A Bit of Little Laundry

Yes, you read that right. I didn't mean to say "A Little Bit of Laundry," but "A Bit of Little Laundry." You see, that's because Mom brought an old suitcase (which happened to be my great-grandmother's overnight bag) full of old (many handmade) doll clothes. Mom used them for her Barbie doll and my sister and I used them for ours. While Shaylen's Only Hearts dolls aren't made quite the same way, some of them will still work for her. They smelled very musty, so I handwashed them. I didn't want to throw them in the dryer (didn't want them to last for 30+ years only to be destroyed by me), so I figured that I would hang them up to dry. When I got done I laughed at how funny it all looked to have itty-bitty dresses, skirts, cardigans and hats hanging on my laundry line.

The Peanut Rides Solo

Many of you may remember that last summer, Marshall and Shaylen were given "new" bicycles. We got them bike helmets, adjusted the seats and were prepared to take off the training wheels. Marshall was able to pick up on it fairly quickly, after his first try in fact, but poor Shaylen wasn't quite ready. She vowed to try again after winter.

She was true to her word. Yesterday, she finally mustered up the courage to try again. Taigen called to me from outside. When I looked, she was riding around the yard all by herself. I quickly grabbed the camera and videotaped her second try. Taigen, Mom and I were so excited to see her finally accomplish this milestone.

Blast From the Past

Guess who is in town? My mom! She has made her yearly pilgrimage from Alaska. This time when she came, it took her 16 hours from Fairbanks. That is one long day! It would be faster to fly to Paris, France (and probably about the same price too). She finally got in at 4:30 on Wednesday night.

On Tuesday, we had received a package from Mom. The box contained some treasures that Mom had played with when she was a girl and then my sister and I played with them when we were girls. What's neat is that now that these treasures have come to New England, my children can play with them. We unpacked everything onto the kitchen counter yesterday and Mom explained everything to the kids.

What are these treasures? Well, some of the things were delicate pieces of furniture that were in my dollhouse when I was a child. (The kids aren't ready for those, but they enjoyed looking at them nonetheless.) The other items were part of a set called a Dream Kitchen. Mom said she and my aunts (pronounced "ants" not "ahhhnts"...tee hee) probably got the dream kitchen back in the early 60's. The kitchen has a fridge, a stove, a sink, a dishwasher and lots of cupboards to store stuff. There's pretend food, itty bitty plates, silverware, cups, teacups & saucers, pots, pans, and boxes of pretend products that stock the cupboards.

Stephanie and I both remember playing for hours with these and it's neat to see my children take delight in them as well. Mom sent them specifically for Shaylen, but I think Marshall is enjoying all of the tiny details as well.

Pastors/Wives Memorial Day Fellowship

Two years ago we were able to have some pastors/wives and their kids over to our house for a picnic. We had such a great time with all of them. For some reason, we were not able to do it last year, but earlier on in this year we determined to do it.

We had a smaller group this year (only 32), but the day was beautiful and I think everyone enjoyed sitting in the shade and talking. The teens threw a football and frisbee around and the little kids were running around, playing freeze-tag or entertaining themselves in whatever way they deemed best.

I promised the pastors and wives that I would not post any incriminating photos of them (especially the ones of them playing a silly relay game that Taigen came up with), but I did NOT promise to not post photos of their kids!

We're so thankful for the wonderful day we had and the encouragement from our friends.

Homeschool International Fair

Marshall and Shaylen wrapped up school in early May, but one of our last school functions was to participate in a homeschool international fair.

The kids had to get a tri-fold display and report on a specific country. After thinking a bit on what all was required of them, I decided that the kids would do Zambia since we had so many artifacts from there (thank you Auntie Janellee). We also had outfits that were made from Zambian material (thank you Auntie Janellee) and easy access to quick answers (thank you Auntie Janellee, Missionary Phil Hunt and Google).

Marshall and Shaylen were super excited to work on it and find the answers. We couldn't just report on any old thing. We had a list of specific questions we had to answer. That made things more interesting! Once those were answered and displayed on our board, we could also add other information we deemed worthy of display. (The kids were really excited to put up a picture of a dung beetle. They think his job is really, really interesting!)

Since Marshall & Shaylen have limited abilites with the computer, I would look things up and then they would help find the information and pictures. They were so cute writing things down on paper and then telling me what to type up. It was a ton of fun and they were super researchers. Obviously, by looking at the pictures, you'll know that there was a ton of help from me (how could I not help, right?), but they really did get in on a bunch of the action. The kids also had to internalize a lot of the information so that they could be familiar enough with Zambia in order to answer the questions of those that would visit their "booth."

The kids enjoyed visiting the other displays and looking at their interesting artifacts. There were displays of Afghanistan, Austria, Australia, England, France, Ireland, Italy & Norway. That equals a lot of work by our homeschool kids (and a lot of work involving their Mommies)! Reports, costumes, displays and food usually don't just appear without a mom somewhere behind the scenes.

After we were all done taking our tours and filling out our passports, we enjoyed an international meal. It was delicious! The kids and I made ndiwo and nshima. That's Zambian for stew and corn meal mush. It was really good and we liked it. I used chicken, spinach, tomatoes and onions for the stew. That was my favorite part. The kids really liked the nshima. I'm thinking it wasn't necessarily for the taste, which was quite bland, but for the mere fact that they got to eat it with their fingers. It was a successful night, mostly in part due to the planning and organization by one of our homeschool moms, Jane (Ellen's mom). It was her idea and I'm so glad she spearheaded it all. We loved it!

Number Four...and Counting

Guess who lost another tooth this morning (looking at him, it's the bottom right empty space)? He has two front teeth on the top that are loose as well. He's getting SO big, SO fast.

Special Seamstress

Kids grow so quickly. It seems that no sooner do I pull out outfits that have been given or handed down to them, wash them, hang them up in their closets that I realize that they have outgrown them or are close to outgrowing them. It can be very frustrating at times! I think, "This was just purchased for them!" I'm sure you moms can relate with me, right?

We have a wonderful young lady in our church who sews. She is launching out into her own business and wondered if Shaylen could play model/first customer. She had some patterns that she recommended that were nice and long. The dresses will be sewn slightly larger with a tie in the back and with a longer hem so that when Shaylen grows, we can let it "out" and down in hopes of getting more life out of the dress.

Last week I went over to their house so that she could try her work thus far on Shaylen and make some adjustments. The dresses looked beautiful. She has really done a great job. In return, I offered to take some pictures of her for her senior portraits. I know, I know, I'm not a professional, but we sure had fun tromping through the woods, sitting in dew-laden grass and convincing a stubborn horse to come and pose for the picture. Hopefully there were some photos in the mix that they could use to send to family.

I'm so thankful to have this wonderful young lady (along with many other young ladies) in our church. Her ministry to Shaylen (and therefore me) has been a blessing.

Relief From the Heat

Tuesday was scheduled to have 90+ degree weather. Our air conditioning units weren't in the windows as it almost goes against our grain to put them in before Memorial Day. You could say it's our rule of thumb in order to try and save money.

My good friends Amy and Wendy invited me to join them & their kids on the beach so that we could escape the heat and stuffiness of our house. I took them up on their offer and am ever so thankful that I did.

I packed lunches for Marshall, Shaylen and myself along with lots of water, sunscreen and a huge beach umbrella that Taigen had bought to keep us out of the scorching sun. Even getting out of the house and into Amy's van was a relief. Her air conditioning felt really nice.

Amy has a fancy-schmancy van that tells her what the temperature is outside. As we neared the coast we watched the temperature drop. When we pulled up in the parking lot, the temperature read 67 degrees. We thought it was wrong, but when we stepped outside the van, we felt the wonderful sea breeze. It felt so good.

The kids enjoyed jumping in the waves, digging in the sand, experimenting with boogie-boarding and picnicking on the beach. I enjoyed the conversation and laughter all while digging my feet in the sand & sipping my raspberry iced tea beneath the shade of my beach umbrella. This is the life. Too bad life & reality eventually call, right? I could've stayed there all day.

Special Twelfth Year Date

Can you believe that Taigen and I have been married for 12 years? I can honestly say that it's been the best 12 years of my life. I couldn't have asked for a better husband.

Taigen had a bunch up his sleeve the week of our anniversary. He planned special little notes or small gifts throughout the week leading up to our 12 year anniversary. It was very creative and special. On Saturday the 15th he asked our good friends if Marshall and Shaylen could go over to their house and play so that Taigen and I could have a date here at our house. They were very sweet and said "yes."

Marshall and Shaylen love spending time with their kids. They are very sweet, good kids. Amy was good enough to snap up a few photos so I could keep them as memories. One thing the kids always love doing at their house is playing the Wii (it is a very special treat for them). They have yet to master the driving game, but sure love trying.

Our date was really nice, quiet and relaxing, and although we love our kids, it was nice to have the house to ourselves for just a little while.

End of the Year Celebration

Just like last year, we promised the kids that when the school year ended, we would all go out to Friendly's for ice cream. The kids looked forward to Friendly's with great anticipation. When we finished up with our academic testing at the beginning of May, the kids expected to go out that night, but we had a busy, busy week. We finally were able to go and reward their hard efforts Monday of last week.

Marshall and Shaylen looked at the menu in hopes of snagging the biggest ice cream amount possible. I think Taigen did the same because when his came along with the kids' our eyes popped. (Taigen must think that it takes a great deal of work to be school superintendent, because he rewarded himself accordingly. Tee hee!) Marshall and Shaylen's teacher/principal (i.e. ME) was rewarded with a peanut butter cup and vanilla ice cream blend that was tremendous.

And how did they really do this year? Well, they both got straight A's...and I'm not just saying that. They earned them.

We're so proud of Marshall and Shaylen and all of the diligence that they poured into their first grade year. They are honestly and truly a joy to homeschool.

Academic Testing...Fun?

I just had to post these pictures from our first day of academic testing. The kids were looking forward to it believe it or not. Just from glancing over their shoulders periodically, I think they did well. Only time will tell.

New Friends and Old Friends

Several weeks ago (so sorry that I'm just now getting around to posting about this!) we had special meetings with Todd and Krista Sivnksty. Krista and I grew up together in CO and have many, many great memories tucked under our belts. This is the first time that they have been to Heritage and also the first time that our kids have ever met.

We had a wonderful week of services. It was such a blessing to spend time with them. The first week they were here, both Krista and I were doing school with our children, so we didn't get to do a whole bunch of stuff together. They were able to come over for a meal or two and we also helped Krista celebrate her 29th birthday (29, plus tax). The kids really enjoyed playing with Cameron and Ivy.

We were fortunate to get a second week with them. Instead of driving all the way back down South, they were able to park at the church and stay in New England until they had to drive to MI for their next set of meetings. This allowed us more time to reminisce and enjoy the time without rushing around. Todd and Taigen went golfing, Krista and I went out to dinner and chatted for well, um, quite a while. Krista and I took the kids to the beach one day and we then enjoyed pizza in their trailer the night before they left. I felt like I got a great shot in the arm from them. What a blessing good friends are!

'Tis The Season

May is a beautiful time of year. The trees explode with a vibrant lime green and our area wakes up to Spring. I love how we have a profusion of color on our property the first two weeks of May. We have white and pink (both dark and light) and green. It is beautiful. The jury is still out whether I prefer Spring or Fall here in New England, but either way I love how God made our neck of the woods to put on quite the display.

May is also a busy time of year. For me, this May meant Ladies' Banquet Season. It is such a blessing to go to different churches and get to know all of the ladies and then share a devotional with them from God's Word. It's also a great benefit for me to see how different churches "run" their ladies' ministries and glean great ideas for our own. The first Saturday in May, I was able to head down to Derry, NH (I had spoken there two years ago), the second I was in Oakdale, CT. Saturday the 15th, we had our own ladies' banquet and this past Saturday I spoke at a church in New Durham, NH. The study has been so good for me, stretching and pushing me to be clear and concise, kind but challenging.

Our own ladies' banquet went so well. I was more than pleased with how everything fell together. We had a camera theme for this entire year entitled "Through God's Lens." We "focused" in on what God has to say for wives, mothers, teens, single women, workers, caregivers & friends. One of my goals for my ladies to not just live, going through each day in the same way we did yesterday and the day before, but live as God has prescribed us to. The blessing of having a great cross-section of ages in our church is we can all "sharpen" each other and encourage each other to please the Lord more. We have ladies who have "been there, done that" and listening to them share what they've learned has been beneficial. Walking through a consistent theme this year, I think, helped us.

As a conclusion to our year we had a banquet with the theme of "Renewing Your Focus." I had spoken at a banquet in Manomet, MA last year that used that theme and I brought home a pocketful of ideas!

So how did it all come together in my mind? Well, (this is all going to seem very funny to you) I got a note from the Herbsters after our special meetings with them last September. The piece of stationery had a beautiful floral black and white design on it. Because it was a sweet note and so pretty, I set it on my dresser upstairs in my bedroom. (Let's see if you can follow this long train of thought...) On my dresser is an old pitcher with some pretty silk flowers. In the grouping is a hot pink gerber daisy. I saw it in combination with the black and white note card and liked it! It was a lightning bolt moment and I thought, "Wouldn't this be neat to use for our color scheme?" After all, it is a camera theme. Shouldn't we have black and white? Through the help of many of our ladies at church, it all came together beautifully.

The meal was catered by our own men in the church. Two men organized it all, four cooked it all, and several men including some of our teen guys served it all and cleaned it all up for us. What a luxury. We polished off the meal by saying, "Cheese...cake." Yummy!

The effect was simple, yet elegant. One thing I really enjoyed was that the ladies brought in baby pictures so we could play a photo guessing game. It was so fun to see my friends when they were little! With some extra oldish looking photos we decorated the church lobby and fellowship hall. Mrs. Sally Jones from Cornerstone Baptist Church in Oakdale, CT came and gave the devotional. Our ladies loved her.


Shaylen had been looking forward to the banquet for months. It was a wonderful time to sit and be with my little Peanut. It was a wonderful day, full of great fellowship and friends.

Friends Of Old

Back in the ol' days, I lived in a dormitory at college. Across the hall lived my good friend Becky. I called her Becky Heckadude, only because 1.) She was hilarious and wouldn't be offended, and 2.) Her real last name was Heckathorne. We always had a wonderful time when put together. Both of us have the capacity of throwing back our heads and heartily laughing.

Fast forward a decade. Yes, even over a decade. More like 14 years. That's how long it's been since I saw Becky Heckadude. How sad! The last time we can remember seeing each other was graduation from Bob Jones University in 1996. We're both now married and have two kids. Through the wonderful tool of Faceb*ok, we were able to reconnect. Her family is preparing to head to Romania as missionaries to try and reach the gypsies. Unfortunately for us, we were unable to have them at our church (we just had Dr. K and were currently in special meetings when they were trekking through New England), but they wanted to stop by and say "hello!" Boy was I excited!

They came over two Thursdays ago and joined us for lunch at the house. The kids had a wonderful time playing together and Becky and I pulled out the ol' BJU yearbooks and chatted about old times, new times and future times. It was just so sweet for me to spend time with her. She hasn't changed a bit and we had quite a few laughs. I met her husband for the first time, and aside from him telling me that I was old and gray (just kidding Travis, just kidding!) I really liked him. You can tell I liked him because within moments I started giving him a hard time. Poor guy!

I'm not sure when they'll have their full support and head over to Romania, but I was thankful for their little detour to our area. Hopefully we'll see each other before another decade and a half roll by.

My Favorite Kind of Math Equation

What do you get when you subtract television, add some great books (both audio and softbound), a pile of legos, a lego man, a Lincoln Log cowboy, two ginormous couch pillows, a dozen or so stuffed animals, a canvas storage bin and a cute little boy with a wonderful imagination? You get Marshall who entertained himself this way (see video below) for at least an hour yesterday afternoon while I worked on my devotional for this weekend's ladies' banquet down in CT.

I've talked before about how they play independently like this and provide a running commentary on what is taking place. I hear snippets of their books in their conversations, but I've never caught it on video. Sorry it's a little shaky, but I was trying to hide behind a corner so that he wouldn't see me, get embarrassed and stop.

And where was Shaylen during all of this? Lounging on the couch devouring an entire chapter book in a single afternoon (Tommy's Rocket by Sharon Hambrick, 83 pages, published by Journeyforth Books).

I love my kids!

So Grown Up

Out of the blue on Monday after swimming lessons were done and the kids were changing back into their clothes, Marshall asked me if I could spike his hair up slightly in the front. I played with his wet hair there in the bathroom and said, "Like this?" I asked Marshall why he wanted his hair slightly spiked. He thought it would make him look a little more like Chris (Taigen's cousin in WA). How sweet. It was especially neat because it was obvious he had been thinking about him, even though we hadn't even discussed Chris in a long time. We can't wait to see him in December when we travel out there for Christmas.

After discussing this with Taigen later on that day, we decided to give it a go. After finishing his hair, he turned to me and said, "I feel so grown up!"

You can't see the "spiky-ness" in this photo too well, but you can trust me that he is such a handsome little man.