My Ebenezer

I have several other things to post, but this one is so big that I wanted to make sure it got done even if none of the others do! Whatta smile on Noah's face his first day of preschool! I don't think I ever wrote about our decision to put Noah in a formal preschool versus me teaching him at home. I plan to do that now, but first, more pictures! I call this, "Aw, Mom, please don't make me turn around and show you my backpack!" There are some things in life that make kids look cuter and smarter. A backpack is one of them. Just saying. Which one of us is more excited? You decide. Teaching is overwhelming to me. The thought of homeschooling, while it has its advantages, leaves me feeling as though I'm staring at the foot of a mountain which I must climb with no equipment. Yeah, "overwhelmed" pretty much describes it! In college, I was given the choice of changing my major to Art Education, but I think I almost broke out in hives at t...

The whole family. Josh and Noah on the paddle boats Love this view between the shoulders of my two favorite guys. Mom and Dad Rowley Matt, Melanie, and their family. Matt and Jen with Titus. Brianne is on the back. Trust me. :) Joel and Hannah with Lauren. This was as close as I could get in the boat! You know these folks! Headed to the top of the creek for a tube ride. Don't we make quite the sight? The water was FREEZING. If you see people in crazy positions on their tubes, it is likely because they were trying to avoid the numbing cold. :) It was actually very funny to be there in person. Crazy position illustrated. :) And again. The kids didn't mind the cold water! Trying to avoid a log-jam Matt and Titus Craft shop Hanging out at Joel and Hannah's What's a trip to camp without a campfire? And a fun family game of volleyball The Shoals What a fantastic week!

The week before all of the busy stuff started, Josh and Noah went out in our "creek" behind our house for some "swimming." Lots of quote marks going on here. You'd understand if you saw our "creek". :)

Truth Baptist Church of Connecticut sent some of their teen group to help us here at Truth Baptist Church of Jacksonville put on our second Vacation Bible School. From August 6-12, we housed the girls from that team and had VBS by day, and slumber parties by night. Above are some photos from VBS.

I'm back! Well, as back as can be, I guess. What a CrAzY month we have had. Perpetual motion just barely describes our life lately. I would love to take about 2 days and do nothing but blog about all the things that have happened but that's just not possible. Instead, I'm going to try to catch up on all the events in the small moments I have.

I don't think there ever was a fuller August for our family. Here is a brief overview of what we are up to Lord-willing this month: Aug 8-12 Our church's second Vacation Bible School Aug 6-12 hosting in our home the girls who came from CT to help with VBS Aug 11 Noah begins soccer! Aug 14-20 trip to the Wilds of NC for a Rowley family vacation Aug 22 Noah starts school! Aug 20-? Josh's parents will be with us for 2-ish weeks while Dad works on some houses down here. Each one of those things deserves its own post, which I will get to Lord-willing as soon as I remember my own name. :) Thought you'd like to know what we're up to!

The other day we were in the car and Noah was giving me his usual "Mommy, did you know?" monologue, which consists of him randomly asking me if I am aware of certain facts. Within a long series of these, I got the following question: "Mommy, did you know that God's Word is very pokey? And that it can cut up things?" What a literal mind children have! He's heard me talk about Hebrews 4:12, which states, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword; piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." For my sword-loving boy, this may be his favorite verse! :)

Every now and then I love getting out the paints for Noah to use, but it's kind of rare I have to say. Because you can't just get out the paints; no! Then it's the towel to drape over the chair, the paper plate that stands in for a palette, the paintbrushes, the cup of water to rinse the brush, the newspaper to protect the table, the paper to paint on.... Next thing you know, it's a scene right out of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Exhausting, to say the least. The other evening, at 5:04pm (classic supper-making-time), Noah decided he wanted to paint. I was up to my elbows in raw meatloaf (you've not lived til you've mixed your meatloaf with your bare hands!) at the time, and the thought of the whole production that we call painting just made me sigh. I suggested he draw instead. (Drawing requires just two resources--paper and pencils--instead of 27). When he was done, he declared that he had drawn a picture of monkeys, and wanted to show me. As usual, I ex...

I was going to try to post about everything that's been happening since my computer decided not to post my blogs anymore, but then I realized how great a task that would be, so No. I'm just going to give some highlights. This is not by any means my preferred way to blog, but when you've missed so many opportunities like I have, you just have to pick up the pieces and move on. Instead of the book, you're going to get the cliff notes. I have to start this with a huge THANK YOU to my husband Josh, for working on my blog problem last night. If you haven't already figured it out, I am a next-to-computer-illiterate. Encountering a "javascript void" message made me want to start a new blog on a different site (way to solve a problem, Jo!), but Josh stuck with it and found a solution. Thanks, Honeybear! Noah's birthday party was a success in the sense that everyone had fun. We did water balloons, a pinata, and had cake and ice cream. What more do you ne...