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In need of a gift, I sat down and put this together. It was a quick project and made the recipient's day.

Garden Markers

We are attempting to do a small garden this year. I saw this these Crafty Garden Markers over at the Make and Takes blog.

This required picking up a small package of craft foam at the Dollar Tree. Also, I needed some colored permanent markers. This wasn't a problem since I have been needing a reason to get the BIC Mark-It 24 pack of markers ($10) at Wal-mart. (These have been calling my name since I saw them a few weeks ago. Funny, these caught Caleb's eye the minute I brought them home. He has taken claim of them, giving us instructions on how and in what order to put them away.)

I sat down and hand drew the vegetables we needed and Destini and Chantry outlined them with the markers. Here is sampling of our handiwork:







Destini and Chantry showing their work.

Book Review:The Mysterious Benedict Society (Revisited)

I have posted once about this book. I was able to get this book on audio cd for the kids to listen to. They loved it. Destini declared, "This is my second favorite book!" (The Bible being her first.)

I think listening to it with the kids and seeing their enjoyement made me like it a little more. Now I have the The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey in my reading pile and the audio cd on hold at the library for the kids.

Book Review: Lumby's Bounty

Lumby's Bounty is the third book in the Lumby Series. Here is a book description from Lumbybooks.com:

When a silly scheme commits Lumby to building a balloon for the regional festival it must host in twelve short weeks, the town's worthies take up the challenge, wreaking havoc along the way as test balloons suffer hilarious fates. But two foreigners who are visiting Saint Cross come to their rescue; Kai, a sincere young man who discovers his destiny is not in the priesthood, and his brother, Jamar, who brings his own brand of charismatic mischief to the scene and involves several locals in a wildly romantic real estate venture. As the festival approaches, the monks of Saint Cross Abbey, now nationally known for their good works, struggle to deal with the masses of devotees-and more than a few nutcases-flocking to take up residence on the monastery grounds. But in the end, the skies clear and The Bounty of Lumby, breathtaking in color and size, lifts off the ground and floats gently over Montis Inn.

I enjoyed going back to the little town of Lumby. It is fun to go back and revisit characters you have met from the previous books: Mark and Caroline, who are running the Montis Inn, the monks from Saint Cross Abbey, the incorrigible Brian Beezer, interesting news from The Lumby Lines, and of course, Hank, the plastic pink flamingo with an attitude. I do suggest to start at the beginning of the series with The Lumby Lines and follow with Stealing Lumby. Highly recommended!

Mother's Day

Books read in April

Woman, People Reading Books, Women Magazine, UK, 1942
Even though April was a busy month for me I got a few books finished.

Fiction
The Nanny Diaries by Emma Mclaughlin & Nicola Kraus
Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (audio)
A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick (review)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (review)
Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy
Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy
Lumby's Bounty by Gail Fraser

Non-Fiction
A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg (review)
When Homeschooling Gets Tough: Practical Advice to Stay on Course by Diana Johnson
Aurora: An American Experience in Quilt, Community, and Craft by Jane Kirkpatrick
The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen: Live Well, Laugh Often, Cook Much by Serena Thompson & Terri Edwards (review)

And we're back...

Wow, life has been busy. Shade is the coordinator for West Coast ACTS Student Convention and we have been very busy getting everything ready, running it, and then trying to catch up on our sleep.

Here's a glimpse of what we have been up to: