Gabby and baby Lincoln

Well, it's been a fun few weeks with shooting (with a camera, folks!) little ones! :) I love it. This past week, I got to do some pictures of adorable 2 year old, Gabby, and her brand new brother, Lincoln. You can head on over to my photo blog (click here) for more of them. Their parents are friends of ours, and after the photo shoot, we got to stay for a great dinner. (I think I might start making that part of my contract!) :) They live on some lovely property, and we even got some shots of Gabby in the strawberry fields...which actually ended up being where we spent most of our time with her..she couldn't get enough! :)

My Muscles

Lizzie was showing off her muscles yesterday to her daddy and said, "Look, daddy... I have big muscles...except, they're mushy!"

I'll have to use that line sometime! :)

The Faith of Abraham

I was reading this passage this morning and it made me cry. Yes, I cry alot, but that's not the point of this blog post! :)

I have to tell you, also, that it IS from the NLT. Sorry, but it's easyfor children and mothers to understand! :)

"Abraham NEVER waivered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was FULLY CONVINCED that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded, for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God." Romans 4:20-25

I guess it made me wonder...am I FULLY CONVINCED that God will do what he says, or does my faith waiver? His faith grew stronger, I just tend to get weary of waiting. Isn't God so good to give us examples of those who have gone before us to encourage us to keep trusting, keep pressing on. I'm sure that Abraham had no idea that his life, his faith, would be encouraging others thousands of years after his death. What about us? What will be our legacy?

"The only way..to learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings." -George Mueller

Baby Anna

Well, she's not technically a baby anymore...she turned one! And, I had the privilege of taking her one year old pictures. We had a lot of fun, and she was so cute, that I have no idea how to pick my favorites out of the hundreds that I have that turned out great! I take too many pictures, but I always think...better safe, than sorry! :) What a beautiful baby girl! :) I'll be posting some more of her on my photo blog tonight.

I love this picture

You know, sometimes you just take a picture and really like it. Maybe no one else does, and you're not sure why, but you just really like it. This is one of those pictures for me. I was taking some pictures at church for some new church signs they're making. This was one I took as an option for our youth group sign. Probably won't be the one, but I just like it every time I look at it. Anyhow, thought you all would love to see it, too! :)

Back Home Again in Indiana

Well, we're in Indy now, on the last link of our family vacation. We've been in Michigan for the week visiting our friends, Jared and Elizabeth, and their four boys. We met Jared and Elizabeth 10 years ago in California when we all went to the Calvary Chapel Bible College. It's been a friendship that has stood the test of time. We try to see each other once a year, but last year passed us by, so it was good to get there finally! We did alot, had alot of fun...I'll be posting pictures soon.

Right now we're in Indy, currently sitting in my parents RV at my aunt and uncle's house. Mom is cooking breakfast..ah..this is the life! :) We had a campfire last night, although it was sprinkling. It was quite a site...us under umbrellas, sitting around the campfire! Dad and the girls slept in a tent...in the barn! :) We're gonna hang out here for the day and then head back. I have a photo shoot in the morning, and then I'll head out to Midway to pick up some veggies. Shane and I joined a local CSA. (http://www.localharvest.org/) We have planted a garden this year in our yard with some friends, but we aren't sure how much we'll harvest, so we decided to buy a local crop share. Plus, we like the idea of helping local small farms. We're excited about that. I'm getting the urge to start baking bread again and eating healthier. We've been eating "lighter", but not always "healthier", as far as whole foods.

Speaking of good food...:)...our friends in Michigan own Great Lakes Chocolate Company. They have the most amazing chocolate and they roast their own coffee beans. It's better than Starbucks..really. I'm not just saying that because they're our friends. Check it out. You can order online. The truffles are to die for! It was so nice to wake up every morning and have a fresh cup of coffee or a mocha brought to us by Jared. We almost stayed just for that reason! :) No, but it was great...they have the most "full-bodied" coffee we've ever had. And, did I mention the truffles....?...:)

Anyhow, it's been a great vacation...the kids got really dirty playing every day (my motto is: the dirtier they are at the end of the day, the more fun they've had!), Shane got to shoot guns and do some bird dog training, we got to go to Amish country up there, and even disect pig eyeballs! Yes, we know how to have fun! :) It will be good to get home and get back to church and normal life again, but we had a great time. Cari and I are having a big garage sale on Saturday at her house, so come on by if you're near Shelbyville!

My favorite Picture of the week

This is my favorite picture of the week. (taken in the Frankfort cemetery)

A good, simple statement, that says alot!

Great Website

We found this website through our good friends' blog-the Happy Mills. Lark News is a Christian Satire News Website. He writes these stories, because he thinks Christians need to be able to laugh at their "culture." Like a t-shirt they have for sale that says, "You suck. Which is why you need Jesus!" Believe me, I could be on here for hours! Here's a story about homeschoolers that just cracked me up. So, for a good laugh at our own expense, head on over to Lark News! I think you'll have fun. :)

New Ministry Opportunity

I have been given the opportunity to serve with an organization called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. I find it an honor to use the gifts God has given me to help those who are hurting. Please pray for these families and do not go to this website until you have plenty of kleenexes in hand.

I want this t-shirt!

Okay, I SO want to get this t-shirt for my kids. Sometimes I love sarcasm! :) You can order it HERE.

Good News for saving money on hamburger!

I was very excited (yes, excited. no, I don't get out much!) to read THIS ARTICLE on "Reducing the fat content of ground beef by draining and rinsing." I'm always trying to figure out ways to reduce my grocery budget, and I like to cook healthy. This website has some great information on it...well, except for the article on sewing your own sanitary pads. Call me extravagant and a frivolous spender, but some things are just worth buying at Wal-Mart! :)

Trampoline Fun!

Click HERE for more. This was taken a few weeks ago at my friend's house. That's my Lizzie on the right. This just cracks me up! :)

Angela's Kids

I was able to have the privilege of taking pictures of one of my dear friends and her children a few weeks ago. I went to her house, camera in hand, and just shot real life pictures! :) I love what we got that day. I can't choose my favorites! You can go HERE to my photo blog to see more of them...and I'll be posting more in the next few days.

My boy!

It's nice to get a good picture of MY kids once in awhile! :) Here's the latest of my beautiful blessing!

Womack/Lewis Engagement

Seth and Andrea are getting married in October, and we got to go out a few weeks ago and take their engagement pictures. You can go to my PHOTO BLOG for more pictures of them! :)

Prayers of The Stress Impaired

Click HERE for another funny blog article on prayers for the stress impaired! :) Too funny!

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

I ran across THIS funny post while randomly searching blogs this morning. I have to wake up before I get going! :) Enjoy.

The New Miley Cyrus

I have to admit, I am saddened. I was hoping this day wouldn't come. I was hoping we were just being over-protective...but here we are. I'm sure some of you have heard about the new upcoming Vanity Fair spread with Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus. In one of the pictures, she's wrapped in a silk bedsheet, exposing her back. It's just too risque, and she's only fifteen. But, if you look further on the internet, there are pictures of her in even more risque settings. I won't link to them, because they are linked to worse stuff. Here's a bloglink with a picture from the Vanity Fair spread and one other from Myspace-with a warning that she is pulling down her shirt and showing her bra in one picture. You can do a google search for yourself for the rest, if you need. It's really disheartening for me. I've heard so much about her strong, Christian family...so much about her strong upbringing...so much about how sweet and pure she is. She's young, and there is so much out there for her right now trying to pull her in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, she's not continuing to uphold the wholesome image she shows in her Disney show. Let's keep her in our prayers, but let's continue to be wise as serpents when it comes to who we have as role models for our children.

York Wedding

Well, I'm finishing up my pictures for the York wedding that took place on March 29, 2008. What a blessing it was to be able to photograph their wedding day. They are a fun, young, Godly couple. I've got some sneak peeks posted here on my photo blog.

If you are in for a tear-jerker, then read:

Confessions of a Pastor: To Seth, on His Wedding Day

It's a blog post to Seth, the groom, from his father, Dr. Hersael York. I just read it and still can't stop crying! What a beautiful insight to a father's love for his son.

Working on my photo blog

Well, if it's not enough for me to keep up one blog...I'm trying to keep up two. And, I haven't been doing too great at keeping up either! :) Sorry, folks...contrary to popular belief, us homeschool moms DO have a life! (so many jean jumpers to sew...so little time!) :) Anyhow, I tried updating my photo blog a bit today. I'll keep working on it and getting everything on there I need to.

All's good here. Overall, we had a good day. Started out doing school, then the neighbor boys showed up to play. (they are off for TWO weeks for spring break!) So, we played most of the rest of the day. The kids did come back in and finish English later in the afternoon. Shane decided to take the kids to Dairy Queen when he got home. I opted not to go for fear of bowing to the god (little "g") of the blizzard, who-by the way-hates my back side! :) (or loves it, whichever way you look at it) So, Nehi and I stayed home and ate a 2-point ice cream bar. It was good! Then, I worked out later to burn if off, since I am following the Core program this week. (basically, fruits, veggies, lean meats, and ww pasta) Why can't carbs be better for you? They are just so doggone good! Kids are in bed, Shane is laughing hysterically at something he's watching on his laptop, and I'm in here trying to catch you all up on our lives!

Well, I got my "Desperate Housewives Passionate for God" book the other day. Look forward to reading it. I'm sure you'll hear more from it soon. My friend, Cari-who comes over on Tuesdays, and I are going through "The Excellent Wife" by Martha Peace together. I did this study before I was married, and was even convicted then. It's been good this second time around, too. So much to learn. So many areas to grow in. Thank God for his grace!

By the way...yes, that is my son in a dress. But, it was my dress when I was a little girl, and he does look pretty cute in it! I know he will grow up with "issues." But, like my friend Kathleen said to me once (and she has six kids-she should know!), "If you don't give your children a reason to go to therapy when they are older, you haven't done your job as a mother." Truly, it's a motto I try to live by! :)

Okay, I'm gonna go pop some popcorn and have a diet soda. Yes, I know it's 11:00pm, but it's 94% FF popcorn. Hardly a splurge! :)

A little Easter Humor

Ode To Manwich

So, today we were reading our chapter in "Leading Little Ones To God." It's a great book for the kids that I highly recommend. We use it in our Bible time, reading it one chapter a day. In each chapter, there are words to a hymn. I rarely recognize the hymns, but Shane always makes up his own tune to sing to the girls. They always get a kick out of that. Well, this morning, I decided to sing the words of the unknown-to-me-hymn to the tune of "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee." I was singing and Myra said, "Hey, I know that song." Then, she began to sing, "Manwich, Manwich, we adore thee..." :) Gave me a good laugh! Maybe we need to start singing more hymns? :)

I Love My Sister...

We had a rough day a couple weeks ago with loving each other here at The McGrath Homeschool. One of us was having trouble with selfishness, the other with our words, so we did a little project! :)

Home

I was reading a new post at a friend's blog this morning. She's been reading a book by Voddie Baucham and posted this quote from the book. It really ministered to me. I want my home to be this way, and I know I have oh so far to go.....

"Our homes must be rife with the aroma of love. Those who visit us should notice immediately that they have left the world of self-serving, egocentric narcissism and have entered a safe harbor where people value and esteem others above themselves. Outsiders should enter our homes and never want to leave. Our neighbors should find excuses to visit us just to get another whiff of the fragrant aroma of love. The brokenhearted should long to be near us. The downtrodden and the abused should seek us out. Families on the brink of disaster should point to us and say, "Why can't our home be like that?"

Homesick!

When I was pregnant with Nehemiah, I struggled with car-sickness more than normal, and was always chewing mint gum to help. My kids caught on to this, and began to mysteriously have "car-sickness" every time they rode in the car, so they could have gum!

This morning Lizzie was sitting at the kitchen table working on her math and asked for a piece of gum. I told her "no" and she said, "but, mom, I'm homesick!" :)

My husband has talent!

So, my husband goes to Seattle, and he gets me this wonderful gift! Yes, Nunzilla was a gift for me, his wife of almost eleven years. Girls, I am a lucky woman! He and Andrew made this wonderful video, and it's just so amazing, I had to share! :) I'm so proud...

Good Article On Homeschooling

Here's a good article on homeschooling and the California decision by our good friend, Brad Mills, who currently lives in California.

Day In The Life...Photos...Baby Boy!

Day In The Life...Photos...Chores!

Now, you have to admit that it takes talent to make your bed this way! :)

Yes, folks this is my laundry bin...and I have three...and they always look like this! I am never caught up. Laundry is the bain of my existence! (okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but I really always have so much laundry to do). There, I've confessed.

Day In The Life..Photos...Fingernail Painting!

Well, it's a cold, snowy day here in Kentucky. We are supposed to get up to 6 inches of snow...I'll believe it when I see it! It's never as bad as they say here. I'd say we have less than in inch now. Anyhow, thought it would give me some time to finish posting my pictures from our "day in the life" series...yes, it's a series now! :) Hope you all are warm and dry and comfy in your pjs like we all are here. I'm still trying to get the kids to get some math done, but that's going rather slowly! :)

An 18 inch miracle

I found this story off of Amy's Humble Musings blog. A 28 inch woman gave birth to an 18 inch baby. I didn't cry til the end, when her husband started talking. Life is beautiful!

So funny...Mom my van!

Okay, one of my dearest friends, Carrie, in California has succumbed to motherhood and gotten a minivan...which she swore she would never do. In honor of this, her husband posted this video to his blog. I laughed so hard I cried! I have to admit...I have seen a few like this in person! MINIVANS ROCK! It's really helped me to not get "hit on" so much since we got one.....or the fact that I haul around three kids with me all the time! :) Actually, I never really got "hit on." I'm going to stop now. I'm starting to make myself all insecure.

He's Home....and I need to grow in sanctification!

He's home. My Shane is home! After a long, hard week without him, he is a breath of fresh air to me! He walked through that door, and I just fell into his arms. I love being married to a Godly man.

While he was gone, I did not do so well. I struggled-hard-in so many areas. I didn't even know I missed him so much (apart from missing help with the kids!), until I saw him. It melted my heart! I may be accused of being co-dependent...that's fine with me. I admit that I need my other half.

I hate struggling. I hate failing. I hate being depressed. I hate giving into sin. I hate feeling defeated and giving into my emotions. I want to grow in sanctification. Romans 6:11 says, "You must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." To give up and feel defeated is the same as denying the truth of the scripture.

I'm not talking about perfectionism, the view that 'sinless perfection is possible in this life.' But, I'm talking about reckoning myself dead to sin. Realizing that sin, even the sin of allowing emotions to control me, no longer has a hold on me. Sin is no longer my master. I know "God is at work in (me), both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13)

Sanctification is primarily a work of God in our lives, but we play a part, too. We must depend on God to sanctify us, but we are to actively take a role in which "we strive to obey God and take steps that will increase our sanctification." (Grudem) We are to "strive...for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord!" (Heb. 12:14) We are also called to "abstain from immorality" and obey the will of God (1 Thess. 4:3) We are to hope to be like Christ. "We are to continually build up patterns and habits of holiness.." (Grudem) This, as we all know, comes only through Bible reading, meditation, prayer, worship, witnessing, Christian fellowship, and self-control. It's about trusting God and being obedient to His word.

I desire to be conformed to the image of Christ in every area of my life. Boy, am I so far from that! And, I get so easily defeated. I've just been going through a really dry period of life in my personal walk. I have been learning, but I've felt so weak to the attacks of the enemy. I've struggled with depression and let it get the best of me. I've been praying alot about this, and I feel like the Lord just keeps wanting to teach me about sanctification and how it works. I can say it's nothing I do, but it is. I must be on my guard, staying in His word, building up habits of holiness...and yet it's only by His grace. "Sometimes the popular phrase, 'Let Go and Let God', is given as a summary of how to live the Christian life. But this is a tragic distortion of the doctrine of sanctification, for it only speaks of one half of the part we must play, and, by itself, will lead Christians to become lazy and to neglect the active role that scripture commands them to play in their own sanctification." (Grudem)

Motives for obeying God...(1) a desire to please Him (John 14:15) ; (2) to need to keep a clear conscience before Him (Rom. 13:5); (3) the desire to be a vessel for noble use/have increased effectiveness in the work of the kingdom (2 Tim. 2:20-21); (4) the desire to see other come to Christ by observing our lives (1 Peter 3:15-16); (5) the desire to receive present blessings from God on our lives and ministries (1 Peter 3:9-12); (6) the desire to avoid God's displeasure on our lives (2 Cor. 7:1); (7) the desire to seek greater heavenly reward (Matt. 6:19-21); (8) the desire for a deeper walk with God (Matt. 5:8); (9) the desire for peace and joy (Phil. 4:9/Heb. 12:1-2); (10) the desire to do what God commands simply because his commands are right and we delight in doing what's right (Phil. 4:8) (from Grudem's Bible Doctrine)

"The more we grow in likeness to Christ, the more we will personally experience the 'joy' and 'peace' that are part of the fruit of the Spirit, and the more we will draw near to the kind of life that we will have in heaven...This is the source of true joy...As we grow in holiness, we grow in conformity to the image of Christ, and more and more of the beauty of his character is seen in our own lives." (Grudem)

I look forward to Christ's return or the end of my life on earth, when my sanctification will be complete. "At his coming, we will be made alive with a resurrection body and then we shall fully 'bear the image of the Man of Heaven.' " (Grudem) For now, I desire to grow more in His likeness...maybe that's why it was so rough when Shane was gone. God had a lot to show me!

"So you must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves go God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will no longer have dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." Romans 6:11-14

What's up with us?

So, I suppose I've been copping out a bit on the posts lately with the pictures and the videos, but somedays it's all I have time for...that, or our life is just not so interesting to post about! :)

Life has been pretty routine lately around here...just schooling, cleaning, work, nothing big. The baby was running a fever that last couple days, but seems to be okay today. We've just ended a week of the stomach bug...but are on the mend.

Shane left early this morning for Seattle to attend a pastor's conference at Mars Hill church. A group of guys went from our church. I guess they missed their check-in by six minutes this morning, though, and so are stuck in Louisiville for the day. According to him, they are at a hotel with a gun show and a group of Pentecostal ladies. Sounds like sweet revenge for leaving all us ladies home alone with the kids for a week! hee, hee.....

I might end up going to the salvage grocery store today with my friend, Cari. It's our new favorite addiction! Cheap groceries! :) Good stuff. If we go, we'll probably take the kids to McDonald's, which would bless my kids' socks off! To cut back lately, we haven't been taking them out to eat at all, and have told them they will have to wait until their birthdays for McDonald's. But, it's neat...this way it's special to them! We'll have to see about that splurge! :)

Church is going good. Shane is LOVING his new "job." He gets so excited with all the 'divine appointments' God keeps bringing him. And, he has such a heart for the people at the church. We continue to be blessed.

Well, folks, that about sums up my life lately. Other than all the pruning the Lord's been doing in my heart...but we won't get into that! :)

Feminine Graces

Recently, a little boy at church asked my five-year old, Lizzie, to "be his girlfriend." She asked me and I told her that he had to ask her father (knowing quite well what his answer would be). He took her hand and walked her over to Shane and asked permission to "go out with her." Shane, of course, lovingly told this young 5 year old boy that she was too young, but he had permission to be her friend.

A few weeks later, word was "out on the street" that this little boy was terrified of my husband and would never ask Lizie out again.

So, Lizzie and I were talking the other day about it. She asked if she could be his girlfriend when they were older. I told her we would just have to wait and see what kind of a Godly man he became. My older daughter, encourager that she is :), said that he said he would NEVER ask her out again, EVER! I asked Lizzie if that hurt her feelings, and she said, "No, if he doesn't, I'll just beat him up!"

Maybe it's time to read "Beautiful Girlhood?" :)

Funny Homeschool Video

New Photography Blog...

I started a new blog just strictly for Kari McGrath Photography...you'll have to go check it out! Let me know what you think...and if you see any changes that need made! It's still a work in progress. :)

How To Save $7000 This Year!

Okay, I really like saving money. I admit, sales and garage sales make me happy! I'm always looking and praying for ways to cut back or save. I thought this article from Living On A Dime was great. It shows how the little things really do add up.

Another one of my favorite websites is: http://www.menus4moms.com/ . She sends me a weekly meal plan, complete with recipes via email. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don't...but I always get ideas. All her meals are easy and cost effective, and for those of you who don't have time to plan your meals or just don't like to...what's better than having it done for you for free? Plus, she's got all kinds of articles on home organization and freezer cooking.

One other I want to direct you to is http://www.organizedhome.com/ . She has some great articles and has a whole lot of calendar/household notebook pages you can download and print for free. My friend, Cari, made me a household notebook, and I couldn't believe how it cut the clutter in my kitchen. I think I'm gonna go inventory my pantry now! :)

Day In The Life...Photos...Diapers!

Since this really is a part of our day at home, I thought it needed documented. Don't worry, we all know what a dirty diaper looks like-so I didn't feel the need to be truly documentary about it. This is the cute part of diaper changing! :)

Day In The Life...Photos...Lunchtime!

I'm telling you, folks...I know you're on the edge of your seats now...it's lunchtime! :) As you can see below, Shane was just as excited about my documenting our day in photos as I was! :)

The happy homeschooling family at lunch!

Besides being a proficient artist, my son is also an accomplished chef-he came up with this concotion on his own: macaroni and apples. Sheer genius!

Day In The Life..Photos...Art Lessons

After a little reading, the baby wanted to color. He usually likes to eat crayons, but today his artistic genius came to the surface!

Voila! The masterpiece! It's good to know I have passed on my artistic skills to my children! (actually, I think he may do better than I do!)

Day In The Life...Photos...TV Problems!

Well, after the big night of the storm...this day we went to turn on our TV...and...nothing! The great "idol of entertainment" was gone...dead...and we were all so sad! What would we do with ourselves? Read? Talk? Crochet? I just knew God was speaking that we needed to let it go...Shane, on the other hand, was sure it was Satan taking away our only form of entertainment! (little joke there, folks) So, this is the saga of our TV...in pictures! (oh, the excitement just doesn't end on this blog, does it?) :) (gee, someone should dust the top of that TV!)



Later that day, we went to Best Buy...got a new one! Hey, we've gotta have something to do! :) Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the new one. I'll save that for another picture blog series! (just gotta keep you coming back!)