FRIDAY (as remembered early Sat a.m.)

I am stretching to remember what we did - we were busy....

Curves.

Trip to the ER. They had said they would remove Jamin's stiches. They decided to leave them in until at least Monday. They DID remove the splint.

Shopping for more wound dressing supplies.

Horrors - I'm totally OUT of produce and we didn't do produce co-op today.

It rained ALL day - flash flood weather. That always provides great excitement.

We picked up and cleaned around home.

I decided it was the perfect day for tea. We hosted a meeting for the group going to World View Academy. It was fun to have folks in the house to sort of SIT AND RELAX - as opposed to run in and grab groceries and run out. ::snort:: We made a fruit tray, tea, ice water and hot chocolate. I was able to use my pretty tea things...or some of them....I also pulled a few dozen rounds of cookie dough from the freezer. Earlier in the week I'd used the frozen spaghetti sauce....this freezer thing is helping...unfortunately, I may use it all up before we begin school.

Our older two worked late.

I ended up not having company last night - which was GOOD - Mike had worked until 9 p.m. 3 nights of the week....gone in for 1/2 a day on his day off (Wed)...and I don't think we were really up to hosting on Friday night....because the weekend looks full too. LOL

Those of us at home watched "Son of Paleface" - an old Bob Hope movie. We're trying to find Paleface.

Our evening was interupted by some fantastic rolling thunder/lightening storms. Michael and I love to watch storms. We all spent 40 minutes or so on the back patio watching....then I left the blinds open so we could watch them from bed all night long.

Stacia and Zander weren't 100% positive that they appreciated the continuous noise

BOOK WINNERS

This week's winners are Lisa B - *For the Childrens' Sake*

Thoughtful Mom - *Homeschooling the Early Years*

Please email me your address by Wednesday. If you have my personal email address go for it - or email to not2many9@yahoo.com.

I'll post new books tomorrow.

~Thursday ~

(Then and Now post will still come but let me briefly recap yesterday).

Michael had to leave for work at 6 a.m. He's been in early and out late (8 - 9 p.m.) all week. We'll be glad when THIS work week is over.

Bowers headed down the road.

Stacia proves she is a TCK (Third Culture Kid) and refuses to say goodbye. ::snort::

Tricia had invited us to the pool. We don't usually go early in the day, but we didn't have a thing planned, so we headed over. We met up with Yvonne and Adrienne and their children at the pool too. (All the pool photos have other family's children - so no photos). Yvonne and her family have recently become full time RVers. It was fun to visit with her. They are staying at the base's rec camp. She mentioned another homeschool family is living there too and THAT mom is planning an "RV birth".

Headed home for late snack/lunch...nap time, chapel paperwork, and prep for Civil Air Patrol.

Jared took a test at CAP and passed with a score over 90%. They do PT in two weeks and then he'll be able to promote from cadet to airman.

The older two young men worked a long day - they are having a mall grand "reopening" (though it never closed???), tax-free shopping this weekend, and a company inspection as well. All this with a manager and several employees out of town and Jamin's finger not working well. LOL

Stacia's Favorite/Most Hated Birthday Gift of All

Jamin contemplated, considered, and finally purchased this for Stacia. The thing imitate everything you say and parrots it back. It's a huge HIT not only with Stacia, but with all of the fabulous four. In fact, Beth has several on her Christmas list that she plans to give it to.

Thursday morning I walked into the kitchen and found it on my microwave....I jumped a mile. I walked past, hadn't even noticed it and it ROARED at me and squawked "stop it, stop it". ::snort::It IS great fun! Jamin bought it at Wal-mart. Be prepared for NOISE. It broke our "no noisy toys" rule...but it is a favorite. LOL

How do you cram as much fun as possible into one day?
or
Stacia's Second Celebration!

Quote of Yesterday: Zander informed Don and Beth that "Jesus says when the sun comes up - it's time to WAKE UP!"

After opening the gifts from Jamin and Jared, and waiting for Don and Mike to get home from the base, we headed to Gatti's to have lunch, play, and celebrate Stacia's birthday.

Stacia could barely see the top of the table but was determined to play air hockey (3 faces of Stacia?)

Bumper cars are always a "hit" Don and Mike joined the young men for a round of bumper cars and quickly became target numero uno. ::snort::

I got a kick out of this shot....all from our party lined up in a row playing some car chase game

Arielle used her tickets to buy more gifts for Stacia - cool shades!
Jamin and Josiah had to head to work; we headed home for "details" that had to be done before our buddies left town.

Beth corrupted my younger children - taught them some darling card tricks ::snort::

We also spent the afternoon visiting about all sorts of things....parenting, schooling, medical issues...I entered parenting a bit before most of my friends and so hit the "leaving the nest phase" earlier...we discussed that a bit.....It was a precious day.

Jordan and Jared really enjoyed their time together

Mike and Don worked on wiring for the trailer they picked up down here. Jared had taken "tops of the heads" shot as they worked. I told them if they didn't want another of those photos on the blog, they'd best cooperate - and THIS is what they gave me to work with.

At 8:00 Beth and I decided to take the fabulous four to Chick Fil A for dinner. They were getting slammed when we walked in. Who would guess a dinner rush at 8 p.m.???? Stacia amused us all by repeatedly waving and saying, "Hi, Cy" and "Hi Jay" The younger three were really fascinated by seeing Jamin and Cy at work. LOL Stacia opened the rest of her gifts LATE at night - about 10:30 LOL. Love this expression - Arielle looked and looked for the right baby for her. She really does like it...but scrutinized it carefully upon introduction.Stacia clutching her keys, cell phone and baby bottle....she's ready for life. ::snort::

One very tired girl, late, late, late....immediately before Cy hauled her off to bed

Don and Cy stayed up late when he got home trying to get HIS laptop up on the wireless network....they ran out of time. We need to call HP.

Check back later tonight or tomorrow to see:

~More then and now shots of the B and G family (does this make YOU want to visit us???)

~Today's quote of the day (if I can remember what it WAS - just remember everyone telling me about it)

~Photos of the favorite/most hated birthday gift of all

Things are not as they should be or I'm a tad bit sad...

I realized last night and this a.m. (early) that I'm sad. I've been friends with Beth for over 25 years - our freshman year at Bible College. Michael and Don have been friends even longer - they were OLD upper class men and staff when WE arrived. ::snort::

When we moved from OR we met with Don and Beth and their family several times for camping trips. This time they are visiting us. It's the first time we've all gotten together when our GIRLS aren't here. Our girls have been in Master's Commission for two years...and I'm fairly used to them being absent now....but things aren't quite RIGHT. Sarah, Don and Beth's daughter, got married a week or two ago and moved to WYOMING! - how DARE THEY!!! Grow up and out of our homes....sigh..but never out of our hearts. I've been thinking of those early days and friendships....of the girls as babies....learning to crawl and squalling at the mall while new mommies learned to nurse in public....and now they range from 20 - 22.....it made me sad...and happy at the same time.

Of course, preparing to say goodbye to one of my sister friends this a.m. puts me in a melancholy mood ANYWAY - but the girls certainly SHOULD have been here for this visit. I'm going to have to speak to the three of them. LOL

*I'LL HOLD YOU IN HEAVEN* by Jack Hayford

This small book, with a powerful message, was published in 1986. I don't believe it is still in print, but a quick amazon search shows 79 used copies available - starting as low as .01. A remembrance book by the same title, written by Debbie Heydrik is currently in print.

This book covers healing and hope for the parent who has lost a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion or early infant death. Pastor Jack (currently the leader of the Foursquare denomination) demonstrates how the answers to life's tough questions are found in Scripture.

As Pastor Jack says, "This isn't myth, fable, legend, or a selection of poetic thoughts for the sorrowful. This is truth to set us free. Here we are specifically freed to expect to meet children in heaven, to recognize them, and to be with them."

Pastor Jack writes with compassion and calls us to compassion of those who have lost an infant...yes, the same compassion to those whose loss came through abortion. He honestly lays out the steps that God took him through in order for him to love as Christ did "while we were yet sinners Christ DIED for us." He confesses his past attitudes towards abortion. He in no way is "easy" on abortion but he is compassionate. A story in the book about how God moved in the life of one lady who contacted the CPC run by Church on the Way moved me to tears.

There are many quotes that I could share. I've decided not to. If you are struggling with grief, questions etc having to do with "early flight" babies, I think it is worth the time to find this book and read it in it's entirety. If you find yourself ministering to those who have suffered miscarriages, abortions, stillbirths....this book would also give you firm hope in how to compassionately speak and minister.

I first read this book years ago - shortly after our first miscarriage - would have been over 22 years ago. I found hope and comfort in it's pages. I nearly set the book aside this read after the first chapter because I found that I now have some major differences in theology with Pastor Jack. We've become what some term as "quiverful" (though really not quite enough for those who are quiverful watchdogs - some of you KNOW what I mean ::snort::) and Pastor Jack is certainly not. I remembered being comforted by this book before and so I continued to read. I'm glad I did. Many new areas spoke to me this read. I would have missed the blessings of the book, if I had discounted all he said because he disagrees with me on the issue of birth control. There were a couple spots in the book that I marked for future study in the Word. Yes, this is a book that is not only highlighted but one where I talked back to the author in the margins.

Pastor Jack deals with questions of life and it's beginning, when a life receives a soul, what happens to the baby after loss, will I know and recognize my early flight baby, how to grieve....

One quote that applies to all of us - regardless of our prenatal experiences: "My evangelical orthodoxy required me to insist that I had to overcome sin by resisting it in others - not only in myself. Wherever I found it, I found myself succumbing to a "watchdog" mentality of critiquing my culture, rather than a shepherd mindset towards lovingly seeking the lost. That is, until I thought through the way Jesus overcame sin. The way He overcame sin was in SURRENDERING HIMSELF TO LOVE (my emphasis) - to stand forgivingly before it until His love overcame it. " page 108.

May we all become shepherds of our culture rather than expert critics of our culture. There is a difference. Our culture needs us to introduce it to an extravagant love of Jesus. Just deleted the rest of this paragraph - enough said. ::snort:: Off the soapbox.