New Puppies

Yesterday, Hershey enhanced out Zoology lesson on Mammals by giving birth!

Now, we've got 4 cute chihuahua puppies!

2 girls and 2 boys!

And before anyone asks....NO, we aren't keeping them all.  One girlie puppy is going to live with Natalie, and shes named her Sugar Plum.  And there are negotiations for 2 more, that only leaves one.

Amy & Will were good doggie midwives and sat with Hershey the entire time (and through all the icky stuff too).  Hershey was a trooper and is taking good care of the babies.  She will let Chip & Licorice (her first babies last year) look into the basket, but growls at Skittles and Mack when they get near ~ could be she remembers what Mack did to the baby birds in our yard over the summer.  She doesn't mind if we hold them, as long as she can see them and we don't keep them too long!

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

first baby girl

Amy's favorite boy...she & her Dad have named him Oreo

basket full of squirming puppies

Daybook

 

 For today...

Outside my window....cloudy, cold, drizzly looking

I am thinking...about our fun sticker, bead, icing, candy, paper, rubber stamp, foamy figures, leather crafting filled "Keepers At Home" Holiday crafts yesterday ~ and how much fun everyone had (including the Moms)

I am thankful for..."The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

In the kitchen...the appliance folks are coming to bring me a loaner fridge and take mine into the shop ~ no one can figure out why the freezer 1/2 defrosts and then refreezes on it own.  But has been going on for over 3 weeks.  They are going to plug it in there and observe.

From the learning rooms...finishing up our school for the rest of Dec.  We normally take the whole month off but we are going an extra week since we took off and went to Disney in Oct.  2 hours later update...seems we will be witnessing the miracle of birth (s) today as our Chihuahua is in labor ~ puts science on a whole new level!
Another update ~ 4 puppies ~ 2 girls, 2 boys

I am wearing...clothes

I am creating...some coasters for Amy's hopechest.  Last night I finished my crocheted ruffly scarf for a gift.  Haven't touched the afghan all week.

I am going...to have fun this weekend when Mom comes to visit ~ shopping, yummy food, choir programs, church on Sunday, and a birthday party for my little buddy on Sat.

I am reading...just finished "Brentwood" by Grace Livingston Hill and "A Love That Multiplies" by Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar.  Last night my Vision Forum Box came with new books Mom got me, so I have lots to read ~ excited to read the West Ladies "Homestead Blessings" cookbook!

I am praying...for the Lord to continue revealing the truths of His Word.

I am hearing...cars driving up & down the road, dogs barking, dishes being unloaded from dishwasher

Around the house...crafting, organizing, putting away ~ why do all those "piles" look like they belong there after a while?

One of my favorite things...being home

A few plans for the rest of the week...dance lesson for Amy, bible study tomorrow night at church, Mom's visit and all the fun stuff already listed

a Picture to share...

I love the colored yarn on this scarf!  This was an easy pattern and I really like the way it turned out!  

You can read other daybooks at ~

 http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Do You Know Him Better?

The group "This Hope" sang at a Christmas Program our family was involved with last year.  They are a wonderful, upbeat, energetic group of men.  Their accapella music is beautiful.  The following song is from their Christmas "album".  Its asks a very important question...Do You Know HIM Better than you did last year?

Words and Music by Daniel Johnston & This Hope

I can’t believe it’s December
Another year has slipped away
It seems like I was taking down
This tree just yesterday
Another busy, frantic season
All my presents bought and paid
Am I closer to the reason
That we celebrate this day

Do you know Him better than you did last year
Is your song a little brighter filled with Christmas cheer
When you hear joy to the world does it make you want to sing
Does your heart so love to celebrate the season
Are you walking talking captivated with the reason
Singing glory in the highest its Christmas time again

Finally sitting by the fire
Thinking back on what has been
My life begs the question
What is lasting in the end
Has my purpose been to serve Him
To share His gift with all my friends
Will I know and love Him better
When Christmas comes again

When the celebration of His birth has come and gone
Let us live our lives to know Him all year long
Listen Closely to the spirit He is calling us again
To daily find that quiet place and spend some time with him

Something to think about.  Do WE know HIM better than we did last year? 

 Have we read and studied His word, prayed to Him and asked for knowledge,

 has our love for Him grown & matured any over the last year,

 do we meditate on the Lord and His goodness and mercy, have we shared

 His gospel with anyone in the last year, have we faithfully served him,

 supported His ministries, or encouraged anyone to know Him on a deeper,

more intimate level?

Lots of questions, but really only 2 answers ~ Yes or No.

  No one can answer the questions for you ~ honestly answer the questions

 for yourself, your life, and your family.

Decorations

I said they would be simple......

OK, not a holiday decoration ~ Allen gave it to me for my birthday & Greg hung it up last weekend

I've also got a couple of Nativity pictures hanging up in the living room.

I am going to get one more ornament stand, I've got lots of snowman decorations that need a home.

Angels from the Realms of Glory

Angels from the Realms of Glory, 

Wing your flight o'er all the earth;

Ye who sang creation's story,

Now proclaim Messiah's birth, 

Come & worship, Come & worship,

Worship Christ the newborn King.

Shepherds, in the fields abiding,

Watching o'er your flocks by night,

God with man is now residing,

Yonder shines the infant's light;

Come & worship, Come & worship,

Worship Christ the newborn King.

Sages, leave your contemplations, 

brighter visions beam afar,

Seek and great Desire of nations,

Ye have seen the Infants star;

Come & worship, Come & worship,

Worship Christ the newborn King.

Saints, before the altar bending,

Watching long in hope and fear,

Suddenly the Lord, descending,

In His temple shall appear;

Come & Worship, Come & Worship,

Worship Christ the newborn King!

written by:

James Montgomery, 1816

Canaan Josiah Foy

I received the following email from my friend Rosana ~ she gave me permission to post this on my blog.

 To all who have been praying for our family,

I am SO sorry I have not sent an update sooner.  Over the past 2 weeks I have often felt the need to but lacked the strength and courage.

As most of you know, on Nov. 15 at 9:09 am, God blessed our family with the birth of Canaan Josiah Foy. Our precious gift weighed 3 lbs 14 oz and was 16 1/2 inches long.   He had dark eyes and a head FULL of black hair.

The doctors had prepared us for what they expected, but thankfully, God blessed us with something better.  The deformities were not as severe as anticipated.  In this mother's eyes they were very minor. They had expected our son to only live a few minutes and be in great distress.  Instead God gave us 53 minutes with our son.  He was never in any distress.  Every minute with him was peaceful. 

We only settled on his middle name a few days before His birth.  Josiah means Jehovah heals/Jehovah supports. At 10:02 am the same day, God chose how He would heal Canaan.  Now we are looking to Him to support us through the difficult days ahead.

We have been told that we will have good days and bad days, but right now I am still at the point of good moments and bad moments.  We try to concentrate on the blessings and grace we have received, and they have been many, but it is still hard not to dwell on our great loss.  It is by no means an easy loss to deal with, but I cling to the hope that things will get better. 

We greatly appreciate all of your words of encouragement and deeds of kindness over the past couple of weeks.   We know that is one of the ways Jehovah is supporting us during this time.  But even more than that we thank you for your prayers - the prayers you have already spoken on our behalf and the ones we trust you will continue to speak in the future. 
They are our lifeline at this point. We cherish the prayers of God's people and the intercession of the Holy Spirit on our behalf as we continue our walk on this earth without our son.

We are confident that our Canaan is now standing on two strong legs with two perfect hands raised in praise while his now strong lungs allow him to sing praise to the God who has healed him.  We look forward to the day when we and the rest of our children will join him and spend eternity in the presence of God.  It is our strong hope that each of you will be right there with us. 

If any of you have any doubts about where you will spend eternity, please do not wait.  Life is too short for that. Talk to someone TODAY!!!  We will be glad to talk to you and share the sweet forgiveness and love of the Lord with you. Right now allow Him Lordship of your life. You will never regret it.

God does not promise His children a life free of trouble and trials, but He does promise  to get us through them.  He is showing us that right now.
"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

This and That

Random stuff...

Its the first of the month again (December already! how did that happen?)  The county tests the tornado sirens at noon and ours are working just fine.  The dogs have been able to imitate the fire truck sirens for a while ~ now they are working on perfecting their tornado siren howl.

We will finally get our freezer fixed today.  Its been a 3-4 week process to figure out what is going on with it and they are finally deciding its the compressor.  So they are replacing it this afternoon.  (Our freezer just randomly thaws and then refreezes ~ never stays off long enough to affect the fridge 1/2 though).

We just figured out we've got 8  math units completed since Aug. 1 (and we took off 2 1/2 weeks in that time ~ Wedding, Disney, Thanksgiving) and only have 4 more left in the book.  Now, I've got to figure out another Math ~ maybe we will do Economics next.  We are schooling an extra December week to make up for taking off vacation time.  Amy and Will are learning how to sketch mammals for their Zoology notebooks ~ yesterday was bottlenose dolphin and a whale, today will be a gorilla & something else.

I got to work on my pinwheel blocks yesterday and completed 6 more!  I love all the contrasting colors and am anxious to see what it will look like completed.  I'll post more pics when more blocks are done. Sharon (a bloggy quilter friend) shared a link with me yesterday through comments thats got lots of block instructions....yeah! more to do in my "spare" time.

Hershey looks like she is ready to "pop".  We are thinking 4 puppies again this time ~ we are hoping they all live.  We've already found a home for 1 puppy and a possible home for another.

And, I'm still of the mindset that jigsaw puzzles are for the insane...and working on this one, I am fast getting there.  But its a great family activity and better than watching tons of tv.