Ewwwww........

permanent fixtures in our hallway!

 We've been having such a fun time around our house these past few days! NOT Sunday morning Brennan came downstairs and informed us that there was "something" in the attic.  It was so loud that it woke him up in the night.  Of course we, at first, thought he was just imagining this but upon further inspection of his room (his light fixture has fallen and is hanging cockeyed) and from all the scratching that we heard, we concur he is right :(   Brennan got a chair and a stool and opened the attic door to take a "look see".  Neither Colson nor I were brave enough to support him! Later Branden pushed open the door, looked around with a flashlight and saw the beady eyes of a raccoon, a very LARGE raccoon! 

We still haven't caught that pesky critter! We hear it but it continues to elude us.  We are very fearful that its had some babies up there!  We borrowed a live trap, baited it and placed it up there! everything is still in place!

This morning Den climbed up, opened the door and stood there looking with a spotlight but found nothing, however when he pulled his arms down some lovely feces came with it! EWWWWW.......I was telling Branden about it and he says, "that's nothin' mom, you should see the pile up there!" Great just great.  I'm so creeped out by this animal, as are the girls; so much so that they won't even sleep in their bedroom (can you blame them? the attic is right outside their bedroom door).  It doesn't help that my son, the great hunter, continues to feed me disgusting information about the raccoon!!

We are going to try and bait the trap with cat food and see if the varmint will go after it! I sure hope so. . . .I can't imagine mama and babies living up there for much longer, and if so will it turn into this??????

This morning as I was praying, thanking God for the blessings He's given to me, I realized I wasn't really thankful for a few things because I complain about them.  Then God gave me an epiphany (I love it when He does that) and I heard His voice say, "do you realize in your grumbling that you put pressure on your husband that he isn't a good provider, that he has to figure out how he can work, even harder, to please you?" I completely submitted my way, my ignorance, my will to Him and asked His forgiveness.  So many things God has truly blessed me with, straight from His hand, and I still find cause to want, to covet.  I'm embarrassed to even admit this, yet maybe in my admission, someone else will pause and thank God, truly thank Him, for the provisions He has blessed them with; to not look at what we "don't" have but to look at all we "do" have.

season to season

you can see a tiny bit of sparkle!

A week ago we had a wonderful taste of spring; out came the fleeces, hoodies and even, one day, short-sleeved tee shirts.  People all over suburbia were outside; cleaning up their yards, walking, even sitting in their lawn chairs, enjoying the sunshine and warmer (50's) temps.  Its a crazy time of year when your ready for winter to end and spring to begin. I did the unthinkable and put away all of our winter outerwear! Did I "jinx" myself by doing that? some say yes! I did live to regret it, as this past Tuesday we got yet another winter storm; thunder, lightening, rain, snow and ice!  It was amazing, beautiful and awesome!  Call me crazy! but I found myself totally drawn to the window watching it all play out.  As I listened to the groans and moans of my winter weary friends I found solace and delight in the storm; its fury, its beauty.  We awoke (after 8 hours without power), to an amazing scene painted by God's hand.  Simply gorgeous, breathtaking and unbelievable.  Schools were closed (our last snow day allotted for the year) and life came to some what of a stand still.  Not only was there snow blanketing the tress but there was a layer of ice around and on top of everything.  Three days later, we are still basking in the beauty of that storm.  Nothing has melted, everything is still as it was Wednesday morning, with the exception of clear roads.  The sun has peeked out, two days in a row, and it highlights the ice on the landscape.  Not once was I disappointed about the storm; (hey we live in Michigan and its still typically winter),  but was completely thankful that God chose to bless us with such beauty.  Spring will come, with all its splendor and glory, and we will accept it, embrace it and enjoy it; yet for now, I'm choosing to enjoy, without yearning for spring, what God gives me each day.  I'm, typically, in the over-anxious mode, but God has been slowly showing me, directing my thoughts and eyes, to finding the blessings of each day.  All too quickly life can change, in the blink of an eye; my situation could always be worse; and that its all about perspective. God has a great way of changing one's perspective, sometimes he allows my story to encourage or challenge another and sometimes their stories challenge and encourage me; either way I'm choosing to "seize the moment" enjoying the offering from His hand. . . .

a Quandry. . .

Answer:  "Perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation"
I've been laboring over something, an issue, for quite some time.  It did not just appear but its been slowly becoming more evident each week.  This involves an issue that we continually address with our daughter, and even, at times both girls.  I am trying to be objective, yet I have this issue blatantly starring me straight in the face.  This is not only affecting me, but my manboys as well.  My struggle is confrontation; do I continue to pray and hope that God deals, personally, with this individual or do I take a bold step; of course with fear, trepidation and lots of prayer, and do it?  I've been praying, for weeks, about this; hoping that God would move in this person's heart; yet each week it gets a wee bit worse, and each week I'm finding myself getting more angry, to the point of seething.  Honestly I pray over this every single day, sometimes multiple times a day, asking God to give me wisdom and help in this area.  What to do? What to do? any suggestions?

a Victoria-ism . . . . .

Today dawned another beautiful spring-like day here in Michigan.  Victoria wanted to go outside and jump on the trampoline, so I took a book from class out to read while she jumped.  She climbed down, came inside and grabbed a drink box and brought it outside, sitting it beside me.  I looked at her and said, "take that back inside and put it back in the refrigerator."  She says, very emphatically, "How can you say no to a little girl who just wants a drink box?" then she looks at me and says, "huh?"

a Colson-ism. . . . .

This morning Branden went into the living room and asked Colson why he wasn't wearing green in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  Colson says, "Branden, Catholics wear green and Prostitutes (Protestants) wear orange!"

a Victoria-ism. . .

Jacqueline and Victoria were watching a kids game show tonight.  A group of kids enter and come on stage and Jacqueline says something about one of the boys being overweight (fat) and Victoria pipes in, "he's not fat he just ate too much food!" Gotta love the precious mind of a four year old and how they see life!

I can't. . . . .I won't. . . .really God?

For the past few months I've been struggling with something God has asked me to do, nothing major, but God and I have been doing the "battling of the wills"; what I want to do verses what He wants me to do.  Of course, I would give Him many reasons why I couldn't do what He was asking (non of which were valid) but for me they seemed good enough responses.  Last night during our prayer service, at church, Den had the opportunity to share.   He spoke out of Colossians 1:9-14 with the emphasis on, "Do you glorify God in your living?  do you reflect Him and His glory in all you do?"  That statement stopped me dead in my tracks.  I sat there, completely humbled, knowing that I was not glorifying God, especially when I'm trying to get "my" way.  I completely asked God's forgiveness and felt He shared with me an epiphany, "if you would just let go and allow me to work you would gain a better understanding of me and my Word.".  I surrendered my will, my wants, my way and am choosing His way.  What a "huge" relief it was to let go.   Now. . . .onto the task He has asked me to do! I'm totally up for it, ready and anxious to "take it on!"

Tori reading to her teddy bear.

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Adam and Evil

This morning Victoria slept in very late, I even checked in on her several times because typically she is up, at or before, 7am.  When she finally did make her way downstairs the first thing she says to me is, "mommy will you rockie me?"  (I love her morning snuggles and realize all too soon, that she will outgrown this stage.)  We made our way to the rocking chair and she settled in on my lap.  As we were chatting Colson began talking about Adam and Eve (Evil, as Colson used to say).  Victoria says, "hey guys, stop and listen to me, I know that story, let me tell it!"  She proceeds to share the story and I ask her if she heard that in Sunday School and she says, "no, daddy told it to me when I was in the tub one day."

Den has an unbelievable gift of story telling, real and make believe and he has, for all of our children, shared stories with them, especially Bible Stories.  I love to listen to his stories, too and I especially love hearing the kids retell them.  I am so thankful for this man God blessed me with; he's a fantastic husband, friend, dad and man of God! I love that he continues to take time and share God's Word with our kids, young and old.

What a blessing to have free karate offered at our church. We have an amazing instructor.

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Brennan has a special education teacher, at school, who has been causing him grief over carrying his Bible to class (Brennan is respectful, kind, thoughtful, considerate and in no way a disruptive teen). This has been going on for over a year.  This teacher wrote him up for having his Bible in her class ,last year, and gave him detention.  Of course, we immediately went to the administration where they, overstepping her classroom authority, revoked his detention.  This week he, once again, was called-out and sent into the hall for having his Bible on his desk, where she proceeded to tell him that he was NOT allowed to bring it there again.  Brennan doesn't propagate it, nor does he use it as a defense; he simply carries it to each class, just as the students who carry a Koran or students who carry "Llterature" books.  For some reason this teacher has some deep issues with the Bible and God.   We spoke to this teacher on Tuesday after the "incident" and its basically a case of, "he said, she said."

So. . . .now what?  We're still encouraging Brennan to carry his Bible, he still has the right too; and we are praying for his teacher.  Last night, after I prayed with Colson, he said, "mom we forgot to pray for Brennan's teacher and that she will find God."  So he and I, once again, approached the Throne of Grace and asked God to work in the heart of Brennan's teacher.

~A New Year's Day Wedding~

Our beautiful family

Victoria and Walker     

Colson and Wilson  

Bryan and Emily