Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the special men in my life.

I love this picture of me & my daddy. He devoted many years as a missionary pilot. Because of him, missionaries were able to serve in remote jungle villages & bring the love of Jesus to people who had never heard. Love you, Dad...

You may have thought I didn't see,

Or that I hadn't heard,

Life lessons that you taught to me,

But I got every word.
Perhaps you thought I missed it all,

And that we'd grow apart,

But Dad, I picked up everything,

It's written on my heart.
Without you, Dad, I wouldn't be

The woman I am today;

You built a strong foundation

No one can take away.
I've grown up with your values,

And I'm very glad I did;

So here's to you, dear father,

From your forever grateful kid.
By Joanna Fuchs

And to my husband & father to our kids - thank you for being a wonderful daddy, for bringing lots of fun & laughter into our home, and for loving & raising our 4 crazy kiddos. It's an adventure taking this life journey with you!

Busy hands....

One of my favorite things about summer (besides the pool!), is catching my kids busy at work, using their imaginations. After Noah built his space ship he told me, "When I started, it was just a box, but it turned into something incredible!" And then he walked me through all its many features. Something my brothers would appreciate. :)


We've been making weekly trips to the library. My girls couldn't be more opposite. I can't get my "bookworm" to put down her books, and I can't talk my "athlete" into picking one up! When she found one that interested her, that came complete with a craft idea, I couldn't resist. They spent a whole afternoon designing & sewing their own pillows. We just need to purchase the stuffing & finish them.

Celtics vs. Lakers

Don't try to tell my boys that the Lakers beat the Celtics last night. They don't care. All they care about is whether the Celtics will beat the Lakers this afternoon. They're pretty confident in their victory, and considering that 2/3 of the Lakers' team is protesting and threatening to sit out, it's a high possibility. They've been practicing religiously all week & have reminded me continually that I need to practice too. Not that it matters...since they also reminded me that we're going to lose.

This morning I sacrificed a washcloth to sew sweat bands for them. I have been informed that sweat bands are crucial & actually improve drippling...

...and shooting.

...and camaraderie among teammates
as they encourage each other from the bench.

Listenin' to the rain...

I love the sound of the rain...have ever since I was a little girl. Storms don't scare me. They're comforting, in a way. I fell asleep countless nights to the sound of torrential rain pounding down on aluminum roof tops without ceilings or insulation to diminish the noise. There's something peaceful about listening to the rain & sitting quietly with my thoughts.

When I decided to lead an adult Sunday school class, I was mostly looking forward to a change; a break from teaching children & a chance to interact with people my own age. I never expected this series might change me.

We're working through a series of messages by Andy Stanley on Faith. I have been challenged to look at the foundation of my faith. Is it circumstantial? Based on my ability to find God in my circumstances? Or is it dependant on something more? When I'm honest with myself, I see that often times my faith in God isn't based on what He's done for me through Jesus, but what I think he should do for me...right here, right now.

Sometimes I'd rather live in denial.

But then reality sets in...

"When we evaluate God's faithfulness...God's presence...God's intervention in a time frame that's short enough to suit us, but that doesn't suit him...we often conclude something is wrong with God..."

There is a couple we know that is facing unimaginable circumstances. I have cried as I read their blog. It is a beautiful picture of faith...a faith that is not dependant on their circumstances. but on their God.

Andy Stanley defines faith as "confidence that God is who He says He is, and that He will do everything he has promised to do." In Luke 5:12-15, a man covered in leprosy approached Jesus & fell to his face before him & begged, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." A beautiful picture of faith.

"God...if you don't do anything for me, you're still God...We can fall on our face & beg God & know that if he is willing...he CAN do it! But regardless of the answer (yes, not now, or no...), he is STILL God & you are still his beloved child...because he sent Jesus to be your Savior."

"The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." Psalm 33:10-11

First looking...then BEING good...

Ever since playing "Rock Band" @ a friend's house, my boys have been obsessed with the song, "Eye of the Tiger". They decided to form their own band yesterday. Noah fashioned a microphone out of scraps found in Phil's garage. Daniel made a drum set out of a laundry basket, box, and dowels. They've sang their rendition of "Eye of the Tiger" more times than I care to remember, and have added several of their own ballads to the mix...

"Okay, Noah...the important thing is to first look cool,

and then to sound good."

With summer vacation comes the added challenge of family harmony. It seems like the kids tend to irritate & injure each other more frequently. Thankfully, we have a garden that produces more weeds & grass than it does vegetables. If they're naughty in the mornings, at least they have shade & the punishment's not too severe. But in the afternoon when the sun is blazing, it's miserable to be stuck outside. We figure, if we can't have unity, at least we'll have the neatest garden on the block!

"I wasn't trying to hit Grace with the basketball on her HEAD, I was trying to hit her on her BACK!!"

The birds & the bees...

Today after church, the kids found a baby sparrow hopping around on the ground under a huge tree. It had fallen out of its nest, but since the tree was so high and filled with several nests, we decided to bring the baby bird home instead of climb through the tree, trying to locate his family.
Hudson followed Phil all around as he collected nest materials and food for the baby bird. Hudson said, "Uncle Phil, you're amazing with the bees and the birds!"

I'm glad my nephews are here to make me smile...

Straight to his heart...

My husband turned 36 today. It's hard to believe that 12 years of marriage & four kids later...life is busy, but we are so blessed. I once told my son that he needed to learn as much as possible from his daddy. It is my "insurance", just in case, someday, his dad will not be here to take care of me. I told him I would need someone to call when something breaks or needs repaired. He looked at me & said, "I won't be able to do it like daddy." And I'm afraid he's right. I am thankful for a husband to knows how to fix just about everything, knows how to let loose & have fun, and brings balance to my emotional neurotic side! :)

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then I hope the cooking I've done these past two days has shown my man just how much I love him!

I fried up the bass he & the kids caught yesterday...plus a batch of hushpuppies. Yum. The kids were curious how the name originated & though it may be an "urban legend", there are tales that this cornbread treat dates back to before the Civil War, and was indeed used to hush dogs (or puppies) from barking. Who knows...but it sure kept our litter quiet!

The only way to make any meal better, is to add Guarana...a Brazilian pop that tastes similar to cream soda, but so much better!

Top it off with Mulberry pie (recipe on "Something Delicious").

Tonight we had home-made Chinese - fried rice w/ shrimp, General Tao's chicken, & Honey-teriaki chicken. And for birthday dessert? Phil's favorite - Maple Nut Mold.

I love you, Phil. Thanks for being a great dad to our kids, and the only one I want to walk this journey of life with...