Category: everyday schooling

Pullets

Remember the chicks one overjoyed new nine year old got for her birthday?

Well, much like that nine year old, they’re growing by leaps and bounds. Therefore, they outgrew the small chick cage and moved on to the yard version outside.

(Lady checking on the chicks during a rainstorm after we put a tarp on part of their cage for a rain shelter. She’s a sweet and gentle “mama dog” to any animal we happen to bring home.)

With quadrupling their size, our happy pullets then moved on to the deluxe coop recently. They seem to really enjoy the bug buffet in there. And while they flew the coop into our larger yard a couple of times on the first day, they’ve since settled into their new, expanded bird sanctuary as their home.

We have it in the books to upgrade the hutch to an enclosed laying house before heading to South Africa at the end of next month (and about the earliest the pullets could start laying), but for now the old cage is a good perching place and rain shelter.

Since we don’t have chicken predators within our property’s walls, the fence is there as a courtesy idea to keep dogs, rabbits, chickens and children from mingling 24/7 (especially when we have neighbor kids over to play) and also makes for easier future egg collecting (less daily Easter egg hunting throughout the yard 😉). Our dogs have very little interest in the chickens, honestly, and have accepted them as “just another one of us” like our bunnies that have free reign in the yard with the dogs.

(Sometimes the bunnies come up on the porch and peak in through our “floor to ceiling” windows to see what we’re up to in the house. Hehe.)
(Eating the dog’s leftover food while the dog watched at a distance without a care. 😂)
(Feeding the Marshmallow a mango while Shadow came over to say “hi”.)

Yeah, the chicks have grown into teenager pullets, with all their awkward feathers growing in patches like a bad haircut. Haha. But the love for them hasn’t changed one bit. 🙂

(Éden posing with “Sunny” [in memory of her beloved duck from the States].)
(They even tolerate being interrupted to be pet sometimes.)

And this chick mama is still loving her babies as much as ever before. ❤️

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Their Normal

I love how this is their normal.

(Helping Eden with her reading comprehension summary)
(Then Eden copying her summary work into her journal.)

They know school doesn’t look like this for everyone – some even remembering firsthand what private school looked like in our developing country. (No, private school wasn’t traumatic, but it did give greater depth of gratitude, to the oldest two particularly, to enjoy having the freedom to have a say in some academic foci choices. )

But I really love how they remember and will remember their schooling together.

Listening to the next youngest reader in the household. Patiently investing when they could be done with their own schooling faster and pursue their own interests.

They have seen how others stopped to invest in them. And they are willingly interruptible.

(She tracked down Eden to share a funny part of her reading DVD with her – and naturally furries were added to the experience.)
(Waiting patiently for her help with a puzzle when it’s easier to do it yourself.)
(Sanding and refinishing the table together.)
(Finishing painting the shelves when Eden grew tired of her turn.)
(Inviting Hannah to come explore the anatomy model with her at a little science museum while on vacation in South Africa.)
(Working together to make worm composting bins.)

May the invitation always be open to learn from those older and younger than you, ladies. There is much to learn in slowing down to the pace of another beside you.

Afterall, it would be sad to miss the hidden blessing of investing.

What a privilege of a normal, my ladies. Thank you for using it well. ❤️

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Cooking Adventures

One Sabbath we decided to embark on a new cooking adventure as a family: homemade bagels and cream cheese.

Since the store hasn’t carried cream cheese in over a month, I set to scouring the internet for a realistic cream cheese recipe based on our Mozambican ingredients.

The older three girls began making bagels while I researched. They’ve grown accustomed to making batter from scratch and felt confident in their ability to prep the bagels in boiling water like we do when we make homemade soft pretzels.

Then while the bagels baked, Rachael, Abi and I went to the store to buy heavy cream and UHT shelf whole milk (that’s the best shot at milk that we have here).

Upon our return, we brought the milk and heavy cream to a boil and added lemon juice to separate the curds and whey.

We used a handkerchief as a cheese cloth and squeezed out the excess whey, while pouring cold water over the curds.

On the side, we also heated up some frozen strawberries (our “worth it” big buy once a month) and mashed them as a mix-in to part of the cream cheese. We mixed it to taste at the table, leaving it a tiny bit watery (we just had to fit in all the strawberries we cooked), but full of flavor.

To the “hand mixer thing” we went for the final stage of whipping air into the cream cheese with an added dash of salt. I also put in a dash of sugar for the littles’ enjoyment. 😉

We took turns mixing the thick cream cheese, adding back in a bit of the whey (oops, we were too efficient) to make a creamier cheese spread and to give our biceps a bit of a break. Ha!

Breakfast was served some two hours later (with the store trip in there). It was a WONDERFUL little “taste of America” and it was a fun family bonding time too.

Abi even made us a peanut butter banana smoothie to top off our breakfast 🙂

We’ve discussed making bagels again during a bulk cooking day and freezing them for future spoiling opportunities. 🙌🏼 Though I’d be really happy for the store to start carrying easy cream cheese again. 😝

Now on to washing the dishes… 🤦🏽‍♀️😂

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According to the Pace of the Children

I must confess, Jacob’s not my favorite. Every time I read the Word and come across Jacob’s story, I’m reminded that I don’t really enjoy the guy. Maybe that’s harsh? I’m not meaning to be harsh, I mean I only know what the Word records about the man, but what it records isn’t exactly flattering. Sure we could go into a long conversation about his sibling rivalry trickery, his selfish promise to the All-Powerful God after his crooked-neck rock dream, his marriage selection flaws, his trickery of his Father-in-law, his poor leadership of his wives… the list goes on. But today as I read Genesis 33, I was reminded of one thing that I’d like to take away from Jacob’s story.

See, it actually comes from a super flawed story that’s unfolding regarding meeting up with Esau again after fleeing Esau’s decently-justified rage of his stolen birthright by whom other than our “hero” Jacob. Understandable Jacob is nervous about this upcoming encounter. Maybe he’s relying on his own deliverance again instead of the Deliverer’s. So he stacks up the “greeting parties” with plans to be able to flee if Esau attacks the front parties, valuing his life above them all by holding up the rear. Each wave of workers and dependents bringing Esau a gift- maybe an attempt to soften the blow.

Cowardly move? It could appear so quite easily. But maybe culture is also wrapped up in it. Maybe there’s some protocol for meeting a potential enemy who’s blood related? 😬

Much to Jacob’s sheer gracious blessing, the Lord defends his lacking servant and moves on Jacob’s behalf to protect him from Esau’s anger, even permitting a more friendly encounter from the previously divided brothers.

Jacob’s response when asked by Esau if he’s like to accompany him back “home”? Verse 13-14 says, “But he (Jacob) said to him (Esau), ‘ My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herd which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children until I come to my lord at Seir.”

Was Jacob really concerned about preserving his legacy, his livelihood ? I’ve heard many an argument for Jacob’s secret plot, evidenced by him never actually returning to Seir and therefore some have concluded that he had a hidden plot the whole time to ditch Esau.

But I do find it interesting how Jacob’s speech appears to be very humble in this moment and appears to be focused not on his own good but the most frail among the traveling party.

Maybe the guy is genuine. Maybe he’s tricking again. And it’s in these moments that I am thankful again to not have the job of being the judge of the heart of man. Yet here I do find a reminder even through one who doesn’t quite make the list of “follow my example” encouragers.

The flocks and the children “are a care to” Jacob (vs 13). And I admire that he was willing to stoop to a leisurely pace of the frail cattle and the children.

How many times in our busy lives have we asked the most frail among us and the children to keep pace with our strides? There is much to be done. Many tasks that need our justifiable attention.

Yet here is a reminder to pace myself according to the children. Stopping to tie a shoe. Or look at a bird chirping in a tree just because it’s pretty and worthy of being studied for a minute. Not having an agenda or a schedule that cannot be altered. Not seeing them as a burden or an inconvenience to productivity, but as an opportunity for leisure… leisure together.

And just maybe when we stoop to serve the smallest among us we will see that we needed their joyful discovery pace all along.

Will you join me? Will you take up their pace?

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Online with Mrs. Susan

Mrs. Susan,

I am sure that when you recorded your Sunday School message for your Preschool/Kindergarten class you thought about each of the faces in your class. But four more faces wanted to join your class and were DELIGHTED to sit under your teaching again.

All on their own they gathered supplies, helped each other plan out and tape the scroll ends, selected extra Bible verses to add to their scrolls (because apparently one is just not enough), wrote all the Bible verses on the board so everyone could see, copied the verses onto their scrolls, lightly colored and distressed their scrolls (it’s all about affect, people), and helped each other roll and tie the scrolls (complete with cat supervision, naturally).

Our Abi may have long since graduated from your class (and our sixth grader, Rachael, even longer than that!), Hannah also skipped right over your class jumping from the toddler class to Africa to second grade Sunday school, but Eden was THRILLED to learn that she would probably be in your class when we, Lord willing, get to visit back to the States.

These guys may not have a chart in your class for a sticker, but they wanted to repeat the summary verse. (Sorry it’s dark)
And Hannah wanted to look the verse up and read it from the Bible.
❤️ We love you, Mrs. Susan, and thank you for a wonderful lesson and a fun project. We can’t wait to see you and hug you in a few months, Lord willing. ❤️

P. S. Thanks for ignoring our pajamas and bed heads. We do real life here and your lesson was too exciting to bother delaying while we got ready for the day. 😉
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I Already Have One

As Matt and I plan to visit back to the States we have taken the opportunity to reflect on the past term of living in Mozambique. Some beautiful stories have arisen amid long car rides as we have seen God’s hand at work. Sure the challenge still remains and we’ve had our fair share of reflecting on overcoming and living in those challenge tensions too.

In the spirit of preparing our hearts, we’ve also taken on the healthy task of decluttering again. After having given away 70% of everything we owned before moving to Mozambique and having lived a year in Quelimane “virtually out of suitcases”, we have grown and continue to grow in living simply.

As we were giving away some things to a precious friend, she graciously and thoughtfully made her selections from the things on our table. I loved listening to her thinking through the dishes and hearing her vocalize leaving things for others. But one phrase caught my heart as I listened. I had picked up a coffee cup from a reputable place which we both knew was a quality make. “Oh, I won’t take this one. I already have one and it has lasted me for years.” She placed it back down on the table contentedly. But the words hung in the air.

How quickly would I have thought about keeping a back-up cup? How quickly would I have thought to replace mine with the hope that the one on the table would outlast my old one? But here the lesson spoke truer, “I already have one.” It’s a lesson in contentment. A lesson in simplicity. I already have ONE. And she literally means just one.

Matt and I are still learning to live in the one, trusting not in our own provision but just… trusting. There’s nothing wrong in replacing the broken or the tired- in fact I’m thankful for a team coming in a couple of weeks that will be helping us replace some three year old items that are beyond limping along. But I just wanted to share this story in hopes that it could be an encouragement to others. Simplicity has been so freeing and so faith growing.

We are learning what to keep in extra. (You know, like a spare tire? 😉) And how to find contentment and freeing joy by a less full shelf. Because as it turns out, that shelf is as full as it needs to be. It truly IS enough.


The first year we were here in our current city, I sat down with the girls for a little stenciling fun. The girls made fun princesses, nature scenes and cute little animals while I made this reminder for our wall. Dear ones, I am still very much learning this lesson, but I can speak from my heart that this lessons is so incredibly freeing and true.

Lord, please continue to grow my faith. Please mature me, Father, like my sister who graciously and with a heart of gratitude returned the coffee cup to the table. I trust in Your provision, even in the little things. You are and will always be MORE than enough. Thank You, Lord. HOW You provide. I am overwhelmed. Thank You for the reminder through my sister today.

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