I'm reluctant to post a new blog entry because I love the picture on my previous post. I swiped that off of Dayspring's website. It is called "Beloved", you can purchase it through them. I am prayerfully considering purchasing it, I just don't really have a place that I could hang it. I did write the poem in my previous entry. One of my flashbacks of public schooling was thinking that every other line in a poem had to rhyme. Now after our first year of homeschooling and my reading about poetry, to teach more about to the girl's about poetry I have learned differently. Poem's don't have to rhyme. That poem came to me after my quiet time about a week before mother's day.
Our Mother's Day weekend was a good busy. The girls had their dance recital. Why I or my mother didn't take pictures of the girls all made up and in their costumes, I could not tell you? Guess we were caught up in the moment. I don't like putting a lot of make up on my girls. I'm more of a naturalist. Plus whenever I see my girls made up I have flashbacks of Jon Bonoit Ramsey and all of the pictures of her. Anyway....dance recital was great. They danced perfectly with great smiles and had fun. For us that is where it is at. We live in a highly competitive town. Actually we live in a highly competitive culture. My husband and I attempt to live by the principle of "seek ye first the kingdom of God". So in our town there is special competition teams for basketball, soccer, baseball and yes even dance. They are starting a competition dance team for Liz's age group next year. Wow...enough already we say. And we are not talking about the $$$$$ alone, but something different. We want our children to grow up and desire the things of God first and foremost, not man. But the other parents probably think we are weirdo's. Of course, we are all getting used to that after becoming a homeschooling family.
I struggle with some of the modesty issues in their dances. Especially Jen's age group. After Saturday's recital, I thought that my husband had almost made up his mind to leave this dance studio and go to one about twenty minutes away from our home. It is a christian dance studio. But after Sunday's recital, which was all of Jen's dances, he changed his mind. For now I know that this is best, and I submit to it 100%. I will continue to teach purity and modesty. A lot of my husband's decision to stay in this studio is that Jen does a great job in this setting. It is also very convient. The costumes for the recital are very tasteful. The best thing about dance is the confidence I see in Liz and Jen to perform in front of others. Plus they do have fun and stay active. We have a lot of dance recitals in our house throughout the year. 
Monday morning these two:
went to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It is sooooooo quiet here. And you'd think I'd be getting tons of stuff done. Well I'm not. Instead I'm taking this time to relax. Also to enjoy some talks with Jen.
Yesterday after dropping them off we went to Walmart, got a few groceries and stuff.
Then I came home and switched the laundry around. Then off to lunch and our new library in downtown Des Moines. It is a new cool-urbany type place. I'll be going back with the younger two and will take a few pictures. I found some great books. So I must get to reading them.
When I got home from dropping Jen off at her clarinet lesson, I was puzzled by the dryer not having dried the clothes all though it was off. So I turned it back on and went on my merry way.
Later around 4:30pm, the dryer did not dry the clothes, and it wouldn't work. So I call Mr. Fix-it-the magnificant, he CAN fix ANYTHING. Well, I also knew I'd be in trouble.
As I took my well deserved scolding, he said "sometimes you are like one of the children".
My reply " well dear, I've learned that if we are to have a successful marriage, I must be humble and meek and take what I'm deserving of." I say this humbly. Not one year ago I would have come back with a reply something like "well I'm college educated and I know that overloading the dryer will break it." But for yesterday and today, I don't need to do that. I'm wrong, his right, the end. By the way...only with the Lord can I do/say this, it isn't me...NO way. And I still got some rough edges that He's polishing, believe me.
And yes Mr. Fix-it-the magnificant did get it fixed.
He also bought me some wonderful Mother's Day presents and cards.
I've always loved the Willow Tree figurines, and had asked for a few of them.
I don't want to get into collecting them to much. I have a collected some Precious Moments, which have special meaning to us. But I don't want to get hooked into collecting more things.
I loved the day.We got up went to early church, then back home for brunch(which my husband cooked for us) with my parents. Then off to the dance recital, where I marveled at how proud I am of my Jen. After dance recital we stopped by my dear mother-in-laws to give her some presents. Then came home, relaxed a bit. Then my husband went and got us pizza for dinner. After dinner more relaxing and fun with the little ones. It was an enjoyable weekend, tiring but joy-filled.
Yesterday evening my husband and I went out for dinner to a Chinese buffet, then driving around. Jen is old enough to stay home alone. We enjoyed our date.
My diet is suffering from all of this eating out though. I'm maintaining this week, but no loss. Plus I really need to get off my back side and walk!!!
Today we did some school. I'm supposed to be planning the rest of our stuff for the summer and scrapbooking, but all I've done is play on-line and supervise the art/science projects Jen did today. Oh and clean a little and finish up the laundry. Oh and watch a great movie which I'll share later. I'm enjoying relaxing, but oh how I miss the sweet hugs and kisses of my little ones. They are so precious to us all here. Even Jen is tired of being the only one here.
We'll be going up to get them after Jen's clarinet lesson on Thursday afternoon. My mom likes being able to have some time alone with them, they are such momma/daddy girls. With us not around they are more fun for her.
Tomorrow is Jen's 11th birthday. If you could stop by her blog: doglvr and wish her a Happy Birthday I'd really appreciate it.
~~~~~~~pondering the working of His sovereign grace and love in my life,
Linda
