strawberry pickin'

after the torrential rain this weekend, we put on our mud boots and headed to beechwood farms to pick some strawberries! the harvest was plentiful and we had fun with nana gathering some strawberries together! looking forward to making some jelly, muffins, and cobbler!!!!

mindful reading

"never be without a really good book on hand. if you find yourself sinking to a dull commonplace level, with nothing particular to say, the reason is probably that you are not reading, and therefore, not thinking" (the story of charlotte mason, p. 162)

Our Lamplighter Collection....still growing! My sweet Dad made the book stand for us!

what a blessing it has been to find lamplighter publishing! i came across these books two years ago when i first attended a homeschool convention and have been collecting them slowly ever since. each of the lamplighter rare collectors series books are stories written over 100 years ago that promote biblical principles and character traits. the language of the stories is rich, the meaning of the stories is deep, and the drama of the stories is engaging.

Mark Hamby, President of Lamplighter Publishing, puts it well:

"The Lamplighter Collection of Rare Books offers gripping stories that set our minds on things above. A Lamplighter story is not just a reprint of an old book; each story is carefully edited and crafted to lift one's thoughts heavenward - to overwhelm one with the beauty, majesty, and truth of an all-wise God."

i've read 8 of the Lamplighter books so far and can't wait to begin sharing them with the girls this summer! My favorites so far have been Christie's Old Organ and The Basket of Flowers.

here is a sneak peak about each of them:

Christie's Old Organ

A heartwarming story about a young boy who is on a quest to find out how his dear old friend Treffy can get to "home, sweet home." One of the most famous children's novels of the Victorian era, Christie's Old Organ continues to gently draw tender hearts to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Filled with emotion, this story tells of the unique friendship between a poor, homeless boy and a sick old organ grinder. It is in the melodious tunes of that old organ that Christie discovers how his dear old friend Treffy can find his "home, sweet home."

The Basket of Flowers

Unwarranted accusations and unjust judgements are excellent tools in the hand of God to reveal the true character that lies beneath any facade. How will Mary and her father James react when thrown into grievous sorrow and torment at the hands of a sinister fiend? Witness firsthand the beauty of a steadfast commitment to God and a humble love between a father and his daughter.

these books have been such a blessing to me and i just love the premise behind this publishing house. can't wait to share these stories with the girls and have the truths of them settle into their hearts.

thank you lamplighter publishing for providing mindful reading to our families!

to find out more about lamplighter publishing check out their website HERE

claire's birthday camping trip

can't believe our sweet claire turns 10 tomorrow! so proud of her for choosing something like a family camping trip to celebrate her special day! we all shared a wonderful weekend and even made it through with four people and three dogs in one tent! we love you claire and are so proud of the lady you are growing into. may God continue to be your source of truth and light. we love you so much.

masters!

so much fun. great friends. beautiful land. good golf. a wonderful day!!

easter

in an effort to move away from santa claus, easter bunny, etc.....nate and i try to come up with creative ways to celebrate important holidays together.....for easter this year we surprised the girls the friday morning before with a note that read:

surprise! surprise! hooray! hooray!

there will be no reading or math lessons today!

no history, no science, no copywork to do....

today is a day for the two of you!

this weekend on Sunday is a special day,

we remember our Savior who reigns always!

We honor our Lord who died and rose for our sins, 

and this morning our resurrection roll tradition will begin!

Then we will get dressed and head out for some fun at the mall....

Build a Bear Workshop, Claire's, Bath and Body Works... 

We will go to them all!

Lunch with Daddy in the food court will top off our day,

He will meet us just to eat- even though we will beg him to stay!

So let's get started, we've got lots to do!

Just remember and know how much we love you!

Love, 

Mama and Dadda

we enjoyed a wonderful morning making resurrection rolls, dyeing easter eggs, and getting excited about our special trip to the mall! we met daddy for lunch and he surprised the girls by taking them to the pandora store to pick out a charm for their bracelets!

although i was sick on easter sunday and wasn't able to attend worship, i will remember this easter as one where we intentionally focused on the meaning of this season and tried to impart those lessons to the girls. we thoroughly covered the easter account during school and the resurrection rolls were a fun way experience first hand the joy of Jesus' resurrection!

on modesty....

this post piggy-backs on my last post when i was thinking about something cute but appropriate to wear to the masters next week...needless to say the cropped cardigan sweater is my new best friend for covering up low neck lines or skimpy top straps....and that got me thinking of modesty issues when i ran across this post over at raising homemakers that discusses thinking through modesty as not only a dress code but also as a heart issue.....good food for thought as we move into the months of swimsuits and shorts wearing around here with two growing girls....challenged to set a good example not only in how i dress but in what my heart reveals as well.....

can't wait!

one week from today we will head down to augusta, georgia for the 2013 Masters Tournament! we were so excited to get tickets through the lottery for wednesday's practice round!! we've never been on wednesday before and are so excited to see the players and their families during the par 3 contest!!

i've been trying to decide what to wear (and since green is the color this spring and when you think Masters you think GREEN)  - i've narrowed it down to these two dresses from old navy. depending on the the weather i may have to wear the cropped cardigan sweater or the shorter vs. maxi dress depending on rain, etc.....

our dear friends steve and kristen are going with us so rain or shine i know we have a wonderful time!!!

dress options: