Tea Party

My secret sister sent me a BEAUTIFUL tea set! Starting with my birthday this year, Kaelyn, Noelle, and I will be having a *girls only* tea party for each of our birthdays.









We'll take pictures, and I'll start each of the girls a keepsake album...also sent by my secret sister.

Thank you, Vivian!!! I can't wait to start this precious tradition!!!

7 Days Left

Including today, David has 7 more workdays left with Orkin...woohoo!!! (Six if he doesn't have to work Saturday.)

Wow...can I begin to list all of the emotions we're feeling here???? Peace...for sure. And THAT is SO awesome! Cuz all the other stuff would have us bonkers if we didn't have that deep-down peace.

But there's also some fear...not panic...just, yk, that...*what if* stuff that's obliged to be there...lol

Definitely excitement...

Maybe even a tinge of sadness...as we close this chapter and move on...

He officially starts August 4...coincidentally, the same day we start our new school year.

August 4...a day of new beginnings...

Early Morning Thoughts

The boys come home from camp today. We've missed them...and yet...the house has been quieter...and cleaner! LOL

We're not sure what time they're getting into town, but we're thinking about going to a salvage place to get some ideas for our kitchen. We originally planned on replacing the counter and cabinets. They're painted white with really cheesy white paint...the kind that comes off when you scrub it...ugh! But we started thinking out loud yesterday and decided to reorganize what's in the cabinets. Then we're gonna take the doors off the bottom cabinets and hang curtains on spring-loaded rods in the doorways. For the top shelves, we're gonna just take the doors off and try to find some creative ways to store what's in those cabinets. Also...there's a ton of empty space around the refrigerator with some cabinets on top that just make it look all off-kilter. So we're taking those out and getting a pantry to put next to the refrigerator. We may put a shelf above it...just cuz the ceiling is so high, I think it might need something.

Eventually, our cabinets, walls, and appliances will be bright white...the counter top (which we have to replace cuz the dishwasher keeps falling out) will be black, along with the table, the booths, the chair rail, and the baseboards. (We may do the trim above the cabinets black as well...or we may take it out...not sure what's up there.) We'll have white mini-blinds in the window with red-and-white-checked cafe curtains. We're not sure if they curtains over the cabinets will be the same or just plain red. And the floor and the wall behind the counters will be black and white checkerboard. Oh...and I think we're either doing black and white or red and white checkerboard placemats. They'll be round with pockets for the silverware.

While I'm thinking of the kitchen...the other thing we're gonna try came from a Family Fun magazine. Each person will get 1 plate, 1 bowl, and 1 cup...and they are each responsible for making sure they're stuff is clean for each meal. The idea in the magazine was to get a plastic or glass plate and let each person decorate it and put their name on it. Then, when it's left out or dirty, we know who it belongs to. Joshie and Kyle have both proven this week they can wash something when they need it. Then, whoever is responsible for dishes only has pots and pans and silverware. We'll see how it works!

Fun Day

Yesterday I had some errands to run and was thinking I could just leave all the littles at home and get a few peaceful moments to myself. HA!!! Kaelyn came up with a better idea...and I'm so glad she did!

We started out with a quick trip to the Post Office. I found a new way into town that goes through the Battlefield...and I love it...so that was a treat for me. I love imagining soldiers walking through the fields...although if it's foggy, it's really creepy. But I digress....

After the PO we went to Gilbert-Stephenson Park. It is AWESOME! And so close! It's got a huge, wonderful playground...complete with baby swings for Noelle. Honestly, though, she wasn't really impressed. It did give her an opportunity to show me that she can reach for me when she's done with something, though...lol It has a walking track around the playground...so I could (if I was thinking) walk while the littles play. They have a bunch of picnic pavilions, too. There's another walking track, but it's not near the playground...it's near the community pool. I think the pool is $3 a person...which isn't bad...unless your family outnumbers the stars in the sky...he he

We spent about 45 minutes at the park...which was just enough for them to enjoy without wearing it out. Then we went to Walmart. Somewhere in there I lost my list...and since it was only 6 items, I said them out loud and let the littles help me remember. They actually had fun with that...I love it when they're so easily entertained. Joshie only asked for something once...and I think it was a dog toy...lol

When we got home there were 2 packages on our porch. One was from my mom...some new outfits for Noelle...woohoo!!!! And the other was from the Mystery of History...Volume 2 for next year! Going through the clothes was easy...Noelle can be entertained by our oohs and aahhhs. She wasn't so excited about the book, though. I, on the other hand, have been reading through it every chance I get!

We were planning on making Mexican Wedding Cookies when we got home...but I forgot to take the butter out before we left...so we had quiet time...which wasn't really quiet...cuz Noelle didn't nap.

So...after nap we started the cookies. They had to chill for a bit, so the boys went out to play, and I got to look at my new book. I wasn't paying attention to the time and had to put the cookies off a little longer to make dinner. We had oven fried chicken and Mexican rice (thanks for the recipes, Wendi and Lisa!). It was VERY yummy. I made a ton of rice so we could have it for leftovers today...and we'll cut up some leftover chicken to put in it, too. Can't wait for lunch...lol

After dinner we baked the cookies...with David's help, since Noelle went right into Mommy-mode. Here's the recipe...http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/mexicanweddingcakes.htm.
They are so YUMMY!!!

Fun with Mexico

Last week I had this awesome idea to study a country with the littles. Since school has ended they have been driving us all insane out of boredom. We decided to start with Mexico since we're having Tex-Mex Skillet and Enchiladas this week for dinner.

Last night we looked at the pictures in a library book to give us an idea of what life is like in Mexico. Then we made maraccas out of paper plates, beans, and streamers. I'll have to take pictures of them when Chandler gets back with my camera.

Bits and Pieces

The older 2 boys are at camp this week. I'm sure it will be a blast for them. We've figured out how to cover their chores and stuff while they're gone. I'm deciding now it will be a good week!

We had our church 4th of July party yesterday. It was great! I got to go on a boat ride by myself...just 30 minutes...but I think that's the first 30 minutes I've had to myself in a long time. We saw some beautiful homes...and a sailboat all the way from Seattle!

I'm writing reviews for some of the curriculum that we used last year...and some I hope to use this year. It's a creative way to get some stuff we wouldn't otherwise be able to get. God has already used this concept to bless us with Bible and History for this coming year. I have some ideas for science if it doesn't work out with that company. I'm still praying for a way to pay for our math books.

I've got 2 "orders" for diapers...and possibly a third. I've made some changes to the pattern I started with. I also got some ideas for wet bags and a clip that holds a receiving blanket up so mama can feed the baby modestly. I also made some burp rags for a friend that just had a baby and she really liked them.

We've started counselling with a personal financial coach, who has written us a plan to be out of debt in 10 years...including the house! At first I was frustrated that it would take us so long...but then our coach commented that, in his experience, the *plan* is the worst-case scenario. More often than not, somewhere along the way the supernatural takes over and it happens much faster. (That sounds so weird...but I don't know how else to express it!)

Catching Up

Wow...so much going on lately...

So...the trip to Florida was awesome! I KNEW the moment I saw that meeting scheduled in Sarasota that David needed to go...I KNEW it would change our lives...and it has...already! I don't even know where to start to say HOW!

As soon as we were back in Georgia we started hearing about the revival in Lakeland. We were bummed because had we known, we would have taken Kyle while we were there....we weren't far at all!

Then we heard about an outpouring of that revival in Woodstock, GA...so we took Kyle last Thursday. He told me his foot wouldn't be healed there...that was un-nerving...but he was right. David's ears were prayed over as well...and he went to a prayer meeting Saturday morning and felt like he heard everything ok. But I'm not sure either of us were convinced it was DONE.

So then I had a conversation with Damon Sunday morning about prophets and how they are always *different*...and I was wondering...about how *different* I feel....and thinking...could that be why? Or maybe it's just that I'm just weird...lol

With all the talk about the Lakeland revival, Jen sent a link to watch it on the 'net...and so we did last night. Todd Bentley talked about dreams and visions and words of knowledge...and I thought about how Jenny and I used to go back and forth with all of those things...and how we haven't in so long.

He also said something that really touched me. He said that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yes. Then he said that if all of those healings and stuff happened THEN...and He is IN US today...that they SHOULD still be happening today...cuz HE DOESN'T CHANGE!!! WOW!!!

That went with what David heard at Gary Keesee's conference...that Jesus said we would do all that He did...and more!!!

So...we watched the revival last night...and Kyle couldn't leave the room. He was so tired he was falling asleep...but I believe he felt the anointing as strongly as we did...and I was AMAZED that we were JUST WATCHING IT ON THE 'NET!

At one point Bentley called out healing for the deaf...and God moved me to lay hands on David's ears again. So I prayed...and he said he felt warmth INSIDE his ears...even AFTER I took my hands away. And then he called me this morning and told me that he KNEW it was done....cuz he heard the guy at work that ALWAYS MUMBLES...and he heard him CLEARLY!!! WOOHOO!!!

OK...and so the dream thing. A few weeks ago I had a dream that was so real it woke me up. It was very intense. God told me a flood was coming...and that many people would die if I didn't warn them. I woke up in a sense of panic...a sense of urgency...but I brushed it off as a dream, thinking that God said in the Bible He would never again destroy the earth with a flood.

Then I talked to Jenny this morning...and when I told her the dream...she said she was reminded of a vision she had had a while ago...and it was one she had told me about...and I had thought of the same vision shortly after that dream...but didn't put it together.

Anyway...the *flood* is a spiritual flood...and people will die spiritually if they don't realize that God is holding them up as the water swirls around them. I'm not sure I get that quite yet...

But it also reminds me of a vision I had where I had gone over a waterfall...and I was afraid at first...but then I realized I was floating...and resting...

So...putting it all together some more...

I was thinking about the anointing and trying to figure out how what Bentley was saying fit in with other things I've learned over the past couple of years from Jim...and even Gary. And the anointing *works* in healing...because you RECEIVE the healing at that point! It's not that you're WAITING for God to WORK...but that you ACCEPT that He DID IT ALL when you receive the anointing!

So now...how do you walk in the anointing daily? Jenny got that word. It's by meditating on the Word. And that can seem overwhelming to a mom with many. But it's not about constantly sitting at the table taking in the Word...but rather meditating and digesting the Word throughout the day!