April 30, 2010

Busy with my gift

My birthday is coming... and it's one of those milestone birthdays.... I'm not really thrilled about it, but there is nothing to be done.  So I am making the best of it and my darling husband is trying to make it even better for me!
This is my special gift.

And since it came late yesterday afternoon I have been making good use of it in preparation for our church yard sale/bake sale.
I have made whoopie pies, chocolate butterhorns, cinnamon rolls & ultimate oatmeal chip cookies.


April 29, 2010

A neat giveaway

Several of the blogs I read regularly do giveaways.... I think it is really neat and fun!
Sarah Mae at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee has a great one right now... check it out here.


April 28, 2010

Just because she is cute

                                           Everyone should have a place to hide sometimes...

April 27, 2010

Gloomy Day Smiles

It is a fairly gloomy day outside and rain is in the weather forecast.  It would be easy to let the weather dictate moods, yet we have such beauty in the creation that God has made for us to enjoy!
This morning I went out just as the rain started to fall and snapped these pictures - just outside my front door. How can I not smile when God has blessed me with such beauty right where I live each day!


April 26, 2010

Gearing up to slow down

As April draws to a close, we are gearing up to slow down a bit.  I suppose that sounds odd, but that is the way it feels, even if it isn't completely accurate in activity.
We are winding down our school year.  It has been a very successful one and I am pleased at how much they have accomplished and learned this year.  It seems so odd to be planning for next year already - but I am beginning that process as well and love seeing how they are growing into new independence and learning so many new things all the time.  I love having them home to learn and grow.  There are days it seems that time and the world is rushing so fast... that I really relish the days we have to hang around in our pjs and read and talk together.
Last week J & B had their last piano lessons for the year.  It was bittersweet as they are looking forward to a break, but will miss their weekly lessons with Mrs. Brewer.  She is a wonderful, godly woman who has brought much more than music into their lives.
This week they are scheduled to finish the last of their history curriculum, science book, and math.  English has been done for a while now.  We started the Latin mid-way through the year, so that isn't done and Jess has one last section of her literature to finish up.  But for all intents and purposes we will be on break for a bit after this week.  I have the results of their standardized tests and for the first time have decided to submit those to the town as proof of "adequate progress" for the year.  Prayerfully, it won't open any boxes that I'd rather not have opened.  We have a new assistant superintendent here in town and I am not sure how he views homeschooling.  The woman we've dealt with all these years was very good to work with and we never had any conflicts with her, I'm hoping her replacement will carry on the same.
May begins on Saturday and I am looking forward to it.  We have so much to do this week that after Saturday it feels like we'll be able to rest a bit.  In addition to finishing up the schoolwork this week we have several other things on the calendar.  Our church yard sale is this Friday/Saturday and the kids and I will be helping with that several times during the week and weekend.  I am using this as a big push to de-clutter and purge in our house - it benefits the ladies ministry for church and helps us simplify our lives!  Win-win!
I have quilt group on Wednesday and we have several quilts to get finished in the coming months as there are many new babies arriving in our church family.

This is the most recent quilt we finished 2 weeks ago, it is for our Pastor's soon-to-be-born new grandson.

Next week we begin 'summer activities' here.  Spring soccer starts for both kids, and J will begin her natural horsemanship lessons again for the summer.  The garden will get planted and we will begin our new season!


April 25, 2010

Sunday Morning Breakfast

Who doesn't love something fresh from the oven for breakfast on a Sunday morning?
This morning I was awake early - listening to the birds announcing loudly that the sun was up.  So I thought I'd bake up something for breakfast.  I decided to try out a Cinnamon Crumble Cake recipe from The Frugal Girl-Kristen.  She has such amazing recipes!
It was quick & easy to make and everyone loved it! 



April 23, 2010

Friday!

It's Friday! 
Not that it means anything special or out-of-the-ordinary...but I love Fridays.  It always seems to hold the promise of something special, almost a celebration that the weekend is coming and we have accomplished another week!  God is so good and I feel very blessed today.


April 20, 2010

Running Man

My darling husband sporting the bright red team singlet for just one of his running clubs as he competed in the Boston Marathon yesterday.  He had a great run finishing in 3:00:15!
Photo credit: Scott Mason


April 19, 2010

Boston Marathon Day

Today my husband is running in the Boston Marathon.  I am crazy proud of him!

For those who don't know, there are a few ways to get into the Boston Marathon.  A lot of people sign up to run for a charity sponsor - they collect donations to raise funds for various groups and then run the race. 
There are the 'elite' runners who are invited to compete - those crazy fast people who WIN! 
And there are those who must qualify to run by running a prior 'approved' Boston Marathon qualifying course and meeting certain time limits/categories based on their age - my husband is one of those runners.
Steve has been running for a long time... back serious about it for 10 years now.  He runs, he cycles, sometimes he swims, he mountain bikes, he snowshoes, and he runs some more.  He has a blog about his running over at Hav2Run which is also currently his vanity license plate on his car.  It is one of his passions and he is really good... ok... I admit a certain amount of bias there but really, he is a talented athlete who works hard at the sport he loves.
Today he will run Boston - which for the non-runner is something that is recognizable though most aren't even sure how long a marathon even is (26.2 miles in case you needed that information).  The kids and I will be doing school, having our last piano lesson of the year and praying for a good run and a safe day for Dad, while tracking him online via his timing chip.  Sometimes technology is very cool!

April 15, 2010

I love the Psalms

This passage is part of a bigger study over at Pleasing To You... she's doing a great job!

I love the book of Psalms... it is big, it has so much for everyone and so much of it is so beautiful.  This passage really spoke to my heart this morning as I am trying to get back on an even stride in my daily life after being away.

Psalm 119:33-40 (NIV)
33  Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
       then I will keep them to the end.
 34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
       and obey it with all my heart.
 35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
       for there I find delight.
 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
       and not toward selfish gain.
 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
       preserve my life according to your word. 
 38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
       so that you may be feared.
 39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
       for your laws are good.
 40 How I long for your precepts!
       Preserve my life in your righteousness.

Photo Credit: My amazing husband

April 12, 2010

Home

Home.  Isn't that a marvelous word?  I love my home, I love being home!  Home is where the people I love best are most of the time.  Though this is, I know, my temporary home - for now - until I am with Jesus in my REAL home. But for now... it is the best place I know.
Last Wednesday (April 7th), Jessica and I left our home to drive to MA to pick up my Mom and then the three of us set off on an adventure.  A grand adventure!
We dove out to Ohio to attend the MidWest Home School Convention.  Yes, we DROVE well over 800 miles one way to attend a convention for home schoolers.  It was HUGE!  It was AWESOME!  We all had a simply marvelous time and God really blessed.
We arrived back at home last night about 9pm and just collapsed into bed exhausted.  I will post more about the whole experience when I am done decompressing, catching up on the laundry, refilling the fridge for my loving family (who survived very well without wife/mother for 5 days), sorting mail - both real and electronic, and fulfilling the needs of some furry animals who seem to have greatly missed their mama as well.

April 6, 2010

Easter Weekend - Spring!

This is the view from my computer chair... isn't it pretty?  It is a pale yellow (almost white) magnolia tree in bloom and it smells heavenly!


We had a wonderful day on (Easter) Resurrection Sunday.  Our church does two services on Easter since it is a day when people feel they simply must be in church and we often have record crowds. We went to the 8:30 service and worshiped our Savior on the day we celebrate His resurrection!  Pastor said we had over 300 people in services on Sunday. 
My parents came up for dinner and we spent the afternoon enjoying the gorgeous weather!
The kids helped me get the table set and everything ready.  I think they did a great job!


April 4, 2010

He is Risen!

Mark 16:1-6 (NIV)
 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
 "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' " 



April 1, 2010

April 1st

Photo credit: Steve