His question is a good indication of what kind of morning we have had!

"Hey, what are those white things flying around in the air?" Teddy asked as he let Chevy outside.  "Brrrr, close the door!" yelled his sisters.  I looked up from preparing lunch...huh?  The girls voiced their thoughts before I could, "Seriously, Teddy, it is cold.  They are mini-snowflakes!" 

Uff-da! 

We were making good progress this morning and hit a brick wall after morning break.  Maybe we are reacting to the weather change...our brains are frozen!  We bumped up the heat and are enjoying a healthy lunch.  I think this afternoon calls for hot chocolate...when we are finished with school!  We have at least another hour and a half!

**Teddy just stated..."My nose feels like it is all jammed up!"  It made me smile...that could also be part of his difficulty today...getting sick?  He fell asleep for a few minutes before supper last night.  When I put some of these events together...Oh, joy!**

***So...the best intentions of this Mommy didn't come to fruition.  The hour and a half turned out to be much longer due to time spent spinning in chairs and numerous trips up the stairs for a drink or for the forgotten reading book or for the bathroom.  GRRRR!  And the little voice in my head that sounds like my husband said, "Don't yell, Kari!  Be firm.  Be consistent.  Follow through with what you said."  We worked for as long as we played around...missing the hot chocolate opportunity.  Yes, there are consequences for "doing your own thing" when expectations have been clearly explained.  Hard...yes.  Not fun...yes.  Necessary...absolutely!  And we will, no doubt, experience it again and again...one of these days...they will "get it"!  Little things like this can turn into big deals later...and it is my job to handle it correctly...each day!

Doesn't mean that it doesn't make me growl sometimes!  

There were two girls...each with a paper left to finish...I finally retreated to the only place in the house I could be by myself...guaranteed for 20 minutes...I took a shower!  Supper was in the crockpot.  Ted was coming home.  I felt growly!  The house was warm, cozy, and quiet.  I needed a mental break!  It is amazing what that 20 minutes of alone time can do for a person!  And it helped me not feel so bad about working through hot chocolate time...there was ice cream for dessert instead!*** 

How are you dealing with Thanksgiving leftovers?

We had turkey sandwiches on Thanksgiving night...at about 10:30pm...that was when Ted woke up for supper after going to bed at 6:00pm.  But...we still had more turkey!

And we had a little bit of this and a little bit of that...and pre-made pie crusts!  Tomorrow, I think I will make some turkey salad for a yummy sandwich for lunch.

Turkey pot pie smells good as it bakes on this cold, rainy night...

while we wait for Daddy to get home from work!

What are you making with your turkey leftovers?

***One piece of pot pie leftover for Daddy's lunch!***

It's Mom and Dad's job to find things to provoke our children's curiosity...

and television doesn't count!  (That's the lazy way out!)  Do you know the interests of your children?  Have you taken steps to encourage their interests?  It takes time to talk with your children.  It takes patience.  It takes love.  It takes hard work!  We all dream that some day we will have a family of our own.  Men and women dream of having a spouse.  Women want to have babies. 

Being a parent isn't part of a dream world.  Being a parent isn't about how it makes me feel and what it does for me.  Being a parent is an important part of God's design.  Being a parent is filled with tough choices.  Being a parent isn't a right...it is a privilege.  Being a parent is filled with responsibility...to God.

Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord..." 

How are you treating God's heritage? 

Children are precious. 

God expects us to treat them with great care.

Do your children spend more time with you...talking, training, snuggling, learning...or do they spend more time with the t.v.?  Do your children spend more time at God's house or more time at the t.v.?  Do your children spend more time doing simple things...or more time on the go, out and about? 

 What are you teaching your children about life?

A child's curiosity has more to do with relationships than material things and entertaining programs.  Time with people...Dad, Mom, sisters, brothers, grandparents, other family, and friends...people who can teach them something.

Being a parent requires wisdom...to find the right balance.

Being a parent requires discretion...to filter out harmful things.

Being a parent requires a guidebook...God's Word! 

Time always goes by so quickly!

We planned, shopped, and cooked.  The girls were big helpers...Teddy was too...it made all jobs easier!

(Notice how Alisa favors her right leg when she stands for any length of time.  That is one reason why we are doing the physical therapy!)

Teddy shared his talent with a straw with his Grampy and Grammy.  I believe he was "playing" the song "Jingle Bells"!?  Alisa played the keyboard for and with Grammy.  She has learned "O Come All Ye Faithful".  Ashlynn played her song "Angels We Have Heard On High" on the flutophone.

We snuggled and ate pie.

We talked and drank coffee and ate pie.

We did crafts and watched movies in between naps.  Grammy brought her "Grammy Bag" filled with special crafts.

We are thankful for the hours we had together!  And each time...it seems to go so much more quickly!  They had a beautiful day for traveling home.  We pray for safety for our family...and for friends...as everyone heads back home today and tomorrow!

A fun and easy craft!

Fabric flowers that can be used for embellishing many different things!  Headbands, hats, flip-flops, purses, jackets...ornament for the tree!?

A simple reward for enduring Black Friday

What a day for employers and employees in the retail world!  Black Friday.  What a racket!  Yet...each year the entire...or most of the...country falls for it.  Ted left the house at 2:30am and didn't return until 5:20pm due to the Black Friday push.  Crowds of people lined up in the cold, dark, early morning hours.  It makes me ask...why would anyone do that?!  There is nothing I want or need to get or give that is worth that.  I realize some people are thrilled by it.  Hundreds of people rearranged their schedules and made special arrangements to make Black Friday a priority of their Thanksgiving weekend. 

I wonder...how much effort will be given by many of these same people regarding this Sunday?  Or next week in their jobs?  Was the money, that is to be set aside for God in tithes and offerings, spent in the name of a "good deal" and with the thought that "He understands how things are!"?  I wonder how much time and effort will be given to God this weekend in His house by those who call themselves Christians.  After all...it is one way to show thankfulness for all that He has done for us and given to us!  Where is our treasure being layed up?  Matthew 6:19-21

It was easy to talk about the concept of thankfulness as we prepared for Thursday...now...how will we apply it to our daily living...Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and the following days?   We are so affected by the schemes of this world's system.  We have bought into the whole Black Friday trap...and it has left us weak and broke and full of excuses for the one day this week that is the Lord's. 

After today's schedules, I wonder...if 9:30am is really too early for Sunday School...after all! 

They want to eat again!

...but thankfully...they have the ability to make their own lunch today!  Leftovers are being enjoyed in a variety of ways.  We are using the crockpot for supper tonight...because we are being "couch potatoes" today and enjoying time with grandparents!

"OOOO, let's watch Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving! It is a blast from my past." I said as we surfed the channels.

"I remember getting to watch these specials!" I explained.  Mom and I discussed the times when we would borrow a t.v. or rent one (for $10.00 a week) during the holiday season.  Teddy asked, "Was it in color back then? Or was it only black and white?"

He was told to get off the couch and then put in a headlock.  How old does he think I am?

Thankful for the together times!

We started our fun at Papa and Grandma's last night with Grandma Great and our aunties.  A rousing game of UNO, pizza, and dessert!

The girl's wore their Wisconsin t-shirts in honor of Grampy and Grammy's arrival to spend Thanksgiving with us.  They arrived safely around 11:00am.  Clear roads the whole way!  Our turkey was cooked to perfection!  Grampy and Grammy brought the rolls and soda!  Or as Dad said, "Solls and roda!"

We are thankful for time spent together!  Teddy was glad to have Daddy home all day...even though he went to bed at 6:00pm in preparation for Black Friday sales.  He has to leave the house by 2:30am or so.

Dessert and coffee tasted very good!  At 4:00pm, Ashlynn asked me what was for supper tonight.  OI, OI, OI...you want supper today too?...really?

We have enjoyed sitting and talking and watching Christmas movies.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin
As I was contemplating my thankfulness to the Giver of all things, my heart is filled with all the things that God has brought us to and through this year.  In man's eyes, some were not so good.  In God's eyes, all things were and are for our good!  Today, I am thankful for life more abundant.  My heart is full of gratefulness for how God has taken care of our family.  We have learned so many things...and we are still learning.  I sit here with tears streaming down my face with thanksgiving for His guidance and control.  Has it struck you lately...that we don't deserve any of the blessings...but because of His love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace...we can experience the goodness of God!

I'm not ashamed to admit it...

I will do crafty projects...for others...

no matter the challenge...for chocolate!

The sights, sounds, and smells around our house today

The turkeys are ready.

The tablecloth layed out and centerpiece put together.

Cookies made for home and for those who work with Daddy on Black Friday.

To do list being completed and wonderful smells in the kitchen!  Beautiful music plays on the computer.

Pumpkin cake roll is on the menu this year.  The spicy smell is mixing with the candles that are burning.

Cranberries ready for fluff and homemade sauce.

Bread for homemade stuffing.

My little helpers...taking a break and reading a special Thanksgiving letter from Grammy and Grampy.  What a wonderful story Alisa read to us!

***2:00pm We finished our work.  The house is clean and the prep work done.  The dryer continues to whir.  Alisa and I have a few minutes till we leave for PT.  Ashlynn and Teddy rode along with Grandma down to pick up Great-grandma.  Chevy is napping on the couch.  Ted is working hard.  And the weather looks very threatening...praying for safe travel still!***

Happy Cooking and Baking...or Traveling Day!

I haven't been able to acquire the "rolls and soda" role yet.  Lots of pressure on me...and Butterball's quality again!  We will rise to the challenge and enjoy the process.  Time to finish the to do list...praying that the rain/sleet/snow will not keep Grammy and Grampy from being able to drive down tomorrow morning.  Praying for safe travel for all our friends and family today!  And hoping that whoever is cooking your turkey has great success!  Don't forget the rolls and soda!

Checking things off the to do list...

 1.  Give Chevy a bath.
 2.  Change shower curtain liner.
 3.  Bake cookies for Ted for Black Friday.
 4.  Take shower.
 5.  Begin cleaning.
 6.  Check over schoolwork for completion.
 7.  Check over lists.
 8.  Remember, church is tonight.
 9.  Clean smudges off patio door.
10. Make turkey place cards.
11. Sit and take a break with my son and eat the popcorn he offered me.
12. Pull out tablecloth and fix centerpiece.
13.
14,
15.

I found it interesting the method that God used yesterday to just make me stop for awhile...a power outage for two hours!  We were in oblivion as we worked diligently in our schoolroom downstairs.  Our neighborhood did not get the rough weather that other parts of our area saw.  We are thankful for God's protection for those who were in the path of the tornado that touched down.  Today...it is cold but sunny and beautiful.  God truly is good to us...and that is the one thing I am focusing on as I check things off my to do list.

Connect Four can be physical!

Turkeys in the house!

I found a fun little turkey for the kids to make for our name plates at the table.  I enjoy leafing through the Family Fun magazine or visiting their website.

The turkey is thawing in the fridge.  Thunderstorms passing through our area this morning bringing winter in tow.  We will accomplish our three days of school this week before we take a little break.  Time to get our three little turkeys moving in the direction of the schoolroom!

I truly am grateful to the Giver of all gifts...

but I know I am not always truly grateful for all things that He deems...gifts!  It is easy to list the daily provisions and blessings.  It is harder to list the trials and challenges!  I was convicted by that thought as our pastor preached tonight.  Right now, I am trying to be thankful for some specific challenges in my life "under the sun".  I need to focus my thankfulness on the Giver of those challenges...and He will fill my heart with thankfulness as I listen to and obey His Words.  What a wonderful reminder as we begin this new week!

We went this year again...

and stood in our church parking lot to watch the "Light the Park" parade.  The kiddos enjoy it...and I have to admit the lights are pretty! 

They stuffed all the loot into my pockets!

All of this from a 20-30 minute parade! I didn't bring the camera, but our favorites this year were the firetrucks all decked out in lights.

"Are you rumpled in the head?" asked Grandmother Thomas.

A Saturday movie...with a new favorite question!

Homemade is the best!

I needed a recipe and found a good one on google!  It is better than store bought and almost as fast as opening a jar.  One cup of granulated sugar cooked over high heat till it is melted.  Whisk the entire time.  Have 6 tablespoons of butter cut and ready to add when the sugar is melted (will be an amber color). Continue to whisk till the butter is melted.  Remove heat.  Add one half cup heavy whipping cream.  Whisk till mixed well.  Store in a jar in fridge for up to two weeks.  Heat to serve...or eat right out of the jar! 

 I used part of this batch for an ice cream layer dessert with chocolate cookie crumbs.  Yum!

Peripheral vision...often taken for granted!

Bagels in the toaster were the pick of this morning's breakfast.  Add cream cheese, butter, and or jelly...and the kids were happy.  We are into the "I want to make my own" phase of life.  I am glad they are learning their way around the kitchen.  We are learning to do things safely...or so I thought!  Today...after my heart did a flip-flop...we had a teaching moment that went something like this...

"Son, NO! Don't ever do that! Not unless you want to meet Jesus...today!"

I was washing dishes and doing some general clean-up, when out of the corner of my eye I saw him go toward the toaster slots with his metal butter knife.  "Metal conducts electricity.  The toaster is plugged in to get electricity...which toasts your bagel.  You could be hurt severely...or even die from being electrocuted."  Since I was washing dishes, I also covered the fact that you keep electricity away from water. "You don't just try it to see what happens...because you could die.  Children have done it...and they are not able to toast their own breakfast anymore." 

I stopped and choked on the words...

I was standing right there!!!  I have told them not to do that before.  I know children try things "just to see what would happen" and they get hurt.  I wish there was some way to get our children to understand the importance of the words we speak.  We don't just talk to hear ourselves!  Obedience with out questioning...that is one of the things we are teaching.  

I remember the different electricity facts that Ted has shared with me.  He didn't earn the nickname "Sparky" from me.  Maybe we should arrange a Science class with Mr. Sparky...hmmmm.

Mothers don't literally have eyes in the back of our heads...but I am thankful to have my peripheral vision...it came in handy today! 

Friday afternoons are great days to go to the library!!!

I sat on the floor and looked at Thanksgiving and Christmas books while the kids got to have computer time and look at books.  It was so calm and quiet!  I think I could have curled up to read and actually fell asleep!  I think I should like to work at the library when I grow up!  I can read stories to children, put up bulletin boards, put books away, and decorate nooks and crannies!!!  This space is just disapppointing...

poor neglected stuffed animals!  Look...they are bored too!  This is just not acceptable when there are a gazillion leaves and pumpkins to make even the smallest spaces festive...it is the Children's department!  Yes...I could work in a library...and stay awake...I think!?!

"We were a bunch of busybodies today, Mom." stated Teddy.

 

It was our job to get rid of leaves, shingles, and garbage in prep of moving the fence to keep our little white dog safe this winter.  We will be able to park on the cement pad this year...practicing where we will park next year...under a garage!?!  After tackling school, we worked magic in the bedrooms...again!  Today, low expectations...I'm tired!  We will do our schoolwork and grocery shopping.  Our bodies...actually my body...doesn't feel the need to be that busy today!

"Dad, do you know how to do it or do you just do it?"

The kids asked Ted how he made oatmeal this morning (he was the chef).  "Do you look at a recipe?  Mom doesn't."  They are right, I just estimate and dump when it comes to oatmeal which produces at least an extra serving or two.  Ted follows the serving size suggestions...and always has just the right amount!  Even when adding brown or white sugar, we still are met with resistance to "oatmeal mornings".