Watching and Waiting.....

Advent is here and I just have to recommend this WONDERFUL Advent resource I've found this year. Even if you already have something you're using with your children, I heartily recommend this devotional for YOU.  I'm finding my heart challenged each day as we read.  While you're over there, it might be a good idea to allow yourself some time for clicking around.....really good stuff there.

Happy Birthday Marina!

Lovely Marina, with your arrival at 11:07 p.m. 15 years ago today, everything changed....forever.  And we are so thankful. You, our witty, intellectual girl, are precious to us.....and even more so to your Savior.  You are BELOVED in so many ways.  We love you.  Mom and Dad

Is there such a thing as a 1 1/2 birthday?

I'm grieving.  Our baby is 1 1/2 today.  Where does the time ago?  Wait a minute.  I know exactly where the time goes.  It goes to picking up the path of destruction that "Mr. Hurricane" seems to leave behind where ever he goes.  I've really never seen anything like it - the mess that is.  That's saying a lot from a mom of 5.  You all warned me that boys are different.  I knew you were right......but there's no way I could have imagined the shenanigans of my precious, outlet-licking, table-climing prince.  And there's also no way I could have imagined how MUCH we would all love him.  ;-)

And so that also explains the neglect of this poor blog.  I've got messes to pick up and people to love....lots of both!  I am so blessed!

Unique - A Happy Birthday Story

Thirteen years nine months ago, a young wife and mother lived comfortably in her contented life with her one sweet little princess when she learned that another cherub was on the way.  She loved her happy life with her precious daughter.  That daughter was her greatest joy.  She couldn't imagine being able to love another child as much.

So she began to pray.

She prayed that God would make the babe on the way so unique that it would be easy to love her.  And He did.

She prayed that this child would be very much her own person.  And, oh boy, did He ever!

She prayed that God would fill her heart to overflowing with love for, now, two daughters. And He did.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

This morning,  at the same time that little baby was being born 13 years ago, two hot air balloons drifted over our house just as I stepped outside.........and I thought "of course"!  Of course this special day would begin in such a unique, interesting and exciting way.  That's just what you are sweet Olivia.  

Happy Birthday dear Olivia!

(This post is being published one day late since we were all watching Olivia's relay team win first place at a swim championship on her birthday.  Very fitting, huh?)

Same great blog, fun new look.

After receiving some compelling feedback from some special folks,  I've decided this blog will remain open.  I don't really know what that means since I've obviously taken to posting a lot less.  I guess it means occasional pictures of the prince and funny anecdotes of family life......and very rarely, maybe a little more from my own heart.  We'll just have to see how God leads.  For now though, we've made it a lot more fun to look at and will hopefully be updating the sidebars soon.

Happy summer!

My Simple Woman's Daybook - June 19

Outside my window...

 Sunny and breezy.....beautiful. 

I am thinking...

That it might be time to close down this blog.  It seems maybe it has outlived it's purpose.

I am thankful for...

...an elderly dog that has the courtesy to wake me at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning to inform me she vomited on my bedroom carpet.  >:-(  

(OK, yes, that was sarcastic.)

Towards an education...

.......still chugging along with history.....but very, very lightly.

From the kitchen...

I thought, for a brief time this morning, that my coffee maker was broken.  So I considered doing what any other coffee-loving person would do - driving to McDonald's in my pj's.  But McDonald's coffee really is sort of yucky (and driving to Starbucks would have involved crossing a major highway and changing out of my pj's) so I rigged a way to get one hot cup of manually perked coffee.  
Therefore, see my Favorite Things below.  ;)

I am wearing...

cotton...again

I am creating...

 Lesson plans and curriculum ideas for next year....still.....and also researching some online classes.  

On my iPod...

Reaching Your Child's Heart  - a GREAT talk put out by Simply Charlotte Mason.

I am reading...

You Can't Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded): Strategies for Bringing Out the Best in Your Strong-Willed Child

Lots, and lots, and LOTS of good stuff in this book!  This may become my new favorite parenting resource.

I am hoping...

For a very blessed Father's Day for my sweetie.

I am praying...

For a gentle heart towards my children.

I am hearing...

A sweet baby boy chewing cinnamon raisin bread and babbling at the dogs.

(Have you ever noticed that when adults - or even older kids for that matter -  chew with their mouths open it's gross but when babies do it, it's adorable?!)

Around the house...

My house is very, very dirty.  There's just nothing more I can say about that.  

One of my favorite things...

Quiet Saturday mornings and fresh, hot coffee....at the same time. 

A few plans for the rest of the week...

 We've battled Strept Throat and goopy noses this week.  It will be nice to have everyone well again.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Six teeth now!

My Simple Woman's Daybook - June 6

Outside my window...

 It's HOT and the pool is beckoning yet again today.  

I am thinking...

That the homes pictured in Southern Living Magazine don't look like they serve as classroom, playground, and haven 24/7 like mine does.  

I am thankful for...

....the many opportunities I'll have this summer to love some difficult-to-love people.

Towards an education...

"Mom, there aren't that many presidents who had good character."
Yep, Sweetie, you got that right.

From the kitchen...

Olivia has nearly mastered a copycat version of Starbuck's Frappaccinos.  My blender is getting a lot of use on these hot June afternoons.

I am wearing...

cotton

I am creating...

Lesson plans and curriculum ideas for next year.  We'll return to the Ancient Civilizations and we'll also have a high schooler!

On my iPod...

Keep Changing the World by Mikeschair

I am reading...

Imitation of Christ and am finding myself SO challenged by it.

I am hoping...

For a quieter week.


I am praying...


For a sweet friend with a bad back.  :(

I am hearing...

Girls trading Silly Bandz.  I'm sure someone somewhere is making a small (or not so small) fortune off these colorful rubber bands!

Around the house...

I conquered laundry mountain (Mr. Neverest) yesterday and that feels good.  

One of my favorite things...

Summer evenings with dinner by the pool.  

A few plans for the rest of the week...

  A homeschool convention and time alone with my honey.  Yep, I said alone.  Brayden was officially weaned last week.  It's very bittersweet indeed.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

I'm glad to see my old prom dresses are good for......ahem........cartwheels!

I've always likened us to a traveling circus.......

............this just confirms it!

Yep, that's the guy with the arthritic ankles and post-surgical neck!  God love him!  (I sure do!)

My Simple Woman's Daybook - Pentecost Sunday Edition

Outside my window...

 Last week's rain is causing our grass to grow faster than we can keep up with!  Our lawn gal (Olivia) is hoping to get to it between the showers this week.

I am thinking...

That this long-time favorite book to read to my babies sure does sound different when read by 
Oma with her thick Indonesian accent!  
(Indonesian cats evidently make a sound very different from the "meow" of the western world kitty!)

I am thankful for...

The Holy Spirit.

Towards an education...

Most subjects are winding down for the year.  However we're just finishing our third unit (of four) in history.  June and July will see lots of current events and president studies.   I'm OK with that.  Reagan, Carter, Bush x 2, Clinton and Obama are just too interesting to rush.  

From the kitchen...

Lots of roasted veggies from our local farmers market.  (I find if I get enough variety in there, everyone can find something they like.)

I am wearing...

A cozy soft skirt and t-shirt on this rainy Sunday afternoon.

I am creating...

Order in my home.  It's coming slooooooowly.


Someone who would know once told me to expect to wait at least 6 months until the fog of bedrest and 
c-section lifted.  Brayden is now 13 months and it is just lifting.  Praise God it is lifting.

On my iPod...

This wonderful product created by the writers of our history curriculum.  While on my weekend run, I can also get a head start on our history studies for the week.

I am reading...

Simplicity Parenting.....still.  I'd also like to dig into Signs of Life

I am hoping...

For respite soon for August.  Poor guy works so hard for so many people.

I am hearing...

Lots of ear clutter!
Folks often comment to me that they imagine our home is very quiet since we have girls.   Those folks need to stop by one day when we've got flute practice AND karaoke going simultaneously!  

Around the house...

Last week's laundry got folded.....yesterday.  ;-)


We're doing a lot of straightening as we anticipate a visit from a very special friend.  

One of my favorite things...

Friends who know me and love me anyway.  

A few plans for the rest of the week...

 Swim team season is here.


A dear friend and her daughter come to visit as they go college hunting.  The fact that they're looking at colleges means her daughter is just a couple years away from the age when my friend and I met.  

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

My Simple Woman's Daybook - May 15

Outside my window...

August's green thumb really deserves some kudos these days.  The yard is all abloom thanks to his efforts.  I'm thankful at least one of us enjoys yard work!

I am thinking...

That life is meant to be lived as a marathon, not a sprint.  
(Why must I have to relearn that over and over?)

I am thankful for...

A husband who recognizes when his wife is wilting and takes appropriate action.

Towards an education...

President John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and Vatican Council II......lots to explore  this week.

From the kitchen...

For a myriad of reason, we're cleaning up our eating.  I'm pulling out one of my favorite healthy cookbooks for some new ideas.  Baked chicken is getting boring.

I am wearing...

Running shoes, running shorts, running shirt....and lots and lots of sweat. 

I am creating...

Order in our home...........God help me.

On my iPod...


First, a confession:  I'm a closet "iPod addict".  Really.  Maybe one day I'll write a post about how much I rely on my iPod on a day to day basis.  August had no idea he was creating an addict when he gave it to me for Christmas!


 Jason Gray  (He's got a great testimony.) also an apologetics talk called
"Can You Be Catholic and Evangelical?"

I am reading...


Simplicity Parenting.....still.  I'd also like to dig into Signs of Life

I am hoping...

That I'll soon have lasting relief from my persistent back pain.  :-(

I am hearing...


Four sisters in the kitchen at once, kind words, and pots banging.  Sweet.  

Around the house...

There's clatter in the kitchen as yet another cooking competition is underway.  

Today's secret ingredient:  lemon.

All the laundry is washed and dried.  (Ahem, notice I didn't say "and folded"?)

One of my favorite things...


Empty Sunday afternoons, slow paced runs, and cool spring breezes.  
(Oops, I guess that's three favorite things!)

A few plans for the rest of the week...

Eliza finishes her music classes this week.  Marina's and Olivia's online class wraps up this week.  Orchestra is already done.  
Our weeks are clearing out as the school year winds down. 
What am I saying?!  Swim team season starts tomorrow!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

A handsome specimen of one of our "Knockout Roses" courtesy of my handsome gardner.  ;-)

In Praise of BABIES

Apparently, a french filmmaker has recently released a documentary in which he follows 4 babies - all born in different parts of the globe - through their first year of life.  Although I haven't seen it, it looks and sounds like an adorable film.  And if you're local, I happen to know it's playing at Vinegar Hill.

You can read a review as well as watch the very cute trailer here.  (Yes, Marina and Olivia, it's fine if you click over and watch the trailer.)

A Little Mother's Day Humor

It's not a secret around here that Hoops and Yoyo are my absolute favorite e-card characters.   So, although I could take the time to send this card to all the hardworking mothers I know.  Instead, I'll post the link here so all of you can click on over and enjoy it for yourselves.

Happy Mother's Day!!

17 Years!

17 years

5 kids

6 puppies

2 dogs

1 cat

3 guinea pigs

4+ hamsters

2 hermit crabs

an assortment of Beta fish
too many surgeries

1 house fire

and more prayers than I can even count

LATER.......

..........the adventure keeps getting better and better.  I wouldn't want to be on this ride with anyone but YOU!  

A Little Update on our Little Man

Hey Everyone! This is Olivia with an update on Brayden.


Our little Buggy has grown so fast and now is a little boy! He's a year old now, and as handsome as ever. (have you ever seen such a cute little face?)

For his birthday he had spaghetti and a cupcake for the first time.......and.....well.......he must've enjoyed them. 

Have you ever tried stuffing the whole thing in your mouth?

Let's just say, his whole meal was very memorable.

Then he almost got buried in his sea of presents.

And had tons of fun playing with them.....

We LOVE our little Brayden!!!

(I realize that his expression is a little weird in this picture......but it's still cute. How can it not be?)

Happy Birthday Brayden!!

How did it come to be, dear sweet little prince, that we all blinked and our tiny little

graduate-to-the-6-pound-club .................

became a little boy?!

Maybe one day you'll begin to understand how you've blessed and changed us all.

We love you.

I've decided I'll let his sisters post about his special day. The day wore me out emotionally! ;-)

A Special Day

Today is a special day around here. For that reason, there will be a special post to follow later on today. I've been anticipating this day (and this post) for some time. I knew it would be bittersweet. I've experienced a day like this 4 other times in my life. Yet, I knew this one would feel a little different, a little more intense. This time, I'm older and not so prone to taking things/people in my life for granted. This time, there are more people around to mark the day and to be affected by it. This time, I recognize I may never mark an event like this again. So I'm left wondering. Did Mary weep the day her precious Jesus turned one?

Happy Easter!

"He is not here; he has risen just as he said."

Matthew 28:6

Good Friday

“So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.”
– John 19:17-18

Holy Week: Otherwise Known as My Favorite Week of the Year

Today marks the beginning of, what has become, my favorite week of the year. I've always loved the celebration of Easter but since I started observing Lent on my own, and then later on with our family, the joy of the Resurrection has become that much greater for me. For five weeks now, we have prepared, waited and watched for the resurrection of Our Lord. It has been a colder and frostier winter than usual for our part of the country. We're tired........wearied by the cold. On the calendar, spring arrived over a week ago. In our hearts, a new season is about to dawn. We can all sense it coming and the excitement is building.

This year, especially, the anticipation feels very great and very emotional to me. Maybe it's because I was confined to the couch a year ago and had to experience it all in stillness from home.

This morning at church, all the crosses were shrouded in preparation for the observances of this week. It was unsettling not to have those crosses as visual reminders of our redemption. I felt uncomfortable, almost vulnerable. And I thought of all those who, everyday, live without the hope of the cross in their lives.

My prayer, at this sacred time of year, is that the hope of Jesus's blood poured out for you and me will be experienced in a powerful way in our hearts.

Last year, I posted some links for observances of Stations of the Cross. I heard from friends who were blessed by those links so I'm posting them again this year.

Stations of the Cross

The Cross as a Journey: Stations of the Cross for Protestant Worship

Lord Jesus, come in glory!