My 2011 Goals

Is it still ok to make new goals if you didn't do your ones from last year?

I'm guessing I'll do better with a shorter list!


~I talked about my money goals here but when I re-read it, I noticed that it all had to do with spending.....like all the stuff I wanna buy. And really I didn't mean it like that. It was more of a plan so as to SAVE better or at least spend smarter. But that's a big one and I may even do a blog update every month with a few more details. Or would that be totally boring?? What do you think?

~I am still working on menuing better. It saves so much money when I am prepared, have a detailed list, and a calculator. Usually I make it out the door with only one of the three. I keep trying new recipes and learning to use up what we have. Library cookbooks are a great help.

When we were in CO I used to get free copies of Cooking Light magazine from the library. We are still reaping the benefits of those days! A couple of months ago one of my Awana peeps was selling junk for school. You know those booklets filled with overpriced wrapping paper and cookie dough? I wanted to buy something from her so I started looking for the most practical thing I could find. And there were magazine subscriptions! And Cooking Light! So I went with that.

But time passed and no magazine. I figured I just donated $10 to the cause and forgot about it. But today there was a surprise in my mailbox! Can you guess? So along with checking out cookbooks from the library I have my very own copy of Cooking Light with my own name on it!

Yep, life is good.

~I want to be consistant with some sort of exercise. I'm such a wimp with a million excuses.

~I have 2 elderly friends that I want to spend more time with.

~I need to speak sweetly. Sometimes I get so frustrated with the way I hear my kids speak to each other but then I realize that they are like little tape recordings of ME. But that starts in my heart. From the wellspring of the heart the mouth speaks. So I want to be careful about taking my thoughts captive to make them obedient to Christ...2 Cor 10:5

~I have found that it usually takes me about 2 years to finish my Bible without hurrying. I am almost in Deuteronomy now so I hope to finish the Old Testament this year.

~I want to pray longer, better, and harder. I wanna be a Moses who takes takes "it" before the Lord. I wanna fall more in love with Him everyday.

~I want to spend more time with COW and be more creative with date nights. I don't want to take my family for granted but to put forth effort to make them feel loved. I don't want to ever fall into an auto pilot mode.

~And last...I need to be on top of my schedule and keep things a bit tighter in the mornings. It is easy for time to get away from us in the mornings and we find ourselves doing school late into the afternoons. And let me tell you that does nothing for my speaking sweetly goal! So when school starts on Monday I'm turning off the phone and computer until everyone is done. I hope it helps.

Go Fit

We got one of these for Christmas! I've only done it once but I've never hurt so much after exercising in my whole life! Oh thank you LB for my rice bag......

I like it b/c it's easy to put together...if you call clipping and unclipping putting together... , it fits in one bag, and you can take it or do it anywhere. There's actually a few more resistance tubes than are pictured but it's just right for the bag that's included.

It's way up there on my favorites list of what my kids got for Christmas.

I don't have any lofty fitness goals for the new year but I would like to find something that I would be consistant with. Maybe this is a good start.

Moses And Andie

In Numbers 27, there is a situation where some ladies were making a special request of Moses.

"So Moses brought their case before the Lord." Numbers 27:5

He didn't say, "I'll think about it", or "We'll see...". But he took it straight to God to see what He would say about it.

My friend Andie is like that. Andie is such a great example of godliness to me and I want to be just like her when I grow up.

One day I asked her advice about a math program for my daughter. Andie is a math whiz and has taught in the christian school. I wanted to draw from her experience. Her answer was classic. "I'll pray about it." And she did!

Now if it were me I probably would've rattled off all the pros and cons and ins and outs of everything I knew. I would've been quick to air my opinion and give a hasty answer. Or as Oswald Chambers says, "trusting in my wits instead of to God." But not Andie and not Moses. They bring it to the Lord instead.

That is the humility of knowing that God is everything and we are nothing without Him.
Today I want to bring it, whatever "it" is, before the Lord in Moses fashion.

I've enjoyed my time with Moses in Exodus-Numbers. His time is almost up and Joshua will be stepping in. And since we have a strong boy named after this strong leader, you could say I'm a little partial to Joshua. I'm looking forward to what God is going to teach me through him.

In Case You Haven't Had Enough Christmas..

Merry Christmas 2 Days Ago!

Or as Jes says, "2 sleeps backwards".


Did you have a wonderful Christmas?


I won't bore you with all our Christmas pix b/c I think they are all fun....BUT just in case you're in the mood to be bored they're all right here!


Here's something neat we did this year. My in-laws are in FL but we skyped them and it was like they were right there in the corner of the living room watching all the action.


Then we skyped Rommel in CA and visited with him and the kids showed off their Christmas presents.

It was like a coast to coast Christmas. Isn't technology nifty?

And speaking of nifty technology, I'm typing to you now on my new NETBOOK!! And it's even pink. And fits in my purse. I love it.


But now it's Monday. Honey's back at work. We're taking down the Christmas stuff and cleaning up the house. And let me tell you it's a wreck. But that's ok, it was fun.

A Most Wonderful Day!

Today was just one of those days where everything was WONDERFUL. It started off with my eyes matted shut with conjunctivitis. I seem to get this at least once a year. I'm convinced it's not really pinkeye though b/c my husband and kids never catch it. But whatever.

So after cleaning out my eyes and saying good-bye to my big girls who were off to Branson early with friends, I settled in to read my Bible.

Phil 2:5 says, "your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
and I read a great definition of this that goes... "it's laying down for the good of others what you have the right to claim for yourself." ( The Love Dare)

Don't you love that? But if you have the time, read Phil 2:5-8 to get it in the full context.

So anyway, after breakfast and chores I read it to the kids and we talked about it a good long time and how it can be practically applied. Good talk. And I do think that imitating Christ will be my theme of 2011 as well as my ongoing one of altering the landscape.

Honey didn't come home for lunch today but I had a great visit with my friend Becky. She is one who gets to the heart of the matter and I always appreciate that.

But school was moving sloooow. And it was a glorious day! Way too nice to be inside bent over books. If everyone had been working diligently all along I wouldn't have hesitated to put it up and go outside. But since they weren't, I kinda felt pulled between enforcing a lesson and enjoying the weather.

Then Honey called and set the matter straight. Mercy, he said. And he was the hero! With me too. I also had a few minutes to talk to him about another way of altering the landscape that I've been praying about. And that was good.

So we put the books up and headed out. Tennis and football in the street. Ripsticks and trikes. 40 Feet Tall on the tramp, and walking around the block and visiting with another friend. Ahhh.....soaking up the vitamin D.

Mayfee checked the mail and there was a Christmas card from a friend with a nice long letter. I went in, made some hot chocolate, and enjoyed reading my letter in total silence while everyone was still happy outside. Life is good.

I took some bread to my elderly neighbor across the street. She loves to have anyone to visit with. I really just needed to work out a quick date with her but she invited me in and showed me all her antiques and every story behind them. And told me all about her friends that I don't know. It was a good 30 minute tour. She is a treasure!

A simple dinner then LB and I got to go to Stormy and MJ's. My cutsie boy has lost his front 2 teeth and is as precious as ever. "perfect" if ya ask him. I also got to talk with his momma a bit as it was her day to visit. She looked great. And before we left, Honey and the kids prayed for them. I also got permission to pick them up from Granny's next week for movie night. Oh happy day!! I love any time that I get to spend with them.

Home at last to a game of Sorry with my little ppl. I got to be red. And I won!
Christmas bedtime books and prayers and talking about Phil 2:5 one more time.

And now a quiet house. A phone call from my girls who are away and they wish I could've seen the Christmas Carol show they saw. I love them.

Thank you God for such a wonderful day!

Menu Plan This Week

I'm happy to say that I'm done shopping anywhere until after Christmas! Of course this morning I checked out the toilet paper situation and discovered that we'll hafta be extra careful to make it these next 3 days.

Here's what we're eating between now and then...

Today
Breakfast - cereal and muffins
Snack - fresh bread and butter
Lunch - meatball minestrone and bread
Tea - clementines
Dinner - leftover soup with cheese toast and salad

Tomorrow
Breakfast - cereal
Snack - chex mix
Lunch - tuna and crackers
Tea - carrots and tuscan dip
Dinner - turkey, mashed potatoes, veggie bake, salad

Friday
Breakfast - apple strudel
Snack - bagels with cream cheese
Lunch - leftovers
Tea - apples and cheese
Dinner - pizza - I'm thinking about making mini pizzas and letting everyone decorate their own.

Christmas!!
Breakfast - muffins
Lunch - sub sandwiches and chips
Dinner - Big Breakfast ....waffles, biscuits and gravy, eggs, turkey sausage, hashbrowns, juice
Dessert - still thinking.... better be something that doesn't require a trip to the store! Ideas??

And then there's Sunday. And that means church and date night (!) and cleaning out the fridge for lunch. My date night menu = free Papa Murphey's pizza, fries, and ice cream sundaes.

Some Texas Goodness

(With no pix yet. Sorry.)

We just got home from a weekend trip to visit my family for Christmas. A short trip but full of some fun.....

~CT just comes alive on the farm. He loves it loves it loves it. So his favorite present was a coupon to come stay with Nana and G'pa anytime he wants and stay as long as he wants. Lane got one too. He's already planning his next trip.

~Lots of g'mothers in the same place at the same time. Remarkable really. We are blessed to still have so many. And I tell you they look prettier every time I see them.

~Love my parents! All of them.

~Cookie decorating.

~Thoughtful presents and yummy food.

~Deer watching.

~New shoes for Eldest.

~Pestering Lane at 2am b/c she shared a bed with me and I could. It was a funny night.

~The mouse in the laundry room did not bite my face off.

~Movie night. The Wizard Of Oz. A first for some of us.

~A packed van. Seriously. And then we realized that some of us smuggled in big teddy bears and stuffed animals that took up substantial real estate. Ahem.

~A drive home a different way that was very pretty and shaved some time off the trip.

Thank you so much to my sweet family. I love you all so much!!

I Wanna Be A Caleb!

Numbers chapter 14 tells the story of the 12 spies going into the promised land. 10 spies report that the land is good but there is NO way of taking it. Might as well start packing for Egypt. And the entire Israelite community starts grumbling and wailing! Seriously...over the opinions of only 10.

But Joshua and Caleb saw things differently even though they did not disagree with the report that was given. Their trust was in the God Who had proved Himself mighty on their behalf...not in the strength of man. Joshua and Caleb did not, as Oswald Chambers says, "enthrone common sense". They were recklessly abandoned to God. They did not judge by outward appearance but trusted the Lord to bring about what He promised. Their eyes were on God, not men.

Of Caleb, God says he "has a different spirit and follows Me wholeheartedly." Numbers 14:24

I wanna be a Caleb!

Zumba Kids

This is for my friend Robbie who sent me a Zumba dvd for Christmas. I'd never even heard of Zumba! Am I behind the times or what? The second I put it on I had lotsa kiddos giggling and wiggling. It was fun.

Thank you Robbie!

Ramblings Of Recently

~I got pulled over for speeding yesterday. 45 in a 35. Grrrr.....
But he was merciful and let me off with a warning. Jes thought it was really cool and couldn't wait to tell all the kids at home.

~We have apples! Azure Standard finally delivered. 40# of organic fujis to play with. 1 box is almost gone already. Mostly we've just been eating them but I've also made an apple dip and some spiced apples that the kids were crazy about. I'm down to my last quart of applesauce so that's my project for later this week.

~Snotty noses around here. I usually avoid whatever goes around but not this time. Gotta hurry and get well for Awana tomorrow. This is our last one of the year and I can NOT miss! I'm hoping my visitor from last week comes back. I love my Awana peeps......

~I'm so close to being finished with our Christmas shopping. You should see our closets. Our walk-in closets are now peek-in-from-the-door closets. Mally and I have some wrapping to do. She's been wanting to wrap and scrapbook with me. My scrapbook stuff is waaayyy back in the back of my closet so that's not going to happen.

~Getting ready to go to Texas!

~I had 2 cookie sheets of hamburgers ready for the grill last night when Honey came in and said it was broken! Augh..... So on to plan B. Which was supposed to be today's lunch.

~I've been working on the flylady routines to clean our house. Not bad. This week is the bathroom and 1 extra room. For us this means Lane cleaned all the tubs yesterday while I cleaned the boys' bathroom. Today I'm going to rearrange Mally's closet (1 extra room). And the rest of the week we'll keep plugging along at various things in those rooms. I'll have the kids clean out the cabinets and drawers, windex the pix, clean the baseboards, and scrub the grout in the boys' bathroom. The thing I like about this system is that it is not time consuming like the all day Friday housecleaning was. It's pretty easy when we divide it up.

Today's meals...
Breakfast - leftover cream of wheat. We never have leftovers of this b/c the kids LOVE it. But yesterday I used sucanat in it and nobody was impressed. Weird...sucanat's yummy. For some reason it didn't go with the cream of wheat so well. I doubt anybody's going to be too excited to see it again.

Lunch - cottage cheese and last night's leftovers.

Dinner - salisbury steak (gotta do something with those hamburgers), mashed potatoes, broccoli, and salad

Snack - smoothies
Tea - apples and dip

2011 Financial Goals

I've been thinking about some goals for the new year and reviewing my last year's goals.

For this year I'd like my major area of change to be the way I manage our cash budget.
This year was not so great as I was often over budget in one category and had to supplement from another...or from my personal allowance.

I'm not sure just how to do better with the groceries unless we drastically change the way we eat. Honey was not in favor of that idea....and I'm glad. So I will pray for wisdom and be careful with my menuing.

My main goal in managing the cash is to only spend 1/2 of what is in the envelope. That means that I will have to save up double for whatever I want to buy and will be more careful with misc spending.

I've also made a list of purchases that would be nice for 2011.

~wood floors
~gas logs
~porch lights
~bathroom faucets
~new sheets
~floor lamp for dining room
~pressure canner

~more foods from the farmer's market to can. I'm loving my canned foods. So much that I'm a little stingy with them and I hate to empty a jar. That means in order to feed my food-in-jars addiction, I need more food in jars.

~a laptop for Lane. Her's just broke and I'm praying for a new one.

~keyboard upgrade for kids. 3 kids taking piano lessons now and we'd love to have a full-sized keyboard.

~Nourishing Traditions book

Obviously some of these are major and would not come out of the cash budget. And many of these will have to wait. But hopefully having the planned purchases before me will help keep my eyes on the bigger picture.

Christmas Play

Our family was involved in the Christmas play at Immanuel this morning.

Loved it!!

Everyone had a speaking part except our eldest son who helped with the presentation portion.

Basically the kids presented the sermon this morning through singing and acting out the nativity.

My shepherds. See the staffs? During rehearsal my son got a nice staff for about 2 minutes. They they decided that the guy playing Joseph should have it so he lost it. The next morning, all 3 boys got up first thing dressed in coats to find some sticks to make staffs. I even had to make a trip to the store for some sand paper.

The littlest wise man. Isn't he cute? He hated the outfit, said it was "too gurly", but did a great job anyway.

Sing!

Remembering her lines and smiling at the same time.

Me and some Awana babes. So happy to see them there and for my family to meet them.

At the end there were little bags full of apples, oranges, nuts, and candy with a tract. A very thoughtful touch.

Thank you kids, thank you Immanuel. Great job!!

All Better!

Know what I did this afternoon?

Moved all the plates and cups back to the bottom cabinets. I moved them up top after some grumbling from the taller set but it was just too much trouble for the little ones to unload the dishwasher with everything way too high. And since they are the ones that unload the dishwasher most often, back to the bottom they went!

Of course that meant moving all the tupperware and the smaller appliances and just about 1/2 the kitchen once I got started.

WHY do we have empty cottage cheese containers? And a zillion (maybe more) tupperware lids without bowls? No more!

And while I'm at it, how 'bout reorganizing the pantry too?

Niiiice.......Momma's happy.

Now to tackle the drawers.....

Today

Today was not my best. Ever have one of those?

Nothing big. Just lots of little things. Wasted time. Missed opportunities.
The kids were not quite themselves either and I didn't respond the way I wished I would've.

The Christmas party at church was fun though and I'm glad my girls were there. Abigail's wooden fish and calculator provided the laugh that I really needed.

I'm glad it's bedtime and I hope I get another chance to try again tomorrow.

Teach Me To Bless

In Numbers 6, I found a great lesson this morning.

"The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his son, "This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them...." Numbers 6:22

It's followed by the famous blessing that's quoted in movies and books "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

Did you notice how the Lord taught Moses and Aaron how to bless? Right down to the specific words to say. It reminds me of the fact that there is nothing good in myself. All good things are from the Lord.

I'm not very thoughtful. Kindnesses don't come so easily to me and I miss lots of opportunities to love others. My selfishness keeps me from thinking of others. Sometimes I think of things later but feel so bad to have missed it.

Now I'm praying for the Lord to teach me to bless just as He did for Moses and Aaron. A kind word, a card, a phone call, a gift, an invitation, a prayer, maybe just a smile......whatever.

But since it doesn't come to me naturally I was happy to read this lesson this morning and pray for the Lord to put it into practice in me!

She's Done!

After 2 years of twisting, pulling, rubber bands, picking colors, making appts and being careful of what she ate, her braces are OFF!! And I think Drs Udouj and Bobak did a beautiful job.

On the way home we had to stop and get doritos. Because we could!

I love seeing the different stages of teeth. It just speaks of healthy growth and sweet change.

What a change! In so many ways. Love that little girl face...and the big girl face. Isn't she pretty?! Congratulations LB!!

Ramblings Of Recently

~Friday! You probably knew that already though, huh? I've decided to take off school every Friday from now til Christmas in order to do Christmasy type things with the kids. We have some crafts to make, some shopping and wrapping to do, a gingerbread house to decorate, and some baking to drool over. Today is shopping with Jes....and maybe someone else, and finishing the Christmas letter.

~Do you want a Christmas pic/letter? If so, e-mail me your address.

~Grocery shopping this week with Mally and ZBoy. And GASP! I locked them in the car!! In their carseats! But wait. Mally's big enough to climb right out and unlock the door. So that's what she did. Why did I have that moment of panic? I guess from having babies so long that could not climb in and out of carseats by themselves and that was always a fear of mine....especially in the summer. Even though all was well and it was NO big deal, I was shaky when she opened the door.

~My younger kids are in the Christmas play at Immanuel. We've been practicing their parts and today we'll work on the song. I hope a lot of my Awana babes are there so they can meet my kids.

~LB has had such a blessed week. Wed was Awana and she came to me earlier in the day and said, "Hey Mom, tonight is Awana!" (My sentiments exactly...we both missed the week off) Yesterday she got most of her braces off and got to spend the morning baking and visiting with the ladies at church. Today she spends the day with my friend Becky doing some Christmas stuff with her.

~Know what? Even with all my company and special Thanksgiving food I was only $5 over budget in my groceries. I figured I could take that out of gifts...don't ya think?

~But know what else? I also kept all my allowance money for the whole pay period! As in I didn't spend any of it. The reason that is so significant is b/c I always use my allowance to supplement any other catagories that are short. So that means all was in balance!

I need some new chapstick. And my favorite kind is pricey. But there was no way I was going to break that $20 to buy chapstick! (I wonder how long I can keep it this time??) Later I found some more chapstick in my Awana bag that I forgot I had.

~We had some jurisdiction changes this week. 2 of them I'm especially happy about. My eldest son is now in charge of all the laundry and my 9 yo is in charge of making cereal. Both of them have done great this week.

~I started a new Margaret Jenson book yesterday. I cried from the start. But then the flood gates were opened and I cried about everything.... a friend of Honey's that I prayed for that I don't even know, the recent fight I had with Honey, everything. Finally I decided to sleep it off.
Probably shouldn't pick up that book again for awhile!

Today's meals ~
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - spaghetti and other leftovers
Dinner - pizza, salad, and apple crisp
Tea - oatmeal muffins

Awana Night!

Awana night! Boy did I miss them last week when we had to break for Thanksgiving. Whatever will I do this summer??
Here's the girl of the night. My one and only who used to never speak has earned her first red jewel! I'm sooo proud of her! Not only that, but she's also talking more in general and is speaking up instead of whispering in my ear. Great job!

Me and my class. We were missing some tonight.

Cuddles.

Silly boy!

Happy to be back!

Good lookin.

Sweet.

Tonight....

We sang a Christmas song.

Ate hot dogs and chips for supper.

Prayed for better grades, healing, and for those who weren't there.

Played some new games.

Worked on Verses.

Earned some awards.

Admired MJ's new trick and loose tooth.

Listened to Joey's new song.

Doesn't this look like a ton of fun?

It is!!

The Christmas Spirit

J.I. Packer has a great definition of the Christmas spirit in his book, Knowing God.

"The Christmas spirit does not shine out in the Christian snob. For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor - spending and being spent - to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care, and concern, to do good to others - and not just their own friends - in whatever way there seems need."

THAT'S what I want to be! That's what I'm praying for.

My Christmas List

The Christmas tree is up and it's oh so beauty-ful. I love putting the tree up as early as possible....not as early as Robbie...but still! It makes the whole house so pretty and every year I think about how disappointed I'll be to take it down and pull out the regular stuff again. It's never like that though. Somehow the new wears off and I'm ready to pack it away again. I guess that's the way it should be.

But now I know the days will fly by between now and Christmas. There's lots of things I want to remember to do this year....

~Ride the train at Creekmore
~Decorate the gingerbread house.
~Write our Christmas letter for the first time ever. Can I do it??
~Read Come And Behold Him aloud. Finished chapter 1 today.
~Read Dicken's The Christmas Carol. I've always wanted to read this book and last year one of my girls got it for Christmas and gave it me. I'm about 1/3 through it.
~Watch the movie. I love the George C Scott version.
~Visit my family in TX
~Watch my kids in IBC's Christmas program.
~Bake!
~Read through our advent book.
~Do a Christmas lap book.
~Shop
~Egg nog night
~Put together Christmas bags for my Awana class
~Take lots of pictures

Family Is Here! Happy Thanksgivivng!

Our family is here for Thanksgiving and we're having a blast! Here's some shots of what's going on....

Grandpa teaching the girls how to play Battleship

Making cookies. These two made all our desserts this year.
Chloe learned to make Uncle Mike's tea.

Some little boys playing under the table in my room. We moved all the chairs out so it could be another sleeping spot.

Aunt Mich and Zero picking songs.

Uncle Steve and Zero.

Football! This is what my room looks like. 5 kids on my floor and 1 in the bathtub.
Love it!

Making sugar cookies. Grandma said this was so much fun. I told her anything that makes this big a mess has to be fun.

Thank you God for our sweet family!

Forgiven

Have you ever been surprised by your sin? Like totally blindsided b/c you didn't see it coming? At all.

Then WHAM!

That was me today. I had a perfect opportunity to wait on the Lord, rest, and trust. But instead I threw a fit. And to be totally honest, I saw nothing wrong with it until hours later. I felt fully justified in my anger.

But now. Sigh.....

I should've handled it differently. I shouldn't have cared so much about my "rights".

But here we are, the day before Thanksgiving, and I am exceedingly grateful that I am forgiven! By the blood of Christ my sins are covered and I am clean!

Thank you God.

My Heart's Desire

Isaiah 58:6-12

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Today

~Today started the first of our Christmas traditions. Shoe box shopping for Operation Christmas Child. So much fun. I love how excited the kids get picking presents for someone they'll never even meet.

~A big long day of grocery shopping. 3 stores. 3 hours. But I had a little son with me so at least I had some good company. He kept the calculator tally and it was a game to see how close we actually got when it rung up.

~Honey's office gives out turkeys for Thanksgiving. So nice. But extra nice b/c they gave us 2! I'm very thankful.

~3 more sleeps until Mally's b-day. She's so excited. But not for anything in particular. She doesn't ask for anything or have any grand plans. She's just excited that it's her day.

~I had no menu this week. Can you believe it? For some reason I couldn't even think of what to eat. And every night I flew by the seat of my pants. I HATED it. It was so much pressure to think everyday instead of just once a week. Thinking once a week is about all I can do.

~Remember I said that I wasn't going to clean house on Fridays anymore? Problem is...I didn't come up with an alternate plan. If you don't do it on Fridays you still have to do it sometime don't ya? But I haven't figured it out yet.

~This wasn't my best planned week. Can you tell?

~Do you know what I did do this week though? I prayed a lot. I prayed for MJ, Stormie, and JJ. I prayed for my other Awana peeps. I prayed for my family. I prayed for Honey's back. And for some friends who aren't getting along. I prayed for a sick baby. And I prayed for the lady whose mom died and she couldn't send my paperback swap book.

~And BTW, thank you for praying for my Awana kids too. I felt so loved this week by ppl asking about them and telling me about the prayers going up on their behalf. All for kids you don't know! Thank you so much.

A Soap Box

Sometimes blogs are handy for such things, don't ya think?


There has been a conversation circulating through my homeschool e-mail loop concerning youth groups. It is generally felt by most homeschoolers these days that youth groups are not the place to be. But there has been some teaching in recent years from ultra-conservative pastors (and yes, I like them) that youth groups are actually unBiblical .


It's premise states that the youth group is taking the responsibility off the parents' shoulders to shepherd their own kids. That God places the responsibility of the training of children on parents and the church should leave it at that.


I agree with some of it...BUT.


Not everyone has parents who even care about such things. Not everyone has the luxury of a dad. Much less a dad who is involved in their lives. And the movement says that the church families should open their own homes and be something of a mentor in these cases....showing children what a family should look like.


Again I agree...BUT.


There are also cases in which it is unsafe to do so. That is kinda what it came down to with BigBoy for us. The church, however, is a safe place.


In the church you can invest in a huge way. You can feed their spirits as well as their bodies. You can provide for material needs in some cases. You can pray in a way "where 2 or 3 are gathered together". And oh...it's a good work.

I'm not saying that youth group is a good place for every kid. Of course, every parent should pray over opportunities and seek God's will. But I am saying that just because it's not right for some doesn't mean it's not right for all. There is a place of opportunity there to invest in those who have nothing else. And in most cases the parents consider it a safe (good) place to be so they will let the kids come.

I remember being invited to my friend's youth group. It is where I learned about the rapture. I remember the teacher seemed to really care...and not just waiting out the time. It was never my peer group but I never felt out of place. And though I didn't go very often, I look back and see that it was a good place for me to be.


That said, I should mention that our kids have never been a part of a youth group. Our church is small and doesn't have what most would consider to be one. They serve in other places and we participate where we can. But just b/c it's not something we've chosen for our family, I still think it's beneficial for some...either by serving or participating.

The Lord has grown me in ways that I never expected working through church programs that I used to think were silly. I have had the privilege of stepping outside myself and caring for, praying for, and loving others that have changed me forever.

I have learned not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. You never know what God will call you to do. And I want to be careful what I speak out against..especially if there is a possibility of treading a line of division.

Once Again

The Lord has done such a work on me this year. Starting in the summer w/VBS, Awana this fall, and now through MJ and Stormie's family tragedy.


I won't be able to adequately describe it all and make it make sense, but I'm gonna give it a shot b/c I don't wanna forget.


I've been introduced to a different world in which kids sleep with whomever has paid the bills that month, wear clothes that have been long outgrown and worn out, and don't generally expect any birthday presents.


I live in another world of cushy extravagance and don't even know it. I'm ashamed at what I take for granted.


Remember I told you about Isaiah 58:6-12? Well here's part of the place where the change has occurred.


In verse 9 it says, “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, ".....


Last year I'm embarrassed to confess that I would've pointed my finger and said things like, "How can the mom not see that her kid needs his face washed?" or "WHERE is his mother?" or "Why doesn't she step up and do the work?" Malicious talk at it's finest.


But now. O Lord forgive me. I would be in the exact same place if not for the grace of God.


Poverty is such an oppressor. And just like in the dark ages of history, when you are struggling just to get by the extras fall by the wayside. And if I didn't know if I'd have a place to sleep tomorrow I doubt I'd notice a messy face or give thoughts about clothes.


I believe it's more from ignorance than lack of desire for some. If I had had an abusive childhood, been introduced to drugs, and made different choices then how would I know how to do it differently? Again the grace of God. And the humble reminder that I don't know anything.


I am so thankful for my Awana peeps, VBS, and Immanuel for how God has used them to humble me. How blessed I am.


And again I feel the *need* to alter the landscape.

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I, Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

Please God. Send me.

Please Pray

My sweet boy MJ and his brother and sister have just been placed in foster care. I can't even imagine how scared they are.

Please PLEASE pray for them.

A couple of days ago I was reading My Utmost For His Highest. Here's something I underlined...
"God is bringing you into places and among people and into conditions in order that the intercession of the Spirit in you may take a particular line. "

And OH how I pray that God will hear my intercession on behalf of these kids.

Our Saturday In Pix

This was quite the emotional day. Well really it was a great day .... until I heard about my Awana peeps. And then it went south immediately. But here's what happened before that.

Honey was out of town with 2 of our boys and Lane so sweetly offered to paint the front door as a surprise for him. It was this off-shade-pinkish-reddish-girly color that does NOT go on front doors. Now it's a shiny black that looks way better. And while the front doors were wide open a BIRD (a real one!) zoomed in right past her head.

Giggles and squeals and in a flash he was trapped between the window and the blinds in the dining room. Lane reached in (with her bare hand!) and grabbed him.

It was quite the excitement. And isn't that nice of him to look at the camera?

Then I put E to work hanging some curtains for me.

Good job! And my room has a more "finished" look. Thank you Amy!

My kids favorite thing to do in my room is play with the money jar. They dump it out and spell their names and make pictures out of the coins.

Doofus Dog licking all the water out of the tub when the littles got out.

And while they were taking baths and playing with quarters I cleaned all this junk out of my nightstand!

And now it looks like this...

Well it used to look like this. It's been 2 days ya know.

My boys learned to juggle.

This kept them busy all day.

And Eldest and E made 2 Thanksgiving pies for the freezer.

Nice!

Out of order pix b/c Blogger hates me.

And there ya have it.

Update on my Awana kids...they go to court tomorrow at 2:50. Please keep praying!

Done!

I am finished with housecleaning on Fridays. I hate it.

I don't hate housecleaning. I rather like it really.

But not all at once on Friday no matter how many hands I have working. I think the kids hate it too. And I can't even say that it's nice to have everything clean at the same time b/c that's not even possible I've decided.

So it's time to move on to a different way. I've always liked the Flylady approach. I think I need to adapt it to our house.

Problem is that so many "systems" have you doing weekly chores. I don't have many of those. For instance, our house needs to be vacuumed every 10 minutes at least once a day. Everything seems to take a long time.

But I'm going to try to be more careful to do stuff (or have it done) before it really needs doing. Do you think that'll work?

How do you do your housecleaning??

Chicken Salsa Pasta

This is a quick and yummy recipe.

1 box penne pasta cooked and drained
1 bell pepper chopped
1/2 onion chopped
2 C cooked chicken (bite sized)
3 cloves garlic
2 1/2 C salsa
grated cheddar

Saute garlic, onion, and pepper in a little oil until tender. Add chicken and salsa. Pour all over the pasta and top with cheese.

I usually add a handful of cheese to stir into the mix then add some to the top.
This is good with refried beans and chips.

You can throw the leftovers in the crockpot, add a little more salsa and it's perfect for lunch the next day.

Happy Eating!

Glory Day!

I've been praying for my Awana kids today. And especially for a couple who don't get to come much. I was asking the Lord to bless them and to bring them back to class. MJ gets to spend every Wed at his g'ma's. And according to his sister, Grandma's house is the place to be! Great...except that he can't come to church unless G'ma is sick. So I was praying for a way for him to get to do both. Like maybe he could switch nights or something.



Imagine my joy when I see all 9 NINE of my kiddos there tonight!! And I asked MJ if G'ma was sick. "Nope" he says, "I get to come now." And I'm like, "REALLY? What changed?" He said that Mom and G'ma talked and decided for him to get to come to Awana first and Grandma's house after that.



Oh thank you God. Really, thank You.



So like I said, my class was full. And we prayed for stuff like BigBoy's fire safety paper he had to write, and Caleb's broken glasses, and Nycen was praising God for saving him from "getting yellow" and so he still got to come. We worked on new and old Verses. Got a couple of jewels. Played games. And ate pizza for dinner.



Can you tell I'm living in my sweet spot? Totally.



And now I want to tell you about this... Isaiah 58:6-12

Isaiah is usually the book the Lord uses in a big way in my life. Over and over. I come back to Isaiah.



Last night I was reading in my devotional and it was Isa 58:6-12. Do you wonder what the meaning of life is? Do you know why you are here?



It's all there. And it's full of sweet promises. If you want to alter the landscape, take a look at Isaiah's words here.

Ramblings Of Recently

~10 dentist appts yesterday and NO cavities! I started praying weeks ago for this and now I am praising the Lord. I'm also thankful that it worked out with Eldest's school schedule. When I made the appt 6 months ago we had no idea what her schedule would be.

~I am loving Paper Back Swap right now. I cleaned out a closet and posted a bunch of books that were gone right away. So now I have some credits and just ordered 3 more Margaret Jensen books. What a great resource!

~Lane and ZBoy are COW today and helped me in the kitchen. Lane made 6 loaves of bread and ZBoy helped me with banana bread. When I'm working with COW, I don't allow anyone else in the kitchen. This is a new rule we're all trying to remember!

~Can you believe I came to TaeKwonDo without my purse!? As in I don't have my driver's license or wallet or anything. Good grief.

~I took the littles around the block on a wagon ride today. They are heavy pulling up the hills! What a workout! I think I need to do that more often. This wagon has been around since Eldest was 2. But I think ZBoy and Mally have loved it more than any others.

~I have NO Christmas ideas this year. And don't tell me if you're already done Christmas shopping. I don't wanna know!

~Tomorrow is Wednesday. I love love Wednesday. AWANA and Storytime.

Today's meals...
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - spaghetti
Dinner - chicken salsa pasta, refried beans
Snack - banana bread .... I tripled this recipe to use up some bananas. It was too much for my mixer. Hard to deal with and took a long time to cook. Lesson learned.

Farm Fun

The kids and I had a fun filled few days at my family's farm in TX. Besides some fishing, deer watching, story telling, and hugging and kissing, here's some things that went on....

This was one of my favorite things and I didn't get any good pix of it. Mally loved feeding Sugar the grass on the other side of the fence (or cage as ZBoy calls it). Sugar loved it too. She was gentle taking the food from her and Mally could just reach up and pet her neck. Sugar got to hear about whatever was on Mally's mind at the moment as well as learn to sing "Sandwiches are beautiful, sandwiches are fine...."

Lady waiting for her turn to go for a ride. Isn't she cute? She is the BEST farm dog.

Baking cupcakes with G'ma.

Reading with Gram on the porch.

Golf cart riding all over the place!

Painting pumpkins to leave at Nana's for Thanksgiving.

Lane driving G'pa around. She said this was one of her favorite times this weekend!

Whoever took this picture was actually trying to capture the walking stick bug. See him? But they got some cutsie boys too! It's funny when someone gets a hold of my camera and I have no idea what's on it til later. Thank you to my family for such a wonderful weekend! Thank you for the love, the fun, the food, the meat(!)...all of it! I love you.

Menu Plan This Week

Ahhh, home from TX and time to get back in the swing of things. We spent a fun-fulled few days with my family playing on the farm. I can't wait to post some pix as soon as my big upload is complete.


I took a couple of cookbooks with me and pulled out some new stuff to try. Not this week though. But probably next week. As for this week, just some old standbys except for datenight..which is new.

One of my goals this week is to work with COW more. I want to start the night before with talking about the kitchen plan for the next day. It's good for them to learn that it takes planning. And we'll set out stuff to thaw or talk about anything we could do to get a head start.



Monday - Spaghetti with the sauce Nana made for us. (This will be such a help.) Salad, garlic bread


Tuesday - BBQ Chicken sandwiches, oven fries, coleslaw


Wednesday - Pancakes and eggs


Thursday - Chicken Salsa Pasta


Sunday lunch - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad

Datenight - Zesty Italian Chicken, salad, garlic bread

Snack ideas... apple pie, chex mix, strawberry smoothies, banana bread, pumpkin cake

A Witnessing Letter

"You show that you are a letter from Christ, .... written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on the tablets of human hearts." 2 Cor 3:3

Have you ever thought of yourself as a letter?

When you read a letter, or an e-mail, book, or blog, you are reading the author's voice. It sounds like him/her, reflects their views and thoughts, and speaks of their heart. And in the same way you are God's letter to the world. Written by the Spirit of the living God as He is continually transforming you into the likeness of His Son.

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Cor 3:18

I'm praying about how I'm reflecting God's glory in my life. What other's "read" from me. Is it the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Or is it more like grumbling discontent, fussing, quarreling, and feeling sorry for myself?

Oh Lord, work in my heart to be a letter that reflects Your sanctifying power in my life!

Menu Plan This Week

I have an easy week of menu planning b/c some of us are leaving to visit my parents!
The tricky thing is finding time to bake 3 dozen cookies for a thing at church on Saturday that I said I would do. And then...talking somebody else into dropping them off for me. Honey?? Or maybe I'll ditch the whole baking idea and just ask him to pick up some oreos. That'll work, right?

Next week, I'll be working with a new cookbook I picked up at the library that looks like a terrific read. Eating For Life by Bill Phillips. Have you read it? Lots of recipes plus good nutrition info.

I'm also looking at my grocery list with a more critical eye. Making a more detailed list so maybe I won't miss so much! For instance, when I think of tuna melts I typically think I need tuna, bread, and cheese. And I forget tomatoes, green onions, spinach, etc. So I leave it behind and we have rather boring tuna melts.

And tonight, oh yes!, the Azure Standard orders come in! Oh please please bring me apples...and honey that's not sugared.

This is the list of foods that I'll pulling from this week.

Tuna Melts - this is a good Monday food with all the outside activities.
taco meatballs, mashed potatoes, salad
Roasted chickens, cream spinach...

I had my son cook 4 chickens yesterday. Today I will have Jes pull all the leftover meat off the bones for the freezer. (He loves this job.) Then we'll make broth and freeze it before we go.

BBQ chicken sandwiches
Southwest Salad
Tomato soup and sandwiches
applesauce bread
pumpkin cake
apple raisin pizza (date night for kids)
chex mix...I'm adding popcorn to it this time.
pizza

I decided this week that I need some more vegetable recipes. Mostly we eat a lot of salad as far as veggies go. But I want to branch out a bit. Lane and I are probably the ones that like vegetables most around here. And I need to get out of the mindset that everyone has to like everything. It's ok if I make a whole pot of mashed cauliflower all for myself.... Right?

Question: Can you bake fried okra like you can french fries??

New Ideas For A New Week

#1~ paper plates on Mondays.  You know, I thought it was a clever idea to cram everything into one day...and at the beginning of the week...so that we would be free and home the rest of the week.   But when Monday comes I'm thinking it was the worst idea ever.  But then there's Tues, and Wed, and Thurs...and by then I've forgotten all about the chaos of Monday and I'm back to thinking it was pretty good planning.   Then it's Monday again.  And I'm trying to think of anything to make the day easier.  So paper plates.  That should do it.  Or at least help.  I hope. 

#2~Taking a page from Mama Tweeten's book and she always has "everything ready" for the Lord's Day.  You know I can't imagine Mama not being ready for anything anytime.  What a woman!  And I sooo want to be like her.  Today I wanted to invite my friend's family over for lunch.  But there was NO way.  We were having leftovers - and not even good leftovers.   And Buzzy tracked dirt in the house on the way out the door and there was not time to clean it up before we left.   And there were dishes in my sink...which I HATE.  Mama never had dishes in her sink.

I want to prepare better on Saturday.  To not only have clothes and shoes ready ~ we had another shoe issue~, but to have a clean kitchen, a real lunch, and to be ready for whomever the Lord may choose to send home with us.   

#3~ Praying.  I was reading that Ray Ortlund started his day by praying over every appt he had, every unexpected phone call, and every unpleasant interruption.  Imagine the peace in covering those things with prayer.  I also want to pray more for my churches, my pastors, and the hearts of His people and those who are seeking.  On Wednesdays I want to remember not only to pray for my own precious class, but all the children AND all the workers.  They put in so much.  The Lord has used them mightily and I so appreciate them. 

#4~I have too much stuff!  I need to clean out my nightstand and my closet.  Do you have any idea how much I LOVE having my own closet?!  I'm thinking of painting it pink.  What do you think??   I started cleaning out my nightstand last week and decided to move the huge concordance and Bible dictionary into the school closet.  But it was already crowded.  So I started pulling off books and listing them on Paperback Swap.  Ahhh....the feeling of cleaning out a closet!

So how 'bout you?  If the Lord gives you another week, do you have some things you'd like to change??

In Christ Alone

What a blessed morning!  I had a wonderful surprise at church when one of my old friends was there.   We hadn't seen each other in a long time.  Her kids are practically grown and her family is so happy looking.  And as for Wendy...well she looks exactly the same!  Pretty as ever.  Her husband preached a terrific sermon on salvation in Christ alone. 

My favorite part of the sermon was when Chris said, "Salvation is not in Jesus and the kind of movies I watch, or Jesus and the kind of friends I have, or Jesus and fill in the blank.  It is in Jesus alone and there is nothing we can do to add to it. 

We also sang one of my favorite songs...In Christ Alone. 

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless Babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

Til on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From a life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Could ever pluck me from His hand

Til He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I stand

Do you know the love of Christ?  There is no other way in which you can be saved.  He is the only way.  In Christ alone our hope is found.   If your answer is No or if you are unsure, please settle this matter of life and death.  God loves you and died for you. 

"For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

Lost And Found

I'm not sure where the idea came from but all of a sudden the little boys wanted their own library cards. 

I remember the older kids getting their first library cards and signing the back with their awkward scrawl.   So cute.  I still have them. 

Wed came around and they still remembered.  So when we went to story time I got them their own cards.  And yes, it was every bit as cute watching them sign their names.  They all got books and we were on our way. 

And that's the last I remember.  I didn't pay much attention to what books they got.  I didn't give them a speech about the responsibility. I didn't make sure they put them in the "library spot".  I guess I just figured we've done this library thing long enough that they would be able to handle it.   But I should've followed up. 

Wednesdays came and went.  Library books came and went.  And I thought all was fine.  But then... I woke up Monday morning to an e-mail telling me that Mayfee's book was overdue!  And lost.

And I can't stand that!  I hate late fees.  And even worse, the thought of something lost that we hafta find. 
So as you can imagine we started the week by turning the house upside down.  Looking in every place that it could be.  Praying for the Lord to show us.  And grumbling under my breath (and outloud) at the waste of time. 

Still nothing.  So finally I went into the boys' room and starting pulling every book off their 6ft tall over-stuffed book shelves. 

And Hallelujah!  I found it!  Shoved in backwards. 
Life may resume. 

Who's First?

Nifty huh?  But what is it?  Glad you asked.... Little numbered flags so that when my kids have a question with their school work and I'm busy with someone/something else, they can grab a flag and keep working on something independently.  Then when I come back to the table I can see at a glance who is first, second, and so on. 

I got the idea from this book.  (Great read btw.) 

I made them with skewers stabbed into playdoh tubs.  We've used these for a couple of weeks now and it's working wonderfully.

Cleaning Off My Camera This Week...

And here's what's on it. 

We got to Awana early and had some time to spare.  There isn't much around the church but we decided to kill some time at the thrift store.  I always feel like I need a bath when I leave a place like that.  We still had some time and Lane wanted ice cream.  We ran over to the grocery store but this one didn't have any single serve ice cream.  We couldn't buy a whole box and we didn't want to buy spoons for the little cups.  What to do?  We bought hand sanitizer and Dibs.  Then we sat in the parking lot and shared the whole carton! 

Next..

My happy boy

 Greasing the pans

 Frisbee at the park with Buzz

 Making tea snacks.  PB crackers with a chocolate chip in the middle.

And ...my favorite

Me and my man!

That's it.  My card is formatted and ready to roll again.