Sunday Luncheon With Friends

A couple of Sundays ago, we had some friends over from church for lunch. It was supposed to be the Middle School class and their families, but a lot of the kids were on vacation, so we only had 6 people plus our family. But we still had lots of fun fellowshipping together!

Some of our friends serving themselves the luncheon of nachos and toppings.

Mmm, it was delicious! We had tortilla chips with, beef, beans, tomatoes, salsa, hot sauce, cheddar cheese, cilantro, chives, sour cream, and chili powder.

Most of the girls (and ladies!) ate together in the kitchen. We had fun chatting together!

For dessert, we had ice cream with all the toppings, including, hardening Reeses and Heath chocolate sauce, caramel, sprinkles, and strawberry jam.

The younger girls went downstairs to play in the basement since there were too many bugs outside to play safely in the backyard.

The rest of us went outside to play volleyball in the front yard. We tried to move around enough that the mosquitoes didn’t have a chance to bite us.

And that was our afternoon in a nutshell! We really enjoyed our time with friends!

Yet Another Surprise Guest. . .

I believe if I see another unclaimed animal headed towards our door, I will close and lock all doors and windows and pretend that they are not there. I’m just kidding, but it seems like there is a new creature around here every week. But this little fellow wasn’t exactly the norm of stray cats and dogs. . .

. . .a beautiful painted turtle showed up on our street! Aren’t his colors striking?

I was at Driver’s Ed when Mr. Turtle showed up, but at least I was able to see the pictures. Look at those huge claws!

The kids tried making a habitat for the turtle, but he really didn’t like it. They eventually let him loose near our wetlands/creek area. It was a short-lived visit, but quite out of the ordinary!

Sunday Supper

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev. 3:20)

(posted by Betsy)

Happy Birthday Wishes!

Today is a very special birthday, for two dear people. First, my beloved friend Wendy is celebrating her birthday today. I can’t be with her, but I have very fond memories of a few years ago on this day, when we celebrated in our home…

Our two families had a wonderful visit for the day, and enjoyed a great meal and two birthday cakes!

Wendy is a precious friend…a dear mentor…a godly woman with whom I’ve shared many meaningful conversations. She challenges me, by her example, to seek God with all my heart; to love His Word; to pray for others; and to pursue excellence and eternal value in home educating our children. She has always been so kind to our family, and has truly shown God’s unconditional love in every way. I hope that your day is as special as you are, dear friend!

And further down in the southern states, a lovely young lady is also celebrating a special birthday today! A much-loved cousin to our children, young Miss Morgan has provided many happy memories when our families are able to be together. Morgan is a very sweet girl; artistically talented; very hardworking; sensitive to others; and very loving to all of her cousins here in Michigan. We miss her and her family a lot, and look forward to seeing them again soon!

Happy birthday, pretty lady!

(posted by Betsy)

Favorite Quotes

Mark—One of my favorite quotes is one that relates to missions by William Carey: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God."

Betsy—I have many favorite quotes I refer to from time to time. My grandmother was a wealth of wisdom, and her pearls (originally in Spanish) are often quoted around here. When children got a little too silly, we would say, “A little bit is funny, a lot is not!” When we were teaching our children to say “Yes, Ma’am” or “No, Sir” (rather than just “yes” and “no,”) we would say, “Put a dress on your ‘yes’ and clothes on your ‘no’s!” And a very valuable and favorite quote relates to watching what we say. It was written in the 1800’s by Caroline Ingalls. “If wisdom’s ways you wisely seek, five things observe with care; to whom you speak; of whom you speak; and how, and when, and where.”

Bianca—I actually have a typed document on the computer with 25 pages of quotes that I have read over the past few years! So I’m having a hard time picking just a few to share! One of my favorites that I read in the book “Do Hard Things” by Alex and Brett Harris is, “True courage is not the absence of fear. It is refusing to allow fear to control your actions.”~Gregg Harris (the twins’ father.) I also like the following quote from the book “Jesus Freaks—Revolutionaries” by dc Talk, ““If our Christianity has cost us nothing, then how much is it really worth?” This quote by Jim Elliot is another favorite, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Corrie Ten Boom shared much wisdom in this quote, ““Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Ben—“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy.

Rubia—I like the following quote by C.S. Lewis, ““A woman’s heart should be so close to God that a man should have to chase Him to find her.”~C.S. Lewis

Roma—I like the acronym “THINK.” Is what I am going to say “True, Helpful, Important, Necessary, and Kind?” I’m not sure who came up with it, but it is a helpful thing to remember!

Josiah—“Do to others what you would have them do to you.” (The Golden Rule, from Luke 6:31)

Mommy--Daughter Date

(Posted by Roma)

Me and my Mom. J

Earlier this month, my Mom and I enjoyed a fun date together. J I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go, but I finally decided. I went on a date with my Mom because I had memorized a number of Bible verses, and that was a reward for hiding God’s Word in my heart. J

I decided we could go to Bob Evans for breakfast, then go to an old fashioned living history village. (There was one that we had been to a number of times that we really enjoyed, but it had been awhile since we had been there.) So we decided to go back.

Me getting ready to enjoy breakfast with my Mother.

The historic village is a really neat place! There are many old fashioned stores that you can go to and buy things. And they have animals there too, such as: miniature horses, llamas, goats, and sheep. They have a train ride, and a boat ride. We decided to do the train ride. After it was over, we were getting hungry. J We had packed a picnic lunch, so we sat at a table to eat. Then afterwards we looked at more historical sites, then came back to some of the stores to buy souvenirs for everyone. We bought a candle that has an apple cinnamon smell that made me think of fall, and how much I’m looking forward to it!. J We also got smashed pennies from a penny machine. And we bought candy, and other gifts for everyone.

I’m ready for a train ride!

Do you recognize this wagon from a blogpost my sister Bianca did?

At the toy barn section, they had wooden stilts that I enjoyed using. J

Me with a miniature horse.

Part of the old fashioned village.

We had such a good time, and I always enjoy spending time with my mom. J

Trip to Birmingham

About once a year, we make a trek to Birmingham, Michigan to a specialty outfitters store called Moosejaw. We go to buy Ben special shoes because he has some foot problems and needs support shoes to wear around the house. Last week, we made our trek, and here are some pictures from our time there:

The entrance to the store.

Ben tried on several different styles. Unfortunately, they didn’t have his size at the store, but we were able to order a pair online. They arrived yesterday, and he is enjoying wearing them around the house.

The real reason all of us kids trekked to Birmingham with Mom and Ben, versus staying at home, was so that we could go to Papa Joe’s Market! Papa Joe’s is a unique, organic gourmet-type market that is in the same plaza as Moosejaw. We enjoyed a delicious gourmet lunch out on the patio.

I ate tomato basil soup and a Reuben sandwich. It was amazing!

Rubia enjoying her wild mushroom soup and Italian focaccia sandwich.

All of us girls sitting together.

Josiah tried a European style sandwich with peppers and mozzarella cheese.

Ben enjoyed shrimp chowder with a Reuben sandwich.

After finishing our lunch, we walked across the street to the Borders bookstore. They were having a sale since sadly, they are going out of business. L That’s a tragedy for our book-loving family!

We purchased a companion book to the Andy Griffith show, Ben purchased a book on Ronald Reagan, and Roma bought a book on knitting.

Before we headed home, we made one last stop at Papa Joe’s to pick up cookies for dessert. They were delicious! I hope Ben outgrows his shoes again, so we can come back again next year! J

Passed

As most of you knew, I took Driver’s Ed this summer. I am happy to share with you all that I passed my written exam last week!

Me, holding the slip of paper signifying that I have completed Driver’s Ed Segment 1, after my last day of class.

Filling out all of the paperwork at the Secretary of State office. And no, I’m not breaking out in hives, those are mosquito bites. At last count, I had 40 bites just from the mosquitoes in our yard.

Behind the wheel of Mom’s car for the first time! She got to be my very first passenger!

In celebration of earning my level 1 license, we all went out for dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Don’t worry, I shared those fried onions with everyone! J

I enjoyed a delicious cup of broccoli soup as well as pumpernickel bread with whipped butter.

I also had a wild berry lemonade. I couldn’t finish it because it was so sweet, it was like drinking syrup. I had several willing siblings who finished it for me. J

By the time my entrée of tilapia with crab meat came out, I was full! It made a very good lunch later on in the week.

Though it wasn’t my birthday, when we told the waiter that we were celebrating my earning my license, he brought out a free scoop of ice cream. I ate about 2 bites of it before giving it to Dad since I was already so full. But it’s the thought that counts!

When we got home, I took a spin in Dad’s Acadia with everyone except Mom. As you can see, one of my passengers was quite goofy. J

So now I have several months to accumulate hours and improve my driving skills before taking Segment 2 of Driver’s Training!