Look How Cute!!!!I recently found this ADORABLE website that features the original creations of Maggie Rudy. I even fixed a page to feature *my* personal favorites :) You can go to the dropdown tab under my *FUN* page and view "Mouses Houses" :) To see ALL of Maggie's little mice and to see her book "The House That Mouse Built", you can go directly to her BLOG: www.mouseshouses.blogspot.comHello All! :) No... it's not *my* birthday, it's my husband's birthday... tomorrow :) *Happy Birthday, James!* Time keeps sneeking up on me!! It seems like every time I turn around there's something else going on :) But it's *fun* It looks like we'll be spending our Sabbath in Tennessee this weekend. Brenton's singing competition is sceduled for June 30th, Saturday. He is super *excited!!* Win or "Lose" (it wouldn't be a loss...it will 'still' be a wonderful experience!) it will be a nice time :) Our whole family is looking forward to it :) I'll keep everyone up to date on what happens....
Shalom, Friends <3 *Wow* Where has all the time gone?? It's been since the end of April since I've written anything!! Don't know if there's anyone still checking back after this long :( Sorry!! I've been so consumed with getting our lesson-goals completed before summer, getting our oldest son, Brenton, graduated, learning the Hebrew language, and working on a *new* HOMESCHOOL website, etc...etc...etc... that I haven't taken the time to write anything :( But I want to give a few updates...
*Brenton* is graduated!!! *YEAH* :) He has gotten a job at a Cracker Barrell :) And he was interviewed on a local radio station about his music :) There was also a small little story about him in our local newspaper... telling about his "Aspire To Stardom" competition... which was re-scheduled for *June 30th* So, we'll be taking another trip to Tennessee soon! Brenton has been pretty busy :) He's also went to sing a couple of times at Sam Ash music store for their "open-mic night". It's been fun :) We've also had the fun of visiting the annual "Woodward Family Campout" with our friends for a weekend... their 20th year!! It was very nice weather and great food and conversation. Very nice :) So, things have been pretty busy even though summer has just begun... hope things are well with everyone of you. As I mentioned above, I have been working on a HomeSchool website which I am very excited about :) It will be a pretty good while before it is ready to share, though, because I am trying to put together "lesson guides" and activities for the entire Tanach (Old Testament) for those wanting to include it in their "schooling". So... it's gonna take awhile-- even though it's pretty basic stuff. I am thoroughly enjoying working on it, though (but it's hard to be patient enough to WAIT for it's completion!! :) Well, I suppose that's a pretty good summary of what's been going on in my little corner of the world. Until next time... look for the *joy* in life :) I may have written about this before, or mentioned it in some conversations with some of you, but I was reminded about it again... so... :)
It was a sweet moment early one morning before we started our lessons, or even before we ate breakfast... it was while we were sitting on the couch(es) "waking up" and talking-- me and the children :) We were all still a little 'drowsy', the living room windows were up... and in the distance was the beautiful sound of a dove <3 I LOVE birds and the sounds and songs of birds~ I'm always pointing it out to my children (always have, since they were very young)... and I thought *I* was the only one that heard it that morning, and as I was lost in my thoughts {quietly smiling to myself at the 'coo' of the little dove}... my youngest son said, "Did you hear that dove, Mommy?" :) That's something a lot of people would miss, not even hear or notice-- but Cameron's ear has been "trained to hear" what others don't. [I've heard it's the same musically, but I haven't got an ear to hear music the way musicians can-- so I don't know] That morning reminded me of another incident that happened awhile back... My family was driving down the road on a beautiful day with the windows down and the radio on and different children singing, talking, and laughing-- wind blowing and traffic passing; a LOT of "noise"! :D Yet, in the midst of all of that going on... my ear caught the song of a Meadowlark from a field we were passing <3 The song of a Meadowlark is one of my FAVORITE bird 'songs'! :) I pointed it out and asked if anyone heard it... NOPE, not a one (who could have?? in all that noise!) but *I* HAD :) I wasn't even "trying". I wasn't even expecting it or waiting for it or looking for it... I just HEARD it. My ears are "trained" to hear it :) It sang... and I heard :) Among everything else going on... I heard. When no one else did, I heard. When it "spoke"... I heard. :) From these two examples, it may sound like I put too much silly emphasis on 'hearing birds' :D But it's what I could see "IN" these two examples that I'm really talking about... not just hearing birds. It's the "hearing", it's the being "tuned in"... not to birds, but to what is important. I want to have an ear to hear YHWH. I want to be tuned in to HIS Spirit. To HEAR and OBEY, learn, and be blessed. When others can't or don't or won't... I WANT TO. When there's too much going on in "life"... I want to HEAR. When there is excitement, commotion, or noise... I want to HEAR. When it's still, small, or "in the distance"... I want to HEAR. I want to be "tuned in"... I want my ear to be TRAINED to HEAR :) I want to hear YHWH :) Brenton, my handsome son!!Friday, April 20th, was Brenton's competition in Clarksville, Tennessee... he did *GREAT* :) Unfortunately, only about 4 acts got to compete before getting RAINED OUT!! :( They are going to re-schedule the event for sometime in May. We had a very good time and Brenton got a little more experience, so we don't consider it a loss-- although somewhat disappointing. It was so much fun to watch him perform and see the audience recieve him so well :) The judges were very kind and complimented his performance, which I thought was nice of them... it certainly encouraged Brenton <3 He is playing guitar and singing an original song he has written... I think this "trial run" will help him to feel even more at ease in his perfromance the next time! *YEAH, BRENTON!!* ;)
P.S. Many Many Thanks to Paula Haynes for letting us know about this contest last year (this was Brenton's 2nd year trying out) and to Bobby Hamilton for working on a background soundtrack for Brenton!! We went to Clarksville, Tennessee, this past Sabbath for our son to audition to be a contestant in a talent show... and while we were there, we had a very nice pic-nic at a park. Here are some pictures...
(P.S. Brenton *WAS* selected as a contestant!! :) He was one of about 25 chosen out of about 1,000 people over a month of auditions. *YEAH, Brenton!!*) This morning as I was hanging out my laundry, the weather was a little cool and the breeze brought a fresh fragrance... partly from my clean-smelling laundry, and partly just from the fresh clean air! And as I was enjoying the moment (complete with birds singing:) it occured to me how BLESSED I am. Blessed to be able to be alive and healthy, blessed to see and hear, blessed to live around trees and birds and flowers, blessed to live in a "free" country... on and on and on!!! (Could we EVER list all our blessings??) But I feel an extra sense of thankfulness for the "small" things today... like being able to be at home with my family and hang out my laundry :) I *so* enjoy hanging out laundry :) It's a silly simple pleasure I enjoy... like cleaning house with the windows open and the curtains fluttering in the breeze :) Or spending the day working in the yard mowing, weeding, and "fixing up". Things that aren't considered "fun" but, yet, bring enjoyment or pleasure. I'm especially thankful for those things today :) { Thank You, YHWH!!<3 }
*A JOYful thought~ If we *LOOK* for the good in our circumstances... we can find it :) If we *CHOOSE* to enJOY our life... our life will be enJOYable ;) And if we cultivate *JOY* in our heart... it will grow! *BE BLESSED* A beautiful peaceful *Sabbath* cookout at the Mammoth Cave National Park, last week...Dogwood Trees...Redbud Trees...And Deer!UP CLOSE!!! :)*There were SIX altogether*Yum... burgers and beef hotdogs :)Kaylin & GarrettKaylinMe & CameronJamesBrentonBrentonJames & GarrettGarrett & MeJames & MeKaylin & GarrettMe & BrentonKaylinMe & KaylinMe & CameronGarrettJames & Me*Me*~We stayed until after dark :)
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*A JOYful Thought!**above picture is from Stone Gable http://www.stonegableblog.com/
Speaking...
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