Wasting talents at home???

 Today I was saddened when I heard a woman talk about how she was wasting her talents by staying home and taking care of her family. After saying this she shrugged her shoulders and said "Oh well, I guess it has eternal value right?" Her comments shocked me a little but what shocked me even more was that none of the other women in our group looked worried, some seemed to agree with her and none of the older women tried to encourage her or spur her on in her calling as a mother and homemaker.

 As woman we are made to be the keepers of our homes. Mothering and home-making becomes our JOB. We are training the next generation to live for God and to influence others around them. Training can be hard work, but it should be a JOY. We live in a free country and can school our children any way we choose, we have the freedom to teach our children about our Savior and we can still discipline and correct our children any way we choose.
 Older women are supposed to be training us, encouraging us and prodding us on to do the work that God has called us to do and lately I find myself wondering where these women are? Titus 2:3-5 is very clear on this subject.

 "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God" Titus 2:3-5

 This year I'm teaching 3 year olds in a local CBS and I'm really excited, however once again I'm wondering where the older women are. Many of the ladies who teach the children have their own school aged children who they are trying to home-school and run their households and balance all the other responsibilities of mothering on top of preparing lessons and activities and committing their time, 6 hours a week on study days. I'm glad that each of these women are willing and able to teach, but where are the older women. Those who are grandma's, retired or even employed part time that could be giving their time to help and relieving the younger ones. For a lot of young mothers this Bible study is our chance to actually spend some time learning more about God and having fellowship with other like-minded women.

 Balancing time for me hasn't been to hard but I only have one toddler and a part time job as a piano teacher. I don't know how I would do with 2 kids or more and trying to school some. Some may say it's just an organizational/time management problem and anyone should be able to do it, however I feel differently.

 Reading over this some of it may sound like I'm not glad I'm teaching, on the contrary I am because I know that I'm enabling some other mother to get into the Word and study. I love teaching the 2-3 year olds, that is pretty much the best age ever. However, I would like to see more older women get involved with those of us who are younger.

Seth-boy turns 2!!

Monday was Seth's 2nd birthday!!! Last year I was so on top of things, invitations were sent out weeks ahead of time and all was well. This year I thought "Oh, Seth's birthday is in a few weeks," days pass, "Oh, Seth's birthday is next week," days pass, "OH MY GOODNESS!!! Seth's birthday is TOMORROW!!!!!!!"

 So... this is what we did for Seth's birthday. Ate, ate and ate some more is what the pictures tell you. But I promise we did more then that...we took a nap too. :-) We made Seth's favorite breakfast, blueberry pancakes with blueberry sauce that got everywhere. Even his armpits, how he got it up past his sleeve I have no idea.

This is how Seth smile now when asked. Silly boy. He got his favorite meal. "Nuggets and Ries." Healthy I know. But that is what the birthday boy asked for.

We ate his other favorite meal for dinner. Pizza.

This is about as excited as he got about opening his present. We got him a VegiTales movie that Ben and I ended up watching while Seth played with blocks. :-)
 Seth is going to think that birthdays last a whole week now because on Monday he went to Nana's and got a present, Tuesday he went to Grandma's and got presents from all the uncles and on Saturday we will be having family over for cake and ice cream where there will be more presents.

I guess I better start thinking about a cake now.

Muddy Memories

Last Saturday Ben and I completed our second Warrior Dash. The. BEST. Race. EVER! I was happy with myself, I took the camera and actually used it. :-)

This was the only picture I could get of the course and you really can't tell much from it. We ran about 1.5 miles before the obstacles started. There were 10 or 11 obstacles if I'm remembering correctly. Some water obstacles which were really, really hard and gave me really pretty bruises up and down both shins,  lots of climbing obstacles, some with barbed wire and mud pit, fire lines to jump over and a "spider web."

You can't really see how dirty we are here, but there is mud/dirt everywhere. Ben had a white shirt on and when I was looking for him at the finish line (yes, he finished before me) I couldn't find him because his shirt was grey.

We celebrated with this huge turkey leg. :-)

Now I'm wondering why I can't find the enthusiasm to conquer my own small obstacles at home, namely the laundry basket full of clean laundry that needs to be folded and the towel full of clean dishes to put away and sink full of dirty dishes to wash. Maybe if I added a mud pit and barbed wire... :-)

We Survived!!

Ben and I survived another DALMAC this past Labor Day weekend. It went as well as I had hoped that it would being 11 weeks pregnant. The one thing that I didn't think would be a factor was how tired I got and how quickly. I was expecting some exhaustion at the end of the day, but not in the middle of our rides...

Day 1-We leave for Lansing at 5:30 get there around 8 and are on the road pedaling towards Midland at 8:45. It was a good day until about mile 65 when Dad decided to crash again. The roads this year were not marked well at all and when you are going 24 miles an hour you don't have much time to make certain turns. It was an accident really and a learning experience for everyone involved. I was not with all of the speedy guys at this point as I had already reached my limit a few miles before. I was however deterimined to finish the day, no matter how long it took. As I came up to the corner where the crash had occured it ran through my mind taht Dad had probably crashed again, and lo and behold, I was correct. Dad did not finish Day 1 but rode the Sag in. This night I was not smart and didn't go to bed until after 9.

Day 2 gets off to a good start, but I can already tell in the first 20 miles that it isn't going to be a good day. Ben, Dad and I start a little earlier than the rest of our group, who catch up to us by mile 25. At mile 50 I am done, pretty much falling asleep at our lunch stop. Dad and I decide to Sag in the last 20 miles.

Day 3- after going to bed at 7:00 the previous night Ben and I again decide to start early this morning goes much smoother. I feel rested when we start and am able to make it without to much trouble. Ben rides with me all day. :-) I love that he sticks with me going 16ish miles an hour when he can easily be doing 21. We make it into Gaylord at 12:15 after riding 70 miles and eat a delicious lunch at our favorite ice cream shop there. ( We ate real food and went back for ice cream after dinner.) I go to bed at 7:30.

Day 4 is the last day. We are ending in Mackinac City today and hope to be there by 1:30. There is a century option today (100 miles) or you can just finish the ride with 70. Dad and I decide to just finish 70 which was a very good idea, because the last 25 miles take forever, I was so tired mentally and physically by this point but once again I was determined to finish the day. Ben his brother Marcus and the other 2 riders who were along with us take the century option and split off from our ride around 20 miles. Thanks to the sad marking they go an extra 10 miles and come in with 110 for the day.

This is what you look like after 110 miles. :-)
Sadly this is the only picture I got on the trip, I went to get the camera out several times but never actually got to it.