For Today, Monday,  November 30th, 2009

Outside My Window... Sunny, blue skies, heavy frost with patches of snow remaining from Saturday night's snow.  It's currently 29 degrees, looking for a high of 39.  Today's normal hi/low is 32/18.  Our cute hens are filing past my window.

I'm thinking...the neighbor lady has been on my mind this morning - it was one week ago today that her senior horse (age 35) passed away.  I went over with flowers & card and to share a hug & tears.  I'm sure it will be a hard day again for her.         

From the learning rooms...just keep trying to plug along with all the excitement of preparing for the holidays.   

I am thankful for...my husband and girls.  God's Word.  Our blogger friends. 
  
From the kitchen...  
M - Salmon
T - Pizza Hut (DH's birthday)
W - Garden Salad & Rolls
TH - Mashed Potatoes with Hamburger Gravy
F - Wild Rice Soup & Breadsticks
S - Out to eat after Bible Quizzing Competition
S - Sauteed Sirloin Tips & Potato Skins 

I am wearing... denim capris, black long-sleeved t-shirt & berry fleecy top, sports socks & pink striped fuzzy socks, hair is long.  Layers!  

I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Ezekiel; NT: Il Peter, KJB;
Just finished "Food Pets Die For" by Ann N. Martin (will post about that tomorrow) and am starting "Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats, The Ultimate Diet" by Kymythy R. Schultze.  

I am hoping... we have a productive week.  

I am creating... a happy, memorable CHRISTmas for the girls.

I am hearing... the clock tick; Anna is jabbering to me.
   
Around the house & barn...   A lot of our time still goes into caring for puppy - she is about 9 1/2 weeks old now and learning & growing.  She already understands, "outside", "let's go in", "let's go to the barn".  Such a good girl.  Otherwise, Jeff keeps working on the sauna haus when he has time - he just picked up the interior door Friday (but we are not nearly ready to install it yet) - I love the smell of the cedar.     

One of my favorite things... reading.
  
I am going... to Walmart today for grocerys & some flannel for Anna to finish a quilt that Grandma started and gave to us to finish (2 or 3 yrs ago) - it has squares from some of Jeff's very old t-shirts.  It will be good to get that out of the closet.     
   
A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)...
M - shopping; cleaning; maybe horseback riding but Amber has a slight cold that seems to be getting worse & she is wearing down.  
T - Jeff's birthday - going out to Pizza Hut with Grandma for supper (grandpa is in TX lucky guy)
W - Lead Awana Cubbies  
TH - Bible Quizzing Practice at church
F - Nursing home ministry 
S - Bible Quizzing Competition in Hudson, WI
S - Church & Family Time

A picture thought I am sharing with you...
This Morning :)

That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping!  Have a Blessed Week!
 Much thanks to our hostess Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook

Each night of Hanukkah includes the lighting of candles, the reading of blessings, gift giving, special foods and game called dreidel. There are also many songs and readings from ancient books in some homes. This year (2009) Hanukkah begins at sunset on Friday December 11th. Let’s take a look at some of the most common elements of the modern day festival!

CANDLES: the chanukiyah (Hahn-uh-key-uh) is a candle holder or menorah with nine branches. Each night of the Festival, at sunset, the candles are lit for that evening with one more candle lit each night to symbolize increasing joy!
First the shamash or servant candle is lit. The shamash is the taller center candle. I love the imagery of the central “servant” candle “bowing” in order to bring light to the other candles. It reminds me of two passages of Scripture:
In Mark 9 we read of a time when the disciples were having a dispute over which one of them would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. Jesus answered their question in verse 35 with these words:

Mark 9:35
35And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

 

Jesus was telling them to be like Him! In Philippians 2 we read:

Philippians 2: 5-11
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

 

A FUN ACTIVITY:
My mom told me about this fun and easy craft recipe that can be used to represent a Hanukkah candle:

CANDLE “SALAD”
1 pineapple ring
1 banana
1 orange or red gumdrop or a slice of strawberry
Cut off both ends of the banana and place it into the pineapple ring to represent a candle in a candle holder. Top with the gumdrop or strawberry to “light” your candle! Enjoy!

 

BLESSINGS: Each night after the shamash is lit, two blessings are spoken. On the first night, one additional blessing is read. This is traditionally done in Hebrew and is often followed by the English translations.

GIFTS: This is a newer addition to Hanukkah that began as rewards for children who could answer questions on the history of the holiday!
Gift-rewards were originally known as gelt. It became a tradition to give eight small gifts… one for each day of Hanukkah. Since Hanukkah is around the same time as Christmas it led to this tradition becoming more prominent and popular, especially for families with young children.

Gift ideas:
For young children: Small books, little toys, match box cars, hair ties, and maybe even a baked treat or candy
For older children: Hand lotion, craft supplies, smaller hobby items, tools, journals or handmade gifts
For young adults and adults: Items to save for their own Hanukkah traditions such as a nice menorah/chanukiyah, olive wood dreidel or other items from The Holy Land

 

FOOD: It is said that many of the traditional feast items are fried because of the miracle of the oil. We have not tried any of these recipes yet, but if we try them we will work on making them healthier by baking or at least frying in the better, high-heat stable oils like coconut oil.

Latkes: some recipes call for white potatoes, but I have also seen some with sweet potatoes. That sounds like it has even more potential to be a little healthier! Potato Pancakes from foodfit.com

 

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1 medium onion
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup egg substitute, or 2 whole eggs plus 4 whites
salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)

Serve with:
non fat or low fat sour cream
applesauce

1. Preheat a non-stick electric griddle to 450°F.
2. Peel the potatoes and onion and coarsely grate in a food processor fitted with a shredding disk, or on a box grater. Grab handfuls of the grated vegetables and squeeze tightly between your fingers to wring out as much liquid as possible.
3. Transfer the grated vegetables to a mixing bowl and stir in the flour, baking powder, egg substitute and a pinch of salt and pepper. (The potato pancakes should be highly seasoned.)
4. Spray the hot griddle with oil (or drizzle the oil on it and spread with a wooden spoon.) Spoon small mounds of potato mixture onto the baking sheet to form 3-inch pancakes, leaving 1 inch between each. Fry the pancakes on the griddle until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning once with a spatula.
5. Transfer to plates or a platter and serve immediately with sour cream and/or applesauce.
Serving Size: 3 potato pancakes

Baked Soufganiyot: Baked Soufganiyot–Low Fat Israeli Hanukkah Jelly Doughnuts. Doughnuts is a lower fat recipe from foodfit.com

1 package dry yeast (1 scant tablespoon)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (approximately)
1 cup lukewarm skim milk
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
grated zest of one lemon
3 tablespoons reduced fat butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup apricot jam (approximately)
confectioner’s or granulated sugar for rolling

1. Dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the water.
2. Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor equipped with a steel blade. Add the dissolved yeast, milk, egg, egg yolk, salt, lemon zest and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Process until blended. Add the butter and process until the dough becomes sticky yet elastic.
3. Remove the dough to a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for at least an hour. If you want to prepare the dough in advance, place it in the refrigerator overnight, then let it warm to room temperature before rolling and cutting.
4. Grease 2 cookie sheets. Dust a pastry board with flour. Roll the dough out to a 1/2-inch thickness. Using the top of a glass as a cutter, cut into rounds about 2-inches in diameter and roll these into balls. Place the balls about 1 to 1 1/2-inches apart on the greased cookie sheets. Cover and let rise 30 minutes more.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the doughnuts for 12 to 15 minutes or until they’re golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
6. Soften the jam in a food processor. Using an injector (available at cooking stores), insert a teaspoon of jam into each doughnut. Roll the soufganiyot in confectioner’s or granulated sugar and serve immediately.
Serving Size: 1 doughnut

DREIDEL: this game is a favorite with my children ever since they received an olive wood dreidel as a gift!
The driedel is like a little four-sided top. Each of the four sides has a Hebrew letter. The letters are the initial letters of a sentence: “A great miracle happened there!” The game is played with coins, candy or other small tokens and each letter/side rolled represents an action:

Nun=take nothing
Gimel=take all
Heh=take half
Shin=put in

(Listed from Left to Right since Hebrew is read from Left to Right) 

At the start of the game, each child has an equal portion of items and the remainder is place in the center. We play for a certain length of time (usually 30 minutes or so) and rather than allowing the children to keep all they have at the end we play with chocolate coins and allow each child to eat one and the “winner” to eat two!

Whatever YOUR family does this year, may your lives be filled with the Light of Christ. May you do ALL to His glory. May you stand for what you believe in and rededicate your life to shining God’s light into this dark and lost world. We know that our salvation is not based on our works, but on the work of Christ on the cross, but may be show our love and thanks to Jesus by acting in a way that will bring others to a saving knowledge of The Messiah now at the end of 2008 and as so long as we may be given grace to live in this world, but NOT of it!

Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

 

Hanukkah began nearly 2300 years ago and is rich in history and tradition. Unlike most other Jewish Festivals, Hanukkah is what is called a Post-Mosaic (After Moses) Holiday. This festival was not commanded by God nor was it instituted by God. However, it is LIKE other Jewish Festivals in several ways:

THE PAST: Hanukkah reflects upon remembrances of the past and shows us God’s provident hand upon His people!

The Greek culture that ruled much of the Middle Eastern world over 2,000 years ago had much to offer. It brought the world beauty in the form of architecture, fashion and art. It brought intellectual “wisdom” in the form of philosophy, language and mathematical discoveries. It brought entertainment in the form of sporting events and leisure that was previously mostly unknown. To much of the world there seemed to be no harm in indulging in the subtle blending of these styles with their own. This became known as Hellenism named for the Greek word for Greece, Hellas.

In Judea, however, the Jews lived by another standard. They followed a God-given law, The Torah. They were allowed to live in the way they saw fit until the Syrian King, Antiochus Epiphanes, came into power in 175 B. C. He insisted on full immersion in the Hellenistic life-style to the exclusion of all else. Under his tyrannical rule, anyone who even owned a Torah was in mortal danger. The King’s abusive acts went from the arrogant to the ultimately offensive. He minted coins with his image alongside that of Zeus proclaiming himself to be “god manifest”. He sullied the Jews temple by sacrificing pigs on the altar (an extreme insult to the kosher system under The Torah) and he even killed a priest named Elazar for NOT participating in this mockery.
Finally, an old Jewish priest named Mattathias was troubled enough to stand up for his beliefs. He would not abandon his religion and would not convert to the pagan practices that had so blended with their lives that the lines were no longer simply blurred, but were all but erased! Mattathias and his sons gathered up an army of farmers and craftsmen and they trained themselves to fight against the Syrians. Years of battles passed and when Mattathias was too old to lead any longer he appointed his son, Judah to take over for him.
Judah was a man of decisive force and had earned himself the nickname “hammer” or Maccabee. His followers soon after came to be known as The Maccabees. It took several more years, but this band of men had something going for them the Syrians did not have. The Syrian’s motivation was based on money, power and fear of the King. The Maccabees’ motivation came from determination to do what was right, regaining their freedoms and fear of the TRUE King! Through clever strategies, integrity and strength of character the Maccabees eventually were able to defeat the armies of their enemies and emerged victorious!

The people of Judah were triumphant, but were also devastated at the condition of their temple. It was littered with statues of false gods and almost every item that should have been consecrated unto The Holy God had been misused and abused. They set to work restoring the temple to its former glory. They built a new altar, removed the defiled stones, cleansed the sanctuary and finally in the year 164 B.C. on Kislev the 25th they were ready to rededicate their temple. In fact, the word Hanukkah means “dedicate”.
Legend holds that there was an additional event that increased the joy of the people during the ensuing celebrations. As they prepared to light the Ner Tamid, or the Eternal Light, they found they only had enough untainted oil to burn for one day. It would take a full week to make more, but miraculously the limited supply of oil lasted for EIGHT days the duration of the entire festival!

THE PRESENT: Hanukkah gives us a firm focus for the present and opportunities to apply the lessons learned to our situation today!

We can learn many applicable lessons from Hanukkah and its traditions! We, like the Jews of that day, can stand for what we believe in, cleanse from our lives the world’s culture and pagan practices, and rededicate our lives to living a life that shines Light to the World! In their joy, the people worshipped God with gratitude and set aside a time of full devotion to honor God and celebrate the restoration of their freedom. They were once again able to obey God openly and were no longer under the oppression of their enemies. They decorated the temple, prepared a feast and offered the sacrifices required by God upon the newly constructed altar.

We can apply this in many ways, such as dressing in a way that is modest, giving of our time and talents to worthy causes and sacrificing of ourselves to be a blessing to God and to shine HIS Eternal Light to a lost and dying world! Think of that from which we have been delivered and worship God with a heart full of thankfulness. Let that heart of gratefulness transform your entire life. Make time to whole-heartedly glorify God as you thank Him for the liberty that we have in Him!

THE FUTURE: Hanukkah points us to the future and our hope in Jesus Christ!
At the time, Jesus had not yet been born. Even so, I can see the possibility, as with other Biblical Jewish holidays that many of the elements of Hanukkah point to the truths of our Savior! We may even be able to learn some truths from the words Jesus spoke in the temple during Hanukkah in AD 29. Just prior to the festival he spoke about being the Good Shepherd. This may have been an allusion that the Jews would have understood as a Messianic claim! Then, we read in John chapter 10:

John 10:22-42
22And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.
24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
26But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30I and my Father are one.
31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
41And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42And many believed on him there.

 

In an article by Gordon Franz, he points out that when Jesus was asked:
“point blank, “Are you the Messiah?” (10:24). Jesus had to be careful how He answered that question. During the festival, throngs of Jews caught up in the nationalistic fever, were visiting Jerusalem. The word “Messiah” might spark off riots because of its heavy nationalistic and political overtones…Jesus does, however, answer the question in the affirmative, but not directly. When He answers, He is careful not to use the contemporary term and understanding… He says “I and my Father are one’” (10:30). That statement had heavy religious overtones for the festival which they were presently celebrating. Those gathered on the Temple Mount recalled the events nearly 200 years before on the very mount where, Antiochus IV, a mere man, proclaimed himself god. Jesus, the LORD manifest in human flesh, made the same claim but His claim was true. The Jews picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy because, in their thinking, He was a man who made Himself God (10:31-33). Jesus declared that He was the fulfillment of Hanukkah by saying the Father “sanctified” the Son of God and sent Him into the world (10:34-36), The Father was in Him and He in the Father (10:38). If the Greek word “sanctified” was translated into Hebrew, it would be “dedication” or Hanukkah.”

In the same article, Gordon Franz goes on to say:
“John wrote his gospel primarily to a Jewish and Samaritan audience, One of the unique things about John’s gospel is his emphasis on the Jewish and Samaritan festivals and his indication that Jesus was the fulfillment of these holidays. Hanukkah was the rededication of a defiled Temple. At the beginning of Jesus public ministry, He said, “‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body” (2:19-21) Herod’ s Temple had been defiled by a wicked and corrupt priesthood. The Lord Jesus was “sanctified” by His death, burial and resurrection and is the New Temple.”

I pray that whether or not you celebrate Hanukkah that you WILL Celebrate the Light of the World without whom we would be in bondage and in a hopelessly lost condition.. I pray, also, that you will take the advice that the apostle Paul offered in Philippians chapter 2:

Philippians 2:14-18
14Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
17Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
18For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

 

For Today, Monday,  November 23rd, 2009

Outside My Window... it is just becoming light, but we have gray skies and drizzle -- expecting a little rain throughout the morning.  Was out earlier this morning with Elsa and it's a humid 47 degrees - very nice for this time of year.  Today's normal hi/low is 35/21.  There was a gray rabbit in our front yard just a little while ago.

I'm thinking...I have a "can-do" attitude.  We have a busy week and I'm taking it head-on.         

From the learning rooms...like I said, we have a busy week, so we will try to squeeze in some academics here & there, but mostly just the school of life.  We are almost done in our studies of the American Revolution - was hoping to get it done by Thanksgiving, but will take just a little bit longer.   

I am thankful for...my husband was playing on the floor with Elsa last night and Elsa came at him with her mouth wide open, like usual - just puppy play, and she got him with her teeth on his eyelid.  Blood everywhere.  I'm thankful it was just his eyelid and not his eye.  He is okay & his eyelid looks much better this morning.  A good reminder to us all that Elsa is going to be a good guardian dog. 
  
From the kitchen...  
M - Pancakes & Bacon
T - Pasta
W - Hot Dogs (I use Hebrew National)
TH - THANKSGIVING FEAST at In-Law's
F - Taco Salad
S - Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
S - Meatloaf

I am wearing... denim capris, navy fleecy top, sports socks, hair is in a pony.

I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Ezekiel; NT: I Peter, KJB;
Elsa doesn't give me much time to read lately, but I try to sneek in a little here & there - mostly web articles.  

I am hoping... our Thanksgiving goes well - holidays with difficult people (mainly my mom) is always stressful.  

I am creating... nothing right now, except getting a jump on Christmas this year.  Have most of my shopping done and will start baking cookies this week.

I am hearing... the clock tick; my fingers bang on the keyboard; Amber is ironing.
   
Around the house & barn...   my days are filled with (1) caring for puppy -- play & taking her outside so she doesn't get into trouble indoors; (2) cleaning up after puppy -- a non-stop job, esp. after we have been away for a few hours -- she trashes her pen from separation anxity I suppose; and (3) trying not to wake puppy lest I have to go back to #1 prematurely.   

One of my favorite things... reading God's Word.
  
I am going... to do a little shopping today - DH's birthday is coming up.    
   
A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)...
M - shopping; cleaning; maybe horseback riding, but it's pretty wet right now
T - we have been asked by the nursing home to go on the bus with a few residents on an outting
W - clean house top to bottom; bake pumpkin pie  
TH - Thanksgiving at In-Laws
F - Staying Home!!!  
S - Quiet Family Time
S - Church & Family Time

A picture thought I am sharing with you...

Elsa is so helpful - she helps me off with my socks (umteen times a day).
(Yes, the paper shreds from her box get all over her fur & all over our socks and thus all over our house - but this too will pass). 

She helps me sweep the floor (notice she has a few broom straws in her mouth - ready to drag it away)
She helps me scrub the floor (carrying away my ShamWOW).

With all this help, it's a wonder why I don't get anything done. :) 

(Sorry, I won't be talking about puppy all the time - it's just what is consuming my life right now).  Have a good day!!!  

That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping!  Have a Blessed Week!
 Much thanks to our hostess Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook

Well, we homeschool and we blog so I think we probably read homeschool blogs too, right?

It's time to vote for the best ones! 

Go to The Homeschool Post .  Click on the VOTE button on the right sidebar.  Scroll down to see the 25 categories of nominees and VOTE!

Here are some of MY personal favorites:

Raising Arrows

 A Pondering Heart

Walking Therein

Feelin' Feminine

A City on a Hill

Gleaning the Harvest

The Mango Times

A Dusty Frame

On the Road to Manhood

Penny Raine

Heart of Wisdom

For Today, Monday,  November 16th, 2009

Outside My Window... there is a beautiful bright blue sky and nothing but sunshine.  We have a heavy white blanket of frost as it is only 23 degrees ~ expecting a high of 50.  Today's normal hi/low is 40/24.

I'm thinking...gotta get going...I already feel a little behind this morning as puppy's 2 am and 4 am play sessions threw off my sleeping schedule.         

From the learning rooms...still need to fill out our weekly school schedule, but this should be a normal full week of getting er done.

I am thankful for...good Christ-honoring Christian hymns and songs. 
  
From the kitchen...  
M - Lasagna
T - Soup & Corn Bread
W - Chicken
TH - Roast Beef
F - Pizza
S - Chow Mein Hotdish
S - Amber's Choice

I am wearing... black exercise capris, berry-colored fleecy top, sports socks, hair is in a pony.

I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Ezekiel; NT: Hebrews, KJB;
Haven't had much time to read lately, but catching various articles on prophesy; Sunday School handouts on cults (our current Sunday School lesson series); and holistic dog care.  

I am hoping... to have a productive day/wk.  

I am creating... need to get to a good fabric store so I can make the puppet theater.  (I know, this has been up for how many weeks?).  Haven't had much time to be creative.

I am hearing... the clock tick; my fingers bang on the keyboard; Amber is getting herself some breakfast and Anna is talking to Elsa (the puppy).   

Around the house & barn... well, our house was nice and clean Friday morning - sorry you missed it.  Now it will be a daily vacuuming & cleaning up around puppy area as we are tracking shredded paper all through the house.  I'm trying my best to keep the house from smelling like a pet store.  

One of my favorite things... visiting with my bloggy friends.
  
I am going... to stay home most of the week, woohoo.  
   
A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)...
M - Jeff took the day off to get the final fall chores buttoned up before it gets really cold.  Today he is doing his annual moving of some of Pasture 1's fencing to make room for our sledding hill.  He also has to get the heater in the horse stock tank; store the glass picnic table under the deck; and wash the windows on main floor and basement...but...he has been asked to help with a remodeling project at church so I'm guessing the windows won't get done.  Meanwhile us girls will be doing school as usual; taking puppy out to play multiple times; laundry; mucking and perhaps riding horses -- a busy day!
T - repeat of Monday only Jeff will be at work
W - clean house; lead Awana Cubbies ~ a special Cubbie Bear Birthday Party 
TH - Laundry; Amber has violin lesson
F - Nursing Home Ministry  
S - Quiet Family Time
S - Church & Family Time

A picture thought I am sharing with you...

Today I'd like to draw your attention to my dear friend, Christina's, Etsy shop,

 For His Glory Photography at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/forhisgloryphoto

I just love all of her Scripture prints and thought you might too.

That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping!  Have a Blessed Week!
 Much thanks to our hostess Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook

"Elsa"

and her pedigree name...
"Lady Elsa of Noble Heart"

All my children are a bit prone to careless mistakes in their school work, but Kendra won the prize yesterday for the most extreme absent-minded error  to date.

I'd just started to grade her math drill when I noticed she'd gotten the first question on the page wrong.  Not the frist math problem, but rather the frist question on the page; the blank marked, "Name______________".   

I would have understood if she'd forgotten to fill it in, but she answered--incorrectly.  In hasty Kendra-scrawl, she'd written, "Kaira."  

She was surprised and bemused at herself when I pointed it out.  The only explanation she could think of was, "Well, it is a timed test, so I was in a hurry."  She must have been hurried indeed to have forgotten her name!

I'll occasionally say the wrong name, but this is the first time one of the children has mistakenly called herself by a sibling name! 

Throughout the day I've been sneaking up on her and giving a pop quiz, "Quick, what's your name?"   She usually even gets it right--at least when she can stop giggling long enough to answer.