Summer Reading

This summer my son, David, was given a summer reading list from his school. We were so excited to receive the list and purchase the books! He took ALL of them on vacation with us for the month of June. He read as we traveled the South East of the US visiting our families and friends. He aslo kept a journal of the books that he read. At the top of the journal page he drew a picture of a scene from the book. At the bottom of the page he wrote a description of the book in a few sentences. It has been a true joy to see him complete this work. It was an adventure for our entire family. :)

One of the books he read, The Wind in the Willows, was particularly interesting. He read all of his other books on the list and then I handed him the Willows book. It was a daunting 300 plus pages. And remember, he is only seven years old.

he took the book and we encouraged him to read 10 pages in the morning and 10 pages at night before bed. He was on page 200 when Ryan my husband received his assignment for teaching a 7th grade online Literature class through Memoria Press. The list included The Wind in the Willows. We were a bit shocked and puzzled but David kept on reading.

When Ryan mentioned to the Headmistress that David had almost completed the book she was shocked! Ryan came home from work and asked David many questions about the book. I found a comprehension test online and gave it to David and he was able to answer every question correctly! He read a 7th grade book and comprehended it!

So thankful for his mind and ability! We love David and we have pushed him academically but we had no idea that he would be able to read this far in advance. Thankful that he took it and read it and did not complain. Thankful that we are able to help him along with all the things that he is learning and pursing! What a great time for us. And what a reminder that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and MIND, something I am afraid I can't say that I do well. So, I pray that I am diligent with my children to push them gently toward learning and loving the Lord with their MINDS.

Our House, Their Son, and His Job

Our house, their son and his job... what in the world could these three topics possibly have in common? I think that more than anything they are teaching us to trust the Lord for all that He has for us.

The home that we still own in Georgia has been rented and we just found out yesterday that the girls that are renting it will be moving out in February. We have used all of our cash to own and rent 2 houses.

They found out that the tests that were done on their son had less than desirable results. How in the world will they handle a son that has been this sick for this long and now a new diagnosis?

And his job, or lack of job that he is qualified for, has been a stress on their family for almost 2 years.

We have all been friends since the early days of college. We all have children and jobs and homes and parents. But I don't think that we ever thought that we would be dealing with these hardships. What will we do and how will we react? Will we trust the Lord for our daily bread? Will we trust him that while He may not heal our physical bodies in this world? Or if the healing causes us just as much hardship as it does the child? Will we trust Him in the decisions for his future?

Oh, Lord. We trust you. We pray that you will cause us to persevere until the end. We pray that you will provide our daily bread and that if you choose not to provide the way that we think is best then you are still providing for us. We pray for healing. We pray for provision for a job that is fulfilling and a calling that is sure. Oh, Lord, we trust you.

Verdict on the Dinner A'Fare

Sally, Repeat After Me

Tonight, as storms that began their raging in the plains finally made it to the east coast, I had 2 scared children.  

David and Sally were in their beds in the room that they share and nearing that sweet moment of drifting off when lightning and thunder began to rumble in Brunswick again.  Last night as they raged my children were sleeping and thankfully the storms did not wake them.  But tonight they were not asleep so the lightning shinning in their room equalled a scary moment for them.  

Ryan and I went to their room to talk with them and encourage them to trust the Lord.  We sang songs with them and then scripture that I have been teaching David this year in kindergarten began to come to my mind.  

I shared with them that when we are afraid we put our trust in God, Psalm 56:3.  And to pray that the Lord would keep them from all evil and that He would keep their life, Psalm 121:7.

They responded well to the truth of the scripture.  And for that I am very thankful.  They were calmed and quieted and resting.  

BUT then I realized that Sally left her night night in the living room and I went to take it to her.  I reached their bedroom door and I heard David saying to Sally, "The Lord." and she would repeat, "The Lord." until they had quoted Psalm 121:7  together.   David was leading his sister into godliness not tempting her to sin by continuing in his unbelief.

God is faithful and every word of God proves true and He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him, Proverbs 30:5

why do all of your shirts have a stain on them?

this is the question that i am often asked by my concerned husband.  often the question is asked at the wrong time, for example, like when we are about to leave for a date or for Sunday night church so most times it ends in a huffy trip back to the closet so that i can look and pray for a shirt without a stain.  will there be one in there?  that doesn't need to be ironed?  I am always hoping for the best! 

 This past week our family took a trip to see my husband's parents.  As we were leaving and packing our car, someone, not sure who, made Sally an ice cream cone.  It was just hot enough outside to melt it a good bit.  And she is just not fast enough to keep up with the melt to lick ratio! We were loading the car and I stepped inside to grab a wet towel so that I could clean her up reminding myself to be ever so careful NOT to let her touch me while covered with chocolate ice cream. 

I reached down to clean her hands and I thought that i was free and clear but when i stood up i realized there was a small chocolate handprint right on the front of my semi-new shirt.  (my husband says that all of my shirts are semi-new because of this very problem)

So today the shirt lies in the trash along with 2 others that i finally gave up because of stains and such.  my husband tried to coach me to keep it, to wear it under something else,  to wear it when i knew that i would paint or do something crafty but no i threw it away. 

 and tonight i drove to Target to buy another shirt knowing full well that this shirt would probably end up in the trash sooner or later.   realizing that this time is not a time for me merely to survive through... you know, when sally is a grown up my shirts wont be stained, when John is done with mashed sweet potatoes I will surely be free from stains, I am trusting that this is what the Lord has for me.  I am trusting Him that He will provide what I need and that it is okay to let go of a semi-new stained- beyond -washing shirt.  Trusting the Lord that this is what he had for me for this day and that I am in the time that He has for me and I will NOT always look forward to a better time to come.  So trust Him that this is the time that He has for you.

And, as always, thanks to Annie Laurie for spurring me on to write... and for teaching about new technologies every time we talk...  ALCW-  He is Risen!! He is Risen Indeed!!

GO! GO! Power Rangers

Not sure if you have heard the news or not but a new Power Ranger season debuted this week.  Jungle Fury Power Rangers are all the rage at our house but there is only one problem... we don't have cable. Kind of hard to see your most favorite show ever when there is no juice flowing from the cable outlet to the TV.  

We often can remedy this situation by watching shows on the internet at sites like abc.com and disney.com.  So David was excited to look on disney.com and find that Power Rangers would debut on the net.  He was so excited that he forgot to check the time and the date! He heard the commercial and thought that the first show wold air on Monday... well he did not pay attention to which Monday! It was Monday the 18th not Monday the 12th like he believed in his little heart.  He was very sad to have to wait until the next week but a trip to the grandparent's house made it easier.  When we returned Sunday he could hardly wait for the 18th.  

So on Monday he sat down at the computer and clicked on disney to find out that the show was NOT on their site! YIKES! another very sad time for him.

BUT that was okay UNTIL we went to our neighbors house to play and Tiffany, the mom exclaimed, "David! Guess what we watch last night!!!??? The new jungle fury Power Rangers!!! It was so awesome!!! "  And I could instantly see the tears in his eyes.  David began to cry knowing that he had missed out on the first episode.  Tiffany was heartbroken to find out she had hurt his feelings so she insisted that David come over on Wednesday to watch the show that they had graciously recorded on their dvr and all the boys could eat popcorn and watch the show.  Well, that was a great idea UNTIL her youngest son had to go the doctor unexpectedly and they did not come home until after 5 pm and David had to go to the assisted living home with his dad to minister to the residents there. Whoo! Not a fun time at the West home.  Many tears and much sadness. 

And then came the best part. Ryan and I were able to see that this was so upsetting to David.  That this was a great desire of his heart and that he wanted to see this new show so badly.  He had waited days for it to air and at this moment he is still waiting.  

Ryan really took care of him and did not get mad at him for being so upset with wanting to see a show about something so trivial.  But he shepherded him through the moment realizing that we often have great desires to see things come about in our lives.  David was in the right places at the right times waiting on the show to appear but it was not there.  He made all the effort for this to happen and it was not happening.  It was a great time to share with him that just because we want something so badly, the Lord may have other things for us.  Things that are better and that He is working out for our good.  Was it okay for David to be sad about missing Jungle Fury Power Rangers? Yes.  Was it so hard that he does not have cable?  Yes. And was it so difficult because he wanted this so badly and it was not coming about in his timing?  Yes.  

What we had to do was understand his pain yet not coddle him in this time.  We had to help him know that there will be many things that he will want and he will think they are the best thing for him in his life at that time.  Yet, the Lord and his timing will bring about good things for David at the time that He has appointed. We must teach him to trust the Lord in all things.  We must teach him that he can trust Him for all good things in His life in His timing. 

So, here we are on Thursday after the first 2 Mondays of thinking this show would air and he still hasn't seen it.  Maybe today will be the day or maybe we will have another lesson in trusting the Lord for his timing. 

sally is two!

what an interesting year it has been! didn't she just turn one last week!!! Last year at sally's second birthday I was 6 weeks prego with our third child.  i was beginning the feelings of morning sickness and trying to supress the need to vomit every time i stood up.   but we had the lady bug party anyway! :)  

this year was a much different year.  we were so excited to see our daughter turn two! she has been such a blessing.  there are so many times that she truly brightens up our lives.  she has a great disposition and lots of laughs to share.  

this year we had a monkey party!!! she went around telling everyone "I have a muuunkee party."  It was great! We had a fun time.  I found the pic of the cake on the internet and copied it.  I made a pound cake because they hold up so well with lots of icing.   i also made all of the icing from scratch.  it was so very good! :)  all of the recipes are from my pastor's wife, let me know if you need a copy!  we also had big fun tissue flowers... not sure why i made those but i thought they were really so cute.  and they were so colorful.  

ryan's parents and grandparents came over and we had a nice time with them.  Lots of BBQ was to be had for the men in the family.  It was enjoyable.

we got her a pottery barn anywhere chair with her name on it to match david's.  

enjoy the pics and guess what...

I am NOT prego this time around! 

David is SIX!!!

  New Years Eve is never a dull night for us.  We always have a party, although, the past themes have included farms, super heroes, spiderman, and pirates... not my general choice for the a themed party with adults but you see it is a given that the party will surround the birthday of our first child, David, who came into the world at 11:07 pm on the 31st.  Yep, he came right before the New Year.  The nurses even changed shifts in the middle of the c-section. ( I am sure they had places to be so they could celebrate with friends.)

I can't believe that I am a mom of a SIX year old! I still feel like I am 18 and in college on most days.  It is hard to believe that I spent most of yesterday helping him wait for his friends to come over for a party.  I spent the rest of the time transforming the dining room into a Star Wars theme and making a light saber cake.  

It was a great party with lots of fun for all.  So much fun with the making of the light sabers that we forgot to open the gifts that people brought until the very end and to give them their treats as they were leaving.  I think the treats were the sabers! Somehow the cups with candy and stickers were not as much fun! :) 

As we begin 2008 I am in shock that I have a six year old and that I have been married for almost eight years.  I am also so thankful for all that the Lord has done in our lives.  If I think back on the past few years and all that we have done I know that if I would have been told that we do the things that we have done I would not have believed it! Or I would have cried and not wanted to endure most of it.  :)  But I know that God is working all things for our good and His glory.  He is taking us thru these times so that we can know Him better and glorify Him.  

So I am thankful to the Lord for the New Year.  I am thankful for our son and his 6 year old Star Wars party and I am excited to see what is next.  I know that I would like to know what this year holds for us but I also know that I want to be faithful to see the days come one at a time.  I don't need to see the future  but I do know that I am excited about this year and God's unfailing love as we begin 2008. 

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/_images/banners/banner_forpresidentblue.pnghttp://www.MikeHuckabee.com/

Our traditions...

I love to try and have traditions in our family.  One thing that we have enjoyed over the past few years has been to take a creative dessert to Thanksgiving with our extended families.  Last year we made sugar cookies and decorated them with Fall colored icing.  They were a great hit and the family loved them.  

This year we are taking Pilgrim Hats.  We found the recipe on Family Fun Magazine's website.  It was fun to make them and to lick our fingers! 

Here is the recipe (really we didn't cook anything so I guess it is more of an assembly) 

You need a package of Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies, a bag of marshmallows, yellow icing, and wax paper for allowing to dry.

1.  Dip large marshmallows in melted chocolate. 

2.  Place marshmallows on top of fudge stripe cookie

3.  add a buckle to the hat with yellow icing when the chocolate dries. 

4.  transfer off of wax paper when dry. 

5.  add joke below to card and place in front of platter. 

This is David's fave holiday joke:

Why did the Pilgrim's pants always fall down? 

Because they wear their belt buckle on their hats! 

Happy Thanksgiving from 

Ryan, Danielle, David, Sally and John

Good Books

Here are some good books that I have read lately. I don't have time to give all of the details for the reasons that I love them but I wanted to pass on the titles and some thoughts...
Can you see that I have a baby coming in a few days? I am trying to get all of the blogging in that I have missed all summer. :)
And one of the main reasons that I wanted to share more books is because the last time I was in Tennessee to visit my parents my mom had the book Elizabeth Prentiss, by Sharon James. It shocked me to see it in the kitchen. So I asked her where she got it and how she heard about it. Her response was that my aunt Mary Sue had heard about it on my blog and bought for them to read as sisters... I love it! :)

1. Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper. A must read. Very easy and quick. All chapters are about different women so this is easy to put down and not be lost when you pick it up again. Our women's group study will go thru this beginning at the end of this month.

2. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. I know that most of you have probably already read this but I had not. I bought it while on vacation and could not put it down. I was so struck when the Ten Boom family was taken to a concentration camp and her father was told that he could be released if he would change his ways. And his response was you can let me go but I will do it again. (Referring to housing Jews during the Holocaust.) They were not Jews themselves but Dutch Reformed.

3. Free Grace and Dying Love by Susannah Spurgeon. A small book of devotionals that are excellent. So encouraging and thoughtful. The end of the book has a biography of Mrs Spurgeon. She led an amazing life. She was very sick at times yet she set up book funds for poor pastors and ministered to her husband and twin sons thoughtfully. This is a very fast and enjoyable read.

I Failed!

I am expecting my third child on Monday by scheduled c-section. I am a little anxious about the process of knowing when this child will arrive. But I am thankful that I do know the time and the place!
As we have prepared for the arrival of the next West child, we have completed many projects around the house. You see, we went on vacation at the beginning of August and while we were away we began to discuss how we could make our home look better and be more beautiful. We knew that when we arrived home we would have 30 days to complete these jobs. Here is a small list of the goals: paint our kitchen cabinets, take down a chain link fence, replace fence with a picket fence, re-do flower beds, make new flower bed, order new twin beds for David and Sally, switch rooms with them, and POTTY TRAIN SALLY.
Many of you know that we used the book Toilet Training in a Day, to potty train David. He was a champ. I read the book and told him what it said and he did it!!! It was great. He was trained in a day, had a few accidents that week and we have never looked back! Wonderful experience. He was 22 months old at the time.
Well, Sally was 19 months old and we decided it was time to try, right? She is old enough and girls train faster, right??? and we have another child on the way, so we don't need 2 in diapers, right???
NO! I re-read the book and did all of the little things needed to teach her and encourage her to potty train. And she looked at me like I was speaking another language! She just turned her head to the side and did what I said for the most part... and then she had an accident. So I repeated the process to her and she tried and then she had an accident. This is how it went all day long! She could have cared less! She had accident after accident. When it was time for her nap, I put her down and I sat on the couch and CRIED!
It was awful. I tried to think of things to blame it on, like Ryan called 2 times while I was trying to teach her, she is teething, she... she...
Well, really all I could chalk it up to was that she was too young. It just wasn't time. And she did not have to accomplish this for me to be a successful mom.
It was a complete day of pouting for me. I had the worst attitude. It was terrible! I felt like such a complete failure. Many of our friends call us for advice on how to potty train, how to get your child on a schedule, how to discipline and the list goes on. Most of the advice we pass on is from faithful older parents that we trust who use Godly wisdom and instruction to train their children. BUT now I have to tell others that I FAILED!
I must say that this has been a true lesson in seeing the pride of my own heart. I am so humbled by the fact that I tried something with my child and it was an utter failure and that it is okay. She is normal and loving and whinny and all girl but she is just not potty trained. And that is okay. I had to repent and pray that I would have a humble heart when it comes to children. I know that I don't have all of the answers. I am supposed to look to older women and seek their advice, be faithful with what Christ has given me and realize that I will fail.

A Great Purchase for Boys ( and their Dad!)

Hey guys! I just found out about this book and I wanted to pass on the good news. As many of you know we have a 5 year old boy that is all boy so I am always looking for things to keep him from breaking windows just to see what happens to the glass.
Just yesterday he found an old disposable camera and he used a screwdriver and a hammer to completely demolish it. There are pieces of it here and there in the yard and in the house. But he was very excited to see the wires and the batteries and the "lecticity" that the film that unrolls!! ( I guess the film will never be developed :))
So all of that to say i think that this book is a GREAT find. And I am not the only one! Dr Mohler reviewed the book a few weeks ago and so did Dr. VanNeste http://childrenshourbooks.blogspot.com/ from Union Universtiy on his children's book blog.
Buy it for your boys, young and old. I did and I think it will be a great addition to our collection!

Mother's Day

As we approach the day that Mother's are celebrated I was sobered by the thoughts of many of my peers and friends as they wrote about life and suffering as a mother.
You can see those stories here http://www.girltalk.blogs.com and herehttp://www.lisaelaine.wordpress.com. One other recommendation that I have is the sermon from John Piper entitled To Be a Mother is a Call to Suffer.
And another sobering thought is that my family and I are in the midst of packing to attend a funeral. One of Ryan's best friends from childhood is Luke. His sister, Kelly, died yesterday of unknown causes. She was at home with their youngest child, a daughter, and planning to leave for a baseball game. She never made it to the came and her husband, Lee called their home to find out what was going on. Their young daughter answered and she told him that her mother was on the floor and she could not get her to wake up.
So we do see that God numbers our days. That he knows when our children and mothers and fathers will be born and when they will die. We are to live everyday in the light of eternity praying for His return.
Life is not easy and especially not easy when you lose someone tragically. But we know that God is in control of all things and He is working them out for our good and His glory.

Sally's Party

I know that I posted a pic of Sally on her birthday but I never put up a picture of her cake or party and I said that I would. So for those of you who asked... here it is.

Encouragement

What do we do to encourage one another?? How do we take part in the building up of the saints? Where can we find help and hopeful words? I think the answer is simple. We can find these things in the Word and in the words of our friends and family who are in the Word.

Who has been an encouragement to you this week or in the last few weeks? I can think of many of you who have faithfully prayed for me because you know that morning (all day) sickness is especially hard for me. You have called or emailed with thoughtful words and help for my soul. I appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers.

I can also think of the books that I read. These books written by faithful men and women who have gone before me in life and in faith have strengthened me.

I am thankful for the Word of God. I have been so sick lately that I would often eat and go straight from the dinner table to the couch. Ryan was faithful during this hard time to read the Word out loud to our family and I was able to listen from the couch too sick to hold my head up and read for myself.

I am also thankful for the hopeful words from Ryan. This weekend he shared with me that he was so encouraged to take part in the Sabbath. He told me of how his life almost seems despairing on Saturday and then Sunday comes and the Word is preached and his soul feels revived and refreshed. I was so thankful for this reminder of God's grace to us thru His preached Word. It was an encouragement to me to hear that the Word is fresh to him and it is changing his life as he sits under it.

Today I was also encouraged to hear of a good family friends recovery in the hospital. We thought that he was facing eternity just days ago and now he seems to be recovering well. But we know that his eternity would be spent in Hell so I am encouraged that the Lord spared his life so that we might share the Gospel with him.

A few days ago I was so discouraged about my situation of all day sickness. Now it seems to have passed and I have tried to think all day of encouraging things in the Lord that will allow my delight to be in Him and not my temporary circumstances. I am thankful for the things mentioned above. I am thankful for these things...

PS If you would like a good laugh you should read my husbands blog : www.redeemedson.blogspot.com

SALLY IS ONE!!!

Our daughter, Sally is one TODAY! I can't believe that is has been only a year. Sometimes is seems that it has been much longer and other times I think that she has grown too quickly! She still seems like such a baby to me. Tomorrow she will eat her first cake (actually a cupcake). We are having a ladybug themed party.
She has been such a blessing to us in such hard times. We had such a difficult year last year and the Lord allowed us to have Sally and enjoy her as a blessing and not a hardship.
Praise to the Lord for Sally Elisabeth!

Read the following quote from Carolyn Mahaney,
As mothers, we have a choice. We can either resent the challenges and demands that accompany motherhood and persist in our selfishness, or we can draw from God's grace and receive His help to cheerfully lay down our lives for our children. Let us choose the latter.

Also, for you ladies with girls or hope for a girl, isn't her dress too cute. It has a birthday cake and balloons smocked in the neck. Her bloomers have a cake with one candle, too!

Check out this blog

I think you should all read my husband's blog :

www.redeemedson.blogspot.com

If I were smart enough I would post it as a link on the side of my page but after many attempts to do so I have failed!! :) So add his to your favorites.

My husband is the one on the left holding the cup, not to be mistaken with the crazy man on the right!

Children are a blessing from the Lord

We are excited to share the news with you... We are expecting our 3rd child sometime in September!!
I am just a few weeks along but we have never been good at keeping the news of pregnancy to ourselves! Ryan is really excited and so is David. They daily chant, "We want a BOY!" while marching around the house. Ryan is scared that David will leave for college and family and he will be stuck in a house full of girls! :)
And of course, Sally has no idea what is going on! She will be one on January 26 so she is a bit young to understand the chants and excitement.
WARNING: When morning sickness sets in there will be fewer and fewer blogs!

(Ryan made the sign!)

Have you seen her? Tell me have you seen her?

Here are some pics of our little girl, Sally Beth, posted on my brother's blog. Take a look. My dad, mom and brother came to Brunswick for Christmas with us. It was nice to eat lots of seafood and spend time on the beach. The weather was a bit rainy but we managed! Hope that you all enjoy!

http://erichenley.wordpress.com