Glimpses of Spring

The calendar may say that Spring is still two weeks away,

but we have noticed it peeking out
since before we turned our calendars to March!

I love the spring season for so many lovely reasons.

The freshness and newness of it all.

The fresh sets of lighter clothes and the packing away of more 

burdensome garb.

The tiny buds swelling up on the ends of branches waiting to

burst open with new life.

The pops of color as flowers begin blooming.

We didn't have a hard winter this year.

Except for two cold, snowy days in January,

we experienced the warmest winter on record here at our house.

We didn't suffer through round after round of snow storms.

We never lost power because of ice.

We didn't even get one bona fide "inclement weather" day off of school.

Still, what refreshment it brings to put away the "old,"

and to watch so many things "become new."

What delight to watch for God's creation to visually illustrate

the "newness of life" that is found in Him!
To be reminded of His great love that provides victory over sin,

beauty for ashes, and that "death is swallowed up in victory!" 

We are thinking about Resurrection Sunday here at our house!
We are thick in rehearsals for a captivating Easter drama at our church

in which my husband and Garrett have speaking parts, and

which I am directing.
This will be performed on Good Friday which will make

Passion Week very busy for us.
It is the same week we have two birthdays and our anniversary as well.
Spring holds exhilarating days for us, and I am thrilled we got a jump start on it this year!!

When transitions are hard

When my son threw a fit every time we loaded our mini-van to travel

anywhere, or aggravated every sibling (even when there were only 4) before we could

get him buckled in his child safety seat, or argued with us about coming

to the table to start his school work, 

red flags began waving in my head.

Everything was difficult about him, but transitioning from one activity 

to the other was misery.

I began to see a pattern.

And I would brace myself for it.

Lots of times, I resented it.

"Why can't he just acclimate normally to a slight adjustment in our day?"

"Why does every slight change have to be a big deal?"

"Why can't he just respond like.......?"

"Why does he have to blow up every time we leave the house and make the rest of us miserable until we're 10 minutes down the highway?"

We tried lots of strategies.

Well-meaning family and friends offered sage advice.

The one and only thing that has made an enormous difference?

Time.

Maturity.

A better understanding of the world around him.

Reassurance.

The fact that he's nearly 15 and his brain has developed more and he has a better understanding of the world around him has calmed his anxieties.

He has seen the patterns.

They are the same nearly every time.

He has been to the same places every time many times

so he knows what to expect.

He has a history with us.

The world isn't such a scary place.

I've been feeling much like this since our new President was sworn into office.

The response has been ridiculous.

Over the top.

Such an uncomfortable feeling.

Like the sibling strapped into a family vehicle having to listen to

the tantrum of a troubled brother/sister not happy with who's driving.

It might feel like we're going to a brand new place.

Never seen before and a little scary.

We feel like we don't have control over our final destination.

And we really don't.

We never have.

But over time, as we've experienced more of life,

we learn that everything has it's up's and down's.

The ebb and flow of life.

And we're still here.

Safe and secure.

Because we know who's driving this one life we're living.

We can trust Him.

He's the one who has designed the road map and knows where we're heading.

"Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,

When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,

Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

Stedfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love."

Spontaneous field trip!!

Last week was a little hard.
Extra things were happening above and beyond the normal daily busyness

of raising and homeschooling 5 kids.
Our oldest goes to college locally and works when she's not at school, 

so she's in and out too.

Sickness came to visit which always adds extra laundry and maintenance 

and vigilance to scheduling since our youngest went down first

and can't be left home by herself yet. 

When our second oldest asked if we could just take a day to go to the zoo,

I said, "Why not??"

Best decision ever!!

Her motivation was not simply to get a day away from seatwork,

but she has been wanting to practice with her new camera and photograph

her favorite animals.

 

These are a few of Ashlyn's favorites from her collection:

The weather was perfectly spectacular for this little trip and 

we had such a relaxing time simply taking our time and visiting our

favorite exhibits!

This year we upgraded our zoo membership to the level that includes unlimited

free rides on the carousel, monorail, and train ride and we have absolutely

loved that.

We've visited the Dallas Zoo twice since Christmas and this membership

has already paid for itself.

It includes free admission for our whole family, an extra membership (for Lexi, Grandma, or a friend) AND free parking!!! 

Worth every penny!!!

Master Club Regionals 2017

On the Saturday after Valentine's Day, we headed off to our church

where, for the first time ever, we hosted the Texas regional competitions for Master Clubs!
What an amazing day!!
Lots of surprises and tons of fun!
Garrett and Aryn participated in several events,

but only Aryn received a ribbon (2nd place) for small ensemble.
Nevertheless, we so enjoyed watching many different events, perusing all the art

and craft entries, and meeting new friends!!

  

Homeschool Valentine's Banquet 2017

On Valentine's evening, our homeschool group hosted our

3rd annual Valentine's Banquet.
What fun we had!!

We spent lots of time planning and preparing,
and the girls in my Advanced Foods class did so much to help!!

Our class was in charge of preparing the twice-baked potatoes...

......as well as the cakes for the dessert table!
Each girl was required to make a beautiful cake of their choice

and use at least decorating element that we've covered in our cake decorating unit

  over the last three weeks.

These girls took us all by surprise and presented the most gorgeous creations!!

Ashlyn presented a Black Forest Cake.

 

I made a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake.

Grace made this exquisite Red Velvet cake.

These two lovely sisters did equally amazing work!

Rachel blew us away with her White Chocolate/Coffee Chocolate layer cake!

Breanne's "naked" Vanilla Strawberry-Filled cake was a stunner!

Our class also served all the guests "blue-plate" style, and we utilized

the younger girls as waitresses as well!

 

What a beautiful experience for each of these girls as they

worked together encouraging each other in learning new ministry

and entrepreneurial skills!!
I'm just so thankful for the opportunities the Lord has brought our way

as we continue to raise them for His glory and service!!