Just a Few Things Going On

Here are our most recent pictures.

Sheep Brain Dissection -- very cool!

Will's first game to pitch 

Love the facial expressions!!

Good swing!

Hit a double

Cheering on his teammate who just made a strikeout

Maggie had a tough game, but she played hard!

     Well, here it is April, and I am finally putting up some pictures and typing an update -- all because Will's game was rained out tonight, and Ryan is out of town. Our first semester of homeschooling with both Will and Meredith has gone very well, and the semester has zoomed by. We have had lots of fun, and I have been so excited to see Will's progress and enthusiasm. We have read some very fun books, done some cool projects, and learned some excellent history, Bible and science lessons. I am so very thankful to have him home and see how the Lord is blessing this endeavor.
     Besides homeschooling, we also have Maggie's basketball and Will's and Ryan's baseball to keep us busy. Meredith will be playing t-ball this year, as well, but her season does not start until May, which is a blessing! Maggie has loved basketball, and she is now playing on a little more competitive team for just the 5th grade girls. This current league is great for teaching some more advanced skills along with building relationships with girls who will be in her class next year for middle school. (MIDDLE SCHOOL!! I can hardly believe it!!) Will has had a lot of rainouts this year, but he is LOVING baseball. He plays second base, and for now his team has won their first 4 games. (Will got a clinch hit the other night in a game that was tied 6-6 with bases loaded, 2 outs, and in which he had struck out twice already. The Lord gave him an exciting unintentional bunt down the 3rd base line, and he hit in the winning run!) Meredith is currently involved in ballet, and her dance recital comes up in just a few weeks. Other than that, she is becoming quite the writer. She is constantly writing notes to us, leaving them beside our beds or other places, or just writing notes in her notebook.
      In other news, we were able to see our new baby cousin/nephew Ford, a few weeks ago when we went to celebrate Jan Jan's 85th birthday. It was quite a visit. I took the kids by myself since Ryan had baseball games in Memphis. The not-so-fun part was getting caught in a golfball-size hailstorm on the interstate south of Grenada right after dark. God was good in protecting us, and Ryan was very thankful to have us home!
      Here are some pics of our winter and spring events:

Maggie's New Year Celebration

Maggie's Necklace for Meredith

Rice Krispie Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Jan Jan with all of her great grandchildren

Feeding Cocoa

Gathering fresh grass for Cocoa

Sweet cousin time

Cold outing at the botanic gardens

Getting ready for the tip-off

Maggie had a tough defensive assignment. Thankfully Kyra is now on her team for the competitive league.

Queen Esther

Greek theater mask

My birthday flowers from Ryan

Sweet Babe

Maggie holding Ford

Meredith LOVED having a chance to hold a little baby

Nana with 4 of her grandchildren

So sweet to hold a baby!!

So happy for this new Mama!!

Will getting ready for the pitch

Rare shot of me with straight hair after a hair cut

Trying to get a view of our backyard that Will helped me with yesterday

Reflecting On God's Goodness

     As 2012 dwindles to a close and 2013 will begin with a few changes for our family (I will be homeschooling Will again), I find myself needing to dwell on the One who never changes or grows old or weary.  My Christmas break has been spent at times feeling excited, tired, overwhelmed, peaceful, stressed, fearful, sad and thankful -- just to name a few of my emotions. Over the past few weeks, I truly have been on an emotional roller coaster, mostly because of our children and our trying to discern what is best for them in many areas. Ryan has been a blessing of stability when my mind and heart start whirling in a million different directions. But my true stability comes from God and His word. He is the One who causes the stars to shine and the rain to fall and the seasons to change. Yet He cares for even our somewhat "petty" problems, and He wants us to fall before Him no matter how we are feeling.  As we've gone through Christmas holidays -- which have not been all joy and gladness in the Porter home -- I have been reminded again and again that the sins that make me so sad/stressed/angry/overwhelmed are the very reason why Christ came! He came because of the brokenness in each of our hearts that make us hurt those in our own family, i.e. sibling rivalry and parental frustration! He came so that I might have hope -- not in myself or that our kids will grow to love one another or that homeschooling will solve all the problems for us -- but that our hope will lie in Him alone, in His humility, His grace, His love! What a Savior we serve!! I will still be tired and frustrated and sad and angry at times (probably too many times). But I have the hope that He has set me free to serve Him as a wife, a mother, a homeschool teacher, a daughter, a friend, a sister in Christ.   My prayer for the close of this year is that I will step forward in faith to whatever path He leads me on, and that I would fix my eyes on Jesus -- not on my failures or those of my husband or my kids or others -- but serve Him wholeheartedly.

May the mind of Christ my Savior live in me from day to day,

by His love and pow'r controlling all I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour,

so that all may see I triumph only through His pow'r.

May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything,

that I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea;

him exalting, self abasing, this is victory.

May his beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost to win,

and may they forget the channel, seeing only Him.

Kate Wilkinson, 1925

Daddy and Daughter Date Night -- heading to the zoo

Mother and Son date night -- bowling, sushi and a game of Quirkle

Our annual gingerbread house

Merry Christmas 2012!!

   

Better Late Than Never

   Before the holidays hit us, here are some other pictures of our fall fun that I've neglected to share.

Meredith watching Will do his spelling

Maggie's crazy birthday celebration

Chief Justice Margaret in the March of the Presidents Program

Will as Teddy Roosevelt

Meredith's birthday celebration before school

Meredith was very specific about her cake -- colors, unicorn, where the horn should point. Thankfully Mama passed the test of approval!

The "windy" party at the park

Wow, my 6 year old!!

Maggie with an old homeschool project

Happy Birthday to Maggie!

  While in the Smokies, we celebrated Maggie's 11th birthday. She chose her breakfast and supper meals, and Mama obliged even on the road. For breakfast we had apricot cream cheese stuffed French toast, then later for supper, Ryan grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and I baked our family favorite chocolate chip pound cake. We went on our longest hike that afternoon, and the kids did amazingly well, but then coming back down the mountain, we got stuck in traffic. Thankfully, we got back in time to make the cake and have our celebration.

A favorite: the hammock swings

Another favorite: having Babe along

Poor Babe: we found out once we got her to the Smokies that dogs were not allowed on the hikes

Maggie's first change of earrings, a pair of mine from high school

Our only bears to see were the ones decorating the fence of our cabin

Can't see the sign, but I think it said, "Welcome to the Smokies"

Meredith and I surprised Maggie with decorations

Meredith's gift that she planned and paid for: a small box of Werther's

Will wrapped his gift in toilet paper : )

A candy bar!

Saying goodbye!