Party, Plan, Picking, Please, Princess, Praise

The welcome party on Saturday was wonderful. Thank you to all families and individuals who attended. The open mic was fun with stories, songs and a Liberian drama. Things are settling down to a new normal around here. Still, when Leon was getting ready to leave for work on Monday, he seemed very relieved and I half jokingly grabbed onto his shirt and begged, "take me with you!!”

The next few months the Goodenough family will be working on:

1. Obedience

2. Thankfulness

3. Owning our stuff (i.e. not giving excuses when we mess us but confessing)

4. Not Stealing ;)

We are looking forward to performing and camping at XFest where we know and love so many people who have fallen from self goodness right into the grace and goodness of Jesus.

The flu, strep, and colds are gone. for now.

Last week Nehemiah was crying out in bed claiming that there was an ant in his nose. I didn't believe him until he picked it out. I assured him that since I have gone 38 years without ever getting an ant in my nose, it will probably never happen to him again and he can lay back down and sleep peacefully. Two nights later he stuck a piece of a plastic wrapper up his nose. I had to get it out with tweezers.

Home schooling is becoming more fun. I have a group of 5 or 6 at the table together with me. I go over Language Arts and some math with them and the rest of the time they work quietly alone. It's fun to see their little hands go up to answer or ask a question. Gone are the days when I used to use the school hours before lunch to catch up on some of my housework etc. Now I have to stay in the room. Most of the time I have to stay at the table. Many of the general principles that we used to enforce loosely and with many exceptions had to be made into unalterable rules once our family grew.

Elsie has two darling little teeth on her bottom gums and she is just starting to stand for 30 seconds at a time. She will be 1 next month. She is the most adored, cuddled, and protected, baby ever to enter my family. She has a group of 10 admirers around her daily, doting on her every move. Nothing escapes their notice and everything is talked about as though no baby has ever performed it before.

The work is hard and almost constant, it is emotionally and physically exhausting, we are often at our wits end....and yet...I am sure I am totally and completely satisfied. I often think that I am the happiest woman alive. I have 2-3 bouquets of fresh flowers on the table at all times, picked for me. The children make me hot cocoa and rub my feet at night. They often take over and finish making dinner for me. I am the recipient of unexpected hugs, kisses and 'I love you's'. I am a servant and a queen in my home.