Have you ever prayed so hard...

for something, that you actually carried it into your dreams?
As the morning time moves on today, I feel I need to type this out so I don't loose the memory of this.
Our oldest son, Cory got an Ipod for his birthday and he misplaced it sometime early September. We looked everywhere. No luck. We told him to pray about it, and to back track his last time he remembered having it. (prayer for Cory to learn responsibility) Exasperated over his lack of concern here lately, I told him he wouldn't be given anything else of value until he located and kept track of his Ipod. To elaborate on his lack of concern here..I have asked him if he has looked for it, he says he has, but his idea of looking for something and mine are totally different. We have actually witnessed him looking for something and it was within sight. Sigh.
Sweetie and I even gave him the responsibility lecture. So, last night before bed,we prayed about it. I had looked all over and he had looked all over. The boys and I have prayed about everything. If there is one thing I want them to remember about me is that they had a praying mother. We have prayed our way out of traffic, we have prayed our way out of a snowy embankment, we have prayed over bullies, tests, and some little critters to live.
Realizing I had a teachable moment, I went to the Bible story about Jesus looking for the lost lamb.The one out of the fold that has wandered off. (Proof that even Jesus doesn't like for things to be out of place). Cory said he really liked that, as he never thought of it that way. Then he prayed aloud for God to help us find his Ipod, and for me to let him play with a friend this weekend.
Let me backtrack.. yesterday was mentally exhausting. I'm currently helping a company take the next step up in their business. We are re-working all brochures, pamphlets, website, you get it, right? Okay. So with all these details rolling around in my head, I drove home from work exhausted. (praying for God to help Sweetie get Brian to practice on time, did he remember to take the ball? And for God to help me not screw up and remember details)
Cory was home working on his homework, Sweetie had picked up Brian from tutoring and went straight to soccer practice. I had 20ish minutes to get something together for dinner. Quick prayer to God to help me come up with an idea. Got in the door, to Cory wanting to go hang out with a friend, well it is almost dark outside and knowing I would have dinner ready soon, I denied that request. (Again, inside head prayer to God to help Cory adjust his attitude)Then he wants to know if I got him signed up for a retreat the middle school youth group is taking. No, I didn't get him signed up. Then explained how he had plenty to do this weekend at home. A disappointed pre-teen rattled dishes as he got them set out for supper. (another prayer sent up to heaven)
Soon, Sweetie and a hot and sweaty Brian come in. Supper is ready.. homework took a little over 2 hours..its 930 p.m. and I am even more physically exhausted than before. (sweetie couldn't help with homework as he is currently in school also and had a online chat he was participating in).
Then I find out as I get the boys together for bed that there was a mass shooting at Ft. Hood. Sigh. Time to get my prayer on. I was able to get a few words out to God, with the best intentions before the boys started straying from the task at hand. SIGH. Getting boys to go to bed when they aren't tired, but the clock says they should be is difficult. Now, I'm pleading in my head prayer with the Lord to help me be nice as I'm putting them to bed. Seems the more tired I am the more each son wants to chat it up with me before going to bed. Although usually this time is the most precious time I get with them all day.
Then onto Brian. Brian is 10. He is still thinking about soccer practice and how tired he is, but he wants to stay up a little longer. "Let's talk about Lithuania" he suggests. Little booger knows I am never too tired to talk missions.
(This comes from us getting to spend some time with a pastor from there earlier this week.)
He wants to know what it takes to be a missionary and if you have to pass all your spelling tests to accomplish this goal. (okay so he got me there). We chat a little about that. Then I just listened to him talk, all the while praying to God in my head that these seeds planted in his mind become fruitful in some way or another in his life. We talk about the great commission and how missions is not just overseas, it is local too. Then he lights up, he wants to talk about filling his shoe box for Operation Christmas Child, and when can we go shopping. This went on for a little while, then I turned off the light. Night, night little man. He then prays for Pastor Saul and his church, and for the kids that are going to get a OCC box this year.
Leaving Sweetie to his school work downstairs I now have some quiet time to pray. And pray I did. I pulled out my prayer journal (where I write things down and people to pray for). I didn't make it too far before my legs started to tingle indicating that I'd been on them too long. I got up and moved around the semi lit bedroom and just prayed for people. Then my mind got set on prayer for Cory to find his Ipod. I closed my prayer and went to bed.
Around 5 a.m. this morning I woke up with an urgency to go look through the car one more time for that Ipod. I wrestled with the idea of waking Cory up to go look, but got the instruction quickly from the Lord this was for me to do, and not to bother Cory. (God knows when you have evil thoughts of waking your slumbering child to help them learn a lesson)
So, I tromped downstairs, and our cat Lucky and I went into the garage and looked through the car. Finally one of the last places I looked (where I just knew I had looked a million times) I found the Ipod. It was like a heavenly choir started singing Hallelujah in my head. It is now a little after 5:30 a.m., and since I get Cory up at 6 I hurried inside to wake him up.
A sleepy boy greeted me by pulling the cover over his head. "not ready to get up Mom, it's still dark". I then tell Cory that God answered prayer. This prompts him to pull the covers down. "Which one?" he asks. Getting his hand, I place the Ipod inside and close his fingers around it.
Now he hops up and just about takes the air out of me as he rejoices in his lost Ipod being back where it should be. Then he grabs my hand and we thanked God together. What a great start to my day!

Visit To New Mexico, Colorado, Four Corners

Last month the boys and I took a trip out to New Mexico to visit family and help fill a mission need with the Navajo.
When we flew into Denver, there was snow everywhere! Our plane was de-iced twice! We then took another flight into Durango, Co. Where my parents were waiting to welcome us. We then drove an hour and some to Farmington,NM. We stayed in a home on Navajo Missions. This wonderful group of folks takes in children, and provides a family for them. Please take some time to look them up online. www.Navajo Missions.org
We were able to interact with some of the children and the boys were able to learn how to brush, saddle, put in the bridle, and trot a horse. They even managed to take their horses through an obstacle course by weeks end.
We were able to go visit Mesa Verde.. oh the cliff dwellings were so much fun to climb over, and wonder how these folks did it! They lived life so far off the ground! How did they build these massive structures? Amazing!
We drove up to Durango and rode on the train to Silverton, Co. This was a 3 1/2 hour trip up and back. What glorious pictures we were able to take. The boys loved watching them load the coal. Then when the train started! Oh, let the adventure begine. We had reserved seats in a coach where there was a roof overhead. The day before it had been snowing so we were glad we did! However, the day we went was beautiful and sunny.
The boys and I ventured to an open, outdoor car for a good part of the trip as you could experience more of the mountain air, and scenery from there. Sure, it was a little breezy, and sometimes we got coal flakes all over our faces, but what a memory!
Silverton is a little town with some of the cleanest air in America, per the EPA.
Tiny little mining town with a rich history. There are no stop lights, and the streets are mostly dirt. There is no mining done there now, mostly just tourists coming through. The day we were there a lot was closed as the season was over. They were expecting another big snow that evening and most merchants were closing and going home.
The boys were able to have a small snowball fight up there! Bummed the mining part was closed, we just window shopped and looked in the shops that were open.
On another day we visited Four Corners. If you haven't been there, this is where you can put a foot, hand, foot and another hand in four different states. Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, & Colorado.
It was here that the boys and I learned a lot about Navajo. There were some set up in little booths around the tourist site, selling their wears. They were available to sell you something, or to let you observe. I did both.
The boys watched a Navajo shave down a piece of wood into a arrow.. then apply the paint and feathers, then they were able to pick out a type of stone for him to make them arrowheads to go on the ends. What fun!
I watched, and ended up buying the boys each an arrow to bring home to remember their adventure. I enjoyed watching some women make blankets. The fun part for me was seeing how they got the different colors into the blankets. They use flowers, and herbs and boil them. Then soak fabric, whether it is string, or sheeps wool, into the color, then weave it into the rug, into fabulous designs.
The Navajo are very wary of having their photos taken. We respected their wishes and didn't take pictures. See, they believe that part of their spirit is taken with you when you photograph them.
Amazing day.
Our trip was full, and we are looking forward to the next time we can go back!
(the girl in the photos with the boys is my neice Meghan)

Pumpkin Patch 2009

Sigh. I just so enjoy this time of year. Hayrides, bonfires, the crisp crunch of leaves under our feet, and the pumpkin patch.
We have made a pilgrammage to area pumpkin patches each year photographing the memories, trying to hold onto a happy memory our family holds dear.
The boys have gone from us carrying a pumpkin for them, to going to pick their own. They take pleasure in this as the last few years, we have been carving them. No, no stencils for us! The boys want to make their own creation.
It is fun to look at all the colorful gords, and pumpkins. There are usually some grandmas that are chatting up a recent receipe that worked for them using pumpkin. I had heard of pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie.. but this time I learned about a soup.

Pumpkin Soup

1/2 c. onion
3tbsp. butter
2cups mashed cooked pumpkin
1tsp salt
1tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
3 cups of chicken broth
1/2 c. half and half

Chop the onions and brown with butter in a pan. Put mashed pumpkin with onions in pan. Add the sugar, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Slowly add chicken broth and heat thoroughly, but don't boil. To serve, pour into a bowl and add the cream. Makes 4-6 small servings.


These ladies were very sweet. When I brought this up to the boys, they wrinkled up their noses and said. "Yuck!". One day after they have forgotten about it, I may just suprise them and see how they like it!

Happy Autumn all!