Two "Birthdays"...

What busy days these are ...and I know several of you can relate to not always having time to post or completely keep up with other blog friends posts! But I hope to catch up with most of you a little at a time.
But I wanted to share with you something special...actually two...

On Sunday, I was privileged to be among ten or so other family members on my husband's side to witness first hand and pray along side a sister who was committing her life and heart to the Lord. I think all of us were in awe to just be able to there, much less be used in any small way...
Even my girls were able to witness her prayer and it is something none of us in that room will probably ever, ever forget. We are rejoicing along with the angels right now...
So, in a way, this is a spiritual birthday as it marks a new birth in Christ.


On Wednesday, my mom celebrates her 82nd birthday. Hard to believe...(and for her, too!)

I plan on getting her this week to have her spend the night and then when we take her back, the girls and I are taking her to a surprise destination! (Shh...I have to be careful, she reads my blog!)
But I hope to tell you all about it afterward!
For her 80th, I wrote a longer, detailed post about her which you can see here.

In the meantime, Mom, I wish you a very happy birthday.

Thank you for always being there for me...for your prayers and guidance...and for being one of my very best friends.






I love you and so grateful to still have you in our lives!
~Tammy

Show and Tell # 26

Today for Show and Tell Friday, I wanted to show you something I actually forgot that I had! I was going through my closet last weekend, and among my old vintage magazines, I found an actual newspaper from 1918!


Here is a close up of the date...



I am embarrassed to say it had been just tossed among them, only protected within a little plastic bag...not good!

Before I had kids, one of my favorite pastimes was browsing antique stores...and I must have bought this ...and in the busy days of motherhood which followed, completely forgot about it -much less to protect it!
Shame on this lover of antiques and all things historic!

Just think about it a moment...this is the actual newspaper from WWI...before WWII, before the Depression, or even before the roaring 20's!

But once I saw it again, I hazily remembered it...and that is was already pretty tattered when I bought it. But now that I've come across it again, I am going to do my best to preserve it! (I went on the internet that very day to research the best ways to store it...acid free envelope within an acid free box.)

That evening, my husband and I carefully and delicately looked it over...reading a few of the articles and advertisements...

To read and touch this actual newspaper that was held in someone's hands during this phase of history...seeing imagery we had learned about in school or on television, only this time presented as "happening now" was like stepping into a time machine.
And amazing to see all of the advertisements along side the news of war...

Looks like you could get some real deals on "georgette wastes" or a corsette at the Bon Marche bargain basement!

But then again, I'm partial to The Bon... I met my husband in front of the store on our first blind date...but that's a different story.

And era!


The ad above is harder to see (you may be able to click for details) but it looks like if you stepped out of the basement, they were having a regular "Silk Week" as well at the Bon!

Isn't it incredible to see these 1918 fashions...a time when clothing styles were changing so quickly. Only a couple years later and the flappers would take over the clothing industry...but in this year it was in that "in between" stage.

My husband and I were both transfixed as we sat together with this 91 year old newspaper declaring the "German Armies Retreating".
Amazing... And yet, reading this paper of a completely foreign time to us made us also aware that people were inherently the same then as they are now.

"History would be an impossible area of human reflection if there were no recurrent attributes of human nature." Willson H. Coates

For more Show and Tells, please visit There is No Place Like Home hosted by Kelli!

More Anne...

Although it's not even Show and Tell day, I just couldn't wait. (And I have a different item to share on Friday!) I wanted to show you what arrived for my girls last week, thanks to dear blogging friend, Becky...

Aren't they adorable?
This is Anne on the right of course, with her friend, Diana on the left...and these paper dolls came complete with lots of different clothes and accessories.
Becky had heard that we were big Anne of Green Gables fans and happened to have this set at home, with no one to play with it.
When it arrived, both of my girls squealed with delight and promptly asked if they could play with them right away.

Thank you again, Becky, for thinking of us! Be assured that Anne and Diana went to a very good home!

We still hope to visit Prince Edward Island but we haven't decided exactly when quite yet. The legistics make it a little challenging for us, since we live completely on the other side of the continent! And my youngest, although she'd love to visit, doesn't want to actually have to travel to get there. She doesn't like flying and is my little homebody. I can't say I relish long flights myself...I wish I could just click my heels and suddenly be there!

But even so, we sent away for the island catalog and as our whole family looked at it together, we longed to visit even more.

And then, my dear friend, Pea, posted this week on her son and daughter in law's visit there! No fair!

And on the subject of all things Anne....if you love the Megan Follows version of the movie, then you will also love the Focus on the Family Radio Theater audio version.



At bedtime, my girls and I have a custom of reading stories, then praying together, followed by lights out with an audio CD or tape for a short time. I usually stay and listen with them for a bit, so for Christmas I bought us all a present of this CD version, and we all absolutely love it!
It completely comes alive, and the voices of each of the characters are so much like the movie version we love.

So, I guess it is only a matter of time when we do find ourselves playing on the beach of Prince Edward Island, seeing the live musicals, exploring the countryside and museums...sigh. And I think I honestly expect Anne and Gilbert to be there to greet me!

Before I go, I also wanted to thank Susanne...I won her book giveaway and received this book set yesterday...

I think my husband and I will soon be reading these and I can't wait...thank you, Becky!





And I don't know about the rest of you, but I am so looking forward to spring! Our neighborhood is slower in blooming this year but we saw our first crocus flowers and even some daffodils on our walk yesterday and they were a welcome sight at last!

Blessings!

Family Tree Branches

Family Tree Branches

Yes, I do have a new look...I think a few of you noticed! I found it and was surprised how easy it was to apply to my blog...all by my little self! The only snag is I can't figure out how to keep the little ad from covering up my post titles...any suggestions?

Thank you to all of you who commented on my last Show and Tell.
(And Ginger, my history-phobic friend, I have it in writing now that you won't avoid history posts in the future! Sorry... it's a little inside facebook joke...) ;)


And speaking of history (yes, Ginger, I'm still speaking of it...hehe)
some of you know I also specifically love family history and genealogy.
My mom's sister traced our ancestors back to Gov. William Bradford and beyond...all the way to the 1600's which completely boggles my mind!

But as for my dad's side, I didn't even have anything much past my grandparents until recently.

I posted awhile back when two of my distant cousins on my paternal grandfather's side contacted me through the ancestry.com and filled in a lot of blanks for me, including sending pictures and copies of letters.

Well, recently yet another cousin from my paternal grandmother, "Gammee's" line, got in touch with me.
I was extremely close to my "Gammee" so having finally some information about her parents and grandparents has been pretty exciting.

Now, when she was alive I did indeed ask her questions about the "good old days" but for some reason, I don't remember what- if anything- she said about her parents.

But now...after all these years...I have a picture!

In corresponding with this new-found cousin recently, I e-mailed him a few old pictures I had of my grandmother's siblings, ect.

I thought it would be fun to share them with you, too!
Here I am with two of my grandmother's sisters when they came to visit my family in 1980...
(Um...I'm the young one.)

My grandmother had many sisters, all of them treasures....these two aunts happened to live out of state so I seldom saw them.
But there was an occasion or two when I was little when Aunt L. on the right came up to visit all of the family here and brought along her two granddaughters, who were a little older than me.

Here's one of those occasions...

I'm the short one...who seems to be dressed as a boy for some reason that day. (Mom...?)

But there was also this time, when I decided to dress up just a bit more...

Yep, again I'm the short one in the middle...oh yeah...with attitude!

Sadly, I have completely lost touch with these second cousins.
Oh, I have kept some contact with other second cousins, and especially one whom I grew up with... but somehow, as each of my grandmother's sisters passed away one by one, so most of the grandchildren of each of these sisters began to lose touch.

Those grandmothers who once were little girls within the same household and shared parents, secrets and clothes...they were the common bond between the grandchildren that they would later have.
But the common bond is gone.

Now my newly discovered distant cousin is asking questions about them all...which now, in turn, has me wondering. I think I just may have to find out...

I'm thinking, sometimes searching into the past can lead to searching into the present.

Blessings!

Show and Tell #25

I think it's been way too long since I last participated in Kelli's Show and Tell Friday!

Today, I wanted to show one of the old magazines in my collection. Since I was very young- and before I was married- I use to love to browse antique stores for old books and magazines. My favorite magazines were the old fan magazines such as Photoplay, since I have always loved classic movies and movie stars.
But today, I'm going to show you an issue of Life from 1945!

As you can see, this is a special one...Winston Churchill graces the cover!

I have always been especially interested in the World War II era, and this one gives us a first-hand peek at the world just as the war was coming to an end.

I really need to go back and read this article again...


And I just love, love the ads!
Take a look at this one touting the latest in General Electric sinks... (click for a better view)

And this next one is truly incredible...
An ad for one of the first television sets!

I just love these glimpses into our history....and don't you think that the advertising back then is a lost form of art?
OK, now I'm off to go read this magazine again...

For more Show and Tells, visit Kelli and There is No Place Like Home.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Blessings!

Home School Open House #4

Hello and Welcome to the Home School Open House!

Today I'm going to show you two themes that we've been working on lately. But first let me begin by explaining that there are so many ways to home school...

Some people pick one curriculum that tells them exactly what to do on a given day or week.
Others (like me!) choose different workbooks for different subjects and supplement various projects on their own.
I like this approach personally because it appeals to "teacher" in me. Back in college I did major in Elementary Ed. and then later taught preschool...so although I'm not always so creative, I do enjoy trying to be!
Plus, I'm the type that doesn't like having to follow a strict schedule...it makes me feel hindered and sometimes even stressed.
But I realize others that home school actually appreciate having a schedule...or else they get stressed!
And that's the beauty of home schooling to me- finding what best fits your family's personality and learning styles.

Anyway...on with the show!

On top of our regular workbooks we do for "reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic" I chose a fun "Polar Region" theme. It's been fun to try to adapt this for both of my girls ages. (6 and 9). We've been learning about where the polar regions are and what animals live nearby, ect. Here is one of the unit study books I'm using...

I also read to them a chapter a day from The Magic School Bus book, "Penguin Puzzle". It seemed to appeal to both of them, despite their age gap...and in fact, when I would stop they would beg me to keep reading! :) And here is a sample of the world map they made with animals of the regions. (This one made by my 6 yr old.)

For this project, I had them trace a large circle and then they drew "the world" completely on their own. Then I printed off some various arctic and antarctic animals so that they could cut them out and paste them to the appropriate polar region! (They had to figure that part out on their own...and yay, they got them right!)

And today...
n honor of President's Day, we only did a little school work since the public school kids did have off...but it was all related to either George Washington or presidents in general!
I simply printed out some worksheets I found off the computer and then read out of this book I picked up awhile back: "George Washington's Birthdays" by Wilma Pitchford Hays. We also just now -this second- finished a "Presidential Tree". We only went up to the first 16 for this one...ending with a pretty good one, Honest Abe!

Here's more of a close up...



I only printed out three pictures (Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln) and the rest are names written on "cherries".

I hope you enjoyed another peek into our school at home! I'm looking forward to seeing what a few of you are up to, as well!

Also, hope all of you had a wonderful Valentine's weekend! Blessings!

Worth Waiting For...(A Valentine's re-post)

In honor of Valentine's Day, I am re-posting just a few excerpts of what I wrote way back in September of 2006...
Our Love Story.
Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!!!

"Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be married and have children. And if that wasn't enough, I was a hopeless romantic, as well. So, when my friends began to find serious relationships and pair off one by one, in their early 20's ...and yet I remained alone, I began to feel a profound sadness. Yes, I suppose I was feeling a bit left out. But it was more than that. I seemed to pine for "that certain someone" whom I had not yet met. I could almost feel that "in love" emotion, but it was attached to an invisible guy out there...somewhere.

Oh, I dated. In my 20's, I sort of bloomed late, and began dating several different guys (usually one at a time!) from my church single's group. I sometimes had "feelings" for a few of them. But still, they just weren't right, for one reason or another. I still hadn't met..."him".
People would say, "You're so pretty! I can't understand why you're not married yet!" As if the two things automatically went hand in hand.

As time went on, I began to suspect some of my friends' concerns were based on fact. Maybe I was too picky? Maybe I was just in love with love."

Skipping ahead here...After actually secretly responding to a dating ad that read, "Single Male- Christian"....before the days of all the dating websites...I had listened to a recording of his voice where he said a little about himself. I left my own voice message...
and then a few days later...he called.

"I remember hanging up, after we had arranged for a blind date on a Saturday night, thinking that if there turned out to be no chemistry between us in the romance department, I would really hope that at least he and I would become friends. Real friends.

The big day arrived. I was so nervous, but I was determined to play it cool. We had arranged to meet by one of the entry ways to a shop at the mall. It was a late afternoon in mid-August, 1993, but the summer skies had opened up and were letting down a torrent of pouring rain. Luckily, there was a nice shelter at the entryway while I waited. And waited.

And waited.

A young guy about 20 started chatting with me under the shelter as he waited for the rains to let up. He told me if this guy never showed up that I was waiting for, that I should go hang out with him. Flattered, I politely declined.

A half an hour or more went by...yes, I pathetically still stood there...(Remember, this was before everyone on the planet had a cell phone!) but I just didn't believe the guy I spoke with for two hours would stand me up.

Just as I was thinking of going home, a small car inched in front of the shelter, the driver searching intently in my direction.
I knew in an instant that it was him. I went over and asked his name and when we confirmed who we were. When I looked at him, it was as if I had known him all my life. And though I had safely planned on driving in my own car to the movies, I promptly just opened his door without thinking and hopped in! I would never do this ordinarily...I don't know what came over me! (Kids, please don't do this at home!)
He told me that he had been waiting at the entrance all this time...it had been the other entrance!
We forgot to specify which entrance- so each of us had been standing on opposite sides, thinking that maybe we had possibly been stood up! Good thing, he decided to drive around slowly, before going home...


The movie we went to see was a new "date" movie called..."Sleepless in Seattle". After wards we went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant, and ended up talking very late into the evening. He told me a few days later that he was so nervous that night...and I could tell that he was, just a bit. But I still thought there was something incredibly special about him

Oh, and yes...though we didn't have our first kiss until the 5th date, I could tell that there was, indeed, that chemistry.

It may have not been in my timing, but God's timing was perfect. He brought me the desire of my heart. I had finally met that someone I had been waiting for. I had finally met... him."


(Don't forget to join me for Home School Open House this coming Tuesday!)
Blessings!!!

Lincoln's 200th Birthday

You may have noticed I'm getting just a tad behind in blogland... in both writing posts and responding to posts!
No, I'm not about to say that I'm closing the door to my blog- at least not at this time. It's too much apart of me.
But I'm definitely having to slow it way down. So bear with me during this busy season...I may post farther apart and be slower in stopping by at all of your blogs... but hopefully you won't give up on me!

Yep, we have yet another busy week this week, I have to confess...
Classes, choir, Missionettes- and a home school Valentine's party!
(Our home school group has grown so much that my girls were busy all evening making almost 60 Valentines each!)



But this week also marks another worthy celebration.
As many of you probably already know, February 12th is the 200th birthday of of one of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln!

Edited to say: In my rush to post this before we rushed out the door this afternoon, I forgot to include the actual link to one of the sites quoting The Gettysburg Address! I also included a tidbit I forgot to mention earlier.

There is an attempt to break the Guinness book of records as people, adults and school children alike, recite the Gettysburg Address simultaneously at around 7:30 am Pacific Time.
For more information, you can check out the website!

And to print out a copy of the Gettysburg Address, you can go here.

I don't about you, but Lincoln is definitely one of my favorite presidents. He was a kind and caring soul, deep in his convictions and a man who apparently sought God both in his personal life and during his presidency.
He was given to deep depression...yet he also had a wonderful sense of humor.

I also wanted to add that when my husband and I lived in the east, we took a trip to Pennsylvania. One of the days was spent at Gettysburg and it is an experience neither of us will ever forget.
We stood at the very place where Lincoln gave his speech...and got to go upstairs to the room which still exists where he hand wrote it the very night before.
Inside that room they have an animatronic Lincoln who sits at the desk with his quill pen, and then stands up to give the speech...my husband and I were the only ones in the room with "Lincoln" and it was both fascinating and a bit eerie!
The whole feeling of the surrounding battlefield was indeed very poignant...and just being there enriched us.

Most of you know the story of the little girl who wrote to Lincoln, expressing her opinion that he might be more likely to be elected if he grew a beard.
He wrote her back...and then took her advice!
When he was speaking at a town in which he knew she was apart of the crowd, he summoned her forth and greeted the blushing girl enthusiastically.
I found this picture of her- age 14- when searching various information on Lincoln...

Not counting the famous Gettysburg Address, here are also a few of my favorite Abraham Lincoln quotes which I came across...

"I leave you, hoping the light of liberty will burn in your bosoms, until you know longer doubt that all men were created free and equal."

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."

"...I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."

These quotes- and the last two in particular- show me a man who humbly sought in prayer for guidance and strength while shouldering the heavy weight of the the presidency.

So, join me in celebrating and remembering this great man in history in some way...whether it's reading aloud the Gettysburg Address or simply taking a moment to look at his life!

And a very Happy Valentine's Day to each of you, too!

P.S....Don't forget...the Home School Open House will be up this coming Tuesday, the 17th! Hope you'll join us!

To Slumber or Not to Slumber

Unless you're one of my "facebook friends" you may have wondered if I fell off the face of the earth.
But I'm here....it just been one of those busy weeks in mommy-dom.

Between their new children's choir schedule beginning again, violin lesson, rec center classes, check up with their new dentist, Missionettes, Missionette slumber party and...oh yes, doing actual school work...we've had a pretty full plate this week.

Now, don't worry...I know all about the dangers of over-scheduling, so I am always mindful of not piling too much on our to-do lists and try to make room for plenty of down time...for ALL of us.
But this was just one of those weeks.

What about the sleepover, you ask?

Well...both girls were suppose to spend the night at the Missionettes sleepover, but my six year old kept fluctuating between being excited and just plain terrified.
Finally she decided to go...I got both girls packed and my husband and I took them to the church. But soon, my youngest was falling apart over the slightest thing...then she was fine...then she was in tears again saying she didn't think she could do this.

And looking around, my mother instinct told me she was right.
Although first graders were allowed to stay without a parent, I really didn't see any other first graders there. She was so tiny...trying to fit in with the "big girls".
Plus, I had a feeling everyone was going to stay up very very late.
She has a very sweet small group leader that was going to be watching out for her, but I knew that this just wasn't going to be her year. She was completely overwhelmed!

And really, if you're going to do your first slumber party, it helps if you're in a small group of friends and in an actual homey atmosphere. And as nice as this particular church is, it is also a vast building...with loud noise and a lot of strangers -not exactly conducive to feeling secure and cozy.

She felt such conflicting emotions, poor thing...so disappointed that she wasn't staying but yet knowing that she just wouldn't feel right. She was in tears all the way home...but finally cheered a bit when I whipped up some chocolate pudding and then cuddled with her watching Barbie's Island Princess.




I know she's my daughter, alright, when only chocolate and a musical can console her.

As for my oldest, as predicted, she had a wonderful time but didn't "slumber" too much. When I picked her up, the adults looked only a little worse for wear...but only because they each were brought St*rbucks upon awakening.

Probably quadruple espresso lattes...easy on the lattes. ;)

A Saturday filled with Reunions and Violins

It's been quite the busy weekend for us...and especially on Saturday.

We had to leave that morning for our nine year old's music recital...where a dozen or so brave children of all ages would go up and display their recent instrumental accomplishments.
Our sweetie girl has been taking violin since for exactly one year (not counting summertime) and she is now playing some simple songs, such as "Lightly Row" and "Mary had a little Lamb".
Complete songs, mind you!

As she sat over with her fellow trembling musicians, you could see the nervousness on her face...I just felt for her!
But when her turn came, she bravely went up, introduced herself and her songs, and went on to play with the accompaniment of her teacher...and did just great.
I was so proud of her for performing in front of strangers for the second time now!


And her daddy and I- and I think her little sister, as well- probably all felt just as relieved as she was after her performance ended and was able to sit back down and enjoy the rest of the recital...whew!

Then it was a stop for lunch to celebrate, and then we headed down to the Eugene area, stopping to pick my mom up on the way. We were on our way to my aunt's 80th birthday party!
Just look at this professional tiered cake! My aunt's friend made these for her!



My mom and my aunt G. were close in age growing up...they were the only sisters, but they also had an older half brother who doted on them. (He passed away just a few years ago.)
Here my mom and her sister are as little ones, back during the Great Depression years...

My mom use to be slightly taller, but Aunt Ginny soon passed her up by quite a bit! Here they are at the birthday party this weekend...

A few of you may have read my posting about my cousin, Ken, as I was remembering his passing two years before.
Before this weekend, I hadn't seen his two brothers since Ken had passed away. Knowing now how uncertain this life can be, I was happy to be reuniting with them again.

Here's a picture of all three of them when they were little, with my Aunt G and their dad... Ken is on the left...and cousins Gary and Chuck are beside him.
And here I am with Chuck and Gary just this past weekend...

And let me add one more thing about these handsome guys...not only are they just all around good people now that they're all grown up, but even as kids, when I was just their little pesky girl cousin, they were always sweet as could be to me!
In fact, Gary was such a long-suffering little ten year old gentleman, that I remember him playing Barbies with me just because I probably looked up with my big brown eyes and toothless smile and begged him to.

On a side note...thank you to those of you who are praying for my mom and her sight. She is going to a specialist today (Monday) so your continued prayers are appreciated.
Also, a long time friend of mine (she was one of my bridal attendants) is having major surgery on Tuesday and I know she is nervous about it, so you can believe I'm keeping her in my thoughts and prayers this week, too.

I was so glad I could be there for my aunt's special celebration...and to see my cousins and their families, since sometimes several years go by in between visits. None of us never know how long we have our loved ones with us...and yet, our lives can be so busy and hectic days can turn into months...years.
I think we need to try to make time...to treasure each of them...even the cousins and far away friends... while we can!

Blessings!