We are FINALLY getting some serious snow! My kids are so excited! We went up to my in-laws this weekend an hour north of here, and they had several feet of snow, so my kids were having a ball building a snow fort, and were bemoaning the fact that we didn’t have any yet. Well, God heard their cries! It is DUMPING! Of course I have to go out for violin lessons today, so that’s not really cool, but it is SO lovely out now! I’ll have to post some pictures.
Grace
Here is our entry for the 12 Blogs of Christmas contest through Trivium Academy! We had so much fun doing this. I had the kids help me with it. Please leave us comments to let us know what your favorite parts are! Thank you!
On the first day of homeschool my mother said to me, "Here are your new pencils."
On the second day of homeschool, my mother said to me, "Where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the third day of homeschool, my mother said to me, "What are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the fourth day of homeschool, my mother said to me, "Where’d the baby’s diapers go, what are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the fifth day of homeschool, my father said to me, "OBEY YOUR MOTHER!" Mom said, "Where’d the baby’s diapers go, what are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the sixth day of homeschool, my mother said to me, "Practice your piano, Dad said, "OBEY YOUR MOTHER!" Where’d the baby’s diapers go, what are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the seventh day of homeschool, my mother said to me, "Give me that Gameboy! Practice your piano, Dad said, "OBEY YOUR MOTHER!" Where’d the baby’s diapers go, what are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the eighth day of homeschool, my mother said to me, "Let’s have Bible and History time, give me that Gameboy! Practice your piano, Dad said, "OBEY YOUR MOTHER!" Where’d the baby’s diapers go, what are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the ninth day of homeschool, my mother said to me, "Good job finishin’ your math, let’s have Bible and History time, give me that Gameboy! Practice your piano, Dad said, "OBEY YOUR MOTHER!" Where’d the baby’s diapers go, what are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the tenth day of homeschool, my mother said to me,"Let’s have a p-j day, good job finishin’ your math, let’s have Bible and History time, give me that Gameboy! Practice your piano, Dad said, "OBEY YOUR MOTHER!" Where’d the baby’s diapers go, what are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the eleventh day of homeschool, my mother said to me,"Who is my prep chef, let’s have a p-j day, good job finishin’ your math, let’s have Bible and History time, give me that Gameboy! Practice your piano, Dad said, "OBEY YOUR MOTHER!" Where’d the baby’s diapers go, what are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
On the twelfth day of homeschool, my mother said to me, I’m so proud of you all! Who is my prep chef, let’s have a p-j day, good job finishin’ your math, let’s have Bible and History time, give me that Gameboy! Practice your piano, Dad said, "OBEY YOUR MOTHER!" Where’d the baby’s diapers go, what are you doing up again, where’s your science book, and here are your new pencils."
I woke up this morning and I didn’t have a headache, and I could breathe! Thank you for your prayers for me!
The kids are all caught up to our yearly schedule, we have one more week until we break for three weeks for Christmas, the pantry is stocked, the presents are mostly bought, the tree is up, life is GOOD!!!
I just had to share…well, I am off to make some Chex party mix and some rolls with my daughter. Have a great weekend!
Grace
P.S. Thanks for the prayers, Secret sister!! Ooh! I’m so excited about you!
Prayer needs:
Me: I haven’t been feeling well since Thanksgiving. Nothing major, but the kids had the flu, which I never got, but just didn’t feel good. Now I have a very bad sinus cold.
I am also striving to "die to self" and live for my God and family, instead of what my "needs" or wants are. There is too much these days of the "take time for yourself" mentality. I got sucked up into it, and it is amazing how miserable it makes you, and how pleasing it is to take your eyes off of what you don’t have (time for myself) and go out of your way to make others lives nicer. It makes for a more pleasant mama too!
One of my best friends (aside from my dh!): Angie is the sweetest, most giving, homeschool mama, with two little ones. Her husband has been diagnosed with an aggressive neurological disease (similar to Lou Gehrig’s disease). He will be wheelchair bound in the next year, and has, at the most, 5 years to live…according to the doctors! but not necessarily according to the Great Physician! Please pray with me for Mark that God would slow his disease, provide a miracle, or provide a cure. Pray for Angie as this is so hard on her emotionally. Watching your husband degenerate has got to be agonizing.
My brother Jake and his family: My sister-in-law, Heather, is not saved. God has been working mightily in her life (and in my brother’s life) but please pray that she would see God’s light, that they would be able to move out of where they are now (extenuating circumstances make it very hard) and closer to their church and family (us!). Also, pray that Jake will be the family leader that he needs to be.
These are what are dearest to my heart right now. Thank you for praying!
Grace
I forgot to post the most exciting news of yesterday! My brother called me and said that they are finally going to catch up with us! I’m going to be an Auntie again! They are expecting their sixth baby this summer! A new baby, and it isn’t mine! When they told their kids, one of my nephews (he’s almost 6) said, "That’s why you’re so fat!" HAHAHA!! Poor mama….My brother said he told him he better shut his mouth or he was liable to get smacked! Too funny!
Auntie Grace (8 times over now!)
You all make your blogs so pretty. Kris made mine pretty, but I have no idea how to change it for the seasons like you all do, or add cute designs. I don’t make the time to figure it out either though, so I guess that’s my bad.
I have been reading a fabulous new book! I hosted the Ladies Luncheon at my house a couple of weeks ago, and one of our lovely church ladies loaned it to me! It is called Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God. It’s co-written by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald. It is SO wonderful! Every woman should read it! I blogged about it a few entries ago, but never thought I would be able to get my hands on it so soon! If you can get your hands on it, DO! Ask for it for Christmas! It is SO pertinent, and timely for me.
The first chapter paints a picture of a harried mom with 5 kids, who dreams of the "good" life. I was really feeling like that just a day before it was loaned to me, and then my Scouts got sick and needed to stay home from church, so I stayed with them and spent most of the day reading this! I usually take forever to finish a book, and I think I will have this done in three weeks, which is a major record for me!
Anyway, I just wanted to prompt you ladies to get ahold of this and read it. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Oh! I just remembered this! I got an email from Homeschooling Today, and if you subscribe, they send you this book for free! It’s a $16 book, but you can get the magazine subscription for $21 (I think) and then get the book for free! I was thinking about doing that, just so I get more for my money! I want one of these books on my shelf to re-read regularly, and for my daughter to read when she is a teen. Hey! How about get one of these for your teen daughter for Christmas! Then you can sneak read it, but you won’t be spending the money on YOU! That’s how I am anyway….
Ok, dh just got home, so I am getting off now. Ah…and he brought me a treat from town! How sweet!!! I love my dh!
Grace
I am so bad about making the time to post on here. I wind up spending most of my online time reading other people’s blogs, or surfing around on interesting links from other blogs! Geesh!
Tonight, I was helping the boys distribute the Boy Scout popcorn that they sold, and I accidentally went down a wrong driveway…I was turning around when I saw a big flashlight shining at me and was pretty sure there was someone on the other side of the light coming toward me. It wasn’t the best neighborhood (not sure why we sold there, but it is near our house) so I finished turning around, and got out of there. I figured that was the end, but after I pulled into the RIGHT driveway, had gotten out of the car, opened the back, and was getting the popcorn out, I hear a truck on the road behind me. I look up to see the truck pass the driveway I am in, slam on his brakes, back up, and come toward me with his plow! I prayed, "God protect us!" 
and told my 7yo cub scout to go up onto the porch. I was hoping he would knock on the door so that I would have backup! (He was too scared to do so.) This guy jumps out of his truck and starts reaming 
me for pulling in his driveway, how he is sick of people doing it, how he has been taking down license plates and calling the police, etc. I told him I was sorry, and that I was just delivering Boy Scout popcorn and had accidentally pulled down the wrong driveway. I don’t think he even listened to me! He continued to tell me to quit driving down his driveway, made reference to not usually "packing" (!) and left. My heart was pounding so hard!
My dad and husband told me I should report it, so I did call the Troopers. I don’t know what good it will do, but the gal that bought the popcorn said that he confronted her last summer too. I think maybe he was growing something in his kitchen if you know what I mean, and doesn’t like visitors. There is a lot of that going on here….
Well, just so you all know I’m not sitting around eating bon-bons and watching the tube….
Grace
I actually have a menu, or at least a list of recipes to make this week! I made it last Wednesday as I sat in the car, waiting for my 11yo to finish his piano lesson. The piano teacher’s house is between our house and town, but not really close enough to anything to actually run any errands. It has worked out pretty well though, as I usually use the time to clean out the car, read a book (not very productive with four little one climbing around!), or make other plans. This week I thought far enough in advance to bring my cookbooks and make a list of recipes I wanted to make this week! Here it is:
Hamburger Soup with Barley
Taco Soup with Black Beans 
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Evie’s Spanish Rice
Tostadas
Empanada Pie
Italian Style Shepherd’s Pie
All of these are new recipes too! I love trying new recipes. Last week, I also made steak, overnight mashed potatoes, garlic bread, salad, and German Chocolate Cake on Friday night for dh’s birthday; leftovers with frozen pizza on Saturday night, and then dh and I made tacos on Sunday night.
Tonight, I tried the Taco Soup recipe. It was in my Fix It and Forget It crockpot recipe book, on page 36 for those of you who have that book. It was scrumptious!! I made cornbread to go with it, and we put cheese and sour cream on top of the soup. It has more of a chili than a soup consistency. SO good!
Tomorrow will have to be something simple though, as my 7yo has an eye appointment tomorrow at 4:30pm, and then we will probably just stay in town until Boy Scouts at 6:30pm. I need to pick up new piano books for my 11yods anyway.
That reminds me…I need to work on cutting out wolf profiles and letters from some fleece I picked up at JoAnn’s for my 7yods’s Cub Scout den to make their flag. I bought 1 yard of $3/yard thick tan khaki material, which needs to be hemmed for the actual flag. Then I picked up some fleece on a 40% off sale: gray for the wolf profiles and goldish orange for the letters. I figure I will cut out letters to spell out: Pack 367 Wolf Den 2007. Then the boys can draw faces on their wolves along with their name, and glue them onto to khaki material. It only cost me about $6 total! I also bought 3 bottles of craft glue at $.99/each. I am dealing with 10 extremely wild 8yo boys …well, actually 8 wild ones, and 2 mellow ones, the two homeschooled ones! 
Dh is reading a P.B. Bear book to the little kids right now with a heavy Scottish accent. It’s hilarious! He is so funny! The older two boys are even being entertained!
Oh, and my 2yo just flushed his favorite bathtub duckie named George down the toilet. He is crying, "I want to see George again!" Hard lessons…