of cabbages and kings

Whole Lot a Prayin'

2012-02-09T09:52:00.001-08:00

Today, I have been pushing numbers around on a white sheet of paper. The columns of black ink taunt me. College sized numbers. In Ink. Very scary! Very intimidating! Freshman year with possible grants, scholarships, and FAFSA deducted? Still very daunting. OK, now subtract a possible 7 bucks an hour job for a few hours a day...oh, still so HIGH! The feeling of panic is about to overwhelm me.

This is why God gave us Alana. Why, you ask? Does she bring in some of the bacon at Upcott Manor? Well, not really. But she never ceases to amaze me. In she skips from the schoolroom having just aced another math lesson (a minor miracle), peers over my shoulder, and says, "Those are big numbers, Mama. You better start doin' a whole lot a prayin'!" I turn to her, speechless, unable to come up with a reply before she dances away singing.

Now, I HAVE been praying. Believe me, there's been a "whole lot a prayin'" going on around here. We have big decisions to make in the next, few months. The numbers on my page only account for part of ONE of them. But, it amazes me that my youngest always has the most profound way of getting things back down to the nitty, gritty. The simple, if you will. This is all in God's hands anyway. He has a plan. Start praying, stop panicking.

Thank you, Lord, for my sweet, miracle girl! She is just what this family needs.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:28:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday, Jesus! Thank you for coming as a baby, living as a man, and loving us so much that you would die for us.
May we worship and adore Him today.

Loads of Video

2011-12-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

"Christmas Sunday" at our church is always so special. You can read and view loads of videos here.

The Mikado

2011-12-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful trip to NH to see Mikayla play the part of Yum Yum in The Mikado. I wish I could upload the whole thing because all the kids did such a fabulous job! The play was hysterically funny, too. We really enjoyed it. That is a group of TALENTED kids!

Fall

2011-12-03T06:36:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot going on around here, but nothing really momentous. At least nothing that I didn't share immediately on Facebook.
We had a nice time with my bother, Chris, who took a working vacation to come help all the helpless people around here. haha. Those are his words. He built us a beautiful set of steps for the camp, and added a smaller woodstove. We knew that the woodstove out there was in poor shape, but didn't realize HOW bad. ;)
He brought the kids some hats, and took Nathanael and Terry hunting. Nathanael was ecstatic when he shot his first bird.
We had a quiet Thanksgiving with just us as Mom went to visit Jon and his family in SC. We'll make up for that at Christmas when Terry's folks will join us, and the church parties and programs start.
Nate had his first concert with the Bangor Symphony Youth Orchestra. It was a beautiful concert. The videos are long because it really was professional pieces that they played. I posted some on Facebook, but it would take forever to put them here. Nate loves being a part of this, and it is so much better than just the HS band.

Nate and Lanie had a piano recital. They both did quite well. Lanie gets so nervous in front of people, but she did fine. She practiced and practiced knowing that if she did that it would help her confidence. The next Sunday she sang a beautiful solo at church, which I didn't get to video because I was accompanying her. So proud of our miracle girl!

In Other News

2011-10-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

Mikayla was able to come home for a weekend. When she is home, she always convinces her friends to play both pianos at church during the evening service. So, this past Sunday, two girls were at the baby grand, two more girls played the upright, and one really cute fella played the organ. I wish I had taken video or a picture of it. We miss how she rallies all the teens when she is here. She was here long enough to upload some of her pictures of a seniors only mountain climb and senior slave day at Dublin. The seniors are auctioned off to the highest bidders to raise money for their senior trip. She is having a great year despite having to take Anatomy and Calculus. :)

Laugh Out Loud

2011-10-27T06:06:00.001-07:00

Ok, we have cute little things that are said and written around here, such as my Facebook post about the salt mines yesterday, but these take the cake and were so cute that I had to share… If you want a laugh or just a pick-me-up read through these children’s science exam questions and answers. Teachers, Parents and Children’s Writers should all enjoy these along with those that just love children.
These are real answers given by children.
Q:Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar
Q:Explain one of the processes by which Water can be made safe to drink.
A:Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists
Q:How is dew formed?
A:The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire
Q:How can you delay milk turning sour?
A:Keep it in the cow
Q:What causes the tides in the oceans?
A:The tides are a fight between the earth and the moon. All water tends to flow toward the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.
Q:What are steroids?
A:Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs
Q:What happens to your body as you age?
A:When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental
Q:What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A:He says good-bye to boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.
Q:Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A:Premature death
Q:What is artificial insemination?
A:When the farmer does it to the cow instead of the bull
Q:How are the main parts of the body categorized? (e.go., abdomen.)
A:The body consisted into three parts ---the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O, and U.
Q:What is the fibula?
A:A small lie
Q:What does “varicose” mean?
A:Nearby.
Q:Give the meaning of the term “Caesarean Section”
A:The Caesarian Section is a district in Rome
And,
Q:What does the word “benign” mean?
A:Benign is what you will be after you be eight.
I just thought these were entirely too cute and funny to keep to myself. Enjoy!

Survival of the 70's

2011-10-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

This post was sent to me via the "old fashioned" email. I didn't realize that email was considered old fashioned until one of our teens said, " My parents won't let us have a facebook. They make us use just old fashioned email." (insert drooping shoulders, hanging head, long, loud sigh, followed closely by the rolling of the eyes) I decided to pass it on even though I was born in '71. I just said to my kids not long ago, "When I was a kid, being inside was the same as being grounded. We couldn't stand it. Plus, if our Mom's caught a glimpse of us, they gave us a chore to do. Now, go outside and play before I turn into my Mom!" It worked. ;)

No matter what our kids
and the new generation think about us,

WE ARE AWESOME !!!
OUR Lives are LIVING
PROOF !!!

To Those of Us Born
1925 - 1970 :
>
>
At the end
of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don't read anything else,
please
read what he
said.

Very well stated,
Mr. Leno.
~~~~~~~~~
TO ALL THE
KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930s, '40s, '50s,
'60s and '70s!!

First, we survived
being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank
while they were
pregnant.

They took aspirin,
ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then, after that
trauma, we were
put to sleep
on our tummies
in baby cribs
covered
with bright colored
lead-based paints.

We had no
childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets,
and, when we
rode our bikes,
we had baseball
caps,
not helmets, on
our heads.

As infants and
children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts,
no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes..

Riding in the
back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat..

We drank water
from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one
soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes,
white bread, real butter, and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.
And we weren't overweight.
WHY?

Because we were
always outside playing...that's why!

We would leave
home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights
came on.
No one was
able to reach us all day.
--And, we were
OKAY.

We would spend
hours building
our go-carts out
of scraps
and then ride
them down the hill,
only to find
out we forgot the brakes.. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned
to solve the problem..

We did not
have Play Stations, Nintendos and X-boxes. There were
no video games,
no 150 channels on cable,
no video movies
or DVDs,
no surround-sound or
CDs,
no cell phones,
no personal computers,
no Internet and
no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS
and we went
outside and found them!

We fell out
of trees, got cut,
broke bones and
teeth,
and there were
no lawsuits
from those accidents.
We would get
spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare hand,
and no one would call child services to report abuse.

We ate worms,
and mud pies
made from dirt,
and
the worms did
not live in us forever.

We were given
BB guns for our 10th birthdays, 22 rifles for our 12th, rode horses,made up games with sticks and tennis balls, and

-although we were
told it would happen- we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes
or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just
walked in and talked to them.

Little League had
tryouts
and not everyone
made the team.
Those who didn't
had to learn
to deal with
disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing
us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have
produced some of the best risk-takers,
problem solvers, and
inventors ever.

The past 50
to 85 years have seen an explosion of innovation and new ideas..

We had freedom,
failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are
one of those born
between 1925-1970, CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want
to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids before the lawyers
and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are
at it, forward it to your kids, so they will know how brave and lucky their parents
were.

Kind of makes
you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ?
~~~~~~~
The quote of
the month
by
Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados,
fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the
country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist
attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
For those that
prefer to think that God is not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.
For the rest
of us.....
please pass this
on.

They started us young.

Someone must have set me on this trike. I look a little perturbed at not being able to make this thing go.

Is that mud? I remember this ride on. The pedals were so unmanageable that we would kneel on the seat, push off with one foot at the top of our street, and fly down into the driveway. The only way to stop was to steer for the grass and wait for it to stop on its own. No helmet. I wish I could've found the picture of me on the handlebars of my brother's bike. He rode me all over the neighborhood that way whenever Mom made him take me with him. Once, he had me ride on the banana seat behind him. He told me to keep my feet away from the wheels, but I didn't. I got my foot caught in the spokes and took a bite of the ground while being dragged for several feet. I lived to tell about it.

Who Stole My Son?

2011-09-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Ok. It's Nathanael's turn for a post all his own. I would have done it sooner, but I can't find him. Lately, there's this boy hanging around here that claims to be my son. We've been feeding him in hopes he'll tell us what happened to our real son.

The kid who's been posing as our son takes a shower every morning without being threatened with bodily harm. He also remembers deoderant, and even adds a splash of cologne. So we know without a doubt that this kid is not the real son.

This kid who's been posing as our son asked and received a "nice" haircut. Our real son was perfectly happy with his Mom's attempts to style ...cough ...chop his hair. He never cared to put comb to follicle, either, so we know this kid is not the real son.

This kid who has been posing as our son has been willingly practicing his music, most of time doing it without being reminded. He has auditioned and won a spot in the Bangor Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. We would be so proud of him if he were ours.

This kid who has been posing as our son begins his schoolwork every day and finishes all assignments in a timely manner. He says that he wants to get it done, so that the rest of the day is his to do with as he wants. Our real son forgets that there are school assignments at all. His papers are lost or wadded up in the back of his desk, so we know that this kid is not the real son.

This kid who has been posing as our son asked to go shopping with his Mom for "cool" clothing. Ok, if we had any doubts up till now, this would be the final thing that would blow all doubt out of our mind. Our real son hates to shop. He protests at the mere mention of shopping and sighs loudly at the entrance of each store. He shuffles disgustedly through the aisles barely able to hold back his impatience. He waits for 10.5 seconds before he asks to go to electronics. He tells you something fits and it's great even if he hates it or it's way too small just so he can QUIT shopping. So, we know this kid is not the real son.

The first photos are of the real son. But the bottom two are pictures of the impostor. One shows the impostor with his arms around his supposed sisters. The other shows him sporting his "cool" clothes. If you see the real son, tell him to call home immediately. We have someone we'd like him to meet.

Never Grow Up!

2011-09-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Great summer memory. If someone could just please invent a pause button that I could install in my children's backs. They are growing up at lightening speed.
And so, just because I'm feeling a bit nostalgic...

Mikayla

Nathanael

Alana

My little sweeties when I didn't think they would ever be this grown up. :)

Blogworthy Post in It's Own Right.

2011-09-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is the post about our journey into the world of boarding school that I said before was worthy of its own post. Last year at this time we were plunging into the unknown, enrolling our eldest into Dublin Christian Academy. I could never have imagined that I would ever want this for one of my kids, nor could I have ever imagined that we could afford it. Well, we couldn't afford it. It's just that the Lord had other plans, and he made it happen. As simple as that. I always pictured our family as a close-knit home school family until graduation. God has a way of changing minds and hearts and doing things His way. If you were to ask Mikayla what she thought, she would probably say with all confidence that this was where God wanted her to go. I have never seen a kid throw themselves into school like she has done, scoring a 3.7 GPA while juggling sports, the role of Anne in the play "The Diary of Anne Frank", weekends on a traveling musical and drama ministry team, a chorale tour, state, regional, and then national fine arts competitions, banquets, and just general dormitory living. She has so fully embraced this school and all of its unique culture, that I can only stand by and watch in awe. And so, what was the decision for this year? In Mikayla's mind there was absolutely no question. As a matter of fact, I believe there was some frustration on her part that we would even question if sending her back was the right way to go. But her Mom is just the type that wants only the absolute best for her kids. Nothing else will do, see. So, we prayed about things. I really had a hard time thinking about the expense when she could have taken the credits that she needed at home and worked part time to save for college. But, again, God has things planned out. He worked things out for her to go, and that is that. I can only shrug my shoulders and stand back and watch. He is the one that is so obviously in control here, and although I miss her like crazy, and would kill to have that school about 300 miles closer, I am content as I watch her thrive, absorb, grow, and mature at lightening speed. Is it this way for other Mom's of teens? Do they want to have a pause button installed in their teenagers backs? I have heard it said that we as parents must work ourselves out of a job. I just expected it to take 18 years. But, why am I surprised? Mikayla has wanted to go to college since she was like 6. haha. So, there you have it. God has a plan for our sweet daughter. We just have to learn relaxation techniques. "A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps." "He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good, and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he." and lastly, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." May we as parents rest in that promise of scripture. He has a plan for our children, too, as adopted children of God.

School Schmool!

2011-09-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Getting school books this year has been an adventure. A. They are expensive. B. I needed to try something new with our youngest because she has had learning difficulties with the traditional textbook/workbook way of doing things. I have already worked very intensely on remedial reading with her. She is now reading on her grade level, praise be. We are still working on fluency, but for the most part, she has come a long way with that. Also, Math was so impossible. It didn't matter how I explained things, it just didn't stick. She would understand right then, but later I would have to start all over. I finally broke down and called a professional that works with dyslexic kids. After informally testing her using this person's online testing site (since her offices are in California), we found that her problems probably do not stem from dyslexia at all, but rather in auditory processing. Suggestions were made for very expensive learning centers, the closest of which is in Boston. Well, she and I would have to move there for 6-8 weeks. Hmmmm. So, I had Terry call the Lindamood-Bell Learning Centers.( I have placed a link to the right for these centers) I was emotional and panicky. In my book, I had failed her. I shouldn't have been that way, but I was. Turns out I was probably panicking way too soon. I am obviously in the wrong line of work and certainly should have gone for a Master's degree in Education. These people get $1,000.00 a week for the type of tutoring she would need. ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!??? And that was with just two hours a day. Do the math on that one! WELL, I had already figured out that she was an auditory learner. That's why I put things like Scripture or times tables to music for her, or let her listen to history on tape. So, after talking things over with these people and finding out some of what they do, researching on my own ( an ongoing endeavor ), and buying ebooks to read along the way, I decided that I would not wait to try and implement what I had learned would help her. If there comes a miraculous day when we can afford the six weeks in Boston, great, but I am not willing to wait. I also calmed down quite a bit after realizing that I was on the right track all along and understood how to do a BUNCH of stuff they do. Praise God for a wonderful, well-rounded education in education!! Thank you, BJU!
Some of what I have learned led me to the program Earobics, a listening skills computer program made especially for rewiring the brains of kids with auditory processing issues. We started that immediately. It's a little young, and she hates it, but I have to say, it has helped a great deal. Since, I have found a different program called Hearbuilders that I may invest in to use when we finish with Earobics. I think she will tolerate it better since it is made with an older child in mind. All of this helped me look in another direction for curriculum as well. Teaching Textbooks for math is is what I decided to try last year. It is done on the computer. It keeps track of where the child is and reviews if they need it. She HAS to listen, and only has to do one problem at a time. She has loved it, and it has really helped her! With the informal testing, I found that she has trouble sequencing. Hmmm, no wonder she has trouble with the simplest math problem! So, we are working on that, but she is in the fifth grade for math and consistently passing each lesson without extra help. HALLELUJAH! Reading has already come up, so she is doing BJU Press Reading 5, and doing great! YAY! History she loves. Science she enjoys. Both subjects are at grade level and her grades have come up in those subjects since her reading is well in hand. Now, the only things left to tackle are spelling, which up to this point has been a dismal failure, and Writing. She has great thoughts, but since she knows how difficult spelling is, she hates writing. I have decided to really attack the spelling weakness, and knowing what I know about how she learns best, I was able to find the All About Spelling books. It uses the Orton-Gillingham method that is used for dyslexia, but can be used for kids with other issues as well. So far, light bulbs have come on both with her and with me. Several AH HA moments. I think it's going to work. We'll see. Several of these AH HA moments occurred when I realized that I myself have some of the same problems that I apparently learned to compensate for as a child. INTERESTING!!! The same thing happened when we started working on sequencing and auditory memory. No wonder I still struggle with some things. :)Since the decision was made to attack spelling, writing will be put on the back burner for a short time.
All of this sounds like a huge problem, but we have found that with just a few minutes a day working on the problem areas, we have already been able to see a big improvement, and for the most part, she is working at grade level. Thank you, Lord! Alana is a precious gift. She is smart, and has a lot on her heart and in her mind. I am so thankful that I have found ways to help her do better in school.

Meanwhile, Mikayla is off to a wonderful start as a senior at Dublin Christian Academy. Another miraculous journey for our family worthy of its own post. Nathanael is in his first year of high school. We looked into several options for him but came back to the tried and true. A friend of mine supplied me with a complete set of curriculum that she didn't need anymore and all I had to do was order the consumable. As I was doing that, I found that Science has been updated, leaving me unable to buy the consumable workbook for the older edition that I had. That left me in a quandry. Do I try something new, or deal with the frustration of not having some of the stuff I need in order to save money???---- I got something new. I switched to Apologia for Science. So far, he loves it. There! School Schmool! We got it under control, Dude. With God's help, that is.

A New School Year

2011-09-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

A new school year has begun at Upcott Manor. Nathanael is now in High School. Alana is in 5th grade. Mikayla, who was supposed to have a picture taken of herself on her first day, is a senior at Dublin Christian Academy. The way that the Lord has provided for her to go away to school has been, and continues to be, nothing short of miraculous. I continue to homeschool the other two children. We are praying that the Lord would continue to work in their hearts and lives as the 2011-2012 school year begins.

Packin' in Some Summer

2011-09-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Park Loop Road and picnic on the Green overlooking Frenchman's Bay.

Cadillac Mountian and Sand Beach

We spent most of our summer right at home this year. Gas prices kept us from venturing much further than camp. So, last week we made a point to get away. If only for a day. Then, since we bought a park pass, we went one more day before school started.

Yard Work, Graduation, Band, and Tornados!!!

2011-06-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

Upcott manor has been bustling with its recent activities. We did lots of spring cleanup in our yard, knowing that we were going to surprise Nathanael with an 8th grade graduation party. We raked and weeded and mowed and weed whacked and planted window boxes for three days. We finished just in time for a tornado to hit Lincoln. Downed power lines and trees were seen all over town. We were headed to Nathanael's band concert when it started. We dropped the kids off so that we could go find a parking spot and it started to rain. So, I thought it would be a good idea to go and pick up my mom so she wouldn't have to walk in the rain. We drove down the road not able to see because the rain and wind was so strong. I stopped the car right in front of her apartment, and we were stuck there while this thing blew. And, MAN, did it blow!! I know that it was probably small compared to the weather in the south recently, but we are not used to this kind of weather. The wind rocked and shifted our heavy SUV, while hail threatened to break the windshield. It didn't last long, and we were soon headed back up to the school where we had dropped the kids off. The power was out and trees were down. I drove through a flooded out part of the road before I realized how bad it was. So thankful for our big SUV! Inside, we waited with half the town while the school officials debated canceling the concert or not. Once they canceled we headed out to survey the damage around town and check on some of our elderly members. Everyone was fine, and the only trees down were at the church, but they fell away from the building. So, the next day was spent doing more yard work, to get ready for our party all over again. We had to have Nate's help so the poor kid had to clean up for his own party. He was a little miffed, not realizing what all we had in store. haha. The kids had a wonderful time playing games in the back yard and stuffing themselves full of soda, pizza, and goodies. Fun, fun!

One can't have a party without the DSi making an appearance at least once.

The cake with both names. We had a girl from church over to celebrate too, since she was graduating too.

Reading a card from Mama and Papa.

Nathanael just realizing that people were gathered on the lawn, not for a yard sale like he thought, but for a graduation party for him.

In preparation for a surprise grad lawn party, the girls and I planted window boxes, so our front yard at least looked like someone cared.

Mikayla, Dublin, and Keene, OH MY!

2011-05-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you on facebook with me, you have already seen pics of Mikayla and her formal banquet, date, and all that. But here's a post for the rest of ya! And if you like to read my somewhat silly ramblings, this is for you too, of course.

When Mikayla had a semi-formal event near Christmas, I just about died from not being there to snap pictures, and meet her date, and do all the Mom things surrounding those sorts of events. So, finding out that her spring formal event would be really close to picking her up at the end of the year, I decided that I would get there a day early, by hook or by crook as the saying goes, whether I was invited or not, to do all the Mom things that I have looked forward to for low these many years. Of course, no one seemed to mind. How could they? What Mom wouldn't want to be involved, right??! Seriously! And Mikayla thought it would be fun to have Mom do her hair. BUT, I would have to make this trip alone. Terry could not afford time off work, and the other two kiddos still had school and band and stuff at home. Once the decision was made, I set out to find the prettiest hairdo I could possibly do for Mikayla. That isn't easy. Those who know us know that Mikayla's hair is not easy to do at all. It is incredible thick,stick straight, and fine. This combo makes it very difficult to style at all. So, to YouTube I went. Where else?! I found out that girls would post all sorts of tutorials for doing updos and the like on youtube! Exactly what this ADD, visual learner needs!! After unashamedly bribing Lanie Lou Lou to sit and let me practice these on her head of glorious hair, I had it narrowed down to two, possibly three choices. Two of which I posted and the third...? Well, the third was such a hoot, and I laughed so hysterically, literally rolling on the floor laughing out loud, that poor Lanie got mad and didn't want me to post the picture of it. She was such a sweetie for the whole thing, that I honored her request ( um, command).

So, having sent these pictures to Mikayla for her approval, I felt ready. Off I went in my little VW Cabrio, a plethora of hair products packed in the trunk, buzzing down the highway getting approximately 40 miles to the gallon. I had been at Dublin Christian Academy girls dorm for around two minutes before we set to work on style number one. It went so well, that it was definitely a keeper, and as you can see, there were a few variations.

After some time spent with Mikayla helping with a friends hair, and Mom snapping ridiculous pictures, we were ready for a serious photo shoot. Well, at least, as serious a photo shoot as I can have with my little Kodak.

Isn't she pretty??!

Ok, I admit to another detour into the ridiculous shots. I couldn't help it. She was being so cute. Anyway, something got caught in the tulle overlay. haha.

Then, a bunch of the other girls started showing up, so we took pics of them, too. And there were suddenly other Moms there. Whew! and Yay!

Mikayla and her roommates.

Then the guys started showing up to pick up their dates, and a surprise limo drove in. OH, and we can't forget to include the arrival of the chaperons.

Enter chaperon #1

Then, my camera was commandeered by Miss Mikayla because it was thin and fit nicely in her clutch. So, the rest of the pics are taken after Mom has been left behind in the dust of the limo. Wah, wah, wah. The banquet decor, and program was planned and put together completely by the Junior class. I'm so proud!

Mikayla's roommates and their dates.

The centerpiece and table decor

Some of the fellers. Oh, and Mr. Eric.
Ok, so that night after being left behind in the dust of the limo, (wah) I had to find my hotel in Keene. I had no idea that NH had so many traffic round-a-bouts, and they confused me horribly. Terry found out just before I left home that the cigarette lighter in my car didn't work, and so I was without a GPS. That was a serious problem, because I am not very good at finding my way to places. And so, after many wrong turns, several phone calls with Terry google-ing for directions for me, and a few horns being blown in my direction, I finally found it. I felt very blond as I checked in, having never even looked at my license plate, let alone memorized the number. Finally, in my room, I fell flat out on the bed and snoozed in the cool for awhile before I braved the traffic round-a-bouts again to find supper for myself. The next day, Mikayla was booked with end of the year activities and responsibilities, so I was pleased to be able to connect again with my friend Christina, who moved to Keene a few years ago. We had lunch together at a nice pizzeria where we ate outside, and generally caught up. Saturday was graduation, packing for home, and cleaning the dorm room. During graduation there was also a presentation of awards and scholarships. Something that I didn't realize that they did. Weren't we both surprised to hear Mikayla's name read out as one of two recipients of the Emily Tuten Scholarship. Emily Tuten was a young DCA graduate that was killed in a car accident one month after her graduation. She was the type of kid that did everything, and just enjoyed getting involved in school activities and keeping her grades high. In her memory, her parents set up a scholarship fund. The scholarship is awarded to two returning students who demonstrate in their lives the potential to honor the Lord and the example and legacy of Emily Tuten. WOW!! I jumped up and snapped a picture of Mikayla receiving the scholarship. All too soon, we were on the road home by 1:00PM, and home by 7:00PM. All in all a wonderful trip, even with the round-a-bouts and several blond moments!

Down to the Last Few Days

2011-05-20T05:44:00.000-07:00

Looking back on the last several weeks since Lanie's birthday, it seems that much has happened. Mikayla came home for Easter weekend, and we had a wonderful time together. She entered right in to the musical portions of our services. It's always a blessing to see my kids using their talents in church! Nathanael played a trumpet piece, Mikayla played a beautiful offeratory, and she played her flute with our little orchestra. Nate will soon join them. I just HAVE to remember to order him a trumpet hymn book. I'm not very good at transposing, although he seems to be able to do it, just not as he is playing. Mikayla headed back to school to finish up fourth quarter.

Mother's Day found us celebrating with Mom. We took her to The Oriental Jade in Bangor for their buffet. The kids made me the cutest cards with stickers and their own sweet sentiments hand written inside. Alana said, upon handing me hers, "Mama, I tried to use my very best penmanship for you." Yes, this Mom is picky about penmanship and doesn't feel that it should be an outdated subject just because we are all using computers so much. So she felt that this effort was a gift for me in and of itself. :)
Last week, we were able to finish up chemo treatments for Mom! We were so pleased to finally get those over with. Now she will undergo a ct scan and meet with doctors to determine where to go from here. We are praising the Lord that there have been very little bad side affects with the chemo. There have been some, but not the horror stories that you sometimes hear. Blood platelet levels need to come up, and healing has begun!
We are scrambling this week to finish up with homeschooling. Nate got a little behind in some of his subjects, but should still be done next week. Lanie has finished all but Math and English, and she will be done next week. I have always been so happy to end a school year. This year found us really struggling with 8th grade. The idea that you have to study a little when every other year has been so easy, is not an idea that my son has taken kindly to. To him, if it doesn't come easy, why bother. Well, his mom doesn't agree, so we have worked hard to have him embrace a better attitude towards study and working hard on projects. He gets A's when he applies himself. And it bugs me that with just a tiny bit (less than an hour) of study time, he can pull an A over a Science unit or History chapter. I would have had to study for days! And so, we will continue with this attitude adjustment next year. Hopefully, we will see some more mature attitudes take hold. Lanie has caught up to grade level in everything but math now. Taking a year(last year) to just work on weak areas was something that she really needed. I worked with her on reading, taking her all the way back to the beginning, finding that she is dyslexic. Sounds bad, but that was the best thing to find out, because then I knew what to do to help her in that area. She still hates to write, but is doing much better. Her reading is at grade level now, and all other subjects have come up to grade level as well. Her reading inability is what was holding her back. This summer I plan to work on math more aggressively. I am quite confused at her 'math mind', and right now we are working on long division. I can't figure out how a kid can do a long division problem with no mistakes, but finds it impossible to multiply. I have found a memory helper game that I need to order that I think will help. She CAN memorize, Praise be! But it doesn't make sense to me. So any suggestions on how to help her would be much appreciated.
Wednesday and Thursday, I cleaned out the school room completely, throwing away loads of stuff, packing away papers and finished curriculum, and putting aside "still good" stuff that I could maybe sell on ebay. I bought two new bookcases that we needed in there desperately. haha. I took out next years books that I have already and put them on the shelves. Just need to order consumables and Nathanael's online High School. His program comes with the books unless I can find some used. I also moved the kid's desks around to create a private nook for each of them. I'll probably add little things to their areas little by little, but the bulk of the work in there is done. It will be good to NOT have that job waiting for me at the end of summer.

Easter: the most important holiday that a Christian Could EVER Celebrate

2011-04-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Alana is 11

2011-04-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

There's something to be said for new flip flops, especially ones that you can decorate yourself!
Seeing Lanie get a new bike for her birthday, Big bro was inspired to get his bike ready for this season of bike riding as well.
Lanie's new bike.
Happy to have spent THREE gift cards. Two from Nana for Claires and Bath and Body Works, and one from Papa for Build-a-Bear.
I'd say she's a happy 11 year old.

Miss You Still, Dad.

2011-04-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by how much I still miss my Dad. Two years in Heaven already.

Back At It

2011-04-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

We are back to our normal schooling schedule here at home after taking a few days off for family time while Mikayla was home. The first part of her time at home was spent resting and getting over a nasty cold that she had picked up on choir tour. She was quite run down after the frenzied schedule that was third quarter. I wasn't surprised when she came home sick after all that was required of her in her regular academics and end of the quarter exams, plus extra rehearsals for fine arts competition, fine arts competition, ministry team every weekend, extra rehearsals for choir tour, choir tour, and basketball championship for which she was manager. AND a roommate that she got up with in the middle of the night to help take medication for a broken ankle. GOOD GRIEF!!! I would have been sick well before that, and you can begin to see reasons why I just COULD NOT continue home schooling her. She has been instructed to NOT get involved in so many things at once ever again, however. ;) Anyway.... Then, Mikayla and I spent a day shopping for spring clothes and something nice to wear at Nationals at BJU ( her choir won second in state and third in regionals. Her small ensemble won first at both the state and regional levels, as did her readers theater. Her own personal competition piece in dramatic interpretation won second in State and third in regionals. More reasons why I couldn't continue in homeschooling!) We went out to eat and just basically spoiled ourselves with a wonderful, girlie day together. Mikayla went to a musical one day that several of her 'home' friends were in, and then we all headed to Bangor to attend a wonderful orchestra concert at UMO with some more friends. I was glad that Terry had taken some time off and was there when the calls about Mr. Jenkin came in. I was so glad she was home with us during that time! She is now back at school. The first day, she found herself at the head of the English class trying to show a substitute what they had been doing before spring break. I suppose her 99% in the class made her a likely candidate for that. Then she had free hours where they couldn't cover the absence of Mr. Jenkin. Chapel yesterday was spent with the whole student body in tears. A sad, but good thing. We were glad to hear that the headmaster at the school took the time to allow the students to share and grieve together. Still pray for everyone at DCA and the family of Cliff Jenkin.
Yesterday here at home was spent trying to get some work out of Nathanael. A formidable task on a good day, but he has picked up Mikayla's cold. He got some things done, but then just had to go lay down, poor fella. Alana spent the day laying on the living room floor in tears because of back and side pain. I was a little freaked out thinking that it had to be her appendix. I ended up taking her to the hospital where they ruled out appendix problems. The visit was inconclusive, and we are waiting to hear back from the lab today. I guess there are several possibilities as to what it could be, but other then a lingering ache in the same place, she seems fine and is back to her normal schedule of schooling. Nathanael also is back to a full schedule with band this afternoon. We sure are looking forward to the end of this school year! What a relief it has been to be able to know that Mikayla has all the opportunities that she can handle that we couldn't provide for her here at home. What a joy to see the Lord working in her heart and life day by day. What a relief to know that Alana has caught up to grade level with a lot of hard work. I can't say much about eighth grade that has been good except I will be relieved when it is OVER! That sounds bad, I realize, but it has really been challenging to say the least. I know that Grade 9 HAS to be better, right? But, still, even with all the challenges this year what a relief to be able to rest in the fact that God has a plan for my son's life. He is a talented boy, with loads of smarts and a great sense of humor. Our doctor asked me the other day what my son is interested in majoring in when he goes to college. I laughed and replied that we were just trying to get him through the 8th grade right now. Then, while still laughing, I asked if a kid could major in Nintendo because other than Star Wars and legos, that is all he is interested in. I was heartened to hear, however, that his son was the same way at the same age and is now at the top of his class at Cornell University majoring in some crazy, mind boggling computer stuff that I couldn't begin to ever comprehend. Hey, we wanted a boy so we would be supported in our old age, right? haha.

Heaven's Joy

2011-04-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

Our hearts are heavy today. We just learned that Mikayla's teacher passed away this afternoon. I wish that I had gotten to know him better, but I am so glad that Mikayla got to. He was a Godly example to his students, teaching right up until spring break. We are shocked that he passed away so quickly. I can't get over his faithfulness. Please be praying for the family, his wife, Megan, the DCA faculty and students. Mr Jenkin was also the boy's dorm superviser, living in a little apartment in the dorm. The boys are going to need prayer!
So, we say thanks to Mr. Cliff Jenkin for his faithful, Godly example. I know that the students who are grieving his passing today are comforted because they know for sure that he is already experiencing Heaven's joy.

The Comfort of Praying Friends

2011-03-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

Last night we heard some news that we have been dreading since September. We heard that Mr. Cliff Jenkin, one of Mikayla's teachers at DCA, is no longer able to receive treatment for the rare form of cancer that he has been fighting for years. He has been given only weeks to live and hospice care is now his only option. He is a young man, and well loved among the students of DCA.
At times like this I am always comforted and encouraged by the promises of dear friends to pray. God is sovereign. We know that He holds Cliff and his wife, Megan, in the palm of His almighty hand. But, we in our humanness are still hurting. Mikayla and the rest of the students, though they knew this day would come, are hurting. We need your prayers for wisdom. How do you comfort and counsel a teenager who is having to deal with this sort of thing? We only just got to know Mr Jenkin and have been impressed but his unflagging faithfulness in his teaching, but Mikayla has spent everyday with him and come to love and respect him greatly. He has been a Godly example to his students and they will miss him. Please pray for Cliff and Megan Jenkin, their family, and Dublin Christian Academy during this time.

Rebellion

2011-03-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

That's right. I am rebelling! It snowed over 6 inches here yesterday. So, I am rebelling by posting a springy background on my blog. Isn't that better? Seriously, by mid-March we should at least be seeing the ground, brown and muddy though it may be. Maybe we were spoiled last week when we had warmer temps that made the snow melt and the ice break up on lakes and rivers. On top of that, friends of mine spotted robins in their yard AND the receptionist at cancer care had pussy willows on her desk AND they gave us daffodils on the way out the door. The daffodils bloomed beautifully in their place of honor in the center of my kitchen table. Then, SNOW!

Blog Worthy

2011-03-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I went and looked at my blog today having not remembered the last time that I had sat down to update it, and it looked back at me with a forlorn, pained expression. Then it said, "Don't you care a fig about me anymore? Do you care one wit that I am stuck here at Christmas?" Ok, so the thing is, I have trouble determining what is blog worthy and what isn't. I mean life can get really hum-drum around here and I'm just not sure that anyone is that interested. But since the blog itself is complaining, here are a few updates about life at Upcott Manor.

Church Happenings

2011-03-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Our Gospel Club for kids age 5-12 is going very well this year. we average about 20 kids. A big group for us! Terry is an awesome storyteller for kids this age, and we also do games, crafts, and a snack. One day, we called all the parents and asked them to dress the kids for playing outdoors. Then we had a snowman building relay. So much fun that they wanted to do it again the next week.

All Work and No Play...

2011-03-24T08:57:00.001-07:00

All work and no play makes Jen go insane. So, I was blessed to be able to attend a Ladies Retreat hosted by West Hampton Baptist Church. Isn't this a beautiful resort!? It was beautiful, and we had a great time of fellowship together as a blizzard blew outside.

Nate has been going skiing with the Jr. High this winter. I took Lanie and tried to teach her as well, and we had a great time on the slopes several times this year.

View from the top of Mt. Jefferson.

The Bunny Slope

Nathanael and Terry's Birthday

2011-03-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Nate and Terry's birthday this year, I really wanted us all to be together. I was missing my girl. So, off we went for a weekend in New Hampshire. We went to church together, went out to eat at Applebees, and spent a day tubing at Granite Gorge. This was a little early in the month, so on Nate's actual birthday he was surprised to find a few more gifts when he got home from band that morning. A cake that he had been drowling over at Tim Horton's was a hit, too! And apparantly, at age 14, you are still not too big for legos.

Mikayla is going to hate me for posting this, but she would not stand and let me get a good pic, so her friend Jessany held her for me. haha. We had a good time! and Jess is a sweetie!

Lanie and Nathanael found that it was a faster ride when you go together....

...so, Papa enjoyed doing it that way, too.

They had this really cool conveyor belt to ride to the top on.

Christmas

2011-01-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas at our house this year was a bit hectic, what with Mikayla's play, church folks having to be taken to the hospital, preparing for our specials for Christmas Sunday, and then running back down to NH to get Mikayla for vacation. Terry's folks came and brought our nephew Tyler with them. The kids had a great time getting to know him again. It's been years since we have seen him. I didn't get many good pictures of Christmas because someone, who shall remain nameless but knows who they are, flipped out everytime a camera was nearby. Mom came up and joined us for the opening of our presents and made us Swedish pancakes, our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. Alana absolutely loved her doll, and Mom got an ipad from my brother Jon. No fair! :)

Why do I take pictures of the kumkake? I don't know, but they are so good that after standing over the stove for forever, this plate was all that I had to show for it.

After church while we were all still in our Sunday best, we decided to try out the timer on my camera so we could have a family picture. This is the result. The kids had a good time ,as you can see, and were very cooperative. HA!

I love this one.

Bow the Knee

2010-10-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

Weekend

2010-10-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

So, Terry had a day off on Friday, so he went down to get Mikayla for a weekend at home. She mostly went around all day Saturday finding friends, and doing homework. Sunday, she played for the singing at church and she and I left that afternoon after a lunch out at Subway with another of her friends. I got to meet her dorm mates and hang out a little with them Sunday night. I slept in the guest room there and headed back home this morning. Lots of driving, but worth it! She's fine, and she loves it!

WOOHOO!

2010-09-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

Mikayla is coming home this weekend!!!!

New

2010-09-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

So what's new? Well, we have had some new things going on in our family. Mikayla being away at school is the newest, and the adjustment on this end is...hard...and odd. I was asked if the household was different without her here. It's crazy different! And it takes some getting used to, believe me. I'm so used to having the kids right here, or at least I know right where they are and what they are doing and when they will be home. So what's different, you ask? It's quieter. Mikayla is a talker. The other two go off and play or whatever, and it's...quiet. Weird!!! There is less drama. She's also a teenager. haha. The bathroom is freer. hahaha! I find myself watching the clock to try and figure out what she might be doing, but the truth is, I never really know unless I have a chance to talk to her. When she calls, she usually opens with saying that she only has a few minutes to talk. *sniff* I am not running from pillar to post trying to get the kids to all their different activities. Lanie opted not to play soccer this year, and Lanie and Nate are sharing a piano lesson time. That only leaves Nathanael's public school classes, which are back to back, one soccer team, and one piano lesson. It's downright bizarre feeling. BUT, those strange feelings, plus missing her like crazy are the cons. I would give anything to have that school within a few miles of us!!! As a matter of fact, the first week of school I could not keep that thought out of my head. I found myself thinking, "it's just not fair that this school is so far away and that there where no other options for her." Silly, considering the way that the Lord provided. I had to talk to the Lord about it , and those talks usually ended with, "but I MISS HER!!!" But there are pros, too--- Lanie and Nate come downstairs in the morning, giggle through breakfast, sing through showers, do chores, and go get at their schoolwork. Lanie is learning to be more independent since she doesn't have a big sister here all the time telling her exactly what to do. I am able to really concentrate on Alana's remedial work, and it shows! I'm so glad that I had her do third grade again. Fourth grade is a breeze for her so far. YAY! I am able to spend time just listening to Nate. He has the most fertile imagination I have ever encountered. He is loving his computer class that he is taking this year. Mikayla is taking Dublin by storm, landing the lead in the upcoming play, and auditioning for the ministry team and making it, loving the social side of being in school, as well as learning what real studying is. She is able to be challenged and stretch her wings a bit, as well, all while the values that we worked so hard to instill at home are being reinforced and hopefully strengthened.
We have had some new things going on in Church as well. This year we started a Good News Club. VBS saw us with a whole new bunch of kids whose parents seemed to be searching for good things for their kids to do. We decided on the Thursday night of VBS that we could try an after school Bible club to reach these new families on a weekly basis. I went to the computer, fashioned invitations ,coming up with a time and a name for it off the top of my head, printed them out, and sent them home with the VBS kids Friday night. WOW! Although it sounds like we were going to be flying by the seat of our pants, we have run all sorts of Bible clubs before and figured that it would be best to do one with just the basic salvation and Bible stories, songs, and crafts. Usually when we start something like this, we see our own church kids come and then maybe a few of their friends in the following weeks. Our first Good News Club, sans new music, awards, and 'bells and whistles', we had twelve children only two of which were our own church kids. The second week we had twenty, all of whom left with an invitation to give to a friend. Isn't that awesome!! We still have new contacts from VBS to call on, too. The first night we did a lesson on the wordless book and then the children made their own. I was amazed at how engaged they were as we sang the very old wordless book song as they turned the pages in their very own books. The second week the lesson was on sin and salvation, along with a review of the wordless book. We made key chains with ABC beads reminding them that one must admit that they are sinners, believe in Jesus, and confess. All the old Child Evangelism Fellowship songs are being sung lustily. It's funny how sometimes simpler is better, and old is new and wonderful again.
We now have a mini orchestra in our church that plays during congregational singing in our Morning Worship Service. We are blessed every week by this and it adds so much to our singing. This family is thinking about joining our church, too. That's new!
I need new curtains in the dining room. Why, what's wrong with the ones you have?? Well, I decided to wash them and they were so old that they literally came apart in the wash. Ok, then, I guess it's time for new curtains. Anything would be better than the sheet that hangs there now. :)

I'll Never Forget That Day!

2010-09-11T12:33:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW8puRqE4Sc

The Final Word About Dublin

2010-08-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Mikayla is going to Dublin Christian Academy! It's the miracle we prayed for! When I said at the beginning of this endeavor that it would take a miracle for her to go, I wasn't kidding. Terry already has an extra job to make ends meet as it is. Soooo, as most of you know, I applied for a scholarship. She got one covering 60% of her tuition. We got really excited over that, but after looking at what was left to pay...well, let's just say, we still needed a miracle. I almost brushed this idea off as way too pricey for us, BUT, we decided to go ahead and do up the paperwork needed and then we visited the school on our vacation. LOVED it!! You should have seen this kids big brown eyes light up and stay lit throughout the entire visit. Had a wonderful meeting with the administrator and headmaster. Had a great tour of the place with the secretary. Went home and waited to hear from them again. See, after he met with us and then Mikayla separately, the administrator said that he would look at our financial situation again. After several agonizing days after returning from vacation, we could stand it no longer and Terry finally broke down and called them to check on the status. They called right back and said that they had upped the scholarship to 75%. Excitement took hold of us again as Terry took out his trusty ledger and pushed numbers around. There was/is room and board, fees (for every little thing, it seems), books, uniforms, and little things that you need when living away from home, to pay for. We prayed about it, and literally had to shrug our shoulders because it was sooo out of our hands. I went ahead and started looking for books and uniforms finding them on ebay and used book auctions. I would find a book that she needed, watch it for days with bated breath, and then bid in the last seconds to get the cheapest price. I listed some of my used homeschool books and sold them, too, using that money to buy her new ones. I figured that the Lord was at work here. 75% off tuition is nothing to sneeze at and if the Lord wanted her to go even at the last moment, she would be ready. As of today, all her uniforms have been provided, one complete outfit from Nana, a bedroom set bought by Grandma, and all her books and school supplies have been purchased. The school let us set up a twelve month payment plan even though the billing for that starts in June. They also combined the registration fee into the twelve month plan, meaning that we don't have to come up with all of that next week. One of our close friends came over the other day to buy some used curriculum from me and paid way more than what I was asking so that we could pay the music fees. Is God at work here?? Oh, I have NO doubt whatsoever! There have been some difficult things come up that almost derailed us, and we realize that there are more hurdles to jump and some tight days ahead until tax season, but God has made it possible for her to go. She is ecstatic, anxious, sad, and dying to go right now, all at once. AND she is recovering from having her wisdom teeth out. Ah, there's another little piece of our miracle. This oral surgery was not within our ability to pay for. We hated it, but we applied for the state healthcare in order to get it done. It was supposed to take forever to get scheduled. Mainecare was supposed to take forever to answer the request for the surgery, and there was supposed to be all sorts of red tape and I don't even know what all, that had to happen first. But, we got the consult done, and they accepted our letter of acceptance from Mainecare in place of the cards that hadn't come yet. Then, they told us that mainecare had to approve the surgery and said that it usually took three months or more to get said approval. Well, I have to admit to calling and unashamedly bugging them, but they finally scheduled it for September 8th. I called two more times to bug them and got it scheduled for the 23rd of August. Done and healed before school starts!!! YAY! Yet another part of this miracle that convinces me that God has been working on this before we even thought of it, is this: Terry felt, at the beginning of 2010, that times were going to be uncertain, so he paid all of our bills ahead for the entire year and set the rest aside in a savings club. I thought it sounded good at the time, but now? I can only say that God must have put that in his head to do. Don't we serve an awesome God?!

PS. You can check out the school if you scroll down to our "links we like" and click on Dublin Christian Academy. Be sure and check out the Chorale's pictures. You can find them by looking for photo albums and then Chorale Tour. Mikayla will be joining them this year!

Another Word From Dublin

2010-08-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

We visited Dublin Christian Academy when we went off on our little vacation and found it to be quite nice! It is exactly what we feel Mikayla needs. We had a wonderful interview with the administrator and headmaster, and the secretary took us on a full tour. She also answered many questions and explained things as we went. The administrator also met with Mikayla separately from us. On our way out, Terry spoke to him more about finances and he said that he would review our situation again. Today the call came and they have now awarded Mikayla a 75% scholarship!!! We are scrambling around to see if we could possibly send her this year. There are books to buy and uniforms as well. All very pricey. Keep praying!!!

A Little Getaway

2010-08-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

We joined our friends for a day at Storyland.

The Word From Dublin

2010-07-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well, some relatives and friends have asked me to keep them posted about the scholarship that we applied for from Dublin Christian Academy. I got the word today that they would award Mikayla a 60% scholarship on the tuition. In numbers, that would be about $4,182.00 towards tuition leaving about $2,818.00 for tuition and another $7,000.00 for room and board. For us to pay over $9,000.00 for her to go would take a miracle. At this point it looks like a no go, but I am still going on with the application process. I feel it is what she really needs that, neither I as a homeschooler nor the public school, can provide. I believe that if the Lord wants her there this year, He will provide a way. If it comes down to the fact that she just can't go, we will be ok with doing what we need to do here for her junior year and saving for her Senior year. I spoke for quite awhile with two different people at Dublin and was impressed with their willingness to pray along with us and answer any questions that I could come up with. Believe me, when you have had the total responsibility for your child's education along with the regular responsibilities that go along with parenting completely on your shoulders for this long, there ARE going to be many queries and questions! They have been very kind and quite understanding so far. I still have some more questions that I will probably reserve for our visit and meeting with the administration. So, that's the word. We covet your prayers on the matter.

Adventures in Owen Sitting part 2

2010-07-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

It always totally amazes me how the littlest kids can figure out the tech stuff these days. He figured out the Wii controls very quickly. Much faster than his Aunt Jen did!

Owen wanted to "play" the piano with Mikayla. After doing that for quite some time, she needed to come up with something else for him to do that still made him feel like part of the fun. She came up with this solution. Ingenious!

Adventures in Owen Sitting part 1

2010-07-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

Prayful Consideration

2010-07-16T10:13:00.001-07:00

I have not posted in awhile mostly because we've been busy, but not with the usual blogworthy things. I haven't taken many pictures really. There are many things on my mind that I have trouble sharing on the blog, and even though it would be therapeutic to type it here, I probably shouldn't.
One thing I can share...We have been prayerfully considering sending Mikayla to Dublin, NH to attend a Christian, college prep school. It's a wonderful school that has high academic standards, and is chock full of fine arts opportunities. She would have the opportunity to take piano, voice, flute, and be in a traveling chorale group, as well as being a part of drama productions. All things that are right up her alley, and things that are very difficult to provide up here in Lincoln. She is ready to be done with homeschooling, and if I'm perfectly honest, so am I. High School is so difficult and there are so many things that we would love to provide for her and can't. Two problems with this...she is still quite young and I can't imagine her gone from home for such long periods of time although she is raring to give it a try. I think she's ready, it's just her Mom that has had her nearby all the time that is struggling even though I can see how great it would be for her. The other major problem is how expensive it is. We applied for a scholarship, so now we just pray and wait. I usually have the next school all planned out by now. So, for now, I have done all her grades, had her tested and gotten the results back to send to them, sent in the application for enrollment with the fee for that, and sent in the application for a scholarship. And we pray and pray and pray. This is seriously one of the times that I wish that God would shout out the answer. But He doesn't. He is not in the whirlwind or the storm, but speaks with a still, small voice.

The End

2010-06-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy schedule full of end of the year happenings. We still have a piano/voice recital coming up. I can't imagine how it would be if my kids were in school and involved with all that goes with it. As it is, just being in band has really made us busy! Nate and Mikayla both had year end band concerts and were in the Memorial Day parade. Mikayla also had band responsibilities with the Senoir awards night, and graduation tomorrow. I took plenty of videos and posted them to Facebook, but here are some for the ones who haven't joined the dark side as of yet. Nathanael also played the Navy Hymn in church on Memorial Day for an offertory. I told him to watch and play it again if the offering took a little longer. Well, he only played it once through because there were people out of town and the offering only took a minute. I should have told him to play it at least twice and then more if needed. Oh, well. :)

Here's the marching band. They combine the Jr. High and High School, so both kids are in it.

Nathanael's teacher gave him a solo in the jazz band, and then had him play with a couple of other kids to help them with timing. Soooo proud of him, I must admit!

Spring Happenings

2010-04-22T05:48:00.001-07:00

Easter Sunday

Lanie's Birthday

When the Girl of the Year is named Lanie, you just have to order one for your own Lanie!

North Conway

March and April 2010 has been remarkably warm. We have sure enjoyed the early spring this year. The ice on our little lake went out a full month early, and now, the week that it usually goes out, there are daffodils and crocus in full bloom. My azalea burst forth yesterday. We are planning to put in the garden this weekend, which is waaaay early. April brought Easter, and we actually had an egg hunt OUTSIDE! This has NEVER happened in my memory of my whole entire childhood, or in my children's childhood. There is usually still snow on the ground, or at the very least, MUD! It was so nice to NOT have to shop for sweaters to cover bare arms. Easter dresses are quite often sleeveless, for some reason, making it difficult for us Mainers. The girls loved that!
We went to North Conway, NH this year for spring break for the simple reason that there was a conference there that Terry was asked to speak at. We were excited to be able to go, as we are not always able. We planned to go a day early and got a hotel that not only had an indoor pool, but waterslides! My kids were in Heaven! We also hit the outlets later in the day, and attended First Baptist's Bible study and prayer service. The next morning we had more time for the slides and then headed off to conference in the afternoon.
Back in Maine, we celebrated Lanie's tenth birthday. We didn't throw her a party except to have cake and share gifts as a family this year. The reason? Well, American Girl dolls are quite pricey, that's why. The doll of the year this year was named Lanie. What else were we to do? Lanie didn't mind the trade-off, as you can see from the huge smile. I remember getting a Jennie doll when I was her age. I played with that one more that any others, and I had quite a few dolls. It must be all the special clothes that are just for her. My mom and my friends mom sewed a bunch of little dresses and things for our dolls. American Girl has books to go with their dolls, which is another great thing!
This week, we are back to reality. School as usual, but this weekend my two older kids are headed to a music camp put on my Lee Baptist Church. They have the kids prepare ahead of time to preform a sacred piece on their instrument of choice, and then they work with them on singing in a choir. The kids had a blast at the last one. Of course, there is lots of food, fun, and Bible, too.
Pictures will have to come a little later. Firefox won't let me upload, so I have to figure that out. If I have too, I will go under Explorer to do it.

Lanie was too fearful to try the big slides. We finally got her to go down this little one. That's where she stayed.

Remembering Dad

2010-04-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

My wedding

Reading to his "Little Doll".

A quick hug from "Thano"

Being silly with Lanie at her third birthday.

Holding Mikayla about three days old at our home in Maryland.

I remember how he would always try to say a word of encouragement to Terry and I about our efforts in our ministry. He seemed to be endlessly optimistic about the ministry even when we were ready to throw up our hands in defeat. A quick compliment. A promise to pray about it. A story. A smidgen of advice.
An arm around a grandchild along with a small compliment, or encouragement. A special nickname for each of them.
I remember a quivering chin when talking about a mentally disabled person pointing out John 3:16 in his worn out Bible.
I remember that his suit jacket always smelled like cigarette or cigar smoke because he sat in the local coffee shop with a bunch of fellas. I remember the waitress calling him "Reverend Deyah" as she refreshed his coffee again. If I got to tag along, I got to have a hot cocoa and a chocolate, sugared doughnut.
I remember that I couldn't get away from his influence. Even out of state trips brought us to someone who knew him and had a story to tell about him. It seemed that Dad knew everyone and could carry on a conversation with anyone. When I was a young person, it was exasperating. Not now. Now I hope it never ends.
He wasn't perfect, but we loved him. He didn't always do everything right, but God used him.
Today, it has been a year since I laid my head on Dad's chest as I cried and said goodbye. So, rather than going on and on about my memories, I would love to hear some of yours. No matter how small.

Good Friday and Facebook

2010-04-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,
What a blessing it is to remember what Christ has done for us this Good Friday. How are you remembering His death and resurrection this weekend? Share with us! We would love to hear from you. We have heard a little from some of you on Facebook this morning. Our family has enjoyed playing hymns all day today. I have posted some of these on the left hand side for you to listen to. Later, we will be practicing our special music for Easter Sunday. This Sunday, we will have a sunrise service followed by breakfast with our Church family, and then the usual Sunday services. Then I have some surprises up my sleeve for my kids. :)
We never realized when we started up an account with Facebook what a blessing it would be!!! I doubt that the inventors of it ever realized how it would be used by the Christian community. At first, we were put off by questionable ads and apps. Several pop-up blockers and filters later, and we are enjoying it to the fullest in our own way. This morning, Good Friday, I logged on and read status after status with verses of Scripture and quotes from hymns all commemorating His death on the cross for us. My dear Christian friends scattered all over the globe each sharing what was on their hearts...what a rich blessing!! How I miss them all! But how wonderful it is to hear from them almost daily! This could never have been accomplished just a few short years ago! We hear about their struggles, their joys, their prayer requests, and their ministries.
It is my prayer that all my friends and family will take seriously the celebrations of the weekend. Allow yourself to be fully blessed by what the Lord has for you in your churches this Resurrection Sunday! Let Him work in your hearts! Look what He has done for you. What other King would leave His kingdom to live on earth, knowing that everyone would reject Him and eventually kill Him?
"Amazing love!! How can it be? That Thou, my God, should'st die for me?"

New

2010-03-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Not much is new that I would consider blog worthy, but it's been a long time since I posted. Here's some things that are new. I got a new camera for my birthday, but really don't have any reason to take any pictures right at the moment. But I anticipate using it quite a bit , so look out.
I have been working on the Church blog a little more, adding pictures that one of our members is taking for me. You can check that out here.
We had a great time having a horde of boys over for Nate's 13th birthday. We were able to have some missionary kids, Ethan and Fletcher Frost, come and spend the night with him and then enjoy the party with us the next day. The Frosts are in translation work with Bibles International. Nate says that just having those two over was a gift in itself.
I have an appointment with the dentist to have a bad tooth removed. UGH! The infection has kept me laying low for the past week or so, so I'll be glad to have that over with. The dentist will put in a new spacer thingy so I can chew on that side again, once it heals.
Mikayla is working hard to catch up on some schoolwork that she got behind in. I am pushing Alana a little bit with her math in anticipation of upcoming testing. She does not test well, so I am keeping my fingers crossed and just keep trying to prepare her in the best way I know how. I made the right decision having her do third grade again, and she has really improved a lot in weak areas of her learning. Nate plugs away every day, sometimes doing extra out of boredom. He has completely finished two of his classes for this year. Lanie calls him the "lucky ducky" of the family. :)

We added another music lesson to the budget just for Mikayla. She hopes to major in music or music education in college. Her piano/voice teacher is very happy to begin preparing her to excel in that major. She has two years of schooling left before High School graduation, and then, because she is younger, has the option of another year to prepare. We are thinking that she could work and take a few classes by correspondence. ( Terry has been researching College grants and scholarships. UGH!) We were having all three kids share one half hour lesson a week. So they alternated, and we felt that it wasn't enough for her to only have a lesson once every three weeks. Now she studies (and I MEAN STUDIES) piano one week, and voice the next. She also is playing flute in the MA band. Alana and Nate now share the other half hour lesson for piano, so that they each have a lesson every other week.
We had the Musical Ministries Team from BJU in at Bible Baptist again this year, and once again, they were great! This year some of our members made the dinner for them before the concert. In past years, that was up to Terry and I. It was nice to have someone else be in charge of that. We were able to sit and get to know the team a little better.

Spring has indeed sprung here in Maine, and I have pansies in bloom. I guess that would be considered "old" because I planted those last May and they have come up again. In February! What a hearty little flower the pansy is! This is the earliest and warmest Spring on record. We are loving it!
That is about it for "new" things going on around here.

On February 18, 1997 We Were Given a Gift

2010-02-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

This is a birthday gift that I made to put in my son's birthday card. I'm going to burn it to CD. He doesn't know, but since he isn't in the habit of reading my blog, I think it's safe to post it. Plus, it was hard for me to wait. The music is a part of who he is, too, so don't forget to scroll down and stop the blog music before you start the video. He is really into the old fashioned jazz, and big band style and plays this type of music on his trumpet. He is in Jazz band at the Jr. High where Mrs. White encourages this big time! He really is a gift!

Amazing!

2010-02-02T04:35:00.000-08:00

It has always amazed me how God supplies what we need when we need it. I had a really tough couple of weeks. When I said goodbye to 2009, I stuck my tongue out at it. I said good riddance 2009! 2009 stunk! So, anyway, I also said 2010 has to be better, right? Of course, January has never been easy in Maine for anyone. The cold and darkness gets to people. And I figured that since we had been through so much last year that we would maybe be hardened to stuff happening. Hmmmm... I thought that losing a friend at church couldn't be as bad as last years losses. One friend in Heaven and the other just lost to me but still around. Then the loss of my biggest fan, my Dad. Well, another loss isn't quite as bad, but I am not hardened to it by any means! Losing people that you have invested time, effort, prayer, and love into( even if they leave in a good way) is very hard! If you have a Pastor's wife that has spent any time with you at all...go hug her! Seriously! It doesn't matter that you don't agree with her all the time. She may not say the right thing at the right time. BUT... She aches over you and your family. She prays for you. She loves you. She sees a bigger picture, and prays for the right things to say and the courage to say it. And she knows that she must continue to be faithful where God has put her and her husband. And so she wipes her tears, prays some more, clings to promises in Scripture, takes a deep breath, and goes on.
ANYWAY, you get the picture...I needed some help. My husband is awesome ,so I had that. We were bolstered by the ever faithful in our church. Praise God for that! And then I was invited to a ladies retreat. I didn't want to go. But I went, knowing that it would be fun to go with my friend Jocelyn anywhere.
We went a day early, Jocelyn having paid a little extra for an extra night so we could just relax and enjoy the pool and the quiet. The next day more and more ladies trickled in. We swam, and hot tubbed to our hearts content. ( Hot tubbing in January outside is an adventure, by the way) That evening, the host Pastor's wife started things off with a devotional, and then we played games till the wee hours, laughing till our sides aches and the tears ran. We shared the responsibility of making the meals , talking, sharing, and laughing, and enjoyed two more speakers the next day. Both were so encouraging!!! So, I went home tired, but very refreshed, and amazed again at how God provides just what we need when we need it.
But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
I will look unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth.
He that keepeth thee shall neither slumber, nor sleep.

I Know There's a Bigger Picture Here

2010-01-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

We are here. You are there. There is a reason for that. God has a plan. Sometimes it's hard to rest in that. Like now coming off of a really tough week and having another really tough week so far. I feel very weary in well doing. We have tried and tried our hardest and our efforts seem wasted. Why was it that we decided to home school again? Was I crazy to try high school? I could really go for a dose of Pastor Campbell's optimism right now. A really BIG dose!! He would say to just keep plugging away and do right till the stars fall. I miss my Dad! I do know that there is a bigger picture. Really. And so we continue to be faithful until the Lord tells us to quit.
On the bright side, we had a great missionary in this week. He will be going to Israel. What an encouragement to have him in our home. I believe that God gave him the gift of encouragement. Even spending time to talk to our teenager for a bit to encourage her. We have no major health issues. We have a great marriage. We have been blessed with three great kids. Terry has an extra job that pays the bills. Mom is well and works and helps us at the church.
I don't know why I share all this except that blogging helps me to not have a nervous breakdown. That is a good thing, right? Maybe it will help whoever is reading. There is a plan, and it is Divine. My husband and I have been spending a long time in prayer before bed every night. What a relief it is to put your head on the pillow and be able to sleep because you have left all your troubles and burdens in a pair of very capable hands!

As Long as You Are Glorified

2010-01-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt
Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified
Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

I must admit that I do not know the author of this, but when I read it really enjoyed it. I have no idea of the tune or how it is sung, only that the words touched my heart. So, I thought I would share.

What Kind of Parent...?!

2010-01-21T06:05:00.000-08:00

Battleship! BOOM! My missile sunk your ship!

Nate had an obsession with the Medieval Age for awhile, especially the jousts, archery, catapults, and fencing. Now he is obsessed with Star Wars because he can wield a light saber.

Boys.
Girls.
The difference between the two debated in the halls of education. This Mom knows first hand that there are differences! It doesn't take a college degree to figure this out. I have had several discussions recently with two very different, young mothers who have two very different little boys. But, for some reason, these two little boys share a strange fascination for anything that shoots, fires, or blows something up. hehe.

Ah, yes. The stages of parenting. That ideal( whatever it may be) that is held onto by the new parent. The statement, "No child of mine will ever________." I just have to laugh whenever I hear stuff like that. I laugh at myself, as well.

I shared with these younger mommys my own stories of raising my son.
When we found out that we were to have a boy, I determined( in my naivety) early on that no boy of mine would ever be allowed to wield any piece of weaponry. I was horrified by mothers who allowed their little boys to point sticks at their little friends and pretend to shoot them. I mean, what kind of parent would ever allow such a thing!!? Right?
Sigh. Now that I have had my son lo these nearly thirteen years, I have come to realize that it's out of my hands. And how did I come to this? Well, I spent the first three or four years of his life not allowing toy guns into the house. And so my little boy started building guns out of mega blocks. I stopped it. He started drawing them. I stopped him. He automatically pointed his little finger at things and made the sounds of gunfire. I told him that wasn't nice. By age five, He built wonderfully imaginative forts out his lincoln logs, and you guessed it, prepared for war. I had discussions with him about how mean it looked and sounded. He soberly( as sober as a little boy can be) agreed with me. I made a rule. Isn't that what good parents do? "No guns". My sweet little guy humored me. I didn't hear gun noises emanating from his room for some time. It wasn't long before I started hearing other noises. Guess what? My beautiful, loving son had taken up arms yet again. But he stayed obedient. He had now gone to sword play. I firmly, made another rule. "No weaponry of any kind!" My husband tried to hide his smirk. He pretty much knew what would happen, having been a little boy once. But like any good Husband and Daddy, supported Mommy. He agreed with me about the safety issues involved. I mean, what if our little guy had the chance in some off moment of parental unawareness, to pick up a real gun?
And so to make a long story a bit longer, one day my little guy was playing with his sister. The sister was meticulously setting up her doll house. She was asking his opinion on whether the little plastic couch should go by the window or against the wall and so forth. He was being so patient and giving his opinions in a kind manner while boyishly playing with the little people on a toy train in the back yard of the dollhouse. I was pleased. My daughter finally had her house set up just so. My son looked around, sure that Mommy wasn't paying attention, and yelled, "EARTHQUAKE!" and then proceeded to shake the dollhouse, completely ruining all her work. The difference between boys and girls glared brightly. I have to laugh now, but at the time, I was upset. He was punished. The day went on, my son once again playing nicely with his sister. After awhile, I checked on him again. He was playing with a Barbie. Some intellectuals would say that that is because there in no difference between boys and girls. That boys, with stereotypes removed and given the opportunity, will play with dolls and enjoy it as much as his trucks. Ah, but the rest of the story remains to be told. He had grabbed the doll, stripped it, and was using her as a sword! The head of the Barbie in his little fist, he was wielding it at some imaginary foe, making horrible slashing clanging noises along with the sounds of the dying. It was this incident that made me throw up my hands in defeat. My dear husband gently told me that boys will be boys.
And they will be. We can raise them to be kind and loving, but God has a special purpose for boys and men. And that's just the way it is.
So, as of today, my son has owned GI joes with guns in hand, transformers with flying missiles, army men, cowboys and Indians, one BB gun, a recurve bow with arrows and special feathers( I know there is some special term for that, but forgive me for not being able to recall it at the moment), way too many nerf guns and plastic swords to count, and nerf ball blasters.
"What kind of parent...!" my young friends sigh, shaking their heads in mortification. I just have to laugh.

So, now that I have relaxed that long ago rule and have had time to see the results, has my son grown insensitive and mean?

NO!No!

No! Take heart, all you Mommy's! Boys are boys. God made them to be different than girls. You really wouldn't want it any other way. But since I know that people don't necessarily take my word for it, check out Dr. James Dodson's book Bringing up Boys. Very good reading!
This last pic, by the way, is my wonderful boy snuggling with his little cousin while blowing something up in his Star Wars game. ;)

Safe at Home: Upstate Missionaries Recall Quake | WSPA

2010-01-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

Safe at Home: Upstate Missionaries Recall Quake WSPA
If you would like to see more of the homecoming of these missionaries, scroll down to Links We Like and click on Majesty Music. There is a full write-up on their safe return and greeting at the airport along with pictures of the people singing "To God Be the Glory" as they come into the airport.

New Family Pic

2010-01-18T05:17:00.000-08:00

Lynn has been taking pics of all the Church families to add to our church blog. Of course, we were not exempt. Here's ours. Not too bad. Typical for us. The usual "Lanie Look". Straying eyes. Silly child! HAHA.

Family waiting to hear from Upstate minister in Haiti during quake | WCBD

2010-01-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

Family waiting to hear from Upstate minister in Haiti during quake WCBD

Another wonderful testimony! God is good!

Found!

2010-01-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

We just heard through Majesty Music that Dr. Garlock, Sarah Bennett, and the native Pastor have been found alive. Praise God! Thank you for praying!

Earthquake in Haiti on Our Hearts Today

2010-01-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.wyff4.com/video/22232368/
Please pray along with our family for Dr. Frank Garlock, President and founder of Majesty Music. He and several others were there on a mission trip and are among the missing. Terry and I have had the opportunity to attend one of Majesty Music's conferences and have met the Garlocks as well as thier daughter and son-in-law, Ron and Shelly Hamilton. They are very gracious, down-to-earth people, and we really enjoyed meeting them. The link above is a news story. Also missing is Sarah Bennett, the wife of one of our instructors from BJU.

Defrostie the Snowman

2010-01-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

I found this idea on Family Fun. Easy, yummy, but SWEET! Big hit with the troops. I think I'll make some for youth group.

Wii Time

2010-01-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

We bought a Wii for the family this year for Christmas. We also bought each of the kids one game each. Then, some of our friends got wind of it and bought each of the kids a game, too. So, we ended up with quite a selection. Well, needless to say, it was a big hit! They love it and wanted to spend every waking hour of Christmas break playing. Although it was a vacation for them, there were still things that needed to be done, but they were ignoring everything else. Nate especially would get up in the morning and literally haunt me until I gave him permission to play. I have a problem with that. I started making them take care of their responsibilities first , but they kept trying to fudge on them in an effort to hurry. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that they loved this gift, and I'm not one of those moms who really hates video gaming of all kinds, but when bickering over who got to play next ensued, and no one had gone outside in days, I knew something had to be done. Here's what I came up with. Not only did I use the Wii as an incentive for doing chores, but I also decided that I could take away time, too. You can click on the first pic to enlarge it enough to read the rules. Nate helped me come up with them. Hard to believe, I know, but Nate has always had an overdeveloped sense of what is fair and what isn't. I was very pleasantly surprised with how much he was on board with it. I guess he figured that I was GOING to set limits, so he might as well make sure that they were good ones and applied to everyone. We wrote an amendment about three minutes after printing up the rules.:) Taking my new found knowledge of lap booking, I made a folder for each child to have a visual of time earned. For every chore( aside from personal responsibilities, i.e, schoolwork, room cleaning, music,etc.) they get 15 minutes of Wii time. This has really made things peaceful...and CLEANER around here. :) Responsibilities get done so that they can spend their time earned when they are finished. They don't always have time to play on a given day. For instance, Tuesdays we have youth group and Wednesdays we have Bible Study and Prayer service. Sometimes there is just too much schoolwork and projects to do. When this happens, they don't get upset because they know that they have earned the time and will get to spend it when there is time. One of my friends told me that she allows three hours for weekends and that meant that it was hard to make plans without a major bargaining session. Not happenin' in this house! That would drive me insane! Sometimes they are interrupted and as you can see I added a rule about attitude. No bargaining aloud! Also, Dad has overruled several times for a family game night. The kids get a big charge out of this. :) For the eldest(14 1/2 going on 25), who is wanting to chat online with friends, check emails, and blog, and doesn't really care quite so much about the Wii, this works well, too. Just one of my ideas for a peaceable household, even though I will soon have TWO teenagers ( Nate will be 13 next month :0). Sometimes you just have to get creative as the kids get older. Now, I realize that the visual folder and little quarter hour pieces of pie may seem silly for older kids, but hey, it's working and they're happy. I'm ecstatic! What could be better?

I Faked It.

2010-01-05T14:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I got three different emails from people asking me where I bought the wall art for my girls. When I said I had made it, the natural question was how. I faked it. Haha! I guess you could call it faux vinyl lettering. So here you go, Gals. First, go to Wally World, or any other such store. Buy some contact paper that you like. I wanted black, but had to settle for white which actually looked better with the color on the wall after all. Second, find a font that you like on printshop or whatever program that you have and print out the letter(s) that you want. Next, use your copier to enlarge it. This will make a pattern for you to tape to the contact paper, so cut this out and tape it down to your contact paper. Lastly, just cut around your paper pattern, take the pattern off, and there you go. Don't peel away the backing of the contact paper until you are ready for placement. I have to say that I only did one letter at a time. It might be too hard to cut out a long saying, but it worked great for the flower and first initial that I did. I got the flower shape out of an old coloring book. I flipped the flower over for Alana's side of the room to make it opposite. This little project only cost me $3.99, the price of the contact paper, and my daughters were ecstatic. And I have a lot left over for other things. I want black, though. Next time I go to the big city, I will have to keep my eye out.

A Fave Gift

2009-12-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I should have pictures of our Christmas by now, but I used my Mom's camera so it could be awhile. :) Mom came up and shared supper with us on Christmas Eve. Then we opened presents from the Grandparents as tradition dictates. hehe. The next morning we called Mom as soon as the kids were stirring and she came up to enjoy Christmas with us. Carey and Marie showed up in time for Christmas dinner and spent the afternoon with us, too.

This is a picture that Mikayla took of one of her gifts. I got the girls matching bedspreads. I also made some wall art for them, so she took a pic after it was all fixed up the way she wanted.

Outreach into the Community

2009-12-07T14:35:00.000-08:00

Every year for the last four of five years, we have been asked to tell the Christmas story at Lincoln Paper and Tissue's Christmas party. We have told it with Terry flipping pictures. We have told it while having children from the audience come and help act it out. This year we had our children act it out while Papa told the story. Nate was both Joseph and a shepherd and you can tell from the picture who Lanie and Mikayla were. The picture was taken by a local photographer who requested it and then she emailed it to me. I thought it was kind of cute, so decided to share. We feel blessed to have this opportunity for another outreach into the community. The first year the people seemed very rude and talked loudly throughout. The next year they were better and many sat with their kids. Last year, just about everyone sat down and listened and then commented on how nice it was afterwards. This year people greeted us like they knew us, listened well, and thanked us for doing it again. It's interesting to me how long it takes for some things in this area. But, with Terry working at the local Sears I think they recognized him better. So that is a good thing, too.

2009-11-28T07:37:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

I've been experimenting with Smilebox lately. It's pretty cool!

Flat Stanley

2009-11-11T14:08:00.000-08:00

Flat Stanley visits the little red schoolhouse in Lincoln

Flat Stanley helps us check our letterbox at the painted rock in Lincoln

Flat Stanley visits camp at Madagascal Pond

So, Alana is getting close to being done with her Maine studies that she is doing for Social Studies and that means that I had to come up with something to do when she finished. My brother posted some pics on facebook of his little boy doing a Flat Stanley project for his cousin. So I said to myself, I wonder if I could do that as a homeschooler. So I googled it--what else. Turns out that there are whole web sites devoted to the promotion of Flat Stanley projects. So with tips and research finished I decided that I would ask some of my homeschooling friends if they would be willing to participate. Then she could study the different regions of the U.S. depending on which states these said friends where from, and marking them on the map as we go along. I thought that I would email one or two friends, but then I got lazy and just put it out there on my facebook status. Well, after two days we have ten states covered with the promise of Denmark and England, too! Wow! Alana is super excited about the project, and has already run to the atlas to see where some of these places are. I can't believe how it has mushroomed! So I guess my laziness paid off in this case. Well, we decided that it would be better to send our Flat Stanley to these other homeschool kids with some information about our state. So we set out and took some pictures of Flat Stanley here in Lincoln and included in his journal some facts about Maine. He is on his way to Northern Maine right now to a sportsman's camp where he is going hunting. Then he plans to go to Virginia. We are not sure of his schedule from there, but know that he is headed to Michigan, California, South Dakota( where he might swing over to Minnesota, and then Iowa since they live near the borders of both), South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, and then we may send him overseas. How fun is that ?!! There is nothing that compares to a school project that the kid is excited about! If anyone else is interested they can contact me on Facebook, here on the blog, or email. It isn't hard and is a lot of fun for the kids. I also have several adults doing it! haha! Check it out at http://www.flatstanley.com/.

Nate's Soccer Pictures

2009-11-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

I guess having the mouthguard in was the cool thing for pictures this year.

2009-11-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, for the record, Mikayla wants everyone to know that she only did this for laughs, and she is not usually this retarded acting. She hated that I posted it, and in true teenage girl fashion, is all disgusted with her mother and embarrassed...blah,blah,blah,wahwah, waaaahhh. ;)
But, we did these costumes for a youth group contest. They are supposed all wear a homemade costume, no blood and gore, just fun stuff. So this is what we came up with. We will see tonight how they rate with the judges. It should be quite funny to see what some of the other kids come up with.

Mikayla's Soccer Pics

2009-10-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Out of Desperation...

2009-10-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

So, I have been very, very frustrated lately shopping for my girls. I have been in that place before, but as they get older it just seems to get worse. What is it about the clothing industry that makes them think that we want to dress our still growing daughters like...how shall I say this tactfully? Well, you get my meaning, and I'm not a whack job about it either. My girls wear shorts in summer, and jeans all the time, but I do try to keep their backsides, and chests covered. I just despise those low rise jeans! And have really despaired of ever finding another shirt for Mikayla that isn't cut too low. In her age group, it is the cool thing to get a really low cut sweater and wear a camisole thingy under it, and then the bottom of the cami has lace and they let it hang out the bottom rather than tucking it in. Trouble is the camisole thingy doesn't cover much more than the sweater. Thank Heaven that winter is coming, if you get my meaning. Anyway, out of desperation, I went looking for easy things that I could possibly make for the girls. I found several blogs and sites that had tutorials for some skirts. So, with more than a little trepidation ( my sewing adventures have been more misadventures than anything else), I headed off to find fabric. Low and behold, I hit a great sale at Joanne's and bought enough material for four skirts. Terry has our motor home parked quite close to the house, and has it fixed up with electric and water. He went and put a space heater out there and set up my sewing machine. So now I even have a sewing room. I finished Lanie's first outfit without too much trouble. The next skirt is a lined drop waist that falls a bit shorter right at the knee. Mikayla is liking the look of this one, so she is next. I have no idea how I am going to tackle the shirt problem for her. For Lanie all I had to do was find a plain shirt and add a coordinating something( I think it's called a renoculus...why is beyond me.) But, it looked too young for Mikayla. IDK...any suggestions? So, here are some pics of Lanie in her new skirt and top.

Fall

2009-10-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

Although Fall is always a busy time for us with school and programs starting up, this Fall seems to be the busiest on record to date. Terry signed all three kids up for soccer this year, and although we have done soccer in the past, this is the first year that all three of them were old enough. Alana has participated in a summer soccer program that was two weeks long, but now she is old enough for the rec dept traveling soccer team. Last year, Nathanael opted out of any sports. We probably should have pushed harder, but didn't. So now we have Mikayla on the High School JV team, Nathanael on the Jr. High team, and Alana on the traveling team for Lincoln. So far, she has played Dover, Medway, Millinocket, Howland, and Lee. Mikayla and Nathanael ride the bus to their games, but parents have to bring the rec kids to their games. So we have been in the van a lot this fall, not just to get Alana to her games, but to scream, and yell, and hoop, and holler for the other two, as well. Add piano, voice, trumpet, flute, and two different bands. Add to that two different youth groups, a college trip for Mikayla, and field trips for Alana's Maine studies( we are putting together an awesome lapbook with her Maine notebook pages that she has done. All you homeschoolers-lapbooks are really fun to do and help kids retain what they learn. It's very hands on and Lanie love it!), and a Pastor's kids retreat( a fun get together for pastors kids all over the state held in Lee). OK, now add homeschooling, and all the church stuff. It's no wonder that we are feeling a bit run down right now. Nathanael and I are battling sore throats. Hopefully, that doesn't get any worse. The kids have had official soccer pictures taken with their teams, so I hope to get those posted as soon as we get them. When soccer season is finished we hope to take a two day trip down to visit with friends in Scarborough and go to their church to see the Steve Pettit evangelistic team. We are hoping for some rest and fun with friends. I have some of the Pettit Teams music that I have downloaded for my ipod, and love it! It has a touch o' the Irish in it. They use folk instruments for accompaniment. I have never heard the guy preach, but have heard good things about it. You can hear some of their music if you go to sacredaudio. com. Hopefully, before it gets too much colder we can head out to camp to get the boat in. Can you imagine the frigidness of the water right now? This happens every year. We get busy and forget that the water gets very cold rather quickly in the Fall. Then we have to go get the boat out of the lake while our feet and legs go numb. :) For some reason, I don't think that will help my sore throat at all. Well, at least I can say that I updated my blog.

Soccer Mom

2009-08-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's me, I guess. Mikayla is now on the MA Lynx soccer team as a high school freshman. Preseason has started and she has had practice doubles all week ending with a tournament round robin tomorrow in Bangor. Lee Rand snapped a bunch of pictures of preseason practices and sent us a few with Mikayla in them. So here they are.

Alana will be playing with the third and fourth grade rec. team and Nate for the Jr. High. I plan to snap some pics of them when they start and will post them. I just know I'm going to go crazy running them all over the place this Fall, but since their Dad was a soccer player and coach, he figures that his kids all need to play too, so here we go. At least he has promised to help run them around when he can, and it is very good exercise. Plus, I needed something to call PE for our homeschool. This works.

Happy Anniversary, Babe!

2009-08-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

Sixteen years! How is that possible?! We are more in love now than at the beginning. What a blessing! We didn't have the funds to do our usual trip to the coast for a lobster dinner this year, so we bought some fresh hard shells locally, and cooked them over the wood fire at camp. Lobster, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes. YUMMO! Anyway, the kids had fun taking pics of the lobster before their demise. ;}

Summer Fun 2009

2009-08-11T05:45:00.000-07:00

This has not been the best of summers for more reasons than one, and such a rainy summer we have had here in Maine! I determined once some warm weather finally showed up( in August!!! Just so wrong on so many levels!) to get some good times in. We were finally able to enjoy our beloved cabin, and spent some of last week out there. We plan on being there some this week, as well. We just have to squeeze some summer fun and relaxation in before school, youth groups, and other programs start up. Next week will be full of school planning and reorganizing here at the house, and then we start on the 24th, so it's now or never. Here are some pics of our time at our cabin and our time spent with our friends the Temples and the Clays at the Clays cabin.
Belly!

Go!

Set...

Ready...

Lazy morning.

Kayaks

Hammocks

Swimming.

My view.

Friends.

Cutie nephew!

Bar Harbor

2009-07-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

We made two trips to the coast this week. One with My Aunt Gloria who was visiting from Washington, and one with our friend Doug who came over to visit from Michigan. These are some pics that he took during our day in Bar Harbor. Aunt Gloria and Mikayla took some from our day in Belfast. Maybe I can get those up later.

Family

2009-07-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures of our time with Jon and Lisa. It was so rainy that we didn't do a lot together but hang out. We did a little party for Mikayla, and that was nice.

Chosen To Be A Soldier, by Pastor Terry Upcott

2009-07-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

This is what Terry wrote for Dad's Committal Service.

Our family would like to thank the honor guard for their services today. Dad was a Korean war veteran, and was proud to have been able to serve his country. He would often get emotional when he would talk about the veteran's here in Lincoln.
Pastor Campbell served the people of Lincoln for 291/2 years as the pastor of Bible Baptist Church. The story of how a boy from White City, Fl. wound up in Lincoln, Maine is interesting, and having just come off the 4th of July holiday, as well as Memorial Day, I'd like to take the time to tell you how Pastor Campbell's service for the Lord relates back to his military service.
II Tim. 2:4
"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."
Pastor Campbell enlisted in the United States Navy after going to electronics school in Chicago. He had no idea that while volunteering for his country's Naval service, he would soon be serving in a different army. He had been chosen to be a soldier.
While awaiting orders in San Francisco, Pastor Campbell stayed at a service men's center. A local church group ministered there with scripture reading, sharing the gospel, and just befriending the young men who were away from home. Through their ministry Pastor Campbell not only realized that he was a sinner, but that Christ had died for him to forgive him of his sin, and to offer him a personal relationship, as well as home in Heaven. He had joined the Navy, but he was now a soldier of Jesus Christ.
The chaplain at the center and other Christian men prayed for Pastor Campbell to be stationed in a place where he could be taught the Word of God and grow. The Navy sent him to Guam. His Lord had prepared that as well. Pastor Campbell came under the ministry of Missionary Cecil Green. Cecil encouraged him to seek further training when he got back to the States. The Navy man was in basic training for the "One who had chosen him to be a soldier".
Pastor Campbell was later assigned to Winter Harbor, Maine. His Lord once again used the Navy to transport His soldier. Pastor Campbell found Emmanuel Baptist Church in Ellsworth, where he met the Clarks. They became lifelong friends, and would be used by God to bring Pastor Campbell in contact with Bob Jones University. If Guam was God's basic training, BJU was officer's candidate school. Pastor Campbell learned to preach and how to minister under one of his heroes of the faith, Dr. Bob Jones Sr.
Following college, Pastor Campbell returned to Maine, where he would work and minister in the Bangor, Skowhegan, and Athens areas; as well as in the woods of Maine as he served with Christ for the Lumberjack Mission.
Pastor Campbell received his final posting in Lincoln. He became the Pastor of Bible Baptist Church, and served faithfully for almost 30 years. Even in retirement he stayed on active reserve for his Commander. He would continue to preach as long as health would allow, and even ministered to his health care providers as his sickness became worse. Pastor Campbell had been chosen while in the Navy to be a soldier of Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the commission he received. He is now resting in the presence of the one he served so long and well.
And so we come to the cemetery today. There has been a little time to adjust to life without Dad. We still miss him, and occasionally even forget for a second that he is gone and expect in that instant to see him. Those moments hurt, but scripture gives us hope. Not a wishful thinking kind of hope, but a sure confidence that we will see Dad again.
I Thess. 4:13-18 speaks of this hope. We commit only Dad's body to the ground today. His soul is with his Savior, and we look forward to the day of reunion.

Pictures Worth A Thousand Words

2009-07-11T05:58:00.001-07:00

Note To Self

2009-07-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

The word is out...Alana LOVED camp, and she did pretty well, all things considered. She had a blast and even showered everyday. ;) When we got to The Wilds to pick her and Nathanael up, they were having breakfast. I had to sneak a peak. I spotted her cramming french toast into her mouth, giggling, and generally causing an uproar at her table. She was wearing a hot pink stripped shirt with one of her dressy skirts. Oh, dear! She said that this outfit was all she had that was dry. Oh, my! Later, upon entering the little cabin full of Mommies, sisters, and little girls, I could not believe the huge mess! It had rained all week, so every one's wet, muddy clothes were in big plastic bags. Suitcases were lying open, clothes strewn willy nilly. I thought to myself that it would be a miracle if we got all Alana's clothes back to Lincoln, and was pretty sure that we would end up with some other little girl's undies or towel or something. Mikayla helped Lanie pack up, since there wasn't room in that tiny cabin for one more Mom. Back at home, as I unpacked, most everything went straight into the washer, and I noticed that a bunch of stuff in the suitcase was damp. When I asked her why things inside the suitcase were damp she said, "Oh, yeah, note to self...Never put your wet swimsuit into your suitcase with your dry clothes. It causes problems later."

The Wilds Again

2009-07-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we took our other two kiddos to Bible camp this week. They lucked out a both got to stay in a cabin, not a tent, although how is beyond me. We just got the paperwork faxed last week. This is Alana's first time, and Nathanael's last time as a Jr. camper. Next year he gets to go to teen week. How is this possible?!! I was a bit worried about leaving Alana, since she is still quite young acting, but by the time we were leaving, she had a whole following of little girls. As we were walking down to the car, she was high fiving Bob Roberts. haha. I guess those are good signs that she was ready. We are excited that the kids get to hear Bob Roberts speak this week. He is the creator of Kids4Truth, our Bible club material. It is doctrine based and loads of fun. We are praying that they have a blast and learn a lot! Mikayla is enjoying being an only child this week, too. Ter and I will go to pick them up on Friday.

Alana is in the same cabin as one of my old roomie's kids.

As soon as Nathanael met his counselor, he was off, and we couldn't find him. When we did, he was already enjoying a game with a new friend.

Meeting Bob Roberts and her counselor.

Father's Day in Heaven

2009-06-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

While I miss Dad this Father's Day, he is in Heaven visiting with other family and friends that are there with him, and enjoying things that I cannot even comprehend. While I cry, because for a split second, a gift came to mind for him... then I remembered that he is gone, he is enjoying the gift that is above all gifts. While we worship in the best way that we know how, and we think that Dad would have enjoyed hearing us sing that hymn, Dad is worshipping at the very feet of Jesus, and hearing music more beautiful than we can fathom. How could any Father's Day here on earth ever compare?

These thoughts bring some comfort, and yet the tears keep falling. I realized a long time ago that Dad was my biggest fan, and I sure could have used some of his encouragement today!

On Saturday, I drove down to New Hampshire to get Mikayla from Bible Camp. When I first arrived, she was nowhere to be seen, so I ended up wandering around for a bit. A man stopped and asked if he could help me. I told him that I was looking for my daughter, Mikayla Upcott. The man said, "Oh, Pastor Campbell's granddaughter, right?" I have ceased being surprised when I am miles away from home and someone knows Dad, but all I could do was nod. He told me what church he went to and how he knew Dad, but I was so busy swallowing the lump in my throat and hoping he didn't ask how he was, that I don't remember what he said. I still don't know why it was suddenly such an emotional thing this time because I have talked to many people who knew Dad since he went Home without any difficulty, but this time it was. On the way home, Mikayla shared with me that she had met people that knew Grandpa. One of the girl's mothers had worked with Uncle Chris at Camp Northfield. During the sermon on Sunday, my eyes wandered to a nearby passage.Proverbs 20: 7 "The just man walketh in his integrity; his children are blessed after him." How fitting for my experience and thoughts on Father's Day! Although, I realize that my thoughts typed out here are a bit rambling...oh, well, it's my blog, so I can ramble all I want!

I miss you, Dad, more than I ever thought possible! Happy Father's Day in Heaven!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day, Papa! We love you very much! Your kids think the world of you, and your wife thinks you are the best Dad in the world! You work very hard to take care of us, and we want everyone to know that we love you for that.

Love,

Alana, Nathanael, and Mikayla

and Jen, of course!

The Wild's of New England---At Long Last!

2009-06-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

The boys have cabin tents until new cabins can be erected. Inside are wooden bunks with mattresses just like in a cabin.

The game room.

Lounge area in the coffee shop

Basketball, beach volleyball, horseshoes, and dodgeball.

Soccer fields

Cross on the hill. I believe the campfire is up there.

Dining Hall

Chapel and Dining hall

Mikayla's cabin.

One ecstatic camper!

Once upon a time, Terry and I attended a couple's retreat at The Wild's Christian Center in North Carolina. We had heard much about this place already. It was a very nice retreat and we were both better for having attended. We enjoyed the preaching, workshops, and music. We said to each other at that time that if we were blessed with children, that this would be a good place to send them for Bible Camp. Well, at that time, we were living in Maryland and didn't realize that God had plans to move us to Maine. Once we got up here, we found out that The Wild's was planning on starting a camp to serve New England. I think Mikayla was about a year old. We thought, " Great! By the time she is eight or nine, they will have it up and running! Well, age eight came and went. Nine...we debated different camps, but didn't really have the funds. Ten came and we sent her and her little brother who was eight at the time to Camp Northfield. They went there for several summers. Then, just trying to find a camp that didn't take 8 hours in the car with our kids and any church kids that went, we took the advice of another Pastor and checked out Forest Glen in Nova Scotia. ( Not too much closer, by the way. Just hours in the other direction) It was a great camp! Meanwhile, the Wilds, struggled with getting the nessessary permits . Quite suddenly, they were able to sell the property where they had had so much trouble, and buy property that was already set up to be a camp! Praise the Lord, they were able to get all the work done. With the aide of our missionaries, the Arces, the camp is running for this summer. This summer was the summer that we had thought ahead just a bit and our kids were able to raise some money just for camp, making sending them affordable. YAY!!! Now, to pray that the Lord works in the hearts of our kids, especially our oldest, who we felt needed to be with other kids that believed the same way as she. We are hoping to send Nathanael along with his friends that are from Ellsworth for his last summer as a Jr. camper. We feel that he needs to be with his guy friends, since there are not very many boys his age around here these days. Alana has never been to camp before, but is excited about the prospect. We feel, that she may do better going with one of her friends to a camp that is closer to us. We will just have to keep praying about it. But we are so excited that the Wild's is finally here and running since we have been waiting for it for a long, long time!

Spring Recital 2009

2009-06-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

Mikayla and her best friend, Rosemary.

Our Teacher, Mr. Drinkwater.

Nathanael playing Spring Song

Alana posing on the piano bench afterwards.

Lanie playing Yankee Doodle.

Mikayla playing Wonderful Words of Life.

Waiting to start.

The kids had their spring recital tonight. It was great. All the kids did so well. Alana is our shy one. She is taking voice with Mr. Drinkwater. When we were in the car on our way, she was so nervous. I was afraid that she would melt into a puddle when it was her turn. But her turn came, and she did very well. WHEW! Mikayla is really getting advanced and has gone way past her Mom now. Nathanael is right behind her. He goes like a house on fire for awhile, then his mind goes to other things, like BB guns and Star Wars. I guess because he is a 12 year old boy. I took pictures, but the lighting is always so bad at these sorts of things. Some came out good, so here they are.

They're Out There!

2009-06-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm feelin' the love. People do read my blog. I guess I'll keep on writing then. Some asked how to leave comments. If you scroll down to the bottom of the post that you are reading, you will see the word "comments". Click on that and you will be able to leave a comment. Thanks, everyone!

Anyone Out There?

2009-06-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

Just wondering if anyone even reads this blog.

Memorial Day Band

2009-06-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

Downtown in front of the monument. Jamie, the girl in the front right, played "Taps". Mikayla at the bridge playing the Navy Hymn.

Nathanael at the bridge right after playing the Navy Hymn.

Mikayla and Nathanael have sure enjoyed band this year. They were in the marching band for the first time this past Saturday. The band did very well, and played a bunch of great patriotic songs. I'm looking forward to the spring concert coming up on Thursday, where they will play most of the same ones, and several others. Mikayla is in the fife group. Not sure what that means yet, but can't wait to find out. Nathanael thought that he had the "Taps" solo for the parade, but a high school kid got it, which really makes more sense. They both did great in the parade. I wish that I had been able to record Nathanael playing the Navy Hymn. As he was playing, one fat tear rolled down his cheek, but he just kept right on playing. He was too embarrassed to talk about it later, so I am not sure what caused his emotion. He is so tenderhearted. I love that about him!

School Year in Review

2009-05-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

This year has been very FULL! We have had science experiments, soccer, soccer, and more soccer, field trips, music lessons, band, band ,and more...BAND, not to mention the "down to the nitty gritty" school work. Here's some pix of us doing what we do. Nathanael's model of a earthquake proof building.Soccer

Piano
Science

The best field trip ever! The metro...talk about life experience.

The Museum of Natural History

Air and Space Museum

Nathanael found something he liked at the Museum of American History

Oh, and don't forget the trip to Ye Ole Alma Mater.

The "nitty gritty"

Remembering and Missing Dad on His Birthday

2009-05-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

O Teach Me What It Meaneth

Happy Birthday, Dad! Remembering you today and missing you! We know that the celebrations in Heaven are so much better than we could ever imagine

This is a hymn that Dad asked me to find the words to. I think the words might have been found for him before, but I had never been able to find them. Well, I happened upon them the other day while searching for something else. It is sung to the tune of "The Sands of Time Are Sinking", another old hymn. Dad loved the old hymns. Mostly because they had so much to say, and I'm sure he felt that he had so much to learn.
My generation has mostly adopted contemporary music. But, just read this poetry and dwell on the deep, rich meaning. I love the second verse! If I was the only sinner, Christ still would have died for me.

Injury!

2009-05-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Alana was jumping on the trampoline during a break from her schoolwork. She came in limping and saying that she had landed on it funny. I looked at it, made lunch, and sent her to work on her math. She complained briefly about not wanting to do math while her ankle hurt, but being the suspicious mom that I am, figured that she just didn't want to do her work. She finished up all her schoolwork and then went back out to play. I said to myself, " I guess, I was right and that ankle isn't really hurt since she is playing again." Later, she came in limping again and sat in the recliner. She whimpered a little and said that it hurt more now. I reached down and pulled off her sock and was surprised by what I saw...a blueish, swollen ankle! I called Terry who came home to take a look. He was a coach and has seen many injuries. He wrapped it and put ice on it, and she was all set. I'm so glad he was there or I would have run her straight up to the emergency room. And all I could think was, "and I made the poor, little thing do math!"

Mother's Day

2009-05-13T05:47:00.000-07:00

We took my Mom out to eat this year on the actual Mother's Day. Terry surprised me by ordering jewelry for me and having it delivered to Sears. He gave it to me on Sunday morning so that I could wear it to church. Sundays are so busy for us that Terry decided to do something for me on Monday. Breakfast in bed and homemade cards from some sweet kiddos. Is there anything better?

Celebrating

2009-04-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

Life moves forward. We celebrated, amidst tears, my Dad's life and homegoing. We celebrated our whole family being together again for the first time in I don't know how many years. Only days later we celebrated, with fun and laughter, our miracle, Alana Marie. Born a healthy 9 pounds and 8 ounces, no one suspected that she had a birth defect that would cause her to have to fight for her little life. Alana spent two weeks in the NICU with friends and family across the country praying for her. While staring down in shock at all the tubes coming out of our precious baby, doctors told us of the many, many problems that she could potentially have. So far, she has had very few problems, and we feel overwhelmingly blessed when we compare her health to that of others born with the same thing. Alana asked Jesus to forgive her of her sin when she was 7. Her Sunday school teacher, who just happened to be her Grandma, had been teaching about salvation for several weeks. Her big brother, having heard his Dad speak on Revelation, had been worried that she would be left behind when the rapture occurred. So he had been sharing with her about how to be saved. One night after our family time, she climbed up in my lap and said, "Mama, I want to ask Jesus to save me. Can you help me?" She is now a healthy,fun, loving, sweet nine year old as of April 18th. We can hardly believe that she is so big so soon. Here are some pics of her birthday. She and her friends Reilly, Julianna, and Melodie, along with her brother and sis, had a blast at a quickly put together Build a Bear party.

We love you, Alana Marie!

The cake that Mikayla and Alana decorated.

Cake at home
The birthday girl. She was glad they didn't give her a crown.

Finished!

Ice cream at Dairy Queen On our way home. See our new animals?

Games at Build a Bear

Nathanael enjoyed the party, too, even if he was the only boy.

Don't let her fool you...she had a blast and loved doing the bear just as much as the little kids.

A Forgotten Video...Now So Precious!

2009-04-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

This video sat forgotten in my camera for months. Mom and Dad came up to our place for the traditional turkey with all the fixings. Dad is telling a story to Mikayla. Precious times! Dad was doing so well, and had more energy. We were thankful around our house that Grandpa (Dad) was so much better. If you go back to my November post about being full of thanks, you'll understand what I mean. Thank You, Lord, for more time with our much loved Dad and Grandpa!

Ps... don't forget to scroll down to the bottom to pause the music before playing the video.

My Dad

2009-04-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

In Loving Memory

Rev. Ronald E. Campbell

May 14, 1933 - April 8, 2009

Miss you horribly, Dad!

But just think of stepping on shore, and finding it Heaven.

Of touching a hand, and finding it God's!

Of breathing new air, and finding it celestial!

Of waking up in Glory, and finding it home!

Ice Skating

2009-03-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

We like to ice skate in the winter when we have the time. This year there has been so much snow that we could never clear a rink on the lakes, so we had to settle for the town's tiny, wee rink. The Town of Lincoln thought it a big deal to buy a backyard sized rink for all the town kids to use. Unfortunately, only about four kids can use it at once because it is so small.

Anyway, Mikayla especially loves to skate, so we bought her a pair of nice skates. Hopefully, she won't grow to much and be able to wear them next year as well. Alana, of course, was able to wear her sisters old ones, but that left Nathanael without any for this year. He said he didn't like to skate anyway, but when we headed off to the rink and all he could do was slide around on his boots, I think he changed his mind. So, we surprised him with new hockey skates for his birthday. It's interesting to me, and just a little frustrating, how boys shoe sizes run, and apparently hockey skates are no different. He seems to be at the size of shoe where he is no longer a boy, but he is also not quite a man either. So I can buy shoes up to size 5, but then it seems to skip to size 7 men's. So what is a kid to do that has a size 6 foot, I ask you?! Well, to make a long post even longer, I looked and looked for skates that were a size 6, and finally had to settle for some that said they would fit a ladies size 7. ( But I didn't tell him that! I did want him to actually use them.) I guess women play hockey quite a bit more than I realized. At least these didn't have any pink on them. Just plain black and white like all hockey skates. They turned out to be a bit big and a bit wide, but we tried filling the space with extra socks, and away he went. All in all, a successful gift.

Happy Birthday, Nathanael!

2009-03-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Nathaneal's birthday was a quiet affair this year because he went to a hockey game with his dad. But we had a good time as a family celebrating at home, too. He picked the kind of cake he wanted and decorated it himself with Star Wars legos, of course! We let him take the day off school and open one gift first thing in the morning. Then, when the girls were done with their schollwork, we had cake and presents. AND...I think he got everything that he wanted. MORE LEGOS!!!

On Being Spirited Away

2009-02-23T16:52:00.001-08:00

Is there anything better than being spirited away for a couple of days by your sweetheart? He didn't tell me what he was planning for Valentines day, so I was as surprised as everyone else when he announced on Sunday that there would be a pulpit supply for the next Sunday evening because he was taking his wife away for a couple of days. He wouldn't tell me all week long, so it was sort of agonizing for me. In a good way. Anyway, he found a great deal at the Lucerne Inn. We had a beautiful room overlooking the lake, and a cozy fireplace. Two sumptuous dinners were included, and he had a gorgeous bouquet delivered and waiting for me in the room. I must say that I was indeed impressed! ( maybe that's not quite the word for it, but...{;

Happy Valentines/Birthday

2009-02-06T15:54:00.001-08:00

February 14th is my sweet husband's birthday. It has always been hard to celebrate Valentines Day for us. This year Terry got hockey tickets for himself and Nathanael, whose birthday is the 18th. Although that makes a great birthday gift for both of them, it sure doesn't do much for the more romantic holiday. So, this year Terry says that he is going to celebrate Valentines on a different date and go all out. I guess I'll have to wait and see and get back to you on that. In the mean time, I posted some pictures of our wedding and added music to the play list. There is significance to the first four pieces of music. Want to guess what the significance of each piece may be? Go ahead! Or just enjoy the music and slide show...The beginning of something so beautiful!

2009-02-06T05:59:00.001-08:00

My Husband and I bought and watched the movie Fireproof last night. It was so surprisingly good that we would recommend it to all our married friends, and those considering marriage. It includes Scripture! Used in proper context! We were surprised. One character that is playing the Christian even alludes to our favorite verse when counseling. He says that you can't trust your heart because the heart can be deceived, alluding to the verse, " The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it." Also, the father in the movie states that love is not a feeling, but a decision. Never have we heard that in a movie! Go. Run. Buy. Stock up on Kleenex. Watch with your spouse or intended! What a good Valentines gift to give! Just a suggestion.

Morning Quiet Time...Psalm 139:1-14

2009-02-03T09:25:00.001-08:00

O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandeth my thoughts from afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, thy right hand shall hold me.
...thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

2009-01-17T17:08:00.002-08:00

We were in danger of going stir crazy today, so we bundled up to the gills and went out to do some sledding. The little hill in our back yard received a makeover this summer, and is now a very small slope. The kids were frustrated with it, so we set out in search of a hill worthy of our idea of fun. The Jr. High has a great hill that goes down to the soccer field. One tube popped, and even though we were cold, it was loads of fun.

P.S. Don't forget to scroll down to the bottom and pause the music before playing the video.

Too much fun! Way too cold! Where's the cocoa?!

Reflections on the Making of the Krum Kakke

2009-01-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

The iron and the finished product. YUMMO!

The making of the Scandanavian krum kakke is a yearly tradition in our family, started by...hmmm...I'm not sure who. But my Mom did it, and her Mom did it, and probably her Mom did it, too. One of them must have decided that these particular cookies were for Holidays only. They are not the easiest cookies to make as they require a special iron ,made of cast iron , and, preferably, an antique. The new irons, we have found, just do not work the same. These cookies can only be made one at a time, and they must be rolled while hot. Maybe that is why they are only made for Christmas. My kids say that it isn't really Christmas without these delicious cookies.

Christmas

2009-01-17T13:42:00.001-08:00

So, I finally got the Christmas pictures off my camera. Better late than never. The kids each got an mp3 player in their stocking this year. They were so happy with it that they sat on the steps listening to it for a good half hour.

Nathanael realizes it's a recurve bow while Lanie helps get out the rest of the kit.

Lanie and her new Didj. Nathanael in his new hockey jersey.

Mikayla and her new flute.

Mikayla gave Lanie her old Easy Bake oven.

Sharing her Easy Bake oven cake.

The girls in their new American Girl dress coats.