Two little sweet cocoons.....

Two little gals, wanting to take a snooze, but doing anything they can to prevent it!  Just having spent two hours splashing in the pool and running around, they said they were ready to "get warm and sunbathe (wrapped in a dry towel)."  July 4th.  (P.S. they did NOT fall asleep, though drooping eyes were very obvious!

Six kids at the house on July 4....one is napping

And the others played in the kiddie pool for over two hours...then they gathered, wet hair and all, on the couch for a new Curious George DVD (you can see Hannah is serious about having control of the remote)......gave them time to wind down.....and the adults, too!

July 4 - My 61st birhtday

July 4th.  All my life, this day has been a day of personal celebration.  I was born on this day.  My only child was born on this day, 31 years ago.  But today on my 61st, when one would think nothing could get better, it did.  I heard my son-in-law preach a sermon on the Christ-centered family, and how we must put God first in the family, and how we must all make Jesus our daily devotion including our children from the day they are born.  I sat at church, and looked at my son-in-law, who gives my daughter so much love and strength, and their three children, too, and wondered how it is that God chose to bless me so abundantly, me a terrible, and I mean terrible sinner.  It does not matter, I praise Him and only ask that I can bring His glory to those around me as a return present.

Ephesians

I am doing an inductive bible study on the book of Ephesians.  I have not done an inductive study this detailed before.  Reading through the book, each verse is examined for words pertaining to the trinity (and marked separately for God, Son, And Holy Spirit), and key words and phrases are studied.  This means reading each verse over and over, and it really begins to sink into your skin as it goes along.  I am finding it difficult, as I like to read, study and then stand back and look at a bigger picture, and look at the history and setting surrounding the study, and the Greek words used for certain verses....marking words using different color pencils is proving tedious!  I am surprised at my reaction.  I love bible study of any kind.  Lord, I pray that I can get the hang of this!  One of the other students last evening had prepared an entire notebook, and had completed what I knew were hours of daily work.  She had gone through each verse of the entire book of Ephesians, and written about each one, for all chapters.  Wowsers.  I had spent at least a half hour or more each day reading and re-reading the book, taking notes, and cross referencing and learning a lot, but I looked totally unprepared when I arrived.  I pray for help from the Lord, and I know He will.  

Thinking of getting this set-up for myself....

Here is how we set up waterplay for the kiddos on Memorial Day.  After it was full, we set up the sprinkler on the blue tarp. I wanted to play too!  I might just have to get one of these for me on those days when I could put on a suit and cool off and no one would be there to see me!  Perhaps I would not need the water toys....but then again....  :) 

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations
Before the moutains were born, or you gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
You turn man back into dust
And say Return, O children of men.
For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by.
Or as a watch in the night.
You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew.
In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; toward evening it fades and withers away.

For we have been consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been dismayed.
You have placed our iniquities before You
Our secret sins in the light of your presence.
For all our days have declined in yYour fury;
We have finished our years like a sigh.
As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow.
For soon it is gone and we fly away.
Who understands the power of Your anger,
And Your fury according to the fear that is due You?
So teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom.

Do return, O LORD, how long will it be?
And be sorry for your servants
O satisfy us in the morning with your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty to their children
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us.
And confirm for us the work of our hands,
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

The Cucumber Crocodile......

I know, I know, you are thinking, this girl needs to get a life!  But take a look at a cucumber I picked from the garden yesterday!  Isn't this funny?  Come on, that's funny right thar, I don't care who ya are.  :)