Thanksgiving

Went to NY for Thanksgiving this year and had a really great time. We got to see family although I didn't take a lot of pictures, kind of sad, but at least I have my memories.

On the Friday before we left we got to go to the New York Botanical Gardens, there they had this train show that they had artist build buildings entirely out of plant material..ie bark, leaves etc. It was absolutely beautiful and the kids loved looking at all the trains.

Fall Pictures

I can't even begin to tell you how my heart if feeling these days, it's full, exhausted...and full. I can't really get into it, the exhaustion is taking it's toll but the Lord is really working in my heart, really helping me to see how blessed I really am. I love this time of year but sometimes I miss the little things. Yes my house is a wreck most of the time, yes my social calendar could be a little fuller with adult time and Lord knows I could really get back to some exercise...but I know that this is a season and I pray that I don't miss the little things, because sometimes I do. Especially when I get caught up in being overwhelemed. My life is not easy....it's definitely not for the faint of heart, but God is teaching me to appreciate each and every moment because it won't last.It's hard work and I'm constantly exhausted, but one day I will be too old to change poopy diapers, and my house will be spotless, but there won't be slippers or shoes or toys everywhere and I will be able to hear a pin drop....but I won't be able to hear the noisy chaos that is now. Everyday I thank God for the blessings he gave me, because it is so much better than anything I could have ever wanted.

Just some fun photos as we get ready for our Christmas Cards.

Getting 4 kids or even 6 people to smile all at the same time is next to impossible, but fun trying.



Loving on her every day to help her see that she is an amazing person, praying that she lets go of her anxieties.


She is so tender hearted and growing up too fast. Can I just keep her this way.
Seriously this picture takes my breath away...I am hoping that we can teach her that even though she is beautiful on the outside (anyone can clearly see that...and yes I'm biased) but it's the inside that counts. I hope she lets her light shine in this world.
And I love him, because he always exhorts me, always praises me and gives in to take these pictures...even when he hates it...It's not that he doesn't like to take pictures because he does, it's because he knows I try to be a perfectionist and he just wants me to be happy.
He loves his mommy...I hope he always loves me this way.
This is how he is most of the time, my silly little sweet boy.







One of these will be our Christmas Card, or maybe not, I still can't decide.

Not Slacking

And just so you know, I'm not slacking on my blogging, here is what has been going on.

Hosted Missionary dinner for 8 families, only the four couple from our group had kids, making civil war skirts, cow ear head bands for 17 kids, 4 candle light headbands and costumes for four advent candles for our Christmas show at TNT (Jordan is one of the candles and has to recite John 3:16...she' so excited and nervous), making posters and craft projects for my Wednesday Co-op of 7 first and second graders, and of course keeping up with the rest of my insane life....teaching my kids, math, English, reading, grammar, journaling and letters of the week. Getting ready to do mini-co-op with some other mom's on a cooking class and incorporating the first Thanksgiving and getting ready to head to NY for Thanksgiving with my parents. I will be glad when the middle of December is here and we can slow down..(both co-ops end for a few weeks before Christmas) and enjoy the holidays...I need to get started on my shopping.

Cow Eye Disection

So I don't have any pictures of this yet, but the kids have been doing some dissections at our Wednesday Co-op, first they disected a star fish and today a Cow's Eye....All I have to say is the smell is disgusting but I'm glad Mrs. Bolha (she has a PHD in some sort of science with 7 kids and one on the way) is a good woman to teach our kids some of these things, because quite frankly I just don't have the stomach to do it. Thank You Mrs. Bolha.

And just so you know Jordan can't stand the smell of the formaldehyde and Kaleigh thinks it's so cool.

Sick Boy

This apparently has become his favorite spot. He is not feeling well and is getting a really bad cold. So his sister thought it would be nice to cover him with her Dora robe and he wouldn't let go of his bunny. Incidentally he felt better after he had some supper, but a round of hide and go seek, did him in.

Chocolate Effects

This is the result of Chocolate M&M's at lunch followed by a chocolate covered Oreo combined with refusal to nap even after being left in his bed for 2 hours, his body finally crashed on the couch at 5:00pm.

Civil War Days

So the girls have been doing a 5 week unit study on the Civil War in our Tuesday TNT Co-op, and usually the last week they have a 5th week activity. It's usually a pretty big production and it's a culmination of the things they've learned and into a big production. Well apparently the co-op sent out an email at the beginning of the unit study to say during the 5th week activity the kid should dress up in costume. Well I apparently missed that email, until 2 weeks ago. To which I then begin looking for costumes for civil war period and southern belle costumes. Do you know they cost any where from $35 - $65 for a little girls costume. I thought for sure with Halloween just over I could surely get a good deal...uuhhuuhh..I looked everywhere from Craig's List, to ebay to Etsy (I've been banned from Etsy so the temptation to go back was such a rush), but anyone who knows me, knows I'm not against spending money on something if my kids need it, but this was something they were going to where one time. So thanks to my friend Heather who showed me how to use my sewing machine a year ago, the Internet and the stranger I stopped at GStreet Fabrics to ask how exactly do you put a gathering on a skirt. So here is the result of my work. Now so you wouldn't notice how crooked my stitches or seams are I put lace at the bottom and used thread that just blended in well, but don't look to close because those zippers gave me fits.
Of course after I spoke to my fried Heather on the phone like 3 times, she promptly reminded me that they didn't have zippers back then and I really should not be stressing out about this.

However I'm a bit of a Type A personality so it had to be done the way I wanted it or it wasn't going to be right.
They didn't come out too bad, they were kind of upset they didn't have aprons to go with them, but I put these two together in 4 days.

Here are some of the kids at school.

Most of the boys got caps and most of the girls got bonnets.

Of course we got an email that said please do not bring any weapons to school...LOL..

Here is my friend Heather, thanks for your help, it would have been nice had she mentioned she would be wearing this beautiful gown while she was teaching.
Here is Kaleigh with her bonnet, she's worn it for the past two days. Just a side note, I asked Kaleigh to get her journal out so she could draw a picture and write something she did at school during the 5th week activity and to write a sentence about it. This is what she wrote....

I am holding a gun at school. (To which I made her add some more information to this sentence). It was civil war day.

Apparently the kids had to go from room to room and each room was decorated differently and discussed different areas of the civil war. One of the rooms was an artillery room and Kaleigh got to hold an old gun that was apparently bigger than she was...I was a little scared to know my child was holding a gun... but then she told me that the guest speaker to the kids that if they came to Gettysburg they would be able to see a live reenactment...she wants to know when we are going. We love history....but this one may have to wait a bit.