Category: Familylife

Posted on

Scribbles

Lila loves to get my ink pens and scribble. Her scribbles are beautiful to me. They are precious pieces of art, because I just love her so much and anything she does is special.

I have kept so many of my children’s scribbles, pieces of art work and flowers (and weeds) that they handed me with love. These things are so precious to me because they were given with a pure heart – “Mommy, look what I drew!” I still have flowers pressed in books from 25 years ago.

I wonder if God feels the same when we give him our heart and our limited talents and abilities? I hope so. We may feel our lives are just a scribble, but I think he sees a masterpiece. He sees what we can be.

Posted on

Chipped Plates

This is one of those blessings that you have to go all around the circle and as you’re coming back around, you realize that you can be thankful for it.
I registered for Wedgwood, Queen’s Shape everyday dishes when we got engaged.  I received about 12 place settings.  We don’t use them every single day, but I do bring them out quite a bit. I like using the salad plates for our breakfast because they’re the perfect size.
Yesterday, as I was washing the ones we had just used, I noticed that every single one of them has a nasty chip on the side.  I am assuming that these chips came from slinging them around too hard when they were being washed.  I also noticed that one of my big serving platters has a crack almost all the way across.  Now, I’m not placing blame on anyone here, but some people in the family wash dishes like it’s a race at the speedway – slinging them here and there, smacking them on the faucet and throwing them into the dishwasher.
How in the world can this be a blessing?
I’m thankful for:
~ the nice plates, chips and all ~
~ food to serve on them ~
~ a husband and children to wash them ~
~ a family to sit around the table and eat from them ~
This is a thought that could just keep on rolling along.  I could talk about how I am not the same glossy plate that I was 22 years ago and how I’ve gotten chipped up along the way, but that all those chips mean I’ve lived a good life and have had tons of battles and blessings, but I’ll save that thought for another time!
Blessings to you today!
Posted on

Haiti Trip

A Facebook post from my daughter…May we all find a way to ‘turn the blessings around’ in 2013!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

‎2012 has been my year of blessings. There are so, so many things I am thankful for.
 An always-loving God gave me a trip to Haiti over the summer, my first year of horse shows, friends who I love and a riding trainer who took me under her wing and is giving me more than she knows she is.
In 2013, I’m going to turn that around.
 This will be the year I give unconditionally, to people I know and to people I don’t.
 Because of God’s abounding blessings, it’s now my responsibility to give back everything I’ve gotten.
Posted on

Chipped Plates

This is one of those blessings that you have to go all around the circle and as you’re coming back around, you realize that you can be thankful for it.
I registered for Wedgwood, Queen’s Shape everyday dishes when we got engaged.  I received about 12 place settings.  We don’t use them every single day, but I do bring them out quite a bit. I like using the salad plates for our breakfast because they’re the perfect size.
Yesterday, as I was washing the ones we had just used, I noticed that every single one of them has a nasty chip on the side.  I am assuming that these chips came from slinging them around too hard when they were being washed.  I also noticed that one of my big serving platters has a crack almost all the way across.  Now, I’m not placing blame on anyone here, but some people in the family wash dishes like it’s a race at the speedway – slinging them here and there, smacking them on the faucet and throwing them into the dishwasher.
How in the world can this be a blessing?
I’m thankful for:
~ the nice plates, chips and all ~
~ food to serve on them ~
~ a husband and children to wash them ~
~ a family to sit around the table and eat from them ~
This is a thought that could just keep on rolling along.  I could talk about how I am not the same glossy plate that I was 22 years ago and how I’ve gotten chipped up along the way, but that all those chips mean I’ve lived a good life and have had tons of battles and blessings, but I’ll save that thought for another time!
Blessings to you today!

Posted on

Differences in Marriage

My husband and I are very much alike in our beliefs and our values.
   We agree politically (though he’s a bit more verbal and opinionated).
   We agree spiritually.
   We agree on how to rear our children.
In our personalities, though, we are completely different.
   He is outgoing with nary a shy bone in his body.
   He has energy that never stops.
   He gets animated when he is around people.
I know we are not the only ones with major differences in our personalities.  This summer, a friend showed me some pictures that she had taken when she and her husband went to the beach.
My friend loves the beach!  She couldn’t wait to get her toes in the sand!
   Her husband, however, can not really be described as a beach bum.  Check out the black pants, white socks and sneakers.
I’m thinking a mountain vacation would have been more to his liking!
Posted on

Hannah’s Horse Paintings

I was cleaning my daughter’s room yesterday and found these paintings.
She was working on them last week.
I know because I saw her washing out brushes in the kitchen.
But, she never showed me the paintings.
To my quiet, reserved, humble middle child…
I will find your talents and show them to the world!
Posted on

Playhouses

My sister and I cultivated our housekeeping skills at an early age by always keeping a ‘playhouse’ somewhere in the house and outside. We would set up play areas here and there, usually with Barbie dolls and baby dolls in the house. One special place I remember in the basement was at the bottom of the stairs, underneath the stairwell, in between the stairs and the hot water heater. There was a piece of furniture that made the third wall of our playhouse and a ledge under the steps. This was a fantastic playhouse, especially since we could really hide and hear the goings on of the grown ups while we were carrying on our own little life.

In the summers, things got a lot more elaborate. There was a trail from our house into the woods and we found a relatively flat spot to be our playhouse. There were lots of large grape vines and these were used as couches, beds and shelves. They were also good room partitions for our kitchen and bathroom. We saved Mother’s empty Merle Norman jars and bottles for our playhouse bathroom and carried armloads of empty Campbell’s soup cans and spice jars for our kitchen. Probably these relics are still down there underneath years of leaves.

Imaginative play is so very important for children. I always tried to foster a love of pretend in my little ones. They loved boxes – the bigger the better – and they would have so many adventures in their little hiding places.

Of course, couch cushions were the perfect building materials for their walls and tunnels. I never minded my den being destroyed because I knew the children were using their wonderful imaginations and more importantly, were not watching t.v.! Of course, all the extra blankets were pulled out to make the roofs for the houses and tunnels.

So, here’s to playhouses, clubhouses, forts, tunnels and tree houses! Hours and days spent in wonderful worlds far away.

Mindy Hill said…

 

I loved the day mom washed the sheets and let us play with the ones she took off the beds. We would make tents like crazy with them. Also, mom would make me Barbie cars, table, etc from the cardboard Tide boxes. I loved those cars so much because she would do a backseat also and four of my Barbies could fix in it.

Posted on

4-H County Livestock Show

The county livestock show was today.  We had one steer and two heifers.  Here are some highlights…

Nanny and Violet came to watch!
Backcombing the tail!  It needs to be really fluffy.
“Fitting” the heifer includes adhesive, conditioner, combs and even spray paint.
Getting ready to go into the ring for the first time with a heifer.  He did a great job!
Campbell’s friends came by to watch and support him!
Father and Son
Posted on

A Giving Heart

I am beginning to realize that I am a bit selfish.

Oh, I love doing all the basic giving things like making meals and giving birthday gifts.  But, when it comes to giving my stuff away – new stuff – that is very uncomfortable.

Hannah, as I mentioned earlier, is leaving for Haiti tomorrow.  Her plan is to go with a full suitcase and come back with an empty one, leaving all her clothes and shoes for the orphans.  Friends, this is not coming easy for me.  I have bought new clothes, cute things, for her trip.  In my mind, I don’t have the money to just go back out and buy all new clothes when she returns.  She just smiles at me.  Today, I said in a loud voice, frustrated with myself, “Yes, I am selfish!  I don’t like it, either!  Just give all your clothes away, I don’t care!  God will be honored and you will be doubly blessed!”  I was trying to convince myself!

She has a heart like her father.  He would give everything away to anyone who needed it.  I was reminded of an event in our life that I had forgotten all about until today. I told Hannah and she was blown away.  I was humbled and repentant when I remembered this blessing from the Lord.

Victor and I took a missions trip to Guatemala several years ago to visit the Showalter’s work.  We helped prepare a Bible school by cleaning and painting everything.  We also set up a little clothing ‘store’ for people who needed clothes.  We all took extra things down to help stock this little store.  I had no problem giving away my second-hand clothing.

When we left, my husband decided to leave everything that was in his suitcase.  All his jeans, shirts, hats, socks…everything!  I felt the same little selfish spirit.  Did he realize that we were going to have to buy all new things when we got back home?   That was going to be so expensive!

About a week after we returned, Victor’s father came into the office one day and said, “Boynee (his little nickname for him), I was taking off the trash today, and you’ll never believe what I found!”

Sitting outside the dumpster, were boxes of freshly starched Duck Head khaki pants (in Victor’s exact size – and at that time, all he wore were those Duck Head khaki’s), starched button down shirts, ties, belts, t-shirts, etc.  All in his size and all clean and fresh!  This was probably 4 or 5 times the amount that he left and in much better condition.  We absolutely could not believe it!  This was a pressed down, shaken together blessing happening right before our eyes!

Now, how in the world could I still have a problem giving when I have seen firsthand the blessings of God?  I guess because I’m just a sinner, saved by grace, and need to be forgiven on a daily basis.  I am thankful for a husband and daughter who have no problem with the concept of freely giving.

I’m a slow learner, but I’m getting there…


Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:38

 

Posted on

Grandparents

Poppy ~the poet

My parents dropped in for a visit yesterday.  It was a nice surprise.  We are so blessed to have all of our parents healthy and vital parts of our lives and very involved with our children.  When I was a young mother, I resisted the ‘spoiling’ part of grandparents’ role and just knew it would harm the children.  Then one day, I heard Dr. Dobson say that grandparents should absolutely spoil the grandchildren, within reason, of course!  So, I’ve been a happy participant ever since!  They dole out their time, attention and love joyfully and they seem to have a little extra free time for fun things that harried parents are lacking.  Oh, and they’re also happy to pull out that wallet every once in awhile or take a special little shopping trip.

Grandparents add richness to my children’s lives.  They seem to have a little more patience.  Things are not quite as hurried and stressed at grandma’s.
We have a Nanny, Poppy, Nana and a Pawpaw. 
Between them we have a:

  • published author
  • seamstress
  • several amazing cooks, canners, bakers
  • vegetable farmers
  • retired teacher
  • prayer warriors
  • 2 pianists
  • poet
  • scientist
  • fisherman
  • master gardeners
  •  quilter
  • naturalist
  • storyteller
  • preacher’s kids
  • business ownersimage image image
  • excellent neighbors and friends 
  • church leaders
  • singers
  • community leaders
I want my children to be with them as much as they can!  I have only wonderful memories of being with my grandparents.  They enriched my life like none other.  I remember when my sister and I would want to go shopping and Mother had worked all week…who would we call?  Mamaw!  She would even drive us around the Dairy Dip on Friday and Saturday nights like the big teenagers did (and buy us a “cone of cream”).  I have so many grandparent stories and I hope my children will, too.

 

 

Pawpaw~with Brad and Will
Nanny~with Victor
Nana~playing games at the cabin