The Klappers Go Camping

Way back at the beginning of January, I made a list of several goals for the year that I wanted to make happen. I'm now glad to say, 7 months later, I finally accomplished one of them: Go on a weekend camping trip as a family. Along with my fabulous in-laws, we headed northeast last weekend to a camping area about two hours from home.  Here are some snapshots from our five-day adventure...

Not Your Ordinary Tea Party

My little ones decided yesterday afternoon that they would like to take some of their indoor toys outside for a tea party in the warm sunshine.  Because of the gorgeous fall weather, I totally embraced their request and all but shoved them out the door.

Pretty soon I decided to keep them company in a chair situated on the deck close by them.  I was secretly observing their every move, absolutely loving the scene my sweet children were creating.  The pretend tea, cups, and snacks were distributed between the two and their party proceeded without a hitch.

It was comforting to just sit and watch them play together happily.  All the fatigue, stress, and irritation that can come about during motherhood had disappeared for a few moments.  Just as a bit of mommy-pride started creeping in, suggesting that I might possibly be doing things right in rearing them, I look up to watch my three-year-old daughter sip her cup and say, "Mmmmmmmm!  This beer is good!"

*GASP*

Maybe not...

A Day at Honeysuckle Hill Farm

Just in case you missed this blaring fact, let me remind you once more... I love fall!  But in all honesty, who doesn't?!  I don't believe I've ever met anyone who doesn't enjoy most things about this beautiful season.

One of my favorite activities to do this time of year is to visit a pumpkin patch.  My children, husband and I anticipate our annual excursion all year long.  Fortunately, in middle Tennessee where we live, there is quite the picking when it comes to choosing a pumpkin farm to visit.  There are many great locations throughout the area offering festive activities for families each weekend.  Amidst all the various choices, we decided this past weekend to take the longer, scenic drive up to the same location which we discovered last year: Honeysuckle Hill Farm in Springfield, Tennessee.

Funny enough, we unknowingly chose the very same weekend on the calendar that we had visited the year before.  But, boy, was it a completely different experience this time around!  Last year, with daytime temperatures in the 50's, we were dressed in our warm clothes, drinking delicious apple cider and hot chocolate.  NOT this year.  The afternoon temperature rose well above 80 degrees, which is certainly obvious by our children's red cheeks in our photographs below.  As you can imagine, we were quite warm and hot apple cider was the last thing on our minds.

Despite being a bit toasty, we had a wonderful time enjoying all that Honeysuckle Hill Farm has to offer.  With the hayride, petting zoo, slides, swings, jumping pillow, and pumpkin cannon (just to name a few highlights), there was something for each member of the family to enjoy.

One thing I do have to complain about mention is the steep admission price.  Each person over 2 years of age is charged $9.00 + tax to enter the farm.  For a family of four, that's FORTY bucks.  Add to that the money for the gasoline needed to drive over an hour to get to Springfield, plus any food or beverages purchased while at the farm... that all makes for NOT a cheap day.  WHEW!

So, if you're near the Springfield area and have a chunk of change to spend on an incredibly fun family outing, this is the farm to visit.  But you better hurry- the last day of their Fall Festival Season is October 31st.

 

 

My sweet punkin' niece, Annslee.

The Klapper girlies.

Daddy & sister flying down the "Monster Rippler."

 

$40 admission and my son just wants to kick a ball around.  
Go figure.

 

Note to self:  Purchasing ring pops before attempting a family photo is never a good idea.

Here we are... the four "krazy" Klappers.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

"Frame-It Friday"

Our crazy crew at Kentucky Lake last weekend...

"Frame-It Friday"

It's Friday again... which means it's time for more pictures!

My family and I took a little field trip today to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville.  Since we had never been before, we jumped on an offer from Groupon to buy an annual family pass for over 50% off.  (And by the way, if you haven't subscribed to Groupon yet, you're missing out!)

Unfortunately, we chose a day when many, and I mean MANY, schools in the area had also chosen the Adventure Science Center as their field trip of choice.  Because the museum is actually designed for older children (meaning K-12), we didn't get to stay very long b/c our little tots were having to dodge getting trampled at every turn. : (

Anyway, here are a few shots of my munchkins enjoying the no-big-kids zone.

major magnet concentration

pipes

train tables

blocks

photo opp

dodging crowds and dinosaurs

Wisest of Women

Do you ever have those moments when you're just trucking along in your daily grind of motherhood and the Holy Spirit heavily presses truth in your heart and mind? I had one of those moments yesterday. It happened while I was in the middle of the glorious task of loading/unloading the dishwasher. Sounds fun, right?!

I was listening to a podcast titled, "Is There a Hero in Your Husband?" from a past "Focus On the Family" radio broadcast. Dr. Juli Slattery was speaking on marriage and specifically hit on the subject of submission.

Here I should pause briefly to confess that the whole submission thing is tough for a girl like myself. Type-A personalities such as mine pretty much run in the opposite direction when this subject is approached. I'm a major control freak who enjoys being in charge. So why would God give me these desires and traits if I'm not supposed to be the boss? Does He think that women are too weak and incapable of leading? Isn't "submission" sorta like slavery??

Absolutely not. Quite the opposite actually.

And that's where one small verse from the Bible jumped out and gave me a swift kick in the rear:

The wisest of women builds her house,

but folly with her own hands tears it down.
Proverbs 14:1

Wow... Submission has nothing to do with the negative connotation that we so often hear it associated with. Submission is about P O W E R, not weakness.

Do you see in the verse above just how much power is in a woman's hands? From this verse, we can actually see that a woman may have more power in a marriage than a husband does. Submission is all about recognizing that we do have intense power... power that has potential to destroy our husband and our home.

In Ephesians 5:22, God directs us to submission so that He can teach us how to use that power for good and not destruction. He specifically calls to the wives and says, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." When we as women refuse to obey this command, taking matters into our own controlling hands, those very hands have potential to tear our house down.

The "wisest of women builds her house..." and she begins with submission.

Guess good things can come from doing dishes after all. ; )

Time for a Declaration

And here it is:

From this day forward until the next 17 years or so,

MY HOUSE WILL BE MESSY.
 

• There will be dirty dishes in the sink, crumbs on the countertops, and grimey finger prints on the dining room table.
• Beds will not always get made, especially mine.
• You may find a pile or two of laundry laying around.  It may need to be washed or just folded and put away.
• Toothpaste will probably be splattered on the bathroom mirrors.  The toilet paper will probably need to replaced.  Just grab a roll out of the cabinet.
• All floors will need to be mopped, swept, vacuumed, polished, whatever one is supposed to do to filthy floors.
• I promise you there will be dust on something.
• Our business office is in the corner of our bedroom.  There's just no other space for it right now.  If the door to our bedroom is closed, it's a giant mess and not worth peeking in.
• When walking throughout our home, always look down, not forward.  There will probably be a small toy that you will trip over.

I say all this to say, I'm letting it go.  Yes, I will do what I can, but I'm sick and tired of the unending cycle of cleaning house.  It's wearing me thin.

I'm letting go to smile at my family, not bark at them.  I want my children to look back and remember how much I loved them... not how much I cleaned.

So, if by chance or invitation you end up at our casa some time in the next decade or two, consider yourself forewarned.  Just do me a favor by printing this out and reading it a few times before you head over.

Livin' la Vida Loca

"It may be a "krazy" life, but it's our life..."

Since Lee over at Tossing it Out mentioned my blog today, I thought I'd take the opportunity to let my readers know more about myself.  

Me and my husband, Alec

I began "Keeping Up Klapper" back at the very beginning of this year with the intentions of blogging about the life of our family, the Klappers.  Around the same time, we had just began our very own home-based business, so I also figured I would write about that journey, as well.  Three and a half months later, I'm still blogging about our family and business, along with quite a few book and product reviews thrown in for fun.  Even though one of the unwritten rules of successful blogging is to find a specific niche and stick to it, my posts for "Keeping Up Klapper" are a bit all over the place and I'm loving it.

The two monkeys who keep us so krazy... and so blessed.

Currently, I'm a stay-at-home/work-at-home mother of two precious children.  In my down time, I mostly enjoy reading and blogging these days.  I've recently taken on the high-intensity sport of "couponing" and am always on the hunt for a good bargain.  One of my highest ambitions is to be a godly wife, mother, and friend.  Every day for our family is a winding road with lots of bumps, hills, and valleys. But we manage to keep taking deep breaths and journeying on with the Lord as our Guide.

Thanks again, Lee, for including my blog in your A-Z challenge.  It has been and continues to be quite an undertaking for this busy mom, but I'm having a really fun time in the process.

Doing what a toddler does best...

Here is a lesson from my 15 month old on how to properly 
eat a hard-boiled Easter egg:

The egg hunt begins..

"Wow, I found one."

"Gonna get a quick taste while no one is watching..."

"Hey, this is pretty tasty!"

"YUMMY!"

This blog is participating in "Blog Bozzled: Blogging from A-Z April Challenge."

"What's in the Bible?" Blog Tour and GIVEAWAY

Confession:  My children like to watch TV.  

But honestly, whose children do not?  Not many that I've ever met.  Since I know it's best to limit their viewing time, I do my best to only expose my children to shows that will affect them positively.  And yes, I have to admit-- I want to halfway enjoy the shows, too.  If your situation sounds similar to mine, then I've got a brand new DVD series from Tyndale House Publishers to recommend to your family:

Through his tumultuous adventure with his highly popular creation, Veggie Tales, God took Phil Visher on a refining journey that has presently led him to a more narrow focus with his work- "to lead kids through the Bible and bring it to life for them."  He feels the urgent call "to do something that can take our kids deeper into the Word and make their faith real."  Thus giving us his latest and greatest series, "What's in the Bible."

I recently had the opportunity to preview the first two titles in this new series, "In the Beginning" and "Let My People Go."

Both episodes were fantastic!  From a professional viewpoint, the production quality was top-notch.  The content was creative and enjoyable, blending live action, puppetry and clean animation.  A lot like "Emperor's New Groove" meets "Sesame Street."

Some of my favorite characters included "Buck Denver," "Sunday School Lady" and "Chuck Wagon."  I can't tell you how many times I literally laughed out loud at these guys.  On top of being very entertaining, the videos are incredibly educational.  They really get into some nitty-gritty, specific facts about the Bible and its history that I never knew or remembered.  (I mean, I've never heard of the word "apocryphia"... Have you?!)  I love that not a single minute of either episode was "cheesy" or contrived.  This is QUALITY work!  I'm excited to know that there is now material out there that my kids will actually ENJOY while learning about the best selling, most influential book of all time... the Holy Bible. 

The first two episodes in this series get 5 stars and 8 thumbs up from me and my family.  These DVDs would be perfect for both a family movie night or homeschooling lesson.  There's something for everyone at any age to learn and laugh about.  We can't wait for the future "What's in the Bible?" videos to be released!  

Here's a quick preview for you to enjoy:

Now for the fun part!

TWO of my readers will win a FREE copy of a "What's in the Bible?" DVD.  Here's how to enter the contest:

Simply leave me a comment after reading this post and include your name and email where you can be reached.  Comments will close on March 28, 2010 at 11:59 PM CST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit).  US residents only.  Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated.  Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry?  Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.  Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

*Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.  Be sure to leave a comment below with a link to your "tweet."

*Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.  Leave a comment letting me know that you've become a follower of "Keeping Up Klapper."

*Announce the "Keeping Up Klapper" giveaway on your Facebook page.  Leave me a comment with a link to your announcement.

*Blog about this giveaway.  It doesn’t have to be a separate post.  Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.  And as always, be sure to leave a comment with the link to your post.

These dvds were provided to me at no cost by Tyndale House Publishers in order to facilitate my review. I was not required to provide a positive review, only an honest one. The viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

tIme 2 gRow uP

A few weeks ago, my pastor, Josh Howerton, at The Bridge Church, has begun a series of sermons entitled, "Following Jesus in a Jacked Up Church."  Now, the name might seem a little strange, but the message of this series is extremely relevant.  We're following the Apostle Paul through the pages of 1 Corinthians as he deals with a really "jacked up" body of believers. 

Yesterday, while studying together what "spirituality" is and is not, the following verse stood out to me:   

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.  I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.  Indeed, you are still not ready.  1 Corinthians 3:1-2

Even though I've heard this particular verse many times throughout my life, the phrase "infants in Christ" was completely illuminated to me yesterday. 

You know, it's funny how motherhood re-teaches you things you thought you already knew.  I have two small children, a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old.  In my mind, I began flipping through images and memories filed away.  I thought back to how as infants, both of my children relied totally on me to provide them with nourishment.  Had I or another adult not been there for them, they would have failed to thrive or survive.

I then thought to where they are now.  My one-year-old is beginning to feed himself; yet, he still relies on his parents to prepare his food in a way that he can maneuver, chew and digest.  My three-year-old can independently feed herself and is learning somewhat to get what she needs from the pantry or refrigerator.  Yet, left to her own immature decision-making, without guidance from her parents, she wouldn't make good decisions.  There would be popsicles for breakfast and jelly beans for dinner.  Though physically she is maturing, she's just not there mentally.

Then there I am... I'm the caretaker.  I prepare and provide age-appropriate meals for them when they need it, while also providing nourishment for myself.

So, what does any of my rambling have to do with being "infants in Christ?" 

Paul was comparing the body of believers at Corinth to babies... still relying on another leader in the faith to "feed" them spiritually.  They weren't growing up in Christ.

As an incredibly busy mother and wife these days, I feel like Paul is speaking to me.  Even though in the midst of the daily craziness I make a point to feed myself and my children their physical nourishment, my spiritual stomach is left hungry.  I find myself unintentionally waiting for another Sunday or Wednesday to roll around, where I will be "fed" by others.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "If the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy"?  While I agree with the gist of the saying, I can't always blame the enemy for the busyness.  I know that as Christians we can get "busy" with some really good, even great, things.  Yet, we get to a place where we're so caught up in everything (as I am now), where we begin to act like spiritual infants in Christ...  Neglecting to feed ourselves through Scripture, prayer, and just being alone to rest in the Lord's presence.  Not only should I be mature enough to feed myself, it's time that I find other "infants" around me to "feed," as I do my own biological children.

I do believe there are times in our walk with the Lord when it's okay to live like infants for short seasons, especially during circumstances of life-altering crises.  But, thankfully, I'm not there.  It's time for me to re-evaluate my schedule and routines so that my spiritual life is thriving, not kicking and screaming like a newborn baby.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  Ephesians 4:14-16