Peters Peapod

if you want to keep up...

2011-06-20T10:18:00.001-04:00

Head on over here.

100th day of school (back in January)

2011-03-24T14:31:00.005-04:00

We always celebrate the 100th day of school. We like to dress if crazy clothes and count things by the hundred and even do some goofy hair dos. This was the day that Tristen started to feel yucky (little did we know it was the beginning of mono).

We found, counted and lined up 100 cars. Tally and Tyce grouped them into groups of ten. Even Tate had fun and participated. Poor Tristen was able to get up for the pictures and then...she was back in bed for almost 5 weeks of sickness. January and February were really long months for our family.

Go SCIENCE !!!!!!!!

2011-03-24T09:25:00.004-04:00

We have been using a different science curriculum for school this winter and have really enjoyed it. I bought this book years ago and it has sat on our shelf since then. I like that I can read a lesson to the girls in about a half an hour while they take notes. Then we go over the questions and gather our supplies for any hands on activity. They are not really "experiments" but more like activities. Here Tally is making a FLOOD in a jar. Learning about what might have happened after Noah's flood.

This activity was learning about glaciers and ice. Good thing we had some snow to help out with this experiment. So far, we have only had one experiment not work out well. We tried to grow crystals and it just didn't work.

Most recently we have been studying earthquakes and volcanoes and tectonic plates. How timely that the huge earthquake in Japan is part of our current events so we have an example to talk about.

Praying for JAPAN

2011-03-15T11:11:00.002-04:00

With all the news these days I am sure you are praying for the situation in JAPAN with the massive earthquake last week. Please continue to pray for the situation, and also for the people of JAPAN. I am praying that this event will soften the hearts of the people there and allow them to respond to God. Also, please pray for my sister and her family. They are church planters there in Tokyo. Although their family is safe, it is a difficult situation and there is much need for prayer.

...because...

2011-01-12T15:13:00.002-05:00

...I couldn't have the discussion ONE MORE TIME of WHO would sit WHERE for meals. It is official assigned seating and it has helped with the bickering between the siblings.

someone's learning math

2011-01-12T14:54:00.005-05:00

He LOVES numbers...LOVES to write...LOVES the blocks...LOVES the video lesson...just not sure about listening to Mom as the teacher.

***sorry about the fuzzy photos...still learning my new camera***

***SNO*W***DAY ***

2011-01-11T16:07:00.005-05:00

We got some S*N*O*W !!!! This is our second "big" snow for this area. We even had a dusting on Christmas day this year. As you can imagine...we are LOVING it. I hunted for some snow pants for the boys (um...yes, that is Tate in bright PINK pants). We got boots and sleds and we were ready for the snow.

The school system here has been closed for 2 days and the kids had a BLAST playing out in the snow. Aside from a few fainting spells from Tissy (note to self...too much bundling makes you really hot and fainty), the past few days have been great.

We are soaking up the change of seasons here and trying to enjoy everything that it has to offer. The kids made snowmen, had hot cocoa, played out doors for hours, and conked out at night. We even skipped school and took advantage of the play time.

Thanksgiving Day...2010

2011-01-08T19:43:00.005-05:00

November 25, 2010...a BIG day for our family. Tyson's 5th birthday...his first birthday that was celebrated...our family all together for the first time with both sets of grandparents...a year ago we saw our boy's picture for the first time...our world was changed forever...

It turned out to be a nice time...but a HARD time too. November was a hard month for our family. Lots of processing. Lots of healing. Lots of firsts (overnight guests, trip out of town, changing rooms...). As I look back at these pictures just a mere 6 weeks later, I am grateful for the time together, but thankful we are doing better now than we were a few months ago.

None of it is easy, but God's grace is sufficient. And we are always leaning on Him in EVERY way.

a visit from the HOFF family

2011-01-07T15:54:00.007-05:00

We had our very dear and special friends come and visit back in November. We have know Carl and Shaleen before any of us had kids. I just love these people as if they were born into our family. We have served with them at church, raised our kids together, laughed together and now...we live thousands of miles apart. But that hasn't stopped us from getting together. They have now visited us in 2 different states. And now...our kids are growing up and still have a great time together.We visited a local plantation home and got a great private tour. Our guide filled us all in on local history and the teacher in me loved it all. This beautiful old home is right here in our town.

And then...on the back side of the property is an old cemetery and log homes. Such extremes to the history. Don't you just love the late afternoon sun? Beautiful.

A big thank you to the Hoff family for coming all this way to reconnect and meet our new boys. We love you and wish we lived close enough to see you each week at church.

Can you tell I LOVE nativity sets???

2010-12-22T08:56:00.002-05:00

Every year I am on the hunt for the perfect nativity set. I really want to get the Fisher Price Little People nativity set (that one NEVER goes on sale). Last year I got the one where the kids play in the sand. This year I found a nativity set from Ethiopia carved out of wood (in the middle). And one of my favorite ones is the simple one made out of flower pots.

Tristen has been spending Tuesday afternoons at Grammy's house. She goes there before her art class. Each week they work on a different project. Sometimes they cook or bake. Often they will make an art project together. A few weeks ago I sent her with some supplies I had saved up to make a nativity set. I have had these ideas to make this set for years but never got around to it. Good thing Grammy was willing to help her out.

When Tissy came home with her project, I just about melted. I LOVE it. It turned out so cute. They did a great job. I am hopeful that this will keep for years and years.

living nativity

2010-12-22T08:22:00.004-05:00

Chuck built a beautiful (but very simple) creche for our churches living nativity. I am always so proud of how he works at each of his sets that he has built. This one looked really big in our garage, but once he got it out on the location, it didn't look so huge.

We woke up on Saturday to a surprise snow and he bundled up to move his creche and manger to the church. With a few decorations the set looked quite authentic. About every 5 weeks, the church offers "Bethlehem Marketplace". They set up a biblical marketplace for the kids to experience some food, crafts and story in a historical setting.

The kids LOVED the animals. Tissy spend an hour walking the horse around and Tate finally warmed up to the goats. He was sure they were going to EAT him. And Tyce...well, let's just say he is in his element running around outside with friends and animals.

around the house at CHRISTmas time

2010-12-21T15:49:00.017-05:00

picture updates

2010-10-14T10:41:00.007-04:00

We had to get some pictures for our post placement reports. Getting 4 kiddos to look at the camera all at once is so hard to do. And getting the picture in focus is even more difficult. I LOVE taking pics on the stairs here. The lighting is always so pretty.

Tyce always has such a ready smile. There are very few pictures of him where he isn't grinning from ear to ear.

Now getting a picture of Tate...not quite as easy. He is quick to pout for a picture and looks away. And when we get one of him smiling it looks forced. These are cute ones though.

People often ask how the girls are doing with our adjustment with our new boys home. And honestly...they are doing great. They have grown into the rolls of big sisters to 2 little brothers perfectly. The bond between the 2 of them is even more obvious. And they are growing up to be beautiful inside and out.

gardening

2010-10-13T21:53:00.009-04:00

OK...so this was months ago (actually, mother's day to be exact). But I have been wanting to get these pictures up here on the blog. I just ordered another blog book from last year so it has motivated me to keep up on the family journaling. For some wonky reason my comments are gone. I had some problems with spam and I did some things to take care of it and tried to bring the comment option back and even though I have enabled the comments to exist, it isn't working. If I can get a few hours to figure it out, I will. But for now...yayyyyyy for pictures.
And speaking of pictures...loving the new photo collage. My kiddos have been sick today, so I spent some time uploading pics and getting some old posting taken care of.

I just LOVE how Tate is holding onto my arm in this pic. He is by my side or on my hip every moment of the day.
Tyce is the hardest worker I have seen. He will dig right in and help out in every situation. I wanted to have a garden to provide us the opportunity to work side by side and bond together. He has shown how much he loves plants and flowers and I thought he would really thrive at tending the garden.

reading together

2010-10-13T11:20:00.001-04:00

Love it when I see the big girls be so tender to our little ones. Notice Tally is showing Tate how to sign the pictures in the book.

it kills me...

2010-10-13T10:49:00.003-04:00

...that these 2 are growing up so fast...sigh.

Our 6th year of homeschooling

2010-10-09T21:21:00.003-04:00

OK...so seriously...I have become a VERY BAD BLOGGER. I have spent so much time focussing on our new kids and new family dynamic, it is still at the bottom of the list. But I am trying...I will get back to it. But schooling 3-4 kiddos and all...it keeps me busy.

We are in full swing of our SIXTH year of home educating. WOW...how does the time fly by. It is going well and I try to keep some kind of a record here to show what we are doing each year. We have done about 40+ days of school so far.

Our curriculum (for the big kids) this year includes:

Spelling - Sequential Spelling
Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears (focus on cursive again)
Grammar - Easy Grammar (Tally is trying to do 2 years worth this year)
Reading - Pathway Readers (Last year for Tally on these)
Bible - Precepts for kids - Names of God
History - Story of the World vol. 2 - Middle Ages
Science - Apologia - Botany
Math - MUS Epsilon (Tally is trying to do 1.5 years worth this year)

Extras -

Tissy takes an art class on Tuesdays (drawing)
Tally goes to an enrichment class on Thursdays t0 focus on hands on learning for science, art and life on a farm.
Both girls are taking Karate (working on their yellow belt)
We meet with another family a few times a month to do some learning together (focus on habitats this fall).
Fall field trips - pumpkin farm, old village, science center, park days, bird banding at the nature center

Tyce (our preschooler) is also homeschooling 2 days a week (Tues and Fridays).
Primer book for MUS - number and shape recognition
Reading - Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (about 1/5 of the way through)
Handwriting - preschool book for HWT
Fall soccer at the Y
MDO (simple preschool) 2 days a week

summer camp

2010-08-22T16:18:00.018-04:00

Somehow we found money in the budget to allow our 2 oldest sweet peas to go to summer camp again. It was the HIGHLIGHT of their year. What a blast they had. Swimming, hiking, archery, rock climbing, singing, bible time and lots of hanging with their friends.Tally made it to the top of the rock wall again this year.

We joined them on the last day to get the tour and enjoy the fun for a little bit ourselves. The only down side...it was HOT. And with a little guy strapped to you...it is even more HOT.

The boys didn't quite know what to think about this place. I wonder if Tyce will be able to attend some day. I think he would love the adventure.

The girls opted to attend day camp again. Maybe, just maybe, they might be interested in overnight camp one of these times.

I love it that even though they have a great time with their friends all week long, they still love having a great time together.These two girls are truly best friends. I hope they will always look back on their memories of camp and think it was one of the best places on earth ( that is how I think about my years at camp).

Look Mom...no training wheels.

2010-08-14T22:04:00.007-04:00

Since the training wheels feel off and broke...we figured we would let Tyson give it a try. Just to see if he could do it.

I mean...come on...he's 4. That's kind of early to be able to do this kind of thing.

And off he went. Right across the grass (just in case he fell). He is an instant pro.

He is amazing. He has a determined spirit. And look at that smile...he is so proud. He even tried to pop some wheelies the first day. Good thing he has a helmet to keep him safe. What a treat to experience this with him. Daddy teaching his son to ride a bike. Precious.

All American Fourth of July

2010-08-06T15:13:00.009-04:00

Remember doing this as a kid?

Decorating your bike for a small town parade.

Wearing red, white and blue.

Waving flags.

Passing out candy.

Having fun as a family on a hot summer day.

I hope that's how my kids remember their childhood.

How did we find time to do this ???

2010-08-05T15:25:00.005-04:00

In the last few months we built an herb box and planted herbs.

Moved 8 yards of pea gravel.

Designed and built our own landscape edge.

And re-designed our back yard space so we could hang out with the kids.

recap on last years school

2010-07-28T09:24:00.006-04:00

We are busy cleaning out the school room and reorganizing our supplies. Preparing a list of things to purchase and getting ready for the new school year. I love to sort and organize so this is always refreshing for me (and yet slightly depressing...we have so much junk to pitch out).

As I look back at our school year, it wasn't as unfruitful as I thought it had been. When I step back and look, we really did get a lot done. We studied ancient history. Began a science study on botany. Completed a whole years worth of grammar. Figured out fractions and Epsilon in Math U See. Not to mention reading, handwriting, thinking skills, spelling, phonics, nature studies, junior naturalists study on reptiles. We also participated in a Keepers group where the girls learned about baking, gardening, cake decorating, food preservation, first aid, library skills. They also joined the homeschool swim group and swam every week at our local rec center and have taken up Karate.

This summer we have done our girls friendship bible study and they are part of an American Girl club and are studying Kaya. We have also kept up with our math each week and spelling too. We have continued on with science and just yesterday spent time identifying a tree from its seed and leaves.

So, I guess it is good to stop. Look back. And see that we really did accomplish a lot last year. Even if it was a crazy year with adoption paperwork, getting our referral, traveling to Africa and adjusting to 2 new boys. Guess I should give myself a break. (wink wink)

testing one two three

2010-07-26T11:26:00.003-04:00

Can a few people leave me some comments to see if this new format will work? After getting lots of emails and comments (which I didn't post any of those comments yet) saying you would like to keep following our family blog, I'm trying something a little different. If I can get this to work, I might be a little more motivated to keep this blog up and running and might even spring for a professional blog makeover.

I have tons of pics to share and posts running around in my head, but the spamming has been so frustrating, I haven't been very motivated to make regular posts.

So, let's see if this works. Leave me some comments to try it out.

It might be time to shut it down

2010-07-21T09:31:00.002-04:00

I'm getting tired of all the spam comments I am getting on my blog here so I am seriously considering shutting it down or going private. If you are interested in following a private blog you can contact me via email or FB. It's been a fun ride, but it is getting annoying so it seems like it's time to let it go. I don't keep my blog as a place for odd spam comments and it is a shame it has come to this.

I blog as a way to share our life with our family and friends. I blog to keep a journal for our children. I blog to be a testimony for God and how He has worked in my life. I blog to encourage others along their own journey. I blog to share about homeschooling and letterboxing and composting and organizing (all of my different and varied interests). I blog to share out about our families adventure in adoption.

I do not blog for spammers and foreign language comments that fill my inbox with links to vague sites.

tubular

2010-07-13T06:20:00.000-04:00

We took some tubes that were intended to be part of a soccer goal and decided they would be better suited at being water tubes.

Everyone had a chance to make their design.

We wondered if the water would defy gravity and move upward.

We liked the zig zag design.

They learned to work as a team and find success.

The only bummer is...they want to do this every day and get wet. =)

purposeful play

2010-07-12T15:54:00.007-04:00

Everything I try and do these days has a purpose. I am trying to be intentional with how I structure my day and interact with my children. We are working hard at learning to play. The boys are at a loss for how to play with traditional toys (very normal for adopted children). As I said before, if I want to get some school work done with the girls, I have to have something to keep the boys entertained. So...back to the tot trays.

Building with the locking cubes. At first...no one was interested in these. Then I gave some ideas. Try and measure things with them. How many blocks does it take to measure things.
Tyce even measured himself. I think he used all the cubes.
These balls come out every day. Tate loves to put them into the container. I mixed it up with adding a long tube to drop them into.

Here is a game where you have to find the matching cards and gather them together. Not exactly like the instructions tell you how to play, but I modify everything so Tyce can use it. He then had to use clothes pins to group them. Fine motor and sorting.

I gave the boys these tubes (which were meant to be used for a small soccer goal) and had them make designs with them. I'll post later with all the fun things we came up with. These kids can get creative.

National Day of Prayer

2010-07-01T15:41:00.006-04:00

Yikes...2 months old post here...oh well. Better late than never.

We gathered with some local homeschool families to pray for our leaders before our city held its National Day of Prayer gathering. Good thing we went early for by the time we left, our boys had managed to climb through the flower beds and set off our car alarm. It was clearly our time to leave. =)I love the idea of exposing our children to praying for our leaders. Leaders in our community, city, state and country. We need to teach our kids to pray for others, especially our leaders.

I also think it is important to teach our kids to pray. Not only among our family, but with their friends and even strangers. I loved to see how my girls had grown in their own walk with God from last year's NDP to this year. They are each growing up so much.

18 years of marriage

2010-06-29T15:48:00.003-04:00

Forgot to post this sweet picture of my sweet husband and I. We put the kids to bed (well, the boys at least)...brought Grammy in to sit...scooted off into the sunset for a night of just the 2 of us. We have always tried to get at least a few dates out a year and our anniversary is one of them.

18 years...how time has flown. I am blessed beyond words. I am so glad you asked, I'd do it again in a heart beat.

polk-a-dotted yumminess

2010-06-22T22:42:00.006-04:00

The girls are working on earning a baking badge with their Keepers of the Home book/group. I have told them they need to actually earn these by completing the tasks. This has motivated them to make cakes, breads, cobbler and pie. These cupcakes turned out great.

I am using these trays that I bought for the kids tot school for more than just schooling. I put a tray out for each of the kids and this helped them with having a contained space to work in.

Tyce loved this project. Anything hands on seems to work well for him. He added LOTS of polk-a-dots...sugary goodness. Just use white chocolate chips turned upside down. So cute.

bye bye plain white walls...

2010-06-17T02:52:00.000-04:00

I couldn't stand the paint any longer. With the addition of the boys, the walls are REALLY showing some wear and tear. The paint was that junky cheap builder's paint that is more like a primer for REAL paint. So...why not add another project onto this list. So far we have painted the family room (pictured above with the new paint), entry, dining room and guest bathroom. We just went with a soft brown (with a hint of green). It really helps the trim to pop and stand out.

And I just want to point out, I finally took down the Christmas wreath. How sad that it had been up for almost 6 months???

Here is the before of the dining room. I started taping all the trim and finally gave up. It is easier to go with out it and just be cautious cutting in.
A BIG thanks to Chuck for ALL of his hard work around here (he is such a GOOD MAN). I need to post some other pictures of all we have done. Like I said, painting is just ONE of the many projects we have had going on.

Girls Group

2010-06-16T15:06:00.005-04:00

I have had this idea for awhile now to do a little girls group/club/bible study for my girls and their friends. There never is a good time to add more to our schedule, but I felt that God was really tugging on my heart to help my girls have purposeful friendships.

I sent out the following letter to a few other mom's of tween age girls and tada...the group was quickly formed.

Hello ladies,

I am sending this email to you all to let you know I am planning on forming a group this summer for our pre-teen girls (ages 8-12 apx). I have had this idea on my heart for sometime and feel the Lord's prompting to do so now.

I believe that a true friend for girls this age is so important. As our girls move from little girls who have enjoyed tea parties to tweenagers who are sure to notice boys soon, the value of a godly friend is critical. I think it is important to be proactive and intentional as we encourage our daughters to form, nurture and sustain good friendships.

My idea is to host a small group of girls and study God's Word together, share practical ideas and nurture these friendships. We will meet every other week through out the summer for about an hour and a half each time. I will be making my own study with a little bit of help from the Secret Keeper Girl Friendship pack and an American Girl book on friendship. Most of what I will use will come straight from God's Word with good discussions on being a friend.

Making verse cards and sharing their definition of a friend.

We had a great time at our first meeting (everyone invited decided to take part in it). At our first group, we talked about "what is a friend". I am working on our next lesson (in my spare time). Next week I will be teaching about choosing good friends and including others. Then our next topics will be gossiping and jealousy and finally working things out.

I just loved our time together. These are precious girls, still tender for God's Word and doing what's right. I am thanking God for blessing us with such friends. This just goes along with my passion for being purposeful in how we spend our time and raise our children.

fresh from the garden

2010-06-16T14:43:00.003-04:00

YUM !!!! So far all we are getting is lettuce in our garden. But that's OK with me. It means fresh salad greens every night. And all the kids like the idea of eating something we have grown ourselves.
I am slowly branching out from the ONE DISH meal (aka casserole). I am able to get a little more time in the kitchen preparing for the family. One of my favorite casseroles is homemade mac and cheese. I hide a little butternut squash in there and always add broccoli if I have it on hand. Working my hardest to serve healthy foods to my family. I even have started making my own salad dressing.

home school tour of homes

2010-06-07T22:15:00.019-04:00

This past weekend, I participated in a home school tour. Imagine a progressive dinner, but instead of eating a little bit of the meal at each home, you are checking out their school room. The director of our homeschool group thought of this idea and took the time to organize it. And I can only imagine all the behind the scenes energy it took to pull this off.

We had 2 groups of HS moms that traveled around to 6 different homes. At each home we learned a little bit about how they school their kids and how they set up their schooling space. It was a great variety of schooling styles and spaces. From schooling in the bonus room, to using the dining room or even the living room. I wasn't able to make it to the first 2 homes on the tour (I was waiting for the tour groups to arrive at my home).

One thing that I have learned from home education...each year it looks a little different...each year we need to adapt to our current circumstances.

So, for now, our school space looks a little like this. (I have posted pics before)
This is where the big kids sit to do their seat work. Just got these tables this year. LOVE them. I have a taller table and a shorter table for the little ones.

This is where I set out the trays for the little ones. I try to include a variety of activities. Fine motor, letters, counting, sorting, and something crafty.

I just moved this shelf into the school room to hold the tot supplies. Our bonus room has no closets, so ALL of our supplies are out all the time. This forces me to keep our things tidy and organized.

We only had 20 min. at each home. So I quickly sent the group out the door and onto the next home. The next stop was at Kim's home. She schools in the dining room. Here she laid out a some of her favorite curriculum.
Kim uses the workbox system. She lacks the space to have the bins, so she uses one hanging file box with different colors for each child.

Kim also shared one of her favorite tools that she uses as a mom is the Wise Words For Mom chart. I LOVE that chart and think it is worth checking out. You can order here.

Next stop was Tonya's home. She is the one who inspired me with making tools for the boys to play with. Her organization bins have me all but drooling...seriously...an organizers dream.
Notice that book cart in the corner? How cool is that???

Tonya also uses the workbox system. She has boxes for each of her older kids for their daily assignments. The other side also has 12 boxes.
This is her tot space. She puts out 9 trays each day for her younger boys. Love that little learning area. So cute.
Since Tonya schools in her living area/dining area (minus the table) she keeps her supplies in her laundry room (her handy hubby moved the washer and dryer up to the MBR). He closets are well labeled and full of great supplies.

Even her closets were inspiring. This is in her laundry room/pantry/school storage.

Tonya has great storage closets. This is under her stairs. It was like a teacher supply store in there. She gets lots of goodies as gifts from grandparents.The closet kept going if you peak inside. Tried not to covet her stuff. Just keeping it real here.

Last stop was at Terry's home. She is the one who pulled this whole thing off (great job Terry).
Terry schools her girls in their dining room. I loved how she said, even though it is the first thing when you see when you walk into their home...she said school is their life so why hide it? Great perspective.

Terry also uses the workbox system. Each girl has their own system and it looks so cute with cute colored bins.Terry has one of the BEST collection of books. I would rather find books off her shelf instead of the library. You can tell they love to read in their home. She uses Sonlight as their core curriculum. Notice their timeline around the top of the room. I think we all have thought about doing that...she is using homeschooling in the woods for the timeline figures.

This whole idea was such a good one...to get a peak into all these school rooms. Each home is different. Each family schools in their own way. I hope each participant came away encouraged and not overwhelmed. I am bummed that I missed the first 2 homes on the tour. I know Shelley and Jennifer had great things to show and share too. Maybe next time I can grab some pics.

Science Fair

2010-06-06T22:03:00.016-04:00

About a month ago, the girls participated in a small science expo with some home school families. We participated in the history fair in the fall and had such a great time that we signed up to take part in this event too.

We planned ahead just a little more this time and were able to make a good display with lots of examples of all that we have learned. We decided to focus on BIRDS and BOTANY. We have studied both of those using the Apologia books and have enjoyed them so much. We are not done with our botany book and are still working on that, but it didn't stop us from showing what we have covered so far.
This is one of my favorite parts of home education. Watching our kids share what they have studied and learned. It was just so special to watch these girls let Tyce "play" at their science table.

I encouraged the girls to stand by their display to talk about their display with the kids and parents who came to visit their table.Here Tissy is explaining what we grew inside of our light huts. We brought LOTS of plants and flowers that the kids planted a few weeks back.

This was one of my favorite displays. This sweet girl made all of this on her own. Totally self directed. She has a passion for ROCKS. I know her mama was proud.

At this table our kids learned all about crayfish. They even brought some live ones. Notice ALL the BOYS hanging out there. What a fun thing to learn about.

This was a great display all about astronomy. I always enjoy looking through all the books this family brings.

This was a good display that was a variety of science. It was good to see you didn't have to only share one part of science. I loved the plants that they dug up and brought. It fit right in with our botany.

This was a great display from a family who uses NOEO for their science. We have also used that curriculum and have been really impressed with it. And it was great to discuss all they learned about germs.
This display was really sweet. This family shared all they learned about dandelions. They had great books and pictures and even some original art. All from a pre-K kid...impressive.

These girls had a terrific hands on experiment at their table. ALL the kids were interested in checking it out. The mama to these girls also organizes our home school group, she does a fantastic job of organizing and working so hard at having a group for our families to be part of.

more tot fun (AKA how I keep the little ones busy)

2010-06-03T00:09:00.006-04:00

Here is Tate enjoying a big box of animals. We LOVE these Schleich animals. I thought they would make a fun tot tray.

This Rush Hour Jr. game is one of our favorites. Even though Tyce can't play the game, he is able to follow the card and set up the cars to match.
Tyce is learning to use scissors. It seems to be struggle for him so we are trying some creative things to cut. Here he is cutting up a string of beads.

More fine motor and letter learning. Putting gem stickers on letters.

putting in a simple garden

2010-06-02T15:06:00.008-04:00

My Mother's Day gift this year was the work and effort it took to put in a garden. I have been wanting one and since we are home a lot right now, it seemed like it would be fun to do. Trying to find just the right place in the yard, digging all the grass out, putting down some good soil...it took a good part of the day.

We didn't go nuts on getting it too big. It was an effort for me not to think too big. =)

It was really fun to work with the kids and grandparents. Tyce is a hard worker. He can out work any one of us.Tate on the other hand...wanders away and finds some mischief to get into.

We planted lettuce, onions, spinach, radishes and carrots. So far the lettuce seems to be doing the best.

Ode to my compost

2010-05-30T19:14:00.006-04:00

Last year when we moved in Chuck built me a lovely compost bin. And we quickly filled it up with all kinds of bunny litter, kitchen scraps, yard waste, old hay bails (from that awesome party we had), shredded paper all things natural. ***Have compost questions: see this post.*** And we waited. And waited. And waited. Our compost bin was pathetic last year. I had my doubts that it was ever going to break down. When we lived down in the tropics, our compost bin turned so quick and we saw great results. And then here...there is a lot of clay in our soil rather than sand and it takes a lot longer for the compost to turn.

So I have been on the hunt for something to help my compost speed up the break down process. Any kind of magic sprinkle that would help it break down a little more quickly. I asked around at local nurseries and no one had heard of any such thing. Then one day early this spring I found my magic potion.

I sprinkled this on my compost pile and it seemed to do the trick. It contains some kind of fish guts and gross stuff. It was either perfect timing and the compost pile was just going to turn into usable soil or it was this gunk.

And have you heard of the compostable chip bag? Yep...a chip bag that can be composted. Sunchips now comes in a bag that can be composted. Just a warning...it is a REALLY loud bag. Crinkly doesn't even describe it.
I am curious to see how long it takes to break down. I put it in the compost bin Mother's Day weekend. So far, it hasn't done much.

You can see the side on the right has finally turned into usable dirt. And we are just dumping our compost into the side on the left now. We have even used the dirt to fill up a flower box. I am still forever fascinated by the whole idea that what we put in here would go into the trash. With recycling and composting we have less waste than the average family. I have also noticed how many more worms my compost bin has this year. Must be some good eats for those guys.

Comments are off of my posts for a time while I take care of some maintenance.

A visit from friends

2010-05-28T11:39:00.003-04:00

Head on over here to see a few pics from a visit from friends. It was such a treat to see our dear friends. Though our family is still not used to anything outside our normal routine, the boys did alright. Tyce didn't like that he was left out when the girls played with their very dear friend. He ended sitting on my lap and crying for awhile. It reminds me that we are still in the thick of bonding and creating our family dynamics. It will be awhile until visits like that feel normal to the kids.

Even when my parents drop by for a short visit, the boys are still not themselves. It is just different for them when others are around. Still working on adjusting...and I am willing to do it slowly.

Just trying something out

2010-05-28T09:26:00.002-04:00

I am going to try something new here. Hoping that this works.

Remember all that flooding???

2010-05-25T15:52:00.005-04:00

We just had to help out in a very small way. That flood that came through our area was disastrous to so many families.

They lost it all.

We have more than we need.

I told the kids to go through their closets and drawers and toys and books to come up with some nice things to pass on.

At first Tyson didn't understand and it was hard for him to have us taking his things away. He quickly got into the spirit of it and enjoyed passing on to others. We explained the situation in very simple English that these kids had nothing and we wanted to share.

Here Tally was helping him bag up his clothes to give away.

Loading up the van with our donations.

Taking our things to a local drop off destination. Easy as that. Passing it on.

Spring Has Sprung

2010-05-25T15:45:00.005-04:00

We planted seeds for a science project a few weeks ago and I am now just getting these pictures up. I feel sooooooooooo behind in all my tasks and I can only steal a few moments a day to get these extra things done.
Tyson was so into this that he wanted his own set of seeds to grow. He LOVES flowers and plants. He has enjoyed watering his own flowers each day.

These hands on projects are some of my all time favorite ways to learn for school. I think the kids enjoy them and actually learn more when they get to do these kinds of experiments. It has been my goal to do more.

We are using the Apologia series for science and we are currently working on our Botany book. It is slow going, but we like it. I do love how it takes a strong creationist point of view.

Tiny Tots !!!

2010-05-11T23:13:00.014-04:00

We are back into school after a small break this spring. A new challenge for us is having little ones take over our schooling space. So...instead of getting frustrated, we have decided to embrace these early learners.

I found some inspiration for having something for our tiny tots to do. I spent some time online coming up with creative and inspiring ideas for fine motor activities. This is all very new to the boys.

The idea is to have some organized activities for them to work with while I teach the girls. It has taken a little bit of getting used to our new routine, but it works well.I ordered a few basic supplies and we were set to go. I just needed a little boost to get my creative teacher juices flowing.

Here is Tyce sorting texture rings. He is using plastic tongs.

Here is Tate pushing beads into a can. Great fine motor skill builder.

Even the big kids like to work with hands on learning. Tissy is working on a phonics game.

This set of geometric shaped blocks are sure fun. I had no idea what I would do with them until they arrived from Oriental Trading. So far...they are tons of fun.

I love how these small balls fit into these paint trays.

Let's just say...I am just getting started. These activities are fun to put out onto the table and watch the kids (both big and little) explore. It seems to keep them entertained for a while.

Then...after a bit...Tate is done and he runs off to play.

My world has doubled since last Mother's Day

2010-05-11T22:46:00.002-04:00

I am now a mama of four precious children. Who would have thought last year our world would have changed so much? I love that God knew from before the foundation of the world all these details.

The day was full of many emotions and feelings and at the top of the list...gratitude.

Cheesy Lentils and Brown Rice

2010-05-10T21:53:00.003-04:00

2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 C chopped onion
1 C brown rice (uncooked)
1 1/2 C lentils (green or brown)
4 C Chicken broth
2 C cheddar cheese
garlic powder to taste (or use some of your Ethiopian spices)

Drain the tomatoes (reserve the liquid) and chop (I chop with my kitchen scissors). Add the tomatoes, their juices and ALL ingredients (except the cheese) in 9x13 and stir well.

Bake at 350 covered for 1-1 1/2 hours or until rice is slightly undercooked and much of the liquid has evaporated. Remove cover add the cheese and cook to melt the cheese.

***I made this to freeze. I did NOT add the cheese, but cooked until the liquid had evaporated and removed from oven. I let it cool in the fridge overnight and put in the freezer until I was ready to use it. You can bring it out to thaw or defrost it in the microwave (I made mine in a Glad reusable container). Then I cooked with foil cover for about 30 min. then added the cheese and melted the cheese. ***

It is yummy topped with sour cream or served with injera.

WOW !!! What a flood !!!

2010-05-02T20:35:00.010-04:00

It has rained here for about 2 days and this storm has dumped more rain than anyone could have imagined. I knew it was going to rain this weekend, so I thought I was doing a good thing in spreading grass seed around the lawn in the bare spots. Well, that was a waste. It has all washed away.

Notice the brown "river" running in the back of our yard. It was about 15 feet wide today.

Here is the water run off that is off to the side of our house. You can see the neighbors behind us look like that water is REALLY close to their basement.

And speaking of basements...glad we have one. When these storms run through, we head down there when the tornado sirens go off. We considered sleeping in our basement last night. We didn't and there was no tornado in our town, but we try to be safe.

The road in front of our house.

Compared to some of the devastation, we are very thankful for our minimal damage. We lost one small tree and had a few little leaks from the driving rain. Nothing too major. And nothing like our downed tree from last year.

Here are some pics of Chuck's work building. It is the red one in the back with the white garage doors. If you didn't know, Chuck works for a Christian company that makes video for children. This flood will be a big loss for Kidmo. A lot of damage to overcome.

Again, these pictures were taken from the overpass above Chuck's building.

Where we turn to get to Chuck's work. A church on the left and a farm on the right. He also heard that his small studio, where they do some video shoots, has also flooded. No pictures of that yet.

As you can see, there is a lot of damage and huge flooding. Please pray for our area and the struggles that are taking place here this weekend. Many homes and families and businesses are effected.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER !!!!!!!!!

2010-04-25T17:22:00.005-04:00

Since there is no way to call you right now...I am sending my birthday wishes this way this year.
Let me introduce you all to my sister Sue. She has been my best friend for years and I can say what a blessing it can be to have a sister. We have always had a close relationship and when we were in college, we were roommates for a year. We got married 10 weeks apart (I know...I know...my poor mother) and were each others' brides maids. We only get to see each other every few years as she and her husband and boys are missionaries overseas. When we came home with our boys, she flew here to welcome us home at the airport to show her support for our adoption (just one of the ways she supported us).

She loves her family, serves with her husband and loves the Word of God. Please pray for my sister and her family as they adjust back to a new ministry in full time missions work. I have been praying that God would prepare the hearts of the people as they arrive and settle in to a new town. Pray for their boys as they start a new school. Pray for strength and energy and health.

Happy Birthday Susan !!!!!!!

Wish I could be there with you to enjoy the day together.

a pic from our Thanksgiving visit together

Took all 4 kids on a field trip to the Parthenon...all by myself

2010-04-23T23:07:00.008-04:00

I just love when we actually get out and enjoy a field trip. We should do more of these. The kids have a great time, hopefully they learn something, and they get to spend time with their school friends.

This was the first time I took all the kids by myself. And we did pretty well. We have been cocooning and working so hard at the bonding with family, but I couldn't pass this trip up. We have been studying Story of the World (book 1) and we have studied ancient times. Hope the girls could remember some of what we had studied.

Athena inside the Parthenon.

We wear our matching t-shirts when we are out and about. The kids love it.

This was a beautiful day. Wish we didn't have other errands to run on our way home. I bet there is a letterbox at this park, we just didn't have the time to look. We had to head to the children's hospital to pick up some medicine that had to be special ordered. Then it was off to pick up some tables and chairs for the school room. Now that we have 4 kiddos, we need more room to work. It was a busy day, but we still made it home in time for naps.

OK, seriously, even I am bored with my own blog !!

2010-04-14T15:31:00.002-04:00

I am extending a blogging apology to all of you out there who have faithfully followed our blog and prayed for our family and have taken an genuine interest in our lives. I have dropped the blogging ball. My world has gotten a little bit more busy around here and this is something that has taken a back seat.

I blog, like many of you, for different reasons. Not only to I love the connection and bonding that I have found here in Blogville (even my girls have gotten a great pen pal out of it), it is my new way to record our family history. I have printed our first 2 years of the peapod blog into a few books and it has been so neat to read. I just do NOT have the time anymore for scrapbooking, nor any other hobby. But I want our family history to be recorded in some hard bound format. Blog2print was the easiest way to do that. Check it out if you haven't printed out your blog.

I have also had some picture/camera issues. Not that I am offering up excuses, but I love posts with pics. My cell phone has come in handy to send some pics to facebook for keeping the in-laws updates on our world here. But I am disappointed in my camera (looking for a new one). I have taken the time to put a water mark on my pics that include my children (trying to keep the blog stalkers and stealers at bay - yes, a friend of mine has had a bizzar encounter with that kind of thing and freaked us all out). And that takes more time to load and alter those pictures.
Not to mention I have pictures in several computers (none of which are working great) in a few folders. It takes some time to hunt those pictures down.

And, not sure if you noticed, I haven't been commenting on blogs lately either. Yep...so sorry to leave you all stranded from the lack of comments. I always love comments and try to do the kind gesture of blessing you with my stamp of visiting with a little comment, but...haven't been able to find the time to do such a thing lately. I am often checking blogs on my phone (seriously...I have become that person who uses her phone for EVERYTHING) and it isn't always possible to leave comments. So...I have tried to check in on you all, but I am like the phantom friend.

I have been working hard at fostering connection with our 2 newest blessings. And just so you know, it is going VERY well with our new boys. I love them to pieces, and the are a blessing to boot, all be it, they keep me busy. From sun up to sun down, my kiddos have my full attention. They bring such a beautiful joy into our family and we are sooooooooooooooo happy to have them in our family. We have been very intentional in our bonding and attaching time. We have almost had them with us for 2 months. WOW...time flies.

So, for this season...my house is messy...my meals are simple...my clothes are basic...my hair up in a pony tail...my homeschooling (well...I couldn't be doing it with out help from Grammy)...and my blog...not a huge priority.

But, oh how I love having little ones again. I love being a mommy to all of our children. Thank you God for allowing me to be so blessed.

a blessing

2010-04-12T23:10:00.003-04:00

May the good LORD

choose you like Abraham

remember you like Sarah

bless you like Isaac

multiply you like Jacob

elevate you like Joseph

expand your territory like Jabez

answer you like Elijah

prosper you like Solomon

and love you like David.

Easter 2010 - a whole bunch of pictures

2010-04-05T15:16:00.013-04:00

Trying to get a few pictures for our first post placement report. We have our social worker coming out this week to check in on us. Glad to report that all is going well.

All dressed up for church. Our first time all going together. We took a break from our cocooning to celebrate our risen Saviour.

Such beautiful children. It is hard to catch them all looking at the camera and smiling. I just love how this catches the glimmer of happiness in their eyes.

Little man Tate had more fun dumping out his eggs instead of collecting them.

Once Tyce understood what was going on, he was pretty fast to fill up his basket. I wonder what he thinks of living in America ???
The big kids running to find the last few eggs. They did such a good job of sharing with the little ones.

Checking out all the loot in the eggs. Don't worry - it isn't all candy. Nuts, dry cereal, money, crackers...and some candy.

Tate is warming up to Grammy. He still stays pretty close to mama just to make sure (a good sign of bonding).

My girls are getting so big and growing up so fast. Still just as precious as can be.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. I was overcome with emotions this weekend as I prepared my heart for worship. God is so good and I am so unworthy of His grace.

Good Friday and the Resurrection Trail

2010-04-02T15:32:00.014-04:00

We decided to venture out of the house (AKA our cocoon) and go visit a kid's hands on activity to celebrate Good Friday. A local church has a resurrection trail that allows kids to understand a little more about the events that were part of Christ's death, burrial and resurrection. I'm all about purposeful activities and learning experiences.

We ended up running into another homeschooling adoptive family that recently brought home a boy who was at HH (the orphanage) in Ethiopia. It was interesting to watch the boys greet and say hi and then just look at each other in slight confusion. Oh I wish I could read their thoughts. It must be odd to see someone from your "former world" here in your current life. Lots for these little minds to process.
The Resurrection Trail had stations where you would walk to and hear someone share a bit about the different events that were part of the Easter story. I loved how the used hands on activities to teach.

Petting the donkey.

Washing their feet.

Listening to the disciples share.

Sorry to say, I bet most of this goes over the kid's heads, but hopefully they catch some of it. I so deeply desire them to understand what our Lord went through for us. For His love for each of them.

Nailing the nails on the cross.

We visited an "empty tomb" and rejoiced in the truth that He is not here, He has risen.

A good time out as a family. But it did reinforce the importance of cocooning during these first few months. Our world is VERY simple right now and that is what works for us.
Hope you all have a great Easter weekend. Focusing on God's LOVE and sacrifice for us.

homemade play dough...and a good way to entertain all the kiddos

2010-04-01T15:00:00.011-04:00

One of the challenges for me has been to carve out time with just the big girls. My time and energy is monopolized most of the day by 2 little guys (well - honestly the littlest one in our bunch). I have been trying to skip the nap for mommy when I put the boys down for rest and do something with the girls.

One afternoon, we decided to make some play dough. I have had this recipe for years and have never done it. Not sure why...just too busy, I guess. But when you are cocooning at home and looking for something to do...you bring out all your ideas and try to keep the little ones entertained. This is a fun book with cool recipes for all your homemade goodies. Our next project will be homemade bubbles. I'll let you know how it turns out.
The girls often enjoy working in the kitchen with me and although this was fun, it wasn't quite as fun as making brownies or cupcakes and getting to lick the bowl clean.

I made a REALLY big batch and here is the recipe I used to make enough dough for all the kids to share.

4 cups boiling water
2 cups salt
4 cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons alum
4 tablespoons veggie oil

Remove the boiling water from the stove and add the salt. In medium bowl mix the rest if the ingredients. Add the salted water and mix the dough. Add food coloring if desired. Kneed it by hand when it has cooled a bit.

Once the boys got up from their rest time, they got to play with it too. I just had to let them know we don't eat it. And as you can imagine around here, I act all of those concepts out to communicate to them what I need to get across.

I love how these kinds of activities bring all the kids together and allows them to bond and connect as siblings.
If you look closely, you will see little man Tate smiling (well, kind of a smile that says "watch out, I am a handful"). He is so fast it is hard to catch him smiling. Well, that and I am using my phone as a camera. I still haven't gotten back to taking the time to uploading real pictures. Good thing I can snap a shot and email it to myself. At least I am documenting our life here at home.

My little helper

2010-03-22T12:17:00.003-04:00

This little guy loves to play the "transfer game". Moving things from one spot to another. Papers, books, toys, whatever he can get his hands on. So I figured, instead of fussing since I can't hold him and do laundry at the same time...why not involve him.

He can transfer the clean laundry to the basket and move the wet laundry to the dryer. Keeps him entertained and his favorite part...shutting the door when we are done.

I think someone might be ready to start some school

2010-03-18T11:26:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I was able to do a little school with the girls ( and I mean A LITTLE - Grammy has been helping with school around here and I am sooooooo grateful ). With it being St. Patrick's Day, I we all dressed in green and I printed some things off of Enchanted Learning for the kids to do. My little guy wanted to participate.

Actually, when I was printing the papers, the fascination of watching the paper come out of the printer was just adorable. All those kinds of things that are so normal to us are brand new discoveries to the boys.

Tyce is able to color inside the lines, trace some letters and he is beginning to write some letters on his own. Not bad for a four year old. =) We also tried tearing papers and pasting it to paper. He enjoyed that. And since it was going so well, I thought we would give scissors a try. He doesn't have the motor skill for that one yet, but it shouldn't take too long to learn. He seems to be a eager learner and wants to be involved with our projects. It will be fun to teach him.

It was fun to show Daddy all the work he had done. I put it up on the back of the door in the kitchen for all of us to acknowledge his hard work. (My camera is giving me trouble, so I am using my phone for my pictures. I do have some nice new pics on the adoption blog of the boys looking TOO CUTE. Click on the peapod to the right and head on over there for a look-see.)

How we fill our days...now that we have 4 kids

2010-03-10T14:04:00.011-05:00

I have been BUSY...BUSY...BUSY. The boys keep me running and I love it. We have only been home about a week and a half and we are working hard at keeping a routine. I find that all kids thrive on routine. It helps so much for them to know what is expected for each part of the day.

So our day if full of lots of play time.

We will spend more time outside playing on the playset.

Then after we used up all of our energy we have
lunch and clean up before nap time.

Oh...how we love our nap time.Yes...I rock him to sleep for both nap time and bed time (and I LOVE IT).
And after rest time we start all over again.

But most of the day...these pleading eyes look up at me and reach up for momma. And then...I spend my day holding my Little Man.

Tissy's TENTH birthday HUNT

2010-03-07T15:25:00.012-05:00

Staying in fashion of letting our 10 year old have a birthday shopping hunt, we spent the morning out with the kids opening envelopes filled with clues. These clues led Tristen (who turns 10 tomorrow) off on a birthday shopping hunt.

This was a big adventure for the whole family and we weren't sure how it would end up. We are deep into the cocooning stage of adjusting to our adoption, but we had to break the rules to celebrate this sweet girl of ours. (If you haven't heard, we just got home a week ago from Africa with our 2 newest Sweet Peas).
The morning started off with a hug from her little brother. Can't you just feel the love???
The clues took us to our local shopping strip plaza where Tristen got to pick out goodies from some select stores. First a treat from the store at Cracker Barrel (somehow my camera stopped working so all these pics are from my phone).

With her toy of choice (a sock monkey), we headed to the department store for some new clothes. She picked a new outfit (always a huge treat to get something NEW in stead of hand-me-downs) and quite fashionable I might add.
We stopped off at Ross where she picked out a new hand towel for her bathroom. And then off to the dollar store where all the kiddos got to spend some birthday cash. Little man Tate just stayed in the sling and didn't seem to care much for shopping. But big sister Tally and little brother Tyce were all about finding goodies too.

Then we headed to the book store for a new book and toy too. She had a limit to spend at each store and worked hard at finding things within her budget.

Our next stop was Target for a new bike helmet and a DVD to watch with the family.

Last stop, ice cream at the creamery. Yummy !!!! Dessert before lunch.
All in all, the kids did well. Even though it was lots of stimulation with stores, we didn't interact with friends or people so we felt like it was a pretty safe activity. We have asked the girls to sacrifice so much during this whole adoption, we need to make sure and meet their needs too.

Such SWEET girls. Oh how I love them and enjoy them every day. What a blessing to have such a beautiful family.

Using up that LAST little bit of snow

2010-02-18T10:31:00.003-05:00

The girls think this snow man (or lady) is doing a little dance. I think they might be right.

We leave for Africa tomorrow and meet the boys on Sunday. Oh.....we have been BUSY around here.

Stepping back and watching my little girl grow up.

2010-02-12T10:23:00.004-05:00

As much as I have intended to be more consistent in taking the kids out on one on one dates...I have failed. This is an area I want to work harder at. Since I have a hard time doing things half-hearted, I tend to just not do something if I can't make it fantastic. So in the spirit of resisting the urge to have planned out a fantastic evening with clues to a special location...I just asked Tally as we were cleaning up the dinner dishes if she wanted to go out with me.

We headed over to a local book store and got a special hot cocoa and settled down to just talk. About all kinds of girly things and about nothing in particular. I just wanted to keep the doors of communication open. As our little ones grow up, I think we need to be even MORE intentional in our time with them.

We read a book together and used it as a tool to pave the way for more detailed talks to come. I just loved Tally's response to the whole thing. She is so mature and wise. At one point we were talking about finding appropriate people to go to if you need help or have questions. And it was her idea to talk to a grown up, she thought it would be better than seeking out a peer, since someone older might have already gone through the same circumstance and have better advice.
In the end I bought her a nice journal and gave it to her to use as a prayer journal. I shared that there will be times that others won't be there for her. Or worse yet, I will respond to her emotional needs the wrong way. But I reminded her that God is always there. Always listening. Always caring. She can use this journal to write down her thoughts and share them with God when she is struggling with something.

making little AG doll goodies

2010-02-04T15:47:00.005-05:00

Just wanted to share what I made here this past weekend when we had our big snow storm. I wanted to make some goodies for a friend's daughter who is getting an American Girl doll for her birthday. Since the Kirsten doll is no longer available through AG, she found one on Craig's List. I helped her fix the doll's hair to make her look more like new. She didn't come with any accessories so I borrowed the pattern from a friend and worked on Friday night and Saturday on some fun accessories.
I made the apron, spoon pocket, hankie and bonnet. I think they turned out SOOOOO cute. I just love them. Making dolly clothes are extra fun (even though they are extra small and hard to maneuver on the machine).

I couldn't just stop with those. I thought it would be fun to make the Kirsten "undies". So sweet. Hope she likes them.

homemade quilt made from old clothes

2010-02-02T17:33:00.006-05:00

I recently made a quilt made from some baby clothes that I had saved from the girls. I wanted to make something on the sewing machine, but I didn't want to buy a bunch of fabric. So, I thought the quilt would work just fine, plus, we are often in need of extra blankets around here.

I will be honest, I didn't measure ANYTHING. I just started cutting and made sure the squares were about the same size. I am a "wing-it" kind of gal. I had no plan, just wanted to be crafty. The squares are about 9 by 9 inches. Lots of different kinds of fabric, sweaters, knit dresses, Chuck's racing t-shirt, old shorts that Tissy wore out before she grew out of them. Each piece brings memories and the girls LOVE IT. They love what it represents.
By the time I was ready to attach it to the backing and batting, I was in no mood to "quilt" it. The fabrics are too varied, so I decided to tie it with yarn. That alone took several evenings in front of the TV watching movies while I worked under the warm snuggy quilt. I can't wait until I can make one for the boys in a few years.

SNOW !!!!!! (and our homemade sled)

2010-02-01T10:40:00.012-05:00

We had a BLAST this weekend. We got lots of snow (lots for here at least) and we enjoyed every moment. Friday Chuck made it home from work in record time. It took him an hour (only takes about 10 minutes on a regular day). Cars were all over the place and stuck in ditches. He was safe and took it nice and slow. Friday night we took a walk in the snow after dinner. It was beautiful. We walked over to my parents house and visited, then bundled back up and walked home. Our cheeks were stung with frozen flakes hitting them, but it made for great memories.

Saturday was a true "snowed in" day. They don't plow the snow here and no one shovels. It usually melts within the day, so there is no need to worry. But this snow was deep and lasted several days. It would freeze again at night and make it a glistening iced over wonder each morning.

We let the girls wear our OLD snow clothes (yep...they were huge on them but it didn't matter). The kids bundled up and wanted to sled. We have a little hill in our yard and Chuck found some things for them to sled on.
We used an old toboggan and a runner sled. Both are truly antiques. But it was worth it. I think Chuck used this little toboggan when he was little.
Took a break for lunch then decided to head back out in the snow again. This time Chuck took a second to look for ideas on how to make a homemade sled. You see around here people will use anything. Boogie boards, cardboard, laundry baskets, baby pools, garbage bags, blow up pool rafts. You name it...and someone has used it.
This is what Chuck came up with. We call it SPEEDERS. Old skies (that Chuck's parents brought last time they were here) and wood. And it is FAST !!!! And FUN !!!! By the time we were done, Chuck had drilled holes in the tips to tie on the rope. I know you are jealous. =) Talk about a great way to reuse and recycle.
I have to say...what a good Daddy Chuck is. He spent hours helping the girls sled and have fun in the snow. What a special time together as a family.

Well...it wasn't ALL for the kids. We had a fun runs too.

Making applique shirts

2010-01-29T17:32:00.008-05:00

Trying something new again. I thought I would try making applique shirts with Africa on them (more about these shirts HERE). So...I picked up some t-shirts for the girls and myself and we decided on some cute material and headed home with something called "wonder under" to figure out how to make these.First I found an image of Africa online and printed it. I enlarged it for my shirts and used the standard size for the girls. I made a template out of card stock to use to make my design.

I traced the shape on the fabric with a pencil. I wanted to chose fabric that would be forgiving with any mistakes. Then I cut a piece of the wonder under about the same size as the fabric. Then followed the directions on how to iron it onto the fabric to make the applique. It was really quick and easy.
Then I cut out my shape and gently peel off the paper backing. The material is left with a shiny backing that will iron on and stick to the shirt.
After positioning the applique in the right spot, follow directions on wonder under packaging and iron onto the shirt. This sticks the applique onto the shirt so I could do a ZIGZAG stitch around the edge of the shape.

Here is Tissy's final result. I think it is adorable. I have more pictures on my adoption blog (HERE) of the other ones. It is just too cute. I thought these would be cute with hearts for Valentine's Day, or flowers for spring. Lots of ideas. (I did wash and dry the shirts before I attached the applique, just in case there was shrinkage).

Oh the things I find when I go upstairs to tuck my girls into bed...

2010-01-26T08:39:00.010-05:00

Creative play. It never ends here at our home. These girls come up with some of the most unique ways to play. I have blogged about it before, so here I am again sharing what they were up to.

I walked into their room and burst out laughing when I found this.

Can you tell what it is? A Woody (from Toy Story) doll dressed up as an old woman. Too funny. The girls then wanted to give me a tour of all the characters in the play. Here is Pharaoh Huggy. Can you tell we have studied ancient Egypt this year (and this huggy was also inspired by Kidmo).

And we also have Florence Nightingale. She takes care of the sick.
Of course Taylor Swift was in the story too. I then asked how they knew about Taylor Swift, and they heard about her from friends.
This is a king (actually Huggy) who was looking for a bride in their story. Somehow morphed from Princess Diaries 2.
And their story included an orphaned boy. I know where that one comes from. =)

And last but not least, the Egyptian dancer who entertains everyone.

What it reminded me, was that they just want to share their world with me. And for that afternoon, the girls world was a pretend story. They loved it that I took the time to be interested in their life.

balloon animals

2010-01-24T19:02:00.008-05:00

Just had to share these cute balloon animals that were decoration at our adoption shower. They were just too cute. Of course we loved that they were African animals.

The girls got a little balloon animal kit from a friend this weekend at the shower (click the peapod to see that post). Tally wanted to learn to make the basic balloon animal. She carefully followed the instructions and was the first in the family to figure it out.I was really impressed with her determination on this one. I also found it interesting that she learned by either reading the instructions or having them read to her. Not looking at the pictures. I am always fascinated how children learn.
She isn't quite up to making those cool animals at the top, but she is having fun learning something new. I just love when my kids can do something that I can't do. And sad to say, the day will quickly come where they are teaching me things, instead of me always being the teacher.

We PASSED court !!!!!!!!

2010-01-15T13:10:00.001-05:00

I am now officially a momma of 4 !!!! Praising God for all the details. Thank you for joining us in our journey.

baby it's cold outside !!

2010-01-12T10:08:00.002-05:00

Just curious...what do you set your thermostat at? With the cold snap all across the country, I bet most of us are running the heat. Do you set it lower for night time? Do you adjust it when you leave the house? Do you use space heaters?

Right now, ours is set for 64. Some rooms are warm and others are chilly. The family room is nice and cozy with the fire place burning. But...we have not played in the bonus room for a few days. TOO COLD. Brrrr

homemade christmas gifts from the girls

2010-01-09T09:22:00.012-05:00

Just like we did last year, we all worked hard on homemade gifts for Christmas. Sorry for the delay, but I am working on a different computer and I needed to learn how to upload the pics before I could share them. I will add more photos later as part of my blogging journal, but here are a few pictures of the girls with their gifts.Tally made Papa a pillow that she hand embroidered and sewed on the machine. He loves sailboats so every thing for Papa has sailboats.Grammy gets an apple for her Christmas tree. She loves apples (my dad was raised on an apple farm, so they are special to our whole family).

Tissy embroidered on a hankie for Papa. Yep...that is another sailboat.

After last years homemade napkins, she decided to make some for Grammy. She embroidered a custom set for them. A sailboat to represent Papa and Sudoku to represent Grammy.
Tissy embroidered Africa on a piece of cloth for me to turn into a pillow. She needed help on the machine so we will finish it together. Notice the little heart near Ethiopia? I love it !!!!
Tissy embroidered on a hankie for Grandpa (Chuck's dad). He gets a car for his design. Good thing our grandpa's use handkerchiefs. =)

One of our favorite things to make is a little pouch out of felt. Tally made this one for Grandpa. He can use it to hold special goodies like gift cards.
Tissy made a little watermelon for Grandma. She can put it in her kitchen with her collection or hang it on her Christmas tree.

The girls came up with all these ideas on their own. I was so proud of their creative ideas and thoughtful gestures. They are such sweet girls and they want to share their love for us in such special ways.

Snow Day

2010-01-07T21:49:00.003-05:00

We had a snow day today. And for some girls who are used to the tropics and the sun...it was a BLAST. They bundled up and had fun playing out in the flurries. All the schools were closed and most people stayed home from work (can you tell it doesn't snow much here???).

Big Adoption News...

2010-01-05T20:08:00.001-05:00

We got great adoption news today. We have a court date.
Click the peapod to head on over to the adoption blog for details.

unplugged

2010-01-03T22:46:00.003-05:00

While I have been off line...

I have managed to...

learn to play Wii tennis (we are borrowing a wii for a bit)

packed up all the christmas stuff

relearned to play a song on the piano (haven't played in over 20 years)

made a quilt from old baby clothes for the girls

read some books

narrowed down our "american" name choices for the boys

sorted and reorganized my coupons

It hasn't been ALL bad not having internet for a few weeks. But I do miss you all. I should be back up and running this week. And with plenty of pictures of all our happenings.

Happy New Year my friends.

revolving door

2009-12-28T15:34:00.003-05:00

Our home has been somewhat of a revolving door since the middle of October. As soon as one batch of company leaves, I have just about enough time to wash the sheets, clean the bathroom and restock the pantry before the next group arrives.

We have been blessed with lots of visits with family and friends over the last 2 months. We just said goodbye to some dear friends this morning and we are anticipating a visit from Chuck's uncle tomorrow. We had Chuck's parents here for a week in October and again for Christmas. My sister and her family were here for just over a week for Thanksgiving. And we were able to squeeze in a visit from a college friend for a few days.

We have had a great time, but needless to say...we are a bit tired. I am sure everyone is tired right about now. Christmas is over and packed away...and we are ready to get back into a normal routine for school. We have been extra busy with adoption stuff and we haven't had much of any time to take a breath.

I still have very limited internet access and that is why I haven't been online blogging or staying in touch. Sure miss staying connected, but we haven't had a lot of extra time anyhow. I hope you all had a great Christmas season and are staying happy and healthy. Hope to post some pictures soon of all our enjoyable Christmas holiday.

Still here...just not connected

2009-12-20T20:53:00.002-05:00

I have been so busy and haven't had time to update the blog these days. Plus I haven't had internet connection so I have been completely cut off from the world. We have also sold our car (yay!!! so we can use that money to help fund our travel to Africa sometime this spring). Without a car, we have been a little stranded and not connected.

On a positive side, we have had fun making lots of christmas gifts (homemade ones are the best). And yummy baked goodies. Oh how it feels like Christmas here. We just haven't been very motivated to get our school work done or do any needful.

I just wanted to let you know we are still here and doing just great. Hope you are having a great Christmas season and are safe and healthy.

Saint Lucia invites you to breakfast

2009-12-13T14:29:00.007-05:00

This morning we were greeted by our sweet girls in traditional fashion with breakfast in bed on Saint Lucia Day (December 13). Over the past 5 years this has become one of our favorite family traditions. The girls plan and prepare (with Grammy's help) to rise early while it is still dark and prepare breakfast for the family.

They enter our bedroom in the dark with only their lighted crowns shining to light the way (don't worry - battery tea lights make it safe). They dress in white gowns and a red sash and say "Saint Lucia invites you to breakfast". Each carrying a tray with breakfast goodies.

This year was extra special because they prepared the breakfast all themselves. They only needed Grammy's help fixing their crowns and setting the alarm. My, oh my, how our little girls are growing up.

Click here and here to see them in years past. Click he re and here to read a little about the history of Saint Lucia. Just wondered if any other family out there celebrates Saint Lucia Day and how they do it?

jesse tree - advent - getting ready for christmas

2009-12-07T10:46:00.011-05:00

We have really enjoyed our time together as we have been preparing for Christmas. And I don't mean buying gifts and making cookies. We haven't even started any kind of shopping or baking. That will come in time.

We are trying to spend a little time each day doing family devotions in the evening as we celebrate advent. We read our verses and short devotional and light the candle. Like any busy family, we miss a day here and there, but we make it up when we can. It is nice to have a purposeful time each day to focus on God and His word.

This is our second week of Advent, and our family celebration night included family time at home watching an old Christmas movie. The girls are not feeling great so a night hanging out at home was just perfect. We watched the old Christmas In Connecticut movie (a favorite of mine).

We have also been working on making a Jesse Tree. Also a way to count down the days for Christmas, but with visual pictures that help retell the story of the Bible. We have not done a Jesse Tree before, so I googled some ideas and decided to print some pictures and use the verses from this site HERE. I was trying to do this in an easy way rather than "make" our own ornaments with felt or sewing, I just printed them and the girls made a tree on paper. I have the ability to make things more difficult for myself so I was determined to make this easy for all of us.

Each day we put an other ornament on the tree that represents different parts of the history of Christ and the Bible. We were a little behind so we have done more than one ornament a day, trying to catch up.

Maybe it is the educator inside of me that LOVES things like this. This is such a great way to have the kids learn Biblical history. Tristen pointed out how it is all connected and part of one big story.Right now our kitchen door is displaying this tool we are using to learn more about God and His history.

I love being purposeful and spending our time on things that we find a lot of value in. If the Jesse tree works well for us, I might make some cute ornaments out of felt for next year. You know...in my spare time. =)

catching up

2009-12-06T17:10:00.007-05:00

We have been busy...and I mean BUSY around here. As I sit here and write this post, the family is conked out on the couch watching Cinderella (well ~ Chuck is snoring and not watching much). I think we needed a day of rest. It feels like a long time since we have had one.

We had lots of excitement and holiday celebrations in the past few weeks. We had a nice time with my sister and her family during Thanksgiving. They were here just over a week and all the cousins played and played and played. From football outside to Wii golf indoors to letterboxing to playing at the park. We had an active week. There were 11 of us in all for the Thanksgiving meal and most of the evening diners so the dishwasher got lots of use (couldn't have done it without all the help in the kitchen ~ thanks!!).
The girls helped make our rolls for our meal. It is always a joy to serve with them in the kitchen. I love teaching them to bake and cook. This year we made cloverleaf rolls with our traditional recipe. YUM !!

The kids watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in the morning and worked on a craft at the same time. I made a quick turkey collage for them to do. My kids had so much fun on the one we made for the reptile project we wanted to make another one.

My 3 nephews were here and the girls enjoyed having cousins around. My sister's youngest is the same age as Tally. All of them are fun to have around.

It really was a fun time for Thanksgiving with my family. We are pretty tired from all the action around here and I will have to post more of catching up from the last few weeks. The girls worked a yard sale table yesterday and I posted that on the adoption blog with an update of our funds so far. Feel free to go and check it out. HERE

We have also had other holiday parties and activities going on and I will try to post pictures soon. Just trying to catch up and get some much needed rest at the same time.

Hope your weekend has been great. Enjoy the second Sunday of Advent.

Peace because Jesus is my HOPE

2009-12-02T18:17:00.004-05:00

I have a peace this week. In all of the excitement and chaos and roller coaster ride from the holiday and having family here and getting our referral...I have peace. A peace that comes from trusting in God and resting in the truths of His Word.

I was so blessed by the prayer from our Advent devotional book. I shared it on the Sweet Pea blog but I wanted to share it here.

O Lord, help me to see Your future possibilities in spite of the limitations of the present moment.

This week for advent we have been focusing on Jesus being our HOPE. I can stand firm in knowing that Jesus is my HOPE.

Our prayer is that God will provide $10,000 in 10 days. My human doubt says I can't figure out how that will happen, but I don't need to rely on that. I am trusting that God will do it in His perfect way. We are trying to sell our cars to get to some cash and God has already provided another car for us to use when we need it. How cool is that??? I love how God works.

We are already seeing God providing in so many ways and I desire for this to be HIS story and not mine. For Him to get the glory. So thank you for being part of God's plan. Whether by giving or praying or being encouraging and supportive. We are so blessed.

We got a referral !!!

2009-12-01T14:52:00.003-05:00

2 Precious boys ages 4 and almost 2. And when I say precious...I mean....PRECIOUS. They are just about the cutest things ever. We are SOOOOOO excited we can hardly stand it.

We are on the fast track on this adoption. We only submitted our application 3 months ago today. First things first - have the international pediatric office review the file and give us a report.

We have about 10 days to get all the paperwork done and get our money turned in. And it will be a miracle from God to organize all of this. I can see how His hand has been all over this already. He needed this to go quickly so we could be ready to accept this referral. Thought we had about 6 months to raise the rest of the money...but God will provide.

I hardly slept at all last night. Riding the excitement wave. =)

Stand with us

2009-12-01T08:14:00.004-05:00

We have had a busy holiday week with family and lots of celebration for Thanksgiving. I hope you all had many things to be thankful for this year. My list of gratitude continues to grow. I can't wait to post pictures of some of our goings on and our visit with my sister and her family.

We will get back into the swing of things this week as our family leaves today. I feel like I need to get back to schooling and take advantage of the few weeks before the Christmas break.

Just very quickly I am asking for my blogging friends to PLEASE pray with us in these next few days. We have seen God working in amazing ways (looking forward to sharing more). I will share details as soon as I can, but we are praying that God provides in a big way in the next week. I can see clearly how His hand has been on our family both here and in Africa and that His timing is perfect.

Trusting in a mighty God. Stay tuned for details....

Give this Christmas Away

2009-11-25T23:20:00.006-05:00

We got a fun little surprise last week in church. Matthew West came in (as a surprise) to sing a his new Christmas song. I had not heard it before, but it seems to fit our Christmas this year perfectly.

Please PLEASE PLEASE watch this video and let the lyrics sink deep into your soul. Take it to heart and allow the message to make a difference in how you spend your Christmas.

It's feeding the hungry
serving the poor

It's telling the orphan
"You're not forgotten anymore"

Thankful

2009-11-25T08:55:00.003-05:00

This week I am thankful for a house full of cousins. My girls are having a blast spending time with family that we only get to see every few years.
I am thankful that we are not moving or trying to sell a house.
So very thankful that we are all under one roof (accept for sweet pea).
Praising God that we are on the waiting list for Sweet Pea.
Thankful and grateful for how God provided the funds we needed to send in our dossier. Knowing that God will provide in His perfect timing for the rest.
Thankful that my family is healthy.
I am in awe of how gracious God has been to me and my family.
Thankful for God's word, for the ability to study it and how it changes my life.
Thankful that God forgives...for all the times I have sinned, in so many ways, and failed.
Thankful for Christ - the one who paid it all.

Happy Thanksgiving !!!!!!!!!!

May you spend the holiday focused on God and His blessings and His perfect ways.

preparing

2009-11-23T13:47:00.002-05:00

We are determined to focus on the right thing for the holiday and prepare our hearts for worship. We are ready for the season of advent...are you?

Preparing for the holidays

2009-11-16T18:34:00.002-05:00

I am sure you are all getting ready to prepare for the holidays. I am so thankful that we will not be moving, or trying to sell a home, or packing a truck or taking daddy back to the airport this holiday season. We were in such a transition period of our life last year and I am so very thankful that we can focus on the holiday and all that it really means. I am looking forward to our season of advent this year as we prepare our hearts for what Christmas is all about.

I am so thankful that we will be able to see my sister and her family for Thanksgiving. We will have a full house and I know the kids will really enjoy having the cousins around. It will be such a treat to celebrate Thanksgiving with them 2 years in a row.

I am so thankful that our paper chase part of the adoption is under our belt. We are now officially on a waiting list and we will use this time to enjoy our family as it is now and prayerfully prepare for what it will become. Our waiting list numbers are on the adoption blog - click on the peapod to get there.

We are leaning toward spending our Christmas shopping money on gifts for those that really need it. I know many families try and find something to do at Christmas to bless others. We will most likely buy gifts for native missionaries or families through GOSPEL FOR ASIA (HERE). We have done this before and I would love to encourage you to find something like this to spend part of your shopping budget on.

Also, just thought I would ask for ideas of your favorite holiday traditions that you enjoy with your family. I am looking into doing the Jesse Tree (HERE) this year and would also like to hear what ideas you would like to share.

nature prints

2009-11-13T10:43:00.011-05:00

We made some really neat nature prints the other day for our science. I had purchased this paper a LONG time ago and totally forgot about it. (HERE) We had a beautiful sunny morning so we decided to take advantage of it.The idea is you put the paper out in the sun for a few moments with something on it to make a shape. We had fun picking fun shaped items.

It was a windy day and our things kept blowing away. We had to hold them down tight.
The girls even made their hand prints in the sun. Notice the silverware and the toy horses. They love those shadows.
Then you quickly take the papers inside and soak them in water for about 2 minutes. (Can't remember, you would have to read the instructions).
Soaking them with water helps darken the paper and prints. Then you let them dry flat.Notice the branch from a tree, the lace and the scissors. Those all turned out pretty cool.

Here are our dried nature prints. We plan on putting some in our nature journals and writing about the sun and light.

What was so cool about this project was the immediate results. Well, that and the creativity.

Am I the last one out there ???

2009-11-12T08:41:00.003-05:00

Without a GPS ??? Does anyone use maps anymore ? Feeling like I am part of a soon to be extinct group.
Maybe I should put it on my Christmas list. =)

We have been BUSY !!!

2009-11-11T08:17:00.005-05:00

We have been so busy and trying to squeeze everything in these past few days. Chuck has been working round the clock on a big video shoot for the past week. He is beyond tired. The girls and I helped him out on Saturday at his shoot. Needless to say, it was fascinating. I loved watching him in action, directing and organizing all the chaos. He does such a great job and it was a treat to be involved.

God provided the money we needed to press ahead on the dossier and we have been busy trying to get those documents done and notarized (click the peapod for updates). It is a paper chase. We spent most of yesterday in the car going from office to office getting the last few things done. It is amazing to see God's mighty hand at work in all of this.

We have had construction workers in the house for almost a week working on our bathroom floor and shower. There has been a major leak and water has built up and caused a mess. I can't get into my closet so I have been wearing the same outfit for days. =)

I am teaching my portion of our keepers group today and we are taking a field trip of sorts to the library to learn about the organization system that is used there. I am also working with a friend on a junior naturalists club that we formed this fall. We have that meeting on Thursday and I need to squeeze in preparing for that lesson. I have left it all to the last minute. I hate that about myself.

We finished our last class of education on Monday night for our adoption training. Glad to have it done, but we have learned so much and appreciated all the education we have been able to take part in. My mom has faithfully helped us out with watching the girls all those Monday nights as we have had to travel to the "city" to take these classes. We are SO thankful for the support.

So...all that to say, my house is a MESS. With running in every direction, I haven't had the time to get it cleaned, or put away, or hardly made a meal for my family. I will be happy to have all the paper chasing done before the holidays approach. My sister and her family will be here for Thanksgiving and I can't wait for that. It will be such a treat to get together again.

In the spirit of keeping it real. A tiny peak at the mess around here.

When you don't sort through the mail in days, it can really pile up. Working on our paper work for the dossier.

I haven't been able to get to my closet and put any clothes away. So...they just keep piling up.

Praying for our children

2009-11-09T17:30:00.004-05:00

I desire to pray more for my children. Not just a prayer for their health and for them to have a good day. But I desire to pray for their spiritual walk. For their relationship with God. Their influence on others. For their future spouse. Pray that they would be an example on others. For their purity.

I found a book on praying for your children and I made cards to keep next to the breakfast nook. I try and pray over these cards each morning as I have a cup of tea and read my Bible. I love how these prayers come from scripture and help me to focus on what is worthy as I lift up my family before the Almighty God. Especially as I have been praying for our new child (ren). Since I don't know names or ages or gender or circumstances, I pray for God to be working in their life even now.

I am so thankful for the prayers of friends and family. I know our parents pray every day for our children and we are so thankful to have prayer warriors that lift us up. God is faithful and He hears our prayers and His will is what we desire.

Another one of my favorite resources is the "Praying for our Children" calendar. (HERE) It is worth printing out and putting some place you see every day.

Go check out the new post

2009-11-06T23:15:00.002-05:00

BIG news on the adoption blog. Click HERE to see how God is working.

Candy Land

2009-11-05T17:14:00.011-05:00

Instead of eating all the candy, these girls have been playing with it all week. I had to take pictures of it, for I am impressed with their creativeness. Click the pictures to enlarge for better viewing.

At first a few toys were added to enhance the fun. And very quickly a coral showed up in front of the barn.And a candy garden was planted. Notice the "Nerds" gate. This is where the candy comes from.

Pretty soon the barn grew and stalls were added out back to house the animals. And a few wooden people were added to ride the horses and play in the garden. Notice the yellow colored candy to represent the hay. And blue candy is for the water.

When they are off playing with something else, or when it is time to take a break and eat or do school, this is how the horses are left, in their stalls.Here is the family sitting at the table. I think the family is inspired by the Ingalls family, I hear a lot of Laura and Mary dialogue going on. Chairs are made out of Milk Duds boxes. If you click the picture here you will notice the fire in the background with a Hershey Kiss as the flame of the fire.

Here they all are tucked into bed complete with covers made out of M & M's and Reese's. They have used the candy just like building blocks to create their world.

Lounging on chairs made of Nerds and Dots complete with the fireplace in the front. Again notice the flame made out of Hershey Kiss and the logs made of Tootsie Rolls. This is the parlor.

Here they are playing by the creek. Since it is inspired by the Little House stories, notice the red Now and Later, that is supposed to be the crab from the story.

I have been amazed that the kids came up with this all on their own. I LOVE how creative they are with how they play. Just had to share our CANDY LAND.

one of the reasons we are doing what we are doing

2009-11-04T10:44:00.006-05:00

Just a reminder that most of our adoption posts are being posted on our Sweet Pea blog (HERE). This video is worth watching, take the few moments it takes to view. My prayer is that God uses us in some way to further His kingdom. My eyes have been opened and I will not be the same. God has burdened my heart for His children who have needs. Please continue to pray for our family and our journey and our Sweet Pea.

****Sharing the good news that the homestudy is DONE and has been sent to our agency and USCIS (immigration). That is a BIG check off the list. ****

Fall Festival Fun

2009-11-02T12:12:00.009-05:00

We threw together some last minute outfits for some fall festival fun. We have been so busy and we just didn't have the time to work on anything before Saturday morning. We had Chuck's parents here last week and we ended up having 2 families for dinner on 2 different nights and then one other night we went out for Ethiopian food. Plus last Tuesday the girls and I went to the theater with a school group to see Little House on the Prairie the Musical. It was a fantastic evening and we enjoyed every second of it. But all of that turned into a VERY busy week.
We ended up going from festival to festival. Kroger and Publix had fall festivals going on with games and candy. Then we went over to a local church where a HUGE fall festival was going on. The girls enjoyed all the games and fun. And of course lots of candy. It was fun to see how many people we know and we have been here less than a year. After that we headed to another church and fall festival. More games and treats. It was starting to get cold and this festival was outside so we quickly made the rounds and then home to go and visit a few surrounding neighbors.

The day turned out to be lots of fun and the festivals were fantastic. We need to remember that we are not living in the tropics anymore and it gets cold here. We were not really prepared for that. Good thing most of the fun was indoors. This year Tally dresses as an Egyptian and Tissy was a cowgirl (inspired by Jessie in Toy Story 2). And Chuck and I grabbed some left over yard sale scrubs and joined in on the fun.Notice my doctor kit. =) I carted around my cell phone and camera inside.

Now...what to do with all that candy. Man...these girls got a lot. First off, they love sorting the candy. Counting out how many of each kind. And that is just the beginning of the fun. We don't do much sweets, so it will last a LONG time. And provide much entertainment.

homemade tv antenna

2009-10-29T09:03:00.004-04:00

We have worked really hard at cutting down our budget and one of the ways that has worked for us to not pay for cable tv. When we moved here, we never signed up to have our cable hooked up and since we are trying to save some money, we have decided to wait as long as we can. Honestly, we don't watch much tv. In fact, the girls like a few shows on PBS and Chuck likes to watch a football game every once and awhile, but we have learned to do without the rest of tv.

With football season here, Chuck was pretty disappointed with our $5 rabbit ears the reception that it was getting. The one stations that plays the football games wasn't always coming in clear. He tried getting a powered antenna for about $40 bucks, but it wasn't any better (so that went back to the store). So....he did a little research and came up with this.
He spent about 4 dollars and found some wire hangers and came up with this. I think he got some inspirations from a site like this (HERE). It sits outside under our deck and gets great reception. Like I said, we were only hoping for PBS and at least one network that shows some football. He is still working on exactly how the wire will run to the tv, but for now it is working great. I love his determination and his passion for being thrifty.

**************************************************

I have been working on making an adoption blog. My desire to have a neat journal of our process and have something to show our new sweet pea some day. That is what we call our new little one - sweet pea. I have taken older posts that were adoption related and put them on that blog. I plan on blogging about adoption on that bog instead of on here. For those of you that are interested you can follow along HERE. We would appreciate prayer for our journey. I hope and pray that God uses that to be a place of positive connections and encouragement to all of those who have the heart of adoption.

some of my favorite games

2009-10-26T11:56:00.008-04:00

We are a family that loves to spend time together. We value our time at home as a family and try to create time that is special. Often on Friday nights we make homemade pizza and might watch a video. We try to eat dinner around the table most nights and if there is time we will play a game together or some other kind of family activity.

I thought I would share some of our favorite games that we play together. Soon you might be looking for gift ideas as the holiday season quickly approaches. Here are 2 of our new favorite games.I picked this game up at a yard sale for a dollar (really good deal - you can find it HERE). I had never heard of it before but it has quickly become a favorite. Kind of a mix of counting and memory. You search through the forest to find the trees and look underneath them to discover the hidden treasure.
Then race to the castle to reveal where the treasure is located. We all have enjoyed playing (even Chuck so it isn't too girly). I bought it because it is made by a favorite company that makes good quality puzzles and games. (HERE)
Another one that is a new favorite is Quirkle. I bought this one months ago (mainly because it was a game that had won 3 awards) and pulled it out for Tally's birthday. As much as I love games, I hate reading the instructions and learning how to play.
We aren't a very competitive family so we don't often keep score when we play games. We also shake every ones hand when the game is over and congratulate the winner. I want the kids to be good sports and have fun playing if they win or lose.

This one has beautiful colored blocks with shapes and colors. The idea is to make a row with one of each color or shape. Great for pattern grouping. I also tend to like games that are educational. We have just used the blocks with little kids and grouped them in like groups (all the red, or all the squares).
These are just a few of our new favorites right now. Do you have any ones that you'd like to share?

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On the adoption front, we are done with our homestudy and waiting for it to be reviewed by the international agency. We are also almost done with our dossier and ready to send it in. We are short the funds (that are needed to send in with the dossier) right now so we are praying for God's wisdom on what to do in that situation. We have also finished up one (out of 3) of our adoption education classes that we are required to do. Just mailed of the completed book (With Eyes Wide Open) for it to be reviewed by one of the workers at the agency.

We have another class tonight and are almost done with the other 2 education classes that we are doing. One is online and one is a local class with other adoptive families.

We are eager to finish and mail in our dossier to the agency and it is then that we are put on the waiting list. Trusting God for His timing and His leading in all of this.

History Fair

2009-10-21T18:22:00.008-04:00

We participated in a history fair with the local homeschool group today. It turned out to be really neat to see the displays that the kids and moms worked on to share what they have been studying in history. I loved the varied ages of kids and topics.

I loved how the children wanted to share what they had learned. I loved that the students were able to interact with each other and socialize.

I loved that families came to check it out, even if they didn't have anything to present. I loved that the moms were able to visit and connect. I loved that I came away inspired by these other homeschool families. I loved that some dads were there to support their kids.

I resisted the urge to drop out of this because we were not able to spend more time on our display. My pride wanted it to be better. But I knew that I would be taking away from the opportunity for my kids to be part of something neat. God is working on me and humbling me in many ways. I am thankful that we threw something together quickly and participated with what we had. It really was a blessing of a day.

I have a way of creating my own chaos

2009-10-19T23:25:00.006-04:00

We ended up having another yard sale this past Saturday with the proceeds going to the adoption fundraising. Our first one was in the pouring rain and this one was in the freezing cold. Yep, we know how to pick the day. It turned out to be a pretty good day and we were so very thankful for all the goods that were donated to us and the help from my Mom for organizing the stuff.

But what was I thinking of having a sale just a week after my oral surgery. Did I mention I had my last 2 wisdom teeth out. Yep. It has been a LOT harder to recover than I thought it would be. I am still not eating normal. My mouth still hurts and I keep getting food bits stuck in my "teeth holes". Delightful sounding isn't it?

So we get up early to have our garage sale (in like 40 degree temps). Work the sale all morning, I come inside to make some food (hadn't eaten all day). Make a tuna wrap and snarf it down (like I said - HUNGRY). My mouth was in so much pain for eating that lunch I paid for it the rest of the weekend. I was still frigged cold so I curled up on the bed to warm up under the blankets and conked out from the pain meds.

So...you think I would learn my lesson about over doing it??? Nope.

Today I was working on a lapbook that I can use to demonstrate when I teach a class tomorrow night on lapbooking. I also had signed my girls up for a history fair for our homeschool group and I decided today that we better come up with some kind of a display (the fair is on Wednesday). Meanwhile we are starting our own lapbook on Mary Cassatt for our own school lesson. And today I thought to myself...I think I'll make some chicken soup and freeze it.

Like I said...I have a way of creating my own chaos. I have the ability to be my own worse enemy.

Did I NEED to start the Mary Cassatt lapbook today? NO
Did I NEED to make chicken soup and freeze it? NO
Did I NEED to have a yard sale this past weekend? NO

When will I learn my lesson? I must work harder at having better judgement. Just keeping it real here. =)

truths from the Word

2009-10-16T15:26:00.003-04:00

Isaiah 46

There is no other like God.

God declares the end from the beginning.

God's purpose will be established.

God will accomplish His good pleasure.

He will bring it to pass.

God planned it and He will surely do it

Daniel 2

God's name is to be blessed.

Wisdom and power belong to God.

God changes the times and the epochs.

God removes and establishes kings/

God gives wisdom and to wise men knowledge to men of understanding.

God reveals the profound and hidden things.

God knows what is in the darkness.

The light dwells with Him.

In doing our Bible time today, I was blessed with these truths from God's word. Such wonderful comfort and strength. Blessed be His name. I love this new Precepts book we are doing. Studying the names of God. El Elyon - God Most High.

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My passport came today. Another thing off the list. =) And a big thanks to my Mom who has been helping me work on the yard sale. She is a wonderful support and encouragement. We have been up to our elbows organizing and sorting in the garage. I am grateful for our time together and all the donations of things that we are able to have in our sale. God is so good.

some of my favorites

2009-10-15T22:10:00.007-04:00

Just real quick I wanted to share about a few sites that are very cool resources. First off, HERE is a blog of a friend who is a VERY creative homeschooling mom. She blogs a lot about her schooling ideas and she is an inspiration to anyone with preschoolers. Looking for ideas of how to get inspired on working with your little ones at home, go and check out her blog.

My girls are part of a Keepers at Home club this year (HERE). It is a group of girls who are learning life skills and striving to be more of a "Godly Girl" . Similar to girl scouts, but with a Christian emphasis. So far our group has worked on badges for first aid and food preservation. We work on some of the badge at the meeting and then we continue at home too. It is something I have always been interested in, and we are thankful that God blessed us with a group of sweet girls to join up with.

Being part of the Keepers group reminded me of this blog (HERE). This blogger introduces the idea of a group that she has formed for some young girls to work on having purposeful friendships. Her group is called Balcony Girls. I think her ideas are really neat and I am praying that I can allow my girls to be part of a similar group.

If you are looking for an email devotional, HERE is a great site that will email you one each day for free. These have blessed me and challenged me and I wanted to share this great resource that can get your day started off in God's Word. If you want them emailed to you, you need to email Don and he will add you to his list.

Totally off topic, we got our immigration finger printing done today. Another thing off the check list. Praising God for His faithfulness.

Sunday Salad Spectacular

2009-10-11T17:16:00.004-04:00

If I could eat crunchy food today, this is what sounds good to me. Taco Salad. Yum !! I always make it the same way, lettuce, tomato, cheese, black olive, taco seasoned ground beef, Frito chips, topped with catalina dressing.

We eat a lot of salad around here and most of our meals are meatless. I have made this with boca burger meat, but it just isn't the same. I mix it all up together and serve it with the dressing on. Chuck likes his with extra dressing. =) He is all about the condiments.
I am feeling a little bit better today with my mouth. Still very sore and honestly, I haven't eaten much since Wednesday night. Eating even soft food really brings on the pain. On a positive note, it is a good way to shake a few pounds.

I feel like I haven't done anything all weekend and I am hoping to have enough energy to get all the needful done tomorrow. The girls are taking swimming every Monday and Tally heads back to the ortho for an adjustment. BTW, her teeth have responded very well to the braces. Her two front ones look almost normal. (HERE for the beginning picture) We also have another adoption education class tomorrow night, we are working hard at getting all of the requirements done. Hope to get that homestudy done in the next week or 2.

Oh...one last note, I didn't make it to church this morning (thanks to the oral surgery), but I heard Tally volunteered to say the verse from memory up on stage in front of everyone. So proud of her and her confidence. I love that they are hiding God's word in their hearts.

itty bitty update

2009-10-09T21:42:00.003-04:00

Can't write much...my mind is foggy with pain killers from the oral surgery. All went well, I now have 2 less teeth and I wonder if I am less wise (wisdom teeth). It kind of makes me wonder what is the purpose for those extra teeth ? Most people don't keep them forever and most people are smart enough to have them taken out when they are young and bounce back quickly. All that to say, I am hurting and hopeful that there are no complications. That doctor got me good and scared when he went over the list of possible complications. Here's to hoping that I don't have dry socket or any other awful complication.

Hope you have a great weekend. Eat lots of crunchy foods for me ~ since I will be eating pudding for a few more days.

big week

2009-10-07T08:23:00.004-04:00

The rest of the week will be a big week here. Today is our last homestudy meeting. This time the case worker comes over and visits our home and meets our girls. Nothing to be nervous about, she has already warned us she isn't coming to look in every closet, just a nice visit. This is nothing compared to having your home ready to show for real estate. Been there...done that.

We also need to decide the age range of a child we are willing to accept. That one has been a hard choice for us. We have decided that we will accept boy or girl (which most likely means it will be a boy). It has seemed unnatural for us to pick the gender of the child. At the moment, we are thinking one child zero to 18 months old (at the time of referral).

Once we have this last homestudy meeting, it takes the case worker about 2 weeks to write the report then we have a week to have it approved by the international agency before it is printed and notarized. Then we just have a few more things to finish up for our dossier. The dossier is the pack of information that is country specific. Once the dossier is sent in, it goes to Ethiopia and is translated and then we are placed on a waiting list. The problem for us is, when we send it in, we need to send it in with our next large payment. We are still waiting on the funds. That is why we have been working hard on the call-me-cards (HERE) and the yard sale. We have worked really hard to cut our own budget back to the bare bones, and we are praying that God provides the needed funds when we have our paperwork done.

Another big thing this week is oral surgery for me. I am having my last 2 wisdom teeth removed tomorrow. Needless to say, it will be a big deal. The doctor was reminding me of all the complications that can take place and warned me that it is much harder to recover when you are in your thirties. Yikes. Trusting and praying it goes smoothly and there are no complications. I am putting my faith in God on this one...He is sovereign.

Like I said, it is a big week. =)

Oh...BTW, I was trying to make the blog into 3 columns and it didn't turn out quite right and had to go back to a generic design. Not sure what I was thinking, I don't know a THING about Html codes, but for some reason, I thought I could figure it out.

learning to think

2009-10-06T10:53:00.006-04:00

Though I bought these math manipulatives when the kids were in kindergarten, we still use them on a regular basis. It is things like this that get the brain working to solve problems, work on thinking skills, spacial reasoning...and like I said in my last post ~ creative play.
One of my goals with homeschooling has been to teach my kids to think. Not just know the right answer, but give them the skills to figure it out them selves. That is one of the reasons we try and carve out time every day to do puzzles, games and activities like the ones pictures here that allow them the chance to think. (HERE is another favorite activity to get you thinking)