Cuttin' a Rug...

Not sure if you can call it that if you're not actually dancing on carpet....hmm... Anyway, there was no specific event that lead to Samuel's outbreak of joyful dancing. Just an 8-year-old boy diggin' the sound of his flying feet on the laminate floor. Enjoy!

Anyone Want an Amish Friendship Bread Starter?

Amish Friendship Bread starters have been taking over our house lately. I finally decided to freeze one, throw two away, and keep the last one going because John and Samuel LOVE it. I'm due to bake the bread on Thursday and then I'll have, yes, four more starters...so....if anyone is in the mood for some bread baking, let me know.

Here's a pic from Samuel's soccer game on Saturday. I can't seem to get the timing right on when to press the button (I wanted him actually kicking the ball...), but it's a fairly good pic anyway. You can tell he intends to kick it! They lost again, but only 0-2. It hasn't been a great soccer season as far as winning games, but I think Samuel is having a good time.

Here is a picture from our dinner cruise on the Southern Belle in Chattanooga, TN. After I took this picture and we started to go back down for our dinner we discovered that it was far more scenic on the OTHER side of the boat. Oh well... Samuel, Matthew & Megan all seemed to have a good time. Samuel even learned the macarena. Bars and dance floors are really not an appropriate scene for my 8-year-old son, so I doubt we'll ever go again, but I'm glad we finally got the chance to go since I've always wanted to see what it was like.

This blog was edited on 10/29/2008 to remove blogging and pictures of something I gave to my secret sister at church. I originally posted it thinking "how on earth would she ever see that?" and lo and behold, now there is a chance. Slim, but still there. Oh well. In the event she reads this, she may realize who I am, but I would be surprised if she didn't already know anyway.

Writing the Bible

Crosswalk.com sends me a weekly email with interesting articles, movie reviews, etc... I always enjoy these emails and read most of the articles that they provide links for. Back a couple weeks ago, the first article in their email was called "Writing the Bible Can Be Good for Your Soul". After reading it, I decided to give it a try. They suggest a verse or a chapter, but my inner overachiever kicked in and I've started writing the book of Psalms in the NKJV. I've written the first five chapters in a pretty pink notebook. I can't say I've memorized the scriptures, but it sure does make you think about each and every word when you are writing them. And I end up re-reading the verses multiple times, if only to make sure I didn't miss a word or phrase. Here is the article:

http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11581909/

After I started this writing project, I saw an advertisement about the Zondervan "Bible Across America Tour". Zondervan is taking a bus across America and having the Bible (NIV version) hand-written out one verse at a time. I would love to be a part of it...they will be in Chattanooga on November 30th, so I'm going to try to be there.

http://www.bibleacrossamerica.com/home.php

Future Pastry Chef

OK, so these pictures are from last year...but had I taken pictures last night while Samuel was helping John make a cheesecake, they would have looked EXACTLY like this, so this isn't technically cheating. Today was "Career Day" at school for Samuel and he wore his apron and funky hat and also went wielding a spatula. I don't know for sure exactly when it was, but sometime between ages 4 and 5 Samuel decided he no longer wanted to be a bus driver (he was obsessed with buses), but that he wanted to make cakes for the rest of his life. Not a bad career choice I think. I watch "Ace of Cakes" and wonder if that could be Samuel one day? John and I dream of him making it big and us living off our boy one day.. ha ha. Samuel, of course, has decided I need to run the cash register at his pastry shop. Oh well....

Shadow Feet by Brooke Fraser

This is my new favorite song. Every time I hear it I stop what I'm doing and just sing...



Walking, stumbling
On these shadow feet
Toward home, a land that I’ve never seen
I am changing
Less and less asleep
Made of different stuff than when I began

And I have sensed it all along
Now fast approaching is the day

CHORUS
When the world has fallen out from under me
I’ll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I’ll be found in you

There’s distraction
Buzzing in my head
Saying in the shadows it’s easier to stay
But I’ve heard rumours of true reality
Whispers of a well-lit way

CHORUS

Bridge
You make all things new

CHORUS

CHORUS 2
When the world has fallen out from under me
I’ll be found in you, still standing
Every fear and accusation under my feet
When time and space are through
I’ll be found in you
When time and space are through
I’ll be found in you
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you

Our New Baby

We are the new owners of a 1994 Mercedes E320. I didn't imagine when the Escort was wrecked that we would buy an even older car, with even higher mileage, but this is an awesome car. We were lucky to get a really good deal on it, and it's in great shape. John is very proud of his new car as you can see!

September 13, 2008

Today was Samuel's first soccer game of the season. I didn't get many good pictures because I was too busy trying to remain calm while the other team thoroughly stomped all over our little Tiger team. I believe the score was 0-9, although in Upwards we technically don't keep score (but you can bet the parents do! ha ha) Samuel did a great job running, although he still struggles with fear of the ball. Hopefully, we will be more evenly matched against whatever team we play next week!

Samuel's insect project was finally completed with a lot of work on the part of all three of us. John held the bugs, I held the hot glue gun, and Samuel labeled the cards and helped me get them in the pizza box. He also had to fill out an information sheet on each bug, so that took a lot of time. John helped with the internet research. Overall, it was a fun experience and we all learned a lot. I was thrilled the day Samuel got those bugs out of my house! :-)




I have no pictures of our poor little Ford Escort, but John had a major wreck this week and the car is no more. A teenager pulled in front of him and John hit him hard. It was a very frightening experience...especially when they had to cut the boy out of his car and then the Chaplain showed up! Amazingly, both the boy and John are OK. John has a wound (an air bag burn?) on his head and around his eye is bruised. I thank God every day that He protected John the way that he did.