This blog is officially closed!!

I have decided to create another blog with a new name (partly because "The Wilsons 4" doesn't really work anymore since we're about to be SIX) and I figure with a new year I will have a new beginning and renew my new commitment to keeping family and friends updated with our going-ons. So if you want to keep up with the Wilsons, please follow us at:

www.thesemihomemadehomestead.blogspot.com

See you there!

Daniel continues to be one of the funniest boys I know. He was getting ready for his bath tonight right after dinner so his tummy was full. He stood in front of me, buck naked, his poochy belly sticking way out and said, "I am SO full! I am as full as the bucket on a front-end loader!" I almost fell over.
And this morning we had the following conversation as soon as I walked in his room to get him out of bed.

Daniel: Mommy, I had an AWESOME dream last night!

Me: (I'm not sure how much he actually dreams.) Wow, what did you dream about?

Daniel: I KILLED a dragon!

Me: Oh, my goodness! Why did you kill it?

Daniel: Because it was getting in our house.

Me: Well, I'm glad you killed it then. Thank you so much for protecting all of us from the dragon. So, how did you kill it?

Daniel: I ran over it with a front-end loader!

Storytime with Daddy!

Graduation... Homeschool Style!

If you've spent any time with the Wilsons recently, you know that we have become very passionate about homeschooling our children. When we initially decided it was going to be the best route for our family to take, it was because the pros simply out-weighed the cons. As our vision for our family has grown over the past few years, our vision for homeschool has grown as well. We now see it as simply the best ways to disciple our children. Luke 6:40 tells us that, "A student is not above his teacher but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." Education is discipleship. Now, I know some wonderful, public school teachers out there. I like to think I was one! Well, I was a teacher. I like to think I was wonderful... But it is not ultimately the individual teacher who is training a child. They are training children based on what our government dictates they should be trained in, and quite frankly, we don't want the government discipling our children! That's the short version of why the Wilsons plan to homeschool.

We are very blessed to attend a church that is supportive in this area and this weekend we attended our first Homeschool Graduation Party. Two young men from our church had a formal, cap and gown ceremony for homeschoolers in the area early in the day, which we did not attend, but then we met later to sing and eat!!

If you notice, its all kids leading worship here! (and they're good!) It is such a blessing to see how much they love God. And this is an every Sunday thing at our church with the exception that on Sunday there are some adults on the worship team as well. We love that about our church. They involve kids on every level. The graduates are the two guys playing the guitars.

Patrick and I really enjoyed the glimpse in our "future." It was such an encouragment to hear these moms and dad talk about what a blessing it was to walk along side their children for so many years. And for them to be the ones to "send them out." At the end of the ceremony, the parents played a video of their kids. One had a song on it which I'd never heard, but of course downloaded from iTunes as soon as we got home. I think it is a wonderful blessing for a son. Here's a link to a YouTube video by the artist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhRV3rXtpGc. And if you think about it, pray for us!! This is what we'll be working with for the next several years!!

8 Years and Counting...

It's hard to believe. Patrick and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary yesterday. During breakfast, I was explaining to Daniel and Caleb what was so special about the day. I could see the motor turning in Daniel's head as he tried to comprehend a time that Mommy and Daddy did not know each other! Or that time exhisted before he came along!
One thing I can say marriage has taught me is that I have a gracious and wonderful God! And isn't that what marriage is about? Turning us toward the One that created marriage in the first place.

I think in many ways, Patrick and I have an "easy" marriage. We are very similar in many ways that count. We've probably had less than a half dozen arguments about finances or raising children! And we're very similar in things that aren't really that big of a deal. We both love the outdoors, especially hiking and skiing. We're both adventurous and don't balk when God says stuff like, "Fly to Russia", or "Move to Colorado for absolutely no revealed reason!" We love being involved with God's people. We're both night owls, which means we get to spend a lot of time together in the evenings without feeling like one of us is going against our natural bent. We're both irresponsible and messy (hmmm... is it because we're both youngest children?), which has created some problems in regard to who's going to put in a load of laundry, but we can't really get annoyed with one another about it! My pile of laundry on the bedroom floor is just as high as Patrick's! That we are so alike is truly God's grace on us because these are not things we necessarily discussed in depths before marriage or took any compatability test about. But it hasn't all been all peaches and creme, romance and roses! I read somewhere that the most likely times for a couple to separate are the first year, around the seventh year and after the kids leave home. The article also explained that the reason year seven is so crucial is because it is a time of big decision for the couple. At this point in their marriage they have come to realize the person they are married to is not going to change... (eek!) And their decision is, will I give up on changing my spouse and accept them the way they are? Or will I move on? That all sort of makes sense to me... But I can't help thinking, "Where is the hope in that? God is in the business of changing people. And if it takes 40 or more years of marriage to do it, He'll do it!"

Well, year seven and eight have been the hardest so far. I've seen God's grace in the ways you'd assume as we've learned to love one another through thick, thin, trials, celebration, plenty, want, sin and forgiveness. I really felt like our anniversary yesterday was a celebration of the things God has brought us through!

But one area where I have seen God's grace to be most profound in my marriage is the fact that I married Patrick at all! I did not marry such a wonderful, kind and gracious man with this much integrity because I made a calculated, well-thought out decision! I did not have a very good record of making good decisions at that point in my life. Whenever I look at where I could have been, I see God written all over me. Because left to my own devices I would not have the life I do -- a husband who leads our home, three of the most gorgeous little boys you've ever seen, the oppurtunity to stay home and disciple my children... God is good and I am blessed to have His goodness on my life!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

We made S'mores one night. Now, I have to tell you... one might think that Newton, KS is a bit in the middle of nowhere and a little bit hick. But not so! In this here parts, they are creative, hip and they have gone "green."

Lindley actually took the drum out of a broken down dryer and turned it into a fire-pit -- reduce, reuse... well, at least they're recycling and reusing! Kayla thinks it's hick...

So... I've come to a conclusion:

Little boys are kind of gross...

Patrick called me outside the other day to see some yardwork he and the boys were doing. There was Caleb, proudly displaying about twenty earthworms in his hand. It didn't bother him one bit that they were squished and oozing black stuff out both ends. Worms in one hand. Woof Woof (his special, blue dog) in the other. The worms being his new best buds. Patrick told me he was showing them to everyone that walked by! He kept saying, "Dissssssgussssssttttting" with a huge grin on his face. And I would respond, "Caleb, this word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Well, he was quite distraught when we had to go in for lunch and he had to put them in a bowl. Of course, we washed hands! And I don't know what is in worm-goo, but it does not scrub off easy! Pretty much as soon as lunch was over and Caleb went down for a nap, the worms went down the garbage disposal. Thankfully, he hasn't asked about them...

You know how as a parent, you're always told not to compare your kids? Well, I'm going to compare. Daniel is not so gross as Caleb. He was content to leave his worms on the ground and move one pile of rocks to another pile of rocks.

Eli, who cannot be trusted with things that may or may not go into his mouth was left inside for the whole worm be-friending episode!

And just to make sure this blog entry doesn't end with you being completely grossed-out, a lovely photo of the tulips Patrick and Daniel planted in the Fall that are now in full bloom!