Halloween

The boys had fun trick-or-treating in town tonight. J was a Nebraska Husker football player, E was a pirate and N was an indian.

It's harvest time!

The boys had fun taking turns riding in the combine to harvest corn on their grandpa's farm today.

Carving Pumpkins

The boys carved their pumpkins tonight.

Stand up and do your best!

Stand up in the place where [God] has put you, and there do your best. The grandest character is grown in hardship, from LB Cowman's Streams in the Desert.

I can get overwhelmed and frustrated by my lot in life, so this quote is very encouraging!

Remembering 10/21/00

[B]etter to have loved and lost [t]han never to have loved at all, Alfred Lord Tennyson. 

Today would've been my and Kent's 10th wedding anniversary. We had a healthy Christ-centered marriage, but it wasn't perfect. The beauty of our love, though, was that we loved each other in our imperfections . . . just like Jesus loves us. I miss him and our life, but I'm thankful for the eight years we were married.

Gettin' Rid of Dirt

As I was power washing our deck today, I couldn't help but think it'd be nice if the dirt in my heart and life would disappear as easily as it did from the deck.

The Gifts of Sorrow

This is another quote from LB Cowman's devotional, Consolation, that spoke straight to my heart:

Take care that you don't waste your sorrows; that you don't let the precious gifts of disappointment, pain, loss, loneliness, or similar afflictions that come into your daily life mar you instead of mend you. See that they send you nearer to God, and not that they drive you farther from Him

This classic devotional continues to be a great source of comfort and encouragement to me as we continue to heal from our loss. It's out of print but if you can find it on Amazon or even eBay, I trust it'll bless you as much as it has me.

New Robes

The boys' new robes arrived in the mail a few days ago. They're supposed to wear them as an alternative to bringing blankets to the kitchen table every morning. So far, so good!

Journey & Gateway

This is a quote from today's entry in LB Cowman's classic devotional, Consolation:

What we call life is a journey to death. What we call death is the gateway to life.

Wow! I'm so thankful for the hope of eternal life through knowing Jesus!

Pumpkin Picking

We went to Helgoth's Pumpkin Patch today where the boys had fun going on a hayride to pick their own pumpkins.

Good Reports

I went to parent-teacher conferences tonight and all three of the boys are doing great in school. I really like the Accelerated Reader program that supplements their reading curriculum. They want to read all the time to reach their monthly goals. It's awesome!

E turns 7!

My middle son, E, turned seven today! He had fun celebrating his birthday with some of his classmates, cousins and brothers at the Big Apple's Ballocity.

Later in the evening, he lost his first tooth!