Here are a few short descriptions of things going on here in West Sac...
Sarah Jane only has 4 days of school left. She is very excited to be done with First Grade, and while I'm proud of her and remember the sheer joy that comes with the end of the school year I am not entirely thrilled to have all three girls (plus the little boy I babysit) all day, everyday.
Sadie Lynn got to go to preschool twice this week while I taught the morning class. She fits in great and will have a fine time in the fall, no doubt. We got her registration packet and are really looking forward to her having the full preschool experience soon.
Sydney Joy is continuing to pick up words and attitudes. She has a tight grasp on the concept of "NO!" and "MINE!" and "STOP IT!" All three of which come in handy when playing with her sisters, but are much less enjoyable when screamed at me.
So, that's the short of it. Oh, one more thing. Sarah Jane is bringing home stacks of work from school with the end of the year being so close. One of the things I sifted through last week was a book she made about butterflies. One page was a worksheet provided by the teacher that asked them to write 3 things they knew about butterflies. Sarah Jane's list looked like this:
1. They only live for three weeks
2. They like to be free
3. They are not made of butter
There you go. Have a good laugh.
Yours 'till the butter flies.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Grace-full
I taught a Bible study this morning on Hannah: A Portrait of Feminine Grace. It was out of a book I highly recommend called Twelve Extraordinary Women of the Bible. Very good! Anyway, I led a study on Hannah and I'd like to share one of the keys to her grace-full example.
Hannah was barren, much like Sarah. And, just like Sarah, Hannah pleaded with God to give her a child- specifically a boy. Fast forward about 9 months and Hannah gives birth to Samuel. Now, when Hannah beseeched the Lord for a son she promised to give him back to God, to devote him to a life of service in the tabernacle. Once Samuel was weaned, about 3-4 years old, Hannah took him to the tabernacle, dedicated him to the Lord with an offering and then she turned around and walked away, leaving her little boy to be raised by the priest. Yes, I said she left her son! How could she do that!? Well, she had promised God that he could have the boy back if he allowed her to conceive him. And she followed through with that promise, as hard as it must have been. But here's the really unbelievable thing...
In 1 Samuel 1 we read "Hannah said...'I prayed for this child, and God gave me what I asked for. And now I have dedicated him to God. He's dedicated to God for life.' Then and there, they worshiped God."
Did I read that right? Right then and there, they worshiped God? And the prayer and praise that follows is amazing. This woman was leaving her small child, the only one she had, the one she waited so long to have, and the first thing she does is praise the Lord. Here's her words from the Message Bible
I'm laughing at my rivals,
I'm dancing my salvation.
nothing and no one is holy like God,
No rock mountain like our God.
Take a minute to look it up in your Bible and read the whole story (1 Samuel 1:1-2:10). And then join me in praying that we can have the grace of Hannah as God asks us to give back the blessings (time, money, gifts and talents, etc) he has entrusted to us.
Hannah was barren, much like Sarah. And, just like Sarah, Hannah pleaded with God to give her a child- specifically a boy. Fast forward about 9 months and Hannah gives birth to Samuel. Now, when Hannah beseeched the Lord for a son she promised to give him back to God, to devote him to a life of service in the tabernacle. Once Samuel was weaned, about 3-4 years old, Hannah took him to the tabernacle, dedicated him to the Lord with an offering and then she turned around and walked away, leaving her little boy to be raised by the priest. Yes, I said she left her son! How could she do that!? Well, she had promised God that he could have the boy back if he allowed her to conceive him. And she followed through with that promise, as hard as it must have been. But here's the really unbelievable thing...
In 1 Samuel 1 we read "Hannah said...'I prayed for this child, and God gave me what I asked for. And now I have dedicated him to God. He's dedicated to God for life.' Then and there, they worshiped God."
Did I read that right? Right then and there, they worshiped God? And the prayer and praise that follows is amazing. This woman was leaving her small child, the only one she had, the one she waited so long to have, and the first thing she does is praise the Lord. Here's her words from the Message Bible
I'm laughing at my rivals,
I'm dancing my salvation.
nothing and no one is holy like God,
No rock mountain like our God.
Take a minute to look it up in your Bible and read the whole story (1 Samuel 1:1-2:10). And then join me in praying that we can have the grace of Hannah as God asks us to give back the blessings (time, money, gifts and talents, etc) he has entrusted to us.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Our Week in Review
Steve's week went like this: First, he went to work, came home, and went to sleep. After about 6 hours he got up, ate lunch, went to the gym to work out, came home to take a nap, had a snack then went back to work. And so the cycle continues... At our recently attended Marriage Encounter weekend we were asked at the beginning to introduce ourselves and say one thing we appreciate about our spouse. Steve went first and said that he appreciates the effort I put into keeping a quiet house while he is sleeping during the day. I followed with how much I appreciate his overwhelming desire to support and provide for his family. (Which, BTW, I had planned to say before he said his thing) And so, I reminisce on that to let you all know that while Steve's schedule is difficult at times, and although it may seem from the outside that our limited togetherness would be a hindrance to our marriage, we really are making it work to the best of our ability. Steve, in fact, is at work as I speak (um,type) and the next 3 days I calculate less than 10 hours when we will be awake at the same time and in the same place, he then has 5 days off in a row and with it being a holiday weekend and no school on Monday, family time is right around the corner! Woo Hoo!
My week went like this: I really didn't have much outside of the ordinary activities with the exception of being able to teach at the preschool 3 days. Once in the afternoon class and twice in the morning class. I must admit, the more I'm in the classroom with those darling children and the closer it gets to the end of school year, the more excited I am about this job for the fall. I am trying very hard not to count ALL of my chickens until I actually sign on the dotted line, which may not happen until early august. But everytime I talk to the morning teacher she reassures me that I'm in the door and my cart gets a little bit closer to the front of my horse.
Sarah Jane's week went like this: She had her regular school schedule, but this week was Teddy Bear Week. She got to take her favorite bear to school, where it stayed all week long. Each day they would read to their bears, play games with them, and try to teach them something new. On Friday when they entered the room in the morning the class was startled to discover that the bears were having quite the party while they were gone. Some were playing with the classroom toys, others were reading to themselves, some were trying to write on the chalk board. Each bear was found doing something curious. According to Sarah Jane, her bear was playing with several other bears in a game that looked a lot like "duck duck goose." What fun. Her week ended with a sleepover birthday party at her friend Mayra's house. She was a bit worried that she would miss me while away, and so I gave her one of my bracelets to wear so she could think of me and have me close. I also told her it would be fine to call if she needed to, just to say goodnight and get a kiss over the phone. Well, when I went to pick her up I mentioned that she must have had a good time because she never did call me. She said, and I quote, "I'm sorry mom, I forgot all about you."
Nice.
Sadie Lynn's week went like this: Again, if my week doesn't vary from the usual routine, neither does hers. Although, she did get get to accompany me to the preschool both mornings I taught. She had a great time and is also getting very excited to be a part of the class next year.
Sydney Joy's week went like this: Surprisingly parallel to Steve's- she woke up, ate, played, took a nap, ate some more, played some more, took another nap, ate again, continued to play, then went to bed. And so the cycle continues...
Well, that's about it for now.
Yours 'till every room is clean except the mushroom.
My week went like this: I really didn't have much outside of the ordinary activities with the exception of being able to teach at the preschool 3 days. Once in the afternoon class and twice in the morning class. I must admit, the more I'm in the classroom with those darling children and the closer it gets to the end of school year, the more excited I am about this job for the fall. I am trying very hard not to count ALL of my chickens until I actually sign on the dotted line, which may not happen until early august. But everytime I talk to the morning teacher she reassures me that I'm in the door and my cart gets a little bit closer to the front of my horse.
Sarah Jane's week went like this: She had her regular school schedule, but this week was Teddy Bear Week. She got to take her favorite bear to school, where it stayed all week long. Each day they would read to their bears, play games with them, and try to teach them something new. On Friday when they entered the room in the morning the class was startled to discover that the bears were having quite the party while they were gone. Some were playing with the classroom toys, others were reading to themselves, some were trying to write on the chalk board. Each bear was found doing something curious. According to Sarah Jane, her bear was playing with several other bears in a game that looked a lot like "duck duck goose." What fun. Her week ended with a sleepover birthday party at her friend Mayra's house. She was a bit worried that she would miss me while away, and so I gave her one of my bracelets to wear so she could think of me and have me close. I also told her it would be fine to call if she needed to, just to say goodnight and get a kiss over the phone. Well, when I went to pick her up I mentioned that she must have had a good time because she never did call me. She said, and I quote, "I'm sorry mom, I forgot all about you."
Nice.
Sadie Lynn's week went like this: Again, if my week doesn't vary from the usual routine, neither does hers. Although, she did get get to accompany me to the preschool both mornings I taught. She had a great time and is also getting very excited to be a part of the class next year.
Sydney Joy's week went like this: Surprisingly parallel to Steve's- she woke up, ate, played, took a nap, ate some more, played some more, took another nap, ate again, continued to play, then went to bed. And so the cycle continues...
Well, that's about it for now.
Yours 'till every room is clean except the mushroom.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Weekend Update
I guess I should start with an update on the weekday goings on before I jump into the weekend...
It was an uneventful week containing all of the normal activities, and that's all I have to say about that.
Our weekend went much too quickly, as do all of them. After a quiet Friday night at home with the girls we got up bright and early on Saturday and hit the ground running. I had a luncheon/silent auction at church which is an annual event. My participation included performing a monologue during the entertainment portion of the event. It was the voice of a young woman who had recently realized that she was becoming her mother and how, in the end, that wasn't such a bad thing.
I will now take a minute to say that while the aforementioned monologue was found in a dramatic publication there is no one prouder to become her mother than I am. If there were any woman I would emulate, idolize, and model my life after it would be my Mom!
Our Saturday continued with an afternoon BBQ in honor of those boys and girls who were able to, by way of writing and remembering Bible verses and toting along Bibles and friends, earned 25 or more points at Horizon's Kidz Church. About 12 out of the 50 regular attending children were able to gather enough points to be invited to this special event, and of course our Sarah Jane was one of them. The BBQ was held a local park which is beautifully equipped with large grassy areas, a wonderful man made lake, and a super fun fountain area where the kids can get wet. Sadie Lynn and Sydney Joy joined in the celebration although both are too young to participate in the program. We all returned home wet and tired.
Sunday morning was church, after which we got take out for lunch and went home for relaxation and nap time. Steve went to work around 3 pm and the rest of us stayed in the air conditioning and played games. My family celebrated Mother's Day with the giving of gifts. I received a special edition DVD of West Side Story from Steve, and the girls got mommy some of her favorite music in the form of the Hairspray soundtrack. We played the CD after dinner and danced and sang until we fell on the floor laughing. Much fun was had by all.
Once again, our regular week is just hours away. Steve will have 2 days off in the middle of the week, and I will be subbing for two days at the end of the week. I will try to find time to fill you in somewhere in the middle, and so...
Yours 'till the moon is a guest on Dancing With the Stars
It was an uneventful week containing all of the normal activities, and that's all I have to say about that.
Our weekend went much too quickly, as do all of them. After a quiet Friday night at home with the girls we got up bright and early on Saturday and hit the ground running. I had a luncheon/silent auction at church which is an annual event. My participation included performing a monologue during the entertainment portion of the event. It was the voice of a young woman who had recently realized that she was becoming her mother and how, in the end, that wasn't such a bad thing.
I will now take a minute to say that while the aforementioned monologue was found in a dramatic publication there is no one prouder to become her mother than I am. If there were any woman I would emulate, idolize, and model my life after it would be my Mom!
Our Saturday continued with an afternoon BBQ in honor of those boys and girls who were able to, by way of writing and remembering Bible verses and toting along Bibles and friends, earned 25 or more points at Horizon's Kidz Church. About 12 out of the 50 regular attending children were able to gather enough points to be invited to this special event, and of course our Sarah Jane was one of them. The BBQ was held a local park which is beautifully equipped with large grassy areas, a wonderful man made lake, and a super fun fountain area where the kids can get wet. Sadie Lynn and Sydney Joy joined in the celebration although both are too young to participate in the program. We all returned home wet and tired.
Sunday morning was church, after which we got take out for lunch and went home for relaxation and nap time. Steve went to work around 3 pm and the rest of us stayed in the air conditioning and played games. My family celebrated Mother's Day with the giving of gifts. I received a special edition DVD of West Side Story from Steve, and the girls got mommy some of her favorite music in the form of the Hairspray soundtrack. We played the CD after dinner and danced and sang until we fell on the floor laughing. Much fun was had by all.
Once again, our regular week is just hours away. Steve will have 2 days off in the middle of the week, and I will be subbing for two days at the end of the week. I will try to find time to fill you in somewhere in the middle, and so...
Yours 'till the moon is a guest on Dancing With the Stars
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Weekend Update
This weekend Steve and I attended a marriage retreat here in Sacramento called Marriage Encounter. It was FABULOUS! We had a great time with each other and with God. It was a unique conference in that 90% of our time was spent alone with each other. the weekend was designed to teach and promote and allow communication between spouses. And boy does it work. I would recommend Marriage Encounter to anyone. One of their catch phrases is that they strive to "make good marriages great." Ours is still a work in progress of course, as it will be until death do us part, but we now have the tools to effectively build a relationship that will last that long. If you are interested, check out the website www.agme.org. They have an upcoming weekend event in TX (Christy...)
While we were gone the girls stayed with our good friends The Einsels. Evidence of their horrible experience was immediately seen as Steve and I walked in the door after being gone for 42 hours and heard "I don't want to go home!" "Can't we stay another day?" "Aww, you're back already?" Just a little bit of separation anxiety would be nice now and then, seriously!
So that is how we spent our last 2 days. Quite productive. This week holds a visit to the preschool class to begin scoping things out for next year, three nights of meetings, and I'm sure a countless number of surprises. I'll keep you "Updated."
Yours 'till Superman wears the Cape of Good Hope
While we were gone the girls stayed with our good friends The Einsels. Evidence of their horrible experience was immediately seen as Steve and I walked in the door after being gone for 42 hours and heard "I don't want to go home!" "Can't we stay another day?" "Aww, you're back already?" Just a little bit of separation anxiety would be nice now and then, seriously!
So that is how we spent our last 2 days. Quite productive. This week holds a visit to the preschool class to begin scoping things out for next year, three nights of meetings, and I'm sure a countless number of surprises. I'll keep you "Updated."
Yours 'till Superman wears the Cape of Good Hope
Friday, May 2, 2008
"Comment"tary
Communication. A fairly long word that can refer to one or more of the numerous ways information can be transferred from one being to another. Some of the most common references are to the verbal and written forms.
The Hinton Huddle wishes to use the written form of communication through the technology of this blog. And I think it can be said that, as of recently, this effort has been successful.
You are encouraged to join in the use of written communication by posting comments to one or more of the posts on this blog. It is extremely motivating to the author of these short updates to hear from you the reader. It reinforces the illusion that someone is actually reading this blog and that it is at least somewhat enjoyable for others to experience.
With sincere thanks,
The Hinton Huddle
The Hinton Huddle wishes to use the written form of communication through the technology of this blog. And I think it can be said that, as of recently, this effort has been successful.
You are encouraged to join in the use of written communication by posting comments to one or more of the posts on this blog. It is extremely motivating to the author of these short updates to hear from you the reader. It reinforces the illusion that someone is actually reading this blog and that it is at least somewhat enjoyable for others to experience.
With sincere thanks,
The Hinton Huddle
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