Update on Jacob

It's hard to sit and wait to hear from your child when he is in the care of people you don't know and when you really do not have any way of reaching him or checking up on him ... except for HIS cell phone. I am almost totally dependent on him calling me, so if he forgets, loses his phone, or it is not charged up... I may just PANIC!!!

But, tonight, I heard from him. He called at 9;30 - the same as last night. So, instead of expecting his call at 8:00 as I was informed would happen, I will expect it at 9:30 and not panic until 10:00.

So, his report? His facilitator is evil. I kind of cracked up at that comment. I know my son, so I didn't completely worry about it. He says she is suppose to be explaining things to the group (of 11 kids), but instead she screams at them all the time. Evidently, she screams at Jacob a lot. He was walking and she screamed at him to stop running. I am not so sure how to look at this. My advice to him is to do what the bible says to do when someone is not nice to you:

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.

—Proverbs 25:21-22

Luke 6:27-35
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

I told him that we would be praying that she see Jacob for his sweet self and Jacob will see her differently. And I advised him to try to help her all he could. So, I am asking all of you who are prayer warriors to pray that Jacob and the facilitator can see things differently.

As for how he likes his trip so far? He loves it. He was so concerned about how much money it costed to go and how it wouldn't be worth it. He was afraid that he would regret doing this and it would be a miserable time. Well,... I asked him if it was worth the money. He didn't hesitate and said "yes!". He LOVES it. I also asked him if Washington DC is all that he dreamed it would be. He,again, didn't hesitate, and said "yes!".

He told me that he went to Ethiopia. I laughed because I knew that he was trying to make me really think he went to the country.

He actually went to the embassy of Ethiopia. He thought that was pretty cool.

His favorite site, though, was the Jefferson Memorial. I wasn't able to get much more information out of him. He is very uncomfortable talking a lot on the phone, especially where others can hear him.

He is taking lots of pictures, but today, his camera battery died. That made me sad. I had it fully charged for him. Hopefully he will get it charged up so he has it for tomorrow. He is not comfortable with his roommates, so if you can pray about that as well, I would appreciate it.

I wish that i had thought to take a picture with my camera of Jacob. Boy did he look sharp. He has to wear dress slacks or khaki's all week long. He had a specific outfit he had to wear today so that the People to People associates would recognize him at the airport.

He just called (9:35pm). He had just walked into his hotel room for the first time since arriving. Wow - they must have really kept the kids busy. He didn't eat until 7:30pm, so he was pretty wiped out. I fed him at 11:00am before we left. I send snacks and he had money, but if I know my son, he probably didn't feel like he could eat them or buy anything once he got with everyone else. Instead of asking, Jacob will just go without simply because he thinks it is a rule. He will wait until someone tells him that he could eat a snack. So... with that in mind, he must have been very hungry!

He said that he really enjoyed the speaker he heard tonight. It was a reporter for the President. He also said they talked about the election. I could tell that he really soaked up the speakers speech. He cracks me up. I didn't get much else out of him. His 3 roomates walked in the room shortly after he called. He suddenly became very quiet with his conversation. I got the sense that he really didn't want to be on the phone just then. He sounded exhausted and kept saying he just wanted to go to bed. Hopefully he can go soon. He has met 2 kids (there are over 400 there), but one is staying at another hotel. Please pray that he begins to connect with some of the kids; especially with his roommates.

Here is his itinary for tomorrow:
- Enjoy breakfast with your leadership group at the hotel
- Board the motor coach and meet your driver and delegation manager for the week
- Explore the Capitol and learn more about the branches of government
- Share lunch with fellow Student Leaders in the District before making your way to the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and other sites on “the Hill”
- Gain valuable insight from a member of Congress as to what it takes to make and shape policy
- Sample international cuisine and hear from accomplished speakers in the field of international diplomacy at the embassy dinner
- Share your thoughts on the day’s events with your peers during your leadership meeting

Just wanted to let all of you know about his trip. So many of you have shared in this journey for him through prayer and/or financial help. He is truly blessed.

HE HAS ARRIVED SAFELY!!! I just got off the phone with my son. He arrived in Washington DC at the exact time I arrived back at our house. The People to People representatives were waiting at his arrival gate, he didn't have to be alone even a second after landing. I am very thankful for that! He was very, very, very nervous and scared when he left me. His eyes got sadder and sadder looking. It was very hard. But, he sounded great when he called.

Jacob leaves tomorrow!

God has been so very faithful to Jacob. As of yesterday, he officially completed his goal of raising enough money to pay for the forum. I think it was February when he bagan trying to raise the $2295.00 it cost to attend this forum. Jacob has seen God's faithfulness and has learned many lessons through it. He worked very hard doing several different things. He ran 2 concession stands, cleaned barns, trimmed trees, helped move, cleaned houses, picked up sticks, sold candy, mowed yards, and did a great deal of babysitting. But that alone did not bring in the large amount he needed. In addition to his hard work, he was given some very generous gifts from his Mamaw and Papaw, his Aunt and Uncle, his Uncle and some very dear friends as well as a gift from a Veterans foundation. Those gifts encouraged Jacob greatly. And now.... having reached his goal, Jacob will be leaving tomorrow for Washington D.C.

It is a strange feeling to know that we will be taking him to an airport to fly by himself to arrive at an airport where a total stranger will be picking him up. Right now, my heart is doing some mighty silly things. I am fighting back some of the natural fears I have about my son going so far, alone, and spending an entire week with people I have never met. It is strange how things change. Jacob would have been the last one of my kids that I would have ever thought I would be sending off like this... let alone would I have ever imagined Jacob could have handled it. I am thrilled for him, but there is a part of me that is having major second thoughts! :)

Please pray for him as he travels. From the time he walks onto the airplane until he arrives at the forum will be a very uneasy time for my son. Pray that he can find the specific area he is suppose to meet the representataive from the forum and that he recognizes that person. Pray that this person is a wonderful, kind, and gentle spirited person (I know... I am being very specific) who will put Jacob at ease right away. And please pray that he has 2 special roommates who will see Jacob for who he is and who will have like minds. He will be spending a week with these 2 kids. I would love for him to come home with 2 new friends. Kids at this age can be so cruel. Jacob is very tender hearted. It will be hard for him to be away for so long, I just really want him to have some wonderful roommates that he will truly enjoy and who will enjoy him!

And... pray that he soaks up every bit of the history that he will be discovering. He has looked forward to visiting Washington DC ever since he was in 1st grade.

Are boys and girls the same?

My thought? ABSOLUTELY NOT! The problem is, often adults look at little boys and expect them to behave just like little girls. Why? I think it is because little girls are so much easier to get their attention. Often, they sit quieter, their attention span is wider, they aren't physical, they are good listeners.... and on and on. Honestly, they are just easier. The problem? When you compare a little boy to a little girl, the girl often "wins" in the well behaved department.

Let me share my morning with you:

Ri: Can I color?

Mommy: Yes, honey. Let's do school.

Ri and Elizabeth: ok.

Mommy: Can you practice writing the letter Aa?

Ri and Elizabeth: yes!

Elizabeth - sits and proceeds to draw 4-5 or capital A's. She is beaming from ear to ear.
Ri - draws one A, grabs a marker, colors a page sitting next to his notebook, scribbles on his A page and then quickly colors over his only A on the page. Then he notices that Elizabeth is getting praised for her A's and her a's. He then draws 2 small a's (very large, but fairly well done). I turn to look at Elizabeth and Ri then grabs 2 other markers, turns the page and begins coloring another page, drops the markers, yells for them, then gets off his seat, runs around and then finally crawls back up to now do the letter B

Mommy - "good job, can you now practice letter Bb?

Elizabeth and Ri: yes!

Elizabeth - sits and draws 15 or more letter B's and b's. She diligently practices them and sits still, concentrating and beaming with each one.
Ri - Draws one very good B and one b, then jumps off his chair, goes potty (for the 5th or 6th time), knocks the toilet paper on the floor, grabs the magnets off the fridge as he walks by, pulls on the dogs ears, crawls under the table to pick up a marker lid, hops back in the chair, teases Elizabeth by throwing something her way and draws one more B.

Should I go on? We quit at letter C!

Next, I bought a game book for us to play. We had a lot of fun learning the new games. The first game went fairly well and something like this:

Mommy - Ok, guys.... each of you have a circle that matches the pattern of the fish.

Ri, when you spin a number 2, you get to match a circle with the fish, and Elizabeth, when you spin the number 3, you get to match it... ok?

Ri and Elizabeth - ok.

Spinning the spinner - Ri hits the number 3. He takes his circle and matches the fish pattern.
Elizabeth, did not spin a 2.
Ri - spins a 3 again. Takes another circle and matches the fish. ... then proceeds to roll 3 times, get up, jump up and down, sits down and rocks back and forth trying hard to wait for his turn.
Meanwhile - Elizabeth rolls and does not get the number 2, she sits patiently.
Ri rolls and does not get #3. He puts his hands on the floor and his bottom in the air. scoots and sits on all the game pieces, grabs the game piece that he previously had placed on the fish, rolls a couple of times and giggles.
Elizabeth rolls and does not get #2
Mom - mommy thinks this is unfair for Elizabeth, so she puts the spinner on #2. Elizabeth happily takes her piece and places it on the fish.
The game continues until all fishes are used.

Next game:
Duck and Pig must get to their mommies.
Elizabeth rolls a 6 and moves her piece quietly to the right spot.
Ri rolls a 2, moves his piece to the correct spot, then wiggles and squirms, puts his head on the ground, wiggles, rolls over the game pieces and then knocks one out of place.
Elizabeth rolls another 6 and moves. She is smiling ear to ear.
Ri - rolls a 4, moves his piece to a few different spots until he decides that he will giggle and really put it on the right spot. Then he jumps up, sits down, grabs all the extra pieces, throws them a few inches from where they were, touches his game piece and then waits.
Elizabeth rolls and moves.
Ri.....do you get the picture?

Is there a difference between boys and girls? YEP!! Ri can not possibly walk past anything without touching it and exploring it by knocking it down or pushing it a little bit or just plain putting it in his hand and carrying it a few feet/inches. He cracks me up. He is ALL boy. All the time he is moving and "not paying attention", he pays complete attention and knows all that went on (generally). Just when I think he had no idea what I said, he will shock my and do exactly what he was suppose to do!

They've had a lot of practice taking pictures with Emily, don't you think?

Another series of pictures. Found this beautiful spot last week after the storm.
It was a beautiful sunset, so I grabbed Em and we ran off for some more pics.

We went on a walk Daddy and Jacob. The weather has been so beautiful! THese are Elizabeth's favorite animals in the world! It is funny. When they hear her and Ri, they lift their heads up and whereever they are in the field, they slowly make it to the fence. They know that the kids have a treat for them. It was delicious apples, this day.
Both the kids love finding buckeyes. To Jacob's surprise, this one held FIVE buckeyes. We have never seen thate before.
On the other end of this tree is Daddy. He was giving them a "ride" by moving the tree up and down. The giggles were abundant.
Just wanted to give you a prespective of how big this tree was that fell down.... Oh.. and yes... Jacob is a true Miller... I think he inherited his "dare deviledness" from Mark! (that or he is just plain all boy)

Sunday, our church met missionaries to Cambodia. Has there ever been a time in your life when you were humbled simply by someone's testimony? I was not only humbled, but I felt so small... so petty..... so in awe of God and how He works in someone's life. I also felt an ache, deep down, a longing to have such a closeness with God that I could respond to whatever God handed me with such grace.

The testimony was given by the wife. At first glance, as many so often do, she certainly wouldn't be someone others might be drawn to. She wasn't beautiful, she wasn't thin, and she appeared to walk strangly (slow and lethargic)... at least until you realized that she was using a walker of some kind to assist her. My first thought was curiousity. Admittedly, I wondered how someone who appeared so "impaired" could be used on a mission field. Now, I really wasn't thinking those exact thoughts, but somewhere inside me it lingered. Before she spoke, we watched a video of their ministry. We saw pictures of the couple as children and when they met and wed. I was surprised simply because the woman in these photos certainly didn't look like the woman who was the missionary. They had adopted 4 children. That always draws my attention. My mind wondered as I thought of each of those kids and how their lives were effected. The video was much like the other videos we have seen, though they added some humor. And then, after the video, the wife began to walk to the front of the church. She didn't have far to go, just a few feet, but she did it slowly. Instead of stepping up the 2-3 stairs to stand in the pulpit area, she simply leaned on the ledge and took the microphone.

And then... my heart was humbled. I saw this woman transform into the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Her beauty radiated from her. She had grabbed a hold of my heart. There is no perfect word to her beauty, but she was beautiful. She became someone that I could point to as a role model for any of my children.

You see, many years ago they completed the coursework and preparation to become missionaries to Cambodia. They were excited for what God had planned for their life. The next step was to begin raising the funds to go. But God had some unexpected things planned for their life. Her health began to change and one day, she literally could not move her body. After being transported to the hospital, she was diagnosed with MS. She simply said "ok". The doctor left and she turned to her husband and asked if he still wanted to go to Cambodia knowing his wife had MS. He said yes and then asked her. She said yes. They both knew that God had allowed this and they were ready for whatever God had in store for them. She was told that it would be months before she would leave the hospital. She looked at them and said that she was a missionary to Cambodia and her God was able to do this quicker. She was so upbeat about it all with the doctors and therapists that they actually did a pychiatric test on her. Needless to say, in 13 days she was released with the approval of her doctor and all the therapists. She had reached the point they said she wouldn't reach for months in just 13 days.

As she shared the entire story, she radiated the love and grace of God. I was so humbled and in awe. I can't imagine taking such news and smiling through it; knowing the life that was ahead of me. She never questioned God, never cried, never said "why me?" or "poor me". She just simply said "ok". She is beautiful! When she was done, her husband stood up and said "when I grow up, I want to be just like her". It was so sweet.

WE HAVE ELECTRICITY!!!

Well, it has been 6 days since we lost electricty. This evening, we came home to a house full of lights. What a welcomed sight that was. I was finally able to label some of the pictures I put up a few days ago. A great deal has gone on since the storm. I will write more in other posts, but a brief note about our life. ....
The kids missed school Monday and Tuesday because of the power outages. Emily and I (and the little ones) made her first college visit. We went to the OSU branch campus. Emily loved it. Then we went to a Christian College Fair. The whole thing/process is a bit overwhelming. I feel like poor Emily has been all on her own with the college stuff. It is about time I step in and actually be a parent to my incredibly mature daughter! She can't possibly do this on her own. Lastly, Erin recieved the honor of being elected to the Homecoming Court. It is very exciting, but very overwhelming at the same time. I will post more about all that has been going on a little later.

We have been without electricity AND water for 6 days and for 2 of those days, we had no phone. As I have gone through this past week, there is much that I have discovered. Here are some of the things that I learned:

1. I take electricity and having water for granted.

2. My kids are incredible workers when there is a need at hand. I was in awe of how hard they worked and how little they complained.

3. My kids are troopers and truly are kids that can adjust and adapt to situations that are thrown at them.

4. Homework can be done by candle light.

5. Ohio is not safe from a hurricane.

6. God's power is amazing. Watching the wind roar in the trees was an awesome sight.

7. Flies are slower when it is cold, especially in the early morning. At night time, flies just sit on the ceiling and wait to be killed! (after the storm, we had hundreds of flies flying around our doors ... and thus... in our kitchen!

8. A grill is a wonderful thing when you have no electricity! Just make sure you have a full tank. (our was empty)

9. Candles and matches are a necessity... have lots on hand and know where they are.

10. Flashlights are great in the middle of the night (but don't let your 3 year old see it or you won't find it when you need it)

11. The bathroom is really scary to a 3 year old...even in the daytime when there are no lights.

12. My little ones really can live without a TV :)

13. Freezers, if you don't open them, can actually keep things frozen for 3-4 days without electricity! That is amazing to me!

14. Have a LOT of big jugs to hold water so you can flush your toilets! No.. scratch that... have HUGE containers... coolers work, rubber made tubs work... just make sure you have them.

15. I can live without electricty, but water is another story!

16. It is hard to communicate without phones. Cell phones are impossible to charge without electricity.

17. I spend more time with my kids when there is no electricity.

18. The computer consumes my life. There is freedom from that when you can't get on.

19. Bucket baths are very, very cold.

20. Creek water is good for flushing toilets (but make sure you tell everyone which bucket has the creek water in it, otherwise they may use it to wash their hair - my daughter washed our neighbor's daughters hair in it before I realized what was going on)

21. I discovered I like working outside much, much better then doing housework inside.

22. Schools assign a lot of homework that requires the internet and the computer.

23. It gets dark earlier then my 3 year olds are ready to go to bed! And it is still dark when they are ready to get up.

Well, I want to go to bed. Take care. Enjoy the gift of electricity :)

Still no electricty. I don't have much time to write, but wanted to share some pictures.
Despite having no electricity, the weather was incredible and spending time outside was wonderful. The kids and I went exploring the woods to see all the damage from the storm. We found this tree. It made a great place for a fun picture. I think next time, we might just have to crawl through it.
I can't help but laugh at this picture. Elizabeth was truly enjoying walking all over this tree. It is huge! The kids both loved climbing on it. I asked them to sit down and place their hands on their faces and elbows on their knees. It was fun to watch them pose. Ri was really getting into the picture. I think Elizabeth had had enough.
She was a much better sport by for this shot.
Our kids were amazing after the storm. The next day, we all spent several hours cleaning up the backyard while Daddy was at work. Our goal was to surprise him with a clean backyard. Sam and Emily worked their tails off. Jacob had the flu. Erin worked hard too, but had to quit to do some homework.

I love this picture. In order to make the sticks small enough for the fire, we all broke them using our feet, legs, or 2 trees. Elizabeth kept picking up sticks and breaking them with her feet just like us. Too cute!!
Erin kept Ri feeling very useful. She would get sticks and then pile them in his arms so that he could dump them on the fire. He LOVED it!
We had two fires going. At one point, it became a competition as to where to put the sticks. Emily was in charge of making this fire.
It is hard to tell, but this is a huge tree that fell. Jacob and I watched it fall and were both in shock. We were quite thankful that it missed the bridge Mark JUST repaired a few months ago!

Sunday marked a very memorous day for us. Marks parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. God has truly blessed them. We celebrated with them enjoying a wonderful meal and great family time together. It is hard to believe that they have been married so long. To me, it seems impossible. In many ways, they seem much younger then me. I look to them as I watch them faithfully overcoming any obstacle that God has allowed to enter their life. They have stayed together through the good and the bad. They have raised 4 children, struggled through the "lean" times, and rejoiced in any abundance. They have lived and loved life together. I rejoice in the gift of their marriage and the example that they have set.

It also experienced another memorable moment as our state was hit hard from the remnants of Hurricane Ike. We experienced winds that hit gusts between 60-85 mph. It was rather unexpected and extremely cool to watch (though at times, rather nerve racking). We were at Mark's parents when it came on and quickly headed home. On the way home, we watched the wind become quite furious. At one moment, steel roofing sheets from a construction site flew across the road. Mark was able to avoid them. It was pretty crazy watching them fly through the air. When we arrived home, we were without electricity (& still are). Mark made a brave walk through the woods, investigating any damage. As he walked, he heard trees snapping. It was pretty wild. The winds were intense, but oh so fun to watch. At one point, we heard a man screaming. We continued to hear him scream, so Mark, Sam, & I took off through the woods trying to locate the man. We realized that it was a man looking for his lost rotweiler. He came into our drive a little later asking if we had seen it (we had the day prior). He mentioned that if it weren't so windy, he would go through the woods and look. Me, being silly, offered for him to go look (mentioning that Mark had been back in it earlier). He took me up on the offer. Mark and Sam went with him. The winds were pretty furocious by now. After a good 20-30 minutes, I was getting pretty nervous. Jacob and I were standing by the back window watching for them (and praying for their safety). The winds had picked up even more. As we watched, a huge tree in our backyard fell. A few minutes later, I heard a knock at our door. It was the gentlemen who went with Mark and Sam wanting to know if they were back yet. At that point, I took off running through the woods.... full speed, yelling for them. The guy was at my feet, both of us rather worried. I jumped over limbs, trees and anything in my way. I ran across the bridge Mark had made (that is veyr high off the ground and normally I am very, very nervous even walking acrossed it). We yelled and yelled. We called home, and they had not come back. It was getting dark, I was getting turned around with all the fallen trees and the storm was still wild. We heard a scream and I took off in the direction of the scream. They screamed again and I screamed back. I was going as fast as I could, until I saw the house and realized they were in the backyard screaming for us. Needless to say, I was quite relieved!

Since then, we have been cleaning up debris left over. The kids have been out of school for 2 days.

Well, I will tell more later. I have to go. Just wanted to let everyone know why I haven't been on. I am borrowing my parents computer as we speak. I hope we have electric when we get home :). It has been quite an experience!

A conversation between Erin and Elizabeth

Tonight, when the kids came home, Erin was enjoying a few moments with Elizabeth. They were both eating pizza. Elizabeth got all excited and the conversation went something like this:

Elizabeth: "Tomorrow, when I get very big, very, very big, I'm going to be your teacher"
Erin: "You are?, You're going to be my teacher?"
Elizabeth: "Yes, when I get very VERY, very big, tomorrow, I be your teacher"
Erin: "When you get big?"
Elizabeth" "Yes"
Erin: "Are you going to teach me the alphabet?"
Elizabeth: "Yes, when I get big and I be your teacher"
Erin: "Good, because I forget what the A sounds like"
Elizabeth: "aaaa"
Erin: "What does a G sound like?"
Elizabeth: "Ghhh"
Erin: "What word starts with the letter G?"
Elizabeth: (big smiles) "GGGGHHH.. Cat"
Erin: (laughing) "What words starts with the letter B?"
Elizabeth: (very proud) "BBBBB .. pizza"
Erin: (laughing) "when you grow up, you can be my teacher"
Elizabeth: "yes, when I get big, tomorrow"

As Erin walks out the door to go to the football game for marching band, she repeats "GGGG-cat (laughs), BBBB-pizza (giggles)"

I have blogged about the kids playing soccer, but have never taken any time to video it. After Erin attended the soccer camp this summer, we were advised to make a video of her playing soccer so that we could give it to a college coach if she were interested in them seeing her play. So, I am beginning to dabble with videoing soccer games. I have to admit that I am quite an amateur at this! Here is a series of clips I took at one of her games. It is kind of fun to watch, especially if you have never seen her play. Any suggestions on improving the video are very welcome!

The results of our Letter E hunt:







Today, I am struggling with knowing when to fight and when to let things go. I have been facing the School Board for nearly a year now. What began as a mere fight for an FCA club's survival, has since become a fight for something far bigger. Today, I am not sure where God is leading me. I am having an inner battle. My battle is deep and very intense. There is much I fear for our schools. My question is "How do I fight against this giant and should I? And if I should.... WHERE ARE MY STONES!!??" Right now, I feel weak. In the begiining, it was much easier; though still difficult for me. Originally, I felt as if the School Board was tying the hands of the club in order to protect themselves against a family who did not want their child attending the club. I stood in the gap, trying to fight for the rights of my child's club and ultimately, the rights of Christian kids. I watched our School Board become cold against any suggestions and watched the administration begin to really put pressure on the FCA advisor. What I thought was a simple battle between me and the School Board quickly shifted when the School Board demanded this teacher to remove the 10 commandments off of a poster in his room and remove his Bible from his desk. They had been pressuring him on a weekly basis, drilling him on the FCA club and seemingly looking for anything to pin on him. When he was told he had to remove his bible, I was in shock. I knew they were pushing for everything they could, but this was unbelievable. I felt their purpose was to make a powerful statement to him.

Many of you know the continuation of this story; especially if you are from around here. I don't need to expound on it. I need wisdom and courage. Many are sick of the "bible on the desk" fight. The problem is, they aren't seeing the bigger picture. It's easy to dismiss what is going on or to let someone else fight. It is easy to criticize (and many have). It's not easy to stand and defend what you feel is right. It's not easy to come up with the words to describe what truly is going on. THis is far more then simply a man who refused to remove his Bible. No - there was much more going on and unfortunately too many people are unaware of that and are so quick to judge.

Boy do I wish I knew what was involved in being on a School Board! I've taken them for granted far too long. It is time I find out what decisions they truly are making and why.

The Capital D
A small d
The "homemade" version of a "natural" D in the woods. Elizabeth insisted on making a D, it was fun to watch them create it.
We found berries on the way to the creek. To keep Ri from desiring to eat them (his favorite thing to do), since they were poisonous, we squished them and painted the letter D on our arms. We also found Dora tatoos and used them yesterday as well.
A perfect letter D for our book!
Elizabeth is seeming to get the knack of forming some of the letters. She really sits and concentrates and is quite happy to inform me when she does it right!
Ok - I need to let you know that I helped with his picture. But.... I only colored the black on the hat and red scarf. I can't believe how well she is doing staying in the lines. She is such a girl! :)
We went on a letter D hunt and ended up in the creek (after finding apples, feeding horses, collecting buckeyes and throwing rocks).
Did I mention collecting buckeyes? This boy LOVES to collect them and stuff his pockets full!!
See what I mean? He must have pulled 20 buckeyes out.
This morning, we were working on "preschool". Elizabeth was practicing coloring in the lines and Ri was practicing matching things. I then started Ri practicing writing the letter A. They both needs a ton of work learning how to write ANY letter, so we are slowing working on them. He got a little frustrated and wanted to switch to something new. He laid on the ground and began to whimper. Elizabeth (who had had many moments of whining already this morning, but was presently in a great mood) looked at me and said "he's fussy". Then she preceeded to inform me that he was "very fussy", but a few seconds later she said "just like me". Whew - I am so glad she remembered that she had been that way just a few moments earlier!

Introducing the letter C:





We have gone on our letter C hunt. Unfortunately, I chose to hunt for the letter C in a field. I never realized how little C's there are in a field! I should have headed for the woods again. :(

Here are the results of the C hunt. I think we will have to repeat the hunt. Ri seemed to tired out on this one pretty quickly. Maybe we will go again this morning. We just might make it a C and D hunt. We will see.



Jacob was blessed this weekend with an envelope from the Veterans Benefit Foundation. He opened it up and was in shock. They had sent him a check for $100.00 to help him reach his goal for his trip. What a blessing. He is less then $300.00 from his goal. God is so faithful!

Our weekend was pretty uneventful. Erin and Sam played in the band at the football game Friday night. Mark, Jacob, Elizabeth, Ri, myself, and a neighbor friend all went to watch them. We enjoyed it; even with the small amounts of rain that hit us. Our favorite part of the game was watching the band play.
On Saturday, we watched Sam and Jacob play their games. Erin was a referee for Jacob's game. Mark and I felt like we were on a date all day. Emily had taken Elizabeth and Ri to visit Mamaw. So, after the games, we took advantage of the time and enjoyed a meal. Sunday, was filled with church and preparing to enjoy the teen youth group for the evening.

On a very cute note ... Jacob whispered to Elizabeth that she was his favorite little sister and he loved her with all of his heart. Soon after that, she announced to him that he was her favorite little brother and she loved him with all her heart. It made Jacob's heart melt! A little later, she was leaving with Emily. She walked out the door and then peeked her head in. She looked at Jacob and pointed her finger at him and said "just remember, I love love you with all my heart... just remember" and off she went. It was ADORABLE!!!

I decided that when I put together the book for the alphabets, I thought it would be cute to have Ri and Elizabeth forming the letters themselves. We made A and a small b (I can't figure out how to make a capital B just yet). As soon as Daddy got home, they showed him how they could make the letters out of their bodies. This should be fun! Here are the letters we "made" yesterday:



We've gone on the Letter B hunt and today we head for a letter C hunt. Here are the results of the letter B....


This is the small b. I'm not quite sure Ri ever did understand that he was standing on the base of the letter b. This was the first b we discovered. It took a while for him to catch on to what we were looking for.







Sam is playing a ton of soccer. Last night, we watched yet another game. So far, he has had 3-4 games each week. And Erin has had at least 2 games. Jacob begins 2 games a week starting on Saturday. It is another busy soccer season; only I think Sam is keeping us the busiest.

It amazes me to listen to Ri and Eizabeth. I thought I would share how far they have come in learning their ABC's.

This weekend, we have enjoyed a few visits to some garage sales. Ri, Elizaberh and I like to explore through the treasures that we find. This costume was one of those "treasures". He makes a mighty sweet musketeer, doesn't he?

Jacob leaves for Washington DC in less then 4 weeks. I can hardly believe it is here. He is struggling over it right now. It is not that he does not want to go. He really, really wants to go. But, he has had so many people tell him how expensive it is and make remarks about it that he is feeling pretty miserable about going. On the other side of it, there have been so many who have helped him near his goal and who have tried to encourage him but I think he is feeling guilty about how much money it is. I keep reminding him of all that he will experience and how Washington DC has been his dream since first grade. I remind him how if this trip was anywhere else and any other child, I would have to agree with the cost and that his dad and I would never have even considered it. But it is for Jacob, who soaks up everything he is ever taught, who has dreamt of visiting WAshington DC and who loves every facet of the history of our country and is very into government and politics. I am convinced that this will be worth every penny and that there is no possible way that he could experience DC in such a way if he had visited it with his family. I just can't seem to convince my little boy. So, please pray that he will not focus on how much money it cost, how much he has worked to earn it, and how much others have helped him. I know Jaocb and I am afraid that if he can not let go of that, he may not be able to enjoy the experience. I want him to have no regrets, to learn what it takes to reach a goal, and to come back loving his country even more then he already does.

He has been doing a lot of babysitting for us, but has not seemed to have (or maybe the better phrase is "taken") many opportunities to earn more money. THis weekend, his Mamaw held a garage sale and raised $140.00 for his trip and Mark's Aunt and Uncle generously added to his fund. Mamaw had already held a garage sale in the spring for Sam and Jacob and gave each of the boys $100.00. Mark's brother and sister have been generously adding to the fund as well. With all of their help, the ticker is moving once again! I am confident that Jacob is learning more from this experience of raising funds then anything he would ever have learned out of a book. What an incredible experience he has already had! We are so thankful for all who have encouraged our son through this endeavor.

Not much more has been going on. The kids have completed a full week of school. They are all adjusting well. Jacob seems to enjoy being back in school, though his knees are suffering from cross country. We ended up making him take a few days off of running. Sam seems to really enjoy high school. He is amazing us. It seems as if he has grown up so much in the past few weeks (and literally grown up - he is at least 2 inches taller then me... when did that happen????). His schedule is absolutely crazy. Last week, he didn't get home until 9:00-10:30 at night every night. He had soccer and band practice Monday, soccer matches Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and then a Football game (Marching band) on Friday. So far, he is handling his schedule wonderfully. Erin has a very, very difficult academic schedule, including honors and college courses as well as a very intense extracurricular schedule. SHe is the treasurer for her class, a student council representative, involved in FCA and in the marching band and varsity soccer. CRAZY!! But God has been so faithful. Erin is maturing into an incredible young lady and an absolute joy to be around. Emily is enjoying the fact that this is her final year of High School. SHe is a Senior mentor. She is busy trying to find a job that will give her more hours. Right now, she is only working 1 day a week and really only about 3-4 hours. That is definitely not enough. We had some friends over Saturday night. One of those friends happens to be a Psychologist. Emily was thrilled to have a chance to speak with him about his occupation. She is feeling very pulled in that direction. We were so thankful for the opportunity she had to speak with him. Em is such a help around here. On Saturday, she took care of the 2 little ones all day so that Mark and I could spend some time together and so that we could go to Erin's game. She didn't complain once and even shared with me how fantastic it was to be with them. What will I do without my sweet, thoughtful, helpful little girl next year???