definition

Webster's 1828 - marriage: The legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity, and for securing the maintenance and education of children.

Webster's 20th century - marriage: The legal relationship into which a man and a woman enter for the purpose of making a home and usually raising a family.

Tonya

shoes

Kaci knows that she has to have shoes on to go outside. So, anytime she hears the word "out", she races to the shoe cubby and grabs the first two shoes she finds. And, without fail, she will get two different shoes and put them on the wrong feet. We just love her!



Tonya

peanut butter

What could be better than eating a peanut butter sandwich out in the backyard in a makeshift fort at the top of a yellow slide?




















this sandwhich would belong to Kaci .. she never eats the crust! too funny!

Tonya

head shots

Just playing around with my camera. Trying to improve my skills. I have a looong way to go!

Tonya

chalk

new sidewalk chalk. happy girls. happy mom. cute photos. really happy mom.








okay .. not all of the moments were happy ones!

dreams

We found Kaci sleeping under the bed. Guess she was having some strange dreams!

Tonya

dresses from Grandma

The girls dressed alike for the first time. Mia was so excited. I thought they looked adorable! (of course)

Tonya

We had a visitor

We enjoyed having my brother here for the weekend! He came out for a weekend retreat with our pastor and Taj. The kids loved the time he was here at the house with us. They think he is fun! Time went by too quickly. We are praying that he has a safe flight home tonight.









Tonya

outdoors

We have been loving our New England summer. The weather is perfect! Low 70's during the day with a light breeze .. what more could you ask for? So here are some photos to show what we've been enjoying!


running

sliding

swinging

posing for Mom







wrestling

freeze tag

And the thing we are loving the most .. no school!


Hope you are enjoying summer as much as we are.

Tonya

Don't Make Me Count to Three (Part 6)

"Do you find yourself threatening, repeating your instructions, or raising your voice in an attempt to get your children to obey? Are you discouraged because it seems you just can't reach the heart of your child? Through personal experience and the practical application of Scripture, Ginger Plowman encourages and equips moms to reach past the outward behavior of their children and dive deeply into the issues of the heart. Ginger's candid approach will help moms move beyond the frustrations of not knowing how to handle issues of disobedience and into a confident and well-balanced approach to raising their children."

Setting the Standard for Obedience
We should expect instant obedience from our children. Teach them that God wants them to obey "all the way, right away, and with a happy heart."

(I have already addressed that obedience should be "all the way" and "right away." Scroll down if you missed it.)

Obedience Should Be With a Joyful Heart.
God requires not only outward obedience but also inward obedience. Inward obedience comes from a heart that is joyful. If a child is obeying with a wrong attitude, he is not obeying in a way that pleases God. A child who obeys outwardly but is inwardly angry because he didn't get his own way is a child who is not truly happy. True happiness permeates the child who delights in obeying because he knows that he is pleasing both God and his parents. Happiness and contentment are heart choices. Children can choose to obey with a happy heart. Parents must guide them in doing so.
(Ginger Plowman, taken from Chapter 11)

Tonya

Sunday afternoon nap

Tonya

Rachel Barkey

Girl Talk blog posted today that Rachel Barkey died yesterday.

"We rejoice that Rachel is now in glory, free from pain and worshipping our Savior. For us here at girltalk, and we know, for many of you as well, she will always be a profound example of steadfast faith in Jesus Christ."
(taken from Girl Talk blog)

Please pray for her husband, two precious children, and family. If you haven't watched Rachel's video testimony, please do so!

Tonya

Don't Make Me Count to Three (Part 5)

"Do you find yourself threatening, repeating your instructions, or raising your voice in an attempt to get your children to obey? Are you discouraged because it seems you just can't reach the heart of your child? Through personal experience and the practical application of Scripture, Ginger Plowman encourages and equips moms to reach past the outward behavior of their children and dive deeply into the issues of the heart. Ginger's candid approach will help moms move beyond the frustrations of not knowing how to handle issues of disobedience and into a confident and well-balanced approach to raising their children."


Setting the Standard for Obedience
We should expect instant obedience from our children. Teach them that God wants them to obey "all the way, right away, and with a happy heart."

(I address that obedience should be "all the way" yesterday. Scroll down if you missed it.)

Obedience Should Be Right Away.
Any time my pastor preaches on obedience, he always ends with the classic injunction, "Delayed obedience is disobedience." A child should be trained to respond promptly the first time the parents give a command. The parent should not have to yell, threaten, or repeat instructions in order to achieve obedience. The command that should be obeyed is to be spoken in a normal tone of voice and only one time. The consequences of delayed obedience are seen in the life of Jonah. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. In the end Jonah did go. But the consequences of his delayed obedience put his life and the life of many others in great spiritual and physical danger. Instant obedience should be the standard, and children should be expected to abide by that standard.
(Ginger Plowman, taken from Chapter 11)

Tonya

no schedules .. it's summer!

Tonya