'Twas the night before Christmas...

And some of the children are snuggled in bed (not to mention their daddy). Emily is still up, and Jake is killing bad guys on Xbox. The house is very quiet, though... so peaceful. I know it certainly won't be in the morning!

It has been a truly wonderful year for us. We have a new son-in-law, a granddaughter on the way (just 4 more weeks!), the school-age kids are doing well in school, and the blessings of family and friends.  Add to that the gift of Christ... Emmanuel, God with us... we are blessed to overflowing.

Tomorrow we will open gifts and eat our traditional cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Later in the day we will visit family at the home of one of our nephews (newly-married this past Sept.). Following that, we will go to his brother's house, where he and his girlfriend will prepare a dinner for all of us. This will be the first Christmas in MANY years that I have not had to cook. Feels kind of strange, but also nice that my kitchen will be clean tomorrow. We'll enjoy what is becoming a yearly tradition of "Dirty Santa" (gift exchange that involves "stealing" presents from each other). Hopefully we'll make a little music together as well.

Five days later, it will be time to celebrate Emily's and Noah's birthdays. Em will be 21 and Noah, 17. Again, we'll fall back upon tradition and go to a Japanese hibachi restaurant to celebrate. Seems like this started around 10 years ago and just stuck with us.

Funny... In the last 2 paragraphs, I mentioned 3 traditions. I wonder how many more we have? I've never stopped to think or count. I wonder if there are any traditions we should discontinue... (I can think of one tradition we used to have that is gone: the traditional fight-while-putting-the-lights-on-the-Christmas-tree. Got rid of that one by getting a pre-lit tree!) Are there any traditions we need to institute?

Such are my deep thoughts in the quiet of Christmas Eve... Praying blessings on all my friends and family this season.

Fall is coming

Time moves quickly on the ol' blogstead when you only post once every month or so! We made it through August, the wedding, and Joel and Halle's first month at their new school. The wedding was beautiful and went off without a hitch. We were so blessed that the extremely hot weather we'd been having decided to take a break that weekend. I don't think it got hotter than the low 80s during the ceremony, and by the time we headed outside for dancing, it was a very comfortable 70s. Such a relaxing day (except for the mad rush to get to the church, wherein I backed my car down the drive... something I rarely do, since I usually back out of the garage and head nose-first down the driveway... and into the fire hydrant at the end of the drive. Felt the thud and it took me a minute to figure out what had happened. Then I said, "Oh, well," and kept on going.)  Here's one of my favorite guest/family-snapped photos of the day:

Things are cooling off around here, which means we may soon get to turn off the A/C and open the windows. This morning was very fall-like. I had forgotten what it feels like! Will be good to see cooler temps and save a little $$ on the electricity bill. Keeping 2 floors of an almost 5000 sq. ft. house comfortable can be a bit draining on the bank account.

Appears that our plates will be as full as ever this fall. I think it's a good kind of full, though... I guess time will tell. The kids seem really happy with their new school. They're both doing very well. The school and their teachers are great about communicating. They embrace technology (email, school website, online assignment and grade reporting) so it really makes it easy to keep up with what's going on.

Tomorrow the kids will be checking out of school early to attend a funeral with me.  A couple from our church (who both teach at the school) lost their 9-day-old daughter this past weekend. It is the worst kind of tragedy, the kind that can totally shake someone's faith. Thankfully, all who are touched by this are choosing to trust God's promises and know that healing will come in its time. We don't have to understand, we don't have to utter empty platitudes that we don't really "feel." We can be honest with our pain and our questions. God can handle that and he accepts it. As long as we can still say, "You are God; I am not.  I will trust what I don't understand. I will hope when I don't feel hopeful. I will still stand with you when I feel shaken," He will sustain us.

An August Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... it looks cooler than it really is. But thank goodness it's still not as hot as it was!

I am thinking... of the "to-dos" I have waiting for me this evening. I zeroed out a long list earlier today, but it has filled back up again. One is to take my youngest shopping for jeans; he has outgrown his old pairs. 

I am thankful... that God has held me up through this summer of overflowing bathtubs, ruined bathroom floors and leaking kitchen ceilings, the repair of said floors and ceilings, a front-end collision that left me in a rental car for a month, strep throat, a 2 1/2 month notice wedding to plan, and the abrupt loss (unable to attend, not death) of the bride-to-be's attendant just one week from the wedding. 

In the kitchen... baked spaghetti is in the oven. Thankful to Noah for helping get it started while I worked on some wedding stuff on the computer.

I am wearing... grey pants, a "One Nation Under God" t-shirt, and canvas slip-ons.

I am creating... cards to put on the guest book table to ask guests to download a photo sharing app to their smartphones so we can enjoy their candid shots of the wedding and reception.

I am going... to Target after dinner. Thankful for my RedCard. Actually, the first thing that came to mind when I read "I am going" was the song that says, "I am slowly going crazy, 1 2 3 4 5 6, switch; crazy going slowly am I, 6 5 4 3 2 1, switch." The song gets faster and faster until you can't keep the words straight

I am wondering... nothing at the moment. My mind is too full to wonder.... or wander. Or maybe it is wandering and that's why I can't wonder.

I am reading... The Witness, by Dee Henderson.

I am hoping... my future son-in-law finds the job he is seeking soon. I want him to be happy in his work and I want my daughter to feel secure.

I am looking forward to... the wedding this weekend.

I am learning... what it is like to have kids in a "real" school. Halle and Joel started a new school last week (Thursday) and I'm learning the ins and outs of navigating the protocol. I will be getting involved in a ladies' group that does fundraising for the school and hope I'll connect with some folks there.

Around the house... nothing much new. Just trying to keep it as uncluttered as possible; hard to do with Emily's wedding shower gifts taking up one corner of the dining room.

I am pondering... when I can take a day and just do nothing.

A favorite quote for today... "I'm not hating; I'm stating." (Overheard on an episode of Randy to the Rescue on TLC this past weekend.)

A few plans for the rest of the week: Meeting with our wedding photographer tomorrow, having my eyebrows threaded for the first time on Wednesday afternoon, Emily's final wedding dress fitting Wednesday evening, church directory pictures Thursday afternoon, wedding rehearsal 2 hours later, our friend/minister from Omaha coming in to town Friday night, mani/pedis with Emily and Halle on Saturday, and seeing other out of town family members Sunday for the wedding.  What a slow week, huh?

. . .

What are you doing today?

the simple woman's daybook
...where every day is a blank page

Daybook for May 27, 2012

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... The sun is shining ever so brightly. It's a HOT day for May; over 90 degrees out. The lawn is freshly mown from a few days ago and it gives me a feeling of peace to not see tall grass in the front yard.

I am thinking... about all the "to-dos" I have. We are planning a short-notice wedding for August and there are so many details. Never fear, I am not stressed at all. It is actually fun, and things amazingly seem to be falling into place for us.

I am thankful... that the wedding planning is going smoothly. Seems like our first choices for venue, photos, DJ, and cake are all available and doable budget wise. Need to talk to florist and caterer still, but since we are doing a Sunday evening wedding (one concession made because of the proximity of the wedding), I am hopeful they will be as readily available as the other vendors.

In the kitchen... there is absolutely nothing going on. It is blissfully clean and hopefully will stay that way until I have to cook again.

I am wearing... grey pants with a white surplice top, no shoes.

I am creating... LISTS!

I am going... to our special end-of-the-month instrumental service tonight, followed by fun in the park with the youth group to kick off summer.

I am wondering... what the coming year will bring

I am reading... Homefires, by Emily Sue Harvey.

I am hoping... we have a fun and relatively stress-free summer.

I am looking forward to... being a grandma.

I am learning... joy in all circumstances.

Around the house... it is quiet. Halle and I are the only ones at home, since the 3 guys are on their way home from a guys' weekend in Atlanta.

I am pondering... the goodness of God.

A favorite quote for today... Desire God, not his gifts.

One of my favorite things... a good book and a quiet house. (OK, that's two...)

A few plans for the rest of the week: Headed to my sister's house in the country tomorrow for food and fun. The rest of the week will probably be spent firming up wedding plans, paying deposits, meeting with caterer(s), florist(s), DJ, etc.

A peek into my day... 

Go here for your own daybook.

Bullets before bon voyage

Just 4 days till hubby and I head out for the KLOVE Friends and Family Cruise... This will be our first pleasure trip (I don't really want to call it a vacation) sans kids in the 20 years we have been parents. Excited doesn't begin to describe it. We're meeting 2 other couples from our old church in Omaha. I am counting on it being a great time. I plan on doing a lot of reading, hitting the gym a bit, some water aerobics, relaxing, catching up with our friends, and of course... listening to and meeting the musicians!

My big sis Pam is going to move in with the kids while we're gone and take over the parenting duties. I expect she'll have the entire crew whipped into shape by the time we get back. Emily will probably help her with some of the transportation issues (getting kids to/from school, classes, lessons, etc.). After all, Pam will be trying to carry her usual medical transcription workload at the same time. I don't have such a thing to deal with.

Before I go, just some things that have been on my mind lately:

• My new best friend. These are the bomb-diggity! No more soaking and scrubbing the crock pot. I will never make a meal in the crock pot without these again.

• One of my new listening favorites on my iPod. He is what I remember country sounding like when I was a kid. Great songs on this album. I rarely buy whole albums on iTunes, but I got this one. Still hard to believe he isn't even 19 yet!

• Brian and I have started couponing. It's a little labor-intensive at first, but I can see that it will be less so after we get used to the whole thing. We will not become extreme couponers, however! It is neat to see the savings. We attended a class held by a local couponing expert, Kristan Stanford.  She was full of really great info. Any local folks who are interested should look into her classes; they are held several times a month by the local paper.

OK, my list wasn't as long as I thought it would be. Should have taken notes in the car when all these things were going through my head and maybe I could remember the rest of the bullets. Oh well... for another day, I guess.

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... the sun is shining. The dogs are enjoying the backyard today.

I am thinking... of how different the weather was last year at this time. Surprise snowfall blanketed the ground. I was a little disappointed we didn't get a white Christmas this year.

I am thankful... we had so much family here to celebrate Christmas. The house was full; 19 people here for dinner, including nephews' spouses/significant others and another couple who have no family here. Mother spent almost a week here with us as well. We had a great time. Also got to see my Florida niece and nephew for a few hours Monday evening as they journeyed back from a visit to their grandparents in St. Louis. Wish we could have had longer!

From the learning rooms... All quiet for now, but will be getting started back up with math and science next week.

In the kitchen... Nothing going on, but it is CLEAN!

I am wearing... Navy pants and cornflower blue sweater.

I am creating... Hogwarts Castle with Joel. We are halfway through. Just 5 bags left to assemble.

I am going... to stay home today. Have been out with the boys for allergy shots earlier, but hoping we can just hang here for the rest of the day.

I am wondering... what the new year will bring.

I am reading... nothing at the moment, but I have a lot of things waiting on my Kindle, as well as some books I picked up at the Scholastic Book Sale just before Christmas.

I am hoping... to see a lot of personal growth in me and my family this year.

I am looking forward to... the KLOVE Friends and Family Cruise in February. Brian and I are sailing with 2 other couples from our old church in Omaha. I need to find some clothes to take with me!

I am hearing... the sounds of Halle and Joel playing Kinect Adventures on the new XBOX the family received for Christmas.

Around the house... the Christmas tree is still up and decorations are still out. The dining room table is covered in LEGO pieces and a half-built creation. My bedroom is decked out with new sheets, a new quilt, and new shams that I bought back when we were getting the bedroom painted. We finally turned Emily's old room into a guest room... new mattress set in there. We'll work on adding some other things to the room to make it multipurpose; maybe set it up as a crafting area as well.

One of my favorite things... is a peaceful home.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Tomorrow I am going to the hospital's Wellness Center to get signed up. Brian and Noah have been working out there for a few weeks now. Time for me to get busy in the pool.  Friday is Emily and Noah's birthday. We are going to The Melting Pot for dinner to celebrate. No NYE plans yet, but will probably spend it at home. Hopefully my sister will be able to come over.

Here is picture I am sharing...

 This is what Joel and I have done so far on his new LEGO Hogwarts Castle.

Another September daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... there is a fall evening breeze blowing. It feels good to have the cooler weather here. I think fall is my favorite season.

I am thinking... about the work waiting for me in my bedroom and closet. We have had painters here redoing the entire downstairs (ceilings, walls, trim) for almost 2 weeks and they finally finished up today. Having everything pulled out of my closet (which, because it is the largest one, became the place to throw things if you didn't know where else to put it) has kind of forced me into cleaning/reorganizing mode in there. I used my built-in labor (AKA Noah, Halle, and Joel) to carry things up to Emily's old bedroom, which we will eventually turn into a guest room/craft room/multipurpose room. Now I have to sort clothes and only put back the things I actually wear. My closet is going to look pretty bare, I think.

I am thankful... my children were able to help me with the closet cleanout. I could not have done it alone.

In the kitchen... are freshly painted walls with no grease splatters behind the stove. I need to run to Home Depot for backsplash tile quickly, before that changes!

I am wearing... grey pants and shirt. Not a very imaginative ensemble, but at least it's comfortable.

I am creating... ideas for decorating the house. Pinterest is my friend!

I am going... to get back to work in my room once I finish this.

I am wondering... about very little right now. My mind is on overload with all the "immediate" and "urgent".

I am reading... Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb and Coffee Shop Conversations: Making the Most of Spiritual Small Talk by Dale and Jonalyn Fincher.

I am hoping... to get into a routine at home again soon. We have brought Noah back home to homeschool around the same time the painting started and it has been a challenge with all the activity going on here in the house, not to mention waiting for materials to arrive. He is actually taking 2 classes outside the house, English and American history. We're doing math and biology here at home.

I am looking forward to... the upcoming weekend. Brian and Noah are going away together to Outback America, and Halle is going on a junior high youth retreat with our church. That means it will just be Joel and me, which should make for a very laid-back and quiet weekend.

I am hearing... my oldest daughter and her boyfriend upstairs watching football on the big screen (actually, I'm only hearing her; she's a very VOCAL football spectator).

Around the house... The jigsaw puzzle on the dining room table is still there, but it is finally completed. I will find a frame to mount it in when things settle down a bit. The house is in general disarray; besides my closet to put back together, I have a cleaning closet to reorganize and also our coat closet to do.

I am pondering... how long it will take to get the house in order.

One of my favorite things... a fairly clean and clutter-free home.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Continue to get things put back where they belong, attend my ladies' book study group at church tomorrow morning, shuttle Noah to and from his Tues/Thurs classes, and most of all: enjoy the weekend.

Make your own daybook entry.

Daybook for September

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... the sun is shining. Fall hasn't arrived yet, but I know it will be here soon.

I am thinking... of making changes.

I am thankful... we have a God who knows what we need.


In the kitchen... are dishes waiting to go in the dishwasher.

I am wearing... comfortable clothes; grey pants and light turquoise v-neck.

I am creating... a plan for the coming year.

I am going... to make some phone calls.

I am wondering... what the future holds.

I am reading... Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Coffee Shop Conversations: Making the Most of Spiritual Small Talk by Dale and Jonalyn Fincher.

I am hoping... I get some positive information today from my phone calls.

I am looking forward to... the weekend.

I am hearing... the sounds of silence. The house is very quiet. Youngest son is home sick from school and is reading to himself in my bedroom.

Around the house... There is a jigsaw puzzle in nearly completed state on the dining room table. It has been so difficult that we're going to glue this one together. Rory, my Great Dane, is lying at my feet under the desk. She wants to be wherever I am. She's good for my ego.

I am pondering... what the future may hold.

One of my favorite things... A good book and a quiet house.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Laundry. :D


Make your own daybook entry.

The Simple Woman's Daybook, 7/25/11

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... I can see the freshly-mowed lawn and tree leaves fluttering in the breeze.

I am thinking... about my sister. One week ago today, she had to make the heart-wrenching decision to euthanize her 9-yo Great Dane, Rockwell. He had gotten to the point where his back legs were not working and his muscles had atrophied so much that he was nothing but skin and bones. Then on Thursday morning, she found out one of her mares had given birth during the night to a pretty little roan filly. They had a vet check her over the weekend because they were concerned she wasn't doing well. The vet gave it a penicillin shot and that was it. This morning, the baby was dead. I am hurting for my sister having to experience these 2 losses so close together, and I am angry that the vet did not do more for the foal.

I am thankful... God is in control.

In the kitchen... it is clean, except for the bowl and skillet I used making cinnamon crepes for brunch.

I am wearing... grey capris and a grey boyfriend t-shirt.

I am creating... memories. I said "Yes" when my youngest asked if his friend could stay over last night, and he and his sister are having a great time playing with him (and it's not video games!).

I am going... to the store later to pick up some things for dinner. We are having a friend from church over before he moves to New Mexico on Wednesday.

I am wondering... if the vet will do something to make amends to my sister for mishandling the care of the foal, and if so, what.

I am reading... Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason.

I am hoping... something good happens for my sister soon.

I am looking forward to... dinner tonight, and Wednesday night dinner/devo at church.

I am hearing... Noah playing Minecraft on the other computer in this room. Halle, Joel, and their friend, Jacob, filming a "movie" that involves guns and bandannas.

Around the house... Men are here checking the airflow and energy efficiency of the house. We have certain rooms that are hotter/colder than others and our utility bills have been on the high side. Hoping to find out why and what we can do about it.

One of my favorite things... is curling up with a good book. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: I have a sleep study scheduled for tomorrow night. My sleep apnea has gotten worse so that I really need to use a CPAP machine. Will do the sleep study then get a machine/mask the next day. Kids will be meeting a new dentist on Wednesday as well. At some point we have to go shopping for school uniforms; the kids go back 1 week from today. :(

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

"Cricket", Ladybug's foal, at 2 days old.

Share your own Daybook by going to The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Another belated update or Almost Gone with the Wind

I know, my last post might have given some hope that I would show up here more frequently. I confess I even thought I would. However, there is no way I can let recent events go unchronicled . I will start with the biggest event... the one that made national (international?) news this past week.

Last Wednesday, April 27, our state was hit with a record-breaking number of tornadoes. One AP story quotes statistics of 226 tornadoes in one day and 334 deaths in the 24 hours between 8am that morning and 8am Thursday morning. We also had many severe thunderstorms accompanying the tornadoes, with hail and strong winds. The storms caused a 2hour school delay in the morning for schools in our area; as tornadoes began to form in surrounding areas, most schools wound up letting out early (my children's school has a tornado shelter, so it did not; my kids spent about an hour in the shelter).

Noah and I were out in the storm at one point (had an appointment that we didn't know had been canceled due to the weather) and stopped at a local fast food restaurant just moments after a tornado had been sighted less than a mile away (unbeknownst to us). Only a minute or two after we placed our order, we were ushered to the kitchen of the restaurant, where we got to wait out the storm for 30-45 minutes. During that time, there was an area-wide power outage; most of northern AL had its power knocked out, including where we were sitting and here at home. We were able to get home during a lull in the storm. Emily had gathered our candles and flashlights, so we were not totally in the dark.

Brian was still at work in Decatur (tornadoes were at work near him as well); the hospital was on emergency generator power. He wound up having to stay thru the night and next day, as the hospital was taking in storm victims from surrounding communities. Another regional hospital south of here in Cullman had taken a hit from a tornado, so could not provide care to victims.

To make a long story short.... we were without power from Wednesday afternoon until sometime during the early morning hours of Monday. Thursday morning dawned sunny and beautiful. We had absolutely gorgeous weather, temperate and clear for the remaining days. It wasn't until late last night that another set of thunderstorms rolled in.

Our time without power was merely an inconvenience, a slight one at that. Yes, we lost some food in the refrigerator and freezer. That's really about it. The boys spent more time outside than they ever do, getting to know the neighbor kids more, riding bikes, hanging out... We played board games by candle- and flashlight. Halle and I cut up magazines and made collages together. (Definitely therapeutic.... I think we'll be doing more when our magazine stash is built back up!). On Sunday afternoon, Brian and the boys accompanied a group from church to help clean up a home that had been hit by one of the tornadoes. The following newsclip includes a short interview with Joel, and you can catch glimpses of Brian (bald guy in maroon shirt) and Noah (tall kid in light blue shirt and basketball shorts with backwards baseball cap).

There are still some areas without power. So many lost homes, lives, and loved ones. I read an article today about one congregation of believers whose meeting place was demolished by a tornado. They met Sunday afternoon in a neighboring congregation's building. The article stated that "8 people rededicated their lives" during their service. I can't help but wonder why it takes a tragedy to bring about a revival. I guess it is just one more instance of the upside-down nature of the gospel. Sorrow can bring about joy, pain can bring about healing, and death can bring about new life.