Let's get this week going....slowly.

The above photo pretty much sums up our weekend.
It was quiet. calm. sleepy. ....and as much as I hated most of us being sick,
having a couple days of absolutely nothing except laying around, was kind of nice.
Maybe because Jeff was here too...he always makes being home better.

Three of the boys haven't gotten sick....yet?
Hoping it passes right on over them.

 

Today we hop back into real life...slowly.
Like...I've decided to skip school with the younger kids today...slowly.
Now that it's late in the afternoon...I'm happy with the choice I made.
There's always tomorrow to catch up, right?

Happy Monday to you.
XxOo

Wrapping up the week....we heart the stomach flu and National Chocolate Cake Day.

Fridays have been very depressing this January. It's the day someone comes down with something.
We have a lot of people...so sicknesses take a while to make it through the house.
Thankfully it's winter and staying in isn't too bad.

We have avoided the stomach bug all winter...until last night.
My least favorite...I'd take 10 fevers to 1 stomach flu.

Three people down...five to go. Isn't that how this thing works?
Everyone gets to experience it.

The worst part is the waiting...
My healthy kids have been deciding what they want to eat all day
based on how bad it will be coming back up.

Doesn't it all feel horrible coming back up?!?!?

It's National Chocolate Cake Day today.
We try to make a little video every year..this year we baked a cake and half of us ate a piece.

You can watch last year's video if you want.

Or the year before that here.

Happy Weekend to you.
If you need us, we'll be on the couch.
XxOo

We do school at home...Winter Benefits.

Homeschooling #8

Winter Benefits...let me count the ways.


Just thought I'd share a few things I love about homeschooling during the winter months.

1. We don't have to leave the house if we don't want to!
Snow...sleet...ice...wind. We get to stay home.

2.  My kids can sleep in.
During the months where everyone in the northern hemisphere is sick with something,
it's nice to let them sleep. I believe sleep is the best medicine. {learned that from my mom}

3. We can bake all day if we want to. Have a big pancake breakfast.
Eat good food.  ...and best of all.....I don't have to pack lunches!

4. Going places during the winter months means slow times and less crowds...
...museums, movie theaters, the grocery store!

5.  It's easy to make appointments during the day when other kids are in school...
..the dentist, orthodontist, horse back riding lessons. Time slots are always available during the day.

6. Since we get our school done during the day, we don't have homework.
The evenings are free for reading, talking, games or even movie night.

7. If I get sick, I can take the day off and not worry about running kids around.

8. We do school in our dining room {even though we have an actual school room...don't ask}
and I usually teach while standing in front of the wood stove.  It's so warm...and relaxing.

It is a privilege to stay home and  also be able homeschool my kids.
It's something that's easy to take for granted and complain about at times....shame on me when I do!

But I am thankful and love what I do. Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
I am also thankful for a supportive husband who wants the same things that I do in life.

XxOo

Wrapping up the week....

This week is ending with a toddler having a fever again...I forgot how many germs little guys pick up.
I don't like when my kids are sick...but I do love how snuggly they are.
Essential oils and cold rags are our friends today. {when he keeps the cold rag on that is..Ha!}


He was however, feeling up to painting with his sisters this afternoon...he gave his creation to Tyler.
I love the relationship between my older kids and Frankie...I know I say this all the time..
...but two year olds are so much fun to have around the house!

The girls had lunch at Auntie Caitlin's house with their cousins this week...they loved it.
The library....Frankie would move in if we let him. actually so would the girls.
Sam...my gas pumper. Having bigger boys is great...especially during the winter months.
My mom knows me well...Hello cannoli cake! Thanks for adding 5 pounds to my thighs.


I think this girl has a pretty voice.

I want to take my girls to see this show .....but Yikes! Tickets are not cheap!

This is 100% me! I can't handle clutter..it gets me so cranky.

This plate ....oh my goodness! Guess what we're having for breakfast tomorrow.

Congratulations to our new president and our beautiful first lady. {Her coat!!!}

Happy Weekend.
XxOo

That time back in the fall when my sister told them I was a wedding photographer.

First...If you are a professional photographer...especially a wedding photographer....

PLEASE click off of this post right NOW!

Okay? Okay...See you later. Thanks for stopping by today.

"It's no big deal" she said. {there was more to this convo, but for times sake I'll cut it short}

Upon arriving at the beauty shop early in the morning after many
hours of wondering if I should even do this...the bride went ahead and gave us her photo list.
Then the mother of the groom told of the shots she wanted.
The mother of the bride her shots.

Hmmm....No big deal she said. Low key she said. No expectations she said.

I wanted to shoot my sister instead of this wedding.
I am not a wedding photographer...these people thought I was.
Great. Great. Great....GREAT!!!

Well...as the day went on, I realized this was lower key than I originally
thought and actually a lot of fun!

So with three cameras and my sister... {who I could NOT have done this without...she is awesome!
If you ever need help with creative ideas...call Stephanie!}
...we played wedding photographers for a day.

Here are a few photos...nothing amazing, not even the serious shots..just some of the fun ones.

The groom loves his old Dodge...he drove it out into the field and we used in a lot of the photos.

They were the cutest couple...so sweet.

Later as I was going through their photos, I couldn't help
but notice how much he gazed at her all day long.
So many moments of staring and she had no idea.

Jeff said all husbands actually do this and us wives don't realize it.
I told him I stare at his muscles all of the time and he doesn't know it.....true story! ;)
Well...maybe not the muscles, but I do stare and think...Wow! He's mine!
..as I'm sure most wives do to their husbands.

P.S. Jeff edited the last photo...just want to give credit where credit is due. ;)

Call us if you need a wedding photographer! ...or Not!!!
XxOo

The kitchen that stayed up late on a Tuesday night filled with family and smells of bread.

Late afternoon nap = up late in the evening drawing on the chalkboard.
Farkle at the kitchen table in pajamas.
Coloring with pencils at the dining room table.

Sour dough bread baking in the oven because timing is everything and
my timing was a bit off today.

I {heart} my new Dutch Oven.

Late night basketball practice...reheat the potato soup from dinner for the player and his dad.
Reading Gladys Aylward again to the girls. One of our favorites..if you've never read it...you MUST!

Drinking reheated coffee left over in the pot from this morning...it wasn't that bad...I think?
Hmm...

One more round of dishes and then off to bed....
XxOo

Wrapping up the week.....on the Sunday evening of the following week.

Now that it's Sunday evening, and I'm sitting here being lazy after a crazy
Friday and Saturday and Sunday... I'll try and be consistent and put up a Friday post.
Does that even work? Not really...but it's okay.

This season of life is so busy and I'm trying to embrace the new normal that I thought would ease up
but I now have realized won't for quite some time...and that's okay! Embrace the season you are in.
....even if you're tired!


My sister posted this song on FB...then I shared...I'll share it here too.
It's the sweetest.

Don't forget to use your gymbucks !!!

You know how you find new people on instagram and they become
your new favorite for a while? At the moment.... she is mine.
Her pictures are so peaceful.

SUCH a good soup.  We're having it for dinner on Tuesday.
Not good for your body, but good for your tastebuds and winter soul.

Have a fabulous weekend...all 5 hours that are left of it! wink, wink.
XxOo

The UN-proud story of how herbal tea humbled the whiny, ungrateful wife with high expectations she really shouldn't have had in the first place.

Today is National Hot Tea Day...so I thought I would share a tea story with you.
A tale of a wife...not me of course, a different person....I don't even know her. I just heard this story.

Once upon a time there was a wife who had an amazing husband.
They went out shopping together one Friday...Black Friday to be exact.
They brought their daughters and young son along.
The wife had to make a purchase at the mall...so while she made the purchase in one store,
the husband took their girls and young boy shopping. The husband bought his wife a Christmas gift.
It was from him and his daughters.

The wife had no idea at the time..not until they got home and the husband said he had packages
hidden in the back of their Suburban!

He told her that she was going to absolutely LOVE her gifts.
He said he decided to splurge this year and spend more than he usually does.
He said she has never gotten anything like it.
He said it was something she never owned before.
He even thought about giving it to her early because she would love to
have it during the holiday season.

The wife was quite excited and wondered and wondered and wondered what it could be!
She started building the gift up in her head...
when one has almost a month to think things over...thoughts can get kind of big!

She had been majorly hinting for this since 2004! Perhaps it was that?
Noooo....that store isn't at the mall.

She had been telling her husband she wanted new gold hoop earrings...maybe?
Hmmm...but what could be used during the holidays?
Perfume?
A sweater?
Jewelry?
What could it BE?!?!?!

...she would have to wait.
Finally it was Christmas morning.

The wife was handed a large and somewhat heavy box.
She unwrapped the gift the children had carefully and sweetly wrapped for her.

It was..... a box filled with all sorts of loose leaf tea and a tea infuser and
small canisters to hold the tea.

Now the wife used to be an avid tea drinker...but it's been a while.
Like one cup a year for the past six years while.
She drinks a lot of iced tea...but not really hot tea anymore.

She said Thank you very much to the kids and husband.

Later the wife found out the price of all the tea and
had a very ungrateful attitude about it.

She even went as far as letting her husband know he spent too much on...Tea!
Ouch.

She used very ungrateful words like...
"Why would you spend that amount of money on TEA???"
"Do you know how many things you could have bought with the money you spent on tea?"

After the wife had said these things...guilt immediately began to set in.
The wife is known to have a big mouth and much to often speaks before she thinks!

The wife continued to ponder how horrible she had acted.
It was a gift!!!
The husband chose it with his wife in mind!
He was excited to give it to her.
It was Christ's birthday and the wife was not happy with the money spent on a
gift given to her out of love?

Nice...real nice!
What kind of person acts like that?!?

A selfish person!
An UN, UN, UNgrateful person!

....the guilt was consuming the wife.
She apologized a little over 2,000 times.
She couldn't even sleep that night because she felt so terrible!

Seriously...I heard she kept on waking up with a sick twisty feeling in her stomach
because she felt so bad. True story!

The husband didn't care as much as the wife thought though..he actually didn't care at all.
....in fact, he was getting upset at the amount of times his wife apologized.

However, two weeks went by and the wife still hadn't used her tea set.
She ensured the husband she was going to....she just hadn't made the time yet.
...he suggested how fun tea parties would be with their girls. Yes!

Two weeks later it was also the wife's birthday.
Guess what she received...a second tea set.

What?!?

While the wife sat at the table thinking about receiving yet another tea set....
...the husband opened it up and made her a cup of tea.

It tasted really good! REALLY GOOD!!!
So good in fact, the wife has had many, many cups of tea in the past week.

She loves both of her little infusers and has made delicious iced tea in them at least twice a day!
The husband said she better pace herself because this tea will not
become a part of her weekly budget.

...and there you have it.
A story of a self-centered-over-expectant wife who in the end loved her gift.


Isn't it funny when we behave badly how badly we feel?
God has a way of convicting us and the Holy Spirit presses hard upon
our spirits when we are in the wrong.

Guilt is an awful feeling...and making others feel bad is an awful feeling.
I am so glad I am not the wife in this story!

...and I am so thankful I have a husband who forgives me if I am rude!
Not that I'm ever rude...but if I were to be rude I know he'd forgive me. ;)



HaPpY National Hot Tea Day to you.
XxOo

The afternoon went something like this.

Homemade Granola in a bowl I bought from Moveable Feast.
Chicken soup simmering on the stove in my Dutch Oven. Sam stirred.
A nap on the couch that will most likely effect bedtime. {rolls eyes and then sighs}
A small green plant...because it's January.

XxOo