Thursday, August 29, 2013

Well, hello there!

Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.  Apparently a Mark Twain misquote, but still a great way to start off a post when I have been absent here for so long, don't you think?

And yes, I am fine.  Well, let me rephrase that: God is good and He sustains and cares for us so well~ so for that reason, I am fine.  The children are all doing so very well, so happy now.

How about some photos from the past few months?  So much has happened here!

First off... and let me just get this out there to begin with, I have the. most. awesome. family. ever.  The children planned this phenomenal Mother's Day surprise party for me.  And I really had no idea. They are the best.


Little boys grow up *way* too quickly!  Can you believe that Daniel is 9 now?


 Flowers grow lots of places, if you know what I mean.  Love finding and cultivating beauty here at our new house.


We have this super-awesome pair of owls right in our backyard!  Tim (now 6!) came one morning to me and told me to bring my camera so I could get a pic of them.  I had to get this shot from some distance away, but is that not cool?!  I sometimes get to hear them at night too.



The girls and I went to see Despicable Me 2 and had a blast!  


Aren't the minions adorable?  And yes, I do have a few at my house.


What, oh what, would I do without so many good and faithful friends?  The Lord has been so good to us and blessed us abundantly with friends, including new friends in our neighborhood here.


We love our huge deck and spend so much time there.  It is shady, quiet and relaxing.


Still very much rockin' the running trail behind our house.  I'm always finding things to photograph while I'm out.





Such fun to have children who like to take pics as well.  Tim took this one of Jasper and I with my iPhone, just before I left to go run.


I wish I knew how much money we have saved by me cutting hair at home.  One of the boys was sneaky and caught this pic of me trimming Timmy's curls.


And the biggest news here... might as well get this out there.  Yes, the children are all attending public school this year.  After 20 years of being very committed to, and basically *loving* homeshcooling and having my children with me all day long, this was a *very* difficult decision for me.  As I prayed about it, it did become clear to me that public school was what the Lord wanted us to do and is the best option for our family now.

And guess what?  The children are all *loving* school!  There has been adjusting to do, for sure, and we will continue to have to rely on the Lord as we tackle new "adventures," but, surprise, surprise, God is there too and He is faithfully leading and caring for us.

Timothy and Daniel checking out their new classrooms/desks:





Waiting for the bus, the first day of school.  Super-excited to ride on the bus!






So now my afternoons and evenings are very full of driving children here and there and helping them with homework, but we are adjusting to this new normal.  It's all good.


I've been working a bit more in my art journal....






And a few days ago I did something that I don't think I have done in 27 years... I sat and read *by myself* at Culvers.  And yes, that is a concrete that you see sitting there.  I've *got* to grow up and start drinking coffee one of these days.  It would save me a bunch of calories, wouldn't it?






Looking forward to spending more time with you, my faithful friends, here in this space.  I so appreciate all of your prayers and concerned emails.  


8 comments:

  1. It's so good to hear from you! Thanks for all the pictures. I'm so happy that YOU and the children are doing so well. We to have taken a new step with schooling and we are doing online streaming. The Lord guides each one of us each and every day and in many different directions.
    Thanks for the update.
    By Grace Alone,
    Kim

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    1. Kim, thanks. Yes, God is so good, isn't He? Different challenges in different seasons of life, but He is there through it all. Thanks for praying and for taking the time to write.

      ~susan

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  2. It's lovely to *see* you back here my friend. Thank you for the update and all the beautiful photos. Happy belated ninth birthday to your boy...he is getting so grown up! And, yes...school. School is a journey. We were firmly planted in the public-school-only camp. Then, when it came time to put our children in school, the little local school was not so appealing. We opted for the little Christian school instead. We were there for six years before we began our homeschool adventure. One step at a time. One year at a time. As the Lord leads. Isn't it wonderful to know that truly our times are in HIS hands?? Love to you! Camille

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    1. {{{{hugs}}}} I've been praying for you, my friend. Thank you for grace. And yes, God is good~ His plans always are the best. So grateful to rest in His care.

      Love you, my friend. susan

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  3. Why does it look like Abby is driving in that picture? Is she really old enough for that already?!
    Thanks for the update, I feel like it was just for me. :)

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    1. Kyra! Hello, my Hawaiian friend! Nate keeps taunting me with screen shots of the weather there… you guys are living the dream, for sure. : ) And yes, you are right, that was Abby, driving. Amazing…. And Caleb turned 15 this spring, but I haven't heard him ask to start driving yet, so I'm just going to chill on that one for now. : )

      Good to hear from you!
      ~susan

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  4. Just checking in with you and so glad to see an update. Been wondering how you are. Many changes I see but so glad to hear that God is so near to you!

    Love the little corners of your home and the love that shines in each room there.

    {hugs} to you!

    ~Cinnamon
    p.s I enjoy Spotify too and Imagine Dragons is a favorite of mine. More recently I listen to Owl City.

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    1. Hey there Cinnamon! So sweet of you to stop by and leave a comment! : )

      We really like Adam Young (Owl City) as well. I'm so glad that I have teens to introduce me to all of this music that I wouldn't find otherwise! : )

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