firsts

I'll always remember 13 years ago tonight. . .

Giving birth to our firstborn, a son.

Is there anything that rocks your world as much as your first child?

My mom and I laugh how she ironed, yes ironed, his newborn clothes.

We were so proud. 

All the firsts are soooo huge with your firstborn, aren't they?

I can still remember. . .

our first church service with him,

our first dinner at a restaurant with him,

our first Christmas,

daddy cutting his nails for the first time, IMMEDIATELY upon our arrival home from the hospital,

our first long distance trip.

Thirteen years ago?  How can that be?

I am clearly seeing the reality of what many moms who have gone before me say:   "Don't blink!  They'll be grown before you know it."

Z-man had a rather unforgettable 13th birthday week.

He harvested a 6 point buck with his new bow!

He skinned and quartered it and we ate the tenderloins for his birthday dinner this evening.

The birthday blast continued in true boyish fashion. . .Nerf gun wars!

I have a feeling that 10 years from now, Little A may choose a slightly different

form of entertainment for her 13th birthday celebration.  You think?

Z-man, we love you more than words can say.

We are as proud today as we were 13 years ago.

You will continue to lead the pack with many firsts.

We will continue to love you, "No matter what".

We look forward to seeing your relationship with God continue to grow and pray you will seek Him, love Him and serve Him in your many paths which lie ahead.

Our industrious, organized, smart, focused, fun-loving 13-year old son. . .

Happy, Happy Birthday! And may God give you many, many more!

Love Always,

Dad and Mom

Happy Friday!

the forecast

Since the weather forecast for tomorrow includes possible snow showers. . .

(what?  snow already? yep, this will actually be our second view of the white flurries for the season!)

I was happy to meet up with Jaci this afternoon and take her requested cross-country

photos.

She's a beautiful girl, sister in Christ, friend of our family and (we cannot believe) heading to college next fall.

This season Jaci successfully ran her fastest race time of her cross-country career.

What a grand finale!

I know she'll be tackling the upcoming college forecast of changes and challenges with God's grace, wisdom and a smile on her face.

Blessings, Jaci!

Happy Wednesday!

sweet treats

I'm now in the older lifetime category.

Sweet treats will not be allowed for me . . .

starting tomorrow.

little pumpkin

Look what was given to Little A after church on Sunday. . .

  

A pumpkin hat!

It was knitted by a very talented friend from church.

Little A knew right away it was a PUMPKIN!

 

After the wind storm had passed this week, I was able to take a few fun

photos.

I love the colors of fall!

 

At three, she didn't last long.

No more standing in one place!

This little pumpkin is off and running!

"Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a jubilant cry.

For the Lord Most High is awe-inspiring, a great King over all the earth."

Psalm 47 1-2

 

 

hissing and kissing

Meet our new house guest who is visiting for the next month:

After realizing that our Lucy was not pregnant, Mr. E. decided to bring

the male, "Chief", to our home for the month in hopes that this visit

would be more. . . productive, if you will.

So far, Miss Lucy has not been a hospitable hostess.  There

has been more hissing than kissing going on. 

We've been told that given time, they will become quite fond of each other.

Although, this marble Bengal's name is Chief, Little A instantly

re-named him, "Bobcat".  You see, he is absolutely enormous

compared to our Lucy who is on the petite side of the scale.

He seems the size of the bobcat on our family room wall which Mr. E. trapped

several years ago, thus "Bobcat" seems most appropriate to Little A..

"Hims not little, he big!"

"Him freak me out." 

(Such is the vocabulary of a three year old with 5 older siblings!)

So there you have an update from the continuing saga of Simply Grand Bengals.

Happy Friday!

caught

Five boys.

I'm trying to train five boys to be young gentlemen.

Yes, we live in the woods but please boys. . .

Let your behavior not portray that you were perhaps

raised by a pack of wolves! (That line's for you, Jane!)

No elbows on the table; No slurping; Please get a kleenex;

That piece of meat is WAY to big for our mouth; No toilet

talk; Wash your hands; Put your glass at 12:00; Do not

lick your plate; You need to ask to be excused;  Bring your

plate to the sink. . .

Now we have two boys in the house who continually use

their shirt collar in place of a napkin.

It drives. me. crazy.

I know these bad habits will dissipate as the years go by (please!)

but for now I will have to remind them, each time they're caught,

to NOT wipe their face with their shirt! PLEASE!!

 

Happy Wednesday!. . . Happy Training!

just want you to know

Last night Mr. E. was out of town.

The rest of us were at church til' 8pm and came home to a message

on the machine.

Still standing with my arms full of "stuff" I listened to Mr. E's voice. . .

I just want you to know I'm O.K.

I was in an accident. . .

My heart sank.

I was curious to know the details,

thankful that he was OK,

and anxious to talk with him.

Z-man flew to the phone before I had my hands free.

The good news was that the accident could have been worse, the

truck is still drivable, and he'll still be able to attend his meeting

at the capital tomorrow.

The bad news. . .  his shoulder was injured and he's experiencing a

significant amount of pain.

Twelve hours later, we receive another call from Mr. E.:

I'm standing outside the capitol building.  We've all been evacuated due

to a bomb threat!

At this point we can't help but laugh as I exclaim,

Quick, get in your truck and head home before more catastrophe follows you!!

Life.

You just never know what the day has in store.

So as the sun sets on this beautiful fall day I'll remember what HE

just wants us to know . . .

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Those who know your name trust in you, for you , oh Lord, do not

abandon those who search for you.  Psalm 9:9-10

This is my command; be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or

discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

 

 

Our peace depends on our willingness to see everything in God,

receive all from His hand, accept with gratitude just the portion

and cup He offers.  Shall I charge Him with a mistake in His

measurements or with misjudging the sphere in which I can best

learn to trust Him?  Elisabeth Elliot

 

Happy Tuesday!

May His peace be yours today,

new beginnings

October ushers in our fall season and a few new changes.

We say good-bye to the garden.

Just a handful of carrots and lots of potatoes left to be pulled.

  

And a few red peppers which, as I found out this afternoon, are of the VERY HOT variety!!

(Quick, grab the milk, my mouth is burning!!)

 

Pumpkins!

  

I must show you this picture taken at the beginning of August. . .

This is one of SEVERAL buckets of basil which fragrantly descended onto my kitchen

counter the last few months.  Mr. E. loves pesto so we froze the leaves of basil

and I simply take them out of the bag, wash them, place them in the food processor

and add a handful of walnuts, a few cloves of garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil. . .

and waalaa!! fresh pesto is ready to add to cooked pasta. Yum!!

 

Little A is such a hoot!  She had to find her "glubs" (gloves), just like daddy, before

she could go "work" outside.

 

A new calendar decorates the wall in our dining/school room.

I ordered this from rainbowresource.com.   A wonderful home school website with

endless resources at very reasonable prices.

 

The highlight of the past week was our New Beginnings banquet

for our new local pregnancy resource center.

I was part of the banquet committee and truly felt blessed to witness

God's hand in orchestrating such a powerful and exciting evening.

Beautiful flowers, food, and delectable dessert favors graced the tables.

The highlight was hearing personal testimony's from several women who had

been led to seek out a pregnancy center during a time of crisis in their lives.  The

centers serve as so much more than helping both women and men through their

immediate time of crisis.  Many years later, these women are still involved by coming

alongside other women and being a part of the center bible studies.   Many people

in our community will be blessed, in ways that God only knows, by the start of this

new pregnancy resource center in our area.

 

Happy Saturday!

96 years young

We have a neighbor.

His name is Frank and he’s amazing.

Yesterday Frank had a birthday.

He was born 96 years ago!

He is a WWII veteran; still lives in his own home; he mends his clothes with his

sewing machine; he installed new cabinets in his kitchen; he

shovels snow from his roof in the winter; he makes a deliberate

effort to get exercise every day. . .It is not surprising to

see Frank in the woods chopping wood.

 

We decided to make Frank a card and bring

some chili, bread, and jam and wish

him a happy birthday.

We knocked on the front door a few times and began to

wonder if he was home.

I decided to check the back yard.

And that is where we found him. . .reading the owner’s manual

in the front seat of his new Ford sedan!

“All I need to know is how to open the

door, open the trunk, and start the car. . .none of the other fancy

stuff they have in cars nowadays!”

He was disappointed that his sister and brother were unable to

come for his birthday due to an unexpected illness in the family.

I’m glad we stopped.

God bless you, Frank.

 

As we continued about our day I couldn’t help but take my camera along

and shoot the beautiful scenery along our mid-west roads.

Happy fall Friday and 1st day of October!

Heather

crafts, cream & color

I had just been thinking. . .

It would be fun to get together with friends and do crafts together.

God blessed me today with a friend who stopped by with

water colors, brushes, and a fun craft idea for the kids!

Little did she know it would be ME to jump at the painting project first!

The kids gathered leaves, we traced them onto water color paper and then

used the water color pencils and paints to re-create the leaf.

I think I was the one who had the most fun!

After the boys had completed their Nerf gun war,

they too enjoyed making their own unique leaf creations!

A few feared failure. . .but "you cannot fail", "there is no wrong way"; We

tried to encouraged them.

And while some were painting, others were rolling.

Rolling?

Yes, rolling the ball to make home made ice cream.

Have you seen this?

It would be a great Christmas gift. 

( I know. . .Christmas presents. . .scary thought, right?)

The Play-Freeze-Cream-Maker is $30 at Amazon.com and makes one quart.

The kids have fun rolling it ( NOT throwing it; we learned the hard way!)

around the yard for thirty minutes and then. . .

D E L I C I O U S home made ice cream!

We are at the peek of our beautiful fall season.  The colors glow in the sunshine.

Little A has made it clear that she is her own stylist.  At 3 years old, she holds

distinct opinions on what she wears each day.  (I think I had it comin', huh Mom?)

Today, she chose a vest which was made for me as a child.

And after the TWO hair cuts she has given herself, I have to wonder. . .

Will she one day be a hairstylist like her Great-Grandma?

 

Thank you Lord for beautiful, sunshiny, fall days and unexpected blessings you send our way.

Happy Wednesday!

simply grand reading

Have you ever been disappointed when you turn the last page of a book?

Such was the case with me last night.

Thankfully, there are many more in this series and my sister, Cathy, kindly

said she'd send the next one my way.  

The name of the book, already, you ask?!

The Yada Yada Prayer Group

 

There are eight in the series.

Here's the synopsis of book #1:

What do an ex-con, a former drug addict, a real estate broker, a college student, and a married mother of two have in common? Nothing, or so I thought. Who would have imagined that God would make a prayer group as mismatched as ours the closest of friends? I almost didn't even go the Chicago Women's Conference--after all, being thrown together with five hundred strangers wasn't exactly my "comfort zone." But something happened that weekend to make us realize we had to hang together, and the "Yada Yada Prayer Group" was born! When I faced the biggest crisis of my life, God used my newfound Sisters to show me what it means to be just a sinner saved by grace.

I loved this book because it inspired me to live my faith "out loud", daily, in the relationships God places along my path. 

It also exemplifies the verse. . ."Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn."

The author is Neta Jackson. 

She and her husband Dave, live in Chicago and have

also written the popular Trailblazer Series

 

 

 

 

and the Hero Tales series which we've enjoyed during our

morning home school "table time".

 

 

Books can be dangerous.  The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life."      ~Helen Exley

 

My handsome H-man celebrated his ninth birthday, recently.

So I asked him what his favorite book has been?

Without hesitation, he said The Boxcar Children.

The author is Gertrude Chandler Warner.

There are 150 mystery books in the series.

It is definitely a favorite around here. 

Especially when Oma reads out loud. . .sometimes an entire book in one sitting.

Happy Saturday and Happy Reading!

fall thanks

Count your blessings.

Be thankful.

In all things, give thanks.

I want to begin this week of our very full family fall routine,

with a heart of thankfulness.

 

To God be the Glory, Great things He hath done. . .

            I'm remembering the awesome worship time at church today.

Harvesting fresh vegetables from our garden is a daily blessing.

A safe and secure home for my family.

New friends and old friends. . .God blesses me with special relationships.

Knowing my eternal future is secure!

For His angels who surround me.

Unlimited choices and freedoms living in America provides.

Loving family who are there to help, to pray, to laugh, to love, and to encourage.

 

Sunday Blessings,

Tomato Time

The time has come.

Tomato time that is.

Tomatoes arriving on my counter.

Daily.

By the dozens.

So far, I've made a big pot of spaghetti sauce, and delicious salsa.

Tomorrow it will be chili.

My question is whether we will eat them as fast as they come. 

So far the above is true.  But I would still love to learn to "can" this year.

I've been enjoying the cherry tomatoes. . . Just pop 'em in my mouth for a snack.

Then I got to thinking. . . Is the tomato a vegetable or a fruit?

This is what I found. . .

To really figure out if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, you need to know what makes a fruit a fruit, and a vegetable a vegetable. The big question to ask is, DOES IT HAVE SEEDS? If the answer is yes, then technically, (botanically) you have a FRUIT. This, of course, makes your tomato a fruit. It also makes cucumbers, squash, green beans and walnuts all fruits as well. Along with the fruit from from a plant or tree, we can often eat the leaves (lettuce,) stems (celery,) roots (carrots,) and flowers (broccoli.) Many of these other parts of the plant are typically referred to as VEGETABLES. Now don't go looking for tomatoes next to the oranges in your grocery stores; fruits like tomatoes and green beans are usually (alas, incorrectly) referred to as "vegetables" in most grocery stores and cookbooks.

So now I know.

And you know too.

Although, maybe you already knew what I did not know.

Ok, I'll stop.

Look what else I found. . . 5 Lessons from the garden about fruit bearing:

1. Fruit needs water in order to reach it’s fullest potential

You can probably ask your five-year old how to take care of a plant and they will tell you that it needs water to survive. And if you have ever kept a garden, you have surely realized that if only water it once a week during the summer months your harvest is going to be much smaller. On the other hand, if your plants are receiving frequent and consistent watering, the plants are going to be stronger and the fruit is going to be better.

Psalm 1:3 (NIV) - He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

2. Good soil is very important

The soil contains a lot of the nutrients that cause the growth of the plants. There are tremendous differences between good soil and bad soil. This was one of the reasons I said that good potting soil was one of my 10 things worth spending more on. We need to be spiritually receptive to allow the seeds of God’s word to grow and develop the way they should.

Matthew 13:23 (NIV) - The one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

3. Death brings life

John 12:24 (NIV) – I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

We must die to ourselves and our own desires and submit to God’s plan. In doing so, like the above verse states, we will bear much fruit.

4. Pruning produces more fruit

I am by no means an expert gardener, but I have found this one to be true. It doesn’t make sense while you are doing it, but the results prove its effectiveness. God is an expert gardener and He knows which areas of our lives can be pruned to make us more effective. It does hurt, but the end result is beautiful.

John 15:2 (NIV) – He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

5. A branch can’t bear fruit separated from the plant

That is a no-brainer right? Well, I don’t know about you, but I have caught myself trying to do that in my own life. I will find myself trying to accomplish things in my own strength rather than “abiding in Him.” All the fruit that we will bear in our lives will be a result of us being connected to our source: God. Just like a severed branch can bear no fruit, neither can we bear any fruit if we are not abiding in Him.

John 15:5 (NIV) – I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

 

Blessed Sunday,

Look, there they are!

Labor Day weekend around here means lots of traffic.

But not if you're traveling in the sky!

Longtime friends came by plane to visit.

We kept checkin' the skies and listening to the radio.

First, we heard them. . ."3 miles out".

A few moments later, "Look, there they are!"

We watched them make a smooth landing on this very windy day.

 

Papa has had a dream of owning his own plane.

His hanger worked perfectly for storing the plane for the weekend.

Bob and Judy are special friends of our family.

My mom grew up with Judy.

In fact she doesn't remember life without her special friend.

They each grew up in Illinois, married their husbands, and ended up in Southern California to raise their families. 

We spent many holidays together with them and their children, Bryan and Kym.

Judy is the "original" Oma (German for grandmother).  Judy became a grandma first and her grandkids called her Oma from the beginning.  My mom always noted what a very special relationship Judy had with her grandchildren.

When my mom became a grandma for the first time, almost thirteen years ago, she decided to be called Oma too.

So that's my story for today.

Special friends.

Special Omas.

Happy Saturday!

Schooltime!

This week we welcomed began a new home school year journey at Simply Grand Faith Academy.

(I've read that you should name your home school. Not sure about Simply Grand but it seems to go with the theme; the blog. . . Simply Grand Central; the cattery. . . Simply Grand Bengal Cattery)

ANYWAY, the students weren't as excited as I'd hoped but Mr. E. said my expectations were a bit too high.

We've started slowly and I've found a few holes in my curriculum ordering but I must say that it feels good to be back into the routine.  AND I can tell the kids are a year older and maybe (shhh) able to work a bit more independently.

This seems to be my goal since there's only one of me around here. 

I could use another me.  A tutor, a cook, a housekeeper, a. . .

Truth be known, God takes good care of me. I have the best family, friends and neighbors AND six kids who I'm teaching to tackle more of mom's tasks!

Since my usual question to any home school mom seems to be, "What curriculum do you use?" I thought I'd share what books we'll be opening throughout the year.

Math:  ABEKA(1st, 3rd & 7th) and Teaching Textbooks(5th)

Language:  ABEKA(all)

Bible:  Alpha Omega Lifepac(5th and 7th)

Science:  ABEKA(1st, 3rd, 5th) and Apologia General Science (7th grader)

History:  ABEKA(all)

Vocabulary:  Wordly Wise (3rd, 5th & 7th)

Spelling:  Building Spelling Skills by Christian Liberty Press (3rd, 5th, 7th)

Geography:  ABEKA (all)

Reading Comprehension:  ABEKA (all)

General Reading:  Sonlight  (all)

7th grade Composition:  Write-At-Home (online assignments and writing coach)

7th grade Latin:  Z-man is on a wait-list at Veritas Press Academy for their online class.

It's always a bit "rocky" getting settled into the school year. 

We're looking forward to the long weekend.

Plans for boat and water fun may be on hold as the weather has turned windy and quite chilly on us.

We see signs of fall as the first few leaves begin turning beautiful autumn hues.

Happy Labor Day weekend!