Our Twenty-ninth Anniversary

Our Twenty-ninth Anniversary...

This lovely bouquet was given to us by our children (and some of their friends) along with a box of chocolates!


I have an old water stained (from falling off of the kitchen window sill into the dish water numerous times) flip calendar of verses that I purchased about 12 years ago for 25 cents at a thrift store that continues to bless me through the years. A few days before our 29th anniversary I read this there:
Perhaps the greatest blessing in marriage is that it lasts so long.  The years, like the varying interests of each year, combine to buttress and enrich each other.  Out of many shared years, one life.  In a series of temporary relationships, one misses the ripening, gathering, harvesting joys, the deep, hard-won truths of marriage. 
Richard C. Cabot

Our anniversary was spent doing ordinary things, like working for a living and caring for our home and family. These are the most precious times of our lives after all and living them out on a special occasion such as this seemed, well....fitting!  The above quote really says so much. There is no one else who knows me quite like my husband or loves me as much. It's at once humbling and elating to realize that he loves me in spite of knowing all about me. Over the years we have become so very like minded...we have the same taste, like the same foods, share the same opinions and hold the same view and values. 
Maybe when God's Word says "The two shall become one flesh" there's more to the 'become' than we realize.
At the end of the day we did go out for a lovely steak and lobster dinner and all the while I sat across from Jeff thinking....how many times have we eaten out like this? Oh, the challenges, victories, defeats, joys and sorrows we have shared. Of course it hasn't always been easy, but worth it? Most definitely!


I praise and thank God for making me who I am...my husband's wife! 

Phonics

I love teaching my children to read! It's just as much of a thrill as hearing them lisp their first words and watching them take their first steps. I'm so glad that I get to be the one to lead them onto the reading road that will take them into God's precious Word and onto so many other avenues of learning along life's way.

 One person who can explain how to teach little ones to read better than any I've heard is Ruth Beechick and she does so in her excellent little booklet entitled: "A Home Starts in Reading". Additionally, her book "A Biblical Home Education" has a wonderful chapter on teaching reading, which I highly recommend. Beyond that chapter...the entire book is the best I've read on Home Schooling. The general idea I gleaned from her is this:   that if you wait until the child is ready, teach them some of the sounds and let them read what they can right away rather than waiting until they've mastered each phonogram, they will gradually, on their own (with your help of course), put together a combination of phonetic and sight reading.

I have my children write the letters neatly on top of letters that I have lightly penciled in.  (I used to make dotted letters for them to trace but to save time have adopted this lightly penciled method). We start with the 2 o'clock letters : a,c,d,f,g,o,q and s.  And of course their name. And God, Dad and Mom...these are always favorites! While carefully tracing the letter, they must also repeat that letter's sound. This engages three  modes of learning all at once:  visual, auditory and kinetic...aka eye, ears and hands. By now they have learned enough sounds to start combining them into words...and they love that. Later I add the rest of the vowels, then the consonants, followed by the blends and digraphs. Typically at some point we will leave of teaching phonics because suddenly they just take off and know how to read!

I have plenty of phonics helps around but we keep going back to a little pack of phonics flashcards that we acquired somewhere along the way. What I like about these is that they have photos of everyday objects that the child can recognize, rather than cartoons or other whimsical drawings. We once had a set that featured "Magic" for the letter "m" and pictured a magician waving his black hat. Yuck! My kids can't even identify that when they're that little (thankfully!)

Peter and I were going through these flashcards today,  when we came to this one. All excited, he responded with "I know that one! It's IDOL! "He's never heard of a unicorn since there aren't any such creatures and immediately recognized it as an idol.  That thrilled my heart. I need to tape a photo of something else over that one.   Hmmm what starts with long u? Universe! That's it...I must find a small photo of the universe!

Yes, teaching children to read is an amazing, soul stirring, satisfying job. Seeing them take off, like Joseph has, with reading "Genesis" on his own is such a reward. Probably the most important virtue in a reading teacher is patience. If your little one is not understanding, he may not be ready for what you are trying to teach him. It might be that he needs a day or a month or several months before his is ready. In my experience, it's better to wait for them to bring things to me asking me, "what does this say?" than to push them ( I know...for I have pushed to the point of tears:( !) If they are not ready, just keep reading them wonderful stories, showing them what treasures await those who learn to read.

A Happy Mother

On a rock

"He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the LORD."
Psalm 113:9

How could I have ever known or imagine that my life's cup would be so full and running over? My children have always been blessings, just as God's Word has ordained they should. But, lately...with them coming into adulthood in rapid succession...I'm realizing new aspects of what blessings they are!

Of course they are blessings right from the start. But, when they get older the blessings increase exponentially. Last weekend I had the privilege of attending an "Above Rubies" woman's retreat. The speaker, Nancy Campbell, talked about living a large life.

Mine is a large life!  My thoughts and interests surpass my own little sphere.  I now have interests in: wheat farming in Wyoming, building expensive houses, being a nurse, working on a ranch, training a border collie, being in a godly courtship, teaching kinder-gardeners and marketing skills...just to name a few.

And the sphere of influence is huge: children's friends, and their friends, and their families and on it goes. Community people become acquaintances and friends as my children go to work for and with others.

What joy to have fellowship with grown children who love and serve God;  having your daughter tell you that she'll pray for you or your son ask you if you're alright. Our family recently went through a severe trial (still are really). Seeing my children express concern for how their Dad is doing, in rallying to guard his stress level, looking for ways to ease his burden - - it's hard to describe the feeling - - sort of "full circle" I guess.

I've shared here before that when my children were little I didn't really see them as people...little people yes, but not really future adults. Which makes sense since they were that...little people. But, there's so much more to them now. They have all of the history of;  the sweet baby, charming child, blossoming youth, awkward teen and emerging adult. That's alot! The memories. the mistakes, the victories, the healings, the laughter, the awe and the hope for the future and on in to eternity is all there in each one of them.

And on top of that...there are so many. And on top of that; two more have become daughters by marrying my sons! Plus some of them aren't even grown up yet so, we still get to live this out each day in anticipation of seeing what God will bring into their lives!

 And...before this all started and throughout the entire time...through every joy and trial there has been Jeff, my beloved and best friend ever. We often remark to each other.."aren't you glad we're in this together?" And, "I'm so glad we think alike"

Best of all though:  under-girding, orchestrating, shaping and sustaining us has been our Father God.

"For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things:  to whom be glory for ever. Amen". Romans 11:36

Jeff and me...walking our road

The Christmas Letter (that didn't get sent )

Today I decided to go through my nightstand and get rid of some things to make room for some other things that had no place to go. In doing so I came across the rought draft of a "Christmas" letter that my Sarah wrote a couple of years ago. We never sent it out but thought I'd share it here because it is rather funny after all. At least, we think so.




The Best of wishes are being sent
To friends and family dear
And tho all good years come to an end,
There's blessing in the New Year!

We wish to every one of you,
A Christmas of joy and love
Blessing each other, God Blesses you,
Think of Jesus above!

ATTENTION ONE AND ALL:

Well, here is some news about the Greenwood family!

Dad has become the biggest Grump of all ages and is working to achieve more!

Mom is becoming stricter every day...we never have a day off of school!

Hannah went to Haiti, but it did not improve her! She is a snipe and gets angry with you if you ask her a question.

James is just as annoying as ever, doing irritating things like pushing you back down an icy hill when you finally get to the top!

Since Grace and James went to Bible school, Grace has spent alot of time on the phone..even more than Mom (and that's hard to beat!).

Sarah, I don't know. I guess I'd say I'm just trying to cope with everything and everyone else, and they are trying to cope with me! I know they do have to...sometimes.

Seth still thinks he's older than me and is a pro at everything. He is also quite a know-it-all!

Mary is having a hard time getting over her irritating giggling over every thing that isn't funny!

Ruth is a tattletale and sometimes if she gets mad, she can hurt you! She likes to scratch! We have given her several nick-names such as "Bingo", "Dobba", "Ru-head", and boy does she LOVE them!

Joe is getting attached to Grace which could turn out badly!

Pete is - - I don't know - - you might say he's a brat - -sometimes!

But sometimes, as a family, we do have fun and loving moments! And we hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season!

The Greenwoods

We always said Sarah was born with a bit of a mean streak so now you know it's true. But I do like the way she writes!

Get Ready...Get Set...Start!

View of our  playground from the classroom:)

It's time to get ready for the coming school year. I am determined NOT to stress about this in the least. My children learn every day. It's true that as the weather changes our learning modes do as well. We do less and less outside and read and use more books. That's normal isn't it? That's the way life would be even without my children and I"M always learning so I figure....

Of course I do stress. A gracious friend told me yesterday that Jeff and I should just keep on doing whatever we're doing because our kids are smart. That was encouraging. But, I still wrestle with the questions...
Am I teaching what I should? Am I using the very best methods? Am I leaving gaps? Are my kids up to par with the rest of...???

Garden harvest before "school" started :)

Now in answer to that last one:  Jesus warned us NOT to compare ourselves among ourselves. So, there goes that. Besides, I am determined NOT to pattern myself after a failed system, that being the public school system!

And of course I'm leaving gaps! There are gaps in my education and I've been learning for 47 years! Does anyone, know anyone who knows everything?  I'm quite sure however, that my children (at around age 10) certainly have a better grasp of geography, "social studies" and history than I did when I graduated from high school;  because we teach them the truth. We study history through God's Word. There are no end to the "social studies" opportunities. When someone goes on a foreign mission we "follow" them on the globe, google earth, maps etc... and talk about where the people of that country are at spiritually and economically and why. Hearing the news prompts alot of research, which we usually do together but sometimes individually depending on the age of the person needing information.

Picking Choke Cherries after school :)

 Now we'll have to figure out how to make Choke Cherry Jam

As for the method, I really try to keep to the mindset I have gleaned from Ruth Beechick, Charlotte Mason and that ilk... School from 9 til noon, use REAL books rather than textbooks (except for Math for that we use MathUSee), and do REAL things in the afternoons like; go outside, go places, bake, sew, artwork, read, clean, play games, pursue whatever hobbies we have (the list is long). Oh, and play! Even the First Lady has proclaimed the importance of play :). There's a helpful article on this blog:   http://ladyofvirtue.blogspot.com/ concerning the "herding principle" that I try to keep in mind too. It's especially important to know where and what my youngest are doing so I focus on them and that frees the older children to study on their own.  You'd be hard pressed to keep a child from learning while they do their afternoon chores, or help with dinner or listen to Mom (or an older sibling) read aloud before bed. Learning takes place around the clock at home.
As far as teaching what I should... I've decided that what REALLY needs to be taught are the three R's; reading, writing and 'rithmatic, just like they did back in the day. Who every heard of the some of the subjects they teach nowadays anyway? Jonathan Lindval once said that any subject that has to have the word "education" added to it isn't a subject in it's own right. Think of classes called "physical", "sex" or "multi-cultural"  That's why "social" has to have the word "studies" tacked on. This is not to say that I don't have history and science curriculum, I do and I try to cover that as well, but in reality the three R's, the three meals and all of the other reality that life brings,means that we don't always get to those. Besides, that's what the Real Books are for! The final authority and the one where I find rest, comes in submitting my many ideas to my husband. He knows me so well and can easily tell me when I'm biting off more than I can chew.

Pumpkin Patch "education" and that... on a Saturday!

Okay, I wrote all of that back in August. It is now Oct 17th. and... true to my pattern, after that writing, I had a panic attack;  went to my husband totally stressed and told him that I don't know what to do, how to do it, where to start, what to use, what is best...etc. After sweetly hearing me out he wisely (as always) replied with this question...
"If you HAD to start school tomorrow, would you be able to just pick up where you left off, and continue with whatever you were doing before summer hit?" Duh! Why couldn't I have thought of that? After all, I'd thought of so many "other" things! That answer being the no- brainer that it was, brought peace to my mind. And that's just what I did...and it's working! :)

My 18 year old daughter made a thoughtful comment to me a few weeks ago...she said, "Mom, I don't understand why all these young Moms get so stressed about "starting" to home school their children? Don't they realize that's what they've been doing all along?"

My Not so Typical Week

Last week was definitely NOT typical!! God poured out his blessings on this family so intensely! Not that He doesn't do that on a continual basis;  our every breath depends on His grace and His mercy! So much evidence of answered prayer and His Hand and Spirit working in one week was simply amazing!


The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Psalm 126:3


It went something like this:


Monday:  must have been rather mundane as I don't recall any special details worth mentioning. Probably got lots of laundry done as well as three meals, gardening, general pick up of house and property after the weekend...stuff like that.


Tuesday:  Hannah returned home from a long visit with our cousin Robert in South Carolina. Grace and Sarah picked her up at the airport and they returned with lots of goodies and groceries. It was good to have her back!

Jeff and Laurie, sister and brother in this life and in the Lord!

Wednesday:   We got a message that Jeff's sister Laurie and niece Maddy were coming for a visit. That got us to thinking that we might be able to pull together a family gathering to honor Jeff for his 51st birthday. In the end we had a wonderful surprise birthday party evening with Laurie & Maddy, his brother Brad and family, Daniel & Teagan, his co-worker Brett and of course, all of us! Brad BBQ'd hamburgers and everything turned out great. It was fun getting the house and food ready on such short notice. Of course, I never could have done it without my girls. I love spontaneous, impromptu happenings like that...everything always goes so well.

Here's Hannah (on the lower left)graduating
from her CNA training course

Thursday:  Hannah had an interview with the hospital in Portola for a CNA position and was hired on the spot! I am so happy that she found a job that will put all of her hard work and study to use right away! I know God will use her to minister to the old folks in the long term care unit as well as the people she'll be working with.

Grace's boyfriend Clayton and his sister Lorene arrived around 4:30 for a three day visit. After a short introduction Grace, Clayton and James rushed off to Reno to look at a truck James had found on Craigslist.

Sarah, Lorene and Grace

Clayton getting to know Grace and Seth:).

Tom , Katie and her famous Banana Cream Pie

Tom and Katie announced their engagement and set Oct. 7th for the happy occasion. We got the wonderful news that Katie had decided to be water baptized the coming Sunday. We rejoice to see God blessing  their lives.

Hooking up the trailer

Cattle round up

Friday:  Jeff went to work, as did James. The older young people went and moved our cows from one pasture to another.  Jeff's sister came over for awhile. The kids enjoyed some volleyball and croquet.  That evening Katie and the Kellingtons came to meet the Helmuths and we all played Volleyball. Finally, James came home with his new truck.


Our dear old friends and neighbors Nils and Helen Norden came for visit.  I was glad when Jeff challenged them on whether they are ready to meet the Lord.


Saturday:  Plans were to get up early and attempt to hike to the top of the Sierra Buttes. We didn't get up early but most of us (not including me) did make it to the top.  Clayton, Lorene and Grace traded off carrying baby Abigail in a back pack. At one point due to supposed near starvation the group was "forced" to devour little Abby's banana flavored "graduate" puffs. Thank God for His provision!!:) I probably would have made it had I not forgotten my hiking boots :(. Most of the trail was covered in snow. My silly but brave, daughters (excluding Hannah who brought shoes) and Lorene tried to hike it in flip-flops which proved impossible so they made it in bare feet! They report that the numb feet really helped them when it came time to transverse over areas of manzanita. :) 
Back home we enjoyed coffee that never tasted so good and rejoiced that we had had the fore-site to stock some pizza's! :)

Kiss from Mom

Seth's Baptism in the Feather River

Sunday:  Up and at it early, since either Sarah had mis-set her alarm clock, or someone had played a dirty trick, we prepared for church at home followed by Seth's baptism at the river and a potluck fellowship meal. We had a wonderful time in the Lord rejoicing in Seth's new relationship with Him and our friendships with one another. I think there were around 50 people here for that. What a blessing! Some of the young folks went for a photo shoot at the Beckwourth Cabin. More great times playing volleyball and croquet followed. Clayton took Grace for a 5 mile walk later that evening which about wiped her out. After that, at around midnight, he and his sister left to drive back to South Dakota. 

Clayton and Grace at the photo shoot

I say that was our  "not so typical week" but, God is always blessing His children isn't He? One thing He's showing me is to pray, pray and keep praying for He indeed answers our cries! For far too long I've been a skeptic, obediently praying, often because there is no other hope, not in Faith believing.  It's kind of like what's happening with me in the garden. For many years I'd plant seeds, because I thought I should at least try to have a garden, not really thinking they would sprout but always surprised and overjoyed to see the fruit.  I'm learning to plant in Faith, knowing that God will give sunshine and water and that there will be growth. I wonder if God gets as much pleasure from pulling out the weeds of doubt and sin in my life as I do pulling the weeds in my garden?

                      
                 The LORD will indeed give what is good,
                 and our land will yield its harvest.
                                           Psalm 85:12

Our Weekend Away

I'd thought it would be fun to tell how our weekend away went. (see my last post) I really wanted to bless my husband with a perfect, relaxing, rejuvenating time away---away from his work, work and more work. He loves and talks about soaking in hot springs. So, when he won free tickets to an amateur country singer's performance in Carson City, I thought...that's too far to go for one night....hmmm, we could make a weekend getaway of it!....there are hot springs in that area....we could camp out... or...stay in a B&B (if he'd like) . Those types of thoughts. So, I put my ideas together and presented them. He was a bit reluctant but decided to go.

Hannah packed us a lunch and away we went. We arrived at out B&B a little later than planned, changed and hurried to get a bite before the show. We chose a little Mexican restaurant, which was too bad. The price was too high and the portion too low. Jeff was not impressed. Hurriedly we ate and rushed on the the "show".

Now, we have a CD of this man singing hymns and this was to be a tribute to the "greats" in country music we thought it would be worthwhile. It was--- for a little while anyway. The man had an amazing voice, simply amazing. His talent at impersonating others lacked however; every time he sang he sounded just like himself. And the songs and lyrics we loved back in the day just don't appeal to us anymore. So, when they announced after an hour that there would be yet another hour after the intermission...we went outside to stretch and hopped in the truck and left.

 

Back at the B&B we settled in. The place had a pleasant sitting room well stocked with more magazines and books than you can imagine. We paged for a time and then decided to watch a movie, choosing one we might both like (we didn't). Cuddling up for the show we grabbed the basket of snack our host provided. The bag of "Funions", I think they're called, was already opened and half eaten!  So, we tried the peanuts- they were rancid! The oranges were dry! Laughing, we ate the Hershey's kisses that were fine (they keep well). By now we were wondering if anything would go right for us. Better times tomorrow, I hoped.

Next day we enjoyed our coffee out by the pond and a truly wonderful gourmet breakfast. That was relaxing, Finally, I thought, things were going our way! So, after a lengthy visit with the proprietors we headed on. Jeff was reluctant to visit the hot springs since it was probably in the high 80's but we found the place.  The remnants of some teenage drunk party littered the front entrance. There was just something about the place we didn't like. We left.

I wanted to visit the quaint town of Genoa but being geographically challenged, didn't realize it was the opposite direction from home so we headed north. Reno doesn't hold much appeal for us. We stopped at a fancy mall, returned an unwanted birthday gift and redeemed some visa gift cards by buying shirts for Peter. Missing our family now we started for home. Secretly, I still wanted to go out for a "nice" dinner but after one hint I let it drop as we bypassed every place I could think of . When we were just about completely out of town he asked "Would you like to go to 'Qdoba's'?"

That's where we ended up. At 'Qdoba's'. It's his favorite place. Seated outside at an umbrella-ed table and watched the cars buzz in and out of the shopping center. Very romantic? Yes! We rediscovered how much alike we think and are and that the things of this world just don't appeal to us much, that we rather enjoy simplicity and purity. And that we can laugh at the bummers and have a good time in spite of them.

Since we had plenty of time to get home we decided to stop in on my sister and brother -in law for coffee and a chat. Funny, as we pulled up the hill to their place our children's vehicles came into view- they were all there.

Busy at home again a few days later I overheard Jeff telling a friend on the phone "Yeah, that was the most expensive free concert I ever went to".

Well, I meant well and really, it went well!

                   Home isn't where you are, it's who you're with!

Everything You Need to Make Your House a Home.

I like to thumb through old magazines like "Martha Stewart Living" from time to time to get some fresh meal ideas and so on. That's what I was doing awhile back when I came across this ad...

     Oh great I thought... EVERYTHING I need to make my house a home, right there at Macy's.....how convenient! Problem is that in order to shop at Macy's, I'd probably 

have to get an outside job. And I'd surely need to leave my         children behind; can't imagine anything more stressful than spending a couple of hours at Macy's with 5 or 6 bored kids that aren't allowed to touch or ask for anything. 

  I hate this sort of advertising. What a message to send to would-be home makers:  "If you'll just run into Macy's and blow a bunch of money you'll have a gorgeous, happy home". Ha! Truth is:  if you stay home and clean what you already have, and take care of your children yourself, and conserve your hard earned money for more important things...you'll likely have a happy home!  I don't subscribe to or have these magazines lying around. If someone gives me one or I happen to pick one up on the free table at the library, I peruse it quickly, tear out any useful info and toss the rest right into the trash. I also find these useful for quickie social studies lessons with my children:) 


What we really need are advertisements like these:


"By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established;  through knowledge it's rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." Prov. 21:3,4


"She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn't eat the bread of idleness." Prov. 31:27


"The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands." Prov. 14:1


"Her children arise and call her blessed, her husband also and he praises her." Prov. 31:28


"...encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. (KJV says blaspheme)" Titus 2: 3,4,5


"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Tim. 6: 6-10


"And Jesus said unto them, Ye are they justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." Luke 16:15

“I come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly."            

John 10:10

We have God's precious Word, my friends. It is full of promises and instructions like these. Let us ever be diligent that we, as Mothers endeavoring to raise children for Christ, in homes that glorify God, take His word to heart every day.

I'm quite certain that my children would be happier sipping lemonade or even ice water for that matter, out of old tupperware cups, on a worn out blanket in our yard with me than to give what it would take to enjoy the items offered in the ad above.

My Not So Typical Wednesday

As this day got underway,  I had to laugh to myself and out loud (except for when Seth wasn't well). 


Some days we Moms just don't need to plan, God takes care of every detail for us. In fact, had I planned this day I would have been disappointed for it would not have gone the way I wanted it to! I heard some one say once  "Stay flexible so you won't get bent out of shape" - that little saying has  often helped me.

Every now and then we take pictures and name the folder "A Day in the Life of" so I did that today too. Of course, times are only approximate!




This is about how is went:
5:00  - shut off alarm :)
5:15  - get up, wake up James to rake our field on the tractor before he goes to work, make coffee
5:20  - read devotional, try to wake up
5:30  - take coffee out to James, walk property, turn off sprinkler on potato patch, check garden for sprouts
5:45  - read book of Esther, get ready for "Preparing to be His Helpmeet" class
6:30  - cook breakfast and pack James' lunch
7:00  - wake up Seth to send to the shop to hook up the trailer that someone wants to borrow - wake everyone else up
7:10  - Seth tells me his neck is swollen and hurts and almost passes out while I'm examining it - send girls to wake up Jeff
7:15  - gather family and pray for Seth

7:30  - Jeff leaves to hook up  trailer - George the butcher arrives to butcher our steer and two goats - I go out with George while Hannah watches Seth and the girls make breakfast - Grace arrives home  with her charge, 9 month old Abigail,  after house sitting for my sister overnight.
8:00  - Jeff comes home and we eat breakfast
8:30  - Grace leaves for another babysitting job - Jeff leaves for work - we discover Pete hadn't gotten up yet by finding him out on the deck with Jeff's Father's Day canister of mixed nuts, munching away
8:45 - I call a knowledgeable older lady for advice concerning Seth and study Buffalo Gnat bites online and conclude that's the culprit since he has an apparent gnat bite along his spine and was at the lake
last evening - Sarah starts the laundry
9:00 -  I walk out with Peter and watch the slaughter for awhile, explaining all about everything, and I notice he's really holding tight to my hand :)
9:30  - friend Gina drops of baby Patty for Hannah to babysit
10:00  - Hannah and Sarah go pick up  another goat from shop for butchering - George and Robby continue cutting up one steer and the goats
10:15  -a  neighbor calls to borrow our mower and Seth offers to mow for them - I get Seth to sit and read a book instead as he's had another dizzy spell
10:30  - I make phone calls, catch up on email, write this blog post and look into spending the weekend in Genoa, NV with Jeff - little girls dote over babies          
11:00  - Neighbor friend William comes to watch butchering and ends up getting his haircut by Seth and then the kids all play on the tire swing instead of watching the butcher
11:30 - We discover that little Abigail seems to have the chicken pox and rejoice because now Pete and Joe will be exposed! :)
11:15  - George the butcher goes over my order with me and I choose my cuts - He tells me all about going to the Catholic church and his girlfriend and I share some scripture with him
11:45  - Hannah leaves with Patty, to attend vacation Bible school and babysit for the rest of the day.
12:15  - George leaves and we organize lunch - open face turkey melts with pepper jack cheese - Sarah
 continues doing laundry and plays the piano -  Seth still has a head ache so takes some ibuprofen and lays down
12:20  - One little girl complains that another woke up the baby she just got to sleep - I say "well, you wake
 her you take her" but it doesn't work..they tend to fight over babies here
12:30 - I try again to find a minute to plan a special weekend
1:00 - We send lunch plates outside with all of the little people so that Jeff can have a quiet, cool, relaxing lunch break
1:15 - nice relaxing lunch break
2:00 -  Jeff takes a nap while kids play and I go back to the computer
2:30 - Mary makes cappuccinos for us :)


3:30 - Grace has finished her dress Ruth makes a smoothie for me to take to Jeff as I get the mail and

           pick up cast -off produce for our chickens etc. from the local market. Joe calls Dad to ask if they can play with BB guns and he says NO!

4:00 -  Grace takes a nap with Abby -the boys are playing croquet in the yard

5:25 - back from town and presenting my ideas to Jeff, Hannah's home again, kids still playing croquet 

5:45 - Abby's aunt comes to pick her up - Hannah and Mary make supper - Sarah's does laundry - Grace is

         packing for  a weekend trip to Utah. I'm getting ready for our book study tonight

6:00 - We eat a hurried, odd meal consisting of steamed broccoli, salad and quesadillas
7:00 - Elizabeth arrives and we begin class. Jeff plays outside with the boys. Mary and Ruth start cleaning the kitchen. James gets home from his after work - work, that of swathing his Uncles pasture.

8:00  - Grace and Mary leave to my sisters to welcome them home from their road trip. We continue our

           Bible and book study.

9 or 9:30 - Everyone comes inside and returns home and we all talk and eat popcorn while Mary and Ruth finish the kitchen cleaning and make more quesadillas

10 or 10:30 Elizabeth goes home and we mosey off to bed.

I love that God never gives us more than we can handle. The day before this was very relaxing . Following a camp-fire the night before, we slept late (well some of us did), had a nice breakfast and spent a lot of time just talking around the kitchen table with our guest for the night, my son's girl friend. We didn't "do" much of anything at all that day. This not so typical Wednesday certainly made up for it though! God is good, his ways are higher than ours!!

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--Ecclesiastes 3:1

Proverbs 16:9

In his heart a man plans his course, but the 

LORD determines his steps.

Of Such is the Kingdom...

      Jesus said that unless we become like little children we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What is it like in heaven or to dwell in the kingdom of heaven now? 

     I love object lessons. I remember the things I see and do better than what I hear or read.  Thankfully, God gives us object lessons through the children in our lives.  Notice that they have no worries. 

Clean clothing galore

( Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Goods from the garden

 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Matt 6:24) 






Children don't  stress about what to wear or what to eat or where to live. Days are taken as they come. I love it when my little ones ask me what day it is when they're getting dressed...(they want to know if they should wear Sunday clothes). 


Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.Matt 6:34


     Years ago, I was changing my baby (Sarah),  crying my eyes out. I had a heavy heart...the blues. (Probably feeling sorry for myself; that's the way it usually happens.) I remember looking into her face and seeing her return a look of adoration and trust that I will never forget. She had no concept of the heavy weight of worry that I had allowed to consume my joy. In that moment, God showed me that that was the way he wanted me to look to Him.
     Unfortunately, today with the way our modern society is, some people are not around children very much or even at all. Their children are grown, or live far away. And many of them postpone having families or opt out of having children at all, choosing rather, the "good" life of toys, career and plenty of money. They work in offices all day and go home to quiet houses. Where are they to get that daily example of children's trusting, joyful response to life?

  But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.Matt 19:14

Happy Baby Pete

     God meant for us to be around children through all of our days. Watching the way they take joy in and respond to life shows us the way we should be.  Their honest questions and certain trust inspires us. Seeing a few of my own children grow up and move on with their own lives has made me cherish the little ones we still have at home. I've cherished them all but, the realization that they will move on has taught me to savor the time more. Being Grandma is the next frontier for me and I can't wait!


Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.Proverbs 17:5-7 

                Mary, Ruth and Joe


Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Psalm 8:1-3
      God, I thank you for the children that you have given us and for the children that you will give them. Help me to fully understand what it means to trust like a child, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Grace and baby Peter...does this look like drudgery?

Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:9-11Psalm 8:2