Dare to be a Daniel ...

You know that song we sang as kids that goes "Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone.  Dare to have a purpose firm, dare to make it known."  This is exactly how I've been feeling lately with parenting.  The issues and times of standing up for what's right hasn't been for these big, huge reasons or even for really tough stuff but it's hard to stand up at times for the simple things too.

Our third born has grown up so much since her strong will toddler stage but recently it seems to be on the rise and for me to guide that and instruct her in a good way is hard!  It's easy for me to just get frustrated and wish the problem away instead of facing it head on.  It seems she is always begging for something and if we say no to one thing, it's always the next thing that she wants.  It's like she not grateful at all.  When her time on electronics is over, and I ask her to do a house chore, complaints come out of her mouth.  It's bad attitudes that I'm trying to help correct here but some days it gets tiring and is difficult!

I know that being a mom is a job that requires much patience and love and so with praying for an extra amount of these the past few days, I'm relying on God for help!  It's on these kind of days that I am ready for school to start but then I'm reminded that it's not anyone else's job to raise and train up our children.  That's Mike and I's job!  We are humbled and try our best!

Daring to be a Daniel was a life lesson learned just yesterday again!!!  Hadassah and I were out and I had to decide on what was true and the right thing to do.  Life doesn't always feel good when we stand up for the right thing but we both drove away with a lesson learned!  Our day we hoped was going to be fun and get to spend some time at a café but instead it was a time of driving on the road wiping some tears and talking through emotions.  Parenting teenagers isn't always easy and there's no book written that has all the right answers or problems solved except for the Bible!  The Bible gives true guidance but sometimes we need to put the puzzle together to make sense of all life's problems and worries. 

Because of standing up like Daniel did, it opened up an opportunity for Hadassah and I drive and talk.  Hadassah shared some of her emotions of how when she's home, I ask her to help around the house.  Living with six people isn't a joy ride for anyone around our home and we have everyone helping out here and there with the work.  I'm the type of person that would rather do it all myself than teach our children how to do it.  But I know that at the end of the day, that's not how I need to be.  At the moment, it's quicker and easier to just do the job than to have patience and show them how to cook or clean or weed eat or pull the weeds.  So for me, it's a chore to walk beside our children while they do their chores!  Am I making any sense?  I sat and listened as Hadassah shared how she feels at times and then she sat and listened to my side of the story.  I know there is treasure in hearing the hearts of teenagers and so I tried to take in her side.  But, I also said that she can't go through life living off of her parents money and spend all of her time else at work or hanging out with friends or shopping ... because when then do we spend time as a family?  Or work side by side?  Or just relax on the living floor playing games?   

Hadassah does a really, really good job at helping me when I ask her to help and she does a good job at work and what she does.  I was reminded that I need to show her and tell her more often that I do appreciate the things she does around here!!!  I need to tell her that I love it when she's home and in the kitchen with me. 

Yesterday ended up being a day of reconnecting and sharing our thoughts and heart!  We ended up going for her school physical, school supplies and stopping at Plato's Closet instead of trying for her driving license.  We got extra hours of driving recorded because that was the real reason for our day out.  Hadassah needs more driving hours before taking her driving license test and this was a hard fact for her to except!!!  And for me!  I'm ready for her to start driving on her own so that she can come and go to all her volleyball practises and games and drive to school and come home from youth group without one of us picking her up!!!  I still want to go to her games and drive with her but she is ready for the independent driving.  But the fact is, she still needs to have more hours of driving and so she will need to wait a few more weeks before taking that driving test!

Meanwhile, we will drive, drive, drive!!!  It will give us more time together in the car rehearsing life.  She needs her hours of practice and it will all be good practice until she is ready to drive on her own.

I dare you today to be a Daniel!!!  Pray and stand up for what is right.  There will be more moments in my life when I will need to stand for truth.

If anyone has any tips on getting in all those 65 hours of driving time quickly, please let me know!!!  :)  Meanwhile, you may be seeing us driving the whole country side to get these hours of driving completed!

On a positive note … we did get things crossed off on our "to do list" together and it was good for us to hear each other out!!! 

"Help me dear Lord to be a parent that always honors you!!!"

Time with our tiny people at Tiny Town!

Our original plans were to go to Little Buffalo State Park and use the water slides and pool all day long with the cousins but because of the five days in a row thunderstorms and flooding, we had to change our plans! 

 

We started out at Beiler's Donuts and got a treat!!!

 

 

We then decided to still do something fun with the little ones and go to Tiny Town.  This was our first time here and the kids loved it!!!  Especially Austin!  He loves to dress up and act like characters!  There was a Tiny Garage and so he changed the tires on the car!

 

Then there was a fire man suit and he pulled the fire hose out and sprayed the fire out!!!  All of this is in imagination but so cute!!!

 

 

And pretending to be a gasoline man.  Do they still do this for you anywhere?  I remember as a kid someone would fill up your car for you if you wanted it done that way!!!  That would be cool to have that service back in place!

Air for the tires.  Ashlyn loved Tiny Town to and she mostly hung out in the grocery store.  :)  

This was the Tiny Café and Wyatt and Austin served me some pie through the take out window!  :)

More grocery customers.  The Police Man outfit was Austin's favorite by far!!!  He said he was looking for the bad guys.  They had Shaelyn go run away with some pretend mail and then Austin went after her.  :)

Somewhere amongst all the other visitors, I'm sure there was a mailman suit because there was a mailbox at each location.  Didn't see that but there were a lot of other people visiting Tiny Town too!

There was a stage where you could dress up like a knight! 

We left Tiny Town around lunch time and went to Speckled Hen to grab some lunch!  From there we all went to Strasburg Railroad to catch a ride on the train!!!  This was fun for the kids!

Mom paid for most of our day expenses!!!  Thanks Mom!!!

 

And then from there we made one more stop at "Down on the Farm Creamery" for some ice cream and play time.  Olivia was sure to show Austin the baby calf! 

When we got home around supper time I think I was just as tired as the kids!!!  Going from one place to the next with all our sweet children is work!!!  It was a fun day out!

And we've not been to the pool at all this week because of the weather.  But there was a few times that the sun did shine and the kids got wet here at home!

Our summer days are slipping by and we hope to have some warm pool days next week!!!  My figures are crossed though because of still a lot of thunderstorms around.  Either way, we will enjoy these summer, lazy mornings and late nights!!!

Finished up gymnastics. School supplies. Food. Gazebo.

Yesterday, Ashlyn finished up her last gymnastics class for her very first series.  She loved every minute of it and so that has me wondering if we should enroll her for another set of classes??? 

Positive Fitness does such a fun job at teaching them and introducing the kids to gymnastics.  The humor that is added to each class is funny and fun!  This was a great event for Ashlyn to do during the summer and I would love to keep this up for her but I know that as soon as school begins, the older kids sports schedule will be keeping us stepping!  So, do I add another sport to the mix?

Each week she was introduced to new gymnastic gear.  Today this was the first she used this equipment.

 Here are the wonderful instructors at Positive Fitness! 

Thank you, thank you!!!

You know when you have this deep down feeling about something … I know Ashlyn could get really good at this if we work it!  It just seems to be her niche.  Just like when Hadassah started bumping a volleyball … it's totally her sport.  And when Matthew first held a bat and swung at a ball!  Baseball is his natural sport.  I think maybe this is Ashlyn's niche!?!  I guess only time will truly tell if it's something she would like to do again!

There are only a few weeks of summer vacation left and that makes me so, so sad when I think of it that way!!!  I am choosing to think of it as, "We still have a few weeks of summer vacation left!  Let's make the most of it!!!"

I'm trying to not think of school too much yet because I'm not near ready for that to begin but there are a few things that need done before the big school bus schedule arrives and the back packs get filled up and the lunches get repacked. 

One thing is physicals.  Matthew needed a updated physical before the sports season rolls around!  We went for that the other day and now his charts are up to date with a good healthy report!!!  Hadassah has yet to complete her yearly sports physical.

We did go school shopping yesterday but mainly because it was raining most of the day and it seemed to be a good day to go get those school supplies.

 

When I say that I'm not near ready for school to begin, I really mean that but there have been a few moments when I did think that maybe it's soon time to get these kids back into their studies and routine.  No one seems to want to go to bed before 10:30 PM around here.  Some days they declare that they are bored and have nothing to do.  Other days the trampoline has been a huge blessing this summer and the kids spend literally hours on it jumping and flipping around!  When we went for school supplies, I bought the younger kids both a big glue.  Yesterday, they were cutting out pictures from a magazine and pasted it on a paper.  Austin still needs a bit of help though with this so it didn't last as long as I wished!!!  This is something that we will work on though!!!

 

We hope to use the pool a lot this summer yet but all the prayers that I prayed for rain lately are being answered!!!  We've been having flash flood watches since the weekend!  When I look at my Weather App, it shows thunderstorms and rain for the next 15 days!!! 

 

Ashlyn finished up her library reading program paper and she couldn't wait to go receive all her coupons!!!  Good job girl!!!

Because of the rain outside, it's a good day to get some beans blanched and put in the freezer!!!

 

The other day, after Matthew's physical, we stopped by my favorite camera shop and bought a new, smaller camera case and new lens.  I have the same old camera bag now for at least the past ten years and it is still functional but I was wanting something a bit smaller that can hold only my camera and about one lens.  Not all my lens in one bag.  I bought this and I think it's perfect!!!  And my new "nifty 50 mm" is going to be so fun to use!!!

 

We are eating so many veggies and sweet potatoes, eggs and meats around here because I'm attempting the Whole 30 plan!  I'm not super, by the books strict, about this because there are a few things that I chose to not go without in my life.  One … is cream in my coffee.  Two … is some salad dressings!  I love vegetables and it's a stretch for me to keep out sugar, flour and grains out of daily in take but I'm trying!!!  Whole 30's plan is to avoid all dairy too.  (But I'm using some cream and did have some cheese here and there.)  I miss the cheeses and milk but after thirty days, I'm free to go back to that!!!  It's been lots of salads, eggs and fruits but this is the perfect time to do this!!!  There are road side stands around the corners that are selling fresh watermelon, cantaloupe, greens and tomatoes!!!  What I don't harvest from the garden, I can buy local grown!!!  It's such a blessing to have fresh, farm to table, foods all around us!!!  Whole 30 is just a reminder to me of thinking about all what I put into my mouth.  To eat more healthy choices is a life time goal of mine!!!

Trampoline fun … even in a princess dress!!!

The gazebo is getting moved back a bit and we hope to improve our campfire area!!!  Stay tuned for more renovations!!!

I love to use my big cheese board for much more than cheese!!!  Here's a big fruit platter I took along to our Acquire night last Saturday night!!!  Thanks for hosting us Jonathons!!!

 Fresh fruit with fresh mint and limes is so tasty!!!

 

Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers.  I plant packs of these each year but our ground doesn't always take to these seeds.  So many times, they never grow for me!!!  But, we've got a pile of dirt in the back, back yard yet from our home renovations, and these are growing in it!!!  I cut some and brought them inside!!!  I love it!!!

It's going to be another rainy day but a fun day because we are spending it with cousins!!!  I gotta go wake up the children so we are ready for the fun!!!

Have a great day!!!