Quotes from my Brothers (and Sister)

Thomas: "I know why people kidnap people - because they want more kids!"

Thomas: "Is it illegal to fight a robot?"

Gavin: "If it's a police robot then maybe."

Thomas: "Dad, do you know what it feels like when I eat Rice Krispies? It feels like I'm having a heart attack." And then, "I just heard my day imagination. I put a bite in my mouth and I heard a bang."

Nadia is very prompt to say thank-you when she is given something. But if she is not responded to with a "You're welcome" she'll scold, "Say me welcome!"

Nadia: "Mom, keep me safe!"

Mom: "From what?"

Nadia: "From the lion."

Mom: "The lion?"

Nadia: "Justine is a lion."

What I'm Wearing

Ah... pictures again! And I'm posting twice in ten days! (You are supposed to cheer here, by the way. lol just kidding)

So... another blogger was talking about how magazines etc. portray beauty in one specific way, and that way is unrealistic (photoshopped/airbrushed models), and she suggested people should put up pictures of themselves so that we have a more varied and realistic portrayal of what people look like. I thought that was a good idea so here are some pictures of what I am wearing tonight.

For most of today I was wearing old clothes. Old clothes are better suited to such activities as cutting the grass and working on the van. :) So after I came inside rather cold and dirty, I had a (hot!) shower and dressed up just for fun.

This fall I have been working on dressing more nicely. Last winter I usually wore one or other of two cozy warm hoodies. The problem with that was one was too large and the other a bit ragged. All summer I wore clothes suitable for working/being active since we were working on our house, I was working with my dad, and when we went out it was to play soccer or do some other outdoor activity.
In August we went to Value Village and found some stuff for winter and I made sure to get dressier, better looking clothes.

This outfit's info:

Sweater: Suzy Shier (I think) bought at Value Village

Jeans: Bluenotes, bought at Value Village (If I keep up with the posting an outfit thing, you'll be seeing a lot of these jeans. I love them and they are my only good pair.)

Justine

P.S. Value Village is a great place to shop. If you make sure you leave yourself enough time, you can find some really nice things for a fraction of what they cost new.

My Story Right Now

A blog writer, here, has been posting lately about writing your story. I actually haven't read many of the posts, but the snippets that come up on the blogger dashboard have been inspiring me.
My story. Where shall I start? Maybe with the land I live in.
When we moved to this area five years ago, it was ugly. Bare brown fields, November's grey skies, mud, rain. The land was flat. Not perfectly flat, but flat enough to make a girl who'd grown up among hills and forests feel exposed. There were no wild places, only empty fields of corn and soybean stubble with here and there a tame little forest. Worse yet, it was foreign. It held no little remembrances of fun or friends or events that had marked my life before. The road ways were unfamiliar.
Fast forward five years. The land is interesting. The next field is planted with soybeans, and we know who owns it and who is buying it from him and why. The field across the road is planted in soybeans too, though according to the rules of crop rotation, it should be corn. Since the spring was so wet, the farmer couldn't plant before June 15, after which one cannot get crop insurance for corn, so he planted soybeans. The roadways are no longer strange, for we can say, "That is so and so's road" or "That's the interesting way to go to soccer." The big openness of this land is actually considered an asset now. I know the joy of standing on a hill under a wide blue sky and seeing all the farms around and turning to see the town three km away. The scenes of this land are tied up with the happenings and milestones of the last five years, and I love this land so that it seems the most beautiful place in the world.
Do you have a story?
Justine

Thankful

Tonight I am thankful that God has commanded us to rest on Sundays. The more work we do, especially on Saturdays, the more I realize what a blessing Sunday is. As my mom said today, "If we didn't have to rest, we wouldn't." But we do have to, so we do. It is much easier to work hard on a Saturday when we know that the next day we can go to church and come home and spend a quiet day worshipping God and visiting with friends, then if we knew we'd get up in the morning and work hard and get grimy and tired again.
I am also thankful for the work we could get done today - putting in window wells, filling them with gravel, and putting the dirt back around them. It looks much better. :)
If you are interested in the military, or in politics, you should watch this. I think it is a good idea for the high up powers that be to know what the ground workers actually experience. I believe the workers would probably have a lot more respect for their authorities as well. It is pretty hard to respect the ones who give the commands if they are sitting in their city offices without a clue of what is actually going on, and no guts to do the physical hard work. So kudos to Defence Minister Peter MacKay for getting right in there and spending a couple of days in military training.
Goodnight!
Justine

Summer!

If I post today, my sisters can't say I haven't posted in a whole month, can they? I'll tell them it's only been 29 days. :) Warning, though. This post is rambly. Each paragraph is about a new and unrelated topic.
Right now it is summer and I love it! I like staying up late-ish playing a game because we don't have to get up early anyway. I like not having to do schoolwork. I like playing soccer with our homeschool group on Wednesday evenings. I like the competition, but also that since we pick teams each week, the competition only lasts that evening. We don't end up with rivalries, since we might end up on the other players' team next week. I like that we know everyone on both teams. I played on a town team one year, and while that was fun, I like this better. The best advantage homeschool soccer has over organized team soccer, I have discovered, is that we don't line up, shake hands, and say, "Good game" to the other team at the end. It always seemed to me (being a somewhat independent homeschooler) that adults were imposing on us their ideas of good will and friendliness. Which is one reason I am glad I've never been to public school. But now I'm rambling. :)
I'm reading Anne of Green Gables right now. I don't know how many times I've read it, but it is really a good book.
I am looking forward to 3 weeks from now! I am planning to go to a Christian youth camp along with some of my friends. The camp starts on a Friday night and goes until the Monday morning on the holiday weekend. It should be fun, at least I'm hoping it will be. :)
On Sunday it is my parents' 18th anniversary. 18 years ago they were very young and none of us were even thought of. And now we are a big, noisy, rowdy family. I love you, Dad and Mom!
Sisters are amazing. My sisters know alot about me. They are my best friends. We can tease each other and bug each other and tell each other our deep dark secrets. One amazing thing about sisters is they are always around and I for one love having my best friends with me. Who wouldn't love having people around to stay up late playing a game with and then stay up even later laughing over a story about A Mento that Got Swallowed Whole in a Store?
My brothers are great, too. Warren has been working like crazy lately, helping with the addition. Brent does not like to have anything to do with tools and dirt. He'd rather read. Gavin and I have almost daily arguments while we are drying the lunch dishes as to whether such work is girls' work or not. (I say not. Boys should be able to clean up after themselves, right? And we older girls also know how to paint, use a hammer, drill, saw, etc...) And as for Thomas and Nadia, they are best friends and when one of them is sad or hurt, they will usually run to hug and comfort each other.
How is your summer going?
Justine

Hello

About time for a post, eh?

It is busy here. Let's see - a bulldozer and backhoe working all day, dumptrucks in and out, the septic pumping truck coming twice, the outhouse company coming to drop off the port-a-potty, the inspector and the builder coming...

My mind is busy, too. I have been studying worldviews using the book, The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire. Thus my mind is full of words like nihilism, theistic existenialism, Eastern pantheistic monism. After a bit I thought, "Why do people keep coming up with impossible ideas? Why would anyone believe in nothing? How can Eastern gurus and such meditate without meditating on something, or contemplate with nothing to contemplate?" So then I went outside for a walk to clear my head. :)

Dad in the hole for the foundation. It is about eight feet deep. Notice the water sitting in the bottom. That will have to be gotten out somehow.

Gavin and the dumptruck.

Have a good day!

Justine

Changes...

I have decided to go private with my blog. This is only for my own comfort - I do not like writing when I don't know who is reading it. I never know whether I am saying too much or if someone might take something the wrong way. So, when my blog is private I will at least know who has access. :) This will go into effect on Thursday, June 2nd. If you would like access after that, email me at justine@bell.net and I will send you an invite.

This boy...

...is a joy to work with. :)

Love you, Brent!

P.S. Can you see the happy face he made?

A Post with Pictures :)

Today, after many days of clouds and rain, we had a few hours of sunshine. This evening all of us kids took advantage of the sunshine to play outside.

Outside our dining room window is a robin's nest in a tree. The robins have four babies. We joke that while we are watching them have their breakfast, they are watching us eat ours.

In a large puddle in the field next to our house live a pair of ducks. The ducks come nearly every year, but usually the puddle dries up pretty quickly. This year we have had so much rain, the ducks are still here. I do not know if they are raising a family though.

Nadia loves the swing. She begs, "Go too higher!" We always ask her, "Is it too high?" because we aren't sure if she will be afraid. Now she thinks "too high" is fun.

Meg taught Nadia to answer the question, "What country do we live in?" Nadia says "Me live Candada!"

Some more things Nadia says are:

When she has new clothes, "Want show my papa!"

Nearly every morning when we are doing schoolwork, "Want to colour." Then, when she has coloured a picture and folded/scrunched it up, "Here Dee-Dee (Justine), this yours." And when I have looked at it and given it back, she refolds it and says, "Here Meghan" or "Here Awsee (Allison)" or "Eah".

Sunday morning she heard Thomas crying upstairs and she cried, "T-Tom!" and ran all the way upstairs to the boys room. She loves her brothers.

The other day when Thomas got hurt, he exclaimed, "Ow! My skeleton!"

Justine

Please Pray!

This family lost their father and their home a couple of days ago.
http://www.visionforum.com/news/blogs/doug/2011/04/9416/

This and That

~Last week when we were digging a hole to bury some chickens, we said we might find some historical artifacts. After we explained to Brent what a historical artifact was, he said, "Ya, maybe we'll find an old fashioned Volkswagen Bug down there!"
~We have been talking about The Royal Wedding over here. However, since it starts televising at 2 am and the actual ceremony starts at 5 am (our time) I don't know if we'll be able to watch it. Think getting up at that time extreme? There were people camping out yesterday along the procession route in order to have a spot on Friday.
~This post doesn't have pictures because I have taken about four pictures in the last month. Those four were taken solely for the purpose of trying out Photoshop, so they aren't very good.
~Spring has arrived! At this point I think we won't get anymore snow. The last snow we got was the 18th. Now however, there are green things sprouting everywhere and it is warm out, so I'd say it's safe to suppose we won't get more snow.
~Leah, Meghan, and Emily have all gotten new pets in the last couple of weeks. Leah has two teddy bear hamsters, Amos and Enoch, Meghan has a rabbit named Myrrh, and Emily has two zebra finches which she calls Tobias and Tiberius. The hamsters have to go, though, because Allison is allergic to them. So....if you live near enough, do you want two cute hamsters, with cage, food dish, water bottles, wheels, ball, etc. for $30?
~Yesterday Leah made some creative clay stuff. The afternoon was rainy and everyone was loud and rambunctious, so Leah's clay gave them something constructive to do. Warren made Leah a pair of earrings - pine trees on wires.

Justine

My Latest Project

I bought this sweater at a yardsale last May. I loved its warm softness. Consequently I wore it often. However, it was getting thin and worn out.

So, I ripped it out.

I now have several balls of yarn, purple and white, waiting to be turned into something else.

The question is, what shall it be?

I'm thinking a sweater for Nadia, but I'm not sure if I have enough yarn. I could make a hat and scarf. Any suggestions?

Justine

It's been a very long time...

...hasn't it?

Instead of the usual March weather of grey skies and brown fields, we received a beautiful layer of snow the other night. On top of that, the snow was glazed with ice from freezing rain. Today dawned bright and clear, the sunshine reflected off the ice and snow, and it was altogether a cheerful and breath-takingly pretty day.

In this picture, I tried to focus on the coil of vine. However, the sun was glinting off the camera screen, so I didn't see the result until I put the pictures on the computer. It did focus on something, just not what I wanted it to. And the background looks how I wanted it to. :)

I was bouncing these two little men on a fallen log (and having lots of fun) when they told me I looked like a Daddy long-legs. I just laughed, so they kept calling me that and laughing. :)

Happy Friday!

Justine

Nadia Goes to Bed

Me: "Do you want Dee-Dee (Justine) to put you to bed or do you want E-ah (Leah) to put you to bed?"

Nadia: "Na'ia do dat!"

And she ran and climbed in bed.

I thought, "That's cute, I'll take a picture and put it on my blog with what she said. (above)"

So I ran and got the camera.

Nadia stayed nicely in bed until she saw the camera.

Then she wanted to see the screen on the back.

She got out of bed and looked.

When I told her to go back to bed, she ran to the boys' room.

I followed her and put her back in bed.

So you'll have to suffice with a picture of her bed, which I got when she went to look at the back of the camera, and a picture of her crying in bed, after I put her back.

Justine

Yesterday...

I got my G2 license!

This means I can:

~drive on my own

~drive on the major highways (freeways)

Yesterday I took the road test. I was very nervous. Consequently I had a sore stomach and didn't sleep well for two days prior to the test. However, the test was easy and took only twenty minutes. I did have a calm, cheerful examinor, though. I was very thankful for that, especially because it was early morning and I know some people don't like to be up early.

Last night I drove to catechism class with two sisters and three friends. It was interesting driving without one of my parents or my driving instructor. Today I went alone to pick Leah up from a sewing lesson. That was the first time in my life that I have traveled in a vehicle alone. It was fun. :)

When I came home yesterday, I saw this:

And this:

And two notes from my sisters:

And we had cupcakes for dessert. I love having a family that gets excited with me. :)

Justine

Pictures and such

This morning dawned clear and frosty. The hoarfrost on the trees was sparkling - but the camera didn't catch that.

This afternoon the temperature was -10 C, but the windchill was a good deal colder. However, it was bright and sunny and we went outside.

This is Gavin's snowfort. He is lying in front, Thomas is peeking out one door, and Warren is sitting on the "chimney". On the other side of Warren is another door. There are two more doors on the other side.
The inside of a tunnel... It is small but protected from the wind.

The weather is very cold. I like the cold, once I'm out anyway. Getting out isn't fun. Recently we have been watching some episodes of Planet Earth, and the scenes of spring and summer are reminding me that soon it will be warm enough to open windows and run outside without a coat. Cold and snow are fun, but staying out for a long time gets really cold, so we aren't outside as often at this time of year. Going outside is necessary for the sake of the puppy, though, and I am sure he will be glad when spring comes again and his companions are outside more.

Here are a couple pictures I took as the sun was going down. The days are getting longer. Today we ate supper early, and didn't need the light on. I love having more daylight. It is more cheerful, especially on sunny days when the light reflects off the snow. Isn't it great that the snow comes at the darkest part of the year, to brighten everything? I think it is a blessing from God. Do you ever think of how He works even the smallest details for good? He designed things so that even the side effects are good.

Justine

"The presence and company of Christ will make amends for all we suffer here below. When we see as we have been seen, and look back on the journey of life, we shall wonder at our own faintness of heart. We shall marvel that we made so much of our cross, and thought so little of our crown. We shall marvel that in 'counting the cost' we could ever doubt on which side the balance of profit lay. Let us take courage. We are not far from home. IT MAY COST MUCH TO BE A TRUE CHRISTIAN AND A CONSISTENT HOLY MAN; BUT IT PAYS."

~excerpt from Holiness chapter 6 (Counting the Cost) by J. C. Ryle

This is a book on the Christian life, and one I would recommend reading. The author covers various aspects of the Christian life in an urgent and encouraging manner. Though the book was written in the late 1800's, the subject is applicable today.

Justine

"Jehovah's truth will stand forever,

His covenant-bonds He will not sever;

The word of grace which He commands

To thousand generations stands;

The covenant made in days of old

With Abraham He doth uphold."

~From a Psalter selection based on Psalm 105

"'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,'

says the Lord,

'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'"

~Revelation 1:8

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

~Romans 8:38-39

Our God never changes. What a great comfort!

Justine

I thought maybe I would post a quote or verse every day or every few days this month.

"Over all God reigns forever,

Through all ages He is King;

Unto Him, thy God, O Zion,

Joyful hallelujahs sing."

~From a Psalter selection based on Psalm 146.

We sang this in church on Sunday and it got me thinking. We have nothing to fear because our God is King forever. He is always in control and knows all things. Isn't that something to be thankful and praise God for?

Justine

Photos from Photography Class

Allison and I are taking a photography class with our homeschool group. Photography isn't my favourite thing, although Allison loves it, but I did learn some fun techniques. I found out the camera I used (actually my mom's, but since she got a larger, fancier one, we are allowed to use it) anyway, the camera I used has manual focus. I found that out after I took these pictures, though.

Two different focal points...

Yes, I was being a bit silly on this next picture. But notice the colour. I came up with the idea of putting coloured tissue paper over the flash on the camera. Allison took this picture in a dark room with purple tissue paper over the flash.

And this one using red...

Neat, eh?

Justine

Books....and other musings

On Monday Allison and I started The Great Ideas courses from Tree of Life. Here are my books...

Since we revised the courses a bit in order to finish the courses by the end of this school year, we are not doing all the books. I have Macbeth in the picture, but I'm not planning to study it. I chose to do Hamlet but since the copy we have is included in a large volume of The Complete Works of Shakespeare, I didn't take a picture of that. So replace Macbeth with Hamlet and you'll see the books I have to read. :) Some of the books are just to study part of: How to Read a Book, Calvin's Institutes, and the Bible.

And here is another picture of books:

Leah was using them and I decided to take a picture.

I've been thinking about What To Do After Highschool. I am sure any of you who are in highschool, recently graduated, or even are approaching highschool, have heard the question, "So, do you know what you want to do after highschool?" A good question. But I never know what to say.

"Umm, I don't know."

"Maybe I'll be a nurse."

"I'd kinda like to be a midwife."

"Well, I'd like to get married and have kids."
None of them are definite answers. They weren't supposed to be. It is partly a cover up for the fact that I don't really want to go to school for anything. I really want to have a family and own a farm. Right now I would like to get a job when I am done highschool, work and save up money to buy a farm. Then I'd like to get married and have a large family. Though, at the same time, I'd like to learn more about healthy living and natural healing. I'd like to help children and especially young people from troubled families, by giving them a safe and loving home. I've also thought about going to South America to spread the gospel to tribes that have had little or no contact with the outside world. I have no idea where the Lord will lead me or what I will do in my life time. I've dreamed of an adventurous life in a different part of the world. But if I could choose, I'd settle down nearby and live to a ripe old age surrounded by children and grandchildren, in a peaceful, happy, and not very eventful life. I know, though, that our world is changing. In only a few years there will be new problems and realities to face, and likely I will end up with a different kind of life than I have imagined. But I don't need to worry, knowing it is all in God's hands.

What are some of your ambitions, if you don't mind sharing?

Anyway, since someone else is waiting for the computer, I'll stop.

Justine

My Brave Soldier

"If any animals that eat people come, I'll donk them over the head."

It's nice to have such a willing protector. :)

But don't worry, he isn't too grown up yet.

Justine