Has Anyone Seen My Hamster?

Missing

by A.A. Milne

Has anyone seen my mouse?

I opened his box for half a minute,

Just to make sure he was really in it,

And while I was looking, he jumped outside!

I tried to catch him, I tried, I tried....

I think he's somewhere about the house.

Has anyone seen my mouse?

....

Uncle John, have you seen my mouse?

Just a small sort of mouse, a dear little brown one

He came from the country, he wasn't a town one,

So he'll feel all lonely in a London street;

Why, what could he possibly find to eat?

....

He must be somewhere. I'll ask Aunt Rose:

Have you seen a mouse with a woffelly nose?

Oh, somewhere about----

He's just got out. . . .

Hasn't anybody seen my mouse?

.....
David came running out of his room saying, "There's a mouse in my room!" He asked if Mabel was in her cage (our pet hamster) and the girls thought they saw her curled up in the corner. However, looking more closely, they realized that she had indeed escaped. Thanks to David we knew that she was in his room, somewhere. Once we figured out she was in the closet we cornered her and waited. She tiptoed out, took a quick look around and scurried back into a corner loaded with toys. Once again she came out to see what the fuss was all about. This time we had her favorite little, detachable holding box that she likes to sleep in waiting for her and she walked right in and made herself at home. That was easier than I thought it would be! We all thanked God that it was not Buckeye who found tiny Mabel.

Celebrating Year 11 With Hope!

When Hope is not studying, sewing, quilting, or playing piano...she is thinking about, reading about and dreaming about horses. Naturally, for her family outing she chose horseback riding. She is riding Shemir at Silver Creek Ranch. Notice Brewer High School in the background. It was hard for her to hold her excitement back this week as she waited patiently in anticipation for this day to come. Lessons here may come more often since it is the first thing we see each week as we round the corner to Brewer High School...A herd of horses in a lush, green pasture painted with an abundance of golden, flowering clusters. It is so hard to resist the desire to spend time with these beautiful animals that God has created for our enjoyment. What bliss! We give thanks to God for keeping everyone safe today.The Happiest Girl in Texas: Grooming Shamir

Good Friends: The girls played Bean Bag Toss with the bean bags that Hope and Sarah made on the sewing machine last week. They filled the bean bags with lentils, decorated each with a unique face using scraps, buttons, beans, etc...The grand prize winner won a pattern to sew her own bean bag along with some fuzzy green fabric. Great job McKenzie!

(Marianne, McKenzie, Sarah, Kathryn, Marie, and Hope)

"Take Up Your Cross," the Savior Said

When I was a young adult, in my teenage years, I often wondered at the phrase, "Take up your cross and follow Jesus." How could I do that? Were Jesus' disciples physically holding the cross for Jesus? This was a picture I just did not understand. Every time I heard, "take up your cross" I wondered what that meant for me. Now as an adult, I know very well what it means to "take up your cross and follow Jesus." Through various trials and sorrows the Lord has revealed to me what he means by those words. Motherhood has also been a means to learning what the phrase means in considering my life. This past Sunday, we sang a hymn in church that reminded me what I am to do during trials that God may send my way. This hymn says it well, "Take Up Your Cross, " the Savior Said.

Jeanelle

....

“Take up thy cross,” the Savior said,“If thou wouldst My disciple be;Deny thyself, the world forsake,And humbly follow after Me.”
Take up thy cross, let not its weight Fill thy weak spirit with alarm;His strength shall bear thy spirit up,And brace thy heart and nerve thine arm.
Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame,Nor let thy foolish pride rebel;Thy Lord for thee the cross endured,And saved thy soul from death and hell.
Take up thy cross then in His strength,And calmly sin’s wild deluge brave,’Twill guide thee to a better home,It points to glory o’er the grave.
Take up thy cross and follow Christ,Nor think til death to lay it down;For only those who bear the cross May hope to wear the glorious crown.
To Thee, great Lord, the One in Three,All praise forevermore ascend:O grant us in our home to see The heavenly life that knows no end.

Hurray For Fall!

Our Little PumpkinYesterday we took Kathryn to pick out her first pumpkin. It was a challenge finding a "Circle S Farms." There just isn't one. This was our favorite place to go and pick pumpkins. A hay ride out to the pumpkins in chilly Ohio, children, corn field mazes, huge haystacks to climb on, bunnies, and hot apple cider describes a day at the farm. The children have fond memories of their favorite season, FALL, in Ohio. Instead, we settled for gathering our pumpkins at a local farmers market. We are thanking God for sending some cooler weather to Texas. It is refreshing.

Texas Rangers or California Angels?

I wasn't sure who to cheer for. I grew up cheering on the Angels.

Angel, Really!


The Texas Stadium is our ALL TIME favorite baseball stadium. We sat in a suite this time, air conditioning, snacks and a great view of the game. It was especially nice for our munchkin.

Fall Family Picture: Brewer High School Tailgate

The Arendse FamilyLorimer gathered many of the staff along with their families at C.F. Brewer High School for a Fall Tailgate to kick off the year. We enjoyed a meal together while visiting, in anticipation of the football, night ahead. Thank you morris88studios for the amazing pictures you took of each of the staff's family and for your willingness to serve at Brewer High School.

--Jeanelle

The 5 Browns: Piano Concert

The Children and I visited The Bass Performance Hall this past Thursday to see The 5 Browns in concert. They are 5 siblings ranging in age between age 26 and 30. They "all" amazingly had a gift for music which was discovered at age 3. They began their first lessons in Suzuki Piano and by the time they were nine were practicing two hours each day. Eventually, the Browns had to get help trudging 5 pianos down to the basement so that the children could all practice together. They were so much fun to watch. They each spoke between pieces and shared a bit of there life and life experiences. After the intermission, they had A Conversation with the Browns and they talked with the audience answering lots of questions about their musical lives. They became the first at The New York Julliard School of Music to be all excepted into the program simultaneously. They have an obvious love for music and passion to see classical music impact the lives of young people. They have this Cd, No Boundaries.KATHRYN'S FIRST CONCERT THE FOUR.....ANY IDEAS?

ADMIRING BIG BROTHER

A Catfish!

This was our campsite, right on the lake, at Lake Mineral Wells. The children enjoyed fishing all weekend. David caught the first and only fish.
More Fishing On the Lake...A Beautiful Morning