We just took this picture about a half hour ago with my self-timer.  I wish Rich was in it!  Here I am with my 5 :  Jacob (9), Caleb (1), Grace (7), David (4), and Ethan (8).

 Caleb stuck a crayon through the wood stove insert and now my house is being scented with the smell of crayon wax.  What to do?

I just looked out the window a few minutes ago and saw a fantastic sight: about 7 cardinals, some fat bluejays and 2 fat robins.  The cardinals are my favorite.  They were sitting in the pine trees behind the feeder.  Their bright red bodies against the dark green was gorgeous.  I wish I could take some close ups but my camera is not adequate.

Here is one picture that I took.  I had to take it through the shut window of my bathroom:

Tomorrow I have cantata practice at church from 9-12 and I am taking Jacob, Ethan, and Grace with me because they are part of the children’s choir.  It’s always fun to go to church on a Saturday morning!  Rich will be here working on my lengthy to do list.  (I hope)

On Sunday Rich’s family is coming to our house for the first time (we just moved here in July).  We will celebrate Christmas together.

Happy Friday!

‘Tis the Season to be. . . . . .

Jolly?

Something to think about

Here is a Spurgeon quote on READING:

“As the apostle says to Timothy, so also he says to every-one, ‘Give yourself to reading.’ … He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves that he has no brains of his own… You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible… the best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying.” C.H. Spurgeon

Please Share: 

As a Christian, what is the most challenging book (besides the Bible) you have read and how did it help you in your spiritual walk?

If there are several important books that you have read, please feel free to share them all.

It started snowing this morning and all of a sudden we’re all happy again.  Hee hee. . . .it’s amazing. . .the Christmas spirit is upon me. . .I feel snug and cozy in my house with my children all around.  They begged for pancakes this morning and I mixed them up while they quickly put on their snow things and went outside to explore.

They have been so excited to see snow again.

David has a mitten on one hand and a sock on the other.  He found an icicle and knocked on the door.  When I opened the door he held it up for me to see and said, “Look what I found.  It looks like a hammer of ice.”  Yes it did, actually. 

The other kids have the sleds out already, even though the snow is barely covering the ground.  When they came in for breakfast they told me that they had been throwing rocks in the thinly iced pond, making small holes.  I can understand why that would be fun! 

  This view is from my bathroom window. 

“I made feet!  I looked and I said, WOW!  I did that!  I made feet!”  David, age 4

Pancakes ~ (this is my favorite recipe for pancakes)

2 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk (or sour milk–you add vinegar to regular milk and let it sit for a few mintutes)
1/3 cup sugar
2 heaping tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix all together until smooth.  Yum.

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.  Ps 90

“I am beginning to recognize
the sound of a
christmas bulb being
yanked off it’s cap
by a ‘naughty’ baby.” ~Shanda

Thank you to everyone who left such encouraging things for me to read today.  I was touched by you all, I truly was.  I’m glad that I wrote how I was feeling.  I am doing better today.  I did go out to the grocery store and a couple of shops with the children.  We have some of R’s family coming on Sunday for Christmas and so I am trying to get things done for that visit.  Rich is away tonight and will be back tomorrow evening.  I don’t like it when he’s away but I plan on putting the children to bed right after dinner and hopefully I will have some time to spend on some reading, tv, devotions, and such.  Love to you all, Shanda

My husband has wanted a certain sort of decorated tree for several years and this year we did it!  We have our tree and the kids have their own tree. 

Our Tree:  Silver and Blue Theme

Their Tree (is it sweet or what?  we even made the garland by stringing pasta on yarn and the glittering it)  Also, our son Jacob put the new tree stand together himself w/no help at all.  It’s set up upstairs:

Nothing went wrong today.  Yet, I crashed. 

I just got tired. of. everything.

Why do I even share this depressing news?

Because it’s the truth, today.

I feel like I’ve been going 100 miles an hour for years.  I’m tired of working hard and fast at the same things over and over.  I’m tired of making homemade soup when I could just as easily open a can.  And the kids like that canned stuff better anyway.

I’m tired of adding feminine touches to my house.  Who cares anyways?

I’m tired of cleaning. 

Tired of training the kids.

Tired of thinking.

What to do?  I thought of that quote:  “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”  Guess what?  Sometimes the tough spend a moment dreaming about just giving up.

After a whole afternoon of crying (and a nap), I’ve started seeing a little bit of sunshine after the storm.  I won’t give up, I’ll keep going. . . . . . . .

For our conversation is in heaven;
from whence also we look for our Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ:
who shall change our vile body,
that it should be fashioned like unto his glorious body,
according to the working whereby He is able even
to subdue all things unto Himself.
Therefore, my brethren
dearly beloved and longed for,
my joy and my crown,
so stand fast in the Lord,
my dearly beloved.
Philippians 3:20-4:1

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

And, by the way, things really weren’t quite as bad as I was thinking.  My husband said the homemade soup was the best he ever had and reminded me that. . . . . “I helped you decorate the house all afternoon yesterday!”  *sigh*, he’s right.