Wordless Wednesday!

Date night!

Tim and I have always loved date nights. Date night for us usually consisted of dinner and a movie in front of the tv. Sometimes we would sit in the living room with dinner or other times relax in bed with dessert. It's something we've done and loved our entire married life. Once in a while we would drop our boys off at grandmas for the day so we could go out in the real world, but we really are homebodies and love our time together at night. Nineteen months ago our lives turned a major corner with the arrival of 10 extra people into our home and we found our date nights thrown not even to the back burner, but underneath the stove. We tried to still stick to date nights, but they were rarely alone. So this past month we've realized our lives even though still chaotic are stable enough that we can now slip away without worry. So I was very excited when Tim came home after lunch and told me we were going out. Dinner was in the crockpots, school was done, it was nap time for all the littles, all was well enough to leave. It was fantabulous! He took me to a wonderful dinner at Olive Garden, then treated me to a movie (Prince of Persia...we will def being purchasing it!), then we walked around Hobby Lobby looking at all kinds of cool things before we finally left with only the rocket launchers and model glue for Tim and the boys rockets, and to end the date we had Brusters!

 

I can't even begin to be say how thankful I am for this man that God brought into my life. He is an amazing husband and a fabulous father. I am blessed, so very blessed! 

Cry Out To Jesus

I absolutely love the words of this song.



To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

Chorus

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith and love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

Chorus

When your lonely (when you're lonely)
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers from being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

Chorus

Busy day #2!

This morning Tim and the oldies were out of the house by 6:30 on their way to Forward 2010 for day 2.  So I called a school free day which caused many children to skip around the house proclaiming their happiness at the top of their lungs.  We were in our pjs, the kids were playing various things all over the house, nothing but free time.  Around 1pm I decided to take the kids on a surprise adventure.  Everyone got dressed and we were on our way.  The kids kept trying to guess where we were going, and I loving every second of the suspense just told them  they would know when we pulled into the parking lot. To add to the suspense I drove a few miles out of our way so the kids were really wondering.  First stop:

A very rare treat for sure, but we had our family fun piggy bank with us.  So we enjoyed various slushies (which was a first for my 4 littles ), tots, and burgers!  I dug into our bank and paid the skating waiter with 20 $1bills, $10 in quarters and .33.  He just looked at our 15 passenger van and then at me with a strange look on his face.  I also gave him a generous tip in quarters that got a smile from him.  It was all very organized and I'm sure he is thankful (unknowingly) that I didn't give him the $10 in pennies.  Just fyi, Sonics has 50% off slushies between 2 and 4 every day! If you haven't tried the Lemon-Berry real fruit slush your missing out! 

After we finished eating we were on our way.  I drove around for a few minutes so the kids were really wondering what we were up to.  By this time they were sure we were heading to Papa Burns and Grandma Dots house.  Wrong they were!  Second stop:

 Toy Story 3 in 3D!  The kids were so excited.  Out of all our littles and middles only Johnston had been to a movie before so this was a big time first experience for all our newest family members.  I told the kids when we pulled in that we would not be having popcorn or drinks since we had just had Sonics.  That way I knew that when we walked past the food they would be all okay with not getting anything and they wouldn't ask. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I just can't bring myself to pay $8.50 for a bucket of popcorn and $6.50 for a large drink.  

I took a few pictures of the kiddos with my Droid phone so excuse the quiality of the pictures.  

(Becca striking a pose & Holland)

(Gang in front of the Toy Story poster)

(Got the perfect seats!)

While we were enjoying our time Tim and the oldies were enjoying themselves at Forward 2010 down in Atlanta again.  In their morning session they enjoyed a wonderful worship service led by Ricardo Sanchez.

He is an amazing musician and worship leader.  We first heard him when he was the worship leader at Free Chapel.  This is just one of the amazing worship songs that he has written that I love.

They also had the opportunity to hear from motivational speaker Reggie Dabbs.  His message was about overcoming things in our lives.  He told them before the sun can stand still there are things you have to deal with in your life.  He is a popular public school speaker with the ability to get in where most cannot go with  God's message.  He uses humor to talk about what these kids are facing.  Drugs, alcohol, suicide, and much more.  I love that he has never smoked a cigarette, done drugs or drank alcohol, why simply because he CHOSE not to.  A message that needs to get out to the children in our world.  We all have a choice!  One of his points he tries to get across is "You can never change your past, but you can change your future!"  I love it!

After a five hour lunch break they were back at the conference ready to worship and soak in the message.  Free Chapels worship team led by Pastor Rory Comtos led them in a powerful worship time.  Tim and the kids were very excited to tell me that their was a surprise visitor that they heard from tonight.  Jim Caviezel!  We had the privilege of hearing him speak this past March at Free Chapel.  He has a powerful message!  I found this interview with him on youtube and it so worth seeing.  One quote from the interview that got me in the heart was when asked if he was believer Jim said "Why would you go through persecution if you didn't know you were right?" 

Tim said one of Jim's quotes from tonight that really stood out is "My Christian brothers and sisters you are not made to fit in, you were made to stand out."  That is a message I pray the kids took away with them.  Especially in todays youth the strive to do whatever it takes to 'fit' in is overwhelming.  I am so blessed to look at my children and know that they aren't even aware of having to 'fit' in.  To be blessed with the attitude take me or leave, but I'm not changing who I am so we can be friends. 

To close out this wonderful day they heard from Pastor Jentzen Franklin.  His message was "Are you willing to sacrifice everything to take Jesus' cross?"  Pastor Franklin said that the things we have to sacrifice are usually the things that aren't good for us anyway.  So true!  His other big saying was "The cross is not a minus sign, it is a plus sign.  Everything he has had to" loose" has been replaced by something bigger and better."  So his encouragement to the kids is we will gain more from taking up the cross then we will loose in making the decision to do so.

Tim and the kids came home tonight completely exhausted, but they have to be out the door for day three bright and early.  Can't wait to hear all about tomorrow!

Busy day!

We had an over the top busy day today.  On our list counseling, grocery shopping, clothing shopping, and a very rare event....lunch at Stevi B's with all fourteen members of our family at one time!  We had to have this all accomplished by 4pm so Tim and our oldest kids could get ready to leave for Forward 2010 down in Atlanta.  Tim and the oldies were on the road by 5:15 leaving me alone with the middles and littles.  With littles having missed naps I wanted to make sure they were in bed on time so we did a quick dinner of hot dogs/yogurt  and watched the Backyardigan dvd we received via Netflix today.  It was all chill at our house!  The littles actually made it to bed on time leaving the middles looking at me very expectantly.  I was one tired mom who honestly didn't feel like playing a game or doing something crafty....but i wanted to let the middles stay up and do something.  So they made popcorn and I found a movie on Netflix for us to watch.

(Johnston stealing some popcorn!)

(Becca trying to keep the boys out of the popcorn)

 While we were having our movie/popcorn fest Tim and the oldies were enjoying Forword 2010.  

 

 They enjoyed a wonderful Third Day concert.  Tim's last concert he attended, well over 20 years ago, was George Clinton so this was a totally different experience.  This was the kids first concert so they were completely psyched and loved every second.  I read somewhere that Billboard magazine noted that Third Day is "not only one of the best Christian bands of the past two decades, but one of the best rock bands period."  They truly are amazing and we personally love their music in the Jeffries houshold.

 

They also heard an amazing message from Pastor Steven Furtick from Elevation church in Charlotte.  His message was titled "How Big is your God?"  Tim said the main point of his message was don't be afraid to ask big things of God...He is capable of doing anything!  We limit things as humans, but God is limitless.  He has a new book coming out called "Sun Stand Still" that I am really excited to read.  He used the story of Joshua asking God to make sun stand still so that he could win the battle and God did it!  Talk about faith!  Tim and the kids came back encouraged and challeneged! 

Wordless Wednesday!

Four Wheelin' Fun!

One thing we want our kids to not miss out on is good fun adventures.  Two years ago when we only had a 7yr old and 3 yr old doing things was a breeze.  We were known to jump in the car after Tim got off work on a Friday night and off we would go.  Out on an adventure.  We would sleep in our minivan at a camp site and just drive here and there seeking new places to explore.  Now that we have 12 it's not that easy.  No jumping in the 15 passenger van for an over night adventure for us anymore.  Trips have to be planned out and thought through!  So we've come up with new ways to have adventures while spending time one on one with our kiddos.  This past Saturday Tim and I were able to take Maxwell (12) and Johnston (9) four wheeling for the first time.

 They had a blast as did we.  Tim is a lot more daring then I so he and Max took off and made new paths through the brush.  Johnston and I stuck to the already tried and true path.  We found tire tracks filled with water from a recent rain that was swarming with tadpoles.  We are thinking of returning this weekend to see if the tadpoles are still alive or if the tire track has dried up.  It would be great to see them still thriving!  One of the many joys of homeschooling! ;)

After thirty minutes or so Johnston was begging to be in the drivers seat.  He did great!  He had us zooming along the path at a pretty good speed.  (My foot was poised on the foot brake just in case, but I didn't have to use it.)  I loved seeing the boys grinning so proudly as they drove these monster wheelers!  They grew a few inches just in confidence I think.  LOL! We've taken four of our twelve kiddos four wheeling so far...only eight left!  Looking forward to our next adventures!

Active Imaginations!

There is something wonderful about a child's imagination.  I love seeing my kids growing and expanding their imaginations!  Our kids enjoy building with all kinds of different things.  Legos, lincoln logs, tinker toys, magnitex, erector sets, and Kinex.  That's not counting playdoh and all other sorts of materials we use. 

Davidson build a machette like Daddy's with K'nex!  (He was very proud of it!)

Johnston built this and knowing him it has something to do with Star Wars!  (Death Star?)

Yet another Star Wars thing made out of K'nex!

Were Not Guilty Anymore!

This song has become one of our kids favorites lately.  It speaks to each of us in different ways, but it has such a powerful message for my newest additions concerning their pasts.  We have such a loving Father!

Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins!

We are trying to cook more at home while trying to cut out processed foods at the same time.  Not that we are never going to have Fruit Loops or MacNCheese, but we are trying to eat a little healthier!  Also, from reading blogs of other mega families (mega families are families that don't fit in a mini van! That's us!) cooking from scratch is also cheaper.  So we are going to put that to practice and see if it's true!  LOL!  Anything to make our pennies stretch! (Or Buffalo nickels!) While in Florida this past weekend we were blessed to see my parents honored  for their services as Elders.  They played some clips of things my dad had said during teaching or preaching.  One thing he said has stayed in my mind and makes me chuckle....he said that during  financial lean times in their marriage  he had to squeeze his Buffalo nickel so hard he waited for it to poop!  Priceless daddy!!!! 

Today we tried Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins from recipezaar.  Yummo!  We of course tripled the recipe and I used applesauce instead of oil.  I read the comments on the side of the page and noticed that people said they were slightly bland so I used more brown sugar and cinnamon!  They were moist and so yummy!  They ended up tasting like apple cinnamon muffins.  They were not only delicious, they were easy to make.  Morgan (14) and Becca (10) did everything themselves!  Our tripled batch made 48 muffins which with peach yogurt covered one breakfast for our family!

Johnston enjoying his muffin!

Wordless Wednesday!