Smiles from the Garden

Last year we put in tons of hours putting in plants.  This year we are reaping the rewards.  Meet a few of my favorites and rare ones.

This is a Balloon flower, because of the way it buds.  Last year, we only got a few blooms and then it died...I thought.  This year, I have a glorious little  patch of interesting purple blooms.

This plant is a new addition this year, because I thought the Hostas got too much sun and didn't do well last year.  But, I spoke too soon, because the Hostas came up with vigor.  So now they are accompanied by 3 of these interesting Leopard plants, obviously named due to its yellow spots.

Nothing new about this set, but it is amazing how vigorous everything is growing--Yellow Sundrops, Pink Scullcaps, and Purple Veronica Royal Candles.

And you can't forget the mint in the container which I haven't transplanted or touched in at least 5 year.  It just keeps coming back!

Poo-Poo

I bet you think this is another potty-training post.....Wrong!

Kendrick has been talking about pets at school this week.  They read our favorite story, Harry the Dirty Dog and did a matching craft.  We sent in a picture of our own pet, Puccini.  But, today when I picked him up, he was coming home with a new pet--a hamster.  He was the cutest little brown puff ball with googily eyes and a tiny pink nose.  When I asked Kendrick what his hamster's name was, without hesitation, he replied, "Poo-Poo!"  So, we went with it.

Poo-Poo went to Costco with us this evening and we had great fun while saying, "Kendrick, can I hold your poo-poo?"  "Where is Poo-Poo?"  "Is Poo-Poo in your pocket?"  "Who has Poo-Poo?"  "Pick Poo-Poo up off the floor!"  "Can I pet your Poo-Poo?"  Really, I don't think anyone took any notice, but we laughed and it made the trip a bit more managable. 

Gotta love this kid's sense of humor!  Boys.....

To My Mother

So, I missed a Mother's Day blog.  It was kinda a busy day.  But, I don't want the year to pass without paying tribute to my own blessing in my life. 

Last night as I was sewing my curtains for the Master bedroom (the 5th set of which I have done) I realized again what a blessing my Mom is and was to me.  As a kid, I remember playing with my Fisher Price Little People at her side as she sewed some thing or another--smocked dresses or suits, ballerina costumes, etc.  Then later on as a teenager, I had an interest in making my own clothes and I had to learn to use the sewing machine anyway before I could drive.  She taught me how to take measurements, layout and cut patterns and sew all sorts of things.  (Zippers on the other hand, I watched her do.)  This skill has saved me thousands of dollars.  And, yes, I mean thousands. 

I also just discovered I had ants all over my bell peppers in the garden.  As I sprinkled 7-dust on them, I was again reminded of my mother.  Growing up we always had a small plot for vegetables.  She mainly and  always planted Better Boy tomatoes.  This year, I finally had the place and the energy to put some of my own tomato plants as well and only because of her, I knew exactly what to sprinkle the plants with and how to pinch off the suckers. 

Since my mind had been there all evening, I began to think about what was the main thing that my Mom taught me.  Immediately, I thought of Sunday evenings.  They were laid back dinners and usually not eaten at the table since we usually had a big lunch of roast beef, carrots and potatos.   That evening without a hint or suggestion she would make a roast beef sandwich for my Dad as he watched something on TV, 60 minutes I think it was.  I remember several times asking her, "Why can't he make it himself?"  I don't really ever remember her exact answer and I never really understood it because I was too self-centered, but it was unconditional love.  Love that is sacrificing and filled with the desire to serve others out of love.  Not because she had to, but because she wanted to and it wasn't for her own personal gain or a "look at me and how much I do" attitude.   It's the best lesson she ever taught me, but I never understood it until I had a family of my own.

So, when I feel like I don't want to match one more pair of socks, heat up one more plate of chicken nuggets, put away 5 pairs of shoes or pick up thousands of tiny LEGOS, I remember my mother and how she did it for twice as many kids as I have. 

There is a beautiful crown covered in jewels waiting for her in heaven.   For not only does she have faith that can move mountains, she also has the heart of Jesus in Mark and Isaiah--the Servant. 

"Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  Mark 10:44

Yesterday as I was reading Dietrich Bonnhoeffer's biography in a chapter on leadership I came across the perfect quote.  He said, "The good leader serves others and leads others to maturity.  He puts them above himself, as a good parent does a child, wishing to lead that child to someday be a good parent."  Absolutely, my mother did this and still does.  I know that I am a better parent because of her. 

I love you Mom!  Happy Mother's Day again.

A New Destination

The Hills have been in need for a new adventure.  It's been a while. 

We've been needing something or somewhere to go as a family that we had never done before.  When our new friends, The Gibbs, suggested we should go camping at Dinosaur Valley State Park, we said definitely!  The problem cam in that all the campsites were booked up---a year in advance for a Saturday night.  Then once we found some at a nearby state park, there was a severe burn ban which meant cooking became more difficult.  We decided to make it a day trip and that way the boys could be back in time for their baseball game that evening.

Saturday morning, we made a picnic lunch and checked the weather.  Unfortunately, it was a chilly 50 degrees and the high was to be only 70.  I put the kids in shorts but layered their shirts with long sleeves over.  I even threw in some jeans just in case.  But this Mom went the WRONG direction in clothing choices and my kids may never forgive me!  

Brady, Taylor, Cavett and Kendrick

We began at Dinosaur World which is an admission park where you walk a trail of over a 100 life sized dinosaurs.  If you went to the Heard Museum during their dinosaur walk, it was much like that, but not with animatronics.  The kids raced along the trail not even stopping to read anything about the dinosaurs. 

There was also a small museum where there were replicas of teeth, eggs, and bones.  Next came the fossil dig where you sifted through sand and found "fossils."  Jeff joked that he found one that said "Made in China."  They ended up with some shark teeth and a couple of other things that looked fossil-ish and the lady working gave them a fancy name.  It was ok.  But, what was to come was way better!

Our picnic lunch was had at the State Park and then off we were on our adventure.  This park is located on the Paluxy River, a tribuatary of The Brazos, and is well known for the many dinosaur footprints that have been found in the river bed.  The first one discovered in 1909.   Did you notice I said, "in the river bed?" 

The Blue Hole Trail was first and led us down a steep cliff to the waters edge of a deep swimming hole in the river. But on the shelf, before the drop off were the first tracks. Taylor and Brady came prepared. Their Mom had been there before and knew the kids would want to get in no matter how cold it was. Call me a stick in the mud! So, off they went. My kids got to climb the rocks instead which was pretty fun in and of itself.

 

The second trail crossed the river and had many roped off sections and signs showing more prints.  Again, my kids got the "Don't get too close and fall in!  Those are the only clothes you have to wear all day" speech over and over. 

We walked on down the river and beach combed, threw rocks in the water, and took in spectacular sights.  But the final set of tracks that we came upon were the best and unmarked. 

The hike back to the cars took us through the campsite and that is when we decided we have to come back and camp even if there is a burn ban.  This place is awesome and gorgeous!  So, maybe we will go on a Thursday and Friday when the kids are out of school. 

Also, the next time we go we will check out the other museum in town, Creation Evidence Museum.  Because if you've read Walt Brown's book and the Bible, everything dinosaur and prehistoric history realted in the worldview is completely inaccurate. 
    

This Week's Accomplishments

Both Cavett and Kendrick hit milestones this week.

Kendrick has begun his first sport.  He has shown his patience and practice and has been allowed to start Karate early.  Typically they don't allow them to start until they are 4, and he is 4 months shy of that.  But, he has been watching all of Cavett's practices and doing the moves on the sidelines with the  kids.  He has a great grasp on the strength and even has better form than some of the kids already.  With Kendrick, I think he does better in a group setting rather that one-on-one, so he has been doing very well and will receive his gee this at this afternoon's practice.

For Cavett it was his first major school project.  Every child chose an animal for their research project.  Cavett came home last week telling me that his was a blue jay.  Really?  They are headed to the Dallas zoo for their final field trip and I thought no way is it really a blue jay as a zoo animal.  Come to find out it was... well, let's just see if you can guess.

For the beginning of his presentation, here is what he is showing.  Can you guess his animal? 

We spent one afternoon researching the rubric--Diet, Habitat, Characteristics, Predators, Interesting Facts. We learned many new vocabulary words including "Neotropics", "Frugivorous", and "Diurnal."  We spent one afternoon searching through Uncle Jonny's old National Geographic Kids, Ranger Rick and My Big Backyard magazines for pictures.  We spent one afternoon planning the board and gluing pictures and yesterday he wrote all the text on the board and together we made a model of clay.  Nana even gave him the idea of having big kitchen tongs, a serving spoon and tweezers to describe the different types of bird bills and why the toucan must have a 7 1/2" long bill made of bone and keratin.  The project will be turned in on Friday.  Whew!  Glad to have the first one of many behind us!

Of course, the icing on the cake was that he got to eat a box of sugary cereal for the project, because we had to show the mascot of Froot Loops!

Kendrick's First Solo

As children of choir member parents, Stephen and I have vowed that one of us would always sit with the kids during worship on Sunday mornings at least through elementary school.  This morning Stephen sang in the choir.  The male voice is needed a bit more than the soprano, so I sat with the boys...on the front row and I mean truly front row. 

I was really excited about it, because I knew that we would at the very least be singing "Christ the Lord is Ris'n Today."  This year Kendrick has learned this song in BSF and Cavett already knew it because of Psalty CD's.  So, as we drove to church we practiced our songs and I threw out a couple of other hymns I thought we might sing like "He Lives" or "Up From the Grave He Arose."  Cavett asked me, "How do you know all the songs, Mom."  Of course, the response was that I went to church every single Sunday growing up. 

All was going well....the boys sang every "Alleluia" in our first hymn, "Christ the Lord Is Ris'n Today."  Kendrick was mesmorized during the baptism but became a bit wiggly during the prayer. There was no Children's Sermon today--that is where I always cross my fingers and hope for the best.  Cavett hung in there and did an Easter word find during the sermon.   Kendrick colored and we did a connect the dot game, but he was listening to the sermon still.

At one point in the sermon, Pastor Tom was talking about the ending of the book of Mark and the Greek translation of verse 8 specifically. 

Bible in Basic English
16:8 And they went out quickly from the place, because fear and great wonder had come on them: and they said nothing to anyone, because they were full of fear that ...

His point was it was open ended,  that no matter where we are in life, we are not there yet and the story isn't finished.  Then he said it's like singing "Christ the Lord is..."  Loud enough for the front half of the congregation to hear, Kendrick busted out singing the rest of the line "...Risen today, Alleluia!"  It was precious and he got quite a chuckle. 

Pastor Tom then did it again at the end of the sermon, hoping that all would join in with Kendrick this time, but Kendrick was a little embaressed, I guess and Pastor Tom had to sing it again for all to join in. 

Interestingly enough, I had a couple of people tell me they though it was Cavett and didn't realize it was Kendrick.  What a testimony this is to the teaching of God's word at such a young age!  They are sponges!  No matter the age, a child can soak Him up! 

"It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it."
Isaiah 55:11

Jerusalem

Jerusalem: city of peace

For the past two months I have had Israel on my mind.  Maybe I have been watching too much news with all the riots, but God has really placed them heavy on my heart. 

It began with one song--"I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me."  The text comes from Psalm 122.  I kept singing it in my head over and over, especially the "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" part.  Ok, so I got that message, God--pray.

A month later, my heart was lifted a bit with "Zion's Walls" from Tenderland by Copland.
Because one day, I will be within those walls singing the praises of Zion. 

Jerusalem Sage

Come fathers and mothers,
Come sisters and brothers,
Come join us in singing the praises of Zion.
O fathers, don't you feel determined
To meet within the walls of Zion?
We'll shout and go round
The walls of Zion.

Then, this week's BSF lesson was  Isaiah 61-64.  This contained Isaiah's prayer for Jerusalem and my lesson asked the question "Why do you think God has you studying these chapters at this time in your life?"  It's obvious from Isaiah 62, the Lord wants me to pray for Jerusalem and not stop until His glory is shown--"until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch."  Israel is surrounded by the chaos of the Middle East. It is so unstable in the region.  But when Jesus returens, she will be the "City of God's Delight" the "Bride of God" and they will live in peace and righteousness.

Did I also happen to mention the gorgeous flower in the backyard called the Jerusalem Sage? 

I dare say if you ask many Americans they would have to think twice about why we support Israel and why we are allies.  (In fact, they probably know very little of Jewish faith or the Jewish history.) But, back to the problem at hand... The answer lies in Genesis beginning with chapter 12--God's covenant with Abraham.  And, God continues to reiterate His promise throughout the entire Bible.  God never gives up on Israel.  He keeps His promises.  Yes, a sinful people must be punished once in a while (Heb. 12:10), but in the end they are His people as well as the Gentiles who believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah (OT-Isaiah 56:7-8) and  (NT-Eph. 3:6) and that he died a substitutionary death to save us from our sin. 

Time after time, the Bible states that Jerusalem is "where it's at," but the most poignant place being Revelation 21-The New Jerusalem.  One may say that we are in the Thousand Year Reign of Christ with the church, but obviously, we are not in that Milinnial Kingdom.  There are still tears, death, sorrow, and pain.  Nations are still at war.  One day all that will cease and Jerusalem will be where the Lord will reign and all peoples and nations will stream there to worship.  (Isaiah 2:1-4)

The point is that our nation should continue to support and fight for Israel.  These are the "good guys" and it's not because we feel sorry for them about the Haloucost.  We shouldn't support them for social justice and collective salvation.  We should support them because they are God's chosen people.

I say "we" as an individual, however for salvation is not a collective doctrine.  Our individual salvation DOES NOT depend on collective salvation.  It is totally individual.  You must make the choice yourself.  Who's side are you on? 



If you still aren't convinced, read In Defense of Israel by John Hagee.