I have been working a lot this month.  There are two reasons for this.  First, the hospital went live with the government-mandated electronic medical record and we were all asked to work more.  And this is the time of year I naturally pick up more work because John has some time off and I can make some extra money for Christmas expenses, namely holiday groceries.  I have been working more than double my normal hours.  Today that lent itself to Daddy doing homeschool.  Tabitha asked him if they could have a picnic.  He wasn’t prepared for a picnic LUNCH, but he let them have an after-lunch picnic.  Or junk-food-carnival.  You can decide what to call it. 

At least he knows what is important… he took pictures for my blog to show Mommy what she missed.

Tabitha was so excited it was a buffet!  LOL.   That little green container at the end has orange peppers in it.  That must have been their token veggie!  I bet they had JOLT Cola in the cups! LOL.  HAHA – Actually – I just asked John.  He concedes it was a quarter can of Pepsi each!  ROFLOL. 

At least Marie was praying for the junk food!

These are some cute pics from yesterday.  Do you love how Tabitha sweeps the driveway?  I suppose that is how Donna Reed would have done it, if Donna Reed knew where to find a wheelbarrow.

Johanna seems to be trying out as a role as a Nazarene, or a Galilean, or something.

It IS a wonderful life, you know.
Look at these people I get to live with.  I have so much to be thankful for.

Look at this silly baby.  She would not keep sunglasses on all summer, nor safety glass on at the tour of Daddy’s factory.  But one Friday night she wore sunglasses in the house for 2 hours.
I am thankful for big sisters who keep babies safe when Mom is cooking in the kitchen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She also thinks smiling requires scrunching up her eyes.  I ♥ her.

 

 

 

This is how I found the kids ready for devotion one morning. 
They held their positions until I could get the camera.

I am also grateful for piano teachers who play football with the kids.  And for princesses who pick out their own clothes.

And for a certain 7 year old, female, wide receiver.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For big brothers who love
on their baby sister.

 

 

 

And princesses who make funny faces no matter how many shots you take.

 

 

And for husbands who agree that $30 a ticket is not too much to pay for a night out with the kids every rare once in a while.  They are still on clouds 9, 10, and 11!

 

A few months ago John and I ordered tickets for a traveling dinner theater.  The Christian Radio Station that broadcasts throughout our area, the Family Life Network, was hosting the musical, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” in a number of venues throughout the region.  We quickly decided that this would be a great early Christmas present for our musical-loving children and ordered tickets for the show being produced 90 minutes west of us.  It wasn’t cheap, but it was an investment in family time.  It came at a good time for us.   There were only two other kids in the audience of about 270 people.   Dinner was served at 6:40PM.  We were so hungry!!!  Tabitha ate every last morsel of her salad despite the fact she hates to eat green food!  Maybe I should serve dinner that late every night.  The food was okay, the show was exceptional.  The cast was so vibrant and the story included a gospel message.  I can’t imagine that anyone in the audience could have left unimpressed with the show.  The kids were delighted.  Tabitha was waggling her arms during the big numbers.  Nigel declared the villain a “big stinker.”  Stewart and Marie kept beaming and laughing.  I am willing to bet that everyone leaving the play last night was EXHAUSTED!  The musical ended at 11:05PM.  That is not a typo.  We rolled into our driveway at 12:38AM.  Hanny slept at Nan’s house.  It was a wonderful night.  ♥ 

I need to add a few more things to this post.

I have never seen the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  I saw a bit of it one night last winter as I was nursing the baby.  The scene I saw on TV last year was repeated word for word in the play last night.   I found myself in tears at the weight of burden that George Bailey felt when he was in despair.  After a lifetime of giving and giving and putting others first he was suddenly in the horrible situation of losing the few precious things he had in his life.  I was so moved by the story.   I hope to find the time to watch the movie.  I can’t imagine it living up to the life MUSICAL story we enjoyed last night, but I do want to see it if I can work it in. 

When teaching me not to be judgmental about something when I was a child, my father explained that phrase to me.  But for God’s grace our circumstances could be so much different.  

For the last few months John and the boys have been serving dinner once a week at the Open Door Mission.

Last night, after the team had set up, served and cleaned up, a family arrived at the door.  A woman with six children.  Stewart thought the oldest was about 9 and the youngest was 1.  They had JUST thrown out the last of the food!  They had four plates that had been prepared earlier as “hold-backs” in case someone comes in late.  So John and the boys quickly set a new table and brought the four plates of food to these seven people.  The mother asked John if they had any milk for her baby.  They don’t serve milk at the Open Door, just water with the meals. 

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the cook and other volunteers began to assemble a care package for her.  John and the boys jumped in after delivering the meal to them.  John said they were just grabbing anything they could use.  They DID have boxes of powdered milk for her as well as many canned goods.  Nigel said the woman had a stroller.  I don’t know how she was getting around.  Really.

I asked John, “Where is she going to go?  Were they able to do anything for them?  They can’t sleep there.”  He recalled that he heard her speaking to a worker and it had been set up for her to stay in the Hotel Cadillac.  It is NOT a nice place.  NOT at ALL. 

Oh, please join me as I pray for this woman and her children.  May God have mercy on her. 

My boys learned a LOT last night.  More than I could ever teach them on my own.  Oh LORD Jesus, please come SOON.