Scary Man

A couple of months ago while we were out walking Paisan and collecting "treasures," Ivy declared that the reason she handpicks all of her "treasures" is because she is going to make a scary person for Halloween. You see, her "treasures" are actually, sticks, twigs, stones, leaves, acorns, flowers, basically anything that is laying within eyesight of where we are walking. It is so sweet to see her make all things that God has created into things that she absolutely cherishes and treasures (and don't you dare throw her treasures away!). I always say that you will know us walking as we are always the ones with sticks, pinecones, and bouquets of leaves in our hands! :-) (I wish I had a picture to post of our treasure collecting, but our hands are ALWAYS too full to even hold a camera!)

Now, the plans for Scary Man have been rolling around in Ivy's head since that day of declaration. Part of her plans was that Scary Man was going to have a pumpkin head. Here she has her "list" and is hand-picking her Scary Man's head at our neighbors, Mr. Tibbetts and Miss Gloria's pumpkin patch stand...






After many months of collecting, discussing, and planning, Scary Man is built and revealed...




The picture doesn't show it, but for a while after Scary Man was built, he was holding flowers in his "hand"...is that scary or what?

Great job, Ivy (and Daddy)! That's the best Scary Man I've ever seen!

We no longer can avoid...

...going Trick-or-Treating! I know this is a hot topic for many or at least it seems to be around here...I'm not sure if the debate comes from the New England area's witchcraft roots and presence that still exists today or just a strong conviction that people hold against Halloween. Whatever your conviction and view is on Halloween, here is ours...

Since having our kids, Nathan and I have somewhat struggled with this "holiday" but have always been able to avoid making a decision on it as our kids were too little until this year as Ivy fully understands that Halloween is here, that she can dress up like a princess, and that she could get candy. (We never did see the point in taking a baby Trick-or-Treating when you know that the parents will be the ones to eat the candy and NOT the baby.) We have, however, always bought a bag of candy to hand out to any trick-or-treaters that would stop by our house.

When we were little growing up, we always "celebrated" Halloween by going door to door in our respective towns getting candy! That was all Halloween meant to us...FREE CANDY!!! There was NEVER (that I recall) any mention to Halloween being evil or being the "Devil's holiday"...it was always a fun, sometimes scary, and tasty "holiday".


This year, we have decided that we would allow Ivy to go Trick-or-Treating to the few houses around the neighborhood and to her "adopted grandparents'" house, but we would not allow her to dress up in evil-looking costumes (not that she would want to anyways at this point); however, a few days prior to the "big day," Ivy had come down with a bad cold but was now on the mend. Today, we did not mention "Halloween" or "Trick-or-Treating" to Ivy at all as to possibly avoid the whole thing yet another year. Like many holidays, Nathan seems to ALWAYS have to work and miss out - this year was no exception - so I would have to take both kids and do it all. Well, in the afternoon, Ivy was on the couch for her rest time as I was doing some chores when Ivy turned to me and said, "Today is Halloween! I get to dress up like a princess and get candy!" (Wow, these kids do not miss a thing!!!) Ivy then spent the afternoon reciting what she was going to say when she got to our neighbors' doors which included..."Happy Halloween! Smell my feet!" AND "Trick or Treat! Give me something good to eat (please)!" :-) SO now, we can no longer avoid going Trick-or-Treating.


As Ivy had gotten all dressed up in her princess outfit and I was getting both kids and myself all bundled up and ready to walk around the neighborhood, it had started to sprinkle and then pour-down rain. Much to our surprise, Daddy came and drove us around to the neighbors! I must say Ivy's first time Trick-or-Treating turned out to be a fun, memorable, and special night as she got to dress up as a princess; she got LOTS of candy (Since Ivy was the ONLY trick-or-treater our neighbors got, they just kept filling her bucket up with candy, candy, and more candy! The bucket was getting too heavy for her to carry!); she got to spend the time with her Mommy, Owen, AND DADDY; and she got a "special ride" around the neighborhood! (Owen even had a lot of fun "helping" Daddy drive the "special ride.") I'm so thankful that we were able to spend the little bit of time that evening together as a family for another one of Ivy's "firsts"!

Happy Halloween! Smell my feet!

the things our kids do and say

I can't help but blog about some of the things our kids did today.

1. As I was preparing supper and talking on the phone, Owen brought out a box of crackers and indicated that he wanted one. I gave him one to keep him content until I was off the phone. [Now, a lesson learned in our house is that if you have something to eat in your hand, you must either eat it right away or protect it or hold it wout of reach of our chocolate lab Paisan (pronounced "pie-zon"), or he will get it! Ivy has certainly learned this lesson, but Owen hasn't yet (and I thought he was going to learn it tonight).] As Owen was holding his cracker pretty much in plain unprotected view, Paisan was about to get the cracker when Owen caught on to Paisan's trick and quickly moved his hand so that he wouldn't get it. Good job, buddy! Owen then proceeded to taunt Paisan with the cracker by running back and forth in front of Paisan and running around him! (Do they learn quick or what?) It was so cute as Owen was giggling and smiling ear to ear the whole time he was doing it! That's our boy!

2. While eating supper at the table tonight, Ivy turned to me and remarked, "Mom, let's go shopping tonight!" Daddy then asked, "What do you need?" Ivy replied, "I need to get a belt!" Remember, Ivy is only 3! Are we going to be in trouble later on in life or what???

3. Ivy loves to make up her own song lyrics and go around the house singing her song. Tonight, her song went like this, which she kept singing over and over again:

Jesus is in your heart...in your heart...in your heart.
Jesus loves you and wants to be in your heart...in your heart...in your heart.
He will love to be in this heart...in this heart...in this heart.

4. Owen's new "trick" now is to lay down on the floor and roll all around the floor. He giggles and laughs the whole time he does it. (I just wish he wouldn't look like a dog, all covered with dog hair, when he gets up off of the floor.) :-) AND, he now loves to be held upside down and tickled under his chin...boy, does he ever laugh! :-)


Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." ~Luke 18:16-17

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. ~Psalm 127:3

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. ~III John 4

We were baking...

...and it's not even Christmas, yet!

Today, some ladies from our small group Bible study gathered together at our house to bake cookies for the college students of our church or who have been a part of our "group" throughout the summer! I don't know who will be blessed more...the college students receiving the yummy cookies or us ladies that got to enjoy a time of fun and fellowship (although hectic and crazy at times...well, at least for me anyways) and, if I must say, some of those yummy cookies! It was so cool to see how the Lord gave every lady a part to do in this day!

I love our small group college/career Bible study group! Praise God that He led us to this group and continues to lead this group in a mighty way!

Can you believe that I totally forgot to take some pictures? I thought I would actually get to post a blog with some pictures, but I just wasn't thinking today.

I will close with the Scripture that we sent to the college students to encourage them in their days and weeks ahead (who better to give advice than our Lord Jesus Christ (through Paul)!)...

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
~I Thessalonians 5:14-24

By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Arlyn "Dad" Z. and Andrea O.! I hope your birthdays were as special and joyful as you had hoped they would be!

Can't Imagine!

As we were sitting at the table for breakfast this morning, Ivy sadly remarked that there wouldn't be a TV in Heaven! (How sad! Am I teaching my children that TV is more important than the Lord? You know, I love that our kids help us to continuously evaluate what we do in our lives. I firmly believe that the Lord gives us our kids to teach us just as much if not MORE than we teach them.) Well, back to my little story... I, being the Mommy to capture this teaching moment, asked Ivy, "Will we really want to watch TV when we get to Heaven?" Ivy then thought for a moment and commented, "No, Mommy! When I get to Heaven, I'm going to give God a really big hug and kiss because I love Him very much!"

After our conversation, I thought that if I am this delighted in hearing my daughter's comments about the Lord I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE how much it pleases Him when He hears our kids say the things they say. The Lord led me to this challenge...Are MY comments, thoughts, and actions pleasing the Lord?

And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. ~Colossians 3:17

So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." ~John 8:28-29

Coming Soon...

...in late April or early May!
Will it come on a Sunday, Tuesday, or Friday?

What are we talking about?
The Zipf family is not in doubt.

Baby Z. #3 will be here,
and we'll be smiling ear to ear.

Will "it" be a boy or a girl?
Will "it" have lots of hair or just one curl?

We don't and probaby won't know
until the sweet face it will show.

So please join in praying for us
because in the Lord is who we trust.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. ~Psalm 139:14-18 (ESV)


Okay, so I've had this post written for a while but not sure when to post it. Seeing that my ever-growing baby bump is getting harder to conceal...here's our "creative" announcement! :-)

Welcome, Baby Z. #3, we can't wait to see you!

Am I Actually Blogging?

It's official...I am blogging.

I have contemplated about blogging for MANY months now. I like to use Facebook and use it somewhat frequently, but it never filled a void I felt was there in my life. I always feel like I am missing so much with my walk with and love for the Lord, with the special moments with my husband, and with the funny and crazy days with my kids. I hate looking at the HUNDREDS (if not thousands) of digital pictures on the computer that I haven't printed out yet (and perhaps never will), the baby books that are just not getting updated, and the scrapbooks that just don't seem to put themselves together. My hope is that this blog forces me to sit down and form a complete thought about everything that goes on in our lives and creates something that my family can look back on and "remember those times".

I have had this blog set up for quite a number of weeks now but still no time and energy to blog about anything or the knowledge of knowing where to even begin. Well, today is the day to make this blog official and actually post something (even if it is these meaningless words).

So...welcome to a tiny glimpse of our family. Hopefully now, I won't feel like I'm missing a thing...