What I'm already doing

I've mentioned before that we live in East Lake. This is an area of town that is filled with poverty. When we first moved here, for me, it was more out of obedience to God's word - James 1:27 & Luke 6:46. Now I am not only here out of obedience, but I have a desire to be here, I am really developing a love for the people.

In the beginning I wasn't sure how to minister to my neighbors as I had so many other things in my life to get in order (home schooling 3 little ones, new baby on the way, boxes to unpack, starting a new adventure with a house church...the list went on).

A year later (can you believe we have been here a year!) I am starting to see how I can really share God's word with my neighbors. Ben and I talk a lot about taking something we are already doing and invite others into that. Example. Ben and some other guys from our church workout & pray together every MWF. That is something they are already doing, so now when they met someone from the neighborhood they can ask them to join in. They aren't meeting new people then trying to figure out a context that they can minister to them in. That context is already there - working out three days a week.

So I thought, ok what do I do on a daily basis? Laundry, dishes, taking kids to and fro, home schooling...then a light bulb went off! I teach my kids at home. Education is something that is lacking in this community. The public schools nearby, we'll lets just say they aren't getting the top scores. So after talking to my neighbor across the street I found out she has one little boy who isn't school age yet. He's 4. The exact age of my Isabel. So why not teach her little boy when I teach Isabel. So that's exactly what I do.....something I was already doing anyway.

Every Thursday he comes over for a couple of hours and we have school. We were blessed to have the opportunity for are two older boys to attend a co-op on Tues & Thurs which meant I just have Isabel & Cannon at home. God knew what he was doing when those spots just "happen" to open up at the co-op. Really don't think I would have been able to teach 1 more with all 4 of mine at home. Especially with doing pre-k, 1st & 2nd grade. Doing all three every day can get a little overwhelming some days.

I know it's only one day a week, which isn't much, but it's what I can handle. Amazing thing is, it has also opened up doors for his mom & I to have a relationship as well.

3 Months

I may be a little late on posting, but I did take the pictures on the day he turned 3 months (Sept 6th).

Love those cheeks!

Favorite place to nap.

Favorite activity - talking to siblings.

and chewing on his hands.

The Mail truck

My parents live in Florence, AL only about 2 hours from our door. The kids and I made a weekend trip to celebrate the boys birthdays, mine & my sisters birthday, my parents anniversary, my mom retiring from teaching school, and my dad retiring from delivering mail. Told you it was a time of celebrating. I also had on my agenda to get this picture.

I have a picture of each of my kids in his mail truck and couldn't let Cannon be left out.

Brings back memories of our very first picture with the mail truck.

Notice Carter is wearing a mailman's outfit too. His 2nd Halloween.

Birthday Recap

End of August first of September is a busy time with lots of celebrations around our house. I emphasis the word busy again since this is Oct. 1st and I'm just now getting around to putting it on the blog.

Caden turned 7 and his dessert of choice was a stack of donuts.

Carter turned 8 a week later and wanted a strawberry pie with crust on top.

Over Labor Day weekend, we had an actual party with grandparents and a few close friends. Each year the boys get to agree on a theme and this year without any disagreement it was Phineas & Ferb. If you have never seen it go watch an episode. Ben & I even think it's super cute. Plus it's on Netflix - big plus since we don't do cable.

As always my sister came down and we made the cake. Each year we get smarter by going simpler. We already had Phineas & Ferb characters that were surfing so we went with blue waves all over....so simple. We also made each of the boys their own Perry the Platypus (P & F's pet).

Pretty simple here too. It's a Twinkie with part of a circus peanut for the legs & beak then a sugar wafer for the tail. The wiggle eyes are the only part not edible.

Perry is one of Ben & Grandaddy's favorites so they dressed the part.

Ok, so Perry is Izzy's favorite too!

Even though we couldn't find a Perry shirt for Cannon B, he had a great time entertaining.

Hope you had a wonderful birthday boys!

Not Me Monday

We did NOT have to make a trip to the ER yesterday.


Two fractured bones in the right wrist, compliments of the monkey bars @ the park.

Not Me Monday

I do NOT put my 3 month old in his bathtub on the counter while I get things done in the kitchen.

Anniversary

Today, Friday, Sept. 2, 2011, Ben and I celebrate 11 years of marriage. I decided to show the kids some pictures so I dug through the closet and dusted off the wedding album. However I quickly put it away when the comment was made "Daddy looks the same, but WOW, Mom, you were so young"!

Always hard to top our 3rd anniversary when we welcomed our first born, Carter Alexander into the world. So now Sept. 2nd is more of a birthday celebration at our house and that's ok with me. Ben and I still find time to celebrate, it just may be December ;)
Happy 8th Birthday Carter!