Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!
This year we actually made our own dinner! The last time we did this was 1997! We usually get a turkey dinner from a local restaurant. But I decided to save money (lots of it actually) by doing it ourselves. I did alot of the prep work yesterday. I made 3 pies (2 pumpkin and 1 double layer pumpkin pie), mashed sweet potatoes, mashed carrots and turnips, chopped up the onions and celery for the stuffing (which Chris made last night) and cut up the potatoes for mashed potatoes. Chris already put the bird in the oven. Now it is time to relax and enjoy the morning.
Chris' sister and 2 kids will be joining us. So there will be 11 of us all together. Last year we had to bring Emily to the ER because she had a high fever. I am hoping to stay away from that place this year : )
I hope everyone enjoys the day.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Newspaper
CJ made the newspaper today. The highschool he plays for is highlighted today for the Thanksgiving Day game tomorrow. In a separate article they talk about the improvement the JV team has made. About CJ the paper says "With (another student's name) called to the varsity, sophomore CJ (last name) has handled the quarterback duties. The coach noted that CJ is a hard running quarterback." It also has an individual picture of him (along with 11 others---3 in total being sophomores).
What a testimony to God. Here he is not even going to the school but getting recognized. He is in a play at church over the first weekend in December. Do you know what he did. He personally invited each of his coaches, he handed out tickets to the football players, put a poster up on his locker for the play and gave a ticket to the to the athletic director and his secretory. Of all his accomplishments, telling others about God makes me the most proud.
What a testimony to God. Here he is not even going to the school but getting recognized. He is in a play at church over the first weekend in December. Do you know what he did. He personally invited each of his coaches, he handed out tickets to the football players, put a poster up on his locker for the play and gave a ticket to the to the athletic director and his secretory. Of all his accomplishments, telling others about God makes me the most proud.
Ready, Set.......Shop?
Can you believe Christmas Eve is 4 weeks from today!!?? Unbelievable. This year has just flown by. Black Friday is (of course) this Friday. Do you go? I try to avoid crowds as much as possible so I will not be heading out at 4 am in hopes of a great deal. 2 years in a row I did do the mad dash and I will have to admit, there is a certain excitement of being at a store that early trying to get the hot item. That was about 6 years, 3 kids ago. You know what I have found.....except for a few spectacular deals, you can get some great deals throughout the whole season.
So for the last 5 years we have used a new system for Christmas shopping and it works great for us. First we make a list of all the people we will be buying for. We have cut our list way down. It consists of our children, 2 nieces and 2 nephews, parents, and angel tree gift. That's about it. I may get a gift card for the mailman.
Next we brainstorm some ideas for each of them. Each of our children get 5 gifts, 3 from us and 2 from Santa. We look over the budget and we are ready to go. Since Chris' days off fall in the middle of the week it works out great. We pick 1 day (usually a Wednesday) and book my mother WAY in advance to sleepover the night before. On this 1 day we do ALL our shopping minus shopping for each other. We start off the day going out for breakfast just the two of us. We make the game plan of what stores and in what order. Then we shop, and shop and shop. We will stop for lunch.
This works out great for us. For one thing it is all done. Than it is the added bonus that we got to spend the day together just the 2 of us.
This works for us. What do you do for Christmas shopping?
So for the last 5 years we have used a new system for Christmas shopping and it works great for us. First we make a list of all the people we will be buying for. We have cut our list way down. It consists of our children, 2 nieces and 2 nephews, parents, and angel tree gift. That's about it. I may get a gift card for the mailman.
Next we brainstorm some ideas for each of them. Each of our children get 5 gifts, 3 from us and 2 from Santa. We look over the budget and we are ready to go. Since Chris' days off fall in the middle of the week it works out great. We pick 1 day (usually a Wednesday) and book my mother WAY in advance to sleepover the night before. On this 1 day we do ALL our shopping minus shopping for each other. We start off the day going out for breakfast just the two of us. We make the game plan of what stores and in what order. Then we shop, and shop and shop. We will stop for lunch.
This works out great for us. For one thing it is all done. Than it is the added bonus that we got to spend the day together just the 2 of us.
This works for us. What do you do for Christmas shopping?
Monday, November 24, 2008
It's Monday!!
It's Monday!!! I decided to go crazy and take this week off from school after all. YIPPY!!! I am going to use this week to do crafts with the 3 middle kids, cleaning and organizing (the hallway closet is high on my list), and enjoy the break with the kids. This is a busy time of year and it is only going to be getting busier.
Emily's birthday is 3 weeks from tomorrow. Her adoption is suppose to be that day too. We plan on having a celebration that day to celebrate both. Zachary's birthday is on December 29th. So time to organize will make things easier in the upcoming 5 weeks.
I am feeling much better today. Saturday was awful (as you can probably tell if you read the previous post). Yesterday we went to church and I came home and watch a movie. I usually don't take the time to sit and watch one....but you know what....IT FELT GREAT!!!! I then cleaned the black hole (my room). After dinner I watched the Amazing Race.
I am taking a step back right now in homeschooling. I am my worst critic. I know the kids are progressing in their education. I think I need to chill out. Instead of being worried about what might happen years from now I am just going to concentrate on this year.
Emily's birthday is 3 weeks from tomorrow. Her adoption is suppose to be that day too. We plan on having a celebration that day to celebrate both. Zachary's birthday is on December 29th. So time to organize will make things easier in the upcoming 5 weeks.
I am feeling much better today. Saturday was awful (as you can probably tell if you read the previous post). Yesterday we went to church and I came home and watch a movie. I usually don't take the time to sit and watch one....but you know what....IT FELT GREAT!!!! I then cleaned the black hole (my room). After dinner I watched the Amazing Race.
I am taking a step back right now in homeschooling. I am my worst critic. I know the kids are progressing in their education. I think I need to chill out. Instead of being worried about what might happen years from now I am just going to concentrate on this year.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
MIA----again.
Okay, so I went MIA (again). I seem to be doing that alot lately. I have to be honest.....this has been the toughest and most emotionally draining school year to date (this is year number 7). When I am feeling upset and down I figure the last thing people want to read about is me boo-hooing. So instead, I retreat, and go missing for awhile.
Last night I went to my homeschool support group meeting. I head it up with 2 other ladies. I was very excited to hear a friend of mine, Pam, speak. Oh she was good. She has 5 daughters ranging in age from 10 to 26. She has been homeschooling for 17 years. She honestly is one of my favorite people to just talk to and listen to. There is so much wisdom in that head of hers. And what a servant's heart she has.
My plan last night for the meeting was to go and just listen. I didn't plan on saying very much, if anything at all (which is unusual for me). But Pam challenged us with a question "Why did you start homeschooling and why are you still doing it. Has the reasons changed". I thought is was just a question for each of us to ponder. Well next thing I know, everyone was going around saying their answer. It got to me. The first part of the question was easy. Why did I start. I knew that. But why am I continuing to homeschool. Well I lost it. The flood gates opened. Honestly, at this point I am homeschooling out of pure obedience to my husband and God. The flesh part of me felt done. I am tired and find no joy in it...AT ALL. The Mom part of me knows I would be dealing with a whole other set of problems if they were in PS. Then there is the part of me that wants to do it not because I have to but because I want to.
It just so hard right now. I feel like I am running a race and I am just not fast enough. Last year was my first year ever hsing with a infant/toddler. I slacked off on somethings in school. Long story short, I would say my younger kids are doing a level lower in their reading, spelling, math books than their "school grade". Now I am trying to play catch-up and basically going at a pace to catch them up by next year. I keep telling myself that if I could just go a little faster now, than once they catch up I will slow down then. But in the meantime, I am burning out and I lost all joy for homeschooling. The kids hardly do a craft project. We hardly ever read together. And fun kinds of activites just don't fit into my neat-little check off the box kind of thinking right now. And character issues or attitudes......they just get me angry because now I am really taken back. IT'S AWFUL!!! This is NOT the mom or homeschooler that I wanted to be.
The Ladies at the meeting were all so encouraging. But you know what...I am usually the one doing the encouraging and it is a much easier place to be in. I feel so unworthy right now. I feel the kids deserve so much better than what they got stuck with (me that is). The Ladies were telling me those were all lies from the creator of lies. It is easier right now to believe those lies because of the way I feel. I am in a valley right now and it is hard to believe that there will ever be at peak again.
If you have ever felt this way or have any advice I am open. Please keep me in your prayers right now. Thanks.
Last night I went to my homeschool support group meeting. I head it up with 2 other ladies. I was very excited to hear a friend of mine, Pam, speak. Oh she was good. She has 5 daughters ranging in age from 10 to 26. She has been homeschooling for 17 years. She honestly is one of my favorite people to just talk to and listen to. There is so much wisdom in that head of hers. And what a servant's heart she has.
My plan last night for the meeting was to go and just listen. I didn't plan on saying very much, if anything at all (which is unusual for me). But Pam challenged us with a question "Why did you start homeschooling and why are you still doing it. Has the reasons changed". I thought is was just a question for each of us to ponder. Well next thing I know, everyone was going around saying their answer. It got to me. The first part of the question was easy. Why did I start. I knew that. But why am I continuing to homeschool. Well I lost it. The flood gates opened. Honestly, at this point I am homeschooling out of pure obedience to my husband and God. The flesh part of me felt done. I am tired and find no joy in it...AT ALL. The Mom part of me knows I would be dealing with a whole other set of problems if they were in PS. Then there is the part of me that wants to do it not because I have to but because I want to.
It just so hard right now. I feel like I am running a race and I am just not fast enough. Last year was my first year ever hsing with a infant/toddler. I slacked off on somethings in school. Long story short, I would say my younger kids are doing a level lower in their reading, spelling, math books than their "school grade". Now I am trying to play catch-up and basically going at a pace to catch them up by next year. I keep telling myself that if I could just go a little faster now, than once they catch up I will slow down then. But in the meantime, I am burning out and I lost all joy for homeschooling. The kids hardly do a craft project. We hardly ever read together. And fun kinds of activites just don't fit into my neat-little check off the box kind of thinking right now. And character issues or attitudes......they just get me angry because now I am really taken back. IT'S AWFUL!!! This is NOT the mom or homeschooler that I wanted to be.
The Ladies at the meeting were all so encouraging. But you know what...I am usually the one doing the encouraging and it is a much easier place to be in. I feel so unworthy right now. I feel the kids deserve so much better than what they got stuck with (me that is). The Ladies were telling me those were all lies from the creator of lies. It is easier right now to believe those lies because of the way I feel. I am in a valley right now and it is hard to believe that there will ever be at peak again.
If you have ever felt this way or have any advice I am open. Please keep me in your prayers right now. Thanks.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
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