What's Up with the Big D. Family?

A dear friend (and blog reader) emailed the other day and asked for an update.  
While I am sure that she enjoys the posts about baking, and sewing, 
and the high school musical, she really wanted to know how LIFE 
was going for Mama and the Big D. Family.  (Thanks, Sheri, for asking.)

I thought a few of you might also be interested in an update.
If not  . . . just hop on over to a more interesting blog for today.  :)
If so . . . here is a totally random update in no particular order.


Life is BUSY, BUSY, BUSY  . . .  but going well in most areas.  (smile)



Hosanna & Friends

Yes.  I have been Baking, Baking, Baking . . .  and thoroughly enjoying ALL of the teens  that have been coming through my back door and eating all of my goodies.  I am Thanking Jesus for such a wonderful group of friends for Hosanna!


Takin' Care of Mama is going well.

I have Lost 57.2 Pounds in less than 8 months.
Hoping to hit an even 60 Lost by next week, when I hit the 8 month mark.


Church is going very well.

After nearly a year at our new church, we are all settling in quite well.

Papa is a Small Group Leader for the Men's Thursday Night Bible Study.
Papa was asked to Teach an Adult Sunday School Class the next couple weeks.

Mama is a Small Group Leader for the Tuesday Morning Women's Bible Study.
Mama is Playing the Piano for the Tuesday Morning Women's Bible Study.
Mama has been asked to be the Speaker for the Spring Women's Tea.

Hosanna is on the Leadership Team and the Worship Team for Youth Group.
Hosanna & Mama will be going to Guadalajara, Mexico in June
with the High School Missions Team.  Woo Hoo!  Can't Wait!

Sarah & Josiah are enjoying Middle School Youth Group.

Elijah is enjoying Awanas.  He and Papa built a wood car for the Grand Prix.


Papa's Job is going well.

He finished his 3 month job with the long commute, and is glad to be "only" commuting an hour each way rather than an hour and a half.  (smile)  This job, though, he has a crew that he commutes with.  

While we are Oh.So.Thankful. that Papa has been fully employed for the past year (3 different employers, but fully employed), he is hoping and praying for a teaching job for next year.  He just feels like he has so much more to offer in life, than a nicely painted trim board.


Mama got a GIFT from the LORD this week!

Sixteen months ago, due to all of Papa's unemployment, Mama had to say good-bye to her well-loved and taken care of little 2003 Ford Focus Wagon (that she had gotten brand new and pampered for 8 years).  Oh how she has missed that little car.  

This week, the Lord BLESSED us with an AMAZING deal on a BEAUTIFUL 2005 Ford Escape.  Mama couldn't ask for anything nicer.  While we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our 2005 Ford Excursion, we hate putting all of the miles on it for running around town with just a few of us (and paying $150 to fill the tank).  That is our Road Trippin'  and Trailer Haulin' Truck, and we want it to last for many, many years.  

Oh yes . . . once we found this little Dream Escape, we had to pull together the money quickly.  We knew that we wanted to sell our 1988 Honda Accord (that sweet Grandpa bought brand new 25 years ago).  We test drove the Escape on Wednesday night and I put the Honda on Craigslist at 9:30 Thursday morning (without even taking pictures yet to put on).  I got two phone calls within 30 minutes, and had $2300 cash in hand by the afternoon . . . for a 25 year old car.  Crazy!


Mama got an even BIGGER GIFT from the LORD last week!!!

Mama's knee was HEALED!  Yes. It. Was.   After 5 months of increasing pain, there were more and more days that I could barely walk down the stairs in our home.  When I would stand up, I would have to consciously take several seconds to straighten out my knee before attempting to put weight on it.  It was getting more and more painful by the day.  I was 100% certain that I needed surgery . . . but had no insurance to pay for it.  One day last week, I hopped out of bed, walked around the house, and finally realized that, "Hey, my knee doesn't hurt."  

It was CRAZY to suddenly realize that the LORD had miraculously healed me.  Wow!  Wow!  Wow!


Big Kids & Grand-babies

Some Relationships Good.  Some Relationships Not.So.Good.
Some steps forward.  Some steps backwards.
We continue to hope and pray for complete healing and restoration of relationships.


Little Miss is doing well.

Rachel seems to be adjusting well to the Residential Care Facility.  She phones home every couple of weeks.  We write her letters.  She writes us letters.  Jim and I hope to go visit her in April.  (She is 600+ miles away, over some serious mountain passes, so it is not a quick and easy jaunt, especially in the winter.)


Spring Sports are Upon Us.

Hosanna started High School Track this week.
Oh how we LOVE to cheer for the high school track team!
Boy will we miss cheering for Ben this year;
but I am sure he will be in the stands with us, cheering for Hosanna.

Sarah & Josiah will start Middle School Track in April.

Elijah will begin Baseball in April.

My.Oh.My.  We started our kids in baseball 24 years ago.
We have always had multiple children on baseball teams.
One year we had 6 kids on 5 different baseball teams.
Several years we had 8 kids on Spring Sports teams.
We are down to only 4 kids in sports . . . with only 1 in baseball.  Sad.
But . . . on the positive side . . . we have more time to CHEER for these 4.


Our Marriage is doing well.

After a LOT of rollercoasters the past two years, Papa & Mama are moving FORWARD.  God is GOOD . . . all the time.  HE has worked MIRACLES since our Marriage Crisis in December 2010.  We love each other dearly, and are re-claiming our romance.


Bible Study Fellowship is going well.

Papa and the 3 Young Ones sure enjoy driving up to Canada every Monday Night to attend B.S.F.  Our family started in BSF 25 years ago, and we've only missed a couple of years during that time.


Scrapbooking Fun

Mama completed 42  12 x 12 pages of Scrapbooking two weekends ago with a group of ladies from church.  The fellowship was good, and the completed projects rewarding.  This weekend I am headed a couple of hours south, to continue working on my projects with a different group of ladies.  And . . . the following weekend I will drive 4 hours south to scrapbook with a dear friend for 3 days.  I can't wait to see how many pages I will complete in all 3 weekends combined.  Oh My!  

One of the very serious criteria when car shopping was to find a vehicle that would hold all of my scrapbooking supplies, as I usually travel when working on this craft.  Papa's little    2 door hatchback 2002 Ford Focus just didn't quite hold enough for my weekends away at Scrapbooking Retreats.  (smile)  The Lord sure gave me my new GIFT in His perfect timing!


Spring Break is Headed Our Way!

Hosanna & Friends came up with a crazy idea about 6 weeks . . . that we have all been percolating.  "Let's take a Mamas & Girls trip!"  The other Mama wasn't able to join us, but I was certainly game for such a fun trip.  We were hoping to head to Southern California with our camping trailer, but the cost of gas is just too high for some of the girls.  

We have now revised our plan and are looking into renting a house on the Oregon Coast.  We can still play on the beach . . . but we probably won't be getting any suntans.  And, it will be too cold to camp.  So, Hosanna and I are looking forward to 5 - 6 days away with 3 - 5 of her closest friends.  Oh yea!  Bring on the FUN!  

Now . . . I just need to line up some fun things for the Young Ones to do while we're gone.  (Any of you friends want an extra kid or two for a few days?)


Homeschooling is going well.

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our Sonlight Curriculum.  Oh. Yes. We. Do.



Okay then.

Whew.

I think I covered all of our bases.

Any more questions about "What's Up with the Big D. Family?"

Let me know . . .


Stay Tuned for . . .


"How do we organize all of our books?"

Caramel Oatmeal Chewies Recipe

Mama's Bible Study on James:  Oh. So. Good.

Pumpkin Donut Hole Recipe

"Mom, Do You Ever Feel Sorry For Someone?"
      (after this child was the one being bullied)

Preferential Treatment By Strangers for our "Cute Little African Children".  
(after this child was given a long stemmed rose by a complete stranger
  in an auditorium filled with cute little girls . . . but only one "African Girl".)



Do you have any topics you would like me to cover ???

Do you have any questions you've always thought of asking ???

Budgets ???

Parenting ???

Cooking ???

Chores ???

Takin' Care of Mama ???



I hope that you all are "doing well", and that your week is BLESSED beyond measure.