Tommy's First Speaker for Little Boys and Girls

I bought this old (1885) little volume of poetry for children from the DHM from the Common Room. In case there are others looking for copywork, dictation or recitation pieces for their boys, I thought I'd share the poems here on our blog.

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(**Update: I mistakenly thought these first few poems were from the "suitable for little boys" section but actually the first one is for little girls and the others are for both boys and girls. I will continue on with this project by posting the boys' poems first, then the girls', then the mixed ones. Sorry for the confusion.)

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Each week I'll try to remember to post a few. I'm notorious for not finishing projects that I start because I forget about them but if I leave this little book by my computer, hopefully it will force me to think about it. If you print them out each week, you will eventually have the whole little volume yourself. Enjoy!

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How Babies Grow

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Baby wee, baby wee!

What does little baby see?

All among her pillows lying,

Never fretful, never crying;

Caper and crow, caper and crow!

That's the way that babies grow!

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Baby fair, baby fair!

Rosy cheeks and curly hair,

Al among her pillows playing,

Little chubby hands displaying;

Caper and crow, caper and crow!

That's the way that babies grow!

JENNIE CARROLL

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"I Can" and "I Can't"

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"I Can't" is a sluggard, too lazy to work,

From duty he shrinks, every task he will shirk;

No bread on his board, and no meal in his bag,

His house is a ruin, his coat is a rag.

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"I Can" is a worker; he tills the broad fields,

And digs from the earth all the wealth that it yields;

The hum of his spindles begins with the light,

And the fires of his forges are blazing all night.

WILLIAM ALLEN BUTLER

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The Chickens

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Said the first little chicken,

With a queer little squirm,

"I wish I could find

A fat little worm."

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Said the next little chicken,

With an odd little shrug,

"I wish I could find

A fat little slug."

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Said the third little chicken,

With a sharp little squeal,

"I wish I could find

Some nice yellow meal."

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Said the fourth little chicken,

With a small sigh of grief,

"I wish I could find

A little green leaf."

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Said the fifth little chicken,

With a faint little moan,

"I wish I could find

A wee gravel stone."

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"Now, see here," said the mother,

From the green garden patch,

"If you want any breakfast,

Just come here and scratch."

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God's Mark On All Things

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There's not a leaf within the bower,

There's not a bird upon the tree,

There's not a dew-drop on the flower,

But bears the impress, Lord, of Thee.

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MRS. AMELIA OPIE

What I've Been Reading

Several titles by Randy Alcorn of Eternal Perspectives Ministries. So far I've completed Deadline, Safely Home and The Ishbane Conspiracy. I just started Dominion. They are the kind of books you just want to buy a thousand copies and pass them out to everyone you know. They are great reading for older teens and adults, providing a way to learn about things that you don't want to have to experience yourself in order to gain the benefits of understanding the issues.

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The girls started reading them too. I gave Ishbane Conspiracy to Adventure Queen a day or two ago and she stayed up last night to finish it, telling me that everyone who has children should read it. When I looked up the website to post the link above, I saw a quote from someone saying exactly the same thing - that it should be required reading for every parent. Tom is finishing Deadline and has been raving to me of all she has learned about current social issues. I believe she is working on a post about it so I won't steal her thunder here.

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Tom also is reading The Purity Principle and she said she would like to buy many copies to hand out to young people. It's small and easy to read and she felt like it made the case for staying pure very well using concrete examples from real people's lives.

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The kids will probably be posting more about their thoughts on these books but I just couldn't wait to tell y'all to order these! You won't be sorry!

Beauty

We had a special gathering of women at our church Monday night and the topic was The Longing to be Beautiful. I think it was the best talk on beauty that I had ever heard. The speaker was a woman who has been through some hard things in her life and among them the diagnosis of epilepsy in her 3yo son, his death by the time he was four in a car accident (while she was on her way to church) and breast cancer. She had lost all of her hair and had to have her breasts removed. This caused her to really seek the Lord on what He thinks about beauty.

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The first Scripture she shared was a very popular one when addressing the subject, but it had much more meaning coming from our speaker.

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"Your adornment must not be merely external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God."

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After sharing more Scriptures and personal testimony we spent some time in small group discussion at our table of about 8 women. Among the eight was one woman who had to wear a wig, another who had anorexia and another who had plastic sugery to eliminate 200lbs of weight but still struggled greatly with too much body fat. It was amazing to see these women open up the private details of their lives. My only complaint was that our time was cut short because it would have been nice to pray for some of them individually.

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This event was instigated for the women of the church but I was so glad I brought my daughters, even though they were the only young people. They split us up at different tables, which was great because they all had plenty of opportunity to talk to other women. I am really looking forward to getting to know so many "beautiful" women. When we were driving home that night and discussing the message, BLOCHhead said the teenage girls need to hear that probably more than the women did. Desegregation is something we hope to encourage more because young girls sure could benefit from hearing the testimonies of older women! I was blessed to see how open they were to the girls coming. One lady who was in charge of a coming event for adults told us we all needed to come even though it was supposed to be for adults only. She said with a sly smile, "Well, if you show up, we won't be able to turn you away!" How nice and beautiful!

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I'll close with the piece our speaker closed with.

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Our Daily Bread "For His Eyes Only"

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see a lovely reflection? A handsome face" Or do you see a plain or unattractive countenance? We want to give those who behold us what my friend called an aesthetic blessing. But what about the beauty of holiness? Are others blessed by the beauty that flows through us from Christ?

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A distinguished Bible scholar of the 19th century, J.B. Lightfoot, was described by one of his devoted students as "startlingly ugly: a stout little man with a grotesque figure and a squint." But that same student also said that Lightfoot ws "the best man I have ever encountered, and I say this deliberately after the experience of many years. In a day or two...his face appeared the most beautiful and lovable thing imaginable.

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When Stephen was brought before the Jewish council for interrogation, "they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke" (Acts 6:10). As he was begin accused, they "saw his face as the face of an angel" (v. 15). By God's transforming grace, we too can have a daily beauty in our lives. As we walk prayerfully in the Spirit, our faces increasingly reflect the beauty of Jesus. -- Vernon C. Grounds

Home

The dearest spot of earth to me

Is home, sweet home,

The fairy land I've longed to see

Is home, sweet home,

There how charm'ed the sense of hearing,

There where hearts are so endearing

All the world is not so cheering

As home, sweet home.

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I've taught my heart the way to prize,

My home, sweet home,

I've learned to look with lover's eyes

On home, sweet home,

There where vows are truly plighted,

There where hearts are so united

All the world besides I've slighted

For home sweet home.

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By W.T. Wrighton

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Everywhere I may go in this life and everywhere I've been I find that no place is or could be more dear to me than my home. All the friends I have and all the friends I will have, none could possibly mean as much to me as my family.

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Our house is not especially beautiful, there are books that sometimes litter the couches and shoes by the door and peace is not always present; brothers running through the house and sometimes barging into my room to ask for help with this or wanting to show me a new toy. But I would not give up the special time of helping a little brother (and yes even when its a inconvenient time) or talking with my sisters or reading together on a rainy day for anything the world has to offer!

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I find that many people I've talked to have expressed regret that they did not spend enough time with a sister or brother in there childhood or that they wasted to much their time having "fun" in the world rather than being content at home. I have never heard anyone say that they did not have enough freedom as a teenager or they wished they had more "fun" while growing up.

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I know that one day I will have to make my own decisions about how I spend my time but that time is not now and in the meantime I am enjoying my time and making memories that will last me all my life and will bring more joy to me than any momentary pleasure.

Rainy Day Read Aloud

A beautiful sight to a homeschooling mom's heart: all of the children voluntarily gathered around for a cozy time of reading together during their free time on a rainy day.

Encouragement to Face the Giants

We are all really enjoying our new church, especially the sermons, which have been very uplifting and encouraging. Yesterday we were gone all day. Since our church is an hour away and we wanted to go to a smaller meeting in the evening, we found ways to keep busy in between times. We went to the local mall, had lunch, and then caught a movie - and wow what a movie!

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Facing the Giants was the most inspirational movie we have ever seen. After receiving an email raving about the movie from a local couple that hosts a Bible study for young people in our area, we decided to give it a try. We are not a huge movie-going family, mostly because we like to avoid watching trash, which is Hollywood's most often served item. But Facing the Giants was a real treat. Most of us cried as well as laughed many times throughout the film. The theme was trusting God through the hard times and not giving up. It was especially what the Doctor ordered for us right now.

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I've been thinking lately of how many of us have hardships in our life of some kind or another. Whether it's relationships, finances, health or whatever, no one is immune from them. Sometimes counting your blessings is vital to your mental health. Have you ever been around someone who finds a way to see a blessing in any situation? Or can always find a reason to be thankful by thinking of others who are worse off? Those kind of people always make me marvel and I am so thankful for the reminders their outlook brings. I thank God he gave me a sister with exactly that gift!

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Another source of encouragement for me has been books I have been reading by Randy Alcorn. So far I've read Deadline, Safely Home and I'm almost finished with The Ishbane Conspiracy. What wake up calls! These are really good books for older teenagers and adults. They really inspire you to see the big picture of this life.

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God has been so good to give us encouragement from so many places right now. Weekly it has been a battle between good and bad. We get fueled with His Word and the fellowship of His saints and we feel very strong and then some news of some false rumor or something someone has said comes floating our way and I am tempted to loose my peace. The temptation to defend my family is very great (especially since I feel very capable of doing so), and sometimes thoughts of wanting to retaliate surface. For the most part, we are attempting to let it go, though occasionally we find it necessary to address something, especially when it is damaging to our children, but even they are having to learn the same lessons we are right now. Our kids have been a wonder to watch. They are really growing in their faith and I'm seeing a maturity that maybe only trials can bring. We often encourage each other with Scripture verses and songs. Through it all our family has been growing closer and stronger. God has sent us much in the way of encouragement to trust Him and have patience to wait on Him. We appreciate any prayers on our behalf for strength to do just that.

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"Consider it all joy, my brethern, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

And a Few More For Good Measure

BlochHead did this copy of a Thomas Kincade picture with watercolor pencils. She hung it in her bedroom above her drawing table, even though I begged her for it!.
Even Tom tries her hand at painting when her fantasy reading inspires her to do so. She's a bit burned out on clay figures but I keep trying to encourage her not to quit.
Here's a few more by PearlKeeper. This next one is a sketch from a book she hopes to do illustrating the Lady of Shallot. These next two were done using one of Lee Hammond's drawing books.

Excuse Me While I Show Off My Daughter's Talent

PearlKeeper drew this picture of Adventure Queen from the photograph (below) when she was 4 months old. She is currently working on building up her portfolio and I was so thrilled to see this recent addition that I just had to post it! When she brought me the drawing I knew instantly that it was my first baby, who is now almost 19, and my heart went, "Awww!"

Ahh, The Memories...

TheLittlestPrincess is now the last of our children to use the tried-and-true Math It and Cuisenaire rods. I bought these about fourteen years ago. All of the other six used the Addit board when they were younger. It has been a joy teaching her because she gets it the first time it is explained and then practices with glee, dragging the set out to show anyone who will watch her do the drill.

Yesterday she read a little booklet to me and then decided to copy the entire thing into her copybook over the last two days with an accompanying color illustration.

God must have known this old homeschooling mom needed a caboose with some get up and go!

Through Difficult Times

Sometimes going through hard times we can tend to look at our hurt or wound and become overwhelmed with it, focusing only on the pain of it. But this verse explains to a degree what I've been learning recently: That the Lord can use wounds to cleanse us, make us stronger, and teach us to trust in Him completely.

"The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so [do] stripes the inward parts of the belly."
Proverbs 20:30

Another verse that relates:

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."

James 1:2-3

The Lord's Heart is to heal the wound and we just have to be patient and be obedient to His ways while we trust Him to bring it to pass.

"Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound."

Isaiah 30:26

Bottle of Tears

Our girls have been through some hard things lately and we wanted to remind them of where they could find their comfort. We gave them a present of these bottles tied with gold and silver ribbon. The inspiration for these came from a painting that my sister-in-law created. We gave it to them in hopes that they would always remember the lesson that God knows of our suffering and He wants to use it to refine us. Along with the bottles I printed the accompanying Bible verses on a little card. We gave them to the girls on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles.


"You have taken into account my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?"
Psalms 55:8

"And I will bring the third part through the fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on my name,
And I will answer them;
I will say, "They are My people,"
And they will say, "The Lord is my God."
Zechariah 13:9

A Monster Campfire

During the Feast we are camping on top of our hill and every evening around the campfire we have a little family meeting when we sing, pray, read scriptures and talk. It has been a very special time for our family. The uncle-from-next-door has been joining us. This is what results when two pyromaniacs are in charge of the campfire. I think the logs that Mr. Potts gathered were the biggest I had ever seen used for such purposes.

A Promise For Purity

Each one of us girls for our fourteenth birthday, have been given a promise ring as a promise to our parents and the Lord that we'll stay pure until we're married. I wrote a letter to Mom and Dad telling them what my promise is, and that I promise not only to stay pure but to trust their decisions and to honor their convictions it every area of purity.
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My birthday was actually on the 27th but the ring took a little longer than we thought to come in, so we celebrated it on the 5th. Since sapphire is my birth stone, I had one put in the ring except instead of the usual color blue, I wanted a pink one. Some of the girls said I was crazy for it. They were already jealous of me having a sapphire for a birth stone because of the color.

It was a really nice evening with the fancy dinner table set. Grandma and Grandpa came over and also our cousins from next door. Since there are a lot of kids when our two family's get together, they were privileged enough to sit outside eating on paper plates, while teenagers and adults got the nice decorated table:).

From my younger cousins I got a huge stack of cards and drawings they had worked on all day. The 5 year old boy was so sweet, he's been into drawing ever since he saw one I was working on. He gave me a lot of hugs and several drawings and asked me if they were good. I had a great evening and it was an awesome birthday even though it was a little late.

Beach Pictures

Smokey Bear - doing what else but playing with the critters.
We all took a little trip south to a marsh and walked along the dock.
The three-some playing in the sand.
The Littlest Princess.
One of the many evening walks on the beach. It was so much fun getting away and being together.
PearlKeeper and Adventure Queen just before they went parasailing with Mr. Potts. You can easily see which one is nervous and which one is confident! They all ended up loving it.

The whole gang!

Day of Atonement

Forgiveness is not a New Testament thing, ushered in by Jesus' death and resurrection. God has always made a way to obtain forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22 says "...without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." From ancient times there has been a way to obtain forgiveness through the blood of animals, which represented the victims of sin. The priests made atonement by eating the flesh of the sacrifice, becoming one with the victim and then offering forgiveness representatively in the victim's place. Under the old covenant there was a way to be cleansed.

But Christ came to fulfill this Law. He established a second covenant which was better than the first. Christ's sacrifice did away with the need to offer the blood of animals year after year. His was not a temporary fix. Read Hebrews 9 &10.

Jesus said, "Eat my flesh". Of course he wasn't talking about cannibalism. He obviously had something else in mind. We are called to take part in His sufferings and follow His example. He willingly became the victim of our sin and offered a way of atonement. He calls us to do the same:

"For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person 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? [my note: This is obviously expected] 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 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, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." 1 Peter 2:19 - 24

First there were animals, then Jesus, now us. God has given us a part in the evolution of the atonement process. The way to obtain forgiveness is to accept the gift of Jesus' sacrifice. The way not to loose it is to continue to forgive those who sin against us.

"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."
Matthew 6:14-15

The Day of Atonement is a day of fasting and humbling of souls (Leviticus 23:26-32). We can not enter into the Feast of Tabernacles without first going through the Day of Atonement.

Weekend Mountain Getaway

My family and my sister's family spent the weekend in the NC mountains at the cabin that belongs to Grandmom. We enjoyed the chilly nights with a nice fire in the fireplace and sat up way too late talking and playing games. We did manage a little bit of hiking, but my seven-month pregnant sister gave us a great excuse to hang out at the cabin. We also enjoyed our trip to our favorite toy store in town. Somehow it never really seems like we have twelve kids when we are all together!

At one favorite spot where the river cascades down into some pretty falls, some of the kids decided to take a unplanned swim. Which means they were all in their jeans. AdventureQueen led the way, as always, and dove right in and swam with her cousin to the waterfall. The funny thing about my family is you can count on the odd numbered kids doing the crazy things, while the even's would rather just stay comfortable. True to form all of the odds (1,3,5 & 7) got wet in the freezing cold river. The evens (2,4 & 6) stayed nice and dry on the sand or perched on the rocks.

Another funny thing is that whenever all of the males in our two families get together, everything turns into a competition. There is a little metal cowboy that swings a metal lasso at the cabin and you would not believe how many hours were spent timing who could make the lasso spin the longest. Then Mr. Potts picked up a little ring and chain sort of puzzle at the toy store and then it became a competition to see how many times in a row each guy could make it drop the way it was supposed to. At the river there was a large flat rock propped up against another one leaving a small space to crawl under through the water. In no time it was a competition to see who could squeeze through. It never ceases to amaze me what kinds of things can be turned into a contest!

It was a nice break from our routines. Even though we live next to each other and can get together almost anytime, it's fun to go away where there are no chores calling our names!

That Courtship Thing Again

One of the things we did last month was to go to the wedding of a daughter of some old friends. It was a beautiful wedding done in white and blues and twinkling lights. One of the things they had displayed as you entered was a little table with two poems. One poems was something the parents of the bride had copied and given to the groom after he had asked to court their daughter. The young man had written his own poem back in answer. They both were beautiful and touching. I recognized the poem the parents had copied but of course, I don't have a copy of the groom's reply. Here's the poem, Letter to a Suitor by Miss Procter:

Before I trust my fate to thee,
Or place my hand in thine;
Before I let thy future give
Color and form to mine;
Before I peril all for thee,
Question thy soul tonight for me.

I break all slighter bonds, nor feel
A shadow of regret;
Is there one link within the past
That holds thy spirit yet?
Or is thy faith as clear and free
As that which I can pledge to thee?

Does there within thy dimmest dreams
A possible future shine,
Wherein thy life could henceforth breathe,
Untouched, unshared by mine?
If so, at any pain or cost,
Oh, tell me before all is lost.

Look deeper still. If thou canst feel
Within thy inmost soul
That thou hast kept a portion back,
While I have staked the whole,
Let no false pity spare the blow,
But in true mercy tell me so.

If there within thy heart a need
That mine cannot fulfill?
One chord that any other hand
Could beter wake or still?
Speak now - lest at some future day
My whole life wither and decay.

Lives there within thy nature bid
The demon-spirit Change,
Shedding a passing glory still
On all things new and strange?
It may not be thy fault alone -
But shield my heart against thine own.

Couldst thou withdraw thy hand one day
And answer to my claim
That Fate, and that to-day's mistake-
Not thou-had been to blame?
Some soother their conscience thus; but thou
Wilt surely warn and save me now.

Also during the slide show there was another reference to the letter that the groom had written requesting permission to court the daughter. It was very beautiful and full of respect for their position in her life - a concept that most people laugh at these days. It was obvious it was more than just an old tradition and formality of asking for her hand, but a true process of seeking permission and a blessing before proceeding to try to woo the girl's heart. Very beautiful!

Up and Running Again

Mr. Potts generously loaned me the new computer that was intended for his business until mine is fixed. Is that a great guy or what! Now if I can just get caught up on sleep, I have so many things to write about.

We have had such an active month, traveling and visiting old friends and making new ones here back home. CHANGE would have to be the theme of our lives at this point. Change is sometimes very hard, and harder for some than others. I happen to be one that enjoys change most of the time. In fact, last year for my birthday Mr. Potts bought me a cool picture of a tree that changes seasons when you look at it from different angles. The word 'change' is printed in large letters beneath the picture. Little did I know how much change this past year would bring.

The biggest change is changing churches. We have been members of a very small fellowship for almost eleven years. It has been a great place to raise young children. I am thankful for the shelter it afforded while my children grew strong in the Lord. For the past year or so I have been praying for a way to get my children in a position where they could have more of an effect for God's kingdom. I really feel they have a lot to offer their generation and I hated to see this opportune time waste away. Well, God has made it very clear to us that we needed to move on. We all have been very excited about a fairly large church we have been visiting. It's an hour away but the time commuting has been a good time to listen to music and prepare our hearts for worship and to talk together about what we have heard and seen. It also gives us a chance to do our shopping in the big city while we are there. There are many opportunities to get involved in this new church and I'm sure it will be an interesting year.

On Standby...

While our computer is being looked at after it died a couple of days ago. I'm over at Grandma's since I couldn't stand being away from cyberspace any longer. We haven't given up on blogging and we hope to be up and running soon!

We're Back...and much Browner too!

And a good time was had by all. All of the visiting was marvelous. So much encouragement and love every where we went. I came home overwhelmed by the blessings of family and friends who love the Lord (and us too!). We spent hours traveling the roads laughing and acting so silly in a way that we would not dare behave in front of anyone else that didn't descend from my crazy side of the family - especially when it was just us girls. Even the girls who do not often exhibit these crazy traits as often as others of us displayed their heritage quite vividly on the trip. Sometimes I was laughing so hard it was difficult to drive.

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Our week at the beach was wonderful even though Ernesto thought about trying to run us off. Instead we just enjoyed the great waves. Mr. Potts needed a couple of chiropractor visits after all of the wave riding he did. He forgets he is not so young any more! AdventureQueen, PearlKeeper and Mr. Potts squeezed in a parasailing ride the last day before they closed it down for the storm. Mostly we avoided the touristy things and just enjoyed time on the beach, at the pool and hanging out at the condo.

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After three weeks I finally felt ready to come home. After taming the lawn that had grown almost three feet high, we are settling down back into our routine. Tigger has started soccer, Tom is helping to coach a soccer team with disabilities and the girls are wanting to really give dance their all this year. So, we are back home to our busy lives and loving it. We look forward to more vacations but there is no place like HOME!

Traveling, Traveling, Traveling

I am getting ready for a three week road trip. We actually have a somewhat complex itinerary. In the process of this trip we will visit almost every out-of-town friend and most of our family memebers by visiting four different locations. We have so many fun things planned and we are all very excited. The girls are going with me on the first leg of the journey, swapping out for the boys on the second part, and reuniting all together for the last part. Here's a list of our plans!

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Picking up our daughter whose been staying with friends for over a month and having a girls night at a hotel enjoying the pool and jacuzzi, followed by a day shopping

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Visiting our very dear friends in Missouri
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Going to a wedding of the oldest daughter of some old friends
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Staying overnight with another dear friend and visiting her church
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A fun night at a meeting point with Mr. Potts while we swap children
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Some of the girls coming home for a few days to dance in a Jana Long (of Avalon) concert

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Spending a few days with some friends in Alabama

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Meeting up with the rest of our family at my brother-in-law's house and seeing Grandmom too

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A week at a resort at the beach

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We will probably have lots of pictures to follow!

Our Girls Only Weekend

Things I enjoyed about our weekend:

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Staying up late, watching chick flicks and having deep discussions about life

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Sleeping in

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Cleaning house together

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Shopping

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Visiting a new church

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Wearing clothes that my daughters think are cool

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Eating ice cream on the way home with the windows down and Kutless' Strong Tower CD blaring on the stereo

Trading Places

It's funny how some things in life reverse. I spent years shopping and choosing what my girls would wear. Now not only do I not choose their clothes, but they choose mine!

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Mr.Potts took the boys camping this weekend, so I figured it was a good time to do the dreaded chore of shopping for some clothes for myself. I hate shopping. I always wish a box of just-what-I-need would show up at my door and it would involve no decisions on my part. I usually wander aimlessly through racks and racks of clothes and unless something jumps out and bites me on the nose (which is almost only the purple things), I pass through moaning about how I hate to shop. I asked the girls for some help and boy, did I get it.

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AdventureQueen, true to her name and nature, only too willingly took charge over all of my purchases. I found myself asking her for permission to buy something. The answer was, "No Mom. That is hideous!"

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Or I would say, "What about this?"

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She would reply, "Don't you ever be caught dead in that!"

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Then on the way home Tom pipes up, "Now that we have your clothes in order, we should think about your skin. You have nice skin and you should keep it that way. Are you washing and moisturizing your face every night?"

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I'm thinking the next thing I know they will be making sure I've brushed my teeth!

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Somehow I made it home with quite a few items that we both approved of. At least when I'm old and getting bossed around by my children all of the time, I will be well taken care of!

Coffee Shop Writing

After exploring the Bravewriter site I was inspired to try some new things with writing. My favorite thing so far is taking Tom and BlochHead to the coffee shop for their writing class. We are aiming to make this a once a week happening. I keep our notebooks, a binder of writing ideas, a pouch of different kinds of pens and some grammar/writing books all packed and ready to go in my Barnes & Noble book bag. We grab our bag and head out to the local coffee shop. This week we had lunch there, but most of the time we plan on just getting a drink. We sit at a cozy table and write. I flipped through Woe Is I - and chose a topic to discuss, which was when to use which or that. It was so relaxing and fun! The girls began to open up about their ideas about writing and what kinds of projects they would like to tackle and what they would like to learn. This definitely did not feel like SCHOOL!

The New School Year

We are in our second week of Back-to-School, so to speak. We always have a light schedule for summer, taking off for whatever strikes our fancy. Now that it is miserably hot, we are hitting the books and anxiously awaiting cooler temperatures for our out-of-doors activities. And trying to make a little progress before we gallivant across the country for a trip to visit some friends and then a vacation at the beach. It has been lots of fun diving into new books and materials. Our schedule has been working wonderfully, which is quite a reward after I brainstormed how to fit it all in for weeks on end.

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Whew! Only four kids this year, well 4 1/2 if you count Kindergarden with TheLittlestPrincess. Here's what we have planned for this year:

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Tom (16 - 11th grade)

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Abeka's Consumer Math

Bird Biology (book from Cornell University)

20th Century History - with lots of books, authors such as Albert Marrin, Clarence Carson, and others.

20th Century Literature - with selected books plus daily poetry

Philosophy/Worldview - Sophie's World then Amusing Ourselves to Death

Law - Whatever Happened to Justice

Citizenship - Ourselves by Charlotte Mason

Grammar - Our Mother Tongue by Nancy Wilson & Elements of Style

Writing and Dictation & Poetry with back issues from The Slingshot and Freewrites from Bravewriter.com

Health - Usborne's Food, Fitness & Health

Dance

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Also she is working part time for her father doing office work (parital credit in Business Math)

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BlochHead (13/14 in Sept.- 8th grade)

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Teaching Textbooks Algebra I

Apologia's Biology

History - Ancient Rome using Truthquest Guide with family AND

American Revolution study with Michael Medved's tapes and the book Founding Brothers

Literature and Writing course with Bravewriter.com - The Boomerang and discussion group plus daily poetry

Theology - The Screwtape Letters

Citizenship - Ourselves by Charlotte Mason

Economics - Whatever Happened to Penny Candy and Bluestocking Guide

Logic - The Fallacy Detective

Grammar - Our Mother Tongue and Elements of Style

Dance

Art - she is constantly drawing and painting!

Other Family Activities - Picture Study, Composers, Nature Study, Scrapbooking, Shakespeare with Tea Time, Crafts

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SmokeyBear and Tigger (12yo/6th grade, 10yo/4th grade)

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Math U See plus : SB- Pet Store Math, T - Miquon and both play math games and living math books

Apologia's Flying Creatures and Botany courses

Ancient Rome with Truthquest Guide with family

Early Modern Times with focus on American Revolution - Story of the World 3, The Story of the 13 Colonies

Geography books: other cultures through various books (current read aloud Gift From the Mikado-Japan)

Reading various fun chapter books to improve reading skills

Typing

Geography Drill with World Discovery Deluxe

Copywork and Dictation using Spelling Wisdom (from simplycharlottemason.com) and also

George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior

Read Alouds from Ambleside's Year 4 list

Other Family Activites as listed above

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TheLittlestPrincess (K, 5 - almost 6)

All of her lessons are low-key, very short and mostly only when she asks. The best thing I have done for her this year is make a basket of things she can only do during "school time". This includes books on tape, playdoh, paper dolls, coloring books, paints, certain puzzles and a bead kit. This is great because she doesn't get so tired of these things when her time to play with them is limited. She often listens in when I am reading to the boys and participates in the other family studies.

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Math with RightStart Math, games and Miquon later in the year

Reading practice

Writing - copying letters and simple words

Poetry memorization

Scripture memorization with Sing the Word from A -Z

Bedtime read alouds - mostly from Sonlight's Year K plus some others

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All in all, I'm very pleased with our selections. Many of them are tried and true favorites so we don't have the apprehension of wondering if the books are lousy. It's great to have a job that makes you love to wake up every morning!!! Every day is a blessing filled with fun hours of learning, leisure and work!

The Beautiful Rose

(Editor's Note: I mistakenly did not add the last stanza when I posted this for BlochHead earlier. It is complete now. - MamaLion)
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I will tell you the tale of a beautiful rose;
Who every day her beauty grows.
And though she was the loveliest around,
She grew discontent because she found
That one of the flowers near her had grown,
Was plucked from where it had been sown
And taken to a different place
There set on a table, in a small glass vase.
Admired by the many passers by,
‘This would make me happy’, she sigh.

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So more and more, she saddened each day,
Wishing to somehow be noticed that way.
And every time a person walked past
She’d put on a show, and the time came at last
When one who’d seen her flaunting about
Saw her beauty so plucked her out
Of the only ground that held her there.
Now her roots were destroyed; she felt naked and bare.
Is this what she’d wanted all along?
Would this give her pleasure or could she be wrong?

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But finally what she longed for came;
They admired her beauty and now she had fame.
Though the only thing that kept her alive
Was the small glass vase and the water inside.
Slowly as the days went by,
Softly now the rose would cry.
Now to herself the rose would say,
"I wish I could only go back to that day.
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting.
Now let me lie down ‘cause this rest I am needing."
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The rose bent over with sorrow and grief,
Mourned for bright sunshine and the ground at her feet,
If only she'd been content and glad
She never would have done the things she had.
Now, said the rose, who was hardly alive,
To each seed dropping, one at a time
"You may one day grow to be a rose,
So learn now to be happy wherever life goes."



(***This poem was written this week by BlochHead-- Mamalion)

Ain't They Purty?

Twenty-eight quarts worth! The boys helped me pick and the girls helped snap. Now if I ever get finished canning them today, I will feel quite accomplished!

What My Odedience to God Costs Other People

Here's a few lines from the January 11th entry in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

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"If we obey God it will mean other people's plans are upset, and they will gibe us with it - "You call this Christianity?" We can prevent the suffering; but if we are going to obey God, we must not prevent it, we must let the cost be paid."

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"We are so involved in the universal purposes of God that immediately we obey God, others are affected."

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"We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but we shall be a grief to our Lord. Whereas if we obey God, He will look after those who have been pressed into the consequences of our obedience. We have simply to obey and to leave all consequences with Him."

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This has always been a difficult concept in my life. There are times when it is hard to obey God when it affects others. It is often miserable being viewed as responsible for other people's misery or offending others with that obedience.

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Yesterday's entry in My Utmost pertained to the Beatitudes in Mark chapter 5 and this verse in particular connected in my mind to the above quotes:

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"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

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When I find myself in a situation where people are lying about me or believing lies, especially if it is regarding some aspect of obedience to God, I eventually become so overwhelmed with the idea of putting out every little fire that I give up. Usually, the truth wins out and the fruit of a decision to obey God becomes evident. It just takes patience and a willingness to let God be the defender. Sometimes I waver in that patience and really want to go and try to fix things, but I know better.

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In the meantime I try to remember this:

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"Let us not loose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."

Friends

There was a time in our lives when we prayed for friends. We were so lonely and felt all alone in the world. Little did we know what would come next. Not only did God supernaturally bring us new friends but we also had people in our lives that we didn't know would come to be so dear to us.
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One such friend was a young man who was working for Mr. Potts. He started working for him almost sixteen years ago and even helped us move out-of-state, living here for almost a year helping to get the business back on it's feet after the move. Over the years, he has come to visit many times and his love of the Lord and committment to follow Him at all cost has been an inspiration to us and our children. He is only a few years younger than me, and after waiting on God for many years, he finally has a bride (as of 2 months ago). Can you imagine how valuable it is to have this man look across the table at your eighteen year old daughter and say, "God is so faithful. I wish I would have trusted him even more! He is worthy to be trusted and waited on!" They are visiting us now and what a blessing.

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Also about the time this man came into our lives, my sister, who was still single, had a few friends she ran around with. One of these friends was a single girl my age. After my sister got married (newlyweds sometimes forget others exsist) this girl became my very dear friend. She spent years coming over to my house on a weekly basis, and sometimes more often than that. Mr. Potts and I would sit up with her after the children were put to bed laughing and having deep conversations about God and life. My girls adored her. She loved them and knew them like they were her own children. She remembers the one who was a drama queen, the fiesty tom-boy, the emotional one and the one who didn't throw a fit or hardly made a noise when told she must eat her broccoli but instead used her fork to gouge the new dining room table. (It's amazing that they really don't change!) She made special decorated birthday cakes that will never be forgotten by the girls. After all of these years, even if we haven't talked for a while, we can see her or talk on the phone and it is exactly like old times. It's one of those friendships that once revisited, makes you feel as if you have never been away.

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Another old friend called me recently to get our current address in order to send a wedding invitation for their oldest daughter's wedding. These friends have an interesting story behind them. Right after we prayed for friends with the children (about thirteen years ago), we happened to stop at a garage sale. I pulled up and left the children in the van where I could see them and rummaged around. Seeing the children with me during school hours, the woman who was having the sale struck up a conversation with me about homeschooling. Turned out she also homeschooled and we ended up getting together many, many more times. After moving away we came back to visit and went to their house and after a short time of the kids getting reaquainted, they were having a grand time again.

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This "garage sale friend" was always trying to help us find a church, something we desperately wanted but couldn't find a place where we could settle in. She called me one day and told me about a woman she met in a Cracker Barrel restaurant that she swore was my soul-mate. She got her contact information and thought I might be interested in contacting her because we might be interested in their church. Well, the more she told me about this woman, she started sounding too familiar and I realized it was someone I already knew from another church that we had visited for a quite a while. We had often passed each other in the halls, remarking that we were always pregnant at the same time. I couldn't believe I knew the person this friend was telling me about. I did make the phone call and to make a long story short, we found the best friends we have ever had. Every person in our family matched with someone in their family and everyone became best friends. How many times does that happen? How many times do the women get along famously but the men don't really care for each other? This family was a perfect fit. After moving away eleven years ago, we have kept up on the phone and with visits. We are still very close (these are the movie-making friends!). After thirteen years, they are still the ones we turn to during a hard time. They are the ones we would trust our lives with and the lives of our children.

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We have other friends who are also dear to us that live about three hours away. This man was another one of Mr.Pott's employees from way back. Out of the blue he contacted us and then brought his wife and children to visit us and it was a close friendship from the beginning. We have rented beach houses together and gone back and forth visiting each other many times. I felt so honored when they were going through a difficult time with their church recently and wanted us to come visit them and be with them through it. They are planning on coming up in a couple of weeks and I so look forward to it. And we know they will be a comfort to us too!

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We have had friends who have turned against us, spread lies about us and hurt us in many ways. Those are real wounds. These old friends have been the balm that helps wounds heal. There is just such a comfort in knowing that we have such wonderful long-time friendships that have stood the test of time. These old friends give us the courage to trust again because you never know when you are forming another life-long friend and you can't form new friendships if you are nursing old wounds and are not willing to make yourself vulnerable.

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God has blessed us with old friends, new friends and a wonderful family. Truly our cup runneth over!

A Day On The Lake

A few days ago, our family plus Grandpa and Grandma rented a pontoon boat for the afternoon on a nearby lake. As soon as we were packed and ready we stopped by Grandpa and Grandma's house and went on from there. That day seemed like the hottest day of the year and was perfect for our plans ahead. The heat wasn't in our favor the whole time though, because when we got to the Marina, we had to wait around before we could get our boat. But, when we did it was wonderful and I couldn't wait to get wet. When we got to a place were we could stop the boat, we all got out to swim around. Except Grandpa and SmokyBear who, every moment they got a chance, would get out their fishing poles and fish. They'd always have one side of the boat for them to fish and one side for us to swim. I don't think all our splashing and racket helped them at all, because no fish would even bite. We must have scared them all away.
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After we swam for a little bit, we got in the boat to go find a really neat rope swing Tom said she had been to. We found four different rope swings and not one of them was it, but everyone had a great time at one of them and took turns swinging off of it for a while. Soon it was time for dinner and everyone got back in to eat. The rest of the evening was peaceful and Mom and Dad said we will probably do that a lot more often and maybe next time we could invite a few friends. It was definitely a fun memory and I'll look forward to doing it again.

Summer Travels

We've been traveling quite a bit the past couple of weeks. First we traveled 5 hours east of here to visit Grandmom after her surgery. She's so busy with sports and activities, even though she is in her late 70's, that it is the only time we can catch her down. Most recently we went to Missouri, about 12 hours west of us, to visit our long time friends.

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The kids had so much fun visiting our friends in Missouri. They got a chance to see the finished version of a film they made while they were visiting our house last time. It's a spoof on The Incredibles called The Miserables. Too funny. This time they filmed a spoof on Pirates of the Carribean called The Pink Pearl. All of the girls played pirates with a neighbor boy playing the thief who stole their pearl. They filmed in the woods and down at the creek with a great scene of the escaping thief swinging out over the river, dropping in, and getting out at the other side. I can't wait to see the finished product! The young boys had a brief part as the policeman and when one young friend's mother asked how he liked playing all day with all of those girls he replied, "It was great! They were all pirates. That's the kind of girl I want to marry!" His mother found this very funny since his previous plans included positively no marriage of any kind.

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Every 6 or 8 weeks these friends have a get together at their house with a bunch of their friends. We like to time our visits to coordinate with these parties. This time there were about 55 people. They play games such as volleyball, badmitten, ulitmate frisbee and then after dinner they sit around the camp fire and have a time of prayer and singing. What a super bunch of kids! It encourages my heart to see such fine young people.

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We are expecting to be home for a while now until our end-of-the-summer vacation at the beach. In the meantime, I need to get canning green beans!

What to Do With All That Yellow Squash

Years ago when we lived in Missouri I had a friend who taught me all about gardening. Those were the days when our oldest children were barely school age and we had lots of time to drive back and forth to each other's houses, which was fifty minutes one way. Our whole families enjoyed each other so much and had so much in common, it was not unusual to find us making the trip more than once a week, sometimes just for an evening of playing cards and hanging out. Those were days of forging a life-long friendship. (Our 18yo/19yo daughters just talked on the phone tonight sharing from the depths of their hearts, still!) I have said that I know our friendship is honored in heaven because they always know when they need to pray for us even if we haven't talked in months.

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About now you are wondering about the title to this post thinking, "I thought this was about yellow squash?" Well, here's the connection. You can find quite a few items in our food repertoire that directly descend from these friends. Two of these items are standard summer fare at Shadybrook Acres, iced mint tea (from fresh mint leaves) and squash bread.

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I just made four loaves of squash bread yesterday and the only reason I still have one left is because I beat them off of it. We grate up our extra squash and put it in freezer bags in 2c. portions so we can make it in the winter also, but it's synonymous with summer around here. It's called 'bread' but it's more like cake. Definitely not low sugar or fat! It's like zucchini bread but sweeter and more moist than any I have ever had.

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Beat 3 eggs until frothy.

Then add:

2 c. sugar

2 c. grated squash

1 c. oil

2 tsp. vanilla

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Mix and then add:

3 c. flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

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Mix all together and then pour into two medium loaf pans. Bake for one hour at 325.

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Another way I've been using squash is simply sauteing thinly sliced squash, onions, mushrooms (and sometimes peppers) and chicken together and seasoning it with Lawry's poultry seasoning and garlic salt. Then I melt some cheese over the mixture and wrap it all in a whole wheat tortilla. For my own servings, I've been using Pam spray instead of butter, low fat cheese and low carb/low fat tortillas and it ends up being a lot of food for very little calories.

The Garden

This salsa did not come from my garden but it was so pretty, I just had to take a picture of it. I bought the ingredients at the local Amish produce stand because I just couldn't wait for my garden to come in. Salsa is one of my staples of life. How else would I get my vegetables in every day? I often get asked for my recipe but I don't have one. When you mix tomotoes, peppers, onions and a little vinegar you just can't go wrong. Sometimes I just use jalapenos and other times I use a variety of peppers. This batch has five different kinds! Yum! I mark each batch with a number on the lid so if we especially like how it turned out, we know which one to reach for first. Also if a batch turns out extra hot, I will go back and mark all of that batch with HOT so we don't end up with three of these opened and in the refrigerator after one of the children has been on a search for mild.

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Here's how my garden is coming along. We planted squash, watermelon, green beans, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Pretty simple this year. Salsa is always the most important objective, with canned green beans coming in at a close second.

I love my garden this year because of the wonderful landscape fabric we bought at Sam's. It was the best thirty dollars I have spent on my garden. I now have nice wide rows without weeds! We still mulch between the plans with straw (Can you tell I hate to weed?) and you can see the kids have slopped it around a bit, with a little help with the rain and wind. It my younger years I might have swept it up so in between the rows would be neat but I am much wiser now and I save my energy for other, more important things. Like blogging. :) Heavy mulching is the only way I care to garden because I can do all of the hard work in the spring and then only go out to pick when it gets unbearably hot.

Mice and Mothers

Mom has a Charlotte Mason meeting at our local library every month and I usually beg her to go. Most of the time she says no, but this time, surprisingly, the answer was a once-a-year "OK."

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So we got there and set up the tables and chairs. When we finished I went into the library to browse around for a good book till it was time to start. The meeting went well as mom told about her experience at a Charlotte Mason conference in NC. As I was listening I thought I saw something gray fall from the ceiling at the other side of the room I looked up and noticed that a tile of the drop ceiling was out of place, exposing a crack. I thought whatever fell must be my imagination so forgot about it for a while. A few minutes later after my aunt set her baby on the floor to play, one of the women spotted a small mouse on the other side of the room, coincidently right under the crack in the ceiling. Several of the women shrieked and scrambled up onto their chairs, (Mom was among them) my aunt reached for her baby and gallantly volunteered me to catch it. During this time Mom (still on her chair) got a mischievous glint in her eye, she quickly seized her almost full water bottle, screwed the lid on tightly and chucked it over the table straight at the helpless mouse.

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I was not a bit surprised at this, having almost sixteen years of experiencing Mom's mischievous attitude toward animals, like flinging glasses of water at dogs that are dumb enough to chase after our car, or expressing wishes that they would run into a tree and so on. What did surprise me was that Mom's water bottle actually hit the mouse... If only a glancing blow. The mouse unhurt dashed across the floor. Among more exclamations of surprise from the mothers Mom bravely ran to the door to outside and opened it calling to me to chase it out. I did this but the mouse seemed determined to frighten Mom as much as it could and instead of going straight out the door it went around it and ran into Mom who squealed again, hopped over it, and quickly ran in slamming the door behind her. After a few sighs of relief the meeting continued and that was my first experience at Mom's library meeting.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Last night we stayed up late because after an early baseball game some of us decided at the last minute to go see Cars at the theatre. TheLittlestPrincess fell asleep during the movie so I carried her in from the car and put her right in bed. Since we got to bed so late and everyone was so tired I decided to let everyone sleep in, it is summer after all. I was too tired last night to read at all so I just went right to sleep. In the morning I awoke rather late and still there was not a stir in the whole house. I decided to snatch a few moments of reading before I even got out of bed and reached for a book on my nightstand.

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About twenty minutes later I hear the sound of an Alcazar recording of some fairy tales coming from TheLittlestPrincess' room next to mine. She had done exactly the same thing. She only hopped out of bed long enough to push the play button and was back snuggled in bed listening to a story.

Girls Handwork/Tea Time

Each week we are going to host a girls handwork/tea time with girls we know from the ages 11-13 at our house. Yesterday was our first day doing it. We were planning on it only being a once a month thing, but all the girls wanted to do it every week so we changed it. Each week one girl will bring a desert they made. We are starting out with cross-stich and maybe next will be embroidery, then in the fall we will do crochet.

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Yesterday we had the tea party and chatted for about an hour, then Mom showed us a few basic things to know before we got started on our cross-stiching project. We're starting out with something small and when we're done we'll move on to a bigger project. We were not planning on it, but after cross-stiching I found all five girls something to swim in, so we all jumped in the pool and had a blast. Next time I'm sure everyone will be prepared and bring a bathing suit for afterwards. We didn't get very long to swim though because soon the girl's moms came to pick them up. I'm looking forward to being able to spend more time with friends and have a lot of fun memories.

God Meant It Unto Good (Gen. 50:20)

"God meant it unto good"--O blest assurance,

Falling like sunshine all across life's way,

Touching with Heaven's gold earth's darkest storm clouds,

Bringing fresh peace and comfort day by day.

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'Twas not by chance the hands of faithless brethren

Sold Joseph captive to a foreign land;

Nor was it chance which, after years of suffering,

Brought him before the monarch's throne to stand.

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One Eye all-seeing saw the need of thousands,

And planned to meet it through that one lone soul;

And through the weary days of prison bondage

Was working towards the great and glorious goal.

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As yet the end was hidden from the captive,

The iron entered even to his soul;

His eye could scan the present path of sorrow,

Not yet his gaze might rest upon the whole.

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Faith failed not through those long, dark days of waiting,

His trust in God was recompensed at last,

The moment came when God led forth his servant

To succour many, all his sufferings past.

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"It was not you but God, that sent me hither,

"Witnessed triumphant faith in after days;

"God meant it unto good," no "second causes"

Mingled their discord with his song of praise.

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"God means it unto good" for thee, beloved,

The God of Joseph is the same today;

His love permits afflictions strange and bitter,

His hand is guiding through the unknown way.

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Thy Lord, who sees the end from the beginning,

Hath purposes for thee of love untold.

Then place thy hand in His and follow fearless,

Till thou the riches of His grace behold.

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There, when thou standest in the Home of Glory,

And all life's path ties open to thy gaze,

Thine eyes shall see the hand which now thou trustest,

And magnify His love through endless days.

--Freda Hanbury Allen

I Will Lift My Eyes to the Mountains

This is the way the mountains looked this morning. Psalm 121 really does have a special place in my heart since I have been going up to the top of the hill to pray.

Psalm 121

I will lift my eyes to the mountains;

From whence shall my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel

Will neither slumber nor sleep.

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The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not smite you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord will protect you from all evil;

He will keep your soul.

The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and forever.

What I'm Reading

"The greatest gift is the passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you a knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination."

~Elizabeth Hardwick

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At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon (my first Mitford novel)

This was cheap as my mother-in-law loaned it to me years ago but mostly it falls into the "distracts" category. Distractions are good at times. Yes, very good.

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What is a Family? by Edith Shaeffer

I'm revisiting this after my experience with Ranald Macaulay this past weekend. Wonderful man! I also bought myself another copy of For the Children's Sake by Susan Shaeffer Macaulay because I keep giving my copies away.

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At the Pace of A Hen by Josephine Moffett Benton

I picked this up after the DHM at The Common Room quoted from it a while back. My new highlighter has gotten quite a bit of use on this book.

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Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp

Gleaning from some inspirational thoughts here. Moral illumination maybe.

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The next two titles are the books I'm reading to the kids along with our Bible readings from Proverbs and Acts.

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King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

This would fall under the "give knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind." I love reading books set in foreign lands and I want to incorporate more of these into our family read alouds over the next few years. Rooming this past weekend at the CM conference with a gal from South Africa/Zimbabwe reminded me of how narrow our experience really is. We can't go to Africa but we can vicariously experience it through reading.

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Edwin Way Teale's Circle of the Seasons

We just read the days entry for the date. Usually this is a short and sweet addition to our morning time. I started this to 'excite' the kids to record their daily nature observations in their nature notebooks. This course of study was also fueled by the CM conference when Timothy Keyes gave his great lecture on Nature Study (more on that later!)

Quotes of Encouragement Through Hard Times

Here are quite a few quotes from Streams in the Desert, a devotional book that has been ministering to me lately. I rediscovered this gem by reading Carmon's blog and decided to click on her link to it. It was exactly what I needed that day and I immediately went downstairs to our library and pulled my copy off of my shelf. I have found much strength in it's pasages since then and many other places too. God is good to meet us with what we need. It seems everywhere I turn, His voice is there.

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I must admit when I am reading blogs I often skip over or at least skim the quotes and unless you are going through hard times yourself, you probably will not want to read through this list. But if you are, you may find just the thing you need to get you going on the right track. I also record these things here as a testimony to my children. Someday they may read these words at a time in their lives when they most need them.

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There are so many good sections I want to copy here but I've already linked to the online text, and even though it is slightly different from my copy, I must be selective in my choices so this post doesn't get ridiculously long.

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"Bring them hither to me" (Matt. 14:18.).
Are you encompassed with needs at this very moment, and almost overwhelmed with difficulties, trials, and emergencies? These are all divinely provided vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill, and if you but rightly understood their meaning, they would become opportunities for receiving new blessings and deliverances which you can get in no other way.
Bring these vessels to God. Hold them steadily before Him in faith and prayer. Keep still, and stop your own restless working until He begins to work. Do nothing that He does not Himself command you to do. Give Him a chance to work, and He will surely do so; and the very trials that threatened to overcome you with discouragement and disaster, will become God's opportunity for the revelation of His grace and glory in your life, as you have never known Him before. "Bring them (all needs) to me." --A. B. Simpson

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"I will not let you go unless you bless me...Then he blessed him there (Genesis 32:26, 29)

Jacob won the victory and the blessing here not by wrestling but by clinging...

We too will not win the victory in prayer until we cease our struggling. We must give up our own will and throw our arms around our Father's neck in clinging faith."

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"No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had ben redeemed from the earth. (Revelation 14:3)

In the darkest night He is composing your song. In the valley He is tuning your voice. In the storm clouds He is deepening your range. In the rain showers He is sweetening your melody. In the cold He is giving your notes expression. And as you pass at times from hope to fear, He is perfecting the message of your lyrics. Oh dear soul, do not despise your school of sorrow. It is bestowing on you a unique part in the heavenly song."

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"I implore you not to give in to despair. It is a dangerous temptation, because our Adversary has refined it to the point that it is quite subtle. Hopelessness constricts and withers the heart, rendering it unable to sense God's blessings and grace. It also causes you to exaggerate the adversities of life and makes your burdens seem too heavy for you to bear. Yet God's plans for you, and His ways of bringing about His plans, are infinitely wise. Madame Guyon

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"Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4)

If a person allows it, he can find something at every turn of the road that will rob him of his victory and his peace of mind. Satan is far from retiring from his work of attempting to deceive and destroy God's children....If you will...firmly exhibit your faith at the precise moment, you can sometimes actually snatch victory from the very jaws of defeat. Faith can change any situation, no matter how dark of difficult. Lifting your heart to God in a moment of genuine faith in Him can quickly alter your circumstances. God is still on His throne, and He can turn defeat into victory in a split second, if we will only trust Him."

The Dream Swing (With a Mountain View to Boot)

For years Mr. Potts dreamed of making this telephone pole swing. Finally about a year ago, with the help of neighbors and bucket trucks, he built it on the top of our hill. He's working on plans to motorize it. For now, when one person is pushed around the pole, the other goes flying around and then when the one being pushed is let go, he takes his turn flying too. It's loads of fun.

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It's also the special place I go to pray. I sit on a swing and look out at the mountains while I push myself gently around. On clear days you can see the mountains much better than on the hazy day when I took this picture. There's just something inspiring about this spot because others in our household go here for their quiet time too.

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Just a little ways over to the left is our place where we have bonfires. I may try to get a picture of the moon coming up over the mountians some evening. It's just a beautiful sight.

Tiny Frogs

Our pool served as a pond all spring. SmokyBear spent every spare minute catching the hundreds of tadpoles swimming it it. It's hard to know if the cleaned-up pool will provide more hours of entertainment than the pond version. I dare say it will be a close contest.

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When we emptied it Memorial Day we found some of the tinest little frogs. My camera had a hard time focusing on them but you can see here that one is so tiny it fits on the end of Tom's tiny thumb.