I don’t keep it a secret that we are a pastor’s family.   I am proud of that fact and i am VERY proud of my hubby as he feeds his flock and cares for them.   yes our lives are crazy and most days it is in question whether we are coming or going.  But my hubby realizes that we as a family need to be fed too.  We minister constantly…even our kids LOVE people like none other I have ever seen!

Well it is good for us to get Away…to rejuvenate and  relax!  Well this past October we had such an Opportunity!    All summer long we looked forward to going to Kentucky!  Hubby was going to attend the answers for Pastor’s Conference! A few years ago we got to go to the Creation Museum in Petersburg Kentucky.   Kentucky is in my opinion one of the most beautiful places in the U.S.  Sooo we decided to make this a family vacation. We knew that hubby had a pretty grueling schedule BUT we were all excited about going to the Creation museum.  NOW, the last time we were there Tornado was 3 Ladybug was  and weasel was about 15 months old.  Remarkably the Creation Museum left amark on our then 3 year who is now 6 .  He was so excited.  he talked of dinosaurs and Adam and Eve.  Noah’s Ark and so much more!

We had decided to take our camper and a babysitter!  Mostly so hubby and I could go to the pastor’s and wives dinner!  Which was a blast and we got to hear Ken Ham!  What a joy that was!

Our kids are still asking “dp you remember…?” questions 4 months later.  They talk about the  things they saw and learned.  They Loved the Petting zoo and Botanical gardens…(Especially the T-Rex topiary hiding in the Garden)  HP and I found it by accident and we both nearly jumped our of our skin when we did!

we came home rejuvenated and ready to share all that we had learned! we had a wonderful time and the Craetion museum staff is soooo very helpful in a bunch of ways.  Right down to the police officer directing traffic.  he made it apoint to notice things (Like how many kids were in our car)  He was very helpful and super nice and it is those things that encourage youand make you visit special!

Thanks Ken Ham and ALL of the Creation Museum Staff for making out visits an educational and enjoyable one.  WE WILL BE BACK!

Okay SOOOOO this weekend has been, interesting to say the least and I really REALLY don’t care to repeat it any time soon.

Let’s start at the begiining because that is a VERY good place to start.

Thursday last week I was sick…sore throat and that not so great sandy eye feeling that usually is a first hint of pink eye.  So I went to the Dr. She toldme That everything seemed fine.  My ear looked “a little red” and my throat “showed no signs of infection”.  So despite   feeling rough i went to the AWNA Spaghetti dinner .

Friday morning the VERY first SNOW day of the season, but I was looking ward to our church’s ladies night Out event.  Then about 9 or 10 in the morning I get a call from the Dr.  STREP THROAT…REALLY?  Then  we decided because of that I was contagious so no Ladies night out for me .  then it got canceled anyway because of the Snow.

Saturday I had to miss a 50th anniversary party for aa couple in our church because I was still considered contagious   So then after hubby put the finishing touches on his sermon he went to the new house to finish a project he wanted to complete…no big deal he would be home at 10.  Well as so often happens with home repair things it took longer than expected and he got home a little after midnight…Still no big deal.  he took a hot shwer and then i fixed him some supper (he had had lunch and then some food at the party) and we debriefed.  just as we were getting ready for bed, little bean decided he was going to needa diaper change.   Hubby went in and grabbed him quick before he woke up his sister.

upon picking him up he dicovered he had soaked through EVERYTHING and needed to be changed so he set him on the floor and told him to come find me.  What he didn’t realize is that Little bean was standing right behind him as he closed the door …Thankfully gently) when little bean started toscream Hubby turned to see what was going on.  His little finger was stuck in the door on the hinge side…Upon opening the door Hubyy realized we needed to move quicky and get him to the ER.  At 1:30 am Sunday morning they left.  At 5 30 they returned with my bandaged sewn up baby boty.

in the process all the kids had woken up and they were up til 4 30.  Not a wholelot of sleep was to be had.  hubby got an hour and a half of sleep before gettignup for church.  He spoke and we were all exhausted.Little Bean was happier than ever 7 stitches and all.

Despite all of the excitement and exhaustionI have a few lessons I have learned…or was reminded of:

• I can do all things through Christ who  strengthens me
• God loves me no matter what
• He will supply all my needs
• and He will never leave me nor forsake me
• AND He is my rest

Just to show you how well my little bean is taking this  here is a picture i snapped of him when I laid him down for his nap!
Happy as all get out…What a little Boy

No fear I’m not going to complain!!!  That is just how I feel…Actually i feel more or less like a tractor trailer hit me.     It’s an interesting  scenario i find my self in.  Coming off this weekend with a spiritual high.  There is nothing like a test of your patience o be a sick  mommy and have 4 kids ready and raring to go at 630 in the morning.  there is this ever present reminder running through the back of my head.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  And then I remember that God will never give us more than we can handle AND THEN  His strength is perfect when our strength is gone, he’ll carry us when we can’t carry on!!!

We can rest in these very promises.  And that is all i need!

THANK YOU LORD for all of the promises you give us in Scripture.  They serve as such an encouragement to each one of us.  Amen!

Four very special blessings in my life are my kids…..6and under…..that doesn’t sound as bad as it did last April riht after little bean was born and I had to say 4 4 and under.

All four of our children are amazing.  I am not just saying that because I am their mom BUT they are so very special in a very unique way. (and I am the first to tell you that they have MANY faults as well.  I am not the kind of parent who thinks their kids are perfect.  I am well aware that I gave birth to four little sinners)

So why are my kids so special.?  Well It is no secret that my hubby is in full time ministry and that I am a syau at home wife and mom!.  I am fully involved as a pastor’s wife well.  But our kids have never been trained to minister to people…They just do. and not just by making them smile or by hugs BUT much deeper than that.

Our oldest Son tornado (there is a very good reason as to why he has that nickname)  Anyway he is 6…But as a child of 4 we had a tumult of deaths in our church…..Tornado has a VERY sensitive heart and cried at each telling of one of his dear friends and if he talked to them at least once he counted them as one of his closest of friends.  One specific case we had been having church dinners through the winter months and oneparticular Sunday we sat next to an elderly gentleman and his wheelchair  ridden wife.  Tornado was in his element .  He spoke with Mr I for the whole lunch and it was the only time they ever interacted…..2 short months later Mr I passed away. And Tornado was distraught.  He cried for nearly 45 minutes when i told him.  But the story does not stop there.  He made it a point that the VERY next time Mrs I was in church to give her a hug and tell her that he missed Mr I VERY much.   He Also MADE us tell her the very same thing the day of the funeral.   Tornado also like to open peoples car doors for them which many people do not understand that he is just being a seet boy and he has actually been reprimanded for his acts of kindness.  One one other occaision Tornado went up to an elderly gentleman during a men’s prayer breakfast (which he has faithfully attended since he was  5) one Saturday and asked him “How is your wife doing?”  His only interaction with the P’s was the previous Thursday when they came for dinner.   Mr P’s Heart was melted.  Tornado holds a very special place in many of the elderly families hearts in our church.

Our second oldest is our only daughter Lady bug……she is a sensitive heart to be sure.  She has a gentle spirit and if she knows you are sick or hurt you can rest assure that you WILL be taken care of!!  She will bend over backwards to make sure you are comfortable  and well taken care of.  She is our big helper even though she is only 4 soon to be five.

Next comes weasel…(yet again there is a very good reason for the nickname)  He is a lover boy.  He gives lavishly of hugs and kisses and even more so since he had his tonsils out a week ago.  He  has the most amazing smile that warms anybody’s heart instantaneously. And will almost immediately ask if you will be his friend as soon as you meet him….BUT on one occaision he  has helped someone so amazingly.  One of our teens  in our church a hurting very badly and this teen in particular is and has been his favorite since we set fott in our church two years ago.  But Miss B was going through some tough times and after a particularly hrad time  he went running to her flung his arms around her neck and said “My A— My A— you ARE my BEST FRIEND”  How that meant so much to that teen and it was almost as if he knew she needed it!!  And her too has caught many a heart at our church .

And lastly Little Bean…at only one  can get almost anybody to smile.  You see he has been pooked and prodded and all sorts of lovely things since about 6 months old and yet he is almost never grumpy.  He has a captivating smile and personality …..and one of the sweetest things about Little Bean is that he loves to hold hands….even this evening as I sat in a chair reading and he was trucking around in his walker. he would come near to my chair reach out his hand for mine.  though it is never very long it is just one way  he shows an amzing spitrit.

NAd finally one of the other things that characterizes all three of our children is their desire to pray for others whom they know are hurting….Not just family, friends or church family but for those they hear us talking about in our world’s recent natural disasters…..We have watched their little hearts break as they hear us talk about tsunamis hurricanes, earthquakes tornadoes floods and so much more.   I wouldn’t trade my kids for the most well behaved children on the face of the planet…..NOTHING is better than having children who understand that people need Jesus and are burdened for them.   Because when they love God they love people unconditionally.  And for them I am SOOOOO very thankful that God saw fit to bless me with the kids with amazing hearts!

Lady Bug is a parrot and boy Am I glad that we don’t swear! Tonight at dinner Hubby and I were recounting today’s news happenings ..and who pray tel do you think is at the center of our conversations–our new president of course–Barak Yomama as she says it!

As a wife what do you do when you (the wife) was trying to do something that you view as your duty…your job…your responsibility and in the process you ruin something. Not something small nor something insignificant but REALLY REALLY big and very expensive….and did I mention it was replaced 3 years and one month ago? I am in this place and I am frustrated!…And so is Hubby!

So today in My day Book Entry i told you about the Christmas present Hubby had gotten me which was this..Or should I say THESE… BUT then I told you that a bigger present was in the bottom of the boot box and asked you to guess what it was and I told you it had something to do with the Boots and hat! Well It’s time for the unveiling It was a home made card..Take a peek and then you’ll know why it is SO much BIGGER than the other two…

So there it is in Black and white it’s a trip. Our first real family vacation in 4 years. The vacation isn’t necessarily the present it’s to where and a girl can’t take here first trip to Nashville TN without a cowboy hat and boots. After this last year we severely need a family vacation. So in the trip We are going to Nashville TN, Petersburg Ky and Pittsburgh Pa …we want to stop off and visit Ron’s Grandpa who isn’t doing so well..Then it’s off to Nashville where we will visit the Country Music hall of Fame Recording Studios the Ryman Auditorium and so much more Then it’s off to Kentucky where we have friends and we will visit the Creation Science Museum AND a National Zoo Pass so we can visit whatever Zoos we wish in the next year…Did I ever mention I have a thing for Zoos Well that another blog post entirely And all along the way we will stop and visit presidents home, battle feilds and so much more. We haven’t traveled like this since we went to Canada with Hubby’s partents and brother 4 years ago! I am SOOOOO excited. What a cool Hubby I have to make his wife’s dreams come true like that!

And By the way Monica was the closest by guessing Horse riding lessons…Mostly cuz she’s the only one who guessed! Thanks for playing along and Yes someday I would LOVE horse riding lessons!

* Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here’s what you’re supposed to do… Just copy this email/post and paste into a new e-mail/post to share with others. Change all the answers so that they apply to you…. here’s mine….. 1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper mostly 2. Real tree or Artificial? This year real. I was so excited a gentleman in our church gave us a free real tree 3. When do you put up the tree? usually the weekend after Thanksgiving 4. When do you take the tree down? New Years Day 5. Favorite gift received as a child? bicycle 6. Hardest person to buy for? My dad and brothers! 7. Easiest person to buy for? My kids they have such easy likes! 8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, but is a mostly broken..A hand me down so i didn’t even put it out this year 9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail and for the last two years handmade cards too! 10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don’t remember 11. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November 12. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I also don’t remember but I really don’t think so 13. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? butterscotch rice crispie candy with a layer of chocolate in the middle 14. Lights on the tree? Yes definitely 15. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night and Carol of the Bells 16. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel…that is until my husband gets a pastorate and then we will travel afterward 17. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Doner, Blitzen, and Rudolf … 18. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star 19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning..But someday when my husband gets a pastorate we will open stockings Christmas eve 20. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Santa Claus! And how he seems to sound so much like God! You notice that he has a lot of names and seems to be all knowing and ever present – “he see’s you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good”…. that’s worrisome!!! I guess this has affected us more this year than ever before cuz Tornado has decided that God isn’t real cuz he hasn’t seen him on TV GRRRR Frustrating for a pastors family 21. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red and silver with white lights..Lots of greenery around the house and Maroon bows to accent it with 22. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham 23. What do you want for Christmas this year? To sleep in …My parents are terrible about wanting the kids to get up! 24. Who is most likely to respond to this? I have NO IDEA! 1. Do you read the Christmas story from the Bible with family? Yes – usually my husband reads it we do it a lot during the coming days but my parents don’t really have that focus 2. What is your favorite Christmas movie? Mine is White Christmas. Danny Kaye is one of my favorites 3. Do you pretend Santa for your kids – NO! Though Tornado thinks he is real cuz he’s seem him on TV we have had a real struggle with that this Christmas 4. Do you hang stockings? Where and how? More like propped under the tree But we do have them 5. Does your family have any birthdays near Christmas? My uncles And Vug’s is near thanksgiving

Ok So this weekend hubby and I and the three kids went to a church about three hours away. Hubby is a possible candidate there and we had a church desert and then hubby was also going to be speaking Sunday during all three services. Well we got there around 1:30 had lunch and then hubby and I got up at 4 to take our showers and get the kids ready. There was an older husband and wife who were coming to have dinner with us at 5 and then the church fellowship was at 6:30. Well about 4:45 the doorbell rings…LUCKILY I was dressed. Hubby made the comment WOW SO AND SO ARE EARLY…I went to the door who should be standing there BUT A LOCAL POLICE OFFICER!.. UH OH what on earth was going on??? I said hello and he proceeded to interrogate me about why we were in this house that had not been inhabited for a couple of years…GULP! I tried to explain but he was insisting that what I was saying was not true finally in desperation I called for Hubby.. I said “Honey” And he yelled back What do you what” in a rather frustrated tone because he was wrestling a naked 3 year old. And i quickly yelled back there is a police officer at the door. Hubby came out trying to keep Tornado at bay! We started throwing out name from the church and finally we got to a name that shall remain unstated and the officer repeated the name and said BOY that name sounds really familiar…I think I just arrested him a few days ago. Forgetting he was a police officer I said I don’t think you would have arrested this guy…the questioning went on for another two minutes and finally he smiled and said my name is ……and he shook our hands and that was that. I fell to the steps with a smile! I began to think man that last name sounds familiar and I remember one of the deacon’s wives telling me her son was an officer in the town!!!. I connected the dots after he left. That guy who had just been arrested was the officer’s brother-in-law!!!..We were the recipients of a practical joke. One that was talked about for the rest of the weekend…Even one of hubbies questions that night was ..Do you have a criminal record..To which hubby responded with..Not until tonight! Later after all was said and done the officer stopped by the church and Tornado went up and asked him for his gun…the officer said no to which Tornado responded with asking for his keys…to which he said YES…SO tornado ran around for a while with all the keys to all the businesses in town…when he was bored with them he went back and gave the officer his keys back and said NOW GIVE ME YOU GUN. to which the officer said no..he is a persistent little booger..AND BRAVE TOO!

Hey guys..Thanks so much for praying!!! I feel so much better!!! Hubby Got sick too but his passed faster..So I think we are still on the mend… A a quick question those of you who have toddlers or had as the case may be did your kids ever during a meal prayer in which they were praying start to talk about bodily functions…TO GOD!!! I had to stop tornado this morning during his breakfast prayer with an abrupt

God created you He knows how it works

…LOL It was getting REALLY GROSS!!!