YOUTH-LED WORSHIP

Alex sang "Lead Me to the Cross" here. And she and Kelsie Doan did a beautiful duet of "Amazing Grace; My Chains are Gone"

(I need to give credit for these exquisite BW photos by my good friend Dawn Gregg)

Last night was the concert ending our week of music camp at Scottsdale Bible. We had a few songs that didn't go so well in rehearsal, but when the time came to give it up to God and let go, He blessed the kids beyond measure. They did great.Click on the photo to enlargeMy Emma worshiping, Carris Doan singing a solo on Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) and Michael Blair shared from his heart before he led "What Can I Do?". He also shared the meaning of his shirt, that to we gain Christ and eternal life when we lose ourselves.

Summer Music Camp

It doesn't get much better, singing with kids that love to sing! I am so blessed. We have 32 kids on the vocal team, grades 7-12 and I think 21 in the band!! So amazing. Lots of talent. I am humbled to get to work with the gifted Sean Johnson, Joe Bubar and Tammy Reimche. Their music abilities exceed the common man. Composing, playing many instruments, sheet music:optional!

Here's the music camp blog: SBC Music Camp 09

My Alex and our life-long friend Kelsie Doan.
I've known her since before she was born. Is that possible?

Logan Domenico (I have known this fine young man since he was about 3 I think)

Michael Blair, there are no words for this young man's enthusiasm and love of worshiping and of life. Sean Allen has an amazing talented voice and makes me laugh. I am so glad they're on my team!

Summer Schedule

So it begins, the questions about what a home school family does during the summer. Do you continue with school? Don't they get a break?

Actually, yes to both. We continue with school but we also have breaks. We take breaks all year. If we want to travel in February, we can. If we want to take a longer Christmas break, we do.

I always seem to have big dreams for the summer though. Because it isn't the normal schedule. We are inside a little more unless we're swimming or it's really early in the morning or we are inside at the mall or a museum or the movies.

I was in the middle of remodeling a kitchen last summer, recarpeting the house and having the outside painted. So cleaning up the clutter upstairs and moving the girls rooms was part of it. I always want to catch up on scrapbooking, never happens. Only in small chunks.

So here's what our days look like:

Monday-Thursday

8am Breakfast

Chores

Devotions

Music practice (piano, guitar, violin)

French

Math

Reading

(have yet to pick the 11,13 and 16 year olds' books yet, so they're reading fun stuff)

Writing (cards, letters, journals, blogs)As I was writing this, my 16 year old had just written a new entry in her story blog. Click here to read it. So cool

Noon: Lunch

Chores

Free time

MWF (computer)

Swimming

Errands or outings

Next week we have music camp in the afternoons.

July 1-18 my older 3 kids will be on the farm in North Dakota.

July 19-26 Home

July 26-August 15 Road trip to my nephew's wedding in North Carolina. (I'd love some ideas of what to do, where to stop on our way east!)

So they're actually not home a lot. The thing about studying foreign languages, music and math, is it's really hard to take long breaks from it. You lose ground. I'm grateful the kids actually have seen that and don't want to lose what they've worked on.

Lord, may I be diligent in teaching and training these gifts from You. Preparing them for a future that is in Your hands. Praying they choose the narrow path, the one that serves You, helps further Your kingdom, reaches the lost, uses their gifts for Your glory.

"I Pray You Enough"

"I Pray you Enough" Anonymous Author
Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.'

The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough.. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.'

They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry.. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'

Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?'

'Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said.

'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?'

She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.'

Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Then she walked away.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them.

The Beauty of the Arizona Desert

Since I had my youngest boy, in 2001, I have had an alarming increase in migraines. Last year was the worst though I think. Might have been my increase in Starbuck's venti Americanos, black, straight up. Those were my favorite. I think that increased my caffeine by about a jillion milligrams. Anyway, as you probably remember, I went off caffeine, cold-turkey, in February. I still have a little bit, it actually helps my headaches if they come at all, but I actually drink decaf coffee. Never thought I would.

Can't go to Flagstaff without stopping in at Macy's for a pastry and Cafe Royale! It's a weird place, but yummy homecooked goods.

To travel in the heat in the summer, or work outside, always brought on headaches. When rain, hazy, smoggy days come, a headache comes. When I have chocolate, I can get a headache. Red wine was the hardest to give up.

When we went to California last week, I was so glad I only had one headache instead of one every day. We headed to Flagstaff this past weekend to chase the rain, we weren't disappointed. It was gorgeous, and I never even got a headache. It's like my life is different. I have a new life in a way. I was living with fear sometimes I didn't even realize, other times I would, and just pray the fear away. We did yard work on Saturday. It was only in the 90s, but warm enough that when you're working, it gets hot. No headache. I know I'm happier, more grateful. Glad for each moment without a headache. If you have never had migraines, it may be hard to understand the depth of my joy. I might seem to be over reacting a bit.. But some of you know from where I speak.

Our Last Hoorah at Disney

Our last trip to Disney for a while. We treated the kids to the Blue Bayou in Pirates which they've never been to. (no we didn't throw dinner rolls to the passers-by in the boats behind us, even though they asked us to. I told them I'd throw a ball of butter though)

We booked 2 rooms (since we are 7) at the Grand Californian. I didn't rest easy until Sunday because they couldn't tell us if we were even connecting. They have really cool bunk beds with trundles and a queen, and we had them connecting! So we could really sleep 10. What a blessing. The only drawback, and it wasn't too bad, was all the construction. They're building a whole wing and the tractors were right by the pool. But hey, what are headphones for? We were only at the pool one day while Jefferson was sick.

Our room over looked the pool and we could see the Ferris wheel and California Screamin' from our room. One afternoon, we took a picture of the 3 older kids on the ferris wheel, from our balcony! If you click on the picture you can see them. They're in the purple car.

Lizzy gets hug from Brother Bear (the dumbest Disney movie ever) at Storyteller's Cafe Character breakfast.

A huge breakfast buffet and these strawberry tops are all that's left of Jefferson's breakfast.

The new part about It's a Small World is that there are Disney characters in it now. Kind of fun to look for them but some still have dorky doll faces. What's that about?

We had preferred seating for the Aladdin show. What a hoot!

Of course seeing the Mohlers has been a tradition and highlight of our year at Disney. Jim celebrated completing radiation by coming to Disneyland. He's doing so great and we continue to pray for more time with him.

What a treat of a week. Our Disney annual passes expire May 24 and last year we had the idea to end with a bang. We started Monday at Reagan's Library. What a legacy that man left. And the kids had just had a report on him in class. It was fun to follow up with a view into his life, pictures, newsreels, movies, etc.

We got to go inside Air Force One.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"If we're free to dare - and we are - if we're free to give - and we are - then we're free to shape the future and have within our grasp all that we dream the future will be."

"there is no limit to what a man can do, or where a man can go, if he doesn't mind who gets the credit."

Be Very Afraid

If you're a parent, this should scare the bejeebies out of you! At least enough to call your Senator

Scott's back in Scottsdale

If you missed Scott MacIntyre, the AI contestant from Scottsdale,  on Fox 10 yesterday, you can click here to see it and watch even more today. He's doing amazing, so excited about the summer tour and writing more music. This Saturday at his home church (and mine) he will be giving a 'thank you' concert at 7pm at Scottsdale Bible. You look great and we love ya Scott!!

Aaah, Spring has Sprung... I'm changing the nest around

Lizzy's new favorite reading corner, the armoire blocked this window before.

more room to play Wii sports and Wii Fit! That chair easily slides back by the mirror.

The piano sounds much better on the carpet now. It was where the big mirror is now, under the stairs.

This is the room where the armoire was, blocking that window. We now have HD TV, you'll never go back. Need a cabinet to put things in, but Mr Man wants to mount it to the wall. This room feels so much bigger. Also have to add curtains.