Stop me if I've told you this story before...

This last summer Mikey came out of his room hollering for me to come and see this "weird bird" he spotted outside his window. I was expecting him to show me a Magpie or something even less exciting. You can imagine my surprise when I saw this Green Cheeked Conure instead!

The bird was perched less than three feet from Mikey's window and we could tap on the glass without it starting. Convinced it was some body's beloved pet we tried to catch it. He wasn't fooled by our birdseed/cardboard box/towel contraption and it didn't take us long to realize he was smarter than us, I mean, smarter than we anticipated. Eventually his belly was full of our birdseed and he was done playing our little games so he flew off into the field behind the house. Without any other options we said a little prayer that he would make it home safely instead of into the claws of one of the huge hawks that frequent Thompson Hill. The kids were deeply disappointed as they watched what they had thought would be their future pet fly away.

When we look back at the picture it makes us giggle to think how silly we must have looked trying to catch that bird, but it was a good lesson in trying to do the right thing even if it did not work out like we thought it would.

Don't Forget...

(Click on the comic to make it large enough to read)

Merry Christmas, and may we never forget.

Doorposts

These are my entries for the "Write them on the Doorposts" Contest over at the Doorposts blog.

Good luck to all!

Normally this golden apple and silver dish would sit on our mantel, where we can be reminded to choose our words wisely. But our stockings are hung by the chimney with care and are displacing everything else, so it is sitting on our entry way table. The Scripture is Proverbs 25:11 "Words aptly spoken are like apples of gold in settings of silver."

Can you see the bite marks in the apple? When I went to the craft store to buy a fake apple, Jeremiah bit into it, he was so small I couldn't do anything but laugh...and then purchase it! Since then Ella has also tried to taste the forbidden fruit!



These are my salt and pepper shakers. When we go on a trip or if I wander into an antique store I always keep my eyes peeled for a pair that I like. It is a fun and inexpensive collection to build. I hung a tag with Matthew 5:13 "Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost it's savour, wherewith shall it be salted?" It sits in my kitchen near the sink so I can think about how to spice up and flavor and preserve the world around me.



This one is "for the birds!" I like pretty little birds and I love all the references in Scripture about birds. Eagles, sparrows, and the shadow of God's wings, there are so many comforting and uplifting passages. This one is Psalm 84:3 "Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young at Your altars, O LORD of Hosts, my King and my God."


And a tag to remind the littles that God knows all things, that He created them and that He loves them enough to number even the hairs on their heads! (Luke 12:7) This one is hanging on the basket with all the combs and hair accessories.



I have big plans for more tags. I'd like to hang one from the clock with verses from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
^1"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
²a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ³a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away; ⁷a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace."

Or on one of the lamps with John 1:4:
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Head on over to Doorposts, they have a great contest with lots of ideas.

A good deal

I'm getting through July one photo at a time! We picked up this eight-foot picnic table on Craigslist for a song! Less than we would have paid for a six-foot one at retail. It wasn't finished, but with some help from the boy, and stain leftover from our fence, Michael had it ready to use in no time! The kids love to eat lunch outside while I read our latest chapter book to them. I like to eat out there for dinner and look at Badger Mountain as the sun sets, but not more than I like to think of the memories we will make hanging out around that table, enjoying one another.

Clams

As I sit here to write this funny little memory down, I realize that half of the memory is already gone. Hmmm, we were near water (but I don't know where or why), and Mikey found this little clam. He shoved it into his pocket deciding to cook it up as a snack when we returned home. And that is exactly what he did, topping it off with a little salt and butter, he dug it out with a fork and chewed and chewed and chewed and chewed, made a wretched face and swallowed it down! Sometimes the kids and their ideas crack me up, sometimes they drive me crazy and sometimes they make me thoughtful. I try to indulge their ideas as often as possible, but when they are talking about building forts as big as our house into trees the size of our van it is hard to explain the logistics of it all without feeling like I am squelching their hopes and dreams. And so lately I have realized to just let them talk about it, go for it, and figure out for themselves if it is practical or not. It never gets as far as I am afraid it will, the bigger their imaginations, the bigger my fears! And they are never as heart-broken as I think they will be when their plans don't come to fruition, surprisingly, they just roll with it. Now, if I can just train them to clean up all the messes they make along the way...that's the hard part!

Pay it forward mustache

Three gifts down, and two to go from my "Pay it Forward" post on Facebook. This stuffed mustache key chain was the most fun to make and give so far. I made it with pleather from Joann and stuffed it . The loop that attaches it to the keyring is just some black cording. There are three young ladies in Spokane who got a kick out of their little gift and I am so glad they enjoyed getting them as much as I enjoyed making them!

I hate to go, but I am in a hurry today, so I really "mustache!" HAHAHAHA!! Get it?!

July--Mini-figure swap

We have LEGO fever around our house, and so does every young man that we know! In July we hosted a white-elephant mini-figure swap. Each boy built and wrapped a unique mini-figure, my particular favorite wrapping job was one in a band-aid box! In true white-elephant style the boys "stole" from each other until each ended up with a new mini-figure to add to their collections!

It piqued my Pinterest...

Bread tie to mark the end of the tape

When I told this one to my lady friends, they all said it was "old news," they had "known it for years," and worse yet that it was "easier just to flip the edge of the tape under!" Some people just don't appreciate a good idea!Raspberries stuffed with chocolate chips

The original pin had them stuffed with white chocolate chips too, but I ate all those straight out of the bag and didn't have any left. It would have been good though!Root beer float popsicles

(this is not my photo)

Root beer floats are one of my favorite desserts, so these popsicles hit the spot this summer. Anything made with sweetened condensed milk has got to be good, right?!

Globe pedestal bowl
(a different one here)

We had a globe, for about 3 months, and then Simon got it, then we had a broken globe. I didn't want to part with it because I thought we could fix it somehow. But I was wrong. So I saw this on Pinterest and copied it. I liked it better as a real globe, it was a big part of homeschool geography! But this'll do! And with the other half I want to do this...

Globe clock!
(this is not my photo)

Thanks to Sarahendipity, for passing on the link via Pinterest! She thought I would like it and she was right!

If you aren't on Pinterest yet, you should be! I'll send you an invitation if you want one!

Done with June, only 3 months behind!

This post will catch me up with pictures through June on the ol' blog, that is, if you don't count all the months that went by without any mention at all...but whose keeping track anyway? (Besides you, Mom!)

We had a quick trip to Spokane in June, to meet a sweet, new baby boy, who we loved dearly just as soon as we saw him. His momma is one of my best-good friends and a big reason why a little bit of me will always regard Spokane as home, so how couldn't we cherish her babies?? He was as cute as she promised and Haley couldn't keep her hands off him!We spent a good portion of the day at Audubon Park playing in the sprinklers!

My new go-to bday present

This "build-your-own-fort-kit" has been a big hit with the birthday kiddos and their parents, it is inexpensive and easy to put together, which is why it is my new go-to bday present!

I got the idea from Saltwater Kids, this post. She got the idea from Bloom, this post. And since then I have seen it at Design Dazzle, this post. Or with a superhero twist here at Grosgrain.

I've only included one twin size sheet and about 10 clothespins but the other tutorials have several sheets and more clips. I've also been using a matching pillowcase cut in half and lined with a coordinating print, then made into a drawstring bag, which just seemed easier to me but you could just use the pillow case the way it is or any other bag you find.

And on a related note, but also for any number of other fun projects, you can design your own tags on Picnik using this tutorial at Homemade by Jill or this one at The Mother Huddle. There is another one on the Picnik Blog right here, and they link this post at Wordplay. Or you can just use the tags at the bottom of the post from Saltwater Kids. Whew! That is a whole lot of links!! I hope you use them and make a fort kit for some luck little guy or gal!

Project and sewing tip

Idea from: Infarrantly Creative, tutorial here.
Who got the idea from: The Idea Room

My added tip: Use a little glue stick to secure the ribbon before you sew it on, it saves you from having to pin it. You can also use glue stick instead of pins for hemming pants and any number of other things, try it sometime! The idea was passed on to me in a sewing class.

And one more thought, the metal clips were found in the section with all the purse handles at Joann, not in the notions dept.

It was so easy to do that I sat down and made all of these at once.

What to get for the three-year-old who has everything?

A bubble-wrap hopscotch game for my nephew's birthday, original idea here!

Sisters

You were expecting me to gush about my sister again weren't you? Well, I do love her more than my luggage, but this post is about our recent trip to Sisters, OR. We had so much fun, and it wasn't because it was jam packed with stuff to do. We had fun because it wasn't jam packed with stuff to do! Our friends, the Knudsens, pictured below, have a family home there and invited us to come and stay with them for a few days, needless to say, we were all for it! It was a fantastic time, with a fantastic family and we are grateful!

Haley

Hard to believe that sweet little preemie is now 7-years old! I have had the opportunity to reflect on the circumstances surrounding Haley's birth lately, and it really didn't occur me until now that God spared us from a very hard road. He orchestrated every circumstance so that we would be safe at the hospital long before the problems that occurred could turn into major difficulties. I am thankful that He did that for us, that He spared us from those difficulties and I am prayerful for a family who is giving Him the glory in just the opposite way, He is allowing them to walk through the difficulties, but He is with them every step of the way. Praise God for the plans He has for each family and that He never leaves us alone.
So, she is 7, and beautiful inside and out. She giggles and is joyful no matter the circumstance. She is a glass-is-half-full kind of girl (which doesn't come from me!). I will share something she said recently that made me giggle and made me thankful all at the same time.

After listening to an "Adventures in Odyssey" program about a little girl who thinks she has to be beautiful to amount to anything, Haley said "I used to think that I was going to go to Heaven just because I was beautiful. But now I know that you have to have Jesus as your Savior to get there when you die." I am thankful that she knows, that God didn't let her get away with believing she was beautiful enough to get to Heaven on her own, that she carries His joy around with her always, and that she shares her giggles with me once in a while! And I am mostly thankful that she is beautiful, but hope she gets to that "awkward stage" really soon, and stays that way until she is thirty or so!

You can believe this or not...I know it is difficult to imagine, but she has also changed her favorite color from pink to blue?!

Family Friday

I'd love to tell you that this is a new beginning for me and my blog, that this post will be the revival of all regular blogging on my part, because I really do enjoy it, but it probably won't be. I've been feeling very incompetent when it comes to writing, realizing more and more my ignorance of my native tongue and don't want to continue to embarrass myself with poor grammar. (For my Classical Conversations friends, you know what I'm talking about, right? I keep feeling like I need to go through Essentials before I can show my face on the blog again! HA!)

My craftiness has been limited to sewing lately, and maybe I will post a few of those things, but I haven't had any new epiphanies to share, only recycling ideas that I find all over the web. I did find a new site called Pinterest, if you haven't checked it out...you MUST DO IT NOW! It is an online PIN board for all those ideas that catch your INTEREST, get it, Pinterest? I have been organizing all my crafty bookmarks onto my Pinterest page and loving it. People use it to plan weddings, to organize their remodel projects, to categorize just about anything you could imagine.

Time is not on my side. Don't ask me how I had more time to blog when Ella was just a babe, because I cannot explain it. In reality I think I was just more willing to ignore the chores that should have been done instead. School has intensified a little bit for us and I am anticipating it ramping up even more in the next couple of years. Maybe that is why?

Anyway, I don't want to quit blogging, I like it. My momma said she felt disconnected so I thought I would jump on here and share a few pics for her. Then I realized it was Friday and I could do a Family Friday post...for old time's sake!

You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

A long time ago in a kingdom far, far, away we went to a wedding. I was a bridesmaid for Melanie, and got to spend much time with some of my favorite girls on the planet! I made Haley's dress and if I do say so myself...she and Mikey were a great addition to the wedding party! Then we decorated the get-away car with post-it notes which we thought was hilarious!!


We've done a fair amount of hiking this summer. This picture of Ella is from Zintel Canyon here in Kennewick. Unfortunately it was the last time the binoculars worked. The next time I tried to use them one of the lenses had fallen out...bummer...no birding for a while. At least none more than 10 feet away!


Then we went to a Memorial Day Picnic that our church put on and tried our hand (well, really our feet) at all the fun games. I wish I had a picture of the river normally and a picture of how high and fast it was running on this day, it was unbelievable and a little bit scary with Ms. Ella running around. The weather was beautiful all day, just for the picnic, because as soon as it was over and we all made it home, the clouds and rain and wind began again.


We had an AWESOME field trip with our CC group up to Palouse Falls. Mark Finkbeiner, from our local Creation Science Club and Founder of the traveling Creation Science Museum was our host and explained how so many of the geological features actually point to the truth in Noah's Flood rather than evolution. It was fantastic, he even showed us some petrified wood that went through more than one layer of the basalt columns.


Washington State hosts a free fishing weekend each year, and Michael's Uncle Tony (middle collage, right side) invited the whole family to come to Dayton WA, and enjoy it with him. I think every one caught their limit in Rainbow Trout and brought home over 70 fish! Uncle Gary (affectionately known as Uncle Bobo, middle collage, left side) and Uncle Tony gave everyone a quick reminder lesson in how to clean the fish, which is what prompted the HILARIOUS faces that Mikey and Jeremiah are making in the bottom photos. When we said "clean the fish" they were probably thinking "give them a bath" not, "cut their heads off and rip their guts out!" Mikey couldn't do it this year, but we'll try again next year!

That catches us up to June as far as summer pictures go! Maybe next Friday we'll do another installment?

Merrily we stroll along

Tutorial here at one of my new favorite blogs Prudent Baby.

You oughta read it...

(The Preamble to the Bill of Rights)

Congress of the United States
begun and held at the City of New-York, on
Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Information taken from Charters of Freedom.

Happy late Resurrection Day!!

Traditionally we spend Easter with Papa and Grammy Stordahl, but they skipped town on us (for a worthy cause!), so we decided to invite some friends instead, and were so glad we did! Dinner was a breeze since we all shared the cooking duties potluck style, and the kids had a great time playing together. All the kids except Haley Pie, she was sick. She was so disappointed in not getting to wear her new dress and celebrate at church and on top of all that having to be quarantined while we all ate and talked and played. I am afraid that she will be the only one who doesn't look back on this Easter with fond memories.

Matthew 28:6
"He is not here, He is risen just as He said, come and see the place where He lay!"

Easy as apple pie

This MOPS group with these ladies, plus several others, changed my view on being a wife and a mother. I have said it before, and will likely say it again, if it weren't for them and the Word that grew in my heart, I would be a bitter and angry woman, a wretched beast of a person.

I took many things away from those meetings not the least of which was the easiest apple pie recipe ever! We made these at MOPS and then took them home to bake and bless our husbands, and it worked, Michael LOVED it.

The recipe has a ton of butter, which melts with the apple juice and the sugar when it is baking and makes the most delicious caramel-y, sticky, mess on the crust. Even discerning, apple pie connoisseurs have asked me for the recipe because it is so perfectly sweet and good! I hope you have the opportunity to make and enjoy it sometime!

MOPS Apple Pie
9" pie crust for top and bottom
4-5 apples
2T flour
1C sugar
dash of salt
dash of cinnamon
stick of butter

Get your bottom pie crust into the pie pan.

Cut up the apples and mix with all the other ingredients, except butter. Then pour into the pie crust. Cut the butter into small cubes and place them all over the top of the apple mixture. Arrange your top crust, make sure you vent it with a fork or cut out a design, and flute the edges. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, with the edges covered and 10 more minutes without.

Serve warm with ice cream!