Beautiful visitor

Sometimes beauty seeps into your life
A beautiful person that brings joy
Someone that makes life stand still
that makes the sun shine...


This past week, we have been touched by that beauty
in the person of my sister, Hanna.


Tears fall now that she has gone.

But the joy remains, in talks about her, in laughter, in memories...

A best friend, a sister, an aunt.

And symbols of hope right over our roof....

15?

Happy Birthday Ian!


I met you when you were that sweet little six year old.

As soon as I met you you asked me, "Are you going to be my mom?"


As soon as I was your mom you asked me, "When do I get a baby brother or sister?"... little did you know you would have MANY baby brothers and sisters



How can you be 15 now?



I am so grateful for you.
You are an amazing person.

These days of spring...

are filled with rambunctious, beautiful, silly little twin girls...



with sweet, growing baby...





with brother and sister who still find a best friend in each other...


with nature walks and an abundance of color...


with love, with laughter, with games, with chores, with imperfections and with grace, with longing, with peace, with tears, with joy!

I hope your spring is marvelous as well,

Amy

Books for all ages

We have a family filled with readers. We read to our babies before they are even born, and in turn every child has grown to fill their days with wonderful, inspiring and sometimes challenging literature.

I have been asked for book recommendations for children and thought it best to let my children do the recommending. I asked them to write down their favorites, I also gave them a limit because I knew they would go on forever.

Book recommendations from a 6 year old boy

Winnie-the-Pooh and House at Pooh Corner A.A. Milne
When we Were Very Young and Now we are Six A.A. Milne
Old Mother West Wind Thornton Burgess
Adventures of Peter Cottontail Thornton Burgess
Adventures of Danny Meadowmouse Thornton Burgess
The Bible :)
The Wizard of Oz Frank L. Baum
Mr. Popper's Penguins Robert and Florence Atwater
Stuart Little E.B. White


Book Recommendations from 7 year old girl

The Melendy Quartet Elizabeth Enright
The Little House Series Laura Ingalls Wilder
Pollyanna Eleanor Porter
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Princess and the Goblin George MacDonald
Caddie Woodlawn Carol Ryrie Brink
Anne of Green Gables L.M. Montgomery
Wild Animals I have Known Ernest Seton
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carrol
Favorite Poems Old and New
Jack and Jill Louisa May Alcott
A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens


Book Recommendations from 14 year old boy

Kidnapped Robert Louis Stevenson
Three Muskateers Alexander Dumas
The Spy James Fenimore Cooper
Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys Louisa May Alcott
In Freedom's Cause G.A. Henty
My Side of the Mountain Jean Craighead George
David Copperfield Charles Dickens
Johnny Tremain Esther Forbes
The Robe Lloyd Douglas

Those were their favorites, but I thought, why stop now?

Books I read to my littlest littles

Ox-Cart Man
The Very Last First Time
Make Way for Ducklings
Uncle Wiggly's Storybook
Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories
Curious George books
Beatrix Potter books
The Best Nest
Frog and Toad books


Books we love to read aloud

The Wonder-Clock
Lang's fairy books
Burgess bird and Animal books
Among the... People series
The Complete Peterkin Papers
The Little House books



Mama's favorites

The Original Homeschooling series Charlotte Mason
For the Children's Sake Susan Schaeffer Macualy
What is a Family? Edith Schaeffer
The Hidden Art of Homemaking Edith Schaeffer
Ragamuffin Gospel Brennan Manning
Life Together Deitrich Bonhoffer
Keys to the Deeper Life A.W. Tozer
Mitten Strings for God Katrina Kennison
Charlotte Mason Companion Karen Andreola
Walk in the Light Leo Tolstoy
The Hiding Place Corrie TenBoom
Uncle Tom's Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe
Jayber Crow Wendell Berry
Hannah Coulter Wendell Berry
Jane Austen books
Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
No Compromise Melody Green


Daddy's favorites

Books by:

A.W. Tozer
Deitrich Bonhoffer
C.S. Lewis

This is just a small sampling of books we love.
Hope you find something to enjoy!

Things that make me smile

Family

Love

Joy

8 weeks

brothers

sisters

new life

Spring

May your spring be delightful as you rejoice for our Risen King and enjoy the things that make you smile!

Amy

So you want to go back to Egypt?

That is what my husband asked me this afternoon after we left my mama at the airport. She had been here since Saturday, come from California to meet baby Moses.

We had such a wonderful time, I was so sad to see her leave. It had been a year since I last saw her. As we were driving away from the airport I was sitting in the back with Moses and my husband saw my sullen face in the rear view mirror.

"What's the matter," caring husband asks with concern.

"Nothing."

"Hmmm.... So, you want to go back to Egypt?"

Do I? Is that why I am sad? Do I want to go back to Egypt?

Egypt, for me, is my hometown in CA. We moved to Washington almost two years ago, ready to live somewhere we could afford to live and comfortably raise our family, a place where we could plant a church and my husband could pastor, an area where we felt we should be and we were needed... away from my Egypt... where we couldn't afford to rent a one bedroom apartment, where we couldn't plant a church because there the Vineyard church is like Starbucks (one on every corner)...

but it's beautiful,
but my friend is there,
but my family is there,
but I'm comfortable there,
but it's home!


Do I want to go back to Egypt?
YES...
I always do.

But that's not where I am supposed to be...
I'm supposed to be here, in the desert (and it really is a desert)
This is where God has led us,
and I am going to trust Him
I am going to be content,
I am not going to complain,
and I know He will bring that which He promised to fruition.
I will be faithful and wait upon Him...
and when I desire Egypt I will remember His promises and thank Him for where I am.

"So you wanna go back to Egypt
Where it's warm and secure
Are sorry you bought the one way ticket
When you thought you were sure
You wanted to live in the land of promise
But now it's getting so hard
Are you sorry you're out here in the desert
Instead of your own back yard
...
So you wanna to back to Egypt
Where your friends wait for you
You can throw a big party and tell the whole gang
Of what they said was all true"

-Keith Green

The Baby

Where did you come from, baby dear?

Out of the everywhere into the here.

Where did you get your eyes so blue?
Out of the sky as I came through.



What makes the light in them sparkle and spin?
Some of the starry spikes left in.

Where did you get that little tear?
I found it waiting when I got here.


What makes your forehead so smooth and high?
A soft hand stroked it as I went by.

What makes your cheek like a warm white rose?
Something better than anyone knows.


Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss?
Three angels gave me at once a kiss.

Where did you get that pearly ear?
God spoke, and it came out to hear.


Where did you get those arms and hands?
Love made itself into hooks and bands.

Feet, whence did you come, you darling things?
From the same box as the cherubs' wings.


How did they all just come to be you?
God thought about me, and so I grew.

But how did you come to us, you dear?
God thought of you, and so I am here.

-George Macdonald
The Baby

What?

Let me preface this by saying that if you are one of the people who asked me this, you know I love you and really, I find this humorous more than anything!...

I just find it so funny, interesting and, well, odd that not one, not two, but three people asked me this within a couple hours of my giving birth to baby Moses...



"How are you feeling?"
"Good."
"How is baby?"
"He's doing great!"
"Are you done now?"

Yes, I had this conversation with three of my dear loved ones on the phone right after he was born.

I realize some may think I have enough children... (enough? how can there ever be enough hugs, kisses, laughter, smiles, baby smell, hair to brush, shoes to tie, owies to kiss, tea parties to have, legos to build, little hands to hold, little darlings to rock and sing to...?), but really, can't I just enjoy this sweet, brand new, precious little guy before I'm pounced upon with "are you done now?"



I'm looking at him right now, two weeks old today... he is perfect. His sweet baby lips, soft skin, amazing smell. Oh how every dear baby just radiates the miracle of God's creation! Wow... babies just take my breath away.

Interview and giveaway

I just wanted to let you know that Hannah at Cultivating Home did an interview with author Mary Ostyn and is having a giveaway of her two books! Head on over and enter.

Baby Moses

Moses Hughes
January 29, 2010
8 lbs 12 oz
20 in