Well, what started out as a fairly consistent, every-couple-of-weeks blog has somehow turned into a once-a-month, if-I'm-able-to-get-to-it blog! Not what I had intended, but that's how life goes sometimes, right? Lots of things going on around here, what with our new life and everything.
We have fallen into a rough pattern for our day-to-day life finally. With Hubby's transition time at work, and my teaching at school full time, we have had to learn to juggle with a bit more skill to keep all the balls in the air. Thankfully, we don't have to depend on our strength alone! There would be balls dropping everywhere if that were the case!
Lots of things have happened since my last post. The parents-in-law have been through for their fall visit, and while they were here we had a good portion of Hubby's extended family in for a visit. They came for Hubby's ordination service/mini family reunion. The boys enjoyed having lots of cousins to play with!
And speaking of cousins, we just got a new one on my side of the family! My baby sister had her daughter about a month ago! I still find this a hard concept to grasp...mostly because I still remember when my sister was born and we went to visit her in the hospital! But now she has her own super-cute baby girl. We haven't gotten to meet her yet, because of some complications, she is in the NICU, but she is steadily progressing every day, and we hope to get to cuddle her soon! Stitch announced the other evening that he was a big boy now, and could hold the baby because he would be careful! :)
School is out for the Christmas break ("Hooray!" cried all the students and teachers) and we are looking forward to having some down time with the family. The students are all doing well, and Hubby and I are learning the ins and outs of working closely together everyday. Not as easy as it may seem...strangely enough, we have different ways of doing things...haha! I've only threatened to resign once or twice...
Our little men have handled all the changes like troopers. Especially Stitch, who went from having Mommy all to himself to sharing her with ten other kids all day long! He was able to enjoy some undivided attention when Daddy's parents came through...and he kept them in--well--stitches! They both agreed they would miss his entertaining behaviour when they left.
Middle Biscuit is flourishing in K5, and is enjoying learning to read and write better. He has worked hard the last few weeks on making enough Christmas ornaments to decorate an entire tree! Thanks, Mrs. H!
First-Born is growing up in a lot of ways. It's getting harder and harder to see the curly-haired, chubby baby he once was...he's growing into a young man so fast! He played his first piano pieces for the "public" recently, and did well. He's also working hard on earning his Cub Scout recognitions. Time is flying past...
Well, that about wraps up what's been going on around here. I hope you have a blessed Christmas season, and that you take time to honor the Reason that we celebrate. And, as we go into the new year, don't forget to take the time to look for those "Lego" moments in your life! :)
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
It's My Favorite Time of Year!
For those of you who know me, you may or may not know that fall is my favourite time of year. I have always loved cooler (but not too cold!) days, leaves changing colors, fire in the fireplace (when we have had one), and even the routine of starting school! We've been really busy lately, but I've been working on remembering to enjoy the season and the joy it brings me!
One fun tradition I have enjoyed with the boys is going to the pumpkin patch and picking out a pumpkin. We have been able to do this almost every year since First-Born was a baby, and they look forward to it almost as much as I do! We incorporated it into a field trip this year, so we had an extra-great time! We sometimes carve the pumpkins, but this year I was leaving the day after the pumpkins came home, so we didn't this year. Daddy and the boys drew faces on their pumpkins while I was gone. Except for First-Born--he drew a bat. We don't really celebrate "Halloween", but carving pumpkins is fun, so we like to do it! Also, pumpkin seeds are yummy!
Another thing that I try to do in the fall is a big clean. That's what I spent today doing, actually! Hubby had to be gone all day for a Cub Scout training session, so I thought it was the perfect time to snag some deep-cleaning time! I threatened to plop the boys in front of the TV for the whole day so I could work in peace, but I didn't actually have to do it! They were happy to be home for a change, and played with their toys most of the morning. (Somewhat peacefully, thank Heaven!) Then, after lunch and naps, I sent them outside so I could finish up. I was able to get everything on my mental list done by the time Hubby got home--yay! I will sleep great tonight...not only because the house is sparkly, but because I'm exhausted!
We're gearing up for a few big events in the near future. Several members of Hubby's family are planning on making a trip to visit in a couple of weeks. If everyone who is planning on the trip is able to make it, we'll have 10 adults and 14 1/2 kids! (One's not quite here yet!) It will be great to see them all, but I have to admit...I'm at a loss as to what to do for food! Guess we'll just cross that bridge when we get there...
Soon it will be Thanksgiving, which is the holiday my family has always enjoyed the most. Mom always likes for us all to be at the house for Thanksgiving, and her turkey is something we look forward to all year! It will be our first Thanksgiving in Mom and Dad's new place, and I know we will all have a little extra thankfulness in our hearts that we are all still here to share it with each other!
So, that's just a few reasons why fall is my favourite season. Hope you are enjoying your own fall time and are remembering to be thankful for your "Lego moments" every day! :)
One fun tradition I have enjoyed with the boys is going to the pumpkin patch and picking out a pumpkin. We have been able to do this almost every year since First-Born was a baby, and they look forward to it almost as much as I do! We incorporated it into a field trip this year, so we had an extra-great time! We sometimes carve the pumpkins, but this year I was leaving the day after the pumpkins came home, so we didn't this year. Daddy and the boys drew faces on their pumpkins while I was gone. Except for First-Born--he drew a bat. We don't really celebrate "Halloween", but carving pumpkins is fun, so we like to do it! Also, pumpkin seeds are yummy!
Another thing that I try to do in the fall is a big clean. That's what I spent today doing, actually! Hubby had to be gone all day for a Cub Scout training session, so I thought it was the perfect time to snag some deep-cleaning time! I threatened to plop the boys in front of the TV for the whole day so I could work in peace, but I didn't actually have to do it! They were happy to be home for a change, and played with their toys most of the morning. (Somewhat peacefully, thank Heaven!) Then, after lunch and naps, I sent them outside so I could finish up. I was able to get everything on my mental list done by the time Hubby got home--yay! I will sleep great tonight...not only because the house is sparkly, but because I'm exhausted!
We're gearing up for a few big events in the near future. Several members of Hubby's family are planning on making a trip to visit in a couple of weeks. If everyone who is planning on the trip is able to make it, we'll have 10 adults and 14 1/2 kids! (One's not quite here yet!) It will be great to see them all, but I have to admit...I'm at a loss as to what to do for food! Guess we'll just cross that bridge when we get there...
Soon it will be Thanksgiving, which is the holiday my family has always enjoyed the most. Mom always likes for us all to be at the house for Thanksgiving, and her turkey is something we look forward to all year! It will be our first Thanksgiving in Mom and Dad's new place, and I know we will all have a little extra thankfulness in our hearts that we are all still here to share it with each other!
So, that's just a few reasons why fall is my favourite season. Hope you are enjoying your own fall time and are remembering to be thankful for your "Lego moments" every day! :)
Monday, October 24, 2011
Busy, Busy, Busy
Well, I'm dusting off the cobwebs on the keyboard to give you an update on what's been going on around here. It seems like it's been a long time since I last posted, but I think that's just because so much has happened since then!
Where to start... well, since my last update, we have gotten together and hosted a Cub Scout Camp-out here on the property, dealt with the "bug" that's been making it's way through the school (runny noses, coughs, general yuckiness), gotten all the students through the last week of the first quarter (with everyone making Honor Roll!), a small remodelling project at my parent's house, and finished up yesterday afternoon with an open-house/dedication of their new place! Whew, it makes me tired just to type it all over again! And here it is Monday again!
This week is full as well. We have a short week at school, with only two "normal" days. ("Normal" is just a word in the dictionary when you have anything to do with kids!) Then Wednesday is our first field trip, and Thursday and Friday we are out of school. I won't be home for those days however, as I am heading down to Pensacola for the Ladies Celebration I try to go to every year. I always enjoy it, but it has a very full schedule too.
Hubby and I were going over the calendar, and we came to the realization that we have something major planned for every weekend from now until the end of the year! Some of these are: scout training for Hubby; possible out-of-town weekend trip; Hubby's parents arriving and his ordination service; and Thanksgiving festivities. I would really like to fit some fall cleaning in there somewhere, but that doesn't seem like it's going to happen... *sigh* And of course, then we're right up into December, and we all know how life slows down around the holidays, right? HA!
So, how do the rest of you keep your sanity in your busy lives? Someone asked just this week how I am managing, and I basically said I just keep doing one thing at a time until I run out of things to do, or I have to go to bed. Somehow, I never seem to run out of things to do though... I try to keep the right attitudes by having a "ticker-tape" Scripture verse in the back of my mind. I have to admit, it's usually Philippians 4:13! "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Because, after all, isn't that the reason we do can do anything? Through Christ's strength?
Which is a good thing, because, if this was all riding on my ability, the boys would live on boxes of cereal, which they would then have to cobble into clothes since Mommy hadn't gotten the laundry done in twelve days, and Hubby would probably just move into his workplace, where no crazy lady was wandering through in her school uniform giving everyone demerits for breathing in an inappropriate manner! :)
Where to start... well, since my last update, we have gotten together and hosted a Cub Scout Camp-out here on the property, dealt with the "bug" that's been making it's way through the school (runny noses, coughs, general yuckiness), gotten all the students through the last week of the first quarter (with everyone making Honor Roll!), a small remodelling project at my parent's house, and finished up yesterday afternoon with an open-house/dedication of their new place! Whew, it makes me tired just to type it all over again! And here it is Monday again!
This week is full as well. We have a short week at school, with only two "normal" days. ("Normal" is just a word in the dictionary when you have anything to do with kids!) Then Wednesday is our first field trip, and Thursday and Friday we are out of school. I won't be home for those days however, as I am heading down to Pensacola for the Ladies Celebration I try to go to every year. I always enjoy it, but it has a very full schedule too.
Hubby and I were going over the calendar, and we came to the realization that we have something major planned for every weekend from now until the end of the year! Some of these are: scout training for Hubby; possible out-of-town weekend trip; Hubby's parents arriving and his ordination service; and Thanksgiving festivities. I would really like to fit some fall cleaning in there somewhere, but that doesn't seem like it's going to happen... *sigh* And of course, then we're right up into December, and we all know how life slows down around the holidays, right? HA!
So, how do the rest of you keep your sanity in your busy lives? Someone asked just this week how I am managing, and I basically said I just keep doing one thing at a time until I run out of things to do, or I have to go to bed. Somehow, I never seem to run out of things to do though... I try to keep the right attitudes by having a "ticker-tape" Scripture verse in the back of my mind. I have to admit, it's usually Philippians 4:13! "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Because, after all, isn't that the reason we do can do anything? Through Christ's strength?
Which is a good thing, because, if this was all riding on my ability, the boys would live on boxes of cereal, which they would then have to cobble into clothes since Mommy hadn't gotten the laundry done in twelve days, and Hubby would probably just move into his workplace, where no crazy lady was wandering through in her school uniform giving everyone demerits for breathing in an inappropriate manner! :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Please Leave a Message After the Tone...
Last night in church, our pastor began a series of messages on Hosea. I have heard him do this series before, but it has been several years. This is what comes from being under the same pastor for most of your life...and it also comes from being said pastor's kid for your whole life! :)
Anyway, Hosea is a book that you don't hear from much. He's way in the back of the O.T., and let's face it, Jonah is the "celebrity" of the minor prophets...what with the big fish and all. But Hosea has some interesting things in his own right. To begin with, God gave him verbal instruction on who to marry. That would certainly seem to make life a little easier, wouldn't it? I mean, no more wondering "Is this the ONE? Or maybe that one over there?" Nope, just wait for your message from the Lord to send you right to their door. Unfortunately for Hosea, God sent him right to the door of the "wrong" person! Just think about poor Hosea, telling his parents "Well, Mom and Dad, God told me I was supposed to marry this girl. Now, don't freak out, but her job is a little unusual." The woman God told Hosea to marry was, to put it bluntly, a prostitute.
But Hosea trusted God in the plan of his life and obeyed the word of the Lord. He went and took a lady named Gomer to be his wife. And they did not live happily ever after.
You see, God was using Hosea as a living example of the Lord's willingness to forgive and love the nation of Israel no matter how many times they turned away from Him. (And, of course, He feels that way about us too.) But one thing jumped out at me last night, and that was this statement made by our pastor: "Sometimes God has to build a message in your life before He gives you a ministry." God told Hosea to do certain things that I'm sure Hosea didn't understand at the time. But God built a message out of Hosea's life, and then He gave Hosea the ministry of telling people about the redemptive forgiveness of God's love.
So, here's the thing: what message is God building in my life for a ministry that I may not have yet? I know there are things in my life (and I'm sure in your's too!) where I wonder "What purpose could this possibly serve?!" And if you look back over your life, I'm sure you can see things that God caused to happen in your life that prepared you for some ministry opportunity that you are undertaking right now. For example: the time that I spent helping out at the school before the boys were born has stood me in good stead now that I'm basically in charge! I never thought I would be doing what I'm doing now when I was helping out there!
It makes a difference in how you go about your daily activities if you keep in the back of your mind that God is building a message in your life so that one day your will be able to minister to someone else. I think this is especially true of SAHMs because so often our work goes unnoticed and under-appreciated. But maybe some day we will be able to help another young mother who is bogged down in her life of runny noses and cleaning up throw-up in the middle of the night. Or maybe you will be able to be an example of patience in the midst of adversity to your own little ones as they watch the way you handle the many "crises" that occur daily.
So, I'm going to take a page from Hosea's life, and try to remember that God is building a message in my life for a future ministry He has for me. Unfortunately, with the "messages" I'm learning right now, it feels like a boarding school for hyperactive boys may be my future "ministry"... :)
Anyway, Hosea is a book that you don't hear from much. He's way in the back of the O.T., and let's face it, Jonah is the "celebrity" of the minor prophets...what with the big fish and all. But Hosea has some interesting things in his own right. To begin with, God gave him verbal instruction on who to marry. That would certainly seem to make life a little easier, wouldn't it? I mean, no more wondering "Is this the ONE? Or maybe that one over there?" Nope, just wait for your message from the Lord to send you right to their door. Unfortunately for Hosea, God sent him right to the door of the "wrong" person! Just think about poor Hosea, telling his parents "Well, Mom and Dad, God told me I was supposed to marry this girl. Now, don't freak out, but her job is a little unusual." The woman God told Hosea to marry was, to put it bluntly, a prostitute.
But Hosea trusted God in the plan of his life and obeyed the word of the Lord. He went and took a lady named Gomer to be his wife. And they did not live happily ever after.
You see, God was using Hosea as a living example of the Lord's willingness to forgive and love the nation of Israel no matter how many times they turned away from Him. (And, of course, He feels that way about us too.) But one thing jumped out at me last night, and that was this statement made by our pastor: "Sometimes God has to build a message in your life before He gives you a ministry." God told Hosea to do certain things that I'm sure Hosea didn't understand at the time. But God built a message out of Hosea's life, and then He gave Hosea the ministry of telling people about the redemptive forgiveness of God's love.
So, here's the thing: what message is God building in my life for a ministry that I may not have yet? I know there are things in my life (and I'm sure in your's too!) where I wonder "What purpose could this possibly serve?!" And if you look back over your life, I'm sure you can see things that God caused to happen in your life that prepared you for some ministry opportunity that you are undertaking right now. For example: the time that I spent helping out at the school before the boys were born has stood me in good stead now that I'm basically in charge! I never thought I would be doing what I'm doing now when I was helping out there!
It makes a difference in how you go about your daily activities if you keep in the back of your mind that God is building a message in your life so that one day your will be able to minister to someone else. I think this is especially true of SAHMs because so often our work goes unnoticed and under-appreciated. But maybe some day we will be able to help another young mother who is bogged down in her life of runny noses and cleaning up throw-up in the middle of the night. Or maybe you will be able to be an example of patience in the midst of adversity to your own little ones as they watch the way you handle the many "crises" that occur daily.
So, I'm going to take a page from Hosea's life, and try to remember that God is building a message in my life for a future ministry He has for me. Unfortunately, with the "messages" I'm learning right now, it feels like a boarding school for hyperactive boys may be my future "ministry"... :)
Monday, October 3, 2011
What We've Been Up To...
We have had yet another busy couple of weeks here in our household! It's funny; just when you think that you're maxed out, you find that there's another big event on the horizon! Of course, the first thought is "Where are we going to find time for that!??", but somehow, the Lord blesses with His strength, and you are able to get all you need to get done completed. Notice I said "need to get done", because, my theory is, if it didn't get done, and everyone is still alive, and the house is not destroyed, it must not have needed to get done, right? :) I suppose this doesn't always apply, but it make me feel better anyway!
Last week we had tent revival at our church. This is a long-standing tradition in my life, dating back to the "dark ages" when I was a kid. My dad started holding tent revivals with the same travelling evangelist when I was about 11 or so. I have been to a tent meeting with them every year since then, except for the time I was away at college! So, it is always a joy to see them again every year, and I am so glad that this tradition can be a part of my boys life now.
The services are always wonderful, but this year had an added blessing. On the third evening, a local pastor came and preached a message that was really a blessing. (Shout-out to my blogging friend "Counting God's Little Blessings", as it was her father who preached the message!) Well, First-Born decided it was time for him to ask Jesus into his heart, so he went forward that night and did so. We are very glad about this, and hope he continues to grow in the Lord.
The week of tent revival makes the week of school a little more difficult. You're dealing with tired kids, tired teachers, and busier schedules. So, we usually give the Friday after off of school for those students who attended faithfully throughout the week. This is always a welcome break for everyone. Of course, I found a way to fill up the day with errands and other things that had to be done!
Saturday was also somewhat busy, but in a fun way. My sister is due to have her baby at the end of November, so she had her baby shower on Saturday. She is having a girl, so it was fun to pick out some cute girl things for her! It is amazing how much more things there are in the stores for little girls than there are for little boys! It's like manufacturers think that little boys need less clothes or are less loved by their parents! :) My sister received so many things that her baby will be able to change clothes every five minutes until she is a year old and never have to wear the same outfit twice! They live in a fairly small trailer, and we joked that they would have to buy another house just to put all their baby stuff in! :)
Sunday is always a busy day for us, but this Sunday was even more busy because we had a Scouting activity to go to in the afternoon. So, Mommy packed a picnic lunch to eat in the van, and off to the zoo we went! The boys had a great time, and we got to see the five very cute baby lion cubs that were born a couple of months ago!
To top off all that activity, I am now officially running the school "solo!" My sister, who has been the principal up to this point, has now left for maternity leave, so I am the main teacher in the school now. Hubby is there two day a week to help out. Today was the first day for the new arrangement, and it went well, I think. The students may have a different story, as they are used to having two teachers at their beck and call! This will be an exercise in patience for them and for me!
Well, that about wraps up what we've been up to since the last post. Also, my five minutes is up, the microwave is beeping, and the washing machine has stopped...it must be time to get back to work! :)
Last week we had tent revival at our church. This is a long-standing tradition in my life, dating back to the "dark ages" when I was a kid. My dad started holding tent revivals with the same travelling evangelist when I was about 11 or so. I have been to a tent meeting with them every year since then, except for the time I was away at college! So, it is always a joy to see them again every year, and I am so glad that this tradition can be a part of my boys life now.
The services are always wonderful, but this year had an added blessing. On the third evening, a local pastor came and preached a message that was really a blessing. (Shout-out to my blogging friend "Counting God's Little Blessings", as it was her father who preached the message!) Well, First-Born decided it was time for him to ask Jesus into his heart, so he went forward that night and did so. We are very glad about this, and hope he continues to grow in the Lord.
The week of tent revival makes the week of school a little more difficult. You're dealing with tired kids, tired teachers, and busier schedules. So, we usually give the Friday after off of school for those students who attended faithfully throughout the week. This is always a welcome break for everyone. Of course, I found a way to fill up the day with errands and other things that had to be done!
Saturday was also somewhat busy, but in a fun way. My sister is due to have her baby at the end of November, so she had her baby shower on Saturday. She is having a girl, so it was fun to pick out some cute girl things for her! It is amazing how much more things there are in the stores for little girls than there are for little boys! It's like manufacturers think that little boys need less clothes or are less loved by their parents! :) My sister received so many things that her baby will be able to change clothes every five minutes until she is a year old and never have to wear the same outfit twice! They live in a fairly small trailer, and we joked that they would have to buy another house just to put all their baby stuff in! :)
Sunday is always a busy day for us, but this Sunday was even more busy because we had a Scouting activity to go to in the afternoon. So, Mommy packed a picnic lunch to eat in the van, and off to the zoo we went! The boys had a great time, and we got to see the five very cute baby lion cubs that were born a couple of months ago!
To top off all that activity, I am now officially running the school "solo!" My sister, who has been the principal up to this point, has now left for maternity leave, so I am the main teacher in the school now. Hubby is there two day a week to help out. Today was the first day for the new arrangement, and it went well, I think. The students may have a different story, as they are used to having two teachers at their beck and call! This will be an exercise in patience for them and for me!
Well, that about wraps up what we've been up to since the last post. Also, my five minutes is up, the microwave is beeping, and the washing machine has stopped...it must be time to get back to work! :)
Monday, September 19, 2011
Loving Life and Having Good Days!
Well, doesn't that title sound like it's going to be a great post? I should tell you, that the way today has been, I DO NOT feel like I can blog about this! But, I can't seem to get away from this idea that's been hanging around, and that usually means I need to blog about it, because that's what direction God wants me to head! So, even though I am feeling frazzled, rushed and laundry is calling my name, I'm going to blog about good days and a love for life. Ha! Here goes...
I guess the idea showed up yesterday in church. My pastor/dad mentioned a verse in passing in his morning sermon. It wasn't even his text verse, but for some reason it stuck with me. It was 1 Peter 3:10-11. "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him seek peace, and ensue it." (Emphasis mine.) There it is, right there in black and white, how to have a good day, and love your life! I'm not sure why this verse had never struck me in this particular fashion before: I know I've read it several times. But for some reason, it just jumped out at me this time. I told Hubby that I was going to type it up, print it out, and post it all over the house!
This verse is actually Peter quoting from the Old Testament--Psalm 34:12-14. So, in reality, God has given us two separate places in which we can find out how to have a good day & to love our life! Maybe in case we didn't catch it the first time...
So, what's the formula? Well, the first part of the verse deals with our mouth, where--let's admit it--most of us have some pretty big issues! It says to "refrain (hold back) your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile." What I found especially interesting about the word "evil" was that, in the Greek, (ha, I've always wanted to say that!) it doesn't necessarily mean wicked or bad in this instance. It has the meaning of "worthless." Stop and think about the verse in that context! We should hold back our tongues from saying worthless things! Whoa! How many times a day can I think back about something I said that had no worth? This idea pretty much takes out gossip, complaining, whining, petty arguments, and there's no telling what else!
The next part of the verse is more pro-active concerning what we can do to have a good day. We must "seek peace and ensue it." This seems to me to be saying that we have to take an active role in searching for peace. Yes, in the midst of whining children, leaking freezers, mountains of laundry, sinks full of dishes, and who-knows-what else, we are to be looking for peace! Now, on the surface, this seems impossible! Especially if you're like me, and life only feels peaceful when everything is caught up and completed! So, how can I seek peace in the midst of chaos? Well, there's really only one answer...in the presence of Jesus Christ. Seeking after Christ must be a priority in our lives. Spend time in His Word, and in the quietness of prayer. Then, when life is spiralling into chaos, you can retreat in your mind to the refuge of your Heavenly Father and ask for His peace to fill your mind and heart.
I guess that's about all the "preaching" I'm going to do for tonight! Read the verse for yourself and see what God has for you...and maybe, just maybe, your tomorrow will be a little more peaceful! :)
I guess the idea showed up yesterday in church. My pastor/dad mentioned a verse in passing in his morning sermon. It wasn't even his text verse, but for some reason it stuck with me. It was 1 Peter 3:10-11. "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him seek peace, and ensue it." (Emphasis mine.) There it is, right there in black and white, how to have a good day, and love your life! I'm not sure why this verse had never struck me in this particular fashion before: I know I've read it several times. But for some reason, it just jumped out at me this time. I told Hubby that I was going to type it up, print it out, and post it all over the house!
This verse is actually Peter quoting from the Old Testament--Psalm 34:12-14. So, in reality, God has given us two separate places in which we can find out how to have a good day & to love our life! Maybe in case we didn't catch it the first time...
So, what's the formula? Well, the first part of the verse deals with our mouth, where--let's admit it--most of us have some pretty big issues! It says to "refrain (hold back) your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile." What I found especially interesting about the word "evil" was that, in the Greek, (ha, I've always wanted to say that!) it doesn't necessarily mean wicked or bad in this instance. It has the meaning of "worthless." Stop and think about the verse in that context! We should hold back our tongues from saying worthless things! Whoa! How many times a day can I think back about something I said that had no worth? This idea pretty much takes out gossip, complaining, whining, petty arguments, and there's no telling what else!
The next part of the verse is more pro-active concerning what we can do to have a good day. We must "seek peace and ensue it." This seems to me to be saying that we have to take an active role in searching for peace. Yes, in the midst of whining children, leaking freezers, mountains of laundry, sinks full of dishes, and who-knows-what else, we are to be looking for peace! Now, on the surface, this seems impossible! Especially if you're like me, and life only feels peaceful when everything is caught up and completed! So, how can I seek peace in the midst of chaos? Well, there's really only one answer...in the presence of Jesus Christ. Seeking after Christ must be a priority in our lives. Spend time in His Word, and in the quietness of prayer. Then, when life is spiralling into chaos, you can retreat in your mind to the refuge of your Heavenly Father and ask for His peace to fill your mind and heart.
I guess that's about all the "preaching" I'm going to do for tonight! Read the verse for yourself and see what God has for you...and maybe, just maybe, your tomorrow will be a little more peaceful! :)
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Weekend Wrap-up
So, it's finally Saturday after a long week of work for everyone! We've had an enjoyable day so far, with a little work this morning, and some visiting with family this afternoon! Just thought I'd take a few minutes to update you on our week!
This was the first week of school where we went until 3:00 every day, and the first week that we had P.E. for the last hour of the day. Yours truly is the P.E. teacher, and let me just tell you...the 20 minutes of yoga I have been doing in the morning after I get up has been missing a few muscles! I was a little sore after playing kickball (!!) with the kiddos at school, but it may have been the "claustrophobics" (one student's word for "callisthenics"!) I had them doing...
First-Born had his first official piano lesson this week as well. He really enjoyed it, but it was less enjoyable when he realized he would have to practice a little more than he has been, and that it would take a little longer! He really impressed me today though. We had to clean up a tree that had fallen on our shed during all the rain we had here on Labor Day. So, this morning we all got up and headed outside to work on getting it cut apart and hauled away. Daddy was wielding the chain saw, and I was driving the tractor pulling the wagon to carry the limbs away to the brush pile. (Hee-hee, Mommy gets the easy job!) First-Born got his gloves on and started filling the big wheel-barrow with limbs, and driving it to the brush pile all by himself! He made 5 or 6 trips down the the brush pile and back with a full wheel-barrow every time! The best part of this was that there was not one word of complaint or whining the whole time! Believe me...this is a marked improvement! He will be 7 next week, and I have been telling him recently that it is time for him to act less like a baby and more like a young man. Maybe it's sinking in...
Middle Biscuit is thoroughly enjoying K5 too. He will be starting piano lessons this week, and he is looking forward to that too. He is my more musically inclined one, and I think he will do great with them. He is becoming more open with others too, which is good. He has always been my "loner" child; playing for hours by himself with his Legos. School is encouraging him to play with everyone, and do things with a group, even if he's not good at them. He has definitely been blossoming out so far. But he still heads right to the toy room after school to work on his latest Lego creation!
I guess that bring us up to Stitch. And what else is there to say but...he's Stitch! He's been working hard to adjust to his new life, and he's definitely always on the look-out for an extra hug or cuddle from Mommy or Daddy! But I think he's doing fairly well, all things considered. He enjoys going into the K5 class for the first hour of school. He has picked up several things already, and can say parts of Psalm 100 and sing most of "Onward Christian Soldiers"! He was thrilled to bring his Bible and help lead the pledges in the class on Wednesday! He may be able to skip kindergarten altogether...!
Well, that about wraps up this "weekend wrap-up!" It's getting to be bath time around here and tomorrow's Sunday! Have a great Lord's Day, and remember to say a prayer for our country on Patriot day! :)
This was the first week of school where we went until 3:00 every day, and the first week that we had P.E. for the last hour of the day. Yours truly is the P.E. teacher, and let me just tell you...the 20 minutes of yoga I have been doing in the morning after I get up has been missing a few muscles! I was a little sore after playing kickball (!!) with the kiddos at school, but it may have been the "claustrophobics" (one student's word for "callisthenics"!) I had them doing...
First-Born had his first official piano lesson this week as well. He really enjoyed it, but it was less enjoyable when he realized he would have to practice a little more than he has been, and that it would take a little longer! He really impressed me today though. We had to clean up a tree that had fallen on our shed during all the rain we had here on Labor Day. So, this morning we all got up and headed outside to work on getting it cut apart and hauled away. Daddy was wielding the chain saw, and I was driving the tractor pulling the wagon to carry the limbs away to the brush pile. (Hee-hee, Mommy gets the easy job!) First-Born got his gloves on and started filling the big wheel-barrow with limbs, and driving it to the brush pile all by himself! He made 5 or 6 trips down the the brush pile and back with a full wheel-barrow every time! The best part of this was that there was not one word of complaint or whining the whole time! Believe me...this is a marked improvement! He will be 7 next week, and I have been telling him recently that it is time for him to act less like a baby and more like a young man. Maybe it's sinking in...
Middle Biscuit is thoroughly enjoying K5 too. He will be starting piano lessons this week, and he is looking forward to that too. He is my more musically inclined one, and I think he will do great with them. He is becoming more open with others too, which is good. He has always been my "loner" child; playing for hours by himself with his Legos. School is encouraging him to play with everyone, and do things with a group, even if he's not good at them. He has definitely been blossoming out so far. But he still heads right to the toy room after school to work on his latest Lego creation!
I guess that bring us up to Stitch. And what else is there to say but...he's Stitch! He's been working hard to adjust to his new life, and he's definitely always on the look-out for an extra hug or cuddle from Mommy or Daddy! But I think he's doing fairly well, all things considered. He enjoys going into the K5 class for the first hour of school. He has picked up several things already, and can say parts of Psalm 100 and sing most of "Onward Christian Soldiers"! He was thrilled to bring his Bible and help lead the pledges in the class on Wednesday! He may be able to skip kindergarten altogether...!
Well, that about wraps up this "weekend wrap-up!" It's getting to be bath time around here and tomorrow's Sunday! Have a great Lord's Day, and remember to say a prayer for our country on Patriot day! :)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Random Observations
It's been a while since I've done a random observations post, and I enjoy challenging my writing style, so here goes...(I hope you enjoy this style too...if not, I'll write a "normal" one next time, haha!)
Random Observation #1: Why is it every time I go to the store, I get everything on my list except one thing? It doesn't seem to matter if I keep a mental list, or take the time to write things down on paper, something always gets forgotten. And it will invariably be the one thing Hubby asks for the next day! Him: "Do we have any Raisin Bran?" Me: (with a sinking feeling in my stomach) "Let me look." Him: (after I don't find anything) "Didn't you just go to the grocery store yesterday?" Me: (mentally-"GRRRR!") "Yes." Maybe it's the "Murphy's Law" of the grocery store. Does this ever happen to anyone else? If not, don't tell me...ignorance is bliss. :)
Random Observation #2: As I was cleaning the house a few days ago, I noticed that the house seemed remarkably cleaner than on a typical house-cleaning day. I wondered if it was a fluke, or if maybe, just maybe, now that the boys were getting older, some things I have been drilling into their heads were finally sinking in. But then it hit me...the reason the house was cleaner was because...we don't live here any more! Our whole family is away from the house for a good portion of the day, and for the time we are home, we're pretty busy with work, so there's not a lot of time to get anything dirty! This seems to be a mixed blessing...on one hand, there's less cleaning for Mommy (yay!), but on the other hand, we need to guard against getting too busy.
Random Observation #3: On the topic of being a lot busier, I have a confession to make. I am having guilt issues about the fact that I am not home more with Stitch. I know this is something other moms who work outside the home have to deal with even more than I do because they have to put their kiddos in day care. I am very thankful that Mimi (my mom) is willing to give up her time and energy to watch Stitch while I'm at school. But that doesn't stop me from feeling guilty about it!! (I think moms might be hard-wired to feel guilt...if they can't find something, they'll make something up!) I know that we're doing what the Lord has led us to do, and that Stitch isn't suffering any trauma over this. (Actually, it's probably the opposite situation...he has lots of one-on-one attention now since he's the only one at home!) But that doesn't stop me from having mental conversations with myself about the fact that I was a bigger part of his brothers' lives at this age, and I won't be able to do his workbooks with him like I did with them, and I will miss some of those funny day-to-day moments that are a part of being a SAHM. Sigh...I guess I'll have to squeeze in extra cuddles here and there...
Random Observation #4: On the 3rd of this month, the Hubby and I will be celebrating 12 (!!) years of marriage! I am so grateful for him, and the example of leadership he is in our home. We've had our good times, and our hard times, but we're committed to sticking it out together. And in this day and age, that seems to be something unusual. So, Friday night is anniversary date night...dinner and a movie! :)
Random Observation #5: This is actually a "guest" observation from a student earlier this week. It struck me as funny, so I had to share! This student was writing sentences for his spelling words. One of his words was "state" with the definition being "the condition someone or something is in at a particular time." The sentence he came up with was: "Most people don't have a state of mind." If you look around, you'll notice this is a truer statement than you think!
Or maybe it's just that everyone is in a state of confusion! :)
Random Observation #1: Why is it every time I go to the store, I get everything on my list except one thing? It doesn't seem to matter if I keep a mental list, or take the time to write things down on paper, something always gets forgotten. And it will invariably be the one thing Hubby asks for the next day! Him: "Do we have any Raisin Bran?" Me: (with a sinking feeling in my stomach) "Let me look." Him: (after I don't find anything) "Didn't you just go to the grocery store yesterday?" Me: (mentally-"GRRRR!") "Yes." Maybe it's the "Murphy's Law" of the grocery store. Does this ever happen to anyone else? If not, don't tell me...ignorance is bliss. :)
Random Observation #2: As I was cleaning the house a few days ago, I noticed that the house seemed remarkably cleaner than on a typical house-cleaning day. I wondered if it was a fluke, or if maybe, just maybe, now that the boys were getting older, some things I have been drilling into their heads were finally sinking in. But then it hit me...the reason the house was cleaner was because...we don't live here any more! Our whole family is away from the house for a good portion of the day, and for the time we are home, we're pretty busy with work, so there's not a lot of time to get anything dirty! This seems to be a mixed blessing...on one hand, there's less cleaning for Mommy (yay!), but on the other hand, we need to guard against getting too busy.
Random Observation #3: On the topic of being a lot busier, I have a confession to make. I am having guilt issues about the fact that I am not home more with Stitch. I know this is something other moms who work outside the home have to deal with even more than I do because they have to put their kiddos in day care. I am very thankful that Mimi (my mom) is willing to give up her time and energy to watch Stitch while I'm at school. But that doesn't stop me from feeling guilty about it!! (I think moms might be hard-wired to feel guilt...if they can't find something, they'll make something up!) I know that we're doing what the Lord has led us to do, and that Stitch isn't suffering any trauma over this. (Actually, it's probably the opposite situation...he has lots of one-on-one attention now since he's the only one at home!) But that doesn't stop me from having mental conversations with myself about the fact that I was a bigger part of his brothers' lives at this age, and I won't be able to do his workbooks with him like I did with them, and I will miss some of those funny day-to-day moments that are a part of being a SAHM. Sigh...I guess I'll have to squeeze in extra cuddles here and there...
Random Observation #4: On the 3rd of this month, the Hubby and I will be celebrating 12 (!!) years of marriage! I am so grateful for him, and the example of leadership he is in our home. We've had our good times, and our hard times, but we're committed to sticking it out together. And in this day and age, that seems to be something unusual. So, Friday night is anniversary date night...dinner and a movie! :)
Random Observation #5: This is actually a "guest" observation from a student earlier this week. It struck me as funny, so I had to share! This student was writing sentences for his spelling words. One of his words was "state" with the definition being "the condition someone or something is in at a particular time." The sentence he came up with was: "Most people don't have a state of mind." If you look around, you'll notice this is a truer statement than you think!
Or maybe it's just that everyone is in a state of confusion! :)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
School Days!
Okay, we are well on our way in this school year! I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to teach this year, and for the opportunity to serve the Lord in a new way! It is so exciting to see Him working in the ministry here, and in our family!
Practicing the schedule last week has really come in handy for this first "real" week of the school year. I am sooo glad we worked hard and didn't quit half-way through! The boys have been able to get up and get going pretty well, and they are even cheerful about it! (Mommy takes a little while to wake up by herself, so by the time I have to interact with anyone, I can be cheerful too!) Stitch is having a little difficulty adjusting to Mommy and brothers being gone, but he did better today, so I think by the end of the week, he'll be great! It helps that he can put on his back-pack and head out the door with the rest of us. Also, Middle Biscuit's K5 teacher has been so gracious in allowing Stitch to come in her classroom and spend a little while in the morning time, while we are waiting on our Mimi to pick him up! A blessing of living next door is that he can also join us for lunch, which makes him feel like a "big boy!"
It is exciting to be able to have the chance to learn the personalities of all our students this year. We have some great kiddos in our school family, and I'm sure you will be reading some anecdotes throughout the year from all the funny stuff the kids say and do! (With the names changed to protect the "innocent", of course!) Like today, one of our kindergarten students was showing some concern with his food during lunch time. Mrs. P (our principal) went over to see what his issue was. He looked up at her and said, with some frustration, "There were supposed to be meatballs in this ravioli! I guess they were so small I didn't even notice them!" He was so serious, and somewhat offended...I think if he was a little older, he would have asked for a refund!
Home life is going well so far too...I'm not feeling overwhelmed yet. Although, it is only day two of the school year...maybe I'm being too optimistic? There may be a post one day where I've completely lost it and can only ramble on incoherently as to why I thought this would be a good idea in the first place. But for now, it's going well (actually better than I expected!) which makes me feel extra confident. I know I am only doing this with the Lord's help though, so I'm taking extra moments here and there to say a quick "thank You" prayer. Thanks to all the readers who've been praying too...couldn't do it without those either!
So, that about wraps it up for this post...I hope all of your school years are starting off well too! Don't forget to look for those "Lego" moments in all the insanity that is our life! :)
Practicing the schedule last week has really come in handy for this first "real" week of the school year. I am sooo glad we worked hard and didn't quit half-way through! The boys have been able to get up and get going pretty well, and they are even cheerful about it! (Mommy takes a little while to wake up by herself, so by the time I have to interact with anyone, I can be cheerful too!) Stitch is having a little difficulty adjusting to Mommy and brothers being gone, but he did better today, so I think by the end of the week, he'll be great! It helps that he can put on his back-pack and head out the door with the rest of us. Also, Middle Biscuit's K5 teacher has been so gracious in allowing Stitch to come in her classroom and spend a little while in the morning time, while we are waiting on our Mimi to pick him up! A blessing of living next door is that he can also join us for lunch, which makes him feel like a "big boy!"
It is exciting to be able to have the chance to learn the personalities of all our students this year. We have some great kiddos in our school family, and I'm sure you will be reading some anecdotes throughout the year from all the funny stuff the kids say and do! (With the names changed to protect the "innocent", of course!) Like today, one of our kindergarten students was showing some concern with his food during lunch time. Mrs. P (our principal) went over to see what his issue was. He looked up at her and said, with some frustration, "There were supposed to be meatballs in this ravioli! I guess they were so small I didn't even notice them!" He was so serious, and somewhat offended...I think if he was a little older, he would have asked for a refund!
Home life is going well so far too...I'm not feeling overwhelmed yet. Although, it is only day two of the school year...maybe I'm being too optimistic? There may be a post one day where I've completely lost it and can only ramble on incoherently as to why I thought this would be a good idea in the first place. But for now, it's going well (actually better than I expected!) which makes me feel extra confident. I know I am only doing this with the Lord's help though, so I'm taking extra moments here and there to say a quick "thank You" prayer. Thanks to all the readers who've been praying too...couldn't do it without those either!
So, that about wraps it up for this post...I hope all of your school years are starting off well too! Don't forget to look for those "Lego" moments in all the insanity that is our life! :)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Drumroll Please...The New Schedule Is Here!
Okay, as you probably already know, (if you've read my blog for any length of time) I have a thing for scheduling. Having a schedule makes me feel at least somewhat on top of the insanity that is life. I work on retaining a spirit of flexibility within the schedule, because I realize that if I don't, I may be neglecting opportunities that God has placed in my path for ministry that day. (Another of my "mom" blogs I read helped me see this more clearly. She wrote about the importance of not letting our busy schedules as SAHMs squelch the opportunity to be a blessing to someone God put in our path.)
Well, I spent yesterday (between loads of laundry) working on my new schedule for this school year. Since I will be a "working" mom (I've always held the opinion that any mom is a working mom!) this school year, the schedule is a little more full than it has been previously. Then, when you factor in extra-curricular activities such as Scouts and church, things get even more exciting! (Read: crazy!) Having a general idea of what is supposed to be happening when is the only way to keep from playing catch-up all the time.
The day is structured pretty similarly to start with. I set my wake-up time to be earlier than the boys, so I have time for personal devotions, a quick work-out, and a shower. Then I get breakfast started before they are fully up. Then we all sit down to breakfast together, and we have also decided that we are going to start learning a family memory verse on a weekly basis at this time. Then it's off to get ready and leave for school.
When we get home, it's time to get changed and have a snack. Then I have scheduled to do my "mommy" chores (laundry, cleaning, etc.) while the boys work on any homework, their devotion books, and piano practice. They will have the opportunity to take "official" piano lessons at school this year, so we will have to work in that practice time! I have allotted about an hour and 45 minutes to get done with what I can as far as the housework goes. I know that some days will be better than others in this respect...sometimes I'll get it done, and sometimes I won't. I am trying to be okay about this...
Then it's time for cooking and eating supper. After supper, the boys and I will clean the kitchen and make lunches for the next day. This will be our biggest time-saver in the morning. Then the boys will be responsible for packing their own back-packs for the next day and getting their pajamas on. After baths and teeth-brushing, it will be time for family devotions and bed. I have stressed the importance of a hard and fast 8:30 bedtime. Sleep is critical for healthy kiddos! With the exposure to all the new germs of school, I really want them to be well-rested and able to fight off illness. Not to mention the crankiness!
Then it's "mommy & daddy" time for about an hour. We have plans to keep a decent bedtime too...with all we have going on, we can't afford to be ill either! So, it's bed at 10 for us! (I remember when I was younger, I thought that being a grown-up meant you could stay up as late as you want...haha!)
Well, that's the basic plan so far. Does anyone have any suggestions or lessons you've learned in your own scheduling? Leave a comment here or on FB for me! I figure it will need to be tweaked here and there, but we'll be able to make those adjustments as we go along. This week is the "practice run." It's working pretty well so far...we haven't had any major meltdowns yet. Oh, did you think I was talking about the kids...I meant from me! :)
Well, I spent yesterday (between loads of laundry) working on my new schedule for this school year. Since I will be a "working" mom (I've always held the opinion that any mom is a working mom!) this school year, the schedule is a little more full than it has been previously. Then, when you factor in extra-curricular activities such as Scouts and church, things get even more exciting! (Read: crazy!) Having a general idea of what is supposed to be happening when is the only way to keep from playing catch-up all the time.
The day is structured pretty similarly to start with. I set my wake-up time to be earlier than the boys, so I have time for personal devotions, a quick work-out, and a shower. Then I get breakfast started before they are fully up. Then we all sit down to breakfast together, and we have also decided that we are going to start learning a family memory verse on a weekly basis at this time. Then it's off to get ready and leave for school.
When we get home, it's time to get changed and have a snack. Then I have scheduled to do my "mommy" chores (laundry, cleaning, etc.) while the boys work on any homework, their devotion books, and piano practice. They will have the opportunity to take "official" piano lessons at school this year, so we will have to work in that practice time! I have allotted about an hour and 45 minutes to get done with what I can as far as the housework goes. I know that some days will be better than others in this respect...sometimes I'll get it done, and sometimes I won't. I am trying to be okay about this...
Then it's time for cooking and eating supper. After supper, the boys and I will clean the kitchen and make lunches for the next day. This will be our biggest time-saver in the morning. Then the boys will be responsible for packing their own back-packs for the next day and getting their pajamas on. After baths and teeth-brushing, it will be time for family devotions and bed. I have stressed the importance of a hard and fast 8:30 bedtime. Sleep is critical for healthy kiddos! With the exposure to all the new germs of school, I really want them to be well-rested and able to fight off illness. Not to mention the crankiness!
Then it's "mommy & daddy" time for about an hour. We have plans to keep a decent bedtime too...with all we have going on, we can't afford to be ill either! So, it's bed at 10 for us! (I remember when I was younger, I thought that being a grown-up meant you could stay up as late as you want...haha!)
Well, that's the basic plan so far. Does anyone have any suggestions or lessons you've learned in your own scheduling? Leave a comment here or on FB for me! I figure it will need to be tweaked here and there, but we'll be able to make those adjustments as we go along. This week is the "practice run." It's working pretty well so far...we haven't had any major meltdowns yet. Oh, did you think I was talking about the kids...I meant from me! :)
Monday, August 8, 2011
Wounds and Weddings!
This past week has been an adventurous one for us! (It seems like I've been saying that a lot lately...sigh...) It didn't start out very busy; I was settling back into our routine after the moving out of the parents. I had two days of relative calm, and then it was back to insanity!
Wednesday started out normally enough...Hubby was home, and planning to work at the school & church, I had planned a fairly easy day of cleaning the church and doing a little work at the school before preparing for Wednesday evening service. Little did we realize the impending danger...
As we were conversing in our room and discussing the plan for the day, Stitch was playing on our bed, jumping and throwing himself around. I opened my mouth to tell him to calm it down a little, but before I could get the words out, he had flung himself backwards into the headboard shelf of our bed. I knew by the look on Hubby's face that it was not going to be pretty...and it wasn't. Stitch had cut a gash in the back of his head that was bleeding profusely...and we couldn't even tell how bad it was at that point, because of his hair. So, I held and calmed him while Daddy got out the clippers and carefully shaved a spot in the hair (!!) so we could assess the damage. When we could see the wound, we decided that something that would be hidden by his hair wasn't worth the trauma of stitches, so we butterfly-bandaged it and hoped for the best. Thankfully, it is healing well, and I think scarring will be minimal. Like his aunt said, "It gives new meaning to the nickname 'Stitch'!"
Our next big event that week was the wedding that Middle Biscuit was in. As it was two hours away, we felt that it would be more prudent to get a hotel room on Friday and just stay overnight, rather than drive up and back for the rehearsal and the wedding. So Friday morning I packed up the kiddos and we met Daddy on the road and headed north for the festivities. The boys were excited about the swimming pool that was just their size at the hotel, so we suited up for a quick dip before heading out to the rehearsal.
After much rehearsing we went up to the dinner for all those in the wedding party. The ladies in charge had decorated beautifully with an Italian bistro theme. It was by far the fanciest thing Middle Biscuit had ever participated in, and I was a little nervous as to how he would juggle the "grown-up" cups, and all that sitting still. But he did so great, and I was very impressed with his "grown-up-ness!"
The next day was the big event...and it went perfectly! The bride and groom had put together a beautiful, God-honoring ceremony, and all the attendants (both big and little) did their jobs perfectly. Middle Biscuit was as handsome as he could be in his little brown suit, and he did so great when it was his moment to shine! I took lots of pics, but promised the bride that I wouldn't post them until they got back from the honeymoon. So, be on the look-out for them on my FB page when I get the go ahead!
Well, that about wraps up last week. Hopefully, this week will be less eventful...but I'm not holding my breath! :)
Wednesday started out normally enough...Hubby was home, and planning to work at the school & church, I had planned a fairly easy day of cleaning the church and doing a little work at the school before preparing for Wednesday evening service. Little did we realize the impending danger...
As we were conversing in our room and discussing the plan for the day, Stitch was playing on our bed, jumping and throwing himself around. I opened my mouth to tell him to calm it down a little, but before I could get the words out, he had flung himself backwards into the headboard shelf of our bed. I knew by the look on Hubby's face that it was not going to be pretty...and it wasn't. Stitch had cut a gash in the back of his head that was bleeding profusely...and we couldn't even tell how bad it was at that point, because of his hair. So, I held and calmed him while Daddy got out the clippers and carefully shaved a spot in the hair (!!) so we could assess the damage. When we could see the wound, we decided that something that would be hidden by his hair wasn't worth the trauma of stitches, so we butterfly-bandaged it and hoped for the best. Thankfully, it is healing well, and I think scarring will be minimal. Like his aunt said, "It gives new meaning to the nickname 'Stitch'!"
Our next big event that week was the wedding that Middle Biscuit was in. As it was two hours away, we felt that it would be more prudent to get a hotel room on Friday and just stay overnight, rather than drive up and back for the rehearsal and the wedding. So Friday morning I packed up the kiddos and we met Daddy on the road and headed north for the festivities. The boys were excited about the swimming pool that was just their size at the hotel, so we suited up for a quick dip before heading out to the rehearsal.
After much rehearsing we went up to the dinner for all those in the wedding party. The ladies in charge had decorated beautifully with an Italian bistro theme. It was by far the fanciest thing Middle Biscuit had ever participated in, and I was a little nervous as to how he would juggle the "grown-up" cups, and all that sitting still. But he did so great, and I was very impressed with his "grown-up-ness!"
The next day was the big event...and it went perfectly! The bride and groom had put together a beautiful, God-honoring ceremony, and all the attendants (both big and little) did their jobs perfectly. Middle Biscuit was as handsome as he could be in his little brown suit, and he did so great when it was his moment to shine! I took lots of pics, but promised the bride that I wouldn't post them until they got back from the honeymoon. So, be on the look-out for them on my FB page when I get the go ahead!
Well, that about wraps up last week. Hopefully, this week will be less eventful...but I'm not holding my breath! :)
Monday, August 1, 2011
Catching Up
So much time has gone past since my last post that I hardly know where to begin! I'm sure some of you thought I fell off the face of the earth, or perhaps perished tragically underneath an avalanche of stuff. I'm still alive and well, and very thankful to have a lot of work behind me!
The biggest news is that the parents have officially moved out! Now, I know that sounds like I couldn't wait to get rid of them, but that's not it. Like I told them, "You guys can stay here as long as you want, it's your stuff I want to get rid of!" Saturday was the official "move-in" day, and we all worked really hard to get them settled into their new place. So far, everything is going great, and I spent today putting my house back together. I have to admit...it feels GREAT! The OCD voice in my head is finally quiet!
I have also been putting in some time at my new job the last few weeks. Things for the school year are slowly coming together. Middle Biscuit had a good time going to school for his kindergarten testing. He was so excited to get dressed into his new clothes, put on his backpack, carry his snack in his new lunch box, and head out the door with Mommy! I was doing an inventory today, and I think we have everything we need to start the school year! The uniforms are ready, the school supplies are labeled and packed in the backpacks, and the boys are really looking forward to starting school in a couple of weeks. Now, I just have to get myself ready...
Oh, something else I've been working on lately (I guess I didn't think I had enough going on...) has been potty training Stitch. I am glad to announce that after several weeks of hard work, he is trained! Well, by our definition, which means that he is in "big-boy underwear" all day without accidents. Naps and bedtime still mean a Pull-Up, but he has been waking up dry from both pretty consistently. (I do it mostly for my own peace of mind, and because I don't want to have to wash the sheets if there's an accident!) My mother is especially glad of this, as she is going to be keeping Stitch while I'm teaching, and she wasn't looking forward to changing diapers!
We also had Vacation Bible School last week at my Dad's other church. (For those of you who don't know, he pastors two churches.) A great time was had by all, and Stitch especially enjoyed it. He was too little to remember the last one we had. He asked me this morning if we were going back to "BBS", which is how he said VBS. (This was a big improvement over his original interpretation, which left off the first, vital letter of the abbreviation!) He won a prize in the drawing, which he was very proud to go up to the front and get. First-Born won a prize too, a new fishing pole! Needless to say, he was very excited!
Well, I think that about catches you up to what's been going on around here lately! I am going to try to keep up with my posting now that things are settling down. Ha, who am I kidding...we don't know the meaning of "settling down" around this place! :)
The biggest news is that the parents have officially moved out! Now, I know that sounds like I couldn't wait to get rid of them, but that's not it. Like I told them, "You guys can stay here as long as you want, it's your stuff I want to get rid of!" Saturday was the official "move-in" day, and we all worked really hard to get them settled into their new place. So far, everything is going great, and I spent today putting my house back together. I have to admit...it feels GREAT! The OCD voice in my head is finally quiet!
I have also been putting in some time at my new job the last few weeks. Things for the school year are slowly coming together. Middle Biscuit had a good time going to school for his kindergarten testing. He was so excited to get dressed into his new clothes, put on his backpack, carry his snack in his new lunch box, and head out the door with Mommy! I was doing an inventory today, and I think we have everything we need to start the school year! The uniforms are ready, the school supplies are labeled and packed in the backpacks, and the boys are really looking forward to starting school in a couple of weeks. Now, I just have to get myself ready...
Oh, something else I've been working on lately (I guess I didn't think I had enough going on...) has been potty training Stitch. I am glad to announce that after several weeks of hard work, he is trained! Well, by our definition, which means that he is in "big-boy underwear" all day without accidents. Naps and bedtime still mean a Pull-Up, but he has been waking up dry from both pretty consistently. (I do it mostly for my own peace of mind, and because I don't want to have to wash the sheets if there's an accident!) My mother is especially glad of this, as she is going to be keeping Stitch while I'm teaching, and she wasn't looking forward to changing diapers!
We also had Vacation Bible School last week at my Dad's other church. (For those of you who don't know, he pastors two churches.) A great time was had by all, and Stitch especially enjoyed it. He was too little to remember the last one we had. He asked me this morning if we were going back to "BBS", which is how he said VBS. (This was a big improvement over his original interpretation, which left off the first, vital letter of the abbreviation!) He won a prize in the drawing, which he was very proud to go up to the front and get. First-Born won a prize too, a new fishing pole! Needless to say, he was very excited!
Well, I think that about catches you up to what's been going on around here lately! I am going to try to keep up with my posting now that things are settling down. Ha, who am I kidding...we don't know the meaning of "settling down" around this place! :)
Monday, July 18, 2011
A Taste of Our New Life---And We're All Still Alive!
So, last week was a preview of what our new life will look like. Let's just say it will take some getting used to! To start with, Hubby was home for two week days. Now, I know some of you might think, "Hey that's great! I wish my husband was around more! He could help with..." Well, I have never been that girl. Not that I don't love my hubby, but we have completely different styles of getting things done! I am methodical, mostly organized, and generally have a plan of attack for my day. Hubby tends to start with a plan, but gets sidetracked from it early on and then adds things to get done to the plan in the middle of the day. He gets most of it done, but it's just not the way I would do it. So this having-him-home-during-the-day thing is going to take some getting used to for me. He loves it though! It is a big thing that we made it through the week without a major blow-up, although I may have mentioned something about resigning as a teacher due to the fact I couldn't work under the new administration...
Prep for the new school year is going well. We had our first official staff meeting on Friday night, and were able to get several details discussed and resolved. We are gearing up for an exciting new year at HCS, and are looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us!
One of my concerns with our new life is that since we live "on-campus," we will always have some task that will command our attention, and we will not have any down-time. When you live with your work, it's hard to find the time to put it aside and relax. I find this especially difficult; when I'm home it's much harder for me to relax because I see all the things that need to be done, and I want to be up doing them. I find it easier to have down-time away from the house. Am I the only one like this? Any suggestions from others who "suffer" from this?
The boys have doctor appointments later this week. In the process of getting things together for school, I realized that I have misplaced the boy's shot records. I spent the morning looking in all the places that I could have put them, and a few I know I didn't! I have a sinking feeling that they were in the diaper bag that we took with us to Mom's house the day of the tornado. Who knows where they are now if that's where they were! But in the process of looking for them this morning, the boys and I sat down and looked through all their baby books and baby picture albums. I forgot they used to be so little! You get so caught up in the day to day of their lives you forget how much they have changed. Even First-Born looks so different in the pics of him from when Stitch was born! And Middle Biscuit's hair used to be curly when it was longer...it's straight now. They loved seeing themselves when they were little! I'm glad that I took so many pictures...I can look back and not feel I've missed anything.
Just a few snapshot thoughts from the weekend. Hope your weekend was great, and hope everyone has a productive week ahead! :)
Prep for the new school year is going well. We had our first official staff meeting on Friday night, and were able to get several details discussed and resolved. We are gearing up for an exciting new year at HCS, and are looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us!
One of my concerns with our new life is that since we live "on-campus," we will always have some task that will command our attention, and we will not have any down-time. When you live with your work, it's hard to find the time to put it aside and relax. I find this especially difficult; when I'm home it's much harder for me to relax because I see all the things that need to be done, and I want to be up doing them. I find it easier to have down-time away from the house. Am I the only one like this? Any suggestions from others who "suffer" from this?
The boys have doctor appointments later this week. In the process of getting things together for school, I realized that I have misplaced the boy's shot records. I spent the morning looking in all the places that I could have put them, and a few I know I didn't! I have a sinking feeling that they were in the diaper bag that we took with us to Mom's house the day of the tornado. Who knows where they are now if that's where they were! But in the process of looking for them this morning, the boys and I sat down and looked through all their baby books and baby picture albums. I forgot they used to be so little! You get so caught up in the day to day of their lives you forget how much they have changed. Even First-Born looks so different in the pics of him from when Stitch was born! And Middle Biscuit's hair used to be curly when it was longer...it's straight now. They loved seeing themselves when they were little! I'm glad that I took so many pictures...I can look back and not feel I've missed anything.
Just a few snapshot thoughts from the weekend. Hope your weekend was great, and hope everyone has a productive week ahead! :)
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Sunflowers After the Storm
Okay, so I had to jump on and post a short "Legos-In-My-Make-Up-Drawer" moment that I had today. The theme of this blog is finding the little things in life that God sends our way and seeing them for the blessings that they are. Today I had a perfect example of this that I had to share with my faithful readers! :)
I was on my way home from running errands this afternoon and I was driving through my parent's old neighborhood. It is mostly bare now; the houses have mostly all been leveled and the debris carried away. We have to drive through pretty much every time we go to town, so we see the changes fairly often. As I was driving today, though, I noticed that one of the neighbor's gardens must have come in, because they had a bunch of sunflowers growing in their yard. As I looked more closely I realized that those neighbors never had a garden, at least not where these flowers were. This made me curious, so I turned down my parent's road to investigate.
As I slowly drove down the old street, I realized that several of the neighbor's yards had these huge sunflowers growing in them, including my parents yard! Now, I knew my parents hadn't planted any sunflowers this year, especially in their front yard. There were just random clumps of sunflowers all throughout the street. Not really anywhere else, just on that street. All I could think was that someone, maybe my parents, must have had some seeds somewhere, or maybe even some birdseed, and the tornado had spread them through the neighborhood. They are growing in the weirdest places...in fallen trees, in houses, in driveways. I had my phone, so I snapped a couple of shots.
The one above was taken looking across the remains of my parent's across-the-street neighbor's house.
This one is growing in what is left of the very large oak tree that used to be in my parent's side yard.
Pretty much, no matter where you looked on the street, you could see sunflowers growing somewhere. I just thought it was a perfect example of God's blessings that come in our lives after the trials we go through. So, if you just went through a trial or time of testing, or if you're still in one, remember that God is still there, and later you will be able to look back and see the sunflowers He sent after the storm! :)
I was on my way home from running errands this afternoon and I was driving through my parent's old neighborhood. It is mostly bare now; the houses have mostly all been leveled and the debris carried away. We have to drive through pretty much every time we go to town, so we see the changes fairly often. As I was driving today, though, I noticed that one of the neighbor's gardens must have come in, because they had a bunch of sunflowers growing in their yard. As I looked more closely I realized that those neighbors never had a garden, at least not where these flowers were. This made me curious, so I turned down my parent's road to investigate.
As I slowly drove down the old street, I realized that several of the neighbor's yards had these huge sunflowers growing in them, including my parents yard! Now, I knew my parents hadn't planted any sunflowers this year, especially in their front yard. There were just random clumps of sunflowers all throughout the street. Not really anywhere else, just on that street. All I could think was that someone, maybe my parents, must have had some seeds somewhere, or maybe even some birdseed, and the tornado had spread them through the neighborhood. They are growing in the weirdest places...in fallen trees, in houses, in driveways. I had my phone, so I snapped a couple of shots.
Pretty much, no matter where you looked on the street, you could see sunflowers growing somewhere. I just thought it was a perfect example of God's blessings that come in our lives after the trials we go through. So, if you just went through a trial or time of testing, or if you're still in one, remember that God is still there, and later you will be able to look back and see the sunflowers He sent after the storm! :)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Big Changes Ahead!
It's been a while since I've posted! Things have been happening around here at an alarming rate! Remember my last post about waiting? Well, the wait is over...it's time to get busy!
We have a lot of big changes for our family on the horizon! The most major one has to do with our school situation. Our principal (who also happens to be my sister) is expecting her first baby in November. So, that means that while she may be able to start the school year, she certainly won't be finishing it! And, since she is our only teacher at this point, that left us needing some staff! Well, since 2 of my 3 boys will be students this year, and I had previous teaching experience, it was a little bit of a no-brainer that I could step in as the main teacher. However, since our student body was growing, there was no way I could handle it by myself! We needed a kindergarten teacher, and another part-time supervisor/principal. Well, Hubby felt that God was leading him into a more active role in the ministry, so we began praying about him taking on the role of principal part time.
So, what does this mean for our family? Well, Hubby will be working at his current job as a part-time employee on an as-needed basis. Then, when school starts, he will be there between 2 and 3 days a week, depending on his work schedule. I will be there as the main supervisor every day. God provided a kindergarten teacher for us, so that was covered as well. As I mentioned to the boys, it will be a lot of changes, but it will make our family better and stronger, because that's what God uses changes for! We are all looking forward to our new life, and we hope you will pray with us for an easy "transition" time. And also for me, so that I can maintain my sanity!
Another big change happening soon is that my parents will be closing on their new house soon! We will be moving them out of our back room in a few weeks, much to their happiness! They are very excited and can't wait to be "out on their own" again! (And I am glad that the volume of stuff in my house will be decreasing by a third!)
We also got some news of a few "little" changes that are on their way. As I mentioned earlier, my sister is expecting her first baby in November. (They found out what it will be today, but I don't want to give away their surprise!) This will be the first cousin that the boys will have that lives near them so they are pretty excited! But last week my brother & his wife shared that they are also expecting their first little one! Hubby's family just grew by a new little girl, and there's another on the way. Lots of changes in everyone's future...diaper changes that is!
As I look at all these changes, I'm reminded that the only thing in our life that doesn't change is our great Saviour! For which I'm so thankful...I couldn't make it through all this craziness without Him! :)
We have a lot of big changes for our family on the horizon! The most major one has to do with our school situation. Our principal (who also happens to be my sister) is expecting her first baby in November. So, that means that while she may be able to start the school year, she certainly won't be finishing it! And, since she is our only teacher at this point, that left us needing some staff! Well, since 2 of my 3 boys will be students this year, and I had previous teaching experience, it was a little bit of a no-brainer that I could step in as the main teacher. However, since our student body was growing, there was no way I could handle it by myself! We needed a kindergarten teacher, and another part-time supervisor/principal. Well, Hubby felt that God was leading him into a more active role in the ministry, so we began praying about him taking on the role of principal part time.
So, what does this mean for our family? Well, Hubby will be working at his current job as a part-time employee on an as-needed basis. Then, when school starts, he will be there between 2 and 3 days a week, depending on his work schedule. I will be there as the main supervisor every day. God provided a kindergarten teacher for us, so that was covered as well. As I mentioned to the boys, it will be a lot of changes, but it will make our family better and stronger, because that's what God uses changes for! We are all looking forward to our new life, and we hope you will pray with us for an easy "transition" time. And also for me, so that I can maintain my sanity!
Another big change happening soon is that my parents will be closing on their new house soon! We will be moving them out of our back room in a few weeks, much to their happiness! They are very excited and can't wait to be "out on their own" again! (And I am glad that the volume of stuff in my house will be decreasing by a third!)
We also got some news of a few "little" changes that are on their way. As I mentioned earlier, my sister is expecting her first baby in November. (They found out what it will be today, but I don't want to give away their surprise!) This will be the first cousin that the boys will have that lives near them so they are pretty excited! But last week my brother & his wife shared that they are also expecting their first little one! Hubby's family just grew by a new little girl, and there's another on the way. Lots of changes in everyone's future...diaper changes that is!
As I look at all these changes, I'm reminded that the only thing in our life that doesn't change is our great Saviour! For which I'm so thankful...I couldn't make it through all this craziness without Him! :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Waiting...
So, why is it that learning to wait is so difficult? Is it just me, or is it fairly common? I don't really see myself as an impatient person, more like I want to get busy accomplishing the things I feel the Lord has for us to do. I am a do-er, this I freely admit. But this season of my life is definitely a "waiting" season. There are several new things on the horizon, all of which involve lots of work, but I can't yet move on any of them. So here I am, waiting...
For a person who is a do-er, this is the difficult part. I am definitely a "Martha" when it comes to personality. You know, "cumbered about with much serving" and wondering why her sister is just sitting. (Probably because she left nothing for her to do--at least that's what I usually end up doing!) So, I have been trying to remember the Lord's words to Martha lately and trying to "choose that good thing." But it is difficult for me to have this mentality without feeling that I am wasting time. Things to be done, time to do them, yet I am waiting.
So, I have been trying to keep busy with the other, everyday things that we have going on around here, and to remember that waiting on the Lord is the time to renew our strength, like the Bible says in Isaiah. Because I know soon it will be time to run the race, and now is the time to prepare. But no one ever said the preparation was exciting! :)
So, else has been going on around here? Well, we have been pretty busy. Last week we had a couple of fun things to do as a family. I took the boys bowling for the first time. That was a hoot! They really enjoyed it...even Stitch! He was so cute in the tiny bowling shoes! We also had a trip to the local science museum last Friday. We brought some friends, so we had a big group of people with us. It is always a great time for all. I should be posting the pics from the trip on Facebook soon.
Our weekend was busy too, with a Scout fishing trip early on Saturday morning. Daddy woke the boys up early and then they headed to the lake. They came back with sun-burns (even though I sent sun block!) and had lots of fun. Then when they came home, I left with my mom to get some shopping done. I got Hubby a tool box for Father's Day, which he has been wanting for a while. I hope it will help with the problem of "Do you know where I left my _______?", but I don't hold out hope for that...
Well, that about wraps it up for doings around here. I'm trying to learn to wait, and trying to keep busy while waiting! Does that cancel itself out? :)
For a person who is a do-er, this is the difficult part. I am definitely a "Martha" when it comes to personality. You know, "cumbered about with much serving" and wondering why her sister is just sitting. (Probably because she left nothing for her to do--at least that's what I usually end up doing!) So, I have been trying to remember the Lord's words to Martha lately and trying to "choose that good thing." But it is difficult for me to have this mentality without feeling that I am wasting time. Things to be done, time to do them, yet I am waiting.
So, I have been trying to keep busy with the other, everyday things that we have going on around here, and to remember that waiting on the Lord is the time to renew our strength, like the Bible says in Isaiah. Because I know soon it will be time to run the race, and now is the time to prepare. But no one ever said the preparation was exciting! :)
So, else has been going on around here? Well, we have been pretty busy. Last week we had a couple of fun things to do as a family. I took the boys bowling for the first time. That was a hoot! They really enjoyed it...even Stitch! He was so cute in the tiny bowling shoes! We also had a trip to the local science museum last Friday. We brought some friends, so we had a big group of people with us. It is always a great time for all. I should be posting the pics from the trip on Facebook soon.
Our weekend was busy too, with a Scout fishing trip early on Saturday morning. Daddy woke the boys up early and then they headed to the lake. They came back with sun-burns (even though I sent sun block!) and had lots of fun. Then when they came home, I left with my mom to get some shopping done. I got Hubby a tool box for Father's Day, which he has been wanting for a while. I hope it will help with the problem of "Do you know where I left my _______?", but I don't hold out hope for that...
Well, that about wraps it up for doings around here. I'm trying to learn to wait, and trying to keep busy while waiting! Does that cancel itself out? :)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Don't Forget Dad!
This Sunday is Father's Day. So, I thought I'd put down a few thoughts that I've had lately about our dads and how important they are in our lives, and the lives of our kids.
I am so grateful for my own dad. He has always been the best example of Christ-like giving that I can think of. When people talk about generosity, or selflessness, it is always my dad that I think of. Because he will literally give you the last of whatever he has without thought for himself. I hope to be as giving as he is one day. I am also grateful that my dad is still around, because a year ago he almost wasn't. During the scary time of his cancer battle, I always had peace that God would bring him through. I am glad that this Father's Day, he is here and healthy!
I am also grateful for the Godly husband I have, who does his best every day to be a great dad to our sons. He is tough, yet loving, and that's what boys need the most! He is so great about spending time with them, doing Legos, teaching them to ride bikes or plant a garden, and instructing them in how to live in the right way. I hope my boys will grow up to be great dads--just like their dad was for them!
I found a poem the other day in a book I have, and I just thought I'd share it. It was written by Edgar Guest, and I found it in The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett. It really exemplifies what being a dad is about to me; the sacrifice, commitment, and courage it takes every day to be a father.
I am so grateful for my own dad. He has always been the best example of Christ-like giving that I can think of. When people talk about generosity, or selflessness, it is always my dad that I think of. Because he will literally give you the last of whatever he has without thought for himself. I hope to be as giving as he is one day. I am also grateful that my dad is still around, because a year ago he almost wasn't. During the scary time of his cancer battle, I always had peace that God would bring him through. I am glad that this Father's Day, he is here and healthy!
I am also grateful for the Godly husband I have, who does his best every day to be a great dad to our sons. He is tough, yet loving, and that's what boys need the most! He is so great about spending time with them, doing Legos, teaching them to ride bikes or plant a garden, and instructing them in how to live in the right way. I hope my boys will grow up to be great dads--just like their dad was for them!
I found a poem the other day in a book I have, and I just thought I'd share it. It was written by Edgar Guest, and I found it in The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett. It really exemplifies what being a dad is about to me; the sacrifice, commitment, and courage it takes every day to be a father.
"Only A Dad"
Only a dad with a tired face,
Coming home from the daily race,
Bringing little gold or fame
To show how well he has played the game;
But glad in his heart that his own rejoice
To see him come and to hear his voice.
Only a dad with a brood of four,
Of ten million men or more
Plodding along in the daily strife,
Bearing the whips and scorns of life,
With never a whimper of pain or hate,
For the sake of those who at home await.
Only a dad, neither rich or proud,
Merely one of the surging crowd,
Toiling, striving from day to day,
Facing whatever may come his way,
Silent whenever the harsh condemn,
And bearing it all for the love of them.
Only a dad but he gives his all,
To smooth the way for his children small,
Doing with courage stern and grim
The deeds that his father did for him.
This is the line that for him I pen:
Only a dad, but the best of men.
Happy Father's Day! We love our dads! :)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Bits & Pieces
Well, since I posted "business" stuff recently, I thought I'd do a "fun" post today! Just a few little things to give you a peek into what's been going on around here lately...
One thing we are excited about around here right now is our new way to keep cool. It has been exceptionally hot since the beginning of June. (This is the weather that makes you believe in "global warming," haha!) So last weekend, Mommy and Daddy discussed our "keeping cool" situation. In the past summers, we have gotten those little plastic pools and just let the boys have fun. But the bigger boys are getting, well, too big for them now! So, we talked about getting a larger above-ground pool. But the thought of this makes me a nervous wreck, especially since there isn't a ladder out there that Stitch can't climb, and a cover that he can't open!
So, we decided on a...sprinkler! Cheap, fun, easy to get out and put away, and best of all, no one ever drowned in a sprinkler! The boys have been having lots of fun, and Mommy has been getting lots of pictures! (If you're my FB friend, head on over there and check 'em out!)
The boys aren't the only ones feeling the heat. Our little garden is thriving, despite the nearly triple-digit temps outside. I am especially happy about this, since I have been the one (mostly) who has been trying to keep it going. And you may not know this about me, but I cannot keep plants alive. I mean it. Not even desert plants like aloe vera. Hubby took the aloe plant that someone had given us to work with him to "save it." I think I inherited this from my grandmother (on my mom's side) who has the same problem. My mom and my other grandmother are great with plants. Not me...black thumb all the way! Which is why when I saw our first little tomato, I just had to take its picture...
Isn't it cute? :) And since then, it has been joined by more tomato friends and a few baby bell peppers!
Since it's summer, we've had lots of extra time to play with Legos, and since we've had some birthdays, we've gotten a couple of new sets. First-Born saved up some money and got an Egyptian adventure set, complete with obelisk and flying mummies! (That's right...flying mummies...how else could they catch the plane?) Here some pics of the finished products...the bi-plane for escaping with the jewel from the obelisk...(although I have to admit, the wing of the plane doesn't seem like the safest place for it...)
Here's the obelisk and the flying mummy...
Middle Biscuit got a Cars Lego set with some of his birthday loot. He got a Lightening McQueen and a Tow Mater. Unfortunately, he build them and un-built them so quickly I couldn't get a pic of them! If he gets around to putting them back together I'll try to snap one; they're really cute! He did build this for me though...he called it "Mommy in the Park." (Not sure why I have on a dr.'s outfit...)
I also added a piece to the Harry Potter stuff I've been building. It's "The Burrow", which is the family home of Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend. It has lots of little fun details, like owls, food, and Mrs. Weasley's clock.
Well, that's some fun stuff from around here. Hope you all have a great weekend with your families! :)
One thing we are excited about around here right now is our new way to keep cool. It has been exceptionally hot since the beginning of June. (This is the weather that makes you believe in "global warming," haha!) So last weekend, Mommy and Daddy discussed our "keeping cool" situation. In the past summers, we have gotten those little plastic pools and just let the boys have fun. But the bigger boys are getting, well, too big for them now! So, we talked about getting a larger above-ground pool. But the thought of this makes me a nervous wreck, especially since there isn't a ladder out there that Stitch can't climb, and a cover that he can't open!
So, we decided on a...sprinkler! Cheap, fun, easy to get out and put away, and best of all, no one ever drowned in a sprinkler! The boys have been having lots of fun, and Mommy has been getting lots of pictures! (If you're my FB friend, head on over there and check 'em out!)
The boys aren't the only ones feeling the heat. Our little garden is thriving, despite the nearly triple-digit temps outside. I am especially happy about this, since I have been the one (mostly) who has been trying to keep it going. And you may not know this about me, but I cannot keep plants alive. I mean it. Not even desert plants like aloe vera. Hubby took the aloe plant that someone had given us to work with him to "save it." I think I inherited this from my grandmother (on my mom's side) who has the same problem. My mom and my other grandmother are great with plants. Not me...black thumb all the way! Which is why when I saw our first little tomato, I just had to take its picture...
Since it's summer, we've had lots of extra time to play with Legos, and since we've had some birthdays, we've gotten a couple of new sets. First-Born saved up some money and got an Egyptian adventure set, complete with obelisk and flying mummies! (That's right...flying mummies...how else could they catch the plane?) Here some pics of the finished products...the bi-plane for escaping with the jewel from the obelisk...(although I have to admit, the wing of the plane doesn't seem like the safest place for it...)
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Schedule: Friday
Well, it's finally here...Friday! We use Friday for a "fun day" in our house! This is the day we plan field trips--the zoo, a musuem, the park, or something like that. Or we stay home and do something fun around the house--art project, extra outside time, games, etc. We have worked hard all week, and love to have our "Fun Fridays!" :)
Friday
(Fun Day!)
7:00-7:30 - Wake up and make beds.
7:30-8:15 - Make and eat breakfast.
8:15-8:30 - Get dressed.
8:30-9:00 - Morning chores.
9:00-9:15 - Devotions. (No workbooks on fun days!)
9:15-1:00 - Fun time. (If we are out somewhere, we
usually eat lunch out too, or bring a
picnic. If we stay home, lunch is at the
regular time.)
1:00-3:00 - Nap/rest time. (Like on errand day, I try
to be home by nap time. It makes the
rest of the day run much more smoothly
when you don't have to deal with cranky
kiddos! Plus, they are usually extra
tired after all that fun!) :)
3:00-3:30 - First-Born's TV time.
3:30-4:30 - Middle Biscuit and Stitch's TV time and
afternoon snack.
4:30-5:30 - Outside play time.
5:30-6:00 - Make supper, inside playtime, piano
practice.
6:00-8:00 - Eat supper. (A lot of Friday nights in our
house are "pizza and a movie" night.
So, sometimes, depending on the length
of the movie, we are up past bedtime
some Fridays.)
8:00-8:30 - Get ready for bed. (Jammies, teeth
brushed, vitamins.)
8:30-9:00 - Family Bible-reading and prayer time.
9:00 - Lights out!
Well, there it is...our week! Our weekends usually don't have much of a schedule...I think it's because Daddy is home! :) Hope this was a help, and if you have any questions or extra ideas, post them in the comments! :)
Friday
(Fun Day!)
7:00-7:30 - Wake up and make beds.
7:30-8:15 - Make and eat breakfast.
8:15-8:30 - Get dressed.
8:30-9:00 - Morning chores.
9:00-9:15 - Devotions. (No workbooks on fun days!)
9:15-1:00 - Fun time. (If we are out somewhere, we
usually eat lunch out too, or bring a
picnic. If we stay home, lunch is at the
regular time.)
1:00-3:00 - Nap/rest time. (Like on errand day, I try
to be home by nap time. It makes the
rest of the day run much more smoothly
when you don't have to deal with cranky
kiddos! Plus, they are usually extra
tired after all that fun!) :)
3:00-3:30 - First-Born's TV time.
3:30-4:30 - Middle Biscuit and Stitch's TV time and
afternoon snack.
4:30-5:30 - Outside play time.
5:30-6:00 - Make supper, inside playtime, piano
practice.
6:00-8:00 - Eat supper. (A lot of Friday nights in our
house are "pizza and a movie" night.
So, sometimes, depending on the length
of the movie, we are up past bedtime
some Fridays.)
8:00-8:30 - Get ready for bed. (Jammies, teeth
brushed, vitamins.)
8:30-9:00 - Family Bible-reading and prayer time.
9:00 - Lights out!
Well, there it is...our week! Our weekends usually don't have much of a schedule...I think it's because Daddy is home! :) Hope this was a help, and if you have any questions or extra ideas, post them in the comments! :)
The Schedule: Thursday
Thursday
(Shopping and Errand Day)
7:00-7:30 - Wake up and make beds.
7:30-8:15 - Make and eat breakfast.
8:15-8:30 - Get dressed.
8:30-9:00 - Morning chores.
9:00-9:15 - Devotions. (So it won't be too late when
we start our errands, we don't usually
do workbooks on Thursdays.)
9:15-11:15 - Run errands. (This is mostly grocery
shopping, but can side trips to run
other errands as needed.)
11:15-11:30 - Come home and put away groceries.
(Sometimes, if errand running gets
late, we will grab lunch out. This is
dependent on the behavior of the
boys, which is also an added incentive
during the shopping!)
11:30-11:45 - Make lunch.
11:45-12:30 - Eat lunch.
12:30-1:00 - Extra playtime, and clean toy room.
1:00-3:00 - Nap/rest time. (Even if we eat out, I try
to be home by this time for naps.
Usually Stitch will be asleep in the
car if we've eaten, so he just gets
"transfered" to his bed!)
3:00-3:30 - First-Born's TV time.
3:30-4:30 - Middle Biscuit & Stitch's TV time and
afternoon snack.
4:30-5:30 - Outside playtime.
5:30-6:00 - Make supper; inside playtime; piano
practice.
6:00-6:45 - Eat supper.
6:45-7:15 - Clean kitchen for the night.
7:15-8:00 - Free time.
8:00-8:30 - Get ready for bed. (Baths, teeth brushed,
jammies, vitamins.)
8:30-9:00 - Family Bible-reading and prayer time.
9:00 - Lights out!
(Shopping and Errand Day)
7:00-7:30 - Wake up and make beds.
7:30-8:15 - Make and eat breakfast.
8:15-8:30 - Get dressed.
8:30-9:00 - Morning chores.
9:00-9:15 - Devotions. (So it won't be too late when
we start our errands, we don't usually
do workbooks on Thursdays.)
9:15-11:15 - Run errands. (This is mostly grocery
shopping, but can side trips to run
other errands as needed.)
11:15-11:30 - Come home and put away groceries.
(Sometimes, if errand running gets
late, we will grab lunch out. This is
dependent on the behavior of the
boys, which is also an added incentive
during the shopping!)
11:30-11:45 - Make lunch.
11:45-12:30 - Eat lunch.
12:30-1:00 - Extra playtime, and clean toy room.
1:00-3:00 - Nap/rest time. (Even if we eat out, I try
to be home by this time for naps.
Usually Stitch will be asleep in the
car if we've eaten, so he just gets
"transfered" to his bed!)
3:00-3:30 - First-Born's TV time.
3:30-4:30 - Middle Biscuit & Stitch's TV time and
afternoon snack.
4:30-5:30 - Outside playtime.
5:30-6:00 - Make supper; inside playtime; piano
practice.
6:00-6:45 - Eat supper.
6:45-7:15 - Clean kitchen for the night.
7:15-8:00 - Free time.
8:00-8:30 - Get ready for bed. (Baths, teeth brushed,
jammies, vitamins.)
8:30-9:00 - Family Bible-reading and prayer time.
9:00 - Lights out!
The Schedule: Wednesday
Wednesdays are very busy in this house because I clean, but we also have church in the evening. Here's how we try to get it all done! :)
Wednesday
(Cleaning and church day)
7:00-7:30 - Wake up and make beds.
7:30-8:15 - Make and eat breakfast.
8:15-8:30 - Get dressed.
8:30-9:00 - Morning chores.
9:00-10:00 - Devotions and workbooks. (After help-
ing the boys with their devotions, I
begin my cleaning. I try to get done
what I can while still helping them
with their workbooks.)
10:00-10:30 - Snack time. (I keep cleaning while
they eat. Usually have the kitchen
floor mopped, and have started on
cleaning the bathrooms at this point.)
10:30-11:15 - Outside playtime. (Since they are out-
side, I try to finish up all the bath-
rooms, and start the vacuuming.)
11:15-11:30 - Inside to clean toy-room so Mommy
can finish the vacuuming.
11:30-11:45 - Make lunch. (I've usually finished the
majority of the house by now.)
11:45-12:30 - Eat lunch.
12:30-1:00 - Extra playtime and put away any toys
left out before nap.
1:00-3:00 - Nap/rest time. (I use this time for prep
for our kid's program at church, and
for a kid-free shower!) :)
3:00-3:30 - First-Born's TV time.
3:30-4:30 - Middle Biscuit & Stitch's TV time and
afternoon snack. (Usually pretty light,
since we eat an earlier supper. I am
usually doing supper prep work now.
First-Born is doing his piano practice
now also.)
4:30-5:15 - Outside playtime. (I'm cooking at this
point. Supper on Wednesdays is not
very complicated--just quick!)
5:15-5:45 - Eat supper.
5:45-6:00 - Clean kitchen.
6:00-6:30 - Get ready for church.
6:30-8:30 - Church.
8:30-9:00 - Get ready for bed; family Bible-reading
prayer time.
9:00 - Lights out!
Wednesday
(Cleaning and church day)
7:00-7:30 - Wake up and make beds.
7:30-8:15 - Make and eat breakfast.
8:15-8:30 - Get dressed.
8:30-9:00 - Morning chores.
9:00-10:00 - Devotions and workbooks. (After help-
ing the boys with their devotions, I
begin my cleaning. I try to get done
what I can while still helping them
with their workbooks.)
10:00-10:30 - Snack time. (I keep cleaning while
they eat. Usually have the kitchen
floor mopped, and have started on
cleaning the bathrooms at this point.)
10:30-11:15 - Outside playtime. (Since they are out-
side, I try to finish up all the bath-
rooms, and start the vacuuming.)
11:15-11:30 - Inside to clean toy-room so Mommy
can finish the vacuuming.
11:30-11:45 - Make lunch. (I've usually finished the
majority of the house by now.)
11:45-12:30 - Eat lunch.
12:30-1:00 - Extra playtime and put away any toys
left out before nap.
1:00-3:00 - Nap/rest time. (I use this time for prep
for our kid's program at church, and
for a kid-free shower!) :)
3:00-3:30 - First-Born's TV time.
3:30-4:30 - Middle Biscuit & Stitch's TV time and
afternoon snack. (Usually pretty light,
since we eat an earlier supper. I am
usually doing supper prep work now.
First-Born is doing his piano practice
now also.)
4:30-5:15 - Outside playtime. (I'm cooking at this
point. Supper on Wednesdays is not
very complicated--just quick!)
5:15-5:45 - Eat supper.
5:45-6:00 - Clean kitchen.
6:00-6:30 - Get ready for church.
6:30-8:30 - Church.
8:30-9:00 - Get ready for bed; family Bible-reading
prayer time.
9:00 - Lights out!
The Schedule: Tuesday
Tuesday
(Library Day)
7:00-7:30 - Wake up and make beds.
7:30-8:15 - Make and eat breakfast.
8:15-8:30 - Get dressed.
8:30-9:00 - Morning chores. (Clean bedroom, wipe
table, feed cat, empty dishwasher.)
9:00-9:30 - Devotions; workbooks.
9:30-11:15 - Trip to library. (And run any necessary
errands in town.)
11:15-11:30 - Come home and read new library books.
11:30-11:45 - Make lunch.
11:45-12:30 - Eat lunch.
12:30-1:00 - Extra playtime and clean toy room.
1:00-3:00 - Nap/rest time.
3:00-3:30 - First-Born's TV time.
3:30-4:30 - Middle Biscuit & Stitch's TV time and
afternoon snack.
4:30-5:30 - Outside playtime. (Supper prep work.)
5:30-6:00 - Inside playtime; First-Born piano practice
Mommy makes supper.
6:00-6:45 - Eat supper.
6:45-7:15 - Clean kitchen for night. (Wipe table,
sweep floor, load dishwasher, take out
trash.)
7:15-8:00 - Free time.
8:00-8:30 - Get ready for bed. (Baths, teeth brushed,
jammies, vitamins.)
8:30-9:00 - Family Bible-reading and prayer time.
9:00 - Lights out!
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