Hello again! As promised, here are some pictures from my graduation. Most of them were taken by my dear friend Hannah Armour – she’s an amazing photographer! She and her mom came down for a few days, and it was such a joy and a blessing to have them here. For some more pictures, you can read this post on her blog. My Aunt Kathy and cousin Anna came down as well, which was delightful.

Painting our nails and enjoying some serious girl-time before the party. :)

My grandma, uncle, and cousins drove down from Wisconsin to be there. It was SO fun to have them here!

Mom helping me with my tassel right before the ceremony.

With a very special friend. :)

I LOVE this picture of Mom and Daddy.

Receiving my diploma.

Fussing with moving my tassel to the other side.

With two very special ladies….

…and some dear little friends. :)

I will always look back on graduating high school as a neat memory. It was a wonderful evening. The Armours stayed for a few more days afterwards, during which we did a photoshoot in our “dandelion field”. I’ll post a few of those pictures next time.

It’s a lovely spring morning. My window is open, and the curtains are gently blowing in the breeze. I can hear Jonathan playing the piano and Austin working outside. We went on a run this morning before breakfast – it’s the first time I’ve run outside for quite a while, and I forgot how pleasant it is to run out on our country roads. It always cracks me up to see the cows just stare at me as I run by. :) I broke out the summer skirts this morning, and it feels absolutely wonderful. I can hardly believe May is almost here!

Well, it happened. I graduated from homeschool high school.

Though I’m already in college, it was still sobering and a bit sad. Despite a few nervous moments and forgetting my diploma when leaving the stage, I enjoyed the ceremony very much. :) This past weekend was so special. Family and special friends came down to stay for a few days, and my family -especially Mom- worked hard planning and preparing. I was blessed and honored by our friends who came to celebrate with me.

I was reminded again of God’s incredible, unconditional love for me. I certainly don’t deserve it. He has filled my cup to overflowing, and has seen fit to heap blessing upon me….in more ways than I can count. Looking back on God’s faithfulness to me, I was reminded of Psalm 23:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me inthe presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

I will be posting some pictures soon! :) But for now, I have a quite lengthy to-do list for the day, so I’d better be off. I hope your day is very blessed!

I’ve never considered myself to be an all-out bookworm, but I do love to read. There’s something absolutely wonderful about nestling down to read in a comfy chair with a blankie and a cuppa or finding a quiet spot outside to read. As summer break rapidly approaches for many of us, there will be more time to read books for pleasure, so I thought I’d make a list of a few of my favorites.

It can be hard to find well-written, quality books. There sure is a lot to sift through! Several times I’ve started a new “Christian” novel, only to be frustrated by the flakiness and lack of depth.

These books are ones that I’ve read and re-read over the years – ones that will always be numbered among my favorites. I am always on the lookout for good books, so I’d love to hear about books that you enjoy! And, as an idea for my fellow blogging friends, it would be fun to see a list of your favorite books on your lovely blogs. Hint, hint. ;)

So without further commentary, here is my book list:

photo credit

A Cup of Cold Water, by Christine Farenhorst

Mercy at Midnight, by Lois Hoadley Dick

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry,  by Mildred D. Taylor

Pheobe, by Diane Noble

Mama’s Bank Account, by Kathryn Forbes

Alone, Yet Not Alone, by Tracy Michele Leininger

Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss

The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom

Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink

The Endurance, by Alfred Lansing

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, by Roger Lancelyn Green

Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens

*These last books are some of my favorites among classic literature. I love many of the classics, but since you are probably familiar with them, I won’t list them here. :)

I also love the Daughters of the Faith Series, written by Wendy Lawton. I haven’t read them all, but you can find out more about them here.

Almost Home (our favorite!), Courage to Run, Ransom’s Mark, The Tinker’s Daughter, Freedom’s Pen, Shadow of His Hand, Indian Paintbrush and The Captive Princess.