Happy Birthday Lionel - We love you!

I can't believe that today our son turned 13!!! Wow, where does the time go? He's a teenager now. I am so proud to be his Mom and can truly say that God blessed us far more than I could ever have imagined!! Lionel has grown so much over the years, not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. We have seen him grow and mature into a young gentleman and although he has a ways to go, he is well on is way to being a true man of God!

Here he is through the years....

1995


1996


1997


1998


1999


2000 - Homeschool Kindergarten graduation


2001


2002


2003


2004


2005


2006 - Homeschool Grade 6 Graduation


2007


2008 - On his birthday with Cody (and his new very cool Civil War Union Cap!)


A note for my son:
"My dear 'Lionel', I am so glad God chose me to be your Mom. I am amazed at the way you have always been helpful to me around the house, and I am proud of you for reaching out to others. You are creative, loving and full of life! I love your sense of humor and I adore your smile - dimples and all!!! You are a wonderful violinist and although you need to practice more often than you do, you have been given a true gift. Use it for the Lord and enjoy it. You gave your life to Christ at a young age and have always tried to do what's right even though at times it's hard. I can't wait to see where God leads you. I pray for you every day and always will. Happy 13th birthday my son, I love you dearly!!!! Love, Mommy"

Friday Faves #15 - Flower

Friday Fave #15 - Favorite flower

I have to say that I really love all types of flowers...there aren't any that I dislike. God created so much beauty in this world for us to enjoy! My husband is always bringing fresh flowers home to me - something he's done that I've always appreciated. He always tries to include carnations in the bunch too!

If I had to pick one flower that is my all-time favorite, it has to be the carnation. It's a simple, yet elegant flower. For some reason I just love the smell of fresh carnations!! When we went to Scotland on our honeymoon, one of the castle's we visited was Floors Castle. They had a ton of carnations growing in their gardens - it was absolutely gorgeous!!!

I also love taking macro photos of flowers...I took the photo above with the 'Friday Faves' logo on it, along with these carnation photos. I have to admit that these aren't the best shots I've taken...carnations are hard to photograph!! Some of my better photos are of roses, wisteria and sunflowers...all of which I absolutely love too.

The next time someone brings you flowers and there's a carnation in the bunch, smell the center of it and see how sweet they are!!

Thursday Thirteen #11

13 of my favorite Bible verses

I wasn't easy choosing just 13 verses! There are SO many more that I love, but I managed to find 13 that are extra special to me. Here goes...

1. Philippians 4:6,7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of god, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

2. Jeremiah 29:11 - "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 a hope and a future."

3. Proverbs 3:5,6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths."

4. Romans 8:38-39 -“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Jesus Christ our Lord.”

5. Ephesians 2:10 -"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

6. Hebrews 12:1-3 -" Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sun that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

7. Ephesians 4:32 - "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

8. Isaiah 41:10 - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

9. Micah 6:8 - "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

10. 2 Corinthians 4:18: "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

11. Isaiah 55: 8-9 - “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, “declares the Lord. “as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

12. Philippians 4:8 - "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things."

13. Philippians 3:14 - "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Laughter Really IS the Best Medicine!

I received an awesome book in the mail from a dear friend the other day. It is entitled "Don't Stop Laughing Now!" by Ann Spangler and Shari MacDonald. I have always enjoyed a good hearty laugh. A sense of humor is not only good for your spirit, it also affects your physical health in a positive way!

I have to say that this book is one I hate putting down. The chapters are very short, so to me it's considered an easy read! Some of the contributors to this book include: Luci Swindoll, Chonda Pierce, Marilyn Meberg, Barbara Johnson, Mark Lowry, Dave Berry, Ken Davis, Nate Adams, Sheila Walsh and more! These people all have either written their own funny books, are are great inspirational speakers, and/or are hilarious comedians.

This book is a keeper for me. Many of the short stories in this book make me laugh out loud - not many books do that for me. Just the other day I was reading it in the bathroom (yes, I read in 'the library' - and don't even think of denying it - I'm sure most of you do it as well...it's the only place where a Mom can truly be alone for a few moments of peace and quiet!)...anyhow...I started laughing and the kids called me through the door, asked what was so funny and if I was OK.

So, if you need some sunshine in your life and a bit of clean Christian humor, pick up this book! You won't be able to put it down...at least not without laughing!

Happy Resurrection Day!!!!!

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia! 

May you all have a most blessed Easter!!

Photo Hunt #102 - Metal

It's Friday but Sunday's Comin'!!!!

Galatians 6:14 "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."


Mere words cannot describe the sorrow felt on the Friday Jesus was crucified. He died because of our own sin...we put Him on that cross. Take time today to remember how He suffered for us to take away our sin. Today is Friday, but Sunday's coming...Resurrection Day!!!! He is not dead...He's ALIVE!!!

Friday Faves #14 - Book

Friday Fave #14 - Favorite book

My favorite book of all time is definitely The Bible...there's no comparison! God's Holy Word is the best there is. It is a love letter to us and we need to read it daily.

The Bible I use most is the NIV Study Bible. My husband gave it to me before we were married. Before that I used the American Standard, but I'm not crazy about that version anymore. A friend of mine highly recommended the ESV Bible which is fairly new. It's very similar to the King James Bible which is what I grew up on, only it's easier to understand. I'm looking forward to when they come out with the ESV in a nice leather study Bible. I really enjoy study Bibles because it gives you a place to start when you want to research more on a particular passage. For now though I'll stick with my NIV....I've got so many notes and underlined verses in it that it may be hard to work on a new one. To me, the older and more worn out the better!

I'm so exhausted!

The past few weeks have been utterly exhausting in many ways. It all began with the arrival of Cody, our new dog. We're progressing with him, but it's very s--l--o--w! Today he did something that totally surprised me.

Lionel had a violin lesson this afternoon. I just came in the back door with Cody who was out doing his business, when the violin teacher arrived at the front door. I don't think Cody heard him come in. When the teacher came into the kitchen to ask how Cody was, all of a sudden there was growling and a few loud barks - the first we've heard - ever!!! Cody was so spooked that all of a sudden there was a strange man in the kitchen and he just put up his guard. He made no attempt to go after him. In fact, when I said "Cody, No!" he instantly stopped. He calmed down and I carried him over to the teacher so he could pet him. No growling or barking that time. After Lionel's lesson, the teacher peeked into the living room where Cody was, and said hi to him again. I was sitting on the floor next to him, so he figured that the teacher was now safe, and he didn't make a move to growl or bark then either. Phew! It totally startled me because I had my back to him and all I heard was growling. I must have turned so quickly that he knew I meant business when I said 'no'. He's just so sweet and to see this was quite a shock, but in all fairness, Cody was totally caught off guard and did what dogs do when they're in a frightening situation...this just goes to show the damage done on him when living with the 'breeder'.

Today Cody also made improvement in other areas...he climbed upstairs all by himself. Of course I had to encourage him to follow me, but he eventually did. He went into Lionel's room and lay down. He will hopefully sleep there tonight in his big crate - the one that's been waiting for him! He has been sleeping in the crate he flew here in from Kansas and we just put off switching crates to make him feel comfortable with us first. We'll see how he does. He will sleep with his new best friend "Slim" (a.k.a. Mr. Pickins) We got him this little guy at the pet store and he sleeps with him ALL the time now! Here he is with Slim...





The kids and I are also trying to catch up with school work. Lionel has been helping me with Cody late at night, so we've been getting up a bit later in the mornings. I do NOT like this schedule, but we're trying to adjust it slowly. Daylight savings time threw us way off kilter! Cody did not adjust well to the time change from Kansas, let alone this one here. Anyhow...back to school....

Lionel's history is mostly living books, so there's lots of reading. That can be done anytime, but science, math, writing and geography need to get done during school hours. Sweet-Pea isn't behind that much which is good...but even if she were, it's easily made up when you're just in 1st grade. Her main focus has been on reading and writing - the rest is easy for her to do...history, geography, science and math. She's a whiz in those subjects and in writing, but reading has been difficult for her. She's getting there though and I believe before the summer is over, she'll be a great reader all on her own! She can't wait to master it because there's a whole slew of American Girl books just waiting for her to read on her book shelf! That is a great incentive for her to push on and learn to read well.

One fun thing Lionel and I have been doing at night together has been watching educational movies. We watched Gettysburg this past week in 30-40 minute segments each evening. Despite some of the language in parts of it (why do they slaughter perfectly good movies with swearing?!?), the movie as a whole was fantastic. I remember watching it a while back, but for some reason, I really felt that the characters came to life this time around. My guess is because I was watching it with him and we were learning all about the Civil War together. We also watched Luther (awesome movie!) and First Knight. I'm going to get a couple movies from Answers in Genesis next to watch with him...those should be great!

We recently purchased a wonderful cd audio set from Vision Forum....I LOVE that website and highly recommend checking it out for some quality educational items for your children if you have time. For some reason the site doesn't seem to open up with Firefox all the time, so use Internet Explorer if it doesn't work for you. The actual address is: www.visionforum.com
Anyhow, I was able to purchase the set at 50% off. Included are cd's on the life of Augustine, Luther, Bunyan, Edwards and Whitefield. Lionel is anxious to listen to them all - he loves these type of books. They all were narrated by Max McLean.

Well, it's late and as my post says...I'm exhausted! I need to take Cody out and then try to get him up to Lionel's room for the night. Please continue to pray for our dog and the situation with him...pray for him to be loyal, obedient and gentle. The growling today was out of character for him, so we're praying that it was an isolated case. At least it was totally not aimed at us. That's a good thing. He's never growled at anyone else he met for the first time, so we believe it was because he was caught off guard. Have a good evening!!

Thursday Thirteen #10

13 wonderful memories I've made

The mind is extremely complicated...God created us with the ability to make decisions and think on our own. He also gave us the ability to remember things by using our senses. Smell, sight, sound, taste and touch all have an effect on the memories we make. My Dad is currently suffering from Alzheimer's Disease in the later stages, so I have been thinking quite a bit about the mind and how our memory is vital to our daily existence. I am thankful for the many wonderful memories I have stored away in my mind...hopefully I won't ever forget them. Here are just a few:

1. When I was young, my family and I were in a cottage where a plane crashed into it. The one part that sticks out in my mind though, was my Dad rushing up to the 2nd floor to save us girls (my sister and I). He didn't know that my Mom already rushed us outside the front door. When he realized we weren't up there, he attempted to come back down but couldn't - the stairs were already engulfed in flames. He had to jump out of the window of the 2nd floor, but before doing that, Dad thought enough to throw out my favorite stuffed animal!! I still have the little doggie today that Dad saved for me. It's something that he did for me that touched my heart like never before!!!

2. Giving birth to both of my children obviously is a big memory stored in my mind...not only the births but the pregnancies. I didn't have a normal pregnancy for either. With my son, I was given extra tests because we were told he would be born with DS. We knew God would bless us with a wonderful child even if he had DS, but it was still hard to handle. Fortunately though the doctors were all wrong and 'Lionel' was perfectly fine! My pregnancy with Sweet-Pea was difficult too - I was on bed rest for 90% of that pregnancy due to a blood clot. All went well though and she too was perfectly fine. We are truly blessed!!

3. My sister and I used to walk home from school together when we were older; we'd be home alone after school for a few hours before our parents came home from work. Well, we would often forget our house key, but that never stopped us! I wore barrettes back then (dork!) and I used them to pick the back door lock. It worked every time and to this day I am amazed that my folks never changed that lock! If a 14 year old could pick the lock...certainly a burgler could too!

4. I worked at Camp-of-the-Woods, a Christian camp (more like a family resort) for 10 summers of my life. I played the flute on the music staff. That place was like a 2nd home to me for a long time. My parents went up when I was just an infant, we never missed a summer! I also went to the girl's camp (an island in the middle of the lake) for 9 years prior to working on the mainland. Our own family has gone up many times, but it's too expensive now and has changed quite a bit. It's just not the same place it used to be, especially since the new crew took over. The old camp will always be in my heart!

5. My honeymoon in Scotland was and is one of my favorite memories! Of course my wedding day was incredible, but the first days of our marriage in Scotland were so much better than I could have ever imagined! We stayed in castles, drove all over the whole country visiting every romantic spot around, shopped in quaint little villages and even got the chance to look up some things about my heritage - my family comes from Scotland.

6. I was a short-term missionary down in South Africa at a conference Center just outside of Durban. I was there almost a year the first time, and then returned the next year for the summer. The experiences I had while there hold dear to my heart. It was hard being away from my family, but I met the most wonderful people who became my adopted family. They even brought me on vacation throughout the entire South African region! That's something I could never have done alone.

7. I rode on a mule down the Grand Canyon - yeah, pretty stupid huh? I was 18 at the time. I was on a trip across the country with 20 other students from my college (along with our professor). It was a summer program where we got to travel lots and at the same time, earn lots of college credits - not too bad 'eh? So, I rode "Harry" down to the bottom of the canyon. It was an awesome trip - I only wish I had a digital camera back then so I got better photos than I did. That was over 22 years ago! Wow.

8. My best friend and I (from early childhood) used to play together ALL the time. She lived on a dead-end street that was connected to my street, so we were very close. Not a day went by that we weren't playing together. When we hit our late elementary years I remember mixing cleaners in their bathroom to try and concoct the best bathroom cleaner ever. HOW DANGEROUS WAS THAT!?! Her parents had no idea, but we were using chemicals that I'm sure would implode if we weren't careful - it's a wonder we're alive today!

9. Playing Barbie dolls at home was one of my favorite past-times...I remember playing with them like it was yesterday! I had the dream home - complete with elevator, the camper, the airplane, the small one story house, the car, the bicycle and the 3 wheeler. Wow, was I spoiled or what?!? My sister had the exact same items too (minus the dream home which came out after she passed the Barbie phase). I still have a couple of the Barbie items from growing up, but they're falling apart. My daughter never got into Barbies like I did...she's into the American Girl dolls -something I'd have LOVED when I was young too!

10. I remember watching Abbot and Costello every Sunday morning after we got home from church. My parents would be making dinner (We always the 'big' meal of the day for lunch on Sundays) and my sister and I would be laying on the floor of the living room watching TV...lazy kids! ha ha The only show that came in clear on our old black and white TV set was Abbot and Costello. In order for it to come in clear, we had to put the channel dial half way between the numbers...and even then the horizontal or vertical lines would jump now and then. Ahh...those were the days!

11. I remember spending lots of time with my moms parents - Gramma and PopPop. I loved them dearly and miss them so much now. My sister and I used to sleep over their house every once in a while. We'd eat Ritz crackers with grape jelly on them, bake scones, learn to sew (I never really did learn though which I regret! My Gramma was the best seamstress around!!!), and play. We'd play darts in their basement, help Gramma hang the laundry outside on the line, play volleyball over the clean wet laundry (which she wasn't crazy about) and then hike in the woods behind their house. PopPop loved doing puzzles, so we would help him. They always had a western TV show playing, and they took us everywhere! One fond memory was when my Gramma would be down in her basement working on the laundry. She had an old marble topped table down there with a large pull-out chalkboard on it. I would sit for hours and just write and draw pictures on it. Gramma would usually be ironing or cleaning up. She was amazing!!!

12. My Dad was a draftsman - he worked as a tool designer for a major corporation. He was really good at his job and he loved doing it. He would often bring work home to do on his drafting table. When he wasn't there, I would sit at it and play with all his templates, his slide-rule and his fun erasers - the kind you pull the paper tab and it unravels. Those were SO cool! They also made wax pencils the same way. Well, I always wanted to be an architect, so using that table and pretending was a lot of fun for me. Unfortunately I never pursued my dream job though. Everyone told me that back then architect jobs weren't for women...I should have never listened to them!

13. One last memory was from nursery school. I loved going each day and remember not only the building, but my teacher and the other kids in my class - unbelievable huh? I remember the sandbox building out back, the playground, and also the large building blocks that you could build an entire club house out of - which I did. One boy kept knocking it down, and I remember getting in trouble because I hit him one day. He knocked it down one too many times. The teacher also scolded him, but I never got over the fact that he kept bothering me. My parents took a photo of me beside the house on the last day of school there. I still have that photo and I still get mad at that boy for teasing me and destroying my club house. ha ha I know...it's been almost 40 years...get over it. ha ha

Well, that's it in a nutshell...13 memories that are stored in my mind and heart. There are so many more, but this list is long enough! If you ever get the chance...take the time to write them all down, one day when you're old and gray and in a nursing home, maybe your children can read them all to you and help you remember fond memories from the past!

Friday Faves #13 - Sport

Friday Fave #13 - Favorite sport

My favorite all-time sport has to be figure skating! I have always enjoyed watching it on TV, especially when the Olympics are on. I haven't watched it so much lately, but back in the 80's and 90's I was really into it when my favorite skaters were in their 'hay-day'.

Who are my favorites? Scott Hamilton, Paul Wylie, Brian Boitano, Torvil & Dean, Gordeeva & Grinkov, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan, Todd Eldredge and Kurt Browning.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Paul Wylie skating to Carmina Burana


Scott Hamilton skating to Figaro (Barber of Seville)


Todd Eldredge skating to Gettysburg (Gorgeous music!)

Cody's come a long way already!

I just wanted to post a few updated photos of our dog Cody...he has come a long way in just a few days. He seems to really enjoy being with us lately. He spends less time hiding in his crate, and more time hanging out with us. He spends all morning in the school room with the kids and I, and when the family is gathered in the family room, he's right there beside us laying on his fluffy pillow! He is still quite fearful, but he's learning to trust and love us.

We had a specialist come to the house yesterday. What a difference she made! She gave us a lot of great hints and tips on how to make Cody adjust to his new life with us. It may take months though since he was severely neglected where he came from. We are now hand feeding him rather than using a bowl. By doing this, he will learn that good things come from us, not his bowl. He also is enjoying treats now...something he never had until now. His favorites are the large size Milkbones! It's a riot to hear him eating...he's got no manners. hee hee The kids think he's funny!

These photos should show you a big difference from the previous ones...

Cody and Sweet-Pea in the school room...


Taking a walk with his buddy, Lionel...


Enjoying his pillow in the living room...


That didn't last long...he's so content, he fell asleep!


In case you're wondering about the harness and leash...the harness is so he doesn't back out of his collar and get loose. The leash indoors is for us to tug at if we want to encourage him to come with us. This way we don't have to scare him by suddenly touching him or lifting him up. It's worked wonderfully so far, so much so, that we only had to use it 2 times today. He's been very obedient and has come when we called him the rest of the day.

It's so exciting to see him improving each day. Hopefully months from now we'll look back and won't even remember how scared, timid, shy and afraid Cody was!!! We're still working on his tail...he has yet to wag the thing. Poor guy. We also have no idea what his bark sounds like since he's not made a peep. I personally like it that way, but the kids are anxious to hear it. I'm sure someday he'll surprise us. For now we're just giving him attention, treats and a whole lot of love!!!

My young artists....

I've been really taking time lately to study my children...their likes, their dislikes, and their passions. It seems as if art is a biggie for them both!

Lionel has had a passion for trains for a LONG time! He also loves anything to do with NASCAR, dogs, the violin, and drawing. One thing I noticed lately though, is that he always seems to have a pencil and paper in his hand when he has free time. What's he doing with them? He's drawing. He draws a lot of trains, but now that NASCAR season has begun again, it's all about the cars! Here are a few I just picked off his school desk and snapped a photo of...



I'm thinking that I should get a 3 ring binder with page protectors so he can keep his collection all in one place. Any time we go visit my Dad at the nursing home, Lionel brings paper with him to draw a few pictures for Dad's bulletin board. It's overflowing with artwork from the kids and PaPa loves it!

Sweet-Pea has a passion for ballet, American Girl dolls, fish and horses. She also LOVES to do crafts. Lately she's been painting quite a bit. The other day I came into the school room and saw her working on 2 ceramic horses all by herself. She amazes me. Notice the concentration:





Here is the finished product. Not bad for a 6 year old! She really took her time and worked on the details. She did better than I ever could!! She said that the hooves are green because the horses are walking in grass.


I think it's time to plan another trip to the local art museum...one of our favorite family activities!!! Both kids actually pay attention to the various art pieces, read the inscriptions and take the time to appreciate the artist. Gotta love it when they enjoy learning!!!

This year in our homeschool group, we're having a big art fair. The kids are SO excited about it. There are 10 mediums in which they can create and enter pieces for: pencil drawings, water color, sculpture/ceramics, painting, photography/b&w, photography/color, jewelry making, chalk/charcoal, diorama and woodworking. I know they want to enter several pieces. When they complete them, I'll post photos.