Thank you!

Wow! I sure love blogging...it has led me to so many new friends and I have learned so much from all of you! Thank you so much for visiting The Glen and leaving comments and e-mails! You are such an encouragement to me!!

Thanks especially to Nanny at The Good Life for your wonderful awards! Made my day! If you have not visited The Good Life pop on over and say hi to Nanny!

Little Blessings...really are NOT so little.

We are feeling the economic crunch. I am trying to, penny pinch, reduce, reuse and recyle. Emma is our resident GREEN fanatic/expert. We tend to share BIG things that happen in life but what about the ZILLION little gifts that God gives us EVERY DAY?!?!? When I think about them...it is HUGE!! I cannot take them for granted.
Our handy vacuum broke...it was STILL under warranty.

Poor Madeleine is the best tooth brusher in the house but has poor quality teeth...she had to have a lot of dental work which = MONEY! Our amazing dentist gives children adopted internationally 50% off his fees!! WHAT A BLESSING!

This was so much fun! We live in the country...the kids are constantly MUCKING around in the creek, fields and woods...they all wear farm or rain boots. Emma outgrew hers and I ran into the second hand store hoping to find her a pair. NOT ONLY did I find her a pair...I got a brand new pair of Hello Kitty boots...$3.00!!!!!

This is our sweet Golden Retriever...he has always been susceptible to ear infections...he just got a raging ear infection which usually means a trip to the vet and LOTS of money. I used a homeopathic remedy and some leftover ointment and his ear is getting better!! YEAH!!!


Cool huh?? God is good all the time!

Say "NO!" to Mom jeans!

I got a lot of BAD PRESS for the photo below a couple of weeks ago...Mitchell informed me that to say "Happy Monday" is the epitome of an oxymoron. Well, I told HIM...NOT to get SNARKY with his mom who TRIES to always look at the bright side of life! ;)


Make it a good one!

THIS makes me happy!

The question is...if YOU were walking through the train station would you:
A.) Hurry through...you have places you need to be
B.) Stop, watch and enjoy the show
C.) Join in and shake your booty!!

Ya gotta love Maxine...

Hey all! A nutty week at The Glen!! Hope your week is going well!

Slowly, steadily, surely...

"But these things I plan won't happen right away.
Slowly, steadily, surely,
the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow, be patient!
For it will surely take place.
It will not be late by a single day."

Habakkuk 2:3

Your thoughts on ARGYLE???

Argyle has been around for a long time and has quite a history. Popular in Britain in the 1920's it has been around in one form or another ever since coming in and out of style...WHY you ask, do I have this sudden interest in Argyle? Well, my four year old found a pair of argyle socks in a box of hand me downs and fell in love! YES LOVE! He has taken to wearing argyle socks...the good news is he thinks you are to wear them to bed. PLEASE do not tell him ANYTHING else...

Sam is SO into the Argyle socks "thing" that I showed him some photos today and he LOVED it!
This cashmere scarf is rather smart looking!

This dog looks like our Golden Retriever...Sam thinks we should get BUD a sweater!

Aaaaahh, one of my earliest sewing endeavors was a pair of charcoal gray knickers I wore with argyle socks.

Who doesn't like a roomy tote??
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Should I be concerned about my son's fashion sense at four years old?? I don't think so...your thoughts on Argyle??

Whew! Is it only Tuesday?

Have you ever heard that Amy Grant song HATS? I have been a bit overwhelmed with my hats this week. Hoping for things to settle down a bit next week!

Hats by Amy Grant
The sun comes up
The breakfast show
Can't you see me running
It's crazy don't you know?
The moon is high
I'm working through the night
Will somebody tell me
Where do all the hours go?
(I don't know.)
Well it don't stop
No, it's never gonna stop
Why do I have to wear so many things on my head?

HATS!
One day I'm a mother
One day I'm a lover
What am I supposed to do?
HATS!
Working for a livin'
All because I'm driven
To be the very best for you.

The water is hot
(So hot)
The phone don't stop
(Hello, good-bye)
So how do I manage
To hold on to my sanity
(I don't know, baby, I don't know)
The red dress on
Time for having fun
But can I really be
The girl you see in me?
The spirit is willing
But the flesh is weak
Why do I have to wear so many things on my head?

This may be a dream come true
This may be poetry in motion
This may be a dream come true
But when it all comes down
It's an awful lot to do.

HATS!

Open my eyes...

This Brandon Heath song has been in my mind lately...I honestly had not listened to the lyrics all that closely...I truly WANT to see the needs of those around me!

Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Spring at The Glen

Aaaaahhh, there are signs of spring here at Killeny Glen!!
I am SOOO eager for the warmer weather!!

I love tulips...I am going to plant dozens more this fall.

Flowers in the woods are starting to show their sunny faces.

Our Pear trees are growing up nicely!

One of my FAVORITE things...sitting on the swing with Clarice!! She is a treasure! Our porch is my favorite place at The Glen!

Body count...

I have always thought of myself as a "dog person" but since coming to The Glen I have also become a "cat person." (Bob would say I am destined to become a cat lady...but I wouldn't be able to tolerate the mess!) I truly enjoy the country cats that have adopted us since moving out into the country. You may remember my complaints about the ENEMIES that have invaded my flower beds and the fact that my new found kitty cat friends and handy exterminators are NOT doing their job keeping the rodents away. Well, I take that back!! In the last two weeks there is rarely a day that I do not go outside to find the remnants of moles, mice, squirrels, chipmunks and birds left for me as some kind of "gift." I can no longer remember the body count and I am grateful to Nate who does not mind getting rid of the carcasses! Clarice and Asher have acquired two neighbor kitties (Gizzie and Gizmo) who help them bring down all kinds of creatures! It truly can be gruesome!

Today, Sam and I headed to the front porch to greet the kids as they came home from school. We stepped outside and realized the cat gang had brought a SNAKE up on my cozy porch!!! I jumped and screamed and Sam said very calmly, "Why you scream Mom?" I hate snakes and I do NOT want them on my porch. Bob and I say that our porch is the 'best room in our house' on a regular basis but NOT if there are snakes on it! The four cats spent the afternoon playing with this snake and when they all took a break to have a nap...he escaped with his life intact! Ya know...I wouldn't have minded if he had gone to snake heaven!!!

A very proud Gizmo displaying his prey...on MY porch!!

The whole Cat Gang hanging out for a nap! Oh, the hard life of a cat!

Fine dining

I would like to blog about our formal dining experiences each night as we eat, calm, quiet, pleasant meals...with exhilarating conversations about schooling, the arts, foreign films and music lessons...but...I CANNOT.

Oh, we DO eat dinner together but tonight the topic was "ears" and how big they can be and how weird they can be which quickly led to one of the kids grabbing the camera.



I was told my ears were "pathetic" and would NOT win any prizes! Why do they always have to pick on the Mom?!?

Please notice the absence of Emma and Daddy. Daddy was out of town and Emma told me I was NOT to use her "ears" photo for blog purposes!!!

Excuse the poor quality photos...they were taken by a series of grabby people in a FRENZY!

Time to get up...and smell the chaos.

As I turned out the lights on my way to bed last night...I surveyed the kitchen and it was looking GREAT! Dishes away, counters cleared everything readied for our first day back to school after an enjoyable spring break. I worked hard to make sure we had cleaned up a weeks worth of relaxation and everyone was ready to start school again. Well, maybe not eager but ready.


THEN...when the alarm clock went off the kids trickled down from the dormitory looking sleepy but at least DRESSED and began their individual breakfast preparations. That hour before school looks like four (Sam actually sleeps through this chaos) Tazmanian Devils whirling around preparing breakfast, brushing hair, packing lunches, finding retainers, books, papers and what have you. There is much banter and interaction and there were no "fisty puffs" this a.m. They all tend to do their own thing and it works.

THEN...as quickly as it begins...they are OUT the front door and a peaceful (yet sometimes eerie) silence descends upon the house.

THEN...ACK!! I look at my ONCE pleasantly tidy kitchen!!!





I know their mother and they are NOT going to leave a mess like this TOMORROW!!! They got a little too "comfy" over spring break!!
Mommy don't play like that!!!!!

The letter "S"

Sam the Man struggles with "S" words...it really is QUITE adorable...they usually have an "f" at the beginning of them...Spiderman is Fiderman and so on but since he is working on his speech we all try to have him say the word or words correctly. He is a VERY good sport and always willing to break the word into parts and say it correctly.
Sam: "Mom there is a fake!"
Mom: "Sam, say 'sssssssss nnnnnnn AKE!"
Sam: "SSSSSnake!"
Mom: "VERY good!!"

Sam: "I want Frite."
Mom: "Sam, say 'SSSSsss ppppprrr ite!"
Sam" SSSSSprite!"
Mom: VERY good Sam!!"

Then as we passed my Mom's delicious side dishes at Easter dinner there was Corn Souffle and my Dad offered Sam Corn Souffle and he turns to me and says:
"Mom, say 'SSSSSSSSS -- CORN!"

The table erupted into MUCH laughing which Sam greatly appreciated...he isn't done with this line of talk yet!

Uh Oh!

A deliriously HAPPY Sam the Man with his Easter loot!!!





Envision Sam running and playing at full force...he then suddenly stops on the sidewalk and his sister yells, "MOooooooooooooooom!! Sam threw up!!" We run out to comfort a tiny boy who had obviously overindulged in Easter treats. I take him in Gram's house to wash his hands and he declares VERY HAPPILY..."I feel all better!" Then, promptly runs outside to play in the glorious sunshine again!! Gotta love him! (AND, monitor his candy eating closer!!!)

He is RISEN...INDEED!!!

Off to our Saturday evening Easter service!

The hope of the resurrection does not rest in the promise of escape to heaven. The resurrection shows us that Jesus has broken into this world, crippling the powers of darkness and making it possible for us to live-yes live-as unshackled citizens of his Kingdom. Jesus doesn't merely make bad people good. He doesn't merely make sick people well. He raises the dead to life. He is outrageous and inventive; subversive and ingenious; wild and creative. He liberates us from the powers of darkness and calls us into marvelous light. He teaches us to shake off our chains and use them as jump ropes. The resurrection reminds us it is here, it has started, it is always but coming. Our groaning creation can begin to laugh again. Jesus lives, and so can we. And it begins right now.
~Jack Legg

We had a wonderful service full of the amazing story of Jesus' death and resurrection! I am thankful for a church that used our children to tell the story. We had a wonderful evening of celebration!

Easter Lily

At Easter
by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr.

As Easter breathes hope for a joyous tomorrow
E'en out of the depths of despair,
So may this day banish from you every sorrow
And make you feel free as the air.

While hearing grand anthems that swell to the sky,
And breathing sweet lilies' perfume,
May you feel assured that your soul will not die
As life does not end in the tomb.

GOOD FRIDAY and Good Memories

It is GOOD FRIDAY! The kids always discuss how strange it is to say "GOOD" Friday when it marks the death of Christ on the cross yet his sacrifice was for our salvation so that makes it GOOD!!! We are all full of excitement and anticipation at what a glorious weekend Easter is for our family.

The kids and I tend to end up at my Nana Boo's this time of year. We had a really great visit with my grandmother who is 95 years young. My Nana is truly a delight to spend time with...my kids ADORE her and look forward to time at her house. For me, just walking in the front door and inhaling the familiar scent of her house is just like coming home...I love it!
The "crew" and Nana Boo!

I love this photo of Nana Boo...she is always willing to explain and tell things about her life...especially about my Grandad.

Nana's music room is always a place of interest. Madeleine is a novice piano player but enjoys Nana's organ so much.

It would NOT be a good visit with out some card playing. Nate and Mitchell love to sit at Nana's card table and play SPITE and MALICE...a Mitchell tradition.

I think I know where I got my TOOTHY smile!!!