Santa Claus

Ellie's philosophy on Santa Claus as stated tonight at the supper table: "Santa was a real guy, just not this year."

October happenings

Little Red Riding Hood, Nurse Anneka, Mark Eisfeld and Anne of Green Gables

Instead of jack-o-lanterns, we made fairy houses...

decorated them with various husks and leaves

the real question with this photo is for Grandma: did we make the costume look authentic?

We celebrated birthdays on Monday and Friday

the site of this picture: Purgatory Creek in Eden Prairie didn't look like purgatory nor did any of the people we saw there.

today's biggest loser

Tonight seems so dark. Not because it is dark and the wind is blowing fiercely but because another little one is gone.  He is gone due to completely preventable circumstances.

It is no secret that football stars are no heroes of mine, in general. Many have only football success behind their name. Many are wretched losers in the areas of life that count – in the area of character. And tonight Adrian Peterson tops my biggest loser list. Oh the list is so very long. Mercifully, the guy isn’t around to listen, but this is what I would like him to know:

Adrian, you are a thief and a coward and a liar. Stealing what wasn’t yours from someone you apparently had no intention of sticking with. Bringing a child into the world that you wouldn’t even acknowledge publicly is despicable. Bringing a child into the world when you weren’t going to stick with his mama is cowardly.

If his mama wasn’t your type of gal, then it would have been wise of you, to keep your pants on and take a long cold shower.  If she did seem like a good idea at one time but in the end was all a mistake, you were responsible for making sure that little guy was in a safe place. And there is no excuse if you were too busy playing games to notice.

At two, he was too young to notice he wasn’t the prized offspring bearing your name, to be shown off in public. But you can guarantee he would have noticed when he was four or fourteen. He would have asked about his daddy. He was too precious to be treated like a transient, moving apartment to apartment, house to house while his mama tries to see what she can get from her latest fling. He bore the image of your Creator, Adrian and you are partly responsible for him getting into the hands of a unrestrained monster.

You, undoubtedly, have everything handed to you on a silver platter. Do you want for anything: food, drink, entertainment, pleasure? No doubt, you say the word and people move and things happen. While you are living on top of the pile because you know how to play a game, your little son was left to the temper of a vile man in a house that wasn’t his own.

And shouldn’t you know very well about tragedy and mistakes – you’ve seen your dad mess up, you’ve lost family members from violence. Wouldn’t this have been your big chance to make the world a better place and not be a part of the cycle? Your people are killing themselves, desperate for an honorable, loyal, loving, faithful example. One who makes good on his mistakes. One who stays for the long haul.

I want to choke at your trite words and actions. Put in a quick trip to pretend you care. Did you even know what he looked like before he had the stuffing shaken and beat out of him? Did you know if he liked ice cream at McDonalds or swinging at the park or Legos? Now it’s too late to watch him ride bike or throw a football. But you barely miss a beat in going back to your game on Sunday. I suspect the game has control of you.

Yes, his mama gets some credit for his demise. She chose poorly. Your baby mama’s boyfriend gets a chunk of credit for bringing his life to an end. He lost control one too many times.  But that little guy should have been under the care of his daddy and not a stranger.

But you brought that little one into the world. And you dropped the ball, Adrian.

and in August

the cousins at Camden (before Ellie got lost)

the cousins swimming (after Ellie was found)

hammering things out with the auctioneer

the sisters discuss the happenings

the cousins celebrate birthdays together

the sisters helps accessorize each other

practicing archery skills

honing Foosball skills

some July events

family photographs 2013

Friday

holding Amelia...

goofing around with Madison...

football...

the prize after the scavenger hunt...

kayak races before bed...

thursday

Amelia in her 4th of July outfit...

Amelia...

"The Life of Amelia Bedelia" play...

the fish caught for today...

Wednesday

fishing off the dock...

Priya and Madison tubing...

the boys getting ready to tube...

sand castle building.

Tuesday

kayaking across the lake to accompany some of the kids back who were lifejacket swimming back...

the "Tops and Bottoms" play after supper...

Priya ready to swim for the umpteenth time today...

what we did on Monday

a paddle boat expedition across the lake...

Ellie's catch...

Leah and Amelia

games in the volleyball court.

sunday in review

shell hunting...

play practice...

Amelia Bedelia play...

Luke...

upcycling

Two thrift store pillow cases are now two slightly odd-looking dresses or nightgowns.

Spurgeon sermon no. 259 26 June (1859)

from Spurgeon at New Park Street Chapel:

George Washington, the commander-in-chief, was going around among his soldiers. They were hard at work, lifting a heavy piece of timber at some fortification. There stood the corporal of the regiment calling out to his men, “Heave there, heave ahoy!” and giving them all kinds of directions. As large as possible the good corporal was. So Washington, alighting from his horse, said to him, “What is the good of your calling out to those men, why don’t you help them yourself and do part of the work.” The corporal drew himself up and said, “Perhaps you are not aware to whom you are speaking, sir; I am a corporal.” “I beg your pardon,” said Washington; “you are a corporal are you; I am sorry I should have insulted you.” So he took off his own coat and waistcoat and set to work to help the men build the fortification. When he had done he said, “Mr Corporal, I am sorry I insulted you, but when you have any more fortifications to get up, and your men won’t help you, send for George Washington, the commander-in-chief, and I will come and help them.” The corporal slunk away perfectly ashamed of himself.

And so Christ Jesus might say to us, “Oh, you don’t like teaching the poor; it is beneath your dignity; then let your commander-in-chief do it; he can teach the poor, he can wash the feet of the saints, he can visit the sick and afflicted—he came down from heaven to do this, and he will set you the example.”

Surely we should each be ashamed of ourselves, and declare from this time forward whatever it is, be it great or little, if it comes to our hand, and if God will but give us help and give us grace, we will do it with all our might.

what we do around here

We plant little maple trees...

we pick up free furniture on the curb...

we play with kittens... (this is Paperclip, the kitten)

and we mow. That about covers everything.