hi

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Shanda

Last night, when I was already in bed, Dave brought in a toad to show me….and it promptly hopped under it.

He returned covered in dust and fuzz.

We cleaned him up and Dave set him free.

This morning my little Caleb went to the hair salon with me.

I asked him if I looked weird and told him to tell the truth…..”yes”……

We went to Moe’s for lunch. I had two steak tacos with pinto beans, grilled mushrooms, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, salsa, cilantro, and chipolte ranch dressing.

I told him he was one of the best boys in the world.

We walked hand in hand to the bookstore. He said, “You should do a blog about this and call it ‘A Fun Day With Mom.'” He mentioned my blog because he was reading it while he waited for my hair to get done.

We went to the bookstore and he asked me for a Darth Vador light saber and I said yes. (did you notice the shirt he was wearing in the “moe’s” picture?)

We stopped to pick up forms from the doctor’s office and then went to the school to drop one off. When we came home I went outside to go for a walk and saw Ethan and Grace walking home with the neighbor girls.

Dave was with me. We had a nice time together looking at all the creatures. He pointed at a honeybee and caught a big grasshopper.

We have a small swampy pond in the bushes next to the garage that Dave wanted to look in, and sure enough he saw several bull frogs.

There was one a pretty chicken,
but his friends were pretty few,
For he thought that there was nothing
in the world but what he knew.

~Marion Douglas

We went back in the house with two fresh eggs and found Jacob just about to leave for the neighbor’s house, to mow the lawn for him.

We are leaving tomorrow to drive to Georgia. We have Michael coming to stay in the house and take care of the animals for us and Emily will be coming over now and then, too.

Things are actually pretty organized in my mind…..on the table is a collapsable cooler (black) that I bought at Costco to hold cold food for the drive down. I made potato salad and will take cheese sticks and fruit. There is a second cooler for drinks. There are granola bars and applesauce pouches in the rubbermaid containers and I bought 24 single serving cups of mandarin oranges. I have a bag of spoons and a bag of forks, hand wipes, a bag of first aid supplies, laundry detergent packets, & another of bathroom supplies. The clothes on the chair are Jacob’s and the ones in the basket are David’s. I need them put into suitcases tonight along with Ethan’s clothes on the table.

Sarah’s suitcase has 8 outfits in it, shoes, and her swim floats.

I wrote names and numbers on each bag so I knew how many outfits I had completed. Each bag has a shirt, a pair of shorts, underpants, and socks. In a couple bags I put an extra long sleeved shirt and a pair of pants in case it gets cooler at nights. I’m only packing 2 pairs of pajamas per person. I am hoping to be able to do some laundry while we are gone. I can’t believe I just wrote that.

I am packing bags of electronics. One bag holds Sarah’s leapster with games and the children’s headphones, another one holds 2 kindles and the charger with another pair of headphones. I also have a bag with the DS’s, games, and charger. Jacob and Ethan will have their iPhones. I spent some time storing audio books on my kindle…Mary Poppins was one of them.

These are the books I am taking for myself. I was worried that I wouldn’t find a book to get lost in during vacation but I started The Night Circus last night and it’s reading really well and interestingly. Very imaginative and creative. I find myself smiling over the author’s fresh word style. I respect her writing and so far am enjoying the book. The top one is my Bible in a Year Bible that has a reading for each day of the year, I love it. There is a portion of OT, NT, Psalms and a few verses of Proverbs every day.

It’s the end of the day now (well, it’s 7pm) and I’m very tired. I hope to put my pj’s on early and go lay on the couch for a while with a big glass of tea, perhaps. I’m feeling very drained but excited to finally get the packing done (I have done most of it all by myself.) There are a few more odds and ends to finish up tomorrow. We have rented a 12 passenger van so please pray for our safety. The van came with a print out warning us all about roll-overs so I’m pretty much convinced we’ll have one. I hate being a worrier, although I am forever thankful for God’s grace in the midst of my messy-beautiful-scary life.

life in the sunshine

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Shanda

Cardinal flower, a wildflower that grows on the edges of the stream.

This sort of thing made lovely “flour” in my outdoor kitchens growing up.

The buds of a Cardinal Flower.

Arrowhead, an aquatic wildflower, according to the nature guide, “Beneath the muck, rhizomes produce edible, starchy tubers, utilized by ducks and muskrats and know as “duck potatoes.” Native Americans are said to have opened muskrat houses to get at their cache of tubers.”

I find this sort of thing utterly fascinating, do you?

I was walking through the stream in my flip flops and noticed reflections of cardinal flowers.

Checking on my three little human fishes.

Goldenrod, with lots of little bugs on it. “As suggested by their showy flowers, goldenrod are insect-pollinated.” You can always see some neat insects on a goldenrod.

Common Thread Waisted Wasp; more info here.

Queen Anne’s lace is everywhere. “it’s long, first year tap root can be cooked and eaten.”

hmmm, I should try it.

Daisy Fleabane, “the common name fleabane originated from a belief that the dried flower heads of these plants could rid a dwelling of fleas.”

Perhaps I should decorate my cats with them.

Cardinal flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds and I caught a glimpse of two tiny birds becoming territorial over them…..so I sat on a large rock and waited for one to come back.

It’s a photo that I never did get to take….they won in the “patience game”.

I thought the shadows on my legs were pretty cool.

You don’t see the hummingbird moth everyday. They are so neat!

Swallowtail butterfly.

The thing is, if you just slowly walk near tall wild grasses, through fields, through any wild place, or even in the city…look carefully at the leaves and flowers of any plant you see…it will be such a interesting experience for anyone. I took most of these pictures within one hour of time, and I saw many more insects and birds that I wasn’t able to get photographs of; grasshoppers, hummingbirds, the caroline wren (a sweet little bird), and others. Then, there are caterpillars, so many different ones, and all so interesting.

Yesterday the children and I walked around with Sarah’s little bug container and we caught a ladybug which she named Red, a small butterfly which she named Orange (it was….orange), and a grasshopper she named Grass. We put a head of goldenrod in it. It had such tiny black bugs on it that they were able to escape through the mesh of her container. She kept these little pets for a couple hours, and then released them again.

“Out here you can hear the rhythmic hum of silence. Listen, there’s music in the grass.”

I think the music comes from all the little insects and butterflies, and our hearts as we enjoy making wondrous discoveries.

Nature-Love (my board on pinterest)

another summer day

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Shanda

Currently, Caleb and Seth are playing with the dog. Sarah is pretending to be “an angel wolf named Angel but she doesn’t have any wings.” Grace is getting ready for the dentist.

I woke up this morning at 6:30 and couldn’t sleep anymore. I quietly opened the door to our bedroom and saw that there were no teenage boys sleeping on the couch. How nice it was to be the first one up. (Rich had already left for work). I got out the thick yellow “Life is Good” mug and made a cup of coffee, ignoring the very messy kitchen.

I went outside with my cup. One of the things I love to do is walk around looking at my gardens.

This summer has been such a joy. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but with Sarah now five, my body has been free from the demands of pregnancy and nursing for 3 1/2 years now. I feel better than I have in almost 20 years! I loved being a mom of preschoolers so much and God’s grace has always been abundantly enough for that stage of life, but I’m still honestly thrilled to be moving out of those years….enjoying the seven children I have….and having a little extra time these days to enjoy other things, as well.

Nothing important, really, just quiet simple living. Gardening, reading to myself and the kids, spending time with friends and family, learning more and more about Jesus and His life-freeing ways, stumbling along daily in need of His grace….free from guilt and condemnation. Yes, it’s been a wonderful summer.

My friend Alyssa is so good about joining her children in their activities and fun. I thought of her when I went swimming in the pond yesterday. Why don’t I jump in more often? It’s not that I don’t like ponds….it’s just that I guess as MOM I feel like I’m better off on the sidelines as Watcher of the Children. Of course, I’m not really the athletic type, either. I’m just not. I don’t like running or spending time deliberately exercising. The only sport I ever really loved was gymnastics. So I do continue to turn those cartwheels. But I really do admire my running friends! (and husband)

The water was like bathwater on top. I swam along the top of the water, noticing the little water bugs skimming along on their magic legs, smelling that pond smell that will always remind me of my childhood.

*A Little Walk*

It was an Evening of Toads….during our walk we saw about 10 of them, all in various sizes. The spring away quickly, making us laugh, but we always catch them and say hello.

all those bare feet

********

Pictures I Took This Morning While Drinking my Coffee

I love this spot in my flower beds, especially the morning glories which are now in bloom just underneath the sunflowers.

I’ve never grown a watermelon before. It gets bigger every day, we (the whole family) love to look at it. Pat it like a baby. It’s going to be strange to eat it later on this summer.

ANOTHER!

basil

Seth woke up. And then I had a friend to walk with.

Together, we thought about how the older kids were going to camp soon, and the funny ways of our dear departed Billy-Cat, and then we saw our cat Sam. We thought about church and I told him why I love to go. (because I love to be around people who love Jesus just like I do) He doesn’t like church because it’s too long. We watered some of my plants together, made up silly songs, and he let me join him on the swing. We saw a spider and watched it work on it’s web. I thought of knitting needles and zip lining but the spider is an expert.

Baby boy was holding a cat. He said he’s not a baby. But I said he was my baby. “I’m not your baby anymore.” Suddenly I felt like writing a sad country song. I’m sure it would be a big hit.

******

“Don’t wish me happiness. I don’t expect to be happy all the time……it’s gotten beyond that somehow. Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor. I will need them all.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh

wild flowers

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Shanda

The Queen Anne’s lace is exceptionally tall this year.

after berries

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Shanda

savor ~ to enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to enjoy it as much as possible

*****

“If she were seen holding a stem of beardtongue blossoms to admire their color or stooping to touch the spikes of jimson leaves, some would solemnly call her mazed in the head not to know beardtongue when she saw it, and others would wonder, grinning, was she so wit-scoured as perhaps to eat jimson? Gossip had it that she went about with a notebook and pencil and would stare at a thing–bird or bush, weed, sunset, mountain—and then scratch at paper awhile as if she were addled enough in her thinking that she might forget what was important to her if she did not mark it down.” Cold Mountain, page 77-78

I was walking around the pond and picked the stems of three daisies to gift to little Sarah, who was playing at the water’s edge. I thought she would enjoy floating them in the water like pretty little boats. I happened to see a tiny struggle going on underneath one of the blossoms. A small red bug was pulling and tugging at a worm smaller even than one of the white petals. I put it gently on the ground to watch. A miniature little scene, something real and active, yet silent and easily missed. Neither one of them wanted to let go…the bug holding the worm, and the worm holding the thin edge of the daisy petal. But shortly the worm lost it’s hold and the bug moved fast to carry it away. Of course with the daisy now topsy turvy, it took him a quick second to realize that what was “down” was now “up” and the bug had to run back down from the top of the cut of stem to move off the flower and onto the rock, heading for the sheltering grass.

With a basket on my arm, I later wandered away from the house alone in the golden ending hours of the day. I was after berries. I found a cup and a half of blackberries around the house and garage and wanted to see if I could find more. I had an idea of where some might be, and perhaps even some blueberries, but the bush I thought was likely blueberry turned out to be something unidentifiable. It had little white blossoms on it that looked like the blossoms for blueberries, but no berries, instead, little hard seed pods. I stood in the twilight, letting myself settle into the very quiet of the beaver pond. Three golden birds sang by with their wings fluttering.

I was wearing flip flops which were now soaked with water but as I looked a short distance down, I thought I could see a blueberry bush, so once again I picked my way through tall grasses, rocks, and branches, basket on my arm, heavy camera around my neck. Smiling a little smile.

I tasted a berry, there weren’t very many, and held a thin branch of blueberry bush in my hand. The bark was rough and strong.

Under the bush was like a shelter. The branches were over hanging, all leaning toward the right, making a roof of green leaves overhead. I imagined taking the time to gather in under them, to watch the water, the little bugs skimming on top, the birds flying by not knowing I was there.

The path that I took to get to the bottom of the hill, with the water of the beaver pond.

There is something so satisfying about standing still in a lonely spot of nature for a time, listening, looking, wondering.

the comfort of God

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Shanda

“A pond without dragonflies darting above it or without the exquisitely iridescent damsel flies clinging to the leaves of its border would be a lonely place indeed.” (this and all following nature quotes are by Anna Comstock)

Dragonflies are common at our place as we have two ponds and a stream. It is always a pleasure to stand on the road and lean over the guardrail to peer into the water of the stream and watch the bright green bodied damsel flies, or to walk along the edge of the lawn where the tall grasses grow and observe the various dragonflies fluttering. And it is always a feeling of accomplishment if I can get close enough to one with my camera and snap a clear photo.

“The grasshopper has some means of defense as well as of escape; it can give a painful nip with its mandibles; and when seized, it emits copiously from the mouth a brownish liquid which is acrid and ill smelling. This performance interests children who are won’t to seize the insect by its jumping legs and hold it up, commanding it to ‘chew tobacco'”.

What delightful and beautiful insects grasshoppers are! Watching them jump is highly amusing, their back legs are like springs.

When I look at this photo of a grasshopper, I am struck by an urge to try to draw it.

This was an exciting surprise. I was hunting the trees along the edge of the field for birds and my only thought was determination to take a pretty BIRD photo in the evening light. And what do I see? A tiny, chubby chipmunk way up high, frozen in fear as I photographed it. Look at those tiny ears.

“The lay of the bullfrog, which like the song of some noted opera singers, is more wonderful than musical; the boom of the bullfrog makes the earth fairly quake.”

Even the bullfrog is lovely with it’s green and brown skin and gorgeous round & golden eyes shinier and prettier than any marble. You can see the sky reflected within it’s black iris. The round circle to the right of the eye is the ear. My sons love to catch bullfrogs and consider them friends of the pond.

Notice anything special about this chicken?

The hydrangeas are continuing to dazzle.

Another surprise! Just one week after seeing a baby chipmunk in a tree, I was sitting on the porch talking to my husband when my eyes landed on this one, way up high in the bush by our porch.

“While the chipmunk is a good runner and jumper, it is not so able a climber as is the red squirrel, and it naturally stays nearer the ground……a second glance showed me that it was a chipmunk lying close to the branch, hanging on for ‘dear life’ and with an attitude of extreme caution…”

So what was this chipmunk doing up in a bush? I believe the answer was this:

Kitty on the porch probably chased it up there. And after giving up on the chipmunk ever coming down, went back to his cozy seat on the porch to take a bath.

A chipmunk observer.

The children played a game of catch over by the chicken coop.

*******

I had many real and imagined worries about the children and their future and by the end of the day yesterday I gathered my journal and my Bible to me like a lifeline…knowing that I needed most of all to saturate my mind with the truth of God, that He is in control of all things and that I can trust Him with my (His) children whom I love so much that I never want to let go of them or these days.

How Does God Comfort us?

Through His very nature, He is faithful. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”

Through His Word. “I delight in your word every day.”

Through Prayer. “Morning, noon and night I complain to you, Lord, and you always listen to me. I rise before dawn and cry for help.”

Through His Holy Spirit. “If we live by the Spirit, let us walk by the Spirit.”

Through others. “Let us stir up each other to love and to good works.”

“I believe, Lord, that as I seek you I find you. You will always show me the way that is good for my life, You will lead me along the right way and I know that you always love me. You pour your love into my heart so that I praise you because of your faithfulness; my innermost being says ‘thank you.’ Through the cross of Christ I have been brought back to you: how I praise you! Through the cross my life is transformed. For Jesus Christ’s resurrection and for my new life I praise you.”

From a little booklet published in 1985 by Gospel Light Publications, “Enjoying God who Comforts”

lemon cupcakes

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Shanda

We used the spray-on sunscreen. I used it on David and I laughed hysterically yesterday when Rich showed me this picture he took of Dave’s back yesterday at the track:

I honestly thought I had covered him entirely!

On the fourth of July Rich took the kids to the playground so he could go running. I made macaroni salad (amish recipe) and looked forward to grilling for dinner.

I love our old-fashioned looking flag bunting for the porch and my dark blue hanging baskets.

After they came home the boys wouldn’t let Seth on the trampoline and he was sad. I was fine with it though because three boys on the trampoline is an accident waiting to happen.

He was still pouting. Some of us did manage to wear red/white/and blue. 🙂

A good mama.

When it was time to start the grill Rich said “oh shoot, I’m out of charcoal” and I almost threw away the meat. He went to the store and eventually we did eat our grilled beef kabobs, baked beans, macaroni salad, cantaloupe, and spice cake.

At our church those who are taking communion file up to the front to take the bread and then the cup, then going back to their seats to partake. Those who don’t take it are left in the pew to try to work their positions in order to be the one sitting next to MOM when she returns……the boys were silent but determined and my communion cup was jostled so that most of it dumped on my chest and lap. I just had to laugh because I know God understands how hard it is for me to stay focused in church these days, and He wants me to cherish the moments. I was in constant thoughts with God, and knew He was enjoying my situation just as much as I was. Rich took the picture after we had gotten back home.

Abbie spend the weekend with Grace. She is my sister’s oldest and the girls are one year apart, both born in November. Cousins and best friends.

On Sunday I had such fun taking them out to Starbucks.

And then shopping.

We spent most of our time in Sephora…..

They had a free mini makeover service and learned about conturing.

I let them each pick one item as a gift from me to them. Abbie chose purple mascara. “Do you think my Mom will let me wear it?” “Well, if not you could at least wear it at home!” And Grace picked out a new eye-liner pencil. I treated myself to a new lipstick.

Later that night they made lemon cupcakes and served me in bed while I was reading my latest book, Cold Mountain. Rich had one as well, as he read a book by Bill Piper (John Piper’s dad).

To be honest, I made Rich go out to the kitchen to get me a second one. They were so good!

2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1 Tablespoon grated lemon peel

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon peel.

Bake in muffin cups at 350 for 20-24 minutes, and frost.

Rich woke me up at 2 in the morning yelling at the teenagers to go to bed. The girls were running up and down the stairs and the boys were playing video games. After which we had insomnia for over an hour. We tossed and turned. Ugh.

He’s at work now and I’m showered and dressed. I’m leaving here in about an hour to take the kids to the one dollar movie at the mall.

I don’t want to end this post without sharing a sweet compliment that my husband gave me. We were snuggling close in bed when he said, “Shan, I don’t ever remember a time in all the years we’ve been married that you’ve smelled bad.”

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.

we waited all day for this

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Shanda

MY SOUL IS IN THE SKY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

We were in the living room watching Shark Tank at about 8pm last night when Jacob jumped off the couch and said “Mom come outside and see the sky.” It was so funny….everyone (five kids) in the living room followed him out the door in one big group, and I brought up the rear.

All day long we had been hearing about the possibility of a storm and a slim chance of a tornado. It was a humid, hot and sticky day as we watched and hoped the skies would break to bring in some coolness.

I am so thankful it held off until the end…the lighting was stunning..moody..powerful.

golden patch of sky.

smoky

Large drops of rain began to fall, one by one. The girls looked up at the sky. “Ow! A drop of rain just hit me in my OPEN EYE!” Emily cried as we laughed.

Once the thunder began and rain started coming down in a torrent we all went up on the porch to watch. We ran inside after one particularly loud lightening strike and saw the dog trotting briskly around the house in fear.

Then David, Emily, Jacob, and Grace went right back out to sit until the sky was too dark to see anymore.