End of the Year Cleaning Out

Well, another year is almost behind us. It's hard to believe it's almost 2010. Did you ever think you'd see those numbers as a year? As a child it seemed unimaginable to think we'd ever live to see that year. Since we're taking a break from our school work, I'm on a mission to get my house organized. Since moving 2 months ago things have just gotten stuck somewhere or hidden in a closet. My goal is to get as much of that organized or thrown out as possible. I worked in my kitchen this morning. It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you set your mind to it. I went through my cabinets and put things that didn't have a home in places suited for them. I, also, worked on my desk area. It was terrible! I just needed to declutter it. It only took about 15 minutes and it was done. What are you planning to work on in the new year? Do you have areas that are in need of organization?

Christmas countdown

My almost 8 year old daughter tells me every day how many days left until Christmas. Well, here we are and we have 3 days left. I have several more things I would really like to get done, but I'm not going to stress out about them. I try not to do that- it's not good for my health :) Well, here goes. My last few things left: - make 12 dozen cookies ( 6 dozen chocolate chip and 6 dozen rolled sugar cookies) I will freeze some of these to pull out when we need a yummy snack. This keeps us from eating too much at one time. -work on pillowcases for each of my children. I make each of my children a special pillowcase for Christmas each year. I'm very late getting this done. I'm using what I have on hand since finances are tight this year. I'm excited to see how they turn out. I hope I have time to finish. - make more Chex mix. I made a big batch yesterday, but I need to make some more for little gifts. - microwave raw peanuts. My father-in-law used to always give us raw peanuts every Christmas. They are so good cooked in the microwave and then adding butter and salt. Yum, yum! -make domino ornaments with kids. I found the cutest idea on the net one day last week. I'll try to find the site and put up the link. Such a cute idea!

Rejoice

This is the day that the Lord hath made; I will rejoice and be glad in it. May we be reminded of the real reason for the season-the birth of the Savior- Jesus Christ.

Birthday Meal

As I mentioned in my last post, we have several birthdays in our family this month. My little boy has been asking for red beans and rice with sausage. Since his birthday was coming up I decided to make it for a special birthday lunch. He was so excited and gave me a special hug. Those are hard to come by since he has started saying he doesn't like hugs and kisses. It was a special moment for me. There are many things we Moms can do to make birthdays or other days special for our children without costing extra money. We all enjoyed our lunch, but my 6 year old probably enjoyed it the most because it was his special birthday lunch.

Busy, busy times

Where has the time gone? We moved 4 months ago and it seems like I'll never get caught up. Life is busy these days. December is a busy time for everyone, but ours is even busier when you put several birthdays in the mix. Since we've moved I've tried to change a few habits for the better. I think they say it takes 3 weeks to form a new habit. My first habit I'm trying to accomplish is getting up before my children wake me up. This is a hard one for me, mainly because I usually stay up too late. So I'm doing better and enjoying the extra time with the Lord and the quiet of our home. Another habit I'm working on is time management. We don't have internet yet so this helps a lot. I find that surfing the 'net eats up so much time. Therefore, I'm getting a lot more done since I have to go over to my parents' house to use it. Those are a few things I'm working on right now. We're still trying to settle in. We have so much to be thankful for. What a blessing to be a child of the King!

Busy, Busy!!

It's been busy, busy around here over the last few months. We're in the process of moving and that is very chaotic for our family of six. Hopefully we'll be settled in in the next few weeks and things will slow down a little. I am always on the lookout for ways to occupy/educate/keep busy my little ones. Yesterday while trying to teach math, I saw some Uno cards laying on the table. My 3 year old was wanting something to do so I said here sort these by color. I separated them into four piles- one for each color- blue, yellow, red and green. I only gave her a few at a time and it was a hit! She really enjoyed it. It works for me! Even my almost 2 year old wanted some to "sort". Yes, we'll be doing this again soon.

Psalm 96

"O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods." Psalm 96:1-4

Update

Boy, we sure are busy around here. Last week, my oldest two participated in a theatre camp with our home school group. They had so much fun and enjoyed learning about plays. It was fun to watch them in their presentation on Friday night. It did make for a busy week! This mama was exhausted by the end of the week!

Despite all the fun, I'm glad for a "normal" week around here. Our 3rd week of school is already halfway over. We're playing a little catch up from last week since we didn't get everything done. We're studying cultures and countries this year and the curriculum suggested we make a cake and decorate it like a map or globe. We gave it a go and I was gonna let the kids do all the decorating, but apparently I didn't let it cool long enough before removing it from the pan. It split into. I was afraid it would fall all apart if I let them decorate it so I put a light layer of blue icing on first and then let them help me smooth it out. Then I used an icing pen (that I had leftover from some decorating last year) and tried to outline the continents. I didn't have enough of the icing pen to fill in the continents, but they were happy and that's all that matters. They enjoyed looking at it, but really all they wanted to do was eat it anyway! Of course, as their teacher, I made sure they could tell me the name of each continent and ocean before they could eat it :)

Week One - Review

We have completed week one of our homeschool lessons! The children were so ready to get busy. They always are at the beginning. I tried to take it slow to get them back into a routine, but they just wanted to do more. So of course we did! I had a lot of anticipation going into this year of schooling. I knew having two little ones underfoot was going to be quite the challenge. My youngest took her morning nap last year while we were working. I knew that this year would be quite different. I tried to plan things for my 3 year old to do: cutting, coloring, puzzles, sorting, lacing beads, playdough, etc. What I didn't think about was my 19 month old wanting to do everything big sis did. She ate the playdough and macaroni noodles for sorting (not enough to get worked up about, but...) These weren't cooked by the way! Needless to say, I've got to do a little more figuring and planning. I think the key is organization and patience!

Laundry

Don't you just love to fold a fresh load of laundry? I do! I know everyone doesn't find it as pleasant as I do, but I have my reasons. I've lived in two different countries and had to hang laundry. Having a dryer is a big blessing for me. In Africa, we hung our clothes on the roof and if you left them out for too long they were so stiff you'd have to wash them again! I've learned to appreciate the nice soft loads that come out of the dryer. Folding all those little clothes reminds me of the precious family God has given me. I don't always think of this while folding clothes, but I should. Now if I can only be reminded of being thankful as I'm washing dishes. Not my favorite job.

Back to our homeschool

I've gone back and forth on when to begin school around here. Couldn't seem to figure out the best time to start, but we all seem ready so I guess we're gonna plunge in on Monday. A lot of people think we're nuts, but we like to start early so we'll have time to take some extra breaks throughout the year. Plus, in a few weeks we're planning to head to the beach for vacation. We're so looking forward to it! I've been on a mad dash to get everything ready for our start on Monday. I've been reading curriculum, making schedules, straightening supplies, making lists, collecting books from the library, and much more so hopefully we'll be mostly ready when Mon. morning rolls around. :) I've been rearranging around here all summer trying to figure out the best way to use the two rooms I have for schooling, sewing, crafts, scrapbooking, computer, and playtime. They are at the front of the house separated by the front entrance. One is actually the dining room that we use for a playroom. Now I've decided to put the school table in there. I put it in the corner so that there's still room to play. We'll see how that goes. It is still in the works. I moved my sewing machine into the other room that I used to have the school table in. (Confused yet?) It's so nice to have a place to sew without having to drag everything out. I've actually used it a lot this summer. I wanted to do more, but there's still time in the evenings when the children are in bed. Our children are excited about school. Our 3 year old asked me tonight if we were starting school tonight. So cute! I've been telling her that she's gonna be learning more things and she's so excited! She has a pair of scissors, crayons, little workbooks (that I picked up from the dollar *store), stickers, etc. Hopefully, the excitement will continue...:)

Busy weekend and summer project progress

Well, we're back from my brother's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful! We are tired, but glad to be home. It was busy, busy!

Now about our progress for my summer project list. We're still working on Psalm 1. My oldest has it memorized. My son can say it all with a little help from me. My 3 year old also knows it pretty well. It's amazing to me that a 3 year old can memorize so quickly. She knows the first 3 verses well and can say a little more with help from me. I'm still working on it, but can say a good bit from memory.

Last week my oldest daughter and I worked on a cute skirt. She really wants me to teach her how to sew. She's a very eager learner, but I'm trying to go slowly with her. I showed her how to cut out a pattern and press the fabric, etc. She just watched, but I want her to see what goes into putting something together. She was ready to go play after she realized it took a long time to get that part done. I showed her a little more and then she came and watched part of the sewing process. She was so excited to see her skirt finished. Hopefully, this week we're gonna make a couple of doll skirts together.

We're not doing as much reading as I wanted to this summer, but I'm reading to them most every night and they read books throughout the week. It's hard to believe there's only a few weeks left of summer for us.

Making More Bows

This weekend I made a few more bows and clips. I have a lot of ribbon and clips on hand so I had fun making these up to give away or use for my girls. They're so easy! It just takes practice to figure it out. It did for me anyway. :) There are some great tutorals out there. I enjoy hunting the internet for different ideas. The white bows I made for my little girls to wear in my brother's wedding this coming weekend.

Proverb for the day

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Cloth Napkins

Have you ever thought about trying to use cloth napkins instead of paper ones? I've thought about it many times, but never thought it'd work or save much money so I didn't try it. But I kept reading and hearing about how much people spend on paper products and decided I'd try for a few days. While at a yard sale a while back, I found a pack of 4 cloth napkins. I bought them for $1. Well, would you believe - the kids think it's wonderful to use them and each person usually only uses one for the whole day. I am going to make a few more from scraps of fabric I have and hopefully, the only time we'll use a napkin is if they're all dirty. **By the way, if you're thinking that it will require too much laundry it's just not true. All I do is throw them in the wash with the towels and it doesn't require any more work.

Proverbs for the day

"Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." Proverbs 3:7-8

T-shirts

Here's a picture of the 4th of July t-shirts I made. Check it out here: http://ourcozynest.blogspot.com/

It's super easy! Just don't look to close at my stitching :) This is the third one I made so therefore this one looks better than the others. :)

I also made the girls some cute and easy bows. I'm having so much fun making these.

Clutter

Clutter...this drives me nuts, but I tend to have lots of it. It's hard for me to throw away things. So therefore, I am constantly in a battle with it. I have come so far in the last several years. I have all the books on how to get rid of things and organize, etc. It's basically a lifestyle change. Today I am spending my time throwing things away and getting rid of junk that's accumulated over the past few months. I'm taking a break from working in the schoolroom/office/sewing room and the playroom. Those are 2 rooms not 4. The school, office and sewing are all in one room. I'll spare showing a picture of my mess. Nobody wants to see that. :)

What I've Been Up To

I am back from my trip with my husband and I'm glad to be home. It's always nice to go away, but it's nice to be home, too! I've enjoyed our summer so far. I've been trying to get my house in better order. It seems like there's never time with school and regular housework. So I've tried to take time this summer while we're on break from school and work on it. The children have enjoyed swimming in the little pool in the backyard and one day they enjoyed getting sprayed with the waterhose.

I've also enjoyed making a few things. I finished up two aprons- one for me and the other for a gift. I made three t-shirt dresses. They turned out cute(at least I think so!) I'd always wanted to try those, but never took the time.

I found several tutorials and combined them to make this dress.

I also found a cute tutorial on making 4th of July t-shirts. I bought some plain white t-shirts for the children about a year ago and never did anything with them. I think they were 80 cents each! When I saw this I knew this is what I wanted to do since I've been wanting to try my hand appliqueing (sp?) Check this out:

http://ourcozynest.blogspot.com

I'll post some pics later today of the shirts and the cute bows I made for my girls to wear with them. I'm having so much fun making bows!

Yummy Dessert

I do not usually make a lot of desserts for our family. There are a couple of reasons for that: my husband is diabetic and I love to eat them :) I guess I figure we eat enough sweets elsewhere and at snacktime that we don't need anymore. Plus, it's hard enough some days to get a nice meal on the table much less a dessert.

The other day I had some strawberries that needed to be eaten and decided I had enough ingredients on hand that I could make a nice trifle dessert without much effort. This is what I came up with. I'd eaten this before so it's not my own recipe, but I don't know where it came from or I'd give credit where credit was due.

Trifle

yellow cake (I had some yellow cake in the freezer that I made last month.)

instant vanilla pudding

strawberries, cut up

blueberries

Cool Whip

All you do is layer these ingredients and you have a nice, yummy dessert!

To tell you how good it really is, my son (who loves everything chocolate and is not crazy about other sweets) said this while eating his, "Mom, I think this is better than... chocolate!" That pretty much sums it up!

Blueberry Pickin'

It's blueberry picking time down south! We love blueberries at our house- well, most of us anyway!

A few weeks ago the kids and I went with our homeschool group to pick blueberries. We set off with the bottled water, sunscreen and hats- all ready to conquer the heat. On the way there it started raining. I was disappointed because I really wanted some blueberries. It didn't last long, but there was a bonus to our little shower and sprinkles- it cooled the temperature down and therefore we didn't burn up while out picking- yah!

We had a great time! My 7 year old picked as many as I did. I finally had to tell them to stop because I couldn't get more than a bucket. We enjoyed eating blueberries for a few days and will enjoy them later as I put up a few bags in the freezer.

Kayla and one of her friends found this bird's nest in one of the bushes. She was so excited to find this since we studied about birds this year.

Psalm 1 progress

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord." The children and I are learning Psalm 1 this summer. This is the part that we're working on now. I'm glad I already knew some of it since I have a harder time with memorizing than my children. Next week we should be able to move on to the end of verse 2 and complete verse 3. I've been thinking a lot about "but his delight is in the law of the Lord. " Do I find my delight in the law of the Lord? Lord, please help my delight to be in the law of the Lord!

My Summer To Do List Progress

Well, we're well into the summer here and I've been working on my to-do list slowly. Tonight I've been working on the apron I'm making. I found a cute and easy pattern on-line. I'll post pictures later. On Thursday, I let the kids loose with the box of craft supplies and they (especially my crafty seven year old) went to work on making lots of stuff. She used up a lot of stuff, but had so much fun. Here's a pic of her work, plus a couple of things my son made. He wasn't quite as interested as she was. At least not for as long anyway :) The newspaper makes it hard to see, but as you can see she was very busy. They both made little men/monsters out of the styrofoam balls and toothpicks. As for the rest of my list, I'm spending lots of time working on organizing/decluttering lots of rooms. Yesterday I rearranged/added furniture to my office/schoolroom space. I'll get it straight one of these days. One day at a time! We had our VBS the first week of June. It went well and it's another thing completed for the summer. I can't believe how fast June is flying by. Lots to do before it's over.

Our "pets"

We have the greatest pets a parent could ask for. Our neighbors have two goats- a nanny and a billy goat. They live behind the backyard fence. The children love to feed them branches and leaves. It's having two pets without the care of them. It definitely works for me! Our baby girl (18 months) loves to see them the most. She starts baaing (I know that's not a word, but it works, ha) and pointing when she sees them. It's so cute!!!

Psalm 1

My children and I are working on memorizing Psalm 1 this summer. I think learning chunks of scripture is beneficial and so important for all of us. I hope that we can accomplish this by the end of July or earlier, if possible. What scripture are you working on with your children or yourself? If you're not, I challenge you to start today!

Nature Journals

Well, I've finally gotten these pictures to upload. We made these a few weeks ago as we began our summer nature study. I found these in the school supply section and the kids used scrapbook paper to decorate them. Do you see the nature theme? :) The pages have a blank section at the top and lines at the bottom. It's been so much fun for them to work in so far.

Summer in full swing

Well, summer's in full swing here. We are enjoying our break so far. I've once again had computer problems and am hoping they are resolved now. A friend asked me if I'd gotten anything accomplished on my summer list. Well, I've done a little bit. Problem was I didn't write down my summer to - do list. I just put it on my blog. So when the computer was down, I couldn't actually remember my list :) Yes, I plan to be more organized- I think that's one of my goals.

Well, here goes. I've been reading more to my children, spending lots of time outside, working on VBS materials, nature journals, decluttering my house, and we're going swimming today. That's a good start for the first week anyway. Hope I get more done each week, but if not there will always be tomorrow.

I'd planned to post pictures of our nature journals, but can't get the pics to download right now. I'll try later. Have a great weekend!

Summer to do list

I have lots of ideas of things I'd like for us/me to do over the summer. I thought I'd share and get my thoughts out. Let me know what your plans are! - nature journals with my older children - sewing projects with Kayla - order caterpillars for our Butterfly Treehouse - lots of picnics at the park and in our yard - swimming - work on two bags I'm making - sew two aprons - catch up on my family albums - make more bows - declutter (this is an ongoing process here :) - painting (finger, water, etc.) - staying outside as much as possible with my children - reading lots of books to children and for myself - beach trip -visit the zoo - VBS This looks like I need more than a couple of months to accomplish, but maybe I'll get most of it done. It will help me to have a list anyway in case I forget something. All of this plus my brother's wedding and my in-laws 50th wedding celebration. I've got to get rolling....

Nature Journals

Well, I've finally taken the time to get a new post on here :) We've been so busy and it seems I just can't get much done. I am not one that enjoys too much busyness, but I think it will slow down soon or at least I hope. I have wanted to begin a nature journal with the kids and decided that summer would be the perfect time to do so. I think it is very beneficial for all children and adults, too, to spend lots of time outdoors. Many people don't do this much anymore due to busyness. It's so refreshing to take a walk outside especially on a nice pleasant day like today. This morning I decided to pull out the kid's swimming pool that had been stashed in the corner of the back porch (yes, I never put it up last year). Anyway, as I pulled it up a toad hopped out from under it. I have seen small toads on the porch before, but never one that large. I called the kids over to observe. I thought this would be a great way to begin our "nature journal". I had them observe him for a few minutes. They were supposed to watch silently, but my children have a hard time doing that :) We decided to try to move him to some water. I convinced my son to scoop him in a shovel and try to move him. But as soon as he tried the toad hopped away. They were so disappointed :( They had fun anyway! I asked them to describe to me what they heard and saw and then my oldest (7) wrote a few sentences about it and drew a picture. My 5 year old wrote a few words and drew a picture. My 3 year old (who has to do everything the big kids do) drew a picture of the toads stripes and circles for his eyes. I think the journals were a big hit because this afternoon they wanted to find more things to add to their journals. That is always a great thing!

Chaos

I am kind of living in chaos right now. We've all been sick around here and then had our church yard sale Saturday. I was in charge of it so I was worn out all week. Needless to say, with all this and trying to finish our lessons for the year it's pretty hectic. I am trying to keep it in perspective, but this house needs some help. I've called in my mom for help. She's planning to come help me sometime this week. My little girl is 3 today. So we are having her birthday party on Saturday. I definitely need some (lots) of help from Mom. :)

Psalm 121

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." Psalm 121 This doesn't need any of my words to explain. I am so comforted by these words in this passage. I read it often and am so reminded of this awesome GOD who saved me by HIS Grace!

Back Again

Well, in my last post I said I was back and my computer was fixed. It still wasn't quite right so had to put it back in the shop again. Hopefully this time it is fixed. I hope I'm back this time :)

We had some great friends visit us this week who are headed to missionary orientation before they head to Zambia. Check out their blog http://thelowesambition.blogspot.com/ They were here for a few days while passing through. Robyn and I met in seminary and have continued our friendship even though we don't see each other but every few years. Instead of phone calls, we'll have to keep up through the internet. I'm so glad we have modern conveniences. When I served as a Journeyman in Guatemala email had just begun so it was the day of snail mail. We have so many ways to communicate now. I'm so thankful for that!

I'm Back

I'm back after having to get my computer repaired. It is still not completely "right", but at least it's working. My computer wasn't working and I lost my cell phone for 3 days. Needless to say I felt completely out of touch and am glad to be back. You'll never believe where I found my cell phone. It was in the part of my van where the door slides shut. You know the slider thing at the bottom where the door shuts. I can't believe that it didn't break or fall out. The worst part was that it wasn't turned on or else I'd have found it much sooner. :)

Feeling crafty???

I've been very crafty lately. I guess I kind of go in spurts with what type of project I like to do. Sometimes I like to sew, other times I scrapbook, and then other times I just like to read or bake. There are so many things I enjoy doing. I know lots of people who sew or others who enjoy scrapbooking. My problem is that I enjoy many different things and don't have time to do all of them.

I've always wanted to try my hand at making hair bows for my girls. They look so easy, yet they'll cost you about $3 or more a piece. Last week, a friend and I were discussing the idea and decided we'd try making them. I went to the craft store yesterday and got lots of clips and ribbon. To my surprise all the clips and ribbon were 50% off retail. Wow! This is right up my alley! I paid less than $8 for 70 hair clips and 45 feet of ribbon. What a deal! My girls are gonna be wearing bows to bed! Ha!!!

It was fairly simple especially after I figured out a few tricks. I had a lot of fun and need to go buy some more glue sticks so I can make some more :)

The Story of the Three Servants

This morning during our Bible study time, the children and I were studying the story of the three servants from Matthew 25:14-30. I was trying to explain to them that God has given us all gifts/talents and they belong to Him. I was thinking about the meaning of these passages and was reminded that I need to be faithful to Him in all things. It is amazing to me how much God teaches me through teaching these dear children of mine. Thank you, Lord, for the reminder to be faithful to You in all things. I pray that I will be found faithful to You! "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22

Fun times

We decided to take our break from school last week and spend a few days with my parents. I loaded up the kids and we went a few hours south. Michael had to work so it was just the kids and me. It had rained so much that my parents' yard was soaked. Their yard takes forever to dry up. The weather was great after the rain, but if the kids wanted to play outside we had to go somewhere else. So we spent a lot of our time going places. The local museum had a free activity with crafts, animals, and snacks one afternoon. That was a lot of fun! We went to two different parks, the zoo, bowling, and McD's. We all had a great time and enjoyed having a break from the routine. Plus, it's always fun to visit Nana and Papa.

Something to Ponder on a Friday afternoon

As I was checking my mailbox this afternoon I noticed pollen on the inside of my mailbox. Anybody have a clue how pollen gets in a mailbox?

My Treasure Hunt

I am a treasure hunter. I grew up in a family that was always having to scrimp for what we had so I don't mind a bargain. I used to be ashamed of it, but now I am thankful for it. One of my favorite things to do is find a good yard sale. With four small children, it's not practical to run all over town checking out each house and not finding anything. My favorites are the church/school yard sales and neighborhood sales. Those are usually the best places to grab a great deal anyway because they're trying to raise money or basically get rid of it. Last weekend, I went to a school sale and actually didn't get to go until about 10:30 and it was to be over at 11:00. Sometimes that can be a good thing and that was definitely the case that day. When I walked in they announced that you could buy a grocery sack for $5 and fill it up with anything you could fit in. I was excited and began to find all kinds of treasures to fill up my bag. It didn't take long to fill it up and then I continued to find more stuff. I found books and clothes for the kids and a few things for me. I wondered how much the extra stuff would be since it looked like it could fill up another bag. When I got to the front, the guy said that all the other stuff would be $2. I was so excited! All together I'd found: 2 pairs of overalls (Gap), 6 children's books, 1 sweater, 1 pair of khaki's, 2 nice dressy tops for me for church, 1 skirt, 1 cute little bag, 1 Christmas pillow, 2 casual shirts for me, 1 pair of shorts for hubby, 1 coloring book for my son, 1 nice pair of jeans, and several other odds and ends. All that for $7.

Rainy Day

It's a rainy day here today. I'm actually excited about it! I have so much to do in the house before we leave to go to my parent's house next week. It seems like when the weather is nice I don't get that stuff inside done. I've actually been hoping for a rainy day all week. I also hope the rain washes all that yucky pollen away. It is covering everything here. Hopefully, we'll do a few fun things that we've not done much since the weather's been so nice. It's always fun to read, play some games, put together a puzzle, and watch a movie on a rainy day. We'll see how much we can accomplish in one day.

I posted last week about Modesty Week over at http://www.sahmissionary.blogspot.com/ This week she is having a giveaway and it looks like lots of fun. Go over and check it out!

Spring

Spring is my favorite season of the year! I love it when it begins to warm up, flowers bloom, birds sing, grass grows, and much more. Those moments are such a reminder of how God is in each moment. I don't usually get much done inside the house during this time of the year because I want to go outside and let the children play and just enjoy walking and looking at creation. I take that back. I do get a lot done, but it's just when the children are napping or sleeping. I tend to get most of my housework done at night so that I can enjoy the outside. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it ws good." Genesis 1: 11-12

Modesty Fashion Week

Joy over at http://www.sahmissionary.blogspot.com is hosting Modesty Fashion week and I look forward to reading her thoughts. Go check it out!

Kayla's 7th Birthday

I'm late posting this due to the flu. Kayla turned 7 two weeks ago. She is such a delight to be around. I used to call her my little sunshine because every day she woke up smiling and happy. I am not a morning person so for me that is usually hard to do although I'm trying to change that. Going to bed earlier usually makes it better, but I just can't seem to get in that habit. Seven years ago in North Africa I gave birth to a beautiful blue eyed, brown haired little baby. A little while after she was born my husband came and told me that she had apparently gotten the Strep. B virus from me through birth. That moment was probably the worst moment of my life. To give life and then almost immediately have it taken away is heartbreaking. I (we) did the only thing we could do- we fell on our knees to God and cried out to Him. The doctors said the next 3 days were critical. They immediately began 3 doses of antibiotics and the most important thing was that people all around the world (literally) began praying for Kayla. As a new mom all I wanted to do was hold her. I was not allowed to hold her due to the incubator and all the wires. I wonder if I'd been somewhere else if it would have been different, but that's not something that I even question because that is where we were. The longing of a mother to hold her child is something that you can't imagine if you've never been denied it. It wasn't until she was 12 days old that I was able to hold her. What a wonderful moment that I will never forget. It was sometime in the second day that we prayed and gave her to the Lord. We asked God to heal her, but knew that healing might not be the way we wanted or desired. Our will became His. Peace came over us as could not be explained. Yes, we were still hoping for physical healing, but God continued to work in her and us. We saw small improvements, but she was still not eating. Fluid continued to show up on her lungs. After two weeks there, the doctors recommended that we air-evac her to Paris where they could put a scope down her to find out what this fluid was. This was a frightening time for me. I felt peace, but there were other fears now that we were going to a place I'd only visited and never lived. But hopefully, we'd find more doctors that could speak to us in English. (That is a testimony of faith because when you can't understand very much of what's going on your faith grows that the Lord will take care of you.) When we finally arrived after a long and eventful flight we were met at the hospital by some of our dear friends who we had been through training with and spoke fluent French. What a relief and blessing from God to see them! Immediately after we arrived she was placed in an open bed where we could touch her as much as we wanted. What a blessing! I was already seeing that this was what she needed. The first thing they wanted was to see her gain weight. She had almost lost 2 pounds since birth! It seemed like things got better and better. There were so many good days! They had to put her to sleep for the scope, but it was for her good so we were okay with it. They didn't find any fluid on her lungs. What a blessing! All she had to do now was gain weight and breathe better without the oxygen. After almost 3 weeks we were released and okayed to fly back to the states. I know the story was long, but for me it is such a joy to see how God healed my sweet baby girl. I know He did! I will never deny His healing on her life. As often as I can I tell her this story of my miracle baby. That was actually a short version of the story, but just wanted to tell her story of healing. By the way, as you can tell in the picture she was completely healed. She's not had any problems since.

Making your own pinata

Crystal over at Biblical Womanhood hosts Frugal Fridays and I always enjoy reading them, but this is my first time to post one.

I'd always wanted to try making our own pinatas. I figured that it can't be that hard. I remember making them in Spanish class in high school and having so much fun. I thought it'd be fun for the kids to help with and we'd save a bunch (about $15) rather than buying a store bought one. I found this site and we got busy.

http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/birthday/pinatas.htm

It was fun, but a little messy. Hey, we even did ours inside. I just laid newspaper all over the table and hung up the pinata on the ceiling fan. It did spin around some, so I'm sure there's a better way. :) Maybe next time we'll try it outside.

We used crepe paper and fringed the ends about halfway and then glued it around, alternating colors. It might not win any contests for pretties pinata, but it works and the kids love it!

Flu

Well, the flu has hit our home this year. We all had the flu shot back in the fall, but it didn't protect us this year. I got it first, then 3 of our children. Hopefully it is gone after being with us for 11 days. Kayla's birthday party was supposed to be last weekend, but we had to cancel it due to the flu. Hopefully, we will be able to celebrate her 7th year tomorrow. We are so thankful for good health again. We still have lingering cough and congestion, but at least the worst part seems to be over.

Thankful

I've seen several blogs post on Thursdays about what they are thankful for. I'd like to share today some things that I'm thankful for. Family- I have a wonderful husband and four precious children. What a blessing! Also, my parents and Michael's parents, plus all of our brothers and my sister in law and niece. They all live fairly close to us, too. Faith- I am saved by HIS grace. Without Jesus Christ I am NOTHING! He has given me a new life and changed my heart. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 Friends- God has blessed me with many friends throughout the different stages of my life. I will always be thankful for those people who I have called friend. Health- My health means more to me each day. When our family was sick with the stomach bug a few weeks ago I didn't think we'd ever be well again (at least that's what it felt like). We should be thankful for the health we've been given. Freedom- Many people around the world will never experience this. After living overseas in two 3rd world countries, I am able to appreciate more that we are blessed to live in a free country. Even though things may change for the worse it is something we should never take for granted. I could go on and on. There are so many blessings in my life. Thank you, Father, for all these blessings and more.

More hours in my day

It seems like I need a few more hours in my day this week. I can't seem to get it all done! It's not like I usually do anyway. It's just that this week seems extra busy. I know God will give me the strength I need to get done what He wants done. I think sometimes (many times, probably) I try to do too much. Lord, help me rest in you and not grow weary. He tells us in His word to "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you".

My Guys

Silas is really enjoying sports. He enjoys playing football in the yard with Michael. He, also, enjoys shooting basketball in the driveway. Michael plays with him a lot. He's pretty good for a 5 year old. I guess it could be that I'm a little partial :) He usually plays with a little child's play ball. Michael came home today with a junior basketball for him to play with. He was so excited! Since the weather was sooooo nice today they got to spend time playing.

Sewing

Our homeschool group has a Girl's Club for 1st grade and up. Yesterday they learned how to sew. They made a little pin cushion. Kayla was so excited! I'd been wanting to show her some basic stitches and teach her a little handstitching, but I just hadn't taken the time. So many times I have lots of good intentions and never follow through with them.

I remembered that today in our homeschool lessons we were supposed to make a patchwork quilt. We've been studying the pioneers and the curriculum suggested making either a paper quilt or a simple doll quilt. I'd planned to go the easy route and make a paper quilt with them. :) I'm kind of spontaneous sometimes. So this morning I decided that we can do this little doll quilt. I went digging around in my fabric scraps and we got to work. First, we put Bethany for a nap and the others watched a little tv. Then we got busy and started cutting and sewing. Kayla does really well pinning fabric and sewing on the machine, especially considering she's only done it twice. She did some of the sewing and I did some. It was a joint project, but I hope she realizes there's a lot she can do now. She is a very excited 6 (almost 7) year old!

Before we even started, she said she wanted to make it a doll quilt for her little sister, Holly. It was well worth it to see her make something to share with her sister. You can tell Holly was proud of it! Kayla is very giving and I hope she continues to want to give to others.

It is the little things that matter to children. I realized today that things like this mean so much to them and I'm teaching her something that she can use for a lifetime. I pray that I take the time to do "small" things with my children more often.

On a side note: I can get very frustrated sewing. I tend to be very picky with my work and so I just never start or get finished with a project. I tried not to be that way with her and just let it be what it was. It didn't matter to her at all. It doesn't need to be perfect to please children. Showing them and working with them is what matters. I need to be reminded of that lesson more often. :)

Routine is nice

It's so nice to be back into a routine after the last week and a half. I so enjoy normalcy(is that a word?) There's so much regular stuff to do and I am finding joy in the small things. I've prayed for several years for the Lord to give me peace, contentment and joy at home. I used to want to get out and go somewhere all the time. I think I finally have that peace, joy and contentment. Thank you, Father, for giving me the desire to keep my home and rest in knowing you. I know that might sound strange, but I enjoy being home, taking care of home and living at home. I pray that I will live this verse through Him. Every wise woman buildeth her house: But the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. Proverbs 14: 1

Another start to the new year

Since I last posted, things have been very hectic. We have passed the stomach bug around our home back and forth. I think it may be finally out of here! Praise the Lord!!! Bethany never got it and I hope she doesn't. I hope to never relive that week again and hope we can try again to start 2009 in a better way. When both parents are sick things around the house get way out of wack to say the least. I feel new and fresh and ready to begin again. We were able to start homeschooling again today after another week of break. It was great to get back into our routine. The kids were excited and so was I. I'm continuing to work on some organizing projects around that I'd wanted to do this year. Things are looking up! I'm trying to memorize some scripture verses from James. Hopefully by the end of this month I will have these memorized: James 1: 2-6 A lot of people think that if you pray for patience you will all of a sudden come into lots of problems, but that's kind of silly. As a Christian we should allow God to lead us and control our thoughts. I felt led to study James and these scriptures so that's why I'm memorizing them. The trials that come my way are for a purpose and not just because I said I need patience. I'm working on a menu plan for each week. I do this sometimes on paper and sometimes in my head, but a schedule would help in my planning and sanity at meal times. I find that the more I plan the less stressed I am. This plan would have lots of flexibility. I can change or tweak it to my liking as the day comes, but it just would save me time and money. This week I'm planning for supper: Mon: Baked Pork Chops, Rice a Roni, a veggie Tues.: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread Wed.: Fellowship Meal at Church Thurs. : Chicken and Dumplings, Cornbread Fri. : Hash(made from diced potatoes, leftover roast& gravy) Have a great Monday!

Wisdom teeth

I had two wisdom teeth cut out yesterday :( I've felt pretty good so far. My cheeks are puffy and sore, but it hasn't been too bad. My mom has been here to help with everything. I am so grateful to her and Michael. She has taken care of our children and the house. He has been patient with me when I am not easy to get along with :) Thank ya'll very much!!!

A New Year

I always enjoy beginning a new year because it gives me a chance to start fresh with different areas of my life. There are several goals I have for this year: read and study my Bible more, develop a better prayer life, read more books, get things organized, focus on serving my husband and children with a servant's heart, and walking at least 3 times a week. I guess I'm being optimistic with all those goals, but if you don't have any goals you'll never reach them, right? I think getting organized and exercising have been my goals for 3 or 4 years. I'm doing so much better with organizing, but the exercising hasn't developed into a habit. This is the year I hope to reach my goals. Hopefully, I'll look back at 2009 and say that I've at least improved on each of those things. I have some books that I am planning to read this year. They are: 1. Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free (Currently reading-Excellent) Nancy Leigh DeMoss 2. A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael Elisabeth Elliot 3. The Redemption of Sarah Cain Beverly Lewis 4. A Wife After God's Own Heart Elizabeth George 5. The Duggars: 20 and counting (I don't have this one yet, but would like to see if it's in the library.) 6. Jon and Kate Plus 8 (I read this a few weeks ago.) Good read!