Monday, October 27, 2008

So...

Is it okay to be listening to Christmas music a week before NOVEMBER?



I think so...  does the soul good...

Friday, October 24, 2008

Our Autumn Hunt

My Mom found the idea for an Autumn Scavenger Hunt and emailed it to me.  As soon as I read the email I quickly began to plan on adding it to our next nature walk.   Well today was the day, so we grabbed the camera to record some of our findings, had our list and headed out on our walk this afternoon.  We all had so much fun and as we were walking, enjoying the day and our search for different items on the list, my mind was thinking of all the fun additions you could add to the list or different ways to do it.  
:::

Our Autumn Scavenger Hunt 
(adapted a bit from the original list)

Find the following:

* flowers still in bloom - Do you know what they are? If not, look them up later.


* changing leaves - a red leaf, yellow leaf, orange leaf, and one with three colors combined


Sadly, we could not find any orange leaves.

* a seed of some type - Can you identify it?


* a tree with no leaves (or very few) - Why has it lost its' leaves so early?


* an insect - can you identify it?
* an insect home

 As soon as I mentioned that they needed to find an insect 
they quickly knew where they wanted to go...  The red ant hills.


* an autumn sound - What is it?

the sound of the wind moving around us.


* a fruit (berries, for example) - Can you identify?



The boys discovered this abandoned bird nest

:::

We still had the following to find but I think we would need to either venture outside our neighborhood or give ourselves more time (it was already past nap time :) )...
* something living under leaves or a log
* signs of animal activity or presence
* an animal home
(There is so much more that could be added to the list.)

:::


The joy of walks...  being able to gallop like a horse.   :)

:::
That the child should be taken daily, if possible, to scenes—moor or meadow, park, common, or shore—where he may find new things to examine, and so add to his store of real knowledge. That the child’s observation should be directed to flower or boulder, bird or tree; that, in fact, he should be employed in gathering the common information which is the basis of scientific knowledge. - Charlotte Mason


Wednesday, October 22, 2008

How am I known?



How am I known?  What do others see when they look at my life?  


Do they see a woman in love with life?  Someone willing to serve those I love...  laying down my life for Him?  Does joy and love flow from me and touch my husband and children?  Does it reach those I come in contact with daily?   

When little ones run up, do they see a smile on my lips?  Do they see love in my eyes?  Do they know gentleness in my touch? Are words of kindness on my tongue?  


How am I known?


Or do they sadly question? Do they stand in frustration because of me? Do they question what or whom I am serving... do they wonder what I love... do they wonder where my joy is? 

What do they see when they look in my eyes?


How am I known?  What do those I love see when they look at my life?


Can they see Him?  Can they see His love... His life poured out through me for them?  
Do I have a heart of gratitude that radiates from my face, my heart?  Do they know how much I love and appreciate them?

Is my life full of thanksgiving?

Is my life a reflection of Him?
  
:::
Thou will shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.  Psalm 16:11


Thank you, Father...  You are good.


Friday, October 17, 2008

Yep... just like soda

We were sitting in the living room the other morning reading a story on Benjamin Franklin...  

The story goes to tell how when Benjamin Franklin discovered the electric shock he would have friends come over and then he'd tell them to reach for a crown that was attached to the wire. His friends would grab the crown and quickly yell as they felt an unknown tingle going through their fingers.  

My Benjamin is always asking what words mean when he's not sure about them, so we were quickly stopped in our reading with his inquisitive mind wanting to know what a tingle is.

Well...  it would be like little tickles in your fingers...  or, remember when your foot fell asleep the other night?  It would kind of be like that...

Then John-John pipes up.  Benjamin, it would feel like a soda was in your fingers...

Yep.  Just like a soda.    

I guess?

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Autumn Goodness

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works.  Psalm 26:7


A heart full of thanksgiving...


The joy of seeing a little boy's prayers be answered...  a little doggie to play with and to cuddle. Who knew we would have been able to find the perfect fit to his little prayers?  Only a good God.
:::



The joy of seeing a Grandpa lovingly teach his grandsons...  Christmas presents in the making...  what joy there will be on Christmas morning for both the givers and the receivers!
:::


The smell of pumpkin bread coming out of the oven and the joy of watching little ones enjoy it. We had 9 mini loves that are slowly disappearing...  why does it go so fast?  Awww....  the joy of a having a house full of growing little ones and a husband that works so hard.   
:::


Monday, October 13, 2008

A little ball of fur

Well, I guess this will be my first post on our Operation: City Backyard...  doesn't a back yard always need a boy's best friend? This last weekend we added a little puppy to the family.  She is a 12 week old poodle mix and the boys absolutely love her.  

Benjamin is our little animal lover and has been praying every night for just the right doggie. We've been looking, though we were in no rush, and praying for wisdom when the right dog was to come along.  We found her on Saturday thanks to my Mom's help and brought her home that night.  

Lily already loves to play in the back yard with the boys; she loves to cuddle and it will be good for the boys to learn how to train her...  what a perfect start to our Operation: City Backyard.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Fireplace Thoughts


It's a cooler day and I was sitting by the fireplace pondering...

:::

It’s so amazing to see all that is going on…. All that He is doing…. All that He is awakening… There is no other place that I would rather be... and so I sit here wondering what the years ahead will look like for our family. 

I am becoming more and more dissatisfied with the world and the things of the world. We live in glass boxes... does this matter to us? Does this make our heart cry?

My family is my calling… ministering to them, serving them, leading them, instructing them, teaching them, guiding them, blessing them, and loving them.  In teaching them,  I so desire my children to learn to serve others... to not be controlled by the things of the World but to be under the control of the One who spoke the World into existence and it all starts with me.  

I have to ask myself, Will we allow ourselves to be instruments in our Redeemers hands or will we go on in our own way?  Follow our own plans?  Or, will we instead allow Him to receive the reward of His suffering? 

I am excited to see Him at work, to see Him open doors, to see Him provide. Will He take us to the other side of the country to serve the least or will we be serving others from our own little homestead? Will He call us to adopt?  There is so many different ways that we could turn...  but instead we turn to Him.  We look to Him and ask Him to direct our steps and then we abide... because that's where life is... Life Abundantly. 


graphic from Art Posters.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family. Thomas Jefferson





Monday, October 6, 2008

Children's Book Monday


Mud Pies and Other Recipes


Faith and I have been enjoying this book for the last few days. She was given a tea set for her third birthday and this book fuels her love for tea parties right now.  

Silky Spaghetti...  Mud Pies A' La Mud... Rainspout Tea...  these are just some of the recipes you will find in this fun book and it even has a suggested menu section with what to plan for a summer luncheon, a picnic or a wedding feast.  

The pictures are enchanting, the recipes fun and the memories made from enjoying this book with my three-year-old are so sweet.

Enjoy!

Go see A Path Made Straight for Children's Book Monday!


Sunday, October 5, 2008

Such a challenge

We're having a quiet Sunday here.  My gang is off at Grandpa's working on Christmas presents, Olivia is sleeping, the dishwasher is running in the background which means the kitchen is clean, the windows are open letting in the fresh clean air of fall and it won't be time to get ready to go to Church for another couple of hours....  I'm enjoying the beauty of a sabbath.  

I just finished reading The Shaping Of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot.  I love all of her writings and this one was no different but the last chapter, oh my, that last chapter put forth such a challenge!  In this last chapter, entitled The Family Letters, she shares letters from her parents.  Her mother wrote letters weekly to all of the children...

Jim and Elisabeth Elliot were married twenty-seven months when Jim and four missionary colleagues were killed by Indians in Ecuador.  Elisabeth's mother, upon hearing of the news by shortwave wrote her daughter this letter.  

How I long to take you in my arms and comfort you.  As yet we have no official word as to the outcome.  ...  But through it all God is giving unbelievavle peace, not to ask that the boys be spared, but only that His perfect will may be accomplished and that you dear girls will be so wonderfully conscious of HIS perfect strength and grace that you may be surprised at the peace of heart that He can give.  
Trust... faith...  belief that He is good no matter the trial...

:::
 
Elisabeth's mother wrote this verse at 3 a.m. while up praying for her children.

The Comfort of the Scriptures to a Mother of Six

I see him, Lord in all that frozen waste,
A gallant figure pushing dauntless on, 
The stinging snow and wind beat in his face -
I need Thy promise, Lord, to lean upon.
For Indian hearts are cold and icy too,
"A heart of flesh for stone, " I hear Thee say?
And also, "He shall let my captives go!"
Now rest, my heart, in this sure Word today.

In streaming jungle, Lord, midst crawling life,
She labors patiently to tell Thy love,
Where naught is known save only strife.
Whence comes my help if not from Thee above?
Arrows by day! Ah Lord, those Auca spears!
Thine angels charge to keep her?  Yes, I know-
But, Lord, terror by night, loneliness and tears-
Yes, Lord, such rivers "shall not overflow."

And on it goes, listing all six of her children. 

Challenging... Inspiring...  Beautiful, A Simply Beautiful picture of a Mother...

Friday, October 3, 2008

It's amazing...

I can't believe it has been two weeks since I posted this post.   We've been enjoying our backyard... the boys have made a fort out of moving boxes, they've been climbing some small trees (which I think gives their Nana a heart attack :) ) and the cooler but sunny days have found us sitting out there doing school or enjoying a picnic lunch.   We also got two bales of hay for our harvest party and who knew that they could be used for so much?  We've made forts, jumping obstacles, more forts, a place to do school, more forts, used the hay to feed our play horses at our play barn, tried to make our own stable and of course made more forts with them.    
 
My plan was to jump right in on my operation: city backyard... To come up with a plan for our back yard. I've been praying, searching, googling ideas and while I have a couple of thoughts it's been a little challenging to find the time to work on them.  So, we've just been using what we have...  The best way to do it.  :)
I think our first "real" project for our operation: city backyard will be to make a Tee Pee. It is the perfect first project as we are studying American History this year... 

In the meantime, our days have been full...  we've had the Harvest Party, celebrated a birthday and welcomed a new little niece into the family.  We've been working on school in the mornings, enjoying afternoon nature walks and the boys are working on Christmas presents with Grandpa.  Did I mention the 50 lbs of apples?  

These are good days and I would not trade them for anything in the world!



Wednesday, October 1, 2008

I'm an Auntie again!


My sister welcomed a new little one into their family.  Delaney Aliana was born early Sunday and we are so thrilled for their family!!  

Congratulations Kim and gang!  We love you!