Nesting in Alabama

I've stayed busy the past several weeks doing projects around the house and in the yard. I'm in the process of building 3 new "square foot gardens" for my side yard, and hopefully will have a bumper crop of tomatoes this summer to put up. We have several berry farms around us, so I'm looking forward to putting up some blueberries and blackberries, and getting some cobblers in the freezer for summer guests. Terry finished painting my stairs and railings in the cabin, and I love how fresh it all looks. The color "Summer Cottage" just makes me smile. So much that I have now painted an old table and a small wicker rocker the same color:) I found the rocker in a trashpile at Gulf Shores, and my adult children groaned as I put it in the back of my car. I sewed a new cushion for it, painted it, and...voila- an adorable rocker for the cabin! We have a new screen door which I still need to stain before we hang it ,and the garden beds to build, the compost area to set up...the list never seems to get any shorter. I finished four dresses last night for little Avery Kate and Allie Grace, and have new summer outfits (tops with bloomers) cut out to sew for my grandaughters. I enjoy being creative and am so grateful for a husband that has blessed me with a home that I can care for, and for his encouragement as we make it into a home that reflects the Lord. One of my favorite books is "What is a Family? by Edith Schaefer. I've read it at least 10 times since I first read it in 1975. There is a chapter titled "The Birthplace of Creativity". I quote, "Beauty should be important as an inspiration to doing the best with what is at hand for the Christian homemaker. God put the first family in inspiring surroundings. As much as possible, each new family-which has become a family of two children of the Living God- should prepare a home with as much to inspire as possible." May your week be filled with inspiring moments.

The Julia Child of Ireland

"600 glossy pages for those who yearn to gather sorrel, cure ham, grow radishes, clot cream, smoke mussels, or just make a really good sponge cake." The New York Times

A couple of years ago a friend shared with me about a wonderful cooking school in Ireland that we should go to. Since further information gathering found that it cost $13,000 for a 10 week course, that plan was quickly put aside. But recently while looking through the latest Victoria magazine, I found an article about the school and the latest book, "Forgotten Skills of Cooking: The Time Honored Ways Are the Best" by Darina Allen. To quote from her, "In the past 20-30 years, many people have concentrated on careers and a certain set of academic skills. The subliminal message coming through our educational system, and in many cases from parents as well, was that cooking and gardening were skills that one shouldn't be bothered with and would never need to know. But the path of life doesn't always run smoothly and so many confident young people who were riding the crest of a wave are suddenly forced to face the reality that they are virtually helpless in a changed situation. So part of the mission of this book is to urge parents and grandparents not to allow any more of our young people to leave home without the life skills they need, not only to survive, but also to enhance the quality of their lives. With oil supplies diminishing and energy prices rising, we are likely to need these skills even more in the future." I found the book on Amazon and it arrived earlier this week. I don't know which was more exciting, the trip to Gulf Shores or finding this package waiting for me when we drove up our drive! The pictures of Ireland scattered throughout makes it especially enjoyable to browse through on St. Patrick's Day. And any book that has a satin ribbon marker is a keeper!

2011 Spring Showcase

This past Monday night was our Spring Showcase at the Wetumpka Church of Christ. There was a wonderful turn out of friends and grandparents to celebrate the hard work of the local homeschool group. The younger children put on a great program of songs and costumes from around the world. This group has a large number of children with other heritages and several children who were blessings of adoption. I teach a group of 15-17 every other Friday morning. These are all ages 5th grade and up. They were just a bit too old to dress up in costumes so they instead sang a song in Italian and said the Great Commission in Italian. They did an excellent job! Terry worked with them and directed the chorus, which made it all the more special to me. After the performance we all shared an international meal together. Wow! What an abundance of food!! Homeschooling mothers definitely know how how to prepare a meal for a large group. I have been so blessed by this group of mothers and their dedication to teach their children His ways.

Gulf Shores

We took off Sunday after church for a few days in Gulf Shores. We stayed at a place right on the beach.I enjoyed sitting for hours in my beach chair (thank you, Katie), with my glass of iced tea, my straw hat, and my newest download of the Pioneer Woman's book on meeting Marlboro Man. It was so relaxing now that the boys are large enough to have some freedom. They had a blast boogie boarding with Justin. We all enjoyed eating out in the evenings at seafood "shacks" and catching up with each others lives. I especially enjoyed my times holding Jonah walking along the shoreline gathering shells. A few weeks ago we realized that Jordan and Christian had NEVER been to the beach in America. I'm not sure how we let that happen:( Greek beaches are rocky and immodesty is a real problem, though I will say the Aegean Sea is beautiful. In comparison, our days at Gulf Shores were filled with a lot of beautiful white sand. Now that we are only three hours away, we are planning for many more rendezvous down to the gulf to enjoy God's amazing creations. Chelsea, Jonah, Justin, Jon, Kristin, Jeremy and Sarah--thank you. You were all great to spend time with. (I'll see you on Thursday.)

Spring has sprung!

I'm loving the beautiful spring-like weather. I've planted new climbing roses and two trellises, have a new windowbox on the playhouse-and pots of rosemary, sage,and basil in pots by the back door. Lots of company in and out...good days.

Luke Edward

It seems like being the youngest of four at one time that I would be a bit more sensitive of little Luke. Having siblings that are 5,4 and 2, kind of makes you the underdog from the very beginning. But not Luke. He is so adorable. He holds his own, just fine, thank you:) These are just a few pics we got of him during a recent afternoon visit. I LOVE having them one hour and two minutes away!

Bicycle riding in the Spring

Joy of joys! A shiny new bicycle, all my own. I haven't ridden a bicycle in years. But now that I live at the end of a dirt road, with beautiful fields all along the side of the road, I decided that I would really enjoy taking rides with my boys on sunny days. Reality check! I made it to the end of the road and back and was totally out of breath:) I did enjoy every minute of it though. Now I am motivated to keep moving and work up to going longer distances. In the meantime, I do believe it's the cutest bike I've seen in a very long time. And best of all, it cost $89 at Walmart.