Practice for Crystal's Graduation

 When my sister Iva was here last week with her children, due to needing a place to stay a couple days while their floors were being lacquered, we practiced songs that the group of home school children is planning to sing for Crystal's graduation. I loved this little scene.

 Loved little Evan's "Grammie's Jammies"! Grandma Morley makes such darling jammies!

 Kenn arrives for supper and chats with Jonathan.

And below--to our horror, Carrie put on sudden weight. You will have to guess whether it was due to overeating, diabetes, sluggish thyroid, or (shh!) pillows and padding which the girls all put on and ran around screaming with laughter.  Carrie will scream with horror when she sees this on the blog.

Or maybe not. 

She loves to be crazy every once in a while. Between Sam and her, they keep our household in stitches at times.

Goodbye, Dale!

 This morning was the burial for a friend from our church, Dale O'Maley. He was 65 years old, and had worked some for Jonathan, and Jonathan worked some for him. We really hadn't realized how much we loved and respected him till he ended up in the hospital and came down to his last days rather suddenly.It seemed inappropriate to take many pictures in such a sacred assembly, but I managed a few in his memory. Dozens of vehicles lined the roadways around the cemetery. Men came in blue work shirts from work places, besides the suited ministers, friends and relatives. Here was a man respected by many.

 This picture above backtracks to Sunday where Jonathan got a quick picture of the church sanctuary at Living Hope Church in town where the funeral service was held.  This was a little bit before service started and a lot more people filled in, probably around 200 to 250 Jonathan estimated. The Hazelwoods from Oklahoma spoke and sang, and our dear former fill-in pastor, Dennis Goodwin gave the funeral message about the many things for which we could give thanks about this occasion, and the considerations we need to make about being prepared ourselves.

We were thrilled that one of Jonathan's youngest work crew guys wanted to come to the funeral. Perhaps it was the first time he heard about getting ready for heaven. 

The Lord also helped our family as we sang, "I'll Walk With God," the song that had meant so much to Dale. We were told that little Hannah did not miss a word!

 Jonathan's work truck and trailer pulled in near the cemetery to find a parking space.

Above, Dale's stooped father of over ninety-years old, with the help of Dale's son Nate, is laying a rose on the casket. I just couldn't bring myself to take a picture of Dale's wife and daughter laying their roses. Maybe I should have done it to share with them, but somehow, you hate to just photograph someone's last goodbye unless you knew they wouldn't mind.

 Dale's son Aaron, who often does work for or with Jonathan, lays his rose. His father's death hit him really hard. Please pray for Aaron.

 It was a precious scene, one after another of family and close friends, laying roses. Then the casket was lowered, and our little ones wanted to go see, so we followed others who had gone to take a last loving look at the beautiful box that carried a body that carried a beautiful soul--covered with flowers and roses down in the earth.

  Jonathan's mom and I discussed about burial plots and cremations a bit, and  I expressed my feelings that I liked burials and having a gravestone as a memorial.  I thought how it is somewhere a loved one can come at times to remember and pray.

 That is what we did after the burial as others drove away. It was such a beautiful sunny day, and the children and I walked through the cemetery finding gravestones of people we'd known. Above is the gravestone of a dear saint from our church, Sis. Fayetta Karr, and her husband.

 This gravestone above was very special, as it is of the mother of our church organist, Katherine Gafford, who is a dear friend. What I loved about it was the verse carved on, "Underneath are the everlasting arms."

I thought how you can go through a cemetery and sense all the love that went into the gravestones, and read the verses and little poems and just ponder what is really important about life and death.

And here is the gravestone of the first wife of Bro. McVey who attends our church. 

Probably no one but Anna Lucas posts pictures of gravestones, 

but on this sunny day, with a robin hopping between gravestones, 

and little Hannah asking what the gravestones said,

I just found it comforting to wander in the green grass and sunshine and quiet,

reading the loving sentiments.

It is comforting to go through a graveyard and think that there is love in the world,

and that at death, people try to think the best 

instead of the worst.

Eggs and Goose Eggs

There are eggs...

 and then there are goose eggs!

 We took some trailer hitches to auction one Monday, and came home with a bag of goose eggs. We compared a goose egg to one of our chicken's eggs.

 Then we made a rice and egg casserole with eggs and a goose egg.

 While we feasted on eggs, the steers feasted on watermelon rinds.

 Every once in a while, I have Timmy listen to Danny's reading lesson instead of me.

 My sister Iva's family is here today while their newly lacquered wood floor is drying. While the older children studied their school quietly together in school room and kitchen, I had the little ones rinsing and bagging fresh raspberries we got on sale.

 Sarah, Evan and Hannah bagging the berries.

 Sometimes, you have to admit that life goes a bit topsy turvy--and you'd like to give it a good kick.

 That is when, instead, you take some moments to find a quiet spot to quiet your heart--

maybe the front porch swing, maybe a sunny window in your bedroom, maybe a spot on a path.

And maybe--in a home of seven children--you can't find a quiet spot, so....

 you just look out your window and remember the verse,

"I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth."

 And you choose to store away in a special spot of memory all the daffodil gardens of back east, and choose contentment with the single pink tulip that made it through the Colorado prairie frosts

when the daffodils never bloomed.

 And there are also these tulips, too, in the other flower bed.

Before the tulip bulbs could burst and bud,

they had to be buried.

We have a friend, Dale O'Maley, from our church, who is about to cross Jordan and enter Canaan. He's been fighting scirrosis of the liver. Perhaps I will copy and paste into this blog part of an edited letter I wrote to church folk whom we were keeping updated on his condition, as Jonathan and Dale became rather close in recent days. We'd been to visit Dale four times in the hospital over the weekend. Sunday our family sang several songs for him before and after Sunday service. Then Dale went into a coma on Monday at his home, under hospice care. He had not responded to anything for 32 hours. When Jonathan contacted a friend who was with the family, they asked if our family would come sing for Dale last evening.

Last night I wrote,

"What a precious evening! The Lord gave us special help as we gathered in the livingroom near Dale's hospital bed and sang song after song with the autoharp...First we sang "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" and "Lead Me Gently Home, Father." Nate [Dale's son] broke down, strode quickly from kitchen to livingroom where his dad was. He took his dad's hand and sat there with tears while we sang. Dale's daughter Enid was holding his other hand. We sang "Under His Wings," "Jesus Savior Pilot Me," and "My Jesus I love Thee." Then we lightened up a bit and practiced a cowboy song we've been learning for Crystal's graduation, "I'm Never Alone on the Lone Prairie," which I think everyone enjoyed, as it was actually very fitting. Barbara [Dale's wife] and Enid asked if we would sing "I'll Walk With God," which we had sung acappella in the hospital, and which Dale had kept talking about and saying how he liked it. So we tried to sing that for him, and that is when a special little miracle happened. Just as we finished the song, Enid and Nate, who were watching Dale closely, looked at each other.

"He smiled!" Enid gasped. Nate seconded it. Nate also said that his right eye fluttered a bit. That was heart-stopping. You can't imagine how touched we were! He hadn't responded in 32 hours, and suddenly, everyone could know that he was still hearing!

We kept singing, "Jesus What a Friend for Sinners," "No One Understands Like Jesus," "My Wonderful Lord," "He Hideth My Soul," and a couple about Jesus' name. Then they asked us to sing that "I'll Walk with God" again. It was a very, very special time. We are so glad we went. Jonathan prayed with him, and I told Dale, "You can let go of our hands, and take God's hand! He will be there!" Then out in the truck, Jonathan was crying softly. "His eyelid fluttered again, when I said goodbye," he choked to me. "He heard me! I know he did!" It seemed like Dale really connected to kind and gentle Jonathan in these last hard days. In the absence of a pastor, as ours just moved back to PA, we tried to be a support to Dale by sharing comforting Scriptures, praying with him, and singing. This is what means the most to someone who is about to trade the earthy for the eternal.

Dale seemed peaceful to me. A bunch of people were sitting around--they said 72 people have been in to see Dale.

We'd left the little boys home here with Iva's family who have come to stay a couple days since their wood floor is being lacquered, and took cousins Elisa and Krissy with the girls. The girls were so brave to go and sing. Little Hannah had fallen asleep on the way, so she was sleepy, and sat in Barbara's lap most of the time we were singing. Then when she thought it was time to go, she yelled, "C'mon, Ladies!" to the girls, which set us all laughing!

Gotta get to bed--we are worn out, but what a blessing! It's the first experience we've ever had quite like that.

Special Days in May

Sam had ordered a batch of chicks to arrive the Monday after we got home from Ohio.

The children had so much fun getting the chicks from the post office and then setting them fee in the little pen in the garage.

 Here are some homemade cards and gifts the girls made me for my birthday.

 And now it is Carrie's birthday. We used Easter paper plates we had forgotten to use at Easter time. Carrie had made a special drink with slices of lemon.

 My girls really enjoy making their own birthday meal.

 They love icecream cake, which has to be made in a round pan--not real pretty but yummy and fun.

 And yeah, we have to admit, sometimes in between the good times, the waste basket overflows and the cat sits down between boots and doll blankets slopped right in front of the door.

(No one but Anna puts stuff like that on their blog, but that is because Anna always feels better when she knows someone else's wastebasket overflows occasionally.)

 The children walked partway down our road on our way to church one Sunday morning, and we got a kick out of Danny finding this tractor triangle.

 Now it's Hannah's birthday. I tried to give her extra time and attention that day, helping her make her cake and letting her choose and put together her candles in holders.

 Carrie helps ice Hannah's cake.

 Our little baby is five years old!

 The boys helped her blow up her balloons.

 Some Mother's Day cards and gifts the children gave me.

Visiting Heimlichs in Indiana

 On our way home from IHC, Jonathan wanted to visit Heimlich's farm north of Indianapolis. It was a little ways out of our way, but we'd wanted to visit for years. So finally we got there! Above, the children are heading to the first greenhouse, and below, I got a snap from the other end, of all these tables of little starts, with one of the Heimlich girls.

 Below, one of the greenhouse workers is carefully separating little starts of parsley and transplanting them into the carton next to him. The brown powder you see sprinkled on top of the soil is cinnamon. They use cinnamon from the big bottle over on a table to the left to sprinkle on top of the soil to keep it from molding!

That was a good thing to remember, as we have a problem with our houseplants' soil molding on top.

Eric showed us how they use this long-handled gismo to pack the mixture of earth, manure, and vermiculite into little squares already shaped for transplanting! How nifty is that?

 Another scene of a second greenhouse. The keeper of this greenhouse shared how he prayed over every seed he planted. What a precious testimony! It is wonderful how people saved from a life of sin are being given tools (literally) to live a productive and saved life.

 The berry patch, with new berry shrubs being added as time goes along.

 I kept having to go back to the motor home for sweaters or jackets as it was quite chilly and breezy. Sam must have his dad's warm blood. He also enjoys picking up garter snakes. This one I almost stepped on as we walked on behind the greenhouses, through the woods, across the bridge, and on up through the fields to the rest of the farm. My favorite spot was the bridge in the woods...and I think someone saw a cardinal.

 Got a quick snap of the farm from a distance: the barn to the far left is the one they've built new since the old one burned down two or three years ago. The old farmhouse is one Eric's grandmother used to live in, but after she died, Eric and Rachelle's family moved in from their mobile home back near the greenhouses. 

Four days a week, their school children have school with one grandma, and on Friday they go to another grandma down the road. It sounds like a nice set-up and such a help to Rachelle.

 The wind was fairly blowing us away as we took a look at these seedlings--mostly garlic here. I believe there were also lettuce seedlings that had just been transplanted under the plastic protection. Families have shares in the garden program and receive certain amounts as the gardens produce.

 We enjoyed seeing inside the barn and watching the cows, calves, goats, and chickens.

 Kaylynn and Rebecca--two of Heimlich's sweet girls below. 

Just before we left, I remembered seeing maple syrup for sale in a room where they keep eggs, maple syrup, and other products. They had just done some maple syruping (is that a word?) the week before, and there were the cutest tins and jars of maple syrup with prices slashed a lot. It took me a few minutes to figure out the best buy for the money and also which old-timey tin or jar to get for a birthday gift for someone. Then Eric threw another little jug in for nothing! Bless their gizzards! 

I will have to share something that kind of blessed me while we were there. 

But first, I'll have to tell you a little story about what happened just before we left for IHC. Jonathan and I were out in our garage looking for something--and we could not find it, of course. To say that our garage was a mess is an understatement. I ended up tipping a shop vac upside down and spilling the contents. I put it back up, but decided it was time to leave the garage.

 "Here we are going to IHC like we're big stuff," I gasp, "and this is what our garage looks like!"

(I guess I really have struggled with taking on new responsibility. and going to classy IHC with all those famous big-wigs and spiritual high-ups was kind of intimidating when I am just a country bumpkin and know that we are very, very lowly, ordinary, struggling people--which, if the truth were told, most big-wigs are, too!)

 Between all the stuff from Jonathan's work which I do not know what to do with, and the wood chips for the chick pen,cat food and litter for cat, etc.,  not even a thief would stay there very long! That garage is beyond me--I clean it up when I get up enough gumption. But it is a sore spot for me!!

When Jonathan came into the living room a bit later, he found his wife sitting on the couch. 

"Help!" I said. "Tell me some truth to say to myself!"

So this is the truth we came up with between him and me:

"OUR GARAGE DOES NOT DEFINE US!" I squawked.

"Just because we have a messy garage does not mean that we are bad people!" Jonathan declared firmly. "And everybody has things in their lives that are out of control," Jonathan added.
Some would be glad if it were just a garage out of control.

So that got us laughing, and the Lucas family with the messiest garage of anyone at IHC went bravely off to our duty because our garage does not define us!

So when Sis. Rachelle had come out to the barn to meet and greet us, and then led me back to their house through their less than in-control garage, I told her about what had happened just before we left home--and we could laugh together. 

"The Lord doesn't waste His children's pain."

It comes out as comfort, sympathy, and care for others in the same troubles.

If all we did was make sure our house and land was perfect, we wouldn't get much else done. 

We could see the huge amount of work that needs done there at the greenhouses and farm. May the Lord provide wisdom, strength and help as they need. 

I was deeply impressed with their willingness, esp. Rachelle's as the wife, to live lowly in a house that needs a lot of work yet!  

I loved her simple, cozy choice of decor inside. It was a blessing to spend an hour or so with this precious family that is sacrificing so much to reach out to souls.