Twenty Months and Resurrection!

It's Palm Sunday today and I have Bach's Cantata 182 playing, and I am imagining Christ riding on the donkey towards His death.  We celebrate Holy Week and Easter because of Christ's resurrection and every aspect of life hangs on this moment in time.  I've been thinking much on being "resurrection people"- living each moment and each day because of Christ's resurrection. When days are long and suffering is hard one might not feel like a resurrection person because all of creation groans as we wait for Christ's return. However this moment in history not only defines our suffering and our waiting, but it redeems it too.  We rejoice in a Savior who did not stay in the tomb but rose victorious.

Our Phoebe bird is 20 months now and abounding in energy and deeds of mischief. Her favorite past-times include raiding the pantry and finding hidden markers to use for her artistic masterpieces, which right now focus on clothing items. As we grow to know her we learn that she is extremely routine oriented and is also a very tender hearted little old soul. Lena and Emmeline are better than Mama some days and that makes me smile. The big sisters are busy learning medieval music, writing stories and raising chicks. (I'd said no more chicks, but then the fox came and there was great sadness). We are also busy planting elderberry and winterberry bushes and planning our gardens for the year. 

 

Raw life, beautiful life

This last month was overflowing; difficult in many ways and beautiful too.  We had a lot of snow and although this week is springlike and full of sunshine, I want to remember the big snows that we had and of happy little girls building snow castles and one toddler who did not like getting wet.  I want to remember makeshift slumber parties, sister snuggles, make believe, home ballet recitals, nature romps, silly faces losing teeth and lots and lots of book reading.  I even want to remember relentless baby teething and sleepless nights because each is a gift. We're starting a medieval band and have been dancing around with drums and percussion instruments, often in medieval dresses.  I marvel at the way learning becomes life- though I'd planned to finish medieval history in December, no one wants to stop, so we linger in parts of history we find amazing and will move on when ready.  We spent February and some of March in an Oceanography study and again, their hungry minds flabbergast me and we spend days on sea horses and weeks on sea coral.  We marvel at a world created by a marvelous Creator and we praise Him for His goodness to us. Here's to an early spring and many new explorations!  

 

Hibernating

We feel like a family of hibernating bears! Our last month holds very little excitement in the normal sense. But it was full of many wonderful and cherished moments as a family busy in home rhythms of learning and growing together. We've enjoyed tea by the woodstove while listening to The Lord of the Rings and reading Little Britches. We are enjoying the return of blue birds and geese flying over our house to the nearby lake. We're working through the Heidleberg catechism and french after dinner and I marvel at the memorization skills of our little women. Phoebe is enjoying this season of hats, gloves, boots and slippers and likes to wear all of them all day long. She's talking all the time, exploring her world and following after her beloved sisters.  

Today is day 2 of a snowstorm and we're already over 1 foot of snow.  It's brought an extra level of coziness and we've made scones and beeswax candles, studied snowflakes and worked on quilts.  I'm thankful for the gift of being able to be home together. 

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Eighteen Months

Our sweet little Phoebe girl is eighteen months and we delight in her. She has discovered singing melodies, independent "reading", and peas. She adores peas with a passion and asks for them all the time. This girlie still does not want to sit still or sleep, but radiates a love for life that is infectious and a blessing during these odd days.  Her favorite activities include "cleaning up mess", "looking for bugs" and playing with big sisters.  The big sisters have been busy growing and learning. Emmeline is getting used to glasses and we have started a new school term.  Lots of chicken care, imaginative play and book reading is happening in these parts and we are thankful to God for His goodness to us.