How do you make a man happy?

It depends on the man. :o)  

Dad is EASY! Just give him a custom six-pack.  Each of the kids "picked" a specialty beer for our family beer-ologist.  Happy Father's Day, Bryan!

Papa is easy...just paint him something.

We talk about Daddy being the "King of the Grill" so I figured I'd make it official by presenting him with a plaque for Father's Day.  I love you, Daddy!

PJ is the easiest of all...just give that boy some food! 

Happy 17th birthday, PJ!  All he wanted from us was schnitzel, mashed potatoes, broccoli salad, and an up-side down apple pie.  You can NEVER go wrong with giving a teenaged boy food for his birthday! LOL


He was so nasty from working all day, but his hands were clean...he made sure of that before touching the pie.

It's hard to believe my baby he is 17...almost grown.  I look at him and wonder what the future holds for such a hard worker.  May God bless you in whatever you put your hands to, Peter James.  In everything you do, do it as if you were doing if for God...because YOU ARE!  He gives you the strength and ability to work and He alone will carry you throughout your life.  We love you!

Some things are just God things...

We ran Bryan copies of proof of insurance yesterday and this was a "God thing" because if we had not been in the car, I would not be meditating on a quote I heard.  We were listening to Faith radio and the guest speaker was talking about the 5 stages of being a man: 1-childhood 2-adolescence 3-manhood 4-mentorship and 5-patriarch with a focus on manhood.  During the interview, the speaker said, "You are either going to be a missionary or a mission field."  This got me thinking.

Which am I? Do I portray God's love to others?  Am I a giver or a taker?  How do I teach my children to be missionaries? When can we be missionaries?  How and when do I reach others when I stay home taking care of my family? Among many other "purple-x-ing" questions.

Then it dawned on me...My family IS my mission field right now.  I AM reaching others...just through my children as they become adults.

So, if you are home wondering how to reach others, ask God and He will show you what to do.  You may just have to do the mundane chores of caring for your family for a season.  Just think how many people your children will come into contact with as young adults.  Many more than we could by ourselves.  Remember that there is a season for everything...even a season to be a missionary and a season to be a mission field.

Love in Christ,

Shannon

I'm going to tell you a secret about myself...

I CAN'T SING!  Okay, so maybe it's not a big secret.  Even when PJ was just a wee lad and I would attempt to "sing" him to sleep, he would put his hand over my mouth. ALL six of the munchkins did this. Here's the inspiration for this blog...

Monday night, we were sitting on the couch and Sierra (who LOVES the "real" Elvis) was brushing Elvis' (her stuffed horse) hair.  I started "singing" "Love me tender, love me sweet...". Sierra says, "I don't like that song." I say, "But Elvis sings that song".  Sierra says, "Yes, only better than you.  I don't like it when YOU sing it."

So much for my singing career.  Guess I won't be quitting my day job any time soon. ;o)

Here is a picture of Sierra and Elvis...

She even made his hair into a pompadour...SOMEBODY SAVE ME FROM BRYAN'S KIDS!!!!!!