you can hear Alyssa in the background singing.... too cute!
A few funny things.
First- Michael turned 1 yesterday! I can't believe how fast the year has gone by. I will post pictures of his birthday after we celebrate it September 4th. Also, I came back from the conference to learn he is walking all over the place.
We gave him an ice cream cone yesterday after dinner so once video decides to upload I will post it.
I am enjoying doing school work with my kids.
I took Alyssa to the library yesterday to get her first library card. She has been borrowing books and movies on mine, Jason's or Amber's card. She has been wanting one so badly but I didn't feel she was ready to hold on to her own card yet. Yesterday I take her and fill the paper work ou, I turn it in and the lady hands her her library card and Alyssa signed it, she felt very grown up. She asked me how much it was going to cost and I told her it's free to get a library card. She decided to pick out two movies to start with and ohmygoodness this child had me laughing so hard. We get to the desk with her movies, she hands the lady her library card, the lady scans it and hands it back to Alyssa. Alyssa looked at me and said "I still can't believe these cards are FREE" in a high pitched valley girl tone. The ladies behind the desk could not help but laugh too. Once we got home she told daddy at once that she could not believe she got a library card for free. She continued the day with saying "I just can't believe it, can you". She said or did something today that Jason told me I should blog....only, I don't remember what it is ;p
Kids bring so much joy to my heart!
This past weekend I had a God-planned opportunity to see Beth Moore in San Antonio. A while back my dear friend Shannon sent an email advising me to read a book by Beth Moore and that Shannon along with her study group at church were doing Beth's newest devotion plus she a small group of ladies from her church were going to her conference.
I thought, oh man, I wanna go! But at the same time, I didn't know anything about Beth Moore. I had read couple of things and was told a couple of things by various people so honestly my thoughts on her was this......she is probably a long-winded motivational speaker who gives some scripture verses mixed in with liking to hear herself talk.
Well......I got an email from Shannon inviting me and my friend Cameron to see Beth Moore with their group. Some ladies couldn't make it and she invited us!! I got all excited just knowing I was going to spend time way from home with two of my closest friends!! In fact, I was so motivated to go I weaned M from nursing! Michael took well (much to easy) to weaning completely from nursing and straight on to whole milk! You should have seen him, I introduced it to him and that was it! He loves whole milk! To top it off, I got him sleeping straight through the night with help from my beloved friend Cameron!! My own method turned out to be a temporary fix. But the tools she gave me worked!! I really can't thank her enough!!! Especially because we are all sleeping so much better and I should have asked her for these tools a long time ago!!
Anyway, on to my point. We get to the conference and Beth Moore was not at all what I expected! She is a God-filled woman! She gave scripture verse after scripture verse and I was convicted to grow so much deeper in his word and in quite time with him! I have been doing what I was convicted of from the moment I got home!
God spoke right through her in delivering his message to us. She began with teaching us "The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance". From the old testament to the new testament, inheritance from God always involves three elements. Presence, people, and property.
She proceeded with these three points.
1) I am an heir of God. my life is not left to chance.
2) I am an heir of God. I am inheriting a kingdom.
3) I am an heir of God. He is my portion.....and I am His.
How mind blowing! He considers US His portion! His inheritance!
What taught me even more so is that I cannot look to other people for affirmation, only Jesus can identify me, I am an heir of God...I can be secure. She said if you look to other people for affirmation you are placing them in a Christ hood position. How many times do we as women look to others to make us feel better about ourselves. Our identity is NOT in what other people think of us including our spouse. Our identity is only found in Christ, not man. I can't preach it here the same way she did, it's not my gift or calling, however, it's a small taste of how God message was revealed to us.
God used Beth to teach us so much but one other area that hit home for me what "Never let ministry interrupt your intimacy with God". Being with my husband at seminary and preparing for ministry......I think this is probably the most important lesson as a couple.
Visit Beth Moore's blog and be blessed!
I also encourage you to visit my friend Cameron's blog....to the right of my page titled 4Hallgirls. You can read her version of this conference and personally, she delivered the results so much better than I have done! You will be blessed!
This was too funny. Y'all have got to see this! We gave him paper and crayons to play with while we did our family bible study this morning before Jason left for his first day of class. Michael did scribble on the paper but then he found another use for his crayons!
Michael discovered the dryer today. He usually isn't interested in it until the laundry comes out. But he was crawling by the dryer and noticed the door was slightly open, he stood up and opened it all the way so he could see what was inside. Before I could take the clothes out he found his clothes first. lol
This morning I started review week with the girls. We began with having a Bible study in first Psalm. It's a wonderful verse and my heart if filled with joy watching my little ladies discuss and show understanding while they learn. I am excited to be homeschooling our children full time this year. I am humbled to watch them learn and grow in Christ. This week will be filled with Bible studies, Math (flash cards), and site words (for Alyssa) to prepare our full time studies next week. I am really excited that I didn't have to finish college (although I would like to) to teach my children. I am also thrilled to learn things by teaching them that I have never learned.
I made two schedule options to begin our year with so if one doesn't work for our family then I will try the other. Eventually I hope to have down a secure routine. Amber and Alyssa are also taking music lessons this year. Some of you may or may not know but we are a musical family. Most of you probably don't know but I used to sing and I have been in praise and worship bands and I was also part of a group that never went anywhere. I have always wanted to learn piano so I plan to use an adult booklet that Jason bought for me a long time ago. Alyssa started last semester with piano and will continue. She also wants daddy to teach her how to play the trumpet and she is very curious about the clarinet (we have quite a few instruments. Amber will be taking flute lessons this semester. She would have continued with Shanda only the she moved back home after graduating from the seminary :( we miss her.
If anyone is interested in music lessons for your child I can recommend who we have hired to teach our girls. The music teacher is a fairly new seminary student and is extremely reasonable!! So, if your child is interested contact me and I will pass along to you her name and number.
God bless you all as we begin a new school year.
I didn't have time to turn the kitchen light on once Jason told me to tape Michael.....I just I grabbed my camera and started. Sorry it's not bright and please excuse my weeding out pile on the freezer. And well, the stuff on the floor comes from Michael getting into everything. We didn't know he would start throwing stuff away though.....so now we really gotta watch him! HE IS TOO CUTE!! Enjoy him!
Hi! I am nominating my husband as a man who has an extraordinary need and deserves more than I am able to give him. We are a family of five. He is in graduate school and I stay home to care for and school our three children.
Three years ago, before we moved to TX, I bought him a lap top as a gift for going back to school. While in Seminary he has been holding down 3 jobs simultaneously - Teacher, Security Officer, and Full Time Graduate Student.
Some people call him Superman, but since that title is taken, I will call him Renaissance Man. Not only is he the hardest working man I know, he never complains about how many hours he has to work even when he is completely exhausted. He leaves for his teaching position at
He manages to juggle all of his responsibilities without leaving his family in debt of spending time with him. School is one of his passions in life and he would go the rest of his life given the chance! Fortunately, for us, he only has a couple of years left.
His laptop is dying and we cannot afford to fix it with the frugal budget we have to live on. He has tried to fix the ole gal but she’s not getting better, she is pretty sick and he doesn’t give her much time to live.
Because of his teaching job and his own classes, he uses his lap top everyday. I would give anything to give him another laptop that will carry him the rest of the way through school and beyond because he has worked harder for his family than any man I know.
Thank you,
Rebecca
Jennifer--Thank you for your help!!
I cried reading my entry, I never knew writing about my husband would touch me so deeply. I truly admire and love him.
Our second campsite. The first camp site was inside Estes Park.....so now we are taking you into the National Forest where we camped for two more nights. It was much colder at night at this spot mainly because we are elevated higher than Mary's Lake. Our last night was SO cold, we were freezing. This was our favorite camp ground out of the two....enjoy!
I forgot to add this picture I took driving into the camp site. We would have stopped to take a better picture but there were a couple cars behind us. This river goes on for miles! It's absolutely perfect and I would give anything to have this in my backyard someday! I added a VIDEO at the end of this post.
The little gray building is the bathroom and sinks are located on the out side for washing dishes or needing water.
We decided to check out the camping area first before leaving our other site so we wouldn't lose it just in case, we decided we liked it. Jason left me, Alyssa, and Michael here so no one would take it while he took Amber with him to get our tent and belongings to set up here.
This camp ground was our favorite and we spent more time here than we did at the other one, but only because there were things to do and see!
Alyssa made good use of her time waiting. She decided to build a rock pile and act like an Indian.
My little princess getting dirty? Who would have thunk it?
YEAH, really dirty
Proud of her pile....
She decided it was time to play Golf! With a pine cone lol
I can't remember what she is doing here
HERE come the invasion of the Ground Squirrels! Up close and VERY personal. I had to take Michael out of his baby carrier because Michael was trying to grab this little critter and the little critter was curious about Michael. Didn't want him to get bit and Lord knows what kind of bacteria etc.... these critters may carry. At least it didn't touch his pacifier....ew
He decided to invite a friend......typical teenager, when mom and dad are away they invite friends over and have a party.....only I was standing right there lol
He was checking out my shoe and I was thankful he didn't try to crawl up my leg! I can see it now, everyone staring at a grown woman screaming and shaking her leg while running around in circles like she's crazy? lol
Michael just about jumped out of that carrier to chase the critter
Michael THREW his capri drink at the squirrel!! LOL
The squirrel didn't run, nope....he went after it lol.... and here I thought it was going to scare him away......ha!
He was sniffing my shoe first and lost interest ;p .... again, I am glad he didn't try to climb me....
This one is cute and so fast I have to use the sports mode! He doesn't know I am watching him and taking pix of him....
OR maybe he does lol
This one thought if he stayed still long enough I would go away...hmm...no.
Excuse me? There is NOTHING in there for you! Nosy little critter! LOL
How do I get into this thing the human has!
He thought I wouldn't see him creep up the side lol
"Maybe I can get in this way"
He REALLY wants to know what's in here....
"I found an opening"
I have almost got it and the humans aren't looking!
Shoot.....the human caught me! Maybe if I stare her down long enough she will leave......I'm not real, just blending in with nature. (he doesn't know it's red shhh...lol)
Finally setting up!
The kids love to help daddy
The view from behind the tent
What's wrong Michael....it's the biggest pack-n-play you will ever have lol
Hey! Don't ignore me people!
We love our little porch....came in handy when it rained!
Alyssa helping daddy...
Hey hot hubby! What you doin (y'all do know Joey right?lol) .....Come here often?
My little Eskimo! I told you it was COLD! It was probably in the low 30's
I bundled up my kiddies by putting flannel blanket's in with their sleeping bags....it was soooo COLD. I covered M with a million things lol
Then came morning and M was at it again! His mission this trip to wake Alyssa each morning....
Lets see if this will wake her....
Nope, will someone help me?
Yes! Mission accomplished! (then he tried to share his pacifier with her)
Time for breakfast! And if you know me well....it's my favorite meal of the day!!! And it was so gorgeous to top it off making it a perfect morning!
life does not get any better than this folks!!!
My two favorite men again...life doesn't get any better!
Sweet moments with my baby boy!
I love his shirt lol...perfect for this trip
He LOVES to play with my hair..
He is VERY affectionate (just like daddy).....my sweet boy.
Hey....what are you guys doing over there! I think I smell bacon? At least it's not deer meat.....
Ah...life in the big forest.....don't you wish you were me?
What a view...
Below is the view behind the tent and where the deer was checking us out.
In front of the tent, and we had perfect shad the entire stay!
In front of our tent
It's a short clip and it was very windy....
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