We are Moving!

This will probably be my last post on this site. We have made the decision to move to a different blog site.

Our new home is:

www.homeschoolblogger.com/littleredhen

We are physically moving as well. We have been preparing our new house over the last few weeks and are installing flooring and painting. Mid September will be the "big move," where we get a huge truck and then beg our friends (that don't have bad backs) to help us move the big chunks of furniture.

A Great Meeting!

Last week, my daughter got to meet her pen pal, whom she met through my Above Rubies e-group. She happens to live two hours from here, so we met at a park halfway. The girls had a great time, and so did the moms! Mrs. K and I have quite a bit in common. We ended up staying for five hours and they flew by. She has two smaller children who were past their naptime and they weren't even crabby. But they got to swim in a giant wading pool, so they really had fun.

An update on the house scenario: the buyer who loved it so much decided not to buy. So we are looking at two mortgages until this thing sells. Still trusting God!

It's hot here, so we are off to the swimmin' hole tonight to cool off.

The School Supply Song!!!

It's that time of year again! I picked up an ad from the newspaper and was inspired to pen these lyrics:

It's the most wonderful time of the year
There are notebooks for ten cents
The savings are immense
On cheap homeschool gear
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

It's the hap happiest season of all
Cuz the markers are cheap
Oh what bargains we reap
At the school supply wall
It's the hap happiest season of all

There are backpacks for you
And some cheap Elmers Glue
And the pencils are twelve for a buck
There's a limit of ten
We'll go in once again
C'mon kids, let's get in the truck!

It's the most wonderful time of the year
We will stock up today,
And have plenty till May
So to ShopKo draw near
It's the most wonderful time of the year

Waiting on God

Many of our friends know that we have been looking for a place in the country for over two years. Back in April, we found one that we loved. Five acres, on a quiet road, pole barn, wooded areas, lots of room to run, a second full kitchen for our family business, and in our price range to boot! We were in the process of making an offer for it (and listing our house) when we found out it was no longer available.

We weren't sure if we should keep our house listed, but we decided to anyway. Several months went by without a single showing, and it didn't really matter because we didn't find another place anyway.

In the meantime, our church had a fundraiser to buy some property. They asked us to pray for 50 days and give whatever God was leading us to give. At the end of the 50 days, we gave an amount that the Lord put on our hearts.

The very next day, the realtor for the house we loved (see photo above) called us. Guess what? The house is available again. In faith (or perhaps insanity), we decided to put an offer on it without selling our house first, because we figured the Lord was opening this door for us. We went through the inspection and the final negotiations and secured a closing date of August 1.

Then, I began to get nervous. Our house had been listed for three months with nobody coming to see it. A friend of mine listed her house and it sold immediately to the first person through it. Another friend listed her house and has had numerous showings in the first week. Had we heard God wrong? Were we crazy to buy a house outright when we had no buyer for ours and no prospects on the horizon?

I confess, when my friend had told me her house sold to the first viewer, I became green with envy. Panic mode set in. Finally I admitted my jealousy to God and asked if He would please somehow let us know if we were being foolish.

The very next day (there's that very next day thing again!!!), our realtor called with a showing for the following day. The folks loved it and are coming back for a second look this week. They had lots of questions regarding utilities and such. Now it isn't a done deal or anything, but God is so faithful! So no matter what happens with this whole process, I have resolved to be content with wherever He puts us.

Home Again

We got home from our trip on Tuesday night. We had spent the weekend in Branson. My favorite part was a beautiful swimming beach we found, called Moonshine Beach. The weather was hot, hot, hot and the beach was full but big enough so that it didn't feel crowded. The water was crystal clear - you can swim in water 10 feet deep and still see the bottom clearly.

Sunday we drove down to Muskogee, Oklahoma for two days. We visited the Five Civilized Tribes Museum and learned about the Trail of Tears. I had heard of it growing up but had no idea what it was all about. How sad that in 1838-1839 the US government forced the Cherokee tribe in southeast United States to march 1000 miles to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).

What I did on summer vacation...

We have been spending the past week on the road with dad. Here's a recap:



Tuesday July 3
We spent the day in St. Louis with auntie L who lives nearby. We visited the Gateway Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion, the courthouse where the awful Dred Scott decision was made, and the Cahokia Indian Mounds in Collinsville, IL. We took the Metro Link into the city.








Wednesday, July 4
We checked out of our hotel and visited Grant's Farm (previously owned by Ulysses S. Grant). We then trekked to Kansas City, checked into the hotel, and went in search of fireworks. We found good ones at Shawnee Mission County Park.








Thursday, July 5
While dad was working, we headed into Kansas City to the Crown Hallmark headquarters. We toured the visitor's center, and then went to Kaleidoscope. This is a free activity sponsored by Hallmark Cards. The kids went into a room where they were able to enjoy a card-making craft frenzy. Dad finished early so we hopped into the van and headed down to our next stop - Springfield, MO. On the way, we stopped at a farm to replenish our milk supply. What a treat! We got delicious fresh milk from grassfed jersey cows. In Springfield, we had dinner out, at the Outback Steakhouse.

Friday, July 6
We got up and headed to Mansfield, MO so mom could achieve a childhood dream of visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder home at Rocky Ridge. (Natalie was a bit grouchy as you can see in the photo on Laura's porch). On the way back to Springfield to pick up dad, we drove off the beaten track in search of farm fresh eggs. We found ourselves in the heart of Amish country. We stopped at one home that advertised produce for sale, and met kind Mrs. Zook and bought some of her goodies. Then on to Branson, where we checked into the hotel and swam for awhile. We drove downtown and visited Dicks 5 and 10, then attempted to drive to the Titanic Museum. We eventually reached our destination although the traffic in Branson is horrendous! Ick! People LIKE this? I felt like a giant rat trapped in a giant tourist trap. Give me a nice, quiet cabin on a lake any day. Oh well, it's Saturday morning and breakfast is over, so it's out into the trap we go!

Busy Week and Inspirational Email

We got back from a weekend trip to the middle of Wisconsin where mom got to be a beverage vendor at the Sally Fallon Seminar in Arkansaw, WI. We camped in the skoolie, at the home of my friend's mom. They live on an incredibly lovely and secluded 40 acres. The kids and dads hung out all day at grandma's while my friend and I attended the seminar.

We got home this morning at 2 am and awoke early to get to church, where dd Hannah (age 10) was baptized today. Afterward, we went to a swimming pool with friends because our realtor was running an open house and we couldn't go home until after 3 pm.

We have made an offer on a house and it has been accepted, but I am going to save the details until it's a sure thing. There are lots of goings-on in the process and we still need to have a well test done. During the inspection, it was discovered that they were putting bleach into the water source. Hmmmm..... Tall cold glass of ice water, anyone? It won't hurt you, really....

Tomorrow we leave for a family trip... we are accompanying dad during his work week and will be spending time in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. While dad is working, we will explore places that we have never visited before. Can't wait for the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Mansfield, MO! I (mom) have wanted to see it ever since I was a child. We also have tickets to the Titanic museum in Branson, MO.

I got this email today and wanted to share it.

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet."

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver, with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday."

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians and will put us to the test! Always be on guard and remember that you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself "Christian."

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Answers to Monday's quiz

Okay I knew it... four days have passed and I had forgotton all about it until the impatient man of the house who wanted answers reminded me. :)

Answers To Quiz
(If you haven't taken the quiz, see previous post first)

1. boxing

2. Niagara Falls (The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.)

3. asparagus andrhubarb (personally I always thought it was a fruit)

4. strawberry

5. It grew inside the bottle. (The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.)

6. dwarf, dwell, dwindle

7. period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, bracket, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.

8. lettuce.

9. shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, and stilts.

Pop Quiz

Life has been really busy here at the Hen House, which is why I haven't posted in awhile. We are in the process of buying a new house, and I will share the details when things come together more.

I got this quiz via e-mail today. I actually did pretty well on the questions. I will post the answers tomorrow (or in about three weeks if I forget).

These are not trick questions! They are straight questions with straight answers.

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters "dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S."

Moving Day for the Chicks

Today the chicks are three weeks old, and dad says they stink too much in the house. So yesterday, we prepared their shelter and fenced in an area for them to live. Today they moved in. There is a heat lamp in the playhouse to keep them warm when it's chilly or rainy out.

They LOVE their new home! It was so much fun watching them scratch for bugs the way a chicken is supposed to! They have seven more weeks to enjoy themselves (and entertain us in the meantime).

My Baby Turns 7!

Today is Zach's 7th birthday. Where have the years gone? He loved his new blanket that mom crocheted for him (in Steelers colors) but his favorite gift was the Peyton Manning Super Bowl XLI jersey.











Tonight some friends came over for cake and ice cream. One of these friends shares a birthday with Zach so we celebrated with him, too. Here they are at opposite ends of the table, blowing out their candles.

One of my favorite jokes...

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"
He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"
Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

Summer science project

We just received five baby chicks from a friend, and we are raising them as meat birds. This is somewhat difficult when you live in town, but we have a spot all figured out for them in the yard.

They will live indoors with us until they are three weeks old, and then they will be moving to their chicken yard, which is tucked into a corner where the house and deck meet. We are getting a Little Tikes playhouse which will shelter them at night.

Their names are:

KFC

Extra Crispy

FLG (Finger Lickin' Good)

Fricasee

Cacciatore

You get the picture. This is so we don't get too attatched to them!

Grant's First Job/Party

Today was the first day of official employment for Grant, who just turned twelve a couple weeks ago. He has a paper route, six days a week. I didn't get a picture of him heading out on the job (dragging his little brother along to help ease the workload).

We went to a really fun birthday party yesterday. A dear friend turned 50 last week, and her husband, siblings, and eight children planned a surprise party for her. There were probably 300 people there, and boy was she surprised! Her children wrote and sang hilarious little ditties to her and about her.

First Violin Lesson

It appears that Natalie wants to follow in mom's footsteps; she has been begging for violin lessons ever since a friend gave us a half-sized violin. It needed a minor repair, which I finally took care of last week. She had her first lesson this morning, and hopefully she will advance far beyond her teacher (aka mom).

The kids' current favorite movie/CD is Fiddler on the Roof, which probably served to inspire her. I was in a drama at church where a Yiddish accent was required, so we got the DVD from the library. Then I discovered the Fiddler CD in my collection, and it has become a major hit in this house!

I never did figure out how to speak with a convincing Yiddish accent.

Art Day with Auntie!

These past few weeks have been crazily busy at our house, which is why April has a grand total of one post until today.

This week, we went to visit Auntie J at her art studio in Green Bay. The first day, the kids (and mom) got to work with natural clay. Here are some of our creations:

Auntie J will fire them in her kiln for us, and we will go back on May 8 to glaze them and give them a final bake. (May 8 happens to coincide with the annual Green Bay Public Library book sale. Grin!)

We slept overnight and went back to the studio the next day to work with polymer clay. We made magnets, spoons, critters and adorable bottle openers.

We sure enjoyed our two days in the studio, and our overnight at Auntie's. What a treat!!

Women's Issues

My DAD sent me this, of all people!!! LOL! These are hilarious.

Pregnancy Q & A & more

Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.

Q: I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q: What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.

Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?

Q: My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q: Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q: Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q: Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.


"ESTROGEN ISSUES"
10 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE "ESTROGEN ISSUES"
1. Everyone around you has an attitude problem.
2. You're adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelet.
3. The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.
4. Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say.
5. You're using your cellular phone to dial u p every bumper sticker that says: "How's my driving-call 1- 800-".
6. Everyone's head looks like an invitation to batting practice.
7. Everyone seems to have just landed here from "outer space".
8 You can't believe they don't make a tampon bigger than Super Plus.
9 You're sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy.
10. The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday.

TOP TEN THINGS ONLY WOMEN UNDERSTAND
10. Cats' facial expressions.
9. The need for the same style of shoes in different colors.
8. Why bean sprouts aren't just weeds.
7. Fat clothes.
6 Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time (Sorry, I do this).
5. The difference between beige, ecru, cream, off-white, and eggshell.
4. Cutting your hair to make it grow.
3. Eyelash curlers.
2. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made.
AND, the Number One thing only women understand:
1. OTHER WOMEN

Goodbye to our "boys"

This morning was all hustle and bustle in our house, as our wonderful musical guests got ready to leave us. They LOVED camping in the bus last night, and the low temperature reached about 68, so they were plenty warm.

This has been a wonderful experience for us, and I hope for the boys as well. Each of them gave us a lovely gift this morning before they departed, which brought tears to my eyes. We didn't know them for very long, but they left a void in our house that we will feel for awhile.

Boys Chorus Visit

We have had the pleasure of hosting four boys from the All American Boys Chorus over the past two days. They performed on Sunday, and Hannah's children's choir sang two numbers with them. This group is wonderfully talented! The boys who are staying with us are 10, 11, 11, and 13. One of the 11 year olds turns 12 tomorrow. Two of the boys are brothers and are homeschooled too.


Here is a photo of our first meeting with them (the goofy boys and girl making faces are mine of course) ----- Our "boys" are all dressed in red shirts, and one of them has his back to the camera.


Last night we had movie and popcorn night - we watched the movie Cars. Today they were on tour with their group and tonight we went to pick them up in the schoolie. It was 80 degrees here today, so they decided they all wanted to camp out tonight, so they are all tucked in out in the bus. After a wild night of game-playing (Apples to Apples) and boisterous fun with walkie-talkies, they are wired but ready to crash.



Tomorrow we say goodbye - we have to have them to their bus by 9 am, where they will be off to Bucyrus, Ohio.

First Full Day of Spring

Yesterday was the first full day of spring; so to celebrate, the kids decided to camp outside in the schoolie. So they bundled up with lots of blankets and spent the whole night there (the low temp was about 55).

The surprising part was that we had LOUD thunderstorms almost all night long, and they slept all the way through them! I was awake from about 2 to 3 am, just waiting for the kids to come running in.

Here are some photos of the "aftermath:"

This is Grant and Natalie, sound asleep.

Here is a full-bus shot - Hannah was sleeping on the back couch.

And below is Zach - he snuggled into the luggage area to sleep.

We are going to see a play this

morning, but when we return, we have a bus to clean!!!

Boys Night Out, Girls Night Out

Last night, dad took the boys (and tomboy Natalie) to the Milwaukee Bucks game against the Carolina something-or-others (I don't know much about basketball, can you tell?).

Grant had earned his ticket free through a program at the library where he had to read 750 pages. Talk about being motivated to read! Now if we could just keep it going... Anyway, they left early, visited Cabela's on the way down, and got home close to midnight!

So that left Hannah and me. I decided to get us tickets to see "Camelot" which was in the area for one day, done by a professional New York City theater troupe. I was a bit worried about the whole love triangle theme, but there were definitely teaching moments. Through the heartbreak of King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and Guinevere, I was able to show her that it is always better to do it God's way, and why it is important to stay commited to your spouse.

The actor who played King Arthur was wonderful! He got a standing ovation at the end. The costumes were magnificent, and the music was good.

Take Heart!

Recently we purchased a quarter cow. We received the heart as part of the package. So just for the heck of it, I thawed it and added it to my large vat on the stove which was full of simmering beef stock. It simmered for about 24 hours, and I pulled it out today.

It was really quite tender, and so I gave a piece to my daughter Natalie and asked how she liked the "beef roast". "Yum!" she said. So I proceeded to slice the heart thinly, cut it up, and make a delicious beef noodle soup with it.

We had it for lunch, and the friends who joined us for lunch said they liked the soup, too. Usually I have a big mouth and cannot keep this sort of thing to myself, but today I just smiled and said thanks. (Probably because I still have slices of the stuff in the fridge and need to use it up before they are on to me).

Heh heh heh! Aren't I sneaky!

THE SAFEST PLACE

How to stay safe in the world today.

1. Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.

2. Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.

3. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.

4. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.

5. Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals. So, ... above all else, avoid hospitals.

BUT, you will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church! ...And....Bible study is safe too. The percentage of deaths during Bible study is even less.

So,...for SAFETY'S sake -- Attend church, and read your Bible! IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

It's Been Awhile!

This is one of the things that I knew would happen when starting this blog. Life would get busy and I would completely forget that I even had a blog! Oh well. Let's see what's been happening over the past month....

There was a fire four houses down from us a few weeks ago. We were sitting around on a Friday morning, reading about Ancient Greece, when *bam,* something made a loud noise. It turns out that it was a large garage, sort of like a machine shed, and a car inside blew up. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the building burned all day and was pretty much destroyed.

Later that same day, the kids participated in our homeschool group's Art and Speaking Fair. Zach and Hannah brought home blue ribbons, Natalie brought home two reds, and Grant brought home a white (although we scratched our head at that one - he did exceptionally well and it turns out the judge had added up his score incorrectly). Here is Natalie receiving one of her awards.

Two of the kids learned what to do with young coconuts. They scraped out the meat, which in a young coconut is very soft and gel-like. We then threw it into the blender with some other stuff for a treat that tasted like banana cream pie. Yum! Except that there were a few shells going crunch crunch! Below is Grant wielding his ax trying to open the things, and then Hannah scraping out the stuff. One of them had purple filling! Weird - we didn't eat it.

I (mom) participated in a women's retreat for our church this past weekend. It was a lovely time up at the Heidel House on Green Lake here in Wisconsin. I was able to participate on the praise team, leading worship for the event. No pictures, sorry! The weekend was very uplifting - great speakers, fun stuff to do, good fellowship with friends - all the makings of a great retreat!

At the end of this month, our family will be attending the Wisconsin Above Rubies Family Camp near Lake Geneva. Friends from the Twin Cities will be joining us as well. We are looking forward to that! Watch for photos in April!

I just finished the study of the book of Daniel (Beth Moore's study) with a group of friends. It was a wonderful study that I highly recommend! We were sad to see the study end, but are planning on doing a study of 1 Peter starting March 23. That should take us to summer, which we will take off, but we are hoping to find another Beth Moore study to do in the fall.

The kids and I started a new tradition this year. I was going through our large stack of Christmas cards that we received this year, and of course I never want to throw any of them away. We decided to pick one every day and pray for the person or family that we picked during our morning before-school prayer time. Then when we get through the whole stack, we go back and start over. That way, I don't have to throw any of them away (at least not until next year when we get the next crop). Last week my friend Jesse called me - I hadn't talked to her in weeks and weeks - and we had just happened to pray for her and her family that same morning! It was fun to get to tell her that!

Time to wrap up my rambling. Hopefully I won't let it go a month before posting again. We have tons of snow on the ground (March came in like a lion) and it is strange to think that I could be gardening in four weeks!!!

Homeschool activities

Today we finished our study of the kings of Israel, and therefore completed the timeline we have been working on ever since we began with King Saul. At the end of the line is the last king of Judah, King Zedekiah, and we then drew the statue from Nebuchadnezzar's dream to show the end of the line of kings and the start of the captivity of Judah. The kids had fun drawing symbols to tell which kings were wicked and which were good.

On a similar note, we have been working on our own family tree. We have found ancestors in Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Austria, Prussia, and Wales. The kids are on the trunk, and then it branches off to mom and dad, and then further. One line goes back as far as 1739. However, we did not draw symbols to denote which ancestors were wicked and which were good. :)

Here is a picture of the ice castle the kids recently built, using icicles that were hanging from a building.



And here is Hannah, preparing for our trip to Laura Ingalls Wilder Days in Pepin. (We like to plan ahead. The weekend is in September!)


One of my favorite homeschooling memories comes from the year we started. We were reading the Little House books aloud, and had just started "On the Shores of Silver Lake." One of the earliest chapters was a tribute from Laura to her dog, Jack. He was old and about to die. It was such a heart-rendering tribute that by the end of the chapter, I was sobbing! I was so choked up that I couldn't finish reading it to the kids and Hannah had to read it for me. The kids stared at me like I was from Mars, but I couldn't get ahold of myself. "Uh, mom, this is a story from, oh, about 150 years ago. It's about a DOG. You don't even LIKE dogs, remember??"


Go figure. It just shows how good writing can be very moving and persuasive!

Dear Lord....

Dear Lord,

For all of us who call ourselves by Your name, may we:

Celebrate more often than we complain;

Encourage more often than we judge;

Think more about others than ourselves;

Put the best construction on others' actions and motives;

Be world-changers, not just comfort-seekers;

Respect others' opinions but let Your Word have the final say;

Not grow weary in doing good;

Season all our conversations with Truth and Grace;

See You at work in the smallest situations;

See You at work in the most trying circumstances;

Trust each other more--second guess each other less;

Trust You more--question You less;

Grow softer hearts for the least lovable;

Keep an open chair at our table;

And, most of all--reflect You--not distort You--to a watching world!

This was written by our pastor's wife, and I thought it was lovely and right on! Even though we are having a day today where we could easily complain (two sick kids, dad out of town), we will celebrate anyway because of all the wonderful things He has done for us.

To quote my favorite line from my new favorite movie, Facing the Giants: "If we win, we praise Him. And if we lose, we praise Him!"

May God bless you today, friend!

Random Thoughts on an Icy Day

Brrr...

Yesterday was the coldest we have seen here in Wisconsin in a long time. I believe the high was minus one, so the local powers that be determined that school should be canceled (I think so all the kids could go sledding). Today is much warmer, a balmy one degree, but local schools still wanted the kids to play outside I guess, because they canceled school AGAIN!

Okay, I am trying not to roll my eyes. Growing up in northern Minnesota, I had to walk a mile to school (it was NOT uphill both ways - I'm not THAT old). Mom always said that if it was 20 below, she would give me a ride to school. One day, I remember yelling, "Mom, it's below zero!" Well, it was only five below, so I didn't qualify for a ride. I bundled up in my snowmobile suit, mittens, hat, and scarf, and off I went. The idea of "wind chill" had not reached our area of the world yet.

It was around this time, perhaps about second grade, that on one of my walks home in the dead of winter, I tried to lick the delicious-looking frost from the Mill Street Bridge in Fergus Falls (did I mention the METAL Mill Street Bridge?). I hadn't studied science very extensively yet, and thus was unaware that anything wet would stick to cold metal. I had to yank my tongue off the bridge, and I lost the skin off the tip of my tongue. Owwww! It hurt, and was bleeding profusely. Another drawback to not having studied science yet was that I was certain I would bleed to death before reaching home. I had no idea how much blood ran through my veins. I guess one of these days I should study science.

My girls started classes this morning; an art class and a music class for homeschoolers meeting once a week. Each class had six kids in them. I know, a bit overcrowded but what can you do? :) The boys and I ran errands and then went and hung out at the library while this was going on.

Dh is on a business trip this week, so we are on our own. We were very happy to see Tony Dungy and his team win the Super Bowl this week. I just love how he gives the glory to the Lord!

This is Amazing!

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Facing The Giants

Today is the day that Facing The Giants was released on DVD. If you didn't catch it at one of the few movie theaters that carried it, I encourage you to get a copy of this movie. Netflix has it for rent, and my dh bought our copy at Wal-Mart.

When we saw it in the theater, there was not a dry eye in our family, including dad (who NEVER cries). It's an awesome story of faith. Tonight was my third viewing of it, and I still cried. I cannot recommend it enough, and this comes from someone who tries to minimize our media consumption.

Anagram fun!

I just love anagrams! It's when you take all the letters of a name, word, or sentence, and rearrange them to say something new, using each letter only once.

For example, Clint Eastwood = Old West Action.

Here are a few more.

The country side = No City Dust Here
The Morse Code = Here Come Dots
Slot Machines = Cash Lost in'em
Tom Cruise = So I'm Cuter
The United States of America = Attaineth its cause, freedom
Presbyterian = Best In Prayer
Statue of Liberty = Built to Stay Free
Debit card = Bad Credit
Indianapolis Colts = Spinal Dislocation
Chicago Bears = Coach Begs Air
The Super Bowl = Blowups There
American Idol = A Criminal Ode; or Idle Macaroni
Hilton Head Island = Shh, No Tidal Denial
New York City = Yow, icky rent!
Los Angeles, California = Slogan: Racial Felonies; or Orange Fossil Alliance

You can play around with your name at http://wordsmith.org/anagram/advanced.html

I give you this caution: it's addicting. I have already figured out anagrams for my entire extended family.

Signed,
Your friend,
Ashtray Mom, or Mama Shorty, or My Ham Roast

The Pie

Last night we had a big bowl of buttered acorn squash for dinner. Needless to say, I had a big bowl of leftover buttered acorn squash in my fridge today. It was the last of my garden veggies from last summer, and I didn't have the heart to throw them away.

Aha! thought I. I will bake a pie with it. So I did - gluten-free crust and all. It actually was one of the best pies of I have ever made-it was so exactly like pumpkin pie that you couldn't tell the difference.

And I almost got away with it too, except that I let DH in on the secret before cutting into it. He loudly asked the kids if they wanted any squash pie, which sent Hannah into a sobbing frenzy. However, the others had some and begged for more.

Hannah finally had a piece (I confess - we made her do it) but she stubbornly said she didn't like it (even though she ate the whole piece up).

Did God Create Evil?

This story has been circulated throughout the net, and has falsely been attributed to Albert Einstein, according to www.truthorfiction.com. Having said that, it's a wonderful illustration anyway!

This has a thought provoking message no matter how you believe. Does evil exist?

The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied yes, he did!" "God created everything?" The professor asked. "Yes, sir," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil." The student became quiet before such an answer.

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?" "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody and every object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have too little heat.

The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does".

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. "These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love, that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

Happy New Year, Friends

It's been awhile since I posted - I got sick on Christmas Eve and still have the remaining traces of the cold and cough. I hadn't been that sick in a loooooooonnnng time! Even with my garlic tea, colloidial silver, etc. etc, it was a long, drawn out thing.


So now that I feel back among the land of the living, here's a quick update on what else we have been up to.


Christmas was wonderful and low-key this year. We had a party here on the 23rd with five families in attendance, and we decided to do homemade gifts for one another. It was great to see how creative my friends were! There were homemade games, cookies, crafts... it was lovely! Then we all enjoyed lots of appetizers and played games. We can't wait to do it again next year.


We had a candlelight Christmas Eve service the next night at church, and came home to lots of wonderful leftovers from the party the night before. It was bedtime on this night that the ol' throat started hurting. We got up the next morning to a relaxed time of kids opening gifts. And then I crawled back to bed and stayed there for pretty much the rest of the day, sipping garlic tea and sleeping. I did homemade gifts for the kids... my firstborn LOVED his Steelers quilt!


We decided rather last minute to visit our good friends in the Twin Cities for New Years. A lovely time was had by all (except maybe dad, who started getting this flu thing New Year's Eve). We played games till midnight - and of course the kids loved staying awake that late.

Every year, we do this time capsule thing - we had gotten this little silver time capsule from (ugh, do I have to say it??) McDonalds back in the year 2000. Anyway, I made a list of different things on a piece of paper, such as favorite color, favorite Bible verse/story, favorite song, favorite hobby, best memory of the past year, something you'd like to learn in the new year, etc etc. Every year on New Years Eve I print out this sheet from my computer, and we sit around and give our current answers. Then we read aloud our answers from previous years (and usually have some good laughs). Finally we lock everything up in the time capsule and put it in our Christmas stuff to be taken out next year. Our little silver capsule is getting rather full; I am going to need to microfilm the sheets of paper or something!

This week has been back to the grindstone. I am starting a study on Ancient Greece with the older two kids. We finished up Ancient Egypt before Christmas. Most of the kids (and mom) listed "aloud reading" as their favorite school subject in our time capsule project. We love studying history this way, with living books!