Durango Palmers: August 2013

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Baskets, football, firefighters, zip lines and ducks

We've been up to a lot this week but not much that's really picture worthy. Lots of school. A couple appointments. Our average week.

Today I got up early and headed to Bayfield to get on the bountiful basket I ordered. I don't know if you've ever heard of it but apparently they have them all over the country. I've done it twice and loved it each time. You buy a basket and extras if you want. Then you pick them up early Saturday morning twice a month and its like Christmas! You don't really know what you're getting in the fruit and veggie basket. We've not been disappointed though. Here's from today and the time before.

Two weeks ago:

Today:

The extras I ordered were bread and tortillas. They're amazing!

After the BB run we headed to town to watch a little pee-wee football. We were supporting a couple friends. Those little fourth grader footballers are stinking adorable! And they have their own cheerleaders.

After football we headed to a park downtown and supported our fire department. They were raising money for muscular dystrophy. They were cooking hot dogs and hamburgers (free) so we ate a delicious grilled lunch.

They had a little water fight with one of the firefighter :) hilarious! Then they got to climb up in a couple trucks.

Then they all got a turn spraying the hose!

We had a great time hanging out this morning.

In the afternoon I went zip lining with several women from the church. I did it last year at our retreat and we wanted to offer it to ladies again this year since we're not doing it at the retreat next month.

This isn't me but its a great picture for perspective.

A view from the top looking down the line.

It was quite warm out this afternoon. Hiking up after each zip got tiring quick! We had a great time though. You couldn't beat the view and flying down the zip line was so neat. I wish I could describe it. But just like sledding...ya gotta get back up the hill....

By the end I was ready to go home and sleep ;)

So after dinner tonight we plopped down and started a couple episodes of our favorite new show.

Yes. We have given in. And we don't regret it.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Eye See

I thought I'd give you quick update on my LASIK progress.

I had my one month check up last week. I have adjusted to my new eyes quite well I think. But I am still having vision problems with my right eye. My brain has adjusted...not necessarily my eye.

My Dr here isn't so sure it will correct itself on its own. I will most likely need an enhancement in my right eye to correct the problem. The enhancement can't be done till at least 3 months so I won't know for sure till November when I can get back up to Denver to see the LASIK dr.

I'm a bit bummed at the thought of doing the surgery again but I still have no regrets about doing it in the first place. I love, love, love being able to see without glasses or contacts. Not worrying about packing the right stuff or have solution leak everywhere! It's been worth it to me. Even with another surgery looming.

Till then my brain has adjusted so I can see clearer. There are definitely times I can tell my right eye isn't 20/20 but a small adjustment and I can see past it. I can still function happily!

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Late summer camping

We planned a few months ago to go camping this weekend. I'm so glad we did. Camping is one of those things I love to do but hate preparing for (and cleaning up after!). So it tends to not happen if its not already on the calendar. Thankfully it was and we had a great time.

Mark's parents made the trip down from Boulder and we camped at Mancos state park. It was a small little campground next to a small little reservoir and it was just right.

Here we are getting ready to leave the house. Excited and silly.

We got there first and had everything set up by the time the other Palmers got there.

The first night we ate dinner, made ice cream in bags,

and sat around the campfire.

Friday we spent several hours fishing at the lake. Mark and his dad had licenses and the kids didn't need them so Margie and I took pictures of the gorgeous scenery,

took the kids on treasure hunts,

(Treasure - notice the decaying crawfish)

and watched a lot of fishing

Me and my fisher-man

I call this one "If you catch it, they will come."

The shoreline was really muddy. Jack discovered that quickly and loved it!

On our way back to campsite we found a pretty cool tree that we asked Jack the monkey to climb. That kid had pretty much ruined his shoes in the mud so he spent the majority of the weekend barefoot.

When we weren't fishing or eating we played whiffle ball in the big field between our camp sites.

Jack didn't want to play this morning because he stepped on a pinecone with his bare feet so he was a spectator in the hammock.

We have such fun. I think we need to figure out how to squeeze in a fall camping trip....

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Too Much Stuff

When I was up in Denver I was driving to my parents house on the way home from one of my eye appointments. Near their house is a storage unit facility. The sign out front read "Too much stuff? Store it here. First month's rent is free!"

My first thought was that I would give stuff away before I had to pay someone to store it for me. If you're moving that's different but I personally don't want to own more stuff then I can keep at my own house. Paying someone to store my junk doesn't make sense to me. And I don't know if you've noticed this or not but these storage facilities are going up everywhere! We live in a culture with so much extra.

We find ourselves with extra things that need storing. We see the sign "first month free" and we find our solution!

BUT THEN comes the sneaky part. As soon as that first month is over they start charging your credit card to pay rent on the unit. You see the charge on your card and say to yourself "I've got to go through that storage unit and get rid of stuff and not pay any more rent."

And you do that for months....

Anyway as I was musing over that The Lord spoke to me and said that that is what we do with our emotional junk. We aren't willing to part with old wounds, aren't willing to forgive, aren't wanting to let things go that we were never meant to carry. And so we store it. And the enemy tempts us and says its okay...the first month is free!

And it seems like such a good deal so we do it. "I'm mad at so n so and they don't deserve my kindness." We decide to hold onto something. And at first it's fine. No big deal. It's "free".

Ya see, each of us has our own storage unit full of past hurts, unforgiveness and wounds. And every once in a while we are reminded that we are "paying" for them. Something happens that reminds us of what's in the "storage unit". And we promise we'll deal with it soon so we don't have to keep on paying that rent.

And we do that for months....or years...

See where this is going? This next picture might make you chuckle.

Jesus wants to come in and help you clean out your storage unit. He wants to go through all that stuff that's been packed in there for years. Sort through what is to keep and what is to dump. And He sticks with you throughout the whole process! It's like Clean Sweep! Remember that show on TLC several years ago?!

He says in his word that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. If you are feeling weighed down by the world then maybe it's time to let Jesus into your storage unit and help you clean it out. And stop paying the enemy to store your junk!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

A look at homeschool

We have successfully started my 4th year of homeschooling. Kale is in 4th grade, Kate is in 2nd and Jack is attempting kindergarten. I say attempting because technically he's still only 4. Not old enough to start public school even. But he insisted on doing school with the big kids this year so we may be doing kindergarten twice but who cares? That's the beauty of homeschool.

A typical day (so far) starts with all of us gathering at the table, some still finishing breakfast. We do our bible lesson, memory verse and our character lesson. God challenged me to Matthew 6:33 for my life as well as homeschool. Seek first the kingdom. So we do. Seek Him first thing in our school day. He also reminded me of 2 Peter which says add to your faith goodness and your goodness knowledge. What this spoke to me is that my kids' faith is the most important thing I can teach and share. Goodness (character) is next. And added to all that is knowledge (reading, 'riting, 'rythmatic). So that is the order I have chosen to do school.

Kale and Kate are doing much of their school together. They have the same curriculum for art, science, history, Latin (yes they are learning Latin vocabulary!). They start on one of those and do their chores while I "do" school with Jack. Jack and I sit down and go over letters and their sounds and basic understanding of school. Then he happily goes to school on the computer. I invested in ABCmouse.com. It's a younger kids online curriculum. Games, books, songs etc...he loves it! And it keeps him occupied while I do school with the bigger two.

The older two have been doing pretty well working together.

Separately we do spelling, English and math.

While I work with one kid the other one will either do a computer lesson (Jack gets booted)

and learn Spanish or typing, or they will do book time and spend alone time reading or looking through books.

School takes up a lot more time than it used to. Even different from last year. But time flies. We move quickly from thing to thing and we're actually having a good time with the variety. We can spend close to four solid hours.

And we are loving it. More than I have before! I believe it's because of God's challenge to me to be better focused and disciplined about all of it. And because we are seeking Him first and that helps set the tone for the day.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

If I could freeze time, I would

Tonight the kids and I had a fabulous time down at the river. It made me dream of living in town again and walking the river trail, playing on the banks of the Animas, stopping at parks to swing and just enjoying being outside.

We got dinner and took it to a park to eat. After we were done I drug them on a walk with me :)

We walked the river trail then found a spot to sneak down to the waters edge.

We laughed and played and splashed and just enjoyed being outside in the beauty of God's creation.

Being at the river near sunset was stunning. The light shining between the trees and off the water was perfect.

Hard to capture the perfectness with my phone but I had to try!

If I could just freeze this moment...

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Beautiful Knitted Hearts

I was reflecting the other day, on the beautiful women God has brought into my life. Specifically women who I do not have daily contact with anymore. Women whose lives have intertwined with mine for a season (from being a student in our youth group to college friends to ladies I've had the privilege of doing ministry with), and during that time God did something beautiful in our lives and in our relationship, so that even if we don't talk for days, weeks or even months, we can be together with each other like we've only been a part for a moment.

I think in general those are rare. But I can look back and think of several women who I've spent time with this year, either in person, on the phone or on Skype, and feel like no time has passed. We can laugh, talk, and give testimony to God's work in our lives like we used to when we saw each other frequently. I think that's something only God can do.

A gift from the King Who made our hearts, loves our friendships, and blesses us with His presence when we get together.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Disciplined Life

God is challenging Mark and I to lead a more disciplined life. A structured life in order to accomplish more, stay focused on His Kingdom assignments and not feel stressed. Last year we just existed. We did what we could when we could. Life happened to us-we did not happen to life. It was very frustrating.

So this year The Lord has led us to 4 areas each, to focus on. To schedule times to focus on them, to be disciplined in following the schedule and to then be successful in accomplishing our Kingdom assignments.

It's not easy though to be disciplined. Our natural, depraved nature would like to sit back and let things just happen. What I have realized though, is that whatever we decide to not be intentional about, the enemy would gladly be in charge of. Whether its our relationship with God (church/quiet times/prayer), our marriages, our children, our jobs, our homes, our finances, food (weight issues), our friendships, our ministries, rest...it can be exhausting trying to be intentional about all those things. But that is where God wants us. Not exhausted but dependent on Him!

We are in a battle. A battle to stay on the narrow road of Christ. There is an enemy that is working hard to distract us. I picture driving down a highway going pretty fast (the speed limit of course!) on a trip and its windy. Very windy. It's difficult to keep the car in the road where there are gusts of wind blowing strongly from left to right across the car. It's actually happened to me many times on trips to Denver. I have to grip the wheel, focus on what's ahead (my goal), not be distracted by the shaking car. It can be tiring!

Making sure that the house is kept up, homeschool gets accomplished, dinner gets made, laundry gets done, the husband gets my attention (good and positive, not grumbling or complaining), women's ministry gets planned (bible studies, retreats, breakfasts), exercise is accomplished, eating well happens that day, quiet times are enjoyed, and fun happens is tiring! Especially if the wind (my laziness, tiredness or ability to get distracted with blogging or Facebook or Pinterest...) is howling that day. Staying on the road is hard. But it's worth it. I will arrive at my goal and see all that has been accomplished! And accomplished well!

If we just drove and drove and drove without rest we're likely to give up out of sheer exhaustion. That's why God wants us to be intentional about rest. So we will push through the challenges knowing that rest is coming soon. We need a day of rest every week. We need periodic vacations that are about spending time as a family away from normal responsibilities. Times to quiet our minds and bodies. To prepare for the next part of the drive.

Stay on the path set before us. Be disciplined and self-controlled.

Proverbs 1:2-3

For attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right, just and fair.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of The Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. (This discipline refers to punishment but I think it's appropriate for self-control discipline as well.)

Proverbs 5:23

He will does for lack of discipline led astray by his own folly.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Little ninjas

This week the big 2 kids have been spending their evenings from 5-8 at Kidz Kaboom, an awesome event our church is helping put on thanks to our amazing children's pastor Jen. They've been looking forward to this all summer. It's kind of like a VBS but not. It's for kids age 6-12 and they offer all different kinda of instruction. Kids can do dance, drama, arts and crafts, soccer, volleyball, basketball....and martial arts. My kids? Yeah they picked martial arts. Kate asked me on the way to KK on Monday if they were gonna be allowed to fight people. When I told her no she asked if it was because it was a Christian thing. I explained to her that karate isn't taught so that people will beat each other up. I think she was looking forward to combat with Kale.

Showing off their moves.

I think Kale would like to continue with martial arts if he has the opportunity. Kate goes back and forth between that and horse back riding lessons (which we also have opportunity to do). We'll see how that pans out.

Mark was the speaker last night. He was amazing. Fun, energetic, silly and shared Gods love with all the kids. I think Kale and Kate were stinking proud of their dad.

I was so blessed by this event. Thursday night they gave out free haircuts and school supplies. They were wanting to reach out and love the community. I thought it was awesome.

Kaboom!

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