I Hate Litter.

(Calvin playing in a house made from a box my dad gave us earlier this summer)

At the same moment I paused to look out our front window today, a car stopped in front of our house. I watched the woman who was driving finish a Capri Sun and throw the package out the window. "She did not just do that", I said. Yep, she did. She was a full grown woman. I sighed, put on my shoes and walked outside to pick it up out of the street. I hate litter. While I was out there I found two aluminum cans though. Jackpot!

I like to recycle. My big project has something to do with recycling. Not in a save the world way though. More in a good steward/serving way.

Question(s) I am pondering today: Has the day been a success if the house is a mess? Or, has the day been a wash if the house didn't get cleaned? Wondering. My nerves scream no.

Isaiah 19:16-25 Although the Egyptians were enemies with the Israelites, God says there will be a day when all nations will be at peace and worship Him. He will call all nations to Himself and He will be glorified. "Come quickly, Lord Jesus."

Plans...

(my babies and me this summer)

Making plans for a project I want to do. It is a very long term project, something that I hope would last my whole life. It could be big, it could be small. It all depends on me. Hoping to making it kind of big though. Plans for international involvement. I need to give myself some training first, however. No money for classes right now. Guess books and Youtube will be my best friends for a while.

I read Exodus 1:8-14 yesterday. Egypt had a new pharaoh, one that did not know Joseph. He convinced his people through propaganda that the Israelites meant to harm them. There were too many of them he thought. And so began Israel's slavery in Egypt. But the more Egypt persecuted them, the more their numbers grew. What Pharaoh meant for evil, God used for Israel's good. Gives you a better perspective on your trials doesn't it?

Pumpkin Painting

Calvin finally got to paint his pumpkin today. He has been asking ever since we bought it a few days ago. I have him paint pumpkins instead of carve because there are no knives involved and when he gets bored he is done. No gutting left for me to do. The only bad thing was that he didn't get bored quickly enough, because after his pumpkin was covered in paint he wanted to paint mine. I guess I could always wash it off, but I probably won't.

The passage was Leviticus 18:24-30, with further reading at Revelation 6:12-17. In Leviticus God told the Israelites: You shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations...lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean. I have to admit when I read this passage I thought this was not going to be a very pleasant thing to put on my blog. But sin is rebellion against God. You can do nothing to make it pleasant. It is so disgusting, even to creation, that the land would reject a sinful people by expelling them from itself. Revelation says making creation sick is the least of our worries though. The passage in Revelation described a time when all the people: hid themselves in caves and rocks of mountains and said to the mountains and the rocks," Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Can you imagine being in the position where you are begging creation to swallow you up because it is better than the alternative of facing your Creator and having to give an account of your life? When I try to imagine it my stomach turns. What would I be able to say to Him if it weren't for the blood of the Lamb? I think I would be the first on my knees begging the earth to consume me.

Marker Monsters

Craig and I were trying to get the house cleaned up, so we gave the babies some markers to color with. We gave them paper too, but they didn't really use it as you can see. Evie's markers were meant for babies so it came right off.

Calvin's however, I found out were not washable. I'm so glad he only really tattooed his torso because they were still there over a week later.

Deuteronomy 8:7-1o - Just as God promised the land of Canaan to the Israelites, the new heavens and earth are our Promised Land. Israel was kept alive in the desert by His kindness and so too anything we have is due to His kindness. God deserves our gratitude and thanks for ALL things He has given.

Dirty Laundry

(All babies think it is funny when you put them in a basket and call them dirty laundry.)

Just a day of ordinary things, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, sharing the same cookie dunking milk with my babies. Evelynn had her 15 month appointment today, which means shots. Calvin and I took her in, and we all left having been shot. Apparently its flu shot time. Fun, fun. Calvin felt betrayed because I told him we were going for Evie, he didn't feel any better knowing I had a shot too. He keeps randomly saying, "She (the nurse) hurt me!"

Galatians 3:1-9 Through faith we are sons of Abraham, and we will share in his inheritance because we believe. When God told Abraham "through you all families of the earth will be blessed", He was talking about us. I find that exciting! Before I was even born, God had a plan to call me and bless me. That's power!

Bluejackets:4, Other Team:3

Craig had tickets good for a Bluejackets game last night, so he took me. My mother graciously agreed to watch our babies for us. I am not a big sporting event fan, but when I suggested that Craig ask someone else to go with him he looked sort of disappointed, so I went. I guess sometimes its nice for him to have a whining wife clinging to his arm instead of having fun with a buddy. He must really love me. I brought my iPod to have something to do.


(me being bored at the hockey game)

When we got to the game, I was disappointed to discover that my iPod would not pick up the Wifi at the arena. "Now what am I going to do?" I asked Craig. "Watch the game", he said. Yeah right, I watched people instead. Usually we sit in what we call the Fat Boy seats. Either right on the glass, or a few rows up, in plush comfy seats where waiters come up to you and ask you if you would like them to get you some refreshments. We get these seats from my Dad. The company he works for buys season passes every year and they all take turns using them. The section is full of rich people or obnoxious die-hard hockey fans who scream obscenities. There aren't many children in those seats.

Last night we sat all the way up in the nose bleed section, and there were quite a few children up there. The men were on the their best behavior. The only negative yelling done up there was: "Come on!", "Aarggh!" (with the "g" pronounced), "Oh, fun!", and my favorite "That's not your teammate, man!" (in response to a bad pass). You remember all these things when you aren't there for the game.

After the second period, people thinned out, meaning most of the people who had a kid with them left, but things were still quiet where we sat. I got even more bored because there weren't many people to watch, so I started whining. I do this thing to Craig when I start fake whining about stupid stuff I don't even care about just to get his attention (he knows it too, because he just playfully chuckles and gives me a hard time)

(Craig and me in the nose bleed section)

I told him I was cold. He said, "Aw." I asked him for some ice cream, which was dumb because then I really was cold. So I told him my nose was cold, and he asked if I wanted to warm it in his armpit. I gave him a love tap. I asked him if we could go home, "When its over.", "When will it be over?", he ignored me. And so it went on until it really was over. And I asked Craig to pick up his empty beer can to bring it home for my sister Kate who recycles them for college money. He said we were not walking around with an empty beer can. Apparently he doesn't want Kate to go to college.

Isaiah 51- God called Abraham and promised to bless him. God kept His promise and turned this one man into a people of great number. Think about the promises God has given us, He will kept them. And He will greatly exceed our expectations.

Thomas the Tank Engine Rolling Along!

We bought tickets for Calvin (and the rest of us) to ride Thomas the Tank Engine for his birthday.

It was hot and dusty and not exactly very exciting in my opinion. Calvin liked looking at all the overpriced Thomas stuff (none of which we bought). And Evie tried eating overpriced smashed popcorn off the ground (we did not buy the food either). By the time the day was over we were all hot, tired, hungry, and cranky. Calvin and I were the crankiest, but he's 3...

This was the only picture I could get with Calvin's face (sort of) and Thomas in view at the same time. Whenever Thomas was around Calvin wanted to be looking at him. He was afraid to miss anything. It was cute how all the kids thought it was the real Thomas. Calvin was very excited to get to ride on him, in the train car he kept saying, "I'm riding Thomas!"

Although the passage I read yesterday was very pertinent to my life right now, I was thinking that I needed a little more direction in my study, so I picked up an old Tabletalk. I had just been reading whatever sounded good, or sometimes where ever the pages happened to fall open. It isn't the best way to study, in my opinion. But God will use whatever means He wants to get you to hear the message you need because the passage for today was Genesis 12:1-9 (the call of Abram). And the corresponding study about how God called Abram, and kept him, and blessed him. Not because of anything Abram did, but because He chose him. All Abram had to do was trust God. I think God is trying to tell me something. And when I realized this, how the tears began to fall.

Oh How I Love Them!

It has been pointed out to me that my attitude lately has been bad, to put it honestly. Someone who loves me very much and whose job it is to say these things if they need said, told me so recently. He was very right. And I am glad he told me, not that I hadn't noticed myself, but sometimes you need someone else to say something to actually kick you back into place. I am sorry I didn't take the criticism well when it was given, but I hope (Craig) that person has seen that I have been trying. I am ashamed to say my attitude was bad in regards to my sweet babies. Oh, how I love them! But I have a heart prone to wander, and if it is not brought back to God on a regular basis it will stay out there.



It is impossible to keep my heart in the right place if I am not reading the Bible. So I have made the promise to read my Bible every morning while I have my breakfast. It has to be done at this time because I am the queen of "I'll do it after I...", and if it isn't done then it won't be done. I am also going to have to start journaling it because I read my Bible at breakfast this morning, and by lunch I couldn't remember what the passage I read was about. So MKC (My Kaleidoscopic Cornucopia) will be my journal. After every post you will see what passage I read, what it was about and some way that applies to me. I'll have to go reread today's so I can actually tell you.

As for getting back on track with my babies, that's easier. It has always amazed me how forgiving children are, especially of their parents. I have offered my sweet ones my apologies and even though they didn't really know what is going on, it is obvious they have no ill feelings toward me. I am rereading books on making early childhood happy and special, and have been surprised how much I missed just having fun (singing, playing, dancing, reading) with my babies. It makes me wonder how I got to where I was? But I guess I already answered that question. Thankful for God's grace to give, and use, faithful husbands.

This morning (and a few times since then), I read 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. Paul was writing to the Corinthians and giving thanks for God's grace in granting them gifts. And encouraging them in the fact that the God who had called them, would keep them, and perfect them for the Coming day. What a encouragement it was for me to read that the God who had called me, used the husband He gave me in order to call me back again, that He might continue to perfect me, so that I could stand blameless on the day of Christ.

No Longer A Baby. Now A Little Boy.

My baby boy turned 3 on September 16th! My birthdays don't affect me, but his, especially this one did. I had a profound feeling of losing my baby. I know he is only turning 3 but I have always viewed the age of 3 as the door from babyhood into childhood. No longer a baby, now a little boy. I sat on the back porch after he opened all his presents from us and watched him running around the yard playing, I'll admit I nearly burst into tears.

The Last Day of Summer/First Day of Autumn

Today, I took my babies to the beach for the last time this summer, or should I say the first and only time this Fall? Discovering that it was going to be in the 90's today, I assumed this would be the last day we could go, especially since it magically becomes winter-like in Ohio on October 1st.

After the beach, we went to the playground. I picked one with kids on it so that Calvin could possibly find a playmate, he isn't the most social little boy. Two little girls started following Evelynn around, so closely in fact that their bellies were touching her back, I trailed about 3 feet behind them. Their conversation went like this "Where is that baby going? I don't know, let's follow her! She's a cute little baby. (I quite agree!) Oh, she wants to swing! She's too little to swing." By this time Calvin discovered that another child had dared to even look at his sister and came running up and shoved his way in between them all. Every move that Evie made the little girls tried to follow her and Calvin tried to cut them off. Poor little Evelynn got the raw end of the deal as she was knocked down several times and not permitted to do anything as she was thought to be too little.

Shortly after all that, I took the babies across the parking lot to the empty playground because Calvin got in to a fight with another little boy. (Sigh)