I Disagree With Your T-Shirt

I was standing in line at Kroger. I had my four little ones with me. I was stopping by for a few groceries, and did not expect the long lines that I encountered there.

I was ecstatic earlier when I had found a shopping cart that was perfect for grocery-getting with my kids. The front has a car for James, and the seat in front is there for Megan. The older kids were sadly out of luck as they had to walk (and sneak a ride on the sides when the aisles weren't too crowded) As I sat there in line keeping Megan happy by letting her play with my Debit Card and Military ID, I noticed that James was at a perfect height to reach for the King Sized Reece's Peanut Butter Cups that the grocery stores so thoughtfully position in the checkout area. I bend over to remove the tempting treat from his hand and I hear a gentleman say, "I disagree with your T Shirt."

The T Shirt is a staple in my wardrobe. It has the picture of some Mommy sized sandals next to some child sized shoes and it reads, "Motherhood, the toughest job you'll ever love"

I fought all natural urges to kindly offer that the gentleman take charge of my four children, usher them through the checkout, load them up in the minivan in our oppressive summer heat, drive them home and feed them some lunch before he make such a statement.

Instead I said, "I bet you would prefer the fatherhood version" (My husband has that version)

"Yes" the man replied. He told me that he is still being father to his 42 year old son. I gave him a compassionate smile and said, "That is a lot of years of parenting" I do not know the reason why he is still parenting his adult son. I could think of a lot of reasons. He could be physically or mentally handicapped, he could have suffered from a life lived in the grips of alcohol or drug abuse, he could be staying with dad as he goes through a painful divorce, he could be a soldier who has not transitioned back to life after serving his country very easily.

"Fatherhood is a very important job" I added those words as a casual afterthought. It wasn't until a moment after the words left my mouth that I realized the truth of that statement. What an important role our fathers play in our lives, I see my husband. He encourages, challenges, and loves our children. He prioritizes time to help them grow in spirit and wisdom. What a blessing. I have a dad who worked hard and provided for a large family, who cared about our spiritual upbringing, and who is eager to love on his grandchildren. And I have a God. A God that does not stand distant upon a mighty throne, but craves relationships with His children. He encourages us, His sinful, ungrateful, self-absorbed children to call Him "Father"

So as I managed the rest of the way through the checkout line, loaded my kids in the minivan in the oppressive heat, drove them home and fed them lunch, I thought about this man, prayed for him to have strength in whatever struggles he is dealing with, and said a prayer of thanksgiving to my Father for all the fathers we have.

Standing in Line

Look, it's a bunch of homeschool kids, and guess what . . .they are being socialized, and they even know how to stand in a line . . .

*post created in the spirit of good humor*

Baby Watch Trip

My friend Abbie is due . . .past due . . .with her #6 Baby Bryant. Today she is going to be induced. The Transue clan took a trip down to GA to be there when he was born. Unfortunately he did not come a bit early, he didn't come on time, and he didn't come slightly late. But we sure did try. We arrived Monday afternoon. We left early Thursday morning. In the meantime we:

1. Managed 9 kids (or tried to)
2. Went to Monkey Joes (woo hoo for our miltary discount!!)
3. Tie Dyed Tshirts (fun, thank goodness for soft scrub with bleach)
4. Visited the YMCA pool (on a hot GA July afternoon)
5. Watched Jelly Telly
6. Took what we hoped would be a labor producing trip to JoAnns and Target
7. Ate Chineese Buffet
8. Fed children, bathed children, enjoyed children

Alas, she remained pregnant and I think we wore her and her family out. She said it helped pass the time, I am sure it did!

Sleeping arrangements

Group Pic the day we left (more on this to follow)

note tie dyed tshirts worn by some . . .

How super dads unwind after a busy day of work and kids

P.S. You can click on Abbie's link and follow her labor today . . .if you are interested. She is live blogging today (valid only on 7/23/2010)

If I Could, I Would

If I could blog like this, I would . . . for all the moms out there, especially moms of little ones, take Missy's Maternal SAT today. Warning, laughter may ensue, please take all necessary precautions.

I have been following Missy at It's Almost Naptime on my blogroll for a while. Her blog never disappoints. I admire her heart for the Lord and her honest approach to finding joy amidst the challenges of motherhood.

July 4th

Our Fourth of July was full of . . . .

Little Girls with lots of ponytails

Little boys looking cute

Brothers and sisters hanging out on a train ride

Little girls playing in the driveway

And lots of love!

That "lots of love", was actually me about to fall on James.-Laura

Go Fish Guys

Here are my Go Fish Guys . . .by the Ohio River in Louisville, KY

James inherited Jack's T-shirt, and Jack inherited Laura's. Wow, what a difference a year makes!

Uppercase Living

This is a project that has taken some time. It didn't take long to actually complete, it just took a long time for me to get started. It is a sign hanging in my laundry room. I got the saying from Uppercase Living, it is vinyl lettering that I mounted on a board that someone cut for me at Home Depot, and I painted it a neutral color. Most of the vinyl expressions are meant to be applied directly to a wall, but since we tend to move quite often, I thought it would be wiser to mount it on something that would move with me. Look out for more coming soon! I got names for the kids' doors and some nice sayings for our kitchen and our family photo display.

How Can You Tell?

How can you tell that the little kids tried to open the cereal on their own?

Ususally they have also taken scissors to the bag, but I guess they gave up and put this one back into the cupboard, unconsumed.

Save, Save, Save

Jack and Laura have some pretty awesome piggy banks. This one happens to be Laura's.

Here is the message she has posted on the side of her pig. It says, "Save up for Molly doll, Don't let anythign stand in your way, you and her will have fun!" (An American Girl Doll)

She has been diligently saving, and although her goals keep changing, (She is thinking perhaps she should get a bitty baby because they are less expensive, and because they don't have hair . . .Laura's dolls don't have good luck with their hair) she is doing a great job staying on task!

James' School Work

This is what James was working on last Friday while we did our schoolwork. Yes, I realize I have been blogging a lot of James recently, but I promise to showcase the other kids more!

Remember, This Is My First Garden

BEFORE

AFTER

The toys are a neccesity for good garden growth.

Just an example of what a couple months (almost) of Kentucky sun will do for your garden.I am just happy that things are growing, that I have gotten 2 zucchini squash that I have eaten, and that more things are coming. If I could get 6 pumpkins off of that pumpkin plant I will be thrilled!

Teenie Tiny Tomatoes

A Really Tiny Watermelon

But this watermelon has a sister growing in GA . . . she has a lot to live up to!

Eagles Spirit

My husband is a Washington Redskins fan. Since his parents are Philadelphia Eagles fans, we have had a few Eagles items in our house from time to time. This shirt is actually a handmedown from Laura to Jack, and now to James. James bumped it up a notch though, don't ya think?

Fortunately it washes off pretty well . . .

Laura Loves Her Dolls

Laura loves her dolls. She has quite a few, but they are all so special to her, each in their own way. The other day she asked to borrow the camera to take pictures of them.