Trent Drives!!!

A lovely spring day for my son Trent's 15th birthday. We woke him early for peanut butter brownies and presents. We gave him a beautiful watch and a new set of binoculars for birding as well as an autobiographical journal just like his dad uses. The grandmas called, and he got cards in the mail. Best of all, he got his driving permit! A bit scary, but a fun morning of riding with Trent as he fulfilled his (literally) life-long ambition to drive! He did well, although we had one close call with a mailbox. No big deal. I just closed my eyes and used lots of caffeine, and we made it through:-)

So proud of this beautiful, charming, smart, funny, handsome guy. We'll party seriously Saturday with all of the family, a big cake, and yes, an electric guitar and amplifier for his 'big' present. Can't wait to see him take off with this musical adventure!

A shout out to my friend Melissa Pratte, who is in Kansas City, living the good life. Restaurants, sushi, stuffed grape leaves, a potential summer job at our favorite spot. Oh, did I mention she is an awesome English teacher and literary scholar? Now if we could just find her a lovely man....

Organic Love

A glorious spring morning, and I'm thinking organics. My husband, Carl, and I are big fans of the t.v. programs Endless Feast and Chefs A'Field, which promote local, organic, sustainable farming and food. As self-confessed foodies, we are interested in knowing exactly where our food comes from, and we want our boys to know the value of good food. Do we still breakfast at McDonald's sometimes? Yes. Do I love California Pizza kitchen frozen Thai Chicken Pizza? You bet! But our family continues to make strides in eating locally, organically and healthfully.

We use organic, free-range eggs, and we buy organic everything we can get our hands on, from Horizons milk to applesauce to raisins and cooking spray. This summer promises to be the summer where we enjoy our own fresh vegetables, and those of our local farmers, all summer long. My goal is to freeze much of what we can't use immediately, so we will have healthy fruits & veggies all winter.

We are still learning as we go, and we have a lot to learn about natural, organic and sustainable, but we have found many people who share our interests and are eager to discuss their experiences with these issues.

Here are some lovely links, both local and non-local, concerning organics and sustainability:

Pawnee Pride Meats, Steinauer, NE

Double K Organic Farms, Clarinda, IA

Excited to read:

Certain Girls, the new novel by Jennifer Weiner

It's a New Day!

Another warm, sunny, lovely day here in southeast Nebraska. Our Luke is feeling much better. He was up early and ready for breakfast, phonics and math. My goal, now that warm weather is here, is to spend as much time as possible outside. So I've moved all of Luke's usual crafty, messy fun outside. This morning I sat his bean box and cups, spoons, etc. out on his picnic table so he could play in the sunshine while daddy worked in the yard. I plan to buy him a new sand and water table when I go to Omaha next week, but until then he will be doing his "water experiences" on his picnic table.

The best thing about spring and summer, for me, is the ability to get outside with Carl and the boys. In the winter I detest playing in the snow, but spring and summer mean fishing, playing, birding, exploring and much more. Trent is getting a new pair of binoculars for his birthday, and I must stop at our local nature museum to pick up a copy of the "Birds of Otoe County" checklist so we can check off all of the birds we see this summer. We've already been on several picnics, and we plan to eat and play outside every day possible.

All of this play and fresh air does wonders for our bodies and spirits, and the ability to be outside so much helps me make it through the long, cold winters here in Nebraska. How lovely, these warm, green days:-)

Some links to my favorite outdoor places:

Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, NE

Steamboat Trace Trail, Peru, NE

Indian Cave State Park, near Falls City, NE

Waubonsie State Park, Hamburg, IA

Mozingo Lake, Maryville, MO

Lake of Three Fires, Bedford, IA

Mormon Island State Recreation Area, Grand Island, NE

Quote of the Day:
"Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."
Charles Dickens

Sick Day

It's a terrific warm spring day, and my little Luke is sick. He woke up feeling yucky and now seems to have deveoped a croupy cough. He'll just rest today and hopefully be back in action tomorrow. Also just lost his second tooth, but feels too horrible to spend his money from the tooth fairy right now. By tomorrow, hopefully, he will be begging to take a trip to Wal-Mart:-)

Doing lots of yard work and preparing to plant lots of things. Preparing for a scrapbook page on Trent receiving his learner's permit. Planning for Trent's 15th birthday party. Reading voraciously. Shopping online. Teaching children. Cooking and baking. Completing spring cleaning. Missing Carl while he's at work. Planning a new photography project that involves documenting our lives every day for a month, tentatively titled "A Month in the Life."

Spring is here, all three of my boys are lovely, life is good:-)

Library Love

It's a lovely spring day, and I've been thinking about some of my favorite places in the world -- libraries and bookstores. For me, there is nothing more relaxing and beautiful than a library or a new or used bookstore. I grew up reading Nancy Drew while curled up in a chair in my hometown library, and I have been a supporter and patron of all sorts of libraries since becoming an adult. In graduate school, I spent two blissful years working in a university library; I also did a good bit of studying there!

Bookstores, too, entrall me and comfort me. Barnes & Noble, Borders or some of my favorite used bookstores all make me feel indescribably happy. So, here are some links to my favorite libraries and bookstores. Happy reading!

Jackson Street Booksellers in Omaha's Old Market

Barnes and Noble

Borders

Hastings

Morton-James Public Library in Nebraska City, NE

Northwest Missouri State University Library, Maryville, MO

Also, had a lovely telephone conversation with an old friend over the weekend. Sad circumstances -- his dad died -- but great to visit with one of my best friends from high school:-)

Re-Reading:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Quote of the Day:

"All of my stories are about the action of grace on a character who is not very willing to support it."
Flannery O'Connor

Friends

A sunny, if chilly day here in southeast Nebraska. I want to write about how thankful I am for friends. There are those people with whom we are thrown together, for one reason or another, and with whom we become acquainted, although they are never really, truly our "cup of tea." A recent incident has brought home for me the importance of finding, and keeping, really good, true friends. These lovely people, rather than being people who only want to hear from us when news is good, are people we can count on and trust to stick with us through it all:-). What a blessing it is to have friends who share in our joys and triumphs, but who also stick around to support us when we are down or need to vent our frustrations and sadness. For me, these people are so invaluable! Thanks Melissa P., Jodi, Rachael, Mom, Pixie. I love you!

Homeschooling Wednesday

It's a busy Wednesday here in Nebraska. Luke has library storytime, and both boys and I will be attending a mock city council meeting with the rest of our homeschooling group. The mayor will spend about an hour discussing city-related concerns with the group. Then Trent is off to trombone lessons, and oh, did I mention school work? Yep, Trent is working hard on a biology chapter on evolution, from the wonderful Exploring Creation with Biology text from Apologia. He's also reading a short story and completing a story plot flow chart as well as a reader response worksheet. In addition, he's starting a new chapter in World History, reviewing his spelling words, spending about 15 minutes writing creatively, working on Latin and completing an algebra lesson on word problems. Whew!

It's been said that perhaps homeschooling is not rigorous enough. To this I say, "Yeah, right!" Some believe homeschoolers lack socialization opportunities. To this I say, "So far from the truth! On the contrary, my boys have many opportunities to socialize -- in a positive, safe environment!"

Lovely blessing, this homeschooling:-)

A Child Does Not Equal Punishment

I write with a heavy heart today, sickened by the comments of presidential candidate Barack Obama. I have for months given Obama the benefit of the doubt as far as his radicalism. I didn't rush to judgment when I received an email about him not saluting the American flag. There is ample evidence that he does. I have been waiting until all of the facts are in (or most of them), and it seems clear at this point that he is the probable Democratic nominee. He is also the clear left-wing media favorite. His association with a radical, separatist church was bad enough. But yesterday Obama, in a Pennsylvania speech, told a crowd that if his daughters ever got into "trouble," he wants the abortion option there for them because they should not be "punished" with a baby or an STD. In this clip from YouTube, he clearly equates a precious child with punishment or a sexually transmitted disease. How far we have fallen as a nation and as Christians when this relativistic, dangerous, sad, hate-filled rhetoric comes from a man admired by so many, including so many young people.

Barack Obama claims to be a Christian. Each morning when I open my eyes I pray, "Lord, make me meek and humble, help me to be a good wife and mother, help me to do Your work today." I pray this every day because I know, as a Christian, I am supposed to be about my Father's work at all times. As sinners, we all fall short of this standard, but as a follower of Christ I feel I must try my best to be about my Father's work. I wonder if Barack Obama, the Christian, feels that giving a speech like this is doing "the Father's work." I wonder if, when he equates a child with punishment, or with an STD, he is doing "the Father's work." I wonder if, when he counsels his daughters concerning this subject he will be "about the Father's work."

I pray Jesus will open his eyes and the eyes of everyone who thinks of a child as anything other than a precious, precious gift on loan from our Lord Jesus Christ. Looking at children in this way, rather than as burdens or punishments is truly "doing our Father's work."


Carl, Trent and Luke are the best things about me. Lovely life with all three of my sweet boys:-)