Jonathan's Kindergarten graduation

Jonathan is officially a first-grader. Graduation and awards night was Friday evening. He did a great job in school this year and we are so proud of him.

His whole class. He was the only boy, but I think it was a positive experience for him. He calls them "the girls".

Turning the tassle.
We are proud of Justin who is showing off several of his awards.

It was nice to have Melly and Morgan attending the ceremonies.
Susanne, Megan, Morgan, and Melanie after the ceremonies.

I couldn't resist posting these cute pictures!

Stewardship Idea for Children

Michael and I have been talking about getting good piggy banks for the boys. We want to teach them good financial stewardship! The problem with a regular piggy bank is that it isn't separated into categories. Crown Ministries has a great 3 compartment bank called "My Giving Bank" that I have really been wanting to get for the boys, but these things are $20 apiece. I think they are great, but when you have more than one child and you are TRYING to be frugal... well... you get the picture. Separate containers aren't practical because they take up a lot of space. That won't work either.
Then I started thinking about how Dave Ramsey uses the envelope system and then it hit me! Zipper bags! Why not? That's what businesses use to take their money to the bank. So... I found some binder pouches at Walmart for 97 cents apiece and a heavy duty binder.
I made 3 pouches for each boy. One for giving, one for saving, and one for spending (of course in different colors). I drew little pictures on each one (a church, a bank, and a store). I didn't spend a lot of time making my writing or my pictures perfect, nevertheless I am happy with the results. Now maybe we will quit finding quarters all over the house and hearing arguments over to whom the coins belong!

Here is a picture of one of the pouches inside the binder:

Warning: Touchy Subject

I have been doing a lot of reading lately about Biblical Womanhood, Ant-feminism, etc.
Now this is a VERY controversial subject and I am a very passive person. I hate to offend people and I run from debates. But this subject really isn't up for debate. God's word has made the wife's place in the home clear. Ephesians 5, Titus 2, etc, etc.

Unfortunately American society HAS turned it's back on this subject. And that is the effect of feminism on our homes.

But this "thing" has been on my heart lately. This has been something that the Lord has been working on in me and it has taken some time. I do not claim to have "made it" at all. I have a long way to go as far as this is concerned. And for anyone who may think I am being judgmental, you need to realize I am learning these things myself. I am not trying to be preachy at all, it's just that I appreciate those who have allowed God to use them to write and talk about this subject. Because what the Bible says about this subject and those obedient women who have chosen to make it their ministry to share it, I have been convicted.

And in my "quest" to be the wife and mother I want to be, I want to share my heart and what God has been teaching me.

The whole aspect of radical feminism is that of selfishness. What can I do for me, myself and I? There is this anti-male attitude and a horrible attitude of disrespect for men. We all are expected to laugh when a man is "outsmarted" or cut down and the woman is made to look like a genius. Men are portrayed as brain-less, lusting perverts.
No wonder men have stepped down from their positions as leaders of the home and protectors of their wives/families. No wonder they hang their heads with very little self esteem. No wonder chivalry is almost dead!

I have noticed something happening in our home. And again... I have a LOOOONG way to go.
But I have been doing a little experiment.
The more I have tried to keep my mouth shut, not nag my husband, respect him, and honor him... the MORE he has tried to do for me. He just about falls all over himself to please me. The more I compliment him in public, look at him adoringly, the more I build him up, the more confidence he seems to have. The less I tear him down (especially in front of others), the more confidence and self respect he seems to have.

Debi Pearl in Created to be His Help-meet shares a story of a young woman with a nasty, unsaved, disrespectful husband who did not deserve her respect/submissiveness. He treated her basically like a rug. But because she respected him and treated him like he actually deserved her respect, and prayed for him, he was marvelously saved. This story was so convicting to me. I HAVE a deserving husband who IS a Christian man.
One of my friends recently shared a touching story of how she "tried this" with her drinking husband. Praise the Lord...... it works! He did something foolish (after drinking) and she kept her mouth shut. She prayed for him and respected him.. Her husband has been TRANSFORMED because of her obedience to the Lord. He has quit drinking and has started going to church. Their home has changed because of her obedience to God's word. She has been an inspiration to me! She has also shared with me that she prays for every aspect of her husband's life each morning in detail (temptation, his thought life, etc). You know who you are, dear friend... THANK YOU for inspiring me to do the same!
It is amazing how that nasty word "submission" can give you that power over your husband (ironically our society separates those two words!).
Little ones catch on to this too: "Daddy is the king of our home and mommy is the queen". Jonathan told his teacher. The home is not a battlefield. It is a place where respect and love meet in the middle. The more I respect my husband, the more he loves me.

One of the best things I can do for my boys is to respect my husband. I want them to look at him with adoration. "I want to be just like daddy when I grow up".

Memory verse issues

At SCCA, the students are learning Proverbs 31.

Verse 36, reads "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Trying to help the boys learn their verse, I usually teach them a tune and sometimes motions to go with the verse.
We had just started studying the verse so Justin was having a hard time remembering the second phrase ("in her tongue is the law of kindness"). So... I stuck out my tongue and pointed at it.

So he said "She openeth her mouth with wisdom...... um, um..... she sticketh out her tongue?"

To that... both Jonathan and I burst into laughter. "No, Justin she doesn't 'sticketh out her tongue'." Then he realized what he said ... we have been laughing about it ever since.

We could really have fun with King James words can't we? I don't know if I've read that one or not!

I seriously doubt the Proverbs 31 woman having "sticketh out her tongue"... especially not at her husband or children.

The Guilty Culprit

Now does this face look guilty? It may not LOOK guilty, but it is!

Yesterday, the boys were playing in their play-room and Justin came running into the kitchen. "Mom! Ryan threw my men down the vent!" He was very shaken, and he had reason to be.
I asked Ryan , "Did you throw Justin's men down the vent?"
"Yes"... and he went on to inform me that he had also thrown other men down the vent. Nonchalantly, of course, and he went back to eating his cereal just as if I had asked him if his cereal was good.
So Michael, being the nice daddy that he is, ventured under the crawlspace this morning.
This is what he found...

Quite a plethora

It looks to me like this has been going on for awhile. Note the aged-looking tinker toys.

Back yard pictures

Justin is at school (so I'll have to get some pictures of him later). Jonathan and Ryan have been playing in the back yard.


Jonathan found a bird's nest in the bushes. See their little mouths? awwwweee.....

Since they were hungry, he proceeded to dig them some worms, and then dropped pieces of worm into their mouths...

(it looks like he was sniffing for worms!)

Ryan on top of the dog's house... this is how he "hugs" the dogs... he will definitely need a bath!

Dixie showing her love

Mushrooms

Michael hit the jackpot this morning. He found 110 Morel mushrooms...some being as large as a water bottle. :-D