Lena at 11.5

Our dear Lena Lu is 11. 5  She has grown so much in this last half year and is well on her way to little womanhood.  Lena has worked so hard in so many areas of life: schoolwork, health issues, courage and fears. She proclaimed her faith in the Lord Jesus right at the beginning of the new year and we rejoice in her love for her Savior.  Lena has grown very tall and her hair is long and silky.  She is such a book girl now and that is precious to see.  Lena loves quiet cuddles with Wendell the cat, outside swings and romps through the meadow. She enjoys time making mud pies and feasts in the Forest Bakery and is working hard on renovating a dollhouse. She has some sweet penpal friends and special close to home ones too.  Lena has a beautiful soprano voice, light and clear and it'll be fun to see what she does with it someday. Right now she sings in the Sola Gratia Choir and is part of the BucksMont Homeschool orchestra on her violin.  She has also advanced a lot in her piano repertoire and is preparing for a spring recital.  But even with all of these wonderful accomplishments it is her sweet and gentle spirit that shines out so much.  She has a wonderful servant heart and steps in to help out whenever she sees a need. We love Lena and can't believe that 12 is on the horizon so soon. 

 

6.5 with Phoebe Bird

Our Phoebe Bird is 6.5 (a bit delayed posting this) and it's hard to believe it!  You are such a big girl now, doing your own hair, having opinions about dresses and working so hard as a first grader on reading and writing!  It's not been the easiest year for you with Lyme and health struggles but you have born it all with perseverance and courage.  You are such a wonderful big sister and even though Levi weighs 3/4 of your own weight you lug him around when he wants to be a baby. You are enjoying ballet classes with big sisters and really like Amelia Bedelia and Little House books right now.  You have fun taste preferences right now: olives, melons and kefir. You love helping in the kitchen cutting up vegetables for salads.  You are our little bunny, loving all raw vegetables too. Your glasses are the plague of your life and you have sat on them multiple times. You love playing piano and have an incredible ear. In fact I think you play on the piano most of your waketime.  You started the guitar and love learning from Papa.  You love long dresses and mud kitchen all at once. You love listening to audio books and are really quite good at math! Right now your heart is making lots of theological discoveries and questions. You are trying hard to understand the Trinity and the problem of pain and you love with all of your heart.  We cherish you our Birdie girl and can't believe you are already such a young lady! I want to always remember how beautiful your big brown eyes were at 6, how much you want your hair to get growing longer, how much you want to be big like your sisters, how much you love Narnia and Anne of Green Gables and how tender your heart is. We love you Phoebe. 

 

The many faces of Levi at 3

Happy Birthday to our dear little man! Levi is three years old!  I tried to take a photo that best described him at this age and in the end decided that all of these expressions are equally important. Levi is our firecracker boy, full of life and mischief, love and exuberance with a tad gentle old soul.  He tries so hard to keep up with his big sisters and never wants to be left out of anything.  But he also takes on his own explorations and is likely the most extroverted of all our children.  Levi at three adores vehicles of all kinds.  He still loves his antique tractors, but now thinks construction vehicles are rather spectacular too.  He admires wheels and hammers, can match pitch and remember songs he hears once.  He loves his kitty and blankie, riding his bike, reading Busy Town books by Richard Scary and building towers.  His favorite foods might be apples, yogurt and sausage.  He loves bath time and still sleeps terribly, appearing in the middle of the night by my side. He loves read alouds and can quote Anne of Green Gables, Lord of the Rings and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. His wonder of the world is innocent and simple and it is refreshing in a world that feels dark and heavy most of the time. He loves listening to We're Going on a Bear Hunt and can occupy himself happily with his trains, tools and cars.  Our dear boy has been a strong child since birth, stretching me in ways I did not know my motherhood and faith needed stretching. He has had chronic breathing issues that have caused many a sleepless night for all of us. But I see God growing him into such a strong man of God, even at this little age. He is courageous, long suffering and full of big feelings. I can't believe he is three, but more importantly I can't believe how blessed we are through the gift of his life. Happy birthday Levi Marshall. May God bless you and keep you always.  

 

Another Year

The year is fresh, like snow. The days have been full of many good things: homemade bread and tea with cookies, friends and fellowship, family meals, a Redwall Feast, blanket forts and trampoline jumps for energetic two year olds, embroidering sisters and homemade gifts.  The piano was never silent and Carol of the Bells was heard echoing the halls in around 100 different renditions! We visited those who had no family and brought love to those who were lonely and hurting. We watched and tended our sick kitty Clara and adopted a new fish. We had piano recitals when the power went out and so many duets we forgot who was playing and who wasn't. We remembered again the longing we feel for all to be made right and rejoiced that the Lamb came to crush the Serpent. 

And now, we start again with new books, new rhythms and the unfailing faithfulness of the Lord for each new day.  The year has not started off with ease. In fact, shock and sorrow and anger threaten like storm clouds. But He holds us fast. And we look with the eyes of our hearts for the goodness of God. When we look, we see it in abundance. 

 

She treasured up these things in her heart

In the last few months I have thought often about Mary "treasuring up" quite often as her life became a paradox of joy and sorrow. What must it have been like to have been waiting expectantly for your Child/King? Or to know He would come to die in order to save us? Our own days are full of questions too, unknowns, worries and joys all mixed up into the paradox of a life here in the fallen world. Some days or months feel heavy with burdens and aches weighing us down. We can't make sense of it all. Transitions wash over our lives, heartache sweeps through.  But we treasure up all of these things and give them to Jesus.  We hold them closely, knowing that the sorrows  are intwined with the truths we know from the Gospel. The weary world rejoices and we do again wait expectantly. Perhaps part of "treasuring" is remembering. We remember the first Advent and Mary's treasuring and we cry out "Come, O Come, Emmanuel" yet again. 

The last few months have been ever so busy. I can hardly catch my breath to think about all that has transpired.  Our kitchen renovation seems a metaphor for life! There has been a lot of ripping out, letting go and moving on, of pulling out broken things and rebuilding. There have been countless blessings of God's faithfulness and moments of stretching and growth.  The children are growing and learning and we hold close these moments of joy. We have had violin recitals, Nativity plays, choir concerts, lots of practicing and the finishing of Term 1. Lots of practicing and duets and lessons, homemade crafting and painting along with reading by the stove with tea.  As winter comes and we get our first big snow I want to treasure up too!