Kids Creating

Years ago we had a friend who "gauged" his TV, meaning, he filled it with shotgun shells.  Isn't that a grand idea?  I love it.  We have never had a television, but there are times when I would like to gauge the computer monitor. :)  Occasionally I find a girl or four with eyes glued to it for way too long, watching the early episodes of Little House on the Prairie, or some such thing, via DVD.  The less expensive and more reasonable alternative here would be to ban videos for a while. So I did it!  Mother No moved in!  And you know what immediately followed. TNDS, or, There's-Nothing-to-Do Syndrome, immediately hit the house. Some residents were hit harder than others, one in particular being the most despairing.

But look!  This is what happens when you turn the TV off: the girls' imaginations and their hands are now at work!  They are making things.  Betsy wanted to make a doll house out of popsicle sticks.  What started out as just a box with a peaked roof became a mansion!

Amy followed this tutorial to make an ear-bud case (or three) for herself, so that she would quit losing her ear-buds at the bottom of her travel bag, under the covers, or in the mess multitude of valuable things on her dresser. It slides easily on to the zipper of her jacket or bag, and she's set!  Is that cute or what?  You can make one yourself in about 20 minutes, or you can pay $12 for one on Etsy.  (I know what I would do!)

Alison has suddenly acquired a desire to learn how to draw, hence "Susie" here.  (This is a Hebrew play on words.  In Hebrew, a word approximately pronounced Susie (soosee) means "my horse".)

And when she couldn't get the music to an arrangement she liked, she decided to write it out from listening to a recording of it.  The left hand is missing because she doesn't need that part.  I love to listen to Amy and her play.  If I don't watch myself, I can already start tearing up at the thought of them leaving us in a few years for some unworthy young men.  :)

Emily is drawing, baking, and writing her own composition.

I have only heard one person mention LHOP lately, and it was the one hardest hit, the one who was convinced she would have NOTHING to do.  She is recovering, however slowly.  At the moment she is making grand plans for a tea party with some other little girls in the neighborhood.  Mother No Maybe is in charge right now, and she is making that particular child exercise some much-needed patience.  How about a few weeks after the holidays?  (Anyone have any ideas how we can give it a gospel theme?)

I am enjoying these good after-effects of the video ban.  Hmm.  Might have to extend that ban indefinitely!

Emily's Gregorian Science Fun

Today's science-without-school project:

When I survey the wondrous cross 
on which the Prince of Glory died; 
my richest gain I count but loss, 
and pour contempt on all my pride. 

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, 
save in the death of Christ, my God; 
all the vain things that charm me most, 
I sacrifice them to his blood. 

See, from his head, his hands, his feet, 
sorrow and love flow mingled down. 
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, 
or thorns compose so rich a crown. 

Were the whole realm of nature mine, 
that were an offering far too small; 
love so amazing, so divine, 
demands my soul, my life, my all. 

My Very Own Personal Chamber Orchestra :)

Updated:  Handel Aria, now in four parts:

1st Day of School

Today we start school.  Already we are behind, because, well, it's amazing what we all can find to do when it's school time.  :D

Sing the Wondrous Love of Jesus

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace.
In the mansions bright and blessèd
He’ll prepare for us a place.

Refrain

When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when traveling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.

Refrain

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

Refrain

Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold.

When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

Jesus Hold My Hand

JESUS, HOLD MY HAND

by Albert E. Brumley

As I travel through this pilgrim land there is a Friend who goes with me.
Leads me safely thro' the sinking sand, it is the Christ of Calvary.
This would be my pray'r, dear Lord, each day to help me do the best I can,
For I need Thy light to guide me day and night, Blessed Jesus, hold my hand.

CHORUS:

Jesus, hold my hand, I need Thee ev'ry hour,
(Blessed Jesus, hold my hand) (Yes, I need Thee ev'ry hour)
Thru this pilgrim land Protect me by Thy pow'r.
(Thru this land, this pilgrim land ----By Thy saving pow'r.)
Hear my feeble plea, O Lord, look down on me.
(Hear my plea, my feeble plea, Lord, dear Lord, Look down on me)
When I kneel in pray'r I hope to meet you there,
(When I kneel in prayer)
Blessed Jesus, hold my hand.

Let me travel in the light divine that I may see the blessed way;
Keep me that I may be wholly Thine and sing redemption's song some day.
I will be a soldier brave and true and ever firmly take a stand,
As I onward go and daily meet the foe, Blessed Jesus, hold my hand.

CHORUS

When I wander thru the valley dim toward the setting of the sun,
Lead me safely to a land of rest if I a crown of life have won;
I have put my faith in Thee, dear Lord, that I may reach the golden strand,
There's no other Friend on whom I can depend, Blessed Jesus, hold my hand.

CHORUS

The Month in Review -- June 2010

Bear with me here -- template under construction again!  If I finish it tonight we'll call it another accomplishment for the month of June.  This is more me.  More anonymity, less blue.  Not that like don't like blue at all, but I love red accents, and this blog just needs some red.  So wish me success. UPDATE: I have just discovered that my media library is full, and since I can't get anything to permanently delete, there will be no new, lovely-with-red-accents header photo.  For now.  I also found out that none of my widgets were saved.  So, back to the drawing board.  Ah, it's good for the soul, this exercise in longsuffering.

Well.  So much for my great plans to do Bedell Curriculum and math every day this summer!  I think when we finished school last month we also disconnected our brains.  Well, no matter.  Our hearts are still connected, and that is more important to me.  :D

Working backwards:

In June, Alison finished crocheting a table-topper for my mom.  My grandmother had several of these in different colors, and there is a lot of nostalgia in this for me.  It is double-crocheted in the round and the finished product is 60" in diameter.   Does this look like a product for Etsy?  I didn't see any round crocheted table-toppers there. Hmmm.  Mom rewarded Alie with a webcam, which has brought many hours of silly entertainment.

The girls played music for our local nursing home again last week. Do you see something different?

If you guessed it is Amy on the violin rather than the flute, you guessed correctly!  It thrills my ♥  to have four little strings players.  Later that week I saw a local ad for a German-made violin, two bows, and hard case.  The owner did not know what he had, and we snatched it up!  Amy has now graduated from a VSO to a real violin.  BONUS: One of the bows is actually a viola bow, and a very nice one!  That bow alone is worth way more than I paid for the whole outfit.  God is good.  Now we just need a viola. :D

This is Amy with the VSO, not the real violin.  The four girls are working on a Handel aria and it is just lovely. (Okay, I know I am biased, being their mother.  Any music they make together is beautiful to me!)

Alison is now giving lessons to three sisters and six other students.  Hopefully she will write a post soon about how teaching has helped her grow in many areas.  It has made a huge difference in her teen-hood!

Elisabeth and I turned this:

into this:

Elisabeth did quite a bit of the sewing.  Good for her!  I love JoAnn Fabrics's $1 pattern sales.  I wouldn't pay$15 for a pattern, especially not for something to play in!!  Many thanks to PlainJane, BookwormMN, and ALadyBug for the bonnet(s)!  Elisabeth, oh excuse me, Prudence here, and her brother, Andy the Cowboy, played covered wagons.  Below, Andy the Cowboy, eating his peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich.  Did they have PB&M in the old days?

A friend's yard sale produced a practically new Lands' End backpack for Alie.  (I ran over her new one with the vacuum cleaner and ripped the straps right off -- two years ago!)  Only one problem, it was monogrammed Andy.  She didn't want anyone to think she has a boyfriend named Andy.  So I fixed that:

A request from Emily for coloring pages resulted in these cowboy templates from MadeByJoel.

That guy has some neat creations! I love his light drawings.  Amy tried some, too.

Legos are still the world's best toy.  Something is usually in the creation process here.

Too much TV this month.

Even Dad got it on it. These girls sure do love their daddy! Here they are watching the Time Changer DVD. (Again.)

Last but not definitely not least, we headed up to our local mountains for a refreshing hike.  Ahem.  Some hiked.  I spent the entire afternoon alone,  reading and relaxing, watching the birds and squirrels, and experiencing the breeze and 70°!   Everyone have enough water?  Check.  Energy food?  Check.

After nearly five miles of hiking (someone didn't know that they were almost back where they started, and if only they had not turned around, but had just kept going...) this little person was whupped.

A wonderful way to end the day, and a good way to end the Month in Review.  July promises a big picnic and the start of a big family trip for these Diamonds in the Rough.

It's time to get supper!  We're hungry!This is where I normally insert a fitting Bible verse, but I'll have to do that later!

In the Sweet By and By

The girls did a little bit of special music for church tonight, at their dad's request.  Since it is Father's Day, they could hardly refuse. :)  Amy is just learning the violin now -- hooray, now we have a quartet!  But she would really rather play the viola.  Anyone want to give away a full sized viola? :D

[youtube]XhUZZEQOHLI[/youtube]

May 2010 in Review

Once again I have failed in the monthly photography department.  A random summary of May in Arizona would have to include praises to the Lord for such a beautiful spring this year.  I don't remember it being this cool in May since we moved here!  So refreshing.  It's payback time, but I will just remember to be thankful for the extended coolness. 8)

I started a SlimFast diet.  It's definitely not Fast.  But my weight is coming off, even if it is milligram by milligram.  This was my supper.  The meatball is not part of the SlimFast diet -- it was extra, and probably added 300 calories to my meal that night.  I only ate one.  I think.



Emily again got the insatiable desire to sew.  We printed out a pattern and I let her at it with my sewing scissors.  For a six year old, she did a surprisingly good job of cutting!  The result of this mess



is this little kitty:

and one very happy little girl.

Amy sewed, of course.  If she doesn't have a sewing project to do, she mopes around like a lost puppy.  Thank goodness for sites like DIY Dish, Sew Mama Sew, Ikat Bag, and others, where she gets a lot of her ideas.  As you can imagine, keeping her in this much fabric would break the bank.  Providentially, a generous woman  gave us her huge stash of quilting and craft fabrics, and that will keep Amy in business for a while.  A few weeks, anyway. ;)

Oh, I see a model sneaked into this photo of a toddler's soft fabric ball:

My own creating this month was limited to this little graphic for my husband's blog.  Not too bad for someone who only knows how to cut and paste!  The little preacher just needs a little bit of gray hair, a 5 o'clock shadow and a suitcoat.  My husband preaches with his coat on.  But wait, maybe this is a Sunday night after church, and he is getting ready to go on a late night ride.  Yes, that's it!

As you know, getting to the end of the school year in a diligent fashion requires discipline and hard work, characteristics that some of us are sorely lacking.  We are finished with the school year, whether we got through all the material or not. (Not.)  Mostly finished.  Alison is still winding up her Apologia physical science course.    Two of my other students discovered yet another diversion from their school work:



Each fifth Sunday of the month the children of our church take over the music and add to the preaching.  Last night Emily played "God Is So Good".  (She was going to play AND sing, but she forgot to sing.  She was very displeased with herself.) :(  However, I was very pleased with her willingness to serve the Lord in this way! :D



And, this was the first Sunday that Elisabeth took part in making the music!  It was such a blessing to see her little smile the entire time she bowed along!  She did so well.  I think she is finally at the point in her violining, at which playing becomes FUN.

And you  already know about this:

We are out one good radio and the thermostat in my oven.  Thanking God it wasn't the air conditioner. :D

We're looking forward to a fun summer and a big trip later on, days at the lake, more sewing, some new shoes, getting together with friends and making some new friends.  Remember this song? I think it's a round.  Make new friends, and keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold. Everyone have a great summer!

While the earth remaineth,
seedtime and harvest,
and cold and heat,
and summer and winter,
and day and night
shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22

Our Great Saviour

Our Great Saviour

Jesus! What a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Saviour, makes me whole.

Jesus! What a Strength in weakness!
Let me hid myself in Him;
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Jesus! What a Help in sorrow!
While the billows o'er me roll;
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Jesus! What a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high;
Storms about me, night o'er takes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Jesus! I do now receive Him!
More than all in Him I find,
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
Hallelujah! What a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Haven of Rest Duet

This is Jenifer Cook's beautiful piano accompaniment arrangement of Haven of Rest.  Amy is at the piano, and Alison on the violin.

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Special Music