Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the first day of Christmas, My True Love gave to me..."

I did something in October that I've never done before: I posted twelve times in one month! So I was thinking it would be fun to challenge myself to post at least twelve times in the month of December, and call it the Twelve Days of Christmas. Of course, I could always post more than that, but let's just take it one "day" at a time, and see how it goes.

I was writing an entry today (November 30th) that I liked so much I wanted to save it for December, to be the first of my twelve days, and I was thinking about that idea, "my True Love gave to me." Since I am a Christian, Jesus Christ IS my True Love, so I hope to be writing entries that, in essence, are reflective of what He has given to me.

I hope that life doesn't get so busy for you that you are unable to reflect on all that God is teaching you and doing in your life. If you care to participate in your own "Twelve Days of Christmas" challenge, please leave your name and website or blog link in my comments section, so I can read and encourage you as well! Or, if you don't have a blog of your own, leave your thoughts here in my comments sections--and I'll be thrilled to have at least twelve comments in one month! Stay posted! It will be a Christmas miracle!

I Should Write A Poem

I could use your help.

It seems that my ability to express my creative ideas is coming in direct conflict with my responsibilities as a wife and mother. What I mean by that is that the amount of time and energy and...TIME that it takes for me to write sometimes takes away from the time I should be spending being a "worker at home" (Titus 2:3-5). (Sigh.)

I'll try to explain what I mean. This time of year (autumn) is my favorite. I love the cooler air and clear skies. I enjoy watching the leaves change colors from day to day. This is the best time of year to go hiking and enjoy the beauty of God's creation all around. And I got to thinking about the fact that every leaf on the tree is like a snowflake: no two are exactly alike. At least I think so. I'm not certain about that little fact. But of this I am sure: the leaf falls from the tree only once. I think about that when I look at a leaf floating down and swirling in the gentle breeze. I was able to witness the one and only time that particular leaf made it's final graceful decent from the tree to the ground. And I can say thank you to God for allowing me to witness that once-in-a-lifetime moment, which I used to take for granted.

I know there's a poem in there somewhere, but I've got laundry and dishes and dinner and--the list goes on--and I don't have the time to dedicate to working it out into a poem. But maybe YOU can! Please feel free to post YOUR poem in the comment section of this post. I'd be honored to read it!

Happy Anniversary

Mom and Dad: Happy 40th Anniversary!

I'm A Turkey

I could come up with all kinds of excuses as to why I haven't posted for so long. But let's just say I'm a Turkey and leave it at that. (The reason I'm able to post right now is because I'm home from church with a sick baby, who is napping at the moment.)

So much has happened in the month of November, and I didn't even post pictures from October when my parents were here! So here's a collage of photos, just to get them up here and get on with my life as a blogger.

Grandpa reading Curious George to the curious onlookers.

Grandma oversees the cupcake decorating. (I don't know how we ever survived doing stuff like this when we were little--I have very little patience for these messy activities. Thanks, Mom, for having so much patience and for not killing your children!)

Rosalind likes to squint and offer a cheezy smile when the camera starts to flash. Because she got so much attention from doing it, the boys wanted to be cheezy, too.

We celebrated two birthdays in October; first Rosalind's, and then Mom's.

Happy Birthday Girls!

After Grandma and Grandpa's visit, we had a lot of work to get caught up on. (Remember my post about the desk?) Not only did I have stacks of laundry and general cleaning to do,

but we also had to harvest the last of the carrots and get the tulip bulbs into the ground before frost.

We made it just in time. I'm looking forward to seeing the results in April.

Before and After Photos

Before: Desk and dining room table overflowing with the stuff.





Step One: Take it all out




Step Two: Sort it all into piles (give away, put away, throw away)

Step 3: A place for everything, and everything in its place!





Even the baby agrees, it's an improvement!

Note: I still have 3 piles of paper to sift: The Important Papers (bills, things to be filed away or responded to), The Less-Important Papers (Junk mail, credit card offers to be shredded) and The Not-So-Important papers: Ads, magazines, coupons and catalogs.) Will it never end?

Paper, Paper Everywhere...

My parents were here for ten days, and it's taking me about the same amount of time to get back into the swing of things. Today was the first day we got Julien to school early enough to play for 5 minutes before the bell rang. And we all ate breakfast and read the Bible and brushed our teeth and took our vitamins and got his backpack ready to go without yelling or spanks or threats of spanks! (Big sigh!) It's good to be back.

I've finally caught up with my laundry (except for putting it away--that's on the list), and I even did a lot of ironing yesterday while watching the Philadelphia Eagles pull off a win over the Washington Redskins! Wonders never cease! I love my new iron, Mom! (Maybe it will be my secret ritual to help my Eagles win their games.)

But the major obstacle I must overcome is the mountains of paper invading my space. It's not just the junk mail. That's the easy stuff. It's the:

• junk mail
• Sunday paper (especially the ads and coupons that I hold because I intend to read/use)
• Papers from Sunday School from the kids
• Papers from the church bulletin (which I intend to read but seldom ever do)
• Papers from Julien's school
• Papers from the kids' coloring and drawing and projects
• Magazines
• greeting cards
• grocery lists

It is a constant stream that never dries up! And just like water recycles itself (thanks to God, who in His infinite wisdom designed it that way), we choose to recycle paper, which I think is partially to blame for the overwhelming abundance of paper that we possess! It all ends up in a brown paper bag to be taken away to the recycling receptacle, eventually. But sometimes it spends way too much time on my desk, counter top, Bible notebook, car, etc. before making its way to the brown bag.

So the goal for today: Get as much paper into the brown paper bag as possible. Maybe I'll take some photos for inspiration and motivation to get the job done. If only I can find the cord that allows me to download the photo from the camera to the computer. I think it's on my desk. Somewhere.

So. I have to sift through the mountains of paper today, sorting out the sheep from the goats (bills from the junk), and then proceeding to the more rewarding job of paying the bills (in theory), and then the even more rewarding job (which I never seem to get around to) of ordering my desk into a functional, manageable, organized space. So the first two goals are attainable. The third, I think need serious help. Stay posted.

How Does That Happen?

Ten days came and went in a flash! My parents were here for a visit, and we had a very enjoyable time. They not only came to spoil the grandkids, but I felt very spoiled by the end. It was like having three of me: one to take care of the kids, one to work around the house (thanks, Mom) and one to do the shopping (thanks, Dad). It's amazing how quickly I was able to get used to that! And now it's amazing how quickly the work piles up now that they're gone. I did take some pictures, but not nearly enough. I'll need Mom to send me some of hers. But I have no time for pictures today, unless I get these items done on my list:

1. Preserve carrots from the garden. (I'll have to post about this at some point.) LOTS of carrots. (Thanks again for the Food Saver, parents. I plan to use it today.)

2. Fold (and iron) laundry. LOTS of laundry. (Thanks for the very nice new iron, Mom. I'm still a little skeptical about how it's going to get me to want to iron, but we'll see.) I've made a goal for myself to spend 1 hour a week ironing. We'll see how much ironing that "irons out" to be.

3. Mop kitchen floor. It needs it REALLY bad! Tristan can help.

I have a lot of other things to add--let's face it: the list is endless--but I want to keep it simple and somewhat attainable. We do have to eat dinner, afterall.

So, I hope your list today is simple and attainable. Now let's get to work!

A Quick Quote

Here's a quote from one of my new favorite websites, Biblical Womanhood.

If you really want to stay home, you can. There are many women who are doing it. Being a stay at home woman is not so much a matter of economy as it is of philosophy. To a large extent, your beliefs will rule your actions. So much of the time, people say "That will never work." I always like to say, "Have you tried?" If it is God's will, He will make a way!

For any of you who are doing it or considering doing it, I hope that website will be a helpful resource and an encouragement for you to pursue the dream of being a stay-at-home wife and mother! I love my job!

Packages and More Packages!

Dear:

Rebekah
Mom S.
Karen S.

Your packages have arrived! (Mom R., not the one from Penny's yet.) I haven't opened any of them yet, but will soon. I'm too busy trying to get this house "presentable" for overnight guests, and know how easily distracted I can get, especially with packages from family. Thank you! We're looking forward to opening them!

Love,
Me

Posting for the Sake of Posting

I guess it's been a while since I've posted any photos of the kiddos, so I thought I'd upload a couple of miscellaneous cuties. Lately I've been reading a lot of new blogs, and have been enjoying all kinds of resources for homemakers like me, and thinking of new ideas and ways to use my blog, beyond just posting photos for the far-away family. So we'll see where it all ends up. If you're curious, check out Biblical Womanood, and you'll find more blogs and links than you'll find hours in the day. I'm not sure how much blogging I'll be doing in the next two weeks; my parents are coming for a visit, so my days will be different, not to mention full of one thing or another. But I'll try to keep posting for the sake of posting, because it's a habit I want to keep up, and hopefully also develop my writing and blogging skills.

Just for Fun

Today Tristan and I have been playing the rhyming game a lot, and I figured I'd steal a list from our game for my Thursday Thirteen list. We came up with this list as I was folding clothes. I thought he was brilliant to come up with #13!

Thirteen Words that Rhyme:

1. sock
2. talk
3. walk
4. flock
5. hawk
6. lock
7. dock
8. rock
9. shock
10. chalk
11. jock
12. mock
13. noodle!

Have a happy Thursday...

Am I Losing My Mind?

My husband might think so! He could be right! You wanna know why? I've decided to host a Tupperware party on the 30th to meet my neighbors and other moms at Julien's school. So I started with 25 invitations. Then I added another 10-15. And now I'm even thinking of adding another 15-18, because I didn't get one to everyone on the block. I understand that usually only 50% of those invited actually come, and if that's true, we could still be looking at 25 people, which is a LOT. My whole motivation is for an opportunity to get to know my neighbors and fellow kindergarten Moms, and now I'm a little worried that with so many people coming, I will barely get to know anyone! Oh well, the Lord knows. Thankfully my parents will be here visiting, so I'll have a little extra help pulling off such a big party. For those of you who are out of the area, if you are interested in ordering something, let me know. Even if you don't order anything, please pray that everything will go smoothly and that it will be the first step in getting to know new people. Thanks.

And here's a request for advice: A LOT of my guests are smokers, and I assume they will smoke outside when they feel like it. Should I provide an ash tray or a coffee can or something for them to use outside? Should I say anything about it, or just hope they do the right thing? Anyone know what good protocol would be? Leave your comments here, or e-mail me. Thanks!

Homemade Baby Wipes

Some could accuse me of being cheap. I hope frugal is more accurate, but there's a fine line that I haven't quite been able to clearly distinguish. So I'm a little of both. Hopefully penny-wise but not pound-foolish, as they say. When it comes to disposable diapers, for instance, I figure why spend your hard-earned dollars on something if the purpose is simply for the baby to poop in it before we throw it away? So I gravitate to the least expensive generic brand. Same thing goes for wipes. I like those thick, soft, cloth-like wipes that smell like baby lotion just as much as the next hip-momma, but let's face it: I'm using it to wipe off poop, not give myself a 2-minute spa treatment. So a few years ago, before Julien was even born, some gals at my church were giving out this recipe for homemade baby wipes, and I committed it to memory. When my boys were both in diapers, we made our own baby wipes, and we're still making babies, er, I mean baby wipes. I always gladly share this recipe with anyone who's not too proud to carry around homemade wipes in their designer diaper bags.

HOMEMADE BABY WIPES

Supplies you will need:

• 1 roll of Bounty paper towels
• 1 serrated knife or hand saw (for cutting rolls in half; I've heard a table saw works beautifully as well, for all you handy-Dads)
• 1 mixing bowl able to hold approx. 3 cups liquid
• 1 whisk or fork to mix (if using baby lotion)
• approx. 1 TBS liquid baby soap OR baby lotion (choose your favorite)
• approx. 1 TBS baby oil
• approx. 1 1/2 to 2 cups water
• Storage container with air-tight lid or gallon-sized zippered storage bags

Directions:

1. Using serrated knife or hand saw, cut Bounty roll into equal halves.

2. In mixing bowl, dump in 1 TBS of your favorite scented (or unscented) baby soap and 1 TBS of baby oil, and whisk together.

3. Carefully add about 1 1/2 cups tepid or warm water, and mix together. (Try to avoid making lots of suds)

4. Place half-roll of Bounty in preferred storage container, and pour liquid mixture over it as well as inside the cardboard tubing. Allow it to absorb all the liquid.

5. Store wipes in air-tight container. Cardboard tubing will soften and can be removed in order to pull wipes from the center or to flatten the roll for easy portability.

6. Voila! You have saved yourself big bucks making your own baby wipes for pennies.

Tips:

• If using baby lotion, whisk with a little water and wait to add oil until the lotion is sufficiently diluted. This avoids yucky clumps.

• Although Bounty paper towels are rather expensive, they don’t fall apart like most other paper towels, so I don’t recommend a substitution. I buy them in bulk when they are on sale and use a coupon!

• Liquid amounts will vary depending on size of paper towel roll and your preference. You really don’t need to measure anything!

Thirteen Verses I Read Today

Just for something a little different, here's a Psalm with 13 verses for Thursday-Thirteen.

Psalm 39

The Vanity of Life.

For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1I said, "I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence."

2I was mute and silent,
I refrained even from good,
And my sorrow grew worse.

3My heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:

4"LORD, make me to know my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how transient I am.

5"Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah.

6"Surely every man walks about as a phantom;
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

7"And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.

8"Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Make me not the reproach of the foolish.

9"I have become mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who have done it.

10"Remove Your plague from me;
Because of the opposition of Your hand I am perishing.

11"With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity;
You consume as a moth what is precious to him;
Surely every man is a mere breath. Selah.

12" Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner like all my fathers.

13"Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may smile again
Before I depart and am no more."

Our Newest Addition

Psalm 147:1 "Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant and praise is becoming."

Psalm 150
"Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!"

So here's our new piano. We are thankful to have it as our newest addition to our home. I hope we put it to good use praising and honoring the Lord. (Now if only we could learn to play skillfully!)

What I Did Before Noon Today

Well, slap my back and call me Wonder Woman! Today I had to stay home from my favorite MOM's group because our second car isn't operating 100%, and Enoch convinced me last night to make him a Roman tunic today. So I did. It actually took me about an hour, which included ironing all that white T-shirt knit material. And, I know one friend will be pleased to know that I finally got around to using my serger, and it it worked beautifully! So, the photos were done by a non-professional (my 4-year old!), but they work. Now lets see if Wonder Woman can get lunch and dinner made, and get back to that last list of thirteen projects!

Shameless Plugs

A couple of years ago, I was channel surfing on the radio, and came across an excellent message being preached by a somewhat familiar voice. I later learned that it was Dr. John MacArthur, teaching a series called, "The Bible-Driven Church." I ordered a copy, and my appetite for his kind of teaching had been whetted. Enoch and I began to check out every audio series in our church library by MacArthur, and on top of that, my Mom sent me a whole pile of "tapes of the month" that she had accumulated as well, some of which I have listened to over and over.

I know some Christians disagree with his teaching on some topics, and I recognize that he is a human just as much as I am, flawed and not omniscient. All that to say, I strongly recommend anyone who reads this blog to check out his ministry, Grace To You, and listen to his daily broadcast for free. Right now he's doing a series on how to study the Bible, and it's really motivating and increasing my appetite for diving into the Word, which I think is so critical in a believer's life.

Another website that is linked to GTY is a blog called Pyromaniacs which, when I have the time, I sometimes enjoy reading (Enoch as well). These guys love to debate topics that get some people very fired up, and it sometimes is quite thought provoking and even educational. Although that kind of debating is sometimes a turn-off, I have seen that these men have a heart for people to know the Truth, and that is truly loving, although not everyone sees it that way.

Finally, a useful tool for when you want to quickly reference Scripture online, I have used BibleGateway.com. I'm sure there are others, and perhaps if anyone knows of any that are better, I'd like to know about them!

Here's my hope: "Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word that by it you may grown in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord." (I Peter 2:2-3) Also, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene." (2 Timothy 2:15-16)

Kindergarten Field Trip

Class photo with teacher and scarecrow.

Wednesday was unseasonably warm (low 80's), and I was able to go with Julien and his class to Highland Orchards for an apple-picking field trip. For many kids, it was their first time riding a school bus, and that was just as much a thrill as anything else! No seat belts! Julien says it was like riding a roller coaster. We had a great time despite the hot weather and abundance of bees. Two kids got stung on the face, but we thankfully had no adverse reactions. Here's some photos of our adventure.

First we took a hay ride into the orchard and each person got to pick one of three varieties of apples (3 apples total).

Then we got a tour of the cold storage room where the apples are kept after harvesting. Those boxes stacked to the ceiling are full of apples!

Then our tour guide showed us how apple cider is made, and we got to sample apple cider and donuts made with apple cider batter.

Once outside again, we stuffed a scarecrow before eating lunch and playing on the playground. There were animals to see and feed, as well as a maze made with large hay bales. We were ready to go home for quiet time when the day was done!

Thirteen Things I Found In My Sofa

The other day Tristan was helping me vacuum out the sofa, which had not been done in a long time, and it wasn't long that I realized what my next Thursday Thirteen list would be about!
Not to mention the few chips and pretzels, I also found:

1. One green crayon.
2. Three puzzle pieces. From three different puzzles!
3. One long Lincoln log. (Say that fast five times!)
4. One very missed Zebra pen, and another run-of-the-mill blue ball-point pen.
5. One pencil. (I never realized how much writing we apparently do at the sofa!)
6. One purple matchbox car.
7. Two column-shaped wooden blocks. (I'm finding a lot of these lately. Either they have become popular with the kiddies, or they are just hard to find when it's time to put the blocks away.)
8. One nickel. (If I had a nickel every time I vacuumed out the couch...)
9. One paint stir stick. We use them to keep the front windows propped open, because the innards of the the window don't properly hold them up anymore.
10. One DVD (unopened) from a Chick-Fil-A kid's meal.
11. One sock.
12. Five or six playing cards. (I already know I'm not playing with a full deck...)
13. One hand-held football game from a McDonald's kid's meal.

Happy Thursday everyone! May all the treasures that you find in your sofa be good ones!
Don't forget to scroll back to see my new orange wall and my "new" sink.

Project Update

****UPDATED WITH NEW PHOTOS!!!****

The wall has been successfully painted, although it needs my Mom's touch (the tape job seems to have been done by a non-professional!(me)) We'll be touching up a few spots along the ceiling and edges. But we liked it so much, we decided to paint our front door as well--inside and out!! Woo-Hoo! And the good thing is, we like how it looks! Also, I re-arranged the basement a couple of days ago thinking we were getting our piano this Saturday, but we'll have to put it off for another week. So I can check off at least two from that long list of 13 things!

But we have to add another project to the list: replace kitchen sink hardware. * I was turning off the hot water this morning, and snapped off the handle! (I've been working out--playing a little dodge ball...) Thankfully the hot water just stayed turned off, especially since we had company over for dinner tonight! I had to boil water on the stove and in the microwave to keep up with my dirty dishes. It really made me aware of how much hot water I actually use, and how much (less) I can use if need be.

*And here it is! Voila! It works great, looks great, and I'm happy with it.