This blog has been a record of a lot of our weekend fun! Here's what we did this past weekend ...
We kinda feel like we had a really long weekend because the children were off school since Thursday. So I guess that really does mean we had a long weekend, right? We enjoyed the longer evenings together and not rushing off the bed was a treat. We even got a game of Monopoly played together!!! :)
Friday morning we slept in and relaxed! We love mornings like this! The Kauffman twins came here while Jody cleaned the shop. I did laundry and got us all some breakfast. At 11:15, we picked up Mike's mom and dad and surprised Lena by visiting her market stand in York. They sell all different kinds of pickles. Of course, because our family loves cucumbers ... the kids each enjoyed a handful of dill pickles! :) We got back home late afternoon and I was excited knowing that I had a fun night planned with Mike. A date night with just him and I! We took the kids to John Mike and Mim's and then headed for some food and shopping. We were disappointed when we realized that there were no restaurants in which we had gift cards for. Why does that happen? We chose Smokey Bones. It was OK but I know Longhorn would have been a better choice and free with our gift card. Oh well. We enjoyed the time together much more than the food! We headed off for some shopping after our meal. Mike was on the look out for comfy jeans. After trying different pairs, he decided to just go with the expensive ones and be happy with how they fell! Comfy! Perfect. :) We did some more browsing and by then it was later than we expected. We headed back for the children. They had a total blast going to Cabela's with Uncle Mike & Mim and coming home with each a gift. Slippers and bow and arrow. Thanks guys for babysitting and making it such a fun night for them.
Saturday morning we slept in again. The kids never got to bed till after midnight and so sleeping till 9 was great for them!!! Jeffrey was here and the Kauffman children were too. They played out in the cool brisk air while Mike and I cleaned out the garage and barn!!! Things look so much better when they have a place to be and organized! I just wish I wouldn't let it go till it's a huge project. With Mike's help, it went great. The water cooler got a good clean out too. The patio furniture was put in storage till the cold seasons past through. Spending the evening here at home was nothing boring either. We babysat Hunter. Ben's came to pick up Jeff and when they come the house goes wild. :)Cousins just have a blast! Meanwhile, Matthew ends up on the couch with a stomach ache and throwing up. Poor guy just never complains when he's sick. He puts me to shame. Big time. He lays there not feeling well and every now and then I hear him throwing up in the blue bucket. I provided water, prayer and gentleness, hoping that the stomach bug will not last long!!! Praying for healing! He ended up sleeping on the couch. I slept on the other couch right beside him. We had an interrupted sleep but he did feel some what better by morning.
Sunday Mike and Hadassah were the only ones off to church. I stayed home with Matthew to make sure he was all well and stomach ache free. He stomached some canned peaches and took a hot bath. I was really hoping that there was no more throwing up. And there wasn't!!! We played some Bible Baseball on the living room floor together. Ashlyn looked at books and watched us play. We were so sad when Mike called us and said that Sam Stoltzfus had passed away last night in his sleep. He's leaving behind his wife and three young children. Will you please pray for the Stoltzfus family that they may find comfort & strength in God!!!
We enjoyed some of our fresh canned soup for lunch. Mike geared up after his short nap for a 10K running race he was doing at 3. I wasn't sure if we were going to make it to watch him run or not but the weather was so lovely and I thought the fresh air would be good for us all ... including Matthew!!! We loaded up the wagon, grabbed some blankets and water and watched Mike take off running. It was a fun time and Mike's run went well. He ran the 10K in 55 minutes and 32 seconds! We all cheered as he crossed the finish line! (The race was a fundraiser for my cousin Amanda and her family serving in Haiti. May you be blessed Jason and Amanda!!!) Seeing all the people out in running gear was exactly what I needed to get me excited about running again. Just the night before Mike was telling me how much he thinks I need to get started running once again. Not because he thinks I need to loose weight, but more than anything, it helps me mentally!!! It makes me feel good. It's called exercise and good oxygen to my lungs and brain!!! I'm just not sure why it always looks like a chore for me until I finally get myself out there???
After showering, we headed for a family night at John Mike and Mim. He cooked burgers, chicken and hot dogs on the grill and it was fun sitting together just chatting. Well, some of us were more concerned about football scores than chatting together about life. :) Mike is very impressed with the Chiefs!!! :) We didn't let this night get near as late as the previous ones. Bed for the children by 9:15 was great!!! We are thankful that Matthew is feeling better!!! Thank you Jesus!!!
We live in a world now with lots of technology! Mike was excited to listen to his audio book while he ran his 6 plus miles! Here he is starting and finishing!
So proud of you Hun!!! You make me cheer, smile and laugh ... all at once! I love you!!!
Today the sun shines in through the bay window bringing in lots of heat!!! I turned the thermostat heat off and I am enjoying the warmth right now on my face as I type! I hear the leaves rustling outside. A cool, fall breeze is coming in through the crack in the window. I did another Bible Study lesson and would love to share some thoughts!
Our study on David is so interesting. Did you ever wonder why David is known for "a man after God's own heart?" He had big, huge mess ups in his life. He for sure wasn't perfect. Neither are we!!! I was encouraged through this lesson how that David shared EVERYTHING with God. His feelings. His fears. His triumphs. His victories. His heart! It seemed like he had a direct communication with God! He did. David cried aloud to God. He knew God could handle that. He poured out all his feelings to God. He was sure God didn't mind. He prayed. When we pray it's not just for us to talk to God but also music to God's ears. He wants us to talk to Him! David also wanted God to be present and feel it! Pouring out his feelings to God made it real for David to feel God's presence. I love the quote from Beth Moore! She says, "Feelings can be a little like our laundry. Sometimes we can't sort them until we dump them on the table." God likes when we tell him exactly how we feel. And finishing up my lesson it also talked how David confessed his needs. His emptiness. Too many times we talk to people about all our problems and feelings but hardly ever share them on our knees to God. I wish to do much better at this!!!
The Bible is always showing me new truths! I love it when I can view each day as a gift. Not always view life like a busy schedule but a precious gift from God. A day with my family and friends. One day at a time. It might not always be easy. No. I'm sure there were lots of boring days for David out in the sheep field. I'm sure the first time he saw that lion or bear or giant that he slaughtered, wasn't just a piece of cake. It required action. He seemed to never rely on his own strength but on God's! I think that is one huge reason why David had a heart after God!!!
Life is a journey here on earth. Some days are fun. Other days are stressful. Some are sad and some are glad! I hope that I can always find a song to sing in my heart! God is good all the time! And all the time, God is good! Amen.
