::Outside My Window::
Gusty winds blowing in Bright, yellow-and-white light. This morning they harvested the corn in the field across the street.
::I am Listening to ::
The sound of Corin playing in the cereal crumbles on the floor.
::I am Thankful For ::
Time with my family this past weekend.
::I am Pondering ::
Those days when the melancholy side of my personality is most present and I struggle with a vague, gray-ish feeling that I'm not about much anything important, that I'm not well liked by very many, that I tend to do things wrong. I have to fight these days with Truth, Action, Vitamins. And SLEEP! : )
:: I am Remembering ::
Many fun hours this past weekend with my family in Cincinnati: shopping, cooking, laughing, talking, learning. Deanna and Mark were still in the states after flying in for my cousin's wedding last weekend. And Rachelle took a day off of her busy Grad School schedule to hang out with us on Garen and Crystal's day off. It is unspeakably good to be all together.
:: I am looking forward to/Dreaming
of ::
Our first snow of the winter!
:: Some of what I've been
reading::
Just started reading Steady Days. Resisting the urge to go curl up in bed on this blustery day and read myself to sleep!
::From the Kitchen::
Watching Ann Voskamp's new Bible Study together has Corin and I hungering for warm homemade bread. Probably not the better part of wisdom for me to do that with the week's responsibilities and to-do list. But hearty soup and thick slices of soft homeade wheat bread smothered with strawberry jam would sure hit the spot for supper tonight.
::I am Thinking::
That I want to forever squeeze this 3-year-old boy and not let him go.
::I am Creating::
This week: gift baskets and cake pops for a school fundraiser
:: Towards raising hungry learners::
Having a hard time nailing my thoughts down here: I do know that I would much rather raise kids who have a perpetual hunger to learn and grow than to raise kids who know how to regurgitate facts without fitting them into life.
I am also dreaming of consistently doing a read-aloud time together before devotions. I am thinking that it isn't hard for us to be consistent about our family every night just before bedtime. So why couldn't I just move it ahead 15 or 20 minutes and read together first? But somehow that time of night - between supper and bedtime - is so busy with finishing up supper chores, sometimes unfinished practice, making sure the 5th grader has her homework and projects finished up, evening chores, teeth, etc. and prep for tomorrow. Not stressing over my lack of reading time, just wishing and thinking. If I did manage to start reading time consistently, It might actually help us move that bedtime 30 minutes earlier like we need to. I can tell when some of my kids could benefit from just a little more sleep each night. And this is "tea-and-biscuits" season when there's nothing quite like cozying up and reading together.
::Towards Rhythm and Beauty::
Still don't have the suitcases unpacked. I was purposeful last night, getting home late and exhausted from Cincinnati, to at least put the suitcases and Christmas gifts in an out-of-the-way corner of the living room so they wouldn't trash the whole house while I work through them.
::To Live the Life ::
I have been thinking (and worrying) about a habit of mine that I want the Lord to refine. It has to do with talking too much (and maybe too strongly?) when I become passionate about a subject. Not sure what to do, exactly, with this part of my personality. Knowing that God made me passionate and talkative (*blush*) on purpose. But not to the point that I turn people off and wear them out with my never-ending verbage. So I am asking Him to refine and remind when it's time to zip it.
::I am Hoping and Praying::
That God will prepare and strengthen me - through prayer - for whatever the future holds.
:: In the Garden::
My mother-in-law Rose came over last week with three big, gorgeous yellow mums she had bought for me and planted them in my garden! They make me so happy when I see them. Thanks so much, mom!
::Around the House::
Last week Monday night: we returned from a trip to Missouri (my cousin's wedding).
Tuesday: I was sick in bed and only did some of the basics.
Wednesday: Unpacked suitcases, did laundry & cleaning, repacked and packed the van,
Thursday: taught lessons all day and drove to Cincy Thurs night.
I worked very hard at leaving things nice so that these back-to-back trips wouldn't send us into chaos.
Today I am feeling a bit hung-over after our trips and overwhelmed by all of the extra projects that must be done this week. Reminding myself to stay focused on the basic routine tasks to keep everything smooth in the midst of extra stuff and activities.
::One of My Favorite Things::
Candles burning.
::The Kids::
Kayla: I am having trouble helping her to communicate her feelings verbally in a healthy way. She prefers to lock herself in the bathroom and cry or just knock her brother's head off. We are officially in preteen years.
: ) Praying for wisdom.
Karissa: We are going to soon have to re-focus on breaking her habit of sucking her fingers. She found them when she was a tiny baby and we haven't decided to put an all-out effort into breaking the habit yet. I am of the mothering philosophy that it is best to let kids do some things in their own time, because when they are ready the transition is almost effortless. This, however, has been an example of where that method did not work out. : ) Eight years old and still sucking those 2 fingers. We tried a couple of months ago and were not prepared for the severe emotional, mental and physical toll it took on her. I knew, then, that I was going to have to choose a time when she could afford some nights of difficult sleep and I could afford to deal with the added stress. I also ordered some powerful essential oils to help support her system. It's going to be rough, re-routing this habit. But I think we are ready to take it on.
Caiden: Having trouble with bugging people. All he has to do is breathe a certain way, it seems, and he knows how to get under his sisters' skin.
Corin: Still wears his underwear backwards. Always. And his jeans. I took their fall pictures recently and even left his jeans on backwards. It's just part of who he is.
:: The Man of the House ::
Shot a wedding last weekend while I was gone to Missouri to my cousin's wedding.
Attended Aldersgate Forum last week, then came all the way home with his dad so he could drive me to Cincinnati Thursday night after I had taught all day. He's sweet like that. He did a college session at Youth Challenge - gave them some solid, down-to-earth, conversational advice about being steady and disciplined.
He has been working on shopping for the best deal for our kids' main Christmas gift...a practical gift we are all going to love!
::A Few Plans for the Rest of the
Week::
Think I will probably cancel my OB appt. since I'm down to the 2-week appointments and all they do is weigh me and listen to Christian's heartbeat. I don't really need to hear his heartbeat because he's beating his own drums in there! And I certainly don't need them to weigh me. Every two weeks. Sheesh. Give a girl a break. There's a KID living in there!
Lots to do in preparation for our school's Soup Supper fundraiser, also need to do finances, go 2 different places to get the van hatch and engine fixed, make space for putting away the loot from our Wolf Family early Christmas, mail off pictures from 2 weddings, teach lessons 7 make sure everyone is on track for recital night. Plus all the normal stuff it takes to keep a family of 6 afloat. I want to take my belly and go to bed : )
Oh! And I almost forgot, I am planning a very simple family Reformation celebration tomorrow night since the kids will be at a fun Kids Club Autumn celebration Wednesday, hosted by our church's amazing children's workers: Gene and Angie Davis! I will probably just have a nice cozy dinner and do a short version of our "Evening of Reformation." We might just review the story and have each kid in charge of retelling one aspect (kindof like we do at our Passover Seder). We'll probably pull out our "Reformation Day" tub of costumes since it's easy and quick and adds a lot. Sounds like a good chance to use the beautiful new family communion set David bought me in Israel!!
:: Love this Quote! ::
Books are standing counselors and preachers,
always at hand…
having this advantage over oral instructors,
always at hand…
having this advantage over oral instructors,
that they are ready to repeat their lesson as often as we please.
~ Oswald Chambers ~
:: A Picture from our world::
My cousin and uncle fixing my flat tire in Missouri (SO thankful!) |
I love being with my family. |
Deanna's husband Mark and my cousin Kevin talking it out on the front porch of my Aunt Nancy's beautiful home. |
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