Is it Summer Yet?

I asked that question, because my children finished school 2 weeks ago and it seems as if we have been busy ever since.
We went away to South Carolina for a RC flight festival. (My husband's hobby) We camped one night in our popup camper and stayed in hotel the other 2. Our night in the popup was a lot of fun! I am ready to pack it up and head off again.
On night #3 of our mini-vaca, none of us (my husband's family) could decide where to eat. With 14 of us, (adults and children) it is hard to get in any resturant. So, we chose Ryan's....By the time we got there, I was starving! So, I quickly got my food and started to devour it. Well, in my haste to get eatin', I choked. Not just the cough and it goes on down choke, but the "my face is turning red and blue and I can't breathe" choke. My sister-in-law leapt into action and started the hiemlich. When nothing happened, she started yelling for someone to help. A Ryan's waitress came and started the hiemlich again...the rest was a blur.....I was whisked away to the bathroom and the staff called 911....After I vomitted a lot, the paramedics determined it was stuck in my esophagus....I was in extreme pain but not in any life threatening danger. I expelled the huge piece of steak later...(Yes, cheap steak was the culprit) Very scary for me and everyone involved.
After arriving home from that relaxing (not really) vacation, we came back to rush straight into our coop's end of the year picnic, our coop's book sale, taking the car for repairs, choir practice, small group, singing on the praise team Sat. and Sunday at church, Mem. picnic with in-laws, keeping a friend's kids for 5 hours, and then here we are at today...Yes, an activity for everyday since May 21st...So that's why I ask, is it summer yet? You know, the relaxing lazy days of summer?

Popup Camper

For over a year, my husband and I have been wanting to buy a popup camper. We thought, "What a great way to create memories with the kids!" So last May, we put our boat (A 1973 Starcraft) up for sale. We were going to take the money and buy a popup. Well, we had many lookers, but no takers. I was relieved, because I didn't want to get rid of the boat. We had already made tons of memories in that and wasn't ready to let it go!
Fast forward a year...We still are talking popup, but financially we are in a different place. You see last year, we had to sell the boat in order to even think of buying something else. But, during the last year, we have seen God bless my husband's business way above what we could think. So, we started looking again, thinking to purchase one for about $1200-$1500.
Last week, we hit the jackpot. (Or the jackpot to us anyway!) My husband found a 70 something man who was selling his 1973 Starcraft popup for $950! My husband being the wheeler dealer he is tried to get it for less...He got it for $900. A 1973 popup may not sound great to some, but this man cared for this thing. I mean, he kept it pristine, mechanically and asthetically. He was a great steward of his things, and our family gets the benefit.
We are camping tomorrow night...We are all really excited. This thing has 2 double beds, a table, a sink and a propane gas stove. I will try to post pix later....

Sweetness

Just documenting the sweet spirit of my son...This morning my son climbed in bed with me and after awhile, said, "Mommy, Can you fix breakfast?" Well, my son is fully capable of fixing his own breakfast. (Ie. bagels, waffles, fruit, even scrambled eggs, My ds is 7 1/2) I said, "Hon, why don't you fix your breakfast?" He hopped out of bed with the reply of, "OK!" Then he called back down the hall that I could stay in bed till he was done. Well, I drug myself out of bed, got dressed, made up my bed, and was starting to unpack from our trip last week, and my son comes back in my room. He wanted to know what I was doing out of bed, because he wanted to serve me breakfast in bed! I hopped onto the bed and told him that I still could have breakfast in bed, even though technically I was up. So, he brought me scrambled eggs with a glass of water on a tray. Then he brought his eggs and bagel to my room and we both had "breakfast in bed." I had tears in my eyes as I thanked him for this selfless act. My son has a heart to serve, a very compassionate boy. Thank you God for my blessings!

Butterflies Have Emerged

Well, today our butterflies have finally emerged. What a miracle of nature to behold! We didn't actually see them emerge, but there is still one to go. Maybe we will catch it in the action!
Were you someone who broke out of a cocoon to become something completely new and beautiful? I was before Christ found me. I was bound by fear, loneliness, hopelessness, and helplessness. But Christ spoke, and in a moment, in a millisecond of time, I was transformed into a new creature. My colors changed, my behaviors changed, my friends changed. Just like the butterfly...When it becomes a butterfly, it no longer looks caterpillar. It is metamorphisized. It doesn't crawl to get around anymore, but soars from flower to flower being exactly what God made it. It doesn't hang around caterpillars anymore, but it hangs with other butterflies.
Even nature cries out and testifies of His greatness and goodness!

Too much

Is it just me, or do we seem to always have too much stuff? My children and I purged their rooms this morning. Two bags of trash are what came out, along with a bag to give away. Ughhh! I feel like we are constantly fighting against the clutter monster. And I feel (and know) that we constantly give away unused things, like books, clothes, toys, etc. But the monster always seems to grow!!!!!
Spring cleaning is on our agenda...We have cleaned out our storage area under the house, resulting in another pile of unused items for give away. We put them by the road and luckily almost 100% of the usuable items have been scavenged by some lucky person who will use them. The rest (mostly broken things, construction trash) will be carted off today by our friendly trash men.
100 years ago did trash men exist? I don't know for sure, but I surely don't think so. That's because the average Joe had less than a handful of outfits of clothing, minimal furniture, books, toys, etc. And they recycled everything! They always found a way to reuse items...I try to get back there and never seem to find the way. Have you?

Caterpillar Update

Our caterpillars have started hanging from the top of the jar they came in. One has developed its chrystallis. It is really cool to watch their transformation.
My son and I went biking about a week and half ago and came upon some puddles filled with tadpoles. We scooped them up into our empty water bottle and brought them home. I think there are about 3 left, but we are watching them grow and change also. I guess our science theme for the spring is metamorphasis. Picked and chosen by Him!
As for life, I am just living it in His grace. Doing life with my family, to become what He wants us to be. And, yes, we have our "days" where we struggle and fall, but we press on. His amazing love is THE thing that causes me to want to go on. Even when I fall, sometimes into what feels like to be the deepest of pits, His love reaches in and is even deeper still. He is my night in shining armor, my rescuer, my deliverer, protector and lifter of my head. He is the only reason I have to live and breathe. He is mine and I am His!

Caterpillars

Our caterpillars are here!! I was actually getting a little worried that they would never arrive. But today, our friendly mail carrier delivered a small box, cotaining a jar with our caterpillars. The bottom of the jar contains about three inches of a brownish substance that is their food. You don't do anything with them, just watch until they have attatched themselves to the top of the jar and when they have all hardened into their next state, you transfer them into their butterfly habitat and wait for the "big change"! How exciting to me!