Nuzumania

Day 18: New ornaments!

2011-12-20T15:19:00.000-05:00

Every year we get the kids new ornaments for the tree and they usually get to open them early. Tonight was the night! Erin got one too...not sure why I didn't get a picture

Ella LOVES Tom & Jerry...

And what boy doesn't love super heroes...

...or cars...

Day 17: Christmas Lights!

2011-12-20T15:03:00.002-05:00

Tonight we piled in the van and headed to Lake Park to see the Christmas lights. There is one house in particular that has it's lights set to music which was really fun to see.

On our way!...

The owner of the house was passing out candy canes and when he came up to us, asked Caleb what his name was. He had a microphone in his hand and asked if he wanted to say "Merry Christmas from Caleb" into his microphone after the show was over. You can see his response in the following picture. Do you think he was excited?

Here he is, wishing everyone in their cars, "Merry Christmas Caleb!" (I think they knew what he meant ;)

Day 16: Gifts for friends

2011-12-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

Today we had fun working on gifts for friends and neighbors. Ella and I were trying out a gingerbread play dough recipe, and it didn't take long before she decided this was exactly what she wanted to give to her friend, Libby.

Cookie days!

2011-12-17T13:34:00.001-05:00

Day 12 & 13

2011-12-15T22:03:00.003-05:00

My friend and fellow homeschool mom, Beth and I wanted to make sure we took some time to serve somewhere with the kids this Christmas season. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the business of the season, and we really want to teach our kids to always be thinking of ways to serve and help others (and hopefully instill in them a deeper appreciation for all God has blessed them with). Beth is the liaison for our church at Hope Cancer Center here in Charlotte, and was able to get the name of a boy whose mom is battling cancer. Because of all the costs that incur with her treatment, she was not going to be able to provide Christmas gifts for her kids. As I sat at the breakfast table Monday morning and explained to our kids that we were going shopping for a boy they had never met, I wasn't expecting much excitement. (I all too often underestimate the tender hearts of our kids). To the contrary, as I explained that this boy would have NO Christmas if it weren't for the generosity of others, and that WE had the opportunity to provide that for him, they couldn't WAIT to get going! Joshua was especially excited. He wanted to know all about this boy and immediately began brainstorming ideas of what to get him. Needless to say, shopping with seven kids between Beth and I was a little crazy, but it was well worth it and I think the kids all had fun picking out gifts. Here are our savvy shoppers!

Tuesday, we thought we would have some fun with our annual Christmas party, complete with pizza, crafts, and more sugar than they should ever need!

I love these kids...

I could just eat HIM up!...

Love it...

I have no words...

Handprint ornaments...

Beth and I are always trying to think up fun things for them to do, and I think they enjoyed it all. But we also discovered, they can be creative all on their own!

I spy Ella...(how did they get those swings over there?)

Teamwork...

Their "club" I can only imagine the conversation that was transpiring 5 minutes before...

So grateful for friends.

Day 11

2011-12-14T23:27:00.000-05:00

A "classic" night...

Days 8, 9 , & 10

2011-12-11T17:54:00.001-05:00

Christmas tree treats, shopping, and surprise visitors!

What's Christmas without sugar and sprinkles?

The sound of a firetruck around Christmas time can only mean one thing in our neighborhood...and the kids go running! Here they are ~~being so crazy the neighbor came out and told them to get out of her yard~~ patiently waiting for what they hear in the distance.

And Santa wasn't the only surprise visitor over the weekend! Donnie was in Ashville for work, and Mom and I had a blast shopping while the world's best Granddad hung out with the kids!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Day 7: Family game day!

2011-12-08T12:13:00.000-05:00

Day 6 New life!

2011-12-06T15:27:00.000-05:00

December 6, 2011 will have a whole new meaning to the Nuzums from now on. Who knew that as I sat with the kids this morning reading from a favorite Advent story book (Jotham's journey), that it would lead to our 5 year old asking me to pray with him to ask Jesus into his heart & life? Well I suppose there is One who knew...the same one who knew our second born before he was formed in the womb (Jer 1:5), the same One who has numbered the hairs on his head & has a plan to give him hope and a future, the same One who we worship a praise for the salvation He gave us through the sacrifice of His only Son so that my son my have life. Caleb, there are no words to describe how excited your dad and I are about your decision today! But I will never forget your words as we sat on the couch today..."Mom, I love Jesus too. Can I ask him to come live in my heart?" Then we talked, your brother grabbed his Bible and read Romans 10:9 to you, we knelt & prayed together...and your big brother started jumping up and down, screaming. :) When he calmed down we sang Happy Birthday to you. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor 5:17 God has amazing plans for you, Caleb James! We love you!

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. ~3 John 1:4

Advent Day 5

2011-12-05T13:09:00.001-05:00

Then Abraham looked up and saw a male sheep caught in a bush by its horns. So He took the sheep and killed it. He offered it as an offering to God, and his son was saved. So Abraham named that place The Lord Provides. ~Genesis 22:13-14

And Isaac carries the wood, like Jesus would one day carry the Cross, and the son lies down on the altar, they boy named laughter now still, and again God keeps His word and God provides a lamb. Isn't that the gift we always need? The promised Christmas Child who is the lamb sacrificed instead of us, and this Mount Moriah of Isaac's sacrifice, which would later be the building ground of God's temple, which would one day be in sight of Jesus' Cross, it's renamed the place the Lord Provides, Jehovah-Jireh. ~Ann Voskamp

I knew he would be excited, but come on...

They wasted NO time coming up with things to do with their extra time.

First, the board game they've been begging to play since the day we unpacked the Christmas stuff:

We always enjoy playing this game several times during the Christmas season. Some of the spaces include things like "It's a hot day in the desert. Put a towel around your head like a shepherd" or "You forgot to kiss your mom before you left. Go back to start and give your mom a kiss" (Caleb got that one this morning) It also provides opportunities for great family conversation on the "around the campfire" spaces.

Then Joshua decided to set up a restaurant for lunch, complete with a menu and prices. I wasn't sure how I felt about paying for my lunch. But when I realized I wasn't going to have to prepare lunch for anyone, $0.35 seemed like a pretty good deal. Joshua made lunch for everyone!

...complete with hot chocolate for all.

Day 3 & 4 ~ Oh Christmas tree!

2011-12-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

And the search is on!

Found it!....

Christmas balls or goof-balls?

Once Ella found the ornaments, I didn't think they would ever get ON the tree...

Advent Day 2

2011-12-02T16:03:00.000-05:00

...And when Noah and his family and all the animals again walked the dry, sin-cleansed land, God arched his Father heart right across the sky, a rainbow to shoot an arrow of His forever love straight across all time. Because the Father was sending his Son Jesus on another piece of wood, and we cling to that Son for dear life. ~Ann Voskamp

Our advent activity today was to put up Christmas decorations outside, of which I have no pictures. (Actually I did most of it, since the kids had friends over for our art class we started today...really fun!) Anyway, I do have these pictures...

So this began as an experiment with a bottle, bowl, and straw, to see how much air their lungs held. But somewhere along the way the bottle disappeared, the straws multiplied, and a battle was on. Boys.... No rainbow after this flood, but I now have a very clean kitchen floor. Rock on.

Advent countdown Day 1

2011-12-01T11:12:00.026-05:00

So after a fun filled trip to the mountains to visit Grammie and Granddad for Thanksgiving, the kids could hardly wait to unpack the Christmas decorations as soon as we got home. Their favorite item, by far...our Advent calendar. The one with the little doors I usually fill with treats to be opened each day leading up to Christmas. Unfortunately, it's getting a little difficult to put enough candy in those tiny doors for all of them, not to mention daily chocolate is extremely unhealthy (except for those 36 & older of course). So I had a new idea for this year. I thought they were old enough to start understanding the meaning of Advent, to see the Christmas story unfold from the very beginning in the garden and weaving it's way through all of scripture until the birth of our Savior. So we are going to be reading a daily advent devotional by Ann Voskamp.

Along with the daily reading I made some magnets to go along with each story that they will find in their advent calendar to place on their Jesse Tree they made for the fridge.

Along with the magnet, they will find a piece of paper with a fun activity that we will do each day. Hopefully this will help Mommy to slow down and enjoy the season as well. Today...Lunch in the living room (a true treat) and a Veggie Tale Christmas movie. I wasn't sure how they would feel about the missing chocolate...but they didn't even mention it. They were so excited! Now off to get our schoolwork done, so we can enjoy lunch later...

September Birthday Wrap-up

2011-10-08T09:16:00.005-04:00

Our sweet one year old...

On September 19th we celebrated Erin's 1st birthday. Some things that come to mind when I think of our baby girl is cool, calm, collected, and carefree, which are all qualities that benefit her well, being child #4 :) For example, she is the first of our children to just lie in her bed and play when she wakes up. Her telltale sign is usually a little jingle ball that we hear her playing with through the baby monitor. She is the happiest just sitting in the floor playing with any of her three siblings. And of course, they are all smitten with her! Unfortunately, however, she can be a little too carefree. For instance she could care less about walking...crawling...scooting...or even simply lifting her head up when she's on her tummy. That's probably the one thing that does make her angry. "If someone cannot lift my head up for me, do not put me on my tummy! Yes, pretty much all she does is sit...and smile. She does have a physical therapy evaluation next week...to be continued. In other health news, she has had two more seizures as a result of a fever since her first one back in July. So it looks like we are looking at a future of febrile siezures until age 5 or 6 when they usually grow out of them. It's obviously heartbreaking as a parent to watch her have them, and a little stressful having no idea when they are going to occur, but we are just thankful we have a Father who knows all and whom we can trust to care for and protect her. A HUGE thanks to my dad for this amazing video he put together for Erin' first year. She truly is our little "firework" in every way.

So blessed to have celebrated with our Elevation family as well as Grammie and Granddad!!

Next on the agenda was a butterfly party for our beautiful, fun-loving 3 year old, Ella Grace!

She has grown up so much in the past year! She loves anything pink or purple, and anything with princesses or butterflies. One moment she's playing with her baby dolls, and the next she's playing with cars with Caleb. One day she's wrestling in the floor with her brothers, and the next day she looks at them, rolls her eyes, looks at me and says "crazy boys" & keeps walking. She loves to help take care of her baby sister in every possible way, Caleb is her play time companion & blankie buddy, and whenever she is in need of tender loving care, Joshua is her go-to guy.

Sweet friends...

Birthday girls...

Birthday date with Daddy...

"All done!"

A Tribute to Uncle GG

2011-09-01T18:49:00.002-04:00

So my brother in law taught Joshua this song on the guitar the last time he was here and it's ALL he wants to play. He literally plays it every day. Today he asked me to make a video for his uncle, so here it is. (And of course we must give a shout out to Mr. Helms, his guitar teacher ;) Get ready Elevation worship team! Here's your future member! :)

1st day of school

2011-08-29T22:06:00.003-04:00

No expectations. That's how I had decided to start the new school year today. I have made the mistake, in the past, of trying to plan out exactly how the school year is going to go, only to be disappointed and frustrated when my plan doesn't pan out the way I had imagined. But then I end up looking back and realizing that there was and is purpose in the chaos, and it is always during those unplanned situations, that we learn and grow the most. So I've learned to let go of my expectations, and leave plenty of room for God to work. At least, I thought I had learned.

Now don't get me wrong, homeschooling three with a baby in the mix takes some planning (a BIG thanks to my AMAZING mom, who has been helping me organize and get all my school work together for the last few weeks). But as far as where each day takes us, I've been trying to keep an open mind...especially when it comes to the preschooler and kindergartner.

So as I climbed the stairs ready to crawl into bed last night, my only expectation was a good nights sleep. (Wait, didn't I say NO expectations?) Then I opened my bedroom door and heard the same sound coming from our 11 month old daughter that I heard the night we ended up in the ER. Fast forward to about midnight and I'm standing in a hot steamy shower, trying to comfort Erin, and praying her breathing would ease up. Eventually it did, and I was able to put her back to bed and crash myself. Fast forward a few more hours and something else is waking me up. (Oh, it's my alarm...wait, no, some one's calling me. Whispering. Maybe it's both. I reach over to turn off the alarm. I can't even open my eyes. How can I get out of this bed? I feel like I just laid down. And it's so warm...and wet. Why do I feel wet? "Mommy" There's that whisper again. All of the sudden I realize Ella is in bed with me. AND I suddenly recall her telling me last night she did not want to wear a pull-up to bed. "I think I may have tee tee'd just a little bit in your bed, Mommy" Welcome to the first day of school.

So the rest of the morning was spent washing sheets, cleaning up the 3 year old and myself, and feeding the baby, who consequently woke up early herself. Needless to say, I did not start off the morning with the best attitude. That is, until the oldest three came bounding into the kitchen, eager to help with breakfast and "start school". At that point, they pretty much took over the day.

As I was about to leave the kitchen, I glanced back and saw the flowers Donnie had bought me a week ago, looking pretty sad on the table. I immediately thought, "that's a pretty good picture of how I feel this morning" The thought had barely entered my mind as Ella says, "Hey Mommy, will you read this to me again?"

She was pointing to the verse we had all just learned over breakfast and that she had helped put up on the fridge. "Sure honey...All men are like grass, and their glory like the flowers of the field. The grass withers, and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever"

Wow. She had no idea the truth the Lord just spoke directly through her, straight into her Mommy's heart.

Our lives may not be all that glorious, especially when we're standing in a steamy shower with a sick baby or washing urine soaked bed sheets. But there is One who is always faithful, always loving, whose word endures forever. And he has given us these beautiful, eternal souls, to raise & love & nurture & teach. And I am so, undeniably grateful.

So the rest of the day we colored, played games, learned some letters, did some chores, danced in the kitchen, read some books, did some math, vacuumed the floors, practiced handwriting and typing, ate Popsicles, read some more, went on a scavenger hunt, took a break to eat Daddy's homemade (from scratch) cookies, played outside, practiced guitar, played outside some more, ate dinner, took dinner to some friends, spent time with Daddy, and went to bed. Which is where I'm on my way to now...with NO expectations. :)

Happy Birthday Caleb!!!

2011-08-22T11:51:00.001-04:00

Our baby boy is.....

Party prep...

A house full of Marios and Luigis

The battle between team Mario and team Luigi was on!

Lot's of fun gifts from friends and family. And the long wait for his own Dsi finally came to an end.

I'm embarassed to say how many hours this continued past party time.

A HUGE thanks to the grandparents for all the help with the party!!!

We love you Caleb James! You bring so much joy and laughter to our family! Happy Birthday!!!!!

Erin's new sleeping preference

2011-07-23T11:04:00.000-04:00

Oh, what the neighbors must think

2011-07-21T11:27:00.000-04:00

Me: Hey, will one of you go get the mail?
Joshua: (looking over at Caleb & snickering) Hey, Caleb, why don't you go!

I'm a little confused at this offer seeing as how they usually argue over the opportunity

Caleb: (taking off for the front door) Sure!!

Then it hits me as the front door slams and Joshua doubles over in laughter.
But it was too late.

Grammie & Granddad

2011-07-18T09:39:00.000-04:00

Do you think the kids are enjoying their time with Grammie & Granddad?

...I think so :)

A weekend to remember

2011-07-04T13:06:00.000-04:00

God is so good. Those are the 4 words that have been repeating over and over in my head. I have never been so thankful that so many members of our family (though not complete) are here with us this weekend. We were going to need them more than we knew...but God knew. He knows a lot that I don't, and I can't imagine living without that hope...the hope of knowing He is in control and that my life and the lives of my family are in His hands.

My parents arrived last week, and since they've had to downsize quite a bit in order to begin their full time RV adventure, they brought several things they thought I might like to have. Among them were two foot lockers that belonged to my granddad from his time in WWII. I knew he had been in the war and that his plane had crashed in the Aleutian islands, but he never talked about it as far as I can remember. Yet as I stood in my kitchen looking through his things, I was overwhelmed with emotion, thinking of all that he must have experienced and endured. And all so that his family...his children...his grandchildren...his great grandchildren...our children that never had the privilege of knowing him...could enjoy the freedoms we now have.

The 4th of July took on a much deeper meaning for me as I stood in the kitchen and held his dog tags in my hand that hung around his neck as he fought for his country and for me.

I noticed after his name on the tags, the name Mrs E.M. Peek. His mother. The one who gave him life. And following it read "Annona, Texas". The place where he came from...and the place he would return to, despite what may happen. I don't know the details of his plane crash. How long his mother had to wait for news of her son. But God is good. And what my great grandmother didn't know...He did. Our life is but a breath and our days are numbered. But God is good. He did come home. Married my grandmother. Had two children, 4 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and counting. It's been 14 years since my grandad unexpectedly left his earthly home and left us all asking why. But God knows why. He IS good. And because of the hope I have in Him, I will someday put my arms around my granddaddy again.

Two nights ago, I held our 9 month old baby girl in my arms as she had a seizure, turned blue, and stopped breathing. As I held her, and my mother in law held the both of us, and my father in law held the three of us, all we could do was call out to Him because we knew that her life was in His hands. "In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." I didn't know when or if she would take her next breath. But He knew. And He is good. And today she is sleeping peacefully in her crib and we are blessed with another day.

Then yesterday we celebrated, through baptism, Joshua's decision in May of 2010 to accept Christ into his heart as his Lord and Savior. Just as my granddad fought for our freedom, we have someone who fought and died on our behalf to save us from the one thing that separates us from our heavenly father. And I am so thankful today that our firstborn knows this truth and has chosen new life in Christ. As I watched Joshua being baptized, witnessing his outward expression of an inward change...I was reminded again of my granddad's dog tags that represented who he was...his identity. Just as his mother's name...the one who gave him life...was stamped below his own, Joshua now has a name stamped over his life as well. The one who not only gave him life, but gave His life for us. And his name is Jesus. He has a new identity in Christ. He also has a home. Not Indian Trail, NC, but heaven. The place he came from, and the place he will return...no matter what happens. His destiny is secure. My granddad had a war to fight, and I'm so thankful for the sacrifice so many have made so that we can celebrate our freedom today. But there is another war, against sin and death, that we will never win on our own. But we can have victory if we give our lives to the one who gave his life for us. And if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed! John 8:36. God is so good!

Father's Day

2011-06-20T15:34:00.000-04:00

So the kids had a blast yesterday showering Donnie with surprise gifts throughout the day after breakfast in bed. But I think this was his favorite. He recently moved into a new office so we thought this would be a great addition (seeing as how he had one picure of me and Joshua when he was two, one picture of the boys when Caleb was 8 months, and ZERO pictures of the girls...I take complete responsibility). And with this he can change the pictures out whenever he wants!

And here's a little video of their Father's Day card presentation. We had fun making this one as well.

Summer kick off

2011-06-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

Well the Nuzum family kicked off the summer with a couple of amazing trips! We've known for awhile that Donnie would be doing some traveling for work this summer, but the kids and I were not planning to tag along. Until, however, I got plane tickets for Mother's Day, for myself and the kids, to go with Donnie to Denver. (My husband rocks!) Woo hoo!! I can't believe it's been 7 years since we left there for NC! It's just as beautiful as I remembered and we had a blast! We were so blessed to be able to stay with our dear friends, the Morrises. Joshua and Nathaniel obviously don't remember crawling around in diapers together (they are only 25 days apart in age), but they acted as though they had known each other forever. This picture pretty much sums up the entire week with these two.

The boys were very sad to leave their friends at the end of the week. Ella had a blast with their 6 year old, Alia. And both girls played "Mommy" all week to Erin and their precious new addition, Malachi.

Here's the entire crew. Ella was exerting her independence in this shot...

Their oldest, McKenna was 5 when we left Denver, and she's grown into a beautiful 12 year old. I held it together until I had to hug her and say bye. Love that girl!!! I was able to do a little catching up over coffee with Christy, which we've been dreaming of doing for the last 7 years. But I definitely left wishing we had more time. Thank you, Morris family, for an amazing week and for opening up your home to us! We love you!!

After the trip to Denver, Donnie had 2 days to pack up and leave for West Palm Beach, FL for another speaking engagement. The day after he left, Wendy, Gerald, and Jake showed up on my doorstep from Texas! What?! (my husband rocks!) We haven't seen them since Christmas so I was so excited to get to spend the week with them while Donnie was out of town. Now Donnie was "supposed" to be arriving back home Friday, but my sister hands me an envelope when she gets in the door that says "Happy Birthday". Inside is (ONE) plane ticket to West Palm Beach, FL from Friday until Monday. What?! (Did I mention my husband rocks?) So my AMAZING sister, brother in law, and sister in law (Donnie's sister is here for the summer) took care of all our four children (which includes a baby still getting up twice to eat at night, people!) plus their 18 month old so that Donnie and I could have a weekend alone in West Palm Beach. Of course I didn't take my camera which almost makes me start to wonder if I dreamt it all. But it really did happen, folks, and it was wonderful! We shopped, dined, and walked the beach for three magnificent days! You would have really thought we were in love the way we were holding hands the whole time, but honestly I'm so used to holding onto at least two hands, while juggling a diaper bag, lugging an infant carrier, and being pulled in 4 different directions, that Donnie had to hold my hand just to help me to walk straight. So a BIG thank you to Wendy, Gerald, and Nicole for holding down the fort and loving our kiddos while we were gone, and to my amazing husband for planning an unforgettable two weeks!! I love you!

I'll end with some photos we got today. I mentioned before that Donnie's sister Nicole is living with us for the summer and it's been SO much fun having her with us! She is majoring in broadcast communication and is spending most of her days volunteering at Elevation in hopes of learning the ins and outs of production. She had some time off today, though, and the kids had a blast with Aunt Koko and the new slip-n-slide!

Our songwriter

2011-06-08T10:02:00.000-04:00

So the boys had a hard time getting to bed last night. There was whining, arguing over sleeping arrangements, lots of stalling, and there may or may not have been some parental threats. So when Joshua, finally in bed, asked if he could tell me his song he wrote, I very curtly responded, "Tomorrow!" This obviously was another attempt to delay bedtime.

Then morning came and his first question to me was, "Now can I tell you my song, Mom?"
"Sure, honey"

This is what followed out of my eight year old's mouth...completely unedited.

"When sin is upon me I find my God right next to me. When the war has ended I find the Lord very strong in me. He is faithful, He is strong, He is good, He is peace to the Earth and everyone."

"Where did you hear that?"
"Nowhere. I just thought of it in my head"

Do not put out the Spirit's fire. 1 Thessalonians 5:19
Please Lord, never let my words, actions, frustration, or neglect ever quench the fire you are starting in our children's hearts.

PS. This has been posted with Joshua's permission. :)

Her Majesty

2011-05-11T09:33:00.000-04:00

Princess dress. Check. Princess slippers. Check. Throne. Check. Princess movie. Check.

All orchestrated by her ~~personal servants~~ brothers.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T17:55:00.001-04:00

Honored. Amazed. Humbled. Grateful. In awe. These are only a few of the words that describe how I feel about having the privilege to be called "Mom" by these 4 incredible blessings the Lord has entrusted to my care. However they also describe how I feel about the dozens of other Moms the Lord has placed in my life that I want to honor today. First of all, I'm so grateful for my mom and the loving home she provided for my sister and me growing up. She taught me, and continues to show me, what complete and total unconditional love really looks like. I love you Mom! Wendy, you are a rock, a beautiful woman of faith, and an amazing, fun-loving momma! Jake is beyond blessed! I love you sister! I am also so grateful for my mothers in law and the fact that I can call each of them a friend. What a blessing! Kelly, Nicole, and April...you may not all be moms, but you don't have to have kids to posses a Mom's heart and pour life into those around you and that is what I see in each of you! I'm so blessed to have gained 3 more sisters when I married Donnie!

...and to all the other sweet friends the Lord has placed in my life who are always there for me, being Godly examples for me as a mother & wife, whether by a phone call of encouragement or a conversation on the couch, thank you, thank you, thank you! Our kids are reaping beautiful friendships, because of the seeds you are planting in your children! Here are a couple of pictures from this past week of some pretty amazing kids that we are honored to call friends!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Soccer

2011-04-30T15:07:00.000-04:00

Well, we've started a new season of Upward soccer and Joshua lives for his Saturday morning games! Caleb gave it a try last Spring and had a little difficulty staying focused. Rephrase...he was extremely focused on finding bugs in the grass and playing tag with his teammates...but kicking the soccer ball...I'm not even sure he ever noticed there was a ball involved.

Needless to say there were a few tears shed when he found out he wouldn't be joining Joshua on the soccer fields this season. But he has seems to have gotten over it fairly quickly and is thoroughly enjoying cheering on his big bro.

As is the little diva of the family.

And while Grandpa was here for a visit, he and Caleb came up with the perfect cheer for our "mumber 4"...

Update

2011-04-27T20:45:00.002-04:00

Update in pictures...because I have no time for words :-)

Trip to the mountains with the best e-group ever!

Enjoying the arrival of Spring!

brothers

Easter party and egg hunt

sister love

Easter morning

Daddy and his baby girl

Ninjas

2011-03-31T14:20:00.000-04:00

I never know what these two are going to conjure up when they lock themselves in their room for extended periods of time. Joshua was the costume designer this time around. And yes, those are their pajamas.

Honor

2011-03-10T22:04:00.009-05:00

Honor. This has been the theme of discussion at our church and in our home the last couple of weeks. And I've been so convicted and impassioned by what I've heard and experienced (especially as a mother) that I couldn't just let it slip by without mentioning. In the midst of the sermon series titled "Honorology", we also took part in our second annual "Love Week" which you can read more about here and see the video here. As a church, we partnered with 25 other churches to spread love across our city in the form of community service, and at the same time honor our outreach partners who already work so hard to provide for those in need. Our goal was 25,000 hours which was surpassed with a total of 34,257 hours served in one week. As a family we served at Jackson Park Ministries cleaning homes and doing yard work, spent time at Bright Blessings putting together birthday gifts for homeless children, and collected school supplies to meet the needs of some of our local outreach partners.

I cannot tell you how blessed and honored we are to have the opportunity to serve and be a part of a church whose mission is to reach people far from God with the love of Christ, and whose desire is to be known for what we are for and not what we are against. What a great opportunity for our children to see the needs of a city and to know that they themselves can spread the love of Christ in practical ways and make a difference in so many lives.

This brings me to the next point that has invaded my thoughts and pierced my heart as a mother in these last couple of weeks. It's not a new concept to me. It is actually something I witnessed in the lives of some dear friends as I watched them parent their children shortly before becoming a mother myself. It had a huge impact on me and has greatly influenced the way we try and parent our own children. And it involves showing honor and respect to the children that have been entrusted to us. After hearing Pastor Steven preach on the subject of honor the last few weeks, all these convictions concerning our children came rushing to the surface again. There is no question that honor and respect have lost their value in the world we live in. And scripture is very clear on the subject. We are to honor one another above ourselves (Rom 12: 10). Husbands are to honor their wives (1Peter 3:7) and we are supposed to respect our husbands (Eph 5:33). Children are supposed to obey their parents and honor their father and mother (Eph 6:1)...ask my kids what this verse says and they'll tell you!

[Side note: last night at the dinner table Donnie had Joshua look up Eph 6:1-3 about obeying which continues "...that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. To which Donnie translated, "That means if you don't obey I have the right to cut your life short!"]...way to demand respect sweetie.

This is all important and could certainly be improved on in my own life. But what pierces my heart the most as a mother, is seeing children being disrespected and dishonored by their parents. How are we to expect them to honor us (or anyone else) if we don't model it for them; not only in the way we treat our husband, our own parents, or complete strangers, but in how we treat them? How much work have we put into training them to say please and thank you, yet don't extend them the same courtesy? How many times do we demand their direct attention, yet we ourselves are too busy composing an email, checking Twitter, putting away laundry, or cooking dinner to stop for a few seconds and give them our full attention when they have a need or a question? We expect them to come immediately the first time we ask, yet I'm sitting at the computer, fingers flying while CJ has asked me 20 times to please come to the kitchen and help him open his string cheese....seriously. *pause* OK, I'm back :) The definition of honor is "value, worth, or weight". What are our actions or lack thereof saying to our kids about their value or worth? In Matthew 18 we see Jesus answer the disciples’ question, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" "He called a little child and had him stand among them....unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven...and whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." Unfortunately that little speech (which also included what should happen to you if you caused one of them to sin...not good...involves drowning) didn't quite sink in with the disciples. Because in the very next chapter they rebuked some parents for bringing their children to be blessed by Jesus. And the Lord didn't waste any time driving his point home...again. "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matt. 19:14) The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these! I think Jesus placed great value on children. It sounds like to me, we can learn a lot from them.

As a matter of fact I learned a great deal about having this child-like faith through the life of our first born this past week. As a part of Love Week, the kids were given a "mission" to invade their schools with love, and they were given ideas as to how to bless their teachers and classmates. We had to be a little creative seeing as how we homeschool. Joshua made cookies and a card for his guitar teacher. But we ran into a road block on Friday when he was supposed to invite a teacher to church. His primary teacher (me) and his guitar teacher both go to Elevation. What to do? He immediately thought of our neighbor who is a local school teacher and asked if he could invite her. The words that first escaped my lips were "sure!" but my immediate thoughts were, "How should I invite her? What do I say? I don't want her to feel cornered or pressured. What if she has a church of her own? What if she says no and my precious son's heart gets broken into a million pieces and we are forced to pack up and move when I can't control my motherly instinct to avenge his shattered spirit?” Before I could even begin to construct the ideal conversation in my head, Joshua comes walking in the house after an afternoon of playtime and says nonchalantly as he's washing his hands for dinner, "Oh, I asked Mrs. G about coming to church with us on Sunday and she said yes!" And so she came.

Lastly, Pastor Steven mentioned that dishonor isn't always blatant disrespect. "Dishonor is to treat something as common or ordinary." Our children are far from common or ordinary (Have you met Caleb?...love you CJ!), so let us not dishonor them by treating them as such. Our children are a heritage of the Lord...a reward from Him (Ps 127:3). May we honor them for who God created them to be...and watch them change the world...one neighbor at a time.

Caleb the Catfish

2011-02-11T13:56:00.001-05:00

Email I just received from my friend & neighbor, Alison (aka Mrs. Nichols):

Caleb: Mrs. Nichols, Adam’s calling me names!

Me: (fearing the worst): Uh-oh. What names is he calling you?

Caleb: Um, Caleb Cuckoo and Caleb the Ant.

Me: Hmm. I’ll talk to Adam about it. Adam, have you been calling Caleb names? That is not how we treat our friends. You need to apologize. If I hear about you calling any more names, you are coming inside.

Caleb: Well…I do like Caleb the Catfish…

Love that kid. I never know what’s going to come out of his mouth next!

Oy vey!

Eight

2011-01-25T11:21:00.000-05:00

1. First born 2. Child of God 3. Funny 4. Servant's heart 5. AMAZING big brother 6. Compassionate 7. World changer 8. Aspiring rock star

Happy Birthday!

We love you.

Minute to Win it!

2011-01-22T17:17:00.000-05:00

"Minute to Win it" is one of our favorite shows to watch as a family. So it didn't take much convincing when we presented the idea to Joshua for his birthday party. Here are a few of the games we played.

"Junk in the Trunk"

"Smile!"

"Breakfast scramble"

"Defying Gravity"

"Johnny Apple Stack"

And Joshua's favorite: "Face the Cookie"

Thanks to all Joshua's amazing friends for helping us to celebrate his special day. You are all such a blessing to our family!

Stay awake!

2011-01-19T20:48:00.000-05:00

4 months ago today we welcomed sweet little Erin into our lives. Since then, as you can tell, the blog has taken a significantly lower position on the priority list. But we are having so much fun with our new little blessing, and with the exception of some weight gain issues in the beginning, she is doing great!

But now Christmas is behind us, all of the family has long since returned home to Texas, & the reality of daily life with 4 children is setting in. I really thought we would be back in the "swing of things" by now but I'm not even sure what our new "swing" should look like. Nights are still sleepless, daily routine is a thing of the past, school is rushed, chores are unfinished, and so on.... This was my destructive thought process until my sweet friend sent me the following video. And it could NOT have come at a better time! This is such a beautiful reminder of what is really important, and how easy it is to miss out on the precious gift of seemingly insignificant moments that the Lord gives us daily. So to all my momma friends; grab a tissue, turn up the volume, watch this video, and lets "wake up"!

Our moments...

iBand at Northpoint in Atlanta

2010-12-09T17:20:00.003-05:00

I tweeted the link to this yesterday, but I just had to post it here. This is so freaking cool! I love that the church is doing things like this. Jesus deserves to be honored by the creativity he has blessed us with.

North Point's iBand from North Point Web on Vimeo.

Chester A Sycks

2010-11-27T11:17:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday my grandfather passed away. Upon hearing (a few days before) that this event was imminent, I felt like I should sit down and write something somewhat lighthearted so that the family could focus for a few moments on all the things we will remember about him. A day or so later my cousin, Eric, with some assistance from his editor (a.k.a. his wife, Katherine), posted a very eloquent, PG-rated piece describing some of my grandfather’s eccentric behaviors and sharing a few of the stories most remembered by the grandchildren. You can check that out here. As soon as I read it I thought, “That’s perfect. I have nothing to add to this.” So I didn’t write.

After arriving in Ohio on Sunday evening the urge to write returned and was cultivated through the services and conversations during the hours that followed. I was struck deeply by the legacy of my grandfather and grandmother and how they lived it out in front of us daily for decades. My grandfather was very quiet and always busy. Not too busy or shy to talk to you or help his fellow man, but he had an incredible work ethic. With the exception of the last couple of years when Alzheimer’s had stolen most of his personality from him, he was always doing something. I cannot remember seeing him sit down for an extended period of time to watch TV, rest or just waste time doing something trivial. Everything he did had a purpose and he was on the go from the time his feet hit the floor until he went to bed at night. I also don’t remember him complaining about anything. He just seemed to be able to roll with it, fix it or just be unaffected by it and took care of his business.

It was also a very moving experience to participate in unfolding and draping the American flag over his coffin as the services ended. What an honor it was to honor his service. I have no idea what kind of soldier he was or what the circumstances were that resulted in his serving during WW II, but I was so proud of him in that moment and proud to be included in his lineage.

I shared a few meaningful moments with my grandmother this weekend as well. The first was Sunday evening as we were leaving to go to our hotel. Despite being just one day removed from losing her husband of more than 50 years and all that she must have been thinking about in anticipation of services the next day, she insisted on taking communion before she went to bed. There was no pomp and circumstance or panoramic paintings of the last supper that floated down from the heavens, but she did it. She remembered her Savior, her comforter and the reason she has had hope for her entire life. Hope in an eternal future, not in a failing body that is temporarily subjected to a fallen world.

She demonstrated this to me again during my grandfather’s service. I had the privilege of escorting her to the front of the chapel and sitting with her during the service. We sang a few hymns. I held the hymnal between us so she could see the words; she didn’t need the hymnal. Despite her own health issues, age and sometimes faulty memory she sang every word to every verse, from memory. She also sang along with the special music that was performed by the Associate Pastor at her church. She didn’t care that it was supposed to be a solo, a time of quiet reflection. She sang and I think found comfort in being able to offer praise to her Heavenly Father in the midst her pain. I just can’t describe how this affected me.

As everyone was filing out of the chapel, my grandmother stopped for a few final moments with my grandfather. She was still in love with him. She didn’t just tolerate him or learn to live with him as a friend. She was in love with him. After all the years of marriage and parenting and joys and challenges, she caressed his hands and face as though they were newlyweds. It was awesome and awful at the same time. What an amazing demonstration of commitment and hard work in a marriage; how crushing it must be to lose the partner that has been right next to you for a half century.

I was in Ohio for about 36 hours. An incredible range of emotion and reflection was compacted into that time. I’m still processing some of it, but one thing is for sure: God has blessed me with an incredible heritage and a great responsibility and opportunity to pass it on.

We’ll miss you Grandpa. Your great-grandchildren will know about you. More importantly, they will know your Savior and, one day, receive Him as their own.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T20:46:00.000-04:00

Batman, IronMan, and Raggedy Ann

Ella borrowed her outfit from a friend who had two life sized Raggedy Ann dolls. So...there wasn't just one...

...but two!

Erin enjoyed a ride in the stroller

We definitely had nothing to fear with Super Heroes and ninjas to guide us through the streets!

Raggedy Iron Man...checking out her goods....

September Birthdays

2010-10-03T23:25:00.001-04:00

Erin Renee Nuzum

Born September 19, 2010

8 lbs 8 oz 21 inches

Very proud brothers...

Big Sister...not too sure...

Ella Grace Nuzum

2 years old September 29, 2010

The last two weeks have seemed like a dream, but we are so thankful and so blessed to have celebrated the birthdays of both our beautiful girls!!! I promise a longer post and more details when I've had enough sleep to be able to string a few more words together ;-)

New School Year!

2010-09-03T22:30:00.002-04:00

Monday was a big day for us, and one I had been praying about for awhile...our first day of a new school year. As I've been preparing for the last month or so, I've had this idea of exactly the way it would be. Our new curriculum for each of the boys would to be perfectly planned out and ready to go in color coded binders, with daily, thought out activities for Ella. Yearly goals for our family and each child would be planned, prayed over, discussed, and recorded. All our co-op activities, field trips, & park days would be planned out for the year & placed in my calendar with a detailed list of supplies needed. Chores would be revisited and updated, printed out on a fun chart with pictures for the "non-readers", and meals planned a month in advance with grocery lists would be ready to go. Ella would be potty trained and moved into her new "big girl" room with the nursery ready to welcome our newest addition (who would have a name by now). Oh, and Christmas gifts for all would be bought and wrapped....and being 8 months pregnant would never have felt so wonderful!

Then I woke up...
...Monday morning...at 4:30. I was in desperate need of a perspective overhaul, which was impressed very clearly onto my heart Sunday morning through Pastor Steven's message, and confirmed early Monday morning as I sat with Bible, notes, and coffee in hand. (Oh and I was also going to be "caffeine free" by now too - Ha!) Pastor titled his message "Your excuses are stupid". (I love the way he gets right to the point.) He preached out of Luke 14 when Jesus told the parable of the great banquet. The entire message is worth listening to and I promise it will change you. But what changed me was the reminder that even "good" things can take the place of God in my life if I'm not careful. In the parable, there are three men who give excuses for why they cannot come to the master's feast. Each of them had different excuses that dealt with either possessions, responsibilities, or relationships. What really spoke to me was the fact that these weren't necessarily "bad" things. Everything that is good in our lives is a result of His blessing & grace. We are given responsibilities and callings on our life, whether it be in our family, in our career, our community, our schools, or in our homeschool. Our relationships: marriages, children, family, friends, coworkers, can all be blessings..."good" things. But we cannot let these "good" things become "God" things. Beyond anything else, our relationship with the Lord must be be our passion...our 1st priority...our greatest desire. I was definitely losing sight of that in my preparation for the new school year, which was leading only to feelings of inadequacy, failure, and frustration.

So I made a plan...to stop making plans. Not like I was before anyway. My new goal is to "not conform any longer to the pattern of this world..." (or to the picture in my mind of what my family, house, school, or daily schedule "should" look like). But to "be transformed (daily) by the renewing of my mind...so that I may know what God's good, pleasing, and perfect will is" for my family..for each day...and each moment. (Romans 12:2). I want to be more concerned with the condition of my heart and the hearts of my husband and kids, and less concerned with the condition of my to-do list. I want to be a good steward of all He has given me, yet at the same time leave room for him to work in and through our lives. Because whatever I have "planned" will never be as good as what He has planned for me.

So I closed my planner and we spent the rest of Monday morning at the kitchen table. Donnie joined us for waffles and prayed over each of us and our school year before he left for work. Then the kids were given all their new school supplies (and a few surprises) and we spent some time decorating their new school binders. Joshua drew a picture of a knight and decorated his notebook with stickers of castles, dragons, and swords. One of the verses that guides our family & homeschool is Prov 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" So, I thought it was interesting that Joshua had written "charge to training" on the front of his binder. When I asked him about it he said that the knight he drew was in "training". Perfect.

Our oldest also has some difficulty standing by while his little brother attempts anything on his own. So it wasn't long before he stepped in to "help" Caleb with his art work.
Ella worked on her own project for awhile. But soon got distracted by the new lunch boxes and thermoses I had bought them. She was especially interested in her brothers'...of course.And just as she was testing her hypothesis that OJ tastes much better in a Buzz Lightyear thermos compared to Star Wars...she was caught.And so went the rest of the day/week. Not perfect...but exactly what it was supposed to be.

My treasures, my blessings, my responsibilities, my calling....

...still in their jammies and a bit disheveled (with the exception of our sexy school principal of course).

Not picture perfect... but exactly as it should be. Clay in the potter's hand, waiting to be made into instruments for noble purposes, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 2Tim 2: 21. I can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for our year!

Best Group Ever

2010-09-01T15:27:00.005-04:00

They definitely lived up to their name last night! Our small group from church surprised us with a baby shower; complete with delicious food (as always), fun games, and beautiful gifts for baby girl. Surprisingly (after having three), I had never played the "guess what baby food is in the jar" or "guess what kind of candy bar is melted in the diaper" game. We are the only ones in our group with kids, so it was hilarious watching them all gag as they smelled the baby food and peered into the diapers.

Compare for yourself: Parents of three (soon to be four)...Haven't yet experienced the joys of parenthood...

I cannot WAIT to make this one change a diaper!...

We are so unbelievably blessed to have such a wonderful group of people in our life. So thank you guys! For honoring us and investing your time, your love, your friendship, and your prayers in the life of our family...we love you!

4 years old

2010-08-22T15:47:00.005-04:00

Caleb James Nuzum. Four years old. Wow. As I sit here trying to find words to describe him, before I even type one, I begin to giggle to myself. But if you know him, you know that IS him. He makes you laugh...a lot...all the time. I asked Joshua at lunch today how he would describe his brother. He didn't hesitate with his answer, "He's hilarious!"

Determined would be the next word that comes to mind. Earlier this week I was reading the story of Caleb and Joshua again, when Caleb boldly challenged the Israelites to hold fast to their faith that God would deliver them into the promised land. "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it," he told them. (Sounds like a familiar phrase from another Caleb we know..."I can do it!") And because of his faith, he and Joshua were the only ones that would survive to step foot into God's promise. "Doggedly determined" is what his name means and I think that's a pretty accurate description of Caleb James.

In the next chapter the Lord says, "...because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly...." I confess that as I sat there early in the morning, coffee in hand, with the house still quiet, I stopped reading midsentence and laughed out loud after the "different spirit" part. That's our Caleb, I thought. He has a different spirit. I really can't think of a better way to put it! But that scripture also sums up beautifully our prayer for his life. That he would be a servant of the Lord, that he would give his life wholeheartedly to Christ, and walk in bold, audacious faith, the path that is laid before him.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEB!! You give joy, laughter, life, and a "different spirit" to our family! WE LOVE YOU!

Boys Only

2010-08-21T16:23:00.000-04:00

Here's how I spent most of my Saturday:

First: breakfast, of course.

Next: a little checkers.

Next: Caleb's first interaction with Pastor Steven. Such a blessing to have a Pastor that honors you no matter what your age.

Next: we gathered with a few hundred Elevators and honored 4 teen moms from CIS Safe Journey as we gave them a newly renovated (i.e. pimped out Elevation style - complete with an orange front door) 4 apartment duplex to live in at Jackson Park Ministries. It was so great to be able to show the boys where their quarters and dollars that they give are being spent. I love my church!

And finally: a fine meal of PB&J and lemonade at McAlister's

These guys are amazing. I love who they are becoming and day by day realizing more of what God is already doing in them. I am so amazingly blessed.

Camping Trip 2010

2010-08-13T21:22:00.004-04:00

This is how you rough it when you're 8 months pregnant and it's 100 degrees outside.

Dad Life

2010-07-08T13:37:00.001-04:00

Happy July 4th!

2010-07-02T12:29:00.007-04:00

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ~ John 8:36

Disney

2010-07-01T16:00:00.008-04:00

Well the month of June was jam packed with trips & activities for the Nuzums (not exactly sure what we were thinking), but we'll start our update with the Disney trip. At the first of the month we took a quick drive to Texas to see Donnie's sister, Nicole, graduate high school. "Quick" as in 4 days in the car and 1 day there. Crazy! But we wouldn't have missed it! After a few days at home we decided to continue the graduation celebration in Orlando with Nicole and D's other sister, Kelly. So we met them in Florida and spent 4 days at Disney. Although it was ridiculously hot, we had a great time and were so thankful to get to spend that time with Kelly & Nicole. Here are some of our favorite photos, but if you're interested in all 700, they are here. :) Did I mention it was hot? We were hardly ever able to pry that fan out of Joshua's hands the entire time. He still owes Aunt Kelly....

Ella's favorite place was the "Honey I shrunk the kids" play area. She spent the entire time playing in the water...imagine that!Shopping was her other favorite activity...One of the boys favorite things to do was getting their faces painted. Joshua: Darth Maul Caleb: Super hero. Joshua was very proud of his "evil" look. Caleb attempted it....

And of course the all time favorite: the characters....

What would a Disney trip be without having to wear ponchos at least one day?....

Wrapping up the last day at Disney with a nap on Main Street waiting for the fireworks and parade to start....Disney World was amazing, but having two aunts there to spoil you the entire time made it even better!! We love you Aunt Koko and Aunt Kelly!.... Bye bye Disney.... ...see ya real soon!

LOST

2010-05-25T19:12:00.001-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Oh Happy Day!!!

2010-05-20T12:32:00.014-04:00

That's the Steve Fee song that Joshua sang with the other ekids at church on Sunday and he hasn't stopped singing it since! The chorus continues, "You washed my sin away, Oh happy day, happy day, I'll never be the same. Forever I am changed...." Well, today was not only Joshua's "Happy Day", but a day that will be remembered and celebrated from now on in the Nuzum home! This morning, just as we were getting started with our devotional, Joshua decided he wanted to ask Jesus into his heart to be his Lord and Savior! We had just read Romans 10:9 and after I asked him what it meant he said, "I know what it means, Mom, and I want to do it!" "What do you mean?" I said. "I'm ready! I want to ask Jesus into my heart!" This is something that Donnie and I have prayed for since before our kids were born, so I immediately started turning to more scripture to read with him. "Mom, do we have to read more now? Can we please pray first? I'm just so excited! My heart is beating so fast! Please, Mom!" Well, what could I say to that? The spirit was definitely moving in my young son's heart! So we sat together as our firstborn prayed a prayer that would mark the beginning of his new life in Christ.

Then, "Hey, I just thought of something..." and he ran to his art folder....

"Remember when I did this, Mom?... ...my heart used to look like this ...now it looks like this!"

That's right, Joshua. Just like the song says...forever you are changed!

He couldn't wait to call his dad...and everyone else we know who lives in Texas. We will definitely be continuing the celebration when Donnie gets home tonight. (I see some ice cream in the future). He also picked out a cross necklace online from James Avery to have as a rememberance of today. So here's a picture of our firstborn...on his "Re-birthday".

"Joshua"..."The Lord saves". Seven and a half years ago as your dad and I read the meaning of that name and were reminded of Joshua's unshakable faith and willingness to boldly follow God when others wanted to flee, giving you that name was an easy decision. Our prayer is that your excitement and passion to follow Jesus will only grow stronger, that your eyes would remain fixed on the author and perfector of your faith, and that in your new freedom you would run with perseverance the race marked out for you! (Heb. 12:1-3) We love you!

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." ~3 John 1:4

SWAGGER WAGON

2010-05-19T10:26:00.001-04:00

Amazing faith

2010-05-17T12:36:00.002-04:00

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Fruits of their labor

2010-05-15T18:35:00.003-04:00

Strawberry pickin'

2010-05-12T14:47:00.005-04:00

We had a great time at the strawberry farm today! And yes, I took my 19 month old strawberry picking with a white shirt on. Nice. Here are the rest of the pics. I foresee some strawberry jelly and pie in our future. Joshua already has crepes planned for tonight. Mmmm....

*Update* Dad better get home soon if he wants any....

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T16:30:00.003-04:00

I woke up this morning to three precious sets of hands filled with flowers for Mommy. (Ella was a little reluctant to hand them over. Daddy gave them to her and she wasn't about to share them! That's my girl.) I was also given a hand-made card filled with reasons they love their Momma. Here are a few of my favorites:

Joshua~ She makes me want to do nice things. She plays the wii with me....

Caleb~ She makes sure my blankie is clean. Mommy is the best....

Ella~ She pushes me in the swing. She makes my hair pretty....

Baby girl~ She feeds me constantly. She has a nice uterus.... (I think Dad may have helped the girls with their list)

What a blessing and privilege to be called Mom. Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Fruits of the Spirit

2010-05-07T13:10:00.005-04:00

Joshua has been learning about patience this month in ekids at church. So as he was reading his scripture lesson this morning (which just happened to be Galatians 5:22-23), I decided I would use the opportunity to teach them ALL the fruits of the spirit. I came across this fun idea of using jello for paint to make your own "scratch-n-sniff" pictures. What better way to use up all the jello in my pantry! So we headed downstairs to "paint" some fruit.

Caleb was having an "orange" day...

Ella enjoyed it as well...

...in more ways than one...

...but that's the beauty of jello paint! They can paint AND lick the brushes! Avoiding ingestion of toxic paint...check. Avoiding choking hazards...well you can't have everything.

...I think we may need some better paint brushes.

Here is Joshua's finished product. We also painted a basket we will glue the fruit to later.

So after our art project I asked if they could tell me how many fruits of the spirit there are and if they could name them.

Caleb: "I know, I know! There's two!"
Me: "There are? What are they, Caleb?"

Caleb: (pointing to each of his pages) "This one is peace and this one is trouble!"

So here's his masterpiece...peace & trouble. A perfect description of our little masterpiece.

By the way, I made a fabulous discovery when all our projects were finished. Not only does a little water in a package of jello make sweet smelling, tasty paint; it also makes a sweet smelling, tasty glue. But since I couldn't talk my children into licking the floor, I guess I'm off to mop....

Caleb's prayer

2010-04-29T21:36:00.003-04:00

"Thank you God that we all went to the doctor today and that they put a baby sister in Mommy's belly...."

(Yes, it's a girl!)

Nuzum news

2010-04-21T14:53:00.012-04:00

So this will not be "new" news to most of you, but in case you haven't heard the latest...Nuzum #4 is on the way! The first trimester was pretty rough (to state it mildly), so I wanted to dedicate this post to all our friends and family who, without them, I (& more importantly our other three children) would not have survived! First of all, to my rock star husband, you are amazing! As you can see from this picture, he did not turn and run the day Ella announced the news to her Daddy that she was going to be a "big sister" (& he's even smiling!!...although now that I'm looking closer, it does look a little forced).

Anyway, thanks honey, not only for not bolting out the door, but for all you did those first few weeks to keep our home running and our children alive. Needless to say, we eventually realized he could not be a professor, run a clinic, edit articles, write book chapters, AND be a stay at home Dad. So being the incredible leader he is, he decided to delegate some responsibility and call in the troops (which meant, whoever he could beg or pay). First to arrive: Granny Hambrick. Karen, I can not thank you enough for everything you did for us while you were here. There is no question that you were here during the worst of it, so I thank you for taking complete control of my home and family for an entire week while I took up residence in the bathroom. We love you! Next to arrive was my sister, brother in law, and nephew. Wendy, I cherish any opportunity I get to spend with my little sister, even if it's not under the best of circumstances. It's not always easy to accept help, so having you here to say "Go lay down before I drop kick you to bed!"....Well, only you could say that to me and it work. :) Seriously, I don't know what I would do without you in my life, and you left me with a deep desire for Ella to have a little sister as well! Gerald - thank you for being the best uncle on the planet!! And to our sweet Jakester ~ I know you had a hard time being away from home, but your cousins had a blast with you, and it was so great to see Ella so mesmerized by you! (Hopefully a good sign for things to come)

Then, as if she hadn't had enough fun the first time, Granny Hambrick returned (this time with back up...who could blame her!) The kids had so much fun with their grandparents and Aunt Koko! And I was so glad to be feeling better so that I could enjoy their company too!

Our final guest to arrive was Grandpa Nuzum. It takes one brave Grandpa to come (alone) into this busy home with three energetic kids and an incompacitated Momma. I was really worried for awhile that Ella was going to run you completely ragged. But from what I hear, you raised one very similar to her ;) So thank you, Ron, for cleaning our house, feeding our family, providing me with some adult conversation, and most of all for giving my kids a great week with their Grandpa!! We love you!

There's so many others I need to thank, and I'll try to make it short since I'm already going to get grief for this post being so long. To all our other family and friends who showered me with emails, phone calls, daily texts, & prayer, thank you! It meant SO much to me to know I had so many standing in the gap for me when I didn't have the energy to pray myself. To my cooking group, who, even though I missed our meeting, you all cooked for me anyway & filled our freezer with meals. You girls are amazing!! Alison~Friend, neighbor, 2nd Mommy to our kids, always willing to add our three to your three at a moments notice...thank you...never move! Emily~only you would show up at my front door at 8:30am with a cooler full of food and say "Go to bed, I've got the kids". (So glad I chose to speak to the crazy pregnant girl 5 years ago who decided to come to church in labor, and sit next to me!!) To the best Elevation small group ever~ thank you for all your support and prayers; and for cleaning my kitchen every Tuesday night so Donnie didn't have to. And especially to Brandon & Rachel for taking the boys for an afternoon of fun; and Colleen for coming over to watch the kids and clean my house.

I am so humbled as I sit here reminded of the amazing friends & family the Lord has blessed us with. Thank you doesn't seem like enough, but I hope you all know how much we appreciate each and every one of you.

The truth comes out

2010-04-17T18:45:00.002-04:00

Caleb: "Hey Mommy, do we have butter?"
Me: "Um, yes"
Caleb: "Do we have scotch?"
Me: "Excuse me?" Have I really sent you over the edge at the age of three?
Caleb: "I want to make butterscotch pudding!"
Me: (with a sigh of relief) "Oh!" of course....

Easter follow-up

2010-04-07T15:28:00.023-04:00

Well Donnie already blogged about the best part of Easter in the last post. And I'm glad, because I couldn't have put it into words like he did. But we had some other fun activities that begun earlier in the week that led up to Sunday. An Easter party with our homeschooling buddies started off the celebration, complete with an Easter lesson (illustrated with resurrection rolls), and of course an egg hunt. Here is a snippet of our deep conversation about the death and resurrection of Christ as we wrapped marshmallows (Christ) in crescent rolls (linen cloth) and placed them in the oven (the tomb). The marshmallow melts, so that when they break them open, it's empty - Christ is risen!

"So after Jesus died and they wrapped him in cloth, where did they put him?"

"In the oven!"

"Ok, let's open our resurrection rolls. What do you notice?"

"Jesus melted!"

Later that day the kids received their Easter baskets from Grammie and Granddad. Ella loved her new sunglasses and Tinkerbell bowl.

Easter morning...Ella enjoys torturing me by NOT smiling every time I get out the camera.

Sunday evening we were invited by our sweet friends, the Fairs, to their house for dinner and some more egg hunting...oh and four-wheel riding, of course.

Easter - Elevation style

2010-04-04T20:32:00.003-04:00

What do you get when you mix the supernatural power and blessing of God with an army of volunteers willing to work around the clock, a pastor with an intense focus on reaching the lost and an amazingly talented staff that is equally committed to that vision?

Something like this:

More than 11,000 in attendance. 700+ decisions for Christ. Over 18,000 food/clothing/toy items donated for our local outreach partners. The greatest worship experience I have ever been a part of. And the church is only 4 years old. So where do you go from here? Well, apparently you reserve Bank of America stadium for Easter 2015. This is your official save the date.

I have to admit that about 1/2 way through the service I stopped singing and just looked around. All at once a flood of thoughts filled my mind: I thought about how hard it has been to be so far from family and how it didn't make any sense for us to move to Charlotte 6 years ago. How I used to immediately dismiss the thought of attending "big" churches because they had to be impersonal and were probably all about money. I thought about how much closer we could be to being completely out of debt if we didn't give sacrificially to support this church and about how much more time I would have (to waste, most likely) if we didn't volunteer or participate in a small group. As I was panning around the arena processing these thoughts and taking in all those people united under one vision praising the same God that had saved them just like He did me, it was as if God asked me, "So is it worth it?" It wrecked me inside and I just started crying. I felt humbled to be standing there in the presence of God being blessed so intensely by this experience and indescribably grateful that God has orchestrated this opportunity into my life. I was in awe of God's power.

Thank you Jesus for giving your life to save mine. Thank you God for pursuing me even when I run away. Thank you Pastor Steven and Elevation church for your commitment to excellence and your unrelenting pursuit of the city of Charlotte for Christ. I am so blessed to call Elevation Church my church.

Pastor Furtick on local news

2010-03-31T09:28:00.001-04:00

Be there!

2010-03-26T15:46:00.001-04:00

Easter 2010 Trailer from Elevation Worship on Vimeo.

Easter at Elevation

2010-03-13T10:37:00.001-05:00

Very exciting! Read about it here.

How Rich Are You?

2010-03-08T18:05:00.007-05:00

There is nothing wrong with having money. Everything you have has been given to you, so to feel guilty for what you've been given is pretty much insulting God. What' s important is how you use the resources you've been given. It's not about giving a certain dollar amount or percentage, although these can certainly be used as goals or benchmarks. What's most important is the condition of your heart as you consider how to steward the resources you've been given. Maybe you start with 2% of your income with the goal of increasing it by 1% every year. Maybe you start as a "biblical tither" and give 10% or maybe you're a "twither" and give 20% or a "reverse tither" and give 90% away and live on 10%. (Whoa!) Again, the number doesn't matter. Everything belongs to God. He doesn't need "your" money, He wants your heart.

One way to keep things in perspective is to compare your salary to the rest of the world. Very eye opening. Go to http://www.globalrichlist.com and put in your individual or household salary. Consider how rich you really are and what God would have you do with the resource He has given you. God has fully funded you to accomplish everything He has planned for you to do.

Story Time

2010-02-19T06:32:00.005-05:00

It's not always bad when things are too quiet...

Happy Birthday D!

2010-02-09T12:44:00.002-05:00

Jake

2010-02-06T12:45:00.003-05:00

Jake Ryan Miller (my favorite picture of him)

I'm sure most of you recognize our sweet little nephew, Jake. Doesn't he look like he's ready to conquer the world? Well we know that he will, but we got some news this week that he is in for some battles that we were not expecting. Jake has been diagnosed with a heart condition called Long QT syndrome. You can read about it on my sister's blog here.

And speaking of my sister. She is amazing. There is a reason the Lord chose her as Jake's Mom. He knew she would be the perfect mom for him, and that she would see this not as a disability, but an opportunity to trust in the Lord & His faithfulness and plan for their family. As for my brother in law, I could not ask for a better husband & father to lead them with God's strength, through this journey they are about to embark on. I am so encouraged by my sister's strength of spirit, but also by her willingness to share so openly about all the real and raw emotions that go along with what they are dealing with. So please keep Wendy, Gerald, and Jake in your prayers. If you get a chance, read her blog post here. It is a beautiful expression of what the Lord is working in their hearts and lives, and some specific prayer requests for those of you lead to pray. We love you, Jake!

Joshua's Elevation Debut

2010-01-31T16:20:00.015-05:00

So I think Joshua's 7th birthday is going to be one he won't soon forget. It started out with a surprise gathering of all the neighborhood kids outside around his new bike, complete with cupcakes and hot chocolate. The celebration continued with a sleepover with his best buddy Andrew, and carried over to Saturday with a trip to play laser tag. Much fun!! But it was the surprise he got Saturday evening & Sunday that will be deeply etched in all our memories for years to come.

But first the back story: Our church has been reading through the New Testament in 30 days. A challenge for sure, but it's been great! So three weeks ago, when we started, the children's ministry also gave all the school aged kids an opportunity to do their own verson of New thru 30. That Sunday they gave all the kids new Bibles and a calendar with NT readings and devotions for each day. I have never seen Joshua as excited as he was to get his new Bible! He has several Bible story books, but had not had a real Bible of his own...until now. The next morning he came bounding down the stairs, Bible and calendar in hand, ready to get started. I was so moved by his excitement and by the creative lengths our e-Kidz ministry goes to each week to make sure our kids are presented with the truth of the gospel, that I sat down and wrote a letter to the e-Kidz staff and volunteers. Well, I had no idea that such a small token of appreciation in the form of an email from a Mom would get so much attention. Apparently Pastor Furtick read it as well, and as a result wanted to invite Joshua up on stage during the service last weekend. What!? We were shocked, but so excited for him! We did prepare him somewhat so that he wouldn't be totally freaked out. He knew about the letter and that pastor wanted him to come up on stage with him while he read it. But he had no idea what else they had planned for him. A few days before, I got a phone call from the church asking for Joshua's Bible so that Pastor Furtick and the rest of the staff could sign it for him and Pastor could surprise him with it on Saturday. We were so excited for him! I thought he would be really nervous about being in front of so many people, but he was such a trooper and did an amazing job!! He never stopped smiling (& Mom never stopped crying).

And that wasn't even the end of the excitement for him! We had to be there for all the live services, so Joshua had some free time in between each one. At one point the producer took him back to the production studio, showed him all the cameras, the sound board, and how it all worked. He was very intrigued by all the sound equipment and couldn't stop asking questions. Then he took him to meet the band. You should have seen his face when he walked into the room with the entire worship team and they all started high-fiving him and congratulating him..."Joshua! Great job out there! You're awesome man!" I just stood in the doorway taking it all in.

What an amazing blessing to be given the gift of children and afforded the opportunity to "train them up in the way they should go". Joshua, your Dad and I are so amazed at your excitement for the Lord and His word. And it is our prayer that you will read it not in order to know more about Him, but that you would read it so that you will know Him, and know the hope to which he has called you! (Eph 1:17-18)

"Wintry Mix"

2010-01-30T19:17:00.003-05:00

So apparently "wintry mix" can mean several different things depending on where you live. Because everyone around us seemed to get 4-5 inches of snow & all we got was a lot of ice with a "dusting" of snow. But to a 7 year old and a 3 year old, if it's white and falling from the sky...it's fun. Here's Josh with his...ahem...snowball. Luckily I caught him before he threw it at his brother.

At least the 3 year old knows you can't make a snow angel on a slab of ice...

Savoring a few minutes of actual snow falling from the sky...

Happy Birthday Joshua!

2010-01-24T22:12:00.007-05:00

Seven years ago today, I was telling Donnie, "I don't think I can do this!" But as pastor taught us yesterday, you always reap more than you sow. And I cannot put into words how grateful we are for the harvest of love, laughter, growth, and sweet memories we have reaped over the last 7 years because of the seed of life that the Lord sowed into our family on that cold day in Denver Colorado.

"When they see among them their children, the work of My hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the holy one of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel." ~Isaiah 29:23

We are absolutely amazed and in awe at the work of God's hands when we look at Joshua, & we are so excited to see how the Lord continues to work in him!

Don't mess with my kid!

2010-01-18T13:48:00.005-05:00

So Joshua went a few doors down for some play time with his buddy Andrew today. He also delivered a meat mallet to Andrew's mom to borrow. This is the email I just received from her:

So Josh came over holding the chicken pounder for me to use. He and Andrew started talking about smashing people in the face with it. Trying to be the motherly voice of reason and discouragement of boy rambunctiousness taken too far, I made sure to put in my two cents about how that wasn’t a good idea, you could really hurt someone, etc.

Josh, however, said, “Well, I have permission from my mom to do that if someone tries to pull me into a car.”

Touché, Josh.

Guess I won’t wonder anymore why all the Nuzum kids carry meat mallets with them wherever they go.

Confession: Yes, I may have mentioned a possible alternate use of the meat pounder to save himself from potential predators as he was walking out the door. Should I have predicted him carrying the thought over into a discussion with his best friend about smashing people's faces, and the inappropriateness of such talk? Probably.

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-08T14:38:00.007-05:00

So I'm about a week late in posting this, but thankfully I did NOT resolve to get more efficient at posting timely blog entries this year...Whew!

However, after hearing and pondering over Pastor Furtick's message last week, I was definitely challenged and given a fresh perspective as I step into the new year. There are several people in our lives right now, faced with struggles & fighting battles that I can't even begin to understand or relate to. However, I can say I have had seasons in my life when I have questioned God's purpose, presence, or provision. Yet when I look back, there is not one moment, one experience, one heartache, one loss that did not result in God revealing His hand and strengthening my faith in the process. Unfortunately I'm prone to forgetting these moments and falling back on my own failed understanding, instead of trusting Him fully when crisis arrives (Prov 3:5-6) So my hope for this year, is that I may see every crisis (large or small) as an opportunity to trust, obey, & worship Jesus, so that His glory can be revealed. These are the new year resolutions that pastor laid out and the points that spoke to me the most.

1. I will seize the opportunity of adversity to experience God’s power!
- When you cut out the crisis, you cut out the opportunity! (Example Exodus 14:13, 15:22...what happens when we cut out the crisis [14:15-15:21], what do we miss? The parting of the Red Sea!
- The only reason an enemy enters your life is so God can have a victory. You can’t have victory without an enemy.
- God will not call off the fight, but rather He will fight for you; big blessings require big battles!

2. I will seize the opportunity of scarcity to receive God’s provision.
Jesus feeds the 5,000. Matthew 14:13-14 & skip (the crisis) to verse 22.
- Scarcity of resource was God’s opportunity to prove himself as the provider to His people!
- When there is scarcity, there is clarity. When we trust in Christ, He provides all our needs. In Matthew 14, Jesus touched what they had, and then multiplied that.
- What is your scarcity? By knowing your need, you can focus on God’s provision.
- Summary of Philippians 4:19: God will supply all your needs!

3. I will seize the opportunity of uncertainty to prove God’s potential.
Jesus walks on water/Peter's lack of faith. Matthew 14:22, skip (the crisis) to verse 34
- Uncertainty gives you an opportunity to depend on God. It gives you the opportunity to lean on God’s power, provision, and providence. Uncertainty is the opportunity to show faith in His provision.
- In our lives, we often want to go straight to the results; but God wants the storm to come. God wants it to be close. God wants you to see His power in the process, not just in His results.

4. I will step into someone else’s crisis and share God’s Word.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
- This will be an opportunity to comfort someone else with the love of God. God has tethered your crisis to an opportunity to comfort someone else.
- Why would God involve Himself in your crisis if you are not willing to involve yourself in someone else’s crisis?

Listening to pastor read the scriptures, taking out the crisis and God's subsequent hand in the situation, was very eye opening for me. I found myself applying the same thinking to every story we read to the boys during our devotions this week. Daniel and the lion's den...David and Goliath...Joshua and the battle of Jericho.... I was amazed at what would be missed if the obstacle, scarcity, uncertainty, or adversity was removed. God is what we would miss.

I'll be honest. I'm not at the point where I can say, "Bring on the crisis!" But I definitely have a peace in my heart knowing that when adversity comes, scarcity threatens, or uncertainty rears its ugly head, I'll have the opportunity to trust Him to bring us through it, and see His grace, power, and mercy at work.

First steps

2009-12-30T18:41:00.005-05:00

Well apparently Ella was just waiting for a bigger audience before she decided she would start walking

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T18:06:00.003-05:00

Christmas Party!

2009-12-22T06:40:00.006-05:00

We had our Christmas party with our homeschool group last week. It was SO much fun! Beth did an AMAZING job planning & hosting it! We started the party with the Christmas story, recited & acted out by Joshua with his Fisher Price nativity set. He's been memorizing a few verses each year and now has the entire 2nd chapter of Luke memorized. He's never done it for a crowd though, and did a GREAT job! And the other day we were surprised to learn that Caleb has actually been paying attention as Joshua has been practicing his verses every day (hmmm...Caleb with an attention span longer than 5 seconds? I know...pretty amazing). Anyway, Josh was reciting his verses one morning and after "...and the angel said..." Caleb threw his hands in the air and announced, "do not be afwaid, I bring news & great joy for all people!". Josh and I both sat there with our chins on the floor. It was pretty darn cute.

So back to the party. After the telling of the Christmas story, we did crafts and had fun making all kinds of Christmas ornaments. Then we had lunch, decorated cupcakes for dessert, & sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. We are so blessed to be part of such a wonderful group of homeschooling families!

Ella and Eli ~ our future students...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I Love Advent

2009-12-17T15:20:00.010-05:00

I absolutely love this time of year! With the only exception being the removal of my wisdom teeth, and despite the fact that I'm still appreciating the effects of the narcotics, it's been a fun December at the Nuzum home! And with our church staff just returning from a trip to Uganda with Samaritan's Purse, and generosity being the topic of discussion, I feel like I've been more aware than ever of how blessed we are, how many things we have to be thankful for, & more importantly how much we have to GIVE.

I know I'm in the minority but I LOVE the cold weather. I love warm PJs & thick comfy socks (& I love that since we homeschool, we can stay in them all day if we want). I love that Joshua and I never miss a day (usually when the little ones are napping) of sitting down with a cup of hot chocolate & a book to read together...sometimes in front of the fire if it's really cold.

I love that Donnie's schedule is less hectic and I'm so thankful for the days when he can come home early & we all get some extra Daddy time. Joshua was very excited this day. Can you tell?

I absolutely love celebrating Advent as a family. I love seeing the kids faces as they anxiously await the chance to open each door of their Advent calendar & discover the surprise that awaits them (it's the only time of year they get chocolate after breakfast, and also the only time of the year they get their morning chores done so fast!) They've had a few extra surprises along the way like a new Christmas movie, a day of cookie making, and a new game for game night. By the way, this is a great family board game for Christmas and, as we found out with our small group, a lot of fun for 10 adults as well!

The last couple of years we've had an Advent wreath and Joshua really enjoyed lighting the candles and having our devotion by candle light. But I realized we were getting too busy during the week & only discussing Advent on Sundays when we would light the candles. Christmas Day comes and goes so fast, we want to take every opportunity to talk with our kids about the reason for Christmas, and make it part of our daily discussion and activities. So this year, I adapted the idea of a Jesse Tree. We have a daily scripture reading & Joshua colors the ornament that illustrates that story. Instead of having a tree to hang them on, we just string them on some yarn and hang it in our school room. I love being able to show them how each story points to the coming Messiah, even 2,000 years before his birth!

We also had the opportunity to help pack 500 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child with our church. We were so excited to be able to take the boys so that they could experience "giving back" in a small way as they stuffed boxes and wrote notes to include for the kids receiving them.

So I'm very torn at this point. Part of me wants the days to slow down so I can enjoy each moment a little longer. But another part of me can't wait until Christmas when my family will arrive and we can continue the celebration with them. And I especially cannot wait to get my hands on that nephew of mine!!

O Christmas tree!

2009-12-06T16:41:00.003-05:00

So our plan to head to the mountains this weekend for our annual tree hunt was thwarted by less than desirable weather. Playing in the snow for awhile would have been fun. However the thought of trapsing through a field of trees with three kids, in freezing weather, trying to find that perfect tree in the midst of a snow storm....Well, let's just say the boys were just as excited when Dad drove up to the house with our beautiful Christmas tree...from Lowes. And we had just as much fun staying in our jammies all day & decorating it...with a few breaks for hot chocolate.

Ella went straight for the ornament with her brothers' picture on it.

Blankies & Thumbs Anonymous

2009-12-01T22:32:00.005-05:00

Hello. My name is Caleb James & I am unable to hold my blankie without my thumb immediately going in my mouth.

Hello. My name is Ella Grace. And I'm feeling his pain. Don't even think about taking my blankie.

Thankfulness Tree

2009-11-24T13:15:00.005-05:00

So here are some pictures of our "Thankfulness Tree" we did for November. The boys wrote things they are thankful for on the leaves and then painted them. I laminated them so the plan is to add to it each year. We'll see how that works :) Here are the quotes on some of the leaves:

J: "My friends" (he lists them all), "Ella because she likes to play with me", "Jake b/c I'm a cousin now", "My batman wii game", "Elevation b/c it's fun", "Caleb b/c he's my brother", "Daddy b/c he takes me to play golf & he gives the best hugs", "Grandpa b/c Jesus made him better" "Bandit b/c he gives me good company"

CJ: "Ella is my princess", "my lankie" (blankie), "God is mumber one, God is mumber one!", "Daddy goes to work", "Mommy is so pretty!" (he's turning into our master manipulator with that last one. I mean c'mon, look at him!)

He's pointing to his "Baby Jake" leaf. I think that's the one he's most proud of!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Homeschool Humor

2009-11-21T15:59:00.003-05:00

So as every Mom knows, kids are always saying funny things. And for me in particular, every time it happens I always hear my sister in my head saying, "write that down!". But usually I never do. This week, however, there were a few things said during school that I just couldn't allow to be forgotten:

subject #1: History
Me: "So, Joshua, do you remember where the pilgrims landed?"
J: "Ummm...I remember it starts with a P...Pinata?

subject #2 Math
I was reading him a word problem:
"Bobby bought 8 goldfish..."
J (interrupting): "Wait! Did you say goldfish?"
"Yes, and a friend gave him 4 more..."
J: "Ugh! Doesn't Bobby know he's going to have to clean that tank every day? Goldfish are disgusting!"

subject #3 Science
We were discussing static electricity & demonstrating it by sticking a balloon to the wall.
Me: "See Josh, static electricity!"
J: "Actually Mom, that wasn't static electricity. I was using the force"

I cannot even begin to imagine how boring my days would be without them! Thanks for making me laugh, J! I love being your teacher...& your Mom!

Aw Shucks

2009-11-17T15:53:00.004-05:00

So we went to Aw Shucks corn maze yesterday with our homeschool group. Actually it is SO much more than just a corn maze! They started off jumping on hay, as you can see in the picture below. Then we were all taken on a hay ride around the corn field. After the hay ride, we were given a lesson on the planting, growing, and harvesting of corn , got to see how all the old farm equipment worked, and basically learned all there is to know about corn! Joshua's take home point for Dad at dinner was that people used to use the corn cobbs for toilet paper. :) There was a kid sized fort and cabins they played in after our picnic lunch, then we took a walk through the nature trail to hunt for bird houses (the answer to how many there were was hidden at the end of the trail). After a quick game of duck racing, and a climb in the tree house, we headed to the the barn where we fed the sheep and goats, saw a new baby goat, turkeys, a pig & a horse. By this time the kids were fading fast, but we couldn't leave without doing the corn maze...oh wait...we also stopped to milk a wooden cow. So a few steps into the corn maze, a few of us moms began to panic about the thought of not making it out. The kids were exhausted and Joshua ended up pushing Ella's stroller through it so I could hold Caleb who refused to walk any further. It was definitely a fun filled day! We tried to get our school work done when we got home, but Joshua ended up falling asleep on the futon. Here are a few pictures and you can see the rest here.

Sayonara old friend...

2009-11-09T15:39:00.004-05:00

So I put the little ones down for a nap today & before I knew it, out of my mouth came, "So ya want to go outside & take the training wheels off your bike, Josh?" I completely expected the same answer we've received the last 50 times we asked him the same question. But much to my surprise I got, "Sure, Mom!"
"Uhhhhhhh....what?"
"I said, sure! Let's go."
"Uhhhh....I meant take your training wheels off and learn to ride your bike without them"
"I know. Let's go!"
"Uhhhh...ok." (thinking to myself - Do I know how to take the training wheels off?)
Fortunately I was able to rummage through the tools to find what I needed to remove them. Then came the running behind him, bent over, holding on to his seat, up and down the street...Now I know why my dad did this! Just about the time I thought my back would give out (after about 2 laps...I obviously need more excercise) Joshua says, "I'm ready for you to let go!"
"What? Are you sure!" (I did not think he was ready)
"Yes, I'm sure!"
...and off he went....

Riverbanks Zoo

2009-11-08T15:43:00.003-05:00

Well yesterday morning we woke the kids early and piled them in the van for a surprise trip to the zoo. They were so excited to discover their surprise & especially to find out we were meeting friends there too! Joshua's favorite was the lions (they were feeding them pumpkins). And Caleb said his favorite was the crocodile. Ella enjoyed seeing the animals as well, and especially enjoyed having a stroller buddy. We got asked several times if she & Eli were twins. "No, but they were born on the same day". We got some confused looks with that one. :-) It was a beautiful fall day for the zoo! I also got to try out my new camera while we were there (thank you family for my early Christmas present!!!!!). It's going to take a lot of practice to learn how to use it well, but here are a few of the pictures we got. Enjoy!

Princess ladybug & her storm trooper cavalier

2009-11-06T20:11:00.006-05:00

Well, the last post was a month late, & this one is only a week late. So hopefully I'll be catching up soon. I was a little under the weather last week, so these were the best pictures I was able to capture in the condition I was in. (Well, I stole one - thanks Al) Enjoy!

One year! (& one month)

2009-10-29T12:23:00.008-04:00

Well our little Ella Grace was recovering from a high fever on her birthday, which unfortunately put a damper on any kind of celebration. Then the day after her birthday she and I flew to Texas and spent the next 4 weeks with Aunt Wendy, Uncle GG, & her new baby cousin, Jake. So this is a month late, but in honor of our sweet one year old, here are a few things we love about Ella:

~The way her entire face lights up when she smiles

~The dimple on her left cheek (still there!)

~She seems to be keeping her daddy's beautiful eyes.

~When she's sleepy she lays her head on your shoulder & sucks her thumb & index finger.

~Whenever she hears music (in the car, a commercial on TV, coming through speakers in a store) she immediately smiles and starts swaying back & forth.

~The way she can look at her Daddy like only a daughter can, & reduce him to a pile of goo on the floor.

~All she has to do is reach out her hand and give a high pitched little grunt & she gets anything she wants. (Who needs words?)

~Her hair is finally long enough that Mom can stop giving Caleb pig tails. (Just kidding about CJ - but I have come close!)

~The way she can eat an entire banana in three bites. (Just make sure the peel is out of sight or she gets really mad that she can't eat that too!)

~She seems to have skipped the open-mouthed baby kisses & actually puckers her lips to give you a kiss - LOVE it!

~She would chose her brothers to play with over any toy or baby doll.

Here is a collection of pictures from our first year with our precious girl:

Opportunity granted

2009-10-21T16:09:00.007-04:00

I'm always looking and praying for opportunities to reveal God to my children. I want them to know how real He is, how close He is...closer than a brother, how much He loves us...more than we can ever imagine. That He protects us and provides for our every need. I want them to know that God just isn't someone we learn about on Sunday or say prayers to before we eat our meals. He is our Father...our best friend...our creator... & loves us so much that He became a man himself, sacrificing his own life so that through Jesus we can have a personal, real, honest, daily relationship with him. Everything we say or do should first be filtered through the truth of His word & should be reflection of His love and work in our lives. I want them to know that their lives are truly in His hands, and although He has given us charge over them for a time, that their lives & futures are ultimately His.

As I type, my mind is still reeling over the morning happenings at my parent's apartment. I am here by myself with the kids for the day. To make a long story short, I owe my parents a toaster. But what I really wanted to share was the obvious way God protected my children and the many reminders of his hand in my life that he has placed on my heart in the last few hours.

#1 He is near...always! He is closer than we can even begin to imagine. The toaster was absolutely engulfed in flames & all I knew to do was to call out to him. I also knew I needed to unplug it and/or close the door to smother it...which I did...somehow. I do NOT remember how I did it. I know I didn't reach into the flames, which I would have had to do to close the door or unplug it...but somehow, that's what I did...or did He? All I know is when it was over, the flames were gone, the apartment was filled with smoke, the alarm was sounding, all three kids were screaming...but we were all safe - and He was HERE with us. I felt His presence like never before. But what He reminded me in the aftermath was that He is that close ALL the time. Why does it take a fire that threatens my family to remind me of it?

#2 He has a specific plan for each of us. I had just told Joshua I was going to run down to the van to get some clothes. (My parents live on the third floor of an apartment building) The minute I put my hand on the front door I thought, "Oh I have lunch in the toaster, I better check on it." The second I stepped into the kitchen, the toaster went up in flames, followed by the wood cabinets above. Nobody will convince me that it wasn't the Lord that spoke to me at the door. Two words for those that know me - Mommy brain. Do you know how many times a week I put bread in the toaster in the morning only to discover it at lunch time? I held on to Ella a little longer today before I put her down for her nap. As the Lord spoke the words to my heart, they came forth from my mouth, "the Lord has a plan for you, sweet girl" Jeremiah 29:11 says "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you & not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future" I don't know how many times I've read that verse in my life, but today it had new meaning. He doesn't just have any future for us. I believe He made it clear to me today that He has a specific plan for each of my children on this side of eternity. So far all I know is that it included today. I was about to walk out the door. I would have been gone. He didn't save me today. He saved my children. He has a plan for them, & though it may be threatened, nothing can thwart it.

#3 He answers prayer. I'm sure you have all seen the news about the boy in Florida that was burned by his classmates. I had trouble sleeping those first few nights, heart-broken by the horror that little boy must have endured, trying to imagine what his Mom must be going through, and fighting nightmarish thoughts of my own children suffering a similar fate. I finally took it to the Lord, knowing these thoughts were not from Him. These thoughts are paralyzing me with fear & I know you do not give us a spirit of fear. I know I sound paranoid, but you know my thoughts anyway, so I may as well voice them to you. Please heal that boy, comfort his mother, and please, please protect my children from ever having to bear the pain from a similar experience... I release my fears to you & accept your peace that passes all understanding....

Take it as you may, but I believe with all of my heart that He answered that prayer today. By the way, I did take the opportunity to talk to Joshua about God's obvious hand in our lives this morning. It was a sweet time. Our pastor really challenged me last week with this question: "Is the life I'm living worthy of the death He died to give it to me?" I hope to make a better go at it.

I came so that they may have life and have it more abundantly John 10:10

I'm an Aunt!!

2009-10-09T18:44:00.002-04:00

...I guess I should also mention that Donnie is an uncle :) Well, apparently all I had to do was blog about my impatience to send Wendy into labor. Almost immediately after I posted yesterday's blog, her labor started. Jake Ryan Miller (my nephew...I mean our nephew) was born yesterday at 9:09 pm and weighed 9 lbs 1 oz, 20in long. Yes that's right, my little sister pushed out a nine pound baby! I have nothing on her now :) I was there for every second of it and I wouldn't have traded that moment for the world! Hopefully I got a good video despite the fact I was trying to see through an ocean of tears. Wendy was amazing through it all, & for the first time I witnessed a daddy actually jump up and down as his son was delivered. (I needed a laugh at that point - thanks G) Jake is doing well. He needed some oxygen for awhile last night, but he's a trooper & doing great. Here is a link to the first pictures of our new little linebacker. We love you baby Jake!

Waiting...

2009-10-08T10:45:00.003-04:00

Well Ella & I have been in Texas 1 week and are trying to be patient as we wait for the arrival of our sweet baby Jake. It's been such a blessing to be able to spend some time with my sister, but I'm ready to be an aunt!! Here are some snapshots of the last week.

sleepy girl...

Ella & Aunt Wendy sporting their Texas longhorn shirts...

Our ONE year old...(party is being postponed until Daddy & brothers get here)

Daddy, Joshua, & Caleb ~ WE MISS YOU!!! XOXOXO

Camera time with Granny

2009-10-01T17:48:00.003-04:00

"Spelling is boring!"

2009-09-23T19:07:00.005-04:00

Not anymore!

For those of you wondering...yes, it did take awhile to convince Joshua to get his hands "dirty" with shaving cream. But spelling is officially back on Joshua's "approved subjects" list, AND the red stain on my table is gone! Bonus!
It goes without saying that Caleb had no problem getting his hands "dirty".

Tippity Top

2009-09-22T14:12:00.002-04:00

What do you get when combine a super-animated drummer, a wild keyboard player and a group of talented musicians and producers who have been given the task of producing a video for Student Takeover?....well, this:

"Tippity Top" Music Video from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

One Fee I don't mind paying

2009-09-18T09:26:00.003-04:00

New tunes from a talented group. Check it out.

J's dialect analysis

2009-09-15T08:50:00.003-04:00

J: "Isn't it funny, Mom, that Grammy & Granddad say 'supper' and we say 'dinner'...and we say jammies & they say pajamas (pu-jaw-muz)?"
Me: "Yeah, we say things a little different, don't we?"
J: "I guess it's because they live in Texas. They really talk like cowboys there."

The inevitable

2009-09-10T19:41:00.004-04:00

It had to happen eventually, right?

If you give a mom a muffin...

2009-09-08T16:22:00.003-04:00

If any of you are familiar with the books "If you give a Mouse a Cookie" or "If you give a Moose a muffin" (there are others as well) you will get a chuckle out of this. Our boys love these books & when I came across this today I had to pass it on. Hope it makes you smile like it did for me! Can anyone else relate?

If you give a mom a muffin,
She'll want a cup of coffe to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three year old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
While wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the waher,
She'll trip over shoes and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger
She'll look for her cookbook ("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger")
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two year old's diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five year old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are..
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

by Kathy Fictorie

Wild party

2009-08-29T14:43:00.007-04:00

Well we finally recovered from the "Nuzum plague" and were able to celebrate Caleb's 3rd birthday today. He was crying his eyes out before everyone arrived saying, "I want to put on my shoes and go to my party!". Needless to say, the tears dried up fast as his friends started arriving & he realized the party was here. He wanted an animal party, so here are our wild and crazy animals.

Joshua helped Mom make some animal cupcakes

Here's the birthday boy trying to blow out his candles from 3 feet away. For some reason he was afraid to get any closer to the candles. We finally had to bring each cupcake to him so he could blow them out. What happened to our fearless wonder?

Then we played "who can eat like an animal"...

...Piper won

Sorry sweetie ~ no cake for you until next month!

Our sweet friends brought over their bounce house for the entertainment. (It pays to have connections!) We love you Fairs!

Happy Birthday Caleb!

New Series at Elevation

2009-08-24T16:48:00.000-04:00

GIVE.ME.FAITH. opening video from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

Three Years Old

2009-08-22T22:33:00.001-04:00

Brotherly love...

2009-08-19T18:53:00.003-04:00

I just got this email from Andrew's mom describing the conversation her husband had with Joshua this afternoon when they were all out playing.

Steve: Josh, do you want a popcicle?
Josh: No, I've had enough sugar for one day
Steve: Well, can Caleb have one?
(Caleb gets really excited here...)
Josh: No, he's not allowed to have one either.
Steve: Did your mom say he can't have one?
Josh: No, but if I can't have one, he can't have one.

ps. For those of you who are feeling sympathetic toward my poor son for being deprived of a popcicle, he had just had an ice cream cone prior to going outside...an hour before dinner I might add.

Back to school

2009-08-15T11:34:00.007-04:00

Well, I have to confess, contrary to popular opinion, I'm really excited about school starting up again & getting back into a daily routine. I've been spending the last few weeks preparing, planning, & organizing which has just fueled my excitement about all we're going to be learning this year. Joshua will be studying early American history as we read stories about the first pioneers & pilgrims. We've already started reading Squanto this week which is the first thing he asks to do every morning and complains when I stop reading. I love seeing him excited about learning! Caleb wants to get right in on the action. It's going to take a little creativity on my part, but I'm hoping to discover along the way how to include him in what we're doing. For example during our geography lesson, Caleb searched for all the A's on the map while Joshua pointed out all the continents. It wasn't what I had "planned" for him, but it worked & he felt like he was "doing school" with big brother.

Joshua was excited about starting school too, but for one reason and one reason only: the Owl Pellet.

What is an owl pellet you ask? An owl pellet is what your 6 year old son decides he wants to buy when you give him extra money to buy "anything he wants" while mom is gathering curriculum and supplies at the local homeschool store. An owl pellet is NOT an interesting book about space (his favorite subject). Nor is an owl pellet a fun math or phonics game, an interesting puzzle, or anything else from the myriad of educational findings you would expect him to chose from. An owl pellet is "a mass of undigested remains of a meal that is regurgitated by an owl after consuming it's prey; mostly consisting of bones and fur" The goal of this activity is to dissect the owl pellet, remove the bones from the mass of regurgitated fur & compare them to the chart provided, thereby concluding what type of animal this owl consumed. Now those of you thinking, "This is NOT the Joshua I know and love, who demands a paint brush with his finger paints & won't touch dirt without a shovel, never fear! He is still alive and well. As you will see in the following pictures, even though it didn't stop the dissection, he was quick to ask for safety gear i.e. gloves, as soon as he opened that enticing little foil package.

Warning: the following images may not be suitable for those with weak stomachs.

Here he is seperating out all the bones and matching them to the pictures on the chart to identify the prey as either a rodent, shrew, or mole. It was actually pretty amazing to see how many bones he found. Below you can see the skull he uncovered. Looks like a rodent! Awe, how cute!

Here are some pictures of another favorite activity of the week.

Joshua completed his tee-pee with a fire pit. :-)

They spent the rest of the day playing "white men & indians".

And here are some pictures of our comic relief:

So that's a small glance at our first week of a new year on the homeschooling front. There are already kinks to work out, chores to be rearranged, and plans to be tweaked. But I can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for us this year. As hard as it is to see them grow up, I'm so thankful I'm able to be right in the middle of the process! I was so encouraged by my friend, Amy's blog post today. You can read it here. Regardless of the fact that she is my "homeschooling hero", you don't have to homeschool to appreciate her thoughts on our children. You may want to grab a tissue! And if you have a daughter (I'm still getting used to that one!), please read this. It's beautiful. What a blessing to be entrusted with these precious lives!