Juggling...

Now I know you are all going to be disappointed.  After all when you saw the title of my post I am just certain that you thought you would see photos of me, well, juggling.

Sorry about that.

The juggling I have in mind is the kind that is keeping tabs on many schedules, and the millions of things to be done.  Thankfully Tim is on second shift for 5 weeks and he is home during the day.

Let me give you a peek into what my week has been like.

For months now I have been trying to get our online store up and running.  It has taken much longer than I imagined it would.  Finally this week the last pieces are in place.  However it was not so on Tuesday when I was in the store.  I had to make a call to UPS and email the account manager and kind of light a fire!  "I really WANT to get this done!"  Getting the account there taken care of is important so that you can buy lots of cute handbags and jewelry from us!

Another headache I was working on was the ordering of one of our best selling handbags.  Suddenly our supplier no longer had them and didn't know when he would have them!  WHAT?!!!! Sigh.

I went online and found the wholesale company that he got them from.  "I'd like to order the spring colors, please."  "Well, first you must jump through these hoops and provide us this information."  Really?  It took me 6 WEEKS to place an order with them.  When I finally accomplished all they wanted, some of the spring colors are not available!  SIGH....However, I am thankful to have them as a supplier.  Our other guy was completely out when we went to the Big City and he mostly has blingy jewelry now.  Crazy.

Our dear friends found out this week that their baby died in the womb and she had to deliver the baby on Wednesday.  This has been hard for everyone.  Sad.  We are thankful that God knows what He plan is.  We are going to the funeral on Saturday, and Becky and I are working on the food for after the service.

Yesterday, I had to go into the store and meet with the account manager from UPS.  Very nice man - he likes our store and what we sell!  Anyway, I had to sign contracts and initial stuff.  Reminds me that we have a real business here.

Today, Tim has volunteered to take the younger ones to the dentist and oversee their schoolwork!  Where will I be?  I'll be out taking Emily to the store and getting groceries.

This is only part of the juggling that goes on around here.  Kay is working part time at Subway and so she needs to be taken to work and picked up as well....thankfully the theater that Lindsay and Emma work at is only 10 minutes from my parents home.  They graciously picked Lindsay up after work last evening and she spent the night with them.  They are going to drop her off at work this morning then, I will pick her up later tonight from work.  That is after I take Emma to our store, get groceries, take Kay to work, pick up Emma, and come home for a bit. 

In between here we do school.  Really.  The kids are doing very well.  Tim will do their history with them, they will do their grammar, math, reading, home ec, etc on their own.  We finished our science for the year already.  We have only 36 days of school left.

Did I mention that Tim, Lindsay and Emma are headed to Africa on the 30th?  We will likely take a break from school then, as I will be in the store during those two weeks.  I will have a sidekick or two along - but it will mean more juggling for me....

I think I need a weekend away....soon.

Well, gotta run.  The juggling begins in 10 minutes!

The Garden

 These photos were taken a few days ago at dusk...Tim had used his day off to till the garden with my Dad's 40 year old rototiller!  That thing still works just fine!


Lindsay joined him when she got home from the store.  Right now she has been outside for nearly 4 hours planting, with the kids help, corn, lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, onions...

 The two raised beds have strawberries!  We had 8 raised beds last year but decided to give ourselves more growing space by just leaving the strawberry beds.

 We learn many lessons in the garden every year.

 Many practical and real life lessons to be learned through gardening.  A big one?  The value God places on growing, and weeding, and watering and harvesting.  

I am looking forward to this years process...

Do you garden?  What do you grow?

Life

I have been pondering a bit again and this time it is about life and the way our culture responds to it.

I saw an article about a couple who was suing their doctor because their child should never have been born with Down's Syndrome. You can read about it here.  It breaks my heart to hear, too, that what some call the Down's 'cure' is actually abortion.  This family's daughter's live was not considered to be of value simply because of her Down's.

Why does it need to be cured?  Having met this sweet family and getting to know them at church, we know that Down's is just different, it's not bad - it actually makes them special!  The link is to an update on Katie, the daughter they adopted from Bulgaria.  She is doing amazingly well, in the three months since they brought her home. 


Also a dear friend of mine has lost her baby at 18 weeks.  Today she must go in a be induced and deliver the baby.  I am heartbroken for them.  This would have been their 6th child, and many people think they have more than enough children! But they have said "yes" to God.  They are willing to love and accept into their family all the children God chooses.


This is painful for them, and I am weeping with them.  My friend Brigette is precious and she says she is learning so much about the Lord through this.  Also at this time her Dad, who has inoperable cancer, is starting to decline.  They wish he wasn't having to go through this, but they have seen how God has taken this man who 'grew up in church' to a man who desires to walk with God!  They are thankful.


Life is precious - we should never take it lightly.  It is a gift.  We must defend it.  I am asking the Lord to help me see the value of each life as He sees it.  

Charter Day

 Every year, on the second Sunday in March, Pennsylvania celebrates the receiving of the Charter for the land that was given to William Penn.  We celebrate it by having all the State museums open for free.

 We chose to go to a wonderful local living history museum called Landis Valley Museum.
 

 They interpret history from 1740 - 1940.

 I love living history museums...it amazes me that people who lived without our modern conveniences lived such lovely lives.
 

 I am particularly fond of the way they cooked and provided meals for their families and others.

 That fireplace behind her has a nice fire and they were cooking a ham to make a pot pie...

 Hence the pie crusts waiting...

 Emily and Rachel were looking at a display of old revolvers.

 This is a trumpet vine...how old must it be?

 Herbs on the kitchen window sill

 I also liked the textile building...they were showing flax and hemp.

 This is a photo I took for Debbie - you would have loved this room!
 

 This loom is from the 1500's...

 This one is from the 1800's and they were making a green and black check pattern - it is going to be a cloak...

 We have many families who homeschool at our church and we enjoyed the day together!  We missed the Barrs who decided to take their boys to the Railroad Museum.  

 The day was beautiful here - in the 60's - perfect to me! 

 This was a very small house - a kitchen, a bedroom, and a loft upstairs...

 Loved this kitchen...

 Warren and Becky were celebrating 23 years of marriage!  We are thankful for such good friends!

 These are friends from church too.  The youngest contingent of the family with their beautiful mother.  Thankful for you Bonnie!  We had fun with the kids on a wagon ride!

 Here is our pastor, Mike and a friend from church Jenny.  The kids all love her and Mike too.  I don't know of how many pastors are so close to the families of their churches.  We are thankful for you Mike!

 I enjoyed the general store...

 

 This beautiful woman was making Bobbin Lace.  So beautiful and amazing...

Afterward, we all sat around, reluctant to leave each other...but eventually we did leave, got some dinner and came home.  What a beautiful day.

We are so blessed.

Emily's Birthday, Garden Stuff, White Dishes and I Have Reached That Age...

 The tulips planted in the fall are starting to make their way out of the ground, looking for sunshine!

 These daffodils, photographed just a few days ago are in full bloom now.

 The birds have been visiting the feeder once again...

 More tulips...

 Emily's choice for birthday lunch out was Chili's.  

 Her grandparents, Uncle Denny, Tim and I went in together and got her a nice camera.  She is excited to have one that works, just in time for her trip to Senegal!

 I love when she curls her hair!  So cute!

 Rachel took this photo of my mom!  Doesn't she look beautiful?

 I was wearing one of our beautiful scarves that we sell in our store!  I wore it because it was perfect with my skirt but also to hide a rash ( not poison ivy though) I got on my neck, that was also inflamed.  Can you see how swollen my right side under my chin is?  Icky..,it is getting better though...slowly.

 Emily's friend Amber joined us for lunch, too.  Emily kindly passed her dessert around for us all to try...yummy.

 A few hours later we got to see Jonah!  You must make a trip to see this show if you can!  You will love it!

We have quite a group of people from church who work at Sight and Sound.  They each got 4 tickets to bring guests for the employee premiere!  That meant many of our friends from church got to come, as well as my parents!  It was a lot of fun!

Today, while waiting for my eye appointment, I went into the Christmas Tree Shoppes.  I found rose bushes on sale for $6.00 each!  I don't know how they will do growing wise, but I thought they were worth a try!

They also had these amazing dishes...

 Pfaltzgraff, cream colored, basket weave pattern on the edges!  I have been wanting some white dishes for a while now - we have so many people over and white lets you mix and match your dishes etc...

 So, I call Tim and tell him about them and the price and he says "Get them."  Smile!

 The price - do you want to know the price?  $1.69 per plate or 2 for $3.00!  I bought a dozen for $18.00. 

Now for the AGE business...I knew it was coming, I'd been warned for years and yet managed to hold it off until now.  Sigh.  Bifocals.  Sigh.  At least my glasses are cute, and I am getting a progressive lens.  I will show you when I get them.   My eyes are very healthy and I am so thankful for that!


Do any of you wear bifocals or readers? 
 

For My Daughter, On Her 18th Birthday

My dearest, darling Emily,

From the day you were born you have brought such happiness to my life. You have always been full of such an exuberance for life.  Your spark has often been noted by others and it is what people first notice about you.

Along with your beauty, your willingness to serve, work hard, love others, sets you apart.  You are a loyal and generous friend.  I am thankful to be your friend.

On this day when we say you are an adult now, I pray that you will continue to cling to Jesus, to fix your eyes on Him as the prize, knowing that whatever His brings into your life is the cherry on top.  I pray you will continue to walk in His ways, to allow Him to lead you.  He desires your good.  He has begun a "good work in you" and "will be able to complete it in you."


Dad and I are so thankful for you.  We know that one day God's man for you will come...and when that happens we will all rejoice.


I know you are excited to go to Senegal, it is going to be such a special trip for you, Dad and Lindsay.


On this day - such a big day in your life - I want you to know that you are a treasure, a gift so rare, and that I love you. Dearly.


Momma