I'm really late with this gifts list from May, just as I was with
March and April, because these months were filled with loss (though also
filled with many blessings). These gifts are
part of my 1000 gifts list.
833. Birthday broom races
Twins
birthday party (6 months late!) but at least we could have it outside,
beautiful weather, the horses behaved for pony rides. We also did broom
races which was just adorable!
834. Reading by flashlight
Blaze
stayed up late reading Bambi, until we made her turn off the light, but
the next morning she confessed she finished it by flashlight. I love
that she fell in love with this book that was a childhood favorite of
mine. It's not the easiest book to read, either, as it's very pensive,
contains quite a bit of death, and much is not fully explained... but
that is also what makes it a powerful story.
835. Fur trader rendezvous
I
took Blaze and Dreamer to our school district's re-enactment of the
famous fur trader rendezvous which occurred annually from 1825-1840,
many times in Wyoming. I loved for this chance for them to learn about
this part of our Western history and I learned a lot to! It was very
hands on, with the kids getting to see how hides are tanned, touch all
the different kinds of furs, play actual Indian games and see what the
inside of a teepee looked like, how the Plains Indians decorated their
clothes (porcupine quills and elk ivories) and horses, throwing
tomahawks, the meaning of different patterns for face painting.
836. Unicorn pinata
Dreamer's
birthday was the same weekend as her cousin Taryn's graduation, so we
were in Kansas, and B.'s sister Monica planned a birthday party for her,
with cake and a unicorn pinata. Her other two aunts also got her
special presents: Aunt Melissa gave her a backpack and Aunt Crystal gave her a girl's Bible devotional (which Dreamer loves). I love B.'s family like my own family, these women are
truly my sisters.
837. Cat hanging out on top of the kitchen cabinets watching us.
Monica's black cat, Bear. He is full of personality.
838. Starlet charms everyone on her school evaluation
Met
with the district child psychologist who evaluated Grace to see if she
needed any special education/assistant. He said there is nothing wrong
with her cognitively, in fact she's one of the most charming children
he's ever met! He says she processes instructions a little slower than
some kids, but they may be because the right and left sides of her
brains might be "cross wired" - but he assured me she's very smart
839. Buried socks in the potted plants
Tried
to get the kids to confess one of them buried their sock in the pot on
the back porch. Only later when I found more buried socks in our garden
did I realize it might have been our dog, or a neighbor's dog. Still,
the girls can be blamed for leaving their socks outside!
840. Memorial day mountain drive
We
went for a drive along the Cache La Poudre, which was so full of snow
runoff that the picnic ground we stopped at for lunch had become an
island! Then we hiked a half mile up the Big South Trail of the river,
which was spectacular.
We
continued up highway14 to Chambers Lake (still partially frozen), which
is the source of the Laramie River, and then followed the river along
103, Laramie River Rd, which cuts north to Wyoming, passing through
Glendevy, which used to be a small town (part of the story of the Green
Grass of Wyoming is set there in the 1940s). B. used to stay at the old
lodge there with a snowmobiling friend until it burned down. Then we
passed all the big ranches along the Laramie River - B. has done work on
most of them, esp. the Diamond Tail Ranch and Hohnholz Ranch. I've
never been in this valley when the river was so high, flooding all the
meadows.
841. Last day of school! we have officially done a whole year of homeschool!
842. Free gift of God
Thinking on my walk this evening about how every religion is about what
people need to do, or need to give God, but ours is the only one about
what God freely gives.
843. Twenty two years of memories
My
beloved old horse Rebel died on May 24, at the good old age of 32
years. I am trying to focus on all the wonderful 22 years of memories I
have of him, and how he was the horse all 5 of my girls (even my
stepdaughter Stars) learned to ride on. A couple of my favorite
memories: how Rebel used to come right up to our back door and stick his
head in the house, asking for his grain! (oh his beautiful whinny!) And
a much older memory, from when we lived on Windwood Farm in New York:
riding him through the woods along a familiar path when he suddenly
stopped and I couldn't get him to take another step forward. Then I
realized a tiny speckled fawn was laying motionless in a patch of tall
grass, right at his feet!
844. Multiplied, by NeedToBreath
This song has brought me much joy this month, that and the Word (I've found many Wonderful Things in the Word this month).
Your love is like radiant diamonds
Bursting inside us we cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wildfires singing your name
God of mercy, sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to your design
May this offering stretch across the sky
These hallelujahs be multiplied
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