Being Home

We had a very nice weekend just staying home. I love being home.

I watched  Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons while I cleaned the house. It's a good feeling to have things nice and clean, plus all the mopping and vacuuming is good exercise! (smile) 

What a treat to look out my kitchen window and see this beautiful tree in our front yard. Unfortunately we had some strong winds and heavy rain on Wednesday, so it lost a lot of its petals after I took this picture. When it was in full bloom, the kitchen had such a pretty pink glow from the light coming in the window.

We have had some very nice days this spring. We don't have a porch, so my husband bought this backyard swing for us. We really enjoy it in the evenings...very relaxing and peaceful. We're enjoying it now before the heat and humidity of summer get here.

This is our backyard in the springtime. Everything is so pretty and bright green this time of year. Lilly enjoys it too. :-)

Take care,
~Melanie

Spring Hodgepodge

I believe Spring has finally decided to stay! The flowers are blooming and the birds are singing. I love this time of year!

What a bitterly cold winter we had...lots of snow and ice, which meant some of our school days were canceled, which means they will have to be made up! Unfortunately, our Easter break will be shortened this year. Most everyone wanted to use Easter week rather than go later into the summer...eight weeks 'til summer break! :-)

My last remaining grandparent passed away last month. She'd lived with Alzheimer's for about 15 years. It was hard seeing her like she was for so long, and I'm so happy she's finally in heaven where she longed to be. She loved to play her guitar and sing in church. It seems just about every time I saw her, she had her guitar with her. She had very few material items on this earth, but she was rich spiritually. Her life was a wonderful testimony that left no doubt that she truly walked with Jesus and depended on Him for everything. I'm looking forward to seeing her again! Her funeral service was very nice, and it was good to see family and friends I hadn't seen for many years!

One of the men in our church has been diagnosed with cancer. He has the sweetest family, and I know they would appreciate your prayers on their behalf. One of their friends is having a benefit yard sale for them next Saturday, so I've been gathering up some items to donate to it. I had been collecting some things to give to Goodwill, but I'd much rather donate the items this way!

I briefly mentioned this book, Stepping Heavenward, in a recent post, but I'd like to say a little more about it. This really is one of the best books I have ever read. I recently ordered the study guide that goes with it, and have been getting a lot out of it! I also have a notebook to write about things that I wanted to remember, but wasn't part of the study guide.
This is much more than just a fictional diary. It was written in the 1800's, so the language isn't really 'up-to-date', but it's fairly easy to understand. The study guide helps to bring out the many spiritual aspects of the book. The page numbers don't match up since the two books are from different publishers, but I'm changing the page numbers in my guide as I go.

While I was researching the author, I found out that she wrote for the Youth's Companion, a popular magazine published in the mid to late 1800's. I thought I remembered that name from the Little House book, The Long Winter, so I went and got my book, and sure enough, it was in there! I just thought that was a neat connection. :-)

I believe this book would be a true blessing to you. If you've read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Please let me know if you decide to read it!

Well, I'd better get back to my housework.  Hope you're all doing well and enjoying the sweet springtime! Thanks for stopping by!

Take care,
~Melanie

Life Lately

What a busy month this has been around here!  Our school year is quickly coming to an end! :-)

So, here's our roses next to the front stoop. They're so pretty every year.

We had our school awards banquet this past Thursday. I made some certificates for one of our teachers to hand out, and the other day she came to my office with a very sheepish look on her face. She said, "You know the old 'dog ate my homework excuse'?  Well...", and then proceeded to show me this folder. Notice the chewed corner?

Thankfully, it was only a few certificates, so I was able to reprint them quickly. The look on her face was priceless, and all I could do was laugh. She apologized and said she knew I had a lot to do and was sorry to be putting more work on me. I told her it was no problem. We got a good laugh out of it. :-)

One of the teachers likes to start off the awards banquets with 'funny awards' just to break the ice, and this year she decided to have a little fun with me too. She gave me this grim reaper award because she said she dreads seeing me come with bad news. Oh well, it's my job. What can I say? :-)

Isn't this a sweet wreath? Katie made this for me for Mother's Day. She painted the welcome sign and glued the flowers on the wreath. I thought it was so pretty and springy looking. It's proudly displayed on the front door. :-)

She's been working really hard to raise funds for her missions trip. Her group has had bake sales, car washes, doughnut sales, yard sales, and several other fundraisers. I think there's a fundraiser scheduled for almost every weekend until their trip. If you would like to help her out with a donation, just let me know. Most importantly, please keep her in your prayers.

Her passport came in the mail last week. 

My prayer for her...

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 ~II Timothy 3:14-15

Don't forget to pause today and remember those who have given their lives for our country. 

This is a picture I took at Arlington National Cemetery a couple years ago.

 Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great week.

Take care,

~Melanie

A Little of This 'n That

Hi, everyone! I hope you're all having a good week!

Spring is in full swing around here. This is a picture I took yesterday of our azalea bush next to the driveway. I think azaleas are just so pretty.

Things here are going pretty well, just really busy. We have about a month left of school, so we've been getting things ready for our banquet and graduation.

Katie has had a good school year. She's 15 now and finishing 9th grade. Time certainly flies! We're so proud of her.

She's planning to go with one of our local churches on a missions trip to Mexico and Guatemala in August. We went through the passport application process earlier this week, and she should have her passport in a month or two. She's so excited to be going, and I pray it will be a good experience for her. Her group will be fundraising almost every weekend this summer, but I think it's good that they work to earn their funds.

We helped some friends of ours move over the weekend, and it really got me motivated to go through our own stuff and get rid of it! I've filled three big trash bags for Goodwill. It's amazing how quickly stuff can accumulate!

I'll probably work on the garage next, but not until I set off some bug bombs. I hate to be surprised by those huge spiders!! Yikes!

I haven't updated on Tanya in a while, but she is doing much better! They started her on a 4th type of chemo, and it seems to be working well. Her tumors have shrunk about 50% and she's having more energy. She did say the other day that more cancer was found in her arm, so she's getting treatment for that. We're all encouraged by the news, and are just continuing to pray for her. Thank you so much for your prayers.

I'm glad you stopped by today. I so enjoy reading your comments, and having my own little set of friends here in the blogosphere. Y'all are awesome!♥

Take care,

~Melanie

Back From My Break!

Hi, everyone! I've missed you all, and I hope you're having a great weekend. Things have been quite busy here. I've enjoyed my break. I'm not sure what my future blogging may be like, so I'll just take it a day at a time. :)

We're in our last nine weeks of the year - time just seems to fly by! I've been busy with end of quarter reports and the students' SAT's. Katie also had a pretty bad case of poison ivy, but it's finally clearing up. She was on Prednisone for a week, and the doctor recommended Ivarest. It helped tremendously!

We've been out of school this week for our Easter break. We spent the week with our families and had a very nice time. I thought you might like to see some of Katie's random pictures she took this week. I think she takes great pictures!


Road behind Mom and Dad's house


Field of yellow flowers in West Virginia


Pink dogwood against a beautiful blue sky


Inside our church on Easter Sunday


Lilacs at my parents' house




Katie didn't take this picture. This is what I found on my kitchen counter a couple weeks ago while I was home by myself (which is hardly ever)! It's a blue-tailed skink. I grabbed it up in a bath towel and set it free outside, then I went in and got my camera and took some pictures. I sure hope it doesn't try that again!

Before I go, I wanted to give you an update on Tanya (my cousin's wife). Unfortunately, it is not good news. She is in the hospital again. We found out she has stage 4 cancer, and is on very strong chemo. She also has more blood clots and her kidneys are failing, so she is on dialysis. She had to have some of her toes and part of her foot amputated because of the blood clots. On Wednesday, we had planned our visit around her time for dialysis, but when we got there, they told us her dialysis was late that day, so we didn't get to see her. She was disappointed, and so were we. We haven't seen her since August. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. She is in desperate need of them.

Don't take your loved ones for granted. Give them a hug and tell them you love them. We are not promised tomorrow.

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday. Thanks for stopping by.

Take care,
~Melanie

Just A Fun Day

My husband and I took some of the school kids on a field trip Wednesday. It was raining in the morning, but thankfully it didn't last long. We went to a park and grilled some hotdogs and hamburgers at the beach, then took the kids for a walk on one of the trails. Everything was so pretty and green, and I made sure I took some pictures so you could see what things look like in our part of the world. :)

There was mountain laurel everywhere.
It was beautiful.





We saw lots of pretty ferns too.







The trail ended at this pretty little lake,
complete with lily pads.
That's mountain laurel blooming all around.



This little lizard blended in so well,
we almost missed it!



This was our group.
They always keep us on our toes!!



This is something interesting
we saw while we were eating lunch.
The one on the right is a stuffed animal, and
the one on the left was a guy dressed up in
some kind of big foot suit.
Someone was on the shore taking pictures of them.
I have no idea what it was all about,
but we thought it was funny.
I wanted to get a better picture,
but the wind was so strong
that it kept blowing them back to shore.

I hope you all have had a good week. We only have two weeks of school left, and I am so happy about that! I always enjoy summer break. :)

Have a great weekend.

Take care,

~Melanie

~More Signs of Spring~

I showed you our roses in my last post,
but we have some more flowers
blooming too!


~Rhododendron~


~Irises~


~Azalea~


~Peony~


~Wild Rose~

Isn't God's creation beautiful?

~Our Time Away~

Hi, everyone!
I hope you all
have had a good week.

We've spent this week
visiting with our families
and having a nice relaxing time.

We also managed to fit in
some thrift stores,
but I'll show you that later. :)

We're back home now,
so I've been
unpacking,
doing laundry,
going through the mail...
you know, all that fun stuff
you have to catch up on
after being away.

I think the cats missed us.
They've been all under our feet
purring since we got back.
They're so funny. :)

~♥~
While we were at my parents' house,
Katie and I took some pictures to share with you.




~♥~
This is their front yard
with the dogwoods in full bloom.
They are beautiful!




~♥~
I just love this little 'tree'
on their front porch.
Mom decorates it
for the seasons and holidays.
I especially like the little black bears. :)

We have to be careful because
REAL black bears like to roam
around there too!

~♥~

This is their back yard.
Dad made this walkway last year,
and he did a wonderful job!!
The tulips were blooming
while we were there too...
so pretty!




~♥~
My dad also built this shelter out in their woods.
These two pictures are from last summer.
I didn't think to take any pictures
while we were out there this time.

~♥~
There's a fire pit out there too,
and this week we enjoyed
some good hotdogs and s'mores. Mmmm.
It's so relaxing to watch the fire
and listen to it crackle,
and hear the wind rustle through the trees...
one of life's simple pleasures for sure! :)

~♥~
Mom and Dad
are still living in the same house
where I grew up...
so many good memories.
I'm glad they're still there
and we have a nice place to visit
when we need a little break
from our busy life.

~♥~

We were so fortunate to have missed any tornadoes.
We were under a tornado warning during our visit,
but thankfully we were not hit.
Sadly, one of my cousins in Tennessee had two friends
who were killed in one of the tornadoes.
I feel so sad for all those who have lost loved ones
in these awful storms. They definitely need our prayers.

Thanks for stopping by.♥

Take care,
Melanie

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For today...April 18, 2011

Outside my window...a beautiful spring day! It's sunny and in the 70s.

I am hearing...Katie humming. :)

I am thinking...it's hard to believe this Sunday is Easter. Time just seems to fly by so fast.

I am remembering...the nice time we had at church yesterday. We had a potluck dinner after the service. Everything was decorated so pretty and the food was delicious. We're going to have to buy some more tables and chairs, but that's a good problem! We've had quite a few new families start coming to our church recently.

After the dinner, we had an Easter egg hunt for the children. I always enjoy watching them hunt for eggs...they have so much fun! :)

I am thankful... that we did not have any tornadoes in our area this past weekend. We were under a tornado watch, but nothing ever came our way. We did get a lot of rain, though.

I am also thankful Katie was safe and had a great time at her youth convention this past weekend. :)

From the kitchen...beef and cheese quesadillas and corn.

Around the house...cleaning the house and the garage. What a job! I have a lot to take to Goodwill and a lot to throw away.

A Scripture thought...Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

~Matthew 11:28-30

One of my favorite things...Easter. This is such a special time of year.

A few plans for the rest of the week...a ladies' meeting tonight at church, work until 3 o'clock tomorrow and Wednesday, half a day Thursday, then we will be out of school for Easter break until May 2nd! :) I have been so busy lately, I'm looking forward to a break.

We have invited one of our new church families to our house for supper on Friday night.

A picture I'm sharing this week...

The flowering cherry tree in our front yard. I think it is so beautiful!

Please visit Peggy to read more daybooks!

Have a great week. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Take care,

~Melanie

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For today...March 28, 2011.

Outside my window...a pretty spring day. It's only in the 40s, but the sun is shining!

I am thinking...how fast the school year has went by. Our last quarter began today...only nine weeks left!

I am thankful...for my carpet shampooer. I plan on using it soon. Our light tan carpet always needs a good cleaning after winter.

From the kitchen...hamburger baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and steamed yellow squash.

One of my favorite things...Spring! I just love to look at all the beautiful flowers and trees.

I just finished reading...The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope J. Stokes. I liked it a lot!

Around the house...Katie has outgrown some of her clothes, so she and I have been getting them together to give to the younger girls at church. It's hard to believe Katie is almost as tall as me now.

A Scripture thought...And He said unto them,Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. -Luke 12:15

Aren't you glad that God does not determine our value by how many material things we have?

A couple of pictures to share today...This is what it looked like yesterday morning when we woke up! The snow was all gone by the time church was over, but it was so pretty.

It was very short-lived, so I think my flowers and bushes will be okay. :)

Please visit Peggy to read more daybooks.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Take care,

Melanie

Happy Spring!

~♥~
Our daffodils are finally blooming.
I just love these first colorful flowers of spring!
They're so bright and cheerful!
Have a great week.

Melanie

It Won't Be Long...

until spring is here. ♥


Katie took this picture of our backyard last spring.
I just love it with her tree swing in the background.
It hangs from our big magnolia tree.
This is one of Katie's favorite places to be. :)

~♥~

In just a little while
the trees would be putting out their baby leaves,
all rosy and yellow and pale green,
and there would be wild flowers and birds in the woods.
Then there would be no more stories by the fire at night,
but all day long Laura and Mary
would run and play among the trees,
for it would be spring.
-Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods

Nature's Beauty

The weather here is absolutely gorgeous today!

Just look at that pretty blue sky!
These are the tall, straight pine trees
across the road in front of our house.



Perfect weather for hanging clothes. :)



This is my clothespin bag a friend of mine
bought for me last summer when she went to England.
The packaging said it was a 'peg' bag,
but I've always called it a clothespin bag.
Maybe clothespins are called pegs in England.



Oreo loves to be with me when I'm outside.
He's such a sweetheart.



Here he is sharpening his claws
on the locust tree in the backyard.



Our day lilies are beginning to bloom.
I think they're so beautiful!



Our magnolia tree in the backyard.
As you can see, there's a swing in it for Katie.
She and Lilly love it back there.



Beautiful magnolia flower.
They have a wonderful lemony fragrance.



Our willow tree.
It's only a few years old, but it has grown!!



Our fig trees.
Kids love to play in them. :)



See the figs?
They'll be ready around September.
The tree is just full of them! There's plenty to share. :)



I was able to get the bee
on this Rose of Sharon flower.



See the white butterfly on the right?



This yellow butterfly is a little easier to see.


Hope you all will have a wonderful weekend.
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Melanie