Nothing Without Love

Off to Africa

2009-03-16T22:24:00.004-04:00

"Off to Africa" is code around our house for "going to the restroom". (Ellie made that one up.) We were off to Africa in a different way last week when we visited Kalahari Indoor Waterpark Resort in Sandusky, OH. I wish I had more pictures but water parks don't really lend themselves to getting snap happy, what with all the...water. So here's a picture of our arrival. Of course, the Africa theme was over the top with these life-size animals. Daniel was VERY impressed with this elephant (after he got over his initial fear of it). The other three were so excited at this point! We had been looking forward to this get-away for a long time, and we weren't disapointed. The water park was really huge. All the kids loved the wave pool and the Lazy River. The water slides were OK, but the girls weren't even tall enough to go on most of them. I made a mistake the first night we were there and took Joe and Ellie on one that I thought would be pretty tame. It was called the Rippling Rhino, and I figured anything with the word "rippling" in the title was going to be OK. I couldn't have been more wrong. We were hurtled at what felt like 60 mph through complete and total, pitch-black darkness. The kids are screaming and crying, and I'm just afraid that they're going to let go of our tube, so I'm trying to yell louder than them, "Hold on! Just don't let go!" Boy, were we a sight when we finally hit the splash pool! Ellie was shaking so badly she could barely walk out. And it's funny that I was afraid they wouldn't hold on because the whole time we were in the wave pool, they were clamped onto me and nearly dragging me under. There's nothing at all wrong with their grips! Anyway, after that water slide, Joe and Ellie were pretty skeptical of any others that I tried to talk them into. They each went down one more big slide, but after that we stuck to the lighter attractions. The important thing was that we all got to play together, and that was such a blessing!

Truth Tuesday

2009-03-10T15:21:00.004-04:00

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

So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.
His going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the rain,
like the spring rain watering the earth.
Hosea 6:3

Catching Up

2009-03-09T23:30:00.002-04:00

OK...I had one of those weeks. I had other things I felt I needed to focus on, but I really missed the blog too much. The next few posts are a little catching up.

Jungle Jack and the VonTrapps

2009-03-09T23:16:00.003-04:00

Last week my mom treated us (me, Joe, Ellie, Erin, my sister, and her husband) to an evening with Jungle Jack Hanna live on stage. He had the usual assortment of interesting and unusual animals, plus lots of information. He really is very entertaining to just listen to. What made the night for me though...

Throughout the night, various animal handlers would come on stage and he'd ask us if we recognized them, telling us they were from a very famous family. At the end of the show he introduced them. They were some of his neighbors in Montana and the great-grandchildren of Captain VonTrapp from The Sound of Music (Kurt's grandchildren, for those of you who are officianados). Of course, they sing (are about to leave on an international tour), and so we were treated to three numbers, The Goatherd Song, The Sound of Music, and the Rwandan National Anthem. Amazing, amazing, amazing voices!

Thanks, Mom, for a very special night!

Tidbits That Made Me Smile

2009-03-09T23:10:00.003-04:00

Here are some odds and ends from this past week that made me smile.

Daniel discovered the joy of sidewalk chalk. It's a good thing I got that "lifetime supply" back in July...he's got a lot more clothes to color.

Joe has been working on his juggling. He still has a long way to go, but he's getting better. Today, as he bent over to pick up his juggling blocks for about the 50th time, he said, "I know how to juggle, I just can't do it!"

And Erin...just as ravishing as can be!

Made for Work

2009-03-09T22:56:00.004-04:00

If I had been more faithful to the blog this past week, this would have been my Thankful Thursday post. Joe was just on top of the world on this day when he got to go out and work in the yard. For some reason, the fir trees in our backyard dumped a boatload of little pinecones this winter. Joe raked and raked and raked! It made me think of a book that's on my list of ones I want to get soon, a devotional for boys called Made for Work. This day made me think we'll definitely be enjoying the thoughts shared in this book. Joe loves to be useful and see the fruit of his labors. This was an extra chore, so I offered to pay anyone who would work. The girls only lasted for about 15 minutes. Joe kept up with the work, but I don't think the money was really his motivation. What a blessing that kind of energy will be for his whole life!

Perfect Seven!

2009-03-09T22:41:00.004-04:00

We celebrated Ellie's birthday on the last day of February. She chose a horse theme for her party. We had the cake... and a very special balloon to set the theme. (Side note about the balloon....She gave it a name and got very attached. Today she was in tears because it's starting to lose its air...the trials of being seven!) One of her favorite presents was inline skates (which she had really been asking for!). She's skated up a storm on our wood floor and has gotten pretty good. She says she feels like she's flying when she skates. She also got a pinafore as a gift. Nice ensemble, huh?Another gift she was really excited about was these two blank books for her to write her stories in. I can't wait to see those when they're finished!

Flashback Friday

2009-02-28T10:18:00.002-05:00

Ellie - October, 2004

Thankful Thursday

2009-02-26T22:54:00.006-05:00

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

2009-02-23T23:12:00.005-05:00

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!

2009-02-21T20:50:00.003-05:00

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

2009-02-20T21:42:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-20T21:26:00.003-05:00

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

2009-02-19T22:25:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-02-18T20:32:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-13T18:51:00.002-05:00

My five-year-old's...

Joe - June 13, 2005

Ellie - Feb. 28, 2007

Erin - Feb. 12, 2009

Thankful Thursday

2009-02-12T21:13:00.005-05:00

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

2009-02-10T13:30:00.003-05:00

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

Artwork by Joe

Book Monday

2009-02-09T22:08:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-08T21:39:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-07T10:16:00.002-05:00

Joe and Matt

Autumn, 2003

Thankful Thursday

2009-02-05T21:01:00.006-05:00

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

2009-02-04T22:29:00.005-05:00

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

2009-02-03T22:02:00.002-05:00

"...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

2009-02-02T20:11:00.007-05:00

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!

2009-02-02T09:01:00.003-05:00

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.

Flashback Friday

2009-01-30T16:26:00.002-05:00

Matt, 1987

Haines, Alaska

(And I always thought I was the greatest catch of his life!)

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-29T20:37:00.007-05:00

Tonight I'm very thankful to be sharing a house with a toddler! I tell you, if babies started out at the stage Daniel is in right now, I'd be like the Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe! He just trots around here, getting into everything, and passing out belly laughs for nothing more than a quick tickle. I also love all his cute little words right now: "beeshot" for basement, "mishak" for music, "bee-ah" for bear, etc. Now, he does have his moments (a couple weeks ago he "discovered" his scream!)...he's a natural-born sinner, after all, but he brings far more joy than grief. How I love my baby boy! And he's the one that we weren't even going to have. We had always thought maybe four kids, but after three in 3-1/2 years, we felt like we were pretty good to go. Then God worked on both of our hearts and here we are today. And what a blessing Daniel is to our family!

Take today, for example. Homeschooling can, of course, lend itself to some pretty intense moments, what with the various personalities and story problems and all. Today one of the tribe was in a not very happy state of mind. Daniel walked into the room where this child was "struggling", then stopped and looked at them for a long time (seriously, 10 seconds or more) without saying a word. We all got quiet, waiting to see what he would do. Then he blurts out, "BLAA-DAA DOD-IT!!", and calmly leaves the room. It was the perfect tension breaker!!! We all laughed, and went on with our day in much lighter spirits. Thank you, Lord, for that boy!!

Truth Tuesday/Wednesday

2009-01-28T21:06:00.002-05:00

(I just can't seem to get on top of things this week!)

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

"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are
just a vapor that appears for a little while and vanishes away." James
4:14
"Lord You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." Psalm 90:1-2

Book Monday

2009-01-26T17:26:00.004-05:00

This book, In Grandma's Attic, by Arleta Richardson, is one of my favorite new finds as a read-aloud for my girls. Ellie and I read it last year when she was in Kindergarten, and we thoroughly enjoyed every chapter! The premise is a young girl whose grandmother tells her stories based on items she finds around her grandma's house (and in her attic). The author is old enough to be a grandmother herself, and these are stories that her grandmother really told about her girlhood, which makes the stories date back to the 1800's. Besides being really humorous stories, each one has a moral lesson to be learned. For example, in the chapter called "Pride Goes Before the Fall", Grandma and her friend learn what trouble vanity can lead to when they sneak into church wearing some forbidden hoops under their skirts. There are lots of good lessons for girls about honesty, hard work, humility, and the like...and it's still really entertaining. This book was around when I was a girl, but I never read it. I wish I had, but I guess it's better late than never! If you like it, there are eight other books in the Grandma's Attic Collection. We are now reading the second one, More Stories from Grandma's Attic, and it's every bit as good as the first. Like I said, we use these as a read-aloud, but I would guess that they are written at about a 4th or 5th grade reading level.

Weekend Happenings

2009-01-25T21:05:00.004-05:00

Saturday was a big day in our house. In the afternoon we hosted Joe's piano recital, and we were so thrilled with the turn-out. Many extended family members were here (including Joe's cousin Nathan, which made his day!). His very special, very encouraging piano teacher has her students give individual recitals at which they play a collection of pieces they've learned during their course of study. I can see some nerves on his face as his teacher welcomes everyone....

He played so well, though! This is Joe's second year in piano, and it's been exciting to see him grow in skill and in perseverance as he's studied this year. Praise the Lord for the talent He's developing in Joe!

And, since we had everyone here anyway, we did a little birthday partying! Matt is offically golden now! You can see he's not taking it too seriously, though!

My mom got Matt several gifts that were things in 50's, like pads of paper, vitamins, etc. The best one, however was a container with 50 lizard'ns and frog'ns in it! That's at least a few weeks of quiet playtime right there! Did I mention they stick to the ceiling?

Flashback Friday/Sunday

2009-01-25T20:48:00.003-05:00

OK - so I'm a few days behind...

Erin Lee, December, 2004

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-22T21:31:00.007-05:00

Tonight I'm thankful that 50 years ago today, the most wonderful man I know was born.

I used to always joke that Matt was a smart guy and that's why he married me. Now I know the truth... He is an incredibly kind and patient guy, and that's why he's married to me...happily! I'm so thankful for his great love for me and the kids, which is displayed every day in his servant-like attitude around our home. He's my greatest fan and supporter in my role as a homemaker and homeschooling mom, for which I am also most grateful. He keeps life fun for all of us, and we were so glad to celebrate him today!

We had a simple family party tonight, as the bigger get-together will be this weekend. A few gifts and cards, a good dinner, and some family games made for a special night.

We are also so thankful for the many people who have sent Matt cards. He has really enjoyed hearing from so many friends, near and far. What an encouragement! The cards are awesome...very fun! The kids have had a blast with the ones that have sound. The Star Wars theme played in our house for about an hour today (Beau and Megan!!). Thank you so much to everyone! We have such a great group of friends and family!

So, it's a very thankful Thursday. We have more blessings than we could ever count!

Truth Tuesday

2009-01-20T21:55:00.002-05:00

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

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways, My ways," declares the Lord.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than Your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8-9

Book Monday

2009-01-19T22:02:00.004-05:00

A couple days ago I was reading this book to Erin and having such a fun time with her! The thought passed through my mind, "I wish everyone I knew could read this book!" Thus, the idea for "Book Monday's" was born. On Mondays I will share my collection of books I wish everyone could read. I hope someone out there enjoys it!

The debut book, Big Chickens, is written by Leslie Helakoski and illustrated by Henry Cole, two people who have definitely spent some time around chickens! The storyline is fairly simple...four chickens get stuck outside of their coop and, by panicking their way through many sticky situations, defeat the wolf. The hilarious illustrations only add to the already funny text. I enjoyed the book on more than one level, having spent my growing-up years with a coop-ful of chickens in the backyard. These chickens act just like the ones I knew, only these wear funny clothes, and they can talk. Very important - the chickens lend themselves to speaking in a wobbly voice with a Southern accent (like all chickens do, of course). This is a big part of what makes the book so funny to us! The first time I read this book aloud to my kids (who were then 7, 5, and 3) we had to read it at least five times...big fun! If you like it, there's now a sequel called Big Chickens Fly the Coop, which, again, is big fun. Enjoy!

Just a Couple Erin Stories

2009-01-18T21:34:00.005-05:00

I don't have much to say today. We've had a busy weekend and are very glad we get a bonus weekend day tomorrow.

I thought I'd just share a couple cute Erin stories. She's been really fun lately. The picture is from when we were bowling over Christmas break. She was very enthusistic about each turn she took and definitely put all 35 pounds of her weight behind each ball. What was so funny was she could never remember which two fingers went into the holes in the bowling ball. Each time it was her turn, she'd go running/jumping right up to the ball then she'd have to stop, turn around and yell back to us, "Is it these two fingers?", holding up two fingers of her bowling hand. She was right about half the time. It was so funny because she asked every time!

Today Matt Matt read Erin a story before her nap. (Naps are a love/hate thing for Erin. She'd really rather not have to stop and take them, but we really pay the price when she doesn't.) When Matt finished the story, he sort of laid back and closed his eyes...Erin saw he opportunity. She kissed Matt on the cheek, then said, "Good night, dear one," and tried to sneak out of the room! He caught her and the nap was taken...by her...and by him, eventually.

Flashback Friday #5

2009-01-16T15:00:00.002-05:00

The blogger and her boyfriend

60's Day at Potomac Elementary

Spring, 1997

Thankful Thursday #4

2009-01-15T22:14:00.009-05:00

Tonight I'm thankful for cold weather and warm memories. When we bought these sweatshirts at the Outer Banks last summer the temperature was close to 100... that would be a 100+ departure from our air tonight! In July, it was hard to believe we'd need these extra layers someday, but I knew that when we did, we'd be thankful for the bright colors and the sunny memories they evoked.

It is incredibly frigid out there tonight, but even that is a reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises.

"While the earth remains,

Seedtime and harvest,

And cold and heat,

And summer and winter,

And day and night

Shall not cease."

Genesis 8:22

On a lighter note, I have one more thing that I'm thankful for. Behold...

It's my laundry room floor! I knew it was down there somewhere. I finally found it today. It feels good to be caught up. Now nobody is allowed to change clothes for the next five days!

Father Ducks

2009-01-14T23:09:00.004-05:00

You always hear about the Mother Duck... Here's a picture of Matt and the dad across the street leading the neighborhood brood down to the park for some sledding today. There's a total of five kids there! The Mama Ducks were home with the babies this year, but next year, there'll be seven kids in the line-up!

The report was that the sledding was OK. It's VERY cold and the floofy snow was sort of hard to plow through. We're loving it, though. Doesn't it look beautiful?

Matt's school had an early release today as the snow didn't arrive until after the buses ran in the morning. Maybe tomorrow will be the snow day.

There's a WHAT on my front porch?!

2009-01-14T22:03:00.003-05:00

Most people don't know that Matt can ride a unicycle, (quite well, if I do say so) which made it all the more puzzling when a brand new one arrived with the UPS man today. The package was definitely addressed to him, but there was no clue whatsoever of who it was from! All the obvious suspects have been investigated, with no answers. It's such a fun mystery! We're gladly accepting clues if anyone can give them. The unicycle is much appreciated as Matt's current ride is at least 35 years old. Now he may have to learn some new tricks...just to prove he's not such an old dog!

Truth Tuesday #4

2009-01-13T16:43:00.002-05:00

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

Artwork by Ellie

Fun Day!

2009-01-12T21:31:00.007-05:00

Matt's school had a 2-hour delay this morning. We started our day on time, but then took a long break this afternoon to do a little of this...

...and this.

Snowy smiles all around!

Fun Bible Thing

2009-01-12T12:26:00.003-05:00

We had a guest speaker at church last night who spoke on John Calvin and the Doctrines of Grace. Really good! Anyway, one of his asides that he mentioned was to read Ephesians, chapters 1-2, and circle all the pronouns. Believe me, it's more than just a grammatical exercise. I tried it this morning, and it was awesome.

I hope you don't spend one ounce of your energy today trying to do something to get into heaven. The work has already been done by the only One who could do it. Great news if you're saved by grace...and really great news if you're still trying to save yourself.

Bushel and A Peck

2009-01-11T20:57:00.005-05:00

Some of our neighbors have a blog called "Bushel and a Peck" which I'm going to add to my sidebar blogroll. We're thankful for them for many reasons, one of which, is that they seem to be our partners in home repair. The tools and ideas seem to fly regularly between our two "vintage" homes. Just tonight they came to the rescue again with some salt so that we could get our van up our (very slight) incline and into the garage.

Our big snowstorm never materialized over the weekend. We only ended up with a little ice. However, it's been snow showering pretty steadily since about 3:00, so we're getting some fresh white today. Maybe enough for a delay? It certainly made the driveway slick! Better late than never, I guess.

Flashback Friday #4

2009-01-09T21:44:00.004-05:00

Four years ago, this week...

View down our street

Our front yard

Can you see how THICK this ice was?

Thankful Thursday #3

2009-01-08T21:33:00.009-05:00

Tonight I'm thankful for my weird kids. Actually, I should say, I'm thankful that kids are weird, and I get to live with four of them, whose unique brand of weird-ness I totally enjoy.

One aspect of their weird-ness (probably my favorite) is the way they play. We first started noticing this when Ellie got a little family of toy lions for her fourth birthday. Those lions were the only thing the kids played with for days after that! The lions were everywhere, having all kinds of adventures. Other animal families later joined them, but now all have been replaced by what the kids call "lizard'ns" and "frog'ns". They are these little rubber, stretchy lizards and frogs that we buy at Wal-Mart (88 cents for a pack of 15!). There are different colors and varieties in the packs, and the kids have names and character traits for each one. They even speak in different voices and accents! What's really funny is the kids think I know the names of each one. They'll come up to me and ask if I've seen "Susan Lizard'n"...as if I could tell Susan from any of the other 50 lizards! Lizard'ns and frog'ns are sort of like action figures and Barbie dolls rolled into one cheap, little, gender-neutral package, and they've provided hours of fun in this house. For more than a year now, they're about the only toys we've needed.

See? You just don't get that kind of weird with grown-ups.

I got this picture of what appears to be a lizard'n and frog'n pow-wow. Mode of transportation at the bottom right corner.

At Last!

2009-01-07T21:21:00.001-05:00

Aaaahhhh...at last...some sledding snow!

Truth Tuesday #3

2009-01-06T22:30:00.006-05:00

"...Your Word is Truth." John 17:17
"As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the Lord is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God,
The God who girds me with strength
And makes my way blameless?
He makes my feet like hinds' feet,
And sets me upon my high places."

Psalm 18:30-33

New Year's Picture

2009-01-05T21:52:00.002-05:00

I just came across this picture when I was reviewing my camera card, and I think it's hilarious. It was taken about ten seconds after midnight, Jan. 1, 2009. (You can tell we were at a hoppin' party!) Looks like Joe's looking forward to a good year...

The Difference A Year Can Make

2009-01-04T21:43:00.007-05:00

We un-decked the halls yesterday, which was great fun...

we heard a sermon on joy this morning, which was very convicting... and we're back to school tomorrow. I've been thinking about our Christmas vacation last year, which was when we very suddenly (long story) decided to begin homeschooling Ellie. The break was spent obtaining a curriculum, setting up the schoolroom, and, most of all, getting mentally adjusted to the idea of being homeschoolers. This break has been far more relaxing, to say the least. I'm thankful for the lessons learned over the past year, and for the fact that they were taught by the kindest and best Teacher. So, let our winter term begin! There's joy to be found in every moment.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4

Flashback Friday #3

2009-01-02T14:06:00.001-05:00

Joe and Ellie, January, 2003

Thankful Thursday #2

2009-01-01T22:16:00.004-05:00

Today I'm thankful that my son loves my singing voice. I know as well as anyone that I can only carry a tune in a very large bucket, but he thinks I should be making my own CD's. I love it that when he's going to sleep at night, he begs me to sing him songs, and then always tells me how good the song sounded. Someday he may hear how limited my singing abilities are, but I hope he still has warm memories of our favorite bedtime songs. What a blessing to be a mother!

Funnest Game Ever

2008-12-31T12:10:00.005-05:00

It's wonderful to have someone in the family who researches things. My Aunt Beth did the research, then bought us this new game for Christmas. It's called Quelf and its slogan is "Random has a New Name". We've played it twice now, and it is easily the best game I've ever played. Now for me, a good game is pretty silly with a lot of interaction. ("Risk" and games like that just bring out my ugly side.)

Here's how it works. You are trying to get your pawn ( "Super Ninja Monkey", "Queen Spatula", and "Biscuit Farmer" to name a few) around the board by rolling a die and moving ahead, while avoiding penalties, which move you back. In order to avoid penalties you may have to follow a "Roolz" card (ex: say everything twice, or make a flushing sound every time someone gets a penalty) or a "Stuntz" card (ex: play leapfrog, or keep one hand on the floor until your next turn). Other card categories had you answer a very untraditional trivia question, sing a song, deliver a eulogy for a deceased pet who loved coleslaw, etc. It's just really fun, and gets more ridiculous the longer you play!

This gets my top game recommendation ever! Go out and grab one. You won't be sorry (unless, of course, you're the "Risk" type...in which case, I'm afraid we can't be game friends.)

Truth Tuesday #2

2008-12-30T22:26:00.003-05:00

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

"Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable,
He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary."

Isaiah 40: 28-31

Counting Our Blessings

2008-12-29T15:09:00.009-05:00

My friend and former VA roommate, Cheryl, has just launched her blog called "Counting Our Blessings". (Her husband, John, was also Matt's rommate for a year...no wonder they feel so blessed! Ha!) You can read about their beautiful family at http://www.letscountblessings.blogspot.com/ .

Family Christmas Pictures

2008-12-28T22:21:00.007-05:00

Here's a photo recap of our family Christmas get-togethers. I always think I have way too many pictures, but then I go back through them and I see that I haven't captured many dear faces and special moments that I wish I had. We truly felt God's abundant blessings in our time spent with family for the holidays!

Flashback Friday #2

2008-12-24T10:57:00.003-05:00

(Posted a day early.)

The blogger's first Christmas.

With my maternal grandparents, Dec. 1971

Thankful Thursday #1

2008-12-24T10:42:00.006-05:00

(Coloring by Erin)

Well, it's easy to have something to be thankful for today.

Lately, I've been listening to this song by Point of Grace. It's not a Christmas song, per se, but I think the message is perfect, especially here in the first couple verses.

Infinite Deity, humbly enframed
In a mortal and breakable body You came
To rescue our souls from the depths they were in
Because, in spite of, to cover my sin.

Master and servant together in one
Come to redeem what our hearts had undone
Savior of all come to gather His kin
Because of, in spite of, to cover my sin.

Holy, unbreakable, infinite God,
Ever unchanging in all that you are
Light of the world and the sun and the stars
You are I Am and I am because You are.

(Scott Phillips, Because You Are)

Christmas To Us

2008-12-24T10:19:00.005-05:00

Today may only be the 24th, but we had Christmas morning here. It was such a fun morning! A nice breakfast....

some fun stocking stuffers...

and my favorite part, The Blessings Box.

Through the past few weeks we've been filling this box with slips of paper on which we've written the blessings or gifts that God has given us this year. We've never had it be so full! By the time we got done reading all the slips, my only thought was, "Well, who needs presents after that?!"

Of course, there were a few more presents, and here are a couple highlights. Erin's little Heffalump finally got a mother. (He'd been asking for one.)

Matt got a set of remote-control bumper cars. Total family fun!

Now we're hitting the road to do two more Christmas celebrations over the next couple days. The fun is just beginning!

Truth Tuesday #1

2008-12-23T23:19:00.004-05:00

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

"There was the true Light, which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh not of the will of man, but of God." John 1:9-13

House of Mourning

2008-12-22T22:38:00.004-05:00

It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:2

Last night at church we received word that a friend to many in our church body was being taken off life support following injuries sustained during a farming accident. She was a wife and mother, and had just become a grandmother for the second time last week. We rejoice for her. She had trusted Christ to cover her sins,and we know she is with Him now. We ache for the family, however, and have only found peace in lifting them to their Father in prayer, knowing that He will give comfort and strength.

One thing I remember about this lady is a testimony she gave at church several years ago during our Thanksgiving service. They had been dealing with a heart condition in their daughter, which had made their days uncertain and, I'm sure, frightening. I don't remember the scripture she shared, but I remember being so encouraged by the fact that God had proven Himself faithful to them during their time of anxiety and trial. She spoke of His goodness and care... the same thing He will, no doubt, show to their family again.

Anyway, today life just seemed a little sweeter, and the busy-ness of all the holiday preparations didn't seem like such a distraction. We are given precious time to do the work God has prepared for us. There's nothing like a visit to the house of mourning to remind us.

Nothing Without Love

2008-12-20T22:23:00.003-05:00

That's my new title for the blog. I've been wanting to change the name for a while, and this one says what I wanted to say. In a less fallen world, "Nothing Without Love" would possibly describe everything that happens here in our home. The truth of the matter is we are six sinful sinners all under the same roof, and, while God is graciously refining us to pure gold, our dross won't be completely gone until we appear in glory.

The reason I like this title is that it describes who we are ("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..." Eph. 2:4), and the ultimate outcome of all we do ("If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I ahve the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the pooor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing." I Cor. 13:1-3).

We are nothing without love, and we do nothing without love. And that' something I need to remember every minute.

The Mailing

2008-12-20T21:47:00.003-05:00

This morning my clerical staff and I got our Christmas cards ready to mail. If you get a card that has a return address label stuck on upside down, or a stamp slightly askew, please understand. I did my best at quality control, but we were having fun, too.

Flashback Friday #1

2008-12-19T09:09:00.004-05:00

"Flashback Friday" is an idea from my cousin Julia ("Jewels of the Kingdom" on sidebar). I think I'll have some fun with it. We'll start out with one of my favorite Christmas shots...

Christmas, 2004 - Joe with his T-Rex, Ellie with her ballerina doll, and Erin with her great big smile!

Do ya need some cute?

2008-12-18T21:29:00.002-05:00

My friend Karen just had twins last month and has a blog that's just about them. Now I'm not sure how someone with newborn twins manages to blog, but I'm really proud of her for trying. And if I know Karen, her blog will be quite a fun place to be. She just posted their pictures this week, so you can stop by and encourage her at http://balmertwins.blogspot.com/ .

Peanuts!

2008-12-18T21:07:00.006-05:00

Tonight Erin made a styrofoam peanut chain. God really knew what He was doing when He created static electricity. That's fun every time!

Birthday Snow Day!

2008-12-17T15:53:00.002-05:00

We got a surprise snow day for my 37th birthday! (If Matt's school has a snow day, our homeschool does, too.) A day's worth of bonus time is the perfect gift, and it gives me some time to catch up on the blog. The first few months of homeschooling were good months, but I don't think I'd care to repeat them. Things are starting to be back on more of an even keel with the curriculum and schedule and all. Homeschooling is becoming just another thing we do, rather than this THING we do. Praise the Lord for that!

The following posts are in random order and are just some of my favorite pictures and highlights from the fall.

Smiles!

2008-12-17T15:51:00.002-05:00

So often people tell me that Daniel "has his own look", or that he doesn't look at all like my other kids. Then I see a picture like this one, and I think, "Oh yeah, he's ours."

The Tribe

2008-12-17T15:46:00.003-05:00

The biggest blessing about homeschooling, so far, has been the way the kids have really gelled as a group. I find myself thinking of them as a "tribe" all the time. Different ages, different personalities, different interests, but that's the group you're in...and it can still work very well!

Young Teacher

2008-12-17T15:39:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite take-my-breath-away moments from the fall. Erin is starting to read, and Joe loves teaching her. (He may have a little bit of his dad in him!)

You Must Be A Homeschooler If...

2008-12-17T15:38:00.002-05:00

...your toddler's favorite toy is Base-10 blocks!

Cleaning Party!!

2008-12-17T15:30:00.003-05:00

My sanity saver this fall has been the invention of the "cleaning party". With our busy school days, the bigger cleaning chores weren't getting done. Cleaning parties now happen about every other Friday evening, and they are always followed by a movie and popcorn. I threw the movie and popcorn in there to sweeten the deal for the kids, but I don't even know if it was necessary. They love to work together to clean! Of course, their chores have to be chosen with care and there's been a lot of teaching involved, but the house hasn't looked so good since before Daniel was born. I'm so thankful!

Toddlerhood

2008-12-17T15:26:00.003-05:00

Daniel is at that delightful walking and just starting to talk stage. He's such a joy! He really brings out the best in all of us, and is quite the popular guy around here. (And, yes, balls, cars, and his hat are some of his favorite things!)

Photography

2008-12-17T15:24:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite pictures from the past few months. Joe's learning to use the camera.

Canal Boating

2008-12-17T15:15:00.005-05:00

We took a field trip to a historical farm where we rode on an actual mule-drawn canal boat.

The house and farm buildings were really neat, too. Outdoors, there were some old-time games to play with. The one that Matt is demonstrating is where you try to catch the wooden ball on top of the stick which has a little peg that fits into a notch on the ball. Well, the lady who was overseeing that day said that she had only seen it done twice in the 18 years she'd worked there, and then...you guessed it...Matt got it! I'm so proud of my man!

Trick or Treat!

2008-12-17T15:03:00.003-05:00

Trick or treat was more fun than usual this year. We're finally old enough to actually walk farther than two blocks. They still aren't really into the candy, but did manage to eat most of it before Christmas this year. (They may have had a little help from an adult in our house on that!) Joe was a fly (again), Ellie was an Indian (again - but this time, it's a different costume), Erin and Daniel were skunks (costumes were originally made for Joe and Ellie).

Pumpkin

2008-12-17T15:02:00.001-05:00

Soccer

2008-12-17T14:40:00.005-05:00

We had a blast cheering for the silver, red, and yellow teams in soccer this fall. All three kids were new to soccer and learned a lot from some really special coaches. I'm sure they'll all be back for more next year. Joe, especially, loved it and is now constantly pestering Matt to play soccer with him in the backyard (and it's never too cold or too dark!).

My Cup Overflows!

2008-08-31T14:44:00.002-04:00

There are only a few things in life that can bring more joy than playing chase with a one-year-old!

OY!!

2008-08-31T14:34:00.005-04:00

The other day, one of our children (who shall remain nameless)

did this to the door of our van (the deep scratches are very difficult to do justice to in a photo) with a ski pole! By accident, of course!

Why a ski pole in August, you may ask. That was a part of the adventure.

I guess fire-breathing dragons can sometimes be blue with a Toyota emblem on the front!

Check Out My Cans!

2008-08-31T14:26:00.004-04:00

Here's a photo of some of the can lights our electricians have installed as a part of our rewire. They are in the living room and have really brightened things up. Unfortunately, they've also illuminated all the dust incurred during their installation. The guys have been working for three solid weeks now, and they think they're down to just one more day. We've put off the start of school for them, but I think we're going to go ahead with that on Tuesday. The house is still a bit topsy-turvy from the construction, but it'll come around...

Pretty in Pink

2008-08-27T22:09:00.005-04:00

My aunt just sent me an article on how all this pink, princess-y stuff is giving our girls very little to aspire to, and I have to say, I agree. After all, what does a princess do all day? Keep her hair neat and tidy while waiting for Prince Charming to come kiss her?! Matt and I have tried to create a balance between girly and tough, with God's Word being our guide of what makes a good woman. Anyway, I read the article the day after I got this picture of Erin. Yes, she's wearing pink pajamas and pink slippers, but with the cape, she's "Super Erin" with about five exclamation marks! I love it!

And their favorite colors are turquoise (Ellie) and "rainbow" (Erin - she likes them all), so I'm encouraged that, by God's grace, we seem to be doing something right.

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future." Proverbs 31:25

Walking

2008-08-20T23:32:00.002-04:00

Daniel is walking pretty well now, if a little slowly. He's finally discovered the great benefit of walking - having your hands free to carry things. Today it was this little dish with the orange block inside it. He was really doing a great job of keeping the block inside the dish and would very patiently stop and replace it when it fell out. I'm thinking there may be a future for him as a professional relay racer.

Getting Wired

2008-08-20T23:13:00.003-04:00

Again, we are discovering all the charm of our old house. We had called

an electrician to install some ceiling fans for us, (They had been sitting in their boxes for six years, and we decided, hey, it's time.) but when they came they found old wire that they could not reinstall a fixture on. Now, we had put new fixtures on some of this wire, not realizing that WE WERE TAKING OUR LIFE IN OUR HANDS! Anyway, they rewired the ceiling fixtures for the fans, and, in the process, found places where live wires had been stuffed down inside our plaster walls, where they smoldered by the highly-flammable lath. Praise the Lord we had not burned down! Our electrician highly recommended a complete rewire, and now we're in the midst of it. It's been interesting having my new friends Ryan, Kevin, and Darrell home with me and the kids every day for the past week and a half. We've also had fun figuring out which outlets and appliances are going to work on a given evening. It's an exercise in flexibility, so I guess that's good for me. I guess it's probably a little bit like living in a place like Africa where power is optional at almost any time. Today Ryan assured me they would probably be done by Friday, so I'll be able to show you all my new outlets, not to mention some new lights in convenient places. Yea for Edison!

Soccer Practice

2008-08-20T23:01:00.004-04:00

We're going to soccer practice these days. This is the first time we've ever done the soccer thing, and it's turning out to be pretty fun. All three of the older kids practice at the same time but on different teams. Isn't that beautiful?! So Matt and I have some time to watch and hang out with each other. I love watching them all, but my favorite would be Erin's 4 and under team where the highlight of every practice is a game where they try to kick the ball into their coach while she acts like an animal (of the kids' choosing). Big fun! I just love people who go all out like that to make an experience good for kids.

Here are some other shots from the other night...

Kids in the Kitchen

2008-08-16T21:46:00.003-04:00

Joe and Ellie have had some kitchen time over the past couple weeks. We got a kids' cookbook called Honest Pretzels by Mollie Katzen as a gift from my aunt. It's supposed to be for kids ages 8 and up to use independently, but I've helped just a smidge. The recipes that we've tried have been fun for the kids to make and have been things that we've all enjoyed eating. Ellie made some spaghetti pie, for starters...
and has also made "Carrots in a Gentle Sauce" and "Fruit Shakes". She's sort of into cooking, so I'm trying to let her be independent (as you can see from the mess on the counter behind her). Notice her sparkly house slippers, which are only outshone by her smile of satisfaction.

Joe made "Peanut Butter Doodads", which was super quick and rewarding (a good place for him to start.) The secret ingredient here would be the "everyday cape".

The Everyday Cape

2008-08-16T21:41:00.003-04:00

For a couple weeks this summer Joe got really into wearing this cape. He told my sister it was his "everyday cape" because it was so comfortable. He just makes me laugh.

Kiddy Coaster

2008-08-16T21:36:00.003-04:00

Matt and the three older kids rode the kiddy coaster last week at the fair. Here's the first time around...

and here's the last time around. (Notice that the looks of sheer terror have subsided!)

Joe and Ellie rode it twice, but I don't know if we'll ever get Erin near one again.

Tea with Erin

2008-08-07T22:27:00.009-04:00

"Tea is a time in which we were perfectly contented with ourselves and one another."
Charles Dickens

Happy Birthday, Daniel!

2008-08-06T21:46:00.010-04:00

Daniel turned one this past Saturday, and we partied. Everyone got into the act. The older three kids helped frost cupcakes...

Matt was on decorations...

and Daniel showed up to look cute! He really approved our choice of a "Baby Einstein" theme! He kept talking to and pointing at the animals on the tablecloth.

Gifts were fun...

but he like the cards just as much.
He thought it was a little strange that all these people were standing around singing together and looking at him... but the cake was a big hit.It was all that could be desired in a first birthday. Our little guy is officially one and still delighting us everyday. We are so thankful for each of the past 370 days and praise the Lord for the hope we have for the days yet to come.

12 Months?

2008-08-03T16:04:00.010-04:00

Here are the pictures I took on all of Daniel's "month birthdays" (the 2nd of every month).

I didn't do a 12 month shot as I'll post his birthday party pictures sometime soon. If you count closely you'll see I'm missing a month. I have no idea what happened in April. I thought I had taken the picture. Actually, that's a pretty good way to describe my year...I think I lost a month somewhere...

As you can see, though, Daniel is thriving and impressing us with new accomplishments each day. What amazing bodies. We truly are "fearfully and wonderfully made"!

1st Birthday Eve

2008-08-01T22:33:00.006-04:00

A year ago, this very minute, our little "Doodlebug" was getting ready to make his debut. It seems ages ago, and it seems like yesterday all at the same time. Tomorrow I'll show you the pictures of his growth over the past 12 months, but tonight, I want to share a passage that has meant so much to me over the past year. It's from the book Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss and is a journal entry written by the author soon after the birth of her third child. (It's an old book, so bear with the old-fashioned jargon.)

"[My sister-in-law] takes a most prosaic view of
this proceeding, in which she detects malice prepense on my part. She says I
shall now have one mouth the more to fill and two feet the more to shoe, more
disturbed nights, more laborious days, and less leisure for visiting, reading,
music, and drawing. Well! This is one side of the story, to be sure, but I look
at the other. Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to
make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for
God; and the body in which it dwells is worthy all it will cost, since it is the
abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one
dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ's name, I make a
willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings
had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother's heart,
welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her
lifelong prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!"

The Pooooooool!

2008-07-31T22:26:00.009-04:00

I have to get some of these pictures in before summer is over. Our kids have had a blast at the pool this summer. To them, a day isn't complete without a dip! Two of them conquered the high dive. First, Ellie...

...and then Joe. (It's hard having a little sister with so much nerve!)

Erin has learned to swim under water ("wif" her eyes open!). She also has perfected the art of looking completely un-goony while wearing orange goggles.

Actually, she may still be working on that one.

And, as usual, Daniel just goes along and has a good time wherever he ends up. He could crawl over the whole baby pool except for the middle, and when he got there, his legs would lift up and he'd be sort of walking on his hands (which was quite fun to watch).

As for me, it's been fun to be at the pool without a support stocking (like I had last summer). Something about the water still makes me feel like a kid. I even wore the orange goggles for a while. I'm not attempting the high dive, though. That wasn't even that much fun when I was a kid.

Cousins

2008-07-25T23:23:00.003-04:00

Here's Erin with her BIG cousin, David. It's amazing how many currents there can be in a gene pool!

You've Gotta' Try This!

2008-07-23T22:03:00.002-04:00

When a baby is alone in a room and you hear him laughing hysterically, you know it's gonna be good...

Daniel found some of Ellie's Polly Pocket Princess gowns and was getting such a kick out of throwing them and watching them bounce. Some of them actually bounced back toward him, so maybe that was the funny part. I don't know, but he was laughing so hard! I guess we know what to get him for his birthday.

One of the Nice Things About #4

2008-07-22T20:50:00.004-04:00

Besides being great entertainment for Daniel, the three older kids can be really helpful. Joe has figured out how to do the whole feeding routine (except for food preparation). When he told me he wanted to feed Daniel, I made sure he knew what he was doing, and then I left the room! I'm sure I would have worried him to death if I had hovered, and as it turned out, Daniel eats very well for him and doesn't get any messier than usual. I think Daniel may even like Joe's feedings better...he's just funnier than Mommy.

I don't know which is better, having three older kids to help out or being able to let them do it.

July 18

2008-07-18T21:40:00.007-04:00

1998

2008

(On our anniversary picture, I always make Matt hold up the number of fingers with me to show the year. He loves it!)

If you had told me ten years ago that our anniversary date ten years into the future would include a nursing baby, a mini van, and a bonus buy of a lifetime supply of sidewalk chalk (for $2.99!), I probably would have been depressed. Praise the Lord that it did include those things, and it was a wonderful night!

Gold

2008-07-16T22:37:00.003-04:00

"Nature's first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold." Robert Frost

For the past week, we've been working on our office/schoolroom, the last room in the house to get a makeover. Last Friday I stripped the last piece of wallpaper(!), and after going through all the paint chips, we selected what we thought would be an earthy, stimulating, golden wheat color. We painted one coat last night, then woke up this morning to walls the color of the stripes on a road, "road stripe yellow", I call it. It was a big OOPS moment, but pictures can never do it justice.

We got another gallon of paint, and Matt got to work while the kids and I were at swimming lessons. Fortunately, only one more coat was required, and we now have our desired color! Yea! You can see it in the background of this picture.

Matt is such an organization freak. (Really, I love that about him!) Here, he's teaching our boys, so they can grow up to be just like Daddy.

Fishin'

2008-07-15T20:49:00.002-04:00

My dad got Joe a fishing rod for his birthday, and he tried it out at the camp when we were there for our reunion. It was a great place to learn to fish because he'd no sooner cast his line, than he'd have a fish. Granted, the fish were all about three inches long, but that didn't matter to him. He had a good time, and Erin did, too. I don't know if Erin is a tomboy or if she is just eager to do anything the older kids do. They made a pretty cute pair. Ellie wanted nothing to do with the fishing...she's my daughter, I'm afraid.

Wahoo!

2008-07-14T22:14:00.003-04:00

Last January we decided to homeschool Ellie for the rest of her kindergarten year. Any of you who know us, know how EXTREMELY difficult this decision was for us. We had never intended to be homeschoolers, loved her teacher, and, of course, have a great respect for the school (as it is where Matt teaches). Nevertheless, it was a necessary measure at the time, so we reluctantly became some of those "weird" homeschoolers. And now we love it! It is so clearly what the Lord had intended for us, and we are thankful for the blessing of being able to teach Ellie faithfully during what could have been a somewhat chaotic time (with baby Daniel). The Lord met many needs, especially in my mind and heart. It was just a really great experience! So now we are looking forward to having both Joe and Ellie home next year, and tonight I'm saying "Wahoo!" because the curriculum and materials (which I have had a ball picking out) arrived on the big brown ups truck. I can't wait to dig in!