Jun. 28, 2006 - Strawberries, an upcoming vacation and ...flowers
I can't believe it's been so long since I have updated this 'dusty' blog..lol. I have another blog on homesteadblogger that I usually update but decided to visit this one today instead.
This morning, we went with my neighbor who is in her late 70's and we picked fresh, sweet, strawberries..Mmmm! We only picked four boxes each but we sure did have a good time pickin' and I took more photos for my scrapbooking...lol.
On the way home, I stopped into a local greenhouse to buy more flowers..I decided that seed packets from the $1 store is NOT the way to go as I grew a bunch of 'weeds' and yielded not ONE flower...so, with the Impatiens being on sale, I decided to buy and plant those and also splurged on some more begonias..*smile*
Our vacation is coming up and we leave for PA on Sunday (Lord willing!) and will visit the Civil War Reenactment, HersheyPark, and go to a doll/train museum in NJ, and then on to Mystic, CT...on home around Friday as Saturday, dd will have a birthday celebration and we will enjoy immediate family (as well as some extended family members) visiting..I am praying that I'll be able to develop our film prior to the birthday celebration but won't 'push it'...lol.
The Lord has seen us through some difficult times as of late~ my grandmother went to Heaven, we are attending a new church, and our son is sicker than we were originally led to believe..all this has a purpose to glorify our Lord, I know, and in His perfect timing (and not a minute sooner!), we will understand..If any of you are led to pray for our family, I would be blessed to have your prayers..
Resting in His promises,
Lynne
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Apr. 18, 2006 - Update on our homeschool planning
I have been pleasantly surprised at how much we have learned as a result of our 'unplanned days'...I have had a wonderful and relaxed time of being able to peruse the net/web in search of sites I had long forgotten or bookmarked for the day when I had 'nothing' to do..lol!
Our days have been full of learning, cooking, planting, creating projects and .....we love it! I am much more relaxed and I am keeping track of all we have gotten accomplished and learned in the past month to add to our end of the year portfolio.
In our state, we choose either an assessment test score from a standardized test or have a portfolio done by a certified teacher..we choose the latter as this teacher also is a homeschool veteran! Woo-Hoo!
The wind is really blowing here today but we are enjoying our day inside with lots of hot cocoa (tea for mom~Canadian Vanilla Maple) and will make some good homemade 'munchies' soon to enjoy with our afternoon read-aloud time! Hope your Easter was a blessed one and may your heart and home be filled with His love!
Joyfully His,
Lynne
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Mar. 25, 2006 - Computer broke and Maple syrup time
Yesterday, while trying to type an email, my keyboard decided to quit. Right there amidst a sentence, without warning! I decided that perhaps the local thrift store would have a keyboard or two lying around and for $5 I got one and voila! Keyboard restored, thus communication once again!
Last night, my mother came to spend the night and today we took the children to a local SugarHouse and observed the maple syrup process, sampled all kinds of maple items and even had maple cotton candy! Mom bought each of us a pound of ground maple flavored coffee to savor at home and did we ever! I am still sipping on a cup of maple flavored joe and I can assure you, it's wonderful! I love this time of year of spring..love the return of the birds singing, of the promise of eternal life that spring brings along..I love Easter and celebrating the risen Christ..Just a wonderful season of hope and renewal..
In our homeschooling, we take off these months: Easter month (some years March, this year April), July, and December..when I say 'take off' though, I must clarify that this only means that 'planned lessons' do not happen..it's the unplanned and unscheduled ones that we look forward to! I am ready to spend some time researching how I would like to continue on in our homeschooling. Which method, what works best for us and to file what hasn't worked with us..It's an exciting time of year for us here in our household and I always look forward to feeling refreshed and renewed this time of year..
As I prepare to gather ideas for unit studies, I find myself praying that this mom won't run out of 'fun things' to plan and that I'd be more open to just allowing life to happen instead of trying to plan things out all the time..That's something I struggle with and I'm praying for the Lord to lead me in being more flexible.
If anyone has any really great homeschooling websites and would like to share, please feel free to post them..
In His love,
Lynne
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Jan. 19, 2006 - Home~right where I want to be!
Being home is exactly where I love to be..I love to waken early before the children are up and read my devotional, check email and enjoy a cup of coffee...It's been a mild winter here so far but I know that we have only just begun so I rest, knowing that all too soon, the summer months of beautiful weather will lure us outside once again to enjoy all its beauty and glory..
Ecclesiastes 3 : 1-8 are among my most favorite verses as they tell of how there is a season for everything..What is this season for you? A busy one? A season of rest and renewal? Whatever the season, I pray your heart will be content to be at home where all too soon, our children will be on their own, in homes of their own...In a world that is changing fast everyday, I pray that one thing will remain the same~that home would be a refuge, a safe and welcoming place to be..
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Jan. 6, 2006 - Thank you for the warm welcome!
Thank you to all you dear ladies who have welcomed me in this venture of mine!
Today, it's overcast and snow is once again, forecasted. Oh, to look outside last night and watch the falling snow was such a beautiful sight! Made me think of this verse:
"God has made everything beautiful in its time"... Ecclesiates 3:11 (NIV) When I awoke this morning, the trees were so laden with the snow and it was indeed, beautiful!
I have decided to usher in this New Year with a heart that desires not only to be a better steward of our family budget but to also focus more on our family. So many times, "other" activities or people can steal us away from what we cherish most. This evening will be a quiet time for me as I try to draft a new household budget (not an easy task as dh started getting paid weekly instead of biweekly) and then will also draft a household schedule which will hopefully, encourage all of us to be better stewards of our time..
Our dinner tonight is cheeseburger soup~ a family favorite and one I truly love!
Here's the recipe:
Cheeseburger Soup
lb. of ground beef
3/4C. chopped onion
3/4C. shredded carrots (I sometimes chop mine)
3/4C. chopped celery
1T. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley or 1 T. of fresh, chopped parsley
4T. butter
3C.chicken broth
4C.potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4C.all-purpose flour
2C.shredded cheddar
1 1/2C. milk
1/4C. flour
~In a pot, melt 1 T. of the butter over medium heat. Cook and stir veggies and beef until the beef is cooked.
~Stir in the basil and the parsley and add the broth and potatoes...Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes.
~Melt remainder of butter in a bowl and whisk in flour until smooth..Gradually add milk and whisk until well blended.
~Add milk mixture (slowly) to the soup, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and then simmer.
~Stir in cheese and when cheese is melted, add the sour cream and heat through but do NOT boil..
Cowboy Cookies are what we will be making tonight~the children love to help me bake! We are planning our menu already for our "goodies" we make for Valentine's Day which we will give some to the neighbor and some to others at our church..I am searching for a verse to go along with these goody bags and will print the verse on cardstock and then hole punch them and attach to the bag..
Menus for the rest of the week are completed and coupons are clipped~hopefully, tomorrow morning will be a good time to do our grocery shopping but not too sure if the weather will cooperate..*smile*
Sending prayers up for those famillies who lost loved ones in the mine earlier this week~May the peace and comfort only our Lord can give, sustain thee..
