Craziness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't find a picture to post for all of you who do not live in Portland....so if I do I will come back an add it to the post.

The weather this week is CRAZY! Here it is Spring Break week - not that anyone here goes to school - but we enjoyed seeing Sandy, Howard and Samantha (Arthur's sister) who drove up from southern California to spend their Spring Break at Welches/Mt. Hood. We expected that THEYwould see some snow on the mountain especially if they went up to Timberline Lodge but.....snow in the valley....snow at OUR house.....CRAZY!

This morning I braved the COLD, COLD, COLD weather to go do a couple of errands while the rest of the family slept. Snow, rain, and sleet was the weather of the moment....not even du jour because it chances on a dime multiple times a day.....even more than it did growing up in St. Louis! Go figure!

Today's agenda includes keeping warm by the fireplace, making and enjoying chicken noodle soup (nature's antibiotic for one sick 3 year old and one sick 40 year old) and making some breadsticks!

On another note, Adobe Photoshop just recently announced they would be making a version of their software available online......I signed up so quick the computer almost fell off the desk! Here is the results from my first attempt. I am no expert by any means but am happy with the results.

Before....not the greatest composition but I still like it.


After.....the pop of color really accents the Bible thus supporting a great story.


To read more about the story see Treasures posted on February 1, 2008.

He is Risen...Death Where is Thy Sting?!

Sponges and Batteries

For several days now Dacia Grace has been asking me to find batteries for her small pink flashlight. So today I searched until I found some. Coming in from the garage I congratulated myself "A teachable moment! Watch as I do this up good!"

I greeted Dacia Grace with batteries in hand. "Look!"

"You found batteries, Mommy!"

"Yes, I did! Will my flashlight work now?"

"First we need to see if the batteries have power or not," congratulating myself once again that I used the correct term for this "teachable moment".

Going to the table to sit down and try the batteries in her flashlight, I asked, "Dacia Grace, do you know where we get our power from?" Pondering if she was going to "get" this spiritual analogy.

Dacia Grace looked up at me with an incredulous smile, "Yes, Mommy! We get our power from JESUS!"

My bubble burst, I queried, "Where did you learn that?"

"Church school" she answered as if it was obvious!

Now church school for those of you who don't know is the kids program at Community Bible Study (http://www.communitybiblestudy.org/). We attend on Wednesday morning. The lessons she is learning literally BLOWS MY MIND AWAY!

I was reminded once again that my child as well as others are just little sponges soaking up all of the spiritual truths that we will pour into them. Of course they are not discriminating sponges at the moment so we need to make sure that the spiritual truths that we are pouring into them are based on the Source of all Truth.....Jesus Christ!

I was also humbled by my prideful attitude that I had thought up the wonderful teachable moment and orchestrated it! Who am I? Lord forgive me for my pridefulness. You love Dacia Grace far more than I. You have loaned her to me to raise and teach about You! May I never lose track of that in the mirady of daily life!

Saturday Morning Chores

 

This is a common sight in our home on Saturday morning.....Daddy and Dacia Grace dancing, singing and sweeping the floors! Aren't they cute!

Happy Presidents' Day

I would like to take a moment to recognize this little celebrated holiday....Presidents' Day. While government offices and schools are closed in honor of this day, no parties are thrown in honor to the men who have served as the President of the United States and to recognize their great accomplishments AND failures for all of us have both in our lives. The most recognition that we see on this day is from the merchandising industry with all of its many "Presidents Day Sidewalk Sales". Don't get me wrong I love a good bargain and shop with the best looking for the bargains that can be found. But this year, Arthur and I were reminded in a new and fresh way about the Presidents of the United States of America!

On Sunday, we were going eating lunch and talking with Dacia Grace when the following conversation occurred.

"See this man here Dacia Grace. He is George Washington." I told her as I pointed to a quarter. "So is this man. He was the very first President of the United States."

"I know that Mommy!" she matter of factly told me.

Quite taken back, I said, "You do!?"

"Yes, I saw a show about him."

"You did......that's right you did!"

Dacia Grace returns to looking at the coins in front of her while I turn to Arthur who has NOT heard the conversation and say, "Would you please scrape my chin off the floor."

"Why?" he asks.

So I tell him the conversation. His response is to ask Dacia Grace, "Where did you see a show about George Washington."

With great display of patience Dacia Grace says, "At WALT DISNEY WORLD, Daddy."

She responded as if everyone should remember that three months ago while on vacation at Walt Disney World we sat through a 30 minute animitronics show on the Presidents. It was here that she sat on my lap completely mesmerized by the show and learned about George Washington, our first president, and Honest Abe! We were once again blown away by the memory that she exemplifies DAILY and the GOODNESS of the Lord in healing our little girl's brain a little over three years ago!

Here is a picture from our Walt Disney World Vacation in November 2007.

Another side note: We did go down to the local outlet mall that afternoon where among other things, I was able to purchase $7.50 worth of coffee drinks for the price of naming 30 presidents! So to all of you who are still students out there, paying attention in your American History Classes does have its benefits! I scored FREE COFFEE!

My Treasures......

Door slamming upstairs. "Mommy, what are you doing?"

"Waiting on you. What are you doing?"

"Getting my treasures."

Noise ensues.

"I have my Bible, Mommy. It tells me the truth."

"Yes, it does."

"It says, 'Dacia Grace Hom, you must obey your Mommy and Daddy'."

"Really!"

"Yes, it says 'Obeying makes Jesus happy'."

"Treasures" is a concept that Dacia Grace learned from The Little Mermaid when Ariel is constantly collecting "treasures from the human world." This is the first time that she has translated that to the TRUE TREASURE of God's Word!

Interesting Note: I happened to be at the computer at the beginning of this conversation so I was able to quickly "record" this conversation as it occurred.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

We use the timer for many things in our home to help Dacia Grace transition from one thing to another....i.e. play time to nap time. Tonight when the timer went off, I was slightly indisposed and could not turn it off immediately. Suddenly I heard Dacia Grace called to me, "Mommy, I think it is time for you to give me a hug!"

Who can resist such a sweet comment? Certainly not this mommy!