Amazing Grace?

God has blessed me with this awesome ministry, Hands of Praise. The ministry consists of a group of ladies (that I dearly love), translating songs of Praise into sign language. Granted we don't know sign language, except for the signs we learn for the songs. True sign language is a life giving tool for those who cannot speak &/or hear. Our form of sign language takes it and transforms it into these beautiful motions that just make a person pay attention to the actual words of the song. We often use the correct sign for a word, but we very often use the sign to come up with a larger, more flowing, motion to hopefully translate the word just as well but with grander visual effect. Anyway, we have only, that I know of, ever performed a song in front of an actual deaf person one time. That person said it was beautiful. I hope she meant it because I would never want to offend anyone by changing the signs. It has also touched the lives of many who can actually hear the music. The group performs at our church at least once a month, and we have also gone out into the community and done many songs at different events. It really is a blessing in my life and I hope it is to others. Now, I explained all of this to anyone who didn't already know, just to share this tiny tidbit. While in the family van going who knows where the other day I was listening to the latest song that Hands of Praise is doing. It is "Amazing Grace", with a little contemporary spin on it, performed by Avalon. If you like the old hymns and also like more contemporary stuff try out this CD, it is titled Faith, again by the Christian group Avalon, all the songs on it are hymns except the last one which also is an amazing song called "For Freedom" which is a dedication to our troops. Okay, back to what I was trying to say. All of a sudden Noah very seriously asks, "Mom is Amazing Grace a real person?" So we had a big discussion, right there in the van explaining God's Amazing Grace. I am in awe at the wonders they think about. It is just such a cute vivid memory in my mind, his serious face, it makes me giggle.

Some Yummy Stuff!

Last night I went to my friend Perri's , www.lottakids1961.blogspot.com, Tastefully Simple party and the food was just wonderful. It was really fun to get together with my gal pals, hang out for a while and eat some yummy treats! If you're ever invited to a party, I HIGHLY recommend you go. It was a great time. Thank you Perri for the invite.

If you haven't already met my kids...

The oldest, Noah, is 8, he is a sports fanatic. His first sport was soccer at the age of 4, he has played baseball for 4 years, spring and fall seasons, he played football last fall for the first time (I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but it was okay-I did grow to like it), and he played basketball for the first time this winter. He's not GREAT at everything, but somethings he is, and he has a passion that just fuels him so it doesn't really matter how good he is or isn't, he just loves to play. He gets very good grades and he is pretty respectful-most of the time. He loves to torment his sisters and be rowdy. Noah is the big kid in the family, but is still very much my little boy. He loves to snuggle on the couch with Mom & Dad and watch movies, he'll still give me a good-bye hug and kiss before getting on the bus, even if all the other kids on the bus can see him (I pray that will last a while longer). A tiny story about Noah in case I never have another spot to toss it in. At Thanksgiving time he wrote a paper at school about what he is most thankful for, now because this is coming from a 2nd graders mind I'm thinking it will include his Gameboy, toys, computer, maybe his hamster. But I was so pleasantly supprised to read, and I have the paper right here to quote it, "Dear God, Thank you for my family, and my home, and electricity, and Jesus." There were some spelling errors that I changed but other than that, that is what it said. Immediately I prayed a prayer of thanks of my own to God, thanks that Noah is so caring and seemingly realizing what is important, though home and electricity are materialistic, they are needs in todays world and this was a very mature letter, I thought, for a 2nd grader. Also, I'm sure his PUBLIC school teacher did not tell him to start the paper "Dear God". I don't know if I've ever been more proud of him.
Now on a different note meet Maggie my "middle child", I hate it when people use that term, but everything about her fits the profile. She definitely gets into more trouble than her brother & sister put together. She is just fearless! Mags has this outgoing personality that just draws people to her. She is way too "old" to be in a 5 year old body. If she can be with teen-agers or adults she will pick them any day over kids her own age. She cannot entertain herself, always underfoot, and right in the middle of whatever is going on. EVERYTHING is about the social opportunity! When she played soccer last fall, she was the only one on the team who never scored, she could care less. She was out there being seen by all, posing for photo oppts., and wearing a way cool uniform, that's all that mattered to her. Her pre-school teacher put it like this when she started school in January, "She is the sunshine this class has been waiting for all year."
Then there's my little Chloe', Chlo Bug. Somedays she wants to be the big girl and informs me that she' not Chlo Bug, her name is Chloe', and others it's the other way around. She is my shy little girl. She doesn't usually like to talk to people she doesn't know, and sometimes ones she does. She really doesn't care to go to school, she doesn't want to go to the sitter's, she just wants to stay home and play with her dolls. As much as Maggie cannot entertain herself, Chloe' can. She will sit in her room and play with her Dora dollhouse, or Barbies, or baby dolls for hours (literally hours) and you won't even know she's in the house. I don't know if she will ever be into sports that's just not her thing right now, she could play soccer this fall but I don't think she will. She could care less. However, she is very girly and if she could take ballet, I think she would jump on that (it's a little pricey though). She has been catered to a little too much and so we're having issues with whining and throwing tantrums instead of using words to get what she wants. Everyone thinks she is just this sweet little innocent angel, she is, sometimes, be careful looks can be deceiving!
All three of them are very loving. They love each other and they love us, they love all their grandmas & grandpas, aunts, uncles, & cousins, and all their church & school friends. We are trying everyday to raise them in a loving, Christ centered home. I only say "trying everyday" because it is truly that for us. Everyday there are new challenges, new battles with the world, we try to teach them that Christ is most important, above all else, but every single day it is trying, it has to be a conscious effort to not let the world come in a take over. Eric & I were both raised in loving homes, but neither of us were raised in Christ centered homes, so it's new for us, this parenting style, we didn't have an example, but we won't give up. God gave us these precious little people to help mold them into people who live for Him, that is what we try to do everyday. My prayer is that they grow up loving God above all else, and that He enable Eric & I to continue to grow so that we will be the examples they need.

Maggie & Buck

Maggie is 5 years old and already we have issues with the males. She likes them, they like her, and it's really scarry! One of her beaus is a little guy named Buck (aka Eric). He is in her class at pre-school. When we started school there in January they had an instant bond. Buck's mom is also a teacher there so Chloe', Maggie, & Buck get to spend extra time together every day after school without any of the other kids around, so they are getting pretty close. Last Thursday Maggie's class went on a field trip to the zoo. I took a personal day so that I could go along. I am assuming that when we get to the zoo all the kids and parents will pretty much stay together and tour the zoo as a group. I was wrong. There were so many parents that we all just took our own kids and went off on our own. Any child who didn't have a parent there stayed with a teacher or just paired up with a friend. Well, of all the little girls there that Mags could have buddied around with she had to be with Buck, and the feeling was mutual. I was certain it would be a day of constantly reminding Maggie and Buck they are just friends and discouraging their romance. However, they were just like best buds all day. It was so cute! It would have been no different if Mags had been a boy with Buck or he a girl, they just had a great day being friends, being little kids. It really was very sweet! We have some really cute pictures of the day and over the weekend Mags and I made a little scrapbook for Buck to remember their fun together. She gave it to him at school today, he really liked it!

Mud

Noah came into the house a little while ago to ask permission to play in the mud. Why, I don't know, because when I looked up he was quite muddy already, by quite I mean he had mud visibly up his nose. I told him that I guess they could since it didn't seem to matter what my response was at this point anyway. Maggie then walked through the door already covered as well.

Pretty Potatoes

This morning as I was loading laundry into the washer I hear a conversation the girls are having. They are sitting at their little table for two, seemingly made just for them, being creative, drawing very colorful potatoes. Why potatoes? Who knows. Suddenly Chloe' announces, "Maggie, your potatoes are prettier than mine." Maggie graciously replies, "Thanks, but yours are much more beautifuller than mine." "Oh, no, no, no!" Is Chloe's urgent response. As I listen to them go back and forth and back again, several times, I then enter the room and tell them how proud I am of them for talking nicely to their sister. "That is the way Jesus would want you to talk to each other." For any one of you who knows my girls very well at all knows that they do not speak nicely to one another very often at all. It was a very sweet moment. As I was praising them their faces just lit up.

New At This

Well, I was persuaded today to join the ranks of bloggers by my sister, Tina who is very into it. So she helped me get it started and showed me the way of "The Blogger". I do like to write things down so maybe I will enjoy it. However, living way out in the the middle of nowhere makes it difficult and pricey to get fast internet access of any kind. So I have dial-up, ho-hum. We tried and tried today to load a picture, and it took FOREVER but I was finally successful, when I least expected it - at last - there it was.

This is a picture of Maggie and Chloe' at the church's Super Bowl party. Maggie was going for the Bears and Chloe' was torn - much to their father's displeasure - he was for the Colts all the way. I think they do it just to get under his skin! Even as young as they are they've already found the joy in teasing their daddy.

Speaking of Tina, I got to spend time with her and her wonderful little boys today. They came over this morning so that I could perm her hair. It turned out really good - she has curls! Mags and Chloe' had a great time playing with Jax, Mason, and Owen. They love playing with their cousins. Noah was at school and didn't get to play so Jax stayed and went to baseball practice with Noah and Uncle Eric.