Horizons Math Grade 4 and K,The Reading Lesson, Sequential Spelling, Lifepac Language Arts 4, Apologia Astronomy, Veritas Press New Testament/Greeks/Romans
Prima Latina, Contenders for the Faith and various Winters Promise books, Live Mocha Spanish, Plants Grown Up
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2
I'm learning this the hands on way lately! Washing dishes by hand for over a month now due to a broken dishwasher. This morning I washed baby clothes in the bathtub due to a broken washing machine. We've had a few power outages due to the horrible weather. I had no computer for over a week, but Praise be to God, it miraculously started working when my husband pulled into port and was able to Skype! Our roof is leaking.. the list goes on and on! But the Lord keeps on answering prayers! In physical ways (the computer fixing itself is just one of many examples!) and through His Word! It's been such a beautiful time of growing in my walk with Him!
Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a refuge for me, A tower of strength Psalm 61
Do not FRET (worry) it ONLY leads to evil. ...rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him Psalm 37
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul Psalm 94:19
Which only make me that much more thankful that the Lord has given me the gift of a husband to love!
Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
Peter's desire for a guinea pig began when he was 2. We had an impressive animal shelter in Hemet. They had a huge facility with a pond filled with tons of various water birds and turtles, a playground, and huge fields of animals. At various times we saw HUGE pigs, ponies, donkeys, llamas, cows, horses, a zebra once, ostrich, peacocks.. You never knew what you'd find. It was a FUN place, and we went every week. They also had a HUGE outdoor pen filled with guinea pigs, and he's smash his little face against the fence and a few would always come up and "kiss" his nose. Since then he's always wanted a guinea pig, so we finally got him one.
Today was uncharacteristically warm (in the 70s!) and my children and I enjoyed every second of it! They started digging in the dirt and next thing you know they are mixing in the dog's water...
Does it get any more fun?
And all that playing made them hungry of course, so we had some yummy strawberries in dip. This dip is a summer tradition for us, and is so easy and delicious. You just beat together a jar of caramel and 8 oz of cream cheese with a dash of vanilla and it is AMAZING with fresh strawberries (apples are ok too)
I did wash their hands before bringing out food, but Abigail's got dirty again between strawberries!
♥You know it is spring when Andrew constantly has a creature in his hands, I LOVE that typical boy-ness about him!
♥flowers picked by children in vases and bowls all over the kitchen-makes mama feel so cheerful and loved
♥learning to play ball
♥our flashiest daily visitor
♥first time in the playhouse
Life is good. We're thankful to see Spring arrive, even though we've only had 2 days of nice spring weather so far! We celebrated the first day of spring with some festive cupcakes and fresh squeezed lemonade.
I've been spending my days enjoying being the mother of a toddler again. Abigail is walking all over now, and is the biggest goofball. She has always been so full of opinions and personality, but even more so now that she can express herself! She always has a goofy face on(examples below), and loves to give kisses! She misses Daddy terribly, and every morning talks to the picture of him hanging in the dining room, and she often comes to the computer and starts waiving at the screen calling Dada (We use Skype for video calls when he pulls into port, and she seems to think she should be able to talk to him whenever she feels like it. Luckily we have some videos of him we can play and it appeases her temporarily).
We've been starting the garden. This year I decided to really focus on flowers as well as veggies so we put in a bed in the front, and filled it with a few flowers and lots of bulbs and seeds. We are now anxiously anticipating seeing it grow and bloom. Next we'll get started on the veggies on the other side of the garage.
We've been enjoying watching the birds arrive with spring as well. The hummingbirds are in full swing, always fighting each other over the feeder, and swooping at us if we get to close! We hang our feeder right outside the playroom window so it's fun to watch them through out the day. This year we are down to just 1 feeder; the wind broke 2 of ours last year, plus those hummers were costing me a fortune in sugar! I was filling each feeder daily (2 cups of nectar each)!
We have suet outside the boys' bedroom as well. I haven't gotten to the bird store to pick up any seed or finch mix yet. Today we watched a Downy Woodpecker, Sparrows, Red Winged Blackbirds, Chickadees and a few male Finches come to the one feeder over the course of about half an hour while we played Battleship!
Last week we enjoyed this fun spring dessert! The boys thought it was the greatest thing ever! Chocolate ice cream with gummy worms, and crumbled Oreo dirt on top. Sugar overload, but so worth it to see their faces!
Hope you are all enjoying spring as well!
A recipe for the Birds:
HUMMINGBIRD NECTAR
In pyrex measuring cup ½ c sugar, 2 c water microwave until it boils let cool and store extra in fridge
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”- 1 John 4:9
My snuggly middle boy
Taking a break from all the playing to do a little math
We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, ... it is constantly bearingfruit and increasing Col 1:4
Dinner is in the crock pot, we'll share it with friends later this evening...
~For Today~ Monday-February 23, 09
Outside My Window... It is dark now and my doggy is whining to come in
I am thinking... that I LOVE this new Mei Tai baby carrier I am thankful for... a beautiful family and some time with my husband before he deploys again next week :(
From the kitchen today... breakfast: grapes pears and apples
lunch:smoked tuna quesadillas (so yummy)
dinner:fish tacos
From the kitchen this week... Sunday~Skillet Spaghetti Monday~Sesame Chili Tilapia in fish tacos with homemade pico de gallo YUM!
Tuesday~Paprika Chicken Wednesday~ Homemade baked beans, and chili dogs? I am creating... a clean kitchen
I am reading... Streams in the Desert
I am hoping...
to have a beautiful flower garden this spring/summer
I am hearing...
2 separate Star wars vidoe games and a baby guzzling milk
Around the house... I have quite a bit of stuff to pick up this evening
One of my favorite things...
adorable snuggly baby jammies
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Finally get our taxes done
Here is a picture that I am sharing... Abigail and her new bed! I cant take the kung fu kicking all night anymore, so we sold her oh so pretty but not used pack n play and bought this. It gets me half a night of unsquished sleep, till she climbs back up for a midnight snack!
I've been slacking on taking pictures, so I finally pulled my camera out today! Abigail sits so sadly at the window watching her brothers play outside, so today I let her go out too, even though it is still muddy! Can you believe this was her first time in jeans! A friend gave us this pair this week, and I just didn't want to ruin her tights. They did have pink flowers, so they were still very girly! Do you notice how she sits on her knees. A friend pointed it out me a couple weeks ago that she ALWAYS sits this way. I love it!
A reason to lay down and snuggle at least 3 times a day (nap/bedtime)
some one on my hip as I cook dinner
a tiny voice saying mama and wanting nothing more than a hug
adorable infectious laughter
sharing my bed with someone who occasionally snores the cutest little noises
round cheeks to kiss a gazillion times a day
OK for the technical stuff..
Abigail is 9 months now!
Able to stand and let go for a few more seconds now, has 4 teeth, has her brothers wrapped around her tiny fingers, and has captured all our hearts completely! I praise God for His answer to my prayers and this beautiful addition He's added to our family each day!
“Here is a little mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God, and the body in which it dwells is worth all it will cost, since it is abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, to her most tender cares, to her life~long prayers! Oh how rich I am, how truly, how marvelously blest!”
-Stepping Heavenward
I have been informed I have been lacking in updates! Sorry! She'll be 8 months old already in just a couple days!
Abigail started crawling at the end of 6 months, now she is a speedy little girl! She's pulling up and standing now, which means she has her first bruises as well! She got 2 teeth when she hit 7 months, they came in exactly 1 week apart. She says mama, dada, night night and dog-dog. She said kitty just once this weekend when she saw a cat for the first time! But it was never repeated again. She is much more "talkative" than the boys ever were! I'm currently uploading a video of her crawling on YouTube so that should be up in a few minutes.
Some autumn Abigail pictures for you:
Peter bought me a new Ipod for Christmas (he'll be deployed which is why it is so early)
and I spent last night searching for my absolute favorite photos to put on it, and now it holds all the ones that make me smile!
So I wanted to share some of my oldest baby with you!
10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. ... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
13I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me,
16Repent therefore! 19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
Today was a gorgeous crisp fall day. My baby turned 7 months old today and her first tooth popped out! We celebrated the beautiful day with a walk around our neighborhood after the school work was finished.
Today we got up early to head to early church so we could spend a day hiking.
We were at REI yesterday and the boys were interested in the "camping food"
so we planned a hike for today. We ended up heading to Ebey's landing and doing about half the Perego's lagoon hike. Its a 3.5 mile loop, but Abigail kept trying to escape from the Moby which made it hard. It was a beautiful day and we had a nice hike and picnic and the boys were able to play on the beach. AFterwards we walked in downtown Coupeville and had just a really nice day.
Yesterday we drove North and explored some areas of Bellingham we'd never been to and ended up having dinner in Birch Bay and that was really nice too. We discovered Bob'sburgers. It was delicious!
I didn't think so! But I figured I'd offer an explanation anyhow. Lately I've really been convicted that I spend too much time online. It is truly an addiction for me. But I've come to realize that every moment I spend online is a moment with my family I am missing. So I have been trying to limit it.
I've been reading an AMAZING book. Its called Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham, and it has really helped me to reprioritize my day as well. Trying to get back to the enthusiasm for the Lord I had as a new Christian just a couple years ago. I've been so caught up in daily life, an dwhile the things I was doing were good, I needed to remember how short our time in this World is and that I need to make the most of it for Christ. I have some quotes from the book coming soon, but with my new shortened computer time typing them up is quite tricky! I have some Jim Elliot quotes as well that have been waiting on my desk for weeks!
This week we have some beautiful weather after the cold we've had, which has lent beautifully to enjoying God's bountiful gift of berries! A friend let us come to her home and pick huckleberries (my FAVORITE!!!). I haven't found them anywhere on the island so I was especially excited baout those.Then we had a different friend come to us for our first blackberries of the year this morning. Picking is so much nicer with friends!
My beautiful baby is almost 6 months old. Can you believe it?
I want to leave you with a quote that I found especially convicting today from Lidsay's blog at passionatehomemaking.com:
"Busyness is not godliness. God is not impressed with your production capacity as much as He is concerned that the product of your home - your own children - be chiseled and molded and perfected to the best of your ability. You may tire of this mundane task, but the Lord admonishes you not to grow weary and promises to supply the energy and strength as needed in this all-important task (Isa. 40:28-31). God's strength is for what He plans for you to do - not stamina for everything you might want to do!"
We lived through our second deployment of the year!
The boys were so happy to have him back, and Abigail loves the extra Daddy attention!
We met him at the airport, then stopped at the flight museum. Little Peter had been reading about it in the airport and asked to go. We explored the museum, and then as we left to go get lunch, we saw the Blue Angels fly over, getting ready to land there at the museum.
After lunch and exploring the SouthCenter mall we checked into our hotel. It was gorgeous! The boys couldn't wait to jump into the warm indoor pool. It was like a jungle, it was surrounded by plants and a waterfall, it was simply beautiful!
The next day we started home, stopping in Bellevue (I wanted to go to Pottery Barn Kids and BabyStyle)
So today is our first day home, and I'm surrounded by groceries that need putting away, and a deployments worth of laundry that needs washing!
Its been a busy week! We went strawberry picking again. Didn't get quite as many as usual this time, my boys were busy showing off for some friends who came with us! I did get enough to make 10 jars of jam though! I'm hoping to try my hand at peach next week as well.
Today we had some friends come up to see us who we've known since Peter's first ship, so we showed them around the island a bit. Headed to Lavender Wind Farm (my favorite place) to see the gorgeous views, and I stocked up on some yummy treats.
Then we headed to Joseph Whidbey state park and played on the beach.
I haven't been blogging much lately. There have been lots of changes in my life, and I'm really excited about the new direction! So as I thought you all knew, but turns out you didn't, Peter is deployed again. What we thought was going to be 3 months out 3 months home turned into he'll be home for August, willleave again in September and we wont see him again until next year! I've been trying really hard not to be anxious and frustrated by it.
Also as many of you know I was a big part of HUG (Homeschoolers under God). It was a big part of our lives and due to changes in the group I have really felt lead to just back off. I took that suprisingly hard as well, (I still fight against change, I guess I'm more stubborn than I like to think). But I have really felt lead to focusing that enery more on one on one fellowship. So I've opened up my house and have been so blessed by having people come in that I could share my knowledge and growth with, and today was so amazing, a friend who I have admired for years before she even knew who I was came by and really I dont think she could even know how she really hit so many areas I needed reassurance in. And then the really big news. I "met" my brothers. As some of you long time readers may know, my mother was never in my life. She did send me a card once with a picture of a 1 year old baby and his full name on the back. That baby is now 21 and I found him (and his younger brother) on MySpace! I just got curious and typed in the name with no idea he'd actually ne on there, or know I even existed. It has been a surprise, but a huge blessing in getting to know them over the last 2 days. A lot of emotions and thoughts to sort through!
So that is where I've been. Thankful and amazed trhough it all. Love to you all!
Tonight we had a thunderstorm take us by surprise. We were laying on my bed reading together when I could no longer go on because of the distraction of the noise (which I admit I thought was the neighbors for quite some time), so I pulled up the blinds and shortly the lightning bolts were right on top of each other, the house shaking with every boom. I haven't seen a storm like this since I was a child, if ever and I was thankful the boys witnessed it. We just stopped everything to take it all in and I tried to talk about God's magnificent glory. My too-smart-for-his-own-good 7 year old was SURE this super storm was a sign Jesus was coming back tonight. (in fact lately EVERY day he is sure is the day Jesus is coming back, but this time he was sure it was confirmation) And while it brought joy to my heart it made me realize I should have that same anticipation, the same sureness that it is going to happen, but I admit when I think of it, while my heart is filled with joy with the thought of heaven, I have reservations when I think of all the people, my husband included who have not given their lives to Him yet and I have such sadness. The storm ended as quickly as it started, but I was thankful to see this real life example of child-like faith that I read about in the Bible. The mood of the evening lasted much longer though as boys boys were compelled to ask about family members who were not saved and ask if we could pray for them. Even after I tucked them in I was called back a few more times as they remembered someone we had not prayed for.
Thank you Lord for this night, and for the hearts of precious children.
