Carel Chronicles

Rylee

2011-06-27T22:11:00.011-05:00

Introducing my new niece, Rylee Lynn...

in Grammy's garden

sweet face

the Mommy

the Daddy

Descriptive Writing

2011-04-04T20:37:00.009-05:00

What pleasure and satisfaction I have to see my children succeed in all they do. To watch them grow spiritually and see godly character develop in them brings me joy beyond measure. My children have special gifts and talents as all children do. Jacob has always been creative at everything he puts his hand to, including writing. Here is a paragraph he wrote for his descriptive writing class last week.

Water was trickling into my mouth and nose. It felt as if I had a bonfire inside my lungs. Up! I jumped off of the pebbly death bed beneath me and gasped for a breath of fresh air. Oh, the pure joy in that breath. I felt as if I had gone from being tortured to the pleasure of finishing my math lesson. Just like smelling a fragrant flower and that scent flees too quickly, I was sinking. “Help!” I cried, but no answer. As I sunk down to my watery death, I thought maybe I would be able to jump off the bottom again. Up! This time there was a couple next to me. “Help!” I screamed, but to my horror they didn’t hear me. Up, down, up, down. Finally, after what seemed to me like an hour, I saw my dad approaching. “Thank you, Lord,” I thought to myself. I clutched on to my dad’s shirt as I was being carried back. I whispered to him, “Thank you.”

Our News Anchor

2011-03-16T21:23:00.003-05:00

Ed and I were sorting through pictures tonight and found this video clip Sophie made with her camera. We've never seen it before and laughed very hard. Enjoy!

Coming To Theatres Soon!!

2011-02-10T20:51:00.006-06:00

This is Jake's new movie project. Dedicated to Grandpa Jack who provided the soundtrack.

She's 1!!!

2011-01-16T22:19:00.024-06:00

Fourth baby and I've finally decided not to introduce sugar just because its their birthday. So Amelia got a muffin made from scratch: freshly ground flour soaked in homemade buttermilk, farm fresh eggs, real maple syrup, and cultured cream cheese colored with beet juice instead of frosting. She loved it! This was probably the sweetest thing that has ever touched her lips. Plus, I didn't fear she would make herself sick after gorging herself.

This is one of Amelia's favorite friends, Mr. Hale. How sweet, she's sharing her muffin with him.

Amelia loved her presents but she loved Lucy's Rosy doll even more; so much that she cried every time it was taken from her. At the end of the party Miss Vicki made a special trip to buy Amelia her very own Rosy. Miss Vicki is the best!

By Popular Demand - Amelia 11 months

2010-12-18T22:55:00.008-06:00

Gone are the days of turning my back for even a split second. She’s walking, talking, and keeping us on our toes; not to mention she puts everything in her mouth...e v e r y t h i n g. I won’t tell you what, it’ll make you gag. But she is sweeter than pie and such an obedient little girl. Here are some pictures from the past month to catch you up.

Homeschooling Helps

2010-12-14T22:04:00.018-06:00

Jacob and Sophie just completed the first session of a homeschool online writing class with Home 2 Teach . They logged on to their class every week for an hour of instruction where they interacted with their teacher and classmates. They had three assignments due every week: a vocabulary assignment, a paragraph, and typing assignment. The class covered: grammar, spelling, vocabulary, sentence structure and reference materials to name a few. One aspect I liked about the class was that I was not able to help them AT ALL. There were tears the first week, but then the kids grew confident and were determined to hand their assignments in on time in order to make it to the Honors Club; which, by the way, had nothing to do with a grade. They typed all their lessons in MLA format and e-mailed them to their teacher. She would correct spelling errors in blue and grammar errors in red. They would then correct their original paper and re send. Sometimes they had several revisions before she sent them an e-mail saying, "This draft looks great, Sophia. You have corrected all the errors and your sentences flow smoothly. You are done with 4B." Teacher Kim. or "Looks great, Jacob. I like how you used "with that" as an alternative transition word. This is a nicely written paragraph; your sentences flow well. You are done with 4B." Teacher Kim.

Week 5 they wrote a paragraph where they had to persuade or convince using four reasons why their audience should believe. I was quite impressed with what they came up with.

Carel1

Jacob Carel

Teacher Kim

Fundamentals 1

12\12\2010

Every Child Should be Homeschooled

I believe every child should be homeschooled. One, your child goes to school at seven in the morning and comes back at five o clock with an hour of homework. After that it’s usually time to eat and go to bed, so you really don’t get much time to bond with your child. Two, when your child goes to school, you really have no idea who they could be influenced by .Three, some children need one on one teaching. Four, your child won’t get sick as often because he is crammed in a school room with twenty other kids or more. Five, after a while your child will come to love you and come to you for help. Six, it has been proven that home schooled children are smarter; for instance, I know a girl who just turned nineteen and already finished her bachelors degree. That is why I believe every child should be homeschooled.

Carel1

Sophia Grace Carel

Teacher Kim

Fundamentals 1

12/6/2010

Every Girl Should Babysit

I think that every girl should babysit; it would give them full responsibility for when they grow up. They will learn how it would be when they have children. And it will leave them to be able to take care of a child. It is also a really good way to earn money and a fun way to earn money. I also think it is good to have a little fun with the the kids. You can take things and teach them how to do some of those things. That’s why I think girls should babysit.

Our Pasture Paradise

2010-10-15T23:30:00.014-05:00

Well we made it to the end of our living in the office, packing, construction, living in limbo season of life and crossed the finish line. See Millie in the beautiful new farm sink with the 100 year old restored planks for the backspash and oak countertops. We loved it.......while it lasted. With the passing of the above mentioned season of life and enjoying our freshly renovated home for a total of one day the unthinkable occurred, a broken water pipe in the wall. Can you say flood? Yes we had water seeping under our freshly handscraped and sealed hardwood floors just days after they were finished. Now we get to start all over again. Have you seen Groundhog Day where Bill Murray woke up in the sleepy little town over and over again reliving the same day? That's us. And while I know there are much greater tragedies in life, this one took the skip out of my step and the whistle from my lips.

So we breathe deep, thank God for his greatness and Allstate insurance for their policy and move on again. We have torn out much of the damaged material and will commence the renovation again next Thursday. We will keep you posted.

What's in store you ask? New cabinets, floors, trim, plumbing, paint and about four weeks with no kitchen...again. We are accepting dinner invitations.

Ed

A mockery

2010-09-08T13:26:00.008-05:00

Have you ever been made fun of or mocked? By your own child? It’s usually not a laughing matter but this had me in tears. The kids love to get on Photo Booth and make little video clips. This one was saved in the archives. Ed said Sophie had me nailed...how embarrassing.

Normal???

2010-09-06T22:45:00.013-05:00

My kids aren't normal....and I am so glad. At a time when normal for kids is living indoors in large sealed climate controlled homes watching Disney, Nick, MTV, PS 1, 2, 3, X-Box, WII, DVD, Blue Ray, Chat, IM, Text, Face Book, and 15 different practices/camps/private lessons, today my kids played with card board boxes, crayons, spray paint, and a dolly for most of the day.

Here’s what we are doing these days. We are fasting media. But before you call CPS, let me explain. We have never been much of a media family, in fact in our 16 years of marriage I think we have had cable for about 2 years. Not because we’re broke and it didn’t make the budget, but because we always had an intrinsic gut level feeling that it is a huge life sucking brain vacuum. So rather than participating in a voluntary TV brain lobotomy, we talk, play and hang out with each other, read, or work around the house.

Have you ever gotten one of those chain e-mails that talk about the good ole days when kids were free to roam and play, the kind that make you long for a time when life was more simple? Yeah me too, but guess what? It still exists if you can unplug long enough to notice. This brings me back to our media fast. We had noticed our kids being unusually restless and discontent over the past several months. Comments like, “I’m bored” and “there is nothing to do” or “it’s too hot” or "its too cold” became normal. In the past the kids loved to read. In fact, I would at times pick up 20 to 30 books Gretchen had on hold at the library and the kids would bombard me when I got home to see if the books they ordered were there. We realized that we had unwittingly let media/games via the computer take a dominant role in their daily activity. Not unsupervised, but stuff like lego.com, Godtube, WebKinz, and NetFlix. We said we didn’t have TV, but streaming cartoons and family flicks through the portal of Netflix is kinda like TV. Right? So we wanted to simplify and get back to basics to see if it impacted our kids attitudes. Guess what...it had. It’s been amazing to see the kids become content again with sketching notebooks, board games, books, and yes, cardboard boxes. I have not heard I’m bored for awhile now and loving it.

Here is another great benefit. They don’t want a bunch of stuff or think they are fat because they are comparing themselves to toothpick girl on whatever teen rave sitcom. Advertisers spend millions and millions of dollars and thousands of intellectual hours figuring out how to make our kids discontent. Not just with stuff like toys, but with who they are. All so they will go out and drink their earth saving water or wear their hip (or far below the hip) jeans, or use their sport equipment so they won’t be losers anymore and will finally attain “coolness” ..... for a moment.

So don’t go and throw your TV out the window or bash your computer screen just because my kids dig playing in cardboard boxes and read books, but give it a shot and see for yourself. Set aside a period of time, unplug and watch your kids (after they start breathing again from an anxiety attack) begin to master the art of creative play and thought. It may take a bit of an adjustment period, so don’t, after only missing ONE of their favorite shows, give up. And don’t give up because your neighbor, or family members think your are a freak. Hang in there and see what exciting and creative being your child will become.

And by the way, don’t worry about peer pressure. Your kiddos might become influencers on your street when they cruz their tricked out cardboard box by.

Amelia - 7 1/2 months

2010-08-31T21:10:00.012-05:00

Amelia is on the move. The kids have so many nick names for her but the newest is "Hot Shot" cuz she thinks she is BIG stuff. Not only is she crawling but can go to a full stand from a squatting position without the support of a piece of furniture. My babies all walked before a year but I don't remember any of them standing at such an early age. Oh, do babies grow too fast or what? I am grateful God gave Amelia to us. She has been so much fun and has blessed us beyond measure.

Movin to the Country

2010-08-25T10:50:00.021-05:00

All packed up and ready to go!!!

The lane to our new house.

For those of you who know us know we have dreamed of living and raising our children in the country. The time has come. The Lord has brought us an amazing property within 15 minutes of our church home instead of the 40 minutes we have been driving every Sunday. This is something we have put much thought and prayer into but didn't know that God would have something in store for us NOW. Back in May, a family in our church phoned us and asked if we would be interested in purchasing their home on 7 acres, backed up to their neighbor's 3,000. We had shared with them just weeks prior that one day we really wanted to be closer to the church and on a few acres in the country. So here we are...listed our home in McKinney in July, got a full price offer in August, close this Friday, move out the same day. Here's the fun part...we get to live in Ed's office for 4-6 weeks, one room, no kitchen, 4 children, two dogs, and 1 cat. I'm trying very hard to keep a smile on my face. Our new home needs lots of TLC but thankfully I have an amazingly talented and creative husband who plans to do some great things with the house. I am most excited about are new hardwood floors and a farmhouse sink in my kitchen. More pics on this later. As for the outdoors, we plan to have our own mini homestead with a large garden, berry patch, cows, chickens, laying hens and possible milking goats. Any tips or advice on any of these are more than welcome.

Front yard.

Back yard.

Fishing on our new neighbor's pond. I think we caught over 10 fish.

I keep telling the kids raw food is best. I didn't mean for Jacob to take me so literally.

A MEME

2010-08-21T22:59:00.007-05:00

Ok Fine!!! You win Vicki. I'll do it.

1. What do you normally smell like? my homemade lavender & patchouli lotion

2. How far away do you live from your parents? 813 miles, 13 hours 32 minutes according to Google maps

3. Are you happy with your job? Wouldn't dream of trading it

4. What did you get in the mail today? Haven't a clue. Avoid checking the mail. (Sorry Vicki. I know you never got this about me.)

5.How do you like your steak cooked? medium...a little pink in the middle

6. What do you usually order at Taco Bell? Hmm, can't say I frequent Taco Bell. Maybe a crispy taco supreme.

7. Have you ever sat all the way through Gone With the Wind? Yes

8. Have you ever been to Mt Rushmore? No

9. Where is your favorite place (that you have actually been to)? Estes Park, Colorado. Can't wait to go back and take the kids.

10. What is your favorite candle scent? Patchouli

11. Have you ever smoked cigarettes? Not really.... Is that an answer???

12. Have you ever been to NYC or LA? Neither and have no desire to go to either

13. Are you currently planning a trip? Just got back from family camp. Illinois in the late fall.

14. Do you prefer to pack your own groceries? If it gets me home faster

15. What is your favorite snack? ice cream if I'm bad, apple and peanut butter if I'm good

Amelia - 5 months

2010-06-19T15:27:00.009-05:00

My sweet baby is changing every day and we are all continuing to enjoy every minute of her precious little life. Enjoy, yes, but fight is a little more accurate. I think I just may ground the older three kids from her for an entire day if they continue on as they have. This is what I hear on a daily basis, "It's my turrrrn", "I called her", "She held her longer than me", "It's not fair that he gets her again", "Why can't Amelia sleep with me", "She always sleeps with you", "Mommmm, she is hogging Amelia", ok, you get the point, Amelia is verrry popular around these parts. Even though it gets a bit old to hear these complaints, I am grateful they love and enjoy her as much they do. It's better than hearing, "Do I have to hold her again?".

Brace Face

2010-05-27T21:00:00.017-05:00

Brace face, tinsel teeth, metal mouth, railroad tracks, jaws, zipper lips, magnet mouth, cheese grater, fence face, and tin grin are just a few of Jacob's new names.

Braces don't do this to your face, but what does? Any guesses?

Don't Blink

2010-05-23T23:10:00.016-05:00

I just got back from a weekend of camping; I am sunburned, sore, exhausted, and my hair still has a faint smell of campfire. I spent 2 hours packing, 1 hour driving to camp, 1.5 hours setting up, 1 hour tearing down, 1 hour driving home, and 3 hours unpacking. That is nine and a half hours for a “quick” weekend getaway, hmmmm, but you know what? For the memories swirling through my mind right now and the special time I had with my family, I would do it all again ten times over.

The smile on my son’s face, as he burst into the camper this morning, while holding a slimy dripping catfish just a couple feet from my face exclaiming “I caught one”, makes it worth it.

The look on Sophia's face as she sat playing Uno with the late seventies couple we just met at camp, makes it worth it. The same old man, Larry, who does professional bead work for Indian tribes all over the country, taught Sophia how to bead, something he learned to do over fifty years ago...that makes it worth
it.

Vivian “took off” on her bike this weekend and officially has taken a spot as one of the “big kids.” While riding down a hill showing off her new skills to dad, the bike was gaining more speed that she knew what to do with. The utter expression of terror on her face and a quick cry for help was satisfied as she was caught safely by mom and dad just before crashing. Being there to catch her made it worth it.
Sitting at the campfire last night singing to the strum of the guitar, praising, and laughing together with young kids, preteens, teens, young adults, young families, older families, and older, wiser and slightly gray headed church family under a brilliant star specked sky made it worth it.

I enjoyed my many conversations with our camp neighbor, professional retiree’s who travel the country 365 day a year in their RV/rolling home. Our conversations were frequently interrupted by “hey dad, watch this” “can you help me for a minute” “dad, dad, dad, DDDDDAAAAADDDD.” My neighbor looked at me with a smile and a glistening sparkle in his eye and said, “Don’t blink cuz it will be gone in a moment and you will be left in a big empty house that was once loud and full of bodies and life, wondering where in the heck the time went.” It reminded me of a pastor who shared his experiences to a group of dads a coupe of weeks ago.. he said as a pastor he made many trips to the hospital to be with guys who were in their last moments. He said the seen was usually the same, as family members come around to sit with, cry with, pray with, and hold the one who is about to breathe their last breath. He said he never recalled a man, in his final moments of life, mustering just enough energy to speak his final words who then asked for his.....golf clubs to hold, key to the bass boat, or the many framed diplomas and service awards. They want what maters most, the people they love,family.

On the drive home tonight I asked Jacob what his most favorite thing about the weekend was, he said, “When we sat out fishing last night after everyone else went to bed”.....that makes it worth it.

So, I encourage you dads, push aside some time to go wipe some noses, knees or bottoms. Take a trip to the ballpark, lake, or hiking trail and enjoy your family... and whatever you do, don’t blink.

Ed

Amelia - 4 months

2010-05-15T22:02:00.017-05:00

My beautiful baby. She's growing up and doing big girl things...like rolling over. I seriously have never put her on her belly until today. Honestly she has barely left my arms. I am enjoying every second of this precious little life. What a blessing she is.

I love those eyes!

I love those cheeks!

I love those lips!

Lentil Soup - healthy, thrifty and delicious

2010-04-28T19:57:00.005-05:00

I found this recipe on the back of Stonyfield's plain whole milk yogurt container and made it for dinner tonight. I love it when I find a recipe that is one dish, easy to make, inexpensive, and healthy. This soup met all my requirements and my kids scraped their bowls clean. I know it's spring and you may not be in the mood for soup but this one will be a staple in my home regardless of the season.

Lentil Soup

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp chili pepper
2 cups lentils
2 quarts chicken stock
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt

Pour olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, sea salt and pepper. Saute until onions are clear, about 3-5 minutes. Add celery, carrot, garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili pepper. Stir and cook until vegetables are soft. Add lentils. Stir until lentils are coated with oil. Add enough stock to cover lentils. Cover pot and let simmer 30-45 minutes, until lentils are soft and creamy. Add more stock if lentils are too thick. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and 1/2 cup of yogurt. Reheat slowly before serving. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt.

(I used more oil, celery, carrot, stock and yogurt.)

Thanks Stonyfield!

Bunny Ears

2010-04-04T22:42:00.005-05:00

Happy Resurrection Day (Easter) from the Carel family. Now you and I both know that Easter is not really about bunnies and chocolate eggs, but when Gretchen saw the pattern for these hats she could not pass them up. She worked really hard making them in time for the girls to sport at church and Grandma’s for lunch. What I loved most about today was the innocence in which our kids worshiped, played, egg hunted and enjoyed the richness of a day with family without a bunch of tricked out hype. Just kicking around being kids and grateful to God for the gift of redemption that is expressed in the Passion Story.

Today I am thankful for:
God’s amazing gift of grace
The budding of spring time
Green grass
Fresh air
Our church
The innocence of my kids
My wife
My new baby
My dad’s brisket
Crocheted bunny hats

Sharkarosa

2010-04-03T00:08:00.034-05:00

Sharkarosa Ranch is a hands on wildlife preserve where you can get up close and personal with many of the animals and learn things you never knew to be true. Home to a capuchin monkey, red ruffed lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs, red fronted lemurs, ring-tailed lemurs, black lemur, brown lemur, pot bellied pig, llama, blue bobcats, capybara, grants zebras, grevy zebras, dromedary camels, american buffalo, royal tibetan yak, miniature zebu, whitetail deer, fallow deer, axis deer, barasingha deer, guanacos, nubian ibex, emu, mini horses, mini donkeys, zedonk, quarter horse, draft horses, 2-toed sloths, kinkajou, african crested porcupines, scarlet macaw, blue & gold macaw, eastern grey kangaroos, albino eastern grey kangaroos, western grey kangaroos, red kangaroo, bennett’s wallabies, swamp wallabies, binturongs. Ok, we didn’t learn about all of these animals. I didn’t even know some of these animals existed. But we did get to see them and learned about many of them.

Have you ever seen a zedonk? You know, half zebra, half donkey. We have. Check out this little guy’s striped legs.

This deer was injured by a car and is one of the many animals rescued at the ranch

We were able to touch and pet this precious 8 month old albino kangaroo.

Sharkarosa recently rescued two baby black bears. They were so cute.

Some of the presenters for Wild Home School Day this year were Mr. Zoo, Snake Farm, Critterman, Dr. Randy & his amazing skulls, and 911 Wildlife. The Critterman did presentations on a scorpion, snake, python, barn owl, porcupine, alligator, and possum.

Can you guess how much this barn owl weighs? Guess again, he is a whopping 1/2 pound.

Amelia did a great job looking cute for all the passers by. Grandma had a rough job too.

All my kids. Believe it or not I think this is the very first picture I have of them all together.

This camel really liked Jake. Look at it whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

A Hero

2010-04-01T16:22:00.003-05:00

We ran into this husband and father at Sharkarosa Ranch with his wife and kids. What a shirt! What a man! I think Ed needs one of these shirts. Any other secure men out there need one too? Keep posted, I may put in an order closer to Father’s Day.

Why I want a Camel

2010-03-30T20:41:00.014-05:00

Today we spent the day at Sharkarosa Ranch for Wild Home School Day. More on our day in another post. Today I fell in LOVE with camels, sorry Ed. I learned so much about this amazing animal God made. One day, hopefully soon, we plan to move to the country. With the country comes livestock, at least for us it would. I always assumed we would have a horse but today my mind was changed. A camel is a grass eater like a cow so the cost of feed would be extremely low. If we had enough pasture all we would need is hay for our short winter. Camels can withstand extreme temperatures surely to love our Texas weather. But most of all, camels have the sweetest nature of any animal I have ever been around. I was shocked at how the baby camel followed my kids around begging to be petted and hugged. The same was true for the adult camels as you will see in the picture of the camel kissing on Jacob’s neck. These animals thrive to be loved and to love.

Why a camel instead of a horse.

1. Camels have the reputation of being bad-tempered and obstinate creatures who spit and kick. In reality, they tend to be good-tempered, patient and intelligent.

2. Camels can travel many days without food or water. When riding a horse for more than half a day, you always have to be aware of water sources.

3. Camels are quieter and gentler than horses. Some people who are afraid of horses will be comfortable with camels. Situations that could panic a horse will scarcely cause any concern for a camel. If a horse gets really spooked, it could bolt and run off -- a dangerous situation. Camels will rarely act in such an insensible manner.

4. Camels seem smarter than horses about getting themselves out of a precarious situation. If a horse gets tangled up in a rope, it may struggle violently and get rope burns (or worse). A tangled up camel will, after briefly testing the bonds, sit quietly and figure out what to do next.

5. Camels can carry more weight than horses. Also, a well-designed camel saddle has more room to carry whatever extra gear you are packing than a horse saddle does.

6. Riding a camel is quiet and peaceful. Camel's slipper-like feet make hardly any noise. Without the clip-clop of hooves, you can hear the wind sighing in the brush, the rustle of autumn leaves, a coyote howl in the distance on a moonlight ride.

7. Camels do not need to be shod. The cost of shoeing horses can really add up!

8. You can make money with a well-trained camel. Not so easy to do with a horse! A camel can command as much as $100-$400 per hour, or $500-$2000 per day. Although these jobs may not come along very often, the money will go a long way towards offsetting feed and purchase costs.

9. There is a certain pride in riding a well-trained camel.

10. Camels' minds seem to be more complicated and interesting than horses'. Of course, this can be a disadvantage as well! 

11. Camels are a very hardy animal. They are easy to feed and vet care is minimal. They do require housing during bad weather and tall sturdy fences.

12. In many ways, camels make better pets than horses. Camels, if well treated, are more inquisitive, affectionate, and attention-seeking.

This is Batman. He is Sharkarosa's baby camel who roamed the ranch with freedom. The kids loved him.

The Little Sisters

2010-03-23T15:50:00.018-05:00

I thought these were so sweet of my little girls feasting on their fingers. Vivian prefers her middle two. At this point Amelia will take whatever she can fit. She works so hard to find her thumb and as soon as she does she moves and so does the thumb. Poor baby, life is rough when you're 2 months old.

GOTCHA!!!

Amelia - 2 months

2010-03-15T10:52:00.014-05:00

We are so in love with this precious little one. I can hardly believe that two months ago today, less than two hours from the time I write this, Amelia was born in this very same room just feet away from where I sit. Now I look at her and no longer see a newborn. She has graduated to infant with her chubby cheeks and thunder thighs. Oh how I love all of her, every crease and roll. It has been a heavenly two months, rocking her, and holding her, and kissing her, and squeezing her.

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Amelia - 2 weeks

2010-02-20T15:40:00.012-06:00

Here is Amelia at two weeks. We have been on hiatus from blogging since she was born spending time with and getting to know her. We are beginning to establish our new “normal” and life is feeling pretty good.

Wanted to say thank you for the overwhelming warmth and care that we have received in the many gifts, meals, kid watching, and acts of kindness from friends and family.

These photos where taken by our great friend, neighbor, fellow home school mom, and photographer. Thank you Melinda!!

Amelia Frances

2010-01-15T18:41:00.019-06:00

Amelia Frances Carel joined our family today, January 15, 2010 at 12:48 p.m. She weighs 8 pounds 6 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long.

Formed nine months ago as two cells meet, then perfectly knit together in the womb, the miracle of birth is an awesome display of God’s majestic splendor. Today I met my daughter for the very first time and although I have experienced the joy of being a new father three times before, the awe and wonderment of it all overwhelms me.

We chose this time to have our birth at our home under the amazing care and supervision of our midwife, Rene’e. It was such a privilege to share this miracle of new life with such a wonderful and godly woman. She and her assistant Rose Marie prayed and cared for Gretchen as she labored and then delivered. They graciously served us and made this experience a joy.

Mark and Jody Robinson drove from Illinois to be here for the birth. Jody has been at each of our children's births and it was such a privilege to have her with us again. She chased kids when necessary, helped prepare food, set up, cleaned up, took video, took pictures (amazing pictures of Amelia's first moments of life), encouraged and comforted us both. We did not see much of Mark as he had kid duty. What a gift to have them with us.

Gretchen and I were able to share a last minute date night last night and enjoyed a dinner and some time together “hanging out.” The birth was amazing. Her water broke at 3:00 a.m. about two hours after we went to bed. She progressed through the night and morning until about 11ish when labor truly began. We filled the tub (plastic kiddy pool) and prepared for the water birth. Gretchen was strong and I was very proud of her, after only about five strong contractions in the water, Amelia decided it was time to meet her expectant family. Gretchen caught Amelia and pulled her up and to her chest....amazing. We covered her and held her while Jake cut the cord. Each of the kids got to see, touch and kiss her before knowing whether they had a brother or sister.

The whole process was surreal. I look forward to the joy that this new life will bring to our family.

Party Girl

2009-12-16T22:38:00.021-06:00

My girl is growing up...last weekend was Sophie’s first ballet performance that was not just a mere 15 second toe tapping spin in a circle exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade the hours and hours and hours of sitting through ballet recitals for her 15 seconds of glory for anything. I always am proud of my girl, but this was a whole different kind of deal. This was the Allen Civic Ballet’s Nutcracker and Sophie was one of the Party Girls. She was absolutely stunning (did you notice the hair) and did a wonderful job preforming her parts. As I watched the show I experienced a wow sort of moment and had to reconcile with myself that my girl is growing up.

Ed

Friends

2009-11-21T00:17:00.000-06:00

It is not Halloween here, just the middle of summer back in 2004 when my sweet Sophie was only 3. Girls love to dress-up and any time is a good occasion. Not sure what Sophie is here...half ladybug, half clown maybe?

I am thankful for the Clark girls’ friendship in my daughter’s life. It has been such a joy watching them grow up together.

Rascals

2009-11-11T22:34:00.002-06:00

Sophia, Tanner, Jacob, Colin

Summer 2007

"You only meet your once in a lifetime friend... once in a lifetime."
~ from Little Rascals

The first time Jacob and Colin met was when Jake was 6 months and Colin 4 months. I flew to Corpus Christi to spend the weekend with Vicki. This was the first time Vicki and I would be together with our babies. We were "moms" now! I felt like a real grown-up. I think all we did the entire weekend was nurse our babies and talk. Not the way it is when we get together now. With 7 children between us, talking doesn't exactly happen. We have to yell to be heard over the chaos around us. Colin and Tanner are like brothers to Jacob. He would rather be with those boys than any other person on earth.

My Life

2009-11-08T18:27:00.000-06:00

There are rarely pictures of only me. How could there be when I am the one with the camera adorning my neck like a piece of jewelry. So during our spring break camp out Jacob stole the camera while I was enjoying God’s creation and a great book. He took dozens of pictures and shot this one of me. It is not cropped or edited….hmm, I may have a little photographer on my hands.

Every day there is something I want to blog about, a great accomplishment of someone in our family, a cute picture of one of my beautiful children, a fun family camping trip we took, a deep thought or conviction I want to share, our chicken mummy (Yes, we really made one.), but many other things end up taking priority over my blog. You know, all the jobs of wife, mommy, homemaker, and teacher; the dishes, laundry, homeschooling, cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, carpooling, drying of tears, wiping of noses (and bottoms), being referee, etc., etc., etc. And then making the time for all the sweet things, like taking a walk, going to the park, having a picnic, making a garden, playing with play-do, coloring a picture, or teaching Sophie one of the many handicrafts she is begging me to learn.

This may sound exhausting on paper, but I love it! I want to be available for all of the little teachable moments. The internet, e-mail, blog, telephone, or even a good book can so easily distract me from my biggest job and most important people whom God has so graciously blessed me with. I can’t handle regrets very well. I do not want the regret, in fifteen years when my kids are grown, that I was just too busy with my own agenda to truly enjoy them, to savor every minute I have with them. Yes, I always appreciate a date night with Ed or my monthly book club with friends. But I have found, since I started homeschooling two and a half years ago, the more I am home and with my kids, the less I desire “me” time or time away from them. They drive me crazy on a daily basis. But I’ve grown to enjoy my crazy life, my crazy kids, and my crazy family. The day will come when I have time to sit at my computer and share our life with many of you. In the meantime, continue to enjoy my sporadic postings.

No, we do not live in Uncertain, Texas, but certainly could not pass up the photo opportunity while exploring on our recent family camping trip.

My Baby

2009-11-03T23:20:00.000-06:00

In ten short weeks Viv will no longer be the baby. Being several years younger than Jacob and Sophie, she is catered to and cared for by everybody in the family. I might even admit she is a little spoiled and tends to get away with a bit more than the older two. But they don’t care because they baby her too and will often defend her coming to her protection when she’s in trouble. So what will life be like for Vivian when she is no longer the baby? Only time will tell but my guess is she’s ready to grow up and be a big sister too.

A Christmas That Counts

2009-10-31T23:32:00.005-05:00

Several months ago Ethiopia and her orphans became heavy on our hearts. We began to research ministries who reach and care for the many “least of these” in this country. We were pleased to find YWAM Ethiopia. YWAM Ethiopia reaches some of the most desperate orphans and widows.

Both Gretchen and I have served with and know well this wonderful ministry. YWAM is a ministry that serves in the US as well as around the world to offer God’s love in action to those in need. Gretchen was trained at YWAM Denver and has served in Guatemala’s remote villages and I partnered with YWAM Dallas serving the inner city youth program. Our relationship with this ministry extends over seventeen years.

Ever bought someone a goat or laying hens for Christmas?? We would ask that you consider supporting YWAM Ethiopia this holiday season as they impact REAL people this year. We have included some links buttons on our blog which will give details to the many opportunities.

To support a specific child or widow see the “Operation Giggle” button. The deadline for packages to be mailed is November 13, less than TWO weeks!

To purchase livestock or other needed items click on the “That We Might Be Adopted” button and then on the “Gift Catalog” button. Your gifts will be purchased in Ethiopia by their in-country representatives and distributed to those who need them most. No administrative fees will be deducted - 100% of your dollars will be used for widows, orphans and families.

Reformation Day

2009-10-31T22:04:00.025-05:00

One of our newer family traditions is to go camping over Halloween weekend. All you have to do when you take something away is to give back something even better and camping, to our kids, is much better than trick-or-treating or attending one of the over crowded alternative functions at a local church. Plus, they never miss “Halloween” because they don’t see all the other children in the neighborhood dressing up and walking up and down the streets. So it is October 31 today and we are not camping. We had it all planned out, the place, the food, the friends we invited to go with us. What happened to the tradition? I chickened out. I absolutely love to camp, especially now that we have a pop-up camper. However, the thought of being 30 weeks pregnant and using a port-a potty twenty times a day and multiple times a night just did me in. A family camping trip will have to wait for spring. So we took away camping this weekend but are still having fun. We had a family day! The kids look forward to family nights when we will play games, watch a movie, or go somewhere special together. But today we had an entire day. We started with donuts for breakfast to get them good and sugared up since we were already depriving them of trick-or-treat candy. Then we packed a picnic lunch and headed for a local trail park. There are things I miss about the north, like the turning of the leaves and four seasons, but love that here in the south we have “beautiful enjoy the outdoor days weather” year round. We have a week long forecast of clear blue skies and 70 degrees. So today we walked, hiked, explored, discovered, and enjoyed our time together.

Gretchen

Building a dam.

Sophie had a little nature backpack and notebook with her and took the time to sketch and label many things she found interesting. These included poison ivy, wild mushrooms, an ant hill, animal den and poison oak vines.

Dad sacrifices himself to provide a clean table for the kids to set their food.

After our day at the park we headed to our church for a Reformation Day cookout and worship service where we ate, worshipped together, and watched clips of a historical movie about Martin Luther.

But this was not the end!

So regarding the above mentioned no “trick or treating” thing. When we got to the church for the cookout, I could not help but notice the unusual amount of Chipotle burritos that everyone was eating. In fact, I wondered if maybe the church had decided to splurge and provide Chipotle, yeeee haw. However, that was not the case. We were informed that Chipotle, which by the way is pronounced (chi-poht-ley) see http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Chipotle, was giving, yes giving away free burritos, bowls, or tacos to anyone coming into the store adorned with aluminum foil. Now you and I both know that “wearing” foil on Halloween is kinda like dressing up. So what to do???? I hope y’all don’t think I am too pious to pass up free Chipotle over this. Heck, if they said I had to shove aluminum foil up my nose to get a free burrito, I would have been happy to do so. So we did, and had a great time together in the process. The last thing my three year old said to me when I tucked her in and kissed her goodnight was, “Thank you Daddy, I had a really, really lot of fun time today.

Thank you Lord for a great family and a fun day, and thank you Chipotle for the free burritos.

Ed

The History of Reformation Day

In late October, people all over the Western world dress up in costumes, attend parties, and consume handfuls of candy. Yet whether or not families join in on the Halloween festivities, very few recall one of the most significant events that ever happened on October 31. On that fall day in 1517, a young monk named Martin Luther nailed ninety-five theses to the castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany, which addressed the abuses of the sale of indulgences and which provided the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation.

Many churches standing in the heritage of the Reformation commemorate this momentous occasion as Reformation Day on the last Sunday of October each year. Luther’s magnificent hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” is usually sung in worship services across the world as well as “For All the Saints” in order to remember all those who have gone before us. Churches with a more liturgical flavor use the color red to mark the occasion. Reformation Day continues to be a public holiday in several German states.

The celebration of Halloween remains a debated subject among evangelicals, but no one can dispute the influence of Martin Luther. He is one of the most important figures in Western history, as his thought has impacted family life, politics, church-state relations, individual liberties, and a host of other societal issues. His translation of the Bible is a high-point of biblical scholarship and did much to shape the development of the German language.

Comparable to Luther is John Calvin, another major figure of the Protestant Reformation. Calvin provided one of the most important summarizations of Christian theology in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, and his thought shaped the worldview of many of the earliest Americans. Economists recognize the reformer’s importance in laying the foundation for capitalism. Calvin’s work also influenced the Westminster Confession — the doctrinal basis for Presbyterians. Their system of church governance in turn is reflected in the judicial system described in the United States Constitution.

Luther and Calvin’s powerful expositions of the Gospel remain their most important legacy. Though earlier individuals such as John Wycliffe and Jan Hus would call for reform in the church, Luther’s forceful personality and Calvin’s brilliant systematization guaranteed reform would become widespread. In an era when the Gospel had been eclipsed by a system of human merit, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and the other reformers were able to remind the people of God that we are declared righteous in the sight of the Lord through faith alone in the person and work of Christ Jesus.

The widespread acceptance of watered-down doctrine and uncritical ecumenism in our day demonstrates how we cannot take biblical teaching for granted. Luther and Calvin were willing to die if necessary for the biblical Gospel, but many today simply ignore the doctrine of justification through faith alone by grace alone because of Christ alone. This year, let us remember the work of our forefathers on Reformation day and strive, as they did, to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

Baby

2009-10-20T23:52:00.006-05:00

We have been busy. Our last post was over six months ago, but for good reason, baby Carel. We found out we were pregnant Mother's Day weekend and life has been about survival since then. The first and second trimesters are way too eventful for Gretchen. We have 12 weeks to go so are on the home stretch and life is getting back to normal (whatever that is.) So we hope to have some new posts soon and some older ones that have been on standby.

San Diego

2009-04-23T00:22:00.010-05:00

Ed, We love you, miss you, and can't wait for you to join the fun on Friday. We are having a great time, but a vacation is not a vacation without the daddy. The kids will be so surprised and happy to see you Saturday morning.
Love,
Gretchen

Dinner Guest - Part 2

2009-04-19T17:45:00.022-05:00

Lawrence did show up for dinner. Jacob greeted him at his car saying, jambo, which is hello in the Kiswahili language. Lawrence greeted back saying, jambo, jambo. He looked at Jacob with surprise and asked how he knew. We later learned that he does not speak Kiswahili, the native language for Kenya.

We had a fabulous time and were sad to see him leave. I truly believe we were blessed more by him than he was by us. Isn’t this the way it so often works? Lawrence is a strong believer, so we didn’t spend our time witnessing to him. We asked many questions about Kenya and he in turn drilled us on America. Many things confused him about our country, our wealth, credit system, personal spending, welfare system, eating habits, our president, and work ethic or lack of it. I was impressed with all he knew of our country. The things that boggled him and questions he asked were embarrassing to me. It made me ashamed of the abundance we take for granted in America. What a reminder of how easy it is to get sucked into materialism and over indulgence.

Lawrence has been in the US for six months and says he cannot keep up with our eating habits. His co-workers take breaks between their meals for snacks, “They eat all day,” he said. He couldn’t understand why people would pay $2 for a bus instead of walking an hour each way like he did the first few months here, he now has a car. Lawrence is 27 years old, the oldest of 9 children, all of whom are still alive. He calls home to Kenya every day and sends money to his mother to provide seeds and beans for planting. He said Kenya is the best place in the world to live if you have money. For this reason, and this reason alone, he is in America. He was a tour guide in Kenya so knew much about the country. He told stories of men from his village who kill lions with only spears. He explained how the tribe will make a circle around the lion and everyone throws their spear. Men always die, but the one who kills becomes respected among their village. They don’t all make it back to the village. More will be attacked and killed on their way home. Yikes! Real live Africa stories. This stuff really happens.

Vivian has always had a fear of adults with darker skin, even though she has an uncle, cousin, and a few friends with brown skin who she loves. We all wondered if she would even sit in her own chair at dinner. She, on her own accord, climbed into his arms, let him carry her and throw her in the air. Jacob and Sophie introduced Lawrence to the trampoline. He has never seen one before and was fearful to get on it. He was worried that it would not hold him, so Ed got on and jumped first. Once he got on and the fear vanished, he turned into a crazy man. He kept saying, “This is so much fun.” I seriously thought he would never get off.

In Kenya, his church worshiped on Saturdays and lasted most of the day. He doesn’t understand why Americans are in such a rush to get out of church after only an hour or so. We told him this was necessary to beat all the other “in a rush” church goers to the buffet line at the local restaurant. He understood. We suggested he visit my sister’s church which is very similar to his home traditions and practices, he was very excited and plans to visit soon. I was excited and surprised to find out that the pastor’s wife is from Kenya and there is much ethnic diversity with several immigrants from Africa. He has had a hard time in his search of a good church. I really hope he connects there.

To give him an authentic introduction to Texas, we are taking him to the Mesquite Championship Rodeo which is a must experience if you are ever in Texas. We are looking forward to what God does with this new relationship and hope to get to know Lawrence better. We have explained and shown our kids the unique gift of looking beyond ourselves, what a joy this has been.

I had to include some fun food pictures of our dinner. Rosemary beef pot pie is one of our family favorites, along with Caesar salad, homemade yeast rolls, and a deep dish apple pie for the finale. Yummy!

Dinner Guest - Part 1

2009-03-30T20:18:00.017-05:00

We are honored to have a very special dinner guest this coming Friday night. Lawrence is his name. I don’t know his last name, his age, where he lives, what he believes, or what he likes or dislikes. I do know he works at Central Market, is from Kenya, has lived in the US for six months, and speaks three languages. I would guess his age to be around 22.

Lawrence checked us out while shopping at Central Market this afternoon. Jacob noticed his name tag stated "Kenya" under his name. He said, “Mom, that’s funny. Last week we had Ethiopia and this week we have Kenya.” Lawrence laughed. We are studying Africa so the kids get excited when they meet somebody from a country we just studied. Sometimes it’s not so easy to know where a person is from. But Lawrence announced it to us right on his tag, so I took full advantage and asked him questions the entire time he checked us out. The way he spoke English, I was shocked to learn he has only been here for six months. So of course I asked and he said he learned it while in college. English is his third language. He also speaks French. He came here alone, lives alone, and is lonely. How do I know he is lonely? I asked him. So we told him goodbye and packed our groceries into the car. I started to reverse out of the parking space when I looked back at the kids and said, “Hey, let’s invite Lawrence to dinner this weekend.” I went back to his checkout line and invited him to dinner. Actually, I told him I was married and that my husband, the kids and I would like to invite him over for an American dinner. Without hesitance, he accepted and told me thank you. I asked him to tell us everything he knows about Kenya when he comes.

I recently read a book titled Fields of the Fatherless by C. Thomas Davis. The book talks about planting seeds of hope in the lives of those in need. A specific line that struck me reads, “One person has the ability to completely revolutionize the life of an abandoned child, a foreigner who is here to study or to work, a single mom, or an elderly widow. Your creative energy could be the very thing that helps her or him keep going and even experience God’s love for the first time.” A living sacrifice starts with being sensitive to those God brings to your attention. I know God brought this young man to my attention. Please pray with me for our time with Lawrence that our family will be a witness of true Christianity to him.

James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Piano Girl

2009-03-14T14:43:00.004-05:00

Note I got from from Sophie's piano instructor: She did fantastic at the last festival, by the way. You should be very proud of her. It is very hard to get a purple ribbon, Superior + rating!

Jake's four leaf clover

2009-03-14T14:18:00.020-05:00

What do you do on a beautiful fall afternoon at Grammy’s house……yep clover hunt. Trust me when I say this is not a symptom of boredom, but rather a game of hide and seek with nature. Jake loves to climb the 60 foot tall pines near the front porch and then scour about for the mystical four leaf clover. This particular afternoon mission was accomplished with trusty side kicks Grammy, Sophie, and Viv. The hunt lasted less than an hour and the reclusive clover didn’t stand a chance with such a seasoned team. The latent joy of such a find might be missed any other place, but not at Grammy’s house.

History of the four-leaf clover:

The four leaf clover is a universally accepted symbol of good luck with its origin ages old. According to legend, Eve carried a four leaf clover from the Garden of Eden.

"The clovers also occupied a position in the cultural life of early peoples. White clover in particular was held in high esteem by the early Celts of Wales as a charm against evil spirits." Clover Science and Technology". N.L. Taylor, 1985.

Druids held the 4 leaf clover in high esteem and considered them a sign of luck. In 1620, Sir John Melton wrote: "If a man walking in the fields find any four-leaved grass, he shall in a small while after find some good thing.

The mystique of the four leaf clover continues today, since finding a real four leaf clover is still a rare occurrence and omen of good luck.

It's Thrilling To Be 3!

2009-02-15T15:54:00.042-06:00

Happy Birthday to Vivian!

No, it is not a St. Patrick's celebration, it's Vivi's birthday and she LOVES green. So we went all out.

Viv loves her dollys, so my Mom quilted and embroidered her a sweet little blanket. Don't you just love the homemade gifts you can cherish forever? Thanks Grammy.

And the gift we've all been waiting for. We thought about the pink and purple Barbie jeep, but why when you can have John Deere green?

I had the camera on my girl the entire party so unless you were next to her, you didn't make it in a picture. Here's a peek at my nephew Jadon trying to assemble the wagon on the tractor. Other party guests were Aunt Jessica, Aunt Mary, Grandma and Grandpa Carel.

Look at her go. We will have to pry her off this thing at the end of each day.

Yes, her eyes do look a little glassy here. I think she's all partied out and ready for a nap. But not before her scrumptious, green, dolly cake. I made this same cake for Sophie's 2nd birthday, but of course not in green. She was my pink girl.

We love you Vivian! Happy Birthday!

Vivian Ruth Carel,

Happy 3^rd birthday my sweet. You would think after having gone through this two times before with your brother and sister that the newness would subside, but it doesn’t. Watching you grow day by day, week by week is a stunning and majestic reminder that despite the circumstances of the day, all is well. I have heard it said that having a child is like having a piece of your heart taken from you and put on the outside to run and play. I am warmed by your joy and your smile. Your vivacious spirit spreads colors like a prism to all who are near. It will probably be a year or two before you are able to understand these words I write to you, so I will tell you a secret. Your smile melts your father’s heart. Telling you no is formidable and nearly impossible at times. Your three years has brought happiness and wonderment to our family. Thank you. One of my favorite things to do with you is to sing before bedtime. Your favorite song, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, will forever remind me of you. You, along with your brother, sister and mother are my bright Northern star which guide me through the perils of life. Happy Birthday.

Love, Dad

Happy Valentines Day Gretchen

2009-02-14T12:47:00.005-06:00

My Safe Place

Several things over the past month have been an incredible encouragement to me and have reminded me how special you are; I want to share them with you.

First, in class on Tuesday during our group time, Dr Beverley asked us the following question, “Where is your safe place, the place where you are real, the place you trust the most?” It took only a moment to realize that I have a safe place in my relationship with you. You are an amazing person and despite the normal ups and downs of life, our marriage has become a steadfast safe place where I know I can be real, honest, and accepted. My love and need for you is only second to my faith in God. I love you and cannot imagine how empty life would be without you. I also realize how truly blessed we were to marry so young and grow up together.

Second, while writing my personal bio for the website, I was blown away when I wrote that my favorite place to be is with my best friend, my wife. When I realized how true that statement really has become, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Without a doubt you are my best friend, the person I choose above any other.

So, to my safe place and best friend, Happy Valentines Day 2009, I love you with all that I am and all that I will be. Thank you for being you, with me.

Love you,

HELP

2009-02-07T00:12:00.027-06:00

I have been so frustrated with our blog. Ed says to stop obsessing, but for those of you who know me even a little know I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist. So, I need your help. See the "blog archive" on the right hand side of my blog. You will have to scroll down a little. The colors are royal blue and bright purple. Seriously, it's driving me crazy. I really want to blog, but more than that I want to change these colors to one more neutral. I NEVER made them that color anyhow. I have gone to "layouts", then to "fonts and colors". I have changed all colors to black. Every color changes except for "visited link". It is stuck or something. I have gone to Google, posted on Blogspot help forum and given my trusty friend Jody my blog password so she could try to fix it, all have failed me. Sorry Jody, I know you tried.

So, I am having my first giveaway. The person who successfully helps me fix my blog color problem will receive two loaves of my homemade bread. If you do not live close, I will overnight them to your home. Ingredients: 100% wholewheat flour (freshly ground by me), farm fresh eggs (Not from our farm, we don't have a one yet.), organic olive oil, raw milk kefir, raw honey, Real Salt, fresh ground flax seed and yeast.

Our Tree

2008-12-23T00:51:00.023-06:00

Peace...a word found on thousands of holiday cards this season, yet so far out of reach for many. As I look at our tree this year I reflect on the past year and thank Jesus that He redeems our lost and weary hearts as we yield ALL to him.

A year ago I lived in a house twice as big on two and a half acres with a couple hundred trees and two creeks, my dream home. Our nine foot tree sat prominently in front of the fireplace. Problem was it wasn't a dream and there was no peace.

So this past year has been a year of change. We have sold, given away, and thrown away many of our things; we sold the "dream" house; we gave up titles and busyness at church; we gave up some friends and what's left…simplicity. Sometimes I think we get caught up in the things and stuff of life, and then we miss it.

A couple of years ago I sat with a friend in a Panera Bread Co having breakfast. Our table sat between two groups of women. On our right were some grandma types who were sharing pictures of their kids and grandkids, telling stories of days gone by. On our left were some soccer mom types with their PDAs syncing their schedules and trying to get through their week. It was surreal watching these contrasting life stages side by side. I'll bet you if the grandma types could tell the soccer mom types just one thing it would be to slow down and hold your family close before they slip away to old memory filled photos.

One of the best memories of my youth was fishing with my Dad. We would fish nearly every week through the summer and after we loaded up to go home we would stand and make cold cut sandwiches on the hood of his truck, watching the brilliant red and orange glow of the sunset as it disappeared below the horizon. I'm sure there were a thousand things he could have been doing other than fishing, but I'm glad he didn't. I will never forget those summer nights.

So back to peace, we found it. It was lost, but we found it. This year our tree is smaller, so is our house, yard and just about everything else, but we are happy and I wouldn't trade trees for anything.

Edward

Cookies, Cookies, and more Cookies

2008-12-22T21:53:00.023-06:00

Holiday baking is something I love and look forward to every Christmas. This year, since I had help from my two chefs in training, it only took me nine hours to make seven double batches of cookies and candy. You know how that works, "Can we help Mom?"........ the time it takes to do something all of the sudden doubles. This year the baking was about the experience not the productiveness.

We have such wonderful neighbors who have all been so good to us. It was a delight taking our home baked goodies to every one of their doors. We delivered plates to ten houses.

Candy Cane Thumbprints

Pecan Shortbread Logs

Pumpkin Pie Drops

Chocolate Surprise Bites

Candy Cane Bark

Chocolate & Peanut butter Fudge

How Lovely are Thy Branches...

2008-12-22T20:31:00.084-06:00

As much as I love the idea of heading out to the Christmas tree farm to pick out that perfect tree and watch as my husband and son cut it down themselves, Home Depot is closer, easier, and more convenient.

Jacob picked the tree this year and did a great job. Just look how straight the trunk is and how uniform the branches are. I delegate Jake to pick out our tree every year.

Believe it or not, this is our 15th year to string popcorn for our tree.

Our first Christmas together, back in 1994, Ed and I sat on our living room floor stringing popcorn together. It has become a favorite holiday tradition for our family.

You've gotta love those old Hallmark ornaments you received as a gift for your first Christmas. This one was from my Grandma Battin.

An ornament from my childhood.

The homemade ones are the best. Sophie made this dolly ornament out of bread dough, painted it and sprinkled with glitter.

Just look at that reindeer. It hung on our tree when Jacob was 5 and will hang on our tree when he is 55.

It can't get sweeter than this.

Another "First Christmas" ornament, from Grandma Hoefer.

In memory of our trip to Disney World, this was Sophie's 2004 ornament.

School time

2008-12-16T21:30:00.004-06:00

This is a picture of my daughter working diligently on her writing assignment, can't you see? At the right of the picture, she's holding a green pencil. I know, Ronny is a bit distracting, isn't he. Well he distracted me too.

This bag was on the table and he crawled right in......well, with a little help from me he did. See, it's not just our kids who get distracted from school.

He is always where the action is and this was the most action in our home at the time because Vivian went to work with Daddy for the morning.

The lighting was perfect so why not take a few pics of my kitty.

Then this is when it happened, she came home.

"Oh no! She's back." At least I think that's what he was thinking.

She loves her kitty and let's him know it.

This cat doesn't hurt from not enough love.

He hurts from too much love, poor kitty.

Nap time is officially over.

A boy, a guitar

2008-12-13T10:37:00.037-06:00

So there is a story behind the story here, it’s the story of the guitar that needed a home. Gretchen’s father, Jack, is a fantastic musician who has been searching for a protégée for over 16 years now. In fact, the first time I met Jack he had a guitar around his neck as he welcomed me in their home. As I became a regular at the house, Jack often greeted me with, “Hey come here and check this out” as he played some new riff he was working on. Jack bought this guitar hoping John (Uncle John) would take interest. When John wasn’t interested, he fixed his sights on me and try as I might, it just didn’t take. I even took it to Texas and kept it prominently displayed on a stand in our living room for a year. After conceding that it just wasn’t to be, the guitar made it’s was back to Illinois where Joy (Aunt Joy) gave it a shot. In fact, when she moved to Texas, so did the guitar, where it sat in the corner of her room. Yes, back to Illinois the guitar went where it was placed… under a bed until Gretchen decided to sign me up for guitar lessons Christmas last year. Yep, you guessed it; back to Texas the guitar traveled. So after another failed musical endeavor by me, crushed visions of a protégée by Jack, wanting expectations of a music filled home by Gretchen, and many thousands of miles traveled, the guitar has found its home in the hands of our son. AHHH, finally a match made in heaven.

After the lengthy introduction to the guitar, now about Jake. Jake has been interested in music for the past couple of years and we finally decided it was time. So we enrolled him with Ryan, who I met during my latest failed attempt (see above.) Ryan is a great teacher who is passionate about music and really connects with his students. After a few short months, Jake is reading music, playing notes, and strumming a few chords. During his recent recital, which we refer to as his official debut, he played his selection solo. Jake enjoys his new skill and has even treated us to an in home concert or two. What a pleasure it is to watch Jacob accompanying Sophie on the piano.

Watch out music world, Jacob is on the seen.

The girls.........Then & Now

2008-12-12T22:36:00.027-06:00

Vivian was dressed in this gown a few nights ago when the pictures of Sophie, from 5 years ago, scrolled across my screen saver. The kids each have their own little tree for their rooms, so I couldn't resist trying to copy Sophie's pics. Obviously my Vivian is a little more dramatic when it comes to picture taking.

For those of you who haven't seen my girls in awhile, Sophie is on the left and Vivian on the right.

Best Friends

2008-12-07T15:23:00.071-06:00

This is me and my best friend Jody. My hubby took this picture of us and did a surprisingly good job. Our beauty does help make a great picture though, right? So let me tell you about Jody. We've been friends for 18 years now. We go all the way back to our cave days, seriously, we became lifelong friends in a cave. We went on a mission trip together when we were 15. On the trip we all had a buddy and she was mine.

She's more than I could have ever hoped or dreamed for in a friend. She has been so faithful, even in my ugliest moments. And believe me, I can get ugly! We have laughed together, cried together, played together, prayed together, we have fought, forgiven each other, griped about our husbands to each other, then rebuked each other, then encouraged each other, been pregnant together with the two most amazing little girls, been birth coaches for each other, moreover we have shared our lives together.

Jody is beautiful, funny, outgoing, confident, passionate, strong, dependable, LOUD, loyal & caring. She loves God. She loves her family. She is a fantastic mother. She loves RED. She makes the best chicken 'n' noodles and coleslaw. She loves to have fun.

OK, really this post is not about Jody. It is about our beautiful girls, Sophia Grace and Claire Ellen. So here they are.

Two peas in a pod. Sophie is 2 months and 6 days older than her best friend Claire and she's probably one of the only girls who can say she was present at the birth of her best friend.

This picture reminds me of two little grown-ups. They look way too mature here.

No that is not a stuffed animal. It's our puppy Beasley.

This was our last family outing together before Claire and her family moved back to Smallville, Illinois.

The Robinsons moved to Dallas two years after we did. Nine years later they decided it was time to go home.

We drove home for a visit 3 months after they moved. Home for them is home for us. We all grew up in don't blink or you'll miss it, Central Illinois.

Good old fashioned pin curls......these girls were stylin.

Lake Storey Park where we spent many summers swimming is now iced over for a fun day in the snow.

Claire and her Daddy came in April for Sophie's birthday.
Club Libby Lu had these girls all decked out.

Back again for a fall visit, my Mom taught the girls how to embroider.

Here are their beautiful hand embroidered pillows.
Thanks Mom!

Till next time.......

Gender Self-Concept: What’s wrong with Maleness

2008-11-29T00:15:00.012-06:00

I am currently enrolled at DBU in the Professional Counseling program and get many opportunities to write very technical and not so exciting papers, but here is one I really enjoyed writing. My professor assigned the class to pick a topic in which they were passionate and write. Thought I would share it.

Defining the Problem

Gender self-concept amongst the adolescents of our culture is in a state of severe confusion, which is leaving a generation unstable and unsure of who they are and what they are supposed to be. Now, more than ever, there seems to be a great level of confusion around the issue of gender self-concept. There is enormous pressure in our culture to eliminate any gender presuppositions and look at oneself as a person rather than a male or female. Societal gender neutralization can be seen in many areas. For example, clothing lines from companies like Abercrombie & Fitch differentiate very little between sexes in their clothing. In the media, males are increasingly feminized and the “traditional” male roles and stereotypes are being replaced by the metro-sexual image. So where is an adolescent supposed to get their gender identity/gender self-concept? It seems that in our culture it has become taboo to even point out gender differences, other than “plumbing.” It seems our society has become very confused regarding its sexuality and gender roles; hence the gender confusion that is prevalent in adolescents today.

Exploring the Origin

Feminism

One need not look far to find the luminous hand of feminism all around this issue. In her book Masculinity Studies & Feminist Theory: New Directions, Judith Kegan Gardiner states the following, “the unmaking, if you will, of the category of men importantly remakes masculinity as pertinent to if not constitutive of female subjectivity, thereby rendering complex feminism's ability to negotiate the distinctions and interconnections between sex, sexuality, and gender.” (Gardiner, 2002, p. 33) It seems clear that the concept of masculinity is of great concern to the feminist and that the goal is to neutralize and redefine it. At the core of this agenda is a struggle for power. Gardiner attempts to demonstrate that masculinity studies can help feminist theories break free from theoretical impasses and that feminist attention to the institutionalizations of power can ensure masculinity studies against superficial celebrations of the mobility of gender. (Gardiner, 2002, p. 1)
The progress of the feminist movement over the past forty years is daunting, as they have redefined maleness in nearly every section of our society. This influence can be seen throughout our educational system: in churches, entertainment industries, and our political systems, and is literally redefining maleness. Gerald Corey, leading author, lecturer, and professor, in his textbook Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions, 7th Edition, defines ethnic minorities as the following: a group of people who have been singled out differential and unequal treatment and who regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination. Although the term “minority” has traditionally referred to national, racial, linguistic, and religious groups, it now also applies to women, the elderly, gay men, lesbian women, and peoples with disabilities. (Corey, Corey & Callahan, 2007, p. 113) It seems that given this new and broader definition, nearly every group except white middle-aged males are now defined as an ethic minority, which by its own definition creates a problem, another ethnic minority.
One might think that overt angst toward maleness and whiteness is overstated, but think again. “Despite all that has been written over the past twenty years on femininity and feminism, masculinity has stayed pretty well concealed. This has always been its ruse in order to hold on to its power. Masculinity tries to stay invisible by passing itself off as normal and universal.” (Robinson, 2000, p. 194) Masculinity and whiteness retain their power as signifiers and as social practices because they are opaque to analysis, the argument goes; one cannot question, let alone dismantle, what remains hidden from view. This line of argument makes a good deal of sense, for it is clear that white male power has benefited enormously from keeping whiteness and masculinity in the dark. (Robinson, 2000, p. 1)

Humanism

Humanism is a comprehensive life stance that upholds human reason, ethics, and justice, and rejects supernaturalism, pseudoscience, and superstition. (Wikipedia contributors, 2008) The humanist seeks to eradicate Christian theism because of its antiquated traditional views. The Humanist Manifesto II states: “promises of immortal salvation or fears of eternal damnation are both illusory and harmful. They distract humans from present concerns, from self-actualization, and from rectifying social injustices.” In Humanism’s quest for total equality for humanity, it converges with feminism and thus analogous to an ideal of assimilation in identifying sexual equality with gender blindness, by measuring women and men according to the same standards and treating them the same way. Indeed, for many feminists, androgyny names the ideal of sexual liberation--a society in which gender difference itself would be eliminated. (Johnson, 1994, p. 134)

Implications

If the people can be convinced that there was no creation, it necessarily follows that: there is no creator (God), no sacred or inalienable right to Life, Liberty, and Property, no divine purpose for mankind, no life after death, or Judgment Day. It then becomes much easier to promote: situational ethics (no absolute right or wrong), the ends justifies the means, abortion, euthanasia, the right to suicide, homosexuality or any other variety of sexual exploration, Goals 2000, the common good over individual rights, the erroneous notion that the environment and lower animals are more important than human beings, and One World Government under socialism. (McLeod, 2006)
The rich Christian heritage and traditional American values are being eroded away in an attempt to reorient our society towards this humanistic gender-neutral, family-neutral, morally-neutral society. Every age has its defining crisis. Sin is always at the heart of the crisis. But the manifestation of sin expresses itself differently from age to age. The defining crisis of our age is the systematic annihilation of the Biblical family. The family was the first institution created by God and blessed by Christ during His earthly ministry. It is God’s primary vehicle for communicating covenant promises to the next generation. It is the basic agency of dominion on earth. Minimize the father and the family will perish. Minimize the family and you have neutralized the church. (Phillips, 2008) When the moral absolutes that have been perpetuated by the Church and the Christian principles on which this country was founded are final gone, then the neutralized utopia dreamed of by the Humanist and spoken of in Manifesto I and II will have been achieved.

Conclusion

While it seems the perspective of the Christian community should be somewhat different than society regarding gender concepts, unfortunately it rarely is. The unfortunate fact is the old adage, how do you eat an elephant…one small bit at a time, is precisely how feminism and humanism have infiltrated our churches. It is through the slow, steady, and persistent bites that these secular ideologies and captured the unguarded minds of Christians and their faith. It is now time to stand and take back our forfeited ground. If our faith base culture, values, families are to survive, then we must as a Church dust of our apathy and rise to our challengers, rebutting the humanism that has seeped into our Christian ideologies.
Through the denial of a Creator, secular society denies absolutes and their implications, choosing instead to rely on consensus to establish its worldview. Conversely, Christians are supposed to look to the Bible for Gods guidance in their development of worldview. Worldview defines how we react and respond in the world around us, so as Christians we should be compelled to consider what God says regarding the issue of gender self-concept. During the Genesis creation story we see a very clear and concise order that leads me to believe that God is not confused regarding the creation and roles of our male/female purposes.

References

Wikipedia Contributors (2008, October 26). Humanism (life stance) (247728371). Retrieved 24 November 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Humanism_(life_stance)&oldid=247728371.
Gardiner, J. K. (2002). Masculinity studies & feminist theory: New directions. Columbia University Press.
Johnson, P. (1994). Feminism as radical humanism. Colorado: West view Press.
McLeod, G. (2006, August 19). Humanist manifesto. Retrieved 24 November 2008, from http://www.c4cg.org/humanist.htm.
Phillips, D. W. (2008). Vision forum's quest for family renewal [Web Journal]. Vision Forum, Welcome to Vision Forum.com. Retrieved 25 November 2008, from http://www.visionforum.com/about/.
Robinson, S. (2000). Marked men: White masculinity in crisis. Columbia: University Press.

Meet Ronny

2008-11-19T09:00:00.026-06:00

This is Ronny our 1 year old SPCA kitty. Earlier this year while Sophie and I were making a quick stop at Pet Smart for dog food, she noticed a display of animals close to the entrance, so why not take a quick peek, right? This is where she found our sweet cuddly little black kitty. We couldn’t have another animal, right? And besides, Dad doesn’t like cats, at all. So I blamed it on Ed, we just couldn’t have another pet. My poor girl wept and cried, “But Mom, it’s Grimalkin, just like Benjamin West’s kitty”. We just finished a book about the childhood of Benjamin West, the first American artist to achieve an international reputation, and he had a black kitty named Grimalkin. This touched me. If we adopted him it would be like making literature come alive for Sophie. Ok, so I was sucked in and Ed was soon to follow because when I called him he said to bring him home. When we introduced Grimalkin to Ed his comments were, he’s black, his coat is rough, he’s not even very cute, and was he the only kitten there. Yes, Grimalkin was all of those things but he was not the only kitten to choose from. I explained to my sweet husband that this kitty was a representation of Benjamin West’s cat and that he would be the best cat he ever knew. So after a couple days saying here Grimalkin Grimalkin Grimalkin, it was time for a name change. So we enlisted Sophie to think of a new name. Off went our determined and decisive daughter to take a bath and think of a new name. What would it be? She shortly emerged from the bath and announced, “His name is Ronny, I want to name him after Uncle Ron.” Great, a cat named Ron… Uncle Ron by the way is a retired Navy Seal and not the most likely of candidates to have a kitten named after him. So Ron, Ronny, it was. Now Ed was absolutely not a cat lover and Ronny was certainly nothing to look at, at the time, but what an amazing cat he has been.

Vivian, as seen in the picture, thinks he is a koosh ball and likes to lay, yes lay on top of him and oddly enough it seems they have bonded during these interludes. Jake is in denial and says he doesn’t like “that cat”, but in frequent unguarded moments he can be seen playing and wrestling with him. Sophie thinks he is a dress up doll and, as seen, will stick him in the stroller adorned with crazy glasses for a ride around the house. I think we should have named him tag along, don’t laugh its better than Ronny, because he absolutely hates not being in the dead center of the action.

First Post

2008-11-17T20:03:00.007-06:00

I wanted to start our blog by defining what is most passionate and dear to me. It is what motivates me to press on and press through when life swings with devastating blows, it is the place I find joy, hope, peace, and satisfaction. It is the place where God teaches and humbles me in my journey with Him. I am not particularly skilled here; just a student whose heart and mind is open wide as I learn. I share life, love, knowledge, and my best and worst moments here… my family. I shakes me to the core to consider what God has given to me in them, four lives with souls bared looking to their father and husband to navigate through life and its perils. We share laughter and tears, joys and pains as we traverse though this momentary journey together one small step at a time. As the kid’s lives speed past it reminds me of the brevity of life and that each moment is a gift from our Creator, given to do with as we chose, but for which I will someday give an account. What shall I give myself to? Shall I satisfy my own desires, shall I give myself to great and benevolent causes, or shall I create in my posterity something that will honor God for eternity?

Deuteronomy 11:18, 19

18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Teach them when you walk, when you lie, sit, and wake, teach them. I think the implication here is so vast it is hard to fully conceptualize. It means to put aside the endless self satisfying hobbies, the mind numbing TV, sports, and agendas, to live life sharing moments together LIVING as examples of Godliness.

Doug Phillips, one of my favorite lectors and family advocates, beautifully expresses the following: The family was the first institution created by God and blessed by Christ during His earthly ministry. It is God’s primary vehicle for communicating covenant promises to the next generation. It is the basic agency of dominion on earth. Within the context of the family, the father is the God-ordained vision communicator. Minimize the father and the family will perish. Minimize the family and you have neutralized the church. The sad truth is that broken and weak families are the norm even within the most conservative and doctrinally Orthodox Church assemblies.

The writings and pictures here are our joyful and passionate expressions of family. May God be honored as we do our best to live, learn, and grow together for Him.