Keeping up with the Greniers!: Celebrating Anna (a tiny bit late)

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Celebrating Anna (a tiny bit late)

Anna's birthday was, once again, right smack dab in the middle of Memorial Day Weekend. We managed our traditional birthday donuts and a few gifts in the morning ~ and even got to spend my lunch break at the pool . . . but it was definitely a hectic day (and not very focused on Anna!).

We scheduled a belated party (after the friends Anna wanted to include would be done with school for the year). It turned out to be a super fun time that included gaga ball, the jumping pillow, plenty of golf cart driving opportunities, playing at the pool, chasing scavenger hunt clues and gobbling up Anna's "horse cake". We are so thankful for the sweet friends that God has placed in our children's lives, what a gift they are to us!

Quotable Kids

"I had it all completely planned out in my head and it just didn't work out with my mouth" (Daniel)
"the most important of the senses of humor is sniff" (Anna) -- Anna making reference to the five senses (but maybe there ought to be 6!)
"It was an obstacle (optical) illusion" (Samuel)
"mom, if we were back in the naked days, when people didn't wear clothes - but they had towels - I would just use the towel for clothes!" (Anna)
"I think heaven will be one big land of cheese puffs, with robots everywhere and God on his throne of course . . . and all kinds of things to build with . . . and plenty of food!" (Levi)
"Mom did you know I'm doing a puzzle? - but it's not a serious thinking type of puzzle!" (Anna)
"Is that why bunnies need really good eyesight?, so their hopping doesn't break?" (Anna)
"this is great, all I need now is chicken!" (Levi ~ while watching "Mythbusters")
"Dad, am I going to be a boy or a girl when I grow up?" (Anna)
"I don't like sweaty dads" (Anna)
Kevin asked Anna how she had gotten so beautiful, to which she replied "God ~ and I'm wearing flip flops!"
"Mom, when you grow up ~ can you grow up to be a teacher?" (Anna)
"It's about time I learned you how to draw!" (Anna)
"Oh no, I forgot ~ it's like the 'memory train' just crashed!" (Levi, trying to remember what he was going to say)
"that's because Samuel is my twin, born four years after me" (Levi ~ explaining why he and Samuel think a lot alike)
"Please don't hit me, I'm on pause" (Samuel -- taking a break from a game of tag)
"They did really good, they sang the right notes together" (Levi -- referring to our dog and the neighbor's dog, they had a "meeting" to see if they would get along while we were gone over Thanksgiving)
"This is yummy ~ this tastes like Jesus!" (Anna)
"Mom, that was a great idea for snack ~ you were a good thinker!" (Anna)
"Do you think I might be the fastest 7 year old on earth right now?" (Daniel)
"I think these (pointing to his leg) should be called 'legaments' and these (pointing to his arm) should be called 'armaments' (Daniel)
"Mom, do you know what? . . . God ~ He bought us with his own money . . . and He really loves us!" (Anna)
"You are a special breed of human, Daniel! ~ the ultimate risk taker!" (Levi)
"I feel like I've been on one of the biggest adventures of my whole life ~ because I just finished a great book!" (Emily)
"When I grow up I want to be a horse rider who owns a library" (Anna)
"dad, you should slip it into 'nutrient' and coast down the hill" (Levi)
"Mom, these are practically 'instinct'--do you know what that means?" (Samuel)
"Mom, do toes ever lose their skin?" (Anna)
"that watermelon tastes great ~ it's just below the dripping point, so it doesn't drip all over you" (Levi)
"This is fun, going on a walk and taking the parents along" (Anna)
"The Backyardigans are adding a touch of education ~ it's kind of scattered around the movie" (Daniel)
"Mom, I want some milk but my cup has 'water germs' in it" (Anna)
"Mom, Samuel's like a slow computer" (Levi)
"I want to play cards mom, I'll shovel (shuffle) them up" (Anna)
"When's Octember mom?" (I think that's a cross between September and October!) ~ Anna
"mom, Daniel's stuck inside his book" (Anna) -- while Daniel refused to put down his Boxcar Children book!
"Our room is always the cleanest now, since we found out we could entertain ourselves with just thinking"! (Daniel)
"I colored fast so the marker wouldn't run out" (Anna)
"Our neighbor's dog is pooped out" (Anna)
"We have to look for the Little Dipper ~ but the Big Dipper is by the trampoline"! (Levi)
"Is that my boy grandpa or my girl grandpa?" (Anna)
"Emily is always forgetting what I've asked her not to do ~ she hears me but then it's like she deletes what I said" (Levi)
"Oh man, I think I outran one of my legs!" (Daniel)
"It takes so long to get to bed, because my brain has to be empty . . . you know like "throw out the filing cabinets"!? (Levi)
"Hey dad!, I can put an Altoid up my nose with my tongue!" (Daniel)
"Mom, I think Levi's stealing back his silliness from Samuel" (Daniel)
"Mom, can I quit baths?" (Anna)
"You guys- you need to be one inch loud, 'cuz Sam's sleeping" (Anna)
"I think this will be the best night ever . . . sitting all night long, reading and eating popcorn!" (Daniel)
"If I could plug my brain into a computer, the computer would go a lot faster" (Levi)
"Thank you Jesus for whoever thought of bacon" (Daniel's prayer at dinner)
"I'm allergic to dogs and cats and giraffes . . . but not panda bears" (Anna)
"I snore mom, not really like a big pig snore, just a little" (Daniel, who I've never heard snore at all!)
"Hey, that's in the maniac" (Levi, he meant almanac)
"mom, do you like snakes? . . . I do ~ but when they start eating me, I don't like them! (Anna)
"Mom, I have a baby e in my name!" (Samuel)
"When you were a little kid and I was the mom, you did that too!" (Anna)
"Mom!, you're learning me how to make this! (tator tot casserole), isn't that great?!" (Anna)
"It's a big world compared to a little guy" (Daniel)
"I smarted myself out" (Samuel)
"Let's go on a flamily walk!" (Anna)
"Mmmm!, I like the smell of coffee . . . and I like the smell of you!" (Anna, sitting next to her daddy at church)
"Those taste like cheese puffs with grass in them!" (Levi, not so excited about Pirate Booty snacks)
"Kara's dad had a beard right under his nose!" (Anna ~ apparently not knowing about mustaches!)
"There's totally going to be a thunderstorm this night. I looked out my window and it sounded like the mountains were breaking!" (Anna)
"I don't want two granola bars ~ then I'll be stuffed like a pig!" (Anna)
"Mom, can I make a drainage problem at our house?" (Levi ~ upon discovering that the really cool skating rink outside a friends house was likely caused by a drainage problem!)
"Can you turn on the air conditioner?, I can't get the hot out of my hair" (Sam ~ in the car on a sunny day)
"Mom, tomorrow when it's my birthday, can I be eleven?" (Anna)
"Yeay, I got a goal!" (Anna -- who had just gotten a strike while bowling!)
"we need a crosser offer" (Sam & Anna, looking for an eraser)
"has this been all the way shrimped out"? (Samuel -- wondering if his shrimp was completely peeled!)
"Why is it we don't buy eating cotton anymore?" (Sam -- wanting some cotton candy)
"It still fits me today, but tomorrow it's going to grow out of me!" (Sam, talking about his shirt)
"Mama, can we just not do this day?" (Anna)
"Sam, can you please go to the North Pole ~ you're bothering me!" (Anna)
"Mom, do you want to watch the whole entire train go by?, then you can learn the ABC's too! (Sam, playing with his "alphabet train" floor puzzle)
"Mom, how about you be in charge of the big kids and I'll be in charge of Sam!" (Anna)
"I'm really good at fighting with Sam!" (Anna)
"My head is hot and my tummy is burning and Levi's ruler won't take my temperature" (Anna ~ referring to the digital thermometer that Levi was attempting to repair)
"Thanks mom, that's JUST what I wanted for lunch!" (Anna--excited at the sight of turkey)
"I can't dream of any other dog I'd rather have than Suki" (Daniel)
"Can I have some beef turkey, mom?" (Anna, asking for some of the beef jerky that I made!)
"Sometimes I take some wet sand and squiddle it up in my hands" (Samuel)
"I want to dump mine in the pot crock too" (Anna ~ with her can of diced tomatoes, helping me make chili)
"Samuel seems like he's draining out all of my silliness and putting it into him!" (Levi)
"I fiddled it . . . I mean whittled it" (Levi--showing off an arrow he had made)
"Dad, some day when you're ahead of yourself in your book, can we play football at the park?" (Daniel)
"what flavor am I going to be?" (Sam ~ awaiting a fruit roll-up . . . and wondering what flavor it was)
"daddies kind of work all day at their computer ~ all the way until the night" (Samuel)
"money is really handy for treats!" (Samuel)
"shoo fly, don't bother me -- bother somebody else!" (Anna)
"how much fun can it be if it isn't a book?!" (Levi)
"if this snow keeps up we're going to be caved in" (Daniel--who meant "snowed in"!)
"Anna, don't say 'Jesus wants us to share' . . . okay?!" (Samuel, apparently not wanting to share!)
"it's way too dirty to vacuum" (Daniel -- complaining about doing chores)
"if Daniel turns a girl, he can wear my own necklace, that'll be a perfect idea!" (Anna)
"this is just a guessing page -- I don't know what peculiar is" (Daniel)--his math book was talking about perpendicular lines!
"I have special plate, somebody has to 'pea-she-ate' about me ~ now!" (Anna)
"trickle treat"--practicing for Halloween (Anna)
"I've been careful all my life ~ except for about 95%!" (Levi)
"I wish our house smelled like Home Depot" (Levi)
"Is the rotten candy ready yet?" (Anna) ~ we've been making rock candy to augment our study of rocks!
"I don't know where the little dipper is, but the big dipper is by the trampoline" (Levi)
"if my teeth fall out once I get grown up teeth, I want to get foster teeth" (otherwise known as false teeth) --Levi
"I want to be a fruitatarian" (Levi) . . . we think this is similar to a vegetarian, but emphasizes fruits!
"I think it was a porcupine, but I didn't see any porkies!" (Samuel)
"Dad, the rain washes away the dry doesn't it?" (Samuel)
"I think it would be fun to study 'dog addition' (Emily) I asked what that meant and Emily told me "you know ~ a labrador + a poodle = a labradoodle"!
"mom, you know, you aren't in charge of EVERYTHING!" (Samuel)
"I'm not gonna miss breakfast, it's my favorite subject!!" (Daniel)
"I'm so hungry, I'd even eat salad!" (Daniel) --on a recent hike with Kevin
"sugar is the big destroyer of the whole healthy thing!" (Levi) --upon discovering that even the cake I made from scratch had lots of sugar in it!
"it's a great living" (Daniel)
"Tigger is so dramatic, he should be in Drama!" (Levi)
"I can't think ~ my brain is out of its mind!" (Daniel)
"Mom, I need a tissue, my nose is down to my mouth" (Anna)
"I don't like to read out loud, it interrupts my appetite!" (Daniel)
"Fairy dogs" (prairie dogs!) ~ Samuel
"my favorite biography was Orville and Bill of Wrights"! (better known as Wilbur!) ~ Daniel
"I want to challenge you to a doodle, just like in the old west!" (he meant a duel) ~ Levi
"this is yummy, it makes my tummy feel good!" (Samuel ~ referring to his pork chops and mashed potatoes)
I want to color "next time won't you sing with me" (Anna) ~ she likes to practice writing (and singing) her letters!
we told Anna not to drink too much water before bed, she proudly returned saying "I just had two bites"! (Anna)
"gummle gum" (Anna) for bubble gum
"Look out there mom, it's just perfect weather for crocs--a nice, cool breeze, not wiggling the trees at all"! (Daniel)
"Here's the constructions--read this daddy!" (Samuel), referring to the instructions of course!
"Mom, are you gonna be my dinner helper?" (Anna) ~ we take turns having the kids be my dinner helper (I guess she thinks that she's the head cook!)
"There's only seven consonants on the earth" (Levi) ~ he meant continents!
"I can't rememberize it, it's too long" (Samuel)--he meant memorize it!
"I just like yellow colors, not yellow eating" (Samuel)--he didn't want to eat whatever yellow thing it was he was offered
"Dad, my Pooh bear blanket is getting too short, it doesn't cover my feet unless I sleep crumpled up!" (Levi)
I told Anna that she was "my little love bug", to which she replied "I'm not a BUG, I'm an Anna!"
I asked "does anyone want to help me put garland on the bannister"?, Levi quickly replied "mmmm!, I love garlic"!
"It's okay Daniel, we're almost there" (Anna trying to comfort Daniel -- 35 seconds into our 13 hour drive!)
my "swimsoup" (Anna) -- she was referring to her swimsuit!
"There's Miss Patty Cake, where's Mommy-Cake? (Anna)
"we're going on a troll bridge" (Levi) -- a toll bridge
"this is for my tell, but I don't know where my show is" (Samuel -- he still doesn't entirely understand "show & tell"!)
"mush-o-meal" (Emily--trying to recall the name of Malt-o-Meal, she tried it at a friend's house . . . and obviously wasn't impressed!)
"mommy, my cracker broke, will you fix it -- will you get the tape?" (Anna)
"mom, could you take off my watch?, it's not water-proof, so I bet it isn't pumpkin-proof either"! (Levi -- while carving pumpkins!)
"I didn't sleep at all last night . . . I just had my eyes closed" (Daniel)
I called Samuel a bug (it's a term of endearment at our house)--he said "I'm not a BUG, I'm a fyo-twuck, bugs are outside!"
"mom, can you be the vampire?"--he meant umpire, we were playing baseball! (Daniel)
"mom, turn the dark on!" (Samuel)
"mom, can you move?, you're obstructing my way!" (Samuel)
"I'm the fastest of all the 5 & 6 year olds, sometimes I'm faster than myself!" (Daniel)
"the Constitutional Contraption"? (Levi) trying to recall the name of the Constitutional Convention!
"Mom, do all the cars have to freeze when an ambulance comes?" (Levi)
"Mom, when I'm old enough, can I blast off to Mars?" (Daniel)
"What good is a book when it's done?!" (Emily)
"Mom, what are the big CD's called?" ~ records! (Levi)
"It's illegal for boys to kiss!" (Levi)
"Mom, can I drive you crazy?" (Samuel)
"I sing so good I can't make me sing bad!" (Levi)
"The key to life is reading, writing, spelling, Jesus, food, water & drinks" (Daniel)
"Well at least he put reading first!!" (Emily)
"it was just my skin getting annoyed"--he meant irritated (Levi)
"Hey mom!, I haven't had a clumsy accident in a couple of days ~ like when I was dancing backwards in the kitchen and tripped over the dishwasher, throwing my corn (on the cob) against the wall!" (Levi)

Got Jesus?

It is entirely possible that as you've been reading our little blog, you have realized that you don't know God in the same way that we speak of Him.

Our lives on earth are surprisingly brief and painfully unpredictable. Our days and years are full of joy and sorrow intermingled with laughter, tears, questions, discoveries, triumphs and setbacks. If you are only living for these few brief moments, we believe that there will come a day when you discover that you have "missed the bigger picture".

Your life is not an accident. The One who created you has a love for you that you cannot begin to comprehend. He has a plan for your life and desires to be a part of that plan.

I didn't grow up in a family that regularly attended church. I remember as a child trying to wrap my brain around the concept of time and eternity (with little success). When I was a college student, I sought out a church and began attending. God began to reveal the pieces of the puzzle for me and I finally heard an explanation of eternity that made sense.

The human race isn't meant to just go "on and on and on" into an endless void--with generations of people occupying the planet (living only for earthly pleasures and looking out for themselves) and then being packaged in neat little boxes in the ground, never to enjoy one another again. God's desire is that they would all be able to enjoy ongoing life in a place (and even in bodies!) that are restored to what He originally intended . . . and that they would also get to enjoy an eternal, ongoing relationship with the "potter who made the clay".

It is only because of really poor, selfish choices that the human race lost that in the first place. As a kid, I remember someone on my newspaper route who always asked me "if you died tonight do you know where you would spend eternity?". I didn't. But, what I was supposed to do about that didn't really "click" for me at that time either.

Years later, once I became a Christian, a particular Bible verse jumped out at me. "The god of this age (the enemy of God) has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the glory of the gospel of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4). It wasn't until God allowed me to recognize the questions and longing and hunger and dissatisfaction within me that that veil was removed and I could even understand my need for a relationship with God.

So, if you happen to find yourself with questions or a gnawing hunger to understand the bigger picture of life and eternity (the "what's the point of it all?" kind of questions), perhaps God is attempting to remove the veil for you and draw you to Himself.

Listen to that!

Don't just distract yourself with all the "stuff of life" and brush off the little inside voice that is asking to know more. The "god of this age" is a master at distracting us from what is really important -- and he doesn't want us to EVER discover the God of all eternity.

God holds the universe in perfect balance, not allowing the earth to get even a single mile too close to the sun. He created the inner workings of the human body--and designed it so that every single cell works in harmony with every other cell, in order to make it possible to even draw your next breath. It wasn't an accident.

Many a scientist has set out to disprove God only to discover that it makes no logical sense to do so. Don't you think that maybe a God like that ought to have some sort of place in your life? =)

It was almost 20 years ago that I decided to take God seriously and involve him in my life. Since that time, I have seen God reveal himself in amazing ways, provide in ways I never could have imagined and "show up" in miraculous ways on many occasions. He's an active God and He doesn't want to just "admire you from afar!", He wants you to notice Him too!

Think about this:

Imagine that you have a four year old little boy with bright eyes, cute little dimples and an infectious laugh! Imagine him going about his day in a highly cute, loveable "four year old kind of way" and NEVER involving you. Never acknowledging your part in his world. Never thanking you, hugging you, talking to you or asking "why" (even once!) . . . he doesn't even notice that you are in the room. You cook him his favorite meal, bring him his special blanket, serve him his favorite dessert, provide a warm, safe place for him when it's cold outside. You shelter him from the ravenous animals outside the door, give him cars and trucks and blocks to play with . . . and he never even acknowledges you? All you can do is gaze upon his cuteness from a distance.

Or imagine him falling and cutting himself or being frightened by something. He cries an endless stream of tears -- alone. He wraps himself up in his blanket and buries his face into his pillow and cries--alone, never asking for help. He hasn't even acknowledged that you are in the room, so he hasn't come to you for comfort in the midst of his hurt. You just watch quietly from a distance as he struggles in pain and fear -- believing he's alone. Your heart hurts for him, you long to wrap him up in your arms and provide comfort and to let him know that you are near -- but he doesn't acknowledge you.

Could you imagine him growing up that way?

Spending his whole life that way?

How sad.

I wonder if God has the ability to feel that kind of rejection from us? I personally think he does. I also think that God desperately longs to be the parent who sits on the floor and plays Candy Land with us 14 times in one morning, just because we really like it and He gets to spend time with us! He DELIGHTS in us (the way that I delight in my own children).

So, what do you do with all that?

It's a fairly simple process. God set it up so that we could actually have a relationship with him, just like you would with a friend. Since He is the God of the universe--and we're not, He requires that we at least acknowledge that part. (It just works better that way!) He is holy and infinite and has standards --which all of us have failed, on our own, to live up to.

(I stole this from someone else, but the "A-B-C's" of becoming a Christian are fairly simple.

Admit that you are a sinner and have done wrong things in your life (Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God)

Believe that Jesus died for you (John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life)

Confess and leave your sin behind (1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness)

Next, pray this simple prayer in faith (believing that it's true):

"Father, forgive me of my sins. I believe that Jesus Christ died for me and He has taken away the guilt of my sins. I now want to live the rest of my life for you, and I ask Jesus Christ to be my Lord. Thank you for the gift of eternal life in heaven forever. In Jesus' name, amen."

If you have prayed the above prayer in faith, the very presence of God, in the form of His Holy Spirit, has come to live inside you. This decision does not mean that your life will suddenly become perfect or that you will be immune from the pain of living in an imperfect world . . . it does mean that you are no longer alone, because God himself is living in you.

I can guarantee you, your life will never be the same.

"These are a few of my favorite things" . . .

Anna -- drawing, writing and cutting with scissors, taking care of her babies, getting to go on the computer and see her Webkin, dancing, animals of every kind, her "geekie" (blanket), her siblings, peas!, "taffy taffy" (salt water taffy), reading books with mom, playing with Samuel, the cream in the middle of double stuff oreos!, being my dinner helper.
Samuel -- snuggling!, building a fort out of my couch cushions, cars, his blanket, his "Anna sister"!, pretending to drive a train through the house, driving his truck really fast inside the house!, laughing, being one of the "big boys", helping in the kitchen, fruit roll-ups!
Daniel -- beating all of us at Yahtzee!, the trampoline, practicing piano, reading, math, puzzles, games, playing on the computer, his Webkinz, salmon patties!
Levi--Nerf guns, contraptions!, gadgets of every shape & size, listening to music on his ipod, sleeping!, building things & fixing things, tacos!
Emily--her American Girl (Kirsten), her Life of Faith doll (Millie) and her My Twinn doll (Faith), books, worship dance, banana bread!, peanut butter, having Anna in her room!, "girl time", cooking with mom, writing in her journal, teaching herself to play the piano, acting, roller blading, friends, Christmas!, chili & pot roast (but not together!)

Quotable Kids Archives

"we were studying the water cycle, talking about evaporation -- when I asked what happens to the water he said it 'evacuates' up!" (Levi, age 6)
"I like to use the band-aid spray, because it keeps 'affection' away, but it doesn't hurt when you pull it off" (Levi, age 5)
"I know why you got long hair mom, so no one can see the eyes in the back of your head!" (Levi, age 5)
"I like a lot of water, so I'm going to grow really, really tall like mom!" (Daniel, age 2)
"Do you think I am growing up so fast mom?" (Daniel, age 2)
"when my tummy hurts, I will go to the doctor and get a band-aid on my belly button!" (Daniel, age 2)
"can I have a nickel of a scoop?" (someone else had requested a quarter of a scoop of something!) Daniel (age 3)
"mom, I think Spider Man and Jesus are the best heroes ~ don't you?" (Daniel, age 3)

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Celebrating Anna (a tiny bit late)

Family ~ 2010

Family ~ 2017

Quotable Kids

2008

Silly!

Family ~ 2009

Taylor (w/Kelsey) ~ 2009

Emily ~ 2009

Levi ~ 2009

Daniel ~ 2009

Samuel ~ 2009

Anna ~ 2009

Blog Archive

Got Jesus?

Emily ~ 2008

Levi ~ 2008

Daniel ~ 2008

Samuel ~ 2008

Anna ~ 2008

"These are a few of my favorite things" . . .

Goofiness

Emily ~ 2007

Levi ~ 2007

Daniel ~ 2007

Samuel ~ 2007

Anna ~ 2007

Quotable Kids Archives

Emily's baptism July 2007

Camping in our motorhome! . . . summer 2007