Category Archives: Family

Tamagotchi Time

June 29, 2008 KME 4 Comments

Grab your toy and sit with me.

the three amigos

The children have been working hard saving their money, following in the footsteps of their New and Improved Financially Savvy parents. Rachel bought a cell phone (plus two months of service fees) with her savings. David decided he wanted a Tamagotchi. He saved and gathered his money and then set off for Target with Rachel as his buying assistant. He was so excited to join Daniel and Rachel in the Tamagotchi world.

A Tamagotchi today, tomorrow a car. He’s on his way.

Kathy

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P365 - Day 49 Noah's Terrible Journey

WFMW - Love Languages (Gifts)

Swimmers and Wise Men

Events, Project 366, Rachel

Friends & Water

June 27, 2008 KME 3 Comments

We had a glorious day on the lake today. Note: you are forewarned, I took at least 100 pictures and many of them cry out for a place on the blog.

For now it’s late and I’ll just post two. Rachel and her friend, Allison.

eek, who's driving? good friends are precious

Kathy
Project 366 – Day 179

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Reunion Count Down

WFMW - 5 for $5

91 Days of Ramsey

Musings, Parenting, Rachel

Lessons I Learned Today

June 20, 2008 KME 4 Comments

Today I was privileged to learn, or perhaps I should say re-learn, some important life lessons.

1) Friendships require work. They are worth the effort because of the joy and strength and encouragement they bring into your life.

2) Email is NOT the best vehicle for dealing with conflict or struggles in relationships.

3) Prayer is essential, without it I am likely to make rash, head strong decisions. With prayer I am led by the Holy Spirit, covered in His grace, and a godly example to my friends and family.

4) There are two (or three or four) sides to every story. The more informed you are, the better.

5) Being quick to apologize and resolve conflict brings healing and restoration.

6) Mature, godly friends are an unbelievable blessing.

This week Rachel and some of her girlfriends are attending a class on Being a Joyful Girl taught by one of my friends. Each day the girls spend two hours studying what it means to be a godly young lady. A portion of the time is devoted to a beautiful craft and another part to hearing from older, wiser women as they share from their lives.

After class today I was given the opportunity to work on these aforementioned life lessons. In the midst of some conflict, in which I did NOT first seek the Lord in prayer or speak to the people involved in person, I was humbled and impressed by the power of grace, a contrite heart and forgiveness.

How tender of our heavenly Father to use something that Satan meant for evil (stirring up trouble among the girls who are learning each day to be more like Jesus), and turn into a picture of forgiveness, repentance and joy. I am awed by His ability to take a situation that could have festered and caused cracks in long standing friendships, and instead create a deeper bond with hearts tied together closer.

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:14-15

And so lessons are taught to both parent and child. What will tomorrow bring, I wonder?

Kathy

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Dreams

Travels with Faramir

and He Will Have an Abundance

Family, Musings, Project 366

Cousins, Bicycles and Blogging Thoughts

June 19, 2008 KME 13 Comments

Lately I’ve been struggling with my vision for the blog.

What do I want to say?
Who is my audience?
How much time and effort can I / should I spend writing?
Is blogging a ministry or more a photo-journal for the family?

I rode my bike to the library with some of the children this week. Actually we’ve been twice this week. There’s a nice, easy path that leads nearly all the way to the library. I rode alongside David (age 7) this evening. The sun was shining and the landscape green and lush.

“This is a beautiful ride, Mom,” he said to me as we pedaled together companionably. I was grateful for the moment away from the chores and duties of the house and the responsibilities of grown-up life. I was struck by how fleeting life is and how quickly those precious moments fly by.

sarah's new bike

Daniel helps Sarah with her New Bike.

At the library I did a strange thing, I checked out a book. Several books in fact. Works of fiction, for adults. Not a picture book or a movie. Not a school book novel or a cookbook. Later on in the evening, I continued with the strange behavior. I read the book. Many pages consecutively. It was a thrilling experience, but reading a book takes away from bloggy reading and writing.

Last night I was too tired to stay up and blog. The reason I was so overcome with fatigue? The night before I had stayed up until the wee hours reading a novel. This morning I had nearly two hours at Starbucks all by myself. I brought seven books with me (all non-fiction), my Bible, a journal and a thick notebook. I didn’t blog or even think about blogging the entire time.

You can see the trend developing, I’m sure. And I haven’t even mentioned the conviction upon my heart regarding the time I need to be spending schooling the children with focus and attention.

Cousins enjoy a game

Cousin Timothy is here from Norway! Just in time for a game of Power Grid with Joshua.

I love blogging. I love the energy and the connection with other bloggers. I enjoy crafting a meaningful or amusing post. I like pairing interesting blogs with beautiful pictures. I appreciate the opportunity to hone my writing or minister to readers.

But…what is my vision? How does the Lord want to use this blog? Do I care about numbers, stats and comments? Am I only energized and excited about the blog when readership is growing? Do I have the time and energy to make the blog excellent, to write with care and purpose?

Compelling thoughts. I’m not sure what answers will come forth but the process is certainly an adventure.

What about you? If you blog, do you have a mission statement or vision for your blog? How much time do you spend reading and writing? What are you looking for in a blog? What are you NOT looking for in a blog?

Thoughtful in WA,
Kathy – Day 170

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Spring!

Sleepless in Seattle

Catching Up

Daily Life, Family, Project 366

Golf Cart Rides

June 17, 2008 KME 7 Comments

I don’t think you really need to be a golfer in order to own a golf cart. In fact, I have long suspected that some golfers take up the sport just so they can drive a sporty little golf cart. Maybe you just need to live near a golf course. Take a look at this review for best golf balls for beginners. Do you play golf casually? How about a device that can measure both your golf swings on the course? Choosing the best golf launch monitor at Shop Indoor Golf and takes more than merely ordering the first one you see, no matter what the brand. To get the best one for you, you should know what features will provide you with the most information.


Rachel takes everyone for a spin.
When an opportunity to purchase a friend's golf cart became available, Tim and I quickly jumped at it.  Although they don't golf OR live near a golf course, we thought Tim's parents would love to have a golf cart for The Refuge.  They have visitors of all ages come out to the retreat center and having a small vehicle available for transportation around the property is just perfect.

David and Daniel catch up on their bikes.
Not to mention the entertainment value for grandchildren.
It doesn't go very fast, but then how speedy do you want to travel when you're giving tours, observing wildlife and exploring trails. Although if you like to practice golf you might like these lightweight golf bags where you can have all of your equipment together.
Now if we can just get the kids to say goodbye to their favorite new toy.