Mountain Adventures...

We had so much fun! Needed another day to recoup from being so busy, but made some great memories hanging out together as family.
We found a bit of the U.K. in Western Va. :) It's called Foamhenge. A life sized replica of Stone Henge. It was pretty cool!

Boys being STRONG! :)

We climbed rocks...

And ground corn...

Explored creeks...

Made tree beards...

Posed for pics....

Squished N... (no children were harmed during the making of this picture)

Then we got to hug camels...

Feed deer... bet this guy's happy he's in the zoo...cause that's a great rack! :)

We got to feed a camel...

and a Giraffe!!! SO cool!!!

We found out deer are slobbery...

And got to ride an ELEPHANT!!!

We explored trails...

climbed on rocks...

Got a great family picture...wishing it included Z!

D and I posed on this very rock 17yrs ago on our honeymoon... :)

We hammed it up a bit...

and marveled at the beauty of God's creation...

It was a wonderful adventure...

Going to have some fun!!

It's been a crazy week, yet aren't they all?! :)

So this weekend we are heading for the hills... or the mountains to be exact. :) We are taking the kids to the Natural Bridge to spend some time together.

We have been so busy recently that we really haven't had any family time together, and if we don't go away to do it, it won't happen. We had thought of going camping, but it's going to be a bit chilly in the mountains and my D is a bit warm blooded... give him a 90 degree beach any day!... and he isn't pleased with camping in the cold. (I hate camping and it was my idea...thought I was giving him his chance...lol oh well his loss) ;)

The Natural Bridge area has a toy museum, wax museum, caverns, the bridge of course and a zoo that is offering pics with baby tigers, AND rides on an elephant. We are just going over night, but I think the time together will be too much fun! :)

Tonight S is in the Homecoming parade at school so we are leaving bright and early in the morning.

I promise pics and fun to share when we get back. :)

I pray your weekend is filled with fun and happy days!!

Plates!!!...

Wanna know what I did this weekend? Well one of the 1000 things? :) Mom and I had our first craft show.

We were able to sell some of the cake plate combos we made!! They are Up-Cycled plates... we find fun beautiful plates, and then fun bases and attach them. They make amazing dessert plates as well as soap holders, jewelry dishes and even some pampered dog bowls...lol

My mom is the creative one here...she came up with the table scapes. She's amazing!!!

p.s. Posted these pics on FB and already sold 2 of them!! They are for sale and we ship...if we still have 'em. They are one of a kind creations!! :)

Remembering...

I have not always walked with the Lord.

Surprise!!! :)

No really, there was a time when I pretty much ran the other way. I used to love Metallica and Pantara (can still sing you every word to Enter Sandman). I loved big hair bands, smoked cigarettes, went to bars and did stupid stuff.

I am not proud of it, and to be honest there are times when I forget that that is part of my past. Because I am so NOT proud of it, I sometimes sweep it under the rug and try not to let people see the lumps.

Last weekend I went to a dueling piano bar. Have you ever been to one? I haven't ...not sure they had them when I was a bar hopper... or that I would have gone, they want money to play music and I only wanted to spend my money on booze.

But last weekend a friend was having a bachelorette party and I thought I would go. The piano playing part sounded like fun, and I like the girls, and I didn't have to drink so it seemed like a good enough time.

Oh my goodness! Our waitress looked about as old as my S and was wearing next to nothing. I wanted to tell her to go back to her room and put clothes on.

The music was fun, I knew most of the songs, and I did sing. I enjoyed the talent of the guys playing piano's!! Seriously, they get paid to play songs by request, and they play them from memory...and sing them! THAT is talent...although I don't know why they waste it in a bar.

The place was packed with people... and all I could think of was... I don't belong here any more. This used to be me... but thank you Jesus it's not any more.

I caught myself being judgemental...then realized I was there. I was that person. I am still that person. The only difference is that I now know the one that died so that I didn't need to find myself at the bar looking for what it is that I was missing.

I can still sing those Metallica songs, and I will admit to getting a nostalgic when I hear one.

The thing is that I cannot forget from where it is that I come from... (I think that's from a John Mellancamp song...lol) No really... I could still be there, or worse...

I am no better...just have Savior inside of me who is....

Thank goodness because if not, the old me would have decked the little twerp in the bathroom that told me I look just like her mom!!! :)

What a Difference

:) Those of you that read this blog regularly, know that I hesitate to share when good things happen with my kids behavior because generally shortly there after things fall into heck in a hand basket.

However, I just gotta share!

The last 2 years have been a struggle for N.

E coming home and needing so much medical attention sent N into a tizzy! First we were asked to leave a daycare, then we had to stay home with sitters for while. We tried counseling, we tried reading books and applying the principles. We tried treats. We tried consequences. We would have good days and bad days.

We started Kindergarten with some trepidation...and it was a struggle all year long. Talking and bossing and controlling and not focusing. His teacher was a blessing because she repeatedly told us that her son was just like N when he was little and she knew what to do with him. Although we still had more red and yellow days than green ones on a behavior chart of red, yellow and green.

The thing was that N, isn't a bad kid. He doesn't do most of the stuff he does because he's trying to be bad. It's frustrating as a parent to watch your child struggle with behaviors he knows he's not supposed to do...yet does them any way.

D and I decided that we would have to change up the way we worked with him. We decided that we would work on quality time. Work with him. Give him specific goals, and specific things to do to keep his mind occupied. Because you see.... most of the time his mind has raced to the next thing even as it's processing the here and now.

We have now gotten through the first WHOLE MONTH of school and he's not had one yellow or red day yet! And apparently this is a pretty big deal because his teacher is supposedly "harsh". Not sure what it means, but it seems to be working on N.

He's been asked to escort a child that was hurt in PE to the nurse because his behavior has been so good. He's been asked to help the teacher with tasks.

The had a citizen of the month ceremony last week, and his new goal is to be able to be citizen of the month. He told me what he had to do, and he's ready to work on it.

He even wants to be a Boy Scout.

Not sure if it's maturity, settling, the quality time...or the constant prayer...but this year is so so so much better!!!

My beautiful sweet...amazingly tremendously smart N is blossoming and growing. He's gonna be president some day I know it! :) .... or perhaps just an amazingly spectacular human being. :) oh wait he already is! :)

Isaiah's Story

Isaiah's Story from 31Films on Vimeo.