This Week

Here are some pictures of this week.

Drying garlic hanging in the garage.

The cucumbers

The apples on our tree

The morning glories by the garden fence

Melissa's herb garden. She has some thyme, rosemary, and lavender plants, with basil, parsley, dill, green onions, and chives planted.

The other garden with eggplant, marigold, rosemary, and tomatoes.

My iris, and portulaca and other plants.

Clara went horseback riding with her Girl Scout troop. She was a cowgirl.

On Monday Clara and Mom went horseback riding with Clara's Girl Scout troop. They both had a great time.

They had some goats at the horse ranch, and they sounded pretty funny. Mom lost her chapstick, and here's the story about it.

Paula: I think I dropped my chapstick, beacuse I can't find it.

Diane: I really think one of the goats ate it, because I saw one choking a little while ago.

Mom found her chapstick though. She had had a hole in her pocket.

Tonight we were watching Fiddler on the Roof. It's a great movie. I like all the songs. Mom knows all the words because there was a school play when she was in high school.

Tonight Melissa made lavender cookies and lavender lemonade. They were really good. The lavender gives the lemonade a really nice flavor. She used the lavender that she is growing in her garden.

On Sunday Melissa had a Chicago Roundup dinner thing with her church choir, to raise money for the missions trip they are going on this summer.

Also on Sunday we were able to visit with some friends who had moved away, but were able to come back for a little while. It was nice to see them.

It's late, almost 10. I need to get off the computer.

Aftermath of Prom

Amy and Melissa got home at 2 this morning. And they actually went to church later this morning! They have both been really tired, but they enjoyed it. The theme for the prom was Once Upon a Time, so the decorations and everything was medieval. The adults who helped were all dressed up too.
Clara, at the Badge Workshop yesterday, earned two badges, the Sweet Shoppe badge and the World Neighbors badge. She was able to make candy, also. Right now she is working on the Drawing and Painting badge. Tomorrow she and Mom, and others from her troop, are going horseback riding.

Mom, Dad, and I went to dinner last night, since everyone else was gone. We went to Fuddrucker's and got hamburgers.

Here are some pictures of the Prom, and other things.

Amy and Melissa's Prom

Right now Amy and Melissa are getting ready for the Christian Homeschool Prom they are going to tonight. Amy's friend Jessica has been doing Amy's makeup. She got her hair done by a friend from church. Melissa had our friend Pam do her hair. They both look SO beautiful! I am going to have to take lots of pictures.

Right now Clara is at a Girl Scout badge workshop. She will be doing two badges, and maybe start a few more. She has been busy earning badges, and every other Friday going to troop meetings.

Earlier today I was performing at a nursing home with my singing group. We meet every other Friday, and then once a month perform at a few nursing/retirement homes. We're all homeschool girls. A mom is the leader of it, but she was gone this week.

On Wednesday we had a family, the Powells, over for dessert. I made a chocolate chiffon cake, and it turned out really well! I put chocolate icing on it. We used a friends recipe, and the icing was delicious. And so was the cake! We also had strawberries and homemade whipped cream. We all had a great time visiting afterwards. I played games, and others talked.

The cake

Last weekend Clara, Mom, and I went to a Maidens Quest Retreat. The first day we had to dress up in formal clothes. So here we are, all ready to go.

I'll put up more pictures of Amy and Melissa later.

I did it!

I did it! I made a chocolate chip chiffon cake all by myself! The only help I had from mom was what bowl to whip the eggs in. And to take out some of the water if I put to much. The cake is baking right now. I really hope it turns out. It would kind of be awful if it didn't.
I guess I'll be off to do the dishes. :)

Home Construction

That title is kind of wierd. No, we're not getting a new house built. Dad is just fixing our current one. He has been working on replacing the sliding glass door with a window and a door. This Saturday a friend came over, and they took out the door and did everything else to put the new door in. I wasn't there, so I don't really know what happened. :) They had put the door in, and had a hole for the window that was covered by siding. On Sunday, Dad cut away the siding and put the window in. And today, Monday, he has been putting insulation on the inside. It is really nice to have a new door and everything.
Ginger, our dog, has seemed to be kind of sad after Dad was working on it. She has been used to seeing us inside the house through the sliding glass door, and she can't do that now with a normal door. Dad thought that Ginger thought that we were punishing for her for something.
This weekend Mom, Clara, and I went to a Mothers and Daughters retreat thing. It was really good. Besides the sessions, there were elective things, classes. I took Natural Beauty Tips and Hand-Made Cards. Clara took Corsage Design and Hand-Made Cards. Mom took Mini-Scrapbooking and Hand-Made Cards. Some of the people we knew were there, and some friends. It was over Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday evening, we had dinner with some friends. It was really nice. We played a game called Farkel, that is kind of like Yahtzee. It's a fun game.
Amy and Melissa are going to the Christian Homeschool Prom on April 26. They're both making their own dresses! I think that both the dresses are almost done, too. Melissa's is navy blue. It's just-past-your-knee length, and has a bubble skirt. Amy's is just-past-your-knee length too. It's blue and purple with sparkles.
It's 9:30, and Dad wants me to go to bed. So signing off! Maybe I'll post pictures later.

Mom's Surprise Birthday Party!

Today we planned to go to the Powell's house for a potluck after church. Mom didn't know it, but Diane Powell had planned for a surprise birthday party for her! We had a lunch of rice, vegetables, chicken, bread and salad. We also had angel food cake with stawberries and whipped cream for dessert. Mom opened her presents, and we played a game called In A Pickle. We had a wonderful time there.
Dad is tearing up the sheetrock in the family room, because he will be taking out the sliding glass door, and replacing it with a normal door and a window.
Amy is sewing her prom dress. She made a practice one, and now she is doing the actual one.
Melissa participated in a bake sale at church today to help raise money for the choir missions trip. She made two plates of Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate M&Ms and two plates of double chocolate cupcakes. Melissa also went to choir today.
Yesterday I had one of my friends over. Breanna and I covered notebooks with paper. It was fun.
The Girl Scout Cookie selling time is officially, completely over. Clara sold around 275 boxes, and she also has been busy earning new badges. She recently did all the activities for the Girl Scout Birthday week.
Mom and Melissa have been starting gardens. We have three leaf mold planters, and one planter that is where the compost bin used to be. Melissa is planting herbs, and Mom is planting vegetables like tomatoes, beans, peas, and eggplants. Clara also is planting flowers.
This past Friday was the Friday night prayer at GFA. Mom, Clara, and I stayed until 1 o'clock. Dad stayed the whole time, till 4. Amy wasn't able to come because she has been sick, and the doctor ordered lots of rest. Melissa left earlier also. Most of us slept in a long time the next day. Melissa, though, got up earlier so she could make her bake sale things.
Next Friday is the last week of ECC. We have 10 weeks in a semester, so it's the 10th week. After the school day, we will have the End of Semester Program. Amy will be dancing in that, and Melissa with be doing a short play with her drama class.
I have been working on making pages for Amy's Senior Scrapbook. It's fun. (And it's turning out great!--comments Mom!)
Amy got her graduation announcements, but they won't be sent out quite yet because the printer accidently spelled her last name with a 'ph' instead of an 'ff'. After she graduates this is our last summer with Amy as she will be leaving for the Honor Academy in August.
And that is becoming more and more real as the time nears!

Here are some pictures of today.

Melissa, Mom, and Sarah

Amy, Diane, Dad, and Mom

Dad, Mom, and Brandon

Amy and Brandon

Dad and Mom

Dad taking off the sheetrock.