Our Team

'daDad (38 yo), the Mama (36yo), FarmerBoy (19 yo ds), Gypsygirl (17 yo dd), Miss Petite (16 yo dd),LionHeart (14 yo ds), Red (12 yo ds), Belle (10 yo dd),Nae Nae (7 yo dd),Bunny (2 yo dd), Little Britches (3 months)







Friday, February 25, 2011

Thankful

This week 'da Dad was able to get his vision corrected in one eye. It was such a blessing to watch him enjoying those first moments!
I also went to the eye doctor. I have an astygmatism (sp?), which means my eye is shaped like a football, instead of being round :). Adjusting to my glasses has been interesting. The ground appears to be sloping down to the left. lol!
I'm hoping things will slow down some,but.....
Tomorrow I will be giving my testimony at Upward. God changed my original plans, so I need to spend some time this evening preparing for that. Please pray that God will work, and I will stay out of the way.

Hebrews 4-5

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

1 Corinthians 13

I have been dealing with a few situations where I am finding it hard to forgive. God has graciously helped bring one of those to reconciliation in the last week. Praise Him! But two are still unsettled.
I am praying for the right timing and way to rectify them also.
In the meantime, Ms. Petite let me look @ one of her coaching papers. It contained a letter & in it was a quote from 1 Corintians 13:4-8a (Amplified Bible):
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong). It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes,is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything (without weakening). Love never fails (fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end).
Please look this up in your preferred version. I know these scriptures in the KJV very well, but the amplified makes an attempt to take into account the full meaning of some of the original words. I was astounded and convicted.
As you can see, I didn't get my week all posted. I was just too busy.
Yesterday, da Dad was home. We spent the day picking up furniture various ppl had said we could have. We are now enjoying a new tv cabinet, sewing cabinet, and I now have a desk to do my school related tasks,etc. at. da Dad did a great job of making my ideas work.

Hebrews 2-3

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Tuesday

This is turning out to be a bad week for this. Several ppl have appts this week and we are in the midst of finishing up 2 basketball seasons. Well,here's for transparency!
- got up and around
-did supper dishes I could not face up to last night
-went w/dh to pay bills
-helped w/ math and graded papers
-started our laundry
-cared for baby
-worked w/ Bunny on PT
-spent some special time w/ Gypsygirl shopping for groceries
-spent time reconciling w/ a friend
-listened to aunt's concerns
-got to see my mom (while in town earlier)
-ordered some of the hs materials (computer not working so well)
-fixed supper
-washed dishes
-5 min room rescue-several rooms


Psalm 37:5

Monday, February 14, 2011

A Little Behind

Saturday
-got up & prepared for day
-finished cooking breakfast
-cleared breakfast mess & did dishes
-printed & hole punched some school lessons
-checked and sent off some emails
-planned & picked up food for lunch @ church
-worked on toilet training w/ Bunny
-wiped down stove & swept floor while listening to aunt on the phone
-decluttered 2 tubs of kitchen utensils
-took Red to his basketball game, watched part of it
-fed baby multiple times
-planned card & surprise for dh on valentine's day
-listened to & comforted a friend
-tried to make extra effort to speak words of encouragement to each child
-printed off something for a friend
-calculated cost of hs materials
-cooked some food for tomorrow
-prayed about problems
-spent some focused time w/dh
-5 min room rescue on living room

Sunday
-made card & wrapped present for dh
-helped w/breakfast
-finished putting food together for lunch
-drove part of family to church
-gathered w/ the body of believers-very good guest speaker
-ate lunch & then had Bible study after
-put the 2 littlest down for naps
-back home, time spent as a family (Farmerboy was sick, not very fun)
-went out w/dh to celebrate (baby,too, he has to eat,too)
-came home, visited w/ two oldest boys
-to bed

Monday
-started re-reading "Created to Be His Helpmeet" by Debi Pearl in prep for going through w/ a friend
-helped younger children w/ math, graded papers, assigned spelling words, vocab, checked writing work
-fed baby & changed diapers
-potty training-in all it's, um, gore
-printed vocab for Red's book- Jungle book by Rudyard Kipling
-worked on binding some already printed books
-supervised Red doing 5 min room rescue in LR
-stripped diapers in preparation for cloth diapering
-read flylady digest,checked emails, sent 1
-took Ms. Petite to b-ball practice
-fixed supper
-swish and swipe in the bathroom
-went to appointment
-came home, visited w children
-visited w/ dh
-bed

Genesis 1-3

Friday, February 11, 2011

Just What Do You Do All Day?

This is a question my dh never has asked me in all our years of marriage. He has asked me what I had been up to, but never in a critical fashion.
The reason this came up is two shows about stay-at-home wives (also called housewives-not very accurate-who's married to a house???). One is DesperateHousewives. trash. Now there's another one called "REal Housewives". yuck and double yuck. Now, Ionlyknow about these from snippets of commercials as I am attempting to watch the news,but I get the gist. Neither of these shows represents me, or any of the other homemaker/stay-at-home moms I know. No one is fooling around, killing anybody, getting hopped up on drugs, or swilling drinks at noon. We're much too busy living.
In an attempt to show what a real woman in the home does, I thought I would post my activities for the next week. If anyone wants to join me please leave your diary in the comments.
This should dispell any myths regarding home life being boring or stifling;).

Friday (so far):

got up and dressed
made bed
fed baby 8-10 times (total)
changed diapers
went car shopping with husband
took Belle out for her birthday dinner and shopping
called insurance agent to check on new car changes
test drove car
made supper from leftovers (casserole made from potato soup thickened, green beans,corn, and hamburger)
dried 2 loads of towels
laundered new fabric bought to make self a new blouse (lavender-my favorite!)
watched weather
washed supper dishes
discussed w/ dh pro's and cons of painted floors vs. vinyl tile or other floor coverings (researched
(last night online)
listened to teenagers problems
loved on the children, esp. Bunny-she missed Mommy today

Today was unusual. As you can see, I was home very little. Being a homemaker does not mean being a hermit (though there are times I want to be).
I still need to do Bible reading. This am dh let me sleep in a bit and then we left early. So, I need to spend time with Jesus before bedtime.

Titus 2

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

More Snow

It's snowing here again. Possibly 6", on top of the 12" + we got last week. At least we are warm and well-fed. It does concern me some when 'da Dad and Farmerboy have to travel in it. I just have to trust God.
A friend of mine asked me why God grows people through painful circumstances. I sure don't have all the answers, but the other night during our family Bible reading, we read some scripture that might help. It is Psalm 147. I have meditated on those verses many times, how God himself heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. We are not unloved or forgotten.
It's kind of like last week when NaeNae showed me an infected spot on her foot where a splinter had become lodged. In order to bring healing, I had to cause the pain of lancing, cleaning, and dressing the area. Today, she showed it to me, and it is all scabbed over. Not totally healed, but well on its way. Now she knows to be sure to deal with stuck splinters immediately. She also knows if Momma hurts her, it must b/c Momma is helping, and Momma knows best. God works like that, only He is perfect.
I am making plans for school next year. It will be a cross of Robinson Curriculum and An Old Fashioned Education (free online homeschool curriculum-a great resource). Robinson is a little light on world history for my taste, so much of the add-ins will be of that nature.
I never talk much about food on here, but I will tonight. Supper will consist of baked potatoes smothered w/ leftover chili, sour cream, cheese,and salsa, w/ apples. Several of the children have been hauling wood, so I have hot water going for tea or hot cocoa.
Sure is nice to be home.
Be blessed.

Job 22-24

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Storms

Well,we are in the midst of those terrible storms they were predicting. Right now, I'd say we have drifts of 18-24" outside, with no signs of stopping. Kind of pretty, but I'm glad we don't have to go anywhere. They even canceled 'da Dad's work.
Last night I went in to pick him up after work. We decided to stop @ Walmart to pick up a few things. This was approx. 9pm. Anywho, the bread aisle was nearly empty, there were only 3 dozen or so of the "expensive" eggs, and all the wm butter was gone. We,ourselves bought the last kerosene lantern they had. So, we are good to go. I hope everyone else is doing as well.
Life has been interesting here lately. I can make all kinds of good plans, do everything right, and God can still take me in different direction than I thought I was going.
Today, I ran onto a poem that I think is really good for this instance.

The Weaver

My life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me,
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.

Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow,
And I in
foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I, the underside.

Not till the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.
-author unknown

On the other side of this tract is another poem,new to me.

He Maketh No Mistake

My Father's way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I'm glad I know,
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I'll trust my Lord to lead
For He doth know the way.

Tho' night may be dark and it may seem
That day will never break;
I'll pin my faith, my all in Him,
He maketh no mistake.

There's so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight's far too dim;
But come what may, I'll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He'll make.
Through all the way, tho' dark to me,
He made not one mistake.
-A.M. Overton

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.(the new open Bible adds this as a footnote:hope in your latter end.)

May this bring each of us encouragement as we run the course marked out for us.