Things to Read

Noble Novels

Noble Novels is a creative, Christian community of young people trying to sharpen their writing skills while sharing stories with each other. You can find three short stories of mine (as well as many written by others) at this blog. Also be sure to check out my little sister's contest winning story and find out how you can join as an author!

http://noblenovels.weebly.com/kates-stories.html

His Farmgirl Photography

My good friend is the author of this blog, and she gave me and my sisters the privilege of helping out with this post. We all came up with some pretty great ideas that I would encourage you to check out. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments!

http://hisfarmgirl.blogspot.com/2014/03/20-ideas-on-how-to-make-your-sibling.html#comment-form

Coloring Together

Usually, I draw a picture for the little girls and make copies so they can each color; but now Betsy Bea has taken to drawing pictures for me. (She can even make copies of it on the printer.) Today while we were coloring together, she pointed to a little circle on the front of the Mom's dress. "You see that ball? It means that she is pregnant." I remarked on how many flowers she had drawn on the little girl's dress. "Yeah," she said, "I drew it extra cute so you would want a copy." : )

Narnia Is Waking Up

I know that Narnia is waking up. Every morning there are new leaves, new buds, and new birds soaring high in the sky and gracing the world with their songs. In the middle of the sturdy firs that stayed green all year long, a fruit tree is bursting into fragile, pink blossoms that will stay only until the fruit comes. Yellow stars are coming alive in the grass and swaying softly in the cool breeze that is blowing winter far away. The tall, white trunks that lean together to form an arch over a silent road are beginning to show small, bright green leaves. The Narnians are awake once more stirring from their long rest and ready to dance long into the night or laugh together over a good joke. Still, there are signs of the winter that was—here and there a tree still stands like a skeleton waiting for new life to be breathed into its still form. Maybe tomorrow will be its chance.

Happy Spring!

The Shortest Highschooler Strikes Again

So today Betsy Bea sat in on my algebra lecture. It's hard to believe,
but she was able to answer a yes or no question right! She had to leave
during the exercises, but I wonder (if she had been able to tear her mind
from the hint buddy) if she could've answered some more. : )

The Never Ending List

Once upon a time there were us. All seven of us. A long and happy list. Ever since I could remember I had raced through it in my mind when a new baby was born and tried to get used to the new name being at the end of it. After a while, it belonged there and we lived on: happily.

When the seventh was born, I was nine and starting to be aware that being an older sister was very neat. Painting, scrapbooking, and all the other activities Mom had planned for when she was born were very fun too. And then she got older, and learned to walk and talk. When she was about one and a half years old, we all wondered if it was time to revise the list again. This time God decided to wait until I was almost twelve.

This year was one of the biggest in my life when I discovered I was going to go live in the Promised Land flowing with trees and rain. I had only read about those in books, and I was sure every moment would be glorious. We spied out the Promised Land and returned to wandering in the wilderness only long enough to get ready to move.

Then Mommy and Daddy told us that there was another baby coming and the happy list would get longer. We lived a glorious and adventuresome summer in the Sunday school rooms of the local church. That winter after the biggest snow in years the eighth was born. Daddy and Mommy brought her home in her carseat, and we all admired her. I ran through the list again until the name fit.

This time, I was old enough to hold the baby standing up. I learned to help her go to sleep, took photos of her, and learned how to dress her gently. I learned to change diapers and not be too grossed out.

When she was a year old she was learning how to walk and another year had begun. I dressed her in the cutest dresses of my own choice, did her hair in pigtails when there was finally enough of it, and carried her around on my hip.

The years passed, and we became the best of friends. When she needed water she would ask me first, we rode together in the van on road trips, and I taught her finger games and rhymes.

Now, though she is beginning to be a bigger little girl, we are still friends. We play dollhouse together, mix yummy things to eat, and thumbs-up our favorite songs. I am very grateful that God has blessed me with another sister and best friend. The list keeps going on with a brother-in-law and two glorious nephews added. I can't wait to see who God adds next.

The Shortest High School Student

Homeschooling is so fun. The other day I was reading the driver's manual
aloud to my youngest sister and explaining things to her. She seemed to
pick up the idea that driving is a really big responsibility. When I was
explaining fines to her, I said something like, "There are all these
things you are supposed to do and if you don't do one of them you get
a--" "A punishment?" she interrupted.

Today, she mixed Mesopotamian history with Mother Goose. "Shar-kali,
Shar-kali, where have you been? I've been to London to see the queen.
Shar-kali, Shar-kali, what did you there? I frightened a little mouse
under her chair."

She and all the other little buddies get to pick up knowledge they would
never have if we had been in different classes. Plus they keep things
amusing. : ) I think I'll let her help me with algebra sometime.