Another Wonderful Blog to Share

Just had to share. Marilyn Howshall, one of the authors who has most influenced my homeschooling, finally has a blog! Very good, inspiring, convicting stuff! Check it out!
http://influentialparenting.wordpress.com/

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

For Today 11/4/09
For more information, see http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY November 4, 2009

From my photos... - above: Amanda Grace with her new birthday dolly

...Outside my window - It's looking like it might clear up after all. It was trying to snow this morning

...I am thinking - about the next chapter of the story I'm writing. My mom and I are challenging eachother (in the spirit of nanowrimo, but not officially so - http://www.nanowrimo.org/ ) to finish our respective books by November 30th.

....I am thankful for - health, no swine flu at our house yet :)

...From the learning rooms - we're working a new song to sing for Thanksgiving. It's an old hymn called, What God Ordains Is Always Good. I chose to use a different melody.

....I am wearing - my white peasant chemise and my green and white gingham colorgrown cotton jumper

....I am creating - purple dresses for my girls to wear for Thanksgiving

...I am going - no where. The blue van is in the shop today getting that tie rod end replaced.

...I am reading - http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?language=english&version=51&passage=ezekiel+10:1-11:25;hebrews+6:1-20;psalm+105:16-36;proverbs+27:1-2 I'm also re-reading Shepherding a Child's Heart

...I am hoping - to hear my baby's heartbeat next Wednesday even though it's still pretty early

...I am hearing - the washer and dryer humming

...Around the house - Lissa and Juli are singing while they work :) Jeremi's playing with Emi, Abigail and Amanda are straightening up their room, and Micha and Terran are working on their papers due in their Literature class soon

....I am wondering about - what to write for the Rosenow (my mom's side of the family) newsletter. I just got a request this morning to participate with a family update.

...One of my favorite things - listening to my kids sing in four part harmony :)

...A few plans for the rest of the week: find all the winter coats, boots, etc and figure out what fits whom and where we're going to put them.

November 1

What has not just one...


but TWO favorite meals,


tons of presents


and TWO cakes??

It's November 1st at our house. :) 5 years ago yesterday, Terran received a baby sister, Amanda Grace for his 11th birthday.

We had a really lovely day yesterday. Terran chose Chinese for his meal at lunch time. Chicken stir fry, rice, Terran's General Tzo's sauce and another less spicy sauce, egg rolls, and pot stickers. It was So good and we were So stuffed!

Then we let the birthday boy and girl open their presents. Amanda got a new doll and a stuffed horse. Terran got a big roll of craft leather and a book on tanning deer hides. Both got a package from Nana and Papa full of all kinds of things as well.

Amanda choose fried chicken, corn, and coleslaw for her birthday meal. No one was very hungry yet, but we made one piece for each person and it was very good, leaving just enough room for...

The cakes. :) Mike made a beautiful fairy castle cake for Amanda with pink strawberry cake and a dragon made of fruit roll ups. And Terran made his own ice cream cake - crushed oreos on the bottom, a quart of coffee ice cream, and crushed up heath bars on top. Yum!

One more year. It's hard to believe they're 16 and 5 already! We are so blessed!

Presentation Night

Every once in a while, an informal group of homeschooling families in our area gets together for what we call a presentation night. It's kind of like show and tell. Each child who wants to can get up and show everyone something they've been learning or doing. 5 families came last night with about 30 children.

Each of our children participated with a presentation, though unfortunately, my camera died halfway through. :(

Micha and Terran, with their friend Zac wrote and performed a skit of the Biblical story from Judges 3 - King Eglon and the judge Ehud, through whom God delivered Israel.

I had to include this photo. ;) In their version of the story, the mean spirited King Eglon decided he had not yet that day taken candy from a baby. So he forced his servant to play the part so that he could check it off his list of evil things to do. (They did warn everyone that it wasn't *exactly* like the Biblical account.)

Jeremi created an animation of Noah's ark. He explained how the animation process works. (Of course, he did so in his own style - as "Abu" rather than as himself. LOL)

Lissa read the story she wrote for Vision Forum's 2010 essay contest. http://www.visionforum.com/2010

Emilie played her reading game in front of everyone. She sounds out the three letter word on each card, then finds the little object to match. Her favorite is "cat". I have to make sure that one is last so she doesn't get totally distracted by wanting to play with the tiny pink cat.)

Unfortunately, my camera died before Juli played "Jesus Loves Me" on the harp so beautifully and Abigail read a story out of her reading book complete with a voice change for the "Billy Goat" character and Amanda recited her memory work passage, Eph. 4:32 flawlessly.

I think Mike got pictures and maybe even video on his Blackberry, if we can figure out how to get them from there onto the computer. :)

It was a wonderful evening. Mike even surprised us by being there. We were expecting him to have to work late. Wonderful presentations, delicious snacks, and lovely fellowship. God is so good!

For Today 10/21/09

For more information, see http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY October 21, 2009...It's not even fully light yet at 8:30 in the morning. Winter is coming way too fast!

...I am thinking - I need to clean up my summer kitchen and find room for the stuff that was moved to make room for the freezer we were just given.

....I am thankful for - God's provision for vehicles. Just found out that the minivan needs a new tie rod end, but God already provided the funding.

...From the learning rooms - Abigail is reading well enough now to join in reading passages on Sunday morning!

....I am wearing - my white blouse and my purple and blue peasant skirt (LOL Would you believe I've got the same outfit on today? - 5 outfits and this one just happened to come around again today - I need to make myself something new to wear.)

....I am creating - a bonnet for a customer's rush order

...I am going - hmm I could say "crazy" but that would imply that I wasn't already there!

....I am reading - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jeremiah%2037:1-38:28;1timothy%206:1-21;psalm%2089:38-52;proverbs%2025:28&version=NIV

...I am hoping - my sister and brother in law have safe travels and wonderful experiences on their mission trip to India

...I am hearing - a couple of pine squirrels chasing eachother up into the pear tree, down and around the back porch, and back again and again.

...Around the house - Micha's making french toast (kind of a late start this morning after a late night.), Terran, Juli, and Lissa are reading in the livingroom, Jeremi's playing with Emilie, Manda's digging in the community shoe box, and Abigail's setting the table.

....I am wondering about - lactose intolerance. Everyone in my family has it. Mine's been mild enough to be in denial, but the slowed digestion of pregnancy seems to be making it much less ignorable. :(

...One of my favorite things - the smell of coffee and french toast in the morning

...A few plans for the rest of the week: sewing projects, planning what to serve on Saturday when Mom comes, hoping to start working on a few Christmas presents. (We do all homemade gifts and there are only 60 some days left)

From my photos...

Another third birthday - 7 years ago. :) Julihannah Kristine

Don't forget to scroll down to the last post and leave a message for a chance to win a copy of Chautona Havig's latest book, Argosy Junction!

Book Review - and possible prizes :)

Title: Argosy Junction
Author: Chautona Havig
Publisher’s Synopsis: The romance of the Montana Rockies has a pull on Matt Rushby that he's never fully understood. Sheep, mountains, and a family wounded by the spiritual abuses of a cult capture his heart on his first vacation from the metropolis of Rockland. While he learns how destructive the church can be to its own, the Argosys discover a Jesus they forgot.

My Review: Chautona's second book to come out in print, this book was a joy to read. This work of Christian fiction tells the story of the meeting of Matt Rushby - the boy who grew up in the inner city - and Lane Argosy - ranch owner's daughter. Talk about opposites attracting! Both are introduced to a world they've never known.

First, Matt sees life through the eyes of the Argosy's who have been shunned by The Brethren, a church that they had originally been a founding part of. Seeing the way they've been treated, Matt understands Lane's reluctance to have anything to do with the Lord, but he is determined to show her what true faith really is.

Then Lane and her sweet and naive little sister, Patience come to visit Rockland and experience the inner city. "A little child shall lead them" rings true as Patience finds joy in helping the homeless and showing love to a prostitute who visits Matt's church.

Chautona does a great job of showing balance in this story. The point of separation for the Argosy family from the Brethren was over an incident with a young lady wearing jeans and she does a good job of showing how easy it is to slip over the line into legalism. Yet it would be easy to portray all people who wear dresses and long hair as being legalistic, and for a while I was a bit concerned that that could be where the story was going. (At the same time as I was sure it couldn't be, knowing the author!) I loved how Chautona brought into the story a lovely family who outwardly may have looked like the Brethren but inwardly they truly loved the Lord and others and understood the concept of Christian freedom.

This book is part of Chautona's "Rockland Chronicles". I love how each story stands alone, yet she weaves characters from one to another. (You can read one of her ongoing stories called Past Forward here: http://www.fairburytales.com/fairburytales Matt and Lane peek into that story too!)

The Contest: http://paradoxology.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/contest/ Chautona is doing a contest. If my name is chosen from those who have blogged about her book, you will have a chance to win too! Just comment on this post and if my name is chose, one of your names will be chosen also to receive a copy of Argosy Junction.

Happy Birthday to my 3 year old!

3 years ago, yesterday, Emilie Lynnette joined our family in the wee hours of the morning. Truly joy came in the morning, and she is such a joy!


Here is a picture of her "cake". Emi requested chocolate cake with mint frosting. Terran made the cupcakes and the frosting for me and let me decorate it. I made fondant to create the little characters. (Some of them turned out better than others. LOL) Emilie LOVES Winnie the Pooh. She has nicknamed herself Pooh Bear and calls Micha: Owl, Terran: Rabbit, Jeremiah: Tigger, Julihannah: Eyeore, and Elisabeth: Kanga.

The fondant recipe is super easy -
1 cup of mini marshmallows squished down and stuffed as full as possible,
1 T water
microwave for 30 seconds and stir until liquidy (is that a word?)
then stir in (and knead in) powdered sugar until you have a modeling clay consistency.
You can separate it into different bowls and use food coloring (and extra powdered sugar as needed) to achieve different colors.


Here is Emilie with her cake. She loved it! :) (Terran and Jeremi decided that the Eyeore looked more like a leopleuridon. - those who have experienced the insanity of "Charlie the Unicorn" will know what that means. - you can look it up on youtube, but maybe you'd rather not know. ;)



And Emilie in her new birthday dress from Nana. (I promised my mom I'd get a picture and let her see it. Hi, Mom!)

"Behold, children are an heritage of the Lord."

Have a great day!