merry christmas and a happy snow day

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Shanda

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I love my home,
I love my nest,
In all the world,
My nest is best!

Good news! Sherlock the cat is back home recovering from his ordeal. We are all thankful to see him in the old familiar places…..and are fervently praying that he never again forms crystals to block his urinary track.

All the second guessing and questions were gone as soon as I witnessed the love and gentleness in the way the children cared for their pet all weekend long.

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He received much petting.

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Well, it’s our first snow day of the school year. There was speculation all weekend as the children wondered if it would happen and checked the weather frequently. As soon as I woke up this morning, I felt around in the dark for my phone on the table by the bed. Rich left for work as soon as he possibly could as I was announcing to him, “It’s a snow day! Stay home please stay home with us!” He was like, “bye.”

No matter, the children are currently still tucked in their warm beds, sound asleep, and I’m in my room typing away………….enjoying what will probably be the quietest hour of the day.

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On Saturday, Rich was away for a wrestling scrimmage with his team (he is the HS head coach) and I had a leftover roast chicken in the fridge so I set to work making homemade chicken and dumplings with a big pot of fluffy mashed potatoes. The only reason I got the camera out is because Seth was amusing me. He had helped roll out the dumplings and then ended up on the counter for a good half an hour playing in a cup of flour…….

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Messy….but harmless fun for a boy in the kitchen.

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And a warm comfort food was enjoyed by all for lunch that day.

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When Rich got home from wrestling, he took a quick nap on the couch and then took the boys for haircuts…..

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The reason why Rich completely spoils and worships me is because I gave him five sons and two daughters who look just like him. (okay, that is maybe just one of the many reasons).

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“Sarah get off my cat! Mom tell Sarah to get off my cat! No don’t take a picture of Sarah with my cat, that’s my cat!” ~David is very possessive.

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Rich and David moved this little couch (dog bed) into the other room to make a spot for the Christmas tree. It was about 28 degrees on Saturday afternoon so he could only get Caleb and Sarah to go with him to the fire department to choose the tree. I could tell he was starting to get tired and not in the mood but after a little love-spat we got the decorating done. It certainly wasn’t the same without Jacob and Ethan helping us and Grace saying things like “I probably won’t be here next year to help decorate the tree”. sigh. Not only that but the Heisman’s Trophy was going to be awarded at 8 and it was 7:55 so we were in sort of a time crunch. (Caleb is a passionate football fan).

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Little by little the nest is getting festive. Yes, those are legos.

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The painting from Aunt Colleen, vintage yellow fiestaware, a strand of lights, and my cookbook collection.

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While searching for the decorations they found their old board puzzles.

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A beautiful moment after the children were in bed…..a purring cat on my lap, candles, Sangria, and the lovely tree.

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(Caleb just came in here asking if it was a snow day. After he heard the news he climbed up, “I want to snuggle with you. Can I see your phone? I want to see who won the game last night, I went to bed after the third quarter just in case it wasn’t a snow day.”)

So Sunday morning was blessedly relaxing. Rich was watching a movie and after a while I noticed him doing sit ups on the floor. This man works out EVERY DAY so I got a little bossy and said, “If you have energy I have something you could do instead.”

(Seth has appeared)

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And then later on, we were getting ready for church and Rich captured this special moment. “When Moms do their Daughters Hair.” Sarah needed two tissues to get through it.

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And when I showed her the photo of the final result she said proudly, “Is my hair really that long?” so I knew she wasn’t scarred for life.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Snow Day! I’ll blog tomorrow about all the things we did with our surprise vacation day from school. (Meanwhile, Seth is asking if he can open one of his presents)………

oh how he loves us

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Shanda

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“The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to Him is not to believe that He loves you.”

~John Owen

homemade rolls made with love

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Shanda

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Rich’s Aunt Phyllis visited this weekend with her cousin Marie. Rich’s Dad came, too. They wanted to watch Grace in a play at her school. It was such fun to attend together but my favorite part of all was when we were home again and the ladies were snuggling up on the couch reading an old old copy of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. Aunt Phyllis gave the book to Grace and it is special because her mom (Grace’s Great Great Grandma) used to read it to her children at bedtime. And from this very copy Aunt Phyllis and Marie each read a chapter aloud to the girls. On Sarah Joy’s lap is a quilt that was given to her Great Grandma which she kept on her lap during her last years. It was made by another relative. Aren’t relatives the best, the most inspiring of all? I love all the women in my family, both in my own family and the family I married in to. I feel very blessed by all the stories, sewing, quilting, crafting, working, mothering, beauty, books, baking, and so on……that I learned from my sisters, cousins, aunts, Mom, and grandmas. All so uniquely special and dear.

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I look into their faces and see my self, and own children, in them.

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Rich is hosting an off site meeting today for work and as always, I am making homemade rolls for our sandwiches. (they are rising as I type) I don’t divide my Grandma’s recipe anymore because I can use all the dough I can get! Last night I mixed up the dough and put half in the refrigerator for today’s rolls, and formed the rest into a big pan of cinnamon rolls. After all, it was a holiday, it was Halloween! I baked in the kitchen while Davy made clam chowder and Rich took the three youngest children out trick or treating. We had Harry Potter going on TV and there were a roomful of teen-sized kids in the basement having their own party.

I posted the photo of the completed rolls on FB and Instagram and several of my dear friends requested the recipe.

My Grandma (her name was Mary) used to bake these rolls by the hundreds…she was well known for them in our church and in her home for the holidays. She in turn passed the bread baking art down to her daughters–my mom Cindy makes amazing bread on a weekly basis and I’ve shared several of her recipes here on my blog already. She is a most amazing baker and I’m thankful she is just a phone call or text away to answer my questions and eventually answer questions for my girls, as well. The Mama/Grandma hotline! So blessed.

Isn’t family wonderful? I know yours is, too!

ROLLS

3-4 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 T. salt
1/2 cup butter
3 cups water-divided
2 T yeast or 2 packages
2 eggs
close to 5 lb bag of flour

Mix 1 cup of warm water with the yeast and set aside. Heat milk, sugar, salt, and butter until dissolved–let cool. Add 2 cups cold water to mixture. Add the 2 cold eggs to the milk mixture. Combine the yeast mixture with the milk mixture. Add enough flour till the right consistency. (Approximately 5 lbs).
Knead dough till smooth on a flour surface. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise for about 2 hours (until doubled in size). Punch down dough-knead-then shape rolls or roll out for sweet rolls.
Place rolls in a greased pan and cover and let rise till doubled– about half an hour.
Bake at 350 for 24-25 minutes, till golden brown and rolls sound hollow when tapped.
Makes about 3-4 dozen dinner rolls and a 9 by 13 plan of sweet rolls.

(note: children LOVE to watch the process!! Sarah Joy eats a bit of the dough raw–she loves it!)

SWEET ROLL ADDITIONS

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture: 2 cups sugar 3 T cinnamon 1 stick melted butter

Roll dough to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Pour on melted butter and spread to edges. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up and slice about inch thick with a sharp knife. Place in well greased pan or into pan with caramel nut topping mixture spread in the bottom. Let rise for 1/2 to 1 hour and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes

(note: raw cinnamon roll dough is even better! you can rub it around in the butter left behind on the counter! My dad loves to do this.)

CARAMEL Nut TOPPING 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Thank you to my Aunt Colleen for sharing this recipe and making sure it is in the recipe files of all our families! You are wonderful.

NOTE-I use my kitchen aid mixture to knead the dough and then finish it off on the counter because I do like to get my hands on it during part of the process. It’s so soft and warm….good to work with.

*****

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THIS IS MY HUSBAND’S GRANDMOTHER! Her name was Sarah Lillian but everyone called her Lillian. Aunt Phyllis shared this 1980’s newspaper clipping with us. It is from when Grandma was working in a school cafeteria (the very same school Rich and I and all our relatives attended) These were the days when children actually ate some HOMEMADE foods, like these big homemade peanut butter cookies (800 of them baked at once). I love the details in this picture and I know these ladies loved working together. They made biscuits, apple crisp, and so many other delicious foods for the children.

*****

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My kitchen, where I think of all the women in my family as I work.

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Dedicated to mamas, grandmas, and aunts everywhere.

You make a difference wherever you are, even long after you’re gone.

You are loved.

She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her;
her husband joins in with words of praise:
“Many women have done wonderful things,
but you’ve outclassed them all!”
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
The woman to be admired and praised
is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves!
Festoon her life with praises!

restorative

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Shanda

This is going to be essentially a silent blog post other than what I’m typing right now because the photos are so beautiful….I want them to pull you in….I was outside for two hours this morning. I walked over roads and woods and fields. I took photos of every interesting sight I saw, the loveliness pulled me in and as I wandered along on my feet, and in my thoughts, I felt myself getting quieter and somehow, melancholy.

I came home, ate lunch, and this busy mama of seven took a three hour nap.

Restorative is the word that comes to mind.

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*****
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want….He restoreth my soul….He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.

You have put gladness in my heart, more than their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will both lay down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.

You are loved, my friends.

onward and upward

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Shanda

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I took a little road trip on Friday to get our son Ethan from college. He has this whole week off from school and it’s been such a thrill for the whole family to have him back home again. I texted him when I arrived at the dorm and he had a big smile as he walked out to where I was parked. We both did.

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I stopped at the Vermont Country store and it was the best store to browse around in. I bought some cleaning supplies and learned from the lady there that my clothespins are coming apart because I have always just left them pinned on the clothesline after taking down the laundry. She said I have to keep them in a tin or a clothespin bag. I’ve been hanging out the clothes for 20 years and never knew this. I thought they just weren’t making the clothespins like they used to. I am still a bit skeptical but I am certainly going to try it and see if they keep breaking. (I use the ones with the spring in the middle). And would you look at this kitchen goods display and all the King Arthur Flour things? I’m going to have to do my Mom’s Christmas shopping here.

Ethan and I also stopped at a little independent bookshop which was fun, too.

It goes without saying that we will be making this trip several times this year so it will be fun to get to know other towns….Vermont is beautiful! I would be happy to take along any friends who might want to join me in retrieving Ethan throughout the year so we can stop at neat little shops. 🙂

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Ethan surprised his girlfriend Tessa that night by showing up at her house for pizza with no warning. They were one happy couple all weekend long. He is leaving in a little while to pick her up from school. (they have been dating for a year now) Sarah adores Tessa (the feeling is mutual). When I saw them hugging I said, “let me take a picture!”

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Out and about for football games. Seth and Caleb both won their games this weekend.

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Ethan and his best friend Zachary….both with a good month or more of college under their belts. And of course Parker the Dog is happy to see his boys again.

Ethan has a bad cold so I’ve been torturing him with cough syrup.

The two of us went on a walk together this morning and I brought along my camera to photograph some of the beautiful fall colors.

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The sun is shining for the first time in days. It brightens everything, including our moods.

(just like Jesus–The Son)

I loved this scareCROW on one of our neighbor’s lawns.

looking up into the trees

We saw a hawk and a crow flying after each other (in an argument over something)

We saw a dead toad, a dead squirrel and a dead goldfinch during various times in our walk. Which was sad and rather odd.

Aren’t you glad I don’t take pictures of EVERYTHING????

looking up again

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

We saw a flock of bluebirds. I wasn’t able to get any good photos because I didn’t have a good zoom lens with me. There were about 10 of them flying about. The farmhouse at the end of our street has bluebird houses which were obviously greatly appreciated this summer.

He walked barefoot because he’s ours country boy. He has a straw in his mouth, too, but you can’t see it.

I rescued this fuzzy caterpillar from the road (lots of things are getting hit lately, as I mentioned earlier)…….

And would you look at this spider? It’s exquisite! I’m so glad we stopped and took a closer look at it.

Just a couple more random photos:

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My brother Dave sent me this photo of Dad’s truck full of pumpkins and their puppy! (I like how his white socks are all different sizes)

and……..

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Sarah and I finished another book! We read The Adventures of Benjamin Pink and it was delightful.

I read to her whenever we have some free time together and the other children are always welcome to listen with us, too, but she is the only one committed enough to stay snuggled up next to me. The others do their own thing as they listen. We started our third book this morning, it was one that I bought at the bookstore in Vermont with Ethan.

Well, it’s been a busy morning of digging pennies out of the garbage disposal, finding water leaking in the bathroom and calling the plumber, doing laundry and dishes, grocery shopping, taking Grace her purse at the school, cleaning up the house after a busy weekend, texting Jacob after he had a check up (perfect!so thankful), walking 3 miles with Ethan, and getting dinner started in the crock pot. It’s been necessary and nice to sit and blog for a little while here with my friends (and Ethan sound asleep on the other couch). Thank you all for reading along. I pray that each of you who stop by here today has a very blessed and beautiful week. I thank God for my friends and for this outlet where we can share and get to know each other.

Remember….you are loved.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

in my heart there rings a melody

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Shanda

(grandpa’s old barn)

The north wind brings forth rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Proverbs 25:23-28

Good morning, friends, how in the world are you?

Imagine! God’s many numerous good things are all around us, oh to have the eyes to see them, really see them! Even on the “down” days we are going UP UP UP, on our way to glory land. Eternal life is NOW, it starts now, never to end……..as believers we have so much hope, it’s hard sometimes to keep our minds focused on the wonderful promises of God, but nevertheless they are there in the Bible, they are real and never changing. Isn’t it incredible to have security in an unchanging Father? He always loves us, always cares for us, always holds us in his mighty hands.

My parents have a nice pumpkin patch, we all visited it and “blessed the pumpkins” by giving them a nice pat, you can’t help but want to touch them because they have very smooth looking skins. I especially love the photo of son David using one as a pillow.

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From a distance, the pumpkin patch. My prediction is that it will be even bigger next year.

Back at home now, Gentleman Gray is wondering where his friend Snickers is. Snickers has been missing for a week and we are all beginning to worry. They keep coming to me and asking about him, but so far there is no news, no letter, no message, no sign.

*sigh* I hate losing cats. My guess is that the smell of skunk was too much for him.

Speaking of which, the house is smelling much better. What a relief. (Now if the dryer would stop screeching….) Parker the dog is still smelly so he spends most of his day outdoors in the fresh air.

The garden is still producing tomatoes and my favorite way to eat them…….

……is generously placed on toasted & buttered Pepperidge Farm white bread, with salt and pepper (more pepper than salt). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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I also made a banana bread. (Grace’s favorite, turns out Michael likes it, too).

“I can see you!” I remarked to the amusing Grasshopper. He shifted and twitched. Being upside down is not a safe place to be if your legs are your number one escape mechanism.

Ah much better.

I looked & looked without touching and he never did jump away. I think he liked me, too, but most likely he was scared out of his wits.

These are a most wondrous scented wild flower.

I looked it up in my wildflowers book: nothing.
I looked it up online by googling CT wildflowers, yellow: nothing
I looked it up again online, using the name of what I thought it was, “morning primrose”: found it!

Its common names are: Evening Primrose (I was close), Evening Star, or Sundrop.

Wikipedia has a very interesting article about it here.

delightful. You can smell them before you even get close to them.

And then I decided to pick a pink bouquet.

“It isn’t what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.” ~ Author Unknown

My heart.

Seth is holding the “tough guy ball” which looks JUST like a coffee bean, and is rewarded to a player after every practice. The player takes it home for the night and then returns it at the next practice.

Look how handsome he is. I tie his string and buckle his buckles and then bend down to double knot his cleats. He looks around as I fuss, ignoring me as I adoringly serve him. It is an honor for us both but only I am conscious of it.

We arrived at the field’s parking lot for practice and as he briskly took his helmet out of the back of the car, I closed the truck and turned to him to say goodbye, “Have a nice practice, Seth! Give me a kiss.” (the test–to see if he would kiss me in front of his friends, I wouldn’t mind if he didn’t. In fact, I was sure he would wouldn’t.)

Without hesitation, he came over close and gave me a quick, distracted kiss on the arm. (lip height). Like of course it was the most natural thing in the world to kiss mama before running off to football practice.

My heart.

**********

I have a song that Jesus gave me,
It was sent from heav’n above;
There never was a sweeter melody,
‘Tis a melody of love.

In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody with heaven’s harmony;
In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody of love.

~Elton Menno Roth~

raspberry pancakes

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Shanda

Today I saw a strange little bird,
and I said to the strange little bird,

“Would you like some berries?”
and she said yes.

“Where did you find these yummy berries?” she chirped. “I want some more!”
“I know right where they are,” I said, “Can I show you?”

so off we flew.

She flapped her wings and sang a song for me.

But mostly she just picked berries.

little birds love wild berries of all kinds

“I know where some more are, do you want me to show you?”
And she said, “Yes” again.
We walked this time.
We walked up the road together.

Birds like berries.
Cats like birds.
She ate all the berries, lickety split, making a “yum yum” sound.
I saved mine in my shirt.
Do you know how to do that?
You fold up the bottom of your shirt, and it makes a pocket!

Back home we went.

She saw the garden.

“Okay. I’m going to pick some peas now,” said my sweet bird.
(she had blue feathers, with silver stars)

“I’m going to do something that starts with a P, too!” I replied. “I am going to make Pancakes.”

“Raspberry ones!, with the berries we picked.”

I watched the little bird all alone in the garden, picking peas.
I watched her through the window, briefly.
Then I set to work.
“What’s in your shirt, acorns?” her brother asked.
“No, it’s berries.”

I made raspberry pancakes for a snack.

She ate one, her brother ate two.

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They ate them with lots of butter and syrup on top.

I think we might dream of berries and pancakes tonight.

i’ll triple the recipe for you

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Shanda

My dear little children,

I love you so much.
I’ll give you all the hugs you want.
I will wash your dirty clothes every day.
I will drive you all over the place.
I will bring your forgotten stuff to school for you.
I will watch your plays and games.
I will laugh at you, and with you.
I will take many pictures of you, because I think you are cute.
I will let you stay up late sometimes.
I will read you books.
I will nurture you.
I will triple the cookie recipe for you.

That’s a lot of cookies.

dazzling glimpses

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Shanda

Guess how much God loves you?

The gift of Jesus. That much.

The dark sky at night, full of brilliant stars. That much.

A playground full of laughing children. That much.

The different colors, movements, and depth of the sea. That much.

Words -as good medicine to the soul- put down just for you, on paper. That much.

Sacredness, Holiness, hearts full of love, in the very trenches of life. That much.

The gift of something you need, at just the right time. That much.

Knowing you can wait. Knowing you can let go. Because He is to be trusted. That much.

Always belonging to Him. That much.

no matter what! That much.

Accepted fully, because He is your Father God. That much.

He is your Anchor, your Rock, your Beacon of light, your Home. That much.

Knowing your life is eternal and you’re journeying to Heaven. That much.

and I could go on and on……….

Actually, it’s impossible to FULLY grasp how much He loves His very own, precious and darling children…….this is definitely an area that we can dream BIG……

When the Morning comes, we will finally see the Light as it is meant to be.

For now, there are dazzling glimpses all around and that is enough (overwhelming, really). Our eyes fill with grateful tears.

In the small, ordinary world of common life, there is so much to see of Him. His blessings and gifts are scattered though each day.

Dear Thia, I hope you see this photo! I wasn’t even looking for violets yet! I happened to look down as I was going into the house this weekend and this one was blooming, sort of ragged-like, but THERE!, in the stone path by the door. I bent right down and pointed my finger at it so Sarah could see, too. The photo is for YOU, my friend. (first violet of the season)

Which prompted me to go check on the other places violets grow. David and Sarah came along.

We didn’t see any others, but we very much enjoyed a short jaunt.

The snow has melted away……

I was surprised by these bright orange mushroomy things growing on a fallen down tree. When I pushed on one with my finger, water came up on the entire surface and immediately dripped out! They were like water logged sponges.

I ate an apple from home, along with any dandelion greens I found on our walk. What a yummy snack this made….the bitter of the greens and sweet of the apple were a good combination. A walking along sort of salad.

Well, David is growing very much these days. He is 13 and a half and almost, almost as tall as his brother Ethan. Sometimes when I see him out of the corner of my eye, walk by me through the house, I think he IS Ethan. He thinks he’s trouble but I tell him no way is he ever trouble. Curious and busy? Yes, but that is a sign of his bright mind…..this weekend he decided to make himself a perfect pot of rice, and he did just that. Following a youtube video made by a professional chef, he made rice. When it was done, he packed it into a buttered teacup, and tipped it over onto a plate. As it was in a domed shape, he put a pat of butter on top to melt through, salt and pepper, and then pushed his spoon in to take a bite…..he shared one with me! And it WAS perfect.

He also determined to use his allowance to purchase a pair of sunglasses, which I find him lovingly polishing in the kitchen with Windex.

Because they are like mirrors.

We found out last week that yes, as suspected, Sarah Joy has hydronephrosis of her right kidney, the very same one that the Doctor had to clean stones from. So the doctor thinks that the stones were possibly caused by a blockage somewhere in her kidney which causes it to not drain properly (and collect fluid, rather like a stagnant pond, he says). This would be a satisfying explanation of her kidney stone woes. Of course, knowing this (as of last wednesday) means she will have further testing done to see what to do next. I have had time to process and we are all in hopeful spirits and I have been able to, by the grace of God, not wrap her up in bubble wrap and keep her in my arms at all times. She’s allowed to be as wild and free as her siblings……… 🙂

Dave kept a walking stick with him. Or maybe it was a sword? Regardless, we did see frog eggs and talk about how we hope they survived last weekend’s snow and freezing temperatures. Will the frog population be down?

Jesus is the Source of Living Water….water is so refreshing and satisfies thirst….we can’t help but think of Him even as we walk along the trails in the forest. A Bible word study on water is always fascinating….and google makes it oh so easy now.

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

I think this might be witch hazel coming into bloom?

“I want to take a nap here!” ~Sarah

Then I got a text! It said that Seth had practice at 3! And it was 2:10! And Rich was gone on a 10 day business trip! Oh, what to do? I had already spent the MORNING at the baseball complex for Caleb’s practice. I was out in the woods! *sigh* David wanted to turn and go in a straight line home but Sarah and I wanted to go around a longer way. He said, “I can’t leave you unprotected in the woods.” but then he said, “Bye” when Sarah and I started going the other way, our way! And I said, “You said you couldn’t leave us unprotected in the woods!” and that is when he smiled and I took his picture.

Sarah is a photographer! She told me just what to do and say for my photo. “Smile like this” (shows teeth). “Say Cheese” (clicks) “Good. Say it again.” (clicks picture). “Good.”

“You’re a natural photographer, Sarah!” ~ me

She was dismayed several times on the walk. 1) when she walked through water and got her sneakers wet through to her sock. 2) a stick scrubbed her leg. 3) a briar scratched her.

To make getting back home faster and easier, I carried her across the swampy parts. There was no one to take a picture of THAT. She was quite heavy, as she is now a big *almost 6 year old* and tall for her age. We both said “oomph” a lot.

Guess what?

I drove to the field just in time for practice with Seth, Caleb, and Sarah, and no one was there. It had been cancelled.

We enthusiastically hummed, and drummed our hands on the car seats, all the way home.