News: The Good and the Bad

Almost every class we have, I get a new giggle from my Littles. These past few days have been no exception, as we've color-coded and labelled sentence structures, simultaneously learning whatever tidbits about Martin Luther's life I can convey without prepositional phrases or too many adjectives. Upon being informed that they have a test tomorrow, Zachary and Madeline (hereafter called "The Wise Ones") asked for me to print off a couple practice sheets for them. Forgoing our reformer theme (because I couldn't think of new facts right away), I hastily typed out a couple pages and went about my merry way. On the way upstairs this evening, however, I spotted Maddy's practice page:

The good news is: some amount of information from her sentence analyses is getting through. The bad news is: it's all getting dreadfully tangled up with Jane Austen & Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Five Minute Friday: Maybe Today

A lovely, golden-sunshine, deep-sky-blue Friday morning to you all! I hope, wherever you are, you are enjoying the same amazing weather we have here in the Northwest ~ but unless you actually live in the Northwest, I highly doubt that you are so privileged, because nowhere else in the world are colors so deep, rich, and real. (Yes, I love where I live.)

Reading my Aunt's blog this morning, I was introduced the "Five Minute Friday" challenge. A slightly intimidating idea for me (I am a bit apprehensive about writing for 5 minutes - what will come out? - and posting, without a chance to edit), I still couldn't stand to pass up the opportunity, because this week's word is Home. Timer ready? Here we go:

In my Pastor's house, held with a magnet to the fridge, is an unassuming 8.5-by-11 inch piece of paper boasting two simple words in bold print:

Maybe Today

Maybe Today - those words are so powerful to me. They stop me from any busy-ness or focus I may be in the midst of and make me wonder, What will happen today?

Maybe today you'll see the answer to all those prayers you've been lifting up for the salvation of a loved one. Maybe today healing will come. Maybe today will be the last chance you have to love those around you. Maybe, perhaps, today, is the day we will go Home.

Wow - 5 minutes flies way to quickly. Or I perhaps I simply don't understand the concept of a short, concise post...I had so much more to say! (and I apparently need to learn that it's ok to not sit and read over a sentence every time you write one.)

"Maybe Today" fills me with such a sense of longing ~ what questions and possibilities does it bring to your mind? What images are conjured when you think of "home"?

P.S. Guess what next week is? My bloggy-birthday!! I'm having a party, and you're all invited! There will be give-aways, guest posters, and all sorts of fun, so I'll see you then!

"T" for Texas...Or Maybe Just For Lack of a Better Title

Greetings from the freezing planes of Texas! :) Yes, I really am in Texas right now. No, it really isn't the sunny, hot climate of which you are thinking. The weather is cold-cold-cold, and VERY windy, as you can see in the picture about. You know that black thing running across and "ruining" the picture? That's the camera handle-wrist-thingy, getting blown in front of the lens!

I'm here staying with the people in the pic...Grandma, Grandpa, and cousins Hannah and Caleigh! While Aunt Robin and Uncle Steve are off on an awesome vacation, I got to come play with these dear girls (the cousins that is...). It has been a full two years since I've seen them, and we are having so much fun together! Hannah-Bell is an always-smiling, make-everyone-around-her-happy, 8-year-old living with Rhett syndrome. Caleigh-Bug (or "Caleigh-Mon'ter", depending on her mood) is a 3-year-old bundle of energy, following me around, donning all my jewelry, clomping in my shoes, and helping me with any and EVERY task I turn to.

Hannah and me - her hair stayed put better in the wind than mine did!

Caleigh-Bug, showing her pretty nails and impersonating Mr. T
with all my necklaces!

Arriving Wednesday afternoon, I had a day and a half to spend with the whole family (which was good, bad, and wonderful: I worked out twice with my aunt at the gym, and was completely schooled by her = embarrassing! = bad (hehehe), got a manicure with same aunt = incredibly relaxing = good, and got to go watch a Beth Moore Bible study on Revelation = very cool (especially having just completed her Daniel study) = wonderful :), before the early-morning departure of my aunt and uncle on Friday. Since then, it's been breakfast, play with Hannah, play with Caleigh, lunch, play with Caleigh, play with Hannah, dinner, play with Hannah, play with Caleigh. Aye, it's a tough life I'm leading right now, don't you think? You will even more so when I tell you that, after dropping the girls off at school yesterday, Grandma had an errand to run. Papa obligingly took us to Dillards (the southern version of Nordstroms, but with better sales) to get socks. So, of course, Grandma and I tried on shoes. Isn't that what you do when you need to buy socks?

We found all sorts of wonderful on-sale shoes, including a grand selection of what Papa termed "happy shoes", such as those pictured above. They certainly made us laugh and smile - pink and sparkles, how can you go wrong?

 --Excuse me? No! I don't need to buy new socks. What do you mean mine don't match? I assure you, they do, one of my dear friends has a pair just like it! Don't worry, mama - I was wearing my boots. Nobody saw my killer sense of style except for those in the shoe aisle!

In the end, we left the store with a few pairs of socks for Grandma, and a new pair of shoes for the two of us! Though not necessarily an amazingly descriptive shot of our purchases, here they are being tried on!

And here's the Caleigh-Bug who slipped into my new shoes the moment she returned home and saw them!

I afraid this post has absolutely no potential to be anything besides random. And maybe a little loopy...but it's late, so I can't even tell for sure. What do you expect of someone who spends her day crafting "cookiemanders" (beaded salamanders, thus retitled because of a 3-year-old's confusion between crafts and cookies - I mean, they're similar, right??), watching "Strawberry Shortcake", and re-organizing an entire closet in search of a purple baby-doll slipper? Maybe this whole post should have been in list format, since you would be scandalized to know how long it has taken me to sit here and formulate complete sentences.

Ok, ignore everything above. I think I'll start over.

Things That Make Me Smile:
- Flying
- Hannah
- Caleigh
- Grandparents
- Hearing Caleigh ask Grandma where her "new cousin Sarah is" in the morning
- Hannah's laugh
- Hannah's smile
- Making cookies with Caleigh...and having her dump half the flour on the floor
- Making enchiladas with Caleigh...and having her drop all the "innards" of an enchilada on the floor
- Sweeping with Caleigh...and having her empty the dustpan contents back onto the floor by putting it away BEFORE dumping it in the trash
- Having Hannah pause during her walk to look me straight in the eyes...and just feeling all the love that little girl has
- Seeing "coincidental" themes in almost everything...blog posts, emails, Scripture, and sermons - do you ever just laugh and think "God's trying to tell me something"?
- orange juice
- bed

Oh, bed. There's an idea. Maybe sleep will clear the mind? Not that you can count on anything, but it's worth a shot... I promise am pretty sure hope more flowing, coherent posts will follow soon - and if worst come to worst, I could always just have Caleigh write something. What am I saying? I really do need sleep...

The Weekend of the Apples

We in the Coder household have just lived through a momentous time. Not the Year of the Scorpion, not the Month of the Dandelion (you like that? No, it's not a real thing, I just made it up. But, yeah, it's good enough to have been a real thing. Maybe. Well, you may thing this is just another totally random and non-essential parenthetical rabbit trail. But I don't want to put thoughts in your head) - oh no. Our past few days have been prodigiously dubbed the "Weekend of the Apples" *queue dramatic music*. Yep. A week or so ago, a crazy trip to Hood River resulted in this: 

(In case you're wondering, the smell is heavenly)

Namely, twenty-seven hundred pounds of apples taking up residence in our garage. (Actually, originally there were forty-five hundred, then some friends came and picked up their two bins, leaving us with three, two of which were ours, the third belonging to a soon-to-be-named, family of friends who, upon taking their aforementioned third left us with two, the weight of which was approximately eighteen hundred pounds - but I'm getting to that.)

What does one do with hundreds of pounds of apples, you ask? Allow me to inform you: "One" makes apple cider! 


Soo yum!

Where was I? Oh yes, the Weekend of the Apples *queue dramatic music*. With hundreds of pounds of apples, and mouths watering for a sip of freshly-pressed cider, we invited our awesome friends the Spaffords over for a little cider-pressing fun...

                 

...which soon turned in to some friendly-competition-cider-pressing-fun...


The Little Girls' Team (Megan, Madeline, and Ania)



They were a wee bit short for the wheel, so their
heroes (the big bros) had to help

  

Then The 14-Year-Old Team (JT and Kayleen)



(In case you're wondering why Ben and Jonathan are in almost every shot and seem to be doing...something...with every team: they were necessary to stabilize the press because of the great speed as which the teams were cranking out the cider!)

The Mama Team!!!

Aren't they great? :)

The Awesome-ness Team (haha - that'd be me with the...hair, and
Charae with the beautiful smile!)

 
This is "The Boys Team" and - though I know this breaks your heart - it is my unpleasant duty to inform you that they beat the stellar, unbeatable time Charae and I set. But, rest assured, if we were them, we could have beaten us, too. :D

In the end though, the ultimate, Cider-Pressing Champion was (drum roll, please), Daddy! Single-handedly, he schooled "The Boys" by having the the best time by 30 whopping seconds! Sadly, the only picture I have of this strapping specimen of a man is at the beginning of the post, pouring cider for the taste-testing! We made over 15 gallons Saturday, followed up by another 10 or so Sunday afternoon. It was truly a crazy, yummy, full-of-fun, Weekend of the Apples *queue dramatic closing music*. Now we only have about 500 pounds left to process! I feel a "Weekdays of the Apples" coming on.

*queue dramatic music*

Right Now...


...It's dark outside...

...And cold....

...I'm sipping a delicious mug of "Constant Comment" tea...

...And munching a homemade, delightful fluffy, oatmeal-molasses roll, appropriately slathered in butter...

...Ben is playing Keith Green ("Josiah's Song" - one of my favorites) on his laptop...

...Mama's cutting paper for the Littles' Thanksgiving Party on Wednesday...

...Rachel is keeping us cheery with her chatter on a variety of subjects...

...I'm musing on designs for the pillow I'm making for the craft exchange...

...The world, and most of this household, is already asleep, and my eyelids have that lazy feeling which tells me I'm soon to follow...

...Fall is really here - and we might even get snow this week (not that it will stick, but at least we'll catch a glimpse of it!)...

I feel perfectly content, and thankful to my oh-so-kind Father who has so mind-bogglingly blessed me!

What is making you happy today?

Don't Laugh

I've always been told I have a terrible poker face. In fact, my face resembles more a large-print book, lying open for anyone to read, than the controlled, calculated expressions of...say, Lady Deadlock. Sometimes this is good, sometimes this is bad. But apparently, the Littles have banded together to give me some practice in keeping a straight face.

From prayers….

 (Madeline): Dear Lord, thank you for the food, and have a nice day. And please help the flowers to grow and us to grow and…AMEN!

To supper topics…

"In ten years,” Zachary gasped, “I'll be seventeen!"

"In ten years” James countered, “I'll twenty!"

"In a billion years," Meggy chimed in matter-of-factly, "I'll be a-billion-and-six!"


To clean-up conversations…

"Zeke, we need to get the table cleaned off! Is any of this stuff yours?" Zach screetched to a halt mid-gallop as he whizzed through the room, passing piles of school books on the kitchen table. Spinning around, he continued to shuffle from one foot to the other as he looked at me, and registered the question. "Uh...Sarah, can we... um... No! Actually, uh..."

He was still dancing.

"Can I go to the bathroom first? I really can't talk right now!!"

To school discussions…


Photo Credit :)



"Chickens," I began, as the Littles and I settled down for math class (Note: I really am not sure why or when I began calling Team K5 "chickens". It is not, in any way, related to their looks, supply of bravery, or the noise they make when they're happy. It's just...what I call them). "Chickens, why do we study math?"

Many were the reasons listed by my wee students, but by far the favorite was Madeline's matter-of-fact  reply:

"Well, it's just 'cause, in case we need to know math. Like, 'what's nine plus nine?' I know that. It's..." she paused for a minute, pursing her lips "... it's seventeen!"

My poker face has a long way to go. How's yours?

And a New Nation was Born

"When in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation...."

So began the birth announcement of a brand-new nation, born in the early days of July, 1776. It was not a time for baby-countries; the "Powers of the Earth" receiving the announcement were both scandalized and outraged. 

"Of all the nerve!" they cried in great derision, "To be so openly affronted with such audacity and pride! For this imbecile-infant to believe she ranks with us! She shall not last an instant, she knows so little of the world. Her inexperience shall be her undoing; her very existence is a nuisance - and we will squelch this 'little' life!"

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;" - I Corinthians 1:27

The great, proud Powers were unable to succeed in their mission. Spurning all dark prophecies that the country could not last, defiant of all powers who planned and plotted its demise, the great fathers and mothers of the new baby-nation were men and women willing to envision ambitiously, create painstakingly, and sacrifice limitlessly. For their children who would follow, these brave parents lead the way - examples of dedication, self-denial, and - most importantly - faith in the one, true King. No cost was too high a price to bring into the world this young nation. A nation who would, in turn, guard and protect the lives and faiths of those to come.

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain." - John Adams

And as they signed that solemn announcement, to the soft scratch of pen on paper, the fathers knew all they would be called upon to lay down for this, their new, small child. Families, occupations, lands, houses, and lives - they counted the cost, and knew it well. Yet, emboldened by their faith in Christ, confident that they were doing right, the signed their names below these words:

"We, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare , That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES....And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

And a new nation was born.

Happy Birthday, America.

I'm Home!!!!

"O wow. O wow. That is impressive!" The couple sitting next to me in the plane leaned forward, craning their necks to see out my little peep-hole of a window, while I leaned back, grinning in (senseless?) pride as they gawked and exclaimed at the beauty of my home. "Look at that mountain! O man. Wow."
"Have you guys ever been to Portland before?" I asked them, when their compliments began to slow. "Nope, first time!" they replied, "That is soo cool!" gesturing again to the mountain by which we were flying.

I just smiled. Over the past few days, the moment our fellow Instituters discovered where we lived, Lauren, Mika, and I were posed with the question: "Does it really rain there all the time?" "Well, I guess it does rain a lot..." we'd look at each other and shrug, "but you don't really notice it." (As a side-note, today is sunny and mid-70s.) However, if the truth be told, the Northwest is the most beautiful place known to man; even though, as one lady (who had actually visited) asserted, "It's the best-kept secret in the world!"

And I was home. Home where people know what the color green is. Home where rain is a thing you go outside and dance in, not pull out your umbrella for. Home where the sun shines on a million bright colors of pink, purple, and gold flowers; pale- and deep-green grass; dark, chocolate-colored dirt; and brilliant red bushes (instead of...well...brown everything). Home where the horizon does not stretch flat and endlessly, but where there are mountains and hills and woods and trees.

Yes, I love home. But what I love most about it, are the people who live here! To be tackled the moment I came into view by the three Littles, to be told by James that "Nothing was the same with you gone," to read yet another letter Maddy had written me, but hadn't had time to send - I am truly blessed by those with whom the Lord has chosen to surround me! Yes, I was sad Trip Utah was over. Yes, I loved chatting with and getting to know some of the amazing Suzuki teachers who rode the shuttle with us every day. Yes, I met some great people, and wish I could have gotten to know them better. Yes, I was challenged and sharpened and encouraged by those eleven days with my dear friends. But ultimately, I know this: God created and designed me to be here - in this home, older sister to nine siblings, living in the most beautiful state in the nation.

And it's good to be home.