Mondays…

It has been a while since I have basked in the glory of a regular Monday.  Last week was a manic week for me – on many levels.  The week before I was driving from Colorado to Texas, and the 3 Mondays before that I was either travelling to Oregon or enjoying the rainy wonderful Oregon weather!

So today was so wonderful!  Really I love Mondays!!  I just love them.  They are like a fresh start for me every week.  Get the house in order after a care-free weekend (or whatever the weekend was – it never leaves the house in order), get back to the routine of school, get my to-do list started, etc.  I just love it!

Today was especially good since Robert finally had a few days where he did not go to work!  Woo Hoo – it was only about 3 weeks since his last day off – and we were enjoying those 3 days in Oregon on the beach.  So we were all in need to Dad/Robert having some time off work!  He even knocked out a few tasks on his to-do list. 

Here is some of the results of my work this Monday:

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I did most of the sewing yesterday finishing 6 blocks, but today when I counted I realized I had to do 2 more.  So today I trimmed, irons, and started sashing my squares.  So exciting!  I hope it ends up being worth all this work, I hope I love my finished quilt, but I am afraid that I will not.  We will see.

Here is where I am right now…

( here are my rows laid out on my bed so I could see what I think – there will be brown in between the rows too – then brown all the way around)

I have my rows together,  I need to make some little squares that will go in the corners and then add the brown between my rows.  But I am getting there. 

I did get some bread made too – so that is always fun to enjoy in the morning. 

I have not added to my grateful list in a while, here is for today and the past few weeks …

I am so truly grateful for

102.  my children who are children and drive me crazy – but whom I love so much and treasure immeasurably

103. my husband who works so hard, and dedicated himself to our family

104. my friends who encourage me when I am manic and need someone to tell me what to do (like reading on the grass in the sun)

105. my church, where I am filled spiritually, and educationally as I learn so much from our pastor – and where I find like minded friends

106. time to sew in the afternoon

107. tea (from Stash or Hanley and Sons) and the memories with my mom

108. time to run off to Oregon to spend some quality time growing closer to my mom and Louie

109. teaching my kids about Wyoming while driving through the state (and Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oregon & Utah)

110. for the freedoms that homeschool allows our family – and the joy it brings into our home

111. for new friends taking the plunge into the unknown homeschool world – and demonstrating faith and obedience to God

112. for balanced hormones – what a difference a couple days make!

113. for people in my life who I love and who love me – and show me forgiveness even when I do not deserve it – I am blessed by your love and encouragement!

114. for all the things that I take for granted – but if I lost them tomorrow would be sorry.

Finally, if you read this today or tomorrow, say a prayer for those in your life who you love – especially your spouse.  My friend/classmate lost her husband yesterday (Sunday) in a tragic cycling accident – so she is now a widow at 37 or so – with 2 small children.  Life is so precious – treasure those you celebrate your life with, and never take any day for granted.  I am praying for Michelle and her children as they navigate this horrible time, and I pray for peace and comfort from our Heavenly Father for each of them.

A recap of Colorado

We had such a great time with friends while in Colorado!  Here are some pics to show all of our fun…..

 

Getting ready to be boys  & shoot guns

here are our sweet girls

Such a sweet little boy

 

Our gracious host with her sweet son

Our hero Brian – taught the boys to shoot pain ball guns!

They had the best time – the love Brian!!

   

Time for S’Mores!!  Do they look happy or what?

Hoping to have more pics next month with our same sweet friends!!

catching up

That is me this past week…. catching up!!  Boy, I am worn out!

I admit, when I arrived home, my house was clean.  But then we unpacked car, then the suitcases, then the boxes, and then…. well you get the idea.  So it has taken me about 6 days to rotate spring clothes for all the kids and myself, to reorganize my school room (getting ready to hang a big chalk board my wonderful friend blessed me with) and to get everything else into it’s place.

It is so good to be in our own beds, with our own clothes, in our own bathrooms!  The house is quiet at night – without my mom and Louie to catch up with.  But I can get back to some sewing projects and a few other things I am working on.

Our sweet little girl came home to a new table and chairs in her room – for tea parties and such.  So I have been busy sewing her some felt food too this week.  When she was playing Tuesday with her brothers, I told her to go get some fake food from the toy area – she returned with blocks.  I then realized the child needed some “real” fake food!  So that is coming along (pics to come soon).

I have my lovely “new” tea set in our living room on my hope chest and I love it there – see it many times a day and am reminded of the hope I have in God – just so thankful for the relationship he has blessed me with between my mom and me.  That tea set reminds me of her prayers and commitment to me over many years and her hope!  So cool!

This week is a busy one – another Birthday tomorrow!  Little E is turn 6 – well, not so little I suppose!!  Then we are going to spend some time in Fort worth with grandparents – then Wednesday with a friend new to homeschooling – we are going to talk shop : ie school!!  Can’t wait for that! 

The best though may be Thursday when my same sweet friend (the one who gifted the chalk board to me) is taking my kids for the day!!  Oh my!! Robert and I will get to have a date afternoon – maybe lunch and a movie!!  We so need this – between my being gone, he as worked 21 days straight as of today!  And the hours are long!!  So we need some time without the kids to just be together!!  So yeah for Thursday!!

I will get some pics this week of my felt food, my new trinkets around the house and maybe my new school room!  Hopefully we will catch some blue bonnet pics too!!  We will see!

And finally I want to say hello to my “lurking” uncles out there!  So thrilled to be reconnecting with everyone – hope to be able to get in touch with you both one of these days!  Thank you so much for your encouragement for mom – you have really made her happy checking on me and supporting her!  So, welcome John and Kelly, I hope you enjoy following along with our brood as we navigate the path of life!!

Traditions

A view from my mom’s porch

Traditions have always been near and dear to my heart.  Not sure why, or well, I was never sure why.  I thought is was because I was raised in a home where traditions were not emphasized as being important.  So in 2002, when I spend 9 months living in Michigan attending MOPS, I learned that traditions can be what you want them to be.  You can define what things you want to teach you children, what things you want to pass on.   You can choose from your family traditions and your husband’s to decide which you want to have with your own children.

So I spent a lot of time looking at all sorts of family traditions that others used.  I wanted our family traditions to be centered around our faith.  I wanted them to be more than just something we “do” because we always did.  I wanted them to have depth.  Fun would be good too, I want them to be things that we enjoy – but really wanted to choose ones with meaning.

So for the past nine years or so we have established a number of traditions with our kids, some things from the Cole family, some from other sources, and a few from my childhood.

But this trip to Oregon has given me a new perspective on traditions.  My mom has opened the cedar chest and brought out item after item that her mother or grandmother made.  She found a box of my baby clothes, a very old christening gown, baby shoes, and the list goes on.  It has shown me that my desire for family events to imitate a Norman Rockwell painting was more deeply rooted than I realized. 

My mom values tradition as much as I do.  She cherishes things made by relatives and passed along.  She holds on to items that have sentimental meaning to her.    I obviously had this passion for traditions planted in my heart a long time ago.  Between my mom, my first 5 years of life and God’s design of my heart, I was wired for this time of redemption with my mom.  Seeing things come full circle with her has just been so precious!

One of the neatest items I will be taking home is a Silver Tea Set.  It is a tea pot, coffee pot, sugar bowl, creamer and even a small tea bag holder – that my Grandmother and Grandfather bought on their honeymoon. 

Tea has become a very special thing in our family.  As a family we love to have tea time, and now we have a sentimental set to enjoy with our tea!  I am so excited!   We got it out yesterday and I polished it up and have it ready to pack up for the trip back.  But the fun part was watching AG play with it most of the afternoon yesterday!  It was just great to see her sit and play pretend tea party with this precious set, but also  knowing she could not hurt any anything!  I cannot wait to see how much we use it in our home in Texas!!

My mom also found some items my grandmother made – my dad’s mom.  She was a very special woman.  She was like a mom to my mom for many years.  She died when I was a little girl, but I still remember her.  So she has held on to these items for over 30 years – and now they will be mine!  I am just thrilled!

Here are pics of our birthday celebration for our 4 year old!  It was a fun (second celebration) for our little girl!  We sure loved all the Dora items that came in from Michigan! 

Here are some pics of our Saturday activities!  We bought several flats of flowers on Friday night and spent several hours of the day on Saturday planting them. 

Many hands make light work!!