It's been a fast year!!!

Looking back at the pictures from this blog...wow. It's amazing how quickly things change. My kids look so much older now!

It is definitely time for an update.

2008 was  a busy year and here we are already in midsummer 2009. We have had so much rain lately it doesn't really feel like summer yet, but the calendar says it is, so it must be  :)

Stephen graduated in June. We will be having a party for him at the end of summer. Megan finished her two year program and has her associates and is going on for her four year. Jennifer started her third year (also finished her associates) and this Fall she will finish for her four year degree.

My kids are growing up  :)

Til next time,

Theresa

It rained hard one night and we all had supper in the trailer. Soda tastes good with anything:

 Camping is an interesting experience. I never camped as a kid (we did county and state fairs, picnics, and zoos for fun), but hubby camped a lot. My kids love camping! Even though (after many years of marraige and raising kids) I consider us experienced campers, it is rare for us to not forget some necessary item. It might be dish soap or swimming towels, but we have found it beneficial to camp close to home! That way we can run back and forth to pick up whatever we need.

We have had a lot of family reunions/picnics this summer. There was only one we didn't make it to, in August, and that was because I was sick  :(   We had planned to go but instead I spent three days in bed with a virus.

Here is a picture I call "three sisters and their Mom". Guess which one is me? (hint: I'm the one who has her mouth full!)

 And, finally, last night I got out and did some back to school shopping. Today is Jesse's birthday and it was necessary for me to get out and shop!  Jesse is a lot of fun. He likes to keep us entertained with jokes, riddles, and "illusions" (not magic, just tricks!)  Happy Birthday, Jess!!!

This has been a busy week of getting school plans ready and books ordered. I haven't yet made it out to pick up notebooks, pens and pencils, but hope to very soon.

A friend of mine is pointing me towards Tapestry of Grace. I have to say this curriculum looks very interesting! She says her boys love it, and are busy all afternoon making lap books, doing mapwork, and enjoying the books. I think I will give it a try  :)

We are having cream of potato soup tonight with potatoes, onion and green peppers from our garden. I put some chicken bouillon in it and kielbasa to give it a little zing.

The days are getting shorter and it was cooler this week. I don't mind the cool weather; I never liked the heat! But I am sad to say goodbye to the summer.

Wow!  Summer is almost over!

We have  been so busy and I have sadly neglected this blog. Our summer flew by with gardening, vacationing, family reunions and picnics, travel, and camping.  Right now the blackberries are ready  :)

We just had our first corn on the cob from the garden and have been enjoying zucchini, beets (yes, I love them! with butter and salt they are delicious), green beans, our own lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.

The first week of June we travelled down to Virginia and saw Jamestown and Williamsburg. Also we toured through Gettysburg Battlefield and museum. It was very impressive and the kids read lots of history books to get a feel for what they were seeing.

I will be adding more to this blog in future days. I had re-designed it and lost a lot of my sidebars in the process! Hopefully I will be able to get most of them back.

I hope you all are enjoying your summer! It's time to get ready now for school planning. Annie keeps asking me, "when are our books coming?" She is very excited to begin. Kevin will be doing preschool things so this will be new for him too. Annie and the younger boys have been reading Hank the Cowdog books all summer (there are over forty in the series!)

If you haven't read "Hank the Cowdog" you are definitely missing out!

Enjoy your day, Theresa

We lost a dear friend this week. He had a sudden heart attack and lingered for a couple of days, but is gone.

He was so special, always with a smile for everyone and a gentle, sweet spirit.

"In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore."

 Happy Easter!

Today is St. Patrick's day and it is cold!!! It was only 14 this morning...but it is sunny and that is nice. It won't get much warmer this week either.

It will be a full week, with the first day of Spring, St. Patrick's day, one of my kids' birthdays, and Easter all in one week.

I think everyone I have talked to lately is looking forward to Spring. I don't mind winter, it's the driving that I don't like when it is stormy out. I like cosy winter days when you can stay inside and have some tea and do a little sewing and no one has to go anywhere or be out on the windy snow-covered roads.

Where would we be without the fun-loving Irish? I have a lot of Irish on both sides and my husband does also in his family...I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Snacks.

Games.

Gifts.

 Fun.

Kevin:  "Mom, how old am I?"

Me: "Three."

Kevin (b--i--g  sigh...) "Always I have to be three!"

Oh for the days when we were so impatient for time to pass so that we could be a little bit older, a little bit bigger, a little bit wiser!

Happy Valentine's Day!

"When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.  Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."

 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon."     Genesis 29:31-33

These are some of the saddest verses in the Bible! First of all, that Leah was not loved...and that she really thought she could earn her husband's love by having a child. What a burden, to feel you have to do something in order to be loved in return!

God in His great mercy gave her children because she wasn't loved. (How opposite to how people look at the gift of children today!) 

"So be very careful to love the LORD your God. " Joshua 23:10

This is an interesting verse, an admonition and a reminder to love the Lord. Why? Because only God can satisfy every longing! He is perfect, He is faithful, His mercies endure forever! We are sinful vessels that fail to show perfect love to one another. We sin against each other, fail each other, and hopefully reconcile and forgive one another, and then we do the same thing all over again! But we can take comfort in our Redeemer who will never fail us.

"But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love".  Psalm 33:18 

"How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."   Psalm 36:7

Do you need a place of refuge? Run to Him whose love is unfailing!  I hope you have a wonderful valentine's day and can rest in the Love of your Savior who died for you. I hope that if today you are feeling sad or burdened or lonely, that you will feel His love enfold you. I hope you find a place of comfort in the Lord.

"May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant." Psalm 119:76

"The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. " Psalm 147:11

Happy Valentine's Day!

Winter is finally here! It has not been a typical winter for our area but it is snowing today and the kids are thrilled  :)   We did our morning school work and I am doing laundry today, finishing writing up reports and now have time for a cup of tea and some cross-stitch by the fire...a lovely hour!

My heart is heavy for those who live in the states that are suffering from the effects of the recent tornado. What an trying time and for some, heartbreaking. I pray they receive strength to go on and comfort from our God above.

I have been very remiss in keeping up this blog ever since Christmas but hope to get caught up soon. I have some updates to do but right now, it seems low priority  :0   The days are passing quickly and I have so many things I want to accomplish this year!  Homeschooling does take up much of the day and there is little discretionary time left after housework and meals to prepare...but I am truly thankful to live in this great country where we enjoy so many freedoms.

It has been a while since I've written! January is flying by!  We have snow here (but not as much as usual) and the kids were able to make the annual backyard skating rink. They are all enjoying playing hockey once again. Here is a crew of friends and family all set to conquer the ice: 

May the Lord who is rich in mercy greatly and abundantly pour out His grace and love upon you this 2008!

     "It was Esther's habit to read a little from her Bible every night before she went to bed.  Tonight she read some verses from St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

Esther knew only too well that the weight she carried was too much anxiety and her besetting sin was too little faith, so the verse was particularly applicable to her.

Esther was still thinking about this when she went to sleep so perhaps it was not very strange that she should dream about it. She dreamed she was running in a race. She had run races at school...In this dream she saw the sports-field; the green turf and the blue sky and the white ropes which marked the course, and she saw the other runners who ran beside her. There was quite a lot of people standing behind the ropes but in her dream these people were not school-friends, but the great cloud of witnesses.  Esther could see them distinctly and hear them cheering her on."

                                         from "The Musgraves" by D.E. Stevenson

The Christmas table:

The Christmas rare roast beef:

Ready for dinner:

Jesse:

"I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.  And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"

                                    from "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

The people walking in darkness
       have seen a great light;
       on those living in the land of the shadow of death  
       a light has dawned.

For to us a child is born,
       to us a son is given,
       and the government will be on his shoulders.
       And he will be called
       Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God,
       Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 Of the increase of his government and peace
       there will be no end.
       He will reign on David's throne
       and over his kingdom,
       establishing and upholding it
       with justice and righteousness
       from that time on and forever.
       The zeal of the LORD Almighty
       will accomplish this.

  Isaiah 9:2, 6 & 7

            Merry Christmas to all and may the Lord bless all of you abundantly this New Year!

I am sure everyone is feeling the same this year...that Christmas comes faster each year! The snow came last weekend and the kids were thrilled. We had some stormy days but still managed to get schooltime in even though local schools were closed (according to the kids that is the "downside" of homeschooling!)

Yesterday the kids went ice skating. Wednesdays are the local homeschool group skating days. The weather is almost cold enough to make our own backyard rink again...as long as it doesn't get too warm to melt next week. They especially love playing hockey:

(Michael should have a hat on!)

In the evening they went to kids club and practiced singing Christmas songs and worked on their crafts, and I took Stephen and Christina to their computer class. They have one more week in their class and then it ends. It has been a good class for them. The teacher for some reason just found out that they are still in high school and he was (pleasantly) surprised. When their dad registered them it was with the approval of an advisor but somehow the permission from the college instructor got lost in the shuffle. He said had he known, he would have helped them more...but they both think they have 90 averages so they did well anyway!

I have one more final creative writing assignment due Monday and then my class ends. Jennifer and Megan's classes end next week also. I have enjoyed my writing class and am going to take the next one offered beginning late January.

Jennifer turned 22 on Tuesday and that was the biggest surprise of all! I don't feel old enough to have a 22 year old...the age I was when I married!

I haven't started the Christmas shopping except one small visit to the dollar store for some stocking stuffers, and hoped to get a start on it tomorrow but I see snow is in the forecast so will have to see how the weather cooperates! And we hope to get the baking started next week.

Our Christmas tree is up and I will be posting a picture of it soon.

May all of you have a peaceful week as we get ready to celebrate the season of the birth of our Savior!

Whew! Today went quickly but it was so nice to be home. For two days this week I have had full days of errands, dr. visits, meetings, etc. I accomplished so much today,  just because I didn't have to run out the door!

Yesterday was the annual Christmas tea at our local library. It was a lot of fun. Many of the ladies that come have lived in our small town most of their lives! They have much to share and they are very warm and welcoming. I met one lady that bakes 900 Christmas cookies. She grew up in Luxembourg and decorates four Christmas trees in her house every year.  We (the girls and I) are going over to her house next week to learn some new cookie recipes.

Snow has been in our area forecast and we will see if we get it this weekend or not! I hope to get a little Christmas shopping done this weekend also.  Because I was cleaning and doing a lot of laundry today, we are having toasted cheese sandwiches and chicken fingers for dinner. Easy and the kids like it. The fire is going, the sun has set already, and it is time to enjoy the evening hours...and maybe get time to do a little on my cross stitch projects!

Christina came in 3rd in the national 4H competition in Kentucky, for individual Horse bowl competition. She did such a good job and we are all proud of her. It was a lot of work and preparation, reviewing two huge binders full of horse questions (most of which I would not want to talk about! Parasites, diseases, symptoms of various problems, etc!) She had fun on the trip with all the girls from NYS and it was a wonderful experience for her to be able to go.

We have made some new friends and had them over for dessert last week, and also went out for coffee with some other (old and familiar) friends recently. Four of the kids have attended birthday parties with their friends within the past week. There are also some friends who are struggling with health issues I'd like to visit if I can fit in the time. Usually at church there is just enough time to say "hello" and "hope we can get together soon".

We went to a Bill Gaither concert in Rochester with my sister and her husband and had a great time, although we didn't make it home until 1 am and had to be up early for church the next morning! It was worth it though.  I promised another sister I would write my next blog on Robin (my sister) and I haven't done it yet! It is coming though...

We also travelled to a church an hour away last Sunday so that meant getting up extra early! The kids had been asked to sing (and visit) at the church of their boss (from camp). He is a pastor also, and he heard them sing at our recent baptism service. It was a little country church and the people were so friendly and welcoming. It was a fun day.

And finally, we had our annual Thanksgiving/Christmas gathering with Frank's family. They can only get together a couple times a year (once in the summer and once at the holidays) so the time passes quickly. Everyone acts very silly (except me of course) and we all enjoy the time, even though it goes so fast. I will be posting more about family in the future.

Today was busy with doctor appointments and library errands and groceries to get. Finally I am home and relaxing with a cup of lemon tea. One of my daughter's friends will be here for dinner soon but we have the roast in (smells yummy), the salad is made and potatoes in with the roast, so dinner is easy.

What are you all having for dinner tonight????   :)