Don't doubt

I know that there are lots of preconceived ideas about our family. Mostly because the general public doesn't spend a lot of time hanging out at our house. The only time people see us is at church or school or at the park, etc...where our children are on their best behavior. It would be easy to make the mistake of thinking that our children behave like angels at home too, but home is the training ground and therefore the place where the boundaries are tried and tested. In an effort to “keep it real” I thought it would be a good idea to share some of our current struggles and how we are dealing with them.

Maximus is our youngest. He is such a blessing. I know that God gave me Max to keep me humble and help me remember what it's like to raise a high-energy, independent, fearless yet trainable little boy. Max is two and loves adventure, especially the kind that happens outside. He recently figured out that if he moved something close enough to the door that he could climb up and open the bolt lock that, up until this time, had been his barrier to the outside world. Not long ago, we were busy schooling and, as I do all day every day, I sounded the “where's Max” alarm. Nothing good happens in the absence of his noise so we immediately began to search. Initially, the inside was covered and Max was nowhere to be found, so we all went in a different direction outside. I went out the front door and started walking down the street. Before I could get out of our yard, I heard his little voice. At first it was difficult to figure out where the sound was coming from, but I could tell that he was not in distress. I followed the sweet sound of what I could now decipher as singing. We live on a little more than two acres so it took me a little while to get to him. As I came around the back I could see him clearly. He was in the far back corner of the property, sitting on the top of the well pump. He was facing away from me swinging his legs and singing a song, totally oblivious to the fact that we had been searching for him.

Despite our efforts to contain him, he managed to escape again after that. I realized at that point that I was going to need to be proactive. I decided that everyday for a week when Max woke up, I would take him to the door with a wooden spoon in my hand (a “consequence” with which he is well-acquainted). I would point to the door and tell him “no”. I would explain to him in as few words as possible that he may not go outside without someone big. Then I would make him point to the door and say “no, no”. As always, I had doubts that these tactics would work (I'm not sure why...I see results everyday), but I would be diligent to make it happen. ( just a side note: I believe doubt keeps parents from doing what the know they need to do)

I began on a Monday and by Wednesday he had stopped going out the door. There was even a time when I secretly followed him to the back door and witnessed what I believe is one of the small miracles of motherhood. He walked to the door and stood there staring, contemplating his next move. I waited, ready to issue the appropriate consequences. Then...music to my ears...he pointed to the door and said “no, no”!! and he walked away!! Praise the Lord!!! He got it!!! Why did I ever doubt?

As with all two year olds, Max needs reminders. About once a week I take him to the door and we have a refresher course on what will happen if he goes out the door by himself. And as with all two year olds, he tests us to see if that boundary still remains. He is a smart little guy who needs adventure. We make sure that he gets a chance as often as possible to go outside and play. He loves running and climbing and getting really dirty and that is OK. God created that in him and will use that to His glory someday. I'm not sure how, but I will cling to that and do my job. Train him, guide him and keep him around long enough to see how God uses him.

Blessings,

Trina

The Long Drive Home

This past Saturday, Dan, Jordan and I drove down to Los Angeles to send Jordan off for a semester in Israel. Dan had driven down in the wee hours of the morning so it was my turn to take the wheel so he could get some rest. As he slept, I had several hours to reflect on how far we've come since Jordan was born.

When we found out that we were expecting our first baby, I remember being ecstatic. We were so excited at the thought of actually starting our family. Will it be a boy or a girl? Will he look like Dan or like me? What color will his hair be? What will it be like to care of a baby that is my own? What kind of mother will I be? How am I going to do this? Oh, no....The excitement soon turned to the realization that I was going to be the number one person this baby would depend on for everything. I also realized that I had minimal experience as a parent ...ok no experience. A sense of panic set in. How could I possibly give him everything he needs? How will I even know what he needs?....

So I began to pray.

I prayed for the usual things a mother might pray: that he would be strong and healthy, that he would have all of his fingers and toes. I prayed that we would be diligent in teaching him the word of God and that he would come to know Christ at a young age. And just to cover all the bases, I prayed that God would give me wisdom in all the areas that I was lacking (which were many).

Jordan was born on March 24, 1990. We brought him home and began to care for and love him. During one of his feedings in the early morning before the sun was up, I remember sitting in the rocking chair in his room. I loved those quiet, peaceful moments. I spent a lot of that time just thanking God for the blessing that He had given us. As I held him in my arms I realized that at that moment, somewhere in the world, someone could be holding a little baby girl who may someday grow up to be his wife. I was overwhelmed with that thought and was compelled to begin to pray for her. I started praying the same prayers for her that I did for my own son; that she be healthy and strong, that she be well taken care of and safe, and that she be raised in a Christian home where she will be taught the word of God and come to know Him at an early age.

My prayers for her have changed as Jordan changed. As I saw his personality emerge, I prayed for his future wife. I knew she would need to be a good listener because Jordan liked to talk. I knew that she would need to be humble because Jordan had an unusual sense of humility. At age 12, when he decided to become a pastor, my prayers for her changed. I knew that it would take a very special woman to be the wife of a pastor. It would take someone independent and strong, yet endearing and friendly.

In the Spring of 2008, we noticed Jordan paying special attention to a certain young lady. Her parents noticed as well and her father called and asked Dan, Jordan and myself over for dinner. We spent the evening getting to know them and having a discussion about what it looks like to have a Christian dating relationship. At one point in the evening I excused myself to use the restroom. As I walked down the hallway, I noticed all of the pictures. As many families do, they had a beautiful collection of photos of all of their children. I admired their handsome family and moved on.

Jordan and Desiree spent that summer getting to know each other. Under the watchful eyes of both families, they developed a special friendship and then, sadly, said goodbye in the fall when Jordan went away to school. They continued to nurture their long-distance relationship throughout the year and continued to see each other throughout the next summer. By the time Jordan was ready to go back to school again, we knew what his intentions were. He expressed to us his desire to make Desiree his wife. We told him to pray and ask God for guidance and timing and all of the details that would be involved in such a proposal. By Thanksgiving, Jordan had a ring and during Christmas break, he proposed to Desiree and she accepted.

Shortly after that, Dan, Jordan and I were invited to her parents house. Once again we sat down over a meal just as we had done a year and a half earlier, except this time we were planning a wedding!! We reminisced about the first time we sat around that table and how much fun the last 18 months had been. We talked about their future together and how God is faithful and will provide for all things.

I excused myself from the table, except this time it was not to visit the restroom. I slowly walked down the hallway looking at each picture. I quickly found what I had been looking for. I found the sweet face of the baby girl I had been praying for 19 years ago. I found the pretty little girl who would be a good listener. I found the teenager who would be strong and independent and I found the beautiful, humble, young woman who will be my son's bride.

19 years ago I began to pray for this faceless person as an expectant mother prays for a baby she has yet to meet. God is faithful! I have met her and she is beautiful! Her name is Desiree and we are happy to add her to our family.

So why did I name this post "The Long Drive Home"? It might seem as though it was the drive home from LA that prompted the name. But as I thought through the last 19 years, it has been a long drive. We prayed so specifically and God answered so specifically. We pray consistently and God answer consistently. We prayed unswervingly and God answer unswervingly. I have seen the answers and have hope for answers with my other children. I am currently traveling down 9 other roads, each with their own set of prayers. I can't wait to see God's faithfulness in His choice of the other 9 spouses.

Blessings!

Trina

soccer moms and teenagers

I was at Madison's soccer game this week. It was a very interesting game; not because of anything that happened on the field, but because of what I heard on the sidelines. Our schedule was busy this Saturday so I had the rare opportunity to be at the game by myself. Usually we bring a whole cheering section, and, needless to say, I don't hear much of the other conversations happening around me. So this was indeed a rare occasion. So I was sitting there minding my own business...OK I was eves dropping...anyway, I was stunned by what I heard. Two moms who were sitting behind me were talking about their teenagers. They were complaining about how hard they were to deal with. This, of course, piqued my curiosity...considering that I currently have four teenagers. They continued and one talked about how teenagers almost have no choice but to be difficult because "they have access to so much these days." (I will address this in a moment) The other emphatically agreed and told about her son who is hanging out with a group of friends who have been getting in trouble for drinking. Of course, she assured her friend, her son wasn't drinking. He was just hanging out with the boys who were. (seriously???) There were lots more stories shared between these two moms; one whose son wrecked their car, another of a texting conversation that went something like this:

mom: So what are you guys doing tonight?

son: noyb (translation for those of you "non-texters":none of your business.)

mom: what time will you be home?

son: idk (translation: I don't know)

and so on...

I have been thinking about that conversation ever since then and have been completely convicted. (You know I'm feeling strongly about something when it actually makes me sit down and blog about it...but let's not talk about how long its been!) This whole situation absolutely grieves me! It makes me so sad for the kids and even a little angry at the parents. (Ok a lot angry!)

I would like to address a few things right off the bat:

First of all, those teenagers only have access to the things that you allow. Do you have computers? Where are they? Maybe they have their own computer and its in their room. Do you have cable/comcast/satellite? Maybe they have a TV in their room. Do they have a cell phone? Maybe its an iphone with complete access to whatever they want to look at whenever they want to look at it. This list could go on and on. Now before you put yet another freak feather in my already blooming freak hat, we are not anti-technology. We own computers and cell phones. We don't have cable TV, but not because we are against it. We have to cut corners somewhere and that is one of the corners we have to cut. However, our computers are only to be used in public places and our phones don't have internet access. One of our sons has an itouch that does have internet access, but he understands that it will randomly be checked by his father to see where he has been and what he has been looking at. That's called accountability! Any internet in our home (facebook, email, itouch...) comes with accountability.

Secondly, if that mom (or any other, for that matter) truly believes that her son hangs out with the other guys who are known for drinking heavily and is not drinking, I've got a bridge to sell her!! Honestly, how much fun could that possibly be? The only time it's fun to hang out with buddies who are sauced is when you've thrown back a few cold ones yourself. (not that I have any experience at all) ...moving on

And how about that texting conversation? As long as you are living under my roof, IT IS MY BUSINESS!!! (My father's voice is echoing in my head right now) My guess is that the cell phone is being paid for by the parents and the car he used to get to the party belongs to or was paid for by his parents as well....and the insurance...and the gas...

Honestly though, as crazy as it sounds, these things are irrelevant. These parents could make all the rules and regulations in the world and it won't make a difference. The very sad fact is that they have already lost these kids. Does that sound brutal?! It is!! My heart breaks for these families yet I don't think they even realize what they are missing.

This is the point that my mind has gone back to again and again this week. I have been considering my own family and how much I enjoy my four teenagers. I love who they are. I love who they are becoming. I love spending time with them, talking to them, listening to them. I love watching them contemplate what God is doing in their lives and talking through hard choices with friends or at school. I love hearing their heart. Teenagers are on the verge of life. It is as exciting to me as the moments just before they were born and watching them take their first breath.

So why is it so different for me than for these moms at the soccer game and so many others like them? I'm not sure I have the answer to that, but I can tell you what I know. Dan and I have not done everything right. We are 100% consistant in one thing....making mistakes. However, we have the Bible, the inspired word of God to guide us and that is what we have turned to for guidance. We believe that children are a blessing from the Lord based on Psalm 127 and that blessings are intended to be enjoyed. But how did we get to this place? Why do I enjoy them so much? Why do they talk to me? These are the questions that have been floating around my head and honestly, I'm not sure that I can even get all of my thoughts down in writing without writing a novel, but I'll try.

1. Discipline

OK...I know for sure this could be a whole book by itself....maybe someday.......For now,

God calls us to discipline our children. Proverbs is full of verses about discipline - what happens if you do and what happens if you don't - the internet is a great resource to look up bible verses (biblegateway.com is a great resource for looking up verses or doing word studies in the bible) Hebrews 13 is also a great chapter on discipline. For the sake of time I will some it up. If you love your children and want what's best for them, discipline them. God disciplines those he loves. How much do you love your children? Discipline is not pleasant for anyone involved, but beneficial for all. Children need you to be the parent. They need to know their boundaries. They need to know they are loved.

2. Fellowship

Discipline is important, discipline without relationship is tyranny. The unwritten rule at our house is that for every time you discipline one of the children, you must spend twice that amount of time in sweet fellowship with them. We call it the "2fer". (Two for One) Your children need to know that you honestly enjoy them. You need to spend face to face time with them. Play with them, walk with them, laugh with them, hug them, tickle them, tell them you love them. These are my favorites: play in the mud with them, jump on the bed with them, build tree forts with them, shoot spud guns with them....Make them feel like there is no other place you would rather be than right here on the floor building Legos or playing Polly Pockets. Smile at them!! If you have a two-year-old you are thinking to yourself right now "when was the last time I smiled at them?" Don't feel bad, it's not too late...ok maybe it's too late tonight, but start the day by smiling at them and telling them that you love them!

3. Be a part of their world

Those moms were right. Kids have access to a lot of negative, influential things these days. How will you know what they are listening to, watching, reading if you don't participate in their lives? Of course I'm talking about older kids now, but one of the things that we decided to do was to be one step ahead of our children in the music they listen to. So we pay attention to what is popular. We buy the cds first and we actually listen to them. Yes, even the screamo. Here's the kicker...we honestly like it. If you listen to something long enough, you might just find that you like it. We get excited about movies with them, we read books together... I think there are a lot of parents who live completely separate lives from their children. In fact, sadly, I think that is more the norm that I might want to even know. All I can say is that's not the case for us. And the result? "Dad, me and my friends are going to the movies. Do you want to come with us?" "Mom, you should come with us to summer camp. It's so much fun!!!" Our children choose to spend time with us. They choose to talk to us. They ask us to come with them when they go to the movies. They want us to be a part of their lives. We are not intruding on their "privacy". I can't imagine any of our children when asked "what are you guys doing" ever saying "None of your business"!! And I hope never to hear those words.

I guess I should probably put a "to be continued..." on this post because we only have four teenagers right now, six more to come. I'm sure we are not finished learning, because, Lord knows we are far from perfect. Lots of people have come to me and warned me about the teenage years, especially because we have three girls very close in age. "Just wait until they are teenagers." they would say. Well, I'm here...they are teenagers and I'm lovin'it!! Of course there are days full of hormones and tears, but they are talking to me about it and they know that home is a safe place where they are loved and accepted and cherished and I honestly believe there is no place they would rather be. If you don't believe me...ask them!!

Blessings,

Trina

Lessons in Tough

I recently had the opportunity to teach at our church about raising warriors, not wimps. As usual, I feel like I learned more than I taught. There is never enough time to teach all that I learned. Dan and I have always felt it was necessary to raise our children with a certain amount of physical fortitude. We don't spend a whole lot of time lamenting the injuries. In fact unless there is a bone sticking out, blood pulsing out, or a loss of consciousness, the kids know where the ice and the Bandaids are. Our children know that the biggest owie of the day gets a reward or at least a whole lot of recognition. "Rub some dirt on it." is a phrase you might hear one of my children say to another after a fall.  For the most part they don't even stop unless there is gravel embedded in the gash and then just long enough to wipe it off. In fact, I believe when it comes to "injury show and tell", Jordan proudly shows off the gravel that he carries in his hip to this day from a fall about ten years ago. Apparently he waited too long to wipe it off. 

As I studied to teach about raising warriors, I did some research on the computer. I looked up - Christian persecution in America 2009. I was stunned to find more examples than I had time to read. (you can look it up for yourself if you want) Suffice it to say that I now have a fire under me to make sure that my children know the Word of God and have the guts to stand up for it. I found out that in Virginia, it is illegal for the chaplains of the police department to pray in Jesus' name. In Colorado, they have made it illegal to print the bible because of the anti-homosexual content. The list goes on. So the question is how important is it to raise tough children? What is the world going to look like 20 or 30 years down the road. Will our pastors be allowed to pray in Jesus' name? Will our churches be allowed to possess bibles? Will we our children be allowed to raise their children according to the Word of God? Food for thought, huh?

Are you beginning to see why we may need to be intentional about our lessons in tough? As hard as it is to consider, our children are probably going to experience persecution on a greater level than we have (which is almost none). I want my children to be ready. That doesn't mean we are going to "practice" persecution or even talk a lot about it. 

I believe that our society has encouraged weakness in children. They are spending too much time indoors watching TV, playing video games or logging on to their favorite gaming website (hopefully that's all they are logging onto, another subject for another time). Send them outside!! Tell them to go out and get dirty!! The dirtier, the better!! And then celebrate the filth!!! If your worried about the dirt coming in, that's what the hose is for. What? The water is too cold? Tough!!! 

When I was growing up, we had big wheels and roller skates. Remember those? Do you know what happened to them? They put motors in them. Now even a two year old doesn't have to learn to peddle! They can get in the mini-jeep and push a button and it does the work for them!! Scooters, jeeps, quads and motorcycles can all be bought with a real motor that makes them go. Personally, the thought of my two year old, Max, behind the wheel of one of those bad boys sends chills down my spine. We don't own any battery-powered ride-on toys. My children have enough energy to make their toys go and, as far as I'm concerned, its energy meant to be burn outside not in my living room! 

Recently our oldest, Jordan, came home from college on break. He informed My husband and me that we had gone soft on our two younger boys, Hudson (10) and Payton (8). He said they were not as tough as he and Trevor had been at their age. I don't happen to agree, but that's OK. Jordan decided to institute something he called "Dude Cards". He made up 12 little cards that say DUDE on them. He gave 6 to Hudson and 6 to Payton and told them that if they do anything "girly" they will get a dude card taken away. The younger boys eagerly agreed and the fun began. In talking to them later, I discovered what constituted a "girly" thing. For instance, if you see a spider and scream like a girl, you will lose a dude card. If you sing and shake your bootie....dude card. And my favorite, if you skip away from a dude meeting....dude card. When they lose all of the dude cards, they get punched in the arm and called a "girl" and then get their dude cards back. 

Silly as this seems, it has made a big difference in our boys. I love that our older boys are taking responsibility for teaching their little brothers this kind of lesson. I love that they see the importance of it. I love that they have made it a priority in their lives. How important is it for our boys to know they are tough? Have you ever seen your boys puff up their chest and take pride in something? or even stick up for something or someone? That is what they should do!! That is what it takes to defend the Truth. 

Our boys need to grow up to be hard working, spiritually strong, Godly men who know how to be the leader of their family and stand up for what's right in their community. They need to be willing to do what it takes to provide for their family not matter what. So the question is, do your boys know how to work hard? Are they willing to break a sweat to get the job done? Maybe your boys are too young for that. If they can walk, they are old enough to learn to be tough!! If you are a mom who gasps every time your toddler toddles, consider a different response. When they fall, try saying "good job!". Wait and let them check for themselves. Encourage them to rub it or wipe dirt on it or do an owie dance or whatever helps them cope. You will be surprised by how resilient they can be. Our youngest rarely even slows down when he falls. The fall and recovery are all one movement and he seldom stops to check for any blood. His baths usually include a wound discovery time where he calls them to my attention, to which I always respond, "Wow, that's awesome!!!" I give him a high five and tell him how tough he is. 

When they are young, the girls are treated the same way. We do NOT have dude cards for the girls, but we celebrate injuries and their ability to overcome. They don't have a problem being tough. Eve took care of that. There is nothing pleasant about becoming a woman. It involves its own lessons in tough that we won't go into. Let's just say that they learn how to be tough in a different way and, so far, they have risen to the occasion (not that they had a choice!) 

I guess we should have a big "No Wimps Allowed" sign hanging on our door because we treat any visitor the same way. I have overheard our children telling the neighborhood children to get up and get over it so they can keep playing. The interesting thing about that is the visitors usually do get up and the fun continues.

After having spoken on this subject, I realized that regardless of what the future holds, I want my children to be spiritually, emotionally and physically strong. It is to their benefit and that of their future families. Jordan is studying to be a pastor. I realize now that that pastor who is standing in the pulpit of the future may need to have the guts to preach from the Word of God and pray in Jesus' name even if the law forbids it. Does he have what it takes to do that? Absolutely!! I am proud to say, he is proving his "Dudeitude". Trevor is hoping to be a firefighter and Hudson and Payton have only been punched once each since Christmas. They are quick studies!

Have a great day!!

Trina

ps. don't forget to visit our new website and see the services we offer. I have included a link (Fresh Perspective) under the picture of Max. Blessings!!!

Bear Poo

OK . . . I know it’s been awhile. I hope you will forgive me and not give up on visiting here. Lots of life has happened in the last few months. God continues to be faithful to us and reveal just enough of His plan for us to act on but not enough to scare the wits out of us.

I have been speaking a lot and have had some unforgettable experiences. As I have said before, my passion is to help moms to be able to enjoy their children more. Drawing from my own “what NOT to do” stories, I have been able to encourage many in the direction of loving fellowship with their children. What you probably don’t know is that having the privilege to teach benefits the teacher more than the students. The time I have spent with my own children in fellowship has been unbelievable.

When I speak to a group, I often teach that all the discipline in the world is meaningless if you are not spending time in fellowship. If all you do as a parent is discipline you may have an outwardly obedient child, but inside they will surely be harboring feelings of anger or bitterness. I know that is not what I want for my children, so I am determined to spend more time in fellowship than in correction. Of course, if your child is two there are not enough hours in the day to ensure that fellowship to correction ratio. That’s OK. That stage will end and if you are diligent to train them, they will emerge as an enjoyable three-year-old.

So what is fellowship? I’m not sure exactly what it will look like for you, but I know that it includes laughing until you cry, talking until you are hoarse, and smiling right into their souls! Sometimes it is planned and many times it is spontaneous. Sometimes it is one-on-one and other times it is ten-on-one. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that they see and feel me enjoy them for who God made them to be.

We recently went up to the mountains to visit with family. After all of the festivities had ended, Dan and I took our children out on a Geocaching adventure. Geocaching is like a worldwide treasure hunt. The treasures are called caches and they are hidden all over the world. You go on the internet (www.geocaching.com) and type in your address or coordinates. The computer will then show you all of the caches in your area. You type into your GPS (if you have one) the longitude and latitude of the various caches and your GPS will guide you to the treasure. It is usually a box of varying size with little toys inside. The idea is that you take a toy, leave a toy and sign the log. That day, we found one on a mountain top hidden by the “lone pine”. The view was amazing! We found another one at the local burger place and another on the side of the road hidden in a street sign.

It was starting to get towards dinner time and the little ones were getting hungry, so we made our way back to the cabin. When we got there Dan said he would watch the younger ones so that I could take the older ones to find some more caches. (My husband is awesome!!) He didn’t have to ask me twice (I love geocaching) I set out with Trevor (16), Madison (14), Moriah (13), Hannah (11), Hudson (10) and Payton (8). We got in the van a drove as far as we could in the direction of this treasure. The paved road ended and was blocked by a fence so we got out and started walking. The sun had gone down but there was still enough light to see clearly where we were going. I made a comment to the kids that I thought was hilarious: “This is just like those stories you hear where someone says “My family went geocaching and I never saw them again””. My older kids thought it was funny too, but my two younger boys said, “Mom, that’s not funny!!!” We walked along the path for a little while talking as we went. Trevor and Hudson were walking ahead holding the GPS so all the rest of us had to do was follow them until we got close enough to look for the cache.

Suddenly I heard Trevor say “Oh, Crud!!” I looked up just as Hudson started to scream and run in my direction. I saw what he thought was a wolf (really a dog that I have to admit startled me at first with its wolf-like appearance). Just as I noticed the dog tag around his neck Hudson had reached Payton (who had fallen behind a little) and now joined Hudson in his screaming panic party. In an attempt not to upset the dog anymore, I told Hudson and Payton to be quiet. Of course I might not have said it with those words, but I got my point across. The dog stopped in his tracks. . . looked at all of us who were stopped in our tracks . . . looked behind him . . . and then walked right by us like we weren’t even there. I looked back at Hudson and Payton who were trembling and said, “OK. Let’s go!” All of the other kids were ready to keep going, while Hudson and Payton were begging to go home. I knew that I needed to encourage them to be brave because this would more than likely be an adventure that they would want to tell Dad about. I convinced them that the dog belonged to someone and that we weren’t in any danger. After all, what kind of mother would I be if I lead them into peril? They didn’t believe me. They started talking about all of the wild animals that lived in the forest and that bears had been sited in the area recently (last summer) and there could be mountain lions and cougars and Lion and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!!!

As any mother would have done, I continued in search of our cache. Oh, yeah . . . and did I mention it was getting dark? We came to a fork in the road where the GPS couldn’t decide which direction to send us. As we stood there while Trevor waited for it to make up its mind, Hudson and Payton got more and more nervous. They were glued to my sides, still discussing the wildlife, accept now Trevor was involved. Hudson said adamantly, ”There are NO bears here!”
To which Trevor replied, “Yes there are. Look over there is bear poo.”
We all went closer to the suspicious pile on the ground. On closer examination (not too close) it did indeed look like a pile of poo belonging to a very large animal. (bigger than a cow pie) Hudson rushed up to the pile determined to prove he was right and said, “This is NOT bear poo!!!” as he picked up the pile and threw in back to the ground. Fortunately, it was an old “specimen” and it just turned to dust. I think Hudson expected it to be a big piece of wood so when it didn’t react the way a piece of wood would react when thrown, he decided it was definitely time to go home.

Because I have keen negotiating skills, I was able to convince him to stick with the rest of us and he would be OK. The bear that was responsible for that pile was gone by now. Somehow, the thought of walking back to the van by himself or even with Payton who was more than willing to go back with him, was not appealing and he stayed with us.

Unfortunately, this story will have to be continued because it eventually did get too dark for us to see. We did find a shovel that we assume was to be used to dig up the cache, so we are all very excited to go back hopefully before the first snowfall.

Hudson and Payton recovered and even slept in their own beds that night. They talk about that adventure fondly and even with a little bit of pride. They are looking forward to the next time we go up to the mountains so we can continue the hunt and come home with the prize.

That, my friends, is fellowship! Are you ready for it? Are you willing to be creative, to think outside the box? It doesn’t have to be geocaching. It could be making mud in the back yard. It could be making cookies in the kitchen. It could be building a tree house or maybe a gingerbread house, planting a garden or even going shopping. Your children are a gift from the Lord and they deserve to be enjoyed!! Isn’t that what gifts are for?

Enjoy!!
Trina

A Strange Feeling

Today was our first day back at school. I have been spending the last couple of weeks planning and organizing and arranging to prepare for this day. Even with all of that preparation, there was something unexpected. For the first time since we started schooling the children, 12 years ago, Jordan was not involved. He spent his day packing all his stuff to go away to school. Every once in awhile he would pop his head in and ask if I knew where something was or ask if I needed someone to make lunch or sometimes just stand there with nothing to say. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it was a strange feeling. I guess I’m realizing the enormity of this change that is about to occur in our family. I’m not sad that he is leaving although I will certainly miss him. That’s for sure. I am not nervous about sending him away. I am confident that he will make wise choices and I will pray to that end daily. I am excited for him to be challenged academically. I am excited for him to get out on his own and be independent. I am excited to see how God is going to use him to further His kingdom.

So why does it feel so strange? Starting Saturday, the face of our family will change forever. It has changed ten times before when we left to go to the hospital and came home with another precious little face. I guess we have grown accustomed to that kind of change. I remember having a conversation with Dan when I was 9 months pregnant with Jordan. We talked about the fact that once we leave for the hospital we won’t come back the same. Two will be three. Then two and a half years later we talked about three becoming four, then four becoming five . . . then eleven becoming twelve and our family was complete. We have fully enjoyed our “wholeness” for 17 months with no regrets, only peace in God’s sovereign will.

Psalms 127: ”Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth, How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with the enemies in the gate.

God chose to fill Dan’s quiver to capacity with ten arrows. Up until now we have been preparing our children for such a day as this. We have been teaching, training, discipling and loving them according to God’s word. We have made choices for them that were contrary to the philosophies of this world. We have prayed for them and prayed for them and then prayed some more. All of this, in anticipation of the day when we will launch the offensive. (My husband tells me that arrows are an offensive weapon) Saturday is that day!! Jordan has proven himself worthy.

So what is that strange feeling? It’s very similar to the feeling I had when we were anticipating Jordan’s birth. Our family will not be the same when we return from Southern California. We will be leaving one behind, releasing him to do God’s will as it pertains to him. In a sense twelve will become eleven. I am not sad about this . . . maybe a little sentimental . . . but not sad. I am excited. I look forward to the day when he returns with his stories of the “battle field”. He may even come back to live here with us again, but not as our son whom we control; as a man of God with a purpose of his own. Eighteen years ago, I looked into his little face with wonder at what God created and then gave to us, now I look at his whiskered face with wonder at what God is going to do with His amazing creation.

Now dry yours eyes as will I, celebrate with us as we start down a new path and pray for Jordan as the Holy Spirit prompts you.

Trina

Picture Day

Just sharing some pictures!! Now you will have faces to go with all the names. Some close friends of ours came over and took these. Thanks Tovsruds!! If anyone would like their number let me know!!

One Dozen Shorts!

Payton age 7

Hannah age 11

Moriah age 12

Hudson age 10 and

Madison age 14

Trevor age 15

(16 next week)

Jordan age 18

Off to college in 2 weeks

Maximus age 16 mos

Bailey age 6 and

Abigail age 3

Here we are!

Dan and Trina

age . . . unimportant!!!

This is what we did after a hard day of work!!

Amazing memories!! What's not to love?!?