A view from the VIP lounge.  At our house the kids watch TV if it is a Saturday (morning cartoons) or if it is raining all day I will let them pick out a movie.  Jeff and Eti decided to get the hose and spray it past the window where I was sitting at the desk to make it look like it was raining.  I took the picture in a reflection of a large print  hanging on the wall in the foyer..they didn't know I was watching.  Do you see the happy devious looks on their faces thnking they are going to get away with it? 

We went on our yearly camping trip with some of our favorite families.  We spent the weekend at a Christian camp where we all felt safe and relaxed.  This is "Uncle Nick" playing baseball. 

We ate smores, caught up on all of our lives, hiked, Eti caught his first fish, swam, went kyaking, the boys rode bikes, all the good stuff that make up a great camping trip!

Came home to a package from Shanda, she is one of the best gift givers in the entire world!  I knew that it was coming and had been checking the mail every day.   One of the things she sent to me was a kitchen towel from Anthropology, how cool is that embroidery and the fabric on the bottom?  We do not have an Anthropology here, if we did I would not shop anywhere else.

Coco was one of the first ones to wake up on this day. My alarm went off a little after seven and she was already awake.  I stumbled out of bed all groggy, on the way past her room I saw through the crack in her door that she was talking on the phone.  An old cordless, thirteen years old,  that no longer works but she "talks" (animated and very realistic sounding) to her little girlfriend Lexi on it all the time.  I snuck down and got the camera and took the picture before she saw me. 

My good friend who I have known since High school was in town!!!  We had our once a year visit, this one was short (only two hours) but I was so happy to see her and her kids.  Meg lives so far away that it is always a treat to see her.  It still, after all these years, is comfortable with her.

Meg's daughter

As soon as I got home from seeing Meg I drove home put Coco down for a nap and took the boys over to the local school parking lot to get used to my Coco bike.  We rode around in the huge lot for over two hours.  The boys were working very hard to teach me all their little tricks like riding with my feet on the handle bars.

At the beginning of the Summer I made up a list of the elements of a perfect day.  So that if I was home and there was not something vying for my attention I could refer to the list to remember how I wanted my summer days to be.  July 23rd was one of those days. 

Private time reading in the study

Breakfast

Time with the kids learning catechism, teaching them from the Bible, reading Pilgrims Progress, praying (we use a photo album full of pictures of family members and missionary cards) etc.

Reading library books, giving the boys a book to read to us so they can practice.

Chores

Time outside (riding bikes, going for a walk, going to a park)

Art projects

Quiet games in the house

Kids helping me make dinner

Our favorite man in the world comes home!

I would love to hear from you what is YOUR element of a perfect day at home.

Jon who did our floors came over to work on one section, he let Coco and Eti help.  He and his wife Rachael are more like family to our kids.

Spent a few hours riding bikes with the kids again.

Another perfect, complete day at home with my kids.

A few years ago I started a journal. This was after searching and searching for a way to consistently disciple the kids, it was always so huge the responsibility of it, I was afraid I would miss something.  Now I am finding that the best thing to do is teach them what I am learning or teach them in areas where I see they need to grow.

 Each morning when I am finished with my time alone reading the Bible I will ask God if there is something He wants me to pass along to the kids.  It is almost always something He taught ME that morning.  I am much more passionate teaching my kids something that I have just discovered or rediscovered that morning, it is more personal because it is coming from a deeper place and I think the kids sense that.  So in the journal I write down what it is that I want to pass on to them and then I try to think of an allegory or parable that will help the kids to understand.

For example here is one I did in the past.  I had the kids run and run and run three more laps after they wanted to quit. Then I had them come and lay in the shade on the blanket I had laid out and where ice cold Lemonade was waiting for them.  All their Favorite blankets and pillows were there and as they lay there I explained all the verses I could find that talk about Jesus being our resting place, our refreshing soul satisfying shade.

It helps to have it in a journal because there are times when I go back over the material with the children and add to it.

On this day we talked about Hebrews 12:15 which is so rich and just provides its own ideas for visual teaching.

My niece Ally, when she sees me she says "Hi Aunt Jo-Jo you're my friend!"  I ran around doing some errands with Julie after a huge breakfast that Steve made for us.

When I came home I stretched out the canvas and painted pictures out  in the backyard with the kids.

Coco in her pretty white dress.  She came home from church spinning, "Come out in the yard and spin with me Mom  because we're girls"

I loved the Sunday evening service Pastor is doing Philippians and he said when he and his wife were reading it during the week they both noticed that the words "Christ Jesus" were on the tip of Paul's tongue through the whole book.  Philippians is always thought of as the book on joy, so Pastor got his Journal out and counted every single time Christ Jesus was mentioned and every time Joy was mentioned and it was the name of Jesus that was spoken more often.  I have thought of that so many time since hearing it.  Jesus was Paul's main thought.

My sister Janet and Jenean came over in the morning.  Jenean brought little man Eli with her, I got my newborn fix for the day! :)