2002 – A Lost Year?

So the CD I kept pictures on for 2002 failed and I was unwise and did not print out the pictures.  So this is about the only photo I have from 2002.  That is sad because memory begins to fade making it hard to remember what actually goes on in your life.  Amazing what photographs do for our memory. 

Growing Years - (2001)

If You Give a Mom a Muffin
If you give a mom a muffin,
She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
So she'll pour herself some.
The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.
She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do some laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She'll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper for tonight.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With a Pound of
Hamburger.)
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.
She will look for the checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two year old.
While she is changing the two year old the phone will ring. (Of course!)
Her five year old will answer it and hang up.

 

She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come over for coffee on Friday.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
She will pour herself some.
And chances are,
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

Written by Kathy Fictorie
Based on If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

The 17th year of our marriage and we are blessed with two trips this year.  The beach trip is thanks to a dear friend who lets us stay at his condo for maintenance work done by Precious husband.  

Blessing #6 - (2000)

Two babies in two years and I am not as young as I used to be (as my doctor was quick to tell me).  Plus we moved during this year as well.  This year I remember being very heavy (round and pregnant) and very tired.  Obviously Precious husband was tired as well.  Thankfully he was able to take about a month off just before and after Princess daughter was born to help out with the other children. 

Did not even know that when this picture was taken we were expecting little one.  This was our first “real” ski trip as a family.  We were in Colorado.   Earlier this year we skied in Tennessee, but 8” is nothing compared to the snow they see out west.

We are up to year 16 now.  Thanks for allowing me to take this journey. 

Here We Enlarge Again - (1999)

 

Blessing #5 is added to our family this year – the 15th year of our marriage.  Darling daughter and I are way out numbered at this point.  God continues to bless us with healthy, happy children. 

I Forget - (1998)

Married 14 years here.  It is so easy to forget things in our lives as the time goes by.  Precious husband is working at the fire department and for his brother at a spray-in bed liner company.  We had an old beat-up truck so hubbie decided to cover the entire truck with the spray-in liner material.  It felt like a rubberized truck.  Darling daughter would have been in 4th grade at this time, challenge son in 2nd grade, and helpful son in 1st grade.  I think I am finally adjusting to having four, mainly because Darling daughter is so helpful. 

(Photo by Challenge son)

Blessing #4 - (1997)

This year brings changes as son #3, Fun son, blessing #4 is born early in the year.  At the same time Precious husband begins working for a new fire department.  Adjusting to four children is rather difficult for me.  I did not seem to be able to balance schooling, housework, bill paying, cooking, and all that other mother stuff well.  Seems like we may have spent quite a bit of time hanging out at the fire station for support.  The kids, even today, love to go look at the fire engines and be with dad at the fire station. 

Years 11 & 12 - (1995-1996)

Our family is blessed to be able to go to the beach with my parents during the summer of 1995. We took a ferry ride across the bay. We also moved into our first house, built by Precious husband. This is our first year really homeschooling as Darling daughter is in 1st grade.

This is a year of expectancy again as we are anticipating the arrival of blessing #4. Here we are enjoying a day at the zoo with Gold-hearted mom.

Blessing #3 & A Milestone (1994)

Due very soon is blessing #3 – do I look ready to deliver? Can you tell Precious husband gets a delight out of pointing out my expanding midsection?

Funny story – on a routine appointment toward the end of the pregnancy the doctor informs me I am dilated and need to go straight to the hospital. I inform doctor I have husband and two little ones in car waiting for me so we can go walk around the mall. Doctor relents, but only for me to take them home, he wants me at the hospital right away. When I don’t show up as quickly as they think I should, the hospital calls to see if I am coming in as doctor instructed. I assure them I will be there in plenty of time.

Helpful son was born rather quickly after we settled in at hospital. So quickly he could not adjust to breathing outside the womb. So he and Precious husband head off to the nursery so little man’s breathing can be monitored more closely. Thankfully he adjusts and just four hours later they are back in the room with me.

Where do you fit two adults and three children in a two-bedroom garage apartment? Thankfully they are all younger than five so they fit in one bedroom. And at this point only one is old enough to share use of the one bathroom.

The milestone for this year is our tenth anniversary. Wow, it has gone by really fast. But hang on to your seats, there is more to come. We are getting ready to build our first house.

Ninth Year (1993)

1993 - We settle into a routine. Precious husband works 53 hour shifts. That is just over two days at the fire station. I think I did quite a bit of crafting during this period – tole painting mostly. We have not moved for a couple of years now.

We were members of a home church and it seems we hosted a small home-group in our little apartment during this time.

I remember being grateful for their prayers when we were expecting blessing #3 beginning about May of this year. I remember feeling so overwhelmed finding out I was expecting so soon and the possible complication of gestational diabetes again. Anointed with oil and covered in prayer I have been kept from having diabetes to this very day. God is so very good.

Blessing #2 (1992)

Precious husband attended firefighter school. He was one of the oldest in his firefighters in class, however, he was the honor graduate. Which means his skills and fitness levels were at the top of his class. I am always proud of his achievements. He also completed his paramedic training during the first part of this year.

We added blessing #2 to our family. I was very sick this pregnancy! The last 2 1/2 months we discovered I had gestational diabetes and needed insulin shots. God was so gracious to let my sugars settle back into a normal range after challenge son was born.

Seven Year Itch? - (1991)

Sometime during 1990/1991 we moved back to small hometown. Part of that time we lived with my maternal grandmother and aunt.

Darling daughter and I spent time caring for my grandmother who had to have surgery on her back. The recovery was about six months. I can still see darling daughter and my grandmother lying in bed with my grandmother reading her books. When my grandmother was well she cared by darling daughter so I could work several days a week while Precious husband began paramedic training. This was helpful while Precious husband was doing rotations for paramedic school.

Later in the year we moved into a two bedroom garage apartment owned by dear friends of my grandmother.

The Middle Years Begin (1990)

The 80’s are over and the 90’s are beginning. We celebrate the sixth year of our marriage and darling daughter’s first birthday. We travel the 12 hours from big city to small town (home) for Memorial Day holiday (I think). I remember Precious husband working a lot during this year and darling daughter having a terrifying allergic reaction to peanut butter. Someone forgot to inform me that a nine-month-old should not eat peanut butter!

I remember Saturday’s at the farmers market, learning to make a tasty pie crust from scratch along with the filling with fresh fruits, and hours spent napping with darling daughter on my chest. Blowing bubbles, reading books, and lots of stuffed animals come to mind during this stroll down memory lane.

A Special Gift (1989)

May of 1989 Precious husband completed the ministry school he was attending. August of this year we are privileged to birth darling daughter. I loved being pregnant, expecting her, feeling her move inside my belly. The fun was my dearest friend was expecting and due 3 1/2 months before me. We also shared a house for several months during our pregnancies.

The only down side was 16 hours of labor and a high forceps delivery. Can you grimace and say OUCH with me? Even the epidural could not relieve the pain of forceps. But I am so grateful since they saved me from a c-section!

I think we moved several times during this year. Once back to our small hometown and them back to the big metropolis. I think God wanted us to hold things of this world loosely – place to live - friends. We learned to pack a box and pack a truck.

On the Move Again…(1988)

March, 1988 it is time to move again. This time we move to a large metropolis. Being a small town girl this was a real eye opener. Learning to navigate “that” much traffic was quite overwhelming the first few months! Thankfully we good friends from college move at the same time.

Precious husband attended a ministry school in this city. We were extremely honored with the spiritual growth God placed in us through the school hubbie was attending. We were blessed to make some very good friends during this time of our marriage.

Much of our theological doctrine was established here. Here we realized that you do not have to be a pastor to be a minister.  As  believers we should all be ministers to one another and the lost.  Some are appointed pastors-teachers-evangelist-prophets-apostles, for which I am so grateful for their giftings and leadership.   Many more are living called, common lives, using their giftings in their homes, jobs, communities, local body of Christ. 

Our dearest friends began to become lifelong friends here. Amazing memories I hold in my heart.

(Photo Gold-hearted mom and oldest brother helped us move.)

Married Three Years - (1987)

So as we settle in to the beautiful mountain city two dear high school friends come to visit. We both enjoyed having them carpool to see us. Friendly faces from home!

This is the year Precious husband was a youth minister at the small church we attended. It was a fun year and the kids were amazing. However, we also confirmed that this was not really what God was calling him to do with his life. So we continued to search for what path God would have us take.

Year Two and Move #1 & #2 (1986)

This is the year we moved for the first time. From small southeast town to a smaller southeast college town about five hours north of home.

Precious husband was given a full scholarship to go back college. We left home and family and moved. Neither of us had a job and we had to pay for place to live and two car payments. The most amazing thing is God provided me three job offers within the first two weeks. Precious husband was able to pick up some part-time work close to the university. Several months after we were able to move into married student housing on campus.

Year One - 1985

A year of settling in and becoming one. The memory that stands out for me about this year is my mother’s father passing away. Precious husband was so kind and gentle in the way he told me. He cooked me a nice dinner, took me into his arms, and let me know about the loss of my grandfather.
Funny fact about this year – we lived in a mobile home in the woods – mainly pine trees. Well because of this we would occasionally get large tree bugs (think cockroaches) in the house. One night we were reading in bed and Precious husband reaches over and pulls me on top of him. I think he is about to get fresh with me when I hear a plop on my pillow. I look over and to my horror there is one of those bugs right where my head had been minutes before. Needless to say I was very thankful for his quick reflexes!!

Wedding Bells - 1984

April 7, 1984 – Our wedding day. I remember my dad’s mother commenting that I was the calmest bride she had ever seen in her life. I felt confident because I had sought God and felt His confirmation of Precious husband. I had also sought the wise counsel of my earthly father and had his blessing as well.

Random information – my gold-hearted mother made my wedding dress – puffy sleeves and all. Remember it was during the ‘80’s era.

Countdown: To 25th Anniversary (1982-1983)

Beginning today I am going to celebrate the 27 years Precious husband and I have been together. April 7 will be 25 years we have been married. I have been so blessed to have him in my life. He has stretched me to be a better person. He has loved me through wonderful times and difficult times.

The year is 1982. Two months before our high school graduation we had our first date. Almost one year later, 1983, we became engaged. Here is an interesting tid-bit of information – we attended the same school for 12 years. You heard it right, 1-12th grade at the same school. At one time I had a picture of us in the third grade, Mrs. Wells class. But that photo has disappeared many moves ago.

Now let me put a disclaimer here before I even begin. I am only sharing happy memories here. They are the ones I will hold tightly. The hard times have been there and if appropriate or helpful to the story I may share. However, since I want to magnify the good and minimize the difficult, most of what I blog will be the good – the blessings of our life together. Mainly because overall we have shared an amazing marriage – a true joining of two into one.

Thankful Thursday

Most days I am thankful for (171) being able to school my children here at home.  There are days when it is difficult and I feel I am doing an inadequate job.    Then there are days when a child is given an assignment and their accomplishment makes my heart sing.  Helpful son (15) was given an assignment to write a descriptive paragraph.  It had to be something observable in his daily life.  When he was done I thought, this sounds like a poem.  So with his permission I offer his poem today as an offering of thanks.  Mainly because I am grateful, (172) that even though there are days when I feel like a failure, God’s grace continues to cover us all.
Picture on the Wall
An old dirt road
on each side a
white picket fence.
In the middle a
grassy field with
a single row of
trees. Tall and wide
with bright green
leaves on long
extended branches
hanging over the
road. Four horses,
black, brown, white,
pull an old red
carriage. Riding on
top a dignified,
young man with
parasol held tight,
a lovely woman
in a dress of
blue and white.
                  -Helpful Son

Adventures

So this past weekend we took a trip, about a three hour drive north.  We stopped by a local attraction and went down into the caverns and took a boat ride on an underground lake.  Too bad it was too dark to take pictures.  Take my word for it, God’s world never ceases to be beautiful.         Then on Sunday as we were driving back home we stopped in our state and visited the attraction below.  Isn’t the color of the water amazing?  Two summers ago Dear son-in-love introduced us to this place.  We actually hiked up the riverbed and swam here.  There was no where near this much water then – we were having drought conditions.  But yesterday the roar of the water as it cascaded over the rocks was loud and musical to my ears.

I love to wander in God’s creation!

In Jesus,

Nancy

Scripture Only Sunday

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." Deuteronomy 7:9

Random Acts of Poetry

You can enjoy some amazing poetry at the High Calling Blog.  I have also listed the individual poems below.  The variety and beauty of each author is a tribute to God’s creativity.

Color poems:
Lorrie’s Wall
nAncY’s Jordan
Bought As Is’ Blue
Laura’s Shoots of Green
LL’s daughters’ Gold on the Forest Floor

‘Searching for Grace’ poems:
Cricket’s Searching for Grace
Bought As Is’s Grace Found Me
Heather (poem left in comment box at Seedlings in Stone)
Teri (poem left in comment box at Seedlings in Stone)
nAncY’s A Random Act of Something That Could Be Mistaken for Poetry
Laura’s Searching for Grace
Eric’s I Searched for Grace
Prairie Chick’s Grace in Winter
Erica Hale’s I went Looking for Grace
LL’s Little Excuse
Teri’s Grace, Where Are You…
Sarah’s An Offering
LL’s Communion

General RAP poems:
Jim’s Three Old Friends
Rebekah’s Grace Field
Laure’s The 7 O’Clock Morning Hour
Joelle’s Snakeskin

Thankful Thursday

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth, You have set your glory above the heavens...From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger...When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars, which you have set in place...what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor...You made him ruler over the works of your hands, you put everything under his feet; all the flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8

Father, thank You for a beautiful day to celebrate the gift of Precious husband! Thank You for strong bodies for hiking and climbing. Thank you for time to revel in the glory of Your creation.
In Jesus,
Nancy

In Search of Grace

My Husband’s Face

Tender smile given for times when I’m
feeling down, a laughing smile that
lifts me up when I’m angry, breaks
the hold of sin. Mischievous grin
he saves for pranks he wants to share.
Twinkling eyes with lines that show
the years. Years that we have been
together, grown together, always together.
Dark hair that once was full of curls,
shorn now close around his head, with
wisdoms grace of gray around the ears.
Mustached lip and smooth shaven skin
brush softly on my check, I went searching
for grace and found it in my husband’s face.

--Nancy Kourmoulis

This weeks writing prompt at High Calling Blogs for Random Acts of Poetry is…In Search of Grace. You can also read more about it and see some other poetry at LL’s blog, Seedlings in Stone. And because grace is such a lovely thing to behold I offer a second poem. A poem that points to where all grace begins and ends, with the Heavenly Father.

Grace Found

“Jesus loves me, this I know
for the Bible tells me so,”
Sent from heaven, form of a dove
Beloved Son, Listen to Him,
Salvation’s plan, suffered on cross
Disciples thought all was lost,
Morning dawned, glorious day
Tomb is empty God’s plan has won,
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound”
What once was lost now is found,
I searched for grace, empty grave beheld
Angels declaring He is not here,
He has risen, as He promised
My jubilant heart sings,
“Jesus loves me, this I know”
Redemption’s plan proved it so.

--Nancy Kourmoulis

(song “Jesus Loves Me” words by Anna B. Warner/music by William B. Bradbury; song “Amazing Grace” by John Newton)

It Came to Pass

One snowy Sunday morning, this deep south state was blanketed in snow.  Now if you are from almost anywhere else 1-4 inches of snow is really not a blanket.  But from here, if it covers the grass, we consider it a blanket. 

The sky above was white and the earth below was white.  For the most part, everything was quiet as those in our house were beginning to awaken.  I silently stepped out the door to take early morning photos – before tracks, snowballs, and a snowman were imprinted on the snow.

Little ones and big ones alike threw snowballs and built a snowman.  All morning long was spent in this merriment.  With the onset of lunch everyone gathered indoors to warm up – outside and inside.  Little ones could not sit still long enough to eat.  The desire to play was much too great.  So with a hurried pace they ate their meal and returned to enjoy the snow, as big ones watched from sliding door.

But as the day passed the sun game out to reveal a glistening snow.  As the cold wind blew and ever so quickly the playground began to melt away.  We all agreed that even though it only came to pass, it was great fun even though it did not last. 

Many things are like that in our lives as well.  They have not come to stay, they have come pass.  Some are good things, some are not, yet the choice is up to us.  Hang on to the good, learn from the difficult, rejoice in the trials – these are the things taught by our Lord.   What will we take away from the things that come into our lives? 

SnowDay Fun

Make a Smilebox photobook

Scripture Only Sunday

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.  Matthew 4:17

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  “The time has come,” he said, “The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news.”  Mark 1:14-15