a GRRReat Weekend!

Elasta Woman and her girls played all day in the clay. Me? I'm just posing next to her lake pottery ;-)

Here she is baking it next to the fire.......

Looking for a good camping spot, Matthew guns it through a creek bed road.....

My husband did "pictograph" art with the little ones, using rocks to draw on rocks while the rest of us swam to and played on a nearby island......

As you can see, they LOVED it!

Moonbeam and her Daddy

Then the Daddies nap........

Us girls :-)

Can you see that pup is stalking Moonbeams string cheese?!

My kids - NONE of them wanted to leave!

What a wonderful weekend we had. I NEVER wanted it to end! Neither did the kids.....

After YEARS and YEARS of BEGGING to go to a Family Bible Camp near Glacier, it finally happened (well kind of). Our girls group had been praying for a while that God would move on our husbands in a special way fresh and new. Amazingly, some of our husbands agreed to make the trek over. Some of my kids weren't sure about it. As the day approached I kept earnestly praying it would be a good experience for everybody. So did Elasta Woman. Nobody made any plans till the last minute. I kept wondering if it would even happen.......

On that Saturday Morning we headed out. Goat Girl and her husband left the night before. Could we really be doing it?!? Yes we were! I was so excited. We got there at a decent time, but it took HOURS to find a camping place. The whole first side of the reservoir was completely blocked off except for camp grounds. None of us like to camp at camp grounds. It doesn't really seem like camping. To us, camping isn't sleeping 20 feet from a strangers tent. We just have to have more space. The family camp, itself, was out because there was no cooking on the premises and we didn't want to have to buy our meals. No swimming there either. After all kinds of detours searching, I was beginning to lose it. Only 2 hours to go before we'd have to leave again to make it to the evening meeting on time. I pulled out my Bible trying not to lament. Amazingly at just the right moment, my husband pulled into a boat landing on the back side of the lake and found an amazing private spot in the woods along the lake. It was beautiful and heavenly. There the lake was right in front of us along with nearby islands to swim to. It was private and nobody was close by. PERFECT.

We put up our tents in a hurry and warmed up some food. Elasta Woman told me we should plan a lot of fast and easy meals so we had spent hours preparing them the day before. After dunking in the cool waters, we felt like new people and the weariness of the day had past.

When we got to the meetings, we found our friends and The Sock Fashion Expert was thrilled to be with her BFF. The worship was great. I love taking the little ones up front to dance. I love good worship. The meeting was a bit different, so I hoped it would go over okay. One never knows how these kinds of meetings will go. Being in a rather free group has a lot of benefits - for one allowing God to move and freedom in the Spirit. I am and will always be a pentecostal girl. The draw back to them can be that the same freedom we have to worship God gives the freedom for people to do and say an assortment of allot of strange things that do not necessarily glorify God. I've spent most of my life loving The Liberty of the Spirit, but with the reservations to always sort out things that are said or done. I felt responsible for our friends and I wanted to make sure that they had a good experience. What would the outcome be?

That night our friends sent us home with a pile of food, so it was nice everybody could eat on the way back. Little tummies filled, fresh air played out, the little ones were all asleep in a hurry. We all slept like rocks. The Sock Fashion Expert was thrilled to stay with her BFF and planned to take in the day meetings......

The next morning was beautiful. I couldn't imagine any place I'd rather be waking up. I love camping like this. Elasta Woman wanted to play ALL DAY in the lake clay with extreme contentment. She formed all kinds of beautiful pieces and baked them on a rock near the fire. With much coaxing, she got me to make a piece. Rabbit, her daughter, even harvested me my very own clump. First I formed a very large piece of excrement, which I entitled "dung". Elasta Woman laughed. Next I crafted a smiling snake. When I brought it to cook on the rock, my husband mistook it for the first sampling which I had constructed. That was the extent of my potters hand...... Archer, Matthew and most of the other kids swam to the nearby island. Soon after my husband played with the little ones so us girls could too........

It was icy cold but we managed. The islanders immediately began chanting and yelling. At first I thought they were greeting us and cheering us on. Then I discovered they were trying to chase off their island - lol!! They had built a giant sand castle and were doing flips over it. Super Catman said "This is the best camping trip of my life!" Bravely, after minimal island explorations, Elasta Woman and I plunged back into the icy cold waters.........

Back at the meetings that night, I earnestly hoped that God would touch us all. We had come a long way and this would be our last one. The worship was wonderful...again. I loved the freedom of being up there with the little ones. The whole place seemed charged with Gods presence. Then the speaker, came up and started sharing. It was one of the best messages any of us had ever heard. He'd been brutally abused as a child and God was asking him to forgive. Scene by scene he took us through an amazing story of Gods love and restoring power. He held us speechless and there was not likely a dry eye in the building. Some how God had moved all of us in an amazing way. Driving back that night, I felt so so grateful. The little girls had been up front with hands lifted in the air worshipping God with me, and we weren't the only ones. All of us were deep in worship. The Sock Fashion Expert spent a lot of that worship time on her face. The men talked of depth all the way back while the rest of us either slept or were just speechless. Some how God had showed up there and touched us all in a unique way.....

The next morning nobody wanted to leave. The lake was so beautiful and serene. I wished somehow we could have made it to more of the meetings. Every reservation about coming was gone and replaced with a hunger for more. I'm so glad we got to share the weekend and the experience.......

Working Mom Blues and The Medicine Woman

The other day, after my husband bought me my bike, he brought it upstairs in the living room to work on. I didn't mind. I'm getting used to having him work on bikes in the living room. It seems to keep him happy while he's watching re-runs of The Beverley Hillbillies, The A Team, or whatever semi-wholesome tape or dvd we can get a hold of. This memory is a particularly fond one because after he put a new tire on it, he put the baby seat on for me. Then Miss Moona wanted to sit in it. Then he decided to give her a ride. Through the dining room, down the hall and back into the living room he peddled her while I watched half amused. A couple of years ago, maybe even a couple of months ago I would have protested loudly. Now I couldn't have cared less. Its funny how our perspectives change. Miss Moona was happy. My husband was happy. I was happy. Can't think of anybody who wasn't happy at the time, so who cares if my husband is riding the baby through the house on my new (used) bicycle?! :-) Its stuff like that that just sticks with me.......
So anyway, I don't usually write about ailments, but i'm undergoing another one of those ironies, so I had to tell about it. Almost a month ago, my daughter went running in the rain. She runs 5-10 miles at a pop. The girl is just incredible. Anyhow, she came home with muddy feet from the holes in her shoes (which I have since thrown away and replaced). When she got home she had a rash across her toes. For the first few days we sprayed her toes with anti fungal spray. Within a week, it had turned into a full blown cellulitis with swollen reddened toes and feet and ankles and pain going up her calves. Scared the crap out of me. I took her into prompt care and she got on keflex. Within days the cellulitis left her feet and legs but her toes remained red and giant bloody blisters formed on the top of each toe. I showed pictures to the Doctors at work who thought it was maybe a staff or strep bacterial infection. They recommended to continue on antibiotics and do foot soaks which I did. On the 7th and last day of antibiotics I took her back again because it was still there. It had been weeks since she could wear shoes, go for a walk or even be out in the sun without an outbreak. Thats when we got a referral to a dermatologist. We drove her to a big city where they put her on stronger antibiotics and steroids. Would you believe new, smaller blisters formed the other day?! Prayers of many, scripture confessions, foot soaks, elevation, antibiotics, steroids..... what else do I do?
So anyhow, I have prayed daily for God to heal this awful malady on my beautiful girl. Today, a possible answer came from an unexpected source. I talked to a very wise co-worker who has spent years studying medicine on many levels. With more confidence than ANYBODY I've talked to, she says continual poultices of ecchnicia and plantain will heal her along with elevation. Now the last time I heard about poultices was from Granny Clampet, but I had to consider that modern medicine with all its remedies has not been successful. Our Mist, also suggested poltices which I poopooed (sorry Mist). Thinking back, thyme healed me last year from an ailment I'd had off and on for years. I felt humbled and dumbfounded. Would simple weeds really help heal those toes? I don't know. Generous Georgia, after detailed instructions, went outside and brought me back in some plantain leaves from the hospital grounds. Then she instructed me to go out and pick the rest that were growing there. Sheepishly I ambled out into the fresh, warm air. I looked all over where she told me to go but I couldn't see any. I even retraced her direction steps no less than five times. I began to panic so I prayed. "Look down" gently came to me and I realized I had tromped through the stuff five times - lol!! I felt really really silly. It occurred to me how ironic it was that I, the nurse, was outside the hospital harvesting free weeds to treat my daughter with when even the best specialists hadn't helped her. A whole hospital of things were available inside but none of them seemed right. Would the weeds growing outside be the key? Generous Georgia seemed pretty convinced they would. So as the cars drove by, I ignored my brain telling me that I was crazy to be doing this, and harvested a big bag of plantain............ Now to keep trusting in God and try this ancient remedy.

Going to the Sun....

Contrary to your thinking, this indeed, is no middle aged crime boss, but it is our very own "Art Dog" during intermission from the "buzz" Archer was giving him ;-)

Here, he has been ruefully assigned a kitchen cleaning job.....

The Girls Camping

Miss Moonbeam doing who knows what?!? and with a lot of attitude ;-)

My Motocross Men

And our beloved Artdog again.....

My boyz out riding today.....

There is this place in Glacier National Park called "Going to the Sun" road. It is fitly named because it feels like you might be driving there. Its a beautiful place. Some of our friends are coming out from MN to go to a camp near there. After that they are coming to visit us! If I can butter up my husband enough, we just might get to take in a few days of that family camp ;-) Anyhow, as I was saying, "Going to the Sun" road got me thinking.........

Over the past several months, I've been through more than my share of challenges. Lots of feelings flood my being to the point where I don't know what to believe. Emotions are just emotions and they aren't reliable to what the truth always is, but they always feel real. That's when "Going to the Sun" road comes in. Theres this path, old and well travelled where I can go to find the truth and rest I need. Its the road where my battles cease and the destination is away by but moments......

Today, as I walked through the forest paths, the lupine were just coming into bloom. The purple splendor against the forest green carpet was just breath taking. I walked along that all familiar path until I reached an intersection. To go left or right would just take me down the dusty road, but following it ever so slightly to where the path can be found again, I headed down to my all familiar favorite place, maybe in all the world. Its a path along which the lupine bloom amongst other wild flowers. As you begin to descend you can see the crystal clear waters of my favorite mountain lake. Its the best kept secret where few venture, but many return. There I sat and found myself "Going to the Son". Something amazing happens every time. I just have to remember that path. When I close my eyes in meditation, any place on earth, and purpose to enter into His presence, He is there. Suddenly the sonlight splashes through my soul and the heart that seems so broken finds rest and restoration once again.

As the once empty, once devastated, once broken woman found peace near the waters, I was reminded that the reason we share our faith is so that others, too, might find that peace and wholeness. It was then that I wanted to post about finding that road called "Going to the Son"......................................

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

Loony Camping Adventures

As you can see by the look on the first picture - Moonbeam had her share of sugar euphoria ;-)

Rabbit and I on a swamp safari

Sacked Out!

Can you see whats wrong with this pic?! The marshmallow high has now crashed ;-)

My Amazing Son "The Archer"

Us Girls!

Me and my Love

Sock Fashion Expert and Company

The Sock Fashion Expert had determined she would not be cold on this trip!

Camping this weekend was a lot of fun. Our family, Mist's and Elasta Woman's all spent hours upon hours preparing for the big event. Elasta Woman told me she'd spent 7 hours in the kitchen cooking for it. We all piled into our respective vehicles and headed out. Nobody had finalized any plans of where we were actually going. This was a minor oversight. They figured we could decide when we got to the next town. This seemed a bit more carefree than I was used to, but I am trying to learn how to be more spontaneous. All us girls had prayed hard that it would be a good trip and we felt confident it would be. My husband suggested a lake we usually camp at in the spring, but the rest were rather hesitant about it. It may have had to do with my casual passing comment that I'd once swam over a water logged tampon there ;-)
Anyhow, after spending the afternoon in pursuit of Northern Pike at a reservoir, reluctantly they agreed to try out our spot. When they got there, they were all pleased and loved the place as much as we do. We spent hours and hours laying out on the dock reading and chatting while the guys fished and the children chased after turtles. The weather was perfect! Elasta Woman read us chapters of the latest Bill Johnson book and we basked in the Sun and got refreshed by both kinds of watery depths......

The kids were so thrilled that Matthew had cooked them one of the turtles they'd caught over our campfire. They were pleased to eat the roasted meat, though I politely declined a share in those spoils ;-)

On the last day I woke up early and snuck off with my Bible, camera and kayak. It was such a beautiful morning that I wanted to get the most out of it. After I paddled to the end of the lake, I read for a while and prayed in the stillness of the morning. What a wonderful way to start out that last day. On the way back, I thought it strange that a loon was calling and swimming right toward me making all its amazing sounds! I was in no hurry so I watched it and captured a lot of video and camera footage. Soon I saw another one behind it. Next I spotted 2 baby loons. After the babies swam under, the mother and father swam around calling loudly. Then the father jumped out of the water spinning and almost walking on the water in a crazy manner. It was the most amazing thing! I wish I could upload it all, but I think it would never all load.

Anyhow, it was an amazing weekend and we all had a good lot of fun!

Moonbeams Mission

The Boys on a Hike

I have been doing a lot of decontaminating in my life lately....... well not with this suit ;-) I wanted the kids to see me in this get up though!!

On a bike ride with my honey......

Super Catman came too.....

Miss Moonbeam with her pretty polka-dot dress from Geaba

So the other day I went to a special class at the hospital. The boys agreed to watch Moonbeam so The Sock Fashion Expert could have some well earned time shopping in town. Apparently, while the boys were playing video games, She some how climbed up on her Daddy's dresser and helped herself to his supply of beef jerky and Jolly Ranchers. The Archer found her chewing on jerky and took her back into the living room. After making sure he was distracted, she went into the dining room and proceeded to push a chair into the bedroom so that she could climb back up on his dresser and help herself again. "Didn't you feed her?" I quizzed my sons. "Yes" they said she asked for spaghetti and "cheese in a purple bowl". She was naked when I got home and cruddy. "She has gone through half a dozen diapers" they informed me. "Oh?" Yes, she doesn't keep them on as fast as they apply them. I smiled a knowing smile thinking maybe they would razz me less next time they saw her streaking through the house. Once she figured out how to remove her clothes and start using the potty chair, clothes became an inconvenience which she didn't want to bother with. I can dress her and fix her hair up and in minutes she is buck naked with wild hair and crud all over again ;-) "Did she poop?" I asked. Super Catman rolled his eyes "Well Archer pretended to be busy and he made me do it!" The rest of the evening, Miss Moonbeam stuck very closes to us girls, though she did say the boys were nice to her.

Another week has gone awol and I haven't the foggiest where it went to. We're getting ready for a big camping trip this weekend and have successfully packed up half the house ;-) I'm sure i will have a lot to tell.....