My Knights and Maidens: February 2012

Thursday, February 23, 2012

A Week Off with Visitors

We've been busy the last (ahem) 2 weeks... okay, really, it's been a week and a half :)

TW spent almost 2 hours a few Sunday's ago playing on our bed (it took two days off in the being made category) with my old calculator. He kept asking me where the games were and would not give up in looking for them!

Of course we celebrated Valentine's Day... early morning ring pops... Yum!

TW devised a new toy for Smaug... it kept them entertained for quite some time :)

The kids have been spending the 15 minutes before "each" meal at the table. Sometimes they just sit, sometimes I give them a little something to do. In this project they had a bunch of colored shapes which they were to glue to the corresponding shape on the paper. Mr. E did GREAT! The girls did what I expected and just got glue everywhere :)

Last Thursday, the kids and I went up to Gramp's and Grammy's (Daddy had a "flight) to meet with them and my parents who have been on a whirlwind vacation! This is a 4 generation shot... Grammy, my dad, myself and the kiddos!

Grandpa really likes his little granddaughters!

One day we explored a nearby trail... TW went bush (uh, saw palmetto) whacking with Grandpa!

There was water at the end of the path!

Of course, we had to take everyone to the air museum!

And the beach... Berry is showing us a cartwheel... this is right after church, which is why we are still dressed up :)

And, on Grandpa and Nana's last day, we headed to Fort Barrancas... the kids are picking up their snack, which had dropped on the ground.

We also inspected this smoke stack on base!

TW has been dying to spend some money... we expected him to pick out some legos but he picked this (quite ugly, in my opinion) dragon, which he immediately named Smaug (after the dragon from The Hobbit, not after his little brother, who was also named after The Hobbit's dragon)... he then built a castle in the backyard and has played almost non-stop with the monster since then!

Before I forget, TW finished (as much as we will do) his model of the Swiss Family Robinson's first barrel boat!

And then, we had a Swiss Family Robinson meal with roasted chicken, roasted potatoes and carrots, and corn cakes. Dessert was mango in coconut milk, which TW said, we should eat every day ;)

In Other News: Nothing else is really happening. We started school up again on Tuesday after a 9 day break and the girls have enjoyed plucking the little cello (poor thing)!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Daily Treasures: A Gabby Mom Review

There are a few pictures that stick out in my mind, that I remember, and enjoy remembering. My dad takes lots of pictures. When my parents were stationed in Europe, they traveled around to see different places and he took pictures that ended up in slide form. I remember, as a kid, having the projector out, looking at those pictures... one in particular was of a hill side (mountain side, but up close)... it was green and there were little yellow flowers. This picture, I took of J and TW a few years ago, back when it was just the three of us. How cute TW was (and still is). I treasure this picture!

So, I got another Eternal Encouragement (specifically Gabby Mom) review this past week. It was an mp3 (audio)... which is hard for me to do, I can read over noise, but listening over noise is hard... and when the kids sleep, I just don't really feel like doing anything edifying. But, while ironing fabric and baking cookies and the kids played outside with friends this week, I was able to listen to the hour long broadcast.

I must admit, I was a bit worried... especially when the first 10 minutes was an introduction to the speaker, Ms. Lorrie Flem... but I pushed through, and was blessed. Mrs. Flem's topic (which is a live recording from a conference) was Daily Treasures.

During the talk, Miss Lorrie, shares about our earthly treasures, i.e. our kids. I have to say, I really enjoyed listening to her, being reminded of how precious my children are (even when knee deep in flour, one of her stories)! I really needed/need to hear this, repeatedly. It is soooo easy to forget I love these little munchkins when I am washing the eighth load of sheets this week due to a midnight accident, or re vacuuming the floor because a bucket of sand was brought in. I have to be reminded that I am honoring God with what I do and taking the hard road... oh how easy it would be to get a job and send them off to daycare or school and just be responsible for them nights and weekends!

Not only, does Miss Lorrie remind me of my jewels, but she gives me some tips on keeping my kids "priceless", instead painful, in my mind. I can't remember the multiple things she told us about (I'll have to re-listen with pencil and paper in hand)... but one of those ways involved pictures... a picture after all is worth a thousand words. I guess, I have started building my picture treasure chest in a way... and sharing it with you all :) So, before I sign off, I have to share a treasure from this past week.

The kids and I explored a new trail... we walked about 1 1/2- 2 miles (maybe). Before I get in deeper, I need to explain some thing about Mr. E. He is on Island Time, which means, he goes at his own pace, and this pace is much slower than the rest of us... in fact, when he is exhibiting this quality, we often call him "Slow Joe Crow" (it's from Fox in Sox by Dr. Seuss).

So, Mr. E does great for quite a while. On our walks, we often get spread out, but on a straight path, everyone does well. However, he got left behind. And was not happy. At all. In fact, he threw himself down on the boardwalk at one point when TW tried to go back and walk with him. Mr. E just wanted nothing to do with anyone. We continued on and eventually made it back to the van. However (and you can see it in the photo), just before the parking lot is a curve. I went around the curve, TW followed me, Pretty Girl was in front of me, and Berry was sniffing flowers. As soon as I was out of sight of Mr. E I stopped, and sure enough he went hysterical. I just stood still and talked to him (don't know if he could hear or not)... pretty soon, he too came around the corner. I kept walking (the girls were at the van already) and began putting everyone in their seats. TW, went back, when I turned around, this is what I saw...

Makes me tear up just to see the love the boys had. Thanks Miss Lorrie for the reminder of my treasures! I received this mp3 for free, so that could give an honest review of it. I hope, that if any of you buy this, you will be as blessed, and that you too enjoy your earthly treasures with all your might, and praise the Father who gave them to you!