The Ladies of Harmony

That's me on the far right of this photo.  I have spent the last 2 months playing the part of Maud--the overbearing, control-freak who heads the funeral dinner committee for Harmony Church. Leah, Thelma, Addie, Stella and Grace all join me in, not only planning the dinner for a man we all hated, but also gossiping about Pastor Bob and the news Grace brought us from the beauty parlor that his new fiance is a go-go dancer from Cleveland!  Unbeknownst to the ladies, the coffee they have been drinking while planning and gossiping and which the janitor made, has been spiked with Kahlua--"Russell" wasn't expecting them to be there drinking his coffee.  

The show is funny and our full (and some sold-out) audiences all had positive feedback that included exclamations of how they saw people they knew in those characters. By the end of the run, though, we were all quite tired of the script and had successfully picked it apart many times. LOL  We all had lines we hated saying!  

The only sad thing about the show is that after 2 months together, I will miss these ladies.  They are each very unique and special in their own ways and each of them have added something positive to my life.  I hope I did the same.  I will miss spending 6-8 hours a week with them--laughing, complaining, etc. They were a great cast and we had a great crew, too.  So glad for the chance to join them in this adventure.

It was worth missing my 25th high school reunion over. :)  

After a Month of School

It's been a month.  We started school the first Tuesday of Sept.  Today is the first Tuesday of Oct.  It's been a good year so far.  We are especially enjoying 2 things:

Mystery of History!  The middles and I are learning SO much and they are retaining!  Something I never did in school! lol We have been doing the notecards and timeline and adding in short reports whenever we can.  Learning SO much about the early church and the early martyrs and the emperors responsible for their persecutions.

Heart of Dakota! I've never ever spent money on a kindergarten or pre-K packaged curriculum.  We've done cheap workbooks to keep them busy, but I can now recommend a packaged curriculum!  THIS IS GREAT!  We are using Little Hands and Little Hearts and both littles are learning so much.  Charlie Brown  has 3 verses memorized so far.  I've not had a chance to start verse 4 with him this week, but tomorrow proves to be a quieter day for us.  Maybe we can get moving. The Adventures of Reddy Fox have also been a hit and I oftentimes have to read 2 chapters a day.  JerBear especially loves it.

KBug discovered The Bronze Bow this past month and loved it.  She's decided to give Robert Louis Stevenson a chance -- The Black Arrow.

The Princess has endured her first encounter with Shakespeare.  She doesn't seem to have suffered too much.  She recently posted the following on her Facebook in an effort to announce a new hair color:

Prepare yourself, henceforth, for an exciting new colorant of mine own filamentous outgrowth of the epidermis of the burgandy pigmentation.

LOL--love that kid.  She now delving into Lois Lowry's The Giver. It would seem that all of the students in Literature Club are enjoying it.  I'm responsible for teaching this one, so we'll see how it goes next Friday night when we have our group discussion time.

Now if Goofball could get a job and Cannon would send us another letter from Parris Island (we've gotten 4 in 5.5 weeks) life would be great.

Can't wait to see what the next month holds!

And a Day to Remember

20.5

Where did the years go?  As I sat in church Sunday next to my 20yo son and the pastor asked "Where were you 10 years ago?" I nearly burst into tears.  You see, 10 year old boys are my favorite!  And 10 years ago I was enjoying my first 10yo son.  We had a military themed birthday for him, never imagining.

Yesterday was bittersweet.  My last sight of my son is etched into my memory.  Can't believe I didn't think to pull the cell phone out and snap a shot.  He's wearing his notorious ball cap, bill curved and punctuated with a red, white and blue fish hook.  The ball cap of choice this time is a USMC one--black.  His ordinary jeans were paired with a gray t-shirt and a black and white block-print, button-down shirt.  If I think about it, I can even smell him.  He was standing in line among other recruits all waiting to enter the cafeteria and find ways to keep themselves occupied during the next 2 hours at which time they would load a bus headed to Parris Island, SC.  He gave me one of his typical smiles--he has the best smile--and waved while announcing he'd see me in 13 weeks.

I'm so proud.

I held off the tears until we were out of the MEPS building.

I hurried the entire 9 hour trip home.  I was there in plenty of time to receive his scripted phone call.  It was 10 seconds long.  He sounded great.  I know he'll do great.

13 weeks.  I think the kids and I will make a chain.

A Summer to Remember

What a summer!

We spent a few wonderful (but HOT) days in KY with Goofball and Princess at ICHTHUS music festival where I gained a new appreciation for some of the artists they enjoy and was not disappointed in my anticipation of Chris Tomlin's contribution to the weekend--except that it really was too short.  A 5 hour concert might have satisfied me.

After returning home, we delved into bday prep.  Mr. Wonderful turned 50 and Princess turned 16 the next day.  We had everything in the works for a great 16th bday party.  Then 20 min. before the guests were supposed to arrive (other than the couple of guys who had already arrived to set up sound system) THE storm rolled in.  We spent the next several days with no electric in the midst of a heat wave.  We still didn't have electric when Charlie Brown turned 3 on July 3.

Of course our summers here always consist of 2 weekends of Superkids camp.  As usual, my teens headed out of 2 weekends of volunteering as counselors and the 2nd weekend Kbug and JT went as campers.

We added a new adventure for JT this summer as he got to attend Canoe Creation camp with several other boys.  He spent 4 days and 3 nights floating down the river and camping under the stars--sometimes in a tent, but mostly not.  He came home stinky and all smiles. :)

I had the chance to spend an intense weekend of school planning with several girlfriends.  We did get to have at least 1 adventure each day that we were gone, but mostly spent many hours each day in prayer and preparation for the upcoming school year.

We still have a few exciting things to come this summer before we delve back into school.  And before the summer is out Mr. Wonderful and I will go see Cannon and give him a huge hug before he heads off to basic training with the USMC.

It will certainly be a summer we will look back at fondly with great memories.

A Month to Celebrate

The month of May has seemed like an ongoing party.  What are we celebrating?  Goofball graduated!  We began the month with a graduation party then mid-month we had a senior banquet hosted by the local homeschool group.  In a couple more weeks the church will host a reception honoring all the grads.

As part of the senior banquet we were asked to supply quotes or scripture either chosen by our grad or representing our grad.  Goofball helped choose his and I thought they were all appropriate to him.


"Good friends don't let you do stupid things . . . alone."

Friendships have certainly been important to GB.  Just their antics at Walmart alone makes a person shake their head. Add in all the contraptions he's created over the years (my personal favorite being the wheelbarrow attached to the bicycle frame), the numerous trees climbed (to the top), and probably a wealth of stunts I want to know nothing about and I can assure you that the above quote is certainly true!  A few of the friends . . .

Walmart shoppers

"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero." Marc Brown

I love this quote.  It's so true.  GB is definitely a dedicated brother.  While I don't have current pics of all of them with him, these are my favorites from his grad party--with Princess. :)

"You don't choose your family.  They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." Desmond Tutu

And what a gift GB is to us all.  

GB has been a fun kid to raise.  As we see him burst into the adult world with all of his hopes and dreams in front of him, we are excited to see him seeking to find God's will and to honor Him.  GB dreams of one day opening his own coffee shop, named after my late father-in-law and is doing his best to perfect the perfect capaccino and espresso with his new toys. 

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

Creating a Quiet Afternoon

We've been trying to finish up a few school lessons before summer break and the unpainted matryoshka dolls that have been waiting for many weeks on a shelf finally came down to meet their artists following our unit on Russia.  Princess and Kbug went with Dr. Who themes and JT decided on robots.  JerBear and Charlie Brown were both given wooden frames to paint in an attempt to keep them happy.

It was a fun and quiet morning and afternoon as the 3 olders first sketched out their patterns and then turned to painting.  The youngers were quite meticulous in their creations--I think they were taking notes from their sibs.

We'll take their creations to the homeschool group's share fair next week.  It's one of the few things we have to take, but they are certainly fun. :)  Enjoy the pics!

I Must've Blinked

March 1, 1994 . . . I'll never forget the first time I saw G.  I expected to see a little guy who looked like his daddy or maybe me.  Instead I saw this little round pudge (ok, not real little at 9lb. 10oz.!) and wondered if they'd handed me the right baby, but his grandmother excitedly declared that he looked just like his uncle (a trait he would prove time and again over the next several years).  He was such a laid back little guy--so easy-going that one night we awakened to hear him crying.  After realizing he wasn't in his crib we went searching and finally found him still strapped into his infant car seat, which we'd set in the living room after a trip out in which he'd fallen asleep in said seat.

He's continued to be Mr. Laid Back and Easy-Going (mostly).  He's every little sibling's buddy.  He's quite often my right arm (and extra taxi service).

Can't wait to see what God has in store for this kid!

CONGRATULATIONS, Goofball!

(Notice I spelled it all out, just for you! --a note to his fans:  he hates "Congrats" LOL)

Ramblings and Wishes for Your New Year!

It's been a busy holiday season--so full of fun memories.  My oldest got to visit home for a few days and we thoroughly enjoyed having him back home for a little while and are looking forward to another visit in March.  We spent time with friends and family.  Of course Christmas Day was special, especially the opportunity to actually celebrate AT church with church family.

Perhaps my favorite memory from this holiday season may be ringing in the new year.  If the year goes half as well as the celebration it will be a year to never forget.  We had the privilege to spend the evening with several families at a friend's house.  I believe I counted 51 of us total.  Shortly before midnight we started sharing our favorite thing about 2011 and what we are looking forward to in 2012.  We stopped briefly to ring in the new year with cell phones, pots and pans, bells, etc.  The kids certainly enjoyed that.  :)  We quickly went back to our sharing and followed that up with some praise and worship and then family communion and prayer time--each family head serving their family.  We ended with some more singing--the last song being "As For Me and My House We Will Serve The Lord."  Sweet time.

We finally made it back home at 2:00, although the 2 youngest didn't quite make it all night.

It was a great holiday season.

And now it's time to return to regularly scheduled life:  school, appointments, activities.  2012 proves to be an exciting year at our house.  Someone hits double digits.  Someone else turns 18 two weeks before his brother leaves his teens behind.  Our oldest daughter will turn 16 (she already has the learner's permit and about 2 hours of driving experience under her belt--consider yourself warned.) the day after her dad hits the 1/2 century mark.  Then we'll end the year by adding another teenager to the family dynamic.  Of course there are 3 other birthdays in the mix there, but those are the "biggies" that at our house earn special recognition of one sort or another.  We'll also get to celebrate another high school graduation and do a couple of school visits this spring while he decides where to take the next step into his future.  

But as we head into 2012, I hope that we take with us the preciousness of that ringing it in.  The acknowledgement that we need the God who sustained us through 2011 and the readiness to accept His blessings.  The knowledge that sometimes the blessing may come in the form of knowing His presence and strength will get us through the trials of 2012.  

This morning we were reminded in our pastor's message that the Old Testament is the testimony of who God is.  And we're reminded in Hebrews 13:8 that "Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages)." (Amplified version--sorry, but it's my favorite!)  It brings my rambling thoughts back to a friend's blog that I read earlier today.  Why DO we have to take the Christmas tree down?  (Well, other than at my house where there is not room for people AND a tree more than a few weeks out of the year.)  Why pack away the remembrance of what this season is all about?  He remains throughout the year.  He remains the same today as he was last year--as he was 2000 years ago.  He is the same God who was with Noah and He is the same God that will be with us throughout the coming year.  

So, Happy New Year!  May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God Incarnate who loves us with an everlasting love bless you this year and may you seek to know Him in a way you have never known Him before.  

And, if you are that friend who posted that blog entry ;)  I took the tree down, but the Nativities are all still up.  :)  There's always room for them!