Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...June 1 (Can it be June already?)

Swing by Peggy's to share your own daybook.

Outside my window...frangipani blooming and releasing their sweet frangrance, lavendar sky as the sun breaks through the clouds

I am thinking...about our sweet friends who returned to Papua New Guinea this weekend and trying to plan for the next time we can get together

From the learning rooms...Spanish-American War, Panama Canal, Teddy Roosevelt, Sarah-math review, recognizing propaganda techniques & writing an advertisement, Benjamin-addition & subtraction with money,identifying hyperbole, Olivia-measuring weight, creating synonyms, Katherine-clothespin snap from "Slow and Steady...", hymn study-"O God, Our Help in Ages Past", Lavukaleve vocabulary review, science experiments with light and color

I am thankful for...the sun that has come out after days of rain. I enjoy the cooler days that accompany the rain, but my laundry dries better when the sun shines!

From the kitchen...we'll start the day with baked gingerbread oatmeal, enjoy egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks, and apples for lunch, then share chili and cornbread (with brownies for dessert) with SITAG neighbors

I am wearing...blue and white floral sleeveless dress, hair in a ponytail, bracelet made from sea urchins

I am reading..."Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II" by Darlene Deibler Rose (a birthday present from a dear friend)

I am hoping...that we can Skype with our families before we leave for Marulaon on Sunday

I am hearing...Integrity's "iworship: experience the sights & sounds of worship" from a thoughtful friend in Memphis

I am creating...Father's Day packages to go in the mail this week

I am praying...that my heart will be sweetly surrendered as we uproot once again and move back to Marulaon for two months

Around the house...the spare bedroom is filling up with 25 kg bags of flour, jars of spaghetti sauce, rolls of toilet paper, sacks of milk powder, etc.

One of my favorite things...the joy and vibrancy of a delightful twenty month old little girl and her quickly expanding vocabulary

A few plans for the rest of the week...finish shopping and packing for the village, preserve lots of carrots and pumpkin, invite several families over to share a meal since this will be our last chance for a while, cook gobs of granola

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

sweet Katherine who loves to help Mama with normal everyday tasks

Honiara through the lens of a friend

We enjoyed our friends visiting for the week. They were a breath of fresh air, and we appreciate them taking the time and effort to visit us. Stacie took lots of pictures, and it's always fun to see your home through the eyes of somebody else for the very first time:

checking mail and finding the Sonlight Catalog of a friend - what a treat!

Stacie enjoyed the beautiful sunsets, too

everybody's favorite - ice cream

at the wharf

singing hymns while Aaron accompanied on guitar

drinking green coconuts at the market

shops in "downtown" Honiara

Aaron giving me yet another birthday present

friendly ladies making and selling beautiful jewelry in the market

I am still my beloved's and he is still mine

Going to town

Yesterday, we took our friends into town to run some errands. We swung by Coconut Corporation to buy some more soap and coconut oil and discovered that they made cassava scrapers! Now, I'm ready to make lelenga when we go back to Marulaon. Then, we finished up at the market. Olivia is holding the "rock melon" (aka cantaloupe), a rare treat here! She's also wearing the necklace we bought at the market for the next giveaway. More details soon...

Sweet birthday

Thanks to all of you who sent birthday wishes, boxes, cards, phone calls (I can't believe you called me, sis). We started the day by making ice cream! By mid-morning, the ice cream was still liquid, so we cheated and stuck it in the freezer. A precious family from SITAG left for furlough today, so Aaron went over to help them finish up the house, and then after lunch he and the big kids drove to the airport to see them off. We shared caramel brownies and ice cream mush with the SITAG crew for tea time, and then the director's wife came over to eat supper. And our friends from PNG grace our days until Saturday. My first birthday in the South Pacific was a marvelous day!

Memorial Day

In honor of those who have given their lives in military service, we thought today would be a good day to take our friends from PNG to the WWII Memorial in Honiara.

The island in the background is Savo, and "Ironbottom Sound" separates Guadalcanal from Savo Island.

"O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!

America! America! May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine."

Simple Woman's Daybook

Please swing by Peggy's and create your own daybook to share.

For Today...May 25th

Outside my window...the sky is gray, birds are chirping, clothes are still on the line on the veranda

I am thinking...about all of the men and women who serve their country in the armed forces, thank you.

From the learning rooms...we're taking the week off to enjoy our company

I am thankful for...a sweet husband who arranged to fly some friends from Papua New Guinea here to celebrate my birthday this week, woohoo!!!

From the kitchen...to start the day, cinnamon raisin bagels (still trying to perfect this recipe), bierrocks for lunch, and tonight, chicken & veggie stirfry followed by strawberry jello for dessert

I am wearing...pink paisley cotton pajamas

I am (re)reading..."The Power of a Positive Mom" by Karol Ladd

I am hearing...the bell at St. Barnabas ringing for early morning prayer

I am hoping...that this week is a refreshing time for our friends staying with us

I am creating...next school year's composer and artist schedule and book list

I am praying...for my grandmother as she undergoes chemo

Around the house...everything but the daily necessities on hold for this week

One of my favorite things...laughing with my mom and sister over Skype

A few plans for the rest of the week...take our friends to the WWII United States Memorial, drink lots of tea, enjoy sweet fellowship

A picture to share with you...

Katherine after the painting fiasco, she turned the bath water green!

And the winner is...

...Lisa! Shoot me an e-mail (celloduo@yahoo.com) with your address so I can mail the coffee to you. Hope you enjoy!

Future Creative Genius?

Giveaway

It's the coffee, not the coffee pot (a birthday present from my sweet husband). The label reads "King Solomon Premium Roasted Coffee Beans" product of Solomon Islands. You have until midnight Saturday night to leave a comment and enter the drawing!

For Simple Things

For Simple Things

God of my praise, to Thee be praise

For children and their loving ways;

For all the things that lighten earth,

For quiet peace, and merry mirth;

For every friendly bird that sings,

For little, lovely, simple things;

For loyal comradeship that grows

The stronger for each wind that blows;

But most of all because Thou art

The sunshine of my happy heart.

God of my praise, to Thee be praise,

Today and through my length of days.

by Amy Carmichael

Reading Pleasure...

One of the hardest things to leave when we moved from Dallas was the Dallas Public Library and our local Barnes and Noble. So, imagine our joy when we arrived here in Honiara and found an Educational Resource Center for the families of SITAG! The kids are avid readers (wonder where they get it?), so they love to head next door and swap out books. One of my favorite things is reading a book with one of my children, snuggled up and savoring each shared word. Books we're sharing now:

Sarah - "Christy" by Catherine Marshall
Benjamin - "The Rescuers" by Margery Sharp
Olivia - "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder (we finished "Little House in the Big Woods" while we were in Marulaon)
Katherine - "Jennie's Hat" and "Peter's Chair" both by Ezra Jack Keats

Quick Prayer Request

Rachel, one of Katherine's special friends here in Honiara, was just whisked off to get stitches in her face since it got pinched and cut by a spring on the trampoline. Rachel's four older siblings are spending the morning with us while she goes to the doctor. Please pray for her...

Update: Rachel is home now taking a nap with her wound glued together. Thanks for your prayers!

Simple Woman's Daybook

How 'bout creating your own daybook and heading over to Peggy's to share...

For today, Monday, May 18

Outside my window...darkness, I miss seeing the moon and stars as clearly as we did in Marulaon

I am thinking...about my sister who got married and graduated from college this weekend and how much I wish I could have been there to hug her neck and tell her how special she is to me

I am thankful for...a husband healing quickly from malaria

From the learning rooms...hymn study "Take My Life and Let it Be", biography of Helen Keller, Sarah-angles, Benjamin-money,Olivia-reading graphs, Katherine-"On and Off" from "Slow and Steady..." , practicing piano again now that we have good electricity to run the keyboard, science experiments with light and color, studying the inception of labor unions

From the kitchen...breakfast-cranberry egg-bread braid that Sarah made yesterday & fruit smoothies, lunch-pasta salad, supper-curried lentils, coconut rice, green beans, watermelon, chocolate pudding with whipped cream

I am wearing...purple skirt, white t-shirt, gray choker seed necklace from Marulaon (my version of pearls), hair in a braid, and bare feet (my version of high heels)

I am creating...a meaningful and belated spiritual birthday party for Sarah and Benjamin to celebrate next week

I am going...to enjoy having lots of company while we are back in Honiara!

I am reading..."Mountain Breezes", collected poems of Amy Carmichael, an early birthday present from a sweet friend

I am hoping (and praying)...that the colds we brought back from Marulaon flee our bodies soon

I am hearing...roosters welcoming the day

Around the house...starting school back up today, making bagels with Olivia, washing sheets

One of my favorite things...washing dishes with Benjamin and talking about his hopes and dreams in a very grownup way while we diligently work

A few plans for the rest of the week: studying Lavukaleve and creating a personal language plan for each of us, baking snacks each day for the translators in the workshop, beginning to stock up on supplies to take out to Marulaon

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Katherine and Olivia swinging and singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" together