Our Favorite Anti-TV Poem

From the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

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The most important thing we’ve learned,
As far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER let
Them near your television set-
Or, better still, just don’t install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we’ve been
We’ve watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone’s place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until there hypnotized by it,
Until there absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes we know it keeps them still
They don’t climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink-
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSES IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HE CANNOT THINK-HE ONLY SEES!
‘All right!’ you’ll cry ‘All right!’ you’ll say,
‘But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!’
We’ll answer this by asking you,
‘What used the darling ones to do?
‘How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?’
Have you forgotten? Don’t you know?
We’ll say it very loud and slow:
THEY . . . USED . . . TO . . . READ! They’d
READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens and whales
And treasure isles and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled ores,
And pirates wearing purple pants,

And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and -
Just How the Camel Got His Hump,
And How The Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole -
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks-
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something good to read.
And once they start - oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,

That nauseating, foul, unclean,

Repulsive television screen!

And later each and every kid

Will love you more for what you did.

-

**Tom did most of the typing of this post, but we were accidentally signed in under my name. She plans to print this out, frame it and hang it in her room. (That is, if she can find any room amist all of her BOOKS!)

Entertainment

We recently had a conversation with children on the topic of what we listen to and watch. We are a pretty conservative family when it comes to music and tv/movies. Though I have come across others who are more so (we don't object to fantasy or war), in our circles we mostly fall on the most conservative side. Some of our children had been with some friends and listened to some music that made one of our daughters uncomfortable. She asked our advice on how to deal with it graciously and this spurred the conversation. Two of the girls were defending the song as harmless and "no big deal". After some talk about it, with some rising passions involved (mostly on my part), we planned a Bible study for that evening. We told the girls that we were going to bring scriptures that supported our point of view and they were welcome to do the same, even at a later date.
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First, we printed off the song and others by the same artist. We read these aloud in order to judge the content better. It was amazing to see the effect of reading the words instead of having them mixed in with distracting music. Opinions began to change pretty quickly. I have often wondered what the effect would be of reading the words to the songs we listen to or movies we watch from the pulpit. Would we judge things differently in that setting?
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Here are the scriptures we have found helpful in evaluating our standards. Even after reading these, we realize that not everyone, not even our grown children, will agree on the specifics of what holds up under this light. However, we hope there is agreement on where the light is to be found.
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But examine everything carefully;

hold fast to that which is good;

abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thes. 5: 21 - 22

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I love definitions because they help to clarify the meanings of a passage. Here's a few from an online concordance. These are definitions of the Greek words in the above verse.

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examine - to test, prove, scrutinize, to approve, deem worthy of

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good - beautiful by reason on purity of heart and life, excellent, commendable, admirable, excellent in nature and characteristics, praiseworthy, affecting the mind agreeably, morally good, noble

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form - external or outward appearance, figure, shape, kind

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And we liked verse 23 of the same passage:

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And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly

and I pray God your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved

blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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These are the rest of the verses we discussed that evening:

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Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

Romans 12:9

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I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:

I hate the work of them that turn aside;

it shall not cleave to me.

Psalm 101:3

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Philippians 4:8 lists the things we are to think on. Things that are

true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy.

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For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;

only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,

but by love serve one another.

Galatians 5:13

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Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse:

he who guards himself will be far from them.

Proverbs 22:5

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He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.

1 John 2:6

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He that loveth his brother abideth in the light,

and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

1 John 2:10

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For this cause we also, since the day we heard it,

do not cease to pray for you,

and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will

in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,

to please Him in all things,

being fruitful in every good work,

and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Col. 1:9 - 10

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Pay close attention to yourself and your teaching;

persevere in these things;

for as you do this you will insure salvation

both for yourself and for those who hear you.

1 Tim. 4:16

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There is a lot to think about in these passages. Of course, some will argue that we have to live in this world and can not protect ourselves from seeing any evil. Of course, that is true. But I'm talking about what we choose to entertain ourselves with. This is about the choices we make. What do we want to fill our minds with?

What We Are Reading

For pleasure, not school books

To see what we are reading for school see AmblesideOnline Years 3, 6 & 7

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MamaLion -

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (I'm reading this because it's Tom's favorite book)

Future Men by Douglas Wilson

Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Landmark biography of Mary, Queen of Scots

A Defense of Virginia and the South by R.L. Dabney

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AdventureQueen -

C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves

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PearlKeeper -

(to TheLittlestPrincess) Happy Little Family by Rebecca Caudill

To Kill A Mockingbird

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Tom -

The Thief Lord by Corneila Funke

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BLOCHhead -

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

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SmokyBear -

Magic Treehouse Books (not my idea of great literature but at least the boys are finally reading for pleasure!)

audio tape of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

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Tigger -

also Magic Treehouse books & Huck Finn

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TheLittlestPrincess -

audio of Clara Barton from the Childhood of Famous Americans series

A Treasury of Children's Literature, edited by Armand Eisen - over & over

Update: She asked me for a poem before she went to bed tonight and we finished Poems to Read to the Very Young and then read her favorites over again. Her favorites are MICE by Rose Fyleman, FURRY BEAR by A.A. Milne and WOOLY BLANKET by Kate Cox Goddard.

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All girls, including MamaLion -

So Much More by the Botkin sisters

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MamaLion with 4 youngers -

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis

Tea Time

Adventure Queen and I had a private tea time this afternoon, which is quite an accomplishment in a household of ten people. I put this little table in the corner of my bedroom for just such a purpose. The main part of our house is the Great Room which is all open and contains the living room, kitchen and dining room. So a nice, cozy, PRIVATE place was needed for that necessary one on one time. This area has also served nicely as a quiet place for the boys to read aloud to me. And I have plans for a nice candlelit dinner with Mr. Potts here too!

Today, we had cucumber & cream cheese sandwhiches and chai tea. It was the first time we used the tea set I bought at Mount Vernon this past fall.

What kind of Light Are We?

***Argh! Blogger is not posting the spaces that I originally included in my posts. Sorry for the inconvenience while I try to figure out what the problem is.

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"Let your light shine before men,

that they may see your good works,

and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

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The girls and I were discussing this verse this morning while reading So Much More by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin. The objective of our lights should be to bring glory to our Father. We are admonished in the verse before not to hide our light under a bushel. Still further before this verse, it says we are the light of the world and a city on a hill cannot be hidden. Many people struggle with this. They are worried about offending others and making them uncomfortable. Especially these days, when it is considered "intolerant" to hold the standard Christian views. Most Christians are aware of how the cry for tolerance is often a double standard because everything but Christianity is tolerated, therefore, many in our day tiptoe around fearful of incurring the wrath of our society.

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But I began thinking of this verse from a little different perspective. I was not born with a personality that overly concerns itself over offending others. I was raised with a certain Yankee pride in a side of my family in being a quick-witted in-your-face type of person. Always having the comeback that left someone speechless was admired. I still remember some of my "greatest moments" when I stumped some other equally (or even more) quick-witted people. They have been trophies in my mind, even taken down and polished from time to time.

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Instead of being tempted to hide my light under a bushel, I can be more like Mr. Potts' two-million-candle-power spotlight shining right in your face. Trust me, it's hot. It doesn't feel good. And it's blinding. At least when you are in the dark, your eyes have a chance of adjusting to the darkness and you are able to recognize a light off in the distance and you know which way to go. When you have a spotlight shining in your face, nothing can remedy the situation. You try to shut your eyes as tightly as possible but even that doesn't bring relief. You start screaming for it to stop. You prefer remaining in the darkness.

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Here's a quote from So Much More:

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"...though God looks primarily on the inside, people can only see the outside. Is God's grace capable of turning rebellious, defiant heart into a gentle and quiet heart? Do we show people the magnitude of God's grace by showing how our crude, unrefined behavior becomes gentle and quiet? Or do we give the world a reason to think that God is limited in His power because He was unable to make our behavior (and so, of course, our hearts) conformed to His model for womanhood? We blaspheme God's grace by continuing to act like "ourselves". We glorify God's grace by overcoming stubborn pride and becoming gradually sanctified."

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It's hard to let your 'self' be changed. We love ourselves and are afraid to part with something that seems to be so much a part of us. What will we be without it? Will we be dull and lifeless? Jesus promised something more:

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"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,

it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

John 12:24

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I've been praying for God to help me be a soft, cozy kind of light. When I walk over our hill at night and see the house softly lit, I get a warm feeling of home. I stand back and admire it from afar. I am not afraid to draw near. I know inside is safe and warm. That is the kind of light I want to be.

Persistence Pays Off

We finally found it! Snow, that is. We drove up into the mountains to find plenty of the wonderful white stuff. After being disappointed last week, and especially after driving an hour away to purchase 9 sleds at Target, it was rewarding to find the object of our pursuit. It was a little nerve racking driving the 15 passenger van up and down the mountains when the only other vehicles to be seen were ones equipped with four wheel drive. We made it though and found a secluded little spot to sled. Mr. Potts built a nice little fire that helped dry wet mittens.

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We also were able to enjoy the sights of our beautiful Smoky Mountains covered in snow. Sometimes I think we take for granted the exceptional beauty we have around us and a nice little change, like fall colors or snow, jolts us back into the reality of the wonder of God's creation.

Unfortunately, my camera battery died so I didn't get many pictures.

Recipe for Showing Your Children Love

• Say more positive things than negative ones.
• Remember to laugh with them and enjoy their company.
• Do little sweet things that say I love you (ie. notes, little gifts, etc.).
• Say "I love you" and give hugs.
• Remember to be kind and gentle even when correction is necessary.
• Don't let anything get in the way of them feeling your love.

Oven temp: pleasantly warm Time: 24/7 Serves: all

Cousins!

Being two boys in a houseful of girls is not always easy. Along with five sisters comes the constant influx of "friends". For two young boys who already feel outnumbered, this can be a bit much at times. I know in future years they will surely enjoy all of this feminine company. But for now, they count their blessings that God saw fit to provide them with a plentiful supply of male cousins.

We spent Sunday driving in the mountains in search of snow. Turns out we just missed it. Two days ago our sleds would have found plenty of fodder but a warm day melted it all away. Instead, a fifteen passenger van loaded with boys was just about as much fun. Thankfully, we drove two vehicles and the older females had a respite from the chaos! We are also thankful for two dads who were able to handle all that energy.

Restored to White!!!

Here is a close up. Isn't it gorgeous!!!

Several weeks ago MamaLion got out her wedding dress and each of us four older girls tried it on. Sadly, mice got into it a couple years ago and it became very stained in spots and the whole dress turned an ugly yellowish color. MamaLion and DaddyPots were discussing how much of a bummer it was that they had not stored it in better places. While they were expressing regrets on not taking better care of the dress, each girl modeled for Mom and Dad. I kept thinking the whole time that there must be some way to restore it back to white. When it came to my turn to try it on everyone agreed that it fit me the best. It was a slightly to large on two of the girls and slightly snug on the other so I being medium ended up being closer to Mom's size. In one more year I will be the same age as she was when she got married, 19 years ago, to our beloved DaddyPotts.Here is the dress, looking like new. :)

The dress was left on the floor in my sister's room. As I walked by the room that night and saw that once beautiful Wedding Dress all crumpled, yellow and forlorn, I resolved that I was going to find a way to make it beautiful again. This is something that represents nearly 20 years of a marriage made in heaven. This marriage has lasted through trials and tears, through sunshine and joyful days, through thick and thin and still is bound together in Love and centered on Christ. My mother wore pure white on that day years ago and, through all that the dress represents now, I knew it deserved to be made clean again!

After several phone calls to different places, I found a place that I believed would do a good job. When MamaLion was gone I drove to town and dropped it off. Mom never knew it was gone until today when I brought it home. She was so delighted at the surprise and I was thrilled to make her so happy!!! I am taking it tomorrow to be professionally wrapped and ready to be displayed in a large and lovely box.

Happy New Year!

A brave friend had us over to her house for a New Year's Party along with about twelve other families, our church plus a few others. When I say families, I mean f-a-m-i-l-i-e-s! Minimum number of children three and maximum ten, with children's spouses and children's children starting to appear also! Once again, there was tons of food (these holidays are a little rough on the waistlines!) and games.

Everyone was supposed to dress up as a literary character, preferably one from a book read during the last year. You had to come with a clue and give that clue to everyone and let them guess who you were.

TheLittlestPrincess wasn't hard to figure out:

AdventureQueen and her uncle went as Uncle Tom and Topsy from Uncle Tom's Cabin.


My sister's three boys went as Robin Hood, Friar Tuck and Little John. Friar Tuck actually had a special haircut for the occasion and had it all buzzed off the next day.


It became so crowded that I forgot to get pictures of the other children. And me with my new digital camera too! Argh! The boys went as Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. They were so cute in their dirty overalls and straw hats. PearlKeeper and her fiancee went as Freckles and Angel from Gene Stratton Porter's book, Freckles. The other girls went as Jane Austen's Emma and Rowena from Ivanhoe. There were many other characters there too.

The best part of the evening was when our church treasurer called us all out onto the front deck and told us all we had just paid off the debt on our new church property. He then lit the note on fire while we all cheered! Now we can start putting our money into a much needed building! Yippee!

We are thankful for this past year and look forward to the new one. Happy New Year to everyone!

My Deliverer

But I am poor and needy,

yet the Lord thinketh upon me;

Thou art my help and my deliverer;

make no tarrying, O my God.

Psalm 40:17

PearlKeeper created this picture, inscribed it with the accompanying Bible verse, and gave it to her dance instructors in memory of their last production History: My Deliverer for a Christmas gift. This is an illustration of the dance they did to Rich Mullins' My Deliverer.

Here are quite a few professional photos that were taken of the show.

We are so blessed that God has used this production to touch lives. They are getting many requests to come perform, some even from across the country. We are also blessed to have studio owners/professional dance instructors who have a vision for using dance to reach people for God. I would have never thought my daughters would be dancers but this studio's vision and commitment to modesty has opened the door for the children to minister in this way.

In the past, I would be too humble to invite strangers to come to a dance recital but this last production was different. The message was so powerful and the kids were incredible!! They made the stories come alive, not only with their professionalism, but their heart to worship. During the last show, the people could barely contain themselves. It was as if they were trying their best to stay in their seats. Several times many would stand and lift their hands in worship.

Pertinent scripture verses were read between numbers with great background music from the soundtrack of The Passion. There were so many beautiful and touching numbers beginning with My Deliverer when we see the Israelites in bondage waiting for their Deliverer. Jesus' birth, his childhood, the miracles in You Raise Me Up, especially when he raises the girl from the dead (I can't tell you how many times that one made me cry, even in practice!). The garden of Gethsemene when the powers of darkness battle Jesus' spirit and the crucifixion to Third Day's Thief!!! The climax is Arise My Love (we call it the stick dance) when Jesus comes out after he's risen from the tomb. The professional lighting, the live singers, the fog machine....it was incredible! But it didn't end there -- there was the Day of Pentecost to Third Day's Consuming Fire and ending with The Days of Elijah as the grand finale with the whole cast.

I wish all of you could see it!!

Please pray for the studio as it pursues fund raising. The shows are very expensive to do with the lighting and crew needed. The family running the studio does not make a profit. They try to keep the dance lessons affordable because most of their clients are students in homeschooling families, who are living off of the income of one parent. Many of the families have more than one child taking lessons. They are not doing this to make money, but to follow God in their vision for taking back the arts.

BLOCHhead's First Felt Dolls

First Annual Lazy Day

If you had walked up to our front door or screenroom door yesterday you would have found this notice:

Enter at Your Own Risk:

December 27, 2005

Is hereby declared

LAZY DAY

We can not be responsible

for the condition of said house or the

inhabitants thereof.

Inhabitants may be found playing games, drinking hot

chocolate or just sitting around talking and laughing.

No work is allowed, including washing dishes or picking up

anything until after 4pm.

First there were puzzles and games...

Then we made snacks and watched movies - the newer version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory & Muppet's Treasure Island...

Here's evidence of how LAZY everyone was. So all in all, I'd say the day was a success!

This Year's Handmade Christmas Gifts

I received a new digital camera from my dear Mr. Potts, who drew my name in the present exchange. Boy did I luck out! He said it felt like cheating to draw his own wife's name. No, it's not handmade but it is the means of posting these wonderful pictures!

I drew BLOCHhead's name this Christmas. Well, actually, I cheated and never put her name into the drawing because I wanted to bless her this year. I wanted to give her the hope chest I had as a girl and fill it with several handmade items along with some other special purchases.

While I was crocheting this afghan, I had not mentioned who it was for, when BLOCHhead said, "Oh, I love this! It looks like the ocean. You should give this to me!" I was so excited she liked it. I just murmured something unintelligible and kept working.


I made two of these doilies to add to her hope chest. This was one of the few times I have worked with this kind of thread and one of those tiny needles. I was discouraged to see many finished items like this at Hobby Lobby for a dollar or two. But at least she will always remember I made them by hand.







Here are a couple of the of dishcloths from the stack I made.











AdventureQueen made this afghan for her uncle. I was very proud of her work because this kind of fuzzy yarn is difficult to work with.











I made this afghan for Grandpa but Tigger earned the money for the yarn. I don't know why looks like it is misshapen in this photo. He got a matching scarf also. This yarn was very light and soft.








As you can see, we've been quite busy recently. I also crocheted at baby blanket and bonnet for baby Sarah and a handful of scarves. I bought some camouflage yarn this year and have been making scarves for the boys to match their camo-overalls. A neighbor boy was admiring them one day so he got one too and I'm almost finished with the last one for a cousin.

All of the girls have been crocheting too. Some evenings we will all be sitting around the living room with our yarn and hooks. PearlKeeper has begun her first baby afghan to add to her hope chest. It's been such a pleasure to pass this art on.

My Own Little Corner of the World

I love this cozy chair, right next to the fireplace. This is where I read, crochet and drink my coffee.

Since I love natural lighting, this is the best place to sit. In this chair, I can have enought light to read in the morning when the rest of the room is still too dark. The kids make fun of me because I hate artificial lights. I can often be found wandering the house in the last moments of twilight, trying to squeeze every last minute out of the day by waiting as long as possible before turning on the lights.

Merry Christmas!

These are my sister's children and mine with Grandma and Grandpa, who are quite the troopers to invite all of us into their home for over twenty four hours straight!! We had lots of food and fun. Everyone is home tonight feeling very blessed!

Merry Christmas to all of you from all of us at Shadybrook Acres!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

The girls baked some goodies to pass out to a few of our neighbors and went out yesterday morning to deliver them. Among the goodies were pumpkin bread, sugar cookies, both white and chocolate fudge and white chip walnut cookies. The peppermint candies were a failure of sorts and didn't make the cut.

One sweet old lady told them they had "purty teeth" and admonished them to take care of them while they had 'em. Gotta love livin' in the country!

The Third Book is Out!

For those of you who don't already know, PearlKeeper is illustrating the twelve book series, Grandmother's Hope Chest. The Button Jar, the third book in the series is now in print. You can go to the author's website, Hope Chest Legacy, and order all three books and many other adorable and useful items for your young maidens. (I love the cute sewing tins!! ) Vision Forum also carries the first two books and I'm sure will add the third by the time the next catalog goes out.
Here is our own PearlKeeper at a Young Authors Conference last spring signing books for some young girls. There were two authors and two illustrators chosen for the conference and PearlKeeper was one of the illustrators. After the conference we had a nice luncheon with the other author/illustrators, one of them being Valerie Tripp, author of the many of the American Girl books. This was very exciting and it almost landed her a job illustrating for Ms. Tripp but in the end it was decided that PearlKeeper's style did not exactly fit the new book Ms. Tripp had in mind.

Paper Nativity Scene

The kids are busy coloring and cutting out this cute nativity scene. Someone on the Ambleside email list posted this link. I know it's last minute but I thought some of you might still be able to squeeze it in.

Update: Here's the finished product:

The Old Books

I had saved this quote and found it floating in the stack of papers that sit by my computer awaiting the sorting process. Thankfully, I now have this blog so I have somewhere to put these miscellaneous thoughts and quotes!

"There is a strange idea abroad that in every subject the ancient books should be read only by professionals, and that the amateur should content himself with the modern books....Naturally, since I myself am a writer, I do not wish the ordinary reader to read no modern books. But if he must read only the new or only the old, I would advise him to read the old....

It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones....

We all need books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period.

And that means the old books. We may be sure that the characteristic blindness of the twentieth century....lies where we have never suspected it...None of us can fully escape this blindness...The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books."

C. S. Lewis


This puts me in mind of the "politically correct" version of history that our young people are being force fed today. When you read the words of George Washington, Columbus and even Abraham Lincoln you get a different picture than what is currently being set forth. For example, with the Civil War you may not realize that there is such a complexity of issues if you don't read the old books. There is an adage that "the victors write the history books" and the other side is not easily discovered if you don't dig back into the past. Whether you end up agreeing with one side or the other is not as important as realizing there was another side that has arguments worth considering.

Also, this thought hit home when writing this post on virtuous maidens. If you only read modern books you will not discover the "blindness" of our modern mindset. You could easily assume that the dating-and-rejection-of-fatherly-protection way of thinking is the way it always has been. You will not realize the inroads that have been made by feminism and the destruction that has come along with them if you don't read the old books.

Even very popular Christian leaders promote modern ideas, maybe unwittingly, by advising parents to just be patient, it is normal for teenagers to withdraw and find their own way in the world. They say to just give them unconditional love and they will come back. Just like the terrible two's doctrine. Parents are taught to expect tantrums and utter selfishness from their toddlers. Many find it astonishing that small children can be taught to sit still for hours and quietly entertain themselves...they think the idea of Children's Church is a new one. Those of us who have rejected these new ideas know how rare we must be when we go into public and are consistently stopped and praised for our children's behavior. The elderly often speak to us as if we take them back to another time when it was common for children to NOT be running through the restaurant. On the other hand, we are met with a shocked "how do you do it?" attitude from the younger set. Once my sister took her family out to eat and had their meal paid for by an older couple who were strangers that had observed their well-behaved family. More than infusing me with pride, it made me sad that we were so noticeable. I felt sure in older times we would have been considered nothing remarkable.

All of these thoughts and many, many more become evident when you read the old books.

Recommended Reading For Boys

The Common Room has a post listing good books for boys. I have relied on the Headmistress for years for book recommendations and have always been so grateful for her help. She has been one of the few I could turn to who had children older than mine. Thanks to them, my children have not had to be the guinea pigs every time.

To her list, we will add a few more titles that our boys have really enjoyed:

Pinocchio - the original version, NOT Disney's
Peter Pan - ditto above
books by Patricia St. John - get the older unabridged versions
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Princess and the Goblin (don't let the title fool you!)
The Story of Dr. Doolittle

If we think of any others, we will add an update later.

Phonics, Shmonics

TheLittlestPrincess is very resistant to phonics lessons. When any mother of a 5yo tells me this, I advise them to wait until the child is a bit older. I've taught six children to read and they were all ready at different times. Sometimes they are just not ready. Don't force it. There's plenty of time...yada, yada, yada.

Well, this is not the case with our little scholar. She insists on reading. She just doesn't have time to learn her phonograms and the rules about "when two vowels go walking, the first does the talking." I try to casually slip in these little lessons in when possible, but she's not interested in vowels. She is, however, very interested in words. She has been copying words for years already. Once when we were out of town, visiting a relative's church that was meeting in a gym, I looked down and saw that she had copied 'Visitors' and 'Home' from the scoreboard onto the empty spaces of the church bulletin along with her brothers' names and other miscellaneous words she could find.

Tonight, even after two days of fever and only doing better now because of the advil she had 3 hours ago, she was just pestering her father with, "What does N-E- (holding up 3 fingers in the shape of a W - she keeps forgetting the name of this letter) and this say?"

"It says new."

"Read it to me Daddy", as she leans the Reader's Digest book America The Beautiful toward him.

"Although New England is the smallest regional division of the nation..." he reads then grins and says, "Honey, this is a hard book for you."

"I know Daddy, but I can read some words in it."

"Why don't you get an easier book."

"Ok. Mom, can I get my green book?"

Three days ago I took down an old Rod & Staff reader (the green book) that her sisters read when they were little and she is on lesson 23 already and at this very moment is begging her dad to come and listen to her read some more. She wants us near to help her with new words as she comes across them, and she is doing a good job at remembering those words. When we try to give a little phonics instruction along the way, she politely, but with a distinct air of indifference, nods her head.

It's not looking like I am going to get to "teach" her to read. She is not supposed to be able to read 'about' yet. She has never been taught that word and doesn't she realize that I haven't taught her -ou- yet? Where are those flashcards, anyway? I don't think she knows that I have boatloads of reading instruction materials tucked away in bins just waiting for her.

One of our older daughters did something similar to this. She did have some phonics basics but took off on her own by sitting on the couch and calling out the spelling of any word she didn't know but at least she started doing that with the children's picture books, not Reader's Digest America the Beautiful! It's been quite a while since those days, and four children since then who have made teaching reading a hard job requiring large doses of coffee and chocolate to make it through. Maybe this time, God wants to demonstrate His sense of humor. Just when I think I've got this teaching thing down, He gives me a child who doesn't need it!

For years my mother has been snickering and saying, "This one is going to give you a run for your money!" I guess I should have paid a little more attention to that little gleam in her eye each time she made this statement. Grandparents enjoy this kind of thing a little too much!

God's Wife

Funny conversation overheard during kitchen clean up tonight:

5yoLittlestPrincess: "Mary was God's wife, right?"

SmokeyBear: "No, Mary wasn't God's wife. Mary was Jesus' Mom."

LittlestPrincess: "Well, who is God's wife? Everyone has to have a wife or husband!"

BLOCHhead: "All Christians are like God's wife."

LittlestPrincess, with horror: "Even boys???!!"

BLOCHhead, sheepishly: "Yeah. It's kinda weird, isn't it?"

Our Christmas Plans

Another thing I love about where I live is that if you go out the front door, cross the field, take a short walk through the woods down an old logging road and you will come to Grandma & Grandpa's house! (Aren't my kids SO blessed!) Grandma is always close by to ooh and ahh right when you need her to, like when TheLittlestPrincess got her ears pierced a few weeks ago, and Grandpa is always passing out the jelly beans and giving baseball pointers.

How to celebrate Christmas has never been a solid issue around our house. I grew up celebrating it, Mr.Potts' family didn't...druids and all that. So we didn't get a tree, then we did (there was that time we cut down 3 puny trees from the woods and tied them together because we were too cheap to buy one..ha), then we didn't, now we are thinking of getting one again. We're sporadic like that sometimes. Not at all proper to the poor relatives, I know. A short article in World magazine got me thinking it over again. And then there is the DHM's post over at The Common Room and you can find quite a trail from there to many other variations on how Christians celebrate the holiday. One may demand that it be about all about Jesus' birth and another may insist on not connecting that event to it at all. We are too lazy to research the matter for ourselves, or maybe we just don't care enough. So we ride every wind of Christmas doctrine. And this year, the prevailing wind seems to be in favor of celebrating.

Anyway...over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go...because that is where we celebrate Christmas. My sister's family and mine come to Grandma's house on Christmas eve packed with jamas and all twelve grandchildren, ready to spend the night. We dress up and take family pictures. Each of the three families bring a favorite meal and we have a marvelous spread! We cook so much so we don't have to the next day, instead we eat all of the yummy leftovers, except for Grandpa's meatballs which never last that long. :(

After we get the kids to bed, we get out the ancient stockings and fill them with goodies. The adults stay up late laughing and talking and drinking coffee and hot chocolate. The kids sleep in the basement where it is quite dark so we don't have to worry about being awakened too early by excited children.

To combat the insanity that would result if we all tried to by each person a present, we draw names so we each have one person to focus on. It is supposed to be a secret but I get so many requests for present ideas I always figure it all out. So, we get up and one at a time starting with the youngest, and open presents. With eighteen people, this makes the gift giving last quite a while because we all enjoy watching other people get their gifts. This year I know Mr. Potts got me and I hear rumor it's a fantastic present??? Though of course, I wouldn't dream of manipulating it out of the children.

After presents comes the stockings. Then we eat breakfast. The rest of the day we lay around (1/2 the time in our pajamas) and play games and do whatever we feel like. We don't have any incredible traditions, we just love to hang out together. Usually Christmas Day eve rolls around and we are still there. Some have even been known to stay a second night.

We are so excited about the gifts we are giving this year. Can't wait to post pictures when it's safe to let the secrets out! Now if we could just get some snow!

Sisters - Does It Get Any Better Than This?

One thing I love about where I live is that if you walk out our screenroom door and up a little rise in the land and then through a path in the woods you emerge in the backyard of my beloved sister and her family. We have spent many days on each other's porches watching the kids swim or play in a sandbox. We can run over and borrow whatever we need, even if the other is not at home. We hug and correct each other's children, eat each other's food and enjoy ourselves so much we almost feel guilty.

Mr. Potts and I have been known to be waiting in their house for them to get home so we can play games, laugh, brew coffee, sit and talk or...did I mention laugh? They have even spent the night at our house (remember we just live next door) on a number of occasions because we sat up too late and everyone was too tired to lug the kids out to the van. Sometimes after both of our families arrive home late after our Friday night Bible study's with our church group, the phone rings and we hear, "Wanna come over? Bring the salsa!"

Our husbands love each other like brothers. When we bought a new microscope years ago, they spent days searching for unusual things to look at and became especially fascinated with the eyes of insects. Even further back, when they tried a new kind of pepper we grew in the garden (habenero) and almost quit breathing after each popping one in their mouths, they spent the rest of the evening cutting warning and poison labels off of anything they could find and gluing them on the outside of a jar, which contained more peppers. They love to sit around and brainstorm problems or discuss inventions.

Our children run joyously to greet each other, even though they see each other nearly every day. When we get back from out-of-town, even if it's just a few days, they beg and plead to run over and say hello. Mine say, "Remember when they first moved here almost four years ago, you said we'd probably get sick of each other? Well, we still haven't!"

We even share each other with other friends. Instead of getting jealous, we rejoice with each other. Her friends, even though I may not spend much or any time with them, get an automatic place in my heart. When I moved away, she took over being there for my best friend and then they became close. I never felt intimidated. It was like having more of me to spread around.

Of course, things are not always perfect. We have offended each other from time to time. The children have quarreled. We have all been defensive parents. But like a big, cozy blanket on a cold, wintry day, love covers over all of those things.

In this season of being thankful and gift giving, I wanted to acknowledge that my sister and her family are one of God's greatest gifts to me. Her love is always there and I couldn't imagine life without it.

Narnia, More Than a Story!!!

Well, I got to see The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe!!! I was there the second it turned to a new day on December 9th of 2005 at 12:00 am. I arrived in my PJs and slippers as did several of my friends. This was a momentous occasion for me! I have been in love with Narnia since I was a little girl and I have read the series 9 times which is far to few if you ask me. I plan on reading them again ASAP.

When I was a lot younger I used to tell my family that someone needed to make movies of Narnia and very soon MamaLion found that someone had. We rented three of them. I hated them all!!! I wanted to throw rotten veggies and darts at the TV because they gave such a lousy, lame, loser attempt at doing Narnia justice.

Narnia, to me, seems so much more then a story or a fantasy. I feel like I've lived there and been a part of something so much bigger and more important than me and when I am jolted back to earth I see things in a much bigger way then ever before.

The future hinges on what is done now and every battle that rages inside us is so important to our Lion of Judah. Just like Peter who could not have victory over the powers of darkness even with all of Narnia at his side. Only along side his perfect King could his efforts have power behind them and the powers of evil became too weak to stand against them. It is just so with Our God.

There's a bigger picture and we don't have to see it to believe it. One knows that when darkness fights so desperately that there must be so much to lose and therefore much for us to gain. There will be battles and they must be fought!!!

This movie that I saw last night did the book so much justice. I believe I held my breath through the whole movie and watched with glittery-eyed amazement as I discovered Narnia with the children, betrayed those whom I loved and through misery, pain and hopelessness was rescued in shame and found cleansing forgiveness with Edmund.

I felt unworthy and too small to lead something as important as the armies of Aslan, yet still found courage to do what was asked of me, and I lead many men into what seemed a hopeless battle along side Peter.

I cried when I saw the darkest sides of evil with Susan and Lucy as they watched their great King die in shame for they, their brothers and all of Narna, and buried my face in Aslan's fur and wet him with my tears then felt the power and joy that flowed when death could not conquer Him!!!

I lived as a queen in Narnia then found, when I stumbled back to earth, that I was only a girl again with a new and greater perspective on life!!!!!!!!!!!

Math Games

We recently purchased this math games kit and we are loving it! It has over 300 games with everything you need plus very clear instructions, which this mathematically-challenged mom needs desperately. The chapters are set up sequentially and within each chapter you will find it begins with the easiest level and progressively moves upward. It is very easy to find to find the game you need to enforce a particular concept or skill, making it a great addition to any math program. The kids love taking a break from worksheets and playing these games. Here are the chapter headings:

Numeration
Addition
Clocks
Multiplication
Money
Subtraction
Division
Fractions

This would make a great Christmas gift for any family.

More on Handling Misunderstanding

It was very interesting that only hours after I typed the last post, Seeking Understanding, I was once again confronted with a situation of being misjudged. I should not get angry because I have done my share of misjudging situations. Even still, it is hard to quell that sense of injustice that rises up within me. Once again I went through the range of emotions from trying to harden myself off from caring to wanting to give up. Even after I had just typed that last entry! Luckily I had that fresh in my mind and it began working within me to bring good fruit.

After doing my best to calm myself and find the peace of God again I was looking for through my list of copywork verses for the children's schoolwork. I found myself in 1 Peter and some very familiar verses ministered to me once again.

"For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. " (1 Peter 2:19 - 20)

Then in 1 Peter 4:8 -

"Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins."
God must feel I need to practice this until I get it right the first time and these principles become my first response! I pray that won't take many more times!

Seeking Understanding

"...We are all very anxious to be understood, and it is very hard not to be. But there is one thing much more necessary."

"What is that, Grandmother?"

"To understand other people."

"Yes, Grandmother, I must be fair - for if I'm not fair to other people, I'm not worth being understood myself. I see..."

From The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald

I was reading this to the boys today and this passage struck me. So much of the source of my grief in life has come from my pain at being misunderstood. When I was younger I tried not to care what other people thought (It's their problem!) then when that didn't work, I would decide to withdraw and just not open up any more. Neither option works when you desire to really take part in the life of the Kingdom of God.

Experience has taught me to be more careful, less hasty, and maturity has taken away some of that need to always have a say in the matter, to always prove my "rightness". These things have helped. But this passage hit me in a fresh way. To make it one's objective to understand others, to put that obective before your own need to be understood. Hmmm. I detect much food for thought here. I shall have to reflect on this further with a hot cup of tea, a cozy blanket and a fire in the fireplace.

A Virtuous Maiden, Who Can Find?

One of our favorite literary characters that demonstrates virtuous girlhood is Patience Heatherstone in The Children of the New Forest by Captain Marryat, first published in 1847.

Here's our favorite excerpt from a conversation between Patience and Edward, a young man who is in love with her. They have just had a small dispute between them.

"It is I who am in fault, Patience," replied Edward. "I have been dreaming for a long while, pleased with my dreams, and forgetting that they were dreams, and not likely to be realized. I must now speak plainly. I love you, Patience - love you so much that to part from you would be misery; to know that my love was rejected, as bitter as death. That is the truth, and I can conceal it no longer. Now I admit you have a right to be angry."

"I see no cause for anger, Edward, " replied Patience. "I have not thought of you but as a friend and benefactor; it would have been wrong to have done otherwise. I am but a young person, and must be guided by my father. I would not offend him by disobedience. I thank you for your good opinion of me, and yet I wish you had not said what you have. "

Imagine a young girl of today saying this to a young man who had just declared his ardent love for her. Then imagine this young man actually having his conscience pricked about declaring his love to this young maiden without speaking to her father first. This happens a few sentences on into the story:

"Here comes my father, Edward," said Patience.

(Edward) "Surely I have done wrong, for I feel afraid to meet him."

It is comforting to know that the seemingly radical stand we are taking in the approach of how we plan to give our daughters in marriage is not historically radical at all, but at one time was quite the normal procedure. This idea of daughters belonging to their fathers is to be found in quite a bit of old literature, including the Bible. Feminists will gnash their teeth at the idea, of course, but when we consider where their ideas have led us, we do not give their concerns any merit.

It is sad to realize how foreign these ideas have become to modern people. We plan to do our part in reintroducing these ideas to our culture. The divorce rate being what it is, we can not help think that it only makes sense to consider other alternatives, especially alternatives from times past when the state of marriage was not in such jeopardy.

For My people have forgotten Me,
They burn incense to worthlessness
And they have stumbled from their ways,
From the ancient paths,
To walk on bypaths,
Not on a highway...
Jeremiah 18:15

Look At Those Cheeks!!!

This is our cute little niece/cousin, Sarah, who is almost two months old now! We are all taking a part in "spoiling" her by taking turns running next door to hold her. Already she hates to be put down. I was lucky she was happy while I put her down to take these pictures! She loves to be snuggled and we are all only too happy to oblige.

History Reading

Here is Marvin Olasky's (of World Magazine) high school history reading list. We had many of these titles already and ordered the rest through amazon's used book service.

Now I'm just hoping for a long, cold winter!

Good or Bad?

We often depend on literature for moral lessons and examples of different kinds of character traits. Young children always want to know "Is he the good guy or the bad guy?" and it is sometimes hard for them to comprehend that people can do good things and bad things and it's not often possible to sort them into neat "good or bad" categories.

Last summer while we were reading English history in H.E. Marshall's An Island Story, the boys were constantly wanting to know who were the good guys. When issues arose between the English and the French they would ask, "Who are we going for?" I had to tell them that both their father and I had strong ties to England (my paternal grandmother came over on the boat on her 8th birthday) but that parts of my family were French (my maternal grandmother's maiden name was LaFleur). Discovering that there is an obvious family connection between their father's side of the family and a certain character in the King Arthur story, combined with the fact that An Island Story is written from the English perspective, they were happy to settle the question. They were going for the English.

One day riding in the truck, TheLittlestPrincess, who is now the proud age of five, asked, "Mom, was Abraham Lincoln a bad president?". She then informed me that Tigger said he was. I tried to explain to her that Abraham Lincoln did some things we don't agree with and sometimes gets credit that he doesn't deserve. She patiently listened to my examples and when I was finished said, "Yeah, but is he bad or good?"

I know partly this way of thinking is due to immaturity and as they grow they will see that this is not always a simple question to answer. I hope they will come to see that a benefit to studying people in history is realizing, as Charlotte Mason so eloquently says,

"...we know there is a great deal to be said on both sides of every question and are saved from crudities in opinion and rashness in action."

Seek and Ye Shall Find

We have been very thankful to Vision Forum for much encouragement over the years. This picture was taken at their Father/Daughter Retreat last spring.


AdventureQueen graduated, turned 18 this year and was struggling with pressure to go the accepted route for young women which included either college or career but most importantly - independence. It was amazing to her that even complete strangers would make it their business to question her about her plans for the future. With all of the many voices, even those of trusted Christian friends, it was difficult for her to find peace. Much of that lack of peace was her parents' fault. We had been sending her mixed signals about life as an "adult". Sometimes our parenting goes on automatic pilot and we say the things we either grew up hearing or repeat what we have heard from the world. Often we are guilty of reactionary parenting. We get on our knees in times of perceived crisis instead of seeking God for His ways and thoughts ahead of time. Of this, we repent and hope and pray to do better in the future.

After getting our answers through prayer and lots of time talking together, we looked to see if Vision Forum had any materials to strengthen us in our resolve and we found this book - So Much More: The Remarkable Influence of Visionary Daughters on the Kingdom of God. Here's the first paragraph from the book:

"The world is a mess and it's our fault. This is one of the most important things our father has taught us over the years. It sounds hard, but sometimes we need to hear hard truths. God has given principles for all people to live by. Christians are suposed to know exactly what these principles are and live by them, setting the example and upholding the standard. Yet Christians can be some of the most careless and ungrateful and forgetful people. We Christians can be responsible for leading the culture either away from God's design or toward it. Our father has taught us to confess our errors and admit our mistakes. We truly have been a part of the problem, because we have been careless with the standard."

This book is written by two young girls, aged 17 and 19, with additions by fourteen other young women. We have just begun to read it together and so far, it has been a godsend. Here's the last paragraph of the first chapter, which I have a hard time reading without tears:

"Feminists will say we're weak, but after struggling with feminism ourselves, we realize that being a woman of God will take more of our strength than trying to be anything else. It will require the courage and conviction of a martyr. This is not a book for the weak-hearted or peer-dependant."

This brings me to tears because I'm sad that it is so hard for young people these days. They face so many obstacles. But on the other hand, I'm excited because the ones that overcome will be strong in God and ready to be put to good use by Him.

View From My Computer Desk

The woods are so beautiful this time of year! I feel so blessed to have this gorgeous view while I sit at my computer. The leaves are not even at their peak yet but I'm trying to enjoy every minute because I know before too long they will all be gone and the trees will be settling in for their winter rest. Although I hate to see the woods so bare, I know that without the seemingly dead time of winter the other seasons wouldn't be appreciated as much. I'm so glad to live in a region where the seasons are so different!

Aren't They Cute!

Here's one of our grown-up kittens (I know that makes her a cat but we have a strange identification method.) and Wallace, my brother's puppy. Wallace is growing like a weed and has begun to endear himself to the family. He wasn't popular at first, especially when he was using the kittens as chew toys. But he's settling in now and finding other things to chew. Like the seat of a folding chair someone left on the deck. Then Grandma brought him over a sack full of chew toys that her dog had outgrown. Order has been restored.

Now, about our identification method. Many of our cats never really get names. They may be officially named at some point but I can never remember what they are and the kids are changing them too often so they are referred to as the older-orange-girl-kitten, orange-and-white-boy-kitten, etc. It's getting to be somewhat of a hassle though, so I may round the kids up and get some real names established. However, when the kids come up with a name for a cat like 'Smoochie Poochie' and it actually sticks, it makes me think I'd be better off with the color and gender identification method.

Favorite pets

This was one of SmokeyBear's favorite critter-finds this year. This snake was his daily companion. He even bought a small mouse at the pet store in order to offer the snake something to eat. We were very entertained to see the snake and the mouse be friendly with each other. The mouse actually made its bed in the middle of the coiled up snake and they slept together. I think they worked out a plan together, for in the morning great holes were chewed in the cage and both had escaped. Since then he has found several smaller snakes but none near the size of this one. While the smaller snakes make lovely live ornamental bracelets, they are not as impressive as his long lost friend. SmokeyBear is fortunate his mother does not have a snake phobia.

Narration on Henry the Eighth

From chapter 64 of An Island Story, which you can read here. Remember narration, as Charlotte Mason advocated, is the practice of telling back what one remembers after a single reading. This is 9yo Tigger's composition as dictated to me without any help or prompting. Try this: read the chapter only once, close the book and write out what you remember. You may be surprised and how difficult narrating is! ****************************************************
Henry the Eighth

He had a wife called Catherine and he got tired of her and she fell at his feet saying, "Please don't send me away. I don't want to go somewhere else." He still sent her away. Then he married Anne Boelyn. He told the Church to not look upon the Pope any more. He was the head of the Church and the State. All of the people that still looked upon the Pope, he put them in jail and then cut off their heads. And anyone who looked upon Martin Luther, he cut off their heads and burned them. Then he soon got tired of Anne Boelyn and he put her in prison and cut off her head.

So he married Jane and he loved her a lot. And she died and he didn't marry anybody else for two years. Then he saw a picture of Catherine and he thought she was very beautiful. So he sent for her and when he saw her, she wasn't pretty. She was very ugly and clumsy. He gave her large sums of money to go away and she did. She wanted to keep her head on her shoulders. Before he married her this guy told him to marry her and he cut off his head.

Then he married a fifth lady. Then he found out she was very evil but he was eviler but he didn't realize that. So he put her in jail and cut off her head and put a bunch of her friends in jail and cut off their heads. Then he married the sixth lady and her name was Catherine. She wanted to keep her head on her shoulders and Henry the Eighth almost cut off her head because she didn't quite agree with him. Catherine liked being called Queen of England.

The country soon rebelled against him. So England got a lot of men together.

And then he took all of the Bibles and put them each one in every church and tied them up.

Upcoming Performances of HISTORY: My Deliverer

For all of our friends and family who might like to attend the performance of HISTORY: My Deliverer, which is the life of Christ in dance and drama. Featuring contemporary Christian music and live singers. The following are the dates of upcoming shows which PearlKeeper and BLOCHhead will be performing in:

• November 10 11am and 7pm
  
• November 11 & 12 7pm
• November 13 2:30pm

If anyone would like to come to town for the show, I'm sure we can find room for you to stay with us, extended family or church members.

This has been an extremely powerful performance! Many people have been pleasantly surprised at how well done and professional it is. Several parts have received standing ovations. We would love for you to come!

Travel Journal

September 5th, 2005
Here we are in Washington, DC after a long trip from Tennessee yesterday! We arrived late last night at a nice family campground right outside the city where we plan on staying for the week. Today, we went to Mount Vernon, the home of our first president, George Washington. It was a beautiful place set on a rolling hilltop overlooking the Potomac River. We sat for awhile on that hill in front of the house looking out at the river and I could just imagine George Washington doing the same over 200 years ago. He'd be experiencing the same things I was: the cool breeze, the view, the contentment in knowing that he lived in a beautiful, free nation.

Then this evening we drove to Annapolis Harbor, where we saw the U.S. Naval Academy and hundreds of boats!! We could feel the Labor Day holiday in he air as we moored around the docks along with many young people out celebrating their day free from work. It was a lovely evening and dusk was gathering as we climbed into a tour boat to take an evening tour. Beneath us, the water was shimmering and reflecting the multi-colored sky. People from the other boats waved as we passed by and though we could hardly see them anymore, we waved back. I guess the peacefulness of the evening made us sleepy because me and my seven brothers and sisters were all fast asleep when we pulled back into our campsite.

September 6, 2005
Today we took a trip via the subway into downtown Washington DC. We walked out of the station, still dazzled by the thrill of our first subway ride, and looked around us at our nation's capital. We had never realized before how very beautiful the sight was. Each intricately structured building and historic monument provided a pattern so perfect that it made me wish I could soar up like a bird to look down and take it all in at once.

After lunch, we went into the National Gallery of Art. Taking our time, we walked through each exhibit slowly. There were couches dispersed through multiple rooms and on some there were students lounging with notebooks studying paintings that apprarently had fancied them. My mom, sisters, and I walked through quietly studying each painting closely and marveling at the pure talent these artists possessed. With each painting, I longed to become like these artists and touch hearts with beautiful pictures for the world to understand and admire.

September 7, 2005
We went back downtown today to just stroll around and see the monuments up close. We went first to the Washington Monument. Even when we saw it far off, it was breathtaking but that was nothing compared to standing right next to it. If you had good balance you could look up and watch I seeming to sway back and forth while the clouds about it would circle 'round and form a sort of crown on its pointed top. We picnicked in the shadow of the monument and then made our way down the long winding sidewalk to the Lincoln Memorial. There we rested and read the inscriptions on the walls with the face of Abraham Lincoln looking sternly down at us. Turning around and walking back down the steps we could see the reflecting pool with the Washington Monument reflected right in the center of the water. Ducks were swimming in the pool and people were standing along the pathway resting or taking in the sights around them. The scene provided a one-point perspective of the pool, the Washington Monument, and the Capitol Building forming one line and getting smaller as they went.

September 8, 2005
Leaving at 9:00 A.M. we took a long trip to Williamsburg, Virginia today. It was a four hour drive to the Colonial town but the boring trip was forgotten as we began to walk around. We strolled at our own pace and walked in and out of small shops that had been built to function just as they would have in the Colonial era. Around us, people were dressed as if they had just walked out of the 1600s. One woman as even carrying a baby boy dressed in a white blouse and britches. The shop we stayed in longest was the apothecary shop where they displayed medicines and remedies from the 1600s. When we walked in, we saw endless rows of old bottles and jars lining the shelves. There was a soapy, sweet smell in the air and a smiling lady in a mobcap behind the counter. She was there to prescribe some sort of medicine or herb for whatever ailed you, in Colonial days, that is. But today, she was there to answer all our questions about sickness in the 17th century. We walked in and out of many places including the shoemaker, gunsmith, milliner, silversmith, and blacksmith. Every shop had its own special smell and feel. By the time we were ready to go back, each was convinced that he was born in the wrong time period and longing for the olden days again.

September 9, 2005
Our last day was spent at the beautiful Baltimore Harbor. We arrived around 2:00 P.M., parked, and began to walk. The first thing that struck us was that, like Annapolis, there were hundreds of sailboats and yachts in the water and tied to the docks. On one huge yacht, a family lounged on lawn chairs drinking lemonade and waving back to people who called hello. We walked in a half-circle around a small inlet area passing by tall skyscrapers and crowds of people. Once, we passed a man who was playing the guitar, a drum set and a harmonica all at once. Small kids jumped up and down to the beat of the music around him while grown-ups dropped money in his bucket. Continuing on after watching for a while, we also passed a few anchored old ships and even an old submarine that could be explored with tickets. But we were hungry for dinner by this point so we circled back to find a place to eat. The rest of the evening was spent at the Rusty Scupper eating delicious seafood and enjoying the incredible view of Baltimore Harbor from our table.

A Copycat of Olive Garden's Hot Artichoke & Spinach Dip

This recipe is SO good! Many people think it is better than Olive Garden's. I have used it many a time to bribe friends and family. We like it with tortilla chips. Be prepared: it never lasts long!

Add hot wings (I just follow the recipe on the RedHot sauce bottle) and you have a feast of flavors fit for any football or evening get-together!

Welcome Sarah Faith!

Our new little niece/cousin was born at 8:35 October 10, 2005. She weighs 7 lbs. 3 oz. and is almost 20 inches long.

After a night of mild labor, things started picking up around 6am. After an hour in the hot tub everything began moving quickly. My sister did an amazing job! And our beloved friend and midwife did a stupendous job; what would we do without her?

She made her debut into the world on Grandpa's favorite leather LazyBoy chair (which was protected of course)! She knows how to arrive in style!

So far, she has been the most peaceful , content baby and is already sucking her fingers. Her sister and brothers couldn't be more pleased!

Life Out of Death

About two weeks ago, I received word that my grandmother was probably dying. My sister, my oldest daughter and I left within a hour of the news and drove all night to Michigan to try to see her one last time. She was a phenomenal woman and I plan to write a post just about her soon. But something very exciting came out of the trip and I know she would have preferred for his news to take precedence over her own story.

Even though we didn't make it in time to see Grandma, we had a wonderful opportunity to see one of my younger brothers, Judah. He asked to come home with us for a visit, feeling that he had a real need in his life and feeling that coming home with us would set him on the path to filling that need. The ten hour trip home never seemed so fast! We talked the whole way, laughing at family stories and also serious conversations about life with God and the Body of Christ. We did take one break from talking to play a Jeremy Camp CD for him and he couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

It just so happened that our church was in the middle of our Feast of Tabernacles celebration which means we were camping out and having meetings every night. This is always a very special time of year for us but this year Judah being with us made it extra special. The first night home Judah asked for prayer and surrounded by many caring people, he was moved to tears of repentance. The second night he announced he wanted to rededicate his life to God and the third night he asked to be baptized in the creek on our church property!

Since then he's made a trip to his home state to tie up loose ends and now he is living with us and planning on starting a new business with my brother-in-law. He is teaching AdventureQueen how to play the guitar and they are having special times talking and worshipping together.

There is so much to this story but I want to share about the meaning of his name. I have always been told Judah means praise. I wanted to research a little further so I consulted my Strong's Concordance and here's what I found:

• (Judah) Yehuwdah comes from a primary root Yadah which means literally to use (ie. hold out) the hand; especially to revere or worship with extended hands

I was amazed because I had already loaded these pictures onto this post before I looked this up!







I am so thrilled to have been a part of all of this and so thankful to have my brother with us!!!!

A Good Quote Does The Heart Good

"...love is the proof of God, and forgiveness is the proof of love."

From Levi's Will by W. Dale Cramer