ALWAYS WAG YOUR TAIL

ALWAYS. ALWAYS. ALWAYS WAG YOUR TAIL. This is what our dog Sandy has taught me over the last 11 years. If you remember she was the lovely pup we adopted from the shelter. And literally from that day forward, I have been a different person. Different in how I look at unconditional love, different in how I see that even the smallest things can make a huge impact, different in that she taught me to be joyful.

It was often noted at the veterinarian’s office during an office visit just how happy Sandy was…..even while having her temperature taken or receiving a vaccination. She would constantly wag her tail. And I mean constantly. We all know that a dog wagging their tail means they are happy. Well Sandy must have been elated for the most part of her life. I can only remember one time in her life when she was not wagging her tail.

We lost Sandy unexpectedly this morning and she is deeply missed. But we must focus on the positive aspects of this situation. She is in heaven now and resting comfortable….no pain, no suffering. She had a fantastic life….rescued from the pound, rising above some uncertain circumstances, learning how to live life to the fullest and giving all of us unconditional love beyond what was expected. Sandy was one of those dogs that left such a lasting impression on those around her….this makes it harder to say good-bye.

There are many things that Sandy has taught us over the years (mainly the entire part of our married life!) and we will be forever thankful for these things. She seemed like one of those dogs that had an old soul….wise beyond her years and very intuitive. She knew when Miles was sick and kept watch of all our babies….literally. Her first favorite spot was behind the rocking chair in the nursery after each child was born (she even wore a spot in the carpet!). She would be found here constantly for months following the birth of each child. As the kids grew, her favorite spot migrated to our closet where she slept on a fluffy blanket. She would often greet us nightly and each morning in her favorite new spot.

Sandy was unique, this is for sure. She LOVED to climb on the back-yard swing-set equipment and you could often find her hanging out on the 8 ft high tree house with the kids. She even liked to slide down the kids slide. Her favorite outside spot was the picnic table on the patio- she sat there watching and waiting for whatever the world brought to her next! She loved the very hot weather and brutally cold winter mornings. We often could not convince her to come in during either weather condition. She loved to give kisses and was there to welcome love whenever anyone wanted. It is very hard to describe, but she was like no other dog I have ever known. And her most notable trait was her tail wag. She wagged her tail when she was hungry. She wagged her tail when she was sick. She wagged her tail when she needed to go out. She wagged her tail when we came home. She wagged her tail when it was time to eat. She wagged her tail when she needed to go ‘home’.

So I ask each of you. Do you wag your tail? Are you taking in all life has to offer? Are you making the most of every day? Are you living life the way God has intended? Ask yourself these questions and if you answer no to any of them, remind yourself that you should ALWAYS WAG YOUR TAIL!

THESE DAYS......

THE KIDS AREN'T THE ONLY ONES DEMANDING
ATTENTION
AROUND HERE!!!!

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY SMOKE BOMB!!

WOW! That is how I feel when I think about you and this past year......starting kindergarten, learning to read, becoming a math wiz, loving school and maturing right before our eyes! You are such a fine young man and we are so proud of who you are.....to us, to your siblings, to your friends and family, to everyone around you. You are a genuine person with such a huge heart. I love how passionate you are about many things. This is evident by how much you love your brothers and sister and what a great big & little brother you are. You are always helping someone or speaking kind words to others. I can't even count how many times I have heard you whisper sweet words and compliments to your sister, or reached out to help someone in need. You have grown so much this year.....physically, academically, spiritually and emotionally. It has been amazing to soak it all in and watch you develop. My favorite part of you turning 6 is the super-awesome bear hugs that you give us! I love you Smoke Bomb- you are very special to me and Dada! We are so proud to me your parents!

FINALLY FRIDAY!!

Check these out:

The kids were given a "jumpy thing", as they call it, a few years ago. It is an indoor, blow up bouncy center they love to use. The older boys are technically too big for it, but that does not stop them. Somehow they all 4 manage to hop in and have a ball!! It is a super fun toy to have! We took it out for Sparkler's birthday to help celebrate and she loves it! She especially likes when her brothers "launch" her. The funniest part is their hair. As you can see it is cold and dry around here lately. Perhaps even with a few snow sprinkles this weekend! Hope you have a great weekend and make some fun memories!

A TRIP IN THE WAYBACK MACHINE!

There are trips my family took as we were children on a regular basis- to the beach, the mountains, state parks, to visit family, etc. I loved going on these trips......packed in with my sister and brother in the station wagon, sitting in the back seat (the ones that faced completely backwards and you were staring at the driver behind you!), playing cards, reading, saying cheese for pictures and being carefree. We made some great memories of those times. I love to go back and look at old pictures. It is always fun to reminisce. MacGyver and I both love to share childhood memories such as these with our children. In fact, quite often at night you can hear MacGyver giving a detailed account of stories from his childhood. He has such a vivid memory! We love to take them back to see the neighborhood/homes we lived in as children and the schools we attended. It is a fantastic way to shed light to our children about our youth and experiences we had. Not to mention how much fun it is to recollect ourselves!

Now, having children of our own, it is fun to see the kids creating memories of their own childhood. It makes me wonder what they will retell to their children as parents! Since we still live in the same area where we both grew up for the most part, we visit some of the same places. It is a unique experience to see your own children taking trips you enjoyed at the same age some 30+ years ago. It seems as though things are so much the same, yet so different at the same time. These are pictures from a recent trip we took to a local military state park. The kids had a blast! Bottle Rocket loved reading each of the informational signs and learning about the battles that took place along the path. It was neat to see the various levels of development on the trail. Sparkler was way too young to understand and to her we were taking another nature walk on a beautiful Fall day. Fire Cracker milked his Uncle for all it was worth- claiming to need a "ride" when in fact he simply loved some one-to-one-time with him! Or perhaps he was taking after his own mom who once exclaimed on the same trail that her legs "were only this long!" Smoke Bomb asked lots of questions and took many clues from Bottle Rocket since he was able to read. There were informational posts all along the trail which told the story of the Revolutionary War. Bottle Rocket thoroughly enjoyed reading each one. It took some convincing for both of them that this happened 200 years ago. They kept expecting to see actual war trenches and red coats up on the hill! I think they finally began to understand by the end of the walk. I have to admit it was neat to see things through their eyes- imaginative, creative and literal. It was also neat to be the 4th generation of family that had walked the trail!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPARKLER!!

2!! It seems like just yesterday I was having a routine non-stress test to assess your heartbeat and health. It seems like just yesterday we were told you would be born in just a few hours, a couple of weeks ahead of time! We were so excited to meet you and introduce you to your brothers. You have grown so much over the past couple of years and we are so proud of you. You are such a joy to be around- funny, adventurous, witty, intelligent and really just down-right charming. Your brothers love you to the moon and back and we do too, Sparkler! Happy Birthday sweet girl!

She loved all the decorations, especially the balloons and noise horns. She tries to steal Fire Cracker's big wheel each day, so we figured she would appreciate a nice pink girly one of her own. She was not too keen on blowing out the candles on own- she kept saying fire!- so all of us pitched in to help. The only part of the cake she ate was the icing....can't blame her there!! She loved when we sang happy birthday and grinned from ear to ear. She would also tell someone happy birthday each time they said it to her. It was fun to see her so excited!

ART FROM THE HEART

Our kids love to color, cut and paint, etc. They love anything to do with crafts. They all have since they were wee little lads. I am a firm believer in letting children experience pens, crayons, scissors, glue, tape, rulers, stickers, paper and markers from the time they can hold onto them. Why not, right?! So they might eat a tad bit of play-dough a few times before they realize it doesn't fall into a food group, or color on themselves and their face before they realize it always leaves a mark. Maybe they don't know how to use scissors properly, but they are learning how to hold onto them and tear paper apart. Art teaches children hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and creativity. Don't worry I keep a tight watch on them, especially when they are young! Each of them have been playing with such things since before they turned one. I am always saddened by the pre-Kindergarten form that comes home and inquires whether or not your child has access or knows how to use simple items such as these. I would buy every single child a set of craft tools if I could. This makes me realize just how much we really take even the smallest gifts in life for granted.

As much as our kids love art and crafts, it is suffice to say that we love admiring their work. It cracks us up on Friday afternoons when we let them know there is no homework that day.....and they still come home, sit at the kitchen table and scribble, color and make art projects....independently fostered!! I could not help but share some of their work as of late. As you will see, these guys (and gal!) are a really tight-knit group! Translations- IlU is how Smoke Bomb writes I love you. These are notes they make to each other randomly. The last drawing is Fire Cracker's person picture- MacGyver thought Smoke Bomb had drawn it!

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

There are some days when I will cry if I don't laugh. Not because I am unhappy. It is because of the chaos. You start one thing, get called away to another while little do you know the den is being "redecorated" by your one and three year old. I would not trade it for the world, but do admit that some days, they give me more of a run than I have money for!! On days like this, I really try to focus on the things that are a must. The things that have to get done. I also try to focus on the fact that these days will be a distant memory before I know it. One of the ways I do this is to record funny things the kids do and say. Before I know it, I am laughing hysterically- thank goodness! Here are a few of the things I have heard lately around our home.


Smoke Bomb to Fire Cracker: If you don't close your eyes and count to 10 (playing hide and seek) then that is cheating and you will not be able to play. Do you want to miss the whole "world serious" like in baseball? (translation: world series!).


Mama to Fire Cracker in the carpool line at school after he asked how God put babies in mama's belly: Well, when a man and woman love each other........tweet, tweet, buzz, buzz!!


We don't bite Sparkler! (hard to believe we have a biter again- tis the stage of a 2 year old!)


Mama to Sparkler and Fire Cracker (these 2 are something else when they work together!): No! You cannot eat the candy cane off the Christmas tree. It is probably 5 years old.

I love the gift you picked out for Smoke Bomb/Bottle Rocket. It will be just perfect!: They were able to buy gifts for each other today at the school "Holiday Express" and they both picked out the same gift for each other! MacGyver says predictable, I say fascinating. Smoke Bomb was so excited that he bought this gift for his brother in hopes he would share it with him! Little does he know!

Sparkler: 'Nother one! She has apparently fallen in love with looking at Christmas lights as much as the boys. Any time we drive through the neighborhood at night, she exclaims "nother one" with such excitement. It took a few minutes to realize what she was saying at first, but it is now clear as day when she points them out! Here's to another Christmas tradition in the works!

HAPPY THANKS GIVING!

I have been asking MacGyver to write a post on the blog for some time. This was a very special story and he agreed to share it on this wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Thanks MacGyver. You teach me something new each day and for that I am truly grateful. I hope each of you have a Happy Thanksgiving. Be sure to stop and take a long look around. We have so much to be grateful for and serve an awesome God who provides for our every need.

Dirty Windows
by MacGyver
November 2010

I drive an old, wonderful, minivan. I think of it as another tool to use when I need to get stuff done, like get kids to school or me to work. I have been unable to see through the front windshield for a few weeks and obviously haven’t thought anything of it, until today for some reason. Maybe the sun was a little lower today, maybe the kids smarmed my window a little extra, maybe just maybe today will be the day I clean it. But I had a ton of meetings today and classes to prep for. Bottle Rocket had a big decision to make about his spelling test that he scored perfect on; he actually got one wrong and needed to tell the teacher she missed it. Smoke Bomb was having trouble with his shoes, again. By ‘trouble’ I mean the flailing, yelling kind. Fire Cracker was working on getting ready and asking an unusual amount of questions, like “Dada, why do you have to go to work?” Answer that one for your soon-to-be-four year old. Sparkler was running the show and solving the world hunger crisis, not really, but I know my van windows are going to take another back seat today (pun intended). The boys and I get in the car, book bags and lunch boxes in tow. I drop off the kids as usual, and there are the windows again. Wow, I might actually hit something or worse, someone, because I can’t see anything except blinding light refracted through my smarmy windows. Over the radio I hear a song about how we love God more than the sun. I think to myself the sun is huge and so far away (93 million miles) and I really like being warm, hot even. I love God tremendously for sure, because we glorify him, faith of a mustard seed, I get it. But these windows are bad and I decide to turn back and head to the house after dropping off the boys. Back at the house I answer a few more of Fire Cracker’s questions, help Sparkler reply to a few world leaders and give Mama a hug as I grab the glass cleaner heading out the door. I clean the windows expeditiously and begin backing out of the driveway. Off to work, but wait. What was that? What’s this blue thing in the back seat? Equipment from last night’s Fall Festival at church? Maybe a kid’s sweater? No, it’s someone’s……….lunchbox. Smoke Bomb, in all the excitement of heading to school, remember the trouble he had, left his lunchbox in the car. Well, thank you God for making my first meeting a bit later than usual. Now I get to see how Smoke Bomb’s doing at school, maybe. I head to school and carpool is still hopping. As I park, one of the assistants sees me and says “Hey, I’m going in, I’ll take that for you. Which boy does it belong to?” What a great save! But, I decline and tell them I’m already heading in and I’ve got it. I sign in, knowing it will take me longer to sign in and out then to drop the lunchbox off, and head to the classroom. I turn the corner to Smoke Bomb’s classroom and see his teacher welcoming kids in and she recognizes that I have his lunch. He takes it from my hand unaffectedly and heads back to his morning work. I say a few words to his teacher and leave, wishing her a good day and a Happy Thanksgiving. As I walk down the hall I see a small billboard with Thanksgiving decorations from each classroom. I have to see this- maybe there’s something from Smoke Bomb’s class. Maybe there’s something from Smoke Bomb himself. Turns out it is something completely different and it’s a lot closer than 93 million miles (see below).

Thank you God. Thank you for loving me to glorify You. Make sure you don’t miss the second part; God loves us, to glorify Him. It’s like seeing the sun and missing the warmth, or thinking your dirty windows are about something other than His glory.

DID YOU KNOW?

This has been one of the famous questions from Bottle Rocket lately. He has been studying Native Americans this month at school and each day he comes home telling us new facts about their culture. It really is cute to hear him so excited about his new-found knowledge! I can tell he has really enjoyed the subject. As part of this month's celebration, the students had to build a Native American home replica. Bottle Rocket chose the Adobe and we had a blast making it. It was truly a family effort and Bottle Rocket even had a neighbor help him out with little fires around the house. Check it out......

TURN THE OTHER CHEEK..........UNLESS

There are definitely some uncomfortable moments in the life of a parent. Kids ask some hard questions. And they demand even more difficult answers. Kids are not afraid to say what they feel and speak what is on their mind. This definitely keeps parents on their toes. Quite often, I cringe when my 3 year old begins to tell someone a story. Who knows what is going to come out of his mouth next!?!?! And who knows how I am going to explain it!

Tonight at dinner, MacGyver was at church planning a fall festival so the kiddos and I were eating solo. We talked about their day and how school was going. Then the conversation turned to some .........well darker subjects. Someone mentioned hitting and how we should not hit. Then someone else mentioned that if it was Sparkler in trouble and being hurt by a stranger, they would "jump in and kick them in the privates". They then proceeded to talk about how they would handle a similar situation with Fire Cracker as the victim and how the bad person would be "sorry they ever messed with them". I was blown away at their willingness to defend their brother and sister. They were not going to let anything stand in the way of their protection for each other.

WOW! That is all I could think to say. I mean on one hand you raise your kids to be loving, compassionate and non-violent. On the other hand, you definitely want them to stand up for each other. What compassion they were showing for each other. They definitely did not want to see each other hurt. So then I said it. Something I was not comfortable saying. But something I felt right doing in the same breath. I caved and spoke up: "Okay, so if someone is endangering or hurting your brother/sister, then you have a right to fight back. But that IS IT. There is NO OTHER reason for you hitting or harming someone else.

Everyone always comments on how protected Sparkler will be with 3 older brothers to defend her. I have always agreed, but it was hard to give them "written" permission to do something that should be forbidden. Ahem. But she is so very well protected! They are young, but so smart at the same time. Someone would be hard-pressed to mess with these boys (or their sister!).

FAVORITE THINGS......PART II

It is said that a mom knows a lot of things about her kids......their shoe size, the foods they like (and don't like!), their favorite book, how they like their clothes organized, how tall they are, how much they weigh, etc. To stay up to date, I ask the kiddos every once in awhile what some of their favorite things are. You might remember me asking Fire Cracker awhile back.

Smoke Bomb is a very intense, passionate and independent young man. He knows what he wants and likes, but often has a tough time opening up to let people know. He readily admits he loves hugs and being told how much we love him, yet you have to have a lasso some days to get a hold of him for a squeeze! He will often wriggle around and fight to get loose. Other times he is completely willing to be held and will sit for a moment while being embraced. I love him for this trait and respect his need for personal space. I also want him to be open to letting others love him.....open to being told how special he is (and believing it!) and open to accepting love from others/showing love to others. That being said, it is such a delight to me when he comes up wanting to be held and chat. We have recently moved rooms for the boys....Smoke Bomb now has his own room and Fire Cracker and Smoke Bomb share a room. They are all excited about the new move, but often at nighttime Smoke Bomb will tell us he is sad and wants to be held. It has been a bit better recently, but last night he came and laid smack dab in my arms, hugging my neck and put his head down on my shoulder. Oh such sweet moments! I try to take mental snapshots of these times. We talked for awhile and then I asked him about his favorite things. I had to literally drag myself up to put him to bed after about 40 minutes..........I didn't want that moment to end!!

Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite Candy: Skittles
Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Person: God
Favorite Friend: Bro Bro's (Bottle Rocket and Fire Cracker)
Favorite Subject at school: Math and PE
Favorite Thing to do: Play outside

THE GOBBLERS

Smoke Bomb had to "hide the turkey" for a recent school project. It is a very cute idea and they have all the kindergarten students participate. Here is Smoke Bomb's final product! He and MacGyver worked hard on it tonight. I couldn't help but hum the song "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow" as they worked.......MacGyver is so amazingly creative when it comes to art and projects such as this. I mean just check out the stitched glove and handmade wooden bat! I am not so inclined so he makes it so much fun, not only for the kids but for us as well! Stay tuned, Bottle Rocket has to make a model Adobe next week!

BABY HEADLOCK

Sparkler loves to carry Baby around. We named her first babydoll after Sparkler's middle name (okay I strongly encouraged it!). That is because I had a very similar doll when I was her age named after my middle name. She was very loved. My favorite thing about her was her eyes that opened and shut. Sparkler happens to be very fascinated as well by Grace's eyes. She remarks excitedly that she can sleep! By the time I grew out of dolls, Baby Katherine had matted hair, one eye that barely worked, torn clothes and body parts dangling from a thread. You could literally see how much she was loved! I believe Baby Grace is headed for the same fate! This is Sparkler's favorite way to tote Baby Grace from place to place. Maybe I should start searching for a seamstress who specializes in re-attachment body parts for dolls!

COYLOTES (not to be confused with coyotes!)

My dad told me the other day on a phone conversation that the kids hear everything we say. He is so right. It made me giggle coming from my father and remembering our childhood. It also makes you stop dead in your tracks! Here is a great example:

Our neighborhood association sent out an email notification that coyotes had been spotted in our neighborhood recently. Not something you hear everyday, but also relevant to our region and landscape. I told my mom about it one day on the phone and apparently Fire Cracker overheard the conversation. Then the older boys heard the adults in the cul-de-sac talking about the coyotes one day. Well this sparked a huge interest in the kids. Where do coyotes live? Are they coming in our backyard? What do coyotes eat? Do they bite? What would we do if we saw a coyote? Did you hear that coyote the other morning because I did?! How many coyotes live around here? Can coyotes break through my bedroom window (which is on the 2nd floor by the way!)? The questions just keep on coming. We have been able to subdue several of these questions, but there are still lingering effects.

Fire Cracker to me in the car the other day: Hey mama, "COYLOTES" sound like
this: hawhooooooo!! And mama, did you know that when coylotes go
hawhoooooooo, they hold their nose and mouth up in the air?
Mama: Why do they hold thier mouths up in the air?
Fire Cracker: Because if they hold it down, they sound like this......"woof woof"!

FINALLY (WHAT IS BETTER THAN ONE RAINBOW?) FRIDAY!!

A double rainbow!! For those who know me, I love rainbows. I always have. They fascinate me. And they are beautiful. As I became an adult, rainbows have taken on a whole new meaning to me. Our first child was born in the coldest part of the winter.....in fact, it snowed the day he came home from the hospital. That being said, it was beyond belief that we saw a rainbow in the sky the afternoon he was born. Smack dab in the middle of the winter. Rare to say the least. We all knew this was not a coincidence. You see Macgyver's father passed away when he was 19. He was a great man and dearly missed to many. We named our first son after him. I spent 3 days in labor with him and he was born almost 6 weeks early. It was a scary, yet exciting time in our lives. But there in the midst, we were given a reminder of His love and provision. We were given a peaceful reminder that all things happen in His time and for His purpose. A promise that he stands on day after day. He never changes. He never leaves us. And that, my friends, is no coincidence.


Today happened to be my birthday and here in the south we don't usually see rainbows past August or so. I was so excited to share this double rainbow with my kids. I always remind them that rainbows are a symbol God gave to Noah after the 40 days and 40 nights of rain. It is a symbol of His promise and by far quite a remarkable one. I know that it was not coincidence to see this double rainbow today. I was resisting this birthday like no other......frustrated, sad and depressed about it....but really for no reason....just selfishness. This gift in the sky reminded me that I should count it all as joy......rejoice in today and seek Him every day. He definitely got my
attention today. Check out the beauty of these pictures!

ONCE A YEAR

FINALLY (SNEEK PEEK!) FRIDAY!!

We have had a busy week- half days of school and days off, a little more of that yucky virus going around and excitement in the air as halloween approaches. We don't make a big deal about halloween, but we do let the kids dress up and go out on our street to trick-or-treat. We have a big group from our cul-de-sac that all go together so it makes for a fun time. This year, the University where my husband works put on an event through Student Life for children of the staff. They had carnival games, pumpkin coloring, prizes, goodies and all kinds of treats. It began at the chancellors house and then to the resident halls. The children had a blast and were excited to wear their costumes twice this year! I was itching to post a cute group shot of the kids dressed up, but will wait until Sunday to do so. In the mean time, here is a sneak peak! See if you can guess what they are going to be......!?!?