Meet Frankie Isaiah

This is our school room pet. He's lived here since the first day of school and it doesn't seem like he wants to live anywhere else. He usually hides out and we can only see the top of his head. But today he decided that he wanted to learn a little more about cumulus clouds, so he ventured down to get a good look at the book Isaac was reading. He let us get close to him and didn't run away until Josiah tried to lasso him.

I told the boys that I think he might be like Ralph in the Beverly Cleary book Ralph S. Mouse and come out at night to ride in their pirate ship. He sure was checking out the ship and it looked like it would be a perfect fit.

Buddy And Little Buddy

Jay had his buddy come over to help fix our sprinkler system. That buddy brought along his little boy which is Josiah's buddy. Little buddy...man, he is a hoot.

They ate brownies in the teepee and said, "Cheese Brownies!" for the camera. I don't know why Isaac had on his footie pajamas.

William toting Josiah around on the car.

manly stuff

Olivia kept yelling "WILLIAM!!" so that he'd come eat another goldfish out of her hand. He was a good sport.

dancing to the music...

Ahhh...Silence

This past weekend, I was able to go with a group of women from our church on a quiet retreat. A lady came and spoke and led us through the retreat in our quiet times. It was so nice to get away and spend some time working on my relationship with God. I think it will become something that happens more frequently in my life.

This is what Olivia was doing before I left for the retreat. She's getting so big!

the building we met in for meetings...and the chapel

I've always wanted to live where there are lots of trees. And now I do!

This is a beautiful view across the river on the property of the retreat center.

Smart Dad

Yesterday, our family went out to the campground that we love so much. We did not go at all this summer and realized how much we missed it as soon as we got out there. It's so peaceful. As we walked down the path that leads to the water, we noticed new signs along the way that described different types of wildlife we might see. Jay read a lot of them to the boys. On the way back up the path, Josiah pointed at something and said, "Gisdusting, what's that?!" I told him that it was bird poop. And Jay, being the jokester that he is, said, "Next, you will notice some American bird poop..." Up ahead of us, Isaac told Josiah, "Dad knows lots of things."

Pictures below are from today...kids painting and Olivia cleaning everything in sight with a paper towel.

Excuse the cushion. I need to go shop for new ones.

Isaac (not so patiently) waiting his turn

Baby Dolls

Our Sunday

Today was very calm and relaxed in our house. The kids and I went to the earlier church service this morning and then had a great time of hanging out before Jay came home for lunch. I rearranged the boys' bedroom and they feel like they have a whole new room. I like it much, much better. Maybe I'll take a picture tomorrow...because I know you are just dying to see it.

When we pulled in the driveway after church, I noticed a butterfly that flew right in front of the van. I guess I hit it, because it was laying in front of the van when we got out. Oops. We brought it in the house and each took turns letting it crawl on us. Isaac was so proud that he even let it climb up to the top of his head.

When Jay went back to church this evening, the kids decided (which is usually the way it goes) that we needed to make some play dough. Olivia even got to play with us. Fun night. Now Jay is off to play a board game with some of his buds. Win, Jay! Win!

Maybe it's a moth.

play dough time

She felt like big stuff sitting in the big chair and playing with her big brothers.

Josiah's bird

Isaac's happy face pancake

eyebrows...amazing enough, this is what my eyebrows used to look like before I started waxing them. Just ask Jay and my mom. hehe

Josiah kept trying to stick play dough to his face like his brother.

So did she. hahaha

Look at me!

Oh, and we also got to talk to Buff, Gee, Lala, Ryan, Addie, and Mama today. I love watching my kids talk to family on the phone. Thanks for calling, everyone! :)

B-I-B-L-E

I just have to write this out, because I always want to remember it.

For Isaac's first Easter, Jay and I bought him a Bible. He loved it, even at 1 year old. He would look at it all of the time and he never even tore a page. When he was a little older (probably 3 years old), we went to the Christian bookstore in Dalhart and he picked out a new Bible for himself. He was so excited and carried it with him everywhere.

A few months ago, Isaac started going to a Sunday evening children's service at our church. The first night he went, the teachers passed out Bibles for each child to use during the service. The kids were supposed to turn them back in before they left...we all know that, right? Well, Isaac was so excited about the Bible, he came home with it. I asked the teacher if he was really supposed to have kept it. She looked at me and said something like, "How could I make him give it back? I've never seen a kid so pumped about a Bible before." That Bible became his own and he asked if he could write in the notes section in the back of it. I told him he could and this is what he wrote, "I love my Bible."

Most home school curriculums come with a Bible. Well, imagine Isaac's great joy when he found out that his first reader this year was going to be his Children's Bible that came with the books. He is only supposed to read one story a day, but he begs me to let him read more. On the first day of school, Isaac read about 4 stories and wanted to go on. I told him to just finish up the 4th and we would read more the next day. He almost started crying and said, "But Mom, please let me keep reading. I just love the Bible so much." If you could have seen it, you would have cried with him. It was such a tender moment and it spoke so clearly to me. This son of mine has a calling on his life.

Today, as he was reading somewhere around the 5th story of the day, Olivia had come up next to him and he didn't see her. I didn't notice her either, or I would have stopped her. She had a pencil in her hand and she started writing on the side of the page that he wasn't looking at. Josiah noticed and told Isaac. Isaac started crying so hard that Olivia started crying. I erased it all and Isaac continued reading with hiccup sobs. When he finished the story, he grabbed his Bible, closed it, and pulled it close to him as he cried some more.

When we are at church, I love to watch Isaac because he takes everything in. He especially watches our pastor and looks up to him so much. He has such a heart for God and for people. He prayed last night as we headed out to church. (I asked if one of the boys wanted to pray because they were acting like little hooligans!) This was (sort of) his prayer, "God, please give us good attitudes and give us a new heart to love you with. Please help the people who don't know you to believe in you and love you. Thank you, God, for sending your son Jesus to die on the cross for us. I love you so much."

I'm so excited to see life unfold for Isaac. Jay and I knew from before Isaac was born that God would use him to change hearts. Isaac's middle name means "Jehovah Saves", and we believe that God will use Isaac to bring people to Himself. All that I could ask for each of my kids is that they would love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. And that they would love others as themselves.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

3 John 1:4