Watching the music box at our aunt and uncle’s house. This week we were still in the midst of celebrating Christmas with family. Visiting friends at Starbucks. Just enjoying break. I also got in the little bit of homeschool planning each day. New readers! I’ve reserved our Tapestry of Grace library books, done a bit [...]
All is quiet this early morning of Christmas Eve. I’m the only one up, enjoying the lights on our Christmas tree. Thinking of all the joy and noise ahead. Today I’ll cook a bunch of Italian Stuffed Shells for our Christmas Eve supper. Make a faux pecan pie to enjoy Christmas Day. The hashbrown casserole [...]
What fun it is to…laugh! 1. Make Christmas cookies | 2. Get an early Christmas present – new washer and dryer! | 3. Go on a library trip then laugh over Diary of a Spider | 4. Make tents on a rainy day | 5. Catch Eldest Boy in the laundry room again | 6. [...]
We’re riding over to my aunt and uncle’s house for the reunion type holiday gathering. The Christmas music is playing from the local Christian station. An ad comes on. The voice lists all the goodness of the season. Christmas lights, children not able to sleep on Christmas Eve, good food, family. This is what Christmas [...]
I found myself looking through my archives for some Christmas favorites. So, I thought it would be good to place them all in a nice little spot. Favorites like recipes we use often in December, advent resources and holiday and winter art. He appeared and the soul felt its worth… From all three Hodgepodge categories [...]
Infant holy, infant lowly, For His bed a cattle stall; (~ Middle Girl singing a solo last night in church special, Get to the Manger) …Oxen lowing, little knowing Christ the child is Lord of all. Swiftly winging, angels singing, Bells are ringing, tidings bringing: Christ the child is Lord of all! Christ the child [...]
A peaceful spot. The boys examining a slug while listening to the birds. Keep calm and count on. Encouragement posted above my coffee pot. You may remember, earlier in the week, I had a refocus? This has been the week for everything. Every possible event (and still going). But, they are each and every one [...]
Frugal fun in the kitchen. Just four ingredients. Plus one or more children equal a fun time making hot chocolate mix for gifts. Mixing up lots of fun at $5 Dinners today!
Delightful December. Blessings busting. Crammed calendar! I had started to dread the week by Saturday afternoon. Sighs. How? How to handle it all? My head hit the pillow weary-like that night. “Mama, come see the pretty sunset!” Littlest Guy exclaimed, pulling up our blinds at 7:15 the next morning, drawing our attention to the sunrise. [...]
My mother made this to serve her Birthday Club. We got the leftovers! Oh yum. Since many of our holiday, family get togethers happen on a Sunday, I’m sharing this recipe today. Just a few ingredients and you toss it in the slow cooker! A great recipe for the holidays. A great recipe for anytime! [...]
We had just finished up making some Christmas mixes when Nana offered a pastel lesson. As in other lessons, she sketched off the steps for the children to follow. Just six simple steps, starting with the colors above… You may want to turn your paper so it is vertical to have more room for a [...]
We started our school year the last week of July. (I heard those gasps). Before you judge me, we started then, because it was the height of the summer heat and mosquito biting. And we started slowly, adding in subjects. We also started in July thinking of December. See, we take the entire month of [...]
