Friday, December 31, 2010

Christmas Recap

See, if I would just sit down and organize my thoughts into blog posts each day, I wouldn't have to do a big recap and spend an hour trying to understand the many intricacies of Picasa Web Albums. 

Resolution 2011:  Blog more often.

Christmas this year was very nice for our family.  It began on a sour note, as the kids reasoned out that Santa is a farce.  This didn't really make me too sad, as Santa (along with the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy) just creeps me out.  Come on, parents.  We are always telling the kids not to let strangers in the house, and then we leave cookies out so a creeper in a red suit can come into our house while we sleep to "bring gifts" to our children?  How does this fit with our parenting philosophy?  Plus, Christmas is about JESUS.  Anyway, the truth is out, and the kids called me Santa all week before Christmas....I did not like that, as I kept picturing myself portly with lots of facial hair.  The first gift my children received from us was:


A kitten!  Her name is Stella, and she came to our home complete with an intestinal parasite, which has made us consider changing her name to Smella. 

Then, Christmas morning, our neighbors left the girls a gift on the front porch:


It was pretty much a better surprise than if Santa had brought it.  Our neighbors are better than Santa...and way less creepy, I might add.

God gave us a lovely Christmas gift also:



Snow!  He also gave us Jesus and the hope of eternal salvation, but the pictures people paint of Jesus creep me out almost as much as the pictures of Santa.   Come on, people, Jesus was from the Middle East!  Why is he always white skinned and gazing beseechingly into the distance?  Apparently, I got another rant for Christmas.

The girls opened their gifts,




and we headed out to my parents' house for Christmas Breakfast, the highlight of the season.



Brother and I...by the way, I don't know what my brother-in-law is doing behind us. 



My niece, whom my grandmother refers to as "Beauty," which is obviously befitting.
I don't have many photos from that morning, because everyone was giving me this look:


The "I am in my pj's, put away the camera" look.
Breakfast was fun and delicious, and we spent the day with our family.  We spent Christmas Eve with the Husband's family, but I forgot to take my camera at all there (bad blogger).
I will close by sharing two of the wonderful gifts I received this year:


Hello, dutch oven! 



Be still, my heart...
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, full of the hope of Jesus Christ, the love of family and friends, and the blessings of the joy and peace that come with the season...at least they do when that Santa-creeper stays on the other side of the street ;)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

On this day, 36 years ago, two people pledged to love one another, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, to never part.  They vowed before God to honor and protect one another. 
And they have.


My parents have honored and held to one another through so much.
For example:
  • Job changes and financial difficulty
  • Moving to another country to support one another
  • Difficulties with extended family
  • Surviving four teenagers and their sinful choices
  • The death of their beloved fathers
  • Physical infirmaries
  • Differences of opinion
  • Loving their grandchildren
  • Building AND remodeling houses
  • Times of no money and times of plenty
I can't begin to do justice to the challenges they have faced.  In doing so, they gave my siblings and I an example of what it really means to honor your spouse, to love them as Christ loves us.  They showed my through their example how precious marriage is, how important it is to CHOOSE love, choose commitment, choose honor.  To love someone even when the going gets tough, giving up seems easy, and marriage seems pressed on every side...but never crushed.  Never abandoned.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for giving me a godly example of marriage, for loving my when I have been unlovable, and, above all, for loving and honoring Jesus Christ by loving and honoring each other.
What a legacy I get to be a part of.
And all because two people fell in love and chose one another all those years ago.


Sunday, December 19, 2010

Our Project

Tiny Love and I spent the afternoon making and packaging two of the products we will be selling at a local store:
All-Purpose cleaner

Bath Salts

Later, Curlyjo and I worked on label designs.  Obviously, we are amateurs.


So, we decided to go the cheap smart route and order pretty address labels online for our products.  I think I like the rustic look, so we will keep the rest of the simple packaging.
We had so much fun working on this project together, and the girls are anxious to deliver them to the Market on the Square.  I am proud of what we have made, and excited to see how much the girls are learning from it.  On a Sunday afternoon, we covered art, home economics, graphic design, chemistry, math, and spelling.  Just by making little jars of homemade products.
Isn't that sweet?

She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Proverbs 31:27


Saturday, December 18, 2010

If you...

If you let your daughter have access to too many Junie B. Jones books, she will call everyone "Lucille" and "Meanie Jim," and she will want to go to the store dressed like this:


If you get to the Market on the Square, look for my homemade, all natural body products and cleaners.  I will be selling:
  • deodorant
  • all-purpose cleaner
  • tub and tile scrub
  • bath salts
When I get the packaging created, I will post pics.  I am not very good at that part, so it should be interesting.  But, I am very excited to share this little business venture with my little helpers!  Curlyjo and Tiny Love have been helping me make all of the products in our very own cozy kitchen.  We like to put aprons over our pajamas...you know, for professional reasons ;)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Crafty Girls

Hello, all!  I have some things to share, so let's get started.
  1. We moved Curlyjo back into the same bedroom as Tiny Love in order to make room in our tiny house for a "craft room."  This room will eliminate the need for cleaning up the sewing project at the end of every craft session, as our home is just too cramped for leaving the machine and everything out.  Now we have a solution!  Thanks for the idea Flip Floppin' Mamma!

The sewing table.


Couponing/blogging table.


Craft table for little hands.
There is also another table for cutting out patterns, scrapbooking, etc.
Thank you to the Husband, also, for giving us this wonderful early Christmas gift!



Tiny Love's side of the room.  She claims that she now sleeps better because she is by the wall. 
Interesting.



Curlyjo's side of the room.  She claims she sleeps better because she is not alone. 
So sweet!

2.  Daisy Dog is adjusting to life without Chins Monroe, who has succumbed to his cancer and is at peace now.  We miss him terribly. 



Poor Daisy...she just doesn't understand.

3.  I have been cooking lots of yummy stuff.  Case in point:


So yummy!  Thanks for the idea, Country Simplicity!

4.  My house is getting cleaned on a much better schedule, thanks to an awesome little website. 
Great post, Time-Warp Wife!

5.  Homeschooling is also going really well lately.  I am growing more disciplined with our routine, and feel very encouraged by the products and ideas at the Vision Forum

6.  I could not express how much I am being blessed by studying the Bible every Tuesday afternoon with a sweet, wise, and godly woman. 
Thanks, friends at Living Door!

Make sure you check out the links above.  They will introduce you to people who have enriched my life with their creativity, friendship, encouragement, and provision.

Have a great day!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Happenings

Lately we have been attempting to get into the Christmas spirit around the house.  We got a real tree for the first time!  We had to, as our fake tree had a busted stand and rusted branches.  Not very merry.  So, here is the finished product:


Can you tell that it is an extremely tight fit in our living room right now?  Oh, well.  'Tis the season.
We also had a lovely visitor:


A sweet friend of mine stopped by to get her picture taken before she attended winter formal at the college in our town.  She looked amazing.  Then she told me that her dress was a bargain buy from the thrift store, her shoes were borrowed from a friend, and the whole ensemble cost a mere fifteen bucks.  Oh, a girl after my own heart!


Plus, she is gorgeous.  No amount of money can buy a charming and intelligent personality, and she has that as well.  What an amazing woman she is becoming!

The rest of the week, we have been trying to overcome insomnia (me), trying to read 24 hours a day (Curlyjo), and trying not to get caught throwing stuff down the furnace registers (Tiny Love).  Dad has had his hands full, too.




He has been enjoying some hunting in his down time, which hasn't been often.  But, this weekend our area received its first accumulating snow, so hunting was in order.  The Husband says snow makes the birds stupid, so they are easier to hunt.  Hmmmm.  Sitting out in the snow with wind whipping around, in a boat in the middle of a lake, no less.  Which one of us gets a little silly in the snow?  Anyway, the registers around our house have been hard at work drying the husband's hunting gear.  That is, when they aren't being used as a trash can.  Not that anyone around here would do that (Tiny Love).

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Conversation with God

What has been going on in my life?
Many things that I cannot share here, out of respect and love for others.
But, God and I have been chatting about all of it, so I will share a little of our conversation.
It usually goes something like this:

Lord, I am so tired.  I just want to get some sleep.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Okay, that would be really nice.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Yoke?  Oh, I get it.  If I just submit to Your ways, I will find rest.  I guess that means I have to give up my sin, plans, worries, and fears?  I am not sure...

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Easy and light...I could go for that.  So, could you go ahead and make it easy to do what I need to do?

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Yeah, I heard that.  But I just feel weak. 

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And I am faithful;  I will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, I will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 

So, I have to go through some struggling.  I have to stand up under it.  But, I am just so tired.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Oh, that would be so nice.

Take my yoke...

Thank you, God, that you never roll your eyes at me.  I so deserve it.  

Scriptures adapted from 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 and Matthew 11:28-30