Eli's Newest Trick

Needless to say we've had an exciting lunch hour! While I was in the kitchen preparing lunch Addie was nestled in the couch watching The Magic School Bus and Eli was happily entertaining himself upstairs!! I had checked on him two times before this, the first time he was playing with toys in A's room and the second time he was playing hide-n-seek with Fizz in our shower, too cute. Back down stairs I went to finish preparing lunch.

A few minutes later lunch was ready so back up I went to retrieve my little bundle of wiggles and giggles. At the top step I could hear the water running, the bathtub filling!! My first thought, unfortunately, was not of his safety, "he could be drowning!!" No, my first thought was, "Ugh, I bet he is standing outside of the tub, wasting water down the drain while he pours water all over the floor!" I don't know which is worse!?!? This was definitely a 'quick, grab the camera' moment.

People often say to me, 'Wow, three little ones, you sure are busy." Actually, I belive that Elias alone keeps me on my toes, he definitely adds the most 'excitement' to the day. Now that he knows how to turn on the bathtub faucet I don't know what I'll do! Any ideas??

Thanks, Lord

Thanks, Lord, for never giving up on lil' ol' me. I am so thankful that the Lord's patience with me will last my lifetime. In my fallen state I cannot comprehend how He will persistently guide me along this journey teaching and reteaching and reteaching me (sometimes the same lesson over and over again) for the past 32 years and the next 60 or so years.

My MOPS leadership retreat was this weekend. The book upon which the weekend was focused was an allegory of a woman's journey from being hopelessly fallen to a new creation in Christ. It is called Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. The lessons I've taken away from this book are life-changing. Thanks to God who met me at the retreat this weekend I am a little more like him.

One of the themes of the book centers on the enemies in our lives who walk along our path with us doing everything they can to turn us back. In the book Much-Afraid's enemies happened to be Self-Pity, Pride, Craven Fear, Resentment (notice the capitals, the author personified each trait). After much reflection over my life I recognize that I have several enemies who walk at my flank whispering or sometimes yelling insults at me in hopes of making me turn my journey back to the valley from which I came.

The most interesting thing I learned, besides my constant companions, is that these used to be parts of me! An example is Anger. Right now Anger is outside of myself, always hanging around waiting to spring. Before when my walk with Christ was much newer Anger lived with me, it was a part of me, actually, it was me. I was angry much of my teen years. I see the redeeming work of the Lord in my life as he has amputated Anger from my being so now it is an annoying enemy who no longer has a hold on me.

Does any of this make sense???

Wild West Relay pics

crossing the finish line as a whole team!

school days

We've arrived, I cannot believe it but it is here, the first day of school. Addie's was yesterday and Traeton's is tomorrow.

I was excited for Addison to begin because she is still in the safe bubble of Mom's school. There are three new little girls who've joined her class this year, her best buddy from the cul-de-sac, Taryn, being one of them. She is thrilled to back in school and I am thrilled for her.

Traeton, however, is a different story. Tomorrow he'll begin first grade. At our school that means he will be in five full days now. Last year in kinde he was in only half days. This is going to be quite the adjustment, surely more for me than for him. I cannot imagine him being away from home under the instruction of others for a greater amount of time per day than he is with us. As of tomorrow my 'cannot imagine' will have to dissipate into reality. I've heard this can be a painful transition. I've heard the empty feeling strikes without warning and an overwhelming feeling of 'something missing' engulfs you. We'll see... I don't even get to pack him a lunch on the first day as the teacher really wants him to buy his lunch since she'll be with them all day walking them through the process.

For those of you who are curious, Todd and his team completed the Wild West Relay beautifully. The twelve men completed all their assigned legs without injury. Their final time was something like 29 hours with a per mile average of 9:30:00 or so. Thanks for all your prayers, I truly believe he was protected as a result. While Todd was very, very sore and limping painfully for a day or two he reflects that the whole experience was mostly enjoyable.

I will post a picture or two.
ERB