and see what I can get rid of to make more room. Maybe I'll wait until Shannon is home in case I do something I'm not supposed to.

Anyway, I will make it a priority to get some pictures posted, after I finish mowing the lawn (I saw a snake yesterday, so I had to quit), do the laundry, wash the dishes, bake a cheesecake for company tomorrow, mix up a batch or two of rolls, go the the Homecoming parade, feed my family...

You get the idea.

"The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands." Proverbs 14:1

Oops!

The first night of camp we got some rain showers right as we were finishing up dinner. All evening activities were moved indoors, and the kids were able to cook s'mores in the big fireplace in the basement of Jensen Hall. A Ga-Ga ball pit was set up, and there was ping-pong available to play, as well as balloons for the little ones.

The rain eventually subsided, and the sun began to shine, so we all headed outside. Shannon and Naomi were heading up to the west deck to play some carpetball, and Katie decided to run and follow them. In her haste, she tripped and fell in a mud puddle.

This was the result.



Even though we rinsed the dress out right away, the stain is still there. Oh well.

"Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" Proverbs 20:9

Family Camp 2008

This year we switched to Family Camp 3 at Iowa Regular Baptist Camp. I cannot recommend Family Camp enough to families. We all have a great time of fun and fellowship. Part of that is because we WIN all of the tournaments...part is just because it's one of the greatest places in the whole wide world to be. The fact that you don't have to cook for a whole week doesn't hurt, either. I'm going to split my story about camp into several posts, and add a bunch of pictures.

Here are a few pictures of our room in the Arnold Dorm, where our family of 10 sleeps for the week.






We have our own private bathroom and air conditioning. It's not the Ritz, but it's very adequate.

"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet." Proverbs 3:24

First Haircut

This haircut was a bit (okay, a really long time) overdue, but I was holding off having it done until I had Hudson's 1 year old pictures taken. By July, when Hudson was 18 months old and I hadn't had the 1yo picture taken, I gave up and decided to cut his hair.

He didn't do a very good job sitting still, so there were some pretty wild cuts. Overall, it was an improvement.

BEFORE



DURING



AFTER



HIS CURLS

"Every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him." Proverbs 30:5

Snapping Turtle

Alex, Jackson and Sam were playing down at the creek one day. They were privileged enough to witness the killing of four raccoons by our dogs, and then had the good fortune to come across a snapping turtle. They left the raccoons behind, but chose to bring the turtle home, wrapped up in their (once) white t-shirts. They kept it in the front yard and played with it for awhile by poking at it with sticks, but alas, their mean mom put her foot down an declared snapping turtles inappropriate pets, so it had to go back to the creek.

They really are very ugly.

"Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm." Proverbs 3:30

Six Flags 2008

Monday we loaded up the van and headed to Illinois. Grandma Shirley watched Hudson for us overnight, then Stephanie spent the day with him on Tuesday.

We spent the night in Waukeegan, IL on Monday. We were at the park at 9:45 am and got and excellent parking place.


It was a bit overcast, but the temperature was bearable, and it didn't rain. We spent the first few hours riding roller coasters and seeing what there was to see. The big boys took off on their own, and Shannon and I escorted the littles. They are fearless around the rides, but Naomi and Colton wanted nothing to do with Batman and Robin.
The food inside the park is incredibly expensive. When we first entered, we purchased a refillable cup for $14.00. This made it possible for us to have FREE REFILLS of diet Coke all day long. We packed a cooler with sandwich fixings to eat for lunch. We had enough bread and cold cuts for a snack on the way home, too.

Because we saved so much money packing our own lunch, we were able to purchase a bottomless bucket of cotton candy. I found it rather ironic that we had to reschedule our dentist appointment in order to go on vacation, and then ended up eating 8 or 9 buckets of cotton candy. Somehow I think our dentist will get the last laugh.


We spent about 4 hours at the water park. The girls loved Skull Island, and the big boys enjoyed the water slides. Again, Katie knew no fear when going down the slides, until we went through one that was completely black inside save for a tiny string of lights. She came out laughing and smiling, but chose not to go on it again! Alex, Jack and Chase lost miserably to me on the water slide race...at least that's my version of the story, and I'm sticking to it!

Colton and Bryce kept right up with the big kids and went on as many 'big" roller coasters as they possibly could. Chase claims he went on the most, because he rode some of the 'little" roller coasters with Katie and Naomi.

We stayed and played at the park until about 9:20pm, then loaded up again and headed home. Shannon broke down and deigned to take some toll roads home, something I've not known him to do in 20 years. Although we only shaved about 20 minutes off of our total trip time, the roads were a lot easier to travel on, and the tolls only cost about $3.20. That's chump change after paying $25.00 to park and $6.99 for an order of french fries! Gas prices topped out at $4.35/gallon in Illinois. We arrived home at about 3:00am and caught a few hours sleep before Shannon had to get up and go to work.

Here are a few more pictures from our day away.






"The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil." Proverbs 19:23

Hud Bud's Eye

Last week the boys and I all worked hard in the morning to get the house cleaned up and all of our chores done, with the intent that we would take the afternoon off and relax. The boys had just settled down in the family room to watch some TV, but were arguing over what to watch. One boy,(who will remain nameless), smacked the remote control out of another boy's (who also will remain nameless) hand, and it bonked Hudson in the corner of his eye.

It swelled up right away and bled a fair amount. The cut was right in the crease of his eyelid. I called the family doctor and he said we needed to take Hudson to the ER to have it checked out because they generally will stitch a wound in this area. So much for my relaxing afternoon. Alex, Chase and I loaded Hudson up and drove to the ER in Marshalltown. Hudson had his first opportunity, after and 1 hour and 45 minute wait, to have his picture taken with the octopus in the examining room. You can revisit one of Chase's experiences here.


The doctor spent all of 3 minutes with us, and decided that it really wasn't bad enough to put a stitch in, and would probably scar worse if he did. So, we loaded back up and went home.

We're thankful that Hudson didn't have to have stitches. It's no fun at all at that age. He ended up with a pretty good shiner, although it wasn't his first. Alex and Bryce were especially relieved that he came out okay.

"My son, let them not depart from your eyes--Keep sound wisdom and discretion;" Proverbs 3:21

Flying Rocks

Last week as Alex finished up mowing the lawn, the tractor kicked up a rock and it hit the van window. Ugh. I just wanted to kick myself, because it had occurred to me earlier to pull the car and van into the garage, but I had to run into town later that afternoon so I didn't do it.

We had the front window replaced as well, since it had had a rock chip that had continued to crack across the entire windshield. There are so many other things I'd rather spend money on than replacing van windows.

The moral of this story: Always put the vehicles in the garage prior to mowing, and don't use a bungee cord to hold the flap thingy on the mower deck up (sorry Papa Joe). I'm thankful the rock hit the van and not a little child running around the yard.

"I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me." Proverbs 8:17

All I Want for Christmas...

is my two front teeth. Actually, I really hope they come in before then! Colton lost both front top teeth within a week of each other. The first had been loose for the LONGEST time. I can recall him wiggling it during a soccer game. It was dangling by a thread for so long, and it was shifted off to the side. He looked like a hillbilly. He finally jiggled it enough that it fell out.

A couple days later we had some friends over for lunch. He was showing Charlie how loose his tooth was as I was serving the spaghetti. Half way through the meal, we looked at him and the tooth was gone. Apparently he ate it along with the spaghetti. Ick.

"As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him." Proverbs 10:26

Visitors, Games, Parades and Movies

That pretty much sums up the past few days.

Thursday, Charlie and Maddie, the Baldwin's grandkids, came and visited for a few hours. Although it was a rainy afternoon, we had fun playing Wii and Xbox. Nothing like some good old electronic entertainment.

Friday Tate came to stay with us. He'll be here for a couple days while his dad recuperates from back surgery.

Friday night was the annual Corn Carnival Parade in Gladbrook. The kids came home with bags upon bags of candy. I have already banned them from it, not because I fear mouthfuls of cavities, but because I'm fed up with finding candy wrappers all over the house. Enough is enough!

This morning we went to the children's games at the Corn Carnival. Jackson won first prize in the Basketball Shoot, Tate won third place in his age division in the Basketball Shoot, and Naomi won fourth place in the Corn Cob Throw. Chase participated in the Basketball Shoot, but couldn't hit the broad side of a barn :) Katie was the returning champion in the Corn Cob Throw, but alas, she had to move up a division and participate against 6 year olds this year, so she didn't place. Colton participated in the Corn Cob Throw, and made his debut in the Greasy Pig Contest. He was one of three boys that had a grip on the pig, but he was nice, polite little boy, not a pushy, shovey boy, so he didn't come away with the win.

Alex, Jack, Chase, Bryce and Tate went to the matinee of the Indiana Jones movie. They were a bit disappointed in it. They are heading out in a few minutes to go see Prince Caspian. Gotta love those $.99 movie theaters!

"The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it." Proverbs 10:22

64 Days Left

Last year I committed to reading through the bible in a year. I found a website cleverly called bibleinayear.org and signed up. They have several different translations to choose from. I'm doing the NKJV in chronological order. It's been very cool reading in this order. Every day an email appears in my inbox with the allotted reading assignment, usually 2 to 3 chapters. I had gotten WAY behind in reading--over 30 days worth--but as of about 5:30 this morning I'm officially caught up. My inbox is empty again. I REALLY like that.

"When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you." Proverbs 2:10-11

Jr. Boys' Camp

Last evening Pastor Garry Moore from Dysart left a message on our answering machine asking for prayer as he speaks this week at IRBC. Monday evening 5 boys were saved, and many others made decisions for Christ. How exciting is that!?! He asked specifically that we pray Philemon 6 over the camp and workers. This verse states "...that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus."

It's such a blessing to have a resource like our camp close by that we can send our children to each year. I don't know how many times a year I answer the question from one of the kids, "How many more days until camp?" I can't wait to hear how God has worked in Chase and Bryce's lives this week!

"He also taught me, and said to me: Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live." Proverbs 4:4

Removed and Saturated

Alex and Jackson left on Saturday to spend the week with Pastor James and some teens from Nevada Baptist Church on a hiking trip to Colorado. We last spoke to them Sunday morning when they called to wish Shannon Happy Father's Day. They were at a Village Inn somewhere in Colorado--their last "real" meal for a week. They will be hiking several miles each day, carrying their backpacks and provisions everywhere they go.

Chase and Bryce are in Clear Lake at Jr. Boys' Camp at Iowa Regular Baptist Camp. They will be back on Saturday.

Hiking trips and church camp are great times to be removed. Removed from:
TV
Xbox
Wii
Music
Email
Instant Messaging
Sports schedules


We also pray that they will be saturated.
Saturated in:
Prayer
God's word
Bible Study
Worship
Discussion about God

Please pray that they will have safety while gone.

"My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings." Proverbs 4:20

Jackson/Shannon

Jackson decided last week that it was time to cut his hair. I didn't hesitate long enough to give him time to reconsider!

I attempted, while cutting of piles and piles of hair, to recreate the look Shannon had when we first met. It was close, but not quite right.

This is the final product. He's just not Jackson unless he's spiking his hair.

"Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding;" Proverbs 4:1

Bathroom Remodel

The Thursday before Memorial Day I got the whim to redo our upstairs bathroom. The idea had been rattling around in my brain for quite some time, but I had never acted on it. Shannon, being the good sport that he is, went along with my plans.

The boys and I started demo on Friday morning. Jackson started out taking off cupboard doors. Alex worked on demoing the baseboard and wallboard surrounding the shower. I removed the old wallpaper boarder. We were ready to start painting within 45 minutes of starting. It's such a blessing to have big, strong guys around that can do a lot of the hard work.



Painting the walls went fairly quickly. The cabinet doors took more time than I would have liked. Remind me next time to use primer.

Friday evening when Shannon got home from work he installed the wallboard. Why he decided to use the circular saw in Chase's room across the hall still eludes me. Needless to say, cleaning carpets is now on my to-do list.


Alex and I installed the flooring on Sunday afternoon, as tornadoes ripped apart the town of Parkersburg about 25 miles north of us. We were oblivious to the whole thing. There are no windows in the bathroom. The kids played contentedly outside in the sunshine for most of the afternoon. We didn't even get any rain until later on in the evening when we had more tornado warnings and our youth group kids over at our house. There were about 23 of us in Alex's bedroom in the basement for quite a while, but that's another story...

We were pleased when the bathroom was finally completed, although we didn't get it done in the allotted three days. We've finally replaced all of the fixtures, towel bars, hooks, etc.


Remind me next year just to take it easy and enjoy those three day weekends!


"My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those given to change." Proverbs 24:21

Cedar Valley Cup 2008

Chase, Bryce and Colton wrapped up the soccer season with a three-day tournament in Cedar Falls. We had beautiful weather this year, and it was a pleasure to spend so much time in the sun. Colton's team won 6th place in their age division, Bryce's team won 5th place, and Chase's team won 3rd place. They all did a great job this season and improved their skills.




"Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble." Proverbs 3:23

Colton's 7th Birthday

On May 28th Colton celebrated his 7th birthday. He woke everyone up early to watch him open his presents, then had to wait ALL DAY for his very first "kid" birthday party. We invited his friends from Sunday School to meet us at the church for a party during church time on Wednesday evening. He had a pirate theme, with a Treasure Chest cake and a Pirate's Lair ice cream fort. The kids were able to play some games after eating their cake and ice cream. Colton had a great time and loved being able to share his day with his friends.



"So you may walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness." Proverbs 2:20