2010 Trip to Maine, Day 1

Don't they look excited!! This is the beginning of the trip. 

This is around 2 and half hours later. 

Here is another sleepy head, except this one is drugged up on Dramamine. 

This one is awake and so is the kid!! ;o)  

After about 4 and half hours, we finally made it!! :o)

Even at 18 the girl still loves to swing. 

That is one big ball!! 

Having fun!! 

Fixing the swing and getting a little help!! ;o) 

Sisters!!

Playin' some hard core Uno. 

View from the cabin. 

Emy at Little Beach.

Shannon and mommy (that would be me!!)  :o)

Max and Lindsay, my son and his wonderful girlfriend. 

Sunset

Toby enjoying the beach.

Toby being dragged into the water. 

Looking for crabs and other sea creatures. 

Found a dead crab...eeewww!!

In this world of litigation signs are necessary to warn people of possible dangers. 

Pemaquid Lighthouse. Just a side note of information: Did you know this lighthouse is on the Maine state quarter? 

Lighthouse

Sister and Brother

The lighthouse light!! :o)

A darker moment.

Sisters in a tree. 

Night sky and time for bed.

*****Stay tuned for day two pictures.******

The Girl Left

That cute kiddo there is my daughter, Emily or Emy or Emy Sue. Emily was our second homeschool graduate and is now headed off to Masters Commission. For those who don't know, Masters Commission is an 8 month intensive discipleship program. It includes learning all the areas of the church, going on missions trips, doing street ministry, performing dramas, making christian art, and also college work. This particular Masters Commission is already booked all the way through March for pretty much every weekend. She is going to be one busy girl, but one very happy girl!! 

You see, Emy loves people!! :o) She is like her momma, but even more so. The girl thrives on being around people and getting to know them. She can tell me more about someone when meeting them for the first time then I could tell you when knowing them awhile. Sad, but true. She asks excellent questions and when people talk to her they seem to know that she is really interested in what they have to say. It is a gift and one that I'm sure she will use in her new home away from home. 

When we left Emy, I was sad but also very relieved. You see, for awhile it seemed like this dream was going to slip right through her hands. The desire to go to MC has been a strong one for about 6 years, but then some glitches and distractions occurred. These were things that seem to pull her away from her calling. I cannot tell you how many nights I spent just pleading with the Lord for her. My heart was broken, because I knew that the direction she was going in was not one of life but death. Maybe not literal death, but more of a spiritual numbness. This kid had a passion, like I have never seen for the things of God. She knew what He called her to do and she was going to do it no matter what. So, to see this distraction come in was a lot for my mommas heart. I am so blessed that God did a work that I never thought possible and the vision has been restored. Not my vision, but God's vision for her. 

It is hard letting go of our children. This is the second to leave this nest. However, it is also humbling and amazing to see the hand of God on your child. I cannot tell you how blessed I am to watch my kids grow up to be wonderful people who will make a positive difference in this world. No, they may not always make the 'best' choices and they may not do things 'my way'. That is okay. I know, without a shadow of a doubt that the hand of mighty God is upon them and I will trust in Him to complete the work that He has started. 

My Brain is Mush

I honestly wish I could come up with a clever title, but one I have pretty much sums it all up. Yes, my brain is mush. In case you don't know, I have started online classes through Liberty University to get an Associates Degree in Christian Counseling. Classes started this week, and though I am currently only taking two my brain feels as though I'm taking a million!! I'm so thankful the semester is broken up into 8 weeks, because if not then I would be taking all four classes at the same time. Yes, I realize college students do this ,as my son is more then willing to point out, but I'm not a full time college student. I'm a full time stay at home/homeschool mom, so that must count for something. Right? ;o)

Today it has been raining all day, and I need to have my work done by Friday because we are heading to Portsmouth and I don't have a laptop yet. So all that to say, today has been spent reading, watching online lectures, and studying for the quizzes. Can I please say one more time, my mind is mush?  Thanks for listening and hopefully I will have more coherent post up soon. 

What Worship is All About

Today in church a man with a mental disability stood next to me. I know this man, but for this post I will call him Mr. B.,  he is awesome and has such a zest for life!! :o) When he came over to sit by me,  I must confess I was taken back a little because I wanted to worship. Did you get that? 

I. Wanted. To. Worship.

I did not want to be distracted today by listening to someone else worship. 

How sad is that?

When the music started the first song was, 'God is Good All the Time'. Mr. B obviously knew the song and he sang it out with all of his heart. Then the next song came along and Mr. B did not know the words, but he sang out how much he loved Jesus. He praised His Lord. He didn't care what he sounded like or who was around him, he came to praise Jesus and that is exactly what he did. I was so blessed and my heart was so full that I just had to stop singing and listen to Mr. B as he praised the Lord.

Worship is not about how we sound or who we are. It is about getting our hearts right and entering in to the very presence of the living God. All our cares, needs, worries, attitudes, agendas, or other baggage just fall off when we worship Him. 

I thank God for placing Mr. B next to me today. I learned something today that I will never ever forget. 

The Boy Went Back

The boy up there in the picture is my son Max. I guess technically he is a man, since he is 20 years old but to me is my baby boy. He attends college in Mo. but he was home on summer break for four months. Four months of having him back home was really nice, but now that time is over and he is in the process of returning back to school. When I say 'in the process', I mean literally not figuratively. He is in an airplane right now and should be landing in a couple of hours. 

This is not his first year of college, he is entering his junior year. I remember very plainly the time we dropped him off at school. It was an amazingly awesome, yet horrid experience. Amazingly awesome because I knew that was where he was supposed to be but horrid because it was so hard to leave him. We live in NH and MO. is a long, long, long way from home. 

God has been very good to him through the years. He has developed amazing friendships with wonderful 'kids' and has an amazing girlfriend. His major is film and he is working some great things. I am excited for him, but yet it is still hard to let him go. I know he will be okay. I know that God is with him. I know all those things and more, yet my momma's heart misses him today. 

Thanks for listening to my ramble. 

Maine 2010

Some things in life are just worth doing no matter the cost. This year our vacation in Maine was one of those things. Me and all the kids, plus my sons girlfriend, went to enjoy the coast of Maine. In all actuality there were other things I could of spent the money on, but when it comes down to it I cannot ever put a price on the wonderful time that we had. This was the first time in probably 4 years that all the kids were able to go, and who knows when they will all be able to go again. Don't put off the things that you want to do with your family till you have 'enough'. 'Enough' may never come and in the end regrets will be made instead of memories. 

Here is me, being a clam. I will upload the rest of the pictures and add them soon!! :o) 

Books!!

Who doesn't love it when the UPS truck pulls up in the driveway and there is a wonderful brown box filled with stuff for them? It is so funny, because I obviously know what will be insider, since I ordered it, but I still get excited about opening the box. Yesterday when I got home from getting tires on my van and working on the Walk For Life, there was a beautiful brown box sitting on my porch. It made my day!! :o)  

In the box was my school books for this semester!! All seven of them, ranging from pretty small to very large. Of course I had to open them all and smell that new book smell, that could probably be a candle scent. ;o) Then I pulled out my course schedule for each class to determine exactly what I would have to read in the first week. That first week will be a busy one with my daughter heading off to Masters Commission. 

Yes, I am a dork.

For all you dorks out there who may be interested, here is a list of the books:

Bible 104:

How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth 

The Promise and the Blessing

Courageous Faith

_______________________________________________________________

Philosophy 104

When World Views Collide

The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics 

_______________________________________________________________

Theology 

Found: Gods Will

Core Christianity 

_________________________________________________________________

Psychology 101

Psychology 2010 Textbook with CD Rom and Workbook

That is it, and I bet you can't tell I'm excited to start!!