Preparing to Move

Last week my parents and one of my husband’s brothers came for several days to help me get a head start on packing. The guys would have liked more “manly” things to do, beyond changing the oil in the tractor and running errands, but they were good sports about how much I needed someone just to watch the kids so I could string two thoughts together and make thousands... Read More

A Packing Push

This morning we’re right in the middle of a packing blitz, a flurry of boxes, a push to the Pod: My regular Wednesday post will be delayed several days. Looking out toward new – and much flatter – horizons! Thirty-four more days!  Read More

iheartfaces Photo Challenge: Yellow

This week’s iheartfaces photo challenge is “yellow.” Spring sunshine makes this a great theme for this time of year! I’ve been seeing so many beautiful photos with sun flare lately, so I thought I’d give it a try. My two-year old daughter was a good sport about having her picture taken… as always! This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces... Read More

Making Use of Waiting Times

Yesterday I had to drive in to the hospital to sign some paperwork with my husband. (It was house stuff – we’re under contract now!) He was pulled in for a procedure right before I arrived. This happens, and it’s ok. Instead of wallowing in the crookedness of my front teeth for the next half hour, I picked up the camera and experimented with more manual exposure... Read More

On the Heavy Side of Life: House Hunting and Adoption Issues

I had another post planned for today, but levity doesn’t seem to be the order of the day. My husband grew up as the oldest of five siblings. After he left for college, his parents adopted another sibling group of five, plus a sixth foster child who was living with them and who became available for adoption at the same time. Several years later, they added the seventh, a little... Read More

Definition of Kissability

One day last week while the baby was sleeping I took advantage of his stillness to practice manual exposure again. His face was in the shadows, but I wasn’t about to move him! The foreground and back of his head are overexposed. In this picture, I’m happy with that. My younger daughter has started calling him “Bungee.” I have no idea where she got this,... Read More

Pregnancy Brain (and Pictures)

Well, it is Wednesday night at 7:30 and the realization hit that it is, indeed, NOT Tuesday night, like I had thought! AAAAaaa! Sorry! So, I thought this would be a good time to sneak in some pregnancy pictures and put up a big sign saying “to be continued!” I guess I should at least defend myself by saying that this last week HAS been crazy, with Drew still gone after... Read More

The Things Kids Say: Bible Memory Verses

Scroll to the bottom of this post to view the list of verses, or printable PDF of the verses we’re using (plus how they fit with our school topics), click here. If you do use these, please double-check the verses for accuracy, in the Bible version you like to use. Some of the verses are only partial; older children could memorize the entire Bible verse. Also, several verses... Read More

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother’s Day… …to our softball playing, tea party throwing, chick flick loving, dirt digging, soul delving, grandkid chasing, wise Mom. … and to our mothers-in-law. Thank you for persevering, inspiring, and giving so much. We love and trust the sons you’ve raised – enough to want to share the rest of our lives with them. Is... Read More

Spring Garden Tour, Tools, and Tips

Happy National Day of Prayer today! Also, Mother’s Day is this Sunday. Our family has many beloved traditions, one of which is Mother’s Day. Every year, Dad would take us to the local greenhouse and let us each pick out whichever four-packs of annuals we fancied. Then, we would all go home and spend the day planting with Mom. It was a wonderful time of togetherness and... Read More