Wings In a September Sky

Jon, our 23 year old decided Sunday was a good day to test his paraglider wing at the beach.

We couldn't have hoped for a nicer day.

He left the motor at home but practiced a lot of control.

As I watched this large wing pull my son across the sand, I wondered how concerned I will be when I actually see him strap on his motor and sail into the sky. Flying has never been something that excites me too much...and the broken props he has dragged home from a couple of botched attempts haven't helped set me at ease. Ahh well. He is young and fearless...and his life is in the hands of One far greater than I.

That said, we had a lovely day at the beach with several of our children and some friends. Picnic lunches, sand and sun are usually a great combination. And so goodbye to summer and hello to Fall and all it's possibilities. Look for fall decoration pics soon!

Of Books and Boys and School Days

Our dining room looks peaceful, flowers on the table, a nice cloth. Not for long. As of Tuesday, it will once again be transformed into a learning area, littered with books and art supplies, microscopes and magnets.

We are a 'book' family. The main school books reside here in the corner behind the dining room door. These are the curriculum books I use. Mostly Abeka.

Instead of fine china, or a fancy bowl, my china cabinet is graced with a globe and a fat dictionary.

Our favorite reading area is just off the dining room which is convenient. We often laze on opposite ends and do spelling words, grammar and flash cards.

The living room holds art books, gardening books, and a large assortment of books for grandkids.

It also holds our videos and DVDs.

Our bedroom has a wide assortment of Christian books from hubby's Bible College days and anything new we've added since.

Even the family room has a bookshelf which is loaded with the old classics and a collection of old school readers.

The boys keep all their favorites on shelves by their beds. For Patrick that means tons of nature books.

For Rob, his old Hardy Boy books, Calvin and Hobbes and lots of sets from various authors.

We also have a 'flotsam' shelf!

When I say we love books, I mean it. I grew up in a reading home where Friday was library night. We would all go to the Athens Library and then go home with our selections and sit and read. With my own kids, Tuesday afternoons became the highlight of the week. We dragged out the banana boxes and went to Mallorytown library or Brockville library. 5 books each was the rule but it usually became 7 or 8 because there was so much to choose from...and we lugged the boxes home and read all afternoon and well into the night.

I have gotten rid of a lot of books over the years so we are down to just the few you see in my pictures. 'Wink wink." They are my old friends, these books...Lost In the Barrens by Farley Mowatt, Little Britches by Ralph Moody, Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter, Pierre Berton's Canada, Christy by Catherine Marshall. The list goes on....and on....and on. Someday perhaps my grandchildren will walk around carrying an entire library in a small electronic device, but I prefer the feel and the smell of old pages, and crisp new pages and a book in my hand.

What a great blessing it is to be allowed to homeschool these children of mine. I am very grateful that at 51, when a lot of women are edging toward retirement, I still have years of homeschooling ahead of me, and the joy of teaching these last two boys how to become the men God wants them to be. Happy homeschooling everyone!

If You See Summer, Tell Her I Wasn't Finished With Her Yet......

Our beautiful bride....our daughter was married in July. The wedding was wonderful! My niece made the gorgeous dress.

I baked the cake! It turned out rather well, which was another miracle, considering how rushed I was.

And two of my favorite musicians played at the reception.

The groom fits so nicely into our family. Definitely a God ordained union. As I like to say, God is in the details. From the friend of the kids who led the service, to the speeches at the end of the reception, the whole wedding reflected Christ.

And then came August and tons of summer fun, from tubing behind the new boat, to camping at Uncle Doug's cottage.

All in all the whole thing was a whirl wind of activity and now it is almost time to get the homeschooling into swing again. But I love fall, so that is okay by me.

Of Summer ways and Lazy Days

Not a big fish, but fun just the same.

Getting air for that big splash.

Did you know that kid's lives can get complicated too? My youngest boys are very caught up in all the other drama (good and bad) that goes on in a house full of siblings. I really like these summer days when they can forget all that and just go swimming. I can also relate. I am the youngest of eight, remember, and I can clearly recall what its like to try to simply be a child in a house that is humming with activity. On the whole, I think they have it pretty good. And we just bought a fishing boat (pics later) so looks like once the wedding plans for our daughter have been carried out, we will have a whole month just to be lazy and take these guys fishing! (Hah.)

Summer!

A wedding shower for our daughter, complete with toilet paper dresses. She is the beaming one in the middle!

On one of our trailer trips I awoke to the raucous calls of seagulls...at 3:00 am no less.

When you want to buy a lure but you can't afford it, simply pull in a pike with said lure in mouth!

My boys and trees! They love them!

Spring is gone and we are into summer, but the air is cool mornings, and the river has not warmed up enough for any serious swimming. Fishing however, is great. And we are planning for our daughter's wedding. How exciting is that?

Thats MY word!

I love this word. When I found this little knick knack at Goodwill I knew exactly where it would belong. Ignore the Christmas motif, this is my word year round.

John 15:11 These things I have written to you, that My JOY may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Galatians 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self control, against such things there is no law.

James 1:2 Consider it all JOY my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Seems to me, God has offered me joy. I can experience it when I am walking in obedience to Gods Word, when I don't feel it, I need to check my barometer. Does it point to lack of commitment? Am I negligent in my Bible reading? Do I pray? Am I walking by the flesh? Do I trust God with the details of my life? Can I look at my trials as growth periods?

In all the ins and outs of daily living, of being a wife,of raising 7 children, of watching them take wings and fly, of being a good friend and neighbor, I see the steady thread of joy, and I love that word. It doesn't mean I'm always happy, doesn't mean I don't feel down sometimes, but it is what I strive for. I know God wants me to be joyful, and even when it is very hard, I focus on it. Whatever happens, I have a reason to be joyful. I have a Savior who loved me enough to die for me, numbers even the *gray* hairs on my head, cares for me more than the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. I have a loving heavenly Father who gives me good gifts, I have a comforting Holy Spirit who indwells me and helps me in my daily journey to become more like Christ. I am God's girl. And in the end, that is what matters most!


Anything less than joy, is doubting that He knows best for me

Music of The Heart

We are playing again. The older 5 children are grown and busy with lives of their own, but our 'little' guys are ready and willing to entertain whoever they can...and a band of 4 still sounds pretty good.

This guy has been playing since he was 16. That was a few days ago. He also runs his own music school and has an online store at www.afmusic.ca. Did I mention, I love him?

Budding musicians...budding? already very accomplished. They sure enjoyed playing for the receptive crowd at a local recreation centre.

And here I am...I enjoy playing the bass, but I enjoy more, the shiny faces of my boys as they do their stuff.

We play a lot of folk music, celtic, old time fiddle, but we always finish with Amazing Grace and the Old Rugged Cross. Those songs always bring tears in the crowd, and put a nice finish to whatever we present, because the best kind of music, afterall, is music from the heart....and that is my heart. To share the beauty of what Christ has done for us by shedding His blood on the cross for our salvation and His glorious resurrection. And Mr. Music Man as the people at the concert called my husband, always puts a few words in their as a finishing touch. (That's the pastor coming out in him.)