While the Mama's away . . .

The Mama (that's me) went on an Above Rubie retreat last weekend. She went all the way to Camp Little Light in Royston, GA (like 20-30 minutes depending on who you get behind and if there are any cops in Canon). It was wonderful! But will talk more about that in a minute.

While she was away the Daddy and the gaggle had a great time together. They managed well at our regular Friday evening service at the Brown Convalescent Center (also in Royston - no relation). On Saturday they got to go the AutoZone Fall Festival! They got lots of candy, balloon animals and swords, cotton candy, played games, did all the jumpy stuff, and ate hot dogs and hamburgers for supper.

Inside the AZ distribution center - this is where Daddy works

AZ race car

Alex climbed all the way to the top on the HARD side

Local K-9 - they also got to watch it find something planted on the fence

A Life Flight Helicopter landed (a planned event) 

They ate, they drank, they all had baths. Daddy did good! (But he missed Mama).

Mama snuck into church Sunday morning and found them all decently dressed and seemed like everyone had their hair combed! Impressive! It helped that the Daddy kept saying, "I sure did miss you!"

At the Above Rubies retreat Mama was loved on and ministered to all weekend. Several of her dear friends went and she made a few new ones. Plus, we were taught, trained, and encouraged by the lovely Mrs. Nancy Campbell in our rolls as females, daughters of the King, wives and "suckling mothers." (It was NOT politically correct). We learned how to strengthen our homes (or start revival - that starts at home).
WE are Dangerous Women! We who train-up the next generation! We with a vision of God's blessing! Dangerous!
I loved every minute!
When there's another Above Rubies retreat nearby I want to go back - and take my daughters!
So here are a few rare shots of that Mama bird taken by the beautiful Lydia Hill and her mother Carol.

I'm in the middle - holding a sleeping baby <3

Me and Mrs. Nancy - God's love radiates from her

I'm Lydia's "special" friend.
I love this girl!
After we came back Lydia gave her life to God!

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 

Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, 

self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, 

not slanderers or slaves to much wine. 

They are to teach what is good, 

and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 

to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, 

and submissive to their own husbands, 

that the word of God may not be reviled. 

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, 

and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 

and sound speech that cannot be condemned, 

so that an opponent may be put to shame, 

having nothing evil to say about us.

~Titus 2:1-8~

Love ya'll! Good night!

All kinds of things

We've been busy. Some more.

Field Trip to Smithgall Woods State Park

Elijah and Alex on the right end getting their compass
(orange shirt and black hoodie)

A sweet homeschool mom planned a field trip to Smithgall Woods State Park in Helen. (I learned about it through Facebook - so it does have perks but I may be planning a post here about dumb post there).
We learned that the GPS doesn't get you to the right entrance but nice people cut grass on Thursday mornings and are happy to stop and tell you where to go. And our dear friends the Kaes were also lost, saw us and followed along. So, we were late together (not a new concept to either of us).
The big 4 did three "classes" lead by the park rangers. 1) Stream Ecology (they caught critter in a cold creek and studied them), 2)Orienteering (learning to use a compass), 3) trying to identify animals based on evidence of tracks, bones, fur, etc. (they really liked the rubber scat).
 The four littles and I played with Mrs. Kaes and her littles.

Autumn and Ava using their compasses

playing trucks

sword fighting

Here are a few more of "almost time to go"

Of course they were told to get off the fence after this
(what's the point of having a fence if not to climb!)

After Smithgall we ate at Dairy Queen in Cleveland. That was a BIG treat!

Then after not much debate we found ourselves at Babyland General Hospital. We haven't been there since before Josiah saw the light.

Who had the most fun at Babyland?

We waiting around (potty-ed and PLAYED) until Mother Cabbage
delivered a baby. (This still tickles ME!)
It was a boy!

It's good to give the kids a good understanding of where exactly babies come from.

India

This month in Mission Friends we are learning about India. We've eaten rice and made turbans.
And learned a few foreign words.

I hope to have a missionary come speak to my little group - if I can just remember to call them!

Pigs

We've chased pigs a bit more in the last week or so. The Daddy has had this marvelous plan to add on to the pig pen. This weekend - while he had a few days school free and Papa to help they built a deluxe apartment to separate one out (fatten one up) and fenced in some more yard. 

The problem came when we tried to get them out of the old part and into the new part. 

Essie, the one who was to occupy the deluxe studio apartment was stepping out of their muddy pit and put her nose right on the electric fencing at the bottom of the slat fence. Normally that would have just made her jump, but with her feet in the mud she just froze - sizzle! 

Thankfully I was standing right beside her with my stick and knocked the wire off her. She was pretty stunned and it took a while for her to gather her little bit of wits back together then the dumb pig put her big nose right back on that same spot!

That really knocked her OUT! We waited on her a LONG time. She finally pulled herself back into her happy place in the mud and tried to sleep it off. Shakin'Bacon

This was Sunday afternoon. 

On Monday, she was sitting up and ate a little but not going anywhere. That evening the big fellers (The Daddy and the Papa)  pulled her out of the mud into her new enclosed spot (which helped keep the very excitable Gordy off her). She didn't move much. Her back right leg was injured. She was easily exhausted and way less stubborn than usual. We hoped that a few days rest would bring her around.

Today, Tuesday, she was just pitiful. I could foresee her getting worse instead of better. So, the Papa came back, the Daddy got off work and they eased her suffering. She is now hanging in a cooler at some meat processors.

Rest in Yummy Pieces Esmeralda.

Gordy and BlueButt are very happy in their new digs. They are really enjoying making more muddy places. They are also enjoying eating - Essie was very stingy with the food and since she was bigger then them I guess she planned to keep it that way. She was nice otherwise.

The New Swing Set

Several weeks ago, when the grass got so high it was embarrassing and people began to drive by and wonder, "did that family move out? I wonder who will cut all that hay?" Papa brought over the bush hog - not for the field but for the whole entire yard. 

We had the biggers gather the hay for the pigs and chickens. (We still have a pile).

Papa did a lovely job . . .

BUT - part of the tractor got caught on part of the swing set and it just can't be fixed. 

BUT - Papa had some old telephone poles from who know where and after fixin' the pig pen and jiggity jogging to market with Essie they finished the NEW swing set.

putting it together - Papa on the tractor, Lora, Autumn, Elijah & Alex "helping" Daddy
The short post on the ground came off the top of the vertical beams - what should we make with those?

They hung the swings but the cement around the base of the post isn't completely set yet so well have to wait a little longer to go high. More pictures Soon!

An Heirloom

I have many family heirlooms. Bit of Jewelry, an old nightgown, quilts, baby clothes, big pieces of furniture, pictures. Gene, well, he's got a few pictures and he gets to enjoy my stuff (and he looks like his parents - sheesh!)

Grandma (The Daddy's Mama) went to stay with her mama in AK (except she's in MI right now to welcome our newest niece into the light - perfectly pretty Divinity Gene!) Grandma's mama, Grandma Lore makes YoYo quilts. This week we got a package from her, inside was Gene's lost cap, a spiffy wordy thing to hang up and (drum roll) a YoYo Quilt top with handwritten notes pinned on it. 

To say I was just thrilled would be an understatement. 

I love quilts. I love quilts that people make especially to give to some specific person. 

We are trying to figure out the best way to hang this one. And where? 

I'm thinking above my bed.

When Gene saw it he was pretty excited too! What a sweet gift!

Too more for the road

The kids found this. It was about as long as Jorja's foot.

These did not eat it. (one rooster, five hens = lots of eggs)

More to come!

Today in History

 Jacob officially began Kindergarten - like doing reading and handwriting! Actually learning something and putting pencil to paper!

Jacob learned the /m/ & /s/ sound today and wrote them

The bigger 6 played Fox and Geese as part of our History Lesson. (The two littlest "played" also - but we think it wasn't exactly the same game. The two little girls wound up seeing the "board of education" and going to their room - Mama won that game.)

We also had a failed science experiment. The bottle had 1 cup of vinegar in it and somehow the baking soda wasn't supposed to fall out of the aluminum "trough" until you put the "stopper" in (Ava's stopper was red play-dough) then blow out the stopper and roll across the pencils. At least the stopper blew off.

We like to watch things blow up.
Notice the audience in the grass.

Josiah had fun on the scooter in his drawers.

Alex made a huge crossbow (thankfully not at all effective)

Jorja and Jacob handcuffed themselves together (on purpose).

They learned that they used the wrong hands and couldn't walk next to each other.

Elijah and Lora did tricks on the trampoline (mostly looked like throwing themselves down flippy).

There's no picture here - I tried and just kept getting pictures of rear ends.

It's a good thing I got up this morning and went ahead and got a shower. I thought that we had an orthodontist appointment at 2 pm. I'd planned our whole day around that 2 pm appointment.
While the littles and bigs meandered into the kitchen and I doled out bowls of cereal Elijah said, "You know you have somewhere to be in 20 minutes?" I though he was kidding. I asked him why he was making jokes! I had to go check the calendar. Sure enough, there it was! "Ortho, 9:30 am, Lavonia"
So Autumn got to babysit while I took the un-snaggled pusses up the road.
She did very well and was all smiles when I returned and asked her how it went.

After lunch we did school.

I was rather short tempered the rest of the day. But I think the children's future therapy won't stem from the adventures of today.

Life Chain 2013

Life Chain is a peaceful and prayerful public witness of pro-life Americans standing for one hour prayer for our nation & for an end to abortion. It is a visual statement of solidarity by the Christian community that abortion kills children & that the Church supports the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception.

I prayed we'd have a turn out of 25 this year. God answers prayers! 25 exactly!


Thank you 
Jani, Marshall, Phil, Robin, Suzie, Deloras, Jan, Olivia, Randy, Missy, Judy, D.L., Courtney, Ben, Frances, Ava, Autumn, Elijah, Alex, Lora, Jorja, Jacob, Josiah, and Gene for standing with me today!

What do those signs say?

Life: the first Inalienable Right

Abortion Kills Children

Adoption, the Loving Option

Jesus Forgives & Heals

God is Pro-Life

Lord, Forgive Us and Our Nation

Abortion Hurts Women

El Aborto Mata Ninos

Pray to End Abortion

Pregnant? Need Help? 800-712-HELP

55 Million Americans Lost Since 1973

Abortion Stops a Beating Heart

Abortion Kills a Baby every 24 seconds

Heart Starts Beating 18 Days After Conception

So, for the first 4 minutes the 4 littles all held signs. Then they found shady spots.
This is Josiah making small puddles with a bottle of water and driving his car through it.

School Pictures?

Yesterday was school picture day. We went to the lovely, oft used church in Hartwell for the professionally taken, blue back-dropped photos to be used in the group yearbook. However, since one very small package was $29 (for just one child) we left there and found our own beautiful blue backdrop that just happened to have a playground (and lots of rocks and water to throw them in) for our enjoyment.
So, here are MANY, unprofessional, mostly not touched-up pictures taken at or near the Hartwell Dam.

Stop touching people!!!

(sigh)

Autumn

Elijah

Alex

Lora

Jorja

Jacob

Josiah

"tree" by Ava

Ava

Autumn

Elijah

Alex

Lora

Jorja

Jacob

Pickle head . . . ur .. . Josiah

Lake Hartwell

Stairsteps

girls

boys

Standing on the edge (Hartwell Dam)

the Savannah River behind the dam

a certain person (Gene) can't believe I took this picture
I think it is, in the words of Josiah, "Hister'cal." (he calls his mother that).

 And other than a stop at wally-world and Little Ceaser's that was our afternoon.

Here are a couple more for your viewing pleasure.

The definition of handsome.

Several smallish persons were in a little trouble for playing in the sand before
going to have pictures made. They were making an "Angel Cake Pyramid."

Love ya!