Happy 14th Birthday, Matthew!

I can't believe you're THAT old, Buster!! =)

Best quote about Matthew - "He spends all night reading and all day telling us what he's read." =P If you have any questions about The Revolutionary War, World War Two, Korea, or Vietnam, just ask him! =)

The "Boring" Life of Hensie and Susi =P

I'm sure you're all tired of seeing "Hunka Munka" (excuse me, Laura, Hunca Munca) so we thought we'd do a post or what we've been up to.

So, our daily schedule - we rise promptly at six (...ahem, well, we're working towards that. ;-), then write out a "enormously long" to-do list.

Susi’s list

• Bible
• Clean room
• Read one chapter in “The Rising Tide” (current WWII book ;-)
• Breakfast/dishes
• Read one chapter in “Home Comforts” (current book on my reading list)
• Math (I try to do two lessons)
• Science (Ken Ham’s “Answers in Genesis”, bk. 1)
• Lunch/dishes
• History with three youngest (we're reading through“From Sea to Shining Sea” bk. 2 in the “Light and Glory series”)
• Science with three youngest
• Math with Matthew and Joe
• Clean kitchen before & after dinner
• Write (I’m working on one of my three =D (embarrassed smile =P) WWII stories.)

These jobs differ between the days of the week

• Make bread
• Sweep/mop all downstairs floors
• Upstairs bathroom
• Make Daddy’s lunch

Hensie’s list

• Bible
• Clean room
• Cats (litter box, food, and water)
• Clean kitchen
• Straighten Living room (every other day vacuum)
• Straighten Family Room (every other day vacuum)
• Straighten book shelves
• Read one chapter in “D. L. Moody’s Collection” (current book on reading list)
• Practice violin/piano (switching every other day)
• Sew (I’m working on a summer skirt)
• Clean kitchen before/after dinner

These Jobs differ every day

• Vacuum and sweep bedroom
• Vacuum upstairs and stairs
• Make bread
• Make Daddy’s lunch

A few leisure things we don't add to our lists:

• Journaling (we both do a LOT. =)
• Read a leisure book (e.g. Viking Quest series, Louis L'Amour, A Life of Faith books)
• Time on the computer (check email, blogs, buzz, post, write emails, waste time, etc.)
• Play around on the piano (hymns, annoying Sonatinas that everyone's sick of, Pride and Prejudice music)
• Singing hymns in harmony with Laura, Bekah, and Daddy
• Play volley ball
• Watching Gomer Pyle episodes, Donald Duck and other cute, old-fashioned ones, old westerns, and war movies.
• Doting on the kitties

So, that's our average day! Of course, every day, there are the little different things that make each new day special - Sarah, Stephen and Gracie's visits, extended family visits, Phil's weekend visit, drawing names for Christmas, shopping trip to the Dalles, first freeze (last night!!), day spent in Yakima with extended family, and lots more.

"Enjoy the little things in life, for someday, when you'll look back, and they'll be the big things!"

Hunka Munka

John 15:3-5

"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Just got back...

...from a WONDERFUL weekend with the Hainlines at the Oregon coast! We had so much fun playing in the water, playing volley ball, and talking. Hopefully, we can go again next year!

Back to Work! =)

It's a very rainy Tuesday. I'm just taking a quick break from work with Hunka Munka perched on my shoulder like a parrot to write this quick post. We're in Lynden again and, after three days socialization, we're back to work on the house. Hopefully, this will be our last trip to Lynden for the purpose of working on the house! Pretty much all that's left to do is touch up work, some caulking, a teeny bit of sanding,then we'll clean the house like it's never been cleaned before and pack up everything! It's been a long, busy summer and I'm ready to settle down into winter. =)

New Hair Cut!

Laura actually cut my hair a week ago, I've just been slow about posting these pictures. =) I wanted to post them at least before I go up to Lynden and everybody sees my hair in person. =)

Before.

After. In addition to cutting off at least five inches, Laura cut four layers, the shortest just long enough to stay in a pony tail for ten minutes. =)

Happy Birthday, Phil!!

Playing Elsie Dinsmore

Kris was Elsie and I was Enna. =)

A Long Time Ago...

The Last Two Days...

Let's see...Phil came here yesterday. His Bronco broke down about three hours away around midnight, so Daddy and Matthew left to pick him up. They got back the next morning around eight a.m. The guys headed to bed while Mum, Hannah, Matthew (woken up from his sleep), Joe, Lydia, Sarah, Gracie, and I left to pick strawberries in an Azure field. We picked for about three hours and got lots of berries! We went shopping at different stores on the way home and didn't get back until nine p.m. We had a late night, but lots of fun with S&S&G and Phil.

This morning, after a big brunch, Phil and Laura picked up Gracie for the afternoon while Sarah and Stephen left on an all afternoon date, going to see "Courageous" in theater. It's been tons of fun having Gracie here - she's full of smiles and the cutest giggles. She loves to play "airplane" (complete with motor and revving engines sound effects! =), lay on her back while you drop a pillow on her face, play peek-a-boo, suck and chew on toys, read books, play "this is the way the lady rides", and she loves to eat! =) She's so much fun to baby-sit! =)

Just too cute!