Wordless Wednesday

Teaching moments...

Don't you just love when you career seeps into what you do at home? I have heard rumors of marching military kids, but when I turn into Mrs. Lindsay at home it is rather strange. I guess if that is what it takes to keep order around here then it's okay, right?




Here are some examples of how I make the transformation:

1. I find myself asking my kids, "What do you think will happen next?" when our television program goes to commercial.



2. I give the teacher look and teacher voice to those kids that aren't kind to my kiddies at the playground



3. I have as much fun doing art projects as my children do



4. I find myself teaching my infant his colors in our books before he can even talk



5. I ask, "What kind of choice do you think that was?"



6. When a pop-tart flavor battle ensues you resolve it with "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit."



7. When shampooing hair with multiple kids in the tub you chant, "Switch it, change it, rearrange it!"



8. You realize you are singing preschool music when you load the dishwasher and no one else is even listening to you!



9. "Welch kids...eyes on me please."



10. You dub one of your children "The Leader" and the other "The Helper."

But my favorite one of all...

You refer to yourself as "Mrs. Lindsay" accidentally but when you realize you have done it in public and your kids are acting like maniacs, you secretly hope no one knows these are really your kids!

Beautiful Things

It is that bewitching hour when I surf the net after finishing up homework stuff. Well, I have been surfing for a while, but I have been listening to Gungor's "Beautiful Things" song.

I suppose it is one of those moments where I sit in the silence of my home and relax to the last few moments of my "day of rest" by woshipping to this tune.

Why is it that when we are sitting in the midst of chaos we feel so helplessly overwhelmed? Yesterday, I spent the entire morning cleaning out the garage and cleaning my house. I spent some time online via Skype with Jeremy. It was so great to see his face. Towards the end of our conversation, Bek pops Savannah Kay with a rubber band which causes a small melt-down. I had to address my almost-twelve-year-old for popping her only-six-year-old sister in the back with a rubber band. Being one to support retributive justice, I proceeded to pop Bekah back with the same rubber band. Now I had Bekah bawling, Savannah crying even harder because Mommy hurt Bekah, and now Mason was crying from the swing. Sheesh. All this chaos, and Jeremy was just watching the whole thing. Missing home now mister? These are the moments when a year of single parenting is beginning to take its toll. However, through all my failures and frustrations, He is able to make beautiful things out the dust. No need to feel so overwhelmed...He makes beautiful things...even out of us.

Funny how just a few words can spark such inspiration...

"All this pain

I wonder if I'll ever find my way

I wonder if my life could really change at all...

All this earth

Could all that is lost ever be found

Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

All around

Hope is springing up from this old ground

Out of chaos life is being found in You"

If you don't know this song, please tune in...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyPBtExE4W0&feature=related

I hope this inspires you the way it does me.

By the way, I was standing at the welcome center before and after services this morning when one of our elders made a special effort to come to me and tell me how many positive things he had heard about the preschool. He wanted me to know that he knew how much time and effort I had put in and that everyone could see God's blessings through my obedience. What a blessing! Just that little effort encouraged me so! Out of chaos, life really is being found! Thank you God for making such beautiful things!

Have a worship filled week friends-

Pumpkin Patch at Browndale Farm

I know this is a lot of pics, but my hubby checks the blog to stay tuned in to our latest adventures...so bear with me! I decided to take the kids to a new pumpkin patch this year. I had researched new pumpkin patch places for the preschool (whew, that was a mouthful) and stumbled upon Browndale Farm in Clay Center, Kansas. It is a pretty decent trek...an hour or so, but it was worth every minute of the drive! We left right after noon and spent the entire afternoon enjoying all there was to do! We stopped for dinner in Clay Center and I had a delicious chicken fried steak with loaded mashed potatoes and salad at a local dive, Danny's. The girls were fishing corn out of their pants all evening! We had a great time just being a little family...minus one very important man!

It was the perfect fall way to start the month of October!

The zip line was Savannah's FAVORITE part!

Bekah had to curl those long legs, but she did it and it was fun!

The corn was a close second...

Pony ride!

The Obstacle Course

Rebekah

Savannah Kay

Rabbits and their baby bunnies

The sweetest racoon we have ever seen!

In the barrell train...Bekah refused to ask for the bigger barrel towards the back

Playing on the hay bales

Feeding the goats

Chickens and Roosters

Trailer full of corn kernels = Perfect Photo Op

Me and my Son

A hayrack ride

My babies

In the Corn Maze

Sweet donkey

Team Work

This girl is a pro!

Happy Fall Ya'll~

Game Night

Just so you know, Savannah Kay is the Candy Land Champion! She beat me like 6 times!

Savannah Kay Plays Soccer

Savannah Kay is playing soccer this year. I am so excited because I think she will be a great athlete. She is a little like her mother, and seems to display a little bit of a competitive spirit! Jeremy had taken her on a "Daddy date" this summer and purchased a fancy soccer ball for her. I outfitted her with some pink soccer socks and she was ready to go!

Her team is 3-0 this season! We are so proud of them. I realize winning is not the focus at this age, but who doesn't like to win?! I have to admit that the first couple of games were filled with laughter. Savannah does not like running around back and forth across the field...shocker. Her favorite part of the first two games was drinking her Gatorade on the bench. Thank you Daddy for this suggestion! She begged to be goalie. I snapped a picture of her, and when she saw the camera that was it...she just HAD to pose!

However, by game three, she understood the positions a little better and was feeling a little more like getting that ball! Coach Alex is really good about rotating positions to let the kids experience each area of the field. She was pulled out of the goal because she was fiddling with the net. Coach Alex had her playing Forward and when that ball came sailing from the goal, she jumped behind it and dribbled it all the way in. SHE SCORED THE WINNING GOAL! We had been tied up at 1-1 and that little stinker made the winning shot! I was SO PROUD! She has decided Forward is a good place to play now.

Running around seems like a good trade when you get to score and everyone cheers!

Loving the Jumperoo

For those of you who may be out of the baby loop (and I am not judging because not so long ago I too was out of the loop), the greatest invention I have stumbled upon is the Jumperoo! One of my girlfriends gave me this neat little contraption after a visit where my little guy was jumping on one of our other friend's lap. "You need a Jumperoo for this guy," and before I knew it I had one loaded in the back of the Sequoia. This is the free standing version of that ancient contraption that hung in the doorway. With vaulted ceilings, the Jumperoo is the perfect solution for our tendency to bounce and our house with no small doorways!

Mason LOVES this thing! Thanks a million Morgan family!

When not bouncing, our baby thinks it makes a great teether too!

Peek-a-boo little guy...happy hopping!

Four month check up

This baby was almost off the charts in height! I cannot believe in just 4 short months our little guy has grown 6 inches! We love you so much Bud!

Kansas State Fair and SELENA GOMEZ

Momma and Daddy live in Hutchinson, Kansas...home of the Kansas State Fair grounds. We have visited the fair several times since they have lived there. Usually we do the regular rounds...the giant veggies, the butter sculpture, the concessions, the pig races, the animal exhibits, the petting zoo, a few rides and then home. However, this year I was told that Selena Gomez would be in concert the last day of the fair. I got online and purchased tickets for the girls and I and invited my friend Heather and her little girl Isabella. My crew of 4 and our 2 buddies packed up and headed to Hutch to enjoy a little fair and a lot of concert!

It was only a million degrees outside. Savannah Kay is rosie cheeked and sipping on some water. We sampled the following fair foods during our 6 hours there:

Funnel cake, snow cones, pronto pup, corn, fried pickles, turkey leg, nachos, sweet tea and cotton candy

I think we gained about 10 lbs but sweat off about 5!

Bek and Izzy...she is so Hollywood
Mom and Savannah Kay

The girls just had to ride a water ride...it was too hot!

The second best part of Savannah Kay's day...Cotton Candy!

Me and my girls

Heather and Izzy

Nose-bleed section of the concert

Down front buying t-shirts

Look how close we got!

I think the concert was a huge hit! Savannah kept squeezing my neck and shouting "BEST MOM EVER!" Bekah knew all the words and acted like a concert pro. I don't think she wanted the other 1,000 squealing girls to know that inside she was as giddy as they were. Everyone had a great time and we were exhausted when we left.

It was a great trip!