How?

How does anyone get it all done?

All!

Schooling. Mopping. Grocery shopping. Rest. Sex. Clean toilets. Laundry. Appointments. Church. Encouraging others. Kissing boo boos. . . And doing it all again.

How?

Maybe, sometimes, its just not supposed to get ALL done.
Maybe, sometimes, we need a reminder that we can't do it ALL.
Maybe, sometimes, we get these slaps upside the head from a loving Father to remind us that HE can do it ALL. He has. He does. He will. ALL in all.
Maybe, sometimes, we get the grace to give it ALL back.

Open hands. Heaviness lifted. Grace placed.

Maybe, sometimes, we forget to just be still. Grace.

"You took my hand and whispered, 'Come to me when your weary, and I'll give hope when your hurting, I'll give you rest from your burden. . . Now.'" ~ Lyrics from Come to Me by Jamie Grace

I don't know how long it's been just busy.
I remember when I had WAY less littles, and the littles I had were still little. I remember wondering, "What should we do today?" What plans can we make?" "Let's just go to the park." "I wish I could do more." "I wish I had a good girl friend."

This week I've been looking forward to today. Thursday. No pressing appointments. Just schooling, cleaning, kissing boo boos. Calls to and from good girl friends. Planning those other things I do, leading. Rewashing, for the 3rd time that load of towels that have been in the washer since . . . ? Finally doing some more laundry. Because we just haven't become nudist yet.
Mopping? Hummm?

I've asked, "How am I going to do ALL that?"
I haven't asked, "Why?" I remembered (in the midst of my forgetfulness) that "to whom much was given, much will be required . . . to whom much was entrusted, they will demand the more." (Luke 12:48)

I've been given much. I'm blessed beyond measure. I've been entrusted with the eternal souls of EIGHT little persons. EIGHT! Plus, the few tiny people I get to play with once a week outside the house. Overflowing amazement.

Entrusted. And they demand the more. And More.

Food. Clothing. Training. Grace.

And the Father, all perfect in glory and all good things, provides for me to provide for them.

Grace placed.

Plus, He's given me two good helpers. An earthly shepherd, provider, protector, lover. And an internal comfort, guide, lover.
A godly husband and God Himself as the Holy Spirit. Two good guides. Sent from the One who makes all things new. Good. Renews. Brings to life the dead and stinking (me).

Redeemed.

So, this morning we are letting the music play longer. We are playing longer. And little we are playing with the music.

Singing. Dancing. Laughing. Loving. Cheering.

Glory came down. And I'm still. Praising Him.  Refilled.

How?

By grace alone. "Leaning on the everlasting arms." Getting me out of the way of Him. Who CAN do it ALL.

He has. He does. He will.

Let's roll!


"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified." ~ Acts 20:32


Strength for today and glad hope for tomorrow.

Bad Movies

Jacob and Josiah were playing sweetly on the screen porch, waiting on their turn to do school with Mama. The biggest four students sit at the table near the thrown open to the cool morning doors. This is what they heard.

Jacob was the daddy and Josiah the son. The daddy told the son to go to bed then he lay down. The son waiting a few seconds and said, "I'm going to go watch Pumpkin 'cause it's a bad movie."
A few moments later, "Pumpkin, pumpkin, pow, pow."

Is there something I don't know about that happens while I'm asleep?


__________________________________________________________________________________

The natives are taking over. There's a lot of drumming going on outside. (Who needs real drums when you have buckets?)

I went to finally wash my face (after all it was past lunch and the Daddy is coming home early and we have to be somewhere - together. With OUT children.)
Out the window I hear sung, "We love fried chicken." (to the tune of "Somebody touched me" - you know, "While I was praying, somebody touched me . . . Must 'ave been the hand of the Lord." Isn't that how it goes? Anyway, it was that tune.)

Later I learned that it went, "We love fried chicken, we love fried chicken, something? something? awesome something? like we love Jesus."

(shakes head)

School has begun. . . again!

The Brown Home Academy began their first day of classed for the 2013-2014 school year on Friday.
The teacher normally puts in MUCH effort planning. She didn't this year. She kept her self busy while waiting on an injured child and answering the phone and got it all done pretty quickly (plus, this ain't her first rodeo).

Ava - 9th Grade

Autumn - 7/8th Grade

Elijah - 8th Grade

Alex - 6th Grade

Lora - 3rd Grade

Jorja - 2nd Grade

Jacob - Kindergarten-ish
(He'll be 5 next month - so we'll do "real" work after that. Eventually)

Josiah - Pre-K3

 The photographer tried to take a class picture.

Try 5:

Try 7: the principal was being goofy behind the photographer

Try . . the last one:

Some dear person asked, "Where are the new school shoes?" I think that is very funny!

(although they did all get a new shirt)

Visits

This post is about MANY visits that have happened over the past several weeks. Visitor to our home or visits we have made somewhere.

It's long. 

Grab a cookie and a glass of milk.

 

My big cousin came to visit and brought the smaller of her brood with her. The stayed a few days. We didn't do much other than hang out with kids, but I'm SO glad she came.
Here are some beautiful children.


One of these is mine. If these two weren't 2 years apart you'd swear they were twins.
My word, I've never met two people that act SO much alike!

Happy

 

The gathered gaggle (minus 2)

The Mama is beautiful too. I just don't have a picture of her.

Kathy went home and took my two oldest girls home to visit with her oldest girl who was in Florida whilst the rest were here.

 

My Aunt and Uncle from Maine came down and stayed with Grandmother. Friday was come see us'uns day. And Aunt Audrey and Daniel came to play too! 

Elijah, Aunt Juanita, Uncle Anthony, The Mama, The Daddy, Jacob, Jorja, Aunt Audrey,
Grandmother, Daniel, big ugly broken lawnmower

As soon as all the Great and Grand personage departed the Mama went to a Community Bible Study Training Retreat at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center. What a wonderful time of learning, fellowship and prayer.

Friday night we gathered at their lake and sand praises to our Maker while watching the sun go down.

 

 

Elijah visited the yard and made this gun.

 

Alex visited under a tree and found this baby bird.

If you find a baby bird, just leave it alone. If the parents don't keep feeding it then you can. If you don't it will die. This one died.

We visited church and the four littles wore matching skirts and shorts that the Mama made for them. (Tops from Wallyworld).

I visited Alabama and found these funny looking girls. I brought them home.

If you find funny looking girls out of the nest take them home.

The next Tuesday we celebrated a visit from stork that happened 7 years ago.

Jorja's 7th Birthday

It is REALLY hard to believe that the dramatic baby girl is 7 years old. Wow! Time flys!

 

The four biggers and I had Hunter's Education that Monday and Tuesday night. So, the Daddy had come home early for Jorja's birthday so we could do lunch all together. After all the festivities the children went outside to play. They decided to play in the dirt (right beside the back door. I can never grow flowers there). Some child thought that using a shovel would make the hole digging go much faster. They had begun a beautiful hole, almost a foot deep (impressive).

Thats when the wailing started.

Seems that some child was holding the shovel in the dig position whilst another had their hand in the dirt.

Jacob lost the tip of his right pinky finger. Right at the base of the nail bed.

We visited the emergency room. They gave him good drugs, took an x-ray, splinted him up to the elbow, gave us the name of a surgeon and sent us home (with more good drugs).

That Thurday we met the wonderful Dr. Klugman and his staff in Atlanta. When they unwrapped Jacob's finger (very tramatic) it had an odor so we got to visit with them again on Friday.

 

We had a great view from the waiting room. That's the Atlanta skyline. Children's Heathcare of Atlanta (Scottish Right) is that big white-ish building to the left. The building at the end of that row is the Meridian Mark building - that's where the out patient surgery center is on the 3rd floor. We got to see a helicoptor land on the hospital that Friday. That was exciting!
 

Dr. Klugman "fixed" the little finger the next Monday. He was able to leave part of the last tiny bone above the last knuckle/joint so Jacob will still have full function of that finger. Just no fingernail. That tiny finger will always be shorter.

 

You may not be aware that small boys are hard to slow down. He took all the pityparting he could the first 24 hours. Then he was up and going! And going! And going!

These are before surgery. No fear!

PLAY BALL!!!

We bathed him the night before, put him in clean pajamas, and put him to sleep in our bed.
When we got to bed he was wet. So we gave him another bath and put him in clean pajamas.
I realized when we were changing him at the hospital that his underwear were on inside-out.
Ce' la vie!

I'm not sure where this hospital go some many wonderful doctors and nurses. Happy, busy but laid back, just really supper sweet people. There were toys everywhere. They were really on top of things. I got a gown and cute blue hat and got to walk with him to the operating room where they pulled me up a stool next to his bed and I got to touch him and talk to him until he fell asleep. They reminded me to give him a kiss and I stepped out of the room. A nurse walked Gene and I to the recovery area and showed us the lovely snack machines.

The whole experience was just great.

Jacob looked confused and grumpy when they brought him back to us. They had his an IV in his left hand and taped on a splint. The  "sucking thumb" was wrapped up in the oxygen monitor and he was sitting on the cord. He wasn't vocal yet so he just stared banging it on the bed. I explained that he couldn't get to his thumb. That got fixed right away. He got his thumb, inhaled a popsicle, and went back to sleep.

His oxygen was 93 and they wanted it above 95 before they let him go home. So, we propped him up and tried to get him awake. He was not enjoying our company until I said, "I think there are some presents for you." The child sat stright up and started talking! "What is it? Where is it? Can I have it now?"

We were given more meds and decided to get them filled on the way out of the building. While I sat in the pharmacy The Daddy and Jacob went potty. On the way down the hall to the bathroom The Daddy said, "You better hold my hand, I might be scared."

"Your not scared of anything, Daddy."

 

I pray that someday we have a house full of grandchildren who will scare their parents as much as these scare us.

 

We visit the surgeon again on Tuesday.

 

Big giant !!!THANK YOU!!! to PAPA, and NANA, and Mrs. Jani and her brother Phil for helping with the other 7 scary people.