In the process of emptying not only my own house because of our move to northern Virginia, but also my parents' house because of my dad's move into a retirement community, we have found quite a few treasures, to say the least! :) The most precious to me by far are the paper treasures: old family pictures, letters, journals, etc. I simply cannot bear to throw them out without taking the time to look through them and capture them in some way for this electronic age! What that really means is that both my dad and I have, in our new homes, some storage boxes completely stuffed with pictures and papers, awaiting the time "when life settles down" and I have time to deal with them. :)
In the latest load I brought back with me to our new house were two photo albums that contain images that are, to me, priceless--like this photo of my mother, sitting in her parents' kitchen, probably in the 1970s. I love her dear face. And that reminds me of a poem I read in a little book my parents had on their shelves, written by a local man that is, I suspect, either somehow related to my family or else known by my family for years and years.
My Dear Mother's Face
~ John Michael Roller ~
While looking upon the pictures of life
When the day was past with its toil and strife,
I sought for a scene in memory's hall
The most beautiful there that I could recall.
I viewed with awe a mountain scene;
Another of ocean with sunset sheen;
But of all that hung in the gallery's space,
The fairest indeed was my dear mother's face.
The time I remember as yesterday
When we stood on the porch near the close of the day,
I sat down at the computer tonight, intending to do a blog post with a little bit of this and a little bit of that in it. When I looked up "I Shall Be Random" to see what volume number I was ready for, I discovered this long-abandoned volume 13 post lurking in my drafts folder, begun way back in February of this year. I had jotted down a few thoughts in the first four points. Let's see if I can go back in time mentally and finish out these bits and pieces from eight months ago before I dive into the new ones...
~ 1 ~
One of my all-time favorite things to do with my children is read to them. Whether it's the Bible, a history book, poetry, a work of fiction, science, or whatever else, there is something special that happens when we share the wonder of the written word--the way the same 26 letters, rearranged, express so vividly the entire range of human experience. I never get tired of it.
Recently, here are two bits of writing that we particularly enjoyed. (There are so many more, but I can't quote them all!)
From a silly poem by Mary Mapes Dodge, "The Mayor of Scuttleton"... "He loaded a shovel and tried to shoot, And killed the calf in the leg of his boot."
From Anne of Avonlea, in the chapter "Marilla Adopts Twins"... "You're never safe from being surprised till you're dead." - Mrs. Rachel Lynde (Oh, good old Mrs. Lynde, you fountain of wisdom, you!)
~ 2 ~
Every so often, I announce a special giving project that I would like to do with the kids: giving money to Heifer International, for example, or pooling our money to help support a friend who spent the summer serving as a missionary in an Arab country. At the beginning of this year, one of the rewarding projects we did was buying food for the food pantry, and the kids chipped in generously with their own money. It was sweet indeed to have them each raid their personal banks and decide how much they wanted to give, and then take the list of needed food to the store and let them help to choose the food items we would purchase for the food pantry. Every time I bring up an opportunity like this, I am blown away by how eager they are to help and how freely they give from their own money. They inspire me!
~ 3 ~
Josiah had a very active tournament season last year with NCFCA, and I was proud of him over and over as he developed his communication skills. But one of the unseen acts he did that made me just as proud of him as anything public he did was helping David and Tobin with their interps (a kind of dramatic speech) that they each did at one of the tournaments we went to (this particular tournament had a level of competition for the younger kids--not something that all the tournaments do). What a joy to sit back and watch him coach his younger brothers -- not only because he saved me a lot of work! ;-) -- but because it demonstrated his servant's heart.
~ 4 ~
One night at the supper table, Moriah made us all laugh uproariously when she asked, "Dad, do I have nipples?" :) She meant dimples, and probably wasn't sure why we all burst out in laughter. :) Nipples...dimples...it's easy to see how a young child could get those two similar words confused! :)
And now, on to the new snippets from much more recently than February! :)
~ 5 ~
Sometimes when I see Shav playing, I'm reminded so much of how Josiah played in his younger years. They both had/have such focus, such ability to concentrate, such delight in using various objects to stand for soldiers and armies and other entities, such complicated battle plans devised in their creative minds, such strategy!
~ 6 ~
When I was pregnant with Tobin, I was vacuuming one day and, as I crouched slightly, something caught in my knee, and then such intense pain seized me that I could hardly bear it. That's been about a decade ago, and I still remember it with a grimace.
The same kind of thing happened to me again a few nights ago, only this time I wasn't vacuuming but was instead in the top of a bunk bed, changing Moriah's sheets. At all times, changing the sheets of a bunk bed is WAY down on my list of Fun Activities to Do; but I've never had such a painful time of it before! But for whatever reason, the position I was in led my knee to clench up and then "tear," shooting daggers all through me. It was miserable.
The thing that makes me laugh about it now was that I was really in an absurd position. Stuck on my hands and knees on the top of the bed, I was afraid to move for fear of that terrible pain shooting through me again; and so I stayed there a while, trying desperately to figure out whether I should shift my weight to the right or the left so I could roll over (neither option seemed likely to give me much relief, so it was the lesser of two evils), and then trying to decide the best plan for getting down from the bunk bed. Tobin, Shav, and Moriah were my audience; and as they watched, Tobin asked, "Is there anything I can do for you, Mom?", and Shav wondered, "Are you crying from pain or from laughter?" (it was both--although my kids are well accustomed to seeing me cry from emotion, whether happy or sad, they have not often seen me cry from physical pain, so it caught them off guard), and Moriah declared, "I'm going to pray for you!" which she did immediately, out loud.
Meanwhile, I still remained on the top bunk, feeling completely stuck and absolutely ridiculous. When I muttered something about the stupid situation I was in, Shav was quick to remind me that we shouldn't say "stupid." I'm so glad I have children to remind me of lofty moral principles when I'm suffering!! ;-)
Eventually, I was able to change my position and inch my way to the ladder, then oh-so-carefully lower myself to the ground where I could give goodnight hugs and then hobble to the couch after putting on a knee brace left over from my high school days when I played basketball! I didn't get anything else on my to-do list done that night, that's for sure!
Thankfully, except for a little residual pain the next day which reminded me to be cautious with that knee, I haven't had any lingering effects.
I'm not eager to crawl up on that bunk bed again though! ;-)
~ 7 ~
One of our local colleges, Bridgewater College (my parents' alma mater), had the privilege of hosting Mark Kelly who gave a talk that was open to the public a few nights ago. Jeff took Josiah, Tobin, and Shav to it, while I took David to his gymnastics class (and Moriah and Benjamin tagged along with me). I was pretty much in awe of the fact that we had such a famous person appearing in our town, and I was completely thrilled for Shav who had been inspired by something we had done recently in our homeschool and had watched quite a few YouTube videos about astronauts and the International Space Station, etc., before declaring that he, too, wants to be an astronaut when he grows up. And then, just a few nights later, he got to hear Mark Kelly speak. Perfect timing!
At the end of Kelly's speech, there was an open mic time for questions from the audience; and Shav boldly got up in front of all those people to ask him a question! Shav's query: "Was the International Space Station fun?" And Mark Kelly responded that it was indeed fun to be at the ISS, then went on to tell a story about some of the fun things they had done there.
I know Jeff, Josiah, and Tobin all enjoyed the evening very much; but I'm especially happy for Shav that he got to hear a real live hero speak...and then direct a question to him personally! :)
~ 8 ~
One of our local treasures is a discount grocery store called Sharp Shopper; and last Friday, when I had a few minutes free before picking up Josiah and David from their Spanish class, I slipped in to see what kind of bargains I could find. Here's what I discovered... :)
I was excited to find the coffee yogurt (my absolute favorite) because the store where I normally get it has not been carrying it recently, so when I saw it--and then noticed that it was 4 for $1--I quickly decided to stock up. But then, I noticed that there were other kids of yogurt that were also 4 for $1, so I got the fruit kinds that are on the right in the picture. But then!
The yogurt in the center of the picture comes in a 4-pack, and the original price of those 4-packs was 6 for $1. That is, 24 yogurt cups for one dollar. But then!! The price was reduced, and it was now 10 of the 4-packs for $1. Yes, 40 yogurt cups for 100 pennies. Fantastic!!
All my kids love yogurt, and it's so convenient to have some on hand for snacks and quick meals. My only problem was fitting them all in the refrigerator when I got home! :)
~ 9 ~
Music is a huge part of my life, and on a normal day at home, not too much time goes by without me turning on one of my Pandora channels or one of my YouTube playlists--although these days, when I do that, it's not uncommon for one of my kids to pipe up and ask if we can listen to his or her playlist instead! ;-)
As I listen to Pandora, a lot of the songs that come on are familiar to me; but sometimes (and fairly often recently), new ones pop up. In that way, I've discovered some new favorites in the past week or so; and quite a few of them, I've realized, have come from the groups Rend Collective and I Am They.
Here's a sample from I Am They...
...and one from Rend Collective.
I love how music acts as a powerful weapon in the spiritual battles of daily life!
~ 10 ~
Something historic happened this week: Josiah, who had long delayed getting a Facebook account FINALLY decided to get one. Even his grandpa got one before he did!! ;-)
I think Josiah has really enjoyed having this avenue for connecting with friends, old and new. David has already announced that the day he turns 13, he's going to get Facebook! :)
~ 11 ~
And speaking of Facebook, here is a snippet that I posted there earlier today but want to include here, for memory's sake. :)
Real-life conversation in my kitchen this morning...
Tobin, age 9: "Why do you guys like to stay in your pajamas, like, half the day?"
David, age 12: "Hypocrite."
and Me, age 41, simultaneously: "You're in your pajamas!"
Tobin, looking down at his legs and seeing them covered in pajamas pants, then beginning to grin sheepishly: "Oh."
* laughter erupting from all of us *
It was 11:07 a.m. Does that count as "half the day"? :)
I will add that, of all the people in the kitchen at that moment, I was the only one who wasn't wearing pajamas. ;-)
This evening, while each of the children (excluding Benjamin) opened one gift apiece...
...and while we had the most hilarious time playing with Shav's gift (the game Pie Face)...
...and while the children eagerly set up camp in the living room to sleep beside the tree, then tossed and turned and exclaimed about how hard it was to fall asleep...
...a current was flowing underneath all of that.
A current of words, flooding my soul with WONDER.
These words.
Man's maker was made man,
that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother's breast;
that the Bread might hunger, the Fountain thirst, the Light sleep, the Way be tired on its journey;
that the Truth might be accused of false witness, the Teacher be beaten with whips, the Foundation be suspended on wood;
that Strength might grow weak; that the Healer might be wounded; that Life might die.
~ Augustine of Hippo ~
What a marvel! What a gift! And with the angels, I cry, "GLORY to God in the highest!!!"
When he was only nine months old, And plump and round and pink of cheek, A joy to tickle and to hold, Before he'd even learned to speak, His gentle mother used to say: "It is too bad that he must grow. If I could only have my way His baby ways we'd always know."
And then the year was turned, and he Began to toddle round the floor And name the things that he could see And soil the dresses that he wore. Then many a night she whispered low: "Our baby now is such a joy I hate to think that he must grow To be a wild and heedless boy."
But on he went and sweeter grew, And then his mother, I recall, Wished she could keep him always two, For that's the finest age of all. She thought the selfsame thing at three, And now that he is four, she sighs To think he cannot always be The youngster with the laughing eyes.
Oh, little boy, my wish is not Always to keep you four years old. Each night I stand beside your cot And think of what the years may hold; And looking down on you I pray That when we've lost our baby small, The mother of our man will say "This is the finest age of all."
~ a poem by Edgar Guest, from a book published 100 years ago ~
Some nights, when the house quiets down after being filled with energy all day long, I find myself with words left over, ready to spill them out here.
Other nights, I've already poured out as many words as I can; and if I have the strength to stay up late, it's to be filled up with others' words, not put out more of my own.
Tonight is the second kind of night, and the words are flowing into me, not out--this time, they are the words of Jesse Stuart's classic book, The Thread that Runs So True which has sat on my bookshelf for years--a hand-me-down from my mother--but which I've never read. I'm not sure why I waited so long. It's inspiring me not only in how I approach education, but in how I approach life.
Before I read another chapter--and likely fall asleep while doing so--let me squeeze out a few thoughts.
********
This evening, on my way to Josiah's speech and debate club meeting, I was half-listening to Moriah's prattle from two seats behind me in the big white van; but when I heard her describing her future, I tuned in more closely. From her, I found out that she's going to have a cat named Love and is going to defend her home with guns and cannons. She's also going to put a sign at the end of her driveway that says, "NO BAD GUYS. But yes, good people allowed." I'm sure with a sign like that, she'll never need to use those cannons. ;-) I don't think she's ever heard Theodore Roosevelt's saying, "Speak softly and carry a big stick," but I think she's got the concept down quite sufficiently. :)
********
A few days ago, I cleaned off the bathroom counter in preparation for our neighbor girl to come and clean. She has started coming every week to clean the two bathrooms and the kitchen floor, and I CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT A DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES in the feel of our home and the stress level of my soul. Life-changing! :)
As I removed random debris from the counter, I came across this scrap of paper, and paused to smile.
You see, ever since the kids heard how Jeff used to write notes to me in gum wrappers and hand them to me as if they were pieces of gum, they have been inspired to do the same. This particular gum wrapper was given to me one day as I was in the bathroom, maybe after a shower. I heard footsteps approaching and tensed a little, not because I expected someone to physically enter the bathroom (our bathroom doors have locks, after all, and I KNOW HOW TO USE THEM), but because I expected some request to be forthcoming from the lips of the child drawing near, or perhaps a complaint about a sibling's treatment of them.
Instead, a slip of paper was pushed by Tobin's hands under the crack at the bottom of the door, and on it he had written this simple message--a short, sweet "I love you," strong enough to melt me.
That might be the best bathroom interruption I've ever had. :)
There's a quote that I see floating around Facebook every so often: "The most precious jewels you'll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children."
With all due respect to whoever first penned that, I'd like to amend it slightly. Here is my version: "The most beautiful decorations that will ever adorn your table are the bouquets of wildflowers and weeds that your children pick for you." :)
I was abundantly blessed today with these hand-picked splashes of color; it seemed like all afternoon, either Tobin or Shav or Moriah was coming in the door with another blossom or two in hand. I soon stopped trying to arrange the flowers and let them take over that task, too. They did a fine job. :)
My heart has been especially soft towards such displays of affection because of two specific reasons. First, the way the puppies have all grown up and left us for other homes has been a vivid reminder of how, although the process takes quite a bit longer for children, it does happen! I find myself missing those puppies way more than I ever thought I would, and I know the day will come when I'll be missing my children when they've left our nest.
Second, on Sunday night, Tobin had a tummy ache that was so alarming that we almost took him to the hospital. It wasn't that long ago that we all got hit with that horrible stomach flu that felled us one by one; but even during the height of that misery, Tobin didn't cry from pain like he did Sunday night. His agony prompted us to google things like "appendicitis symptoms" and even to call my dad, waking him from sleep to ask his advice. As it turned out, just after Jeff had said, "I think I need to take him to the hospital," and had gotten out of bed to get dressed to do just that, Tobin's pain eased, and he was able to sleep more or less peacefully. How grateful we were that it was a false alarm, but how startling to be reminded of the speed at which life can change.
Since then, Tobin has complained from time to time about his stomach hurting, but with nothing even close to the intensity of that one night. His appetite has been off, and his energy low, but nothing too alarming. Both Shav and Moriah have seemed a little off, too; and there have been some complaints of tummy aches, sore throats, and so forth. All three of them were eager to fall asleep this evening, and I'm hoping that a good night of rest will bring restoration to their bodies.
A touch of sickness reminds me of the preciousness of life, and tonight it's especially reminding me of the preciousness of chosen-with-love, picked-by-children's-hands blossoms that are beautifying my springtime kitchen table. There's nothing more lovely than love! :)
My year couldn't possibly come to a satisfying conclusion without me doing a wrap-up post on the blog, could it? :) I, for one, don't want to break tradition, so here is my customary look back over the preceding 365 days.
Some months, I'm bursting with an idea that I want to use for my blog look; and other months, I lack inspiration and have to make myself come up with something. Some months, I introduce the new look as soon as the month begins; and other months, days and more days go by before I get around to it. But in any case, I am so happy that I still continue this practice of changing the header and background each month because, despite the time and work involved, it brings me so much joy to look back over an entire year of designs. :)
Another habit I've developed is writing down each book that I read (not counting books I read aloud to the family) throughout the year, then sharing the list here. Since this was a year in which I was pregnant (which resulted in plenty of times when I was too tired to get up and do anything productive but not too tired to read) :) and nursed a baby (which gave me extra time to read--except for when I was so tired that I fell asleep breastfeeding, which has happened quite a bit during the past three months!), my number of books that I read is higher than in some other years.
As I jotted down titles and authors, sometimes I wrote a note about the book, and sometimes I didn't. With those that I didn't, I often thought I would come back later and write something about it; but obviously that didn't happen for all of them. So be it.
January
1. The Wilder Life - Wendy McClure
2. I Need You Now, God, While the Grape Juice Is Running All over the Floor - Dotsey Welliver - This book was written a year before I was born, but the experiences of the author as a busy wife, mother, and lover of Jesus were easy for me to identify with. Welliver tells many funny stories which made me laugh, but other parts of the book made me think, including this quote from it: "Somewhere down through the noisy days and nights, I made a fantastic discovery. You do not have to have a peaceful atmosphere. All you need is the Prince of Peace. If you are filled with His peace inside, you have an insurance policy against circumstances." An insurance policy against circumstances? That sounds like something I could really benefit from! :)
3. The Altarpiece - Sarah Kennedy - I wanted to like this book, since the author is sort of a local, and the subject matter and setting looked interesting; but the vulgarity really turned me off. Disappointing. :(
4. The Geography of Memory - Jeanne Murray Walker - I read this book about Alzheimer's on my Kindle during my Canada trip (I think it was the first book I read on my Kindle?)
5. An Old-Fashioned Girl - Louisa May Alcott - An old favorite of mine, I read this on my Kindle while traveling home from Canada.
February
6. Shadow Spinner - Susan Fletcher - We checked this out of the library so Josiah could read it for school, but it looked so interesting to me that I read it before he could even get to it. :)
7. Beloved Bondage - Elizabeth Yates - I pretty intensely dislike almost all of this book because the main female character seems like such a spoiled brat to me...and because of the namby-pamby view of God. I remember reading this some years ago and having the same kind of reaction; but for whatever reason, I put the book back on my shelf. This time, I'm letting it go. (I will say, however, that in the end of the book, basically everything turns out OK; but that doesn't mean I have to keep the book.) ;-) (I will also say that other books by Elizabeth Yates are far superior, in my opinion--like Mountain Born, for example.)
March
8. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons - Barbara Cohen - This was another book for Josiah's schooling; but after I read it, I decided not to have him read it yet because there are one or two places that are, in my opinion, better suited for mature readers; the plot, however, was very interesting, and I enjoyed it.
9. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm: The Child - Eric Wiggin & Kate Douglas Wiggin - My parents gave me this trilogy for Christmas in 1991, and I suppose I must have read it back then, but I didn't remember anything about it. When I spotted it recently on one of our bookshelves, I decided to pick it up for some light reading. This book was a little too similar to Anne of Green Gables (but definitely not written as well as Anne!) to be completely enjoyable, but I didn't stop reading. ;-)
10. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm: The Girl - Wiggin
12. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm: The Woman - Wiggin
13. Stories for a Man's Heart - compiled by Al & Alice Gray - I guess it's kind of funny that I read this; but I was considering putting it on the list of 13 books I want Josiah to read when he's 13, so I wanted to read it first :)
14. I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith - I had heard a good recommendation about this book; but in my opinion, it was just so-so.
April
15. Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? - Roz Chast - I saw this recommended on another blog, and immediately put it on reserve at my library. The day I picked it up, I started reading it after I got the kids in bed, then didn't stop reading it until I had finished the book.
16. Still Alice - Lisa Genova - I heard about the movie before I heard about the book, but I read the book first. Since the main character is a woman with Alzheimer's, it's no surprise it sucked me in. I read it in three days (and would have read it in one, if I could have!); and every time I pulled myself away from it, I found myself so emotionally involved in it that I had to consciously remind myself that I was Davene and not the woman in the book! ;-)
17. Left Neglected - Lisa Genova - Another fascinating book by Genova.
18. A Being So Gentle: The Frontier Love Story of Rachel and Andrew Jackson - Patricia Brady
May
19. Free to Learn - Peter Gray - I could write a whole post about this. Very thought-provoking and encouraging for me at this stage in our homeschool journey!
20. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
21. When the Belly Button Pops, the Baby's Done - Lorilee Craker
22. A Long Way from Chicago - Richard Peck
23. Laura Ingalls Wilder Country - William Anderson
June
24. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo
25. Safely Home - Randy Alcorn
26. A Year Down Yonder - Richard Peck
27. The Trial - Jen Bryant - A freebie from the gleanings at the end of the used curriculum sale at our homeschool convention, this was unexpectedly good. The idea of a historical novel being written entirely in poetry didn't attract me at first, but in this case, it works splendidly.
28. Mother - Kathleen Norris - Very sweet book.
29. A Perfect Day - Richard Paul Evans
July
30. When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling - R.C. Sproul Jr.
31. A City of Bells - Elizabeth Goudge - copyright 1936 - I saw this mentioned on someone's blog and checked it out of the library, based on that. One thing that particularly stood out to me in this book was a quote from Pericles: "For the whole earth is the sepulcher of famous men; and their story is not graven only on stone over their native earth, but lives on far away, without visible symbol, woven into the stuff of other men's lives."
32. The Beacon at Alexandria - Gillian Bradshaw - Another freebie from the used curriculum sale. I definitely have mixed feelings about this book. I was completely impressed by the rich historical detail included all throughout this book (for example, rather than simply writing that the main character was eating dinner, the author very specifically mentions what she was eating, which was obviously food that is very different from what's normal today); but the questionable morality and, for lack of a better word, coarseness made me decide to let this book go, rather than leaving it around for my children to eventually read.
August
33. The Flame Trees of Thika - Elspeth Huxley
34. Blood Brothers - Elias Chacour
35. This Is the Life - Helen Chappell White
36. Mrs. Miniver - Jan Struther - I really liked this one.
37. The Spirit of Pregnancy - Bonni Goldberg - Pregnancy is such a special time in a woman's life, and I enjoy reading other women's experiences with it; but some of the perspectives in this book were quite different from my own, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I did have to laugh when I read these words in a piece of writing by Louise Erdrich, "...our bodies are rounded vases of skin and bones and blood that seem impossibly engineered for birth. I look down onto my smooth, huge lap, feel my baby twist, and I can't figure out how I'll ever stretch wide enough. I fear I've made a ship inside a bottle. I'll have to break."
38. Christmas Roses and Other Stories - Anne Douglas Sedgwick - I did not care for this very much.
September
39. A Love Like No Other - edited by Pamela Kruger and Jill Smolowe - I first read these stories about adoption in May of 2008 when our third son was just four months old and I was feeling a strong nudge to adopt. Five months later, we unexpectedly got pregnant again, and since then, adoption has never come to the forefront of my mind so strongly (that's not to say I've never thought about it, but it hasn't seemed to be the path for our family, although I still strongly support it in other situations). Regardless, it was interesting and eye-opening to read this book again.
40. The Search for Delicious - Natalie Babbitt - Josiah sat down and read this one afternoon, then encouraged me to read it, too. I enjoy the companionship of us both having read the same book. :)
41. Lincoln's Battle with God - Stephen Mansfield - I learned so much about Lincoln's spiritual journey from reading this; it opened my eyes to many things I had not previously considered.
42. Before Your Baby Comes - William & Patricia Coleman - This was given to me by my parents on November 7, 2001, just a few weeks after we found out we were expecting our firstborn. :) It was fun to reread this and then let it go to help someone else as they adjust to new motherhood.
43. The Measure of a Heart - Janette Oke - This was the first book I read after the birth of Benjamin; in fact, I packed it in my hospital bag to have some light reading during my time there, and then finished it the day after we brought Benjamin home
44. The Story of Beautiful Girl - Rachel Simon - I had seen this recommended by someone online and then gotten it from our library, but I waited until after Benjamin was born to read it because I was pretty sure it would absorb me and I wouldn't want to stop reading! Sure enough, that's what happened.
45. Seventeen-Ounce Miracle - Rachael Lofgren - I borrowed this from my neighbors and was amazed while reading about a teeny-tiny girl who survived her very premature birth.
October
46. In My Father's House - Bodie Thoene - I have been a big fan of Thoene books in the past, but this series took a little longer to draw me in. There were so many "main" characters that I had a harder time following it, and it felt a little disjointed. But that's not to say that it was awful - it wasn't!
47. America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money - Steve & Annette Economides
48. A Thousand Shall Fall - Bodie Thoene
November
49. Say to This Mountain - Bodie Thoene
50. O for a Thousand Nights to Sleep - Lorilee Craker - I first read this in January 2008, when Tobin was a newborn! It was enjoyable to read it again, three babies later. :)
51. Vera's Journey - Judy Yoder - This was one of the most impacting books I read this year. I could write a whole post about this and hope to do so someday.
December
52. Elephants and Quaker Guns - Jane Chapman Whitt
53. Your Prayers Are Always Answered - Alexander Lake
54. Steve Jobs: Insanely Great - Jessie Hartland
55. The Plain Choice - Sherry Gore - Jeff gave this to me for Christmas, and I really enjoyed reading it.
Out of these 55 books, I believe I only have 20 here on our shelves, with the rest either coming from the library or being given away after I read them. It's not much, but every little bit helps when it comes to downsizing and living simply. :)
Sometimes in years past, I have made a list of my favorite blog posts from each month; but this year, when I tried to do so, I became overwhelmed because I had too many favorites. :) So I'm going to skip that this year. I did notice that I didn't write as many blog posts in 2015 as I did in preceding years; and in fact, each year the number dwindles a little more. If the current trend continues, in 15 or 20 years, I won't be blogging at all! ;-)
2015 has been a wonderful year; and of course the birth of Benjamin dominates this year in my memory. 2016 isn't likely to have such a huge event in it; but I'm hopeful that it will give many moments of joy and sweetness, learning and growing, kindness and deep love. Welcome, 2016!! :)
Ever since Becky gave us this dry-erase board, I have been regularly entertained by the drawings that appear on it. It inspires endless creativity from my children!
Two of the drawings that particularly stood out to me recently were done by Shav. In this one, he drew a giraffe and viewing stand that is very similar to the one we were on during our drive-through safari last month.
And this one, of course, is his rendering of the nativity.
I wonder what I'll find on the board tomorrow! :)
~ 2 ~
In my Q & A a Day journal, the question for December 7 was this: "Where do you see yourself next year?"
I was moved when I read my response in 2014. I had written, "Honestly, probably right here! Kids a year older, but still homeschooling, doing choir & violin, etc. Maybe with a new baby? But after a year of unsuccessful trying, I'm doubtful."
And now, in 2015, to hold my Benjamin in my arms and rememberhow it felt to write those words! All I can do then is whisper for the hundred millionth time, "Thank You, God, for giving me this child!"
~ 3 ~
I don't listen to the radio very often anymore, since I have my Kindle hooked up in the kitchen and can access Pandora through it. But a little while back, I happened to be alone in the car so I turned on the country station (my guilty indulgence) ;-) and heard a song that was new to me: "Die a Happy Man" by Thomas Rhett. I didn't love all the words of the song, but I sure do love the message of it. Here are some of the words:
And I know that I can't ever tell you enough
That all I need in this life is your crazy love.
If I never get to see the northern lights,
Or if I never get to see the Eiffel Tower at night,
Oh, if all I got is your hand in my hand,
Baby, I could die a happy man.
Once in a while, the topic of "bucket list" comes up; and I smile when I hear what my boys put on their bucket lists. When they ask me about mine, I have a hard time coming up with an answer. In truth, I feel so abundantly blessed by the life I have, the husband I'm loved by, the children we've been given, etc. that I sometimes find it hard to wish for more. But to have Jeff's hand in mine until the end of my life? Yeah, I'd like that. :)
~ 4 ~
One of the simple pleasures I've enjoyed all year has been a Mary Engelbreit page-a-day calendar that I've kept on a windowsill in the kitchen. Josiah, David, and I are all eager to see what each new day brings. When we turned to the page for December 8, Josiah exclaimed, "Mom, that's you!!" :)
As I sit here scratching my head and wondering how in the world we got to Christmas Eve already, I think he's exactly right! :)
~ 5 ~
This December was historic for me because, for the first time, I got to be in a parade! Josiah and David had been in one before as part of their children's choir; but the other kids and I had never gotten that privilege...until this year when a kind friend who owns a local business asked us if we wanted to help decorate their company bus for the parade and then either ride in it or walk alongside it, passing out candy. Moriah, Benjamin, and I took up her offer to ride, while the others walked or rollerbladed (David) or scootered (Tobin) and handed out candy.
I'm so glad we got to do this! It sure gave me a different perspective on a parade because rather than sitting on the sidewalk and watching all the groups and floats go by, I got to see this...
...and this...
...and this the whole time. :)
It seemed to go so fast! I wish I could have made time move more slowly so I could have seen--really seen--all the faces that we were passing and could have taken the time to speak to them, more than just the hasty, exuberant "merry Christmas" we were proclaiming.
I wondered if my kids would be disappointed to be on the giving end of the candy, rather than the receiving; but they had a blast being in the parade and didn't grump about the lack of candy. Being able to do this with friends was way better than candy! :)
~ 6 ~
When we first started attending the church where we fellowship now, one of the very first people to welcome us was Janie--this Janie, who recently took care of Benjamin in the church nursery so I could, for once, sit in the service and focus on the sermon.
I knew he was in good hands. :)
God bless her and other dear ladies who care for my little one as tenderly as they cared for their own babies, 50 years ago!
~ 7 ~
For years and years and years, the choristers of the Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir wore red-plaid vests; and that particular plaid became synonymous with the SVCC. And then, when that plaid was no longer available, the decision was made to get new uniforms. Monumental! Earth-shaking! Unbelievable!
This past semester was the first one in which the choristers sported their new look during concerts, and the funny thing to me is that not once did I (or Josiah and David--I checked) think, "Oh, I sure wish we had the old uniforms again." We were so pleased with the new ones. They just looked RIGHT.
~ 8 ~
She's only three, so I'm not faulting her; but Moriah can't figure out pronouns to save her life. She very consistently refers to females with masculine pronouns and vice versa; and even if I correct her by saying, for example (in response to her saying about a girl doll, "He has a pretty dress"), "Yes, SHE has a pretty dress," she will instantly go back to the masculine pronoun again. Oh well, someday she'll figure it out. :)
~ 9 ~
Some time ago, we were given a lovely quilt by a friend who, get this, used to be a LAPD officer but who, after he retired, took up quilting to pass the time. He doesn't fit the stereotype of a quilter, but he sure has a good eye for it, and we were DELIGHTED to receive one of his beautiful creations!
Benjamin has just recently discovered his toes; and when I lay him down on his back, he starts reaching for his toes which are swinging around wildly, somewhere at the end of his legs. He's getting better and better at grabbing them. :) Thurston's quilt was a perfect place for Benjamin to show off his new skill yesterday. :)
~ 10 ~
As the days have progressively gotten shorter, I have noticed that, from time to time, I get a little antsy at sundown. In fact, the thought came into my mind that I would like to write a poem for Jeff called "I Miss You Most at Sundown." But then I never did. ;-)
I know how early-evening darkness affects me from other years, so I wasn't surprised to start feeling some of the same this year; but then somehow, my perspective shifted. Rather than dreading the coming of darkness at that time of day, I realized that, if I could look at it as a time of preparing for the joy of the family being reunited, I could see it as a wonderful part of the day. As I shift into our early evening routine and go about my tasks of making supper, instead of lamenting how dark it is already and wishing that it were spring so the light would stay with us longer each day, I try to focus on the reward of preparing a meal for my beloved family. I LOVE those hours when the family has all returned from their various places, and we sit down together to eat supper, and then we have some time to be--just be--together. At home. With the family. It's heavenly.
At this season of the year, when the sun slips away each day, I try to remember the reward that is coming; and that simple change of perspective has helped make this past fall a more joyful time for me.
Let's hope it still works when February rolls around! ;-)
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