a tea party

My kids have been in rare form this week and for some reason, the creativity has been flowin.'

(I say that just so you know that sometimes I go crazy because they won't

occupy themselves or keep asking to watch the t.v.!!!!!!) 

On a slow, cold day earlier in the week, they asked to have a tea party, and of course I couldn't say no. 

I wasn't sure what they had in mind, but I always enjoy an excuse to bring out

Mama Jo and Mama Hatcher's pretty china! And I always love an excuse to compose a pretty picture. 

While the tea was brewing, Toby wanted to help me get things ready. 

The girls were dashing around upstairs getting themselves ready. 

And before I knew it, he had also changed into his sunday best and donned

one of Pop's ties! Boy he looked dashing. 

As they were getting themselves seated, I realized that they were bringing

bags with them. I wasn't quite sure what that was all about.... 

until they started opening their "gifts" from each other. 

And as you see, the presents included lots of junk from

their bedrooms. And I guess they got a kick out of watching each other's

reactions as they discovered what their siblings had given them. 

It sure was sweet watching this all unfold. 

It made my day! 

fall life {i-phone edition}

You don't know how often I think of blogging, especially lately. I'm longing to get back into a rhythm of writing and recording our days, and am striving to do so!!! The days are flying by, my children are continuing to grow. And I don't want to miss it. I want to intentionally slow down and record. 

This past fall has been a different one for me. The Lord has been growing me in ways like never before. And it has been good to take a breather from this space, as well as from the blogging world in general. I tend to compare and get down on myself when I engage in social networking. There are a lot of fabulous moms out there, and most of what we post are the pretty moments. And I can easily let that deceive my heart and mind. 

All that to say, I know that this place has been a blessing to my family across the country, and I can attest lately, as my kids often beg to "look at your blog!" that it is meaningful to them ...That is, the documenting, and for those reasons I want to strive to continue. 

This fall has brought many changes. Ellie has entered 9th grade as a local Christian school, while I continue to homeschool the other four. I have a precious lady tutoring my children on Thursdays in grammar, writing, and Latin for Drew,  along with a wonderful co-op on Fridays where they get lots of fun socialization, art and science. In fact, I'm once again formally teaching in a classroom for the first time in many years. I'm teaching Whitney and Toby's age (roughly 2nd-4th grade) art and music appreciation.... and I can't express how WONDERFUL it has been. Nor how excited I have been about studying Bach, Rembrandt, Handel and Van Gogh (our fall artists/composers.) 

Here are some i-phone pics of our daily school life. (I'm still regularly posting on instagram .... its been the one social networking space I've allowed myself to indulge in recently. It has allowed me to still document our daily life, and of course engage in some creativity, which is a must for me!! 

You can find me at instagram.com @hitchcrew)

And here are a few pics of what the kids are doing in the "after school hours" Drew has joined the Civil Air Patrol and just recently received his first promotion!! He has also taken up wood-working. He has been making fabulous swords out of his old bed slats to sell next month at our homeschool craft fair. 

Abby has been taking a really fun and inspiring handcraft class at co-op. You should see the cute journal/ calendar she made for the year. And BTW.... don't know where that girl gets her ADORABLE style. (pre-teen years, here we come!!!!) 

And Ellie, o sweet Ellie. She goes and goes and goes... and then crashes. (and she is LOVING every. single. minute ~ actually maybe not every one, but most ones:) We are all somewhat living for the weekends these days and the slower pace they afford. 

And music has once again been filling our house! After a bit of a break this past year, I found a WONDERFUL young lady who has been weekly coming to our home to teach the younger four piano. I've been SO proud of them all and boy does it make my heart happy!! 

Also,  Abby and Whit have been participating this past month in a little children's choir that a lady at our church has put together. This is a first for them. How excited I am to have them ask me to sit down at the piano, and play for them while they practice singing their songs!! 

Also this fall, I had some HUGE gifts come to my front door. Actually, it felt like old friends moving into my house. My dear grand-father in North Carolina went to be with the Lord this past spring. If you recall from some of my earlier posts, he made furniture and his home was filled with many beautiful pieces. My whole life, I've know that one day, some of these would become mine.... and to have that actually happen now, is somewhat overwhelming! And I would never have believed that they would fit so beautifully in our home (not sure I ever want to leave this place, because of that fact!!!) The dear pastor now calls the beautiful secretary that was in Mama Jo and Pop's front living room, his desk. You can also see pictured above the "entertainment center" (which held their record player and now holds mine!!) and corner cupboard (which has been the perfect place to store my old quilts), along with a couple of the colonial pictures I received. My heart has been giddy to have these actual pieces from my grandparent's home and my childhood in my living space. So many memories are stirred every time I look at them, feel them, and even open the doors and smell them!!!!! 

And a few fun pics to leave you with..... hoping that I will make this a more consistent part of my week! I hate getting in front of the camera, but so want to intentionally do that for the sake of my children. So I make myself. 

May your day be filled with people and things you love.
Slow down, and enjoy it.
Rest in His goodness.
His grace IS sufficient and His power IS made perfect in our weakness.
Really, it is. That's what I cling to.
Blessings, dear ones.