blessed be the name

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

matt redman

conversations and one unhappy incident

first for the cute conversation we had the other night with mad.

she wanted a movie night. we told her, "no."
later that evening, she wanders downstairs and said, "God made movie nights to make people happy."
we told her , "no" again.
to which she replied, "you are making God sad."
"go to bed"

now for the not so cute incident involving em: on thursday we went to visit a friend who broke her leg. while driving home i told em, "head straight up stairs and start your history class. it's getting late."
she replied, "no"
not a wise response in our house. so i ammended my instruction to, "go straight to your room and after we're through talking you'll finish school."
she didn't say a word and went straight upstairs when we got home. but before she went upstairs, she locked the door between the house and the garage. did i mention mad and i went to get the mail? did i mention i didn't have my house key? after knocking and ringing the bell for several minutes, i walked to the back door and started pounding. she came running down the stairs laughing. she opened the door and was sent right back up stairs. later i walked past the front door and noticed she blocked it with the piano bench.
to say the least, em has had a very un-fun weekend.

to cousin k

em and mad want to know why you don't like to finger paint.
they would be happy to teach you someday. maybe the next time we visit we'll bring paint!
they think your mom needs at least one messy child.

(mad's exact words were:
"she don't like to finger paint! why?!?!!!!")

hopi indian village

the hopi indians
would dig a trench
from a main water
source to their
village.










this is our
hopi village













here comes
the water













mad watching
our village take
shape








both girls enjoying
the heritage
studies experiment

monster messes

reading class














mad's school
















em and "choco"
working their spanish













i love our old
oak table.















art class


















body art
















sharing art












i love our
oak chairs too.

if you're wondering,
the girls used the floor
as their canvas as well.









em being hosed
down













bubble face


















i advised the girls they
could have one glass
of water in the sand box
and one glass of ice. - no more
i did not specify that they
couldn't use the hose.
three inches of h2o later...












obeying the law,
but not the
spirit of the law...
















these messes occurred on monday and tuesday. today's mess was minimal. barbie and polly pocket were scalped, but a pile of blonde hair hardly compares to most days...

labor day

em climbing
the spider web













mad at the top
of the spider web

















in case you're wondering
how tall the spider web is














hiking down to
the river











n- with his girls














em and i fell in
the mud

weekend fun

grandpa, grandma t, and bear's family visited us over the holiday. hannah bear worked hard to keep up with her cousins.







mad sitting in a big
kid car seat
















em and mad helping
bear bowl































the bowling ball
nearly toppled mad
a couple of times






















em won!
















bear had more fun
playing with the
ball ramp than bowling












mad burning rubber
on her "new" bike




















em on her new bike































toothless t
she's covering up
the hole

thanks

thanks camera man and peridot rose for the beach pictures!

school firsts

mad's first day of school ever.
em's first taste of video school. (she's had lessons since the 15th)

it went well.

they both actively participated in the lessons. mad seemed to enjoy the first grade as much as em. last year em seemed disengaged and uninterested in her lessons, but today she was jumping up and shouting answers, so was mad. i realize not everyday will be this good, but i'll take what i can get.

chalk, curls, cantaloupe, caterpillar and contusion

chalk fun
















chalk art on the
back sliding door

















focussed on
her work


















em wanted
curls!















her hair typically
falls below her
shoulders














our 2nd home
grown "baby"
cantaloupe











eating the fruits
of our labor












yum













our new friend






















mad's
contusion

"i'm tired of all this hair"

yesterday's hair style
mad made her crown
all by herself














mad decided to
take up
cosmetology
this morning










she left the
back long
thankfully

















she cut both sides
at an angle

actually, they were
fairly even












the end result
after a trip to
the local
cookie cutters















her eyes say it all -
guilty

fun in the sun

we had a fabulous time at the shore with the family.
hope you enjoy the picts
















bear, em and uncle j playing on the shore






















em's collecting sand





















mad discovers first hand why we told her the ocean is salt water and not to drink it.

















wave jumping





















both girls loved wading into the ocean until the jelly fish started attacking

















wandering heart's happy and not so happy family


















Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. I Chron. 29:11






















a belated bday party for em


















an early party for caslon. all the little ones got gifts
















caslon and mad enjoying the party





















em received a fishin' pole from trader mom and dad. of course she had to give it a try

















catfish caught


















mad hanging out on the lagoon dock






















mad fishing with papa





















em fishing with grandma
















em and grandma reeled in the catch of the day - a dirty old coke can


















camera man and caslon taking a break and posing for a picture on our dolphin watching excursion.






















em before she felt sea-sick






















mad before she got tired of being on a boat and seeing nothing

















our happy family. em's feeling dizzy here and taking a rest






















mad eventually crashed and fell fast asleep. the nap rejuvenated her and the girls played into the wee morning hours.






















our science experiments for the week being released into their natural environment

















The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Ps. 19:1






















my three fishermen

















upon returning home we caught this grasshopper and then we went swimming in the neighborhood pool.

em declared, "it's good to be back in our comfortable home." it sure is.



to check out other fun picts from our beach vacation see wandering heart and hannah bear's cave on the side bar.