Weekend thoughts

It was great reading all of your responses in my last post...I think the topic of balancing on-line friendships with face-to-face relationships is something most of us are keeping in mind in this day and age. And something we constantly need to ask God for guidance about!

So, speaking of on-line friendships, I have gotten behind on replying to most of your posts this week...We've been back to schooling full time and all that goes with it.

Like actually getting up in the morning. ;)



And here's another segue...



I can't forget that our next Home School Open House is going to be next week...
On Tuesday, the 20th!
So tell all of your home schooling blogging friends and come join us!
(Rules are here)



You might remember my posting about the movie, Fireproof this past fall.

We were blessed to have a chance to see it a second time at church this past Friday night! We had actually missed the first fifteen minutes of the movie the first time, so it was great to finally see the missing beginning scenes!
I already reviewed it but I just have to restate a bit here:
If you haven't already seen it, go...or order the DVD about to be released.
In spite of a few minor actors that give less than stellar performances, it is obvious that God is using this film in so many ways. Kirk Cameron gives a moving performance....and there are some tense action scenes...along with plenty of humor, too.

But most of all, it gave us a whole new outlook on how precious marriage really is.

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Another film our whole family has been enjoying together is the 1985 version of Anne of Green Gables.



I remember being captivated by this version when they first aired it back then...and now my girls are being equally entranced.

And would you believe even my action-loving hubby, the lone guy in our house of girldom...the man who has to go upstairs alone to catch his nice sci-fi or war movie now and then ...
he absolutely loves this story, too!
(And ladies, who can resist a husband who will watch Anne with you!)

And one more thing...although the purpose of my previous post was to remind myself that I can't forget cultivating face to face friendships, I must say that so many of you that I have come to know in the two and half years of blogging have become what I would consider friends.

Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."
— Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)

Giveaways and other random thoughts

I can hardly believe it's actually October...maybe it's because of our "Indian Summer" here in the northwest and the balmy evenings...I even turned on the air conditioner once this week! I keep thinking it's actually still August and do double takes every time I look at my calendar! Of course, the sound of the ice cream truck passing by our house every evening doesn't help, either!

I also can't believe that I'm approaching my 350th post.
My 300th came and went without my remembering to notice...so I thought I'd commemorate the 350th by a little giveaway. (The prize will be announced next post!)


I'm so glad that many of you commented that you either saw or are planning to see Fireproof!
(See post below!)
My husband and I are actually downloading the first days of the Love Dare, presented in the movie, and it has been wonderful. It's free, but I think it only goes through Day 5. But though we rarely go out and buy new books, we definitely will be buying this one...because already, we've seen the positive effects!



I also have an idea brewing for a monthly post I'd like to try...and perhaps include some of you in on it, as well!
Since most of you know that I home school, yet I don't constantly talk about that aspect here, I thought it would be fun to have a monthly "show and tell" , if you would, of what we're doing.
And I thought that once I got the ball rolling, perhaps some of you would want to join in, as well!

I realize that probably most of my regular, regular readers do not home school.
But still, I know some of you do. And for those that don't, you still might be mildly amused or curious about what in the world we do all day! ;)

Perhaps, I'll even get a Mr. Linky...a cute little button...the works! The mind boggles...(or maybe it's just fuzzy because it's almost midnight...)

So stay tuned...for this and other exciting updates such as the Giveaway.

And where you may hear me relay scenes such as this one, which occurred a few weeks ago:

As the girls and I got inside the newer, shiny...and very compact economy car that my husband just purchased without any of the bells and whistles, both girls shrieked with such uncontainable excitement as they laid eyes on something they had only seen in movies...

"OOHH! It's the cool kind of window- the kind with the handle!!!!"

HOME ALONE...Last day!

So glad you are all OK with my new blog name, since I picked it out reeeeeeally late the other night. I was hoping it was still a good name in the light of day! ;)

Well, suffice it to say, after much hemming and hawing, I decided not to join my family camping at the coast.

There were several factors...

1) I still had more that I wanted to do here at home.
2) Our family is going camping for two nights in just few weeks from now, so I'll still get to experience it.
3) My husband sweetly informed me that because he packed the car so full, there was no room for me.

Ahem. Nothing like that last one to make a gal feel welcome!
OK, actually, he had thought that if I rode up with my sister in law mid-week, I'd be coming back with my sister in law (but she's staying another day).
I wasn't being told not to come, mind you... just that there was this logistic problem of where to strap me on the vehicle on the way back.

So, all in all, in was just easier for me to stay home and get some more things crossed off my little list. Here's some of what I've done, practically speaking:

*I've organized and cleaned...(including the dreaded Play\School room!)
*Changed pictures around on the walls and added new ones that had been stashed away.
*Put some things on e-b*y to sell. (OK, I've bought a couple things, too...)

On the leisure side, I've:

*Read, read... and then read some more.
*Met my sweet mom (who lives an hour away) at outlet mall which is between us for coffee and browsing.
*Rode my bike around the neighborhood (which brought back memories of growing up as I whipped in and out of side streets, wind in my hair...) Funny, though, I don't remember panting as hard back then...

And speaking again of my mom, she has gotten a new computer and has started blogging again.
I'm hoping she tells some of her wonderful stories about growing up in the Depression era soon. You can visit her here!
Sometimes you'll find a spelling mistake here and there, only because she hasn't figured everything out on how to fix things...but at 81, I think it's kind of impressive that she has e-mail and a blog!

And I finally located the story I was writing hidden in the computer files, so I plan on at least doing something with it tonight!

Some of you have asked about the story. I was on a roll with it for awhile and it was just flowing out...(20 chapters!) but then I hit a roadblock. Not to mention, started home schooling, which- though I wouldn't change it for the world- can leave little time and energy for writing a novel!

Anyway, it's about a young woman who runs into her old boyfriend out of the blue...who had been the love of her life.

Here's a tiny sampling...

"It was nearly an hour and a half later when Edie was placing her five big bags of groceries into the backseat of her car and dusk had already settled in. As she closed the back door and pulled open the passenger-side, she caught a glimpse of the man getting into his vehicle directly in front of her. A vague familiarity caused her to eyes to linger…then her whole body seemed frozen, unable to move.

It was him, she knew with complete certainty. And all the pain she could imagine came rushing up to meet her with a sudden force as she looked upon the shadowy figure, who seemed blissfully unaware of who stared at him with such intensity.

And that was all she could do, as she helplessly watched him start the ignition and drive away, perhaps forever, just as he did four long years ago.

The paralyzing affect of her shock gave sudden way to dismay…and just as she thought her chance had been thrown away, he looked her direction. Their eyes held for a moment… and her breathing stopped when his car turned into a second parking space and he slowly got out and began to walk towards her."

For the complete story, I guess I'll have to actually finish it, get it published- and then you can buy it! hehe

Well, tomorrow I finally get to be reunited with my family...and let me just say that as relaxing as it's been, I am SO ready to see them all again!
In fact, the roles may now be reversed, and I'll be the ones following my kids around and waiting for them outside the bathroom door!

Blessings!

March tidbits

Thank you to all of you who sent birthday wishes along to my mom! She read them all here (and she commented to that post twice, too!) and I can assure you that she was blessed by your sweet comments!

The blog party is now officially ended...and well, just like last year, I didn't visit near as many blog party-goers as I had planned. Time just seemed get away from me! But it was fun to meet at least a few new (to me) bloggers...it's amazing just how small the world seems now through the internet! I will having one of my girlies draw a name and then I'll announce the winner of my giveaway in the next couple days!

I simply cannot have March 17th come and go without cooking corn beef and cabbage- and sitting down to watch John Wayne and fiery Maureen O'hara roam the wilds of Ireland. If you've never seen it, you are truly missing out! I'm just a little bit Irish and wear that little bit proudly every year! What about you? Do you have any St. Patrick's Day traditions?

Our beautiful pre-spring weather has left and we now are drenched in a 10-day forecast of rain. I know it's to be expected, but the burst of energy I had just a few days ago is slipping! I'm back to wanting to curl up with a good book again...hope the sunshine returns soon. On the other hand, if it doesn't, it will make us all that more excited to be on our way to southern California!

I have more to tell you on my post where I announce the giveaway...
About trying to slow down and focus on the Lord on this last week leading up to Easter- despite crazy schedules and preparing for upcoming car trips to Disneyland only two weeks away...
It seems more than impossible to find any time reflect, I have to admit...but God said that with Him, all things are possible.
So, I'll explain more on that in a few days.

Until then...


Have a wonderful weekend...and Palm Sunday!

Valentine's Week Ramble

I hope everyone's having a good week so far!
You know that little flu bug I mentioned last week? Well, it has just hung on these past ten days, just taking different forms along the way.
This time, I think I really am almost over it at last...but let's just say that the humidifier and I have become very good friends.



Did you all know that it was just Abraham Lincoln's birthday? And did you know they are starting a 2-year celebration of the bicentennial of his birth today, marked by Laura Bush visiting his place of birth? (Next year marks his 200th birthday.)
Needless to say, we were focusing in on honest Abe this week here in our home classroom...and the cool thing is that every time we do something like this, I am the one who always ends up learning something new!
Did you know his grandparents followed Daniel Boone over to Kentucky? And that later his grandfather was killed by Indians?
That's what I learned in school today!



I wanted to thank Hootin' Anni for honoring me with a special Valentine!

Isn't it darling? It's just the kind of Valentine I remember giving and receiving when I was a little girl! Thanks Hootin' Anni!

And to Nadine who honored all of her regular blogging buddies with these two awards...


I am going to follow her example with these, and give them to each of you who I frequently visit. Because if you see me replying on your blog more than once, it is because "you make my day" and because I think your blog is "excellent"!



As for other news, we just made reservations at a couple hotels for our upcoming trip to California this spring! After much consideration and waffling, we've finally decided to drive.
So, now I have to start making a list of things to pack...and high on that list will be things to keep two little girls occupied for a thousand miles!

Does anyone have any wonderful suggestions or tips for traveling on the road with children? We have a portable DVD player and an audio tape player...but we'll need some car-friendly games and art ideas, so if you have them, I'd be so very grateful!


My girls have signed their bunches of Valentines and are ready for their parties this week! One in a Missionette club, and another with our home school group.
The modern Valentines aren't quite as quaint as they once were, but the excitement surrounding the fun is still the same!

Now, as for couple time and romance, I'm not sure yet whether we'll get our dance in this year on the actual day or not. But this year I have a new CD- Michael Bubl*'...so we'll see!

If I don't get a chance to post again before...

A very Happy Valentine's Day to each of you!

Rainstorms and other things

We're having a rain and wind storm tonight...the kind that makes the water pelt at your window panes, occasionally seeming to bang at it fiercely when a gust of wind kicks up.
And guess what? We just discovered we have two leaky windowsills - one in our living room and the other in our dining room...and there's not much my husband can do until the rains taper off...or at least until tomorrow after work...so we have towels on the sills tonight.
I just switched the towels about an hour ago, but don't like that plop and patter sound I'm hearing now...



We just got back from our new life group...two other families whom we're already feeling a bond with in such a short time.
And we're all so excited, because we've all agreed to pick a family from the "festival of trees" in the foyer of our church to "adopt" this Christmas.
Although our own family isn't rich by any stretch of the imagination, and our regular monthly budget sometimes feels a bit tight, we feel blessed that we can go in with our group to bless a family facing tough times this year.
I'll be taking my girls to pick out a few things for the kids, and I am so hoping that this whole experience will give them some new perspective on not only what Christmas is suppose to be about- but Christian service, as well.
And we, as a group, will even be delivering the gifts, along with a dinner...so we're all feeling rather humbled, thankful and excited all at the same time.



You've might have noticed Michael W. Smith in my sidebar...Kathleen, over at The Open Window posted about the first few bloggers being able to receive a free Christmas CD, just by promising to review it.
Well, this is a first for me to do this... but being a fan of Michael's for years, but for some reason never getting around to actually owning one of his CD's, I jumped at the chance!
And I made it in time! I received the CD a few days ago, and I absolutely love it.
The first song is probably my favorite- "Christmas Angels".
And there is an instrumental number that sounds so much like an epic movie soundtrack...beautiful, and at times, thrilling. I truly think this CD has the perfect blend of traditional and contemporary sounds, but more than that, it draws you a little closer to God as you listen.


One last thing... My oldest daughter has a "new to her" Christmas dress this year she received from someone who had outgrown it...and I bought my youngest a new one at an incredible price.
Usually, it's my youngest who is faced with hand me downs...so this is a bit of a reversal!
But both girls are loving their new frocks...
And Friday night they spent a good part of the evening dancing princess dances....

sometimes together....sometimes, one at a time while the other obligingly tried to hum Nutcracker music.
So, it's no small wonder that we've decided to take out girls to their very first performance of The Nutcracker this year!
Well, the seats are probably in the rafters and we'll need binoculars...but we're excited!

Now, I'm off to bed to listen to the rain storm... and hope that the window sills stay in tact through the night!
I can't deny it doesn't make me a bit nervous to hear the drips and splatters...but yet, I have to remind myself...at least we do have a warm, cozy home and we are blessed!


God bless you all this week as you enjoy the Christmas season!

A lazy Monday

It's a stormy Monday morning here in my neck of the woods... and my littlest is still asleep...yesterday she had to stay home from church with Daddy (I have to help at church so he was elected) all because of a mean ole' tummy bug.
I'm praying that the rest of us don't succumb...and that she feels better when she makes her way downstairs in the next few minutes.
Needless to say, we're taking it a bit easy today with the schoolwork and keeping snug inside our warm house...maybe I'll even light a fire and sip some tea.

Update: Littlest is feeling better today! Not eating a lot yet, but what she does is staying down...always good!
And that stormy weather turned out to be especially big over on the coast! 85 mph winds!
And even in this area, there was some damage. Take a look at this barn, pictured on our local news website...



Don't forget to read my better late than never Veteran's Day tribute at the bottom of the post!

I wanted to thank all of you for your heartfelt comments on my Puddin' post. It blessed me to know that so many of you understood...I guess it touched a chord with the little girl in all of us.
When I mentioned to my sweet husband the overwhelming responses (he hadn't had a chance to read my post yet) his brows furrowed in confusion...
"Why? It's just a doll..."
I know. Don't be too harsh with him.
I later relayed his comment to my mom and added,
"What would he say if he excitedly showed me a classic '67 with V8 engine and I told him it was just a car?" Hmmmm?

Also, I wanted to thank e-mom from Chrysalis because guess what? I won a S*tarbucks gift card in her contest! Since our budget doesn't allow me to indulge in mochas very often, this was such a welcome gift! Thank you, emom!


And finally, though Veteran's Day was actually yesterday, today the federal holiday. So, if you know a Veteran, don't forget to thank them for their service...for their many sacrifices for the freedom we can so easily take for granted today.

A long time ago, before I was married, I wrote a poem about a serviceman returning home, and in my mind's eye, I envisioned a soldier from WWII walking down his old streets, hoping to find the light on in his parents' home, and his sweetheart there, waiting.
I couldn't find my poem, and only remember the first few lines. But in honor of each veteran- from that incredible era all the way up to those sacrificing now, here are the first few lines...

On paths of golden moonlight hues
A lonely soldier steps
To reach a destination known
Within a memory kept

Through silent streets he plods along
Past homes with cheerful glow,
And only hears the echo
Of his footsteps in the snow.

May all of our veterans be welcomed home with grateful hearts.

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God bless!

Just passing through...:)

Well, as you can see by my lack of posting, this first full week back to school kept me just a tad occupied! But it's been actually a lot of fun, because both girls are still enthusiastic- and as most of you know, that's half the battle!

I was also gone a couple nights this week...it was the first week in a long time that I actually went out twice in a one week! It felt a little strange...but in a good way!
One was for book discussion group...this month was one of my favorite books which I had read earlier this year, Gardenias for Breakfast by Robin Jones Gunn.
The other night out was a home school group planning meeting...and of course, amongst the planning, there was some laughing and munching going on...it actually turned out to be a whole lot of fun!

I tell you, for some reason, I became almost a hermit lately...especially during the summer months when so many activities seem to take a hiatus. It felt so good to be out with other women again...it really helped me feel a bit more recharged. And two nights in one week! Wow. I'm so glad I'm blessed with a husband who knows how much moms need to have breaks and realized I was way overdue!

It's a good thing my battery was recharged, because this weekend, I'm off again to my mom's to spend the night with both girls in tow, to help her with a...gulp...yard sale. The girls have to go because my husband will have his handsome face under an engine all day tomorrow, fixing a car for some extra income.
Anyway, there will be lots of moving, carrying, lugging, sign nailing and afterward unloading to Salvation Army...so wish me luck- and energy! :)

I'll probably return with more of my childhood toys she's faithfully kept and I can't seem to somehow part with...
Of course, my girls will want to play with some of them. But I'm just now sure... after all, my 1972 Barbie Dream House might be worth a mint by now! If so, they can just gaze at it from afar...then I can sell it and buy them a whole passel of Barbie accessories from - like, this actual century.

So, a busy weekend for us...but I'll try really hard and be back to post again on Monday, for the neighborhood tour hosted by Kathleen Marie.
Hope you'll join me!

Blessings!

Snippets...

~Snippets of Life~


Eight year old observation of the month:

While driving the other day, it was raining ever so slightly and we passed a high school girls' soccer game in progress.

Me: Oh, look...there's a girls' soccer game going on, even in the rain.

8 yr old Sweetie girl: That's something, seeing that they are girls!

Me: Oh, now...when it comes to rain, I think we girls may be as tough as boys...

8 yr old Sweetie-girl: Yes, but I think that when girls play, they think about the game- and the rain.
When boys play, they just think about the game.

(How does she know these things?)

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We are in the midst of Vacation Bible School this week and tomorrow there isn't a rain drop in sight- it's supposed to be 91 degrees! But no pool for us... our dog deflated it. I know...very sad. But I'm actually surprised it took her three weeks to do so, seeing that she is left outside in the backyard on nice days.
Get out the sprinkler, you say? Um...no. She ate the hose, too.
Well, bit in half, anyway.
She's in the dog house both figuratively and literally, since my husband in in the process of actually building her one. When my five year old suggested he build it with a door so she couldn't get out, I didn't like that gleam in his eye...

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And one last thing...if you enjoy old movies, hop on over to my classic movie blog (located on my sidebar) and join the party. I finally posted again, but this time, I decided to find out what some of your favorite oldies are!
I'm serving popcorn with lots of butter...so come on over and join us! (And bonus points if you know the answer to my movie question!)

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Kind of a different post this time, I know! And for now, I'm off to bed...
(And it's August! Can you believe it?)
I am a little behind (again) with some of your posts and hope to catch up very soon!

Until then, God bless!

School's Out! (sort of) and Linky Promise II

"School's Out, School's Out, Kiddies let their Teacher out"
...(Or is it the other way around?)

Most of you know that we home school. I hope to expound a little on our learning plans for the summer in a post coming up soon...we still plan on doing some schoolwork and some plain ole fun learning a bit through the summer...(we're always learning, by the way!)
but our regular, everyday studying ended last Friday, and I have to say that it feels a bit strange. I'm a little at a loss on the one hand...but on the other, I feel almost like a kid myself with all this freedom!
In actuality, I absolutely love home schooling...but I am ready for a little break.

My second grader was such a good student this year, and my four-turning-five year old did well, too. And I think we had some fun along the way.
So maybe I should be celebrating the end of the year break...like doing a cartwheel followed by hailing the ice cream man. But the cartwheel thing might get the neighbors to talking...
So, I think for now I'll just revel in a little extra reading time here and there... maybe even start scrapbooking again.
Oh yes...and you may notice I'm even starting to comment again on some of your posts!

Anyway, I wanted to hold true to my promise of completing my 12 links to current posts that I loved reading...I did six already....and so, finally- here are six more.
(If you are not among them, remember I could only pick 6 out of all the ones that I loved reading this past week or so. And you know I loved reading WAY more than six posts this past week!)
So, if you all can, be sure to check these out:

1) Stop by at Barbie's....she recently gave birth to her fourth beautiful little girl and she told about having to laugh when things go wrong. If you scroll down, she gave such beautiful descriptions of her love and gratefulness for her newborn- and all of her family- during these first precious days.

2) One of my newer friends is Corrie at One Gal's Life in the Raw. She writes with such fresh humor, it's almost as if you're chatting with her while sipping a latte over at S*tarbuck's. Even when she has a bad day, as in her recent post.

3) Judith at Flight Song (and the mother of Barb and Bev, as many of you know) wrote so beautifully of her grand daughter's upcoming wedding next Saturday.

4) I was blessed reading this post from Morning Glory. Her honesty about being true with our own feelings- and her obvious love for her husband- were so refreshing.

5) A riveting story of a day in a sailor's life back in 1967 held me in suspense by Pamela from The Dust will Wait.

6) And if you ever wanted to glimpse a charming way to celebrate your daughter's 12th birthday, and see grace and beauty shine through her eyes and those of her friends, go read Grafted Branch's account. (Plus, you get to listen to Claire de Lune play delicately in the background...)

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Although I mentioned the ice cream man earlier, I must say that indulging in this cold delicacy hasn't exactly been on my mind too much in the past ten days or so...nothing but cool weather, rain and overcast skies. It has not seemed like June at all, but more like March- on a really bad coming in like a lion day.
But late yesterday afternoon, the clouds began to billow slowly away...revealing patches of blue and sunlight. And today's forecast calls for 83- a good twenty degrees warmer than it was just a couple days before!
Just when I was going to bring in the last of the wood and light a fire....

I think this Thursday is the end of the Spring Reading Thing. And again, I did not meet my overly ambitious goals. But I did get some good reading in (and that's what the challenge is really all about, right?) so I hope to post a couple reviews later this week...stay tuned!

And now, I must go read the second book in the Mitford series that I picked up at my church library...(can you tell which one of the books on my list that I really liked?)
*Edited to correct an error typed last night at midnight...and there's probably others- just overlook them!

Blessings!

Randomized...and the Pizza Princesses

Last week, two new blog friends (whom I really enjoy!) asked some random questions and I agreed to, well, randomly answer them. Before I knew what they would be! How scary!
I'm doing Susan's first...and Linda, I promise to answer yours next! So...here goes...


1. What's your worst pet peeve?
(Do you mean, my worst peeve about my pet? Because at the moment, I could go on and on...) OK, seriously...
I think it would be people who are just plain rude or condescending to others.

2. What are five things you would do if "money were no object"?
(This list contains a lot of selfish things...because I'm dreaming here...)

1) Have a vacation home somewhere...probably Maui.
2) Own our "regular" home somewhere in the country...horses, lambs...and a cow named Daisy. (Hey, it's always been a dream, OK?)
3) Have a personal gym in our country home, complete with trainer and a personal masseuse, who come by three times a week. (Any more, and I would just be too spoiled...)
4) In all honesty, be able to freely give unreservedly to Christian ministries that work to spread the Gospel as well as feed the hungry.
5) Hire a professional dog trainer so that our six month old lab would lie around contently by the fire and bring us our slippers instead of just chewing them up.

3. If you could be an inanimate object, what would you be and why?
Oh, this is a tough one! Maybe a hot air balloon...now, if you had to be inanimate, flying up there above the scenery would be a lot of fun!

4. OK, fess up, some people have eaten crayons or tasted glue. What's the strangest thing you've ever taste-tested? Where were you and why did you do it?
I really have to fess up? Well, I was about six years old and our dog had recently had a litter of puppies. I was amazed that the puppies didn't have to eat puppy chow yet but got their milk from their mama. Hmmm...milk? Really? Could you milk a dog just like you do a cow?
Let's just say, you can only get a few drops of milk into a glass from a mama dog...

5. If you were standing before all of your friends and family and they asked you to summarize yourself in one to two songs, what would you sing and why?
Oh, this was the toughest of them all!
Maybe that old Bobby Darin song, "Beyond the Sea". I have always loved that song growing up...and then when my new husband was on deployment "out to sea" I loved it even more!

OK...who wants to brave and let me "randomize" you? I promise not to ask anything too, too personal...and spare you the humiliating milking dog stories...

*****************************************************************

In other news, my little baby is about to turn five this week. FIVE!
Yesterday, after church, she had a little birthday party with her friends (a few days early) at a pizza place (where there's a big play area galore with slides, tunnels and a mini-ferris wheel!)
















They had a wonderful time!

But after frolicking through a pit of balls, by the end of the party, we saw quite a few disheveled princesses!
But whoever said royalty can't have fun!

Rainy days, Hearts and Stovepipe Hats

We had a very uneventful weekend...definately not blog-worthy at all.
This due, in part, that hard-working husband has been recently taking on cars to fix on the side to earn extra money.

All weekend, he toiled, bless his heart.

And all weekend, it rained and was chilly and outside was not a place I wanted to be.
So...except for church, we stayed inside. All weekend long.

Unless you or a child is sick, I don't recommend staying at home all weekend. We learned the hard way that cabin fever quickly insues. There is whining and and fussing all over the place...and I'm not talking about the kids!

Last Friday, however, was our home school group Valentine's Day party. The children all had a great time decorating their bags, and then dropping all their cards into the right ones,
afterwards. There were goodies to eat, followed by a rousing game of dance tag!







But we did do something fun Saturday morning. We made homemade cards for a few of our relatives. But because we have so many, we limited it to just a few...I recommended a couple of their aunties that don't happen to have romantic interest in their lives.
With so much emphasis on romance this time of year, I thought it would be nice to surprise these wonderful women with a different kind of love note this year.
And the girls worked very hard on each one, putting so much detail into their work! We cut, we pasted, we drew, and before we knew it, two hours had passed!

The rest of the weekend, however, wasn't so industrious for us, I'm sorry to say. I never thought I would be so happy for the homeschool week to start again!

Now, I'm so happy it's Monday...(hmmm, that's a phrase you don't hear every day!) We need to start our lessons and learn a little more about Mr. Abraham Lincoln since today's his actual birthday.
Yes, teachers and homeschool moms, time to brush up your history lessons!

And except for the fact that I had insominia last night and watched a tear-jerker movie until way past my bedtime, and am more or less going on fumes this morning, I think I can face the day- at least with my industrial strength mug of coffee close at hand.

So, this Valentine's week, I'm wishing all of you lots of love...and especially the love that only Jesus can bring. Whether you are alone or are blessed with romance, God's love is the only kind that can truly bring real fulfillment. So, I'll end with this well-known verse...

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son...that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16