I took these pictures on friday and wanted to put something with them. . .I didn’t know what until Sunday School this morning.  Mr. A was teaching about the book of Isaiah.  This was in my notes:  “Isaiah’s style is second to none;  he writes poetry with sweeping beauty and stunning clarity.  The book deals with a rich variety of topics and is written in an elevated and lofty style.”  God’s word is beautiful because it IS His inspired word, but even with a literary viewpoint it has a quality that is the very best.

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon Him while he is near:  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:  and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;  and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:  the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:6-12

It’s hard to believe that it’s mid-November and we can still go outside with bare feet.  The children do, and no wonder, since I picked several pairs of wet shoes up off the yard as I walked around this morning.

When I go outside, and as I sit here with the window open, I can hear the stream down below.  It’s rushing-rushing-in a hurry.  It has swelled up and over-flowed it’s banks again.  I asked the boys to go look, I could hear their excited yells and wasn’t surprised when they begged me to “come see it”.  I think the stream is part of our family now.  Doesn’t moving water seem alive?

After I took some pictures, I made them go to the house to at least put warm jackets on.

I am sick with a cold.  I have dark circles under my eyes and I walk around with my mouth open.  It felt good to sit outside in a lawn chair in the mild and humid November morning, wrapped in my favorite black shawl with a bunch of tissues tucked in the waist of my pj’s and a glass of water by my side.

Caleb and David played so well. I think they were happy to get outside for some fresh air.  David climbed a tree and hammered on a piece of wood.  Caleb was busy playing with toys and getting in and out of his bubble car.  He wore little boots this morning, boots that each one of my boys have worn in their turn.

Grace, Jacob, and Ethan went exploring.  They were so happy to be outside having an adventure.

I could hear my wind chimes.

I watched my bird feeder and had a few chickadees visit.  I re-filled their supply of food.  Jacob and David stood with seed in their out-stretched hands, to try to get some friendly birds to come near them.  I watched and wondered how they could stand still so long?

The sun is shining now.  It’s going to be a beautiful day.

Milestones

  Last night Amanda and Jason came over for dinner with the girls.  I was able to take a few pictures of the babies in the midst of our visit:

This is my
little niece,
Naomi Isabella.

I love her bright
blue eyes and her
little ponytail.

“Bitter are the tears of a child: Sweeten them.
Deep are the thoughts of a child: Quiet them.
Sharp is the grief of a child: Take it from him.
Soft is the heart of a child: Do not harden it.” 

“Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived.”

If we make happy  memories for our children now, we will make them happy twenty years hence by their remembrance of it.  Thus for all their lives do we link ourselves to those we love.
Maggie Stewart

  If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.  Rachel Carson

Sometimes they are just too quick!

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
Annie Dillard

Happy Birthday to my “first baby”, my little brother Isaac.  I love you and I can’t believe you are 20!  Seems like just yesterday I was holding you in my lap and singing you songs.  I thought everything you did was amazing.  My first diary is filled with the cute things you used to say and do. 

I remember. . . .

hugging mom when she was expecting YOU.
how exciting it was waiting for you to be born.
the night you were born.  Mom told me herself on the phone.
the first time I saw you: I couldn’t say a word– you were so tiny and perfect.
propping you up in a cardboard box and surrounding you with my stuffed animals.
singing to you.
the first time you laughed.  I was upset because I missed it.  I wrote all about it in my diary.
when you used to run off with my deoderant and pretend to water the plants with it.
how you used to pull all my books off my bookshelf.
when we watched the wizard of oz and all the questions you asked me about midgets.
when you used to love barney.  then thomas.  then rugrats.  then spongebob.  then video games.
when mom told me you had a girlfriend.  I didn’t like it one bit. (don’t worry, i’m okay now)
seeing you graduate from H.S. -even though i was weeks from having a baby, i had to be there. 
when you went to college.  I remember the grief I heard in mom’s voice when the house was empty.

I smile when you are home on weekends and mom has to get off the phone so she can “make Isaac pancakes”. . . .and I think I will understand the feeling someday.  Gotta make pancakes while you still can.

Last night I took Caleb to bed with me and he fell asleep in my arms.  I just had to take some pictures of him.  My baby is getting so big and I cherish every moment.  When I was looking at the pictures last night, I found myself humming this lullaby:

“All Through the Night”-the lullaby

Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee,
All through the night;
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night;
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loving vigil keeping,
All through the night.

I will post pictures of NYC tomorrow.  I took some pictures of the kids this morning. . . the boys looked so cute in their matching outfits.   Rich and I live about 4 1/2 hours away from our parents and most of our siblings (all except for my sister) so our family really enjoys this blog and seeing the pictures of their “babies”.

Jacob, Grace, David, Me, Rich, Caleb, and Ethan

The boys

Sad Boy:  Caleb had enough of the nursery on Sunday mornng!  He’s so precious w/that “ear holding thing” he does.

Guess how I made Caleb smile and look my way?  By holding up his pacifier!  He ran just as fast as he could to get it.  I almost missed the picture opportunity.

Hope you all had a blessed Sunday.  Love, Shan

Veteran’s day 2006

taken today by shanda. . more NYC pics to come!

Laughter the Best Medicine:  Well, I figured I would surprise everyone with PEANUTS today.  Variety is the SPICE of life, after all!  Enjoy the laughs, I sure did.  I was reading the kid’s PEANUT comic book all during quiet time.

Those of you who know me REALLY well (my family and Joanna), know that I used to be obsessed w/watching GYMNASTICS and I used to tape every single competition that was on TV.  As a young teen, I used to watch my gymnastics tapes all the time, then go out on the lawn and practice my cartwheels (and backhandsprings, and walkovers, and leaps, etc). . . . .I guess that’s why I liked this one:

Laugh A Lot

Something that made me laugh in real life today:  I called Jacob, Ethan, and David to the livingroom to pick up their sneakers and take care of them.  All 3 pairs were in the way!
I must’ve gotten distracted because hours later, when the kids were all in bed having quiet time, I finally noticed.
David had picked his sneakers up and put them on the coffee table.
I’m sure part of the reason that I thought it was cute was because he was sleeping like an angel in the other room, and all that I had of him was the sight of his little shoes left behind. 

Look who lost a tooth!

I have a feeling she’ll lose the other one soon and then we can all sing, “All I want for Christmas is my TWO FRONT TEETH!”