Don't turn the sound down...

I know a lot of you probably don't like the music part of this blog, but...I heard this song a few weeks ago and realized that if I could write each of my friends and family a letter (which all of you know I probably won't do!!) it would say a lot of what is in this song.

Just know, that I miss each of you dearly and look forward to each moment we do get to spend together. Over and over again, we are reassured that this is where we belong. No matter where my heart desires to be at times, I truly would rather be in God's will than mine. So...from the words of this song - these are the words I would say:

"Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You're gonna do great things, I already know
God's got his hand on you
So don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget but don't forget why you're hear
Take your time and pray"

Lots of love and prayers are being sent to all of you from California...Be Strong in the Lord!!

Kids say the cutest things...

Ever wonder how much your kids repeat what you say? Well, I think I ought to be more careful. The kids and I were at the church the other day. I was in the office learning how the accounting system works so that I can help our Pastor's wife. The kids were banished to the annex (by me!) and told not to bother me unless it was an emergency. The Pastor kindly offered to get us ladies a coffee and we accepted - of course! Then, he called me on his way to Starbucks and asked if my kids drank hot chocolate. I said "Oh, Brother Brown, you don't have to do that!". He responded with "I know I don't but I want to". "Okay...the kids will be thrilled." Now, remember, the children are in a completely different room from me listening to Adventures in Odyssey and coloring, drawing, etc.....here is what happened when he returned with hot chocolate:

Brother Brown walks in with three hot chocolates.

Victoria says "Brother Brown, you didn't have to do that" (seriously...this is what she said!)

Mariah says with her twinkling eyes and bright smile: "He knows that Victoria, but he did it because he LOVES us!!"

So...guess I better be careful what I say, because my children will repeat it word for word to my Pastor even if they don't hear me say it!! And....I now have no doubt what Mariah's love language is....GIFTS!! Amazing what we can learn from a nice cup of hot chocolate!!

Wow...what a month!!

Okay, so we are still alive, just trying to keep our feet underneath us and our head above water. Yikes! School is in full swing. I must say that homeschooling three kids is a chore. I thought I had it all figured out last year, but adding Mariah's kindergarten stuff to the mix just made life that much more chaotic. No rest for the weary here. I even called a friend of mine back home and told her she was the most amazing woman I know. This year, she will add her fourth child to her "school" (she has five children, but one is still a toddler and not ready for school yet...imagine, schooling 4 kids and trying to keep a toddler out of trouble - wow!!). I think it is amazing she hasn't shipped them all to another place until they have learned all they need to learn!!

After school started, our computer broke (or at least the CD drive did, which is what Logan needs to do his schoolwork!!). The school at our church generously gave us an old computer. It is working great, but what a disaster it was trying to move all Logan's work he had done for the first week of school.

After that mess was fixed, we had another round of company - woo hoo!

We had a great visit with Phil's parents last weekend. The kids had a blast and Victoria was presented with the MOST BEAUTIFUL DAISY KINGDOM DRESS ever!! This is her early birthday present and it is gorgeous. My mother in law made it and you would think it was professionally done. So, if I ever thought I was going to start sewing, I think it just got blown out of the water - never in a million years could I make something that beautiful. If I made something and showed it to my girls they would probably ask "what is that??". I think I might just leave all this sewing business up to my mother in law!! Anyway, Victoria had people stopping her in the middle of Wal-Mart to tell her how gorgeous she was. I guess it is a rare occasion to see little girls that dressed up. Oh, and not to be disappointed the hair was all done in curls by her grandmother also....what a sight!

So, now company is gone and school is continuing. Pictures of the "first day of school" are on their way....

Life is busy, the house is messy, and we are tired. But, we can rest when the kids are all grown up and taking care of us!! Blessings to all of you. May God give you rest and peace today!

Ahhhhhh...what a beautiful sound!!

As I sit here, I can here several kids laughing, screaming, and bouncing in my backyard. What a long process it has been to get here....

After we moved down here and got settled, we decided one Saturday to put the trampoline up. As Phil started digging everything out of boxes and corners, we realized we did not have the very important pieces that hook onto the base of the trampoline. This was sad, because Phil knew how he had packed everything and could not figure out where they went. After tearing the garage completely apart and putting it back together - in a very organized fashion, we figured they had been left in our trailer in Oregon. So, on our next trip, we looked - not there. So, we thought they were scattered somewhere in mom and dad's garage - could not find them. Ugghhh!!!! We were so frustrated. The thought of having to buy new pieces was incredibly irritating and we weren't even sure we could get them. Then, a few months ago, I was looking for the perfect box to put old paperwork in. As I rummaged through the garage, I found a box on the shelf that would be perfect. I grabbed it and opened it and guess what??!!! It was the pieces. I did a loud yell and the kids came running downstairs to find me in the garage doing a little happy dance. At that time, the pool was up and there isn't enough room for both in our backyard.

So, the pool came down a week ago and today we have the long awaited for trampoline.....

The great thing is....our kids are getting older, so this Labor Day was spent watching our kids do most of the labor....

While Daddy did a lot of managing....

And as we all know, when we have to wait a little longer than usual for something it sure does make us love and appreciate it more!!! Enjoy kids!!

We always want what we don't have...

You know how people think the grass is always greener on the other side. Well, this week it has become so apparent to me that I am guilty of this. I remember a year ago thinking, oh if only Phil could get a store and we could move, then life would be good....

Well, here we are 9 months after our move and I am thinking, life was good back home!! Crazy - I know it. But, here I sit looking through pictures of "home"...and I must say some days I miss that place. I miss my sweet friends, I miss my wonderful neighborhood, I miss the fact that we would probably be heading to the coast on Monday for our annual "end of the summer" vacation with our dear friends, and I miss my family that adores us.

Today is one of those Saturdays I hate. Phil is working while all the other families are enjoying a "family weekend". It is one of those days I would have called my sweet friend Kelly and said "let's get together". She would have thought it was a fantastic idea because she too is at home on a lovely Saturday without her husband (another Schwabbie!!). So, we would have gotten together and the kids would have played, ate, argued a little, and played some more. All of this while Kelly and I would sit and visit, drink coffee, eat a snack and visit. Oh, how I miss her and her family!! A day doesn't go by when I think I should have enjoyed our time together more.

So, as I sit having a moment, I realize we think we have life figured out and how it could be better. Instead of thinking this way, I need to realize that God has given me this moment and this moment alone to enjoy my family and my life. Regardless of the empty spot in my heart for home, I will enjoy the moments we have in California and trust God to know what is best for our future!