The Story of our Days

Hello Friends!

So happy to be back in blogland, visiting with each of you.  The days go by so very quickly and all we are left with is memories.  We can't go back no matter how much we would like to, so w need to live intentionally, making each day count.

Each day is like a picture in the mind of your child.  And as the days go together what will stand out?

One way I have found to make the days count is to have a routine we loosely follow throughout the day.  We know that school is in the morning, tea time is at 3 p.m., and that dinner is spent round the table, each of us sharing what the day held.  These anchor our days.

What I want to share about is what we call "tea time."  Around 2:15 I start making the scones, usually buttermilk, but sometimes with chocolate chips in them.  After they go in the oven, we get the tea started and bring out the sugar and honey.  Most days we sit around the table, laughing, talking, sharing from our lives...books we're reading, Bible verses that really stood out to us, what's going on outside, with friends, and so on.  I usually have Constant Comment, although Earl Grey comes in at a close second.  Some don't like tea and we usually have  pot of coffee going as well.

I want to make memories that my children will remember.  Little things that they will be able to look back on fondly.

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.


~Laura Ingalls Wilder


Blessings!


~Karen

On my heart~

I want to encourage anyone who reads this blog to spend time working, playing with and enjoying their children. The relationships formed are so sweet and to be greatly treasured. To have our children's hearts is a gift that takes careful cultivating. Here are some ways I have invested in their lives over the years:




~ playing games with them from the time they were little


~working together whether in the kitchen doing dishes, outside gardening or doing yardwork, we have built many memories spending time together reaching a goal


~Reading together, or reading the same books individually. We could then talk about what we read and share many laughs over what the characters did


~watching movies together


~taking walks together and talking


~just being together -- kids need time to just be kids and we can share their excitement about what they discover


I think the most important thing is to pray about what God would have you do with your kids. Whether it's a matter of keeping their hearts, disciplining them, or even to matters as small as what movies/books are good, if we pray and ask the Lord, He will guide us. There are many books out there about this subject, but they don't know your kids. Their unique temperment, their needs, your short-comings and inadeqacies, God knows all of this and if we ask Him to show us, He will. There have been so many times I have been stumped as to what to do with a certain child. I have gotten scared, because on my own I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to do something that would damage our relationship. I would pray about, sometimes all day long as I was busy doing other things, as it came to mind I would pray, begging the Lord to give me some wisdom, and He did. The matter would be resolved and instead of losing their hearts, I would strengthen the heart strings. He is able to do all of this for you. also, if you but ask Him. He delights in giving us gifts, just as we do for our own dear children.


~Karen

A New Start

Life flies by and sometimes it's hard to find time to blog.  Here's what's going on around my house: 

*We enjoyed a very special Christmas spent with my father-in-love and his wonderful wife.


*We have been enjoying weekends of playing UNO.  It's so funny to see the kids' expressions as someone hands them a "Draw 2" card.  It's all done in fun, and the laughter coming from our kitchen is evidence of our love for each other.

*We baked a lot this Christmas season.  We like to give out baskets full of goodies to our neighbors and the postman.  It is better to give than to receive!


*We have all been spending time reading the Bible.  It thrills my soul to see my children read and learn from the Word.  I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4

Be blessed!


~Karen

The Days are Fleeting....

Summer has flown by and all too soon we'll be welcoming a new season.  I am looking forward to fall and all of the fun we'll have.  I'm thinking of cooler nights with bonfires, s'mores, apple pies and weenie roasts.  But, for now, I want to remember summer and all of the fun we had.

~planting our garden, late as it was, has produced a goodly amount of food for us

~tomatoes getting processed and straight into the freezer for yummy soups and spaghetti

~our flop of a lasagna garden, which redeemed itself in late summer and we now have 6 watermelons,  2 cantaloupes and many zucchinis.  Oh! I can't forget the two cucumbers we also got. :0)

~the time we stayed up really late, under the tiki torches as we laughed and talked about so many things.

~the two weeks of volunteering at camp for my oldest daughter, the bad asthma attack I had when she was gone, and how I found out we all had strengths we didn't know we had.  Those unknown strengths/assets seem to make themselves known when the Mom of the family is sick. *smile*

~the two weeks of my two older ones visiting their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins out in Washington.  Two weeks of my family loving on my kiddos, showing them the sights, letting Chelsea take hundreds of pictures, and the great memories they now have of spending time with them. 

~spending time with my other three kiddos when they were in WA.  Doing the dishes with Becky as we talked about important things in her life, the time spent watching good movies together, Aaron playing blocks with us, and we always let him topple our block buildings because he liked to.

~friends over, sharing, playing and growing together

~Aaron doing "force hold", "force choke" and "force push"

~time spent working together, sharing time as a family, just us growing and loving each other

There are so many more special memories, so many things I don't want to forget. 

*the feel of Aaron's hand in mine

*hugs from my oldest son

*paper hearts from my middle son

*Aaron saying mercy and "duncle" for uncle

*playing with the lego's together

*Jacob hoeing the garden, even though big blisters were on his hands

*listening to many hours of beautiful piano music played by my girls

*guitar music from Jacob

*of times spent listening to old bluegrass together, to sharing new songs with each other, even if it isn't everybody's style of music they like.  Loving each other enough to listen and enjoy the time spent together

*e-mails from friends near and far away

*real letters from friends near and far away

There are so many blessing in the average, every-day life we live: 

~A smile from someone we love (or a stranger)

~a kind word spoken 

~ a beautiful flower

~seeing a child grasp a new skill

~watching the sunrise or sunset together

~a clean house

~laundry swaying on the line

~sun-fresh and sweet-smelling

Be blessed, my friends.  Life is beautiful if we but look around us and drink in it's joys.

~Karen

 

The Lazy Days of Summer~

It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest, and living close to nature.

The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes and surely, it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies.


~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Hello!

Warm and sunny greetings from my home to yours.  Summer is in full swing here and we are able to spend lots of time outside enjoying the beautiful weather, blue skies and picnics.  There is laundry on the line most days, time for walks up the road, time to just enjoy the blessings that come along with summer.

I am learning that through trials come blessings...in ways that you don't expect.  And that obedience really is the very best thing that we can do.  A leap of faith taken, but taken knowing that the Lord is there, holding us up and charting a course for us.  The peace I have comes from Him.  

We have a small garden in, two actually.  We are trying out Lasagna Gardening this year.  Our tomatoes are doing great...peppers, not so much.  We have already canned many pints and quarts of strawberry jam, tucked away in the basement for the colder days to come.  A little taste of the summer in the winter.  We also bought some freezer beef recently.  Stocking up the larder, so nice to have it full.

I am in the midst of deep-cleaning the house.  I am mostly done with the kitchen, now onto the Library Room.  I am hoping to make it easier to find everything.  We live in a very s-m-a-l-l house and it can feel cluttered rather easily, so I'm finding it easier to store things in the garage that we don't need/use right now.  I move slowly, as there are still my other daily duties to attend to.  And I find that those anchor me and allow me to free my mind to make the decisions of what stays and what goes out to the garage.  

I am thankful for so many things~

~nursing my little one to sleep

~parents who love me and my family

~the friendships I have with my children

~the feeling you get after seeing the results of a hard days work

~flowers

~friends who love me and are there for me

~that I can rest in the Lord's plan for my life

~my little one who is tucked in, cozied up under Great-Grandma's quilt

Have a great day, friends!

~Karen    

1000 Gifts....

22. Beautiful snow falling in large and small snowflakes, covering the grass and turning everything into a winter wonderland.

23. Time spent watching a movie with my husband over the weekend.

24. Long e-mails from a dear friend.

25. The joy of listening to the many hopes and dreams my children have.

26. Knowing that when I am sad or afraid the Lord is always there to listen to me.  He comforts me and tells me to cast my many fears, trials, and concerns upon Him.

27. Little boys who wear snow boots or rubber boots all the time.  So cute!

28. My 8 year old, Matthew, who willingly treks up and down the stairs many times to get jars and cans from the basement pantry.

29. Kids who love your home cooking!

30. The joy of homeschooling my kiddos.

31. The added benefit of watching them learn to read, do algebra, write their own books, all because we invested a little time to teach them how to learn on their own.

 

A Clean Slate

I love the feeling of the new year being fresh, wide open with possibilities.  I always make a list of goals, dreams, or accomplishments I hope to realize during the upcoming year. 

Last year I wanted to read more books.  I ended up reading over 50 new books, and a few previously read books because they are my favorites.  Books that have challenged me, comforted me, and drew me closer to the Lord.  A new favorite, must-be-read-each-year, book is First We Have Coffe by Margaret Jensen.

This year, along with the usual goals of losing weight and reading through the Bible in a year, I am hoping and praying to be able to buy a small farm with a farmhouse, red barns, and fences.  I really miss our chickens, hogs, gardens, flower beds, and just the freedom to do what we want with the land.

The Lord knows what we need in a farm, plus what features I'd like in a farmhouse.  I love big, sunny kitchens, large bedrooms, a place for all of our school books, it definately has to have an upstairs, and a basement.  I like the security a basement gives in tornado season.  I'm still getting used to living each summer with the possibility of a tornado coming our way. 

But no matter if we still are living here, in our rental house, next year, it's okay.  The Lord has a plan for my life and for my family that I trust.  A house and land would be great, but what's even better is knowing that we are in His hand, sheltered and protected.  Here for a reason we may or may not know, trusting that His plan is best for our lives.

Simply Trusting

Simply trusting ev'ry day,

Trusting through a stormy way;

Even when my faith is small;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,

Trusting as the days go by;

Trusting him whate'er befall,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Brightly doth his Spirit shine

Into this poor heart of mine;

While he leads I cannot fall;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing if my way is clear;

Praying if the path be drear;

If in danger, for him call;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting him while life shall last,

Trusting him till earth be past;

Till within the jasper wall;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Priceless Gift

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Doesn't this verse just make you excited?  A Son was given to us -- to redeem us from our sins and to set us free.  Not for anything we do or don't do, there isn't anything we could do to redeem ourselves.  God, in His mercy and love towards us, sent us a priceless gift, the gift of a Son. 

When a baby is born it is a time of rejoicing, a time of thankfulness that God would bless a family with a new little one to hold, love, cherish, and raise to serve Him.  A priceless gift, a treasure worth more than anything this world could offer. 

As I ponder the wonderfulness of Jesus' birth, I get excited.  Excited that God made a way for us to be with Him in heaven for eternity.  And I just feel so unworthy to receive such a gift, but my worth isn't measured in my eyes.  God made me worthy by loving me enough to want to be with me forever.  And I feel like all of heaven opened up and the angels are singing and there is a bright blue sky and I just feel the warmth of God envelope me in a big hug as I feel His love and acceptance. 


May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
 
~Irish blessing 

One Thousand Gifts

11.  My daughter Chelsea who just turned 17 on Tuesday.  I cannot even express in words how much she means to me.  My right hand when I need it, my "personal photographer" when I can't take the pictures I want to, she cooks a lot of our meals, took care of all of us when we had the Swine Flu last month, and on and on.  Chel...I love you so much!!

12.  That each day is a fresh start.

13.  A 2 year old who keeps me in prayer throughout the day.  A more challenging little guy I've never had.  Thankfully God hears me throughout the day and gives so much grace.

14.  Friends who have picked up and dropped my older two off at church while my car is being worked on.

15.  Safety from the Lord in my fender bender.  I shudder to think what could have happened.

16.  Big brown eyes trusting me for everything.

17.  My parents who both mean so much to me.

18.  A God who loves me in spite of my many short comings.

19.  My husband who faithfully goes to work every day despite the fact that he has a really yucky job.

20.  E-mails from friends far away.

21.  Children who were baptized in September.  Jacob and Becky shared their special day together.  Our church camp is where they were baptized followed by a pot luck afterwards.  How sweet it is to see my children following the One who loves them the most.

For more gifts, please click on the button on my side bar.  It will take you to Ann's quiet place.

It's Great to be Two

Aaron turned 2 on Sunday.  He was thrilled to open his own gifts and blow out his own candles.  He stuck a few fingers in the icing and smiled, then laughed as we all watched him.  Two is such a fun age for little ones.  I just want to remember each day, what it feels like to hold him, his sticky kisses, chubby toddler hands, how he says "bye" to me as he goes downstairs to play with Matthew, and how he loves to cuddle and nurse.

I love how he concentrates so much on opening his gift.  My husband said he always wants to remember the look Aaron gives as he's concentrating.  So cute!

The cake tasted really good.  Chelsea made and decorated it.  She loves to decorate cakes and is really good at it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am just so thankful for Aaron.  I didn't think I'd ever be blessed with anymore babies after I had Matthew, and for 6 years I wasn't able to conceive.  Imagine my surprise when I found out a new little one was going to join our family!  Life is such a blessing.

It was a very hard pregnancy for me, filled with many doubts and fears.  I was afraid to do anything for fear I would lose the baby I had prayed for years to conceive.  I ended up on bed rest in my 7th month after I pulled a muscle in my back.  I was nervous, high strung and lacked faith through it all.  Aaron was born by c-section after many hours of labor.  He was transverse and despite our best efforts, he just wouldn't turn.  My worst fear had come true.  Me, a home-birthing, natural labor believer had a c-section.  It was very hard to recover from, mostly because of my lack of faith that ALL things work together for good to those who love the Lord.  All things, even c-sections.  And you know, I finally came to the point of not caring how he was born, just that he was here, and he was my special gift from God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aaron through the past two years:

Happy Birthday my littlest love!

Daybook~

FOR TODAY...

November 30




Outside my window...

a blustery day spent inside, all warm and cozy




I am thinking...

about our Christmas photo cards we'll be sending out soon.  This is my first year sending out photo cards.




I am thankful for...

being able to stay home with my kiddos. 




I am wearing...

a navy blue skirt with a striped shirt.  And my Smartwool socks, of course.  I live in a drafty, old farmhouse.  :-)




I am remembering...

Christmas from my childhood.  How magical it all seemed, how wonderful to the senses.  The lights, the taste of good food, the smell of pine, the reminder of a little babe sent to save the world.  How wonderful salvation's message is to my lips, to my heart, to my very soul.




I am going...

nowhere today.  I have to take my car in to get fixed tomorrow.  More on that at the bottom of this post.



I am reading...

some magazines, a few children's books...I need to get started on something new.  :-)





I am hoping...

to get my car fixed this week. 



On my mind...

The fun we all had at Thanksgiving.  The games we played, the good food, the just being a family day we all shared.



From the learning rooms...

Matthew's moving up in math, and we have a few weeks of doing the minimum in school work so we can enjoy this glorious season.



Noticing that...

I need to finish deep-cleaning the downstairs.  Then onto the bedrooms up stairs.



Pondering these words...

"What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow." Martin Luther



From the kitchen...

grilled cheese, jalapeno poppers, just snack-y type foods.  We have one of these nights every so often.



Around the house...

I need to finish decorating for Christmas.  We thought we lost our ornaments, but they were in the basement for some reason.  We were all so happy to have found them.  We always reminisce as we put them up.  The story of our family is there in those ornaments...the reminder of times past, and the hope of days to come.

One of my favorite things~

Chubby toddler hands.  So sweet and little for only a short time.  I'm trying to kiss them as much as I can!


From my picture journal...
 

 
 
I was in a minor fender-bender last week.  Jacob and I were out getting some last minute items for Thanksgiving, picking up Chelsea's glasses, and were going to browse around a thrift store, when I hit a pole.  The entrance to this thrift store is very tiny, and it has a pole about a third of the way into the opening.  I thought I gave myself enough clearance...but I didn't.  We take the Suburban in tomorrow to get fixed. 
 
To read more daybook entries, visit Peggy.

Multitude Monday~

I've long been a reader at Ann's wonderful, thought-provoking blog.  Such spiritual food is found at her quiet spot.  So, I decided to join her Multitude Mondays and maybe alternate with the Simple Woman posts I've been doing.

1000 Gifts

1. Time with my husband when all the kiddos were asleep.  Laughing, talking and just enjoying each other's company.

2. Kids who love to read.

3. A toddler who says "bapples" for apples. *so cute*

4. Sunny days with puffy, white clouds.

5.  An older daughter (she has her own blog) who decided to do all the dishes over the weekend.

6.  A book written by my younger daughter, Becky.

7.  Hugs from my 14 y.o. son Jacob.

8.  Laughing at my 8 y.o. (Matt) as he plays with the 2 y.o. Aaron.

9.  The Lord's gentle conviction in some areas of my life.

10.  Looking at some old pictures of my children when they were younger.

Won't you join?  Go here to see other gratitude journals.

~The Simple Woman's Daybook~

For Today... November 9. 






Outside my window... overcast and unseasonably warm.  A nice November day!





I am thinking... about a big shopping trip later this week.  Chel and I sat down and wrote out a master list this afternoon.



I am thankful for...kids who love to play together.  Becky had Aaron in an empty laundry basket and was pulling him around the house.  He was a little king and she was a horse.  These are things to treasure, my friends.





From the learning rooms...Only a 2 1/2 weeks until Thanksgiving, so we're trying to pack in a lot of learning.  We'll take the week of Thanksgiving off to cook and to have fun together.





From the kitchen...Beef stew and homemade buttermilk biscuits for dinner.





I am wearing...a jumper with a white t-shirt.  Warm slippers on my feet. ;0)





I am creating...what I hope is a love of learning in my children as we do school together. 






I am remembering...several people that have medical issues and need prayer.  Some from my area and some from the internet.  What a privilege it is to come together in prayer for the brethren.





I am going...to the library for a few books and movies.





I am reading...The Mother at Home by John Abbott.





I am hoping...to get together a few ideas for the next 2 birthdays coming up.  My baby will be 2 and my oldest will be 17.





I am hearing...Chelsea practice scales on the piano.  Lessons tomorrow.





Around the house...Laundry, laundry, laundry.  It never ends....




One of my favorite things...My family all together.  I know that those days will end soon, but I'm enjoying them while they're still here.




A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Piano lessons, our big once-a-month shopping trip, then home again, home again jiggity-jog.  :0)





Here is picture thought I am sharing...

My sweet 1 year old boy eating a "bapple" outside.  I had forgotten how sweet this age was.  I'm thankful the Lord gave Aaron to us so we could remember the joys that being a toddler can bring.  :0)



visit Peggy for more Daybook entries.

An Important Year

Today my youngest daughter turns 12.  We have a tradition where we take the birthday child out to dinner, so we went to Bob Evans.  It was so nice to just sit and talk with Becky...to know what she's thinking, what's important to her, etc.  Sometimes in the rush of life, things can get overlooked.  But not yesterday!  It was just us, relaxing over a nice meal, and talking.  I find that kids are more in-tune with life around us than we give them credit for.  Becky talked about life being like a book that we wrote on  every day.  I love how she already gets that and how important that will be for her in her life as she matures and grows up.  We talked about favorite books, about the day she was born and how special that day was.  About how she has enriched our lives just by being her wonderful self.  I thought about how very blessed I am to have her in my life.  There are so many wonderful things to think about in the coming years for my sweet girl, but today we will just concentrate on celebrating how she has richly blessed our family starting the day she was born.

Here she is with one of her best pals.  Aaron shares the month of November with her as his birthday month.  He'll be 2 shortly after Thanksgiving.