famous...not really

Today an article about us and our decision to homeschool was published online.
You can read it here.

article and photo by julia marshall

Dona Nobis

Sometimes it is hard to remember the day her deafness was confirmed, sometimes it is hard to recall when we wondered if she would ever love music. Well, I can tell you now, that Delia loves music; to listen to music, to play music, to dance to music, to sing with the music...she is always singing while practicing her lessons.

She is playing Dona Nobis and Come Thou Long Expected Jesus and yes, that is as fancy as she gets these days.

because we need to be lifted

then the mamas crafted

yesterday while the kiddos made peanut butter pine cones and custom gift wrap,
the mamas set to work, stamping muslin bags.

3 different sizes of bags.
oodles of stamps.
tons of creativity.
snippets of time.
(as children do not self craft!)

we used stamps we had on hand.
regular old stamp pads, also on hand.
and imagination.

watch out, you just never know when one of these bags might make it to your doorstep.

gotta love holiday crafts.
especially the quick projects.
stay tuned for future holiday crafts.

holiday crafting

yesterday we ( a term i use loosely) made pinecone bird feeders.
the mamas crafted indoors (more on that endeavor later) and the littles crafted out of doors.

messy, fun merriment.

pine cones slathered in peanut butter doused with bird seed.
holiday gift for the birds of the air.

or the squirrels all depending on who gets there first.

later we attached twine and placed in waxed paper bags and shared with neighbors.

later the littles dolloped paint on kraft paper.

tempera paint, kraft paper and good old fashion fun.

this adorable little, desperately wanted to help the big kids
but was encouraged to toddle around indoors with the mamas instead.
thanks mama for the fun times, hot cocoa and cranberry bread.

christmas music

I spotted this video over at whatever.
a perfect pick-us up.
putting us in the spirit.
lifting our spirits.
our tears flow less today than yesterday.
by the grace of the One we celebrate daily and especially at christmas we move forward.
and we bought a champagne tinsel tree...so out of character.
more on the ifam christmas spirit.

Lucy

3+ years ago lucy entered our lives in the form of a puppy.
see exhibit 1
then a name
see exhibit 2

here she is today with jude..a bid thee farewell photo.
oh how we love her...she stole our hearts.
exhibit a
she was exceedingly loyal (too loyal), faithful, and fun.
the most wonderful companion a family could wish for

she loved and was loved and will love again.
our hearts are so heavy
oh, so heavy.
in fact, i never knew one could cry so much over a dog.
i had no idea.

yesterday, lucy did something out character, she bit a child.
today we surrendered her to animal services.
the hardest decisions are often the right decisions.
as someone wisely wrote to me earlier today:
"God's eye is on the sparrow and on the dog and the humans too."



****
please note that the child is doing fine...the skin was not broken.
for which we are so grateful.