Wordless Wednesday..Who, but my son would think to pose like this??

....at the aquarium....

Allow me to introduce my beautiful, future daughter-in-law.








They got engaged last night, and we pray for a holy, joy filled life together in HIM.

TV

So, we have this great flat screen HD tv. One would think we watch it all the time.

We don't.

In fact we hardly ever watch tv. We put it in the back corner of our unfinished basement. Unless we REALLY want to watch something, and I mean REALLY, we don't.

We have loads of movies too. But we don't really watch them either.

I hear friends talk about how irritating the political commercials are; I have yet to see one. I hear about all the reality shows....I can't even tell you what day they are on. My favourite shows are Monk, Psych & House. We buy the seasons and I watch them when I throw my back out and have to lay down for 8 days.


The one reason we have this tv is for football. Have I mentioned how much I love football? I totally make the effort in order to watch football.

Steelers are my favourite team. Giants are my next favourite.

They play each other on Sunday.

:::sigh::::

I am tempted to go hang out in the city or Princeton instead, and just hear the score when its over.

But I doubt I could pull myself away.

I need a life. A better one.......

Theres a chill in the air.

There was frost on the windows of the car this morning!!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

:::deeply sighning::::

Okay.....change of heart ( by force) I am going to rejoice anyway.  

This weekend started the never ending chore of raking.  Some of our trees haven't even turned yet!  Notice John.  In the middle of raking, he threw himself down and enjoyed the beautiful crisp blue sky.  I was there too, and I must say, it was something to behold.

I got up and continued the chore, but we raked around him....

And they finally turned the heat on at church.  Last week, I heard a few teeth chattering.  The weather changes so much at the beginning of this month, its hard to heat/cool off a large building just right.  

Hoops called last night.  I heard Samuel exclaim. " You're in the pool??!?"  Hoops is in Arizona visiting a friend.  Yeah.  He said it was low 80s last night.  Just beautiful as far as the eyes can see.  

Speaking of Hoops, this was taken a few days before he left.  It cracks me up.  Thats about 75 pounds worth of beagle on his lap.  lol.

And so, another week has begun.  May we bless HIM with our time, efforts, and our attitude towards each other.

Wordless Thursday

Okay, its suppose to be Wednesday, but I forgot.....

Pumpkin Pickin'

We had a lovely summer spell for a few days.   And so when we went out pumpkin picking...... so did the rest of New Jersey.

I love this picture because Hoops is laughing.  Actually, John makes the same exact face!!!

John & me.  There were about 5 million people there.  Okay, maybe 4 million, but you get my point.

Oh! We went apple picking the weekend before.  I never laugh so hard.  My stomach was aching that day. I have some videos from that day, that even though I have seen them loads of times, when ever I watch them again,I start laughing just as hard.

Back to the pumpkins.  Hoops was trying to convince Samuel to get a smaller pumpkin.  It didn't work.  

Taking a break.  Since we had to walk back, and the pumpkins were huge...we took breaks often.  Notice Hoop's pumpkin.  Not so big.  He had picked a huge one also, but then thought better of it, remember our family rule.  You pick it, you carry it.

 Chloe got her pumpkin, too.  But Josiah carried hers..........

  And so, the weather is still lovely, and I am not complaining.  The leaves are stunning, the Yankee candle is burning a perfect autumn scent, the moon is full, and the nights are perfect.

For this is what the Lord says - He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, for formed it to be inhabited - He says :" I am the Lord, and there is no other."  ~ Isaiah 45:18.

PS  My daughter started a blog!!  

Psalm 51

We studied Psalm 51 this morning in Sunday School.  As much as all the Psalms seems to have a place in every Christian's heart, Psalm 51 is my personal favorite.

I can remember the first time I read it and how it affected me. I even remember where I was and what I was wearing.  ( This wool skirt that I picked up at the consigment store, and a sweater that did NOT match, but I didn't realize it until the end of the day when I passed a full length mirror.) It was about 17 years ago.

Though I've read this Psalm more times then I can count, there were new truths that came from it once again this morning.

I love how Scripture is never boring.  Always powerful and new.

My life has been a long  walk through the dark valley lately. For the last 3+ years in fact.  And there is no sight of any elevation, no matter how minor, anywhere in the near future.  Oh, but to have that relationship with my Saviour, and know HE is walking with me......... I just don't know how unbelievers survive life.

So, why not pull our your Bible, and see what HE has for you today???

Our son.....their borther, the hero.....

There is no one who is a bigger hero to Samuel, and Chloe for that matter then their older brother.

Oh, and that hero thing, it also includes Joe. 

Lance is the thinker in our family.  Slow and steady,always contemplating.  

And yet..... so like his father, ready to be goofy just to make us laugh.

He & my mom have the most beautiful relationship.  He is her first grandchild, and though she loves all her grandchildren different but equal, they are connected on a different level.  It doesn't bother any of the other grandchildren because she is loving to them all.

Why am I talking about this son???

8:30 this morning, 23 years ago, our first born came into this world, and radically change our lives.  ( As most children do, lol)

And so, once again.......

Happy Birthday, dear son.  You are becoming the young man we prayed and hoped you would be.  

You are changing and growing up in HIM before our very eyes, and it is a joy to watch. 

Cling to HIM all the days of your life..........

Gettysburg

(warning....WAY too many pictures)

We went to Gettysburg for a few days.

I have a son who is a Civil War nut.  How much of a CW nut is he?  He is 9, but when we went to a gift store, he saw a t-shirt that said "Civil War Nut's wife" on it and he was so excited, and said " Mom! I have to get that for my wife!!"  

Yeah.

Anyway, his favorite hero of the Civil War is Thomas Jackson. (AKA Stonewall)  So, that being the case, he understands the evil of slavery, and like his hero, hates the institution, but will always choose the confederate side non the less.

We were a part of a program.  He played the Confederate States side, seeing as how he came dressed that way, and I couldn't get him to change for DAYS, so he had to surrender.

 Afterwards, we went to a friend's dad farm 2 block from the battle fields.  They had a great time on the farm.

How much do you want to bet his precious mind was imagining riding next to Jackson on one battle or another?

NY Irish Brigade monument.  It was figured out, Samuel was probably the most Irish in the group.  Which is hilarious if you happen to notice his coloring.  Everyone was part Irish somewhere.  Both sets of grandparents on his daddy's side came off the boat.  He really is 1/2.  ROFL.

As cool and adventurous war seems to my 9 year old, I pray one day he realizes that it is not as romantic or neat as his mind makes it out to be, but how awful, desperate and heart-breaking it really is.  Though many times, necessary.

Not understanding why no one else, except a 2 year old, wants to be a confederate.

Marching the Ironside Brigade.  ( PS we were with a group of homeschoolers)

Sniper at Devils Den.

Gettysburg was an amazing place were we learn so much more then from books & movies.  You can stand next to a battle field,  look out in quiteness, and as the breeze flows, you can feel the terror and heroism, hear the battle, see the men, and walk away a different person.  

To give you an impact of the place:  51,000 Americans died (KIA or WIA which was a death sentence at the time) in 3 days there.  58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam War. 

Loving our nation and its rich history.