The kids are growing up so fast!

It started out like any other night. We ate supper, or Todd and I did while the kids picked at their plates for almost a minute before begging to get down and go play. After Todd and I finished eating, we started cleaning up the kitchen while the kids cleaned up their toys in the other room. After our chores were done (for the most part), Todd went outside to "putter" and the kids followed him outside to play. A few minutes later, I looked outside and Todd was working on our old van. A few months ago, it blew a gasket or something of that nature and was going to cost more to fix than it was worth, so we got a new van. Todd asked one of his buddies if the old clunker could be welded back together to which his friend said sure! $50 later we had a very unreliable, and barely road worthy vehicle but it was driveable. Todd has been using it to go to and from work. Today when Todd got home he said that the back door wouldn't open or close, so he was going to work on it after supper, which he did. After while, Sophia got sick of being outside and came in while the other 2 continued to play outside. As I'm wiping off the table, I hear an ear-piercing scream from Madelyn. She was screaming, "Daddy!!!!" I ran to the window and watched as our van, back hatch wide open, rolled quickly down the driveway and headed right toward the barn doors. I thought Todd was driving too fast especially while the kids were outside and didn't know why Madelyn was screaming about it.....until I noticed that no one was in the drivers seat...wait, what is that? A tuft of light brown hair was just visible over the steering wheel. Yup, ELI!!!!!!!! I watched as he backed right into the barn, the big steel door now laying on top of the van as the vehicle came to a hault. I ran outside as fast as I could not realizing the pain I was inflicting on my feet by running over gravel with barefeet. Just as I reached the van, Todd was pulling Eli from the driver's seat.

"Is he ok?" I asked, desperate for an immediate response.

"Yes, he's fine" Todd answered, just as relieved as I was.

"Thank you, Lord!" Thank you for watching over my baby tonight! Thank you for making Sophia come inside and play so that she was not a target on Eli's wild ride. Thank you that Madelyn was swinging and singing to herself and not in his path either.

Whew!!! Some of you may be asking why we would leave a car running with children playing around it? Well, we didn't. For some reason, this van, a '96, does not have the safety feature that most cars now do. You don't have to push on the break to get the car out of gear. You can simply pull down on the shifter and put the car in drive, or reverse, or nuetral! Yikes!!

I knew that it would be just a blink of an eye and my kids would be all grown up and driving, but this was ridiculous! :)

Here comes the rain

I woke up this morning to the sound of raindrops. With the rain soon came thunder and lightening. Most people might consider this a gloomy day, especially in the midst of the summer season, but I love a good rain shower. It reminds me of when I was little and a storm would come. I'd go outside underneath a metal rooftop and listen as the rain fell. My Mom would tell me stories of her going outside and watching storms come in with her Dad, a man I met, but don't remember.

Now that I've grown up into an "adult", I still can't help soaking up the sights and sounds that bring back those memories. In a strange way it also makes me feel so blessed. God has blessed me with a home to be safe, dry and warm in during the storm....and has filled this home with a wonderful family. Thank you God for giving me everything that I need to survive the storm outside and the "storms" that may come in my life. I am so thankful!

"Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants." Deuteronomy 32:2

"The Chimney"

I'm writing this post especially for my Dad. Tonight at supper time, Sophia wanted to pray, and she did. She thanked God for the food and for her family and for being able to go to Ellie's house and play today. As he does every time Sophia does anything, Eli wanted to pray too. So bowed his head and prayed (with his eyes SOOO tight and hands folded). He thanked God for "food, famy (Eli for family), Grandma house, and push chimney....AMEN.

Todd and I just looked at eachother and laughed. I'll try to explain. Ever time we visit my parents, the kids all go into Grandpa's office and ask to "push the chimney". Grandpa has an M&M dispenser which has a chimney.....when pushed, M&M's come out. Having just been there this afternoon, that's what Eli was thankful for.

SO, thanks, Dad for letting him "push chimney"!!