Halloween 2012

Just wanted to share some pics from tonight...

Hannah dressed up as a Chinese Girl
 

Pics with some good friends and cousins
 

we had a block party to get to know some of our friend's neighbors
 

this pic kind of shows our setup - we had some food, s'mores, video and music
even dry ice smoking out of a pot and pumpkin
 

Dave dressed up as a Minion (I wish I would have gotten a better front shot)
 

2 Kid Poems

A week or so ago, the kiddos had to write an eight line poem. So, I thought I'd share them with you:

Snowflakes

Snowflakes whirl and twirl in the air

They land on your nose or on your hair.

You can clump them up for a snowball

But, still they will continue to fall!

You can ski and sled on it too

Or make a snowman that looks just like you!

Then a snow angel you can make

Or decorate an icy cake.

by Hannah Weber

---------------------------

The Frog

My favorite animal is a frog

That jumps from tree to tree

It leaps over the log

So fast that you can't see

It flies through space

As a bird flies on air

It's cute little face

Looks quite good without hair.

by Josh Weber

a beautiful sunrise the other morning
 

Gifts 635 - 656

We are happiest when we are not focused on ourselves...that is a good reason to count gifts. It turns our thoughts to the great Giver of all good things.

635 - the smell of grape gum

636 - interesting shadows on the wall

637 - working together

638 - seeing things accomplished

639 - trying a new recipe

640 - having it taste good :)

641 - hide and seek in the dark

642 - the exuberance of children

643 - challenging new thoughts

645 - needed time to talk

646 - the power of prayer

647 - how blessing others blesses you

648 - walks with a friend

649 - little hands helping

650 - leftovers

651 - organizing things

652 - people who spy for you

653 - God providing things you needed/wanted

654 - trying new foods

655 - beautiful stacks of cupcakes

656 - a sweet 11 year old

Hannah turned 11 last week...
 

she chose cheesecake
 

opening gifts at my parent's house
 

her favorite gift of the year - a set of Nancy Drew books
(grape gum may have been her 2nd favorite gift)
 

Unbroken

A month or so ago, our GC Group completed its covenant which included writing down ways we wanted to be intentional about getting to know more people. One idea I thought would be good for my neighborhood was beginning a book club. Books are a good way to connect people as well as draw out their world view. That meant we needed a book...I had been hearing great things about Unbroken, and so we decided to start with that. It's a true story based upon the life of an Olympic athlete turned WWII pilot. Following the demise of his plane and weeks at sea, he ended up becoming a POW in Japan. Hillenbrand is a great author and did an amazing job recreating his life from childhood on. The story line is not easy to read as he suffered miserably at many points, even enduring things that seem almost unimaginable. One line from the book seemed to encapsulate his captivity well, "The Pacific POWs had an intimate understanding of man's vast capacity to experience suffering, as well as his equally vast capacity, and hungry willingness, to inflict it." This is not a feel good book, yet it is a very real book. Even though it's been many, many years since I've read it, I would say that this book would be similar to Night by Elie Wiesel. However, even though the content is difficult, I recommend reading it and seeing the story of survival, resilience, and redemption. It is truly an amazing story. 

we had a hoedown with our church a couple of weeks ago
Dave should have won best dressed...he borrowed some clothes
from his dad, and we found the perfect shirt at Goodwill

Breathing Room

Whew, I thought Oct was going to be less busy! :) I am so thankful that God knows my limits and gives me days where I can just take a deep breath and enjoy being home. One day when I was feeling particularly maxed out, my friend and I were reading in Phil 4. Verse 19 says, "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." When we are living in a way that pleases Him, and using our time to serve Him, He will provide all the necessary physical and mental strength as well as time to accomplish what He has called us to. How thankful I am for that...

last of the pics from retreat...Hannah and Dave going on the zip line
 

 

 

 

  

3 Principles for Change

I began reading Paul Tripp's Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands a few weeks ago. It has been an excellent book so far on how God desires all of us to be used to minister to others, not just the "professionals". Tonight, I just wanted to share a short excerpt that helps "guide our efforts to serve as God's instruments of change in the lives of others"...

1. There is an undeniable root and fruit connection between our heart and our behavior. People and situations do not determine our behavior; they provide the occasion where our behavior reveals our hearts.

2. Lasting change always takes place through the pathway of the heart. Fruit change is the result of root change. Any agenda for change must focus on the thoughts and desires of the heart.

3. Therefore, the heart is our target in personal growth and ministry. Our prayer is that God will work heart change in us and use us to produce heart change in others that results in new words, choices, and actions. 

--from pg 64-65

some more pics from retreat

 

 

 

Hannah driving with Dave
 

Josh wasn't quite tall enough to drive yet
 

Gifts 621 - 634

More gifts to be thankful for...

621 - freshly pressed apple cider

622 - perfect clothes found at goodwill

623 - words of appreciation

624 - making someone smile

625 - pear jam

626 - highlighters

627 - boys learning to whistle

628 - girls who can whistle most anything

629 - math games on the board

630 - google calendar

631 - speech games 

632 - folded clothes

633 - kids using big words

634 - looking back at pictures

I realized the other day I never posted pics from retreat, so I've prepped a couple
days of them - here's Hannah going up on the big swing
 

Josh in front of our created tank for the tank wars
 

Dave and Larry winning the water balloon toss
 

pre tank war inspection
 

post tank war - the tank with four people underneath ran a course with opponents bombing it
 

tug of war
 

 

Civil War Re-enactment

Two Saturdays ago now we headed out to Plain with some friends of ours to enjoy a Civil War Re-enactment. We had missed it last year and heard that it was quite good. If I remember correctly, they were re-enacting the battle of Fredricksburg. The Yankees were stationed on one side of the field and the Confederates on the other. The volunteers participating had all the accouterments of that era. It was interesting to see the differences between the two sides in clothing, fire arms, and status. The North definitely felt more polished. The guns were incredible and they fired all their guns, canons, and such with powder blanks that they made as we walked around. It was a lovely day, and I'd recommend going if you find that era intriguing. Also a great place if you are studying that time period - maybe we'll have to go back in a year or two. :)

holding the rifles - those things sure are heavy!
 

 

Josh practicing with the bayonet
 

 

Hannah loved the horses, of course
 

Lincoln was even there!
 

Hannah liked the bonnets
 

this is how they would sometimes set up camp - the celery centerpiece was pretty funny
to me - I guess it was a sign of status
 

 

prayer before the battle