To Resolve or Not to Resolve

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, I have mixed feelings.  Is it better to set lofty goals, knowing that I'll certainly not achieve them all and hoping that my failure and subsequent discouragement don't outweigh the good done by my goal-setting?  Or is it better to be practical and realistic and skip the plans and dreams for the new year?

As I've talked with friends and family during the past few years, I have enjoyed asking them if they make New Year's resolutions--and why or why not.  I've gotten a mixture of responses, which have only heightened my own internal deliberations.  And back and forth I go.

This year, I started making a list of plans and dreams for this year, but I'm not going to share that yet.  Maybe I will someday; maybe not.  For now, let me say that what is rising to the top in my potential New Year's resolution thoughts are these two: in 2016, I want to read the whole Bible (probably following the plan laid out in The Christian Almanac by George Grant and Gregory Wilbur, and I plan to read that entire almanac, too), and I want to get more sleep (for a number of reasons--not the least of which is a study I read about recently that linked sleep deprivation to the development of Alzheimer's Disease).

Because of these two desires of my heart, my late-night blogging time has been diminished.  I've still managed to jot down a tidbit or two and share a few pictures, but not do the lengthy posts that I've often done in the past (and hope to do in the future, when I figure out how to stretch my minutes to accommodate more blogging time!).

I don't know what the future holds--in terms of my resolutions and in terms of my blogging habits--but for now, I'm going to take a cue from my littlest sweetheart and surrender to sweet slumber.  I love to watch him sleep, but now it's time for me to be asleep.

Here's hoping that 2016 holds much time in the Word and many hours of sleep for me!  :)

There's Been a Shift

It's a vivid memory from Moriah's birth: the moment when I very distinctly transitioned from the things I was doing to distract myself from labor (talking with the nurse and midwife, checking Facebook, chatting online with my cousin, etc.) to the actual process of labor itself, specifically the idea of finally needing to make a choice to push the baby out and finish the birth!  I mention it in this blog post, if you have the patience to scroll down to that part to find it.  ;-)

In a similar--but not identical, since I'm not that close to the end of this pregnancy--manner, this week included a marked shift for me.  Last Saturday, I was still writing things like "I am still not really prepared for his birth" and "I'm pretty convinced he's still not coming for at least a few weeks"; but suddenly on Monday morning, August 24, I mentally switched gears.  Instead of the birth being a vague, far-off reality, it was a very real possibility that it could occur at any time; and I was, for really the first time, motivated to make preparing for the birth the focus of my tasks each day.

The swiftness of the transition surprised me, but not the joy of it.  It is delightful to nest when a new little birdie is on the way.  :)

Maybe one of the reasons I finally got in gear was because Monday morning brought with it a whole bunch of contractions.  It was never to the point of me thinking that I might actually be in real labor, but it certainly was a wake-up call of what is coming.  It appears that's what I needed.  ;-)

So, what have I done to prepare?  Well, let's see...  :)

~ I thoroughly organized and cleaned what we call the TSM room.  That would be the bedroom that Tobin, Shav, and Moriah share.  :)  It wasn't in bad shape, since we've kept it up pretty well since we moved Moriah into it earlier this summer; but inevitably some things get out of place, drawers get messy, sheets need washed, books need straightened, and so forth.  It was a good feeling to get that room "perfect" again.  :)
~ I also thoroughly organized and cleaned my room.  Let me tell you, a neat, clean, everything-I-can-put-away-has-been-put-away bedroom is a treasure.  :)
~ I did sort of silly things like plucking my eyebrows and cutting my fingernails.  Not necessary before labor, but a mental boost, all the same.  ;-)
~ I did more important things like stocking up on toiletries so we won't run out of toothpaste or shampoo the week after the baby is born.  ;-)
~ I also caught up on laundry--like the TSM room, not that it was in such bad shape, but the pile of dirty clothes had accumulated higher than I like it to be, so I made that a priority this past week.
~ Perhaps most telling, I was finally motivated to make some meals for the freezer.  The way I did it was fairly simple; rather than setting aside a large chunk of time for this project, I simply made a double portion several evenings when I was making supper, and then froze what was left after we ate.  Monday, for example, I made a big pot of sausage and bean soup and froze an ice cream bucket full of that (those ice cream buckets sure come in handy for things like this!).  Thursday, I made lasagna; we ate one dish of it, and I put another big pan of it in the freezer.  Friday, we did the same with curried lentils.  It really doesn't take that much more time to prepare a large portion of something that you happen to be making anyway, but what a time-saver in the end when those freezer meals can be used as the foundation for an entire meal!  My long-time readers know that I'm never overly dramatic ;-), so you won't be surprised to read that, as I tucked away each meal in the freezer, I thought, "Well, at least we won't starve for one more day after the baby is born!"  :)  Silly me.  As if starvation was even a remote possibility in this land of plenty that we too often take for granted!

********

Since we're talking about food, I'll mention a few favorites during this pregnancy.  Coffee yogurt has been a faithful stand-by, and Jeff has kept me well-stocked, which isn't always convenient because the only store I've found around here that sells it is sort of on the other side of town and we never shop there.  Well, unless I'm getting low on coffee yogurt, and then Jeff shops there.  ;-)  There has been many a lunch for me in the past 8 months which has featured coffee yogurt as the main course.  :)

Early on, I really loved eating chocolate raisins, but lately, not so much.

Early on, I also really craved the intense flavor of the zestiest salt and vinegar chips I've ever had.  Nowadays, it's a no-go.  There is part of a bag in the snack closet, and it just sits there.  I can't even make myself eat them to finish up the bag and have one less thing in the closet!

Early on, I had absolutely no desire to eat the tortilla chips that appear on our dinner table every evening (so Jeff can eat them with his salsa).  :)  Seriously, NO DESIRE AT ALL.  But towards the end of this pregnancy, my normal desire for them has returned, so I eat them every single day.

Apples with peanut butter have been an appreciated part of my pregnancy diet.

As always in the summer, I'd be pretty content to live off fresh fruit and milk.  I don't understand why the rest of my family thinks supper ought to include more than just a smoothie!  ;-)  I haven't had much appetite for meat and heavy stuff, although I do eat it because I know I need a more balanced diet.

I've consumed great quantities of milk, not only because milk is my favorite beverage, but also to tame the heartburn monster.  I've also really enjoyed the mint tea my dad has been making from the mint in his flowerbed, but ironically, it makes my heartburn worse, despite how cool and refreshing it feels as I drink it.  But no problem: I just drink it at supper, then drink milk later to take care of the heartburn.  ;-)

********

"Glamorous" is not an adjective that is often associated with me.  "Nice" - yes.  "Caring" - I sure hope so.  "Friendly" and "kind" and "gentle" and, most of all, "Christ-like"- may it be so.  But "glamorous"?  Not really.  ;-)

However, when I look back at the middle of this pregnancy--this halfway post, for example--I realize that, if I ever felt glamorous during this year 2015, it was then.  It is certainly not now.  ;-)

The experts aren't kidding when they extol the glories of the second trimester.  But now that I'm weeks (days?) from the end, that blissful time feels like ages ago.  For one thing, I'm just so big!  I tried to measure my circumference the other day, and the consensus (Jeff and Josiah were around while I was doing it and were trying to help me read the tape measure as well as tell me when I had it positioned in the right spot to capture my largest girth) was that I am 45 and a half inches around.  While pregnant with Josiah, I got to be 42 inches; but in my more recent pregnancies, I have gotten this big--or nearly.  But my goodness, 45.5 inches doesn't make me feel glamorous at all!  ;-)

********

I was napping on Wednesday afternoon when Shav came into my room and handed me two pieces of paper.  On one was a cheery picture of a rainbow that he drew, and on the other was this.

When he happily (and quietly) exclaimed, "I drew a picture of you and me, Mom!" I sleepily admired it and thanked him before going back to sleep.  Later when I woke up and looked at it with more consciousness, I realized that wow, I really am gigantic.  Even Shav knows that.  ;-)

********

Speaking of naps...  :)

During this pregnancy, I definitely have had a favorite spot to nap, and this is it.  :)

Usually my favorite nap spot in this house is on our living room couches which are so soft and cozy that I can hardly keep myself awake on them!  But if I try to nap on them these days, I get so terribly hot that I barely enjoy the sleep I get and wake up feeling quite unrefreshed.  But on my bed, with the windows open and the ceiling fan on high (the best ceiling fan in our house, I think, in terms of how much air it actually blows), I stay cool and have splendid naps.  See?  ;-)

********

One blessing of late has been the relative coolness of this August.  It is not unheard of for our area to get into the 90s and even break 100 degrees; but this summer, for the most part, the temperatures have only risen into the 80s.  I can't say that I mind.  ;-)  On the hottest, most humid days, I have been running the air conditioning; but during the past couple of weeks, I haven't needed to even do that very much.

Josiah was out on the hammock a couple of days ago, but came in before long...

...because he was too chilly out there.  That's unusual for August.

A little while back, one or two of the boys mentioned that they were chilly one morning; and I realized that I haven't really been cold for months!  I have a feeling that, in comparison to how toasty warm I've been this summer with my little internal heater, I'm going to feel mighty cold this winter without him!

********

A verse that often comes to mind at this late stage of pregnancy is this: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!"  Since I've woken up, so to speak, to what still needs done and have entered the nesting stage this week, there have been so many things that I have wanted to do to prepare even more for this imminent arrival, and so I go and go for a while.  But when my body speaks up and says "oh, no, you don't," I often have no choice but to stop and listen to it.  Between back pain, fatigue, and general clumsiness and achiness, too many times I reach my limit of physical activity long before I was planning to do so!  It can be frustrating to look around and think about how much more I wanted to get done...but freeing to fall into the arms of grace and realize that, no matter what else I accomplish, God is using me to grow a new human being.  And maybe, for that moment, it is enough.  :)

********

"I will never again get this much enjoyment from rubbing my tummy."

That was my thought yesterday as I drove home from town, one hand on the steering wheel, the other feeling my baby's movements.  :)

It is endlessly entertaining for me to feel him.  He is so wonderfully active; and when I sit down, it usually doesn't take me long at all to, consciously or unconsciously, put my hand on my tummy and happily feel his motions.  The other members of my family find it interesting to occasionally feel it, but no one even comes close to the amount of time I have spent doing that, soaking up his precious movements.

A few weeks from now, it won't be fun at all to feel my tummy!!  ;-)

********

I've reached the stage where I get to see a midwife once a week, and this week my appointment was on Thursday.  It was fairly routine, with the most exciting thing for me being the checking of my blood pressure.  Since it had been a little high at the previous appointment, I was eager to see how it was doing--and was very grateful when it was back to being nice and normal (124/72).  My weight had jumped up to 187 pounds.  The baby's heart rate was somewhere in the mid- to upper-130s.

Besides the good news about my blood pressure, the other best part about this appointment was finding out that I'm negative for Group B Strep, so that's one less thing to worry about during labor.  :)

********

With all the preparing I've been doing this week, you might expect me to say that my bag is completely packed for the hospital.

Well, it isn't.

Not quite.  :)

I have been gathering more of the things that I want to take along and putting them all together in the baby's crib.  If I had to make a quick middle-of-the-night dash to the hospital, it wouldn't take long to throw them all in the bag and run out the door.  But I'd like to be a little more organized than that.  ;-)

Maybe I'll finish that off tomorrow.  :)

One thing I did do, however, was to wash and get ready both of the outfits I bought to potentially use as coming-home outfits for the baby.  So even if I don't have all the things I'd like to have when I'm in the hospital, at least the baby won't need to come home naked.  ;-)

This is my first choice for his coming-home outfit.

Have I mentioned that navy blue and white is my all-time favorite color combination?  :)

And this is the back-up outfit...

...because you just never know when an explosion of poop or pee or spit-up might happen and ruin the first-place outfit.  ;-)

How many more days will it be until we see his sweet little body filling up these clothes???  :)

School Planning, and Strange Produce

For months (half a year, perhaps?), ideas for this coming school year have been bouncing around in my head, but haven't made it onto paper a document on the computer.  It's time to change that.  :)

With the added...shall we say?...challenge of having a baby in the middle of September :), I realize that a few things will be keys to making the official school year flow smoothly: good planning, an early start (August 10 is what I'm thinking), and bushels of flexibility!  :)  So tonight it's time to do what I can about that first item on the list--the planning part--and get these ideas written down so I can refine them more easily.

With that said, blogging will obviously take a backseat tonight.  But here's something to look at.  :)

Finding this interesting specimen in the garden recently prompted a wild run into the house with the shout, "HEY, MOM!  LOOK!  IT'S A DOUBLE CUCUMBER!!!"  And then, of course, "YOU SHOULD TAKE A PICTURE OF IT!"  :)

Alrighty then.  I will did.

The 16-Week Project {Week One}

The goal: every room in the house clean and organized.

The last time I actually accomplished this: umm...never?  ;-)

The plan: in the 17 and a half weeks I have from now until my due date, use 16 of those weeks to specifically focus on my house, room by room.

The confession: I don't actually have 16 rooms in my house (there are 13 by my counting), but I figure there are going to be a few weeks in there that I don't ever get around to getting even a single room cleaned and organized.  ;-)

The additional challenge: keep the rooms that I've already focused on relatively neat and organized.  What's the point of getting each room in great shape if I let the ones I've already done slip back into chaos?  (And I speak from experience because I've done that more times than I'd like to admit!)  ;-)

The help: my boys.  As I evaluate each room, I want to come up with a workable plan for keeping it neat and clean; and already I've seen some tasks with new eyes.  My kids are more capable than I previously thought, whaddya know?  ;-)

The opportunity: right now.  Last Saturday, we officially/unofficially finished our main schoolwork (although we're continuing with some additional educational stuff that I'm really excited about, but hopefully I'll get to write more about that later).  Our extracurricular activities are virtually finished.  The garden hasn't yet started producing anything that needs canned or frozen (although we are enjoying plenty of fresh lettuce and a few other goodies).  This is my WOO.

The reality: like always when I set a goal, I'll fall short.  Baby's due date will come, and there will still be messes in my house, cupboards that didn't get cleaned out, new job responsibilities that are still not a habit for my sons, clutter that didn't get shooed out the door, possibly entire rooms that didn't get dealt with at all, etc.  I know that.  But you know what?  It's OK.  It's OK to set a high goal, knowing that I'll fall short of that mark but hoping that I'll end up further down the path to a clean and organized home than I am now!  :)

The first room: the cellar, a room that is loved by Jeff because of the sense of security he gets from looking at the food we have ;-) and appreciated by me, especially when I remember the challenge of finding room for food storage in the small apartments we lived in before moving to Virginia.  It is SO NICE to have a room like this!  :)

When my parents were designing this house, they did a very smart thing by including this cellar off the laundry room.  It's underground enough to stay fairly cool in the summer and fairly warm in the winter; I don't have to worry about things freezing in this room.

And best of all, there is space--glorious SPACE!--for jars that are full of food and those that are empty, awaiting the summer's harvest.

Organizing this room was a project that I had been longing to do for quite a while; and now that school is out (sort of), I felt perfectly fine about devoting some time to this.

It's a great project to tackle for Week One of my challenge because it's a small room and doesn't take forever and a day to organize--and even more importantly, it's relatively easy for me to keep it neat since I'm basically the only one who does much in this room.  

Well, Jeff contributes to this room, too, I'll admit...by doing things like canning hot peppers that I have to find room for.  There is a whole LONG shelf full of jars of peppers, and I didn't can any of them (and won't eat them either!).  ;-)

But generally speaking, I'm the boss in this room and don't have to worry too much about people coming along behind me and messing up the order I've created.  ;-)

We use this room from the floor to the ceiling--potatoes, for example, in a wire basket on the floor (we ran out of our own potatoes this year for the first time in a number of years and actually had to buy some to eat; but Jeff was able to plant the old, small, shriveled ones our garden produced last year, so we didn't have to buy seed potatoes) all the way to baskets hanging from the ceiling.

I said I'm the only one who does much in this room, but I should have mentioned that Moriah also enjoys this room.  :)  When I'm doing laundry, she will sometimes sit in this extra booster seat and will play with a truck in the gravel; sometimes Shav still likes to drive cars and trucks around in this gravel floor, too.  :)

A few days before I finished organizing the cellar, I had done the even quicker job of organizing the two freezers we have in our garage--a perfect task for a warm spring day when I wanted to keep an eye on Moriah while she played outside but also craved the sense of accomplishment that comes from finishing something!

Having our long-term food storage organized--both in the cellar and in these freezers--is such a good feeling.  As a bonus, it inspires me in my cooking because I discover food items that I didn't even remember we had.  ;-)

Now the big question: which room should I tackle next??  :)

* a note about the photos: neither the laundry room nor the cellar gets natural light, so pictures taken there are always a little (or a lot!) off to my eye...for example, in the first photo in this post, the walls of the laundry room look extremely bright...I can assure you that in real life, the yellow is not quite that blinding...and now that you know that, I can sleep better tonight  ;-)

Wordless Wednesday {The Anticipation of Spring} :)

Planning the Day, the Week, the Year

The year begins with hope.  A fresh start, a blank page, a chance to do things better than preceding years.  And I jump out of bed, my mind swirling with all I'm going to accomplish today.

"Let's see...I need to choose which song I'll lead at the Harmonia Sacra singing tonight and practice that until I'm comfortable with it.  I need to move all the wood from the right side of the woodshed so Mother has a place to carry in wood from the outside woodpile.  I need to change the sheets on the bed that someone had an accident in last night.  I'll make potato soup for supper, but I'll need to peel all the potatoes completely and use onion powder instead of chopped onions because Dad is on a special diet in preparation for his colonoscopy on Friday.  I want to start taking down Christmas decorations and get the tree moved outside so I can clean and rearrange the living room.  I definitely want to make sure I listen to my boys when they talk to me so they will know how important they are to me.  Jeff is off today, so I want to be sure to show love to him.  There's that awful pile of papers accumulating on the telephone counter again that I should get to.  And oh yes, it's a new month so I need to make a blog header and find a background that goes well with it!"

And on it goes.

Truth be told, it's not just on New Years Day that I do this.  Every night as I go to sleep, I think about what projects I need to tackle the next day, and how I can accomplish them while working around Moriah's schedule, especially her naptimes; certain jobs are easy to do with her "help" and certain ones are nearly impossible.  Every morning as I wake up, my brain automatically opens the file called "To-Do List" and thinks what I can get started doing so I can check something off.  Some days, this process is sluggish, and some days, it's energetic; but it always happens.

Maybe because of this, my heart breathed deeply and said, "Yes!" when I read the following prayer recently.

Maybe today is the perfect day to be reminded of what's more important than lists.

Planning the Day

The lists grow--
sometimes on lengthy strips of paper.
How easily my life becomes a list--
a long scroll of dutes.

Sometimes the lists break down
into separate memos--
A batch of yellow memory scraps
each with an injunction.
Do this! Do that!

I can't get rid of my lists.

Perhaps there is some primitive magic here,
that if I name my duties I must perform them.
But then I almost always rebel.
These lists when they aren't burdening me,
give me an oppositional determination
to disobey and to do whatever I please.

Why do I put this "have-to-do-it" burden
on myself? It only makes me righteous,
artificially safe, and soul-tired.

Help me to sit here quietly.
Help me not so much to plan as to listen.
Help me to be informed, as in
"shaped from within," by Your will.
My burden is so heavy.
Yours is always light.

~ Gunilla Norris, in Being Home

Or We Could Just Call It "Forty-Nine"

Here on the 7th day of the month, it seems like a good time to share seven sevens: seven lists of seven things.  Why?  Just because.  :)

Seven Christmas CDs I've Been Enjoying:
1. Home for Christmas - Barlow Girls
2. Peace on Earth - Casting Crowns
3. It's a Wonderful Christmas - Michael W. Smith
4. A Christmas to Remember - Amy Grant
5. Noel - Josh Groban
6. Rose of Bethlehem - Selah
7. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir (of course, I had to include a CD by this outstanding group!)  ;-)

Seven Things I Wouldn't Want to Homeschool Without:
1. The Little Man in the Map - E. Andrew Martonyi - (the best way to teach U.S. geography!  in fact, thanks to this book, I now know where all the states are - yippee!)  ;-)
2. YouTube - (whether we're studying about murmuration or learning The Orange Blossom Special, YouTube is guaranteed to have something to help)
3. Google - (all I can say is HOW DID WE EVER educate our children/get educated ourselves/learn anything/survive without Google?)  ;-)
4. Starfall.com - (Jeff discovered this site when Josiah was a toddler; I vividly remember holding Josiah on my lap in our apartment in Israel and pressing on each letter of the alphabet while he watched...each of our children has benefited from--and LOVED--Starfall!)
5. Life of Fred math books - (by far, the best way to teach math that I've ever seen)
6. Sonlight Instructor's Guides - (they make it E-A-S-Y to be a homeschooler!)
7. The Well-Planned Day planner - (I've been using them for three or four years, and have discovered that for me, they are so much more than just a planner...they become a scrapbook of accomplishments and activities throughout the year...plus, they are so pretty!)  :)

Seven Achingly Gorgeous Pieces of Music:
1. Gabriel's Oboe - Ennio Morricone
2. Ashokan Farewell - Jay Ungar
3. Au bord d'une source - Franz Liszt (I played this in my senior recital in college, by the way.)  :)
4. Piano Sonata No. 8 (Sonata Pathetique), 2nd Movement - Beethoven (I think I played this during the wedding reception for my brother David.)
5. Gavotte - Rameau
6. Theme from Schindler's List - John Williams
7. Ave Maria - Franz Biebl (especially as sung by Chanticleer)

Seven Favorite Passages from Isaiah:
1. 6:1-8 - (I've loved this passage ever since I was a young girl; in fact, my first--and all-time--favorite Bible verse is verse 8: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I.  Send me!'")
2. 8:11-18 - ("...do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it...")
3. 26:8-12 - ("...your name and renown are the desire of our hearts...")
4. 33:2 - ("...we long for you.  Be our strength every morning...")
5. 43:4 - ("...because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you...")
6. 46:3-4 - ("Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he...")
7. 51:1 - ("Look to the rock from which you were cut...")

Seven New Recipes I Want to Make:
1. Fruit Salsa
2. Creamy Sausage Stew
3. Ten O'Clock Rolls
4. Loaded Baked Potato Salad
5. Black Bean Brownies
6. Venison Hash
7. Triple Chip Brown Butter Cookies

Seven Books I Want to Read in the New Year:
1. Prayer - Philip Yancey
2. Radical - David Platt
3. Keeping House - Margaret Kim Peterson
4. Anne of Green Gables (the whole series) - L. M. Montgomery
5. a travel book by Mark Twain, maybe Roughing It or A Tramp Abroad
6. Bringing Up Boys (and possibly Bringing Up Girls, although I don't have that book yet) - James Dobson
7. Our Jerusalem - Bertha Spafford Vester

Seven Goals for the New Year:
1. Do at least one major beyond-myself outreach.
2. Clean the whole kitchen, including all the cabinets. (We are blessed with A LOT of cabinets, so this is not exactly a quick project.)
3. Get my weight down to 139 pounds.  (Which on some days makes me think, "Yeah, I could do that," on other days makes me sigh, "That's impossible," and on still other days makes me question, "Why would I want to do that?  I'm doing just fine at 153 pounds, thankyouverymuch.  I think I'll go have a bowl of ice cream.")  ;-)
4. Make this the year I conquer the Dirty Dishes Monster.  Too many nights I go to bed with some dirty dishes still on the counter.  Could this be the year I solidly develop the habit of doing them all every night?
5. Plant strawberries, raspberries, and some fruit trees.
6. Go camping a lot as a family.
7. Keep dealing with paper clutter, especially the old sentimental papers that I have to figure out something to do with.

This concludes my seven sevens.  Or in other words, my forty-nine.

I believe it's time for Jubilee.  :)

What's Going On

Things are a little busy around here these days.  Besides the normal feeling of life being full almost to overflowing because it hasn't even been two months since we added a baby to the family, I've also been tackling a huge annual project.  But here.  I'll let my Facebook status that I posted a little bit ago speak for itself...  ;-)


A little homeschool planning is a dangerous thing. I've been trying to finish the project of cleaning out our homeschool closet, reminding myself of what materials we have and what we need, and wrapping up preliminary plans for the coming school year...all before we go to the homeschool convention that's coming up soon. But tonight, after consultation with the principal of our school (uh, that would be Jeff) ;-), I decided to basically ditch all the plans I had made for this coming year and TOTALLY change direction. And you know what? I'm THRILLED. Before this, I was basically trying in vain to drum up enthusiasm for the coming year. And now? I'm so, so, SO excited! I can hardly wait to start! :)


So there you have it.  That's what has kept me from the computer today, that's what's been on my mind, that's why my blog posts have been short, and that's what is putting a smile on my face tonight.  


Thinking about this boy...

...and his brothers and all the fun we're going to have and memories we're going to make this coming year is also a good reason to smile.


I'm grinning like a fool.  ;-)

February, According to Facebook

"Am I always a little melancholy on Wednesday evenings?" I asked Jeff tonight.  I don't think he knew quite what to say to that; maybe it falls in the category of Questions a Wife Should Never Ask Her Husband, right up there with, "Does this outfit make me look fat?"  ;-)  But I wasn't trying to trick him--honest!--so I didn't force a long-winded answer from him, but instead sat in my favorite rocking chair and silently contemplated it further.  

Truth is, I think I do sometimes feel a little down on Wednesday nights.  I suppose that's because Thursday is coming, the day of the week when Jeff has to leave really early for work, and the boys don't see him in the mornings.  That makes Thursdays seem very long; and after Thursday comes Friday and then Saturday, of course--both days in which Jeff works.  The work-on-Monday-and-Tuesday-and-then-have-Wednesday-off routine spoils us for the rest of the week when Jeff has to work for three days straight!  ;-)

The other thing playing into all of this is that I always have such high expectations for what I'm going to accomplish on Wednesdays.  This morning, for example, Jeff took all the boys to the dentist (Shav didn't have an appointment, but Jeff kindly took him along anyway, so I could have the house to myself), and I just knew I was going to get so much done here in the peace and quiet!  ;-)  Well, no surprise to anyone but myself, I didn't accomplish nearly as much as I was hoping.  And then the rest of the day--as always--got busy with violin lessons and other activities.  It's no wonder that Wednesday evenings roll around; and when I see my to-do list almost as long as when the day started, I'm a little discouraged.

However, rather than continuing to sit in my rocking chair and feel down, I decided to do something to be productive and make myself feel better:  plan!  :)  I pulled out my homeschool planner and got the calendar down off the wall and whipped out my pen, ready to mark upcoming events and projects.  So even though I didn't actually accomplish a whole lot more tonight after my question to Jeff, I convinced myself that it will get accomplished--and made myself believe that I'm really on top of life more now than I was earlier today--and then I felt better.  ;-)

There's one more thing I did to console myself.  I realized that I was actually feeling pressured by my original plan (mentioned in this post) to organize the upstairs of the house in the month of January, organize the middle level in February, and the lower level in March.  Here I was in the last day of February, not even close to finishing the middle level!  When I finally figured out that my lack of completion in that area was weighing more heavily on me than it should, I made a simple adjustment to my plan and told myself that I can really use the month of March for the middle level, too, because I don't have to get the downstairs in good shape until April 18 when Jeff's mom arrives to stay with us after the baby is born.  The other rooms on that level are fine...well, let me rephrase that...the cellar and the laundry room are fine...the garage is not, but I'm not exercising dominion over that sphere right now, so I don't care a bit.  ;-)  Even if April 17 rolls around, and we have to do a mad stash-and-dash in the lower level so Jeff's mom can stay comfortably in our guest room/library, we can pull that off--no problem!  So, according to my new plan, January was for the upper level, February AND MARCH for the middle, and April for the bottom.  See?  It's all working out beautifully!  ;-)

Before I post my Facebook statuses for the month (so that when this is printed as a book, I'll have a record of the tidbits I jotted down there), I'll throw in some random pictures from the past few days.  The first one was what I saw one day as I was standing upstairs and looking down into the kitchen (on the right) and the living room (on the left).  How wonderful to glance down the steps and see three of my boys busy with books!  I love raising bookworms.  :)

One time as I was folding and putting away laundry, Tobin and David were pretending to sleep in my bed.  Knowing the challenges they've had in the past with rubbing each other the wrong way, I am particularly grateful for their increasing times of peace and harmony together.   :)

Josiah and David continue to spend time working on puzzles, and David especially has gotten quite good at them.  I've discovered that the dollar store is a great place to find new ones!  :)

OK, take it away, Facebook!  It's your turn now...

Feb. 1 - If I wasn't expecting a baby in a couple of months, I would have been begging Jeff for one of these puppies! The only pet I've ever wanted is a collie...sigh... But now all the puppies are sold. That's OK. I'd rather have a baby any day. :)


Feb. 2- Josiah this morning: "I wish I could have an ostrich." "Why?" I asked. "So I could ride it, of course!" he exclaimed. He didn't SAY "duh," but it was strongly implied. Except for maybe five seconds when I was watching The Swiss Family Robinson years ago, I don't think I've ever wanted to have--much less, ride--an ostrich. It just goes to show how differently his brain works than mine, I suppose! :)


Feb. 3 - Before Jeff left for work this morning, he made bacon and eggs for our breakfast. At one point, all the boys had finished eating and were upstairs playing in Josiah and David's room; and it was just Jeff and I together at the table. It almost felt like a date! :) I'm grateful for unplanned times like these--an unexpectedly good way to start the day. :)


Feb. 3 - This little girl is like an earthquake in my insides! She's been doing convulsions on my right side this morning; and when she gets moving, I feel like my whole body lurches in response to her. Josiah and David were each standing on one side of me this morning as we reviewed James chapter 1 which we're memorizing this year. They put their hands on my huge tummy and were both able to feel their baby sister. When she moved, their big eyes and shining smiles were delightful to see. :)


Feb. 5 - Tobin, at breakfast this morning: "I'm so tired I could eat a reindeer!" It never ceases to amuse me, how he tries to use the expressions he hears others use, but unwittingly mixes them all up. ;-)


Feb. 6 - Shav's newest favorite phrase: "Mommy," spoken in the most pleading voice, "I NEED you!" The first few times he said that to me, I melted. The melting effect is getting less and less pronounced, however, as he uses (abuses?) it more and more. Even a two-year-old knows how to manipulate. Or maybe I should say *especially* a two-year-old knows how to manipulate!! ;-)


Feb. 10 - Shav, when I got him out of his crib after his nap: "I need you!" Me: "Who taught you to say, 'I need you," like that?" Shav: "Jesus!" Me, incredulously: "Jesus???" Shav, jubilantly: "Yeah!!" His happy smile brightened my own face tremendously. Little cutie pie. ;-)


Feb. 13 - David's question to me this evening: "You know how, after you run a while at super-sonic speed, your throat starts to feel itchy and spicy?" My thoughts: "Well...um...no, I can't exactly identify with that feeling. Maybe because it's been a while since I've run at super-sonic speeds. But you keep talking, David Dear, because I want to hear what goes on in that sweet head of yours!" ;-)


Feb. 14 - ‎"This is true joy in life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." - George Bernard Shaw, quoted in Crazy Love by Francis Chan - I still have my moments of being a "selfish little clod," but I do want to be used up for a mighty purpose - right now, that "mighty purpose" seems to be potty-training Shav - mighty, indeed ;-)


Feb. 15 - My big project for the evening: email reduction. I got it from 367 down to 290...woohoo! Now please don't send me an email to congratulate me. ;-) Seriously, WHEN will I ever figure out how to stay on top of emails, rather than letting them pile up???


Feb. 16 - From the cries of despair coming from him, you would have thought Shav's heart was absolutely broken. He had woken early, heard Jeff leaving for work in the Jeep, and stood watching him from the window of his room. Shav pronounces "daddy" as "daggy," and over and over he called, "Daggy! Daggy! Daggy! Daggy!" Even though it was 6:30, a full half-hour before I wanted to get up, I couldn't be too upset as his pathetic cries aroused my sympathy, and I went to him to comfort him. The boy loves his "daggy," that's for sure. :)


Feb. 17 - I took a nap this afternoon and slept deeply. I also had a dream in which I gave birth--to a baby girl--but she was very premature and obviously had major health problems; it was a bit bewildering, trying to know how to help her. When I woke up, I discovered that I'm still pregnant. Boy, am I ever glad of that!!! :)


Feb. 17 - Before we eat supper, we sing a song together: a short-n-sweet Sunday school type of song. Always-popular favorites are Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho and I've Got a River of Life. Tonight Jeff said that David could choose the song, and I had to laugh when David said, "Is Ring Around the Rosie available?" :) No, my dear boy, it most certainly is not. Even at my most creative, I can't come up with any way to spiritualize that song! :)


Feb. 20 - I realize, of course, that Isaiah wasn't *exactly* thinking of homeschooling when he penned these words (in 54:13): "All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children's peace." But as a homeschooling mom who sometimes worries about the gaps in my children's education, it IS reassuring to remember that ultimately, God is the one in charge of our lesson plans...and sometimes He interrupts the lessons I'm trying to teach in history and grammar and multiplication, so that He can teach something far more important in character and life skills! :)


Feb. 21 - Tonight in his bedtime prayer, Shav said, "Thank You, God, for Mommy's thumb (while touching my right thumb)...and Mommy's thumb (he reached for my left thumb)...and these fingers (touching all the fingers of my hand)." I never know what he's going to come up with in his prayers, but you know, it's really good for me. After all, it's been quite a while since I specifically thanked God for my thumbs; and I don't want to take any part of this body God gave me for granted. "A little child will lead them"...and Shav does. :)


Feb. 22 - The best part of my trip to town this morning (besides hearing my baby's heartbeat and having Melody, the midwife, say she thinks she's head-down) was standing in the greeting card aisle of Walmart and having an older lady come up to me to say, "You have the nicest smile!" It's amazing how encouraging a simple compliment can be. :) I want to grow in my ability to reach out and speak encouragement to complete strangers--as well as friends--in that way.


Feb. 23 - Read something interesting today: "Our public schools spend a fortune on each student. According to a May 2011 U.S. Census Bureau report, it costs (on average) $10,499 per student, per year to put a child through public school. If those figures were to remain steady during a child's twelve-year journey through public school (excluding kindergarten), a whopping $125,988 would be spent on each child's public education. Think about that: for the average family with two children, a quarter of a million dollars is being spent to put those kids through school." (from an article in Home School Enrichment magazine) My goodness! For all the money I've saving the system by not having my children in public school, don't you think the government ought to at least send me a thank-you card...and maybe a box of chocolates??? ;-)


Feb. 24 - What made me smile tonight: Shav, standing on a stool by the bathroom sink, "brushing" his teeth until I came to help him finish up...and Josiah brushing his teeth at the same time. Josiah has this routine where he walks diagonally through the bathroom a certain number of times while brushing, stopping occasionally to spit in the sink. Tonight, every time Josiah spit, Shav said admiringly, "WOW!" And then, every time, Shav tried to spit as loudly and forcefully as Josiah had just done. I suppose to his two-year-old mind, Josiah's spitting ability is quite impressive. :)


Feb. 25 - One of Shav's recent cute habits is coming up to me, snapping his teeth together, telling me that he just ate me, then informing me that our new baby is in HIS tummy now. When I ask when she is coming out, he always says matter-of-factly, "A few minutes!" If only it really were that quick and easy to birth a baby! ;-)


Feb. 27 - Windows open on February 27? Yes, please! :) Although I'm frankly disappointed in our lack of snow this winter, I have to admit that spring-like days like this one help to ease the disappointment. ;-)


Feb. 27 - This can go down in history as the first article from Runner's World that I've EVER read. Although I have dreams of someday completing a couch-to-5K program, I'm a LONG way from that now and (currently) can barely hobble around my living room because of this heavy uterus pressing on some nerve in my lower back. HOWEVER, the title of this article grabbed my attention immediately, and I couldn't resist reading it...in part, to find out the answer to the first question that popped in my head upon seeing it, "DO the Amish run?" Well, I learned something new tonight: they do. Fascinating article! :)


Feb. 27 - Tonight as I was helping Tobin get ready for bed, I mentioned to him that my back is hurting...which isn't unusual these days, given the advanced stage of this pregnancy. He very kindly wanted to pray for my back, and I smiled when he said, "Thank You, God, for Mommy's back feeling better." Ah, yes, pray in faith! And then after we finished praying, he got a very serious look on his face and said to me, "I'm sure it will feel better in May." Yes, my dear boy, I'm sure it will, too, since that will be a month after Baby Girl is born. But tell me, Tobin Bear, where did you get your wisdom?? :)


Feb. 29 - ‎"They who would grow in grace, must love the habitation of God's house. It is those that are planted in the courts of the Lord who shall flourish, and not those that are occasionally there." - John Angell James

Wrapping Up January

Somebody must have shortened January this year.  

Each year, when the last day of the first month rolls around, I can scarcely believe my eyes.  "Didn't this year just start?" is my refrain.  "And now one-twelfth of it is already gone?"  I always do this and then have to laugh a little at myself.

But this year--seriously--where did January go?  This swift passage of time proves one thing to me:  I'm really getting old.  :)

Here's the next proof of my increasing age:  I'm going to talk about the weather.  ;-)

So, what's up with this warmth?  Temps in the upper 60's on January 31?  That's not right, is it?  Even nature seems to be a mite confused, because my daffodils are popping up and daily I see robins hopping around in our yard.  As loath as I am to complain about the mildness of this winter, I am longing for at least one good snow to come soon.  That's really not too much to expect from a Shenandoah Valley winter, is it?

Meanwhile, while I scan the forecast for a dip in temperatures and look toward the sky for the sight of snow clouds, I'll keep savoring the spring-like weather.  The winter passes so much more pleasantly and easily when every few days, it's warm enough for the boys to go outside for some fresh air and exercise.  Today, for example, Josiah and David spent part of their quiet time reading outside on the trampoline.  They weren't wearing jackets and--shhhhh, they weren't even wearing socks.  ;-)

Here at the end of January, our winter schedule is in full swing:  choir for both Josiah and David on Monday evenings, violin lessons for those two on Wednesdays, swimming lessons for them on Saturday mornings.  Thankfully, the pace doesn't feel too busy; and the best part?  If Baby Girl stays put until close to her due date, both swimming lessons and the regular choir season will be over by the time she is born.  Although I was hoping to get pregnant sooner than we did, it's easy to see, with the perspective of hindsight, that God's timing for this pregnancy was better than ours.  No surprise there, however!  :)  If only I would remember this every time I chafe at His "slowness"!

Each Sunday, I've been reporting about my progress towards my one major goal of the year: arising consistently to give the first part of the day to God.  But now that the objective that I once considered unattainable has become almost second-nature to me, I feel ready to turn my attention to--and reveal publicly--other areas in which I have made some plans and set some goals for this year.  I purposely did not construct a long list of resolutions for the new year, because I know well how fun and easy it is to build such a list, but I'm also aware of how discouraging it can be to then be emotionally defeated as time goes by and the fruition is far off.  Particularly a year in which a new baby joins the family, there must be an abundance of grace and flexibility extended to oneself when it comes to plans and dreams!  But following behind my most-important goal for 2012 are some other thoughts, and I'll briefly share about two areas.

First, I'd like to read more books in 2012 than I did in 2011.  I don't have a set number in mind to shoot for; and because I did a very poor job of recording what I read last year, I don't even know how many I'll have to read to surpass 2011's total!  But I do want to be more intentional about reading, and wiser about using a few minutes here and a few minutes there to accomplish more productive reading.  Along with that, I don't want to read just fluff.  Specifically, I want to read at least one book this year that helps me in my relationship with each member of my family:  one marriage book, one book to help me understand Josiah more, one book for how I relate to David, etc.  I've already read one focusing on daughters (Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter by Vicki Courtney) and one about marriage (We Should Do This More Often by Lorilee Craker).  For Josiah, I want to read On Becoming Preteen Wise by Ezzo and Bucknam; and for David, I plan to start again--and actually finish this time!--the wonderful book How to Get Your Child off the Refrigerator and on to Learning by Carol Barnier.  I haven't yet decided what to read to help me with Tobin and Shav.  Any suggestions?  Of course, I have a myriad of general parenting books that await me on my bookshelf; and any of them would be helpful.  Now that I think about it, I'd love to reread Small Beginnings by Barbara Curtis; but my copy of it (which revolutionized--no joke--my thinking when Josiah was a toddler) apparently grew feet and walked off, so I'll have to track down another copy.  That one will be great to help me in my relationship with Shav, but what for Tobin?  Well, I still have eleven more months to figure this one out.  :)

Besides that reading focused on family relationships, I also want to read more spiritual/devotional books; and since I'm having regular quiet time in the morning, that won't be hard to accomplish.  Ordinary Faithful People by Robert Hubbard was the first one I finished; and now I've picked up again Crazy Love by Francis Chan, a book I started a year ago but never got all the way through.

Not all of my reading has to be heavy though, and right now I'm loving the books of Bess Streeter Aldrich.  A Lantern in Her Hand is one of my all-time favorite books, but I've been able to get some of her other books at our local library and I'm enjoying them all.  I have to set boundaries for myself about how much time I allow myself to read when I sit down with one of her books!  :)

The second area in which I've made some plans is with housekeeping.  Every year, I want to set the goal of completely organizing and cleaning every single little thing in my house.  To declutter from top to bottom is my intention--a lofty pursuit, to be sure.  On top of that, every time I'm pregnant, guess what I want to do?  Organize the house from top to bottom, every square inch of it, every closet and drawer and nook and cranny.  Guess how often I've actually accomplished this?

Never.

That doesn't stop me though from dreaming about a perfectly-in-order nest in which to welcome our newest little one.  :)  This year, my plan was simple:  spend the month of January focused on the upstairs rooms, the month of February on the main floor, and the month of March on the downstairs (that level is impossible for me to actually accomplish because of the dreaded garage--and the library--neither of which I can completely organize because of Jeff's stuff...I'm not casting stones here, just saying that I don't want to get rid of something that is important to him).  Here at the end of January, I'm only a little behind.  I did completely clean and organize Tobin's room, Shav's room, my room, the upstairs bathroom, and the hallway;  Josiah & David's room, however, did not get done yet, but I made a start there this evening and hope to do more tomorrow.  The major setback though came from the renovation we started doing in Tobin's room.  I had optimistically (foolishly?) projected that we would be able to finish painting his room by his birthday so that we would be able to get things put back in place and then transition Shav to that room so that he would have plenty of time to adjust to it before the new baby is born.  In reality, we didn't even buy the paint until two days after his birthday; and although Jeff is doing a beautiful job with the painting, it takes time!  That room is currently in upheaval, of course; and that has overflowed to the hallway outside Tobin's room.  So even though I very nearly accomplished my January goal for the upstairs, it sure doesn't feel like it!  I try to keep my spirits up by telling myself that as soon as the painting is done, it won't take long at all to get the room back in order...and there is still more than two full months before the baby is due...so Shav will likely be quite well-adjusted to his new environment before the baby's birth.  That kind of self-talk helps when I'm feeling discouraged.  :)

Now that February is here, I'm "supposed" to be focusing on the main floor, which shouldn't be too hard of a job because the living room is completely organized and clutter-free, and the only thing that needs done on the porch is a reorganization of the homeschool closet (which is kind of a big project, but shouldn't be overwhelming).  The bathroom needs organized and cleaned, but that could be done in a day if I could have a little chunk of uninterrupted time.  The kitchen?  Well, that's the beast.  The surfaces are in pretty good shape, but what I'd really like to do is go through all the cupboards and clean and organize.  If you've seen my kitchen, you know why this is an imposing task; we're blessed with A LOT of cupboards!!  :)

I know, of course, that there is nothing sacred about these homemaking goals.  If the spices don't get organized before the baby is born, she won't care in the least.  :)  But still, I hope to see some progress in the next two months...for my own sake, more than for anyone else's.  :)

Two more things remain to be said in this January wrap-up.  First, as commonly happens to me in this first month of the year, I was seized recently by a powerful desire to make homeschool plans for next year.  :)  As a matter of fact, when I started jotting down my thoughts, I found myself actually planning for the next four years!  But then I got sad when I realized that after four years, Josiah will officially be a high schooler; to think that we've already had him for what is probably half of the amount of time he will live at home is sobering and makes me a little misty inside.  So then I stopped planning four years in the future and simply focused on the coming year.  :)  Even though I could have been using that time to do something more pressing and at-hand (organizing a kitchen cupboard, maybe?), I've learned that, when the creativity bubbles up inside me, if I ride that wave, I'll not regret it later but will be exceedingly thankful that, when I was feeling inspired, I captured those thoughts and ideas.  Enthusiasm is much harder to dredge up later, if not captured when it initially surges!

And secondly, January was the month in which I dove back into the world of Facebook.  After abandoning it last September, I toyed with the idea of using it again as this new year approached; and I have to say, I am very glad to be back on it, for many reasons--one of which is the way I can so quickly jot down something that happens that I want to remember later.  Conversations with the boys that would be lost otherwise can be instantly shared and recorded there; but speaking of recording things, I want to transfer to this blog some of my favorite Facebook status updates that I've posted this past month so that when I *someday* print this blog as a book, I'll capture those things I've shared on Facebook, too.

Jan. 30 -  Tobin, just now: "Mom," his eyes sparkled. "My best friend is our dad." Yep, it's true: Jeff has got quite a fan club. :) 


Jan. 29 -  David, during our mommy/son date tonight: "Why didn't God make like a million people so that we wouldn't have to have babies?" I held my tongue and refrained from telling him the whole scoop: that some people actually *enjoy* the process of making babies. ;-) Instead I told him that God loves people so much that He wants there to be more, just like every time we have a baby, my heart grows and loves even more, etc. It appears that these mommy/son dates are turning into Sex Ed nights! 


Jan. 28 -  When Jeff and I got home from our date tonight, Shav excitedly opened the door to the garage and exclaimed, "Mommy! Daddy!" David's response was a little different: "Awww, are you home already? I wanted to play longer!" He's never too thrilled about us coming home...guess that shows how much he loves his babysitters! :)


Jan. 27 - It doesn't seem right that "just" a trip to swimming lessons, Walmart, and the library should do me in; but as we neared the end of our trip, all I could think was, "God, please just help me get home!!" How do three errands and three boys (Josiah stayed at the barbershop after his swimming lesson) wear me out SO much??? :)


Jan. 26 - Tonight at supper, the word "menopause" came up in conversation; and my boys, not being familiar with it, inquired further. I wasn't at all sure what to say, but I finally came up with, "It's when a woman's body stops releasing eggs and she can't have babies anymore." David's response: "Are YOU a CHICKEN? Do YOU lay EGGS??" ;-)

Jan. 22 - I took Josiah on a mother/son date to Sweet Bee tonight; and when we got home, he said, "Can I hug you?" Of course! I'm not one to turn down hugs from my boys. :) Then he sighed happily and said, "Thanks for the wonderful date." As much as he loves sword fighting, Star Wars, and being The Defender of the Helpless, he also has such a tender heart. Some blessed girl is going to get a treasure in him someday!! :)

Jan. 21 - On our way home from dropping Josiah off at the barbershop (he hangs out with Jeff and sweeps the hair off the floor), we were talking about grandparents. The subject of Grandpa Fisher came up; and when I told Tobin that he had died before Tobin was born, Tobin said tearfully, "When can we get a new Grandpa Fisher?" Well, dear boy, he's not exactly replaceable!


Jan. 21 - I didn't anticipate that mopping ONE BATHROOM would necessitate a 15-minute recovery period on the couch, but that seems to be the case. If 11 more weeks pass and I'm eager to bring on labor, I'll know what to do: grab the mop. If just mopping a bathroom brought on so many Braxton Hicks contractions, surely mopping a whole kitchen would bring on real labor!! :)

Jan. 20 - What's making me smile right now? Baby Girl's hiccups. Have I mentioned recently that I love being pregnant?? Jeff, please remind me of this tonight when I can barely walk because of the pain in my lower back. ;-)

Jan. 19 - ‎"I love you, Mom. Thanks for being patient today," Josiah said to me as he kissed me goodnight a little bit ago. Oh my. Not only does he know how to melt my heart, but he also (unknowingly, I'm sure) knows how to convict me! I want to cry and promise that tomorrow, I'll try to be even more patient. Thank God that when our failures as parents are so glaringly obvious to us, our children are somehow merciful to us.

Jan. 14 - "Mommy?" Tobin's voice quavered through the darkness to me just now. Why is he still awake? I wondered. "I can't sleep because my pretend dog Molly keeps barking," he called out. Ah! Well, that explains it. Those pretend dogs sure can make sleeping difficult. ;-)


Jan. 13 - It really is the little things, ya know, that either bring great joy or nearly drive a person mad. Right now I'm teetering towards insanity. The culprit? Ants. Carpenter ants, I guess they are. They've invaded the upstairs, starting in Josiah and David's room. While researching how to get rid of them, I read something to the effect of, "Most exterminators agree that carpenter ants are the hardest pest to get rid of." Great. Even in this, I must be thankful.


Jan. 11 - Listening to rain fall on the roof and knowing that I don't have to go anywhere but can stay safely at home with the ones I love - ah! This has got to be one of the coziest feelings in the world.


Jan. 7 - Josiah asked me recently, "Why'd you get married so late?" Ha! I didn't realize getting married at age 21--three weeks after my college graduation--qualified as "late." Apparently he's planning to get married at age 19??? ;-)


Jan. 4 - Tonight in his prayer before bedtime, Shav thanked God for something really profound: the zipper on his sleeper. :)

Jan. 4 - I took the two little ones to town to run errands this morning and came home to discover that Jeff had made delicious chocolate chip cookies from scratch. He's a good man, that one. ;-)

OK, I have got to end this post; this is ridiculously long!  But one last picture from this evening...a quiet, peaceful evening at home (not all evenings at home are peaceful!)...Grandma reading to Tobin and Shav, Grandpa bending over a puzzle that Jeff and Josiah were also working on.  David was playing a game on the computer, and I was enjoying the time to finish the supper dishes without distractions.

The boys all went to bed peacefully tonight; and although we're finishing January, not December, it almost seems right to sing "Silent Night, Holy Night"!  :)

It was a good way to end a month.

And now February is here, with a new blog look, a new calendar page, and 29 sparkling days waiting to be filled!  Plus, a little holiday called Valentine's Day...  ;-)