2 things...

2 things...

i had a big "poser" the other day. this cowboy took some great pics for me and i believe i've got one i want to blow up and frame...

this guy is top dog in his class this week. or should i say "redbird of the week".

oh, do we think we are big stuff. because of his status this week- he needed mom to come eat lunch with him and read a story to the class.

it was a treat for me and for him! i'm so proud of this guy!

the view from my seat at the kitchen table

this is the view i have enjoyed from my kitchen window. it warms my heart each time i look at it.

there is just something so peaceful about an old, old barn.

it is a barn we literally see and pass daily.

today, that something like 100 year old, barn was no more. and me and my people weren't going to miss the bittersweet excitement.

heave ho!

j's pepaw and dad give the old gal a couple good pushes.

and she was no more.

my view has been forever changed.

and yes, i am sentimental about an old barn. probably more than anyone else there and it wasn't even my barn?!

these were the youngest witnessess.

for now i will see a pile of what was, then a bonfire of sorts, then a new red barn will sprout up in its place.

reminiscing

so,
i know you want to know my favorite childhood snack!

and yes,
i have managed to pass this along to my children (even barron).
i know,
don't be jealous, or get too excited over my "special" favorite childhood treat!


come on,
come on,
try it for yourself.
i know you will love a "pickle on a fork"!
do it right,
you can't just eat it straight from the jar-
it must be firmly stuck to the end of a fork.

oh, and by the way,
i really am not a pickle fan these days...
but offer me one anchored to a fork
and i can bet-
i won't turn you down.

funny what sticks with you from your growing up years.

i wonder who ever started the "pickle on a fork" tradition?
or maybe, just maybe, my very on mom did!?

been?

it's been 1 week since my computer meltdown. it is forever gone- as is all the stuff i didn't have saved . i recommend everyone be prepared for a crash- i wasn't- and well ... i can imagine my distress if i'd have lost all my pictures. i only lost some important documents that, well, i'll just have to manage without:(

moving on now...

since i've been gone we have been...


on a family bowling adventure.
brax kicked tail! joey came in second to his first-born son and even though brax used the bumpers it was a hard loss for joe!

getting "camo'ed" up for hunting adventures.

joey's only gone once so far but... do not fear...it wasn't his last.

and even though the weather has been less than perfect and fall has set in...

we have found a way to practice our swimming.

check out bear's goggles. they are from briley's swim- to- me puppy. i can only imagine how well he'd do if he actually had real goggles that worked.

did you know?

did you know that my computer blew up this week?
nope, not joking- sounded like an airplane taking off and then zap! that's all she wrote.

on that note- zap! went my pictures. at least those on the computer. so for now i leave you with these statistics...

To better understand the human race, imagine that all the 6.7 billion people on earth could be represented by a single "global village" of just 100 people.

If we picture this, then we can more easily comprehend the different proportions we find across the world in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender.

Here's a "global village" snapshot...

Out of 100 people:

60 would be Asian
14 would be African
12 would be European
8 would be Latin American
5 would be American or Canadian
1 would be from the South Pacific
51 would be male; 49 would be female
82 would be non-white; 18 would be white
67 would be non-Christian;33 would be Christian

We might summarize this by saying we live in a world that is non-American, non-white, and non-Christian. what??? i know, i know.. i have been living in my bubble?!

And another shocking fact... the average income in America is $38,611/person or $105 day.Now compare that to the shocking daily reality of almost half the people on earth...

40% of the world's people live on less than $2/day
15% of the world's people live on less than $1/day
4.5 % of the world's people (us USA folks) live on $105/day

just some startling statistics I came across in this book I've read and think everyone should read. Really cool stuff. Learned a lot. Get the book! Or borrow mine!

Excerpts taken from Richard Stearns "The Hole In Our Gospel".

in training

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

every nite they sit by the wall (or all of us in a circle) for the nightly Bible story and prayer time. it is as much for Joey and i as for the kids. i'd say it is the most important part of our day. we are all learning so much. so much about the people and stories in the Bible, about the importance of family, about our call to love, about serving others, about Jesus, about discipline, and on and on...

i hope one day they will do the same for their children...a tradition of sorts...

2yrs 2day

Happy 2nd Birthday Bear!
What an awesome little boy you are. Such a perfect addition to our family.

traditional Mickey Mouse Birthday Pancake!

showing us he's 2!

hamming it up with Padre as we celebrate...


yummy ice cream and a fave around our family...chili's molten chocolate cake. figured since i made a cake for the party, this would be a fun treat for us all!

i love you more each day, my bear! you're growing way too fast!