Egg Cartons

The kids are always cutting up stuff to make something new. Pretty sure this is the best way I've ever seen an egg carton reused! Thanks to Cara for plucking my mum by the back door :)

Thoughts of a Seven Year Old

I simply cannot afford to forget this conversation...

Cara's favorite place is still in our bed, smack between Steve and I, as cuddled up as can be.  If she wakes up in her own bed and we've already left ours she begs for a few moments of cuddles. These cuddles often lead to great conversations.
Other fun facts about Cara.  She reminds us so much of young Shelly that we do call her "little Shelly" from time to time.  She's quite pleased about it! I'm not sure what came first, Cara's desire to be a nurse or her delight with being a "Little Shelly" but somehow I can't help wonder sometimes if she thinks she has to be a nurse to be like Shelly more than she actually wants to be a nurse.  This morning's conversation added to those musings.

Cara: You know how I really want to be a nurse? I'm just not sure if I really want to.
Mom: Oh, why not?
Cara: Cause MOST I want to be a Gramma.  BUT THAT'S A PROBLEM!!!!!
Mom: Oh, how come?
Cara: Because then I first need to have kids.
Mom: True....
Cara: But I DON'T want to get married!!
Mom: Well, I think I used to think that to, now look at me! I used to think boys were icky and now?!...
Cara: What's icky?  slight side trail to the conversation about definitions and boys in general
Cara:  Well....why didn't God plan that we could all just be like CHICKENS????!
Mom: What do chickens have to do with anything??
Cara: Well, there's LOTS of chickens and they don't all get married to the one rooster!!!!!!!!

(Yup, there's new hens and a rooster on the farm and there is talk about chicks... should she ever get a husband he will need to be a willing listener.  This one is a ponder out loud child!)

Last minute Summer

Leah's been begging to take Grampa and Gramma's dog hiking.  We decided on Vedder for our first run.... it was a gorgeous day

 with a very happy girl and dog

 and Gramps too!

 SO very pretty and peaceful!

Only down side was the forest fire smoke that had rolled and blocked us from having any real kind of view.  At one point we thought we smelled such a strong smoke fire that we looked at eachother a bit funny.  It wasn't till we got home that we saw pictures on the news of a small forest fire on our mountain.  Thankful it didn't explode like some of the others did this summer!

Visiting

It's going to be very, very hard to leave.

One thing that's really struck me coming here is the fact that Holly has always surrounded herself with God's Word. She has Bible verses stuck everywhere in their house, kitchen cupboards, bathroom mirror, décor etc.  This morning we read Isaiah 55 together.  When we got to vs. 10 -11
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

I told Holly that for me, it was God's promise that all His word, with His promises, His comforts, His tender love were there richly for her.  She treasured His word all along and He will not leave her now!

Hot day

What you do to stay cool

When you don't have a pool!

They Call it Throw Back Thursday

But really they are precious moments and memories

 that we are given as a gift

 to go back over and savor

 and yet also to remember that life is frail and children grow up.

But that God never changes. "For I am the LORD, I do not change" Malachi 3:6a

 



Camping

Spending the days at the farm are special.  There's always a lot of work to do and work shared is very, very pleasant.  Seeing as our kids are quite a bit bigger, I found it easier for our family to spend a few weeks on the farm. 

You know, as long as Gramma's feeding them breakfast and all that!

Every time we headed home, though, we had a van full of blankets, pillows and clothes.

But thankfully the clothes were mostly clean.  Usually it went like this... get dressed in the morning, get filthy all day, get cleaned up and into pj's at night, get clothes into the washer and dryer, repeat!!! Didn't have to spend much time deciding what to wear :)