Flashback Friday

Ellie - October, 2004

Thankful Thursday

Tonight I'm simply thankful for this dear girl who is turning 7 this weekend. I've been working on her slide show and am feeling sentimental. For some reason, her birthdays are always the hardest ones for me. She's the one who seems to change every time I blink my eyes! (I really love that about her, though.) Tonight she was busy working on her "book" called The Life of Joe, Ellie, Erin, and Daniel. She's been working on it for at least a week now, and I think it's precious...fully illustrated, of course. Maybe someday I can put an excerpt on the blog. What a precious blessing her life is to our whole family!

Book Monday

I really hadn't decided what book I was going to do today until about ten minutes ago, when I picked this one up...and remembered, again, why I love it so much. Lies Women Believe, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, is set up so that all you have to do is look through the list of lies women believe in the table of contents, find your lie, then turn to the page to read about the truth. Awesome. I was looking under the lie of "I don't have time to do everything I'm supposed to do." (Who out there hasn't thought that??) She points to Jesus' words at the end of His life, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." (John 17:4, italics added). Later, she follows up with this quote:

Frustration is the by product of attempting to fulfill responsibilities God does not intend for us to carry. Freedom, joy, and fruitfulness come from seeking to determine God's priorities for each season of life, and then setting out to fulfill those priorities, in the power of His Spirit, realizing that He has provided the necessary time and ability to do everything that He has called us to do.

When your head is speaking lies to you, there's nothing like a good shot of the truth to get you back on solid ground, and this book is a great tool for that. Nancy Leigh DeMoss has recently become a favorite of mine. She really loves the Lord and has such fresh insights from the Bible.

Five Year Old Girl!

As I continue to replay our week, I am now to last Saturday afternoon when we had Erin's fifth birthday party. We had grandparents and one aunt come as special guests and did all our usual birthday things. Erin got to wear the birthday hat (and her sparkly dress!) as she blew out her five candles on her pink kitty cake. (We called it "Sweetheart Kitty" since the party was on Valentine's Day.) Some of Erin's special gifts were "Coconut" (the American Girl dog), some clothes for her Build-a-Bear, a new Easter dress, and a pinafore (just like Laura Ingalls'!). She had a great day and loved being the guest of honor!

I used to make 10-12 scrapbook pages of the year and present them to each child on his/her birthday. It was always nice to pass around at the party (and it was easier for me to let them turn the next age, knowing I had a lot of the previous age recorded). Then last year, I went to digital scrapbooking and each kid got a hardbound book with their pictures and stories for the year. I still haven't gotten Erin's done yet, so during her party I had a slide show playing on the computer with her special pictures from the year. What is it about looking at pictures while listening to music?? I could hardly watch it without getting all teary-eyed! I've never been so far behind on having the scrapbook done, so I really need to get going on that, but the slide show was a nice alternative.

Flashback Friday

November, 2007

I'm always amazed at how perfectly this picture came out. It's not that long ago, but it was taken during a blogging hiatus, so it's new to the blog. Just wanted to throw a little perfection into this otherwise topsy-turvy week. That, along with this precious promise:

"For I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:6.

What Bob Can't Do

It's funny looking back on this week in rewind...I must have been getting sick for a few days before I actually knew it. I look at these pictures and my primary memories are of being tired...

Continuing with the week in rewind...Our family celebrated Valentine's Day on Friday night because we were going to be having Erin's birthday party on Sat., the 14th. On this night, I learned what Bob can't do. I found that it is not possible for me, in three days, to have two birthday celebrations, a Valentine's party, and a "fancy" family Valentine's meal. Something had to give and this year it was the fancy meal. We had pizza - no, not homemade (unless Jon is really our Papa). When it came time to decorate the table, I gladly delegated that job to the kids who had been sent some inspiration from my aunt (in the form of fun napkins, placecards, etc.). They had way more fun setting a fancy table than I would have on that night. Aren't these places cute?? And they probably enjoyed the pizza just as much as they would have my fancy meal. So that was Valentine's Day, and even in our imperfection, we all loved each other very much that night.

Next year I'm going to try Cheryl's tradition of going around the table and sharing what we love about each person. And since Erin's birthday will probably be on the 12th next year, too, pizza may also become our new Valentine's tradition.

Thankful Thursday

For tonight's Thankful Thursday post, I'm rewinding back to our homeschool Valentine party held last Friday. (This is the beginning of the week in rewind, but it works out that it is something I'm truly thankful for, too.) Last Friday morning we got all ready to go, the kids all toting their Valentine boxes with them....

Yes, they are all pretty cute, but I was mostly thankful that they were DONE for another year!

Then, the party...this is one shot that shows one of the things I'm most thankful for about homeschooling.

In this picture the kids are doing a little game to split up into teams for relays. Just look at the teams...that's what I love. See all the ages mixed together? These kids are such a blessing to be around! At one point, Erin was playing with some girls when she fell and hit her head on the floor. I saw it happen, but before I could even get to her, one of the teens had swooped her up and was comforting her. Wonderful! The kids played lots of games, then one of the moms led devotions (and that part was so well done the kids even remembered it that night at supper).

So...lots of fun for the kids. I don't have that many pictures of it because while they all played, I was having a very encouraging time talking with the other moms. That's something I'm super thankful for!

Yes, the valentine party post definitely belonged on a Thursday.

Laying Low!

Here is Ellie's rendition of where we were supposed to be tonight.

Our plan was to be enjoying an indoor water park at a reduced rate through my mom's school conference. The Lord's will for us, however, was to be laid low by some flu virus for the better part of a week. (Just be thankful you can't pick up our germs over the internet!) We're not complaining because we know we can trust His timing in all things, and fortunately, we could reschedule the water park for the second week of March. This has been a very big week, with all the birthday and valentine happenings plus all of us very sick. I'm going to blog it in rewind over the next few days. Not tonight....just looking at this bright screen makes my head hurt.

Flashback Friday

My five-year-old's...

Joe - June 13, 2005


Ellie - Feb. 28, 2007

Erin - Feb. 12, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Tonight I'm very, very thankful for our little Erin who celebrated her fifth birthday today. We knew she was five because she was so much bigger...when she woke up the first thing she told us was that the ground looked farther down today because she had grown! She had a wonderful day, and it was a joy to be able to bless her in so many ways. First of all, Joe and Ellie had doubled up some of their school work yesterday, so we could take the morning off of school to play and have fun with the birthday girl. This meant Erin could stay in her pajamas a little longer than usual which was truly a treat for her. She loves that! Her gift that she got first thing in the morning was her very own Beta fish.

She named him Rainbow, and I would say she loves him about as much as a fish can be loved. She got to wear a special outfit of her own choosing, choose all our meals for the day, have a little extra video time and an extra long story time, got a couple more gifts through the day (including her first two-wheeler), and basically, just got made much of! Ellie took on the role of "professional" (as she called herself) and made a checklist of all the birthday activities, which was very sweet.

So now I no longer have a four-year-old girl. To me, five is a milestone, which ends the little girl years and starts the schoolgirl years. What a joy to see it all!

Truth Tuesday

"...Your word is truth." John 17:17

Artwork by Joe

Book Monday

Today's book, Goodnight Moon, is one of my absolute favorites to read aloud to my babies. I really think Margaret Wise Brown was something of a genius with words. She could take the most simple text and make it flow so perfectly! I have many a happy memory of rocking and reading this one at bedtime. As a game the kids would sometimes fill in the blanks with the next word, especially the "...quiet old lady who was whispering _______" (hush). That "hush" was always one of their first recognizable words. The pictures are also fun because they alternate from color to black and white. On each of the color pages we'd have to pause and look for the "young mouse". Just thinking of this book makes me feel content and drowsy. What am I going to do when I run out of babies to read it to?

The Wedding of the Century and Other Stuff

I think most churches have a "Miss Donna Lou". She's the one who keeps everything running smoothly...secrectary, director of children's ministries, Sunday School teacher, Bible Club teacher, VBS coordinator, ETC. She does it all, and she does it with great love because, as a single woman, serving the Lord and His church has been the passion of her life. Yesterday, on her 60th birthday, Miss Donna Lou, became Mrs. Donna Lou when she married Mr. Russ, a match so perfect only God Himself could have orchestrated it. Do you know what happens when you live all your life in a small town, making the most of your singleness? You get A LOT of friends! I think about 550 guests were expected yesterday. It was a whopper of a wedding! The ceremony was beautiful with numerous musical performances. (It seemed almost like a concert.) There was even a kids' choir, which Joe and Ellie participated in.

The reception was great fun, with games done as only Miss Donna Lou could have. What a blessing! It was dubbed "The Wedding of the Century", and we are so thankful to have been a part.

Other happenings this weekend...Daniel's got some really yucky intestinal stuff going on. He's been tired, whiny, and clingy. Matt stayed home from the wedding yesterday to watch him, and I missed church today. He's actually starting to cling more to Matt now. He wanted him tonight instead of me. I guess my feelings aren't too hurt. Matt is a pretty nice guy to cling to, after all.

And everything's dripping! It feels like we're in Narnia and "Aslan's on the move." We can see grass, but of course we can't walk on it in its water-logged state. We took a nice, long walk this afternoon (on the sidewalks). We all enjoyed it, but Joe was ecstatic!

He's been cooped up too long, and has many "tiggers" to get out! I think our reprieve from winter will only last a few days, but that's fine. We still have one more snow day we need to use yet.

Flashback Friday

Joe and Matt

Autumn, 2003

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful tonight for the many, many foot prints in my backyard. I have always loved the smooth cleanness of newly-fallen snow. Now I'm finding that I love messy tracks (and the little feet that made them) even more.

Feeding the Flock

We've taken up the hobby of birding this winter. Did you know that it's no longer called birdwatching? I guess that's politically incorrect or something. What we've really done is set up our birdfeeder and kept seed in it since the cold weather started. Since the bird feeder is conveniently located just outside our schoolroom window, and the birds are, apparently, more interesting than phonics, the kids have gotten really well-acquainted with our neighborhood flock. They've actually given titles to the birds. The male and female cardinal are the king and queen of "Feederville", and whenever they are spied, the kids call out, "Hail, King/Queen Cardinal! Hail!" (Did I mention our kids are weird?) The tufted titmouses (titmice?) are the prince and princess, while the bluejay is the knight. The juncos are the duke (pronounced "doo-yuke") and duchess, and the mourning doves are the pastor and his wife. The Bewick's Wren is the nurse/teacher and the plethera of sparrows? The commoners, of course. There's also a red-tailed hawk (the evil villain) who flies in and stirs up the kingdom every now and then. Our occasional squirrel is also on his side.

Ahhhh...with entertainment like this, who needs phonics?!

Truth Tuesday

"...Your Word is truth." John 17:17

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh, and of the mind, and were by nature, children of wrath, even as the rest. BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a resultof works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:1-9

Book Monday

I'm going with a book written for grown-ups this week. The Attributes of God by Arthur W. Pink, is a collection of newspaper articles he wrote many years ago. (I used to have a page in my book that told about the original publication, but it's fallen out, ne'er to return.) From the language of the book I would guess that the articles were written sometime in the 1800's. So it's not an easy read, but well worth the effort! Each chapter deals with a different perfection of God, written by an author who can make complex things simple and cause me to look at truths with new eyes.

This book is a great encouragement to me in that it gets my focus above the grind of daily life and onto God Himself. I especially like to read it before going to church on Sunday because it prepares me to worship God for who He has told us He is, not just for what He does for me each day. As Pink says, "(t)he foundation of all true knowledge of God must be a clear mental apprehension of His perfections as revealed in Holy Scripture. An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, nor worshipped." I have quoted this book once on this blog and you can read that quote here.

Pass the Lysol, Please!

I was going to write a real post last night, but I ended up nursing a vomiting Erin...all night. I think she's through the worst of it now. It's a bright, sunny morning, and I'm wondering, "Who's next?" Looks like it'll be Ellie. She's sharing the couch with Erin right now.