PG~Parental Guidance

We find this rating on the back of movies. PG means Parental Guidance. It means I decide if my child will watch a specific movie that has this rating. Not all PG movies are intended for family. Take Marley and Me for instance. This is a PG rated movie and quoted as a "family" movie. However, it's not a movie that my child should have watched due to suggested sexual content, along with the many cuss words throughout the movie. This is a movie that was shown at Renn's school to his class and some of the other 3rd grade classes. I was beyond flabbergasted when he told me this. You can bet I shot an email off to his teacher and the principal regarding this. Response from the principal? I'm sorry this happened. The teachers have been informed that they are to show only G rated movies. Well, maybe perhaps they should have thought about that before hand. Here's a review that we cut and pasted regarding this movie. We use christiananswers.net when we want to see if a movie is appropriate for the boys.

Before getting into the offensive content, I feel I should warn parents that this film is not entirely appropriate for small or even impressionable children. The film has been marketed as a movie for the entire family; however, the profanities and sexual references make the movie not ideal for very young children. The movie should have been rated PG-13.

As for the profanity, the Lord’s name is profaned about 17 times. In addition, I counted 8 more curse words, including SOB and sh*t. Conversations of “balls” and “boobs” take place.

There is quite a bit of sexual content in the movie. While the majority does take place between a husband and wife, parents ultimately will know whether or not their children are old enough to handle it. After discussing having children, John and Jennifer are shown rolling around in a bed, kissing. In one scene, Jennifer calls John to tell him there’s a naked woman in the bed. He jokingly tells her to get started with the woman, so a threesome is implied. When visiting Ireland, John mentions he can have sex in front of Jesus or even Mary, but not that man (he points to the pope). He says the creaking in the bed is probably oversexed souls in hell. Jennifer mentions the thought of having sex in a prudish house turns her on. The bed creaks as they begin kissing. In one scene, Jennifer surprises John by skinny dipping in the pool. She is shown taking off her dress from behind. While nothing is shown, their being nude is heavily implied.

There are some other instances that might offend a Christian viewer that are worth mentioning. Throughout the film, many women are shown in bikinis. Marley pulls the towel off of the house sitter (off screen). Drinking takes place several times during the movie. In the beginning, John and his wife take turns taking drinks from a wine bottle. Grogan tells his boss about his bong-hits back in school. His boss later asks him if he and his wife are having sex and if John’s “pulling a goalie.” Marley humps the dog trainer. Marley goes to the bathroom often and is shown chewing up different things, including a bra. Grogan’s friend Sebastian is a negative influence and a constant flirt.

I'm grateful that Renn tells us about his day and what has happened. So many kids don't share with their parents or the parents don't ask and they never know what is going on in school. I know I can't shelter Renn all his life but he's still my little boy so I'll do everything I can in the meantime to make sure stuff like this doesn't happen.

"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart." Proverbs 22.6

School Out, Summer In

Well, school is just about over here in Iowa. Renn's last day is Thursday. You can bet that I've been online checking things out so I can keep these guys busy. I found a website www.kidsbowlfree.com that you can sign your kids up for. They will then send you coupons so your children can bowl free for the summer. Cost of shoes may be involved but bowling free for the summer? Who can beat that!!

I'm checking out the water parks too. I've heard there's some new ones around town. Swim lessons are in there too so the boys will sure be water logged this summer!!

We made a family decision to not go back to Oregon this year due to cost. So, we'll take a family vacation to Minneapolis and South Dakota around the 1st of August. We've got several camps scheduled: Pow Wow Camp for Renn and Kevin, who is speaking at it. Kid's camp in July. Kevin is speaking at the 1st one so the boys and I will hang with him at camp and then we'll take a group of kids from church to the 2nd camp. I'm excited because Renn will be able to go this year and we'll be able to experience camp with him. Zayvn won't be able to go to that one so I've got a friend that will take him for me part of the time and then he'll stay with papa and grandma Iowa the rest of the time. I've got Powette in just a couple weeks and looking forward to that. There's just so much going on that I better not here the word BORED!! Oh, and, I can't forget the 1 hour of school work that I'll have the boys do three days a week. Can't let them forget what they've learned!! :)

One thing that I'm very excited about is the Mom's in the Park that will happen every Tuesday morning June through August. I got the idea from our church back in Beaverton, Solid Rock, http://www.ajesuschurch.org/. They did this last year and had great success. We'll meet at a park in the area and come together for a time of fellowship with other mom's. There's no agenda, just doing what us mom's love to do. TALK!! I've put an agenda on the Zoom Zone blog www.bereanzoomzone.blogspot.com that tells a little about it.

It's going to be a great summer and I'm excited!! As my boys are growing older it's a great time to connect with them as they are with me longer. As I've been going to these different grad parties my mind jumps ahead in 9 more years that Kevin and I will be doing this exact same thing. Time is going fast so I better get all the time I can in with them. Better yet, Kevin has Thursdays off so it's going to be great!!

Lightening Bugs

As we were driving home last night from a birthday party the boys went to we saw lightening bugs. I remember the first time I saw these fascinating creatures. We had just moved to Iowa and around this time of the year we were at a graduation party and I looked across the yard and saw these things lighting up. I was so amazed by them that I stood there looking at them for what felt like hours. As the boys saw them last night for the first time they had that same excitement that I had all those years ago. I decided to look up lightening bugs online and it was fascinating to read about them. Here's a website you can go to and read about them http://www.backyardnature.net/lightbug.htm. We didn't have a jar or anything to catch the bugs where we were at but I can guarantee by the time summer is over we'll certainly have several of them in a jar in our basement. Oh the joys of summer!!

Zayvn's Preschool Graduation

Zayvn getting his diploma from Miss. Arnold, his teacher


Papa and Zayvn


Tonight was Zayvn's pre school graduation from Kid's Connect in Altoona. He has come such a long ways since we decided to take him out of Four Mile Kindergarten back in December. We see now what a wise decision that was. I thank the Lord for giving us the wisdom and the peace for doing that. Zayvn made quite a few friends in the short amount of time he was at Kid's Connect. Sounds just like his daddy!! What an accomplishment and we are so proud of Zayvn!!

Whirlwind Day

Whew! Am I glad this day is over. It's graduation time here in Iowa and with graduation comes parties. The graduates that are graduating this year were in sixth grade when we left. Seems surreal to be back and see them all grown up ready to move on to the next journey of their life. We headed to Ankeny this morning for Kaitlyn's. From there we headed to New Sharon where Daniel was having his. Our last stop was in Runnells where Shelby was having hers. I was amazed at how well the boys did with all the driving. They really did well and it helped that at the last party we went to the boys could play outside. It was a beautiful day and great one at that. Although we have not been here the last six years I look at those graduates today and how grown up they are and am proud of each one of them. Most of them have a close and personal relationship with the Lord and I'm grateful for those early years of their lives that Kev and I could invest into them. Kevin and I are blessed to be here to share in their proud accomplishment.

Great Mother's Day

At Applebees for lunch

Getting ready to go down to the pond

Ready to fish

Papa getting poles ready

There's my handsome boys!

Fish that was caught



There they go!

Fishing out on the pond

Birds nest with eggs that Kevin discovered


Riding in the back of papa's pickup

Bridge that was washed out several years ago from the DM River

Yesterday was awesome!! Kevin said we could do anything I wanted. I really couldn't figure out what I wanted to do until Sunday morning. I decided that I wanted to have lunch with Bob and Dee and then go out to their place and spend the day. The boys brought their poles and did some fishing, we went and took a countryside drive and then went back to their house for a little snack. We got home a bit late but it was a great Mother's Day. Oh, and Kevin and the boys got me a gift certificate to get a pedicure!!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!! I decided to look up in the Bible those verses that had to do with the word mother, mom, ma. The word mother occurs 334 times in 307 verses in the NLT. The word ma does not occur. The word mama is used once. Here's some verses with the word mother in them.

Gen 3:20
Then Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all people everywhere.

Exd 20:12
"Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you.

Lev 19:3
Each of you must show respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest, for I, the LORD, am your God.

Deu 27:16
`Cursed is anyone who despises father or mother.' And all the people will reply, `Amen.'

Jdg 5:7
There were few people left in the villages of Israel-- until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel.

1Sa 15:33
But Samuel said, "As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless." And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

2Sa 21:10
Then Rizpah, the mother of two of the men, spread sackcloth on a rock and stayed there the entire harvest season. She prevented vultures from tearing at their bodies during the day and stopped wild animals from eating them at night.

1Ki 17:23
Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. "Look, your son is alive!" he said.

2Ki 4:20
So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died.

1Ch 2:26
Jerahmeel had a second wife named Atarah. She was the mother of Onam.

Job 1:21
He said, "I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!"

Psa 113:9
He gives the barren woman a home, so that she becomes a happy mother. Praise the LORD!

Pro 6:20
My son, obey your father's commands, and don't neglect your mother's teaching.

Sgs 3:11
"Go out to look upon King Solomon, O young women of Jerusalem. See the crown with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day, the day of his gladness."

Isa 66:13
I will comfort you there as a child is comforted by its mother."

Jer 1:5
"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world."

Eze 19:5
`When the mother lion saw that all her hopes for him were gone, she took another of her cubs and taught him to be a strong lion.

Mat 1:16
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

Mar 3:35
Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Luk 2:51
Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored all these things in her heart.

Jhn 19:27
And he said to this disciple, "She is your mother." And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

Act 1:14
They all met together continually for prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.

Rom 16:13
Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me

Gal 4:26
But Sarah, the free woman, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. And she is our mother.

Eph 6:3
And this is the promise: If you honor your father and mother, "you will live a long life, full of blessing."

1Th 2:7
As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but we were as gentle among you as a mother feeding and caring for her own children.

1Ti 5:2
Treat the older women as you would your mother, and treat the younger women with all purity as your own sisters.

2Ti 1:5
I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois.

I consider it a joy to be a mom. Yes, I do admit at times it wears me out however I wouldn't trade my two rambunctious, loving boys at all. I was chosen to be their mom and every day I ask the Lord to give me the wisdom to know how to raise my boys the way He wants. It's a prayer I say every day and I'm learning as I go. Every day is different and there are some days I'm a great mom and some days I'm not such a great mom. It's those not such a great mom days that I must go to my boys and ask them to forgive me. I thank the Lord each day for my boys and I'm proud to be their mom!!

Here's a video I wanted to share that I thought was cute. Enjoy, and Happy Mother's Day!!

Iowa Cubs Game

Redoing the field

Tonight was $1 admission to the Iowa Cubs Game http://iowa.cubs.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t451. As we walked up to get tickets there were two people handing out bags and inside was free tickets to get into tonights game!! How awesome is that? God certainly is good. It was also $1 night for popcorn, pretzels and a drink so for $4 we had a little snack. What a great family time we had ducking foul balls, singing the songs and trying to catch shirts and flying hotdogs! Oh yeah, also watching the Cubs play. We left a bit early as Kevin had to get back to the church so I'm not sure what the score was. There's a couple more $1 nights coming up so we'll take advantage of those again.

"GPS" ~ Kids Musical

Tonight was our kids musical "GPS". It is wonderful to see all these kids up there singing their hearts out to the Lord. We have an awesome kid's choir director Shelly who works hard, along with her assistants, to make sure the program goes well. Kevin and I were so proud of Zayvn tonight. He did such a fantastic job. We worked hard for him to know the songs and motions. Some of them he didn't know but he did his best. For such a great job we took him for ice cream afterwards. The look on his face when we told him he did a fantastic job was priceless!!