The Shadow

The Shadow
by Ranguvar, formerly known as Padme


The sun is bright, the sky is light.
So why does it feel like night?
It is the middle of the day
So why does this spot look so gray?
Over there, everything is warm and jeweled;
Over here, everything is dark and cool.

I will never understand
How day and night work hand in hand.
And if, I think, I even tried
To know how they work side by side
My brain would burst!
It's so complex!
Oh, great, now I am quite perplexed!

These works that I can't figure out,
Why, they just make me want to shout!
I guess that I will end my rhyme
As the little child, confused with time.

By The Brook in the Meadow

By the brook in the meadow
There's a marble path

That leads to a gate

That never hath

Opened its bars

Of jewels and gems

To show the world

The special Cerlems.

The world of Cerlem

Is an interesting one

Where day's light is moon

And night brings the sun.

Where giants so small

Play with elves that are tall

And the roofs are the roots

And heads rest in boots.

There are clouds in the river

And grass in the sky.

The birds walk on land

And puppy dogs fly.

And if all of the tales

That I say are true,

Then the one of Cerlem

Must be, too.

~~a poem by Padme, hereafter referred to as Ranguvar

Halloween 2009

We had such a fun time tonight at our local Family Festival. The girls looked awful cute (below) as a Rock Star, Genie, Ballerina Pig (being a Plain Pig just wasn't cute enough for her), Jedi Knight and Jewel Thief!

With Sparky the Fire Dog at the Festival.

They love anyone dressed as a giant animal. Weird.

Diego was a bit insulted by the pink leopard cami and pink tutu, but he knows he looks cute.

Little Beau, the Ladybug


OK this is not from Halloween. Padme took this picture of Mema and Poppie with the new camera they bought her for her birthday. :)

Happy Birthday Padme!

Padme is ELEVEN today!!! Happy birthday to my precious eldest daughter! You are so beautiful, inside and out. I love to watch the Lord grow you and mold you into the beautiful woman He created you to be. Thank you for working hard in all that you do. I love you!

Birthday Party

Date with Daddy - Chili's and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs!

Gymnastics Meet - Sulphur Springs - Birthday Weekeend! :)

Dallas Zoo Pictures

Wendy's 10th Birthday

You have come so far since you have joined our family! We are so thankful you are here with us, you are such a wonderful part of our lives! Thank you for always caring about others, don't lose that sweet spirit! Happy birthday, Wendy!

Baloo's 16th Birthday

Thank you for all that you do. Happy Birthday, Baloo. May the Lord continue to grow you and guide you into the man of God you are quickly becoming. I love you.

Lil Yoda's 9th Birthday

Happy Birthday to my Special Girl! You are such a ray of sunshine in our home, and I am so thankful the Lord gave you to me!

Easter Pageant

New glasses!

Wendy recently got new glasses! Doesn't she look so grown-up?

Isn't she lovely... isn't she wonderful? :0)

End of Semester for Co-op!

Co-op is over until September! Woo and Woo and Woo and Hooooo!!! We LOVE our co-op and have so many sweet friends there, but we will enjoy having our Fridays off for a few months! We will continue doing our Home-Schoolwork, but our co-op classes are finished until fall!!

Here are a few of the projects the girls made this semester:

From Mad About Mosaics:



From Early Explorers - Christopher Columbus painting and project:

Also from Early Explorers, Cibola - the Lost City of Gold:
From Modern Art Masterpieces:


From Adventures Down Under, echidnas, didgeridoo and boomerang
I will post separately some videos of the End of Semester Program.

What a great semester we had! We're glad for the break!

On our way to LSU!

Padme competes in a gymnastics meet at LSU this weekend. We are making the trip together, with Mema. We are excited to have some Special Time with each other! Pictures and videos to come soon!

Happy Birthday, Angel!

Angel turned eight yesterday! I didn't get the chance to post because we had a BIG PARTY after church. What do you do when your Sweet Child wants a swim party for her birthday in March? Why, go to an indoor aquatic center, of course! This one is complete with indoor splash playground, waterslides, lazy river and whirlpool! Many of Angel's friends came to help her celebrate her special day!

Angel is a sweet girl with a big heart. She loves to have fun, and is always In The Moment! She is not easily ruffled and has such a sweet spirit and tender heart. Everyone wants to be her friend because she's a lot of fun to be around! She is always laughing and smiling, and she makes others want to do the same!

Angel's favorite activity is to ride her bike! She is a great bike rider! She is fearless in every way, very adventurous and not afraid to try Something New. She loves to play outside and would much rather be outside than in. Angel doesn't get attached much to Things, but will play with toys if her sisters are playing with her. She likes the company of others, and knows how to be a good friend. She is very easy-going and easy to please, especially in the Food Department! Angel LOVES to eat and isn't afraid to try new foods. We pretty much expect her to love every meal. We are very blessed to have our little Angel in our family!

Happy Birthday, Dora!

Today my sweet Dora is SEVEN! What do you do when your baby turns seven? Don't answer that...


Dora had a FABULOUS Princess Party. Everyone wore their Princess Gowns and came prepared to get the Full Princess Beauty Treatment! Dora's sisters planned and set up the whole thing, complete with nail station, hair station and make-up station! The Queen-to-Be helped pamper the guests as well!

The Finished Products - Beeeeautiful!! Thanks, Sweet Sisters!

Here the girls are working on their Party Favors. Rather than a bag of junk, I bought these cute Door Hangers at Hobby Lobby, and pre-painted the girls' names on them. They decorated them with jewels and wooden Princess crowns. They turned out so cute!

Here are a few of the finished Door Hangers. Aren't they so precious?

Aah, the Barbie cake. The ultimate Princess Confection.I also bought these plastic champagne flutes at Hobby Lobby, in the Wedding department. They really added a Fancy Schmancy touch to the party, and the girls LOVED them!

Just in case you ever wondered what a half-eaten Barbie cake looks like. And, yes, her legs are wrapped in Saran Wrap.

MY SWEET DORA.....

Dora is a precious little girl, teetering just on the edge of Little Girl and Big Girl. She still says things like, "Valentime" that you just hate to correct, knowing it won't last much longer. She loves to dress up, and she loves to spin. Much like the rest of us, she sings all the time. I love to hear the songs that come from the Joyful Heart of a Child.

Dora loves her big sisters and brother, and looks up to them so much. She sometimes has a hard time being the youngest, as she wants to do great things! Very driven and dedicated, Dora will one day change the world for Christ. She told me at dinner tonight, "I love this dinner, Mama, but I love Jesus more than anything else!" She is learning to love her God with all her heart, soul, mind and strength.

Dora is a gift, a blessing, to our family. We thank the Lord for the gift of training her to follow Him! Happy Birthday, Dora Bear!