Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice

It's a GIRL!

Baby Stringer

This baby is big news around here!    Is it a boy or girl?  (right now boys outnumber 4:3)  Where will we put him//her?  Will we build on a room?  (No, we can't afford it.  By the time we can afford it, we won't need it.)  Will we buy a new van?  (No, can't afford that either LOL.)  And, alas, WHAT SHALL WE NAME THIS CHILD?

I've thoroughly enjoyed all the hilarious discussions with the kids and all their suggestions.  My usual response is, "Well, I wouldn't want to steal that name from you.  You might want to name your child that one day!"  (That's pretty safe; won't offend the kiddos!)

Here are just a few of the hundreds of suggestions I've received:

Summer:  "Rosie Daisy"  "Maria" (she loves The Sound of Music)

Jared:  "Tim Horton"  (LOL, he's my coffee drinker)

Seth:  Elrod, Samwise

Madelyn:  Betty, Doris, Betsy, Johnny, Kathy, June (can you tell my girl loves old movies?)

KK:  "Let's name him Lucas and call him 'Sod Buster' for a nickname"  (LOL, we love The Rifleman)

As you can see.... looks like I am on my own here.  If you have suggestions, I'm open!!

Right now, Jason and the girls and I are on our way to the doctor's office for the ultrasound. If Baby Stringer cooperates, we should know in a little while whether we're going to have another little sissy or another little bubba. 

Here's a pic Sis took of our little toothless Rosebud. 

And my 2 girls...love them!

Big brothers are the best!

You'll never know how happy this little girl was to go hunting with her KK.

They didn't have any luck, but she was so excited when they got back. We were already at the table eating supper and she rushed in and told us all about it in the sweetest and most precious way! I wouldn't trade anything for these moments, and for having a 15 yr old son who loves to spend time with his baby sister.


- Posted using my iPhone

Poor Pepper!

Poor Pepper got to be the "bad guy" for today's adventures.  Bless that dog!

For the Beauty of the Earth

My Seth is such a gentle soul. Here he is teaching his friend (who is a girl ;)) how to sword fight.




He wouldn't let Bub have a sword to play with Jenna because he "would be too rough with her".


For the past several weeks, he's been begging me to let him spend his birthday money on trees. He researched for weeks and decided which ones he wanted. I made him wait a while to make sure that's what he wanted to spend his money on, but he just wouldn't give up.

So, today, we planted 8 trees. He was so excited! It was sweet to hear him talking about how he could help his kids climb those trees one day. What a sweetheart!


It was a family effort.


Summer dressed for the occasion.


My KK is getting so tall and handsome!


Here he is with one of the quail he raises.


These 2 Bradford Pear trees were given to Jason 10 years ago on his 30th birthday. Look how they've grown! Having moved several times as a child, it's a blessing to have a piece of land where my children can plant roots and make plans for the future.



Sis has been learning to play "For the Beauty of the Earth," and that song has been on my mind all day. Here are the beautiful lyrics:

1. For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the wonder of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

4. For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child;
Friends on earth and friends above;
For all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

5. For Thy Church that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

6. For Thyself, best gift divine,
To our race so freely given,
For that great, great love of Thine,
Peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise. (By Folliot Sandford Pierpoint)

- Posted using my iPhone

Let the Punishment Fit the Crime

My little Bub is the most precious little guy you could imagine....but his sloppiness is legendary.  Sometimes I can't believe that I gave birth to such a slob!  It drives me insane!

This past week I had reached my limit with his disobedience.  My kids have strict rules about clutter, but he just can't seem to get it together.  All the usual punishments just seemed to have no effect, so I've had to get clever.  We have an upcoming history fair in which Bubbie was planning to be a Navy Seal, his favorite thing in the world.  I gently explained to him that Navy Seals had to carry their own weight and follow instructions and stay ahead of the game.  I gave him an ultimatum:  either get it together and act like a Navy Seal, or change his history fair character to "an Obama supporter", somebody who free loads and expects other people to carry their load.

In order to help him see his progress, I made him a calendar for daily room check progress.

I think he's FINALLY motivated!

- Posted using my iPhone

My Munchkins

- Posted using my iPhone

The Last Time

"The Last Time"

The above article, posted by one of my Facebook friends, has made me cry and really think about how quickly this season of motherhood truly passes by.  My KK turned 15 this month, and watching him grow into a young man has made me very emotional lately.  I can truly say that I love this stage of his life, just like I have all the others, but the brevity of it all has become such a reality to me!  The article is by a mother who has diligently recorded all the "first" (as I have), but it struggling to remember the "lasts".

When was the last time he wore a toy watch?

When was the last time he had all his baby teeth?

When was the last time he sat in Jason's lap?

When was the last time he wore cute pajamas?

When was the last time I tied a blanket on him for a cape?

When was the last time he gave me a thumb's up?

When was the last time he kissed his sister goodbye?

When was the last time he drank from a sippy cup?

When was the last time he dressed like an Indian?

When was the last time my boy posed in a completely undignified, silly way for me?

I am going to treasure every second of these next few years with my KK

Who knows when I'll wash his clothes and prepare his meals for the last time, before handing him over to a young woman, who will take over my duties?  (pass the Kleenex!)

My Sweetheart

Jason and I were just thinking this evening how it was 18 years ago today that he asked me to marry him (and I excitedly said yes!).  Those 2 kids sitting on the bank of that lake that Saturday night didn't have a clue where all life would take them, but they knew without a doubt that God had put them together.

What an incredible life we're sharing together!  All this...and eternity with our Lord.  I am humbly thankful for all with which the Lord has blessed me.

I Bow My Knees

Having a child who's nearly 15 years old has brought me to a new stage in my parenting life.  I find that I cannot micro-manage every area of my children's lives, at least their thought life, at this point.  I've always been very protective of them and their outside influences, and I still am.  Unlike conventional wisdom, I am NOT going to loosen the reigns at my teenager's critical stage of life; however, I am realizing more and more how small I am, and how dependent I must be on the work of the Holy Spirit of God to do anything good and lasting in their lives.

This post has nothing to do with me being more lenient on what kind of friends they have, or what kind of movies they watch, or what kind of books they read.  I am determined now more than ever to keep their minds pure and clean.  I will be more careful than I've ever been about those things!  I've never understood the strategy of shielding children during their young years, and then exposing them to sensual media during their hormonal teenage years in the name of "giving them space".  But because my children don't have access to computers and television and friends outside of my watchful eye, they've never even asked to watch or go anywhere inappropriate.  Thank the Lord, that's never been an issue here!

What I mean, is that I'm quickly realizing that teaching my children the ways of God and keeping them innocent....will not save them.  I am helpless to do this, and I humbly throw myself at the mercy of God on behalf of their little souls.  As I've prayed over them earnestly, God has laid a Scripture on my heart that has been such a blessing to me, and I wanted to share it:

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Ephesians 3:14-19

This was Paul's prayer for his beloved congregation at Ephesus, and it is my prayer for my children.

Birthdays and Water Balloon Fights

Here are a few pics of our summer fun.  Our little Rosebud turned 4 years old!  Such a big girl, and getting sweeter every day (really!  finally, thank the Lord!).  Also, a water balloon fight at my sister's on the Fourth of July.

Everyone waiting in line while my mother and sister fill up more balloons

Of course, Jason was always FIRST in line

Here he is reaching through, into the bathroom window waiting on balloons

And here he is, right after my mother returned a  few prank favors from over the past  18 years LOL (she threw a cup of water at him)

 

We all had a great time!