I am full of praise, thanks and joy - we have a risen Savior! We were at the grocery store yesterday, and some nice grandma type said, "Are you ready for the Easter Bunny?" And my middle dd piped up, "We are so excited about tomorrow - we get to go to church!"

We made Resurrection Cookies last night; the tape is on the oven door and when the girls wake up, we will all go and untape it, and be reminded of the empty tomb - without His resurrection, there is no victory over death, sin and darkness!

thank you so much for praying and seeing us thru all of this. dd 3.5yo saw the doc today; her follow-up urinalysis was normal! And she is feeling tons better.

She has a VCUG (test for reflux to her kidneys) next wednesday, April 19th.

again, thank you for your prayers - they are such an encouragement to us. God is so good to hold us in the shelter of His wings.

She has been sick off and on since October, had a severe UTI last week, and finished up her antibiotic last night. This morning, she has a temp of 102, is complaining of abdominal pain, and I am worried it is related to her kidneys, or is something else disconcerting. I would really appreciate your prayers for her!

I invented an awesome chicken recipe while clearing out our pantry in anticipation of moving:

1 package boneless chicken thighs

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/3 can enchilada sauce (more if you like spice)

1 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes

cook it all day on low; chop/shred the chicken, and serve it over rice or in tortillas. The meat basically fell apart when I chopped it - very easy and yummy!

The most wonderful thing is happening right now - the Lord is really transforming my dd's heart. I am talking about my 6yo - last month, she told us she wanted to be baptized, which we are going to do on Resurrection Day/Easter. And if that is not exciting enough, we have been reading "A Summer with the Moodys" by Sarah Maxwell, www.titus2.com  , and the children in the story memorize scripture frequently. Last night before bed, she brought down her journal and her story bible (you know, the kind that just tells bible stories, not actual verses?) and said, "Mommy, I want to write some verses." My heart was singing! So I asked if she wanted to write down words from her story bible or verses from mine, and she chose verses. I had her write 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (it was highlighted in pink, and it caught her eye )  Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

One reason that I am so thankful is that it is my heart's desire to see them know and walk with the Lord. Another - I did not grow up in a Christian home, so I have had questions and concerns about raising my dc in a godly way, without a good example, kwim? And so to see the Lord's faithfulness in this, to draw them to Him - so amazing and wonderful! \o/

My dd 5yo (had a birthday yesterday!!) was listening to her sister 6yo read Chicken Little  last week, and came down and said, "Daddy, H read Little Hen Chickie  to me today!!

So that is now her nickname. :)

Well, with remodeling, I have almost no computer time, so no blogging time! But I am awake, dc are sleeping, so I snuck in here to write. This has been a strange hs'ing year. I started out to do Sonlight K, science and all, and it (as written) just didn't click with us. So we are reading most of the K and 1st books, plus extras from the library, plus some workbooks, MUS, and then whatever else comes along. Which has worked very well - I did not anticipate that we would need to slow down on academics and focus on character/bible/spiritual teaching; nor did I anticipate a major overhaul of our home and moving.

And the other thing, which makes me laugh and/or scratch my head, is that right now, even after hs'ing for almost 2 years, it is all "free time" - dd 6yo doesn't have to be registered, so there is no accountability or regulation for what we are doing. I even tried to register her for hs'ing this yr, but with a late birthday, they denied it. So, we are just sort of floating along, dc are doing wonderfully, and we are all enjoying it!

Dd 6 came in with her first worm of the spring, very excited. But she told me she does not really like them, because they poop on her hands. I can understand that! And then she said, "I used to squeeze them on their bottoms to make the poop come out."

Two nights ago we had some pretty powerful thunderstorms, which woke me, and as I lay there listening to them, I was sleepily wondering when my dds would wake up and need their mommy. It was not long before I heard my 3 yo's somewhat frantic cries, "Mommy, mommy - I saw a flash! I'm scared!!!!" So I went in and 'rescued' her.

Usually I rock her in her room, but I was so tired that I just brought her to my bed and laid her down in my arms. And as we were laying there, the most beautiful picture came to mind. That is how it is with our Lord - with storms crashing all around us, He is holding us, keeping us safe, calming our racing hearts, taking away that awful fear. And like the song goes from Steven Curtis Chapman, "sometimes He calms the storm, and other times He calms His child."

I was reading "The Long Winter" to the girls this morning, and afterwards my 3.5yo dd was looking at the pictures. They like to pretend they are the oldest three, and in one picture of Laura and Mary my littlest asked, "Where are Carrie and Grace in this picture?" I told her maybe Carrie was watching Grace, and she said, "Maybe they are inside watching Barney Goes to the Beach!"

hmm...a bit of an anachronism?

I am doing a Beth Moore Bible study called "A Woman's Heart - God's Dwelling Place" and it is about the tabernacle in the wilderness. I knew I would learn a lot about the tabernacle and about the Israelites, but I am amazed and excited about how much the Lord is doing in my heart. She relates all of the OT things to Jesus, and how we need to make our heart an acceptable dwelling place for the Lord.

Today's lesson was about the holy place, and in the curtains are embroidered cherubim. So she then had the reader find other references to wings, and they referred to shelter, to hiding, to refuge and safety. One said, "I sing in the shelter of Your wings" Can you imagine hiding from trouble, and being so secure that you can sing?

Nothing horrible is happening in my life right now, and I am thankful. Instead, it is constant stress, overwhelming at times. And yesterday was one of those times, just feeling like the waves were over my head. But the Lord helped me to find my refuge and my peace in Him, to see that He will help me with all I need to do, and that the most important thing is to constantly seek Him. And He has given me peace in His place of refuge.

If you happen to stop by to read my blog, I would appreciate your prayers for my mother in law, Mary. She is having surgery today at 1:30 EST, and will be in the hospital for a couple of days. Thank you so much!

I read about a little girl named Candace Joy, who will be having her umpteenth surgery tomorrow morning, for a horrific infection, etc. And she has been on my heart all morning, thinking about all their family must be going through. And I look at my little girls, running around, playing, even bickering, and I am so grateful to the Lord that they are healthy.

I asked my dds to pray for her, and my sweet almost 5 yo dd knelt down, and earnestly prayed for her, and for the nurses to figure out what is wrong and to help her. And that reminds me of our hope that we have in Jesus - when I was growing up, Jesus was not part of our lives, nor was He part of our daily conversation. What a powerful change, that we can offer our children His joy, His hope, His healing, and His power!

Well, I have never been busier, I think - and that includes my whole life!! I am amazed at all I am doing simultaneously right now. Just to keep it all straight, I will write it down

• the usual goings-on with a family of five, housework, etc
• trying to homeschool while ridiculously busy
• ebaying, donating or throwing away all the clutter
• sanding, painting, patching, ripping up linoleum
• planning/buying supplies to remodel our bathrooms
• cleaning/planning for my mil coming to stay for a while after surgery here in town
• preparing dd 6yo for her first standardized test
• trying to keep my focus on the Lord, and discipling my dds
• contemplating packing, moving, hopefully finding a house in NC

So, that is what is happening around here, and hence, I have very little time to post!! Thankfully, everyone is healthy, so that makes a huge difference.

Ok, I have so many emotions swirling around in my head and in my heart - and I need to put them down on paper:

• excitement at moving to a new place
• sadness at leaving, wondering how the girls are going to cope with it, wondering if we will find friends
• stress and worry about having the house ready - so much to patch, paint, a gutted bathroom to rebuild, the list is endless
• stress and wondering if/when we decide to rent vs. taking the chance our house will be ready in time to put it on the market and find another one
• knowing I don't deal well with stress, change, etc - and not wanting to take it out on the girls and instead find my peace, refuge, and strength in the Lord, my Rock

and that is just the start of it. But I will testify to the Lord's amazing grace and goodness: I am doing a Beth Moore Bible study called A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place, and the lesson this morning was related to God providing manna every morning for the Israelites. His ways and mercies are new every morning, and the author related this to us finding our grace for each day, exactly what we need, and the scriptures about looking to Him for provision, trusting and not worrying, how we are not to live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the  mouth of God. All that to say that He provided the scriptures and encouragement I needed today, and I was able to spend some time this afternoon looking over the verses I read this morning. Hallelujah, He is so good, and He fills me up!

I know deep down that all is good, that He is leading us there, that He will provide all we need. But it is in the lining up of my brain to be alongside my spirit that I get overwhelmed, that I feel all these emotions surging over my head. And so I must run to Him, hide myself away for a few moments and find my rest again.

she is playing restaurant, and the first item on the menu is Salt Pork!!

She is also offering mashed potatoes with molasses, baked beans, and for those modern eaters, spaghetti. LOL

Wow, life has just been going on way too fast around me:

• -sicknesses, trips to the doc's office that lasted all day, trying not to worry about potential health problems in my dd 3yo
• -mil will have surgery this month and stay with us for a while
• -trying to remodel our house in order to get it ready to sell
• -anticipating a move to another state this summer (and it is so different this time, with dds that are old enough to be sad and confused about it)
• -homeschooling, with dd 6yo having her first standardized testing next month
• -trying to keep myself grounded in the Word and my heart and mind set on Christ

The list is endless, and it overwhelms me if I look too closely at it all, but I keep reminding myself that the Lord is my refuge and my hiding place and my strength. But in the midst of it all, I am seeing glimpses of the richness of my life: my relationship with dh is better than ever, due to several things - the Lord, us talking more while trying to decide on where to move, my making a conscious choice to put him as my priority after my relationship with God; as my dds are growing up, things are a bit more challenging in some ways, but I am able to look at them and see how wonderful they are, see their little personalities emerge, see their precious little hearts, and choose just to enjoy them; I am excited about what the Lord has for us in North Carolina; and I am so very thankful for the precious friends I have met via Sonlight, other forums, and this site.

A lot to say - it has been a while since I have posted - I have almost no computer time these days. But I am awake early, dds are still sleeping, and I am enjoying complete peace and quiet right now!

Dh took dd 6yo out for a "daddy date" today, and asked her what we have been learning in school lately. Her reply? "oh, we haven't done school in a long time." LOL!! And that is precisely what I hoped she would say - I am a mixture of literature-based, hands-on, eclectic hs'er, and we do a ton of lifestyle learning, tons of reading, and that is how I want it - gentle, cuddling, lots of time just playing and learning that way.

Dh was worried someone had heard, and looked around to see who was in the bagel shop at the time. :)

Who knows why I just added this - I guess I thought it was cute, plus an affirmation of how I am doing with hs'ing. When I first contemplated it, I thought I would definitely be the curriculum in a box, school-in-my-house type, but I am loving just doing my own thing these days. I guess I feel like the Lord has given me the confidence to make those choices.

The past few days have been rough - lots of crises, big and small, not enough sleep, and it was taking its toll by last night. I am sure this scenario is a familiar one: worn out mommy, children that have had their routine interrupted, trying to corral them to bed, and mommy loses it. I have struggled for a long time with yelling, and thankfully I did not do that - but I just cried, visibly wilted, I am sure. I told my sweeties how difficult it is for me when they are all over the place, either messing around with each other or not being obedient.

So, I finally got them pj'd and ready for prayers, and just wanted to get the youngest in her crib so I could sit down for reading with the olders. But I could not pray - not the surface, quick prayers that are normal for a 3 yo! I fell on my knees, and poured out my heart to the Lord - asking forgiveness for my actions, asking Him for help to be a good mommy, praying for my girls' hearts. And the Lord was so powerful and present in that little room - my dds all got down on their knees and prayed - for me, for our family, for themselves. I have experienced times like that with other believers (adults), in church, in prayer groups, but never like that with my little ones. I could even hear my sweet little 3 yo whispering prayers. My heart was so full at that moment - full of His love, forgiveness, grace, and rest.

As I was reading to the olders, my 6yo was drawing something - she brought it to me, and it was a little picture of a flower vase, a ribbon (like an award at the county fair) and a stick drawing of me - labeled "Mom". The caption said "To the best mom in the world" 

I had been feeling low, thinking of what a lousy mom I had been, and she came and showered me with love and forgiveness.  It went from a stressful, frenzied evening to a peaceful, snuggling, blessed time with my olders.

In the midst of all that is going on in my life right now, which will continue for several months - remodeling, a commitment at church that HAS to be done this week, my mother in law having surgery in our town next month staying with us for a while, I want to stay in that place that I was in last night - truly in His refuge, experiencing His perfect peace. And I am so thankful that my sweet dds got a chance to see Him and His transforming grace.

after taking a bath, she looked down at her chest, smeared lotion all over, and started singing, "My nickles, my nickles, my nickles!"