Music Recital

Last Saturday evening, Katie and Mackenzie had a music recital. Katie played two pieces on piano, "The Pink Panther" and "Whisper of the Heart" and two pieces out of her Suzuki book on cello. Mackenzie played "Romance" on piano.

They both did so well and I was really proud of them. Music is such a wonderful gift from the Lord. I pray that my children will use the talent God has given them for music for His glory.

We also recently learned that Katie has been selected to participate in the Illinois Music Educator's Association festival orchestra in November. She and her best friend auditioned a couple of weeks ago, and they were both chosen to participate. Hooray!!

Here are a couple of pictures of the girls with their instructors. These young ladies are also homeschooled, and with two other sisters play in a string quartet. Not only are they tremendously gifted musicians, but they are some of the sweetest, most goldy young women I have ever met. I could not have asked for better role models of grace, purity and excellence for my girls. They call themselves Eden String Quartet, and they just released a CD of hynms that is so beautiful. I bought several of them as pastor's gifts for this month.

Mackenzie with Therese Miller

Katie with Leah Miller

A giant golfball on a giant tee...

A giant golfball on a giant tee.

You don't see one of these every day, do you?

This picture was taken at the Rend Lake golf course in southern Illinois a few weeks ago. Dan had to attend a continuing education conference there for his funeral license, so we all went along as a little mini-vacation. Elijah was enthralled with this water tower, and every time he saw it (which was many, many times each day), he would say in his loud, shrill five year old voice, "Look! A giant golf ball on a giant tee!" His dad or I would reply, "You don't see one of those every day, do you?" and then he would respond "Nope, you sure don't."

This exchange occurred dozens of times each day, much to the annoyance of his sisters. In fact, I think annoying the girls may be the reason we kept doing it.

We had a good time. Dan was in class some of the time, but the kids enjoyed the pool and we got to go out on Rend Lake for a while one afternoon. It's so nice to get away, even for just a couple of days.

Here's Dan and Eleanor on the boat:

Indoor campout

The kids decided to "camp out" in the funeral parlor downstairs. Nothing like roughing it on carpet in the air conditioning.

No campout is complete without s'mores, even if it is indoors. The kids had a blast with this indoor s'more maker.

Even better with the lights out!!!

Psalm 150:6

I wanted to share a picture of something very cool we saw while on a youth group camping trip this summer. As we were eating our breakfast, the sunlight came through this amazing spiderweb well above our heads. One of the kids noticed it and exclaimed, "There's a cross in the middle!" Sure enough, right in the center of the web was a cross, gleaming in the morning sun. It was breathtaking. It also gave us a great impromptu devotion about how all of creation does give praise to the Creator. Jesus said during his entry into Jerusalem that if the crowds had not proclaimed his praise, the rocks themselves would cry out. On this July morning, it was a spider.

I wish this picture did justice to what we actually saw, but you'll get the idea.

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Psalm 150:6

Happy BIrthday Michael!

Today is Michael's 17th birthday. We already had a party for him on Friday with friends and church family, but today is the actual day. Here are some pictures from his party:

Here is Michael finally getting to eat the BBQ sandwich he'd been begging for all day.

Michael was generously given many gifts of cash and Walmart cards to help him get the things he will need for school this year. A couple of his friends had fun with the gift cards and gave him ones with themes like Tinkerbell and Dora the Explorer.

Finally, here is the cake that a friend made for him. He loves the guitar, and even is working with a few friends to start a praise band at our church for the contemperary service.

Today we had a special breakfast. I made pancakes, even though I do not usually cook breadkfast during the week. Then Michael practiced with the praise band for a while, had lunch with friends and swam at his girlfriend's house. This evening his girlfriend came over to our house and we had pizza. Right now he is watching some guy movie with my husband that I think is about people with fast muscle cars helping police catch smugglers or some such thing. All I know for sure is that it is loud.

So, happy birthday, Michael. I hope you've had a good day. We are blessed to be able to celebrate with you!

It's a boy!

Now, before you get too excited, it's not what you think. This boy is 5'11" and probably 200 lbs. And I only get to keep him for a week.

The young man from our church that I had mentioned before has been staying with us since Wednesday while his guardian in on a trip. We have had such a great time with him. He and Dan have gone fishing, worked on the farm and even went to a demolition derby last night. He's very sweet and polite, and hasn't shown any of that teenage attitude you might expect from a 16 year old, especially one who hasn't been raised under the best of circumstances.

Ever since his situation was brought before our church on Mother's Day, before we even met him, this boy has been on my heart. When we first met him, I was so impressed by him and his courage and conviction to rise above all he has been through. Now that he's been with our family this week, he feels like one of us, and it will be hard to see him go home on Tuesday. I will miss him, and I know Dan and the kids will, too.

But I know that he's going to a good home, and not back to the hard situation he was in before. I'm just being a little selfish. I have felt so blessed just to cook for, shop for, do laundry for and just be a "mom" to a boy who I know needs some TLC. I'm not sure he's had much of that in his life, especially the last few years. And I am sure that we will still be involved in his life. He needs a godly male role model, and he and Dan have really seemed to click. I also expect he will still join us for meals sometimes and I will continue to pray for him daily just like I do my own children.

Katie's garden

A couple of weeks ago, Katie and I put in a flower garden. She picked the spot, researched what plants would grow best in a mostly shady area, and carefully chose flowers that would compliment one another in color and size. I was really impressed. Then we planted the flowers together and moved rocks for a border. The end result was very nice.

I love that as she grows we will always be able to look at this beautiful place we made together and remember the fun we had and the time we spent making it.

Mackenzie has already picked out her spot for her flower garden, too. I hope we can get it done this week. When we do, I'll post pictures of it also.