Florida Here We Come

We just got back from spending 8 wonderful days the Sunshine State. Danny had an AMSSM meeting in Tampa to attend. Because I am still exclusively nursing Riley, we decided we would take the entire family. We have also been telling Calen we would go to the beach for the past two years. It would be a vacation/educational experience- just one of the perks of homeschooling. We also decided that it would be easier to drive than to try to get everything we needed to an airport, on a plane, and in a rental car.

We packed up the car with all of the essentials and left on Thursday evening when Danny got home from work. About an hour into the trip, we got our first ever, "Are we there yet?" from Calen. We laughed and told him "no, no".

We drove just south of Atlanta, stopping only twice. There we spent the night and was on the road by 10 the next morning. During this leg, we only had to stop five times. First for lunch right outside Moultrie. (Brooke, I almost called you to see if I could borrow your washer/dryer. Jax had a stomach bug). Next, Wal-Mart near Valdosta for a Shout and detergent run. Even though it was vactation, I would still have to do laundry with that tag along bug of ours. The third stop was for a "we need to get out of the car/stomach bug" moment. We spent about 15 minutes at a Burger King before we hit the road again. The next two stops were potty breaks for Calen. We pulled into Tampa at 6 pm.

Enjoying the pool

Come on in! The water's fine.
Brrr. That nice breeze is cold when you first get out. Who cares? The pool is soooo overrated.

Saturday, Danny had meetings all day long, but the kids and I enjoyed just lying around the hotel room. We even enjoyed pizza in our room that night, followed by a walk around the boardwalk, and then Calen and Danny headed to the pool for an evening dip. Sunday evening we went to the Florida Aquarium. The kids really enjoyed the watching the fish, otters, birds, and stingrays.

It's official. Calen was hatched from an egg.

Man, those things are fast!
I don't get it.

Monday was Busch Gardens. Calen road his first big roller coaster. Unfortunately, it was the old, wooden one. He thought at all would be as rough as that one so we had to do some coaxing to get him on the next one. He perfers the metal ones right now.

Jax rode his very first ride with "Bubbie"

This egg doesn't taste like the ones momma makes.

So, how fast can these baby go?


Oops. I barely missed that elephant.
I'm ridin' the rails and watchin' the deer and the antelope graze.

See!? I knew my bros were wildebeasts!

The boys were having so much fun, and Riley was being such a trooper that we stayed all day. We even went back Tuesday morning and stayed until 1:00 before Danny had to head back for some meetings.

Let me drive! Nobody's lookin'!Finally! Everyone's one the other side of the fence, and I'm on my own!
Can we put one of these in the backyard? We're pooped.

On Wednesday morning we checked out and headed towards the official vacation spot- Amelia Island Plantation. On the way we stopped at Dinosaur World.

Then a few miles down the road, SeaWorld. The kids had a blast! Calen loved touching the sting rays. They felt soft, smooth, and slimy.




Jax wanted in with the dolphins.

The shows were "awesome," "cool," "amazing!"

After we had drained all of our energy, we hit the road once more. When we arrived at Amelia Inn, we went out on the balconey. Although, Calen could hear the waves, he couldn't see anything at 10:00 at night. We went to bed and awoke the next morning to the sun rising over the ocean. I woke Calen up and told him to go look out the window. He pulled the drape aside just a little bit. Then with awe and amazement he said, "Wow. Oh, man" as he began eagerly pulling the curtains out of the way for a better look.

We spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning relaxing on the beach and playing in the waves and sand. When we first went down to the beach on Thursday morning, Calen would walk into the water and then run back towards shore yelling, "there could be a jellyfish out there" or "there could be a shark" or "there could be a stingray." Yes, Calen, there is we explained. After about 10 mintues he forgot what lurks in the ocean and was frolicking in the refreshing, salty water.

Stingrays, jellyfish, sharks. Oh, my!

I'm a beach bum

I'm a beach bunny

On Friday afternoon, while Jax and Riley were taking their nap, Calen and Danny headed back down to the beach. They were playing in the "wildebeast waves" as Calen called them. Immediately after getting hit with a wave, Calen would call out, "Shore!" But, Danny kept him in the water and they continued playing. At one point, they had just had a wave and Danny was helping Calen back up; however, Danny had made the mistake of turning his back on the ocean. As he was trying to help Calen regain his balance he heard it behind him. Before he could do anything he was hit full force in the back by a huge wave. It knocked Danny off his feet and swept Calen about 10 feet away from where they had been. After Danny was able to stand back up and get Calen, who at this point says he was thinking he was going to die, they both yelled, "SHORE!" at the same time. As they getting out of the water Calen looked at Danny as said, "That was the KING of the Wildebeasts wave!" They spent the rest of their time that day at little closer inland. That evening though Calen was back out, but this time on the lookout.

Ah, the easy life

The fish ain't bitin'

Saturday morning we spent more time enjoying the beach before we packed up and headed back home. By 9:30 that night we were in our garage. The kids did fantastic. They travel really, really well. Our biggest challenge was bedtime.
Catchin' the waves



Ridin' the waves

A Little Backyard Project

*Pictures to be added after I get them off the camera.

This is something every family should tackle as a backyard project- a wooden playset. Last month we bought the kids a "Sky Fort" to put in the backyard. We looked at all the different types available and finally settled on one that fit our family's needs. There is such a age gap between Calen and his brother and sister that it was difficult to find one that was a "one size fits all."

We went to Sam's, loaded all four large heavy boxes on the truck, and brought them home, slowly, to put them in the garage. That night and the next day, I spent three hours sorting the pieces and then putting them in alphabetical order to ensure a quick find of required pieces. We had a 50 page instruction manual. The cover informed us that with two moderately skilled adults it would take 20-24 to assemble the Sky Fort. Not too bad. That means with Danny and his father, who is an extremely skilled adult, it would only take them 40 hours or so (Danny is addition by subtraction in situations like this, you see...)

The one set back was that we had to use our large unattached garage for the job instead of the drive-under garage near the construction site. Oh, well, the excerise is good for you.

So, anyway, I sorted the pieces with the plan to have Danny's brother and dad and my brother and dad come help put it together. My mom and sister was also going to come help watch the kids so I could help the boys. Well, that weekend it rained. Calen drove us up the wall the next several days asking when we were putting it together.

The next Saturday arrived, beautiful, clear skies, and a warm 76 degrees. It was lovely. The weather I mean, not the project. We began by marking off the area and clearing the grass. The we put together the base of the fort. Then the boys began leveling the ground underneath before we could do anything.

Then my dad and brother arrived and began helping work on the fort. At this point, we has too many chiefs and not enough Indians. A few things got turned around and had to be redone. There was also questions about the directions. Sometimes, guys, it is best to follow the directions.

By the end of the day we had accomplished a bulk of the playset. That night my mom and sister spent the night so we could work the next day. Yes, it was Sunday, but Calen wasn't going to wait until next Saturday. While mom and Amanda and I got the kids ready for bed, Danny went to the garage to assemble the climbing wall. After the kids were in bed I went out to help him. We assembled the ladder and monkey bars and called it a night. We were nice and burnt from the sun's hot rays.

The next day, after church we headed back out. It was another gorgeous 78 degree day. We attached the ladder, climbing wall, slide, swing set arm and swings, and the mokey bars. Calen was able to play on it that evening. They only thing we lacked were the crow's nest, picnic table, and finishing the base. We had spent a total of 18 hours at this point- including the sorting and leveling.

We didn't get a chance to do anything else for several days. That gorgeous 70+ degree weather turned to snow. We were sunburnt and wearing sweaters. The next week Danny and I would take the kids out and work an hour here and an hour there, trying to finish it. We still lacked the crow's nest. So the following weekend we finished that.

The Great Turkey Slayer

Calen had quiet a weekend. He started it off Friday afternoon by going with Danny to Thunder Valley. More about that in the next post. On Saturday, he headed to the woods with my dad to "hunt" turkeys. Calen spent the afternoon and evening cutting branches down and playing around. There weren't any turkey around anyway. The rest of the blog is Calen.

Sunday morning, Papaw had to drag me from the bed to the couch. I didn't want to get up 'cause I was sleepy. I knew I had to get up because I wanted to go turkey hunting, so I did- finally. I was still so tired mamaw and papaw had to get me dressed over my pajamas though.

After I was dressed, we went to the truck and drove to the mountains. We got to the gate and started walking to Tim's treefort. We climbed the ladder and papaw started calling for turkeys. Then the turkeys started flying down out of the trees and coming in. I saw a big one, but papaw said it was a hen. We can't shoot them. We had to wait on a gobbler.

A little while later papaw saw two gobblers out the window. They had white spots on their heads. They were huge. Papaw helped me pick up the gun and hold it because it's still too big for me. He told me to move my arm for a second so he could aim for me. Then he told me when the turkey popped its head up to pull the trigger.

We waited for a few seconds. The turkey popped its head out from around the tree. He was strutting and all puffed up. When he popped out, I shot the gun. The turkey started flapping around. Papaw climbed down out of the tree fort to go get the turkey. He told me to wait, but I got down by myself while he was trying to pick up the turkey. He was so excited. I was shaking. I couldn't believe I got a turkey on my first weekend hunt!

Papaw and I went back home. Everyone was still in bed because we hadn't been gone that long at all. I ran into the house shouting, "I got one, I got one, I got one!" I ran to mamaw and told her to come see what I got. I ran and told Aunt Amanda to come see what I got. I think papaw got Uncle Justin up to come see.

Aunt Amanda sent mommy and daddy a picture of me with my turkey. They were still at home and weren't there to see it yet. When they got there they couldn't believe I got such a big turkey. Daddy took a couple pictures, too. Papaw said he had never killed one so big.

I had to go with papaw to check it in at the gas station. I got to sign my own kill tag by myself. I was so excited I accidentally wrote Calem instead of Calen. It was a good looking "m" though. I said, "Uh-oh. I made a mistake on my name. I wrote it wrong. I put two humps instead of one for my "n." They told me it was okay.

When we got back home papaw and Chris skinned it for me. They took out the meat. We're going to eat it at Easter dinner. Then we took the turkey to this man's house. He's going to stuff it for me. It's going to look like it's flying down from a tree. He's even going to put it on a limb. I'm going to put it in my room!

My first turkey

March 22, 2009
20 lbs.

11 in. beard

1 1/4 in. spurs

Yo Ho Ho. It's a Pirates Life for Me

Yesterday we celebrated Calen's birthday-finally. It was scheduled for last Saturday; however, Friday evening he spiked a fever of 103.5 and began complaining of leg pains. We decided it best to call everyone to cancel his party-again. By Tuesday his fever had subsided, and his appetite (and antics) had returned. We decided to go ahead and have his party on Saturday.


The orginal invitations where on parchment style paper, and I burned the edges and some holes in them. I put a red "X" on the bottom left corner.

To set the mood I had made signs that said "Enter at Yer own Risk" to hang on the front door and another was hung on the door to the guest room. I also had several signs warning, "Beware, Pirates" that we hung up throughout the house. In the living room I set up a card table and decorated it with a treasure chest, treasure map, and telescope. We also sat the presents on the table. Next to the table we placed "Mr. Bones" guarding his gold and silver along with the sign "Dead Men Tell No Tales." We also had lots of black and red balloons inside and out and Jolly Rodger flags along the walkway to the porch.

Cap'n Calen's crew began arriving at high Two. What's a pirate with a sword or eye patch? So they each got one of eye. After playing for about fifteen minutes, it was time to begin our adventures.

They had to Walk the Plank, if they dared. Arrr.

Then we had a rousing game of "Tic Toc Find the Croc" in the house that they had to capture.

Tic Toc. Where is that croc?

After the croc was discovered (thankfully it was only a tiny one), Cap'n Calen and his maties were famished. They chowed down on some Sea Dogs (hot dogs), Fish 'n' Chips (potato chips and goldfish), Lagoon Dip w/ Peg Leg Veggies (ranch dip and celery, carrot, and cucumber sticks), and Treasure Salad (fruit salad). To quench their parched throats, they guzzled Ocean Water and Shark's Blood (blue and red Kool-Aid).

With full stomachs, we were off for some more adventures on the high seas. They had to Feed the Shark. Then we took their picture posing with the shark. I'll include their pictures with their Thank-you notes.

After our shark was well feed, we divided the kids into two crews to play Cannonballs Away. Each crew had a ship and fifty "cannonballs." They faced off in an attempt to "sink" the enemy ship. The kids had a blast with this game and played it four times!

After feeding the shark and battling enemy ships, the lil' pirates were ready for something sweet. I made Calen's cake per his request, a pirate ship on the ocean with an island.

After cake and ice cream, the pirates had one more swashbuckling adventure waiting- a treasure hunt. I had six clues for them to solve and find. The final clue led them to the treasure, a pinata treasure chest filled with chocolate and bubble gum coins.

The children left with quite a booty. Their treasure chests were filled with coins from the pinata, and a pirate assortment of pencils, compasses, yo-yos, stickers, telescopes, suckers, tattoos, and bubbles-plus their swords and eye patches.


Next party, Jax and the Wild, Wild West. YA-HOO!

What a Week-end

WARNING: This is gonna be a long one.

This past week Danny and I both were under the weather. We didn't start feeling better until Friday. On Saturday, our Sunday School class had a "Valentine's Day 80's Party." We may show the pictures, we may not. Then Sunday was Calen's sixth birthday. I hate throwing two parties, but since his "Pirate Party" isn't until March 7th, I needed to do something for him. He can, after all, understand a calendar.

I wrestled with the idea of the multiple parties for several days. Finally, I decided to go ahead and have dinner and cake on Sunday with our families after church. This also made since because my mom was coming down on Saturday to watch the kids for us so we could enjoy an evening out. I told Danny that I was going to ask Mom to ask Mamaw if she wanted to come, too, but I kept forgetting until Friday.

Saturday was hectic as we prepared for both the 80's party and Calen's party. My sister called and told me that Mom would be on her way soon and that Mamaw was coming, too. They arrived around 4:30. We didn't have to leave until 6:00. Mom brought some kites, so we took the boys outside to fly them. It was a beautiful, windy day.

We finally were dressed in our 80's best and ready to leave for the party. We had a good time talking and watching everyone dance. The DJ had a projector and showed the videos to the music. It was cool to see some of the videos for the first time (Danny and I are more of 90's kids).

I like to dance, but didn't feel like it. Jax had been sick all week (actually for the past month) and Riley hadn't slept well the night before either. Around 8:30 we started talking about going home. For the next hour it was basically one of asking, "Want to go?" and the other saying, "In a little bit." Finally, around 9:00 we ventured out onto the floor and danced a few songs. It certainly beat dancing with the Wiggles.

Around 9:30 Danny began to suddenly feel worse. Uncharacteristically he said, "I really don't feel like helping clean up. Let's go ahead and go so we won't have to." I laughed and told him, "I should really go check on Riley anyway." She had never had a bottle before and this was the longest we have been apart since she was born. My mom wouldn't call me if she was tied up in the closet. So we gathered our things and left.

We around home shortly before ten to find Mom and Riley hanging out in the chair. Jax was fast asleep, and Calen and Mamaw were downstairs watching cartoons. We talked with Mom for a few minutes, actually asking the basic questions. How were the kids? Where they good? Did they eat? What time did Jax go to sleep? Did Riley do okay? How did she take the bottle? etc.

It was now 10 and Riley was ready to eat before she went to bed. I sat in the living room feeding her and talking with Mom. Danny went downstairs to get Calen and Mamaw. They came up and we continued chatting while Riley ate. Danny told us that Mamaw had said she would sleep on the couch downstairs, but he had told she would do no such thing. We have a perfectly fine bed in the guest room.

Shortly, after I finished feeding Riley, we decided that it was time for bed. We were going to church in the morning. I didn't have the cake made yet, nor were the kids' bags packed for church. We would have to get up early so we would have enough time. Danny and I both went upstairs with Mom, Calen, and Mamaw. We took Mamaw to the guest room. I closed the blinds, turned off the fan, and got another blanket for the bed. Danny turned up the heat a little. We said good night and closed the door. I went into Calen's room and told him and Mom good-night. Danny and I headed down the stairs with Riley. Danny and went to our room to get Riley ready for bed.

I was changing her diaper and Danny was setting the alarm on the clock. We were groaning about having to get up that early. I heard something in the hallway. I sounded suspiciously like Calen slinking to our room. I called out to him in a fairly annoyed voice. Mom was sleeping with him so there wasn't any excuse for him to be coming to our room. No answer. I called out again using the middle name this time. Still no answer. "Calen Reid Lewis what do you want." I demanded in that firm momma voice. As I looked up, I saw Mamaw come to the doorway. "Oh, Mamaw, need somethin'?" I asked. She put her hand to her chest and the other hand to steady herself in the doorway. "I can't catch my breath," she said as she turned and walked away. Danny and I looked at each other. "Alice." Danny called. "Alice!" He took off after her while I quickly finished putting on Riley's diaper. I could hear him calling, "Alice, Alice. Deep breaths, Alice. Does anything hurt? What happened?" I put Riley in the bed and took off down the hallway. Mamaw was sitting on the couch and Danny was kneeling beside her checking her pulse. "Go get your mom, Mamaw's not acting right," he said.

I went upstairs and got mom. It had only been 2 minutes since we said good-night to each other. By the time I got downstairs, Danny decided we had to get her to the hospital. We only live 2 miles away. It would be faster for him to talk her than to call 911. He ran to throw on some pants and shoes. Mom ran upstairs to get her coat and shoes. I tried to put Mamaw's shoes on and told Calen, who by this time was on the stairs watching, to go to our room. Of course, he keep trying to stale. I finally said, "Calen just do as I ask. Mamaw is sick and needs to go to the hospital." Off, he went without another word.

I asked Mamaw if she could get up. She tried but couldn't. I helped her and told Mom that she was weak. She tried to walk, but after a couple steps, doubled over. I yelled to Danny, that she couldn't walk. I called 911, Mom called my sister, and Danny sat Mamaw back down on the couch.

The 911 operator answered and I told her we needed an ambulance to our address. She asked what was wrong, and I told her my grandmother was having difficulty breathing, was disoriented and was gray. She wanted to know her age. I had to ask mom because my mind was blank. Then she asked, "Is she saying she's having chest pains?" To which I responded, "She can't breath so she can't tell us anything!" At this point, Danny had grabbed his bag and said tell her we need an ambulance now. She was in the process of asking some other question when I said, "My husband is a doctor and he said we need an ambulance, NOW!" To which I got, "Okay, ma'am they on their way." All I could think is that this couldn't happen to my mom again so soon.

I called my uncle to let him know that I had called the ambulance to come get Mamaw. While I was on the phone, I saw the life slip from Mamaw as she collapsed on the couch. Danny quickly laid her flat and started CPR. I hung up and tried to distract my mom. She had just lost Papaw under eerily similar circumstances this past Father's Day. I then called 911 again to tell them that CPR was in progress. I went and talked briefly with Calen, and came back and talked with Mom. I could see the ambulance come around the curve, about 1 mile away. It seemed like it took forever for it to make it to our street.

Right as the ambulance was making the turn off the main road, I heard Mamaw cough. The EMS personnel came in and began working with Danny. Shortly thereafter, another ambulance arrived. Our neighbor came over to see what was happening. She offered to keep the kids while I went to the hospital. It was decided that they would take Mamaw to the hospital then air lift her to the JCMC. It had now been about 15 minutes since we had said good-night.

We all arrived at the hospital. First, a stroke or heart attack. Maybe, a blood clot. Then COPD. After several hours, she went from the ER to the ICU. She was on a vent, and it didn't look good. Maybe, if she made it through the night, she would make it. By Sunday afternoon, it was amazing. Not only was she still alive, but she was off the vent. She remembered that, "it hit all of a sudden" and she "couldn't catch her breath." Thankfully, she couldn't recall anything else until later on in the day. When Danny went in to see her, he asked how she was doing. "Not much better than I was last night." To which Danny laughed, and told her she "was doing MUCH better that she was last night."

My mom got a kick out of telling her that she flew in a helicopter to get there. Mamaw has always been afraid of flying and said she never would. Life doesn't always go as planned. We told her we would get her a T-shirt and she can go sky-diving now. She's still a little sore due to at least two broken ribs received from Danny during the CPR, but otherwise no pain. Yesterday, she wanted to walk a bit. She also gets to come home later today. She'll stay with my parents for several days. She says she'll be here for Calen's party on the 7th. I told her she can spend the night- if she behaves.

We are so thankful to our Heavenly Father. His guidance was patient and direct. Even while Danny was doing CPR, I was in awe at the work He had already been doing in our lives a good month before this night.

1. Had there been no parties Saturday and Sunday and she had not come to our house, she would have passed away alone. My sister may have found her late Sunday if Mamaw's friend called to say she wasn't home when she went to take her to church or most likely Monday when my mom would go by to pick her up for work.

2.Had we come home from the party early we all would have went to bed, and she would have passed away upstairs in the bed leaving Calen and/or Mom to find her the next morning.

3. Had we let her sleep downstairs, she would have never had the strength to make it up the stairs. We are amazed she was able to come down our stairs and to our room to make that one, ever-important statement, "I can't catch my breath."

In fact, my mom told me on the way to the hospital that she didn't even ask Mamaw to come with her until that afternoon. She was taking a shower and she said, " I thought, I better ask Mom if she wants to go with me to Jessica's." So she hollered at my sister to call her and ask. Mamaw said, "Why, sure. I just need to get my things together." God's timing is perfect, and we are truly thankful. The glory is all the Lord's.

Mamaw has been diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease. She needs to quit smoking. Please keep her in prayers as she has been smoking for 60 years. She will require some oxygen as needed, and she will need to take it easy for a while.

In other news. The boys have ear infections. Riley is fine. Danny is feeling better. I have a head cold. My right ear is stopped up, and last night I had an ear-ache in my left. At some point during the middle of the night, my eardrum busted relieving me of the pressure and the pain. It should heal back on its own. This morning I put the oven on Self-Clean. A fire broke out, smoked up the house. I may need a new stove. Four of our caterpillars are now chrysalides and in the next week we will have Painted Lady butterflies, given the smoke didn't smother them.

Okay if you read all of that, then you deserve a laugh.

The 3 Amigos enjoy some

cuddle time with mommy on Saturday morning.

Jax enjoying a

book with Calen

Riley

We finally got Riley's 3 month pictures today. We just can't get over how big she is. Plus, she did such a fantastic job posing, smiling and laughing.

Long Time No Blog

It's been a while since we've blogged. The only thing that really been going on (or around) the Lewis household is the crud. The menopausal weather isn't helping much either. We had a week of snow and cold. Then last week was absolutely lovely and spring like. This week- cold again.

This coming week is a week of growth (age wise) for the family. As I mentioned to a friend today as we were talking about the kids, our littles one don't stay little long. Calen will be six on Sunday. Jax will be 18 months and Riley 4 months the end of the month. The days (and nights)
are long, but the the years are short.

I'm looking forward to Spring, warm weather, longer days and the smell of flowers and freshly cut grass. Danny shouldn't mind mowing our 1.5 acre yard this year. I'm hoping to plant a garden on part of it, and the rest Danny will get to mow with the super-duper Bush Hog rider he bought from my brother. In a few years, I suspect, Danny will have to fight the boys to cut the lawn. Jax already loves climbing up on the "little" rider we have to pretend driving it.

Celebrations

As you may or may not know, February 12th is the 200th birthday of two historical men that made huge impacts upon our society- Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. They are both revered as heroes among many, many people throughout the world.

Next week, Calen and I will be studying both men and the impacts their lives, ideals, values, and beliefs had on the course of history. We will also compare them and look into their similarities and differences. I'll also touch upon some of those here.

Similarities:
Lost their mothers at a very young age
Bouts of depression
Notorious for writing notes about everything
Were about the same age when they made huge contributions to their respective societies
Both changed the nature and course of history significantly

Differences:
Lincoln was primarily self or "home" educated, whereas Darwin was institutionally schooled
Lincoln in his Emancipation Proclamation endeavored to free black men, whom he believed to be created equal with all men. Darwin's The Descent of Man fuels the inferiority of the black men and the superiority of one race above another.
Lincoln acknowledged God as Almighty Creator. Darwin promoted natural selection as a way to explain life without God as Creator.
Lincoln's view of life was from the point of "Where are we going?" Whereas, Darwin asked, "Where did we come from?"

According to Darwin's view, we came from primordial ooze. The next logical step is that we can live lives without allegiances, without responsibility, without accountability. We came from nothing and will return to nothing. How depressing. A Creator lifts us up and gives us and our lives a purpose. We are loved and we are intentionally created for the purpose of God's glory.

A common phrase is, "Lincoln freed men's bodies; Darwin freed men's minds." In fact, Darwin's philosophies bind us and block us from a fulfilling life. We are left feeling that our lives are worthless and meaningless. We are nothing special because we were an accident or a mutation. We are left with more "Whys?" than with answers. We are left empty and in search of answers. The theory of evolution enslaves our minds and limits our thinking. Faith in our Creator truly sets us free in body, mind and spirit.

Now, since this is a big day for Darwin, Evolutionists and atheists have been hitting the streets so to speak. I came across a few articles that discussed a group in Brazil was putting signs on the side of buses. One sign says, "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." UH? Another states, "There is good news and bad news. The bad news is there is no God. The good news is we don't need him anyway." WHAT?

The first statement of "probably no God" really got me. That leaves lots of room in my mind. Not to mention it's a fallacy of thought at best. It brings several "what ifs" to mind.:

The second sentence reflects their lack of knowledge in the Bible. God continually commands, COMMANDS, us not to worry (it's a lack of faith), as well as to enjoy our life. The Bible is filled with His encouragement for us to trust in Him and reap joy and pleasure out of the lives He has given to us. If we enjoy our lives, then we are living in His glory. It is written, in the Bible, for us to eat, drink and be merry. I think most people believe it's from Shakespeare.

My first thought to the second sign was, "When did they prove this?" This also shows a lack of knowledge and individual thought. What a bold statement to make. I suppose they also hold the answers regarding UFOs and Bigfoot. With little research, one can find there is actually more scientific evidence for a Creator as opposed. My next thought was, "What planet are they living on?" We DO need Him. People are in search of something to fill the voids they have in their lives. They may not really realize it, but they try to fill it with toxins. The answer to their questions, the answer to their search is right in front of them.

It can be both the easiest and hardest thing to do. First, to believe. Then, to receive. Receiving, probably more so. If your skeptic or a "seeker of truth," then please pursue the truth about Jesus honestly, openly, and with enthusiasm. Pray to God, whom you're not sure exists. Ask Him to open your heart and mind and guide you to the truth.

Febuary 12th is also the birthday of another important, influential, yet less well-known man, my dad. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

Speaking of time...

Took yet another trip down the "Daggum, I'm getting old" road tonight...

I love remakes of old songs. Now, granted, the remakes rarely have the quaility of the originals, but I appreciate artists paying their tributes to their idols and putting their twists on the originals. I especially appreciate the effort it takes to switch a song's identity, whether taking it from one genre to another or by switching genders of the performers. To this point, for the most part, I remember the original songs, but I don't remember when the originals were the new version...

Until now.

I was helping Jessica clean up the supper dishes and we had the radio on. I heard a familiar tune begin, and then realized I recognized the voice- it was Carrie Underwood. I then realized... I knew the words- the song is called "I Told You So." Three things went through my mind.

1) I loved this song....

2) Back when Randy Travis sang it...

3) No way it's been long enough to be remade!!!!

I then realized the song came out around 1988 (1987 was the release date for the album "Forever and Ever"), and that was... gulp... 21 years ago now! For the first time, I flashed back to the day I bought the original cassette and playing it in my room and, later, in my first truck...

Time.... where's it goin'?

Three Pieces of Cheese!!!

Time?

Where does the time go? January is almost gone, Riley turned 3 months yesterday (pictures to come) and Jax will be 17 months on Saturday. He has doubled his tooth count since Christmas. Calen and I began our third quarter of school on Monday. That two week "break" certainly went by fast. Calen spent a week with my parents; enjoying the snow...and candy...and staying up late...and sleeping in. It's a wonder he came back, oh yeah, he didn't really want to. Right now he's doing his math, addition; counting change, and counting volume. He said he didn't "need my instructions or help." He could "do it by himself." He is.

I am well in birthday planning season. Calen's birthday is on the 22nd. We will have family over after church for dinner and cake. He can open a couple presents to help hold him over until his party on March 7th. We are praying the weather will cooperate and be warm. This year he is having a pirate party! I have lots of fun activities planned for the kids, hence the hoping for the outdoor party. I am also taking on his cake- a 3-D pirate ship complete with deserted island. I even have Jax and Riley's planned out, too. Of course, with a two and one year old, we don't need nothin' too fancy.

Some Calenisms from the past couple days.

On Sunday, on our way home from church, Calen wanted to know when we would have "breakfast again at church." At first Danny and I thought he was talking out our Sunday school class. We have a potluck breakfast the first Sunday of every month. Then it hit me he was talking about the Lord's Supper. When we asked he said, "Yes, that's what I'm talking about, the Lord's Supper." "Why?" I asked. "Because I wanted to know, " he said. "Are you excited about getting to do it next time?" I said. "YES! I can't wait to drink wine. I've never had wine before, and I'm excited to try wine." Danny said, "It's really grape juice." To this Calen replied somberly, "Oh, well, I've had grape juice before." Nothing else was said about it.

Monday evening Danny had a meeting to attend. Jax was in bed, and Calen was holding Riley. Calen had taken her down in the floor and was playing with her. He had said he loved her so I began to ask him some questions, "What do you love most about Riley?" Calen, "She my baby sister, and she's soooo cute." "What do you love most about Jax?" "He looks just like me, we're twins. Almost identical twins." What do you love most about mommy?" "You home-school me." "What do you love most about Daddy?" "He's a doctor that helps people get better." "What do you think you would like to be when you grow up?"

This question opened a can of worms. "I want to be a teacher like you, well, I want to be a doctor like daddy, too. I want to be a doctor and teacher. How can I be a doctor and home-school my kids?" Inhale. We began to discuss ways he could be both a doctor and a homeschooling dad. He's five! Why are we having this discussion.

I happened to notice that his lip was quivering and turned upside down. I asked him what was wrong. "Do I have to leave this family when I grow up?" Inhale deeply. I explained to him that he would always be a part of this family, even if he had his own. I wanted to tell him that he never had to leave, but knew we needed to have an honest discussion. I explained that as he grew up he would want to leave. He would want to go away for school. He would meet a girl and want to have family.

"Well, that's what scares me," he said. "What scares you?" I asked. "It's the kissing part. I'm nervous about kissing. I don't think I like that." I laughed and hugged him tightly. I told him that he needn't worry about that, and that as he gets older that will change. I told him he had a long time until he would think about leaving. He asked for a number, and I threw out 20. "That's not that long," he said. "Yes, it is. You have lots of time," I told him. "No, I'm five. Five, ten, fifteen, twenty. It's not that long at all." We continued this discussion for well over 30 minutes, most of it with him in my lap, sniffing, wiping tears and us hugging. Our children's hearts are amazing. And he's right, it's not that long...

Just a note for anyone interested. I've also started a new homeschool blog. In addition to blogging about our homeschool journey; I'll also be posting fun experiments, lessons, field trips, lapbooks, etc. The blog is www.homeschoolblogger.com/forhisglory

Three Goals

In 2009 we've hit the ground running so to speak. On Monday, Calen learned to tie his shoes. It feels good to accomplish one of my goals for the new year within the first week. That means it's most likely going to take the remainder of the year to potty train Jax and fix the yard.

Riley had her shots on Tuesday. She didn't do well at all and the remainder of the day was very bumpy. She weighs 10.8 pounds and is 23 inches long. She looks like a little peanut because her head is in the 5oth percentile. If you've seen our boys noggins then you understand that her "normal" head looks tiny to us.

Friday was a very exciting day for the Lewis clan because Calen and I have reached the halfway point of our curriculum. GOAL. Calen is officially half way through his kindergarten year. In a few short months I will be ordering our curriculum for first grade. I think I may go ahead and order the math and reading so that we can continue on with those skills over the summer months.

I know that there have been days that it seems as though the challenge is too great; however, Friday I was amazed that it had gone by so quickly. I am also amazed at the material we've covered and the knowledge that Calen has gained. Math and science are by far his favorite subjects. His least favorite remains handwriting and c-o-p-y-w-o-r-k. Shudder

Friday night Calen finished his indoor soccer season. He scored a goal during the game. After the game, we all met at Pizza Inn for a party. My friend Amanda, whose son is also on the team, and I made some "soccer" cupcakes for the kids. We also ordered them some little soccer trophies to have. The kids were thrilled to get trophies.

Calen and two other boys were on the same soccer team this summer. We couldn't believe how much they had developed over the months. This summer they only won one game. This season they won every game but one and it was a tie. We parents were really impressed with them. Now they just need to remember to pass the ball (this requires sharing, ha) and that the kids wearing the T-shirts are their teammates (requires a non-egocentric perspective, ha). It was a fun team with a lot of strong personalities. They were certainly entertaining and if you went to Pizza Inn Friday night between 7 and 8 looking for a quiet meal...sorry about that.

A New Beginning

As we usher in 2009, we get the opportunity for a new beginning. As we look back, 2008 brought forth a wonderful year filled with many blessings for our family. We made it through the year safe and healthy for starters.

In the first half of the year God blessed us with another child, a job, and a home. During the second half of the year we moved into that home, Danny started his job, and I had Riley. We also gained a wonderful church family, some new friends, and are moving right along with homeschooling. Jax even made it through the year without a major injury to himself or Riley (any blessing counts no matter the size.)

As 2009 begins, we are excited for what awaits us. We will have new (and I'm sure some old) challenges. I can't imagine anything more wonderful than what we already have. I do have some goals (no resolutions here) for this upcoming year.

I really want to re-landscape our yards. I also want to make some updates around the house, the white/brass combos have got to go. I hope Calen will learn to tie his shoes and that Jax will be potty trained. Riley will be running around in the madness by this time next year (another pang in the heart).

We wish each of you a bountiful year of blessings. We also hope that Tennessee kicks some butt this upcoming 2009 season. GO VOLS! It's a new beginning.