Lena is 12

 Our beloved girl, Lena Lu is 12! I recall the spring of her birth so vividly because it was a cool spring  similar to how it has been this year to date. We had no idea she was going to make an early appearance and were going about our life expecting a June baby.  But God (and Lena) had other plans.  Ever since that day we've been blessed to know her. She is tender and strong, smart and compassionate. She is a deep thinker but also ever so happy to spend hours in books or imaginative play.  She's so musical and artistic but also a hard worker in her studies. She is such a good Mama to her cats and to siblings and just on the cusp of womanhood she is a capable cook and babysitter! At 12 Lena loves order and routine, quiet and contemplative space to think and ponder. But she is so happy to romp in the woods, wade through the stream and get muddy too. Her hobbies include fiddle music, fairy gardens, herbal medicine, lots of dolls and dollhouse play, chicken rescuing and ballet.  She loves to dress up as historical figures, loves a good tea party and can make Levi laugh like no other.  Lena has continued to deal with Lyme with courage and perseverance in spite of difficult symptoms at times and the Lord has grown her abundantly in the last year! We love you Lena Susan and pray that God will bless you now and in all the days of your life. Happy birthday dear girl! 

Springtime Ramblings

We are two and half weeks away from finishing up our official school year and I am a bit shocked at where the last months have gone.  Much of late winter and early spring have been spent settling Dad into a new home due to his Alzheimer's diagnosis. These have been hard and heavy days but hopefully he feels the love of his family as we walk with him on a new journey. 

Then we were in a whirl of choir concerts, play rehearsals, and garden planting.  We expanded our garden, harvested our first crop of medicinal herbs and continued on our kitchen project! We also had another Around the World in 90 Dinners  supper with our friends. The kids dressed up in Argentinian clothing and we had a fun menu of Chimichurri Churrasco, side dishes and dolce du leché.  As we finish our lap books on the Spanish Armada, The Hobbit and Oceans and prepare for a performance of Othello and The Prodigal Son, Homeschool Orchestra concerts and recitals we're thankful that spring has finally sprung and the world is laced with beauty once again. There are a lot of events that have happened and I have no pictures of them because Mama was too busy.  But these are a few snapshots of fun moments that I did manage to snag.