Resurrection Eggs - Day 1

It's time to pull out or Resurrection Eggs. We've been using our eggs to anticipate and celebrate the Easter season for at least ten years now. I say Easter season instead of Easter DAY because there's so much more to learn and talk about than one day can afford. We use our eggs kinda like we do our Advent celebration at Christmas....except we don't light them up like the Advent candles or anything.....

Day 1 - The Donkey.

Our scripture: Matthew 21:1-11....When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey....and the people laid their coats and palm branches for Him to ride over. In those days, when a king rode in on a donkey, it meant he was coming in peace, not war. The King of Kings rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to bring peace, hope and forgiveness to His people.

Yes, he knew what was coming later in the week....but the Prince of Peace wanted the people to know how much He loved them. He wanted them....and us, today, to know that our sins are forgiven and as we trust Him, we can have peace that passes understanding, love and joy, no matter what trials come our way.

The people were so excited to see Jesus, their peaceful King. Besides rolling out their version of the red carpet, they shouted, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"  The kids and I talked about how we can show Him we love Him today. We read Matthew 22:37-39 and discussed how loving others is the best way to love Him!

We talked of all the ways we have loved others and can show love to others. Their assignment was to think of someone they can love on today....and they chose....... drumrolll please........

MEMA!!!

So, Mema, you've got some love coming your way today!!!

I Pledge Allegiance...

We are just finishing a little study on the history of the American flag. The kids did an easy and fun American Flag Wall Hanging today. I got the directions here and with a little tweaking , we ended up with some really nice flags for very little cost.

It's a perfect example of how a hands-on activity can help cement what they learn....they painted on the 50 stars themselves, counted and measured the 13 stripes, etc.

While we're on the subject, I have to give a shout-out to my current favorite homeschooling website.
Lesson Pathways. And imagine my sheer delight to find that it's now free. I had a year's free, anyway, bc I am a beta tester but now everybody is free all the time!! They've taken the best websites and divided them into subjects and grades. If you have no books whatsoever but have internet access you can almost teach solely from this site.

So...go check out Lesson Pathways if you're a homeschool mom OR dad.

And God Bless The USA!!!!

Horse Show!

The girls were in a horse show recently 

and I wanted to share.

It was SO SO SO windy and cold!!

But in spite of the weather and

the fact they haven't been a part of a show

in a year, maybe two,

the girls did so so good!

They were both so beautiful on Val,

and both seem to have inherited 

their horse riding/showing talent..... 

from their Daddy's side.

I am afraid of large animals.

Shhh. Don't tell anybody.

Miss Doodle won the blue ribbon!

Woohoo!!

Ok, ok, ok. She was in the Leadline class

with all the little bity cute ones

and they gave them all a blue ribbon and a 

bouquet of bunny suckers. 

Miss Rayray won 2nd place in two academy classes

and she won 3rd in the championship class.

Remember I said she hasn't shown in a year or two?

We were like.....WOW!

She also doesn't get to ride and practice much either 

since we live 3.5 hours from Granny and Granddaddy

who own the stables. 

So......I'm thinking if she was able to ride everysingleday,

the other kids wouldn't have much opportunity

to ever win a blue bc of her!

Don't you think???

Daddy's Little Baby Girl

Recently, I was in Winn-Dixie near the produce section. In walked one of my most favorite of all people, my Daddy. He looked a bit bewildered because Winn-Dixie is absolutely not his element like the local hardware store would be. I stood quietly, watching him glance at the people milling about. Soon enough, his eyes found mine. He did a double-take as realization hit, and I watched his face transform into that all-familiar precious smile reserved just for me. It didn't matter that I had just seen him the day before. He was so happy to see his baby girl. I took a mental picture of his precious countenance. 

On my way home, with groceries in tow, I thought about him, his special smile, how much he loves me...I am special to him. I'm his only daughter. His baby girl. I'm 41. But still his baby girl and he is always happy to see me. I know I haven't been a "sheer delight" to him. I'm quite sure I have disappointed and upset him many times growing up. But he never held back his love for me. 

Father whispered to my heart...That's how I feel about you, too, you know! I take great delight in you. You have a special place with me...reserved just for you. I love our relationship...it is unique and unlike anyone else's relationship with me. I love that about us. I never asked you to be perfect...but you're perfectly MINE and you are made perfect in weakness by my strength. 

When I was a baby, my Daddy rocked me to sleep every night in the wooden rocking chair. He wrote a little ditty and sang it to me every night. 

Daddy's little baby girl, little baby girl. 

Daddy's little baby girl, sweetest in the world. 

Daddy's little baby girl..Daddy's little baby girl.

Daddy's little baby girl. 

It was one of the first songs I learned to sing. Years later, granddaughters were born...my brothers sang the little song to their baby girls. Then the words evolved into...Papa's little baby girl, little baby girl. But the song...it's pretty much mine. Written for me by a daddy who adored his baby girl. 

In a Bible study about ten years ago, a mentor friend of mine shared this obscure verse with us. Even as I read it now, I remember the surprised reaction of all the ladies in the room that night when we read this verse:

"The Lord your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing." 

Zephaniah 3:17.

My precious earthly father may have written me my very own song to sing over me....But our heavenly Father has written a special song for every single one of us. He delights in me. He delights in you.. He is your Heavenly Daddy who adores you and sings over you and quiets you with His love. He is a real and personal Father who desires a relationship with each of us.......with no strings attached, no set of rules to follow, no obligations or preconceived notions.

 Just you and Him and a love song. 

A Week of Girls

We have a special treat this week!!!! Chinadoll and her sweet big sister who is Appledoodle's declared bestsisterfriend are spending the week with us. Lots and lots of giggling in the house....with scattered pink sparkly things, hula hoops, jump ropes, pollypockets, and all things princess!

I think The Boy had just about had it by last night with all the girlies. I went to check on him before bed and he had rigged some sort of trap just inside his door. Oh, I wish I had a picture! Try to imagine about 30 colorful thumb tacks stuck into his carpet with a woven web of red thread. I guess his motion sensor alarm wasn't enough.

Three Little Valentines

Cute attack!

The boy made us drop and give him 20 push ups!

Snuggled up on a rainy day, watching Curious George

Three Pinkie Pies having school together!

Buhlessss him.

CHEEEEEEZ!

Wagon ride at Papa's!

Just plain cute!!

Sweet C's turn on the zip line swing!

China Doll...zipping along!

DQ with family friends

Silly goosies!

There...much better!!!

Haiti

Haiti. I can't imagine any one seeing the desperate need in Haiti today...the faces of the children, the women, the men....and not feeling a deep compassion and desire to help. A heart FOR the people of Haiti.

My brother and his family spent a few years in Haiti as missionaries. He has been back several times and I fully expect him to return....sooner rather than later. His heart is for Haiti. Therefore, my heart is for the people of Haiti.

My sisterfriend adopted a little girl from China last year. I feel like Chinadoll is part mine bc we were so involved in the process of bringing her home. My friend's heart is for adoption. Therefore, my heart is tender towards orphans and adoption.

I was RIVETED, bordering on OBSESSED and a Googling maniac with the unfolding events surrounding the Haitian orphans of BRESMA and the McMutrie sisters. Forever families not just in the USA but in other countries had adoptions in progress with these 150 children. I can not imagine the rollercoaster of emotions these families have endured the last week.

I prayed. My children and my husband prayed. Everytime I awoke in the night this weekend, I prayed for their safety. I envisioned huge angels encamped around these two tiny American women and their 150 children they were trying to protect, camped outside their crumbled orphanage building.

I found a blog or two with regular postings on the BRESMA situation. Then on Sunday, updates completely stopped. Silence. We felt like that was GOOD NEWS...meaning something was happening that didn't need to be shared. Something big. Something BIG that only our Father could orchestrate. Boy, was it EVER. I never dreamed it'd involve the Governor of Pennsylvania himself on a plane to Haiti to bring the McMutrie girls and their orphans home to their Forever Families. If you haven't seen the video of the children's arrival in Pittsburgh yesterday, click here. After watching Ali McMutrie's press conference statements, my 14 yr old Rayray said, "I want to be her friend."

The sisters did not come home together, however. 53 of the orphans came home on the plane with Ali McMutrie and the Governor, etc. One little toddler didn't make it on the plane. Jamie got off the plane and refused to leave Haiti without the one. She found the little girl at the American Embassy and arrived in Pittsburgh today.

These girls are shepherds over the tiniest and most fragile lambs. This story is a real life picture of Christ. He leaves the 99 safe sheep to go after the one lost lamb. He came after me. He came after you. He has not forgotten nor forsaken the people of Haiti.

He is Emanuel - God is With us, El Shaddai - All Sufficient. Our Hope endures the worst of conditions. Let the earth quake. Our hope is unchanged. (Natalie Grant)

Christmas Month of Comings and Goings

Mommy's little chef!

Rayray played the background music at our neighborhood Christmas party.

We enjoyed a great Christmas weekend at the beach with our SWEET friends!

We took the girls to a sweet Christmas village at Sandestin.

After our homeschool co-op party, we joined two more families

to visit the Bethlehem Village presentation.

Isn't it darling?? Best kit we've ever done!

Enjoyed a fun night with our litttle cuz...

Two grown cousins and my little Appledarlin. We adore these people.

I loveloveLOVE having all the kids home and

having a full table.

I took advantage of all the hands and put them

to work in the kitchen. They made oreo balls,

pecan meltaways, and choc covered pretzels.

Don't stand under the mistletoe with anyone else but me!

Jojo and his freds.

The girls declared Monday to be "Crazy Sock Day."

Little old men.

We laughed until we cried during a rousing few rounds of Catch Phrase.

I think this one just finished his orangutan impression.

More to come!!