Seasons of Life

How Do We Manage ALL Those Clothes?

2012-01-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

Living in a large family forces one to be organized in order to keep order and peace in the home. Being organized helps us to be better stewards of what the Lord has given us. Our home is not large by most standards, especially for the number of people living in it, however it really is big enough for us. With each child, a little more creativity is tapped into {thank you Lord} as we re-organize to accommodate another blessing. One key is regular assessment of what we really need and either storing, selling or giving away what we don’t. This keeps our living area free from clutter. With creativty comes the implementation of it and I have lots of helping hands to take it to the next step of putting it into action...taking the vision and applying it by DOING. I am so thankful for a handy husband and sons who are going to know how to be just as handy by helping and doing!

Handling Current Sizes/Seasons

As you can imagine, a family of 10 has a lot of shoes, clothing and basic essentials. An area I will address today is the topic of managing all the clothes. For handling ‘current’ clothes, each person has a section of their bedroom closet for hanging items and assigned drawers {either with a built-in drawer unit in their closet or via a good ole dresser} for their folded clothes. I love the built-in units as they keep the bedrooms more open with less furniture needed. To further keep things uniform and orderly, we all have an assigned hanger color which helps when doing laundry.

My husband added this unit purchased from IKEA to our closet before Carolyne was born to accommodate her clothing, towels & blankets.

Closet system purchased from the home improvement store allowing for double rods for hanging clothes and storage shelves for personal belongings, books, etc. When we built our house in 1995, all the closet had the standard wire rack with clothing rod...just ONE long rack in each closet. That was also SEVEN children ago...wow, what the Lord has done!. Our closets have all had a makeover to accommodate our changing and growing home. Mark and the boys have been instrumental in getting this done and taking the vision I had and making it a reality...thank you Lord.

The good ole fashioned dresser...each of the boys in this room get one side for the folded laundry items. This was my husband's dresser and continues to serve our family well.

Then these closet drawer units and double rods were installed into our other sons' closet allowing room for folded and hanging clothes. Each son has a hamper/basket for their dirty clothes {which they wash themselves} that is also kept inside the closet. I like these units better than the wire ones used in other other sons' room. You can go here to get more design ideas.

On the other side of their closet we chose to use adjustable track shelving and baskets instead of drawers. Thus system uses brackets which wood shelves are screwed to and the brackets can be adjusted according to desired heights. We also made the shelves go the full width of the closet unlike the other side with drawers, maximizing space. This allowed it to be more customed for storing his belongings as well as using the baskets for folded clothing. He slips his laundry basket under the last shelf for dirty clothes. They slipped another Closetmaid type of drawer unit under the rods for storing games and such.

Same system was installed in the girls' room with double rods and drawers. Each girl has a rod for hanging clothes and then this series of drawers is Elizabeth's.

This is the full shot of the girls' closets/drawers. The center drawer unit is for Alyssa. The right closet is identical to the left {see previous photo} with another series of drawers belonging to Kailynn. Three girls' worth of clothing and it IS doable. ;-)

How Much Do We Keep of Current Clothing?

The amount of clothing each person has is determined by what can be managed and what they can afford. We purchase all the clothing needs for our home and usually give new items during the year for birthdays or special occasions. When our children are old enough to work regularly, then they become responsible for buying items they need/want. Just as with any budget, they learn and establish a budget at a young age with funds set aside for such purchases. We have found that this is another life lesson and skill they will need when they have families of their own AND we have also found that whenever funds earned are exchanged for products, there is ownership that takes place and this in turns makes better stewards. {There is a cost associated with their purchase…work in exchange for goods…also helps them think twice about spending.}

I will say we could do even better in this area by further assessing what is REALLY needed. Having less, makes managing easier. Less to wash, less to care for, less to store. I have read others who only keep 7 days worth of clothing and a special outfit for church or occasions. That makes things very simple…I’m just not there yet.

Storing Out-of-Season/Outgrown Clothing

From early on, I saved the clothes purchased/given to our children and stored all outgrown items for future use with younger children. I have chosen to use the sturdy colored storage bins and labeled them according to contents. The out of season and outgrown clothing are kept in these bins in the attic until something is needed. I try going through them each season as clothes are rotated in and out, purging what is no longer needed or too tattered to keep.

I prefer the Rubbermaid or Sterlite brand colored storage bins. I use them for clothing, holiday decor, toys, etc. and try to color code them according to the theme {Red - Christmas, Blue or Green - boys, Purple or Pink - girls, Grey - shoes, Taupe or Orange - Thanksgiving/Autumn, etc.} and label them to make keeping things in the attic organized, too.

What to Do with Clothing When It’s Been Worn Out

Clothing that is too tattered or outgrown is sometimes repurposed, like this great idea from Quinn at Reformation Acres! Another repurposing idea can be to take all those favorites and make a quilt ~ what a great way to remember those sweet baby/children's outfits! If things begin to accumulate to a point of more than may be needed in the future for other children, clothes may be passed on to other families or donated. IF a need arises for new clothes to be purchased…I ALWAYS keep an eye on the clearance racks and think ahead of the current season to replace more worn items. You’d be surprised what GREAT deals can be found on the clearance racks for well-made clothing…far better sometimes than buying consignment, thrift or garage sales…and the items are NEW. We also try bless others as items are reassessed, as we have been blessed with ‘new-to-us’ clothes, too. All these options really help to stretch the dollar.

Another way to stretch the dollar is to make your own clothing and I know many a family who are training up skilled seamstresses. This is an area I am not proficient in, but do sew enough to get by and not nearly as much as I would like. All my children will at least know the basics {including the boys}.

Managing the Dirty Laundry

I have written a post about our laundry system here which you can read to see how we handle this area of managing clothing in a large family. I haven’t deviated too much from this method, as I find this is what works for our family. Training our children from about age 9 on to do their own laundry helps to keep things from backing up. Up until this point the younger ones help with sorting, folding, delivering to each room, transferring clothes into the dryer or pulling them out, etc. We believe this helps them to be contributors in our society not just consumers…

Look what Mom found BEHIND the laundry hamper...no, no, no. Someone's got laundry to do. So, even with all the above...systems are only as good if they are utlized. :-) Here's a glimpse of REAL LIFE...

I hope that reading about how we manage the clothing for our family will help you and provide a few ideas to make your life a little easier…

Blessings as you seek to serve Him, even when doing the laundry ~

Linked this week to:

Raising Olives is one of the Mom's hosting this topic...

Sandy's DIY linky...click here to see others

Bread, Blessings & Breaks

2012-01-18T15:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a while since I last posted...in the midst of life, blogging takes a back seat. Partly because living leaves little time in this season to write and partly because I wonder if anyone is interested or even would be encouraged at the "living" taking place. Sometimes, I wonder if my practical, simple tips are worth writing about...so I don't, I just live it. Does anyone really want to read about in home hospitality or juggling school, helping with husband's business {administratively}, meal planning {or sometimes lack of}, grocery shopping with children, or settling sibling squabbles, or computer setbacks {like erasing everything from my desktop when uploading a new program...yikes}...I mean, really?

When lives gets hard, I really have to look for the blessings in it. Today, was a challenging day {really having a full house gives opportunity to having many challenging days...} and I had to step outside of the day to look for the blessings.

A rare sight to see Carolyne on the floor...she'll never learn to crawl if she isn't out of every one's arms... ;-)

Playing on Dad & Mom's bed...almost a morning routine with laughter a result
"A cheerful heart is good medicine..."

The blessing of having all the sweet children the Lord has given and being thankful that our home is

sometimes noisy {it's better than silence...it means living is going on}...
sometimes messy {truly, I believe as much as having a house of little ones...and big ones...to remind and pick up after, that one day in the not so near future ;-) they'll be gone and I'll miss it (or so I'm told)...
sometimes sad {thinking about missed opportunities and how short life truly is...when time of being still gives way to reflection which must be kept as a reminder to live as unto the Lord EVERYDAY...EVERY moment

Ending 2011 with thanksgiving for God's gift of "another day"...what man said would be less than a week, God has given over 2 years...thank you Lord.

The blessing of children who can do things to help out on those days and enjoy to

children who surprised me with little blessings they purchased (using their own money...how sweet) from the Cracker Barrel store...a sweet smelling votive and a chocolate bar {may the Lord keep their hearts soft and kind over the years to come...}
making dinner last night {Austin grilled chicken, made mashed potatoes, mixed veggies and quick croissants...}
baking cookies...everyday if allowed {Logan is quite comfortable making all kinds of cookies...his sweet tooth will never lack ;-) }
playing with little ones {Alyssa is growing up...this past weekend she was a blessing to me in helping with Liz and Carolyne...Mark went out of town taking Graham & K to Logan's football tournament...the first time our family has been separated for a whole weekend like this.}
a husband who even after a long day at work answers a call to help with Mom {a few bad days for her,too...but how gracious He is...} and then again this morning
"Just because you are loved" labels everywhere this morning as "someone" kindly went around doing other's chores and getting our day off to a good start {Thanks Zach :-) }

The making of peanut butter blossoms a few weeks ago...a few days ago was cinnamon oatmeal...and several kinds in between...sweet delight!

A "Just because you are loved" note on a straightened book cabinet...

The blessing of bread again after far too long of being inconsistent with baking...

putting to use a bread machine the family gave me for Christmas to make baking regularly easier

2 hours 33 minutes until today's loaf is done...

And the finished loaf...yum. A 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat Italian seasoned loaf...

The blessing of breaks together making memories and knitting hearts

having a precious friend spend a few days with us

a field trip to Legoland {because of an unbelievably HUGE discount making it possible for our family to join other homeschoolers}

As close to New York City as we may get for a while...

Liberty...how many have passed by this symbol of freedom and are part of this great country's foundation of new beginnings, leaving homelands with nothing and working hard in the US in pursuit of happiness?

seeing the beauty of God's creation

This Monarch emerging...wings drying before it begins its journey...

visiting with family from out-of-town recently

Great Uncle Tom & Great Aunt Kathe...such a blessing to visit with ~ looking forward to getting together again in the future as the Lord permits

football tournaments {although, we probably won't be doing this again unless we all can go...}

Log's team against a team from Washington D.C....it was a tight win, 13 vs. 12!

a lovely evening of music during the Youth Music Festival in which Austin played in

The conductor, Mrs. Umbarger, did a great job preparing the Harmony Orchestra for this performance and the students were a blessing to hear ~ how the sweet sounds soothe the soul

playing a game with the older boys...just putting all things aside to spend time together

Monopoly can get intense sometimes as bargins are being made...kinda like being on Wall Street...but the fun really is in the time spent together ~ it's been too long since the boys and I played a game.

a trip to a National Park during their free admission offer and spending time with friends during lunch while there

The children and I reading about some of the famous explorers in Florida history...

Pippy? No, just our full of life girl...she's such a bundle of energy and her God given personality surely comes through in all she does!

A little soccer...a little touch football...a lot of fun {and the less energetic ones enjoyed our picnic on the grounds basking in the warmth on this January day ~ another blessing...Florida weather.

Our sweet little Liz

I encourage you to look for the blessings this year and take opportunity to live each day as unto Him...

Blessings in Him ~

Merry CHRISTmas 2011

2011-12-25T17:41:00.001-05:00

From our family to yours...may you have a Merry CHRISTmas and a joyfilled New Year!

Our Smith Family Christmas photo cards this year...

Blessings in Him ~

And the winner is...

2011-12-13T23:58:00.000-05:00

of the Christmas Blessing Giveaway...

Kelly @ Three Little Jewells

Congratulations Kelly &

Merry Christmas...

I hope you love Elsie as much as our family does and all the little goodies to go along with it!

{Let me know what you think...your Christmas blessing is on its way.}

Blessings ~

As we enter into December...

2011-12-07T12:04:00.000-05:00

FOR TODAY...Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Outside my window... still and dark, dew settled on all things in cool of the wee hours

I am thinking...it’s going to be year-end before I know it which means tax preparations will fill my New Year. December has started off to be an intentional month of living...intentional in staying focused on Christ through the busyness of the season. December's calendar is selectively full but not overflowing. The transition from autumn to winter, Thanksgiving to Christmas having taken place without too many bumps.

I am thankful for...In my list of gratitude {#43-60}, I am thankful for:

~ growing boys into men...doing the hard things
~ tree planting work opportunities this past week for Austin...acres of saplings
~ planted to replace ones lost in a brush fire this year
~ grace when accidents occur and God's hand of healing {praying for two children this week suffering injury...one with a broken bone and another with 3rd degree burns}

~ grace to handle defeat...or at least for opportunities to teach this {two difficult playoff games this past Saturday for Logan, one more to go}

Logan missing the "pull" for this defensive move...the opponant was very fast and avoided having flags pulled throughout the game many times.

~ a girl who has taken it upon her 26 month old self to potty train

~ getting our Christmas pictures snapped today so cards can be ordered {not an easy feat with a home of 10 and varying schedules}

One of several shots...this time Carolyne is the protestor of group pictures.

~ hearts desiring to do "secret acts of kindness" each day...still working on the secret part ;-)
~ dinners at Cracker Barrel {spontaneous and rewarding}
~ the smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree {brought from NC...thank you}
~ a chat with a neighbor this week
~ music opportunities for our young men...music is such a beautiful gift and I'm blessed to have our home filled with it

~ having times set aside to fellowship with friends this month

~ being home with my children each day {even the difficult ones...} and growing together
~ God's grace in my Mom's life
~ God being the Author and Finisher of our faith and not us
~ the last faucet part coming in today {a leaky faucet since October and the part was on backorder...}
~ a lifetime warranty on the faucet {no out-of-pocket expense...a good thing}

From the kitchen...December is a month of above average activities, so our menu will be somewhat loose...loose, but not non-existant. ;-) This week will look something like this:

Sunday: Simple
Monday: Grilled chicken, rice cooked in chicken broth to flavor, buttered peas and biscuits
Tuesday: that spontaenous meal out to Cracker Barrel {after taking family Christmas pictures}
Wednesday: meatloaf, mashed garlic potatoes, steamed dill carrots
Thursday: lasagna, homemade whole wheat french bread with olive oil dipping sauce, salad, s'mores...maybe with a fire
Friday: beef barley vegetable soup and bread
Saturday: chicken and turkey pot pies

From the learning rooms...read alouds of our Christmas books, lots of nativity playing, still working on division {Alyssa} and fractions {Logan}, instrument practice for upcoming concerts, studying and term papers {Zach} as this semester comes to an end...finals week.

Upcoming plans...plumber coming to replace parts on my kitchen faucet, Orchestra concert {Wednesday night}, football practice {Friday night}, final playoff game {Saturday} with a community parade in the evening...with some fellowship time in the mix of it all...and for added blessings for giving, I am hosting a Christmas Blessing Giveaway {read about it here}

Around the house...things are looking a lot like Christmas ~ our tree is decorated, nativities around the house and little trees in each room, lights hung inside and out, our baskets filled with blessings for others ready for upcoming deliveries and preparations for several hospitality gatherings underway.

One of my favorite things...the smells of Christmas {balsam & cedar Yankee candle scent}, cinnamon pine cones, baking of sugar cookies, coffee {although I don't like it...love the smell}, ummm...

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

Our little miss is already 3 months...how time passes by so quickly! She's such a sweet blessing to our family, truly adding "Joy".

Blessings ~

This week linked to:

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How We are Celebrating Christmas AND a Christmas GIVEAWAY

2011-12-06T16:44:00.003-05:00

It's been a blurr of a year with November over and December already here! We had a blessed Thanksgiving with Mom and friends joining us. A joy-filled time of giving thanks and fellowshipping together.

What a wonderful time of year! December is a month usually full of activities. Oh, there is shopping and Christmas gatherings, the end of sports seasons and final games, concerts and special events, decorating and baking…the list goes on and on. And if it isn't full enough already...we now have a daughter who has decided it's time to begin potty training...wonderful, yes...however, the first of the year surely would have been better for us. ;-)

She's doing well for 26 months...just decided to do what sissies do and hopped on AND successfully tinkled. ;-) Hersey kiss for the big girl!

It is a wonderful time of the year and sometimes all this activity can create an atmosphere that actually can rob us of the joy of the season. In hopes to keep our center of all we do around Christ we have a few "Family Challenges" posted as an encouraging reminder...

It is with intentional effort, this year we have created these family challenges to keep our time focused on Christ and the reason for our joy. The end of November, I made all the necessary copies, laminating things we will do again in the future {new traditions} and made the purchases necessary for being able to begin in December. Some new things we are doing as a family this year to keep Christ in our Christmas are:

1. Reading the Christmas account {Luke chapter 2} nightly with our Christmas Eve reading being done by candlelight…

2. Doing a “Twelve Days of the Nativity” activity beginning on the 13th of the month. This activity was something I found here which will provide a fun way for our children to learn more about the different elements of the Christmas account…especially the younger ones. We are hoping this activity will provide a time for us to reflect a bit deeper on the historical account of Christ’s birth, the events and people involved in that night and a prompt for conversation about what those people may have been experiencing that wonderful night.

These are the cards I printed on plain white paper, added a cover page using Mrs. Grossman stickers and then laminated each page. To finish, I hole punched the top and ran a ribbon through the stack of cards.

This is the sweetest nativity set...the kids LOVE playing with it, so until we start The 12 Days of Nativity {we have decided to do it BEFORE Christmas starting on the 13th} they are getting joy from it.

3. We have challenged our family to do “Simple Acts of Kindness” each day for members of our family. These acts will involve blessing someone in the house in secret and leaving behind a “Because you are loved…” note to encourage them.

Once again, I made "Just because you are loved..." slips {using Microsoft Word label format}, then printed them out and laminated them for being able to continually using them through the year. ;D

4. For fun and opportunity to bless someone in our neighborhood, we are also going to be doing a “Ring and Run” outreach based on The Twelve Days of Christmas song. I found a sweet version here {or here if that one isn't working} this year and made a few minor changes to fit our family and gifts we wanted to give. This event is another great teaching opportunity for “blessing others in secret”.

Here's our basket of blessings, labels printed out and attached to each item. Starting on the 13th, we will "Ring and Run" leaving behind a little blessing for someone close by...

Chocolate...lots of chocolate...doesn't chocolate makes things just a little bit better? :D

5. Decorating our tree with a focus on Christ…red ornaments {to represent His blood}, ornaments with the names of God written on them {I purchased red shatterproof balls and used a gold permanent pen to write one name of God on each ball…of course, I didn’t write all His names, but selected a few we wanted to focus on}, red stars {to remind of us of His blood again and the star set in the sky to lead to His birthplace} and adorenments the children will be making again this year.

Our tree this year, as a reflection of Christ...an evergreen {from North Carolina...thank you, sweet friends} as a reminder of Life we have in Christ and red to remind us of the blood He shed.

6. Select a conversation starter at each dinner meal to prompt discussion about different Christmas aspects…from the historical account to what different symbols mean.

This group of questions and some additional ones were taken from Celebrating A Christ-Centered Christmas. Loved this idea and will make this part of our annual celebration...so more laminating. :D

Things we have done and will do again this year include:

1. Having candy canes with the Legend of the Candy Cane poem attached to them at the front door ready to give to those who visit us {mailman, UPS/FedEx drivers, neighbors, other delivery people, etc.} as well as a simple book “For the Joy” by John Piper and a tract from Billy Graham. This legend is in the form of a Christmas tree or you could use this one to attach to candy canes for giving away.

A shot before the legends were attached to the candy canes.

2. Hide Jesus from our nativity set until Christmas morning and then the first child who awakes that morning gets to put Him in the nativity scene and move the shepherd up to the stable area.

Where is our LORD? {Hidden until Christmas Day and then the early riser will get to place Him in the stable.}

Wallah!

3. Attending Christmas concerts and Christmas service.

4. Driving through well decorated neighborhoods and trying to find nativity scenes the night before Christmas.

5. Opening one special gift on Christmas Eve {always new PJ’s} so they can wear them to bed and have Christmas morning pictures to remember.

6. Mark & I purchase “three gifts” for each child to be opened on Christmas Day. This is to represent the three gifts that were presented to Christ from the Wiseman. {They do get more than three gifts…due to them giving presents for one another, receiving them from other family members and friends, but our gifts to them are limited to three.}

7. Hosting a Christmas gathering at our home. In the past we have done things such as a craft day here or Christmas gift making time with other families at our home. Other ideas could include a Birthday Party for Jesus, a couple’s night, or even hosting a time to watch someone else’s children to allow them to Christmas shop. The point for us, whatever the event, is to show hospitality to others.

8. Lots of baking…for family, friends, neighbors, coaches, music instructors, pastors, etc. This year may pose a slightly higher challenge with having a new baby in the home {and now 4 who are 5 and under...}, but we will do what we can. Last year we had our nieces join us for two baking days, in which we made family cookie/cake recipes and then sent home some of what they helped bake…lots of fun.

9. Send a Christmas photo card and family newsletter to all our family, friends and those who are close in distance recapping our year. I have done this for the 22 years we have been married…some years more in depth than others due to time, but it is always a blessing to connect with those that aren’t near in distance and encourage those who are. Our family so enjoys reading the cards and newsletters we have received and seeing how families have grown each year.

Something else we have done with all the cards and newsletters we receive at Christmas is to place them in a basket on our kitchen table AFTER Christmas. Each night through the month of January, we each select a card from the basket {randomly} and pray for that person/family that evening. This has been a sweet tradition for us to purposely pray for others and to hear the things our children lift up about the person they are praying for…

What family traditions do you have? How do you spend the month of December? How do you keep Christ as your focus during a season so full? Your comment will be a blessing to me and to those visiting. May your month be filled with joy!

P.S. In honor of Christ and Christmas, I would like to host a Christmas Blessing Giveaway. It’s my way to encourage and thank you for visiting here. What is the giveaway? A Christmas gift basket filled with items to bring joy to you this month. All entries must be received by 11:59PM EST on Monday, December 12th. A winner will be randomly chosen on Tuesday, December 13th. The winner will be announced on my blog and then upon receiving mailing info, the gift will be mailed to the blessed winner and hopefully received by Christmas {depending on our postal delivery...}...fun!

How to enter {one entry for each item you do below}?

1. Leave a comment {as mentioned above}.

2. Do a Christmas related post and link back here…be sure to mention my giveaway AND include your post link.

3. Join above as “Those Encouraged”…even if you are an email subscriber, click to follow to gain another entry THEN leave a separate comment saying you have joined.

And what will this basket consist of???

Elsie's Christmas Party, Wonderful Names of a Wonderful Lord, For Your Joy, Handel music CD, metallic silver note cards and matching envelopes for you to embellish, snowflake stickers, a names of God bookmark, and a little sweet surprise...may it bring joy to your Christmas!

Linked to:

Women Living Well Wednesdays

2011-11-16T15:32:00.002-05:00

FOR TODAY...Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Outside my window...somewhat muggy for an autumn day ~ where did our cool breezes go? Where did the 70 something temps go? I had to turn the air on to get the stickiness out…ugh!

I am thinking...about a lot of things. My mind is like an Energizer bunny…it just keeps going and going and going, especially this time of year.

I am thankful for...

#31 ~ great dental appointments today {five of the children had appointments today and all had great reports},

#32 ~ Sam’s Club {our six week run today after dental check-ups and I am hoping to not go again until after the first of the year…well, maybe for a Christmas shopping trip but not to stock up},

#33 ~ Growing up {Austin got his learner’s permit ~~today~~ yesterday…where does the time go?},

#34 ~ snickerdoodle cookies and the boy who loves to make all things cookies,

#35 ~ Operation Christmas Child {our way to give to those who would not otherwise have and praying that the Gospel message would be shared to each child}

Drop Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes off between November 14-21...click here to find a location near you.

#36 ~ easy meals {Shrimp Alfredo ~~tonight~~ last night and Texas toast…yum}

#37 ~ visits with friends

#38 ~ improving stamina for mom these past few days

#39 ~ nature sightings {yesterday a bald eagle chasing another bird until it dropped the fish in flight at which time the eagle caught it and flew to a nearby tree…and ~~today~~ yesterday a huge red-headed woodpecker} ~ lovely pictures of His creation

#40 ~ opportunities to serve others and hopefully be a witness of His grace

#41 ~ buzz cuts for boys

#42 ~ using leftover veggies to make a nice side dish for dinner…thanks to a friend’s yummy recipe

I am praying for…upcoming weekend events ~ football, a wedding and fellowship time; next week’s activities ~ Thanksgiving dinner here; for yielding hearts to live out the Gospel; a mouth that is SLOW to speak…and ears that are QUICK to listen; a young family going through a challenging time; Mom; the Lord to provide a window of opportunity to spend with a couple friends next week

From the learning rooms...well, I’ve worked on this post for 3 days now…so much learning has been taking place, hence the delay in getting THIS done. I am contemplating shutting down for the rest of the week to just do Thanksgiving stories, activities, and all things related. I think we could all use this time away from our SCHEDULE and focus on history, gratitude and preparations.

From the kitchen...tonight ~ Squash casserole {thanks to my friend’s recipe} as a side dish with rice buttermilk biscuits and stuffed chicken. This week’s menu:

Sunday ~ was SIMPLE…leftovers

Monday ~ “Tortilla Night”!!! VERY happy children!

Tuesday ~ Shrimp Alfredo and Texas toast

Wednesday ~ above

Thursday ~ Baked ziti w/ spinach asiago chicken sausage and garlic rolls

Friday ~ ?...leftovers

Saturday ~ Santé Fe soup topped with shredded fiesta blend cheese, sour cream and Fritos chips…yummy!

I am wearing...white cotton skort, black tee, bare feet and hair pulled back in a simple clipped ponytail

I am creating...Thanksgiving plans and memories as I list a simple agenda and menu for the day…still looking forward to carving out some time for sewing skirts this coming week.

I am going...contemplating taking the children to a historical lecture tomorrow afternoon about the Roosevelt’s, to the Dollar Tree and to the nail salon {using the last of my gift certificate from my birthday…thanks Zach} later ~~today~~ tomorrow evening, and errands Friday afternoon with football practice in the evening…the weekend will comprise of picking up our pork order from a local farm Saturday AM, football directly after that {their last game before playoffs in December}, a much anticipated wedding and sweet fellowship, then church and maybe more fellowship time on Sunday.

I continue reading...just the Bible and read alouds to the children.

I am hearing...the vacuum running in the garage, the AC {yes, it had to be turned on due to sticky humid weather}, a girl just getting up from her afternoon nap and children stirring in their afternoon activities.

Around the house...cleaning, clothes purging and organizing {I feel like I just did this…they just keep growing!}, Thanksgiving Day preparations and lots of paperwork for the business.

One of my favorite things…the smell of the air when it is crisp and cool, fireplaces burning and a nice cup of hot {warm} cocoa…okay, that was three.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

Blessings ~

Linked to:

Ann

Peggy

Laura

Food Storage for Large Families

2011-11-11T15:18:00.001-05:00

This week I’m linking to 4 Moms: 35 Kids ~ How Moms of Many Manage and posting on the topic of food storage for large families. See links at the bottom to their sites for more ideas on making the most of your food storage area, maybe get some storage ideas and money saving tips.

Why have a food "pantry"?
Living in a hurricane possible location, having food on hand and a plan for keeping our perishables from spoiling in a power outage is just sensible. Building a food pantry has cost benefits for our family, too. As most large families, feeding the crew can be expensive if you don’t plan and budget appropriately for it. For this reason and others, I try to buy based on the best unit price and for certain foods will buy based on the healthiest choice. With the savings over time having a food pantry provides, healthier purchases can be made on certain foods while staying within our overall weekly budget. Basically speaking then we have three reasons for having a food pantry: cost benefit, preparedness benefit and nutrition benefit. Every family who has a food pantry will reflect the needs and priorities of that family with amounts of what to have on hand, the types of foods selected to store and the space allotted for doing so factors to consider.

How do we build our food "pantry"?

As a large family, saving money and stretching the ever-decreasing valued dollar is a weekly endeavor. Over time and as our food budget permits, I make purchases when items are on sale, using coupons when available, but mainly focusing on the bottom line…the best unit price. I will buy extras of those sale items {only purchasing the items we like and use} and store them in our food pantry. This method helps to build having extras on hand of the items we consistently use. When meal planning, I have attempted to keep our meals simple, drawing from recipes that use normal, everyday ingredients. Having a meal plan helps to save money and save food waste.

Where do we make purchases from to build our food "pantry"?

1. Buying in bulk {i.e. Sam’s Club, Costco Wholesale Club, etc.}

2. Purchasing through a food co-op {i.e. BreadBeckers, Montana Wheat Company, etc.}

3. taking advantage of buy one get one free offers

4. using store and manufacturer’s coupons or competitor ads being match by select retailers {Wal*Mart will match any valid competitors ad for the exact item, Publix will accept select competitors’ coupons and some stores double coupons…ask your local grocery or discount chain in your area to see what they will do}

5. purchasing meat from local farm for no hormones, no antibiotics, grain/grass fed purposes {i.e. beef and pork}

Other options could include: purchasing from local farmers or farmer’s markets for fresh/organic produce or even an organic produce co-op, growing your own fruits and vegetables or bartering with those who do, and discount food chains or outlets.

Where do we store these savings and how?

I have posted on storage ideas in the past here, but this week I will cover more specifically our food storage areas.

1. Meats ~ if bought in bulk from the grocery or wholesale club, then we will repackage it into freezer bags based on our families’ consumption and date the package, remove air and lay flat in our upright freezer {maximizing the space}

2. Can goods and boxed items ~ I keep opened and a base amount in our inside kitchen pantry…I’ll call this my working pantry and my surplus is kept in our garage storage area.

     a. First, my kitchen pantry storage:

          i. Items such as pasta, dry beans, baking supplies, snacks, dry cereals, etc. of which we would use on a frequent basis are kept inside and stored in glass jars like these or these {both made in the USA}, Tupperware storage containers like these, plastic storage bins, or food buckets.

          ii. When my base count gets low, I will refill that item into its storage container {i.e. Pastas are removed from their manufacturer packaging and put in the labeled storage container designated. Dry beans are emptied from their packaging and kept in glass jars. Snack items such as popcorn, animal crackers, snack bars, crackers, etc. are removed from their manufacturer boxes and stored in their designated containers. This allows my kitchen pantry to stay organized, gives me a visual on when my stock is getting low {since the containers are clear} and keeps food from spoiling, as their containers are air tight.

b. Next, my garage storage area {you can read a little about it here}:

i. I now have floor to ceiling adjustable wall shelving {thanks to my dear husband} for storing my extra can items, boxed items and room for my 5 gallon buckets underneath {these are the ones with air-tight gamma lids on them}

ii. I have used the old storage shelf for putting wheat buckets, canning supplies and seasonal kitchen supplies on.

iii. I have a couple wire rack shelves for storing bulk paper products, storage containers and baskets {for our ongoing organizing & re-organizing projects in our home}, hospitality items {i.e. drink containers, trays and divided platters, chargers, etc.} and bulk drinks {water bottles, flavored juices, etc.}

3. Perishables ~ Items I will stock up on such as milk, eggs, cheese, in-season fruits and veggies are kept in our kitchen refrigerator with extras kept in our garage refrigerator. This method allows me to take advantage of sales, thus saving money in the long run.

For our large family, doing items 1-6 above are beneficial for our pocket books as well as our health. Side benefits from having a food pantry include having food during slow economic times {aren’t we there now?}, for preparedness in response to natural disasters {hurricanes, flooding, power outages, etc.} when trips to the store may not be possible and even ministering to others who may be in need.

I draw from the Scriptures in providing for our family without becoming out-of-balance or extreme. Our faith and trust is in the Lord to provide therefore, our trust and hope is NOT in our food pantry or earthly possessions. Here are a few to verses to encourage you as well:

A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame. Proverbs 10:4-5 {not to be one who would seek riches of this earth, but on the contrary, one who is willing to work so their future is secure}
She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:14-16, 18, 20-21, 25, 27 {to be a woman who is resourceful, is profitable in her undertakings, is giving, is aware of the needs of her own family and insures those needs are met, is a preparer and secure in the days ahead and works diligently for her family}
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 {the balance…not to be so consumed with a food storage pantry and its contents…or anything else for that matter, that it becomes the hope and source of faith and trust ~ not to replace the Lord who is over all}

Basically, my hope is to be the best “keeper of my home” as possible, drawing from the Lord’s word for how to do that, gleaning from others so that we can be good stewards of what He provides and trusting in Him to provide for all our needs as He sees fit to do.

May you seek His direction for ways to maximize what space He has given you and His wisdom to prepare as He leads you.

Blessings ~

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Visit Kimberly, Connie, the Headmistress of the Common Room, & Kim C

2011-11-07T13:50:00.000-05:00

In my life this past week…

Care giving was a primary focus. Mom had a difficult week so added time with her was adjusted into our days {and nights}. A yielding heart to God’s direction and flexibility from each person in the family is both important components to handling curve-balls thrown into normal routines. For me, a knowledge and keen awareness of how life is truly just a vapor, does help accept changes to our schedule. In the BIG picture of life, we are not guaranteed another day, let alone another moment. With mom being sick these past couple of years and seeing first hand the mercy of God in that does make prioritizing what truly is most meaningful to be first, even when it is not convenient. To live in peace in the sovereignty of God in all areas of our lives…to make the most of each moment…to create memories and deep relationships with those He has put into our lives…to hope that I would be yielding to be used by Him for His glory in whatever capacity He calls me to…to be ready in season and out of season to share the Word which is the hope within me. These are the truths that I try to meditate on and allow to encourage me to do what is right.

What’s coming up this week…

the usual Orchestra practices, football practices and game, a much anticipated home school park day to take advantage of the glorious Florida autumn weather and an appointment with my mid-wife {looking forward to seeing how much Carolyne has grown}.

In our home school this week…

Carolyne continues to be a good nurser, is sleeping a bit better during the days and is greatly loved by all her siblings…not lacking love and attention. Liz and K continue to keeping us on our toes, provide MANY opportunities for training and give me encouragement on how great they are GOING to be as they get older…after their energy is refined. ;-)

Enjoying a good nap this past week...

Graham’s excitement for learning is rewarding and makes learning easy…new letters, continuing to learn blend sounds and sounds out WORDS! He is doing well with math and quotes his addition families during meals often. ;-)

Alyssa continues to work on multiplication and division in ABeka 3 Arithmetic, is enjoying reading The Secret of the Maple Tree {and a myriad of other books…my bookworm} and has asked several times for our sewing time to make skirts…maybe during our Thanksgiving break.

Logan worked on science this morning making the earth out of Rice Crispie treats…Apologia Astronomy. It worked well for the most part ~ until covering the treat balls with melted chocolate…VERY messy and made them start to come apart…fun though and a reminder that learning is messy, but sometimes the mess makes it memorable. ;-)

Before the Crispie spheres were covered in chocolate...that was the messy part that was stopped after covering about six of them. Oh well, the mess was part of the fun and makes learning the layers of the earth memorable. ;-)

As I type this post, Austin is in his private cello lesson then will be off to orchestra after that. He continues showing diligence in his studies in spite of helping with home projects, pitching in with younger siblings when needed and taking on several paying jobs this past week. I am pleased with how the Lord is using it all to further develop good character in him which will make him a better husband and father one day.

Zach took a small reprieve from work and studies this weekend to enjoy a weekend event our family enjoys twice a year. Good fellowship time, good music and just time away from his normal routine will hopefully give a boost to upcoming papers and finals.

Things I’m working on…

food storage areas. Mark has added adjustable wall shelving in our garage to maximize the space I have for my food pantry. The heavy duty shelf unit we had been using had a lot of wasted space and things just didn’t fit properly. With the new shelving I have increased my storage space and was able to adjust each shelf to the height needed to the food items I keep on it. I have been working on stocking my pantry for rainy days, taking advantage of sales {especially buy one get one offers} to stretch the ever decreasing value of our dollars. In this economy you never know what the next day will be like, so having extra on hand just makes good economic sense…we always need to eat. ;-)

I’m cooking…

This week’s menu:

Sunday: Out-to-eat BBQ after a full day of activities

Monday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, yellow rice, mixed veggies and biscuits
Old-fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies {yummy!}

Ready to be put in the oven...

Tuesday: Cheesy sausage and rice casserole {I also add about 5 sliced yellow squash to our casserole and more rice}, croissants

Wednesday: Shrimp Alfredo over bow ties, Texas toast and buttered peas

Thursday: Slow cooked BBQ chicken, pressure cooked potatoes, green beans w/bacon & onions

Friday: Meatball alphabet veggie soup, rolls

We enjoy this soup on cold days...it's expected to be highs of 67 on Friday, so a perfect compliment to the day. ;-)

Saturday: Leftovers

I’m grateful for…

#22 ~ messy learning

#23 ~ lives intertwined daily…homeschooling is an instrumental part of keeping our lives connected

#24 ~ laundry to wash…the day will arrive when the work load is minimal and I will miss having the dirty laundry drawers filled

#25 ~ Fall Jamboree traditions…a weekend full of folk and gospel music, good friends, barn dancing, special treats

#26 ~ a boy who beams with delight as his feet dance the Broom Dance, Virginia Reel & Gypsy Dance to name a few

A more confident boy he selects 4 girls to dance with on the Broom Dance...too funny.

#27 ~ a picnic lunch in spite of mosquitoes and looming rain

#28 ~ thorns…a reminder of how such a small thorn causes such discomfort…a picture of how little sins cause big pain…great life lessons.

#29 ~ hard work…good character being sown through doing the hard things

#30 ~ pumpkin cookies and a cold glass of milk

I’m praying for…

the Light to shine in this dark world…that we would not miss our opportunities to speak truth into the lives of all He brings into our paths and that our lives would reflect His love, mercy and grace…the world all around us needs Him so.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Visit Joy here for a list of great Thanksgiving resources to enhance this upcoming holiday...she has a lovely blog and her post is an encouragement to have a heart of gratitude.

Blessings ~

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Pumpkin, Projects, "Pretties" and Praise

2011-11-03T16:27:00.001-04:00

This past week was a time for all of the above.

Kailynn and I made pumpkin muffins. I used all freshly milled soft whole wheat flour instead of a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat as the recipe stated. I love the autumn season and the pumpkin recipes that accompany it!

Alyssa and I also made this delicious pumpkin bread recipe we found on Raising Homemakers. It was simple to make and lives up to its name...Delicious Pumpkin Bread! This is definately more of a dessert than bread...delish! {And here's a frugal tip for you...when you use your butter sticks, take the wrapper and put in the freezer. When you need to grease a pan, take the frozen wrapper and rub on your pan to grease...and then through away. This method utilizes that last bit of butter ~ no waste and pennies saved. ;-) }

Another family favorite pumpkin treat are these pumpkin sandwiches.

Pumpkin has such wonderful nutritional benefits. {nutritional facts found here}

Of course, these recipes are not as healthy due to the sugar and butter, but oh do they taste good.

;-)

These treats have made completing projects less laborious. ;-) Austin has been busy getting things ready for fall fun.

A close up of one of the boxes...some re-purposed {or being frugal...however you want to look at it} wood from our old deck still being used for new projects. Sand for the pit area and black mulch for the "platform" area.

Here's a distant shot with a glimpse of some improved landscaping down at the rear of our property...two planters: one with crotons, aloe and some flower plants the other in the top right contain iris plants.

The horseshoe pits are completed and the garden is planted for winter, which we hope will provide a nice crop of lettuce, cabbage and two kinds of potatoes. The potatoes we are experimenting with…how hard can it be to grow potatoes? Last year our lettuce turned out well and the cabbage…it’s a locally grown crop, so the climate is right for it. We are using starter plants for both greens. Time will tell what this winter crop will be...

Cabbage starter plants before he put them in the garden boxes.

The girls and I enjoyed some “girl time” this past week…with toenail painting on a rainy morning. It’s been a long time since I have painted toenails for the girls and they were delighted! They were happy to pick their colors and little special stickers. It was a perfect opportunity to talk about how Jesus served his disciples by washing their feet and how we should seek to serve one another as Christ gave us this example to follow.

This month is a wonderful month to lift up praise to Him from whom all blessings flow. As we read our Thanksgiving books this month, fill out “Thanksgiving” leaves for our “Tree of Thanks” and seek to serve one another {and others}, we cultivate a heart of praise. Those moments each day when we take time to “Be still and know He is God”, provide opportunity to give Him praise for all He is and does. Throughout the day, when we listen to our worship music, we can lift our voices in songs of praise. I love hearing the children singing Amazing Grace, Come Thou Fount and Be Thou My Vision as much as hearing them sing the children songs A Little Missionary, This Little Light of Mine, and Jesus Loves Me. To cultivate a heart of thanksgiving at an early age…

In celebration of Thanksgiving this month, I am planning to do a GIVEAWAY that week. I hope you will be blessed and join in ~ check back for details SOON. Until then, have a blessed weekend and let your heart be filled with praise!

Blessings ~

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The Simple Woman's Daybook

2011-11-02T10:53:00.000-04:00

FOR TODAY...Tuesday, November 2, 2011

Outside my window...beautiful Florida autumn weather with temperatures in the 70’s, cool breezes throughout the day {great for hanging out laundry} and a warm sun that feels so good on the face.

Our tall Sycamore trees blowing in today's morning breeze...the sun's rays breaking through the branches making the leaves glisten a Florida autumn color ~ much green still remaining.
;-)

I am thinking...I hope today Carolyne has a better day…which means we will all have a better day; praying she doesn’t have tummy bubbles today and will actually take a couple of good naps ~ much gets done during naptimes around here. AND it's been far too long since I posted my daybook, too.

So far, so good...a peaceful morning due to a sleeping Carolyne Joy.

I am thankful for...physical health, the refreshing change in weather making outside work and play enjoyable, each day the Lord has given…how precious and short this life is {may I not take it for granted, but use the moments I am given well…}.

Mark & Austin take advantage of the great autumn weather and work on making horseshoe pits in the back area of the property...this will be great outdoor fun!

I am praying for…my mom, my uncle & his family at the loss of their son, a friend’s mother who will be having surgery on Thursday, and for intentional living.

From the learning rooms...beginning to read {5 yr old}, practicing division problems {8 yr old}, dividing fractions {11 yr old}, practicing several classical pieces on the cello {15 yr old} and two of our children practicing a song to be sang in a couple of weeks at church…life skills are daily being learned in baking, constructing horse shoe pit and log rack for fire wood.

Loving Apoligia LIVE classes this year for Biology...it's going GREAT!

Working on ABeka arithmetic this morning...division is our new focus and review of the other signs...of course, ABeka makes math challenging. ;-)

Handwriting and Henty...the perfect match. This morning Logan's listening to Winning His Spurs, a classic about the crusades during King Richard the Lion Heart's era. He's battling his own war, so to speak, with a head ache this morning.

An ABeka activity today was to drawn your breakfast on a paper plate...K drew an egg on hers and Graham drew an egg, bacon and a blueberry muffin on his...today's breakfast. ;-)

Logan made a whole wheat chocolate chip cookie recipe completely on his own this weekend and served them to the outdoor crew {Mark, Austin and the rest of us}. They turned out delicious...job well done!

Austin used leftover wood from our backyard remodel summer project to construct this fire wood rack. This will be great for this autumn/winter evening fires with s'more making!

From the kitchen...meatloaf tonight with fresh steamed green beans and pressure cooked potatoes.

I am wearing...a long, black cotton skirt with a cornflower blue scoop neck t-shirt, bare feet and hair pulled back in a long pony-tail…simple, comfortable outer attire covering a peaceful spirit

I am creating...more like what I’d like to be creating and hope to work on this week ~ updating Carolyne’s scrapbook, making circle skirts for the 3 girls {this is a BIG ambition…not sure time will permit}, and a new “Thanksgiving Tree” to use this month.

I am going...to see if we can do a fire this week with s’more making ~ the children are looking forward to this activity…we do this time of year…the boys will be more than willing to cut some fire wood and my husband is always ready to sit around the fire {s’mores are just icing on the cake}…maybe we’ll do our devotion time around the fire and hymn singing, too. The more I sit here thinking about it, the more it’s moving up on the “let’s-do list” this week!

I continue reading...and meditating on Scripture ~ last night the Gospel of John.

I am hearing...the sound of the washing machine, ABeka phonics video lesson and the sound of the breeze blowing through the leaves as the windows are open this morning

Around the house...continued projects for making the most of the space our Lord has given us to serve our family and extend hospitality to family & friends; daily lessons; baking {cookie recipes being tested weekly with the children} and cleaning/organizing {a continual process in our cozy home of 10}.

One of my favorite things…the rich colors of autumn {artificially created in our home, since Florida’s autumn is a far cry from the mountains north of us!}, cool nights, a fire in the fire pit and a cup of “warm” cocoa ~ okay, so that’s more than ONE, but they all tie together so nicely.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

She loves braided pig-tails...or as she would say, "Mom, tie my hair in two ponies." ;-)

Blessings this week ~

Thanks Peggy for hosting this Simple Woman's Daybook.

Training Young Children as They Attend Church Service

2011-10-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

How can children learn to worship? To pray? To listen to the teaching? To follow along in their Bible? By observation…observing their parents. As for our family, we believe it is best to teach our children by having them with us. (Deuteronomy 11:19, Proverbs 22:6) I do not claim to be an authority on this subject, as there are far more qualified parents out there. I only desire to share what has been an ongoing process in our own family in hopes to encourage you and maybe provide an idea or two for those who are desiring to worship as a family in church, as we have gleaned from others over the years.

For us, it is important that we keep what our children do during service centered on the reason we are there…to worship Christ. We desire that our children attend church with us so they can learn from our example, hearing the same message we hear, praying and worshipping as a family. Our times of worship {at church and at home} are special times…times when we seek to share our love for the Lord with our children through our words and actions. Children are like sponges…they absorb what is around them. Although, they may be young, you might be surprised by what they can learn sitting in church listening to the sermon. They are listening. They are learning by our example. If we are earnest and joy-filled, they can see that. If not, well, they can see that too. We desire for our children to love the Lord and what a privilege to have them with us to share in that time of worshipping Him.

We do provide activities for our younger children to do during worship time. These activities are to encourage them and are ones we believe will help to grow them (even as young children) in learning about the Lord and Truth. They are Bible and Christ focused as you will read about some of the things we do below.

Here are some of the ways we are training our children to attend service with us:

First, teaching them at home to sit during prayer times and family worship makes Sunday church not a once a week endeavor.
Before service begins, I remind them what is expected… "remember to close your eyes and pray when it’s prayer time” or “when worship begins, remember to stand and sing along if you know the song” (try to practice the songs during the week at home so they will become familiar with the songs your church sings) or “remember when the pastor is at the pulpit, we are to sit still and listen – listen to God’s word”. Young children need reminders and it has been a good practice in our family to do so, BEFORE the service begins. Learning some basic sign language for words like “focus”, “sit”, “yes”, “no”, “read” have been valuable tools in our family to keep speaking to a minimum during teaching time. Another idea…make a run to the restroom BEFORE service, so that will be one less possible interruption during the teaching time. These reminders are ones we believe help teach the children that our time is to be focused on Christ and if they fidget, are turning Bible pages loudly, etc. it may distract those around them from focusing on Him.
During worship, we encourage them to sing, clap, stand when appropriate to stand, pray when prayer is done, etc. This is not done as a "ritual" but more to show our reverence to the Lord and courtesy to those worshipping around us.
For non-readers, we bring a small tablet and crayons (crayons are quiet) to allow them to color a picture about the sermon
For non-readers, a picture Bible they can quietly look through during sermon
Using the picture Bible, you can ask them to look for all the pictures of… (if possible, keeping it relevant to the day’s message)
For non-readers and beginning writers, bring a small tablet of lined paper. I have written words relating to the day’s message for them to copy. I quietly read each word to them before sermon begins and they copy the words.
Beginning readers and writers can draw a picture about the message. They can also be trained to listen to the message, by having them listen for certain words and keep track of how many times the pastor says that word. This helps them develop good listening skills.

Notebooks my children used the beginning of last year. As you can see, for my beginning writer I wrote some sermon related words down for her to copy. In the other notebooks, our son wrote the Scripture passage, made notes and drew a picture about the sermon.

This was the passage the pastor read during worship today that our 8 year old copied.

For more advanced beginning readers and writers, they can follow along as the pastor reads from the Bible. They can copy the passage he preaches from in their ‘special’ church notebook (small). They write down key words they hear during his message (i.e. who the message was written by, what the passage was addressing, etc.)

The above items can be kept in a ‘special church purse’ if a girl or small ‘special church bag’ if a boy. This will allow all items to be readily accessible each worship day. {more on this in a moment}

After the service, take interest in what they have written or drawn. Ask questions about the sermon to see what they remembered, such as what book (book, chapter, and verse for older children) the pastor taught from. Challenge them to give a summary in their own words about the teaching.

For very young children, give non-verbal praise throughout the service for observed obedience and good developing habits (a smile, pat on the hand for affirmation of good church habits, verbal when appropriate…). For older children, praise at the conclusion… "encourage one another”…With consistency and God’s grace, we have been encouraged each week as our family worships together. As we learn together under the teaching of God’s word, it has been a blessing to see our children growing and developing good church habits from an early age.

Last week was the first week Carolyne, Liz and I attended church since before she was born. My husband and I desire to keep our newborns home for 4-6 weeks after birth, in their own environment sheltered from too much exposure to germs and such. We have done this with all our children since our second child was born 15 years ago.

Well, with all outings and new babies, there is a transition period and last Sunday provided us some insight on how church would be with this newborn. Until Carolyne’s birth, my husband would hold our 2 year old and she would usually nap during sermon {after worship}. I would then have my 4 and 5 year olds sit on either side of me, with the older children following. Having the younger two next me allowed me to direct them as needed {little reminders…once again, simple sign language is useful in this area}.

With last Sunday being our first Sunday back to church as a family of now 10, our 2 year old stayed awake the entire service and the 4 year old wanted to talk/play with her…not a good thing, hence the separation. ;-) The last 15 minutes of service, it became necessary to take the 4 year old out with Carolyne and me. Although her voice was quiet, she became too fidgety {taking her shoes off, rustling her papers, etc.} and it concerned me she was distracting to those around us…not to mention possibly waking up Carolyne. The 5 year old did fairly well, with the exception that he had to share crayons with his older sister as his were left home…we were better prepared this week.

Today some minor changes took place. My husband still held our 2 year old, I held Carolyne {in the Maya Wrap} with our 4 year old next to me, then our 8 year old with the 5 year old in between his older brothers. My husband took the 2 year old out during worship {he just forgot to last week}, before greeting time to get her to sleep {that morning nap is still important in her schedule at this age} then came back in before service began. This Sunday went much smoother. The children were happy to have "new" church totes with "new" supplies and our 4 year old fell asleep 20 minutes before service ended...right before I stepped out with Carolyne, as she started to wake up in the Maya wrap.

The "new" totes I purchased are plastic handled boxes for the 4, 5 and 8 year olds. Inside I placed "new church” drawing pads, crayons {they are quieter}, markers for the 8 year old and a lined notebook for her as well. I will be making reduced sized photo copies of Bible coloring sheets for the 4 & 5 year olds as they relate to the messages for them to keep in their boxes to color during service when possible. These boxes are large enough to keep their Bibles in as well. This did provide incentive to do better this week in church.

Inside our 8 year old's church tote...her Bible, a doodle pad for drawing sermon related pictures, a lined notebook for writing Scripture and notes, crayons, mini sized markers, pencil and a Bible word find.

The Lord provided affirmation today that even when they may not appear to be listening...they are listening. Our pastor had asked a question regarding who was in control of everything. This was not meant to be verbally responded to, but Graham {our 5 year old} piped up quickly and loud enough to be heard in the front that "God is!". I do not say this to boast, but only to show that small children do hear and can learn while attending church service. He continued drawing the picture the whole time the sermon was being preached as he understood and illustrated it as a child would.

Several years ago we read an article by John Piper on how he and his wife Noel approached children in church with their own family. It was an encouragement to us and one I believe will encourage you, as well as provide some practical suggestions on how to involve your children in church. The article is titled The Family: Together in God’s Presence. I am sure there are many moms out there who can name other ways they have found that work for their families…if you are one of them, please leave a comment about what you do in your family. If you are a mom looking for ideas, feel free to leave a question and maybe one of my readers can provide a suggestion or two.

Because of Him,

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Mondays...

2011-10-24T17:14:00.000-04:00

Mondays…the first day of the work week…back to school…back to routines, schedules and unfinished projects. Thankful for…

#11 family gatherings… memory making…fleshing out God’s word of love and hospitality

#12 each week begins on the Sabbath ~ basking in prayer, worship and praise

#13 affirmation from a boy listening to sermon and soaking in truth

#14 loving sisters

#15 noise, fingerprints and dirty feet ~ a sign of life brimming full in our home

#16 a pedicure for tired feet ~ the loving birthday present from my eldest redeemed when most needed

#17 pumpkin, ‘tis the season for it

#18 fresh flowers, beauty displayed

#19 home maintenance getting done and a husband who was home today to do some

#20 Spanish lessons on the computer

#21 laundry drying on the clothes line

#11-21

That all would be done as unto the Lord…

Thanksgiving to Him above ~

Linked to Ann

The Home School Mother's Journal

2011-10-15T23:54:00.001-04:00

In my life this past week…

each day was filled to the brim with living. We enjoyed the company of friends on several occasions this past week we haven’t seen in a while as well as visits with out-of-town family at the end of the week. We were excited to share our little Carolyne with them all. My mid-wife also came for a visit at the beginning of the week to redo Carolyne’s PKU, weigh her {can you believe she is still the same weight of 10 lbs 12 oz, but has grown just over an inch in 3+ weeks…the time of her visit?!} and it was so nice to just sit and talk for a while. {It’s kind of sad not to have our weekly visits anymore…one of the things I miss about being pregnant.} We ran into another friend twice this week when we were out doing errands which allowed for some catch-up time…so sweet seeing her! Mid-week I met a friend at the bookstore in the evening, enjoyed a cup of hot ginger-peach tea {decaf…praise the Lord!} and closed the place down with good conversation and encouraging words for one another.

Great visit...growing healthy and strong.

Orchestra went well for Austin and we’ll begin private lessons to help refine his skills at the end of this month…Lord willing. We had lots of football this past week when games were cancelled last weekend. Today was a double header to make-up for the first game and it was a nail-bitter! There was even some one-on-two time for my mom with a couple of the children this week…they enjoyed lunch together, listened to her stories and colored pictures together. She has expressed a desire to spend some individual time with each of the children doing a special activity {making potholders with Alyssa, playing games or coloring with the younger children, etc.}…she desires for them to remember those times with her and is thankful for the extra time the Lord has given her to be able to do it.

Today proved to be a great double-header day...quarterbacking most of the time he played offense, pulling LOTS of flags when playing defense! Great games Logan! Nail-biter 1st game ~ so close to winning with a 12-13 score and an amazing 2nd game 30-0!

What’s coming up this week…

the usual Orchestra practices, football practices and game, a home school mini-conference with sessions for dads, moms & children. Some of the sessions include practical time-management {a favorite of mine}, successful family devotions, dwelling together in unity, young men/women keeping their future on track…etc. We’ll also spend more time with our out-of-town family with dinner at our home one evening.

In our home school this past week…

Graham continues learning new letters, their sounds and blends with basic words being taught…the beginning of learning to read…how exciting! Alyssa spent quite a bit of time working through science with our mother’s helper. LLATL is still going well for Logan, as are the rest of our subjects…Apologia’s Astronomy probably being his favorite one right now. Austin continues to trudge along with a heavy school load {the older they get the more the load}…doing well with SOS American Lit. & Spanish 1, Saxon Algebra 2 and we love his Apologia LIVE classes each week {especially me, as it helps with one less subject to grade}!

Our tadpoles became tiny frogs this week which added some excitement to the home. Lots of cooking and baking together this week: meals and two new cookie recipes. The girls and I purchased some fabric for skirt making…Lord willing; we’ll be able to start some sewing soon.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Nut Acorns...fun and simple cookie recipe perfect for autumn!

My favorite thing this week was…

Time spent in the kitchen with the children. I love teaching them to cook/bake and know what a blessing it will be as they get older, one day having their own kitchens. The memories made together are a joy. As they grow older and develop their skills more, they will not only be a future blessing to helping our family but one day will bless their spouses and children.

Things I’m working on…

More to-do lists have been made for each of us to provide vision and direction for what I desire to have done in the days ahead. The older boys have been working on the area behind the fence getting the horseshoe pits made, a fire pit area ready and simple planters so the space is more usable in the upcoming days. Our garden boxes are being cleaned out, relocating one of them and getting that area improved for future use…not sure what or when we will plant again. Some room rearranging took place with Graham’s toddler bed being taken down and him moving up to the twin bed…bunks separated. I worked on deep cleaning our bathroom cabinets, labeling each bin and assigning everything a place. The workings of managing a home is on going with things always needing to be maintained, adjusted, and revised to keep things running smoothly for our large family.

Love my P-Touch label maker! I use it for keeping order in every room

I’m cooking…

Last week we made two different cookie recipes. Click here to read about our time together in the kitchen, see some pictures and get two great cookie recipes.

This week’s menu:

Sunday: Simple Sunday…sloppy Joe’s, chips, corn and a dessert {possibly}

Monday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus

Tuesday: Beef tips n’ gravy over egg noodles, steamed broccoli, whole wheat dinner rolls

Wednesday: Chicken broccoli water chestnut casserole, biscuits

Thursday: Baked ziti with chicken sausage, Texas toast {Also making a triple batch of basic muffins for Friday morning’s breakfast…whole wheat apple cinnamon, mini-chocolate chip cranberry and maybe a pumpkin one, too}

Millet muffins pictured on the left and mini-chocolate chip cranberry muffins pictured on the right

Friday: Should be tortillas, but I will probably change it maybe cheeseburger soup

Homemade whole tortillas...homemade salsa...makes for a family Tortilla Night!

Saturday: Smoked ham, homemade cheesy macaroni, green beans and whole wheat dinner rolls {our family dinner hosted at our home for our out-of-town family}…dessert…maybe another new cookie recipe {love my Taste of Home 2010 “Best Loved Cookies & Bars” magazine!}

Deliciously cheesy once the cheese melts and plenty to go around!

I’m grateful for…

Opportunities to share our love for the Lord with others through hospitality, ministering in simple ways to the people He puts in our lives and daily through caring for my own family.

I’m praying for…

Our family, friends and neighbors daily…His continued provisions and wisdom in handling them, for the challenges of many of the young moms I have heard about and how the Lord would use me in that regard, for my own walk and witness…that He would continue to refine me {though it hurts} to make me more like the godly woman I desire to be.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

One month already...

Blessings ~

This week's post is linked up with:

Friday Favorite Finds

Menu Plan Monday

Feasting in Fellowship Fridays

The Home School Mother's Journal

Baking Cookies with Children

2011-10-14T11:08:00.001-04:00

In the kitchen this past week I enjoyed several occasions of cooking/baking with the children. Aside from their helping with meal preparations {be it breakfast, lunch or dinner}, I thought we needed more baking time together. I have this magazine I love with lots of great and simple cookie recipes, so I pulled it out and started thumbing through it. I found two recipes to make with the children…lovely weather for baking and holidays are just around the corner, so what better time to start?!

Brother and sister working together...

The first cookie recipe was for Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies. We added a little twist to the recipe to include butterscotch chips and mini-chocolate chips. This was a simple recipe and one which yielded over 4 dozen cookies…plenty to share with others! {I have been trying to encourage my children to be thoughtful of doing ‘simple acts of kindness’ and sharing cookies was one way they decided to do that.}

Fresh rolled oats, mini-chocolate chips and butterscotch chips...a lovely combination!

These were a chewy sweet cookie and the added butterscotch/mini-chocolate chip morsels only made them better. I choose to use ¾ c of butterscotch morsels and ½ c of mini semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels, adding them to the end of the recipe.

1" rounded scoop of cookie dough placed on a seasoned baking stone...ready to bake

After baking, these chewy somewhat healthy {minus the butter, sugar and baking chips...wink} were set to cool before bagging to give some away. Yum!

Of course, baking with little ones is not always easy. How do we do it with four children that happen to be five years or younger? Well, naptime is a GREAT time to bake with the older children...that is if all the little ones cooperate. One this occasion, Carolyne decided to forgo the afternoon napping. Between Austin, Logan, Alyssa and I we rotated holding, loving and rocking her.

Content to be in sister's arms...Alyssa relaxing after a session of rocking. Our Miss Carolyne had a difficult afternoon with belly bubbles which did affect her napping and was one reason for having a cookie baking session. ;-)

The second cookie recipe we made was with the young lady who is coming over once a week to help with little ones. It was a simple, fun autumn themed cookie recipe…Chocolate Nut Acorns. These cookies look like little acorns and fit right in with our beloved season of autumn...trying to bring fall to Florida! Our mother’s helper assisted Graham and Alyssa with following the recipe as they each took turns adding the ingredients. She was gracious enough to photograph them during this baking lesson so we could add photos to this post…thank you Shannon.

Using the Pampered Chef food chopper makes chopping the almonds a breeze...and keeps little fingers safe {with supervision, of course}.

Shaping the cookies was very forgiving...the children made 1" balls with the cookie scooper, then rolled them slightly to make them oblong. A little flattening when placed on the baking stone and in the oven to bake. Each one different...just like an acorn.

Logan and I did the dipping. A tip: we placed two cookies bottom to bottom and dipped one end into the melted chocolate. See next picture for why...

Then the dipped cookie was dipped into the chopped nuts. When satisified with nut coverage, we removed the cookies and separated them. The bottoms were chocolate/nut free making it easy to place them on the wax paper lined cooling rack...once cooled, the cookies were easy to remove with little mess.

Our "sweet" little chocolate nut acorn cookies...delicious!

Logan and I finished the baking time by doing the dipping portion of the cookie. I chose to use chopped almonds for the nut {a bit healthier than other nut choices} and they almost made the cookies have a shortbread flavor. Delicious and fun to make! A few of these were sent to another family to bring some cheer to their week and let them know we were thinking about them.

Baking season is really right around the corner, so this weekend Austin and I stocked up on our baking supplies…to try to avoid the crowds when that time kicks into full swing. My food budget was doubled this week, but I should be all set for lots of baking days these next couple of months. I hope to select a few more cookie recipes to try with the children and then narrow down to a handful of favorites for gift giving this year. If at all possible and Lord willing, maybe we can bake and freeze to keep the holidays less stressful…we’ll see how life with a newborn and littles dictate our baking times. Do you have any kid-friendly, fun, delicious, SIMPLE cookie recipes you like? Feel free to leave a comment and share! I’d love to visit and glean from your suggestions…If you would like to read more of our upcoming kitchen baking times and see how some of our other recipes come out, become one of "Those Encouraged" on the right sidebar or subscribe to receive posts via email at the bottom of the blog. Look for an upcoming giveaway...autumn is an inspiring time to share thanks...

Until next time...

Blessings and Happy Baking ~

Gladly linking up with Raising Homemakers this week.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-09-30T11:29:00.000-04:00

For more journals or to participate click here.

What's new this week? Well, adding a newborn to the mix of our home keeps life interesting, constantly looking to maximize the minutes and learning to function on less {sleep that is ;-)}.

In my life this week…just trying to stay on top of things:

daily lessons for 5 of the children {high-school down to pre-school},
grading {catching up...seems to be an area of constant need},
keeping up with 4 children that are 5 and under, and
an ACCOMPLISHMENT: I finished our newest one's baby scrapbook {praise the Lord, she is only 2 weeks old today! ;-)}

It was fun to spend a few days working on Carolyne's baby scrapbook...it's been a while since I have scrapbooked for our family!

In our homeschool this week…autumn art through ABeka {I love autumn}, multiplying & dividing fractions...Saxon {a challenge for our 3rd son}, essay writing {"Well done" for our 2nd oldest}, rain provided tadpole catching {the fun and spontaneous part of learning at home} and extra-curricular activities {orchestra and flag football practices}

The impromptu learning opportunity growing and swimming after the children collected them from the rain filled swale earlier this week...

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...a little with consistency is better than a lot with sparsity.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

weekly orchestra practice x 2,
weekly football practice x 3 {this week},
church {at least some of us...I usually keep my babies home until around 4-6 weeks old to reduce exposure to GERMS that aren't ours ;-)}, AND
a new adventure for us...a mother's helper will start this week on Thursday {a dear young lady we know who will be a blessing to have helping once per week with the active 2 & 4 year olds, assisting the elementary level children with staying on schedule/their assignments, helping me with grading everyone's work and the supervision of afternoon playtime...my primary goals for her each time she's here}...FYI ~ it went VERY well AND to add to the blessing, Carolyne even slept for 2 1/2 hours yesterday morning!

My favorite thing this week was…taking time to watch and learn each of my children {just to stop and see how God has created each one uniquely...their different personalities, gifts/talents and interests}.

What’s working/not working for us…right now, Carolyne is NOT following my intended & hopeful schedule...she LOVES attachment parenting which really is NOT conducive for following the "nap schedule"...oh, to work on this. ;-) What is working for us...having a schedule ~ it helps to keep everyone else on track {for the most part} with chores & school.

Whistling to a girl who should have been napping...

Questions/thoughts I have…thoughts...I really need to make the most of teachable moments AND training opportunities. Otherwise, instead of my children being a joy and blessing to be with all day, everyday it becomes difficult and unenjoyable. ALSO of equal importance is to make sure I AM being an example of all the character traits I aspire them to possess...that is the more challenging portion, isn't it?

Things I’m working on…

putting all my maternity clothes away {done and sorted through to reduce/share with another expectant mom...too much accumulates over 8 babies ~ not to mention I'm not as tiny as I used to be ;-)} and putting back all my "normal" clothes {done},
organizing my food/paper goods shelving areas {currently working on} and
decorating for autumn {need to pull down all our decorations and get the kids involved with this over the weekend}.

I’m reading…Carry on Mr. Bowditch {for LLATL - tan book} and Sweet Journey {a gift from a friend}

I’m cooking…Italian Pie ~ a hearty meat casserole with a healthy addition of spinach ~ a recipe made for us earlier this year by a friend and now has become a recipe added to our collection of good meals!

I’m grateful for…taking time to just be still {not a natural inclination of mine, but one that does promote health and times of reflection}
I’m praying for…a couple young ladies who are newly expecting, a new season of flag football {wisdom for coaches, safety for players, opportunities to grow in godliness for our son}, upcoming union of two young people we know {read their story here}, and for the Lord to work through the lives and circumstances in our family as well as our friends' families...so many things to be prayerful for.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

A horse riding opportunity recently for three of the children as Mark went to look at a job...the owner graciously invited them to ride while they were there...happy children!

So, that was our week ~ out with the month of September and in with October ~ can you believe it?! The older I get, the faster time seems to slip by...

Blessings ~

Carolyne Joy's Birth Story...short version

2011-09-20T16:32:00.001-04:00

Short Version of Carolyne Joy's Birth Story

{a lot of details are left out of this version but thought some people may only want limited details so here goes...read the LONG version here}:

3 weeks prior to delivery ~ onset of inconsistent contractions {which continued over the 3 week period}

End of week one ~ loss plug, some effacement, 2cm dilated {excitement that things were starting…anticipation of an upcoming birth}

Week 2 ~ {due date} more effacement, 3-4 cm dilated {anticipation that birth was imminent…surely with this much progression things would happen soon…disappointment as our due date came and went with other women who had been due around the same time as me delivering already}

Week 3 ~ no change…no more dilation, no baby {discouragement, frustration and doubt this girl would ever come…}

Week 3…Friday ~ another sonogram to make sure all was well with me and baby Carolyne Joy {to my dismay the first image of her also showed her weight of 9lbs. 11oz….oh my word!}

Conversation with John who has done our sonograms for 11 years now, as follows:

“John, 9lbs. 11oz.! I can’t deliver a baby that big!”, I said. Tears began to roll down my face {I don’t like to cry, but this couldn’t be helped.}

“She’s not 9lbs., 11oz. It’s hard to measure weight when they are term. What was your last baby? Your biggest?”, he asked.

“8-14.”, I said with tears still streaming.

“She probably 8 something and you’ve already delivered 8 pounders. You can do it, she’s your 8th.”, he answered.

“But the screen said 9-11…she looks so pudgy. Is she okay? All things are working well and should I be concerned about anything?” “So, what’s the new due date?”, I asked.

“Everything looks great. The images are just hard to be accurate due to being overdue. Due dates don’t change…she looks fine and everything is working just like it’s suppose to.”, was his reply.

I tried to be encouraged, but had my doubts as to her size…8 something, I don’t think so.

Week 3 continued ~ the weekend was full of activities, with no increase in contractions or their intensity. {discouragement mounts, surely people are now wondering how late was…will she come? Am I prohibiting her from coming somehow? She’s only going to grow and at some point she’ll have to be delivered! Could I do it?}
September 13th, 3am ~ contractions wake me up and continue manageably for the next few hours…I decide to call Karen around 6:30am

Conversation and background information as follows:

[Huh…maybe this would be the morning? I waited and watched as the time crept closer to morning without any real increase to intensity or closeness…however, around 6:30am I thought I’d call my midwife and just let her know…maybe something was happening.] She answered and told me she had just arrived to another birth. “Okay then,”…that said, I knew I would probably “shut down” labor wise until she was available…[I know what you’re thinking…how do you shut down labor? Trust me, my strong will has done it before ~ I typically start to shut down my labor when the sun comes up. The day is just too full of activity in the home and, for me, lacks peace for bringing forth a new baby. Been there and done it on a couple of occasions.] She offered to come check to see how much progression had taken place if I wanted; call her back in about an hour to let her know what I decided to do. The mind is a powerful thing and I told her “I’ll wait for you to finish…just call and let me know when you’re done.” {smile}
September 13th; noon, 4pm, 6pm ~ Karen checks in with me and gives updates on this first-time mom she is with…her baby will be here anytime. Karen calls another midwife to come check on me [This 1st time mom had a beautiful home birth but some minor complications after birth so a hospital transfer was necessary. Karen stayed with her until the transfer was complete and this new mom was settled. She is a wonderful and wise midwife…a blessing to those she ministers to.]

September 13th, 7:30pm ~ Michelle arrived shortly after her student, “Peachy”, to check on me. She calls Karen to let her know I’m about 5cm [Side note later about this call.]

September 13th, 9:30pm ~ Karen is on her way…arrives around 10:30pm; Mark calls my friend and she brings the children home at my request ~ more peace for me knowing they are getting a good’s night sleep in their own beds and Zach would not be affected with classes on Wednesday morning this way.

September 13th, 11:00pm ~ Michelle leaves, Karen and two students remain…adults try to get some rest as the rest of the children are sound asleep. Karen and I talk a bit after she gets some paperwork done. She checks me and I’m still about the same…[Side note on this coming soon.]

September 14th, midnight ~ I suggest Karen go try to rest; she reluctantly does. I stay in my room paces and praying. [See the long version for more details on this.]

September 14th, 12:05am ~ God answers my specific prayers immediately. Back-to-back, VERY intense contractions kick in. I’m alone [long version contains more details] and go to wake up Mark.

September 14th, 12:20am ~ Mark gets Karen…amazingly she checks and I am 7cm dilated! I start shaking and feel nauseous…I’m in transition! [No water birth…no time…long version contains more details of this God given testimony.]

September 14th, 12:45am ~ I give a little pressure with a contraction…water breaks.

September 14th, 1:35am ~ I am given the green light from Karen that I can push… I pushed once, WAIT…her hands are on her face. Sorry, no stopping now, she’s got to come…work it out I said. Push two…there she is, three, all of her out! Three pushes, three minutes…no tearing, no complications…with the exception of her being a little bruised due to the nature of her birth ~ but Vitamin K really helped with that later. Praise the Lord!

September 14th, 1:40am ~ Carolyne Joy’s official time of birth ~ 10lbs., 12oz. and 22” long

For the rest of the story, you will have to go the long version and read the WHOLE account, God’s perfect timing from beginning to end.

Blessings ~

To link up to this week's Homemaking Wednesdays, click here.

New Life...Carolyne Joy

2011-09-14T10:29:00.002-04:00

At long last our 'not-so-little' girl has arrived! Praise the Lord ~ He is greatly to be praised!

At 1:40am today {September 14, 2011}, our 10 pound 12 ounce girl arrived measuring 22" long. Birth story to follow after some much needed sleep and family bonding time takes place these next few days, so be sure to check back for the testimony of God's faithfulness, mercy and grace in this beautiful home birth.

For now, I'll leave you with some pictures of our "Joy"ous moment.

Moments after our QUICK and momentous delivery...this girl came forth with BOTH hands on her face...she topped Liz's one hand/head delivery!

A proud pappa...with his pudgy girl!

The astounding moment of weighing in...our biggest yet at 10 lbs., 12 oz. ~ my wonderful mid-wife Karen (l) and her senior student wid-wife Terry (r)...also attending was another 1st yr. student mid-wife "Peachy" (not pictured here).

8 hours young...Liz peaking to see if she has any hair ~ with several of her brothers and sisters looking on. ;-)

As you can see, she loves her hands at her face...our precious 'not-so-little' Carolyne.

Thank you for all your prayers ~ God is faithful!

Blessings ~

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3

{A verse of encouragement to me given by a friend yesterday...thank you, as my mind did stay fixed on Him ~ with continual thanksgiving and praise.}

Raising Homemakers.com

Waiting on the Lord...

2011-08-31T10:11:00.000-04:00

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

I have set the LORD always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:5-11

A family shot while we witnessed the passing of Hurricane Irene along the Florida coast.
Thursday, August 25, 2011

We have been in the birthing window (as I like to call it) for a couple of weeks now. I continue to grow in the belief that due dates are man’s guess…the Lord has the perfect day appointed for the birth of any little one. I am growing in this area, which for the “scheduler” I am, has been a stretch for me. To release control of timing of a blessing’s arrival to the Lord (the better place to be) is a process that has taken me several births to reach. I no longer “share” our due date but instead provide a round-about time to inquirers (even family and close friends). So much pressure is released as I have moved in this direction, so if a due date comes and goes, so be it. {FYI...Our experience is our sonography is fairly accurate and we have only had one out of our seven children born thus far pass the "due date"...so this process for me isn't that I have encountered great disappoints, but more releasing it over to the Lord, who is truly the one who has appointed the day a child will be born...I am willfully choosing to rest in that knowledge...although some days are harder than others.}

My body is preparing for her birth…a normal, slow process that accelerates as the delivery time draws near. In the meantime, it is not hard to stay busy with a houseful of children and having started our list of preparations several months ago, there is always something to work on, so the time does fly. My 6 page To-Do List of things (some big projects, some minor) I hoped to get done before she comes is drawing to an end and is about 95% complete. Having our home organized, clean and our school year underway allows for peace. Taking time to be still each day has allowed me to enjoy the blessing of pregnancy and to be in awe of the gift of life from the Lord. To know He has formed this child and prepared each of her days according to His perfect will is something I draw joy in knowing. I, as the rest of our family, all look forward to meeting her soon.

Reflecting back, there have been days of challenge…days where hormones or pregnancy discomforts or discouragement have factored in. Those days are few in comparison to the big picture though. And amazingly {I should not be amazed at the Lord's mercy and provision...but yet, I still am.}, the Lord always seems to provide mercy on those difficult days ~ whether through the kindness of a friend or my children or husband or in His Word ~ provision to renew, to regroup, to reclaim truth.

I really am in awe of what the Lord has done and continues to do in our home, family and lives. Looking back to our early days of marriage with only one child…no plans for more...to where He has brought us is such a transforming work. Our home is full BUT not overfull…there is life, living and love that fill these walls and each child brings such a sweet addition to it. Each with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Each with special interests and giftings that shape them into who the Lord desires them to be. Each providing us opportunities to grow and be sanctified as parents, to grow in love, patience, humility, and joy. Each one going through various seasons of life, as they learn to lean on the Lord during times of challenge and rejoice during times of reflection as they see His faithfulness in their lives.

As I wait for the Lord and His appointed day to meet our newest little one, I encourage you all to take a few moments and reflect on the goodness of the Lord in your own lives…the gift of the children He has given you…they grow fast.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Psalm 95:5
A reminder of His sovereignty in our lives and over His creation...

Because of Him ~

Homeschooling Plan and Curriculum Choices this Year...

2011-08-24T16:05:00.000-04:00

My method of teaching and curriculum choices have been flexible over the years due to what season of life our family may be in...the freedom of homeschooling in Florida. I enjoy and our children thrive on a thematic approach, however this has not always been doable over the years. We try to instill a "delight for learning" and provide opportunities to further enrich their interests in addition to the learning schedules...such as time to pursue learning about things like the Civil War, military branches, government, Presidents, football, lawn-care, archery, etc.

We have used some core curriculum consistently such as Saxon, ABeka and Apologia as we have found these to be thorough and give a good foundation {however, there are certain years we utilize them...not every year for every child}. For example, with ABeka, we have used the video curriculum option for K-2nd for the past 4 children as it lays a good reading/phonics foundation. I usually begin using Saxon in the 6th grade through high school {with the exception of the Senior year being Math-U-See's Stewardship curriculum...great program for covering math skills/topics needed for being a good steward before leaving home...whenever that may be :-)}. Apologia is typically used from 8th grade beyond, however this year we are using their Astronomy curriculum with our 11 year old son.

This year's plan is below and a notation has been made to the amount of time allotted for each subject, just in case it may be helpful to someone out there. :-)

Austin working on his Apologia Biology for the day. He will be taking out the microscope later to work on a science experiment.

Austin (15) ~

Bible/Worldview ~ Starting Points by David Quinine (will also incorporate Writing and Reading) {1 hour daily}

Math ~ Algebra 2 D.I.V.E. and Saxon Algebra 2 {1 hour 15 minutes daily}

Science ~ Apologia Biology (with supplemental lectures through Virtual Homeschool Group…Lord willing) {1 hour 15 minutes daily}

American Literature ~ S.O.S. (Switched on Schoolhouse) {45 minutes daily}

Spanish 1 ~ S.O.S. (Switched on Schoolhouse) {45 minutes daily}

Music ~ participation in our local youth orchestra twice per week plus daily practice (cello) {30 minutes of daily practice, plus 2 -4 hours twice per week at orchestra}

The rubber banded books are assigned reading materials for the Starting Points curriculum...grouped together by semester...I think there are 10-12 books he will do select readings from during this Biblical Worldview study.

An extra hour is allotted within our daily schedule for Austin to use to finish any assignments from the day, if he needed more time than he had allotted. Otherwise, this time slot can be used for "Jobs for Hire", home-projects or entrepreneurship, or FREE-TIME.

Other topics will be learned using a natural approach through taking field trips, participating in local learning opportunities/classes/lectures and general life skills training through hands-on projects, working and living. {Economics – managing his earnings, balancing his bank account, keeping within his budget, History – living history, reading good books, attending re-enactments/lectures, as well as the above subjects being complemented by this approach whenever possible.}

S.O.S. Elementary Spanish curriculum has gone well so far this year and Logan seems to enjoy this approach for learning another language.

Logan (11) ~

Bible/Character ~ The Narrow Way by Pearables {30 minutes daily with Mom}

Math ~ Saxon 7/6 {1 hour}

Science ~ Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Astronomy textbook and student notebooking journal {45 minutes Tuesdays-Friday}

Language Arts/Reading ~ Learning Language Arts through Literature tan book {will have a delayed start to using this curriculum…September, at which time 1 hour daily has been allotted}

Handwriting ~ A Reason for Handwriting book E {15 minutes daily}

Elementary Spanish ~ S.O.S. (Switched on Schoolhouse) {45 minutes daily}

Music ~ practicing the recorder and playing during family worship {on occasions during the year}

Other topics will be learned using a natural approach through taking field trips, participating in local learning opportunities/classes/lectures and general life skills training through hands-on projects, working and living. {History – living history, reading good books, attending re-enactments/lectures, as well as the above subjects being complemented by this approach whenever possible.}

Kitchen table learning...I usually work with Logan & Alyssa a the kitchen table for Bible & Math, then they can move to other rooms for the remainder of the school work.

Alyssa (8) ~

Bible/Character ~ The Narrow Way by Pearables {30 minutes daily with Mom}

Math ~ ABeka Arithmetic 3 {30 minutes daily}

Science ~ ABeka Exploring God's World{15 minutes daily}

Reading ~ ABeka readers grade 3 {30 minutes daily, plus 45 minutes of additional quiet reading time daily}

Handwriting ~ A Reason for Handwriting book C {15 minutes daily}

Elementary Spanish ~ S.O.S. (Switched on Schoolhouse) {45 minutes daily}

Other topics will be learned using a natural approach through taking field trips, participating in local learning opportunities/classes/lectures and general life skills training through hands-on projects, working and living. {Bright Lights Young Ladies Group – participation with other young ladies every other month using the Bright Lights’ curriculum to help develop godly character, Scripture memorization and hands-on activities, History – living history, reading good books, attending re-enactments/lectures, as well as the above subjects being complemented by this approach whenever possible.}

This little table was purchased from IKEA for the younger children to work at this year...$27 I think ~ a great deal! The sweet bumble bee chairs I picked up from Lowe's last year on clearance for $4 each (now selling for $10). The table and chairs are moved into our living room each morning and the three watch ABeka Bible video curriculum before Liz takes a morning nap, then the other two proceed with the rest of the video assignments (with my oversight & direction before/during the lessons).

Graham (5) & Kailynn (4) ~

This year I chose to use these clear plastic totes w/lids to store each child's school books and supplies. I printed a name label for the front and they can easily be stored away after school work is completed {we do not have an "official" school room...our home is our learning room}. See the next picture for a outside view of the tote and label.

Using ABeka Video curriculum for Kindergarten encompassing all the following areas: Bible, Reading Readiness, Phonics, Arithmetic/Numbers, Writing (Penmanship), Social Studies, Reading, Art and Enrichment Activities (learning songs, poems, motor skills development activities, etc.) {from about 8:30am until 12pm each day, with a snack break in the middle}

Although we have chosen to put the two children together using this curriculum, the focus is more on Graham than on Kailynn. We believe she will glean just from regular participation, but some mornings will need to nap instead of doing “school” such was the case this morning after Bible time.

Due to my season of life (which seems to be the same season of having children/nursing for the past several years), we have found the ABeka video curriculum works for us, providing consistency. They have a great Phonics program which really helps the children learn to read early and our philosophy is if a child can read they can learn anything. We desire to give them a good reading foundation, so have used ABeka video for K-2nd grades for the last 4 children {Logan, Alyssa, Graham & Kailynn}. We began using the ABeka video curriculum when Austin entered the 2nd grade to help with his reading skills…8 years ago and only that year for him. We also used ABeka English 1 & 2 video curriculum for our oldest {now in his senior year of college} during 9th & 10th grades, as a side note.

So, how have you chosen to pursue learning this year and what curriculum have you found to be a blessing to your family? There is such a vast array of materials available, learning/teaching styles and opportunities we can all glean from, so please leave a comment and share a glimpse or link to a post about what you are doing. May He bless your endeavors this year.

Blessings ~

Menu Plan Monday and One Thousand Gifts...

2011-08-23T11:07:00.000-04:00

A new week on our new schedule {prior year's here} for this school year. Thankful for the Lord's blessing and mercy thus far as we enter our second week of school. Lessons were planned for the year before our start date last week {although it the last thing I finished}, chore charts and menu rotation plans were all printed and started prior to that. Our home has been in a continually state of readiness as we spent the summer working on a backyard makeover, inside maintenance room-by-room, baby preparations and paper/book managing ~ out with the prior year and in with the new one.

Menu Plan Monday

I have chickens baking in the oven as I type, that's what's for dinner tonight. Fresh asapragus substituted for the mixed veggies and rice. I'll probably add some homemade chicken gravy to top the chicken and rice before it's all said and done. The rest of the week holds:

Tuesday ~ Salisbury Steaks, mashed potatoes w/beef gravy, buttered corn & rolls
Wednesday ~ Poppy-seed chicken over buttered bow ties, peas n' pearl onions
Thursday ~ Spaghetti n' meatballs, Texas toast, applesauce
Friday ~ Mexican chicken over rice

Click here for a pictorial recipe post

Saturday ~ Clam chowder with oyster crackers
Simple Sunday ~ Homemade chicken noodle soup with grilled cheese sandwiches

This year {as with last}, I have a weekly breakfast menu, bi-weekly lunch menu and a four week rotation menu for dinner. I took our snack menu from last year and added a morning snack time for our younger children then an afternoon snack time for all our children, both of which are weekly.

Today is a good day ~ all has gone well, with school work completed, beautiful {although hot} weather enjoyed this afternoon in the pool, meal times according to plan and even some time fit in for blogging. A good day...with much to be grateful for. Today I am also participating in Ann's Multitudes on Monday meme for posting an ongoing list of things we are grateful for...a place to cultivate a thankful heart. I hope to add to my list often...1000 shouldn't be difficult for someone who's life has been redeemed, right?

Multitudes on Mondays ~ one thousand gifts @ a holy experience

1. fresh baked cookies

2. laughter of children

3. kind words on the other end of the phone

4. gentle movements in the womb from one who will be coming soon

5. worship songs from the lips of babes

6. prayer

7. blessing of a new school year and schedule…at HOME

8. clothes drying in the sun

9. family meals gathered all together around our table

10. a husband who’s home most Mondays

Blessings ~

From Ann: "Will you join us? And happily change everything by keeping your own crazy list of One Thousand Gifts? Please, jump in, make your life about giving thanks to God! — Just add the direct URL to your specific 1000 gift list post… and if you join us, we humbly ask that you please help us find each other in our refrain of thanks by sharing the community’s graphic within your post. Give thanks to the Lord! His Love Endures Forever!"

To view this year's menus, click over each one to pull up my scanned master copy. To view other menu plans, hop over to Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at organized junkie.

How We Order our Days…Scheduling and Chores for a family of 10

2011-08-11T13:28:00.000-04:00

Look carefully then how you walk, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slave too much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Titus 2:3-5

FACT:
There are MANY books and resources out there to help with this topic. Just type in the keywords “homeschool scheduling” and over 400,000 sites come up. “Chore charts”…133,000,000! I have gleaned over the years from the wisdom of several families who have gone before us and applied what was doable for our family. Each year is a new season and adjustments have to be made.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Every family has to do what works for them…some may have children in school outside the home, some may have active extra-curricular commitments, homeschooling one or many, some may have home businesses, or maybe the husband travels a lot. Whatever your season or specific circumstances you may find having a schedule {or as I like to look at it, a “guide” for what my best day may look like} and a chore chart {where everyone contributes to managing the home they live in} may be a helpful method for keeping things running smoothly.

BACKGROUND:
Each year, I reassess where we are and what the upcoming year may hold for us. This year some of the changes in store for our family are: the blessing of another child {any time now}, additional commuting for our eldest to college classes and the obvious changes of our economic times which affect our home-based business in the construction industry.

Time management {scheduling, menu planning, chore charts, organizing} is something close to my heart and a topic I desire to minister to other families on. I am far from an “expert” on the subject; however I desire to provide encouragement, equipping and edifying to other families as they enter different seasons which may help them be better keepers of their homes. I recently hosted a Homeschool Mom’s Fellowship Night themed “It’s About Time”. It was a desire to come together with other homeschooling moms to encourage, equip and edify as well as glean from others.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE TODAY:
At the Mom’s Night Fellowship, on the topic of chore charts {the first thing I revised for this coming year}, I covered how we do things. I distributed an “Age Appropriate Chores” list compiled utilizing a couple sources {no need to re-create the wheel} and my additions/notes. I shared past chore charts I created for our family. Since I have been scheduling/chore chart making for many years now, I simply go into my Microsoft Word program and make annual adjustments based on what the season of our life is that year.

GETTING STARTED:
After gleaning from “Managers of Their Homes” by Steve and Teri Maxwell, I started by making a chore chart.

1. The first step was to list EVERYTHING that needed to be done in a week.

2. I then calculated how long it would take to complete each task and what was an appropriate age for each one as I would assign them later.

3. The next step for me was to then begin to break down those chores as they would be assigned to each member of our family. For us, I found having a time in the morning {after breakfast ~ “Morning Chores”} and a time in the afternoon {before dad came home from work ~ “Afternoon Chores”} would work for us.

     a. Prior to breakfast and prior to bed we did “morning” and “bedtime” routines respectively. Morning routine included waking up, reading Bible, getting shower (if applicable)/dressed for the day, and making bed. Bedtime routine included picking up bedroom floor (if needed), having teeth brushed, PJ’s on and prayer with Dad.

4. Then I broke down what needed to be done each day and whether it would be best done in the morning or afternoon. My chore chart was done for Monday – Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon was/is reserved for activities or special projects and Sunday is our day of worship/rest.

5. After the list of chore items were broken down by assigned person & day, I created a table on Microsoft Word. {I prefer creating tables to making spreadsheets myself, but either would work if you chose to use this method.}

     a. I listed the headings across the top for each column as follows: Name of assigned person, then each day of the week through Saturday.

     b. My rows would then have, in age order, the first column down the name of each family member beginning with me and working down to the toddlers {not Dad since he works daily and also handles the extra maintenance items around the home).

     c. I then began plugging in the assigned chore for the day. {Clarification: I created two charts…one for morning and one for afternoon}

     d. Finally, I colored each row a different color to provide ease in viewing the chart and at a glance see who was responsible for what.

WHAT WORKS FOR US:
I have chosen not to assign tasks by the room on different days…a method used in Large Family Logistics. My method is to assign tasks based on frequency. For example, the dishes need to be done daily, laundry needs to be done daily, we choose to central vac daily, a quick wipe down of the main bathroom needs to be done daily, etc. Other tasks like dusting, straightening school closets or book cabinets, straightening dresser drawers, etc. are broken down by location and assigned one day a week per person. Other tasks may need two days per week…for us chores like: glass & mirror cleaning, taking trash/recycling to the road, etc. I know for us, if we chose only to do each room one day per week, the rest of our home would be out of order all week. When there are many people living in a small space, daily room assignments seem to keep our home in better order and clean.

This year's chore charts, daily schedules, college classes, extra-curricular schedules, etc. ~ all kept in front to back order in clear sheet protectors on our refrigerator for quick viewing. {See the "Organizing and Time Management: Part 2 post listed below for details on our "Command Center" ~ the hub of knowing the order of our days.}

SAMPLES OF CURRENT/PAST CHORE CHARTS:
I know it has been helpful for me to “see” a finished product and is an encouragement for how to apply what will work for us by viewing samples of someone else’s labor. I hope that you will be able to see and glean from some of our chore charts over the years and create a chart that suites your family’s season of life. I am also including a copy of the Age Appropriate Chores list I distributed at the Mom’s Fellowship Night to give you ideas.

A WORD OF ADVICE:
Training is imperative in any task. BEFORE you put your plan into action, you should make sure that children have been taught “how to do” the task they are being assigned to do. If you do not train, but only expect a task to be done, then you are setting your children up for failure and yourself up for frustration. The initial investment you put into training a child to complete a task, will provide much reward for you and your child. To train, be sure you “show” your child how to do the task a couple of times, then shadow them with instruction as they do it and finally allow them to do it on their own with you following up to check on how they did. Provide positive affirmation on the things they have done well, BEFORE making a point of correction. We all need encouragement.

Helping with transferring laundry...

Assisting with bread making...

Cheerfully teaching a younger sibling how to vacuum...and excited to help

You might also want to post a step-by-step checklist inside a cabinet door or drawer for them to refer to each day/week. Pictures help younger children…just my 2 cents. Be sure that what you assign is checked daily and that you have consequences in place for not finishing a job or finishing one well. {Please don’t take consequence out of context or to an extreme.} If it is important enough for you to assign, it should be important enough for you to check and acknowledge. More than chores are being taught here…character is being built and important life skills are being learned to make each person {from the youngest to the oldest} know they are a valuable part/contributor to the family as a whole.

OTHER POSTS I HAVE WRITTEN I HOPE WILL ENCOURAGE YOU IN THE AREA OF TIME MANAGEMENT:

IN CLOSING:
I would love to hear from you, as a veteran in chore charts or a mom just starting out. We all have much to learn from one another and your comments can be just what may help someone else. Do feel free to share what has worked for you. May the Lord bless your diligence to manage your home well and provide wisdom along the way.

Blessings in Him ~

This post is linked with Raising Olives: Managing Your Week ~ 4 Moms and Large Family Logistics.

If you have been encouraged and would like to keep up-to-date on future posts {family, homeschooling, menu planning, organizing, scheduling, etc.} won't you subscribe to follow via e-mail or join this site through Google Friend Connect under "Those Encouraged". I'd love to visit you, too.

Scheduling Over the Summer

2011-06-21T16:44:00.000-04:00

For the past several years, I have prepared a Summer Schedule and revised Chore Chart for our family. We try to use the summer months to get home projects done, have more fellowship times, attend activities outside the home and even some years we are preparing for new babies {as is the case this year}. I have found that without a schedule our family is less productive and our home has been less orderly. I usually try to have a new schedule ready BEFORE the end of our school year, however that did not happen this year, making the past couple of weeks much looser than we are accustomed to.

Today {Welcome First Day of Summer}, I took the time needed to compile an updated Summer 2011 Daily Schedule and Summer 2011 Chore Chart. With these in place, there will be consistancy in getting done the things that should be done each day and the freedom to have more spontaneous outtings {as our home should be in easily maintained over the long haul}. Our schedules have always served as a guide versus a task master. Let's face it, know one knows what tomorrow holds, but far better to have a plan in place {especially with a larger family} than not to.

You may be wondering "Why do you schedule...especially over the summer months when most people are taking advantage of the down time from school and extra-curricular commitments?" Well, here are some of our reasons:

Provides a guide for getting those daily responsibilities done and if they are written down, they are more likely to happen.
Provides continued opportunity for training our children in important life skills which will equip them as they grow older and have homes of their own one day.
Provides opportunities to extend hospitality.
Provides opportunities to learn something new, through home projects, community classes or other venues that the school year may not provide time for.
Provides time to learn a trade {or stay polished on what they have previously learned} for each of our three oldest sons, as they work with their father one day a week in our family business
Accountability ~ if it is written down then we are more likely to commit the time to do those things and not waste time doing others.
Children thrive when they have routines to follow...gives them a sense of security.

Another question you may be wondering is, "Why does your family have a Chore Chart...Why does each member of the family have chores?" We believe,

chores are ways of teaching life skills, further equipping our children to be contributors as they grow older.
chores provide a sense of value to each child, seeing that they are an important part of the family dynamics of caring for one another and our home.
chores allow for developing character: diligence, cheerfulness, dependability, attention to details, following directions, obedience, stewardship of time and possessions, thoroughness, etc.
chores allow our home to be kept orderly {as best as possible with soon-to-be 10 in it}, which enables us to extend hospitality to others.
the Lord has blessed us with a home and we are to be good stewards over it ~ therefore taking care of it for as long as we are here.
that even our young children can do simple things to help which once again teaches them skill and grows their character to be more servant minded versus self minded.
we each have a responsibility to contribute to the daily tasks necessary to manage our home...many members, one body. :-)

I have gleaned from many people over the years {and continue to}, as I seek to manage our home and train our children as the Lord equips me to do so. For resources that I have found helpful and to read more about time management ,you can click here or for past schedules/charts click here. If you are interested in seeing what this Summer's Schedule looks like you may click here. I hope these post/schedules provide you practical ideas that you can use in your own homes and encouragment to write down a basic summer schedule if you have been contemplating doing so.

May this summer provide your family time to

grow together,
work together and
love deeply.

It is a blessing to hear from you. Please feel free to leave a comment with any scheduling tips, resources or questions you may have...I am always exited to implement ideas that will make our home more orderly, productive and inviting, as well as help others to do the same.

Blessings this summer ~

Motherhood ~ A Sacrificial Calling with a Future Reward

2011-06-17T17:23:00.000-04:00

Do you ever have days of doubt? Of discouragement? Of down right tears? Well, if you are a mother, the answer to that question is probably yes. A couple days ago, was "my" day for all of those things.

It seemed that all that was being attempted, encountered brick walls. Relationships were strained. Efforts to accomplish home projects, daily home maintenance, and the simplest of tasks seemed to encounter resistance from those being asked for help {i.e. husband, children}. What's a girl to do? I did what I don't do very often...cried! I could not seem to do anything else. Though I try as I might, my efforts seemed to be in vain.

Of course, then the enemy takes advantage of the opportunity he was given and planted deceptive lies in my mind:

Why bother...it is only going to get dirty again!
You always expect too much...you can't even reach your own expectations and yet you put them on your husband...your children {very true...I do have high expectations for myself and my family...justifying such as biblically based}
Who cares if the soffit and gutters get cleaned? JUST YOU...
Who cares if the school closet is organized? JUST YOU...
Who cares if the x, y & z are done? JUST YOU...
Look at your children...you have failed in training them to obey, respect, honor, cheerfulness, {just fill in the blank with any character trait}...

Next, the self-pity comes in to play and you start believing these things. You are so close to the problem {your own sinfulness} "you can't see the forest for the trees". So hard to self reflect {examine yourself}. So difficult to renew the mind when you hit a pit of doubt, discouragement, and little faith. So difficult to "take every thought captive". So difficult to receive grace at times like these.

It took a day of withdrawal...not without affecting those that I love, however...before the Lord gripped my heart. Although, there was physical retreat from those around me, I still made dinner {and a couple for others...isn't ministry to others a way to take your eyes off yourself?}, keep tasks done that were needed...but in my heart I withdrew. {Not good...instead, I should have RUN to the Lord, receiving the grace He extended...an He did. Zach ran out to Wendy's and brought home lunch for the children and me {unbeknownst to me}, a dozen red roses and chocolate as an offering of grace and love...the children just wanted to give hugs...my heart was aching and I just found it made it worse to receive those things, making me cry all the more.}

I couldn't receive grace ~ grace undeserved ~ but is that not what the Lord has done through salvation? Extended grace to a wretch...a worthless worm as the famous hymn says...from a person who's offerings are but filthy rags to Him. Is that not the beauty of grace? It isn't deserved...it can't be earned or bought...it is a FREE GIFT to one who doesn't deserve it!

Well, with a humble heart I asked the Lord to forgive me and to continue to sanctify me in this calling of motherhood. I revisited those questions above and spoke truth into them.

Why bother...it is only going to get dirty again!

TRUTH: It is only going to get dirty again, BUT it is through doing these tasks and training the children to do these tasks that character is formed. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:17

You always expect too much...you can't even reach your own expectations and yet you put them on your husband...your children {very true...I do have high expectations for myself and my family...justifying such as biblically based}

TRUTH: It's not just the expectations, it's the motives ~ are my motives PURE and seeking to please the Lord or are they to please men? "By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:19-20

Who cares if the soffit and gutters get cleaned? JUST YOU...
Who cares if the school closet is organized? JUST YOU...
Who cares if the x, y & z are done? JUST YOU...

TRUTH: "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise, without having any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8 {We are not here to be slothful in our work...we are to be diligent, preparing for tomorrow and being an example to our children in how we do our work. With another baby being added in the upcoming weeks, the fact of the matter is: things DO need to be done.}

Look at your children...you have failed in training them to obey, respect, honor, cheerfulness {just fill in the blank with any character trait}...

TRUTH: I, just like my children, fall short in my heavenly Father's eyes. Do I not need to be reminded? Do I still stumble and repeat lessons I should have learned? Does my Father not still chasten me? The training of children is the same. As a loving mother, I must press on in teaching them in the love and admonition of the Lord...so that when they are old they will not depart from that teaching. {Deut. 6:7; Prov. 22:6}

Being a mother is a labor of love. It is not a calling with instant gratification or an immediate reward. It is one that is slow, repetitive, challenging, long-term, requiring discipline, diligence, grace, prayer, long-suffering, humility, wisdom, love...

Thankfully, motherhood is not a calling without a guidebook or support. We have a Book to turn to for wisdom, truth, encouragement, instruction, hope...the Holy Bible. We have One who cares about what we do...discipling the next generation {motherhood is a work of missions}, the struggles, fears, discouragement we encounter {He is always there with us...He is our intercessor and does hear our prayers. He sends us support through His Word and His people.}

Renewing my mind with these truths {and so many more...}:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it -- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Romans 3:21-25
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-9
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Proverbs 31:28-29

Further encouragement arrived in my inbox this morning from a friend...a recommended read for any mother who may be having "one of those days" and needs a reminder of why motherhood is a mission field...

And then reminders of the many joys of motherhood...

Humbly in Christ ~

Menu Plan Monday

2011-06-14T15:21:00.000-04:00

This past week provided time for some much needed cleaning & organizing. So, with the help of one of my sons to so the heavy moving and high reaching things, we set out over two days to empty my master bedroom & master bedroom closet. Having everything vacuumed & dusted thoroughly, purging of books {that’s always a hard one for me}, gift supplies & re-organization of movies/documentaries, gift-giving cabinet and a general putting everything in its place...the project is complete. It is once again a space enjoyable to be in without the distraction of ‘stuff’.

A couple changes/additions:

The purchase of a video cabinet from Target on sale for…$24.99. It nicely houses the video library {which I had categorized and labeled last year} and hopefully will be a neater solution from what we had been using {that was broken and not very practical.}
A glider and ottoman {similar to this one} found for a great deal on Craigslist…perfect for rocking our precious baby in several weeks. The condition was LIKE-NEW, with no signs of any use or wear. An oak wood and cream fabric, making it fit right in to any décor and Lord willing, provide years of use.
Several more bags for Goodwill…constant changes in seasons of life, provide on going opportunities to re-evaluate the need for items and extend life to new owners through way of donation.

As a reward, we took advantage of a summer discount offered to the zoo…$2 per person admission…a GREAT savings for our family! For $16 our whole family, along with some friends, ventured an hour away for a morning at the zoo. We covered a lot of ground, enjoyed fellowship time with friends we saw there and then concluded the journey with an ‘in-the-van’ picnic lunch. The humidity and heat really kicked in, so the idea of staying outside the rest of the day was changed to time back at our home swimming, playing and enjoying friends. A blessed day, despite the afternoon heat and smoke {Florida fires…praise the Lord for some much needed rain we received yesterday afternoon!}

Dinner plans for the week are written out…{note to self: work on a new menu rotation chart for the upcoming year…a summer to-do item}…and we’re off to a good start.

Sunday: We had tortilla night…homemade, whole wheat tortillas filled with homemade salsa, refried beans, yellow rice and cheese…a family FAVORITE!

Recipe is super easy and fresh: 3-4 tomatoes, 1/4 - 1 Vidalia onion, 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, 2-3 tablespoons of minced garlic, small can of green chiles, 2 tablespoons of crushed red chili powder, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (dry), sea salt & pepper to taste. Chop 1st 3 ingredients to preferred texture, mix last 6 into mixture...YUM, YUM!

Monday: I prepared Sloppy Joe's in the crock-pot before we left for the zoo yesterday and had a great and simple dinner last night ready and waiting to be eaten. This was served with fruit and chips.

Tuesday: Poppy-seed chicken over bow tie pasta, buttered peas and whole wheat bread {baked later today with the help of Alyssa}

Wednesday: Easy lasagna, mixed veggies and fresh garden salad {items yielded from our garden [read our garden post here}: lettuce, cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, shredded radish and then added green onions and a cucumber from the grocery}

Thursday: Baked chicken, mashed potatoes or maybe parsley-buttered potatoes, steamed broccoli, rolls

Washed chicken placed in my stoneware baker, sprinkled with paprika, black pepper, garlic herb seasoning, a little thyme and a little sea salt to be baked at 325 degrees - foiled covered - for about 2 hours...fall off the bone tender!

Friday: Homemade pizzas - click for recipe link & scroll to the bottom for pizza specific notes {toppings of crushed pineapple with diced ham and another with Italian chicken sausage}

Saturday: Quick and easy…Lord willing, working on concrete slab/sidewalks so a simple meal will be aimed for this day

Sunday: Father’s Day Dinner…baked pork chops with tomato gravy served over rice, steamed California blend veggies, homemade biscuits {from last week's menu...since it's a dad favorite and it didn't happen last week...}

Blessings to you as you gather around your meal table this week ~

To read other Menu Plans, click here…thanks for hosting each week, Laura!