Sukkot 2011

Sukkot, a picture of the wedding of Yahoshuah to His bride, Israel.  It is the Feast the whole book is about.  Restoring His bride and returning all things to their place, once for all.

Lev 23:33  And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying, 

Lev 23:34  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto YHWH. 

It is called the Season of Our Joy.  It is agricultural in nature occurring during the fall harvest and pointing to the harvest of souls which is to take place at the end of days.  During Sukkot we are called to be in temporary dwellings or tents/ sukkahs during this time which also reminds us that we are all in temporary dwellings because this earthly body is not our permanent home!  We are strangers and sojourners here...just passin' through.  Our earthly homes are temporary and life is fleeting.

We are called to willingly and obediently leave the comforts of our houses and live in temporary dwellings.  We expose ourselves to the elements and place ourselves in a situation where we realize that true security and shelter are found only as we remain in YHWH's will and under His care.

Sukkot is also known as a time for hospitality, a time for inviting guests into your sukkah to dine and have fellowship.  It is especially good to invite those in need.

It is the feast where we are called to rejoice:

Lev 23:40  And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before YHWH your God seven days. 

All things that have taken place will bring us to the time of promised restoration that is soon to come in it's completion during the Feast of Sukkot!!

A FEW RANDOM PICS OF LIFE...AROUND OUR HOUSE

I caught B in front of the bathroom mirror with her Pharoh mask telling Moses that she wasn't going to let the people go!  Haha, how cute:)

Time to get the garden going now.  The boys have been helping me clear out the raised beds and plant our early seeds like lettuce, carrots, radish and beets.  Our cucumber, tomato, pepper, onion, brocoli and tomatillo seeds  that we have started indoors are doing well:)  I hope we get warm enough weather so we can put them out soon.

We also got the flower bed cleaned out but I need to get some seed (for continuous color) going in there too because I have some gaps, especially in the later season when I have a lack of color.

Here's our littlest gardener.  She's diggin' and pattin'...both very needful to get a garden going:)  Thank you for your help B!!

Footwear.  Yep, I like it.  Look at these cutie little girlie shoes and socks.  It just doesn't get cuter than that.  

Gracie gets to check out the walker...and B thought it was fun too:)  When we weren't looking, B climbed onto the walker and sat down and started playing too (Caleb caught her).

The sepia pics are my favorite.

Gracie doo... she's two (months)!

Coming to life...Around Our House

The Geese are back on the pond.  They come every spring.  I love to watch them.  I love that when they come, it means spring is here.  They usually show up in pairs because when they mate, they mate for life.  When one shows up alone, I feel sad for them.  I hope they just haven't found their mate yet but soon will and that they won't be alone for long.

Green is starting to pop up all over, it is beautiful.  I love green.  The frogs are awake again, chirping really loudly.  I love to hear them.  It sounds so "woodsy" to hear them.  Once they start, you can hear them in the morning and at night.  As I stand here by the pond admiring the life around it, I can also hear the sound of a wood pecker, hard at it.  I can't see him in the trees, I can only hear him.

Isn't the reflection on the water, beautiful.

This picture isn't really that pretty because things are still mostly brown but if you look closely, you can see all the little ducks out there.  They're so cute and little.  They won't let me get near them.  They quickly move to the other side of the pond when I even look as though I might be headed in their direction.  I don't like to scare them, I just want to watch.

Ole Sam.  

I love his eyes.  I love how they look so gold against his blackness.  He always looks so very stern and serious...looks can be so deceiving.

He follows me out to the pond to see what I'm up to.  He just wants some good pettin'.  He's such a good boy.  He's one of my favorite kitties that hang out here.  He sits by my door all the time, waiting for me to come out and pet him (and probably feed him).  He's a lover.  He's so playful and ornery.  I watch him as he lays in wait for the other kitties so he can jump on them (as if they didn't see him waiting to pounce on them) and take them by surprise.  I watch him as he playfully scurries up a tree playing with his kitty friends.  He makes me laugh at how silly he is.  So innocent.  He doesn't know there's a bad thing in the world...except those mean ol' tom cats, but they don't really bother him yet either.  For him, life is just a pond, food in the morning, a little girl who chases him around trying to make him her "baby" 4 days out of the week and his kitty friends.  Not bad. 

These pictures brought to you by my new:

Canon Power Shot, SD 4500 IS, Digital ELPH

(I have no idea how to use it yet but I have every intention of figuring this out!) 

Thank you Craig, you're a good man:)

I love you.

This Week...AROUND OUR HOUSE

Sunday

Seed starting time is here (and probably a little late already) again.  A few things I've started are:

Cabbage, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cucumber, Peppers, Onion, Tomatillo, ...I think that's about it so far.  The next seeds should go right into the garden...hoping it warms up soon.  I wish I found the whole seed starting thing enjoyable but I don't like getting out the dirt and making a mess...isn't that funny?  Most people say it's the getting your hands dirty that is so relaxing...hmmm.  I don't like messes, bummer.

First batch of Water Kefir.  The first batch tasted a little like dirty water but from what I've read, it seems this is normal.  The second batch was a little sweeter and the grains puffed up quite a bit more.  I'm still hoping for a little more effervescence.  It wasn't too bad but possibly could be an "acquired" taste thing. The information says it may take a few batches to get it nice and strong, we'll see:)

Monday

Is this the cutest??  B comes over dressed in her regular clothes but also has on her "Olivia" dance too too (how do you spell too too??)  Her Mama, said she slept in it the night before and didn't want to take it off this morning.  She looked so adorable:)

Then she danced with Cinderella in the living room.
(Tanner's hinder parts)

And, she danced:)

This made me laugh, B has her purse over her shoulder and she's carrying around her little dalmatian puppy.  Reminded me of the "rich girlie's" and their little silly looking dogs, ha ha...she'll never be that vain though!!
  

Gracie is so cute dressed in her cool pink shoes...you know, not just any girl who could pull off pink shoes...I think she did it with a lot of style, don't you?

Oh, Megan and Corey, you don't get to see our crafts this week...yet.  They are for Passover and they are under wraps, hush, hush until then.  You'll just have to wait:)

Tuesday

Out my window this morning...we wake to snow.  Seriously??  It just doesn't want to let go.

B is having an apple snack and the boys are finishing up school.  Fun!  Okay, maybe not for the boys:)  Look at our table during the day (actually it's the whole week until Friday, mostly)...om goodness!!

(Tanner's face!!)

A self portrait:)

Another self portrait.  Wait a minute...

Awake.

Asleep.
This was the scene for most of the day...Sleepy head all day.  She just ate, can you tell?

Monkey go bye bye in the shopping cart:)
(There's Tanners legs.)
Wednesday

Awww.

Sharing some pop corn with Papa after he gets home from work.  Papa loves popcorn just as much as B.

Gracie having her snack... from Mom, with love:)

We went to the library and (the really bad for you but still tastes really good...)Mc D's today.  B finds both of these activities to be a treat.  At the library she always gets stuff, she likes that (and it's free, I like that, ha ha) and Mc D's is a treat she loves to eat (ya, I know I rhymed).
But, I had no camera.  I was sad I forgot it...I've become a little obsessive about taking pics (the boys just roll their eyes).  I tell them that even if they don't enjoy my picture taking (which I don't impose on the two of them that much...really) that they should encourage me and if not encourage, at least tolerate it.  They're still thinking about it.
Here's why I bring that up...while we were at the library in the parking lot, we parked near a white van.  Caleb says, "look mom" as he's pointing at the van.  I look over to see 2 yellow labs in the front of the van, one in the passenger seat and one in the drivers seat, both looking straight ahead as if they were driving somewhere...hahaha, it was so cute and funny...I wanted to take a picture (insert eye roll from the boys here).
They didn't think it was necessary.  Whatever.  Really, be honest, is that over the top??  That picture would be placed right here if I would have had my camera.  Next time for sure!

Thursday

   Daddy and Mommy's
(and Gramma's and Papa's and Nana's, and Grampa's, and Ole Nana's)
Little Princess.  (complete with crown:)

Snackin' on a banana while playin' with the castle.  She was playing with a "wounded" GI Joe who sustained a  terrible arm injury (it was broken off) and she bound up his arm until it was better, a little while ago.  Florence Nightingale would be proud!

This is not Thursday...but the boys took my camera when they went to see Cirque Du Soleil with their cousins.  I improvise:)
Hi Gracie!

Ha ha, Gotcha!


I asked Craig to help me find a new camera (Craig I hope you haven't forgotten:)  so I can take pictures "like the pros".   Ha ha, then the boys will BEG me to take their pictures...and I will:)

Gen 18:19  “For I have known him, so that he commands his children and his household after him, to guard the way of יהוה, to do righteousness and right-ruling, so that יהוה brings to Aḇraham what He has spoken to him.”

May you have a blessed week family.
Love, mom

A FEW RANDOM PICS OF LIFE...AROUND OUR HOUSE TODAY

Miss B and Gramma in the kitchen making scrambled eggs for breakfast for her and the boys.  She wants her step-stool so she can climb up and watch but she prefers to help.  She said, "that's cool gramma!"  She's a silly goose.

When I was getting her out of the car this morning she said to me, "My Daddy is STRONG, he picked my sister Gracie up AND he carried me too!"  I knew she was talking about the night before when he got them out of the car after getting home.  It was cold and rainy and I know he would have grabbed them both and taken them into the house together.  Right there, it made my cry to think about what a Daddy he is and  how much he loves his little girls.  It just moved me so much to think about the force of love a parent has for their children.  No power can come between that love.  It's amazing how that love never changes, no matter what age your child is.

Corey, I am so in awe of you and your family and the things Abba is doing in you all.

Here's Miss B working on her letter "B" and the number 2.  She loves decorating them with markers and crayons but stickers are her best, most favorite way to decorate!

Little Gracie...I couldn't catch her smile with my camera for anything... hers is pretty!

Asleep on Gramma's lap.  Gracie just gets in this zone, she gets quiet and relaxes and you know she's headin' off to snoozeville.  Nighty, night baby:)

Hey look!!  Are those Gibson feet???

(hahaha)

THE END!

A FEW RANDOM PICS OF LIFE...AROUND OUR HOUSE

Look at this happy girl, she is a smiley baby,  her smile makes me smile!

Here's just a few pics of the last couple of days around the house.  Megan has gone back to work so the girls were here with Gramma on Wed. and Thurs.  

Here is Miss B with the lego tower that she "directed" the boys to build...and is now taking full credit for!

Nice job!

Sorry about the crazy clothes mom but she didn't want to wear her jeans and she couldn't keep the other pants up so I improvised...and it worked for us, nobody saw us:)

More smiles.

Corey, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but B looks WAY cooler in my glasses than your glasses, sorry.

B is coloring and placing stickers on the letter "A" and the number "1" right now.  Now, she just wants to decorate letters and numbers only...I tried to get her to color a picture and she just wanted another letter to decorate.  She knows the letter "A" by name now...smart girl.  She did some very lovely "A's" that we sent home to mom and dad also and didn't get a picture of (I slack sometimes) but I think we have some real artistic talent here, right?  Move over Picasso!

We also did shapes which she decorated with stickers and crayons and glued to a Popsicle stick (she thinks they are signs), she thinks it's just play and she enjoys it just fine.

(I pulled out my pre-school -K stuff from "The Weaver."  I used it with the boys and they both loved it and they wanted to stay in Kindergarten forever...but who doesn't?)  The Weaver has a lot of fun stuff for learning the alphabet, letter recognition and sounds...like making puppets for each letter out of paper bags and gluing  pictures the kids color on for the puppet face that coincide with the letter sound...like:  child would say:  Ah, Ah, alligator with your mouth so wide, open up and put an "A" inside!!   So, we'll be doing that soon too.

And I leave you with Caleb's art and verse for the day:

The earnest prayer of a righteous one (man) accomplishes much.

James 5:16

(Printable taken from "Hearts in training" free printable site)

Amein.

Have a blessed day!