A taste of heaven

Last week we had the privilege of being at SOULS West for a week. David was invited to teach Christian history.

I didn't have to cook or clean for a whole week.

I got to go shopping with Grandma's money (Thanks Grandma!)

I got to be in a place where there are actually trees.

The kids got to ride their bikes every day on pavement, not worrying about popping their tires.

I got to give a worship talk and spend time getting to know students.

 

But best of all, I got a little taste of heaven. If you've ever wondered what heaven will be like, just visit SOULS West for a day. The singing there will get you choked up every time. They had a Talent Show the first weekend we were there and that was really fun.

 

The second weekend they had a banquet which was absolutely delightful. We heard testimonies from students, a song from the choir, a worship talk from Derrick, participated in a foot washing service and ate a very yummy Thanksgiving type meal. The talent, enthusiasm, harmony, love and sincerity during every time we worshipped together surely felt like angels were singing with us. 

 

  

One of the cabins we stayed in was a bit chilly so the kids slept together and what mother can resist snapping a picture of sleeping cuddly children?

The students gave us a toke of their appreciation which included a jar of nuts and tangerines. My kids are nuts about you too!

 All in all, we loved being there. Thanks for the great time SOULS West!



Family Portraits

 Since early March the kids have been infatuated with "kiwis." Not the kind you eat though.

 

They talk about Kiwi's to family on the phone, but the family has no idea what my kids are talking about. So I figured it would be best to introduce you all to them. Kiwi's are the last name of their small stuffed animal families.

 

It started when a friend left a little stuffed animal at our house whose name was Kiwi (The orange-ish orangutan). They started playing with him, and somehow they found other stuffed animals that were similar sizes so they decided it needed to be a family. They kept multiplying until Omega and Orion both had their favorite Kiwi families, complete with a Mom, Dad and 6 kids.

 

Here they are with their names. 

 



 

I forgot to write on the picture that "Kiwi" is the Dad and "Fancy" is the Mom. And, "Skinny" is named that, not because he has skinny legs. It's because it is mostly skin color. I don't know why Apricot didn't get "y" at the end. Oh well. As you can see, most of them are named after what color they are.

They bring them to breakfast, lunch, supper, and worship and have to get them "set up" just so. They bring them in the car when we go to the store. They play with them in the bath, and they create little houses for them in the day.

I can't usually sit on the couch because the Kiwi's have to live in their carefully constructed houses.

This was on a separate day.

I wish I had pictures to show you just how extensive this Kiwi attachment goes. Orion hammered out the "glass" on one of his tractors just so he could fit a Kiwi inside to drive it.

For worship they have to fold the Kiwi's hands and knees for prayer too. And at "snuggle time" they want me to "play" Kiwi's with them.

They really love their Kiwi's.

Does anyone else's kids do stuff like this? I imagine so. I just figured this Kiwi thing would be a phase they'd get bored of. But so far, it's still going strong. Doesn't bother me because it keeps them happy.

Facebook for kids

 I've discovered that Facebook is so popular because there is a desire in the human heart to be noticed. Every little thing we accomplish or unique activity we do, it's rewarding to be recognized and "liked." My kids come to me at least 50 times a day saying "mwatch." That is a slur of the words, "Mom, watch!"

When you're a kid, though, you don't need 50 "likes" to feel satisfied. Just the smile or "wow, that's great!" is all they need from just one person. Me. As annoying as it can be sometimes, (like when I'm trying to get something done and don't want to be interrupted), it's a great honor and privilege. I have to stop and remember that for me to take notice of them is like a deposit of gold into their little hearts.

Right now they really like bike riding. For a while Omega's bike was too big. Because she didn't like crashing on her bike, she chose the tricycle and rode around like this:

As you can see in the video, Orion had a bike that was the right size but the chain kept coming off. So, he would proudly put it back on every couple of minutes (he felt like a "fix it man"). I felt grateful that they didn't complain and still had fun regardless of their less than ideal bikes.

So, finally a year later they both have bikes that work properly and are the right size. We got Orion's bike from Craig's list for $30 and it looks brand new! Needless to say, they are having a grand time.

I've even gone jogging with them and we all get our exercise. I've been looking forward to this moment since they were babies. I've felt like I have given up consistent exercise (or at least always had a good excuse) for the last 7 years because they either had to nap, or they were too slow to keep up, or they just wanted to stop every few minutes to look at a bug, play in the dirt or collect rocks. Now we can actually go several miles together and just stop for water breaks. 

 

Despite my desire to do a quick run over to the bakery (two miles away) for some bread, the kids wanted to bike there. So I drove at a snails pace while they peddled away gleefully. The 15 minute trip turned out to take more like 45 minutes, but they loved it. They need to build strong bones and constitutions at this stage of their life. At this age, the journey is as important as the destination.

 

In this video you'll hear Orion saying, "mwatch" 

 

 The other thing that really excites them right now is their sandbox. It has been without sand for a few weeks because we had to paint underneath to prevent mold and termites and on Sunday we drove (they biked part of the way) to "soft dirt" (an empty creek bed) to get more sand. They did most of the work and can now enjoy the fruit of their labor.

They create entire "communities" of animals with roads and other such things. They never run out of ways to exercise their imagination.

Of course after a while, I hear the siren, "mlook!" (a slur of Mom, look!"

To me, seeing their creations may not be very impressive, but they just spent the last 30 minutes or so developing it and to them, it is delightful.

To me, watching them go in circles around the garage 20 times on their bike gets boring, but each time they come they want me to see how fast they are going or see how they can take their feet off the pedals, or how they can go over a big bump without crashing. If I turn my head for a split second they scold, "Mom, you weren't watching!"

I often have to remind myself of the following concept:

It will pay to manifest affection in your association with your children. Do not repel them by lack of sympathy in their childish sports, joys, and griefs. {CG 264.2} 

"There is danger that both parents and teachers will command and dictate too much, while they fail to come sufficiently into social relation with their children or scholars. They often hold themselves too much reserved and exercise their authority in a cold, unsympathizing manner, which cannot win the hearts of their children and pupils. If they would gather the children close to them, and show that they love them, and would manifest an interest in all their efforts, and even in their sports, sometimes even being a child among them, they would make the children very happy and would gain their love and win their confidence. And the children would more quickly learn to respect and love the authority of their parents and teachers."  {CG 265.1} 

Have you watched someone special to you today? It only takes a few minutes, but it's worth it.