Mr. Willybag!

My brothers decided to build a snowman about a week ago when we first got snow. Since it's been so cold he has had a very long life and his end is not yet in sight! So here are some pictures!

Homeschool Dropouts giveaway...

I know someone who is doing a giveaway on her blog of the new documentary film Homeschool Dropouts. I thought I'd let other people know about the giveaway and the documentary! Here is a link to the friend's blog. And a link to the product page.

I haven't seen it yet but it sounds like an excellent film.

The Best Heart's Ease...

I read this on a friend's blog and it really touched me in a special way so I wanted to share it as well...

" I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Phil.4:11

Paul, denied of every comfort, wrote the above words in his dungeon. A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning, and found everything withered and dying. He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found it was sick of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine was all out of heart because it could not bear grapes, like the vine. The vine was going to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and have as fine fruit as the peach tree. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac; and so on all through the garden. Coming to a heart's ease, he found its bright face lifted as cheery as ever. "Well, heart's-ease, I'm glad, amidst all this discouragement, to find one brave little flower. You do not seem to be the least disheartened." "No, I am not of much account, but I thought that if you wanted an oak, or a pine, or a peach tree, or a lilac in my place, you would have planted one; but as I knew you wanted a heart's ease, I am determined to be the best little heart's-ease that I can."

"Others may do a greater work,
But you have your part to do;
And no one in all God's heritage
Can do it so well as you."

They who are God's without reserve, are in every state content; for they will only what He wills, and desire to do for Him whatever He desires them to do; they strip themselves of everything, and in this nakedness find all things restored an hundredfold.

-Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

The ECD...

This weekend my brother, Greg and I got to attend our first ever English Country Dance. My older brother lives in Springfield and he and some friends invited us to come down...so here are some pictures of the fun time!

Summer and Greg during the Virginia Reel...the costumes are very cool!


Melody! She's such a sweet little girl, and SOOO cute!

Next comes pictures of the Posties Jig. The group Robert was in is pretty good and they like doing it fast...the guys also like jumping and they got some real air in some of these pictures!
Erik, Amanda, Laura, Robert, Summer

Christian, Robert, Erik

Laura, Robert, Christian, Summer

Christian, Erik, Laura, Summer, Robert (see Christian's jump? Of course I think Erik helped him out a bit ;o)

Greg's wearing his Colonel Brandon costume from the Sense and Sensibility play. He did get sweaty enough dancing that he finally just took off his jacket and waistcoat!

David, Laura, Christian

hmm...this one looks kinda funny! David, Erik, Amanda, Laura, Robert

Robert, Christian, David, Erik (a friend said it looks like Erik's just standing around up there, and my mom said it looks like he's levitating!)

Greg during the Posties Jig (he was in a different group than Robert)

Laura and I- she's such a sweet friend!

Summer and Laura-they are sisters...and good friends to me! (Christian is their brother)

Heidi and I (another sweet friend, and Erik's sister...yep, we tend to make friends in families with multiple children...I wonder why...lol)

and so far this is the only picture I've found among what other friends have taken that I'm actually in! (I know, bad grammar, but I didn't feel like fixing it) I'm the one in the blue dress on the far right...during The Next Dance.