Happy Easter 2016! (Siobhan)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Our family had a wonderful Easter, and we hope you did as well.

Dyeing Easter eggs!

We did a fun Easter egg hunt and had a wonderful Easter dinner with some friends from Tennessee.

Filia and C made some Easter bracelets. Click here to see our tutorial.

~Easter Menu 2016~

Pineapple Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Click here to see our Pineapple Stuffing recipe printable

Click here to see our Sweet Potato Casserole recipe printable

Grandma's Homemade Applesauce

Broccoli Salad

Click here to see our Broccoli Salad recipe printable

Maple Oat Nut Scones

Click here to see our Maple Oat Nut Scones recipe post

For our main course we had Glazed Ham with Spiced Cranberry and Orange sauce.

Fresh Fruit and Lemon Trifle

Click here for our Fresh Fruit and Lemon Trifle recipe printable

Chocolate Mousse Trifle

Click here for our Chocolate Trifle recipe printable

Click here to see our Easter 2015 post

Click here to see all of our Easter posts

Aidan's Internet Essay

I am really pleased with the improvement in Rus's writing this year.  He is working diligently through the "Radar, Rockets, and Robotics" Institute for Excellence in Writing program, demonstrating his dad's aptitude for all things technical.  Here is his most recent essay, including stylistic techniques and dress-ups.

The Invention that Changed the World

                [3]Amazingly, the sophisticated invention that has changed the world more than anything else is the internet.  [4]According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the number of internet users has gone up from 1% to 40% between  1995 and 2016. The internet has changed employment. It has changed learning. The Internet has changed communication. The impact it has made on people’s lives is mind boggling.

                The internet has quickly changed the way people learn.[3] Amazingly, the library, which used to be the place where people found the information they needed, is being replaced by this powerful tool. [1]Google is where many people find information. Even my 94 year old grandmother said “you don’t need a brain if you have a google.” [4]Using the internet, students can take courses and even achieve college degrees. The internet has transformed how students learn.

In addition to  impacting learning, the Internet had affected employment. One thing it has changed for the better  is the communication between bosses and employees. Bosses can communicate with employees easily, which can be very important, using the internet.[1] Job searches can be carried out much more efficiently with the internet than without it. [3]Amazingly, people can effortlessly apply for jobs. Working from home has become an option with the internet. The internet has Improved the way people work.

                Internet searches have significantly changed learning and employment, and social media through the internet has affected communication. People can stay in touch with hundreds of “friends,” which may seem ridiculous, with social media. Since you do not need to use careful grammar with short text messages sent back and forth, the internet has greatly affected how people speak. Slang has become the norm. The quality of communication has changed greatly with so many people using the internet.

                The Internet has changed so many things from working and learning to communication. The internet has changed some things for the better, but it has also made some negative changes in people’s lives. We can say that the internet deserves to be called the invention that changed the world.

               

Some More Quotes

Twin pregnancy has opened up a whole new world of indignities.  On Monday I got stuck in my parking space at the doctor's office, unable to open the door wide enough to squeeze my belly through.  Yesterday I zipped my winter coat for the last time, much to the amusement of my 14 year old who agreed that I resemble Winnie the Pooh.  And today I pulled out my swollen, purple calves as a dramatic visual for my science lesson on vascular plants.  All I can say is that these little guys owe their mama big time!  :)  These challenges are tempered by the kids' eager anticipation of the twins' arrival.  Brandan often lifts my shirt, asking if he can talk to the babies.  Last night, he saw my tummy and said with the most tender sympathy and reassurance, "Ohhh, Mom...You're okay..."  Another time he watched his twin brothers rolling around in my tummy, and he said, "It's a chicken in there!"

Connor was flipping through his biography on Charles Lindbergh and, when he saw the picture of the Eiffel Tower, he announced, "Spoiler alert!  Now we KNOW he's going to make it across the Atlantic!"

Shaila - "Mom, it's not like I HATE you, but God loves you SO much more than I do.  He loves us SOOOOO much, even with our sin!"

"The Holy Spirit lives deep in your heart, even deeper than the TWINS!"

Someone asked Shaila if she had said goodnight to me.  Her answer was, "Yes, MULTIPLE times!"

Last night Brandan crawled into bed with me while I was reading.  He was in a chatty mood and asked me a string of questions.  Among them was, "Is this your bed, Mom?  And does Dad live here?"

It was about a hundred degrees in our house yesterday, and Brandan was feeling compassionate toward his hugely pregnant mother, too limp to move from the rocking chair.  Dripping with sweat, he offered the only comfort he could come up with, "Mom, I can keep your tummy warm if you want!"

Brandan has proven to be our most verbal 2 year old boy.  We often have to stifle our giggles when he misspeaks because he flies into a tearful rage if he thinks anyone is laughing at him.  Here's a sampling of his cutest mistakes...

He was holding up his Bert doll (an unfamiliar character since he doesn't watch Sesame Street).  He looked confused and asked, "Mom is this called BURP or DIRT?"
"Mom, Cora is making a RABBIT out there!"  (meant racket)
On the way to church this morning, the boys were commenting on an "awesome audi," and Brandan repeated, "Did you say you SAW THE MAIL LADY?"
 

I recently finished a fantastic book called "Teaching From Rest" which reminded me that a RIGOROUS education can quickly slip from excellence to into imbalance.  The author pointed out that rigor comes from the same Latin root as rigor mortis - literally "approaching education with the stiffness of death."  : /  The other day I realized I might need to relax a little when Ethan came to me after a long school day, exasperated.  He said, "Mom, I've been working hard all day, but I just don't know how I'm going to fit in writing my Progymnasmata in the style of Virgil!"







 

The Evolution of Cars (Aidan) - IEW Assignment

Did you know that there are more than one billion cars on the road today? Many great inventors have experimented with various car designs. The man who made the first successful and cheap car was Henry Ford. He established his own company hoping that he could offer a reliable and affordable car to the average American. Over time his design improved to make cars more comfortable and faster.

Henry Ford was the first man to invent a successful and cheap car. Because the oldest

cars used to be unreliable, Henry Ford’s Model T was a big hit. Ford was the first inventor who

put together factory parts on an assembly line. Being so affordable, the Model T was a big

success. Edison invented the electric car around the time Henry Ford created the Model T.

Edison’s car was not a success.  Although the car was not a success, the battery was used for

many different uses. Interestingly, the battery is still used today. Henry Ford successfully

invented the assembly line, providing the average American with an affordable car.

Over time cars improved and became more comfortable. In addition to the Model T  the

Stanley Steamer, which was very comfortable to drive on bumpy roads, was invented by two

brothers. It was very successful.  During the roaring 20’s, people eagerly bought cars.

Interestingly, cars were starting to be made for recreation, not just transportation. Also cars

started becoming more reliable. People started expecting cars to provide safety comfort and

luxury.

Many principles of design in old fashion cars are still being used today. Because of

Henry Ford and other inventors, we have learned how to create cars with speed. The fastest is the

Bugatti. It can go  almost 270 mph. Family cars are becoming very luxurious.  Amazingly, the

Ferrari, which is a very well-known supercar, is making a family car that can go up to 200 mph.

That’s fast! Cars have  come a long way from Henry Ford’s Model T to the Bugatti.

            Henry Ford designed the first successful car, and this most brilliant invention changed the ways Americans live. From the most basic family car to the fastest super car, all automobiles are based on the original design of Henry Ford’s Model T. Since the invention of the Model T cars have become more comfortable safer and faster. We can only wonder what the next century holds for the evolution of cars. 
By: Rus (5th Grade/Age: 10) 

Physics SPIN Club at UNH (Aidan)

Hi. I'm Rus. I have had a really fun time at UNH this year. I went to a program where we learned how
to use physics to make ski jumps and roller coasters. Our first project was a ski jump. We used Styrofoam tubes, cups, tape, and a box. We needed to make the marble land in the cup. We learned that to make the marble jump we needed speed and a smaller jump so that the marble could jump off of it. If the marble couldn't go over the jump we would either have to make the jump smaller, or the hill bigger. We worked in groups of 2. In the middle of our building, we would stop, get together with the whole group, and tell what was working and what was not. We finally got the marble to land in the cup. After the first week we used the next two weeks to make a roller coaster with hills and valleys. We used 3 tubes and worked with the same stuff and the same groups. We needed to make the marble go over as many hills and valleys as possible, and we tried to make the ride last as long as possible. Our first roller coaster did not work. The marble always jumped off the side of the track. We had trouble fitting the tubes together, and we did not have as many hills and valleys as we needed. We learned from our mistakes. Our second coaster was a complete success. After that we did a loop to loop. We had trouble with getting enough speed for the marble to go around the loop. We worked in different groups this time. We worked in groups of 3. We taped our loop to the wall. The next thing we created was a spiral. The spiral was challenging, and we needed two separate tubes. The first one was for the hill, and the second was for the spiral. The last week was when we put everything together. Our first tube was the hill. Our next was a loop to loop taped to a table. Then our third was a hill and a valley which led into a cup. We made fences to keep the marble on track. I had lots of fun making things using physics, and I became a UNH graduate!    

Spurgeon Quotes (Megan)

Pregnancy with twins has introduced me to a heightened level of fatigue and vulnerability. There are times when I lie awake at night, fearful that I might not have the stamina for this new chapter of motherhood or that I will be incapable of effectively meeting the needs of so many children.  When these lurking insecurities haunt me, I recall God's faithfulness to me in the past and the many promises in His Word.  I have greatly benefited from Spurgeon's devotional, Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith.  On January 5, when I was struggling with early pregnancy exhaustion and brutal nausea, I read these words based on Isaiah 41:10:  "When called to serve or suffer, we take stock of our strength, and we find it to be less than we thought, and less than we need.  But let not our heart sink within us...There is no telling how much power God can put into a man.  When divine strength comes, human weakness is no more a hindrance.  Do we not remember seasons of  labour and trial in which we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves?  In the midst of danger we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness we were patient.  The fact is, that God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come upon us.  We rise out of our feeble selves...My own weakness makes me shrink, but God's promise makes me brave.  

Monday morning was a disaster.  My carpet stank from recent flooding, the wheels fell off my vacuum cleaner, and my bookshelves collapsed. And, as a finishing touch, my two year old decided to sweep the bathroom floor with dirty toilet water.  I indulged in some angry tears for the amount of time it took me to mop puddles and wipe toilet paper off my walls.  My kids wouldn't stop fighting, and I asked God if all of this was reasonable to expect of me in my condition.  After composing myself to face the rest of my day, I found this e-mail message sent by a dear sister who, without any knowledge that I was in crisis, was praying for me.  Through tears I thanked God that, even through my most challenging and thankless days, His arms are upon me.  He doesn't merely direct me from a distance but assists me with the same tenderness I feel toward my own little ones.  Each time I guide small hands learning to form their letters or complete simple tasks, I am reminded of a God who "puts His hands on my hands and puts His arms on my arms, that I might be strong."



"His bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob."—Genesis 49:24. 

HAT strength which God gives to His Josephs is real strength; it is not a boasted valour, a fiction, a thing of which men talk, but which ends in smoke; it is true—divine strength. Why does Joseph stand against temptation? Because God gives him aid. There is nought that we can do without the power of God. All true strength comes from "the mighty God of Jacob." Notice in what a blessedly familiar way God gives this strength to Joseph—"The arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob." Thus God is represented as putting His hands on Joseph's hands, placing His arms on Joseph's arms. Like as a father teaches his children, so the Lord teaches them that fear Him. He puts His arms upon them. Marvellous condescension! God Almighty, Eternal, Omnipotent, stoops from His throne and lays His hand upon the child's hand, stretching His arm upon the arm of Joseph, that he may be made strong! This strength was also covenant strength, for it is ascribed to "the mighty God of Jacob." Now, wherever you read of the God of Jacob in the Bible, you should remember the covenant with Jacob. Christians love to think of God's covenant. All the power, all the grace, all the blessings, all the mercies, all the comforts, all the things we have, flow to us from the well-head, through the covenant. If there were no covenant, then we should fail indeed; for all grace proceeds from it, as light and heat from the sun. No angels ascend or descend, save upon that ladder which Jacob saw, at the top of which stood a covenant God. Christian, it may be that the archers have sorely grieved you, and shot at you, and wounded you, but still your bow abides in strength; be sure, then, to ascribe all the glory to Jacob's God.

Little Lux (Siobhan)

~Little Lux~

It's been a while since I posted pictures of Little Lux. He is growing up so fast! He makes us all laugh with his crazy antics and expressions. It's hard to imagine that he's going to be a big brother in a few months...

Little Lux always wants to be like the older boys. Here he is copying Leo...

Grandma Z knitted prayer afghans for all of the boys. She prayed for each of them while she made them. Lux loves his and always snuggles with it when he watches movies...

 Lux absolutely adores cars, so when the library gave us a huge book on antique cars, he was thrilled...

 We love you, Lux!

My 16th Birthday and Valentine's Day (Siobhan)

~Siobhan's Birthday and Valentine's Day~

I recently celebrated my 16th birthday, which was the day after Valentine's Day. My birthday celebrations were spread over the month of February, and I have lots of pictures to share with you all!
The doll in the picture above was my first birthday present. Grandpa and Mom have included me in their tradition of getting Annalee dolls every year. This year my doll was a Sweet 16 doll!

I had a sleepover with Lydia, Moriah, and Elim at Adam and Steph's house. I also had a mini birthday celebration with our DI team. Mom made me ice cream cakes for both parties. :)

I celebrated my birthday and opened presents on Valentine's Day. Mom made me a delicious dinner and dessert, and I opened my presents.

Beef Bourguignon, Rolls, Raspberry Feta Salad, and Raspberry Gingerale

For my birthday dessert Mom made me White Chocolate Creme Brulee.

My big present was Driver's Ed, which I'm starting next week. I also got the dress and boots in the pictures above.

On my actual birthday I went out to lunch at Olive Garden with Mom and Dad. After our lunch, we went to Mom's 20 week ultrasound and found out the gender of the twins...

Identical Twin Boys!!

I had a wonderful birthday. Thank you to everyone who made it so special!!