Happy Birthday Thomas!

As I traced the outline of my son's innocent face with my finger this morning... holding him in my arms for our daily morning snuggle... I couldn't help but want to slow down the hands of time... savor this moment... his gaze deeply set on mine I hold him close and cherish the gift of my little boy...

Six Years Old...

Saturday we celebrated Thomas' Birthday...

He is growing into a vibrant and healthy little man... 6 years old now.

Cowboy Thomas and his Daddy

Saturday we also marched as a family in the in the Snake River Stampede Parade in Nampa. It was great fun for Thomas... Helping to support our 4H group, we carried the 4H flag and Thomas waved at the bystanders as we led our girls on horseback through town. The Energizers won 2nd place in their division and enjoyed a fun morning of horse grooming, decorating and riding.

Sarah Jane and Sarah Elizabeth waiting for
Wyatt to dry freshly painted (nails) I mean... hooves...

It's a big job for a little boy

The Energizer's ready to be Judged

Thomas taking a ride on Shorty

Daddy getting a smooch from Wyatt

Marching Down Main Street USA (Nampa)

Thomas almost felt as if the parade was in his honor... He loved the idea of marching through town... but the parade route was long and he decided to ride in style..." All that waving was hard work", he confided in me after the parade...

He waved the entire parade!

What birthday is complete without a cake and candles...

I wonder what he wished for...

Happy Birthday Thomas!

An Evening of Music, Fellowship and Chocolate

Thursday night we held a violin recital in our home to celebrate Sarah's finishing up Book One of the Suzuki Music School.

We are so thrilled to see her graduate on to the next level!

Sarah warming up before the Recital
Her beautiful dress was hand made by her Grandma Linda!

Many of you know that Sarah has been learning to play the violin since she was just a wee toddler of two. This journey has had many ups and downs and side stops along the way... She began in Tokyo, Japan...

Sarah with her first Violin Teacher in our apartment in Tokyo
Winter of 2001

We soon made a move back to the States, where after a few months of looking, we found another excellent teacher to continue her instruction... This was a time of building a foundation...of good habits and technical skill... and after a year or more of pre-twinkles we finally graduated to begin Book One. Two moves and two instructors later, she is finally moving forward at a strong pace...

Sarah and Jenny, her wonderful violin Instructor,
playing a duet

Although it seems a long time for Sarah... and sometimes she has felt like she has been taking one step forward and two steps back...she has worked hard and diligently the entire way. The time spent has served her well as she has matured and worked to finish up the first of many books to come...



As with anything of value, hard work and diligence are at the core of success. Playing an instrument takes daily commitment... we are so proud of Sarah for sticking with it.

Friends

Of course, after the recital, we enjoyed the fellowship of friends and family that came to support Sarah and we feasted on chocolate covered strawberries and a double chocolate cake prepared by my wonderful and talented mother.

Our Chocolate...

A special thanks to my mother, Linda, Jenny (Sarah's Violin Instructor), and Pat (our wonderful pianist), for graciously sharing your time, gifts and talents to make this evening very special.

What a great memory for all of us to draw from as we move forward to book two!

Still Horsing Around!

Well, we can't seem to shake horse fever around here!

Sarah Showing off her 8th Place Ribbon!

Monday, Sarah participated in the 4H Junior State Horse Bowl. She was able to swim with the "big fish" being one of the youngest in the Junior division.

Getting her trigger finger ready!

She scored 8th in the State! She came home with another beautiful medal to add to her growing collection... and, enjoyed a wonderful day hanging out with her Daddy... What could be better than that?

The Idaho State 4H Jr. Horse Bowl Champions for 2009

A Week of Horsing Around, Part Two

Tuesday, Sarah participated in the Chickasaw Choctaw 4H Beginner's Horse Show. She did splendid! It was a bit unnerving and Wyatt was acting up a bit. We think he may have been testing Sarah's strength and fortitude a bit. Horses feel the confidence of their rider and he was giving her a run for her money! Her confidence began to waiver and he knew it... After a few tears and a couple of pep talks, we put Sarah in the ring...she kept it together and did a fabulous job.

The Opening Ceremonies
Sarah and a couple of her class competitors

Sarah was number 28...
Can't tell with the long braid blocking the number!
Getting into position for her Showmanship Class

Here is her Showmanship Class
The Judges are making their first inspection

Sarah setting Wyatt up for Showmanship
My little girl in a big arena...

Sarah feeling good after her Western Walk/Trot Class
1st Place! Way to go!!

Here is a video clip of her English Walk Trot, if you want to view it just make sure you stop the music playing in the left side column!

Sarah ended up coming home with two first place ribbons (both for her Walk/Trot Western and English classes) and a 4th place (for showmanship). She also walked away with the Grand Champion, High Point Ribbon! She scored the highest total out of all of her class of 10 and 11 year old competitors. Hurray for Sarah!

The next day... a proud Grand Champion and her horse.

We are so proud of Sarah. Her hard work and hours of time spent preparing for the show paid off in a bounty of great memories...

A Week of Horsing Around, Part One

Sarah has had a great time the past few days riding and enjoying working with Wyatt. Mom and Dad are tired and ready for a break!

Monday, She went on a trail ride with her 4H group in the Eagle Foothills... We all went up to see her, and the rest of her group, off and had a fun BBQ and picnic. All of the girls had a lot of fun!

The girls giving Shorty a make-over before the trail ride...

Sarah and her love....

Wyatt giving me a big smile! No Joke, I asked him to smile
and he did!

My little girl is getting tall and slender...

Sarah and her trainer and 4H friend, Courtney.

Sarah Jane (and her pony Shorty),
Sarah's dear friend and 4H buddy...



Some of the 4H gang getting ready to head out...
Happy Trails to You. Until, we meet again...

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

We are putting up a fence this week.

Between our neighbor and ourselves.

It is a good thing, yet, there is something in me that doesn't "love a wall"...

I love the open space that is not obstructed by trampolines or plastic monstrosities... nor overgrown weeds and piles of junk...nor of loud and crude noises and unsightly behavior...

I truly pine for the open quiet space of fresh mowed and perfectly green lawn... or that of a natural woodland or open pasture.

The sub-burbs seem to require a wall to keep the good in and the bad out... a buffer is necessary ... and so, the wall goes up between our two houses...

As the saying goes "Good fences make good neighbors".

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun,

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.

I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.

To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
'Stay where you are until our backs are turned!'
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.

Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, 'Good fences make good neighbors'.
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
'Why do they make good neighbors?
Isn't it
Where there are cows?
But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down.

I could say 'Elves' to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself.

I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me~
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well

He says again, "Good fences make good neighbors."

The Mending Wall
Robert Frost

I pray that God grant me an attitude of grace and openness toward my neighbor...so as not to build a wall in my heart between us as well.

Skirts Made for Two!

Here is the latest in our "sewing threads of beauty and modesty" collection...

Sarah and Isabelle

These beautiful young girls are modeling the newly sewed
twirling skirts!
Every girl needs a skirt to spin and twirl about in...
(Sarah picked out the horse fabric of course.)

Young Men Mentoring Little Ones

Have you ever wondered how you impact others through seemingly simple actions of service or hospitality?

We have enjoyed a morning spent with our dearly beloved Kronz Family at their beautiful farm.

Whenever I visit with my girlfriend for a time of fellowship, her sons take time to sit and talk and play with my little one. Giving me the gift of time spent free to talk and truly enjoy some well loved moments of peace.

It is such a blessing to see... the connection they make with Thomas. I am sure it is a chore at times to keep my little guy occupied, but the fact is, that time is well spent. Thomas is truly blessed by the time these young men take out of their own busy lives to love him and mentor him as if he were their very own brother. These boys are living out the unconditional love of Christ...

It just brings a smile to my face...

Josiah and Thomas relaxing under the willow tree as Josiah
shares the never ending tales of "Three Crazy Pigs"

Happy Father's Day

Today is a special day... Father's Day.

I think fondly of my own father... he is such a wonderful man.

My Daddy

I truly enjoy just being with him and spending time together... He has always made me a priority in his life and, has made me feel very special. He has always been a strong leader, provider, and counselor. He modeled Godly character in his daily life. He has desired to see his family know and understand God's love and has acted out this love to us through his unconditional grace and love given freely to each of his children. I was very fortunate to grow up in a home with such a foundation of truth, strength and love.

As my husband and I are now raising our own children, we feel the sacrifice and the weight of the responsibility that it takes every day to live out this mission. It is a daily exercise in faith (as we ultimately trust in God's control) and sacrifice (laying down our own desires to give to our children every ounce of patience and consistent discipline and care) as we prepare them for their future.

Daddy, Sarah and Thomas, Father's Day 2009

Today, my daughter presented my husband with a simple hand made card... it was lovely... I must share her heart felt sentiments so that we can remember the words that come from sweet true love.... from a daughter to her father:

I can't explain the ways I love you more each day.
I love many people
I love many things,
but just loving you makes me feel like I'm on wings.
It doesn't matter where you are
if your near
or if you're far
I still love you from the bottom of my heart.

Happy Father's Day!

Sarah, Age 10

Happily Married After 19 Years!

Today, I ponder the idea of being married for 19 years...

Is it possible that time has gone by so quickly?

It seems only yesterday we walked hand in hand from the alter. Leaving the comfort, authority and safety of our own families and beginning our journey in life together... as one.

It was very simple then... we could load everything we owned into the back of my husband's Volkswagen. We were very driven and optimistic about life and filled to the core with joy!

Is seems as time goes by...

life has had it's ups and downs

many changes have strengthened us

moves to different places around the globe have changed our perspective

two beautiful children have matured and purified us

pets, houses, stuff... have multiplied...

life is not as simple....

In fact, balance and sanity are difficult to achieve at times!


Yet, there is something that has not changed. At the end of every day... we are together. We are more in love, more content to rest together in each others arms, as God carries us through yet another day. A true miracle.

What a blessing, in this uncertain and changing world, to have this gift and treasure of a husband, a true blessing from God, walking on this earth with me.

You say Potato I Say Potato

We are simply amazed at these Kronz spuds
growing in our garden...

They are simply breathtaking.

In just one week they have grown a foot or more!

Sarah has the measuring tape out today...
It looks like they are almost at three feet and
it's only the middle of June.

Good Old Fashioned Fun!

What a joy to see my children delight in the simple things of life... give them a washtub filled with water and some simple floating toys and they are entertained for hours!

It calms them rather than overstimulates ...

There is something that happens when we actively learn (rather than passively through virtual instruction). It is a mystery to me, but the connection is made that is much more meaningful.

Learning is taking place when my son lets the water ripple over his hand...

Imagination is let to wander and freely takes hold in the mind...

A colorful world is opened to explore.

A joy filled afternoon!

Sewing Threads of Beauty and Modesty

Have you gone shopping for "girl" clothing lately? I sure find it difficult to find modest, feminine and tasteful clothing for my 10 year old young lady... I actually want her to look like a young girl, not a grown up woman or trendy teenager...

I have been looking at some great web sites and have found some adorable hand made skirts for young ladies... the problem is, they are all so darn expensive!

Well, I got to thinking, I do have a sewing machine, and I do have a general idea how to sew fabric together... although I am a bit rusty. I dusted off the machine and put my hands to work!

And here is the product of my creative juices!

Sarah picked out the vintage fabrics
and designed the skirt (with a bit of my help)...

I think it turned out lovely for our first go around!

Busy Planting!

This weekend we enjoyed lovely weather and have been able to accomplish a lot!

Our community pool just opened and the children have enjoyed a few days of swimming... we have been busy planting flowers, mowing the lawn and fixing things... It is the same every Spring as we prepare our home and our hearts for the days of summer...

The new garden is starting to show signs of life!

We are now enjoying fresh salad every night! My greens are growing like mad!! My favorite thus far is our Spinach Salad with mustard vinaigrette... YUM!

What a great husband to do all this for little o'l me :)
I am truly thankful for the time he spent building my boxes
and hauling yards and yards of dirt.

Thus far, we have various kinds of leaf lettuce and herbs for salads (Mesclun, Arugula, Red Leaf and Spinach). We also have Tomatoes (Early Girl, Brandywine and Old Time Tasty and Sweet Grape)... Onions, Chives, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Dill, Oregano, Cilantro, Cucumbers (Burpless and Armenian), Peppers (Sweet Red Bell, Sweet Banana, and Hungarian Yellow Wax)... even the Potatoes are pushing up their leaves from deep underground (they have grown two feet in a week!)

The change from the long winter months of dry and cold to vibrant green and warm is just one of my favorite times of year. New life is springing up all around... It is also a time to finish up and put away projects from the winter months and get outdoors and work in the garden and play!

I truly enjoy the evenings we spend sitting out on our back porch as a family talking and laughing or sharing a meal... these are times to savor as they will all too quickly pass... just as the changing of the seasons... Savor I will!

A Private "Homeschooling" Moment

We never have time to stop learning!

Do you ever have those moments when you walk by your children when carrying a load of laundry and peek in and just smile :) This was one of those moments... I dropped the laundry and ran for the camera! Yes, we are studying Idaho State History this month :) Gotta love his enthusiasm!

Faith

"We are not in this child-training business alone.
God has assigned us to the task and given us the children
He determined - with all their qualities and faults.
But He has not left us alone to toil and guess and worry;
God is working alongside us.

Yes, some lessons may be hard.
Our mommy-hearts might groan at the thought
of our children having to walk through
an uncomfortable season.
Our hearts might ache
when they have something that they love
removed from their lives.
We want to control everything that happens to them.

...The reality is that we can't control everything
that happens to our children all the time.
Only God can do that.

God is good and He is in control.
Grab ahold of that fact and hang on with both hands.

Lord, increase our faith."

Sonya Shafer, Masterly Inactivity with Charlotte Mason

Thomas Update: Walking and Running!

It has been a bit of a challenge for Thomas to regain strength after the casts were removed a month ago.

He has been working daily to regain strength... and, we expected that like it is with a baby learning to walk... it just takes time, and then suddenly they are off and running!

Well, not so much with Thomas.

He has had difficulty getting his toes to figure out what to do. Because his body was not formed the same as most when he was born, his muscles don't really know how to respond to a "normal gait" or walk. ( as well as the fact that he has been in casts for over 12 weeks!) They are very weak and have little or no memory. Yes, our muscles actually have a so called memory. Can you believe how amazing our bodies are? We are created with such amazing detail.

We have spent the past two weeks in Physical Therapy doing exercises to both strengthen Thomas' weak muscles but to also train his muscles how to work in a way they have never been required to move before.

Most of our work has centered on balance. A lot of walking requires little muscles in the feet and ankle that balance the entire weight of our body... Thomas has currently adapted to walking on his heals, without using the rest of his foot, and pushing forward with his hips. Even before the surgery, he walked with his heal first and then rolled onto the tip of his toes on the outside of his foot. He rarely used the ball of his foot. He had the movement down very well and did it fast enough that most would not even notice he walked a bit different. The odd wear on the heal of his shoes told the story!

Over the past couple of weeks we have been daily working on stretching and strength of his entire foot, ankle and hip and have focused on working to wake up those toe muscles!

I can say that I see improvement. We are not to the point of "normal" but we are improving daily.

For the first time this week... we saw Thomas running (ever so gingerly) to his sister in the park. Speed equals strength! The faster he moves the more strength and balance he is developing. Our hard work is paying off... what a joy to see our son enjoying his life... in all circumstances.

Especially those that are fun!

The Seed Is Sown in Good Soil

Signs of Spring are finally here... The Bees are Busy!

Yesterday we planted our first seeds to begin our kitchen garden.

My sweet girlfriend even participated in our first planting...she brought me potato seeds! Of course, Idaho is famous for potatoes and I would be remiss if I did not provide a space for them in our garden...

My children eagerly gathered around our pristine new boxes of deep rich soil and we discussed the art and science of gardening... Homeschooling at it's best!


My son eagerly obeyed my instructions and planted the individual seeds in the holes I provided for him and gently covered them up. He is very excited as to what will happen! " When will they grow?" As we thoroughly watered our meager little seeds, my son fully expected IMMEDIATE results! I explained that this would take several weeks... of waiting patiently for the fruit of our labor...

My Daughter and I were talking about why we plant seeds in deep fertile soil rather than shallow hard soil. She explained to me that she had already studied this topic... I asked here where she had read about it... I fully expected to hear her tell me... in her science book... No, she told me it was in her Bible! The Parable of the Sower, found in Mathew 13:1-23.

A farmer went out to sow his seed.
As he was scattering the seed,
some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil.
It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
But when the sun came up,
the plants were scorched,
and they withered because they had no root.
Others seed fell among thorns,
which grew up and choked the plants.
Still other seed fell on good soil,
where it produced a crop- a hundred,
sixty or thirty times what was sown...

...Listen to what the parable of the sower means:
When anyone hears the message about the kingdom
and does not understand it,
the evil one comes and snatches away
what was sown in his heart.
This is the seed sown along the path.
The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places
is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
But since he has no root he lasts only a short time.
When trouble or persecution comes because of the word,
he quickly falls away.
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns
is the man who hears the word ,
but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth
choke it making it unfruitful.
But, the one who received the seed that fell on good soil
is the man who hears the word and understands it.
He produces a crop,
yielding a hundred,sixty or thirty times what was sown.

The Holy Bible, NIV

I was truly blessed today by my daughter's understanding of gardening...

"I Want To Be Just Like My Daddy"

Thomas has been maturing quiet a bit over the past few months... It has been wonderful to see him grow and develop skills that will further him along in his education and in life.

He adores his father... and, wants to be just like him! A few days ago we were out shopping and he noticed a suit on the rack... He gasped in delight and exclaimed... "Oh Mommy I want to be just like Daddy! Please may I have this suit..." I could hardly keep myself from smiling and of course I bought the suit for him. (It was an Easter Special on Sale, no less.)

What a joy to see him waiting to show his Daddy upon his return home from work...

Father and Son, Easter Sunday

His father got a real kick out of it too!

As parents, my husband and I feel we have a responsibility to live out our lives purposefully... thinking through the smallest decisions and modeling behavior and love through our example in front of our children and in the midst of life circumstances. It is such a blessing when we see the fruits of our labor... in the smallest little ways... and, it is such an encouragement to live out our convictions and to continue the hard work of training them up in the way they should go...

Beautiful Girlhood

Girlhood is the opening flower of womanhood.
It has charms all its own. The wonderful change from the child to the woman, the marvelous blossoming of young, healthy girlhood, will ever be God's great miracle in life's garden.

Girlhood is like a half-open rose.
We are charmed, both by the beauty of the bud and by the wonderful coloring of the rose.
We behold the familiar traits of childhood that have always charmed us and held our affections, but blended with these in ever changing variety are
the graces and powers of womanhood.

Excerpt from Beautiful Girlhood, M. Hale, Revised by Karen Adreola

Sarah presented a speech at the
District 4H Illustrated Talk and Demo Contest this past weekend...

It seems my little blessing of a child is growing up. Today she marks the occasion with TEN birthday candles atop her cake. Where does the time go? It is so obvious to me as I look at her... those young little chubby cheeks have slowly melted away...to a more mature, beautiful and slender face. Her legs and arms have become long and out of proportion to the rest of her and she has even shown sign of fluctuating emotional moments! (Oh the dread of hormones...)

Sarah sharing a silly moment with her girlfriends!

Today she stands on the threshold of girlhood. I likened it to a garden for her. I explained that all of her life she has played in a beautiful walled garden... safe and secure . This was her childhood. Today the garden gate has been left open for her to peek out into the wide world around her. Someday, I told her, she will walk out into the wide open world and rarely return to her safe garden... accept for an occasional trip to enjoy it's nostalgia and familiarity... She will go out and create her own garden. This is what womanhood will be...

Yet, for now she is not given leave to wander freely, she is given permission to step outside the garden gate and explore and enjoy the fields and the streams... and practice gardening.. on her own, within close proximity of her safe and loving garden. This is what girlhood is.

Girlhood is an in-between spot. A time to grow and learn what it means to be a woman. Yet, the little girl enjoys the wonder and joy of childhood... carefree and safe within her own home and family.

As we all know, girlhood is not without danger. Sadly, the world outside can be filled with disappointment and emptiness...

In light of this fact, I truly believe God has placed her Father and I in a position to protect and guard her, as well as, train her up... to be ready to face the joys and evils of this world and thrive in it.

A proud Mother with her beautiful daughter!

To celebrate this special birthday for Sarah, we decided to invite some close local friends and hosted a lovely tea party complete with all the finery... white linen, bone china, and tea with sandwiches and little sweets. I also invited the young girls and women to share from their hearts a bit of advice and Godly wisdom for Sarah... as she begins the path of girlhood...

It was a lovely time... and the thoughts shared were most helpful and beautiful. Sarah has a new memory box to place the written sentiments in... to look upon in the future whenever she needs a little encouragement or wisdom along life's journey...

It was a lovely party! We missed all of you who are so much a part of Sarah's young life... If you would like to send her bits of wisdom for life's journey ahead, feel free to send her a note of encouragement.

A Vegetable Garden! A Work in Progress

Every winter I enjoy looking through Gardening books and magazines in hopes that Spring will come... and I dream... and plan a true vegetable/kitchen garden. I have never actually planted a garden mind you... it has been a fun occupation to dream about it.

I have had much success and pleasure with tending my landscape gardens as well as potted gardens...we have enjoyed lovely flowers, tomatoes and herbs for salads.

Yet, my interest in more has grown, year after year, into a desire for a true working kitchen garden that we can harvest throughout the summer and fall.

Well, it's time to actually do it! My sweet man spent this weekend crafting two 4X8 foot raised beds! They are extra deep so that I can tend to them without hurting my back and they should be easy to maintain.

I will keep you posted of our education in the art of square foot gardening throughout the spring and summer... any suggestions would be welcome and appreciated.

Look Ma! No Casts!!

Today was a very much anticipated day... We are so thrilled to be rid of those hard clunky casts!


Thomas is doing great...

As soon as we got home...he insisted on jumping into the bathtub! I think of all the things Thomas has missed most while in casts... it was his bath time. He would cry when he heard the bath water running knowing he was not able to have one himself... Tonight, he had a nice long warm bubbly bath! :)

As you can see, he looks good!

Thomas' feet post surgery and casting!

The Doctor says he needs to see how Thomas' feet will look after a bit of time...
at this point, he is happy with the results...

As for his current condition, Thomas is in good spirits, but is unable to put any weight on his feet... they are very sensitive and in a bit of pain... so I am letting him work at his own pace... I am hopeful after a few days he will be gaining more and more strength...

Keep him in your prayers!

Time For a New Look and a Little Music

I thought I would add a little bit of music to my blog... Those who would prefer to view in silence only need to turn the music off by scrolling down to the "play list" and turning it off.

Otherwise... enjoy!

It's been a While

Sarah and Her Father in Spring 2001, Tokyo, Japan

Wow... time sure does fly...

It is beginning to look and feel like Spring here... I am sure it will get a bit chilly for a few more weeks... but Spring is sure to come... Yesterday, I was snooping around my yard... and caught a glimpse of plump buds on my Clematis!

Most of the reason for my break from writing has been my son... he has been walking and moving all on his own again! It took him about a week and a half to get up the strength... but he has been working slowly to the point of now being able to climb the stairs on his own! And, he has been getting into his share of trouble as well... His most recent mishap was a misstep into the dogs water dish! (Those casts soaked up the water in seconds!) I worked hard to dry his foot and air it out... Yikes! I have to keep my constant eye on this little guy... In just a couple of weeks, he will hopefully be cast free and able to walk outdoors and get as dirty and wet as he likes... he will enjoy the warm Spring weather for sure!

Sarah has also been working hard... She prepared for and participated in the District 4H Horse Bowl with great enthusiasm... although she did not place this time, she came in 11th! Which means she is next in line as an alternate in the event that one of the other 10 cannot participate in the State competition... This was her very first year participating ... and, I think she did a fine job! Sarah is also preparing for the District level 4H Oral Presentation which she will be doing on the 4th of April. These are all great experiences that are preparing her for real life as she grows and matures... what a blessing to have such fun while learning and developing skills for the future...

As for her love of horses... she is enjoying her work with Wyatt. Last evening, at a ride night, she actually got up the courage to Lope! She said is was a bit scary... and, she was worried she would not be able to stop the horse... yet, she did and she enjoyed her new experience!

It feels good to be at the end of our long winter... I am looking forward to what is ahead and busily working and enjoying the gift and miracle of life... one day at a time.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

Sarah and I read this poem today ...

Life's Mirror

If we could look into life's mirror,
A picture of our lives we then would see.
We'd see ourselves as others see us,
And bow our heads in deep humility.
We'd not find time for cheap or idle gossip,
For cutting words or faint and faltering hearts,
But see ourselves as in a mirror,
And at ourselves we'd point the poison darts.
We'd feel the pain we often caused others,
By thoughtless words we were so swift to speak
if we could look into life's mirror-
We'd humbly kneel, and true forgiveness seek.

By Mary Mae Nedrow
("The Girlhood Home Companion", Volume 5, Issue 3)