Gotta Love Home Education

Sunday Scripture

 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,

 from whence cometh my help.

 My help cometh from the Lord,

 which made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1,2

Sunday Sweetness

We met our baby girl in January

 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 She was always smiley and cheerful

 from the first time we met,

 but we didn't realize she was

 saving her very best smile. 

On our third day there

 we were allowed to take

Sweet Baby back to our hotel. 

Her big sister leaned over Sweet Baby

 and sang Jesus Loves Me to her.

 At 8 months old, it was her first time

 to hear that precious song.

Sweet Baby listened intently.

 Then she smiled.

 She smiled her biggest,

 sweetest, most joyful smile.

 We all watched with tears in our eyes,

 because her little body was filled with joy

 at the sound of His name. 

Jesus. 

Jesus Loves Me

is still my Sweet Baby's very favorite song.

 Whenever we sing it she stops playing,

 looks at us, and smiles.

 And we sing it often,

 because we love to see 

the Joy of the Lord. 

Library Elf

My friend Michele told me about Library Elf a couple of years ago. For some reason, I didn't check into it until last week.  This free service could be a huge help to a very busy mom.

I signed up to receive notices 3 days before items are due. Today I got a notice by email that we have 1 item due and the 4 items I reserved online are ready to be picked up. Awesome.

Library books are wonderful and an integral part of my children's education. They are also the very bane of my existence. But I can already tell that Library Elf is going to help me stay on track. And I can always use a little help in that area.

Happy Mother's Day

I am blessed to have my sweet Mother so nearby, and I'm fortunate her life is such a wonderful example for me. When I was a child I just  thought everyone had a mother like mine~ now I appreciate her so much because I know that  not everyone enjoys a childhood full of laughter and learning and love. I did. And for that I am very grateful. I love you, Mother.

What a great Mother's Day at Pecan Bluff. I am one blessed Mama, and I enjoyed every minute with my crew today. Eldest made awesome special sandwich cookies for the family. She is becoming quite the accomplished cook and baker, and I'm so proud. Dear husband presented me with Wiseman House Chocolates! Now I know why they are world famous. We all enjoyed cutting the rich pieces into slivers so we could share them all around. My boys were the chief taste testers.

All three older kids made me pretty Mother's Day cards, which I cherish. I enjoyed a rare nap snuggled up with my guy this afternoon, and then he grilled hamburgers for our supper tonight. We enjoyed the burgers with fresh garden veggies. 

Top all that off with extra sweet hugs from my two big boys, Family Time devotions on Proverbs 31, and the joy of rocking my precious Sweet Baby to sleep tonight~ it just doesn't get any better than this day. 

I love you all, my dears.  I am so thankful you are mine.

Family Photo

Eldest and her Gram made the girls these sweet matching dresses for Easter. We took this picture after worship that morning. The more kids we get, the harder it is to get everyone looking the same direction for a photo. We had one good one out of about 10, and we are thankful for it.

Good News and Bad News

The Good News:

It's a new week, and things are going well!

The Bad News:

Last week was one for the record books. We were all sick. Beyond sick. Wretched. Pathetic. Pitiful. 

The Good News:

I slept all night last night!

The Bad News:

It's the first night in seven, yes seven, nights that no children had tummy troubles during the wee hours of the morning. And "tummy troubles" is putting it nicely. It was ugly, people.

The Good News:

I married a wonderful man. When I was so sick I couldn't raise my head off the bathroom floor on Thursday afternoon, I called my dear husband at work and asked him to come home to care for our children. He rushed right home.

The Bad News:

He barely made it in the door, and ran to the bathroom before the bug took him out. He spent the next 3 days and nights laid out on the couch, moaning. 

The Good News:

We have 4 loving grandparents who are always willing to help out in our times of need.

The Bad News:

We wouldn't dare have them in the house during this event, because this mutant germ was too awful.

The Good News:

Elbow grease, carpet cleaner, and a steam vac can remove strawberries from beige carpet. 

The Bad News:

This experiment was conducted at 1 am in the middle of our bedroom floor, moments after eldest son came stumbling in and told me, "My tummy hurts..."

The Good News:

It's funny now to remember eldest son lying lethargically on the couch next to me, commenting on the sounds coming from the bathroom. "Poor Dad. He sounds like a dragon."

The Bad News:

It really wasn't funny at the time. Not in the least.