Thanksgiving

Over the last three years here at seminary our good friends, the Hales, hosted a grand Thanksgiving Feast for all RTS students who didn't live close enough to family to go "home" for the holiday. They fried 3 or 4 turkeys, decorated, cooked sides, and created a tradition of a "Down Home at the Town Homes" Thanksgiving, eating outside under our townhouse carports lit up with white Christmas lights...no matter how cold it was...and last year was FREEZING!

Everyone loved it! And when they moved away the end of May because they graduated, they told us that RTS said they would pay for the turkeys this year if we wanted to host it..."we" being me and another of our good friends. So, we did it. We each roasted a 20 pound turkey and did a couple sides, advertised (a little), took RSVP's, and tried to (kind of) keep the tradition going. This year we moved onto the campus and INDOORS!! Yay! I finally could eat a hot Thanksgiving meal!

I have to say, it was very different this year and I truly miss the Hales. Those three years of celebrating Thanksgiving with them right outside our door, under the carports, all bundled up, are wonderful memories I will always treasure.

We did pull it off this year, and here are some pictures of our "Thanksgiving That Came In From the Cold":


There was lots of good food!




Super yummy desserts!


Mackenzie and her good friend Kyla!




My good friend Molly who helped me put the
whole thing on...looking great even though
we were working hard in the kitchen!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving...I know this post is almost a month late...I was having problems with the pictures I was trying to include with it...

Reason #2: Why Cutting Out Naps is Bad...

I was wondering when reason #2 was going to show up...things were going so well after that first day... (stupidly I thought, "(Bummer) I guess I won't have any more "reasons" to post on the blog.")

or so I thought...

Today, with about half an hour of QT to go (I've been setting the alarm...even though he can't tell time and doesn't even have much of a concept of time...it seems to help him rest, knowing that there will be an end, and not ask, "Mommy, come get me now, it's taking long time.") he came down stairs having had an accident. So, I cleaned him up (noticing some black marker on his hands that wasn't there before, but intent on cleaning him up and getting him back up stairs, the thought was fleeting) and sent him back up stairs to finish out QT.

I get back to work transcribing and a while later hear the beeping of the alarm clock and the pattering of feet coming down the stairs. Mackenzie had been with him, in her own bed, since she's been sick and extra tired. They had done well on Sunday having QT together in the same room, so I was thankful for the extra quiet this afternoon to get some transcription work done.

Well, I can't remember exactly how, but the marker on his hands got brought up and Mackenzie says, "Oh Mom, come here, I want to show you something." I follow the two of them up the stairs, taking a deep breath at the top, bracing myself for something terrible, (though admittedly I thought it was probably something "small" like what he had done some time back when he colored a little bit on his sheet) turned the corner, and saw black marker scribbled all over the wall below and up the side of their window...AGH!!!!

So, here is why this scenario is different than when he was taking naps...when they're supposed to be taking a nap you listen more closely and know something's up when you hear noise. When they're having QT you allow for more noise...movement, reading books, a couple quiet toys...so a little noise is acceptable.

And here is why this scenario should have been different...do you remember me saying Mackenzie was in there with him? Well, we had a little discussion and she learned a little lesson about what it means to be an accomplice to a crime...

Speaking of which...they're in bed for the night and I hear some rustling around up there...I should go check on them...

Testimony of the Lord

I just got back from Mrs. In Ministry, Reformed Theological Seminary's ministry to the wives of the students. We had a special night of Thanksgiving celebration, prayer, Scripture reading, and a few testimonies.

As three sweet wives gave testimony of how the Lord has worked or is working in their lives, I was reminded that each one of us has a testimony/can bear witness to what the Lord has done and is doing in our lives.

Sometimes we can give testimony of how the Lord brought us to Himself, sometimes we can give testimony of something the Lord has brought us through, and sometimes we can give testimony of how we are trusting in the Lord's faithfulness to bring us through a present trial.

We don't have to have this amazing, tearjerker story of this or that. We don't even have to have a story with an end. We can be in the middle of some difficult situation and have a testimony to give.

It was encouraging to me, and I share it to be encouragement to whoever may read this, to look for the ways in which to give a testimony of the Lord for what He has done, or is doing, in my life.

Why Cutting Out Naps is Great!: Reason #1

Tonight we put the kids to bed a little after 7:00 (as usual) and we did not hear a peep from Cam...not one single peep...YAY!!

Tomorrow afternoon...Quiet Time...oh yeah!

Why Cutting Out Naps is Bad...Very, Very Bad: Reason #1

So, Cam is 3 1/2 now and for some reason has decided that taking naps in the afternoons means that at bed time he can't fall asleep until close to 10:00 no matter what time we put him to bed, which means keeping his sister awake and bothering us with his "needs," ie. water, potty, blanket on, wants to change p.j.'s, dropped his "taggie," something hurts, needs band aid for some old battle wound, etc... So, even though it's way too young, in my opinion, (not only is it good for the health of the child, I need that nap time...time to do some home school with Mackenzie, get house work done, get transcription work done, and let's not forget, my sanity!) we've decided to cut out the nap.

Today is day #1 of Quiet Time! I pumped it up, made it sound real fun, a privilege now that he's 3 1/2, took him potty, gave him a stack of books, and told him to stay in bed (or else) till Mommy comes and gets him.

Thus, reason #1 why cutting out naps is bad: He's doing great, it's been about 1/2 an hour and he's quiet, I decide to go take a shower. I get in, get wet and..."Mommy" Cam comes in the bathroom, "I went poo-oo." I look out the shower and see him with pants off, only his superman shirt on, "In the potty?" (I say with all hope and fingers crossed) "No, on the poor." (interpretation: floor) "Cam Bradley Irick!!" (what to do, what to do) I turn the shower off, grab Brad's towel (I'm dirty still cause I only JUST got in the shower, and don't want to dirty my towel, and won't want to use his when I do get to shower...I'm not one who thinks it kosher to share towels...anyway)

I follow Cam while he tiptoes to his bedroom door and says, "I show you...I show you." (oh good, I'm so glad) I walk in and see...I'll spare you the details... except I must share this one...he's apparently played a little after the fact, because he has used the tip of his belt to...umm...experiment a bit with "What would happen if I...?"

So, I call down stairs to Mackenzie (who's having her QT on the couch) and ask her to throw the wipes up to me, tell Cam to go into the bathroom, throw away the belt, and (still in the towel) clean up the mess...it wasn't the worst it could be. Then I go to clean up Cam and determine that he needs much more than wipes, and give him a shower (still in towel, at that point I had to see the humor of me wet, in a towel, giving my son, who interrupted my shower, a shower). I dry him off and get him dressed and of course he thinks QT is over...nope, back in bed, telling him that even though he's looked at all the books he still has to stay in bed until QT is over, and toss a couple little toys (Batman, a horse) into his bed and tell him he can play quietly with those too.

As I leave the room I glance over and realize the whole time, in towel...cleaning up the floor, cleaning up Cam, getting him dressed and back in bed...the window blinds are open...Ugh.

So now, he's only gotten out of bed two other times. I told him QT's almost over and to go back to bed until Mommy gets him. He complained a bit and went back upstairs. When Brad (he's home now from preaching in Louisiana...Mackenzie's sick with bronchitis so we stayed home) went in to get him up from QT he discovered Cam had played with the wipes that I forgot to take out of the room...ugh.

I'm determined to win this battle...he will have a Quiet Time!! I'm sure I will discover more reasons why cutting out nap is bad...as I blog about it I will hopefully be able to see the humor in the discovering of those reasons...you can laugh along with me.

Election Day 2008

Today is Election Day. We know we can trust in God to complete His plan for His glory, and the good of those who love Him. May that bring peace to all believers as we wait to see what the outcome of today is.