January 7, 2011

Today’s assignment over at Oh, Shoot! was "Shiny things attract attention. Make a photograph of a shiny object and post it today. Focus in on the reflections." Here’s my shiny thing.

Saturday blessings:

1. A do-nothing day. It was nice to have a day when I didn’t have to run from one task to the next.

2. Cheeseburger Soup. It is one of my favorite new recipes, and it’s one the whole family likes. Great winter food. http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cheeseburger-Soup

3. I like sewing! Well, sewing crafty things, anyway. I thought I hated sewing!

4. Little kids using big words. I love to hear the big words our kids use – the 6yo who “attempted to slide across the floor” and the 8yo who thinks my cooking is “magnificent.”

5. My hard-working husband. He works nights stocking the local grocery store – it’s not the best schedule in the world, but he goes in with a good attitude and just does what needs to be done to provide for his family.

January 6, 2012

A few of my boys were playing with my cell phone camera and the Vignette app. They spent quite a long time taking pictures of each other, so I decided to use those for my photo today instead of my own - theirs are much more...um...playful! I used the PicsArt app to make the collage.

Here are today’s blessings:
1. Friday. The end of the work/school week, the night my sweetie and I can enjoy time together, something to look forward to each week…I love Friday.

2. Crafting. I had let it slide for a while, but I love creating things. I’m currently working on projects for a Facebook game – each person makes handmade gifts for the first 5 commenters – and I’m loving it!

3. Freedom to teach our children the way that works for each of them. Our school day isn’t typical, but it’s working for our kiddos. They’re enjoying homeschooling (except when the parents are so mean about studying).

4. Great co-workers. Part of what makes my job so enjoyable is working with people who “get” me.

5. Sleep. I’m looking forward to sinking into my bed and drifting off to sleep…

January 5, 2012

 

The photo for today is a self-portrait taken with Vignette for my Android phone. It has so so so so many options – it’s mind-boggling!

Today is one of those days when it’s a bit harder to see the blessings. I guess I’d better just look a little more closely.

1. Super 1 cereal sale. Yay! We’re rich again! I always feel better when we have food stored in the closet, and today’s cereal sale allowed me to put more than 50 boxes of cereal away.

2. I say “allowed me to put…cereal away” but I didn’t actually do it. I have six children who are able (if not always willing) to do some of those chores for me, so I didn’t even have to go up and down the stairs to put the cereal away.

3. The new cereal is now put away on a NEW shelf in the downstairs closet. My sweet husband spent the afternoon fixing up the closet in our basement so it would hold the cereal we wanted to store.

4. A pleasant dinner time. There were no arguments, no whining, no complaining…it was relative peace!

5. Friends who will watch 7 children while we go out on a date. Tomorrow night is date night, and it’s such a blessing to have people who will take care of our crew so we can go out alone.

I’ve really slacked off…

…on my book reviewing. It’s been waaaaay too many months, but I just haven’t had the time to read, let alone actually reviewing the book I’ve read. The most recent book that WaterBrook Multnomah gave me for the Blogging for Books program is The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Scalf Linamen, and I’ve enjoyed the book, but the way it was formatted for my Kindle has kind of thrown me off. It has made it less enjoyable to read. But anyway…here’s a brief review:

(Image from Amazon.com)

What happens when you mix an encouraging message with chocolate? You get a book that can help you learn to continue on when life throws you a curve ball, and you get to savor the sweet parts along the way.

My favorite part of the book has to be all the chocolate recipes! I love chocolate! That’s part of the reason I chose this book, and there have been some wonderful recipes along the way in The Chocolate Diaries. But there are more than recipes – in fact, more than chocolate – in this book. There are many stories, lessons, and anecdotes about making it through the “Rocky Road of Life.” I found that many of the stories in the book reminded me that we can get through the hard stuff with God’s help and a bit (or more) of chocolate. The Chocolate Diaries also indirectly pointed out that I have no reason to feel sorry for myself – most of my problems are really pretty small.

I do recommend this book – especially for those who feel like life is just a bit too bumpy. Happy chocolate, everyone!

(A free Kindle version of The Chocolate Diaries was given to me by WaterBrook Mulnomah Publishing Group for the purpose of this review.)

January 4, 2012

Blessings:

1. We have a great group of neighborhood kids (and parents!). Today’s photo was taken at the neighboring apartment complex where my children were playing with several of the kids in the neighborhood. I love knowing my neighbors and knowing my children are safe when they’re playing over there.

2. Being done with work before dinner. Most nights (after homeschooling, baby-tending, and all the other interruptions) I still have work to do after dinner. Tonight I’m all done and I can just enjoy some crafting and tv with my family. Whew!

3. A teenager who can cook! (A different teenager than the diaper changer.) My younger 13-year-old made dinner for the family tonight! Awesome!

4. Bedtime. Particularly the kids’ bedtime. I love my children completely, but I also love the calm that descends upon the house when all is finally quiet.

5. A happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, baby. Have I mentioned that he’s a happy boy? It’s such a joy to be around him because he is just sunshine in baby clothes.

January 3, 2012

Does it make me a geek if I loved my mini-video setup so much I took a picture of it and posted it on my blog?

This is how I listen to music while I work (or watch Netflix while I play).

 

Today’s blessings:

1. A teenage boy who chooses to change stinky diapers. Can you believe that?

2. Friends to share my journey with. I’m so blessed to have friends to help in our homeschool journey, friends to share my photo journey with, friends to walk with on my spiritual journey…I’m just blessed.

3. Technology. I really love playing with new tech gadgets and learning new geeky things. I just wish I knew a whole lot more.

4. Diet Pepsi Vanilla. My husband and a couple other people went to a lot of effort to get 8 12-packs of Diet Pepsi Vanilla for me as a Christmas gift. It’s been discontinued by PepsiCo, so it’s hard to come by. I’m relishing each one.

5. Funny children. I love the funny things my kids say. I suspect this blessing will pop up often. Today’s funny – Kristi came skipping through the kitchen sing-songing, "I'm as happy as a giraffe!" Did you know giraffes were happy animals. Well, apparently they are.

January 2, 2012

As some of you know, we are homeschooling our children this year. We call it Scrivnerburg Academy, and so far we are all enjoying it! We have some wonderful helpers that come in and listen to our children read. Monday is Nana’s day to come, so here are Dale and Nana during their reading time.

My blessings for today:
1. Nana – she’s not only a reading helper. She’s Ken’s mom, my mother-in-love, and a lovely, thoughtful person. I am so blessed to have her in my life.

2. A short school day – I don’t know why, but the kids all got their work done quickly today, and everyone was finished before lunch. Yay!

3. My job – I have a great job for me. It’s geeky, work-at-home, maybe even tedious, but I love it, and it seems they appreciate me.

4. Quiet time – I love the peaceful time after the kids go to bed. On the nights when Ken is home we watch tv together and just relax. On the nights when he’s gone (he works 3 nights a week) I watch tv by myself and just enjoy some “me” time. It’s nice not to be “Mommy” ALL the time.

5. Chocolate – I love the velvety, smooth, creaminess of a good milk chocolate. Mmmmmm…and I happen to hear one calling my name right now!