Kids Week

As I wrote on the last blog, we are watching the kids this week.

Yesterday Hannah came home from Kindergarten and promptly threw up - twice. So today we kept her home. (the school has a 24 hour rule about that)


Today she felt well enough to dance to the Wiggles.

And go for a walk around the lake.



I told the kids I would give them a penny for every dandelion they picked. The kids don't understand why I think they are weeds.

Hannah decided to pick some dandelions in a dry creek bed. But she discovered it wasn't so dry.


She was pretty upset.

Those are my favorite shoes!
And my favorite socks!
And my favorite leg is all muddy!

YUCK!

We had showers before going to Grandpa Pete and Grandma Lois' for supper.
Hannah: I'm allergic to scented soaps.
Sophia: I'm allergic to wolves.


Aunt Millie came too.
Mom prepared "omurisu" - a Japanese omelet dish with rice inside.


We had our water in these funny cups with "denture" ice-cubes (part of a gift package I gave her for Christmas)
I believe Hannah is ready for school tomorrow.

P's

Pretty
Today was just beautiful! I love spring. I love the clouds that accompany storms...

and I love flowering trees. You can just see the touch of pink by the bridge. My poor redbud has been so slow to grow. It is just about to bloom. I heard that it takes a redbud about 7 years to really get rooted and to take off. We planted it 5 years ago, so hopefully soon it will begin to do something!

My flowering crab tree is on the verge of flowering too. I think tomorrow that will happen although I have seen it elsewhere in town already.

Parade

I had an errand to run yesterday. There was such a crowd at South Dillons and all along Washington Street people were lined up. I had no idea what was going on. So I asked Jack at Ruzens.


Evidently the eight-horse Clydesdales (as in Budweiser) along with the red beer wagon were marching down our main street in town.

Each wagon travels with a Dalmatian. I read that in the early days of brewing, Dalmations were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries.



Progressive Dinner

Our ladies ministry planned a progressive dinner last evening. We started at the church with appetizers. Then the women were divided into 3 groups.

One of the groups came to my house for salad. I served both a Caesar salad and a tossed salad sprinkled with Wal-marts' Great Value Good Health Energy mix - a blend of soy nuts, cranberries, almonds and pumpkin kernels. We LOVE this! I served home-made honey mustard dressing. It is Lisa Prier's recipe (my daughter-in-law's mother).

Honey
Mustard
Mayonnaise

Mix together in whatever portions tastes good to you!

To drink, we had the options of ice water, raspberry/mango tea and Mary Ellen Tippin's almond tea. Here is the recipe for those who asked:

10 cups water
2/3 cups lemonade mix
1 T instant tea
1 t. almond flavour
1 t. vanilla flavour
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
Mix well.

After an hour at my home, I joined the group and carpooled to Helen Wall's house for lasagna, green beans and French bread.




I left my camera at Helen's so didn't get pictures of the next stop - dessert at Julie Garrett's house. She fixed peanut butter pie!

Precious!

I love Sunday mornings. The babies at Grace are so very precious as are the workers who faithfully come! Katelin comes to help with her daddy in the infant, or Bunny class. Isn't this sweet?

And Andi is so dedicated and has helped me for several years already. Wonderful with the children!


Parenting!

This week we will be parenting again! While Adam and Jill attend a pastor's conference in Chicago, we get to take care of these sweet girls!

Positively Perfect!

Out my back window

The last few days have been windy! Kansas windy! And cold.

Today it is calm and so nice outside.

The birds are enjoying the day.

The purple martins and sparrows are competing for their apartment space.

There were a couple children who came over yesterday. While Sophie and I went inside to mix the juice for the orioles that should be migrating soon, Hannah got busy -

I think half the sand from the sandbox had been removed.

She was enjoying her day outside too.

This past week I saw a new commercial on the television. A young man, who is filthy dirty, top to bottom, arrives home. His parents meet him at the door holding a roll of paper towels. As he tromps around the house, leaving dirt stains on the piano and on everything he touches, the parents follow him around, wiping up the dirt. This reminded me of a picture I had drawn years ago and put in my prayer journal.Colossians 3:5-17 inspired this picture.


5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


Just as we change our clothes each day, and sometimes more than once a day, we need to daily dress in the wardrobe Christ has for us. Take off that BO smelling clothes, those rags stained with oil or dirt. Dress in His likeness!

Field trip

Hannah wanted me to go with her on her school field trip. So Sophia and I tagged along. Our first stop was Druber's. We love

DRUBER'S!

When my children were just little, we used to go there and meet with other moms and their kids.

Hannah's kindergarten class is large enough that they were divided into two groups. While group #1 was shown the "how to's" of making donuts, Hannah's group had donuts to eat and pictures to draw.
After group #1 was done, they switched places.


They were shown how they make all the different kinds of donuts. All fashioned by hand.



Getting on the bus to go to the next stop.



Faith explained that they share the love of Christ to people who are in need.
Christ Himself was homeless His last years on earth. "The foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head." Matthew 8:20



Each child brought a box of cereal to share with the families who stay at the shelter.

"Christ came into the world not only to offer salvation, but to show us a new way of life . . . a life defined by love, humbleness, selflessness, sacrifice and service. Then, He tells us if we want to follow in His steps, we must deny ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him . . . we must live our lives as He did . . . outward focused. Christ’s body was broken and spilled out for others; now we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) . . . we are to become His hands and feet. Christ calls each of us to be His representative to a lost and dying world, to offer them hope and a new way of life."

Thank you, Hannah, for inviting me to go along with you!