Spring Themes

It is here again!  Spring carries with it so much beauty, great contrasts, and the hope of new life.  I thought I would share some of the themes of our spring so far.

 

CELEBRATIONS

The past couple of years I have tried to do something fun to recognize the first day of spring.   There was a local gathering at a park, but it was a very rainy day and we opted to stay home.  So, we had our little spring tea party lunch and we had fun making these... 

 

 

and even more fun eating them!

 

 

 BIRDS

 

I have a resident ornithologist, I think.  She very much loves birds and enjoys caring for them (and photographing them).  She made this super-recipe suet for them and we have had hours of fun watching the birds from our dining room table.  Yes, the binoculars keep close at hand.  We think it's especially fun to hear our littlest one say, "birdie" in his cutest toddler way.

 

 

OUTDOORS

 

This time of year my children are always eager to eat outside.  Yesterday they took their lunch out and were promptly met with a shower.  No problem...just grab an umbrella!  It's also the time of year to catch up on garden work--the last bit of clean-up or pruning, preparations of the soil for this year, weeding, planting cool weather vegetables, and playing with dirt piles in the cul-de-sac until they find their home in the garden beds.

 

MUSIC

 

Spring is usually the time of music recitals.  Over the years that has included many piano and choir recitals.  This year....something a little different.  The children (and Daddy) took part in a state fiddle contest!  It was a whole new experience, and a great one!  It was, however, a very LONG day!  We enjoyed the music and the diverse range of talents.  One of the highlights for me was this jam session (above) where a mix of ages played music together.  I really appreciate opportunities for generations to work together and interact with one another.  These long-time members were so helpful to the youth and would even pull them out of their comfort zones, as each one took a turn leading a song.

 

Another highlight for me.....seeing my husband work with our children in preparation for this day.  He was more nervous than they at his first contest (even though he was not being judged).  I was so blessed to see this daughter of mine take courage and decide to play in the contest just two weeks before when she watched a DVD of last year's contest.  She has not yet taken a single formal lesson or class.  She has absorbed it all by listening and quietly practicing.  And she had to play three songs.  She amazes me.  They all do!

  

STORMS

 

We had quite a storm brew through here yesterday.  It was a short-lived surprise and kind of exciting.  Country Girl snapped these photos and I think this one with the plum tree blossoms and dark clouds shows just what kind of contrasts spring can bring.  I think it is a little symbolic of the storms I've felt in my heart the past couple of days.

 

 

HOPE



 

 

After the storms come the reminders of hope.  Isn't that what this iconic symbol, the rainbow, given to Noah after the greatest storm of history, represents?  I think God knows we need these reminders continually.  We are a people prone to forget.

 

 

GRATITUDE

 

This word is not so unique to spring, but it is a lesson I need repeatedly.  As I am studying/memorizing parts of the book of Romans this year, this verse has been living in my mind and heart lately:

 

"because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

 

~Romans 1:21-22 NKJV (emphasis mine)

 

There is something critical about gratitude that changes our hearts.  It also seems to serve to protect our thoughts and hearts.  I have not begun to probe the depths of this verse or its context yet, so I don't want to slap a simple understanding over it.  However, God makes it clear throughout Scripture that gratitude is essential and that its counterpart is harmful.  "Holy Week" always seems to be a time to pay close attention to the state of my heart and examine attitudes and I have been in great need of doing so this week.  Gratitude is closely tied to praise, and this chorus has been echoing in me:

 

"This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Saviour all the day long,

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Saviour all the day long."

 

~Blessed Assurance, Fanny Crosby

 

 

 

 

 

 



For the Love of.... (Part 2)

CREATION AND NATURE STUDY

 

 

Another delight to our family is the time we devote to exploring God's beauty and design in creation and nature.  There are seasons and times where I have done this better than others.  In my romantic notions, I envision spending LOTS of time outdoors, breathing the fresh air, walking slowly, taking in all of the sights and sounds.  And then taking moments to sit down and draw or paint in our nature journals and record our findings.  The reality of life is that I have little time to do said painting or journaling (especially with a toddler or baby strapped to me--but that's a whole delight in itself that is far too short-lived).  However, there are indeed moments where it does happen and oh, how it fills that creative place in my soul.

 

I confess it is sometimes hard to make the most of living in suburbs and we can get bogged down in feeling like it takes quite an effort to get out into places where nature exploration is possible.  (We still dream of that place with more acreage and open space, while at the same time seeking to be grateful for where He has us now).  Yes, we are fortunate to have a bit of it in a short walk from home.  I think we just get tired of the same thing after awhile.

 

Thankfully, my efforts when my children were younger have reinforced my efforts now.  For when I am tempted to think it's just too hard to make the effort (even though I love it once we are actually out there), I have children who remind me.   Especially Adventure Girl, who can't seem to live without it either.

 

 

One of my goals this year has been to try to make a weekly effort to take a special hike or nature walk.  With such resolution in mind, and the prodding of Adventure Girl's Biology assignment regarding birds (another passion of hers), we set out to a new locale.

What a gorgeous day it was ("balmy" for this time of year, really!) and we just couldn't resist the call outdoors.  And this place we found?  Lovely, indeed.  Wide open spaces full of singing birds and running rivers.  We were quite astounded also at the variety of trees there, such as this ponderosa pine above (we really didn't think those grew here).  So much loveliness was a comfort to our spirits, filling us with an appreciation of the amazing design of our Creator God.

 



It was a good, long walk and most of our coats were shed by halfway through our hike.  We stopped often to observe birds, to listen to their sounds, and to throw sticks in the river.

 



and to climb a little tree......

 

Though Adventure Girl had hoped for far more variety of birds and was tired of seeing so many robins, all were in agreement that it was lovely and we'll have to come back sometime and bring Tender Warrior Daddy with us.

 

As it is (almost) spring, it is also the season for new chicks.  Since we started our little backyard flock, we have had new chicks about every other year.  As you can see from the header, they are a cute little bunch even if a little scraggly looking as they start to take on feathers.  This is always a delight, from the oldest to the youngest in the house.  Everyone loves the baby "cheeps."

 

Even on days we are stuck inside due to the weather or other reasons, I try to have little visuals and things to spur our love of nature and creation.  This poster really spurred a recent dinner time conversation when we had some wonderful friends over for the evening.  The man is a scientist and it turns out, a fellow "birder."  So he spent much of the evening quizzing our Adventure Girl on birds because they were both bird enthusiasts.  It made for lively discussion for everyone.

 

 

And last, but not least, let us not forget the home library, in which we have many titles to go to when various creation questions arise and we are curious about how things work in God's amazing world.  Home libraries are a "must-have!"  As one of our mentors said, bookshelves make great insulation!

 

 

 

"If we give our children regular opportunities to get in touch with God's creation, a habit is formed that will be a source of delight throughout their lives."

 

~Karen Andreola, "A Charlotte Mason Companion"

 

 

 

"Like a river glorious

Is God's perfect peace,

Over all victorious

In its bright increase;

Perfect, yet it floweth

Fuller every day,

Perfect, yet it groweth

Deeper all the way,

Trusting in Jehovah,

Hearts are fully blest--

Finding, as He promised,

Perfect peace and rest."

 

~"Like a River Glorious," by Frances Ridley Havergal

 



For the Love Of....(Part 1)

READING GOOD BOOKS TOGETHER

 

"Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."

~William Butler Yeats

 

Some days, I just know, that despite the things I do wrong and the mistakes made as we walk this road of raising wholehearted children for the Lord, there is something I know is right.

 

In the flurry of days and the many tasks that call my name and all the proverbial hats that a mother wears, and wondering if I've become attention-deficit in it all, there is a daily routine that we can always count on.  Even if I don't know what's for lunch today (yet), I DO know that we will sit down together as we have for so many years and spend the favorite hour of our day reading aloud.  This reading time....of heroes from history, of theology or doctrine, of adventures, of instruction, of exploring His creation and His world through literature, even of fun and childhood frolics...this, I am certain, will have been one thing I did right.

 

I am affirmed in this conclusion when I see the sparks ignite in my children's imaginations.  Such was the case recently as we read Lucy Maud Montgomery's The Golden Road, (which was also preceded the previous month by The Story Girl.)  These books are (a bit loosely) the inspiration for Kevin Sullivan's "Road to Avonlea" television series (yes, the same Kevin Sullivan who made the lovely "Anne of Green Gables" and "Anne of Avonlea").  One little disclaimer, as with anything, not everything in the "Road to Avonlea," or even these stories, would I endorse.  For example, in the television series, I downright (strongly) dislike the way the siblings can treat one another.  With everything we watch or read, we use discernment and we discuss it all.  On the other hand, it's hard not to want to live in a beautiful little village like Avonlea on Prince Edward Island and every time I see that "White Sands Hotel," I think I must just go there someday!

 

Back to the story....I am not going to go into elaborate detail of what it is about here.  You'll have to read for yourself if you are curious.  But some of this may not make as much sense to you without knowing the book.  That's how books are.  (I also like how reading can give your family fun "inside jokes" that are shared).  In short, the children of the story decide to pass the winter time by creating their own publication, which they simply call "Our Magazine."  It reminds me of "The Pickwick Society" in Little Women.  It is a mostly witty look at the everyday occurrences in their lives in Carlisle.  Each child contributes a column to "Our Magazine."  Editorials, stories, an etiquette department, personals, fashion notes, ads, poetry, a household department, and just plain funny paragraphs are all included. 

 

Young Warrior was ready to go.  He gathered his two younger sisters and they convened together in the quiet little space of a bedroom and began assembling their own publication, affectionately called "The C.B.H. Publication."

Yes, it too, has many columns of interest:  Historical notes, stories of dreams (this was another part of The Golden Road), poetry, funny stories, and our Family-Way-of-the-Week.

 

They re-emerged from their workshop later that afternoon and shared their publication, which gave us lots of fun laughs.  A delight indeed!

 

Here's another story inspiration.

Inspired by another blog post, we found out that there was a Hobbit Challenge Lego contest.  And it was due tomorrow!  Young Warrior set to work with all of his free time during that day.  He consulted with Mommy about what Rivendell looks like and with Daddy about how to create special effects.  No, he has not seen the movie, and somehow I think these challenges make a bit of an assumption that children are watching the movie, but it certainly is not necessary.  Books give plenty of food for the imagination.  It's just tough to come up with some things without a little bit of visual ("Mommy, what does Elrond look like?"). 

 

The challenge given was to show the scene of Bilbo and the dwarves being led by Gandalf to Rivendell where they meet Elrond.  Elrond reads the moon-letters on their map.  Now Young Warrior is not endowed with all of the latest Lord of the Rings and Hobbit Legos (he wants to win them, which is the motivation for the contest).  The only LOTR set he has is Gandalf's wagon.  So he did a good job coming up with ways to make dwarves and Elrond out of regular Lego guys.

 

Like their cotton-ball beards?

 

 

Notice the waterfall on the left side.

 

He has been enjoying his little film-making endeavors and we are proud of his efforts.  All of this joy from the habit of reading good books together.

 

"At evening when the lamp is lit,

Around the fire my parents sit;

They sit at home and talk and sing,

And do not play at anything.

 

Now, with my little gun, I crawl

All in the dark along the wall,

And follow round the forest track

Away behind the sofa back.

 

There, in the night, where none can spy,

All in my hunter's camp I lie,

And play at books that I have read

Till it is time to go to bed.

 

These are the hills, these are the woods,

These are my starry solitudes;

And there the river by whose brink

The roaring lions come to drink.

 

I see the others far away

As if in firelit camp they lay,

And I, like to an Indian scout,

Around their party prowled about.

 

So, when my nurse comes in for me,

Home I return across the sea,

And go to bed with backward looks

At my dear Land of Story Books."

 

~"The Land of Story Books"

Robert Louis Stevenson

 



In Search

Look what we found...

 

 

No, it's not the seagulls, though we did indeed find them.  And we would have liked to do a happy dance like theirs at our discovery.

 

It's not driftwood, though Young Warrior sure had fun making himself a fort among the rocks.

 

It's not crabs, though the children enjoyed watching the "fishermen" on the bay casting their crab-catching cages and reeling in these amazing creatures.

 

It's not seashells, though we love to find them and search for treasures in the sand.

 

 

Do you see the hints of it?  The gleaming water?  The shadows?  That certain sparkle?

 

 

 

There it is again, framing this surfer, of which there were many out on this day.

 

 

Surely the blue sky gives it away now!  Oh, it really is GLORIOUS when you haven't seen it for a good couple of weeks.  It's particularly glorious in THIS place!

 

 

And best of all, it's GLORIOUS when it illumines the ones you love engulfed in their own little bit of mirth.  Lips are indeed funny things.

 

Surely by now you've guessed?  Why, it's the SUN of course!  We've been missing it around here, stuck in a freezing fog.  We took a family day to find it and it was so worth finding.  Yes, we're still wrapped in coats at winter's brisk air, but it's ever so much better when sharing walks at the seaside with loved ones and feeling the warmth of that long-lost friend shining down on our faces.

 

So many wonders in God's creation to enjoy.  It was a perfect day to stay awake to it all.

Stay Awake

 

"This is what all the great artists and thinkers do--they stay awake to the wonder of God's world.  Great thinkers are the grateful thankers."
 

~Ann Voskamp
 

"There just isn't any need to complain, because whatever circumstances God sends--rain and snow, sickness, and trouble of various kinds--he sends in order to bless us.  But it is impossible to keep an eye out for God's blessings while harboring a complaining spirit.  Grumbling about hard things blocks our expectation of good things, and if we are not looking for good things, we may fail to see them when they come.  That's part of why thankfulness is so important.  Offering thanks to God, no matter what is going on in our lives, is a way of acknowledging that he knows exactly what he is doing and that we can trust him."
 

~Lydia Brownback, "Joy"
 

"And so I have to say that another of the golden threads is gratitude.

All through that bad time, when Virgil's absence was wearing into us, when "missing" kept renaming itself more and more insistently as "dead" and "lost forever," I was yet grateful.  Sometimes I was grateful because I knew I ought to be, sometimes because I wanted to be, and sometimes a sweet thankfulness came to me on its own, like a singing from somewhere out in the dark.

I was grateful because I knew, even in my fear and grief, that my life had been filled with gifts."
 

~Wendell Berry, "Hannah Coulter"
 

"I am not made for perilous quests," cried Frodo.  "I wish I had never seen the Ring!  Why did it come to me?  Why was I chosen?"

"Such questions cannot be answered," said Gandalf.  "You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not posess; not for power or wisdom, at any rate.  But you have been chosen and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have."
 

~J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Fellowship of the Ring"
 

"It is an extraordinary and beautiful thing that God, in creation, uses precisely the same tools and rules as the artist; he works with the beauty of matter; the reality of things; the discoveries of the senses, all five of them; so that we, in turn, may hear the grass growing; see a face springing to life in love and laughter; feel another human hand or the velvet of a puppy's ear; taste food prepared and offered in love; smell--oh, so many things:  food, sewers, each other, flowers, books, new-mown grass, dirt...

Here, in the offerings of creation, the oblations of story and song, are our glimpses of truth."
 

~Madeleine L'Engle, "Glimpses of Grace"

Thoughts I want to take to heart in a new year.  A year for me I hope will be characterized by more "quiet" and better "habit"; not meaning, of course, that I expect my life or surroundings to be "quiet" always.  Just that I want to stay awake to these words and to the work of God in me, in those I love, and in His great and glorious creation around me.

I'm off to get out of "the fog" that is characteristic of our climate this time of year, and find some sunshine.  Off to be awake to the wonder of God's world around me and to stir up some beauty and creativity.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
 

~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My Top Twelve Books of 2012

As 2012 closes out, I enjoy looking over the list of books I have read this year.  I am happy to be keeping my average of at least 40 books in a year.  Mind you, this does not include the MANY picture books I read to my children, but is a compilation of personal reads mixed with chapter books or read-alouds with my children.

Here are my favorite 12 of 2012 (not in any ranking order...that would be just a little too hard, but I do honestly have a few that stand out here).  This is probably more of a chronological list of when they were finished.



1.  "Loving the Little Years" by Rachel Jankovic---a humorous and insightful little book to inspire me in the love and care of my littles.  Will certainly go on my re-read list.







2.  "Keeping House" by Margaret Kim Peterson---I really loved this book for its theological underpinnings about something that might seem so mundane to us homekeepers.  It gave me fresh vision on home duties at a time where I felt bogged down in the everyday, and less-than-inspired.  I promptly finished this book and handed it to my teen daughters, who also enjoyed lessons in the "whys" of what we do.




 3.  "Hans Brinker of the Silver Skates" by Mary Mapes Dodge---This one is one of my treasures from my grandmother's book shelf. I've had it on the "to-read" list for quite some time.  We read this aloud in mid-winter, which was perfect with the Holland setting and talk of (ice) skating.  We enjoyed this classic literature piece, which was a heartwarming story.







4.  "Raising Real Men" by Hal and Melanie Young---I reviewed this book here.  Definitely a must-read if you have boys.  My favorite practical book on raising boys!





5.  "The Busy Homeschool Mom's Guide to Romance" by Heidi St. John---I also reviewed this one.  Loved her humorous and very real writing style on a topic that is of great necessity to home-educating mothers.  I also read her "Guide to Daylight" on time management, which is also excellent (and hence, I squeeze in another favorite book without actually listing it!)










6.  "Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey"---a fun biographical read to encounter in my month of British "library-books-on-hold-that-all-arrived-at-the-same-time."  A fascinating read, which I discussed a bit more here.


 7.  "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom---our Bible Bee studies this year served as a catalyst to also get us back into missionary biographies and stories of great heroes of the faith.  Since this had also been a book I wanted to read aloud for some time, this was the year.  We appreciated it deeply for all of the reasons that make it a great in Christian history.  It was brought to life all the more because we actually had opportunity to visit the Ten Boom museum in Holland when my now-big- girls were small.  One of our favorite picture memories of that trip was a photo of them standing in that hiding place.  Powerful and stirring.


8.  "Almost Amish" by Nancy Sleeth---I checked this book out from the library and it was a stirring read for me.  Though I do not subscribe to romanticizing the Amish or their way of life, I did appreciate some of the lessons this woman gleaned from their lifestyle that can be very thought-provoking.  Mostly this book had me thinking about community and simple living.  I really liked hearing how this woman and her family mades some drastic changes in their lifestyle and how they were benefiting from it.  I thought long and hard about this book and it's one that had staying power with me.


9.  "A Woman's Wisdom" by Lydia Brownback---This book came by high recommendation of a very trusted friend and fellow-reader.  In fact, a few of my top 12 books did.  When it comes to this genre of books in particular, I usually know that if she has high recommendations I am going to feel the same way.  And I was right!  I had some of Brownback's books "marked" for a someday read, but when I saw this one, I jumped at the giveaway (and won!).  I'm so glad I did.  This is a certain re-read.  This book is greatly convicting and was very needful for me, personally.  I add my highest recommendation to this one!



10.  "The Homestead Blessings Cookbook"---by the West Ladies.  Well, it is a cookbook.  Which means it isn't necessarily a reading book, though there are several vignettes to read in it.  But I like this little gem for me and my homestead-loving daughters.  It's been fun to try a whole lot of these recipes.  We still want an outdoor kitchen someday.




11. "The Thunder" by Douglas Bond---We have read many books aloud by Douglas Bond.  I think the Mr. Pipes books are our favorites.  The "Crown and Covenant" series are interesting and we do need to know about the sacrifices and difficult circumstances our Scottish ancestors lived through for the cause of Christ, but the graphic descriptions are often hard for my feminine side to stomach (so I sometimes edit while reading aloud).  While "The Thunder" certainly does not sugar-coat anything, it was a bit less graphic and I just appreciated the whole story about one of our heroes of the faith, John Knox.  My older children constantly asked for me to read another chapter.



12.  "The Fruitful Wife" by Hayley DiMarco---Oh.  my.  What can I possibly say about this book, except that it should be read by every Christian wife who is serious about growing in the fruit of the spirit (which should be all of us).  I liked DiMarco's honest reflections (and I said "ouch" just a few too many times because I have a feeling her personality is a bit like mine)--they add credibility to her writing without detracting from her message and focusing too much on her self.  This book is hard-hitting, yet encouraging and I will be revisiting this book again in the near future.

Now I'm off to start pondering my reads for 2013!  Looking forward to more biographies, more read-alouds (the best time of every day), a couple of classics, more stirring reads, some fun reads, and how it all will (hopefully) grow and change me and the ones I love!  Happy New Year!

Homemade Marshmallows (without corn syrup!)

 

Truth be told...I am not a big marshmallow fan.  I do like to roast them over a good campfire and melt them into a s'more.  But in general, I don't like how sweet they are.  My children, however, love them.  Every time we go to the store and pass by that aisle, they ask.

 

 

"Please, can we get marshmallows for......(fruit salad, hot chocolate...anything?)?"

 

Mama:  "Noooooo," (as she picks up the bag and reads the label to her self just one more time just to prove she knows why she is saying no), "we don't need them."  (And quietly she says something about how much "junk" is in the ingredient list and wonders what these really are anyway...her health-conscious girls nodding in agreement, but sighing still over not having any in said fruit salad or hot chocolate).

 

 

Well, if you are thinking that I never eat anything unhealthy, you would be wrong.  But I am very mindful, particularly about artificial ingredients and colorings, and my motto is, "If you can make it yourself, you ought to."  (Most of the time, anyway).  And marshmallows....well, their ingredient list always makes me squirm.

 

Last year, we tried making our own for the first time.  They were peppermint ones and were definitely tasty.  But they made a large batch, and we got tired of the candy-cane flavor in everything.  So this year, we wanted to do it again.  I put it in the schedule of fun things to do during Advent.

Then I got out the recipes to prepare.  And made a discovery we didn't like...there was corn syrup in the recipe!  This would not do.  So, after some more research we found a recipe without corn syrup, but it still needed tweaking.  We improvised and created our own tasty results.  There's no way of getting around the sugar.  But at least we can make the sugar as natural as possible and without all of the artificial flavors and colors.   It's really very easy to do!  Ready to try it yourself?

Get out your ingredients.  There aren't too many.  We like this sugar (we buy it from Costco).

 

Here you can somewhat see how fluffy it looks when it has doubled in volume.  When we first poured in the syrup, we thought for sure our marshmallows were going to be light brown because our sugar is not bleached white and contains its natural coloring.  To our surprise, they turned out white and look like regular marshmallows!  And all without the use of blue food coloring.  Why do they do all that stuff to packaged food?

 

 

You could also dust them or roll them in toasted coconut.  You may want to dust

them with extra powdered sugar (or coconut) on the sides so that they do not stick to each other in storage.

 

 

And since we had our first snow yesterday (Hurray!), we got to try them out in our hot chocolate or eggnog lattes.  I think they were the perfect touch.  Even for one who doesn't normally go for marshmallows.  I think this will become a regular staple in the house for those occasional touches to fruit salad, hot drinks in the winter, and maybe even the candy cane fudge the girls are wanting to make for Christmas.

****My apologies that the recipe is hard to read.  I am experimenting with some things and always learning ( I have a LOT to learn!).  I hope to try to fix that very soon.