What little sisters do when you leave your paints out.

November 27, 2015 | Stacy

Thanksgiving 2015

November 27, 2015 | Stacy

I am so thankful. But I am probably not Enough Thankful…

I am thankful for a job. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to work full time, but I am grateful for the job God has provided me. I volunteer to work each Thanksgiving, and we normally have a nice feast. This year was NO exception.

I am thankful for our beautiful yard and home. It’s not always cleaned or manicured, but it exceeds any expectation or hope I’d ever had for a house. I was especially thankful this year to arrive home from work to a warm November day with kids throwing footballs in the yard.

I am so thankful for food. We have oh-so-much of it. I don’t buy all organic, or GMO-free. I just buy food for our table and watch the kids grow. This Thanksgiving I was grateful for the group that gathered to dine with us. We had some games afterward and too many desserts.

Aunt Betty, Aunt Jackie, and cousin David came to visit and bestowed presents on the kids. There were a lot of smiles.
I’m thankful for my kids knowing their family and that good health prevails for so many of my relatives.

I’m thankful someone thought of buying my kids gloves and mittens. Because I am so unorganized and my mitten bin is pathetic!

Mammal madness

November 24, 2015 | Stacy

Normally Hanny sits in on Tab’s science, but when we got to the end of the chapter and I wanted to do the review questions she bailed. The idea of just droning on and on about what kind of mammal each creature was seemed boring to me, and would NOT have held Tabitha’s attention. Enter siblings. Literally. Two of them entered the room on their way outside to play ball. I asked them to grab markers and do an exercise with us. For reasons known only to God they didn’t balk or ask questions; but, indeed, they each found a marker.

And we had fun. I think Nigel won? Maybe it was Tab. It didn’t matter.

Sleep solution!

November 20, 2015 | Stacy

As noted earlier, Johanna was often despondent at bedtime. She was often scared.
I have always planned to put the two little girls together, but, frankly, was waiting until I felt they were old enough to safely enjoy bunk beds. That is still a bit away, and with two beds on the floor neither of their rooms is really large enough for all that they have for a combined bedroom.
BUT – necessity is the mother of invention and we need better sleep for Hanny and her parents.
So – John moved Katriel’s dresser out of her room and into Johanna’s room, and Johanna’s bed out of her room and into Katriel’s room.
What we are left with is a room for sleeping.

And a room for dressing and playing.

Eventually we will put bunks in here (another year, maybe?) and I hope to use the now Sleep Room for a school room.
(Ah – in search of a school room. Homeschool moms know what I am pining for. More likely at that point some of the older ones will want their own rooms…)
What we found out a few days in, was that this sleeping arrangement transpired a few minutes after we’d leave each night. At least now we know to go back in and cover Katriel up.

Piranda

November 17, 2015 | Stacy

A friend of mine has an aunt and uncle (and cousins) who serve as missionaries in Romania.
From their website, Piranda.org
Piranda is a Romanian word that means “gypsy girl.” This word is unique in the fact that it isn’t derogatory. It actually is complementary giving the connotation of a beautiful and elegant girl. Although, most people generally do not use this word for the general Roma populations. We, however, at Piranda believe that God has created these people in his own image and beauty ,and they deserve to be given Dignity through an honest occupation, to be offered Hope for a better life now and an eternal Hope in Christ, and to be taught about the Faith that radically saves them from their sin.
This organization is currently selling shoes by going to churches and sharing the stories behind their mission.
They have three styles of shoes and I bought these ones. Actually – I WON a pair… but I paid for them anyway and asked if I could just have a t-shirt for my “prize.”

I went to put them on this morning and check this out…. this is a sweater from my closet! I bought it from a Scandinavian company quite a while back!

https://vimeo.com/106084903

Instagram fun

November 17, 2015 | Stacy

My new favorite thing is Instagram.
When you have so many awesome subjects, it is easy to see why.

Mommy’s Day OFF!

November 16, 2015 | Stacy

John had the day off from work in lieu of Veteran’s Day.
So I was granted a “day off.”
This was a TRUE day off, too. Meaning, school continued without me. It’s not left there for me to make up later.

I went to the outlet mall with my sweet friend Marguerite.
We had almost SIX HOURS of beautiful, encouraging conversation.
It is SO excellent to make connections with people who love the LORD.
The weather was mild, the mall was uncrowded, and did I mention we got to talk for almost 6 hours?