A Place Called Home

www.myhomesteadblessings.blogspot.com

2010-06-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Chelsea I now have all my blog postings in one spot and am ready to begin chronically our adventures with our new life in Alabama.Lord willing, I will post on a more regular basis so that I'll be able to have a reminder of the special times that are so easily forgotten in the busyness of life.We are excited to get this move behind us,settle in with our new church family, and begin sharing our new home with family and friends, and even some strangers!

New Blog

2009-12-15T21:05:00.000-08:00

I have created a new blog, and can't figure out how to transfer my old one:( My new blog is www.applesforjam.blogspot.com.It will still be a simple blog, written to share a bit of our family life with friends and family who are spread over many miles.

Log Cabin Life

2009-06-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

This evening I finaly found some pictures that I took a while back that I had been meaning to post. We went and spent the weekend at the home of the John Parkers if Nashville. They have an old restored cabin on a beautiful piece of countryside. The hills of Tennessee can't be beat on a Springtime morning. The boys were up bright and early to fish and play in the creek. They enjoyed the horses and fishing, while we enjoyed the wonderful meal and the fellowship. It was such a lovely relaxing weekend. It still makes me smilejust thinking about it:)

A Day in Nashville

2009-06-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

On the morning of the 23rd (of May) the family decided to drive to Nashville and surprise Jon for the day, with a late birthday party. Justin took him golfing, and then to Maggiano's Italian Restaurant for lunch. When he walked in the door he was truly surprised. That was a first! We ate for 2 1/2 hours, and the food was amazing. A real Italian feast. I felt as if we were at a wedding in Sicily with all the courses. Katie had made him a wonderful poster with scriptures imposed over a backlit photo of him with his guitar. She has such a gift for gift giving, and always seems to know what would be most meaningful to the recipient.We then headed over to the Science Museum for the afternoon. The boys had a great time, along with the little ones. One of the most memorable was feeling "weightless" on the climbing wall with their brother-in-law, Justin. He's always up for trying something new!We went by to see Jon's new apartment...great neighborhood. I think all of us felt better about him starting this new phase of life in Nashville now that we can imagine his surroundings. We sure do miss seeing him all the time, but are excited to see him making his dreams come true.

Tim's Graduation

2009-06-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

My son-in-law, Tim, graduated from Harding recently, with his MBA. We are so proud of him. We all made a trip to Searcy to see him cross the stage, along with my nephew, Jason, who was completing his degree. We shared a wonderful weekend with friends and family.We stayed with our friends Ken and Teresa, who treated us royally with homemade blueberry pancakes for breakfast! Everyone was able to be there, except for Jon who was traveling with his soccer team.I had a nice visit with my friend, Mona Lee, though never long enough to feel like we've even begun to catch up. Being with all of my brothers and sistes was especially wonderful. This past year, with all its struggles, was much easier because they carried my load. Gabriel, Maria and Julia are so blessed to have such a hard working Dad. To work a full time job, create websites as a side business, and earn an MBA at the same time, shows a lot of diligence on his part. More importantly he is a wonderful husband to our daughter, Katie,and is active in his local congregation. Hopefully, now that his work is completed he can find a little free time for himself.

Charlotte Kimberly

2009-06-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

One of the many delightful aspects of these past few weeks has been sharing our days with our granddaughter Charlotte. Since moving here in April from Sicily, we have been able to take many walks, visits and spend time playing in the pool in the backyard. She is a sweet, content child who has brought much joy to our lives. Today I came home with a new dollhouse for the grandbabies. Charlotte was pretty excited about it!

Taekwondo

2009-05-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

In January of this year I was praying for my two youngest sons and their futures. I wanted to get them involved in something positive, which would NOT involve competition. While browsing at Hobby Lobby I came across an ornament to hang on the tree which was a dark skinned little boy in a Taekwondo outfit...jumping. It reminded me of Christian, who leaps and bounds through life, but also of Jordan with the determination in the face. After looking into what was available I found that FHU offered a class two nights a week. That's five minutes away:) The class age ranges from 5 to 45. All three instructors have their black belts and are fellow believers...and also adoptive parents. It has been a wonderful semester. The boys have already earned their yellow belts, and will test for their high yellow belts on Monday.Last week Chelsea and Justin went with them to see their work. They were so excited to show off at something NO ONE else in the family had ever done!I have two new patches to sew on before next weeks final class for the semester, followed by "Ninja Night"!I just love it when my prayers are answered so clearly, and I don't have to wait til heaven to see the answer.

Square Foot Gardening

2009-05-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

This Spring we decided to expand our gardening efforts and move off of the back porch. In years past we have been gone much of the summer and were unable to benefit from any small bounty we might have been blessed with. Since we will be staying home this summer we have built our first 4x4 frame, with it's neat one foot sections, and planted our crop:) We have spinach, lettuce, cabbage, peppers, basil, onions, and two types of tomatoes. On the porch we are growing rosemary, sage, parsley, and lavendar. We have strawberries, blackberries and raspberries growing along the fence. The weather has been perfect, apparently, for growing things. My yard is in full bloom. I have vases of creamy pink and white peonies in every room. I've passed them on to friends. I have yellow irises in the beds, and azaleas blooming out front. The pink dogwood we planted last year is gorgeous. This past weekend when Chelsea was home visiting I took her around the yard and was pointing out the different things growing, and it suddenly hit me. I am my Mother! She did the same thing to me (and sad to say, I was not that enthusiastic:)She had never been able to grow anything when I was young, and then once we were gone she developed a green thumb. The very same thing had happenned to me. It made me think.Priorities change. Life teaches us patience. Time spent in the garden gives us the gift of peace and contentment while we are working,and then again at harvest time.Chelsea has also planted a garden this year. I'm so happy that she won't be waiting 50 years before she experiences the joys of eating healthy food from her own backyard.

Sliding Down the Hill

2009-05-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Looking through some old pictures taken last summer, I ran across these that were taken with Jordan and Christian when their cousins were visiting. Dear Dana came up with the ultimate water slide on the spur of the moment, and the boys enjoyed their afternoon sliding with Alex, Sam and Seth.And I enjoyed sitting on the porch smocking while Dana squirted soap down the slide:) She's a fun friend!

Linens

2009-05-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

Linens, starch, lavendar linen spray, new ribbons- eggshell blue, pinks, greens. Once a year I pull everything out of my buffet and linen armoire. I set up my ironing board and small fan, and plug in the laptop. As the music begins to play, the mood is set."Anne of Green Gables", a glass of sweet tea, and stacks of matching napkins tied with sweet ribbons." These are the napkins painted by Edna Thbaraj for Great Aunt Rema to match her violet dishes", I share with my daughters. "This is the tablecloth I bought at the Tuesday market along the Arno River in Florence. I was with Joyce Shackelford and she helped translate for me. The merchant said I was "simpatico" so he sold it to me for only 25,000 lire. I think he loved you three little ones and was just being kind." Each stack has a memory. Meals shared with those who have gone on. The red cloth that covered the funeral cart in Italy for dear Roberto Masini, that now graces our table each holiday.A new South African cloth brought by our most recent guest, Jean Lambert as she is here preparing for her daughters' upcoming marriage. Everything smooth, starched, neat. No loose ends. For the rest of the year, each time I get out a set of sheets to make the beds for a new guest, I make a new memory. Each tablecloth as it is refolded has a story to tell about the conversations that were shared above it.For two or three days a year I get a chance to reminesce and be grateful. So many lives have touched ours. How blessed we have been.

The Gathering

2009-05-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

This past week, the daughter of our friends Terri and Dennis Rine lost her life in a senseless tragedy. Micah, having just turned 26 this past week, was an amazing young woman, and a wonderful OB/GYN nurse. She touched the lives of so many with her kindnesses and the joy by which she lived her life.There is much we do not know at this time. There was a shooting, her husband says accidental, but what we do know is that she is gone from our midst.And it is such a great loss. It makes all around us feel fleeting. It makes life seem insecure. This could be our daughter, our friend. Those could be our broken lives.So last night, as one by one each of our children and grandchildren migrated into the small upstairs schoolroom where Terry was attempting to grade papers, I had to smile.It started with a conversation between Terry and Justin.Brandon joined in.Then Jon with the guitar.Katie joins in singing along. They're all singing, Gabriel is playing a game in the midst of all the feet, baby Julia is kicking her feet.Tim and Maria come looking for Katie. Chelsea and I hear the commotion and go to check what is going on.Here come Jordan and Christian. The room is small. Like 10X10 small. But love was there. And security. For that night, we were all together. We loved one another. We would always be there for each other. Conversations have drifted this past week to family compounds, big rooms with built in library shelves, land for gardening and flowers and all of us together-- three generations, maybe four.But Micah taught us one very valuable last lesson.We only have today. And for today, God has brought us together, and for this we rejoice.We don't need a family compound. We can find each other, even in a little 10X10 room.

I'm Back!

2009-05-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that it has been an entire year since I last posted. I have been encouraged by so many friends who, unknown to me, were regular followers, to continue with my musings on the daily joys and trials that make up life. For a short, condensed summary of the past year...In August Terry and I celebrated thirty years of marriage, followed the next day with emergency heart surgery to replace his aorta and valve. Becaus of a long recovery period we were unable to make our trip to Italy and spent the Fall semester at home while Terry recuperated.Jonathan went in his stead and did an outstanding job as interim director in his Dad's absence. In October, our granddaughter, Charlotte Kimberly, was born in Catania Sicily.In October, Jordan experienced his first broken wrist, while waveboarding, and had to be in a cast for six weeks. In November, the older children gathered their resources to fly Brandon and family home for a visit.We all enjoyed this time of being together so much.In January, little Julia Marcail joined her little brother Gabriel, 3, and sister Maria, 2, born just one day after her sister's 2nd birthday.I was hospitalized during this time with what turned out to be esophageal spasms, and grateful it was a problem that was easily treated with medication.In March, after many weeks of joy and excitement, Justin and Chelsea once again sent their unborn child straight into God's waiting arms. In April, Brandon and Kristin returned from Sicily for him to complete his masters work at FHU.Tim finished his MBA at Harding in early May. I guess the truth is that it is impossible to condense a years worth of living in a few paragraphs! So from this point onwards, my intent is to share the joys in living in this world, and to encourage my family and friends to live quiet lives serving our Lord...lives of contentment.

Mothers Day 2008

2008-05-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a beautiful reminder of how good life can be. The celebrations began on Thursday night when our niece, Maggie, announced that she was finishing the semester with a 3.0 GPA. Maggie came to live with us this semester and has really applied herself to her studies. We are SO proud of her.On Friday the little boys and I celebrated the completion of our school year. They are now officially third and fourth graders. We went out to lunch and then they each chose a gift at Books-a-Million. Christian bought a Science Kit and Jordan chose a guitar pic necklace with a scripture on it. On Saturday night we celebrated the birth of Jon, 24 years ago. Everyone was here for dinner...Micah, Grandpa and Grandma, sisters, brother-in-laws, niece and nephew, etc. We had an apple-brandy marinated pork roast, squash, roasted rosemary potatoes, yeast rolls, brownies and Italian Cream Cheese Cake. We played board games, guitar, and looked through photo albums put together for me by Katie for Mothers Day. She scrapbooked three albums for me. They are wonderful! This morning I was woken by the boys with homemade cards (they know that's my favorite)and two special gifts, one for my house and one for the garden. Jon gave me a card with a picket fence on it ( in honor of the picket fence that is being installed this week:) and beautiful candles. Chelsea and Justin had made me a plate with each family member painted with something that symbolizes them, with their name. It is perfect. I am holding a ladle, Terry a guitar, Katie a paint can, etc. After church we all went to Katie and Tim's for a lunch of pasta al forno, garlic bread and cheesecake. It was all delicious. The phone rang and I was able to have a nice long chat with Brandon and Kristin in Italy. He shared the mornings sermon topic, told of having all their students over for dinner the night before, and singing "Happy First Mothers Day" to Kristin at a little bit after midnight:) Chelsea washed up and then after Grandpa and Grandma left to return to Henderson the girls and I all headed to the fabric store. Chelsea bought some fabric with poppies on it, Katie's favorite flower, and is making her and Maria matching Mother/daughter aprons. I bought fabric for a Thomas the Tank Engine shortall for Gabriel and fabric for three summer play dresses for Maria. I am also in the process of making some baby gowns for the new grandbaby due in October (Brandon and Kristin's first). The weekend was full of laughter, a few tears (as we remembered Chelsea and Justin's little one that is waiting for us in Heaven, but still made her a Mama),and a gratitude that is hard to put into words. I sometimes ask myself how we could be so blessed. I have to stop myself from thinking dire thoughts as to how life can change so rapidly in the blink of an eye, as if I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.But I know, that whatever happens in the future, just as difficult things have happened in the past, that God will still be God. He loves us and has blessed us with family and brothers and sisters in Christ to help us make it through this world and into the next.What a gift we have been given. What a Savior!

Busy Spring

2008-03-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted last and I am resolved to do better with keeping friends and family up to date with the blessings in our lives. It may take a while but I will backtrack when necessary to get caught up. In the meantime I will write about our wonderful Easter weekend, after our perfect Florida vacation. We left last Sunday after worship and drove to my sister, Kathi's home in Birmingham. We enjoyed our time there so much. We walked over to Applebee's for dinner and took a walk aroung the lovely outdoor mall across from her home. The following morning we left to drive the remaining way to my sister Karen's home in Tallahassee. Our week was spent on an all day fishing trip out on Uncle David's boat (the boys caught 18 4-5 pound catfish)! They helped filet them and we brought many meals worth packed in ice in a cooler back home with us.We spent one day at Wakulla Springs and rode the river boat and ate at the Lodge. We spent several hours at the Tallahassee Museum where I went many times as a child, visiting the Pioneer village, and an old schoolhouse for African-American children--along with seeing many wild animals in the nature preserve. One day we visited the State Capital building, riding the elevator up to the 22 floor and seeing the city from up high. We ate at Harry's Bar and Grille and then visited the Museum of Arts and Sciences which the boys thoroughly enjoyed with all the many hands on learning areas. We shared an evening with Aunt Zula and Uncle Joe, and cousins...and visited the graves of grandparents, great- grandparents and great-great grandparents. The morning the boys went fishing I spent driving around taking pictures of our homes there, my parents home, etc. I hope to scrapbook some for the children so these times are not forgotten as our family is gradually drifting away from this area.The boys were able to visit Aunt Karen's classroom and play on her new "Smart Board". They thought that was pretty amazing! We arrived home Friday night, not five minutes before my house guests all arrived. Katie, Tim and children, Chelsea, Justin and my sister, Kathi, were all here for a weekend visit. Kathi left the following morning to drive on to Searcy, and everyone else is here until Monday. Jaime, my niece who now lives with us, arrived back on Saturday afternoon. We have dyed eggs, I finished sewing Maria's Easter dress, made a bunny cake, eaten fried catfish and hush puppies, played Scrabble and croquet, had an Easter egg hunt,attended worship together, munched on goodies in our baskets from the Easter Bunny, and eaten a huge meal and then leftovers. What a blessing it has all been.

Home Where I Belong

2008-01-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

Our lives have settled back into a routine after all the busyness of returning from Italy and the holiday season. All the decorations are put away, and my rooms seem bare in comparison to the decor of the past month. My dear friend, Mona Lee, came and spent the night with me and I was able to visit and reconnect. I was excited to share a new book with her I had found overseas(The Gentle Art of Domesticity), but , of course, she had already ordered two from Amazon.com.uk! Our tastes are very similar. She has been a mentor to me over the years, as she was my first true friend who valued motherhood and lived her life accordingly. My time with her is very special to me. In the morning the boys and I start back to our Spring semester of schooling. They are ready for their routine to get back to normal also. I'm ready for days curled up by the fire reading aloud, and even for mornings with soup bubbling on the stove, and small boys sitting at the kitchen table coming up with every excuse possible as to why they can't write their thoughts on paper. I have much work ahead of me, but I am well rested and ready to begin.

More Christmas Pics

2007-12-25T19:52:00.001-08:00

We missed you Brandon and Kristin!!!

Christmas 2007

2007-12-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since my last post, but only because life has been full and wonderful. We are now back home and enjoying being back with our friends and family. There is so much to get caught up on--especially enjoying having my children near by. We have been so blessed this Christmas season. We spent the day all together with Terry's Dad and Lora, his sister and her family, and all of my brood. My family was all together in Florida this Christmas. I sure wished I could have been in two places at once!! Our day started with Gabriel running through the newspaper and is just now coming to a close... after one last game of Mad Gab and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? The boys were surprised by Santa with new full size bicycles (they found theirs had shrunk after six months in Italy), board games, and soccer balls. Terry has gifted me with a new Stainless steel gas stove, new couch and loveseat for the den...and a new Kia Sorento ! Our first new car in 25 years. I already knew how blessed I was, now I just feel spoiled. I have promised to find ways to put it all to good use. Making lunch today with four working burners was a true joy!! We talked to Brandon and Kristin today and their first Christmas in Sicily was a good one. Fellow believers shared their holiday with them. We sure did miss having them with us, but we are so proud of their willingness to serve. To my dear friends who still check this blog, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hopefully life will settle down into a nice routine and I can get caught up with my friendships. May God bless you all in the upcoming new year.

Happy Holidays

2007-11-19T02:30:00.000-08:00

Last week Terry and I and the boys went into Florence and visited at the IKEA store. We had more fun (meaning I had fun and Terry was patient:).I bought Christmas decorations and ornaments for Brandon and Kristin's first Christmas in Sicily, and some red and white ornaments for our dining room tree (all unbreakables this year in honor of our grandchildren ages almost 1 and 2).I love the simple straw ornaments and the hearts made of red gingham and wool. We also bought two gingerbread house kits to make and some ginger heart cookies to hang on the tree. We , of course, could not leave before eating swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce--a family favorite. Then Saturday we spent the day in downtown Florence, gathering all the last minute things we needed to do an American Thanksgiving here. At Rinascente I found two small wooden and metal ornaments to take home with me...and BEST OF ALL another cookbook by Tessa Kiros! I have her book "Red Apples and Jam" and now "Falling Cloudberries". She lives here in Siena, married to an Italian-mom's finnish, dad's Cypriot, raised in South Africa, cooked in Greece, etc. Our kind of girl!They are great books to read, but better yet, they are full of some of our favorite Greek, Italian, and Scandinavian foods. The first time I opened the book I saw a recipe for meatballs and Lingonberry sauce. I knew I had to buy it (I did recently hear from a friend that theynow sell Lingonberry Sauce at World Market. Thought the price is pretty steep. I'm going to see if they even grow in the States. Anyway, I now have a 10 pound book in my carryon luggage, along with my ceramic lamp I'm carrying on my lap! Happy travels!

Wrapping Things Up

2007-11-19T02:12:00.000-08:00

A friend wrote recently asking me why I never wrote on my blog anymore. I assured her I did all the time...and then I went to see the date of my last post. What ever happenned to October??We have been having a wonderful, busy time. To wrap it up in one post we took an overnight ferry to Greece, spent a week in Greece (perfect cool weather, the cruise was relaxing and the waters were calm).We had a wonderful week long visit with Grandpa and Grandma Simpson, taking some day trips to Arezzo, Assisi, and Deruta (to shop for pottery).The day they headed home we left for a few days in Pompeii and Sorrento. We really enjoyed these trips timing because the boys and I have been studying Greek Civilization and then a book on Pompeii. Even the book we had just finished at bedtime "The Cricket in Time Square" fit right in (her husband was from Naples and sang "Return to Sorrento" to her when he proposed, so we listened to that on the music boxes in Sorrento. As we left the hotel the owner presented us with a huge trophy and a bottle of limoncello. The trophy was definitely a first. We must have some really great students! For the 31st we had a Fall Festival party, dressed in costumes, ate chili and carrot cake, drank hot apple cider while carving pumpkins, and had just a wonderful evening. One day recently, while at the grocery, I met an American woman at the meat counter, we exchanged addresses and she invited me over for tea the following week. Kristin joined me for a nice visit at her restored farmhouse-soon-to-be bed and breakfast. They have been here five years. She is a retired designer from California. It turns out she is good friends with a family we came to know two summers ago who were selling Villa Ercolano (our boys had swam with their daughters while we looked at the property). It's such a small world here in the expat community.This week will be busy with Thanksgiving for 50 , followed by our final banquet night on Sunday-followed by final exams. We have shipped our boxes and will be driving to Rome on the 30th and flying home on the 1st. We can't wait to see the girls and their families. And maybe at that point I will update a bit more regularly:)

The Fiorentina Game

2007-09-27T00:39:00.000-07:00

Last night all of my men, Terry, Brandon, Jonathan, Jordan and Christian went into Florence to see the Fiorentina vs. Roma Serie A game. It ended in a tie 2-2. They had a great time. 27 years ago, upon losing our son, Christopher, Terry made the comment, "I was looking forward to teaching him how to play soccer.." It made my heart sing to see him heading out the door with these four special boys ( actually, two men and two boys)to see his favorite team play in his favorite city.God has blessed us so much and is always good.I enjoyed the evening alone writing letters, doing laundry and reading some of my favorite blogs. Good times.

Our Medieval Village

2007-09-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

We are living in a small, medieval village called Citerna. About 5 minutes away is the hilltown of Monterchi.It is a beautifully maintained little town of 300, with stone streets, window boxes of cascading flowers, a convent, and two churches, one bar, one grocery,a restaurant, pizzeria, and a hairdresser. Everything you could need:)There is a fortress and a panoramic view with benches to sit and pass the time, while eating your gelati. But the very best thing about our little town was discovered yesterday, when , not once, but twice, Jordan and Christian went BY THEMSELVES to the store for me.These same two little boys who won't greet people in the States that they have known for years out of shyness, now headed up to the local grocery and asked for what I needed (eggs and panna) IN ITALIAN!!I offered to write it down for them but they said they would just tell her. They then asked after lunch if they could go to the bar and get an ice cream...I was so surprised I said yes.They then headed out into the woods (our property) with their cape, shield, two wooden swords,and two Knights' helmets to see what they could discover. So far they have found barbed wire (three pairs of torn shorts)and shell casings from hunters. They have missed their home in the States, and their sisters, so it was special to see them really feeling at home.

Arezzo

2007-09-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

This morning Terry and I, the boys, and Brandon and Kristin headed on an outing to Arezzo. It is the largest town nearby Citerna, and is about a 30 minute drive. I had only made quick, passing thru visits in the past, and was thrilled to discover a truly wonderful town. It is a mixture of Florence, Siena and San Gimignano...without the crowds and throngs of tourists. We had lunch at a trattoria near the train station. I had homemade tagliatelle with truffle sauce, which this area is known for. It was delicious. There are many antique shops, paper stores, and home decorating shops, along with bookstores and two toy stores that the boys gave thumbs up to. Fortunately for us they were closed for the afternoon rest period.We strolled through an old church, stopping along the way for a gelati. We enjoyed seeing where many of the scenes for the movie "Life is Beautiful" were filmed. We found a poster of the knights dressed in full regalia from the recent jousting event in Arezzo (only 3 euro)to take home and frame for the boys room. I look forward to longer visits in the future.It reminded me of the Florence I loved 20 years ago.

My Boys

2007-09-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Our time here in Citerna, Italy is passing by so quickly. There were days this summer that seemed to last forever, but those days are over.Sharing a hotel in a medieval town with 36 college students is never dull. I have really enjoyed watching my younger boys make friendships with the students, learn new games, and laugh at their jokes. Jordan is even selling his Spider-Man pictures for a euro each to brighten up their rooms! Having all four of our sons here has been such a joy. To see Brandon and Jon working alongside their Dad...to hear them discussing topics brought up in a Church History Class...watching Jon head off to soccer practice with the local team...and one of my favorites, watching the four of them pile into the big van with a bunch of students in the afternoons for a game of pickup soccer in Monterchi.The little guys can hold their own now.But Sunday was the best. Brandon was in charge of organizing the worship service here in Citerna. He spoke on the importance of seeking truth in God's word, and not leaning on our own understanding. Jon spoke before the Lord's Supper.And then both Jordan and Christian stood and read from the scriptures. It took everything in me not to cry.It was an incredible moment.Jordan has struggled with reading and has come so far.They both have been so shy in front of crowds. To see them, under their brothers encouragement, reading in front of a group of 50, was very special.I miss my girls so much. I miss sharing the little special times in our days, funny things my grandbabies are doing, sewing plans for all our Ethan Allen fabric:), and new recipes.I can't wait to get home and have both of my girls living so close. But I know without a doubt that God has blessed me and Terry, by giving us this special time in life to share with our boys.

Christian is 8!!! Tanti Auguri!!!

2007-09-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Christian Darsie's 8th birthday. Time is flying by too quickly. He is such a wonderful little boy. He is sweet, full of energy, amazingly intelligent, loves words,reads anything you put in front of him, and loves , what he calls, mental math. He loves his Nintendo DS (all he wanted for his birthday was new games--which he got from his brothers and sisters AND parents).We are now in the second Harry Potter book, reading a chapter a night in bed.His favorite game is Boggle. He loves to build things. He has spent the summer pretending to be a knight, with a bow and arrow and gun. Our neighbors even organized a treasure hunt for the boys with poetic clues and a treasure of candy bars and a 2 euro coin each at the end.We have been so blessed with this bundle of energy. We have plans for a big garden next summer and a fort that he is going to build with his brother. The busier the better! We thank God each and every day for the precious gift he gave us.

The Big Move

2007-09-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

We received wonderful news! Katie and Tim...and my incredible grandchildren have bought a new home and will be moving 20 minutes away. Tim accepted a new position with an advertising firm in Jackson, gave notice, put their house on the market in a week-- two weeks later their house has already sold and they have found a new house that they love. They are staying at our house in the meantime. God has worked out every single detail for them. It is amazing how everything has fallen into place. I will get to take Gabriel and Maria to storytime at the library, Trick or treating, and for long walks on campus. I'm ready to get home!

Wonderful Times With Family

2007-09-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

Since I last wrote we have had a wonderful week with our daughter, Chelsea and her sweet husband, Justin. His brother and new fiance', Ryan and Brooke, also joined us for the week. We ate wonderful meals al fresco, wandered the countryside, toured Florence and spent an entire day amid the waterways of Venice. We were among the Pre-Palio crowd in Siena, and ate gelati in San Gimignano--no longer a forgotten hilltown:) I loved spending time with Chelsea, but of course we didn't have enough time to do all that I would have liked:( I'm so proud of her. She is doing a wonderful job balancing being a wife, friend, church worker--on top of her position with Ethan Allen.

Fall Semester Preparations

2007-08-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Being back home at our farmhouse in the hills has been wonderful, but I'm getting excited about the Fall semester that awaits us in Citerna!We have stayed busy these weeks trying to arrange for the wiring of the hotel for wi-fi, satellite service for SKY news in English, purchasing of washers and dryers, laundry day assignments, and menus. We have special parties organized for welcoming, Fall festivals, chili suppers, Thanksgiving, etc. Any excuse for a party!We will have 40 students plus two faculty families--along with both of my older sons (and one sons new bride). They will be helping get the new program off the ground. My prayer is that each and every student will leave at the end of the semester with a renewed view of the God that we serve, and a vision to share all that they have learned so that God will be glorified through their lives. A semester in Tuscany/Umbria will give them the opportunity to see some of God's most beautiful landscapes, eat some of the best produce in the world, see some of man's most amazing artworks, and learn to love a most amazing people.

Days in Rafina and Porto Rafti

2007-07-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

After seeing our Patrons group off, we headed to Rafina, to the Hotel Avra for a few days of relaxation on the water. It has been wonderful. The boys have really enjoyed the beach-flippers,goggles, snorkels and collecting seaweed balls. According to the news we are having a heatwave, but have really not felt it out here. In the evenings we sit out on our balcony and there is a nice, cool breeze...and a lot of noise and activity. I love it! We're right on the Marina so we watch the ships come in and the folks unload. The tavernas are all open, with people stopping for a late-night dinner. There is much music, clinking of glasses and laughter. Last night after dinner at the taverna (King mackeral, tsaksiki, greek salad, crab salad, saganaki and fries) we took a walk along the boardwalk and then to a local park. The boys enjoyed watching the local skateboarders, and we enjoyed watching the grandparents with their grandchildren. Oh, how we miss Gabriel and Maria! Yesterday we spent three wonderful hours with Vicki, Yianna, and Mietek at Porto Rafti. They came out to the car to greet us as we arrived, served us lunch, cold drinks...and then we just talked for hours while the boys played in the pool. They are so dear to us and it was so good to hear how God has blessed their lives. Mietek is the frst Polish man at his church to buy his own home AND be blessed with three children-Naomi, Ruth and Jacob. The ldies kept hugging on the boys and crying. They both still had little pictures the boys had drawn for them, three years ago, hanging on the walls. The boys thought that was pretty neat. We have been very blessed with such good friends.

Cruisin' the Aegean Sea

2007-07-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

We're in Santorini right now. It is a beautiful island creted after a volcanic eruption. Our cruise ends in the morning. We have enjoyed a trip to Ephesus, Crete , Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini to name a few. The boys have wonderful swords from Rhodes ( a great motivation to study the Crusades). Last night we were guests at the Captains' table--where we proceeded to discuss soccer and American football:)They were impressed when no one could think of the incredible quarterbacks name and I said' "Peyton Manning"? Never underestimate a reader of People magazine! We will be staying on at a beach house until we fly home next Wednesday. We have been so blessed to travel with this wonderful group of fellow believers that come from all over--Faulkner, Harding, Abilene, West Virginia, Greater Atlanta Christian, and on and on. The body of Christ with all its diversity and yet, all one.God is so good.

Church at Omonia Square

2007-07-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

This evening we went to worship with our friends at Omonia square in Athens, Greece. They have a Greek service from10-12, a Bulgarian service from 1-3, a Russian service from 4-6 and then an English service from 6-8. We were able to see several friends from our years in Greece. It was wonderful to see those who are still faithful even in the midst of very difficult circumstances. The Lord's table was presided over by a Bulgarian, Greek, American and an Egyptian. The three men worshipping next to me were trying so hard to understand the English, but their first language was Farsi, as they were from Iran. Daniel, from Ghana, passed out songbooks. There were Filipinos, Sudanese, Russians--and several old friends from the States. The Lord's supper is always especially meaningful when shared with these brethren. We all hold the bread, and when everyone has a piece we take it together. It is a practice I enjoy. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, and but a small glimpse of our future in Heaven together, as a part of God's family.

An Evening at the Plaka

2007-07-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

This evening we went out around 7pm for dinner at the Plaka, the outdoor shopping area near the Acropolis in downtown Athens, Greece. It has been absolutely beautiful here. There have been sunny days, but not too hot, and always accompanied with wonderful breezes off the sea. Terry purchased a small wooden chess set for the boys, who have been begging to learn the rules of the game. Soon after the purchase, we sat down at our outdoor table. For those who may never have visited this wonderful area, it is magical at night. The tables are covered by vine draped umbrellas, hanging lighted lanterns, flowers everywhere, twinkle lights, and Greek music playing in the background. As we enjoyed our meal of tzasiki, fava beans and onions, octopus and chicken souvlaki's, the boys played their first game of chess. The elderly Greek tavern owner (who loves the game) kept coming by to teach the boys important points to remember. Christian hung on every word, but Jordan was not quite as appreciative! It was a magical night, followed by a slow walk bak to our hotel. The Acropolis is beautifully lit up at night , and as we strolled down the street enjoying the view there was an elderly man playing a beautiful melody with his resin bow, and Christian leaped and twirled with abandon. Magical.

Onward to Rome!

2007-07-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

We are leaving in a few minutes for our three week trip. We will be in Rome tonight and will pick up our group at the airport tomorrow afternoon. We are looking forward to sharing these times with these special individuals. Some we have known since college days, some we travelled with back in the early days of HUF, some are friends from our local congregation--and some we have never met. How blessed we are for this opportunity.It was more work getting the house ready to leave for three weeks than it was to move over here. Earl and Lora are going to be staying here part of the time that we are gone so I was needing to leave instructions for turning on the gas stove, taking the garbage down the hill, etc. To add to the excitement the pump went out yesterday afternoon so we had no water. Fortunately it was restored before bedtime.So now we are ready. The boys have their sketchbooks and pencils, Nintendo DS's, read aloud books, schoolwork (yes, we're still doing school, though we aren't doing schoolwork in Greece),and swimsuits.We're excited about seeing the Colosseum and Sistine Chapel, and riding bikes in the Borghese Gardens. Ciao, tutti!

The Hammock

2007-06-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our villa owner, Alberto, hung a new hammock in the garden for us. I never realized how entertaining a hammock could be to two small boys. They spent well over two hours laying in it side by side talking--occasionally rolling each other out of it. It was a beautiful summer day. The bees were buzzing around the beds of blooming lavender, the cicadas were making their noises, and a cool wind was blowing.And the boys laid there talking...quietly. Miracles do happen. If you take children away from noisy tv sets, computers and telephones they learn to adapt to silence. Why didn't I figure this out years ago?

2007-06-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

Reading with the Boys

2007-06-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Not all of our days are spent driving to small villages in the area.We are trying to do some formal learning each morning before we head out.Every morning the boys are doing two pages of a summer workbook that covers various subjects. They then do one page of math drills, and listen to a CD of scriptures set to music they are memorizing. They each read aloud to me for 30 minutes.We have a list of spelling words they write out each day and are tested on on Fridays.They also do copywork each day of a poem or passage of scripture. We are reading Italian books in the evenings and they watch Italian cartoons when we are home in the afternoons (which hasn't been very often:)At night before bed they listen as we read longer chapter books aloud.Keeping the same structure and routine that they were used to in the States has helped them adjust remarkably well.They still spend a lot of time outside playing in the yard and exploring the nooks and craannies of a medieval hunting lodge. They are making some wonderful memories of the freedoms of childhood.

Hotel Sobaria

2007-06-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

We spent yesterday driving to Citerna for Terry to meet with technicians setting up Wi-Fi for the new campus. The boys swam for two hours while I re-read "For the Family's Sake" by Susan Schaeffer Macauley. She is the daughter of the theologian Francis Schaeffer and Edith Schaeffer, who is one of my favorite authors. I love this book. It is so encouraging. I called Terry to see how the work was going and he said they were sitting at the bar. I love Italy!! We drove to our new favorite restaurant in the countryside which is a converted horse training stable from one thousand years ago. We've eaten there twice already. We went exploring to the towns of Monterchi and Citta' di Castello, the closest towns to our new home for the Fall. Monterchi is quaint, with a beautiful view, but not much else but castle walls. Citta' di Castello is a really nice town, interesting shops, but still feels less crowded than normal for Italy. We found a wonderful "mall" on the outskirts, only 7 minutes from our place. It had a wonderful grocery, shoe store, electronics shop, beauty shop, etc. It will be so convenient for everyday shopping. There was a lot of parking, which is an extra bonus here in Italy.Today we went into Florence for the afternoon. I picked up some english papers and a book and then we shared Chinese food with Brandon and Kristin.Fun days.

Life in the Hills of Tuscany

2007-06-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

We have been at home in this beautiful little home on the hilll now for a little over a week. It cannot be adequately described in words, so I'll describe it in pictures. Jordan and Christian are loving the freedom of exploring a new world. Terry is enjoying sitting outside in the cool breeze and playing his guitar, and am enjoying being surrounded by my books and the quiet stillness of the countryside.

The Boys

2007-05-26T16:04:00.001-07:00

The boys are growing up so fast. They are now 7 and 9, so we had some new pictures taken with them and their favorite hobbies...scooter and skateboards.

New Addresses

2007-05-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

The stress of moving, packing and cleaning has caught up with me for the first time. I am generally so healthy, but this week I've felt my age. I think my body has just not been able to keep up with everything I need to get done. My right wrist is in a splint from a pulled tendon, I've hurt my back (using the Rug Doctor), but my cough is improving. My eye checkup went well, with no changes in two years. The health concerns have forced me to get serious with diet and exercise while I am still young enough to prevent more serious problems. That will be a goal while we're in Italy over the next six months. I'm going to try to feed my family seasonally grown foods, without all of the additives we have in our foods here. I'll let you know how successful my attempt is:) We fly out on June 5 and will be flying home on December 7. My friend, Jenny, is picking up the boys for the day tomorrow and fixing dinner for all of us tomorrow evening. I'm hoping to get finished up with my many projects around the house.It's very important to organize the piano music:) I do wonder why these little things matter to me when I'm going to be gone for six months, but haven't bothered me at all for almost four years!!From June 5- August 24 we can be reached at :La Pietra Grezza, Via Castello di Bisticci

50067 Troghi

Rignano sull' Arno (FI) Italia

and from August 25- December 7:

Hotel Sobaria

Via della Pineta 2

06010 Citerna (PG) Italia Write us!

Family Time

2007-05-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we woke early and met up with Katie, Tim and the babies at Chelsea and Justin's. We had such a wonderful day together. It was especially wonderful because Chelsea normally worked at Ethan Allen on Saturdays and was only able to join us in the evening. She received a promotion last week (way to go, Chelsea!)and is now Operations Administrator...with weekends off! The guys played bocce, soccer, and video games while the girls went window shopping. We celebrated Katie's 26th birthday at Carabba's Italian Grill for dinner. Gabriel and Maria are growing so quickly and are absolutely adorable. They both have such sweet natures. Jordan and Christian spent the night and went to church with everyone on Sunday. Terry and I had to head back because Terry was speaking. It was an unexpected "vacation" and very much appreciated.When the boys got home last night you would have thought it was Christmas. They had their new outfits on (compliments of Chelsea and Justin), their new Nintendo DS (compliments of Katie and Tim), Brainquest, Spirograph--to name just a bit. I think the boys have been telling them that we'll be gone longer than we really will be. The time will fly, and we will really miss all of them so much. We are so blessed to have these precious children. All nine of them. Justin and Chelsea will be here next weekend and then we're all spending the weekend together in Nashville and going to church with Jon at Crieve Hall on our last Sunday. We fly out two weeks from tomorrow. I have much to do so I better close for the evening. Tonight is my niece's graduation. Congratulations Jessica!! Full trustee scholarship to Harding University in the Fall. Way to go!! Last weekend was David Case's College graduation from Harding University. Bravo, David!! We expect great things from you!

Brandon and Kristin's Wedding

2007-05-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

I realize it has been quite a while since a post, but life has been even busier than usual. The entire event went perfectly, with the exception of a terrible car accident Roy (Kristin's father) was involved in the Wednesday afternoon before the wedding. We thank God for his mercy and for the inner strength Roy had. He managed to walk his beautiful daughter down the aisle (with his son walking protectively behind him), though he had only just been released from a hospital bed. The latest news is that he has recuperated amazingly well. Again, we give thanks. There was a lingerie shower on Wednesday night, a lovely bridal dinner on Thursday night, followed by our rehearsal dinner on Friday night. The weather cooperated beautifully, there was a nice cool breeze, and it was a wonderfully relaxing evening, outdoors, with Josh Grobin playing in the background, Terry singing and playing the guitar, and Brandon and his groomsmen entertaining us with songs from their teen years. My dear friend, Mona Lee, served by my side, along with my amazing son-in-laws and daughters. It was a family effort and our gift from the heart to Brandon and his new bride. The Barnes' did a beautiful job organizing a beautiful day. The flowers were exquisite, the ceremony and vows meaningful, and the reception lovely...or so I hear. I never got a chance to enjoy the food, but I heard it was delicious. They left in a Cinderella carriage. They are now safely settled in Florence, Italy, after a few days at a bed and breakfast and one night in Rome. They are enjoying gelati and pizzas, and married life in their frist home. We will be seeing them in less than three weeks, so we feel especially blessed to spend time with them in one of the world's most beautiful cities. Thank you again to all of our dear friends and family that blessed all of us, and especially Brandon, with your love and support as he starts out his new work on the mission field.

The Wedding Shower

2007-04-15T23:15:00.000-07:00

We just arrived home from a very busy weekend. Jon and Shayna arrived on Friday night for the weekend. They came to see "Makin' Music" and for Jon to catch up with some old friends. On Sunday morning we left at 8AM and drove to Memphis. We attended worship at Great Oaks with Chelsea and Justin before getting back on the road for Brandon and Kristin's wedding shower in Searcy, which began at 2PM. We arrived just as it was starting. They were so blessed! We stood greeting guest for the entire 1 and a half hours. It was an absolutely lovely shower. I so enjoyed getting to see so many of our dear friends from years gone past. Some are quite frail now, but I realizedthat they are now in their 80's.Only 20 days until the wedding! After the shower we worshiped at College church with Katie and Tim and babies and then we all went out to eat Mexican together. I had about 20 minutes to visit with Mona Lee...long enough to be gifted with a beautiful new jacket I just love.She is such a generous friend...not primarily of "things" but through the way she approaches life. We are now home, tired, but satisfied from a time of fellowship with good friends made over a lifetime. Auguri to the soon-to-be newlyweds!

More Easter Pictures

2007-04-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

Easter 2007

2007-04-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

It's been such a busy time that it has been hard to find a time to catch up with my blog. Over Spring Break, Terry held a gospel meeting with his father in Lafayette, Georgia. We spent the last two days inMemphis at Chelsea and Justin's. We went to the Pink Palace, Imax and the Memphis Zoo. We spent a wonderful day at the Zoo and had a picnic in Overton Park with Katie and family, Chelsea and Justin and Kristin (Brandon was doing Tornado clean-up in Dumas).Both girls were able to be home for Easter. We ate at Grandpa and Grandma's house and had an egg hunt in the backyard. The Easter bunny was a big hit this year with a new airplane for Christian. Only four weeks until the big wedding day. It's such an exciting time in Brandon and Kristin's lives. They have been so blessed by the generosity of so many towards their travel expenses. Their shower in Searcy will be next weekend, and the weekend after that they are being given a money tree and sandwich send-off by the Westside congregation, who is providing their oversight.The wedding is May 5 and they fly to Italy on May 10(Jon's birthday:)We're still not sure about our departure date, but it looks like early June. Then I'll be counting the days until I'm back with my sweet children and grandchildren!!

Time in Memphis

2007-03-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to visit Chelsea and Justin after Sunday morning church services. We got there in time to visit a while and then went to church at Great Oaks. Brandon and Kristin had spent the weekend with them and Jon was passing through on his way back to Nashville. After church we went to a deli for dinner. It was a lot of fun catching up on the wedding plans, etc. Terry went on home and the boys and I stayed on until Tuesday afternoon. We helped Chelsea with some Spring cleaning, mulched the flowerbeds and even got some terra cotta planters made up with hydrangeas for her front porch area. They turned out really cute on each end of her double white rocker. Her house looked so great that it was kind of hard to go home to my" not so sparkling house":) This weekend we got a lot done here at home. I cleaned out the garage, reorganized the classroom, Terry repaired some damaged wood on the garage, we put down seed and fertilizer, and I made planters of hydrangeas for my front porch. The boys helped me put around our Easter decorations, so now it really feels like springtime. I weeded through boxes of clothes of the boys, passing bags on to friends, and packed the boys suitcases of their winter clothes for our upcoming move. Now I just hope I have some energy to teach the boys in the morning! I am so thankful for good health and energy, and for the time to spend getting my home in order. Having the gift of time is more and more precious to me. I think Terry and I are both realizing at the same time, that not only do we have a son getting married May 5, but we also are moving to Italy in less than three months and there is quite a bit to do before our plane takes off!

Family Time

2007-02-18T13:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a busy one with all the children home except for Jon, who had to work. This was baby Maria's first trip to Grandma's and we loved having a baby in the house again. Jordan even fell asleep in the chair with her while I was getting the dishes done. Grandma and Grandpa Edwards came over for a visit on Friday night and joined us again for lunch on Sunday. I love it when the house is filled with games of "Sorry", theological debates, and laughter as the kids go through old pictures from their childhood. My niece, Jaime, was able to be here also. I enjoyed having time to spend talking with her. She has grown into a delightful young woman. I continue to be grateful for the blessings and encouragement we get from our families. God has blessed us very much.

A Day in Memphis

2007-02-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun day today. We drove to Chelsea and Justin's and arrived just in time for lunch. Yum! We had butterfly chops on the grill, onions and mushrooms, glazed carrots, and roast potatoes with rosemary.I don't know which was better, the food or not having to prepare it!We met their new pug, Miss Piggy (so ugly she's cute:)After lunch, Chelsea and I went out to do some "sale" shopping at the Collierville Mall.I love a good bargain. For $37 I got 2 swimsuits, a pair of jeans, 2 fleece hooded sweatshirts, and two pairs of nylon/fleece lined sweat pants at GapKids. The normal price was $175.We also visited Bella Vita and I bought two Valentine decorations--for some reason I have only one Valentine's decoration.We got home around 6:30. It is so nice to have them close by.A day out with a daughter is a simple joy in life.

New Family Pictures

2007-01-29T07:27:00.000-08:00

We had an exciting weekend beginning with a PVC pipe snapping in the laundry room spewing A LOT of water everywhere (note: it is a good idea to know where your water turn off is in case your neighbor does not answer their doorbell immediately:), followed by an elderly gentleman collapsing in front of us in line at Wal-Mart (he seems to be all right now).I finally took my sewing machine in to be serviced and mailed my girlfriends machine back to her daughter (thank you , Elizabeth, for your kind generosity!)Tim just sent me some new pictures of little Maria and Gabriel that I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

A Blessed Day

2007-01-23T11:36:00.000-08:00

This morning I awoke at the sound of Terry leaving for work and paused a moment to thank God for a husband who rises early, and works late, to care for his family. Not only does he provide for us, but he does it with a willing spirit.I went downstairs for a quiet time reading His word, and was joined by the boys about 45 minutes later. This never happens (Jordan is an early riser)so it was especially appreciated!We started our school day,I put a pot of bean and ham soup on to cook, and we began studying about the people of Israel and Syria, the reign of Charlemagne and the Pope crowning him Emperor, the reigning in of the spread of Islam, division of words between the consonants, memorization of the 15 countries of the Middle East, carrying in triple digit addition problems, and the first two chapters of "Ginger Pye".While preparing lunch the boys got a school break when Katie and Chelsea called from Searcy.Justin and Chelsea were there visiting to see their new niece, Maria.They caught me up on Brandon and Kristin's plans. After Brandon works for the next three weeks translating for some visiting Italian businessmen, they are trying to encourage him to come live with them in Memphis so he could make better money for three months, play x-box with Justin,play ball with the church league, and have no rent or food expenses before he gets married.They've also tried to talk Katie and Tim into relocating there, and Jon probably will in the next year or two-though he really seems to be enjoying his work with Dell for now.I write all of this to share how very blessed I am, and what joy it brings me to see my children involved in each others lives, encouraging one another, and being there for one another.This makes my struggle with fears of the unknown future so much lighter to bear.In the past two weeks Brandon has rescued Jon's girlfriend stuck out in the country at night with a dead battery. Justin drove to Brownsville to rescue Jon went his engine smoked and then loaned him his car the next day as he car shopped, Katie has housed her brother since he returned from China, and now Chelsea is opening her home fo him until he marries.When I commented on her sacrifice she said "Are you kidding? He's a lot of fun. It'll be great!" (Though I do think she secretly wants him to do the yard work and clean her house for her:)Yes, they are very honest with each other, they never let each other get away with anything, they call each other out when they disagree--but they are totally there for each other...and for Jordan and Christian.In the meantime, Christian has nailed together every piece of scrap lumber he can find in the backyard and shed to make a "dhow" (the fast boats Arabs travel in) and Jordan asked if he could learn Arabic using Rosetta Stone when he got to Junior High.I told him we better work on our Italian for now:)We're heading to the store in a while for paint for the dining room. I have the new rug and curtains in place and hope to get the chair seats covered this evening.I've been having more fun creating items from the fabric samples from Ethan Allen. I'll try to post some pictures soon.For now I will continue to be thankful for the life God has blessed me with, and to ask myself every day how I can give back even a small portion.

Maria Gwendolyn has arrived!

2007-01-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last post because life has just been wonderfully busy. We're back in the swing of things with school, we celebrated Jordan's 9th brthday on the 12th, and then left on the 13th to await our new granddaughters arrival. There was a baby shower scheduled of 2:30 on Sunday,the 14th, but Maria decide to surprise everyone and come two weeks early, arriving at 11:00 Sunday morning after a very short labor. She was 6 lbs. 5 oz. and has dark brown hair, brown eyes, and is absolutely beautiful! Gabriel , who turned 14 months on the same day, is enjoying "poking" her nose. He is such a happy child. I have loved being able to spend time with him. We've managed to get our schoolwork kept up with this week, a little sewing done...and a lot of baby holding.Katie and Tim are wonderful parents, and it will be such a blessing to watch these two little ones grow. Time flies by so quickly. I hope to be able to post some pictures soon. I'm heading home tomorrow. The boys and I have had so much fun, but we're ready to get back home to Terry. We have really missed him.

Happy New Year

2006-12-31T21:46:00.000-08:00

Justin and Chelsea surprised us and came and spent the evening with us. They celebrated their first anniversary last night. It's hard to believe an entire year has passed. She brought a carload of fabric samples from Ethan Allen. It was better than Christmas!! I have so many projects swimming around in my head! We've played Pictionary, toasted with Italian soda, and are now redy to salute the new year. May you all be richly blessed by God in the new year!!

Homemaking

2006-12-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

We're back home now and I've spent the day taking down the Christmas decorations and getting organized for the new year. I love new beginnings and the chance for a fresh start.The boys and I will be beginning a new curriculum next week which I'm really excited about. They will love all of the new books, though the new grammar workbooks may not be a favorite:)I downloaded some new forms from www.organizedhome.com for my homemaking journal, and am all set for their 12 week spring cleaning challenge.As much as we enjoyed our holidays, we are both so happy to be back home.Terry has his new HUGE television set up (a gift from Jon, Justin and Chelsea)and I'm beginning to think it may be kind of hard to get him to leave all this for Italy in the summer! I have several sewing projects in the planning stages. There are simply not enough days to accomplish all that I would like to accomplish. But hopefully, with organizing my days a bit better I will make better use of my time and get to my scrapbooking, schooling, sewing, reading, lacemaking...

Christmas Day 2006

2006-12-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

This morning we woke up at about 6AM to the voices of our sons Brandon, Jordan and Christian. The little boys were wide awake with excitement, and Brandon was wide awake from jetlag! It was such a joy to lay there and listen to them giggle and tell jokes.At 7AM we all lined up behind the papered over doorway, by age- Gabriel was in front- and then ran through the paper! Santa had arrived! There were darts flying from crossbows, the thumps of a pogo stick from the kitchen, and much oohing and awwing over gifts (except for the cries of frustration from Chelsea because Justin had ducttaped her gift so she wouldn't look at it ahead of time! We are so blessed with our family and friends.My children have grown up now, and instead of it saddening me the way I thought it would, it had brought me such joy to watch them chase their dreams. This was a special year for all of us.

He's Home! He's Engaged!!

2006-12-30T17:51:00.000-08:00

After much prayer...Brandon arrived safely home from China on Christmas Eve! It just made Christmas so special having all of the children here. Last year he had to miss Christmas and his sister's wedding, so we all rejoiced that he made it home safely. The evening of his arrival he proposed to Kristin Barnes and she said YES! God answered our prayers with this precious young lady who loves Brandon very much. She has been such an encouragement to him during his time in China. It will be exciting to watch this new family being formed, and to see God at work in their lives.They will be marrying this Spring and then will be leaving to do mission work in Italy.We are grateful, also, for her wonderful family who have raised such a fine daughter (and son:)She is a beautiful young woman, inside and out. Welcome to the family, Kristin.

A Rainy Day

2006-12-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

Terry woke me this morning with the best ever Christmas present...we're not leaving for Searcy until tomorrow. I stayed up past 2AM getting all of the presents wrapped and am just worn out this morning.It is raining hard and my house still needs cleaning.I'm so looking forward to getting there because I can then relax and enjoy my grandson and children, but I want a clean house to come home to next week.So, I've just finished cleaning the downstairs, and it is all sparkly and Christmasy. Now I will even have some time to finish some little extra sewing projects for various family members, Terry can get the oil changed in the car, and we can have a bit of quiet before the storm!Last night the boys received a package from their grandparents in Texas.The timing could not be more perfect. This morning, to help with their profound disappointment:) at not going today, I let them open their gifts of four of the ultimate coolest Bionicles they'd ever seen!!Sheri, if you're reading this, they could not have loved any gift more!They are now happily ensconsed in the family room, talking and playing non-stop. They are going to go Christmas shopping with their Dad today for gifts for their brothers and sisters, we'll share a pot of soup this evening, and then head "home for the holidays"! Enjoy your families!

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed this holiday season. Last weekend we closed on our house, and graduated two children from college, all within a 24 hour period. The gratitude I feel for my Father has no bounds. For the first time in five years I do not have two in college and two mortgages! Our time with family and friends was wonderful. Yesterday, my friend, Dana, and I spent the day shopping together. We had such a good time. We were celebrating my fun week, and hers, because her husband finished his PhD!!When I returned home I found out my husband had invited my in-laws for supper, so I hurriedly got food on the table and we shared a nice family visit.This was easily done because my neighbor Jackie had just dropped by a loaf of her sourdough bread and a bag of Chex Mix:) Right as we were finishing our meal the doorbell rang and we had carolers (several dear sweet friends and their children).I passed around some Swedish gingersnaps in a wonderful red tin, that I had just purchased for a moment like this! This morning the boys and I have spent making fudge, peppermint bark and decorating sugar cookies for our friends at church. The holidays are so much more fun when you live in a community surrounded by so many fellow believers. Again, we are so blessed. Tomorrow we head to Searcy to be with my family. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Birthday and Burnt Chicken

2006-12-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a special day as I was woken up by Terry and the boys with breakfast in bed (Terry had bought biscuits and sausage gravy at Jack's), two wonderful cards and a a beautiful set of candles.We headed into Jackson for the day and visited Hobby Lobby and Books-a-Million( I found the newest issue of Creative Needle, their baby issue)...and then had a wonderful lunch at Red Lobster. We went and picked up our family ornament for the year (the antique radio from Hallmark)and then headed home. In the evening we piled in the car and headed out to Chickasaw for the light display. We came home and watched "Over the Hedge", visited with Grandpa, and then I sat down to read several of my favorite blogs.There are several "crafty sewing" ones I especially enjoy.I've recently organized my sewing room and have gotten some aprons and baby gifts madeand I'm still needing to put the boys names on their new robes.Anyway, while reading www.pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com I decided to put chicken on to boil for chicken salad- Sunday lunch.Well, an hour later, after a child came in throwing up, followed by a birthday phone call from another child, I smelled smoke. Heavy acrid smoke:)I now have one less kitchen towel, an empty can of Febreze (my husband got a bit ambitious), one less pan, and a burnt porch railing.And NO Sunday lunch!Next time I'll focus on the precious felt Christmas ornaments on www.allsorts.typepad.com! Oh, for those who have asked. Our house is to finally close on Thursday. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Graduations, Jobs...Busy Family Life

2006-12-01T06:18:00.000-08:00

Life has been a whirlwind lately. We shared a wonderful time together with all of our family celebrating Thanksgiving at Chelsea and Justin's. We stayed up late playing Pictionary, Justin and Jon spent an evening bonding in line at Wal-Mart waiting for the sale TV:), and Chelsea and I had a fun shopping trip on the day of the sales, and a lunch at Olive Garden. I've been busy sewing various Christmas projects--I gave the girls their Christmas Advent calenders and Christmas aprons early. It's so much fun to see my daughters creating their own welcoming homes.Katie and Tim are busy preparing for the arrival of baby Maria. We can all hardly wait.Chelsea leaves this Sunday for two weeks at Ethan Allen headquarters for job training. She's a bit apprehensive (her first trip away from Justin) but I know she'll have a great time. She's good at what she does and she's loving her new job. She graduates from FHU on Dec. 15.Jon has just accepted a job with Dell Computers in Nashville. He graduates from Harding on December 16!Two graduations, Christmas,two birthdays, a son returning from China, and a new granddaughter--all in the next month or so. And to top off all of these blessings...Lord willing, we will close on the sale of our house in Searcy in the next couple of days. They are finishing up the last of the paper work, we sign, and then it's done!!It has been five years since we moved to Greece, and since then, we have stayed there off and on, but have had it rented out most of the time-- with some bad renter stories here and there! This is such a blessing to have this burden lifted. Please join us in prayer that all will go well and it closes this next week. I'll keep you posted.Brandon called from China yesterday and is busy making plans for his new life with Kristin.We received word last week that his full-time missions support is looking good, though not official yet.The FHU board approved the new academic program in Italy, so Terry and I and the little boys will be leaving in May to spend the summer and fall in Tuscany.We're looking forward to this next adventure and are so grateful for the doors God has opened for our family. Jordan and Christian are busy little guys. They do a lot of skateboarding, bike riding, soccer, video games, etc. They are both doing well in their schoolwork, especially enjoying the Math class they do online. They really have a knack for Math. Well, I need to get started with our school day. Tonight we are going to see "Happy Feet" at our local theater.We've created some neat memories with the boys at this theater...two minutes from our house, clean movies, popcorn and drinks-$5 on family nights! Can't beat small town America!

Homeschoolers Thanksgiving Day

2006-11-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

For the past month the boys have been meeting each Friday with two other families to study the lives of Indians, Pilgrims, and Thanksgiving Day. Today we all came together for a day of feasting, singing "We Gather Together", reading of the Scriptures, and prayer.After some wonderful food we took a hayride through the fields. It was a beautiful Fall day, and I was so grateful for the chance to share it with my friends.Julie, now a precious Mama of four, was a student of ours in Italy almost 20 years ago.I am very appreciative of the chance to see her grow into such a fine wife and mother. This evening, after everyone had left to return home, our daughter Chelsea called to tell us their dog, Afro, had died while they were gone. It is so hard to bear your child's broken heart, no matter how old they are.We will all miss that sweet, ACTIVE dog, who brought Chelsea and Justin a lot of joy.Jon's here for the night, so the boys are momentarily distracted from their sadness over Afro. Big brothers show up at just the right time.

Gabriel's First Birthday

2006-11-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Last night we celebrated Gabriel's birthday with cupcakes, punch, and ALL the family except for Brandon (who was greatly missed:)His favorite gift was his balloon from his Great-grandparents. He also received a shopping cart, a talking vacuum and a teddy bear made with LOTS of love from his Grandma.Even his Uncle Jon surprised us by driving from Searcy and arriving right before the party was to begin. We sat up late eating snacks, playing "Guess Who?" (by the way, it's alot of fun if you play by Justin's double question rule:). It's always fun spending time together. We all wish for Gabriel many years of good health, happiness, and years of service to God. We love you, little boy!

Two Little Indians

2006-11-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, for three hours, Jordan and Christian had a special "unit study" on the Indians out at the Blackwelders place in the country. Dana had put so much work into her day. They each had a special notebook to put their papers in.We set up their tepee. They made necklaces with real bison teeth, sewed together canoes, made coup sticks with feathers, made headdresses, made small tepees, made fry bread (served with apple cider),played two Indian games, ran races, and rode horses. They were busy every second. It helped having just eight children total (Julie joined us with Ellie, Ivy, Owen and baby Oliver).It was a beautiful Fall day in which I was especially grateful for friends who are kindred spirits.Today was also extra special because Chelsea celebrated her 21st birthday AND I got to talk to Brandon in China AND my big brother, Kenny, called me from Texas and he sounded wonderful (he's been in Nigeria for over 20 years, so phone calls are far and few between.)We are blessed. Now, all I have to do is come up with an incredible two hour program on the Pilgrims for my part next Friday. Wish me luck!

A Day in the Kitchen

2006-11-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

Today was as close to a perfect day as I've had in a long time. The boys were so helpful all day, while I spent the day getting a months worth of meals in the freezer. This was my first time to do this since Terry was diagnosed gluten-free, so I had to try a lot of new recipes. I made Chicken in Apricot Sauce, Marinated Chicken, Lasagna, Chili-Corn Casserole, Meatballs, Stuffed Green Peppers, Frozen Cranberry Salad, Gator Salad, Cranberry Nut Loaves,Taco Meat,and Ham dishes. The house smells wonderful, my kitchen is clean, and I can now step out to the freezer each morning when it's time for school and pull out the evening meal.I also got all the Halloween decorations packed away.Thanksgiving will be here soon. I'm so excited! We're celebrating at Chelsea and Justin's this year..making memories in their first home together.

Trick or Trunk

2006-11-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

The boys had a wonderful time trick or treating this year. They really didn't even go around to all the cars for candy, but instead headed off to play with their friends. They went on the hayride, had their picture taken, swung at the pinata (though we got tickled when Christian said he almost broke the "pieta"-, a famous statue at the Vatican:), and did the cake walk. Christian won two cakes and was unhappy that they wouldn't let him try again.We decided not to do the neighborhood trick-or-treating this year since we have celebrated quite a bit already. Fortunately, the boys didn't even mention it. We're meeting with friends all this month to do a unit study on Pilgrims and Indians, so I guess they've got plenty of opportunities to hang out with friends.Thankfully, there is only a handful of candy left...so no more sugar highs!

Homecoming

2006-10-30T15:15:00.000-08:00

We returned late Saturday night from a busy two days in Searcy. It was wonderful. We got into town around 5pm and I made a quick trip by Cato's to see if I could find a skirt to match my new jacket. I found the perfect skirt and it was cheap! That rarely happens. We ate a delicious meal at Katie's and then we all headed to see "Fiddler on the Roof". It was so much fun to see so many of our good friends, though there is never enough time to really catch up on their lives the way I'd like to.The Morans and Johnsons were there to support Craig, who needed NO support, as he was amazing.The next morning we had breakfast at the Barnes and had such a nice visit. I am so grateful for the way God has blessed our children with such wonderful extended family members (or soon-to-be:).We know where Kristin gets her kindness and generosity from!We left there to go to the Jewell's for a HUF 20 year reunion. It was so good to see Sheri Fields. We talk often (Hi, Sheri!)and write, but have only seen each other twice in 20 years!She is a kindred spirit, and blessed me, once again, with some wonderful cinnamon rolls and dinner rolls. Thank you! We left the reunion for a surprise 21st birthday party for Chelsea. Katie had gone to a lot of work to have a lot of her favorite goodies, special napkins, etc.Kevin and family , and Karen and family were all there. I loved seeing Katie, Chelsea and Jamie laugh together again.Cousins are fun.These years bring so many changes in their lives. Katie is expecting her second child, Chelsea is married and out of college, Jamie is in college, and Jessie is in high school. So many changes with each year. I'm so proud of all of them. They are all such sweet "Grandma Klein" girls and she would be so proud of each of them.My favorite part of the weekend was hanging out with Karen and catching up. I have such respect for her. She has really born the weight of both my parents illnesses and passings, being the only one in town, and now in caring for our sweet Aunt Rema.It was hard being the "geeky" sister in high school, but I do believe we are more than even now.Being back in Searcy is always nostalgic. After living there a total of 10 years, and 19 years with Harding, I am homesick for my many dear friends.But when I reconsider the reasons behind our decision to move, I know we made the right choice. As difficult as that decision was to make, God has rewarded us many, many times over. My children seek truth, our family is close, and my children are all in healthy relationships.It was the right move at the right time. As I'm writing this, one of my favorite hymns is playing in the background. It is so appropriate. "Great is Thy Faithfulness...all that I need thy hand has provided."

The Center for Faith and the Arts

2006-10-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

The last several weeks have been busy ones, with many late nights, meetings, trips, and proposals concerning the creation of the Center for Faith and the Arts. There is still much work to be done, but as of yesterday morning, the president has approved the proposal. Hallelujah! Basically, we will be living in Italy from June through December.We will share a Fall semester with Faulkner University, and Terry will be the Program Director. In the Spring he will be teaching on the Freed-Hardeman campus. In the summer we will have some special groups, but not a normal school semester.I'm grateful that this did not come to fruition any sooner, because I believe the boys will be at a perfect age to really enjoy and remember this unique opportunity. We have plans for a tree house behind the villa, there are hills to climb, olive groves to explore, jousting matches to attend, great art to be exposed to, and gallons of incredible gelato to consume. I really look forward to getting to know faculty in a closer way. After 19 years with the same university, I miss the connections we shared with so many at Harding. I look forward to getting to know students one-on-one. I want the boys to share in devotionals with other young men and women as they grow in their faith.I am still in awe that God would provide this opportunity. We really believed when we left Harding that we were giving up our chance at ever working in Italy again, other than possibly short term mission work.God blesses us above and beyond anything we could possibly conceive of on our own. My prayer is that we will use this opportunity to glorify God through the many lives this program can touch.

Furniture Switcheroo

2006-10-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I offered to store my friend, Blair's, dining room furniture until she had space for it in her garage. After her garage sale this weekend we made arrangements for it to be picked up, and then she asked if I could use an old painted double bed.Since one of our guest rooms had no bed, I said we'd appreciate it. When it was all set up, I could not have been more pleased. It's very old-fashioned looking, and looks perfect in the room. She even passed on a bed set that looks very "shabby chic".I just love it when God gives us the desires of our hearts before we can even ask.The night before Terry and I had walked around Target and seen their new dresser and cabinet in their "Shabby Chic" line and I told him how much I loved it. This bed looks like it should be part of their line. The week before, Christian's bed had broken and we had moved the wooden twin beds out of the guest room for the boys. I made them new dust ruffles (10 yards of fabric for $1 a yard!) and their red, white and blue room looks really "boy".They even have cowboy and Indian sheets.I decided to just wait until I could find a double or queen bed for the guest room, instead of putting one twin in there, since we have 2 soon-to-be 3 married children now.God always provides.

Halloween Costumes

2006-10-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

This year the boys decided to be Indians for Halloween. They've been invited to a slumber party with costumes this Friday night, so I needed to get the costumes done early. They turned out so cute. Lots of fringe down the arms and legs, trim on the loincloth, and even headdresses.We were still needing bows and arrows, which is why they decided to be Indians to begin with. We just finished reading "Robin Hood".Late Thursday afternoon, right after picking up the boys from art class, a man from church called that had 30 pounds of ground venison for me from a deer he had killed with a bow and arrow! When we met him on this country road to pick it up, he had brought his bow and arrow and gave the boys a demonstration right then and there.He was amazing. He also brought the boys a bunch of real turkey feathers and wing feathers, and offered to teach them what they need to know when we were ready. That's one offer we will be taking up!

Soccer Season

2006-10-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

October 16- Tonight was the end of season soccer party for Jordan. It was held at Pizza Hut and Christian and I went with him since his Dad had class. They had a neat soccer ball cake, a trophy for each player, and a small leather soccer ball that each of the kids autographed for each other. It was amazing to see Jordan as an eight year old playing with his friends. He has developed so much socially this year, and is no longer the "shy" kid. He's still naturally more reserved, but his friends seem to like that about him. My prayers for this child have really been answered. His vocabulary has really grown, he tells jokes, and he has a very dry sense of humor.He shared something so sweet the other day. He was telling me why he was glad he was homeschooled. When I asked why, he said his friend who goes to school told him that you have to wait for the slower kids to catch up before you can go on to the next lesson, and he would hate that.I told him that he was right, and that I was grateful to God that we can move at the right pace for each person, because some things we understand quickly, and some things take a little longer.I'm so grateful for the opportunity to homeschool, because he has no idea that he might be one of the "slower" ones struggling to catch up. And as I see him progressing rapidly, at his own pace, I see a child who has not been beaten down and made to feel stupid because he marches to a different drummer.

A New Job

2006-10-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been difficult ones for Chelsea, but they have ended with a very happy ending. She has been blessed with a wonderful job she loved, since starting an internship this Spring, but recently was offered a wonderful new position doing exactly what she loves most.She struggled with telling her boss she was leaving, but after much prayer, she did it! Yeah, Chelsea! As of November 16 she is a new Interior Designer for Ethan Allen. I know she will love this new work, which will allow her more "creativity" and a bit less of dealing with buying merchandise, etc. We're so proud of her strong work ethic. She is the youngest ever hired for them as a designer, and I know she will work hard for them.I'm proud of her for following her dream. Now, my dream will be to one day be able to afford to buy some merchandise from her!

Fall Break

2006-10-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

The week of October 8-14 flew by. Chelsea had called us to let us know she'd been sick, and would have the week off from work. We decided to take advantage of her time off to make a trip to Searcy to visit with family. The boys and I left Wednesday at noon (Dad had to stay home and work, but sent us with his blessings) and met up with Justin and Chelsea, who drove on the rest of the way with us.We met up with Jon and Shayna that night after dinner, and went to College church together. It was wonderful seeing all the kids together (with the exception of Brandon in China). Gabriel has grown so quickly. He is walking and stays busy pushing toys, pans, etc. all around the house with his little bottom sticking in the air. He's just precious. The next morning my dear friend Nancy watched all the boys while I went out with the girls and had lunch at Colton's together. Jordan and Christian really enjoyed playing with John and Joey again. We stopped by and visited with Brandon's girlfriend at her store, and made plans to visit together the next day.Thursday night we all went out to the ball fields to see John Oliver's game, and for the boys to practice with their brother Jon's team. Friday, Kristin joined up with us and we all headed to Little Rock to look for new shoes for Gabriel. I'm sure store owners thought we were the Beverly Hillbillies...9 people to buy a pair of baby shoes! Justin bought some "holiday sodas" at Target that we took home for a taste testing session. Gross! They were turkey and gravy, antacid, sweet potatoes, peas, and butter rolls.We left Saturday morning after a visit to see Jon coaching the Harding women's soccer team.It was a special moment to see him on the field his Dad planted, mowed, etc., working with the soccer program his Dad started.We made it home around 4 pm, just in time to visit with our friends, the Nixes, who were in town for a soccer game. They brought us the mother of all mums. It took four people to load it in the car! I'll post a picture later. It is gorgeous. All in all, it was a wonderful, crazy week that was full of a lot of laughter.

A Wonderful Week

2006-10-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

The boys are asleep in bed after a long and busy week, and I am enjoying the sounds of silence (with the exception of Terry relaxing in front of the TV). Chelsea and Justin joined all of us and the grandparents on Tuesday night for a dinner to celebrate Justin's 25th birthday.It's so much fun to celebrate the birth of such a wonderful man, getting to enjoy having another son in the family, and, best of all, knowing I had nothing to do with raising him to be who he is. His parents did a wonderful job for which we are most grateful. We really enjoy watching the two of them together. They share a lot of joy.On Wednesday night we had a great surprise when Kristen's Dad, Roy, showed up at church on his way home from Nashville. That was a special treat to have a short, unexpected visit. We already thought a lot of her parents, as we have gotten to know their daughter better. She is delightful.Thursday night Terry's chorus all came over to have dessert with us, and then stayed a couple of hours singing and playing the guitars. The boys had friends over to spend the day, including a trip to Burger King, and then art class. They got to bed early because this morning we left bright and early for our trip to Corinth, Mississippi to the Circle Y Pumpkin Patch, petting zoo, corn maze, horse riding, and putt-putting. We had a great turnout and they enjoyed the hours with their friends. Dana, Beata and Alex rode with us which is always fun. (Though you were REALLY missed, Nancy!!)On our way home we stopped in a scrapbooking store which was a lot of fun. I was ready to crash when Terry got home from work and offered to take the boys to the movie to see "Open Season" so I could enjoy a few hours of quiet. It was wonderful! Chelsea and Justin will be here in the morning to watch the boys last two soccer games of the season, followed by a trip to the Greek Festival with our friends Ken and Theresa Moran, and then we will watch the play "Antigone" performed outdoors.I made a great purchase at the library sale this week. The entire set of Will Durant's "Story of Civilization" for $3!! I paid almost $200 for this set for Terry a few years ago for Christmas. I'm going to pass this set on to our family history nut, Brandon. We have been blessed with wonderful weather and many great opportunities to be with friends lately, for which we are most grateful to God.After this weekend our calender is looking pretty sparse until the last weekend of the month. I'm looking forward to more "routine" school days, and some time to work on some Halloween costumes for the boys...and some sewing for the grandbabies.

Farm Life

2006-09-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

We just returned from the most enjoyable day and night away, at a beautiful log cabin farmhouse in the hills of Tennessee. New friends had invited us to spend the evening with them, to visit, and get to know more about each other. We are having perfect Fall weather here, and upon arrival they let their two horses out to roam and we all took a walk down the farm lane. We shared a meal together and then sat in front of the fire and talked. It was the first night we've had that was cool enough to do that. The boys slept in the cowboy room. They thought it was perfect with it's saddles and deer antlers. Our room had a tall four poster feather bed that you had to use a stepstool to climb into.The boys had their new fishing equipment and were up at the crack of dawn to sit out on the dock with their poles in the water. It's the stillest I have EVER seen Christian sit. They caught a total of four fish and just loved every minute of it. There was a small stone spring house with a little stream that ran across the front of the farm. We headed down to the large creek where 6 beavers had made a huge dam. The boys "accidently" fell in the water and ran up this creek for miles splashing and laughing. I don't believe I have ever seen them have this much fun. We spent more time swinging and rocking on the front porch and enjoying a beautiful Fall day with two gracious and kind kindred spirits. What
blessings we are given by our Father.

Fall Days

2006-09-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

I'll sure be glad when my children come to visit next so that I can post my favorite pictures again:) We have been enjoying the first days of Fall here in Tennessee. I have my pumpkin candle burning and my Fall dishes on the table. After painting our front door barn red, I filled two large baskets with golden mums and placed them on each side of the front door. I already had a red berry wreath on the front door. I get so much enjoyment at seeing my warm entrance each time I return home. We had overnight guests again last weekend, and then on Sunday we began our gospel meeting which ran through Wednesday night. There is a whole "culture" here in the Bible Belt that, after so many years away, seems somewhat strange to me now. Then the following evening was our turn to host the Missions group on campus. My friend, Dana, was here with her family, so it was an especially nice treat to get a chance to visit after the meeting. The boys had helped me make and decorate carrot and cream cheese cupcakes(with little fall leaves sprinkles) and banana and pumpkin muffins. We had around 40 or so, which was small enough to have a chance to get to know some of the students better. All of my children are doing well and are busy and happy...which makes me happy. Both of our girls are happily married and both of our sons are wishing they were:) Seriously, they are both dating sweet girls, though Brandon is having to do it long distance from China. I'm making slow but steady progress on my quest for improved health- drinking my skimmed milk, taking my vitamins, eating healthy foods, drinking green tea, and walking daily on my treadmill for 45 minutes. I had not had any health problems, but I know that if I don't get in better shape it will catch up with me and limit the time I have to keep my family in line! Pray for me as I try to discipline myself to reach my goal. I think I'll close now and go help myself to a cup of hot apple cider (sugar-free of course).

Rainy Morning

2006-09-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

I love rainy school mornings. We curled up on the couch and read about Pharoahs and Egypt, and about how when the Pharoah's men fought the rebellious Nubians they counted the dead by counting their chopped off hands (the boys at 7 and 8 found this fascinating!). For our morning devotions we are reading "Wisdom With the Millers", and then on to "Mountain Born", the story of a boy and his "cossett"lamb, where they were fascinated by the description of how a lamb's tail is docked, painted with pine tar, etc. I should mention that this weekend we went and saw "How To Eat Fried Worms". Life with school-age boys seems to be filled with a lot of "snails and puppy dog tails", and not as much "sugar and spice, and everything nice". Chelsea and Justin came over for a visit this afternoon (she had some business on campus) and we went out to Catfish Cabin with them ( thanks to my generous houseguests:) for dinner before they had to head home. I got phone calls from all of my children today, and an e-mail from Brandon in China. That always puts joy in our days.

New Friends and Good Fellowship

2006-09-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

On Thursday of this week some friends of friends came to stay for a couple of nights to tour our campus. They were both homeschool families who shared many of our same expeiences and we had a delightful visit while they were here. It is always such an encouragement to have the chance to talk with other "like-minded" women. They had brought with them two big bags of homemade yeast rolls, cinnamon rolls (compliments of Sheri...they were wonderful!!) and some apple butter, and then upon their departure gave us a gift certificate to our favorite seafood restaurant and a lovely leather journal (and that was kind of funny, after admitting to them the day before how I never wrote more than a couple of pages before losing them:) I will try hard to hang on to this one. Then last night we invited a new family at church and their two sons, and a new English teacher and my friend, Linda, over to share a meal. We had such a good time of sharing and getting to know one another. We are beginning a new ladies class on Wednesday night which I am so excited about, and these women will be apart of our new class. These last few days have been such busy ones but I start the new week feeling so encouraged by these new friends God has put into my life. Until my son-in-law comes to visit my blog will be pictureless:( I've had to switch computers and I'm clueless on this one. Come see us Katie, Tim and Gabriel!!

A Quiet Oasis

2006-09-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Terry and I left the boys at Justin and Chelsea's and went away for an evening by ourselves. Terry had made reservations at "Bonne Terre", a bed and breakfast in Nesbit, Mississippi. We visited there three years ago for our 25th wedding anniversary and had really loved the peaceful setting. I was almost wanting to stay away because I was afraid it could never be as wonderful as our first visit. We enjoyed dinner out in Memphis, and a bit of shopping, before driving over. The room was like stepping into another world. We had a beautiful view off of our balcony overlooking the lake (including two old men fishing on the banks:), with a lovely jazz station playing quietly in the background. The next day was Labor Day so we were able to take our time getting back. We even sat by the lake and read for over an hour after checking out just to enjoy the wonderful Fall day. After picking up the boys we headed home for a 3pm reunion of our travel group from this summer. We shared a lovely Italian meal together and then they gifted us with a wonderful book of photographs, and letters sharing their favorite memories of our travels together. At the end of the weekend we felt so refreshed and encouraged. Thank you Chelsea and Justin for taking such good care of the boys and making their visit so special!

Christian Darsie

2006-09-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago today a precious little dark skinned- dark haired little boy entered this world. Through tears of joy and tears of sorrow he became our son. At a time of incredible sadness (we had just been told two days before that my Mom had terminal cancer and had only 2 1/2 months to live), God blessed us with a child to remind us of His love for us. His birthmother placed him with our family in an amazing act of unselfishness. Today he is a bundle of energy in a constant state of motion. He reads anything you put in front of him, he's an X-box expert, excellent soccer player, golfer, and basketball player. He has a tender heart, and if he can't do something perfect the first time, he doesn't want to do it at all (we're still working on that:) He's Jordan's best friend.We have celebrated 3 times this week. Once with his brother last weekend, again last night when he went to dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Edwards and then got to go pick out a toy at Toys-r-Us, and again tonight with cake and balloons. I sure hope the next 7 years don't go by as quickly as the first 7 did!

Family Fun

2006-08-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend was Brandon's last at home until January, so we all went to Justin and Chelsea's new house in Cordova and spent the night. From the guys all staying up until past 4AM, ice cream birthday cake for breakfast, and sharing crepes together in Collierville, we had so much fun all being together. We all went to Chelsea's store for one last time together and shared a prayer together (there was no one in the store at the time:) before driving him to the airport. He will be missed by all of us, and we will do our best to keep Kristen encouraged while he is away. Jon and Shayna came on back home with us for Jon to play in the Alumni soccer game (he made 3 goals). Dwight and Joshua Ireland were also here with us overnight for a tournament in Jackson. We went to church together this morning and then out for Mexican for lunch, before Jon and Shayna headed back to Searcy this evening. It was a wonderful weekend.

A Reunion With An Old Friend

2006-08-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 2, 2006 This morning we worshipped with the Florence congregation. The faithful were all there- Luigi and Liliana, Paolo, Andrea, Gianfranco, Natascia with her children, Sarah, Mario and Marco. We had a wonderful worship time together and then left to have lunch at La Tortuga, a small neighborhood restaurant. We followed our lunch with our first gelato of the trip at Piazzale Michelangelo. It was a beautiful day with a wonderful breeze and we sat on the steps enjoying the view. As we headed towards the villa, taking the back "walled" road to Le Bagnese, we decided to stop at the villa of Terry's best friend as a child, Nicola Del Croix ( a descendent of the French painter). Terry was totally surprised when Nicola himself answered the door! They had not seen each other in 37 years! It was quite a reunion. Nicola now lives in Ethiopia and works for the EU. We visited about an hour as his family kept bringing out more wine, appetizers, bowls of pistachios, etc. They caught up on their childhood friends and talked of their school days, and their difficult teachers:) Those teachers did something right. It is interesting how many of their group are working as Ambassadors from Italy, a doctor in Uganda, PhD's, etc.--all from a little public school in a small neighborhood in Florence. Unfortunately, Terry was committed to speaking up at the villa so we had to say our good-byes. When we got home this evening we were able to get ahold of the children. They were all celebrating Brandon's safe arrival home from China at the Rainforest Cafe . It was a wonderful day.

A Family Visit

2006-08-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had Tim, Katie and Gabriel come see us. We enjoyed so much watching Gabriel spend time with his great-grandparents (he loved the airplane pillow that they brought him!) Gabriel especially loves to play with Christian's nice thick hair . Brandon, Kristen and Jon were over at Uncle Kevin's with Karen and Kathi and their families this evening for a barbecue, while Chelsea and Justin spent a weekend away in Nashville. We would have loved to be eating that barbecue:), but loved it even more that our children were surrounded by family, and sharing in the family stories.

Happy Anniversary, Terry!

2006-08-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today Terry and I celebrate 28 years together. We have been blessed with good health, a lovely home, six wonderful children and two wonderful son-in-laws, one and a half grandchildren, and a sweet dog, Annabelle. We live two blocks away from the best father and mother-in-law that any woman could have. We worship with a wonderful body of believers in Bethel Springs, and Terry is blessed with a great job at Freed-Hardeman. We have travelled to many, many countries together. We have set up house in three countries. We have cruised the Mediterranean, floated down the Nile, walked amidst the Pyramids, and shared in the joy of watching four of our children accept Christ as their Savior. Daily, we continue to have the privilege of enjoying the lives of two adorable little boys ...soccer games, sharing good books, birthday parties, trips to Chucky Cheese. Thirty years ago Terry asked me to marry him. I was 17 years old and he was 20. I could never have comprehended in all of my wildest imaginings the life that I would share with him by saying "Yes".
"Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

The New School Year

2006-08-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

Our first two days back at school went very well. The boys seem to like the new daily spelling program, and having separate reading times works so much better. We have finished up our unit on Knights that we began this Spring and are currently reading "Mr. Popper's Penguins" for read-a-loud time and a Magic Treehouse book on the Civil War before bed. Last night were the boys photo shoots for their soccer pictures. They both have easy going coaches this year--thank goodness for no screamers! This afternoon the boys have been playing in the backyard while I made some rice pudding for dinner, and some food to take to a family at church who is losing a loved one. It's been a beautiful day outside and I am feeling so blessed to be able to be at home taking care of my family, living every day to the fullest.

A Busy Weekend

2006-08-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

The sun has set on another Sunday and I'm ready for a quiet week. We had two soccer games and a wedding shower, followed by a dinner engagement on Saturday.We had 10 for Sunday lunch, followed by a dessert fellowhip tonight after church.I'm looking forward to starting our new school year in the morning, and the routine it brings to our day. It's always exciting to me when I write up the next years goals and curriculum plan. There are so many fun activities to look forward to, and it is a joy to watch the boys make discoveries on their own. My goal for Jordan this year is to encourage a love for learning. With my "abstract" style versus his "concrete" style of learning I am going to have to adapt, and that is difficult for me to say the least:) What worked for five before him, does not work for him. Jordan picked out three new Magic Treehouse books that we will be reading at bedtime for the next couple of weeks. Please pray that he will continue to persevere and that he can feel successful in his studies. Brandon has his tickets back to China and will be flying back on the 27th. We will all miss him, but we are so proud of his faithfulness and willingness to serve.

Castiglion Fiorentino

2006-08-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2006- This morning we awoke to a beautiful summer day in Florence. About 9am we started driving towards C.F. There were amazing fields of sunflowers around every bend in the road. Upon arrival, we strolled around the town to see what stores were available as this is very likely the location where we will be purchasing a villa. We ate at Da Muzzicone's at Piazza S. Francesco- a wonderful lunch. The owner was very kind and went and called the mayor of the town to join us after our meal to visit. There were pictures of the owner on the wall with the actor Roberto Begnini (the star of "Life Is Beautiful") who is from this little town. Afterwards we saw a wonderful bronze statue of the actor dancing at a park outside of town. After lunch we searched local grocery stores to see what was available nearby. We visited the Coop in Camucia and found a wonderful supply of gluten free foods for Terry . We visited the owner of Villa Schiatti and spent time looking around.I loved our apartment (if the sale goes through:) with it's big fireplace in the kitchen, the terrace area and the original red tile floors. It felt like home. As the sun went down we headed back to Florence to our favorite Chinese restaurant near the San Lorenzo market. I made a quick stop in the restroom and was hit with the funny memory of barely fitting in the stall during the last days of my pregnancy with Chelsea, over 20 years ago. After dinner we returned to "Antica Posta", our home for the week.We called and talked to Katie, Tim, Brandon, Jordan and Christian, who are all doing well. Another wonderful day in Tuscany.

A Sunday in Florence

2006-08-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

July 9, 2006 This morning the bus picked us up in Castiglione Fiorentino and drove us to church in Florence. The singing at church was wonderful and very uplifting. We had an appointment immediately after church to visit the Uffizzi Gallery. So much beauty at once is overwhelming. I imagined how each man, with God's gifting, envisioned each piece in their mind. After the Uffizzi we ate at Piazza Signoria, followed by a walking tour of Florence..by the Duomo, Piggy Market, and Piazza Repubblica. We caught the bus back home at 6, ate dinner at 7, and settled in to watch the final game of the World Cup at 8pm. About 15 of our friends joined us in our apartment, while Terry went back and forth betwen us and his Italian friends watching downstairs! Italy won 5-3 in penalty kicks. It was so exciting. There were horns blowing, guns and fireworks. It was an incredible evening to be in Italy.

Renata and Renzo

2006-08-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

It has taken longer than I expected to get settled back in at home since our return from Italy. We had such a wonderful time renewing old friendships. One afternoon we headed out to the countryside, where our former housekeeper has a summer garden. Renata was more than a housekeeper for the villa. She was a grandmother to my children, and a very patient and dear friend to me. When I first met her I was a 26 year old young mother of a 4 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old, and was expecting my fourth in two months. With neither of us speaking the same language, she managed to show her love, care and concern for me at a time when I was greatly in need of reassurance. I was thousands of miles from home, my husband had almost been lost in a fire only 6 weeks before, and I was scared to death to give birth in a foreign country. She was and is so dear to me. Back to the story, on this beautiful summer day we stopped and Terry got out of the car and yelled over the hedge to see if they were there. What a homecoming we received!! They have a little tower that they have turned into a bedroom and kitchen for the hot summer months, chickens, flowers, vegetables growing everywhere, a fountain, outdoor oven, long tables for eating al fresco, etc. It's a bit of paradise. Without ever leaving her garden she served a meal for ten of us. We ate crostini with tomatoes and capers and eggs, mozzarella and tomatoes with fresh basil, proscuitto and salami, cantaloupe, a frittata, Florentine tripe, baked zucchini with cheese and onions, pasta salad, panzanella salad...it was all incredible. They had a TV set up under the portico so that we could watch the World Cup soccer game. We won that night 3-0 and every time Italy scored the men all danced, clicked their wine glasses and blew off the air horn. We ate from 8 until after 11. It was a wonderful night of remembering, catching up on all of our lives, and a thankfulness for the blessings of frienship that God had given us to enjoy.

Back Home Again

2006-07-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

We are back home in Henderson now, after a wonderful month in Italy. My little boys had a wonderful time with their big sister and brother-in-law, and especially their little nephew, Gabriel. We have a house full this weekend, so I won't be writing much about the trip until our guests leave on Monday. Brandon is safely home from China, and will be returning at the end of August.His special friend, Kristin, is with us for the weekend. She is a delightful young lady. We are going to Nashville tonight with Katie and Tim to see Faith Hill and Tim McGraw in concert. It was their gift to Terry for his birthday. Chelsea and Justin will arrive this evening and we will all go to worship together in the morning at Bethel.It's so good to be home.

Getting Ready

2006-06-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

We are back home for a day, getting ready to leave for Europe. We drove the boys to Katie's Sunday after church. When we arrived she had a big surprise for them. She had taken pictures of them from the past two soccer seasons, blown them up to poster size and then had them laminated.They were all hanging on the walls, along with a World Cup soccer ball in a net hanging in the middle of the wall.There were about a dozen small soccer postcards mounted on painted clothespins as you walked in the room. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me. She really made them feel special. I talked to her after we got home last night and she had already taken them to the library for some new books.The guest room is now referred to as the boys room:)I've not been without children for 26 years, so it does feel a bit strange to not have children to care for.I'm heading out to do some last minute weeding in the yard, vacuuming of the stairs, etc. I don't mind living in a messy house...I just can't stand to come home to one! I will probably be unable to post for the next three weeks, but then I should have a lot of catching up to do!

Sweet Pics from VBS

2006-06-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

Busy Days

2006-06-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

We left yesterday afternoon to go see Chelsea in Memphis for the evening. Her store was having their grand opening and it went really well. I enjoyed all the words of praise for my hard working daughter, and, of course very important to me, the food was amazing!I love visiting in my children's homes. Their apartment is really cute. We spent the night and then came home this morning. I spent the day getting things prepared for our trip and for VBS. The boys helped me color and cut out MANY fish for our story on the Sea of Galilee.Tonight was the first night of VBS and it was alot of fun. It did dawn on me that there was a good chance that this would be the boys last VBS for a while since we would not be here next summer if things go as planned.Of course, none of us knows what tomorrow holds.VBS is such a fun part of childhood. Booster, Booster, Be A Booster...

My Classroom

2006-06-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today I am trying to prepare for my new school year as I know that it will be more difficult to do upon our return when we will hit the ground running.I have been so blessed this past year with a separate classroom for our schoolwork. We still spent many days around the kitchen table (especially during the cold months), but it was so nice to have a place to display the boys work and store all the school "stuff".I have Jon to thank for that. He turned half of our garage into a separate room, including two closets and lots of outlets for the TV, computer, etc. It has been such a gift. Just organizing the books made me get excited about our upcoming schoolyear and all the new ideas we will study and all of the great books we will read. I love being a home educator.

Sharing a Meal

2006-06-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

Last night, several of my friends got together and shared a meal as a celebration of friendship. Our dear friends, Mike and Nancy, are moving this week and will be greatly missed.Dana, as hostess, had prepared a wonderful meal of steaks, potatoes, and salad--topped off with an amazing cheesecake with strawberry topping. We ate until we could barely move! After the meal we all piled on their flatbed pulled by a tractor, and rode around the hillside. After bogging down in a wet field we had a short walk back to the yard.The cabin sits at the top of the hill, and with its lit windows, as the sun was setting, sent such a message of welcome.Watching the children play out in the fields was especially sweet. Between the four families represented, we share 16 children. Well, technically it's 15.85 (Julie is due in 5 weeks:) We all viewed the two new nests with eggs that were in the porch rafters, and then moved inside for a time of sweet conversation.Heaven will be such an amazing place with such sweet fellowship.

Traveling Shoes

2006-06-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've spent the morning gathering things together to pack the boys for their stay at Katie's.This next week is a busy one with packing, getting the house ready for our absence, teaching VBS, and a good-bye dinner for Nancy. I am getting excited about returning to Italy.I realized in church yesterday that in only two Sundays I would be worshipping in Florence with Luigi, Liliana, Gianfranco, Robbie and Mona. That's so exciting.I'd be even more excited if all of my children were going to be with us. I know the older ones would really love to be getting on a plane and going home again.Lord willing, that day will come sooner rather than later, but in the mean time...these pictures are for each of you.And yes, I will bring you each a Kinderegg!

Father's Day

2006-06-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

The children all came on Saturday to celebrate Father's Day. We had a wonderful time cooking steaks out on the grill, eating and then watching the USA vs. Italy in the World Cup.The kids gave their Dad a new Ipod that will hold 1000 songs. They do know him well! He has wanted one for a long time, but I know he would never have gone out and bought himself one. It should arrive in a few days, just in time for him to totally tune me out all through Italy!Justin and Chelsea had to leave early, but the others were all here for church this morning, and then lunch out at our favorite Mexican restaurant.The weekend would have been perfect if only I wasn't sitting here worried about them driving home in terible weather.I think it's just a Mom thing.

Reading

2006-06-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight we fulfilled our reading contract with the boys. They kept charts, and after 20 hours of reading each, they were promised a trip to Chuckie Cheese. They had a really good time. Afterwards we went to Target for some last minute items before we take off on our trip, and we bought them the "I Spy" game for their "Leapster". They only have one game for that, and they play it all the time.They are a bit pricey, but a great way to keep them motivated in their reading.My favorite part of homeschooling has been the days we curled up together on the couch and read for hours.Right now we are reading"Follow the Leader" about a young boy dealing with blindness.We just finished "Henry Huggins".It's great fun to re-read some of my favorite children's books.

Swim Time

2006-06-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our weekend trip to Chelsea and Justin's. Grandpa and Gabriel really enjoyed their pool time. Jordan and Christian have become a lot harder to throw across the pool!

Tullahoma

2006-06-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

We spent almost 7 hours in the car yesterday, in order for Terry to speak for one hour in Tullahoma, and it was well worth it. The drive to East Tennessee is absolutely beautiful. After the rocks of Greece, we both have a real appreciation for green grass and trees.Terry did such a great job speaking on absolute truth. His message was clear and easy to understand, and was a message of such hope. We know that we have truth in a world that tells us that it doesn't exist.The people of the congregation were very friendly and appreciative of our long journey there. The boys were wonderful. Christian became sick, as usual, but quickly recovered.They played Learning Leapster the entire way, giggling and laughing. They are real troopers about travelling.On the way home we did hit a large black furry animal, that made an incredible noise on impact, but neither of us was sure what it was,it happenned so fast.The last hour on the road, passing through Savannah, Waynesboro, etc. was quiet as the boys had fallen asleep and there was very little traffic on the road. It gave me time to reflect on how blessed I was to be travelling through our beautiful country, with a man I love and admire, who stands for goodness and truth, with sweet children asleep in the back--and to be reminded how I have all of this because of the grace of God, and not because of anything I ever did to make this happen. He is so good and I am so blessed.

Blair's Grandma's Furniture

2006-06-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

My friend, Blair ( a former HUF student from 1989), recently moved into a smaller home and had no where to store her grandparent's dining room set. Not wanting her to have to sell it, I offered to store it until they have space once again.It's been a nice change of pace after we rearranged our dining room set to various locations throughout the house. I especially am enjoying displaying my Aunt Rema's violet dishes in the old cabinet.The older I get the more I enjoy "borrowing" instead of owning.It's "free" decorating and a chance to help a friend at the same time. So, thank you, Blair. Just holler when you're ready to have it back home!

Bread Baking

2006-06-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

I tried a new recipe for Terry today in my never ending quest for a decent loaf of bread...gluten free. This loaf came out plenty big, but unfortunately it still has the flavor of cardboard:( Terry says it is wonderful, but after two years of no bread he's just grateful for anything that "kind of" tastes like bread. If anyone comes across a good recipe for gluten-free bread PLEASE pass it on. After eating Sheri's wonderful yeast rolls this week I feel incredibly guilty not to be able to offer him something that tastes better. Oh well, I now have a big bag of crumbs to use in his meatloaf!

Summer Days

2006-06-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

Belinda sent me on a picture of the boys that she'd taken at basketball camp that I thought I'd share.The other picture is of the boys playing baseball in the backyard. Christian has on his Dad's baseball uniform from third grade. They are growing too fast. We don't have much going on this week, other than a trip to Tullahoma on Wednesday, so we're doing a little reading and writing...and a lot of playing. I am so grateful for the quiet life that God has blessed me with.