Reflections on Christmas

Shortly before we headed to church services on the first Sunday in December, I prayed that the sermon would be just a little different.  See, December is always fun to me, but it is daunting as tasks lie ahead of me before celebrating Christ's birth at the end of the month.  I think I was getting lost in all of that year after year and I grieved the loss of what Christmas was truly to be about.  God answered that prayer and this Christmas season has been so very special to me.  Indeed, the sermons were eye opening and little tidbits made their way to my heart, which I hope to revisit each year.  Here are just a few things that stuck out to me......

First, the shepherds - why did God tell the shepherds first of the birth of His Son, Jesus?  We don't know the mind of God, but I liked to think about this.  It could have been because He uses "the least of these" and shepherds were considered part of that.  It could have been that they were sitting out in the fields without the distractions of the world and its responsibilities.  It could have been because God is a shepherd to us.  It could have been for some other reason or a combination of the above, but it was a question I enjoyed thinking about.

How about those Wise Men?  For the record, we don't really know how many there were or when they showed up to visit Jesus.  However, I had never considered that they could have been from Persia where Daniel from hundreds of years before in the Old Testament was exiled and brought the Jewish teachings to that area.  The people of Persia, including the Wise Men, could have been taught about the long awaited Messiah and were anxiously awaiting His arrival as well.  They also symbolize God's gift of salvation to us, the Gentiles.

Advent.  The very word means "coming."  We celebrate advent in our home to remember the wait for the Christ child, Jesus.  However, I learned this year that advent not only means the coming of the Christ child, but also the second coming of our Savior, Jesus.  That's what we do now, we wait for Christ to return to rescue His church, His people from this world.  I loved a brief comment made by one of my parents' pastors.  He said it's wonderful to have the gifts under the tree and eagerly await the day when those gifts can be opened.  Looking at those gifts will remind me of how we eagerly await our Savior's arrival.  I've always put gifts under the tree asap to teach my kids delayed gratification and to obey the "no touch" rule.  However, I love this new thought even more and will add it to my list of why we put packages under our tree before Christmas Eve.

Grace.  God distributed grace to us by sending His Son, Jesus, to rescue us.  Jesus left the throne of heaven to be bound by a human body to ultimately die for my sins as well as yours.  This completely blows my mind every time I think about it.  Christmas morning again offers us a tiny glimpse of what that looks like.  This year we did something different.  After all the gifts had been distributed to their respective recipients, we stopped for just a moment and I asked the kids if they deserved the gifts in front of them.  Obviously, none of us deserve any gift we receive.  It's because the giver wants to lavish love on others.  For a brief moment, I think they got a tiny, mental picture of what grace looks like.  That moment and so many others made all the tasks of the December season worth it me.  Now, I hope to instill these as new traditions for the years to come.

Out of the Ordinary - A Book Review

I had read the first book in this Apart from the Crowd series and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was an easy read full of mystery and comedy.  Out of the Ordinary is the second book in this series and it did not disappoint.  Once again, there was mystery and of course, comedy - lots of comical situations the characters find themselves in - almost to the point of not being believable.  However, the author stays true to those characteristics through the entire book and it is entertaining.  There isn't nearly as much mystery, which was disappointing.  However, there is a bit that plays into the story quite nicely.  This series is full of details.  There are so many details that the first half of the book takes place at an engagement party.  Her first book in the series did the same thing.  I'm not sure what to think about this.  It helps build characters and a bit of the setting, but I often wonder if the entire book will take place in one location.  She does move on, but I find that an interesting way to approach the story.  This book was a fun, easy read.  If you need something light and entertaining, this book is for you.

I received a complimentary copy of Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano from Bethany House Publishers.

"The" Christmas Concert

 A little Star Wars pose to begin the night....

 These two had a band concert.  I guess I should rather say that they were a part of "the" concert here in town last night.  The bands from grades 5-12 performed last night.  It a fun night, but it always makes me realize that I no longer live in a small town.  The band program here is huge - as in really huge.  The 5th grade bands the last few years have run nearly 200 kids.  The high school marching band is nationally ranked.  It's a great source of community pride.  However, it's obvious that a lot of time and money go into making it the success it is today.  

All that to say, Luke is really enjoying percussion.  For some reason, it's just a really good fit for him.  I'm not sure if it's because he can switch things up a bit from song to song, that he gets to move or that he has an amazing instructor who expects a lot, but is also a lot of fun.  Hannah is loving her flute as well.  I can not tell you how very excited she was last night.  When she finished the last song you could tell that she let out a big sigh.  She got to dress up, be front and center for the 5th grade band and do it with confidence since she's doing quite well with her flute.    Next year, we will be there for all three.  How fun!

 This child is a trooper.  To find a seat that's not in the rafters, you have to be there 45-60 minutes early.   This year we came prepared.  Andrew looked like this the entire time we waited for the concert to begin and loved the snacks I brought for him.  Sitting there for over two hours has to have some benefit when you're 9. 

 Luke on bass drum

At the end of the concert, they play a combined song.  This picture shows a picture of nearly everyone playing in grades 5-12.  The 5th graders are in white.  6th graders are in the section next to the white shirts with 7th graders on the other side of them.  8th graders are seated on the floor and the high school band is standing.  I'm estimating the total to be 500-600 students.  Those two red arrows point to the dots the are Luke and Hannah.

Luke the Builder

Luke has always been my hands on kid....digging in dirt, playing with trucks, but mostly building usually with his Legos.  I thought I'd share his most recent creation.  He taught himself how to build this remote control vehicle.  He thoroughly researched and read how to build the suspension on this vehicle and didn't use any previous plans.  He's spent a lot of time getting it to work right.  I was impressed when he came down tonight and demonstrated how nicely this vehicle travels so I thought I'd share it with all of you....

Our Ark Encounter

With an extended weekend on the calendar, we loaded up the van and headed to Kentucky for our Ark Encounter.  The trip did not disappoint.  We squeezed in a fun visit with family, hit up a fun grocery story (the kids even admittedly thought it was a fun place!) and ended the trip to see the Ark.

If you aren't familiar, the Ark Encounter is a full size Ark built to the dimensions that God gave Noah in Genesis.  To think of a man and his family building this Ark thousands of years ago is an amazing feat in and of itself.  We didn't just see the outside, though.  The inside is filled with all sorts of displays from how they believe the animals were contained, fed, watered and cared for to what the world looked like before and after the flood.  As you read your way through the exhibits, there is an overriding theme of why there was even a flood in the first place.  It wasn't just about a flood and a boat full of animals.  It was about the extensive wickedness of the people and God's wrath poured out on mankind.  God cannot tolerate sin.  However, that is just part of the story.  The story continues after the flood to how God promises never to destroy the earth again with a flood.  Instead, we have a choice.  We have a choice to follow Jesus and be saved from His eternal wrath or not to choose Jesus and have endure God's wrath for eternity.  It's a beautiful and hard picture, but so well portrayied at the Ark.  There were so many other aspects of the flood that I could go on and on about, but this is the most important one.

If you ever find yourself in Kentucky and have the opportunity to visit, please go.  It will either challenge you in your search for God or solidify what you know about our Redeemer.

Veteran's Day in Review

Hannah enjoyed greeting us at the door and was taking her hostess job quite seriously!

Veteran's Day has taken on more of a special meaning to me through the years.  My understanding of the day changed when Chris served in the Air Force and as I had kids of my own.  However, this year it was even more special to me.  In light of all the protests and disregard for the sacrifices of those that have gone before us that has plagued our country, I was touched by the observance of Veteran's Day.

We remembered those that served by attending two school assemblies - elementary and jr high this year.  We enjoyed student body renditions of This Land is Your Land, God Bless America, National Anthem, selections from the choir and band and the 5th graders sang the anthems of each branch of the military.  We listened to poems and speeches.  We stood for the presentation of the colors as did the entire student body.  However, it brought tears to my eyes as children stood in recognition of parents that are deployed.  By far my favorite moment was when those that served were recognized by the era in which they served.  My tears were not the only tears that were wiped when we had the privilege of even recognizing a few World War II veterans. 

I'm thankful for these reminders of those that serve our country and a day set aside to remember each year.

Where We Belong - Book Review

I always enjoy a good Lynn Austin book and this one did not disappoint.  The writing style she used in Where We Belong is completely different from other books I've read of hers and different from other books that I've read.  It seemed more simple as if someone were telling the story.  Usually an author makes me feel like I'm a part of the story, but this one was not like that.  Even so, I still felt like I was there.  I also enjoyed the way this story was written over a span of several years instead over the course of just a few short months or years.  It allowed the author to share some ways God builds character into our lives and draws us closer to Himself.  Not to mention, that she did a fabulous job of sharing key Biblical principles and arguments for Christianity without just coming out and saying it.  It was woven wonderfully into the story line.  Finally, I really enjoyed finding out in the end that she had loosely based this story on the lives of two actual sisters opening up to me some little known facts.  I would definitely suggest this book especially if you're looking for something that is just a bit different.

I received a complimentary copy of  Where We Belong  by Lynn Austin from Bethany House Publishers.

Have you ever......?

Have you ever wondered about:

• Who am I?
• Why am I here?
• Is there a God? 
• What does He want?
• How can I know Him?
• What can be done about my sin (wrongs) and my guilt?
• Does what I do in this life matter?
• What happens to me when I die?

In a world where nothing seems certain any longer, you may be having a wide variety of questions in addition to the ones I already listed.  They are each wonderful questions and questions that do have absolute, certain answers.  There is no gray area with these answers.  The answers are black and white.

I could simply give you the answers here.  Instead, I would like you to read a book.  A book that has withstood the test of time.  A book that has been proven over and over again.  The Bible.  I would strongly encourage you to read this amazing Book.  If you're thinking you don't have time, make time.  There is no time like now to get the answers to so much of what is going on in our world and in your own life.  I know it's a thick book and possibly intimidating and daunting.  However, the Bible is made up of smaller books.  Read one of those and then another.  You can start at the beginning.  Or, another good place to begin is in the book of John.  Stick with it to the end, though, because the story of our redemption is a good one and I don't want you to miss the ending.  

Many people want to tell you or sell you on something their passionate about.  This, my dear friends, is my passion and THE most important thing in life.  I want you to know what the Bible says, too.

If you don't have a copy, please let me know (e-mail, text, FB message).  I don't want any of you to be without excuse in reading the Bible.

12!

Luke turned 12 a couple of weeks ago.  It's hard for this Momma to believe that next year we will have a teenager in the house.  Until then, I will enjoy my 12 year old!  He's definitely growing into the role.  He is still a kid with a lot to learn, but I'm seeing more glimpses of thriving with extra responsibilities and taking the initiative to complete some tasks.  Jr. High fits him well as he takes on these new challenges.

One gift he has been begging for months for was a limited edition Lego set.  He put forth half of the money, but we told him we'd put in the other half for his birthday.  However, after we told him, I soon realized that they may be more difficult to find than I had anticipated.  Luke did the research, though, and found one at retail price (some places were asking ridiculous amounts!!) and we did get it for him.  I think this model definitely lived up to his expectations and more.  So glad he enjoyed it!

Fatal Trust - Book Review

Fatal Trust was a bit different than my usual books that I pick out.  I enjoy a good suspense/thriller with a touch of mystery on occasion, though.  This one was a suspense novel.  Even though, it filled all the boxes of what makes a good suspense novel, it wasn't my favorite.  The author does a wonderful job of keep you guessing until the very end and I didn't immediately figure out the ending.  He also keeps giving you little tidbits along the way to keep you coming back.  However, I didn't want to sit for long periods and read it.  I'm not sure why because I felt like you somewhat knew the characters, but only a few characters are who they really seem to be in the end.  The most surprising aspect of this book was its lack of mentioning faith.  Most Bethany House books have at least one character that practices Christianity.  However, prayer may have only been mentioned once or twice and that was it.  It was a very clean book, but I was still surprised by this omission.  

I received a complimentary copy of Fatal Trust by Todd M. Johnson from Bethany House Publishers.

Our Crazy Start to the School Year

 A visit from some of the cousins, which ended up coinciding with our day off due to the water main break!  God provided for a fun day together with family we don't often see!

At least it has seemed crazy....so far we've had an eclipse, water main break cancelling school one day and Labor Day.  Unless anything unforeseen happens, they may just complete a full week of school next week!  During that time, we've been busy.  Jumping from what I thought was a fun-filled summer into the depths of school busyness has left my head spinning.  I thought I'd give you a photo tour of what each of the kids has been up to this year.

 Luke sporting his new look.  

Luke made the school soccer team, which has been a good experience for him.  He is a 6th grader on a 6-8 team so he doesn't see much playing time.  However, he has played 5-10 minutes every game so it's nice to see him out there.  We ended up getting him contacts after he took a ball to the face leaving very minor cuts/bruises on his face.  That was just a warning of what a more serious injury could look like.  Therefore, he's now wearing contacts and loving them.  He's also still playing percussion in band.  Last night (when the picture was taken), he got to play the National Anthem with all other 6-12 graders in the system.  They have a crazy large band program here.  I think they said that there were nearly 600 kids on the field playing.  In his free time, he begrudgingly keeps up with his school work and loves creating with his Lego robotics.

 Yes, those are Luke's glasses that also took a pretty good hit from the soccer ball and the play that led to contacts.

 A little soccer action

 Luke is standing behind the shortest trombone player

 Hannah got to pick out her band instrument several days ago.  Thankfully, she picked the flute, which is music to my ears. She is so very excited!

  The fall brings Andrew's most beloved sport - football!  It doesn't matter who is playing, he loves everything about the game.  Today, was the first week of flag football.  He couldn't be happier especially after making the first touchdown for his team just a couple of minutes into the game.  It was probably the first touchdown of the season for all teams playing.  He was thrilled!

 He (#41) ran nearly 2/3 the length of the field for his touchdown.  This is a snapshot of that run.

He had another carry that earned his team some yardage.  He just loves this game!

A Name Unknown - A Book Review

After reading Roseanna White's Ladies of the Manor series, I was looking forward to reading her first installment of her Shadows Over England series. This book felt different from her previous series, but she held true to character and setting development.  She does a beautiful job of crafting this tale right as World War I is about to break out using it to tell an endearing story of the lower class and upper class.  It is not a fast paced book.  However, it was written in such a way that I didn't get bored and made me want to come back for more.  I think the slowness of the book lends itself to the slower paced lifestyle of that time as well.  I did have a bit of a hard time following the political side story that was occurring, but that didn't interfere terribly with the final outcome of the book.  I followed it well enough to understand how it impacted the ending.  Otherwise, I enjoyed this book and look forward to future installments to the series.

I received a complimentary copy of A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White from Bethany House Publishers.

First Day...

First day of school.  First day in two different buildings for the trio.  First day of jr high and the last first day of elementary for another.  It was not the first time that I did not cried when I dropped  them off for the school year.  I am not the Mom who jumps for joy when the school year gets underway.  I don't dread it, though, because I know that they grow up.  I know they are excited and nervous for the adventures that will unfold over the next few months.  I just get sad because I enjoy them and time is marching on all too quickly.

 Luke moved up to the jr high as a 6th grader this year complete with switching classes, tough classes, drummer in the school band and the newest member of the school soccer team.  When asked if he liked it better than elementary, he quickly responded with a "yes"!  His favoriet part was sitting with whoever and wherever he wanted at lunch.

 Hannah is starting her last year of elementary school in 5th grade.  She is thrilled to be able to spend the year with friends from previous years (a definite answer to prayer!) and she has the same teacher Luke had last year.  She should be all set for jr high after this year!

 Andrew begins 4th grade.  He has never had a duplicate teacher that his brother and sister have had.  He is sad about that and the fact that two of his good friends are not in his class.  He will make friends quickly and hopefully settle into his new routine. 

With one in jr high, I only got to walk these two to school today.  Thankfully, we missed the torrential downpour that followed shortly after the start of school.

Summer Snapshots

If you'd asked me what our summer would have looked like, it wouldn't have been as it turned out.  However, when I look back on it all, we've had a lot of fun doing a lot of things!  It's sad, but it is time to our new routine of school.  Before tomorrow arrives, though, I thought I'd take a few minutes to look at some of summer snapshots.

 Summer kicked off with a trip to Chicago

 We took in an airshow with the USAF Thunderbirds...of course!

 Legos are always a part of our summer and any other free moment.  Luke is our Lego king, but they all get involved when they set up complex cities in the basement and play together with them for hours.

 We also have silly moments...it is no surprise that Andrew is the one that thought of trying to fit in the washing machine.  He is also the only one of us that would fit!

 Our sweet family time at Mammoth Caves to camp, unplug and just enjoy being together!

 Cousin time!

 Education time.  Here, we're at the D-Day Memorial, but we also visited battlefields, Appomattox Courthouse, the Old Courthouse and a some other places.

 The Zoo is always a place we visit in the summer.

 Going skating was our new, fun and inexpensive outing for the summer.  We only went a couple of times, but it was always fun.  They also enjoyed bowling and swimming.

 Taking in some sights closer to home

 Baking with friends.  These two made some yummy banana bread and zucchini bread for us pretty much all by themselves

.

 The sillies came out before heading to Open House and meeting the teachers for the younger two.  Luke has moved on and his Open House was tonight.

As our last celebration of the summer and to kick off the new school year, we held our second annual ice cream social.

Now, there is only one thing left to do, but we will save that for tomorrow.....

Something New....

Today, our church held a community event.  With any event like this, they always a large need for volunteers.  I didn't know what to expect, but when the Children's Pastor asked for volunteers, we agreed to be there bright and early this morning.  They got to be a part of the worship team on stage and help with a some games.  They have never ever done anything like that.  I was thrilled to see them jump in and try something new.  One of them was rather hesitant, but as you can see from the picture, they all ended up doing it in the end.  Another one learned that some people may not always be nice, but we can't let that interfere with what God has called us to do as well as some of the reasons why people act in that manner.  It was a great learning experience for them.  They loved it and want to do it again next year!

A Short Afternoon Project

Last spring, I came up with some small home improvement projects.  I guess they weren't too small, though, because I thought of them and Chris did all the work.  We have thoroughly enjoyed our first project.  After a crazy, weird, but good summer, Chris finally got around to project #2...installing cabinets in our laundry room.  I really like it that I can no longer see my cleaning supplies giving it a much neater and cleaner look.  So thankful my husband enjoys these type of jobs and follows up with my wishes!

 After

Before

Our Tiny Visitor

We've been enjoying this little visitor the last few days.  After some inspiration from Grandpa and the hummingbird checking out our wind chimes, I decided to pull out our hummingbird feeder.  We've all been delighted to watch this little guy (or gal) come and go all throughout the day.  I always thought they flew while eating, but this one sits quite often.  You can then see how truly tiny they really are.  Such a delight to get such a glimpse of God's handiwork!

High as the Heavens - Book Review

I really, really enjoyed this book.  It did not follow the typical format for a Christian fiction book.  However, it didn't lack any suspense or dull moments.  This book was full of surprises from one of the first beginning chapters to the end of the book.  In fact, the author kept the plot moving so much that at times I felt like I was watching a suspenseful TV show rooting for my favorite characters. I really didn't want it to end.  The author did a wonderful job of character development and you could feel the tension and adrenaline behind many of the scenarios the main characters found themselves in.  I also did not know much about World War I.  I was prompted to do a bit of research on my own as a bit of the WWI history played a part in the story.  If you want a good book filled with suspense, intrigue and beautiful character relationships, than this is a book for you!

I received a complimentary copy of High as the Heavens by Kate Breslin from Bethany House Publishers.

A Hodge-Podge Vacation

 We have had a bit of a hodge podge vacation this year, but we've still had fun.  Early in June, we headed to the Windy City for a few days.  Later that month, we headed south and east for a two part vacation.  This time we decided on Mammoth Cave National Park (south) and stops at both grandparents (east).  The logistics were rather convoluted,  but most of the plan worked out for us to make the best use of the little time we had. 

Chris was able to join us for the southern journey.  Chris & I had visited the caves before, but it was the first time for the Trio.  We took on the two longest tours they give.  The kids did great.  The lantern tour proved to be everyone's favorite, though.  They passed out 10 lanterns for about 40 people on the tour supposedly bringing back similar experiences of those that have gone before us.  Times like that always make me wonder what possessed native americans and frontiersman to enter a hole in the ground with only the light of a torch.  Fun times and we did dodge the rain.....

Chris then drove out with us to Virginia to visit with his family (east).  That's when the logistics got a bit interesting.  He was scheduled to fly so he ended up at the nearest airport to fly home and I stayed with the kids for the next week as we visited family.  We first camped with Chris's parents and the other two Robey grandkids.  Followed by a trip back to his parent's house.  While there, we took advantage of the rich history of the area.  Finally, we made a stop at my parents for a day on our way home. 

All that to say, we did a lot in a short amount of time.  Even typing all of that makes me tired.  I think I am finally recovering a bit after being home now for a week.

After two long years packed away, we got our tent back out and enjoyed unplugging and being in nature again (ok, I don't completely "rough it")

  We do enjoy good visits to the National Parks!

 I had a few minutes after dropping Chris off before heading to the campground.  It was fun to take in a couple of historic areas.  This home has hosted George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and even served as a hospital during the Civil War.

 Cousin Time!

 Luke helping to chop wood.  Yes, Luke and I have already had a discussion about appropriate wood chopping attire the next time - for starters, shoes!

 Had to chop that wood for s'mores!

 Getting some bean breaking tips from Grandpa Robey.  Luke was his shadow every time there was something to do in the garden or with his chickens.

 The road to Appomattox with the McLean home where General Lee surrendered to Grant.  We learned a lot here!

 Taking a break with Grandma Robey at Appomattox

 Final stop, the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia where they lost the most soldiers per capita on D-Day.  We took an hour and a half walking tour and again learned a lot.  

Unfortunately, I forgot to get my camera out at my parents.  However, we did "love" our time away from home and with our family!