Coming Soon . . .

Well, I and my amazing computer skills have managed to completely ruin this blog. So . . . I am in the process of creating an all-new blog - (NOT on Blogspot!) I'm hoping to have it up by December. See you in a month!

They Did Not Love Their Lives

I've been participating in a study on the book of Revelation these past few months. Over the summer, reading through the book, this passage has both inspired and haunted me. Currently we are studying Revelation 12, where these verses are found, and after reading over them - again and again and again - I simply had to share them with you! You cannot imagine the way God has used these words to impact me personally . . .

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

Praise You, Jesus!!!!

Hello, Old Friend

Somewhere, amid the soccer games, homework, trip to NC, stomach flu, apple pie-making and general busyness of life, I've neglected an old friend. Several, actually. While most of these relationships can be repaired with a simple phone call (which I plan to make shortly), there is one that requires me to sit down and string dozens of words together in some kind of coherent fashion; and over the past few months this daunting demand, I regretfully acknowledge, has resulted in communication that can be called scattered, at best. But the fact is . . . I miss you, dear Blog.

I never saw it coming. I've not had September and October knock the wind out of me - completely kick my hiney is more like it! - the way they have this year. And ironically, during this most busy, stressful time, I fizzled out on 2 of the best stress-relievers I've ever had: running and blogging.

I'm presently re-grouping, re-evaluating and trying to de-clutter our lives. I haven't figured it out yet, that delicate balance between the good and the best; between ministry and family; between what is wonderful and fun, and what is just a little bit too much. When I do figure it out, you'll be the first to know; but I have a suspicion that every human being joins this complicated dance early on, and very few ever really find complete resolution.

So, to my dear friend of nearly 5 years, all I can say is . . . I'll try not to let this happen again. The allure of Facebook and the chaos of life will not diminish my resolve! Already I've begun to spend more time with my Savior - a refreshing cup of water to a dried-up soul! And this mom is on a mission to simplify life, beginning with the holidays. We'll see how that goes . . .

Why I'm Glad We Didn't . . .

. . . order school pictures!!!!! Although, this expression is pretty true-to-life for the Beef Man . . .

Fastest 54 Minutes of my Life

On Saturday, September 18, 2010, I completed my first 10K! I've been training for this event since the beginning of July - after a crazy friend of mine talked me into registering for the Wright Patt AFB Marathon 10K in Fairborn. I never thought I'd get up at 4:30 to run 6.2 miles. To tell you the truth, 18 months ago I never thought I'd RUN. Period. But here we were - Janal Livingston (the crazy one), Kati Stephens (the ridiculously fast one), and me, arriving at the AFB at 6:00 am. And it was worth it.

Despite our jittery nerves and complaining bodies, it was a beautiful race. The weather was perfect - about 55 degrees. And since the race began at 7:15, we got to watch the sun come up as we ran. The first 2 miles or so seemed to be all uphill, and I began to wonder if this was such a great idea after all. But after that, the course evened out and actually became enjoyable. I pushed myself a little beyond what was comfortable - my goal was to finish in less than an hour. And I made it!! I had to wait until I got home to check my official results online (there were 1,700 who finished the 10K, and we started with the marathoners, so I didn't cross the start line until 2 minutes after the gun went off), but was pleased to discover my time was 53:53, and that I finished 10th out of about 125 in my age category and 62nd out of nearly 1,000 women.

The only bummer about the day was that Danny and the kiddos couldn't be there. managed to successfully get them up, dressed, fed and ready for soccer practice, which he coached for 2 hours. I am continually blown away by him - he's a wonderful father and husband who I truly don't deserve.

Almost as exciting as running the 10K, was successfully completing a 10.8-mile run 2 weeks ago!! Since the longest distance I ever ran when in track my freshman year of high school was 9 miles, this is officially the longest distance I've gone so far! So . . . now I'm trying to decide whether or not it would be completely insane to run a half marathon on October 30th. Or maybe I'll just wait and run the Wright Patt AFB half next year. In any case, I'm thankful for the ability to glorify Christ in everything, including running - thankful for the ability to run; for good friends who challenge me; and the greatest family EVER, who encourage me. Now . . . I'm going to give myself a few days off from running.

Of Birthdays and Backpacks

My little Rachel . . . . I simply cannot believe she's eight! This year she has grown in so many ways. She's grown in stature, as evidenced by the fact that suddenly none of her jeans or shoes seemed to fit anymore. She's grown in compassion and empathy for others. She's grown in her love of holding babies (I didn't think that was even possible!). She's grown academically, as she's developed a passion for reading books of all varieties. Last night, she read until the light was turned out, slept with her book, and began reading as soon as she woke up! If anything, we have to get on her case about reading too much. She reminds me of myself as a kid. I wonder if we'll ever ground her from reading, as my parents did me!

The biggest growth in her life this year has been spiritual awareness. This summer she's asked dozens of questions: about Christ, about salvation, about suffering, about heaven - you name it, she's asked it! And a couple of months ago, she took the step of voicing her trust in Christ out loud in a prayer. It is SO wonderful to know that she understands and believes that Jesus died to save her from her sin, rose from the dead, and is sovereign over her life. And so cool to hear her articulate it. Our Shrumshine.

Each year, I appreciate more the responsibility we have to train her in godliness. I find myself torn between the thrill of watching her bloom and grow, and the desire to keep her exactly as she is; continually aware of the bittersweet reality that in a short series of moments, I'll find her grown and ready to fly on her own. *sniff*






















And then there's Bop Bop. Mr. Moo began referring to Karis by that title, and somehow it stuck! I love the picture of her in the princess dress on the bike, because it really kind of sums her up: the tomboy princess. She loves everything sparkly and girly, but I've seen her beat on her older brother and sister pretty effectively. She's a little toughie. In some settings, she quiet and almost shy. In others, I can't get her to take a breath between sentences.

This year, she's become quite the little Daddy's girl. She loves to snuggle, and some days informs me that "Today, I'm giving Daddy ALL of my snuggles." At which point I act so sad and dejected that she relents and decides to give me "just a few snuggles." The hardest thing for her about having short hair has been the loss of her pigtails. The reason? Danny loves the piggies and was sad to see them go. She's been heartbroken over this, until a few weeks ago, when she was elated to discover her hair had finally grown back enough to reinstate them.

Her favorite birthday gift was Baby Alive, who she's named Baby Ellie. On the days she goes to Kindergarten, she leaves Mr. Moo with instructions on how to care for Ellie, who turns one about every other day. It's so sweet to see her nurturing side - until she decides it's time to be a tomboy again.

And now for some back-to-school pictures. Rachel is in a new building this year, and Karis started school for the very first time. Thankfully, we had the option to send her every other day, so she attends on Tuesdays, Thursdays and every other Friday. She absolutely LOVES it - her class, her teacher, everything! Rachel is enjoying her class and teachers as well, and adjusting very quickly to the concept of having different teachers for different subjects (3). Zeke . . . well, he has his ups and downs, but I'd say overall he's had a good couple of weeks!

Summer Days

I know I say this every year, but seriously - summer is OVER already?! With one more week until the pool closes, and 4 days until the Great Darke County Fair, we're trying to milk our few remaining care-free days for all they're worth!

Since I'm past the point of "catching up" on the season's activities, I'll content myself with putting up a few of the highlights . . . and several pics that just make me smile. The first few are from our Camp Forest Springs & Chicago trip the first week in July.

One incident we still shake our heads over. We decided to leave at midnight and drive through the night on our way to WI - about a 12-hour trip. Around 6:00 am, the kiddos had all awakened and, of course, were just DYING of hunger. We stopped at a McDonalds, ate breakfast and put gas in the van. After driving about 30 minutes, I noticed that one of Malachi's shoes was missing. Now, it normally wouldn't have been a big deal, but these particular shoes are the only shoes he's been willing to wear all summer without making a huge fuss about how they hurt his feet - and we had to drive to a Croc outlet (and spend a great deal more than I would usually spend on a pair of kids' shoes) to purchase them.

We realized, after searching the ENTIRE van, that his shoe had probably come off at the gas station. So . . . we turned around and sure enough, there was the shoe, underneath another vehicle. One thing about having kids that has taken me by surprise, is the extent to which we are willing to inconvenience ourselves to retrieve certain life-and-death objects such as special pillows, blankies, stuffed animals / dolls and now shoes.

OK, on to the pics . . . .


The mini farm


We loved walking the wooded paths


Zeke's favorite pastime was going out in the funyak . . . and I didn't complain, since we couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather.



On the way from our apartment to lunch


In Chicago . . . Funny story: right after snapping this photo, an Asian couple who spoke limited English walked up to us and asked if they could take a picture. A little taken off guard, we agreed, thinking they just wanted a pic of some American kids. We watched, however, as first one, then the other, got into the picture and posed with our kiddos! Weird.


Millennium Park: Crown Fountain


Just before we left for CFS, we went to "Flicks on Fifth" downtown, where we watched The Lion King on a huge outdoor screen. That night we remembered why we rarely let Karis dress herself.


Rachel, Zeke and cousin Ellie


Bed Head


Rachel, Karis, cousin Addie, and newest cousin Corina


Karis & Moo with friends at a surprise 30th birthday party



Breast Cancer Awareness 5K in July . . . I was elated to set a new personal record, until I discovered we all made a wrong turn and ran a total of 2.9 miles.



Mr. Moo (or should I say Woody?) at a friend's cowboy/cowgirl-themed birthday party


This is just disturbing.


Mr. Moo is a big boy!! He decided at the end of July that he was ready to do some serious business with the potty - and after about 3 weeks is fully competent (except sometimes at night). He likes to remind me, though, that no matter how big he gets, he's still my baby. I guess I can live with that!

Remembering

It was a hot, beautiful, gut-wrenching, sacred day. It was a gift from God.

For months my grandmother's health has been in decline. She was born nearly 91 years ago; in fact, she shares Rachel's August 24th birthday (although she swears they got the date wrong on her birth certificate, and her birth date was actually August 23rd!). After a series of minor heart attacks, she was released from the hospital last week, and several days later, her body truly began to shut down.

Danny and I had planned to make a family trip to Wooster to see her next weekend. But with Mom keeping Karis and my sister Hannah's little girl Esther for a couple of days, Hannah and I decided to make the trip yesterday. Danny's parents kept Mr. Moo for the day, so between the 2 of us we only had 4 kiddos - much more manageable for us and easier on Grandma!

From the time we planned the trip, this plea played through my mind on continual repeat: God, please give me one more chance to share your magnificent gospel with her! Just one more chance . . . She's faithfully attended church most of her life; still, I've never been sure where she's stood with Christ, and I confess I haven't been as intentional about talking with her about spiritual things as I wish I'd been.

It was clear from the moment we entered her room that Grandma didn't have much more time. After 91 years, she was tired. A brief time with her before lunch revealed a mind still sharp (in its few waking moments), but a body completely worn out. We went for lunch with our Aunt Sandy and cousin Deb, and then came back to spend some more time with Grandma, intending to leave by 2:30.

Around 2:00, Sandy and Deb left to get some much-needed rest. Hannah took the kiddos out to feed fish & ducks at a nearby pond. And I got to say good-bye.

If I allow myself to dwell on it too much, I cringe, recalling my faltering words. I've since thought of so many things I wanted to say, or should have said, and didn't. She was in and out of a semi-wakeful state, never fully focused, so only God knows how much she heard, how much she was able to process. I quoted Psalm 23 several times, sang to her, and shared again the hope that comes from trusting in the blood of Christ, God's Son, to cover our sins and make us righteous before a holy God - about the everlasting life only He can give! And I prayed with all my heart that somehow, somewhere in her mind it made sense. I know that over the past few years, Hannah and others in our family have had these conversations with her as well, and I have to rest in knowing that she's heard and knows the truth, and hoping she's surrendered to it.

I took the kiddos out when Hannah came back, and she had a chance to say her good-byes. We both knew it was the last time we'd see her alive, which is probably why we ended up staying a couple of hours longer than we'd planned. We could hardly bring ourselves to leave. And then, we received an unexpected gift: she woke up. Completely and fully. Hannah and I, and all of the kiddos, got to give her kisses and hugs, and then she kissed us all and told us she loved us.

Around 1:30 this morning, she died. It took me by surprise - I thought she'd be around for another week, or at least a few days. And I keep thinking what a gift it was, that God put it in our hearts to visit her yesterday. And that we actually got to say good-bye. I pray like crazy that her soul is with Christ . . . and hold to the hope that only God knows the heart.

I have known few people who have worked as hard as my Grandma. Her life was anything but easy. Grandpa, who died of Alzheimer's about 10 years ago, farmed and she spent her days working in a brush factory. They never had an overabundance of money, yet she took us girls shopping for school clothes every year while we were growing up. When I mentioned that I'd like to try making applesauce, she took me right out and bought me the supplies - a strainer, a bowl, and a wooden mallet! Even though I've since learned of much easier and more time-efficient ways to make applesauce, I will continue to use these tools, because I like knowing I'm making it the same way Grandma did for so many years. She made beautiful quilts, by hand. If you asked her for a recipe, she'd laugh. She had a way of throwing a bunch of ingredients together and producing the most delectable dishes. Thanksgiving truly was a feast at her house, as was any other meal we happened to eat there!

And she always made me laugh. We have a store room full of "Grandma Miller-isms" that I think will live on for a long time. She never could sit still for more than 30 seconds. She was always moving, always working, always ready to get on to the next thing. She stuffed us with junk food and let us watch TV. We spent many happy hours exploring the creek behind her and Grandpa's condominium after they sold the farm; and roller-skating up and down their road. During our earlier childhood, we loved playing in the hayloft and visiting the animals. I'll never forget that honest, earthy smell.

And I'll never forget you, Grandma. You are forever a part of our lives and you will be missed.

Choosing Gratitude

It's been an interesting week. And by interesting, I mean financially stressful.

Several weeks ago, we took our van to the shop to have the air conditioning repaired, which turned out to require much more work than we'd thought. Also, our weed-eater breathed its last.

This week, the lawn mower completely died. And the brakes went out in the van, requiring a brake job and new sensor. Also, I received my second ticket in 4 months for failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign - in the park, no less.

Needless to say, my attitude regarding all of this has been considerably less than sanctified. I was frustrated with our van and its seemingly constant issues; angry with small-town cops (have they nothing better to do?); fed up with my darling children, who have continued to fight, whine, and argue their way through the week; and discontent with life in general. I was even upset with God: Why all of this all at once? When is He ever going to give me a GOOD day? I found myself thinking, I deserve better than this!

Numerous times throughout the past several days, I heard a still, small voice: Give thanks in all things! but I quickly dismissed it. I didn't want to give thanks. I wanted to be mad.

Today the voice was impossible to ignore. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!. . . be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Phil. 4:4,6)

And the truth is, I have much to be thankful for:

a van that generally gets us where we need to go
mechanics who know what they're doing
the money to cover unexpected expenses and still provide for our needs
the fact that the lawnmower broke when Danny was using it and not when I was using it
a lot of "friend time" this week - an unexpected blessing
a husband who works hard at his job and also works hard at home
encouraging brothers and sisters in Christ
a church family I absolutely love
four very un-boring children


And yes, I am even thankful that God loves me enough to humble me at the park by showing me that I am not above the law - even at a stop sign.

It's a choice, you see. I can choose to be angry and bitter and discontent. I can choose to bathe in self-pity. OR I can choose to train my thoughts on the gift of grace and eternal life I've been given, when I deserve eternal condemnation and death. I can choose to repent of my selfish attitude and praise God for the many, many blessings He lavishes on me every day.

And that is exactly what I choose to do, by His grace. God, I thank you that life is sometimes frustrating and hard. I thank you for the daily trials, which serve to show me my need for You. And I thank you that even though I sometimes have a bad day, or a bad week, I always serve a GOOD God.

. . . always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father (Ephesians 5:20)

Confessions from the Road

I sat down to put together an account, complete with pictures, of our recent trip to Westboro, WI. But as I've thought through the past 9 days, I've realized something: this week has not turned out the way I thought it would. Not even close. And I've a few thoughts I feel compelled to share, more important than pictures and a rundown of the week's activities (although these are sure to follow at some point!)

We spent most of the week in a beautiful wooded, hilly setting. Although it rained the first 2 days, the storm clouds eventually blew over to reveal a brilliant blue sky, studded with fluffy white clouds. The air was crisp and clean; the lake sparkled in the sun; the wooded paths beckoned. In so many ways, it was a wonderful getaway. I got to listen to Danny preach from the Word in 9 sessions (I guess it was more like 6 or 7 - the kiddos didn't always do so well and we missed a few). We spent time with good friends and even got to set off a few fireworks. We swam, climbed a rock wall, went boating, hiked, met new friends, laughed, played games, and had some really great family time. I didn't cook one meal or clean the house for 9 days! It doesn't get much better than that.

But God, in His infinite wisdom, used the week in an entirely different way than I had imagined: He pretty much gave me a spiritual smack down!

Whether or not you have kids, you can imagine that a week spent traveling with them can bring out the best AND the worst - in the whole family. And for the first few days, it definitely brought out the worst. They fought. They whined. They cried. We yelled. We spanked. We cried. It was awful. Do you ever have those times when you wonder: what am I doing wrong, and how on earth do I correct it?? We were at our wits' end.

But God used the week to reveal my need for Him. It was like He held up a giant mirror and showed me the frightfully vivid image of my ungrateful, critical, complaining spirit, especially when it came to the way I responded to Danny and the kiddos. He reminded me that I haven't made time with Him a priority lately, and that this isn't just due to the busyness of daily life. Even in that setting, with all the time in the world, I failed to rise early and spend time with Him in the beauty of the nature all around us. And when I don't spend time with Him, my thoughts and responses are according to the flesh.

So . . . It was a GOOD week, because it made me hungry. Hungry to soak up truth from God's Word. Hungry to spend time at His feet. And hungry to live a life worthy of the calling I've received because of Christ. Hungry for HIM. When He is not my priority, everything gets messed up, and I only end up depriving myself of the greatest possible joy. I focus on myself, instead of on the One whose blood flung my sins to the farthest corners of the universe and clothed me with His righteousness.

I am putting this out there because I came home with a new resolve: to make Christ my first priority. To put Him ahead of my personal agenda, ahead of TV, ahead of running, ahead of other relationships, ahead of the all-too-urgent demands on my time which will always be part of life on this earth. I came home with a resolve to lean on Christ for a heart of gratitude, gentleness, and love. If I try to lean on myself for these things, which has been the case recently, I'm attempting to draw water from an empty cistern. He alone can restore my joy. He alone can provide the promise of hope. He alone can give me the patience to deal with whining, fighting children in a way that doesn't discredit the gospel!!

It's frustrating, but GOOD, to know that God's plan isn't my plan. It's more painful, and it's ultimately better, because the pain and frustration draw me to Him. And that's always a good thing!

Coupla Fun Days

I just realized it's been a very long time since I've put anything new on here. Rather than try to write about all that's gone into the last few weeks, I'll just put up a few pictures. Oh, who am I kidding? I'll probably end up writing about it all anyway . . .

Zeke, Karis, Malachi and I went to a super-fun fiesta (I kept messing up and calling it a "siesta" - must have been wishful thinking) hosted by Mrs. Roth & Mrs. Riffle's 2nd grade class. The kids painted newspaper sombreros and ponchos, and set up stations all over the room. Several students stood at each station to tell the "visitors" about different aspects of Mexico. Rachel couldn't have been more excited. We danced, ate chips & salsa, and ended the party with a pinata.


She also got to share some of her own research with bro & sis . . .



When school finally ended, we took a long-awaited trip to Carriage Hill metro park near Dayton, with my sister Hannah and her 3 kiddos. In spite of the downpour we drove through on our way there, the day turned out to be a success, mainly because we still got to stop by the penny candy store before we left. They also loved the farm animals and the old-time school house and kitchen, as usual.





That night we headed to our LIFE group cookout, where we spent a great time with friends both old and new, and Rach & Zekers got to climb a tree, which they LOVE to do. It made me sad because it reminded me that our 2 backyard trees had to be cut down last year due to a disease that we've discovered our front yard tree now has. But I'm glad we have friends who are willing to share their trees. :)


Next up . . . The Cincinnati Zoo. Our membership expires the last of July, so we wanted to squeeze in a few more trips before then. I'm including a picture of our picnic lunch, because it cracks me up that this picture pretty well captures each one's personality. I love it.

One of our favorite features of the zoo is the workers who walk around with different animals that the kiddos can touch and ask questions about.


Feeding the giraffes, who unsuccessfully tried to pry the wafer out of Mr. Moo's hand. I think he secretly wanted it for himself.


Polar bear up close and personal. We even got to witness a fight between 2 of them, over a dead fish.


I can't believe we actually got all of them to sit on a fence at the same time.






When we got back to our van, around 4:00, it said the temp was 96. No wonder the kiddos were red-faced and dripping with sweat. We were definitely thankful for the "mist" areas scattered throughout the zoo. It was a very hot, but nice family day.

The Amazing Race

I woke up at 5:30 this morning, due to uncontrollable butterflies in my stomach! Today is the day I've been "training" for (I use that word very loosely!) for the past couple of months, and although I ran a 5K last summer, it was a much smaller one. With somewhere between 800-900 runners in this morning's race, my only aspiration was to run it at a pace of 9 mins. per mile, which is about the fastest pace I've ever managed to keep up for 3.1 miles.

Of course, not everything went as planned. I had my ipod charged, my playlist all set, with certain songs timed out for each part of the race. I pulled into Welcome Stadium around 8:15 and popped in the ear buds just to make sure everything was working properly . . . . and it wasn't. I couldn't get any volume, no matter what I tried. I started freaking out inside a little - I've never run by myself without music! But, the music thing clearly wasn't happening. I had to move on.

On to the next thing. I went into the stadium and picked up my packet, containing my number and timing chip. After tearing off the bottom portion of my number (which wasn't supposed to be torn off, but looked like it was!), and attaching the chip to my shoe the wrong way, I was about fit to be tied. Fortunately, I found my sister Hannah, and my Dad, who were also running, and things got better after that.

For about the first half mile, I didn't think I was going to make it - I was either going to throw up or my head was going to explode. But after that, I paced myself and thoroughly enjoyed the race, which started on Edwin C Moses Blvd, went alongside the Great Miami River, and ended with a lap around the track at the stadium. The sun was hidden behind clouds most of the time, and there was a nice breeze blowing when we ran next to the river, which helped. The whole thing just felt really good - even the last part! As I entered the stadium, my mom was standing there with Rachel, Zeke & Karis and they were all cheering for me. And just before the finish line I saw Danny and Mr. Moo. It totally made my day and helped me finish with a smile on my face, to see my family there cheering me on. Danny had gotten the kiddos fed and dressed and came down around the time the race began.

The best part is, I was certain I was going to be absolutely humiliated by my time. But I ended up finishing in 25:31, which to some, I know doesn't sound that great, but I was thrilled!!! It was definitely a moment. I would have done a victory dance, but my legs wouldn't cooperate. It turned out, there was something wrong with my timing chip, b/c although I saw what time I came in, it didn't register on the sheets they printed out and put up so you could see your finishing time, and your actual time. (The chip activates when you cross the start line, which takes a little while with that many people, so your actual time is not what shows on the counter when you cross the finish line. I was about 10-15 seconds back)

Afterward, there was a "fun run" for the kiddos - they got to run the length of the infield. Malachi wanted me to hold his hand the whole way, which of course I didn't mind doing. We left and went to Hannah's house for a cookout, where some other family members joined us for the afternoon. Aside from Karis and Esther locking us all out of the house for about an hour, it was a fun day. Now I'm ready to run another 5K!

All in the Family

OK, enough early-morning rantings from me . . . here are a few highlights from the past couple of months:

Karis is my chief peanut butter sandwich maker. She takes her job very seriously.


Zeke has been working on his writing this year - a real struggle for him. But slowly, we're starting to see some improvement. I was so proud of him for writing 12 thank-you notes after his birthday. He wrote one or two each morning until they were all done.


Malachi's eye continues to bother me much more than it bothers him. Due to a strong kick to the eye, his chalazion drained quite a bit this weekend and I thought we had seen the end of it. But it seems to be growing again, so we're currently trying to decide what, if any, course of action to take. Poor guy. As if he needs one more disfiguring thing on his face.


Yet nothing deters him from being a little clown. Not sure where this look came from . . .


One of the kiddos' favorite things to do is to have a picnic lunch. Sometimes we go for a bike ride afterward - Karis rides the extension on the back and helps me pedal, while Moo loafs in a baby seat in front of me. I think they could live outside and be just fine with it.


There is truly nothing more exciting to Karis than ice cream. OK, maybe getting to paint her fingernails. On this particular afternoon, she was treated to both!


Rachel's new look


ice cream and good friends



Karis and I got to accompany Zeke's class on a field trip to the Greenville City Street Department, where we learned all kinds of interesting things and the kiddos got to sit in some pretty cool back hoes and honk some horns.




I'll end with a few choice tidbits from our own little Kari Bou.

Me: Hey, how about we have a picnic lunch today in our yard?
Karis: Are we gonna use the picnic table?
Me: Well, I thought we'd eat on the wooden platform on the swingset.
Karis: Mom, are you SURE it won't break if you try to go up there?


Karis: Was Great- Grandpa Emch 200 years old?
Me: No, Sweetie. He wasn't even 100 years old.
Karis: How old was he?
Me: I think he was 87
Karis: So . . . he was even older than YOU??


Karis: Mom, you looked like a big ol' log when you were pregnant with me.
Me: How do you know if you weren't born yet?
Karis: Mom, I've SEEN the scrapbooks.