Supervising

Supervising -- that is what we have been demoted to - yes demoted. I'd much rather be able to get my hands on things and help out - especially when things need done right now, but no, I have to supervise along with my husband who also has to just supervise....

A couple of weeks ago Chad had an accident that, until it heals, prevents him from using his left hand. Within days of the accident we had to take down the scaffolding we had borrowed and return it to the owner since he needed it. Well, we have a great  and willing work crew - normally we work with them, but due to both our health, we had to supervise...

I decided to supervise with a camera in hand...

There is the west side of the house without scaffold up anymore...

 The scaffold was 3 levels high with large planks on it. The kids did an amazing job of listening to instructions and carefully disassembling it one level at a time. Myles, Naomi and Melodee worked on that while Beth stacked the things they sent down to her.

 Here is a piece of scaffold coming down and Beth is receiving it. Chad is supervising like a pro, keeping everyone safe and where they need to be.

 Almost done, you can actually see the house now. I'll never get over how much I like it! Chad did such an amazing job!!!

 There we are stacking the last of the planks and getting ready to take down the last set of scaffold.

As you can see from the snow in the picture, it was a little chilly out there so I headed in to warm up. It took quite a while to accomplish the task, so I was outside long enough to get chilled. We were blessed with a little extra help from some special family members that came down to assist as we loaded it into the truck. I even drove the load back to the owner and they had people there who unloaded it for us.

It wasn't a big project, but it was definitely a family activity. We needed everyone. We had the little girls inside cheering us on and everyone else was outside working. Together, we did something that Chad or I alone could not do. That's what families are for. Together we can accomplish miracles - even when some have to stand back and patiently allow progress to be made. Even those supervising are putting as much effort into filling the need as they are able in a given moment. Together needs are met and filled. What joy there is in family support, in family activities and family togetherness. It is so awesome!!!

Building a Kingdom

This past week I began my third week in cubs as the Cub leader. It is not always an easy calling and I often come home tired - well in truth just getting ready is tiring, but this week our activity was something I was very interested in. One of the badge requirements is to build a model of a farmyard, or school yard etc. We  always have a theme in Cubs and this month it was Knights of Olde sooooo....

...we built a kingdom!

We started with craft floral foam and cut and shaped it into hills forming a place for a river and of course a bridge to go. Then we painted everything including the foam. It was gray which worked great because it added texture to the hills.

Next we glued in rocks on the river edges and a few into the hills. Then we constructed our buildings and added a few trees. That was as far as we got this week.

This was a pretty in depth project for 8 year old boys but I was very pleased with how well they did in beginning to build their kingdoms. The pictures are of mine because I didn't take my camera to the activity but theirs are every bit the model that mine is. It is my plan to continue over the next weeks and months to work on our models, complete the village houses, add people and animals and even wagons.

When the project is done it will be thrilling for the boys to take them home and show them off to their families. And that is really what it is all about! The joys we experience, the accomplishments we make all mean more when the people we love celebrate them with us.

This project was not an easy one to do with such young children. It kept me running for the full activity. 

I can't help but think that each family on earth is a kingdom. Those kingdoms - over time - grow and form sub-kingdoms. Each one is composed similarly and as more time passes the sub-kingdoms build their own sub-kingdoms. Each kingdom built brings joy to all the others. Yet in the days of Camelot there was a division that threatened the entire kingdom and the peace and security they felt. Of course we know that the true dark knight - the one that would threaten our own happy kingdoms - is Lucifer himself. The king of darkness and division. He works overtime to threaten the kingdoms we build up - that are a pure source of joy. When this happens there is heartbreak and division. Only light can overcome those things and restore joy once again to the formerly happy kingdoms.

I am so grateful for my kingdom - my church kingdom and my family kingdom. They may not always be as peaceful as preferred but they are a pure source of joy and even serving as the cub master in scouts, though it is hard, is something that helps me to feel the joys in my life more poignantly. May the sun break through and shine into our lives like never before....

Special Days

We've had another birthday at our house! It was a pretty eventful week so we were thankful that we were able to celebrate as we had planned despite everything else that was going on. 

I love this picture - it's blurry but somehow
Naomi managed to get the smoke
off the candles in the shot.

This birthday girl is happiest on a horse or near a horse. If she can't be around horses she loves to write fiction and read. She excels academically and has a wonderful way of sharing her knowledge in the things she writes. She is a delightful person to have in our family and is a blessing in our home. What a joy it is to be blessed with a child such as this!

Recycled Snow

This year we've had snow so much earlier than we've had in the last 4 or 5 years that it feels like Christmas. I loved that when I came home from the hospital the first thing that greeted me was the sound of Christmas carols playing. I love the feeling of festivity that the snow brings. I love that is provides another outlet of play for my kids - especially when we are so blessed with days warm enough to enjoy the snow but not so warm that it is gone in one day. The snow around here has been put to many good uses - you could almost call it recycled snow.

Just after the snows I looked out into my backyard to find:

All the snow off the back deck had been heaped into one central pile. A few days later that same pile of snow was recycled and now looked like this:

From above

From below

Yup! The kids put together their own hills for sledding. They played out there for hours and eventually played themselves out, so once again, that same snow was again recycled - this time to make a snow fort. I didn't get pictures of their fort, but the broke it into chunks and stacked it to make a fort to play in. Snow is pretty fun.

Along with the snow came a bit of a surprise. Living in town I don't think we've ever seen an owl nearby, yet only a few days ago we looked out our window and were surprised to see an great big owl perched in the tree just outside our window...

Winter is filled with delights. Often when I think of winter I am tempted to dwell on the harsh, cold elements that make travel difficult and the inconvenience of having to bundle up to go outside. Of course there is always the need to be careful when there is ice so as to avoid unnecessary injury. Life is sometimes a little like winter. There are days that feel harsh and cold, but those same days are also filled with the great possibilities for the fun and delight that my children found - we simply have to take advantage of the opportunities for good even in the face of harshness or unkindness. I love that there is joy in winter. It is a beautiful time of year made even better by the anticipation of Christmas. It is such a blessing to experience the changing seasons and even winter is a very enjoyable season at our house.

The Hands of Angels

It's amazing how quickly time can pass when you are busy and how slowly it goes when you are not. With each day I look for something new I can do and I am keeping busy in the 'take-it-easy' form. Over the past few weeks I have had lots of visits, phone calls and meals from the hands of the angels in my life. I am so grateful for those people that have cared enough to show it.

These angels have fed us very well:

They have come bearing lovely gifts:

And most appreciated they have  expressed their willingness to help, their love and their support. I am so thankful for the hands of the angels that help to bring joy into my life.