Weekly Rewind 4/11-4/17/10

We only had a couple doctor's appointments this week, and they both went well!

~I saw my OB, and the tentative date for Baby Boy's arrival is June 16th!  I really wanted to push it to July, but considering my c-sections, the doctor didn't want to go that far past my due date.  So, please pray that baby's lung development will be great and there won't be any complications.

~Whistler had a visit with the orthodontist to get fitted for an appliance to help with some teeth issues.  It was the first of three, and she did great!  She hasn't had much pain from the spacers that were put in, and we're so thankful!

~Whistler made her first batch of blueberry muffins for her Daddy and brother.

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~they would have looked prettier, but Mommy didn't leave them in the pan long enough...thankfully, that didn't stop Scribe, especially, from enjoying them.

~the men had a great time jamming on the harmonica (harp), piano, and guitar last Sunday evening....such a treat to hear them play "Amazing Grace" together

~Luke finished up the rest of his antibiotics this week!  Yippee...we're so glad for him.  He has two appointments next week, one with the ENT and the other with the opthamologist.  I'm wanting to have a "rejoicing feast" next Saturday to celebrate God's goodness.

~The girls and I had another lovely tea time today while the men were teaching the Boy Scouts how to throw hawks and knives.  Whistler and I tried a new scone recipe made with sour cream that turned out great.  (I'll post the recipe later next week.)   We're hoping to try at least a couple new recipes each month to add to a "tea time" collection.

~While my Mom was here, she showed Whistler how to crochet washcloths, and Whistler finished her first one today!  Isn't it pretty?  Great job, dear daughter!

Praising Him for another week full of His grace and mercy,

Scribe's Birthday Scavenger Hunt

Give him a soundtrack, and he'll pound it out on the keyboard in no time.  That's our Scribe.

Give him a few ingredients, and he'll whip up something yummy and creative. That's our Scribe.

Give him a Mom who sometimes get discouraged, and he'll quickly set her straight...pointing her to His truth.  That's our Scribe.

Give him a precious bundle of siblings, and he'll take good care of them, spoiling them with Medieval-like feasts and super-sweet desserts.  That's our Scribe.

Give him most anything to put together, and he'll get the job done well.  That's our Scribe.

Give him a lesson-outline, and he'll work independently and get it all done. That's our Scribe.

Give him an overwhelming mess, and he'll get everyone organized in no time.  That's our Scribe.

Give him pad and paper, and he'll make amazing words flow.  That's our Scribe.

Give him a problem, a situation, a dilemma, or an opinion, and he'll strive to measure it all in the light of God's Word.  That's our Scribe.

How blessed we are to celebrate 15 years with our Scribe!


On Saturday April 3rd, we were able to celebrate Scribe's 15th birthday with his request....the birthday scavenger hunt.  If you're not familiar with how it works, you can read about Mountain Man's celebration here.  We loaded everyone up in the van.  There were lots of smiling faces and the handsomest of chauffers!

Let the clues begin....

Clue #1~

"His Word is a lamp unto your feet
It will light your way forever

Now here is a practical reminder of God's priceless treasure

When you shine this on a darkened night
May it remind you of the Greatest Light

What is it?

A Tactical Flashlight!

Clue #2

Cheerful tunes to carry
you up and away

These songs you like to play

But to read the music
You must go inside

And request what is
Yours behind the counterside

Where do we go?
What is it?

We had purchased this gift ahead of time at the music store, and the owner was kind enough to hold onto it until the hunt.

~The Up soundtrack music book

Meanwhile, Boo and Little Bit did a great job of keeping Claire in smiles...

Clue #3

To practice your shooting skills,

here you must go

But none of it's free

You must pay, you know

The key to your practice

is somewhere inside

Search hard to discover

where it might hide

Where do we go?

What are you looking for?

Calibers shooting range, of course.

We purchased a gift card in advance, and one of the employees was kind enough to hide it in a gun safe.  Scribe had to search and find.

By this time everyone is hungry, so Scribe has to figure out where we'll be eating.  Mountain Man warned that if he guessed wrong, we'd all be eating potted meat.....and can you believe it?  Scribe gave a wrong guess!

Lunch Clue

Your eyes always get a bit starry

When here you eat fried calamari

So, enjoy a most delectable lunch today

But those squid legs from your Mom please keep away!

Where are we going?

Scribe guessed Olive Garden....but the answer was Zio's.

Notice Luke's face in the background.....he can't believe Scribe has guessed wrong and sentenced the whole family to potted meat.

Ok, Ok....Mountain Man had mercy and took us all to Zio's anyway.

After lunch, we enjoyed a new feature on the Scavenger Hunt.....I called it the "Silly Stop." 

At this place we'll

give you $10.00 to share

Buy a gift for each sibling,

and do it with care

Careful, though, if you go over time

you'll spoil the fun

You'll have to put gifts back one by one.

You have 10 minutes.  Have fun!

Scribe actually did this in just a little over 4 minutes!  He picked great treats out for his siblings, too.

~chapsticks, word finds, mechanical pencils, and some sweet treats

Clue #4

This book was such a jewel of a find

The very reading you're enjoying at this time

Bunyan, Herbert, Izaak, and Donne

We just can't believe we found them all in one!

What am I?

~This was quite the treasure...a hardback book of Pilgrim's Progress and Izaak Walton's writings about George Herbert and John Donne.....Scribe is currently reading those very writings about Herbert and Donne as part of AO Year 8.

I then did an "impulse stop" and ran in the Christian bookstore, hoping to find one of Scribe's birthday requests.  And I did!

~The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, which he is enjoying reading right now....and we're enjoying hearing about it at dinner. 

Clue #5

His Word says Godly wisdom

is a priceless treasure

So esteem highly this

counsel from men who measure

All according to God's Word

At the home of good friends

with whom you enjoy spending time

You will find these gifts wrapped in twine

What are we?  And where will you find us?

This one stumped Scribe the most.  He knew right away that we'd be going to our friends, the Radigans.  But, he couldn't quite figure out if this surprise was a book or cds, etc.  Finally, he guessed it........letters of exhortation from the men in our church.  I think this was one of the greatest gifts of all.

My friend, Nicole, even packaged it beautifully for Scribe.  The letters were amazing....and we're so thankful that the men took the time to bless Scribe in this way.  Their words of encouragement are priceless treasures.

And the final clue....

Clue #6

Your love for music

is clear to see

You'll enjoy adding to your collection

digitally

These little cards will help you along

to load on your player even more favorite songs

What is it?

~I-Tunes gift cards, of course.

Withe the Hunt over, we drove back home to enjoy mini birthday cakes......little angel food cakes topped with sweetened strawberries and whipped cream.

***The End***

What We'll Be Doing on Thursday Nights

It starts this Thursday night, but there's still time to get the rest of the books.  You can learn more about it at the Vision Forum website.

THE Hat

While shopping this weekend, I came across the almost-perfect hat for my Beloved......a green plaid cap with Guinness embroidered on it.  When the children saw it for the first time, their responses reminded me of the monkeys in the book Caps for Sale.

These monkeys were mischievous and quite frustrating to the hat peddler as they took his caps, trying them on.  No frustration here, though....just lots of cute faces as they tried on Daddy's cap.

And, finally, these cute little monkeys gave the cap back to Daddy....

who wore it well, especially tonight, when he and Scribe and Little Big Man had their first jam session with the piano, harmonica, and guitar.  I'm hoping they'll agree to let me post a video sometime soon.

Love,

Do You Think You Can Save Yourself?

Scribe forwarded me this great article by J.C. Ryle, one of our family's favorite authors.  Here's a snippet...


"We trust in the merits of Christ"; but I fear that too many of you are making the Lord Jesus but half your Saviour, and could never stand the sifting of an inquiry which would draw out into daylight the secrets of your hearts. How much would then come out by degrees about doing as well as you could, and being no worse than others, and having been sober and industrious and well-behaved, and having attended church regularly, and having had a Bible and a Prayer book of your own ever since you can remember, and the like; besides many other self-approving thoughts, which often never appear until a death-bed, and all prove the root of all evil, which is pride, to be still vigorous and flourishing within.

Read this rest of this thoughtful article here.


Have a blessed LORD's Day,

Weekly Rewind~4/3/10-4/9/10

Our April calendar is a canvas of doctor's appointments.  I can't recall having to be "on the run" so much each week....I'm a homemaker, and I homeschool......Home being the key ingredient.  I don't like this running.  I don't like all the complications that follow traveling to town so many days a week.  I'm 29 weeks pregnant, and at the end of the day, I'm simply tired.  There's so much to do, and I don't seem to be doing much of it well.

And, so in essence, what I'm saying is that I don't like the plans God has for us while at the same time I honestly welcome the opportunity we have in all of this to grow and be more like Him.  What joy it is to my heart to see how He's transforming me in this area.....being able more and more to submit to His will instead of clutching onto mine tightly .  Sanctification flourishes in adversity. He has ordained these days, and He gives me the strength I need to give thanks in everything and do all of this without murmuring and disputing. 

I have to know that even though I think all these appointments are doing nothing more than messing up my well planned days, He is actually working it all for good.....teaching us to be flexible, to be even more thankful for home, to carry heavier loads, to trust Him, to let go of what I think must be done and instead do His will most cheerfully, to remember that I'm not in control, to not envy the smoother days of others, to remember that what He has called us to do doesn't change with our circumstances, teaching me that my time is not my own, to let go of my understanding and embrace His sovereignty.  You know...I have to put feet to what I say I believe.  It's not easy, and I stumble and fail miserably, but how faithful He is lift me up while reminding me of His goodness and faithfulness!

And giving thanks is one of the best ways to stay focused on His goodness instead of on my disappointments.

There was great news at a couple of my own appointments this week......no places of concern when I saw the dermatologist, and of course, the scars from the skin cancer removal in Dec. are looking good.  I'm so thankful that I didn't hear...."Mmmm, let me take a biopsy of that...."  Yippee!

Precious Boy-On-the-Way is growing and everything looks great with the pregnancy! 

How thankful I am, too, for dependable and responsible children who bless me daily as well as a reliable van to get us to all these appointments.

***

The Poff Men are having a great time today at the State Knife and Hawk Championship.  Scribe took the "real" camera (ha, ha), so I know I should have some great pictures to post later.  It's such a blessing to think of Reaches Up (Luke) out there throwing when he was so sick just a couple weeks ago.

***

Luke finished one of his antibiotics, and he's so happy about it.  It was the worst tasting one, so to be finished gives him even greater relief.  He has tolerated the antibiotics well, too, which is such a praise!  His eye is still looking puffy, though, and he doesn't return for a check-up for another week and a half.  So, please continue to pray for complete healing.

***

Mountain Man has had the roughest week at work with more tough and long days ahead, and we covet your prayers for endurance. 

***

Claire and Elisabeth haven't been feeling well this week as they battle a yucky cold.  We appreciate your prayers for them.  Praise---my sinus infection has cleared up, and I'm done with antibiotics, too. :)

***

On a much lighter side, I found much joy in several little things God provided this week....totally fun finds. :)

Aren't these "Queen Mom" bowls?  Costco has this set for just 8.99, and they have lovely green and blue, too.

I don't typically indulge in individual soaps...we just buy in bulk. :), but Bed, Bath, and Beyond had these great smelling and lathering soaps for just $1.00 each.  Perfect for adding something lovely to the bathrooms.

Scribe and I found these great CD holders at Wal-Mart for just 6.00.  They're a perfect fit for small spaces, including the shelves on one of my bookshelves.  Scribe was able to get one in brown.

Aren't these pretty centerpieces?  Just  $6.50 at Target with their Easter clearance stuff.  These fit perfectly on our table.....not too big that we can't see each other, and the colors..well, need I say more?

***

And, Claire, ah, Claire.  She's takes the most ordinary food and makes it an extraordinary, laughable experience.  While my Mom and Aunt were here, they introduced us to these crackerful crackers.  I'm just hoping they don't eat them like Claire. Or perhaps they should give her method a try. :)

***

We had such an awesome Birthday Scavenger Hunt last Saturday for Scribe.  I'll post about that with pictures, too, early next week.

Right now, I'm off to enjoy tea with my lovely daughters and start reading Elsie Dinsmore all over again to them since it's been so long since our last reading time.  I'm so thankful for very forgiving daughters. :)

Love,