Thankful Thursday

Wow, is it Thursday again?  I remember how I only thought it was only "old" people who thought time went by quickly.  Either I was wrong or I am now officially old.  lol. 
:-)))))

Yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, we had another planning meeting at church for our annual family retreat.  This year it will be in late October.  I am grateful not only for the opportunity to yet again attend such a rewarding and amazing weekend, but to be able to be part of the planning with wonderful people I am lucky to call our friends.  They welcomed us with open arms several years ago at our church and my husband and I just knew we were "home."

I am also grateful for a group of online friends with whom I have found fellowship, support and prayer.  I will be meeting two very soon for the first time as we get our kids(and ourselves!) together for a playdate.

I am grateful this week for the spontaneous hugs that I can still grab throughout the day,

for hearing, "that was a fun day, mom, thanks."

for 15 1/2 years of marriage in a world that says that marriage is worthless and unnecessary

(from our 15th anniversary back in August)

I am always thankful for my husband, who works very hard, despite physical injuries and pain, and in all kinds of horrible weather, to provide for us.  I am thankful for the friendship we have, for that makes a marriage all the more special.

And I don't ever want to forget to thank God for all of the blessings He has bestowed and continues to bestow upon us.

I'm happy to be linking up with Theresa at Red Oak Lane today.

Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly wrap-up January 13th

In my life/our homeschool this week:  Saturday was a fun day for the kids pursuing individual interests and relaxing.  Kiddo #1 baked us a cake and experimented with decorating with tools that I got for Christmas (he got to try them before I did, lol!)

Kiddo #4 used her perler beads and made all kinds of things: dogs, cats, planets and the like.  She beads, I iron.  We had a good little system going.

Kiddo #3 had fun with his new train and train track.

Kiddo #2 was preparing for the football playoff games.

Our school week was really non-eventful.  I guess that could be a good thing?  We got back into a good, daily routine and it is working.

On Monday, the kiddos all had their music lessons, and kiddos #1 and 2 had their bi-weekly Biology lab.  This week they dissected a fresh water mussel.  This is not my "cup of tea," so it is real blessing that a homeschooling friend  hired a wonderful teacher-- a good Christian man with 20+ teaching experience in addition to his advanced degrees.  He is enjoying his retirement, but is also enjoying sharing his knowledge with a class of homeschooled kids.  :-)

On Tuesday, I spoke with the children about how the New Testament was written in Greek.  They wrote out the Greek Alphabet and we even sang it to the tune of our "ABC" song.  :-)

(I noticed one misspelling after I took the photograph, but am very proud of Kiddo #2's Greek alphabet, nonetheless)  :-)

On Wednesday night, we went over to church to help take down the Christmas decorations.  I believe it is a good thing to put not only the spirit of volunteerism into the hearts of our children, but a sense of responsibility to help out at their church.  We also got to take home some lovely poinsettia plants that had adorned our church so beautifully this Christmas season.

Thursday morning had Kiddo #1 and I at church.  We were asked to help out with a funeral.  I was proud of how Kiddo #2 took care of math and other studies with the younger two while we were gone. (Don't worry, I don't leave underage children home alone.  My father was there with them while I was gone, but let Kiddo #2 handle all of the "tutoring."  I am very proud of him!)

Friday's forecast is calling for cold and rain, so any plans I had of a field trip have had to be postponed.  I am figuring we are going to do something fun in the afternoon-- perhaps a craft or a good recipe?  I love spontaniety.  Don't you?  :-)  I will surely take pictures with the new camera and let you know what we decided upon. (all of the photos in this post were taken with my new camera!  It has been set on "auto."  I haven't tried any of the manual settings yet, but I will get there.

What I'm cooking: Beef Stew, Hashbrown and Ham Casserole....

What I'm grateful for: in addition to what I mentioned in my Thankful Thursday post, I am grateful for my children, my family, my church family and the many friends I have made via the blogosphere.

What I'm praying for: there seems like there are so many more lately afflicted with illness, tragedy, the loss of a loved one.  I am keeping them all in my prayers.

A quote or photograph to share: Can I share both?  :-)  My parents got new kittens and of course, my kids are crazy about them.  Meet Mittens and Smokey:

This is Mittens

and this is Smokey

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Never rely on what you think you know.  Remember the Lord in everything you do, and He will show you the right way.  never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong.  If you do, it will be like good medicine, healing your wounds and easing your pains." -- Proverbs 3:5-8

I have linked up this week with The Homeschool Mother's Journal and Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Thankful Thursday

After my much prayed-over and heartfelt Thankful Thursday post last week, anything else I may be thankful for, I'm afraid, will sound trivial and material.  :-)  That being said, I am so, so grateful for the gift that my hubby gave me.  I laughed because we picked it up on January 6th and started singing, "On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...." 

My old and trusty camera has been starting to go.  The playback button only works when it feels like it and the flash is much the same.  That camera has seen and photographed so much over the past few years.  I am one of those people whose cameras are never far away.  As you have seen in my posts, I take pictures of the kids baking, reading, playing...  I take hundreds of pictures on a family vacation.  I try to capture special moments as much as I can, as they are fleeting and gone in an instant.

Well, hubby said he wanted to get me a "real" camera and a real camera it certainly is.  I am a bit apprehensive, just at the sight of it, but am in awe of all of the possibility that awaits in the photographs yet to be taken with this incredible piece of equipment.

So, I am not just grateful for the wonderful material gift (which is awesome!), but the wonderful, thoughtful person who picked it out for me!

Join me at Red Oak Lane today and let us know what you are grateful for on this Thankful Thursday.

Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap-up January 6th

Well, it was back to the grind this week.  We certainly were relaxed and informal-- just the way we like it!  :-)

In my life/homeschool this week: Monday was the legal holiday and hubby was off from work, so the kiddos were off from school!  It was fun to have one last day to relax and enjoy, especially after being up so late on Saturday night!  :-)  The kiddos had their music lessons and we all enjoyed watching the "Winter Classic" ice hockey game, even though our home team lost.

Tuesday found us getting some much needed organization done with our work and papers and were able to finish up some work that we had started before Advent.  We have been putting together lapbooks as a cumulative project over the course of our studies.  We also continued reading the next book in the "Little House" series and the next chapter in "Just David."  What an inspirational and heartwarming book.  It was actually free on Kindle because it has been in the public domain for some time.  I highly recommend it.

On Wednesday, we started the American Governmental System.  We talked about the 3 branches of government and the function of each.  We also talked about God's Law (the 10 Commandments) and how laws are made in our country, ideally, using God's moral law as a guide.  We also began our memory verse for the week: Isaiah 41:10. 

On Thursday morning, as I had promised them, we baked sugar cookies.  I also mentioned our cookie baking in my Thankful Thursday post. 

We also learned about the hypothalamus gland.  I didn't know that during a stressful time, blood is actually taken away from the surface of our body, not only to better oxygenate the "necessary" areas, but to prevent excessive bleeding if an injury was to occur.  I also wasn't aware that the stomach and digestive systems shut down.  If someone's stomach is "in knots," it is probably because there is gas trapped in there with the partially undigested food!  My boys got a kick out of that one.  Go figure!  :-)

Friday, the feast of the Three Kings, or the Epiphany, had us making special crafts, bringing the Wise Men to our Nativity scene and reading the story from the Bible.

I didn't know that in Germany, every year around Epiphany, children used to go from house to house dressed up as three kings to sing and collect a special offering for poor children.  Before they would leave they would mark the doorways of the house with a blessing which would remain on the doorframe for the rest of the year.  In the Middle Ages, the family would process through the house with the father carrying charcoal and a child carrying incense.  Each room of the house would be blessed.

So, we made our own signs to put above the doorways of our house.  They include the initials of the Magi together with the year and several crosses.  It stands for "Anno Domini 2012- Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar" (although many say that these initials stand for the Latin phrase: Christus Mansionem Benedicat, which means Christ bless this house.  :-)

We asked God to bless those who live in each room with pure minds and loving hearts and the wisdom to follow God's will in all that they say, whether they're involved in work, rest, or play and to protect the whole family from evil and sin when they are in that room.

This tradition of blessing rooms and doorways symbolizes our family's commitment to welcome Christ into our home on a daily basis throughout the year.

What I'm reading: "Just David" with the kiddos, my Bible for an online study that begins next week (I am really looking forward to it!) and the founding documents of the U.S. for a weekly discussion on another mom's blog.

What's cooking this week: leftover turkey from New Year's Day, Italian sausage with peppers and onions, chicken with mushrooms and rice, pizza....

I'm grateful for:  the gift of a new year with unlimited possibilities and much promise.  Read my Thankful Thursday post for a whole list.  :-)

I'm praying for: my family, friends in need, those who are ill or who have lost their jobs....

A quote or photograph to share: "What is true is true, regardless of how many or how few subscribe to it.  Our duty is to adhere to truth, even if that means being odd man out."-- Paul Claudel

In honor of the feast of the Epiphany today, I am adding a second quote that I just got in an email:

"If the Magi had come in search of an earthly King, they would have been disconcerted at finding that they had taken the trouble to come such a long way for nothing. Consequently they would have neither adored nor offered gifts. But since they sought a heavenly King, though they found in Him no signs of royal pre-eminence, yet, content with the testimony of the star alone, they adored: for they saw a man, and they acknowledged a God".- Saint John Chrysostom (347-407) Feast of the Epiphany, January 6

I am linking up with the Homeschool Mother's Journal and Weekly Wrap-up this week.

Thankful Thursday

Thanks to Theresa for hosting the linkup and inviting me to join in!

I think as this new year begins, I am most grateful for just that: a new year-- the opportunity and the gift of a new beginning, a clean slate with endless promise and possibility.

I am also especially thankful for my children and the blessing of homeschooling.  I love their smiles and how much fun we have had together.  I couldn't imagine now not being with them for 8+ hours a day and not sharing everything that we have shared and learned together.  It is wonderful how helpful (for the most part, lol!) they are to each other and how they are developing kind, servant's hearts.

I love when we can cuddle on the couch and read a book together, bake cookies when it behooves us

and even get down to work in their pajamas.  :-)

I am thankful for my husband, who has worked such long, hard hours these past few months, working 6 days a week, even through painful injuries.  He is a dedicated father and husband, for whom I am extremely grateful.  This enabled us to give the children a wonderful Christmas and pay off some bills.  I am thankful for my parents, who have been very helpful and supportive.

I am thankful to live in a country where we have freedom; freedom that certainly isn't free.

 As I get older, I think I appreciate even more the incredible sacrifices that have had to be made for us to live the way we do and take so much for granted.  I will be participating in a friend's weekly study of our founding documents.  I believe that we owe it to the founders, who gave and sacrificed so much to conduct an experiment-- a precious experiment in liberty.  It goes without saying that I am thankful for the soldiers who defend and protect that experiment every day, with no thought of the danger or risk.  My husband, my soldier, still remains my greatest hero.

I have been very blessed to "meet" some wonderful women in the blogosphere who share the same values and morals that my husband and I do.  I am thankful for their friendship, prayers, fellowship and support. 

And, of course, it goes without saying, that I am most grateful to God: for the incredible gifts I mentioned above that He has given me, the countless gifts I haven't mentioned and the most incredible Gift of all: His Son.

Happy New Year!

After our bowling on New Year's Eve which you can see here, we rang in the New Year with much merriment.  On TV, we watched the ball drop in Times Square, the fireworks on the waterfront in Philadelphia, and then had our own celebration out front with noise makers and poppers.  The kids had so much fun!  How wonderful that they could make as much noise as they wanted without being told to "ssh."  :-)  They literally were out there for a good 30 minutes or more.  Having mild weather was certainly a blessing.  The last two winters were record breakers in the cold and blizzard departments.  I, for one, am not complaining about this little patch of mild weather.

There was also Kiddo #4 decorating the bunk-bed that Pop-Pop and Kiddo #1 made her for her My Twinn doll (who she named Kira) and her American Girl doll (Rebecca).  One of her Christmas wishes was for a "modest doll."  :-))))

Kiddo #3 happily designed a zoo

 and Kiddo #2 played a new game with his sister.

 Kiddo #1, who is quite gifted with building and flying rc aircraft (some of them have wingspans of 6+ feet!), practiced on his simulator.  It is quite impressive how well he handles the aircraft.  He marvels the men in the rc club that he belongs to in how well he handles all of the aircraft (even the 6 foot one!).  They believe that the simulator time has been a great benefit for him.

As one could imagine, getting up for Church on New Year's morning was not easy for any of us.  :-)  The kiddos, at least last night, thought it was pretty special to go to bed around 2am.  I don't know how special it was when they had to wake up in the morning, lol!  Hubby and I were no better.  We decided to watch the end of a movie together after the kiddos went to bed, so needless to say, we were pretty beat, too.  We certainly don't have the stamina we did 20 years ago!  :-)  We will not be starting school until Tuesday since the hubby was off on Monday.  The kids and I really enjoyed the day with him.

The rest of New Year's Day was spent with our family enjoying good food, watching football and watching some of the Mummers' Day parade.  The incredible productions put together by ordinary, everyday "joes" never ceases to amaze me.  They put some broadway productions to shame.  :-)

I pray that your day was special and that after spending some time with the Lord, that you shared it with those who mean the most to you, as well!

Getting ready to welcome in 2012

Our local bowling alley offers a "Family" New Year's Eve celebration from 6-9 pm.  There is unlimited bowling, a buffet, noise makers and much fun to be had.

(Kiddo #4 bowls with her "Pigie" and told us that we each had to take a turn with him for good luck!)

 

It is always a challenge to try to find family-friendly celebrations on New Year's Eve. 

(Our bowlers: me, hubby, my parents, the kiddos and a dear friend of mine who actually was Kiddo #3 and Kiddo #4's pre-K teacher)

I have fond memories of a house full of family and friends to welcome in the New Year.  My parents would host a celebration filled with delicious food, games, music, reminiscing and counting down.  It was always something I looked forward to each year.  Everyone was there-- family from both sides, friends from Church and the neighborhood...  My mom started it as a surprise in 1977, the year we almost lost my dad.  He was in a bad plane crash the beginning of December and was home with us, thank God, by Christmas.  She thought having all of the special people in our lives celebrate New Year's Eve with us would not bring a smile to my dad's face as he recovered, but would allow everyone to be grateful together and thank God that he had made it out alive.  It was such a success that it continued for over 20 years.  My parents moved out of the city to be closer to us 8 years ago and the tradition ended there.  Many in the older generation have since passed away, some of the younger generation have married and moved.  It is sad that one tradition has ended, but now we have begun a new tradition with our children.  We have gone to the bowling alley the last 3 or 4 years and end the evening with some games and seeing if anyone can stay up until midnight to enjoy a festive countdown with some noisemaking.  :-) (I'll post those photos tomorrow!)  :-)

May God bless us all in the New Year and with His Grace, may our best day in 2011 be our worst in 2012!