Riverbend Ramblings

Our church's radio station ministry, Gospel 90.3, kicked off its annual three day Restoreathon this morning. The "Restoreathon" is so important because this is the only time during the year that the station seeks to raise funds for its operating budget. As a non-commercial Christian radio station, it is solely supported by listeners. The format of the station is conservative gospel music from sacred hymns to bluegrass, Kings James Bible preaching, and Christ-centered programming. We grew up listening to Gospel 90.3, so when we moved to Georgia we missed the station so much! We purchased wireless speakers for our computer and placed them throughout the house so that we could tune in via the internet. Now that we're back "home" I forget that I can listen on the radio, so I still keep it playing on the computer most of the time during the day when I'm working around the house. It is such a blessing to know that people all around the world can listen to music that honors God 24 hours a day! You can listen live to the Restoreathon by going here. My husband worked at the radio station for several years, and he's helping out as a DJ during the Restoreathon. You can hear him at 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. EST. The crew he's on the air with during the morning shift is hilarious! For my praying friends out there, please remember to pray for the radio station, the staff, and the volunteers over the next couple of days as we experience revival on the radio. :) image here

Labels: This N That

This morning I came across an article about some common food additives. Since I've been reading food labels more carefully lately, I thought it was very interesting to read what is going into many of the foods we commonly stock in our pantry or fridge. It's no wonder we all have days from time to time when we just feel plain yucky! If you've not been feeling your best lately, check out the ingredients in the prepared foods that you eat. Look up those words that you have no idea how to pronounce and see what's really going into your food. You might be surprised what you'll find. Image from AllPosters

Labels: In the Kitchen

My sweet girl delivers the mail and a weed beautiful flower with a smile on her face. The simplest things sometimes bring the most pleasure.

Labels: The Kiddos

FOR TODAY~ February 23, 2009... Outside my window...the sun is trying to peek through the clouds, and the birds are digging in the grass for their breakfast. I am thinking...about all the things I need to do today. I am thankful for...getting to spend a couple of hours out on the lake with my husband yesterday. We had so much fun-just the two of us! From the learning rooms...we're rowing The Snowy Day and continuing to work with our letter sounds. From the kitchen...raisin bran and a pink grapefruit. I am wearing...a blue 3/4 sleeve sweater, a denim skirt, and sandals. I am creating...a calendar for March. Can you believe we're about to begin another month? I am reading...in my Bible: Numbers and John; just for fun: The Shih Tzu by Deborah Wood. I am hoping...to spend some time outdoors this afternoon. I am hearing...a CD of piano hymns and Lil' Nut laughing as she chases Toby around the house. Around the house...vacuuming and ironing. My ironing pile is a mile high. ;) One of my favorite things...watching my girls pretend that they're ballerinas. A few plans for the rest of the week...grocery shopping, a trip to the library to refill the book bag, and a field trip to the science museum. Here is picture thought I am sharing...~~~oOo~~~ Thank you for reading my Daybook! You can read more entries at The Simple Woman.

Labels: Daybook

Bookworm turned 11 on Valentine's Day, but we postponed her party due to the busyness of the day. Tonight my house will be filled with the giggling of Bookworm and five of her sweet little friends. They'll eat pizza, decorate their own cupcakes, give each other pedicures, and watch a movie. What fun! I hope each of you enjoy your weekend. :)

Labels: The Kiddos

We don't eat much pork around here, but sometimes I get a hankerin' for a b-b-q pulled pork sandwich served with a side of slaw and a glass of fresh-brewed sweet tea. Yes, that's slaw on the sandwich, too. :) What did you have for lunch today?

Labels: In the Kitchen

Home to me is laughter... Kisses on my cheek when they're least expected; Glances filled with gladness; The happiness in knowing I'm a portion of My family's fulfillment. Home to me...is love! -June Brown Harris

Labels: Family Life, Quotes

On one of my trips through the kitchen this morning I found Lil' Nut curled up in the chair at my desk sound asleep. I carried her upstairs and put her to bed. She slept for two and a half hours! She ran a fever all day yesterday, but hasn't had one today, praise the Lord! I'm going to spend the rest of the day snuggling with her and giving her extra lovin'. :)

Labels: Family Life, The Kiddos

Happy Birthday to our not-so-little-anymore Valentine! We love you bunches, Bookworm! :)

Labels: Special Days, The Kiddos

Labels: Special Days

My handsome hubby and I celebrated Valentine's Day today instead of tomorrow. We ate lunch at a new-to-us Mexican restaurant. The guacamole was the best ever. Mr. C had the fajitas, and I had a steak quesadilla. For dessert we had a this scrumptious chocolate bundt cake filled with hot fudge and served with a side of ice cream and whipped cream. It was out of this world! After lunch we stopped by one of my favorite stores, which just happened to be in the shopping center behind the restaurant. I love it when that happens! :) I didn't intend to buy a thing, but that was before I spotted several $5 dollar racks. I left the store with a jacket, two shirts, and two skirts for just $30. You can't beat brand new clothes at thrift store prices. Tomorrow will be a busy day for our family. One of the kiddos will be turning another year older, Bookworm has a piano competition, and my hubby is speaking at a Valentine's banquet and preparing for Sunday's services. That's why we celebrated Valentine's Day today. Any day spent with my sweetie is a special day! Thank you, honey, for taking time out of your busy schedule to do something special with me. I love you so much! :)

Labels: Family Life, Favorite Things, Special Days

I'm pleased to report that Mickey is doing much better today. He's just about back to normal, whatever that may be for a nine year old boy. Tomorrow we'll go back for another check on his oxygen and hopefully get the all-clear. My week of running around continued today. Bookworm had a dentist appointment on the other side of the county. Since her cleaning only took half an hour, we had plenty of time to pick up a few things at S*am's Cl*ub. I treated Bookworm to an ice cream after we checked out. I know, eating ice cream seems a bit odd after just leaving the dentist. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. :) It's been a while since we were able to spend an afternoon together, just the two of us. I'm so glad we had that opportunity today!

Labels: Daily Life, The Kiddos

Things don't always go the way we've planned. Sometimes there are bumps in the road, and we just have to trust that the Lord's way is the best way. That's what I've been trying to do this week. Warmer weather has brought with it beautiful days. It also brought the perfect conditions for Mickey to have a flare-up of bronchial asthma. As a baby and toddler he suffered from severe food allergies. We carefully monitored his diet and kept him away from the dangerous foods that would cause his little airways to close up and his body to break out in hives. In the last couple of years he has seemed to outgrow most of these food sensitivities, at least by outward appearances. Yesterday what I thought would be a routine doctor visit for Mickey turned out to be a very perplexing one. The doctor wanted to check his oxygen levels, and I was shocked when the reading would not go above 91. After listening to his lungs, the doctor announced that my boy's wheezing called for an immediate breathing treatment. After the treatment the oxygen levels were checked again but did not show an increase. The doctor ordered another treatment. I was not happy about all this medicine going into Mickey's body, but concern won out and I agreed to another treatment. The levels still did not go up very much after the second treatment. A trip to the hospital was alluded to, but thankfully the doctor didn't bring it up again. The scariest part for me was that I hadn't even noticed any wheezing in the first place. I guess I've just gotten used to the congestion that he always battles. We left the doctor's office with four prescriptions and orders for Mickey to go home and take it easy. All parents feel differently about giving prescription medications to their kids, and I am not going to pass judgment on how anyone feels about it. We prefer to take the natural route as much as possible. We are blessed to have a lady in our church who has a lot of knowledge about natural treatment. We visited her yesterday afternoon and saw immediate improvement in Mickey's breathing. This morning we went back to the doctor for another check of his oxygen level and were very pleased that it was up to 96. Woohoo! We're going to try to stay away from the meds and continue with the natural treatment. Peanut products are definitely back on the danger list again and will have to be avoided. Mickey has been doing his schoolwork here at home and spending as much time as possible out in the fresh air. This afternoon he helped me refill the bird feeders and get them hung up. We also watched the dogs tumble about and laughed at their silliness. These two have become very good friends. With the kids playing nearby under the shade of a tree I was able to tackle some weeding. The recent freeze killed every green leaf left on the plants and shrubbery, yet somehow the weeds seem to have gotten a new lease on life. It felt so good to get my hands in the dirt. :)So, you can see that even though the last two days have not gone according to my plans, we're accomplishing what we can. In the midst of running back and forth to town and sitting in crowded waiting rooms filled with coughing children I am constantly reminding myself that I am so blessed to have healthy kids. I'm also blessed to be able to be a full-time mom and take care of them. God's ways are not always my ways. In the big scheme of things my way is not important, but following the path that He has for me is. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5,6 KJV

Labels: Family Life, My Thoughts, Outdoor Life, The Kiddos

FOR TODAY~ February 9, 2009... Outside my window...the sun is up and the sky is a lovely blue. I am thinking...about the day ahead. I am thankful for...late night talks with my husband. From the learning rooms...Lil' Nut and I are settling into a routine. This week we'll make an abacus and continue working with patterns. From the kitchen...a cup of English breakfast tea and a bagel. I am wearing...a navy blue skirt and a white t-shirt. I am creating...a menu and shopping list. I am reading...in my Bible: Leviticus and John; just for fun: Mrs. C.H. Spurgeon by Charles Ray. I am hoping...to spend some time outdoors today. I am hearing...Lil' Nut carrying on a conversation with Toby. Around the house...all of the rooms need a quick tidy. One of my favorite things...moon gazing. A few plans for the rest of the week...grocery shopping, a trip to the library, piano lessons, a dentist appointment, Bookworm's district piano competition, and a birthday celebration. Here is picture thought I am sharing... ~~~oOo~~~ Thank you for reading my Daybook! You can read more entries at The Simple Woman.

Labels: Daybook

The last couple of days we have had unusually low temperatures. You folks up north who are constantly battling snow and ice probably won't appreciate these pictures, but I thought the thin coating of ice was beautiful! "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time..." Ecclesisates 3:11a ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Labels: Outdoor Life

Thank you all for the birthday wishes for Lil' Nut. She smiled and smiled as I read your comments to her. :) Lil' Nut woke up very early on her special day so full of excitement and was the first one down to the table for breakfast. The birthday child always gets to choose their favorite sugary, food-coloring added cereal for their big day.Lil' Nut spent part of the morning with her daddy at his office, and then he took her out to lunch. This picture was taken with the webcam, so it's a bit fuzzy.The grandparents were able to join us after supper for cake and ice cream. Lil' Nut was so excited about opening her presents that she didn't even want a piece of cake! Here she is making a wish.Time for presents!

Labels: Special Days, The Kiddos

Once a happy bald headed baby... Now a big girl with a twinkle in her eye. Happy Birthday, Lil' Nut! We love you so very much!

Labels: Special Days, The Kiddos

I'm not a fast food junkie, but I do enjoy me some fresh fries now and then. I got hooked on Checkers fries when I was pregnant with Mickey. There was a Checkers drive-thru near my doctor's office, and I somehow seemed to end up in that drive-thru after each appointment. It was one of the those pregnancy craving things. I haven't had any Checkers fries in a long time (I'm more of a McD's girl now), but look what I found at the grocery store this week: They're not quite as good as I remember. I don't know if that's because I baked them or because I'm more calorie-conscious now. The kids loved them, and they were definitely worth the $2.50 I paid for the bag--much cheaper than going through the drive-thru!

Labels: In the Kitchen

FOR TODAY~ February 2, 2009... Outside my window...it's cloudy with a chance of meatballs rain. (Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.) :) I am thinking...how great it feels to wake up to a clean house on a Monday. That happens once in a blue moon. We managed to keep from tearing it apart over the weekend. I am thankful for...my four children. From the learning rooms...I am working on a plan for Lil' Nut's fun preschool time. I don't feel that we have accomplished much over last few months. It's gotten too easy for me to procrastinate and neglect to be creative with our lessons. I'm praying for the Lord's direction in this area. From the kitchen...Grape Nuts cereal (which the rest of my family refuses to eat because they say it tastes like rocks) and a big pink grapefruit. I am wearing...a red long-sleeved shirt, long denim skirt, and black sandals. I am creating...a new cross-stitch sampler. I am reading...in my Bible: Exodus; just for fun: Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin. I've been on the library waiting list for this book for four months. It's the last fiction book on my fall reading list. I know it's February, but I am making progress. :) I am hoping...that it isn't raining when we go to the grocery store. I am hearing...The Good Morning Show on Gospel 90.3. Around the house...dusting, ironing, and vacuuming. One of my favorite things...holding hands with my daughter Bookworm during church. I'm glad she's not afraid to show affection in public. A few plans for the rest of the week...grocery shopping, a ladies' fellowship, a trip to the library, piano lessons, and a birthday party. Here is picture thought I am sharing...sunset on Lake Marion ~~~oOo~~~ Thank you for reading my Daybook! You can read more entries at The Simple Woman.

Labels: Daybook