We've had a fun, blessed Christmas. We all really enjoyed our gifts, and our time together. Our Christmas day was a simple day, and we liked that. We opened gifts, played together, laughed together, ate together, and just had a blessed day.
Yesterday was a lot of fun. We took down the Christmas decorations together, then went out to a couple of stores and after that took Paul out for his birthday dinner. His actual birthday is today (Sunday), but he wanted to relax today, so we went out to dinner last night. We had such a fun time out, and went to AppleBee's for dinner, and it was very yummy.
Today we picked up Paul's birthday cake from the store. This year we decided to buy one, I really wanted to splurge for him. We ordered it last night, and white, double layer with strawberry filling and white frosting. It is so yummy.
I've also started playing with the jewelery making supplies my sister gave me. I just can't decide what to make. I have tried putting a couple of things together, just don't know if I like them or not. I want to buy so many new beads, spacers and other jewelery things, but I'm not quite sure what I want to make. So I don't just want to spend without thinking it through. Plus I'm wondering if I have the creativity for it. I mean, I couldn't put together websites because I lacked artistic creativity, maybe it's the same with jewelery making? I'm not sure. It does seem fun though. If any of you make beaded jewelery, what do you think are the most important things to have, bead wise? Just looking for some suggestions.
Here are the beads and tools my sister gave me.
Here's me putting together a bracelet Sarah had broken.
I'm looking forward to this week, absolutely nothing planned. We might have some friends over on New Year's Eve, not sure yet. But we do have lots of munchies for that night, even if it is just us. OK, well I think I'll try and put together a pretty piece of jewelery. If I come up with something, I'll let you know.
Hi everyone, how is your week going? We are doing great. We've been on our Christmas break since last Thursday, and we've been having a great time. On Friday night Paul and I went to Paul's Christmas party, without the kids. It was a fun date night. Lots of good food, friendship and fun. Saturday I went to a mom's lunch at Perkins. It was nice to sit with other mom's and talk about our homeschool struggles, and know we are not alone.
But Sunday has been the best day so far. It all started out last week when my mom mentioned she had a few Christmas items she wanted to bring out to us. (She sends us money for the kids and we buy their main gifts from them so that we don't have to pay for shipping). But she always has little things for the kids, and their stockings, and some gifts she had for Paul and me she wanted to drop off. The weather wasn't the best, and so she decided to come out on Sunday, that way she could see Paul too. Well, one thing led to another, and my whole family came out for a wonderful early Christmas and a ham lunch. It was so much fun.
Can you tell Paulie is very excited? All those green presents and stockings are from my parents.
My sister always has to rub Paulie's head after he gets a haircut.
I like cooking when family is over.
Mom, sister and me.
I like my mom's shirt, it says, "Who needs Santa when you've got Grandma."
We had a great evening and opened up some gifts. The bulk of the kids gifts from my parents will wait for Christmas day, but they gave us our gifts on Sunday. My parents blessed us with the one gift we wanted the most, a Roku to work with our Netflix account.
Yes, we are both very excited, I just tend to show my excitement more.
We gave up satellite tv about a year ago, just couldn't afford it anymore. We like the digital antenna service we have. It gives us a movie station, but most importantly a 24 hour sports station. But we also joined Netflix, and it has been great. With our subscription, we get unlimited movies and shows we can watch instantly on our computer. We have a nice computer screen, but it's not easy to watch movies on it while relaxing on the couch. That's where a Roku device comes in handy. You connect it to your tv, and it connects to your Netflix account through your internet and anything you can watch on Netflix, you can now watch on the TV. Oh my goodness, we've been using it so much. We watched a movie on it right away. And though they don't have as many good tv shows to be able to watch instantly, it does have Deadlist Catch and Surviorman. So I have them sitting in my queue, and we get to pick what we want to watch and when. It's better than cable. And we also found out that they will be offering MLB.tv on it this year. That's the only way we've been able to watch baseball since giving up satellite, is through the computer. And now, we can use Roku for that too. By far it was the best gift we got.
And then the next day my dad bought Paulie a gift. He felt Paulie might have some musical talent, so he bought him a guitar.
Paulie has really been enjoying it, well actually we all have. I'm going to try to learn the guitar too. So Paulie and I will be learning together.
Well this entry has been long enough. I'll write again sooner, so the next entry doesn't have to be so long. Hope you are enjoying your week.
I'm doing much better today than my last post. I didn't get to sleep in too much today, only about 20 minutes, but it was nice. Then my schedule was just thrown out the window. There were some things I needed to talk to Sarah about, teenage girl things. Nothing major at first, but the conversation ended up being about 2 hours long. It was well needed, and worth it, but of course that put our day behind two hours. Oh well. I just kept moving through the day, not worrying about the time. I didn't have anywhere to go, the kids knew the work they had to do, and I still got to rest a bit.
Since I didn't have to go anywhere, I decided to make a meatloaf dinner. By the time the afternoon came around, I really didn't want to make the dinner. I was tired, didn't want to have to work, or take the time to clean up after working with the meat. But since it was already defrosted, I did it. And you know what, I had a great time. Once I started working, didn't feel rushed because I just walked in or anything like that, it was fun. I ended up really making a nice spread. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, salad, shredded some cheese for the salad (something I don't normally do) and sliced some green onions for Paul's salad, because I know he likes them (again something I don't normally do). I set the table, had everything ready for when Paul got cleaned up, and we all sat down to a lovely meal. Not rushed, not thrown together, but a planned out, full meal. It was so nice. And I said something to Paul about, "See what happens when I'm home." To which he said, "I like it when you are home."
Though there are things I need to do, I'm going to try and look at my schedule a bit and see if there is anyway to combine some of the things I do, so I'm only out 1 or 2 days a week, so I can make more meals like this. Because for some reason, if I have to rush in at 2:00 or 3:00 and get dinner started by 3:30 or 4:00, I feel so rushed. I just feel overwhelmed. I know part of it is my raw meat/germ thing, and I don't like to think of all the cleaning I have to do after working with the meat. (Though let me say the Lord is really bringing me through that fear, and I am blessed by how much He has shown me and I continue to learn to trust in Him more than my cleaning. ). So anyway, when I'm just home all day, don't have to think about, "Ok if I leave at this time, get home at this time, get school finished, get dinner started etc...", I do much better with dinner. So that is going to be my goal for next year. See if I can go out only 2 days a week, instead of running out almost every day like I feel I have been.
So I wanted to give you a more 'happy' post than my last one. My family and I have full bellies and enjoyed a nice meal together. Now it's time to have our devotion time (didn't get it in this morning) then watch the movie Up for the first time. Plus I'm trying to finish crocheting a scarf I'm making for Sarah for Christmas (shhhhh it's a surprise ). Hope you have a blessed night.
I'm tired, so very tired. I was reading my friends blog when I realized why I was so tired lately, I've been wanting to have the 'perfect' holiday, and I'm pushing myself too hard to trying to make it happen. I have all my shopping done, gifts wrapped and under the tree, some baking done, and 2 more parties and Christmas Eve with friends to get through. But here's the thing, I might be ahead of the game, I might look like I have it all done, but I've exhausted myself in the process. I'm tired, I keep feeling like I'm getting a cold, all weekend, but haven't been able to rest because of our schedule. Today was cleaning day, did I put it off, actually skip it for a week to rest? Heavens no, not me, not Miss scheduled perfectionist. Nope I pushed my way through it, then when I was sitting letting Paulie read to me, I almost feel asleep while he was reading. I had to stop him 5 minutes early, so I could lay down and nap. I only got a 30 minute nap in, then Sarah came home from her bible study and the dryer went off. So I had to get up and take care of laundry and now I'm awake, but still tired. Just got off the phone with hubby, he even said it sounded like something was wrong with me. He called to make sure I was ok. Yep, the tiredness is showing through. So I might have started out pushing myself to have the 'perfect' Christmas. To make sure I had the best gifts and snacks for parties, to make sure all my shopping was done early, and everything looks great. But I think it's taken it's toll, and now all I'm praying for is that I stay healthy until after Christmas. Today is a bit busy, our homeschool party. But then I have nothing until Friday. Paul said I need to unplug, do nothing all week, just relax. I think I'll take his advice. I'm thankful the kids do most of their schooling by themselves, and they'll be finished by Wednesday or Thursday anyway. But I'm bummed that I've pushed myself so hard for others, that I have no energy or desire to bake cookies for my own family this week. Thankfully we do have cookies from a cookie exchange I went to on Saturday, but I want to bake for them myself. But I can't stress about it, I need to let it go. Hubby is fine if I don't bake any, but I'm going to try with all my might to rest as much as I can this week so that next week, when we have no school, I can relax, have fun with the kids and bake for my family. Why I stressed myself out so much and pushed myself so hard on everything else, I'll never know. Well I do know, because it's how I feel 'loved'. It's how I feel others accept me, if I'm involved, and doing, doing, doing. I need to stop thinking that, and realize others love me without me 'doing' all the time. I need to realize a messy, not perfect life is just fine.
Anyway, thanks for reading my rambling. Just needed to get it out. I will try next time to have a more happy and joyful entry.
Do you have a crazy Christmas schedule this year? I usually don't, and I try very hard to make sure I don't. But some how this year I feel very rushed. I think it's now having a teenager that has more parties to go to than I do. But Paul also has a work party this year, and I'm going to my first ever Christmas cookie exchange. Yes, it's true, I've never been to a cookie exchange before. And I'm bummed, because I over cooked some of my cookies. Which are the ones I will leave home with the family, but I'm bummed I have to leave the 'bad' ones. But the craziest thing I noticed was this. We have school through the 17th, we took next Friday off (it's one of our busiest days). So we've had parties, cookie exchanges to go to, besides normal get togethers and such to go to. After the 19th, when we are on vacation, and I could do lots of things, I have absolutely nothing scheduled. All the parties will be done, no friends to visit, no cookie exchanges to go to, nothing. I simply can't believe everything got crammed into the first two weeks of December, and nothing after that. But I guess that means I can relax, bake some more for my family without feeling rushed and burning cookies, and work on some fun crafts.
We have been pretty cold out lately, waking up to negative temperatures. What's really weird is that I've been out in it for a couple of nights this week, and it wasn't horrible. Actually, it didn't feel that cold, maybe I'm just too numb from the cold to feel it. We did have some snow too, but not too much. But I guess our temperatures are suppose to heat up (into the 30's) but then the snow comes. If it's sunny and clear, like its been, there are no clouds to keep the heat in, and it's beautiful out, but cold. But if the clouds comes in, it warms up, but snows. But at least it's warmer, and we can play in the snow. Here are the kids shoveling, and proof of our cold temps.
Well I should get going. Tonight is one of Sarah's Christmas parties we have to get her too. Plus, I really want to just relax and spend time with hubby while she is gone and Paulie is playing. Plus tomorrow we have a prayer meeting and a cookie exchange, besides church. Then baking two apple crisps Sunday for a party Sunday night and a different party Monday night. Yep, even though it's a lot to do, I do like a good party.
What a blessed time I had last night. It was our church's Woman's Christmas concert, and it was so nice. I was a greeter, which to me is always fun. I like saying hi to everyone, and help out those who are 'lost'. The concert itself was beautiful. A friend of mine wrote and directed a short play for it, and it was done soooo well. I just get shocked how much talent she has. Then we had a guest singer/speaker, and she was real good. We had over 950 ladies there. At the beginning of it was an hour of fellowship with the men from our church being our waiters serving us juice, water and snacks. Hubby couldn't help this year, but it's always a lot of fun. It's nice to be 'pampered' a bit like that.
After the concert a group of us ladies went to a local diner and had a blast. Goodness we got silly, I sometimes wonder if they will let us in again. But it was nice to just fellowship, hang with some friends and just enjoy each others company after the concert.
I am so blessed that the Lord has brought us to this church. For those of you who don't know, we kept saying no to the Lord about going to this church. We just didn't want to go to a 'bigger' church and kept driving past it every Sunday for a couple of months after we moved here. Finally, the gas prices jumped so high we 'had' to start going here, but we always knew the Lord was showing us we were to check it out. We just didn't want to listen, but I'm so glad we are here now. We've made such great friends here and we so enjoy helping and Paul enjoys working there. Isn't it great that the Lord knows so much better than we do?
Today has been a nice lazy day. I can't believe it's 4:45pm already. I feel like I just woke up. We are watching college football, I've been working on some crafts and then we have church in a little over an hour. I got my grocery shopping list done today, so tomorrow after lunch we can run to the store real quick. Being it's the holiday's, our food money is pretty low. Thankfully we still have some things from my last shopping, plus it will be a quick and easy shop since it's a lot less than we usually get. But this way we can get some gifts for the kids, and like I said, we have what we need, so we are good.
Guess I should get off the computer and work some more on my crafts before we have to leave tonight. It's pretty chilly out, about 19 degrees out right now and we are to drop pretty low tonight. Lot's of extra blankets tonight.
This blog is so I can share my journey with the Lord, my journey as a wife and mother, and my journey as a homeschool mom. I pray that you will see the Lord in my life through happy and sad times, and that this blog glorifies the Lord.
This is an award and tag free zone, thank you.
We might have some friends over on New Year's Eve, not sure yet. But we do have lots of munchies for that night, even if it is just us. OK, well I think I'll try and put together a pretty piece of jewelery. If I come up with something, I'll let you know. 
It was so much fun.
That's the only way we've been able to watch baseball since giving up satellite, is through the computer. And now, we can use Roku for that too. By far it was the best gift we got.
There were some things I needed to talk to Sarah about, teenage girl things. Nothing major at first, but the conversation ended up being about 2 hours long. 
I'm tired, I keep feeling like I'm getting a cold, all weekend, but haven't been able to rest because of our schedule. Today was cleaning day, did I put it off, actually skip it for a week to rest? 
But Paul also has a work party this year, and I'm going to my first ever Christmas cookie exchange. Yes, it's true, I've never been to a cookie exchange before. And I'm bummed, because I over cooked some of my cookies. 
