My six beautiful children span 12.5 years. There are not that many activities that they can all participate in. It is very special to me when there is something they can all be involved in.
Month: April 2017
Last official day of co-op.
It was a LOOOOONG session of co-op, with more drama than you can shake a ruler at. But it was mostly a lot of fun, and the girls had the most wonderful time.
Katriel really enjoy her class about Laura Numeroff books. They had a party the last day.
I got to teach her gym class, which was a blast.
And Marie and Tab finished their dessert/cupcake class.
A not-so-wild animal
On Monday and Wednesday mornings, Stewart and I leave the house before the girls are up. He has to be at FLCC by 8 A.M., so we leave at 7 A.M.
One of Nigel’s responsibilities is to make sure the little girls are dressed when I get home.
She picked out her own ensemble today.
First smore night
The boys had youth group – we had s’mores.
Summer’s coming!
Stewart James Dinsmore
20 years ago today I lost my father. If I sat here and typed till morning, I still would not have run out of things to say. But this is the piece I am led to share tonight: I had the kind of dad that makes it very easy to understand God’s love for us. Living on the receiving end of unconditional love was something I naïvely thought everyone got to enjoy. As a grown-up I understand what a privilege it was. I am so sad I only had 25 years with him, but I am thankful for the eternity yet ahead.
Daddy’s Birthday – 2017
75% of us were available to celebrate Daddy’s birthday on his actual birthday.
I left Flower City Work Camp cold and wet, and met John, the girls, Nan and Nene at Golden Corral.
Dinner was really good… so to speak.
Katriel’s-
This was Marie’s response to fudge, “I don’t know what this is, but it’s amazing!”
Tab had more dessert than food.
I was as tired as I looked.
The next day, we picked up the boys from FCWC and celebrated Daddy’s birthday properly. I made a fine dinner and wonderful dessert.
Johanna worked SO HARD making him wrapping baby and finished just in time for him to tear it apart.
We sang Happy Birthday to this swell guy, and all fell into bed – exhausted!
Flower City Work Camp – 2017
This was the boys’ second year participating in Flower City Work Camp. It was the first year I participated. The boys each served on Work Sites and I was an adult leader of a Sidewalk Club.
I have very few photos of the boys, but I have a lot of my time with Sidewalk Club. Our club presented two VBS-like programs at two different vacant lots in the city to the kids in the neighborhoods with the goal of sharing the gospel to them.
These photos are from throughout the week.
I reported Monday afternoon to get some group work done with our team and to decorate our vehicles.
Here’s my team. ♥
Tuesday morning I had my first taste of “send off.” This is when the Sidewalk Club teams encourage the work site kids on their way to their work sites.
Sidewalk Club teams work on their presentations for the day, and have devotions. I must say I was blown away by the devotions our student shepherds led.
We ate lunch at 10:30 A.M., loaded our cars, and went to our sites.
Our first day the weather was gorgeous. We only had a few kids at our first site, and maybe double at our second site.
Wednesday morning I got to visit a bit with Gabby, who was on another Sidewalk club. She’s from our church and I’ve know here since she was in 3rd grade.
LoDestri Foods had donated gobs and gobs and gobs of tea to the ministry. We did what we could to knock down the pile every day. We handed them out to everyone we met.
Elena being Barrabas.
Micah with some of the tea we took to the sites to give away.
Wednesday – was wet. And cold.
We got more tea on Thursday
And a ton more rain.
It was a great week. I believe seven kids came to Christ on our Sidewalk Sites.
And Nigel and Stewart had a great week on their sites, as well.
Meanwhile, Marie and Tab held down the fort at home.
Easter Sunday • Tabitha’s 11th Birhday
On Easter Sunday, April 16th, 2006, Tabitha was born.
Today, 11 years later, her birthday fell on Easter once again.
And it was a VERY full day!
She’d already had a Daddy date for her birthday, but we had a little something for her in the hall when she got up.
Per tradition, we woke Tab in her bed.
The boys had to be at church at 8:15 A.M. They missed the morning activities.
Nigel and Nene were part of a brief introduction for the service.
Tab was tickled to find out that one of the plants on the table at the front of the church was in honor of her Easter birth DAY
After church we had an egg hunt and some family photos. It was warm, but very windy.
Our late lunch was… KFC. Because the birthday girls requested it.
We had some gifts and CAKE!
Around 3:30 P.M. Tab’s friend Hal came over to celebrate her birthday and Tab enjoyed her first sleep over.
And we finished the night with Thor 2.
It was a VERY full day.
The day I was blessed in a dressing room.
I don’t get shopping much. It’s not something I an squeeze in that often. As Good Friday approached and we knew John would have the day off, we penciled it in as a day I day I could get out to look for clothes. I had some gift certificates I received for my birthday and Christmas, and I needed new jeans.
I arrived at Maurice’s just as it was opening. The clerks were exactly the right amount of helpful. They helped me locate some jeans and answered a question or two as I wondered about a few items. I found some jeans and one of the two sales women took them to a changing room for me to try on when I was ready. As I browsed, both clerks were just the right amount of involved with me. One answered a question and helped me find a shirt. Then later the other was near by as I was looking at a sweater/shirt. She made a suggestion, listened to my response and made another one based on the information I’d just given her. I thanked her and kept looking a few more minutes.
I had a few things in my hand as I headed toward the dressing room where I looked for the dressing room with my name on it (how they label rooms at Maurice’s). As I entered the one with my name this is what I found:
At first I wondered if I’d walked into the wrong room. What was all this stuff? Wait. No. There are the jeans. And that is the top I’d had them reach down from the high shelf. Hmmmm. Wait. Did they assemble all of this? For me to try? Me? They even had accessories!
I had to think a moment. Some of it was stuff that would NEVER jump out at me. Totally not on my radar.
But.
Just a few weeks ago as I took Marie shopping and was encouraging her even though she was reluctant, she abruptly changed her mind and said, “I’ll try on anything you want, Mom. Who knows? I might like it.”
So that is what I did. I tried it all.
And I went home with a LOT of stuff. I was so tickled.
Dayspring Disciples 