WEDNESDAY...

I keep trying to think of things to say, well, things I can say on here, because there is some stuff... you know.
But what is there to talk about when you have done nothing but stay home.
I could rehash, AGAIN, how much food the seemingly undesirable to anyone ON THE PLANET puppies are eating.
I could tell you how I have forced my kids to read and do math over the summer.
They built forts today....during the 15 minutes please let mommy have some alone time without fighting portion of their day.
I could tell you how physically tired I am. I am not really sure why, except that I have been consistently doing the "e" word (which I dare not say lest I jinx myself) and I am up to 50 minutes a day, and that woman Jillian kicks my tail e.v.e.r.y. single D.A.Y!
Or it might be the fact that for the last three nights, one MC has slept with HH while the other one, and they do switch out, and I have a slumber party on the couch in the living room.
OR it could be the insane house cleaning I have been doing ever since reading Isaiah 32. So you know, my definition of insane is that everything is tidy before I go to bed, INCLUDING my kitchen counter and sinks. Yes, it wears me out.
So, as you can see I don't have much to say.
What do you have?

GETTIN' OUR COWBOY ON...

THE BISCUIT IS OUT OF THE BAG...

You guys know how my kids LOVE my mama's breakfasts. Wednesday, when all the kids were here, I made biscuits, sausage and gravy, all mixed together. We call it SOS. You can call it whatever you want. The visiting MC had a few questions....

Aunt Rhonda, why did you make the biscuits so small?

I wanted to get more out of it.

Audie's biscuits aren't this size.

Boy, Audie gets her biscuits out of a bag.

She does?

Yep.

Do they come already cooked for her?

No, she cooks them. But they come from a bag, not from scratch.

Well, I KNOW Grandpa makes the gravy from scratch.

Yes, he does.

In the words of big sister Candace- Mom you are totally BUSTED! They know the truth now.

Of course, then mine wanted to know why I didn't get my biscuits from a bag, because they are so much better, but one day they will appreciate the value of a homemade biscuit:)

I WITNESSED A MIRACLE YESTERDAY....

in my very own front yard. My nephew and niece were over and all the kiddos were playing outside. The MCs were climbing trees and building traps and doing what MCs do. The two oldest decided they needed to move up a tree. Higher heights, bigger risks, the little ones couldn't climb it. You know, big brother stuff. Nephew MC decided he was going to jump out of the tree onto a limb. MC 1 was, initially, against the idea. However, once he saw nephew was committed, MC 1 decided to give him a little assistance. So MC 1 pushed and nephew jumped and that is when I looked up from washing dishes. I saw nephew grab the limb. I saw the limb break. I saw nephew hit the ground. Hard. What you need to know is that around this particular tree are pieces of a planter. Connecting the logs of the planter were pieces of rebar (metal bars) , and (since part of their day included tearing up said planter) there was a piece sticking up about a foot right under him.
And he missed it ya'll.
Not by much but he did.
And he missed tearing his back up on the other logs behind him.
I didn't call sister right away because our mama minds go to what could have been quickly.
I did spend a few minutes saying Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus! while standing at my kitchen sink.
Some say luck.
Some say chance.
I say Jesus.
It was a miracle first hand.

* New post over on Deliberately Delivered. Do we lack knowledge or do we reject it?
Have a great day!

A WELL GUARDED HOME

Yesterday, I saw this picture on Travis Cottrell's blog.

I could not help but smile because I knew exactly how it happened.

It inspired me to show you guys the guards we have at our house.

TO GO TO THE ER OR NOT...

Every mom has been there.

Your child comes in crying.

There is blood.

You are trying to triage the injury.

Then you have to make the call.

ER or not?

Yesterday, we opted for not. MC 1 came in, tears mixed with blood. I looked around and thought the initial injury was on the top of his eye. I would not make a good triage nurse. The actual wound is in his lower lash line where he managed to flay open the bottom portion of his eye. Right into the lashes.

How you ask?

He and MC 2 were playing a "game",

he fell, and hit his eye on....

get this freak of an accident...on a part of a Wii gun.

His eye is fine, praise the Lord. And believe you me, we were giving so serious praise to Him. He is really hoping it leaves a cool scar. Said it makes him feel like a UFC fighter.

I will probably put a call into the nurse to give me peace of mind (because yes, I am that mom).

ER or not?

I am pretty sure I will be asking that question again with these MCs.

Praise God for wisdom.

While typing this, HH called and suggested we just go to the doctor.

Just to be sure, 'cause he is that dad:)

And we watch a lot of UFC:)

I agree.

BAD WAKE UP....

I woke up this morning not feeling it.

Know what I mean?

When you wake up in a funk and you have not even set your feet on the ground yet?

No?

Yes?

Maybe?

Help a gal out here peeps.

Anyway, I find that on days such as this, the best thing I can do (for me and everyone I will come into contact with during the day) is get right into my devo time. So I did.

May I say Micah is a toe stomper if ever there was one.

And 2 Kings?

Really, fearing the Lord yet serving their own idols?

No need to call a girl out like that.....

I also had a post that had been sitting in draft status for weeks now over on Deliberately Delivered, so I finished that, with thanks to last week's sermon to give me a swift kick.

The other thing I find helpful is some Toby Mac,

mixed in with a little Kirk Franklin,

so I am off to crank that bad boy up!

Hope you have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!

FIRE DRILL...

at 3:30 AM is what I thought we were having this morning. MCs alarm clock decided I needed up. Which I did not, but I did.

And I worked out.

And blogged.

And decided it was enough for today.

Except that,

after two years of sitting on the sidelines,

I am back in the public education game and have a workshop today.

But for your reading pleasure,

or sheer confusion because I am not sure it makes sense,

I have a post for you over on Deliberately Delivered.

Battle Ready.....are you?

Have a wonderful day!

A DAY AT AUNT RHONNA'S...

Last Thursday I had my sister's kids at my house. I had planned on doing nothing. Really, I had. Until mid-morning when my MIL called and told me her barn was burning. To the ground. She was at home alone, with three kids under the age of 6, including MC 2. (I have to confess my first thought was focused in MC 2's location and was he a possible suspect. He was not). So I loaded up the truck and away we went. My sister's WC was very excited. I have never seen a real fire except on a candle.
When we got there, the barn was already gone. My FIL lost everything in there. Saddles, tack, fishing gear, a Bad Boy buggy, a Mule (the ATV), tools, and coolers. RV's were damaged. More for him, keepsakes were lost. It has been a very hard week on both of them. All of them.
But little kids don't realize that. We ended up with seven kids at the house watching the fire. I did the only thing I knew to do, which was set them up lawn chairs where they could see in the backyard and serving refreshments. Their primary concern was the pool....oh please spare the pool. FYI the pool is right behind the house so it had no chance of burning, but you see their priorities.
In the loss, my father-in-law has mourned. He knows it was just stuff, but it was his stuff. His memories. I think we can all understand that.
My sister's kids are coming back this week. I hope I have nothing to report:)

AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR DAY WAS...

Yesterday I decided to tackle the MCs closet versus cleaning the rest of the house. My washing machine was on hiatus and that pretty well zapped any desire to clean straight out of me. We went through clothes, tried on pants and shirts, and then returned the keepers to the closet. Now I confess, I like an organized closet. I like dress shirts together, pants together, skirts together....you get the picture. When I organize the boys clothes, it is pretty much the same plan, minus the skirts. MC 1, over the last year or so, has decided to organize his closet himself.
The clothes on the right are for school.
The clothes on the left are for church.
The lone shirt in the middle....it's a switch hitter.
Church or school, it can do both.
Versatile, yep, that is what it is.

DOTS

What are your ...?(click the dots)

JULY 4th.....

THEY ARE LEAVING THE NEST...

Not the big one....
The little one on his finger.



Their little tails are shrinking.
They are stretching their legs.
They are hopping away for their sweet little lives.
Be great if they could take a puppy or two with them.

SUMMER WALKS