The Old Rugged Cross

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
   The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
   And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
   For a world of lost sinners was slain.
   • Refrain:
     So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
     Till my trophies at last I lay down;
     I will cling to the old rugged cross,
     And exchange it some day for a crown.
2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
   Has a wondrous attraction for me;
   For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
   To bear it to dark Calvary.
3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
   A wondrous beauty I see,
   For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
   To pardon and sanctify me.
4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
   Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
   Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
   Where His glory forever I’ll share.

---George Bennard

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

---Isaac Watts

Oh, the Wonderful Cross!

Oh, the Wonderful Cross

bids me come and die,

and find that I may truly live.

Oh, the Wonderful Cross!

Oh, the Wonderful Cross!

All who gather here

by grace draw near and bless Your Name!

---Chris Tomlin

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... Rank: wait... Traffic: wait... Price: wait... C: wait...

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!