Filling In!

Nathan is vacationing in Canada with my parents this week, so guess who acquired the newspaper job while he's away?  Of course, none other than his willing parents (and Joshua)!  :0)  So, while Nate is enjoying the gorgeous scenery of Rice Lake, fishing, and basking in the Northern comfort of cooler temperatures, we are endeavoring to meet his customer's daily news needs.  And, yes, Joshua is learning the trade of responsible newspaper delivery at an early age.  Lol!  Actually, the bike ride is the main attraction! 

What Attracts You?

     What things or interests bring attraction to you?  Every one of us is attracted to different things during our lifetime.  What brings about those interests, those desires, or attractions?
     I remember as a young girl of ten or eleven years of age sitting in church and feeling the presence of JESUS so near.  People were testifying and giving praise to our all-deserving Master.  Meaningful choruses and songs were sung as people walked the aisles of that little white church in the country.  Was there an attraction? A resounding "YES" is the answer!  God's presence in those church services were an attraction to me as a young sinner girl!  Did I want what made those precious people so thrilled to serve and praise Him?  Of course I did, and it wasn't long until I was on my way to the altar of that little church.  I put my fears of others aside, stepped out, and made my way to the altar that Sunday morning there in Evart, Michigan.  Jesus was so near in that service.  People were shouting and praising Him!  It wasn't long until I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus had washed away my sins, and had come to abide in my unworthy heart.  He had cleansed me from sin!  When I got up from that altar, I literally felt like I was walking on clouds.  Each step seemed so much lighter!  That Sunday morning will never be forgotten as long as I live!  It was the greatest day of my life!
     This experience of my conversion brings about a question.  Are the church services you attend such an attraction to you that it brings about a desire in your heart to draw closer to God or to come to know Him as your Savior?  If not, why?  Think about the church you're attending.  Is it dead and dry or on fire for God?  Think about yourself.  Are you the one standing in the way?  I challenge you to search and seek God with all your heart.  He will meet your need whatever it may be.  He is a wonderful Savior and Friend who will never forsake you.

The church where I was saved

Rev. Everett Ashley, my Pastor when I was saved as a child in Michigan

Yes! Straight "A's"!!

The grades are all in and I was so excited to see all A's for my first semester back to college!  I don't know if this pattern will continue, as I may need to take more classes at one time in the future which may allow me less time on each subject.  But only time and effort will tell ....

Nathan's 16th Birthday!

Sixteen years ago today I became a very happy Mommy for the third time around.  I already had two little girls, and was so elated to give birth to a beautiful baby boy.  With dark brown eyes and dark brown hair, he quickly won our hearts as a special little boy that would bring much joy and happiness into our home.  Nathaniel James, as we named him, has grown up to be a hard-working young man.  From a small boy to his present age, he has continually proven to be ambitious and a willing helper wherever needed.  I will never forget when he would quickly grab the broom and try to assist Mommy in her cleaning duties around the house.  Then just a few years later as a very young child, Nathan begged and begged to mow the lawn.  Finally, Daddy gave in, and he helped mow the lawn as young as six or seven years old.  The mower handle was taller than he was, so with his little arms lifted high above his head, he tried with all his might to mow the lawn, for which he did to some degree.  That duty has never left him, as he continues to mow lawns for different people in our community.

In celebration of his sixteenth birthday, Dad took him down to Pat's Donuts (a favorite donut shop in our small village) and bought donuts for the family.  Later, Dad took him to take the test to get his driving permit; a dream he has been waiting for.  Passing the test with flying colors, he drove for the very first time on the return trip home!  Requesting a 3-way at Skyline Chili for his evening meal, we all piled in the van and headed for Lima.  We ate our meal, headed to a local park for some pictures and play time for Joshua, and then headed home.  To make the day complete, we ate a chocolate raspberry cake Nathan had requested that I make for his birthday.  It turned out to be delicious!!  

These milestones in my children's lives are sad, but yet joyful days to celebrate.  Yes, it seems life is swiftly passing by, and soon James and I will be once again alone here in our little house.  But for now, I intend to make these days as special and enjoyable as God intended them to be.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATHAN!

  

 

Fun Times!

  He is so daring and confident!

                     

Of course, he wouldn't sit down for the picture!  No way!

So peaceful!

~Walking Together~

His expression says it all!!  (He LOVES this slide!  It is the tallest swirly slide at the park.  He climbs the steps alone and comes down at will.)

Enjoyin' his swing ride!

We went to the park tonight, and Evangelyn took some pictures.  We had a fun time together, just missed out on the picnic!  We will have to pack a basket next time! 

Finished!

I have completed my first semester back to school!  I am just waiting on grades from my last two classes I finished this week.  I received A's in all my other classes, so hopefully these last two will not break the record!  Time will tell ....

I've been enjoying my "class-free" days with the great weather we've been having.  Spring is such a beautiful time of year!  I've also been doing a little baking; something I did not have time to do these past few months.  I made a fresh blackberry pie (for my Dad's birthday), a rhubarb custard pie (for Mother's Day on Sunday ~ it is in the freezer), and some banana muffins yesterday.  Our rhubarb is plenteous this year; therefore many more rhubarb desserts will be forthcoming.  Mmmmm.... 

I'm hoping to take some pictures soon, and get them posted.  I just haven't taken any lately, or I seem to forget my camera.  I don't like posting anything without pictures. 

Easter

I took a few pictures on Easter which you might enjoy.  Just thought I'd post them.

Update

With the continuous deterioration of our dog throughout the weekend we decided to have Fluffy put to sleep.  When we realized her eyes were yellowing as well as her ears, we decided it was time to give her up.  She has been a wonderful pet for the 11 years we've had her.  She was easy to train, and rarely made any "messes" in the house.  She is now out of her misery and enjoying "doggie heaven."

My Week

Abnormality is definitely not my kind of life, but this week has proven to be just that.  First of all, our 11 year old dog, Fluffy, has been very sick.  I think she is nearing the end of her "doggy life."  Presently she is still with us, but I'm not expecting it to be much longer.  She will not eat anything and hasn't since almost a week ago now.  She does drink some, but usually ends up vomitting most of it up.  We've been feeding her soup broth with a medicine dropper.  It has especially been difficult on the kids since they have basically grown up with her.  Even though she is just a dog, she has become a part of our family, and giving her up is not easy.

Secondly, James and I traveled to God's Bible School on Wednesday for a Block Session I am required to attend for one of my distance learning classes.  We both immensely enjoyed the sessions where Dr. Phil Brown lectured on some very important issues concerning our love relationship with God and our neighbors.  He is an awesome teacher and offers so much additional thought to those who desire a deeper walk with God.  (My parents offered to come to our house and stay with the children while we were away, for which we were very thankful.)  Additionally, we were able to spend some time with Christianna.  We were glad to see her and visit together.  We are looking forward to her coming home for Easter break this coming Friday.
Yesterday was back to the norm for the most part.  The kids were glad Dad and Mom were back home, and peace prevailed.  You see, my parents also brought my brother's two children along to stay.  Joshua and McKenna did not get along well at all.  In the past they loved playing together, but that has only been for a few hours.  This time it was a couple days, and too much time for two 2 year olds to be together.  It was difficult to share!  :-)  Hopefully in time they will become pals and learn to get along with one another. 

In the midst of all this, I've been plugging along with my school work.  I've had to visit different schools observing classrooms which can become quite time-consuming.  But, the very worst part of my "school" experience so far is writing up lesson plans!  This may sound strange, but I have discovered that they are literally horrible to write up.  They have to be typed up in script form, meaning everything that the teacher is going to say during the lesson must be put on paper!  This has been tremendously tedious since Math is the particular class I've been doing them for.  I will definitely be celebrating when I reach the end of this class!

Despite the school work and everything else that has been going on, I've been enjoying the beautiful Spring weather God has been giving us.  James, Joshua, and I have been taking walks once again, and it feels good to be able to get outside, breathe in the fresh air, and not freeze to death! It won't be long until we'll be planting our garden again!  I'm looking forward to fresh tomatoes, green peppers, corn, beans, and whatever else we decide to plant. 
  

Sorry it's been so long ....

It has definitely been way too long since I last posted something.  This time I have a good excuse though.  I decided to try and finish up my college education! Therefore, I enrolled at God's Bible School and College through the distance learning program in January. I was able to pursue the elementary teacher education degree, for which I've always had an interest. G.B.S. normally does not offer this as a distance learning choice, but since I was a former student there, the school is working with me to finish it up.  I decided being a full-time student would be the best way to go, so being a Mom of four children (three at home) and trying to be a wife, and now a full-time student has been quite an experience for me!  At times I have been very overwhelmed and wondered why I even decided to do this.  And, yes, I'm still asking myself that question!  Anyway, "God leads in mysterious ways ..." so I'm trying to do my best with the responsibilities and opportunities God has given me.  Oh, and did I mention that I teach Sunday School and a weekly Good News Club also?  Thankfully, my hubby has been so supportive in giving me an abundance of help and encouragement through all this.  Aside from school, Christianna is home for the week due to Mid-Winter Break.  Hopefully she can get rested up while she's home, and be ready to return a week from now.  I'm just wishing I too had a Mid-Winter Break! (ha! ha!)  I don't see that happening anytime soon!  Evangelyn is working at Burger King five days a week, and Nathan has recently been given the opportunity for an additional newspaper route.  He took advantage of it, and now delivers triple the amount of papers he formerly delivered.  With all the snowfall he has also been able to shovel snow for some local residents.  With his newspaper route, combined with odd jobs around town, he does quite well for a 15 year old.  Joshua is growing up so fast.  He loves Bible stories and devotion time.  In the morning, he often goes for his Bible story book right away, and begs Daddy to read.  Then at night before going to bed, he begs for devotions.  I pray this thirst for the Bible and his interest in God will never stop.  Well, I think that about sums up all our activity in the past couple months!  Maybe next time I'll have pictures to share, but right now I have none.  I just haven't had the time!  Hopefully things will slow down soon!

Sick Again!

This has been one tough week!!  Joshua started getting sick last Thursday night after Good News Club.  By Friday morning we knew a trip to the doctor was needed.  The diagnosis:  Croup again!!  Poor guy!  With breathing treatments and Tylenol he seemed to be on the mend until Sunday morning around 5:00.  He felt so hot!!  All day Sunday he did not seem too perky, and by Monday morning he was very very sick!  Back to the doctor we went, to find out his Croup had turned into Bronchitis and an ear infection.  This meant more breathing treatments and antibiotics.  He is feeling better now, but not totally yet.  Just before heading to bed last night, he vomited again for some reason.  I keep wondering and waiting for this to be over.

Breathing Treatment (Tears kept flowing even though he wasn't crying)

A sick boy

My two handsome men!

Cool!  My name is in the tub!!

My new haircut!

Lovin' Pizza!

In addition to all of this sickness, I have decided to try and finish up my college education through God's Bible School and College.  This was my first week and wow, have I been busy!  I've already been wishing for the days of playing with cars, blocks, makin' roads, coloring ....!  Poor Joshua!  I think he is feeling deprived!  Anyway, I'm pursuing an Elementary Education degree.  Hopefully I'll be able to handle it, and soon will be able to graduate!  Next week I have to go to G.B.S. to attend a Block Session.  I'll really miss being home with my family, but I do have something to really look forward to; I get to spend three days with Christianna!  We both are very excited about it!  That was my week ~ hopefully it will get better!  Pray for us!

SNOW!!!

Joshua has never played in the snow before until a few days ago!  Evangelyn bundled him up, and took him out for a little while.  He loved every minute of it, and wanted to stay outside! 

I Love Snow!

It has been snowing a lot here the last couple days and I've been enjoying the beauty of it so much!  God's creation is so awesome!  I appreciate Him giving us different seasons throughout the year!  What a blessing!

Our Christmas

Creation Museum Lights

Lights

Wiseman's Camel

Wiseman

Wiseman

Mary and Joseph

Opening Gifts at In-laws

Joshua opening Grandpa and Grandma Baker's Gift

Grandpa Baker Cutting Joshua's Hair

McKenna and Dawson Opening Gifts at Mom and Dad's house

Nathan Helping Joshua Play with one of His New Gifts

Evangelyn Opening Her Gifts on Christmas Morning

Christianna Opening Her Gifts on Christmas Morning

Joshua Waiting to Open his Gifts

The past couple of weeks have been very busy, as it is with most people this time of year.  The busyness has been very fun, though.  I don't care to be bored by any means!  It seems since Christianna's birthday, we have been going non-stop.  Christmas morning we opened our gifts to one another and then spent the rest of the day at my parent's house.  Sheldon, by brother, and Erin (his wife), McKenna and Dawson (their children) were all there to celebrate the day also.  Yesterday, we traveled to New Richmond, Ohio to have Christmas with my in-laws.  After opening gifts, and a haircut (Grandpa Baker gave Joshua a much-needed cut), my in-laws took us all out to eat!  This is no cheap affair with a family of six, and all considered adults except one!   To add to the excitement of the day, we visited the Live Nativity at the Creation Museum near Cincinnati.  We had a nice time!