Memorial Day...

Yesterday was a vacation day, a day to remember our veterans.... didn't know about our neighborhood parade, but hope to go next year at 9am!

Made pancakes but forgot the big container of syrup at Grandma's....so we made some...they were liked by almost all...

We moved hostas...it was fun and is looking nice! Chris chopped wood, and helped a man with his Sprinter for a few hours. I napped - yeah!

Later we headed up to the pine city to fish a little and help with an an awning, but it was "stormy" up there, inside and outside of the cabin. So, we headed back. And then we headed to softball, photo's above...Sophia & I hit home runs...it was fun.

Almost all of us joined in, and it was a lot of un for about 30 minutes until competition and bad attitudes set in so we headed home. I decided to move some more hostas.............

It was kind of one of those "off" days, and for me, it was good as I stayed joyful and calm in the storm.  I think Chris has more understanding for my hard days, after spending more time around the kids.

We are off to a new day of school today, and Jonathan got up early and did all his homework early! I think he wants to get outside....some are still in bed, and some are just eating....have a great week back at it.

Love Alesia & Chris

Good Sermon, Grateful Sons, Grandma

Had a great sermon today, on lying, up at Grandma's church. It's just a reminder to me that we have an advocate, in our Lord and Savior and that there is no need for us to retaliate, as "vindication is mine, says the Lord". He will protect and care for us and our loved ones, and we need not take on the world.

I explained to a couple children that one of the hardest things in life is when you try to do your best honestly, and truthfully, with pure motives, and the recipients deliberately (or unknowingly) try to counter with so many blows. It's the biggest injustice. I think some understood it.

I learned some disturbing news this weekend about one of my children spreading falsehood and I am wondering how to handle it. I can handle the sadness of one spreading falsehood about me, but they are representing themselves falsely.  That can lead to more and more shame and lying with time, how timely our sermon was today.

I had a nice couple days with Grandma and cried upon leaving. I have such wholesome memories of Dad & Mom, and it's so hard to just see Dad's boat, the fish house, etc. some days, even though Mom is doing great and I am so proud of her. Just last year, it was a special get away with Chris & I and Mom and Dad for our anniversary, and this year(felt like 10 to Chris & I), we bombarded her with 9 of us. I hope she is recovering.

We headed home today and finished the day with the League of Grateful Sons, by Vision Forum in honor of Memorial Day. We highly recommend it. In the day of the Wii, we forget about WII, in the day of Lego StarWars, we forget the stars of our wars, in the day of facebook, we forget the Faces in the books of history that make our every day freedoms a reality....

We learned the definition of truth today - that which pertains to reality....that pretty much sums it up. We live in a fantasy, electronic world...and forget the reality of those before us that make our lives richer today. I am enjoying my John & Abigail Adams book, and a little Jane Eyre on the side...and His word to keep me grounded in the TRUTH, and I still have a long ways to go with all the lies the enemy sends our ways each day.

May His reality seep into your heart today, touch you, heal you, and bring you closer to the truth in Him...

Love Alesia & Chris

Katya's 16th Birthday

Today is Katya's birthday, and her science class is going to Valleyfair so I think that worked out pretty nicely. She had her hair cut at the salon yesterday, and sang in her school choir. She'll have cheese cake for supper, and lunch out with Grandma on Sat. So not much else planned and don't really have her wish list yet. She hopes to spend some time with a friend some weekend. Hope to update with more photos after the weekend.

Here are a couple more photos from Jaclyn's wish list...ice cream at Nelson's before a violin concert.
Have a good Memorial Day weekend, Alesia & Chris

Diligence & Laziness

The kids are writing 5 pages on diligence or laziness, whether it be copying or from their heads. Yesterday I had 1 hour of work for them to do and all were lazy at one time or another...it was just picking up sticks and rocks in our yard, and you'd think they had to write 5 pages or something!!! Anyway, I challenged them to think on their own for awhile if they are not too lazy. This is the best our 10 year old can come up with so far..he's still working but at lunch,

It is bad to be lazy, because then you learn to be lazy and you'll be lazy when you grow up. It is good to be diligent because then you learn good habits, then when you grow up you will be diligent. When you are diligent and you work hard, and you will do better in life. When you are lazy you will not work hard and you will lose out on jobs. People will not like to be around you. You will not do good in life.

Some verses from the Bible:

Because of laziness, the building decays, and through idleness of hands, the house leaks. Ecc 10:18
The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor. Prov 12:24
But his Lord answered and said to him, you wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. Matthew 25:26
He who gathers in summer is a wise man; He who sleeps in the harvest is a son who causes shame. Prov 10:5

Go to the ant....you sluggard......

In case you struggle with laziness in your home, or family..it's going to be a long day around here today...

Love Alesia & Chris