Happy Spring

Yay for Spring! It's finally here, according to the calendar. We always have a Spring Tea on the first day of spring. It's a tradition I started the year we got married. Tradition states that we must have strawberries. However, they were too expensive this week and I can't get to the store today. I do have frozen strawberries, so I'm going to have to get creative. I'm tempted to forget the Spring Tea with everything going on today -- school, cleaning, company -- but Rachel reminded me of the tea and the strawberries so I'll need to produce! :)

I hope you all have a lovely day! The sun is shining here despite the cooler weather.

(PS: the picture is from last year -- we're not yet this advanced)

Green Scene -- #7

St. Patrick's Day Cookies -- made by Emily and a friend from her work. Aren't they pretty! We enjoyed our Irish dinner last night: corned beef with potatoes and carrots. I decided the children would eat the cabbage if I served it in the form of coleslaw. :) As it was also Knit Night, I baked some Irish Soda Bread Cookies, which were really nice.

Like Great-Grandfather, Like Grandfather, Like Father, Like Son

This past Christmas Andrew received a proper stamp-collecting album. He was so excited and ever since has been working hard to organize his stamps.

Andrew has a little work station in Michael's office and this is where he sorts and files his stamps.

Michael brought his stamp collection with him when we married and several times he got it out to show me or spend a bit of time sorting. He always told me that someday he'd have a son that he would be able to share this hobby with.

It all started with Michael's Grandpa and then Michael's Dad, who got Michael interested. Now Andrew has the bug.


Michael's taught Andrew how to soak stamps off of envelopes and dry them off.

And then to find just the right spot to place them in the stamp album.

And sometimes when I'm looking for Michael and can't find him I happen to notice him standing silently over the stamp album, placing one or two stamps himself.

Green Scene -- #6

Happy St. Patrick's Day -- Here in America it's a day to wear green and eat green foods, and maybe even have some Irish food for dinner. Special wishes to Carla and her family, who hail from Ireland -- enjoy your Irish food!!!

For those in the UK, wondering why a Protestant would celebrate St. Patrick's Day -- for much of the USA, today is not a religious holiday at all, just a time to be culturally aware of Ireland. I'm for any excuse to make a day special and more interesting for the children, especially when they can learn something as well.

Green Scene -- #5

My rhubarb --

Lovella (I think it was you!) posted her rhubarb weeks ago and ever since I've been waiting and hoping. Last week I was so excited to look out the window and see this!

Book Review -- In the Footsteps of Paul

Here is my latest book review for Thomas Nelson:

In the Footsteps of Paul is a delightful, photo-filled book which documents in 176 pages the journey of the apostle Paul from his birthplace in Tarsus through his conversion on the road to Damascus, his subsequent missionary journeys throughout Asia Minor and Europe, to his death many years later in Rome.

Ken Duncan, a renowned photographer, has captured these scenes from Paul’s life with beautiful and artistic photos. Paired with Scriptures, quotes from well-known pastors and leaders, and short notes of explanation, the photos give us an informative, though brief, biography of the apostle Paul.

This book would make an ideal gift book and is perfect for coffee tables. It would be a wonderful book for Christian waiting rooms, counseling offices, pastor’s offices, or as a reference book for a Bible study group studying the life of Paul or any of his writings.

Having travelled to many of theses places myself, I can attest to the excellent job Duncan has done in capturing the beauty and feel of these locations which include many, many places in Palestine, Cyprus, Asia minor, Greece and Rome.

Sunday Dinner

I haven't posted a Sunday dinner for awhile. I don't have full-coverage pictures, but here is our dessert: A Dark Chocolate Cake with dark chocolate buttercream and whipped cream with raspberries. Emily made it using our chocolate cake recipe but substituting Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa for regular cocoa. It was sublime!


Em had the urge to buy flowers and arrange them. Here's what she came up with from one bunch of flowers and a few "fakes" we found in the drawer:

And look what came in the door with our guests! The flowers are so pretty and cheery!

With the chocolate cake we enjoyed ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, creamed spinach, rolls and spinach-strawberry salad. Delicious!