Elizabeth is 16

Elizabeth turned sixteen at the beginning of January. She had a special outing to get a manicure from her sister at the cosmetology school.  Elizabeth got a little pampering and Grace got in another manicure, which is nice because Grace is behind on her manicure and pedicure hours.

Elizabeth is really coming into her own this year. Last year, she tried her hand at pottery and hoped to continue going to the pottery studio this year, but the potter closed up shop.  He was older and he retired.  Bummer.  So, on to plan b.

Liz has spent more time sewing this year.  She and her Grandma Dianne worked together to sew Liz a dress.  It is lovely.

She also sewed a canvas bag from scratch by making a pattern from my canvas Land's End bag.  She has sewn numerous zippered pouches as well.  Elizabeth is currently taking sewing lessons and hopes to become an even better seamstress. She has a real knack for sewing as she can see in her mind's eye what the final product will look like before she even cuts out the fabric.

Horses have always made Elizabeth happy.  She loves working with them.  Our neighbor had a horse that Liz used to help care for, but about six months ago the horse was moved to a horse boarding place in a different town.  A few weekends ago, Shawnee returned, along with a friendly little rescue  colt.  Anyway, Elizabeth is now in charge of feeding the horses every evening.  She is excited to have the opportunity to interact with horses again.

Liz is also becoming quite the competent sous chef.  She and I have dinner prep pretty much under control by the time Grace and Daddy get home each evening,  I'd say we're making some really good progress in the getting food to the masses in a timely manner department.

Elizabeth is incredibly patient with Joseph.  She thinks he's the "cutest baby ever"  and he is.  She's also great with our new puppy, Rachel. Liz seems to know how to calm both animals and small children down and get them redirected, which is a great quality to have.  Daddy and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for Elizabeth in the years to come.

Lent Begins

Today is Ash Wednesday.  I think I'm looking forward to the season of Lent this year more than I ever have.  With all the chaos that swirls around me, I need time.  Time to walk with Jesus to the cross.  Time to be quiet before my Lord.

I've been following the blog of a Missouri Synod Lutheran woman, Edie Wadsworth.  Her explanations of the church year have touched my heart. Here is a post she wrote about Lent a couple of years ago.

I visited a friend the other day who lost her husband very suddenly less than two weeks ago. She and I were talking through tears about how much we love Jesus, the hope we have in Him and about how we'd literally be lost without Him.  We both agreed that Heaven must be a glorious place this time of year, the time of year when Jesus won His victory over death and rose again.  This world is not my home.

 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Cor. 13:12

A New Addition

Her name is Rachel Raspberry and she's the sweetest little puppy ever.  She is well loved by all of the kids, although Joseph is a tad jealous. We are working on crate training and bell potty training her, both of which we've never tried with a puppy.  To say that our entire family is smitten is an understatement.  There are no lack of puppy holders.  In fact, a friend wondered if the pup would ever learn to walk.

Isaac is 4

Isaac turned four at the end of December.  We spent his birthday in the traditional way.  We celebrated with Isaac's great Uncle Keith whose birthday is the day before Isaac's.  Isaac requested Texas sheet cake for his birthday dessert.  Uncle Keith did not complain and neither did anyone else.

Grace bought a leather-type jacket at a thrift store and added a couple of patches to the sleeves to make a bomber jacket for her little brother.  Isaac loves his new coat.  He also loves the thrifted soldier uniform I got him and the garage sale cowboy hat.  He likes to pretend he's an officer in the cavalry.

 Isaac's Uncle Brian and Aunt Julie got him a folding chair which he adores.  This was him five minutes after receiving it.  I've never seen that kid so excited to eat lunch.

Life at the Speed of Jude

Jude did have a birthday back in August, I just failed to write about it here.  He turned six.  Jude is one crazy man.  He has a temper and he's loud (Grandpa Bob says that's his only volume).  He's sheer brute strength.  Matt and I think he must be related to Animal.  He sounds just like him, that's for sure.  Jude is also a true cuddle bear, albeit a bit of a rough one. He's a lover and a fighter.

Here is a picture of Jude from this past fall.  He got beaned one day playing baseball with his Dad and brothers.  This was his solution to prevent another injury:  goggles and a helmet.

Cosmetologist in the Family

Grace has continued to plug along with cosmetology school.  She'd like to add extra hours and finish sooner, but with the way the school is structured that isn't a possibility.  As it is, Grace is struggling to juggle the few non-school hours she has each week.  Church, photography, running, piano practice, sourdough and large family laundry folding all vie for her "free" time.  She has complained to me a few times about not having time to do all of the things she wants to do.  Welcome to adulthood, sweetie.

Grace often comes home from school with pictures on her phone showing her work for the day.  She is enjoying getting to meet all kinds of different people and all kinds of different hair :)

She cut her Daddy's hair last month for the first time.  Matt's hair is hard to cut, but Grace did an awesome job, says me, the Ultimate Judge of my Husband's Haircuts. Yes, I'm picky.

Grace talked me into a manicure right before Christmas.  It was really pretty, but unfortunately it was looking pretty shabby by Christmas Day.  Loads of Christmas dishes were the manicure's demise.

For anyone local, Grace would love to cut your hair ($6), give you a manicure or facial ($10), or a pedicure ($15).  She also does perms and colors.  Prices vary on those, but are super cheap as well.  Instructors guide and inspect students' work.  The money goes to the school, but Grace is allowed to accept tips :)  She recently cut the hair of the manager of a pizza restaurant.  He gave her a coupon for a free pizza.  Beauty school has its perks

Playing Catch Up

For the month of January, my plan is to try to catch up on the blog posts I failed to write in 2014.  That's my plan.  We all know about the best laid plans.

Here's number one:

This is the stack of books I had hoped to read this past summer.  I didn't do so well with that.

I did finally read the book my sister in law had gotten me for Christmas 2013 (per my request).  The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert was a pretty astounding book.  I'd say the woman who wrote this book would not disagree if I called her a a one-time enemy of Christ.  She actively pursued trying to disprove the Christian faith and the Bible.  Slowly, the Word changed her.  She could no longer deny its Truth.  This was a short read and though I don't agree with some of the author's finer theological points (no hymns--only psalms--sung in worship, for instance), I did very much appreciate her very well thought out doctrine.  She knows what she believes and why she believes it.  I also really appreciated her truthfulness in the telling of her conversion experience.  It wasn't all flowers and sunshine when she became a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.  In fact, it was just the opposite.  However, she held onto Jesus, or rather, He held onto her and brought her to a deeper understanding of Himself.

I read about half way through Salt, Sugar, Fat before my multiple library renewals were up.  That was enough reading to get the idea.  Sugar is in so, so many of the products the American food industry produces.  They've even got a name for the the reaction your brain has to sugar.  It's called the "bliss point."  That's the literal sweet spot (brain chemical reaction) manufacturers try to hit so that you'll desire more of that food.  Manufacturers even know how little sugar they can add to a product (thus reducing production costs) and still hit the "bliss point."

I read Si-Cology 1.  I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did.  Uncle Si is the real deal, a true man of God and he's not ashamed of it.

I started the John Adams book.  I watched the HBO series through Amazon Prime this past spring while walking on the treadmill.  I really wanted the kids to see it, but there were a few scenes of violence and marital relations that were just too much.  The portrayal of Abigail Adams was especially timely for me, as I was leading a woman's Bible study at the time.  Abigail embodied all  5 Aspects of Woman.  I used her as an example in class on several occasions.  I was so taken with the t.v. series, that I knew I had to read the book on which it was based.  On my insistence, Matt listened to the book on audio and finished it long before I even started reading it.  I need to get with it.    Let me just say that I haven't been so smitten with an author's writing since I read F. Scott Fitzgerald way back in high school.

I didn't get to the Gatto, Pollen or Le Billon books.  I'll try again another time.  I have started Bread and Wine,  Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen, and Teaching From Rest.  When I was a girl, it used to bug me so much when my mom would have several books going at once.  I'd ask, "Why don't you finish a book before you start another one?"  Now I do the same thing.  In fact, that's not the only way I'm like my mom.  I saw this sign in Hobby Lobby the other day and sent the picture to my sister--'cause sometimes she has the same problem.  I guess it's an unavoidable fact of life.  I'm sure my mother would agree.