The Myers Family

Thanksgiving Family Letter

2012-11-20T22:54:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving 2012

Dear Family & Friends,

Greetings and salutations! As this year draws to a close, we hope and pray that this letter finds you all doing well. It has been some time since we last sent an annual Thanksgiving letter, and so much has happened this year in the Lord’s providence, that we wanted to reach out and keep in touch.

In October, we were blessed with a lead from dear friends to find a new home. After six years of living in Warrenton, VA, we moved to a house in rural Culpeper County, VA, next door to a dairy farm. We have found here friendly neighbors, beautiful sunsets and peaceful times.

We also had occasion to rejoin Trinity Reformed Presbyterian Church in Beltsville, MD. Though it is a long drive, we are so thankful for our church family. We were members there from 1998-2004, and rejoining Trinity in 2012 has been very much like a homecoming for us. We have been extraordinarily blessed by the love, welcome and kindness there. Truly we can say with the Psalmist, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!" (Ps. 84.1).

In August 2011, Andrew ended a period of unemployment by taking a job as a delivery driver for Domino’s Pizza in Warrenton, VA. It was a great provision for our family, and Andrew continues in this job part-time to this day. Meanwhile, he has also accepted a paralegal position at a law firm inCharlottesville, VA, which is also a great answer to prayer. Additionally, he works part-time milking cows at the next-door dairy farm. The family loves to sit around the table in the evenings to hear about his life in the office, his farm adventures, and his funny pizza delivery stories. Truly, Andrew has become a jack-of-all-trades and we are very thankful to God for this tremendous blessing of employment. After six years, he ended his tenure as editor of the Matthew Poole Project, but continues to enjoy research and has other editing and typing projects in the works.

Jessica also keeps very busy with her successful home business, Sugar-n-Spice Boutique. With customers all over the world, she takes delight in designing and creating bows for little girls everywhere, including our own little Katie. She has recently branched out into hair accessories for women by becoming an Independent Consultant for Lilla Rose, Inc. Besides her many other responsibilities as a full time homeschool mom, she also enjoys cooking, reading, and photography.

Jackson (11) has a long-abiding interest in animals, and a book of his animal illustrations was published by a dear friend earlier this year. He, like his sister, is an avid reader, and has a great imagination, often writing and illustrating stories.

Katie (10) helps her mother take care of the baby, and holds her own among her three brothers. She reads voraciously, enjoys dancing, and loves to learn about new places.

Sammy (6) loves to take things apart and learn how they work (putting them back together is another story!). He is a bundle of energy, and loves to play with his little brother. He is said to be Henry’s twin – separated by five years!

Henry (14 months) is beginning to take his first steps. His laughter and smiles are contagious, and we are thankful for the Lord’s gift to our family.

As we look back on the year past, we are especially thankful for the love and support of family and friends. We take note with sorrow of the passing of our dear friend Jerry Crick, and with his wife and daughter, we miss him greatly, albeit rejoicing that he is now with his Savior. The last year has not always been easy. It has been full of hardships, sadnesses, and struggles. Yet the Lord has sustained us, provided for us, comforted us, and upheld us in profound ways and as the year comes to a close, we can say with confidence, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" (Ps. 119.71). We end the year with great thankfulness and joy in our hearts. And as we look to the year(s) ahead, counting each day as a blessing, we echo the words of William Shakespeare, who wrote “O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!”

We are thankful for all of you, dear family and friends, and write to express our love and best wishes to each of you. Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless you richly in the New Year!

Love, Andrew, Jessica, Jackson, Katie, Sammy and Henry

The post I wrote in my head this morning before I realized the baby monitor broke

2012-08-18T09:07:00.000-04:00

One Shining Moment

The bed is made
and there you are
been training your whole life
you're a sleeping star

And all the months
no one knows
just how hard you worked
but now it shows

One shining moment, it's all on the line
One shining moment, there frozen in time

But you are small
and the night is long
in the blinking of an eye
ah the quiet's gone

And when it's done
win or snooze
you always did your best
cause inside you knew

One shining moment, you reached deep inside
One shining moment, you knew you were alive

Feel the beat of my heart
feel me caress your face
Sleep until the morning
you can complete the race

Once and for all
Mommy snoozed
You slept all through the night
And Mommy thanks you

One shining moment, you reached for the sky
One shining moment, you knew
One shining moment, you were willing to try
One shining moment

For those who may be unfamiliar with the real lyrics:

One of Those Moments You'll Never Forget as a Mother

2012-07-10T22:10:00.000-04:00

Jackson: So, in about a year and a half I'll be a teenager. It seems that in books and on tv, teenagers never listen to their parents and try to break all the rules. I would never want to do that!

Me: Yes, that's true about some teenagers sometimes, Jackson. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. You have such a gentle, kind heart and it makes me happy to hear that you want to do right.

Jackson: Thanks, Mom. But, I'd probably be a bank robber or a backyard bully if it wasn't for you teaching me the right way.

Me: unable to speak... To God be the glory.

Mother's Day

2012-05-12T14:28:00.000-04:00

I have been so blessed today by my family. Lots of love, sweet gifts, wonderful handmade cards. I'm feeling very loved and thankful.

But, the best part of my day was Sammy's surprise. While the family was busy putting away groceries, making lunch, taking care of "stuff", Sammy was setting up his room for a surprise party for me! He couldn't wait to show me what he had done. :)

"I decorated my dresser for you with these stickers!"

"This trophy says BEST MOMMY EVER and the snow globe has your name on it. But, you have to pretend because they don't really say that."

"Daddy bought the balloon."

"This is a mommy dinosaur kissing her baby. They just look like they're fighting, that's the dinosaur way."

Thank you, Sammy. It was a great surprise party. ♥

Six Months Old

2012-03-20T17:54:00.000-04:00

Fourth and Fifth Month

2012-02-22T18:43:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to keep up with Henry's monthly pictures, but I'm not so good at remembering to share them here.

Getting so big...

2012-01-02T22:17:00.000-05:00

Henry Wiatt Myers

2011-10-17T22:55:00.000-04:00

So, I'm only a month late announcing his arrival, but here he is...

This is all of us just about 3 hours after his birth.

9/17/11 - 7:21 am

7 lbs. 1 oz.

19.75"

12 days old.

17 days old

One month old today.

Jackson's 10th Birthday!

2011-02-24T10:48:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe my first little baby is now 10 years old. I'm not sure where the time went or how it happened, but he certainly has become a big guy, but still so sweet and extremely sensitive. We celebrated on Monday with a Mommy-Son breakfast at McDonalds, where he was pleased to find that he is now too tall for the play place (but, thankfully McD isn't too strict in that regard.) Then we headed to Target where I let him choose his own gifts this year. He had so much fun browsing the aisles and trying to get the most bang for his buck. He had a strict budget and made great choices. He even picked out a little something for his sister and brother. We came home and had a little party. On Tuesday his dad took him bowling and they had a great Dad-Son time together!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:50:00.000-05:00

Whistle While I Work? I Found Something Better!

2010-12-28T22:26:00.001-05:00

Everyone who knows me, knows what I do. And that I do it a lot. That I've been doing it a lot for a long time now. But, those who don't know... I make bows. Like 12-16 hours; 6 days a week. And while there is a measure of enjoyment in making these little creations - mostly it's work. Tiring work, mostly brainless work.

I am so thankful for my little business for so many reasons. It pays the bills. I'm my own boss. I work from home. I set my own hours. It's actually kind of a dream job, except that it's too much work for one person and I'm not in a position to hire anyone.

So, ever wonder what I do all day long while I'm making bows? Well, for the last 9 months I've been reading. Of course, I can't hold a book since my business is handmade items, so I've been listening to audio books. They have kept me sane through seemingly endless nights of cutting, tying, packaging, etc. I tried to think back over the last year and recall all the books I've read and I think I got most of them on this list. I may have forgotten a few. I certainly started many books that I never finished and they're not on the list. Sometimes I tried to struggle through them and even listened to hours of some books before giving up. But, I stopped feeling guilty about not finishing books. If I'm not enjoying it, then why finish? All the books I've listened to this year are in the public domain and are available for free download at librivox.org.

Here's the list of books I read in 2010. :-)

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
Saint Bartholomew's Eve by GT Henty
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
Elsie Dinsmore by Martha Finley
Holidays at Roselands by Martha Finley
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The Lone Star Ranger by Zane Grey

Short Stories:
Aspects of Game Captaincy by P.G. Wodehouse
Beyond Pandora by Robert J. Martin
The Boar-Pig by Saki
Closing Number by Will M. Cressy
A Cosmopolite In A Cafe by O. Henry
English as She is Wrote By Advertisers and on Sign Boards by Anonymous
English as She is Wrote For Epitaphs by Anonymous
The Greedy Dog by Lida Brown McMurry
Hard Guy by H. B. Carleton
Journalism in Tennessee by Mark Twain
Life’s Eternal Query by Thomas L. Masson
Little Masterpieces of American Wit and Humor by B.P. Shillaber
Selections from Mr. Punch Awheel edited by Sir J. A. Hammerton
My Watch by Mark Twain
The New Advertising by P.G. Wodehouse
Noting an Increase in Bigamy from Love Conquers All by Robert Benchley
Ode to my Clothes by William Schwenck Gilbert
On University Snobs by W. M. Thackeray
Poppa Needs Shorts by Walt and Leigh Richmond
A Rash Assumption from Punch 9
Reginald In Russia by Saki
The Steam-Roller Man’s Story by Harry J. Rowland and George Hay
The Two Doves by Lida Brown McMurry
Vaudeville Vs The Legitimate by Will M. Cressy
When Papa Swore in Hindustani by P.G. Wodehouse

Books by P.G. Wodehouse:
The Adventures of Sally
The Clicking of Cuthbert
A Damsel in Distress
Indiscretions of Archie
The Intrusion of Jimmy
Love Among the Chickens
Not George Washington
Three Men and a Maid

Books by LM Montgomery:
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne's House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside
Chronicles of Avonlea
Further Chronicles of Avonlea
The Story Girl
The Golden Road
Kilmeny of the Orchard

Books by Jane Austen:
Sense and Sensibility
Pride and Prejudice
Mansfield Park
Emma
Northanger Abbey
Persuasion

Books by Edgar Rice Burroughs:
Tarzan of the Apes
The Return of Tarzan
The Beasts of Tarzan
The Son of Tarzan
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar

Books by L. Frank Baum:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz
Ozma of Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
The Road to Oz
The Emerald City of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz
Rinkitink in Oz
The Lost Princess of Oz
The Tin Woodman of Oz
The Magic of Oz
Glinda of Oz
The Sea Fairies

I've never come even close to reading 80+ books in less than a year before so this was definitely a landmark year for me. I have lots of ideas for books for 2011, but would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions for me. I've been going through THIS READING LIST as well as many other "top 100" type lists to narrow down my choices.

So, would you like to know the best book I read this year? It was so far and away the best, and above all the others that it is no trouble at all for me to make the choice. It was Robinson Crusoe. I was familiar with the story, as we all are, I suppose, but I had never read the book before. It profoundly affected me and I hope and pray that the lessons learned will stay with me throughout my life.

Would love to hear from you if you have any book suggestions for me or if you'd like to share what you've been reading lately. :-)

A Day in the Life of... Mr. Mom

2010-12-27T22:03:00.000-05:00

Andrew thought he'd write down all the questions the kids asked him today. He may have missed a few, but I think he got most of them.

Jackson:

Do you know the Teen Titans?
Can I eat Sammy’s food?
What’s the difference between a mayor and a president?
Do you think grown-up pirates can have children pirates?
Can I have a sheet of paper?
Can I borrow one of your pens?
Is it usually pirates who make treasure maps?
Sometime can we turn these pieces of cardboard into a model Mystery Machine?
Am I allowed to go now?
I’m pretty sure they play hockey in Russia – is that correct?
Can I have a dessert?
Can I please watch on TV while Sammy is having his turn [on the computer]?
Do you think they will get a new National Treasure guy for National Treasure 3?
Is it my turn now [on the computer]?
I’m pretty sure that in other countries they write different than we write, like we write right to left, but they write left to right, is that right?
Can sometimes people outgrow their wheelchairs?
How do you tell if a baby is going to be able to walk on its legs or not?
Would it be ok if I got myself a few cups of water?
Do most pirates have pet dogs and parrots?
By the way, when was Scrappy Doo first invented?

Katie:

Is this good enough with my food?
Now is this good enough with my food?
Can I have a sheet of paper?
Is this [“havving”] how you spell “having”?
Can we glue a box to the box that we are using for the Mystery Machine?
Would you like to see my restaurant?
Am I allowed to go upstairs now?
Is this good enough with my food?
Is there a difference between these two verses [Gen. 1.11-12]?
Did you know that Jackson and me made up a game where you play on the couch and have to get to level 1, and then level 2, and then it gets really hard and you have to get to level 3?
Is this good enough with my food?
Now is this good enough with my food?
Now is this good enough with my food?
Would you like to see the Arthur story I wrote?

Sammy:

How him [Silver Surfer] get in outer space?
What time is it on my watch?
Now what time is it on my watch?
What is that kind of baby catechism question?
What’s that kind of city [pointing to a poster of the Berlin Wall]?
What’s Berlin?
I found a new page [website] – can I go to it?
Please can I change into my daytime clothes [asked right before naptime]?
Did you put coins in my piggy bank yet?
What’s that thing [butterfly]?
How come Hulk ate all the Avengers’ food?
Why people can’t see through ice?
Is this good enough with my food?
Why he take blue core out [watching Astro Boy]?
What you think I should pray for?
Why are you exhausted?

Grace

2010-09-06T22:59:00.002-04:00

Locks of Love Donation

2010-08-21T22:44:00.004-04:00

So, this was totally reenacted just for fun, in case you couldn't tell.

"Baby Not a Baby!"

2010-07-01T23:40:00.006-04:00

Did I ever mention that Sammy always talks in the 3rd person and that he thinks his name is Baby? He always calls himself Baby and the words "I" and "me" are not in his vocabulary.

Yesterday I told him he was a cutie. He said,

"Baby not a cutie! Only babies are cutie! Baby not a baby, Baby a big boy!"

Talented and Crafty mother of three: Joyful Jessica tells you why she's joyful.

2010-06-12T00:06:00.002-04:00

Check out this article. I'm famous. ;-)

Katie's Ballet Recital

2010-05-10T02:10:00.001-04:00

Katie's New Dress

2010-05-05T20:38:00.004-04:00

My Sarcastic Baby and My Interpreter

2010-04-27T19:52:00.002-04:00

Sometimes we don't understand what 3 year old Sammy is saying to us. Katie understands EVERY word. Here's a conversation that happened today:

Sammy: Mama, sucker?

Me: You just had one.

Sammy: Ewww?

Katie: He said, 'can I have two?'

Me: No, Sammy, one is enough.

Sammy: eeez, Mama?

Katie: He said, 'please, Mama?'

Me: No.

Sammy: Baby say eeeeeeez, Mama! (Then he grumbled something under his breath.)

Katie: Sammy said, 'I said please, Mama, ever heard of the word please?'

Um, yes I have heard of it.

My Beautiful Children

2010-03-20T16:27:00.002-04:00

I've missed this poor sad old blog. I'll probably never get back into blogging like I used to, but I just love these pictures I took of the children yesterday and I'm so glad that the first day of Spring is here and it inspired me, I guess.

Look how big my baby boy has gotten! He *finally* got a much needed haircut today, but this was yesterday. Andrew said he looked like that old sheepdog from Looney Toones.

My beautiful girl is turning into such a sweet little lady. She's so thoughtful and kind and she was my ray of sunshine through the long winter.

My oldest is still as young at heart as he was when he was Sammy's age. He is caring and sensitive and silly and I love him.

New Website

2010-02-10T23:26:00.001-05:00

I am so thrilled to announce that my new website is up and running!

SugarnSpiceBoutique.com

To celebrate the event I'm offering 15% off your total purchase (use coupon code first15 as you're checking out). Coupon expires 2/28/10

I'm still offering the same amazing prices as always and flat rate $2 shipping! Please check it out and tell your friends...everyone loves a coupon code!

Prairie Day

2009-07-04T08:41:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, Jackson

2009-02-24T11:55:00.000-05:00

KTea Party

2009-02-24T11:52:00.003-05:00

I live in a little valley
and I like it too.
There are lots of fun things to do.
Like a trip to the park
Museum or zoo.

But if I could wish
for a wish to come true,
Then I'd wish for a tea party
Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you?

So here I am
riding in the car
driving to the city
where the tea houses are.

Click! goes the camera
as she presses the lever
These are the pictures I will keep forever.

A lady with an apron
comes and talks to me
Click! goes the camera
Busily

Hats with flowers or pearls?
Which one should I pick?
Stop and stare
Click! Click! Click!

Ladies in dresses
come to say hello
Click! Click! Click!
Hear the camera go.

Sipping and pouring
Quick! Quick! Quick!
Before I'm finished
Click! Click! Click!

Little tiny foods
and sweet little treats
Click! goes the camera
before we can eat.

So now I'm home
But I've had such fun!
I'll remember every minute
Every single one.

And when I get my pictures,
and I hang them all,
I'll have a tea house of my own
on my bedroom wall.

Baby Sammy

2009-01-23T18:17:00.002-05:00

So, the first two children have several slideshows all about them. But, typical of the 3rd child, Sammy doesn't get his until he is 2.