I'm not really sure how the girls got inspired for this song that they made up, but it's so cute!
Enjoy!

Samantha's dream

Samantha: "Mommy, last night I dreamed that I was 16."

Mommy: "Really? What did you dream about?"
Samantha: "Well, I was 16 and had my very own car. And nobody was in it. Just me. And there were plants and flowers in the back seat."
Mommy: "I like that dream. Anything else?"

Samantha: "I drove around and then I got you."

Mommy: "And then what did we do?"
Samantha: "We got more plants and flowers."

Anna Kate asked Jesus into her life

On Sunday, March 20, Anna Kate asked Jesus into her life. It was friendship Sunday in Kids Celebration at church.

She says, "I prayed that Jesus would come into my life."

Why? "Because Jesus is all-powerful, strong, great and He protects me. And it's a good idea to have Him in my life."

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We had a great homeschooling party. Everyone wore green (I was glad to discover green things in each of the girls' drawers.) First we made placemats!



Amy did a great hands-on activity about surface tension. She poured milk in dinner plates, added drops of food coloring, and then handed out q-tips with dish soap on them.
When the kids put the qtip in the milk without stirring, the colors moved around, creating really pretty designs.

We played with our food! And made rainbows with fruit loops on a plate of pudding.
And then had a spectacular lunch. Amy's fruit rainbow was a hit! Isn't this amazingly beautiful!

Tea Party!

We hosted a spring tea party for some of the girls friends on Saturday! It was so much fun.

This was our first party like this! The girls were so excited that they were dressed in "tea party best" by 9:30, even though our friends didn't come until 11:30am. And they were dancing around. It was great to see.

The girls were invited to bring a doll, if they wished. And we set up a doll tea party on the floor in the office. (I forgot to do our doll craft after tea. oops! Next time.....)

As the girls arrived, each one made her own fruit pizza! This is Mary working hard . . . .
Georgia also worked hard on a fruit pizza.
Lucy!
Janie is about Samantha's age, and they are two peas in a pod, quite literally.
Anna Kate - look at all those missing teeth! Even though she has lost about 7, only 2 are in and another 2 on their way in..... I love that grin.
Mary enjoying an animal cracker.
Georgia, our neighbor, and dear friend. We have been so sick this winter we have hardly seen her and her family. It was great to be together!
Our table, all set and ready to go. Anna Kate helped make place cards for each place. I used my tea set that I brought home from Russia and our silver.
Anna Kate enjoyed serving.
All the girls seemed to enjoy the tea party.
The table when the girls went to play. Still looking okay! We enjoyed tea sandwiches, fruit, animal crackers, chocolate birds' nest and fruit pizzas.
Some of the girls were getting ready to go home when we realized we didn't take a group picture! Still so fun and beautiful!

President's Day Weekend

Once again this year, our family had the joy of going to Camp of the Woods for President's Day weekend. Camp of the Woods is such a restful place for our family. This year, it was a little more challenging than usual, since Will's RSV was kicking into high gear once we arrived. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed great meals, a restful place, time together, and a couple of activities - a horse-drawn sleigh ride, tubing, arts & crafts, and swimming (of course!).

The top of the tubing hill was closed because of the ice, but the girls and Dave still enjoyed the ride. There they are getting ready to go down.
Samantha waiting in her tube.
Here is everyone. Will and I didn't ride. He slept most of the time we were at the hill.

However, this is where we first heard the most glorious news that Uncle Chris and Auntie Emilie were chosen by a birth mother for a little girl who was at the time due in less than a month! Well, since then, Chris and Emilie have brought home a new cousin for us - little Eliza Kathleen, born March 7. She's beautiful and we are having a difficult time waiting to see her and hold her and help Aunt Emilie and Uncle Chris! We are so thankful for God's perfect provision for them!

Valentine's Day

I'll tell you what: We are blessed. We had a fabulous Valentine's Day party with our small group. We are all homeschooling families. Julie set a beautiful table. The kids each made a "mailbox."







Even Will and Charlie got in on the party!