Christmas tour

Here are some of my favorite things to decorate.

My china cabinet with all the nativity scenes. Sometimes we space them through the house sometimes have them all together. This year my children gave me a huge blessing, they decorated the house for me. My mother-in-law fell and broke her hip and while my husband and I were at the hospital they cleaned, decorated and put up the tree. It was wonderful to come back from a very long day to come into a clean, decorated house.

My piano looks so festive with Mr. Snowman waiting to sing.

The top of my Hoosier Cabinet has had plenty of use this season with all the flour we have gone through. And don't you think a scale with balls is better than us using the scales?

Even the bathroom gets a little decoration, although you can only see the top of the white poinsettia. I love the little dove on the shelf and the bowl of Christmas ornaments add sparkle to my lipstick red bathroom.

Christmas is...... Christ

I love Christmas, the sights, the smells, the decorations, the feeling of expectation. There is something wonderful about having a whole season focused on.....

What is your focus? If you go into the world it is presents, the gimmee's, Santa, shopping, rushing, doing and all the stuff that goes along with it.

But to have a whole season to be able to be focused on Jesus, that is a gift. Yes, I know we should do that every day, but to have this season of anticipation... Can you imagine so long ago the anticipation they had waiting for Jesus to come? Knowing He would change their lives forever. Do you anticipate His second coming as much as you do Christmas? My children joke I am the biggest child at Christmas. I love to decorate for my family, to bake, to buy presents and look forward to how much they will enjoy them. I love to teach my children why we do the things we do at Christmas. Why do we give presents and decorate and bake. Each year we bake a lot. We carol and give cookies to out neighbors. It is my son's favorite activity for this time of year. He has been repeatedly asking when they can go give cookies out. And sing, loudly to the neighbors. I have been telling him he needs to wait within a week of Christmas. So yesterday was a week and they delivered cookies and had a wonderful time. Giving, not getting. Don't you imagine that Jesus is having a wonderful time anticipating us coming to heaven. We know He is getting a place ready for us. Don't you think it will be wonderfully decorated with a feast waiting for us. Isn't it hard to wait for that?

It's a choice

This morning I awoke to rain falling, at least I thought it was rain until it landed on my feet. In my bedroom. Not a good way to wake up. Our bathroom toilet upstairs had developed a crack and slowly leaked all night. Our bathroom is right over our bedroom so it rained down all night.

This week our washer and dishwasher both broke down too. So we have had a wet week. But there have been blessings in the midst of this. We have 2 washers so we can still wash clothes. We have a 7 dishwashers here to help with dishes. They get to eat off of them so it seems only fair. My husband worked 3rd shift last night so he was home this morning at 7, went to Lowes bought a new toilet and installed it with help from our 3 sons. Of course, the 2 year old was not a lot of help but he had fun. We mopped up the water and dried the carpet as best we could upstairs then my husband took apart the ceiling fan that was leaking water, got numerous shocks while doing so and put it all back together. Now all we have to do is dry it out and fix the ceiling. Thankfully, we have a son-in-law that does drywall work. (he gives me a mother-in-law discount)So today and this week I had many choices. I could choose to look at the good side and things and be thankful for the blessings that God has already given me or I could choose to complain. Toilet water in my bedroom might be a good cause for complaints; but a better choice would be thankfulness.

My First giveaway!!

I have my first giveaway for you. A Christmas apron! Just leave your name and a comment and I'll draw a winner on Friday so I can mail this and you can have it to hostess your Christmas dinner.

Thankfulness

Oh, Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.

Psalm 107:1

Today is the day we celebrate Thanksgiving but do we remember it on other days? The Lord is so good to us all days, not just thanksgiving day. I know I have so many things to be thankful for; a wonderful husband and children, a warm house, wonderful food to look forward to eat today, my mother-in-laws swift recovery. (She has already been moved to a rehab center and just had her hip replacement surgery Sunday) But what about the things we take for granted, things that might look like work, of instance. All the dishes after the meal, I hear groans from children sometimes helping to clean up or asking to use paper plates instead of china. Shouldn't we be thankful for a day to celebrate and us the china, be thankful for dished to wash. There had been plenty of food on the plates. Am I as thankful about folding clothes as I should be, after all they keep us warm and nicely(most of the time) covered. What about the ordinary things, a smile from a little one. Changing a diaper, wiping little faces, am I tired of repeating this activity over and over or am I thankful for the opportunity? I need to change my focus instead of it as another thing to do as an opportunity that God has given me to be thankful for. Lord, please help me to be thankful in all things.

Too busy to post

I have been so busy that I haven't had time to post. So here's what's been going on. I have been sewing. (Tomorrow, I'll have new pics.) My mother-in-law fell and broke her hip so I have been visiting her and then got sick with bronchitis. This is not the way I planned to slow down. I did get a lot of needlework done while waiting in the hospital. I may get my mother's Christmas present done yet. I have all my Christmas shopping done and most of it wrapped, a few left to craft though. I have all my Christmas cards done and addressed but not mailed. I have received a few already though. I had a huge blessing Sunday. While my husband and I were at the hospital Sunday waiting on surgery, my children cleaned and decorated the house. It was a wonderful surprise. I have a lot of baking done and in the freezer so I feel like I might be ready with time to just relax and have fun with my family and not racing around like a chicken with it's head cut off. :-) Now if I could just get well....

Aprons

I have been sewing Christmas aprons for sale to make a little extra money for Christmas. Aren't they cute?

Any one need an apron for Christmas?

November Menu Plan

I try to plan my menus at least weekly but monthly is better for saving money and time. I plan from what is already in my pantry and freezers. And then this month buy the loss leaders and use them to plan for next month. It takes a little while to get to this point but in the summer we can so I don't buy nearly as much vegtables. I also track the sales and try and buy enough of any item to last until the next sale. I don't always make it on eggs and dairy but my goal is to buy nothing full price. Here is my menu for November, of course December will be easier since a lot of it is preplanned.

1. Pizza, baby carrots
2.BBQ meatballs, mac and cheese, broccoli mix
3.Taco's, peaches
4.Chicken pasta Italiano, bread sticks, salad
5.Sloppy Joes, oven fries, corn on cob
6.Roast chicken, buttered noodles, peas
7.Calzones w/dipping sauce, raw veggies
8.Ham, baked potatoes, broccoli mix
9.Scalloped Potatoes w/ham, peas
10.Parmesan chicken w/ pasta rags, salad
11.Cream Cheese french toast bake, oj
12.Hamburgers, french fries, corn on cob
13.Chicken parm w/ spaghetti, bread sticks, salad
14.Homemade pizza, raw veggie tray
15.Ham and bean soup, cornbread
16.Crunchy chicken and biscuit casserole, green beans, applesauce
17.Birthday Dinner, Special Meatloaf Cupcakes w/ mashed potato frosting and dessert
18.Taco's, Cinnamon applesauce
19.Spaghetti and meatballs, bread sticks, salad
20.Chicken and rice pilaf, veggie
21.Braided stuffed pizza bread, raw veggies
22.Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, rolls
23.Butterfly pancakes w/sausage links, oj
24.Easy Cheesy Beef Bowties, green beans
25.Broccoli Chicken Lo Mien w/ rice
26.Hamburgers, oven fries, corn on the cob
27. Thanksgiving
28.Turkey sandwiches, soup
29.Homemade pizza, jello cubes, raw veggies
30.Meatball subs on homemade rolls, raw veggies

Funny Things Kids Say

I took my oldest ( 11yo) son to the bank with me today. I try to rotate children on errands so I can spend some one on one time with each of them. We were driving from the bank and he tells me "Mom, when I get my shoveling business, I'm going to open a bank account. That way I can buy my wife a house when I get married." Before you think he is too mature, this is the same son who later that afternoon, chased his sister with a dead mouse.

My 5yo daughter loves to play dress up. Her older sister just recently made her a play dress, forgetting about seam allowances and preshinking. Needless to say this is now a very tight short dress, you can see she has monkeys on her undies, that short. She can downstairs batting her eyes asking how she looked. My oldest daughter was there visiting and suggested more clothing on. So she went back up and later came down wrapped up in a coat. "Does this make me look like a granny?" "Nooooo", my oldest daughter replied. "What else do you have on?" "THIS!" she states, waving the coat wide open showing money undies.

The same oldest daughter visiting likes it quiet. Her home is quiet, they have one little girl. She is sitting in the chair, I have 1 daughter practicing the piano, 2 toddlers, (hers and mine) with the 5 yo playing and squealing, children making other noises and a son using s drill to tighten screws in a stool. She tells me in a low voice" I think I will start twitching now."

1 project finished

I finished this apron for a daughter who doesn't read this blog. Isn't the ruffle cute. One Christmas present finished, many to go.

Chicken Little anyone?

Doesn't he remind you of the cartoon Chicken Little? These are Mr. Potato Head glasses and they just fit. He was quite pleased with himself.

What to do with fighting boys

I have to sons ages 10 and 11 who like to have a lot of fun together or fight together. There is no middle ground. Is this normal for boys? (We had 5 girls first and I had no brothers so I'm winging it here. ) Anyway, today they were to have their room clean to go the Football Hall of Fame. Each one insisted that he was doing all the work and the other was not doing anything at all. Sound familiar? I got tired of refereeing constantly and needed something else to try or go crazy trying to figure out how to make them get along and get the work done. I got out the book Creative Correction by Lisa Welchel and looked under WW3, sibling squabbles. I called both boys down and made them stand on opposite sides of the yard yelling to the other "I love you, brother." 20 times. By the end of it they were laughing and now they are upstairs working together; at least for now.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY October 18, 2008

Outside My Window...The sun is shining, my 13yo daughter is helping my 8 yo ride a bike, the boys are mowing the lawn. I smell fresh cut grass.

I am thinking... I need to figure how to get the picture at the bottom of the page with the caption.

I am thankful for... days to create

From the kitchen...baking for freezer; chocolate espresso cookies,

I am wearing...my favorite jeans that are getting baggy (yeah!) long sleeve t shirt

I am creating...I am teaching my daughter to sew a small quilt

I am going...nowhere, thankfully

I am reading...Nell Hill's Christmas Decorating, Quizmas

I am hoping...to get 1 sewing project finished today, a Christmas present

I am hearing...children playing together, the hum of the sewing machine

Around the house...things are scattered, it seems like for sewing and crafting the price is a messier house

One of my favorite things...the children playing peacefully and quietly together. The smell of a freshly cleaned house.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:Sewing, house cleaning, getting refrigerator fixed, simple crafts

Here is picture thought I am sharing...(my lovely daughter who is learning to sew.

Grocery store deals

We went to Meijer and Target and got the deals. We have 20 boxes of Jello, 3 bags of salad, 14 lbs of carrots, lots of Cambell's soups, many Lipton tea to go and a lot more. The regular prices were 116.49 and I paid 42.09 plus I have 3 free cans of soup coupons and $8 in catalina coupons from Glade.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY October 17...

Outside My Window... The sun is shining and the trees are turning beautiful colors. It's cool outside and makes you think of hot soup and cider.

I am thinking...that I must get sewing this weekend for Christmas.

I am thankful for...my husband, he gets up and goes to work early so I can stay home with my children and yesterday brought me beautiful roses.

From the kitchen...the boys made almond poppy seed muffins, my daughter is making taco soup for lunch and I have 2 helpers to make supper tonight. I am blessed.

I am creating...memories today with all the cooking we are doing and hopefully sewing this afternoon.


I am hoping...to have all our school done and the house clean early today.

I am hearing...children squealing chasing each other.

One of my favorite things...cuddling together reading books.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: sewing, working on projects, baking cookies for freezer.

Christmas Values

I have been working on the Holiday Grand Plan and one of the weeks they have you question the values, activites, etc. that make Christmas improtant to you. We have a large family, 10 children, 1 grandaughter, son-in law, parents, etc. I start Christmas shopping with the after Christmas sales the year before. But some things I thought were important; to my family were not. So use this time to talk over with your family and you may find out some of the things that you are wearing yourself out over are just not that important. You may find that they don't want to go to the Nutcracker every year but would rather stay home and make snowball fights. That they want to use (gasp!) decorated paper plates for Christmas rather than china. That your 8yo daughter's 2 favorite things are caroling to the nieghbors and bringing them cookies and havign the family picture taken for cards. (Now that is strange. Have you ever tried to get 10 people to match, not let anyone get dirty before we leave, all the hair and make up done, we have 7 daughters. It takes hours and we haven't even left the house yet. Then get everyone to smile at the same time.) And this? is her favorite thing? Strange bird. So we are making adjustments this year. I am trying to simplify a little so I can enjoy Christmas as much as the rest of my family.

Menu Plan Monday

I had planned on posting this yesterday but because my children ate what I had plannned I had to replan. Is that a word?

Monday- Turkey and mashed potatoes, creamed peas

Tuesday- Pizza and salad

Wenesday- Ham- this time I will take out what I need for other meals before I serve it.

Thursday- Meatloaf and baked potatoes

Friday- Bean soup/ use ham bone and cornbread

Saturday - Pineapple ham and rice, broccoli

Sunday- chicken parm w/ spagetti, salad

Keeping home

To keep a home is different than keeping house. To keep a house although it it busy, sometimes exhausting and a lot of times messy with many children keeping a house is doable. Keeping a home is harder, yes, you still have to clean the house. But, you have to keep relationships too. And not even too. First. Relationships are the foundation of a home, just like your house has a foundation. The soul of your house IS the caring of the souls in the house. We make time to do the urgent, the dishes need done, the children need feed, the clothes need washed, things need picked up and put away. But how easy it is to push the important aside. To LOOK and talk to your child, your spouse. To hold a hand, take a walk, place a child on your lap and read a book. These are the things that last. A family dinner with family conversation is more important than a gourmet meal even eating grilled cheese sandwiches off paper plates can feel like a feast with candlelight and love. Keeping a home means keeping the important, the important and urgent. You can talk to your children while you do chores, the kitchen sink is a great place to talk but don't forget to make time for undivided attention too. This is it. Relationships are not just the most important thing, they are the only thing.
So while you are keeping your house don't for get to keep your home.