There is a place I used to go often that is so very important to my family. Our grandparents lived there. My dad was raised there. I have spent countless summers there - Camp Wakonda in Racine, MO. This place is important to many people because of the love and friendships formed there. That is one reason I love it so much. I have also truly felt the Lord's presence by the stream, in the tabernacle, and even in my cabin during bedtime devotions. But what else makes it so special for me is that I feel my Grandma and Grandpa there, too. A piece of our family's history is etched in the soil, hovers in the air so pungent that it's almost tangible. I know how very much it meant to them; and since I was a little girl, it's meant so very much to me because of them.
My cousin April is blessed to have a book of poems of my grandmother's. She sent this to me today and made me reminisce about how I used to spend the summers of my youth. I love to see the perspective of Grandma, observing her husband and all he did in the place he loved so much.
KEEPER OF THE GROUNDS
THE CONTRACT CALLED FOR YOU TO CLEAN THE POOL
AND MOW THE GRASS, AND CHECK THE LIGHTS AND FUEL
AND KEEP THE WATER STANDARD HIGH
AND KNOW WHERE TOOLS WERE KEPT, AND WHY,
AND CLEAN OLD BIRDS NESTS OUT OF EVE AND RAFTER -
NO CARE OF YOURS - THE CHILDRENS GRIEF AND LAUGHTER -
KEEPER OF THE GROUNDS
BUT THEN THERE CAME A DAY YOU WANDERED NEAR
THE ARCHERY CLASS, AND IT WAS VERY CLEAR
THE VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTOR DIDN'T KNOW
ENOUGH ABOUT THE SPORT TO BRACE A BOW,
AND YOU HAD TAUGHT A CLASS THE YEAR BEFORE -
SO NOW YOU ADDED ON THIS ONE JOB MORE -
KEEPER OF THE GROUNDS
I SAW A FIRST YEAR CAMPER FAR FROM HOME,
CONFUSED, UNSURE, A PARAGON TO SOME
BEGINNING COUNSELORS. THEY FAILED TO UNDERSTAND
AND AT THIS TIME I SAW YOU LAY YOUR HAND
UPON HIS SHOULDER; SAY YOU UNDERSTOOD.
IN HALF CARESS, HALF IN DEMAND, YOU SAID, "BE GOOD"!
KEEPER OF THE GROUNDS.
A HOMESICK LITTLE GIRL WAS VERY SAD -
WANTING TO SEE HER PET SKUNK - AND HER DAD-
WOULD A WEE, GREEN GRASS SNAKE HELP TO DRY HER TEARS?
BRING BACK A SUNNY SMILE? ALLAY HER FEARS?
I THINK SHE NAMED IT FREDDY AFTER YOU.
AND TOOK IT HOME WITH HER WHEN CAMP WAS THROUGH -
KEEPER OF THE GROUNDS.
THE GRASS MAY GROW A LITTLE HIGHER NOW -
SMALL JOBS HAVE REALLY MULTIPLIED, SOMEHOW!
BUT TEACH THE LAD - CONSOLE THE LASS -
A YOUTHFUL LIFE IS MORE THAN GRASS -
AND AS YOU GO ABOUT YOUR WORK EACH DAY
A SMILE, A WORD OF CHEER, WILL MARK YOUR WAY.
KEEPER OF THE GROUNDS.
WRITTEN BY INEZ MAY PRICE CRAKER
This poems makes me smile. I can see Grandpa taking over the archery class ~ hear him telling the little boy to "be good", helping a homesick little girl.... can't you? *sigh* i do miss them. thought you would enjoy. love ya.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Hollywood - GRRR!!!
Okay, so one of the biggest things my kiddos have been looking forward to all summer - aside from our vacation to SD, swimming lessons and VBS - is going to see the new Transformers movie. I admit, I really liked the first one and have looked forward to this sequel nearly as much as they have. Well, now some of our friends have seen it, and I checked Focus on the Family's review, and I'm having second thoughts on taking them.
Why does Hollywood do this to us? The kids see advertisements of the safe parts all summer long. The toys are literally clogging the local Wal Mart aisles. But now, come to find out, they shouldn't have gotten away with the PG-13 rating - it should have been more like R! Sexual content abounding, violence (but I expected that) and cursing seem second nature to these characters. Why do they take a child's play thing and warp it into this?? Don't they understand that a family can enjoy a movie without seeing college kids have sex? Yes, even appreciate it NOT being in a FAMILY movie?? Hollywood, GRRRR!!!!!
I am very upset about this. Connor has talked nonstop about seeing Transformers. I want to make the right decision, but am afraid I'll be "outranked" by Daddy - who, btw, has been excited to see it, as well.
How are we supposed to protect our children when we innocently step foot into a theater expecting a family movie and get this garbage? Do we walk out? But what's the point? Hollywood already has our money, thus believe that their movie is well done and well liked. They get our money, then think that's their go ahead to make more trash and file it under family movie. It's infuriating to me.
Think back to the last few years. How many movies have you gone to see with or rented for your kids? Now how many of those slipped in a shock factor moment? I honestly can't think of any movies who haven't snuck in adult content into a family film except for The Chronicles of Narnia. And if I had to sit down and dissect it, I'd probably find something there, too. After all, we know Disney is not what it used to be.
I still don't know what I'll do about this. Like I said, I get outranked by Daddy sometimes. But I don't see why Hollywood should keep getting away with this. It's we who are responsible for our children's minds. God entrusts us to protect them and preserve their innocence. So why do we keep giving in? I don't know. I know I do all too often, and then regret it later. And this time I'll be doing it with my eyes wide open.
Why does Hollywood do this to us? The kids see advertisements of the safe parts all summer long. The toys are literally clogging the local Wal Mart aisles. But now, come to find out, they shouldn't have gotten away with the PG-13 rating - it should have been more like R! Sexual content abounding, violence (but I expected that) and cursing seem second nature to these characters. Why do they take a child's play thing and warp it into this?? Don't they understand that a family can enjoy a movie without seeing college kids have sex? Yes, even appreciate it NOT being in a FAMILY movie?? Hollywood, GRRRR!!!!!
I am very upset about this. Connor has talked nonstop about seeing Transformers. I want to make the right decision, but am afraid I'll be "outranked" by Daddy - who, btw, has been excited to see it, as well.
How are we supposed to protect our children when we innocently step foot into a theater expecting a family movie and get this garbage? Do we walk out? But what's the point? Hollywood already has our money, thus believe that their movie is well done and well liked. They get our money, then think that's their go ahead to make more trash and file it under family movie. It's infuriating to me.
Think back to the last few years. How many movies have you gone to see with or rented for your kids? Now how many of those slipped in a shock factor moment? I honestly can't think of any movies who haven't snuck in adult content into a family film except for The Chronicles of Narnia. And if I had to sit down and dissect it, I'd probably find something there, too. After all, we know Disney is not what it used to be.
I still don't know what I'll do about this. Like I said, I get outranked by Daddy sometimes. But I don't see why Hollywood should keep getting away with this. It's we who are responsible for our children's minds. God entrusts us to protect them and preserve their innocence. So why do we keep giving in? I don't know. I know I do all too often, and then regret it later. And this time I'll be doing it with my eyes wide open.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Technology, Schmechnology!!
Okay, so I love it when irony is combined with comedy. You know, like when a mother of a teenager is complaining about the child's driving skills and immediately rear ends someone! Or when somebody says she is irritated with her phone and wishes it would break so she could get a new one - and then someone steps on it!! (Both happened this week, by the way, but I won't tell on Dakotah's mommy! :D) The latter event happened to me.
I was lucky to have two people offer me phones so I wouldn't have to buy a brand new one - granted, Ariel wanted to SELL me hers, not give it to her in-need little sister! But, lo and behold, when I went to Radio Shack today, I was eligible for a free phone with a new contract! Since I have no intention of leaving my server, I figured, "What the hey!" and got a new Palm Centro! I was so excited. It has a keyboard and all sorts of neat little do-hickeys that I don't even know how to work! Fun Fun!!
Then I got it home and realized, this thing has SO MANY do-hickeys that I don't even know how to work! Not so fun fun anymore...
DO you know what a phone is for anymore?? Well, apparantly everything except scrubbing your toilet! I can get email, IMs, personal date calendar, Facebook, Media Player, Google, Telenav, etcetera, etcetera; I don't even know how to find my address book at this point!!
I truly thought about handing it to Connor and telling him to program, but then I'd just be more aggravated with myself when he actually COULD do it. So I figured I'd suffer in silence for a few more days until somebody OF AGE takes pity on me and does it for me. HINT HINT!! :)
I was lucky to have two people offer me phones so I wouldn't have to buy a brand new one - granted, Ariel wanted to SELL me hers, not give it to her in-need little sister! But, lo and behold, when I went to Radio Shack today, I was eligible for a free phone with a new contract! Since I have no intention of leaving my server, I figured, "What the hey!" and got a new Palm Centro! I was so excited. It has a keyboard and all sorts of neat little do-hickeys that I don't even know how to work! Fun Fun!!
Then I got it home and realized, this thing has SO MANY do-hickeys that I don't even know how to work! Not so fun fun anymore...
DO you know what a phone is for anymore?? Well, apparantly everything except scrubbing your toilet! I can get email, IMs, personal date calendar, Facebook, Media Player, Google, Telenav, etcetera, etcetera; I don't even know how to find my address book at this point!!
I truly thought about handing it to Connor and telling him to program, but then I'd just be more aggravated with myself when he actually COULD do it. So I figured I'd suffer in silence for a few more days until somebody OF AGE takes pity on me and does it for me. HINT HINT!! :)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Family
If you don't know me well, you need to know how very important my family is to me. I have so many cousins, I don't know if I could name them all. Ok, so I know that I could, if you actually have an hour, but I doubt you really want me to do that. Sooo, anyways, I'm getting off subject (again, if you don't know me well, get used to that, too!). My family. They are uber important to me.
There are a few cousins that I was raised with in almost brother/sister relationships; as in, I was as comfortable in My Aunt Trudi's home as I was in my own (maybe more at times - I'm my Aunt Trudi's favorite, and I got away with a LOT over there :D) So basically, most of my life I felt like I was the youngest of 6, not 3. Missy, Jackie and Ryan played as much a role in forming me into the little terror I was as my sisters, Ange and Ariel, had!
Then there's my cousin April. I just love her. Over the last few years, she's become the yin to my yang - one of my best friends. We share every aspect of our lives with one another, and I never expected that. I am much younger (:D) than all of this group, and I was always the little tag along. But time changes those kinds of things, and the gap is narrowed every year...
April and her oldest daughter, Dakotah, came in for a visit this week. Impromptu, spur of the moment kind of thing, where they called Monday night and asked if we wanted some houseguests. We said bring it on, even the dog - and they did! I was thrilled!
We drove over to Jackie's house this afternoon to visit, and it was so much fun. It doesn't matter how old we get or how much time has gone by, we fall into our conversations as if we'd done it the day before. This was such a great feeling. Basically, because familial relationships have changed and evolved - even struggled - through the years due to circumstances totally out of our control. And I hate that. I mean, REALLY hate that! But today, all the walls were down, for the first time in about 4 years. I felt like I'd been taken back in time, to a happier time. Jackie was just Jackie. April and I were just ourselves. We laughed. We heckled each other. We hugged each other. We just were.
It was amazing.
I want more days like this one.
There are a few cousins that I was raised with in almost brother/sister relationships; as in, I was as comfortable in My Aunt Trudi's home as I was in my own (maybe more at times - I'm my Aunt Trudi's favorite, and I got away with a LOT over there :D) So basically, most of my life I felt like I was the youngest of 6, not 3. Missy, Jackie and Ryan played as much a role in forming me into the little terror I was as my sisters, Ange and Ariel, had!
Then there's my cousin April. I just love her. Over the last few years, she's become the yin to my yang - one of my best friends. We share every aspect of our lives with one another, and I never expected that. I am much younger (:D) than all of this group, and I was always the little tag along. But time changes those kinds of things, and the gap is narrowed every year...
April and her oldest daughter, Dakotah, came in for a visit this week. Impromptu, spur of the moment kind of thing, where they called Monday night and asked if we wanted some houseguests. We said bring it on, even the dog - and they did! I was thrilled!
We drove over to Jackie's house this afternoon to visit, and it was so much fun. It doesn't matter how old we get or how much time has gone by, we fall into our conversations as if we'd done it the day before. This was such a great feeling. Basically, because familial relationships have changed and evolved - even struggled - through the years due to circumstances totally out of our control. And I hate that. I mean, REALLY hate that! But today, all the walls were down, for the first time in about 4 years. I felt like I'd been taken back in time, to a happier time. Jackie was just Jackie. April and I were just ourselves. We laughed. We heckled each other. We hugged each other. We just were.
It was amazing.
I want more days like this one.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Chloe
I can't believe my baby girl is going to be 6 years old in just a few hours. Where does the time go? It breaks my heart in some ways, but I also am so very proud of that child that it makes my head spin. She is intelligent, funny and talented. She is also kind, inquisitive and full of love. Every day is a new adventure to her, and it is such a priviledge to watch her explore and learn about the world around her. I am saddened when I think about how quickly she had to grow up and share me with Canon. She only got to be a baby for 14 months (and 5 of those she was colicky and unbearable!), and that time is hardly even a blip on my radar because I was just trying to survive through that season... I am ever so thankful that God doesn't let children remember those chaotic months of infancy! ;D She is looking forward to her lunch with the family and her sleepover and swim party with friends. I hope it is a memorable day for her - she deserves it!
Monday, June 1, 2009
South Dakota
We just took our first vacation as a family of 6. We drove to South Dakota to go to Kelly's cousin, Ryan's wedding and then do some sightseeing the days after. It was so amazing! God's handiwork never ceases to amaze me, and the handiwork of men was pretty cool, too! We enjoyed visiting the Lewis and Clark Exhibit, Mount Rushmore, Big Thunder Gold Mine, Mammoth Site, and driving through the badlands. The kids had so much fun - I don't think they even realized that they hadn't watched tv or used the internet in 6 days! Kelly and I didn't miss it either!
The trip home was an adventure in itself. We lost a wheel bearing and brakes on our brand new trailer 4 hours into the trip around 11 p.m. Even in that unforeseen event, we saw the protective hand of our Heavenly Father looking out for us. We smelled something burning while stopped for fuel. Kelly checked it out, and he decided we'd stay put for the night. When we got up the next morning, there was a Chevrolet dealership not 50 yards away! The Lord takes care of us, even when it's not how we expect Him to do it!
The trip home was an adventure in itself. We lost a wheel bearing and brakes on our brand new trailer 4 hours into the trip around 11 p.m. Even in that unforeseen event, we saw the protective hand of our Heavenly Father looking out for us. We smelled something burning while stopped for fuel. Kelly checked it out, and he decided we'd stay put for the night. When we got up the next morning, there was a Chevrolet dealership not 50 yards away! The Lord takes care of us, even when it's not how we expect Him to do it!
Welcome!
Hello there! And welcome to my blog. Here I'll show you a glimpse of my abundantly blessed life that I'm honored to share with the love of my life, Kelly; our 4 amazing children - Connor, Chloe, Canon and Caleb; and the lover of my soul, Jesus Christ. There is nothing more important to me than living for my Lord and raising up our children in the way they should go. We love to laugh, play and spend time together more than anything - and there's always room for friends! I am scattered, cluttered, and always in the middle of several projects at once; I wouldn't have it any other way. It's not always smooth sailing, but I guarantee you it is never dull!
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