State Testing & Volcano Update!

Here we are doing our State Testing ONLINE this year!  

We always do the group testing to give the kids that important experience, but the Quarantine left us HOME this year!

 Do I make a good Proctor, or what?  

Ha, catching up on some sewing projects...

 The GRAND VOLCANO is growing...hasn't exploded yet though...stay tuned! 

More Quarantine cooking & eating :)

This gal made an awesome roast from Joshua's deer meat and we were so excited we had to have Mr. Fred come over to sample it!

Mr. Fred: "That's some GOOOOD eats!" 🤣🤣

👍👍👍👍👍

 And more wonderful evenings by the fire...LOVING this "Spring" thing, LOL...

Missionaries & Volcanos!

Remember when we wrote letters to Missionaries a couple of weeks ago to encourage them??

 Well the kids were super-excited when they wrote back and sent pictures!  

It was a very special moment and something they will always treasure!!

 (And it will help us remember to pray for them!)

 Science class here we come!!

This week we had to move the clay car-race tracks over to make room for....

 Building the VOLCANO!!!!  

 We'll keep you updated on the progress AND most importantly, the EXPLOSIONS!!  Woohoo! 

Mr. Cuteness, the "helper"...😍

QUEEN of the home...and some creative help!

 Natalie has been doing an amazing job in the kitchen!!  

She is loving all this cooking and is doing such a great job!  She made a fabulous Asian Shrimp Soup that was a big hit!  

 She is SO CUTE with James doing school (Steve sends me these pictures in bed 🤣🤣)

 She also did all the breadmaking this week!!  4 loaves that turned out beautifully! 

 (Helper?!)

 She's been making lovely healthy meals everyday!! 

 And Daddy had to get in on the spaghetti squash action...🤣🤣🤣

 Forever about efficiency, he was quickly done with the butcher knife and headed out to get the electric knife.  So we burned the motor out on that one and he proceeded to finish by hacking away at it...it was EXCELLENT for a laugh and the squash eventually did roast up nicely! 

Quarantine Oddities & Niceties...

We've been doing Home-Church as Zoom Church as of late, so since I'm in bed on my "healing-hiatus", the family brought to church to me in bed!  

 It was very funny, to say the least...

 Then the kids played "Pictionary" on screen with their friends afterwards...

 ...and on into lunch...

 Mama has been getting LOTS of sweet cuddly time with my precious punkins' while I'm in bed 😍

 Easter was...interesting this year!!

One of our favorite places called Sights and Sounds Bible Theatre streamed the recent production of JESUS for free over the weekend and so we popped popcorn, loaded up with root beer and had a great snuggly evening watching the show!  

 It was really fun! 

 We've also had some very strange weather 'round here...so our evenings have been spent cuddling around the FIRE (in April?!)...but it has been lovely nonetheless!! 

 Family worship around the fire is oh-so-sweet...❤❤❤

 And then for the strangeness...

I had to stop my treatments for a few days so that I could get some things done that had to happen.  Joshua was a wonderful helper and donned his gloves/mask to help me! 

 Feelin' a little....ODD...but not at all out of place with everyone else!!! 

 It took way longer than I anticipated, and this poor guy...had to subsist on a chocolate bar, crackers and nuts...he was such a trooper!! 🤣🤣

 Alas, we made it home, I'm back to bed...and we're all cherishing our special nights by the fire!!!  

Randomness Roundup - Quarantine Edition!

I'm taking a "healing hiatus" during this uniquely quiet time in history, in hopes to work on some of my chronic health conditions.  

Our whole family has rallied around in my support and is doing an amazing job running our household without me...and I am SO THANKFUL!!

Natalie has really been enjoying doing school with James in my place!  

(Don't worry, she's like 6 months ahead of where she's supposed to be, so we have plenty of slack in the schedule for her to take this time...good momma training ;)

Cuteness!...giving a shout out to PENN! 

We will soon have 2 family members at PENN!  

Uncle Sam is there and soon, Aunt Stacy will begin a job as a Surgeon and Assistant Professor there! 

  

 SERIOUS MEAL-MAKING QUEEN!!!!! 

She has been rockin' it in the kitchen lately!!!  So proud of her!!  

(And she LOVES IT!!!)

 We're losing our view!  We're losing our view!!

But that's ok...our beautiful view of the mountains all around will give way to bursting green and the unique feeling of living in a tree house for the summer :)  

And here are our sweet friends that weren't able to have their wedding celebration due to the Quarantine restrictions 😢😢 

Can you imagine having to cancel your wedding?!  

BUT, instead of being sad, they made the best of it and changed the plan around totally to enable them to still marry by gathering the pastor and immediate family (less than 10, of course!) and heading to a GORGEOUS mountaintop nearby to have a sweet sunrise ceremony! 

 Truly making the best of a bad situation, wow!! It turned out to be more beautiful than anyone imagined, making it all the more wonderful.  They will celebrate with all of us later.  For now, they are just so happy to be Mr. and Mrs. despite the chaos in the world!!!!

April WISE Day and EASTER!!!!

We were discussing "April Fools Day" and how very foolish it is, and these creative kiddos decided to make a new holiday!!

April WISE Day IS from here-on-out known as "April Kind Day" where you spend the day NOT making messes and tricking people, but doing secret kind deeds.  

It was absolutely the sweetest thing ever and I was so touched and proud of them!! 

I found little surprises all day long - made beds, washed dishes, made dinner...so much kindness!! 

  

 (I surprised them in return with ice cream :)  They thought that was very kind, lol...

 Sweet notes accompanied all the kind deeds!! Such a special day!  

Celebrating Jesus!!!  

 This searching for objects that tell the story of the Risen Christ has become such a delightful tradition that we all love!! 

 

Thank you Jesus!!