Sunday, November 29, 2009 - It's that time again!
Time for our annual - 'day of torture' ...
also known as ....
"Try to get just ONE decent photo for a Christmas card day!" 
And here are some of this years options....
We have your garden-variety 'eyes closed' poses
Or "Mom's finger over the lens" is always a winner....
Then there's the 'distraction' shot...
Cat on the floor (AND bonus eyes closed) shot
Awkward pose (and glowing eyes of doom)
And then things really went south....
It started with one
And spread from there
So if you end up with a 'boxed' card this year.... now you know why. 
Nov. 27, 2009 - Bethany Grace
Bethany Grace continues to battle on-going sinus infections. It's not uncommon to find her like this in the middle of the day:
So I am beyond thrilled when she is feeling better and can make it through the day without a nap or needing a rest. She has been feeling really well the past couple of weeks. Last week I snapped this picture of her as we were getting ready to go out for the evening to enjoy the "flipping the switch" of the lights at Gaylord Opryland and then off to see the Rockettes.
Nov. 27, 2009 - Strength's Based Living! Change Your Life!
Strength's Based Living!
Mary with Linda Werner at the FPEA State Homeschool ConventionIn his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Loosely based on Romans 12:6-9
Last May I heard Linda Werner speak at our convention on Strength's Defined and it has truly changed my life. Six month’s later and I am even more in love with the heart of this message. Strength’s Defined was an introduction to Strength’s based living.
Strength’s Based living is all about being purposeful with those talents God has given you. It talks about stepping back and looking at who you are, who you really are. Imagine if you quit trying and striving to become something or someone you admired and instead threw yourself passionately into who you already are? Sounds simple doesn’t it? It’s NOT!
Our society has programmed us to think that overcoming our weaknesses is character building. Though I don’t totally disagree with that concept, I do think that we as a society have given that way of thinking too much room in our lives. Overcoming our weakness is all about “striving” and embracing our strength’s is all about “thriving”.
Strength’s based living does not have you ignore your weaknesses, but instead it tells us to manage them. How do I manage mine? I look around me and take note of the people God has put in my life. Most often, those friends who I cherish and adore are strong where I am weak, and so I include them in my management plan. What does that look like? Sometimes they offer words of wisdom, other times they hold me accountable, sometimes they simply listen and pray.
If you’ve noticed I am blogging two days in a row after lots of time off. Last weekend when I spoke to leaders at the "Leadership Tea" I realized that I had been too busy and that I love doing this. Facebook seems to get more attention, because it takes less time and nets lots of immediate feedback, yet it's not the same thing.
Blogging allows me to put thoughts together more completely. I can take my time and process, plot, plan what I want to say. The truth is I've missed it. I have come to learn after 4 1/2 years of blogging that there are seasons when I can and seasons when I can’t. Right now, I am in a downtime schedule wise, and plan to use the next few weeks to catch up and fill my cup through blogging.
If we’re not engaging and embracing those things that fill our cups, energize us, empower us, than our cup runs dry and we begin performing as we try to pour out what we don’t own.
So my Christmas break goal is to share those things I’ve been learning this past six month’s about Strength’s Based Living. I plan to write about my personal experiences because I think real life stories are more powerful than any how-to book.
Not only will I share my triumph’s, but I want to be real and share my hurdles as well. It’s not about getting it right, never making mistakes, but instead this journey is helping me to live out our family motto, “Fall Down, Get Up, Fail Forward, Finish Well.”
Thursday, November 26, 2009 - ~25 Days of Gratitude~
Today I am grateful for...
~^~An enjoyable Thanksgiving day filled with a loving family, yummy food and sunshine!
~^~Financial provision, God has greatly blessed our family and we want for nothing.
~^~The blessings of a relaxing weekend, alone with my beloved. The girls are enjoying a fun weekend with their Grandparents.
~^~Looking forward to Black Friday shopping.
I am blessed beyond measure!
Wishing you and your family a Blessed Thanksgiving.
Thursday, November 26, 2009 - Happy Thanksgiving!
I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!
In honor of today, Katie made her first lapbook called...Turkey Time!
(We used the project pack from In the Hands of a Child - although we 'tweaked' it a little' -
Yep.....I even tweak lapbooks
)
Opening the folder
Originally the project pack called for the child to paint with popcorn, but
there was a darling poem called "Turkey In the Barnyard" on the first page,
so we opted to 'illustrate' that with a hand-print turkey instead.
This particular lapbook design called for vertical flaps - I added 2.
If you flip down the first flap, you can see a page about what people eat for Thanksgiving - including what Katie plans to eat - (chicken, corn and mashed potatoes.)
And on the reverse side of the flaps is a 'turkey feathers' game.
Katie counts how many feathers each turkey needs, and pulls them out of the envelope
Before we glued them down - she made sure they were all there - LOL.
Other activities include:
Counting popcorn
Matching colors
and foods that begin with "T"
Now we're all set to enjoy our own Turkey Time...
or rather...chicken time... ( my kids don't like turkey)
I pray you all have a blessed day!
