Word for Wednesday: Papilionidae

At this stage of parenthood, “developing my own interests” may be as simple and uninvolved as chasing backyard butterflies. Add a little Wordsworth, and it seems more aspiring… 🙂 I’ve watched you now a full half-hour; Self-poised upon that yellow flower And, little Butterfly! Indeed I know not if you sleep or feed. How motionless! – not frozen... Read More

Mother’s Day for Mama Mabel

The calf from last week’s post is still alive, but not without a good deal of blood, sweat, tears, and vet expenses. “He’s a dandy,” an old cattle rancher told us. Translation: he’s a big, fine-looking calf. But he wouldn’t nurse. We don’t know why. He was separated from his mother for a short time. Maybe he couldn’t nurse, or maybe... Read More

A Week of Homeschooling

As the kids get older, we’re slowly shifting our focus toward homeschooling activities. Last week was a good one for showing the types of things we do. Monday, it looked like it was shaping up to be “Duck Week.” An egg hatched in our incubator overnight! It was at least a week early, so the first thing on the agenda involved ditching our original plans and driving... Read More

How We Became Backyard Beekeepers

A huge box arrived on our doorstep one day last winter. The boys tore open the box and spread pieces of wood all over the living room floor. And so began our adventures with beekeeping… including me getting stung by a bee for the first time since childhood! (That story mid-way down…) Part 1: The Hiving of the Bees My husband built several hives. Then he ordered our... Read More

A Boy in the Tulip Patch

One evening last November, my husband and I shivered in the cold and in the glow of truck headlights as we caught up on the overdue task of planting bulbs. Bulb planting is an exercise in delayed gratification. This spring, it was worth it. It probably would have been worth it to trim the grass around the edges of the bed, too… but then, of course, it would just grow back.... Read More

Ruffling Feathers

It has been a fairly quiet few months around this blog, hasn’t it?! I’ve been fighting a deep exhaustion. I suppose that shouldn’t be surprising, considering all the changes we’ve made in the past year. While I’ve been buried in a dark cocoon lately, a few other metamorphoses have been brewing… When I was young, someone described me as “complacent”... Read More

Thank Offerings

Mom means more to me than I can express. Below are more life-giving words from her. These aren’t empty words; they’ve been lived, and they’ve formed Mom’s character. I had to tell you girls what I found this morning. In Psalm 50 God is saying that He doesn’t rebuke us for our sacrifices; they are ever before Him. But He doesn’t need them at... Read More

Learning Air Guitar at an Early Age

I have a bad case of the winter blues. Last night I sat down to look through pictures, and this set made me smile: My husband was playing air guitar with the kids. There may have been some tickling involved, too. They sang Hootie & the Blowfish “Let Her Cry” (sad), “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Goo Goo Dolls’ sweet “I’ll... Read More

The Castle Builder by Longfellow

Julie sent an email a few days ago and said, “This poem made me tear up. Thought I’d share it with you all [sisters], since you have boys, too.” The Castle Builder by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow A gentle boy, with soft and silken locks, A dreamy boy, with brown and tender eyes, A castle-builder, with his wooden blocks, And towers that touch imaginary skies. A fearless... Read More

Psalm 86:5 Asking A God Who is Eager to Forgive

Mom sent me this reflection on Psalm 86:5. It goes so well with the Beth Moore Bible study on James that my sister-in-law and I (and many other women across the country) are doing at church. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” When I read my Bible this morning,... Read More