Today. Hhmmm. English muffins with strawberry-rhubarb jam for breakfast, devotions with the kid-o's, school, and some phone calls and addressing of a whole slew of envelops for James. Throw in some (very) mild housework and that was pretty much my day. I went through all the new school stuff and came up with a loose schedule that we can work with when we're ready to dive into the new books.

James was working on Minister's Meeting stuff (we're having to do a northern and southern "Meeting" instead of our usual Minister's Retreat this year--sooooo sad!), but he pulled himself away long enough to cook his favorite green chili enchilada stuff for lunch. He even mixed up some Rice Krispy treats! Yum!

I had a small brisket that I didn't know what to do with. We only ever have GIANT ones that we cook for 12 hours on real low heat, so this little 2 lb.-er threw me for a loop. I finally decided to just cook it like a roast. I put it in one of those oven bags you got me, Mom, with some potatoes (didn't have any carrots--bummer!), a packet of onion soup and a can of mushroom soup. It was sooooo good! And somehow, even with all that, it still tasted like a brisket, not a roast. I cut up the left-overs and threw into a crock-pot with what was left of the potatoes, then I added some of the Keilbasa from the other day. Tomorrow I'll see what else I can find to toss in there and we'll have a very interesting stew. ;-)

Sam and I played Connect Four and Scrabble Jr. tonight while Katie and Joe played Uno, then we all played Let's Go Fishin--that one where the little table spins and the fish open and close their mouths and you have to catch them. That is so much harder than it looks! I really think we should play it next time we get with Sam & Tammy or Dustin & Jamey or something. It's hilarous! Afterwards we played that Super Showdown game again. This time a ghost with eyes in the back of his head was judged to have a better chance at winning a snowball fight than the lunch lady with a ladder. :-)

I was able to spend some nice "alone" time with God tonight, which was so nice. I need so much more of that! I wouldn't trade the kids in for anything (!), but I still miss my pre-kid ability to spend as much time with God as I want and I struggle to spend the time now that I really need. It's a constant struggle, but it's my constant desire to improve in that area!

That's about it. I need more sleep than I got last night, so I'm going to bed NOW!

By the way, the iron really is dead. I tried it again today and it's a goner. What a bittersweet feeling this is! Ha! ;-)

I don't feel that way very often at the end of the day (I have that pesky Melancholy conscience forever riddling me with guilt over the things I didn't do, you know?!), so this is GREAT! :-)

Had another good devotions with the kids this morning, then headed right into school with the kids. It's been going much better ever since James talked to Joe about kids in public school and how if the teacher has any trouble with them she'll send them to the principal's office, and what happens once they get there. He then declared himself to be the principal and told Joe he'd be really, really sorry if he got sent "to the office." :-)

I fed the kids lunch and did a few things around the house, then James rounded us all up and took us into town to take care of some urgent business.

First stop: Hobby Lobby, to check out the fall and Christmas stuff. ~sigh~ James was soooooo excited about the Assembly being so early this year because after the Assembly we come home and get full-force into the fall season. I petitioned him and asked if we could please refrain from dragging out the fall stuff until at least September 1st, which is still a full three weeks before the season truly begins. He agreed, but still couldn't keep from going to look and see what's available! Ha! We came home with a few pumpkins and some leafy garlands. ~sigh~ What am I supposed to do with him?!

Second stop: Sam's Club. In discussing our options, James and I decided to stick with our Sam's Club books for the kids' homeschooling, at least for a little while longer. We talked about what we were doing in school at their age and made a list of the things we want to incorporate. Most of those things won't require a book anyway, so I think we'll be good. We got each kid the next level comprehensive curriculum book (4th Grade for Kate, 3rd for Joe, and Kindergarten for Sam) along with some extras for Katie and Joe. The comprehensive curriculum books always include reading, comprehension, english, math... and another subject or two that don't come to mind right now. Our kids do a ton of leisure reading, so we're going to start incorporating spelling lists and book reports, as well as some creative writing assignments. The other books we got for Katie and Joe are: handwriting (something they both REALLY need to work on!), math (much more intensive that just what's in the big book--we're going to start some timed drills, too), and a maps and geography book. We also have a science book that we've all been going through together.The trick is going to be easing them into all of the "extra" work without them freaking out on us! Ha! I'm really happy with what we were able to get today and--for all three kids--we spent a total of $56. That makes me very, very happy! I intend to spend some time in the next several months doing some research on what we'll do after we quit the Sam's Club thing. I don't want to suddenly discover it's time for a change and then be forced into a snap decision, you know?! For now, we're good.

Stop three: Lumber Liquidators!!!

That's right--it's my new floor!!! Isn't it purty??? I'm guessing I'll like it even better once it's out of the boxes and actually ON the floor. ;-) Still, it's exciting just knowing that it's here!!!

We grabbed a bite at McAllister's, then let the kids play in the fountain for a little while before heading home. Katie had fun, Sam was a wild man (he was drenched within the first 30 seconds), and Joe was the weenie--suddenly not wanting to get wet. I grabbed him and pushed him into the spray several times. We all had a great time, or so I thought. One moment everybody was laughing, we said, "Okay, time to go" and as we were walking away all three kids were in tears! --Joe because his mean mom had shoved him into the water one too many times, but Katie and Sam I couldn't figure out at all. Katie was walking up ahead of us and was crying and sobbing and Sam wasn't much better. I had to laugh that all of the fun and laughter had come to such an abrupt end. After 20' or better Katie turned around to see if we were coming and we saw that her face was COVERED in blood!!! Who knew?! All of the people in front of us had been seeing a little girl crying, her mouth full of blood and more blood pouring from her nose... and her parents walking several feet behind her just laughing and talking about all the "fun"!!! Apparently she and Sam had had a pretty rough collision just as we called them to leave, thus explaining Sam's crying, too. We found a bench and sat Katie down and I worked a few minutes to stop the bleeding before we finally headed for home.

We got home and unloaded the van, then I did some picking up around the house. I was feeling hot and gross, so I decided to go take a bath. It's the first bath I've had in MONTHS and it was sooooooo nice!!! (Don't be grossed out--I have been showering, but our tub was out of commission until the now-extremely-wealthy plumbers came yesterday.)

I read some Chicken Soup stories to the kids before devotions (they love those!), then after I put them down I dove into the ironing. I pulled up the Church website and watched the Wednesday morning session of the Assembly. Soooooo good! James just LOVES Sharon Morrow's message and I was convicted anew by Brother VanDeventer's lesson. That's a good thing! I don't want to forget what God began in my heart at the Assembly.

Anyway, I ironed and ironed and ironed. Nearly 4 hours, I think. (It was ALL of our dress clothes and most of our casual clothes--big trip recovery, you know!) I was down to the very bottom of the laundry basket when the iron DIED. Just died on me. Aaaaauuuuuugggggghhhhhh!!! Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to iron until 12:30 at night with the thought, "I'm going to finish TONIGHT!!!" in your mind, only to fall short by 10 minutes' worth of work?! ~sigh~ That's just wrong. And I got to thinking... this is now the FOURTH household appliance that has kicked the bucket since a certain electrician visited our house a few months ago. I've had two curling irons, a blow dryer and now an iron go ka-put since he came--some of them that had worked perfectly for years, others that were brand-spankin' new. Hhmmm... If I thought he was clever enough to mastermind such sabotage I would accuse him. ;-) HA! So much for Brother VanDeventer's lesson, I guess! ;-)

I really haven't taken any pictures since the trip, so I figured tonight was as good a time as any. There really wasn't anything to take pictures of though, so I went and shot the kids sleeping. (Ha! Doesn't that sound terrible?!)

Katie usually sleeps with a host of stuffed animals, but Hershey always finds a way to make room for himself--usually stretched out across Katie's neck! She got off easy tonight.

Can't get anything out for the longest time, then suddenly it all comes pouring out at once--WAY TOO MUCH. ;-)

The next day was the market in Belleville. I know a lot of you out there are Amish nuts, so I tried to get some pictures for you... unfortunately most of them didn't turn out very well. Oh well. Here's a happy Amish fellow enjoying some ice cream with his kid!

Some ladies hauling whatever they just bought. This was just shortly before the piglet got loose at the auction and made a run for it--through the entire market! There were several people in hot pursuit and it was quite a sight. :-) It seems like something they ought to do all the time, just for fun!

And I just thought this was a neat looking picture.

The day after that we all rode up to the top of the hill for some fun...

Tractor rides with Grandpa, of course! (Look, Mom -- Katie concentrates just like you do!)

James and his Mom enjoying the tractor rides, as well. :-)

Katie working on some project of hers. (Grandma Wanda bought her the hat at Belleville the day before and Katie seemed to think it was suitable for any activity.)

She and Sam playing on Grandpa's hay.

I love this picture! James is watching his cousin mow hay on the hillside across from his folks' place.

Grandma Wanda set up this pool for the kids. Katie requested it be put next to the fort so they could slide in. The water was wa-a-a-a-a-ay too cold to be fun, but kids are too dumb to know that.





This is James' Dad and Uncle Pete. I think these pictures are great! Looks almost like they were posed or something, you know?! Ha! Too cute. ;-)



ALL of the kids had fun on the bikes!

Joe spent lots of time practicing with no training wheels...

Took a few falls, but none of them nasty...

And finally got the hang of it!

(Pretty much!)

The boys were showing Grandpa how they could use sticks to pop their caps instead of the cap gun. They thought they were pretty cool... except they'd miss the caps so many times that when they finally hit one it would scare them! Ha!

We've developed a little bit of a problem... The kids get all excited about going shooting when we go to Pennsylvania... but their folks have so much fun doing it they have a hard time sharing the guns with the kids! Ha!







The holes in the wood are all mine--7 out of 9, I believe. James would never admit it, but half of the holes in that jug were made by his wife, too. :-) What great fun!!!

On our "extra" day in Pennsylvania James and I took the kids to ride the East Broad Top Train.

Have you ever seen Mennonite people who look holy... and totally miserable?! I always think it's so sad when people have separated themselves from the world, but obviously have no joy of salvation. This family didn't have that problem! The picture doesn't show it very well, but they practically glowed--the mother had a perpetual smile and all of their eyes were bright and they were just so cheerful. They were beautiful!

They had a Civil War "camp" set up near the tracks with tents and such all furnished with items of the era, along with people in full costume. Katie loved all the girly stuff in this tent!

These guys were part of the band--on their way to go play some old period music for us...

With their old banged-up instruments! It was soooooo cool!

I thought this drummer was soooooooo cute!

As were these little boys--and you could tell they were lookin' for trouble!

This is our traditional farewell picture, the morning that we left. It wasn't as teary this time, so that made it a little easier.

Unfortunately I didn't get very many good pictures at my folks house after the Pennsylvania leg of the trip! I only got a few (and not very good ones) of when we road the riverboat. (My batteries died on the boat and I never could remember to recharge them until we got back home!

The kids checking out the controls...

My inquisitive mother asking a dozen questions of the captain. She's always like that. And she learns so much more than the rest of us. Weird how that works. ;-)

And that's it! Oh, except this shot of the kids and Dudley. I think that's his name. He's the dog who lives at our hardware store here in the mountains. :-) I love living here! :-)

There's another new post below, if you're up to it! ;-)

...for ironing. I ironed four of James' shirts, two of Katie's dressed, and a dress shirt for each of the boys. I looked at the pile remaining and thought... "Ah, I'd rather blog." ;-) At least I got started. I've been trying to work up the inspiration to tackle that project for days now. Maybe tomorrow will by my lucky day. Or maybe not.

Today was a good and bad day. Had to make some phone calls that didn't exactly turn out the way I had hoped. All of you regional people, don't kill me... I had to schedule Camp the week BEFORE Convention for next year. UGH. It just makes me sick! It's sooooooo much better to have Camp after Convention (90% of our folks expressed that, some quite strongly!), but believe it or not, Mountainair is booked that week--and the Howard Johnson only had one weekend available in June, so we couldn't switch those dates. I gasped when the mayor told me that week was booked. It was everything I could do to keep from saying, "WHAT?! Who on earth is willing to go to that campground and pay to stay there and repair everything on it all week long--other than us?!" Ha! Anyway, God knows. There must be a reason.

In other news, we had plumbers here this morning for way too long. I know it was way too long because James told me about the bill. GOOD GRIEF. You could almost send a kid to college for what it costs to purchace a new sprayer and diverter and have plumbers install it (along with your OLD faucet unit) in a Roman tub. It just turns my stomach. Still, it saved us a little bit to re-use the old unit instead of buying a new one.

Then this afternoon we had a guy up to give an estimate on installing the wood laminate floor for us in the kitchen and utility room. He was, oh, 6'5" (I'm a really bad judge of actual inches, so let's just say "really tall") and quite friendly. Before he started measuring he slapped a book down on the table and said I could look through it if I wanted to see pictures of some of his work. The first picture I saw just about took my breath away--the house was AMAZING. "Wow," I said, "that's some ceiling." "Yeah," he said casually. I kept flipping through the book and was becoming more and more intimidated all the time. This guy has done some fancy-schmantzy floors in some super swanky houses. --No, not houses. Mansions. I looked around our unfinished and unpretentious little two-bedroom log cabin and had to giggle. "You work in some really nice houses," I said, trying to conceal my smirk. "Yeah, I used to live in California. That's where a lot of those pictures are from." "Ah," I said, as if I understood that everybody in California has a billion dollars and kitchens as big as my house. I flipped the page and saw a "blonde" lady (too old to be TRULY blonde--you know!) who was just beaming with happiness as she stood atop her newly installed swanky wood floor. "That's Barbara Eden," he said. "Hu?" I said. "Ever seen 'I Dream of Jeannie'?" Ha! It was her--really and truly! But with clothes on--a marvellous improvement! ;-) This dude works for RICH people. Celebrities and millionaires. But apparently he also works for preachers who purchace ripped up little houses to fix up and hopefully end up with a rewarding investment. Actually, we don't know that he works for preachers like that. We haven't received his estimate yet. He's the guy that Lumber Liquidators (the people we're getting the flooring from) got us in contact with--and they're not hoity-toity at all. We'll just have to wait and see. The bad news is that this guy is already booked for the next month! We were hoping to get this DONE. Like, by Friday! Ha! Not really, but SOON.

School went pretty well today. The kids (Joe, really) are a little bit *yeagh* getting started after being spoiled on no school for so long. And I'm afraid it's going to get worse. I think it's time to start "upping" Katie and Joe's schooling. We've always just used the comprehensive curriculum books from Sam's Club (Ha! Crazy, hu?!) and I'm really glad that we went that route. I just never could see paying hundreds of dollars on curriculum for those first few years, you know? Katie and Joe are both superb readers, Joe is an amazing speller, they both do well at math and comprehension... I would call that successful. But it's time to start including some things we haven't done up to this point and I'm looking into some different options. Ooooooh, I hate decisions like this! Most of the curriculum that you look at is soooooo extensive! I don't want my kids, at ages 6 and 7, to be loaded down with hours upon hours upon hours of bookwork. We need something that is much looser and more flexible, but something that is more intense than what we've been doing up to this point. So I've begun praying that God will help us to find what we need to be doing and make the best decision.

Tonight I played a new game with the kids. It's called Super Showdown and it's from Cranium. You end up with a contest (such as a pillow fight) and people or characters, and special "helps" for them. Then the players have to debate and try to convince whoever the judge is why one of them would beat the others. For example, they would have to explain why a Grandmother on roller skates would win at the pillow fight instead of Darth Vader with a magic carpet; or why a goose with x-ray vision would win a scavenger hunt instead of a leprechaun with a light saber or Willy Wonka who runs faster than a speeding bullet. Ha! It was great--and so good for the kids' brains. I immediately thought of your kids, Em--they would LOVE it! I'll be sure to bring it next time we all get together--I wanna play with Nathan and Caleb. :-)

Hhmmm. That's about it, I think. James is going with the ladies tomorrow to sign away the church building. Hopefully that means this whole ordeal is over with and we can move on without that stress. Oh, I forgot! We had a really good service last night--at Sister Grimes' house. We started going through book two of the BTI courses and everybody took the test at the end. (Including Katie--she is soooooo excited!!!) There was lots of good discussion and everybody really seemed to enjoy it, including Sister Grimes' unsaved daughter, Pat, who joined us! I told James that maybe God needed us out of that building so we'd be forced into having some home services and Pat would end up coming to church and getting saved! Wouldn't that be wonderful?! God knows. We're praying and trusting Him to lead us one step at a time.

That's it for now. G'night!

The Baldwin family from Virginia--remember that beautiful song they sang?! "That's When God Wants to Hear You Sing"

The Banuelos/Soto's. :-) Don't worry, Tayde--your song was beautiful. And I knew it was in Spanish! Ha! ;-)

Some shots of the prayer line on Friday night...





It was a glorious Assembly! With shouting...

Running...

Praising...

And dancing... whoops. The "dancing" picture somehow disappeared on me! Oh well. I love this next picture just because of all the Church flags--it's beautiful!

Brother Johnny Wilson being ordained as a deacon

And Chris Clarkson being ordained a bishop

I thought I'd add some pictures for some people I know will find them here! Sister Tammy (F.), these are for you! Some of the Antioch tears following the appointments. It's heartbreaking and exciting all at the same time!



These next ones are for the VanDeventers. You'll never believe this, but Mary VanDeventer is a blog frequenter! ~gasp!~ Are you in shock?! I keep telling her she should start her own blog--wouldn't that be neat??? Anyway, these are for you, Sister Mary!

This is Persephanie testifying in front of the whole General Assembly! (I couldn't get a picture with decent color, so this is the best I've got. Still, there's a certain glow to her face, hu?! This is the night she and Sister Julie joined the Church.) :-)

Soooooo many prayers... being answered!!!

What a great looking crowd! (Thanks again for dinner, Brother V!)

This is for you, Cindi! (Grace, I don't know how often Cindi stops by here, so would you let her know there's a picture waiting for her? Thanks!) It was a pretty special night for this girl, too! :-)

Here are a few pictures of the children's presentation. (Great job, Wantuloks!) I had to post this one because of the kid in front, second from the left. HA! Cracks me up! Does anybody know who #419 is???

Here are Cainan and Naomi, cute as always but looking to have just barely more fun than #419.

Had to post this one 'cuz Malachi is so stinkin' cute in that hat.

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the General Overseer's room in between sessions? Jumping Jack lessons, of course!

This can't be appreciated without an explanation. You've seen the signs at the Assembly designating where certain people are supposed to sit--Field Secretary, Overseers, Clerks, etc. Well, Sister Gayle had made one up for Brother Werkheiser and it was placed on the second row, I believe. It's hard to remember where it was to start with because it got moved around so much! Every time Brother Kevin would come to sit down his "reserved" sign had been picked up and moved some place else and there was a person sitting where the sign once was. Ha! It didn't do him much good, but it sure was fun to watch. It became quite a joke and some clever person finally thought to move the sign to the balcony directly above his original seat. ;-)

I add the following pictures to illustrate just how hard the Assembly is on kids. And to show everybody a picture of Brian O'Dell carrying a little pink purse. ;-)





And last but not least, here are some of our regional VLB dudes. :-)

~Whew!~ Glad that's over with! Now, it's no fair just enjoying the pictures without taking the time to read the post just below. Or at least skim over it. I'll settle for "scrolling past," if you'd like. Just know it's there if you're interested in caterpillars or witches, or if you're just plain bored. :-)

Next up: Post Assembly Pictures!