Seasons change and a useful list

Letting three years pass between posts was absolutely not my intention ... but there you go. Another reason to live life intentionally. Time slips away so quickly. 

And Bunnies ... cute baby bunnies happen when you least expect it! Oh but they are so fun! We have 5 all grown up now! 

September is one of my favorite months - and this year is no exception. I love it when a month begins on a weekend - I can check off my Beginning of the Month list quite easily when I don't have to squeeze it in to a regular day. Not that our days have been regular recently - far from it in fact. It's been more a constant game of 'catch up' or 'what's next' than a place of quiet rest lately.

See that blue tape? Kitchen finally got a little make-over! Yeah!

A quick update is in order. Our children are now both adults. How? I don't know. I may still be in denial. Seriously. Adults.

I know that was the goal, but now that we are here I would love a few do-overs with little warm bodies snuggling on my lap for read aloud time ... {sigh}

I am {almost} out of a job! 

Our sweet girl is 20 years old {for one more month}, content at home and has just finished up some online coursework, which she did really well with. She has had some very discouraging health issues over the last year and a half. Manageable insomnia here at home become chronic and debilitating when she attended Crown College for a 1 year Bible program - dorm life was a disaster except for the sweet friendship she developed there. It's been a real struggle to help her resolve some of these issues, but by the grace of God, we do believe she is on the mend and heading in a very positive direction. In the turmoil, she gave up her music and has not yet gotten back to it, which saddens us greatly. We are trusting that she will still use the talents and training that the Lord gifted her with, but at this point, the focus has been on sleep and healing.

We are on the final stretch with our gentle giant son - he is a 6'4" SENIOR and this is our final homeschool year. In fact, on Monday he starts classes online with the Get Ahead program at West Coast Bible College which is located in Lancaster, CA. Clear across the country. I know. Mamas faith is going to be tested. Again. But that's next fall ... so I am not going to stress quite yet. God has this all in control. I want this final year to be a joy and a blessing and worry about the future is sure to snatch that from me. I will hold on tight to joy as I am letting go!

Boys love bunnies too! Isn't Rosie sweet? 

Two years ago we joined a homeschool co-op again. It was long over-due. When we were praying about our girl going off to school, we knew we needed to make some changes. It wasn't going to work with just our young man and I sitting across the table doing schoolwork. He is shy and quiet in some group settings, but way more social than his big sister and needed the challenge and the encouragement of other homeschoolers tackling this thing called high school. It has been a HUGE blessing for both of us - and ... we discovered a 'hidden' talent that was not on our radar at all! Two lead roles in two very professionally run junior high/high school MUSICALS has uncovered abilities and passions that we could not have anticipated.

I made Miss Belles gowns and it was so much sewing! Oh .. and the matching vest for my guy! So handsome! 

It was such a fun and exciting way to earn those needed 'fine arts' credits for homeschool too. So much work, but such a great reward. Our guy was The Beast in Beauty and the Beast spring 2017, and this past spring he earned the role of Horton in the very fun production of Seussical! He is very excited about this years musical - though already a bit sentimental about it being his last. We wonder how the Lord will use these skills and experiences in his adult life, but are excited to see where He leads.

Grammy and her Beast

My Dad and Mum were able to come for both productions and enjoyed the shows thoroughly. It was such a crazy time but a blessing to have them see the fruit of all of the hard work that everyone put into each production.  They held down the fort at home while we were in full production mode!

Horton and Grammy

My husband is still our favorite Historian and archivist - he loves his full time job and the various part-time jobs he also does. He is amassing quite a nice collection of old Baptist materials and books and uses them in his writing both for the Particular Baptist Press and the Ancient Baptist Press. He rarely has time for his own writing interests, but continues to publish a weekly column in our local paper. Lately he's been thinking about a season when he will be able to spend more time on his own writing, but that's a bit down the road. He's the Basketball Dad and at every game for our guy - I know this last Miami Valley Saints season is going to be bittersweet for both my of guys!

And then there is me.

But I said this would be quick, so I will leave me to another post. I've got some new health struggles added to my old ones, and at times it's been a bit overwhelming and discouraging. It sometimes seems like it's one thing on top of ten others ... but through it all, I am incredibly blessed and dearly loved. I have so much to be thankful for.

Thanks for stopping by! 

A USEFUL LIST

{as promised}

Things I Do on The First Day of the Month

1. Flip Calendar & take out new grocery list pad (I have the Susan Branch set pictured above) 
2. New contact lenses and razor blade
3. Personal Care – tidy eyebrows, hair, tootsies, and hands
4. Wash out make-up brushes, clean hair brushes,
5. Bedding stripped including the mattress protectors and pillows (sheets and pillowcases weekly – quilts and blankets quarterly)
6. Dust off all ceiling fans – change fan direction seasonally
7. FILTERS – furnace filters, R/O water filter, whole house filter (quarterly)
8. Water Softener – salt if needed
9. Fridge clean out – thorough clean out and wipe down
10. Pantry Tidy up – add depleted items to grocery list
11. Running shoes, flip flops and door mats washed together
12. Menu planning – grocery list, recipe round up
13. Washer wipe down after last load – clean the seal, run a sanitize
14. Dishwasher wipe down – clean the seal, filter and run a sanitize cycle
15. Dust fridge coils and under bookcases
16. Make a cup of tea and relax a bit

 This whole list takes less than an hour when I am feeling energetic and can really focus. Today I happen to be recovering from a very nasty tummy bug ... and so it will not get completed, but rather spread out over the next few days. So far I have seven of the sixteen completed ... and we shall all sleep on clean sheets tonight despite the rain. I am thankful! 

Day 14 {encouragement}

Welcome back to Day 14 

of the 31 Day Writing Challenge!

This evening I am off to gather {encouragement}

God has blessed me with this wonderful group of homeschooling mama's who love the Lord and seek Him in doing this crazy thing we call home education.

These women are such a joy and blessing to my heart - their friendship is genuine.

We share, we encourage - we pray for one another!

We meet together once a month and laugh and talk - and sometimes there are a few tears too, but it helps so much to realize that we are NOT alone in our joys and struggles. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, 

even as also ye do.

Day 3 {woolgathering}

Welcome back to my 31 Day Writing challenge! I'm so glad you're here! Did my 'clue' from Day 2 {courage found} give you a hint about what I'd be gathering today? 

woolgathering

[woo l-gath-er-ing] 

noun

1. indulgence in idle fancies and in daydreaming; absentmindedness:

2. gathering of the tufts of wool shed by sheep and caught on bushes.

Whew! This has been one of the busiest weeks 

we’ve had in a long time.

On Monday, the children and I went on an amazing field trip to Johnston Farm and Indian Agency with a large group (200+) from our Gateway Christian Homeschool group. The weather was so perfect to be out of doors and enjoying the amazing presentations by the history interpreters who lead us.

We were treated to a short trip in a reproduction canal boat called the General Harrison down a mile stretch of the historic Miami and Erie Canal. The pace of our canal boat ride made me think of the pace of life we endure enjoy today.

Not much time for {woolgathering} in our busy schedules.

I loved how slowly the boat moved up the canal – the pull of the donkey setting the pace. Our guide cautioned us again romanticizing life on the canal as we laughed at his tale of the severe fines levied against boat captains who went beyond the 15 mile an hour speed limit. It was a hard life and the canalers were a rough bunch, often settling their disputes with fist fights.

Still …

15 miles an hour – slower than the snail’s pace we drive through a school zone … and yet those canal boats were the fastest means of transporting goods available. I’m pretty sure there must have been time for some {woolgathering}.

I sat quietly and watched the sweet mamas with their active little ones and thought about how busy I FELT when our children were very little; how terribly tired we were at times. I remembered the immense relief of a full stop at the end of the day when all was quiet and I could take a few minutes just to breathe.

I know I did a lot of {woolgathering} in those days! In the absent-minded sense of the word – sleep deprivation will do that!

Our children are so grown up now. I cannot grasp how quickly time has passed since we became parents. Wednesday we celebrated our sweet Dreamer’s 17^th birthday quietly at home as she wished. Since it landed mid-week and corresponded with Youth Group at church we made 6 dozen cupcakes to share. She asked for vanilla cupcakes with dark chocolate ganache filling and vanilla butter cream icing. They were a hit!

On Thursday our girl finished four weeks of physical therapy for her wrist pain. She was treated for a repetitive use injury that started with an accidental fall last August. With all of the hours of practice she does on the piano each day, it just wasn’t getting better. This fall she started at our local Community College in the PSEO program taking private lessons from the head of the music department which has been such a great learning experience for her.

Today was another great field trip – which is funny because most school years we   don’t do two field trips in a month let alone a week! It was very much worth the time and effort though since we got to be the first homeschool group to attend Manufacturing Day and it was very inspiring.

I wasn’t kidding about our busy week, was I? With starting the 31 Day Writing Challenge, church activities and AWANA, THREE basketball practices, two pt appointments, two piano lessons, a homeschool mom’s encouragement night, a chiropractor appointment for our hurting boy, two field trips, a birthday to celebrate, cupcake production, two ballet classes and a few sewing client appointments … there wasn’t much room for {woolgathering} this week.

Psalm 46:10 

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

My objective for the weekend – to find some time to be still.  Not just to {woolgather}, but to re-connect with my Lord and exalt His Name. To spend time in His Word and in His house, giving my praise and learning from the Word, sharing fellowship with other believers. I need that so much! 

And hopefully, there’ll be time for a nap too! 

I never thought ...

In all of those long and painful years of waiting patiently on the Lord to bless us with children, I never once saw myself growling at our children. Nope. Not once!  

I truly thought I would be a patient mom. Yesterday I proved myself wrong. 

Oh, so very wrong!

I've got to give you the back story to my less than stellar mommy moment. I'm on a liver cleansing diet - it's 8 weeks long and I am well into the second week.  It's not an easy diet - in fact I've done it once before and I was downright miserable. For more than a year I've been noticing some things about my health that made me feel like I should really try the liver cleanse diet again, but as you know ... I'm kind of a chicken. I don't like giving up my favorite foods or experiencing the symptoms of the toxins being released from my body, but I finally bit the bullet and started.

Can I just say that even though I love just the act of baking and {usually} use a great deal of restraint when I do bake, I am still a carb addict! Oh yeah. I miss my muffins! My toast and tea. An afternoon cookie. My wee taste of chocolate each day ... This diet consists of no wheat, no sugar, no dairy, limited red blooded meats, limited fruits, lots of raw veggies, wild caught fish and seeds and nuts. Seeds and nuts people! Suffice it say I eat a lot of salad - but I've always eaten a lot of salad so it shouldn't be a big deal, right? Here's a funny thing - I can eat unlimited tomatoes, broccoli and pineapple on this diet - my three worst allergens! Ha!

Needless to say my energy levels are low. Really low. Lower than usual. I enjoyed my first taste of hormone free chicken and the first simple carbs (in the form of 1/4 cup steamed brown rice) I'd had in over a week and suddenly I was fueled! I mean - watch out! I had some energy to burn.

I got ambitious and grabbed the vacuum to rid the house of the inch of dog hair that had gathered since Saturday. I mopped all the floors, washed the rugs and steam cleaned the tile. I was on a roll! I went to bed knowing that the clean floors wouldn't last long - after all the three inches of dust on the furniture would eventually float on down to join the freshly shed dog hair, but I thought 'At least a day of 'clean' floors will be such a blessing!

We woke up Wednesday and started the day as always - faces washed, everyone dressed, beds made, laundry brought to the laundry room,  a quick breakfast, devotions and TREK ( Storyteller's AWANA book). The verses our Storyteller was working on just touched my heart so deeply and brought me such joy!

We were treated to a dramatic reading of Scripture from Revelation 20 - wow! We pulled out the hymn book and sang 'Victory in Jesus' together - perfect for our discussion on the Second Coming of Christ, and then nipped into language arts. In the background our Dreamer was running through the three Sonatinas she has memorized for her upcoming Guild Auditions - amazing! I have to admit that I sat back, sorely missing my morning cup of tea, but with a heart full of thanksgiving, as I drank my oh so boring water.

Ahh.

Before long it was time for a potty break for our dog Bailey and I needed to iron a cooler top for myself. Storyteller took her out, and while I was ironing, he decided to check out the back yard to see just how wet it was. After a long night of heavy rains. Heavy rains. All night. Our already saturated lawn was a mess. I really think that Ohio has the stickiest mud I've ever encountered, and most of it is in our clay pit backyard.

'Yep! Too wet for baseball!'

He came in, took off his daddy's shoes (which are waaaaaaay too small for him) and let the dog off of her leash, while he proceeded to the table for more school work.

All was well until ...

I came back from the Grammy flat with my freshly ironed clothes and saw the white tile floor of our sunroom. That I just vacuumed, mopped and steam cleaned. The day before.

Covered in mud. The mat covered in mud. The floor splattered everywhere. Mud caked shoes scattered here and there. 

Ugh!

This is not an unusual occurrence in the spring so I think I would have been just fine if I had not glanced at the stairs up the to the kitchen. Muddy paw prints. Mud on the walls. Mud on the pantry door. 

Enter Mama Bear.

I growled.  Really, I did. Out loud.

The children heard me and immediately Dreamer sweetly says, 'Brother, I think you are in trouble!' Ha!

Some sharp toned questioning followed.

Facts were entered into evidence.

Evidence was gathered.

The suspects were identified.

The dog was apprehended, but not until she trailed her muddy self through the whole house.

A vigorous dog bath ensued. 

Lots of 'I'm sorry'.

More growling. Mama apologizing too.

Scrubbing, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, washing of clothes, washing of many towels, washing of the mat and washing of daddy's shoes. Again.


When we got back to school work about an hour later, my blood pressure had returned to normal and I was ready turn this into a life lesson.

The reason for the mud trail ... 'I never thought'.  

In the mind of a 12 year old boy,  a yard that is way too muddy to play in does not necessary mean that that same mud will come into the house on feet and paws. It doesn't translate into hours of work and laundry and frustration for the mama - but maybe it will now.

As we spotted and scrubbed and watched the dark stains ease down the drain, we talked. As we applied the shampoo and  watched the white suds cleanse away the dirt and as we got on our hands and knees and removed the evidence from the carpet, I confessed.

I don't always think either.

I make lots of mistakes every day.  I sin. I agree with God about my sin - it's nasty. It stinks. It mucks up everything and makes a terrible mess. I repent, apologize, enjoy God's forgiveness and start again with a fresh page. Every day I whisper a prayer ... 'Lord, make me more like Your Son today. Let my life bring glory to You.'

I love that my big strapping, taller than his mama 12 year old still loves to hug me hard. Well, except when he stinks, but you know what I mean. God used a 12 year, a muddy yard, a crazy dog and my growling heart to teach me about grace and forgiveness yet again.

And I'm just so very thankful.

HomeSchool: Home Economics

 I love home making {most of the time}and I really want our daughter to enjoy it to!  More than that, I want her to be skilled before she leaves home so that she doesn't have to learn everything all at once. My sweet Mum was an amazing whirlwind of activity when I was growing up - she could do everything faster, better and up to her standard without our help - and she did! We got away with murder when it came to chores - she did it all for us! Can you say spoiled? I did laundry for the first time under the close tutelage of a friend at summer camp - in a laundromat. I learned to wash dishes at camp too. I mastered vacuuming and clean bathrooms at Bible College - my room-mates taught me. When the Historian and I were first married, I spent countless hours on the phone with my Mum asking cooking questions - and served more than my fair share of burnt offerings to my poor husband. 

I had a lot to learn.  

I'm not the whirlwind of energy my Mum was.  I've needed a lot more help with chores then she did, 

and so both children are actually quite skilled in many of the basics already. 

I like to think that's one of the many blessings of chronic health struggles.

Our Dreamer is by nature A Messy - she has the uncanny ability to turn a tidy room into utter chaos in less than 24 hours - but I still hold out hope for change! 

Figuring out how to inspire that change has been a challenge.  

I'm ready for another tactic.  

Nothing as drastic as boot camp or anything, but something that will inspire.

 Here's my latest plan - making the basics of home keeping a grade 9  

High School Elective Course 

- complete with grades, tests, and fun projects. 

Dreamer and I have been bouncing around ideas based on the Biblical example of the Proverbs 31 Woman so this is a combination of things she wants to learn and things I think she ought to master!

We are almost ready to get started!

 Grade 9 Home Economics Class

Based on Proverbs 31

 Table of Contents: {so far}

 I.                    Course Objectives and Overview

  II.                 How to Clean the Right Way

a.       Read Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean

b.      Laundry Skills Overview

c.       Stain Removal Chart

 III.               Soap Making 101

 IV.              Vegetable Garden Basics

a.       Planning a Garden

b.      Preparing to Plant

c.       Starting Plants From Seed

d.      Weeding, Watering and Feeding

e.       Harvesting the Bounty

 V.                 The Art of Preserving Food

 a.       Fruit Leather

b.      Freezing Foods – Storage Time Chart

c.       Making Jams and Jellies

d.      In a Pickle

 VI.              Basic Yarn Skills

a.       Make a scarf

b.      Darn a Sock

 VII.            Basic Sewing Projects

a.       Sew a winter hat for yourself

b.      Sew a simple apron using a pattern

VIII.         Advanced Sewing Skills: Garment Construction

a.       Sew a skirt for yourself

b.      Sew a jacket for yourself

c.       Sew a hat for someone else

 IX.              Made By Hand

a.       Embroider a Sampler

 X.                 Food for Thought: Monthly Menu Planning

 XI.              Grocery Store Tips & Strategies

a.       Grocery List Master

b.      Shopping for Sales

c.       Price Comparison

d.      Keeping a well stocked pantry

  XII.            Recipes To Master

 a.       Muffins

b.      Quick Breads

c.       Soup

d.      Yeast Bread – white and whole wheat

e.       Entrée Basics ( 5 meals she can make well consistently before she leaves for college)

f.        Pie - Apple and Pumpkin - her favorites!

 XIII.         Money Sense: Preparing a Budget

a.       Read What Ever Happened to Penny Candy?

b.      Read Money Sense for Kids

 XIV.         Physical Fitness

a.       Physical Activity Log

b.      Calorie Chart

c.       Understanding BMI

 XV.           Candle Making

  XVI.         Personal Style

a.       Flattering and Modest

b.      Your Best Colors

c.       Layers and Accessories

  XVII.      Time Management Basics

a.       Daily Schedule

b.      Chore Chart

c.       To do lists

 XVIII.    Wisdom for a Faithful Woman

a.       Scripture Memorization

b.   Prayer

c.   Bible Study Basics

XIX.         Baby Care Basics

 XX.           Emergency Preparedness

 XXI.         Skin Care Essentials

a.       Read The Herbal Home Spa

b.      Make three skin care products

c.       Plan a spa night for a friend and you!

That's what we've got so far - are we missing anything? 

What do you think is most essential in equipping our girls for life in the grown up world?

School Days

Storyteller’s Subject List

Grade 5 (age 11)

1.      Bible & AWANA T&T book #4 (he's really sweating this one - the verses are challenging)

2.      Big Bad Bible Giants (Devotional)

3.      Singapore Math- Primary Math 5a & 5b

4.      Gateway Reader – Grade 5

5.      Wordly Wise Book 5

6.      A Reason for Spelling Level E

7.      Explode the Code

8.      Creative Writing 6

9.      A Reason for Handwriting 

10.  Daily Journal assignments

11.  Exploring Education - Physical Science - Intermediate Level

12.  A Child’s Geography

13.  US. Geography

14.  50 States

15.  Drive Through American History

16.  Colonial Life in America

17.  Pioneer Life in America

18.  The Mystery of History Volume 3 – Reformation, Renaissance & The Growth of Empires

19.  Visual Latin

20.  Spanish

21.  Meet The Masters Online Art

22.  Guitar Lessons

23.  Home School Gym weekly at the YMCA, Fall Batting League, Home School Soccer, Upward Basketball

I am still working on his Read Aloud list - currently we are working our way through Ulysses.

Dreamer’s Subject List 2011- 2012

Grade 9 (age 13 - almost 14)

1. Bible (currently continuing an Intensive Study of 1 John)
2. Thinking Like a Christian (Developing a Christian Worldview)
3. Grammar and Writing 9
4. Daily Journal Assignments
5. Excellence in Literature-Reading and Writing through the Classics-British Lit.
6. Invitation to the Classics
7. Wordly Wise book 10
8. Pentime Cursive 9
9. Latin Roots 
10. Visual Latin
11. Speech and Debate ( with a homeschool group)
12. Algebra ½ (Saxon Math with DIVE CD)
13. World Physical Geography – Runkle’s Mapping the World
14. Exploring Education - Physical Science- Advanced Level
15. The Mystery of History Volume 3 – Reformation, Renaissance & The Growth of Empires
16. The Light and the Glory & Sounding Forth the Trumpet
17. Beginning German
18. Meet the Masters Online Art (Adult Level)
19. Piano and Music Theory with Mrs.D. – Dreamer received 3 ‘Superior’ Piano Guild Awards this spring and is working toward a 15 piece Bach program for Spring 2012 – she practices at least 11/2 hours daily.
20. Home School Gym at YMCA weekly, Ballet, Home School Soccer

So many blessings!

Welcome back - I know it's been a long time since I posted anything about our quiet life here in the Midwest!  I decided to use my free time this morning to share a few of the blessings we've been enjoying in the last few weeks!

On Saturday The Storyteller and I made a trip to Joann's to find just the right fabric for upholstering the giant piece of foam that will make his new 'dugout' a cozy place to sit and read or dream about baseball! We  found some heavy red duck canvas that was on sale for $5 a yard and it's perfect for this project!  I am so excited to finally be moving forward again toward getting his room back in shape! It's been a mess for so long that any progress is such a blessing! We've done everything but the 1/4 round trim and and the final painting, and of course the sewing for new valances and the upholstery of the 80"x24"x6" piece of heavy foam!  I bought a super long zipper to make this a 'zip off for washing' cover and I'm excited to get going on it this week!

I have been blessed to have some time in my sewing room lately working on a wild and crazy quilt for the Storyteller - it is just made up of cotton quilting scraps in various shades of red, tan and blues - so many fabrics from my stash that it kind of makes your head spin to look at, but he LOVES it!  I have to piece the backing together and take it to the quilt shop to have it quilted like Dreamers.  

The quilt is a 'pattern' I found in Creating Vintage Style and it was way more work than I thought it would be, but it's so perfect for our energetic boy! Some of the fabric is baseball prints from various past projects and the backing is all baseballs, so he is over the moon happy.  I guess it is only fair that since Sister sleeps beneath a 'made by Mama' quilt, Brother should too!

While at Joann's we bumped into a sweet friend Anne who reads my blog and she let me know that she's been  thinking about me and my sore hands!  That was such an encouragement to me! I let her know that they are much better - and I thought is was time to let you know too!  I so appreciate all of your kind comments and e-mails.  My hands are still not pain free, but the swelling and stiffness is all but gone - until I over do things and I start the painful cycle all over!  I'm looking forward to talking these issues over with my doctor next week and hopefully we'll find some answers! I felt so blessed on Wednesday when I was finally able to put on my wedding and engagement rings again.

Despite the struggles, I've been keeping busy as always!  Does it seem like spring is the season when homeschooling is the hardest?  We worked right through the public school's spring break and enjoyed the change in routine - we didn't have ballet, art, home school gym or AWANA that week so we were really able to get caught up in some school work!  We are planning on taking our spring break at Easter - because Poppa and Grammy will be here!!!!! Yeah!!!!  We are so very excited about their visit - it just seems like forever since we saw them!  It's been a long long winter!  We are looking forward to celebrating Resurrection Sunday together!

Spring is slowly unfolding with color and beauty!  Last week we enjoyed the last of the crocus' for one day! The rains came pouring down and flattened their blooms completely and they were gone! 

Many of the plants I started under the grow lights in early March are taking off and will soon be ready to harden off and transplant in the garden.  I planted more over the weekend since my tomato plants didn't do as well as I'd hoped. I love this time of year, but it can be a little overwhelming!  I am trying to stay ahead of the weeds in my garden until we can get our mulch delivery.  We use about 3 yards of mulch every other year and it helps so much to keep the weeds down, but it is a lot of work to move it about the yard.

The dandelions are just thriving! Since I was suffering with tendinitis last fall, I didn't get the garden 'put to bed' completely and I am regretting that terribly this spring. We've got carrots, radishes, lettuce and peas planted in our raised beds and hopefully the rain we are enjoying today will water everything nicely. I divided and transplanted a few 'Deer Salad' plants, known to most gardeners as Hosta - the deer munched our Hosta down a few times last summer and they returned nicely, so hopefully they will like the new varieties to choose from!

I'm working on a two week schedule for my spring cleaning this year.  I remember when I could do it about three full days, but this is a more reasonable goal and I am happy that I am even up it! I have 14 areas that need to be tackled and the worst is the Grammy flat.  No surprise there! We moved my sewing area out there and it has really made our bedroom a much more pleasant place to rest, but I need to organize the stuff we moved and make room for Poppa and Grammy again!!!

The goal is to have it done before Opening Day which is April 30th.  Poppa and Grammy will be here for that's special day as well, so that's huge for our Storyteller - he is so excited!  Many of his practices have been cancelled because of rainy weather or extreme cold, so he is anxious for the season to begin, but feels a bit rusty after a long winter of not playing ball.  We are so happy to have an organized coach this year - it's just such a blessing!  We've already gone through the schedule and realized that there are only two games that's he'll need to miss because of church activities, so he's pleased about that.  We always put church before sports and he understands that - hopefully his coach will too.  He'll need to tell his teammates why he will be missing those games, so hopefully he will be able to be a witness to them.  I know many parents don't feel the same way, but for our family, our children's grounding in the Word of God will always come before sports or other activities.  We know that God will honor putting Him first in our home.

Dreamer is diligently practicing for her very first Guild Piano Auditions at the end of this month - she has 9 classical pieces memorized - one more to go!  With each piece she has to know the key signature and play the scales for that key, both hands two octaves, along with the chords for that key.  It's a lot of work, but she is really loving it!  She really wants to to it!  

Two days after her audition she has her Spring Piano Recital and she is very happy that Poppa and Grammy will be here to hear her play.  

Yeah!  Another blessing to count!

 I made a Spring Wreath last week also - it is a total copycat inspired by the beauty of Emily Jones design - you can find here lovely wreath  at  Jones Design Company. 

Her whole blog is just lovely and she shares her talents sweetly so do take some time to 'look around' if you're looking for some creative inspiration!

My wreath is mostly  'up-cycled' - the linen was a beautiful designer skirt in it's former life, and I thrifted it for less than $1! I simply hated cutting it up but it didn't fit anyone I knew and was very stiff and heavy so I thought to make it into a purse, but I love it as a wreath.  The wreath form is a straw wreath that was used before.  The branches are from our yard and the nest was part of my spring mantle display last year.  The wool felt scraps were once a sweater!  Too fun!

It's time to get back to work and direct some home schooling and lunch preparation.  We are low on leftovers and fresh fruits and veggies - tomorrow is Happy Box Day and we are looking forward to the wonderful fresh food we receive each week! Last weeks mustard greens were not a big hit, but everything else was wonderful  The children enjoyed exploring a new taste  - eggplant.  It's not something I've ever bought, so it was fun.  We've had many fresh salads and lots of lovely organic fruit, though we are a bit tired of bananas.  If we get them again this week I've promised to make Plantanos Fritos for something new - apparently you can get tired of banana bread and muffins! I have lots of banana's in the freezer, so we are trying to be creative!I have a feeling some smoothies might be a good choice too.

Goodbye for now sweet friends 

- thanks for stopping by to visit. 

As always, I love your kind comments and all of the things you share! 

Happy Spring!