Steal your Dollar City

Meg, myself, her parents, grandparents and sister all loaded up the truck and moved to Hillbilly junction. It was sort of a reverse Beverly Hillbillies. The world fest was in full swing and I must say if you are ever given the chance to go, take it. I loved learning about world cultures, especially the Irish and Trinidad steel drummers. Meg and everyone else said the Chinese acrobats were phenomenal but sadly Zane would not sit and wait long enough for the show to start so he and I sat outside the theater listening to banjo pickin', jug blowin', and harmonica playin' music. Had the show taken any longer, I may have had to pull my hair out. After that, though, Zane was able to make it through the remaining shows (Food helps....A LOT).

Another exciting moment was the kiddie rides. Zoey absolutely loved them. She wanted more and more. Zane didn't. He screamed bloody murder, one would have thought we were torturing him old school, with whips and such. This was all on the carousel even. How lame is that, the carousel.

It started out as a lovely 70 degree, sunny day but after the Irish Feet on Fire (the name reminds me of Athlete's Foot Cream), it turned into a blustery cold winter day. Welcome to the Ozarks. Needless to say we had a blast and look forward to taking full advantage of our season passes. Next is Bluegrass and BBQ.

Unfortunately Meg and I forgot the camera, okay I forgot the camera, but I did get a few fun pics of the kids + Aiden playing outside on the swingset.

Enjoy and Take care.

A sign of the Apocalypse

I MOWED THE YARD! Hey it is true I actually mowed the yard and it isn't even Memorial Day yet. No I am not sick, no my notorious friend Andy did not mow crop circles in my backyard, and no my wife didn't make me, I just mowed it. I did not want my children to have to hack their way to the swing-set with machetes. Since we have had so much rain, it was beginning to get to that stage.

Speaking of the swing-set, I officially screwed the last little accessories (handles and a fake dormer window; why a fake dormer window I have no idea, but hey who am I to argue) this afternoon. Hey I was feeling tasky, don't knock it. I have some lovely pics of the kids playing on it that I want to share with all of you. This has been the best birthday gift yet. I know they have only had two, but still. Zoey loves the swings, too the point of obsession (swing, swing, swing, etc.) and Zane loves the slide. He attempted the rock wall with a lot of gusto, but sadly very little skill. I will have to work on him to prepare him for Sam's Throne.

Well I hope all are doing well this week. Take care.

Thoughts From a Grateful Heart

Shaun and I are turning a new leaf. (Shaun says Meg is making me keep the blog updated.) Shaun and I are pledging TOGETHER to update our blog on a weekly basis. So, check weekly for new pictures and anecdotes from a family on a road less traveled.

About a year ago I read the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. There is a part in the book that talks about how God romances us. It says, "The story of your life is also the story of the long and passionate pursuit of your heart by the One who knows you best and loves you most. God has written the Romance not only on our hearts but all over the world around us. What we need is for him to open our eyes, to open our ears that we might recognize his voice calling to us, see his hand wooing us in the beauty that quickens our hearts."

I have experienced many of these moments in my life, but I want to tell you about one such moment that happened just this week. With the rise in prices of almost everything, and the unfortunate plateau of Shaun's salary, we have had to become uber-frugal. Zane and Zoey can pack away almost as much food as we can, causing our grocery bill to skyrocket. I have always loved to cook and share the bounty that God has blessed us with. However, lately I have begun feeling the need to hoard that same bounty, afraid that we would run out or not have enough for the month.

Twice this week I felt myself get tense when the opportunity for hospitality arose. Each time the story of Elijah and the widow came to my mind. I remembered how God sent Elijah to the widow's house for food. But the widow replied and said that she only had enough flour and oil for one last meal for her and her son and then they would die. Elijah said go ahead and cook your meal, but make me a small loaf first. He promised her that she would not run out of flour and oil until the drought was over. She and Elijah and her son continued to eat from her supply of flour and oil for many days. No matter how much they used, she always had just enough.

After remembering the story, I would relax and happily share out of God's provision. One of the meals I shared was lunch with some friends of ours who had come over for a play date. We had Tyson chicken nuggets, peas, and fruit. Today, Shaun's parents came to visit bearing gifts. Shaun's Grandma Courtney and her friend Earlene had sent us 5 bags of Tyson chicken nuggets. It turns out Earlene had worked for Tyson and was able to get the nuggets at a discounted price and thought the kids would enjoy them.

For me it was God once again whispering his love and concern for me. He knew I was worried about running out. But, through our generous and loving family, he assured me, just as he assured the widow through Elijah, that we would not run out. He will always meet our needs. What a wonderful God we serve! We are surrounded by family and friends that love us and take care of us. I thank God for each of you every day. Listen for the ways God is romancing your own heart.