Welcome to our
Haven at Home!
We are a conservative,
Christian, military,
homeschooling family.
This is our little place
where we share our journey
of tending to our 'sheep'
as we home educate
and raise our children
for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Continuing with a wee bloggie break but wanted to post an update... My beloved (along with a couple of hundred other Marines) has encountered some unexpected delays as he is making his journey home. We continue in prayer and anticipation as we await his wonderful arrival and, truly, appreciate your continued prayers.
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." ~ James 1:2-3
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" ~ Isaiah 26:3-4
The empty chair at the supper table will be filled. "Mommy, I miss Daddy" will cease. Sleepless nights alone will end. After 12 months 2 1/2 weeks apart, our family will be complete once again.
The house is clean, laundry is finished, fresh sheets are on the bed, Daddy's favorite shampoo and soap are awaiting his first shower home, fresh bread has been made, Daddy's favorite meals are on the menu (along with a favorite desert), our home is filled with giggles, smiles, thanks, prayers, and great anticipation as what we have longed for is coming to fruition.
A bloggie break is at hand and, Lord willing, the next time I post, sharing photos... Daddy will be in them! ;o)
"Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:" ~ Psalm 63:3-5
I thought I would share the video of the children's choir singing last Sunday morning...
(you can stop this blog's background music from the left sidebar)
The Windows of Heaven
The windows of Heaven are open, The blessings are falling tonight; There's joy, joy, joy in my heart, since Jesus made everything right; I gave Him my old tattered garment, He gave me a robe of pure white; I'm feasting on manna from Heaven and that's why I'm happy tonight.
Yesterday we had our homeschool group's field trip to the bowling alley and we had a ball! ;o)
The chlildren enjoyed bowling a few games, learning a few pointers, and then taking a tour behind the lanes to see how it all worked...
Carolynne and Mama
Beth
Will
Ally and her friend
I think the older ones were impressed the most... I just have to say... in a world where many young people seem to frequently have negative looking countenances, I am always delighted and it is quite refreshing to see genuine smiles and joy expressed in the countenance of some young people, whether they think someone is watching or not. ;o) And, of course, it delights me even further when I see it in my own children, too. ;o)
After our homeschool group was finished bowling, we enjoyed cupcakes and fellowship. After the majority of the group left, the children and I (and a few friends) stayed behind to enjoy another game...
Carolynne
Beth
Will
Ally
And Mama, too. ;o)
Toward the end of the game, some were getting a little tired out, bored, restless, and even a little silly...
Carolynne about to make herself comfortable on the bowling ball shelf.
Beth trying to look at the monitor from different head positions.
Will... a little too relaxed in between turns. lol
Ally was winning so she was content to stay. ;o)
Afterwards, we headed out to load up and head home. I suppose we are easily amused and, often, "little things" tickle us, but we saw this sign as we were leaving the bowling alley and thought it was sweet... We had never seen one quite like that.
We headed home for fun and fellowship. While the adults and some of the children played Uno Spin, Ally was giving the lil' ones their violin lessons. We enjoyed pizza for a late lunch/early supper, drove one of the young people home, made a quick trip to the grocery store, then made it home for an early bedtime... one of us started their bedtime even earlier...
She fell asleep on the way home and there was just no waking her. She fell asleep around 6:30 and slept all night. It sure is precious to watch them sleep, though. ;o)
We had an enjoyable and very filling day. I hope y'all are enjoying your week, as well!
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." ~ Psalm 68:19
I hope y'all had a good weekend and a blessed Lord's Day. ;o) Sunday morning the children's choir sang, which is always a blessing...
They sang "The Windows of Heaven Are Open".
Sunday evening, Ally did an offeratory duet... That was such a blessing to hear as well. ;o)
We had this common occurance after the evening service... So sweet! She has always taken her sleep seriously and has such a difficult time waiting for that sweet slumber when we are out past her bedtime. ;o)
Today, as I spent some time sewing, the children had some learning time and some free time. Ally and Will worked on Will's piano lesson...
Beth and Carolynne enjoyed coloring and drawing...
The younger ones were glad to play outside for just a little bit, despite the very cold weather. They were quite amused that the bird bath water was a large icecube the shape of the bird bath...
It was a lovely day together. We are beginning to look forward to warmer weather... unless, of course, we get snow... then the cold weather somehow becomes more tolerable. lol
Tomorrow we look forward to some more learning moments, piano lessons out of the house, and beginning, again, to prepare for Daddy's arrival (though I cannot share the date). ;o) We sure appreciate your continued prayers.
Hope y'all enjoy your week!
"For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD." ~ Psalm 33:4-5
This one was a couple of weeks ago. (Glasses courtesy of Ally... lol)
The dress I was able to finish today was with fabric that I've had stashed away and I used a historical costume pattern from Butterick (pattern 3992)...
The sleeves are 3/4 length. I like the bodice with the darts but next time I will change the way I do the skirt, and either do two long pieces (front and back) or I may try a panel skirt, instead of the one I used with the pattern. Wearing it, I feel like I'm missing the hoop skirt that should go underneath... though I think it turned out fairly nice. ;o)
I'm not sure, yet, what projects I'll be doing next. I have a few that I'm tossing around (play dresses for the lil' girls, pjs for Will and lil' girls, apron for a friend, maybe even a purse). I just have to decide which to do first. ;o)
Hope y'all enjoyed your weekend.
"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands." ~ Proverbs 31:13
I would love to say I know just how a week went by without a post but I can't because I don't. ;o) Thank you for those that checked-in on us as I somehow underwent a bloggy silence. (sorry, Honey) ;o)
We did keep busy this week with miscellaneous things... music lessons, making menus, grocery shopping, running errands, going to the library, midweek service, fellowshipping, homeschool group park day, keeping the home, learning, playing, living, etc...
Since I hadn't posted all week, I thought I'd share some photos from our days...
Will and the girls enjoyed the lovely weather that we had earlier this week by spending time outside, jumping and such. ;o)
One of Ally's highlights was talking on the phone while she was working on her Advanced Chemistry. As a general house "hedge", the children do not speak on the phone... so, she was thrilled to talk, twice, to Dr. Jay Wile (the author of her Apologia science curriculum) to get much needed help on an equation that stumped her. She was tickled to talk "Chemistry language" with someone that understood what she was talking about. lol And Dr. Wile had a rare privilege bestowed upon him as Ally is not permitted to talk on the phone (especially male) other than with Daddy or, occasionally, close family members. ;o) The conversation was very helpful, though, for Ally and he even helped her, unknowingly, with her pre-cal, which was an added blessing. Another blessing this week was that our local base high school gave us permission to borrow one of their graphing calculators so she could do her pre-calculus this year, which saved us $100+! ;o)
Here were the lil' girls, one morning, playing on the kitchen floor with the playdough. They were busy there for quite a long while. In this photo, they were making s-n-a-k-e-s... Mommy's favorite... NOT! But they enjoy giggling about it.
Here Ally was enjoying one of those sit and spins. It was quite humorous watching Ally spin around. lol
Today was our homeschool group park day, even though the temp dropped and we were quite chilly (except for Ally, who loves the cold). ;o)
Here were the Beth and Carolynne playing together...
Will enjoyed playing with friends...
Will, also, enjoyed the "hanging, sliding thingy" (sorry, I have no idea what this thing is called)...
Beth enjoyed it, too...
Carolynne considered it but that was as far as she got. ;o)
After our park day, we had friends over for fellowship. The younger ones were eager to make music... Will had been directing the music as Beth and her friend played their new violins and Carolynne played the piano. The house was filled with music (a joyful noise). ;o)
Later, Ally taught violin lessons ...
After our friends had gone, Ally worked a little with Beth, too...
Before supper, the younger ones played quietly...
And Ally volunteered to make the sourdough pizza... She was thrilled to finally figure out how to roll the dough an easier and more effective way. Rolling sourdough is an art after all. lol ;o) She made wonderful pizza! It was such a blessing.
We enjoyed a quiet, delicious supper together but we are looking forward to the anticipated days when Daddy will be eating with us. ;o)
Hope y'all have enjoyed your week, too!
"For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." ~ Psalm 100:5
Here were Beth and Carolynne playing outside, enjoying the beautiful weather... ... which is where they are today, too. ;o)
Here was Will working at language... (though he spent much of his day outdoors, too)
Here was Ally doing one of her favorite things... (after spending time focusing on her academics)
Toward the end of the evening (just before we left for our midweek service), I was able to finish Beth's dress. She and Carolynne were able to wear their dresses together as we went to church.
Here they were today in their new dresses...
I hope y'all are enjoying your week!
"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:14
Last week, Carolynne picked some fabric for her new birthday dress.
She was tickled to get it today...
The lil' girls like to have each of them get a dress on each others' birthdays. Beth picked out some fabric, too, but, unfortuneately, I was unable to finish it. I do hope to finish it soon, though. She was more than okay with that and I am thankful for her understanding. ;o)
We had a delightful day celebrating Carolynne's birthday! Thank you for your birthday wishes and kind words. They were a blessing!
Hope y'all enjoy your week!
"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." ~ Psalm 118:24
Another bittersweet birthday is upon us... Our "baby" turns 4 years old today!
She's long left diapers and is embracing little girlhood. Oh, how we love to hear her as she loves to sing and what a joy it is to all of us that she loves to freely and abundantly give hugs and sugars (southern for kisses). She's such an affectionate one. And what a delight it is to hear that adorable southern drawl in her voice and witness such animated faces!
Thank you, Lord, for blessing our family with the joy of Carolynne!
Happy 4th Birthday, Carolynne! We LOVE you! ;o)
"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." ~ Psalm 118:24
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." ~ Psalm 127:3
I was almost compelled to grab a paper bag or some concealing item to do this when I spoke to my beloved on the phone late last night... It was gently revealed to me (somewhere along the lines in our "code talking") that my beloved and I somehow had a 'minor' marital miscommunication. (y'all have those, too... right?)
It seems that my beloved's unit was extended for a "brief" time and he will, indeed, not be returning to us just as soon as I had thought. {{sheepish, slightly embarassed grin}} Though we do expect him home somewhat soon, it is not in the "immediate" future. There remains a little bit of waiting time. So we will continue on until that day arrives. ;o)
Though I cannot share when he will arrive, I will be sure to drop a few "general" hints around that special time. ;o) (especially since I am 'on the same page' as my beloved now... lol... Love you, Honey!)
Thank you, again, to all of you that were praying and anticipating his arrival with us. We continue to look forward to that day and appreciate your continued prayers. ;o)
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" ~ Isaiah 26:3-4
I will spare you the details. I will only share that there have been new revelations as we have been cleaning our home for Daddy's homecoming. (and the above photo is the only detail I'll share) ;o)
So far we have paid bills and grocery shopped; cleaned, washed, swept, scrubbed, dusted, organized, disposed of items, etc... in the living room, reading room, dining room, kitchen and we have cleaned the children's bedrooms, too. I discovered that my baseboards and floors are not a natural brown-gray color; floors are cleaner when you wash them by hand; my computer desk let out a sigh of relief when I eased it of its great, numerous "burdens"; our home looks much nicer when we can actually see all of the flat surfaces it has to offer; books are much more handsome when neatly placed on the shelf (and are more easily accessible); we do have clothes to wear and socks that match when we pair them up and put them away; and dust bunnies are in NO way good pets.
Tomorrow we will continue and finish with all of the bathrooms and the master bedroom (and chisel away at the last bit of Mount Washmore... woo hoo!). We, also, hope to hang Daddy's sign up tomorrow since we didn't get to the other day.
Thank you for those that were praying for us to feel well. The children are feeling well now, only exhausted noses that seem to be running marathons. ;o)
Thank you all, too, for your comments. I would love to respond to everyone (and I plan to when I am able) but am afraid it may take a while and could be a slow process... but I will get to it. ;o) Thank you for understanding.
Also, thank you, thank you for praying for our Marine. We sure appreciate your prayers for his safe travel. Though I am not at liberty to share exactly when he will arrive... it will be soon. We are eagerly awaiting our reunion!
Hope y'all enjoy your weekend!
"Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant." ~ Psalm 135:3
I hope y'all are enjoying the new year! ;o) Yesterday the children and I worked in the house, preparing for Daddy's homecoming. We tackled Ally's and Will's bedrooms, as we were switching them, downsizing, and cleaning. The more I move furniture, the older I realize I really am!
Today we worked on the living room and reading room. The tree and Christmas decor was put away, we picked up, organized, dusted, and put everything in its place... even the bookshelves are well presentable. ;o)
The children, also, enjoyed some free time...
The lil' girls enjoyed playing with the barn and its barnyard friends.
This afternoon, we began making a sign for Daddy's homecoming...
(hanging to dry)
The children will be coloring in the people more tomorrow and then we will be hanging it up on the side of the highway. We are very excited and can't wait to see Daddy! ;o)
For supper, I was able to use my new Nicer Dicer (which is a lot easier on my wrists) to make a ham, zuchinni and rice skillet. It was yummy! When we all sat down at the table to pray and eat, I noticed that Beth and Will looked sickly. Sure enough... they had low fevers... so we are beginning our new year with giving our immune systems a little "practice". ;o)
I hope y'all are enjoying your week!
"I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being." ~ Psalm 104:33
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