PRAYER REQUEST

The girls have a big school assembly in Spokane tomorrow. They've asked we pray.

Sweet Compliment

I have mentioned that Mike taped the Narnia series and sent it back for the younger ones to enjoy. He'd been reading the series to them when he deployed. Each night I can hear two different chapters/books from the younger boys/girls room.

Tonight as they got ready for bed, Arielle said she isn't sure what she likes best, "hearing the story or hearing Dad's voice". Ah....

Arielle and Stacia are listening to "The Last Battle" over and over...because OF COURSE they fall asleep and have to start over. Nolan and Zander are listening to Sliver Chair.

Yes - we still have books on TAPE, TAPE recorders and school TAPES. {sigh} We are slowly converting to CD/DVD/MP3 type stuff....

WACKY WEDNESDAY

~Made breakfast burritos, hash browns and smoothies for the children for breakfast.

~Snow, snow, snow - enough that we still have some tonight but hardly any by AK standards.

~Teeny, tiny snowman building contest (no photos - ugh)

~School

~Got to talk to Mike today - 2 more months to go. We are looking at mid-March rather than early March now....maybe April.

~Made co-op phone calls

~Tried to track down Mike's w-2 when I realized that I can't file for Josiah's financial aide until we do our income taxes....but the base was closed at 2:00 p.m. Which explains why our friends dh didn't want her driving and we were stood up for a play date!

~Encore Presentation for dinner

~Housebound due to weather for 5 days now....enjoying the down time....lots of reading, snuggling and game playing.....

~Praying the roads are clear by Friday a.m. when I have to be out early.

*Corrie Ten Boom: Keeper of the Angels' Den* by Janet and Geoff Benge

This was a book listed for Dialectic students to read in Year 4 of Tapestry of Grace. It was also listed as a supplement for Upper Grammar. I decided to give it a try for the younger ones (2nd, 3rd). We loved it. In fact Zander (nearly 5) sat and listened to many of the chapters with us. Jared (7th) read it as well. I do NOT plan to list every book we read in a school year. This one, however, deserves special mention.

I've long been a Corrie Ten Boom fan. I've read *Hiding Place* and *Tramp for the Lord*. I was skeptical when I saw this book. I expected a very watered down version of Corrie's life. I was WRONG. This book is written in a way that it is engaging and appropriate for young readers; but it does not in any way water down the power, the impact, or the message of the Ten Boom family.

Corrie's love for family, fellow human beings, and the Lord shines through in this book. The message of hope in the darkest situations is clearly portrayed. The message of forgiveness is simply amazing. I love that this book follows Corrie to the end of her life.

This is the first book *I'VE* read in the "Christian Heroes: Then and Now" series. I plan to find more titles from this series to use during our evening family reading times. These are the types of heroes I want my children to know and love. This book is a good introduction for young children. As an adult, who knew the story, I still found that the book held my interest. I have another biography series written for children that is fictionalized and it's sometimes hard for me to sort fact from fiction. I also have some "Heroes of the Faith" titles, but we found the writing in this book to be much more engaging. My older boys did note that they all begin by "giving the plot away". I wouldn't know, as this is the first one I've read. I sometimes worry about reading great books with the young ones - that they won't have the joy of reading them o their own...but honestly....there are so many good books on any given topic that I doubt that's a real problem to fret about. ::snort::

TX Snow?

Snow Wear?

 This door is right behind my computer chair. I caught him heading out to play in the snow....he remembered pants (sort of PJ's) this time...and a shirt....he even put socks on his hands (we don't have any gloves)....but he forgot the coat, socks and shoes. It's funny he told you Mom that he was from AK and not afraid of the snow....I'm guessing he doesn't remember COLD. ::snort::