http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/growingalongtogether

 Recently  I came across a blog that really moved me, inspired me and has made me want to change some things I do around here-home.  I wish I could say that this woman was my friend, but alas, we haven't exchanged any words.  Regardless I am thankful for her gifts and talents to shine into my end of the world.

   Her blog is so inspiring to me-there is a lot about beauty, life, breathing deep and enjoying the moment.  It is also filled with orderliness and the simplicities of running a beautiful home for our mates and our families. 

    My home is normally clean, but as I come from a line of  'neat freaks'  (sorry~you know who you are!)  and I seem to have not acquired quite so much of this gene, you know enough to care, but not enough to be consumed by it (well except for holidays ;-(  or large gatherings...though I can hear my children say, "No Mama, it is everyday with you too!"   It seems that I am always cleaning or tidying, but honestly I have gotten some new ideas and new inspirations from my new friend.  I have been praying for a mentor, perhaps this cyber thing is what God has in mind for now, I think it will be good-until God decides to bless me with a face to face mentor friend, you know someone who will take you under their wing and gently teach you how. (with love and grace!)

        Now I don't think  I am being covetous, I love my life, my home, my family, but seeing into someone else's everyday somehow can make us take a look at how we are spending our time and give us the gift of vision into how we can tweek this or that to move closer to the vision we see in our mind of our lives. 

          Now this girl sews (and perhaps is brilliant!)...I have dabbled in sewing, but alas, have a much better time praying my desire into a thrift shop.  Sewing makes me weepy, makes my family sad and ends up being a project my dear Knight needs to step into to save me from myself.  Something about those directions, funny, it is the same way with teachers manuals (LOL, not really laughing, cuz its true!)  I'd like to get better at it though, so maybe I will try to sew Princess Marna a new spring dress-she'd be so thrilled, as she has never had anyone dote over her in such a way. Life was hard for her, but NOW God has begun her days of blessing and favor, a new forever family!  With a Mama who is willing to walk to the edge of a cliff for her (even if it is with the sewing machine that was my husband's grandmother's in my hand!) Maybe it's a new Hallmark card, 'Cares enough to attempt sewing yet again !'

       Hmmm,  sounds lovely, please pray for me, as I'd like to avoid the sobbing stage of sewing!

  Much thanks and a full and grateful heart from the blessings of God...

                                                                                                   Kimmie

Ephesians 5:1-4

 Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children;

and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;

nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks.

*if you want to check out my friend's website....it is

                                                                          Pleasant View Schoolhouse

  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/growingalongtogether

 This morning while I was driving my youngest to preschool,  I remembered something my Mama told me when I was very little.  I am not sure why it popped into my head again this morning, but it gave me a moment of contemplation.

  ...(my Mama's voice)  "Kimmie, to have a friend you have to BE a friend."

   The process of "be" is something I continue to put effort into, lately there hasn't been enough "friend" time for me, I have been very family focused and am missing my friends. 

  If I have neglected you, forgive me, know that I care for you and that you are important to me.  I am learning so much, as God is stretching me.  I am hopefully 'being'  transformed more into His likeness, and hopefully that will make me a better friend. 

   I so appreciate a kind word from a friend, a word of encouragement, a word that edifies and builds up- I enjoy doing those things for my friends, thank you for also doing them for me. 

                                                            (((((((HUGS)))))))))

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverb 18:24

In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, never in want.
Irish Proverb

What is a friend? I will tell you it is someone with whom you dare to be yourself.
Frank Crane

A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway.
Fr. Jerome Cummings

 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/growingalongtogether

  I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.

                                                                                      Ralph Waldo Emerson

The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more.

                                                                                      Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree,

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

                                     Joyce Kilmer   1886-1918,  Trees

          Today, as I ran some errands I noticed the saddest tree that I have ever seen. 

          It was born to be a majestic silvery pine, it had seen a lot of life and perhaps many changes in its surroundings, during its God given life. I venture to say it was at least 40 years old, if not more and its tippity-top and lower trunk were perfectly straight.  However, it's girth bowed to the left and then it tried to bend back as it originally grew, somehow it failed and now the tree appeared to be greatly marred.   Around its roots lay all the trash the wind could hold, it had blown from the parking lot across the street and reached its destiny at the foot of this crippled pine. I think somehow this mighty tree had grown curious as to what lay across the street, as it grew it began to lean towards where the 'action' was.  Behind this giant lay a field of gold, mingled with the debry of tossed, no longer wanted items, that had managed to slip from someones fingers or perhaps was carelessy dropped.  

    How often that happens in this world we live in,  we forget the direction we were made to grow in, we fail  to aim straight at the purpose and plan God has for our lives~we bend and twist in our own desires and fail to become who God destined us to be.  We become careless and fall into the trap of the world.

     Lord, help me to not sway to the right or the left, bowing or straining to reach all this world has to offer, but set my path to bring you honor.      

  How few people walk in your ways, stay rooted and established in your word and your desires.  There are so many who are spiritually dead or sleeping.  Father, we need your help to grow from faith to faith and glory to glory.  Make straight our way, helping us to fix our lives, our minds, our hearts (mind, body, soul and spirit) on You. 

           The godly are like trees that bear life giving fruit, and those who save lives are wise.    Proverbs 11:30       

A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God shaped life is a flourishing tree.  Proverbs 11: 28 (The Message)            

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord.  They are like trees

planted along a riverbank with roots that reach deep into the

 water.  Such trees are not bothered by heat or worried by

months of drought.  Their leaves stay green, and they go right

 on producing delicious fruit.  

                                                                          Jeremiah 17:7-8

                                                 I have a fascination with trees, I don't know really when it began, but would venture to guess that my parents were the ones that planted the seed of this great love, which I continue to carry within my heart.  Funny what our parents give to us, sometimes it is our humor, our smile, our complexion, our eyes...sometimes through love it's deposited over time and it inbeds itself into our very souls.

    My love for trees was definitely deposited over time, it began in early childhood with walks with my mother.  I remember walking down our street, there were these huge pine trees, magnificient white pines, that I just would look up at with such eyes of amazement.  I couldn't believe anything could be so tall or so mighty-I imagined that they touched the entrance of heaven.  It made me feel safe and loved, as I sat in the pile of fallen pine needles-a rusty orange bed of pine scented wonder.  My mother would stop to let me rest, before we either took the corner or started our walk back to our home.  I must have been 3 1/2 or 4 years old- as I remember it was before I was in school and we were pushing a stroller (my sweet baby sister). 

  I always loved getting to those trees-it was like they were waiting for me.  We passed other trees on the way, some much larger, one group of pines that didn't have the overhanging low branches in which to hide and rest under, the others were close to the elementary school's boundary fence-not nearly as cozy or inviting, somehow all to open and lacking 'my trees beauty.'  I still can stir up the joy that I felt as a wee little lass sitting under the pines with my mother's watchful eye guarding me.  Life was good, no troubles, no worries, no stresses.

  My parents continued to take me to places filled with wonderful trees-parks, woods, dark forests...my Hungarian papa and my sweet American mama both loved the great outdoors. 

 My papa even cut two very long branches that would hold my weight and attached them way up high, between two pine trees in our yard.  I would have to straddle the branches and swing myself gymnast style, if I wanted to cross 'the bridge'  to the other tree. I remember the first time I attempted the trip across those branches-my heart all aflutter at the distance to cover and the earth so far below my dangling legs.  I would be all pine tar sticky when I came in at days end, but had a heart full of joy and arms strong by the task. Eventually the branches lost their strength and my weight became to much of a burden for them, a sad day it was when I could no longer linger between earth and sky. The trees stood as a reminder-time continued on.  Trees were my friends, constant through my childhood.

  My papa made a play area in our garage loft, he added a ladder out of some old boards (reminders of trees) he had-he carved into them..."Up we go, but hold on good!" Carved by his artistic hand into the heart of those old tree boards.  We would play up there...   until a time came when storage was needed and a tree fort beckoned my name!

  My dear dad then built us a treehouse in the wooded area behind our home.  It was way up in the trees, my mama must have been having heart attacks!  He made us a ladder and let us go up as we pleased, I felt so peaceful in my home among the trees. I spent a lot of time thinking up in those trees, pondering the land, the trees, my family and my home-imagining my future.  Life was good.

  Today you can find me in the woods anytime I have a free moment. 

   My heart was so joy-filled when God gave us this new home (well we have almost been here for 2 years, but it is new still to us)- in preparation for the adoptions we would be doing.  He told us we needed to move, as we would need the space for what was yet to come.  When Bruce and I walked the property my heart nearly burst-trees, trees, more trees!  We told our real estate agent that we were so thrilled that our kids would have woods to play in.  She smiled, maybe she love trees too! As I look at our yard, our home is nestled in a total surround by trees, as if our home was in the meadow that lay in the midst of the arms of our very own forest.

  My oldest  daughter,(who now wants me to call her Pirate Jackie and her best friend Pirate Will (amina)-as they plan to someday marry pirates in a dual ceremony -I guess she is outgrowing her nickname of King Bob of the Wiflesnorfs,sigh!) recently came back from Ireland.  My knight who accompanied her on her journey, said she spent a lot of time photographing trees.  As she shared her best moments that she had captured on her digital camera, my heart skipped a beat, as frame after frame were pictures of ancient trees.  God is so good-sometimes our children inherit our hearts. 

  Of course we know who formed the trees, it is Him we give thanks to, it is He who deserves our praise.  We don't worship the trees, but we are thankful that He shared them with us.  Trees remind me of His Power, Strength, Beauty and Love-they remind me also of the cross, my Jesus -and his never ending love for me.

 Life indeed is rich and good!

Isaiah   55:11-12               

  It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 

  You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!

1.   Tithe to the Lord (first!)

2.    Ask God how He would have us use it..assuming He would want to direct us, we will leave #9 blank

3. (now this all depends on His answer ;-)....*#3-10 will happen only if God doesn't tell me something else to do with the money!)

                    .... Pay off our debt

4.  Put an addition on our home-more space, to adopt * you need more bedrooms to have more children! (only 4 kids to a bedroom in our state, if you are adopting!) Honestly, now with 3 kids in each room, there is little space for dressers and such.

5.  Adopt as many children as God would send...Lord we will do an orphanage if you say yes!

6.  Bless our parents 

7.  Bless our Pastor/church with a love offering

8.  Seed some of it into an orphanage ministry

9.  Buy a BIG retreat house on a lake (in Vermont ?), for family and friends

10.  Take my Knight in Shining Armour to Italy (his dream)

10.  We have a cat who thinks she is a dog, we think- as she retrieves stuff when you throw it.

9.  Whenever we are running out of something my 4 year old son says, " Oh no we're 'wasting out' of..."

8.  Last summer we had a large pet toad for a month that lived in my living room (in his own fine housing, not under my couch or anything)!

7.  I  honestly  don't think 6 childen is a big family!

6.  My 1 year old golden retriever plays this game we call, (with a British Accent), 'Spot and Jump."  Silly, Silly, Bunter puts his nose flat on our living room carpet, smells with great concentration for several seconds and then pounces (with all 110 lbs of him) on the offensive smell.  He looks like a leaping bucking bronco with his huge fuzzy, furry paws.

5.  My oldest daughter and her best friend have vowed to someday have a dual ceremony, when they marry their pirate husbands.

4.  We constantly talk about having good manners and eating like a, " Lady or a Gentleman," in case the Queen Mum decides to pop over for a visit. (We're ready baby!)

3.  My kids can't wait for spring so they can hold worms again.

2.  Every year at the end of the 'growing season' I vow to never garden again, (due to the amount of time and hard work it takes to keep it all up) and by January here in New England I am dreaming of which plants and seeds I can buy and try this year. LOL

1.  I name all my vehicles (Katrinka the Tank is my current relationship...Anna is having an engine overhaul and should be back soon,sigh!)...it's a relationship after all-the amount of time I spend driving everyone !

It is amazingly beautiful here this morning.  We have had two major storms swing through leaving us 12 inches of snow on the ground.  White, clean and inviting- as I look out my window it continues to fall.  We were blessed yesterday by having public school canceled-meaning one of my children was able to stay home with us instead of having to go to school (she was very excited and we did the, 'no school dance', for the first time. )                                            

       This has been one of the hardest years for us with homeschooling, due to our adoption through foster care, we have been forced to send one to public school and one to preschool 2  days a week.  It has taken away our freedom- as now we have to follow the schools schedule and time tables.  Freedom is such a blessing that we so often take for granted, as a daughter of a man who lived under communist control in his beloved country, I have a special fondness for 'freedom.'

  Truly I don't have anything against the public school.  It is not for us though-we know, know, know what we are called to and quite frankly we know that there is to be no division among us.  (meaning all of us will be homeschooled.)   However, now that the state is still ultimately parent, we do as we are told.  Bruce and I are praying for wisdom, asking God to tell us what will be best for our kindergartener when she is adopted in March-being so close to the end of the school year.  (really it is not that close in my mind, as they end, in the end of JUNE!) sigh.

  Last week we were blessed by another, 'school vacation.'  Now mind you we were not on vacation, we have never chosen to follow their schedule, but it meant our precious 5 year old was with us.  We did lessons in the morning- preschool-kindergarten stuff with 2 of the 3 little ones.  My older  girls worked on the lapbooks for Ireland, did their regular lessons, finished up some library books.    Later they took the little three out in the fresh new snow and made two new snowmen. 

  My poor puppy-all 110 lbs of him is freaked out by these yard invaders. I guess they look abit menacing in his puppy eyes.

  As I unloaded him out of the back of our "tank,"  (what we have dubbed our largest vehicle- actually 'Katrinka the Tank," in the formal)- he leapt out barking and growling .  One snowman was on one side of the yard and one postitioned about 40 feet away, on the opposite side of our driveway.  Well, 'Silly, Silly , Bunter' ~(one of Hunter's many nicknames given by the kids) leapt out of the tank and positioned himself between these two aliens who had invaded our sanctuary.  He turned to bark at one and then quickly would spin to make sure the other 'bad guy' wasn't sneaking up for a rear attack~a barking spinning 110 lb. dog, certainly there is something joyful about that!   He was very adamant about his need to protect  us from these huge white, scarfed creatures.  Nice to know that he is on top of the situation, Silly, Silly Bunter. 

  This morning he taught those 2 a thing or two, he got brave and snuck up to steal their carrot noses.  Now they won't be able to smell his approach, next maybe he will eat their attire, naked snowman, hmmm. 

  The fresh snow reminds me of one of my favorite bible verses.  I used it on my business cards for my soap making business... 'many moons ago'.. .prior to having such a large brood.

 Psalm 51:7 

               Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

                wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

                                                        Kimmie

     When my oldest was little she used to do the funniest face when she was proud, we called it the, "Proud Face." 

    Okay, let me walk you through it, as the picture end of this entry is still sadly lacking.  First you squint your eyes (really tight!), next you force the biggest smile you can muster (go at it with all you got!), now last but not least, stick out that chin and let the world know that 'you've got it!'  My husband and I used to roll on the floor when Bella would make this face.  She would do it when she accomplished something, like 'look I drew a circle', or 'hey ,I can run really fast if I lick my feet.'  ;-)  She was really little when this 'face' immerged, but it was one that stuck around for quite awhile.

   It was so sweet and so totally Bella-I think everyone that knew us, knew *Proud Face.*

  I have to admit today I was playing with technical stuff on my blog.  I was editing the template, now if you can imagine I have absolutely (I do mean absolutely NO clue, like I have more experience training chimpanzee's sign language)- I just kind of scrolled through, took a good solid look and began cutting and pasting this and that, continuing to check to see how it looked on the actual page.  Now a lot of it did nothing, but somehow I managed to add Categories and then subtitles under it     -*Proud Face*!    Mind you I don't know how to connect it all together -YET ;-) , but it is so close I can taste it! 

   I must say I did pray and asked God to help me see and understand what needed to go where, as I was in need of much help, of which He knew (smile).  It was a fun time-my children were all taking naps, my oldest at a party  celebrating her recent trip to Ireland, to compete in an international competition for Irish Step-and me sitting here with a quiet home and a few minutes to press into this blogging stuff. 

  My husband brought Bella back from the party and I had the biggest grin on my face, funny how they didn't recognize *Proud Face*,  but I just had to show them what I did and share in my joy.  I never had any joy before from typing '>%< ' or such, sometimes life is full of surprises. 

    Guess we miss a lot of those moments of joy because of our natural tendency to hurry through the day, getting from point a to point x, y or z.  Thank you Father for the lessons. Thanks for letting me experience a few moments of joy bubbling up and trickling over!

 2 Cor. 7:16

I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all [things].