reality check and over-the-top birthday fun

First, the not-so-good news ::

Thanksgiving is in two weeks, I’m hosting extended family, and there is little to no planning done for this event (except that I have managed to earn two free turkeys at local grocery stores).  Serving them frozen would not be a good idea, you think?  The fact that my family plans to visit is causing the children’s excitement to rapidly rise to record levels.  whew.

But their Mama needs a serious reality check and will be breaking out some plans this weekend!  I think I can, I think I can…

On to better news!  Yesterday, we celebrated my birthday :: so refreshing with the request for “just a little quiet” honored in grand ways.  My family gifted me with an outing for the afternoon to be pampered, then to shop alone, and then dinner with simply my husband and I.  Truly over-the-top and leaving me feeling grateful and quite full; the children were so thrilled for me (or maybe they were just happy for a day off school? :) and participated fully in this surprise of a gift.  Saying thank you doesn’t seem enough…

And on my return, cards and gifts were opened and the day closed. 

I am blessed; not only yesterday…everyday.

:: an older couple in our church blesses me with these hand-delivered, homemade oatmeal lace cookies (dipped into chocolate) every year; I am slightly embarrassed to admit that because I’m a wee reluctant to share these treats, they have begun including different cookies for the rest of the family.  I do give out small bites here and there…

:: a large box filled with deliciousness from Stonewall Kitchen arrived at our doorstep!  These goodies the whole family will enjoy! :)

:: and I wasted no time in spending birthday money gifts on fresh crafting supplies I’ve been eyeing for a while.  My rather large collection of scrapbooking and paper crafting supplies is the result of about 13 yrs of birthdays (with a few Christmases thrown in as well).  The children and I spent our free time today trying out the various new ‘toys’!

*******

I record this all here so that my heart will remember….

so that I will always count myself filled to the brim with blessings!

reality check and over-the-top birthday fun

when love spills over

I really do appreciate ‘just because’ flowers. 

The things is, I’m not really the please-send-me-flowers type of gal (there’s nothing wrong with this of course, it’s just not me).  So when my best friend and partner, this husband of mine, sends me flowers…I know he knows that this time…

this time, the surprise of doorbell-ringing, middle of schooling, children-‘woohoo’ing, Mama-crying, breath-taking flower delivery is so, so much welcomed.

Thank you hon!  I am blessed by you…

when love spills over

cultural celebrations :: the family

One of the aspects that completely sold me on our new geography curriculum this year is the fact that the schedule includes plans to celebrate on a regular basis the countries studied!  Should we choose (and we probably will not do them all), each week we’ll gather together to experience the food, customs, games, etc. of a particular region of the world.  Winter Promise calls this a ‘cultural celebration’ :: I love it!

The first one was to pause and celebrate our family.  Yes, the curriculum called for us to choose our favorite family meal, games, memories and such to be the focus; the children were quite excited.  But, deciding on our favorite food was not simple at all and I finally allowed one child to make the final decision.

I guess we are fairly globally-minded already because chicken curry over rice turned up as the choice :)  What a fun time of ‘remembering when’ as we recounted the years gone by and enjoyed some favorite games!

 

Pictures of the table setting or of the people might have been appropriate, right?  That didn’t happen.  Hmm…it’s all about the food.  Oh, well.  I will leave you with the recipe used :: maybe it will find it’s way to your family’s table!

Basic Meat Curry (with chop salad)

Saute in deep skillet:

2 T oil

sweet onion, chopped (as much as you’d like)

2 tsp minced garlic

Blend in a small bowl:

2 T lemon juice

2-4 tsp curry powder (depending on taste desired)

Stir curry mixture into sauteed onions and fry lightly 2-3 minutes.

Add:

1-1/2 lb cubed chicken breast (or beef, fish :: for a veggie version try white or black beans)

Stir briefly to coat meat with spices.

Add:

1 cup tomato juice

1 tsp salt

1 cup broth

Bring to boil, cover and simmer 1 hour.  Thicken slightly with flour before serving, if desired.  Serve over hot rice with chop salad (recipe below), coconut, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, peanuts or raisins.  Freezes well. Serves about 4-6.

Chop Salad

Chop into bite size pieces and combine in a bowl:

3 peppers: red, orange & yellow (if I have this, it gets put in.  if not, moving on…)

1 long cucumber

3 green onions

1 pkg. grape tomatoes

Mix dressing and pour over all:

3 TBsp vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

dash of pepper

Stir well and chill several hours.

cultural celebrations :: the family

right now

8:00 p.m. Monday eve

I’m supposed to be packing for a trip away for several days :: off to another big city to explore the sites, including days at my parent’s home where I plan to fully enjoy the fact that I don’t have to cook!

But, packing isn’t happening…willing my clothes (and the rest of the family’s) to simply just jump into bags.  Wouldn’t that be nice?

Instead, I’m thinking about ~

:: purchasing an ice cream maker soon since there are so many issues with dairy in our home and the substitutes are a bit expensive.  my girls have promised to be in charge; hmmm…we’ll see.

:: making a felt playhouse for the boys’ Christmas present~ this idea has me very excited at the moment, but really, that excitement needs to last several more weeks before I actually say ‘yes’!

:: I was thinking of making these orange cup cinnamon rolls for the first day of school, but we’ve already had that.   So, maybe when we return, we’ll have them for the 11th day?

:: I’m reminding myself again of a healthy perspective on lamenting (versus complaining)

:: also reading again through the daily seven for household management ~ simple & good!

 

Okay, right now…I DO have to pack up a few items!!  Especially the hat I’m knitting (as seen in the header) and the camera.  All else?  Well, I hope they find their way into our bags…..

right now

snapshots no. 3

saying good-bye to our nature retreat...

a change of pace :: quick stop home and then we headed south to the big city

oh, the joys of childhood :: there's nothing quite like jumping on a hotel bed! 

pictures of 'the big city' to come!  enjoy your weekend, friends....

snapshots no. 3

in the book bag

We're heading out for a week long away-from-home time as a family :: otherwise known as a little vacation.  Flooring is being replaced while we're gone, and that news is very exciting! 

So, the last several days have been spent packing and gathering a few goodies to pass the time next week.  Books for me, a geography outline to help with next year's planning, and some as family read alouds, good stuff.  Oh, I know it's a bit ambitious to think they will all get read through, but one has to have goals right?  We'll see what happens.

enjoy a blessed weekend....

in the book bag

after the weekend

It’s been busy around these parts…time spent planning and such for a women’s retreat our church hosted this weekend, and what turned out to be a super wonderful experience! :: I’ll be reflecting for days to come.

But when all is said and done on such a project, I usually spend a day or two ‘roaming’, with  no particular agenda in mind.  Yesterday’s rainy weather was perfect for~

                                        

:: stepping back into time.  The Young Victoria was released last week and it was placed into my Netflix account to be delivered this weekend (in time for my retreat after The Retreat!).  It’s okay, but the made-for-TV Victoria & Albert from 2001 was much, much better!

:: dreaming of strawberry season and wanting to make a version of these parfaits

:: admiring this square foot garden~beautiful!

:: making plans to host a shrimp boil early this summer…and maybe later in the summer as well!  Yum.

Most of all, there was lots of hot tea, conversations with my spouse & best friend (the same person!) and listening to children’s adventures while I was away for the day. 

Fullness…

after the weekend

what I love

Little girl who tries to be like her Mama…journaling, collecting pictures and pasting away.

"Our children are watching us live,

and what we ARE shouts louder

than anything we can say." - Wilferd A. Peterson

what I love

around the web

I’ve been printing off lists for spring cleaning and such around here.  Actually, I think that fall cleaning has more benefit as the efforts seem to last longer, but in our home full of little ones and full of family life, twice a year decluttering and re-organizing is very helpful to this Mama.  Besides, nothing happened this past fall since taking care of baby and staying sane was the main priority {said with a smile}!  By the way, that still is a priority, but now the baby sleeps longer!

Well, while perusing various sites, distraction hit a bit and so here’s a few goodies for all~

:: first off, the cleaning and decluttering lists are found at Flylady’s site, who is currently doing a week-by-week schedule to home clean-up.  I’m not participating, but it’s seems helpful.

:: comfort soup season is probably over, but this Tuscan-style Potato Soup from Lindsay looks too delicious!  Agree?

:: the kids and I will have to try these creamy mango pops this summer.  I love mangoes!

:: I’m all about simple toys for children, especially babies; making a few discovery bottles for our 7-month old has been easy and fun.  Ours are simply glitter & water, googly-eyes and cotton balls in small plastic containers or water bottles.

:: I want to conquer the fear of sewing clothing and make a few twirly skirts for our 7-yr old.  It’s hard to find modest skirts for young girls these days, so my frustration led to a search for a simple skirt with simple instructions.  Let’s hope I can follow through!

:: As we’ve entered into the Lenten and Easter season, I’m using this book to focus on the sacrifice of Christ.       So. Very. Good.  A bit deep in parts, but very good.  I will use this in future years as well.

:: And what else?  Oh yes…I’m trying to find room in next year’s homeschooling budget to purchase a home laminator.  This is an extra, not really a necessity though it would get used often.  This ‘obsession’ has led to trying to find free history and science curriculums online so I can eliminate those purchases!  It’s all a game….

Hope you and yours are well, enjoy a blessed weekend!

around the web

food on the brain

Yep.  Food is on my mind these days.  Having less time for other pursuits (such as sitting quietly to read a book), I’m finding that cooking is a solace, a bit of a retreat from it all so to speak.  Yes, it gets routine and no, every evening doesn’t include a new recipe!  But one of the benefits of enjoying cooking is that I get to both take care of my family and do something relaxing as well.

With a newly turned 6-month old (yikes, how did that happen?), there’s been a lot of making of baby food—pureed avocado, squash, bananas, and the like being eaten & stored up.  I like the Super Baby Food book or Wholesome Baby Food website as a resource.

And I’ve been really getting into vegan cooking since several of us cannot have eggs or dairy—um, we still eat meat though so it’s a contradiction so to speak.  Anyway!  My new cookbook of interest is Vegan Soul Kitchen, a gift from my sister-in-law.  This week I’ll be trying a butternut squash and pear soup that gets its creamy smoothness from coconut milk; the recipe had my mouth watering.  We’ll see if the family likes it.

And though I don’t plan to grow a big garden this year, I’ve spent many evenings curled up in bed for a few minutes of browsing through Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog.  Oh. My.  If you’re a gardener, get one of these!  I plan to just do a few potted plants or a small raised bed.  Here’s a great post on getting organized for a larger garden planting.

So…food, food, food.  Does the mind and body good.

food on the brain

what we’ve been up to

:: a bit of card making earlier in the season

:: saying good-bye to the birds 

:: trying a new breakfast recipe, French Toast Cups 

  :: diligently working on academic skills

:: enjoying the natural world 

:: making faces

what we’ve been up to

around the web

Sooo….instead of working on lesson plans for the next day,

or writing down ideas for a health and wellness day our church is hosting next month,

or returning emails,

or doing anything last night that required that I think! ~ I instead chose to wander through some beauty and goodness around the web.  It’s a most relaxing activity (especially with a cup of hot tea in hand).  Go ahead, try it.

:: I seriously want to own this journal just for the cover and also because the paper is completely captivating (I love paper). There’s room in my house for this pillow, so sweet.

:: after our six-year old went into a tic-tac-toe frenzy this summer, I was very happy to come across an idea that will save us a bit of paper.  I’m thinking of it as a Christmas gift, but not sure it can wait until then.  Um, well..first I need to make it.

:: when we’re finished with our acorns on the nature table, we’ll take the tops off and make these!  a cute way to preserve a bit of autumn.

:: note to self ~ use the last bit of summer squash and turn them into ribbon candy; a special way to serve this veggie when company is over :: or just because.

:: as soon as I find the next gorgeous sunset, and I have my camera with tripod ready, and my 3-yr old is being still enough…we’ll try for a shot just like this one.  but that just may never happen.

:: colorful butters and homemade biscuits!  the photo alone makes me hungry. any kind of bread is my weakness ~ I completely blame it on my French heritage.

Alright, enough.  I did eventually finish up school plans and return a few emails.  Replenished my cup of tea and called it a night ~ it was enjoyable while it lasted!

 

photo~a bit of beauty on our table to welcome Autumn

around the web

morning basket

Children scurry, moving quickly through morning responsibilities :: brush teeth, get dressed, make beds and such. We all prepare our bodies, minds, and yes our hearts for the event ahead.

It’s ‘morning basket time’ as the little ones in our home are now fond of calling this daily devotional portion of our day. The oldest girl lights the candles, there is a sense of anticipation and hush {well, almost!} and we begin with prayer. As breakfast around the table continues, we pause to spiritually fuel-up for our day.

Morning basket time has become a special highlight.





The idea is simple. Gather several devotional resources we own, place in a basket close by the table, and use often. What an easy organizational tool! Before, the materials used were around the house on different bookshelves and I often forgot we owned them or couldn’t quickly locate a certain book when needed.

So now we come together, a variety of books at our fingertips and visually available to me often so that I can plan accordingly for our week. We take about a 1/2 hr to complete morning basket gathering. Other times it’s been shorter because we are leaving the house earlier or at rare times it’s been a bit longer. The children have enjoyed more structure to our devotions. I think it has to do with the candles, really :: they’re mesmerized by the light.

Our time consists of:

Opening Prayer~thanking the Lord for the day He has given, usually by one of the children

Focus for the Day reading~I plan ahead and choose a selection for each day. Right now in our basket are these resources, some of our favorites representing the various ages in our home:

• NIV Bible
• Hymns for a Kid’s Heart ~ a great series of song books with the story of how each hymn came to be
• A copy of A Catechism for Boys and Girls ~ did you catch Josiah about a year ago answering these questions? It’s still our favorite video of him to watch!
• Training Hearts, Teaching Minds ~ a bit deeper information on the catechism for our older daughter
• Trial and Triumph ~ church history stories
• God’s Wisdom for Little Boys
• God’s Wisdom for Little Girls
• Names of our Father ~ to encourage an understanding of the various names of God
• A Child’s Book of Character Building ~ a new resource to us that is wonderful! Short stories on a variety of biblical character traits. I appreciate the variety, for example last week we read about diligence in the home, diligence at play and diligence in the Bible.
• The Big Picture Story Bible ~ the children love this Bible! The story of God’s redemption is weaved for them from the fall to Christ’s return. Before this we had not owned a children’s Bible that created this perspective for kids. It reads as one long story, which of course it is!
• Sophie and Sam, When to Say ‘Yes’ & ‘No’ ~ a rhyming text resource, excellent for preschoolers.
• The children’s gratitude journals (photo here) ~ this year I’ve decided to begin our kids on a habit that has truly changed my everyday mindset and attitude :: listing the gifts that abound. For our 3-year old, I’ll write, he’ll draw and the older girls can do their own.
• Windows on the World ~ keeping a global prayer perspective
• AWANA books ~ all three kiddos are involved in this weekly Bible club & we work on memorizing the scriptures

We do NOT use all of these resources every day or even each week, but they are available, reminding me to plan them in. After reading, we continue on with….

Celebrations~anything exciting to report! :: family happenings & such. Or we’ll use this time to work on gratitude journals.

Prayer Requests~ for ourselves or others, praying for those around the world or taking time to pray for the child in India we sponsor through Gospel for Asia.

Closing Prayer~ and blow out the candles :o)

How I love this! A simple tool of placing all resources in a primary location can be used for anyone & for any age group, including adults. Try it out in your home?
  
  
  

morning basket

fabric giveaway!

If you like fabric and pretty ones at that, then get thee over to this fabulous giveaway happening at I Have to Say blog. Randi is getting rid of some super cute fabric remnants.

And if I win, you'll be hearing about it until Christmas I'm sure!

fabric giveaway!

right now

I am…

enjoying :: being still and sipping a cup of hot tea. on a fairly humid day, but tea calms me.

thinking about :: our homeschool year and the plans, structure we will need to help two elementary-aged girls, a preschooler, an infant and one Mama all stay sane. It’s coming together as I release some expectations and adopt others.

looking forward to :: this book’s release in just a few weeks. (like I’ll really have time to craft anything in the next months, but still!)

listening :: hopefully bit by bit this week and next to Crazy Love, July’s free download from Christian Audio; and to my husband’s sermon from Sunday—not allowing life’s ‘weeds’ to choke out the fruit God wants to produce in us (Mark 4, the parable of the sower). I was there to hear it live, but just need to keep it before me…and really, he IS my favorite preacher anyway!

writing this week :: our women’s ministry newsletter for church and a few devotionals to be submitted by late August for publication consideration. exciting!

wondering :: about the baby naturally. when we’ll get to meet this new one, how much bigger this belly of mine can grow before that time, his or her temperament (and praying for a calm one!)…just little thoughts floating through my mind.

And you? What are you enjoying right now?

right now

the best five cents

I have ever spent at a yard sale! for the cup, not the blueberries :)

the best five cents

keeping busy

The children have been enjoying in style their summer vacation!

:: putting on plays & skits for Mom & Dad

:: big boy “all-by-myself” riding at great-grandaddy’s house {Mama held her breath the whole time} 

:: rainy day projects like do-a-dot painting {found at most craft stores}

:: backyard water fun!

      

:: wrapping up ballet lessons & practicing for the recital

:: keeping cool and looking cool

And then there’s camping pics, family get-together shots and time with cousins…but, that’s for another day!

keeping busy

thought to ponder

"True simplicity consists not in the use of particular forms, but in foregoing over-indulgence, in maintaining humility of spirit, and in keeping the material surroundings of our lives directly serviceable to necessary ends, even though these surroundings may be properly characterized by grace, symmetry, and beauty." ~Book of Discipline of the Religious Society of Friends, Adopted by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1927

Oh, I LOVE this quote!!  I came across it today while searching out a recipe.  I’ll be chewing on this one for a few days.  The weekend holds for us hopefully some simple times, some crafting with the children, dinner with friends—laughter & catching up, lots of sunshine and excellent weather, yard sales, gathering with other believers and naps.  I need naps!

May your weekend be enjoyable.

thought to ponder

right now…

Today I’m enjoying~

:: this quote read from another blog~

Creativity will broaden, deepen, intensify
your relationship with God.
It can be your most vital, viable, examining experience,
resulting in worship and wonder."

~Ruth Vaughn

:: this piano piece that totally captivated me this week.  true to my nature, I hear it once, did a frantic search for the sheet music, downloaded and began playing…all within 15 minutes. beautiful. 

:: flowers that once graced our table, no fresh beauty there now, so this picture will have to do

:: sunshine.  oh, sunshine! 

:: a visit this weekend to the symphony!  As a child, our family went several times a year and it’s been a long time since I’ve heard a full orchestra live.  My sister & I go to hear our favorite pianist performing our favorite piano concerto {she had a recording playing during her labor with my nephew!}.

::  cup after cup of hot tea.  yum.

hope your day and weekend is full of lots of good things, laughter and lightness.  enjoy.

right now…

visual homemaking journal

Finally.  After about only several years of trying to discover which method of organization would work for me in helping to bring calm to the chaos--where to place & record all of my note-taking, menu-planning, random thoughts of things to be done, upcoming events to prepare for, funnies out of my babes’ mouths~you get the picture--

I finally have found rest.  A visual home journal.

Though started in the fall, I didn’t want to post until there was a strong conviction that it would actually work for me.  See, I’ve tried a w-i-d-e variety of ‘helps’.  It finally dawned on me that while my main mode is to be organized and to have a place for everything {not that it stays there always}, I did not enjoy a rigid system of organizing my days & weeks.  Electronic or computerized helps?  Nope, didn’t click with me.  Making lists on paper was preferred, but where to put all of those pieces of paper & post-it notes?

We have a family calendar with wide spaces, enough for writing down appointments & places to be when.  And I definitely have a way of keeping track of homeschool records & papers.  Almost everything else now goes into the home journal~and what fun it has been!

 

This method first appealed to me because of another problem I faced~where to put the various magazine pages that found their way into a stash of ‘pictures that I love’.  Now, I happily tear, cut & paste them into a notebook :: a notebook that holds my church to-do lists, my random doodles (or my children’s), home life to-do lists, cards to send, birthdays to plan, craft ideas, quotes I don’t want to forget…oh, just about whatever!  For some this could seem too random & unorganized.  I understand, but it’s simply how my mind works.

And, since I have a huge need to create on a regular basis, this organizational tool feeds that appetite when there is not time for other crafting or new-recipe-trying.  Really, just tear & paste!  Quick and simple.

visual homemaking journal