Murphy Zoo Day 2012

It's very rare that the Murphy family gets together to actually spend time together, having fun, visiting, eating, etc.  My mom planned a special weekend for all of us to just enjoy each other and have a good time.  She put a lot of time into making it special for everyone. 

The weekend started out Friday evening with a meal of pizza, burrito casserole, salad and ice cream.  Yummo!  Mom made some luminaries to go outside for us to enjoy from the window inside and when we left to go home.  Since dad works late in the evening, we waited til he got home from work, which actually turned out to be earlier than most nights.  He had prepared to pray a blessing over each grandchild and started from oldest and went to the youngest.  It was fun watching the children wait their turn with great anticipation to receive their blessing from grandpa.  

The Bovees headed home around 10:00pm and went to bed! 

Saturday we woke up bright and early to head back over there for breakfast at 8:00am.  Breakfast was delicious as all the food was over the weekend, and we waited for the extra guests to arrive.  Some of our cousins, Doug, Bev and Benjamin also came to enjoy the fun that was planned.  The children knew that there would be fun things planned but only specifically knew that everybody was doing a part in a program.  For that we waited for Grandpa Murphy and his sister, Rosie.

While we waited, we put the children to making their party favor bags that would hold all their goodies that they made and received from the day.  The owl bags turned out so cute and were perfect for holding all the fun!

We had some busy little critters making owls.

All of the owls lined up on the bureau with other animals and decorations.

Onto the Program!

It takes a bit to get ready for sit down times with nervous little people deciding they have to go potty before they start their part in a program.  : )  And two little identical potty trainers take a bit longer, so we had to fill some time before we could start the program.  Grandpa Dan did some juggling of bean bags and then with his side kick, lion Benaiah, they welcomed everybody to the program.  Benaiah is saying (gesturing to all of the crowd), "Welcome to the program" in the below picture. 

After the introduction, Grandma Deborah started off the program with reciting some Scripture.  Joshua's family followed with poems that their children had memorized.  The Bovees were the grand finale with a little play about animals that they did for their school program last year, a song, and then another song.  One evening Jonathon was playing his guitar at home and Benaiah kept yelling, "buck, buck".  I asked him if he wanted to sing a song about a buck, and he did.  He is very into bucks and guns since going to track the one grandpa Dan shot this last season.  So, we decided we would write a song about Grandpa Dan's hunting experience this last year.  It turned out to be a special song that we included numbers for points on the antlers and echoes, so that others could participate.  It was great, and Benaiah sang right along and did his parts throughout.  And it became a song we sang a couple more times that day just for the fun of it.  I do believe Grandpa Dan enjoyed it along with everybody else!     

After our family program, we had some time to fill before the grand program.  I had brought along felt, handmade mittens that contained animals from the Mitten story.  All the smaller children got one and we read through the book with the children acting out the story with their own felt mitten and animals.  By that time it was nearer to the arrival of our special guest, so potty breaks all around just in time for the next program.

Mom had ordered a Groupon for Indiana Wildlife to come and do a program with animals.  So that was next on the schedule.  The guy was right on time and had some fun animals to share with us.  The children loved it.....adults too.  Following are some of the pictures during the program and the animals that he brought.

He brought a special rabbit that was amazingly soft, a lizard, alligator, rat, cock roach, tortoise, kukaboora, and a skunk.

By the time we were done seeing animals, it was time for lunch.  One thing the children like to do is go rabbit hunting with Grandpa Dan.  There are usually a bunny or two in their yard, grandpa will place everybody strategically around the garden, then he will go to the edge of the yard where the bunnies usually are and chase them out to the children.  There is no shooting that goes on, just a scurry of children running to try to catch one.  It's quite comical to watch.  Today there was only one rabbit, and it ran the wrong direction for the children to chase.  It did give them some outside fun though and gave us time to get food around and set up without children under foot.    

Time for lunch!

We had alligator roll ups.

Delicious chocolate cupcakes.

Tiger Mac and veggies and jungle joes (sloppy joes).

With so many little ones in the group, there was definitely a nap time after lunch.  So, while the younger ones slept, the older children got to do some fun crafts with markers, wood,  and paint.  

Aren't these adorable?  Mom made these to top pencils but they ended up being more like finger puppet size.  Another party favor to put in their owl bags. 

A fun banner with the names of all the children on it and animal pictures.

Everybody got 3 pencils for their bags with their names on them. 

After crafts, naps and visiting time, we had left overs for dinner then played this deer hunting game.  One person is the hunter and one is the deer.  In the above picture, mom is the hunter, hunting dad.  Oh, I should have been videoing instead of taking still pictures because the stillness just doesn't do it justice!  By the end they were running around the table, mom was making noises when she'd get close to dad, which would scare him to death and make him jump and yell too.  Oh, we got some pretty hard laughs out of this one!  What fun!

After the games, we all sat around and sang for a bit and sang the buck song for grandpa again and recorded it, so he can watch it over and over.  The evening was definitely coming to a close with sleepiness coming on us all.  Was a big day full of learning about animals, enjoying family and singing to end it all. 

Alegra turned 10!

How can it be that time passes so quickly?  We have a 10 year old in our house now!  We are so blessed by Alegra's life and all that she adds to our family.  She's a wonderful addition in the music realm, keeping the house organized and neat, and being helpful with Benaiah when needed.  She's a blessing to us! 

We had just a small girl's night celebration to honor her.  To see the party post on that, check out CLB CeLeBrations for all the details.  It was super fun and the best birthday she's ever had in her words.  : )

One Chapter, An Amazing Story

God just keeps taking me to this portion of Scripture often when I'm reading, so today I decided He must want me to expound more on it.  So, here goes.  A different look on a traditional holiday in our custom according to Jeremiah.  Do you think God, the Creator and all knowing One, would have put this in here purposely?  I think so.

For one cuts a tree from the forest,

The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

they decorate it with silver and gold;

They fasten it with nails and hammers

So that it will not topple.

They are upright, like a palm tree,

And they cannot speak;

They must be carried,

Because they cannot go by themselves.

Do not be afraid of them,

For they cannot do evil,

Nor can they do any good.

Jeremiah 10:3-5

I think we can all agree that this sounds just like a Christmas tree.  It's a perfect description right down to the decorating it with silver and gold and nailing it, so it doesn't topple over. 

Beautiful right?

Here's what the first part of Jeremiah 10 says:

Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. 

Thus says the Lord:

"Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;

Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,

For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.

For the customs of the people are futile;

For one cuts a tree from the forest,

The work of the hands of the workman, with an ax.

They decorate it with gold and silver............"

What is another well known figure in the Christmas Story?  Jeremiah talks about the wise men also in this same chapter, in verses 6-8.

Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord

(You are great, and Your name is great in might),

Who would not fear You,

O King of the nations?

For this is Your rightful due,

For among all the wise men of the nations,

And in all their kingdoms,

There is none like You.

But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish,

A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.



Then in Jeremiah 10:10,12, and 13 He reminds us who He is, just in case you get too wrapped up in the other characters of His birth story:

But the Lord is the true God;

He is the living God and the everlasting King.

He has made the earth by His power,

He has established the world by His wisdom,

And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.

When He utters His voice,

There is a multitude of waters in the heavens:

And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain,

He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

What a wonderful God, Saviour and King we serve!  If all that doesn't make you want to praise Him and obey His voice, I don't know what would.

Oh wait, let's not forget the Shepherds!  The ones who saw the angel that told them to go see the babe.  I'm pretty sure God doesn't want us thinking of them as being such a highlight to the story.  Verse 21 says:

For the shepherds have become dull-hearted,

And have not sought the Lord;

Therefore they shall not prosper,

And all their flocks shall be scattered.

Now let's jump into the first part of chapter 11.  This is what God thinks is important after all the customs, traditions, and followings of Gentiles:

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

"Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, 'Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God."

How many people look at that nativity scene as their saving story? Don't get me wrong, we needed Jesus to come as a baby, of a virgin, to save us from our sins, but do we really need to put so much emphasis on the surrounding parts of the holiday and vaguely mention our Saviour during our celebrations, except at the church Christmas program.  There is far too much in our hearts about presents, decorations, the spirit of Christmas.  I'm not sure the "spirit" of Christmas has anything to do with the Creator of the universe, but with our flesh feeling satisfied and good about the surroundings we are in during this time of year.  Read the story of Aaron with the golden calf in Exodus 32.  They worshipped in ways that pagans did with creating an idol. In verse 5, Aaron says, "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord."   The next day they even offered up offerings, ate, drank and were merry (verse 6).   Now, was God pleased with this celebration that they offered up in honor of Him?  Absolutely not, but they thought He would be pleased, after all, they did proclaim it a day to Him.  Isn't that just what our customs are with Christmas?  Christians call it a celebration to the Lord in honor of His birth, but mix it up with all sorts of pagan ways of worship.  In verse 8 the Lord says, "They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them."  

My heart feels like those in Ezekiel 4:4, "and the Lord said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it."  Oh you people who want to serve God with all your hearts, how do you see that celebrating Christmas is a blessed and pleasing thing to Him?  Look beyond how you have always been taught.  Try to see it how He sees it.  He gives us examples to follow for our own good.  Or not follow in the case of Aaron and his idea of a celebration to the Lord.  

I realize that only a small handful of people who will read this, also see the truth behind the lies that the enemy has infiltrated in the minds of christians about traditions and holidays.  He gives us days to celebrate that are filled completely with His goodness.  Why wouldn't you want to be a part of those days?  They are a blessing, sweetness to the body and full of joy and worship in a holy and pure way.  I encourage you to read about those feasts that are HIS.  They aren't just jewish feasts, but His that He established for us to rejoice in.  Feel free to contact our family if you want to learn more about them.  

 

John 4:23,24

Jesus speaking,

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 

Don't forget what "truth" is.  John 17:17, Jesus speaking says, "Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth."  All that Jesus could have been referring to is what was given in the Old Testament.  That was all they had to go by for Scriptures.  So, He is saying, all of the Old Testament when God was speaking, is truth that will sanctify us.  Now in Psalm 119:142, it says, "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth."  The feasts that He established are in the law, which is part of the words that God spoke in the Old Testament.  So, wouldn't it make sense that part of that worshipping Him in spirit (which guides us to all truth- John 14:26, 16:13) and in truth would be observing and celebrating the feasts that He set apart for us?  That's not all, but just a portion of what He is seeking from those who say they worship Him.  Otherwise, you might hear, "I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23).  Seek Him and His ways!   

December at a Glance

With Jonathon's work being primarily outside, he has been blessed with average weather this December.  Hoping that the weather doesn't get too extreme before spring arrives.  And yes, we are looking forward to spring already.  But in the meantime, we have to occupy ourselves with fun to help it go by faster.  : )

Our good friends, the Brothers, planned an amazing date night for a handful of couples at our church.  The theme for the night was Sushi, so the party area was decked out in japanese decor and filled with learning of how to use chopsticks and how to make a sushi roll.  The food was amazing along with the fellowship of friends.

We also had the honor of dinner with some old friends, Aaron and Sadie, and new friends, their 4 children.  I used to babysit for her when she was a girl and used to attend church with her family.  What a pleasure to meet her 4 children and see how our children played together.  The fellowship was sweet with much discussion of the Scriptures and even some singing before they left.  I think our children were very happy to meet and make more friends!
 

The happenings as of this weekend are the boys have hand foot and mouth disease.  Not sure where it came from, but they've got it.  We are doing our best at helping them through it and looking forward to it running its course and leaving.  Tonight papa and the girls left to return a Redbox, so the boys and I stayed home and read books.  Well, Josiah read books.  He sure is a good reader!  Then when Benaiah saw that I had the camera out, he wanted to "cheese" for me.  Poor boys, with their nasty looking faces.  Will be glad when it's out of the house!

 And as if having a horrible rash around his face wasn't enough, Benaiah tripped and cracked his head on our bed today.  Puffed it out and looked pretty nasty.  We are something around her as you can clearly see. 

A great way to end our evening tonight, with music and song.  He is our everything, the beautiful One, the one we adore, worthy of all of our praise!  Today at supper when we prayed, Benaiah, during the prayer was telling Jonathon to pray for his ouchy.  Jonathon did, but apparently it wasn't enough, so Benaiah closed his eyes super tight and said his own prayer for his ouchy, with a hearty "amen" at the end.  The prayers of our children are such a blessing to us and hopefully to our Lord! 

Science Central Field Trip

We took a fun filled day with Christi's parents to Science Central.  It's always wonderful when you can count fun outtings for school!  They learned a lot and had such a good time doing it too.  We were there for a jam packed couple hours, and we all experienced some new things.  

We started out with a competition between Grandpa Dan and Alegra with the magnet race.  Can you tell who won?  Grandma was pretty excited her side won.  : ) 

 This was our first demonstration we went to about weather.  There weren't very many children there, so our's got to participate and help the scientist out....even Benaiah. 

 Benaiah loved this area of course! With water and boats, what little boy wouldn't like it?  The adults got into it too, playing with the children's toys.  : )

 This was one of everybodies favorite spots, the tidal pool.  What amazing creatures God has created for us to enjoy and learn about!

 We damed up the water so the boats would actually float down the river for Benaiah.  He was so excited when we let the dam loose. 

 It's so fun seeing the children experience new things for the first time.  Even the simplest of things can be fun!

 The shadow room proved to be one of the highlights too.  The things we do!

 Good thing we had somebody tall with us!  And somebody short to hand us blocks! 

 Yay!  We did it!

 The weather channel had some pretty cute meteorologists that day!  : )

 The last demonstration we went to was amazing!  He was working with different elements and the last one was putting hydrogen in a balloon and blowing it up.  What an explosion that made!  Incredible!

And we ended with doing some of the eye puzzle exhibits and crawling through the sewer.  The above picture is in the room called the confusion room.  The children loved it, but for us older ones, it made me feel like the world was spinning.  Crazy!  

We had such a good day!  Then we topped off our day with a supper stop at Logans Roadhouse.  Yummo!  Good memories were made and everybody was so glad Grandpa Dan was there since we don't get to see him very much.  Was a specia treat for sure!