A Letter From Mommy

Hello Emily. I've been thinking about you. Maybe because Mother's Day is coming up soon. Or maybe because it is spring and June is almost here. Did you know the Juneberry trees are in bloom already? It's only the month of May and their blossoms are white and beautiful. Spring came early this year and I'm so grateful to God for it.
Your birthday is coming up, Emily. You will be two years old. I wonder what you would've looked like..? Would you have curly hair like your little sister's? Or maybe straight? You would be walking now, probably driving me crazy with your tantrums and delighting my heart with your smiles.
I'm sure you know about your little sister, Madelynn. She is such a dear, sweet soul. I wish you could meet her. She doesn't look anything like you Emily, I know you will understand.
Your older sister is almost 3.5 years old! I can hardly believe it. She too, is sweet and caring. Though trying at times, Rachel loves hugs and I know if you were here, you would be the recipient of many.
And your brother? Oh, Joshua is great too. He is in Kindergarten now, being taught at home. He loves stories and cars and trucks and other "boy" things. He talks about you though. He remembers you. And, I think, he misses you. I think he will always have a spot in his heart for you, Emily, his second sister.
I haven't missed you as much this past year, Emily. The pain has softened and the memories have faded some. Time, yes, has brought healing, but more through prayer and friendship. It is truly amazing how God and His people can reach out and, sacrificially, bring healing to a wounded heart.
Yes, there will always be a scar, Emily. But please don't feel badly, for God in His holiness knew what was the best for both of us. He made you, created you and brought you home. Your Real Home. Where there is Light and no darkness. Where there is Fulfillment and Joy, no more waiting and no more tears. I am so proud of you, Emily. You are shining now. You are one of His- clean, bright and beautiful, just like the Juneberry blossom.

Always with love,
your Mother,
Renee

More Crawling

This, again, is mainly for the grandparents, but everyone can watch. It's just of Madelynn crawling around a bit more and also if you can look closely, you can see her new haircut (she has bangs now). Try to notice the cute curls around her ears, it is hard to see- but I love them, they are so cute!

Visiting Daddy At Work

One day last week we visited Daddy at work. He and the crew he works with have been building this modest sized cabin by the lake for several months now. It's been close to home, which is always a welcomed blessing.

The backside, looking out onto the lake

The front of the house

The living room

The kitchen and side door

Upstairs bedroom, looking out onto the lake

The First Week

This last week we began our official homeschool. Overall it went rather well. The first day of school was not great. In fact, it was terrible. I had to leave the house and take a time-out in the shed. Yes, Mommies have time-outs, too. But God is merciful and heard my cries for help and He helped me. He gave me some ideas on how to rearrange the schedule/routine/rhythm of the day. And days 2-5 were so much better!

I also finished a great book by Ruth Beechick. "The Three R's" comes highly recommended by "expert" homeschoolers. It has great hints and helpful explanations for the basics for Kindergarten-Grade 3.

The kids and I have been loving this book:

It is a great science book, talking about the weather, the calendar, holidays, wind, animals, all kinds of things! I think we could just keep reading this book all day! We are way ahead of the curriculum schedule because of it, but who cares? The point is that the kids learn and have an enjoyable time, not to stick to a rigid schedule. So I use the schedule as a guide, which keeps me accountable and keeps me from laziness.

Joshua is really enjoying math and science. Handwriting- not so much. Rachel just enjoys being read to and enjoys the games/activities we play that sometimes go along with specific stories we read.

Another thing we did this week was... haircuts! All three kids received haircuts. I will try to get pictures, but Madelynn has bangs now with cute curls around her ears. Joshua has a short-all-over, sorta spiky haircut. If you can picture a "bob" haircut only longer, to about the middle of her neck, that's what Rachel has now. So cute!

An update on our housing: Our landlords are selling the house (as far as I know) officially now. We are still living here, with a roof over our heads, and trying to be content and patient as we wait on God to bring about another home for us.

Some Madelynn Joy for a Moody Monday

Madelynn loves baths. Rocking back and forth, crawling, splashing, scooting, she loves being mobile!



One Sunday morning before church, Madelynn laughed so hard I think she had tears on her face:




Madelynn is pulling herself up now! Yes, she's still crawling and she's getting better at it. She's faster, and is exploring rooms other than the living room. Namely, the kids' room. Up go the legos and the play jewelry. Forgot about the marbles though. Josh brought them out to play today. Madelynn found two (at different times) and Mommy found them in her mouth. Yikes! This pre-toddler phase is a little different than last time with Rachel. Older kid toys are harder to deal with!


I'm still figuring out "homeschooling" and our routine. If you happen to call us between 8:30ish-11isham and get the answering machine, that means we are "doing school". Just leave a message and we'll call you back whenever we can.