Jacob had a powerful hunger yesterday.

I took pity on him, and

so we made some cake and cookies.

I kept bumping into children every which way I turned.

It was fun.

David helped crack an egg into a bowl and when he finally got it open,

(“Put your two thumbs in, and open it like a door!” I always say)

He said in his dramatic way, “YUCK!!!   This one’s covered in egg juice!”

Jacob and I laughed and laughed.

As we mixed up the cake, I had the dishwasher running.

Soon, millions of soap suds started oozing onto the floor.

Someone ran to get a towel.

Jacob dropped down on the floor to play “fight the soapsuds”.

All in a day’s work, right?

I had Jacob beside me, and David standing on a big heavy kitchen chair,

and Caleb in his high chair.  Grace and Ethan came and went.

We were all busy in the kitchen and it did not take long to mix up that cake!

Caleb got to lick and beater and boy, did he enjoy it! 

I found myself standing and watching him,

with a smile on my face.

So, I had to run get the camera.  As I took his pictures,

I realized I was enjoying it just as much as he was.

“Get excited about the little things.  The big things don’t come along that often.  Enjoy the beauty of the day, the perfectness of God’s creation.  Take pleasure in each little accomplishment; there are many each day.  A letter well written, a clean, shining room, a beautiful casserole, a lesson well taught, a sale completed.  There is a wall motto that says, ‘Take time to smell the flowers.’  I guess that is what I am trying to say.” 

~ quote from a little booklet Colleen gave me called “Claire’s Corner” by Claire Killman, April 1979

outside for hours

a cold wind, they don’t even notice

non stop smiles

will their faces hurt from the chilly air or all the grinning?

lost the sled

my heart warms with pride as I watch them together, a perfect threesome

off to their other “sled run”

they begged me to come, but I had to get back inside to the littles

one last look back

this is what a I love about my life

I get to be a recorder of memories

I just saw two people on a snow mobile go speeding down the road. 

As I sit at my desk, I can see a gray sky and snow falling, swirling, and blowing down.  Church was canceled because of the snow storm, which is a very rare thing indeed.  We are taking advantage of the cozy morning together.  I got up this morning and made homemade biscuits and fried eggs.  Jacob made the bacon.  After everyone was fed, Jacob and Ethan went outside.  They have enough snow piled up from shoveling the driveway that they have made a fort.  Even the dog goes in with them and digs, digs, digs.  Ethan said, “Mom!!  It’s cold out here, but when we go in our hut, it’s WARM!”  They go in, wait a while, and then go back out to “take care of the animals”.  (pretend animals). . . . . .

I went outside briefly to watch them play and to fill up my birdfeeder.  The snow is half way up to my knees, light and grainy, and it is very windy and cold out there.  I wasn’t even tempted to go for a walk.

When I came back in, David and Caleb were sitting on the counter, playing in the flour canister, making a big floury mess.  I should have known they would get into mischief while I was out.

I had fun playing around with my camera until the battery ran out.  The children were all busy playing their new favorite game, “button store”.  They pay for them with bottle caps.  Rich and I sat and watched the action. . . . .

action!

the “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” sale!

Ethan was the store keeper

Our little cat, Patches, has a new favorite place to sleep; in the dirty clothes on top of the washer.  You should see how she vibrates when the washer is in the spin cycle!  It’s so funny.

Now, my husband is sleeping in his big recliner and Jacob is begging his siblings to go outside with him.  No one wants to.

We’re cozy.  How are you doing today?

How’s the weather where you are?

Have a blessed day!

I just got the kids in bed.  Every day the older ones read in bed for an hour or two so that I can have some quiet.  David basically rolls around in my bed and sometimes sleeps.  Right now he is burping.  (don’t ask, it’s a “talent” that he has discovered) Caleb is the only one who actually still sleeps every day.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading what was left for me after my last post.  So many comforting words, and so many who understand a bluesie sort of day.  Thank you.  I still feel on edge today, but not as bad as yesterday, thankfully.

This morning I had to get outside.  The kids were all watching a morning show on TV so I took my cup of hot (instant again, though–we ran out–) coffee and went outside for a quick walk up the road and back. . was only out for about 10 minutes. . the wind was whipping around the trees, I half expected to see some branches fly off .  I noticed some chickadees on the neighbor’s bird-feeder. . a whole group of them.  Such cheerful birds.

Guess what else I saw?  The kids showed this to me! 

A dead fish on the porch!  We think Patches caught it.  Oh, how I would love to see her do it again!  Do you remember the post I did this summer, with pictures of her catching a frog?  Never did I dream of a cat leaving a fish on my front porch!   How in the world did she do it?  Then she had to carry it up to the porch in her mouth!  That is one funny cat!

After my little walk, I went inside and made the kids all come out with me.  I grabbed my camera, too.

Grace was so sweet, still in her robe, she was so protective of Caleb. . .kept her eye on him the whole time we were outside.  By the way, Caleb’s sweater is handmade by my late Great Grandmother.  She made it for Jacob and all the boys have worn it.  It zips up the back.

Here is Jacob.  He and Ethan were busy forming little islands–they made a “Little Bahamas”, a “Little Jamaica” and a “Little Tobago”.  (all that geography is paying off!)

Later on, when we were back inside I told Jacob that I loved seeing them make their pretend islands.  He immediately said very seriously, “NO, they aren’t pretend, Mom!  They’re REAL, they are REAL little islands.” 

Grace said, “Isn’t this nice?  It’s like being at the beach!”

(ummmmm, it was a stretch for MY imagination, but I thought she was cute)

My little mother’s helper, finding rocks for Caleb to throw.  I like how the boys are on the other side of the pond.  They are all in the picture.

They saw something in the pond, David makes me laugh in this one:

They waved me over to see, (“MOM!! Come ON MOM!!”). . . . it was “two big catfish”.

Can you see them?  Ethan wished he had a fishing pole.

The sky was so lovely

This is the view from my porch.  I love watching the sky.  Right now, as I type, it is robin’s egg blue, with some fluffy gray clouds.  Every once in a while, the sun comes out.

After I took the above photo, I looked at Parker and took one of him, too.  He had his eye on me!

Woof, Woof.  (Yes, David, I did let him eat that candy apple.   He made a mess with it. )

The rest of the morning was spent on schoolwork, laundry, cleaning, giving the littles a bath, talking on the phone with Joanna (we usually have a big marathon conversation about once a month to catch up) and then my friend Kathy called me, I ate a piece of cheesecake. . . . .  . . .it’s been a nice day.

Happy 7th Birthday to my niece, Abigail!  She is my sister’s oldest child and I am so blessed that they live nearby.  She is the closest thing Grace has to a sister.  Lots of times, when people comment on Grace being the only girl, I mention Abbie. . and I say, “Well, she does have a cousin who is just a year younger than she is!”  They are like two peas in a pod.

This picture was taken on Thanksgiving day of Grace and Abbie.  Are they sweet or what?

Have a wonderful afternoon, all!

 “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home”
~Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz

What comes to mind when you think about HOME?

Perhaps it is not so much what we think of but how we feel:  relaxed, peaceful, calm, loved, secure, wanted, needed, protected, happy.  How do you feel when your are home?  Or at your childhood home?

We haven’t lived in this house for a year yet.  When we came home on Sunday from a week-long absence, we were so happy to be back.  When we opened the door to the house I thought , “ahhhhhhhhhhh, home at last”.  The smell was familiar, the sights were familiar.  Our relationship to this place was bumped from “still feels a little new”, to “isn’t nice to be back where we belong”.

Where else can we sit and read a note from a friend on our very own front porch, in our very own rocker, next to our very own little table that’s decorated with a jar of roses and a doily made by our very own Great Grandma?

I read a delightful children’s book when we were away.  The book was about animals in nature and each chapter was themed.  In the chapter titled, “Home”, I read this quote:

“Whatever the plant or creature,
there is a certain place that suits it best,
a place where it feels a measure of
abundance, security, comfort, and familiarity.
Such a place becomes ‘Home’.”

and this one:

“Find yourself a home, make it the seat
of your affections, respect it,
cultivate it, appreciate it.  For in the spirit
of home do you find all that is good and
decent in life.  Homes build communities,
communities make nations, nations of
home-loving people make civilization!”
(Sam Campbell)

I truly believe that God is honored when people have the character to secure a home in order to have a safe place to go to for refreshment and rest, to have a place to raise a godly family or entertain dear friends.

In another book titled, Home-making, which was written in 1882 by J.R. Miller, I read this quote:

“The benediction that falls upon the homes
of a country is like the gentle rain that
descends among the hills.  A thousand springs are
fuller afterward, and along the banks of a
thousand streamlets flowing through the
valleys the grass is greener and the flowers pour
out richer fragrance.  Homes are the springs
among the hills, whose many streamlets,
uniting, form like great rivers society, the
community, the nation, the Church.  If the springs
run low the rivers waste;  if they pour out bounteous
currents the rivers are full.  If the springs are pure
the rivers are clear like crystal;  if they are foul
the rivers are defiled.  A curse upon homes sends
a poisoning blight everywhere; a blessing
brings healing and new life into every channel.  Homes
are the divinely ordained fountains of life.”

The more I think about it, the more I say, “Yes, home is the place for me to work, to dream, to play, to be with my husband and my children, my family and loved ones.”  God made family!  Does our home reflect His love, goodness, grace, forgiveness?   I want the flavor of my home to be Christ-like.

Every wise woman buildeth her house:
 but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
Proverbs 14:1

What sort of dreams and goals do you have for your home life?
What special things do you do as a couple to keep your relationship strong?
What about the children?  Do you have any traditions or fun times that are unique?
What sort of things do you like about your home? or anyone’s home?

“Homes are the divinely ordained
fountains of life” ~ J.R. Miller