Is it really the end of July?

Well, Esther has been looking forward to her time at Twin Lakes Camp for months now. I really can't believe tomorrow is the day she will go. The end of July seemed so far away . . . She has such a tender heart, and I know she will learn a lot (and have lots of fun,of course).
Yesterday we drove four hours to Six Flags Great America. The kids earned free tickets from a reading program they have, and I got a free ticket because I am their teacher. Of course, by the time one adds the gas, $9 in tolls, $15 in parking, $55 ticket for Steve, $30 in food and drinks in the park (only enough to keep us hydrated and my belly full enough so I didn't pass out), and a rather LARGE meal at McDonalds coming home, it was a very expensive day. Which is why I usually don't mess with those "free" things for our family anymore. But the kids sure had a great day. Priceless I guess they would say, I'm just too cheap to call memories priceless. :)
At the end of the day, my ever so wise and spiritually deep daughter, Esther, told me that the day was just like God's grace. It wasn't something we deserved, we just got it anyway. I guess that made it all worth while.
It really was a neat park, and we could have spent several days there. Hannah didn't get to ride all the coasters, but she got to ride most of them. Esther even rode on everthing she was tall enough to ride. Hannah and Esther are the coaster lovers. Sarah and Nathan or more the coaster endurers! The little boys enjoyed shooting the water guns in the pirate boats the most. Ruth just went with the flow, as always. I was especially grateful for airconditioned nursing areas! We didn't get home until after 2 am, so I don't feel like doing much today, and I'm looking forward to a good night of sleep tonight.

Today I went to consult with another dentist about my tooth. He took one look at the x-ray and asked who did my rootcanal. I guess I should explain that when I had the original rootcanal done, the numbing drugs wore off while they were doing the procedure (long story there), which caused me to get sick (I guess I didn't realize it shouldn't be hurting so much, and I'm too tough to mention the pain). They had to rip the files out and redo the whole thing. So, I guess it really isn't a big surprise that the tooth looks terrible now. He said I could have surgery on the tooth at a periodontist, but it might not even work. I decided to just have the thing pulled. I'm all for using God's perfect design of our teeth as long as one can, but I think this ones life has expired.

Today a friend from church took the girls shopping for me. They were so excited to show me their purchases! They really hate to shop with their brothers in tow (which is almost always), so I needed a little help. I needed someone frugal, modest and cool. I so appreciated Audrey Ann spending some of her time with my girls. We are getting really close to having them ready for their New York trip in a few weeks.

Continued

So, my friend Jolyn has four boys that are about the ages of my four youngest children. Two of her boys have curly hair, and Hannah told me we need to have a baby with curly hair. I told her she would just have to marry a boy with curly hair if she wanted that to happen. She only shakes her head about that (marriage - yuck).

We did go to the Tipton park on Tuesday night. My kids really love that park for some reason. It is silly to drive 20 minutes to play there, but is sure makes them happy.

Friday while Steve was at the Rescue Mission and Scott was at the track, I "let" Jolyn babysit all the kids while I went to the dentist. Now that's friendship! :) I've had a tooth bothering me for a few weeks. Unfortunately, I've already had a rootcanal in the troublesome tooth, so I have to go consult with another dentist next week. It's me and my wierd health issues again! I'm trying to upload a picture of Jacob and Ruth, but if it isn't on here after I get out of the shower, I'm going to forget it! Ruth and Jacob are just about three weeks apart in age. Last summer Jolyn and I spent a good deal of time sitting, chatting and nursing on our D.C. vacation. This year we just had to stay up late at night to sit and chat.

Love my Jolyn

I'm sitting in the library parking lot and a storm is rolling in, so this will be quick. I just wanted to recap our week long visit from my Cedarville roomie, Jolyn, and her family. I'll just start by saying when they were here, there were 11 kids in the house . . . seven of which were boys. Exciting times. We visited the Creation Museum, went swimming, and . . . well, I guess I didn't do much else with them. :) Her husband did take Nathan and their two oldest down to the Indy track to watch the practice. Nathan reallly liked that.

Well, the lightning has started, so I'm heading home!

Here are the pictures I couldn't figure out how to get in the last post.

I had a camper tell me yesterday that Ruth is so cute and I'm lucky to have her as a daughter. :) It was a good reminder of how blessed I am.

Yesterday I took the kids down for a creek walk. The kids love to paint their faces with clay from the rocks. It was such a hot day, but it was nice and cool down by the creek. I did take a nasty spill with a camera in one hand and Ruth in the other hand, but I praise the Lord for protecting me. A broken arm would not have been good!

Our week at camp

I've thought a bit more about a happy marriage. I think that fulfilling
Biblical roles goes a long way in making a happy marriage. So, if the wife respects the husband and the husband loves the wife, that would be a very good start! Also, certainly the Lord blesses some marriages more than others perhaps. He is God after all, He can do as he pleases.

So, this week the family has been at Twin Lakes camp. It is a lot less stressful this year because I have Hannah and Sarah to help with all the little ones. I am eating way too much, but enjoying it none-the-less. Noah and I have been on several hikes, and I have done a whole lot of paddleboating (which is a way to justify all that I'm eating). The ponds have an overpopulation of fish, so fishing is pretty exciting for the kids. Ruth doesn't sleep well at nights, so I'm getting a taste of what life on vacation will be like.

The girls both did really well in 4-H this year. We weren't able to see the final results of the projects because we had to be at camp on Monday morning, but my mom looked up everything (and remembered most of it, I think).
Hannah: blue on sewing (which she was lucky to get after she told the judge sewing wasn't for her), honor on bike and shooting sports (although she earned a trophy on this, so I'm not sure how that worked), and champion on personality and garden.
Sarah: blue on foods and sewing, honor on microwave cooking and make-with-a-mix, and (we think) reserve champion on crocheting.

Next Monday my Cedarville roomie will be at our house with her family. I didn't know if we would ever see each other when I graduated, but we have seen each other quite a bit over the last 15 years.

It is hard to believe that July is half over! The summer always flies!

I realize that my blogs jump topics almost as much as Noah jumps off the furniture at our house (which is very frequently if you don't know Noah). This week we went to the wedding of Steve's brother, and I've been thinking of something ever since then. I guess it would make a good Bible study project if I get some free time.
At the wedding there were many wishes for a happy marriage. So I've been thinking on exactly what makes a happy marriage. Steve thought it was just exhaustion when I brought it up the night we got home from the wedding, but I've really been meditating on it a lot lately. I guess it comes a little from my belief that happiness isn't really required to stay in a marriage, because I'm more concerned about pleasing God, but I think the Bible does talk about happiness.
The verses I've thought of off the top of my head would be "happy is the man who has his quiver full of children" and the idea of "rejoicing" with the wife of ones youth (an intimate conotation for sure). I know there are other verses about happiness or joyfulness, but none that I thought of dealt specifically with marriage. Surely both of the above mentioned verses would fit our marriage, but I'm sure that isn't how most people would judge marital happiness.

So, ironically, Steve and I had a disagreement at the end of this week about a significant issue. Not that we fought about it . . . we don't fight. I just submit, but sometimes these things make me very sad. But I would still label us as having a very happy marriage. I'm sure a lot of women would get bitter submitting to their husbands, making an unhappy marriage for sure (like the contentious woman in Proverbs). I know a lot of happiness has to do with ones thought life, but I think there is more to it than that.

Anyway, just something I'm pondering. I know I dwell on things like this a lot because of my parents pending divorce. I just want to teach my children to think correctly about these things, so I need to sort them out in my own mind first.

Tomorrow we have church, a birthday party for Ruth's friend Gwendolyn, then youth group at our house in the evening. Monday morning we leave for Twin Lakes Camp. We should be home Saturday, just in time to get ready for my Cedarville roommies arrival (with her hubby and four boys, of course). We are very much looking forward to everything that is coming up!

Hope you are enjoying the summer. Those leaves will start changing and falling before we know it!

Fair week!

Well, 4-H week has arrived! Tonight Sarah will be making a chocolate mint cake, biscuits and a pineapple upsidedown cake. Hannah also has to have her shooting sports poster at the fair tomorrow, but it is finished. After we are done with judging tomorrow, we will head to Haggerstown for Steve's brother's wedding. Then Thursday the girls both take their sewing, Sarah takes her crocheting and Hannah takes her personality poster. Thursday night Hannah will be riding in the bike rodeo. Friday we have to find something from the garden to take. Friday night I hope to prime the men's restroom if I'm still functioning. :)

The new pop-up has passed the test! We took the family over to my sister's house for a few days and it worked really well. Not only did we use the AC, but we even turned on the furnace at night. We had a good time with Cassy, Mindy and their families. I probably gained a few pounds, but that is just what happens on vacation!

Last week I received Hannah and Sarah's standardized test results in the mail. It is really a bittersweet thing for us. Hannah has made dramatic improvements in her reading, but she is still struggling greatly. She tests like a ninth grader in math and a fourth grader in language. Which means she has improved two grade levels in two years in reading, but certainly not overcoming like we had hoped. What to do? Several weeks ago I contacted the tutor I would like to use for her, but the fees are more than we spend on food (for our family of nine) each week. I just don't know how much money we want to sink into tutoring. There is always the option of my getting licensed at the dyslexia institute, but that would take forever with my schedule I'm sure.
Then there is Sarah with her gift of language. :) She actually didn't test too much higher than average on most of her math, but she excels with all things involving language . . . well, except spelling, but that's the gene pool she is stuck with for spelling, I'm afraid.

This is 4-H week for Hannah and Sarah. Almost everything is done, and I'm just ready to turn it all in and have it over!

I'm reading a good book by Voddie Baucham Jr. right now called "What He Must Be. . . if he wants to marry my daughter." Good book! It was actually a gift to Steve from a man at church, but I'm glad he shares with me!

I guess I should go make a cake for the party at the J's tonight. We are having a Singspiration then heading to Tipton to watch the fireworks. I'm so grateful for the country I live in!