Long awaited...

Well, I sent an e-mail to a friend of mine, giving her an update on our family. When she replied, she said that it would have made a good blog post. So, (a week or so later) I've decided to post it here... in case there is anyone who faithfully checks in to see if I'm still here. Sure enough! Here I am! For now, that is. And here is a little update on our family!

Lets see - Abigail just turned 7. She is an avid reader; i can't keep her supplied with enough books! This is, of course, wonderful. But it has its set backs as well: unfortunately she is like her mother in that once she is immersed in the world of a book, she is lost to this world! Ah well, we can work on that! She still adores horses and dreams of the day when she can have one for her own. Right now she has quite a toothless grin; as soon as a new one grows in, she looses another baby tooth.

Phinehas is 5 1/2. He has officially started unofficial homeschooling. When we began in the fall, he was soaring. Then he hit a plateau and refused to budge. Reading was a drag and jumping into quicksand was preferable to math. So, we set aside the 'formality' of it all and have been reading library books (somehow, he seems to be taking flight again in the reading department! Hurray!) As for math, we do a lot more 'playing' with manipulatives and working with concrete concepts: when i say, "What is 4+2?" Phin answers, "5! 7! No! 10! 8!" But as soon as I say, "What is four kids plus 2 adults" he shouts, "6!" So, math has slowed down... but I think we've time. For now he spends a lot of time outside hammering nails and building things.

Liam is 4 and totally disinterested in learning his letters. Which is fine. He is working on the normal kid foundations - kindness in action and speech, preferring others, helping mama, learning how to be diligent. He is my most imaginative child, always lost in a dream world. When he tells you something it takes him FOR-E-VER and if I'm not careful a lot that is precious in him can easily be ignored and set aside in my haste. I'm working on stoping to look into his worlds and enjoy him. Actually, I am ever seeking to learn how to enjoy all of my kiddos!

Lydia is 2 1/2. She is definitely my biggest helper, always wanting to do whatever I am doing. If only, when Abigail was little, I had known what I now know! I could have avoided some of my most sorrowed mistakes! Ah! Thank God for His ceaseless grace! In my life and in the life of my children.

Andrew and I are ever more in love. He is my hero and my favorite place. He loves and cherishes me in ways I never imagined. How wonderful to laugh with my dearest friend! I am so glad to be his!

We have 13 'big' chickens and 16 'chicks' that are just about as big as the older ones. The 'babies' we hatched in incubators. That was a lot of fun! We might be getting a piglet from Andrew's brother in a few months - that would be nice! i've gardened for two years now; learning a bit more each year. Presently I have 3 - 3 1/2 x 8 beds full of garlic! Yippee!

Well, that's about it in a nutshell.