Olivia in Ballet

So, it has been over a week since we took these pictures at Olivia's last ballet class of the season. She took a pre-ballet class at the Cedar Hills Recreation Center just down the road from us. We walked to every class and had so much fun. Impressively the teacher taught Olivia and the other girls many French words/terms used in ballet and I am hoping to be able to get her into another class after the summer. She usually wore her ballet clothes all day, often complimenting them with other dress up clothes, and practiced all her dancing through the house. It is amusing and delightful to have a girl in the home. God has given us a great blessing in Olivia.

Yeah! Beaverton Farmer's Market has Begun!!

Our months of waiting have ended with the opening day of the Beaverton Farmer's Market.  And a beautiful sunny day it was, too. 

I don't think a month went by without Greg asking when the Farmer's Market opens. It has been wonderful for me that he enjoys it so much. Usually he doesn't like places that are so crowded, but he loves the Farmer's Market as much, maybe more, than I do. We look forward to many trips this year.

The selection of produce was limited as it is still so early in the season.  The flowers were abundant. We did find some yummy asparagus, lettuce, radishes and of course we stopped by the Fressen Bakery booth where we bought bread. We also found some raw cheddar cheese which I am anxious to try.

I will also mention that Greg and the children gave me an excellent Mother's Day. We sat around, we went out to dinner, we took a nap(!), I even watched some of Pride and Prejudice and so much more. I don't know how so much got done in a day that felt so relaxing. I even got all my computer work done for this next week (school printouts and milk records). I am so blessed with the family God has given me!

Birthdays and Easter

We had a busy weekend with two birthdays and Easter. Friday, Otto turned 11 years old. We do not even attempt to have birthday parties (its always a party at our house!). Instead, the birthday child gets to choose the day's menu and also has free range on the days activities. No school on birthdays and wearing sleepers all day is also acceptable. I did, in the past, have to draw the line at too many meals that include a lot of preparation, but they are considerate about that now. For example, Otto chose cinnamon rolls/cheese and fruit/meatloaf and spetzla and apple pie rather than cake. Breakfast and dinner were more involved, but I had planned on making cinnamon bread (another acceptable option) the day before and didn't find the time. 

Solomon, whose birthday was Monday (he turned 9), wanted Frosted Mini Wheats/tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches/pasta with white sauce and cheese and sugar cookies. They both spent the day playing on the computer or watching movies which are usually only allowed for limited times on the weekends. They seemed to enjoy their days and, of course, the other boys all enjoyed the same benefits with the exception of only getting to watch the computer. 

Louis had a birthday last month (3/22) and became our second teenager. It is nice to be through with birthdays until the Fall.

Another great experience with Cedar Hills Manor (our complex). One of the moms organized an Easter Egg Hunt for Sunday morning.

They hid 240 eggs around the courtyard and invited all the children to search. Otto, Solomon and Olivia had a great time. Jennifer, the manager, gave cups of hot chocolate after the hunt.

I had a great time visiting with the other parents. I have never gotten to know our neighbors as well as I am getting to know the people here. It is enjoyable and exciting for me, though our dinners are sometimes a bit later than I would like because of my increased social life. I will have to be careful about that. Greg's family came over for Easter dinner. Amanda and Olivia were so adorable in their beautiful dresses. 

Again, I am hoping for some days which include a little less activity, but I'm not going to plan on it.

Another Chapter Closed/Begins

We had talked about it in the past, but hadn't taken the steps and stopped thinking about it. Then we did our state taxes and found out that Greg's employer had not taken out enough state withholdings and we have to pay state taxes. The children and I drove out to Jim and Charissa's, cleaned out and cleaned up the trailer, took some pictures, and posted them on Craigslist that evening. It is the right time of year. We got an unexpectedly huge response. The children and I went back out two days later, met a couple who looked at the trailer and paid us cash. Two days, the same amount of time our house in Scappoose was on the market before we had a full price offer. It was tough to let the trailer go, we lived in that trailer for several months and have many good memories, but those months were stressful in many ways and I am not sorry we sold it. Owning less is better, a more simple way to live. The trailer has been a frequent thought in the back of my mind, of responsibility we could not afford. We have not used it for a year and a half. The money from selling has not only enabled us to pay our taxes, but to buy the school books we were needing, a printer which we have not had for years, much needed bike repairs, brakes for the van, etc. I am glad we sold it. We have a big tent which we have hardly used. I've never been much of a camper, but I'm looking forward to spending some weekends in that tent. And Jim and Charissa must be happy to have that trailer off their property, I'm happy to have it off their property, though I know they were willing to let us leave it there for eternity.

Trusting

Earlier this month I enjoyed the Above Rubies retreat in Olympia Washington. Above Rubies is a ministry to encourage wives and mothers. This was a women's retreat (they have family retreats, also) and my second in this location. Nancy Campbell shares her wisdom with us and there is amazing fellowship with many like-minded women. My dear friends from Girl's Group all try to go. We missed Annette this year, but Jennifer came from Idaho and that was a huge treat. We were up until the wee hours of the morning discussing intense subjects. We talked a lot about judging others in many areas of life, including church and even adoption issues (both Jennifer and Charissa are in the adoption process). It was so rewarding, thoughtful and convicting. God has spoken to me many times through our discussions in Girl's Group and this was no exception.

As we were pulling into camp, Jennifer called home to make sure all was well. Just before she called, her family (Leon with their 6 children), had gotten home from skiing and found a neighbor dog mauling their cat to death. It was so traumatic, especially for their oldest girl (I think she is 12). She had answered the phone and was crying out to Jennifer about the situation and what should or was being done. And Jennifer said (that was the side we were all hearing), "Havilah, I trust Papa... you can trust Papa, too." I wish you could have heard her say it, the tone in her voice, the gentle and confident direction to help her daughter trust in her father's ability to handle the situation. It brought us all to tears. It is what God says to us every moment, whispering to us, pleading in his gentle confidence, "You can trust me." It also exemplifies what our Girl's Group is about, encouraging each other to guide in gentle confidence our children and ourselves in trusting our husbands as God's leader of our homes.

Branches and Books

Here is a flower about to bloom outside our front door! Could spring be coming?Either this is an exceptionally windy year or this hill is a windy area.  Otto and Solomon wanted to take out some garbage bags to fly in the wind.  I try to say yes to these kinds of requests because they offer experience with the sciences.  Solomon tied some twine onto his bag. I think Otto originally had a stick on his, but took it off. I was watching from the house when Otto lost hold of his 'kite' and it flew into the tree. I thought, "Bummer, now everyone will have to look at that big white garbage bag in the beautiful branches."  But, then it blew out! Great! Otto thought it was great too and was confident it would always blow out. Unfortunately it didn't as you can see from the pictures.The sun shining on to top branches is a frequent view we all enjoy.  As you see, although a few days later, the bag is still there. I apologized to our manager, but she said there were 2 or 3 in the trees behind their house that their girls and friends lost. This seems to be a wonderfully understanding community. It helps that there are many other families here with young children, mostly girls. Our next door neighbor has a 3 year old boy and said there were all girls playing outside last summer. Olivia will certainly like that! She has already made friends with some of them.

One more inside picture of our living room bookshelves and Otto reading. We are indescribably thankful that all of our children love to read and this picture is one we see daily. You can interchange any of the children into this pose in numerous places around the house and outside when it is pleasant  weather. These are our nice bookshelves where we are working on placing our most loved and nicest books. We have five more bookshelves upstairs with very little room left on them. Does that slow us down in our book buying? Ha! Never! Actually, there are more than five, but I guess we don't need to count.

 

John Adams by David McCullough

Sometimes I'm not sure which blog is best suited for an entry I want to make.  This one could go on all because it will likely ramble, effects our home and our homeschool.  I finished my first book written by David McCullough.  I say my first because I am already started on my second and I told Greg I will likely be always reading a David McCullough book until I have read them all.  I cannot possible express all the reasons why I enjoy his writing and having only one book read so I can't say positively that I will feel the same about them all, but it is my expectation.  

The book I finished was John Adams and it was more than wonderful.  It was easy to read, but not simple.  It was full of quotes from actual letters and newspapers of the time, but it read like fiction.  While reading, I was transported to the days when John Adams lived, an invisible presence in his life and the happenings of his time.  I feel as if I know him and I cried when he died.  I feel strengthened by his integrity, his honesty, his uprightness.  I feel hopeful at his success in the struggle of this life.  I feel peaceful that politics then, at the beginning of politics for this country, was not so different from what it is now.  We are not sovereign, but there is One who is and He will not be swayed or negligent and we can trust in His direction for everything that effects our lives.  We must do all we can, but with confidence that doing all we can is all that is demanded and all that is needed and will be rewarded.  

This is a book that will be read by all of our children as they grow.  It has taught me more about this era of history than I can relate.  It has taught me with a joy in the learning that I know will be shared by our children.  Joy in the learning is a thing much sought after and not found as often as I would like.  The next book of David McCullough's that I have decided to read is The Path Between The Seas about the building of the Panama Canal.  We also have 1776, and Truman, but I wanted to read something completely different, not a president and  not the same time period.  We are getting the books on hardback because they are worth it, but we are getting them used at Powell's so they are less expensive.  

Make the next book you read a book written by David McCullough.  I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed.