Update your blog

I know I just mentioned Jenn in my last post because she asked me a question and it reminded me to post on my blog. Well, she has done it again. This week she posted this post which got me to thinking again. (We all know that is dangerous!) Remember the "good ole days" of blogging before facebook and twitter? Well, I do and I for one love my blog and reading other's blogs. But life gets in the way and I don't have good pictures and oh, wait, I am making excuses! No excuses....here is our update.

I have a cold or something...I woke up with a sore throat Sunday and Monday I woke up full blown sick. Right now I feel as though someone has beaten my back and an elephant is sitting on my chest, my hips even hurt, oh, yeah and someone is covering my nose so I can't breath very well. Sometimes I am cold and sometimes I am just fine. I am otherwise okay. I can function at home and I have maintained school this week minus my reading aloud due to sore throat and nasal issues. I am not sick very often so I will be glad when this is over.

Now that THAT is over with...we have really had a good week despite my illness. School keeps moving on and we are taking a break from some of our usual lessons and keeping some of the normal but we are working on  The Twelve days of Christmas free lapbook from Homeschool Share . I don't know if the song really was some secret Christian catechism but I thought this information was great to get us focused on Christ during December. Do you know about Homeschool share? It is a gold mine of information especially if you are a FIARer or a lapbook/notebook person.

Our tree is up but no ornaments. I honestly think that this is the latest I have ever put up the tree and gotten out the decorations. I bought a prelit tree this year so at least we could have a lit tree today. Tomorrow the boxes are coming out of storage and ornaments are going onto the trees regardless of my personal health.

The girl blessings are going to attend an ice skating clinic tomorrow for a little ice skating instruction. I am thankful that my husband (who is recovering from what I have) is taking the afternoon off from work to take them. He is definitely a keeper. That leaves me home with two boys and hopefully I can do a little extra house work in preparation for decorating.

What kind of gingerbread project do we have planned this year? Thanks for asking. We are planning a "village" which means everyone will decorate their own little "house".

I must get some sleep.. but first...speaking of sleep. Baby Blessing has not been a great napper and has woke up at least once a night for the first 11 months of his life. Well, all that waking up on my part is finally getting repaid. He is sleeping longer at night, like 10 hours and he is taking at least one long nap a day and sometimes two. This morning he didn't wake up until 9:00, which I greatly appreciated as I could sleep in as well. Do you also know that he will be ONE next week. Where has this year gone??? Time flies when you are having fun.

 

May the Lord find us faithful.

Reminder

It is a good thing Jenn left me a comment this morning! Note to Jenn: My husband says she is my twin!

I have been meaning to post all week. I do not have picutures to post so this will be a wordful post!

It has been a different week. Monday we made cookies and treats all day for our Ladies' Tea at church with Mrs. L. We had a great time and enjoyed Mrs. L for the day since we haven't had her for a while. Her job is busy during November and December so hopefully we can begin our weekly days in January.

We made sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, dipped pretzel rods and oreos(made to look like snowman heads), chocolate peanut butter cups and Mrs. L went home and made about three more things to put with it(she says they were quick and easy so I hope that is the case).

Tuesday was piano and a little grocery shopping.

Yesterday was our first school day since last Monday. Next week should be normal and the next week should be almost normal. Then after that we will take our Christmas break. Speaking of Christmas, I do not have decoration one up. I am looking to purchase a new tree but I have not found just the right one yet and since I will probably have it for at least ten years I want to find one that I will be happy with for a while. Hopefully I will find one tomorrow.

I hope to make some cookies this afternoon as we didn't keep much of what we made on Tuesday.

When am I finding time to type this? Little Baby Blessing is eating finger food now so while he sits next to me and eats his lunch I can type!!!!!

Tomorrow the older blessings and one of us parents will be attending the Nutcracker Ballet. The girls and I went two years ago so I was surprised when they all wanted to attend, even Blessing #1. So, off we go! I really hope my husband goes and Baby Blessing and I can do some shopping while they are at the ballet. But we will see.

Well, this has been a sporatic post but sporatic is where I live right now. I am not getting used to it so hopefully I can move on soon.

 

May the Lord find us faithful.

....And many more!!!

Another birthday around our home.

Mine.

Sorry for the blurry picture but we were having camera issues or maybe it was the photographer. The blessings said I could be 39 or 93, I chose 39!

The kids made the cake. And they decorated the dining room for my big day.

My baby girl and me

 

May the Lord find us faithful.

Simplifying Christmas

 

When I read about this at Econobusters today, I knew I had to check it out. We don't live too simply(I guess that depends upon who you compare us to) and we don't live extravagantly either but I feel we could always live a little more simply. I know some things that I want to do this year that we haven't in the past. And honestly, I don't know if one could be more simple than we were last year since we had a baby on December 15th.

Some things I would like to do:

The typical home decorations with the blessings

Baking (we are going to make cookies and treats for the ladies' tea this year)

Go to the gingerbread house contest here in town

Drive around and drink hot cocoa and look at light displays and ice sculptures

Visit Christmas on Ice here in our little town

Watch Christmas movies by a warm fire with my family

Eat homemade cookies and candies

Ride snowmachines with my blessings

 

 

May the Lord find us faithful.

Week by week

We are moving along with our studies...I just haven't taken many pictures and I think I have camera problems but I am not sure as of yet. Time will tell .

My first picture is of our Baby Blessing getting outside after the first of the lasting snow. He doesn't look like it but he really liked being out there with everyone.

 

 

Next we have Blessing #3 inside of her Western Boomtown General Store (before she stocked it with merchandise)

 

It is not a saloon even though the doors look like television western saloons.

Hanging the awning.

 

Stocking the store...yes that is a toaster and pizza...

Blessing #1 and #2 are studying the Middle Ages this year and are working on dioramas of the different social groups. First...the peasants

 

Yes, these are modern wheels...artistic license you know.

 

May the Lord find us faithful.

Better

I definitely feel better today, maybe getting out for piano and a trip to Fred Meyer was helpful? or maybe it was the vacuuming and dust removing and a little time cooking and baking in the kitchen? Whatever it was, I feel better about schedules and making the most of our days. We accomplished what school needed to be accomplished this morning. Side note: Dad, did you find any good tickets, we would love a visit!

I didn't have to grocery shop today so maybe that was a source of goodness for my day!

Oh, my the Christmas decorations are calling to me! I love the winter decorations, the reds and greens and the lights! Not the blue though, it isn't for me.

I read Treasuring God in our Traditions by Noel Piper a couple of years ago, one of our dear assistant Pastor's wives loaned me her copy. I devoured the book and passed it right back. I am re reading the Christmas section in preparation for December.  Can someone tell me more about Advent?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all...I love the fall decorations and colors, reds, browns, greens, yellow and oranges! I have been looking at Thanksgiving decorations online and found a really cute idea that we are going to make. Only we will not paint the sticks and we will stick to autumnal colors with a more natural look. I also bought a Thanksgiving paper craft kit last year and we didn't have Thanksgiving at home last year so we didn't use much of it and I think have some precut papers for these pumpkins that we will make as well. I am looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving at our home this year. I often waffle about a center piece because we usually try to stuff as many people as we can possibly manage into our home so it isn't a fancy, sit down with china occassion ( in fact we don't have those at all here). We are more Chinet plate go through the line and fill a plate and find a place to sit people. It is how it was at my Granny's house and then we continued at my Aunt's house until we all grew up and went our seperate ways (those still there do get together when they can but it will never be like those childhood gatherings). 

If you live here locally and you don't have plans you are invited to our house, my husband and I aren't happy until the house is full, but be warned, we watch football on Thanksgiving, minus the commercials! (Actually, the men of the house watch, I cook and then visit and play games!)

What do you have for Thanksgiving? We literally have a ton of food and I love it all!

Turkey

Gravy

Ham

Dressing

Mashed Potatoes

Pa-Pa's Aunt Helen's Sweet Potato Casserole

Green Beans (we have casserole if someone brings it)

Broccoli Casserole (a recipe from my aunt and my husband loves it dearly)

Cranberry Sauce

Corn

Rolls

Deviled Eggs

Pies, usually pumpkin, pecan, and chocolate

Pumpkin roll and sometimes a dear friend brings chocolate roll cake for my son

I make sweet tea and we have sodas and water

I feel as though I left something out but I can't think of what it is right now.

Thankful....that's ME!

May the Lord find us faithful.

SpellQuizzer

Go over to  Adorning Grace  for a chance to win SpellQuizzer!

 

SpellQuizzer is a spelling program that helps kids learn their spelling and vocabulary words. SpellQuizzer is spelling software for children that need help learning their spelling and vocabulary words. The SpellQuizzer web site has pre-made downloadable spelling lists that you can download and use with SpellQuizzer. ~SpellQuizzer.

 

May the Lord find us faithful.

I need a plan

Oh, Ugh! I need a plan! We have a schedule but I honestly think I need something in writing posted on the wall for all of us to see and for my own accountability. You know if I write it down the kids think it needs to happen, so let it be said so let it be done. Plus, maybe my husband seeing a schedule will help me stay on track, I know there is enough time to do what needs to be done, I must be mismanaging time.  I really, really want to work on it tonight but after this is posted I am going to get to sleep so I can begin our day on time tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon is piano day and if we don't get up on time the morning is gone and we haven't finished our morning schooling.

On a lighter note, Baby Blessing is so close to walking, he is standing on his own and he took a step over the weekend. His first year is quickly coming to a close and I find it so difficult to believe! But it is true.

 

May the Lord find us faithful.

Saturday

Here I am on Saturday about to head off to bed. It has been a full but relaxing day. I do have one question? Do you realize how much work clothing is? I have 4 Precious Blessings and that adds up to alot of clothing. I don't buy much but I do have to buy a few things, some clothing comes by way of hand me downs, I do a little thrift shopping and a little retail sale shopping, some comes in wonderful packages in the mail from Nana(I love these). 

Work created by clothing:

• Laundry....multiple loads daily around here


• Sorting of seasonal and worn out and too small clothing


• Finding someone or some place to pass on used clothing(I have 2 boxes and two bags next to the front door right now to pass on and take to the resale shop)


• Buying or making new clothing ===I would love to make more clothing but I am barely taking care of the daily life requirements at this time...soon, I will sew, the girls are at the age to begin learning.


• I am sure there is more.....

Now, I am happy for all this clothing work because it means:

• I have people here that need clothing, precious little people that call me Mommy and oh, that little guy who is learning to say Ma-Ma, sounds more like Mu-Mu, I don't care what he/they call me as long as they call me!


• I have the health and energy to take care of the clothing needs for these people


• They have clothes to wear....we lack nothing, need nothing, want very, very little


• I know how to sew even though I don't do any right now, I have a sewing machine.

Speaking of those little people, they are all bathed and tucked into their beds and the only noise I hear is the heat running through the pipes and the DRYER!!!

Are you prepared to Worship tomorrow?....Sunday's worship preparations begin on Saturday.

I am going to go do a little more preparing then off to sleepy by land.

May the Lord find us faithful.

Another week without pictures

Oh, you should see how beautiful the snow is! And today it has snowed all day...this morning we had small snowflakes but this afternoon we have medium sized flakes flowing steadily. The older blessings were out playing this afternoon. I have yet to get out and get snow pictures...my camera batteries died last time I attempted but they are now charged and ready to go. Maybe tomorrow, todays daylight will be gone soon.

 

 

May the Lord find us faithful.