"Goin' On A Bear Hunt!"

The other day the kids and I went on a scavenger hunt.  Ever since then I have had the pre-school song, Goin' On A Bear Hunt on my mind, so tonight, I googled it!  Hadn't heard it all the way through in years!

Anyway, I'm trying to find different things to do to keep the kids busy.  One of  the stories in Christopher's Junior Bible teaches about Treasure's, so we went on a Treasure/Scavenger Hunt.

Didn't find everything on the list, but we had fun . . . . and we definitely didn't see a bear!!

 Flowers were on the list . . . yes, these are weeds, but hey, Kaitlyn says they are flowers.  :)

 I couldn't help but take a picture of Christopher taking a picture of the gas flags! 

He carries his camera everywhere I will let him!

 He didn't want to back up, so he was leaning as far back as he could!

 Looking for pine cones, acorns, and insects!

Christopher, as you can see, is still taking pictures!

 Yes, he took a picture of our new fire hydrant located down the road!

 ACORNS!

 So, we didn't see ANY butterflies which is VERY unusual as we normally have them flying all around our yard!  My assumption is that I waited till too late in the day to find them.  Then it dawned on me, Kaitlyn had a butterfly on her headband!  LOL!

 Coming back from "under the hill."  That's what Chris and his family have always called the road that runs behind our house.  It goes into a dead end and then woods.  The kids love to go through there with their dad!

 PINE CONE!





Multiple Pine cones!

 Can you tell how thrilled Christopher is?  He is ready to go home!

A Birds Nest was on our list, (not a squirrel's nest which is what I am pretty sure this is); but I had to point it out the kids!

Strangely we didn't see any squirrels! 

 Tree Moss was on our list.  We don't have any near our house, so we pointed out the dead tree vines hanging from a neighbors house.

FINALLY once we got back from our journey, I pointed out the most obvious that is on our list, a bird's nest!  This one is in the corner of our porch and is currently occupied by a beautiful finch :)

:)



Family

 Sitting around Mammow & Pappow's Table. 

After they passed away, I was given the table. 

Love making more memories around this table!

Family!  (Except my husband, he is taking the picture!)

 Cody and Angie!



Family (including my husband!)

 Me!



 Kids on trampoline!

 Love them!

Momma!

 Dad and Jon Supervisin'!

 

Chris grilling!



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Shout Out! Testify! Bear Witness!

Some pretty amazing "things" happened and I just sense I am supposed to share.  The scripture that keeps coming to mind  is Psalm 145 verses 11 - 21.  Verse 11 - 13 says, "They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom and will declare Your might, informing all people of Your mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.  Verses 15 &16 states, "All eyes look to You, and You give them their food in due time.  You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing."  Then in verse 21, once again we are instructed to testify. . . shout out, bear witness, whatever it you want to call it!  "My mouth will declare the Lord's praise; let every living thing praise His holy name forever and ever."  So, this is my shout out to testify of the Lord's provisions.

We haven't had a stable income since August 24th.  I've continued to sell my AVON, but that brings in very little.  My husband umpired during T-Ball season.  I'm cleaning houses.  Nothing regular has come in.  We are thankful for the Food Stamps and Medicaid being received; embarrassed, sure; but lets cut through the masks and keep it real. 

Yet we have never gone without and our utilities are paid. 

Just this morning the Lord showed me His righteousness. 

1~Kayla sold back one of her books to PSC.  She was given $80 back.

2~At Sam's,  I spent the remainder of our FS.  The total of the bill was $100.07.  I used the $80 given to me just that morning, plus the remaining $20 from a house cleaning and had .07 in my purse. 

3~I had made returns to Sam's several weeks ago and had a gift card credit of $53.59.  I used that to get gas.  I have a 16 gallon tank.  I pumped 15.493 gallons of gas with the $53.59.  The tank registered fuller than I thought it could.

4~Ran into Wal-Mart to pick up a few items.  The total came to $12.88.  I had two gift cards previously purchased for gas cards.  One had $2.32 on it and the other had $7.72.  I paid $2.32 for the few items I purchased.

5~Yesterday my sister paid me $75 for taking her kids to VBS, picking them up and watching them for her for the last three days.  My water bill is $75 and some change. 

6~Our power bill was due for disconnect.  I ended up have two houses to clean last Friday, cleaned on Monday AND received a child support check.  It paid the past due amount due.

Day after the day the Lord meets our needs and even our silliest hearts desires.  He is faithful, even in my times of doubt and faithlessness. 

Today, He specifically showed me all that He did for me today.

May I never take Him for granted.

Continuing to trust in Him, and walk in victory,

Stacey

VBS, Baby Bird, & Randomness

Its been a little, OK, a lot, crazy at the Paden household the last three days.  The kids are in VBS this week; but that hasn't slowed it down any!  My sister has worked two days and then my nephew had an appointment, so we have had my niece and nephew every afternoon.  We have also had Nicholas here the last three afternoons also!  My sister says, "I'm her Nanny."  I love her and love her youngins too.  So glad she and Ron moved down here so I get to be a part of their lives and my  kids can know their cousins!  They are all playing in the pool today.  Thankful for that investment with our "free money" from past due child support! 

 Hannah and Christopher

 Grayson, Nicholas, & Christopher



Kaitlyn & Grayson

Kaitlyn trying to force a smile and Grayson being silly!

  

 Nicholas and Christopher!

Playin'!

In between a house full of youngins, there have been multiple doctor appointments for Christopher.  He is being weaned off the Clonodine; his little body was fighting it last night as he slept hardly any and when he did it was very restless.  He's having a tough day today with anxiousness and mood issues; but we have to get him free of the Clonodine before starting the medicatin for the restless legs.

We also had a visiter this week.   A baby bird fell out of it's nest.  Momma Bird was going NUTS outside!  Not knowing what to do, I googled and found out to check and see if the baby will hold on to our fingers.  If so, it is a bird learning to fly and if not, it's probably sick and was pushed out.  :(  I know, breaks my heart.  So, while the bird could grasp hold to our fingers, it was VERY wobbly and could not sit itself up . . . so, the web site I found said to put the bird back in the nest, if you can find it.  Couldn't find it.  I went in my handy little greenhouse and got one of my hanging baskets with moss in the bottom of it, put leaves in it and hung the basket under the tree the Momma Bird was always in.  Ya'll, Momma Bird took care of her baby!  I couldn't believe it.  We watched her (from a distance) fly down to her baby and feed it for four days.  We went out to check on baby bird yesterday morning and it was gone.  Now, one of two things could have happened, either baby bird was finally able to fly and flew off to make it's own nest, or an animal got it :(  I'm hoping and believing after getting to see this amazing event, that baby bird flew off and is doing well. 

 This is the brand Momma Bird kept sitting in calling out to her baby! 

She flew away as this picture was taken, so I miss her :(

He's so ugly he's cute!

Friday afternoon I had a "pop" in my left shoulder.  Yes.  It hurt.  Cleaned through it and have dealt with it through today.  The pain was so bad last night and this morning, I went on in to see the doctor.  He thinks I have a torn rotator cuff.  Yeap.  I have an appointment to see another doctor tomorrow and schedule an MRI.  Hoping it will heal without surgery and that I can go on with life.  All I can say is, it's only Wednesday and I'm ready for a NEW week! 

On a random note, my daughter just pulled this song up Teenage Daughter, by Martina McBride.  I've heard the song before, but never seen the video!  If you have a teenage daughter, EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC, YOU HAVE TO GOT TO WATCH THIS!  It is so true it is hillarious!  To think I thought I was the only one!  HA! 

Have a great one!

Stacey



JoneSIN

Monday's planning was foiled with a soggy sandwich - hunger was the issue and satan got to me.  I was literally "joneSIN" for a fix.  I was filled with anxiety.  I was sweating bullets; I felt like I was jittery and shaking . . . . I thought I was would explode if I didn't get my hands on some junk food.  Cheetos and chocolate chip cookies were calling my name.  As if that wasn't enough to deal with, my children, who had no clue of the war raging within me, continued to ask for the very items I was craving.  Giving them their snacks literally put a lump in my throat. 

It wasn't until this morning when I looked up the word JoneSIN that I learned how to spell the word.  Instantly my eyes were taken to the last three letters of the word . . . SIN.  Now, hear me say this, I am not saying that eating chocolate chip cookies and Cheetos is a sin; BUT, for me, in this journey of my life, it is.  It has been my desire to reduce the amount of processed foods I can in order to clean my body and get healthy.  Therefore, IF I eat something that I know the Lord does not want for me, it becomes sin.  Again, this is for my life.  Not yours.  There might be a time in the future where the Lord releases me to that, but today, and yesterday, that is not so.  

The word JoeSIN is word used to describe an intense craving for a drug.  Comes from Great Jones Street in New York City, between Broadway and Lafayette Street, a former junkie hangout.  I went through a "jonesin" period from alcohol almost 13 years ago (July 7th I celebrate 13 years of sobriety).  I never thought I would go through it with food.  Based on my increased weight through these nearly 13 years, it obvious I never truly surrendered all of me to the Lord, all I did is trade one addiction (personality) for another. 

I've been reading the book of John through with a group of ladies online.  This morning I read John, Chapter 6.  I am a day behind, but it was perfect timing as what stood out to me in today's reading John 6:27, where Jesus said, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.  On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

I'm thankful for a sweet call from my accountable person to encouraged me and put things in perspective; her encouraging words helped me through several rough hours.  What's even more amazing is how my time with the Lord confirmed her words.  That tells me she is walking with Him and in tune with Him.  That's pretty cool :)

Trusting Him today as I learn to walk in Victory,

Stacey

More Changes for Christopher

Some weeks ago Christopher had a second sleep study done.  We got the results on Friday.  Christopher does not have sleep apnea; but he does have severe restless legs.  His little feet kicked every two minutes all night long. 

The neurologist we saw to get the results of the sleep study says sertraline (the generic for zoloft) can cause restless legs, so that medication will be reduced in order to start him on a new medication for his anxiety disorder.  Also, what is so scary is Christopher's heart rate dropped below 30 beats per minute o the night of the sleep study.  He is taking clonodine to put him to sleep (which has never worked to keep him to sleep).  He was at the maximum dose of .4mg.  I called the psychiatrists office immediately; he was decreased to .2mg as he has to be taken off in stages.  We hope to meet with the doctor Monday in order to go to the next phase of getting him off the clonodine and the sertraline.

We finally seemed to get his medicine somewhat in tune to what he needs for his mood disorder and the ADHD; now to have to make the other changes is somewhat frustrating.   Sure would appreciate your prayers over the next few day and even weeks as his little body takes on more changes.

Thanks a bunch!

Continuing to trust in Him,

Stacey



Blueberry Pickin' ='s Jesus Time!

My oldest daughter and I love blueberries, so when I heard so many friends on fb talking about Touchablue Berry Farm, I just had to go.

Chris had to stay home to take his online mid-term for one of his college classes and Kayla was at the beach, so it was just me and the youngest two. 

I'm not sure what brought the conversation up exactly, but this is one of the conversations that took place while pickin' blueberries this morning.   I am so thankful my children are aware of God, His Power, His son Jesus, and have questions that they can ask me.  I might not get it right in life and I may make a booger of things from time to time, but I know my Jesus, and I pray for the day my children ask Him to be Lord of their lives.

Christopher asked, "Mommy, how many "gods" are there?"  I said, "Oh there is only one God Christopher."  Christopher, "Then how can he be in so many places at one time?"  Me, "Because God is soooo big, and so strong, he can be anywhere and everywhere at one time."  Christopher, "Whoa.  That's big."  Kaitlyn, "Is he as big as the universe?"  Me, "God made the universe.  There was nothing, but God, and he made everything."  Kaitlyn, "Why?"  Me, "Because God wanted to create something beautiful.  Then he made the heavens and the earth.  Remember the Garden of Eden?"  Kaitlyn, "Yeah."  Christopher, "So how many Jesus' are there?"  Me, "Only one."  Kaitlyn, "Well, why can't Jesus come back and die again?"  Me, "He doesn't need to.  Jesus died for our sins.  He came back to life to show us how mighty he is, so we can believe him and trust him.  He doesn't need to do it again.  But he loves us so much he did that for us."   Kaitlyn, "So why can't we die and come back to life like Jesus did?" Me, "Cause we aren't God and remember the Garden of Eden, when Eve ate the apple from the tree of knowledge . . ." Kaitlyn interrupts and said, "ADAM DID IT TOO !"  (thought that was funny, she didn't want the girl taking all the blame! lol!)  . . . anyway, " when Adam and Eve ate from the tree, sin entered the world and part of that is dying."  Both kids ended it, "Oh." and that was it. 

That conversation made the entire trip!  What a great day!

Christopher, "not the camera ALREADY!"  Kaitlyn, "Cheese!"

"attenTION!"  Shoulder's back, chest out!  Have no idea where that came from?!

 "Wow!  Look at all these berries!"



 

 Thumbs up!  Love that boy!

 "Look how many I got!"

 My beautiful sweetie baby!

 She's really getting hot by now!

 The kids found a tree with hanging branches so they could sit in the shade and pick! 

They are so smart!

 She is ringing wet!

 "Christopher, let me see what you have." 

He holds up one berry without even looking at me!

 "See!"

 "Look how BIG this one is!"

 Precious ;)

 Love this one :)



 The smile on her face says it all :)

 Row after Row of berries!

 Kaitlyn was impressed with the grape vines (I'm assuming that is what they are! lol) 

 Girlfriend was HOT!  Look at the sweat pouring off her!  She was thrilled to have 1 1/2 pounds of blueberries that she picked all by herself!  (And she doesn't even eat them!)

You can see the sweat ring around Christopher's shirt in this one!  He was thrilled to have his 2 1/4 pounds of blueberries!  (He doesn't eat them either! lol)

 This was us; at the end of our day. 

Sweaty and stinky, but had to take a picture for the memory.