Today we finally get our Coie back.  I almost titled this entry: “The Return of the Princess” but I am pretty sure that would have made both of us puke. 

A princess is the last thing in the world she’d want to be identified with.  I can honestly say that on a regular basis, Coie strives to be the ‘least in the kingdom’.  She wakes up at 5 in the morning to make sure that her dad gets breakfast; she milks the goats everyday at six or seven (so does ryann!); she gives up her bed so her wiggly siblings can snuggle, and everyday she gives up her enitre day in order to serve the family in whatever ways we need. 

See why everybody here likes her so much?  She simply will not ever be allowed to get married and leave.  She’ll have to get married and live in our basement.

Ok, on to less sap. 

Here is one of Emmiko’s full time jobs.

I pay her in breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It’s a good arrangement for both of us. I love having a house full of lawn care specialists.  Ryann has been promoted to the riding lawn mower, speaking of which, here is Geoff and Ryann fixing the belt for it yesterday afternoon.

This is just one of the many billions of reasons why I love my husband. Whenever he has to do anything around the house, I can pretty much count on him including one, some, or all of the kids on the project.  If there are any dads reading this, I cannot express just how much it means when we see our husbands interact this way with the kids.  It’s priceless. Ladies, can get I get an amen?! 

They also fixed all of the doorknobs around the house and fixed the hinges on the screen door.  I was busy working hard inside the house, um, blogging and uh, playing Zuma. 

May 7th, 2007 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 25 Comments

My friend Shay was asking if there was any sort of ‘blog etiquette’ required when sending an invitation to someone that you’ve never met in real life.  I don’t think there is anything official that’s been set down, do you? 

I think it is so neat how friendships have been made online with people that we would have never had a chance to meet otherwise. 

When we were at the blogging picnic in Maryville on Thursday, everybody was teasing Sarah and Kristina because it was just so funny how Kristina came all the way down from CANADA just to visit and meet her!  I was laughing, but then my other friend reminded me that just a couple of months ago we had the Dixons come down, from two states away, and spend two nights with us.  She was right! But in my mind I hadn’t thought of the Dixons being perfect strangers because they just seemed like such good friends (even before we had ever met face to face). 

And Marsha also came out a couple years ago and we all met up at Amy Beth’s house, which is where I had also met another one of my very best friends a few months earlier.  

 Maria , and Jay’s family  and the Sensenigs, are other examples of good friends that I met thru blogging or blogging picnics.

And here’s a real kicker — the ONLY reason we even moved from CA out to this area in TN was because of our now very dear friends Kris Price (and family). I found her thru her blog pg in early 2055 and we just hit it off!

Believe it or not, there are even many more blogging friends that I’ve met in real life, that but I am too lazy to list everyone (sorry if i left you out!),

BUT…. All of that to say, if you are wondering about meeting one of your blog friends in real life, I would have to recommend it.  I really have made some of my closest friends like that.  What about you?  Who have you met in real life thru blogging? 

PS Coie comes back in TWO days. Hip hip: HURRAY!  Thanks, kate, for taking such good care of her!   

May 5th, 2007 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

All good things come to an end… 

I hope everybody has gotten their Spring issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.  I have gotten some nice emails (and one rather unpleasant one) in regards to the last article I wrote about ‘Following Your Heart’.  There’s always at least *one* special email that reminds you that you can’t please everyone.  And I guess that is a good thing.

I’ve really enjoyed writing for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and have deeply appreciated how TOS has personally blessed my family, but my last article in TOS will be my last article for TOS.  I have resigned my Senior Editor position and I am no longer on staff and I do not (at all) represent the publishers or The Old Schoolhouse Magazine in any way.  

This would also obviously include any content on my blog – and to clarify, this is a personal blog page and not a company/staff blog pg for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. 

SO, I hope you continue subscribing to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and that you are blessed by its wonderful content.  I plan to continue blogging here and will post my unpublished articles on this page – or if they are published elsewhere I will let you know where to find them.  But as a general heads up, I shan’t be found in any more upcoming TOS issues.  There is no huge scandal, there is no deep mystery — just some personal issues and what Geoff and I feel is a genuine leading of the Lord to bring us to a different place.

I want to reiterate my gratitude for the many blessings my family has personally received from TOS and I wish the publishers all the best and much future success.

And now, I will go back to my regularly scheduled blogging  

May 2nd, 2007 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

If you were a city, which one would you be? Are you New York– hustle and bustle?  Are you San Antonio — laid back but still spicey?  Chicago — um, cold and uh, cold? 

If I was a city, I would be THIS one. HA! how cool is *that* ?  

This post was inspired by Chickadee.  It is weird how a blogging identity can take on a life of it’s own, isn’t it? 

May 1st, 2007 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments