Haircuts

We are all gearing up for Matt's "little" sister's wedding in two weeks! One of the items on our to-do list was haircuts for the boys. We went ahead and did them today and will probably do a small touch up the week of. Matt captured the moment well. Haircuts used to be a DISASTER in our family, but now they done with ZERO tears. Phew!

Here are Owens before, during and after. The during picture is the grace of God at work!







And Baxter's...what a ham! Check out B's tan lines!

Happy BELATED Father's Day!

I had wanted to post something for Father's Day, and the day came and went. SO... a week later I thought I'd still go ahead and post afew pictures of Matt in action as a loving, fun, faithful father. He has energy and creativity that I just can't muster up and it's a beautiful thing. Owen and Baxter are very blessed to have him as their daddy!

Here are some of my favorites: some sweet ones and some products of "boy time" (which are sweet in their own way!).

Ways to beat the heat

We've been spending a lot of time inside because it's been SO hot. Here are some of the ways the boys are beating the heat.

Projector fun

So, our TV and DVD player were fried in a recent lightening storm :( My grandparents gifted us with their old DVD player and we are currently borrowing a TV from my parents (THANK YOU BOTH!). Before we were able to borrow the TV from my parents, we needed something to watch a DVD at home group on Sunday night. Thankfully, church had just bought a projector for Sunday School classes and Home Groups to use. SO, Matt set it up during naptime, and the boys were able to watch Curious George on the projector after naps. They were in awe.

School is out for summer

We have taken quite a break from school at home since O got out of preschool in mid-May. I plan to do some fun activities from time to time over the summer (like making popsicles), but won't do our normal school stuff until the fall. I think :) Here are the last few letters that we did. I am missing a picture of H (Honor your father and your mother), but here is G, I, and J. It stands out to me as I look back a month at these pictures that there is nothing too spectacular or creative about the picture themselves, but I hope and pray that God uses them to impress His Word on the hearts of our boys! That is what would be spectacular!

G - "Go into ALL the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15. I printed out a simple map with the verse printed on the bottom. I then printed out some pictures of missionaries we are friends with. I drew a shape on various parts of the map near where they serve and drew the same shape on the corresponding picture. Owen matched the shapes and glued the pictures on.



I - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13. I had written out the verse and drawn a cross on the paper. MY plan was to take the shapes Owen had cut out and write different things that we can do in Christ's strength (obey mommy, love Baxter, be kind to my friends...). OWEN'S idea was to glue all of the shapes on a write numbers on them...big numbers and little numbers...like something we had done a year ago. SO...I chose to be flexible and we went with O's plan. Sometimes a mommy has to flex a little bit, as hard as it is!



J - "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.'" We talked about what the way, the truth and the life were, and how Jesus is all of those things for us. Then, we made these "compasses." The directions on the compass are not your typical North, South, East and West, but rather The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

Good reminder

I was reading todays "Morning" entry in Charles Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" devotional book, and was encouraged by this simple reminder of why we are here. He was answering the question of why doesn't God just take us to heaven the moment we are saved through Jesus? Why do we remain to do battle on earth? Here is a brief excerpt. To read the whole thing, click HERE.

"We live unto the Lord."—Romans 14:8

"The answer is—they are here that they may "live unto the Lord," and may bring others to know His love. We remain on earth as sowers to scatter good seed; as ploughmen to break up the fallow ground; as heralds publishing salvation. We are here as the "salt of the earth," to be a blessing to the world. We are here to glorify Christ in our daily life. We are here as workers for Him, and as "workers together with Him." Let us see that our life answereth its end. Let us live earnest, useful, holy lives, to "the praise of the glory of His grace.""

Books to Suggest

Just wanted to suggest a few books that we really love. Owen is just old enough for them, and we don't read the whole story in one sitting. But they are so great in telling the gospel story in a story. Enjoy!

The Prince's Poison Cup by RC Sproul



The Lightlings by RC Sproul



Psalm 23 Sammy and his Shepherd by Susan Hunt