Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Birthday

The decorations were hung by siblings at night


 


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Will anyone go to sleep, perhaps they might


A bicycle was set out early this morning


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With presents to open and breakfast on the griddle


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Taking a morning ride with a big thumbs up, she has had her eye on this bike all summer.


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After this ride she and Blessing #2 and Daddy had a few errands to run. They picked up this toy for Baby Blessing, I think he likes it.September2009169.jpg picture by kaysmarmey


 


Upon arriving home the UPS man stopped by with a birthday present, he has great timing, Nana and Poppa sent her a chocolate brown wool long dress coat, beautiful!


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After the coat was opened, she put it on and we were out the door for piano. While the other blessings had their lessons she and Dad did some birthday shopping and we all headed to the locally owned toy store after piano.


After we got home and started dinner we headed back out to pick up her little friend for the birthday finale!


I no longer have to decorate the girls cakes, they do it themselves!


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We finally played Pin the tail on the donkey!


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I can't believe she is 8, the cake isn't going to win any decorating contest but she loved that cake and had a great time decorating it with her older sister and friend that came over to celebrate!


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May the Lord find us faithful.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

cake and a straw

Baby Blessing prefers a straw over a cup


 


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When Blessing #1 had his birthday this summer we were in the lower 48 so he didn't get a special cake, he definitely had a special day but not the traditional homemade cake. We finally got around to his cake Sunday. I had to stay home from church with three blessings in various degrees of head cold, so I baked the cake while the healthy people were at church. We decorated after lunch and then we ate cake.


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May the Lord find us faithful.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Thankful

I am so thankful that I am forgiven.


May the Lord find us faithful.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

School happenings

I guess I could mention school here?! Why of course, we do that. We are using Winter Promise Quest for the Middle Ages 4/6 for the two oldest blessings this year. So far, so good. We read this week about the Pentacost, the early Church, the stoning of Stephen (I thoroughly loved reading Acts 7, hadn't read it in a while), and Paul's conversion and his three missionary journeys. We made time pieces out of baby food jars and salt, timed to one minute....they don't work well. Whoever writes these "activities for kids" books (not written by Winter Promise) must not try them with kids or maybe not even try them at all. But, we did it and it is done. We needed a smaller opening to each container, but we were just following directions. Personally,I should have just gotten the hourglass out of Pictionary Junior and timed that. The kids are getting better about getting things out for such activities and for putting things away and cleaning up, even salt! 


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May the Lord find us faithful.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

We made it to the beginning

It seemed as though this day would never arrive, public and private schools here have been in since mid-August (but we don't worry about what they do anyway!)


 


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Sorry about the red eyes, it was either red eyes or no pictures.


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We continued to have beautiful days until yesterday, we had to get out and enjoy a clear, sunny and warm day.


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I can't believe this baby is crawling and so mobile, he is so precious.


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May the Lord find us faithful.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Plans

Do things ever go as planned? Have you ever thought why? I have, many times. Today was piano lessons day, that was all the day was supposed to hold ouside of lessons, until the phone rang while I was reading Proverbs 15 to my blessings this morning, I was dressed but no makeup and hair not "done", it was my wonderful husband on the phone so I answered (shocked? yes, I screen my calls during school, would you call your friend at the office just to chat while she was working? NO!) We had some dear friends who had a son (19 years old) die this weekend, we are devestated and cannot even wrap our little finite brains around the loss and grief that they are going through. My husband was calling me to get me to send a gift to them and that a missionary friend would be flying in from their village this morning to get things needed for the funeral and potlatch (a native Alaskan funeral tradition, you know like a pot luck, I personally think potlatch sounds better than potluck). The following is copied from Wikipedia:


 Athabascan Indians


The Athabascan Indians of Alaska's interior were hunters and inland fishermen. Most lived in small nomadic bands along the numerous rivers of the region. Endurance and physical strength were prized, and game was often run down on foot. Athabascans harvested salmon and hunted rabbits, caribou, and bear with the help of snares, clubs, spears, and bows and arrows. Periods of famine were common. Because they were seminomadic and hunted on foot, footwear was very important, and the Athabascans designed light and flexible snowshoes made of birch and rawhide. The Athabascans used birch bark from the interior forests to make canoes, containers, sleds, and cradles. Clothing was made of animal hides, decorated with porcupine quills colored with natural dyes.


Some Athabascan groups inhabited permanent winter villages and summer fishing camps. Most bands consisted of a few nuclear families and had limited internal organization. Leadership was acquired by warriors or hunters. Athabascans also gave potlatches to mark a death and celebrate a child's first successful hunt, as a prelude to marriage. Those who aspired to leadership were expected to host memorable potlatches, at which the would-be leader would give away all his possessions then prove his prowess by providing for himself and his family for an entire year without outside help.


Anyway, I had two choices, happily change my plans or stick my feet in and say no way, I don't have time. I chose to serve my husband even though it wasn't convinent for me, I was going to have to make a couple or so phone calls and I don't enjoy making phone calls and he knows that. Long story short, well, not too short...Everything I needed was were I needed it when I needed, customer service was above and beyond, the Lord truly blessed my meager little jobs. Why do I share this? Well, I have yet to pray about the schedule part of our little home school this fall. I haven't given this year to the Lord, I haven't yet asked for his provision. I will do that today because His ways are better than my ways and without Him I am not going to make any progress.


And on another note, can you believe that Baby Blessing is 9 months old today? I can't.


May the Lord find us faithful.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Got the blog bug

I have the need to do a little blog housekeeping, it may look messy around here for a while and I tweek things as I can and sometimes there isn't much time for such things....So, please be patient as I move things around and freshen things up around here. Oh, I am learning to make my own collages and banners...I am so thrilled!


 


May the Lord find us faithful.

Friday, September 11, 2009

September beginnings

As you know if you are a frequent reader here, occasionally I post pictures of dead things...here is a dead duck. I failed to take pictures of the moose butchering but I have done so before so that can be viewed here and here.September2009010.jpg picture by kaysmarmey


In school related news all three big kid blessings began piano lessons.


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We took a drive up north to see the fall colors before they are gone.


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We saw cows on the way, I will have to drive that way when I miss the lower 48!


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We packed a picnic lunch and ate by the river where we smelled the odor of highbush cranberries.


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This is Hilltop,  a truck stop on the haul road. They have great pie but we didn't stop this time.


 


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May the Lord find us faithful.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Our moose arrived!!

My husband left out Friday morning to moose hunt, (we never know how long he will be gone except for when he has to be back for work) he arrived home by 8:00pm Saturday night and they had gotten two moose! What a wonderful blessing for a quick return and meat. My husband loves these quick trips. So.....the big moose "butchering" is taking place right now. We should be finished tomorrow(after the men go duck hunting tomorrow morning). I will take pictures tomorrow, I wasn't out there much today as there wasn't anything I could do yet, tomorrow will be busy for us all.


 


 


May the Lord find us faithful.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Books

Oh, my....the library holds such treasures. Blessing #2 found this book yesterday.


Look-Alikes Jr. : Find More Than 700 Hidden Everyday Objects


We have all had fun looking at the pictures and picking things out, example: the front of the house is mini blings, the flower bed is bordered with an embroidery hoop, so much fun!


 


On a more serious book note, The blessings and I are reading Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends by the Malley's. We really need that book in our home at this time and the best part is that I picked it up free at a homeschool giveaway table last week!!!! I love free things.



 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Lastly, I wasn't the winner for the Ergobaby carrier, but I have some of Baby Blessings things that I can sale and put that money toward the carrier, I think I will need it for piano lessons, he is a moving machine.


 


May the Lord find us faithful.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Trying to post regularly

We had a very, very rainy weekend and Monday. I actually enjoyed the rainy Monday since I had fifty blue million loads of laundry to do since I am switching out seasonal clothing and catching up on weekend laundry. The kids clothes are washed and the girl's closet has been gone through now I have to remove summer clothes from their dresser and get those things shuffled around. Blessing #1 is easy as it will be  a quick switch job when I get in there. Then I can get the rest of Baby Blessings clothes ready and finally move on to mine. It will be a busy weekend.


On the sunny side....today was just that, sunny!!!


Today was the first week of piano for the girls and Blessing #1 decided to join in on piano lessons while we were there so he starts up next week. I am looking forward to getting back into music lessons after a two year hiatus.


I think I am moving our school start date up one day to the 7th of September since my husband will be moose hunting that day and not home for Labor Day, how much I accomplish this week will tell whether or not I will move the date.


 


 


 


May the Lord find us faithful.