Happy Birthday, Lioness!

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Ok, so, Lioness' birthday was actually nearly a month ago, but I am having a hard time getting to sleep...so I decided I'd tell you about L.L's Big Day.
Indeed, L.L. has turned 13. So far, the walls have not caved in. ;-) For the last couple years, we've heard tales of doom and gloom about The Day You Discover a TEENAGER in Your Home. LOL Obviously, we still have plenty of time left in the "teen years" (lol) but I refuse to roll over on my back and believe that my daughter has lost her mind for the next 7 years. No, I'm going to claim that she has been given a "spirit of power, a spirit of love and a sound mind." :-) (I know you're rolling your eyes at me, lol.)
Anyway, L.L. had wanted us to have a "Tea" for her new friends here in the Big City. So, we pulled out the hand crocheted table topper that my mother had done years ago, several China pieces that seldom see the light of day (yes, I *know* I ought to use them...just haven't gotten into the habit yet), and all the cookbooks, looking for dainty appetizers.
We took a trip to Hobby Lobby and Old Time Pottery to buy up a bunch of lacy doo dads and a punch bowl. Gotta have a punch bowl!!
Lovable worked our "tablescape" for us--she's got quite an eye for flower arranging.
Musical perfected her punch serving technique.
We all scurried around scrubbing this and that, shining the other.
The day of the Tea, The Ram took Tater out to The Farm to pick corn. They had a great time--found a tiny frog sitting on the leaf of a squash plant...and a rotten raccoon carcass at the end of a corn row. I'm told the stench was nearly overpowering. LOL
Anyway, back at The Fold, our guests arrived and snacked. The girls all played (I believe I counted 19 girls here!?) We Mamas chatted like crazy and sipped punch. (It was too hot outside--no one wanted tea, unless it was iced.)
We had requested on the invitations that no one bring gifts--it somehow seemed to me that gifts might "cheapen" a party like that, and could cause awkward moments...so, we asked each family to bring a recipe written out for L.L. to put into her scrapbook. Those are very special recipes to her. :-)
I gave her a "recipe journal" that we had found a couple months ago. It is blank, but I am systematically writing in it. I tell about a particular recipe--where I found it, etc--then write out the recipe. I have learned that handwritten recipes, all spattered and worn, are a real treasure.
Anyway, it was a beautiful day and I believe Lioness felt honored. Sure hope so. :-) If the walls start giving way, I'll try to shoot out a blog post to let you know what's going on. ;-)
Well, (yawn), the old brain's shutting down. Better haul myself into bed before I fall asleep here at the keyboard.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

The (Little) King and I

I've only got a minute...but I didn't want to forget this...


"We can't go to the beach...
'Cuz we're stuck...
In a hole...
In the middle of a desert island."

These are the lyrics that Tater Tot is singing, Bob Dylan style, while he strums the little child's guitar we found in the garage.


Also, this morning,


Tater: "Morgan, why don't you like the crust?"
Morgan: (nothing but silence)
Tater: "ANSWER IN MY HOUSE!!!!" yelled in King of Siam style

I could hardly believe he was being so rude! I fussed at him for being ugly to our guest. As he hugged me around the legs he sobbed, "But we DO have ants in our house!!!"

OOPS!!!!LOL

Email me if you don't get that. ;-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Longing for 'Laska

Hello, FOTE's,
I'm a heat wimp. We're expecting another day with temps in the 100's, heat index around 110. ACK!!! I don't handle this well. I get testy. I hibernate. Ok, I'm just griping now--ignore me...
Hey! Guess what! We bought a DEhumidifier for our basement last weekend. I am astounded at how much water is in the air down there! We're emptying the tank on that thing (maybe a couple gallons?) every few hours. It's kind of unsettling to know we've been breathing that. LOL Of course, in the winter, we do all we can to put moisture *into* the air. Guess we're like cats--always on the wrong side of the door. :-)
The Amazing Miss H still has no teeth. She's 8 mo. She does like veggies and fruits, though. She just gums them to a pulp, lol. She has learned to clap her hands and we all enjoy watching that. Her mohawk (!) is growing out, so her hair is beginning to lie down...a bit. She's cruising around furniture and anything that will sit still long enough, including siblings. A couple of times she has stood, no hands, for a microsecond before falling down and hopping off. (She doesn't crawl--she hops like a frog.)
Tater spends his days foraging for food and transforming into "Scott the Dog." You never know when Scott will show up. At church Sunday, I turned around to discover Tater was gone and Scott was there. The Ram told Scott that if he (Scott) wanted to walk with him (The Ram) he (Scott) was going to have to walk on his hind legs.
Lovable is working on a new quilt. She's on the square-cutting-out phase.
Musical is really starting to read a lot. In family devotions last night, she impressed us all by reading the word "acknowledging." :-)
Lioness is tending a couple pots of turnips and broccoli on the back deck. She is collecting the worms that get on them for her Daddy. Ram plans on using the worm carcasses to create a spray to put on the plants to scare off any new worms. We're hoping the new ones "smell death."
Ok, well, the Lambs are beginning to rouse for the day. I need to gear up to "run herd."
Y'all keep your wool dry, (cool?)
The Ewe

Lost Teeth, Pulling Up, Update

Really quick update...

Let's see...last Sat, Lil Miss H pulled up on her own. It was on the couch. She did it to better reach the contents of Mama's purse. Most household items are moving up the walls. (email if you don't "get" that ;-)
Last Sun, both Musical and Lovable lost teeth. No, the Tooth Fairy has not yet visited, as I... I mean *she* has to repair her tutu. I...I mean, she, has only a few bits left to fix, then she will take her "midnight ride." Musical asks each night, with a twinkling eye, "Is she coming tonight?" I answer, "She will come when you least expect it." LOL I love this job.
Well, I need to go so I can...umm...do some...errr...ummm..SEWING...so I need to fly...er...run.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Have a Glorious 4th!

I was lying down with Tater Tot tonight, trying to help him relax and go to sleep. All of a sudden, we heard a loud BANG! T.T. said, "Is that a thunderstorm?" I said, "No. That was fireworks." T.T. coiled himself to sprrrrrringggg out of bed. It wasn't even dark outside, so I knew he wouldn't be able to see anything...(Plus, eek! I'd just gotten him to bed. If he hopped up then, no telling how long it would be to wind him down again!)
I knew I needed to rephrase my answer..."It wasn't fireworks really, just a firecracker." He relaxed back on the bed. "Oh," he said nonchalantly, "Is that why they don't eat them? Because there's fire?"

Oooooh!!! Aaaahhhh!!! OOooohhh!

Ahem. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry, and away from open fire...
The Ewe

Yummy to the Tummy!

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
We just finished off a batch of an old family recipe. Growing up, one of the biggest delights was Mama and Daddy whipping up a canister of banana ice cream. MMMMMmmm! Mama always liked her ice cream *icy* not *creamy*. LOL So, I grew up thinking that expensive gourmet stuff was GROSS!! It wasn't cold enough...too soft. :-) So, really, I guess what Mama made was more ice milk than ice cream. Whatever it was, it was GOOD!
Anyway, today I noticed the bananas I bought last week were getting overripe. I knew it'd been a long time since we made ice cream (the youngest children didn't even remember!)...and we had all the ingredients, including the bagged ice and rock salt...I knew where the ice cream freezer was...soooo....
The rest is history. It was all slurped up in a hurry, except for about 2 cups of the stuff that we put in a storage box and slid into the freezer. I imagine it will incite rioting in the future. LOL
The recipe is one Mama got from the Farm Bureau, I believe. She used it since she first got married. I'll include it below, with my modifications:

'Nanner Cream'

2 qts milk
3 cups sugar (I just had a bit over 2 cups...it tasted fine, I thought)
4 eggs, well beaten (I only had 3, so that's what I used)
can of evaporated milk (Mama called it 'Milnot')
2 t vanilla extract
1 t salt

Mix all up in medium sized saucepan. Cook on medium, stirring constantly until mixture steams, about 20 minutes. Cool in fridge. Mash (or process) 2-3 bananas and add to mixture. Freeze in freezer.



Now, Mama never did the "cool in fridge" part--took too long. LOL I do that part, because usually I have to do things in stages anyway.
The 4th of July is coming up, so this might be a fun way to celebrate. :-)
Gotta run...

Y'all keep your wool dry (and un-sticky!)
The Ewe

I Ain't Skeered (or) Naughty and Nice

Just a quick funny:

Tater Tot, waxing eloquent:

"It's naughty to spit on people...Nice people don't skeer babies...So do I not."

:-)

Immodest Garden?

Hello F.O.T.E.s,
We're busy, busy, busy around here, but I wanted to share something with you before I forgot...
Remember we visited the GrandRams last week (or was that 2 weeks ago??)? Anyway, GrandRaMama and GrandRam have a nifty little garden. The lambies look forward each visit to seeing how the different plants have grown.
Last visit, I was sitting in the house w/ Lil Miss H, when Musical came tearing in through the door. She was so excited!!
"Mama! GrandRaMama has *BIKINIS* growing in her garden!!!"

:-)

Yum, yum! I *love* bikini bread. Hardly tastes like a vegetable at all...

Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Anybody for a Snow Cup?

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I've just gotta take a minute to brag on my Lambies. Lioness, Lovable and Musical...and Tater Tot (to the best of his ability) are running a shaved ice stand in our driveway. GrandRam built them a big ol' sign out of dry erase board and they have a utility table set up. They've been freezing ice for days, lol.
We told them at the beginning they would have to pay for their overhead, namely, the sign GrandRam built for them. The Ram, though, offered them a D.B.A. grant (similar to the Small Business Administration, but meaning DADDY Business Administration...akin to the 401Dad)
They have paid us now for the sign (we'll send you the check, GrandRam ;-) and are now in the black. They are handing out flyers announcing the Grand Opening this Sat., complete with giveaways, games and free popcorn. :-)
Something funny happened yesterday--a neighborhood boy came by wanting a Snow Cup, but all he had was a $20 bill. Lioness didn't have change for that--the Snow Cups only cost 50 cents, lol. So, the kid asked if she'd just take the $20 and give him a Snow Cup! She told him, "No, that would be IMMORAL!!!"
:-)
I advised her that, in the interest of good P.R., it would be best to just give him a Snow Cup. She did and he promised to "tell all his friends." Yay!
Well, gotta run. Need to go check on the lil entrepreneurs. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry...and EAT SNOW CUPS!!!
The Ewe

Don't Tell Him I Laughed...

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
You know, it really irritates me to be so caught off guard by one of my children, that I laugh at something I'm going to have to discipline them for...so, note that the child in the following anecdote *was* corrected for a bad attitude and actions, and further note that I did *not* laugh at what I'm about to tell you until after said correction *and* out of sight of the offending child. Whew...with that disclaimer out of the way, lol ;-) ...
Last week, Tater Tot was having a bad morning. With The Ram out of town our schedule was off and T.T. hadn't gotten enough sleep. So, he was being just a lil stinker and having a hard time getting along with people. So, I led him back to the bedroom to help him reset his attitude. I started by saying, "T.T., you were acting ugly in there..."
Without a trace of a smile on his scowling face and glaring through narrowed eyes, he stated coldly...
"I *wasn't acting*!!"
Sigh...I must admit, there are days I'm not just acting, too. :-) My attitude needs adjusting sometimes. May the Good Lord help us all not just *act* like we should act, but also *be* like we should be. And by the way, Tater came to me later, hugged my neck and apologized for his earlier behavior. He really is a sweet kid.
Now, don't y'all act up... ;-)
AND...

Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

On the Shoulders of Giants

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, today is Father's Day. I got to visit both my daddy and father-in-law last week--what a blessing!
On the way back home d-r-i-v-i-n-g (a)looooong, we listened to a preacher on the radio, delivering his Father's Day sermon. He was talking about honoring our dads and though we always hope to reach higher than our forebears, we are, indeed, "standing on the shoulders of giants." I started thinking about what great men The Ram and I each have for fathers. They are very, very different, and those differences are the very things that make each of them great. Truly, The Ram and I were both so blessed to have grown up under the care of our respective fathers. I cherish them both.
From the GrandRam's moral courage and respected leadership skills to EweDaddy's compassion and his penchant for quiet sweetness--I definitely know The Ram and I stand on the shoulders of Giants.
Let us all find ways today to encourage our dads. :-)
and also,
Y'all keep your wool dry!!
The Ewe

A Quiet Hero

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I've just read a news story about the passing of Ruth Bell Graham, Rev. Billy Graham's wife. The article pointed out that as a young lady, she had wanted to be a missionary to Tibet. The Lord had different plans for her, though, and she chose the way of being a wife to Billy Graham. Of course, at that time, he wasn't BILLY GRAHAM. :-)
Anyway, if she had gone w/ her plan, becoming a missionary, I wonder if we'd ever have heard the names "Ruth Bell" or "Billy Graham." You know the saying, "Behind every great man is a great woman." I do believe that is true.
Certainly, seeking notoriety is *not* to be our goal in this life, but in the Grahams' case, it pleased God.
I was already praying this week, asking the Lord to show me how to better promote and support my husband, my beloved Ram. I firmly believe that the fulfillment I now enjoy in this life is well worth any earlier plans I may have "given up."
Gotta run...The Ram returns home tonight after a two week school in OH. I've got some business to take care of so that we can enjoy the homecoming this weekend. :-)
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!!
The Ewe

Howdy, Mother's Day, Grieving

Hi F.O.T.E's,
The following lines were written, golly...a month ago, I guess. Life called, and I had to save the post as a draft. Yeah--you know, *draft,* those things that get set aside to "come back to later." LOL...With The Ewe, it ends up being *much* later...anyway, without further ado...

How are ya? I can hardly believe the way time slips away from me between posts. I'll see if I can't remember what's been going on around here...

We've moved up in vehicle size...bought a 15-passenger van a few weeks ago. I immediately thought of it as The Jolly Green Giant, but The Ram and littles liked Maewyn Succat--St. Patrick's real name. We also considered The Incredible Hulk, but decided something honoring St. Patrick might be nicer. :-) I know you're wondering, "Is it safe to be on the road with her out driving that thing?" Well, so far, I haven't run over anything I shouldn't. I do still approach the van w/ a bit of fear and trembling and drive very cautiously. :-)

We took our first big trip in Maewyn last week--drove down to see my dad and family. Everything went great and driving through St. Louis was not the trial I expected.
(The rest of the post, I wrote today, June 13, 2007...)
It was great being at my dad's house the week before Mother's Day. We spent a couple nights, so I actually got to poke around in some of Mom's stuff...Don't worry, Daddy invited me to do that, lol.
It seems I hardly knew Mama. So many of her things I'd never laid eyes on. A real treasure Daddy showed me was a tea set that was Mama's when she was a little girl. Daddy pulled out a neat little cardboard box that had Mama's unmistakable handwriting on top. (Mama had the most beautiful handwriting until her illnesses stole it away.) Mama had written that the tea set had been given to her by her older brother Oscar before he had been killed by a drunk driver. (He was much older than Mama, who was the baby of 11 children.) We pulled out the glistening little pieces and I wondered why Mama had never shown the set to me before. I imagine "life called" and she just never got around to it. Also, tucked down in the drawer with that tea set was my little set that Mama gave me as a child. I thought it was beautiful--white with the blue delft pattern. I was never allowed to play with it, lol. Mama said I could have it when I was "old enough not to break it." ROTFLOL That just cracks me up. I never did get old enough. :-)
Even in the company of all those irreplaceable china pieces, the thing I treasured most about that discovery was Mama's beautiful handwriting on the top of the box. She penned those words during a time before disease began eating away at her body, while her fingers were nimble and her mind sharp.
Alongside the tea sets were several fetching sweaters that had never been worn. Mama had crocheted those, I think. I imagine she intended to gift someone with them, but on second thought deemed them "not perfect enough." LOL Any of us would have loved them, just because she had made them...Which is not to say that they looked substandard--*I* could not spot an imperfection.
Driving back from that trip, I kept thinking about Mama and this being my first Mother's Day without her. I remember buying her Mother's Day gift last year--some citrusy, yummy smelling hand soap that now sits beside Daddy's kitchen sink. I bought that last year, not knowing that would be the last Mother's Day gift I would ever buy Mama.
I think I'm finally beginning to really grieve. It's not a racking, painful thing, but rather a gentle ache. Looking through Mama's crocheted afghans, knowing her hands formed those very loops, it felt as if she hadn't gone anywhere. Like she might walk in at any time. I'm sad that I never knew her very well. I don't want to leave my children behind one day and have them say, "I never really knew Mama very well."
That all encouraged me to tell my children about my childhood, my dreams, my failings...I don't someday want their grief to be from a sense of missing out on really knowing me.
ARGHH!!!
I've got a bushel load of other things to tell you about, but life's calling again...this time it's a matter about peanut butter balls. I'm kinda afraid to go look at the kitchen...Hey, remind me next time to tell you about the Kirby man. LOL
Y'all keep your wool dry!!!
The Ewe


Quote of the Day: "It's more important to do the right thing, than to make the right plan."
--The Ram (ain't he smart??? I just love him!)

Extra! Extra!! The Incredible Miss H Amazes Her Friends!

I'm about to run "re-boot" the laundry, but had to write this down before I forgot to do it...
April 1, 2007: Miss H rolls from back to stomach...Friends and family watch in amazement...

May 5, 2007: Miss H, now 5 mo old, sits! At first, uses hands on floor to prop herself, then raises hands and balances on her round rump. Friends and family watch in amazement...


Ok...that's all for now. Thanks to you F.O.T.E.'s who have asked about how we've fared in all the weather...We are fine here...nothing much has happened in our little town except a bunch of water...

Though I know it's hard,
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Potty Humor

Hey, Y'all,
I can't stay long, but I wanted to pop in and write this down before I forgot it...
I was picking up Lil Miss H this afternoon (she'd been in the bouncy seat) and I stuck my hand on some gooey, yellow stuff on her outfit.
I looked at her awfully messy dress and exclaimed,
"Miss H!!!! What have you done?!?!"
Tater didn't even look up from his Hot Wheels car...
"I know what she done. She POOPED!!!"
That's muh boy...
:-)
Gotta skeedaddle...Miss H is crying. Hope she ain't "DONE" it again, lol
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: (see above) :-)

Very Quick "Howdy"

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Yes, The Ewe is alive and kicking...we've had a lot going on lately.
Indeed, around the first of April, The Flock all moved back to the Big City. I was figuratively "punched in the gut" when I saw our belongings all laid out in the garage, drying out from the Great Flood. Somehow, I wasn't prepared for that and I ended up taking to bed a couple days, depressed and overwhelmed. Then, I says to myself, "Self! This ain't gettin' nuttin' done!" so I pulls myself outta bed and...Well, I'm still only chipping away at stuff...very slowly...but at least I'm not despairing about it all. lol
Let's see....we're in the process of buying a 15 passenger van. Our minivan still holds everyone, but it's a verrrrry tight squeeze. If there's any amount of cargo, it's pretty close. So, we're hoping to acquire a lil "elbow room."
Weather here has been wet the last week, but we've been spared any severe weather--I know some in the Midwest can not say that.
A couple Saturdays ago we attended a Family Meeting for Alexandra's House. That's the "perinatal hospice" for families of babies with life threatening birth defects. I'll tell you, I didn't think my blue mood that's hung around for weeks had anything to do with Charity's passing, but after attending that meeting, I realized that it *did*. It helped a lot going to meet with those other sweet mamas and daddies, even though I didn't really want to go. I decided, though, that I don't avoid thinking/talking about any of my other children, so I didn't need to avoid thinking/talking about my Sweet Charity. Anyway, it was good and I have been in a much better emotional state since the meeting.
Ok...I've really gotta run...I'll try, try, try to update you good people more often.
Love ya!
Hey, Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

How a Preschooler Repairs the Moon

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm feeling fine. Our apartment is wall-to-wall tidiness. Ah, like "Brigadoon." Once every 100 years, LOL...I once saw a plaque that read, "My house was clean yesterday. Sorry you missed it." Now, I've caught flak for thinking that was funny. After all, our house should stay tidy all the time, no? I promise you, Friends, I do my best. Anyway, the (apartment) complex management came today to each apartment to treat for pests and check the smoke detectors. I've been sweating bullets for the last few days--cleaning closets, pulling out the couches, tables...vacuuming under there. (I found some treasures from the last occupants, LOL. Made me feel better.) So, while the Lambs and I were eating lunch...knock, knock, knock...
There were 3 men (from the management). They were in and out in under 30 seconds. I felt like yelling, "Hey, come back!!!! Don't you wanna look behind the sofa???" ROTFLOL
Well, we'll be leaving here next week to go back home to Big City. Gotta admit, there is much to love about the South...Still, it'll be good to get back to our new normal, up in MO.
We visited The Ram's Grandparents Waaaay Down South last weekend. It was such a nice time. Ram's Grandma can grow *anything.* It ain't just her thumb, what's green. ;-)
I guess you're wondering about the title. Let me tell you about something Tater said really early one morning last weekend...He woke up first and had something to say:


"Mommy, did you know the moon melts?"
Mommy, sleepily: "No. Really?"
"Yup."
Mommy, still sleepy: "That's neat."
"Yeah, and do you know how you fix the moon?"
Mommy opens one eye, slightly interested: "No, how?"
"You gather up lots of clouds to make the moon back."
Mommy sits up, "Wow, that's something."
"Yeah, you go up in a flying car [airplane] and gather up all the clouds to make the moon back."
Smile.
"When I grow up, I'll fly the car and you can sit beside me. "
Isn't that sweet? His mom is his co-pilot. :-) (Never did like that saying, "God is my co-pilot." If that's true, you better switch seats ;-) Anyhoo...

Well, gotta go...I feel the Tidiness slipping away..."Must clean....must clean....must cle..."
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Hello, I'm The Ewe and I'm a...

Hello, F.O.T.E's,
I have an alarming confession to make. A few seconds ago, I was viewing a (brace yourselves) webpage devoted entirely to (are you ready?) doing laundry.
Now, as disturbing as *that* is, that's not even my confession. While I was viewing that page outlining One Gal's Way (to do her family's wash), I noticed my pulse racing. My palms were getting damp. Then, in a moment of self-awareness, I knew it was true...I suffer from Colorcodiphobia.
Those of you who know me well will not be surprised by this admission. The Ram and I have been married 16 years, so far. For the past 16 years I have struggled mightily to learn to keep house--let alone Make a Home. I have a picture/idea in my mind how I want the house to look. That would be, basically, tidy. I'm not shooting for a magazine cover (stop laughing), just tidiness.
In this quest, I have read many books, articles, etc on how to improve myself in this area. None of them has fit exactly right for me, but I have definitely improved. The biggest, most helpful thing that I/we did was to get rid of tons of unneeded treasures. (I was tempted to say "junk," but some of it was actually useful!) Just paring down like that has eased our cleaning load considerably, especially in the laundry department...which brings me back to today....
Yup. Looking at the One Gal's Way of doing laundry, with all her neat white boxes with labels--correction--Color Coded labels, made me realize how panicked I feel when faced with color- coded anything. I break out in a sweat. I feel like I'm about to take an exam.
Now, don't get me wrong...I think being organized is really important. I *believe* in it. And, like I said, as poor as I am at it, I *have* improved in this area. I've gotten a tiny bit better with each child. (survival!) Still, I admit, it's my handicap. We all have our challenges, no? :-)
I realized a few minutes ago, my Colorcodiphobia is not limited to laundry. Any time, under any circumstance I can think of, trying to keep things color-coded stresses me out. When organizing gurus start out by introducing you to their great system--complete with "color codes"--I immediately feel alienated by them. I think, "Oh. You're one of *them." You could never understand me." I like the organizing folks who start out by saying, "Before I developed this routine, my house was a wreck." *That* I can identify with! Sigh...LOL
Well, I hope you won't hold this painful admission against me. I *am* tilting at this windmill! LOL I guess for me it's a "line upon line, precept upon precept" growth process. Ah, well. Progress, not perfection, right? :-)
So, I'll keep plugging away. I want my children to have more of a clue than me...we're kinda learning together. :-) But please, if you send me organization advice, don't start out by saying, "OK, this color means..."
tee hee
Hey here's *my* advice--Y'all keep your wool dry!!! :-)
The Ewe

Catchin' Up and New Ewe-manitarian Award

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
The Ram and I were sooo blessed last week to run into Alipurr and family. It's been years! They are such a dear, dear family. :-)
Let's seee...since we last talked the Ram Fam has had another "event." I really don't *try* to have a life full of drama, but it seems like Drama often finds us. LOL
I was sitting here, Way Down South, minding my own business, when I got a call from the water dept. up in Big City. They were letting me know that part of our house was flooded!!!! EEK! Seems the furnace on our rental house gave out during all the sub-zero weather up there, and...well, you can guess...
I cried buckets the first day, but then woke up the next day and the clouds were gone and I felt much better about life. The thing is, welll...
Remember last year when we were planning a move to Europe? So, I called Goodwill and they brought their big moving truck out *3* (count 'em) times to pick up most of our worldly possessions? So, basically all we had left was stuff we "couldn't live without" (HAH!) and stuff that was powerful sentimental. Remember? So, last summer, when we moved to Big City, most of what was left was stuff we really wanted to keep. We had everything put away and boxes unpacked except for one corner of our basement. Wanna make a guess at where the pipe burst and water came spurting out? Yup. THAT corner of the basement. *Now* I can LOL!
Wanna know the funniest part? I had stored that stuff in the basement so it wouldn't get carried off by a twister. ROTFLOL!!!! ARGH!!!!
Anyway, The Ram and GrandRam spent a couple days in Big City, airing stuff out. Most things were salvaged, though some were ruined. We're getting new carpet out of it--which is good. (We had had an unfortunate purple grape juice incident right in that spot. :-)
Now, the Ewe-manitarian Award...
It goes to The R Family for their tremendous amount of labor in moving our wet boxes, furniture, etc and also providing yummy meals and hospitality for The Ram and GrandRam while those two were working. I'll tell you, The R's have been very kind to us. Quite a blessing. THANK YOU, R Fam!!
Well, gotta go put on the soup pot. We're having Potato Soup tonight--gotta use up some spuds before they look back at me.
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

P.S. I've got no Quote today, but a funny thing did happen. This morning, Tater *bit* Musical! GASP! His transgression was dealt with and apologies said. The episode was forgotten for a while, until Mr. Rogers came on t.v. He was about to go to the dentist and made a comment about it being wrongity-wrong for someone to bite someone else. From the beginning of the program, T.T. had been very interested in what Mr. R was saying, but when he mentioned biting, T.T. sat up and took notice. Tater looked stricken. I imagined him thinking, "Wow. That Mr. Rogers knows *EVERYTHING!*) LOL

Rambling Toddler Thoughts

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Happy St. Valentine's Day! The Ram awakened us with a huge balloon bouquet, oodles of chocolate hearts, and a big bunch of roses. He said he always gets funny looks when he shops for Valentine's Day, LOL. What a blessed man, to have sooo many "Valentines." We enjoy this day and love our DaddyRam. :-)
I thought I'd share with you a little giggle from a couple nights ago...
I was lying with Tater, settling him in for the night. He was quite drowsy, so I didn't think much of it when he stated, "I like bamboo." I didn't even open my eyes as I said, "Hmm...You do?"
"Yeah. He's my favorite reindeer," said Tater.
I still didn't open my eyes, but started thinking, "Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen..." Nope. No Bamboo. I still wasn't too concerned--we don't "do" Santa around here, though we talk about St. Nicholas...who didn't have any flying reindeer. Oh well. One can't always understand Toddler Logic. I nestled down and prepared to go to sleep. But T.T. wasn't finished...
I suddenly understood what he was talking about when he declared, "Yeah. Bamboo is the one in that movie who says, 'Watch what *I* can do!!'"
Though it was actually Thumper who said it, T.T.'s statement got the point across.


Well, must run. Need to go wipe a sticky mouth before it gets wiped on the sofa...
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

P.S. Email me if you need an explanation of the above. :-)

Update on the Flock

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Thought I'd post a quick update on us.
We are Down South now, at the GrandRam's house. In a few days, there will be an apartment available for us where The Ram is taking his class--Down South-er. :-) We are really looking forward to being with him every day. We are blessed to be able to go with him this time.
The Ram and I have been married 16 years now and he's periodically had to go off for a few months. This is the first time we've been able to go with him. The Lord is good. He knew I needed my husband right now.
Lil Miss H is doing great. Over 12 pounds at our check up a few weeks ago. I'm still not quite right, physically, from the birth. I guess with twins, it takes a while for all the parts to readjust. LOL At least, that's what I'm telling myself--don't want to blame AGE for anything. Still, it seems that when I started this 13 years ago, my body was more forgiving. Ah, but God has given me lots of great lil helpers, so I can't complain.
Oops...Miss H *can* complain and is doing it as we speak. I'd better go see what the matter is.
Blessings to you all...
Hey, by the way:
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

K-O-L-D!!!!

Hello F.O.T.E.'s,
Only have a second, but I just had to say...

"IT'S KOLD!!!!"

I'm sure you didn't know this, but in the RamFam, we have, "cold, colder, coldest..." then, on the very rare occasion: "KOLD!!!"

I just checked the temp (outside ;-) and it's 2 degrees with a wind chill of -8 !! Yowza!

Think I'm going to ask the kids to go lick the mailbox post...heh, heh, heh...
JUST KIDDIN'!

Alrighty...gotta run...
Y'all keep your wool dry...AND WARM!
The Ewe

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mama

John Wayne Theology? or We Have Some 'Splaining to Do

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, it's icy here. Nothing like going to sleep to the sound of sleet hitting the windows! The bad weather here in the midwest caused the airline to cancel The Ram's flight last night. He's off for a few months for some training Down South and had leave for this weekend. They say they'll try flying again today. I just want him to be safe!
You know, I think some people believe that soldier's homes are filled to the brim with weapons of all kinds. I don't know about any other soldier's houses, but the most vicious weapon we have here is a paint gun and a baseball bat. (and the hairy stuff in the refrigerator's crisper--more of a biological weapon ;-) Anyway, I want to dispel the idea that all soldiers are always aggressive and violent.
We are careful about the media our children are exposed to and discourage violent play outside of the chivalrous "knight-saving-the-princess" variety.
So, am I sounding defensive? A bit guilt-ridden? Sigh. Try to keep an open mind as you read the exchange below...



Tater Tot: "Mommy, bad people aren't nice."
The Ewe: "No, but even bad people need Jesus. We should pray for the bad people to come to know Jesus."
Tater Tot: "Yeah... Jesus has a GUN!"


Would you consider that a "come to Jesus meeting?" ;-)
Well, I'm off to read the Bible to Tater Tot. Y'all keep your wool dry...
The Ewe

Please Don't Call PETA

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
How is 2007 treating you so far? The Flock is doing great. Lil' Miss H has had a few fussy days of late. I think she's hitting that second growth spurt--she'll be 6 weeks old in a few days!! I can hardly believe it. The other lambies are just crazy about her. So much so, that we've started calling her "Ivory Soap." The others act like she's going to get "used up" by their siblings, when it isn't Said Child's turn to hold the baby. LOL
Well, I guess I'll explain the title now...

On New Year's Day I was busy eavesdropping on The Ram's phone conversation with the GrandRam when Tater Tot came up to me, chattering. He was wanting me to join him in his pretending. I smiled at him and "Yes, Dear"-ed and "ooh"-ed and "ahh"-ed at how clever he was, but, in reality, I was ignoring him. (None of y'all have ever done that, right? ;-) Anyway, when T.T. stuck his hand out toward me with some imaginary offering, I assumed we were engaged in another pretend tea party. I absentmindedly accepted what I assumed to be an invisible petit-four or scone or cookie and popped it into my mouth.
I quickly made the obligatory, "Mmm!!! Yummy!!!" sounds, complete with cartoonish, raised eyebrows and vigorously nodded head.
I immediately noticed Tater Tot's confused and slightly horrified face.
I nearly choked when he blurted out, "You ate the BABY LION!!!"


I fear my son may never invite me to play "Zoo Keeper" with him again.


Must run...veggie soup's on the menu tonight...but not if I don't shake a leg. Blessings to all of you.

Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe


Quote of the Day: "Honey, you make a man feel funny." The Ram
(So, is that "funny like a clown?" lol)

Technorati Profile

Charity Promise

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, some of you know I'm a bit paranoid about putting pictures on the internet, LOL, but I've had so many kind folks ask about a picture of Charity. The Ram and I discussed it, and, seeing as though she's perfectly safe in Jesus' arms, we decided it would be OK to post this picture. :-)
Some asked if we used makeup on Charity, as her lips were so red. No, she had no makeup at all. Her entire life, she had perfect little rosebud lips. :-)
God bless you all.
The Ewe

P.S. The swan is a gift from LionessLamb. She had bought it for her baby sister for Christmas.

The Flock's Back Home!

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, we're all home in the Big City again. We actually got home a couple nights ago.
I wanted to share the words to a hymn that has come to mind repeatedly over the past couple weeks. The title is _He Giveth More Grace_ and the composer is Annie Flint.



"He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again."


Friends, we have experienced every line and phrase of that song over the past 2 weeks. During childbirth, there came a point (as there always does ;-) when I said, "Nope. I can't do this." Now, I've said that during every delivery, and I know it's what they call an "emotional milestone" of labor. But, when you're in the middle of it, you really believe it! I thought, "THIS time I MEAN it!! I *can't* do it!!!" The Ram calmly, knowingly said, "You CAN do it! You ARE doing it! You've done it 4 times before!" About that time, I asked the midwife to check my progress (you gals know what that means, lol ;-) Six cm. Just over half way dilated. Bummer. With the other babies I was at least 7 cm before I "Couldn't do it." LOL This time, I thought, "If I've got to do this so many more hours, I just can't." But, somehow, the Lord granted just enough endurance to get through just ONE MORE contraction.
See, when we look at The Whole Elephant, we think, "Wow. I could never eat that whole thing!!" But if we just concentrate on "One bite at a time" we can eventually eat that rascal. Now, don't chase that rabbit--I'm not talking about gluttony, lol, but rather disciplining our mind. During labor, I need my husband there, filling my mind with truth, placing his hands over mine on the reins as I try to steer my thoughts away from fear and panic.
Now, I don't remember much from between the "I can't do this" moment to holding Lil Miss H and Sunflower Girl in my arms. But, I'm sitting here, two weeks later and, guess what?! BY GOD'S GRACE, I *did* do it! I don't understand it.
I don't understand the peace that the Lord gave us as we said goodbye to our beloved daughter. I don't understand the peace he gave as we buried my dear mother, only a couple days later (Grandma Ewe died the day after Sunflower Girl).
I don't understand why He loved us so much, He sent His Son, Jesus, to take our punishment (death) so that we can be with Him in heaven one day. We can't earn that grace. It is a gift from God.
Oh me...I've rambled on again. I hear The Ram coming in with groceries. I tell you what, I'm a "kept woman." :-)
Hey, here's another favor you can do for me...if you haven't found your Christmas music yet, rustle around in that old cardboard box (or wherever) and see if you can't find it. It's Jesus' Birthday!!! Let's celebrate!

Gotta run...Y'all keep your wool dry...
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Look! I'm small enough to fit in my *maternity clothes* now!!!"
The Ewe, after losing 40 pounds, LOL!

Ugh...The Flu

Hed-do Fweinds...
We all haf codes in our nodes. (sniff)

We've decided to stay Down South at least another day to recover. I'm feeling much, much better, but The Ram is really "under it." The children are doing very well--just some sniffles now.

Guess what...
I have feet!! AND I can now wash the bottom of my (squishy, soft ;-) belly without using a big, long loofah. LOL What an adventure. Wouldn't trade it for anything...

Ok...gotta run...er walk pretty slowly. When you lose that much weight that quickly, ye olde Balance takes a while to uh, re-balance. Tee hee!

Hey, do me a favor. Write a note today to someone you've lost touch with, Ok?

Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Little Miss H's Grand Feat

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm still mostly just resting in bed, but I just had to pop on here to brag on "The Latest Edition." L.M.H. is, I know, destined for greatness. (blush) Yes, indeed, at a mere 6 days old she shed her umbilical cord!!! Hurray!!! I'll admit to you that those cords have always grossed me out a bit. LOL With nearly every baby, The Ram has received a near-panic phone call at work, with me in tears over the state of New Baby's navel. Mercifully, this one fell off in record time. :-)
Ok...back to hibernating and kissing the baby.
BTW--keep praying for us...the flu's struck now. grrr...
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Hey look!!! Now I only look *9* months pregnant!!" The Ewe, one day after delivering the twins--and losing 36 pounds in 24 hours. LOL

Wonderful Ministry

Hello all,
We had had some folks ask about a "favorite charity" to donate to in memory of Charity.
There are two:
www.alexandrashouse.com Look over this website. It is a very unique ministry--one that has blessed us during this time. We plan to do what we can to promote it in any way.
Also, consider your local crisis pregnancy/abortion alternative center. I learned that most babies diagnosed prenatally with spina bifida (Charity's initial diagnosis)are aborted. I will tell you, though we only had her a couple hours, I wouldn't trade those precious moments for anything in the world. That time was worth every minute of my head hung over the toilet, every groan I uttered while trying to turn over in bed there at the end, every contraction that nearly pushed me over the edge, every discomfort I've experienced over the last 9 months. What joys I would have missed out on if I'd never known Charity Promise.
Ok...back to bed. Love you guys!
The Ewe

Very Quick Update

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
The Ewe has had quite a week, and I need to take to bed...but I wanted to give you a nutshell version of the week:

Sunday, Nov. 26: Hannah Ruth was born at 2:05 p.m. weighing 8lbs 12oz
Charity Promise was born at 3:05 p.m. weighing 9lbs 3oz

Charity Promise went to Jesus' arms around 5:30 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 27: The Ewe's Mama passed on to Jesus' arms (she had Alzheimer's and many other physical problems)

Tuesday, Nov. 28: We had a small memorial service for Charity

Thursday, Nov.30: Ewe's Mama's funeral

Today, Friday, Dec 1: Ewe and Flock arrive at GrandRams' for a few days of rest and recovery.

I will post many more details as rest allows. :-)

Many blessings,
The Ewe
P.S. Y'all keep your wool dry!

:)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is lioness. In the words of Tater Tot "baby sisys gona pop out and walk!" but not to soon,the ewe is in the early labor. please pray for them.

Lioness

My (Ice) Water Broke!!!!

Hello, F.O.T.E.s!
Well, The Ewe is hanging in here...and her belly is hanging down! LOL This fact has provided a few situations that were either funny, or embarrassing or both. Mainly both--I usually choose to "Find the Funny," as I believe the Bible when it says, "A merry heart does good, like medicine." :-)
Church was very nice yesterday, though we missed The Ram. (Worship always serves to make us really miss The Ram, when we're apart.) I did have a moment of panic, when it seemed either I or the babies could fit through the gap between pews, but not the whole group. With a little maneuvering, I got all 3 of us in. LOL Last week, it was a matter of my asking to be moved to a table, instead of a booth, at a restaurant. There was no amount of maneuvering that was getting me into that tight squeeze! LOL
Then, last night...my favorite Silly Story of Pregnancy...
I had drunk a drink while sitting in a recliner. When the drink was gone, I wasn't ready to get up yet, and at this girth, I don't take "Getting Up" lightly. ;-) So, I set the cup of ice kind of between my thigh and the underside of my belly, and promptly forgot about it.
Thirty minutes later, I was ready to get up. I leaned forward to heave myself up, and suddenly, water started pouring onto my feet!!! Could my water have broken?!?! Uh, no...if it had, there was a problem...as there was ICE in it, LOL!!!
I sat there, dumbfounded, with ice and water pouring onto my feet, thinking, "WHERE is that COMING FROM?!?!" When I looked down, I couldn't see the cup--my belly had hidden it, LOL. I reached down and felt it and suddenly remembered that I'd set it there. I called for Lovable to come help me stem the tide and clean up. We got a very hearty laugh about that.
Well, I'm going to run...er..walk slowly. Y'all keep your wool dry!

The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "Mini-hands make light work." The Ram, borrowing an Amish saying to apply to our little ones. :-)

Babies or No Babies???

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I know some of you are wondering, "Did The Ewe have the Lambs on Veteran's Day??" LOL Nah...No babies yet. I did have a prenatal checkup that day. When we first got there, my blood pressure was up--we call it Traffic Induced Hypertension. By the end of my checkup, though, it had come back down to "acceptable." Also, my iron level was up, which was great. It had been way too low and I'd been strenuously trying to raise it. It was good to know all the extra stuff I've been doing is paying off. :-)
Really, that's about all the news there is...I am having "Braxton-Hicks" contractions, but nothing strong/regular enough to produce babies. Y'all can pray for me that my body acts as it should and actually goes into labor. That's only happened once--our first baby, Lioness. I've seen 3 doctors, trying to figure out what hormone strangeness keeps me from starting labor, but none of them have discovered the problem. This time, I'm praying the increased hormones of the twin pregnancy will make a difference.
Well, the Lambies are drawing Nordic Sumo Bunnies and I'm very interested to see them...so...I'm going to sign off for now and update as The Situation unfolds.
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "I am a Nordic Sumo Bunny." --body-less computer voice, animating Lioness' cartoon

Babies Update

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, we're settled in here Down South. :-)
Monday evening, we had a prenatal appointment and then ultrasound. Baby A weighs 8 pounds already! We suspect Lil B weighs about the same, but the sonographer couldn't really do his calculations because of the severe hydrocephalus. This Sonographer Extraordinaire was able to find the fissure in her skull that has caused the encephalocele. Sadly, it appeared to me that her brain deformity has actually worsened.
Baby A is hale and hearty. :-) Her head is low and ready to go. We can hardly wait to get our hands on her and her sis.
I'm doing well. Praying that labor starts before long.
Well, I'm going to waddle off for now--I'll try to keep you informed. Thanks for all the prayers!
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Exciting Times

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, The Ewe would be kicking up her heels today--if she could, LOL! Guess I'll just have to settle for a "siss, boom BAAAAH!!" :-)
GrandRamama woke me up this morning to let me know that our new lil' niece had been born. Yay!!! We're told The Ram's sis did a fantastic job of giving birth and her husband was a terrific coach! The RamFam spent some time on our knees last night, beseeching the Father on behalf of the B. family. The Lord is good. Sigh...
It's been funny this year--a bunch of ladies close to me were pregnant. My due date--Nov. 29--was the last of the long line of due dates. Seemed like *everyone* was having her baby, but Nov. never got any closer. LOL Well, my turn's coming now. I'm 36 1/2 weeks. The Lambies and I will move our Base of Operation Down South this weekend, to be nearer our beloved midwife. Emotions for me are mixed, a bit, as we don't know exactly what we're facing. Still, peace reigns.
I'll update from the Southland...
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Baby M has been born...At HOME!" --The GrandRamama

Neat Thing that Happened Last Sunday

Hi, F.O.T.E.'s,
How is life treating you? We're doing well...plugging right along. I'm now almost 36 weeks along with these twin girlies and, outside of being t-i-r-e-d, I'm feeling pretty good. I do pace myself and try not to attempt too much, as exertion brings on a lot of uncomfortable contractions. These gals could use at least another week of simmering before we lift the lid. ;-) We have another ultrasound next week. I will update you about that afterward...
You know, the Lord KNOWS. Really! "Knows *what?*" you ask. Everything!
Last week, The Ram and Lionness went out on an errand. During some goofing off when they got back home to the garage, somehow, The Ram's house key got lost in the van. After extensive looking, it was spotted down in the housing of the driver's side seat belt assembly. We thought surely we could fish it out. Well, suffice it to say that after *many* "casts," that "fish" wasn't "biting." We employed small children to stuff their fingers down in the slot to try to reach it. No dice. Sigh. So, I let The Ram have my key, as the Lambs and I were about to head South for a few days to go to a prenatal checkup.
Fast forward to the night (yawn) Lambies and I drove back to MO...I discovered on the way, thanks to a very, very wet diaper on Tater Tot, that I'd left our diapers Down South. I called home to ask The Ram to go pick up some, as I knew we *needed* some when we got home.
Well, due to a series of events, The Ram got locked out of the house. We brainstormed many possible solutions--most of which involved property damage, lol. I was about 30 minutes from home at that point.
After one more attempt by a small fry to retrieve the key in the van, we decided to see if Home Depot had one of those "magnets-on-a-steeck" that might work to pull out that stubborn key.
Well, Home Depot was already closed. We were right next door to Walmart and *still* needed diapers, so The Ram went in to get something for T.T.'s hiney. We still didn't know how we were going to get in our house.
I had been praying all the way home--reminding God that we needed His solution to our problem. He stayed close-lipped. ;-)
While the Lambs and I waited outside Walmart, a white work van pulled into the parking lot. On the side was painted, "Drivers' Friend Roadside Assistance." God whispered in my ear, "He'll help you." I kinda shook it off--*I* definitely wasn't going to approach a strange man in the middle of the night. The man went inside.
After a few minutes, The Ram came out with the dipes. We sat in the van a minute, gathering thoughts and deciding what to do. As we were about to leave the parking lot, the Drivers' Friend man came out and was loading things into his van. I said to The Ram, "He looks like the kind of guy who could get this key out of this hole."
The Ram decided it was worth a try, so he drove over to the man and told him our sad tale.
Well, ten minutes later, with *no* property damage, the man handed us the key. All the while he worked, he had been talking on his cell phone, lol.
We told the Lambies how God's solutions don't necessarily come when we want them, but it's awfully important to wait for HIS solution and not trust our feeble little girly-man attempts to fix ourselves.
Well, must run...er, waddle. I'll try to keep you updated... Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "SURRENDER!!! Or taste my sword!!!" Tater Tot, wielding a stick.

Just the Quote, Ma'am...

Quote of the Day: "I'll mow the grass when y'all are gone. I don't want the kids to see me doing that. That's what goats are for..." The Ram

Kids These Days

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
The Flock and I are about to run off to pick up The Ram from a conference thing he's been at this week...Can't wait to see him...
We're about over our colds. The weather's cooled off again...Life's good. :-)
I read this article and wanted to share it. As you drive through town, averting your eyes from the "hiney-cracks" of the teenage boys wearing pants 11 sizes too big, and you're tempted to think of words like, "...in a handbasket...", think about the boys in this article. There *are* responsible, respectable young men out there. Thank God for them.

http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2006/08/modern-day-gentleman/

Gotta run...y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote(s) of the Day: "When I was born, I was a baby." --Tater Tot

"Salt can fix anything. (pause) That's food. (pause, pause)
Except maybe pie..." --Lovable

Autumn Has Betrayed Me

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I bet you're wondering about that title, eh? LOL Oh my...
You remember me bragging on the great temperatures we'd been enjoying? Well, for 3 days now, we've had record high temps! Up in the mid-90's. EEK!!! And only in the 70's for lows at night. AND...to top it off...our air went out!!! ACK!!! On the weekend...
I'll confess--when The Ewe gets overheated, she gets a little irrational. The mind doesn't work just right. Sigh...
But, the h/vac folks came to our rescue yesterday, so I'm coming back to my senses. I even had to pull the cover up on me in bed last night! That doesn't usually happen. :-)
Ah...air conditioning is a great invention!
Gotta run...I'm going to go sit over the air vent...
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Get your blankets out, Girls...Mama's gonna be COOL!!!" The Ewe

Read It and Laugh

I laughed. Really hard...




LETTER FROM A FARM KID,
(NOW AT San Diego MARINE CORPS RECRUIT TRAINING.)

Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 A.M. but I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on "route marches," which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice but awful flat The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none. This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,
Carol

Rainbows

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
How is Sat. treating you? The Lambs and I are recovering from what turned out to be a nasty virus. The little ones are still coughing pretty badly, but all fever is gone and they are perking right up. I think I caught the worst of it. Now, my voice is pretty much gone. So, right now, *The Ewe* is squeaking like a *mouse* and waddling like a *duck,* LOL!
I was just thinking this morning that we are approaching the 2 year anniversary of The Ram's deployment to The Sandbox. He left the middle of Oct, 2004. It feels like yesterday. Veterans' Day will be the one year anniversary of his homecoming. My, how the years fly!!!
Do you remember my post from right before The Ram left? When I was driving home in the rain from an errand we all took and I was pouring out my hurts and fears to the Lord while the rest of the van slept? Then, out of the rain, the Lord gave me a rainbow to remind me of His promise? Well...
A few weeks ago, when I was driving home alone from my high level ultrasound, the sky opened up and rained like crazy. I had already been crying as I drove along, grieving over Baby B's severe birth defect. Somehow, the rain was a comfort--as if God were weeping along with me. Suddenly, the thought hit me, "He's given me a rainbow! Where is it??" Though the rain was pouring down, I started looking for that beautiful sign. It took some time, but finally I found my rainbow. It was behind me. It could have been there a long time before I found it, I just had to stop driving so I could look harder. I was immediately filled with such peace. I felt God pouring out His Comfort on me. The Holy Spirit had filled our van and I was overcome with gratitude to my Lord. Now, it might seem strange to some how I could be feeling gratitude when a doctor had just told me that one of my precious, beloved babies was going to die. I really can't explain it. The Bible calls it "peace that passes understanding." It certainly passed *my* understanding, so there's no way I could explain it to anyone else, LOL! The thing I was rejoicing in was not that my baby was sick, but that the Lord is The LORD. He *is* in control. He *is* merciful. He *is* good--ALL the time. Who am I to expect to understand HIS ways? Personally, I do not *want* a God whom I fully understand. I need a God so much bigger than me, that I know any problem I have is infinitely smaller than Him. His wisdom is way deeper than I can comprehend.
That rainbow was like a hug from God. We are being refined like silver in fire. It hurts...but I trust my Lord. We don't know what the Lord plans for our little Baby B--or Baby A or any of our Lambs for that matter--but we know He loves us and will carry us through all our trials.
Well, I've typed on and on today, eh? :-) Just felt like I needed to share.
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Police officer? Yes, there is a bear in my soup." Tater Tot, talking into a play phone, holding a plastic toy bear in a toy cooking pot. :-)

Ok...I'm Spoiled/ Winner of the Ewe-manitarian Award

Hello F.O.T.E.s!
I can definitely feel myself becoming spoiled. I just had my groceries delivered to my kitchen counter, by way of a local grocery store's delivery gal. I filled out my order last night online, then she brought them right into my kitchen just minutes ago. Wow. Who'da thunk?
So far, this is my favorite perk of living near a big city. Ummm...maybe the only one yet...except for the part about The Ram having a job and all...That's a really big perk. ;-) Besides, without that perk, we couldn't afford the other one.
Anyway, I think I could get used to grocery shopping from my computer chair. Especially right now, when it would take who-knows-how-long for me to waddle myself around a grocery story, LOL!
Becky was the delivery gal's name. I considered telling her, "I thank you and my womb thanks you..." but I decided that might weird her out and she'd be reluctant to bring my groceries again, LOL. So, I just said, "Thanks." It seemed to be enough.
An aside: I and all the Lambies are sick. Just colds, so no big deal...but annoying, none the less. Even more reason to have my food delivered. :-)
I also want to nominate my new friend, D.J. for the "Ewe-manitarian Award" for telling me about the grocery store that delivers. THANKS, D.J.!! HUGS!
Ok...gotta go put away the groceries. Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "I have beaver right here..." Tater Tot, holding his *feverish* forehead

A Couple Random Thoughts and Quotes

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Hope things are going well for you all.
The Lambies and I drove over to Ft. Leavenworth, KS today to take care of some errands for The Ram. The leaves are just beginning to change here and it's becoming quite a pretty drive. It seems to me the prairie sky here is bluer, with whiter clouds than in our Old Home State. Plus, contrary to what I'd expected, there are beautiful, rolling hills with lots of trees. Of course, I'm referring to the rural area. In The City it's like other cities--a concrete skyline broken up by steel and the occasional brick. ;-) (You can tell my preference, eh? LOL) I guess I've really become a "prairie muffin." (Google Prairie Muffin Manifesto.)
Don't guess I've really got much else to share today. I've been mind-bogglingly (like my new word?) tired. I'm thinking it really *does* take more energy to grow two babies, as compared to one. ;-)
I'm going to leave you with a couple quotes I like--one from a Famous Guy, one from a Future Famous Guy.
Famous Guy:
"How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about
(arithmetic),
and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe?
How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone,
and narrow to be everything to someone?
No; a woman's function is laborious because it is gigantic,
not because it is minute."
~G.K. Chesterton

Future Famous Guy:
"Beeee--you-tiful moooorrrr-ning GORLY!" sung at the top of his lungs by Tater Tot...and, no...that last word *isn't* mistyped. LOL That song has been passed down for a few generations in the RamFam. It is used to encourage late sleepers to get out of bed. :-)


Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

A Couple Good Days

Hi F.O.T.E.'s,
Hope things are going well with you all. I just have to share that today and yesterday, I have felt such a warmth around me. I know many of you are keeping us lifted in prayer and I have to say "Thank you." I believe He is The One sustaining us during this time. I know we have a lot left to face--and we don't really even know what the near future will entail--but I definitely believe The Lord is in control and will never let us down.
So, how is the weather where you are? In in MO, I'm loving it! It's not been over 72 degrees in weeks!! This is my favorite time of year. I call it the "nice, cool drink after the long summer." My lambies joke that, "Mom hibernates in *the
summer!*" With the cooler weather, I've been accompanying The Flock to the local park each evening after supper this week. Everyone has his or her (mostly her!) tricks they like to show Mama and Daddy. It's been so nice to just sit back in my jacket (!) and laugh with abandon at their antics. I told Lioness last night that the cooler weather invigorates me. She said, "Great! You wanna walk laps with me?" That started me laughing so hard, I could hardly keep waddling along, LOL.
Indeed, I get very tired, much quicker these days. I really have to pace myself. Still, I've been so blessed. Carrying twins brings on bed rest for some folks. I'm so happy that my health has been good during this pregnancy. I don't take that for granted.
Well, I need to run...Time to get dinner going. The Ram will (I hope) be home before long. (He's swamped with "end-of-the-fiscal-year" craziness.)
Hey, it's raining here--y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Because I *do*!" Tater Tot

She's Baaaaaa-ck! Plus Important Info

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s (provided there are any of you left reading after my long hiatus, LOL),
Well, some of you will be surprised to know that the RamFam is *not* living in Europe now. (Job fell through.)
Some of you will be glad to know that we have recently moved to Kansas City, MO, where The Ram is working for the Corp of Engineers.
Some of you will be surprised to find out that we are expecting. (I'm now 30 weeks along.)
Some of you will be surprised to hear that it's TWINS! Two more girls! (ROTFLOL!)
And (deep breath)... some will not have yet heard that one of our precious babies has a life threatening birth defect. We are faced now with planning a birth and funeral, all at the same time. Certainly, we are asking God for a miracle, but at the same time, facing the possibility that His answer for our Lamb will be "the ultimate healing."
Never before has life been so bittersweet. We were intitially told that, though Baby A appears to be perfectly normal, Baby B has spina bifida--certainly a challenge, though not necessarily fatal. In more specialized ultrasounds, however, and through consultations with specialists at Vanderbilt University, we have found that Lil' B has an "encephalocele" --which is not her major problem--but also is missing 90% of her brain (her major problem.) The first specialist said Lil' B would die within minutes of birth...the second specialist opined that she could live minutes, to hours, to days, to weeks to months, but most assuredly not as much as a year.
The Ram and I are disciplining our mind to accept any amount of time with her as a most treasured gift.
And, really, you know...none of us knows how much time we have with any of our loved ones. It's an overdone quip, but true: "Every day is a gift...that's why it's called 'The Present'"
Keep us in your prayers. We never know when the tears are going to sneak up--anything and everything can trigger them. It's sad to think that Lil A could very possibly begin her sweet life without the companion she's shared a womb with for so many months...
Hey, go hug your babies for me...And keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Cajun! That's not sweet, that's spicy!" anon. lady at a restaurant

Funny Story from History

Hey F.O.T.E.'s!
I'm panting. (puff, puff) I've just sat down from another 2 hour time block of packing/sorting/decluttering. The days we were sick surely didn't help us along in this project, but I feel like I'm making better progress now. Today, I cleaned out the (dum, dum, dum) Storage Closet. Yes, it was as scary as it sounds, LOL. That was the closet where everything got shoved, when we didn't know what else to do with it. Do any of you have a closet like that? LOL Anyway, that was a JOB!
In cleaning out that big closet, I found a paper where I'd written down (years ago) an account my mother used to tell. Nowadays, Mother's memory is very dim. We have watched over the past several years as Alzheimer's has stolen parts of her life. Reflecting on that fact, I'm everso thankful that I took the time to sit down with her, while she was still "sharp-as-a-tack," and capture a sliver of her life. I'm going to type it below, just as I had written it then...


"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the Great Depression. Mother tells me about life with her many siblings during that dark time of American history. She tells me about being teased at school for wearing "flour sack" dresses and how she wore shoes with cardboard to cover the holes. But, on the other hand...
Oral history has yet to reveal to me which of the 11 Keele children began the romp, but knowing them as I have, I suspect most of them eventually joined in. You see, there was a calf--minding it's own business, I'm sure--in a field on the small Keele farm. Somehow, someone conceived the idea of what I now call "cow skiing." (Please, don't try this at home.)
One at a time, the children grabbed that poor calf by the tail and ran, being half dragged and laughing, behind it. The hilarity continued on as the calf pulled the kids around the field, their feet touching the ground only now and then. Those awaiting their turn watched from the fence.
Oral history has also failed to present me with the final culprit left holding the smoking gun. Or, tail, as it were...
A strange thing, oral history, as I still don't know who made the executive decision to give the tail a proper burial, thinking 'surely Mom and Dad won't notice' that the animal was lacking an appendage.
To the dismay of the children, the tail was, indeed, missed and corporal punishment ensued.
Yes, it *was* the best of times and the worst of times...especially for a calf on a small farm in TN."

Now, I don't want y'all to think I'm endorsing cruelty to animals. And you should know that the calf did fine without that tail, though I'm sure he'd have rather had it. LOL I think the thing that has always struck me funny about the story is that the children didn't think their parents would notice, LOL. I think we parents get the reputation of having "eyes in the back of our head" far too easily. :-)
Well, I need to go tackle another room. Any of you know where you can rent those big dumpsters they use on construction sites for the rubbish?? ;-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day:
"Isn't it funny how that, no matter where you want to go, your feet lead you straight there??" --Musical, waxing philosophical

A Word from Above Rubies

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
This devotional I received in my "inbox" this morning was quite timely. Thought maybe you'd be blessed by it, too...
Above Rubies is a ministry run by Nancy Campbell to encourage mothers. Our family has attended an A.R. Family Camp in the past, and it was a wonderful weekend. I've also been to a couple Ladies Retreats, and thoroughly enjoyed those, too. Nancy has bold things to say, at times, but always exudes grace. If you want to learn more, check out www.aboverubies.org
Blessings! and Keep your wool dry!
The Ewe




DAILY GRIND OR DAILY REST

Matthew 28:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

When God told the Israelites about the new home He was taking them to, He said, "The land, into which you are entering to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you used to sow your seed and water it with your foot like a vegetable garden. But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year." (Deuteronomy 11:10-11 NAS)

They could not rely on the rain from heaven in the land of Egypt. They had to do all their irrigation by hand, or I should say, by foot, for this is how it was done. They dug man-made channels for the water which they forced along by wheels operated by their feet. It was hard laborious work. It was a daily grind. They didn't have to do this in the Promised Land. They relied totally upon God to send the rain to water the crops.

Egypt is a type of the world. It is a type of walking in the flesh and doing things by our own energy. This contrasts to our new life in the kingdom of God where we walk in the Spirit and trust God instead of our own resources.

How are you living each day? Are you still living back in Egypt, or are you basking in the rest of the Lord? Often mothers feel that their life is a daily grind, with no joy or hope. They are living like the Israelites were when they were slaves in Egypt. But we are no longer slaves. We are free people, saved by the suffering and shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross. He died to deliver us from relying upon the flesh.

"But don't you realize the financial difficulties that we are going through. I have to work this extra job to help my husband pay all our bills." Has God asked you to take on your husband's responsibility? Or are you taking on this yourself?

"But don't you realize how many things I have to do? I'm pregnant! I'm homeschooling my children. Plus I am involved in this Ladies' group at church and I'm also helping with the Sunday school." Who told you to get involved with these extra activities? Was it God, or was it pressure from people? Many times our life becomes a daily grind because we take on things that God hasn't told us to do. We cannot live our lives by what everyone else wants us to do. We must be led by the Holy Spirit.

God promises in Isaiah 40:11 that "He gently leads those who are with young." If you are pregnant or have little children, God does not expect you to be involved in anything else, apart from your mighty and divine calling of nurturing and raising your children for Him! He doesn't expect you to be involved in extra church and other activities (except for your commitment to meeting with the saints each week.)

"But don't you realize that I have to take Susie to ballet lessons, Grace to violin lessons, Johnny to soccer and Brian to baseball, as well as keep up with the home and everything else." Who told you that you have to take your children to all these lessons? Did God? Or are you trying to keep up with the Joneses who think that their children should be involved in everything that is going? We often think that our children will not make it in life unless we take them to all extra lessons and sports. That is not true. God is able to make a way for your children without putting extra pressure on your life and gadding about in the car everywhere.

"But don't you realize? I have to make my children finish the lessons I have given them for the day. I have to get this done and that done." Who said you have to do this? Is it what God has planned for the day or what you are setting? Are you teaching your children what God wants them to be taught, or what you think others expect of you?

Life is hard work, but it does not have to be a grind. It will seem drudgery when we do it in the energy of the flesh. God wants us to live according to the Spirit. The Israelites worked in the Promised Land, but they enjoyed their work, because they were cast upon God's resources, not their own energy. They no longer irrigated they way they did in Egypt. They had to rely on God to send their rain.

Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

Prayer:

"Father, I thank you that you have brought me into a new kingdom, a kingdom where I cannot rely on my own strength, a kingdom where I must trust you wholly. Please show me where I am doing things in my own energy for I want to be led by your Holy Spirit. Thank you that you are watching over my life and your eye is upon me from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. I can trust you to lead me. Amen."

Affirmation:

Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth's dark shadows flee.



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Drooping Wool

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Yup...my wool's drooping. The Lambs are all still sick. We went from stomach virus straight into tonsillitis. In the past week, all of my littles have seen the doctor and one has been to the e.r. This is unprecedented in our family--we've always been very healthy and seldom needed the m.d. Anyway, do keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We *should* be all packed up, ready to move to Europe by now. BUT...in the past week, very little packing has happened. Discouragement in knocking on my door, and I'm trying hard to ignore it. ;-) Also, keep The Ram in your prayers, too--he's hit the "learning curve" with his new job.
Well, I hope to be able to share news of good health soon. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Breaking Gnus...

Hey F.O.T.E.'s...

Keep the flock in your thoughts and prayers. We're being attacked by a stomach virus. So far, The Ewe, Musical and Lioness have been struck...
Gotta go..

The Ewe

Slinky Surprise

Hello F.O.T.E.'s!
Well The Ewe is busily packing up, throwing out, giving away and burning The Flock's belongings. :-) I guess you could refer to it as The Great Purge. After 15+ years, with no major decluttering, we have a mountain to move. After we clear out from here, we'll be able to join The Ram in Europe. It's all still a bit surreal.
Hey, you know how when you move or declutter you invariably find some "lost" treasures? I know every move we've had (and there have been over a dozen) I've found something I forgot I needed, LOL. This time, I found some Christmas presents that were intended for one of my daughters in 2000. I found several different greeting cards that were intended for several different recipients over several different years. Yup. It's been a Day of Discovery. It's kind of fun to find things you'd forgotten you had...It's not so fun to find something you never knew you had...
Yesterday, we had friends that came and retrieved some of the stuff we really *do* want, in order to babysit it for us during our time abroad. We walked out to The Warehouse (big workshop) to see what goodies we could find. TickleMan found an item that would be useful to him and carried it on out to the trailer. Mrs. TickleMan and I were standing there, looking around and my eye spotted an odd electrical cable, lying on the 2X4 beam, directly over where TickleMan had just been standing. As I followed the cable from one end to the other, I discovered that the Other End had a pointy head!! I immediately thought of The Crocodile Hunter and an episode we saw many years ago. He had gone into an African hut to dispel a vicious viper that had wriggled itself into the roof beam of the the home. He explained how just some itty dab of the venom that snake carried in its body would be enough to kill (I don't know) half the population of Bombay, India. Ok, I don't remember exactly how deadly it was, but it was plenty deadly, let me tell you!
So, I'm staring at this serpent in my outbuilding with *my* mouth hanging open. I could tell by looking, that this snake, unlike The Crocodile Hunter's foe, was a harmless King Snake. In fact, I even consider them beneficial--provided they keep their slinky little (big!) bodies out in the woods or yard, where they belong. I definitely draw the line at them taking up residence in my shed.
The kids think this snake may be a descendant of Sid or Sid II--snakes that The Ram brought home from work a couple years ago (in hopes their presence would discourage mice from hanging around here). While conSIDering this possibility, Lioness said, "Really, it would be a 'de-SID-nant!'"
Anyway, I'm left with a sticky situation. There's still Stuff in The Warehouse. And there's still a DeSIDnant in there, too. And I'm none too eager to go out there and start boxing/burning/giving away again. Where's The Crocodile Hunter when you need him??
Well, I'll try to keep you updated on this unfolding situation. BTW, do any of you know, are there snakes in Europe? ;-)
Gotta go...Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe


Quote of the Day : "Well, really, it would be a 'deSIDnant!'" --LionessLamb

My Friend Cider-Man

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
I've got news...er..uh..*Gnus.* But more on that in a minute...
First I want to tell you about a dear young friend of ours. We refer to him as "Cider Man," as he is fond of my spiced apple cider. :-)
While visiting the Cider Family one day, I inquired of C.M., "So, what's on the menu for tonight?" With about the most sincere, honest face I can recall, he informed me, "Well, I don't know what's on the *menu,* but we're eating spaghetti." :-) This sent me into a fit of the sillies. LOL You see, his family operates by a meal plan. (A tremendous help to us mommies!) So, he wasn't sure what their family was *supposed* to be having, but he knew what *was* being served. Aren't idioms fun?
Ok, now for the Gnus:
The RamFam is moving to Bulg...uh, Ger...well, we're moving to Europe!!! The Ram has accepted a job with a company based in Eastern Europe. Over the next couple months, The Flock will relocate. We are very excited and a bit nervous. We have a lot of work to get done here before we can leave. Anyway, I'll try to pop in and let y'all know about our adventures in The Old Country.
Ok...well, I'm going to go now and pack some boxes...
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Been Farmin' Long?

Hello, F.O.T.E.s!
Yes, yes....I know it's been a coon's age since I posted...accept my sincere apologies. Y'all are so sweet to email, call and ask me in person "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BLOG AGAIN?!?!" LOL So...without further adieu:

The Flock was all buckled up in the van, ready for a trip to town. One of our errands was to go out to eat, so we hadn't fed them before we left. In order to stave off sure starvation, The Ram began handing out beef jerky. Now, I should point out that there was an ax (to use during another errand) lying on the floor, in front of Musical's seat...
Musical, chewing one piece of jerky and admiring the piece left in her hand:
"Maybe one day, Daddy can catch one of these [animals the jerky was made from], and then he can kill it with his Big Ax." (Remember that farm tool I told you about?)
LionessLamb responds: "Musical, that's COW!"
Daddy adds: "AND, it's a *pick ax* not a 'Big Ax.'"
Musical, hearing the wrong consonant again: "OH!!!! OK!!! Then, Daddy can use the ax to kill the pig, then the PIG can kill the cow!!"

Now, I've not lived there for a long time, but I'm not remembering any "pig axes" on my dad's farm. And especially not any that were put to use by a deceased animal. Something just not right about that...
Email me if you need further explanation.
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe


Confuse-Us say: "Child in warm truck should not have fit in cold weather."

Say It Like You Mean It

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Yes, it's been a while since I last posted. We've been super busy since the beginning of the new year and I can't seem to get my feet under me.
I've been thinking lately about the power of our words. More specifically, how what we say, or think, affects us. I'm not a real fan of Norman Peale and his "Power of Positive Thinking," but I do believe that we can edify or doom ourselves by the thoughts we entertain.
Sometimes, this battle of the mind is fierce--fearful or angry thoughts seem to bombard us. We grit our teeth and proclaim, "NO! That's NOT true!!!" I call this "taking every thought captive" so we can pull it down beside The Truth and compare the two. We *know* which one is True. God's word--His instructions for us in every situation.
I'll admit, this is something I've had to deal with lately. We have a couple situations coming up that I could get very fearful about, if I were to allow myself that luxury. That's the "flesh," our human tendency, and letting it take over *is* indulging the flesh. God says He didn't give us that spirit of fear. So, if it's not from Him, where did it come from? Hint: it smells like smoke. ;-)
Personally, I'm just fed up with making decisions based on fear. Our family motto is "'Rams' fear no man, 'Rams' fear only God." Now, do I *feel* that way? All the time?? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (ahem) Uh, no. But, I have a responsibility to, when I'm starting to allow fear, or any other negative, untrue emotion to take over my mind, to force it to leave and to speak God's truth into the situation.
You know, if we speak something long and fervently enough, we'll begin to believe it. What do you want to believe? You're not good enough? You're not safe? God isn't going to take care of you? That person *meant* to offend you? Or do you want to believe Truth? God loves you so much He sent His son to die for you! God is *with you*! Helping you!! He is able to supply all our needs!! Through Christ, we can believe the best of others!!
Wow. I'm feeling better. :-) Guess I'll go carpe diem for God's glory!!!
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Confuse-Us say: "When life hands you lemons, avoid all paper." :-)

Hokie Pokie Wedding

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
God's peace to you! I hope you're being blessed here in 2006, regardless of the circumstances around you. :-)
I want to tell you about a wedding we attended Saturday. It was the wedding of our midwife's daughter. She also attended our birth, so I guess you could consider her one of our midwives, as well...Anyway, this precious lady has waited a long time for God to bring her husband to her, and we have prayed for years He would orchestrate their marriage. So, a few months back, I was delighted to hear from our midwife that her sweet daughter was about to be married.
The wedding was this past Saturday. I appreciated that on the invitation, all our children were mentioned as well. That's always a question when we're invited to a wedding. The children were so excited to be invited, LOL!
When we arrived at the church, we were blessed to see the vast array people there. There were several Amish families, and several um,...er...pierced/tattooed type families. :-) Of course, too, there were many, many families who fell somewhere between. Also, there were many, many babies and pregnant ladies. What else would you expect at a midwife's wedding? LOL!
The theme was "Dreams do come true..." and the decorations were castles, etc. Rather "Cinderella-ish." Truly, that day *was* a dream come true for this dear lady.
The ceremony was rather short--maybe 30 minutes, but the reception was a real party! Loads of food, lots of music, speeches, etc. And it was all "family friendly." The highlight of the reception, for me, was the Hokie Pokie dance. T.T. and I danced that together--what a hoot! Our girls were amazed. LOL
The night wore on until The Ram reminded us that we had church the next day, and we might ought to be going. So, after a few more minutes we loaded up and came home.
If you're the praying type, please ask The Lord to bless the union of J and J.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "This syrup is supposed to be LIGHT!!!" unnamed Lamb

State Capitol

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Thought I'd tell you about our little day trip yesterday...
The Ram needed to go by the state Headquarters for National Guard, which happens to be in our state's capitol city. I had been to the capitol while I was in college, but that was many years ago. Even then, we didn't actually go into the building, LOL.
So, we unloaded our brood beside the dome-topped capitol and went inside. We oohed the marble and ahhed the statuary. Then climbed steps and visited the galleries of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. We sat in the chambers of the Supreme Court. Once, I had to explain to a Lamb that, "No, President Bush doesn't work here." LOL We had a short discussion about state vs. federal governments.
We also enjoyed looking at the doll display. It was the "First Ladies" of our state. I was interested in what they would do about the lady governor we had some years back. Would there be a "First Man" doll? LOL No, they just did a doll in the likeness of that governor.
Anyway, we're back now. Looking forward to a quiet day at home. No mahogany, no marble...just hardwood, linoleum and peanut butter. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: Our family was enjoying a visit w/ the GrandRams and it had gotten terribly late. T.T. was *not* wanting to settle in for bed. The Ram quipped to him, "Are you not wanting to go to bed? You're just wanting to stay up and read books?" (T.T. was looking at a book.) T.T. replied, "I dooo read books!" LOL

A Fire's a Fire...

...a grill's a grill...

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
I'm still forgetting that our year is now 2006. It usually takes me a while each year to adjust to the new date.
Anyway, we had temperatures in the mid-60's today. I've long said that 60's in January can come to no good. Indeed, there were storms today, but it never got very bad here. Storms seem to skirt our li'l' patch of the county. We are quite thankful. When it gets so warm during the winter, I always think of the tornado that we were in back in 2002. It was during January on a day the temperatures were unseasonably warm. The Lord protected us then and now, and we are thankful.
Today, the storms came through right after I'd put a pan of chicken breasts in the oven to cook for "lupper." (lunch/supper ;-) The thought occurred to me, "I hope the power doesn't go out..." Well, about 10 minutes after I put the meat in the oven...the power went out. LOL Once the rain was over and the sun was back shining, we "made lemonade" and pulled the chicken out of the dead oven and The Ram fired up the grill. So, we had a cookout. LOL Of course the rice I had put on the stove had to wait to cook until the power came back on a couple hours later.
All in all, a nice day. Not often you get to have a picnic in January. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe


Quote of the Day: (Overheard while watching a movie set in Asia when the character was eating raw fish)

T.T.: "That's shooey!!" (icky)
Ewe: "No, T.T., that's *sushi!*"

:-)

Blessed New Year!

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, we welcomed in the New Year last night, in traditional RamFamily order--asleep. LOL We had spent the day going to the park, visiting an "old favorite" restaurant ("Ole!") and generally just enjoying being a family. Somehow, that wiped us out and we were off to bed pretty early. Anyway, I believe the last time we actually made it to midnight was about 9 years ago. Anyway, hope your year is a new "Best" for your family. :-)
I did want to point out that we need to seriously be enjoying those party eye glasses that spell out "2006." Remember the others, 2000 on up to 2005? It struck me last night that we only have 3 more years left to amass those glasses. Once 2010 hits, the era of kitschy new year's glasses is over for another 100 years. ;-)
So, you might want to prowl the clearance sales and pick up a pair or two. They could be collectors' items one day, LOL.
Well, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe