My littlest girl and my step-daughter happen to have the same birthday. It's so much fun to celebrate two birthdays on one day. It makes it a little more like Christmas because it's not all about one child. Our girls are so cute about wanting to surprise their sisters and be involved in the party preparations. This year we started having the older ones pay for their own gift out of their piggy bank. It's a wonderful experience for them. They are really thoughtful, yet frugal in their choices. Well, here are some pictures of the celebration.
Here I am on Saturday about to head off to bed. It has been a full but relaxing day. I do have one question? Do you realize how much work clothing is? I have 4 Precious Blessings and that adds up to alot of clothing. I don't buy much but I do have to buy a few things, some clothing comes by way of hand me downs, I do a little thrift shopping and a little retail sale shopping, some comes in wonderful packages in the mail from Nana(I love these).
Work created by clothing:
Laundry....multiple loads daily around here
Sorting of seasonal and worn out and too small clothing
Finding someone or some place to pass on used clothing(I have 2 boxes and two bags next to the front door right now to pass on and take to the resale shop)
Buying or making new clothing ===I would love to make more clothing but I am barely taking care of the daily life requirements at this time...soon, I will sew, the girls are at the age to begin learning.
I am sure there is more.....
Now, I am happy for all this clothing work because it means:
I have people here that need clothing, precious little people that call me Mommy and oh, that little guy who is learning to say Ma-Ma, sounds more like Mu-Mu, I don't care what he/they call me as long as they call me!
I have the health and energy to take care of the clothing needs for these people
They have clothes to wear....we lack nothing, need nothing, want very, very little
I know how to sew even though I don't do any right now, I have a sewing machine.
Speaking of those little people, they are all bathed and tucked into their beds and the only noise I hear is the heat running through the pipes and the DRYER!!!
Are you prepared to Worship tomorrow?....Sunday's worship preparations begin on Saturday.
I am going to go do a little more preparing then off to sleepy by land.
"Mrs. Diamond" and I have been getting to know each other through our blogs. Her "Diamondettes" (I refuse to cal them lumps of coal), have been blog friends with my girls for awhile now. It's fun to meet families as a family on HSB!
Now there are TONS of blog posts I could link you to, but I had such a hard time deciding what to go with. I've opted to link to categories, that way you can see a bunch of posts at one time.
The first category up is Emily's 400 Questions, and Mrs. Diamond isn't kidding when she makes that claim! Some of the questions her daughter comes up with will surely make you chuckle and wonder where that question came from. Others are very thought provoking. All are fun to read! Now if Mrs. Diamond would put the answers she'd have her own Q & A Encyclopedia!
Ever wonder what it's like to live in the desert? Then the category Life in the Desert is what you want to click on! It's hot, it's cold, and it's always full of blessings--and lessons from the Lord.
With the holidays coming up you are more than likely looking for some new recipes. Try this little recipe "book" Recipes From My Kitchen. The recipe that is a family favorite for my family is the Dutch Baby. Yummo!
My all time favorite category though is Diamonds and Other Gems. Wow! There are some lessons to learn here! Like the worth of diamonds--and souls.
Please click on over and say hello to my friend, DiamondsInTheRough!
Nov. 7, 2009 - Add hand-made jewelry to your Christmas gift-giving list!
Visit my dear friend Melody over at With the Fruit of Her Hands for all of your jewelry needs. I can personally attest to the quality of her work. While you're over there, join the contest she's currently having!
I gave in and got the H1N1 vaccine for two of my daughters (my oldest and youngest) and for me, complete with Thermisol (mercury) for my older daughter and me. I have very well-managed asthma that has occasionally gone totally South on me in the past. Real misery. 30-40% reading on my peak flow meter kind of stuff. And my eight year old has CVS, which she has gotten sick before from a cold and it causes her to not be able to keep things down at all, once for almost a week. So, despite my misgivings, and outrage at them STILL putting things like Thermisol in our vaccines, I got the vaccine. My littlest daughter got the one without thermisol, but it was "unavailable" to us who are older. We even had a flu like thing come through our house, but not everyone got it and it wasn't that strong or long-lasting, so I'm figuring it wasn't H1N1.
In the end I just figured I was going to worry about which was the right decision and I'd just get the vaccine and then put the worry behind me.
Abigail was cute as can be. Kids were there screaming before they even got the shot, just in anticipation. She, at first didn't know what was going on. Then I got a shot and Natalie (8) got a shot and then I picked up Abigail (2) to hold her. What a smarty she is. I pulled her sleeve down to bare it and she immediately grabbed her upper arm muscle to cover it. So smart. We all feel alright so far.
Dentist
Jon went to the dentist. We belong to an HMO. He called for a dental cleaning and they told him it was three months or today. So, he took today. In customary fashion, nothing wrong with his teeth. I tell you, he brushes his teeth so fast and only once a day and isn't consistent about flossing. But, never any cavities or any other problems. He tells them about the difference between him and I. I don't know why Jon tells me these things, but he tells me he says they say it's just how you take care of your teeth. He tells them about how many cavities I have gotten when pregnant. They tell him that extra cavities associated with pregnancy have only to do with being distracted. You have got to be kidding??? These people just frost me! (Am I not supposed to say that on a blog?) I brush my teeth like a maniac when I'm pregnant. They tell Jon there is no nutritional basis for cavities and that teeth cannot have minerals leached from them. What are they smoking??? (Am I not supposed to say that either?) I suppose weak teeth have no possible connection with weak bones either...as in how badly I broke my wrist... Oh...my, I do need to brush my teeth like crazy. That's true. But, it is my belief that I have some genetic thing going on with both my teeth and my bones and my moods that I best do something about. The medical community can be so narrow minded sometimes. Medicine + a thoughtful (rather than bureaucratic) look at nutrition = powerful. Medicine the way it is = unhelpful.
My grandpa, my Papafather's dad, was a country vet. He had a little office off the side of the house where he did small animal surgery, and exams. He made house calls all around the country, some trips taking him an hour or more to reach the animal in need of help, be it cow, horse, sheep, or pig. Very often he would have one of his children in tow. He had 10 of them so there was no shortage of helpers. It all sounds very James Harriot like, and in a way it was. James Harriot's stories are popular with that side of the family and each story reminds them of one like it that grandpa experienced.
Grandpa's office was, as I said, just off the house. Just off the kitchen to be exact. My grandma had a dutch door put in so that she could just open up the top half to talk to him and yet keep the little ones inside. Think about that. A vet's office, just off the kitchen. Do you recall how a vet's office smells? That smell still lingers in that office to this day and it's been over 10 years since my grandpa died.
Aside from the smell, I never gave grandpa's office much thought. We would traipse our way through it on the way to play outside, to gather in the clothes from off the line, to pick grapes, collect eggs, or to find grandpa. The office doubled as grandma's laundry room so I suppose that's why it didn't seem like a room that needed much attention. I never spent any time in it other than to get from point A to point B. Which is strange now that I think about it, all those fascinating instruments, chemicals, medicines, and the like just within reach. I never touched them or was ever tempted to do so.
One temptation I did give in to was a special barrel out back that held two skunks. Grandpa would warn us to leave those skunks alone. My numerous cousins and I would stand around the barrel peering in, and those skunks would peer back. The lot of us cousins would look for only a moment and then run away as fast as we could before we got sprayed. I didn't find out until I was much older that those skunks couldn't spray because my grandpa had "deskunked" them. I don't know if my cousins were aware of this at the time or not, they ran just as fast as I did. Grandpa's warning hadn't been for us, he had been worried that we would torment the skunks.
Skunks actually make a great pet and are positively darling, if you can legally keep them. My uncle kept one for awhile. She was just like a cat, had a litter box and everything. Her name was Rosie, and then some, but I won't repeat that part.
We have a family story, told every couple of years or so I guess, about grandpa and one particular skunk he was de-scenting. While in the process of removing the gland that contains the hideous skunk musk, it was ruptured. It squirted all of its contents right in my grandpa's face. He came into the kitchen to clean up and the only thing he said was, "It's such a beautiful color." Apparently skunk spray is an amber color, and my God fearing grandpa could still recognize the beauty of God's handiwork even in a skunk's musk.
Funny, while my aunts and uncles roar with laughter about this story every time they tell it, I don't remember anyone talking about the smell lingering in the kitchen or what on earth my grandma said or did. I'll have to ask them about that.
After the laughter dies down, someone will always mention how my grandpa was such a quiet, gentle, and patient man. Oh he had his moments when a cow would stomp him, but how many men do you know who would take it from a skunk and only comment on it's beauty?
Friday, November 6, 2009 - Another week without pictures
Oh, you should see how beautiful the snow is! And today it has snowed all day...this morning we had small snowflakes but this afternoon we have medium sized flakes flowing steadily. The older blessings were out playing this afternoon. I have yet to get out and get snow pictures...my camera batteries died last time I attempted but they are now charged and ready to go. Maybe tomorrow, todays daylight will be gone soon.
We had a great week. School went very well. We are all past our sicknesses. No drama. I'm so grateful.
The Lord is speaking to me about being a better friend, about really listening and being there for people. I need to hear this, and so much want to do this. I am convicted of keeping my friends at armslength. I know it stems from being insecure in childhood and feeling like I didn't have any friends, so I stopped trying. There have been times when the Lord has brought me friends, and still I did not work hard at keeping them. I want to go beyond that in my life, and work harder at being there for my friends. If you want to be included in those who want my deeper friendship, just leave a comment, or email me. I'm going to try.
This is Snow Crystal working on a Christmas present.
On the Homefront:
We worked on keeping the house cleaner throughout the week, and found that to work well. I do laundry twice a week (Sundays or Mondays and Thursdays or Fridays). If the laundry isn't finished, I finish it the next day without adding more from the new day. This way I know all the laundry gets done twice a week and it isn't as much of a burden. The older girls are helping me a lot more too. For example, Snow Crystal is downstairs making cookies right now as I type. The weather was nice, and got nicer all week. Feels like summer except for all the snow still on the ground.
This is Snow Crystal following her "directions" of how to make her favorite cookies that she had to do for language arts yesteday.
In the School Room:
Bible: We continue to read Egermeier's Bible Story Book with Bubbies and the older girls listening in. We didn't do anything with our Biblical Holidays book. We also read a few stories from "I Heard Good News", which is a book full of short stories about how different countries and peoples received the gospel. I am thinking that for the older girls we might try to do some of the articles and activities that go with The Voice of the Martyrs magazine. You can find it at http://www.kidsofcourage.com. It looks like it would be a good thing for them to do.
History: We are now in the post-civil war era. In Landmark's History of America we learned how Montgomery Ward changed the way business was done for the rural American, and about Richard Sears' imput to this.
Science: We moved on to start learning about Alexander Graham Bell and his inventions.
Read-Aloud: We are ahead with the older girls, so took a break from read-alouds. I read The Light on Tern Rock with Bubbies.
Reader: Mountain Princess and Snow Crystal are reading Shades of Gray, by Carolyn Reeder. It is a good book about a boy who was orphaned during the civil war, and having to live with his mother's sister and family after the war.
Language Arts: The older girls worked on similies, topic sentences, writing a formal letter, and grammar. Bubbies reviewed the letter "S" and made a "P" and an "S" letter sheet (I get these from homeschoolshare.com). She read her first "reader" that comes with her curriculum. It is a cute little book called "Pam"). It was a proud moment for her to read it to her daddy one evening this week too.
Math: We had a great week again this week, and the girls continue to make progress in becoming independent.
Spanish: MP is using Rosetta Stone and seems to be learning and retaining a lot. SC is using The Complete Book of Spanish (workbook from Wal Mart). She'll get back to Rosetta next year.
On the Mission Field:
The school had Chris Stanton here. He suffered from acute mountain sickness for the first day, but finally recovered. I think they've been having a great time.
In the Literary Scene:
I am reading Brock and Bodie Thoene's second book in the Galway Series Of Men and of Angels, and I finished the first book too. Very good reading!
Feeding on His Faithfulness,
Carol
If you would like to join me in this theme, just write up your own weekly summary, using mine or your own categories. Then sign the Mr. Linky below. I'd love to read your weekly summaries too! I hope to post mine on each Friday or Saturday. At the latest it will be on Sunday. If you get yours done before I do, just leave your link in my cbox or comments from the week before. Be sure and check last week's Mr. Linky for any new ones who posted before I did! It is a great way to meet new people.
It is so sad that events occurred yesterday at Fort Hood, north of state capital Austin, near Killeen, Texas, during the same week that we had chosen to honor our Veterans and write about honoring them. I'm assuming by now everyone has heard that a shooter, a psychiatrist major, opened fire upon his fellow soldiers, killing 12 and wounding 31. Thankfully, he was stopped before the statistics became higher, and in this case, he survived and is in stable condition (as of Thursday night). It is sad that for whatever reason he snapped. Sadder still that he happens to have an ethnic name, helping others to automatically put blame towards domestic terrorism. (Although things are coming out that his religion, Islam, might have contributed to his thoughts and actions.)
Last night, I was at my dog class, which is held at an National Guard Armory in Fort Worth. In fact, due to the Fort Hood event, they were asking us to lock the front door behind us as we came and went. We voiced our support to them. Being there and having to be in a "lock-down" situation helped to put a face on those who serve us by being willing to protect us and our country.
You never know when your path will cross with those who have served (or who are serving). I want to encourage you to voice your support and appreciation for and to them. It can be a simple "thank you for your service;" it doesn't have to be anything elaborate or overly formal. (I usually include our police officers and fire-fighters also, since they serve and protect us "closer to home.")
Reach out to those who come across your path and show them your appreciation for their service. They deserve our respect and gratitude.
Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, Donna's mother, Charlotte, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completed his homeschooling in the fall of 2008. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One in 2003, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can find these free resources, including a message board for those who HOO, on her website at http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC
Why join the military? The money isn't terribly good. Starting pay is nice but it doesn't keep up with the private sector. The locations are great but even a tropical island is blah after the third holiday you don't see your family. Then there is boot camp and the continual physical tests and challenges that are just plain hard. So why join the military?
I can tell you why we did. My husband and I both chose to serve. Someone must stand on the line and say no further. I will protect my family and friends. I will stand up for my rights and those of my neighbors. I chose to serve because it is a responsibility as a citizen of the United States of America that I am able to fulfill.
Times change and now we are no longer in the military. I am glad that I had that chance. Now how can I continue that sense of service to country? This year we are looking into sending packages and cards to soldiers around the world.
I would like to thank the veterans out there! Thank you for your dedication and willingness to serve and protect. God bless!
Heather lives in West Virginia. She and her husband have been homeschooling their 5 children for 8 years. Due to a genetic disorder their children have multiple special needs. Living life to the fullest for the glory of God is their goal! Visit Heather's page at www.homeschoolblogger.com/gfcfmomofmany/ or at Special Needs Homeschooling.
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From the Heart:
