Tuesday's Topic--What is a Lady?

From www.keepingthe home.com

This article speaks mainly to the woman who is married and has children, but some of the below is applicable to all women in all walks of life.
A lady doesn't nag or complain to her husband: It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. -Proverbs 21:19 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. -Proverbs 27:15

She is a keeper of her home and submits to her husband: To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. -Titus 2:5 She chastens, trains, and keeps her children with her: The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. -Proverbs 29:15

She wears beautiful, flowing, modest clothes (like dresses):In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel [katastole], with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; -1 Timothy 2:9 Katastole - long, flowing garment. (Pants are generally not long and flowing)
She may be beautiful, but she is wise:
As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion. -Proverbs 11:22

She does not partake in gossip, tale bearing, slander, or other forms of frowardness of the tongue: Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the LORD. -Leviticus 19:16 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. -Proverbs 26:20 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness. -Proverbs 10:32

A lady wears beautiful clothing that draws attention to her face and countenance. She takes her job of taking care of her husband, children, and house very seriously, and does her best to bless them, as if she were doing her domestic duties for the Lord Himself.She is not idle, for she knows that idle time leads to idol time. She instills this principle into her children as well.A lady knows that nobody and no day is perfect. She greets each day as a brand new day, with brand new unknowns. She looks to the Lord as her source of peace, comfort, joy, and wisdom, and faces each day with a smile, knowing that her Redeemer liveth, and He careth for her.

Friday's Fotos

Yay, it's Friday again! :o) One of my favorite days! We have had a good day thus far. The kids woke up a little grumpy from going to bed late. The fireplace really wouldn't get too warm this morning either, so it was a little bit cold. They didn't like that too much. :o) But, we have had fun today. Yesterday I caught up on laundry and dishes and so I have just hung out with the kids today. We have had a lot of fun being silly and it seems the Lord has just given me some extra *joy* today! I love Him so much!
Here are some pictures from our day or another day this week...

Emory, just coming inside, getting his creative juices flowing. *He favors me on this picture*

Erin, apprehensive about trying mom's new breakfast dish, Apple Dumplings. *Also looking like childhood mom in this picture*


New recipe, Apple Dumplings (from Amish cookbook)---they took a while to make but I would say they were worth it.

Erin, looking especially beautiful, before leaving for church.

Daddy, aka "scratching tree", tells the continuing saga of SeeMore and SeeLess, Raunchy and Nasty Skunk Family. :o)



It may be corny to post a pic of my laundry detergent, but my mom gave me this--she ordered a case--yay, I won't have to make any for a while! It is, of course, natural and it has a smell! That's the exciting part! :)


This is an awesome picture Emory drew today--probably my favorite so far! These are outer space creatures from the planet RobotLand. You can see WooWee, Gus, and a GeeBer, and a few more that hadn't been named yet (at this drawing). My favorite character is the alien over on the lower left. He comes out of the crater and that is his smile face he is holding. He has taken his smiley face off at this drawing. The alien on the planet at the top is sliding down the ring. That is Earth on the right. Pretty imaginative, huh? He took me on a 'tour' of this drawing and I was so amazed.

Erin's new puppy, Gabby. This is the 3rd Gabby we've had, so I hope that name doesn't bring bad luck. She is the sweetest puppy and is so clean and cuddly. We got her last night. She was supposed to be a Christmas present, but my dad got it for her and told her early. She is a Rat Terrier. That was what our previous dog was and she was the *best* with kids.






Just wanted to show off my holiday shirt! :o) It is so comfy and cute. I got it for about $4.00 at a burnt out type store. :o)

"The Mouse takes the....er...mouse" I don't know what the thing above is...a decorative cloud, maybe?? Another creative masterpiece today. :o)

About to attempt a nap--that is cake batter on her face. I made a cake (sort of like Red Velvet Cake) to take to a very sweet elderly man from our church because he has been really sick. They had fun eating the icing on the beaters.

Now I must do a few things before the really cold temps come down hard (22 degrees tonight). I also need to icing the cake. Hope you had a fun Friday and enjoyed my photo tutorial!PS. Sorry no pics of Ev Man--he was sorta sick today and wasn't feeling well, so I somehow didn't snap pics of him. He has a new haircut and is looking esp boyish, so I'll try to get him a shot on here.

Thursday's Tip--Advent Activity

Today I thought I'd share an activity I wanted to do last year but didn't have the time (due to my non Stay-at-Home status). You might enjoy doing this with your family as well. I can't wait to get started.

Matchbox Advent Calendar

You will need:

• a lot of match boxes• strong glue• spray paint• colorful paper• numerical stickers• advent activities, sweets or trinkets to put inside (optional)

Directions

1. Glue together 24 matchboxes to form a bank of drawers.

2. Paint or decorate around the outside of the boxes.

3. Glue small rectangles of colorful paper to the match box drawers (can use a scrapbooking page).
4. Number the drawers and pop your advent activities inside each of them. (To make them easier to open, you can use paper fasteners or glued-on buttons instead of numbers)

*Pictures and activity from KidCraftWeekly.com

Some Advent ideas are:

1. Put up Christmas tree

2. Make Christmas ornaments (I'm thinking of maybe something edible??)

3. Bake Christmas cookies (we'll probably do this several times)

4. Purchase a toy to send to a needy person or give to a charity (I thought about looking into doing a shoebox full of toys to send to a child or organization)

5. Have a picnic

6. Go out looking at Christmas lights after dark

7. Write a letter to Santa (If I do this I make sure my children understand that Santa is not real because I do not lie to my children or mislead them)

8. Sleep in the living room in front of the Christmas tree & fireplace

9. Watch a Christmas movie (can do this more than once)

10. Play games all evening

11. Bake something for Great grandparents and go visit them

12. Sing Christmas songs by guitar music

13. Make homemade hot chocolate with peppermint or cinnamon sticks

14. Take the kids to the mall to see Christmas decorations and to ride the carousel

15. Read the Christmas story and watch the movie about it (we have one)

16. Make a cake for Jesus' birthday

I'm about out of ideas for now and if you have any to share, please let me know! I would love to hear some of your ideas or traditions.

hope you enjoy the craft. I'm already enjoying listening to Christmas music all day as we are going about our daily routine.

Have a great day--I have a messy house to tackle! :o)

What Went on Wednesday..

Got up: 6:40am...I slept a little later today because my husband had to go out of town, so he left about 4:30am...needless to say, I *didn't* get up that early..I had ironed for him the night before.

Had my quiet time...read from Acts 19-20...loving Acts...so appreciate the disciples' (esp Paul's) dedication to telling others about Christ, amidst persecution.

Had just enough time to get some wood from the woodpile and go to the mailbox to mail some letters (it was COLD doing all of this) before child #1 woke up (Erin) immediately followed by child #2 (Evan). The rest of the morning prior to Child #3 waking up (Emory) was spent folding and putting away laundry, rebooting laundry, hanging up laundry, etc. I'm still not caught up, but things are better.

Breakfast was: Waffles...they were soo good, but I made half the recipe and *I* ended up with only a tiny waffle. I had forgotten that I'm fixing Evan his own food now on his own plate so that made up an extra waffle. :o) Oh, and a small tip inserted here: If you're like me and don't like *artificial* foods, then you probably stay away from pancake syrups (read: high fructose corn syrup). I've always bought Maple Syrup, but it is soooo expensive. Last time I grocery shopped, I got Pure Cane Syrup instead because it was $2 and some change cheaper. It is really good and not much difference in taste than the maple syrup--maybe just a bit bolder in flavor, not as sweet. Anyway, just thought I'd share that.

After breakfast, the kids made their beds and got dressed. I made a big batch of chili and got a shower while the kids watched a bit of educational cartoons. I made a feeble effort to wash some dishes, but that didn't get far. :o)

Now, here's the good part: I met 2 other friends for a breadmaking bash. We met at our church's fellowship hall, ate chili, and baked 4 loaves of bread. My kids played with their kids (well, one friend has a 7 month old, so he slept mostly) the whole time--in the church gym--so it was so nice to talk and bake our bread. This was sort of a tutorial for them and their bread turned out better than mine! :o) Beginner's luck! :o) J/K. Wish I had pics to share, my batteries had died in my camera. Anyway, it was fun and we had a good time. I talked to one of the gals (my pastor's wife who is becoming a great friend!) and she said that a whole loaf was already eaten by tonight! :o)

The kids had so much fun playing with her kids so they were really tired tonight at church. Emory wrote a love note to the little girl he played with, Maddie. :o) I think he may have a crush! :o) Anyway, my mom took them home with her tonight, so I'm looking forward to another cleaning/organizational project tomorrow! Be sure to come by to see what I'm up to! Have a great night!

Tuesday's Topic--Early Mornings

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. Proverbs 31:15
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. Proverbs 20:13

I'm really not sure what to title this, but what I want to talk about probably briefly is the need for mothers to get up early for various reasons. First of all, I don't want to sound like I've done this for ages, because I haven't. Several months ago, after feeling frustrated about not getting my quiet time done and always behind on housework, I felt the Lord leading me to get up earlier. I tried it for a week or so and it was wonderful. I would get up around 5 or before even and have my quiet time & tea, etc. Well, old Satan can't stand progress so he slyly caused me to fall back into the old routine of just waking up with the kids, succumbing to the love of slumber.

Well, last week after having several bouts of frustration with not getting things done, including my quiet time, I felt the Lord gently reminding me about getting up early. It was like he was whispering, "5 oclock--you know what you need to do". So, we started it back again. I am so enjoying my quiet time and the Lord has been so near to me this week. I don't get too much done, housework wise, but I do get my prayer and Bible reading done. My husband gets his clothes ironed and....ahem...breakfast! :o) Every morning, the Lord reassures me that I'm doing the right thing--this is the right thing. It is SO worth the sleep missed to sit alone, well, me & God, reading his Word, sipping my coffee, and getting the fire going for my family.

So, are you up to the challenge of getting up early? I feel like this will become a habit for me that I'll follow for the rest of my life. I pray that I don't let Satan subtely lull me back to the routine of sleep. For you know he doesn't barge in on anything, he *lulls* you into something where you don't really see him moving in. He is so sly, isn't he? But, God is so good to be so mindful of us. He shows us a better way.

Well, off to do the chores with the kids, make dinner, do our schoolwork, and have rest time. The afternoon will be so full.

Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday. We are enjoying our fireplace today and having children's Christmas music playing from WebRadio. I have bread making in my breadmaker (an early Christmas present from my in-laws) and the childrens' laundry in the washing machine. Currently, Evan is taking everything out of my wallet, so I'd better attend to that. :o)

Making my House a Haven... (pictures added)

Several bloggers at whom I visit are hosting a week of "Making your House a Haven". This theme focuses on tackling spots in your home that are untidy, have been ignored, and so forth.
My mom has the kids today so I thought it would be a great time for me to participate. I *will* have *before* and *after* pictures. You won't want to miss those! LOL I have to be very brave and transparent in front of you to post these *before* pictures. :o)

Here is my schedule for today:

7:00 up, coffee in hand, settled in chair for my Bible reading, Acts 4-6, prayer time DONE (it was about 7:20 before I made it to the chair, and I didn't get my Bible reading finished before I had children in my lap, but I did finish reading it, it was really good this morning. I also prayed with the children around me, which was fine because Emory was feeling sick and wanted me to pray with him. I think it does them good to see me pray in front of them some times)
8:00-9:00 getting kids ready to go to mom's, taking them, etc.
9:10-10:00 settled at the computer for a few minutes of blogging, surfing (I did get my water distiller going and fed the cats)
10:00-11:00 general cleaning which includes: washing dishes, tidying kitchen, making beds, general straightening and getting laundry going DONE..didn't get much straightening done and I'm still continually working on the laundry
11:00-12:00 Project One: My porch--pictures to be added later (you don't want to miss those Before pictures--I cleaned my van out last Monday and just about everything is on the porch, not to mention it hasn't been swept much lately, out of sight, out of mind, ya know? Well, it's the first thing my guests see when they come in the house. Yikes. Well, good thing I rarely have guests, huh?) :o) DONE, took about an hour...I cleaned off the porch, watered the almost dead plant that I repotted Tuesday, swept the sidewalk, and even put some pinestraw in the awful nonexistent flowerbed
12:00-12:15 Lunch break (will be leftover Split Pea Soup from last night, yum!) DONE..the soup was delish and I was famished. I took a longer lunch break because my cousin was over using the internet to job hunt. I visited with him for a few minutes extra
12:15-1:00 Project Two: Linen closet--okay, this closet hasn't been TOUCHED since we moved here almost 4 years ago. It was designed to be a linen closet (right by the bathroom) but during the remodeling (4 years ago) it was just a quick place to put leftover paint cans, tools, wood glue, etc. Then, we when decided to remodel our master bathroom (nearby) about a year ago, it became a good place to shove some of the stuff from it into. Today I plan to transform it into that Linen closet that I so envision. I do have a good excuse for not doing it sooner. During naptime (when I would have time to tackle such a project) we always have a baby lying down in our room which is adjacent the linen closet. DONE, this took about an hour, but I was late getting started...I'm REALLY proud of this project..because while the porch has only been that messy for about a week, this closet has been this messy forever!
1:00-2:00 Project Three: The extra bedroom--this room has NEVER been really clean since we moved here 4 years ago. It used to be my husband's grandmother's room when this house was her's and I know the Lord doesn't let her see it from heaven because it would probably make her sad. :o( So, Nanny, today, I hope I can make you proud. I seriously doubt that I can get this room finished in an hour, but I'll try. I have been waiting until I could buy some more Rubbermaid containers because mostly this room is filled with clothes that are too little or too big. This room is the next room we will remodel because with our growing family, we need another workable bedroom. I hope before too long I can post a newly remodeled picture of this bedroom. The paneling will have to go, the ceiling redone, and the floor covering gone. It seriously needs leveling as well. Well, that's for another time...anyway... DID NOT GET DONE...ran out of time..I would work on it this evening, but I've got piano lessons. I *may* get to it tonight, we'll see.
2:00-3:00 Project Four: The Budget--Oh, I am such a failure in this area. I. seriously. *stink*. in this area of my housewifery. I will do a budget about a week after my honey gets paid. By then most of the money is gone and I'm catching up to see what is left. Okay, transparent here. LOL. Anyway, my hardworking honey gets paid tomorrow, so I plan to do the budget TODAY and also organize the bills, throw away junk mail, etc. You probably won't get a picture of this. :o)
Well, that's my day. I plan to be working my behind off. So, if I'm going to get to enjoy a few moments of computer time, I better get off MY blog. :o) Just about to work on...I have 30 minutes, so I probably won't get completely finished. I will just do the budget and not worry about organizing my bill container.
Love to all my dear readers. Come back to see the before and after pictures. You won't want to miss them. :o)

Before and After of the porch:

Before and After of the entrance: (That is panties by the door, btw..Erin brought them to me after having a 'go' in the yard...lol...good thing we live in the country, huh?)

Before and After of the Door leading to the screen porch:

Before, During, and After of the closet:

That's all...:o)

Tuesday's Topic--Children's Chores

It's been a long time since I posted on a topic. Something that I wanted to share today was chores for your children.

Do your children do chores around the house? Do you find yourself just doing it yourself because it takes to long for them to do it or to show them how? Could you use some extra help with little small jobs? Well, I have the answer? Assign these jobs to your children!

For about 3 weeks now, I have been assigning specific chores for my children. I made it interesting and they *almost* think it is fun. :o) Here's what I do:

I will go around the house and find 9 things that need doing. Examples are:

trash needing emptying

toys need picking up in certain rooms

books need picking up

puzzle pieces need to go back in ziploc bags

dirty clothes need to go to hamper

couch/pillows need straightening up

table needs sweeping under

child's clothes needs hanging up or putting away in drawers

all shoes to be put away in closet

schoolwork and drawing papers to be put in a pile

Animals need to be fed, etc.

I write all the chores (I have a collection now and just put the appropriate ones in) down and put the slips of paper in a jar. Each child will *draw* for their chores. Each time they draw, they will go and do that chore and come back to get another, etc. Even Evan has one chore that he does (4 for Emory, 4 for Erin, and 1 for Evan). You can do this based on the age of the child. For example, a 2 year old could do 2 chores, 5 yr old, 5 etc.

It usually takes us about 30 minutes to do all the chores because I have to help them and guide them some.

Now, think that it will be better for me to just do it myself? Well, the first week was hard. I had to explain everything. How to put the clothes on the hangers and put them in the closet, how to arrange the pillows on the couch, etc. But, by this week, I have to do less and less explaining, esp because they are getting repetitive chores every day. Practice makes perfect. I envision that in 6 weeks, they can draw their chore, even read it themselves, and rush off and do it without my help.

If they do all their chores cheerfully and without complaint, they get to pick a piece of leftover Halloween candy. I will probably keep this up until the candy is gone and then they will just be expected to do the chore without a *tangible* reward. :o) Today, Emory didn't get candy because he did not pick up all the toys off of the bedroom floor. And then when I went in there to check on him, he was sitting on the bed, pouting. So, after the proper *training* method, he did the chore, but still didn't get any candy. :o)

My goal is hardworkers who work cheerfully. I do not want them to be my slaves and I will not treat them as such. But, everyone in the family should be required to do their share. It will make the family operate smoothly. If I start them young helping out then they won't look on it as work or drudgery. It will be a normal part of the day.

As for me, I'm still washing clothes, hanging out, dishes, cooking, etc., etc., :o) :o) Now, as they get older, it will be so nice to have a daughter stand beside me washing dishes and drying...:o)

What is your method or take on children doing chores?

Monday's My Day

Wondering about my day?

We didn't get up until 8ish and it was very cold inside, which made us want to stay in bed. I got up, donned my slippers and built a fire. We have some very good lighter so it didn't take long to get the fire blazing. I wandered around getting nothing done until 9 or so and was feeling so frustrated about not getting anything done. So, I put my clothes on, shoes, fixed my hair and made a list. Those things always help me get going! I made a list of all the things I wanted to get done and separated them into hour blocks. Dishes, washing/hanging out clothes, making tea was in the first hour while the kids played. Second hour was chores for the kids, getting dressed for the kids, and our devotion/story time. Third hour was going to the store, lunch, and making a cake for my Father-in-law. Fourth hour was schoolwork, blogging, and cleaning off the front porch. The only one I got to was schoolwork. :o)

After the kids were up I made the cake (see the picture), which is a carrot cake and turned out scrumptious!! I also made supper (pork chops, corn, string beans, and biscuits) which didn't turn out too good because I was busy with the cake and also rushing because I had a piano lesson at 6:15. After my piano lesson, we went up to my in laws and celebrated my FIL's 58th birthday. We had a good time and didn't leave until almost 10.

Erin found a really cold lizard today that let her keep it. We even found it this morning too and warmed it by the fire. Erin, the nature, animal lover! :o)

That was my day.....Busy as EVER, but rewarding.

Simple Saturday

Well, I'm posting this a little late, but never mind! :o) Hope you had a spendid Saturday--complete with all the good things that comes with having your family with you on Saturdays.

Just a few simple pictures from our Saturday...a simple meal of Chicken Fajitas that were delicious!! (new recipe) Also, several Saturdays I will be posting a picture of some of my favorite things. You want to do the same?

This is a tea set that I got at a yard sale a couple of months ago for $1.oo! No kidding! It is soo pretty and simple at the same time. My kitchen is painted the green color you see in the teapot, so it matches really well. I really love this tea set. It is one of the favorite things in my house.

Sorry the pics are soo blurry--I think my camera has gotten switched to a different setting by accident and I've got to figure out how to change it back!

More posting coming today, Lord willing...

Friday's Fotos

Some bubbalicious photos of my kiddos!

PS. Someone had left the top loose on my body wash (Burt's Bees..you know that stuff is not cheap) so it was all in the tub when we took a bath. We decided to have a little fun! :o)

Thursday's Tip--my bread recipe

I say "My" bread, but of course, I didn't invent it, the Amish did. :o)

Here it is and you can see what is left from yesterday out of one loaf.

Ingredients

2 cups warm water

2/3 cup white sugar

1 & 1/2 tbs active dry yeast

1 & 1/2 tps salt (don't skimp--I add a little extra b/c I use sea salt)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups AP or bread flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth (I just knead it in the bowl, if it is large enough, it will do fine...flip over, knead with your knuckles and flip over, etc...). Place in a well oiled bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. (I turn my stove on about 120 degrees..or the first setting while I'm making this and then turn it off when I put my bread in to rise..the stove will be nice and warm, but not too hot)

3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two well oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy the yummy smell wafting from your oven!

Have a great Thursday--I'm off to our Homeschooling Thanksgiving Dinner in a bit. Gotta get the kiddos ready and mash up my potatoes on the stove. Today is a gorgeous day here--enjoy!!

What's going on Wednesday...

Let's see....

We are all doing really well, enjoying our favorite season. The kids are growing, playing, bringing such joy to my life that I can't explain adequately. This morning, Evan called to me from the bedroom to come get him (he can get down by himself, but for some reason he wants me to get him out of the bed in the mornings). He was sooo warm and snuggly. I couldn't help but kiss him a thousand times, it seemed. The kids and I got back into my warm bed and I read them a story. It was a very nice moment.

What's going on here....

Bathroom renovations....still. :o)

Daddy is busy working and coming home and working some more at times. We all look forward to his coming home in the evenings and sometimes a 'surprise' during the day.

I am, as usual, cooking, cleaning, washing, washing, and washing, diapering, clothing, mothering, training, teaching, nursing, and all the while praying that I'm doing and saying as I should to my precious ones. Today as I was outside toddling after my toddler, I couldn't help but offer hands raised in gratitude and thanksgiving for my being home with my children.

I am teaching piano lessons and am enjoying it thoroughly--I added two new students this week, making my total 6 or 7?? I get all of my lessons done on Thursday evenings so I don't feel like my time is taken from my children too much.

Emory is doing great in school. We cut back our subjects, 3 one day and the other 3 the next. Six subjects in one day was too much for him. This is working great for us.

Today I went outside to check on the children and he was raking leaves, putting them into the wheel barrow. He had also stacked some wood at the front door. He made his bed without my asking and cheerfully did his chores. I was so proud of and thankful for him.

Erin is my playful one. She wants to play all day--and she does mostly. She becomes really engrossed in play and will play for hours at the time. She still isn't interested in learning her letters and numbers. LOL

Evan is sitting down beside me, playing with my camera, saying, "Cheese". He is saying a LOT of words. He is a joy to train and teach to obey. He is doing great in our mini training sessions. He loves balls and trucks and loves to play hard. He loves outside and can now climb up the slide and down by himself.

Today I have been baking--baking 2 loaves of Chocolate chip Banana Nut Bread and 2 loaves of White Bread. The kids did their chores, I talked to my sister on the phone for a while, and washed the hubs clothes. We are settling in for our evening routine...time to wake up Erin and punch down my bread. Then it will be time to get ready for church.....

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday evening!