Striving to do His Will

'Mother Shot by 6 year old Sharp Shooter'

2009-08-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

I went in to tuck the boys in bed and was sitting on the floor by DJ's lower bunk bed when I felt something hit me in the back. I leaned back to look up to the upper bunk when I was hit again!! Dylan was sticking empty bullet casings in his nose and shooting me with them! Lovely! I must admit that he has good aim and is a quick re-loader! I am sure that this picture will be used as blackmail in the future!

Pete

2009-07-10T20:38:00.001-07:00

Well, here we go again! We have added another new pet to our family! After Dana's accident on her horse in November, she has been very scared to get back in the saddle. We started to toy with the idea of getting a pony to ease her back into riding. If you know me, you know that I am the one who likes change and likes new things (especially animals)! Dave, on the other hand is much more systematic in his approach and takes time to think and pray about things. I found an add on Craigslist about this pony for sale that was kid friendly. Dave said that we needed to begin praying. I thought that we needed to go look at the pony so that I would know what God was telling me! We had a trip planned to Kearney, Mo. to see grandma and grandpa on Wednesday afternoon. The pony was located just a little ways away from them. That would be about 5 days to wait. Of course, my theory was that we needed to see the pony before it would sell! Dave disagreed. He felt that if God wanted us to have the pony it would still be available. I decided that I should call the owner to tell her that we would see the pony on Wednesday if he was still available. She asked me if I had gotten her message earlier in the evening. I told her no and she continued to tell me that she decided to hold the pony for us to view him on Wednesday! I was thrilled! She wanted Dana to have a chance to bond with a pony if he was the one for her.

We finished our visit with Dave's mom and her husband and loaded up to visit the pony. Come to find out that she lived only four minutes away from their house! Pete was standing in a lot with two goats and a mini horse. He was a bit shy but Dana was the first to ride him. She was very scared but kept herself perfectly composed. She said that he was the pony for her and she put him on the trailer.

Pete has been here for two days and he has been brushed 15 times and been on many walks around the yard. Dana said that he smelled good the first time she saw him...now that is a true horse lover! Dalton made a comment that Pete's muzzle was kind of ugly with the spots. Dana turned to him with a shocked look and nicely said, "Dalton, I love his nose!" We look forward to future rides on Pete and thank God for all of the times that he was looking out for us and cared enough to guide us to a special little pony!

2009-07-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men
who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,
and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or
hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated,
but they signed the Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the penalty would be death if
they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by
the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to
pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British
that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,
and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,
Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that
the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson
home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General
George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.
The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.
Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill
were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests
and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his
children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and
silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

Manure War!

2009-07-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Dave and Dylan had fun on the manure pile! It started with Dave covering Dylan's riding toy with a scoop of manure and Dylan had to unbury it each time! Finally, Dylan had enough! He resorted to throwing manure balls at Dave!

I think I had better call Dylan in for a good long soak in the tub! Only boys would throw manure balls I think! :)

Grubs Anyone??!

2009-07-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

Grubs, anyone? We have a hefty supply!! This evening, Dave was moving manure in the lots and it created a great science enviroment! And yes, I was picking up the grubs right along with the boys!

It started just with DJ and I picking them up and putting them on the shovel. Then Dylan came by to check it all out. He was a bit reluctant to help us though...and I can't blame him. Finally, Dalton showed up and was digging in the manure with his fingers! Remind me later not to let him near me with those fingers! Yuck!

It was exciting because we saw four stages of the grub life. We saw a beetle laying eggs in the dirt, baby grubs that were just out of their eggs, middle aged grubs that were almost transparent, adult grubs by the gazillions and some pupas that were turning into a beetles! Totally cool! We also saw the beginning stage of some locust that hadn't come out of the ground yet.

If you aren't up to speed on the delicacies of chickens...GRUBS!
After we collected our shovel full, we went to the middle of the yard and called for my "ladies"! "Heeeeere chick, chick!" Once they saw one hen snatch up something they all came running! It was fun to throw one in one direction to see them all run after it and then throw the next on in the opposite direction!! I never said that my ladies were very bright! The kids were impressed with the chickens one gulp approach!

GPS...GOOD OR BAD!?!

2009-06-01T04:31:00.000-07:00

GPS...GOOD OR BAD?!? Recently, we had some good friends, Dave and Char Skinner, come to visit us from Illinois. They had not been to our home for 7 years and were depending on their GPS to get them there. I received a call from Char and I asked her how things were going, meaning the drive. She replied that it was not going so well. She then explained that they had been only 1/2 mile north of our house for the last 30 minutes!

You see, we have a 'low maintance' road' north of our home that turns to a muddy mess after it has rained. However, GPS doesn't recognize it as a problem! I think it took us well over an hour before we realized that we would have to call in for a larger tractor from our neighbor! Sorry, Dave and Char! Hope you come to visit again...before 7 years is up!

Little Boys/Big Blessings!

2009-05-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

We had just finished lunch and the children ran off to play when I noticed Dylan coming up to the sliding glass door in front of me with his hands behind his back! Peonies are my favorite perennials and I have some young plants at the end of the house. Each boy has gone through a stage of popping the tight buds off in the spring to throw or do whatever boys do with things like that!! Needless to say, I am often sad when I am left with only a dozen blooms for picking! This year I decided that this too is just a season and in a few more years I will have wished my little boys would be that little again! So, how can I be upset when I see my favorite flowers being delivered by the sweetest and cutest delivery person in the neighborhood!?!

Excitement once again on the Schnoor Farm!

2009-05-27T03:37:00.000-07:00

What does it take to earn the label...'Chicken Farmer'?! Do I even want that label? :) My sister has always told me that I need to write down the events of our lives here in the country with six children and a ton of animals! So, here is our story about raising chicks!

Over a month ago, a friend loaned us their incubator and gave me some quick verbal instructions. If you know me you will know that I am a person that gets excited, moves too quickly, gets distracted and sometimes overwhelmed (ha ha) which causes mishaps and quick learning opportunities! I heard her tell me something about the humidity but discounted it until we had our first hatching.

The children plugged in the incubator and ran to the coop to get some eggs! We were set, so we thought. Twenty-one days passed and there was no sign of life. One of the children became curious (and impatient, I don't know where she got that from) and asked if she could crack one open. I told her that she would have to make that decision and warned her of the possibility of a baby chick being in there. She chose to proceed and came to me saying something fell out of the egg into the disposal and she didn't have a chance to see what it was. I came and pulled it out and found a pre-mature chick that was breathing. Three of us stood there feeling horrible! I was so mad in my heart that I had given her that freedom to make that choice. I prayed that God would give me words for the two children standing there. It ended in a teaching opportunity about how precious life is and that we should realize how valuable human life is.

After that sadness, we had one chick hatch successfully! Then we realized that due to the fact that the humidity was only 33% instead of 60%, the chicks were literally glued into the eggs. This was horrible to see. I tried to moisten the chick and peel the shell off but was unable to. Two or three of the chicks were alive but stuck in the shell. That was horrible and I felt so guilty! We were finished with the batch of eggs at this point and I was emotionally finished with eggs...well until the children wanted to put the next batch in the following day and try again.

Trust me, the humidity is now often over 60% and is checked daily! We had our first two chicks hatch wonderfully. The children were able to watch and it was amazing. After they dried for 24 hours in the incubator we transferred them to a guinea pig cage set aside for the chicks. We had some older chicks in there the days prior and it worked out well...the cat never bothered them at all. Well, this time the chicks looked a bit more tempting since they were so little. I was eating breakfast when I saw her with something in her mouth out of the corner of my eye. Immediately, I lunged for her and was able to grab her by the tail before she rushed down the steps to the basement. The chick was sprawling on the top step. The children decided that they hated the cat and began praying for the chick.

To my utter surprise, the chick looked great after an hour of recovery. We moved the cage into my bedroom for the day and told everyone to keep the door closed. This is when Daddy came home after working since 6a.m. and accidentally left the door open. The cat went for the same chick. I got a phone call while I out running an errand from a distraught daughter!

When I came home, I found the chick laying on its' side on a paper towel under a heat lamp on the kitchen counter. There was a syringe of water by it and chick feed. Darcey moved it to my room and left a note that asked everyone to please pray for the chick whenever they looked at her. The chick passed in the night.

We have since wised up again and moved the chicks to Dalton's bedroom and even placed them in his closet! I don't think that he was too keen of the idea but we reminded him that since he doesn't pay rent the room was actually ours! Ha Ha! Gotta love him! So now all of his family migrate to his room every time the announcement is made that a new chick is arriving!

Wheww! What an emotional roller coaster! We have gotten to see 11 chicks hatch and 10 are alive! We are waiting for 18 more eggs which 3 are showing signs of life! The children have spoken about how amazing it is that the chicks are strong enough to break the shell and to know what to do so quickly after it cracks. They are so fragile but we are amazed how God programs them to survive...especially when there are no monster cats to get them and the moisture level is accurate! Things are calm now in our house but I remind the children that the roosters won't be part of the family!

What do you do when a rooster attacks your seven year old?

2009-05-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Dana was heard screaming and running from the shed with Willow close behind. Then we saw Dylan chasing Willow and diverting him by kicking at him! What a hero in the making!

Poor Dana had her leg all scratched up from that mean rooster. So, the question is...what do you do with a mean rooster who continually attacks your seven year old? Off with his head! Boy, were the emotions running over! I think it took us an hour to get everyone to understand that Dana was far more important than that mean rooster!

Once almost everyone understood what needed to be done, a plan was put to motion. Danielle wanted to try to shoot it in the head. Several efforts were made to hold his head still. Finally, the only way was to tie him from a tree. He got away several times but Dalton was able to catch him for us!

Chicken, anyone?

Ghost Busters

2009-02-25T01:14:00.000-08:00

Do any of you remember the 1984 movie Ghost Busters? I had a vision in my mind of a rewrite of that movie to fit parenting six children while they are sick with the flu. Imagine a mother in her pjs, robe and slippers. She has a pack on her back that is her carpet cleaner, a utility belt on her waist that would hold her extra bowls, cold wash clothes, tissues, cans of 7up and extra linens! The children are crying "Mooooooooommmmmmm!" in the back ground and she is jumping out of bed completely dressed and ready to tackle the 'flu bug'! Ok. Ok. I never said that I had the gift of writing scripts. That is why I am caring for six children instead of being in Hollywood...definately more rewarding!

Darcey, for the third night in a row, came to our door at 2am saying that someone was in her bathroom. We found Danielle getting sick for the second time. After getting her settled, I walked by DJ and Dylan's room to turn off a light I had noticed to be on. I found Dylan laying on the floor with a blanket, pillow and a full bowl. He had gotten sick in his bed and went to the kitchen and gotten a bowl and made a little bed on his floor. Dave and I woke him up and asked him why he did not come to get us. He said that he couldn't find us! Oh, I felt so sad for him. We gave him a bath and moved him to Danielle's room so that the three of us could be in one room. Dylan started to cry saying he didn't want to sleep in there so I resorted to one of my most powerful tricks of parenting...bribing! I told him that I would get the portable DVD player and let him watch Wallace and Grommit that we had gotten from the library. Hook, line and sinker!

Well, the washer is ready to be loaded with my second load...oops, I hear someone calling for me...Who you going to call!

2009-02-24T01:51:00.000-08:00

Poor Dana...sick again tonight! She was great all day yesterday after being sick the day before. She woke up at midnight and has been sick four times already. She is so cute though...cries that "it tastes so gross, Mommy." I then offered her some of Daddy's mouth wash. She climbed into my bed and said..."Thank you, mommy for helping me and for the mouthwash. It tastes better!"

Just "Another" Day!!

2009-02-23T18:09:00.000-08:00

Today was quite interesting. We started off doing our regular schedule and then I decided to play a game of bingo with DJ and Dylan. We happen to use kernels of corn for our pieces and while I was calling the numbers I noticed Dylan having a concerned look on his face. I observed that his finger was lingering near his ear! Yep! Corn in the ear. After several attempts we realized that this would take a trip to the ENT office. The doctor even had difficulty removing it and Dylan paid the painful price of making such a mistake. He was very good at holding still but his face turned the deepest red color that I have ever seen someone have. My poor little man. :(

The day ended well with Dave bringing home strawberries, short cake and whipped cream in a can! Daddy always knows how to have fun!

To wrap the crazy day up, my very sweet in-laws sent me a beautiful plant. They sent it after reading about my previous blog and wished me a good day. We are so blessed with them and all the spoiling they send our way.

Louis and Clark?!

2009-02-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

This is Darcey's cat, Lacey and our guinea pig, Rusty! Lacey was caught in one of Darcey's imaginative moments!! I do believe they are suppose to be Louis and Clark the great explorers! I am not quiet sure if Lacey was having as much fun as Darcey was! Gotta love my Darcey!!

Being Thankful

2009-02-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Cor. 15:57 Why a photo of my kitchen sink? Well, after tending to a very sick little girl all day, homeschooling, laundry horse and chicken chores I was feeling so thankful that my kitchen sink was clean!! It is time to celebrate!

Life has been so full here lately, as I am sure that you too experience all the time. Yesterday, I attended a ladies retreat for homeschool mothers. It was nice to get out of the routine of things at home but I must say that being with my friends was far more refreshing than the topics being taught. I am so thankful for the friends that I have that encourage me to continue striving towards the goal. To be more patient, gentle, strong in times of weakness and steadfast.

I remember a post that I placed on my blog a couple of months ago about being "honest" about the realities of life here in the Schnoor home. When this came to mind today I realized that I stopped blogging when things were in a whirl-wind for me. I constantly am challenged to multi-task to a degree that boggles my mind. I have recently experienced a day that I just didn't think that I could do it anymore. I felt so pulled...one child whining about the reading assignment, one not on his/her schedule, one asking for his ten o'clock snack and three needing to ask my questions so they could continue their independent study. Of course, this doesn't include the phone ringing and the lunch needing to be prepared! I'm sure this convinces all of you that everyone should homeschool! Ha Ha!!

Thankfully, Dave just "happened" to call during my crying spell in the bedroom. As I poured out my soul..."What are we doing?" "Who ever said that I could do this?" he listened quietly. When I finally took a long breath, he said the best thing..."Dawn, we can get help or send them to a private school. Your well being is far greater than anything else!" Wow! Did he read that somewhere? It was the best thing for him to say during such a difficult time. It gave me an out that I could choose if I desired. Now I feel encouraged to press onward and continue on this journey of homeschooling.

I have been thinking about the process of purifying silver. They heat it to an intense heat so that all the impurities surface. It seems that God allows me to be heated to bring my impurities to the surface so that He can remove them from my life. My problem is that the fire gets too hot at times and I jump off too soon. Thank goodness He doesn't give up on me!

Wow, I kind of chased a rabbit. Goodnight! I hope that your sink is clean before you go to bed tonight! Of course, I won't tell you what my living room looks like!! HA HA!

Good Morning

2009-01-12T05:57:00.000-08:00

Good Morning. His mercies are new every morning...great is His faithfulness. My dad and I slept like rocks and are headed to the hospital to relieve my sister. We have spoken to her this morning and have found that they asked all family members to leave the room from 12 am to 7 am. My mom was actually able to sleep deeply for many hours and was still sleeping at 7am.

On the other side of the coin, my mom has expressed feelings of depression. Yesterday she realized that she has lost the majority of her vision in her left eye. My dad says that her eye still functions but the brain does not recieve or recognize it.

Oh...time to go. Thank you for your prayers.

Update on Mom and Family

2009-01-11T20:37:00.001-08:00

Right now I am at my parents home here in Iowa and wanted to update you on the condition of my mom. On Saturday morning my mother complained to my father of severe pain in her head that came on very fast. They waited thirty minutes and then realized that it was time to call the ambulance. The CT scan showed that there was a "egg" sized clot in the right frontal part of the brain. They began to treat with meds to see if her body would absorb the fluid. I was called at 11:30am by my dad and immediately began making phone calls and packed to head to Iowa.

They then did a MRI to make sure that there was not a tumor causing this clot. I was led to believe that it was a stroke but was somewhat confused because of some of the information that we were all recieving. In the early afternoon the pain had not decreased and the doctor re-assessed her and made the decision to operate. This was explained to us early as a very risky procedure and only as a last resort. I recieved the call while in route to Iowa that she would be having the surgery.

At 5 pm she was taken to surgery. We all knew that there was a great risk but felt like it was the best thing to do. I arrived at 7 pm to join my dad, brother and sister-in-law. At 8pm the surgeon came out to announce that the surgery was very successful and that she was doing well. He clarified the situation better...she had what was called an Ayloid Angiopathy. This is not a stroke nor a clot. This also is not a anurisym (sp?). The difference being that it was not a dominent vein that burst and bled nor was it a blocked vein with a clot. Within the brain there are thousands of microscopic veins or maybe capillaries and they began to bleed. There is no explanation as to why or how they began to bleed. They bled creating a pooling of blood the size of an egg. The blood also began to move over the top of the brain. He said that there was a tremedous amount of pressure when he removed the skull piece. He also explained with great confidence that she would not have made it through the night without the surgery. He was able to clean up the fluid and stop the bleeding and close her up.

That first 24 hours were most critical to watch for bleeding...which would require a second surgery. She was in extreme pain after surgery and finally had decreased around 12 o'clock...but still very uncomfortable. Her stats were great and we thanked God that she has complete strength in her extremities and full speech.

My sister had arrived in Iowa from Alabama at 9 pm. She ended up spending the night with mom as I went to my folks house with my dad to rest around 1 am. We went to bed around 2 am and Dad was awake at 4:30 am. We were back at the hospital at 7am.

My sister was doing awesome! We visited and sent her home around 9am to rest at my folk's. The morning was very painful for my mom and it was difficult to feel so helpless. My brother returned to the hospital with his family after doing some snow removal for my Dad at his apartment buildings in town and at his acerage. I was touched with all of the visitors that cared so deeply for my parents.

Oh, her CT this morning turned out awesome and there was very little pooling of blood. The doctor was very pleased. She will be going to a regular room tomorrow afternoon if all continues well. She was able to sleep peacefully from 2pm to 5pm for the first time since friday night. My sister arrived this evening to take over for the night. Some of us went for dinner and then returned to the hospital to visit. My dad and I returned to the acerage around 9pm and will go back in the morning.

During this visit for some reason I have been so touched and thankful for my family and our relationship. Oh yes...we are all very different in personalities and we are far from perfect but we love one another and I can see how we pull together in crisis. Everyone is focused on what is best for my mom and dad. It is not a competition to see who can do more or be most effective. There is percise communication taking place and ideas being shared. I am thankful to have all of them. Oh, I haven't even mentioned my husband who is caring for all six children at home while he has been suffering with a cold and fever for four days. He didn't hesitate to send me to my family and has held the fort down with great diligence...I am actually thinking that I am not needed there!! Ha Ha :( Also, my brother-in-law Jerry could not join my sister and he once again gave his wife to stay with my parents for over a week. That is what a real family is like. I probably sound all sappy so I will blame it on having only 2 hours of sleep!!:)

My father is an amazing man. I have seen him carry a load that is heavier then any man that I personally know. He loves my mother in such a deep way that he would give his life for her without hesitation. He has been so strong and carries on with the daily chores that must be done without complaint. I see him with a new appreciation for his indurance in this thing we call life! I admire his integrity and strength that helps hold us all together. I love you Dad.

Thank you for your prayers. I am going to be and will proof read this another time. Most of what I have written will bore the majority of people that are not closely related but I wanted to take time to get this down.

2009-01-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

Heading to Iowa. My mom has had a stroke this morning. She had an egg sized clot in frontal lobe of brain. Please pray. God is good and His love never fails!! Needing Him!

What a day!

2009-01-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

My day began at 6 am after a short night of sleep due to my choice of staying up late and also suffering from a slight cold. Once awake I jumped into the day of homeschooling...which I believe is very close to supervising a corporation...at least that is what it felt like this week! I promised myself and the president of our school (Dave) that I would be diligent about getting a schedule for our day. There are great things about running off of a schedule and there does seem to be more productive use of time for each person. However, I don't believe that I was gifted in managment! My attempt in arranging our day so that I was not needed by all of the children at the same time still hasn't quite been accomplished. It never fails that I am working on phonics with Dana when Dylan wants a snack, DJ finished his independent study early or Dalton has questions about his math! I told them today to count how many children there were in our home...and how many Moms were in our home!! Needless to say, I feel pulled in many directions throughout the day but know deep in my heart that God is growing me and that I need Him every minute!!

Around 3 o'clock things were starting to settle down as each child was finishing their work and some were starting to do their cleaning chores that I assigned. I found a brief moment when no one was looking and retreated into my bedroom and locked the doors!! I layed across the bed to let my brain recharge for a few minutes and this is where Dave found me. Of course so did the children!! We have two entries into our room and find it funny how both doors will have children knocking on them. If you ignore one door they are sure to go around to the other door!!

Dave had worked a night shift and is also suffering from a cold (It is more blessed to give than receive!!) and decided to crash for a bit to prepare for round two. We were invited by a gentleman from Dave's work to dine at the very fine 'McCormicks and Schmicks' at the Plaza in Kansas City. The man is a wonderful example of Christ in the workplace. He invited four couples to join him and his wife. We were surprised at the invite and very humbled. We dressed in our finest and headed out the door around 4 o'clock!

We arrived around 6:30pm to the beautiful and very elaborate restuarant. It was such a change of pace after the whirl wind of school and delegating the children all day! McCormicks is known for the freshest of seafood. I ordered a delicious tortillini with salmon and Dave was daring and had shark! Dalton had told us to bring him some shark to try!! The food was wonderful and the people were such a blessing as they are all striving to honor God in their lives. It was a great a way to end a hurried day. Tomorrow begins our weekend and the day is very light. I am looking forward to it!!

Knowing God

2009-01-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

A good friend of ours gave me a little devotional book printed by Parable publishers for Christmas this year. I have read several of the entries and have been touched by all of them in some fashion. One, imparticular, stood out above the rest that I would like to share...

Knowing God

Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10 NKJV

Do you ever wonder if God is really "right here, right now"? Do you wonder if God hears your prayers, if He understands your feelings, or if He really knows your heart? If so, you're not alone: lots of very faithful Christians have experienced periods of doubt. In fact, some of the biggest heroes in the Bible had plenty of doubts-and so, perhaps, will you. But when you have doubts, remember this: God isn't on a coffee break, and He hasn't moved out of town. God isn't taking a long vacation, and he isn't snoozing on the couch. He's right here, right now, listening to your thoughts and prayers, watching over your every move.

The Bible teaches that a wonderful way to get to know God is simply to be still and listen to Him. But sometimes, you may find it hard to slow down and listen. As the demands of everyday life weigh down upon you, you may be tempted to ignore God's presence or -worse yet-to rebel against His commandments. But, when you quiet yourself and acknowledge His presence, God touches your heart and restores your spirits. So why not let Him do it right now? If you really want to know Him better, silence is a wonderful place to start.

Today's Tip

Finding time for God takes time...and it's up to you to find it. The world is constantly vying for your attention, and sometimes the noise can be deafening. Remember the words of Elisabeth Elliot; she said, "The world is full of noise. Let us learn the art of silence, stillness, and solitude."

We all need to make time for God. Even Jesus made time to be alone with the Father. Kay Arthur

One of the most wonderful things about knowing God is that there's always so much more to know, so much more to discover. Just when we least expect it, He intrudes into our neat and tidy notions about who He is and how He works. Joni Eareckson Tada

This devotion brought many thoughts to mind. First was that God is ALWAYS there. When I am over whelmed, angry or sad, He is here with me. Second was that He listens to my thoughts. That reminds me to have holy thoughts and to banish the ones that do not edify Him or the ones that the thoughts pertain to. Thirdly, God wants me to spend time with Him. I am sure to spend time with Dave, children, friends and family. But do I really ever put Him first? Do I ever sit quietly to listen to Him? Some may bring up the fact that God is a "loving God" and that He would understand since I am a mother of six children and homeschool. Much like a parent understands when their adult child doesn't call home often. But how delighted the parent is when the child calls to say hello unexpectedly! Just some thoughts...

WARNING SIGNS and TEENAGERS

2009-01-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

On New Years Eve most of our family stayed awake to welcome the New Year in. Afterwards several of us went to bed except for Darcey, DJ and Danielle. In the morning Dave went to Danielle's room to wake the sleeping beauty at 11 am. He found a note taped to her door saying the following...

Please stay out if you are of the age of 12 or 10, 8, 6 and 5.

I went to bed at 2:05 AM so by warning I am telling you that I will be cranky!

Thank you! Happy New Year!

I love you! Danielle

PS God loves you too!

Needless to say, Dave didn't take heed to her warning and proceeded to wake her up by actually jumping up and down on her bed!! She was kind and actually smiled!! Gotta love her!!

Perseverance

2009-01-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

James 1:2-3

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

So, I must ask, how many trials does one have to have to test our faith? Or, how immature am I that I face the trials that I do?! I asked Dave a couple of days ago to give me a verse for my blog for the New Year. James 1:2-3 was the verse that he gave me. I sat down and wrote a few things but it just wasn't coming out smoothly so I deleted it all. The reason that Dave gave me this verse is because we have been experiencing several trials over the past few days...weeks...months or should I say years?!! No, we all have great health. No, our house is didn't burn down. No, we are not unemployed. So, why is it that we forget how blessed we are when we are in the midst of difficulties even when they are small?

Recently, our mini van stopped working and we found that it will need a new engine...we have only owned this van for 1 1/2 years. Our heating system has not been working right for at least 10 years and no one knows how to fix it. A lot of shingles blew off of our roof during the last winter storm. The closet door in Danielle's room is broken. These are some of the things that Dave was referring to and I just couldn't get in the rythm to blog about them.

It wasn't until just a few minutes ago that this verse came back to my memory. You see on Christmas Eve we spent the day with family and later found out that one of them became very sick with the flu after we left. So, we have been in the lurch waiting for it to hit our family. On Thursday we went to church for prayer and had picked up pizza to eat with our Life Group before hand. One of the children got sick unexpectedly...twice. We went home and the child was laughing about how everyone was afraid of him. He did not seem to be sick but we wanted to be careful since we had been exposed. He didn't do anything else after that. Must have been a fluke.

Just 45 minutes ago, 2 full days after the first child got sick, I was sitting here at the computer working on our school schedules when another child came and stood behind me. I kept typing until I heard a HORRIBLE sound. Now let me explain that in our family, horrible sounds happen all of the time. Alarm is not necessary at every one. Except there should have been an alarm in my mind this time! As the warm and very smelly fluid splatted on my back I realized that it was time to be alarmed. Too late as usual!!

My last blog was about 'Telling the Truth'. I must keep my word and tell you that I was NOT happy and thought that the child was just making those grose sounds to be funny and accidently got sick. After my shower and a few stern words of rebuke, I realize that this was not their intent. It was hard for me to have compassion on this sick child due to the laughing that she/he was doing!! All is well now and Dave's office chair is airing out on the driveway.

Persevere? Survive!? Stay sane?! Be joyful in all circumstances?! Be compassionate?! Hmmm...I guess God is still working on me!!

Telling the truth!

2008-12-29T04:37:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about this thought over the past couple of days..."Does my blog really reveal the truth about our lives?" Much like a scrap book, my blog captures the 'Hallmark Moments' that tells of a story of sweetness. So, I wonder if I had a really bad day, would I blog on that day and write about how I was truly feeling? I don't visit many blogs but the ones that I have read always seem to be about this perfect life. I am going to try to be honest and write about those terrible days and not sugar coat them
when they come up...which I am sure there will be some since we are a family with 6 children!! Just a thought!

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Does the excitement of Christmas have to end?

2008-12-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

Does the excitement of Christmas have to end? We have had such a wonderful Christmas this year. We spent Christmas Eve day in Kearney with Dave's mom and her husband. They are always such a blessing to us and spoil us terribly! This year their focus was on games for the children. It was the first time that we all played games together. We had such a great time. My personal favorite was watching Darcey play Horseopoly. She was hilarious with her expressions and business like attitude! Ha Ha! We ended the evening by going to our church for the Christmas service.

Christmas Day was spent at home with the children. It is tradition for the children to wake up and to open their stockings. Our bedroom sits right by the living room and I love to lay in the bed and listen to them as they oooo and aaaah over their treasures. We then read the Christmas story from the book of Luke and open gifts. After hours of playing with all of our new toys, we had our Christmas dinner by candle light. It was a wonderful day to remember just how much the children are growing.

It is now three days after Christmas and I am just now really enjoying the season! How do we get sucked into the hustle and bustle of the season so quickly even when we are trying so hard not to lose focus on the real meaning of the holiday? We, like many of you, were rushing around with last minute shopping, Christmas programs and baking. Of course, I also had to paint the bathroom in the midst of the holiday!
Bad planning on my part!!

Now that the holiday has passed, I finally feel that I am able to relax and enjoy the children being off of school and getting caught up on the daily household chores. I have been thinking a lot about the many gifts that we recieved this year and wonder if I will truly remember each of them. But then my thoughts began to wonder if I would truly remember the greatest gift of all. How often I go through my day only thinking of what room needs attention, which child needs my help on school or what creative punishment I can come up with for a certain offense!! I rarely even think about the gift of my Saviour during the 364 days of the year. I am hoping to purposefully take time to remember that He came for me and to be thankful for
Him.

I hope that all of you had a very Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!

I have waited 13 years for this day!!

2008-12-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

For you mothers that have many young children under the age of five I want to encourage you that your day is coming!! Today was the very first time that I cooked with ALL of our children at the same time for a three hour stretch!! It was amazing!! We had so much fun and it is a memory that I will never forget...I hope!! Ha Ha!

Here is the list of what each child did:

Dylan: dried dill pickles, covered pickles with cream cheese and place fillo pastry cups in the mini muffin pan. He is 5 years old!!

Dana: dried dill pickles, wrapped the cream cheese covered pickles with ham and mixed the filling for the fillo pastry cups. She is 6 years old!!

DJ: peeled over 22 potatos, cut half of them into chunks to boil for mashed potatos. He is 8 years old!!

Darcey: made an egg casserole for Christmas morning and prepared coctail sausages.She is 10 years old!!

Dalton: helped Darcey with egg casserole, browned the sausage for casserole and appetizers and diced potatos for broccoli cheese soup.He is 12 years old!!

Danielle: sliced the pickle and ham appetizer and arranged them on a platter and did dishes. She is 13 years old!!

We had such a good time and I look forward to more moments like today! And by the way, the picture is NOT of me and the kids!! Our kitchen did NOT look that good nor did I!! :)

By the request of someone very special I am listing two of our holiday favorite recipes:

Sausage Wonders

1 Pound Sausage (could use 1/2 spicy and 1/2 regular)

16 oz. bottle of Ranch dressing

3 Cups shredded cheese (I used mexican)

Fillo pastry cups (found in freezer section in grocery store)

Brown sausage. Mix dressing and cheese with cooled sausage.

Fill pastry cups and bake at 350 degrees till melted.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 medium heads broccoli

3 carrots

5 medium potatos

10 C. water

Cut veggies into bite size pieces. Cook in the 10 C. water until tender. Drain.

Put veggies in crock pot with the following ingredients:

1 1/2 C milk

2 tsp. liquid smoke

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

3-4 dashes of tobacco sauce

12 oz. can evaporated milk

16 oz. velveeta cheese-chunked up (don't use generic)

1 10oz. can cream celery soup

1 10 oz. can cream nacho cheese soup

1/2 C. sour cream

Cook on high about 1 hour until cheese melts. Then turn on low for 1-2 hours stirring occassionally. Double recipe fits into large crock pot.

(sorry the recipes are so close together...I was having difficulties on the blog and have to close!!)

Danielle's Potato Soup

2008-12-23T03:40:00.000-08:00

The other day, I needed to run to the store at the last minute and didn't have anything planned for dinner. I thought of Danielle wanting me to make this recipe that she had gotten from a friend of hers. It was a potato soup recipe that her friends mother had made for the girls. So, in a rush for time, I told Danielle to make this while I was away. She hadn't ever made it before and was a little caught off gaurd but I assured her that she could do it!

She had to peel 12 cups of potatos to start! That can take some time!! My first phone call came when it came to the onions. The recipe called for 4 cups of chopped onions or 2 T of minced onions. She opted for the minced onions. After about 6 more calls and while I am leaving the store she calls to tell me to get more minced onions! I ask her how much she had. She said not nearly enough because she needed 4 cups!! I pointed her back to the recipe...oops, never mind!

Now, if you know our family, you will know that there is one parent in particular that likes to joke around! This parent also likes the saying, "what goes around, comes around"! That takes me to my drive home. I was about 5 miles away and the phone rings. "Mom, this soup is REALLY thick."

"Oh? How thick is the soup, Danielle? Is it like mashed potatos? What does it look like?"

"Well, it is a lot thicker then it was when Mrs. Palmer made it."

"Danielle, what does your recipe say? Did you add any water?"

"OHHH! It calls for 12 cups of water!!"

"Ahhhh! That would help."

Then I hear giggles. Then I hear the words "Got ya!!" "Of course, I added the water! Hee Hee!"

What is the old saying? A chip off the old block? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree?! She definately does take after her...father!! Can't help but to love her!

By the way, this was the best potato soup that I have ever eaten!! Great job, Danielle.

Potato Soup

6 Cups cubed, peeled potatos

5 Cups water

2 Cups chopped onion (or 2 T minced)

1/2 Cups chopped celery

4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon

2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Pepper

1 Can Evaporated Milk

2 Tbs. Butter

3 Tbs. Flour

Combine 1st. 7 ingredients and boil about 15 minutes. Don't drain off water.

Add remaining ingredients-milk, butter and flour.

Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remember the beautiful days of fall?

2008-12-22T19:40:00.000-08:00

As I write this, it is only 24 degrees outside and the wind is blowing. We are expecting some freezing rain tomorrow night and I have a lot of family in Iowa that are in worse conditions! It is hard for me to believe that 8 weeks ago we were enjoying a beautiful day at the nearby pumpkin patch! We had such a great time!

So where does all the time go? Darcy has been fascinated with this question for a couple of weeks. The conversation usually goes something like this..."Mom, do you ever wonder where the time goes?" "Mom, the words that you just said...where are they now?" "Mom, do you ever wonder if your 'time' that is all used up is floating around in space?" "Well, Darcey, I don't think it 'goes' anywhere. It is just gone." or "No, Darcey, I haven't thought of that before!" "Hmmmm, that is very interesting Darcey!"

These thoughts of Darcey's reminds me of a passage in the Bible that teaches us to number our days Psalms 90:12. As I downloaded these photos from my camera I enjoyed this precious day all over again. The children are all growing so fast and the days are so full...especially during this holiday season. Our days are spent shopping, Christmas programs, Christmas parties, cleaning, cooking and wrapping the gifts...don't let this holiday go by without cherishing these precious times. Tomorrow...'today' will be all gone...as Darcey might remind us! Merry Christmas and may the peace of God be with you this holiday season!

God uses children to bless us!!

2008-12-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

Who says that children are a burden? I know that on some days I have those thoughts in my mind. How quickly we forget that 'children are a blessing from the Lord'. When I am reminded of that, thoughts of little boys bringing me flowers from the pasture, little girls bringing us breakfast in bed, pictures colored in love and words like..."I wuv you, Mommy" come to my mind. But there are many times that they bless us in bigger ways. Yesterday, I took Dana to her orthopedic appointment in Kansas City. Darcey came along for the ride and I was sure to show her the city...not by my choice. If any of you know me very well, I get lost frequently and end up calling Dave to help me out over the phone. Who needs GPS when I can talk to a living person!! :) Needless to say, it was very stressful and some tears were shed on my part and a headache was created! The appointment took much longer than we expected and we then went to Target for some Christmas shopping. By the time I got home it was 6 pm and I was emotionally tired.

As I drove home, I realized that no plans were made for dinner and we were starving since we didn't stop for lunch. When I walked in I found Dalton and DJ in the kitchen working very hard. The table was set with re-heated leftovers of mashed potatoes, steak and chicken casserole. They also had made gravy on the stove and there was a chocolate cake in the oven!! And, to top it off, the counters were cleaned off!! WOW!

Dave and Danielle were outside working hard on things outside. Danielle had a blue handkerchief on her head and was dirty from head to toe! It was good to see her hanging out with Dave. Dalton and DJ are usually his right hand men!

So, the next time I feel overwhelmed with the housework, laundry, school, pernament marker on the doors and children fighting I hope that I will remember that they truly are a blessing from the Lord and that I wouldn't trade any of it for the world!!

What is a trillion dollars?

2008-12-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

What is a trillion dollars? A trillion dollars=$1,000,000,000,000. That is 12 zeros to the left of the decimal point. A trillion is a million million dollars! The U.S. government spends more than the entire Gross Domestic Product of Australia, China and Spain combined. If you laid one dollar bills end to end, you could make a chain that stretches from earth to the moon and back again 200 times before you ran out of dollar bills! One trillion dollars would stretch nearly from the earth to the sun. It would take a military jet flying at the speed of sound, reeling out a roll of dollar bills behind it, 14 years before it reeled out one trillion dollar bills.

So, this has been the conversation at the breakfast table this morning...as we were eating delicious oatmeal! Dave has been amazed at this thought...if you spent $750,000 dollars each day since Christ walked on the earth (2,000 years) you would have spent $547,500,000,000! He was told this by a man we met at dinner a few weeks ago and wanted to see if he was right. He did the math and it came up to be very close!!

Wow! And our government wants to spend how much to get our country back on its feet? Just food for thought as our nation is over $46 trillion in debt already!!

Introducing Darcey!!

2008-12-08T05:17:00.000-08:00

Good morning! This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24 God is so good and I am thanking Him for another day!

Right now, it is 7:20 am and the house is humming with children doing their chores. The piano is playing in the basement and soon the kitchen will be full of children eating breakfast. I am going to make a recipe from my best friends blog that sounds very delicious.

Darcey, 10 years old, is here as I type and wants me to introduce her to all of you!! She is a sparkly young lady that has the gift of imagination. She is a very sensitive girl that often is thinking of others interests other then her own. She loves animals and has her own cat, horse, rabbit and fish. The horse is probably her favorite. He is a 'flea bit' gray Arabian with a white mane and tail. His name is Dreamer. She rides him all over and he takes very good care of her as they canter out in the pastures of our property.

Dave is home from work today to help me as I take Dana to her orthopedic appointment in Kansas City. He is always so kind about helping me out and looking for ways to make my life easier. I am thankful that God put us together. Dave is definately a man after God's heart and strives to lead us in a closer walk with Him.

Finally back to blogging!

2008-12-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

Wow! Only three months later I finally post once again! Alot has happened around here lately. The biggest news would be that our girls fell of their horses and Dana broke her arm. We are so grateful that the injury was not worse. She did require surgery to have the bones plated and screwed together. She just asks "Would you please forgive Camelot? He didn't mean to hurt me!"

Dalton, our oldest son, is sitting here wanting me to introduce him as the 'Great Buck Hunter'! So, there you go Dalton! He is, should I say, slightly excited to have a shot at his first buck this coming week. I only will be excited to have some meat in the freezer and to not have to hear him talking...talking...talking...talking...talking about hunting!!!!!

Well, Dave is at work so in order not to feel guilty, I should get to work myself. The children have been playing outside and it is time to get some school done. Hopefully it won't take three months for me to post again!!

Wow! Does this mean that I am a "Blogger"?!

2008-09-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! Does this mean that I am a "Blogger"?!

This is my first time using a blog site and am inspired by a friend's daughter who is only 10 years old and has her very own blog site! I thought that if she can do this, surely even I could blog! So, here we are!!

I am so impressed that I was able to actually get a picture from a file...too bad that I didn't pick the best one!! Maybe tomorrow.