Fryeburg Fair

Fryeburg Fair 2008

Here are some photos from our today at the Fryeburg Fair.

I am such a proud mommy tonight. We left early, had a long trip to the fair, did lots of walking around in big crowds and lots of stimulation, stayed for a long time, and took the long trip home. They, no we, did a great job. I am content mommy.

Looking back on the day the kids each had their favorite parts. For me, my favorite parts were watching them take care of each other and discover new things. Caleb knew where each of us was at all times, helped Sofia on the carousel, and rode with Anna on the ferris wheel. Anna silently and seriously took it all in and then wholeheartedly giggled and laughed and enjoyed herself and was so kind to her sister and brother. Sofia was ready to take it all in, and when she wasn't tall enough for a ride, she'd curse it quickly (and violently) and get over it quickly to zealously cheer for her bother and sister. She also had several meaningful conversations with strangers that she made friends.

I'm also full of curiosity and imaginings about the barkers and ride workers and the culture that must exist under the surface. But I guess that's a topic for another blog since my tired body is extending into my brain and fingers.

It was a great day.

he loves me

Marc got home on Friday from his annual leadership retreat with Inland Hospital. He is always so gracious and brings wonderful presents home. This is what he brought me! Happy Wooden beads, in such a cool sturdy case. I'm having such wonderful batch of ideas of how I can use them.

Wit, 2001

I just finished watching "Wit", starring Emma Thompson. I'm entirely and utterly wrecked.

It is the culmination of incredible writing, acting, directing with a deep sense of compassion weaving the talents together. It is the story of a professor's journey through cancer.

I highly recommend it, but only with a full box of tissues nearby.

Fall Into Reading

Callapidder Days is hosting her third annual "Fall Into Reading". I think I may have watched it from afar the past two years, but this year I decided to dive in. I'm pretty sure that my list is overly amibitious. Some of the books are just to skim so I can pass them on, and others will be books that I try to take small consistent bites of, though not necessarily finishing them all. Many of the books are ones that I have read before, and I thought this fall would be a fun time to re-acquaint myself with some old friends. I'm particularly happy that my list is entirely built of books found in our home. I have also listed my books on my GoodReads account on a 'Fall-Into-Reading-2008' shelf.

Here is my list:

• Across Five Aprils (Paperback)Hunt, Irene
• Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions (Plus) May, Gerald
• Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st-Century Stress Syndrome (Paperback) Wilson, James L.
• Art of Understanding Your Mate, The (Paperback)Osborne, Cecil G.
• Barron's GRE 2008 (Barron's How to Prepare for the Gre: Graduate Record Examination (Book Only))Green, Sharon Weiner
• Breakthrough: Discovering the Kingdom (Unknown Binding)Morphew, Derek
• Caddie Woodlawn (Paperback)Brink, Carol Ryrie
• Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul (Hardcover)Eldredge, John
• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, 2nd Edition (The Complete Idiot's Guide)Miller, Michael
• The Depression Workbook: A Guide for Living with Depression and Manic Depression, Second Edition (Paperback)Copeland, Mary Ellen
• Emily Dickinson Selected Poems, Applebaum, ed. Stanley
• Essential Words for the GRE (Barron's Essential Words)Geer, Philip
• The Great Turkey Walk (Paperback)Karr, Kathleen
• The Great Wheel (Paperback)Lawson, Robert
• The Home School Source Book (Paperback)Reed, Donn
• How to Motivate Your Child Toward Success (Paperback)McBirnie, William Steuart
• How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Paperback)Fee, Gordon D.
• J is for Judgment (Kinsey Millhone Mystery)Grafton, Sue
• Jayber Crow (Paperback)Berry, Wendell
• Learn and Play Guitar, Acoustic and ElectricCavalier, Debbie
• Lincoln: A Photobiography (Houghton Mifflin social studies)Freedman, Russell
• Living on Purpose: Finding Gods Best for Your Life (Paperback)Sine, Christine
• Meet the Austins (Austin Family, Book 1)L'Engle, Madeleine
• The Moon by Night (Austin Family, Book 2)L'Engle, Madeleine
• The Mother Load: How to Meet Your Own Needs While Caring for Your Family (Hearts at Home)Byers, Mary M.
• Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)Austen, Jane
• A Ring of Endless Light (Austin Family, Book 4)L'Engle, Madeleine
• STEP ONE: PLAY GUITAR (Step One)Traum, Artie
• The story of the Monitor and the Merrimac (Cornerstones of freedom)Stein, R. Conrad
• Telling Yourself the Truth (Paperback)Backus, William
• Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time (Paperback)Mortenson, Greg
• Troubling a Star (Mass Market Paperback)L'Engle, Madeleine
• The Way of the Storyteller (Paperback)Sawyer, Ruth
• The Wisdom of Tenderness: What Happens When God's Fierce Mercy Transforms Our Lives (Paperback)Manning, Brennan
• Womans Guide to Good Health, A (Paperback)M.D., Carrie Carter
• The Young Unicorns (Laurel Leaf Books)L'Engle, Madeleine

My goal is to take a picture of the pile each Monday or Tuesday with a link to my goodreads shelf which will host the details of my reading. If you want to join the reading challenge you can always link up over at Callapidder Days.... and Happy Reading!

World Traveller Home

Caleb has been gone for two weeks. He drove with the grandparents from Maine to Mississippi, stayed with them in their winter apartment. Today he flew home (with grandma). Our traveller is very glad to be home, and we are so glad to have him back.

Commitment Move....

Just ordered my GRE preparation book. Goal is to take the test in February or March. *gulp*

Proud Moment

Girls are in bedroom, settling for the night.

Anna (6yo) is reading a book out loud to Sofia.

*sigh*

I Spy

We saw this on our hike with Izzie and Alexis today.

Tall sunflower

My girls in front of my sunflowers

Sugar Daddy

Sofia came into our room this morning while we were having our morning coffee.

"Daddy, are you staying home today?" Big eyes looking up hopefully.

Daddy melts. "No, honey, I wish I was staying home today, but I have some meetings and then get to go to work." His face is sheer adoration at how sweet Sofia is to want him to stay home.

"Because, Daddy, on the days that you stay home I get to eat Cocoa Puffs, and I really want to eat Cocoa Puffs today."

Daddy looks astonished.... she didn't care about him spending time at home at all. He was just the means to an end.

New Year's Resolutions

I think that it must be the beginning of the school year that leads me to this kind of thinking. I am full of thinking about goals and resolutions. That and our new life with no pastoring responsibilities. Well, the and extra time mental space, and the new beginnings of a school year have me all in the mindset of new things and new beginnings.

I am thinking about my health, my reading, my family. I am thinking about education goals, the place of hobbies, and ways to make my homemaking more purposeful. I am thinking about promises God has made to me, about blogging, and about our future.

I realized with quite a jolt last week that my goals had frayed back to daily and weekly to-do lists. Years ago, I had carefully (painfully to be honest) crafted a mission statement and set goals and evaluated regularly.

I am convinced there must be a way to live with the mess of our busy life with a bit more purpose and direction than I have been giving it. So with school three weeks under way (yes, we started at the beginning of August, as has been our tradition), September is going to be my special month of evaluation and reflection.

Happy New Year!

Secret Desire

Someday, I hope that I can ride on long road trips on a motorcycle with my husband.