I did not like World History in high school.   Now it is actually very interesting!  Although I need to say I don't like the projects that go along with it.  Parents have to help a little too much.  :-)    Wish I would have studied harder when I was in school!

Prayer....it's really not that hard.

 Sometimes when I pray I have no words....and that is okay....just be still and quiet....He already knows!

You don't have to say anything. You don't have to label your needs and desires with boxes to check off. He knows them already because He knows you. He knows the sound of every cry and every laugh He knows when we are content or not.  He doesn't need us to explain, because He loves us well enough to just, know.

Sometimes when I pray I realize that I pray to Him as if He doesn't already know everything. As if I'm another customer in the long line of people who want to talk to Him.

I want to start to let Him be Him in my prayer. I want to be able to rest knowing that I don't have to work to pray, because He is in the business of  knowing already.

I just wanted to encourage you all to reach out to the God who has already filled the gaps, and embrace Him as the Father who doesn't need anything from you. You are freed from responsibility, and enabled, through grace, to be a part of the miracle.

Ahhh. Doesn't that feel nice?

Family

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This photo was taken on Jerids 16th Birthday.  In this photo are my three guys, Jerid, Luke and Isaac, daughter-in-law, Cassie, and two of my nieces on Dan's side of the family, Addison and Caroline !   Aren't they CUTE !  Because of them we still get to put candles on the cake and they are thrilled to blow them out even though it's not even their birthday !  We get the kind that keep re-lighting and the giggles just flow out of them !  

Cheers to me! that's okay right ?!

School has started up again....I am glad to be on a schedule again!  Ahhhhh nice and quiet this morning....no kids and no daycare kids.   I have needed this morning for a while.  Just a little time alone...I am so busy taking care of everyone else I litterally forget about myself.   My tenth grader hates school.....he never has liked it very much......what a few bad experiences with rotten teachers can do to a kid.   I never liked high school either...so I really feel for him...my heart breaks as a mom to see that kids are jerks and he would rather come home for lunch than stay at school with immature kids...  But then again, I am glad that he is strong enough to not be a part of the crap that goes on there.!!!   and if that means come home at lunch time... I am glad I am here.  at  home.  so he doesn't have to come home to an empty house.!   Today is my day though....I will be gone, solitude is needed, no talking to be done, go to any store I want to window shop, go to the eye doctor to take care of me!  I will come home this afternoon REFRESHED and ready to take care of my family again..

So cheers to me today!  and I will not feel guilty about it either!  Everyone around me will love me for it!  Who knows....I may even watch Dirty Dancing today....while doing laundry of course !

M O T H E R

M odel of selflessness
O uter and inner beauty
T hankful & caring
H umble & patient
E ver gentle & kind
R eflection of Christ's love

2010 Camping

Camping !  Camping is something we have done because it doesn't cost a lot of money!  Raising our kids this is what we did for fun!  We did do one Disneyland vacation !  Now that the kids are young adults getting all of us together at the same time is a little harder.   Luke could not make our camping trip this summer because he helps lead music at church.  So here is a video of him..you will find the song he is leading at 9min. 3 sec.  Take it All is the name of it !  




Here are some photos of the camping trip with Isaac, Cassie and Jerid !

health food is not a priority camping....fried pop tarts!  Okay we did have some health food!

Jerid, Cassie & Isaac

the views were beautiful!

Jerid fishing.....not the most patient fisherman

Isaac and Cassie

this was their method of chopping wood!  ha !

Dan and I let the kids go fishing WITHOUT Wilson the little dog.  You see she loves to play fetch.  Well, that is not a good mix when you're fishing....every time you cast she thinks she is supposed to fetch it !! So Dan and I took the dogs a 4 mile hike !  WHEW !  There is not a lot of air up there!  Was sooooo fun though !

Movie Buff

I am a total movie buff.....tonight I watched Return to Snowy River.....
The Man from Snowy River and this one are one of my favorite movies.
These movies remind me of when I was in high school and my folks had a couple of horses....Goldie and Princess.


I would take them both for rides all the time...so so so many good memories!
As a kid you never know how good you had it!  I could just go for a ride any
time I felt like it.  What I would give to do that now!

Here is a picture of Goldie back in the mid 80's

here is another one of a day trip in the mountains....what a blast that was!