Saturday, March 31, 2012

Inheritance

Friends gifted us with a comic collection:

A comic book, A window seat, A pillow, and A throw blanket = happy times

Lovely Lace

My mom gave me her lace curtains which she no longer uses.  David helped me to hang them last Monday.  I love them and am so happy with them.  Thanks Mom!


On the back of the front door:



In the office which faces the front porch:
Theoretically, I sit and scrapbook facing this window.



This is a close-up of the office curtains.  I love the flower and swirls.



On the landing going upstairs:



Close-up of the curtains on the landing.  I love the way the folds lie (lay? Why can I never figure that out in real-time usage, but only on a grammar worksheet?) while hanging at the window.



The lace-edged curtain in Ellie and Abby's room.

We have one more set yet to hang in Hannah's room.  Her curtain curtain rod is not the right kind, therefore it will have to wait till we buy the appropriate size.  But you can imagine what it will be because it is identical to the one hanging on the back of the front door, only in white, not cream.

Yes, this parsonage built in 1925 is perfect for lace curtains.  Have I said that I love them?  Not since the beginning?  Well, then, I'll say it again, I love the lace curtains. They're so pretty,  delicate, and elegant.  Thanks Mom!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Plethora of Pictures

The kids and I went to my mom's the third week of March and here are some things we did:

We helped watch little Daniel, the three month old baby Mom babysits three days a week.
He was never at a loss for someone to hold him.


We went shopping for shoes at our favorite shoe store.
Should I go this way. . .


No, I think I should go this way.


My sister is a manager of the one we shopped at so we got the bonus of seeing her! Then she took us to the zoo.  We even stopped and picked up Sydney, my sister's granddaughter (which would make her my great niece) to go with us.

No, my kids didn't fight over who could stand in the shade.

Sydney loves for "the kids" (aka my children) to come visit and was quite happy to come with us to the zoo.

I had no idea rhinoceroses were so big.  I'm not sure what I thought the size should be, but I was standing in awe at just what massive creatures they are.  And I thought I had taken a picture of them.  Apparently not.  I must have simply stood and admired these big animals.

The kids complained of the heat.  What?  Sunny and 86 on March 21st is something to complain about?  We did let them have something to drink.


We celebrated Nathan's 12th birthday.


He requested fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, gravy, and corn.  Not to mention Angel Food Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream.  It was yummy.

No candles to blow out this year.


We helped hold Weston, the son of my cousin's daughter.  So that makes him my first cousin twice removed, I think.  He is a seven month old cutie with lovely copper colored hair.  Mom was watching him for a few days while his mom and dad and two brothers, along with his aunt and uncle and cousins, and grandpa and grandma went to the beach for a little get away.

So much baby cuteness we experienced this week!

They all live in the Henryville area and you maybe heard about what that community has gone through recently.  After the initial shock and adrenaline of what to do immediately wore off, they needed a break from the constant view of devastation.  Mom watched Weston so that the adults could attend to the five or six other littles going and not worry about Weston crawling in and eating the sand.

We took the obligatory picture of Mom, the kids, and my nephew Shawn, who lives with my mom, right before we left, because, you know, we didn't have all week or anything to think about it prior to that moment before loading the van to drive home.


It was a lovely, although quick, trip.  And we all look forward to the next time we get to go visit.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Worded Wednesday

Pictures from long ago when we were with our good friends.  These memories are the stuff worth piling.



Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Spring

All the clocks have sprung forward except for my internal one.

It is so nice to hear birds chirping again in the morning when I do awaken.  It is always such a sad morning in the fall when I realize how quiet it is without them greeting the day.  The spring day I hear them again always brings such joy and cheer.

We are having nice, sunny, warm days.  There is open water on the lakes, lots of it.  I overheard someone say that usually doesn't happen until around April 15th.  We're a bit ahead of that this year.

We're doing pretty well at getting our bookwork done for school.  Our goal to finish at the end of April, I think, is reachable.  Next week we'll take it on the road and go visit Mamaw.

The calendar is filling with music recitals.  So far none fall on days we can't be there.  We are excited to attend the performance of The Tempest at Bethany in April.

Speaking of Shakespeare, we received our schedule of this year's American Players Theatre.  We're figuring out which one to attend (or maybe more than one).  It was such a great experience last year, we can't wait for this year.


David called New Saint Andrews College to ask questions about their school.  Hannah has always been interested in Latin and Ancient Greece and Rome and a classics degree intrigues her.  David had a nice conversation and a few days later, Hannah received a package in the mail.  Inside was a thank you to her and a thank you to David as well as a book by Professor Benjamin Merkle titled, The White Horse King, The Life of Alfred the Great.  That's the coolest "we'd like you to consider our college" gift I've ever experienced.  David has read and enjoyed the book.  Grandpa wanted to read it next, when he is finished, it is Hannah's turn before I get my opportunity.

If you haven't noticed (what? - you don't analyze and critique and hang on every little change to my blog?!?!!!!), I've added pages.  I wasn't happy with the cluttered look of the side bar, so I moved them to various pages.  Now there is a Recipe page where I've linked to the blog posts in which I've shared a recipe.  There is also a Reading page where I'm keeping a list of all the books I've read since September of 2011.  I plan to add more pages as time allows, and I hope this makes it easier for you and me to find a nugget of information you remember reading.

And if you've read this far, go check out this link.  It will tell you why we want to finish our bookwork by the end of April.

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Comfort in the Sung Word

Suddenly I awoke from a frightful dream.  Opening my eyes, I could still see the dark room, but my mind kept retreating to that scary man who was outside watching my house, plotting with with two others to get inside to injure my family.  I could not not think of anything but that dream and I was afraid.

But then, I remembered to sing Psalm 141 from Evening Prayer:

"O Lord, I call to you come to me quickly; hear my voice when I cry to You.
Let my prayer rise before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord, and guard the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing; let me not be occupied in wickedness with evil-doers.
But my eyes are turned to You, O God; in You I take refuge.  Strip me not of my life."

And I repeated these lines and that scary man and scary dream were fading from memory.  But I was still awake, still a little shaky from fright, and into my mind popped a hymn to sing:

I walk in danger all the way,
The thought shall never leave me
That Satan, who has marked his prey,
Is plotting to deceive me.
This foe with hidden snares
May seize me unawares
If I should fail to watch and pray.
I walk in danger all the way.

I walk with Jesus all the way,
His guidance never fails me;
Within His wounds I find a stay
When Satan's pow'r assails me;
And by His footsteps led,
My path I safely tread.
No evil leads my soul astray;
I walk with Jesus all the way.

I'm not sure how long it was I laid in bed singing the Psalmody and hymn, but I am thankful I was led to sing them in my fearfulness.  The Lord is good and guides His sheep to green pastures and leads me beside still waters.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

The Lord is My Strength

Yesterday I had the opportunity to see Ruth, Hannah's organ teacher whom I asked for you to pray.  She looked lovely, was having a nice day, and I enjoyed our short visit.  She is overcome with the outpouring of prayers, love, kindness, and concern people have shown her, and is truly thankful.  I then had the pleasure of her calling the nurse in the nicu to grant permission for me to go see her son John.  After my goodbyes to Ruth, I walked down two floors, signed-in at the desk, and was graciously received by John's nurse who then showed me to where he lay sleeping.

He is now three pounds.  So tiny, delicate, yet perfect, and peacefully sleeping.  He is doing very well and only awaits time for development.  Ruth is able to come see him and they bring John to visit her.  As a mother, I was overwhelmed seeing this perfect tiny boy God created, and knowing that some women kill theirs, and I held back my tears, lest they not stop, and forced myself to ask the nurse another question.

If you would like to keep up with news about Ruth and John you can click on this website.  If you happen to be on Facebook there is also a group, "Pray for Ruth Webber" which you can join and keep up to date.