Monday, November 30, 2009
CHRISTMAS CHEER IS HEADED TO ...
... Leslie and Simone!!
I snapped a quick picture of our Sneaky Snowman (in the middle) hanging out with his cousins one last time and realized how much bigger the cousins are. Evidently my memory of how big a Sneaky Snowman should be, small enough to hide and big enough to not get lost, was not very accurate. I hope they're not too big to hide! Ack!
Anyway, thanks to everyone who shared some of their Christmas traditions. I love hearing how other people celebrate Christmas!
I snapped a quick picture of our Sneaky Snowman (in the middle) hanging out with his cousins one last time and realized how much bigger the cousins are. Evidently my memory of how big a Sneaky Snowman should be, small enough to hide and big enough to not get lost, was not very accurate. I hope they're not too big to hide! Ack!
Anyway, thanks to everyone who shared some of their Christmas traditions. I love hearing how other people celebrate Christmas!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
LOVIN' THE MAILMAN
Item #1 - A coupon for a free Stretch Island Fruit Co. item up to $4.00.
Item #2 - A coupon for a free box of eight Little Debbie chocolate cupcakes.
Item #3 - A Panda Express gift card for $20.00.
Items #1-2 were deals I found out about through some of the money saving sites I have listed on my sidebar. Item #3 came from doing a survey. I had purchased an item (no, I won't tell you what it was) on my last grocery shopping trip that had a notice on the packaging about their survey and the chance to win a Panda Express gift card. I did the survey, but it didn't say if I won a prize or not. Less than a week later the gift card arrived. I'm thinking a free date with Tim or dinner with a girlfriend (my treat, of course) is in the near future!
Item #2 - A coupon for a free box of eight Little Debbie chocolate cupcakes.
Item #3 - A Panda Express gift card for $20.00.
Items #1-2 were deals I found out about through some of the money saving sites I have listed on my sidebar. Item #3 came from doing a survey. I had purchased an item (no, I won't tell you what it was) on my last grocery shopping trip that had a notice on the packaging about their survey and the chance to win a Panda Express gift card. I did the survey, but it didn't say if I won a prize or not. Less than a week later the gift card arrived. I'm thinking a free date with Tim or dinner with a girlfriend (my treat, of course) is in the near future!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
SNEAKY SNOWMAN
It's just about time for the Sneaky Snowman to make his appearance at our house!! Can't wait!! If you weren't around the first time I blogged about our magical little friend, then here's the scoop.
The Sneaky Snowman, a stuffed fellow, hibernates in a box with Christmas decorations. We always find him when we open those boxes up. Once he's freed from the box, the kids play with him for the rest of the day.
At night they each have to hold him and say "Sneaky Snowman so cold and white, please go hide while we sleep tonight". If they all do that, then the Sneaky Snowman will hide somewhere in our house while we all sleep that night. If they fail to say the magic words, then the Sneaky Snowman just stays wherever he was last put. We've had that happen a few times around here when the kids forgot to say goodnight to the Sneaky Snowman.
We realized that the Sneaky Snowman is pretty gracious toward young kids who don't quite talk, as Naomi would just touch him as a four month old and hug him while she jabbered as a 16 month old. However, he's pretty firm with adults. It seems that no matter how much an adult wants to find him, he's only visible to children when he's hiding. Tim and I are completely unable to figure out his hiding spots.
Each morning the kids go looking for the Sneaky Snowman. Sometimes they find him right away and other times it takes hours for him to be discovered. Once he's been found the kids can play with him until bedtime. Then the magic starts again and continues until the Christmas decorations are packed away. The boys have asked how the Sneaky Snowman gets around the house, but we've never been able to figure it out. It's magic!
Now, I just happen to know that our Sneaky Snowman has two friends who want to adopted by someone looking for a little Christmas magic in their home. One would like to stay close to home, but the other wants to do a little travelling. So, here's the plan. If you leave a comment telling me one (or more!) of your Christmas traditions from childhood or as an adult, then you'll be entered into a drawing to win a Sneaky Snowman. You're welcome to comment more than once if you remember another tradition you wanted to share, but you'll only get one entry in to the contest. The contest will run from now until 11:59pm PST on 11/29/09 and I'll announce the winners on 11/30/09. Two winners will be chosen - one in Oregon for the Sneaky Snowman who is a homebody and one somewhere else in the United States for the Sneaky Snowman with an adventurous spirit. You don't have to have an account in order to leave a comment, but be sure to leave your name so that I can contact you.
Looking forward to hearing your Christmas traditions!!
The Sneaky Snowman, a stuffed fellow, hibernates in a box with Christmas decorations. We always find him when we open those boxes up. Once he's freed from the box, the kids play with him for the rest of the day.
At night they each have to hold him and say "Sneaky Snowman so cold and white, please go hide while we sleep tonight". If they all do that, then the Sneaky Snowman will hide somewhere in our house while we all sleep that night. If they fail to say the magic words, then the Sneaky Snowman just stays wherever he was last put. We've had that happen a few times around here when the kids forgot to say goodnight to the Sneaky Snowman.
We realized that the Sneaky Snowman is pretty gracious toward young kids who don't quite talk, as Naomi would just touch him as a four month old and hug him while she jabbered as a 16 month old. However, he's pretty firm with adults. It seems that no matter how much an adult wants to find him, he's only visible to children when he's hiding. Tim and I are completely unable to figure out his hiding spots.
Each morning the kids go looking for the Sneaky Snowman. Sometimes they find him right away and other times it takes hours for him to be discovered. Once he's been found the kids can play with him until bedtime. Then the magic starts again and continues until the Christmas decorations are packed away. The boys have asked how the Sneaky Snowman gets around the house, but we've never been able to figure it out. It's magic!
Now, I just happen to know that our Sneaky Snowman has two friends who want to adopted by someone looking for a little Christmas magic in their home. One would like to stay close to home, but the other wants to do a little travelling. So, here's the plan. If you leave a comment telling me one (or more!) of your Christmas traditions from childhood or as an adult, then you'll be entered into a drawing to win a Sneaky Snowman. You're welcome to comment more than once if you remember another tradition you wanted to share, but you'll only get one entry in to the contest. The contest will run from now until 11:59pm PST on 11/29/09 and I'll announce the winners on 11/30/09. Two winners will be chosen - one in Oregon for the Sneaky Snowman who is a homebody and one somewhere else in the United States for the Sneaky Snowman with an adventurous spirit. You don't have to have an account in order to leave a comment, but be sure to leave your name so that I can contact you.
Looking forward to hearing your Christmas traditions!!
Friday, November 27, 2009
BLAH
Notice that I haven't blogged in a week? Pretty unusual for me, but I've been feeling kinda blah. Just non-chatty and unmotivated.
This last week has included the unexpected death of a woman on the Sonlight forums, several nights of insomnia, disappointment, friends with actual and possible major medical problems, hurt feelings, the drowning of a friend's seven year old niece (that one hit close to home), and being in limbo with our house situation.
It hasn't been all bad. Last weekend we hung out with some neighbors for dinner and games, Thanksgiving was a great time with family, we've gotten good news about things, Tim got Wednesday off, etc.
But I've just felt blah. Not sad. Not depressed. Not stressed. Just blah. Like hunkering down all alone in my house with a pile of books and movies for a few days. Ever feel like that?
Maybe I'll make up for my lack of daily posting with a contest tomorrow. Sound good?
This last week has included the unexpected death of a woman on the Sonlight forums, several nights of insomnia, disappointment, friends with actual and possible major medical problems, hurt feelings, the drowning of a friend's seven year old niece (that one hit close to home), and being in limbo with our house situation.
It hasn't been all bad. Last weekend we hung out with some neighbors for dinner and games, Thanksgiving was a great time with family, we've gotten good news about things, Tim got Wednesday off, etc.
But I've just felt blah. Not sad. Not depressed. Not stressed. Just blah. Like hunkering down all alone in my house with a pile of books and movies for a few days. Ever feel like that?
Maybe I'll make up for my lack of daily posting with a contest tomorrow. Sound good?
Saturday, November 21, 2009
OPPORTUNITY
Edited to add answers to questions you're all raising in your comments. I'll keep adding answers as needed.
About a week and a half ago we were asked by our landlord to make an "as is" offer on our house. Initially we chose to just tell a few people about the opportunity. We didn't want to be giving play-by-play updates, thinking it would be easier to just tell people either that we bought our house or that we were moving to another rental.
I had a conversation with a neighbor last night, one of the few people we'd told, and she brought up some points I never would have considered. That made me realize that we're trying to blaze our way through uncharted territory on our own.
So, we've changed our minds. Actually, I've changed. Tim was open to telling people from the start. We'd love to get some practical feedback, things to factor in, options to consider, etc.
If you know me at all, then you know how badly I want to own a home. And I love, love, love where we're at. We live in a great neighborhood with a great yard and adequate space for our family. I would love to own this house. On the other hand, I don't want to have a home that owns us. I don't want to get in over our heads financially, both in monthly payments and in cost of repairs. Timing is everything.
I'll give you some things to consider before you give feedback.
* We have no down payment. The combination of Tim's salary (which is adequate for living) and the cost of housing make saving for a down payment virtually impossible.
* We are not willing to have me to go work in order to buy a home.
* Our house is livable, but needs some money poured into it (roof, exterior paint, possibly siding, fencing, windows, insulation, etc).
* While we're willing to learn, we don't have any experience in "do it yourself" house repairs.
* We've had a couple different loan amounts quoted to us that would probably be acceptable offers for our landlord, but they'd be a stretch for us.
* The increase in our monthly bills may be negated by a decrease in our state & federal taxes. (Stacey, feel free to chime in here!!)
* Our landlord does not have to sell. He planned on selling this rental when he retired, which he did in the spring. He and his wife are simply giving us a first chance at buying it.
* We've already factored in the cost of maintaining the house, paying for repairs, etc. and would only move forward if we could budget a cushion for those expenses.
* If we don't buy the house, they will sell it to someone else.
* As much as we love where we're at, we realize it's not the only place we could be happy.
* We have not been given a starting point in negotiating a price.
What we're thinking, and we'd love for you to tell us if you think we're wrong, is that we should get things done in the following order.
1. Get pre-qualified for the loans we've been offered.
2. Skip an appraisal (we've had a market analysis done on the house already and have an idea of what it could sell for).
3. Get an inspection.
4. Get bids on the cost of whatever repairs are needed.
5. Deduct the cost of repairs from the estimated cost of the house (and this seems wonky, like maybe we should be deducting these costs from what this house would be worth if it was all in tip-top shape ... so maybe we should get an appraisal).
6. Make an offer (assuming, of course, that we could afford the payments the loan would require).
Or maybe we should get an appraisal with the inspection results factored in. I'm assuming that would mean the appraised value would factor in the cost of repairs. Right?
Can you tell we've never bought a house before?
Honestly, the whole thing makes me battle against myself. I hate debt with a passion. The borrower is truly slave to the lender. So, there's a part of me that would love to get school debt paid off, then spend the rest of our lives in rentals or in a house that the Lord miraculously allows us to get into debt free. On the other hand, I see house debt a little differently than other debt, primarily because the value of the thing you've gone into debt for will appreciate. Our current economy proves that doesn't always pan out the way you expect, but overall that's the way house debt works. So, I go back and forth between wanting to just put all our extra effort into getting school debt paid off and thinking this opportunity may be our chance to enter the world of home ownership.
Anyway, when we told the first few people we asked them to pray for us to have wisdom. That's still what we want.
However, we'd also like feedback to help us sort through our options. If we buy the house, then it will truly be because the Lord worked it out. We have no way to manipulate it into working. If we pass up the opportunity, then I know the Lord will have something perfect for us when the time is right.
We just need to make a decision. We want it to be a wise and educated one.
About a week and a half ago we were asked by our landlord to make an "as is" offer on our house. Initially we chose to just tell a few people about the opportunity. We didn't want to be giving play-by-play updates, thinking it would be easier to just tell people either that we bought our house or that we were moving to another rental.
I had a conversation with a neighbor last night, one of the few people we'd told, and she brought up some points I never would have considered. That made me realize that we're trying to blaze our way through uncharted territory on our own.
So, we've changed our minds. Actually, I've changed. Tim was open to telling people from the start. We'd love to get some practical feedback, things to factor in, options to consider, etc.
If you know me at all, then you know how badly I want to own a home. And I love, love, love where we're at. We live in a great neighborhood with a great yard and adequate space for our family. I would love to own this house. On the other hand, I don't want to have a home that owns us. I don't want to get in over our heads financially, both in monthly payments and in cost of repairs. Timing is everything.
I'll give you some things to consider before you give feedback.
* We have no down payment. The combination of Tim's salary (which is adequate for living) and the cost of housing make saving for a down payment virtually impossible.
* We are not willing to have me to go work in order to buy a home.
* Our house is livable, but needs some money poured into it (roof, exterior paint, possibly siding, fencing, windows, insulation, etc).
* While we're willing to learn, we don't have any experience in "do it yourself" house repairs.
* We've had a couple different loan amounts quoted to us that would probably be acceptable offers for our landlord, but they'd be a stretch for us.
* The increase in our monthly bills may be negated by a decrease in our state & federal taxes. (Stacey, feel free to chime in here!!)
* Our landlord does not have to sell. He planned on selling this rental when he retired, which he did in the spring. He and his wife are simply giving us a first chance at buying it.
* We've already factored in the cost of maintaining the house, paying for repairs, etc. and would only move forward if we could budget a cushion for those expenses.
* If we don't buy the house, they will sell it to someone else.
* As much as we love where we're at, we realize it's not the only place we could be happy.
* We have not been given a starting point in negotiating a price.
What we're thinking, and we'd love for you to tell us if you think we're wrong, is that we should get things done in the following order.
1. Get pre-qualified for the loans we've been offered.
2. Skip an appraisal (we've had a market analysis done on the house already and have an idea of what it could sell for).
3. Get an inspection.
4. Get bids on the cost of whatever repairs are needed.
5. Deduct the cost of repairs from the estimated cost of the house (and this seems wonky, like maybe we should be deducting these costs from what this house would be worth if it was all in tip-top shape ... so maybe we should get an appraisal).
6. Make an offer (assuming, of course, that we could afford the payments the loan would require).
Or maybe we should get an appraisal with the inspection results factored in. I'm assuming that would mean the appraised value would factor in the cost of repairs. Right?
Can you tell we've never bought a house before?
Honestly, the whole thing makes me battle against myself. I hate debt with a passion. The borrower is truly slave to the lender. So, there's a part of me that would love to get school debt paid off, then spend the rest of our lives in rentals or in a house that the Lord miraculously allows us to get into debt free. On the other hand, I see house debt a little differently than other debt, primarily because the value of the thing you've gone into debt for will appreciate. Our current economy proves that doesn't always pan out the way you expect, but overall that's the way house debt works. So, I go back and forth between wanting to just put all our extra effort into getting school debt paid off and thinking this opportunity may be our chance to enter the world of home ownership.
Anyway, when we told the first few people we asked them to pray for us to have wisdom. That's still what we want.
However, we'd also like feedback to help us sort through our options. If we buy the house, then it will truly be because the Lord worked it out. We have no way to manipulate it into working. If we pass up the opportunity, then I know the Lord will have something perfect for us when the time is right.
We just need to make a decision. We want it to be a wise and educated one.
Friday, November 20, 2009
A LOVE LETTER
This is actually about friendship, but I still consider it a love letter. It's so ... ummmmm .... poetic ... yeah, poetic ... that I just had to share it with my readers.
I'm your fan. If you were a page on FB, I'd become a fan. If you were a clear gummy bear, I'd eat you right up. If you were a clove of garlic, I'd smash you with the flat side of my knife and put you in my pot of soup.
Has anyone ever spoken such kind words to you? Jealous that no one has ever simultaneously compared you to a clove of garlic, a gummy bear, and a Facebook page?
I'm one lucky friend.
I'm your fan. If you were a page on FB, I'd become a fan. If you were a clear gummy bear, I'd eat you right up. If you were a clove of garlic, I'd smash you with the flat side of my knife and put you in my pot of soup.
Has anyone ever spoken such kind words to you? Jealous that no one has ever simultaneously compared you to a clove of garlic, a gummy bear, and a Facebook page?
I'm one lucky friend.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
11/19/09 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful for fleece jammy pants.
What's one thing that you're thankful for?
What's one thing that you're thankful for?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
MENU - SECOND HALF OF NOVEMBER 2009
Just realized I don't have any new recipes on this rotation. Oops.
DINNERS
leftovers x2
tacos x2
Italian sausage & bowties/salad
black bean tortilla pie/frozen veggies
freezer feast (meant to do this last time, but never did - just cleaning out the stash of leftovers)
Cajun sausage & beans/rice
penne & sausage (put half the sauce in the freezer last time I made it, will use it now)/salad
peanut butter noodles/raw veggies
cracked wheat & rice pilaf/stir-fry
pesto chicken pizza
bbq chicken pizza (this has been on the menu for a while, but somehow it keeps getting skipped)
sweet & sour meatballs (missed this last time)/rice
salad (haven't decided what kind yet), relish tray, rolls (our contribution to Thanksgiving dinner)
Mike's Drive-In (gift certificate we were given)
DESSERTS
apple cinnamon cake (skipped it last time due to a ridiculous amount of Halloween candy in the house)
DINNERS
leftovers x2
tacos x2
Italian sausage & bowties/salad
black bean tortilla pie/frozen veggies
freezer feast (meant to do this last time, but never did - just cleaning out the stash of leftovers)
Cajun sausage & beans/rice
penne & sausage (put half the sauce in the freezer last time I made it, will use it now)/salad
peanut butter noodles/raw veggies
cracked wheat & rice pilaf/stir-fry
pesto chicken pizza
bbq chicken pizza (this has been on the menu for a while, but somehow it keeps getting skipped)
sweet & sour meatballs (missed this last time)/rice
salad (haven't decided what kind yet), relish tray, rolls (our contribution to Thanksgiving dinner)
Mike's Drive-In (gift certificate we were given)
DESSERTS
apple cinnamon cake (skipped it last time due to a ridiculous amount of Halloween candy in the house)
Monday, November 16, 2009
DESTINATION: MEDFORD
Some friends down in Medford had been asking if I'd come to a bargain shopping class for them, so I agreed and we turned it into a fun family weekend.
Friday morning we loaded the troops into the van and headed south. Our first stop was in Roseburg to see Nick & Charlotte. I hadn't seen Charlotte since their wedding day, which was four years ago, and had only seen Nick in a parking lot once for a few minutes. Basically, we hadn't visited since three kids ago - their two and Naomi. It was fun visiting and they fed us pizza and cookies for lunch, which made the stop even better.
We arrived in Medford about 2:30, but couldn't show up at my dad's until 5:00. With a chunk of time to kill and weather that was not conducive to playing at a park, we headed to the mall. Now, you'd think that our kids, who are growing up in a metropolitan area, would be used to malls. However, the only time we ever go is to get pictures taken and then we just head straight into Penney's. You should have seen the looks on their faces when they walked in and found the mall all decked out in Christmas decor. People must have thought we were country bumpkins judging by the way the kids were so impressed. It was pretty funny.
Anyway, we grabbed a snack and walked around. They loved the game kiosk (the clerk was incredibly amazed at that Devon can read ... I guess she only knows illiterate kids), Evangel (Silas was adding up the cost of the CDs he wanted ... we'll call that math and not feel bad that we skipped school that day), Clas E. Professor (the boys could have stayed in there all day), and the escalator (Tim took Naomi up and down several times once she got bored of Clas E. Professor). We spent the evening hanging out at my dad's house, put the kids to bed early and just relaxed.
Devon concentrating in the bubble room.
All 5 Ws making bubbles at the same time.
Naomi blowing with all her might.
Silas making a hole in a bubble wall.
A family portrait that makes all my germaphobe friends have a coronary. This wall is made of a gazillion plastic covered pins, so we all pressed our faces on one side and they popped out on the other.
Double family portrait.
Friday morning we loaded the troops into the van and headed south. Our first stop was in Roseburg to see Nick & Charlotte. I hadn't seen Charlotte since their wedding day, which was four years ago, and had only seen Nick in a parking lot once for a few minutes. Basically, we hadn't visited since three kids ago - their two and Naomi. It was fun visiting and they fed us pizza and cookies for lunch, which made the stop even better.
Thomas
Daniel
Portrait of the parents taken by Thomas.
We arrived in Medford about 2:30, but couldn't show up at my dad's until 5:00. With a chunk of time to kill and weather that was not conducive to playing at a park, we headed to the mall. Now, you'd think that our kids, who are growing up in a metropolitan area, would be used to malls. However, the only time we ever go is to get pictures taken and then we just head straight into Penney's. You should have seen the looks on their faces when they walked in and found the mall all decked out in Christmas decor. People must have thought we were country bumpkins judging by the way the kids were so impressed. It was pretty funny.
Anyway, we grabbed a snack and walked around. They loved the game kiosk (the clerk was incredibly amazed at that Devon can read ... I guess she only knows illiterate kids), Evangel (Silas was adding up the cost of the CDs he wanted ... we'll call that math and not feel bad that we skipped school that day), Clas E. Professor (the boys could have stayed in there all day), and the escalator (Tim took Naomi up and down several times once she got bored of Clas E. Professor). We spent the evening hanging out at my dad's house, put the kids to bed early and just relaxed.
I'd packed away some excess gas money from the summer with the intent to do something fun with the kids. So, Saturday morning we all (the 5 Ws, my dad, his wife, her daughter) headed to Ashland to spend some time at Science Works. We hadn't been there since we moved away, so it was fun to go back and watch the kids enjoy it. I ran into a college classmate while we were there and got to chat for a few minutes.
Naomi wanted to be with Aunt Ashley as much as possible. Here they're trying to identify mystery scents.
Devon concentrating in the bubble room.
All 5 Ws making bubbles at the same time.
Naomi blowing with all her might.
Silas making a hole in a bubble wall.
Pulling the bubble out.
Tim tries to cover himself in a bubble.
Devon - the master bubble maker.
A family portrait that makes all my germaphobe friends have a coronary. This wall is made of a gazillion plastic covered pins, so we all pressed our faces on one side and they popped out on the other.
Double family portrait.
An attempt at getting all eight of us captured in a kaleidoscope picture.
After leaving Science Works we grabbed a bite to eat, then headed home. The kids and my dad went down for naps while Tim relaxed. Debra, Ashley and I all headed off to the class I was teaching. We spent about two hours discussing various ways to cut costs and get things for free, then everyone went home. A short time later our family went back to hang out with John & Amy (plus their two kiddos, one that arrived shortly after our last visit) and David & Gina (plus their two kiddos) visiting and feeding our faces.
.
The friends we hung out with were having Couple's Night, a monthly potluck and game night we started when I was pregnant with Devon and they've continued since we moved away. Somehow we always end up coming into town on Couple's Night weekend. Works out perfectly, except two couples couldn't make it this time. Chris & Melinda and Trever & Simone, hopefully we'll catch you the next time around.
.
Naomi thinks that everyone three and under is a baby, plus she thinks it's her responsibility to take care of the. So, she was happy to hold Isaac for a bit.
.
Usually when we're in Medford we go to Simple Faith for church on Sunday, as that's where we attended before we moved. This time we decided to go to Mountain Christian Fellowship with my dad. We enjoyed the service and ran into Josh & Karen there. We did some post-church scarfing at Kaleidoscope, which serves fantastic pizza and amazing salads. We ran into Keilah on our way in, then saw Joyce and Meghan on our way out. I love it when we unexpectedly see old friends and acquaintances!
.
And that was that. We hopped in the van headed back to Beaverton. Rolled into town at 5:30, started laundry, unpacked, then I headed out to do my two week shopping trip and drugstore deals. Busy day! Fun weekend!
.
As usual, my dad documented the visit while we were there. You can get his take on the trip, including some videos of the little Ws, over at The House on Hybiscus.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
BELLY FLOPS
We left town on Friday and returned at 5:30 tonight. I did some unpacking and got some laundry going, then I headed off to get groceries for the second half of the month and do my drugstore bargains I missed this morning. Needless to say, I'm pooped. So, I'll blog about the weekend and get our weekly Picasa pics up tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I thought I'd post a quick picture (or four) of the kiddos that was taken last Thursday. They got a package in the mail and discovered two pounds of belly flops from Aunt Sonja inside the box. They were pretty happy campers as they got to scarf a few down before heading to bed!
Silas is a bit annoyed with taking another picture. If only he comprehended that a genuine smile would result in less attempts at taking a good picture! Naomi's digging in and Devon's pretty excited about the card. 
Now here's a realistic picture - the little Ws making crazy faces.
Well, Naomi's giving us a view of her throat, but at least all three kids have smiles. We'll take it!
Meanwhile, I thought I'd post a quick picture (or four) of the kiddos that was taken last Thursday. They got a package in the mail and discovered two pounds of belly flops from Aunt Sonja inside the box. They were pretty happy campers as they got to scarf a few down before heading to bed!
Serious Silas has the loot, Devon has the card, and Naomi, the one who opened it all in the first place, is somehow empty-handed.
Silas is a bit annoyed with taking another picture. If only he comprehended that a genuine smile would result in less attempts at taking a good picture! Naomi's digging in and Devon's pretty excited about the card.
Now here's a realistic picture - the little Ws making crazy faces.
Well, Naomi's giving us a view of her throat, but at least all three kids have smiles. We'll take it!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
11/12/09 THANKFUL THURSDAY
Silas is thankful for food.
Devon is thankful for parties.
Naomi is thankful for puzzles.
What is one thing you're thankful for?
Devon is thankful for parties.
Naomi is thankful for puzzles.
What is one thing you're thankful for?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
NATURAL CONSEQUENCES
If your dad tells you not to walk up a ramp made of rolling cylinders and you choose to disobey, then the natural consequence of your choice is that your feet will roll out from under you and your head will slam into the ramp. It will hurt. You will cry. The place where your head connected with the ramp will turn various shades of red, blue, and purple. It will swell into a very large bump (though size of the bump may be hard to detect in a photo). You will be very sad for about 20 minutes, turning down ice cream and cake in favor of snuggling with your parents. Your mom will take a picture of your bruised bump for the whole world to see.
So don't walk up a ramp made of rolling cylinders if your dad tells you not to.
So don't walk up a ramp made of rolling cylinders if your dad tells you not to.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
NORMAN IS HEADING TO ....
... Vinae's house!!
Thanks to everyone for entering the contest. I'll be getting some of your favorite books from the library on our next trip!
Thanks to everyone for entering the contest. I'll be getting some of your favorite books from the library on our next trip!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
A MILESTONE FOR DEVON
Devon lost his first tooth on Friday!! It's been wiggling for about a week and he was finally able to yank it out. The tooth fairy snuck in that night with what seems to be a traditional "first tooth" dollar.
This means that in thirteen months all three of our children have lost their first tooth - Silas on 10/9/08 at six years old, Naomi on 2/3/09 at one year old, and Devon on 11/6/09 at five years old.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
GIVING AWAY A PIECE OF ART
Three years ago Sonlight sent out a letter to many of their customers thanking them for choosing their curriculum. Included was a one-of-a-kind print of Norman Rockwell's Land of Enchantment, pictured above, that they had made just for their customers. Originally printed in the December 22, 1934 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, Sonlight had it printed on archival-quality, acid-free paper.
It's a neat picture, filled with characters from various children's stories. However, for three years it has sat in my closet. I'd love for someone to frame and hang it, to enjoy seeing it in their home or workplace. So, I'm giving it away! As Christmas is right around the corner, I'd encourage you to enter to win the print for yourself or to give it to someone you know would love it.
Heads will roll if I find out the winner sold it. Understood? Okey dokey.
I'll give one full day for each year the print has sat in my closet. So, between now and noon on 11/10/09 you can enter the contest by leaving a comment telling me what one of your favorite childhood books was. Only one entry per person. I'm willing to ship anywhere in the United States. I'll do a random drawing and announce the winner before I go to bed on Tuesday night.
As a sidenote, the print is about 12.75 x 23.5 inches (mine actually has a cream colored border around the edge) and you can check out Sonlight's tips for framing the print right here.
Friday, November 6, 2009
THREE CHEERS FOR FRIDAY
I have no idea why, but this week feels like it's lasted forever. I'm glad it's the weekend. We have virtually nothing going on and I'm looking forward to some family time.
We started the relaxation last night, actually, with some game and reading time with the kiddos. Then Silas and I washed dishes while Tim hung out with the other two. After the kids went down Tim and I watched Evan Almighty. Didn't really know anything about it ahead of time, but we enjoyed it. Lots of laughs. I was able to sneak in some reading time in bed while Tim showered, then konked out for the night. My kids are finally adjusting to the time change, so they slept til 7:00 instead of 6:00. So glad for that.
This morning I discovered that the flower fairy was my grandma. She left the flower on the porch because she didn't think anyone was home. We were actually just back in a bedroom working on school, but I'm glad she didn't know that. The surprise and mystery was fun!
Today I have one kid with a scratchy throat and another with a snotty nose. So, we're going to have a mellow day here. Candle is burning, fort has been built, humidifier will go on as soon as I'm done with this post, veggie soup will get started on the stove. Ironically, I actually got dressed today. I've had several jammy days this week, but decided to show a little responsibility today. Just a little.
The rest of the weekend will consist of a hair cut, church (assuming everyone is healthy by then), working on stuff around the house, another movie from the library, picking up free, chocolate dipped fruit from Edible Arrangements, and just hanging out with the fam.
We've been so busy and basketball season is underway, so I'm thankful that we have a mellow weekend ahead of us.
We started the relaxation last night, actually, with some game and reading time with the kiddos. Then Silas and I washed dishes while Tim hung out with the other two. After the kids went down Tim and I watched Evan Almighty. Didn't really know anything about it ahead of time, but we enjoyed it. Lots of laughs. I was able to sneak in some reading time in bed while Tim showered, then konked out for the night. My kids are finally adjusting to the time change, so they slept til 7:00 instead of 6:00. So glad for that.
This morning I discovered that the flower fairy was my grandma. She left the flower on the porch because she didn't think anyone was home. We were actually just back in a bedroom working on school, but I'm glad she didn't know that. The surprise and mystery was fun!
Today I have one kid with a scratchy throat and another with a snotty nose. So, we're going to have a mellow day here. Candle is burning, fort has been built, humidifier will go on as soon as I'm done with this post, veggie soup will get started on the stove. Ironically, I actually got dressed today. I've had several jammy days this week, but decided to show a little responsibility today. Just a little.
The rest of the weekend will consist of a hair cut, church (assuming everyone is healthy by then), working on stuff around the house, another movie from the library, picking up free, chocolate dipped fruit from Edible Arrangements, and just hanging out with the fam.
We've been so busy and basketball season is underway, so I'm thankful that we have a mellow weekend ahead of us.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
THE FLOWER FAIRY
I just stepped outside to give cookies to a friend who was walking by and discovered that someone left this beautiful plant on my steps. Well, this is a picture I found online, but mine looks the same. It's a beautiful cyclamen!! Thanks to the mystery person who left it.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
CHRISTMAS IS COMING
How do I know?
First, my Christmas cactus is blooming.
Second, I'm holding tickets to Portland Christian Center's incredibly awesome, totally professional, and completely free Christmas concert in my hand.
Now I just need to schedule the nights we'll watch the Christmas Ships and check out ZooLights.
First, my Christmas cactus is blooming.
Second, I'm holding tickets to Portland Christian Center's incredibly awesome, totally professional, and completely free Christmas concert in my hand.
Now I just need to schedule the nights we'll watch the Christmas Ships and check out ZooLights.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
CHRISTIANESE
This was recently posted by someone on the Sonlight forums and I wanted to see what you all think of it.
Food, Fellowship, and Fun: hanging out and eating. [Note: Fun is possible, but by no means inevitable.]
That blessed me: I enjoyed that.
I will pray for you: I have absolutely nothing to say to that.
Grace and Peace: We need a bigger military budget in this country.
God is good, All the time!: This sucks.
Praise the Lord!: Does anybody know exactly what "praise" means?
Praise and Worship: Hike up your pants... six more verses of this insipid song...
Lord, we just...: Prayer On.
Amen (1): Prayer Off.
Amen (2): Yeah, okay, that makes sense.
Amen (3): This sermon could go all the way.
The wisdom of men: Any knowledge or reasoning that I do not understand or that does not support my position.
The foolishness of God: Any stupid information, reasoning, or idea that supports my position.
That Bears Witness With My Spirit: I agree with you.
Share (1): Let's talk about me for awhile.
Share (2): Gossip, libel, slander, defamation.
Counsel: Psychological malpractice by amateurs.
Are You Saved?: Are you like me?
Bless her heart: She is not like me.
They Need Your Prayers For An Unspoken Request: I know something you don't know.
Can You Tell Me How To Pray For Them?: Will you tell me what you know that I don't know?
Yes, Because They Need Your Prayers: We will now gossip.
They were living in sin: They lived in some sin besides gossip.
I'm just blessed: Thank you.
I'm under attack: Bad week, dude.
We lift up...: Our present topic is...
I Feel Led...: I'm about to do / say something incredibly weird, but you can't say anything against it.
I reBUKE this illness!: If you get better it's because of me.
We lift this up in faith believing: If you do not get better it's because of you.
My thoughts? I think he hit the nail on the head in many of these. I think Christians often use words that sound spiritual, though they mean the same as a non-Christianese word. I think some people will get defensive when finding something they say on this list. I don't like it when people use Christianese to try and disguise the fact they're talking about things they shouldn't be. I think it would be hard to try and decode Christianese if you'd never been exposed to it.
So, did the list make you laugh or fire you up a little? Just curious.
A GUIDE TO SPEAKING CHRISTIANESE
Fellowship: hanging out.Food, Fellowship, and Fun: hanging out and eating. [Note: Fun is possible, but by no means inevitable.]
That blessed me: I enjoyed that.
I will pray for you: I have absolutely nothing to say to that.
Grace and Peace: We need a bigger military budget in this country.
God is good, All the time!: This sucks.
Praise the Lord!: Does anybody know exactly what "praise" means?
Praise and Worship: Hike up your pants... six more verses of this insipid song...
Lord, we just...: Prayer On.
Amen (1): Prayer Off.
Amen (2): Yeah, okay, that makes sense.
Amen (3): This sermon could go all the way.
The wisdom of men: Any knowledge or reasoning that I do not understand or that does not support my position.
The foolishness of God: Any stupid information, reasoning, or idea that supports my position.
That Bears Witness With My Spirit: I agree with you.
Share (1): Let's talk about me for awhile.
Share (2): Gossip, libel, slander, defamation.
Counsel: Psychological malpractice by amateurs.
Are You Saved?: Are you like me?
Bless her heart: She is not like me.
They Need Your Prayers For An Unspoken Request: I know something you don't know.
Can You Tell Me How To Pray For Them?: Will you tell me what you know that I don't know?
Yes, Because They Need Your Prayers: We will now gossip.
They were living in sin: They lived in some sin besides gossip.
I'm just blessed: Thank you.
I'm under attack: Bad week, dude.
We lift up...: Our present topic is...
I Feel Led...: I'm about to do / say something incredibly weird, but you can't say anything against it.
I reBUKE this illness!: If you get better it's because of me.
We lift this up in faith believing: If you do not get better it's because of you.
My thoughts? I think he hit the nail on the head in many of these. I think Christians often use words that sound spiritual, though they mean the same as a non-Christianese word. I think some people will get defensive when finding something they say on this list. I don't like it when people use Christianese to try and disguise the fact they're talking about things they shouldn't be. I think it would be hard to try and decode Christianese if you'd never been exposed to it.
So, did the list make you laugh or fire you up a little? Just curious.
Monday, November 2, 2009
BOOKS I FINISHED - OCTOBER 2009
Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess by Richard Platt
This was a school book for Silas, but I really liked it. It's the story of a young boy who goes to live with his uncle and aunt for a year, training as a page in their castle. A wealth of historical information is relayed about life in the middle ages, but it's hardly a boring read. Funny, light-hearted, and with some great illustrations, I recommend this book for any person, kid or adult, who is interested in life during the Middle Ages.
Die For You by Lisa Unger
What would you do if your spouse vanished and you discovered they'd had a false identity, one of a person who had been dead for several years? That's what happens to Isabel, the main character of this story, and she stops at nothing until she figures out exactly who her husband was. As a sidenote, I'd love suggestions for good mysteries without affairs in the story. Does such a thing exist?
Cool quote -
p. 226 (I like the second paragraph best, but the first gives you the context.) What surprised me the most about marriage was how quickly it settled, became not mundane, necessarily, but normal. After the euphoria of finding love, the magic of courtship, the thrill of engagement, the busy fun of planning a wedding, there's the lovely honeymoon and then all the little pleasures of setting up house, putting away the extravagant gifts, adjusting to life as married people; we, not i, us, not me. Everything shines, everything is new and fresh. And then - it's not as if it goes bad or sour, nothing like that . It's just that it becomes normal in a way I didn't expect. I guess it shouldn't have surprised me. Linda was a very canny tour guide.
"When you've really chosen well, when you really love your spouse, it's not as if the fire dies precisely," she told me one time. "It just goes from being an inferno to a pilot light. If you're not vigilant, you won't notice it until it's gone out completely."
.
Finding Grace: A True Story about Losing Your Way in Life ... and Finding It Again by Donna VanLiere
Largely about the author's struggle dealing with childhood sexual abuse and infertility in adulthood, this book could be a really depressing read. It's not. In fact, sometimes the author is downright funny. She's very genuine, neither wallowing in self-pity nor acting like putting a smile on your face makes everything all right. It's a story about finding grace amidst broken dreams. In reading this book I discovered the author also wrote the Christmas Hope series. I haven't read them, but I like the movies!!
Cool quotes -
p. 119-120 ... I realized that broken dreams are the launch pad to growth. The person who emerges from the pain is either stronger for it or strangled by it. ... The problem with unfulfilled dreams is that they give us tunnel vision; we focus on ourselves, and that can be a depressing and discouraging place to look. Self-absorption is abusive, unforgiving, critical, intolerable, disappointed, angry, shameful, and always impatient.
p. 147 If we don't give ourselves over to bitterness, a fresh wisdom comes alive in those who are on the backside of broken dreams. It's a calm, yet vibrant wisdom that helps us discover new and higher dreams. It comes with a fresh discernment of who and what we need to leave behind, reminding us that there is a big difference in remembering guilt and carrying guilt.
The Light at Tern Rock by Julia L. Saurer
This was a school read for Devon, so my second time reading it. A neat story about a boy who learns about making sacrifices for the good of others while spending Christmas at a lighthouse.
The Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria Skurzynski
Another school book for Silas. Set in the Middle Ages, this is the story of two poor children, a brother and sister, who are kidnapped while trying to reach their wealthy uncle.
.
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lensky
Another Sonlight book. Birdie, the young girl who is the main character, is growing up in the backwoods of Florida in the 1940s. Though she does learn about farming strawberries, more importantly she learns about life - right and wrong, dealing with difficult people, etc. I think I'd have liked this book more if I'd read it to myself instead of aloud to the kiddos. Remembering everyone's accents took too much brain power.
This was a school book for Silas, but I really liked it. It's the story of a young boy who goes to live with his uncle and aunt for a year, training as a page in their castle. A wealth of historical information is relayed about life in the middle ages, but it's hardly a boring read. Funny, light-hearted, and with some great illustrations, I recommend this book for any person, kid or adult, who is interested in life during the Middle Ages.
Die For You by Lisa Unger
What would you do if your spouse vanished and you discovered they'd had a false identity, one of a person who had been dead for several years? That's what happens to Isabel, the main character of this story, and she stops at nothing until she figures out exactly who her husband was. As a sidenote, I'd love suggestions for good mysteries without affairs in the story. Does such a thing exist?
Cool quote -
p. 226 (I like the second paragraph best, but the first gives you the context.) What surprised me the most about marriage was how quickly it settled, became not mundane, necessarily, but normal. After the euphoria of finding love, the magic of courtship, the thrill of engagement, the busy fun of planning a wedding, there's the lovely honeymoon and then all the little pleasures of setting up house, putting away the extravagant gifts, adjusting to life as married people; we, not i, us, not me. Everything shines, everything is new and fresh. And then - it's not as if it goes bad or sour, nothing like that . It's just that it becomes normal in a way I didn't expect. I guess it shouldn't have surprised me. Linda was a very canny tour guide.
"When you've really chosen well, when you really love your spouse, it's not as if the fire dies precisely," she told me one time. "It just goes from being an inferno to a pilot light. If you're not vigilant, you won't notice it until it's gone out completely."
.
Finding Grace: A True Story about Losing Your Way in Life ... and Finding It Again by Donna VanLiere
Largely about the author's struggle dealing with childhood sexual abuse and infertility in adulthood, this book could be a really depressing read. It's not. In fact, sometimes the author is downright funny. She's very genuine, neither wallowing in self-pity nor acting like putting a smile on your face makes everything all right. It's a story about finding grace amidst broken dreams. In reading this book I discovered the author also wrote the Christmas Hope series. I haven't read them, but I like the movies!!
Cool quotes -
p. 119-120 ... I realized that broken dreams are the launch pad to growth. The person who emerges from the pain is either stronger for it or strangled by it. ... The problem with unfulfilled dreams is that they give us tunnel vision; we focus on ourselves, and that can be a depressing and discouraging place to look. Self-absorption is abusive, unforgiving, critical, intolerable, disappointed, angry, shameful, and always impatient.
p. 147 If we don't give ourselves over to bitterness, a fresh wisdom comes alive in those who are on the backside of broken dreams. It's a calm, yet vibrant wisdom that helps us discover new and higher dreams. It comes with a fresh discernment of who and what we need to leave behind, reminding us that there is a big difference in remembering guilt and carrying guilt.
The Light at Tern Rock by Julia L. Saurer
This was a school read for Devon, so my second time reading it. A neat story about a boy who learns about making sacrifices for the good of others while spending Christmas at a lighthouse.
The Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria Skurzynski
Another school book for Silas. Set in the Middle Ages, this is the story of two poor children, a brother and sister, who are kidnapped while trying to reach their wealthy uncle.
.
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lensky
Another Sonlight book. Birdie, the young girl who is the main character, is growing up in the backwoods of Florida in the 1940s. Though she does learn about farming strawberries, more importantly she learns about life - right and wrong, dealing with difficult people, etc. I think I'd have liked this book more if I'd read it to myself instead of aloud to the kiddos. Remembering everyone's accents took too much brain power.
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