Two More Weeks

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I love this picture of Scott in Thailand.  It was taken in Thailand and posted on the Mission’s facebook page.  Scott is holding his e-reader and I’m sure he is showing the gentleman some of the pictures he has of our family. 

I received an e’mail from him and they are doing well.  They are in the village teaching about 600 children.  There is a computer lab in the school where he is able to send me brief e’mails as time permits.  It sounds like they have been keeping pretty busy. 

I let the kids play with water guns yesterday.  Ruth did not have a water gun so we let her use the water hose.  That did not seem fair to Joshua at first but after I explained it to him, he agreed and had a great time. 
This is a video of Elijah.  He is almost rolling over.  He can roll to his side but hasn’t quite gotten all the way over to his stomache yet.  I try to let him have some floor time each day.  It’s hard with the kids running by, but no one has gotten hurt yet.  You can see that he likes having a little freedom to stretch out and roll around.
I imagine by the time Scott gets back, Elijah will be rolling all the way over.  A baby can learn a lot in 3 weeks.    I was hoping to have him saying “Dada” by then but he’s not acting too interested in repeating specific words.  He likes to make his own sounds.
Tomorrow the kids and I will be heading out toward Michigan.  We should be all packed tonight and have the windshield wipers replaced before we leave out tomorrow.  I don’t know how far we will get the first day.  We will probably stop at a hotel along the route.  Stopping at a hotel to get a room will be a first for me.  Scott has always been the one to talk to the receptionists. 
I’m not sure whether I will be stopping at a hotel with internet access or not.  If I do I will try to post another blog then.  Thanks for all the prayers for both Scott and our family.  I am looking forward to two weeks from today when we shall be back together as a family again.
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Two More Weeks…

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I love this picture, because I like to think that Scott is showing pictures of the kids to this stranger. Mostly I love this picture because Scott is the love of my life, my song of songs. In just two more weeks I will have a three week vaction from dirty diapers and dirty underwear.
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Fireworks and Waterfight

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We watched fireworks in Corsicana with my parents, my sister, and her husband. We found a nice spot to watch without it being too loud. We were about a half mile from the spot they were setting them off. The picture doesn’t do justice to how nice they were.

Then today my dad made homemade ice cream. After we ate ice cream, I allowed the kids to run off the energy with water guns. They didn’t quite have enough water guns

so Papa told Ruth she could use the hose. That was almost an issue with Joshua who didn’t think it fair. But once he realized that was the only option he went out and joined the fun.


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Independence Day

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I took this picture of Elijah this afternoon. We had great services today at my parents church. I always enjoy hearing my Dad preach. He preached a really good Independence Day message. He preached on 1 Samuel 8:1-22. He talked about how people give up their God given freedoms so quickly. It was very good and very pertinent to our world today.

Friday night, I took this second picture of the older four children sleeping at Memaw and Daddy Jim’s house. I had a hard time getting Jonathan to settle down, but when he did this is how they turned out.

We went to the Canton Trade Days on Saturday. There was a lady there that was a blessing to me. All five of my kids and I had gone a separate path from my parents. I was buying toys for the kids when Elijah started crying in his stroller. I knew he was hungry, and was trying to hurry the others along so that I could take care of him.

It was at this point that a lady in another booth came over and asked him what was wrong. I explained to her that he was hungry and I was about to feed him as soon as the kids were done. She left for a second and then asked me if I breastfeed. Then she offered a chair she had behind her booth where I could feed him beside a fan. I gave the kids each a dollar and she offered to take them over to a booth where they could buy themselves something to drink. When she came back she told me she had been one of five children herself and knew how nice it was to have someone offer help. I was very impressed and silently prayed that God would bless her.

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40

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Why?

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Why did Scott agree to go to Thailand? And why am I driving 5 children to Michigan? These are two questions I will attempt to answer in this blog post. I am not only answering these questions for anyone who may express concern, I must answer them for myself as well.

If God ever did call our family to a foreign field in a long term capacity, we would have the same good questions to answer. How else would we know if it is God’s will or not?

Thailand isn’t a great vacation spot this time of year. It is hot and there won’t be air conditioning in the village where he will be helping, and he may be served foods that we in America may not consider palatable. He may even wind up sleeping on a pallet on the ground. Why would he want to go? There was a need, and Scott was willing to help. God provided the money. Yes, it was our own personal money. We did not ask for financial help and no one sent any money to help him with this trip. I realize that we might could have used our money for a lot of other things. But we both felt that God wanted him to go help in Thailand. It is one thing to pray that someone else will go help when there is a need. And another to say, “Here am I, Lord, send me.” We both knew it was God’s will for him to go.

Our church where Scott is pastoring is small and there isn’t anyone there that will mind us being gone a few weeks. They all know we will be back. The community we live in is so small that I doubt anyone will miss us much besides on Sunday. I’ve wondered in the past if the church members would have a problem with Scott being away 3 weeks this year. But since they do not have to pay him while he is gone, no one has voiced any opposition. In my mind this is one way our church is able to tithe to Missions, by allowing their pastor to go on a short term mission trip. He may not be preaching from a pulpit while there but he will be a witness to about 600 children and their teachers who may have never heard the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if even a few were saved?

I miss him when he is gone, but the joy we will have in hearing what God has done when he returns will make up for the loneliness now. I can’t fully explain it. In my mind I have often wondered in our nearly 14 years of marriage, why God had never called him to a foreign mission field on a long term basis. We are both willing to go, but I leave it up to God to do the calling. I feel God must call my husband to a field first and then my children and I would follow. But since that has not happened yet and may never in the future, maybe it is God’s plan that we just go and help others. Mostly it will be Scott going, and maybe occassionally I will go, and maybe even our children as they get old enough to serve.

While Scott is gone, I may seem crazy for taking the kids, (one of whom is being potty trained, and another who I must stop and feed every couple of hours) all the way to Michigan, without Scott here to help. I must admit I do have a little bit of nervous anticipation about it. I am going to be leaving my comfort zone behind, but I think this is for the good of Scott’s family. I have several reasons to believe God would have me do this. I have always felt that Scott’s mother needs us to visit at least once a year. There have been times that we have missed a year. But we try to see them each year when it is possible. And maybe my own spritual growth will benefit from my forcing myself to leave my comfort zone occassionally.

Some of my reasons for going are: (1.) Scott’s mother has never met Elijah, (2.) I want Scott’s family to see that even when Scott’s away, I still see our relationship as important. (3.) I want them to see that our family is committed to each other even when he is away.

I would really like to be with him right now to help in Thailand, but I also realize that Scott needs me here to help take care of our family. I would really like to go on a Mission trip as a family, but that would cost a lot more for a family of 7 to go than for one or two to go.

I also realize that maybe what seems clear to us, may not seem clear to everyone else. I value the insights of others, both for and against what God may or may not be doing in our lives. But I also know that God would want us to do what He wants not necessarily what we want. It may not even be comfortable for us to do what God has in store for us, but sometimes He still wants us to leave those comfort zones and do what he wants us to do anyway. Even if we meet some opposition along the way. Ultimately He will bless our efforts if not in this world then in the next.

I pray for Scott every night as he is waking up that God will help him during his day. Then in the morning I pray that God helps him sleep in whatever hot and humid condition he may find himself. Then I pray that God will help the days go by quickly, when He will bring us all back together as a family once more.

Isaiah 55
1Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

5Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

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Growing up…

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I got an e’mail from Scott saying that he arrived in Taipei, China. If I have the times figured that means he should be arriving in Bangkok right about the time I’m writing this. It would be really nice if he could e’mail me from there.

The kids and I finally arrived at my parents house this evening. It took us far longer than I had planned to get everything packed. I was hoping to get to visit my sister today but we left so late that I decided to go straight to my parents and visit my sister and her husband on another day.

Tomorrow we will be going to visit my grandparents in Henderson. I think we’re planning to possibly visit Canton on Saturday on our way home from Henderson. I have never been to Canton for their trade days. I’ve always heard really neat things about it, and seen things people have bought from Canton but I’ve never experienced it personally. I’m looking forward to that. I think the kids will have fun with there as well.

Joshua’s birthday was Sunday. Joshua wanted a chocolate cake with strawberry icing. But he didn’t want it to look girly so I tried to decorate it so that it didn’t look too pink. He was quite pleased with how it turned out. We had a party for him and another boy in our church whose birthday is 3 days after Joshua’s. They both turned 12 this year.

After church Sunday we had hot dogs, chips, cake, and ice cream for anyone that would stay and celebrate the boys birthdays. They both had their own cake and candles. Then after eating we passed out water guns to all the children that came. There were 10 children present at church that day. A few of the children stayed and played with the water guns outside. He told us that evening that his birthday turned out a lot better than he thought it would. I’m glad he had fun. It’s hard to believe he’s already 12. It won’t be long and he’ll be driving.

Then to think that when Elijah turns 12, Joshua will be turning 24. I’m not even going to think about how old I’ll be when Joshua turns 24.

I plan to cherish these years while my children are young. They grow up so fast.

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"The Best Picture"

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I printed this picture for Hannah this evening after we dropped Scott off at the airport. She had told me that she was worried about forgetting her Daddy’s face. After I printed this picture for each of the children, Joshua announced that this was the best picture ever. I think because we all look like ourselves. I mean I just grabbed a cloth and through it over our bookshelf for a background, and then we set the camera on the desk. I was in a hurry for a picture that day and barely got everyone together I didn’t even worry about what everyone was wearing or how our hair looked. So this is a picture of our family. The last professional picture we took did not have Elijah in it and Scott had a beard. This one has our complete family in it.

Scott will be flying for Thailand tonight. I miss him already. In fact as soon as I drove out of the airport I felt sad. I had hoped we would get to go inside with him but we wound up having to drop him off at the door. We let the kids out of the car to give him a hug before he went in. Then we went and parked in a free parking area at the airport. I had hoped Scott would be through all the lines by the time I was finished feeding Elijah but when I called him he was in a long line and had bad cell phone reception. I couldn’t hear much of what he said but I knew he would call me if he had problems. I decided to go ahead and go. Scott did finally call me and told me that there were no problems. He made it through all the baggage checks and was sitting at his gate. It will be a long flight for him and I know he will be extremely tired from the jet lag.

So why is he going to Thailand? That is the question I know is on a lot of minds. In February or March I had seen that there was a team being formed of volunteers to go on a Short Term mission trip to Thailand to help the Missionaries there work in a village school teaching ESL and basketball. At the time I mentioned it to Scott but he had somehow dismissed it and wasn’t considering going. I guess it was because he had just gotten back from a Mission trip to Paraguay and maybe he thought it was too soon for another trip. I’m not really sure.

Instead we planned to go to the ABA meeting which was held in West Virginia this summer and afterward we thought we would take the kids to see Washington D.C. and then take them to visit Scott’s family in Michigan. Then in May the missionaries in Thailand sent out a plea for an Emergency back up team since the original team was considering backing out due to the political troubles in one of the major cities in Thailand. As soon as I saw the message about the need for another team, I felt like if I could go I would. I knew Scott was good at that kind of ministry and so as soon as I saw it, I approached Scott with the possibility of him going. He said he would have to pray about it. I think he was waiting to see if the other team really backed out or not. We thought he would have a week to decide. Then another plea came out after a few days telling that the team did back out and that this would be a major disappointment to the village. The missionary and his wife were still going to have something over there even if no one else came. I went to Scott and had him read the message. He wanted to go but couldn’t see how we would have the money that soon.

We weren’t expecting any money in until June and that would be too late. I asked Scott if he had checked the bank lately. He said he hadn’t in a few days. I told him, “I’ll call the bank and if the money is there maybe you are suppose to go.” I called the bank and sure enough the money from our Tax refund had come in early. There was enough to pay for his airfare. I handed him the phone so he could hear the amount in the bank. He looked surprised and said, “Well, I guess I’m going to Thailand.” I wasn’t too surprised because God had done that kind of thing in our lives before. I remember early in our married life and in Scott’s ministry we used to wish God would just show us a neon sign, when he wanted us to do something. But now I known he has always shown us His will. We just have to keep our eyes open to see it.

I’m glad that our church hasn’t given Scott any problems with going on short term mission trips. I think it is good for him to go and use some of the talents he has for the Lord’s work, that he is unable to use as much at home. Scott loves learning new languages. I have often wondered why he would want to learn a language that he may never use. He worked on Russian and Ukranian for our short term trip to Ukraine. He speaks Spanish well and was able to use it a lot in Paraguay. He has also been working on Chinese and Japanese lately. Then when he started preparing for going to Thailand, he started working on Thai as well. (He has admitted that Thai sometimes gave him a headache to learn.)

We went to some of the Asian markets in Houston where he got to practice a little of what he has learned. We’ve even eaten out at a couple of Thai restaraunts. He talked to several of the owners about his trip and asked them questions about which part they are from.

I have come to see that most people are proud to talk about their homeland and are excited to hear someone try to speak their native tongue. Scott isn’t afraid to speak at all. I have more of a tendency to worry about what they might think if I mess up. Someday I’ll try to work on a language but right now, I’m undecided which one I need to focus on. I’m not good at doing like he does and learning several languages at one time.

I definitely am missing him. This month I have quite a few plans for the kids and I while Scott is away. We will be visiting my family here in Texas for one week and Scott’s family in Michigan for the next week. I know Scott will miss getting to see his family. But we would not have been able to go see them at any other time this year. So I decided that Scott’s mother needed to see the kids. Especially since she has not yet met Elijah.

I will be continuing to blog as much as possible during the time we are traveling. I do not expect to hear very often from Scott, but as I find out how he is doing I will post that as well.

Please pray for Scott as he is helping out in Thailand. And pray for me as I travel across America with our 5 children. It’s going to be hard to travel without Scott beside me to help me with decisions that I’m sure I will have to make. But I know God can help me make it through these next few weeks.
“I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears that I may be filled with joy, When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee…”
2 Timothy 1:4-5
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Mastitis

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I wasn’t feeling well yesterday. I knew I should have stayed home, when my symptoms started getting worse. It hurt when I nursed Elijah on my left side, I had a headache most of the day, and by night I was running a fever of 101.7 degrees.

We were invited to a home of some homeschooling friends that have started attending our church. I knew I should have told Scott and gone on home but I suffered silently hoping it would just go away. It didn’t and last night I had a splitting headache. Poor Scott tried to figure out why I was crying. I told him that I just wasn’t feeling good. I think he thought I was upset with someone. I wasn’t, I just had a headache my body ached and to have to admit I was sick was upsetting.

I’m feeling some better today. I don’t feel feverish, and my headache went down to just a slight ache, and I started nursing Elijah every hour instead of 2 hours in order to keep from becoming engorged and to clear the infected milk duct. So I’m feeling quite a bit better. I just don’t want to feel like I did yesterday again.

Today, Joshua was asking me what my favorite part of yesterday was. I explained that I wasn’t feeling very well yesterday so there really wasn’t a favorite part. He said, “Oh, I thought your favorite part was watching The Wiggles” I found that funny.

I told him, “If watching The Wiggles was my favorite part, that doesn’t say much for the rest of the day.” I think he must like them more than I do.

There was a panic this afternoon as I heard a loud crash in the kitchen. I had asked Joshua to take out the scraps. He was going to empty the crockpot and it slipped out of his hands and fell. I was on the phone with Scott (who had called to check on me) and I told Joshua it would be okay just make sure no one hurt themselves. Joshua was worried that he was going to have to pay for it. I told him that he wouldn’t and that it was okay. Accidents happen. Scott thinks we should get a cast iron Crockpot. Is there such a thing? 🙂

Today I plan to take the kids to karate class as long as I’m continuing to feel better. This is Scott’s last week to drive the school bus. The kids and I are looking forward to spending extra time with him this summer.

This is going to be a busy summer. Scott will be going to Thailand to help the missionaries there. While he is there I am planning to visit my parents and also take the kids to Michigan to visit Scott’s family there. Then we’ll only be back a week before Church camp begins.

I’ll be posting more about our Summer activities as the time draws closer. The picture above is what might be going on while I’m blogging. Right now I’m blogging with Elijah sleeping in my arms. I’ve gotten pretty good at typing one handed.
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Time Flies…

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Time sure goes by fast. It either zooms past while you’re on the computer. (You mean I’ve been looking at GPS’s for over an hour?)
Days go by fast. (Didn’t I just take the kids to Karate class?)
The weeks go by fast. (Yep it’s been at least 2 weeks since I’ve blogged!!!)
Months go by fast. (Elijah is 2 1/2 months old already?)
And then the years go by fast. (Joshua is about to turn 12!)
It all happens so fast.

I remember when I was younger (that wasn’t so long ago). I used to say, “Ah it’s not going by that fast.” Of course that was when Joshua was a baby and I thought the days were a lot longer. But now with 5 kids, the busier life has gotten and the faster the time seems to go.

Sometimes I look at the time going by so fast and think about all the things I have left to get done in the day or in the year. It can be overwhelming sometimes but that is when I have to prioritize and use my time as best I can. Getting organized with my office space helped a lot. I’m always surrounded by distractions but at least I can keep an eye on them all.

The picture is one I took a few months ago. Joshua and Jonathan are wearing some of their Daddy’s clothes. It won’t be long and they will be able to wear them by themselves.

I have to remember as I try to keep up with everything to cherish each of these moments. I even need to cherish potty training, even though I wondered about it this morning as I cleaned up yet another pair of dirty pants. But at least progress was made yesterday even though he seemed to forgotten it all today. Maybe we’ll leap two steps forward tomorrow.

When I was a child my best friend and I would visit at each other’s houses. One day her mother told us that my parents would be coming to pick me up in about 10 minutes. I remember we wanted to play but we knew the time would go by too fast when we are having fun. So instead we stared at the clock, to make time go by slower.

I could do that I guess. Not plan any fun activities just plan to stay home and do the same thing over and over in order to keep time from going by too fast. But I would rather enjoy life and the time God has given me hear on earth to do things for Him. I enjoy watching my children grow up and learn. Time may go by too fast but at least we are working for a purpose.

One day God will be calling me home and I will look back and say, “Wow! That was quick!” I don’t want to look back over the years with any regrets when it’s my time to go.

I need to cherish every moment God has given me and use them for His glory. Then when time flies by and I look back on my life I can say, “I’ve redeemed the time.”

Ephesians 5:15-16 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Colosians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth even for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
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7 Hours, Potty time, You Name It…

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I can’t decide the best title for this blog since so much is going on. Elijah is now sleeping 7 hours straight at night. He has even slept 8 on a couple of nights. So I’ve been able to get a little caught up on sleep. I do have to make myself go to bed sometimes, instead of doing all the hundred odd jobs I can’t do with a baby in tow. But I’m very happy that he is now sleeping at nights.

The second title I could give this blog was Potty Time. We have now officially started potty training Jonathan. I told the kids that we want to make going to the potty a positive experience. So we are not commanding him to go right now we make it exciting to get to go. We have started by setting the timer for every hour. When the bell rings we all excitedly exclaim, “It’s Potty time!!!” Jonathan then gets all excited and runs to the bathroom and sits down on his potty. So far he has been keeping himself dry. I’m not sure yet what will happen when he needs to have a bowel movement. Yesterday he dirty himself during Karate class. I had the potty there and after I changed his dirty pull-up I had him use his potty in the bathroom. He did go and stayed dry the rest of the time. So I hope that it was a case of not getting him to the bathroom soon enough and that he will go in the potty when he needs to next time.

But we have only one pull up left. I decided to go ahead and save that one so we have put him in big kid undies as I call them. They are actually cloth training pants. I also have plastic training pants to put over them in case he has an “accident”. I’m hoping that accidents will be few and far between. I would hope he would never have one but I don’t want to get my hopes up to high.

So I have one child trained to sleep through the night and another in the process of learning to use the bathroom. My husband was teasing me when the bell went off and Jonathan hollered, “Potty Time” that he may one day be a heavy weight boxer or something and when the bell rings he suddenly has to use the bathroom. Oh well, at least he’ll know that he’s suppose to go in the potty. Right?

Well, it’s only day 3 of potty training and I’m not going to vouch for this method just yet. I’ll keep everyone posted as to how it goes. I will say that not every method works for every child. They all have their own individual personalities and what works for one may not work for another. So I guess that’s my little caveat (I need to ask my brother if I spelled that right. He’s probably looking at that word saying a what?!? Hmm.. Maybe I should have googled it.) Anyway, you know the small print at the end to keep you from getting in trouble.

Well, I have a new computer and so far it hasn’t shut off completely in the middle of this blog. So that should mean I’ll be able to blog more than I have been. My other laptop was having some real issues. The top didn’t stay up and the battery wouldn’t stay charged, then it would just shutdown for no reason in the middle of my working on something. I then went to using my husbands mini-laptop and I think he wanted it back. So he bought me a new one. So all that to say keep checking back I’ll try to post more often now that I’m back in business.

Until next time… “Ding!” Was that the bell? “It’s potty time!!!”

I love being a mom!
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