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"Let's be cheerful"! We have no more right to steal the brightness out of the day for our own family than we have to steal the purse of a stranger. Let us be as careful that our homes are furnished with pleasant & happy thoughts as we are that the rugs are the right color and texture & the furniture comfortable and beautiful"! Laura Ingalls Wilder

Monday, May 7, 2012

the party's over


























Her bub has been doing some 'pallet' building...




As I was placing seventeen candles on her chocolate cake I was a bit shell-shocked.  She's seventeen.  My little girl who used to trot around the house hugging everyone as she burst with excitement over any happy event... actually, she still does that.  My little girl who used to surprise those she loves with little notes tucked in their travel bags when they would be gone overnight... hmm, still does that too.  Oh Erin, if growing up meant letting go of all your youthful giftings, I couldn't let it happen.  Lucky for you you're still the sweet, thoughtful gal you always were.  We'll just take this thing a year at a time... kay?

Grandmas, Grandpa, Uncles, Aunts, cousins, old friends, new friends...  what was supposed to be a 4 hour party turned into 5 1/2 as the weather was so kind as to cooperate.  Having an outdoor party in early May is definitely walking on the wild side in Central Oregon.  Those of us on the sidelines were often chilly.  Poor granny was the bravest of the brave as she huddled deep within her jacket to honor her great grand daughter.  I think the temperature was perfect for the athletes but when Erin viewed the photos afterward she became sympathetic and that much more thankful for the sacrifice of the elders.

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We're still looking forward to testing on the seventeenth.  Let me rephrase that lest I be misunderstood.  We are still looking *ahead* to testing.  I really don't think it would be accurate to say any of us actually look forward to it.  :)  Home schooling has been one of the biggest blessings in our life.  The ability to learn and grow together, to arrange our days around our interests and needs and to be able to center everything around the God who is more important than anything that the world deems important.  It amazes me that somehow 8 hours a day, five days a week separated from family and the workings of the home somehow became not only the norm... but mandatory.  That's not what this country was founded on and I for one am glad to hold tight to my American freedom and school where we still study the divine providence of God in our history, the truth of His creation in science, His moral character in reading and writing.  He is in everything.  He is the breath of every subject.

I may still be absent quite a bit here but I think of my dear blog friends, as well as my dear snail mail friends (who haven't heard much from me lately either) every day.  I look forward to finding the rhythm to visit here daily again but for now, I'm doin' what needs doin'! 

Blessings, Debbie

    

33 comments:

  1. It looks like it was a fabulous party! Happy Birthday to her! Blessings - Emily Fay

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  2. Happiest of birthday's to your sweet Erin. They do grow up too fast. I still think my Erin should be crawling around,eating paper and keeping me up at night!
    Miss you being here and am looking forward to your regular return! :)

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  3. Happy, happy birthday to Erin! I applaud you homeschooling moms. It was pretty unheard of when we were raising our boys, but I would definitely consider it now days. Fortunately, we lived in places with small school districts and dedicated teachers.

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  4. Love all the pictures - Happy Birthday to Erin :)

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  5. You caught it all in the pictures...great words on home schooling, I love that I have a choice even if this year one is in public school and one is home...I am glad I have been able to do this for the past 23 years...we live in a great country. The day one of our sons stepped on Germany's soil, on a mission trip, a home school family was being taken off to jail...my home school son, in a country that doesn't have our freedom

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  6. Happy Birthday, Erin! Looks like the best celebration!! Love the action shots, Debbie! xoR

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  7. I miss your news, but an so happy for you and yours...
    You are raising up a new generation to protect us 'elders' as we grow ever more elderly. You are raising sweet and loving and caring and giving humans who are going to make their world, our world, a better place.
    And it is all to God's glory....
    Love that.

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  8. It looks like Erin had a wonderful Birthday! I will be praying for you all during testing that sounds like a very stressful time...I am sure everything will work out well.

    I love what you said about homeschooling as I quote...
    Home schooling has been one of the biggest blessings in our life. The ability to learn and grow together, to arrange our days around our interests and needs and to be able to center everything around the God who is more important than anything that the world deems important. It amazes me that somehow 8 hours a day, five days a week separated from family and the workings of the home somehow became not only the norm... but mandatory. That's not what this country was founded on and I for one am glad to hold tight to my American freedom and school where we still study the divine providence of God in our history, the truth of His creation in science, His moral character in reading and writing. He is in everything. He is the breath of every subject.

    I wish others felt like this about homeschooling...our daughters are the only ones at our church that are homeschooled and we don't know anyone else in our community that homeschools so we feel very lonely at times but when you know you are doing the right thing you sometimes have to feel lonely....

    Blessings to you!!

    ~~Renee

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  9. Happy birthday Erin!

    Looks like just the kind of day that my kids like - a great way to celebrate a birthday!

    Deanna

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  10. Happy *birth*day to you, Mom. Looks like a special party.

    I SO agree with you about homeschooling. Your rewards for spending that much time with your kids sharing the Gospel will be GREAT! Do what needs doin' and we'll see you when you get back here.

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  11. Happy birthday Erin. I'm so glad that you had a beautiful day to celebrate. It looks like a lot of fun.

    JB

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  12. Happy birthday to your daughter! It was good seeing you here :)

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  13. Happy 17th birthday, Erin! Debbie, you have done a great job. Looks like a wonderful party and happy memories. xo

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  14. I'm so happy for kids who have wise homeschooling mamas like you! I applaud you and I feel sure the test results will be AMAZING!
    I miss you, but keep chugging along. We'll see you more soon.

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  15. I'm glad to hear from you! Happy Birthday to Erin, and blessings to all your family.

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  16. The birthday party looks like it was a lot of fun. Great photos - the birthday girl looks extremely happy.

    Speaking of snail mail - when I saw you reading Hans Brinker, I thought of something I would like to send you, if you are interested. Something fun and appropriate - your girls might enjoy.

    Let me know. My email is, timmelhow at yah00

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  17. Wow! How fun. I'm sad I missed it. Talk about "new friends"... I didn't know half the people in the pictures!! Wow... that's new. ;) Hopefully we'll see you all at Seth's graduation. Love ya! :)

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  18. hi
    beautiful pics from a wonderful birthday party. lucky girl!!
    wish you a wonderful week,
    love and hugs,regina
    reginassimplelife.blogspot.com

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  19. Looks like a truly fabulous birthday celebration! Belated b-day wishes to your girl. Nice photos, Debbie. :)

    Blessings, ~Lisa

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  20. Happy Birthday to your beautiful girl! It looks like a fun party, although I am fighting a wee fit of jealousy over the fact that you are all wearing JACKETS.
    IN MAY.
    :)
    I haven't forgotten what we talked about, btw. LOTS of stuff has come up around here...miss our "chats".
    hugs
    ~april

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  21. I understand completely..."doin' what needs doin'".

    What a wonderful mini scrapbook you shared of Erin's party.

    I also agree wholeheartedly about what you said regarding homeschooling and God being the center of all our days, whatever we are doing at a given time.

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  22. keep on doing what you're doing....it's wonderful and I wholeheartedly agree with you! Homeschooling is such a blessing in our lives as well. Love the peek into your daughter's 17th celebration. happy belated birthday to her!

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  23. Looks like a fantastic party! Happy Birthday to your dear Erin!

    And your thoughts on homeschooling...I am enthusiastically nodding my head as I read. Amen! It has been one of our greatest blessings too. I wouldn't trade this life for any other!

    Blessings to you as you do what you need to do! ♥

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  24. Oh, Debbie... such a beautiful celebration for such a beautiful birthday girl!! And, I'm sure Erin will always be just as thoughtful. I've been blessed with one of those precious thoughtful ones, too and she is going on 36 this year... still sweet as ever. We are blessed indeed. Do what needs doin'!! blessings ~ tanna

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  25. Happy belated birthday to your sweet Erin! This was a beautiful post! And...you are doing what you need to do. I agree! God will bless you for your faithfulness. I am sure of that...:)

    Happy Mother's day to you!

    xoxo...Gloria

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  26. Came here yesterday, but I had trouble commenting. I hope it's better this morning. First, Happy Birthday to your little girl. I don't care what age she is, she's your little girl indeed.

    And I agree with what you said about the total reversible of what was the cultural norm. How's it working for us, too? Thank God for families unwilling to goose step with the topsy turvy world we live in.

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  27. Popped in to say hello and catch up with your'doings' and I find I've missed a birthday. Sorry Erin ...wishing you all the best.
    Debbie, I'm still around and I have a new blog if you'd like to pop over and say hello when you have time. Off now to catch up on what I've missed on your blog. Hugs Sue (Maa)

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  28. A very happy but belated birthday wish for your daughter, what a great party this looks like.
    Wishing you a very blessed and Happy Mother's Day.
    Hugs,
    Sue

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  29. Hi Debbie, I am back to blogging. your country-side is beautiful! And I can tell by your b'day party pictures, that you definitely have more sense of family/friends then we do on the east coast in our city/suburban areas. (But I grew up in western pa, with 38 cousins...so I did have it there).
    love,andrea

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  30. Happy Birthday to your 17 yo. Amazing how time passes so quickly...like a vapor. Looks like a fun time for friends and family.

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  31. What a great day to make memories with family and friends! Thanks for sharing with the bloggy world, too :-)

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