Through Every Season

Month: November 2008

Tears of Joy and Sadness

  
It’s such a historic moment that I didn’t feel like I could leave it out of my blog.  I am hoping to turn my blog into our family scrapbook in a few weeks and would like to preserve the history for my grandchildren.
The pre-election campaign was closely watched for the first time this year by my kids.  They are growing up and it’s a lot of fun to hear their thoughts on things.  We read about and excitedly  talked over the issues for months. 
We took a crash course in Government at the beginning of this year and then in American History we have been studying the Enlightenment period, everything that led to the revolution, and up to the constitution.  On the day of election we just happened to be assigned to read the part in the constitution about the executive branch of the government.  Kinda cool right?  All of this study has helped us to see how important self government is and how far our country has gone off track from the intentions of our founding fathers.  I’d like to study more about the cycles of government in history and get a better idea of where we are headed.  In World History we recently learned how greed and thirst for violent entertainment led to the fall of Rome.
 We had two that we were privileged to take early Tuesday morning for their first time to vote in a presidential election.  Our oldest felt very strongly about the views of the Constitution Party and voted for their candidate, Chuck Baldwin, which I think is great.  Our second oldest voted pro-life and for cutting back on our national government, which I also think is great.  I am very proud of both of them for prayerfully thinking over the issues and choosing a candidate and making their voice heard.  
 Throughout the election campaign and the recent growing economic crisis I spent a lot of time praying for our country.  I wanted to see Roe vs. Wade over turned; I wanted to see John McCain stand up to the terrorist who hate us and take a hatchet to government spending; I wanted to see my Christian values upheld, marriage protected, and adopted children and a down syndrome child grow up in the White House.  But some how seeing the African American children moving into the White House moved me to tears of joy.  
I am moved to pray even harder for our government leaders.  Praying that they will seek wisdom from God, that they will personally experience revival and that the fact that an “African American/American Indian/etc.” was elected as president will help bring healing to our nation.  The American History course that we are taking and the fact that we have moved to Alabama has taken us to the heart of that wound.  I hope we can be a part of the healing.
I am also moved to pray harder for our nation; I pray especially for the youth of our nation.  So many lies have been legislated into law, into being taught at our schools and are effecting their thinking.  Evolution is being taught to millions of children, reducing them to animals and taking away their reason to live.  Young women are aborting their children thinking that if it’s legal it must be O.K. without comprehending the mental, emotional and spiritual consequences.  And now our children are being taught that it’s natural for people to have feelings for the same sex and perfectly healthy to act on those feelings, leaving them open to try out those feeling for themselves.  All these lies and many others our culture has adopted are destroying our nation and I am praying for a repentance and a revival to change the direction and redeem the youth of our nation. 
J

Mo Baptism

We saved the best for last.  
On our last day at Mo Ranch the kids canoed Paw Pa over to the rapids…
and he baptized two of my nephews.

I think it’s so cool that I could be there to witness that.
I am looking forward to seeing what kind of men they will grow up to be.

Mo Horse

It’s dawned on me this past year that I come from a family of city folks; I am city folk.
How did I get to be this old and just now realize that?
You see, my dad grew up on a farm, but then moved to the city and married a city girl (who knew how to garden and from time to time had one going).  I spent a few summers with grandparents and great grandparents gardening and such, so I guess I had a illusion that I came from a family of country folk and would some day have a garden of my own.  Then I married this city boy who never visited grandparents on a farm or a ranch, who never gardened.  Every house, every move I’ve thought, “I grow a garden in this back yard.”  
I’ve tried a couple of gardens.  Our first house in San Antonio had a garden when we moved in; it was a pretty big garden for a city yard; I forgot to water it; it didn’t survive.  We planted tomatoes at our second house in San Antonio.  Then we got a microscope for the kids for homeschool.  When I saw the creatures crawling all over the tomatoes under our microscope, I wished I hadn’t, and those plants died.  In Florida, we spent many hours in the yard pulling up or cutting back vines.  Who thought living in the jungle was a good idea?
The first couple of months here I looked on line to see what kind of things grow well here; looked to see if I could adopt a country friend to teach me how to grow things then I realized maybe I won’t have a garden at this house.  A few months ago in history we learned how during the Great Depression everyone knew how to grow food and most had a garden that they lived on in the hard times; I realized that if it ever gets that bad we are going to starve.
We have worked in a couple of other people’s gardens.  At the San Antonio Botanical Gardens they have a program for the poor city kids to teach them how to garden that we participated in a few seasons.  Then in FL we had  a good friend that hired the kids to work in her mother’s garden.  So I am hoping that maybe they know something about how to survive.   
Just a few more Mo Ranch photos…

The day after the Ropes Course the kids got to go horse back riding.  
Seeing that we come from a family of city folk … that was pretty exciting…
even for the bigger kids who pretended like it wasn’t a big deal.

The first two riders took a hour ride up and down the hills.

Precious!

Don’t they look like they are having fun?

Riding with a cousin doubles your fun.

Cool Beans!

Mo Ropes

The most thrilling day had to be the day
the bravest of us conquered the ropes course. 

First you suit up.

Make sure your helmet is on tight because you’re climbing way up there.
Check in with your “trusty” spotters.
Let go of the post..
if you can.

Run across the log (if you’re this brave one).

Climb up to the cable.

Walk across while you enjoy your view.

And whatever you do, don’t look down.

The second challenge even the little ones got to try..

with a little boost.
My mathematician entertained us by saying, 
“Eat more chicken.” when he rang the bell.
The last challenge was named the big gulp.
First you climb a huge ladder.

Then your family pulls you up.

While you hang 40 ft. above the ground.. 

and hold on for dear life.

When you’re ready..

you let go and..

soar (like Peter Pan).

Mo Water

When it’s hot out, it’s time to make your way down to the water.

The little cousins had a great time in the pool.

While the bigger cousins found other ways to make a splash.

The slide is fun, but you should try the rapids.
Mike’s mom brought his niece
and nephew to join in the fun.

Everyone had a blast.

Mo Hanging at the Cabin

My parents rented us a huge cabin where we spent the week at the ranch.  
Each family had their own room and everyone brought tons of food to share.

My sister, Wendy, has been taking cake decorating lessons and made
this incredible family tree birthday cake for my programer, dad and me.

We all had a blast looking for our faces.

The brisket my mom brought was great.
When we weren’t eating on the table, we used it for games.

The puzzles were never finished, but no one minded.

We had great fun with blocks…
and built some great towers for little brothers to destroy.
Had tickle fights.

And played games right up to bed time.

Mo Family

This is my mom and the mastermind of the Mo Ranch Family Reunion
working on her next scrapbook album.  

This is my mom and dad.  They’ve been happily married for many, many years.

These are my sisters.  Looks like they have a secret.
This is Courtney and I on her anniversary date.  
She and her husband let Mike and I tag along  so I could eat real Tex-Mex; 
we’ve moved to a part of the country where no one knows what that is.  šŸ™

Here are the three of us.

Here are Mike and I.  The food at Mamacita’s was wonderful!

Courtney with her husband Allister

Wendy with her husband Chris

The six of us on blue photo day.

The grand finale photo with all the grandkids 
except the oldest who started college and couldn’t come to the reunion.  

Mo Ranch

Welcome to Mo Ranch

Mo Nature
The Rain
We were a little worried when we first got there and it was a cold, rainy August day.
The Rainbow
The promise of sunny days to come.

The Sun Set
The Morning After the Rain
The flowers are happy.
The Lane
I should take more vacations with my family of photographers.
The Chapel.
I love this green house!
The Guadalupe River
This is where the a lot of the fun’s at as you will see in my next blog.
We’re hosting a youth movie night tomorrow night.  
Hopefully it won’t be too long before I get to catch up on my bloging.
Love,
J

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