On June 5 my husband and I celebrated 14 years of marriage. It's hard to believe that we have been married that long! God blessed me with a wonderful, godly husband, and I'm so grateful that he likes me, too!

We celebrated by going out of town together for 2 nights. We stayed in a little bed and breakfast modeled after an English cottage-the owners are British, and even served tea in the afternoon. It was so fun to be together in such a beautiful setting...

The first night we went out to dinner at a very upscale restaurant recommended to us by the b&b owners. It is a California style restaurant, where the menu rotates regularly based on the availability of fresh, local ingredients. The food and service were wonderful-very chi-chi- as my friend would say. The next morning we had a delicious breakfast, and then went and visited a local winery (there are many to choose from). My husband tasted, and I smelled, and we had a great lunch. In fact, we did a lot of delicious eating on this trip.

Since we have been married, my husband has always gotten me two anniversary gifts each year. He bases his gifts on the suggested themes for contemporary and traditional anniversaries (like paper is a traditional gift for the first anniversary). I always love seeing how he makes the themes tangible....he invests tons of time into discovering something I would enjoy that matches the theme. This year the contemporary theme was gold, and the traditional theme was ivory. For gold, he chose me a beautiful necklace with two hearts interlaced for the charm. One heart is yellow gold, and the other is white gold. Ivory was a much more difficult theme...new ivory is illegal (it is from animal tusks), and much of the antique ivory available is made into little figurines that he thought were ugly. In his researching, he came across a product called Tagua, from South America. Tagua is a nut which is harvested, laid out in the sun to dry and harden for six months, and then is carved. It looks just like ivory, and is even marketed as the vegetable ivory. He chose a simple heart necklace out of tagua for me. In all his searching for ivory, before he discovered tagua, he was typing in different google searches for ways he could fill that theme. He typed in movies with ivory, and came up with A Room With A View, which was directed by James Ivory. This movie is one of my all time favorites, so when I opened up my "ivory package" not only was the necklace there, but the movie, too. It was delightful to be together just the two of us!

On the way home from ballet today, in rush hour traffic, littlest dd says to me, "Mommy, you should get in the tidepool lane."

So, here we are, part way through our first official day of the new school year. I have some pretty high ambitions for our little family this year, most importantly, that we would be better stewards of our time. I prayed and worked diligently on a schedule for us, based on the principles taught in Managers of the Home (MOTH). Today we are attempting a modified version of our schedule. So far, so good.

The biggest change to our rhythm include a definite waking time for our kids. In the past, I have always let the kids sleep until they woke up. We had late nights due to my dh's work schedule, and I was comfortable allowing this. However, as the kids have gotten older, I realized that I needed more structure, and that the kids did too. So I woke them up at 7:15 this morning. They weren't too happy about it-especially oldest dd, but they got up, dressed themselves, and came down to breakfast.

The other change is for me to be more specific in my devotions with the kids. Historically, we have taken great advantage of the multitude of "teachable moments," that come up daily in our home to teach about our faith. I am trying to be more diligent and systematic in my approach, having a devotion at breakfast and at dinner. Keep in mind these are very simple devotions...nothing too complex.

Like I said, so far, so good. I am hopeful my munchkins will catch on to this idea and be more cooperative and self starting, as they learn what I expect and as they get acquainted with the routine. I'll let you know how it goes.

A while back, I discussed my desire to rediscover my love of reading this summer. I feel I have accomplished this task. I have read a number of books, I swallowed my pride and paid the late fees at the library so I could once again check out books, and I have tackled some books I thought I wouldn't enjoy but did. So, as a recap, here is what I have enjoyed thus far...

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

1776 by David McCullough

John Adams by David McCullough

Abigail Adams, Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

My Antonia by Willa Cather

Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsberg

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I read John Adams while we were in Mexico. I found him to be so fascinating! I had no idea the depth of his influence on the beginnings of our country. His relationship with Abigail was so tender and passionate. My husband even laughed at me (and I laughed a little bit at me, too) because I cried when Abigail died. Even though I knew she would die, I was still moved deeply by her death and John's pain. I so enjoyed this book that I checked out a biography on Abigail, and I found it to be less well written. It came off much more like a school report.

I loved reading the Hobbit, which I had never read before. Now I am looking very forward to delving into the Lord of the Rings series. Especially since I can check them out for free. (Okay, true confessions...the library fine was $37. I have heard of homeschoolers having much larger fines, but this was still huge to me and I had a vision of the librarian saying in a booming voice, "You owe $37," broadcasting my shame all over the library. However, in real life she was quite kind and discreet.)

My friend Nicole has started a blog about her family and life over in North Carolina. You can read about her summer of reading here.

Recently we traveled to Mexico. Gayle asked me if I was nervous traveling to a foreign country with my kids. YES! I was nervous before we left, but we ended up having a great time. In case you are interested in going to Mexico, here's what I learned...

Mexico is actually a fabulous place to go for first time international travel with children. And that's not just my opinion-our Frommer's travel guide said the same thing. Children are viewed as a national treasure in Mexico. We felt very safe during our trip. The only thing transportation wise that made me uncomfortable was driving (well, actually riding, since my dh did the driving). They follow very different rules there!

We have dear friends who let us use their condo in a sweet little town called Puerto Morelos (about midway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen). I was nervous about the ocean and the kids, as I had visions of them getting smashed by the waves. I learned that the second largest coral reef in the world is off shore on the eastern side of the Yucatan peninsula. The large waves break on the reef, and very gentle waves actually reach the shore, making it an ideal place for our little children to splash in the water and learn to snorkel.

About Montezuma's revenge...we learned early on that most people get sick from restaurant food, and most specifically from the lettuce, which is often not washed well. So we just ordered our food "sin lechuga" (without lettuce) when we went out. We did have bottled water in the condo, but we used tap water for brushing teeth. We never got sick. We did think it was really fun to shop and prep our own food, which is what we did most of the time.

Both my husband and I have some rudimentary Spanish speaking abilities. He is great at understanding what people say and conversing with them. I am pretty good at reading and translating, so we made a good pair. I was surprised how much my conversational Spanish came back to me, just by seeing it and hearing it all the time. Even the kids picked up some Spanish, and we encouraged each other to be brave and try to speak Spanish. We found our listeners to be very supportive and appreciative of our efforts.

All in all, we had a great time. We are already trying to figure out when we can go back.

The End (my son is sitting here next to me, ready for breakfast, and said, now you write "the end", so I did!)

Gayle is holding a contest. To encourage ladies to particpate in her new book discussion group, Gayle has challenged us to post a little blurb about it on our blogs, and link back to her. So...here it is.

The first book to be discussed is called "For Women Only," by Shaunti Feldhaun. I have read this book and find it to be excellent. It is a great window into how men think and how they perceive our (women's) actions towards them. I am looking forward to the discussion.

Hope you can join in.

Since we stayed in a condo in Mexico, we needed to fend for ourselves in the food department. We went to the Wal-Mart Supercenter about 25 minutes south of us, and stocked up. We saw many familiar food brands, and we tended to grab those. It took a lot of concentration as we shopped, I was carefully reading the labels to make sure I knew what we were eating.

We came home with sandwich food, as well as snacks and beverages. Milk was sold in giant juicebox type containers, and was just on the shelf...it didn't need to be refrigerated until it was opened. I spent a lot of time searching the deli meat area, looking for meat that had been exported from the US. This meant Oscar Meyer. I did find turkey and ham lunchmeat, as well as turkey bacon. My husband joked that it was going to be a salty pork kind of trip. We did eat mostly turkey and ham, although I did eventually feel brave enough to purchase some steak, which we sliced and sauteed for some little quesadillas.

I thought the most interesting part of buying food in Mexico, was that I often thought I knew what I was buying, but then when I tasted it, it was just slightly different from what I had expected. For example, the Ruffles Cheesy Chips had a slightly spicy taste, the Hellmans/Best Foods Mayonnaise was slightly tart with lemon flavor, and the peanut butter was surprisingly sweet with honey. The chips were the biggest letdown, as I love the cheese flavored ruffles, but the other modifications I liked.

Here is a picture of a typical lunch at our little casa away from casa....

Soon after we arrived at our casa away from casa, we put our swimsuits on and hit the pool. This became the pattern of our vacation...pool, ocean, pool, ocean. It was a wonderful, restful rhythm. The kids had a great time splashing in the water and wearing themselves out, we loved staying cool. I didn't so much love the time in the pool-the water was so warm it wasn't very refreshing, but I loved our time down on the beach and in the ocean.

In California, the ocean is a great place to visit, but the water is so cold I don't like getting in too much. The Caribbean is a different story. It is so warm and clear! I loved being in the water. The surf was as warm as the pool, but just walking out several feet into deeper water brought the refreshing cool I wanted. I spent hours walking around in the water, feeling the sand under my feet, looking for little schools of fish, and just enjoying the feel of the water on my body.

The surf was very calm where we were staying...the Mayan Reef was about 1500 yards offshore, so that was where the waves broke. The water was calmer in Puerto Morelos than at Lake Tahoe, for those of you who have been there. It was perfect for the kids-I never worried about them getting bowled over by a wave. As you might have guessed from the picture above, we brought snorkel gear for the kids, and they spent lots of time paddling around, hunting for sea critters.

One afternoon, my boy was floating around and discovered two small rays, about the size of pancakes. My oldest daughter decided she would use one of our sand toys to catch the ray. We finally realized what she was doing and stopped her, worried that she might injure it. That night, looking through one of the ocean books we brought with us, we discovered she had been trying to catch a stingray! I am so glad she didn't get stung.

It has been quite some time since I blogged...I think I have summer vacation brain...but I promise I haven't forgotten. Here's a quick update...

Following our trip to the coast for the 4th, I headed out of town to spend the day with my Grandma, who has been having some health troubles. Then it was home for a whirlwind of preparation so we could head south of the border to Cancun, Mexico. Actually, we stayed outside of Cancun in a small, very  non-resort town called Puerto Morelos. It was delightful, and we had lots of fun family memories, as well as some fun cultural experiences, and we just returned home.

We spent much of our time swimming, either here in the pool, or in the Caribbean Sea, just a quick walk down from the pool. I will post more later, but just know that our vacation involved lots of laughing, a barracuda, a repairman who only spoke a little English, and nutella.

Adios!

We are headed out on our annual camping trip to the coast today. We are loaded down with camping gear, lots of books, cards, and yummy food. We will splash in the water, have fish and chips, and visit with extended family.

See you in a week! Happy 4th of July!

At the beginning of summer I set out to rediscover my love of reading. I have always enjoyed reading. In fact, in my early marriage and new mom days, my reading became a passtime way out of proportion-if I was reading, dishes went undone, beds were unmade, and dinner was unprepared. Reading was historically a very consuming venture for me-if I was lost in a book (mostly fiction books), I was unavailable to and unaware of all those around me. While I was single, this wasn't a big deal, but as a mom and wife, this was. Sooo, I cut back on my reading. I stuck to non fiction, limiting myself to the occasional fiction treat during a holiday or vacation.

Now that my kids are older, and now that I have learned better how to manage my time, I am delighted to discover time for reading, and reading I am doing. So far this summer I have read Oliver Twist, My Antonia, Understood Betsy, and From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I am part way through Mere Christianity. I am having so much fun! Coming up on the bookstand are Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, and Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer. For fiction selections, I am working through the books suggested in The Well Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer.

I must admit, I was very surprised to enjoy Oliver Twist. In high school I had to read Great Expectations in 9th grade English, and I hated it. Oliver Twist was such a rich story of social commentary and the triumph of good over evil. I am wondering if I didn't like Great Expectations because it was 9th grade English, or because I just didn't like it. Have you read Great Expectations? Do you think I should give it another try?

It's official-the summer brain has taken hold of my head. I have finished all learning records, meetings, and work related obligations until August 1. My thoughts have turned to iced tea, swimming, and summer vacations. I can't seem  to muster enough brain power to finish my previously promised conversation on the "L's" for longevity in marriage. Heck, I am having trouble summoning enough brain power to figure out what to fix for dinner! :)

Since we school year round, I have thus far managed to caffeinate myself enough to get through the morning's school work. Then it seems all I want to do is lounge on the couch and read, or maybe nap. Speaking of reading, I have been trudging through Don Quixote for months. I find it interesting and somewhat funny, in a sad kind of way, but I don't love it. I find it moves very s l o w l y. So I decided to set it down and picked up Oliver Twist instead. I have never read this book.

I was slightly sleepy when I picked it up, and I figured it might just put me all the way out (I seem to remember Dickens in high school was very boring-but it was probably just me). I was so wrong-I am already on page 48 after about that many minutes of reading. It is so engaging and cleverly written. Oliver has just arrived in London and been taken to Fagin. I have heard of these characters before, but really have no idea who they are. I know Fagin is a bad guy, but how bad, I am soon to discover. I can't wait until after ds's baseball game to get home and get back into the book.

We are going to Mexico this summer (Yay!), and I just figured out that the kids will need passports (Boo!). Said passports will cost a shocking $142 each, as they will need to be expedited due to my misreading of State Department information, in which I thought we only needed birth certificates to go to Mexico.

DH and I went to Mexico this past January. Although we happened to have passports, we were only required to have birth certificates to re-enter the US. However, there we walked across the border, as one can do quite easily in Tijuana. Apparently, if one flies to Mexico, one is required to have a passport! Aaargh!

So, we will have to pay $426 to get our kids those passports! That's as much as the rental car will cost!

So, I will think happy thoughts! If you want to see pics of where we will be staying, look here. Our dear friends are generously letting us use their condo for free, so we really only have transportation and food costs. And now, passport costs! :)

It has been a hectic week. The school I work for ended on May 23, so I have many learning records to type, meetings to hold, and paper work to complete. Top that with baseball, ballet rehearsal, laundry, and allergies (especially bad here in CA this spring), and we are just starting to surface for air!

Often, I find myself snappy with the kids during these hectic times. God has been faithfully pointing out to me that the hectic is not their fault-it's mine. I am learning how to be more gentle, kind, and patient. I am so glad He is patient with me.

I will be completing the other two installments of "Three 'L's' for a Long Marriage" this week, after my work obligations are completed for the summer. Have a wonderful week!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting a bridal shower for a young woman in our church, Christa. Most of Christa's family and longtime friends haven't become believers yet, so my house was filled with about 25 women I had never met. I had the privilege of sharing the devotion for the shower. Most of the time, prepping for a devotion or sharing is such an education and challenge for me, and this time was no exception. I thought I would share my little devotion here, as an encouragement to you out there...

I am coming up on my thirteenth wedding anniversary this June. I have learned a few things along the way about being married. My grandparents were married for 63 years. I had the pleasure of observing them together for 32 of those years, until my grandpa died. Their married was certainly marked by longevity. Not the type of longevity that tolerates each other, but the type of longevity that delights in each other. In Song of Songs 8 it says: 

Who wouldn't want a love like that? That is a passionate love that is lasting. I think there are three keys to having a marriage marked by longevity. So the keys can be remembered, they all start with "L." (I guess this is where the teacher in me came out!)

LOVE

The first key to a marriage of longevity is love-biblical, Jesus-filled love. 1 Corinthians 13 is the best description of this love-

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.

It is the goal of the Christian wife to love her husband and children with this kind of love. On days when I am feeling particularly love-less, I will rewrite this verse and substitute my own name for love (Nancy is love, Nancy is kind...). Then I will read it again, asking the Lord to help that description be true of me.

Come back tomorrow to read about the second key....learning. :)

Per my oldest's recommendation, I read Stormy, Misty's Foal. To be honest, I have never really been into horse books, but she is, so I picked it up. I could not put it down. It is an excellent story of the people of Assateague, and the horses of Chincoteague, and how they survive a devastating storm. The descriptions are rich, the characters engaging, and the conflict gripping. I especially enjoyed the many references to God in the book as the One who cares and comforts.

The other book I read was The Tale of Despereaux. It is a classic "once upon a time" tale with some great twists-the very unlikely hero is a mouse. The author frequently addresses the "dear reader" with an insight. This is currently the book I am reading aloud to the kids. Normally, if I choose a book that is engaging to my older two (9 and 7), the chapters are a bit too long and the plot a bit too complex for my 5 year old. This book has short chapters, and all three kids are absolutely hooked.

What have you been reading recently?

Spunky is giving away a Benz Microscope and Apologia Biology Set this week. Click Here to get the details.

First Prize
Swift 2251F Compound Microscope

All the specifications for this microscope are available here. We have purchased a microscope from Mr. Benz. He knows microscopes. If you need a microscope, he's definitely the guy to talk to. He can help you find exactly the instrument to meet your needs. This microscope is an excellent choice for all middle and high school science needs. The retail value of this microscope is $259. If you aren't selected as the winner of the contest, Benz Microscopes is willing to sell this microscope to Spunky's readers for $160 + shipping.

Second Prize
Apologia Biology

Many people are familiar with the Jay Wile Science series. We have used his General Science and Physical Science. Spunky is using the Biology currently with her older children. She has enjoyed them all. And plan to use the Chemistry next year. She blogged recently about the great customer service I received from the author, Jay Wile. The Biology textbook set is valued at $80. If your looking for quality science materials, Apologia is the place to get them.

Thanks, Spunky, for such a fun contest!

I have mentioned before how much I enjoy the show 24. I have grown into this enjoyment, I am not one that tends to like suspense and intensity. However, as I was gradually sucked in, I found that watching 24 for with a glass of vino did the trick. Now I have found a new way to view 24 without having a heart attack from the intensity.

Columnist Dave Barry writes a blog. He makes an entry devoted to 24 every Monday night, filled with his insights and wit. It makes me roll. He links throughout the text, connecting characters and events with funny pictures (for you 24 fans-Chloe's link is often Wonderwoman.) Before yo go check it out, please keep in mind that this blog is rated PG or PG-13, so if you are a sensitive viewer, please stay put. :) Here it is-Dave Barry's Blog. Enjoy!

Hannah has been reading like crazy lately. Some of her recent choices include:

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

Tirzah by Lucille Travis

Hadassah, the Girl Who Became Queen Esther by Tommy Tenney

The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

I work part time for a local charter school that enrolls homeschooling families. I am an Education Specialist, which means I have the very fun job of coming alongside other homeschooling moms and cheering them on, supporting them, and trying to make their job easier in any way I can. Naturally, since I am employed by this school, I don't just get to do the fun stuff-there is some work involved. This work is generally administrative, and requires internet access. Sometimes I am a little lazy and get behind in my work. Other times there are crunch times-large projects that are my equivalent of finals week. This past week, these two realities, laziness and big projects, collided in a major way.

I had to turn in student portfolios (my big project) and I needed to turn in some records. I was doing okay, just trudging along and getting my work done slowly and steadily, and then the wireless started acting up! I could get online, get to the homepage for my work, and then the internet would go out. I could reconnect long enough to get my email, but not long enough to reply. My dh is a computer whiz, and normally very able to help me with such problems. However, he had some big commitments for work this week, so I was on my own. Desperate, I called our ISP.

The customer service lady was not so very helpful. I did all the things she told me to do (and I had tried them all before I even called). She decided it was our router, so it wasn't her problem. So I still didn't have any internet and was just more frustrated. I did manage to get my project done so I could turn it in today-Yippee! One major thing to check off my list. :)

Then dh came to my rescue. While I was off turning in my project, he called our ISP, got Helpful Customer Service Guy, and figured out that our cable modem was dying. Then he went and picked up a replacement modem, and the rest is history. Here I am, on the computer, happily typing away. Granted, that paperwork is still looming, but tonight it can wait. Yay-Super Husband! :)

Yippee! After nearly floating away after many days of rain, the sun has come and is drying us out. My kids are no longer bouncing off the walls inside...I can send them out. The sunshine is pouring in the house, helping me to see the cobwebs and dust that has been lurking. Suddenly, I find myself with some fresh energy, ready to emerge from my nest and spring clean.

It is Spring Break here at La Dolce Vita, and we are loving it! It was a busy week last week (see the Stinkers post below). Mr. LDV was out of state, so I was on my own, and you moms out there know how that can be. ;)

A little side note about Mr. LDV for my Chico readers. He was in Louisiana on a pilot trip-checking things out in preparation for taking a team of workers down later this summer. He had the opportunity to come alongside another team that was clearing houses for Spring Break. On the second day, he happened to be cleaning a house next to a woman that looked an awful lot like Terry E_____ns. But it was hard to tell, as everyone had on masks and safety goggles. Finally, he could stand it no longer. He ran over, grabbed her, and asked her if she was Terry E____ns. I guess her eyes got quite wide at this very tall man with a respirator grabbing her, but she pulled off her mask and showed herself. It was her! Mr. LDV pulled off his mask....and the rest of the story was happy hugs and catching up. Not only was Terry E_____ns there, but so were Andrew B______tt, Ryan S_____nd, and Don R_____rs. How wild is that! Mr. LDV had a great time catching up and serving with our friends from long ago.

Blessings to you! Christ is Risen!

Recently, much of my mental time and energy has been spent dealing with a difficult person with whom I work. A stinker! This stinker has been rather aggressive and mean in dealing with me. I don't react well to people that speak so disrespectfully...I tend to freeze at the time, but think of plenty of good comebacks later. Thankfully, that issue has been dealt with so now I can go back to my regularly scheduled life!

I don't know why, but when confronted with a stinker, I can't seem to shake the situation. It becomes consuming for me as I wrack my brain for my missteps, my unkind words, my not honoring Jesus. The more I search my mind and heart, I know I behaved in a way that honors the Lord. Then my heart just aches from the meanness of it all.

So today is heart recovery day. Right now my dc are in their pajamas, the fire is on, the coffee is brewed, and I am ready to cuddle my littles. I have some resolution regarding this stinker, my heart is starting to settle and the ache in my tummy is gone. So I am off to get my coffee!

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It   rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As you might guess from this poem, it is rainy here-again! We broke records in our area for the number of rainy days in March. The yard is saturated-a slight shower brings serious pooling of water in our flower beds. The kids are stir crazy, and I am admittedly a bit grouchy. My only consolation is that old adage, "April Showers Bring May Flowers." Boy, am I looking forward to those flowers!

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

by

Frances R. Havergal