Weekly Wrap-up: Thanksgiving Postponed

Well. . . this week is a little out of the ordinary. The holiday has been postponed at our house till Saturday, due to the fact that I had to work on Wednesday night and Thursday night. I hope the rest of you enjoyed your turkey, family, and fun.

In our homeschool this week. . . 
We are officially on winter break! Woohoo! That means that I let the kids sleep in. They had no official work, except for my son who had to do the assignments for his writing class.  We did have our park day friend come over on Monday (too cold for an early morning park/school day....yes we are wimpy Floridians).  This was a sweet time of doing some Thanksgiving crafts and reading some stories about Thanksgiving.  I had my God-daughter who is 3 weeks older than my son.  These older two helped to read one of the Thanksgiving books to the youngers.  We had a fabulous time... my friend contributed a lovely acorn shaped snack for her craft! YUM!!  I do love this time of year, and pray we can do the same thing for Christmas.   (Good news...found my camera!)

I'm pretty sure my friend got this idea from Pinterest, but I don't know where.  They were fun, easy, and delicious.  The kids could make them with no help at all!

This is our thankfulness pumpkin patch!  Each of us made one pumpkin with 9-10 things to be thankful for.  

Got the idea from that addictive little site... you know it, Pinterest! Here is the link to the website http://www.playfulcrafts.com/thankfulpumpkincraft.html Keep in mind, I vary EVERY project I do!

One little caveat here... I am truly thankful that we can homeschool.  I was so saddened that as we were reading the VERY ABBREVIATED  story of the first Thanksgiving, my God-daughter piped in that she has never been taught this!  I was floored.  We live in a very conservative, Christian area. . . how has she never heard of the Mayflower?  People, we need to pray for our nation and our children!

In my life this week. . . Well, I enjoyed being the "yes" mom this week!  It seems like because of our busy schedule, our disciplined life, our lack of extra time, I'm always telling the kids "no". "No, you can't play on the computer" (not that I would let them do this a lot anyway. "No, we can't ride bikes today."  "No, we can't do that, we can't do this, we have to do this and that and go here and there." Ugh.... well, I realized also that some of that "no-ing" is habitual.  So, the other day when Baby T asked to play the Nook...I said "Yes!" I ended up having all 4 children on a different electronic devices (Bean Boy was typing his paper...).  I was sewing and listening to Christmas music, and thought, "You know, it feels good to tell them yes."  Then Crazy K said, "I want to bake." I looked up from my sewing and said, I think there's a cake mix in the pantry....that was it, an hour later and we were eating warm lemon cake!  I like the yes mom (and the cake that goes with it!) So...here is how it has been going:

"Mom, can we color?"
"Yes."
"Mom, can we play outside?"
"Yes."
"Mom, can we turn the music up really loud?"
"Yes."
"Mom, can we watch a movie?"
"Yes."
"Mom, can I play a computer game?"
"Yes."
"Mom, can we make pumpkin seeds?"
"Yes."

Since we don't celebrate Halloween, the we didn't make jack-o-lanterns.... But, our master gardener friend brought us a HUGE pumpkin.  The girls wanted to make pumpkin seeds, so we cut it open...they turned out yummy!

"Mom, can I have a snack?"
"Yes."
"Mom, can I play on the Nook?"
"Yes."
"Mom, can we play silly string?"
"YES!!!"

She's viscious!

Watch out!

The only downer was that they had to clean up the yard when they were done...but Bean Boy  found a way to make that fun too!!!

So what if I got a little stringy!

They even got me to say "yes" to playing some too!

Back off!

The poor dog had no idea he was shot! LOL!

Things I'm working on. . .

I just absolutely LOVE these!!!

Well, I'm working on aprons again!  Made two more for my niece, and they turned out beautifully!  I posted the link for these in last week's wrap up.  Next week I'll try the adult size ones.... I'm a little nervous about that, because there will be a lot more cutting involved.  I spend about 20 minutes on the sewing machine for these, and about 1.5 (with interruption) hours on the rest of it!  I was able to use pre-cut quilting strips from a package.  All four aprons that I have made so far, have come from 1 package of strips ($10.87 at Wal-mart) and 2 pairs of jeans; I think there is enough to make 1-2 more, but I don't like the way the rest look together. I'm sure I'll mix and match some other stuff at another time.  So, I'm sure the adult ones are going to take longer, because I'll have to cut my own strips so they'll be long enough.  I also found patterns on Pinterest for oven mitts and chef's hats.  All the kids say they want the chef's hats too!  SO, that's what's to come after  the adult aprons are finished... I think! ;)  Wish me luck!

Have a great weekend!

Give Thanks

Somewhere along the way, I realized that "joy" was not a constant in my life.  I realized that, and confessed it to God. I spent a lot of time worrying about what that meant about me and my relationship with Him.  Did it mean I wasn't a good Christian? Did it mean I didn't really love Him?  And, somewhere in the midst of my despair, God whispered that I am ungrateful. That's when we began our gratefulness journals.  I'm still reading, praying, and working on being truly grateful.  I think, maybe it's just me, but I think it will take me a lifetime to understand, fully appreciate, and truly develop an honestly thankful heart.  It is deeper than just a "thank you". It encompasses so much more....it is doubtful I am yet to a point (or ever will be) where I can put it into words....

I would like to try to put into words what God revealed to me yesterday as I was reading.  Gratitude comes out of humility.  Have you ever thought about that?  Gratitude comes out of humility.  To me, that was such a profound thought.  Being grateful means you have to confess that someone else did something to "better" your situation.  Their kindness, gesture, gift, words, or whatever it is that the other person has done for you, brought you from a lower position to a higher one....you have to be humble in order to admit that without that person, you would still be in that lower state.  You couldn't have brought yourself to this "better" position.  

Think about all the little things that mean so much to you... in my journal yesterday, I was thankful that someone other than me filled the soap dispensers in the bathroom (without me asking, yeah!).  Seriously, those dispensers, like toilet paper rolls, never get refilled, unless I do it.  Every time I chose not to, because I'm either busy or rebelling against clean hands (wink, wink), I felt inadequate, like there's not enough of me to do it all.... but someone relieved me of that burden! They did it for me, not knowing how I felt about it... they lifted me up in many ways.  Even the flowers my hubby bought the other day... they put a smile on my face that had not been there before.  Whether the kindness big or small, I've been moved to a higher place.

Of course, it is easy to recognize how God's grace moves us to a higher position.  How when it is lavished upon us, we are brought up to a higher position...one of co-heir with Christ.   When before, I was filthy rags... Gratitude starts with admitting, "I am nothing without you God". I am nothing, have nothing, and will be nothing without His constantly giving me gifts to bring me to a higher position...the greatest of these gifts is grace and faith. 

It is funny how I have never considered this before.  Perhaps those of us (uh... I mean you) with pride issues, have a harder time with gratitude than others, because of the state of humility that is required. 

***Interject that I started this post over a month ago and let it sit for lack of words.... NOW, I am so grateful for so much more in my life.  Developing the habit of thankfulness by keeping our thankful journals has been an extraordinary blessing.  My husband says he notices a difference in me and the kids.  That's a wonderful byproduct.  Things he noticed: our prayers even just at dinner, are more expressive of thanks, day to day activities seem to contain more gratitude, and grumbling and "defeatist" attitudes are lessening in all of us.  He was even inspired to start his own journal.  He said that his heart is redirected towards good things as he is forced to look for the good in order to record it and it stops the "drama" surrounding the negative things.

I've noticed a lot of people recording daily something they are thankful for.  That's a wonderful start.  I say challenge yourself to continue that past November. Challenge yourself to never repeat, and to come up with five things daily.  Challenge your kids.  Some days are truly harder than others.  Some days, you won't feel thankful; do it anyway.  I have had several days like this, and by the end of my grumbling, writing it out, and sharing it with my kids, I'm usually fixed!

We have so much to be thankful for...so much that we simply take for granted.  So many little details that God lovingly pours over and generously gives to us are often overlooked by us.  I am truly humbled that the God of the universe, God Most High, loves me, works for me, serves me, lavishes grace upon me, and cares about the little details and the big ones in my life.  I am thankful that He is ever-present, constantly loving me,  that I can see that in my day to day life, and that I have chosen to record it, share it with others, and thank my loving Father for it all!

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.  1 Chronicles 16:34

*In this Wrap-up I posted a sample of our journals....I'll be posting more in the future as I roll out a project we've been working on.

Weekly Wrap-up: November Already????

Here we are at the end of another week...and I'm floored that we've already made it to November! Can you believe it??? Incredible!!! I'm so excited, and I'm not counting down or anything, but we only have 10 days of school left till our long winter break! Being that we live in FL, it's just too hot to do anything in the summer, so we take off for the holidays. We'll start again some time in January. I truly can think of little else than all the things I want to do on our vacation!!! I doubt I'll get to it all, but I'm so super excited! I have pinned many, many things/ideas to my Pinterest boards...that pesky website has gotten the best of me, and well, now I have more to do than ever! I'll fill you in as we get closer! Planning has begun for Little Bit's 7th, yes folks, 7th birthday!!! How did we get this far along? Her birthday is the day after Veteran's Day, but we'll celebrate on V-day this year. We've invited several families for a "Glow in the Dark" party... you can check out that pesky little website (hehe) Pinterest for ideas. We will try things like glow in the dark bubbles, kickball, ring toss, and possible a glow in the dark treasure hunt. There will be a bonfire, hot dogs, chili, and an outdoor movie with our DVD projector...she wants to watch Pocahontas. I can't wait to report how it all goes...especially since I have to work the night before!

Bean Boy's creation!

It is supposed to be Little Bit's Butterfly....I might have it upside down????

Despite the frustration of the wind, Little Bit made two...this is her bird.

Mom's bird...

Baby T's cat and tree.

In our homeschool this week… Ok...so I've already told ya'll I have senioritis. We did have a very lovely park/school day with our friend...one where we made these really cool things (see pics). I gave copies of the printouts of the really cool leaf animals from a blog to my friend, so I don't know who to credit, but it wasn't my idea! I have backed down to "just the basics" with the girls. AND, Friday....well, Friday we skipped school! Bean Boy did his writing assignment for co-op, and that was it. No quizzes this week. I let him off the hook...shhhh don't tell Hubby!!! ;)
I am inspired by… I'm sure at some point the inspiration of Pinterest will turn into frustration, but for now, I'm inspired!

My favorite thing this week was… Having a Friday night off with my family! AND, a Saturday morning!!!

What’s working/not working for us…I'm not sure if it's me, the curriculum, the kids at all different levels, or WHAT, but I feel like Story of the World might not be working for me. We've been doing 2 chapters a week, which has seemed fast. But, I feel like we're flying through it and the lessons aren't sticking.  I'm not making connections, so how could they be? I've never exactly found what works with us for history, and it is a subject I have a love/hate relationship with. I love it, but am clueless about it, so I feel like I keep going in circles. I'd welcome suggestions about how to make SOTW work, or other curricula you guys are using...

I’m cooking… Chili!!!! Pulled out the crockpot and had our first chili of the year!!! I always find the first chili of the year exciting.

I’m grateful for… I'm grateful for this season of thankfulness. I love seeing everyone's posts on their blog and FB about all the things we are grateful for. It is proof that God is good, has been good all year, and will continue even after this season passes. It is proof that He cares about the little things, even me! Ya'll have a great and very blessed weekend!!!

I am praying for.... I am praying for all the people affected by Hurrican Sandy.  Specifically, I am thanking God for all the hospital staff in the hospitals that had to be evacuated.  Seriously, every year we have evacuation training.  We go into the stairwell and laugh about how they expect us to put patients on a glorified cardboard box, and get them down the stairs.  I saw pictures of people doing this in New York!  I know that the loss has been devastating for people in the path of Sandy.  I hope that people will see God's grace and all will feel His compassion and love.

Unplugged and On the Farm

My soul is refreshed!  I told Hubby that he should look into researching the effects of simple farm life on anxiety for a school project!  The kids and I have all come home with a new confidence, a refreshed feeling, and relaxed.  I had no idea how much I needed to unplug, relax, and enjoy God's beautiful, amazing landscape.

Our days on the farm were fantastic!  We hooked up the wagon to the big FORD tractor and went on hours of hay rides... A hayride like few can experience.  Not commercial. Just us. Just our friends. Just nature.  We would stop every now and then to get a lesson on a tree, to climb a deer stand, or to jump the hay bales.  We call them "bay hales" because my mom could never say it right!  It was hysterical... one of things where you have to be there I suppose. Oh...and I got to DRIVE the tractor! How cool is that?!

This was a 17 foot deer stand that everyone (except me) climbed up....even Grandma did it! 

Those "bay hales" were huge, and the kids jumped from one to the next ....this  photo was taken after they went down the row and back a few times!

Me driving big blue... This is right by the pond, and I drove it from the fence at the top of the hill down... that was quite enough for me, but exciting!

Farmer Mitch (our guide and friend) gave us a great nature study on trees and their nuts.  He was so knowledgeable about the different kind of trees, we could hand him a nut or leaf and ask him which tree it came from, and he would know!  We took some neat pictures you can see below...school with what we had on hand....

This one tastes like a pecan, but is quite a bit more work to get out than a pecan.

The perfect fall acorn!

Very bitter tasting.

The "stains" is on there because the "meat" between the shell of the nut and the "fruit" is used as furniture stain...

We had all hoped to milk a cow, but they aren't milking them anymore. However, we did get to pet one, while she was nursing. We also watched them wade in the pond while we were fishing.  Fishing was quite the experience.  They have a pond for the cows to drink from.  About 20 years ago they stocked it, and have not had to stock it since.  We each caught about 10-15 fish (maybe more....you stop counting at a certain point).  Sometimes you would put a new worm on your hook, throw it out, and pull it right back with another fish!  What a great first experience for the kids!  We only caught small blue gill that had to be thrown back even though he swore there were catfish in there somewhere!

We had a biology lesson like no other.  The girls wanted to know what the inside of a fish looks like... so Mitch obliged and cut one open to show them the insides!  They were enthralled...don't let Little Bit's face fool you! She was pretending, but the whole time kept saying how "cool" it was to see the inside.... Bean Boy however, kept his distance. It was interesting that at the end of the day Mitch finally told him, I'm not taking this fish off for you...you have to touch it... and, he did it!  Now, you have to understand that he has OCD tendencies, especially when it comes to being clean and having clean hands. So, it was a big deal that he actually touched the fish and took it off the hook!!!  I was so proud of him!

Bragging rights:  Be forewarned, now I will start bragging about my kids....  I'd just like to say that they were WONDERFUL!  Poor Bean Boy was sick during the ride up, but still tried to work on his school work. He was sick the first day there, but mostly kept a good attitude, until his fever got the best of him, at which point, I gave him Tylenol. The girls were amazing.  There were NO ARGUMENTS the entire trip between the 3 of them!!!  They didn't ask 500 times how much longer....Baby T asked a few times, but not excessively.  They obeyed well. They were kind to others. They had happy hearts. They were helpful. I would have loved them if they weren't any of these things of course, but it just made the trip spectacular! (Ok, I'm done now!)

One last thing that made this vacation super fantastic.... NO CHORES!  For any of us!  Our sweet friend Debbie was so quick with the laundry that I never beat her to putting our laundry in the washer or dryer!  I did fold clothes as often as I could, and the girls helped with the towels.  Debbie loves to cook and we ate like kings and queens!  And, she did all the cleaning!  What more can a tired momma ask for?

I truly wanted to have this post out and ready for the Weekly-Wrap Up, but we drove all day Wednesday. We arrived around 8:30 pm, ate a late dinner, which Hubby had ready for us, took showers and went to bed.  Thursday morning I had a meeting, and Thursday night began 3 in a row at work!  Yes, we got right back into the swing of things!  But, I don't mind... (adding this in much later.. I left my camera at work and have just been able to pick it up to add in pictures! Will post this mid-week and probably use as my wrap-up...)

I'm thankful that we had so many fantastic experiences, that I could only highlight them for you. I'm thankful that the lack of phone service and internet service provided me with time to "unplug" without feeling guilty for doing it! I'm thankful for friends who interrupted their life to host us and show us a fantastic time.  I'm thankful that my mom and I were able to work out our schedules to go together. I'm thankful for seeing and enjoying so many amazing things. I'm thankful my kids were so wonderful.   I'm thankful that God is faithful and keeps His promises.... 

Matthew 11:28 Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. 

Jeremiah 31:25  I will refresh the weary, and satisfy the faint.

Linking With:

Uncertainty and Doubt

My very handsome young man!

So, yesterday was one of those days.  My frustration level hit an all time high, which made my "grit" sink to an all time low. I just wanted to quit.  I'm so tired of fighting to get an "average" (or less) performance from an incredibly intelligent child.  He's your typical "do just enough" kid...and sometimes, it's just not enough.... Sigh.  His ADD and Executive Functioning disorder are more than just a diagnosis.  It opens up his mother to a whole new world of doubt and uncertainty.  Throw in a tad of giftedness (and hormones) and it is enough to make her want to crawl into a hole for, oh, about 18 years!!!  This. Is. Hard!!!!

I am so thankful for this incredible kid.  He is super, crazy smart.  Hubby says at night they make up math problems to do together, and that Bean Boy is making up trigonometry problems!  Geesh!  He's 11 people!!!  He is super creative and constantly that brain is turning.  It makes my brain feel exhausted.  He is funny.  Fortunately, and unfortunately, he got my sense of humor.  It's funny, but extremely sarcastic and for an 11 year old without discernment... well, it can mean trouble.  Adults love this kid! Really, they do. And, they can never figure out why he causes me so much frustration and stress, because they just think he is so wonderful.  And, he is wonderful....

But, he is a strong-willed kid.  When he was younger, it used to really frustrate me when people thought it would make things better to say, "He is strong-willed. He'll be a good leader one day."  I constantly thought, if he makes it!  I totally see now that no one (and I mean NO ONE) will convince that kid to do anything he doesn't want to do. So, the imperative to teach him to do the right thing, and to pray the Holy Spirit will make him desire the right thing, feels that much greater.

Insert doubt and uncertainty here... This is where I am faint of heart.  I struggle with knowing where he is.  Hubby and I frequently compare him to Sheldon on Big Bang Theory.  He is almost completely without emotions or the capability to talk about them.  The only time he shows emotion is when he is dog tired and completely unable to function; which, due to his sleeping issues, is frequently.  And these emotions come in outbursts of tears and unreasonable attitude, and end in him being sent to bed.  I long to connect with him on any level outside of Phineas and Pherb, comics, and fantasy.  It makes my heart ache....

I long for him to be able to sleep.  I long to be confident in the decisions we make concerning him.  I long for him to develop healthy friendships with kids his own age.  The only decision I confidently trust, is our decision to homeschool.  While there are days that I think it would be easier to send him to school, deep down I believe that is a lie from the enemy.  My heart aches for this kid who struggles with a sleeping disorder, inability to organize, and inability to focus.  It hurts.  I do wish it were me and not him.  I never know if I should let him sleep or push him through it.  I never know if I should give consequences for losing school work and books, or revamp our organization.  I feel like I cannot give him the training and tools he needs to become a man who will be able to support his family... there just isn't time!  Some days, I truly feel like a failure.

Insert frustration here.... he's so stinking smart.  My brain and heart oscillate from compassion to frustration.  Surely he is smart enough to remember when you are done with the math book, put it away.  Don't make your sisters squeal; it is not fun for them.  All sentences begin with capital letters and end with a punctuation mark (picture him rolling eyes here).  Now that he is in 6th grade, the pressure (from where I don't know) to focus more on academics and learning certain things, is mounting.  He is 11, I should be able to expect a little bit more maturity.  Right?  So, I get angry.  That solves a whole lot, right?

There just aren't words to describe the constant nagging in my heart, that says I messed up again, the pain of knowing he's not like other kids, the uncertainty and questioning of every decision we make concerning him.  There is fear about what his future holds.  Will he be able to focus enough to hold a job? Will he be able to turn in documents that are completed (and punctuated) correctly, without food and crumpling?  Will he be able to connect with a woman and marry?  There is so much uncertainty...my heart grows weak.

I try not to borrow trouble from tomorrow and the future, especially Bean Boy's future.  It is more than I can bear, to think about what could be.  Instead, today I am choosing to believe that God will redeem the situation.  I believe God has a plan for him.  I believe He has a specific purpose and calling, and that Bean Boy is unique for this reason.  I believe apart from God, I cannot have certainty in parenting this amazing kiddo.  And even then, it is hard.  So, minute by minute I must choose to trust God for my son.  It is hard work, this faith thing!  :)

Yes, he is goofy!

Yes, he does like to read the dictionary.....

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.  Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart; Commit your way to the Lord; trust Him and He will act. Ps. 37: 3-5

Bad Day....Thank you God

Well, Sunday things didn't turn out like I had planned. I was super excited to have a Sunday off (one where I hadn't worked the night before).  It is so very rare! I had all my plans ready to go over to my mom's and spend the day doing some crafts I've had planned out for a while...thank you Pinterest!  Yes, I know we were skipping church, but my hubby was gone, and I don't really ever get to go to church, so I don't have a class, etc.... excuses, excuses.  We had some mighty worship time in the car; much to my son's dismay! He had to listen to us girls belt it out!

So, I get the kids loaded up before 0900... We get to mom's and make a list of things we need (of course, I don't have everything for even one project).  While we are waiting for Michaels to open, Baby T was complaining about being cold.  Well, after some push-ups, jumping jacks, and sit ups, she stopped complaining...exit thoughts about cold from mom's head.  

Once we got to Michael's, the complaints of cold started again. It finally dawned on me that this child never complains about much of anything, much less being cold.  I felt her head.... then the guilt set it.  The child had a raging fever!  In my defense, she never acted sick at all! We finished at Michael's went to Mom's, and while the kids sat in the car, I packed up all of our stuff. No crafts for me that day- they didn't have what I needed anyway.  Then, when we got home, her temp was 102.6!  She was still not acting sick!  We went to bed anyway...hey, she needed her momma to nap with her, right? 

So, yeah, I was kinda bummed that my plans got ruined. BUT, I was so thankful to be with her, that her dad didn't have to manage this (he was at the hospital, on call, till Monday at 4:30).  I was thankful for the snuggle time, which she is kind of outgrowing. And, looking back, especially thankful that I was the one home.  When we woke up, her tempt was 101.something.  She was shivering. I medicated her around 8:00, snuggled with her, then her temp was 104.5!  Yikes! This was an hour after her meds. I put her in the tub, and it went up again to 104.9!!! SO, my mom came over to watch the other kids, and I headed off to the ER, after another dose of tylenol. 

By the time we got there, her temp was down of course. Rapid strep test was negative, and we got to go home.  Now, she has a fever, but is doing gymnastics in the living room.  We got to have another sweet nap together today.  I'm thankful it was nothing serious. I'm thankful that my best friend (also a nurse) was able to come down from work and visit us in the ER.  I'm thankful for my children. I'm thankful that we got insurance when we did (last month!), I'm thankful that God has not seen fit to give  us major illnesses to deal with to add to our stress. I'm so thankful for snuggles with my babies who are growing up way to fast. I'm thankful for the friend who brought us Pedialyte, and the one who brought us dinner. I'm thankful that we were able to get most of our school done today (Baby T excluded from most). I'm thankful that in the midst of something bad, God has given me so very, very much to be thankful for. 

Weekly Wrap: First Concert!!!!

So, this is only 3-4 days later than usual!  My work schedule has been very tough to deal with.  In the last 2 weeks, I've probably worked over 90 hours!  I'm very thankful to my husband, mother-in-law, and friends who have helped keep us sane during the crazy....

Despite that, there are a couple of really good memories from the week that I wanted to share.  First, I re-started SOTW in order to "do it right". I had just been putting in the CDs and moving on.  For my son, that's enough...but for Little Bit, with no history foundation in the 3rd SOTW book, it was, well, just not fair to her.  So, I decided to actually listen with them (fortunately I can do 2 things at once!) and do some of the activities... This week's activity involved 10 lbs of flour... I couldn't imagine throwing all that flour away, so I threw it at my kids!  (Yes, we did this outside!)  It is a lesson I have learned...while the fun was hysterical, I STILL have flour on my driveway and car!!!  My husband is going to pay my son to pressure wash the driveway, and eventually, we'll get the car scrubbed... But, it was fun!!! The neighbor came out to get her mail and got a good chuckle while snapping a picture for us!

Baby T did not enjoy this...she got flour in her eyes. 

This is how it started...

The other fantastic memory was of Little Bit's first concert.  She is my music lover, and singer.  Through FB I discovered that Kari Jobe was coming in concert.  Who doesn't love to sing with Kari Jobe? So, we invited a friend for a girls night out, went to Panera, and jammed with Anthony Evans, All Sons and Daughters (bought the album and LOVE it!!!) and of course, Kari Jobe... It was fun to see the girls jumping on the pews, dancing, singing, worshiping!  Every song asking, when is Kari coming out?!  And what a beautiful first concert.  It wasn't huge like some are.  It was low-key...lots of kids at the front on the floor. Little Bit was fascinated with the lights, so I know the bigger concerts will be exciting for her too.  But, my friend was saying that her first concert was Cranberries...remember them?  So, I was glad that Little Bit's first had such a focus on worship... several times Kari was on her knees before the Lord. Hands raised more often than not, and just speaking the name of Jesus....it was lovely!

Breaking  my rules and showing "face"... but, I was shocked at how much she looks like me!

Sorry for the cruddy cell phone pic, but you can get the idea and see the worship in her heart! God is good!

This week should be better as far as being on time with my update!