Art

My mom's been doing art with my kids when she's around...here are their landscape paintings from last week...

 Anne's

 Elijah's

Peter's

Back-ish

I think the last week of no computer was good. Except that I started reading Sherlock Holmes, and I'm not sure that it was a terribly efficient use of my time. But I sure got a lot more done and therefore a better week emotionally than it could've been. Here are just a couple fun anecdotes from the week...
A couple weeks ago I was laughing at my sister because they were contemplating getting a new dishwasher because it was doing a lousy job cleaning (they were able to remedy the problem). Well, lo and behold I started getting more and more frustrated with having to rinse my dishes after every wash in the dishwasher, to the extent that I finally gave up and just started washing by hand (my remedies didn't work). So Christian started taking it apart to try to clean out the insides. Then I called him for dinner and he shut the dishwasher. Halfway through dinner Peter got up to get something and remarked that it smelled like smoke. I replied that it was impossible- all the burners and oven were off- I was sure of it. So Christian got up and discovered the dishwasher smoking. One of the twins had turned on the heat dry function and it was melting all those parts that Christian had left loose in there. Ha! So I kept washing dishes by hand. Somewhat therapeutic, even though for 90% of my life I've hated doing dishes. For about 2 minutes I thought, "who needs a dishwasher anyway? It would be good for me to just keep up with the dishes after every meal! For the rest.of.my.life. And I could use the extra cabinet space!" Then reality hit that life is only going to get crazier as the kids get older and that I would be reeeally ticked later if I had turned that space into a cabinet. I think Christian wouldn't have done it anyway, he's a smart guy. So he got a really good model on clearance and I'm enjoying it immensely! :)
On a different note, the other evening Tirzah was lying on her tummy kicking her legs around when Berea got really mad about something and started yelling at her. Tirzah slapped her hands over her cheeks, with her mouth forming an O and said under perfect control, "Berea, stop yelling at me!" Fun times. I'll try to pull out the camera this week. But for now, laundry!

Fasting

While I'm sure I could use a good food fast, I'm actually going to be doing a computer fast for awhile. Until I can get my household back to running smoothly, I'll be counting on Christian to check e-mail and I won't be blogging. Which means, if you need to get in touch, you'd better use the phone! :) Hopefully it won't be terribly long, but I'm tired of my propensity to waste time and need to get back in the habit of actually getting things done. So, until next time- God bless!

Growing Up

First of all, thanks for your prayers! We're feeling a little better today and finally slept decently last night. On different note, my baby boy lost his first tooth yesterday! Doesn't seem too long ago that he was just getting his first teeth!

I reminded him that he was going to get a new tooth where the old tooth had been and he replied, 

"I hope it's a gold one!

Psalm 63

Remember in the last post where I said Christian and I were tryyyying not to get the twins' "cold"? Well, we failed. We have both been completely flattened this last week. Whereas last week I felt like southern Nevada, this is what I currently feel like...

This cold is not an ordinary cold. It's affecting each of us in our family differently- for me it means that I have a constant tickle in my throat which means a constant cough which keeps me from sleeping much at all. It means a very sore throat that often feels like someone is choking me as it just gets tighter and tighter. My voice sounds harsh. At least I can't yell at the kids. I went in to the doctor this morning, who couldn't really tell me what was wrong- probably a virus, but maybe bacterial? So I came home with antibiotics, cough syrup with codeine, and an inhaler. Oy. I've been drinking probably 4-5 liters of water a day- not including all the tea, which for me borders on the miraculous (normanlly I struggle to get even 1 liter down!). But it's become a necessity- the only thing that can help me stop my coughing fits. I know I'm not exactly in the "Valley of Death" per se, but I want so much to need God and His Word like I need my water bottle these days. I know I need water, but when I'm feeling good, I'm more than happy to fill my thirst with coffee or tea or smoothies- instead of going for the pure good stuff. I want this prayer of David's to be my prayer:
O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the
richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.