September 30, 2012

Blessings:

1. We were able to worship with New Day Fellowship twice – once in Haugan, and once in St. Regis.

2. We made some wonderful new friends this weekend.

3. The trip home was uneventful. That’s generally a good thing.

4. We gathered up all our family members – Kristi and Molly were with Nana, and Dale rode home with the Liner family, but we got everyone back under one roof. You already know that makes me feel better – I love to have my chicks back under my thumb…uh…wing.

5. As I went through the pictures I’d taken over the weekend to post on Facebook I was able to relive the trip. I really enjoyed almost all of it (the broken phone and the unhappy stop at Payless ShoeSource being the only exceptions).

I am eagerly watching for the next opportunity to serve!

September 29, 2012

DeBorgia Cemetery, DeBorgia, Montana
This was my favorite shot from today's work day. One crew from our church worked here at the cemetery planting fence posts.

Blessings:

1. Camping on a mission/service trip. A doubly fun time!

2. We woke to sunshine and no smoke! Hallelujah!

3. Man, can these people work! The whole combined crew – ours from Bitterroot Family Fellowship, and the crew from New Day Fellowship in Haugan – cranked out all the tasks that needed to be done (except the one we couldn’t do due to fire restrictions) and we had some time to goof off by 3pm! I want to note that one of the hardest working people out there today was our son Austin. He is a workhorse.

4. Jessica Liner and I “helped” our new friend Alan (the pastor of New Day Fellowship) put together his new grill. He’s a fun supervisor. We all laughed the whole time.

5. It was just a great day.

Bonus blessing – Caleb got hit in the eye with a piece of wood while people were loading a truck (not the blessing), but he wasn’t seriously hurt, and one of the workers was a physician who checked it out immediately. God had it all worked out for us.

September 28, 2012

Blessings:

1. It was relatively stress-free getting ready to go camping for the weekend. Whew!

2. The only things we forgot are things we can do without. Whew again!

3. The Suburban has new shoes! Ken checked out the tires before leaving and discovered that they really needed to be replaced, so now we know we have good tires on the Scriburban.

4. A cookout/campout dinner with the Liners, et. al. Fun times.

5. “Vespers” at the cross. See that cross out by the trees (to the right) in the picture? We went out there after dark, sang some songs, talked about David, and had some prayer. More fun times. Kum Ba Yah, my Lord!

September 27, 2012

Caleb went to the mail box alone for the first time today. He was so excited and felt so grown up doing the errand all by himself.

Blessings:

1. We have a 3-day weekend!

2. Most of the school work was done early. Whoohoo!

3. It’s been a beautiful, almost smoke-free day!

4. Have I mentioned how much I like having a trailer that’s essentially ready to go when we want to go camping? We leave for our last camping weekend of the year tomorrow, and all we really have to do is pack our clothes and food in Jemimah and head out. Yay!

5. I love my husband’s caring, concerned heart. And I love that he passed that on to our 7-year-old son. Their compassion and tenderness is awesome (in the original sense of the word).

And a bonus: I am thankful for our oldest daughter and her husband who have been doing the hard work of marriage for 9 years today. I can’t believe it’s been 9 years already! I am so proud of them and their beautiful family.

September 26, 2012

Little Man was just sitting in his chair, enjoying the morning show in Scrivnerburg. All the big kids were eating breakfast and goofing off with Dad.

Blessings:

1. We have a very happy family.

2. Good coffee.

3. My mom is awesome!

4. I may not have even had time to have a conversation with myself today, but it was still a reasonably successful day.

5. Dairy Queen’s Peanut Butter Bash. Yummy stuff.

September 25, 2012

Blessings:

1. I had a great night’s sleep last night – I went to bed at 9:30pm!

2. It was a crazy-busy day (again!), but I got everything done that had to be done.

3. I love my husband.

4. My husband loves me. (That’s quite convenient.)

5. I am understanding more about my youngest daughter every day. That’s a good thing.

September 24, 2012

This may look like I’m showing a moment of homeschooling, but that is not the case. This was the only photo I took today, and it was only to send it to Ken and ask if he’d already read this with the kids. :-/

Blessings:

1. We’re already starting week 4 of school! Craziness!

2. School and work done before dinner. Whoohoo! Free time!

3. A verse from today’s Bible reading: Above all, [put on] love-the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. http://bible.us/Col3.14.HCSB

4. I saw this great quote on Facebook today - "Worrying is like praying for something you don't want." Such a great perspective. Now, to quit worrying…

5. I just found out that Gilligan’s Island is available on Amazon Instant Video! I can’t wait to share it with my kids! Ah…the memories…

September 23, 2012

Blessings:

1. Today is the birthday of one of my high school friends. We don’t live close to each other any more, and we see the world quite differently, but we are still friends, and I am so thankful. Dr. Priscilla makes the world a better place.

2. My beloved preached at church today.

3. Crafting time!

4. I’m starting to kinda like evening-only church services. A little.

5. We were able to spend the afternoon with Nana. We love our time with Nana, and it’s been harder to come by since her neck surgery.

September 22, 2012

Blessings:
1. It was a very low-key day. Almost lazy, even.

2. I was able to sneak a nap in - in my chair in the living room, even!

3. Thrift store bargains! That hasn't happened recently.

4. I started making Christmas gifts today. It's fun when there's still plenty of time to get it done.

5. Caleb wanted to make a project today, so we spent a couple hours working on this cute little penguin. The little guy, whose name may or may not be Penguo, was loosely based on http://m.favecrafts.com/sewing/owl-sock-friends.

September 21, 2012

Blessings :
1. I had a fun meeting with a couple of my coworkers.
2. Some of the trees are already turning gorgeous colors.
3. Crockpot dinner for the kids. It smelled so good!
4. Date night! Ken and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings and Target. I keep telling you how wild we are... This should prove it.
5. I have started Christmas preparations. Whew!

September 20, 2012

Blessings:

1. School was done by lunch time.

2. My honeybun surprised me with a bacon cheeseburger and fries.

3. I have everything I need and many things I want. I'm spoiled.

4. The kids are still completely enthralled with Little Man.

5. My husband is my best friend.

Little Man just loves the laundry room gate. Funny boy.

September 19, 2012

My sweet Austin.

Blessings:

1. I got all the absolutely essential stuff done in this crazy-busy day.

2. My Dale is back home! (He has spent the last 4 days helping Nana after her surgery.)

3. My sweet Austin brought dinner to me in my “office.” What a thoughtful boy.

4. I love taking my kids to therapies – I get a new perspective on the progress they’re making. Sometimes I miss it in the everydayness…but the therapists see it.

5. Homeschooling gives us such wonderful freedom. I’m still a stickler for schedule and routine, but even so, we have freedom.

September 18, 2012

Blessings:

1. My new phone and new software are awesome! So much better!

2. Kids are still motivated to get school work done each day. It makes the school day go much more quickly.

3. I had crafty time today, but it’s that time of year when I have to keep my crafting to myself.

4. I love quiet.

5. A verse that I read in my Bible time this morning really struck me – Philippians 2:15, “5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus.” It’s kind of an “ouch” – is my attitude like Christ’s? But it’s also a good reminder that, as Philippians 1:6 says, God’s still working on me.

September 17, 2012

I mentioned in Saturday's blog that I have a whole passel of happy kids. Here's a foursome of 'em.

Blessings:

1. We have started week 3 of our second year homeschooling. So far it’s going great!

2. The smoke was finally light enough that the kids could spend a significant part of the day outside. Yay!

3. Boys did the dishes!

4. Jemimah. I love being able to go out there and work – it’s much easier to get my work done when I’m not in the middle of the living room.

5. My husband is wonderful. I know you’ve heard it – but it bears repeating. He’s the best man I know.

September 16, 2012

I love the tall, tall sunflowers, but I'm really, really tired of the smoke.

Blessings:

1. We didn’t have to get up and out early on Sunday!

2. We all enjoyed our late brunch of pancakes with strawberries and Cool Whip.

3. I got a short nap in the afternoon.

4. Our first time having Sunday evening service at our new location went just fine.

5. Little Man was quite entertaining as he explored the new surroundings. I can’t wait until I can share video.

September 15, 2012

Game Night in Scrivnerburg

Blessings:

1. Game Night in Scrivnerburg. It’s been a long time.

2. Happy children. We have a passel of ‘em.

3. Cookies & Cream ice cream.

4. Technology. It make my life so much easier and more fun. Laptops, smartphones, blogs, Temple Run… Yes, I know I’m a geek.

5. Looking forward to a different kind of day tomorrow.

September 14, 2012

I took a cell phone panorama of the classroom with Andrew in each frame. He thought it was hilarious!

Blessings:

1. It’s Friday!

2. I found out that the problems I've been having with my phone were not my fault – I called and Verizon determined it was a software failure, so they’re sending me a new phone. Yay!

3. Caleb still loves to cuddle with me. Apparently seven years old isn’t past the cuddling stage.

4. Movie time with the kiddos. Tonight we watched Spymate. Not stellar cinema, but the kids loved it.

5. Quiet work time after kids are in bed. Work goes so much faster when the house (or trailer) is quiet.

September 13, 2012

This is a screenshot of my phone – with which I take most of my daily photos. I have been trying unsuccessfully for 3 days to get the newest update to my phone’s software. I’m a tad bit frustrated.

Blessings:

1. We made it through school without Ken (for most of the day)!

2. Barbara’s (aka Nana) neck surgery went well.

3. We have things for the kids to do when the smoke is so bad that they can’t play outside. (Board games, Wii, hallway bowling…)

4. My husband loves me.

5. Little Man is working towards sleeping through the night again. Yay!

September 12, 2012

Blessings:

1. The therapy pieces are all coming together for the kids (a referral Kristi needed, Caleb’s braces came in, Little Man is getting what he needs…). I’m so glad that they can get the services and equipment that will help them over the long haul.

2. Have I mentioned how much I love good coffee?

3. God directed us right to the shoes we needed for Caleb’s new braces. I expected to have to try store after store and probably even make the trip to Missoula, but we found exactly what we needed within 10 minutes in the first store in Hamilton! Hallelujah!

4. Dinner out on a crazy day! Yay!

5. Visiting time with my honey and my mother-in-law. That doesn’t happen too often.

September 11, 2012

Blessings:

1. Jenny. Today is our oldest daughter’s birthday. She is beautiful, talented, and wonderful. We are so blessed to have her in our family.

2. Today I went looking for Kristi because we hadn't seen her in a while. I found her cat snuggled in bed, all tucked in, but no Kristi in the room. Went out back and didn't see her...but then I heard her voice around the side. She was having a conversation, so I went to see who she was talking to. Turns out it was "Jeanette. She's a biggie." Jeanette is a grasshopper. She doesn't do much, according to Kristi, but apparently she's a pretty good conversationalist.

Some days this special little lady makes me think I'm going insane, but she's also funny and precious. And she makes grasshopper friends easily.

3. A hot date with my honey. We know how to par-tay! Dinner at Noodle Express and then grocery shopping at WalMart. Yep. We’re party animals.

4. Little Man is just so fun! (So are his siblings – and watching the siblings with Little Man is extra fun!)

5. My job is quite flexible – that’s such a blessing with this crazy family!

September 10, 2011

There were so many internet/cell phone troubles today that I never got around to taking a picture, let alone uploading one to the internet. Craziness! Here’s a picture from yesterday just for the fun of it.

One sure way to clean the chocolate pudding off your face is to eat soap bubbles, right?

Blessings:

1. We don’t need a flawless internet to survive.

2. The kids are still enjoying school and working hard.

3. My friend who lives very, very close to the evacuation zone in Hamilton is safe. We are praying for her and her family.

4. We have a happy family – despite some of the sounds you may here coming from our house. Our kids are always laughing, joking, pointing out the fun, funny, and amazing things they see…they’re happy.

5. Cooler temps are coming – that’s good news for the fires and the smoke.

September 9, 2012

Blessings:

1. We had a great time at church – it was our last Sunday in the Senior Center. It has been a blessing, but it will be great to have more space and better facilities for kids.

2. I had a delicious bacon cheeseburger at Frontier Café. I love it when I don’t have to cook right after church.

3. Andrew did the dishes (as he’s supposed to on Sunday) without complaining, and he got them all done!

4. Today was our church’s turn to minister at the nursing home. That’s always a blessing to me – the residents always appreciate us coming, and so far no one has “stumped the chump” (me) with their requested hymns!

5. We have everything we need.

September 8, 2012

Blessings:

1. I made this cute little purse! I’m so pleased.

2. Sweet & Sour chicken – one of my favorites!

3. Quality time with my sweetheart – it doesn’t always have to be a date night out. Watching movies and chatting in the living room is good, too.

4. The kids were able to play outside most of the day. The smoke came back in later, but it was a joy to get them outside for a while!

5. The ice cream truck came by! As I have mentioned before, the owner of the ice cream truck is kinda sorta extended family, so some of us got to meet our kinda sorta extended family for the first time, and she got to meet Little Man. Fun times.

September 7, 2012

Blessings:

1. I got the 4th of the 4 nasty paperworks done and sent off!

2. We successfully completed our first week of school! Whoohoo!

3. The play yard I ordered for Little Man – so he can be with us in the classroom but not get into trouble – arrived today. It was much earlier than I expected.

4. Movie time with my sweetie. It wasn’t anything big or exciting – I didn’t even cook dinner – but we had some quiet, peaceful time to watch a movie together.

5. There is nothing on my calendar tomorrow. That’s a rarity.

September 6, 2012

Blessings:

1. It’s finally a beautiful evening with very little smoke!

2. I finally, finally, finally got #3 of 4 nasty pieces of paperwork sent out. I hate this stuff – it stresses me out. One to go!

3. Little Man had his beautiful baby check today (aka well-child check) and the doctor pronounced him the happiest little man she’s ever seen. He still can’t see the bottom of the growth chart (for weight), but he’s fabulous.

4. Andrew cooked dinner this evening, and then delivered mine to me in the “office” (Jemimah).

5. I found out today the Jemimah gets to go out for one more trip this year! Whoohoo!

September 5, 2012

Blessings:

1. We were shown a new way to help Kristi control the tremors in her writing arm. (See upper right picture.)

2. My husband can fix anything. (See middle and middle right pictures.)

3. Kristi may not have known how to answer the math question, but she sure made me laugh. (See middle bottom picture.)

4. Little Man is still absolutely fascinated with the gear board.

5. I can finally head to bed. It’s been a crazy busy frustrating day.

September 4, 2012

This was the only picture I took today. Sorry I have to tease you with only part of the adorable sleeping child.

Blessings:

1. The first day of school went well!

2. I got my full work day in despite all the busyness of the day.

3. Sewing time! I’m eager to work on a new project!

4. Caleb is a poet. His poems and his delivery are just wonderful. I’m sure he won’t let me video him to share, so you’ll have to take my word for it, but it’s precious.

5. The boys in the big room are going to sleep sooner with less talking. Hallelujah!

September 3, 2012

Blessings:

1. The school room is finally ready! (It’s a good thing, too – school starts at 9am tomorrow!)

2. My kids are learning to be self-sufficient. My 7-year-old cooked his own scrambled eggs with no help – only supervision.

3.  I love slow cooker meals. I don’t know why I don’t do it more often. Today I put a roast in the cooker with onion soup mix and canned diced tomatoes. By the time I was done getting the classroom ready it smelled fantastic upstairs! The meat was tender and delicious, too!

4. Conversation with 7yo Caleb:
Caleb: What if Monday was called Momday?
Mom: Then everyone would cook the food, do the dishes, and fold the laundry for Mom!
Caleb: Yes. We should make every Monday Momday.
I like the way this kid thinks.

5. My friend Julie and I came up with most of this several years ago. Credit and thanks to Clement C. Moore. (This has been modified from the original to fit our current schooling status.)

'Twas the night before school starts... and all through the house...
The mama was hoping for peace - and no mouse.
Schedules were ready; the books were all stacked...
And now it was time for all to go nap.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of snack time danced in their heads.
When suddenly Mom realized with a start…
“I haven’t gotten the paint for their art!
They don’t have new tennies!
I’ve neglected their hair!
Homeschoolers will judge me…
If we even get there!”

When what to my wondering ears should be heard…
A sweet voice that said, “Do no fret – not a word.
It will all be okay. You’ve prepared, you are done.
Go to sleep; get some rest; tomorrow’s all fun!”

More rapid than eagles, the morning, it came.
And I whistled and shouted, and called them by name –
Up Caleb, up Dale, up Andrew, up Austin;
Up Kristi, up Nathan, up Baby…Up…Ken?
Go eat your breakfast and then down the stairs,
Now go in and learn – and don’t tip the chairs!

September 2, 2012

Blessings:

1. Fresh peanut butter cookies with French Vanilla ice cream.

2. Despite the rough start, this day turned out well.

3. We are so blessed to have a wonderful team of helpers for school. We had a meeting with them today, and I just don’t have big enough words to express my appreciation for what they do for us.

4. Did I mention that it was a good day?

5. I finally figured out what’s causing my laptop to crash. Whew! That will make my life easier.

What has blessed you today? Share in the comments – I’d love to hear!

September 1, 2012

September? How?

I had a mountain of laundry to fold this evening. Watching Star Trek Insurrection helped.

Blessings:

1. That mountain of laundry is folded.

2. We have clothing for everyone. We are abundantly blessed.

3. I don’t have to hand wash and hang out the clothes.

4. Sewing, sewing, sewing – I modified a shirt, mended a couple toys, made an outfit for a Little Man, and started a skirt for Kristi today. Whoohoo!

5. Brownies.