Wordless Wednesday (almost)

Can you see the disappointment on Asher's face that he has watch Aaron mow the grass instead of mowing it himself?

Fact is, Asher is a bit younger than Aaron (16 months to be exact), and not quite ready to handle the mower.  Maybe next year, son.   :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends!

"This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." ~ Psalm118:24

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Last November, I posted about why we had chosen to switch to the Charlotte Mason methods of home education. I also posted about the how of implementing her principles. Lastly, I posted an interview with my children where they got to voice what they love most about the CM methods.

Looking back over the school year, I wondered...do the children still love it as much as they did last fall? So I asked them for their favorite things about the school year, and here's what they said...

Mimi loved doing her nature journal.

Natty's favorites were narration, copywork, and shorter lessons.

Asher liked artist study, family lessons (doing some subjects as a family), and his nature journal the best.

Aaron liked poetry, family lessons, and copywork the most.

Ian's favorites were artist study, family lessons, and shorter lessons.

All in all, we had a great year. The children actually loved doing their lessons! Complaints from the children about school lessons were few and far between, and I was one happy mama.  :)

Looking ahead to the fall, we are beginning the Ambleside Online Curriculum.  I must confess that I was completely overwhelmed by this curriculum at first glance..and second glance..and third..well, you get the idea.  ;) The booklists are very intimidating, and I wasn't sure if we could handle it. 

However, after much personal cheerleading and question-answering from experienced Ambleside moms (not to mention lots of prayer on my part), I am taking the plunge!

And we so excited about the upcoming new year. We're looking forward to a new curriculum with tried  and true methods.  Is it August yet?  ;)

How about you, homeschooling friends? Are you trying a new method or curriculum next next year? I'd love to hear from you!

Happy homeschooling!








linking up with The Modest Mom
                      Deep Roots at Home

Queen of the Home {10}

"We are daughters of the King! We are building a kingdom that will have no end. We are shaping cultures - for good or ill - as we go about our daily tasks.. Let us purpose to follow Christ wholeheartedly, embracing the servanthood. He demonstrated to us. Let us purpose to put to death the grasping desire for fame that our godless culture has raised up as its idol. Let us be women of purpose and vision, serving Christ from hearts that overflow with love for His people and for the lost."


 

In Memory

 
I don't particularly care for the month of June. Even with Father's Day, anniversaries, and birthdays,  it 's a difficult month for me.

You see, June 16 was the due date for our second baby, who is now in Heaven.

It was the fall of 1985 when my hubby and I found out that we were expecting blessing #2. Our firstborn was 2 years old, and  we were beyond thrilled at the thought of another baby on the way. We immediately began praying for a healthy pregnancy and baby. The early days of the pregnancy were typical for me: lots of morning sickness and tiredness. The morning sickness was difficult, but I knew that it was a sign of a healthy pregnancy.

Then, at about 10 weeks....cramping and spotting.  We were terrified. We prayed, hoping that it wasn't what we were afraid it was.  I called my OB, but I couldn't be "worked in" til the following day. The waiting was agonizing. We kept praying, but neither of us slept that night. I held on to the fact that I was still having morning sickness.

Next morning, I headed to the OB's office and they did a pregnancy test first thing. (They didn't check for a heartbeat. I still question that.)  I was still pregnant!! I felt a such relief! After my appointment,  the OB walked me to the front desk and told me what to expect should the symptoms worsen. Then he told me (in front of the nurses and receptionists - and as loud as he said it, I'm pretty sure people in the waiting room could hear him), "Don't get your hopes up. The pregnancy will probably not survive." With that, he tossed my chart on the desk and went on to his next patient.

Now, first of all,  with those words he crushed what hopes I had of carrying this little one to term.

Second of all, I wanted to shout at him, "This is not a pregnancy!! This is a baby!!" But I was too shocked and saddened by his cruel words to respond. (And no - I never went back to him again.)
As I drove home, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach .

 A  few days went by and the spotting turned in bleeding and the cramps turned into contractions. The morning sickness had  lessened. We knew what that meant. Still, we prayed, asking him to spare our baby. The Lord answered our prayers. He said, "No."

The next part I choose to block out of my memory..and I'll spare you the details.

And  I'm not 100% sure of the gender, but deep in my heart, I believe that our baby was a little girl. That would mean that we have 4 boys and 4 girls. 

I haven't talked much about losing the baby, especially during the years right after the miscarriage.  People just didn't talk about things like that back then. They just kind of swept it under the rug.  But ignoring it doesn't mean it didn't happen.  Even though we never got to hold her, she was still a baby..our baby.

But I have talked about it more over the past several years, especially with our five younger children. And the love to talk about her...and  they ask me questions about what she might be doing in Heaven. 

I answer every question as best as I can, and it's actually therapeutic for me. It's a form of grief therapy, I suppose. 

 I know that even though we don't have her here on earth with us, she is still our child. And I don't want to ever forget that. So last June I decided to make myself a bracelet in her memory. Not that I want to be reminded of the horror of losing a baby, but to remind me of the hope of seeing her again. It is an unbelievable comfort to us to know that our little one is, as hymn writer Fanny Crosby wrote, "Safe in the arms of Jesus".

Here is a photo of what I call my Memory Bracelet...

I chose pink and blue beads since they are the traditional baby colors, and  pearls for the traditional birthstone for the month of June. I wear it often, and when my children see it on my wrist, they say, "Mom! You're wearing the baby's bracelet!"  :')

After all these years, I still grieve for her.  But the Lord has been so good to me, blessing me with more than I could ever ask for. 

And I can truly say, "...The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord."  (Job 1:21)

Psalm 27:13   "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living." 

 Thanks for reading, friends.









sharing with Tesha's Treasures
                       Deep Roots at Home
                   Raising Arrows 

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For today...

Outside my window...it's cool, clear, and sunny.

I am thinking...about having to go to the grocery store today.  Ugh.

I am thankful...that our garden is producing so well.

From the learning rooms...school is officially over - except for Math on Mondays.

In the kitchen... scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and Southwestern Bean Soup for supper. Also, putting cucumbers in salt brine. I love making pickles!!  :)

I am wearing...a jean skirt and a turquoise top.

I am creating...crocheting a white shawl for myself. I've been working on it since early spring, and I'm almost finished!  Next on my list is a baby blanket for my baby granddaughter due to arrive in August.  :)

I am going...to deliver a birthday gift to a dear friend today.

I am wondering...if our hens will ever hatch the eggs they're sitting on!

I am reading...the six volumes of Charlotte Mason. I don't think I'll ever get through all of them.

I am hoping...for a relaxing week-end.

I am looking forward to...being with my daughter and son-in-law when my granddaughter makes her entrance.  :')

I am hearing...our roosters crowing and our turkeys gobbling.

Around the house...laundry, laundry, and..did I mention laundry?  ;)

I am pondering...Philippians 4:8. I struggle with keeping my mind on the good things.

One of my favorite things...hearing the laughter of my children.


A photo to share... this photo was shared on a missionary friend's Facebook page. We could not get over  the size of this monster crocodile! I have no idea where it was taken, but he said that villagers were frequently disappearing. The Army was finally called in to kill it.

Hope you all have a wonderful week-end!

linking up at The Simple Woman's Daybook

Home

"A roof to keep out the rain. Four walls to keep out the wind. Floors to keep out the cold. 

Yes, but home is more than that.

It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father.

Warmth of loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship.

 Home is the first school and first church for young ones, where they learn what is right, what is good,  and what is kind.

Where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick. 

Where joy is shared and sorrow eased. 

Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved.

Where children are wanted.

Where the simplest food is enough for kings because it is earned.

Where money is not so important as loving-kindness.

Where even the tea kettle sings from happiness.

That is home.

May God bless it."

~  Ernestine Schuman Henk

Daylilies for Lunch?? (re-post)

Last year, I posted about eating daylilies and I think it's worth a re-post. Our lilies are in full bloom here at our house and we're taking advantage of that by having them for lunch with egg salad and chicken salad. Yum!  :)

So, for all my new readers, here the post..

Daylilies for Lunch??

Imagine the looks on children's faces when you serve up a platter of these beauties for lunch!  They are quick and easy to prepare, and are delicious stuffed with egg salad, tuna salad, or chicken salad.

But first, some nutritional info about the daylily.  All parts of the daylily are edible. The buds provide more vitamin C than green beans or asparagus, and have more protein than these two vegetables. The flavor of daylilies is similar to lettuce - crunchy and slightly sweet.

In the Orient, daylilies have been considered medicinal. The roots are known to have pain-killing properties. And they have been used to treat various illnesses such as jaundice, fevers, and some tumors.

NOTE:  When you harvest daylilies, only harvest the ones in your garden - not roadside daylilies, as they are usually treated with chemicals and pesticides.  I am referring to daylilies only. Some other lilies contain alkaloids and should not be eaten. Daylilies can act as a laxative or diuretic; eat in moderation.

So all you need to do is gather daylily blossoms from your garden. Wash them in cold water to remove any insects or dirt. You can wash the pollen off, as well, unless your children don't mind the orange powder on their faces.  :)  Gently dry the blossoms with a paper towel.  Stuff each blossom with a heaping tablespoon of your favorite lunch salad.


As you can see, my children had no problem with eating flowers for lunch................

You can Google "Daylily Recipes" and find lots of other ways to prepare the beautiful flowers.  Happy flower - eating!

Luke 12 :27  "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Have a blessed Monday, friends!

linking up @ The Modest Mom
                        Raising Arrows
                        The Better Mom
                        What Joy is Mine
                        Far Above Rubies
                        Growing Home
                        Thankful Homemaker
                        Time Warp Wife
                        Deep Roots at Home 

Modesty Spotlight

Happy Monday,  friends!

My newest friend Hannah is featuring my blog on her Modesty Spotlight.  If your interested, head over and check it out.  :)

Blessings,

Pray for Noah..

Dear Friends,

Here's another update about little Noah. Apparently his insurance has decided that he is not declining rapidly enough, and has  dropped  all his hospice benefits.  Or as his mother put it very bluntly,  Noah's insurance believes that "Noah isn't dying fast enough to get help."

Please continue to pray for him and his parents. You can read more here, or use the link on my sidebar.

Thank you.

Queen of the Home {9}

"The modern challenge to motherhood is the eternal challenge - that of being a godly woman. The very phrase sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now.

We hear about every other type of women: beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women,

career women, talented women, divorced women. But so seldom do we hear of a godly woman - or a godly man either, for that matter.

I believe women come nearer to to fulfilling their God given function in the home than anywhere else.

It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife than to be Miss America.

It is a greater achievement to establish a Godly home than it is to produce a second rate novel filled with filth.

It is a far, far better thing in the realms of morals to be old-fashioned, than to be ultra modern.

The world has enough women who know how to be smart. It needs women who are willing to be simple.

The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave.

The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure.

We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct."

 - Peter Marshall,

former Chaplain to the United States Senate

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

                             My son-in-law and granddaughter having Rapture practice.  :)

Have a blessed day, everyone!