outside my window....inside my heart

Thought you might enjoy the show God put on here the past couple days. 

Our eyes have been peeled to the window, looking for birdie friends, or squirrel friends.......

.....and God said yes!

Our first feathered friend?  A chickadee!  And, oh how pretty!   He's enjoying our peanut-butter-and-seed covered pinecone.

The best investment for kids' art is simple watercolors.  Oh, how I love thee.  Far less mess and fuss.  I can say yes every time!  

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While I nursed Beth to sleep last night, the others painted some happiness.  

Wednesday Gratitude:


- 50 high-quality kids' garments found at the thrift store early this morning, for only $69.00!  I had my stamp card completely filled out and got 35% off!

- The colors God put on a chickadee.

- The tail talk that squirrels do.  Have you ever seen it in earnest?  Quite amazing!

- Trees full of squirrels

- My boys understand that though nature, we experience God.  My girls are learning it more every day.

- I came home with three large bags of clothes and my husband was just happy that the kids were happy.  He didn't ask about the cost.  He knows it would have been a small fortune from a retail store.

- The exclamations of delight around here lately, and the scientific note-taking Peter is engaged in, about bird and squirrel behaviours.

- Little girl squeals about pretty clothes.

- A 40-degree day today, and an expected 60-degree day later this week.

- Homeschooling

- Very few illnesses in the past nine months.  I have to wonder...is it because I started cooking from scratch, for the most part?  Whatever the reason, it's sure a blessing!  (The whole foods didn't help with ADHD, unfortunately.)

- I don't have my own car, but I do have a yard!

- Reminders from Him that I'm to bless my family and practice self-denial.  Therein will be my mothering legacy, if I'm faithful to the Holy Spirit's whispers.

- Yet still, knowing that His grace surrounds me.

- Reminders from Him that I'm to bless my husband, whether the trash gets taken out or not.  And should I mention the trash?  No.  Just love.  Just do love.  It's an endless series of actions, done to bless God, regardless of whether the receiver deserves the love action.  Did we deserve the cross, after all?

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

—Philippians 1: 9-11

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

—1 Peter 4:8 

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

—1 John 3:14

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

—1 John 4:7-21 

new screen guidelines

A couple weeks ago my sister, who is going through teacher education courses, sent us a few learning websites her professor spoke about.  One of them, this math site, has created quite the obsession in my number lovin' Paul.  This intensive focus isn't a healthy thing, so I've set new guidelines for our family regarding screen time.

On Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, we won't turn on the computer at all, starting this morning.

I just wanted to tip you off, because I won't be able to return e-mails as timely, or write as often.

Good Tuesday to you!

I'm a liar

Okay, husband made a liar out of me this Valentine's Day.  He brought home 12 ounces of Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolate for me, which he found at Walgreens on the way home....before midnight even!

I usually eat semi-sweet baking chocolate, so this is tasting devilishly good.

I'm sure I'll regret it.

Weekend doings and Happy Valentine's Day

Saturday morning found us making bird feeders for our backyard.  The kids spread peanut butter on pine cones, then we rolled them in black oil sunflower seeds or cornmeal.  We tied string tightly around the center of the pine cones and hung them from our trees.

Do yourself a favor:  Do this in the morning in pajamas.  Who needs an extra outfit change?

We also cut large circle holes on two sides of milk jugs (you'll find raised circles already on the jugs).  Next, we made two small holes right below the larger ones, and threaded a stick through these two small holes, for a perch.  You can also use wooden dowels.  Lastly, we tied a string around the top of the jug, securing it there by putting the lid back on.  You'll find a far better explanation and a diagram here.

We placed a small amount of seed in each one to start.  It usually takes a couple weeks for birds to find new feeders, and I didn't want new snow soaking a lot of seed before we even had visitors.

We've made three milk jug feeders so far, placing one in the front yard and two in the side yard.

Next up, egg carton feeders.  We will cut the top off of an egg carton, use a hole punch to punch one hole in each of the four corners, tie a string to each hole, and then tie the four strings together at the top.  Lastly, add seed to each egg compartment, and tie to a tree.

None of these are weather resistant, of course.  The birds will appreciate them nonetheless--especially in winter--and you'll earn yourself some regular visitors.

You can also spread peanut butter on a paper towel roll, roll it in seed, thread a string through the center, and tie it to a tree.

While you're waiting for birds to find your goodies, put stale bread all over your yard.  It might help them come sooner.

The kids looked outside all three windows every few minutes, waiting for birds--taking breaks for all manner of silliness in the playroom.

 My girlies helped me make cornbread on Saturday and again today.  I keep my recipes in a back bedroom to cut down on counter clutter.  Beth, upon hearing me say we're making cornbread again, rushed to the bedroom, grabbed a recipe and brought it to me.  It happened to be the right one, since it was the last one we used.  I had no idea she even knew where the recipes were, or that she paid much attention to my following them when she helped.  She continues to delight me!

Yes, Miss Mary did put her dress on backwards.  :)

We were all delighted this morning to find that our resident squirrels found the teaser bread and seed we put out.  They fought over it and put on quite the show!

The boys seemed to have lost interest in helping with recipes.  My girls are still faithful, though. It makes me smile to have them along side me!  That is, until they spontaneously decide to add water to the mixing bowl--from Momma's water bottle!  I'm learning to never turn my back on the mixing bowl!

Nice paintings produced this Valentine's Day.

 Also this last Saturday, the older kids did a Valentine craft offered at a nature center.  It was difficult--actually making my Paul cry tears of frustration--but they sure are pretty!

These were formed from tissue paper wrapped in pipe cleaners, which were then poked into those spongy flower thingys, and wrapped with foil.)

Valentine's Day gratitude:

- for our penpals, who blessed the socks off my kids with an awesome care package, and delighted me with my own copy of Ann's book!  If only these kids would let me read it!  I haven't been able to get past chapter one (which was a magnificent chapter).


- for hearing my nine year old talk to his stuffed animals as he was placing them on his bed this morning

- for the sparkling delight in my children's eyes, as they found their Valentine bears and their small boxes of chocolate.

- for hearing a thousand times between Saturday and today, "When will the birds come, Mommy?"  I know the longer it takes, the more delighted we'll be when our first feeder friends visit.  We've seen a flicker in one tree and a blue jay in another, but they didn't see our feeders!

- for this luscious honey cornbread and navy bean soup and chili to go with it, these past few days

- for that husband of mine, who keeps meaning to buy me something for Valentine's Day, and for Christmas, and for my birthday.  :) I think it's been a good five years since he's gotten around to any gifts.  Neither of us has gifts as a love language, so I find it amusing more than anything else.  Few people hate shopping as much as my hubby does.  This probably seems strange to some, but no significance comes from gifts--other than thankfulness--if they aren't your love language.

- for God's faithfulness in growing me.  He has spoken to my heart about being faithful in the small things, like performing the chores I don't care for, in order to bless my family.  Now that my littlest one is more independent, and I'm not overwhelmed every second, it's time for some serious spiritual growth.  I feel God moving in my heart.  And I'm so glad He times his lessons so as not to discourage us!  Even two months ago, I wouldn't have been able to receive, willingly, these current lessons.


I hope you got blessed today, friends, in one way or another.  :)   Happy Valentine's Day!

I am blessed by your friendship!

What can I do? Give thanks!

There were wet sheets to contend with this morning.

I'm used to it.  Regular things like this, that my kids can't do anything about, barely register on my annoyance meter.

Not thinking, I started the hot water in the washer, put in soap, and dumped the load.

I would live to regret my eager housekeeping gesture, at so early an hour.

I am someone who loves a shower and takes it in the morning, no matter what.  I also get dressed down to shoes, because my feet are always cold in the winter, and because.....I just feel better in shoes.  No, it isn't because the FlyLady suggests it.

Husband tries to get up early enough to watch the kids so I can shower before he leaves, on his school mornings, or busy work mornings.  If that isn't possible, I either bring Beth in with me, or put out table activities and strap her into her booster, which she can no longer get out of.  The older children earn some pennies for staying with her while I'm in the bathroom.

I'm usually alert enough to do only dark loads in cold water in the mornings.

My shower, half-way through, turned ice cold, due to the hot water used up on the sheets.  Getting the soap off each area of my body was a most unpleasant experience.  I couldn't just stand in the water and rinse all at once.  That was too shocking.  Instead, I put in one limb at a time, one side of my back at a time, as though I were doing the hokey pokey.

We're having a cold snap here, so it took awhile for me to warm up after this fiasco.  Shivering, I thought of the ladies and mothers in third-world nations, who walk five miles for clean water.  They probably don't ever feel really clean.  Physical discomforts, such as my chills, are a daily reality for them.

Why, Lord?  Why do I get a shower every morning, usually nice and hot, while they have to feel dirty?

Later in the day, I finally stole a few minutes to read.  I read this and this, about grieving, written by Dana, the mother who lost her toddler to the dresser accident.

Why, Lord?  Why is Dana's mother-heart broken, while mine brims with joy--delighting in the beautiful toddler in my midst?

Yes, we know God is just, merciful, loving.  These differences......we just can't understand them.  They don't seem fair, from our perspective.

What can I do?

Firstly, I can make it more just, more fair, by being more grateful...more mindful of daily blessings...never letting complaint dirty my heart.

I am thankful, Lord!

For......

....the chapter in the Backyard Birdfeeder's Bible on economical bird feeding.  We visited a feed store, at the suggestion of the author, and found that small sunflower seeds and scratch corn and cracked corn are reasonably priced, compared to the packaged birdseed bags--which can run $30.00/week for the avid bird watcher.  We are all excited--Peter most of all!  When that boy develops a new passion, watch out!

...my sweet little Beth, who enjoys brushing her teeth and going potty....many times a day.  For fun.  She does it all independently, which is a sharp contrast to her brothers and sister, at the same age. Independence wasn't on their radar at all, at 26 months old.

...my Mary's new interest in drawing.

...money to finally get the drains cleared.  When the water softener runs, water backs up into the tub.  Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.  This is more complicated than getting the usual bottle of Drano Gel.

...a house still clean.

...the will power to continually ask you tonight, "Lord, help me do what is needful first, before my writing.  Help me put my family's needs first."  I had to pray this so many times, to get through the needful tasks first!  I did the dishes, put on some crockpot navy bean soup, finished folding socks and underwear, put the last load into the dryer, wiped down the table and counters, and got completely ready for bed, in case Beth woke up and left me waiting for a washed face and brushed teeth.

...the reminder to savor this time with my toddler, rather than mourn the baby years already behind me.  You want me to be content always....to notice the beauty in right now.

...the sweet, tiny baby bottom running through my house nowadays.  She's never in a hurry to get that training diaper back on!

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

—Colossians 1:11-14