The Winner!!

Well, I got so many good entries... some were funny and some sentimental. Some were better than others. Today I will announce the grand winner and tomorrow I will post the runners-up.

The Grand winner is OLIVIA!!!

Here is her entry...

Usually we go out for Mexican after church. Most years we do breakfast in bed for Mom...

Last year I wrote out 23 letters, one for each year she has been a Mom. Each one highlighting one of her godly character traits. I tied them together with a bright pink ribbon and left them under her pillow.

Despite what the over commercialized culture tells us, our Mom's greatest joy is not a box of chocolates and a dozen roses, (though, that doesn't hurt!) it is knowing that we walk with God and that her efforts have not been in vain.

Indeed, the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world.

Thanks Moms.

He Did It Again.

Ryan broke his arm Wednesday in a soccer game. Yes, one of his sisters did it. However, she is remaining anonymous. Pray for the little feller. He is in a whole lot of pain and his pretty depressed. It's hard to not do anything on a warm spring day when you are a 10 year old boy. Or a boy for that matter! :)

Too Funny...

No, I did not make him pose!! He was like this and so I grabbed the moment!!

Well, I am off to make 200 cookies and cinnamon rolls to sell tomorrow at the bluegrass festival.

Happy Mother's day to GG. By Rachel

O, GG you are great.
And I hope you don't faint
when you read this letter
hope this is the best poem ever.

I hope we see you soon
before the next full moon
I think of you a lot
even though it is really hot.

How has your life been going
I've been doing a lot of sewing
Maybe you should get a dog
but definitely not a hog.

Remember to always smile
while traveling to us all those miles
Happy Mother's Day to you,
I think I just heard a moo.


We celebrate Mother's day as grandmother's day to.

®achel

Wordless Wednesday (sort of)

I messed with the editing!!

Count Down...

Mother's Day is Sunday. So, here is a game. Leave a comment saying A)What you will do for your mom this year or B) What your favorite thing you have done for your mom in the past is.

On Sunday we will pick the grand winner and post their story on the blog. Everyone else will get their name up. (Maybe their story later)

Come on Strangs, Jonathan, and Bria. What do y'all do?

A Rainy Day and A Comb

This is what happens when your older sisters mess with you on a rainy day. Things like this happen and you can do nothing about it!! NOTHING!!!

The Table Blessing

Lord bless us and keep us all alive,
There's ten of us for dinner...
And not enough for five.

WOW!

Who took these photos?

This is Callie... she is ten years this May.
She is very sweet, but you have to be sweet to her! :)
She is officially my cat.
She is losing her hearing and her eyes are glazing over.
She has been my friend for these long years.
She is rheumatic and can't walk well.
I love her.
Jess

My Family's Table...

A place to gather and let go,
A place to remember all.

A place to feel loved and welcome,
A place to run to.

A place where the hungry are fed,
A place where the weak are nourished.

A place where friends gathers,
A place where a family loves.

Our Table.

Dance Lessons - part two

Well, here are the photos everyone wanted!! Enjoy.

One thing I love about these dances is small biys dance with the moms and the older boys dance with the tiny girls - special credit there to Ryan and Zach! Thanks guys for setting a great example

Wheat Kernals

This is a quick post because we are busy, but without wheat our family would be lost? How about y'all?

Wordless Wednesday (sort of)

I don't know what he is.

And Rachel is being Mrs. Vader.
Notice the hat is turned like a bonnet.

Only At Our House!!

Moonflowers

If you have never grown Moonflowers you should. They are the night time version of morning glories. Except different!!

They grow into a huge vine that grows these huge white sweet smelling flowers. They are such a favorite here at our house. We love them every year. We just planted our sprouts around the tower and the house.

What are you growing?

Jessica

Look At That Face!!

This face brought home the front end of a huge rabbit last week. JUST THE HEAD AND FRONT FEET!!!! Wow. She was so proud of it. She carried it around until Ryan buried it. Farm Life.


~J~E~S~S~I~C~A~

Playing Outside in the Sun and the Rain...

Well, today is kind of gloomy. But yesterday was beautiful. We played outside almost the whole day. It was so much fun.


The garden is coming in and everything is green and pretty. I love

~S~P~R~I~N~G~

God and Government - Family Government

• The first governing institution was the family. God emphasized it by putting them over all of creation.
• Self government is developed in the home by the father and mother (the family). Some influences that destroy this training ground of self government are divorce, etc.
  
• The result of poor family government is wicked sinful children: those who are shameful to their parents and an abomination to the Lord.
• If a person can govern himself well he can in turn govern his family well. If he can both himself AND his family well he may lead and govern in the church and civil institutions.
• Family government is where our Godly leaders are trained. If it functions well our Godly leaders are trained well.
• Through the family we learn of of authority and submission: Children to the parents, wife to the husband, husband to the Lord.

Jessica

God and Government - Self Government

• The first principle of a governmental system is self government. Self government relies on wisdom and the Fear of the Lord. For the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
• The motivation for self government begins in the knowledge that we are here to do the Lord's work. This in turn requires discipline.
• Our hearts are naturally wicked and all that proceeds from it id evil, but for the mercy of God.
• By being reborn and recreated by the One True God, only then are we able to self -govern ourselves.'
• We need less state government when everyone has self government.
• Self government leads to wisdom of speech. If you govern your mouth well you prove you have control of yourself.

Jessica

Sheer Beauty

My path is long and stony
the end is not in sight.

My steps falter, I grow weary,
and I must rest at night.

But always in the morning
I rise and journey on.

For though I weary and may fall
my path will lead me home.

April 18 1775

Hardly a man is now alive who remembers
that famous day and year…


Today is the day of Paul Revere’s ride and I love today.
I don’t really know why I like today so much, but I do! At the beginning of this month I was sitting in the school room doing math when it hit me, it was April!, and I said “hey y’all it’s April!”. Then I went back to doing my math and every one just nodded and said “Yes Rachel” .
But anyway, I thought I would just talk about today for fun.

I always felt kind of sorry for William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott, they did and really good job too that night, but Paul is the one every one knows about.
William Dawes started out from the other side of Boston (meaning opposite Paul Revere) and met Paul at Lexington. Then about half way to Concord they got stopped by some British Regulars and he and Paul had to turn back.
Samuel Prescott met Paul Revere and William Dawes in Lexington and went with them and it was he that actually got to Concord.

By the way if you haven't read Paul Revere’s ride by H.W. Longfellow you should. I really like it. I thought that it was interesting that in that poem. It sounds like it was Paul’s idea but it wasn’t, it was Dr. Joseph Warren’s
Well I’ve said to much, if you are anything like me you will look at that and say, “oh that’s to long to read! Where are the pictures?”!!!

®achel