YIKES !!

There was a fire on the farm today.

One of the hay barns caught fire - apparently the cause was either hay being put up too green, or perhaps the bales were packed too tightly (according to the farm manager). Anyway, we had all sorts of fire trucks, farm vehicles, and lots of other cars ... and who knows how many people helping and just watching. There were two tractors with bale spears working furiously to pull out hay bales from the barn to get to the "heart" of the fire, while firefighters sprayed water from the tanker trucks to keep the flames down. The tractors were pulling out the burning hay bales and spreading them through the field (thankfully freshly bush-hogged) to burn themselves out. One tractor apparently came down from a neighboring dairy to help - his tractor skills were quite amazing, as he whipped the machine here and there with flaming haybales up on the bale spear. Isn't it nice how farmers all pull together in a crisis ??

With things being so dry (we are minus almost 9" of rain for the year so far, with none forcasted any time soon), the big risk was the fire spreading.

In the end, it looks as if atleast some of the bales were saved and are still useable. And the barn does not have an noticible damage. But the field is covered with who-knows-how-many smoldering hay bales. Thankfully the breeze is blowing the smoke away from our house - the smell of burning hay is even worse than the smell of rotten hay. And thank goodness that NONE of the cows were ever in danger, and that no one was hurt. Praise God !!

It was an exciting day here on the farm ... and for our family, we have seen enough fire to last a lifetime.

Photo 1: Site of the fire - a hay barn.

Photo 2: Smoldering bales in the field after the fire.

Photo 3: More smoldering bales.

"Small Things With Great Love"

SIDENOTE: I have admired Mother Teresa for many years (and St. Therese The Little Flower as well), reading about her and learning more about the order she founded and the lives she touched. The "Little Ways" have always been my own personal aim; to minister to others in Little Ways with Love. It was through learning about Mother Teresa as a pre-teen that I first heard of this, and she has been a role model of mine in this manner ever since. Her life brought glory to God. In her words, "it is not about me, but it is about Him." Below is an article about her that I received today - and I wanted to share.

Seventy years ago today, on May 24, 1937, Blessed Mother Teresa made her final profession as a Loretto sister. Like most suburban housewives, I have never been to India. I never witnessed Mother Teresa as she ministered to the world's "poorest of the poor." Like many others, however, I devoured books and articles about this dynamic and simple nun who pulled the dying off Calcutta's streets, and gave dignity to those suffering. She literally helped change the world.
At first glance, an American mother's life seems so unlike the life Blessed Mother Teresa had. She lived amidst poverty. We live in a country full of wealth. She wore a simple sari. Most of us have a closet full of clothes. She chose a consecrated life of poverty, chastity and obedience as a sister. We have vocations as wives and mothers. Our lives seem worlds apart, yet Blessed Mother Teresa's spirituality can be instrumental in teaching us to know how to live our vocation and raise our children well.

Here's how.

Mother Teresa teaches us to accept what we get from the hand of God. Biographers tell us that Mother Teresa, whose given name was Agnes, admired St. Therese the Little Flower and her "Little Way" very much, so much that she wanted to take the name 'Therese' upon professing as a sister. However, another postulant also wanted that name and spelling. Quietly, without a fuss, Agnes took the Spanish spelling of the name ('Teresa'), relinquishing the spelling she desired more. In this simple action and attitude, Mother Teresa teaches us to accept what life deals us with calm resolution that God Himself guides all happenings, large or small.

Mother Teresa teaches us there is holiness in doing small things with great love. With a smile on her face she quietly and tenderly cleaned the maggot-filled sores of a dying man, ignoring the stench and fighting the human urge to turn away. She did this again and again and again each day — small things with great love. When I tie my child's shoe patiently or wipe his nose gently, I am doing a small thing with great love. When I serve my husband who has had a difficult day his favorite meal with a smile (even though my own day has been filled with uncooperative children and minor emergencies), I am doing a small thing with great love. When I lead my sick child to the bathroom to throw up for the third time during the night and I clean him and the floor with calm resignation, I am doing a small thing with great love. Life is full of these opportunities. Mother teaches that is the path to holiness.

Mother Teresa teaches us not to fret about the tasks before us. When she was alive she did not wake up in the morning anxious and stressed about the day. She didn't say, "Oh my goodness! I have so much to do! There are so many poor and I can't handle this ...." She simply looked at the task before her, tackled it, and then moved on. We should follow this example in our daily living.

Mother Teresa teaches us it is good to rest. Biographers tell us Mother Teresa took naps. Does this surprise you? There was a point in time when I thought it was a sign of weakness if I laid down to rest during the day or went to bed early. I now see how silly that is. If our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, then taking care of those bodies is a serious responsibility. Besides, refreshed, we can accomplish more.

Mother Teresa teaches us that every person has worth and dignity. The annoying soccer coach, the impatient clerk at the store, the grumpy mailman who bypasses my house because he thinks my van is parked too close to the mailbox — these people were made in the image and likeness of God just as much as the friendly parish priest or sweet, elderly grandmother. Sometimes it would be easier to love a beggar dying in the street than the neighbor who growls at my children if a stray ball rolls in their yard. Mother's actions showed we are to respect everyone.

Mother Teresa started her day with prayer, and arranged her day in an orderly way. She had a schedule. When we do this, we prioritize our lives toward God and keep focused.
God's plans for me are different from what they were for Mother Teresa. Mostly likely I will never tend to wounds of people ravaged by disease or scarred emotionally by severe rejection. But as a mother I will daily tend little wounds many times — a scraped knee after a trip to the playground, my child's hurt feelings over rejection from a playmate, the fatigue of my spouse over the daily troubles of work and family living. By remembering Mother Teresa's example and living the spirituality she demonstrated, I can be an instrument of God, bringing peace and healing in my little part of the world.

For more information on Blessed Mother Teresa, visit her website.

Theresa A. Thomas, wife of David, is a homeschooling mother of nine children, a freelance writer and newspaper columnist for Today's Catholic. Look for her contribution in Amazing Grace: Stories for Fathers due from Ascension Press later this year. This article originally appeared in Today's Catholic.

What To Do On A Hot Day ?

After gardening all morning, one should go to Mayfield's for an icecream cone, of course.

Beginning Our Rose Garden

We have plenty of full sun here, so we intend to begin another Rose Garden. Above are photos of the first two Roses we selected for planting. Eventually there will be a type of border around our Rose Garden, however these things take time. In the mean while, we will begin planting.

Our girls picked the first two roses to plant - so of course we have one pink and one purple (lavendar actually).

Photo 1: High Society Rose (bright pink - climber)

Photo 2: Melody Parfume Rose (lavendar - bush)

Summer Agenda

Things are finally beginning to slow down around here. Soccer is over. VIP Soccer is finished for the season as well. Sunday School is over until the Fall. CCD has ended until the Fall. There are a few Youth Ministry activites planned this summer, but the bulk of it has finished. And First Holy Communion was yesterday, so we are finished preparing for that as well. And we are pretty-well settled in the new house; it is even beginning to feel a bit like "home".

Normally we are almost finished with school for the year too at the end of springtime, but this year we are going to work through the summer to finish some things. We also have a few smaller studies that we are planning to do this summer.

So - what are we going to do now ?? First, we have some gardening to do. We have been planting flowers and bushes, and have a herb garden planned. And if we get a chance (and if we get it tilled again) we are going to put in a small vegetable garden. We still have horseback riding weekly. In the coming weeks we are going to try to spend some quality time together instead of running here and there - maybe play together, do some fun little day trips, and maybe visit the Tennessee River. And we are going to try to regain / reteach some character-training lessons that we seem to have lost through the chaos these past few months. We are headed to the Lake soon for a 4-day weekend which is something we are all looking forward to - we love to swim, boat, jetski, and spend time with our family. Cherub 1 will go away to camp in June for a few days - he is excited about that. We are hoping to do many of the neat activities that are to be part of the library's Summer Reading Program. We have some family coming in early June, which is when we will do Cherub 6's Christening. Then we have more family coming in to visit at the end of June just to visit and sight-see. July is going to be lots of fun - DadToCherubs actually took an almost 2-week vacation and we are going to the lake for all of it. YAHOOO !! (He NEVER takes vacation - so this is rare !). August will be calm with maybe just a trip to the lake and maybe another short getaway weekend somewhere. And September will begin soccer again, and our new school year.

One big thing coming this Fall is that we are hoping to make a trip to New England - to sightsee and to visit family in Maryland and Connecticut. So hopefully we can get things coordinated over the summer. We have been (and will continue) studying American History so there are a lot of neat sites to see along the way. And we have not been to Connecticut for approximately 10 years so it is high-time for a visit. We were in Maryland just a year or two ago, and we are looking forward to visiting again PLUS we missed our trip to the Smithsonian last time due to weather.

Hopefully our summer will be a CALM-busy, if there is such a thing. HA !! Why can't summer last longer ?? Or perhaps we can just make Fall start later ? Hummmm ....... in September we will begin CCD and Sunday school, Youth Ministry activities, soccer (Cherub 6 gets to play this fall for the first time - he is SO excited !!), VIP Soccer, full-schedule school lessons (for all 6 children starting this fall - yikes !) ......

I have to admit - it makes me tired just looking at it all in print. And it is only May ......

More Photos From First Communion Mass May 19th

Photos From First Communion Mass May 19th

Preparing For First Confession and First Communion

After having left the Catholic Church for several years, and now having returned, our older children have begun to process of "catching up". They have worked hard through materials and readings this year to prepare themselves. They have also done a great amount of soul searching and and preparation within their own hearts. They have prayed that God prepare their hearts, minds, and souls for these days. And God has answered - granting them understanding that is, at times, well beyond their years.

Last weekend they each went to Confession for the first time. Our priest was very helpful with both instruction and with encouragement. Each of the children understood well the Sacrament itself, and understand now how it is vital to the daily Walk With Christ. They were each a tiny-bit nervous to begin with, but afterwards agreed that Confession "felt" quite natural and not at all a struggle. They have all spoken since about the impressions on their hearts, and about the "stirrings" within their minds.

Cherub 1, Cherub 2, and Cherub 3 will have their First Holy Communion Mass this weekend. They are prepared and understand the importance of this sacrament. Last evening was the rehearsal (who walks where and when). Today we will go to the church to turn in their projects - each child made a Candle Wrap with grapes and wheat representing the Body (Host) and the Blood (Wine). They also each made a First Communion Banner (each child makes one). These banners traditionally are attached together and are displayed in the church during the First Communion Mass. After the Mass is over, the banners are returned to the individual children to take home. We have decided to frame them and put them in each of their bedrooms - as a reminder of this very special time. The banners themselves are quite lovely, but the planning and dialogue of making them was truly incredible. As a parent, it is so precious to be able to know the "deeper" thoughts of one's children pertaining to their faith and their level of understanding. Traditionally, First Communion is part of 2nd Grade studies. But with our children being a bit older now, I actually am most impressed with the seriousness and deep consideration that they have experienced these past few monthes.

Please pray for our 3 older cherubs tomorrow on this very special day.

Photos above of the Banners and Candle Wraps the children made. (We will post photos from their First Communion Mass in a few days.)

Bowling

Photos of Cherub 1's bowling trip last Wednesday with his CCD class / Youth Group.

Yard Work

We have been mowing today, after 2 days of MAJOR planting. Last weekend we went to the old house and dug up our plants from all of the flower beds.... then we spent 2 days planting them all before they died. YIKES !!

The yard looks so pretty when it is mowed .... and the plants will be beautiful when they get over being transplanted. We moved hostas, daylillies, black-eyed susans, purple cone flowers, brunnera, ferns, small azaeleas, a small forsithia, and a small butterfly bush.

A few weeks ago we put some annuals into window boxes and so urns on the sides of the front porch stairs. They are doing well and are starting to fill in. Geraniums, french marigolds, hot pink petunias, deep purple petunias, and nearly lime-green potato vine for contrast .... the color combination is so bright and cheery that it makes you smile when you see it.

Photo 1: Front Yard (freshly mowed).

Photo 2: Front view of house with planters on sides of steps.

Photo 3: Close up of the planters in the front.

Photo 4: Photo of side yard, looking from front of house. (our chickenhouse is red and in the back left corner of the photo)

Quote To Share

"Large families constitute a witness to faith, to courage, and to optimism, because without children there is no future." ** Pope Benedict XVI **

It's Up And Running ... FINALLY !!

Well, after many many broken promises from the installers and much much aggrivation and frustration (again) .... the T-1 line is up and running here at the new house. YAHOOO !!

The BEST part of having the new line installed (and the REAL reason it IS installed at all) is that DadToCherubs was able to work from home last night for the first time since the fire. (and now he is sound asleep - he works nights.) So now we will get to see him more (HOORAY !!), and he will be able to rest more during his off hours.

And for the rest of us, this means that NOW we can see websites that require a high speed connection like the Wavelit animal cams for hummingbirds http://www.wavelit.com/index.asp?ch=Wildlife&sh=hummingbirds ... they also have woodpeckers, grizzley's, polar bears, and more. The webcams are really interesting - a close up look at some interesting creatures.

And we can blog more often as the upload and download speed are much faster and much more stable for loading photos and such. So that will definately be fun as well.

HOORAY !!

Horseback Riding

The children had Horseback Riding Lessons Monday evening after the soccer game. They each rode "bareback". And everyone had a GRAND time riding Boomer and River.

GOAL !!!

Cherub 5 scored 4 goals in Monday's soccer game, and 2 other "shots" were stopped by the goalie !! (she is the one holding the soccer ball)

A Rainy Saturday

Today we woke up to lots of rain. After taking Bella to the groomer for her 8am appointment, we rode all over town only to discover all of our soccer games had been cancelled. So we went to the grocery store. Then after lunch we spent the afternoon at home playing board games. SORRY was the favorite of the day, although we played many others.

Isn't She Lovely ?!?!

Photo 1: Bella in the car - we had a bit of a staring contest over whether or not she would move her tail before I closed the door. I would move her taila dn begin to close the door, and she would SWOOSH it back to where it was ... and we did this over and over again. Eventually I won. (This is my most favorite photo of her ever - she looks so "instense", but she is totally a Gentle Giant, and with her gentle eyes and long dark eyelashes WHO could say NO to this face ?!?!)

Photo 2: Bella at the groomer, showing off how clean she was.

Photo 3: Back home - photo of the back of Bella's head to show her gingham bows and scarf.

Photo 4: Bella anxiously waiting for the photo session to be over so she could get outside again - FREEDOM !!

Bella went to the groomer this morning at 8am sharp. She weighs 85 pounds by the way, which is still far from the 145 pounds her mother weighed (full grown), but she still has quite a bit of growing to do as she just turned 2yo in January.

Today she was washed and scrubbed and de-matted .... she was brushed, and her nails were done ... and brushed .... and brushed and brushed some more. She looks positively radiant !! The groomer even put little gingham bows and a matching scarf on her ... she looks adorable. Her coat actually shines and shimmers in the light. Now, the question is HOW LONG WILL SHE LOOK LIKE THIS ?? Probably not very long, espicially since we have never ever seen her THIS clean. The good news for her is that her undercoat is thinned out (from brushing) so she will be nice and comfortable now when it gets hot outside.

The groomer commented that Bella has all of the physical attributes and markings of a show Pyrenees .... but we know that she is farrrrr too "dedicated" to her "flock (children, chickens, cats, and Daisy) to waste her time on something so frivilous such as "shows". HA !! She is a simple dog .... with simple needs ... and a lot of love to give. (She said THANK YOU to Dumma, who she loves very much.)

Books, Books, Books !!

Among the things lost in the fire were our books. We lost our entire home library which, over the years, had become quite large. Thanks to many Ambleside and other homeschooling mom's from all over, we have quite a collection of wonderful books already (many of which we are already using !). These gifts were so precious and we think of and pray for each of those families who shared with us so generously every day. We were also able to purchase more than a few books through Amazon after so many generous donations of "book dollars" as well.

Now, back on topic .... we have a library to build anew. So today I went to our local Homeschool Used Book Sale. There I found more than a few things we needed, along with many good books to add to our growing (again) library.

When I brought everything home, the children took turns with Ooooo's and Ahhhhhh's and, in some cases, actually squeals of delight while looking through all of the books (and a few other things too).

Below is a list of what I bought today. Most of the books were $1 or less each - I could hardly believe it !!

Little Pilgrim’s Progress (Helen Taylor)
Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan)
Selected Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne
In Their Own Words: Abraham Lincoln (George Sullivan)
A Wonder Book (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
Beowulf (Burton Raffel translation)
Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)
One Nation Under God (Rus Walton)
Peter Pan (J.M. Barrie)
The Story of Sitting Bull, Great Sioux Chief (Lisa Eisenberg)
Davy Crockett And The Highwaymen (Ron Fontes)
Silas Marner (George Eliot)
A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
At The Back of the North wind (George MacDonald)
The Moffats (Eleanor Estes)
Helen Keller (Margaret Davidson)
Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain)
Johnny Tremain (Esther Forbes)
The Once And Future King (TH White)
Little Lord Fauntleroy (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
Manners Matter ! (Hermine Hartley)
Stories of Pilgrims (Margaret B. Pumphrey)
The California God Rush (May McNeer)
I, Columbus, My Journal (Peter Roop)
The Oxford Book of Narrative Verse
The White Stallion (Elizabeth Shub)
Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
God Is Good Series (beginning readers from Rod & Staff)
The Penderwicks (Jeanne Birdsall)
Basil And The Pygmy Goats (Eve Titus)
Basil of Baker Street (Eve Titus)
Under the Lilacs (Louisa May Alcott)
The Ghost of Windy Hill (Clyde Robert Bulla)
Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women (Cornelia Meigs)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)
The Water Babies (Charles Kingsley)
Wee Sing Bible Songs songbook
Music of the Great Composers (Patrick Kavanaugh)
The Mayflower Pilgrims (Edmund Janes Carpenter)
William Bradford (Charles P. Graves)
Caddie Woodlawn (Carol Ryrie Brink)
King Arthur And His Knights (Howard Pyle)
Weather And The Bible: 100 Questions and Answers (Donald Young)
Exploring The Night Sky (Terence Dickinson)
The Emperor’s New Clothes (Hans Christian Andersen)
Captain’s Corageous (Rudyard Kipling)
George Washington, The Christian (William Johnson)
The Mayflower Adventure (Colleen Reece)
The Secret of the Caves (older Hardy Boys mystery) (Franklin Dixon)
Writer’s Inc.
The Story of the Statue of Liberty (Natalie Miller)
Prima Latina (Complete Set of Latin Year 1 Student and Teacher books)
MATH IT game
PRE MATH IT game
Notebook Atlas and Fact Guide (map skills workbook)
Considering God’s Creation (science curriculum – complete with student and teachers books)
The Nature Study Idea Book (Mary E. Woodis)

On Tuesday, a friend and I are headed to the "big city" to the used bookstore ... in search of more treasures of course. And afterwards we are going for icecream to celebrate !!

And just a thought to share on this topic ... every book-aholic needs a friend who is also a book-aholic so they can CELEBRATE trips to the bookstore together !! HA !!

Exploring Downtown

While we were waiting to pick up Daisy from the groomer, we explored "downtown" a bit since we have never been in this area before moving here, other than "just passin' through" to somewhere else.

We found a cute little park in the middle of town with a gazebo and beautiful flowers ... all done by the Veterans. There were big markers in rememberance of World War 1 and World War 2 Veterans, and a railroad car, and a plaque explaining how this area can to be sponsored by the Overhill Society. And there is a Duck Pond where we can (someday soon) go to feed the ducks.

It was a neat little "history" lesson all in itself (we are studying American History currently), all the while getting aquainted with our new "home town". We also were able to identify most of the flowers and plants in the little park, which tied in some of our Botany lessons from not too long ago. It seems this might be a neat little town in which to go "window shopping' with quite a few quaint little shops, and there is also an Old Fashioned Bakery and Ice Cream shop (yummy !).

Above are photos in the little park, of the gazebo, and a few of "downtown".

A Day of Beauty

Daisy went for a much-needed Day of Beauty today. (aka - she went to the groomer.) She was 3 weeks overdue when the fire happened, and then of course we did not have dog brushes (nor could we remember to get some new ones), and neither could we remember to make an appointment and actually take her to the groomer (poor Daisy !) .... so needless to say, she was quite "doggy", plus she is shedding a lot for summer. But we must say she was VERY good-natured about it all and did not complain at all. And we finally made an appointment and took her to be groomed.

So, today was her day ... and after 4 hours of brushing, washing, combing, clipping, and overall primping ... TA DA !!! She was given lavendar bows for her ears and a pretty pink and white calico scarf (her others were lost in the fire) ..... she is so clean and soft and shiny .... just LOVELY !! The groomer here in town is very sweet and was extremely patient and kind - we were very pleased and will definately be using her from now on !!

Then this afternoon we went by the vet's office to get K-9 Advantix (for fleas, ticks, and mosquitos) .... so now she will be flea-free and tick-free and unbothered by mosquitos again. (Bella got her meds too today. Her appointment with the groomer is at 8am tomorrow - so stay tuned for more Doggy News.)

Daisy seems very pleased to be clean and lovely again ....... and she said THANK YOU DUMMA !!

Above are photos:

Photo 1: The "before" photo as we were getting ready to get in the car.

Photo 2: At the groomer (who was extremely sweet and kind to Daisy, and her family !).

Photo 3: At the groomer.

Photo 4: Relaxing at home after her Day of Beauty.

Photo 5: Resting with a smile - and enjoying being photographed.

Soccer Chick

This is a photo of Cherub 5 - our resident Soccer Queen. She scores goals, is a mean defender, and runs faster that words can describe on her little legs.

The Elusive GREAT BLUE HERON

There is a Crane that visits the big pond in front of our house quite often - early in the morning and late in the evening. The children can barely wait to use this lovely creature for their Nature Notebook entry. The trouble is, although we have SEEN it many times already, we have so far been unable to get a photo of it. Here is the best we have so far - it flew away just as we got "in place" to take the photo. (it is "flying away" in the middle of the photo)

CORRECTION MAY 23, 2007: We have it on good authority that this elusive bird is a GREAT BLUE HERON and that his name is HANK. It is wonderful to live in a place where friends lived before - they give lots of neat information and helpful hints. THANK YOU O-TRIBE !!

Busy Busy Busy

This we have been for sure !! Well, things are beginning to settle into a fairly normal routine here, the only trouble being that this is Springtime which is ALWAYS very very hectic and "pushed for time" for our family. In the thick of it all, we have had a pretty productive, "structured", busy week so far.

We started back to school full time on Monday, all subjects covered for everyone. HOORAY !! On Monday we work together all day. We reviewed our Geography, American History, Botany, Zoology, Shakespeare, Artist Study, Composer Study, and Poetry. We even made a few new notebook pages to start things off. We also reviewed our Bible lessons and decided to begin again on our book study of King of the Golden City (by Mary Loyola). On Tuesday and Wednesday (and Thursday and Friday we do this same schedule) we did Bible together with breakfast. Then the three older children (Cherub 1, Cherub 2, and Cherub 3) worked independently on Math, Math Drills, Spelling, Penmanship, Writing, Copywork, Grammar, and Literature. When they are finished, we go over each assignment 1:1 and work out any difficulties, and they make any necessary corrections. While they are working independently, I work with the 2 younger children (Cherub 4 & Cherub 5) with Math, Math Drills, Spelling, Reading, Literature, Phonics, and Penmanship. Cherub 6 joins in from time to time. He even has a special notebook of his very own, which he loves. At lunchtime we are all helping to read our current read-aloud which is Five Little Peppers and How They Grew right now. With diligence and focus, we are normally finished with school around 2pm daily, and so far we are right on schedule. The children have each said how much they enjoy doing their school work again - "it makes life feel normal again" they said. The children are looking forward to doing our Nature Journals on Friday - the pond is overflowing with "inspiration" - cat tails, birds, algae, wildflowers, plant life, and our ever evasive Grey Crane.

We mowed the grass this week and trimmed around the edges. And we are preparing our veggie garden for planting - hopefully we can get to this in the middle of next week. The plan was to use it as part of our Botany study, and then we will get to eat the "projects". We are growing the basics - tomatoes, squash, zucchini, peas, green beans, watermelon, cantelope, carrotts, radishes, and so forth.

Tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon we go to pick up our Ford Expedition from the body shop finally. It was damaged in the fire quite a bit as it was parked by the garage. A 1 week repair took 2 weeks. But we are not complaining because it is all fixed and detailed, and has new brakes and wheel bearings. HOORAY !! It looks beautiful again. We are excited to get it back, espicially as it is getting hot. Our little van does not have air conditioning, but it runs like a champ, and we were never without a car to use.

DadToCherubs finished hanging the curtains in our bedroom, and then assembled his "monster" desk today (it is HUGE !!) . He is getting ready for his T1 to be installed (May 8th according to Bell South - ha ha ha !!). He is still working "in town" until his line is installed - then he will be working full time from home again. This will make life seem VERY normal again for everyone. Speaking of DadToCherubs, he turned 35yo on Monday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADTOCHERUBS !!

On Monday I coached Cherub 5's soccer practice, while DadToCherubs took Cherub 3 and Cherub 4 to their practice. We will do this again on Thursday, after which we are going to the High School to watch the Boys Varsity Soccer team play. The children are very excited - we get to go to watch "the big boys" play and sit on the bleachers and cheer loudly - they are all looking very forward to this !

Due to schedule issues, we do not have horseback riding this week, but will again next week. Our instructors schedule was very busy, and with our focus being on school so intently this week, it worked out well to skip this week for us as well.

Oh, and last Wednesday was the end of CCD for Cherub 1 for the year. And this Sunday is the last week of CCD for all of the other Cherubs for the year, so there will be a luncheon after church. All we have left is 2 classes to prepare for First Holy Communion for Cherub1 , Cherub2, and Cherub3. They will have their First Confession this Saturday, and will receive their First Communion on May 19th. So church life will be calm for the summer, except maybe for Bible school if we attend.

So - when soccer ends for the season on May 19th, we will ONLY have school, horseback riding, and perhaps swimming lessons in May (if the class still has spaces left - I forgot to go to register early - YIKES !), and then just school and horseback riding through the summer with the exception of some side-trips (aka Field Trips). We had originally planned to do "some" (light) school through the summer, but having lost a bit of time after the fire, it seems we will be doing "full" school through the summer with a few breaks inbetween for trips to the Lake and Field trips. The children were not upset at all when we told them this, which is good. They want "normal life" to last for a while, so it all worked out well.

UPDATE MAY 4: The Homeschool Swim Class has been cancelled because there are not enough instructors. So we are planning to take lessons in a the regular 5-day-per-week-for-2-weeks session in June. This actually works out better for us because by then soccer and church activities will be finished so we will not have to do quite so much "running".

We are quite busy, but even through it all, we have had a great "normal" week ... and we thank God for every minute of it, no matter how exhausting. (HA !)

Goodness, it makes me even more tired just reading it all ..... but this is life at Beck's Bounty lately....

The photo above I found via Google Image search - this is definately how I am feeling lately. HA !!