Start of Advent

Singing O Come O Come Emmanuel and lighting the wreath 

Feast of St. Nick!

The girls discovering their filled shoes outside the bedroom!

Somehow our St. Nick nutcracker got by the shoes from downstairs!

Working on Advent Adventures and Jesse Tree Ornament

Starting our 2010 Jesse Tree

Advent Adventures

The girls watching a movie from Advent Adventures

Lovely and baby Gift playing the Nativity -with Joseph played by a bear...

She even made the star!

recruiting friends to play in her Nativity

Our friend A made such a patient Joseph. Lovely so wanted a boy! lol!

I LOVE ADVENT!!!!

Blessed 1st and 2nd Week of Advent

Good Evening!

Oh, poor neglected blog. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. I have been living life, not blogging about it. And, and I have so many pictures I want to share. I had some uploading issues, but I hope to fix that ASAP.


Anyways...I hope to catch this blog up on our Fall, Thanksgiving, and now, start of Advent. As I was looking back at last year, I discovered this Advent started very much the same way it started last year - with us SICK. We were doing well last weekend (and I planned on blogging) until Tuesday rolled around. I was diagnosed with a sinus infection (JUST like last year) and then my family was hit with a stomach virus, which wiped out our week, school week, and Advent traditions in one swoop. This week I hope to play catch up with out Jesse Tree ornaments, and Advent Adventures, etc.

Until then, here is some reading to see how we started out Advent last year: Week 1, and Week 2.  Our excitement and love for this season of preparation is both the same this year as it was last year.

Blessed Advent!! I hope to catch up soon!

Small Successes and Thankful Thursday!!!

YAY! It's "hope" day...the day I find hope in something I've done.

1. I took some time out for renewal! I joined my sister and some lovely, amazing women last night at her church for a woman's advent tea. I'm so glad it happened! We need things like this to reflect and remember the upcoming preparations and to slow down some to appreciate them. It made me excited for another one coming up at my church in a few weeks.

2. I did SOME laundry and I used my free hours from the girls earlier this week to catch up on housework (that you now can't see anymore lol). I thought I'd might use that time to just sit down, and enjoy blogging or reading or commenting, but now...attacking the house made me feel more productive that day - but I miss blogging and reading....!!

3. I mustered some energy and did more creative things in homeschooling. The last few weeks I've done basic core work, with a few other activities, but I really felt a need to kick it up some before Thanksgiving break (to earn the break!). We've also done some Thanksgiving crafts and started the crafts for Christmas gifts too!

How goes it?

Thankful Thursday
This week I'm thankful for...

1. God!!!
2. faith!
3. the quiet.
4. the noise.
5. my husband...so incredible!
6. my kids.
7.  that baby Gift loved the first taste of solid foods yesterday.
8. my friends.
9. Good health.
10. food to feed my family.

Blessings!!!

Small Successes - "Get Into Nature" Edition

1. The house is pretty clean!! The guest room is still a storage room off and on, and Valiant's room always is in some sort of mode (she only sleeps there, and I think that is why I've never done "more" with this room. I've always wondered why, when I adore other adorable rooms my friends have! Lovely's room is much better lol!) but I'm happy with the house after a rough week last week. I had to play catch up. I need to do our schoolroom though.

2. This might be more attached to #1, but I got a toy/book organizer. It has helped us create a play area that was VERY needed, and order for that area that was VERY needed. Here is the before and after:

This has helped the kids be neater too and pick up their messes on their own with less hassle from me.

3.  I also took the kids yesterday and we got back into nature. The weather here was hot, even into the fall. TOO hot. Then, as soon as it "became" fall - temps got too cold to play or get out in. We were getting ripped off! But, this week we've had amazing weather. Cool, breezy, sunny....a dream! So, I made sure we got out in it! Glorious!!

It's soul food, baby...soul food. Getting out in nature is simply....amazing.

How was your week??

Thankful Thursday
This week I am thankful for....

1. our homeschooling schedule.
2. My incredible husband!! (feel better soon!)
3. being able to hike 2 days in a row (including today! This time, daughter free).
4. INCREDIBLE weather to embrace.
5. an appreciation for communication skills and the need for tone.
6. the good health of my children.
7. faith.

8. you.

Much love!!!

Wordless Wednesday - "Perfection in Triplicate"

Today was definately for HIS glory...not mine lol!

Ever have one of those days? LOL!


Can I get an AMEN?

Still Stunned

I have been speechless for a day on this, but a dear friend lost her sister yesterday - her young, vibrant sister - and no one can really say why.  She's also a world away from her family and I can't imagine having to do all the work to get her home back to them while grieving and being so far away from it all. JS - I am so, so sorry.

I don't know what else to say, so please pray from the S family. I am just so sorry for your loss. Stay strong, but cling to others and to faith as you can. We are here for you.