one thousand gifts #254-260

Happy new year! It's Monday.  That means it's once again time to share more of what I'm grateful for. So here we go...

#254 a new washing machine to replace the one that died.  i love that my clothes dry much faster now.  perhaps the old machine had been dying a slow death and we didn't realize it until it stopped working altogether.
#255 Christmas blessings and time spent with family
#256 the joy of giving

Bubba's new "Johnny mops"--this mom just couldn't resist giving him a "gag" gift!

#257 a really nice New Year's Eve weekend--the boys once again spent it with Grandma and Grandpa (and one of their cousins too) while the hubby and I got to stay home and watch movies on our new big-screen tv. :)
#258 my mom who celebrates her birthday today!
#259 rearranged furniture (for the new tv) that gives us more room.  maybe i can start exercising again now! :)
#260 our family chiropractor who, through "muscle testing", has helped us determine a few things Bubba is sensitive/allergic to and which may be the root cause of his eczema that he's had since he was little.  food preservatives, fragrances/perfumes (not a surprise--his daddy is allergic to this too), american and swiss cheeses, & tomatoes are all things that his body reacts negatively to.  so we'll eliminate what we can--especially the corn dogs, hot dogs, and cheetos that he loves to eat and hopefully in a week or so we'll see the eczema is clearing up. :)

one thousand gifts #245-253

So much has happened since I posted my last Multitudes on Mondays, but I'm gonna just jump right in and start adding to my list of gratefulness.

#245 my wonderful husband who loves me no matter the state of our house or my mood!
#246 my firstborn, soon-to-be-12-year-old, son (has it really been 12 years since my due date?!?!)
#247 my funny 5-year-old son-of-my-heart who can't wait for Christmas
#248 anticipation
#249 knowing more what Dad's treatment will be--no surgery, chemo starts wednesday
#250 CaringBridge (you can follow my Dad's CaringBridge site using the name rogerthomas)
#251 the Christmas season
#252 knowing full well I am blessed--even on a day when my washing machine isn't working, my kids won't cooperate, and I'm totally stressed! :)
#253 the Christmas story from God's Word in Luke 2:1-20

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.  (Luke 2:1-20 ESV)

Have a very Merry Christ-mas!  God bless!

music therapy

There have been times in my life when music is what keeps me going.  It has helped me deal with depression, anxiety, sadness, and anger.  During the years after birthing my son (Bubba), we tried desperately to get pregnant again.  Despite our efforts and helpful (or not-so-helpful?) doctors, and for reasons still unknown and as of yet unexplained, the Lord has seemed to shut that door.  But during those years of hoping and waiting and praying, one song seemed to comfort my soul:  I Will Rest in You by Jaci Velasquez.  I first heard it on the radio and then found & purchased the CD Streams so I could listen to it over and over again.  I have grieved the loss of my fertility.  I know and trust that His plan is greater than mine and if I had been able to conceive again, we would not have adopted CJ who is such a joy and perfect fit in our family!  God is good ALL the time! 

Another song that has touched me in a special way is Your Hands by JJ Heller.  I know I've blogged about this song a while back, but I still love it.  The reminder that God holds us and carries us through has been and still is such a blessing to me.  And yes, it once again brings me to tears.

"When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands"  [lyric excerpt from Your Hands by JJ Heller]

More recently, with Dad's cancer diagnosis, I've found music once again helping me.  Comforting.  Allowing me to release the tears that have built up...the ones I try to stuff down and keep from surfacing.  So many songs have already been uplifting and/or comforting during this time of uncertainty. (And really all of life is uncertain, isn't it? We just don't realize it until it slaps us in the face.)

Certain lyrics in songs I'm currently listening to have taken on a completely new meaning for me from what they did just a couple weeks ago.

The song Move by Mercy Me--one of our favorites here--is so much more than just a fun song.  Take time to really listen to the lyrics. 

"This hurt is getting heavy
But I'm not about to cave
Everything is about to change
There's gonna be brighter days
I just might bend but I won't break
As long as I can see Your face

When life won't play along
And right keeps going wrong
And I can't seem to find my way
I know where I am found
So I won't let it drag me down
Oh, I'll keep dancing anyway"  [lyric excerpt from Move by Mercy Me]

Another song, From This One Place by Sara Groves, has taken on new meaning for me.  I recommended this song to a friend just a few weeks ago after she shared with me that a few different people in her life had recently lost a relative to cancer. {She herself lost her mother to cancer a few years ago, so she knows and understands the pain of that loss.} It's the tough stuff of life. I never dreamed I'd be needing this song's message to help me through the same sort of dark valley so soon myself.

"I don't know what's making me so afraid
tiny cloud over my head
heavy and grey with a hint of dread
I don't like to feel this way

take me back to a window seat
with clouds beneath my feet

from this one place I can't see very far
in this one moment I'm square in the dark
these are the things I will trust in my heart
you can see something else
something else"  [lyric excerpt from From This One Place by Sara Groves]

I don't know about you, but I'm sure thankful that God can see "something else."  That He "knows the plans [He] has for [me/us]" and that they are "plans to give you a hope and a future." {Jeremiah 29:11}

As Thanksgiving approaches, know that I am thankful for those of you who will walk through this valley with me and my family. Your prayers and support are a huge blessing and I thank God for you.

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.

one thousand gifts #227-237

more "multitudes on mondays"

#227 answered prayers (Husband will be starting a new job at the beginning of next year--same place, new  position)
#228 peace that passes understanding
#229 new yarn to work with
#230 Sunday afternoons visiting Grandpa and Grandma (my mom and dad)
#231 a 5-year-old who is learning his ABCs:  last night he wanted the "Blue U's" and we didn't know what he was talking about until he showed me the box of Fruity Pebbles...did you know the U in Fruity is BLUE? funny kid.  but at least i know he knows the letter U!
#232 crafting fun:  i've seen a variety of "family rules" signs on Pinterest and Etsy so i decided to make my own.  i had an old canvas, bought adhesive vinyl letters from wal-mart that didn't really stick to the canvas, and used mod-podge to seal them in place.  (now i just need one of those metal picture hangers for it so it doesn't fall off the wall in the middle of the night again.  i tried to hang it with Command Picture Hanging Strips--i love 'em since most of our walls are lath and plaster--but they canvas didn't stay stuck to the strips. it could be that it was too heavy and i should have used 4 instead of just 2, but i think i'll get the hardware hangers next just to be sure.)

#233 finding a way to make housework a little more fun
#234 waking up before my alarm (this rarely happens)
#235 plastic mattress cover for nighttime potty training.  (and wondering why we didn't get one sooner!!!)
#236 more free books on my Kindle...check out my Free Book Fridays to learn more!
#237 faith.  hebrews 11:1
#238 hope. jeremiah 29:11
#239 love.  1 corinthians 13

if you're interested in learning more about multitudes on mondays just click on the banner below. 

one thousand gifts #206-211

206. beautiful fall weather

207. the first night of Bubba's last year of Awana (our club only goes through 6th grade)

208. cheering on the Panthers as they played another good soccer game (even though Bubba’s team lost)

Bubba's the 2nd kid from the right (in the white & black)

209. a new furry friend who just showed up on CJ’s birthday—she’s a beautiful calico, very scrawny, but extremely friendly.  we haven’t seen her in the neighborhood before, so are thinking she was dropped off at the corner near our house.  if she is someone else’s cat, i hope they don’t mind that she seems to have adopted us!

"our" new kitty--Bubba named her Stacie

210. celebrating CJ’s 5^th birthday with family

the birthday boy

opening gifts

211. corn maze fun

castke themed maze with 2 scavenger hunt-type games for the kids to play

which path to take? 

cutie

we made it!

king of the hay stack in mid-jump

we're ready for the hayride

Hope you all have had a "gift" filled week too! 

another blessed monday

continuing my weekly gratitude. 
there's so much to be thankful for. 

159. video proof that i'm not the only knitter obsessively in love with their yarns! (this really made me giggle this morning!)



160. a few more days of yard and house help from my parents! i can now sit on the porch and see down the road instead of having the view blocked by brush!  and except for needing to go through boxes and weed out stuff, the house is in much better shape! thanks again, mom and dad!

161. the beginning of soccer practices for our homeschool team

162. needing new soccer cleats for Bubba and finding it's cheaper/easier to order online.

163. getting a good quality pair of cleats that fit right and are here before the second practice of the season!  yes!

164. walking a 5K. not because i really wanted to. but thankful that i can.

165. sore legs (from walking a 5K without training at all). but the pain is good--it reminds me i should be more active on a regular basis.

166. beautiful words and photos combine causing me to stop and ponder at A Holy Experience

167. a really good cup of tea this morning (in lieu of my daily cup of "coffee" since i drank the last of it yesterday and haven't been to the store for more)

168. a morning to myself while the kiddos are fishing with Grandpa and Grandma

169. improved homeschool laws in minnesota  (it doesn't change a lot for me, but i do believe it's a good change nonetheless!)

170. mentally preparing myself for the upcoming school year.  i've purchased our next year's curriculum and am considering what i need to accomplish in the next 10 months with both boys.


Are you interested in blogging your own Multitudes on Mondays?  Click on the banner below to learn more about how to join in and you'll get to read a really wonderful blog too!

It seems I missed yet another week of multitudes last week.  So I'll try and remember everything from the past two weeks.

Interested in starting your own Multitudes on Mondays post?  Check out the banner at the bottom of this post! :)


In no particular order and continuing my list which I started here...
130. Fair week fun!  Although a bit too hot & muggy, we spent most of a day there (and a little of another just for more fair foods).

131. Ride buddies for Bubba.  This year he had fun again with his buddy, Ty, at the fair.  Then he also got to meet up with and hang out with his cousin, Evan, later that same day.  Meanwhile, CJ discovered he really enjoys riding the Tilt-a-Whirl and so he got to go on that ride with his big brother & co. a few times too!

132.  A visit from my sister-in-law and her girls!  So nice!   We must do this more often!!!

133.  Picking fresh peas, beans, and zucchini from our garden.

134.  Eating some just-picked peas while still in the garden! YUM! 
BONUS: Even CJ ate a few!!!

135. Finding a few raspberries on the plants I just planted this year!  It's so exciting to see them growing so well!  Next year we'll have lots more berries!

136. Freshly painted walls (I finally got our kitchen dining area painted this weekend!!!)  I hope the color helps me keep my cool and lets the kids concentrate better since we do our schoolwork in there too.  The yucky yellow we found under the yucky wallpaper was really getting on my nerves.  I'm just so glad for the change!  BONUS:  My kitchen dining/schoolroom is (almost) clean!

137. A family photo shoot!  The first one since CJ was a new baby.  Thankfully, the weather cooperated and Sarah was able to come over last night and get our session done despite her crazy schedule with trying to sell their house and move for her hubby's new job. You can read about that on my other blog (and from there you can find Sarah's blog too) if you haven't already!   I'm hoping we got some nice family shots as well as some good pics of the kiddos!

138. All the yard work my hubby's been getting done. (Having and outdoor photo shoot here has helped to motivate him!)  :)

139.  Our VBS is this week and Bubba is SO excited!

140.  A new month.

141.  Watching caterpillars & tadpoles grow and change.

Sorry for the lack of photos today.  Maybe next week I'll have some!

Anyways, that's all for now folks!  Hopefully I'll be posting again next week with more blessings to share!

multitude monday

My weekly Multitudes on Mondays post.  If you're just stopping by for the 1st time, I joined in with this post here.  (Check out the banner below for more information from the person who started it.)

116. another Etsy sale!  yay!
117. a shopping day today (Just to put this into perspective, it takes about an hour and fifteen minutes for me to get to the nearest Wal-Mart & JC Penney so shopping days like this are few and far between.  We do have some smaller local stores, but the selection is rather limited--especially for clothes.)
118. gift cards (I happened to have had one for JC Penney which I used today!)
119. a husband with a good paying job (to pay for everything above and beyond the gift card amount)
120. McDonald's (not my favorite, but BOTH boys eat the McNuggets so I always plan on it when we're down shopping)
121. finishing another Sherlock Holmes book on my Kindle. wish the free version came with graphics, but otherwise a good read.
122. new outfits for the boys
123. and one for me too
124. shoe inserts for Bubba, who has really low arches. am hoping these give him the arch support he so desperate needs!
125. some new yarn too (I needed it for work!)
126. a good run Saturday for T and Bubba--they ran a 5K for ALS.  T came in 3rd of the men in his age group and Bubba got 1st place (of the 2 boys) in his age group.

 
127. $460 in donations raised by Bubba (with a little help from his daddy)--enough to win the "prize" for his age group--a new iPod Nano!  good job kiddo! and thanks to those of you who gave!
128. a lovely lightning show Saturday night.
129. capturing some digital lightning. :)  isn't it pretty?

It's fair week this week up here and it's supposed to be in the 90s all week. UGH!  I sure hope the heat doesn't make everyone sick!

multitude monday

It's Monday again.  Time to look back at my previous (hectic!) week and consider my many blessings.
Thank you, Lord.

99.  eye doctors (I just had my check up today!  No worries!)

100. glasses and contact lenses for those of us who need them (it's nice to see things clearly, every now and again)

101. fresh & new contact lenses (as opposed to ones you've worn quite a few days already...)

102. disposable contacts (as opposed to those ones way back in the day that you had to be sooooo careful with so you didn't rip or lose one because it would cost you every so much to replace!)

103. rain (we've had enough now, though)

104. thunder

105. my husband--because even though he didn't sleep well last night due to the fact that I was not sleeping well because of the itching of the poison ivy rash on the back of my ankle that I evidently picked up Saturday night when I was outdoors for our weekly Bible Bee bonfire/supper-cookout, he is willing to come home from a long day at the office and cook his family dinner and then enter the dark, dank cavern (aka our basement) to try and help our sump-pump which has been having difficulties and needs some therapy--he's a wonderful man!

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back again next Monday for more! 

multitude monday

it's monday again.  time to continue counting my blessings!  (apologies to anyone who missed last weeks non-existent post. i forgot!)


in no particular order this week...

81. watching a mama kitty and her two darling kittens (they're not ours--just a neighborhood cat that claims our yard as part of her territory)
82. lessons from the Bible Bee Sword Study on 1 Peter

83. memorizing verses with Bubba
84. having our own church "service" at home as a family on Sunday morning
85. seeing a young deer cross the road in front of our house as we were having our family church service {would've missed that blessing if we hadn't stayed home!}
86. good friends you can count on (and hopefully being one in return)
87. wearing my new shawl and loving it!
88. swim lessons and having them all done for the summer
89. watching cj color in his coloring book and seeing how much joy it gives him
90. fingerless mitts on a cool summer evening
91. time to knit each day
92. time to read each day
93. time to celebrate my father and my husband on Father's day
94. a new fire pit in our yard
95. having a bonfire/campfire in our new fire pit twice this summer already!! amazing!
96. new yarn
97. being able to dream of the possibilities for those yarns!!  i think this is half the fun!
98. a little better-late-than-never spring cleaning.  it's really just a start, but at least it's something!

tune in next monday for the next installment...if i remember!  ha!

multitude monday

is it monday again already?  i just about forgot i was going to start posting again today!  here we go...
if you want to see my other multitudes on mondays posts, they began on mother's day with this post.

54. holiday weekend in Duluth with just my hubby!!!   (Thanks AGAIN to my parents for making it possible by taking the kids.)
55. yarn shops!  and getting to shop at 4 in one weekend!  WOOT!
56. a mall to shop at too!  (can you tell we live in the middle of nowhere?)
57. my new purse in a lovely shade of PINK! yes!
58. a couple new outfits too
59. new clothes for my man as well
60. finding a fun gift for hubby's dad (his early b-day/father's day gift)
61. did i mention yarn shops?  well, i should have mentioned my beautiful new yarns and needles too!
62. going out to the movies with my man--we saw Thor, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Kung Fu Panda 2 (in 3D).  and yes, we enjoyed them all.
63. coming home
64. hugs and kisses from my boys
65. my hubby's 45th birthday
66. getting our Bible Bee box on Friday (exciting!!!)
67. dinner with my inlaws (to celebrate their eldest son, of course)
68. the first day of summer swim lessons (today)
69. finding out there's another boy in bubba's level who's "behind" on swim lessons so he's not the only 11 year old in level 4
70. time to knit while bubba was in lessons because cj was being such a good boy
71. planting raspberry plants that were given to me (actually, we were originally getting them for my mom, but she let me have them since she already has a few plants and i didn't have any yet)
72. going for a walk with my little man, cj, to try and find monarch caterpillars (no luck this time)
73. finding tadpoles in our front ditch instead!
74. being the kind of mom who catches tadpoles--eight in all--so we can watch them grow legs

75. accidentally catching THIS while trying to get tadpoles and being thrilled even though we didn't know what it was

76. learning that it's a triops (i couldn't find any info to tell me if they are native to minnesota though)
77. going for a family walk and seeing all kinds of wild strawberry plants in blossom.  (gonna have to keep my eyes on those for berries!)
78. pizza
79. falling asleep to the sounds of a gentle rain and distant thunder
80. waking up to the sounds of birds (the one rather loud and crazy bird that has a bunch of different calls was kind of annoying at 4:30am, but otherwise it's kind of a nice way to wake up)

 
On a side note: I decided to put the tadpoles and triops in the same container.  Mr. Triops (as he's been dubbed) eats mosquito larvae and other stuff like that so I'm hoping he'll clean out any bugs from the ditch water we collected with these critters.  Hopefully he won't be hungry enough to eat the tadpoles! Not sure he'd do that, but you never know...

 

They seem to be getting along well enough, but it's only been a few hours. 

multitude monday

Here's my Multitude Monday post for this week.
I began my Multitudes on Mondays posts on Mother's day with this post.

38.  5 days in a row of GREAT weather
39.  playing, reading, and knitting outside each afternoon of those 5 days
40.  the joy of sunshine on my skin
41.  Maui Babe browning lotion leftover from our 10th anniversary trip in 2008
42.  sunscreen
43.  a big, floppy straw hat to keep the sun out of my eyes (and off my face)
44.  starting yet another book on my Kindle
45.  parents who will take the kids at a moment's notice if they're not already busy (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)
46.  Friday night date with my hubby 
47.  dinner at Jake's Pizza {YUM!}and then going to the local movie theater to watch Source Code (it was okay)
48.  buttered popcorn and other yummy movie theater treats
49.  a rainy weekend watching tv and knitting
50.  the last Sunday School week until it starts up again in the fall
51.  safety for my hubby's brother and his family as tornadoes hit the twin cities yesterday
52.  scheduling our anniversary get-away (finally!!!) and having something fun and relaxing to look forward to
53.  playing Monopoly Deal with my hubby and firstborn

My next post will be in two weeks. (I plan to skip next Monday due to the Memorial Day holiday.) 

Have a blessed week!

mother's day memories

1. waking up to my two sweet boys wishing me a "happy mother's day!"
2. a hand-made card from bubba
3. breakfast in bed
4. my hubby and sons sitting on the bed and visiting with me while i ate my breakfast
5. visiting with my own mother in the afternoon
6. getting a mother/daughter photo--neither of us likes having our picture taken!

 7. a yummy dessert

8. going out to a movie with my mom and my eldest son (dad tagged along too)
9. hubby having time to visit with his mom too (cj tagged along with his daddy)
10. hand-picked "flowers" from my four-year-old
11. finding that even dandelions can be beautiful!

 

12. playtime outside since the weather was nice

13. bicycle "races"

14. taking tons of pictures with my hubby's camera
15. talking over some new knitting/crochet design ideas with my mom and getting her input
16. a little time to read
17. a little time to knit
18. realizing i am so very blessed to have my mom live relatively close by
19. feeling blessed to be a mom to two wonderfully crazy and amazingly loving boys

note:  i've been enjoying reading my sil's multitude mondays posts so much that with this post i am jumping in and plan to continue with my own.  so watch for more monday posts like this.  and if you're interested in learning more about multitude mondays click HERE.

Happy Easter!

He is risen!  

He is risen indeed!

For our family, Easter is a time to celebrate.
We celebrate our resurrected Lord Jesus. 
We celebrate the Life He alone gives us.
And to celebrate, we spend time together with loved ones.

This year, we celebrated today (Saturday) with T's family.  Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, we'll celebrate with my parents.  Tomorrow afternoon, Bubba and I will also participate in a special celebration dance.  Up to Faith has organized a "global" dance event--groups and individuals around the world are doing this same dance on Easter Sunday.  We'll record our efforts and send our edited video to Up to Faith who will in turn re-edit ALL the videos they receive together into one!  Wow!  I will try and post a link to the final video once it's available.

1 backyard + 169 plastic eggs + 11 kiddos = a slightly chaotic bit of fun!

 

All the eggs were found. Including the special EMPTY one--a reminder that Jesus' tomb was empty!

He is risen!

He is risen indeed! 

a little this, a little that.

i see that i haven't posted anything here for a while.  not much to say, i guess.  i've been busy knitting, crocheting, and doing a little designing too for my soon-to-open Etsy shop.  it's taking me longer than i had hoped to get it all organized, but i'm just a few small steps away from actually posting items in my shop!  if you've been following my knitting blog here, you already know that. 

it's an amazingly warm day today.  35 degrees.  that's nearly unheard of up here in the northern minnesota tundra for early february.  i'm sure it'll cool back down soon though.  it usually does.  but for now, the snow is melting off the rooftops and is, i believe, the perfect wetness for packing.  which means my boys are going to go outside and play this afternoon.  and maybe even try to make a snowman!  this could be their only chance to make one this winter since our snow is usually like a powder of fine ice crystals that won't stick together.

i will probably stay indoors myself (unless the kiddos convince me that they NEED me to help them make a snowman) and work on a little housework and then maybe i'll have a little time to work on one of my knitting projects this afternoon too.

speaking of knitting projects, i'm very close to finishing a lightweight sweater that i'm making for myself--my first-ever adult-sized sweater.  {yes, i still make time to knit stuff for myself too!} i've been working on this one, off and on, since june.  it's a beautiful wrap sweater with some lace details that look like bubbles--hence the name of the pattern:  soap bubble wrap!  i can't wait to see how this looks/fits when it's done!  i think i'm to the point of seaming it, so unless sewing the seams in mattress stitch gives me fits {which wouldn't be a first} i should be able to finish it sunday. 

hopefully, i'll be able to get it done before the super bowl.  'cuz i'll probably be too busy watching the game--and commercials--to focus on seaming properly.  i'll have to work on something easy that doesn't take a lot of concentration during the game.  as a loyal Packers fan, i must say i'm hoping for a really good game against the Steelers {and that the Pack wins, of course}! 

have a great weekend everyone! 
enjoy the game on sunday! 
and, of course:
Go PACK Go!

yikes!

have i really not posted anything here since december 20? 

let me just say a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all right now!  

guess i've gotten so busy over HERE that i haven't spent time keeping up with all the regular family updates. 

Christmas was lovely.  we started a new tradition--opening our gifts as a family on Christmas Eve morning (instead of at night after church service).  that way we had all day to enjoy our new stuff.  we didn't make it to service due to the weird times they were scheduled for (5pm = mealtime and 11pm = sleeptime), but we made time to read through the story of Jesus' birth and talked about it a little before we opened gifts.  i sort of missed going to church on Christmas Eve, but we had a fun day together as a family.

the boys opening our "family gift"--new games for the Wii

we opened the gifts in our stockings first thing Christmas day.  then the rest of the day was spent with extended family--in the morning we had brunch with T's family at his sister's place.  it was a nice being able to get together and spend a little time together.  we enjoyed the rest of Christmas day with my parents.  more gifts needed opening and Mom put on a huge feast as usual.  and of course, the guys had to watch a little football.  at least i think that's what they watched.  i happily spent time working on a sweater i started back in june. (i've committed to no "work knitting" on Sundays or holidays--just like a real job, ya know!)

anyways, for New Years we have a tradition that my mom and dad take the kiddos and give us a much needed end-of-year break.  (not that they don't give us a bunch of breaks like this throughout the year as well, but it's nice!)  the boys play games, watch movies and stay up late.  this year, bubba got to invite one of his cousins to spend the night there too.  the boys are close in age and had fun ringing in the new year together.  i hear they had doughnuts at midnight.  as for T and me, we spent new years catching up on some shows we hadn't had time to watch, played a few games, and watching a movie too.  stayed up late, and slept in the next morning.  it was nice.

now life is nearly back to normal.  except for the craziness of trying to get my business up and running.  but it's coming together, slowly.  right now, i'm hoping to have stuff for sale in my Etsy shop by mid-january.

to eat, or not to eat, that is the question

...that we ask cj now when he's being picky at mealtime.

last night was our church's Sunday School Christmas program.  but before that, we had to eat supper.  and cj refused to eat.  again.  no amount of coaxing, not even telling him that he'd have a cookie (and cookies are his FAVORITE treat!) after the Christmas program if he ate was enough to get him to try the yummy ravioli my husband made for us. cj wouldn't try his peas either.  so he didn't eat.  and he got really hungry during the program (thankfully, that was after he was done with his part).  we stuck to our guns and the poor dear got no cookies, no snacks...nothing but water.  (maybe he's learning that no amount of crying will get us to change our minds about this rule!)    

as for the Christmas program itself, the boys did their parts very well and their mama was more than a little pleased.  bubba played a piano solo that he started working on a week ago.  (nothing like deciding at the last minute that you want to participate after all!)  and you'd never know he hadn't been working on it for weeks.  yes, the kid has talent.  (and his mama can't help but be a little bit proud.  i do teach him the piano too, after all!)  bubba also had a vocal solo during the song "We Three Kings" that he did quite nicely and a short recitation as part of his class's part of the program.

 

cj also did his part with the pre-k class just fine...he even said his line "A is for all He stands for" into the microphone.  a week ago, i wouldn't have guessed that he'd actually do it!  and when the younger kids (pre-k thru 2nd grade) sang their songs, he even tried to sing along.  :D

one good thing about cj's not eating supper is that he was more willing this morning to try a new food.  T, the wonderful daddy that he is, helped cj eat some apple.  yes, Grandma, you read that right.  cj ate real, fresh, apple this morning!  the trick with this kid is honey.  give him a little honey to dip it in and he'll eat it!  i think he ate at least half the apple.  it was amazing!  top it off with trying a second new food...Grape Nuts cereal with a little milk and honey (of course!) just the way T was eating it this morning and i'm currently in a state of shock.  :D  cj even asked for more!  you bet you can have more, kiddo!

my week in review

i was on the phone last night, talking to my mom, when i heard the cutest thing...cj was singing "twinkle, twinkle, little star."  (he doesn't often sing all by himself.)  i wish i could have captured it on video!  but i did manage to get him to sing it again for grandma, who also thought it was incredibly adorable!

(a sort of recent photo of cj...dressed up like a pirate for the day!)

otherwise, it's been a rough week for us.  parenting can be so hard sometimes.   cj has become the pickiest eater i know.  things that he would eat--and even liked!--6 months ago are suddenly "yucky."  i know this is a relatively normal stage for a 4 year old.  he's asserting his independence and all that.  but the kid has been living on junk food for too long.  and he is old enough to understand when he's doing something he shouldn't--like disobeying his parents. so we now have a new family rule regarding meals.

you eat what we eat or you wait until the next meal where you will be offered either a repeat of the meal or something equally healthy.  (no more skipping dinner and then eating a poptart for breakfast! ha!)

and that means no more making separate meals for each of the kids unless we're eating up leftovers.  that goes for bubba, too, who hates pizza!!  so on monday night when we had pizza, bubba had to eat a little sliver of it too. and he did! (and it didn't kill him...go figure!)  after he ate his required amount, we allowed him to make himself a piece of toast (with yummy nutella on it!) to supplement.

same rule applies to cj, but he has been a bit more stubborn about it.

cj has never "liked" fruit or even juices.  but then again, he's rarely even tasted any!!  and the veggies he used to eat have slowly become foods he won't touch.  so this week's battle was basically over peaches.  we wanted him to just give the peaches a try.  NOPE.  this kid would rather starve than eat a tiny piece of canned peach.  in fact, he only drank water all day Thursday!  (all it would have taken for him to eat something else would have been to try the peach.)  anyways, after reading Dr. Dobson's advice about this issue in The New Dare to Discipline and checking out the Sonlight Forums to see what other parents do in this situation (i knew someone else must've been through something similar and chatted about it out there--sure enough! lots of parents had been discussing the same type of situation just last year), i knew we were on the right track. but i could see that my son is just stubborn enough to not eat for days.  after much consideration, i decided to try a compromise.  instead of eating a piece of peach, i asked if he would just taste the juice from around the peaches.  he agreed to taste the peach juice.  with his water in one hand a spoon that had been dipped in the peaches in the other, he did it!  and he even said "it's not so bad!"  (but he wouldn't go for any more.)  i know it might not seem like a big accomplishment.  but to us it's a beginning--a breakthrough of sorts.  i'm just praying that he gets used to the idea of trying new foods--and quickly!

top that off with a second round of potty training him (the first round was a total failure--he was totally unwilling) and it's been a very long week.  but at least he's not throwing a tantrum every time i ask him to go potty this time around!

as for homeschooling...seems we get further behind every day.  so today, even though it's saturday, i hope to make time to do a little catch-up on our read-aloud book Little Britches.  

hope your week was better than mine!!!

on a completely different topic:  11 years ago today was my "due date."  dear, sweet bubba, however, didn't listen to his mama's pleas and decided to wait until the dr. induced her the next week.  having birthed a child--my firstborn son--at Christmastime always makes me think of the Christmas story..."And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."  Luke 2:7 KJV

stocking stuffer:  baby bubba on Christmas day, 1999...getting ready to go home

i hope you will take time this Christmas season to be a little bit like Mary:  "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."  Luke 2:19 KJV  how truly amazing, that "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16NIV

a few photos

random photos from the past couple of weeks.

wind turbine in ND

Minnkota Power Plant Tour

black bear eating plants in a ditch
(we saw it Sunday on our way over to visit my parents) 

Labor Day at a local Corn Maze!  FUN!

frog catching fun

hole in one of my hand-knit socks. (i fixed it last night)