A Beautiful Picture

This my sister's farm.

Over the years, our little family has visited to spend time with cousins and various animals. These days, Kristen has added a couple of horses to her family, so Belle and my husband are especially excited about that fact. Kristen recently took this beautiful picture, and I found it to be irresistibly blog-worthy.

Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch

Each fall, we try to make a trip out to Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm in Hampshire. Over the years, the place has just exploded in size, and now it even has an exotic animal petting zoo, multiple cornstalk mazes, a restaurant, pony rides, camel rides and several shows that happen throughout the day. There is the pumpkin-eating dinosaur "show", the singing chickens, a magic show, and now there is a pumpkin cannon that attempts to shoot a target every half hour. The girls love the time we spend there. As we walked around, I realized how many things my girls were just about ready to outgrow there...and that in a couple years, they may not be that excited about going. So I took a lot of pictures!




One hungry giraffe with a LOOOOOONG black tongue.

So amazing to be nose to nose with a beautiful giraffe.

After I took this picture, Belle wanted her Dad and I to stand in front to mark the year and our height.

Moo and the nestlings.

Belle and the nestlings.

Belle could play around with the miniature gourds for hours. Easily entertained, I suppose.

Okay, it's not just Belle. Moo loves playing with them too. They remind me of Mary and Laura in the Little House books!

This poor momma pig was desperately trying to get away from her squealing and demanding little piglets.

The girls and Daddy on the way into one of the mazes.

I took a picture six years ago with Moo in this bus. She was so little...

I think I liked the "Cackle Review" more than even the girls. I admit...I am fascinated by puppets. It's embarrassing.

Last time we were here, Belle was scared to death of the pumpkin eating dinosaur.

Another view of the Cackle Review.

Someone will never grow up, and can always be found playing with the kids. I'm not naming names.

This is supposed to be a toddler's haystack maze. The Grants temporarily took it over to run on top along the walls and play tag.

Who is that girl under that hat?



Petting the dinosaur.

Wow--we are both in the picture!

Best Dad in the World nominee for years 1998 to 2009.

The Grant ladies.

Sweet corn--yum!

Sweet corn + braces = a mess

I'm a bad mom--I forgot that Moo isn't supposed to eat corn on the cob! So, we just cut the kernels off the cob, and she had an easier time eating than the rest of the family, and it was just as yummy!

A joey.

Belle in her element.

This goat desperately wanted to come home with Moo.

Belle could stay here forever.

Joe camel.

Sweet corny.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Quilted Treasures

Shame on me...

I didn't post about the beautiful quilt that Belle made with her Mimi for my birthday.

I am very fortunate to have a mom that lives nearby who is both willing and able to teach my girls to sew and quilt. A few years ago, she helped Moo make a twin sized quilt for her bed. Now it was Belle's turn for a big project. Apparently the hardest part from my mom's perspective was picking out the fabric with her very particular granddaughter. My mom cut the squares, but Belle sewed them all together (perfectly, I might add). She said that she wanted myself and her Daddy to have a warm blanket to use when we drink coffee together on the couch on Saturday and Sunday mornings. So sweet. She is very proud of herself, and we are very toasty under our fancy new quilt.

Bummer.

Last night, at about midnight, I realized that I hadn't heard Peanut's usual nightly cage noises. If you have checked out one of my video links in the righthand sidebar, you will know what I mean. So, I went up to check on our beloved rodent, and she had died.

What a bummer for Belle, who was so diligent to check on and care for little Peanut--the first little critter for which she could claim full ownership.

This morning, when I told her the bad news, she calmly said "can we stuff her?". I think she has seen all the wall mounts of animals in her Mimi and Bucky's basement, and thought she would find comfort in preserving Peanut in the same way. Eeek. Well, when I said that rodent taxidermy wasn't an option, the reality of losing her little furry friend kicked in. After many blotchy-faced tears from Belle's big, blue eyes, my husband dug a little hole in the yard. He made it beneath a bush and a bird feeder that to our great joy has recently attracted a little family of Bluebirds. After a short prayer and a tiny, quivering "Goodbye Peanut", Belle placed the carefully wrapped little body in the ground.

*sniff*

I know it's "just a rodent". It's just that little Belle's heart seemed to break at the realization of that loss, and so I am sad that she is sad.

We are constantly reminded of the wonders of God's creation...all creatures, whether great or small...all were given to us and for us to care for and enjoy, all bear their Maker's seal, and all speak to the wonders of His creativity and power. Even little Peanut.

Brace Yourself

BEFORE

AFTER

Ack! We are officially missing one arm and one leg. But, we thought it was important to correct Moo's bite issues now, so as to time her orthodontia with a growth spurt. This may afford her a shorter duration of the braces and headgear. I spent four years in braces. *shiver* This is the stuff that character is made of.... :)

Yardwork

Because of our schedule this week, my hubby was forced to choose today to mow the lawn. I'm pretty sure it is 35 degrees out right now. Brrrrrr! It's only October!

The girls are troopers, and when their dad realized a little late that he had the blade setting too low, they were quick to run out and help rake up the grass clippings from a small portion of the lawn. They are great little helpers...I know I used to say that when the help they gave was not really help, but just a shadow of the real thing. But now they are getting so grown up so fast, and they really do lighten the load around the house. I am so glad about that fact! :)

Belle's Question: A Short Play

The Setting: In the van driving to Mimi and Bucky's house. The radio is tuned to the local Christian music station. A song is playing, and the girls are quietly singing along.

Suddenly, Belle asks her mom a question.

Belle: "Mom, what does 'mocking' mean?"

Mom: "To make fun of something or someone...why?"

Belle: "Oh nothing...it's just in this song."

Mom listens to the lyrics a little closer, and yup...there it is. Plain as day.

Music plays:

"Amazing love, how can it be...that you my king would die for me...Amazing love...I know it's true...it's my joy to honor you....in all I do... (chorus) You... are "mock-ing"...Jesus, you... are "mock-ing".

Mom and Dad laugh quietly, gain their composure, and explain that "mocking" should be heard "my king".

Both wonder if they will ever hear the song the right way ever again. At least it's clear for Belle now.

The Season of Our Joy

The Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot) is the culmination of all the appointed times set out by God in the Scriptures. It is to the other festivals what the Sabbath is to the other six days of the week. It is a prophetic picture of the coming kingdom. It foreshadows the great celebration when the entire world will live in peace and brotherhood under the reign and rule of the righteous Messiah King.

The commandment to move outside of one's comfortable zone and live in a booth is meant to remind us that God is our provider, sustainer and protector. On the cycle of sanctification, sukkot is an annual opportunity to revel in God's goodness and take delight in our redemption.

So, this year we took up a temporary dwelling in Missouri at the Windemere Baptist Conference Center for a Sukkot conference and gathering that was being hosted there. It was a great time of fellowship, worship and teaching. We caravaned down with a family from Michigan that we met about a year ago, and we shared what turned out to be some very close quarters. Thankfully, we all get along almost supernaturally well...so the kids and the adults enjoyed themselves immensely.

This is a picture of myself and the girls on the bridge that overlooks the lake. The conference center is located in the Ozarks, near Osage Beach, in a little bitty town called Roach. Such an unfortunate name for a very pretty area.

Moo can't stand to open her eyes in the sunlight. I don't know what to do with her, short of making her wear a welder's mask...but that might interfere with picture taking.

Here are the Olson kids...each of them sweeter than the next. From left to right in back, is Benjamin, Heidi and Jonathon. In front with my girls is Zechariah.

Okay, now we are getting into some pictures of our...well...I would say cabin, but they were more like REALLY small dorms. We had a door that separated the two rooms between our families, but often times one or more of us would be over on the other side. David and my husband had a great time of study and discussion. They really enjoy one another, and spend a good amount of time laughing when they are together.

Ah, our fine dining room...which is an arm's length from our bed, the girl's bunk beds, our bathroom (which you could bump your head and/or knees when using the potty), and our neighbors. Oddly, we already are looking forward to next year. Okay, Steve wants a different mattress next time. Silly guy thinks that the 150 year old mattress may have made him feel a little sick after a handful of nights. I just told him that all that mold, dust, mildew, etc. would build his immune system. He's not buying it.

Mealtime. Who needs television when you can watch the Olsons eat?

The highlight of the accommodations for my girls--besides playing with the Olson kids non-stop and until 11:00pm every night--were the bunk beds.

Beauty?

This is Fillippa Hamilton, a model who is 5'10" and 120 lbs. She was fired by Ralph Lauren for being too "overweight, and unable to fit into their clothes anymore". Ralph Lauren digitally altered her appearance to publish this magazine ad. Yikes! Her head looks bigger than her hips! She is suing...I'm not a litigious person, but I say "You go, girl!".

What is your perception of real beauty? I am highly sensitized to this issue not only because I have daughters who are at an impressionable age, but because I am a woman who--frankly--wants to have her priorities straight in this area. Let's face it, no matter how spiritual a woman attempts to be, THIS area is a struggle. Our faces, our bodies, our clothing...all that outside stuff...is what is seen first by the outside world. Our self-worth is too easily tied to these things that will fade, wrinkle, wear, and turn to dust. Even though our family limits our television intake, it is hard to be untouched by what the media depicts as beautiful. We still see magazine ads, sidebar online advertisements, billboards, and various other displays. And the crazy thing is that what they depict isn't just shallow and unattainable for the average Jane...it isn't even real! Literally.

What is real, what doesn't fade, wrinkle, wear and disappear into nothingness is the beauty or ugliness of one's inner self. What a challenge, huh? First Peter tells me that the "purity and reverence of our lives"...the "unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight...is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful." Let me add that this is probably a good measure of how holy men of the past made themselves attractive to the Father as well.

This is my challenge. There are lots of character traits that I strive for...faithfulness, kindness, humility, courage, wisdom, righteousness, truthfulness, joyfulness...but ultimately I want it to be said of me that the purity and reverence of my life spoke to the greatness of my God. And how he can transform a short, slightly pudgy, double-chinned, prematurely graying Italian lady with bad skin and an outdated wardrobe into someone beautiful; into someone of great worth in His sight. That's what I'm waiting on, at least. :)

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.