Doors

My neighbor, Angela, made these and brought them over to the kids.  Aren't they cute?

Zeke playing

The kids

The house we just closed on.  I call it our "bungalow", but really it is an investment house.  We are letting business start ups live in there.  Please pray that it is a house of ministry and we can share the gospel freely with these young people.  Ben has been working very hard to make this dream that God has given him a reality.  Door after door has opened for us and so... here it is!

My Christmas gift early from my mom.  She bought new doorknobs and paint for the door.  :)  Yellow is my favorite color, but even I have to admit that it is pretty bright!

Beki's Halloween Party

My two... Gwen is a kitty cat this year and Zeke is a bat.

Beki and Jeff went all in and went for Smurfette and Smurf.  I was highly impressed that Beki made their hats.  She is definitely becoming domestic.

I love gorillas and Jeff's daddy had a great costume!  I am a pink flamingo.

I bought this costume back in the summer at some garage sale for $5.  It was worth it with all the laughs I had.

The games were really fun.  This one you had to shoot a rubber band and break some toilet paper.  This guy is Mike, the one that lives with us at the moment.  He won over Ben in this match.  Look at Smurfette!

The kids really enjoyed this game.  It was sucking an M&M to the bottom of a straw and putting it on another plate.

Jake and Melody came as Zombie Jeff and Zombie Beki.  It was really confusing to the kids...but great costumes!

Good luck getting this Sharpie tattoo off... but it was exactly like Jeff's!

I really am blessed to be married to Ben.

Smurfette holding Hosea.

This is Abigail and John with their son Hosea.  New friends, but I feel as if I've known them for a long time.  Love that when it happens!

Broken and Spilled Out

Yesterday the sermon was on the account of Mary pouring pure nard on Jesus' feet and drying them with her hair.  I just can't get that image out of my mind.  Let me be that lavish with my love for the Lord.  It brought  back a memory of a song I once sang... Broken and Spilled Out.

One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn
And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a pris'ner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on Thee
Broken and spilled out
And poured at Your feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee

Lord You were God's precious treasure
His loved and His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me
The love of the Father
Just for love it was done
And though You were perfect and holy
You gave up Yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me Jesus
God's most precious treasure
Lavished on me
You were broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet
In sweet abandon Lord
You were spilled out and used up for Me

Fall Days

An impromptu fall picnic. 

Gwen's preschool had a fall festival.  I had to correct the kids several times on the way there that indeed it was not a "fall vegetable".

Reading a spooky story in the library with flashlights...

The duck pond...

Monster feet...

We entered the pumpkin contest with our own baby pumpkin.  We didn't win, but I thought it was cute and we got a $5 Sonic card.  Sounds like a win to me!

It's getting very cold here and I'm not sure if it has anything to do with it getting darker earlier, but I feel like I'm in slow motion some days.

Kid's Room

Something I've been working on off and on is the kid's room.  I've painted, then painted some more, then painted.  It's actually the never ending story and I'm still not done.  BUT the kids have gotten in on decorating...take a look.

Complete with a picture of Gwen from the womb!

Johnson Pumpkin Patch

Oh my, what a wonderful day we've had.  I love love love fall and all that it brings.  I loved apple picking and I loved going to a pumpkin patch.  I don't think I've been to one before.  

We got to see newborn piglets.  Just born last night.

Pig races!

Gwen jumped on "the pillow".  She said it hurt her ankles, but it didn't take long for her to find a friend to help her jump higher.

Zeke being the bus driver in a sand filled bus!

A great big field o' pumpkins.  Loved the sight!

Zeke loved the "train".

Oh, and the pumpkin shooter.  This thing has some SERIOUS power.  It shot pumpkins into a large pond.  Look at the very top of the photo and you can see the pumpkin in the air.

Gwen on the "train."

Last year Grandma took them to this pumpkin patch and I had never seen the dragon that eats pumpkins... but literally, Zeke has been talking about this for a solid year.  It makes quite the impression on a little boy's mind!

Caught our driver texting while driving the tractor!

The kids became part of the lollipop guild.

The Kids

What Do I Do With This?

So I've been singing scripture this week thanks to a free sample CD of Seeds Family Worship.  It's been good and it is a great way for me to meditate on scripture because I learn through hearing mostly.  Plus, music is my vehicle... so I especially appreciate it.  I struggle to discipline myself to read the Word, but even then God finds a way for His awesome Goodness to find a small corner of my selfish heart to burrow down in.  This is the verse I've especially been thinking of this week:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14

Clothe myself.  I want my life to be like that.  If I'm not wearing patience it would be like going to Aldi without a shirt.  OK?  I want it to be like that.  I want to clothe myself with love... love for others... others that don't have and are lonely and hurting and need support.  Orphans, widows, stay at home moms, children, teens in my neighborhood, neighbors that don't know the Lord... all of those.  How to implement that is the question I have been asking the Lord.  "What do I do with this Lord?" has been my constant prayer in the past months... what do I do with this?  This restlessness to do something bigger, more stretching... more eternal.  Yes, I know motherhood is eternal and it is a daily concern of mine as well as the health of my marriage.

Then today I read this verse:  Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:13-17)


We have a new person living with us.  His name is Mike and he's 20 yrs old.  He is an entrepreneur and will live in a house Ben and I have purchased but haven't closed on.  It's a long story, but this guy is smart and very nice and an entrepreneur.  It seems we always have someone extra living inside our walls.  Please pray for Mike.  I'm not sure where he is with God, and I pray Ben and I have a chance to share our faith with him.    

(Extra)Ordinary Moments

Even using the salad spinner can be fun if you let it!

Fall Beauties