More Cookies!!

As promised, here are more of the cookie creations. We’re up to over 300 cookies made (we’re not eating them all, they’re for various Christmas programs, etc.) Anyone can do trees and stars and Santa’s, here is just a sampling of the oddities we call Christmas cookies.

We have a herd of horses
A few penguins
Some really strange hypnotic tool
A wise guy (I mean Wise Man)
And proof that Nathanael sees cookies as merely a vehicle for frosting and goodies

Not pictured are such Christmas classics as frogs, guinea pigs, and of course everyone’s favorite: the Christmas Hippopotamus (not available for photos, since they were eaten!)

Hope you all are having an equally sugar filled Christmas!

Playing His Praises

The girls had their very first concert tonight. They started in September in a homeschool orchestra and have made some amazing progress. In addition to being beautiful, they both played beautifully as well. (Can you tell we’re proud?)

Of course, Kenaniah didn’t like someone else being the center of attention, so he decided to do something about that.

Christmas Cookie Central

Decorating Christmas cookies is a major tradition in our home.

The boys even help (even if they do eat more than they decorate!)

And the finished product is quite nice.

Actually, these are "first run" cookies. As they go, they get more and more creative and colorful. So far we've put together about 9 dozen cookies, with more to come. Hopefully, we'll get some more of the really creative designs on a bit later.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Dad finally got some lights up. Unfortunately, the white spots in the picture are only drops of misty rain caught by the flash, not snow. In fact, it sounds like we're going to get a bunch of ice this weekend, but then maybe some real snow afterwards. Hope you all are safe and warm where you are.

From Our House To Yours

The House That LoriAnn Built

Mom gave LoriAnn a doll house "kit" for her birthday, and she's been feverishly (in bursts)working on building it ever since. We thought we'd share the fruit of her labor with the cyber world.

She actually even laid all the shingles herself!

We didn't notice that the stairs had slipped a little before the picture. Rest assured, we'll right the problem before the planned toy shop opens for business. The "grandma" and "grandpa" who run the place are borrowed from her old FisherPrice doll house (hope they don't mind the relocation).

Thankful Thoughts

I asked each of the kids to put together a short paragraph or poem about what they are most thankful for. Thought that would be an appropriate thing for this week. Here are their responses. (The kids heard the “short” part; Mom got carried away!)



LoriAnn (16)

What am I most thankful for? Hm, now, let me think
I’m thankful for my family, My sibs, my Mom and Dad
I’m thankful for our house, For our two dogs, and cat
I’m thankful for my many books, I’m thankful for the trees
I’m thankful for food to eat, From broccoli (bleh!) to cheese.
I’m thankful for God’s loving care, I’m thankful for His grace
I’m thankful for things like monkeys, For lilac buds and lace
I’m thankful for the world I live in (With all its troubles too)
I’m thankful for good poetry, I’m thankful, friend, for you!
So in answer to your questions “what are you thankful for?”
I’d have to say, “Nothing in particular,

But,
Particularly everything!”



Nathanael (13)

I’m thankful for sharks; mainly great-white and tiger sharks. Also birds; mainly birds of prey such as eagles and falcons. What I like about sharks is that they are so powerful; and about birds of prey I like that they’re so majestic and powerful.


Katrina (11)

I’m thankful for the animals
I’m thankful for the trees
I’m thankful for my Lord today
I’m thankful for my family
I’m thankful for my good friends
I’m thankful for my answered prayers
I’m thankful for my guitar to play
I’m thankful for each bright new day
I’m thankful for my many blessings
I’m thankful for Thanksgiving!

Psalm 10:4 - Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.




Kenaniah (3)

Here’s the picture he made at our homeschool co-op last week. Each leaf represents a thing he is thankful for. In case you can’t read them, the list includes: Mom & Dad, Sisters & Brother, God, Jesus, Cars, Boats & Trains, Cake & Candles, Giraffe, Tigger



Mom

A Thanksgiving Primer

A-Altar – Our family worship time led by Scott

B-Babies – held in God’s wisdom & missed in our hearts

C-Corn – 3 little corn kernels that were rationed during the Pilgrim’s 1st year

D-Dad – mine, who homeschooled us on vacations and life before we knew what homeschooling was

E-Everything – It’s true, I’m ashamed to admit, I stole it from my daughter’s but I need to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18). The good, the bad and all the tiny details in between.

F-Family – My family, my church family at Faith SBC, and my friends

G-God – who called us before He created us (or anything else) Eph 1:3

H-Home – Our earthly home and our heavenly one Ps 16:6

I-Instruments – to praise his name; from voices to flute and guitar

J-Joy – Psalm 98:7-8

K-Katrina our Joy, Joy and Kenaniah our sweet surprise

L-LoriAnn our 16 yr-old Sunshine

M-My Mom in heaven; I really miss her but am also thankful for my mother-in-love

N-Nathanael our gift from God

O-Ozarks – A sanctuary. Ps 147:7-18

P-Pilgrims – who risked everything for a godly heritage

Q-Quiet – people, places, and moments. Zeph. 3:17

R-Rest in God alone. Ps 62:1

S-Scott – my sweetheart. Ps. 1:1-3

T-Turkey and all the trimmings!

U-Unfailing – God’s promises, plans, and power never fail even when His people do

V-Voice of the Martyrs – for their faith and courage

W-Witness – Heb. 12:1 Those who have come before and will come after

X-Xerxes & the story of Esther who reminds us that we were born for “just such a time as this.” These moments and days were placed by God’s design and purposes

Y-Young – He gathers the lambs into his arms and carries them close to His heart; he gently leads those that have young. Is 40:11

Z-Zechariah – “for I have seen your salvation. He’s the light of the Gentiles and the glory of His people Israel.” Luke 2:31 and Michael Card



Dad

Thankfulness is such a strange beast.
We talk about it, maybe even feel it. But seldom act on it.
I’m thankful for much, and not just the least.
But do I show it, or even say it? Do others know it?
God has given me a Christ-centered wife
Beauty and grace wrapped up in one.
He’s brought four other blessings in my life
Daughter, son, daughter, then son.
Of course I deserve none of these things.
I’m a stubborn man, a selfish man, a prideful man.
But in spite of, on top of all He brings
The Son of Man, part of His plan, makes me a new man.
And for that grace above all,
I’m thankful.

All Creation Sings

We serve such a great God. We see his glory all around us. The girls enjoy writing of God's handiwork; Nathanael just likes to enjoy God's handiwork. We sent him out down by the creek to capture what he saw as God's glory around us and here's what he brought back.

The King

Well, our little Joy-Joy doesn’t want to be outdone by big sis. So she wants to add her entry in the poetry category. (And since no matter how old she gets she’s still the baby girl, we can call here whatever nickname we want!)

The King

This is the King, Valiant and Bold

The crown on His head crested in gold.

Rubies, Diamonds, Emeralds are there

Crafted, molded and attached with great care.

Amethyst bracelets are there on His hands

Proclaiming Him as King of all lands.

His people rest in a safe haven

He watches over them, the same as the raven.

Who is this great warrior?

This King of such power?

He is my Refuge, the source of my comfort.

He is my Father, and to Him I pray.

And He gives me peace each and every day.

Here is the King.

Psalm 91:2
I will say of the Lord He is my refuge, my God in who I trust.

Copyright 2006
Weldon ServantHeart Homeschool

Why I Write

I've always been a why person. Since we serve a Sovereign God who does all things for a reason, with a purpose, I've always felt this compulsion to find the why in everything. Of course, I'm often disappointed, since God Himself often doesn't let us in on those reasons, but it's nice to at least know there is one.

Our oldest, our Sunshine (I think she's starting to hate that nickname, but come on, she's only 16. That's still young enough to be Mommy and Daddy's little Sunshine, isn't it?), our Sunshine loves to write. She's pretty good at it, too. I'm hoping that we'll see lots more from her and our other little artists in the days ahead. But we'll begin with making Dad happy. She answers the "why" question.

Why I Write

People ask me, “Why

Do you write? Is

It because you have

nothing better to do?”

I merely smile in

The face of their

Foolishness. Nothing better to

Do? What utter nonsense!

I write, because I

Love the words taking

Shape under my pencil.

Because I want to

Leave my mark on

The world, in hopes

That, one day, my

Writing will take up

Its place in the

Hallowed realm of the

Used book-store. I

Write because when I

Do, I embed part

Of myself, my mind,

My heart, in the

Past, to be enjoyed

By book lovers in

The present and far

Future. I write for

Myself; to spill my

Brains on paper is

The best ever therapy

I write for others;

To read a well

Spun tale is to

Bask in the luscious

Aura of good literature.

I write for the

Sake of writing, and

The joy that comes

From finishing a piece

The satisfaction of, not

Only finishing it, but

Enjoying it, and having

Others enjoy it too;

That’s why I write.

copyright 2006
Weldon ServantHeart Homeschool

The Beginning

For some time now, I've been sharing thoughts and ideas on my own blog site. Sitting around the table, the family all thought that they have enough ideas of their own to share, so we agreed to begin a "family blog."

In the days to come, this space will be filled with thoughts on family, homeschooling, faith, and anything else the kids want to talk about. There may be some poetry, some pictures, or just a random thought from the three-year-old.

While this is primarily for our own family and some friends we'll invite to stop by, we certainly welcome comments from anyone who happens by.

Our goal is simply to find ways for our family to express our love for God, for one another, and for the glorious creation He has given us, as well as to document our homeschool journey. And thus we begin....