A Birthday Celebration

We celebrated Auntie Tricia's birthday this week-end.

It is very sweet to be able to experience these

special occasions for the first time with our family in the Northwest. 

Num-num, Papa, and Tricia drove down to our house after church

for the birthday festivities. 

The children made Auntie a personalized mug from Starbucks.....

they had made one for dad last year, and we thought it would be perfect for her. 

Fondue, Izzies, delicious cake, and vanilla ice-cream

made the evening very special. 

Tricia, I hope your long birthday week-end was filled with 

lots of smiles and wonderful new memories to cherish!! 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Soule Mama.

Out My Front Window

I mentioned in my last post how this past Monday was so nice

that we decided to take off for a winter hike.....

Well I was thankful, because come Tuesday, we were having true winter weather.

It has snowed and sleeted and rained off and on the past three days.

And its been wonderful. I love all the windows in our rental house. 

One of my favorite things to do each morning is to come downstairs,

and open all the blinds in the back to bring in the light and

see which birdies are visiting our feeders.

It makes me happy! 

The front of our house has a very large picture window as well.

Because we moved here in the fall, I'm not sure what to expect this spring.

Love looking for the promise, on the trees, that it is around the corner. 

It will be like "Christmas in April".....or is it May?

as we watch all these little buds opening with new life.

Still don't know what types of fruit trees we have in the back.....

time will tell.

I love it when it rains and then the sun pops out.

Finding little bits of beauty ~ even rain drops reflecting the light~

make my heart rejoice and praise the Creator. 

Although the weather has been freezing as far as I'm concerned

(I like viewing things from the window.....)

the children have not skipped a beat playing outside. 

In fact, earlier this week, the three olders decided that they wanted 

to use some of their own money to purchase skooters like Whit and Toby. 

I have had a blast watching them from the front window......

racing up and down our street,

praying that the Lord will protect them!! 

The pastor took these pictures because I didn't want to go out in the cold.

You can see me directing from the picture window :)

You also get a lovely view of the two "lion statues"..... guarding our house.

I could do without those!

Our road is very quiet, with very few cars on it.

The olders do such a good job of looking out for the little ones,

yelling down the street when a car comes. 

I still would like to purchase some of those "children at play" signs.

Not sure how effective they would be, but I think having them out would make me feel better. 

Since these pics, I have convinced Whit to wear her helmet

when she rides.....it's a princess one for crying out loud! 

The pastor reminds me how we didn't even know what helmets were when 

we were this age.....riding our bikes and skateboards without the slightest care. 

Times sure have changed since we were kids, haven't they? 

I will say, they all DO wear their helmets when bike-riding.....so don't worry :)

A Winter Hike

Mondays are the pastor's day off, and therefore quite often turn into family days.

We decided, since it was the third day in a row of no rain,

to go on a hike at Deception Pass. 

It was the first time, since moving to the Northwest,

that we've done anything like this.....

and O what a joy it was. 

I've decided that the woods are one of my very favorite places. 

Not sure if its just these Northwest woods, or if I would feel the same about any other.

Regardless, the clean forest smell, the vast "treasure hunt" for beauty....

it does my heart good. 

I hope to make this type of outing a regular occurrence for our family

and continue to foster a love for nature study!  

The pastor spotted the tree (pictured below) with the crazy fungus growing on it. 

Here's an example of something we need to look up in a nature book

in order to correctly identify it!!! 

 

We hiked down to the beach, hung out there just a bit and then headed on.

While we were on the beach, we saw a spectacular sight. 

An eagle (pictured below) came soaring in ~ quite low,

landed on a tree very close to us, and then took off after a few moments. 

It was so awesome and the kids were going crazy!!!! 

Of course on the beach, they all collected rocks and drift wood......

a number of which unfortunately went into my camera bag.

It's hard for me to say "no" to their little treasures.  

We saw some HUGE trees!

I couldn't believe how big the base of the tree that Drew is posing next to was.
The picture below, on the left, is the top of that tree.
I've told the children that this spring/summer,
we are going to make it our goal to identify and know trees.
As a family, we've become pretty good at identifying birds,
but I am pathetic in other areas. I figure if we can focus
on different things in nature~ each season,
we'll have better success.
So......it's trees this spring!!! 

I have learned~ over the years~ in our nature journaling exercises,

that it's extremely helpful if I have a basic knowledge of what we are identifying :)

It's challenging for me because I have never been well taught in this area......

although books drawn/painted by "naturalists" are so very appealing to me. 

It's an area that I want desperately to grow in. 

Birds have been easy because of all the wonderful bird books we have.

I am more insecure in other areas, such as trees, fungus, and wild flowers....

This is one thing that I have loved about homeschooling~

:: the opportunity for me to learn with my kids :: 

I'm hoping to use my camera a lot this spring and summer. 

Take pictures like I did in this post, bring them home, and use the internet and 

nature guides to identify God's creation that I don't know.

O the beauty of discovery!!! 

Rest

I mentioned that earlier this week, my three little ones made a big bed

and slept in the play-room one night. 

The pictures were so sweet, I wanted to document them! 

While I'm talking about sleep, I might as well also document

the song that I sing nearly every night to Whitney.

Not sure if this is the correct title, 

(I learned the song in college at a camp I worked at one summer)

but she calls it "Day is Done."

Day is done, gone the sun,

but we need not fear.

Darkness comes that we may see

the stars and know that God is near.

Greater light, rules the day,

lesser rules the night.

Sun or moon it doesn't matter,

we are always in His sight.

Greater love has no man,

than our Savior's love.

Jesus came to give His life,

that we may know our God above. 

In the name of Jesus,

we sing this lullaby.

We may have to say good-night,

but never have to say good-bye. 

May your Lord's day be sweet and filled with lots of rest.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Soule Mama.

Random Musings

We've been having some sweet praise time in the play-room since we've lived here. 

Dad gets out the guitar, and the kids get out all the random music instruments. 

I love their enthusiasm to sing and praise the Lord. So sweet to my ears!

"Suddenly, with a longing that was more than he could bear, he wanted to stop fighting against this man.
He knew that he would give everything he possessed in life to follow Jesus."
 Drew's copy-work from The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare

Yesterday, I informed Ellie and Drew that they were going to start doing their own laundry.

They were oddly excited. Perhaps now, 

they will think twice about throwing clean clothes into their basket? 

A couple of Whit quotes: 

"I love Marie (her stuffed kitty) and mommy."

I'm squeezing her in a hug and she says, "Aaaaaaa.....by brain!"

Toby has actually given up sucking his thumb. He only did it when he had his "Ruff Ruff."

We explained to him that it was time to quit, and he's been such a big boy about it!!!

(Though it makes me sad that an era has passed....) 

He's waiting for the day when he can just sleep with his Ruff and not be tempted to suck his thumb.

You know you've got a big family when the check-out man at the grocery store asks you if you're shopping for the month.....my response was, "No, this will last us a week."

The beauty of the mountains brought me to tears last week! 

Do you ever get use to it? I hope not. 

"We're not going to stay in this house the whole day, we're renting it!" ....Toby

Yesterday, Toby, Whit, and Abby played together literally all day long~with hardly any quarreling!
I couldn't bring myself to make them stop to do school, therefore I was doing math and reading with Toby at dinner time! At one point, they were eating popsicles on the pantry floor because they didn't want to stay at the table and they thought it was too cold outside......
I guess they wanted a change of scenery.

The three slept last night on a pallet they made on the playroom floor..... 

Whit will NOT go to sleep these days without me singing to her....she is NOT content with letting anyone else (except occasionally Ellie) doing the service. Every night she asks me, 

"Will you come sing 'Day is Done' and 'Jesus loves Me' and scratch my back?"

I was reminded this week, as our family was visiting a sweet older couple in our congregation,

how fleeting these days are. Betty was telling us how long they've been married... 68 years! 

I was commenting how my sweet hubby and I have been together for 18 years
(married for 15 and dating for 3) and that we've basically now been a couple as long as we were under our parent's roofs. In comparison to Al and Betty, we've got a long way to go.
She made the point, as she was watching our children, how short the child-hood years are
in comparison to the whole of life. When you're in the throws of childhood,
it seems like life at home will go on forever. BUT.....pretty soon you hardly remember those years. yikes.

I have SUCH a small allotted time to shape my little arrows to be shot out into the world.

After I wrote this post, I read our daily reading to the children from Trial and Triumph
by Richard Hannula. We read about a monk who lived in the second century named Anselm.
He was quoted in this book, and I thought it so applicable to what I had just written here.

" 'A youth is like a piece of wax,' Anselm answered. 'If the wax is too hard or too soft it will not receive a perfect image when pressed with a seal. So it is with the ages of men.
Old men, untrained in the truth of God, are like hardened wax, and young boys,
unable to understand spiritual things, are like soft, liquid wax, incapable of receiving a seal.
But the young man is pliable.
If you teach him, you can shape him as you wish.....'" pg. 79

Though the childhood years are fleeting, they are some of the most important.
What an opportunity we have to mold our little ones, and what a grave responsibility that is!
O, that we might raise our kids with wisdom and diligence,
covered in God's grace,
 to be men and women of God
who love Him and want to serve Him with their lives. . . .

THAT is the most important thing
:: that they would have hearts for their Savior ::
NOT how well they read and write.

Lord, may you give me wisdom today as I teach my children. 
May I not be worried about the trivial things, but only what is most important. 
Make their little hearts soft for you. Will you please mold them into
men and women who love and honor You. 
Help me, Father, to be faithful to the task you've called me to.
In Jesus name, Amen

Winter Memory Work

 The memory work that our curriculum has us working on this winter
is the very familiar 1 Corinthians passage.
::Love that is is conjunction with Valentine's Day::
~and that our kids are hiding God's word (their "sword" to fight their sin)
in their little hearts~

May this encourage you dear ones, and remind you that you are loved,
and that you are to love.
We are sending Valentine wishes your way.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8
And now I will show you the most excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,

and if I have a faith that can move mountains,

but have not love, I am nothing. 

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,

but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

Gratitude List (#226-254)

"We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks.

Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if not with thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. 

Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace.

Thanksgiving is inherent to a true salvation experience;

thanksgiving is necessary to live the well, whole,  fullest life."

::Anne Voskamp ~ pg.39, One Thousand Gifts::

winter walks in the country

black birds perched high in trees

time

the wind whispering through the trees

white aspen trees

glorious sunsets....and a picture of it taken by #3

clear skies and the cool air that comes with them

white geese in the meadow

sunlight in the playroom

the sun shining through the trees

double shot vanilla lattes

the mess

meaningful conversations

birthday celebrations

beautifully set tables

pink frosted cupcakes

smiles of delight

root beer floats

horse back riding lessons

rain drops beautifully hanging off of winter trees

majestic bald eagles spotted by eager children

old family quilts that were discovered in the attic

a bench bought by my valentine years back

sunbeams making rainbows

22 women wanting to fellowship over pizza
the pain of separation and the lessons learned through it
the promise of new life

that my friend Erin got through her surgery

(please lift her up in prayer!!)

"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;

to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!"

Psalm 50:23