blessing upon blessing

I am officially giddy, silly even! My honey is home for two whole weeks, my dear friend, Naomi, is within driving distance for a few happy weeks that will blink by (before she returns to her home in Mozambique), the girls are contented bees, sewing, crafting and basically glowing in grand-parental attention. Christmas day is drawing near, and GUESS WHAT??!!!!!! Our baby girl (yes, girl) will soon be joining our family!

Our tiny two month old, named "Life" in her native tongue, will likely be ready for travel by the end of February. So now we wait some more....but we have pictures (which for confidentiality reasons I cannot post) and will receive regular updates.

Praise the Lord, His mercies never cease!

favorite things (and fruitfulness)

red and white




Portuguese linens



living rosemary wreath



fruit filled lemon tree (Yay!)





Last spring our lemon tree suffered a bad frost. While we were grateful not to loose it altogether, it was disappointing when it brought forth only leaves. I missed my yearly supply of lemon curd, bars and Barefoot Contessa pound cake! I have been waiting, waiting for harvest time and can't help but feel Christ's direct instruction that I too be fruitful. I have often wondered if all I have produced is greenery, a show of what might come, only for Him to be frustrated at the lack of real, lasting fruit.

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." Matthew 7:19 and Mark 11 where the fruitless fig tree is told, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again."

Dear Lord, I draw near. Help me, that I may bear fruit in You, by You and for You.

why don't we just begin with pie?

fatal attraction? :)

We have ten downy baby chicks. Gypsy is especially interested! Thought ya'll might enjoy this sneak peak into our latest farming venture! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

yummy reads

Each week I select a section from a favorite read aloud book for copywork or dictation exercises . The girls LOVE this (especially dictation) and often ask for more! This weeks dictation was from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This popular book is well loved in our home as we have read it yearly for the past three years (I admit I'm a sucker for blatant demands when a book is thrust into my hands and cute children pile around expectantly).

This weeks dictation work (Grandpa Joe's lively response to the prized golden ticket):

"Then very slowly, with a slow and marvelous grin spreading all over his face, Grandpa Joe lifted his head and looked straight at Charlie. The color was rushing to his cheeks, and his eyes were wide open, shining with joy, and in the center of each eye, right in the very center, in the black pupil, a little spark of wild excitement was slowly dancing. Then the old man took a deep breath, and suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, an explosion seemed to take place inside him. He threw up his arms and yelled 'Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!' And at the same time, his long bony body rose up out of the bed and his bowl of soup went flying into the face of Grandma Josephine, and in one fantastic leap, this old fellow of ninety-six and a half, who hadn't been out of bed these last twenty years, jumped on to the floor and started doing a dance of victory in his pajamas. "

It is so fun to read, I found that the girls wanted to read it over and over even as they were writing. How could they help but grin from ear to ear! We could roll around in these wonderul expressive words!

Maybe that's why we HAD to have a nibble from my not-so-secret chocolate stash at the end of each read! Sure glad we've moved on to Strawberry Girl, except, we did bake molasses cookies the day we read all about sugar caning and how molasses is made. All this reading is not so good for my figure! :)

love thy itty bitty neighbor

Our VERY helpful little neighbor while building our chicken coop! WAY too cute! :)

sugar tin

All out of agave sweetner for my morning tea. I'll just have to dip into real sugar from this sweet lil' tin. Too bad. :)

not alone

Please pray for Genevieve and her precious family as today was the day of her radioactive iodine treatment, the first day of her quarantine. Words fail me...

(You can read her blog linked to the right of this page, entitled Turquoise Gates.)

opportunity

Today I see opportunity. It is a day to rejoice in the unchangeable goodness of the Lord. I have the opportunity to influence my children by modeling peace and joy. This is Wisdom's call to me. Complete trust in the One who places kings on their thrones. We will respect our president- elect. We will pray for him in earnest. And we will recommit to living out the love that governs our ideals, by His grace. Today IS a new day.

humble pie

I was pleasantly surprised when Manda woke up early this morning and asked when we were going to go vote. Maybe they had been paying attention after all! Earlier this year Steve and I took them on a tour of our Capital Building and I had one of those, "Will you LISTEN to me, I'm TRYING to TEACH you something here!" moments (snarled with hushed flailing)! "WHAT is a bill? And WHO passes the bill? What is the House of Representatives?" Sigh. "Oh, never mind". Anyway, not one of my finer mothering or teaching days. So over the course of the presidential race, we have prayed for our current and upcoming leader, emphasizing the responsibility and privilege it is to vote and pretty much left the civic lesson at that. Honestly, I was a bit proud of them for their eagerness and interest today. They had several good questions about the candidates. I wasn't quite sure that Ayisha was catching it all though. As she concluded her physical therapy appointment this afternoon, her therapist asked her what her plans for the day were. Ayisha heartily replied, "We are going to bake cookies and then vote for the American Idol!"

daily cares

This week-end we wallowed in bounty. Caramel sugar highs, a late card game with friends, a chicken coop built with neighbors (I'll post pics soon), homemade applesauce canned and happily lined up on pantry shelves, a messy children's closet cleaned out and reorganized. I am thankful.

And yet, this coming election has me burdened more than any before. I lament over our broken nation and an increasing division amongst the Church. I battle fear for my children's future, for our collective rights as parents, citizens and human beings. My heart churns for babies unborn and their knowing mothers. I wonder how I can be salt and light, bringing healing in Jesus name. In the midst of it all, I am gently reminded to repent of my own sin. Relieved, I cast my cares on the One who does not change like shifting trends. For,

"All men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall. But the Word of the Lord stands forever." 1 Peter 1:24&25

Emma

Natural and sweet, animal lover, budding artist and composer, easy going, nurturing, wildly delightful.

waiting...

Several of you have inquired about our adoption process so here's a little update. Our dossier (the Mt.Everest of paperwork) has gone through all the hoops necessary and should be in the hands of the Ethiopian Ministry of Women by now. They will match us with an infant between the ages of 0-6mo. We have not specified boy or girl so it will be a surprise! This match is called a referral. We could receive a call anytime (although we aren't expecting it until late November or December) with a referral which will comprise of pictures, medical results and social history (if any is available) of a baby that matches our requested criteria. We have up to a couple weeks to decide whether to accept the referral. Once we have accepted, we sign a document that makes us the legal guardian of that child. A court date finalizing the adoption in Ethiopia is given. We will not be there for that as dates can easily change. Once the adoption is finalized (usually a few weeks from the time we accept the referral), we are given our travel dates. We (or one of us) will travel to Ethiopia to get OUR BABY! YAY! Please pray with us for all the details but especially for the baby and our three little girls. This baby will surely have a lot of doting mamas! :)

backseat dreams (or money mongers?)

Driving home from piano today I had to chuckle as my meandering thoughts picked up on this conversation.

Amanda says, "I can't believe I am only eight. I really feel like I am ten!" to which Emma replies, I KNOW! I have been waiting for YEARS to be twenty!". (Big sigh from Manda)"Me too". They sat quietly then with their twenty year old dreams and I could not help myself. I HAD to ask. "So, girls, why do you want to be twenty?"

Realizing that they had been overheard, we all giggled, and one of them chimed "Because you get to do GROWN UP things then!". "Like what, for example", I pressed (slightly nervous about what grown up things might be).

"We can have LOTS of MONEY!"

"And we could read old books and watch old videos."

"Yeah, we could ride bigger bikes and drive a car," jumps in Manda.

"Go shopping All by OURSELVES!"

"Eat grown up food!"

"What is grown up food?", I want to know (since they eat everything Steve and I eat).

"NOT ONIONS! I mean, we won't have to eat onions!" chanted Manda, "Yeah, and we'll eat delicious grown up food whenever we want!" agrees Emma.

Emma repeats, "We can read books that we can't read now."

"Like what?"

"Like Lord of the Rings and stuff."

"Okay, anything else?"

Emma states the obvious, "When I am twenty I am buying a horse with a white star on its forehead!" (She has WUUVED her stuffed black horse since she was itty bitty. It's name is Star. Any guesses why?)

Amanda concludes with, "I don't want a boring job when I am grown up. I don't think I even want a job! I think I'll be an artist. Is that okay?"

Emma answers her, "But you won't have ANY money!!!"

Maybe I should have given them I nice sound lecture on the evils of materialism but I didn't. They have been saving their allowance now for months. Every week they count and recount it. They clip pictures out of those pesky catalogues that come in the mail to decide what to save for. A couple of months ago, they both decided to go in on mountain flutes and I have to admit I was pretty proud of them for their well thought out choice. A few months back Emma saved and bought herself a Narnia pop-up book. So, right now money means the power to buy things they want. Granted, they are not things they NEED. And, they do cheerfully give a percentage to the Lord. I can only pray that we are setting an example in our gratitude, generosity, and mindfulness toward those who have far, far less. In the meantime, my kids really, really like money! What can I say?

shshsh! don't tell!

Isn't this too funny? I LOVE the sunglasses! :)I snapped this last week while photographing a wedding and decided not to post it in the "samples" for the family to see online (in case someone would be unhappy). But I just couldn't resist posting it here. Just don't tell! (wink, wink)! You can check out a few of the images on the amygphoto blog, linked above right, if so inclined!

Oh, and by the way, this grandma was really very sweet!