funny this came today

How Funny that after this morning's post...

this came to us via email...

Ha! Ha!

http://www.cafepress.com/+mugs?source=email&CMP=emc_20110723_BOGO_mug&utm_source=cafepress&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20110723_BOGO_mug&utm_campaign=Promo_Retail&pid=2529374

EXCITING THINGS!!!

Just wanted to let you all know that exciting things are in the works for

Oh The Fun We Will Have...

We are in the works of putting together our

FIRST, Small Business interview segment.

Oh we are so excited!!!!

It will be hard to contain ourselves as this comes together.

BUT...

OUR LIPS ARE SEALED... for now :)

Don't worry,

We will not keep you in suspense

For too terribly long.

In play and work, somethings get broken...

Today is Saturday, so for us...We are gonna try to play...after we get some 'work' done...

So we will try to stay brief...Could be difficult :)

While, at a birthday party last night...for a very super special kid... The big people were talking about stuff. You know the normal conversations. "This is what is like at my house".."this is what we do at our home"...and so on and so on... These are all great People, and the conversation was only positive. Somehow we started to talk about dishes and glasses being broken.

Well...in true quirky fashion, "at our home", we are trying to phase out plastic, it has been challenging. So, glass is basically all we use. With 4 little ones, this means lots of accidents. Probably weekly!

We no longer own a 'set of glasses',

Oh NO...that would be too boring, RIGHT?

Jelly jars are the choice glass.

They are little enough for the babes and it is always different from anyone else.

In a big family, it can be those little things that mean all the difference.

For the big folks...well we have a couple missed matched glasses and several Mason jar...oh yeah back to the basics :)...

So if you ever have a meal, or a visit with us, please to not be offended by the lovely Mason Jar.

Hopefully, you will feel 'special' with your 'different from everyone else glass'....

AND REMEMBER,

Sweet Tea is always better in a Mason Jar.

We do have real Coffee Mugs, however.

The sad pictures posted are of Papa Bear's favorite Coffee Mug.

It became a casualty during a routine 'child doing dishes session'...

Yes it was a sad day.

But...only briefly, ya see Momma Bear is not all gruff, sometimes she saves the day. She helped remind them, that

"that sweet mug, had seen its wonderful share of days",

It is over a decade old.

It really is a wonder that it had made it this far. :)

And...it doesn't have to end there...

Especially with your help....

Momma bear seems to think there is more life to this mug...

So we need your suggestions.

What wonderful thing can this be recreated into?

(If nothing else, it is in a picture...actually it is in many pictures over the years).

If you have any fantastic and practical ideas, please share.

This Mug was a gift to Papa Bear from Momma Bear the day their first baby was born.

Fridays... Frantic and Fun

Today is Friday, this you all know.

And that means for some off us a weekend fully packed with kids :) and activities.

So, what do you all have planned for your family...

(OR for those of you not in that exact category)

What are you deliberately doing with those you love?

We are very interested to know.

It is edifying and encouraging to hear others ideas and stories

Keep in mind that staying busy is not always a means of being deliberate...

The momma bear in this house just growled...

Bare with us for what we mean...

The http://www.thefreedictionary.com/deliberate defines it as...

de·lib·er·ate (d-lbr-t)

adj.

1. Done with or marked by full consciousness of the nature and effects;

intentional: mistook the oversight for a

deliberate insult.

2. Arising from or marked by careful consideration: a

deliberate decision. See Synonyms at voluntary.

3. Unhurried in action,

movement, or manner, as if trying to avoid error: moved at a deliberate pace. See

Synonyms at slow.

How about this....

careful, measured unhurried - relaxed and leisurely; without hurry or haste; "people strolling about in an unhurried way"; "an unhurried walk"; "spoke in a calm and unhurried voice"

<<>>

"spoke in a calm and

unhurried

voice"...ouch...

OK... so Momma Bear has now,

stormed off with her hands

in the air....

.

..Just in case you are missing that part of story.

Momma Bear is one of the personalities in

our home, she nurtures, she cleans, she plans, and well...

she pretty much runs the show...

All of that is GREAT, but the reality is,

it is not always GOOD.

Ya See...Momma Bear,

can sometimes,

be a BEAR,

in the name of getting things done,

or getting from point A to point B.

Alright, enough of the silly...

It is just an analogy to show you all, that we as a family,

deal with challenges as does everyone else.

In fact, if we are writing about, it is probably because we are dealing with it.

Back to the Beginning of this Post....

Deliberate...what does it mean to you when it comes to your loved ones?

We are challenging ourselves to be more

deliberate in our days.

Summer is here,

and pretty much almost done,

wow..

How did that happen and go

unnoticed...

Oh wait,

maybe it has to do with the fact that

we were just getting through to each new day.

Work, Meals, Sleep....

Birthday Parties,

FamilyGet-togethers,

Baseball.

Man these are fantastic...

and they definitely

consume us.

But they are not the whole picture.

From point A to point B,

how was your disposition?

What about the time in

between,

and the time during,

how did you connect?

These questions are not to condemn,

but rather to plant as seeds, to ponder over.

Perfection will never be a reality...

Thank goodness for Grace,

Thank goodness, for Kids who forgive and forget.

A friend once said, of her demeanor towards her Children....

That she asked God "to erase their memory of how she treated them while they were little"

That is pretty serious.

To understand the heart of this women you must understand that she seeks God daily, and holds herself extremely accountable, for her actions.

The point is we all make mistakes, that is OK,

but to keep on in those same mistakes, is such a loss.

Our children, and Loved ones, will only be in our care for a short while, what will they remember of their time with us?....

What will they remember of their summer?

What will they remember of today?

we have got some work cut out for us...

better get to moving.

On a Light sided note All the pictures shown are some fantastic peoples way of being deliberate...

These are mostly for summer, but the idea is still great for any short/long term goals you and your family may have....

links in order of pictures.

http://megduerksen.typepad.com/whatever/2011/06/the-summer-list.html

http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-to-dos.html

http://lets-explore.net/blog/2010/05/our-summer-list/

http://pepperedthought.com/2009/09/

http://www.hausofgirls.net/2011/06/insta-friday.html

Speaking of Pizza

Soooo...

Speaking of Pizza,

This week was the first time we had been out for dinner, in a while.

The preface to this may take a minute,

but is relevant to understanding us, a little more.

We've been an... 'on again,

off again 'Dave Ramsey' kinda family',

for some time.

Not that it is not a worthy plan,

but because

anything worth anything, is a challenge.

(if you are not familiar with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace, look it up...

It is well worth looking into)

This is not a plug,

just a good thing.

Never, have we taken our eye of the Prize of being debt free,

and to most standards, have been pretty aggressive.

Still, it often hurts. It's been challenging for us, to be so regimented, with making it happen.

Truth of it is... God has done all the work...

This may sound funny, e

ven scary to many...

It actually is....Scary. BUT, an amazing blessing.

An amazing roller coaster of a journey.

From buying Cars to Selling Homes...oh my.... God has done it all...

The ONLY thing we had to do was surrender it....ha ha ha.....

"The only thing..."

Please, hear the humor in saying that so tongue and cheek....

So, Here we sit in the 'present' trying to make go

od choices for our family, and a big part of that, is giving them a future without debt...

4kids and college, this is a scary thought friends...

We may never get it 'right', but we sure are trying.

It is a day by day, step by step journey.

We have been so blessed to have been guided and helped by so many over the years, Let it also be added that NONE of it has been on OUR time...

If there is a plug, that's it.

Soooo... Pizza.....

This week, we got to that place, you know the one...

The one, that says "I NEED A BREAK".

...and,

We decided to get Pizza.

We also decided to go out, and eat.

You do the math, eating out is not cheap for a family of 6.

An average fast food purchase, for us, is around $30.

So, going to a sit down restaura

nt, well, add another $10 to $20.

Out of 'desperation' we choose Ci-Ci's Pizza...

Explanation?

Not desperation because of Ci-Ci's its self.

It was more about the location.

It is nestled between an Ollie's and a Big Lots...

Again there is NOTHING wrong with these places, you can often find us perusing through the aisles looking for something interesting...

Example, Crocs for $10 and $15 dollars at Big Lots.

(Thanks to a friend, for that piece of info)

As far as Ollie's goes, you can not beat their prices for books,

especially kids books, amazing books.

The concern, then, was a bit of safety, and admittedly... a lot of stereo-typing.

We did a 'drive by' of the restaurant, and you all know that one :)

It 'looked' decent.

We decided, it would be ok... It was not very full, this was a good thing to us.

As soon as we walked in, the Lady at the front, greeted us with an amazing...

"Hi! Welcome to Ci-Ci's".

This was not contrived, she really meant it.

She was patient with us.

Yes, it can even be challenging for us to order a buffet.

As we went through picking our pizza's and such, this same lady, helped the girls with

their plates. Serving them hot items, they could not readily reach.

AHHHHH!!!!

Do you all understand how helpful these little things are,

when hands are going everywhere.

All the while,

she was asking customers how they liked their meals,

as if it was a reflection of her.

She was earnestly concerned that they were happy.

WHAT?

Who does that anymore?

Our meal was absolutely peaceful.

The girls were great,

they could roam a bit,

A-N-D....

The big people, were able to talk...

Oh Yes, this was a bonus.

Even the custodial worker was friendly and considerate.

He was a bit taken aback, when our eldest said,

"This was the best dinner ever."

We thanked them all repeatedly.

Maybe, it was our disbelief, that gave us such an appreciation, ;)

but,

without a doubt,

we will return to the Ci-Ci's

Again.

Introduction to Us

As we move forward, it is important that you all learn what it is that makes us 'tick'. This maybe confusing at first because with a family our size, well... Let's just say...there is a lot going on in our noggins.

We are your 'normal' family... scratch that...can't even try that one...probably because most families are not normal...and that is good.

• We run around the house, often, with our heads in the clouds...
• There is always something found, somewhere, that brings a pause, and tilt of head in confusion...
• Not usually quiet.
• And A LOT of impromptu moments.

If that sounds normal, or even intriguing, then welcome aboard...We are glad to have you.

Sanity is not required and sometimes, just sometimes, discouraged :)

Sooo....

Because of all that was just mentioned,

it is important to be in the loop as much as possible.

Gathering knowledge is a big deal to us...

As human beings we are designed to grow and learn, explore and conquer.

Not all information is relevant to everyone,

but everyone is relevant to someone.

What you hold in your mind,

could be the exact piece of info that your neighbor,

friend,

your child,

or stranger in the grocery store line, has been longing for.

(Especially if it is delivered with kindness.)

It is our desire to use this blog as a forum.

Helping bridge g-a-p-s of information,

and opening eyes to the things and the people around you,

that you didn't even know existed.

Along the way,

putting faces and stories,

to the people behind these places and experiences.

From the small business owner at the local bakery in your town,

to the missionary workers, who organize gleaning in your area.

From the cafeteria worker at your child's favorite school,

to your amazing grandpa like neighbor, who always knows the best fishing spots in your town.

It is these connections that make each day an adventure

and each encounter a pleasure.

It is the heartbeat of America.

It is one thing to know where to buy groceries,

but it is so much more to know the story and passion of the

Pizzeria Owner in your favorite Pizza Dive...

This my friends is worth knowing, You are worth knowing.

We are very excited to jump into this endeavor, bringing each and everyone of you along...

Oh the Fun We Will Have.

Mission Statement

Mission Statement

Oh What Fun We Will Have

July 19, 2011

Perspective:

We are a family of 6, with ties to the Military. Often one parent is not available. We look for activities that are manageable to a ‘single parent’. When we are, all, able to be involved, we must make our time and monies work for us. Information is crucial.

The nature of our life affords us the opportunity to explore many different domiciles. Each time we move we are able to start anew. Keeping us from becoming complacent with our surroundings. The down side to this arrangement, means we are always out of the loop. We hope to start filling in some of those gaps, and along the while passing our information on to others.

Objective

To visit and interview business owners. Highlighting ‘local attractions’. Gather information about ‘local activities’, and home ideas, as well as useful tips. Product and Recipe Review from a Family’s Perspective

Goals

To inform readers of ohthefunwewillhavebyus.blogspot.com of activities, including restaurants, entertainment, shopping, and at home ideas and crafts. Product and Recipes reviews.

We will be traveling to ‘designated locales’, featuring local businesses and activities

Criteria

Family Friendly - The nature of what we are doing, hinges on this quality. Just because a place or activity is not ‘Family Friendly’ does not mean it is unfavorable. (There are many times, as a Mother of four, I actively search for a less ‘Family Friendly’ environment or event.) This is important information, however, to parents, as they search out places to spend their time and money.

Budget Friendly- This is a crucial part of our explorations. Raising a well rounded family is a challenge to anyone’s budget. So every dollar spent, needs to hold its value. We intend to seek out fun activities from recreation, and shopping, to foods and crafts. Giving a family’s perspective of places or products.

Safe- When traveling especially with children, it is essential to be comfortable in your surroundings. It may be an after thought for several, but for a parent it is often the one thing that inhibits them from participating. We will include this in our perspective.

Getting Going

Sometimes the 'getting going' part is the hardest of all.

Whether it is just waking in the morning,

taking on that crazy project,

or launching a blog for the whole world to see.

So here we go.....