busy kitchen, happy hearts

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Shanda

Good morning, dear friends and relations, it is a beautiful fall day. The official first day of winter is in one week and it currently does not feel a bit like winter. Caleb, my precious soft hearted boy, had tears in his eyes this morning as he looked at the weather report for the days leading up to Christmas. NO SNOW. He said he prayed about it, too. He wonders if we will have ANY snow AT ALL this winter. It’s so important to him that it makes me long for snow, too. What a happy boy I will have on that day.

I went down to the chicken coop to let out the hens and give them a bowl of leftovers. I collected three eggs and stood at the pond to look at the beauty around me as I prayed a good morning prayer to God, asking him to send down his blessings on this old world, thanking Him for all He enables us to do each day….learn, grow, think, laugh, praise, heal, feel, work, BE…new creations. The old has passed away and the new has come like a miracle. Every good thing comes from above and our thankful hearts please Him.

The birds are happy, too. I have a feeder by the porch which brings in the songbirds. They sit in the bushes by the house and take turns flying over to select a seed.

I opened windows and turned on the house fan for some fresh air. Later on I will go the post office to get a Christmas card weighed because I bought a pack that require extra postage, but how much extra? I need to figure it out and get to work writing my cards, which I do so love to do, sending out mail is a pleasure. Receiving it is, too!

*****

How about one last post featuring dear Hannah? Oh, we had a lovely visit, doing so many simple sweet things together like sing and play piano, put together puzzles, watch TV, go for walks, and……..WORK IN THE KITCHEN. How fun it is to work side by side with another woman in the kitchen! Four hands are better than two. And we were blessed with two little helpers….eight hands ready to work in the busy kitchen.

While Hannah set to work making her famous chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles, I began a batch of Christmas cookies….Russian tea cakes. I only regret that I didn’t think of sending a box home with her because they are a very sturdy and delicious cookie indeed, able to survive a trip to Alaska.

flour, eggs, butter, water, salt…..such humble ingredients turn into the best of comfort foods…NOODLES

She rolled the dough as thin as possible and then cut the noodles on a cutting board.

Then, she sprinkled them on a floured cookie sheet to dry for a little while.

I put Seth and Sarah to work rolling balls of cookie dough. “Is this one too big Mom?” she asked. “Yes, a little.” “Okay,” she said as she solved the problem by taking a chunk off to put it in her mouth.

just right.

sweet happy Hannah. In this picture you can see the paper Angel garland over the entry to the dining room. Hannah bought one for her house, too. Isn’t it pretty?

The noodles are all cut out and waiting to be placed in hot flavorful chicken broth.

The cookies are done and powdered sugar (which Sarah called flour over and over regardless of my corrections) was everywhere — reminding us of Caleb’s elusive snow.

I left Hannah briefly in order to pick up my teenagers from High School and take a few of their friends home. When we returned, dinner was done. She made fresh and creamy mashed potatoes for us to pour the soup over. Every bit of this meal was homemade and it was so delicious that even though I was filled up by my first helping, I knew it would be a crime not to enjoy a second helping. So I did.

And it was just what Grace needed to recover from a long long day of school.

But that wasn’t the end of Hannah’s work in the kitchen that night. As soon as she was done with the chicken, she began a batch of overnight cinnamon rolls.

((By the way, Hannah was wearing an apron that she made for me years ago.))

THE NEXT MORNING……Sarah eagerly watched the cinnamon rolls bake in the oven at 350 degrees.

pretty pretty profile

The cinnamon rolls were blanketed with cream cheese frosting.

Once again, I helped myself to several cinnamon rolls too many just for the sake of taking advantage of the freshness, the homemadeness, and the lovingness of Hannah’s baking. Although she mourned what she considered *a shade too brown of a bottom*, let me assure you THEY WERE PERFECTION.

After our cinnamon roll breakfast, we took David, Caleb, Seth, and Sarah to the movies. But before we did, we attempted a “frameworthy” photo of the two of us. Forever friends.

That night, Hannah helped us decorate our Christmas tree. Tomorrow I will share the family photos she took of Rich and I with the kids. But this next one was one that I had Grace take of the two of us holding books that we bonded over. I first believed Hannah was a possible kindred spirit because she mentioned on her old xanga blog that she was reading the James Herriot books which I absolutely LOVE. Then, later on, once we became pen pals and got to know each other better, we read several LM Montgomery books together, including Pat of Silver Bush.

Book recommendations!

“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”

“True friends are always together in spirit” LM Montgomery

an old house….covered in vines

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Shanda

Grace and Ethan are home sick today and Jacob doesn’t have school.

I woke up feeling optimistic and cheerful for the first time in a long time, praise the Lord!

We watched a little bit of the movie “Newsies” and a little bit of a Harry Potter movie.

I love seeing all the books within the Harry Potter movies….today it made me want to go to the library.

So I did! After I made my three oldest (who are now 16, 17, and 18 years old) a batch of pancakes and fried eggs, that is.

I paid a typical five dollar fine at the library and left with a nice heavy bag of books.

Then I hopped in my car and drove to the thrifty thrift shop downtown.

It’s gorgeous weather this week, by the way. Today is balmy.

(Ethan just told me he wanted meat. Jacob is starting a hamburger for him. Grace is sleeping.)

I found a dollhouse!

Take a look:

This was where it was discovered. I took a picture so I could text Mom and ask her if I should buy it.

“Yes” was her reply.

The best part of all is that it’s a Madeline house. “In an old house in Paris, covered in vines…..”

weekend reading.

I’ve been getting walnuts in the shell for the family, I pour them into a big fiesta bowl, so when I saw this giant walnut dish while out thrifting, I snatched it up. It opens. The kids will love it.

Isn’t it marvelous?

*******

random photos

***

I’ve been amused by a couple of Kingfishers. They’ve been so noisy that I wonder if they’re battling over territory?

***

And this tiny bird’s nest.

There is typically a sense of expectation during every walk outdoors. But the other evening it was almost completely dark so I wasn’t too expectant about seeing anything (at all). I went outside to shut in the chickens and the night was so warm and soothing that I took a short walk around. I stood down by the stream to listen to it and happened to look UP….right at this bird’s nest, which I could barely make out. I turned on my flashlight to see it and the next day I took my camera down. So small and sweet that I laughed. Even in the dark God can show us things.

(It’s quite high up, I’m hoping one of my climbers will be able to collect it for me)

***

This is where I sit when it’s time for the afternoon bus to come with my young ones.

Happy Friday!

sweet and simple sixteenth birthday at home

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Shanda

My daughters are reading these books: Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery, and Lucy Steps Through the Wardrobe. Good, wholesome, soul-full, beautiful books. There’s nothing like pre-internet literature, in my opinion.

As I mentioned yesterday, dear daughter Grace turned 16.

She’s a confident, takes -her- responsibilities -seriously, friend -to -all type of young woman.

She gets ideas and she follows through.

Last week she came home and told me she taught an elective (one time) class with another teacher and she enjoyed it. The kids who signed up for the class enjoyed it, too.

She might be a teacher one day, and if she is….she’ll be a great one.

She’s working on ASL fluency. She has so many ideas about that, too.

I have this photo of her when she was seven.

Larissa delivered the cakes yesterday and helped get the room ready for a simple family dinner and cake night.

Grace requested shrimp scampi for dinner. Costco sells it frozen, and it’s very easy to prepare. While the noodles are boiling, all you need to do is dump the scampi in another skillet and heat.

We also had fresh fruit (grapes, raspberries, blackberries), a dish of diced tomatoes as a topper to the pasta for those who wished, and broccoli. There was apple cider to drink.

While I was busy getting the last things on the table, I found Caleb giving his sister a hug.

We had an early dinner because Seth and Caleb had football practice. So we ate and then let Grace open her bag of gifts.

There was an uproar about finding the football gear but I finally got out the door with the boys…only to discover once we got to the field that Seth had forgotten his helmet and Caleb didn’t have practice, he had a movie night with the team at the Coach’s house.

On the way back home I listened to the radio.

Rich came home and we had some snuggle time on the couch until he went to pick up the boys.

8pm — delicious cake and ice cream to celebrate our beautiful Grace Lillian.

She was born around 3 a.m. in the morning. She was the first labor and delivery I smiled through, thanks to a first-time epidural.

Our precious baby daughter had arrived, after two boys. Oh how fun it was to dress her up in little girl clothes and to see her brothers fall in love with their tiny sister. She was 5 pounds and 13 ounces when she was born….my smallest baby.

We have had 16 blessed years with our girl and we are forever grateful for the opportunity to raise her and love her.

There is no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day. ~Alexander Woollcott

To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jacob and Emily weren’t able to join us for cake because they were working.

(individual ice cream cups made serving so much easier)

waving the smoke away

The cake had raspberry filling.

(If you’re reading this an you’re a local friend please stop by for a piece of cake. There is a lot left over.)

Rich and his daughter have a date planned to go and get her set up with her first bow. It’s what she has wanted for a long time now. She will add “archery” to her list of accomplishments very soon.

Be deeply satisfied and ready for more. ~Abraham–Hicks

books, a carrot, friends, spiders, a flower, bugs, and gifts

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Shanda

Yesterday the dollar movie was Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days so I made the kids go in without me. I walked the mall and went to Target. While I was in Target I browsed the books and wrote the titles of some that looked interesting. After the movie was over we went to Taco Bell and then to the library and I checked out all the books I had written down.

Uncle Dave, do you like Dave’s shirt? He loves the solar system and deep space just like you. And he harvested his first carrot from the garden. He could hardly wait for me to take the picture before he ate it.

The best thing happened. My dear forever friend Christie came for an overnight visit on her way to Canada. I love her so much, we’ve been friends for 15 years! We hadn’t seen each other in six years but we have kept in constant contact.

This is her daughter with my Sarah.

The kids were looking for fishing bait this morning and found this mama spider. Do you see all the little babies she is carrying on her back? Emily brought me to the rock they found her under. Emily was scared, she said the spider knows what she looks like and will come to find her. But I was thankful she was brave enough to show me. There was a bright orange slug next to it. Visiting? Or about to become dinner?

This photo was taken at 10 o’clock this morning right before Christie left with her three children. Oh it was just so good to catch up with them.

As soon as we waved them out of sight I went back to see the spider again. (morbid curiosity) and guess what???? The slug was completely gone and there was another spider there. I’m assuming it is the baby-daddy. Caleb said to me, “If it bites me you better take me straight to the doctor’s.” We came away unscathed.

There was another happy couple on a Queen Anne’s lace flower.

Little gifts from my friend. Maple Syrup from Michigan, tea, and irresistible chocolate biscuits from Australia (she wrote an amazing blog about her experience living there). She also gave me the dangly earrings in picture #3.

marvel: to be filled with wonder

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Shanda

It was the perfect summer day full of small marvels. Caleb went off with a fishing pole and his little sister followed him. I was in the house with an illness….diagnosed as the “urge to clean”. Eventually I worked it out and flew outdoors to try to clear the smell of bleach from my respiratory system. Jacob and Ethan were cleaning the chicken coop. I could hear Jacob happily whistling as he worked. Caleb and Sarah were coming out of the woods and I walked to meet them. They were on their way to see me with a present.

They had discovered a big, handsome wild mushroom. They found it while they were looking for fishing bait. I thought they were the sweetest children to think of me. I went to get my camera so I could take a picture of it. It was about 6 inches tall and weighed about 1.5 pounds. We rarely see mushrooms this healthy. The underneath was full of tunnels and I saw a glimpse of a very scared bug wondering how it’s large meal/home had been disturbed.

While I was studying the mushroom under a pine tree, Seth brought over a toad.

Then they began to fish.

But they didn’t catch anything. Caleb said he thought it was because the fish were not hungry.

Many hours later the children were outside making a fort in the woods. I went to go check on them and do a little spying. First I admired my newly cleaned coop and checked on my chicks, all of which are growing up nicely. They still make their peeping sounds and are about half grown. We let them spend the day outside in their fence now and then. It takes some work on our part because they don’t voluntarily go back into the coop at dusk and we have to catch them and/or retrieve them from trees.

I found Sarah and Seth talking in the stream. Seth had gotten a sliver in his foot and was soaking it in the water.

We went over to see how the fort was coming along. The children were busy chopping and gathering suitable sticks. They worked on it until supper time. I left them to it and went up to the field by myself.

It is a wonderful place to see so many ordinary but (if you take a closer look) fascinating wild flowers and grasses, insects, butterflies, and birds. This flower had heart shaped petals. There was a bee on it with legs as golden as the flower, covered in pollen.

This colorful insect that bore an uncanny resemblance to SpiderMan was on a milkweed plant. As I bent to look closer, it scurried underneath the leaf of the milkweed to hide from me. We played “chase” like this until I finally just slowly bent the plant over to take a picture. It was fun. Outsmarting an insect is so satisfying. 🙂

The white spot on this moth (?) is actually shiny silver. Look at it’s eyes and antennae. (if you click on the photo you can see it bigger).

There were the most gorgeous orange butterflies. But they were hyper-active. They never landed. How on earth do butterflies manage to not rip their wings as they fly around? I decided to ignore them but all throughout my walk one would catch my eye and I would grieve that I couldn’t possibly get a good picture. This one was the best I could do. Do you see it? I showed the picture to Grace and we laughed and laughed. Caleb said it looked like a flying slug. (He was traumatized by a slug when he used one for bait that morning. He could not get the slug slime off his hands and it bothered him for hours..another nature marvel).

I almost saw a snake, too. As I walked over to the stream, something dropped down to the ground to slither away…I didn’t see it…but the grass was slithering as it traveled away. I’m sure it was a large snake. For the rest of the walk there were imaginary snakes everywhere I went. There is always an element of creepiness when one walks in fields of tall thick grasses and flowers.

In my mind, I looked like this in the field:

Reality was quite different, but this is the cover of the book I am currently reading. It is rocking my world. I grew up reading the Little House books, in fact they were the first books I read myself as an 8 year old girl. They are as known to me as my mother’s home cooked meals.

I found out yesterday that Pa GAVE JACK AWAY to the man who bought Pet and Patty! He didn’t stay with Laura until he died like in the books!!!!!!!!! They had another dog named Wolfie!!!!!!!!!!!!! To find out more you’ll have to check the book out yourself. Needless to say, I’m loving it while being mildly disturbed, and learning a lot about editing and writing one’s story as a piece of fiction based on truth.

before pinterest

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Shanda

Dear Friends,

Yesterday Sarah fell in the stream.

It was such a glorious, dare I say, WARM morning that the 8 of us went outside; the dog, the four cats, the rabbit, Sarah, and I. Sarah played by the rabbit cage with her little toy animals, a bowl of water for a lake, and a piece of wood to be the land.

I set up a lawn chair with my bag of outside goodies; old magazines, scissors, glue, pens, books, camera, coffee, sunglasses, and a blanket in case of chilly winds. A feeling of contentment was all around us but soon Sarah wanted to make mud pies instead and I readily agreed.

In order to make mud pies she went away down the hill to her sandbox and trucked water back and forth from the pond, to the sand. Every once in a while I would look up from my book and watch her. She was so cute with her short blond hair flying behind her as she ran, so busy, so carefree. She ran up to me once or twice to show me how dirty she was getting.

Time went by. Eventually, I stopped reading my book and listened. I thought I heard something. I thought it was music and started to read again. The music got louder. I thought Sarah was in the garage, singing. The music got even louder and only then did I realize it was the distressed sort of “singing”, it was screaming and crying, actually.

If a child has the energy and will to cry really loud then I do not worry, but the children have a talent of getting me to run. I couldn’t see her at all so I was able to use my amazing imagination to convince myself she was broken and/or bleeding. I couldn’t get to the stream fast enough.

I knew she was fine as soon as I saw her, and laughed. She was standing in the rushing waters on a huge rock, wet from waist to toe. She was frozen in terror. I picked my way down the bank cursing the ticks to offer her my motherly hands. I got her safely up the bank and she stopped sobbing. I thought it would be funny to *not say a word* to see what her first remark would be after her adventure.

We walked hand in hand while she sniffled and finally gave up this remark, “sniffle sniffle, well, I AM glad I washed my feet. My feet and my hands. sniffle sniffle”

You can’t help but admire a thankful heart. By the time we got to the porch she was talking about how much she liked “jumping in the stream” and wanted to put on a lifejacket and sunscreen and go swimming. (the answer was no–too cold–go change your clothes)

I had to get a bug from my coffee.

“April is a chancy month here. Bitter knife-cold, oven-warm. Rainy. Sunny. But always the feeling of spring, the definite excitement of things growing. Such a wonderful month, promise of richness to come, restoring faith in the good bounty of Nature. A bouquet of violets to you, my dear.” ~ Gladys Taber to her friend Barbara, in Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge

The twentieth time reading an LM Montgomery book is just as good as the first. When I was a teenager I was very protective of my paperbacks and used to reinforce the corners and binding with tape. However, the best loved books ended up looking similar to this copy of Anne’s House of Dreams. This book is extra special because it’s the only one I accidentally dropped into a bowl of leftover chicken soup after an late night excessive indulgence of reading, and there it stayed until morning. Every time I pull it from the shelf I think of chicken soup. I still grieve.

Anne’s House of Dreams begins at Green Gables in the midst of wedding preparations. Anne and Gilbert are married in the garden and move away to Four Winds Harbor, near Glen St. Mary, a town by the shores. They live in a darling house, which Anne declares is their House of Dreams. LM Montogomery was so clever in creating unique and delightful characters and in no time at all the reader meets the captivating Captain Jim, Leslie Moore, and Cornelia Bryant. Every page is a delight.

I’ve been in a “feathering the nest” mood this week, hence Anne’s House of Dreams on my reading list, and have been working on completely finishing up my own personal scrapbook of home inspiration. I spend more time on Pinterest these days than looking at magazines, but way back many years ago BEFORE PINTEREST when I was a young thing with no internet, I absolutely delighted in pouring over magazines with a pair of scissors dreaming of what I could do in my home. I’ve been working on this scrapbook for over 10 years……going back to it the last few days was like visiting an old friend.

I love the country mix and match eclectic look, with browns and yellows. And books everywhere.

Everything about this kitchen is perfection. I love the railing behind the stovepipe for towels, the color of the walls, the little cupboards and shelves, red floor.

“The walls of this house must be sorter soaked with laughing and good times.” Anne’s House of Dreams pg. 38

flowers, chair with lovely pillows, quilt, kitchen sink, baskets, plants, painting, dishes

“Anne looked about her with bright, appreciative eyes as she followed Mrs. Doctor Dave upstairs. She liked the appearance of her new home very much. It seemed to have the atmosphere of Green Gables and the flavor of her old traditions.”

Another room that I love everything about….wicker side chair, all the pillows, the blue ship painting, no curtains on the windows, flowers……the colors…..

This is my Home and House board on Pinterest: click HERE. It’s much easier to pin photos online now and…… I have let my Country Living magazine subscription lapse. But I hope I never stop taking the time now and then to sit “the old fashioned way” with scissors, glue, a scrapbook, and a handful of dreams á la Anne Shirley Blythe.

a song of snow and sea

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Shanda

(music)

The Lord is my strength and shield.

I trust Him with all my heart,

He helps me and my heart is filled with joy.

I burst out with songs of thanksgiving.

Psalm 28:7

The children woke this morning to the news of a two hour delay, but none of us would have been surprised or disappointed if there was a full snow day. It has been snowing nonstop since we got out of bed and nature has added even more fluffy inches to what was already accumulated earlier this week.

“Oh, it doesn’t show signs of stopping”

I opened the door to take a picture of the older children who stood outside for almost 10 minutes waiting for the bus. I smiled to hear their talking and laughing. Then, when they saw me, “What is mom doing?” they casually asked one another, huddled in a tight sibling group. “Mom, my hands are freezing!” he wanted me to know, all with fun and smiles.

They have all safely left for school and it is now 10:30. I really should get dressed soon……….

She found me.

“Mom, what are you doing in my room?!?!?”
“Taking pictures out your window!”

I think it’s safe to say that it will be a while before I make any attempts to get outside into the woods with my camera. It is enough for now, and quite fun, to lean out doors and windows, photographing the beauty. I love snowy days and the cozy feeling inside the home when it’s coming down so steadily, beautiful, white, and fresh.

Considering the endless topic of books, despite (or, because of) the weather, my current longing is for books featuring the seaside. I asked my 15 year old daughter Grace if she had any suggestions and we both jumped up off the couch and started exploring the bookshelves together, searching for our favorites, with hearts of gratitude for a home library gathered up over the last 19 years.

Books for Snowy Days, about the Sea, to Read by the Fire

Along the Shore, short stories by L.M. Montgomery
The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float, by Farley Mowat
Li Lun, Lad of Courage, by Carolyn Treffinger
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Wife, by Connie Small
Master and Commander, by Patrick O’Brian
The Light on the Island, by Helen Glidden
Burt Dow, Deep Water Man , by Robert McCloskey

“The spell of the sea and the wind surged into her heart and filled it with wild happiness and measureless content. ” ~Along the Shore

*****

****

The North wind doth blow

and we shall have snow

and what will poor Robin do then, poor thing?

I saw a Robin fly into one of the bushes by the house and ran to get my zoom lens. The pictures are pretty terrible because I shot through glass AND screen, but it was a lovely sight to see. The Robin’s feathers were fluffed and he kept trying to perch on various thin branches, losing his balance, which caused his wings to fly out in order to steady himself. The Robin reached for berries as I wondered if he was getting enough to eat. He seemed to sense my question and turned around to show me under his tail feathers (see above, last picture). “I have enough to eat but my behind is caked with snow.” After the initial shock of seeing a bird butt, I sent through the air my silent sympathies and best wishes.

portraits of Grace, macaroni and cheese recipe, and what we’ve been up to

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Shanda

Tread in solitude your pathway,
Quiet heart and undismayed.
You will know things strange, mysterious,
Which to you no voice has said.

While the crowd of petty hustlers
Grasps at vain and meager things,
You will see a great world rising
Where soft sacred music rings.

Leave the dusty road to others,
Spotless keep your soul and bright,
As the radiant ocean’s surface
When the sun is taking flight.

from the German of V.Schofffel, read in a recent Streams in the Desert devotional by L.B.Cowman

Hello, friends.
How are you?
My family is passing around the stomach flu.
Seth began it last Thursday, a week ago now. On Friday he was well but we kept him home. Rich had his team from work here for an off site meeting on Friday.
I woke up that night sick to my stomach and was sick all day Saturday. And by sick I had thoughts of death being a pleasant alternative, it was awful.
Rich had Jacob, Ethan, Grace, and Sarah at a wrestling tournament. Coach D. had David, Seth, and Caleb at another one.
On Sunday Rich took the children to church and I was still recovering. While they were gone I opened all the windows, turned off the heat, and aired out this sick house.
On Monday, the children had the day off from school and I had to take Jacob, Grace, and Ethan to the school early for another wresting event, and then David (along with Seth, Caleb, and Sarah) to the orthodontist. Also on Monday, I took Seth, who was coughing nonstop, to the doctor’s office. He had an ear infection. So we also stopped at the pharmacy.
On Tuesday, Caleb was sick with the stomach bug and I fell down on the ice and hurt my knee. Thankfully, it was only badly bruised but my fiesta bowl smashed.
Wednesday, Caleb was still sick. I called Paula to tell her I had to miss CBS. Ethan stayed home from school because it is mid-term exam week and he didn’t have any testing. Jacob called me at 9 to ask for a ride home because he didn’t have tests either, and his girlfriend Emily did not go to school because she was sick. Sarah and I picked him up and we went to the library for a little while before coming home. At 3, I had to go pick up Dave from the middle school because he stayed after for math help. When I got home Rich and I met with the guys who will be replacing the floor and shower in our bathroom. Rich left with the boys at 4. They had a wresting meet which their team won. Rich came home briefly to get Dave for practice and then left again for the High School. I read a really long version of Hansel and Gretel to Seth in his bed and he played with my hair while he listened, and then had an hour of quiet (watched Hinterland) before going to bed myself, and falling into a deep sleep.

That is, in a nutty nutshell, what I’ve been up to since the last time I blogged.

Today is THURSDAY, (I think) and David was supposed to get his braces put on….. but when I got up this morning at 6:15, David was on the couch……..the next victim of the stomach bug.

Caleb is no longer throwing up but he is weak and weepy so he is home today as well.

Jacob, Ethan, and Grace are at school for mid-terms and I did 5 papers with Seth last night, trying to get him caught up on his Kindergarten work. He is at school today.

As for myself, I must say, it has been one thing after another as usual, but with sick kids at home I have not been anywhere all week except for the daily running back and forth from the schools and that nice little break at the library yesterday. It has been overwhelming to say the least but every day there are things to be thankful for, (like a hot bath) and I write them down in my journal. I am exhausted and last night I was yelling about tuna fish, but I think today will be a quiet day….currently, David is asleep and Caleb is playing a game on the iPad.

I did manage to read a book on the kindle….Etched in Sand, by Regina Calcattera.

I took these pictures of Grace on Sunday, in the misty rain, after she came home from church.

I love this daughter of mine.

*********

Macaroni and cheese comfort food, recipe here.

It went nicely with one of those marinated pork tenderloins that you can buy and just roast in the oven for half an hour, and a salad.

There has been a great deal of coloring happening. And a lot of playing with mama’s salad spinner (better than any toy). They spin their little animals in it, and marbles.

Sarah Joy colored this one. I love it.

This girl has been a bright and happy ray of sunshine during this crazy week. She’s happy and talkative, so cute, I’m so thankful for her (for all of them!!)

paper hearts

book recommendations from a sixteen year old boy

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Shanda

David, age 11 and Ethan, age 16

I would be most content if my children grew up
to be the kind of people who think decorating
consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~Anna Quindlen

My brother Dave sent David a book for his birthday. It was a copy of a book that he enjoyed when he was David’s age, Danny the Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl. David read the entire book over the weekend, finishing it in the car on the way home from church yesterday.

Watching David read his new book made Ethan think of all the books he has enjoyed over the years. The other night he went through all the bookshelves in the house and selected his all time favorite titles. As he went from room to room, his younger brother David was with him, too. He brought the stack to the living room to show me and I laughed when he told me that David had already read quite a few of them because he “made him.”

Out of the all the books, David reminded him of the ones he had read, and Ethan gave him a few others that he still has to read (his brother will make him). A couple of them, we agreed, were probably not suitable for his age yet but will be in the “someday” pile.

Here is the entire stack:

Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer, series by John Grisham.

Tucket’s Travels, by Gary Paulsen

The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (for older readers)

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan

Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card (for older readers)

The Lord of the Rings series, including The Hobbit, by J.R. Tolkien

Frightful’s Mountain by Jean Craighead George (and her other books, too)

Poppy’s Return by Avi

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl (Ethan preferred this one to Chocolate Factory)

Boy by Roald Dahl

Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith

The Mad Scientists’ Club by Bertrand R. Brinley

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

The Black Pearl by Scott O’Dell

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimph by Robert C. O’Brian

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (Ethan said the movie was a big disappointment; the book is much better)

((Never judge a book by its movie. ~J.W. Eagan))

***

See also Ethan’s sister Grace’s list here. (some of the books are repeats!)

(I am still reading Les Mis)

today was the library book sale

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Shanda

a simply wonderful life

(listen as you read)

It’s a beautiful Saturday. The door keeps opening and slamming shut again as the children take turns running in and out for what specific reasons I don’t always know. What I do know is that they’re busy, it’s summer, and these are perfect days to enjoy their childhood. The windows are open and I can hear wind chimes blowing musically in the breeze. When my husband comes in I will ask him to make me a cup of coffee (he likes to). My eyes are sleepy from reading this afternoon, outside in the sun by the pond, with friend/daughter Grace contentedly by my side. Our little boys Seth and Caleb swam for a while and then ate popsicles. It’s good to sit and type, thinking about my family and how thankful I am for these days.

Yesterday was a very rainy fourth of July and we did NOTHING patriotic. (Wait, is grilling hot dogs patriotic?) I was exhausted and filled with determination to reorganize the downstairs boys’ room, and we did it. Ahh, it feels so good. I threw away several bags of garbage and old toys. I also weeded through their bookshelves and added another couple of bags to the pile to donate. The boys now have a lovely clean room.

Ironically, today was the annual library book sale. We all went, in two vehicles because Rich had to take our old broken freezer to the dump. After leaving behind three bags, and taking a new box of books, we went to the diner for lunch, and then I read outside on a blanket with Grace.

NEW BOOKS!! HAPPY DAY!!

My children will have memories of coming home with bags of used books, carefully chosen from the laden tables at our local library.

I was so happy to find another old C.W. Anderson “Blaze” book, the children love them.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people

who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~Anna Quindlen

(my personal stack)

(playing a card game) I love seeing the siblings pair off and do things together. They are forming such wonderful bonds for life. Grace and Jacob get along so well, and of course Jacob and Ethan are practically like twins with the way they’ve grown up together. David does well with Ethan, too. Caleb, Seth, and Sarah play together all day long, riding bikes and swimming. This is probably the best part of having lots of children, there’s always someone to spend time with and someone else to spend time with when the first person gets boring. 🙂

(clawing another’s face)

(spying)

(wondering)

(reading) That red book is my journal in which I write the titles and reactions to the books I read, along with dates and sometimes a quote or two.

(sunning)

I was looking down into my flower beds from the porch and spotted Billy sleeping.

He didn’t come. I sent Caleb out with a message for his dad that I would like a cup of coffee please. Two minutes later Rich stomped serenely through the house to get ice and a towel for his hand….”what did you do?!?”……. “oh, I burned my hand on that motor what kind of coffee am I making?”

I love my husband.

*****

glorious summer days

“Then I said softly to myself—-

‘That must have been the Sun!”

Emily Dickenson