After a few weeks

After a few healthy weeks we have caught another something. Whatever this is is not bad though, just annoying. The symptoms are low grade fever, mild stomach ache and being tired. I took a nap at 10:30am today after sleeping well all night long and I could go back to sleep right now.

Ice skating

This afternoon we ice skated for an end of testing celebration. Today was also Benjamin's first time on the ice. He was very cautious but went out for three different times around the rink. His favorite time was when skating was finished and the Zamboni came out.
Benjamin was so exhausted that he stayed asleep after he was carried into the house, and Emmy joined him.

Children

Children need time to play, just play. No fancy toys, no play groups, no organization. Slow schedules with lots of time for little imaginations to run rampant. Speaking of rampant, while I was editing this post Benjamin's imagination got a little wild and he draped my yarn throughout the house. Love that boy.
Organized activities are just not my cup of tea. My husband and I held off until Levi was twelve before we signed up him for organized sports. We waited until he found something he really wanted to do, and guess what? He NEVER once asked to quit. And he did fine getting in there and playing on the team. He even won a leadership award from his coach and I believe that was the result of him NOT playing organized sports when I he was younger.
Our children have led full lives with lots of sports opportunities, group and individual and just good ole football, baseball and basketball at home. We have a football field (not regulation size, of course), a baseball field and a basketball goal. In the winter our yard and the road around our house serves as a cross country ski course and snow machine track.
Not everyone lives in a subdivision that never full developed as we do but there are many opportunities to enjoy life as a family.  To play just for the fun of playing, to spend evenings as a family instead of running to and fro. Says the lady who is gearing up for baseball season.
Benjamin has enjoyed his longer morning at home today before picking up the older Blessings from testing and going ice skating. Today will be Benjamin's first time on the ice, oh my, that means I am skating as well.

The Crew

The Gospel

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Perspective

Friday was a fairly low key day at home. The older Blessings finished up school for the week and Benjamin and Daddy did a little Benjamin school. After Daddy and Benjamin were finished they went outside for a while and when Benjamin came in he saw Levi and Judith painting so he wanted to paint.  By this time I was working on overdue sewing repairs so Benjamin joined the activity at the dining room table and painted. He is beyond adorable so I had to get a picture. The first couple of pics I zoomed in a bit to get just Benjamin but when I looked at the whole table I knew I had to capture the entire mess.
I also began thinking about how we as people only post what we want on our facebook, instagram, and/or blog pages. We zoom in on what we want to share and we block out the rest. Guilty as charged, often I post only the fun, pretty, socially acceptable pictures and information and honestly I wouldn't share everything because well, you don't want to see it all. But, today you see a table full of busy. I am thankful for busy.

Dog team

Today we went to the other side of Fairbanks for lunch/support group planning/kids play at a friend's home. On our way home there was a sled dog team about ready to take off so I had to pull over and take a pic and show Benjamin the dog team. These dogs were raring to get going.
To the left of the picture is the frozen river and the right is the road.

Go, family, go

Today was go, go, go when my preferred day is stay, stay, stay. Tuesday is piano day, then Elisabeth had a chiropractor appointment, a quick stop at the library to pick up held items, home for lunch and to put dinner in the Crockpot before heading out for a field trip. The only pictures of the field trip are of Benjamin outside of the planetarium. Benjamin opted to stay on the outside of the big bubble and I was thankful.
After the field trip we had some time to burn before Dad got off of work so we went to the thrift store. The girls now have beautiful new outfits for Ressurection Sunday.  They needed church clothing as we have been getting by all winter long. They weren't clothes less but I haven't done much shopping for clothes. I will post pictures later, like Sunday probably. The rest of us are good for Sunday as the menfolk do not care and I am good. I am loving thrift shopping and looking forward to garage sales this summer. 
I also found these books for $.69 each and one was free. I think I am addicted to thrift shopping.

The Snowy Day

I decided we had better "row" The Snowy Day before the snow melts. Silly me, we have plenty of time. It snowed last night, as in inches of snow.  Perfect timing for a snow book. I am keeping this week simple as we have a planetarium field trip tomorrow and lunch with friends on Thursday.  Yay for everyone being healthy!!
Benjamin asked for cookies and hot cocoa to be consumed after he came inside, like Max and Ruby. Because we do lots of things like Max and Ruby. Fun fact, when Judith was little I did not like Max and Ruby but now I do. I love the music,  furnishings and decor of the house.
And because a post is better with pictures, especially pictures of four year old cuteness consuming hot cocoa and cookies.

Judith Rae

Our sweet Judith Rae trusted Christ as her personal Lord and Savior about five years ago. She has asked to get baptized a couple of times but we said wait. We had reasons, enough said.
This morning during the preaching she began crying and said she needed to get baptized and it was time. We spent some time with Pastor after the service and baptism tonight it was.
Bless her heart and the two others who were baptized as the water was COLD.  I affectionately call our church This Old Church, our building is old. Our baptistry has been out if commission for a while and the past few months have been spent on repairs and a new heating system. My husband and a couple other men have spent countless hours researching, preparing and repairing and the baptistry isn't leak proof yet. See the plastic and red tape? Yeah, they lined the thing for tonight's baptisms. One of our deacons spent the entire afternoon lining and filling the baptistry. I guess that is a good example of making due.