Month of May...

... is nearly over. I can hardly believe it! May is one of my favorite months, as flowers and trees fully bloom into summer, the end of the school year approaches and the anticipation of a new season keeps me motivated to get things done. I am happy to say that there is only 2 weeks left of school before the kids are done! Then they will be home with me. I am excited!

I will start putting together my project ideas for summer activites this week. We're gonna learn about the ten commandments, Albania, work on handwriting, math facts, telling time, learn to ride bikes (yeah, they're behind), and Nathaniel has to learn phone numbers and address, 911, fire drills, and of course all the fun stuff like gathering friends numbers for playdates and planning Ariel's birthday party. She's gonna be 8 in less than 3 weeks! It'll be her first sleepover and she is so excited! I'm limiting it to 3 guests and I think that'll be enough excitement for her. Playing hostess can be a hard thing to do, and I don't want to overwhelm her. I just got her list together for that and we have to make up invitations and party favors, activities, dinner, breakfast, etc. Fun stuff!

Let's see what I've missed blogging about this past month. Well, most notably, Silas ran away. It was a couple weeks ago- Dustan and I were staying up late, fiddling around on our computers. I was sitting here on the couch, and he in his big chair. The cats were playing chase with the moths that had gotten in the house. I was musing that "we never stay up this late, we should go to bed", and then all of a sudden Dustan turns around and exclaims, "Floyd is outside!" "WHAT?" How could that happen? Well, the sliding door had been open as it was a great night out, but the screen WAS closed-- aparently not well enough.

By the time I got outside, Floyd was at the corner of the house with Silas underneath of him. He had that happy, playful look on his face. In my stern voice I said, "floyd, COME HERE!" At which point he pounced the cat instead. I caught him at the front of the house, Dustan came out with the leash and I took him back inside... however Silas ran off and would not come. This behavior is actually quite normal for him- he does NOT like to be approached at all, but I thought that maybe with flashlights we could catch his eyes gleaming in the light and find him. Nope. The only thing we accomplished was scaring the neighbor lady and losing our kitty.

The kids are saddened, though not as bad as they could have been. Chester seems to be a little lost, but now that it's 3 weeks today since Silas left, Chester has gotten into a new swing of things and is settling down little. He's definately more friendly and even picks fights with the dog again for some entertainment.

Other things I have worked on throughout the month... planning Ariel's room project and my landscaping project (well, that technically will never be done- as a true gardener, I can't commit to anything and love just about everything! lol). I just can't decide what to put out front under the windows, and so I had to plan out the whole yard to determine what would go with the tress I want, etc, and now I have to go price everything to see what I will actually get, even though I'm not getting it til next spring. The thing is my birthday present 2 yrs ago was that my in-laws were going to buy whatever I wanted to put under the windows, and my mother-in-law has been on me to choose. :P So, I thought I'd get my list together, and I like whats on my list, but I have to see it in person before I commit to what I want to place where and if I can afford my selections or not-- some of them are more rare (which is half the draw), and therefore more expensive.

I have put homeschool research on hold for the past couple of weeks, excepting to say that we ARE homeschooling next year! And we decided that we need to do it as free as possible-- it's just too late in the year to adjust the budget. However, many people do it free, and with all the homeschoolers at our church and several teachers with lots of resources, and the library, we should be good! I will be picking up my homeschool research next week as we have a couple of meetings with friends that are helping us, so all is rolling along nicely.

I think that sums up the month of May for this year... we are looking forward to this Memorial Day weekend; we shall see what it brings! And oh yeah, here's the kids new haircuts!

Who needs sleep?

It smells like Grandma's house. Every morning this spring I have walked out of my bedroom and into the hall, and that is the frst thought that flashes thru my mind. I don't know why it reminds me of Grandma-- it's not like we have the smells of coffee, hairspray and cremes floating through very often. Maybe it's because we sleep with the windows open at night, and that somehow coming out from the fresh air into the enclosed air somehow traps a timeless, comforting smell of home. Who knows?

But, this being Saturday and I have a busy day ahead of me, I cannot sleep any longer. I woke up about an hour ago, and finally gave it up to sleep anymore. So, I left the room so as to let Dustan sleep in. He deserves it. He's a hard worker and doesn't rest enough.

I have had Ariel's room on my brain for a few days now, working on putting ideas together for decorating it, as I had promised to do so for her 8th birthday that is coming up. We wanted a story book atmosphere, conducive for play-acting, writing and reading books-- an all around fun room. That meant I wanted vintage classic, and she wanted bright, fun patterns and colors. So we are blending the two together. I found this pattern online, which she really likes. I am trying to incorporate other fabrics, something similar to these. I just have to find something local, as the prices are better- so far anyway. Looking at all these patterns makes me wish I was savvy on the sewing machine. Ariel is adorable in about everything she wears, it's just now coming up with appropriate clothing for her age. It can be a hard thing to come by. Maybe I'll just get Aunty Monica to do it for me. Yeah, that's a good plan!

Be Thou My Vision

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright sun,
O grant me its joys after victory is won;
great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.

To hear the hymn sung by Fernando Ortega, click here.

Important Ramblings

So, I was just sitting here thinking that maybe I should ramble. I mean, I do it often enough to my mom and certain friends; so why not do it here too? I was just eating my lunch of bratwurst, mac-n-cheese and cheetos, thinking of all things that I COULD be doing, or SHOULD be doing, or HAVE to do in the upcoming month (yeah, nothing beats not having a deadline, so I've got to make ones up for myself). As a healthy distraction, I facebooked my lunchtime away, while my dog begged for my lunch and the cat jumped off the stairs, throwing up promptly on the floor in the hallway, and in one swift movement had jumped into the next room, where who knows what he continued to do. That was 20 minutes ago. I have yet to get up and take care of it, and the dog is waiting patiently for me to do so, as I've already warned him to leave it alone! These are the things that take up my time in a normal day... the things I don't really recount when asked what I've done today, but somehow are the very same unimportant things that really is the bulk of my time spent.

Then there are times (such as Lent we've just completed), that I analyze my life and wonder how I'm going to get to the next stage; how all the things I've wanted to do with my life in some ways have been fulfilled and in other ways are steadily elusive, and the path is confusing to try to mentally configure the future. I suppose that is why we are told to trust in the Lord in Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. " Ps. 37:23-24

So, I suppose the goal here is to be found the good man in His sight. What constitutes a good or righteous man? Well, a lover of good, a person after God's own heart; someone who embodies the beatitudes, who obeys Christ's commandment to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. There are some who have spent a lifetime accomplishing this, and all I can tell is that I am sure that they struggled, as I, to become truly as Christ is. But their success was acheived only a day at a time; no, more like a moment at a time, a decision at a time. I am finding that I am more painfully aware of every word that proceeds from my mouth.

For those of you who know me well, you are aware of what a biting tongue I truly posses. But that is the key -- it is mine to control, mine to be responsible for, and mine to be accountable to Christ on that dreadfully anticipated last day, as well as the condition of my heart, wherefrom my tongue speaks its evil. The day that we face Christ and He asks, "Why was it more important for you to facebook than to be reading the Scriptures, or better yet, helping someone in need?" That will be the terrible day indeed, when I am shown for what I really am. These types of questions have been haunting me daily, and I have grown quite restless this past year. I have been lonely for the lack of children running under my feet. I have been disorganized, and indecisive. I have become more honest with myself, and therefore more honest in my presentation of myself to Christ, and each day more aware of how much I truly do need Him. I must continually come humbly before to ask for forgiveness, and Lord, PLEASE help me actually DO what is right in your sight!

Then there is another biggie- how I've used the blessings He's given to me and let them become more important than Himself. I cannot allow things or even people to take the place of Christ. Finding the balance between God, the all-consuming fire, and my everyday life is found in this; Let God be Who He Is-- He is the all-consuming fire. And He in me will reach out His love, using my hands to reach those who have no other hand to help them along life's journey. That is the purpose of this life-- to find Christ, to become part of the body of Christ, and to function as the body of Christ- as Saint Patrick so perfectly put in his Breastplate;

I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through the belief in the threeness, Through confession of the oneness Of the Creator of Creation. I arise today Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism, Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial, Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension, Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom. I arise today Through the strength of the love of Cherubim, In obedience of angels, In the service of archangels, In hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In prayers of patriarchs, In predictions of prophets, In preaching of apostles, In faith of confessors, In innocence of holy virgins, In deeds of righteous men. I arise today Through the strength of heaven: Light of sun, Radiance of moon, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea, Stability of earth, Firmness of rock. I arise today Through God's strength to pilot me: God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to save me From snares of devils, From temptations of vices, From everyone who shall wish me ill, Afar and anear, Alone and in multitude. I summon today all these powers between me and those evils, Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of pagandom Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul. Christ to shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the threeness, Through confession of the oneness, Of the Creator of Creation.

In essense, every breath that I take, be it as Christ breathes, every word I speak, may it only be what Christ would speak to another. Not laying up my treasures here on earth, but looking toward heaven, and working towards the goal of eternal life with my Savior. This is the prayer of my heart today, and I pray that it might be so everyday til my dying breath.

Christ's Tomb

I took the idea of making a scene of Christ's tomb from another blogger. It was a great idea. It gave the kids something fun to do, made them conscious of the story of Christ's burial, and will help give a concrete image to the story of Christ's resurrection. The evergreen heather and suculants remind us of everlasting love of God and the eternal life we will have with Him. We planted forget-me-not seeds in it too, to remind us of our beloved Savior, and of our new life in Him as a Christian.

Nathaniel made the guard for the tomb, and Ariel has made an angel, in preparation of Sunday's miracle. And I must say a thankyou to my mother-in-law for helping us put the project together. This has been a fun way to mark the days of Holy Week!