14!!

Happy Golden Birthday Tim!! We love you so much!!

New Year's Resolutions?

This is the best I can do.

I will live a life surrendered to You, Jesus. You will finish the work You started in me. I will trust that promise. I want to look more like You in 2020 than I did in 2019.

Theme

For the rest of CHRISTMAS BREAK 2019!!

The Streamers

Merry Christmas 2019!!

One Year Ago

Unbelievable that it was one year ago today but I hugged my baby girl as she went off to Army basic training. That was a very painful day. But she went down to Fort Leonard Wood, rocked it came back strong. Now she's going to school, continuing to accomplish her goals one at a time. I'm so proud of you Sarah Stream!

Happy Sweet 16 Golden Birthday Natedog!!

We love you so much!!

Well It Is

Been working on Masters homework all morning. Crafting answers to on-line discussion questions. The kind of questions where there are 5 actual questions in 1 question. As my wife works on her Biblical Counseling certification exam questions.

I was explaining to my wife the level of effort and thinking gymnastics I have to go through just to understand the question(s). 

She replied with this advice: "It's ok to cry."

Gahhhhhhh

I got a crisis call today from my wife Carla

She described the following real life scenario:
-she was sound asleep for an afternoon nap
-she was awakened by Lola (cat #1) meowing and purring loudly from the end of the bed
-she inquired of Lola about what was happening
-Lola was excited about what she brought onto the bed and let her prize go
-a mouse scurried from Lola's paws toward my wife's face
-she screamed and lept from the bed
-landed on her left side
-hitting her arm on a bookshelf
-peed
-and ran screaming from the room
-oldest son was home and came to the rescue
-she yelled to him from the couch under a blanket
-he found the mouse under the iPad
-scooped it up in a bucket and brought it outside
-mouse escaped to live and haunt my wife another day
-Lucy (cat #2) was found stress eating again
-I comforted my wife as best I could and said I needed to get back to my meeting

Let's Be Clear

It was parent-teacher conferences this last week. You get 5 minutes with a middle school teacher.

My wife Carla said "There's only one reason I go to these."
Me: "What's the reason?"
My wife: "It's so that they know our children are being raised by a mom and a dad, not a pack of wolves."

From Patrick

My beloved's birthday today. She is mine. I love her. God has blessed her and loved her through so much in her life. I get the honor of loving her and growing from it. I get to. Wow. Happy Birthday my sweetest babe Carla. We had a great lunch at Lolo. 54!!

Family Day at UMD!

Tim Swims

Timmer's has found his thing. On the first night before practice he swore up and down he would not ever wear a Speedo. After practice his first words were, "Dad I need to get a Speedo."

Food for Thought

I have had the following conversation with all of my children at one time or another as they headed off to their government schools for their daily indoctrination.
"Some of your friends did not get dinner last night. Some of them did not get breakfast this morning. Some of them listened to their parents argue and fight. They don't have new school clothes. There are students at your school that are being abused. Physically, sexually, emotionally. They know that terror. School is their safe place. And for others school has never been safe. They are lonely and feel lost and invisible. They know despair. They need you. They need your smile or a thumbs up. They need you to look into their eyes and SEE them. Really see them.
Make today about others and not about you. Please look around and find someone sitting alone at lunch and join them. Find them at recess. Ask them to play. Please say kind words. Please THANK your fellow students, custodians, lunch workers, bus driver. THANK them for taking care of you. Let's pray for everyone today."
And they know. They know that as a child their mom endured some of those things. They know that I speak from experience. And I send them off to make a difference.

Not so Little

The Littles.

The Bigs? One at UMD. One at Stout.

I Mean It!

This really is the last straw!!

29 years!!

Our 29th year at the MN State Fair!  One of Patrick's and Carla's first dates!!  This year the weather was horrible.  HailRainWind. Ohmy. We bought food and scrambled for shelter all.day.long.  At 5pm we were all funned out.  The next day Patrick and I both said, "I feel totally ripped off."

Pastor Patrick Stream

 Ahhh!!  You Patrick, are now commissioned to be Pastor of Biblical Counseling at Faith Community Church!! So very proud of you!! And I am a pastor's wife.  Ahhh!!

Relentless

Disclaimer 
Yes. I asked my daughter for permission. calmdown

Dear friends with strong willed children, 
I have some. I do. And I want to encourage you to stay the course. Keep at it. One moment at a time. Be consistent. 
From the ages of 3-7 my daughter Sarah was fit to be tied. I changed her middle name from Ann to Relentless. One day she refused to leave the yard to walk to school as her older brother skipped along without her. She banged on the door and the windows and yelled and begged for a ride. I locked the door and watched her and prayed and waited and cried out to God. After what seemed like an eternity she TRUDGED. I called the school. "This is Sarah Stream's mom. She will be late today. So I am calling her in strong willed. Give me a call when she shows up please."
She refused to open her mouth at the dentist. Ohboy. I was embarrassed and enraged and grateful for the long drive home to cool down. She was sent to her room. She destroyed it and took a nap.
She planked all the time into or out of her car seat. With bonus screaming and head butting.
Her currency was and is being with people. When she was sent to her room she would cry, "I CAN'T SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING!"
I vowed that she would obey me. No two ways about that. But it wore mommy out. She would be in time out or I would be in timeout. Everyday.
There were rays of hope and sunshine. When the girlybug said, "Yes mommy." and did as she was told. The joy and laughter and imagination and praying together and loving Jesus who made her. He would finish the work He started. I trusted His promise. (While at the same time wondered if she was possessed. Not gonna lie.)
And God is using that strong will in her life like I asked Him to so many years ago. And then there was a 3 year old son named Tim....
You can do this. You will do this. One moment at a time.
I am praying for you.
Love you,
Carla

Truth

I love raising boys.(and girl, Sarah)I always said since they were younger that they could talk to momma about anything. And so they have.
I was pumping gas and when I got in the van both of my youngest boys were upset.
Mom "What's up?"
Boys "That man right there was staring at you. Like looking you up and down. All over." 
Mom "Ok." 
Boys "Aren't you upset? Aren't you going to do something?"
Mom "No. I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me. It says more about him than about me. Why are you upset?" 
Boys "Because it's wrong." 
Mom "Why is it wrong?" 
Boys "It makes girls feel uncomfortable and like a piece of meat and it is disrespectful. We should look them in the eye." 
Mom "I guess I did do something about it. I taught you that. So when your friends do it you can say something. Now let's talk about why I pumped gas and you sat in the van."

Sniffing

Yesterday it was just my youngest, Tim and I. Tim Time. I asked him what he wanted to do. He didn't know. 
Mom "We could go to Hobby Lobby and smell all of the candles. The one who gets a headache first wins." 
Tim "Ok."
Tim won.
boymom

25 YEARS!!

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY TO US!!  Thank you Lord for our years and years doing life together!  Spent our time in Two Harbors, MN at Larsmont Cottages. Paid $20 extra for the Crystal Kayak a see through bottomed kayak to paddle around on Lake Superior.  Weather was AMAZING!  TO 25 MORE ANNIVERSARIES!!

Still Mine

My husband and I were discussing my momvan. The undercarriage is completely rusted. The side door is now broken due to one Streamerson who doesn't seem to know his own strength. And I am on my 2nd summer with no A/C. 
Patrick "It's horrible." 
Carla "Hey, don't be dissin my ride."

19!!

WE LOVE YOU SARAHBEARAH!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
So fun to celebrate you before you left for Texas with MN National Guard. armystrongyes?

80's Dance Partay!!

For Patrick's 50th Birthday!

Happy 50th Patrick!!

July 4th, 2019!  We love you!

Hugs and Kisses

Dearest Summer,
I love you. I am waiting for the leisure part of you to kick in. Whenever you are ready. 
Thank you!
Carla

Where?

I run a pretty tight ship around here. ALL Stream children started doing their own laundry when they hit the double digits. Yes. 10 years old. Joy to the world for mom. I have been hearing about wool dryer balls FOREVER and finally bought some. I expect all 6 to be back in the little basket I have for them. All tucked in. Safe and sound. I bought 6. I have 4. 
Me "Where are the other 2 dryer balls? Who has them? They are in someone's laundry basket!! Everyone check!!" 
Tim "Is this how summer is going to go? You yelling about dryer balls everyday?"
Me "YES!! KEEP LOOKING!!"

Raider Pride

Proud parental moment coming up. 
Tim was nominated by his Art teacher for Creativity. My youngest(just finished 7th grade!!)was identified with Learning Disabilities in 1st grade. He does his best with academics. He is not a quiz grade. He is not his report card. He is more than points accumulated on a test. He is God's son. With God given gifts. Namely artistic expression. I do ask him to draw his mommy trees and snow capped mountains once in a awhile.

How it's Done

FYI
This is how I do facebook. 
I post a zillion things all at once. The faster the better.
Prolife!! funny stuff, cute things, God's truth, personal reflections, human interest, pics of doing life with Streamers, extend birthday wishes and I calmly and respectfully bring TRUTH to those that are proabortion. Then I run away. (I took fb off my phone years ago) I come back to 67 notifications. Get overwhelmed.Post stuff. Run away. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Facehole and I have a like/intense dislike relationship.