Such Irony!

My niece, Julia, had her 4th birthday last Friday. Isn't she cute?!

We gathered with my sister's family and my parents to celebrate on Sunday. Julia wanted to go to a pumpkin patch and see the animals. . .

Here are Hannah and Naomi (Julia's big sister) with the baby chicks

Bethany wanted to take this bunny home with us.

We also took a hayrack ride out to the pumpkin patch.

There was an old silo with corn where the kids could play. Kind of like a sandbox but with corn instead.

Samuel has just finished burying Caleb in corn up to his neck.

Now it is Samuel's turn.

As I was looking through our pictures and thinking about posting a new entry, I was struck and saddened by the irony. There is a desperate need for corn in Guatemala and my children are "swimming" in it in the US. What a picture of the abundance we have in this country! There is no shame or guilt in going to the pumpkin patch - we are blessed in this country and "every good and perfect gift" is from the Lord (James 1:17). However, He also desires us to be good stewards of the gifts that He has given us. So what are we to do??

I can't pack up the corn that my children were playing in and ship it to Guatemala. As much as I would like to, I cannot go to Guatemala with suitcases filled with corn.

I can pray. I can trust in the Lord's plan and provision for the people of Guatemala. I can spread the word about the Corn Project and how little it would take of our abundance to supply a Guatemalan family with corn for a year. I can give out of the abundance that the Lord has given my family so that another family can "taste and see that the Lord is good" Psalms 34:8.

Moto-mania!

Since well before we left Guatemala, Caleb had decided he wanted a Honda motorcycle (just like Craig and the Ficker boys). Well, after months of searching and searching, saving and saving; we finally found the perfect bike. Here are a few pictures of Caleb riding - very soon after we brought it home.



I asked him for a ride, but he didn't think it was a very good idea.

Finally, I did talk him into letting me have a ride.

I am not sure he thinks he made a very wise decision. At least not after seeing me make the first jump!

Dinner?

Yeah, I don't think so! The kids have been finding snakes in our yard lately. On Friday it was a snake like this but much smaller. They captured it and then school turned into researching "Snakes Native to NE" on the internet to find out what kind it was and what it eats. The little snake managed to escape the confines of a 5-gallon bucket. This much larger one, probably the little one's mother, was found on Saturday (the date is wrong on the pictures) by Caleb when he was picking up dog poop. It was quite entertaining to watch them all (from the safety of the back porch!). We have determined that these are bull snakes (or gopher snakes). They are often mistaken for rattlers and even have a little "rattle" when they feel threatened. (Like when Don hit him with the rake!) I have decided that I am no longer interested in going to the garden by myself!

Lamingtons

We are studying the Eastern Hemisphere for history this year. We just finished up the Pacific Islands and are now starting on Australia. In one of our books, "Lamingtons" were described as a favorite Australian treat. Of couse, we needed to try this treat! Essentially, they are a sponge cake cut into squares. Then you dip them into a runny chocolate icing and coat with coconut. Here is a picture of ours:



The girls loved making these. As you can imagine, we had chocolate and coconut everywhere! Doing these things with them makes me realize how blessed I am. I love homeschooling and getting to spend so much time with my children. I love teaching them little things like how to beat egg whites and sugar until they form stiff peaks. I love watching my children interact and help each other. I love hearing them encourage each other and compliment each other. Everyone loved the Lamingtons and the girls were so proud of what they had made.

But mostly, I love teaching them about the Lord and helping them discover the talents and gifts and passions that He has given each of them. Are my children perfect? Of course not. Do they have disagreements and get frustrated with each other and themselves? Of course. How else could I teach them how to be patient and kind? Or self-controlled and considerate? It is in these moments that they learn the most about who they are and how He wants us to live.

I just read Katie Ficker's latest blog entry and felt even deeper how blessed I am. The Bible says in Acts 17:26 "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." He has a purpose and a plan for each of us. He has blessed us with so much. My heart breaks when I hear stories like the one Katie shared. I can pick up a phone and ask my husband to please bring home coconut after work and it happens. My children have never gone hungry and I pray that they never will. It is not a mistake that I live here during this time and in this place with so much. The Lord "determined" this time and place for me. My prayer is that we would be good stewards of all that He has given us - our money, our children, our lives. May we live as He desires and go where He leads. May we thank Him everyday for all that we have. May we find joy in the little things - like making a new treat with our children! Thanks for reading!