Sunday morning pancakes and games!

Two games going on at once!

We are so excited that we have only a few more weeks before the official launch of Antioch Norman (April 19th), until then we are only meeting Sunday evenings and are trying to use our Sunday mornings until then for fun family time and worship.  This week Becca and Josh (some of our favorite people in the world) came over for pancakes and games.  It cracks me up how much all the kids love them.  Preslee runs full speed at them wanting to run up their legs and flip over! And the boys are all convinced they don't come to see mommy and daddy but them alone.  

Soccer round #4

Preslee and her Papa!

Go...

Team!

Sutton's favorite part of soccer - playing with baby Ella!

The princess in her pink shin guards!

Well the snow didn't come and so we had soccer games.  The boys all had a great time and all scored goals.  One of them we would say was just in the right place at the right time - that's about half of sports though!  It's fun to have so much family and friends on the team.  Now that the Bennett's are back Beau and Nate are on the little guys team - along with cousins and other friends - so fun!  

The Forester Girls

One of the crews we are with that the girls outnumber the boys!

The big kids organized a spoon and egg race!

My boys get so excited to play with the Forester girls.  We were blessed to have them come stay last week for a few days.  We are so excited to see all God is going to do through them as they give their lives away to plant a church in Africa.  We know it will be very fruitful.  

What's in your heart?

Kooper's artwork

One of my favorite parts of homeschooling is that we don't have to rush out the door by 7:45 each morning and cram in intentional time with Jesus. Instead we have built into our first 30 minutes of school time with God. I have been reading an awesome book that Rachel bought me while at the children's conference in Redding and loving it - thanks Rach! She knows how much I treasure the voice of God and strongly desire everyone to know they can hear God and even the practicals of how to do it. This morning we did one of the exercises - each of us got a different color of construction paper with a BIG heart on it. After worship we simply asked God what is in our heart and waited for him to speak and then wrote them on each of our hearts. I have to say we had some funny answers - but you know the more I get to know God the more funny and fun I find Him! But Kooper's was extremely deep and so I thought I would share it. He drew a ghost, a flag with a cross on it, a key, a small heart with fire coming out of it. His interpretation was - God said in my heart I have the Holy Ghost, a flag that I can fly to tell everyone about Jesus, a key to unlock the bad things in me and get rid of them and lock the good things in me to keep them, a heart that has the power of God to show people kindness. May my heart likewise have each of these in abundance!

1 Corinthians 2:4

My message was not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the spirit's power.

Baby Brooks

The Bennett's are back in Norman and they are a family of five now.  Baby Brooks is a cutie just like his big brothers.  I can't believe he is so tiny - you forget so fast!

A grateful heart!

Mr. Stripey-Mittens' leg and the light bulb - this is after only about 30 minutes - scary!

This past week we were leaving the house and I just happened to go upstairs to turn everything off (don't usually make the extra trip) but was so grateful that I did.  When I went into the playroom something smelled like it was cooking.  It had been hours since I had cooked pancakes.  When I went into the boys room the smell was even stronger.  I was shocked when I looked up at the boys antler chandelier and saw a stuffed animal was thrown on top and burning.  Needless to say I was so mad and grateful all at the same time.  I went to talk to the boys who had all made it into the car by then; telling them what a bad decision it was to throw an animal up there and how the Holy Spirit had led mommy upstairs to rescue Mr. Stripey-Mittens and our house.  We all thanked God b/c it would have been ugly when we got home 3 hours later - Praise God!

Funny things our kids say

The baby doll/cookie monster hair

Preslee's hair is getting really long and is really a mess when she wakes up.  Last week when I asked her who messed her hair up she said, her babies.  The next day she woke up she said my baby didn't mess up my hair, cookie monster did!  (not sure where she got that, but she sure is cute!)

Braxton while doing the resurrection eggs for the probably 20th time this year, looked at the small linen cloth and said, "this must have been the one they used to cover his p.nis because I don't think it is big enough for his whole body".

Kooper while sitting on the counter waiting for me to put new batteries in a toy for him said, "mom you are going to be a great grandma", I responded a bit taken off guard with a thanks and he continued with, what do you think my kids will call you?  After a few suggestions he said, "No, those are not good enough.  How about cutie grandma; yeah I will tell my kids hurry up let's go to cutie grandma's!"  Thanks Koop - you always know how to make un-showered mommies feel good about themselves.

Sutton while getting ready for bed this week said, "guys, we better listen and obey fully or we are never going to get to go to the Promised Land - we are just going to get to look at it!"  This after learning this week at BSF that Moses only got to see and not enter the Promised Land because he did not obey completely!  How we underestimate their comprehension and application:)

Colosians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Spring Break

While taking this pic it was said that it is amazing that this is the offspring of only 3 couples!

Slow down daddy!

The mommies and kids - a cold and wet boat ride!

Playing in the clubhouse

Playing in the playroom

 Bible story and craft

Preslee watching fireworks

Sutton and daddy shooting fireworks

Hank on the zipline

Sarah Kate and Brax - buddies

Waiting for Smores

Our sweet 2 year-olds

Kooper and Ellie - she was happy to see he is nicer than he was when they were 3!

Hank and Preslee

The Williams - Hartsock gang!

Ellie and Preslee beating the boys

Riding cars with cousins Wednesday

Is this legal?  Tuesday - Hey Day!

Kooper, Rachel and Luke - the laser tag trio

Tuesday- St. Patrick's Day "green pancakes"

Monday - Playing with Luke

We were not going to officially take a spring break but had so much fun that we only did school a few days this week.  It is really nice to have an option.  First Luke (our nephew who is 9) came to stay 2 days (monday and tuesday).  We played outside, Jake took Luke and Kooper to the Thunder game and we went to Hey Day.  Kooper got to play laser tag for the 1st time and of course he loved it.  It was so much fun to play with Luke.  The next day Megan and her 3 sweet kids came down from Tulsa.  We got to play for a few days and it is always so refreshing to be with Meg and just laugh - you can always make me laugh Meg!  Then we left for the lake.  We had lots of fun with the Stover's and Grave's.  The kids played amazingly well for 3 days!  They love getting together with old friends - almost as much as mommy and daddy do.  We are very undeserving but amazingly blessed by forever friends!  We are so excited that summer is around the corner - the lake house is the best!  We are so grateful that Juju and Grandad have given us all such a great place to get together and make memories.  

Matthew 12:34 Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

My little cleaners

"I spray, you wipe and then we will switch, ok brother?"

Last week I was cleaning and Braxton and Sutton asked if they could help.  They are such hard workers!

Phil. 2:14 Do everything without grumbling and complaining for this pleases God.

The Bean

Jake and the kids with their beans!

We had a fun family night tonight.  We ate some yummy "Nemo" and the kids actually ate it.  We then watch a veggie tale movie Lord of the Beans.  It was the first time I had watched it and I loved the symbolism in it.  Afterwards we all got our own bean and got to talk about what the bean "gift" God has given us and how we want to use it.  Praise God they all got it, and chose to use the Gift for someone else instead of themselves.  Kooper said he would use his gift to take someone with no money somewhere fun (he threw in - "like Disney World") that they would otherwise never get to go.  Braxton wanted to buy clothes and food for others.  Sutton said he would go to India and give the kids clean water and yummy food.  Preslee thought we should give them all pink water!  The Lord has been challenging us for a while now; asking us what are the gifts He has given us and how are we to use them for the kingdom.  

1 Cor. 3:11-13  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 

Soccer round #3

We have 4, they have 2 - Kooper the score keeper

The boys with Rachel

Braxton loves Rachel!

The boys had their third game this weekend.  Brax and Sutton's team lost by about a dozen (we lost track) the other team was really good.  We thought about putting Kooper out there the second half to see if we could come back.  Sutton had a rough day - wasn't to sure about soccer this week - but everyone else did really well.  Kooper's team is now 3-0; he scored 2 goals and is getting even better every game.  Rachel is back in town and the boys were so excited she came to their game and brought some additional friends to Kooper's game.

Soccer round #2

Pretty girls - Ellie & Preslee

Mimi and her great grandkids

That's my ball!

That's what Jake has to challenge Sutton with when he is playing;

funny how it goes against everything we have been trying to teach our kids - go figure - sports!

Braxton off to score his goal

Kooper & Avery

Well Braxton and Sutton's team had great improvement from the previous week and they both scored goals.  You could say Sutton just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  The whole team did so well.  Thatcher and Dax scored several goals.  Anna and Jade are in town and we put Preslee's pink shin guards on Anna to get in for a few plays, she didn't care much for soccer this time - but she sure was cute.  They played Parker's team (another cousin) so we got a picture of MiMi with her great-grandkids.  

Kooper's team also won and he did a great job.  It is fun and sad to see him grow up.  He is no longer a little kid playing soccer but is really great!  Daddy is really enjoying it!

John 15:15  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my father, I have made known to you.

The Zoo

Riding the elephant

Sutton and the baby rhino

My favorite from childhood zoo trips - the wax animals

My kids didn't remember them and thought they were so cool!

The rock climbers

Friday was so beautiful so we met Shelly and Bennett at the zoo.  The kids had lots of fun and it was so much fun to spend time with Shelly.  We will go back soon.  The kids were disappointed that the fin and feather show doesn't start for a few more weeks.  

Romans 8:39  Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ our Lord.

A heart for the nations!

God has truly stirred our hearts for what He is doing in the nations.  I have been convicted that when He puts a place on our hearts to pray for I should have some idea of where it is.  Needless to say, I should have paid more attention in geography class.  Well, homeschooling is my redemption.  I now can learn with my children all the places in the world.  Last week I purchased a children's world curriculum.  It didn't have an age on it, but I thought it can't be too hard.  Kooper and I set down to play the CD ROM part of it this afternoon and we were 0-7 in answering the questions.  We decided we should start with the puzzle and the rest of the curriculum.  The kids (mainly Kooper) did a great job with a very hard puzzle and then it was so awesome to hear him telling them the countries and our friends that live in or are moving to them.  Then Sutton breaks out praying for the children of Africa who don't have clean drinking water and they were all interceding for the nations without adult guidance.  Lord, thank you that you tell us the nations are but a drop in a bucket to you; because they seem so big to me.  

Isaiah 40:15  Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.