A Merry Little Christmas

Merry Christmas!

May you fall in love with the One who loves you to eternity and paid the price of death to get you there. May you accept all He has for you and wishes to give you: freedom, grace, peace, rest, hope, ... love. May this be the gift you remember long after the paper is off, the gift of life eternal, given to us by way of a newborn baby. Celebrating that baby...

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We have had such a fun month. Focusing on Christ and slowing down yet getting things done.

We went through Advent most every night. We used many different Advent things to pound into those little heads what Christmas is really all about. One thing we used was The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel. Each night we learned of a story about how each of our customs and traditions may have come about. All in celebration of our Savior's birth. From church we got a chain of ornaments with colors to focus on and a little book like I Spy games with a reference from each day hidden in the picture. SO much fun they had with that one. We also read the usual scripture of the Babe's birth.

For Christmas the kids hit the motherload... Smiley got a guitar (the #1 thing she wanted), a lap harp , puzzles (some homemade by my mom), her own personal throw blankets and well, way to much! Jmama got a Baby Alive that talks, drinks, eats, pees, p.... (well you know) that was her #1 thing she wanted, she also got a vsmile laptop, her own puzzles, her own blanket and again way to much. The girls also got tons of shared items, sewing machine, Leapster2, board games. The Boy may have gotten the short stick this year but he never knew it. I was given a huge mountain for hot wheels and we had found about 100 cars at a yard sale over the summer so that was his big things. He was "bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb" at each and every one. Things with wheels are what he lives for I think. After playing with cars awhile he decided to climb the mountain.
Really cool was...Scrapbooks for each of the kids. I couldn't decide if they were for me or them so I didn't make a big deal over them. Now I have no excuse not to do it huh? Pray I will do them justice. We also got a digital pic frame, and John got a nice watch to go on his belt loop.

But far above all, we are blessed! Our girls know the Lord, Smiley was baptised this year, and Jmama made a profession after we all talked with Pastor Mark about Smiley's baptism. John has a stable job. I am still at home, homeschooling the kids.

If we all suddenly come up missing...Look to the Lord for with him we shall be ;)
Or see you next year!

The Joy of Jmama...

Sometimes things happen and we let them get away. Well, following a friend's blog idea, I think it's called a meme, I am going to show you some of Jmama....

First is a conversation I heard a few nights ago as we were looking at Christmas lights...

Jmama: (softly as if to her fellow seatmates) Quit, stop, ..... no, your crowding me....

I, of course pay little attention, she must be fighting with the boy.

Jmama: (a little louder) Quuuiiitttt, stop crowding up on me...

I turn to see if the boy has escaped from his containment device and is in the process of torturing his sister. Nope, not much more then the expected rise of his chest and the curve of his mouth around his processor appendage, generally called a thumb.

I then turn to the other seatmate, who is looking out the window enjoying the very thing we were doing, looking at lights (can you say cheap entertainment).

Now I am back to the look at her, she is in a all out wiggle in her own semi-containment device.

Me: What is wrong? (yes more than a little annoyance has made it's way from my lips)

Jmama: Their crowding up on me.

Me: Who? (Major sarcasm, I already know that the other seatmates are occupying their own personal space)

Jmama: The lights, their crowding up on me. See... (as we make our way to yet another Griswald type home)

Now I'm laughing so hard nothing but the faint sound of an asthma attack is heard.
Oh the precious joy of being a momma....

*********
Now on to the next joyous moment,

We went to a friends house for some Christmas festivities. Playdates for all. Girls are playing, boys are resting, dogs are chasing, moms are talking real conversations. Great time!

She had made the girls "Little House on the Prairie" bonnets for Christmas. Now my friend is not a seamstress, more like a beginner, and she had slaved away the night before, making these gifts for my children.
Don't you wish sometimes you had that first reaction on film, like you could send it away and make lots of excessively taxed cash? This is one of those times, a priceless reaction only in a still image. Do your kids ever do this when given a gift....

Thanksgiving in Mississippi

I am not any good with the pictures on this blog but I am trying.

This year for Thanksgiving we spent a few days with my big brother and his family. He has had his new house for about a year and this year he decided to host us for Thanksgiving.

Have you met our new vile, mean, vicious, flesh hungry, meat eatting, attack and guard dog?

Don't be scared of his viciousness, it is mearly an act.

He is Pocket the rocket dog, or Rocket the pocket dog.

Ahem, All Stand Please...

Please stand for the Ladies Spohr, and their royal escort, Linus the Lion.

The Ladies and Lion attended the annual masquerade ball on October 31, at the Willowbrook Grounds. Though many were in attendance, the Ladies were stunning and beautiful. The Lion almost lost his nose before the feast, but alas all enjoyed the time.

Blog-ouragement

I think I need a little...
Just something to know you are there...
To say you are interested...
To have some comments...
Anyone? Bueller? Mommy?

HELP! I need some blog encouragement, aka blog-ouragement.

The Art of a Handshake

Yesterday as my mom and I had a kid free, hit the rummage sales and mall day. I noticed something, an oddity, a flash from days gone by. It was several young men greeting each other with a handshake. My first thought was, these must be well raised boys, what a respectful way to greet each other.
Then I thought of how few times I see things such as this. These days a greeting I most see is a twist of the hat, grab of their person and sometimes followed by a semi-hug. Now there was a time when a semi-hug seemed more, well, personable, and it may still be. Then I also see the hand bump, you've seen it. They bump fits, do a little jig and again the semi-hug. Now that I think about it, it's more like a chest bump with an arm thrown in there. Is it? Of course there is the nice to meet you handshake, that one my man has down pat. His arms are in his pockets, I introduce him to so and so, then he extends his hand toward so and so. Shake and move on.
Right now I am trying to think of how I will teach my son the art of a handshake. The kind of covenant of it. Once upon a time, a handshake was your signature in an agreement, no need for lawyers, if you didn't stick to it, your name would be tossed around in a sort of stoning. You wouldn't ever be trusted and you had just better get out of town.
Also a handshake was a sign of respect, young men approached older men with a handshake.
Especially when seeking advice or wisdom. Like saying I am extending myself to you in hopes of your extending yourself and gained knowledge to me.
A firm handshake meant strength in character, a stand up guy. Even for a woman, it shows confidence and commands a certain respect. In contrast, a person with a dead fish shake seems timid, sneaky, and as if there is something else going on here.
As I write this I have decided that the art of a handshake all boils down to trustworthiness. If a man is trustworthy, he will shake hands with others in an appropriate manner, he will not be overbearing or inject pain, nor will he be flop in your hand, or be timid. A woman's character can be assessed also. She will smile and look you in the eyes, with respect not seduction. She will be of firm character such as her handshake.
I realize I how often my character assessments are based on a handshake. Now thanks to the four young men I saw greeting each other, I will start, even now, teaching my children the "Art of a Handshake".

The boy

I am on the subject of the boy, he is really starting to change. Maybe he has been changing alot this month but now he is just E. He communicates through 4 words and screaming. Fun huh? He says mommy, daddy, pocket(the dog's name) and drink. The rest of the time we are playing "Find what the boy wants so he will be quiet." I think that's what we did with Joy and well, not so smart. I had the pleasure of keeping his class this past Sunday night. I can tell you he is a man's boy. Not that other boys are not, but my boy is like a steam roller. He is just rough. Not mean, just strong, and he doesn't know it. My friend's boy is much the same so I had no idea that they were so "grrr" "uuuhh" BOY. He'll push the little dainty girls and he ends up whacking them into the corner of something. They cry, he falls into the same corner and nothing, just get up and do it again.

I have also noticed a few E-isms. Mostly involving animals. For instance, if allowed, he will fill his mouth with anything available. I have seen him stuff it with cat food, pennies, paper, or fries, one day I found him with paper, a penny, a washer and a nail! It is like he is part chipmunk. He will just hold the stuff in his mouth. Also he is part goat, I don't know if it's due to the fact that we live next to a goat farm or what. He will climb to the top of whatever is there. One day I found him on J's bed, wow big deal you think, but she sleep on the top bunk! If there is a book, cat scratcher, box, toy, really anything, he will get to the top and then get stuck. Today he got a new tonka hummer, this is after he had been whining about being stuck (he hasn't figured out how to get down). Wondering about the smile? Yes he does that to the camera, is he a ham or what?

Little gifts from God

On Smiley's birthday, something (rather Someone) told me to notice the hen making a bee line for my wisteria bush. I had just let the chickens out of their sleeping quarters. When I went to check on her (Ma), she was sitting there and would not move when I went to check on her. I walked away thinking she must be sick, I'll watch her. Then I walked around the other side of the bush and this is what I saw... 5 eggs! Yipee! I didn't know they were ready to lay yet. That got me thinking about how much time the other one spends under the lantana out front. I think I'll look under there. Wow! I found 6 eggs there.
That put us in harvest mode. Everyday we were out looking under the bushes for eggs. Little brown fruits of labor. It also got me and John in overtime to get a coop for the girls to lay in. John spent a whole Saturday, with much needed help from Rob, and made a coop for the girls. After many hours of work, from John, Rob, myself and the girls, we now have a coop to find our gifts in. Each day it's like getting a gift from God.

Sit at home mom...

Isn't that what "they" imagine? That we just sit around and enjoy the lazy days of being at home? What a farce!
I recently went to a "Titus2" homeschooling/organization seminar. It was great, I realized I needed to be more structured at my home. Because after all we have all this time and nothing to do. Only in all my time I had things not getting done! So off to schedule our lives I went... It has been great, only I have to stay up late to get my computer time in. I don't have any daytime hours to squeeze it in.
How is it that you moms who work do it? I don't have time for all the things I need to get done and I am "at work" 24/7 or at least 4/7 days. I don't get to drive home to the comfort of family like the hubby does. I am always at work.
Anyway back to scheduling. It has been a challenge, the girls are like trained rats in a lab. They must do things like we have been. So to retrain them is against the grain. The first few days are fun, lets see what this is about. Then they get to wanting to go back to the days of not getting anything done. Those days are the hardest. Especially when I just need a restful day and they take advantage of my weakness.
Now to top off the change of a schedule, my 6yo has decided that she missed the 2/3 yo testing stage and she wants to try it out. My little obedient, mild natured first born has found a mack truck to push through the envelope with.
Father I am at a loss here. Give me perseverance to make it through this stage Reign is in. Help me to hold fast to the standard you have set and given to me to provide. Soften her heart to be changed and retrained to a woman after you, after your desires for her. Help me to know the right things to say and the right things to do to bring all these children to walk the narrow path. I need your help Lord Jesus. Amen.

Fireproof!

Last night John and I had a date night... with friends. We went to see the movie Fireproof. Since we have not been to a "movie" since we took our oldest daughter to see the Heffalump Movie, it was very nice. Great presentation of the gospel and of the truth of marriages. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie. Of course, it was not a $multi-million movie, but it was the gospel on the big screen. And it was a topic most people can relate to. Most (not all but most) people are either married or want to be one day. The movie mimics others I have heard on marriage issues, Marriage without regrets, by Kay Arthur, and Created to be his help meet, by Debi Pearl, are a few I remember. The former book, God showed me a new way of relating to my husband (well, fiance at the time) and the later, God changed my marriage or more over He changed me, again.

Isn't it that everyone wants to be loved in a selfless way. They don't always know where to find it, but they want it none the less. They look for it in other people, self-inhibition, rebellion, and intimate encounters of the sinful and defiling kind.
They also want change, most of the time it is the female wanting to change the man. Girls are attracted to the "bad" guy, it's that mother nature in us, we think we can love him into loving us. Or in some cases we can intimately love him into loving us. If I'm the best, he will want me.
Funny thing is that we get those things and more when we come to Christ. I know I've been there. When I finally looked for THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, I found the gift of the love of my earthly life. I let go of that desire to be the best and realized I couldn't be, only Christ is. I let go of the idea of changing someone and became the one changed. I yearn for others to know this in their lives. To know the unending love of One who wants to buy you back from that thought process, from that destruction: to REDEEM you, that is change you can count on.
Father may you change each of us today. If we need a major change, create the heart that is responsive, if a minor change, have your way in us.

I AM a terrible mom (part blue)

This is how she arrived at church. :)
Thankfully we go at night, only 500 or so people saw her...
I think she's happy about all the attention.

I AM a terrible mom.

Breaking news.... Jama has fight with concrete steps and loses!
On Friday, I made my (never looked forward to) journey to the pit of all that was bad about me...New Hope. It is Homecoming 2008, with all the festivities: the floats, the convertible cars carrying girls much to young to wear those dresses, the former classmates looking fabulous, the trucks full of kids waving for no apparent reason to other kids waving back for no real reason, the firetrucks, police cars (who is protecting this city at this time?), and the reason we go... friends and candy.
We get there early to get a parking place at the normal place for us, the Methodist church. Now if you ever venture to New Hope (please don't) but if you do and you notice the church on the north just east of the school, that is the place of this boxing match. There are about 25 steps, at least 12ft wide going up to the sanctuary of the church. The girls are running around, because I need them to let off some steam, and playing with their friends, Hope and Grace. The party moves to the steps of the church, and Jama takes a notion to play "how many steps can I miss". Now she has fallen, scraped her head/face on the concrete and lets out her usual Joy scream. This scream comes out at anytime, and is usually followed by Amiley... (insert something Smiley has done here). So of course I didn't run to her aid, how was I to know, it was the usual scream. I don't rush, I just walk to her after I make sure the baby is being eyeballed by somebody. Then, has scrapes everywhere. nose, eyebrows, mouth, ankle, ouch but serious? I just don't see it, this is usual Jama scream, not a "hey this is important scream" (unless you were an onlooker), just the usual. The only thing she wants is a band aid for her ankle, which is not really hurt. Having heard her scream like that over a thousand times I guess I thought a "this is important scream" would be different, not so.
We watch the parade, gather candy, say goodbye to friends and load up for home, by now we have a bag of ice not being used although the having it makes the pain better. I ask her if she feels funny or sick, no. So I put them down for a nap.


When Jama awakes,


YIKES,


her face...


Oh sweety...


Bad Mommy...


VERY BAD MOMMY!!!...

Adventures in chickens...

This past spring John and I embarked on an experiment. We are blessed to have a nice piece of property. We also have lots of room between us and our neighbors. Soooo, we decided to start raising chickens. On a Spohr of the moment thing, we purchased 4-one day old chicks and have been feeding and growing the dumb little creatures for 5 months. Now we have 1 rooster and 2 hens, Pa, Ma and Henrietta (the widow). I thought naming them would make it hard if we decided to eat one, but the kids are all about eating Pa since he is mean and trys to flog them. (Anytime we have chicken Joy asks if it's Pa we are eating)

Now, chickens are REALLY dumb, have you ever thought... "Oh the poor little creatures", maybe when you passed the semi carrying a couple hundred to their death and eventually to your dinner table. No? I have. I once lived in a place with plenty of chickens and you would see the little buggers and smell the little things all the time. Now that I have started raising them I realize just how really stupid they are. Well maybe not so stupid as completely instinctual. And just who is running the whole operation.
You buy the little furry things and they do their thing. eat poop eat poop eat poop and grow... You don't, or even can't teach them anything really. They just get into a routine. Then they grow out of the current housing facility and you move them. Lock them up for a few days in that "house" and whala, they go back there. They all get big and soon the rooster is the boss and everything and everyone is the enemy. I didn't tell him to be a male chicken, I didn't treat him any different than the hens, so why did he become a dominating rooster? God made him that way. Hard wired to multiply and protect. Now the hens, they started laying eggs, in the bushes. I didn't know when they would start laying eggs and I thought that if I didn't feed them food for laying they wouldn't. Should I forget who is in control? God made those little creatures start laying eggs. Not because I did anything but because He does it all.
I put in a little effort and He gives and gives. Isn't it like that with all of our lives. We put in very little effort and He just continues to bless us. We even screw up and still we are blessed. We but say "Lord, I need you" and He is there, picking us up and brushing us off to bless us more.

The real first blog

Hello out there.... This is my first real post on my first blog about Smiley's first day of "school" when I first got enough courage to do this. More firsts later but now, on to this one. On the night before school, my usually laid back carefree little gal appeared from her room with "Mommy I can't sleep!!!" in a gala of tears. After some investigating, she was nervous about her first day of co-op. We had a quick prayer and all was better. Now I'm sure it wasn't the serious talk about obeying the teacher, the continuation of that serious talk about how John and I were excited about her first day. Oh no, I just couldn't see why she was upset. (onward Brandee!)These are pictures of her first day.


First is her and Jama sitting in the prayer circle to start the day. Each child is given the opportunity to have a prayer request. Then they pray as a group. What a great way to teach the coming together and rejoicing and weeping our Father has given us rise to do. At this point I'm outta here. We with little ones have the chance to get out so as to not disturb all day. (good thing, Boy is everywhere!)
Her and her BFF Bette (they must be the cutest first graders). This was a great way to see her in a group setting and see her maturity level against her peers. I know we have some work to do but I am blessed with God's grace and mercy over each of my children. It was a great day! She learned a nursery rhyme and studied about spiders and curds and whey (gross). She got to use pastels in her art class and is looking forward to more "school" days. Homeschooling is unique and not like your normal days of school but what a blessing it is to see her learn to read, write, comprehend numbers, and see details in things as never before. I wouldn't miss this for the world! Thank you Lord!

Boy's first steps

Here they are, Boy's first steps. For some reason, this milestone is painful. I don't know why but I want to capture every crawl now. (hormones? yeah I think so too) He will soon not let me hold him, preferring to explore. He will soon not snuggle, much to busy. I'm just gonna miss the baby stage. *sigh*. Ok, ok, enough lamenting.