Daddy Long Legs Data

Nary a week goes by when my boys don't enlighten me with some new piece of knowledge. Truth be told, they may be smarter than I am...but shhhhh, don't tell them that! This week they informed me that the Daddy Long Legs is NOT a spider! I told my boys that they didn't know what they were talking about. Then THEY told ME that the Daddy Long Legs can't be a spider because it has only one body segment rather than two, and only two eyes rather than eight. I still did not believe them, so I went online. Sure enough, they were right again. The Daddy Long Legs is truly not a spider, but simply another species in the arachnid family. Just as a butterfly is not a beetle, but they are both insects. I also learned (from the same website) that I had mistakenly told the boys months ago that the Daddy Long Legs is the most venomous spider in the world but thankfully its mouth is simply too small to bite a person. I thought I was so smart to reveal that amazing fact which I had learned when I was a kid. Turns out...it's an urban legend...completely false. Mommy is an idiot...but the kids haven't quite figured that out yet, so I'll try to continue the Einstein-act as long as they allow it. Probably won't be long.

Wild at Heart Husband

Here is my handsome husband, tranquil in the great outdoors and dreaming of shooting an elk this month


Here are my kids, loving the great outdoors and trying to catch bugs

Here's a visual image of how I feel while my husband is away on his hunting adventure :}

I'm missing my honey this week (as I will be next week and the week after too). He is away on a hunting expedition with a buddy from work (who, by the way, is a modern-day MacGyver, so that helps me feel good about his safety), along with my dad and my 3 brothers (I'm also thankful he gets along so well with my family). I think I understand as much as any woman, since I was raised in a house full of hunting men, that men need to get away and "be manly-men" sometimes. They are wired to be wild at heart and I respect that. I am truly thankful that my husband is able to put meat on the table and find genuine fulfillment in the great outdoors, and I really, really, really do hope that he gets an elk on this trip and has a great time...

But I have to honestly say I'm struggling today with some bitterness. Perhaps it's because I accidentally locked myself out of the house this week (and where was my knight in shining armor?...floating down the Missouri River scouting for elk), or perhaps it's because my kids have colds and have been a bit whiny (and where was my knight in shining armor?...bonding with his buddy in the tranquil great outdoors), or perhaps it's because I'm overwhelmed with all that needs to get done without my knight in shining armor here to rescue me at the end of the day. I really am trying to be joyful and to offer up my tiredness and moments of resentment. But please offer a prayer of joyful perseverance for me, and while you're at it, offer a prayer that my husband gets an elk ASAP so that he can come home sooner rather than later :) I'm sure my outlook will improve tremendously at the end of next week when my saintly mother is coming to rescue me for a few days. The moment she arrives, she has a way of making all stress disappear and replacing it with fun and productivity. She truly is amazing (those of you who know her know exactly what I'm talking about!), and I am thankful I have her visit to look forward to. See, I feel better already :)

Our Sweet Son Turns 8!!!

I can hardly believe that just 8 short years ago this little man was a tiny baby in my arms! I can still remember all the emotions, the sweet innocence of his face, the hope that this little soul would grow up to glorify God someday. I have a strong suspicion that he will. Our sweet Joseph is an extremely talented little man, with a huge heart that I think will touch many lives. Sorry to be all mushy... How about I talk about how excited he was when his daddy gave him the youth compound bow at his birthday party instead? :) Oh boy, if he isn't a boy after his daddy's own heart. He literally squealed with delight when Paul brought out the bow, and for the next hour he practiced over and over and over again how to pull the string back (which took every ounce of his strength and is probably only enough weight to stick a squirrel---not an elk). He also got an elk call as a gift from one of the kids at his party, so he thinks he's all set to go hunting with his daddy. I'm not sure who is more eager for that day to come, Paul or Joseph :) Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet Joseph (I'm going to have to stop calling him "sweet" if he's going to grow to be a mighty hunter, aren't I?) :) Your daddy and I love you with all our hearts, we treasure every memory of you, and we are so proud of the young man you are becoming. May you continue to grow in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

"Then Jesus went down to Nazareth with his parents and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Luke 2:51-52

We Love Labor Day!

We spent our Labor Day weekend "laboring" to find little crayfish at a nearby lake. It was slightly too chilly for swimming, but that didn't stop the boys from having fun at the water's edge looking for these crafty little crayfish. It was so nice to have a relaxing 3-day weekend as a family. Aside from our little crayfish adventure, we finally found some time to can all the carrots from our garden, Paul had fun getting ready for his 2 1/2 week archery hunting trip this month, and I even escaped to do a little bit of scrapbooking! I wish we could celebrate Labor Day every month! :)

Deep Thoughts by my 7-year-old

At the dinner table, Joseph announced, "When I get to heaven, do you know what the first thing I'm going to ask God is?"

"What will you ask him," I prompt.

"I'm going to ask Him what the world looked like before He created the heavens and the earth."

I told Joseph that his question was very deep, and then we discussed our guesses about how the world looked before God created it. We even read Genesis and discussed what a "formless wasteland" might look like...all of this while eating chicken nuggets :) I, too, have a few questions I'd like to ask God when I get up there, but I can't say that was one of them :)

10 Commandments for a Great Date (for women)

1. Thou shalt not go on a date whilst thou is PMSing.
2. Thou shalt not set thine expectations too high.
3. Thou shalt not give thy spouse the silent treatment when thine expectations are not met.
4. Thou shalt not expect thy spouse to bring thee out of the pit of despair if thine expectations have fallen.
5. Thou shalt not get bitter when thy beloved asks to drive by potential hunting prospects before reaching the restaurant.
6. Thou shalt not incessantly worry aloud about how the children are doing without thee.
7. Thou shalt not insist on being home by 7:00pm so that thy babysitter won't have to tuck thy precious children in bed.
8. Thou shalt not dwell upon thy spouse's shortcomings rather than the myriad reasons thou fell in love with him.
9. Thou shalt not selfishly desire to be adored and put on a pedestal whilst on a date.
10. Thou shall not try to discuss why the date failed at 11:00pm whilst thy sweetheart is nearly snoring.

Well, that about sums up our last date night and enlightens me as to why it was a failure. The next date will be better if I can but follow these 10 commandments :)

Maria's New Look

I guess I loved the new look of my blog so much that I decided I needed a "new look" too! After 6 years of long hair, I decided it was time for a change. I love the new style today. I hope I still like it tomorrow :}