Here we are enjoying some cool weather and fun with family! We got some great pics at the Arboretum this weekend with Brian & Lisa and the kids had a blast!
We are heading up North in a couple days so my blog will probably be sleeping for a week. Hope you all have a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving and that you have lots to be Thankful for this year!

More of Mary and less of Martha for me!!

I am just amazed at how hard headed I can be sometimes. It takes a group of ladies (great ladies I must say) sitting in a circle offering advice on how to (this time) stop yelling too much. But you know it was nothing they said that gave me that "Ah ha" moment! One of these friends is a licensed counselor - so I did feel like I was getting some great FREE advice, but she is also a grandma and has been where I am and has done it! So her advice is well received.
This time however, my revelation was not in how I was dealing with my kids, not in my temper or my attitude. It was not one of my kids anger outbursts that I was solving. It was realizing that when I take my focus off why I am home and what my "mission" is - things fall apart! And that is what has happened the last 2 weeks or so.

We have been going great with school - consistent, good attitudes, and getting everything done! I can not always claim those things. But as soon as we are done with school, I start on my "project" which currently is sewing Christmas gifts. This is something I love to do - but if it is taking my focus off of being a stable mom and a loving mom, to my kids, then I need to find another way to do things!

One thing that rang true from my friend's advice - is to "rest" when the kids are resting. Okay, I know this is not new or anything. I have "rested" for years when the kids rest - especially when we had a baby in the house. But these days? Well, 3 of my 4 don't nap - they read or have quiet time. What do I do? Feverishly do things that I do not like to do when they are running around (i.e. sewing, canning, cleaning, etc). I also heard this week that we need to teach our kids to relax without guilt. Now in this area, I know that Robert is the person to model this to our kids. But really, if they never see me relax without guilt (which they don't) then what am I teaching them? That is it all about performance. That concept is something my boys will figure out without me modeling it every day of their lives, so really I need to teach them to take some down time, that relaxing after working hard is okay. I have to teach myself that concept more I think. I am performance driven - has to be done well (okay usually perfect) and has to be done NOW, and has to be done! This is not a healthy philosophy to live by.

Okay - so the new me. Today, we schooled at a leisurely pace (not that I would ever rush through school to that I can then dig out the sewing machine - no not me!) (we schooled by the fire I might add) and then we cleaned the house - together. We each took a room and the kids picked up and vacuumed the floors. Then the little guy helped me in my room just picking up stuff and getting it in one place for me to sort. Anyway, it went great. We have several very clean rooms and then the kids hit the legos. Oh yeah, I did send the 2 bigger boys out to journal nature this morning after school - by drawing our tree that is actually changing colors. So we really had a great morning. While they did legos I did can some pumpkin butter - but it only took about 30 minutes. Then as rest time approached I wanted to get the sewing machine out - but knew that would re-start the frenzy - and I wanted to force myself to rest this afternoon. So here I am resting.

Really, blogging is relaxing, I am not multi-tasking (don't ask the number of tabs I have opened - that does not count) and I get to have a few moments of me time. While that may sound selfish I am becoming increasingly aware that after I have some me moments I am a better and more patient mom! So here goes!

Did I mention that one of my friends called Nancy Leigh Demoss last night? I don't know which one did it, but today she was talking to me on her radio show! I could not believe it! She was using the Mary and Martha story to speak to my heart and oh my goodness! I can get so wrapped into being a Martha that I could scream!! I just pray that God will slow me down (gently) and show me how to be Mary, how to savor the moments with my kids and not let them fly by! Check it out here if you want to hear what she was saying to me. I still cannot believe those ladies!! :)

And while I do this, my boys are quietly in their rooms on their beds reading some books and resting, I must say the quiet sounds great!

Hope you have a blessed day!

Back on track

We had a great day today - very productive, fun and just all around great!

Happy Celebrate Day little girl!

It was a celebrate day too - the first time we celebrated the Princess's celebrate day (each month her day is the day she was born - 10th). So tonight we enjoyed some caramel apples that Chewie helped me make. We also treated Daddy to a special meal of fish chowder. This was a first for me - I have tried it in Maine, but never made it. Well, it was really good! The 2 older boys ate 2 bowls and the other 2 kids finished theirs. Robert had 3 servings himself! I will take those indicators as favorable!

We also had a great morning of school. We have been reading Shakespeare and the boys really like it! It is fun to see them get excited about something that if not presented right can be terribly boring! The book we are using is for kids and it is great! Han Solo also read the Bible story to us today! He is really reading so well and just wants to read all the time! They get upset when I tell them to stop reading and do something else!

This pic of the Princess is her new As-For-Wii outfit - or just her new Wii clothes! We were on the phone with my mom when I walked out of the kitchen to see her sitting there in all her glory with the Wii controller in her hand sitting with her brothers! A funny moment!

Tomorrow is Veteran's day - we are going to go to Dallas to watch the parade - I hope it will be tons of fun for the kids and just a nice memorial for me. I am sure we are going to see tons of Veterans!

It seems you cannot ignore the fact that Obama is our new President Elect, but my goodness there is nothing in the paper these days except all the details on all that Obama plans to do on January 21st. Our sermon on Sunday was about our trust in God. Our associate pastor Adam talked about how if we are worried or fearful or upset we are not placing our trust in God but in a man. It made me realize that maybe that is why God allowed this. I keep racking my brain to understand how this can glorify Him - and I finally got a glimpse into a possible reason. What if it is to get our attention - us Christians. What if McCain won, would we be praying as fervently as we are? Would McCain have been that much better? I mean I know he would have been some better - but really was he the man we wanted leading our country? I think the Republican Party made him out to be MUCH more conservative than he really was and I think we would have been disappointed with him. (Not more than Obama - but some none the less)

So I just thought maybe Obama is the man who will get us on our knees, get us united as Christians to fight for this country? What do you think? I can get terrified in about 3 seconds, so I am not any better at this not have any stronger faith than anyone else. But I am working on it. I am trying to trust that the Supreme Court is not forever. I am trusting that Obama is just one man and his campaign promises were like any others - bigger than he can really do. And I trust that my God is still on his throne and he will only allow what he chooses to happen. So I think we need to get ready to be in prayer a lot in the next four years. And let's start praying now for the next person who will earn the title of President elect in 4 years that that person loves God with their whole heart!

Enough about that. We had our first fire tonight in our fireplace. It was not really cold enough - but we have tons of wood and we just felt like it was time. The kids were of course excited to have a fire and I loved the smell and the coziness. We are trying to get ready o head to Michigan for Thanksgiving! I cannot wait for the cold weather - I think in the 30's today - and the fires and the Thanksgiving food! Yum! So we are taking off in about one and a half weeks to drive up to see Robert's folks for the week - hopefully we will have a great drive and get there on Saturday night. I figure with 2 adults it will be a walk in the park easy! (After driving to NC with just me and 4 kids)

Well, happy Veteran's Day - and thanks to those who gave some, and those who gave all! And to those who are still giving! And especially to our favorite one serving - "Uncle" James!

Refreshed!

What a difference a day away can make! I was able to get away all day Saturday to do my favorite hobby of all! STAMP!! I loved it! I went to a stamp camp my friend held and we stamped all day. Do you want to know the best part? I did not have to do anything except show up with tape and myself. Lunch, Dinner, and all the crafts were planned and ready to go! it was great! We made some great cards, a scrapbook, lots of gift containers, a recipe box, post-it note holder, ornaments and probably more! It was just so fun!

I can home completely refreshed, loaded with lots of great gifts & ideas, and happy! I neede Saturday after my Friday! What a day!

Today has been a good day too - we spent our morning at church - of course! Sunday School was great - we covered (review) from Abraham to Moses and then talked about Moses getting the Israelites out of Egypt. The best part of this was a call from my friend this afternoon to tell me that her son has been sharing the lesson and the take-away point after class! What a blessing that encouraging infomation was! You never know if they are catching it, and by golly, they are catching it.

I have gotten some more sewing done today too! I finally finished Chandler's name pillow and on Friday I finished her comforter! I just love both of them! I am working on my dear little girl's name pillow and one for the boys too (Christmas presents) - and then I am off to PJ pants for my kids and Robert and me. I think we will match this year. Then I have a list of pillows I want to make for people for gifts! I am so tickled with this project!!

What a week we have to come! A great day on Tuesday - VETERAN'S Day!! Yeah! It makes me so thankful for what many of my friends and family are still doing today. James (Uncle to my kids) is in Iraq as I type - and my kids miss him and pray for him all the time! We are just so thankful to live in a country where men and women put their lives on the line for our freedoms. So THANK YOU - to those still serving and those who have served!

In honor of Veteran's day we went to the National Cemetery in Dallas last week and this week we are planning to go to the parade in Dallas. I am excited - I know the kids will LOVE IT!!

Well, I am off to organize the school room for tomorrow and prepare for the week - I have jelly making on the schedule, school, field trip, more sewing, and I am sure to find a few more things to add!