Home School Play 4-18-2010

Here are some pictures from our home school play our students performed.

The Royal Entrance of King Xerxes and Queen Esther.

The cast singing. Paige is on the left side wearing the white striped tunic.

Emma is in the bottom row, second child from the left. Paige is to Emma's right with their friend Kyle between them.

King Xerxes (Ahasuerus), Haman, and the fictional scribe Xerox; about to cast the lot.

Xerox, citizens of Susa, and Queen Esther--it's Cloe, from Summer Hills blog!

My birthday 4-6-2010

I turned 29 on April 6. That night we had a small party at my in-laws' house. Dave had his mom pick up a cake, and we enjoyed that along with ice cream. Then we opened gifts.

Here is my delicious cake.

Myself, Emma, and my nephew Casey

Girlies and I. Good grief! This new blogger layout is really tricky to manage! I'm sure all these pictures and their headings will be all cattywompus.Cake cutting and distributing

Gift from my sister-in-law

...and it was the Nintendo DS game "Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box"! I had been wanting that game for awhile. The premise of the game is that you are solving a crime/mystery by completing puzzles. I started playing it the next day, and I have pretty much beaten the game now.

That last picture is out of order. Oh well. As you can see the girls and I were blowing out the candles.

My life in snippets

Yesterday while I was gathering ideas on what to post on I came up with this: why not check my facebook account and see what I've been writing about day-to-day. See, I always think that I can't write a post on my blog unless it's something lengthy and worthwhile. P-shaw! Of COURSE I can write just little posts about random topics. ☺

• The silverfish are breeding. Wait, do they breed? Maybe they're just multiplying... (April 16 at 8:54am) Ewww! I HATE silverfish! They are so gross and squishy, and they have those long antennae. *shaking body all over* The night before I wrote this post David killed a silverfish in the bathroom (which is where we always see them). The next morning I turned on the water in the bathtub for my shower, and when I stepped into the tub there was a shriveled up silverfish in the bottom of the tub. I was NOT pleased.
• Home school play today! I'm kinda nervous... (April 18 at 9:16am) and then at 8:48pm: The home school play went so well today! The children and young adults did a fabulous job! I'll be singing those songs though for weeks to come. Since January the New Ulm home school group that my girls and I belong to has been practicing a play titled "Esther-ordinary Faith". It is about Queen Esther and a fictional scribe to the King. The scribe learns through Esther's faith to put HIS faith in the Lord as well. It was such a great play! The songs were fantastic, and of course the message is tremendous. I was so nervous though about the play. I ALWAYS get nervous before events like that. So silly. But everything went to so well! I was in the back of the room just beaming at the students!
• ♪ I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever! ♫ What a B-E-A-U-tiful day! (April 19 at 9:37am) Last week was gorgeous here in southern Minnesota. The temperature was at least 70° every day, and the sun was shining. It has seemed like the end of May instead of April. Each night we've been able to enjoy the beautiful days by going on family bike rides and playing catch with the baseball. And the girls want to go outside right away in the morning, but I usually put the kibosh on that as we need to do school in the morning. Oh, and that hymn I quoted is just a great song all around. ☺
• I found Emma a lefty glove. Now the whole family can play catch. :) (April 19 at 4:53pm) Emma is the only left-handed person in our immediate family. A few Fridays ago David was playing catch with his brother and the girls. David and Daniel kept noticing that Emma was throwing spasmodically, and they just figured she wasn't very good yet. The next day when I played ball with David and the girls Paige was so irritated at Emma because Emma wasn't throwing well. That's when I noticed Emma was using a right-handed glove and throwing with her right hand. Ding Ding Ding! The search began that day for a child's lefty glove. Thankfully two stores in New Ulm sold them, and after we got her the correct glove we found out that she really excels at catching and throwing. Paige isn't as irritated at Emma now. Notice I said "AS irritated". ;-)
• Nicole Sowers has been replaced with a robot today. (April 20 at 9:56am) I have been so tired lately for several hours after waking up. That day I was particularly exhausted. I could have slept until 10.
• My arm hurts from playing catch. But as Hunter Hutchens would say: "Good pain!" (Wed at 8:22pm) This post needs a little explaining: my nephew Hunter was in gymnastics with my girls for one semester. On the last day of class the students take the parents around the gym and show the moms and dads what they have learned. Hunter was performing some kind of roll, and he hit his head I believe. But instead of crying or acting hurt he just smiled and said rather sheepishly, "Good pain!"
• My mom brought me a pan of rhubarb cake! Moms are the best! (Ooh, and I AM one!) (Yesterday at 9:09am) My mom surprised us with a visit Thursday afternoon. And she brought along a freshly baked, STILL WARM pan of rhubarb cake. Ooh was it delicious! We each had a piece right away.
• Nicole Sowers has to write on her blog for Stephanie Goblirsch (Yesterday at 3:38pm) I had to post on my blog for my friend Steph because she commented in my sister-in-law's facebook post, "Try getting her (Nikki) to write a blog, its like pulling teeth!"

So there you are, Steph! I hope I have written enough posts for you to read for at least two hours. ;-)

Biweekly poll

Thanks for voting on my last poll! I asked you if you leave the light on when you walk to your bedroom or if you turn it off. The results were tied; 4 votes each.

This poll idea came from my own life. Every night on the way to bed I turn on the kitchen light and then turn it off when I leave the room. Then I walk into the foyer, and I turn on both the foyer light and the light upstairs at the top of the steps. I have to turn the light off in the foyer before going upstairs, so I do that. I then start to walk up the stairs, all the while being completely frightened by what COULD be coming up the stairs behind me or what COULD be lurking in the now darkened rooms below me. When I'm finally upstairs I HAVE to leave the light on in the hallway while I'm getting ready in the bathroom. And that hallway light will stay on until the lamp by my bed is glowing. Then I walk back to the hallway light switch and turn it off, safely walking in the light from my lamp. ☺

David of course thinks this habit of mine is ridiculous and an utter waste of electricity, which it is. But my overactive imagination will not let me walk in the dark. We writers are so high maintenance! ☺

Emma's thought on prayer

Emma mused the other day that we ladies ought to say "A-women" after praying.

"Men are men so they say 'a-men', but we are girls so we say 'a-women'."

I then explained to her that "amen" means "so be it", and it's kind of like how an Adam's apple isn't named after each individual man. Whether we're male or female we say "amen". She still wanted to say "a-woman" of course. ☺

Epic Fail

Remember how I vowed that I would post something every week? You've probably noticed by now that I have not kept my promise. *sigh* Life passes us by so quickly, doesn't it?

I have been reminded often lately of the mortality of man. I've been reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, and even though it's not a sad or depressing book by any means, I can't help but think of the fact that Mrs. Gaskell is no longer alive to know that there are people out there that are still enjoying her writing, 150 years later. In fact most of the authors I read are long gone: Austen, Tolkien, Dickens, Alcott, Wilde. Everyone of them will never know what future generations think of their literature. Were their novels loved or reviled when their authors wrote them? Could they have ever imagined how famous they and their works would be, long after their deaths? I imagine if they had known they would have shrugged and said, "No, no. MY writings could not possibly endure THAT long." And then they would point to William Shakespeare or Homer and say, "Now THOSE were talented writers. Surely their stories will be read for centuries." And yet all of them have left pieces of themselves here on earth after their death. They left their imprint, and even though they aren't here to talk for themselves their writing speaks for them.

It makes me melancholy to think that we really are only here on earth for a short time. How will we spend it? Thirty years after I am dead will anyone come to visit my grave? Why would they? There won't be anyone left who cared about me enough to put flowers on my grave. And not that I want someone to do that; on the contrary. I am just saying that it makes me contemplate my mortality all the more. Since our lives here are very finite how much more should we live them for Christ? The purpose for our lives is to bring glory to the Father. And since we only have roughly 80 years here on earth, we ought to be devoting all those years to Him. Are we longing for Christ's return? When He comes back what will He find us doing? Living in willful sin or walking in obedience?

It is difficult to change our lives; nay, it's impossible. But WITH GOD'S GRACE it can be done. But only through Him and by Him can we live a life that brings honor and glory to His name. Long after I am dead people won't be talking about me. But they WILL be talking about our Father in heaven. And I am so privileged to count myself as one of His children. I may only have 80 years here, but I'll have eternity with Him. : )

Pictures from my mom's house

When we visited my mom last week she snapped a few pictures of the girls.

Paige is now at that age where she finds it funny to give people "bunny ears". ☺

Always posing.

Easter pictures (out of order)

My mom came over one night and dyed eggs with the girls. She does it every year with them. The next day Dave used those dyed eggs to make egg salad. His salad was blue. ☺

Here is Paige presenting her eggs.

Emma and her eggs.

...~~~```~~~...

Easter Sunday we went to my aunt's house for lunch. After the meal the kids had an egg hunt.

Abby found a pair of sunglasses in one of her cousin's bedroom.

My mom had special eggs for Abby to find. Abby really enjoyed putting them in her bag, but she wanted to put EVERY egg she found in the bag; even ones that weren't for her. ☺

Dave said that this is one of those pictures that you keep forever and show your children when they're older. Emma did NOT want to take this picture for my mom, but Mom told her just to do it. As you can see she reluctantly agreed. Next to Emma you have my cousins Krissy and Jenny, and they look really nice. Abby looks unsure. My nephew Nathan always smiles like that--with his eyes closed. And Paige was biting her lip. Just a funny picture all around!

Paige enjoys crafts. If there is a scissors around she'll find it.

Paige and Abby on the treadmill and exercise ball.

Mom and I and Abby.

"Just give me something to write with. Even a crayon will work."

Every once in awhile I'll get into a discussion with others on odd and yet divisive topics. You know those topics: where there isn't a clear winner; only people on both sides of the issue who feel very passionately about their opinion. One of those discussions happened a few weeks ago regarding pens. ☺

See, I am very particular about pens. I have to use a specific type of gel pen for writing checks and notes to myself. They are Pilot retractable gel pens in blue ink. I just don't like the way my check register looks when I use a different pen. I know, VERY kooky of me. Of course my friends argued that gel pens smear when used on a check. Ah, that is true sometimes, but not with those Pilot gel pens. They are top of the line!

Apparently others feel the same way as I do because gel pens were the favorite on my last poll. Let's see how things ended:

• 2 votes for those white Bic pens you see in stores being sold in mass quantities. They are probably sold in huge bunches like that because more often than not when you grab one to write with IT DOESN'T WORK! How many times have you picked up one of these pens, tried to write with it, and nothing happened except a scratch on your paper? You then proceeded to scribble with it back and forth on the paper to get the ink flowing. Yeah, if we all had a penny for how many times that has happened we could all retire early. :-P
• 3 votes for retractable pens. Thinking on this more I probably should have combined this option with gel because as I mentioned before: I like retractable gel pens.
• 7 votes for gel pens. EXCELLENT!
• No votes for Sharpie. Eh, they're more of a marker anyway.

Thanks for voting!

Girlies riding a horse 3-29-10

My mom took Paige and Emma and my nephew to her dad's farm a few Saturdays ago. My aunt Julie, who lives with my Grandpa, has a horse named Thunder, and the kids often get to ride her which they LOVE!

Emma and Auntie Julie

Paige and Auntie Julie

Flooded Waters

Our city has two rivers running through it, and every spring they flood. Well this past winter we received a LOT of snow, and after it all melted the water went right into the rivers. So the rivers flooded big time. We went as a family to check out the flooding right after the river crested.

Daddy and Abby. The tree line shows the normal banks of the river.

The bridge off in the distance shows how high the water got. In another area part of the river they closed a bridge.

This is a picture of the flooded boat landing.

Paige was collecting sticks, and she wanted me to take a picture.