Traditions are an important part of where we live. Each home has brought new traditions. The one bedroom apartment tradition was having tea in the morning with a friend. The apartment in Texas was hanging evergreen on the banister. The Philadelphia tradition was taking walks with my baby to look at Christmas lights. The house in Texas was filled with holiday traditions like an Easter egg hunt, trick-or-treating with friends, and fireworks with the neighbors. The traditions seem to multiply with the ages of the children.

We have traditions in this home as well. Birthday parties are held here at the house with lots of friends. We go to hear concerts in the park in the summer. And at this time of year we celebrate Halloween with friends in another neighborhood.

It started out as just going to trick-or-treat with them, since we don't have a neighborhood. I did take the kids to the neighbor's house the first year, and he didn't know what to do. So he got out his change jar (an old coffee can filled with coins, screws, and nails) and let the kids take some money. The friends' party has turned into a big to-do, and the whole family enjoys it. One of the other kids plans it all and makes the food. She puts out quite a spread, and last year was excited about her punch with a hand in the middle of it.

We all eat and visit and then the kids go trick-or-treating. We take turns going with the kids, and when they get tired, they come back for a drink and a break. At the end of the night everyone dumps their candy out on the floor and the trading begins! It is like being in the pit on Wall Street!! I have laid claim to all coconut already this year. Love those Almond Joy and Mounds.

One tradition that hasn't been made is the Haunted Corn Maze. When we moved here, we arrived on Halloween. The church youth group was going to the Haunted Corn Maze and invited us along. We had been here a few hours, when I exposed my poor children to the horrors around them. We had to walk through yelling, "Little Kids!! Don't scare them!" We have never been back.

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Another tradition is that our church hosts a Trunk-or-Treat for the neighborhood. This year I helped the kids with a haunted house, and we did it based on the theme of the Ten Plagues of Egypt. I had a friend buy 2 goldfish and we put red lights under the bowl to give the appearance of the Nile turned to blood. I thought those fish would die before the night was over. Was I ever wrong! Those simple things are living still, and the kids have fed them flour! I didn't get fish food since I expected them to die. I also have been putting them in a jar and straight into tap water! If I had wanted them to live they would have been dead by now.

I have a tendency to make a couple of strong friendships where ever we live, and stick close to them. I suppose I have done that because I know we are moving again soon, and what is the point of investing all of that time in too many people? Sounds selfish, huh? Not that I haven't had more than 1 or 2 friends, but I have had few close friends.

But in this home I have many friends that I consider close. Perhaps it is the stage of life I am in since I seem to be involved in things in my kids' lives, the church, and the community, which wasn't possible when the kids were smaller. Whatever the reason, I do seem to have quite a few friends here that I would label "close friends."

The friends were made quickly, and were such a blessing from God. I have noticed in our previous moves that it takes 18 months to not be homesick, and 3 years for a place to feel like home. It would seem that just when a place felt like home, we would move. This town, however, has felt like home from the start. As our relationships mature and grow, it only feels more right to be here.

Proverbs says, "He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even the bitter tastes sweet." Perhaps I was just really, really hungry when we got here, but this is the sweetest place I have been. Thank you God for this home.

These are friends that I made in one of our other homes. I went back years later to visit them and they still felt like good friends. What a privilege it is to have friends like that.

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Another blessing here has been my job. I have wanted more children since time began, and God has answered me with the three precious boys that I care for. God knows just what I need, and surely He provides.

A lot of people church shop. They look around until they find a place that fits their family's needs, and then they give it a trial run for 6 months or so, and then they think they may choose that church officially. A minister's family doesn't get that choice. You go where the job is, and in my opinion, where God sends you.

Church is an important part of my life. It is where I find comfort, friendship, community, and God. I can't imagine moving somewhere and not having a church to attend. Yet, I often wonder if I would choose the churches that God chooses for me. If I were able to shop around, would I stop where I have landed?

The answer in Texas was a resounding, "NO!" The place was run like a business, and little thought went into the souls of the members. Eventually I was given the option to look around for a church, and I knew when I had found it. It was a good place to be, people asked about my spiritual condition, and the Lord was served there. I went home after the first time visiting, and asked my husband why we couldn't attend that church. It was a home for me right away.

The church where I am now, that I have not gotten to choose, is home for me. I found that out a few weeks ago when we visited another church. It was a large church, and I fully expected to enjoy my visit. But it wasn't "home" to me. People didn't sing, the children weren't involved, and women did absolutely nothing during the service. I discovered that I missed my little congregation here in Carolina. It was a good discovery.

I do wish more children go to our church, so that my boys could have some more church friends their age. But as I looked around me at the big church, I realized my kids are so much better off. They get to help with services, they enjoy being where others treat them like family, and spiritually I do believe they are being fed and are growing. I suddenly realized at that other church, that I really don't care that there aren't more kids here.

God put us just where we need to be, and He did it just right.

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We got the X-ray reports back on #1 and he does have some slight scoliosis. They want to do another series of X-rays on him in 6 months to make sure it isn't progressing.

The boys watched a Charlie Brown special last night. This morning #1 wrote a letter to the Great Pumpkin. I told him it isn't real, but he didn't seem to believe me. I am positive that boy will grow into a fiction writer.

A house does not a home make. I have been in houses that did not make me comfortable, and I thought, "I am glad I don't live here." One of the best compliments I ever received was when we lived in Arlington. I had a Bible Study group over to the house, and one of the ladies said, "Your house is so homey. I feel very comfortable here." I enjoy having people in my home just to visit and share with each other. Home is important to me.

Our first home as a couple was a 10x20 trailer. We lovingly called it "The Shoebox." It was carpeted and I didn't have a vacuum. I would broom sweep it out. There were actually two bedrooms, but we used the second as a closet; it was that small. The refrigerator's freezer never kept things frozen. But we had friends over to visit, for dinner, or to play games, and it was home.

Our second abode was actually Federal Housing that the college had. It was a one bedroom apartment in a row of five apartments. Most of the rooms were rented by other students, but not all were. We had neighbors that weren't students. They were mentally handicapped and evidently didn't understand how to clean a house. We had a problem with roaches the whole time they lived there. The refrigerator here would never keep anything frozen either, so we seldom had ice cream for dessert. But even with the embarrassment of roaches and the lack of ice cream, we enjoyed entertaining friends, often sharing morning tea with a friend who was a few doors down. That was a sweet home in our young marriage.

Then we moved far away to Abilene, Texas. We had student housing again, but these were apartments only intended for students. They were the oddest built things, fitting into each other like Jenga pieces. You guessed it, the refrigerator was a bust. This one would freeze too much. I was defrosting that thing every month! So we broke down and bought a chest freezer to help store meals since I had little time to cook with working two jobs. But somehow time for friends was available, and our home was often filled with dinner guests and great discussions. We were sad to leave that home.

Have I mentioned that I did not get to pick any of these homes? They were always chosen for me by someone else due to the circumstances. Well, Philadelphia was no different. We couldn't pick out a place from so far away, so my in-laws went for us and found a two bedroom apartment in a quaint little village near the seminary. There was a square in the middle of town with a park, stores, restaurants. It was a great place to get out of the big city and enjoy a slower pace as we started our family. We did entertain friends here, but the most common guests were family hoping for some time with two beautiful boys. And by the way, the refrigerator freezer worked great...of course the whole refrigerator would freeze things, and we would have to unplug it at night so our food wouldn't freeze, but hey, at least we could have ice cream.

We spent a while living with my in-laws while Hubby wrote his dissertation, and that home was filled with such generosity that can't be described. Hubby's parents moved out of their bedroom so that we could be on the same level as the boys, and gave us the whole upstairs to live in while they stayed in the basement for over a year. The refrigerator and freezer both worked well, and were able to renew friendships with friends in Hubby's old home.

Finally we were able to move into a house when we went to Arlington. Hubby picked it out, while I waited in WV for everything to get settled. He picked us up at the airport on a dark, damp evening, and we drove to our new home. I remember thinking, "This place is so closed." Privacy fences are very important to people in the Metroplex area. Everyone has at least a six foot fence closing their world off from everyone else's. But even here I was able to enjoy having people in my home. We entertained many angels in that home: college students, friends, other kids, family, and sometimes strangers. We tore down the fence and put in a cute picket that allowed us to get to know many more neighbors. It was a good home...AND we bought a refrigerator and freezer that worked great!

Packing up that home four years ago today was one of the saddest things I have done. It was our first home, where our children celebrated birthdays and holidays. Easter egg hunts would never be the same anywhere else. Friends told us goodbye and wished us well, but the house, no the home, was telling us goodbye too.

So finally, I picked out a home for us. We had been married 14 years before I got that pleasure. When Hubby saw it I think he thought I had lost my mind. There were spiders with huge webs everywhere, and the house smelled old and musty. But with lots of love and some updating, it has become quite a beauty. But even the beauty isn't what I love about it. There is a warmth to this home. The open glass doorways, the many bright windows, all let in the light from outdoors. And there is a movement about this house that just invites you to go visit and enjoy one another. Here, too, we have had friends and family visit often. Nearly every week there is someone here to share a meal or just a word. It is definitely "Home Sweet Home."

And the refrigerator is great!

Here is our newest home filled with lots of memories and friends and family that we love.

I am afraid you will have to deal with reminiscing and rumenating this week. You see, it was four years ago this week that we packed up our house in Texas and moved to the Coastal Plains of Carolina. Hubby and I have never lived in a place more than four years as a couple. We did as children, growing up in what is now considered our "hometown." Hubby's family moved to his hometown when he was about four years old, and my family still lives in the same small county as ever. This constant moving--7 big moves in 18 years of marriage--is not something we ever expected. We did actually manage to live in one home for four years and two months, but the entire last year that we were there, we knew we would be moving. You live your life differently when you know you won't be staying. I won't lie. This has been a hard year for our family. We don't really know how to live in a place this long, with no intention of leaving. Even #1 picked up on it and worried for a while that this would be the end of another chapter. Hubby and I have struggled with the new stages that our friendships have taken. Our perspective even on the town has surprised us, as we have watched it change over these four years. We even had trouble knowing whom to cheer when the university played our alma mater! When we came here we were so burned out there wasn't even a scent of smoke in the air. Our last city had been a test in tenacity, especially for Hubby. After we moved to Arlington, the church that hired Hubby decided they didn't want to do campus ministry anymore. We felt God calling us to stick it out, and to help the ministry pull away from its original church to become a non-profit, board-run entity. We were faithful to that calling, and successful in starting that new form of administration, but it was very stressful. We actually spent the last nine months of that position looking for a new one. That isn't quite fair to say, as we had found this position after about three months, but the church here wasn't ready to make that committment to us. I knew that this was the place for us just by reading the questionnaire. Gone were the questions of doctrine and how we read the Bible, gone were the questions of what kind of "Minister's Wife" I would be. Instead it was full of questions about how we live out our Christianity. We had been disappointed by the church that hired us in Arlington. We had been let down by those we thought were brothers and sisters in Christ. We had been tossed aside like worthless rag dolls. We walked on eggshells so as not to make things worse. And now here was a church asking us how we plan to live as a child of God. I am crying now as I remember that relief. What a thought...asking a minister and his family how they behave like Christians, and what impact Christ has had on their lives. Even so, we moved with a wall. I brought a thick, brick wall with me from Texas. I wasn't sure I could trust these people; I had been let down before. I even hired a guard to stand at the top of the wall and watch for the enemy to poke his head out. I told one man that I would give the church two years. I was sure they would let us down in that time. Something would show up to prove to me again that Christians are often "in word only." But it didn't happen. Yes, I have been let down, but I know to expect that. The congregation has failed us, and I am certain we have failed the congregation. But that has only been in our human dealings with each other. In our spiritual matters, the church has been a blessing. The idea of living like a Christian, and being accountable to that ideal, is still very real. It takes a long time time to heal from the kind of hurts that we received in Texas. But I would say that our family is mended now, and ready to see what a stable life in one town can be like. I will likely think of this verse a lot this week, but it is so appropriate: For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in Heaven, which is yet to come. Hebrews 13:14 But while we wait for our Heavenly Home, this city suits just fine.

I took #2 to the doctor yesterday. He has a slight ear infection, not enough to do anything about, and a bad infection in his tonsils. So she gave a prescription for Amoxil, and told us to give him decongestant and Tylenol for a couple of days. She said the Tylenol would help him feel better and take away the achiness. As we went to get the Rx filled, #2 was jumping through the store. I was thinking he doesn't need Tylenol, and even if he is achey I will not give him any just to slow him down a bit. I get frustrated with doctor's who think I should bring my kids in earlier to them when the kid doesn't act sick. ------------ As we left the doctor's office, #1 was telling me he had been talking to a nice lady in there while #2 was waiting on the doctor. We started to pull out, when a lady chased me down. She asked me if I was #1's mother, and I admitted it. Then she told me what a nice boy he is, and I have done a good job raising him. How nice to hear. #1 is still very innocent. He is 11, nearly 12, and still believes in the imaginings of childhood. He lost a tooth the other day, a large one!, and was hoping that the tooth fairy would think it was worth at least a dollar fifty. Most teeth are worth a dollar. So last night she brought $1.08. She's an ornery little fairy! ------------ #1 finally got his new glasses yesterday in the mail. I happened to order them two weeks ago because his were so smooshed and scratched. A few days later, the lense fell out of his and the screw that holds the lense had broken off. So we glued it together and waited for the new ones. Then while we were camping he tripped and broke his glasses again. I glued them again, but he wouldn't wear them. He couldn't properly do his chores because he couldn't see, so I was ready for the new ones to come. I used Zenni Optical on-line, and he got nice glasses for about $8. ----------- I picked up #5 at school after we were done at the doctor. Then we had to go to the pharmacy, so we ate lunch out at CiCi's Pizza while we waited on the order to be filled. I treated #5, even though his packed lunch was a sandwich. The poor kid never goes out to eat. He was looking at everything bug eyed, and wanted to know about the napkin dispenser. He is 4 years old. I understand the parents' reasoning in not taking the kids out- money, nutrition- but he is going to act weird in society. Of course people say that about homeschoolers... Anyway, when I picked up the four year old he said, "That's David. He causes a lot of trouble. I can tell you that." There's something about a black kettle in there. ----------- In 1979, Ireland had 5 million people while America had 40 million people of Irish descent. Watched a documentary last night. ----------- I passed a dead kitten near our house yesterday. It looked like Luke, and I prayed all the way back that God would bring him back to life before we got home. There he was in the yard when we got back. The dead kitten was still there too, so I guess it is a sibling. I like Luke. He is very cuddly and lovable. However, he constantly sits in my laundry basket when I hang things out, even wet laundry on a cold day!

Tell me how you get chocolate up your nose when you lick a beater. This kid always has chocolate on his face. In fact, "chocolate" was his first word after mommy and daddy. No kidding. The whole family has been struggling with health issues. I guess I will have to take #2 to the doctor. He has a sinus infection, I think, and the kefir isn't kicking it well enough. He is coughing too, and has been for several weeks. Bad Mother Award, I know. (Kelly was actually ok, just enjoying the sleeping bag that was left in the kitchen.)

The kids popped corn over the propane stove when we were camping. We were told by the Boy Scout Master that we could do it over the fire, but it was too hot for us. The stove worked well. You can see how wet the boys' backs are.

The world came close to ending today. Did you hear about it? I'm sure you noticed the flooding issues we were having. It was all Prime Factorization's fault. Greatest Common Factor was pushing us around, acting like he was big stuff or something. Then the tears started, and the frustration began to cause loud noises and deep, heavy sighs that shook the Earth. Yes, it was sixth grade math. Fourth grade's long division was starting a wind storm of its own as well to try and compete, but we squashed that orneriness pretty quickly. -------- #1 was proclaimed a "Perfect Specimen" yesterday at the doctor's office. He had a check-up, and the doctor was pleased. #1 hadn't had a check-up for nearly four years, and his posture had me worried, so I decided to take him in. He kept telling me he didn't need a check-up and he felt fine. The truth was that he was worried about shots. He actually is due for 3 boosters in the next year, but I told the doctor we would go to the health depatment for that. $$$ The doc sent us over for X-rays to make sure the scoliosis isn't too bad. We should hear in a couple of days, but the radiologist thought it looked fine. He seems to have a shoulder higher than the other. Just the way God put him together, I guess. Anyway, the doctor looked at #1's knees and praised him for having knees he could check. "You should see how many tree trunks come in here. It's nice to be able to easily check a kid's knees." That's our nation's obesity epidemic for you. So #1 was proclaimed a perfect specimen and we went to Long John Silver's for lunch. Won't stay perfect long on that diet! I told him he should try that pick-up line on girls though, "Hi. I am a perfect specimen. Just look at this bod." ---------- I talked to my FIL last night about working on a doctorate in education. He was very helpful with ideas to think about. I contacted the university here, but they don't have much of what I am looking for. I will keep thinking and praying about it.

"You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing." Psalm 145:16 "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him." 1 John 3:21-22 These verses have been on my mind lately. I get frustrated with them. I just don't think they are true. I know that there are many people obeying God, trying to please him, and not getting the desires of their hearts. I know a woman suffering from ALS. She certainly desires to have her body back, but it isn't happening. I know women who are homeless and beaten. They desire safety and a home, but it isn't happening. I know people who want jobs, and they don't come. People who want an end to war, no. They want a spouse to return, no. They want...no. So what does this mean 'You satisfy the desires of every living thing'?

My reading today helped a little bit.

• God's will does not always proceed in a straight line. God always has a plan, but it may not follow human logic. In fact, it may often seem to go against what we believe about God.
• God's love sometimes tarries for our good and his glory. While we don't know why God's love lingers, we can rest assured that God's love is always at work. He may not move according to our schedule, but he is right on time for what is best.
• God's ways are not our ways, but his character is still dependable. We only trust people we know. If you are having trouble trusting God, you probably don't know him well.
• God's plan is released when we trust and obey. This step shows that God's love is interactive. Faith obeys him when he speaks, even if what he says makes no sense.
• The end is never the end. Tragedy may come, so will darkness, but triumph is waiting around the corner.

Because Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus he wept when Lazarus died. Though Jesus knows our triumphant outcomes, though he sees the joyful ending just around the bend, he still gets down in the middle of our sorrow and holds us close, mingling his tears with our own.

I guess Jesus knows our real desires, and those he will answer.

So Monday we went to the beach and had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect. As the week went along, the weather got better and better. Thursday was about 85 degrees and sunny. Friday we had cloud cover all day, but the temps were pleasant, 70s. So we went camping with our church. The rain started when we were about 20 minutes away from the campsite. It rained all evening, spitting some to give us a break now and then. Then it poured all night long. It rained until about halfway through breakfast. I was happy that the temperatures didn't turn very cold. We were able to keep a fire going, and so mostly we felt chilly and damp, as opposed to cold and wet. So we hurried home to get the boys off to their Saturday committments, and the weather got worse. It is cold, rainy, AND windy now. See you just never know how good you have it! I kept thinking about the homeless while we were sleeping through the rain storms. I can't imagine always worrying about whether my kids are going to get sick from the cold and wet that I can't do anything about. I also thought about the Israelites who left Egypt so quickly and camped in the desert (wilderness). I was thinking if I went without a tent and the weather turned like this, I might have complained too. One bright spot: I went through all of the seasonal clothes this week. At least we have warm, cozy sweaters out to curl up in.

This is an excerpt that was in my reading a couple of weeks ago.

Love Adds a Little Chocolate by Linda Andersen

Duty can pack an adequate sack lunch, but love may decide to enclose a little love note inside...Obligation sends the children to bed on time, but love tucks the covers in around their necks and passes out hugs and kisses (even to teenagers!)...Duty gets offended quickly if it isn't appreciated, but love learns to laugh a lot and to work for the sheer joy of doing it. Obligation can pour a glass of milk, but quite often, love adds a little chocolate. I have not been feeling successful in my goals lately. Yesterday I did cheat and blog before my allotted time, but other than that I stayed on schedule. And still I couldn't get my work done. I try to stop at 7:30 and just be with my family, but I just couldn't do it. I did stop and read to the boys, but I felt torn. I would say that I am more calm about the pace now though. It doesn't frustrate me to not get it done. It just depresses me. sigh. ----------- I was listening to Clark Howard yesterday on the radio. My husband has started to get me addicted. It is as far as I can go listening to that particular station. Anyway, I was listening yesterday and Clark was giving two ways to save up to $3,000 a year for your family. One was to get rid of pay television, and the other was to stop buying bottled water. His statistic was that people pay over $1400 for bottled water a year! I was going off on my husband about it this morning. I can't believe that people are so naive, dumb, ignorant, whatever about their money. A woman from Chilicothe, Ohio was complaining about no one being able to make it on one income now. I just pulled three things out of my refrigerator and here is what I touched: a package of cookie mix that was free with coupon, a jar of homemade soup that is healthier than store bought and costs pennies on the dollar, and a package of butter that is cheaper at Sam's Club and if you buy the kind that you quarter yourself you save 50cents a pound. When you live your life this way I guess you think everyone else does too. I can't believe how wasteful people are! I ranted and raved for a while, even slamming my fist on the counter top. Then decided maybe I better give a little chococlate. I got my Russell Stover extra fancy box of chocolates at Rite Aid for half price and two dollars more off with coupon. ------------ This is too funny not to share. Hubby came home yesterday and wrote this on a piece of paper...Le-a. How would you pronounce that name he asked. Lay uh I guess. He heard a woman on the radio complain that no one pronounces her child's name correctly, "The dash don't be silent," she said. "It's Luh dash uh." Oh my goodness!

I watched the debates last night with #1. That was a chore because he kept talking through it, and I didn't get to hear all of the answers. #1 is interested in Obama. I was trying to get him to use some of the skills we have been working on in the Viewpoints class to walk through some thoughts with him. He likes Obama basically because he has seen Obama's commercials. I discussed what does it mean if the other player tells you all of the information? He is biased. #1 agreed, but still likes Obama's commercials better. The sad part is that, no matter which way you vote, a lot of people will vote only because of the commercials that they have seen. I am hoping apathy will work on this election and those who really haven't researched the issues will just stay home and remain apathetic. On the other hand, I have recently started questioning my view of socialism. Hubby said, "Finally." Anyway, I have always had socialist views, because I am a compassionate person. (IMHO) But now that the government wants to take my money and pay people who are making bad decisions or who are not trying to make their lives better, I want to have something to say about it. I guess that makes me a communist. I really think that socialism works well if you aren't dealing with humans. But greed and power hungry people get in the way and mess it all up. I liked Ron Paul's philosophy that we should get rid of as many taxes and government as possible, and just let the people decide how to use their money. Americans have a history of being generous and helpful. That history, along with having more money in your pocket, will let the citizens choose whom they would like to help. That is the socialism I am for. Heaven can't come soon enough.

When we lived in Abilene, Texas many years ago, I worked as a teacher at a private school. Several days while I drove to and from work, I smelled something dead in the car. I assumed something had crawled up under the hood somewhere and gotten creamed in the engine. However, when I went to put laundry in the back hatch on Saturday, I realized what the smell was. We had helped move friends the weekend before, and they had cleaned out their freezer and blessed us with a ferrel pig. With all of the emotion of leaving friends, I had forgotten about the pig. So this past week when I smelled a dead mouse in the shed, perhaps I should have remembered that story. We keep our storage things in the shed next to our house. It was time for me to sort through seasonal clothes, and while I was doing that I was sure that I would come across that terrible dead rat that was stinking up the whole shed. About halfway through the sorting I realized the smell was soup bones that I had evidently set out and forgotten about. Our deep freezer is in the shed too. I guess some time last week I must have had my hands full, and must have put the bones on top of the freezer for a second. I forgot, and Whew! what a stink!! Next time we have a dead smell for several days I will look for freezer food. ----------- Last night was the history expo that our home school group does every year. In years past the boys have done projects on Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. This year #1 did the history of Cartography, and #2 did The Gilded Age (1875-1900). An interesting fact from each: The oldest clay maps we have are from the Babylonians, 2300BC. The paper lunch bag- a folding paper bag- was invented during the Gilded Age. A lot of other cool things were invented, but space and time cut me off there. ------------ We closed on the refinancing of our house this morning. I know it sounds like an odd time to be doing such a thing, but we got it started before all of the bombs exploded in the economy. We cashed out some money so we can do some remodeling upstairs. We want to add two bedrooms in the attic and rewire the house. It also allowed us to get rid of a home equity loan that was irritating me. So for $5,000 more than the original price we are able to do quite a bit of work to improve the house. At least that is the way I want to look at it. I'm not feeling up to looking at the whole cost of the investment.

Instead of roses yesterday, I decided to smell the salt air. The "extra kids" were off of school for the holiday, so we headed to the beach for the day. It was a beautiful day, too. It was about 80 degrees, a gentle breeze, and lots of sun. The water was cool, but not numbing, and actually felt good to get in after the sunny sand. The boys played under the deck for a long time. They were digging "nests" and having battles. I think they were being crabs, but I didn't get the whole story. After the flies started biting them under the deck, they headed to the water. #2 found another kid to boogie board with for a while. Then they all dug for clams, built castles, and just plain got sandy.

This is the whole group together. They are like my own, and I love them all. #1 read a book for a while, and the others dug holes for his feet. There were quite a few people there, but empty scenes were easy to come by as well. God certainly displayed his artistic ability when he made the ocean.

We had to leave mid-afternoon to get the other kids back to their mom. It was a great day for a fall respite.

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A couple of weeks ago, Hubby was giving a series of sermons on scripture. One of the weeks was about memorizing scripture, and he suggested putting some verses on the mirror to look at each day. Before we went on the trip to Nashville, I was cleaning the boys' bathroom and saw a note on the mirror. It read, "Do not love the world or anything in the world.If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father, but from the world." 1 John 2:15-16

I knew right away why it was there, but asked #1 about it. He said he put it there to help him remember it. I asked why that particular verse, and he said because he has problems with pride. What a wonderful heart he has.

Religious fervor is a stunning phenomena. It can feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable, heal the sick, provide homes for the homeless. It can lead to riots, death to whole races, unmentionable sins, unbearable grief. I watched a documentary the other night with the kids. It is called Obsession, and is about the Islamic Extremists. They do what they do---killing and hate crimes---because they believe it is the will of God. Watching the crowds over and over yell, "Death to Americans! Death to Americans!" was fairly close to a biblical scene. In Luke the crowds are yelling "Crucify him! Crucify him!" as they try to remove what they saw as a danger to their religious belief. They had fervor, for certain, but it blinded them to what they were truly doing. "If we claim to be in the light and hate someone, we are still in the dark. But if we love others we are in the light, and we don't cause problems for them. If we hate others, we are living and walking in the dark. We don't know where we are going, because we can't see in the dark." 1 John 2:9-11 Lord, please give us a religious fervor for you that leads us to love our enemy, care for the hurt and neglected, and serve all of the world. Shine a light in the darkness so that we know when we are in the dark, and lead us to your light. Amen

I have been trying to keep to my retreat goals. I have been slowing down and smelling more roses. I hate leaving the kitchen messy at night, but the kids are getting read to again, and I feel less frazzled. Last night was our celebration barn dance. We had two months of a square dancing co-op in which one of the moms, a former PE teacher, taught us how to square dance. It was a lot of fun once you learned all of the lingo. We practiced first at the church, and then last night was in the top of our barn.

Sometimes we didn't have enough kids. Then I would have to jump in and dance. I am telling you that the females work harder at square dancing than the males! You definitely get a workout. Here you see a brother try to trip another as they do a right hand star. Gotta love those brothers. The right left chain is a lot of fun once you know what you are doing. It is a weave in and out, girls going one way and boys the other.

Last night at the dance, we had the dads try some of the dances. It was hard for them because they didn't know the language or the moves. The calls are hard to hear when everyone is moving and laughing, too.Circle left is a pretty easy one, but learning to make it all the way around the circle in time for the next call is tricky.Here is a group picture of the dancers. There were some who didn't make it, but the barn was full anyway. We had hay bales in the corners to sit on, and punch to drink. I think we will do it again. Anyone up for a dance?

The whole photo thing is getting to me. I thought I copied them in order, but evidently I was supposed to put the cursor in other places. So this is the destruction of the "toy shed" that we had. I think you can put it in chronological order. We used the shed to keep the kids' bikes and balls and outdoor things. It was an old smokehouse. We found truck license plates from 1953 in the ceiling. Birds have nested in the chimney every year we have lived here. They will be sad next spring.

It was quite a project to tear down, and we tried to save some of the wood. It is nice pine wood, and mostly in good condition. Now the project is to remove all of the nails. I would like to incorporate the wood into the house when we remodel upstairs.

The ceiling was like a huge raft. Hubby had to tear it apart board by board. Two of the beams were humungous! #2 enjoyed helping to tear it apart. He also enjoyed finding nails afterward in the yard. I paid a nickle a nail if the kids found them. He got $8.00!!

We plan to put a picnic table on the concrete slab, and to plant a hedge around the border. The grill will be kept there in the summer too. It is just a few paces from the back porch, so an ideal location for a little patio.

This ad has been in our paper for a while. A friend brought it to my attention. I thought it was very humorous. Another friend said they ended up with a Wii at their house because of "Do whatever you want." Men and women surely have different languages. I did go to the store again, but no photo this time. I ended up spending $22 and saving $43. I had to buy milk, which had no coupon or discount, so it isn't quite a fair comparison. My happy deals this time were free Pillsbury dough, frosting, and cookie mix again. They actually paid me to buy those things! There were some items I had coupons for that I didn't purchase. You really have to wow me to get a buy.

The young girls at church blog pictures about their deals at the grocery store. The younger generation needs visuals, I guess. I thought I would give it a try. Several weeks ago, Harris Teeter had triple coupons. I thought I did fairly well. This was my first trip to the store. Triples last a few days, and you can go each day. This bunch cost me $33.36. I saved $54.63. Notice how many cleaners are pictured. I even got Tide detergent! The second trip was also a success. I spent $20.50 and saved $39.42. Smuckers Peanutbutter, Luzianne Tea (4 boxes!), and Old El Paso Tortillas aren't cheap. Triple coupons and specials make name brands a possibility on a tight budget. Now Lowe's Foods is having Triple Coupons for a few days. I took #2 with me before church this evening, and we did really well. Most of my purchases were snack foods, but I would never buy them otherwise. I just can't seem to bring myself to spend what they ordinarily cost. I got 3 bags of Chex Mix, 2 bags of Veggie Crisps, a bag of Sunflower Chips, and 4 Pop Secret microwave popcorns. Betty Crocker cookie mixes were free, smoked sausage was 75 cents!, and Cheerios were 35 cents. My total spent was $17.48, and I saved $52.16. I try to get at least 50% off, about 70% is fabulous! I may try to go back tomorrow.

"Look deep into my heart God, and find out everything I am thinking. Don't let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true." Psalm 139:23-24 I am reading Psalm 139 all this week to meditate on God and our relationship. This verse has stuck with me because I thought I knew what I was thinking, and God showed me otherwise. When I went on my personal retreat I thought I was going to prioritize all of the many things I try to do, and then to cut some of the activities. But what God showed me was that my thinking was wrong. It was not the things I needed to cut, but the things I needed to add. I was trying madly to get the many things done, and leaving the important things undone. If I will just tend to the truly important things, God will help me with the rest, too.

I made a list of my many roles and what responsilbilities each has. Then I realized that I was really failing as a wife and home maker. I wasn't failing because of the other things I was doing, but because I wasn't paying attention to what I really need to. Here is a statement I wrote to myself: "I give him (Hubby) time when I have it, just like I do God." Boy did that hurt to say.

So Hubby was actually happy with the things I told him were going to change. Here is what came out of it: I will be more intentional and structured with my time. Internet time will be limited, bed and rising times will be followed, and God time will be an absolute. I am even making a particular time to grade papers. There is also a limit on "work time" and I may not work after 7:30 p.m. It has only been a few days, but I feel the weight lifting. I'll give you more details later.

My mother made it to us on Tuesday. I left her with a list of places to go, and directions to get there. I have heard from them several times, and so far they haven't gotten lost. Hubby and I left on Wednesday afternoon.

The conference we attended was a Zoe conference on Leadership. Scot McKnight was the main speaker. It was a good time to slow down and start thinking of my relationship with God and Christ. Now Hubby is at the other Zoe conference on Worship, and I am having some alone time with my Lord. That was the way I planned it a couple of weeks ago. I thought about spending my free time with friends in the Nashville area, but realized I really needed to spend time with my Best Friend.

So last night I started with a bath, so God could have me fresh and clean. I tried for a little "symbolism" and came to God naked, with unkempt hair and no make-up. Surely God sees me at my ugliest, and I wanted to feel that way. I want to be open and honest with God on this personal retreat of mine.

Today I have been spending time in the Word and in prayer. I am working through a book called, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. I am going through it slowly, and that is best. There are several questions with each chapter to help me reflect on what I need to hear from the Spirit.

A few weeks ago, the chapter was on slowing down and prioritizing. Would you believe I felt so busy that I purposely put it off until this retreat?! That told me right away that I was too busy.

So this afternoon my plan is to go outside somewhere and prioritize with God as my Counselor. I have warned Hubby that things are going to change after my retreat. I am making this public so that the thought of losing face will help to spur me on to success.

Now I am going to take a break from the reading and praying to pack up our room. I hope God understands that too much time all at once with him can be overwhelming.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thes 4:11-12