Another Field Trip

We took another field trip this week. We went to Washington D.C. and visited the Museum of Natural History. They post a lot of evolution, but the exhibits themselves are a wonderful reminder of the awesome power of our Creator.

Chrissy and Mark have been studying birds

in Science with my Mom.

Of course the boys loved the dinosaurs!

All the kids enjoyed the elephant in the

center of the museum.

My personal favorite was the mammal exhibit. As you

can see, they are very creative in the way that they display

the animals!

My little princess

On Saturday I took Amanda and Alyssa to a "princess tea party" given in honor of one of Amanda's friends. What a fun time! There was a room full of little girls all dressed up as princesses and all feeling the part! They got to use real make up, decorate crowns and little wands, make necklaces and bracelets and of course drink tea! I had such a great time watching my girls make memories with their friends and acting all "grown up"!

Daddy's Little Girl!

Birthday time again

In our family, no matter what time of year it is, there is usually a birthday looming just around the corner! We have birthdays within our immediate family 7 months out of the 12 and 11 out of 12 months in our extended family. The fun never ends!
This month we celebrated Nathan's 6th birthday. Due to my health, we had to do things a bit differently, but had a wonderful celebration none the less! We spent the day at my mom's house so that she could help out with the kids and so that she could join in the fun. My job was to watch everyone have fun and to take pictures, and Dave took care of picking up the presents, the decorations (Nathan chose Chicken Little) and the ice cream cake.
In the morning when we got to my parent's house, we found that my dad had raked up a ton of leaves into a huge pile. If you have ever been to Beachmont you can imagine the amount of leaves! The kids had a great time jumping in the leaves before lunch and then after lunch the 6 older kids spent a couple of hours taking part in the home school fitness program.
Dinner was one of Nathan's favorites - pineapple pizza! After dinner we went into the living room to watch Nathan open his presents. The kids helped him put together some of his gifts and they played for a little while before we went back to the kitchen to have birthday cake. After cake we were all ready to go home and go to bed!
A bit about Nathan - he loves to play with transformers, trains and turtles. He enjoys jumping on the trampoline, riding his bike and has discovered a new favorite thing to do - playing baseball with Gramps! He is getting ready to lose his second and third teeth. Nathan loves to worship during our family prayer time.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN!

My rose

It is so wonderful to watch my kids blossoming slowly into who they will one day fully be as adults. They still have a loooong way to go, but it is still heart warming (and sometimes amusing) to watch them growing up into who God wants them to be.
This week I have watched my children serving myself as well as each other very unselfishly. It is a quality that I hope each one will develop and have as one of the stronger qualities in their lives. I have also watched them learn how to show compassion to others as well as showing their love in tangible ways.
Earlier last week on the day that I was to come home from the hospital my oldest son Jim was out and about with my dad. He asked my dad if they could stop at the store so that he could buy something for me. He used his very own money and bought me a single rose. It was one of the most beautiful roses that I have ever received - not just because of its natural beauty, but because it was chosen with great care by my son in order that he could show the great love that he has for me.
I am certain that girls are the farthest thing from his mind right now - but if he is already buying flowers for the one woman in his life at the age of eleven, then one day, he's going to sweep some fortunate girl off her feet! What a lucky girl!

Glimpses of Heaven

Many times throughout the Bible we read the accounts of different people getting glimpses of what the "perfect" world will be like. Glimpses of what life will be like after the return of our glorious Savior. Little glimpses of heaven: For example, when Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit at the sound of Mary's voice and she felt her baby leap with in her for the first time. I'm sure that Mary must have had a glimpse of heaven when she looked into the face of her little baby and realized that she was touching the face of God. Those who were present when John baptized Jesus and the heavens opened and the dove descended must have been amazed at their little glimpse of what was to come! I can imagine that those who were healed by Jesus - especially the blind - were certain that they were seeing a glimpse of heaven when they could see for the first time, hear their first noises, take their first steps.
I can think of many times over the course of my life that I am sure that I have had a little glimpse of what heaven must be like. Some things we see with our eyes, like watching the sunrise or the sunset with its many array of colors; or seeing the flowers blooming in the spring or the leaves changing colors in the fall.
Other things you not only see with your eyes, but you can feel in your heart that you have just gotten a glimpse of the beauty of heaven. Knowing in your heart for the first time that you are really truly in love; being awakened in the morning by your husband's kiss; feeling your baby move within you for the first time; sweet kisses from your children; heart felt prayers coming from the lips of your children.
This past week, I miscarried our 9th child. This past week, I also was given more glimpses of what heaven must be like than I have had in a life time. Seeing the compassion my children had for each other and the comforting glances and hugs that they gave to each other; being served unselfishly by my husband as well as my children and parents; being served by our church family in our time of need; experiencing God's grace in a greater way than ever before; knowing God's mercies are new every morning; seeing the incredible gift of creation as I held our son for the first and last time. Truly I have been blessed by these wonderful glimpses into what heaven must surely be like!
As I anticipate the glorious coming of our King and the home that He is now preparing for His children, I am now even more excited because I know that He will continually give me these glimpses of how wonderful heaven is going to be and that until He is ready for us, these glimpses that He is giving me are really a bit of heaven here on earth.