The Velma Picnic 2011

Community. 

Tradition. 

Social gathering. 

Dancing.

Team Roping, Double Muggin & Barrel Racing. 

Many things draw people to the Velma Picnic. 

But for these kids it's the rides. 

And just looking cute in boots...

(btw- This is a picture above of Charis and her friends, Alyssia and Chugga- she insisted we get a picture of them) 

But for others it's the draw of the sport of rodeo....

Cody and friend Tanner Jo double mugged this year

Tanner missed roping the steer 2 nights but the nights our dear friends the Longs where there it was a go and Cody took the steer by the horns and took him down

That's Mr. Incredible there on the ground with the steer. Tanner is walking over getting ready to tie him up.

The other guy on a horse has a red flag that he waves to stop time. They didn't win a buckle but it made the picnic more fun :)

Art Camp

While Cody and I were at falls creek, Cady, the artist,  went to Art Explosion in Duncan.

She enjoyed it although she was reluctant to go at first.

She did kite making....

And mono printing....

and tye dye....

and pottery...

The pottery teacher was a believer AND he was from Washington state ( 9 days, folks 9 days!!)

The saturday after art camp Cady was inspired to get her pottery wheel out and guess who joined in the fun?

Mr. Incredible is a potter too!

Mr. INcredible, The Boy, The Boys & The Men

Mr. Incredible was gone last week but he brought me back something!!! Which requires another post...but it was a totebag!

The Boy turned 11 this week.

I have been sappy and sentimental. I love being a momma.

The Boys, as we've come to call them, are a bunch of high school boys who really want to know God's word and come to be discipled once a week. This isn't "what's been going on this week" stuff - it's a desire for truth like I've never seen. It started nearly a year ago and have been the highlight of our year.

Several are graduating. We've watched them all year long. Tomorrow is a beginning. A better one that many before them have had. We are proud. We are humbled to serve such an amazing God.

These three feel called to ministry. Three. We asked for one. 3! Eph. 3:20 my friends, Eph. 3:20!

The men are another group. They meet on Sunday nights at our home. They recently went through Radical the book and several are sponsoring Nepal orphans. When my running buddy Kerri needed a gazillion carpet staples pulled out of her soon to be adopted daughter's room floor they quickly got r dun!

I love boys

I I i I Ilove seeing them grow and become....

I Ilove how they have fun...

I love my man.

 Respect them, Let them lead, let them be who they are- let them fight the enemy, let them rescue the beauty, let them find adventure. Be glad for their authority. 

Be glad for what God's doing in their lives. 

anniversary gift & our story marathon....

Tuesday August 3rd marks my 14 wedding anniversary. 14 years have come and gone. While at camp, again, I wrote a lot on my anniversary gift.

When I walked in from Ft. Worth and visiting my brother I saw this.....

one all my stuff was gone. I believe my words were, "What have you done?"

Had I known it was mine I would've shouted. But I didn't know what to think till I saw this...

And I knew Mr. Incredible had outdone himself.  I am very excited and grateful. I needed a computer but this is a huge blessing! So Seattle will have to wait till next year (hopefully).

I recently talked with a young woman, eager and excited about starting a life in the ministry.

Here's what I've learned in 15 years (we were in a year before we married) that I wish I could tell her but won't. It's an adventure you live, you can't navigate it like you want. And while some similarities exist, you'll have your own story one day.

You may end up in a 12 by 12 one room apartment with IKea nowhere around with 4 kids everyday. You may have to send him off for a year to minister to our military not knowing when or if you'll see him. You may move to itty bitty towns with no stores far from STarbucks. You may have to care for children that smell, or clean up puke, or clean toilets when your trained to sing arias, write novels or teach college Bible classes. You may cry yourself to sleep worrying why he won't talk anymore when he  used to be open, honest, and real. You may ride side saddle on a motorcycle with your family of 5 all with you maneuvering between many moving vehicles. You may wish many times for the King of Kings to come and take over.

Hopefully you'll have the armor of a knight, the courage of a king, the grace of a queen and the hope of a princess. (Cooking, hospitality and piano playing aren't bad ideas either) May you have good friends to encourage you and sense to praise Jesus in the midst of a storm and pain. May you have treasures money can't buy, watermelons at your door and friends at your table. May your knees be worn from kneeling in prayer and your Bible marked through and through.

As a new blog I found put it....ministry is "oh so fabulous" 

To celebrate the journey and where it's taken us, I'll write with a tender heart this week....the final 8 chapters of "Our Story"

The House without Cody

My husband is gone for the week. I have many friends who find themselves in this situation a lot. For some their men are home at strange times or on the weekends, for some their men are deployed, and some are parenting alone long term. I not only love each of these friends but think they are the best . Making the best of hard times and situations.

Few set out to choose that path, it's just the way it is.  Most struggle financially, with loneliness, with decision making, with faith...

I am so inspired by the homes they've created. Some have opened heart and home to foster parenting, some drop everything when the working spouse returns- some are waiting for miracles. Changed lives. Only Jesus can change a person's heart. Try as we may, our best bet is to pray like crazy.

For us when dad's gone it looks like this. Everywhere.

These pictures are old, I am being lazy and not selective on my tasks this week. Cleaning and picture taking aren't on the list.

So the sink looks like this.

But we do a lot of this ...

Charis found the dress up stuff and demands I play music all day so she can twirl. 

Yes. Maam, Queenie Charis

We also watch our kind of movies. Dad kinda dominates the tv viewing.

And we eat this for dinner. Yes, we do. And cereal. Although today we had salads.
Bacon, lettuce and spinach and ranch and tomato (from my garden!) I'll post pictures of those soon.

But I have a hard time sleeping. So I often let the kids sleep with me :)

Mr. Irresistable

Well while we were at the Magic Kingdom we ran into this guy....

And of course I took a picture. My kids love the Incredibles. It is one of the lesser know Disney shows and we did see it in the beginning but it has become one of our favorites. To the point that my kids call themselves Violet and Flash and Charis is of course Jack Jack but that gets a little weird seeing that he's a boy...

It being father's day and all I wanted to honor my Mr. Incredible...I recently wrote about his creativeness, ingenuity and hard work (click here) and have written 2/3rds of our love story (click on the story of us).

Using pictures from our recent trip I thought I'd write about watching the man I fell in love with become a father.

I was born a nurturer. I preferred dolls to barbies, BabySitters Club to Sweet Valley High and babysat at an early age. Had quite a business too.

For someone who loves kids and has always dreamed of raising her own seeing a man with kids is highly attractive. Not sure if I could get by saying sexy on here. Oh gosh I just did :)

Especially when they are with little ones.





He calls us all beautiful at least once a day. I find that ironic since I look in the mirror everyday and am seeing my youth fading before my eyes. He calls me beautiful more now that I am older. He gets me, he knows I need it. He knows these girls need it. He knows these girls have a battle, different than Silas'. Will they believe the world and it's lies or will they trust that they are God's masterpiece, created in him for good works? He uses his words to build their hearts.

He spends his money so they feel special. Me first, them second. They know he loves me first. He bought Cady a cute and expensive hair band last week. I still remember the 50$ pants at the Limited my dad made a special trip to the mall to get for me when I was in Middle school.

He doesn't force them to compete, but builds their confidence and encourages them to soar.

I now know that he leaves early so that he can still be on time after helping anyone he sees in need. He turned around to help one of my sister's neighbors one day.
He jumps in and does what needs to be done, rather it be pool cleaning or diaper changing or hair brushing (I have a cute picture of him and Charis from a couple of weeks ago I'll try and add)

And they follow him. You can't help but follow him. I remember on a ski trip one time he started singing "Happy Birthday" . Everyone joined in and when it came time say the persons name, no one even knew who's birthday it was, it wasn't anyone's birthday- point made- people follow a leader. God made Cody a leader and then made sure he lead them the right way.

A couple of years ago I bought him a compass, last year a GPS- we follow because he leads.

And occasionally he lets me lead.

And we end up sweating to death in Florida.

He is training Silas to read maps...I love that he feels the duty to train Silas to love the Lord and work hard. I love that he pushes the stroller.


And where ever the path's might take us, he goes first because no matter what's ahead he can take it on. He has brawn and brains.

And he makes the best of many situations.

Even when he desperately wanted to go home, he stayed another day and let me see a childhood friend I hadn't seen in years.

The man deserves a lot for all I drag him into.

What's wrong babe?

" I wanta go cut some more wood"


He endured and even with a sense of humor...

and an occasional smile that made Mr. Incredible , Mr. Irresistible.

Mr Incredible

Several years ago I married this guy.

I mean this guy


And he never ceases to amaze me.

Last year he made this.

He welded it.

Painted it.

Yellow, no less.

WOW.

And 2 years ago he took this stuff ....

Created this machine

Used this stuff...

And create bio diesel for his truck.

And if that doesn't impress you....

I will show you more.

This man knows how to work.

This recent purchase has helped out a lot.

With this new project.

I don't know if it's the new series Ax Man or the bad winter we had but all of a sudden I walked out side and this was there.

And this , my gosh there are 10 ricks of wood in there.

I think we are ready for the winter.

I think we may have some wood for sale if ya'll need any.

You know what really gets me is that he has instilled this love for wood chopping to Silas. We are on the lift skiing in Colorado and Silas looks at a tree and says, "Boy that tree would make a lot of wood, at least 2 ricks"

:)

Mr. Incredible wants 2 things for his son- that he love Jesus with all his heart, mind, strength and soul and that he work hard.

He just never ceases to amaze me.

And that makes him pretty incredible.