In Christ Alone our Hope is Found

So winter is here. Today Ken and Micah are home for their first snow day. It's nice to have a relaxed day here. Everyone needs it. The kids and I worked ahead last night on our school work so we could have some time off too if we got some snow. We actually don't have a home computer anymore. It's tougher than I thought to go without. We just have Ken's school computer. So it's always in use in the evening by someone, who is doing school work. So my blogging has kind of fallen by the wayside. It's one thing that I can't do on my phone. I just spotted the computer sitting on the table unused, so I grabbed it. The big kids are outside and Tessa is in bed, so I have a little time to myself with the computer. Nice. Last time I was here, we were just getting ready to go out east for 2 weeks. It was the best time ever. We had an accident on the way home in Massachusetts, but all was well. The Lord was very gracious. I long to go back out east. The smell of the ...

We just got home from the first leg of our holidays late Friday night. After spending a week in a trailer, my house looks huge. I wish I could wake up every morning so thankful for my house. (:   We were at Muskoka Bible Centre, which is near Huntsville. Half the week was cold and rainy, but the speakers were fabulous. We had Matthew Spandler-Davison (Executive director of 20schemes) every morning and Tim Challies every evening. Including Sunday I went to 11 chapels and it was such a treat. Normally, I am not one who would make it to every single one, but I couldn't stay away. I listened to truths that weren't new to me, but was so blessed and encouraged each time. I think in pictures and what comes to mind is that these guys picked up my sword, my breast plate, my feet protectors, my shield and my helmet and gave them back. They helped me secure them and then pushed me back out the door and as I left they yelled out and told me to stay on my knees. It was a time of spiritual ...

Grace turned 7 on June 15. My yummy baby is not so little anymore. She will always be my baby. I know she is not the youngest, but in my heart I put her with Tessa. Two babies is ok. (: I took this while Ken and I were going for a walk on our anniversary night. It's so pretty.  I like this one too. (:  School is done. The kids and I have been slow for a few weeks already. But Ken and Micah are finally home. The year went quickly, but was still long, if that makes sense. I got my first shipment of school books and I am so excited to start again. We need this time of rest, but my new history curriculum looks amazing. It's not just history. I can use it for bible, geography and even do novel studies with it. We did our history backwards. We did Canadian history last year and are doing world this year. It still works. (:  We are planning to do a little school with kids this summer. We do half a lesson of math a day. I am also doing grammar with Grace. She...

Walking back from the mailbox, the wind was whistling and the trees were swaying and I felt like I was at the ocean. Since I am a water girl, it was dreamy. I just closed my eyes and breathed deeply. It was like medicine. I felt completely content in the moment. But I did more than enjoy the beauty. It made me look up and I saw this. But I didn't just see the trees or squint my eyes against the sun or feel the cool breeze on my face, I saw who God is. His kindness. His grace. His beauty. His power. His love for me. His sovereignty and His faithfulness. In the busy, I tend to put my head down literally and figuratively and just do it. I don't have the brain space or the physical energy to pour into other people or things like my heart longs to do and I get bogged down and forget to really look up and see. Do you ever wish things were different? Sometimes it's easy to get caught in a pattern of waiting for our next stage of life or for our circumstances to change.... ...

I have been trying to write a blog post for a while now about today and the words aren't coming. But I need to write something  so this day is here in writing. (: Ken and I have been married for 20 years today (yesterday). It feels like a life time ago that we said I do. We have experienced unspeakable joy and have had so much fun together with lots of laughing. (: The Lord has also taken us through twists and turns that have stretched us, matured us, broken us, built us up and sanctified us. We have experienced His grace, mercy, love and faithfulness in very real ways.  I thank the Lord for my best friend. He has made me giddy and given me butterflies since I was 14 1/2 years old. I can't imagine walking through this life with anyone else. I would say I do all over again today. I thought I would try to find some pictures of us. They are almost non-existent. The ones below are pretty much the only ones I could find in the last 7 years. We were going to take one last ...

A memory from facebook popped into my feed the other day and it was a post from 6 years ago of just random life and it made me smile and teary at seeing all the kids so little. It rekindled my resolve to post here more often. Looking back is fun. (: It's so exciting to me to feel the warm breeze. It's exhilarating. It feels like we are enjoying the outside here for the first time. Last year we weren't really settled in body or mind. The month of July and August just seem to have passed me by.  The kids are spending hours on the trampoline. It's good for them and me. (: If anyone is selling a second-hand tramp, we are looking. Ours is getting rather sad. Seriously. Let me know.  The next nice day, the kids and I are going to have a 'core school day' and tackle tidying up. It's more fun to be outside when things are clean. It's a mess out there. Our barn/garage is horrifical. I cringe when someone drives up and that door is open. It's been a lesson i...

This is a lot of words and a lot of pictures for one little lady  Since I can't bottle her, I have to write it down so I don't forget! (: Our littlest girl Tessa, who is also known around here as TT, Bee-bee, Tessie, Tess, Te-ssaaaa Pig (Instead of Peppa pig haha) and Molly. Ken calls Tessa Molly at least once a day. She has longish hair that is in her eyes often and she looks like a Molly especially when she just wakes up. According to my middle boy, she is the cutest and sweetest baby he has ever seen or loved. I think he is right. We all love her so much and she has added much joy to our family. If you ran a video camera in our house, I am positive that at least once a day you would see and hear us all gushing  taking delight in her as a family. There are lots of laughs, smiles and awwwwwww's. We thank the Lord for her. She has a big personality and is spunky and fun. I adore her shiny eyes.  If I stand still for a second too long, she will be holding onto ...