Please pray for the Philippines...Many of you know that we have been to the Philippines several times involved in short term missions and that I lived there before we were married. This past weekend, Manila was hit by Typhoon Ondoy (Katsana) on Saturday, Sept. 26th (their time). More than 15 inches of rain came in less than 12 hours. The worst flooding in more than 40 years is taking place in a city of millions where many people live in shanty towns and squatter communities already. We have many friends who live and work in Manila, ministering to the people there.

Please pray for the missionaries there that they can reach out and remain safe as well. Pray for those who have lost friends and family members in the flooding and devastation. There have been many mud slides and the long term affects with sickness and disease will be great.

Please pray as a 2nd typhoon (Typhoon Parma)is head straight for Manila and could come ashore in the next 48 hours, it has the possibility of coming ashore as a category 4 storm.

Just a few weeks again, our friends, Scott & Cindy, were here to visit. Please pray for their ministry and staff in Manila. The clinic is safe and the staff is ok, but friends have been lost in the storm and the coming weeks and months will be very busy at the clinic treating the sickness and disease that will follow.

Here are some links where you can see pictures, read articles and see what the current situation is like:

Please take a moment to watch this video of the flooding, it is taken in an area where many of our friends live near and work. I will admit that I sat here watching in and crying, seeing the devastation of homes and lives in a place we love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V6uRHxtQUM

Read about the storm and see pictures on our friends' website:

The Long Family have been good friends for years and are involved in orphan care. Their children's home (New Faith Family Children's Home) and community centers are in very poor communities in Manila. (The picture above was taken from their website.) www.kidsim.org

Here's our friends, The Fish Family's Blog.

Samaritan's Purse is on the ground beginning to work, read here about the needs.

The Great Salt Plains~Digging for Selenite Crystals

We spent this past weekend at the Salt Plains State Park in Oklahoma and digging for Selenite Crystals on the Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge with the cousins, my mom and a few of her friends. I wasn't sure what to expect... Great Salt Plains? Here they are! 3 miles wide and 7 miles long... no trees, no shade, no water (at least not on the surface or drinkable) and the promise of treasured beneath!We hopped out of the cars (kids and adults with sun glasses- a MUST here!) and the kids took off! Lots of room to run, lots of salt/mud to dig in and no where to hide:)

Next, you find your spot to dig, we had lots of eager diggers... early on that is:)Nate even had a shovel his size!

Sometimes you don't even have to dig, the crystals are exposed on the surface!As you dig down, you hit the water table pretty fast. This is helpful if you want to remove crystals gently without breaking them...Here is what you are looking for (unwashed)... These are crystal layers. The Great Salt Plains in Oklahoma is the only place in the world that this type of crystal is found! All are beautiful but ever crystal hunter hopes to find the Selenite Hour Glass crystals (check out this link to see a good picture of one).

Here's what can happen if you get tired of digging in the mud and you decide to jump in your hole! At least these 3 cousins had a lot of fun!!!

We had a great few days and this is a place we hope to go back to! (If you want to plan a trip- digging is only allowed April 15- Oct. 15 each year. The Salt Plains are also very hot so spring and fall are the best times, it would not be a fun place to be in 100 degree weather!)

The kids loved digging for crystals but the lake was also beautiful and we stayed in little State Park cabins there with kitchens, etc. We also got to see a lot of shore birds around the lake that was fun for the kids. The National Refuge has a lot of activities that are great for kids on their website, we learned a lot about birds, the salt plains on the crystals on this trip! Best of all, we enjoyed God's amazing creation and the many unique things He created with His artist hand!'O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? Deuteronomy 3:24

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

~Folliot S. Pierpoint~
1864

*Photo from our walk at sunset yesterday at Great Salt Plains State Lake*

FOR TODAY, Sept. 28, 2009

Outside my window... The sun is setting, it's a beautiful fall evening

I am thinking... about our week- I need to finish the lesson plans for the rest of the week, the laundry that needs to be washed from our trip and getting everything unpacked and put away.

I am thankful for... the awesome weekend we had at the State park with family and friends, digging for crystals and enjoying God's creation. We also got to meet a great family who took the time to meet us at the State Park. Kevin & Violet came home almost a year ago with their son from China- he is 5 days younger than Nate! What a blessing it was to spend time with them!

From the learning rooms... finishing up our unit study on honeybees, Lenna- addition, still reading Homer Price, studying houses of the world, more letters and countries to read about from the mail! Postcards to write

From the kitchen... omelets for supper after driving home this evening

I am wearing... shorts and a t-shirt, bare foot

I am creating... sock monkeys

I am going... get the kids to bed soon and spend some time talking with my husband (we didn't get to go with us on our trip this weekend because of work.)

I am reading... a new quilt magazine

I am praying... that Lori and her family has a safe trip home from China & for Lauren and baby Jonathan, go read their story here- there was a beautiful article in their local paper about their journey this week.

I am hearing... kids!

Around the house... Lions masks we made last week, a bees wax craft waiting for us to complete in school this, a 1/2 finished Wizard of Oz quilt, eggs cartons full of selenite crystals the kids dug on our field trip this weekend, food to put back on the shelves we didn't eat this weekend

One of my favorite things... the laughter of children, watching all the cousins play together

A few plans for the rest of the week: the library, school, our little community quilt club meeting on Tuesday night, piano lessons for Lenna and my brother coming to go deer hunting with Shawn the end of the week for black powder season

A picture thought I am sharing...Digging for selenite crystals on the Great Salt Plains

Go over to Peggy's to read some other Daybooks for the week!

David Livingstone & a lost tooth!This week we have been reading about David Livingstone and his missionary work in Africa. We read from Missionary Stories with the Millers and also the YWAM- Heroes for Younger Readers series. I really like the YWAM series and this year we are using the teachers guides that go with them. They have short lessons about character traits of the missionaries, geography lessons about where they lived, short songs to help remember about the missionary and usually a fun story to go with it that you act out. Today we went on a lion hunt because David Livingstone was once attacked by a lion! We also made lions to look for!The other exciting news at our house.... Lenna lost her first tooth! It has been loose for awhile and at the library this week, I was talking with the librarian and she was telling me a story about her daughter, who is Lenna's age loosing her first tooth. Lenna was "playing with" the loose tooth when all of a sudden, she said, "Mama, here is my tooth!" I think her smile is so cute now! The one next to it is very loose too so we'll see how much longer until tooth #2 falls out!

Just thought I am "chewing on" today...

"The essence of faith is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus." -John Piper

Any thoughts???

ps- today is Katherine's birthday... her family is missionaries in the Solomon Islands. Would you drop by their blog and wish her a Happy Birthday and leave them a note of encouragement today:) You will be blessed by reading their family's blog as they serve the Lord and share about ups and downs of life.

A really big creepy crawly...

Yesterday I was driving down in ranch country on my way with the kids to pick up our dog at the vet's office, talking away to our adoption family worker on the phone. Then I realized this was crossing the road, I was doing 60 and could seeing him walking across the road from our mini van if that gives you some idea of his size! It is a brown tarantula. Poor Emily, I told her I had to go and would call her right back. I got stopped, turned around and went back. All the kids crawled out of their seats and I chased him over to the side of the road so they could look at him. Sorry the picture isn't that great, it was taken with my cell phone. He was huge! We ended up seeing 3 of them crossing the road yesterday, the cooler weather has them moving, I'm just glad he was crossing the road and not my sidewalk or my living room floor!

A Simple Woman's Daybook
FOR TODAY- Sept. 21, 2009

Outside my window... cloud, windy & cool

I am thinking... friends, i miss many of them that do not live close.

I am thankful for... that I can be at home with my children, that we had a great weekend and that dh's 1/2 marathon went well.

I am praying for... our nephew still in rehab from his accident, an aquaintance & her family who are expecting a baby with Trisomy 13

From the learning rooms... Homer Price, A unit study on Bees, Houses & Homes, weekly reading from Missionary Stories with the Millers, weekly reading from 10 Girls Who Made a Difference-Susanna Wesley, Lessons from Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, Piano practice, Memory work is Psalm 1, Home Economics for Home Schoolers (starting this week:) usual copywork, reading and a long list of read alouds for the week.

I am wearing... a Wild Olive Tee- "such things" and shorts, barefoot as usual

I am creating... haven't had much time to create lately

I am going... to the library this afternoon

I am reading... haven't read much for myself lately, I have been reading Skippyjon Jones to the kids

I am hoping... for an awesome week of school

I am hearing... children playing, Lenna's pencil as she does her copywork

Around the house... toys litter the floor, laundry to fold

One of my favorite things... snail mail

A few plans for the rest of the week: the library, the grocery store, planning for our weekend at a State Park with my mom, school

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... Shawn running his 1/2 marathon yesterday morning... I wouldn't be smiling at mile 6 knowing I was only 1/2 way there:)

Drop by Peggy's there and read some other daybooks from women around the world.

Fall Evenings, Marshmallows & FunSeveral years ago, we made these marshmallow guns. They have been packed away, but recently found, much to the pleasure of our children! What other item can you shoot at someone and eat at the same time!oops... one got stuck...

Fun Mail from Afar...

This year we are studying countries and cultures for school. A few weeks ago, I emailed friends who lived in other places and ask them if they would be willing to send a letter to our kids and tell them about where they live, general information about the country, send them a post card or something like that!

The mail has started to arrive and the kids are in heaven!

So far, we have gotten a letter from New Zealand- she sent the kids some coins, chocolate, post cards, some travel brochures and other awesome things!

The next letter came from Bolivia- Miss Jennifer at Casa de Amor! She sent beautiful cards with fun facts about Bolivia to each of the kids that were made by different ministries there and a set of finger puppets!

Thanks for those we have gotten and we look forward to getting more! If you read the blog and live somewhere besides the US and would be willing to send a card, that would be awesome, just drop me a quick note in the comments!

AND THE WINNER IS....

Lyn from A Treasured Heart!

Lyn and her kids helped raise funds for Love Without Boundaries for the Marathon in October! Lyn ran the marathon last year on the LWB Team but this year will be in Boston with her son Jake.

Thanks Lyn & Family!

I love this time of year!

I love it when signs of fall begin to make their appearance! Cooler weather, football, morning fog, pumpkins turning orange, fall fruit ready to harvest and butterflies! For some reason, the Monarch have chosen out usually hot, dry and dusty little town again this year as a place to stop and rest on their 2500 mile journey south to Mexico. Tuesday evening, we started to notice butterflies in the air as we were out for an evening walk. I jokingly said, "We need to go find a butterfly tree." Little did I know, the butterfly tree was in our neighbor's back yard....

Here are some great links about Monarchs. Guess what we will be reading about in school today...
Monarchs from Kids Zone
Monarch Watch
Monarch Butterflies. com


"From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God"
~Chris Tomlin~

Fellowship with Friends

Monday afternoon our friends, Scott & Cindy arrived for a visit. We loaded up the kids and headed out to the State Lake for an evening walk, it was beautiful! Scott and Cindy have a medical ministry in the Philippines and we first met them several years ago when Shawn did a rotation there. The clinic serves the urban poor, actually the poorest of the poor that live in squatter communities nearby. The kids had a great time with Cindy and we enjoyed catching up on what God is doing in their work there!

Thanks for taking the time to stop through our little part of the world!He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Mark 16:15

Some beach pictures...

It's been a busy week since we got home, but a good one! Guests, school and back to work has kept us on our toes! Here are some pictures from our beach adventures...