What Do Amish Girls Do?

      We had a very, very busy week last week!

    It started with the celebration of our Lord's resurrection. We had a beautiful day, as I hope you all did as well. It took such a long time to get through the story of Jesus sacrifice for us but that was wonderful because the girls were so eager to know and were asking very intelligent questions, as well as surprising us by what they already knew. Even I was hit anew by ideas that have become so "common" in my mind through repeated reading and hearing. It brought tears to my eyes when I fully reflected on the fact that Jesus could have stopped his suffering at any moment, calling legions of angels to not only rescue him but to prove his claims to all of his mockers as well. His gift that day was our eternal salvation through the washing of his blood to purify our souls. Thank you Lord Jesus! May we never "trample the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, insulting the Spirit of grace." (Hebrews 10:29 paraphrased)

   We went for a picnic that afternoon and I was struck by what "girly girls" we have reared! They can act pretty rough and tumble a lot of the time but get them out of doors where all of the dirt and bugs are and you have never seen a girl perch so precariously on a bench in your entire life, except perhaps myself. It was hilarious :)!!! Poor Tori couldn't take it anymore and begged to eat her cake on the way home in the car :). Lee called me out the other day to demonstrate how Tori was helping them transplant some pansies. She was holding them "tenderly" between two little fingers, not touching them any more than she had to (they were dirty you know!), and dropping them from a mile up into the hole Lee had prepared, immediately asking to go in so she could wash her hands :). I wonder what the dirt was like in the Garden of Eden?

   Bri's "Heavenly Birthday" was that same day and we gave her a beautiful blue journal with her name engraved on it. We suggested that she could use it for, not only recording the daily who, what, when, and where, but also her devotional thoughts and even "letters" to God. We try to keep heavenly birthday gifts something pertinent to the spiritual life as apposed to "fluffy stuff" :).

   We also spent much of that week relocating many of our little pets :(. It was very hard to do, but we had peace that it was what we had to do for the sake of our little animals. The turtles now have a new home and they are very happy!!! We took April with us when we went to mom's last Friday and my sister has "contacts" in the world of "animal lovers" who are helping her to find a good home. From the reports we have gotten she is behaving better than she has since she was a puppy!!! I thought of going to visit her but if I saw her being so sweet I know I would lose my resolve and of all of them she is the one who really needed us to do the right thing and allow her the opportunity of a new family. Surprisingly, it is Bethani who is having the hardest time with this! I thought she would kind of go with the flow but she calls April and tries to look for her, poor baby :(. Bri still has her fish and we are still looking for another frog for Tori but no more high-maintenance pets in this home for many, many years -if ever! It is sooo refreshing to be able to read Proverbs 12:10 with a clear conscience instead of thinking to myself that April needs a bath and the turtles tank needs cleaning. Between three little girls and morning sickness the animals were always coming up short in one way or another.

   On a happier note, Wednesday we go in for our ultrasound :)! Only two more days of baby "it". It is getting really hard to bend over to get Bethani into her crib at night without having to "fling" her in :). Baby is growing! Bethani is growing too, only one more week before she turns one!!! How fast time goes :(.

   And on a funny note, the other day Tori was standing at the counter drying pans that had been hand washed and she sighed and said, "I wish I was Amish! ...What do Amish girls do anyway?". I had quite the little chuckle and described to her all of the work that little Amish girls have to do, including hand washing and drying all of their dishes, not just the "special" ones, for lack of an electric dishwasher! Later that evening when the girls were folding a load of towels Tori says, "O.K. ...Bri, you be Amish!".