Happy Birthday Isaac!!!

Celebrating nine years with our special boy today.

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Delicious waffles made by his daddy and several sibs, along with Isaac’s own signature fried eggs.

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Enjoying the river!

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Rocky road cheesecake for the birthday boy!!

We love you, Isaac!!

James 1:17a (NKJV)
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…”

Kindergarten A to Z: Weeks G and H

This has been in draft mode since I posted the last kindergarten update in January.
Bad blogging habit #126: Forget to change status on simple post. 🙁

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G is for granola bars.

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G is for good, even if it’s not picture perfect!

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H is for honey cookies.

We are currently working on “o” and “p.” I don’t want to leave o, as the character trait is obey. 😉 We made a marshmallow dessert for m, but forgot poor n, so we’ll combine a few and catch up. Maybe I’ll even ask Mr. Super-Photographer to take some “real” pictures for us, instead of my poor, shadowy, excuses!

A Few of My Favorite Things: Sick Day Drinks Edition

I took this photo, of my favorite sick day drinks, this morning while the rest of the family went to church. I was fully booked, so kept going on Friday and yesterday, realizing last night that being on-the-go and over-tired was probably not the best thing for my immune system.
So, I stayed home today and by the time the family arrived home at 2:30 was feeling some better, but a few Amazon Prime cooking shows with the younger crew pushed me over the wellness hump and I feel like I’m on the road to recovery. So why, oh why, am I still awake at 11:40? Argh!
So, with a stay-home day scheduled tomorrow, I should be good to go to speech and debate Tuesday and another speech tournament on Wednesday!
Yea for good health and a good immune system, which I so take for granted!

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Echinacea wellness tea, well water and weak-ish black coffee made with tlc by Kyle.

3 John 1:2 (ESV)
“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”

A Post

This is a post.

This is a post
requested by Kyle.

This is a post
requested by Kyle,
which has been delayed for days by speech and debate tournament travel, many nights of less-than-adequate sleep, daily duties, brain frazzle, and lameness.

This is a post
requested by Kyle,
which has been delayed by speech and debate tournament travel, many nights of less-than-adequate sleep, daily duties, brain frazzle, and lameness
and is being typed on the touch screen of my iPad, (as the batteries must’ve died on my keyboard whilst in Little Rock over the weekend, but I don’t care).

This is a post
requested by Kyle,
which has been delayed by speech and debate tournament travel, many nights of less-than-adequate sleep, daily duties, brain frazzle, and lameness
and is being typed on the touch screen of my iPad, (as the batteries must’ve died on my keyboard whilst in Little Rock over the weekend, but I don’t care)
while drinking superdeduper echinea wellness tea to fight a brand new head cold, which I. will. NOT. succumb to.

This is a post
requested by Kyle,
which has been delayed by speech and debate tournament travel, many nights of less-than-adequate sleep, daily duties, brain frazzle, and lameness
and is being typed on the touch screen of my iPad, (as the batteries must’ve died on my keyboard whilst in Little Rock over the weekend, but I don’t care)
while drinking superdeduper echinea wellness tea to fight a brand new head cold, which I. will. NOT. succumb to.
so I will end this rambling tome and go to, and hopefully stay, asleep. 😉

The end.

Matthew 11:28 (ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Happy Birthday to Kyle!

We celebrated Kyle’s birthday on Saturday. I forgot to take pictures until after dinner, so I just have a few.

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What you get when you say: “Smile Paul!”

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Teaching boys to make music with the ROOT beer bottle.. 🙂

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Pre-crop.

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Playing Suspend with the younger half.

Numbers 6:24-26 (ESV)
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Kindergarten A to Z: Weeks E and F

We are starting week “m” today, after breaking for Thanksgiving, Christmas and snow fun.

I have a backlog of our letter treats from last fall. Paul looked over this draft yesterday and was happy to see what he had learned and was eager to learn more.
That doesn’t sound right. I’ll try again:
Paul looked over this draft yesterday and was happy to see what he had eaten and was eager to make more. That’s my boy!

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E is for homemade eggnog and F is for fruit salad and of course, our staple letter cookies!

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

One Word for 2014

Choosing just one word to focus on for the new year has been challenging.
I have been using the word “fake” a lot lately, much to Kyle’s displeasure. As in, “This or that is fake,” “I don’t want to be fake.” I have mostly used it in a negative context, and didn’t think I needed to concentrate on that baggage all year, though I did rip it from the cover of an IEEE (engineering) magazine and pin it to my new bulletin board. 😉
My poor family…

Moving right along.The word for the year is:

ALL

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

All for the Lord, time in prayer, in His Word ( through personal reading, family reading, reading with Kyle and participating in Good Morning Girls), in serving, and especially trusting.

All for Kyle, being loving, trustworthy in what I have to do for the family–organization, meal planning and homeschooling, and being an interesting, fun sidekick and navigator on life’s adventures, both in real life at home and on the road.

All for my children, Isaac, John, Paul, Luke, Rachel and Adam–leading by patient example, being loving and fun, listening to their needs, training and teaching.

All for my parents, finishing photo projects, visiting more, serving, writing more notes.

All for my neighbors, we have some great ones, some we don’t know and some new ones.

All for my friends, the old, the newer and hopefully the new.

All for me, exercise, writing, reading, creative pursuits.

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New Year’s Eve with my lovies and the Legos Kyle’s boss gave him at December’s meet-up. Thank you, Mr. Satish!!

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Me and them again, in July, on our way from Glen Allen to Virginia Beach.

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Me and all of my favorites on July 4.

Five Minute Friday: Reflect

Five Minute Friday

I haven’t written anything in weeks, but by chance, or providence, I checked Lisa-Jo’s blog before I went to bed, after chatting with my husband who has been in her part of the country, McLean/Vienna area, for work this week. Flying out of Dulles to Missouri tomorrow. I can’t wait.
And it’s made me:

Reflect

Start

I have been a quasi-single parent for 66 hours and have about 18 hours to go, not that anyone’s counting or anything.;)

The first day or so went well; speech and debate, nearly 60 degree weather. Super! I can decide everything: evening activity, bedtime, my evening plans.

Then came another beautiful day and with it, the threat of bad weather coming, so we rush to get everyone out of the house to stock up on groceries before church yesterday. Not so cool.

Mom gets a slight bit grumpy and by the time we got the probably 100+ pounds of food in the house and younger ones ready for bed and their room was a wreck. She may have said that they couldn’t put their new Norfolk pine in their window seat because they were goofing AND, it was too late to talk to Dad on the phone and have prayer time.

Then she was completely convicted by a five-year-old who was heartbroken and asked if he could pray and read Bible. I asked his favorite verse. “The Lord is my Shepherd one,” he whispers in the late night dark.

So, I texted my sweet, forgiving husband and ask if he’ll call. The youngest three were so blessed, as was I. The older ones were too, I’m sure, they just didn’t make their relief so obvious.

Evening saved. Mom forgiven. All was well.

I told my husband this evening, after the sleet and snow started coming and the temperature dropped to the low 20s, that being in charge was not all it was cracked up to be. He graciously (and wisely) and warmly, in the 60 degrees in Virginia, replied that he was glad I understood that.
(So, we’ve had a few discussions lately about decision-making, planning, etc.)

I’m grateful for the chance to reflect on our family, leadership and blessings. I am more than exhausted from being on diabetes duty at night, which is another huge, huge, huge gift my husband gives to me.

I am praying for all of the moms who are alone all or much of the time for different circumstances. Blessings to you.

Psalm 23 (KJV)

1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Five Minute Friday: Truth

Five Minute Friday

Truth

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

I always end each post with scripture. Always. Since I started blogging again last fall, I think for the third time, I felt that I needed to do that one thing for myself, and hopefully for anyone who reads, ensuring that there would be some truth spoken in each post I sent out. I may not have a lot of humanly truth and besides, Godly truth beats all.

I almost didn’t write today, believing the wrong words swirling in my head. Defeating words that exhaust and weaken. Pushing those aside to listen to truth spoken by my sweet family, through Christian radio programs, a webcast and the Word.
Contemplating on the word truth throughout the day, and ending the day with the real truth.

Blessings!

Five Minute Friday: Grace

Five Minute Friday

Grace

In the spirit of the post I wrote last month when the FMF topic was mercy, I will begin with a few definitions.

Google:

2. (in Christian belief) the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.
“the graces of the Holy Spirit”

Mirriam-Webster:

1 a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification
b : a virtue coming from God
c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace

Unknown:
When you get what you don’t deserve.

Elizabeth M.:

1. Receiving goodness from God on a daily basis in the form of two wonderful parents, a super husband and six incredible blessings by birth.

2. The patient, loving kindness and forgiveness of Jesus on the days when I’m not feeling grateful for the above grace-gifts.

1 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV 1984)
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and The Lord Jesus Christ.”

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Squinting family photo from the deck of a ferry during our Virginia trip in July. 🙂

**I forgot to set a timer–I don’t think it was too much over the limit though.