And the winner is.........

Since I already owned this book before Sharon was kind enough to send me two (one for me and for the giveaway), I am delighted to be able to have TWO winners!!!  :-)  I wish I had one to send to each of you who entered.

Here is Kiddo #4 selecting the winners (from inside a bag she made in sewing class  :-))

The winners are comments #1 and #23, Monique and Maria.  CONGRATULATIONS!  I will be emailing you to request your mailing information.

Thank you to all who entered!  I hope you have a blessed Advent and God bless you!

P.S.  Please don't forget my little blog in the Homeschool Blog Awards voting which is going on right now.   I would much appreciate your vote and support in the two categories in which I was nominated.  Here are the links:

For best homeschool mom blog and best photos.  Thank you SO much!  :-)

Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap-Up November 9

Friday is upon us again.  :-)

In my life/homeschool this week: Mondays are always our crazy days: chemistry class for Kiddo #1, Sewing class for Kiddo #4, music lessons for 3 of the kiddos, writing class and then a meeting at church in the evening for Kiddo #4.....Glad that's only once a week!  :-)  I also posted about the kiddos trick or treating.  You can see them and their costumes here.

Tuesday was the first day back for our homeschool bowling league.  What an awesome turnout.  The kiddos had a lot of fun and got right back into the swing of things.  We also had our Italian class that they (and I) are really enjoying.  I also hosted my weekly recipe linkup and shared my sugar cookie recipe (yummy!).  You can see it and all of the other recipes here.

Wednesday was a pretty subdued day, with the older kiddos having their online class.  Kiddo #4 always likes to include her dolls in our lessons.  :-)  We also got some snow and they just loved being out in it.  Is there anything better than seeing your children's faces for the first snow?  I posted more pics here.

Thursday was a to the grind kind of day, getting all of their work done, but of course, there has to be something to lighten it all up.  What fun would homeschool be if you couldn't do it in your slippers?  ;-)

I'm planning some fun for the kiddos on Friday.  Stay tuned....  :-)

A photo or quote to share:

this very large hawk visited us for several hours last week.  He was so incredibly large.  When he spread his (or her?) wings, it was breathtaking.  He did have a squirrel that he was feasting on (see under his claws?), so the kids got a real and up-close lesson in animal survival in the wild.  Kiddo #1 got better photos than me.  I will have to upload one of his to share, too.

What I'm praying for: healing in our nation, our military, those who are unemployed, ill or suffering, my family.....

P.S.  Kiddo #4 will be doing the drawing tonight for my first giveaway!  If you haven't already entered and would like to, you can do so here.

P.P.S.  My blog was nominated in 2 categories in the 2012 Homeschool blog awards.  I would much appreciate your vote and support.  Here are the links:

For best homeschool mom blog and best photos.  Thank you SO much!  :-)

Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, NOBH, Show-Off Friday, Learn and Link and It's a Wrap and Friendship Friday

Wordless Wednesday/Thankful Thursday- November 7/8

I didn't have much in me to have a post up for Wednesday morning.  Along with more than half of the nation, I was deeply saddened by what took place on Tuesday.  In fact, I was finding myself in utter despair-- not only for the loss of our nation as we know and love her, but for our children and what will face them in the years ahead.  And then, I read this in an email, "With the sad outcomes of this election a very dark night has descended over our country. Our Christian Faith, marriage and family and the very sanctity of life is under attack but we must NOT BE AFRAID- GOD WILL BE VICTORIOUS!"  I still am saddened beyond words, but have trust and hope in the Lord and am grateful for all of the gifts that He has bestowed upon me.  And, as I look again at the popular vote map, it gives me hope, as well.  I still grieve, I still feel ill, but we must turn to Him and praise Him in good times and bad and that with His strength, we will get through this.....No matter who is President, Jesus is still our King!

So, on this Thankful Thursday, I am grateful for:

a wonderful Italian lesson yesterday.  My children (and I) are learning so much and are having fun doing it!

a fun, laid back morning that started with Kiddos #1 and 2 taking their online class

while Kiddos #3 and 4 did their math.  Of course, Kiddo #4 set up school for her dolls.  :-)

it started to snow today and I just loved the look in my children's eyes at the discovery.  Of course, they had to go outside in it.  They raked leaves and cleaned up the last of the hurricane debris (branches, etc.).

Linking up with: Judy H-J's Thoughts, Mama to 4 Blessings, Create with Joy, NOBH, Musings from a Stay at Home Mom, Tina's Wordless Wednesday,Judy @ CoffeeJitters and Wordless Wednesday at Wordless ,Lisa at The Army Chap's Wife, NOBH , A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, Spilled Milkshake, Miscellany Monday, Women Living Well Wednesday and Raising Homemakers.

P.S.  My blog was nominated in 2 categories in the 2012 Homeschool blog awards.  I would much appreciate your vote and support.  Here are the links:

For best homeschool mom blog and best photos.  Thank you!  :-)

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- November 6

It's Tuesday and that means "Try a New Recipe Tuesday!"  Looking forward to seeing what you all share this week.  :-)

I am sharing my sugar cookie recipe.  My kids LOVE it.  They are always asking to make them.  It is fun and easy (and they are VERY tasty!)

SUGAR COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened          2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup sugar                           2 3/4 cup flour

1 large EGG                           1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add baking powder and flour (one cup at a time) mixing after addition. The dough will be very stiff, blend last flour in by hand. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into two balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball in a circle approximately twelve inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Dip cutters in flour before each use. Bake cookies on cookie sheet on top rack of oven for approx.. 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned.

Linking up with the Gathering Spot, Kids in the Kitchen, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to Recipes, Homemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Judy H-J's Thoughts, Wisdom Wednesday , Favorite Things, Modest Mom, Full Plate Thursday and Melt in your Mouth Monday

P.S.  I also just found out that my blog was nominated in 2 categories in the 2012 Homeschool blog awards.  I would much appreciate your vote and support.  Here are the links:

For best homeschool mom blog and best photos.  Thank you!  :-)

Make Life Meaningful Monday- November 5

I do feel guilty posting happy posts and photos while so many around us are suffering having lost their homes or without power and heat.  But, my family is what is meaningful to me and I am enormously grateful for them.  Tragedies such as last week's, just make me all the more grateful for the blessings I do have.  So, yes, I will post what made my life meaningful this weekend, and that is indeed my children.

The local townships all recommended that trick or treating be postponed until Saturday because there was still so much debris in the streets and power crews, etc.  They even asked that the children go out during the daylight hours.  So, that we did.

I did take the opportunity to explain to my children the real meaning of All Hallow's Eve and how the tradition of "trick or treating" came about.  Many years ago in England and Germany, children would go out praying (in chant and song) for the souls of those who had died.  The local townspeople would give the children "Soul Cakes." "Soul papers," with solicitations of prayers for the deceased, accompanied the cakes which were given to the parish poor. Householders, as well as churches, bestowed soul cakes as a charity in behalf of the departed.   We didn't get a chance to bake any, but are thinking about doing it soon.  I'll let everyone know how they turn out.  :-)

Kiddo #4 was delighted to finally get to dress in the Hershey Kiss costume that she made with her grandfather.  She got many compliments and comments.  :-)

P.S.  I also just found out that my blog was nominated in 2 categories in the 2012 Homeschool blog awards.  I would much appreciate your vote and support.  Here are the links:

For best homeschool mom blog and best photos.  Thank you!  :-)


Linking up with On, in and around Mondays in addition to Wisdom Wednesday, Living Well Wednesday, Mom's Monday Mingle, Monday Mingle, Modest Mom and Crazy Mama

Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap-Up- November 2

Here it is Friday again and what a week this has been.  We are very blessed, as we remained unscathed from the horrible storm.  All around us is devastation and many are still without power.  The New Jersey coastline is no longer as we all remember it.  Our prayers and thoughts are with all of them who have lost their homes.

Monday while the storm was raging, we didn't do much schoolwork.  We watched, waited, prayed and just were thankful for being safe.

I did publish my "Make Life Meaningful Monday" post about our amazing family retreat last weekend.  It was an extraordinary experience.

On Tuesday, the kiddos and I did some baking for Halloween.  We made Kiddo #1's Cocoa Fudge Cake and some sugar cookies.  The Cocoa cake was also my recipe that I shared in Tuesday's post.  You can see it here.

You can see more pics of our cookies and cake baking here, in my Wordless Wednesday/Thankful Thursday post.  I also reflect upon the devastation that is all around us and how grateful I am to be safe with my family.

Wednesday was Halloween, but with the storm damage of much of the neighborhood without power, the townships all requested that trick or treating be postponed until Saturday.  My husband had the wonderful idea to take the kids to Chuck E Cheese.  We were all able to eat and play together.  It was a fun night.

Thursday had us back at our work and classes at Church.  There was no Civil Air Patrol for Kiddo #1 due to power outages.

On Friday, we worked on our various lessons, Kiddo #4 continued on her Colonial tradesmen project and Kiddo #2 started on his state studies.  This is definitely my favorite resource this week.  I was lucky to be able to get it for free from the Notebooking Nook.  There are numerous sheets for every state and include geography, state symbols, state quarters, history and so much more.  He started with the first state alphabetically, Alabama, and will work his way to Wyoming.  :-)

What I'm reading: I purchased "Whispers from the Cross: Reclaiming the Church through Personal Holiness" on retreat and am looking forward to starting it this weekend.

What I'm praying for: all of those who lost their homes during the storm, our military, our nation, those who are unemployed, ill, or suffering....

A quote or photo to share:

Here is Kiddo #4 with candy legos that were in a gift basket from her aunt and uncle for Halloween.  She got a real kick out of the fact that she could actually build with them!  :-)

Thank you to everyone who has already entered my little giveaway.  I am so excited to have been given an autographed copy of a work of Christian fiction to be read with your families for Advent.  If you still haven't entered, there are a few more days left.  You can see the post here.  Thanks!  :-)

Hope everyone had a good week and for those of you with us on the East Coast, keeping you in my thoughts and prayers!  God bless!

Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, NOBH, Show-Off Friday, Learn and Link and It's a Wrap and Friendship Friday. Favorite Resource and Look What We Did