• Jun. 30, 2008
The Important Things in Life.

Sometimes people focus so much material things and forget what their children really need.  Time, love, reading books, nature walks, tea parties, prayer time and so on.  Children are much more happy and will love and respect the friendship of a parent who puposes to truly invest in them and spend time getting to know who they really are.  Enjoy your children.  Make special times with them everyday and don't let anything else take that place.  Will and I have several things that we try to do with the children to show them how much we love them and to train them in the way of the Lord. 

Will tucks the children into bed each night, lets them pray, then prays over them.  I like to go in too, but a lot of times I just let him.  This is a very special time between he and the children.  He prays that God would protect them, that He would raise them up to have a love and desire for Jesus, the God would give us wisdom to train them in the way they should go, and that He would protect them from falling into the sins that Will and I have struggled with in the past.  Our desire is that they would become mighty warriors of God and Godly ladies for Christ. 

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• Jun. 29, 2008
Muffins with Gram!!

I like to invite Gram and Marmee over every once in a while to have breakfast with the kids.  Gram (My mom) came recently and the kiddos had a wonderful time!

(You can't tell much from this pic. but I really think Noah's eyes are shaped like my mom's.)

Just so happened that Noah was the only one I could get a picture of.  I was busy with the other two.

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• Jun. 28, 2008
Baby Wearing Contest!

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

Visit this link to find out more about winning a baby carrier from along for the ride!  You can enter by July 31 and win!  Good luck!

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• Jun. 27, 2008
My little Super Man!

Malachi, as we have talked about before, LOVES to have things on his head!  This time, it's Daddy's Super Man hat!  Kye is very good about playing while Mama works with the older children with their learning. 

 

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• Jun. 26, 2008
Wordless Wednesday on a Thursday!

Silly Girl!

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• Jun. 24, 2008
Meet Conan!

This is Conan one of the newest additions on our little farm.  We also have Maderick a min. donkey that Noah got for Christmas.  We gave Anna the opportunity to name Conan because Noah named both Bryant, the dog, and Maderick his donkey.  So, when we asked Anna what she wanted to name the new donkey, she said, "uh, tonan"  (her "c" still sounds like a "t")....I said, "Conan!??  Where did you hear that?"  Of coarse, our 2 year old just grinned.  So that's the story of Conan's name.  Oh, Will's brother gave him to us...Thanks Spence!

I love his eyes...I think they are outlined beautifully!

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• Jun. 23, 2008
Baby Chicks

3 weeks ago today we woke up to a phone call saying our baby chicks had arrived at our local post office!  (they hold the chicks at the post office to insure safe conditions for the day until they can be cared for, but like for them to be picked up right away.)

We picked them up at the back door, Noah rang the bell, and it was neat because Marmee (Will's Mom, the kids call her Marmee instead of Grandma) who only works as a fill in and on the weekends at the post office, happened to be working that day, and was able to deliver the chicks to Noah!

The kids enjoyed watching the chicks in the box, while I prepared a brooding area. 

We ordered 30 chicks, and received 32.  We received a free rare bird with our purchase, it is the white chick with black markings on its head in the lower left corner.   They don't identify your free chick, it's a surprise!  As this one has grown, we are thinking it's a Silver Spangled Hamburg.  The chicks look nothing like this now, and I am still in the stone age days of a 35 mm camera...which I love, but don't have the convenience of posting pics immediately!  So they look totally different now.  They are molting all of their chick fuzz and growing their feathers. 

For your lesson in chickens today... the black chicks with yellow spots on their heads are Dominiques, the yellow chicks are Buff Cochins,  the pretty little brown chicks are partridge cochins, the solid black chicks are Black Austrolorpes, and the brown white and black chicks with stripes on their backs are silver penciled wyandottes. 

The children have had so much fun watching them grow, and in 5 more months, we should start seeing some eggs!  The children have been able to learn a lot about responsibility with animals bringing in more feed and changing the paper, as the chicks are in the utility room for now.  We decided it would be best to leave them inside a little longer...just to let them get a little bigger to be able to better protect themselves.  We will be putting them outside in the next couple of days.  We are also looking forward to showing in the fall at the local and county fairs.

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• Jun. 21, 2008
Happy Birthday PaPa!

 

Happy 49th Birthday PaPa!

Tomorrow is my Daddy's 49th Birthday!  We are celebrating by going to Cracker Barrel for lunch after church!  YUM! 

Happy Birthday Daddy.  You are so special to me.  I am so thankful and proud to have a Godly father who truly lives a life pleasing to the Lord.  He has taught me so much and invested in me as well as in my children.

Thank you, Daddy for the love that you have for your family and the way that you have instilled Godly character and hard work into the hearts of your children, and now, your grandchildren.  Happy Birthday!

 PaPa, thank you for loving me, taking me with you, and letting me come to your house sometimes.  Thanks for letting me ride the tractor with you sometimes! -Noah

PaPa, thank you for swinging with me and singing with me!  -Anna Beth

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• Jun. 20, 2008
Annas rag curlers

I have ALWAYS LOVED the OLD little women.   In that movie...Kittie, the little girl at the bording house, is SOOOO cute with her hair tied in the rag curlers.  I have been waiting for what seems like forever for Anna's hair to be long enough.  It finally is!

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• Jun. 19, 2008
Cool School Fan!

I'm am totally and completely convinced that our children have the absolute coolest Daddy EVER!!!  A couple of weeks ago, Will and I were awakened to a HUGE crashing noise in our little house.  Awakened from deep sleeps, Will and I both leap into action running through the house.  My biggest fear is that Noah has fallen from his top bunk!    I also ran into the kitchen to see if everything was alright there, because just the night before the wind had blown the baby's bathtub out of the sink and made a similar, but not quite so big crashing noise on the tile! 

While in the kitchen, Will summoned me to the office, which also doubles as our school room and I couldn't believe my eyes.  Our huge (really, outdoor) fan had fallen from the ceiling and crashed in the floor.  The globe had shattered, the blades busted, pieces were everywhere!  I swept up the glass and decided the rest could wait until morning.

Yesterday, Will went to pick out a new fan, and brought home this TOTALLY cool one!  It's the Hunter discovery.  It took me by surprise at first because I wasn't expecting a kids fan, but Will was quick to point out that he'd had the kids school room in mind and that it would go well with the huge map hanging on the wall.  (Our school room is pretty mission minded with pictures of families and individual children and adults that we know support or pray for)  This fan means more to me than any of the other lighting in our home!  Daddy put thought into bringing home a very cool fan, and I must say,  He succeeded!  Thanks Will.  I love you!

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• Jun. 18, 2008
Wordless Wednesday

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• Jun. 17, 2008
Anna and Friends

Sorry the Pic is a little blurry, but this is Anna and her friend Abbi.  This picture was taken at our Memorial Day picnic last month.

This is Anna and her new friend Abram.  Anna and Abram met at Noah's Tee ball games this year.  Abram is the younger brother of Kendal picture in Noah's Tee ball post below.

Abbi, Anna, and Baylee (Who decided she wanted to be in the picture too!)  Baylee is Abbi's sister.  I would have put this pic at the top, but Anna wasn't smiling.

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• Jun. 16, 2008
Zoo Trip

We recently made a trip to the zoo with friends from our Keepers of the Home Group.  It was a fun day with lots of new friends.  For most of the kids, this was the first time they had met.

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• Jun. 15, 2008
Happy Father's Day

To a Husband and Daddy who is devoted to training his children to work hard, love life, share Jesus, and Love God.  We love you!  Happy Father's day!  You are truly an example and model of what a Godly husband and father is to be.  Thank you.

Mama, Noah, Anna Beth, and Malachi

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• Jun. 14, 2008
My Little Blanket Baby

Malachi LOVES being under things!  He is constantly pulling rugs, pillows, blankets and anything else he can over his head, just to play...when he sleeps, this is how we find him a lot of the time.  For all of you over protective mothers, don't worry...I always check on him to make sure the blanket isn't tight around him.    Just look at those chubby little legs! 

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• Jun. 7, 2008
Noah's Tee Ball Season

Noah just finished his first "official" tee ball season!  He had a wonderful time and made a lot of new friends.  His new best friend is Jaylee and next best friend Kendal. I'm glad to see early signs of him being a good judge of character, and have been thankful for their friendships as well as the friendship of their parents. 

Noah and Jaylee.

Noah, Kendal, and Cage after a big win! (above)

 

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• May. 27, 2008
Memorial Day Picnic

Yesterday, the children and I spent the day preparing for our Memorial Day picnic!  Anna helped bake bread with Mama, while Noah helped get the ice chests ready for watermelon, and other fun things to eat!  It was a fun time of fellowship with friends.  We are so thankful for the friendship God has given us with so many! 

Our air conditioning is in the process of being installed, and I was really surprised that the house didn't get any hotter than it did...especially since the oven was going all day with bread, cookies, cobblers, baked beans, and so on! 

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• May. 19, 2008
Caught up in the Needs

As homeschooling mothers, many times, it's easy to get caught up in all the "needs"  in our home.  For example, we "need" to do the laundry, or we "need" to wipe off the table after a meal, or we "need" to sweep the floor.  It's very true that all of these things DO need to be done, but I would just like to encourage each of you today to remember the needs of your childrens' hearts, the needs of your husband, and the need that you yourself have above all other needs to spend time in His word and in prayer at your makers feet!  Keep your needs in perspective this week! 

With great Love and Joy!

Charity

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• May. 16, 2008
Raised Bed Gardening/Frugal Friday

Will and I are fininshing up the chicken coop!  We have ordered our chicks and I will be making a visit to the farm center later today to pick up supplies.  (You can order your own chicks at McMurrayhatchery.com)   We have also decided to have a raised bed garden this year.  Which is basically a box garden  with visquine underneath to keep out weeds!  Sounds wonderful to me!  It has been difficult for me to keep a garden for the past year or two, one year due to such a hot summer, the other because of no lawn mower or weed eater, weeds and cows...not the greatest combination!  So I have decided that this year, I will do things a little differently!  Will and I would like to become as indepent and self reliant as we can and are searching for the most efficient way to do this in every area.

Each of the children will have their own little garden and will get to choose what they want to put in it.  The will get to plant, water, harvest, enter some in the local and county fairs and have some to add to our meals!  Noah and Anna are both very excited about this! 

We have a calf we will be butchering later in the summer and hope to buy a hog to butcher before winter.  We will, because of our chickens, have our own eggs as well as the meat that some of them will provide.  I have a calf hutch in the yard patiently waiting for a bottle calf so that we can eventually have our own milk, butter, and cheese.  Slowly but surely we are working our way to independence.  I'm very excited about the money that we are going to save by not having to go to the grocery store as often, if at all!  For more country wisdom and independent living you can visit www.storey.com.

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• May. 13, 2008
Keepers of the Home

 

 

God truly blessed our fellowship this morning!  It was obvious that He was here!  Our meeting was a wonderful time of refreshing and encouraging, remembering that NONE of us are perfect!  We all struggle, and are ALL learning!  Marriage and parenting isn't easy!  Especially when you purpose to do it God's way!  It's hard.  It's constantly learning what we should be doing differently and applying it to make things run more smoothly.

 

I am thankful for the privelage of being a wife and the joy of being a mama!  My heart rejoices in being with my family, and I pray that God will continue to give me the wisdom I need to train my children for Him, and the patience, respect,  and discernment to submit to my husband.  Lord, help me to LET HIM LEAD!!! 

 

Remember to purpose to see your childrens' heart this week.  Love them, cherish them, be their buddy for a great adventure!  Remind them of their worth in Christ.  Tell them of the plan He has for their life and talk to them about how Satan wants nothing more than to destroy that plan and will use other people to try to discourage us!  Talk to them about what they like to do most.   Encourage them to become better at the things that they do.  Teach the importance of not always BEING the best, but of always DOING their best. 

 

Their little minds are very pliable.  They retain things like you wouldn't imangine!  Begin helping them to memorize scripture.  Even before they can talk, sing songs that are made of  verses.  When they can talk, still sing the verses, and find ones that will help build character and say them over and over.  Use them when you train.  Teach them, "Be ye kind, one to another...", "Do to others what you would have them do to you...", "Honor you father and mother...", "Children, Obey your parents in the Lord...", "Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise.  (Noah's favorite)" .  There is so much we can do to encourage character in our children's hearts.  It's not too late to help them, to train them.  It IS too soon to stop! 

 

Many prayer request were shared today, and hearts were revealed, proving that God is definitely at work!  Among the most prominant were submissive hearts and actions toward husbands, seeing our childrens heart and the reason they do what they do, rather than just disciplining to make a point, and teaching our children to be confident in themself without planting seeds of pride.  As we bring these things before our Lord, we remember that these are just few of the many struggles that we face.  We cannot do it without HIS help, and we humbly ask for His guidance.

 

The main two responses from our husbands this week to show them that we love them more, were, keeping the home picked up, and remaining joyful!

 

Take 5 min. each day this week to surprise your hubby with something!  A note in the pocket of his work pants, something out of the ordinary around the house, meet him for lunch, something that would show him that he is your king, and you respect him!

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