Susannah Wesley 16 Rules

Something to think about from the mother of 19 including John and Charles Wesley

1. Eating between meals not allowed.

2. As children they are to be in bed by 8 p.m.

3. They are required to take medicine without complaining.

4. Subdue self- will in a child, and those working together with God to save the child's soul.

5. To teach a child to pray as soon as he can speak.

6. Require all to be still during Family Worship.

7. Give them nothing that they cry for, and only that when asked for politely.

8. To prevent lying, punish no fault which is first confessed and repented of.

9. Never allow a sinful act to go unpunished.

10. Never punish a child twice for a single offense.

11. Comment and reward good behavior.

12. Any attempt to please, even if poorly performed, should be commended.

13. Preserve property rights, even in smallest matters.

14. Strictly observe all promises.

15. Require no daughter to work before she can read well.

16. Teach children to fear the rod. 

family date

Andy and I haven't been able to find a babysitter this week and last week we were sick, so he decided that we would have a family date last night.  We went to Lowe's and got some sand for the girls turtle and then to Orange Leaf, a frozen yogurt place.  It was a lot of fun, but next family date, I'm going to let Mollie get her own cup of yogurt, so I can eat mine.  She loved the chocolate/pb swirl and I hardly got a bite!  I must say that it was good to get out of the house. It supposed to be a nice day today though a little cool, so I may get that turtle set up. Blessings.

tornadoes

For the past few days and sometimes even at night, we've been holed up in the basement due to the storms that have been blowing through.  There have been 178 people killed so far in these tornadoes ... so very sad. Prayers for those in AL, TN, KY, and AR. It appears that there will be a respite from the storms for a while.  I'm so glad.  Check on your friends and family offer prayers for them if nothing else.
Blessings.

footmarks

Yesterday, we were playing on the back deck, Mollie was stepping in the puddles and then asking me to look at her footmarks.  I know these words will fade out of her vocabulary as she learns the accurate ones for what she wants to describe, but they are sweet and I do want to remember as many as I can.
Blessings.

spring cleaning

Today I'm going to finish cleaning the house.  Yesterday I dusted and wiped down all the counters in the kitchen, swept and vacuumed like a mad woman. I even cleaned the coffee pot-I think my daily cuppa jo tastes better today.  On docket for the day is vacuuming the upstairs and washing sheets and cleaning the bathrooms.  It's going to be great when it's all said and done. I may even get to the windows and let in more of this sunshine.  YES...time to get to it. Blessings on you and your home.

banana phone

This morning at breakfast, Andy brought a banana to the table.  Betsy saw it and put her hand to her ear and said, "Hi!"  Andy puts the banana to his ear and they "talk".  Mollie likes to play this game too. I like it that we have fun times first thing in the morning, it is a good start to the day. Gotta go now, my banana phone is ringing. Blessings.

storms

We have had some bad storms the past few nights, bad enough to wake Andy up at 2 a.m.  Boy am I tired today.  Lord, give me patience and let me be kind even in tiredness.  We have a busy day ahead of dying eggs, spending time with family and getting ready for Easter.  I'll bet there is no storm as scary as the one experienced as Jesus hung on the cross. 

Easter egg bath

The girls have been sick this week, so I wanted to disinfect some of the toys that they've been playing with. The fastest way for me to clean the Easter eggs was in the tub. So after I bathed the girls, I dumped in the eggs.  What a hit.  I may do this every Easter season.  After the girls got out of the tub, I added some bleach water, gave the eggs a rinse and let them dry in the tub.  Good Friday everyone.

kiss the book

When Betsy sees an animal or a person in a book, she wants to kiss it. I remember Mollie doing similar things too. I think it is sweet and funny. Happy reading.

my covering

A special thanks to Andy, my spiritual covering, for helping me get the day started on the right foot.  He prayed for me before leaving for work yesterday, that I would trust God and not try to do things in my own strength.  It was a timely word for me. The girls have been sick, again (vomiting etc.) and I tend to get overwhelmed at the whole process of dealing with the illnesses and extra work it creates as well as being compassionate to them.  But, everything that needed to get done got done. Andy showed up with flowers in addition to the pedialyte on his grocery run before heading into work, and he brought home dinner to boot. I am spoiled.  God is good. The girls didn't have any more vomiting since the early Tuesday morning and the day went much better than I expected. Looking forward to a new day, covered in prayer, covered in love, covered in hope and joy.  Blessings.

stockpiling

I may have given up eating sweets for Lent, but I've certainly did not give up buying chocolate.  I noticed today that my candy jar is full.  OH MY...just a few days more. 

Uncle Roy

My great uncle Roy attended my parent's church on Sun. (Actually, it was the church that he grew up in.) It was such a nice surprise to see him and his friend and granddaughter. He is a WW11 vet, a man of faith, and  a neat man all around.  It has been said that those in the "greatest generation" are dying off at rapid rates these days, so I do encourage you to get to know some of these men and women. Count it a blessing, worthy of your time and effort.  They have so many stories to tell, and lives rich with sacrifice and love. 

Uncle Roy with my dad.

ginko tree

Andy and I thought the tree in the front yard was dead.  It is not, it is sprouting leaves left, right and center.  It is a ginko tree.  I'm not sure that I want it in the middle of the front yard, because this is where we play outside due to our backyard being steeply sloped.  It is exciting nonetheless to see life bursting forth. 
Blessings

in the trash

"Betsy, where is your hair bow?" She immediately walks over to the trash can. I open it up and there it is.  This is the second time this has happened in a month's time. I don't know what I'm going to do with this lil bit, but I sure hope this little game ends soon! 

chronicles

Mollie, while playing in the jewelry at Nana's house kept saying that she was looking through the chronicles.  Well, I guess in a way the costume jewelry is a chronicle of Granny's past, of fashion, of days gone by.  It is sad in a way that so many things that are "chronicles" end up at good will or in the dump, makes me want to strive for things that last; the things that are eternal - relationships with God and people. Build some good memories today.

nana

Andy's grandmother, Nana, is a gem. I love her. I love her faith, I love her generosity, I love her commitment to family.  When I grow up, I want to be like her. She is a sweetheart.
Of course, I know that the foundation of becoming a gentle older woman is being laid now-one can't just decide at 80 to be that kind of lady.  Sowing seeds of jealousy and bitterness will reap those same fruits later in life.  I don't want to be petty and crotchety.  I do want to be sweet and kind.  I am choosing now what I will be.  Help me Lord.  

rhinos

We went to the zoo yesterday. Mollie was asked about the trip.  She said, "Rhinos are stinky." They are! It was a hot day and sunny.  We somehow managed to miss her ears during the sunscreen application process or lightly applied it there, so the poor girl's ears are burnt.  I feel so bad as does Andy, who applied her sunblock.  Fail.  Overall, the day was pleasant and we got to visit with lots of family.  Success.

prayer

Reading about prayer is great, actually praying is even better. Praying in a group of three is a great way to begin.  You and your friends can really touch the heart of God. Andy and I prayed the other morning more than our cursory night time prayers, it was so good to pray with him.  Mollie and I have also been praying together, well she says a name and I pray for that person.  It has been fun showing her how to pray. Soon, I'll ask her to pray as well.  God is good. He wants us to participate with Him. 

Picnic w/ daddy

Well our plans for yesterday fell through, so on a whim, I called Andy. He was free for lunch, so I packed a picnic and met him at his work's park.  The girls had a blast. It was fun for all of us.  It is good to be flexible and realize the blessings of unexpected free time.  Hope you all have a great Friday.

reading

We love going to the library. Reading is one of the girls favorite pastimes. They enjoy it, I enjoy it. It is win-win!  I asked my facebook friends the other day for book suggestions.  There were so many, and I'd only heard of a few.  There are so many fun books and I want my  girls to hear lots of stories.  Already, Mollie is able to "read" to herself and knows several books by heart as well as a handful of Bible verses.  Betsy too gets very animated when her favorite books are read. Happy reading!

coconut pie

My aunt, grandma and 2nd cousin dropped by yesterday for a visit, bearing coconut pie. What to do?  These ladies love the Lord, but have never been taught about Lent.  My aunt had to leave for an errand in town, and my grandma requested the homemade pie to be cut.  So I loved them, didn't preach, and ate some pie. It was delicious.

walk in the park

After several weeks of marching in place to the video in my basement, my friend and I were more than ready to hit the trail at the park this morning.  How refreshing!  The birds were singing, the air was crisp and the sun was shining.  What a glorious day.  Blessings

growing pains

The thing about growing is there is often pain that accompanies it.  I want to grow, to be a better friend, wife, mother. It is not always easy, owning mistakes, leaving the old ways of thinking and behaving, learning new patterns of thought or ways of doing things. Sometimes the process is painful, but in the end, it is good to grow to be more like Christ and less like "self."

Our life in pictures

We went to a parade
We saw some flowers at Mamaw and Papaw's house

We love our double stroller.

and we love cheering on the UK Wildcats
Happy weekend everyone! Blessings.

pranks

I've never been one for pranking others even on April fool's day, but I do see the humor behind some of the jokes...covering a car or office in post-its or serving breakfast for dinner or a real iced sponge cake made from sponges.  I hope you have a great Friday and if you do a prank or have one done to you, I hope you find the humor in it. Blessings