I am going to buy a new broom today. What's wrong with my old broom? Well, it served its purpose just fine last night trapping the mouse that has evaded us for weeks. It served its purpose making sure that the mouse never enters our house again! It served its purpose cleaning up all the mouse droppings in our pantry. And it served its purpose cleaning the crumbs littered throughout the pantry of nibblings stolen in the night. Yes, I think it is time to retire the broom...and hopefully our new broom will only accomplish such feats as...sweeping?

I have no formal employment...and yet, the words were definitely directed to me. Maybe spoken a little more lovingly than Donald Trump...but with the same enthusiasm and fervor!
Yes, I'm fired...probably for good...I have been asked to relinquish my paint roller and brush. Never to be put back into these willing hands. Unfortunately, I have crossed too many trim lines, brushed up against the ceiling too often, and maybe even ACCIDENTALLY dribbled a drop on our new carpet. So...the man of the house...has quite firmly said - You're Fired.



Don't tell him...but I think I'm a little relieved! :-)

The last vestige of color is starting to fade from fall. Winter will be here soon....but still I am so grateful to live in a place that explodes with colors at the changing of seasons. Being from the desert, I am used to a different color palate...more subdued and muted.
Jason took the kids on a walk last week to collect leaves and this is the project they turned it into. So when the leaves have all fallen and the trees are dull and colorless...we will have these leaf "vases" decorating our house! :-)

Our little chub-a-lub has "spoiled" his pants (and all his clothes) three days in a row!!!! One time between changes - I took some pics of him in his birthday suit!!!

I wanna go to AWANA!!! Isn't that what every parent wants to hear? That their child is excited to learn God's Word and hide it in their heart?

I have helped out with AWANA for many years and always in the back of my mind I could not wait for my little babies to be old enough to go to AWANA. Two years ago, Tyler started Gopher Buddies and last year Amy and Tyler were in Gopher Buddies together. This year, Tyler officially started Sparks. He counted down the days all summer long...and now several months into the year he is almost finished with his book. To say he is zealous would be an understatement....he is a driven, over-achiever, Timothy-award-striver, machine-verse sayer little Sparky! I'm glad he enjoys it and I know that most of the motivation is a teeny-tiny plastic jewel that gets lost as soon as you put it in his little hand. But whatever the motivation...God's Word is seeping into his young heart...putting down firm roots and starting to sprout up. I pray that as he gets older...that Word will become a unique part of his life...that he will never be able to separate from.

Here he is saying the books of the New Testament...

Of course...not to be out done...Amy learned them too! She has learned every single verse right alongside of Tyler - without the jewel to show for it! She'll have a head start on Sparks next year!!!