Exciting surprises

I don't think I have ever been so excited for my birthday!  Each year I kind of dread it, I even feel anxious about it, but this year there have been surprises in the works for weeks.  First John disappeared into the shed, banning me from looking.  One by one the kids disappeared, even Abigail went to help.  They would return day after day with twinkling eyes and barely suppressed grins.  "You are going to love it, I have no idea what it is, but it's awesome!"  Then the boys disappeared all on their own and spent a few days working on some secret that I'm not allowed to know about.  Finally Elizabeth begins her own project, with Daddy's help.  There is much hammering and painting, many whispers and giggles.  My family was here over the weekend and my nephew helped finish up the super secret surprise and John proudly took my mom, dad, and sister out to show them what they had created.  Somehow my mother in law is in on it also, whatever "it" is.  I called to say hi yesterday and she asked to talk to John about something I wasn't allowed to hear. Were they talking in code?  I even had a friend from down the street call today and ask if my kids could come down for a few hours to work on something for me.  I feel so loved.  All of the happiness from my kids, their excitement and barely contained secrets are making me more excited then I have ever been for my birthday.  Tomorrow promises to be a wonderful day.  Now, if I can just remember how old I am...

A name!

     Today is a big day.  It's momentous, monumental!  After years of searching and praying I have finally found the right name for our school.  It's huge!  No one is going to get as excited about this as I am, that's ok, not everyone is moved to tears by the sight of purple bush beans.  I'm special.  I can't tell you how much this means to me, but I am going to try.

     I live life joyfully, it is part of my purpose.  Purpose, there it is, that wonderful word.  I live my life with purpose.  I do everything 100%  it's who I choose to be.  I didn't plan to home school, but once I felt it was right I threw everything I had into it.  I wanted our school, our home, our family, to have a purpose.  I wanted that purpose wrapped up into a nice little name.  Something that could convey how passionate I am about learning and teaching, our values as a family, and our hopes for the future.  Nothing seemed right, every name I could think of fell short.  I mean how could I fit all of the passion burning inside of me into one little name?  Could it even be done?  I began to give up, just a little. Four years is such a long time to search and hope, but I never gave up completely.  It was there, in the back of my mind, this ever present need to find a name.

     This year I began to read the biography of  Maria Von Trapp and the Trapp family singers.  She too felt the importance of names and they named their home in Vermont.  They named it "Cor Unum"  It is Latin and it means something like one heart, it was the closest she could find to Zion.  That name stuck with me.  It wasn't quiet right, but I was getting there.  I was discovering something important and my search continued.  Still, for months "Cor Unum" sat heavy on my mind with no more progress.  Then last night it came to me, almost like a dream.  Aeternum.  Forever.

   I believe that our quest for knowledge is eternal.  We seek to become like God, an all-knowing being.  That denotes a lot of study and knowledge.  I continually work to create within the walls of my home a place of refuge, a Zion from the storm.  "Cor Unum Aeternum"  Zion Eternal.  It encompasses all that I strive for.  Unity, love, life long learning, and values that I cannot even put into words.  

     Once the name came to me so did the symbols.  

     Sublime knowledge.  Sublimate means to raise to a place of honor, I honor learning and study.  The sun raising above the book reminds me to use each day to learn and to grow, it reminds me that the Son approves of my school, my work, and our learning and growth.

     The Celtic spiral.  This one has three, but I want 6.  Six spirals connected. They symbolize man's journey of growth and wisdom in this life and into the next.  I believe that whatever intelligence we gain in this life will go with us into the next. Doctrine and Covenants 130:18 The spirals are connected, as a family we are connected. Our journey in this life and in the next is connected inseparably.

I am so happy to have finally found a name for our school.  

Cor Unum Aeternum.  

It sounds cool too!

Too busy

     Sometimes being busy is unavailable.  Taking your sweet time getting peaches taken care of means peaches with extra fuzz, if you know what I mean.   Having boys who are passionate about soccer makes for late nights.   There will always be holidays, parties, special occasions and a life full of living to do.  I don't mind being busy, but I also don't mind slowing down.  

     Today I had the opportunity to make cookies for a friend who just got back from a long trip.  She is Elizabeth's Sunday school teacher and Elizabeth just adores her.  I came back from a Knights club meeting and grocery shopping to a house that was a mess and I immediately felt overwhelmed.  I really wanted to put off making cookies for another day, but I had made promises and I keep my word.  After I pout away the groceries I washed a few dishes so we could make cookies.       

     Unfortunately it wasn't the relaxing memory making activity I wanted it to be, not inwardly anyway.  I think the girls had a good time, but I was stressed, especially when Abigail tilted the beater and splattered cookie dough all over the counter.  I can laugh at it now, but it was one more thing at the time.  While the cookies baked I banished the kids to the basement and tried to nap in between the 12 minute cook times.  

     When the cookies were done we took three plates to friends.  Sometimes I feel so selfish serving, I get so much out of it.  It's more then just a good feeling knowing it made someone happy.  I love to see the way that my kids faces light up as they talk about how happy this person will be.  I love the indecision.  Whenever I feel like I don't have any friends I need to make a batch of cookies or banana bread because I always have a hard time choosing who to take it to.  

     Today was an altogether wonderful experience.    We stayed to talk with Elizabeth's Sunday school teacher.  As we sat there talking I saw my life from a different perspective.  She reminded me to be grateful for what I have.  I am so blessed!  I have four beautiful, wonderful, sweet children who fill my days with joy and life.  I have the opportunity each day to stay home with them and to have them home with me for school.  That means I get to be a part of the joy and magic they find in little moments.  I wish there were glasses to help you see the world the way a child does.  Simple things bring such joy!  I think of tea parties, bubbles, dry ice, games, imaginative play, trampolines, leaves, flowers, new shoes, kittens.  I feel like I should start singing "My favorite things"

     I am grateful to take a few minutes...or an hour, with her to sit and feel grateful.  I'm still stressed over the house work to be done tomorrow and exhausted from last weeks canning marathon, but I feel like I can handle it.  A weight has been lifted from my mind  and I can tackle another day with renewed joy in motherhood.  Thank you, my friend!  Thank you for blessing my life.

It consumes me!

Can you guess what has consumed my life for the last few weeks?  Cucumbers, peppers, peaches, pears, tomatoes, strawberries, zucchini, squash, jelly, jam, freeze drying, canning.  That's been my life.

I have a love-hate relationship with preserving food.  I love having it in storage, I love knowing where my food comes from, I love the fresh taste of peaches all year long.  I love peaches.  I hate the hours and hours it takes, how my back and feet ache, how I disappear into the kitchen and feel like I'm chained to the sink.  But I do it every year.  It's a few stressful weeks and it is hard, but it's so nice to walk down to my storage room and see jars and jars of pickles, pears, peaches, jams and jellies.  I even tried a few new things this year.  I have never done pickles or relish, but I now have 10 jars of pickles and 3 jars of relish.  I also learned that peaches that are not ripe do not peel easily.  I can't wait to make spaghetti sauce in my crock pot, I got that tip last year after my most patient attempts still resulted in runny, slightly burned sauce.

So yeah, if you've been wondering where I have been this month, just check my kitchen.  My kids will tell you I never leave.