Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

What a wonderful day today was. The kids let us sleep until 6:59 and we were greeted with signs leading the way to the presents. A has started this tradition and does it every year. The kids are playing and J is sitting by the fire surfing. I am trying to get a few hand sewing projects ready for the ride down and I have Ted Dekker's Saint in the car ready to be read. Now I need to motivate everyone to get things packed. We leave for LA tomorrow. Packing isn't too bad, we have made this trip loads of times and we have a nice system of what we need and where everything is put.


I am looking forward to this trip. Winter started early this year and we haven't had much warmth since October. Z said that he is packing shorts. I am also looking forward to meeting my brother's fiancee' . I haven't met her yet and given my approval..LOL I love my brother and I am glad that she makes him happy.

Looking at this picture, I realize that I have a motley looking brood...I love them all so much and they are such blessings to me and J. Too many years I spent praying for them to arrive. I am one joyful mother. God had blessed us beyond measure. Thank you Jesus!!!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas!!

I am such a bad blogger

With the holidays and all, I feel like I just don't have the time to get my thoughts in order. J and I celebrated our 20th anniversary this weekend. Our actual anniversary is Jan 7. I really don't feel old enough to have been married this long. It is amazing to me that I have now officially spent more time living with J than I did with my parents.

We had a wonderful night away, doing the things we did pre-kids. It was lovely.

I am trying to get back into sewing. There are loads of projects that I want to do and that I have the stuff for. It is part of my purge and organize theme for the new year. Get rid of the clutter by using it and not hording it.

Ok I just rememberd that the groceries weren't put up and I guess I need to do that. Maybe I will show you what I make....maybe.....

If I don't chat with any of you soon, have a wonderful MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

Ummmm OK

Watch this commercial and listen to the lady talking while looking closely to her family. What do you notice

Perspective

I used to think that I was an old mom with young kids. Jan 7th will be our 20th anniversary. Many of our friends from LA who were married around the same time as us have older kids. I mean kids in high school or even college. My oldest is 11. Now granted we did try for 9 years to have a baby. But it is still strange to think that I could have a 19 year old (if I had taken after my mom...LOL) Anyway, after we moved to TN we learned that many of the people here were our age and had kids the same age as ours. We weren't so old after all. Then in the past few months I have reconnected with a few of my good friends from high school. Both of them married "late" and they have VERY young kids. They both have a 3 year old and a baby.

Sometimes I think about what it would have been like if we did have teens. But then again I shudder and thank God that my kids are still little. I don't know if I am ready to handle teenagers yet... although I don't have much time to get ready.

God knew what was best in my life. He had a plan that He wanted to see accomplished. I praise Him everyday for my kids. They are what I hoped and prayed for. J and I have years together that those same friends tell me they wish they had. We had so much time to establish our relationship and I am grateful for that.

These are just my thoughts.

R

Stories in Hand

So my online journaling class started Monday. Monday was spend making my album to put the pages in. This was a lot of fun. Generally I buy an album to put my scrapbook pages in, but this time I decided not to buy a thing and use what I had. The album that I had was too small, so I cut the front and back off and made new ones. I do like how it turned out.

Today was spend printing off the pages that had the journaling prompts. There are sections for Roots, Family and Self. So after printing and printing and printing I finally was able to cut the pages and hole punch, and cut and hole punch, and on and one......... So far I enjoy the class and it has inspired me to journal more. I may do some here. There is so much that I want my kids to know. I tell them lots, but I want it written down.

On another note. Aaron has strep AGAIN... so if you can keep him and the rest of our family in prayer, I would appreciate it. J and the other 2 have a nasty virus and I am praying a hedge of protection over myself!!! Mom cannot get sick!!

Have an awesome day!!

R

Journaling Class

I am excited about this class. I have only taken one other "online" class, so this should be fun. A few of my friends are doing it and so is my mom. Unfortunately they all live far away.

I have been tearing my room apart looking for supplies for this class. You would think with all the stuff that I have I would be able to find it. Oh well, I guess I will make due.

Off to clean up the mess I made while looking for everything that I need for tomorrow. After church we are taking the kids to see Madagascar 2.. should be fun.

Have a great weekend

R

Our Day Off

Today is Friday, this is the day that the kids and I take off. No school work, no learning, just fun. Ok so that is what A says about Friday. Usually I take them to a nature center or the Nashville Zoo or the Adventure Science Center and we they learn a little bit... But today it is raining and although the ASC is indoor I just don't feel like going. So today we are going to laze around and do nothing. I am thinking of taking them to the grand opening of Trader Joe's in Nashville but that will be later today. I don't feel like fighting the people that wanted to be there the moment the doors open. There loads of granola types in this area and many of them are also homeschoolers. I guess I am a granola type...LOL

So here I am at 9 am just now getting my coffee. I do love the age that my kids are at. The boys usually come downstairs when they wake up and watch tv. L stays in her room, I cannot allow all 3 unsupervised in the same room. That is just asking for trouble. Anyway, today I came downstairs to find A on the computer and Z organizing the dvds.

Well, I am off to take a late morning shower. The kids are watching Charlottes Web.

Have a great day

R

Free Chocolate!!!!

http://www.haydeechocolatier.com/gourmet_chocolate.php

That is all I have to say today...for now


R

The new President

God is in Control!! He always has been He always will be. I am really kinda numb about the whole thing. Not sad not upset, just numb. In fact I asked the Dr to turn the tv off last night before he spoke. That is not something that I wanted to hear. He isn't someone that I can listen too. I just wonder if he is truly the "Messiah" that everyone is looking for. If so then Come Quickly Lord Jesus!!! AMEN

Election Day

Aaron's history book was talking about King Nebbie K Nezzer (sorry reverting to Veggie Tales) Anyway, they had Daniel 2:21 to teach that God is in control. Here it is

Daniel 2:21 (King James Version)

21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

So Aaron and I got to talking about the election and I had to remind him that God is in control. Yes, we have a voice, yes, we need to vote, but that no matter what happens God knew what is going to happen, long before the reporters and election officials. Now this book doesn't know that today is election day but I really think that God was reminding me that HE is in control. Then just now I was reading my little devotion book and they had Romans 13:1

1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

So today as our country waits to hear what the "majority" (don't get me started on the electoral college) says, I am reminded that God is in control...Hallelujah!!

Just my thoughts.

On a lighter note.. Trader Joes is opening up in Nashville!!! We have 2 Whole Foods which I like but Trader Joes is AWESOME!!!! So the kids and I are going to take a little field trip. Should be fun!!

A Great Weekend

I have a group of internet (I call them my imaginary) friends. I love these ladies and I truly wish we didn't live all over the world. Anyway, those of us who are in the US (and one Canadian) get together once a year. This year it was this past weekend in Atlanta so it was driving distance for me Yea! I have missed the past two years because of distance. I have to say that I had the best time. We missed those that weren't there and I enjoyed meeting those ladies who I hadn't met yet. It made me realize how much this group means to me. We scrapbooked, shopped, ate, talked about our families, our friends and most importantly our Lord. It was awesome!!

I live within 4 hours of several of the ladies and I think we don't meet up enough.

On anther not I killed the microwave... It was ready to go I think because it didn't put up much of a fight. I was not looking forward to buy a new one. We only use it for 3 things, water, popcorn, and mac and cheese..... It is an over the range model so it isn't like I could just fork out 50 bucks and get a new one. And since J had to replace the alternator in my car while I was gone, the money trees are bare. So we went shopping and Voila' found one on clearance for $111 and it was the last one so we got it for $70!!! Whoo Hoo.. Thank you Jesus!!!

Now it needs to climb up on the stove and get in place and do it's job!!

Well, I need to get off and get the kids educated..A is unloading the dishwasher, Z is feeding the cat and cleaning her "bathroom" and L is bringing the dirty clothes down..So I guess I should be productive too.

Have a great day!!

R

Fall

I love fall. I love the open windows, the cooler temps, the falling leaves and the coffee. J is off for fall break and we are getting some cleaning done. We took a one day trip to Gatlinburg Saturday. Rested from that trip on Sunday and then today is a cleaning day. Tomorrow is up in the air, but hopefully it will be something fun. The kids and I are off all week. I leave on Thursday for a yearly trip with some dear make believe (Internet) friends of mine. We meet yearly for a little get together and I have missed the past 2. This one is in Atlanta so it is driving distance away. So we just took the whole week off. Ok.. I need to get up and get moving!

Healthy Eating

So in my quest to eat healthy, I have decided to try to not eat as much meat as possible. Now don't get me wrong, I will eat my steak and lobster.. when someone else is paying for it. So I decided to try veggie burgers and such. Last week I ate this I must say that it was very good. I could not tell that it wasn't beef. Now granted it doesn't taste like the awesome burgers that J makes on the grill but it was yummy. I added cheese and everything else I normally add. Oh and it was real milk cheese.. I haven't ventured into fake cheese yet.
So this week I tried this This was also really good. I even ate a few naked cheetos to go with it and I felt like I was actually eating lunch. Next I will throw a few veggie crumbles in our spaghetti or chili and see if anyone notices.
So am I going? I don't know. How's that for an answer. But I do know that I think we eat too much meat. Now I honestly don't think anyone can make veggie seafood and get away with it...So all the lobsters of the world are not safe!!!