Our School Year By: Stella Age: 9

Well, I have a writing assignment and I thought that I would write a little bit about our school year as we are wrapping up this week. Today is Monday, so we are doing school and we will finish Thursday. We are very excited!
We have had a wonderful year as we have done fun books, and all sorts of other subjects! We thank you so much Mater for being the best and greatest teacher in the whole world!
Just as a reminder for if you did not see the first post that Mater did, this is what the whole Alma Mater is about. That is what we call our school because that means that it is a school where the teachers know their students one by one.
Thanks also for coming and checking our blog during this delightful school year! We will keep you posted about future excitements!

THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING THE BEST TEACHER
OUR WONDERFUL MATER!
THANKS TO ALL TEACHERS WHO HAVE CHANGED
OUR LIVES!

Mother's Day 2009

Thank you, everyone!

You only have to read Stella's post on Mother's Day to see just how much love I received from my husband and precious children. Stephen gave me the most beautiful card, and the kids gave me their own sweet card, wishing me a "peaceful, relaxing" sort of day. I tried not to laugh when I read that part; there isn't anything PEACEFUL about life with four kids ages 9 and under. I love them with all of my heart and wouldn't have traded that special day for the world.

As a special bonus, Mom and Adam stopped by and took some pictures.

A Special Mother's Day By: Stella (Sis) Age: 9

Mater, (MOM) did not have time to write about Mother's Day so Mater (MOM) asked me to write about Mother's Day. Here goes...

Well, first of all, Saturday, the day before Mother's Day, Pater (DAD), Taurus (Baby Boy), Tert (Papoose), and I (Stella, Sis) went out Mother's Day shopping. We brought Leo (Buddy) to a b-day party for his friend. It was in Northfield and I had been out in Tilton with Mom on Sunday going shopping on our way to Evening Service and I had spotted a couple of neat things. Well, we went out and did our shopping and then we went to Burger King for supper. We were all stuffed and then we went and picked up Leo, (Buddy) from his b-day party and headed home.
Although it was the day before Mother's Day, we couldn't hide one of our presents for Mater (MOM), so we gave it to her. "FLOWERS!" "OH!" "MY FAVORITE KIND TOO!"

The next day I looked at my alarm clock. It said: 5:30... "OH NO!"I thought. "I am supposed to get up at 6:00 a.m.! I waited for a tedious fifteen minutes and then I couldn't wait any longer. I got up and grabbed the triple choc. muffin mix. I put in all of the ingredients, spooned it into the muffin tin and then woke Dad up to put them in the oven. He put them in the oven, and then since we were the only ones up I got our cards and signed ours to Mater, (MOM) and Pater (Dad) signed his. Then slowly
Tert, (Papoose), Taurus, (Baby Boy, Mama's Baby,) and finally,Leo, (Buddy) got out of bed. Mater, (MOM) was up but we made her stay in bed while we made the eggs for her breakfast in bed. I made Mater's (MOM'S) eggs and Pater, (Dad) made mine and Leo's (Buddy's). Then after that I put the present in a bag with some pink tissue paper in it. I got out Mater's (MOM'S) muffin out of the tray and I put a rose, and a pretty white flower on the tin. Then I made her coffee. I took the stuff in and the gift. We all eagerly watched her open it and then...


"OH!" "OH, SANDALS! THE ONES WE SAW IN THE STORE! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN ME TWO GIFTS, OH COME HERE! OHHHH! WHERE IS MY NAIL POLISH? I NEED MY FEET TO LOOK NICE SO THAT I CAN STARE AT THEM ALL DAY OHHHHHHHHHH!"

We had as much of a wonderful Mother's Day that Mom had hopefully!
"HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS!"

Bear with me while I share a few more quotes...

My precious husband gave me the early Mother's Day gift of a quiet evening at home. I just got a call from Sis (Stella), saying that they're about to descend on me, and the baby is NOT happy. So I'll end this blissful evening by sharing some funnies from kids. I need to remind myself of how cute they are before I'm thrust into the tearful bedtime routine. :)

Rus (age 3): "Mom! Your bum is as big as DADDY's!!"

"I can't wear these sneakers!! They aren't my color."

"I smell RENEWAL cow poop." (meant manure)

"Mommy, may you change the baby? I don't like the stink of him."

Rus told me that the poop on his bedroom floor was "probably tomorrow's poop."

"Can you wipe his nose? It's driving me CWAZY!"

"Mom, the baby is disrupting the kids!"

"Mom, can I have another ROAST BEEF." It took me the longest time to figure out that he meant a FRISBEE!

"That was so good I could hardly feel my tummy."

Stephen was describing something slanted. Leo observed,"You mean it's kind of oblique?"

Leo announced when the 3 boys were playing, "No one can every disconnect our brothership!!"

Where Do I Begin?

It has been so long since I posted here. I scarcely know where to begin. This has been a challenging winter for us in a lot of ways. Our new home has proven to be, in Stephen's words, an "unqualified disaster." For a while we had a major item (like a furnace, plumbing,chimney, drywell) misfunctioning or breaking nearly every week. And that's not including the "smaller" items like our dryer, washing machine,and vacuum cleaner that decided to quit at the same time. Yet, as I look back, I see just as many blessings mingled in with these setbacks. Unique blessings that arrived just as we were about to lose heart. During this winter we have been humbled by the love and care of our extended family who have generously shared with us and friends who have cared enough to pray and support us through our season of disappointments.

Recently I've thought a lot about God's providence and the puzzling forms it takes. I wonder why He chose to place us in a home where our faith and finances would be stretched nearly to the breaking point. Why He keeps me guessing where money for small household things like sneakers will come from.

Last Sunday, Stephen and I were reflecting on how God provided in such a puzzling way for the Israelites' needs. Why a God who could have spread a lavish feast in the wilderness would choose to provide coriander cookies day after day after day... Why He'd give them water from a rock instead of making a bubbling spring appear.

I realize that most of our questions will never be answered in this life and rest in the knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows how to give GOOD gifts to His children, even when they come in a form we would not ourselves choose.