The Hibbard Five

ROAR!!!

2012-01-26T13:59:00.001-06:00

We’ve been hearing a lot of that over the past few days.

Typically when we least expect it.

It’s coming from our little Steven cub. He has adopted the habit of hiding around a corner when he knows someone is coming. Then, he jumps out and roars.

Yesterday he got Olivia. It was hilarious! I had given her the book she was supposed to be reading to Steven. We thought he’d gone on to his room and was waiting for her. But no, he wasn’t in his room. Their hall makes a 90 degree turn right before his room, and he was waiting right past the turn. She had no idea. He jumped out and roared at her at the most opportune moment. She screamed and claims she jumped nine feet. Angela and I heard the roar and the scream from the school room and just about died laughing!

He got her again today. One of these days, she’ll learn.

But, she’s not the only one who needs to learn. He got ME today, too!

Our dining room and school room make a U shape, with the foyer at the base of the U. It was time for me to go over Steven’s school work with him, so I was headed to the school room. I was coming from my bedroom, through the kitchen and dining room, and I called his name as I was walking through the dining room. No answer. Complete silence. I should’ve known then. Yep, he was waiting in the foyer and jumped out at me as soon as I rounded the corner…

It’s really quite funny…especially when it happens to Olivia!

Having Fun Anyway

2012-01-24T11:35:00.001-06:00

It’s funny how you can be sad about a change of plans, but still see it as a blessing at the same time. Yesterday I was supposed to head to Little Rock with Doug to go to a conference. The kids were ecstatic to get to stay with one of their favorite people. But, as we were making our way to the door to load up and leave, we got a phone call that changed all of our plans. The kids and I ended up staying home, and Doug headed to the conference a little later than planned …alone.

I had already planned our school week for three days, so we decided to stick with that. Yesterday I got a couple of little things done, but mostly I just hung out with the kids. We watched lots and lots of Bugs Bunny, played some games, and enjoyed each other’s company.

And this morning? I was going to let the kids sleep in, but Angie and Steven were before 7:00, and even Olivia didn’t sleep past 7:30. Steven was even dressed before he came in to snuggle! They all did their chores in record time and then disappeared to the back of the house. It’s after 11:00 now, and I’ve hardly heard a peep out of them except when they have emerged to show me a Lego creation.

There is one thing that is about to drive me nuts, but I’m glad I’m allowing it all at the same time. Four out of the five of us like to be dressed. Sometimes Steven and Angie will ask to eat breakfast in their pajamas, but typically they are like Doug and me – they don’t feel like their day has really started until they are dressed. Olivia, on the other hand, could live in pj’s! She rarely gets to stay in them very long because she just doesn’t get with the day very quickly and smoothly if she’s still in pj lounge mode. Today, though, I have let her stay in her pajamas. She’s absolutely delighted! The only requirement I’ve given her is that I need her pajamas before I wash the last load of “darks” today because that set needs to be washed. Yep, she’s a pretty happy camper today!

So, here I am, sitting in the living room in front of a fire that I don’t really need (it’s not that cold out!) but sure am enjoying, getting some writing and computer work done. Laundry is going, and it will be time to figure out lunch in a little while. But, for the moment I sit here peacefully. I hear laughter, quacking, and mooing from the back, but I’m not worried about them. I’d be lying if I said that I still wouldn’t have rather been with Doug. After all, the Skit Guys were at the conference, and I haven’t seen them in person in about ten years! Even so, I’m enjoying the day.

Oh! I have to share my interaction with Steven last night. I went to tuck him into bed and started playfully snuggling with his stuffed puppy. He laughingly pulled the puppy away, so I asked him what I was supposed to snuggle with.

“You’re supposed to snuggle with…” he began enthusiastically. But, then he stopped and a look of awareness set in. “….oh, wait,” he finished. (He usually tells me I’m supposed to snuggle with Daddy.) He then informed me that I could snuggle with him. In fact, he said he and his sisters could all three snuggle with me so I wouldn’t be alone. He’s so sweet to his mommy – as long as I don’t try to take his Harvey Puppy! (And no, I didn’t take him up on his offer. I kind of preferred to actually try to get sleep last night, something I knew I wouldn’t do with a child in my bed!)

Yep, it’s been a good couple of days.

Not Quite Ordinary Observations

2012-01-23T10:07:00.001-06:00

For Today...Monday, January 23, 2012

Outside my window...crisp, cool air, bright sunshine, clear blue sky, and a stout wind. Such a contrast from yesterday’s heavy fog and oppressive feel.

I am thinking...about those I still might need to check on after last night’s storm.

I am thankful that…we haven’t had any reports of friends having injuries or home damage last night. We know of one farm with some damage, and one older couple from our church has a tree down – but, it came down on a fence instead of their house!

I am wearing...black pants, green 3/4 sleeve top.

I am creating...nothing this week, I don’t think. Although I now have the rest of what I need for Angie’s skirt, so I guess I need to get that done!

I am remembering...the calm after the tornado we had when I was in college. It’s amazing how brightly the sun shines when the storm passes.

I am going...to make some adjustments to my week as our plans changed at the last minute.

I am reading...hmm…this is becoming a pattern. I think I need to get back to regular reading!

I am hoping...for an idea of something fun to do for the kids today or tomorrow.

I am hearing...a lot of quiet.

On my mind...a dear friend who just lost her aunt. They were very close.

From the learning rooms...five more weeks. Five more weeks. Then we take a five-week (as long as we can maintain routine and stay sane!) break. Most of our breaks over the past year (or more) have been due to specific plans and obligations. This time it’s just a break. We need that!

In the meantime, we do have some new things we get to check out and review for www.homeschoolconvention.com/reviews. That’ll be fun!

Noticing that...it is starting to cloud up again. I need the sunshine today.

Pondering these words...
People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated. ~D.A. Carson

From the kitchen...I don’t know, to be honest. We were expecting to be gone today and tomorrow, and now only Doug will be gone. Guess I need to make some menu adjustments!

Around the house...much laundry needing to be done. Might be a good thing

One of my favorite things...winter. Have I said that before? We’re not getting one this year, but it’s still one of my favorite things.

A few plans for the rest of the week...mostly normal week.

A picture worth sharing...Doug’s birthday dessert. Graham crackers, bananas, chocolate pudding, and Cool Whip. That was a delicious combination!

My One Little Craft

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

I didn’t do much in the way of sewing this year since I was helping the kids with their projects. Much earlier in the year, Doug started finding Lego kits on sale and began stockpiling them for future gift-giving occasions. That meant that for the first time in a while, their major gifts from us would not be homemade! Olivia was delighted with her earrings, Angela got a new bigger girl Bible to replace the one that was literally falling apart in her hands each day, and Steven got his first watch (a Lego Star Wars watch, no less!). And then they got Legos. Very exciting!

But, there was one project I was determined to tackle this Christmas – hair bows. I wanted to make some for my niece Abigail, but I’m just not great with ribbon bows. I was going to do my best…until I found an easier way.

I went to the Christmas party at The French Seam, our local Bernina retailer, and I saw these demonstrated. (If you click on the picture it will take you to the Amazon link – no I don’t get a kickback if you decide to order it. There are also different styles of petals.)

I couldn’t help but think that would make bow-making so much easier. I was right! I ended up making a whole pile of bows for Christmas! Each bow took me about 20 minutes from start to finish, and I could make them with scraps of fabric. Once the bows were finished, I hot glued small alligator clips to the back of each one.

Here are Abigail’s:

I made these two to go in Angela’s stocking:

Olivia got the most, though. She was lacking in the area of stocking stuffers, so I made her a bunch of bows.

She thought she was outgrowing them until she saw me making these! Then she decided she would love to have them to pin to her hat. So, my first thought was to turn them all into pins. But, then she started wearing hairbows again. So, I thought having the option would be handy. I glued magnets to the back of each of her bows, then glued magnets to the alligator clips and pins.

It was a good idea in theory, but in implementation, the magnets weren’t strong enough. I want to find stronger magnets and stick with this plan, but until I do, she’s designating some to be either pins or hairbows, and there are a couple that I’m making extras of.

So, that was my “big” project for the season. Now back to the everyday stuff. Some time next week I’ll post a picture of the “accident” skirt I made for Olivia last weekend!

The Girls’ Last Craft

2012-01-19T15:24:00.001-06:00

I just realized I never did post what the girls worked together to make for Steven for Christmas!

A couple of months before Christmas as Steven was consistently borrowing their lap desks, the girls decided that’s what they wanted to get him. Then we got this wild idea to try to make one for him. And, I must say that of all of the projects we tackled this Christmas, this one was by far my favorite. It worked exactly as we planned, first try! I was amazed!

First, we made and stuffed the cushion. On top of the cushion we stuck two long strips of Velcro.

Doug found two hard, solid dry-erase boards. On one side each had lines for writing, and the other side was blank. So, we stuck corresponding strips of Velcro on each of the boards, one set on the lined side and one on the blank side. That way Steven would have interchangeable surfaces.

Finally, the girls decorated the surface of the dry-erase boards with stickers.

Angela decorated the blank one with fire trucks, and Olivia used sports stickers on the lined one. Both of them used letter stickers to put his name at the top of the boards. Oh, and each board has a little strap at the top to hold a dry-erase marker.

We were all proud of that project!

Not Quite Ordinary Observations

2012-01-17T14:56:00.001-06:00

For Today...Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Outside my window...a clear blue sky after our morning storms, and a brisk wind blowing in the cold front. The windows are open now to let in the spring-like air, but we’ve been told to expect a 40-degree temperature drop tonight. Ah, Arkansas weather.

I am thinking...about the snow my northwestern friends are experiencing right now. As beautiful as today’s weather is, I can’t help but want the snow! It’s January, after all!

I am thankful for...a husband who parents so naturally. He is not at all uncomfortable or uncertain when I go do things and leave the kids with him. I love watching him in his daddy role!

I am wearing...jeans, lightweight 3/4 sleeve maroon top, black ankle boots.

I am creating...a black skirt for Angela. I finished Olivia’s on Saturday.

I am remembering...how much I loved open windows growing up. I don’t mind closing them in the winter, but I miss the fresh air in the summer. (Although I don’t miss enduring the August/September heat waves without air conditioning!)

I am going...nowhere until church tomorrow night. I went out to lunch with the Gleaners Sunday school class today, and now I’m home and done with my running around for the day.

I am reading...um…well…

I am hoping...writing flows very well this afternoon.

I am hearing...the wind, birds, a ticking clock. Otherwise, quiet. (Yes, the kids are fine.)

On my mind...nothing other than what I’m doing right now. I’ve grown lax in the area of mental discipline, letting my mind wander into a myriad of directions. I’m trying to retrain it to focus on one thing at a time.

From the learning rooms...Rosa Parks, astronomy, nouns, periods, and phonics blends, graphs, the metric system, place value.

Noticing that...I’m in the middle of a rather extraordinarily peaceful moment.

From the kitchen...nothing right now. Doug treated the kids to lunch out while I was out with the ladies. I probably do need to get some bread made, though, since we’re out.

Around the house...open windows. In January. Winter? We don’t know what that is this year.

One of my favorite things...winter.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Doug has a meeting tonight, then it’s church tomorrow night, book study Thursday night, and a baby shower Saturday morning followed by a wedding Saturday afternoon. Then Monday and Tuesday Doug and I are off to an evangelism conference.

A picture worth sharing...Lego men galore…I think Steven said they were watching some kind of show. I am thankful for my children’s imagination, but I don’t even pretend to try to understand it!

Olivia’s Creations

2012-01-13T08:05:00.000-06:00

And now for Olivia’s project. Like her gift from Angie, Olivia’s gift to her sister was also inspired by Angela’s birthday. Olivia made Angela a sock doll for her birthday, but we only made one dress for the doll. Olivia decided shortly after Angie’s birthday that Ella needed more clothes! So, that’s what she decided to make.

We talked about the designs she wanted to make, and then I made her a pattern that would work for all of them. I handed her the patterns and her chosen material, gave her some instructions, and sent her off to complete step one.

I did help her with some of the more contrary seams, since some doll clothes seams are just so tiny and can be hard to work with. But, she did most of the work herself! That was so nice! I could sit at the computer and write while she sewed, stopped to give her instructions along the way or help her as she needed it.

Her first finished piece was the Hello Kitty gown.

Then she moved on to the remaining two. She wanted one dress to have sleeves, and I resisted so strongly. I hate making normal sized sleeves, but doll sleeves are just awful! But, God uses little things like this to teach me, and this was no exception. That story can be found by clicking here to go to my other blog!

Here’s her finished project! Three new outfits for Ella! Angela loved them! And, those Razorback pj’s that Olivia was wearing a couple of pictures up? She outgrew them, so now Angela has them. So, she and Ella can wear matches pj’s. Awwww!

Angela’s Creations

2012-01-12T10:42:00.000-06:00

If you recall, Angela got a new dress-up dress for her birthday. Well, Olivia fell in love with the dress, too, so Angela decided she wanted to make her one for Christmas. The dress takes a TON of material (five plus yards), so I wasn’t sure if Angela would be able to afford to make it. But, we “just so happened” to run across a 5-yard bolt of pretty purple material (Olivia’s favorite color) for $5 one day (thank You, Lord!). It was pretty thin material, but I already had some lining that would go with it perfectly, and we had just enough white left from Angie’s dress to make the bodice inset. So, off we went!

Angela has not done much sewing at all before this, so she learned a lot. She learned how to read a pattern, use the iron, use a press cloth with sensitive material…

…and pull up gathering to fit. That was her favorite part.

She still needed help on the machine because straight stitches will take a bit more practice. But, she did a pretty good job. The new machine was an extra special blessing with her project because the old machine didn’t do very well with lightweight material any more. We had to redo quite a few seams before the Bernina. After we switched to the new machine, operator error (primarily Mommy’s!) was our only cause for redoing anything.

And here’s the finished project!

Olivia LOVED it and wore nothing else for the first several days after our Christmas traveling was done!

Creating–Steven

2012-01-11T10:29:00.001-06:00

This might not be the most excited series of posts for you as the readers, but it’s one I want to remember. This Christmas the kids all undertook some pretty hefty projects for each other’s Christmas gifts. Most years I have encouraged them to make small and then buy something else if they want, simply because I would have to do most of the making work. But, this year they were able to do much more of it. So, the next few posts will chronicle their projects.

We’ll start with Steven. His gift idea started as Bible covers. But, their Bibles have their names on the front and pretty covers, and we really didn’t want to cover that all up. So, we decided to go for more of a bag. I was making it up as we were going along, so they aren’t exactly what I envisioned, but they work.

Naturally, I had to help Steven the most. He got tired pretty easily, but I think he had fun! I got everything cut out for him, and then he sat down at the machine with me. He would sit in my lap, lower the needle, operate the reverse button, and help guide the material.

He would also help cut the loose threads, and pull pins out as needed.

But his favorite part came when we got the new machine. Somehow I never got a picture of him on the Bernina, but you can imagine the fun he had! It makes all sorts of fancy stitches, so he picked different stitches for each of the girls, and we stitched them on the green trim around each bag. Olivia got flowers and Angela’s are bows.

Here he is proudly showing off his finished project!

Not Quite Ordinary Observations

2012-01-10T15:01:00.001-06:00

For Today...Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Outside my window...the rain we’ve been expecting all day. It just hit all of the sudden and is coming down pretty hard. (It didn’t last long – 20 minutes later it has already stopped.)

I am thinking...that some days I have more patience than others. Today’s not a day of total impatience, but it’s not my best day either.

I am thankful for...the below freezing nights that are in the forecast. Hoping they will help reduce the ranks of bugs that are thriving thanks to the mild winter we’re having.

I am wearing...long green top and black leggings.

I am creating...a skirt for Olivia, a Mary Kay order, and a list of things that need to go on our spring school order.

I am remembering...last January’s cold. I miss it!

I am going…to find time to read for fun soon. Very soon.

I am reading...nothing right now, although I need to read the Sierra Jensen collection that I’m supposed to review next week. Maybe I should just let Olivia read and review it for me since I agreed to the review specifically so I could add a few more books to her Kindle library!

I am hoping...the week continues in the calm, quiet fashion in which it has started – maybe increasing the productivity just a bit so as to be able to really enjoy this weekend.

I am hearing...the hum of the computer, the squeaking of my chair, and the rain hitting the roof.

On my mind...the to-do list. Hmmmm…that seems to be front and center a lot lately. I don’t like that. Things need to get done, but there’s more to life than that. Looks like a refocus just might be necessary!

From the learning rooms...Communism, Martin Luther King, Jr., finishing our microscope book, starting a unit on astronomy and space.

Noticing that...January is moving a lot slower than October through December did. I like that.

From the kitchen...leftovers; although they seemed to make a nice, fresh meal. I like it when leftovers do that.

Around the house...books. Lots of books. I think it’s time to sort through them again, especially Steven’s. Now that he can really read, he’s outgrown a good number of his preschool books. Sniff, sniff.

One of my favorite things...expanding minds and a love of learning.

A few plans for the rest of the week...routine: school, church, Bible study, etc. And we get to finish it off by celebrating my wonderful hubby’s birthday this weekend.

A picture worth sharing...I was taking Christmas pictures of my girls after church one Sunday morning, and Jada, one of our preschoolers, wanted to get in the shot. It was a quick snap because it wasn’t really the focus of my attention at the time, but it turned out so cute!!

Christmas in Monroe

2012-01-07T14:37:00.001-06:00

The day after Christmas, we got up bright and early and headed to Monroe for a visit with the extended Hibbards. We found out after we got there that Stephannie and Morgan wouldn’t be able to join us, but we were still able to have an enjoyable visit. I realized after we got home that I didn’t take many pictures, but here are a few!

It was nice to just relax through Monday afternoon. The girls pulled out some sewing – cross-stitch and plastic canvas kits.

Steven had fun playing the peg game, putting mind bender puzzles together, and creating wacky animals.

And what day of relaxation would be complete without Angela finding some way to dress up?

Grandma had found some extra large pipe cleaners on sale one day, and the kids were delighted! They made all sorts of things, including a hippo for Grandma and an alligator for PopPop. But, their favorite creations were their goggles. They fashioned goggles of all colors and sizes, making sure there were plenty for the stuffies as well! Then they are all ready to go swimming. I can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next time they play with those!

Tuesday morning we had a relaxed time getting up and around, and then we went to take care of a little shopping while we were local to stores other than Wal-Mart. We met PopPop for lunch, and then headed on home to tackle all the tasks necessary to get back to our normal routine.

Another good visit, and an altogether lovely Christmas celebration!

Christmas Cookies!

2012-01-05T13:35:00.000-06:00

One thing we have enjoyed off and on over the past few years has been to make Christmas cookies and deliver them to various locations – especially the people who have to work the ER and man the fire stations on Christmas Eve. We didn’t get it done last year, but this year we wanted to try again.

I gave the kids the option of sugar cookies or a variety of other cookies. They chose the variety.

So, Saturday morning we got up and headed to the kitchen to make a bunch of cookies. Eleven dozen is what I believe we ended up with – chocolate chip/M&M, oatmeal raisin, and snickerdoodles. Everyone donned aprons and pitched in.

Angela measured out dry ingredients.

Steven mixed them up.

Olivia and I handled wet ingredients, and she manned the mixer to get them all blended.

Of course, all three of them had to help roll the snickerdoodles in the cinnamon sugar mixture!

Doug manned the ovens and moved the cookies to the cooling rack so we could keep rolling on each consecutive batch of cookies.

When they were done, we headed out and delivered them to various people. We came home, opened some gifts, and then relaxed before heading back out to our Christmas Eve candlelight service.

What I’ve found most precious this year is the fact that whenever we teased the kids about not getting to open Christmas presents this year, their first argument always was, “But then ____________ won’t get the gift I made/bought for them!” The kids couldn’t wait to give their gifts! It was so much fun to see them get excited about giving, starting with the cookies Christmas Eve morning.

Christmas in Jud

2012-01-03T15:23:00.001-06:00

So, let’s see…what have we missed?

We’ll start with all of our Christmas celebrations, and then I’ll come back to all of our Christmas creating. It might take a few posts to get it all in!

On Friday, we headed to Judsonia for the Browning Christmas celebration. We had a delightful day of visiting, opening gifts, mansaf (and soup for those who don’t like the mansaf), and, more visiting. Meanwhile, Grandma isn’t up to decorating for Christmas anymore and really doesn’t miss it. But, Grandpa does miss it. He especially misses getting a live tree. So, Mom and Dad got him a live tree, and each of us contributed ornaments to it. I think he liked it!

Oh, and of course, there was the obligatory picking on Aunt Alli. Uncle Tim gladly helped. It’s tough being the baby of the family!

I had more pictures, but they don’t seem to have all uploaded from the camera. So, we’ll just stick with these! Another good Browning visit and sweet Christmas celebration!

Giveaways and New Releases!

2012-01-02T11:42:00.001-06:00

Yes, two posts for today!!

I have mentioned that I’m involved in some of the new things Home Educating Family is launching. Well, today is a pretty big day for us, and you can benefit!

Not a homeschool family? I would encourage you to check all of this out anyway. While homeschoolers are the primary targeted audience for the magazine, Facebook page, and homeschoolconvention.com site, there is so much to encourage, benefit, and challenge any family devoted to raising their children and grandchildren in a godly manner, regardless of their schooling choice. I love reading the articles, posts, and reviews not because I need, agree with, or stand behind every single thing I read, but because I am challenged to think outside of the little box “my” world often gets squeezed into.

So, what’s up today? Three major things:

1) 6,000 follower giveaway. In celebration of reaching 6,000 Facebook fans, five winners will receive a subscription to the newly expanded Home Educating Family Magazine, and five other winners will receive various planners.

Enter the Facebook Giveaway here!

2) The official release of the review site! Homeschoolconvention.com/reviews has been in beta testing for a couple of months now. But, today marks the official, full-scale launch, including giveaways! Each week new reviews are posted, and giveaways and/or discounts will accompany many of the reviews when they are introduced.

See my review of the game Albert’s Insomnia and enter the giveaway here!

3) And last, but not least, a brand new portion of homeschoolconvention.com has been launched today – the blog site! The blog will feature a wide variety of authors and topics, including “Audience Soapbox” where your responses become the column! I have been reading through many of these blog posts over the past week or so, and I can again say that many of them go far beyond homeschooling.

Check out the new blog here.

Not Quite Ordinary Observations

2012-01-02T10:29:00.001-06:00

For Today...Monday, January 2, 2012

Outside my window...um…I just realized I’ve not yet opened the shades. Ah, there’s the sunshine! It’s a crisp, chilly morning with a rather biting wind.

I am thinking...about some upcoming projects and just how I want to approach them.

I am thankful for...a voice. Mine was fading fast first thing yesterday morning. I made it through teaching preschool Sunday school – barely – but it disappeared completely after that. It finally started coming back about bed time last night. My throat is still sore today, but I have a voice! YAY!

I am wearing...black sweatpants and a gray top. Definitely stay-at-home attire.

I am creating...an environment suitable for a return to non-Christmas creating. My sewing area is still pure chaos! AUGH!

I am remembering...things that need to go on my to-do list.

I am going...to enjoy getting back into routine.

I am reading...nothing beyond school books. How sad. Hoping to get to one of my new Tricia Goyer novels some time this week, just for a little fun, relaxing reading.

I am hoping...our return to a full school schedule runs smoothly.

I am hearing...kids playing calmly in the living room. Legos, I’m sure. They got new sets for Christmas. Big hit!

On my mind...my “baby” brother who turns 27 and starts a new job today.

From the learning rooms...I have no idea. After two weeks off, I’m not sure where we are, other than that we did finish World War II. Preparing for this week is on this afternoon’s agenda.

Noticing that...I like routine. My family thrives on routine. Certain aspects of the discipline of routine aren’t always fun to get back to, but the results are always worth the effort!

Pondering these words...

Only those who place tomorrow in God’s hands and receive what they need to live today are truly secure. Receiving daily liberates us from tomorrow. Thought for tomorrow delivers us up to endless worry. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer – a quote Doug shared on Twitter this morning.

From the kitchen...parmesan chicken cordon blue, one of our family’s favorites. Oh, and fitting more deer into the freezer! Doug killed two more last week. Some of it is being shared, but it looks like we’ll have plenty of deer for the coming year!

Around the house...a return to normal. As much as I love Christmas decorations, the wide open space is nice, too.

One of my favorite things...children playing happily.

A few plans for the rest of the week...back to school, starting a new book study with the ladies at church, starting to tackle a new set of tasks on the “big list” now that Christmas creating is over. (Hmmmm…maybe I could start Christmas creating for next year much earlier?!?!?)

A picture worth sharing...out for our anniversary two weeks ago.

Silent Blog

2011-12-28T16:53:00.001-06:00

That’s what this blog will probably be for the rest of the week. Monday and Tuesday we were visiting the Monroe Hibbards. We got home last night, and then today Doug and I started tackling this…

Actually, when we started the tackling it didn’t look this bad. But, it’s one of those “gonna look a whole lot worse before it gets better” situations. The whole school room needed to be purged, organized, and put back together. This picture was taken two hours ago, and the main part of the room still looks about the same. But, the cubby area behind those bookshelves is organized, including finally getting the chalkboard and whiteboard mounted, sorting through and organizing all of our flashcards, and setting up the keyboard. The bookshelf that can’t be seen in this shot has been redone, and the shelf you can see in this shot is complete with the exception of the reorganization of Steven’s readers which take up about a third of one shelf. Some of the tubs in the picture are organized, labeled, and ready to put away as soon as the hall closet is cleaned out and prepared for them. All of the crates have been cleaned out, sorted, and reorganized. And, the two cabinets by the door have been cleaned out and are in the process of being restored to order.

Ahhhhh…I needed that. As I’m sitting in the middle of the chaos, it feels as if I’ve done so little because it still looks like that picture. But, I knew that listing what has been accomplished would help me refocus and get back to work.

Once all of this is done, the Christmas decorations are going to be put away and a few other “before school starts back” tasks are going to be tackled. So, if you don’t hear from me for a few more days, we’re still alive! Just restoring life to our style of normal!

My Favorite Things…

2011-12-25T14:00:00.001-06:00

Doug gave the kids a writing assignment this past week – they were to each write about their two favorite things about Christmas. Here’s what they wrote:

STEVEN: (Just FYI, he asked me for spelling helps, but Steven sat down and typed this all by himself – I just copied and pasted what he typed!)

My favorite thing about Christmas is that we get to worship God. Another thing about Christmas is that we get to open presents and that we get to sit down beside the Christmas tree. Another thing about Christmas is that I get to work on Christmas presents with mommy. Another thing about Christmas is that Christmas is good. Another thing about Christmas is that we get go to Grandma and POPPOP and Nanny and PAPAW.

ANGELA: (She hand wrote this in her own formatting style, so I’m trying to stay as true as I can to her arrangement!)

My 2 favorite things of Christmas

Love we share

I like the love exchanged when we exchange gifts at Christmas.
I like the love we share when we say, “Thank-you” with gratitude love and excitement. And best of all I like the love for each other and God.

Jesus is born

I like the fact that Jesus was born on Christmas Day because without His birth he could not fulfill his purpose on earth.

OLIVIA:

My first favorite thing about Christmas is giving. It gives me great joy to see faces light up when they open presents.

My second favorite thing about Christmas is making. I especially love the sound of our Bernina as I sew presents on it. I also love having the ability to add extra work to the homemade presents I make because that is my way to show love to the person I’m making it for.

Thank you for sharing another year with our family!

Merry Christmas from the Hibbards!

Not Quite Ordinary Observations

2011-12-21T09:33:00.001-06:00

For Today...Wednesday, December 21

Outside my window...gray.

I am thinking...about the day and the order in which each item on my to-do list needs to be tackled.

I am thankful for...the anniversary get-away Doug and I had Monday and Tuesday (the reason this post was delayed until today!); my parents for keeping the kids; a wonderful home to return to.

I am wearing...3/4 sleeve maroon top with a black tank; jeans; chilly bare toes

I am creating...the last of our Christmas gifts – should be totally done today! Hopefully! Soon I’ll get to share a post of everything we’ve been making.

I am remembering...the week before Christmas 13 years ago. Actually, I don’t remember anything about Monday the 21st through Wednesday the 23rd. Saturday was our wedding, we were in Little Rock through Sunday for a short honeymoon, then it was back to work Monday morning for both of us. That Saturday had been nice and warm. By Christmas Eve, though, we were in the throes of a nice Arkansas ice storm. My incredible new hubby fought the icy roads to get me to Judsonia for a couple of hours for Christmas Eve. Then he was on call (worked for a funeral home) on Christmas Day, and he was called in. Because the hearse drove much better on ice than the minivan they typically used, we both climbed into the hearse when he had to go to work. We were delighted and thankful, though, to get to spend our first Christmas together, even if it did mean me having to tag along with him as he worked!

I am reading...or supposed to be reading…Living Close to God When You’re not Good at It by Gene Edwards (review book). Hopefully I’ll get most of it read through today since it seems to be a pretty easy read.

I am hoping...for a little Christmas snow. Not a lot, but just enough to be pretty. I know. It’s not very likely. But it would be fun!

I am hearing...a very quiet house. All I had to do was send the kids to clean their rooms!

On my mind...learning to pray better for my family.

From the learning rooms...Christmas break!

Noticing that...Olivia is growing up so quickly and in so many ways!

From the kitchen...leftovers? Later this week, there will be Christmas cookies to share and finger foods for Christmas Eve and Cornish game hens for Christmas Day. But, for now, probably just leftovers.

Around the house...a little clutter that must be conquered today or tomorrow.

One of my favorite things...big hugs and morning snuggles from my big kids.

A few plans for the rest of the week...finishing our sewing, wrapping all the presents (no, we haven’t started – but it shouldn’t take too long), church tonight, Browning Christmas celebration on Friday, Christmas Eve service on Saturday, Christmas Eve & Day at home, then Hibbard Christmas celebration Monday.

A picture worth sharing...penguin carolers met me at my bedroom door the other day. I think it was Angie’s doing again.

More Hunting!

2011-12-16T08:04:00.000-06:00

Evidently, Doug wasn’t the only one hunting this week. Napoleon did his share as well!! He went out yesterday morning and enjoyed a successful hunt.

I missed getting a picture of him in his full orange apparel, but Doug got some pictures of him with his kill.

And what was our favorite family penguin hunting? Why, possum, of course! He managed to nab a nice, fat one!

Later in the day, Napoleon followed Chef Bun-Bun to the kitchen to oversee the preparation of the possum delicacy of the day.

Meanwhile, Angela was cackling through it all. Apparently she was the mastermind behind Napoleon’s hunting expedition. As Doug’s faithful kitchen assistant, Chef Bun-Bun was delighted to be a part of the whole experience!

Stuffed animals and family creativity are so much fun!

He Got One!!

2011-12-14T08:33:00.000-06:00

Every time Doug went hunting last year, the deer seemed to know it. He never saw a single one – well, unless you count seeing them on the drive home, casually strolling on someone else’s property!

Up until this week, this year has shaped up to be about the same. He’s been out a couple of times, but has never seen anything.

Until yesterday!

Yesterday afternoon he went out to our friend Gary’s farm. And the deer came to see him! He was contemplating shooting a large doe when this six-point buck came wandering up. He put one shot in the neck and it went right down.

Gary drove his truck back around to pick Doug and the deer up, and they brought it home for us to see before they headed on over to the processor. Not too shabby for a first-ever kill!

Love & Growing Up

2011-12-13T11:24:00.001-06:00

My children are not always nice to each other. But, they really do love each other. I want to remember the little things they do to show that love to each other.

This morning was one such incident that I want to remember.

Steven was the last one out of bed, which is really rare for him. He’s usually first of the kids to awaken. But, this morning as he stumbled into the kitchen, I took one look at him and knew he wasn’t himself. I picked him up and heat radiated from his body to mine. So, while Doug finished working on breakfast for everyone, I headed to the bathroom with Steven for a temp check, the normal round of specific questions to help nail down what might be wrong with a five-year-old, and a dose of Tylenol.

After breakfast, I walked into the kitchen to find Olivia emptying the dishwasher. Now, Olivia has her own Tuesday morning chore. She and Angie clean the bathrooms once a week. Emptying the dishwasher in the mornings is Steven’s job. But, here she was, emptying it for him in addition to her own work. Doing it without being asked and without a single complaint. I said something about it, and she responded by informing me that Steven was sick and shouldn’t have to do chores.

My children love each other AND my big girl is growing up. I love being a mommy!

Not Quite Ordinary Observations

2011-12-12T13:34:00.001-06:00

For Today...Monday, December 12, 2011

Outside my window...increasing cloudiness after a bright, sunshiny morning. A very slight breeze occasionally stirs the leaves of the trees in the front yard, but mostly it is still and chilly.

I am thinking...about motives behind decisions. Praying that mine are honorable.

I am thankful for...attentive children who are learning so much by their observations of life.

I am wearing...jeans, suede shirt, warm house shoes.

I am creating...kids’ calendars, a lapdesk design for the girls to make for Steven, and ideas for making a new gown for Olivia, who is outgrowing everything!

I am remembering...that there is so much bitterness and hopelessness when a heart rejects, refuses, and lives without the presence of the one true God. My heart aches for the many who live that life.

I am going...to have to get busy if I’m to have a productive afternoon.

I am reading...just finished Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy for tomorrow’s Joy of Writing review. Compelling novel.

I am hoping...for some miracles. And smiling because I know that hope in Christ is never empty.

I am hearing...a clock ticking; Doug’s side of his phone conversation; keyboard keys tapping; the heater blowing (so thankful for a functional heater!).

On my mind...the reminder that the best thing we can ever do is pray. All else comprises lesser actions.

From the learning rooms...another light week. Finishing World War II and learning a little more about energy. Olivia’s finishing a language arts book this week.

Noticing that...God’s peace is a really strange thing and almost impossible to explain. In fact, it’s downright contradictory when you try to explain it to someone who’s never experienced it!

Pondering these words…(the inspiration for the above noticings) “Despite anxiety that robbed cravings for even one Neiman Marcus cookie, Gloria’s peace matched the idyllic Baylor setting.” ~quote from Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy. I’ve known that anxiety that robs even my desire for my favorite comfort foods. And I’ve known the peace that can exist even in the same moment. It’s an amazing thing.

From the kitchen...leftovers for lunch. Plans this afternoon to make bread and a dessert for tonight’s Sunday school class party.

Around the house...peaceful afternoon rest time. I love this time of day! Not because it’s a “break” from children, but because I know my family has the freedom to enjoy a peaceful time of rest every day.

One of my favorite things...I guess rest time would be the appropriate answer!

A few plans for the rest of the week...party tonight, a few “extras” for the week that mainly involve Doug, and otherwise life as usual for the rest of the week. Hopefully including the completion of Christmas projects!

A picture worth sharing...how I love the way these girls love each other!

Project

2011-12-09T10:35:00.001-06:00

We’ve talked for several years – I think since we lived in Horn Lake! – about trying to make a nativity display of some sort for our front yard. We’ve gone back and forth about how to do it, and up until this year we’ve ended up rejecting all our ideas, realizing we just didn’t have the know-how and skills required to pull them off.

But this year we had a new thought: outline the manger scene in white lights. We were just confident enough that we could pull it off that we went ahead and picked up some wafer board to work with.

Olivia got the project started off with four or five coats of primer/sealer on the wafer board, both to give it a solid white color and to hopefully give it some protection from the weather. It took several weeks, trying to find times when it wasn’t too wet or too cold to finish the job. But, last week she finally was able to get the last coat of primer on the board.

Then it was up to Doug and me to create the design. Last Friday night, right before the last wave of rain and cold hit, we spent date night creating the manger scene out of white lights.

Then came the challenge of deciding where to put it to keep it as un-flooded as possible during the deluge we were expecting over the weekend, as well as the challenge of figuring out how to create a support for the heavy wafer board. Of course, my brilliant husband mastered both with ease.

Not having the expertise to take night photos well, this picture doesn’t really do it justice. But, we’re excited that it actually turned out! We’ve even been told that it can be seen clearly from the highway. Fun!

Beautiful Surprise

2011-12-07T14:42:00.001-06:00

Look at the beautiful gift from God that we woke up to this morning!!

Obviously not a big snow, although it was definitely more a layer than a dusting. Not really enough to get up under the trees, though.

But enough to blanket the wood pile (most of the wood is up under the church van’s carport to keep it dry).

It was a very, very wet snow, thanks to the 6 inches of rain we’ve gotten in the past week or so. So, we couldn’t get out in it at all. But, it was SOOO pretty! It’s pretty rare for us to get snow in December, so we were excited.

It was all we could do to hold off until 7:00 to get the kids up. We had a late night last night, and I wanted them to get their last few minutes of sleep. But, we finally went in to each room and opened the shades, telling the kids they really wanted to look outside. Steven just couldn’t wake up, so Doug picked him up and carried him to the window. He still had his eyes closed in Doug’s arms, so I gently encouraged him that he really wanted to open his eyes. He barely cracked them open to look, and then they flew open wide and he exclaimed, in a still sleepy but excited voice, “It snowed!!”

The sun came out mid-morning, and the snow was all gone by 11:00. But, we’re still riding on the excitement of waking up to it unexpectedly. Such a sweet blessing!

Thanksgiving 3

2011-12-06T11:19:00.001-06:00

Our last Thanksgiving celebration was the Saturday after Thanksgiving with the extended Hibbards. We picked Stephannie and Morgan up on our way back from Judsonia Friday night, and had a nice, relaxing visit between then and when Doug’s parents arrived Saturday morning. Jack definitely enjoyed having another lap to claim!

And, there’s nothing like PopPop snuggles!

Olivia decorated a table for us. The picture doesn’t do it justice because the place settings are all glass! But, they looked very nice, and then she scattered little Thanksgiving graffiti pieces Grandma had brought all over the tables.

Grandma & PopPop took Stephannie and Morgan home Saturday afternoon and then they came back to join us for church Sunday morning before heading back to Louisiana.

All in all, another good visit, and a great way to end Thanksgiving weekend before heading into Advent!