A piece of my heart

Over the years, I've met some pretty amazing people in the blog-world...many of whom live in, or have lived in South Africa. A huge piece of my heart was left there many years ago when I left to come home to the USA.

I was just out of college...young, impressionable, and extremely excited to be venturing into a foreign land. What was I doing there? I was a missionary in a small town called Port Shepstone, just south of Durban, smack on the outskirts of Kwa Zulu! I went down there to work at the Skogheim Christian Conference Centre for a year, from 1988 to 1989. I then returned home for a few months to earn enough money so I could go back in 1990 for a couple months. After that visit, they would not allow my work VISA to be renewed since there were still sanctions against the country. I was sad, but God knew what He was doing because I met the man I would one day marry, only days after I got home!

Here are a some photos to share with my South African bloggers...PLEASE keep in mind...these photos are 20 years old and the style was very different back then! ha ha

Photo of me for my missions card


Standing outside the Conference Centre


The main entrance


I lived in a Rondaval while there...it was awesome! The tree just outside the front door was filled with thousands of fruit bats. They were cool to watch sleeping during the day, but at night...look out!!! Yuk!


This is the Norwegian Settler's Church I attended while living there. The people of this church welcomed me with open arms and I felt like a part of them while there.


Part of the conference centre was on a banana farm. Here I am (looking simply lovely - gag!) holding up some bananas I cut down. I was in the middle of painting, so that's why my hair is a disaster and my clothes are covered with paint! Oh yeah...see that snake near my feet?....


The little sucker almost bit me! It was a small puff-adder.


Here I am (3rd from the left) with a group of kids I had regular Bible studies with. They were amazing and I would love to know what they all are doing now! It's been 20 years!!!


Kwa-Zulu, where most of the people I worked with, and taught Bible Study to lived. This home was right down the road from the conference centre.


These are the workers of Skogheim. I miss them lots and had great times teasing with them. The lady in the front center (light blue dress) was the Indian cook. She was a very dear friend!!! She since has passed away yet I still think of her often and miss her dearly.


This is the man who I looked up to the most while living in South Africa! He and his family 'adopted' me while I was there, and I couldn't have been prouder or happier. They owned a beautiful cow farm, and I loved spending time with them on the farm. They even named a calf after me!


Here I am with my adopted Mom and a couple of their farm dogs.


Standing in the field with 'Dad'...who since has also passed away. I spoke with him on the phone one day, and less than 2 weeks later, he died. It was a very sad day for me!!!


My 'adopted brother', 'Mom', and a friend.


Durban - which was approx. an hour's drive north of Skogheim.


Gorgeous elephant at Kruger National Park!


My absolute favorite animal in South Africa was the giraffe!!! They're so beautiful, especially when they run.


These guys couldn't have posed for a better 'family portrait'.


Stayed here while on holiday - it was VERY creepy, but fun!! It was also over 120 degrees there which didn't help...with no running water. That's what I call "Africa Hot!"


Standing on the swinging bridge over Storms River in Tsitsikamma...part of our holiday. My adopted family took me on a one month holiday all over the entire country! I was totally and completely spoiled, but I loved every minute of it. I got to see one of the most beautiful countries ever!!


The Three Sisters in the Karoo - simply gorgeous!


Well, I could post a gazillion more photos, but I didn't want to bore you. Maybe another time I'll post more. I only picked out a sampling for you to see this time around.

Just goofing around...

Sweet-Pea's hair is really getting LONG! So, tonight while Daddy and Lionel were out, we decided to have some fun with the camera.

I used my fingers to spread out her hair, and we got this cool affect. She giggled the entire time...she was so goofy tonight!


Which is on backwards? Her head or her feet?!?
Can you say "Cousin It?"


Before flipping her hair...


During...


After! What a mess!

Does anyone have a brush?!?

BFS #101 - Plop, plop, Fizz, fizz

Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling. Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it. Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family. Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!

My worst struggles? Where do I even begin?!? I'm the president of a local homeschool group, I'm not supposed to have struggles!! Didn't anyone tell you that? Seriously though, there have been many struggles in our homeschool adventures, but the benefits and rewards far outweigh them, so the struggles really don't matter much. God is always reminding me to depend on Him completely and when I try to take on too much myself, the weight only brings me down. My children are wonderful, I love them both dearly. They love learning so far, but there are days where we all simply want to close the books, put away the school supplies and go out and have fun! Sometimes when a concept is too difficult, it's best to wait until attention spans can last longer. When we're too tired from the stresses in life (for us it's been because my Dad is dying), it's good to sit down, watch a good movie, play a fun game, or just spend quality time being together.

I used to be the type of homeschool mom where I felt that every single problem in every single book had to be done. Oh baby, I am SO over that!!! I can remember days where I felt so bogged down with books, that I was ready to send my kids off to public school. One day several years ago, I even took my teachers book and threw it across the room and said "School's out for the day, I quit!" My son was happy, but shocked that I threw my book! (Yes, I apologized for my childish behavior, but honestly, it did feel good to throw the book!)

Now-a-days, if my children understand how to do something and do it well, we skip the rest of that section and move on. After all, how many public schools do you know go through and complete every single page in every single book they give the students on day one!?! None that I know of. We usually have a 4 day school week, with the 5th day being make up and educational extras, but sometimes other things come up. It's OK to put the books aside once in a while. This past year we had our son tested for the very first time. We were VERY nervous, but you know what? He passed with flying colors! So, either he's very smart and doesn't need school (which is highly doubtful!), or we're doing something right! Bottom line is this...teach your children how to learn so it's fun, what to learn, how to apply it in their lives, and they'll go far! Our number one priority is to keep God in the center of all we do. That makes school so much more fun!

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Eew! A bug!!!

That's what Lionel said when he went to open the gate to our backyard. He was all creeped out when he put his hand only inches from it as he reached for the handle.

"What is it?" he yelled!
Being the nice comforting mom that I am, I just stood there and giggled.

"It's a Praying Mantis" I said.

"A what?!?"

Obviously we need to pull out the old books and review the section on insects. Neither of my children like bugs. I think they're SO cool, but I don't like to touch them. I always think back to the Brady Bunch when Marcia was in love with Harvy Klinger...remember him? He was the nerdy kid who loved bugs. Well, I'm not THAT bad, but I do think they're fun to look at and study.

So, before I shoo'd off the 'bug', I asked Lionel to run and grab my camera. Here's the little guy...cute huh?



He looks like a green bean with legs! Gotta love his beady little eyes huh?

Don't know much about the Praying Mantis? Here are some fun facts:

• They are carnivores! They eat all sorts of bugs AND small animals!!
• They can turn their heads 180 degrees to see all around them.
• There are 2 compound eyes and 3 simple eyes on a Praying Mantis!!
• They lie in ambush and stalk their prey...isn't there a law against that?
• Their ears are on the underside of their thorax.
• Close relatives to the Praying Mantis are the Cockroaches. Eeew!
• Most live only 6 months or so, but the longest they live, is up to one year.
• Their forelegs have sharp spines on them to grab their prey.
• They do bite, but they cannot harm humans.
• They like to eat each other...the female generally eats the head off of the male while they're mating and then finishes him off when they're done. No comment!
• Praying Mantis eggs usually hold up to 200 babies.
  
• The plural form of Mantis is Mantid.
• Some Mantids can fly and you may find them on your house lights between August and September.

Did you learn anything new? I sure did. They're fascinating creatures and are extremely useful in your gardens. Can you believe that Lionel was telling me to kill the poor little guy?!? Gasp! Fortunately we were on our way out to visit my Dad, so as Lionel got in the car, I put the Mantis in the bushes. He would then have time to escape before we returned! I'd kill a spider - no problem, but this guy? No way!

Do you or don't you?!?

Devotions: an act of prayer or private worship, the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal

Do you have regular devotions each day? Quiet time with the Lord? Do you journal? Do you spend time in prayer and listening to God's still small voice?!? If not, then you're not setting a good example to your children!

It is so important to not only tell your children they need to have devotions, you need to show them how it's done! Here are reviews of some of the wonderful books that I have used with my kids!!

Discover 4 Yourself for kids inductive Bible Studies by Kay Arthur are great ways for your children to learn about various Bible topics. There are a bunch of these books in the series. They are basically a workbook that your child fills in as they learn. Recommended for ages 8-12, these books usually are good for a month's worth of studies done 5 days a week.

The Power of a Praying Kid is by the author of the bestselling The Power of a Praying Series...Stormie Omartian. We loved this book and read through it very quickly! It not only teaches kids how to pray, it lets them know that they can pray any where, any time and in any place for any thing! There are comments from other kids throughout the book and some questions for your kids to think about. Recommended for ages 7-12.

This book was something that I purchased for my own sanity!! My kids fight like cats and dogs sometimes. Their age difference (6 years) and the fact that one is a boy and the other a girl, really shouldn't matter, and this book proves it! Siblings need to learn to get along, and this book, written by Sarah, Stephen and Grace Mally (siblings) tells them how! It's a creatively written book with lots of drawings (done by their Dad) with tons of advice and stories from their personal experiences. There is no specific age recommendation, but I'd guess somewhere after age 7 up through thge teenage years.

Keys for Kids is a great daily devotional series put out by CBH Ministries. The booklets, which you can have sent to your home bi-monthly, remind me of the Daily Bread. Each day has a 1 page story with scripture reference and then questions for thought at the bottom. My kids still enjoy reading these each day while we eat breakfast. You can order them here for $6. per subscription...totally worth it if you ask me! Ask them to send you a free sample if you'd like just to try it out.

This book not only cracks my 13 year old up, it also cracks me up!! Written by Sandy Silverthorne, "Surviving Zits...How to cope with your changing self" is a simple, easy to read book for your child who is starting puberty. My son already read (with my husband) the great series "God's Design for Sex", so he's heard and been taught it all. This book gives him something fun to read through, that in my opinion, lightens the load of puberty a bit for every teen! Recommended for ages 8-12, this book gives you Biblical principles needed to apply in their lives. The cartoons are a riot and it's a very easy read.

Who Made God is a very sweet picture book for ages 4-8. I read this to both of our children and they both loved it! The calming photos are awesome. Each double page has a section that is read by the parent, while the child either reads along, or looks at the picture. It is filled with questions and answers common in young children all about God.

Beautiful Girlhood, by Karen Andreola, is a wonderful book for teaching your girls how to be Christian young ladies. They will learn about friendship, how to keep modest, what to look forward to in life etc. I have not read it to Sweet-Pea yet as she is still young, but I have it waiting on my bookshelf already!

The book Boyhood and Beyond I have read with my son, and we both absolutely loved it! Recommended for ages 10-18, this book, written by Bob Schultz gives practical wisdom for becoming a man...a Godly man! He uses Biblical character traits to teach. Leadership, overcoming fear, industry, justice, preparing for a wife, authority, temptation are only a few topics covered in this must read book!

If you have a little girl who LOVES princesses like mine does, then this is the perfect book for you! Life Lessons from "The Princess and the Kiss...Planting Seeds of Purity in Young Hearts', by Jennie Bishop and Susan Henson. This is a companion book to the kids story book by the same name, which you also should have! Each chapter gives you a topic, a section to read about that topic, a prayer, jewel of truth (verse), creative things to do, royal reminders (questions) and helpful hints for parents. Also included is a Princess Ceremony Guide. Very sweet book recommended for age 6 and up.

"The Squire and the Scroll...Battle Plans for a Pure Heart" is also a Life Lessons book by the same authors as the last book. It also is a companion book and is recommended for boys age 6 and up. It also includes a Squire Ceremony Guide. Great illustrations throughout with a similar layout to the girl's book, only it's geared towards boys.

God's Wisdom for Little Boys, by Jim and Elizabeth George, is a book recommended for ages 4-7. Your boy will learn to be prayerful, truthful, brave, responsible, thankful, kind and more by using Proverbs as a guide! It's a great tool for Dad's and their boys to read through together.


God's Wisdom for Little Girls, by Elizabeth George, is a book that teaches little girls how to follow Proverbs 31 from a young age...something I wish I had learned when I was young! Some topics include: Creativity, confidence, helpfulness, prayerfulness and thoughtfulness. The illustrations are exquisite and you will love reading through it with your young daughter!!

If you have any books you'd highly recommend, feel free to post them in the comments section! I'm an avid reader and I LOVE books. Passing on this passion to my children is something I've tried to instill in them. Right now Lionel isn't into reading as much as I'd like him to be, but he truly enjoys reading together, so at least he's still learning. Sweet-Pea loves books and can't wait to read the big-girl books sometime soon! She's coming along in her reading skills, so it won't be long. The main part is that they learn to read books of quality so they keep their minds and hearts pure before Christ. Good devotional books are a great way to start!

Barton Cottage Award

There are so many blog awards out there already, but I've decided to create my own for those blogs that I personally think are extra special.

Introducing the "Barton Cottage Beautiful Heart, Beautiful Blog Award".


The first award goes to (insert drum roll here): Beth, over at Pages of our life. I only recently stumbled upon her blog, but instantly I knew that she has a heart for her husband, her 2 beautiful boys and for Christ. She is a homeschool Mom who loves to share what her boys are learning at home, and her photos are simply gorgeous! Congratulations Beth on being my first 'victim'...ahem...I mean on being the first award receiver.

Have a blessed day!

Photo Hunt #126 - String/s

Lionel's violin says it all! He took this photo himself too!!

A fun questionairre

I found this questionnaire on another blog, and I thought I'd have a little fun and post my answers here. Feel free to copy the questions and put your answers on your own blog as well. Have fun!

What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? A few different kinds...I like variety! Vanilla Lace liquid soap, pumpkin spice soap bar and a heavy duty bar like Coast for those oh-so-smelly days when we get filthy dirty outside!

Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? Yes actually. No one likes to eat it besides me in our home. This is the first one we've purchased all summer too. How sad is that?

What would you change about your living room? It was our old garage which we converted into a living room. I would love to change the size...it's 22' x 11', so it's long and narrow and it's hard to arrange furniture to fit nicely. I'd love to widen it about 5'.

Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Clean which means that Lionel needs to empty it -it's one of his daily chores!

What is in your fridge? What isn't?!? A gazillion condiments, left overs, beverages and anything else we could fit that needs to keep cool. We do have a 2nd fridge which was my Dad's when he was living here. We use it for overflow now, but it's pretty empty at the moment.

White or wheat bread? Whole wheat Weight Watchers bread

What is on top of your refrigerator? A Longaberger pitcher, and 2 Rubbermaid containers full of doggie bones for Cody!

What color or design in on your shower curtain? It's a pretty pink, green, cream colored stripe. It matches our green walls perfectly.

How many plants are in your home? Real or fake? I kill the real ones, but we've managed to keep one alive for a few years now. The rest are fake and are dusted periodically. = )

Is your bed made right now? Half made...the sheets are pulled up, but the quilt is still folded at the bottom.

Comet or Soft Scrub? Neither...I love Mister Clean! Shh, don't tell my husband.

Is your closet organized? Yup! We have a very large closet with cubbies for shoes and sweaters etc. I love it.

Can you describe your flashlight? What for?? This is a strange question. We have a few, but my favorite one (if you can have a favorite flashlight) is the big MAG light.

Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? I prefer glass, but it really doesn't matter.

Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No, but I have a large bottle of diet green tea in the fridge.

If you have a garage, is it cluttered? No garage, it's my living room, remember?

Curtains or blinds? Both...anything to keep those nosy neighbors out!

How many pillows do you sleep with? Two, one is big and fluffy and one is flat that I tend to hug and squish as I sleep. Weird huh?

How often do you vacuum? Me? Vacuum? Seriously though, we vacuum as often as we can. Our dog doesn't shed, but his hairs do fly around now and then when he's brushed. They make great tumbleweeds though!

Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard...the other kind annoys me.

What color is your toothbrush? Right now it's orange, but I'm going to switch to a new purple one soon if that color hasn't been spoken for. We buy the large packages of tooth brushes at Costco with several colors, but no 2 people in the house can have the same color at the same time so there are no mix-ups.

Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? Yup, it says "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." It keeps the weirdos away.

What is in your oven right now? Nothing, wanna come cook dinner for us?

Is there anything under your bed? I hope not! Gasp! Maybe a few dust bunnies, but that's it.

What chore do you hate doing the most? ALL of 'em! I don't mind washing dishes when I'm in the mood, but if I feel like I HAVE to do it, then it becomes a chore.

What retro items are in your home? My hubby! Just kidding honey!

Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? We have a school room which doubles as our office since our computers are in here.

How many mirrors are in your home? Too many when I'm feeling really fat!

Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? Extra money? What's that?!?

What color are your walls? Definitely not white! We have walls that are: yellow, gold, moss green, cork (orange/gold color - gorgeous), pink (Sweet-Pea's room), navy blue/cream (Lionel's room), brown and burgundy...we love nature colors the most.

What does your home smell like right now? Well, Cody is sitting behind me so I smell him mostly (he desperately needs a bath!), but otherwise it smells like Yankee Candles and sprays. I don't like a stinky house. Gag!

What kind of pickles (if any) in your fridge? Eew, I don't eat pickles! Everyone else in the house loves 'em, so there are a bunch of different kinds.

What color is your favorite Bible? I currently use a burgundy leather NIV Study Bible, but my hubby ordered for me the new ESV Study Bible which comes out next month. That too will be burgundy leather. Can't wait!

Ever been on you roof? Nope, but my hubby has many times. It scares me when he's up there though because it's so high!! How on earth does Santa do it?? ha ha

Do you own a stereo? You mean an old one?? Actually yes. We have a whole cabinet with records etc. CD's are our favorite though and we have a gazillion of those!

How many TV's do you have? Hmm, 4 that are connected to the satellite and 2 that aren't. Too many? One is in the living room, one in the family room (which was my Dad's living room), a small one in the kitchen, and one in our master bedroom. The kids each have one for playing games and watching DVD's with...no 'real' TV is allowed in their rooms.

How many house phones? Only 3 and sometimes that's too many!

Do you have a housekeeper? Are you for real?? Do you think I'm made of money? I'm the maid...we actually all chip in and do the household chores. Edward is a fantastic husband and he works harder than most men probably do for their wives. Thanks honey!!! Sweet-Pea is also a fantastic helper!

What style do you decorate in? Right now we're mostly just traditional/country. When we eventually move out to Colorado, I want to decorate with more of a cabin theme. That's my favorite!

Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Both...it depends on the piece and how big it is.

Is there a smoke detector in your home? Of course, several...along with Carbon Monoxide detectors which you all should also have.

What are the items in your house which you'd grab if you could only make one quick trip? Well, assuming that my children, husband and pets would already be out, I'd grab my scrapbooks, my laptop and external hard drive since they house all our photos, and then any instruments I could from our music room.

If you've read through my list, go ahead and answer the questions on your blog and track back to my site. Leave me a comment and I'll come read your responses too!

SRT is coming!

I'm so excited. The Silver Ring Thing is coming to our state! What is the Silver Ring Thing? Here's what their website has to say:

The Silver Ring Thing is a unique para-church youth ministry that promotes the message of abstinence until marriage using two avenues- an intense Live Event and the packaged SRT 434 Program for small groups.

Their mission is "to motivate, educate, support and transform generations of young people to embrace a lifestyle of Christ-centered sexual abstinence until marriage."

Their vision is "to create a culture shift in America where abstinence becomes the norm again rather than the exception."

Edward is planning on going to the live event with Lionel. Since he's at that oh-so-impressionable age (13) , this can't be happening at a more perfect time! We have talked about it in the past, and Lionel was interested in attending. He knows it's so important to save himself for marriage, but to hear it from others and listen to kids his age speak from experiences, will be the icing on the cake. We will buy him the ring and he will wear it in hopes that it will serve as a reminder to him through the years to come - until marriage.

We pray constantly for our children and for their future spouses. It's never too early!

I pray that Lionel will find a Christian wife who will always be there to support him, will raise their children to love and follow Christ, and will always keep God in the center of all she does. I pray she is pure before marriage, and that she too is being raised in a Christian home with morals and values that are pleasing to God. I also pray that she is being prepared for her future husband who will be her best friend.

For Sweet-Pea, I pray that she will find a Godly man. One that will love her as Christ loves the church. I pray that he will lead their family as he should, and always be a positive example for them all. I also pray that he will be pure before marriage, and that he is being raised in a Christian home as I mentioned above. I pray that he will be Sweet-Pea's best friend, and will always help her feel loved and secure as they grow and raise their children together.

Of course I pray the same for my children. I also pray that they (and their spouses) will be good parents - better than we are!!! It's so important to pray, so if you're not doing so already, start now. Pray alone, and also pray with your children so they know how to pray as well. Write down your prayer requests as you pray, and keep them in a safe place. When your children eventually do marry, it will be exciting to see how God has worked in their lives and through your prayers!!

Once it's over, I will write an update on how the Silver Ring Thing went!

Wordly Wise 9 list - lesson 2

alacrity: promptness in responding; eagerness

array: a large group of people or things; an orderly arrangement or display; place an order; to dress up

deduce: to draw a conclusion from given facts

encumber: to weigh down or burden; impede the action of

fraught: full of or accompanied by (usually followed by with)

haphazard: marked by lack of plan, order or direction

incontrovertible: impossible to dispute; unquestionable

inexplicable: hard to explain or impossible to understand

ingenious: marked by imagination, resourcefulness, or cleverness

laggard: one who falls behind others because of moving slowly or loitering; a straggler

sustenance: something that provides nourishment; food needed to live

torrid: intensely hot and dry; burning with passion

traverse: to pass over, across, or through

ubiquitous: appearing to be present in large numbers or in many different places

zenith: the highest point; the peak; the point in the sky directly above the observer

BFS Assignment #100 - Oh What a Feeling!

Assignment: Take time this week to write about YOU and your feelings of trials and triumphs with homeschooling. Touch on when you first heard about the concept of home schooling and whether you tip-toed into the idea or just jumped in and never looked back. Share your schooling as a child and how you compare it to what your goals are for your children.

I first heard of homeschooling a while back when it was not very popular. A few families in our church homeschooled their children, and although I never really thought about doing it at the time, I was always impressed with the way their children presented themselves, and how bright they were. They reached out to people of all ages and they were very much a part of their family, unlike many other kids their age. I wanted my children to be like that one day. The first time I thought seriously about homeschooling was when we were thinking of enrolling our oldest child in a local Christian school. We prayed about it, but neither my husband or I felt God's peace. One day I approached him and told him that I would like to consider homeschooling and to my surprise, he was all excited about it. We instantly felt God's peace and knew that this was what we were supposed to do. Not a day has gone by where I've regretted our decision. It's the best choice we made and we are thankful for the freedom to homeschool!!!

As for my schooling as a child...what a joke! The public school system where I lived was awful, and it was supposed to be one of the best in the area! Every class was dumbed down, so there was no real challenge. I graduated, but I quickly forgot about what I 'learned'. When I went to college, it was like running into a brick wall. Public school did not prepare me for what lie ahead, so my first year or so in college was extremely difficult for me. Fortunately I did learn how to study, and I graduated with honors. I am learning things all over again with my children though, and I'm loving every minute of it. I feel like for the first time, I'm also understanding things I never did the first time around.

What is the main goal I have for my children? I want them to love learning. I want them to feel that school can be fun, and yet is something to be valued. I want them to love reading, to explore the world around them, and to do it with a heart that is totally dependant and centered around the Lord. If they graduate with those goals met, I'll know that I did my best! In the mean time, I will continue to be on my knees in prayer for them often!

Phil. 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 your minds in Christ Jesus."

A whirlwind weekend

Most of you know that my Dad is now on hospice care. He's not doing well and at this point we sit and wait for that dreaded call from the home. Well, Saturday morning at around 1:30 a.m. the phone rings. I was up, but I did not hear it as I was in our school room with the door partly closed and the a.c. on. Edward came down and said "Didn't you hear the phone ring, it's the nursing home?!? They called 2 times!" The phone woke him up, but not enough to answer it before the ringing stopped. I immediately ran and got the phone, looking at the caller i.d. I was actually relieved to see that it was not the nursing home where my Dad was. Instead, it was the home where my grandmother is...my Dad's mom.

I called the home right away, and instead of them asking who was calling, the woman on the other end of the phone said "Is this the funeral home?" Right away I knew that my Grandmother died and that they thought they were calling the funeral home instead of my home phone. What a way to hear that a family member died huh? I told her who I was and then said "Am I to assume that my Grandmother died?" She said "Yes, but I needed to tell the funeral home, not you." Nice huh?!? She was so rude on the phone - no care in the world that someone in my family passed away! I asked if I could speak to someone else. Fortunately one of the good nurses got on the phone. The other woman was a nurses aide and should never have even tried to call the funeral home, let alone my home phone. The nurses just pronounced her dead and the doctor was supposed to call and tell me. Oh the joys of dealing with these people!!!! Fortunately the home where my Dad is, is MUCH better. All the workers know us by name and we talk to them often, so I don't think the same thing will happen when he dies.

So...long story short. My Grandmother died on Saturday, we went to the funeral parlor and made all the arrangements...alone. Once again, no family member has offered to help in any way with her. I am the youngest of 6 grandchildren on her side, and you'd think at least one of them would care...they're all older than me and they should be the ones stepping up to the plate! Anyhow...I've now buried a grandparent, and now I am waiting to bury my Dad. Life has been challenging and stressful (as I seem to say so often these days in my postings), but I know that God is with me. He alone has been my comfort, my joy, and my sustainer! I can't imagine going through all I'm going through, without Him!!!! How on earth do non-Christians deal with such trials?!? By the way...my grandmother lived to be 100. Pretty amazing huh?!?

As I sat here in our school room typing, three sweet little birds hopped onto the fence just outside our window. It was a little reminder that God is with me, He gives us little things in our lives to keep us going. In my case, the little birds reminded me of the passages of scripture that talk about the sparrows.

Luke 12:6 says "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight."

Matthew 6:26 says "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Matthew 10:31 says "Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

Here are the sweet little birds:



His Eye is on the Sparrow

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav'n and home,
When Jesus is my portion, my constant Friend is He;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Let not your heart be troubled, His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears,
Tho' by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When song gives place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him; from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free;
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

So...that was my weekend. I press on and I wait until the next phone call arrives. The waiting is so difficult. Every time the phone rings, I get a sick feeling in my stomach. For now, we try to keep life as normal as possible for the kids. They still are doing school every day, and keeping up with their activities. They're a month ahead of where they should be in school, so if we need time off later, we can take it guilt-free! I hope your weekend was happier than mine.

The next time you see a sweet little bird, think of how much God loves you and is there for you!!!

Sweet-Pea's room makeover - Part 3

I forgot to update you all on Sweet-Pea's bedroom makeover, so here it is...finally...a photo of our favorite part of the room! Sorry the photo isn't very clear, I took it on my cell phone camera, but you get the idea. She's now got a mirrored wall complete with boas and a ballet bar. She loves it!!! Even though she is now taking skating lessons, she still practices ballet at home, and what a perfect place for it. Here she is in first position....



We glued square mirrors from Ikea onto the wall (leaving a space for the existing plug). The boas were from our local craft store which I simply hot-glued on, and the ballet bar is a very thick (approx. 2") wooden curtain rod painted white to match her wall trim. Edward screwed the holders securely to the wall, and then screwed the rod directly to the holders so it wouldn't move when she used it.

It's so girly-girl - and we love it!