echo

This morning's Bible lesson was based on Matthew 12:34-37. The story that I read to the girls was about echoes. It is always fun to hear an echo, to say different, silly things then wait to hear it repeated back to you. You know you've hollered in a valley or in a tunnel and heard your own voice coming back at you. It's fun! But when we apply what we know about echoes to our words and actions it becomes an issue of the heart. The verses we read today were very clear. The words we say and the things we do are the echo of what is in our hearts. Are they good? encouraging? kind? patient? loving? glorifying to God? Ouch! Not always. As a wife, a mom, a friend...what is my echo? Often how my children behave and what they say is an echo of me, my heart. The last verse we read, verse 37, says "For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned."

What a way to start the weekend. I will be focusing on my words and actions. I want my echo to be of a pure heart. I want my echo to be something that should be repeated.

you capture::things that start with "L"

Proverbs 31:13b She works with her hands in delight.

Over the past week we have been blessed with some very warm days. Days that soak us in sunlight and a warmth that awakens our anticipation for spring. It spurred me on to start digging up my tiny garden spot. Shoveling down deep in the soil and turning it over, the smell of fresh earth, the sight of hard working worms, the promise of new life as the sun continues to warm us all. My girls, even in a feverish state, loved being outside in our little garden with boots on and rakes in hand to smooth out the soil and find the worms. The worms wiggle and wonder how they reached the surface. After a few minutes they are place back on the dirt and we watch them work their way back down below. Working with my hands in delight? Oh, yes. It delights me to work, to plan, to cultivate, to sow. And while I'm doing all of that work I get to wear my beautiful, girly girl gardening gloves. They are soft from use, they are sturdy in their construction, and they are pretty. They are Liberty of London. A girl can be cute while she works with her hands in delight, right? It makes it even more fun! If only I had some cute boots to match. Happy Thursday. xoANG

craft book challenge - february

For this month's Craft Book Challenge I chose to try something new.

Something I've never done before...hand smocking. The project came from One Yard Wonders and it was called Smocked Pillow in the Round. The directions and illustrations were very clear which made it easier than I had anticipated.

The problem...well, the problem was me. The fabric I used was from my stash and wasn't the correct width. Being too narrow made the pillow too small. The smocking part was tedious, but it was a good, quiet thing to work on in the evening after my girls were in bed. It would also make a good on-the-go project. The smocking part actually turned out quite nice and on a tiny scale it would be stunningly beautiful. My favorite part, and also something new to me, was making my own covered buttons.

It's such a quick and easy thing to do but with wonderful results. I want to make more things that require buttons or at least embellishments just so I can make more covered buttons. Yes, they're that great. I may try this project again in future but only on one condition...that I have the correct size material to make it look as fabulous as the finished product in the book. Aim high, right? Striped fabric probably wasn't the best choice for this project so maybe I'll go with a small print next time.
Now for a sneak peek at something else that has been keeping my hands busy during ballet and art this month.

I'm just about ready for the reveal, but you'll have to wait for one more day. I'm hoping for some sunshine to get a proper picture of the finished product. Happy Wednesday. xoANG

a bend in the road

Well, it seems as though we've made it through. The girls have a lingering, and mildly annoying cough, but fevers are gone and appetites are back. Beds are made, hair is brushed, they are fully dressed in regular clothes...they've been in pajamas almost every day...except for the warmer days when we went outside to soak up the sun. They are working their way through the first school day in a week right now. With renewed energy everything is moving along just fine, even the bickering over who gets which colored pencils for our Bible lesson. Ahhhhh, the sounds of being well again.
Today, as I round the curve on this road of reality that I have been traveling, the temperatures have gone from a balmy 75 degrees yesterday to a bone-chilling 31 degrees today. An extra layer is needed for the toasty warm feeling that I like to maintain. I did manage to take some pictures around the yard over the past few days. Pictures that prove spring is near. In spite of this cold, rainy, windy day I know that warmer days will return...soon. And when they do return I will plant seeds and pick flowers and hang laundry on the line. Until then I will enjoy the warmth of my cozy house while pouring over seed catalogues and reading about companion planting.Oh yes, also while inside, I will be de-germing my house...changing all sheets, switching out toothbrushes, mopping floors, scrubbing bathrooms, santizing surfaces, well, you get the idea. Happy Tuesday. xoANG

snap out of it

Well, I am here to inform you today that the road of denial is now closed. There is a detour, however, and I believe it will lead me straight to a place I like to call reality. Yep. Just as kid number one was getting better, fever subsiding, appetite returning, energy renewed...kid number two has grabbed hold of that fever with both hands and wouldn't let it leave the house. She is tired and wimpy and coughing. I have been checking temperatures at regular intervals for days with high hopes that it really would stop with one. Ha. Being obsessive about taking temperatures does have its benefits though. I know that checking for fevers won't change a darn thing, but in my crazy mind it gives me time to mentally prepare for round two. Her fever climbed ever so slowly this morning as she curled up on the couch - not wiggling. We did go outside for a while this morning because it is amazingly 74 degrees! In February! Kid number one played in the yard while kid number two, wrapped in a blanket, sat in the sun and dozed. To feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the slightest of breezes blowing through my frizz hair while I hung the laundry on the clothesline...it was the most wonderful of reminders that I am not in control..that I should be anxious for nothing..that I will be given grace enough for today..that I will gain patience through waiting..that if I quiet my heart I will hear His wisdom..that I am His.
I do hope your weekend is wonderful, no matter what road you're traveling. Happy Friday. xoANG

here and there. but mostly here.

The cold weather seems to have given in for a few days and has decided to let us enjoy the sun and a little warmth. Although it's been so windy that enjoying the warmth has taken some extra effort. But I do see an end in sight. An end of the frigid winter that we have endured. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I feel like maybe we made it through yet another season with out any illness in our house that one of my girls gets sick. It hasn't been too terribly bad aside from an extra trip to the bathroom and a tolerable fever. There has been much lying around and reading, watching movies, playing games, and sleeping. Now I wait. Wait for my other girl to get it. With honey and cinnamon in their bellies, warm peppermint tea in the cups, and a nice cloud of disinfectant spray in the air and on all surfaces we'll pray for it to stop with one. There's always hope. Now, those of you with more than 2 kids can stop laughing at me and rolling your eyes. You know who you are.
Since my last post we have had some fun. We've been geocaching again. Once we found nothing. We searched and searched, even for the tiniest of caches, but were unsuccessful. The second time we found one, a tiny magnet capsule the size of a bolt. I was glad we found it even thought it was so small. It makes me want to go back to the other spot with fresh eyes and look again. Perhaps on the next warm day...post fever, of course.
We have also enjoyed Valentine's Day. The girls gave their friends some homemade lollipops, solved clues to find their own valentines at home, and the Mr. took me out to a very nice dinner...pre-fever. So all in all, we have been enjoying some lovely family time, enjoying some sunshine, and enjoying a very relaxed schedule. Homeschoolers get sick days, too.
I hope to have pictures up to show you some pre and post fever fun, but blogger isn't cooperating today. Maybe blogger has a fever, too. Happy Wednesday to you all. Stay healthy! xoANG