dave & janet horsman ::: keepin’ it real since 1998

Well, I had to bend my own rules yesterday and do some “computering.”  When I bought my new camera off of Amazon, I recieved a voucher for a free 8×8 photobook from Shutterfly that needed to be redeamed by today.  (Love Shutterfly!)  They also had a free shipping promotion going on until today, so I couldn’t pass on that.  It’s all done, ordered and I can’t wait to see it!

Yesterday evening we did a little photo shoot outside because I wanted some group photos of the kids to put in the photobook.  And you can’t beat photos taken in the evening sunlight!  I got some great shots, but it was quite a circus, as taking group photo’s of our family usually is.  This is how it ended…

One minute Phoebe was lovingly patting Noah’s face…  (And what’s up with Zeke’s expression?)

And then she scratched him!  And look at the look of glee on her face.  What a stinker!

No…don’t be fooled by that angelic looking face!

Anyways…here are a couple pics that did make the cut…

(See our kite in that tree behind the kids?)

Oh, and here are the pictures of my three-year-old from Monday…

Okay, so I’m not very impressed.  While I was away, “djandtheprophets was upgraded and is now running on the latest bleeding edge version of WordPress!!“  Whatever that means.  All it means to me is that now I can’t figure out how to include photos in a post.  Dave can’t even figure it out.  So, sadly, I’m unable to share some very cute pictures of my just-turned-THREE(!)-year-old with you.  Noah had a birthday today! I have a three-year-old again and I love it.  Three is one of my favorite ages. 

TV turn off week went really well around these parts.  Of course the kids are veterans at TV turn offs by now and always impress me with their creative ways of entertainment.  For me, though, the computer shut-down was quite challenging.  It was surprising to me how much I really did miss my Facebook friends, and half-dozen or so blogs that I visit regularly.  

The time that I spent away from the computer gave me plenty of time to comtemplate why these things have become so important to me.  And not just to me…to many people.  Last week I read that a huge percentage of adults are addicted to blogging, e-mail and Facebook in the same way that kids are addicted to video games and TV.  Not suprising to me at all.  I don’t know that I’d call myself an addict, but I do believe that those things deserve a lot less attention from me than they’ve been getting. 

Up until a week ago our computer has usually just been perpetually on.  …Way to tempting!  So, for a while (and maybe indefinitly) I’m going to do my “computering” on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings only and shut the computer down at all other times.  I don’t know…I like staying in touch with friends and feeling connected with the “adult world”…but in some instances it seems like it’s at the expense of what’s happening here.  Know what I mean?

Okay, so now spring is really here…

Shorts and T-shirts (in 50 degree weather!…they’re crazy.)

Ice pops in trees…

Catching bugs…

And finding my Tupperware at the park…

And this weather couldn’t have come at a better time!  Tomorrow (I’m writing this late Sunday night) marks the beginning of  National TV Turnoff Week, and were shuttin’ everything down here at the Horsman house.  Yes, even our computer… for the entire week.  I’m still debating whether I should check my e-mail midweek or not, but, honestly, I can’t remember the last time I got a really urgent e-mail.  And Daddy’s not even allowed to use his iPhone at home. (Yes, Dave has an iPhone.  What a brat, eh?) 

I don’t like that my kids are growing up in a world that, ever-increasingly, if you’re not staring at a TV, playing a video game or tooling around on the internet, there’s “nothing to do.”  I really think that creativity and imagination can be like muscles that don’t get used…if you don’t exercise them, they’ll wither up and get weak!  As a parent, I want to stregnthen my children’s creativity and imagination “muscles” and that’s why I enforce our montly TV Turnoff weeks.  It may not get me the popular vote, but one day they’ll thank me.  Hopefully. 

See you all next week.  And I challenge you… “Turn off the TV.  Turn on life!”

Bummer.  Here’s one tree that my boys can’t climb…only because it’s lowest branches are a few feet out of their reach.  Probably a good thing since the kite is really high up there!  I’m offering a reward of $8 dollars to whomever retrieves our kite for us.  Seriously.  But please…don’t hurt yourself trying!

I’m outa here…

Remember way back when when I mentioned that the BHOP prayer room was undergoing a remodel (most of it by the hands of my husband and his coworkers!)?  It’s finally done!  As with many such projects it wasn’t without it’s hiccoughs but it has turned out beautifully.  And that $70,000+ sound system?  Wowzers!  This past Sunday evening BHOP had a relaunch service; a time in which they shared a bit of the history of BHOP, and their vision for the future.  They also announced their new schedule:  six hours (from 4-10 pm) of live music and prayer leading daily from Monday to Friday.  Awesome. 

With this relaunch, Dave and I have felt a conviction to spend time in the BHOP prayer room as a family.  A rare occurance because…well, quite frankly, it’s hard.  Really hard.  I was so encouraged lately, though, with a word from a friend.  She has two little boys, and has tenaciously brought them to the prayer room with her regularly.   Recently she began to feel discouraged as the boys whined that they didn’t want to go, and with this, her experience became much less enjoyable.  “Well,”  she thought, “no one’s enjoying this anymore.  Why keep going?”  The Lord spoke clearly to her though:  “I enjoy it.” He said.   Mmmm.  Good stuff.

Our pastor preached a really good sermon this past Sunday titled, “In The Meantime…”; about how very often, when we recieve a vision from God, it can be a long time ’till it comes to fruition.  He spoke of the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel, and how we must contend* like he did in order to recieve a blessing from the Lord.   Dave and I both have a vision for all of our children to be very involved in the prayer room one day.  Wouldn’t it be nice if it could just click into place?  Be easy?  But, like most good things in life, it’s probably going to come with a struggle.  And the thing is, the struggle itself is actually what will stregnthen us, and help bring our vision into being.  Cool.  But still…it would be nice if it were easy!