Wordless Wednesday-God's beautiful creation

A fun weekend, part two-tournament

Saturday started out bright and early. We were all up, dressed, packed, and out the door for breakfast by 8. It was so nice to already be in OKC and not have to leave the house at 6:30am! We may have to do that again next year.

Then, we were off to the tournament. We got everyone registered and in their uniforms, then they went off to warm up while we settled into our seats for the day.

Dakota

That's Cheyenne at the top left.



Sierra



Landon
 

 I have lots of video from the tournament, but not many pictures. I was so proud of all four of them! The competition this year was tough. We didn't come home with many medals, but they did their best and hung in there.

Here's Landon waiting for his forms competition to begin. There were so many kids in his group! This was the first time for him to compete as an orange belt. He did a great job!

 

This picture breaks my heart and makes me proud all at the same time. This is the moment when he realized he wasn't going to get a medal. He handled it well for a seven year-old.

 

Sierra also had a really large group. She did a great job! After a tie-breaker, she placed 4th.

 

 

Here is Cheyenne bowing in before her forms competition. She did a great job, too. She also placed 4th in her division.

This is Dakota waiting for her forms competition to begin. She worked really hard and spent lots of time practicing at home. It paid off, because came in 3rd!

 

The kids did really well in sparring. It was the first time for Cheyenne, Sierra, and Landon to spar at a tournament. I think they all learned a lot for next time. Landon was so close to a medal. He made it through 3 matches and lost the fourth by only one point. He ended up 4th place in his division.

Dakota sparred last year in the tournament and placed 2nd. This year, she knew more what to expect and was better prepared. She did awesome and brought home GOLD!

 

 

 

 What a great weekend! Love getting away and having fun together!

 

 

 

A fun weekend, part one-Sam Noble Museum of Natural History

 

We have had a busy couple of weeks in the Harmon household. Mostly doctor appointments, homeschool group activities, 4-H activities, and tae kwon do classes. Lately it seems like we constantly have somewhere to be or something to do. I am ready for summer to come so things will calm down a little. I love all the activities we get to do, but a little break will be welcome, too.

This weekend, we made room for a little fun among our busyness. Dakota's birthday is coming up next week and she had asked to visit the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History to celebrate. The kids had a tae kwon do tournament in OKC on Saturday, so we decided to go up on Friday and make weekend of it. We had a great time!

 

 (get ready for picture overload!)

 

At the entrance to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, there was a giant inflatable spider. I made sure to keep my distance!

 

The first area we went into was a special exhibit on insects. There was a scavenger hunt for the kids to do and then turn in for a prize.

We found this sign on binomial nomenclature in the insect room. Dakota just learned about this in Biology, so I made her pose by it. Ha!

 

 After the scavenger hunt, it was time to get on the "dinovator" up to the second floor. This is the view from the top.

 

The kids went back downstairs to check out the mammoth up close and were attacked!

  

 

 

Back upstairs, we went into the Hall of Natural Wonders to see what kinds of animals we could spot. We learned a lot about the animals native to Oklahoma.

 

 

 

Our next stop was the Hall of the People of Oklahoma. We met a very nice gentleman who talked to us about how Native Americans used all the parts of the buffalo.

 

 Next, it was back downstairs to the Hall of Ancient Life. Finally, it was time to see the dinosaurs!

 

 

After the museum, we checked into the hotel and relaxed for a bit while Daniel searched for a new restaurant to try. He has a knack for finding great pizza! He did not let us down. We had dinner at Joey's Pizzeria. It was amazing!

 



 

If you're ever in downtown OKC and have a chance, stop by Joey's! The pizza was delicious and the service was outstanding. And tell Becky we said hello.

 

 

 

Sick

I mentioned before that I have recently joined a ladies' Bible study group. I have to say that I am loving it! It's such a blessing the hear things from other perspectives and to learn from other people's experiences. One week, only myself and one other lady were able to make it, but I still walked away with a lot to think about.
One of the best things that I've gotten out of the study is learning to look deeper into the scriptures and find how each one applies to me. We're going through the book of Luke right now. Each day there is a passage to read with a verse or two as the focus. Today's verse was Luke 5:31-32

 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

 

Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, the super religious people of the day.  The Pharisees knew the law and followed it. They wore the right clothes, said the right prayers, hung out with the right people. They were righteous. They weren't looking for a Savior, they were just fine on their own.

 

As I thought about this verse, I was taken back to the day I went to the hospital with blood clots in my lungs. I had been feeling bad for a couple of days. My heart was racing, my head ached, I felt very anxious. And yet, I didn't go to the doctor. I didn't want to admit that there was anything wrong. I thought I could just take something for my headache and rest and then I would be fine. I didn't need any help.

 

It wasn't until I was at the point that I couldn't even cross the living room without stopping to rest that I finally acknowledged I was in trouble. I was sick and I needed a doctor. I had to finally admit that I was sick and that, by myself, I couldn't get better.

 

It's the same way when it comes to my need for Jesus. So many times, I try to get by on my own, thinking that I've got it under control and I don't need any help. All the while, I'm digging myself deeper and deeper into a hole. It's not until I am stuck in the bottom of the pit with no other way out that I finally cry out and ask Jesus to help me. And He does! EVERYTIME!

 

But, how much better off would I be to admit my need for His help from the beginning? How much trouble would I save myself by calling out and asking for his help before I start digging to begin with?

 

Jesus came to call the sinners to repentance. But we have to recognize that we are the sinners he came to call. We can't do it on our own, we need Him to save us. And the good news is, He is just waiting for us to ask!