the only thing worth walking toward

just one second can save her. really.

2011-09-25T21:42:00.000-04:00

our daily schedule

2011-08-08T13:50:00.001-04:00

Today we started First grade and Prek4!!!!!!!
I started early so that I could take more breaks :)

Here is a pic of the boys in front of our new black board. First Day!:

I have been so anxious about starting this year, mostly because I am now balancing home-schooling AND a home based business. I am happy to report that our first day went SO well! And I can attribute that to two things:

1. God laid it on my heart that I needed to buckle down, and respond to His call to have more Self-Control and Self-Discipline, and
2. Sticking like a stickler to our schedule:

I wanted to share a pic of our daily schedule that we are following, and that I have posted everywhere. In the places where you see play time and/or quiet time, that is when I work on my Interior Design Business.

Can you tell that I had a little too much fun making this schedule??

Now you see why I need a schedule! I tend to get carried away!! :)

Why I {still} homeschool

2011-08-06T08:18:00.000-04:00

My dear friend Edie has written THE. MOST. BEAUTIFUL. post about why she still home-schools.

after reading her words, I shared this story with her, and wanted to share it here as well.

All of us who scoop up our children in this way are home-schooling!

oh, love! I am bawling. Just last night at VBS, I scooped up some kids who were in their pj's at church, and I told their mom, half-jokingly, "THIS is why I homeschool. It is all about PJ's and Snuggling!!"... then a moment after I said it, I realized, it was not a joke at all. It is in the PJ's and in the snuggling that we share our love and pass on our heritage from the Lord. The truest learning. The only kind that matters...How I loved this post, my sweet friend.

How blessed and privileged I am to get to do it every day!

I hope that you will read Edie's post. Not only will you love her words, you will love her heart.

Kickin it old school

2011-07-31T12:06:00.001-04:00

We have VBS this week, and I could not resist sharing the awesome lyrics to our theme song, by Go Fish.
I wonder.... are you kickin' it old school??????

(We kick it old school)
(5x)

Come on, come on
Don't miss the latest craze
Hit it for a minute
Then it's on to the next phase

Easy come, easy go
The markers will mark it
The only change that comes
Winds up in a pocket

Hop on the wagon
Drive the heavy thing
All the while we're missing
All the joy that God can bring

You can take the new stuff
You can keep the fluff
The Bible is our tool
And we're here to kick it old school

Here we go
You know we're going retro
We're cool as a rule
Yeah, we kick it old school

We kick it old school

(We kick it old school)

Brother, we're emerging
Like a moldy piece of bread
We have to see if
The holy word of God is all but dead

All we need to know
Is right there on the pages
Why are we obsessed
With who the guy on stage is?

Dance the hottest dance
Get the latest buzzy
We're gonna find out
Jesus wasn't very fuzzy
Was He?

You can take the new stuff
You can keep the fluff
The Bible is our tool
And we're here to kick it old school

Here we go
You know we're going retro
We're cool as a rule
Yeah, we kick it old school

We kick it old school

(We kick it old school)

(We kick it old school)
(2x)

If you believe the Bible's true
(You're kicking it old school)
And life's not all about You
(You're kicking it old school)
If you know you're in a bad spot
(You're kicking it old school)
And you need the grace that God's got
(You're kicking it old school)

You pray to God on your knees
(You're kicking it old school)
You're making no apologies
(For kicking it old school)
There's one more thing to say
(If you're kicking it old school)
Jesus is the only way...

(We kick it old school!)

You can take the new stuff
You can keep the fluff
The Bible is our tool
And we're here to kick it old school

Here we go
You know we're going retro
We're cool as a rule
Yeah, we kick it old school

You can say we're strange
But we're never gonna change
The Bible is our tool
And we're here to kick it old school

Get the crowd jumpin'
We're Bible thumpin'
God still rules
We kick it old school

We kick it old school

(We kick it old school)

We kick it old school

(We kick it old school)

my current favorite song

2011-06-22T10:54:00.000-04:00

I can't stop listening to this song.
It makes me dance all around my kitchen.

get out your clogs, people.

Lately last May, and a Giveaway!

2011-06-08T10:28:00.000-04:00

Really? Is it June already??
I guess I ought to post some pics of life lately!!!

First, it would tickle me happy if you would Click Here and enter my giveaway of a super classy house-number sign. I mean, doesn't this remind you of a cheerful European cobblestone corner?

So, we have been gardening, and T-balling, and playing our days away.
Here is a snapshot of our latest fun:

hatching and releasing butterflies:

tired T-ball days:

a day with friends at a full-bloom Peony farm:

lots and lots of playing in the garden and playing with the hose:

Christian's last day of preschool {he got to ride the bus to a special park day!!}:

watching my sister at her horse show. Great job Cheryl!!!:

our last relaxing mornings of homeschool:

a day at an alpaca farm:

Busy but fun days.
Hope you have been having fun, relaxing days as the summer fully approaches!

Mother's Day Breakfast {and something Free}

2011-05-09T00:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!!!

I had an amazing Mother's Day, with lots of time outdoors with my family. We had beautiful weather, and the day was picture perfect.
All the boys took me out to breakfast, and I just had to share the pics of my precious crew.

Also, I wanted to send you over to Fieldstone Hill Design, where I am giving away something free, in honor of Mother's Day. Hope you can enjoy this gift!

Enjoy the royal cuteness of my cuties {if I do say so myself}!!!:

a busy April

2011-04-20T14:46:00.000-04:00

I have been so busy this month, with a lot of things going on, but I wanted to hop in and say HI and share a few pics of what we have been up to lately!

I have been posting regularly over at Fieldstone Hill Design, and have been building up a clientele! This is so very exciting for me. Isn't it a delight to 'earn a living' {well, that is debatable :) } doing something you REALLY love?? How cool is that?? Every design board and consultation has been a sheer joy for me. Here is the design board I did for our boys' room, which is a big work-in-progress right now! You can see our latest progress on the room in this post.

We started a garden! I have been wanting to do this for 4 years, but I always missed the planting window.
I am so excited about this because I am starting to go all crazy-nutso with my food. Unfortunately, my health has not been good lately {pray for me?}.... and I am jumping on the organic, whole food bandwagon. Even more extreme: I am now gluten and dairy free. Not by choice. Well, sort of by choice. I am trying to get to the bottom of health problems I have had since 2003, especially as related to debilitating and painful reflux that makes its way all the way up my esophagus, yuk. I would love to know if any of you have had any luck with extreme diet changes and reflux. Anywhoo, back to lovelier things... here is our lovely garden, before and after planting!

Pictures will be sure to come once things start coming up! I hope I can keep up with the weeding ??!!

Homeschooling is going well. Caleb is participating in Memory Masters at Classical Conversations, which has kept us very busy! Next week is his final "quiz" to see if he can accomplish memory masters status. I am SOOO thankful for CC. I never would have introduced Caleb to so much memory work, and I am flabbergasted at what a 5 year old can do! Pics below show just half of all the cards Caleb has had to memorize, in timeline order. And the next pic is floating "icebergs" in the sink during our My Father's World, Penguin unit!

Last week, we visited Pittsburgh, PA with Daddy, as he had a business trip. I want to post some pics from our trip, but one of our highlights was having school in the window well on the 26th floor of the Westin, Pittsburgh. It was SO cool. We said our pledge of allegiance looking out the window, all the way down to the flagpole that sat in front of the Westin. I will never forget it!

We have been up to lots more this month, but that gives you a tiny peek into my insanity!

Missing my Worth Walking Toward buddies, but delighting in my new blogging love! Hope to see you there too!

Lent

2011-03-13T18:49:00.000-04:00

I decided to repost this from last year's Ash Wednesday since it captures how I feel about this season in the church calendar.

Wednesday of this past week marked the first day of Lent. Some Christians observe this traditional day on the church calendar by entering into a season of fasting and reflection as they prepare their hearts for the Passion season of Christ. On Wednesday, we headed off to church for the 'imposition of ashes' and the reminder that "we are from dust, and to dust we shall return." Here is a picture of some tired folks from that night:

My fasting list for this year includes {I post this in my weakness, knowing that I am not able to do anything worthy without Christ}:

No internet until after homeschool is finished.

No bread. No cookies. No cake. No doughnuts. No crackers.

************************** from last year:

For Lent

Lent begins today.
40 days until Easter.

This is a time when we reflect. we dwell on thoughts of what He did for us. and we remember the Ultimate Saving Sacrifice, with a small token of our own sacrifice.

I love the season of Lent because I love me some good Drama....

Easter unfolds fresh and glorious and bright,
after a season of remembering the days of Gethsemane, sacrifice, beatings, and silent suffering that He endured.
for you.
for me.
so we can have Hope.

For Lent, I am giving up some little things... some normal things,
and refocusing on things that are good for me. that are alive.
So that I can dwell on Him more.

So that I can think on Him whenever I have to stop and resist, or make a good choice.

2010: No cake. No muffins. and No cookies.
No internet after 6pm (this one is hard! would you please forgive me for a decrease in commenting????? maybe you should join in?).
And an attempt to work-out, even just 10 minutes, every single day.

that is my list of not-very-spiritual-seeming-sacrifices.

But during these 40 days, I turn my eyes to the dark history of Jesus's suffering. And I remember with the help of the little things.

and as for Drama?
Cake tastes really really good on Easter morning.

An awesome homeschool room

2011-02-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

Today on my interiors blog, I did a post on one of my most FAVORITE homeschool rooms. If you are interested, you can check it out here:

Fieldstone Hill :: ditto :: an inspiring study.

dreamy, I tell ya!

A One Hundred Day Party

2011-02-25T22:36:00.000-05:00

Our 100th Day of School!

A 100 Day Party.

100 licks of icing. Counting 100 M&M's. Sharing "100's of things we have learned."

= tons of fun.

The biggest boy in the room

2011-02-23T08:36:00.001-05:00

I overheard the boys playing in Caleb's room yesterday. Here was the conversation:

Caleb to Christian:
"Who has the biggest bed?" {insert 'nanny-nanny-boo-boo' voice}

Christian:
{not impressed} "Caleb."

Caleb:
"Who is the biggest boy in this room??

{..... pause}

CJ:
{not impressed} "God."

{..... pause}

Caleb:
"You're RIGHT, Christian!!!"

You tell 'm, sweet boys!!!!

Chasing a dream

2011-02-15T15:43:00.002-05:00

...............In the rare event {wink. wink} that any of you have been wondering "where has Darlene gone from blogland??", I have been meaning and meaning to write this post.

The short answer: nowhere!
The long answer: I am chasing a dream.

For a while now, I have been blogging every day, Monday through Friday at my new interiors site, Fieldstone Hill Design. I couldn't be more excited about this opportunity and dream, and I am enjoying it so so much. It is a wonderful way for me to contribute financially to our family, and it has been fostering the creative side of my spirit in a way that has not been fostered in a very long time... since I lost my voice in 2003 and had to walk away from a singing career. Fieldstone Hill is actually an answer to prayer for me, and I feel like I am spreading the creative wings that God gave me so long ago.

But, it makes me sad that I am no longer posting as much at this site. Why? Because I have grown to love so many of you guys! It makes me sad that I am not connecting with all of you as often. This site is really more about who I am as a child of God; who 'Darlene, the soul and spirit' is. So, therefore, I feel like all of you know the true Dar. And it makes me sad that I am not "hanging out with you", my friends, as often.

Nevertheless, God is calling my devotions elsewhere for this season. And since my first three 'jobs' are mommy, wife, and homeschool teacher, now followed by voice teacher and interior designer... I am not making the time to post here quite as often. But........

Even so: I am not going anywhere. I love y'all too much! I will just be posting more sporadically.

Love you guys! And I hope you will hang out with me at Fieldstone Hill Design as well. And if design is not your thing... I will see you here too!

swirly lollipops

2011-02-09T19:24:00.000-05:00

had to share these fun pics.
for 69 cents a piece, so much joy. Who knew?

The Happiness of Today

2011-02-07T21:02:00.000-05:00

Somehow, if I forget to be grateful, I find a friend in Ann, who spurs me on to remember that which I am deeply grateful. To remember that I am, indeed, Happy.

Believe, then you will see.
That is how it was for me. So, why wouldn't the same hold true in my wrestling for happiness?

Smile first, then you will be happy.
It reminds me of that little ol' wive's tale that goes: "if you smile, the muscles will release happy hormones to your brain, and you will actually feel happy!" I don't know if the science pans out; but it feels true to me when I try.

If you have not done so, I truly encourage you to read this beautiful post about smiling first, happiness second. or something like that.

Smiles. #22-30.

{#22} I am thankful for my sister, Tammy, who celebrated a birthday yesterday. She is beautiful inside and out.

{#23} for skype. I got to talk to my precious Agniya, in Russia, for free, for nearly one hour today. While I cooked dinner. I miss you like crazy, honey!

{#24} for Amtrak. It is bringing my Caroline to me for a much needed visit this weekend.

{#25} for my Classical Conversations community. Seeing all of you tomorrow. I have missed you!

{#26} for hot dinners, clean faces, and running baths. Not everyone has these.....

{#27} for making it through a trying day without yelling. Praise be to God.

{#28} for sleeping children. even if they were rascals today, they always look like pure precious love when they succumb, finally, to sweet still sleep.

{#29} for a date with my honey, the couch, and a new episode of Chuck tonight. The only t.v. we watch. strange, but us.

{#30} for the health of my loved ones. {I am praying for you Kathie.....}

Recipe Share: Vegetable Pie

2011-02-03T15:41:00.001-05:00

Time to share another recipe!

This recipe was created by me and Agniya one night while whipping up some creative dinner. It was love at first taste!

Now this dish is a company-pleasing favorite. Plus, it looks beautiful on the table.

Honestly, how can anyone go wrong with that much garlic and parmesan?

And who couldn't stand to be reminded of the delicious tastes of summer right now??

Enjoy!

{the Recipe cards were created using this wonderful digi-scrapping freebie!}

Classical Conversations

2011-02-01T00:27:00.001-05:00

Today is our first day back to "CC." We are just coming off of a long winter break, and we are excited to go back and see our friends. And get back into the swing of things.

If you have never heard of Classical Conversations, I urge you to check it out. It is a classical 'method' of teaching that is used to enhance your homeschooling classroom, and it also serves as a community support for your homeschooling as well.

Once a week, we meet. Caleb is in a class with 8 other children his age, and he has a tutor. His tutor guides both the moms {or dads} and the children through the material for the week. In addition, she leads the children in a science project, an art project or music project, and a snack time. We also have the opportunity, because of CC, to have lunch as a community, followed by recess. I actually get to hang out with other homeschooling mommies {very cool ones, I might add}, once a week for lunch, while our kids play.

Classical Conversations has been an amazing experience for our family. I love how it adds structure and community to our homeschool year.

One of the greatest blessings is the community of families. To be surrounded by other moms and dads, who share the same schooling journey, is supportive and encouraging in many ways. Our son loves his class and his tutor. And I love that he has an instant community of friends... I even love that he gets a classic recess. The community experience really creates the 'best of both worlds,' for home schoolers.

Regarding the education: I can say without hesitation that the level of excellence surpasses some of the education I received in College and Grad school. And my five year old is soaking it in!
I have been amazed at how the Grammar phase of classical education really triggers his interest and confidence in learning. For example, he memorized a history sentence about Shakespeare. At five, I had never exposed him to Shakespeare directly before. And, at the time of memorizing, we did not review any understanding. I never explained to him who Shakespeare was. At least, not right then. All he knew was: "During the Renaissance period, from 1350 -1600s.....Shakespeare was a famous playwright...."

Then, recently, the subject of Shakespeare came up among adults in our home, and it caught Caleb's ear, and because he knew the Grammar, he had immediate interest in learning more. Classical learning really does take advantage of the natural ways God created us to learn.

And I must mention, our 3 year old, Christian, knows nearly as much just through hearing the CD's. CC makes it easy to teach all of these things to your children.

We are grateful to God for Classical Conversations. I just love their motto: "To know God and make him known."

Never in my wildest imagination did I think that my 5 year old would be able to do this:

My man.

2011-01-30T07:56:00.000-05:00

He is handsome.
He is kind.
He is generous. so generous.
He is filled with compassion that simply translates to action.
He is not a man of lots of words...
But what he says is wise.
He shows his love through acts of service.
He knows all kinds of mathematical equations off of the top of his head; which I think is cool.
He is an amazing father. The kind who comes home from work to play with his kids, never with the TV remote or the newspaper.
And if I am busy with something, he asks me "What can I do for you, baby?"
He loves the Lord, and is unswerving in his faith.
He has the highest standard of moral code. Never cheating. Never compromising.
He is loyal.
He has the best laugh. And it is one of my favorite sounds in the world.
He has "smiling" eyes.
He is ever faithful in prayer. If he tells you he will be praying for you, he will.
He has the kind of work-ethic that this country was built on.
He is witty.
with my man,
What you see is what you get. A devoted, loving father who loves the Lord and works hard and laughs hard.
Just ask anyone who knows him.

God gave me this amazing man, despite myself. And every day with him is a day that I am further blessed.

Happy Birthday, honey. I love you. Toujours.

playing in the snow

2011-01-27T14:18:00.003-05:00

my hubby had a 2 hour delay at work today. Have you ever heard of anything so wonderful... for an engineer, I mean??
why?
because his company is amazing, and they care that kids also had a delay. {you see, God blessed our trials in amazing ways, and continues to bless us... especially with more time together! you know, to live this thing. the best blessing!}

so. while Matt was home, I bundled up, and headed out to play - with my new camera - in the snow!

..................I'm really still learning, but I had fun playing anyway.

Together Time

2011-01-26T14:21:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have given an update on how our homeschooling is going. We have entered into our second semester, and I am definitely getting into a groove.

So, despite the fact that I am pouring most of my blogging efforts into my new online interior design endeavor {come visit me there!!}, I am really hoping to try to blog-journal a little bit more about our homeschooling experience thus far. You know. when I have spare time.

Today, I wanted to share with all of you how we start every day of homeschool together. We call it "Together Time." During together time, we establish the direction of our day and I teach group concepts.

I choose to keep our day very structured. It is what works for us... mostly because I have 2 boys, I think! And because my 5 year old, Caleb, has always thrived on structure and "knowing what comes next."

After Together Time, we move on to our workboxes. But both Together Time and Workboxes contain curriculum "meat." Here is, in general, what our Together Time looks like each day {except for Classical Conversations Day.... but that is for another post}:

Clock In: The boys have Clock-In cards with their pics on them. They use these to put into a pocket that says "Clock In." We are currently on a "you have lost your privilege" break from these cards because the boys have been fighting over whose card gets to be in front.
Pray: The boys say their same prayer every day. {see pic below}
Daily Pledge: For now, we rotate our pledges between the American Pledge and the Pledge to the Christian flag. We do the Pledge to the Bible every day. {see pic below}
Calendar Time: We identify the date and the day of the week. We also look outside and identify the weather.
100 Cup and Chart: This is a part of our My Father's World curriculum. We put a straw in a cup each day of school, and we write down what day of school it is on our 100 chart. Once we get to a group of 10, we put a rubber band around that group and start counting by 10s. Soon, we will be celebrating our 100th day of school!
Singing: This is different each day, and is curriculum led by the Reading portion of My Fathers World. I also have the boys sing some of their Classical Conversations memory work {we are singing all of the U.S. Presidents right now}. And we sing a coordinating song to our Bible Memory Verse, if one is available.
Bible Time: This is when I present the Bible concepts from the Activity part of My Father's World {I know, I take it out of order. But it works for us}. We also review our Bible Memory Verse, and our Words to Remember {MFW}.
Read/Write: We review our weekly letter by tracing it on our desks with our "magic fingers" and by recreating the letter using techniques from Handwriting Without Tears. We also learn new reading techniques or sight words during this time. I also do the Blend Ladder and any group reading activities from our My Father's World curriculum.

Whew. And that is just the beginning of our day! It usually takes about 30 minutes.

Actually, our days are not long. We spend about 2 hours, sometimes less, sometimes more, doing school each day. Anyway, that is our "Together Time." I hope to be sharing more about how our homeschool days go... but who knows when!!!

A glorious morning.

2011-01-24T11:10:00.000-05:00

My morning was filled with praises and thanks.

I did what I knew I needed to do. And doesn't that make all the difference? Why are we so stubbornly set against those very things that make our day better?

It reminds me of when I say to my sons,
"Yes honey. You DO need to go pee on the potty. I can tell that you do. You are crossing your legs and dancing. Now, honey. Don't you think it would be so much more fun to play with that toy if you didn't have to worry about crossing your legs, or thinking about going potty?"

and the Lord whispers to me:
"Yes honey. You DO need to sit still, in front of a pretty window, and read my word. Yes, You DO need to exercise and praise me this morning. Don't you think that the rest of your day will go so much better if you tap into my love and start it with victory?"

Yes. Father. I DO know. But, why do I do the things I know I should not do?
Why do I not do the things I know I must?

This morning. I started the way He wants me to. The way I know I should.
So gratitude came easy.

Here is the continuation of my list.
my gifts.
Today, I am thankful:

{#11} for bare branches, perched above cold iced snow. bathed in rising sunlight

{#12} for a room with a view of His creation.

{#13} that I don't find my inner self while doing yoga this morning. Instead, I talk to Him, and hear a lot of noisy beeping tractor-toy sounds. The sound that my house is full of love.

{#14} that school went well this morning. filled with lots and lots of snuggling, and just a tiny little bit of mommy-nagging.

{#15} for Him. That we have a Worthy One. That I got to meet Him in Revelation this morning. A worthy and slain Lamb.

{#16} that we have a fun field trip planned this afternoon, and that I will not be the one dissecting a mammal heart. Very thankful for that one.

{#17} for a hubby who puts the football game on in the background and proceeds to do 3 loads of laundry and fold them and wash the dishes while I sit on the couch and work away at my dream. Oblivious to how awesome he is, until I see the boys' coats drying on the bannister. I noticed them while I was upside down in downward facing dog.
Matt, you are amazing.

{#18} for the little alfalfa sprout on Christian's head this morning. golly. he is cute.

{#19} that Caleb climbed into bed with me this morning and cupped my face in his hand, and kissed me on my cheek with a big proud smile on his face. Then, he pulled up the covers and snuggled in next to me.

{#20} today, I am thankful again for our heat. negative temperatures this morning.

{#21} that I am still in PJ's, and the boys are too. Yet we learned and did so much already today. Praise to Him who makes us able. and who created us to love snuggly warm comforts.

his precious heart

2011-01-20T08:50:00.000-05:00

Like so many of you, we have been praying for Edie and her family every day, a precious blogger who lost her home to fire.

This morning, on the way back from bringing Christian to preschool, Caleb spotted some construction equipment building a house. Here was his precious conversation with me:

Caleb: "Look, mommy!! Look at the cool crane and backhoe! Are they building a house?"
Mommy: "Yep."
Caleb: "(very excitedly) Are they building a new house for Edie???!!!!!"
Mommy: "Oh, no honey. Edie does not live here. They live somewhere else."
Caleb: "(determined) When I grow up, I am going to drive a loader, and I am going to build a big house for Edie!!!!! And then, I am going to go to buy them a lot, a lot of toys, from Toys R Us, and I am going to fill their new house up with toys. And I am going to get them a new garage."
Mommy: "Baby. That is a GREAT idea. Edie will love it."

Don't you just love his precious heart?

If you are not already, I invite you to join in on praying for Edie and her family.

I need to do it

2011-01-17T15:57:00.000-05:00

Do you forget?
Do you ever forget all that you have, and slip away into the sin of pining for more?
Do you struggle with it daily? like me.

It is time for me to finally join in on this journey.
high time.

Lord. Father of Heaven and Earth. The One who cares for tiny me. The One who watches me trip over my own feet time and time again. The One who waits, arms open, with a smile on His face and a glimmer in His eyes... for me to notice that He stands there - arms open.
To the Only Thing Worth Walking Toward,

I am grateful to You today for

{#1} children that laugh and jump on the couch, cushions everywhere, giggles every where. even bonking heads and roaring laughter. my two precious boys. let me NEVER miss the moments of them.

{#2} my amazing. amazing. amazing man. patient. loves me with grace that abounds. Sees the best in me. Praises me as a mom. Gives me his confidence. Is wiser than he would ever acknowledge or know. And somehow, thinks I am a size 2. Because when he looks at me, he sees HIS girl.

{#3} a bite of chocolate during quiet time.

{#4} "clean-up time" to Rastafarian rap music. The precious 3 year old who tries really hard to shake his hips. And a 5 year old who knows how to shake it and clean it at the same time.

{#5} the joy of watching my children learn. the victory of M&M's after having successfully listed 96 events in the History of the world; Caleb, you amaze me. The beaming faces of achieving a challenge. Precious 3 year old Christian, who beamed from ear to ear because, "honey. You are SUCH a good brother. Thank you for listening to Caleb, encouraging him, and allowing him to concentrate." but best of all.. the cheering when the M&M's hit the scene.

{#6} having enough money to pay our heating bill. This month it was no struggle. But it was once. And for someone else today, it is.

{#7} for lemon tea. hot. fresh lemons and local honey.

{#8} for Ann Voskamp. She reminds me that I forgot to look in the direction I always want to look.

{#9} the smell of my boys' heads. sweet hair.

{#10} for girlfriends who still love me, despite the fact that 3 guys come first. they take a breath and the time to understand. It is called grace. I love them for it.

It is high time
I follow His advice, and through thanksgiving, savor the moments.....

The Farm Show

2011-01-15T08:52:00.000-05:00

Every year when we go to the farm show.... I ask myself.... How did it come to this?
How did a girly, makeup-every-single-day, haute-couture loving, artist, opera singer, decorator, fan of all things Italian....
How did I end up a regular attendee of The Farm Expo show?

Easy.
I would do anything to see these smiles:

So.

Maybe I was not born to be a farm girl.

Maybe I never thought I would know the lyrics to "Sittin' with my Grandpa on his Ol' John Deere."

Maybe I never thought I would know the difference between a seed drill and a cultivator.

But then again,

I never had any idea that I would be THIS blessed!:

Free January Desktop 2011

2011-01-13T19:05:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I posted one of my desktops.
I get them for free from this great blog, the Shabby Shoppe Blog,

and then I import them into Photoshop {you can use nearly any photo editing program} in order to add my own pictures.

Once I create my own desktop, I import it into iPhoto {I use a Mac} and click on Share, to Desktop. And then this is what I see every time I turn on my computer:

Enjoy your desktop creations!

a sampling of cute expressions

2011-01-12T04:59:00.001-05:00

I captured just a few of the priceless expressions that Christian has to offer:

don't miss the pursed lips among the blur.

priceless.

thanks honey.

2011-01-11T10:17:00.001-05:00

Thanks for the roses, honey.
Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?

My honey brings me roses. Un-arranged. Unadorned. The bunch that smelled the best.
just the way I love them...

..........And, for no particular reason.

Other than,
we love each other.

I forgot to take care of mommy

2011-01-10T20:15:00.002-05:00

I thought I would share with you one of my latest solutions to one of my silliest realities of being a mommy.
If you are a mommy, then you will know exactly what I am talking about when I say that I, on a daily basis, forget to take care of my own most basic needs and goals for my life and well-being.
So, I made myself a check-list.
You know, the kind that you make for your kids... but this one is for mommy.
It sits on my fridge, and I thought you would get a kick out of it:

......And so, veteran moms.
I ask you.
Will I ever get my brain back, or is it gone for good?

A big thing for me

2011-01-07T16:15:00.001-05:00

Today was a big day for me.

I know, that for business purposes, I should pretend that I have done a million of these. But the truth is, I have not! Well, in my head I have done a million... but not on a Design Board!

And Today, for the first time, I revealed one of my Design Boards on my new dream blog, Fieldstone Hill.

Truth is, I have ALWAYS loved houses and the decorating of homes. I LOVE to dream up designs and picture color combos and invent ways that I can have a gorgeous home on the cheap. And in "real life", I don't go on and on and on about design, because, unless you share my passion, it would be an awfully one-sided and/or boring conversation.

But not so in blogland.

I can blah, blah, blah about decor until the cows come home. And if you don't like my ideas, you can graciously depart the screen, and I can keep on blabbing. Perfect venue for a gal with a passion.

Anyway, for a few years now, I have been dreaming up ways that I can start to use my gift as more of a profession if you will. Well, actually, I have been dreaming up ways since I played with a dollhouse. But it was over these last few years of dreaming that Fieldstone Hill Design was born. There, I offer Online Design Services. A perfect fit. And I truly am loving it.

Won't you buzz on over there and tell me what you think of my Design Board??? be kind :)

and. I DO love homes. and the decorating of Homes. and the playing around with color. and the fun of it all. and the dreaming.
but, I must end this post by saying:

HE is the Only Thing Worth Walking Toward.

Recipe Share: My absolute, most favorite cake

2011-01-06T12:47:00.001-05:00

This Christmas, I worked hard at compiling all of my favorite recipes for entertaining and the holidays. And guess what?
I am going to share them all with you!!!

I know that the New Year is the time when we resolve to NOT eat this kind of stuff. But, ya never know when you are going to need to entertain with a super tasty recipe. So I will keep the recipes coming.

Oh, and if you are feeling crafty, and want to compile your own recipes this way, the Recipe cards that I used can be found here at Shabby Princess. Best part? They are Free!!!

So, without further ado, here is the recipe for my favorite cake:

While I did not mention it in the recipe, I love serving this cake cold! Mmm. It really brings out the chocolate. And we all know that is a good thing.

Here is what she looks like:

.................Be still my beating heart.
and Enjoy!

A New Year that the Lord has made

2011-01-04T10:55:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year.
Happy Day.
"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!" - Psalm 118:24

Right next to my bed, I keep a gift box. It is a tiny little present, with a bow on top. And it sits by my bedside to remind me that each new day is a gift from God.

And each New Year is a Gift.
I am excited about 2011, and I wait expectantly upon the glorious things that God will do for His glory, and to shape me and my family.

With each passing year, I get more and more lax about the concept of New Year's Resolutions... but I always seem to "regroup" and "refocus" and "reorganize" this time of year.

One of the main ways that our family does this is by having time together to make a list of "Family Goals" for our year. We organize this list by subject. We try to keep the list attainable, simple, and focused... with the overall goal of our lives in mind. Running the race toward the Prize.

This year, I noticed something interesting. I actually had to delete the subject line entitled "Spiritual Goals." The reason? Well, each and every other catagory {like Marriage Goals, Parenting Goals, Money Goals, Home Improvement Goals} actually encompassed all of our Spiritual Goals for the New Year. I thought that was cool.

A highlight of some of our goals for this year? Some of them are new, others are a continuation from last year:

Marriage Goal: monthly date nights; nightly devotions together
Parenting Goal: read small excerpts each day from my two favorite parenting books, this one, and this one.
Darlene Goal: get a primary physician
Money Goal: save money for trip to Russia to visit Agniya.
Home Goals: For a post on all of our Home Improvement Goals, click here.

...and that is just a taste, but you get the idea.

Has your family ever tried making a Family Goals list for the New Year? I have to say, I highly recommend it! It truly does help us to stay focused with our choices throughout the year.

What are some of your family goals?
I look forward to hearing from you for the first time this year!!

Favorite Christmas pictures and a mini blog-cation

2010-12-29T10:48:00.001-05:00

Hey blog friends!
We have family in town, so I will be on a mini blog-cation. Hope to see you back here next week. I will still be posting at my new Interiors blog, Fieldstone Hill. See you there? You are awesome! Thanks for supporting my dream, blog friends!!

In the meantime, I leave you with some of our favorite Christmas pics. Enjoy!!!

My absolute favorite!:

Getting ready for Saint Nicholas:

Twas the Night Before Christmas:

The most wonderful story; according to Luke:

Christmas morning. Can you see the "ashen" kisses on their cheeks from St. Nick?:

Caleb kissing baby Jesus who had just been discovered in the manger Christmas morning:

hmmmm. Looks like Santa was reading Luke too:

Happy Birthday, baby Jesus!!!:

May all of you have a SAFE and fun New Year's Eve!
Happy New Year 2011!!!!!!!

Must Have: The True Story of Saint Nick

2010-12-28T09:07:00.001-05:00

This year, we gave the boys an amazing book from The Voice of the Martyrs. It is the true story of Nicholas of Myra, who is now known to us as Saint Nicholas. I highly recommend this book! (grab it now. It is on sale!)

Did you know that Nicholas was tortured for Christ?
actually did sneak into a house in the middle of the night?
was spared from a storm at sea?
was made Bishop in response to a prayer?
lost his Bishop's 'crown' for standing up for our Lord?

Our boys love the book! We have been getting multiple requests for lots of re-reading.

And clearly, they love Saint Nick:

Christmas was different this year

2010-12-27T13:13:00.000-05:00

This year, our family went through a time of need.

It changed everything about our Christmas this year.
and made it one of the most magical Christmases we have ever had.

Thanks to amazing friends {who are the very Hands and Feet of Him who loves us so}, and for SO MUCH provision from God, we were not only in want for nothing, but we were blessed with abundance.

We still wanted to give each other gifts, and we did so modestly, using Christmas as a day to get each other things that we truly needed, such as stuff for the boys' school, or umbrellas, or clothing needs. Plus a few extra small goodies (like the Season 3 disks of Chuck. The gift of Laughter from my honey. If you don't watch Chuck, truly, you must start. I digress...).

We had a gracious plenty under our tree... a multitude of donations from our friends.
I tell you this for one reason alone. With the hope to point others toward the Glory of God. Every need we had was met and more. Even our wants were gloriously granted.
And, this Christmas was so clearly a culmination of an amazing year where God revealed to us, in a much needed and personal way, that He is our Jehovah Jireh {God who Provides}.

Not only did God take care of us during our time of need, He used this time to turn our hearts more toward Him, and to put our family in a situation that is MUCH more prosperous (and I am not talking about money):
What was dead, was replaced with life. What was strained, was replaced with peace and ease. What was dark, depressing, and down, was replaced with hope, joy, laughter and upward-climbing.
How can we thank Him???

Thanks to the moving prompt of this post, we began a new tradition this Christmas.
Why hadn't it crossed our minds to do this before? I don't know.

But this year, instead of spending our resources in the typical Christmas fashion (we still did a little bit!!), we gave our gifts to Jesus. It is His birthday after all!
All the while, I could not get this verse out of my mind:

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep..." {John 21:15-18}

So, by His grace, we chose to Feed. {click on the links to find ways you can help too}
With Water.
With Food.
With the Word of Life.

We spent the afternoon of Christmas, curled up on our couch, and pouring through Giving catalogs. Picking out gifts for Our Lord.
Then, down to the playroom we went... and we filled box after box.
Picking out gifts for Our Lord.
for His Sheep.

Merry Christmas, dear ones. May His Love put a permanent smile of wonder on your face and in your heart. May His Love cause you to shake your head in amazement. May His Love prompt you to Feed His Sheep.

A Christmas card for you

2010-12-24T00:03:00.000-05:00

We wish you a merry Christmas.....

filled with blessings

and the constant awareness of The Greatest Gift of All.

Merry Christmas, from our family to yours.

with love, {darlene}

What I found under the tree

2010-12-23T00:01:00.007-05:00

the miracles of Christmas can be found when we stop to enjoy the blessing we already have!

a new ornament and a new camera {squeal!}

2010-12-22T00:07:00.000-05:00

found this on our tree yesterday:

hmmmm. Fake, child sized, construction-goggles make for quite an interesting ornament, right???

see them?
hanging right in the middle of the tree?
cute.

and....
{insert giddiness here}

I was able to take these gorgeous, albeit highly unprofessional, pics {if I do say so myself}, in very low light,

because Matt's family gave me this for Christmas:

{insert silly and ridiculous scream of delight}

Did I ever tell you that my current Canon Elf was left outside on a pile of rocks for two weeks, and endured 3 severe thunderstorms, 3 days above 100 degrees F, and a mini-tornado that uprooted trees at every house on our street????
Yes.
That puppy still worked.

But alas, with each new day, she was dying a slow death.
gotta give her credit for hanging on.

and I was hanging on too. Or you could even argue that I was getting desperate.
Until,
wonder of wonder. miracle of miracles.
I got my dream camera for Christmas!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

Thank you so much to Nana and Pop Pop!

...just wondering God. When are you going to stop showing off with all these little big gifts??

a gift for baby Jesus.

2010-12-20T00:00:00.002-05:00

This has had us laughing for days.

so, all of my friends told me that if I posted this on YouTube, it would go viral. heehee.
What do you think?

Our Heirlooms and Traditions Christmas

2010-12-14T12:01:00.001-05:00

As a part of the Nester's Tour of Homes for Christmas 2010, here is a sneak peak into our home at Christmastime:

For more details on our home and our Christmas decorating, it would encourage me so much if you would visit my new decorating blog, Fieldstone Hill! Let me know you stopped by... oh, and if you Follow it, it would just make me so stinkin' happy!!!

Fieldstone Hill:

Our new Heirloom stockings:

Our Parlor:

The Kid's Tree:

The Staircase leading to Our Tree:

One of our Mantles:

Our Jingle Bell Wreath:

Wintertime at Fieldstone Hill:

You can see more pictures of the inside of our home HERE.

And for more of our HOME TOUR:

Please join me today for a {slightly huge.} picture listing of some of our most precious Christmas traditions and the inclusion, this year, of some precious family Heirlooms:

Our new Heirlooms:

This Christmas, we added something special to our holiday decorating. I had old and thinning (yet stunning) tablecloths and napkins of my Grandmothers made into a tree skirt and linen Christmas stockings. Oh, how thrilled I am with these special Heirlooms in our Christmas Home:

Our Tradition: Hanging Dried Grapefruits from our Tree:

Each year, while we decorate our tree, we dry a bunch of sliced grapefruits in a low temp oven. Then, they are hung on the tree using a cheap package of ornament hangers. You can't imagine how the fruit looks like beautiful stained glass!

Our Tradition: Brown Paper Packages Tied Up In String:

This is how we wrap all of our gifts for our friends and family. They look beautiful all gathered under the tree!

Our Tradition: Going to a tree farm for a freshly cut tree:

This was only our second year, and it is definitely a new tradition for us to go and cut our tree. We had a wonderful time that morning.

Our Tradition: The Greatest Gift of All Bow:

Each year, after our evening of decorating, we ceremoniously top the trees with bows, and we ask the kids "What is the Greatest Gift of All for Christmas?" Why, it is Jesus of course!

Our Tradition: PJ's, Hot Cocoa, and Garish Christmas Lights:

Each year, we pack the family into the car, in our Pajamas!! We take cocoa, and head out on a hunt for the ugliest Christmas lights. And we LAUGH and LAUGH!! I just love this night!

Our Tradition: A special Christmas Eve and Santa's Kiss:

On Christmas Eve, we always attend Children's Church service, and then come home for a celebration of family. Our evening includes: making cookies for Santa and leaving out carrots for the reindeer, exchanging one gift, snuggling in the dark looking at the Christmas tree, and reading The Christmas Story out of the Bible.

We also have the special tradition of Santa's kiss. After our little ones go to sleep, "Santa" sneaks in to give them ash covered kisses. Here is Caleb's kiss from last year at our dear friend's home:

Our Tradition: Waiting for the arrival of Baby Jesus:

Oh, how we love to build anticipation with the children as we eagerly await and actively prepare for the Birth of our Savior! Jesus does not arrive on the scene of our nativity until Christmas morn.

Oh, how I love this time of year!!!

Merry Christmas, y'all! And thank you for visiting my blog and my interiors blog!! It is so nice to meet you!!

{this is an updated and edited repost from the archives}

Must Have: A wise mother joining you for tea

2010-12-13T03:39:00.000-05:00

I have to recommend these two amazing books to you. I am pouring over every word of them right now, and they are like sweet manna to a mommy's heart. I promise you will love them.

Reading a Sally Clarkson book is like sitting with a wise mother and mentor, and having her lovingly encourage you to make wise choices as a parent. "The Ministry of Motherhood" has me realigning my priorities, and changing my own images of the purpose of mothering. "The Seasons of a Mother's Heart" is a treasure of encouragement and offers inspiring examples of fruitful mothering, as well as including extra special encouragement for the homeschooling mother.

I cannot tell you what a treasure these two books have been to me:

Three more Provisions

2010-12-08T16:15:00.002-05:00

In this post, I shared the amazing story of all that God did for us during Matt's untimely departure from his employment.

There was one thing I forgot to put on the list of God's Provisions {but I am off to go add it now, so you might just find it updated}.

1. "The Perfect Resume."

I could rattle off a commercial for this awesome book. Basically, if you follow it's advice, and then follow-through with intense networking and cold-calling... you can strongly increase your chances of getting improved employment. My opinion.

But, the cool thing about this silly ol' book is not its results.
No.
The cool thing about this book is that God sent it to us.

hokey? maybe.
but, while at the library, 3 days after the rock was pulled out from under us, I was feverishly pouring through books on homeschooling.

smack dab in the middle of the homeschool books was this:

So. I checked out a copy.

And it helped my hubby. A LOT.

and ya gotta wonder? What was this book doing smack dab in the middle of the homeschool section??

Maybe it is because He is Perfect. His Timing is Perfect. And His Provision is Perfect.

2. And remember my list of things that I won during this time? Well, I won one more thing! And it was another Provision... because Matt and I had decided a long time ago that we would not partake in one of our favorite traditions of Christmas: Card exchanging. Which was an extra bummer, since we WON these AMAZING photos from Amy.

Well.... I won a service for free Christmas card e-delivery, from Mistle Mail, through a giveaway on my amazing friend Genevieve's awesome, awe-filled, beautiful blog.

3. And, a few days ago, I had a friend give me a gift that was actually written down on a wish list of mine for this Christmas. She had no idea. Glory!!!

I am shaking my head at our Amazing Lord! Why is He just revealing His Provision to me all over the place???

Oh, How I love Him. Oh, how He cares about the details.

Provision.

{darlene}

{would you consider helping me grow my new online interiors blog, Fieldstone Hill, by Following, Liking on Facebook, and/or Subscribing? Thank you so much for helping me spread the word!!!!}

At the Tree Farm

2010-12-06T00:44:00.000-05:00

A new family tradition for us, starting last year, is going to a tree farm to pick and cut down our own Christmas tree. I must say, I love it so much more than heading over to a tree lot. There is something old-fashioned about it. And, boy, your tree really does last A LOT longer because it is so much fresher.

We captured some great pictures from our special day. Another treasured memory:

How I love this time of year. I hope you are enjoying Getting Ready for Him.

Oh, I am so depraved.

2010-12-03T00:44:00.000-05:00

Please. Watch this video.
It is awesome.
It is worth the 7 minutes.

Thank you, Ann.

Did you know all of these facts? I didn't.

2010-12-02T00:20:00.000-05:00

Watch and learn and then spread the truth-pandemic.
Maybe you didn't know all of these facts either.

Thanks to Angel, for sharing this great link.

Camera advice

2010-12-01T09:13:00.002-05:00

Does anyone know of a reliable place to buy used Canon Rebels???

Free Jesse Tree Advent Devotional

2010-11-29T08:52:00.000-05:00

If you have not yet heard about this, prepare to be blessed.

If you have not yet heard about Ann Voskamp, prepare to be brought closer to the Lord.

{*download the devotional today because the readings start tonight!}

Getting Ready

2010-11-27T22:24:00.003-05:00

Today we nearly made a fatal error.

I am not sure what was overtaking us, but at first it seemed to make sense.

My hubby needed new slacks.

We were driving RIGHT past the Banana Republic Outlet on our way home from my sister's.

He could just run in, and grab a few in his size.

We would save time, and gas.

presto.

Um.....

I am not sure what we were thinking we would find at the Outlets the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Probably because we don't usually partake in Black Friday festivities.

note:

{just learned that it is called Black Friday because it is the weekend that retailers finally get their accounts 'in the Black.' duh. It made sense all along! Thanks for the info, Uncle Dan. Maybe you guys knew that already......}

anywho. Like I said, we thought it was a brilliant idea.

We were wrong.

We spent 30 minutes at the outlets: 10 minutes to get into the parking lot. 20 minutes stuck in the parking lot. and 10 minutes getting out of the parking lot.

{Why in the world do people do this? every year? really?? If you are one of the amazing people that brave this shopping weekend.... I gotta know the lure!}

This is how some people get ready for Christmas, I guess. No, actually, at the Outlets it seemed as if this is how EVERYONE but us gets ready for Christmas.

For many it is the main way they get ready. For others, it is just a part of the fun and part of their tradition and I seriously admire their stamina.

But at our home, we are getting ready too.

This is how we will be getting ready for Christmas this year:

A daily Jesse Tree Advent devotional

Our favorite Christmas traditions

Hoping to get this amazing Advent wreath.....

{btw: 90% of my shopping is finished after 2 child-free hours at T.J. Maxx last week, plus homemade gifts are in the works. It's those last few gifts that are so hard to find.....wish me luck! hope to be done before December hits...}

2010-11-24T00:34:00.004-05:00

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever. {psalm 118:1}

may your Thanksgiving be blessed. See you here again after the holiday. Enjoy and give thanks!

{darlene}

precious

2010-11-23T00:44:00.000-05:00

"I scared."

These words, uttered by Christian {just turned 3}, led to this.

Now. How precious is that?

The Fruit Crown

2010-11-22T00:22:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist sharing these pictures.

The boys are tickled with themselves.

They are wearing the Fruit Crown. Whenever I catch one of them displaying a Fruit of the Spirit, they get to wear the crown.

It is fun to see them trying to outdo each other with kindness and other sweetness :)

"but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control." {Galatians 5:22-23}

Last moments of Fall

2010-11-18T16:01:00.007-05:00

Pics from an Apple Farm field trip. What a joy it is to be able to experience all of these things with my kiddos. {I didn't even have to sign 10 permission slips! Another reason why I love homeschooling}.

As we say goodbye to the last days of Fall, and usher in the Holidays... I think I might go get myself another bag of crisp, crunchy Autumn Apples.

Technical difficulties

2010-11-18T15:01:00.000-05:00

Hey friends. I have tried to post for 3 days.... but blogger will not let me upload any pics. boo.
It keeps telling me, server rejected.

sigh.

***Update*** well, at least I can post using the Old Editor. But gotta say, Blogger, I am not a happy camper.

Before and After :: Our upstairs bathroom

2010-11-15T21:37:00.000-05:00

Here is the before pic:

Click here to hop over to my new interiors blog... and see the Afters!....

And while you are there, let me know you stopped by!

Must Have: Daily & FREE blemish treatment

2010-11-12T09:04:00.000-05:00

Recently I read a book about natural health, and from it, I picked up a new habit.

Here it is:
Must Have: A daily salt-water immersion.

Basically, you fill your sink with tepid salt-water, every morning. You immerse your face in the water and blink your eyes several times. Then you open your eyes for 3 seconds. Then, you inhale salt-water up both of your nostrils, and blow it back out.

The idea is to cleanse and disinfect your mucous membranes, thereby leading to more optimal health.

The concept is an ancient one, and I have known about it for a long time, but never actually committed to doing this every day.

It stings a bit at first, but then I sort of got hooked to the cleaned-out feeling I get afterward.
But here is the amazing part,

Since I started doing this, every single morning, for 3 months now:
I have not had one single blemish on my face.
Not one.
So, now, it is definitely a Must Have for me.

Let me know if it works for you!!?? I am so curious.

He will sustain you

2010-11-09T00:34:00.003-05:00

This post has been a long time coming.

In fact, this post marks the end of something, and the beginning of something new in the life of my family. And while I could call it the end of a dark season... I don't know that that is really the case.

In mid-July, I wrote this post, about the rug being pulled out from under us. Our family, through God-ordained circumstances, found ourselves without a family income. It was not all-together unexpected, but, it was quite a bit out of our control.
Isn't everything?

On Monday, all of the pieces -that God has been orchestrating- fell into place. We will no longer be without an income, and we will fall back into what the world might call: "secure."

Funny thing is, we never really felt insecure. When I said that the rug was pulled out from under us, but beneath it was our Rock... they were not just words to me. I experienced and felt the stability, peace and security that comes from an Unchanging God. But, it came as a surprise to me... how good it felt to rest in Him.

Now, I would not be telling you the truth if I said I did not experience fear, or doubt, or plain-old worry about the uncertainty that faced our family. From July until now, our family had emotional ups and downs. Serious concerns. Emotional wrestling. What-ifs about huge decisions.
Decisions like moving. giving up homeschooling. mommy getting a household-sustaining job. selling our dream home. finding alternate means of income. eliminating any spending. giving up Christmas gifting.
And then there was the up-and-down drama and nail-biting that comes with supporting your husband through the interview processes, acceptances and rejections.

But as we weathered through this brief season, (and praise His Name, it was brief), God was there for us. Oh, I know that sounds so dull and trite... but here me... God was THERE for us. He was not up in the clouds playing some harp somewhere, or managing lives that were more important than ours. No. He was there in practical ways. and, He was there to listen to my whining and ranting and stiff-necked-ness.... as He always is, to His Glorious credit. He is so Merciful.

See what great things He has done:

It was God who moved my wonderful, godly husband (who has a work-ethic the likes of which this country was built on) into a place where he could barely endure his job.
It was God who, ultimately, freed my husband from a job that was poisonous.
It was God who planted the seed for my husband's current job at Company A.
It was God who arranged for three unrelated friends of ours to connect us to the owners of this company... all within the same week.
It was God who prepared our hearts for an unexpected opportunity.
It was God who taught us how to do more with less.
It was God who used this situation to soften my heart toward his gentle instruction to me.
It was God who planted in me His Word, so that I was never consumed by worry.
It was God who blessed us with underserved and unexpected gifts like these. Just for fun.
It was God who used His children, to reach out to us, pray for us, bring us food from their gardens, hand-me-downs, Christmas gift cards for the boys, balloons, flowers, and Hope.
It was God who used His children to give me five different books to encourage me in my Walk.
It was God who used His children to connect us with any and every friend they had in my husband's field of work.
It was God who used our families to help us meet financial needs.
It was God who made it frustratingly impossible for me to find a simple Christmas-temporary job. He knew the timing.
It was God who greatly blessed us with provision, by allowing us to come to know Him as Provider.
It was God who opened our minds up to think outside the box we had made for ourselves.
It was God, who heard me cry out this prayer, and answered me that VERY minute with a phone call and an offer.
It was God who answered our prayers... not just the ones of Provision, but the ones about Discernment and Clarity and His will.
It was God whose timing is so perfect that our job offer came the very day after our monetary stability ran out. The very day, people.

"Cast your cares on the Lord. He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall." -Psalm 55:22

Capture them. today.

2010-11-08T14:18:00.004-05:00

You cannot imagine how God has blessed our family during our current time of trial, in SO many tangible and intangible ways. I have been vague about what has happened, out of respect to my family, but I will be sharing more over the next week or so;
For one reason, and one reason alone:
To give God the Glory He is due.

All this to say, one of the ways that God has blessed my family during this time, believe it or not, has been through winning two huge things. I know that sounds crazy. But it is true.

Since the rug got pulled out from under us, and money has been tight (too tight to give Christmas gifts or buy a much-needed camera), I have actually won an iPad and a complete family photo-session with all photos included. The iPad made my hubby really happy, but , I... I was thrilled about the photo session. It is actually what I wanted for my anniversary gift from Matt before this all went down. But instead, we got it as a gift from God. No price-tag attached.

Any mother knows that nothing replaces the gift of a captured memory. Nothing. Time with these little ones is far too fleeting.

So, today, I am writing to brag on Amy of Allenaim Photography, the sweetest, most amazing, talented photographer. She did not ask me to blog about her, or go on and on about her! But I can't help it. I just think that her work is amazing and I hope her business grows. 'Cause, she rocks.
But I don't have to tell you about. You can see it for yourself.

seriously. amazing.

One of my favorite things about our photo session was that it was actually an amazing family memory. We had SO. MUCH. FUN!

Thank you, Amy! May you and your family be richly blessed.
And thanks be to God for Your Provision. You are the Only Thing Worth Walking Toward! And You are just. so. cool.

And if you need to catch up on taking some treasured family photos, click here to hop over and visit Amy's Allenaim blog or here to visit her website, and bask in her talent.
Capture those fleeting moments.

to the depths of a beautiful, raw, and honest soul

2010-11-04T11:52:00.002-04:00

I love the heart of this blogger.

I met her at Relevant.
She gave me a gift {literally and figuratively}.
And we laughed together {head back. open mouth. laugh loudly}.

Her Walk with the Lord is not a "pretty", fit-in-a-box kind of walk.
It is a stunningly beautiful and honest walk.
It has too much suffering, if you ask me.
And it blesses me. Deeply.

With Truth in the questions.
meet Genevieve.

The cry of an Atheist

2010-11-03T09:25:00.005-04:00

There was a time
when these very words were my own thoughts. They were the very cry of my heart. When I heard them again, in this poem, I thought them to be profound.

Every Christian should read these words.

Maggie's Poem {read by Lee Strobel on Focus on the Family}

Do you know,

do you understand
that you represent
Jesus to me?

Do you know,
do you understand
that when you
treat me with gentleness,
it raises the question in my mind
that maybe he is gentle, too?
Maybe he isn't someone
who laughs when I am hurt.

Do you know,
do you understand
that when you listen to my questions
and you don't laugh,
I think,
"What if Jesus is interested in me, too?"

Do you know,
do you understand
that when I hear you talk about arguments
and conflict and scars from your past
that I think, "Maybe I am just a regular person
instead of a bad, no-good, little girl who deserves abuse?"

If you care,
I think maybe he cares --
and then there's this flame of hope
that burns inside of me,
and for a while,
I am afraid to breathe
because it might go out.

Do you know,
do you understand
that your words are his words?
Your face,
his face
to someone like me?

Please be who you say you are.
Please, God, don't let this be another trick.
Please let this be real.
Please.

Do you know,
do you understand
that you represent
Jesus to me?

wrestle.

2010-11-01T14:29:00.000-04:00

Lord. I dare to wrestle with you.
I dare to ask you.

Bless us, Lord.

Bless us.

and, when you do,

Don't EVER. Ever. let me forget that it was YOU.

Halloween cuties

2010-11-01T09:09:00.002-04:00

may I present:
two good shepherds.

well.
mostly good.

My first week!

2010-10-29T00:40:00.000-04:00

Hi dear friends!

Well, this was my first full week of posting at my new blog, Fieldstone Hill. Did you get a chance to visit me there??

If you didn't, would you mind? I would really really love your encouragement. And, if you are really feeling the love, could you let me know you stopped by, or follow along?

Cause, I could always use encouragement when I start a new thing. How about you?
Thanks, bloggettes!!!

click on the button below:

Worth Walking Toward. a reminder.

2010-10-28T00:03:00.000-04:00

The content below is a repost from April of 2009, entitled Worth Walking Toward.

I needed to read it again.

Maybe it is for you today, too.

********

Talk about a timely, relevant, and treasured verse, friends. Each word is a treasure to me. Don't miss the relevant words in the very last verse:

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (New American Standard Bible)

5"Thus says the LORD,

Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind

And makes flesh his strength,

And whose heart turns away from the LORD.

6"For he will be like a bush in the desert

And will not see when prosperity comes,

But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,

A land of salt without inhabitant.

7"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD

And whose trust is the LORD.

8"For he will be like a tree planted by the water,

That extends its roots by a stream

And will not fear when the heat comes;

But its leaves will be green,

And it will not be anxious in a year of drought

Nor cease to yield fruit. "

Trust in.

hmmmm.

Do you trust in Government? think about it. do you? what are you expecting them to fix?

Do you trust in being educated?? do you? what are you expecting to achieve? become? prevent? attain in the eyes of man?

Do you trust in money? do you follow all the sound advice? do you make sure your ducks are in all the right rows? can you give it away? can you "live" without it?

Do you trust in your church? do you? what are you expecting the church to repair? to do? achieve? sustain?

Your husband? do you? what are you expecting your husband to fulfill? to make all better?

Your pastor? do you? what can he explain or save you from?

Your parents? do you? what can they protect you from? what can they provide?

Your children? do you? what can they become that will bring you satisfaction and peace?

...Yourself? do you control? hold on tightly? or carefully hold back?

do you hold onto that one worrisome thing? do you suffer anxiety over it? ...because you are afraid that if you don't hold onto it tightly, it will crash to the ground???

all the while wondering: if I don't take care of it, who will????

Oh, hear me sweet friends. I have tried (um. still do.) all of those things!! And I still need daily bread {or whoopin's, :)} from God to remind me not to trust in my hubby, my church, ... myself.

OH, how I need these words of truth, Lord;

I have put my trust in those things that will not yield lasting fruit.

that will not save.

that will not fulfill.

that will, eventually, let me down.

Today, the Lord again whispers to my heart:

Trust in the Only Thing Worth Walking Toward...

His Name is Jesus.

Happy Birthday Nugget

2010-10-27T00:18:00.014-04:00

Today, my baby boy turns 3. Oh, how I wish you could see how precious he is... hear how sweet his little voice is... witness his energy and smile.

Today, I am enjoying my baby boy.

Happy Birthday, Christian.

We love you more than words can begin to express. I thank the Good Lord that he blessed me with you. You are a precious gift from God, sweet one.

I love you to the moon and back,

love, Mommy

God. Thanks for coming.

2010-10-24T21:58:00.015-04:00

Sarah Mae said it somewhat like this... as she dismissed us with the last words of the very first Christian blogging conference ever:
"Thank you to all of you for coming to Relevant.
And thank you, God, for coming too."

Hundreds of women. All of us were a bit surprised that He came.
and now, I think we are all musing:
"What else did we expect?"

You see. Not only did God show up, big time, at the Relevant Conference; He came wielding a sword, and lovingly pruning the wrong-stuff from our Hearts. He used the amazingly beautiful, humble, and talented vessels of our Speakers to speak in clear and mighty ways.

Mighty ways.

How I wish you had all been there.... because words {in my hands, anyway} are inadequate to describe how it all went down.

But, no doubt about it. Our Lord spoke in that place.
And He spoke to me: Pruning at my selfishness. Pruning at my attempts to seek validation from everyone but Him. Pruning at my pity-parties. Pruning at my bad habits that turn into sin. Pruning at my false idols.

Pruning at the times I pushed my children away, because mommy just needs "one more minute."

And I am so glad He came to the Relevant Conference.
And I am so glad I heard Him.

May He give me the power to Act. and Obey.

and, if you did not get to come. and if we are all blessed enough for Relevant to see another year. and, if you want Him to join your blogging experience:
I surely do hope to see you when I go.

Just a taste: Relevant 2010:

{Go visit these amazing folks! You will love their blogs.}
Top to bottom, left to right: 1. my sweet friend Flamingo and me 2. me, the darling Angie Smith and Flamingo 3. Lynette (so excited to hug this lady), Traci (precious girl with adorable accent!!), Myra, Kimba, me and Flamingo 4. Claudine, me, Carisa, Jill (I cannot believe I finally got to meet you! this lady is precious!), Jolanthe, Melissa, September, and Lynette 5. Sami (I guess we were separated at birth), Angela (never stopped smiling. love her!), Flamingo, Courtney (has the gift of encouragement!), and me 6. me and Lynette 7. me and Laura(what a spirit of wisdom!) 8. Traci, Cyndi (hi Cyndi!), me and Flamingo 9. me, Todd from Selah, and Flamingo

But, now I gotta brag on God a little.

I know I have alluded to this on my blog before, but, this year money is very tight.
We are counting on God to be our provision in all ways.

We are leaning on family.
And friends.
and we are being resourceful.

and, of course, sensible folks as we are,
Matt and I decided not to exchange Christmas gifts this year as we head into this blessed season. We are even leaning on help from our precious loved ones for gifts for the boys.

but. can you believe it?
God apparently wanted my husband to have a VERY cool Christmas present {one I could not possibly wait that long to give to him.}.
um. seriously.
At Relevant, they gave away an iPad, people.
and GUESS WHO WON IT!!! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

little ol' me.
for my little ol' precious wonderful amazing husband.
for Christmas.
a little early.

from God.

{now that is one darlin' and happy man, no? Love you, baby.}

you really do love to make us smile, don't you Precious Father?

{if you are hopping over from Relevant, then here is my brand-spanking-new, dream-come-true decorating blog, Fieldstone Hill, I was telling you about. Oh, how I would love it if you would hop over and give me some encouragement!!! Wish me ~~luck~~ blessings, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!}

Am I really at a blogging conference?

2010-10-22T20:25:00.000-04:00

Flamingo and I are here!!!!!!!!
We are at the Relevant conference.

People. It is WONDERFUL. In fact, it is sooooooo much more than I thought it would be.
I can't wait to tell you about it.
But right now, I gotta go. Todd, from Selah {otherwise known as Angie's husband} is singing in just a few!!!!!

Today is the Day!

2010-10-21T07:03:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to introduce you to my new blog, and my new dream business!!! It would make me ridiculously happy if you hopped over there to say HI and tell me what you think. Be looking for lots of great posts to come, and tons of all things beautiful for your space.

So, come on over to Fieldstone Hill! I can't wait to see you there!

Reveal: this Thursday

2010-10-16T10:02:00.000-04:00

This Thursday is a big day!!

I am heading to the Relevant conference {got my tickets way back in March!} with my friend Flamingo, and I cannot wait.

AND...
I am launching my new blog and online-decorating business!

So....
How many of you love to decorate?
dream about decorating?
steal great decorating ideas?
decorate on the cheap?
look at beautiful things and great finds?

coming soon............................
look for details this Thursday.

Will I see you there???

What we do for a good picture...

2010-10-14T12:00:00.003-04:00

Last week, I brought Christian in to have his very first set of school pictures taken.

We were all set:
We had practiced the smile.
We had described what would happen.
And Christian looked rather dapper.

When we got to school, he was all ready to go. All smiles, and properly responding to any prompts of "Smile," or "Cheeeese."

But then. He saw it.

The scary black box that he was supposed to sit on.

and it was all over.

Trust me. It was an all-out fit.

NO amount of coercion was helping. Not lollipops. Not M & M's. Not Hershey bars. {I know. I know. pitiful.} That kid refused to sit on the black box.

And whenever I tried to just put him there, we had back-arching and high-pitched girly screaming, people.

So, finally, in a full sweat, I had an idea.

and...

it worked:

hilarious, right????

for five full minutes, I sat like this.
for five full minutes we tried to coerce this cute curmudgeon to smile.
{and thank the good Lord that I wore black yoga pants that day!}

and to add insult to injury,
No one will ever know that I bent over backward {ahem. literally} for this delightful picture:

A Photo Album: Our 11th Anniversary

2010-10-11T15:30:00.000-04:00

Matt and I made a promise to each other.

Each year, we would make our anniversary a priority, and we would make sure to focus on our marriage and get away from it all.

I posted about our trip from last year.

and from the year before last.

And this year, despite the fact that our resources were compromised, and life has been very stressful,

We continued in our promise.

We worked a lot harder this year to find a good deal, but we were able to get a last minute room here:

It was delightful. In the heart of Apple Country, and North of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, The Slocum House Inn was a perfect place to disappear {and eat an amazing breakfast}! We spent a lot of quiet moments walking the grounds and enjoying the most glorious Fall weather. Every moment felt like a gift.:

Our humble and cozy room at the B & B {I just love staying in historic homes}:

I had to show you the pool. I thought it was so cool! With the stone wall, the small size and the bush surround {I never would have thought to do that so close, but it really softens it. and works!}, I think they did a fantastic job blending a fenced pool into the landscape:

We spent part of our afternoon finding good eateries {of course.}, and then doing an auto-tour of the Gettysburg battlefield:

And another part of our afternoon doing this:

Dinner was at Restaurant Sidney. It was a splurge, but we saved a lot by bringing our own wine and ordering modestly. It was SO worth it!

Can you see that the name of our wine was "Weisenheimer"?? Yeah. We got quite tickled with ourselves over that:

Our actual wedding cake, 11 years ago, was not white. No sireee. I love chocolate far too much to have a silly old thing like a white wedding cake messing with my chocolate. So, our wedding cake was a BROWN flourless chocolate truffle decadence cake. And guess what Sidney had on the menu? Yes. mmmmmm.

We will take two.

On Sunday, we stumbled upon the precious town of Boiling Springs, PA, which revolved around the actual Springs that fed a lake in the center of town. We had a fantastic time checking out all of the gorgeousness that God had placed there:

snooping at historic homes everywhere we went! This one housed an Underground Railroad station:

Then we stumbled upon the Appalacian Trail. And while I did not get to witness any fun, smelly, backpackers with dreads, I pretended that I was one for a little bit as I hiked it for.......

say....... point-3 miles, or so:

And on our brief weekend, we did, in fact, focus on us, and our love for each other, and our many blessings:

Another beautiful Fall day, 11 years ago. The first kiss of our married life. October 9, 1999:

plus eleven wonderful years:

I would do it again.

2010-10-09T22:09:00.000-04:00

If I got to marry you all over again.

I would.

11 years of blessings.
laughter.
ups and downs.
joy.
dancing our first dance, all over again.
celebrations.
trials.
growing together in the Lord.
beautiful children.

Thank you for the best 11 years of my life.
I love you, Matt.

Happy Anniversary.
Toujours.

The boob light

2010-10-08T15:09:00.000-04:00

I've got this boob light.
Actually, I have 2.
One in here {our bathroom}, and one in our hallway.
They are sorry excuses for illumination.

I'm thinking more this {Schoolhouse Electric}:

or this {Ballard Designs}:

or even this, strung tightly to the ceiling for my hall light {Ballard Designs}:

Anyone else have a boob light?????

Must Have: The Word Whammer

2010-10-07T06:32:00.000-04:00

I'm tellin ya.

This thing is great... and definitely helped both of my boys learn all of their letters and their sounds.

This thing works! Our boys both love it, and still play with it. It helped Christian learn all of his letter sounds before he turned two! And it definitely helped Caleb learn to read.

Here is Christian, {who will be 3 at the end of October}, and we took this picture because he spelled Cat all on his own, without the Word Whammer prompting!! Wow. A proud mommy moment. {Christian looks rather pleased himself as well!}

Just yesterday, Caleb came running in to tell me and Matt that:
"Awesome!!! I spelled Awesome!!!!"

We were eager to see, how in the world he fit the word "awesome" into the 3 openings of the the Word Whammer.
Well.
Here you have it folks:

It does, indeed, spell 'awesome.'

So cute!

Kinda reminds me of the time he spelled "Gator" {as in, the John Deere variety}:

"GADR"

I love it!

Boys don't appreciate ducks.

2010-10-06T19:45:00.000-04:00

Boys don't appreciate ducks.

They do not ponder their beauty.

They do not enjoy their peaceful promenade along a canal.

no.

Boys chase ducks.

AAARGH.

2010-10-05T22:15:00.000-04:00

I wanted to do a post.
but silly Blogger won't let me post a single picture tonight.

Aaargh.

So. Instead, I would just like to say:

"Hi."

now wasn't that profound?

Getting very excited.

2010-10-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Are you going to be there?
because.
I am getting. really. excited. to. go. to. Relevant!

A few bloggers that I frequent are going to be there.

She will be there. {in fact, she will be my roomie. I am guessing we won't sleep much.}

She will be there. If you don't read her blog, you should. Amazing.

She will be there too. Another must read. Her story is one of triumph.

and so will She. Yippee!! Love me a good decorating blog.

Not to mention,
some more that I frequent:
Jennifer from Beauty and Bedlam
Carisa from 1+1+1=1
Stacey from the Blessed Nest
Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations

Soooo.
Why is little old me going????
Well..............

1. my wonderful friend Flamingo called me and said "Let's go!!!"
and
2. What better way for me to launch my Online Interiors business and blog, people!!???

did I mention that I am excited?

I miss Agniya.

2010-10-02T16:06:00.000-04:00

I miss my Russian 'daughter.'

She is half a world away....
and I just want to hear her laugh, share a cup of tea, and head to T.J. Maxx.

Is that asking too much?

the Many faces of Christian

2010-09-30T22:20:00.000-04:00

Home Makeover: Reality Edition. Our Front Hall.

2010-09-28T00:01:00.003-04:00

{*update. I just noticed this is my 400th post! wow! A special thanks to my sweet friend Flamingo Mama for inspiring me to get started in blogging. and then, teaching me how!}
********************************************************************************
Tisk. tisk.
It is hard to believe what we get used to!

You see, here in our dream home, we have been busy:
We moved here.
We cleaned up big, big messes.
We tended and mended some major disasters.
We begged for help.
We had a baby.
We underwent a 2 year renovation and addition.
We had another baby.
I experienced post-partum and hormonal insanity.
Caleb had emergency surgery.
We stayed busy, BUSY, with 2 little ~~ones~~ boys.
Our family had the rock pulled out from under us.
I started homeschooling.

Most of the rooms in our home remain half-painted, if painted at all.

Amazingly, though. Even though I love to be surrounded by peaceful and beautiful {if not at least organized} spaces, I am okay with our home being in a crazy state of the in-between. Our sights were, and still are, set on building a family... not building a house.

But now that my babies are 5 and 2... and now that we are getting back to basics in our home... we have - interestingly enough - turned our eyes back to our homestead. Back to the stewardship of taking care of our home.

I have much more to share. And I cannot wait to do so... in my upcoming decorating blog {insert cheesy and giddy smile here}. Coming soon...

But, for the meantime, I just had to share these before pics of our front hall.
ya know.
To get you pumped up, and all.
Since we have finally pulled the furniture away from the walls, and the paint cans are out on the floor!

...and to show you what I have been staring at for 5 years {not too horrid. I know. but golly... you would think we could have painted the joint in 5 years.....}:

This is all about to change.

You should see what this room looks like in my head........
and. maybe someday soon:

You will.

Must Have: Bread Maker. My new favorite toy

2010-09-27T02:23:00.000-04:00

Ever use a bread maker?

This is my new Must Have!!!

ok. so if you are a purist... you may poo-poo my new favorite toy.

but.

If you are a lady who never made her own bread...

or, seriously, you don't have the time to beat your flour to a pulp...

this thing is awesome.

If you have one in your cabinet,

pull it out, my friends.

The time has come for yummy, really inexpensive, melt-in-your-mouth, fresh

homemade bread.

{oh. and try this recipe. I adapt it by replacing some of the white flour with 1 3/4 whole wheat flour. I also use honey, and I don't use the double rise... it deflated on me. but never fear. It still tasted delicious and we ate it all without a gripe.}

{oh again. For more Must Haves, click here. And to shop some of my favorite Must Haves, click here. Girl's gotta do her share of bread-winning, ya know.}

A Secret and A Milestone

2010-09-25T09:04:00.000-04:00

Hey bloggettes.

I have a secret I have been keeping from you for a while....
ready??????????????????????

1. The Secret:
I am starting a new blog.
A decorating blog, filled with beautiful things....

I am working on it for a big reveal.... and I cannot wait to share it with you!!! In fact,
I am giddy about it all! My friend Jill is helping me to make it a reality.

and....

2. The Milestone:
My 200th follower. Now, maybe this is not a big deal, but for some reason, I think it is cool!! Love all of you!

So, anyway, can I ask my bloggettes for something???
1. If you have any tips on professional blogging, I am officially asking for free advice!
and
2. If you do not "follow" me, but you are a regular reader, can you send an easy smile my way today and become a follower???

Ya know. For fun.

Fun taggy game

2010-09-24T17:26:00.001-04:00

I have been brain-dead.
Pouring every ounce of myself into getting our homeschool started off on the right foot.
So, I was very happy that Carrie tagged me, and gave me a post subject by tagging me.
Not to mention. I really like Carrie.
You will like her too when you hop over to her blog and give her some love.

So, I am supposed to answer her 8 questions, pose 8 new ones of my own, and then tag 8 other bloggettes. As usual, I am not quite following the rules, though.
Here goes:
1. What is your favorite Bible verse? How did it become your favorite? (If you don’t have a single favorite, please share one of your faves.) hmmmm. depends on the season of my life... I usually have one or two that I cling to like a baby-blankie. Currently, I am hanging on to this one:
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

2. What is currently on your nightstand? Are you reading a good book? Are you into Sudoku or crosswords? Do tell! Body Shop hand cream; a decanter with fresh water; pencils for highlighting; 2 library books (all half finished): one about Charlotte Mason technique, one about the special angle of teaching boys; other books (all half finished): The Hurried Child, Beth Moore's So long Insecurity, and Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard.

3. If you have a Saturday where there is nothing on the calendar (Yeah, I know you’re laughing right now!!), how would you most like to spend the day? Are you a homebody? Are you a compulsive cleaner? Would you go shopping? Meet a friend for lunch? Believe it or not, we often have Saturdays free because I protect them like a hawk. If it is not a major obligation, or it is not more fun than being home with my guys... I usually say no. (I know. I am one of those 'no' people.) We usually spend our Saturdays running a few errands or doing projects around the house. Every Saturday morning, we try to eat banana pancakes and snuggle.

4. I’ve recently finished Dr. Kevin Leman’s book The Firstborn Advantage. Do you think there is anything to “Birth Order?” Do you see any birth order characteristics in you, your hubs, and/or your kids? Oh yes. I totally think this a real thing. Caleb is SO first born. Christian... well, he is the baby. no doubt.

5. Do you plan to grow old gracefully or fight it every step of the way (within reason – i.e. age-fighting moisturizers, covering gray hair, etc.)? easy answer: FIGHT, baby, FIGHT! full artillery, folks.

6. Do you like Starbucks? And are you a fan of their seasonal coffees? love my morning coffee. We get our coffee from a friend who makes her own (lucky us!). I actually don't like Starbucks... sorry, fans. But I love me some flavored coffees or flavored coffeemate.

7. How do you decorate and/or prepare for fall? pumpkins galore. I often bring in a few branches with leaves on them... once the colors have changed. A huge vase brimming with colorful leaves and sculptural branches is just the right thing...
Oh, and I pull out the snuggly blankets for couch snuggling.
8. What is your favorite fall recipe? my farmhouse apple pie. hands down.

I would like to tag the following cool bloggettes as a token to their loyalty and wonderful comment love. I am only tagging five because I am a rebel. (girls. be sure to scroll down for the new questions. AND: If you are not into the tagging thing, then you absolutely must not do this. It would be sad to do a post based on the feeling of guilty motivation. sad, I say!).
Mindy
Flamingo Mama
Wife to the Rockstar
Jenny
and Carrie, if she wants to do it again. (I cannot deny her loyal commenting).

ok. here are my questions (statements? demands?) for you!! Hope to get to know more about you!
1. Tell me the latest thing that made you laugh out loud.
2. What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
3. What thing do you really wish you could buy right now?
4. What is your favorite easy crock pot recipe (if no crockery, then, just dinner)?
5. True or False: the front of my fridge has nothing on it.
6. Jeans girl, skirt girl, pants girl, or sweats girl?
7. What is God teaching you right now?
8. Tell me a character trait of each of your kids.

Old school

2010-09-21T17:42:00.003-04:00

So. I am back to the old school blogging comment system. for now....

I admit that I find it less "professional" in its appearance.

But.
what bugged me most about Disqus was the fact that I could not always link back to the cool bloggettes who left comments for me.

And I love visiting my bloggettes, so, that was SO not cool to me.

So. I hope to be visiting my commenting bloggettes more often!

now.
any self respectable woman is ALWAYS subject to changing her mind.......

What do you think about it?

2010-09-20T16:56:00.005-04:00

What do you, my fine bloggettes, think about the Disqus commenting system???
Easy? Hard? Don't care?

just wondering what you're thinking...

Self Portrait

2010-09-20T10:23:00.002-04:00

Christian got a hold of the "camerea."

This one is entitled: Self-portrait.

My little monsters

2010-09-17T16:08:00.001-04:00

*You can find these cute little monster shirts from Boden.
{thanks Nana!}

the funniest compound word ever

2010-09-16T19:35:00.001-04:00

Today. Caleb accidentally made me laugh. Really. Really. Really. Hard.

today we were eating pineapple.
and as a result, an interesting conversation ensued:

Christian: "How do you spell pineapple?"
Mommy: "P.I.N.E.A.P.P.L.E"

Caleb: "Hey...! That's a compound word!"
Mommy: "Yes it is! Pine and Apple!"

Caleb was excused from the table.
He headed over to a pile of library books on the moon, sun, and solar system (our upcoming studies).

Caleb: "Look Mommy! A compound word! {pointing to the title of his book:} The. Moon. !!!"
Mommy: "No, Caleb. 'The' and 'Moon' are two different words that are separate. Compound words are two different words that are written together. Here. Let me find an example in your book and show you."

so. I poured through the books quickly, but no compound word turned up.

I picked up the Solar System book, and Caleb was excited. He is digging planets these days. He spotted Saturn immediately.

Caleb: "Mommy!! Is Saturn a compound word??"
Mommy: "No..."

Caleb: "Oh! Is Uranus a compound word??"

long. long. pause by mommy.
then. I laughed for about 20 minutes.

and I was the only one laughing.

Looks can be deceiving

2010-09-15T13:41:00.002-04:00

Don't things look like they are just going swimmingly at The OWL Academy today??
Such attentive and diligent little ones?

Well.
Looks can be deceiving.

What we actually had was A LOT of this:

And we sure did talk about THIS a lot:

Mommy even had a time out today.
I slammed the door to the school room and sat in the bathroom and counted to 30.

Then.
I thanked the Lord.
It went kinda like this:

"Lord, please help me to not scream at my kids.

They are driving me CRAZY. Give me patience.

{insert very deep sigh}

And thank you, Lord, that I can teach my kids.

That it is their Mommy, who loves them SO Much, who is frustrated with them. Instead of someone, who does not love them, who is frustrated.

Thank you. That I can pull up my boot-straps, take a deep breath, and continue to teach them with the highest expectations. That I care SO MUCH, and that I know what their best work can be. That I will continue to expect their best and wait patiently for it.

May I accept that frustration is a part of learning, and NEVER say, "Oh, well." May I never say, "They probably just can't do it. Let's just move on and hope it comes later."

Thank you, Lord, that I am their teacher and their mother. I love them more than words can express.

Give me Your patience."

and.
While it was certainly not our best homeschool day,
it was still a good day.
A day with my precious kids.

Bookmark these super fun science songs

2010-09-14T19:30:00.001-04:00

We watch these videos A LOT around here lately! By request.
{You can't imagine how much kids can memorize through song. and moms too. ahem.}

Another Great Homeschool Week!

2010-09-10T08:27:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to write a post to share more about our schooling, and what is working well in our homeschool...
But I happen to be too busy homeschooling - {Imagine that} and loving it.

I am anticipating a little more free time as we get into the swing of things and find our rhythm. I can see that this whole Workbox thing will really help me to get free moments. Even with a 2 year old and a 5 year old. Oh, yes.

In the mean time, you can peruse these posts for my thoughts on homeschooling:
What I learned my first week of homeschooling
Our Reasons for Homeschooling
Our Goals for our Children
Love me some Workboxes
Our school has a name

one tomato, two tomato, three tomato, four

2010-09-09T12:45:00.000-04:00

2010-09-08T14:00:00.000-04:00

Inspired to paint.

Now;
I need to find some time...