I will sing unto the Lord

About two months ago or so, 95.3 KLOVE hit the air waves around our community! What a blessing this has been, surrounding yourself with praise music everyday without having to pop in a CD! We have had a few stations in our area but one is boring and the other, we lost the frequency to (I think that's the right way to say that!)!

There is nothing that warms my heart more than my kids walking around, playing, or doing "other" (you'll understand later) activities and while they are doing these things they are singing praise music.

Jacob and I were waiting in the car last week to go into preschool. "Strong Tower" by Kutless came on, and he went to town. He is three and of course does not sing ALL the words but I know that God is hearing them all! He manages to sing most of them but leaves an occasional one out. I meant to write about it last week but I feel like all I do is write about Jacob.

Well today, Jordan was using the bathroom (as listed above as "other" activities) and I hear "Who am I that You are mindful of me, that You hear me, when I call"? He's sitting on the toilet belting out praise and worship music! He finishes the song at the sink while he's washing his hands! I went immediately to the computer and began writing this because my heart is so happy right now.

I don't always feel like I am doing a good job as a parent. It is the most rewarding job in the world but the results don't always show themselves. This is a case in which they have shown themselves and this is the best reward of all. I have complete faith that my children are being raised in a Bible believing, Lord loving and obedient home and the fruit of that is being revealed. We are by no means perfect parents or are my kids perfect- I just had to leave the computer to discipline the youngest. He tests my patience EVERYDAY!!! I do know that God has something in place for my children to fulfill and He is proving that to me everyday! I also know that we have to continue to do what we are doing and as the days ahead, we will have to step it up. I love my children and pray God uses them in a mighty, mighty way!

Will you kiss my foot mommy?

I was in the laundry room this morning folding clothes and Jacob came in and asked me to kiss his foot. I said sure and he pointed to where it hurt exactly and I kissed it. He said thank you and ran off with no worries. I began thinking of how much faith he had at that moment. I kissed him where he said to and he was healed! It's the same way when it comes to our Heavenly Father. When we are wounded, whether it be physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, all we have to do is call out to our Father and ask Him to love on us and take the pain away. He's there waiting on us to call on Him, he never moves, we do. We also need to posses the faith of a child, that when He does love on us that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the hurt is gone. We need to pick ourselves up and move on and know that by His stripes we are healed in every way. What an awesome gift!

Fall Break at Lake Rudolph

For Fall Break this year, we decided to go camping with my parents and sister and her family at Lake Rudolph in Santa Claus, IN. I knew that the camping area existed but never dreamed it was as nice and big as it was!

We left on Friday, Oct. 17 and spent all day decorating our campsite for the Halloween campsite contest. We mixed Halloween and Christmas together and decorated a pumpkin as Santa and the other as Rudolph. We also made tombstones for Jack Frost, The Grinch and Scrooge. It was adorable, sorry I didn't take pictures! Friday night the campground had Halloween movie night and they showed Garfield's Halloween Adventure and Monster House. We made it through Garfield but the kids were exhausted from going ALL day long!

Saturday we woke up and Mamaw Knight made homemade donuts. Jacob, Jordan and Justin loved helping her. They were so yummy!

Here's Jacob and Papaw Knight in deep conversation as papaw fried bacon and sausage for breakfast!

Saturday around 11:00, the Halloween Carnival began. You had to purchase tickets (they were cheap) and the kids were able to play games, paint pumpkins, get their faces painted and play on two bouncy contraptions!

My boys loved decorating their pumpkins! Jordan played several games but Jacob was content on just decorating a pumpkin!

Saturday evening, we took the kids trick-or-treating. They were excited to go but once they saw some of the campsites, they were done. Jacob was done after the second road. On this road, there was a mini haunted house and Jordan went through it with Aunt Mindy and Justin. I had no idea it was scary and he came out white as a ghost! There was a guy with a Michael mask on with a chainsaw cutting up a woman lying on a table. He started running into the road chasing kids and once Jacob saw that, he was finished. It made me so mad, I had no idea they were allowed to do those things. Jordan was finished after the fifth road, he had seen all he needed!

Here we all are before trick-or-treating without Jacob, he was a little grumpy!

Once we were finished with trick-or-treating, the boys helped entertain us while we handed out candy. Here they are with their vampire teeth!

Saturday night, we took a Hayride around the campground. The boys loved this! Later that evening they had a big dance for the older kids, Mindy and I took Justin up and danced a few songs, it was fun!

Here are my boys on the hayride!

Once we got back from the hayride, we ate chili and read to the boys. I brought all of my kids' Halloween books and Mindy read to them around the campfire. They loved it!

Sunday, Mamaw Knight rented a golf cart, this is the "thing" to do around Lake Rudolph. It costs $35 a day for a four seater and $55 a day for a six seater. We needed the six seater to fit most of us on! The boys loved riding around the campground!

Some of our family came and went all weekend. My grandparents came up on Sunday for the big fish fry. Here is Mamaw Chandler showing Jacob how to crack a peanut! He tried but ended up biting it and getting the peanut out! Both of my boys love their great-grandparents (both sides)!

Here is everyone chowing on the fish, it was delicious. My dad loves to fish and saved a ton to fry on our camping trip! We spent the entire day Sunday being lazy and enjoying each other. The kids played on the playgrounds and their Papaw and Great-Papaw took them out for ice cream. Monday early afternoon we left and my parents stayed until Tues.! We had a wonderful time, even though there were some dramatic moments. It was an adventure camping with my boys but they love being outside and experiencing things. I would never take that opportunity away from them, we made memories that will last a life time!

A conversation with Jake

O.k., so I lied about blogging again until after camping. My children are driving me crazy about when we are going. Next time, they won't know until they arrive at the destination. So, I've been packing and have a movie on to entertain Jake. He's watching Scooby Doo and the Mummy, something like that. He comes into the laundry room and asks:

Jake: What's those people called again?

Me: What people?

Jake: The people on the movie?

Me: Oh you mean, Fred Shaggy, Daphne and Velma

Jake: No, those other people

Me: Oh, the mummies

Jake: Yes, they're scary and so are the daddies!!!

I got a kick out of it, kids are so hilarious! I have a small praise report, my aunt called and she works at a hospital in the area and might have a job for me. It will be two days a week and an occasional Sat. Good hours and I will work in the ER. I'm praying that if this is what I'm suppose to do, that God will reveal it to me. I keep thinking about the orchard that Pastor Kris spoke over me (see earlier blog) and how that could be used in a hospital setting. God is good! We're off to camp in the a.m., beautiful weather is predicted, typical fall temps! I'm so excited!!!

Ten Things Tuesday

Last week was a week from you know where. I am believing God that this week will be a week from Heaven!! I probably won't blog anymore this week because I will be busy getting my house and my family ready to go camping for Fall Break. We are camping at Lake Rudolph in Santa Claus, IN with my parents and sister and her family. Wish me luck because I've never camped with my children, only cabin camped!!!

1. I am thankful for having insurance and doctors to treat my kids when they are sick (Jake has croup).

2. For my Monday night television schedule being whole again! Little People Big World is back!!! Jon and Kate plus 8 and my new fav., The Duggar's!!! and I can't forget Heroes! I don't watch them all on Monday's which leads me to my next item!!

3. I am thankful for DVR!!!

4. I am thankful for Jordan and his hunger for learning! He gets to attend a party after school today at Walther's Golf for completing his pizza box over the summer. They get to play putt-putt golf, laser tag and eat pizza! The school sends home a pizza box from Pizza Hut full of work to do over the summer. There is work for each day of each week until they go back to school. He worked hard over the summer on the homework and didn't complain at all!!!

5. I am thankful for Jacob and his sense of humor for being three years old! He never gives us a dull moment even when he's sick!

6. I am thankful for my husband and how he allows God to lead him and direct him.

7. I am thankful even though I might have to find a part-time job outside the home, that it could be much worse. I could be dying, losing my house, I know God will direct me towards the right path!

8. I am thankful for the lazy day I am going to allow myself to have today!

9. I am thankful the Harvest Party at Jordan's school went good on Friday. It was my first party to be Head Room Mom and it was so much fun!

10. I am thankful for Diet Coke!

Hair coloring according to Jacob

We're standing in the bathroom and I'm brushing Jacob's hair before taking Jordan to play basketball in Evansville. Jacob's way over due for a hair cut. I am going to get my hair colored tomorrow at my sister's shop (she's my hair stylist). I told Jake this and that maybe Aunt Mindy could cut his hair after she colors mine. He says, "Mommy, Aunt Mindy's going to paint your hair, why"? Because I have GREY HAIR that's why!!!!!

Ten Things Tuesday

It's been a good week for the most part. Our family recv'd some news yesterday about a friend being diagnosed with bone cancer. We are claiming a complete healing for him and know that God is the same God yesterday as He is today! We love you John, Jenny and family! So with that being said, my Ten Things Tuesday hits home a little harder today!

1. Good health, we take this for granted and complain when we have a cold or paper cut!

2. For Camryn's adoption, God's hand was at work in this and He could not have placed her with a better family. We love you, Kris and Nic!

3. For my parents and Brad's parents, they try to tell us how to live, even though we are grown adults. I know that they are still our parents and they want the best for us. What would it be like to not have parents that cared?

4. For thoughtful, obedient followers of God like Bobby and Stacey. Their hearts are as big as the world and I love them for that!

5. For my grandparents still living and the relationships that my children have with them. I had this growing up and I am so thankful for it!

6. For John and Jenny and their family and the work that God is doing and will do in them!

7. For Boonville 1st Assembly of God and for the unity we have in our church.

8. For Jordan not having any cavities yesterday, that saved us $$ since we don't have dental insurance.

9. For the work that God is doing in both of my boys' lives. Jordan told Brad on the way to baseball lessons last night that he wanted to be either a principal or a pastor like Pastor Kris!

10. For colds, I would rather have a cold then be in a hospital bed somewhere!

Englebrecht Orchard

It's been a few years since we went apple picking. Mainly because Jacob was so little still and the fall is so packed with activities! So we decided it was time to go since Jacob had never been and the other two boys love it!

My mom, sister Mindy, nephew Justin, my boys and I went to Englebrecht's on the North side of Evansville on Saturday to pick apples. We had a fun time but there were not a lot of apples to pick. The Red Delicious trees had the most and there were NO Granny Smith.

Jacob was so into the apples that he didn't care to pick them, he just wanted to eat them. He ate three while we were there! I love this picture of him!

This is Jordan in an apple tree because when we first started, they were out of apple pickers. The picture at the top is one of Jordan using the apple picker, which makes it a lot easier!!!

Most of the apples were at the tops of the trees but Jacob was able to grab one on bottom!

The last time we went, Jordan was 3 and Justin (my nephew) was 1 and we took a pic of them walking in the orchard in Newburgh. We had to get one that included Jacob! I love this picture!

Here are our three, handsome boys! We had so much fun picking the apples. Afterwards, we went to the country store there and bought homemade sugar cookies and drinks for the boys. Since Sat., we have made a few things with our apples. I am wanting to learn to make an apple pie but haven't had the time yet! I fried some in the skillet with cinnamon and sugar and we've dipped them in peanut butter. Next, I'm going to get some caramel to make caramel apples even though they didn't have any Granny Smith! The simple things in life mean the most to me and I know my boys will remember these things when they are older!

A three year olds relationship with Jesus!

Some of you know that since the wind storm back in mid-September that Jacob has been afraid of the wind. As we were pulling into church that Sunday morning, Jacob witnessed a tree and utility pole fall on a garage and when we got out of the car to go inside, a huge gust almost blew us away.
When we left church, he cried all the way to the car because the wind continued to blow and he was afraid. I didn't think much of it, until a few days later when we went outside to play. We were playing and there was a breeze and every time it would blow a little harder, Jacob would run inside. After the second time he went inside, I told him (as we all do!) to quit running in and out. He told me he was scared of the wind and that the trees were going to fall.

I knew this was a "real" fear because this child would live outside if you would let him. So I began asking people to pray for Jacob and for God to take this fear away because we all know that fear is from satan. I am so thankful that his fear seems to have subsided.

Today is a beautiful fall day and there is a slight breeze blowing outside. We took advantage of the beautiful day and spent the late morning outside playing. As all three year olds, his attention goes from one thing to the next. We played baseball, in the sandbox, he worked on his playhouse with a hammer and then he jumped on the trampoline!

When his was jumping on the trampoline, a breeze picked up and he stopped dead in his tracks.

I asked him if he was alright and he looked right at me and said that wind, it's just Jesus breathing! It took me a second to respond because I could not believe this was coming out of a three year olds mouth! I said yes it is Jake and he said but I don't see him, he's not here. O.k., how do you explain why Jesus isn't visible but he's here to a three year old? I just explained to him the best way I knew how and I know that the word planted in his heart will eventually make sense to him. I told him that Jesus was here and that we couldn't see him but that if we needed him, he was always right here with us. As parents, we sometimes fall short on feeding our children the word of God at home. Brad and I have been guilty of that before, we leave it up to going to church Sun. a.m. & p.m. and Wed. p.m. for learning about Jesus. We have to feed them on a daily basis the word of God and know that one day, it will make sense to them. On that day, they will ask him to come and live in their hearts and then it will all be worth it! I love a child like faith, we should all strive for it!