Back Blogging Thanksgiving Crafts

And whew! I'm getting it in before December!  Not that it matters....but still.  I really wanted to record this and not let it slip by. 

Painting Pumpkins!  And this year I was especially appreciative that my older kids still think this is fun.  As a matter of fact, some of them repainted their pumpkins after they dried the first time!

Does this one look like it's been slaughtered?

And then we made these super cute turkeys and used them as place cards for Thanksgiving dinner. I got this from Pinterest.

They are supposed to be brown but our pack of construction paper didn't have it.

He says, "Awwww....my chicken looks sad." 

HILARIOUS!

The finished products.

Birdie's Birfday!!

The big number SIX!! 

The R family came over for cupcakes and ice cream.

It was hard to balance the 4 + 2 on a cupcake but since we just got this snazzy cupcake holder with the little topper that looks like a birthday present, we had to give a shot.

Aren't they cute with their cheeks all puffed out?

ZBoy is always willing to lend a hand...or some hot air.

Presents!

2 things she wanted for her birthday...

#1- a piggy bank

We rescued this one from the R family's pile of stuff to auction and they even filled it with 200 pennies!

Oh the joy!

And #2- a hoola hoop!

Go Mally!

Here's where the fun begins!  Of course everyone had to give it a try.

I don't remember Nate ever hoola hooping before but he does it like he's practiced every day of his life.

But THIS guy is hilarious!  Check out the face.

It was a fun day.

She helped make and decorate her cupcakes and enjoyed lunch out with Momma and Daddy.

We did a special craft and just spent the day being together...with NO school.

This little girl brings such sweetness to our family.  We are so thankful for her. 

 

Happy Happy Birthday Mally Bird!

We love you so much!

A Thankful Moment

I still have lots of back blogging to do with Mally's b-day and Thanksgiving but I didn't want this day to pass without recording this sweet moment with Nate. 

Sticking with our Friday night tradition, we have kids sleeping all over the place.  3 of them are in my room. 

Restless and wishing they could stay up later they were not settling in like usual.  The little boys were playing soccer from their sleeping bags.  Mally was up adjusting her blankets over and over and getting it all just so. 

I started reading to them from Jes' favorite book Squanto.  They immediately started settling down and were eager listeners.  We read 2 chapters then I turned on the Bible for them to listen to as they fell asleep. 

Jes and Mally were asleep before the 1st chapter was over but Nate lay awake and listened quietly.  Meanwhile, I was sitting on my bed reading some mail and listening too.  I kept glancing over at him and little by little I got to watch his sleepy eyes fall asleep!  He looked over once and smiled at me.  I smiled back and just kept watching.  And pretty soon he didn't open them again. 

It was such a sweet moment with my big boy that isn't too cuddly anymore.   I'm very thankful that he still likes sleeping in my room and listening to his momma read to him. 

Happy Wednesday And Third Day Of Vacation!

Is it the third day of vacation for you too?  The first?  Or maybe it doesn't start until tomorrow?  Please tell me you get tomorrow off at least!! 

I have LOVED this week! 

But on Sunday night I decided to set a couple of "rules" for vacation so I wouldn't squander them away and be disappointed at how I spent the time.  Not dead set "this is everything we're going to do" rules, but just some flexible ideas to keep me focused. 

~Get completely dressed every day.  I didn't wanna hang out in my pjs just b/c I could.  I knew I'd end the day feeling lazy. 

~Keep up with regular chores.  Because I'd go crazy if we didn't.

~Keep computer time to a minimum.  And please...no Xbox or Wii. 

I wanted to feel good about the way we spent our time and so far, I've enjoyed every minute of it. 
I still have some things on my "want to do" list and some that have already been crossed off.  This morning we're working on some Thanksgiving crafts.  (Thank you Shannon!)  And  LB and I are going to Leola's to sew.  I'm also picking up some new reads from the library and working with my kiddos to clean house for Thanksgiving. 

And do you know one of the things I'm most thankful for this year?  The fact that I CAN clean house with my kids!  Or, for that matter, I could do it all by myself.  But I'll let them help.  Just to be nice.  But seriously it just feels so good to feel better and I'm VERY thankful for that. 

Yesterday we celebrated Mally Bird's 6th birthday...preciousness that I hope to blog about later.  Oh!  And I also want to share with you this nifty idea for journaling I got off Pinterest.  I'm having such fun with it. 

I still want to create a play list for chores.  Maybe get some new Christmas songs.  Do some scrapbooking.  A bit of Christmas shopping.  And decorate my cookbook. 

OH and today is Meg's first day at home!  4 whole days without school and having her pretty face around.  I'm hoping she'll help me do some Christmas-y stuff that requires concrete because she knows how and I don't.  Aren't you wondering what I'm doing with concrete?  No? 

And now I'm off to get dressed and ready for day 3.  I wonder if next week I'll blog something like..."it's nice to be back in routine." 

I don't think so.

I'll leave you with this random picture of Nate in a tree.  I love that happy face!

Love God, Love Others

That's what it all comes down to right? 

Then why am I so bogged down with everything else?  I have so much to be thankful for this year, but it's also been a year of extreme stretching.  I'd like to say that I'm in better shape from it all, but I don't see it. 
And as the year comes to a close I am not at all sad.

I look forward to 2012.  It almost feels like another chance to start over.  To try again.  "forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead".....

This is certainly not a jump on a list of New Year's resolutions.  I think I better steer clear of any of those.  But as I was checking my calendar for next week (VACATION ya'll!) I started thinking of all the things I'd like to do.  And then that led to more things I'd like to do in general.....or someday.

~play outside with my kids
~find some new reads
~send out more letters/cards
~write notes to my kids and leave them on their pillows
~a little bit of Christmas sewing (maybe??) 
~organize the pantry
~reach out to my neighbors more

I wonder how people get so much done.  I feel like I'm "doing" all the time and it's still never done.  I'm actually ok with that considering my season of life and the busyness of my household.  But it does keep me from doing much of the "others". 

I'm still listening to Beverly Bradley and enjoying every word of it.  And her words, "Love God love others" kept coming to mind tonight as I was scrambling to finish dinner and looking at the 6 loads of unfolded laundry. 

Love God, love others. 

Where does laundry fit in?  I don't know but I do know this....the best part of my day was playing football with Jes in the street, playing Gold Fish Go Fish with 5 kids, and wiping up Nate's face after he'd been throwing up.  (yes, I even like the last one.  Is that weird?) 

Somehow I just hafta figure out how to balance it all.

Almost On Vacation!!

One more school day and then we're DONE!  And did I mention that I'm not too fond of Friday school either?  nevermind.

~Next week I want to do some Thanksgiving crafts with my favorite people.  I haven't done any Thanksgiving crafts at all this year.  Not that I ever go overboard with that, but I do want to do something...even if it's just hand print turkeys.  I found some easy stuff on Pinterest that I think they'll like.  Except I didn't plan ahead and I need more toilet paper rolls.  We unusally only go through 2 rolls of toilet paper a day and that's not enough.  Anybody wanna share? .......Jodie?

~Do you have big Thanksgiving plans?  We're having the R family over and hopefully Ms. Ruby.   No turkey over here though.  My kiddos aren't crazy about the traditional Thanksgiving fare so we usually do a big breakfast for supper instead.  Pancakes, eggs, sausage, gravy, biscuits, bacon, and juice.  And the men will make it.  Do you think I can talk them into cleaning it up too?  Or would that be pressing my luck? 

~To make my menuing easier, I've divided into catagories.  Pizza night, Sandwich/wraps night, Mexican night, Pasta night, Date night, and I still need 2 more.  Maybe Breakfast night and Soup night but soup isn't a fave with anyone except Lane and me.  Anyway, the sandwich night is certainly new and (kinda) a fun challenge.  Since most sandwiches feature meat and cheese, I'm working on coming up with a selection of vegan recipes.  Here's last night's.....

Spicy Black Bean Wraps

WW tortillas (Josh pressed these out for me.)
Spicy black beans (cayenne, garlic salt, and black pepper) tossed with 1 bunch of chopped cilantro
guacamole with chipotle
cucumbers and tomatoes
lettuce
red onion

FULL of flavor!  We had these with chips and salsa and stewed apples. 

~Apples are on sale for 48 cents at WM.  And while Jonathans aren't my fave they'll certainly do for that price!

~No Awana next week.  I sure hope my little Awana peeps have a good Thanksgiving.  Especially Haley...I'm more concerned for her.  She reminds me so much of our little Geneva who's been gone for almost a year I think.   And please pray for Desiree's mom to get a job.  I have a feeling that's a big deal for their family so I want to pass it along.  I love that little girl.  She has such a happy personality!

~I layed down with my ZBoy last night in his tent.  He hasn't been sleeping in his tent lately and if I were him I'd sleep in it every night.  It's sooo cozy in there! 

~My dryer is taking 100 minutes to dry a load of clothes!  Crazy.  I googled it and I think we need a part that costs about $20.  I figure if I'm wrong I haven't lost much.  If I'm right, I've saved us a lot of money on a guy.  I hope I'm right both b/c I want to save money and also b/c it gives our boy some experience at appliance repair. 

~Off to start the day....oh and did I mention it's the Friday before VACATION???

Azure Standard And Other Food Talk

Don't forget the cut off is early this month!  And there is no delivery for December so you might wanna order extra to get you through till the end of January. 

I was so excited to see that the cases of Sucanat were 15% off!

I also bought 20# apples
25# carrots
3 gallons of honey
5# cashews
oats, wheat, salt
flax seed
hemp seed
and some gluten free stuff

I think I'm almost set for holiday baking.  I also ordered a gallon of palm shortening and a gallon of agave nectar.  (I love it when I get food in the mail!)  Aldi has pumpkin now so I bought 2 cases yesterday and that should do it for awhile.  Now I just need a coconut oil sale and I'll be set!

This morning I made pumpkin smoothies from a recipe I got from Pinterest. 

1 cup non-dairy milk – I used unsweetened almond
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 banana
1 tbsp raisins or 1/2 tsp maple syrup - I used a tablespoon for a double batch
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
pinch all spice

Directions

Place everything but whipped topping in the blender.
Blend until smooth

Most of the kids loved these.  They are very filling and nutritious and perfect for breakfast.  It also has a coconut whipped cream you can use for the top but I didn't get that fancy....too early in the morning. 

My Favorites

Wanna see some senior pix?

I love this one because she looks so genuinely happy.  And the dog is even looking the right way!

Beautiful!

And so it begins.  The first step in graduating.  It has been such a joy to homeschool this precious girl from birth.  And here we stand at the threshold of completion.  Already!!   

We are all eager to see what God has in store for her now. 

I love you Lane!!

Pizza Love

Tonight Meg and Ethan did a pizza cook-off for us.  They each made 2 pizzas.  1 vegan one, 1 regular one. 

Nobody knew which was which b/c they went to his house to put them together, used our dishes, and brought them over here.  Oh you should've smelled our kitchen!! 

It was nearly impossible to pick.  Both vegan pizzas had their own unique goodness.  And both the regular pizzas looked incredible.  We sounded like the judges on Iron Chef critiquing all of them.    Ethan's had a crust that he worked on for 2 days with a recipe he created himself.  Meg's had yummy sauce and a vegan cheese that was delish. 

I hated to have to vote.  But vote we did.  And it was a lot of fun. 
Thank you Meg and Ethan!  Dinner was heavenly!!

Awana!

Where did all these new kiddos come from??  I don't know...but I hope they come back!

We started off with some great music and a couple of new songs.  And even though our super sexy worship leader had a raspy throat, I don't think he could've sounded better!

Some of my own little cutsies had a front row seat. 

Mr. Cool.

Take a look at these super smart 2nd graders.  LB took out the seasoned Awana kids who had books and I stayed with all the newbies.  Love love LOVE this stage where everyone is all at the same place.  That means I had a whole entire class period to tell these guys about Jesus and heaven and how to get there and why they should care.  We talked about how God loved them even before they were born and how He loves them forever and always.  Freedom!  And I feel so privileged to think that maybe...just maybe..God is using me ME! to tell them this for the first time.  So blessed. 

Recognize these guys?   My little prayer partners who pray for grades and grandmas and talk about what Big Boy spent all his money on this week.   They get so excited about telling me what happened to them every week.  It's cute.  Tonight's focus was what it means to fall short of the glory of God. 

Dinner was beef hot dogs, chips, pickles, and bananas...and there's always enough no matter how many mouths there are.  That always amazes me. 

And of course the drive home is full of lively chatter as my older kids tell about the kids in their classes and what happened in games. 

Thank you God for Awana nights!

The Temple Of The Holy Spirit

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?....For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple."  1 Cor 3:16 & 17

In Luke 2:46 Jesus clears out the (physical)  temple and drives out the money changers saying, "My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it into a den of robbers." 

Have you ever thought of your body as a house of prayer?  A place where the Spirit of God lives?! 

"We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."  Romans 8: 26-27

And just as Jesus cleared out the money changers and cleaned house, He also wants us to use our bodies as instruments of righteousness and not for our own pleasures. 

IBC had some wonderful guest speakers this weekend.  And one thing that Donna said that keeps ringing in my ears is "feed your spirit more than your flesh".   Feasting in God's Word....soaking. 

If you have some time pick up a copy of My Utmost For His Highest and read what Oswald Chambers has to say today.  Good stuff!!

Praying With Our Kids

"The circumstances of a saint's life are ordained of God.......in order that the intercession of the Spirit in you may take a particular line."  - Oswald Chambers

He also calls it "the ministry of the interior".  I love that. 

We noticed something at the dinner table lately.  Some of our kids shied away from praying out loud.  There's a part of me that understands this.  Maybe they don't think they have the right words, that their words aren't as "spiritual" as some, that they will sound foolish.   I know, because I've struggled with this too.  I've come to the conclusion that it is a lie of Satan and one that we need to actively combat.   It is also a matter of pride and praying to men instead of God...again something that needs attention.  It requires a shift of focus....and practice. 

We started a family prayer notebook.  Nothing fancy, just a little spiral notebook with lined pages where we write about people that we know need prayer.   Every morning we talk about these needs and go around praying; each taking a turn to pray about whatever he wants.   I don't require that everyone pray.  They have the choice to remain silent and the next person will pick up. 

But you know what?  Hardly ever does anyone pass up the opportunity!  They seem to enjoy having particular ppl or circumstances to bring before God.  Often the littler ones will fixate on one particular request and pray for that person every day.  It's been really neat to watch the growth.

We pray for salvation, health, lost jobs, our church, pastors...you name it.  And I just found out this weekend that a man we've been praying for just got his old job back!

I can't wait to tell the kids! 

Soaking Up God's Word

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." 
Phil 3:8

This was the theme of my Saturday.   I've been listening to Beverly Bradley's cd, Overcoming The Distractions Of Motherhood.   I knew just by the title that it was something I needed to hear and boy was I right!  

That word DISTRACTION really sums it up.  Not scatter brained distraction, but the distraction that comes by the futile never ending chores of a Genesis 3 world.   I'm distracted by many things that will not even matter tomorrow-- cooking, cleaning, piano, cooking, soccer, school, cooking.....let's not go there.

Tonight at IBC's fall meeting we learned about detaching ourselves from our worldly attachments, immersing ourselves in God, feeding our spirits and walking in victory by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Walking in victory is not what I've been experiencing lately ya'll.   And why not?  Because I've been way too concerned with the tangible temporal things of this life.   "for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Cor 4:18

It's time to change.  Time to shift my focus.  Time to be still.  And be quiet.  And soak. 

Some Extra Kitchen Time

I have been so overwhelmed in my kitchen this year.  Adjusting to cooking within certain parameters has been a challenge for this foodie who loves her freedom.  Most of the time I lack motivation, especially when it's just my food.  I love it when I can make something for the whole family but there are times when it's just not practical to do that within my particular restrictions.  Gluten free cooking for 11 is one of those things. 

I have the cookbooks.  I've pinterest-ed the recipes.  I have the ingredients.  I lack the time and desire. 

But last night was cold and windy and we decided for me to stay home from soccer with the little ones.   The house was clean, dinner was done, the kids were happy.  So I decided to experiment in the kitchen with my alternative grains.  The cookbook I'm most interested in has several GF mixes that you mix up beforehand to draw from for the recipes.  I pulled everything out, made a great mess, and started measuring, counting, and labeling until I ran out of ingredients. 

Meanwhile, I put on a pot of rice noodles to cook for some pasta salad later.  (Another thing I rarely do b/c nobody likes rice noodles.) 

By the time I was done I had 3 bags of different GF mixes AND part of a pasta salad made.  And while I didn't have anything completed to show for it, it sure seemed like I got a lot accomplished!

Rejoicing!!

I had an appt with my rheumatologist today that I was NOT looking forward to.  I was awaiting results of my recent blood work and I was unsure of that...particularly my white blood count.   I was also anticipating him wanting to up my meds again.  Or worse, change them. 

One of the meds I'm taking is a malaria drug and has some side effects to the eyes.  So now and then I have to go to this intense eye appt that I HATE.  It takes days for my eyes to get over it.  That was 2 weeks ago and I started praying specifically that something...anything...would change so that I'd never have to do that again. 

So today he announces that my blood work was "beautiful"!  And without me saying anything about it, he also said it was time to get off the plaquenil!!  OFF!  Completely.  As in I'll never have to do that eye appt again.  Oh praise the Lord!   He did not change my other meds at all and in fact spaced my next appt to nine weeks!  That's almost next year ya'll. 

HAPPY HAPPY DAY! 

"in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  Phil 4:6

My next request is complete and total healing but for now I'm pretty happy with fewer meds!