Chores, they are a given around this Abshire home. This not a new concept. The girls have been putting their dishes away since they were little. Cleaning up dog poop…..who wanted the dogs?! Ya’ll agreed to the terms in – article 2B of the “Contractual Agreement of Children Caring for Live Animals”, prior to Mama agreeing to have animals!! I try not to remind them that in Mama’s perfect world they would be on a ranch with a TON of chores; so really, don’t complain. Well, we are doing chores yesterday and Hopie wasn’t happy about things. Here is a peek at life around here:
• Mama: Hope, this is the third time I have had to ask you to clean up the poop.
• Hope: I did.
• Mama: Really Hope? Then why can I count three piles from where I am standing?
Note: We have three dogs now, but we won’t go there!!!
• Hope: SIGH
• Mama: Hope, when you have a job to do, you need to do it all the way & well. This is about work ethic, honey. Your boss isn’t gonna tell you three times. He’ll just fire you.
Note: I bite my tongue that I wouldn’t mind being fired some days!
• Hope: Well, I am not getting a job.
• Mama: Hope, how do you plan to pay for your home some day?
• Hope: I am gonna live here forever!!!
Hoping my face doesn’t look as torqued as it feels!!! Yikes! As for now, we will be working on work ethic in a BIG way!!!!!
Our lives are filled with demonstrations of His great love and grace. We wish to capture some of those here and share with our family & friends. Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
They're Back!!!
The girls returned from Wagon Train today. Luke & I missed them something fierce! Luke walked around the first few days asking where they were & when they would return. So he does really love them, even though he spends his days picking on them. That is just life & I wouldn’t want it any other way! When the cars turned the corner I got so excited. I couldn’t wait to get a hold of my babies. Yes, they will always be my babies!! I had a big mason jar of tea in my hands when Hopie leaped out of the car & came at me with all her might. I planted myself & gripped that jar of tea! Woo dawg can that girl hug!! She makes me proud! I lost all my tea but held on to that glass jar. Luke was so happy to see his sisters. He hugged all over them. Abbie wouldn’t put him down for the longest time. My girls were so excited to be home. I have heard the stories & cheers, seen the scars, smelt the hair (yikes), unpacked the clothes, read the notes, & know that I will be hearing camp stories for the next week as things come to their mind. I am so thankful they have these summer camp memories. Hume Lake holds a special place our hearts.
Unloading the truck!
Luke playing dinosaurs with Abbie.
They missed each other!
I actually love this sight!
My babies all back together!
Unloading the truck!
Luke playing dinosaurs with Abbie.
They missed each other!
I actually love this sight!
My babies all back together!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
My Mom - 70 Amazing Years
My amazing Mom celebrated her 70th birthday today. Her birthday has had me thinking back over the life I have gotten to share with this woman I call Mom. Mom, by definition means “female parent”, but any mom knows that is the lamest definition EVER. It can be the most unappreciated job that you can’t quit or walk out on! I will only share the definition of my Mom, and it is HARDLY exhaustive. I hope you get a glimpse of the amazing woman that I get the privilege of calling “Mom”.
• Cook – She is a great cook and not just supper. She cooked breakfast every morning for her family. I am so thankful for all the breakfasts she stood & made.
• Chauffeur – She got me to every Girl Scout meeting, every ballet class, every soccer game, & t-ball practice and that is just me. She had three children!! I would love to know the miles we put on that white station wagon.
• Spiritual Advisor – She raised her family on a foundation of faith. She wanted all of us to know & love the Lord.
• Professional Mover – My Mom moved us more times then I can count. She made sure we all knew how to pack a box so things would not be broken. We made two cross country moves with no breakage! You taught us well Mom!
• Wise Business Woman – My earliest memories are in my parent’s upholstery shop that was behind our home in Ohio. Weaving in & out of fabrics & playing with tacks….ouch! She is an incredible business woman that always knew what to do & when to do it.
• “Single Parent” – My folks have been married over 45 years, but there were stretches of time that my Dad would be in another state finding work. The 80’s were not the best years. Many plants shut down, which we experienced not once, but twice. So Mom stayed behind sold homes, packed boxes, disciplined children, ran a home by herself! She amazes me!
• Cheerleader – Mom ingrained in us that there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do. We weren’t even allowed to use the word can’t in our home growing up. She would say “you can do anything you put your mind to”. I even got in trouble with a nun when I corrected her when she told me I couldn’t do something.
• Servant – I cannot ever remember a time my Mom hasn’t served. She has served her parents, her family, at church, at work & co-workers, her children’s schools & activities, neighbors, strangers, the homeless …….She is a beautiful example of servant-hood. We served as a family our entire life. I cherish the memories of serving together. A virtue that I treasure & want to pass on to my own family.
• Tenacious – She never gave up on me. I was quite a handful to raise. I really gave her a run for her money. I gave her a ton of heartbreak & disappointments, yet she always believed in me.
• Thoughtful – She constantly amazes me with how thoughtful & caring she is to everyone around her. As her daughter, she was always there with 2 weeks worth of food & tons of diapers when I brought babies home from the hospital. She always picks up the cutest things for you with “I thought of you when I saw this.” Always giving!!!!
• Biggest Inspiration – Now having children of my own & seeing my characteristics coming out of them, I am even more appreciative to my parents. My Hopie is so much like me when I was little. My parents have had the “you will get through this” talk with me several times! I find a peace in the fact that I am still alive & they didn’t kill me; also, that they survived raising me. They have some pretty fabulous stories of “getting through it”! So I too, know that by God’s grace I will get through this whole parenting thing!
This is a glimpse of the gift I have been given by my Mom. I would count it a blessing to be told, “You turned out to be like your Mom!”
Happy Birthday Mom ~ I love you so very much!
Your Daughter,
Elizabeth
• Cook – She is a great cook and not just supper. She cooked breakfast every morning for her family. I am so thankful for all the breakfasts she stood & made.
• Chauffeur – She got me to every Girl Scout meeting, every ballet class, every soccer game, & t-ball practice and that is just me. She had three children!! I would love to know the miles we put on that white station wagon.
• Spiritual Advisor – She raised her family on a foundation of faith. She wanted all of us to know & love the Lord.
• Professional Mover – My Mom moved us more times then I can count. She made sure we all knew how to pack a box so things would not be broken. We made two cross country moves with no breakage! You taught us well Mom!
• Wise Business Woman – My earliest memories are in my parent’s upholstery shop that was behind our home in Ohio. Weaving in & out of fabrics & playing with tacks….ouch! She is an incredible business woman that always knew what to do & when to do it.
• “Single Parent” – My folks have been married over 45 years, but there were stretches of time that my Dad would be in another state finding work. The 80’s were not the best years. Many plants shut down, which we experienced not once, but twice. So Mom stayed behind sold homes, packed boxes, disciplined children, ran a home by herself! She amazes me!
• Cheerleader – Mom ingrained in us that there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do. We weren’t even allowed to use the word can’t in our home growing up. She would say “you can do anything you put your mind to”. I even got in trouble with a nun when I corrected her when she told me I couldn’t do something.
• Servant – I cannot ever remember a time my Mom hasn’t served. She has served her parents, her family, at church, at work & co-workers, her children’s schools & activities, neighbors, strangers, the homeless …….She is a beautiful example of servant-hood. We served as a family our entire life. I cherish the memories of serving together. A virtue that I treasure & want to pass on to my own family.
• Tenacious – She never gave up on me. I was quite a handful to raise. I really gave her a run for her money. I gave her a ton of heartbreak & disappointments, yet she always believed in me.
• Thoughtful – She constantly amazes me with how thoughtful & caring she is to everyone around her. As her daughter, she was always there with 2 weeks worth of food & tons of diapers when I brought babies home from the hospital. She always picks up the cutest things for you with “I thought of you when I saw this.” Always giving!!!!
• Biggest Inspiration – Now having children of my own & seeing my characteristics coming out of them, I am even more appreciative to my parents. My Hopie is so much like me when I was little. My parents have had the “you will get through this” talk with me several times! I find a peace in the fact that I am still alive & they didn’t kill me; also, that they survived raising me. They have some pretty fabulous stories of “getting through it”! So I too, know that by God’s grace I will get through this whole parenting thing!
This is a glimpse of the gift I have been given by my Mom. I would count it a blessing to be told, “You turned out to be like your Mom!”
Happy Birthday Mom ~ I love you so very much!
Your Daughter,
Elizabeth
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sista & Cuzin' Time
This is the week that Luke & Mama played house. By that I mean, the girls are gone to Wagon Train this week. Papa is with the girls for half the week & then in Arizona for the rest of the week ~ busy man! That left Luke & Mama home to wonder what in the world do we do with ourselves!!! We missed everyone but we sure had a good time ourselves. Mama didn't cook, due to the fact of eating leftovers all week. There were TWO loads of laundry the entire week & that included sheets!! We ran the dishwasher 2X. Mama was scared it would break down due to lack of use! It was a very odd week. We did have some visitors. Auntie Angie & Nicholas came to stay for a couple of days. We had a blast!
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| Luke is all about taking pictures now-a-days! |
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| Cousins...tubin' |
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| Playtime |
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| Mama built her log cabin! :) |
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| Coolin' off some hot dudes! |
The pictures fail to capture the sistas throwing each other in the pool several times! We were like drowned rats, in our clothes, walking home. We cracked ourselves up! That is not hard for us!Friday, July 8, 2011
Finishing Strong
We are finishing our swim season tonight & have had a great season. The girls branched out and competed in new strokes this year. They practiced very hard this summer. We are so proud of those two critters, or should I say fish! Here are some shots of our last swim meet at Garces:
Hopie's Self Portrait - Mad Dog Face
Abbie headed into the water
Ab's freestyle
Abbie getting ready for her backstroke
Hope's freestyle
One funny thing after our season of swim meets; when Luke races he goes like this:
"Take your mark, set, beeeep"
That cracked us up. That is a boy who has sat through his fair share of swim meets at the age of 4.
Hopie's Self Portrait - Mad Dog Face
Abbie headed into the water
Ab's freestyle
Abbie getting ready for her backstroke
Hope's freestyle
One funny thing after our season of swim meets; when Luke races he goes like this:
"Take your mark, set, beeeep"
That cracked us up. That is a boy who has sat through his fair share of swim meets at the age of 4.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Forgotten Love!
As I perused my blog today, at all the things that get recorded here, I smiled, laughed out loud, shook my head, & even got teary-eyed at some of the adventures that go on around this crazy Abshire home of ours. I realized how much I have missed blogging this stories, conversations, memories, and antics. It is a sort of therapy for this Mama! Not to mention our family loves to stay caught up on the chaos they get to miss! ;-) Blogging slowed down for me last year after we returned from our trip to Ohio. The daunting task of blogging the Ohio trip stopped me in my blogging tracks. But a year later, I am feeling a renewed vigor to catch this blog up! A friend once told me that if he didn’t get it blogged within 48 hours he wouldn’t blog it. Well I am feeling up to the challenge of bringing this blog up to date. Okay, we will not mention the type A personality that battles within me that likes things nice & organized……without holes! :) So hold on to your boot straps and get ready for a wild ride of past year of the Adventures in AbshireLand!
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