30 Wednesday May 2012
Posted in Family
My girls, The Artist and the The Gymnast, turned 9 and 7 last week!
Two very girly birthdays require: two cakes with swirly designs on top, eating out at the local Chinese restaurant, a fried shrimp dinner at home, gifts of embroidery hoops, knitting looms, and handmade potholder kits, dresses for baby dolls, and last but not least a trip to the new American Girl store at Tyson’s Corner Mall.
I love these girly-girls and I’m so blessed to be their mama!
28 Monday May 2012
Posted in From My Kitchen
Mondays: Chicken and Cashews with Broccoli and Rice
Tuesdays: Grilled Steak Salad and 5 Minute Artisan Bread
Wednesdays: Stuffed Peppers and Roasted Potato Wedges
Thursdays: Chicken Lo-Mein with Bok Choy and Rice
Fridays: Hamburgers and French Fries
Saturdays: Individual Flatbread Pizzas and Salad
As we head into the summer I’m hoping to create healthier and lighter dinner meals. June will be busy so I’m hoping to do a menu for the whole month!
26 Saturday May 2012
Posted in God's Word
From Charles Spurgeon’s “Faith’s Checkbook”
Commonest Things Blessed
Ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water. (Exodus 23:25)
What a promise is this! To serve God is in itself a high delight. But what an added privilege to have the blessing of the Lord resting upon us in all things! Our commonest things become blessed when we ourselves are consecrated to the Lord. Our Lord Jesus took bread and blessed it; behold, we also eat of blessed bread. Jesus blessed water and made it wine: the water which we drink is far better to us than any of the wine with which men make merry; every drop has a benediction in it. The divine blessing is on the man of God in everything, and it shall abide with him at every time.
What if we have only bread and water! Yet it is blessed bread and water. Bread and water we shall have. That is implied, for it must be there for God to bless it. “Thy bread shall be given thee, and thy waters shall be sure.” With God at our table, we not only ask a blessing, but we have one. It is not only at the altar but at the table that He blesses us. He serves those well who serve Him well. This table blessing is not of debt but of grace. Indeed, there is a trebled grace; He grants us grace to serve Him, by His grace feeds us with bread, and then in His grace blesses it.
From the Faith’s Checkbook Mobile Devotional Android app – http://www.LookingUpwardApps.com/fcb
23 Wednesday May 2012
Posted in Family, Homeschooling
We’ve got one more week of school to finish our our school year. It’s been a good year. It’s amazing…despite my faults as a homeschool mom, my children still learn! One key word for this year has been: organization. It’s been said that it’s a necessity in a large family, and I’ve found that is so true! By the time I’m done managing my household and teaching and raising these little olives shoots that sit ’round my table, I’ll have a Ph.D in Organization and Management.
The next few weeks I’ll be trying to sell my used homeschool materials that I won’t be using at both a local sale and our statewide convention. There are just a few things left that I need to look at and buy, but I’m so glad that again this year, our core curriculum is one that I have fallen in love with.
Even though the next few weeks will be busy with fun things we’ve planned such as vacations and family trips, I’ll spend a good chunk of our summer planning and organizing our 2012/2013 school year. We’ll start back with full gusto at the end of August, Lord willing!
18 Friday May 2012
Posted in 5 For Friday
In no specific order:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle: It’s on a lot of homeschool booklists for junior high and high school, and so I’m reading it out of curiosity!
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin: Because it’s been on the bestseller’s list.
Be Still My Soul by Elisabeth Elliot: One of my very favorite books, it says so much about the sovereignty of God, contentment, and acceptance of God’s will. I probably read this about once a year!
Josiah’s Reformation by Richard Sibbes: A Puritan book, I’m slowly working my way through this, although it’s a rather small book!
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis: Am I the only one who finds this book so very strange? It’s on a lot of high school homeschool book lists, too, and I just finished it and I’m wondering if I really “got it” or not. I read reviews where people said they just loved it, or that it was their favorite book ever. Really? Hmm.
That’s it, friends! (May your nightstands overflow with good reads!)
Have a lovely weekend!
14 Monday May 2012
Posted in From My Kitchen
(My homemade California Rolls)
Mondays: California Sushi Rolls, Sweet and Sour Soup with Rice Noodles, Salad
Tuesdays: Grilled Peppers and Onions with Chicken, White Rice
Wednesdays: Chicken Patty Sandwiches, French Fries, Vegetables
Thursdays: Turkey and Cheese Tortilla Wrap Sandwiches, Popcorn, Fruit
Fridays: Chicken Tostados, Corn, Salad
Saturdays: Homemade Pizza, Salad
Sundays: Snack Plate (Summer Sausage, Crackers, Cheese, Fruit, Carrots) and Leftovers
I have great Asian grocery stores here in Northern Virginia where I live. I can easily find all the ingredients for my Asian food cravings. My local H-Mart has a section towards the back of the store with the prettiest stainless steel chopsticks! I bought some, but alas, they are too slippery for my American fingers. Disposable wooden chopsticks would be better, but until then we’ll use our forks! (Or our fingers!)
Linking up with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie!
11 Friday May 2012
Posted in 5 For Friday, Family
5 things about my kids that are making me smile right now:
1. That my 12 year old aks me “Mom do I look cool?” after he carefully chooses his outfit for the day. I wonder how long my opinion on his “cool-ness” will matter to him. I recently bought him some clip on sunglasses to fit over his regular eyeglasses. Now he thinks he looks he’s really, cool, and that I’m awesome.:)
2. Sometimes my 10 year old will open the car door open for me. Without being asked.
3. About a week ago I heard my 8 year old daughter singing a made-up song by herself in her bedroom. I walked in and said, “Who are you singing to?” She said, “Oh, my baby doll. She is almost asleep.” She was serious.
4. When we have something good to eat and my husband is still at work, or already gone for the day, my 6 year old daughter will carefully wrap up a portion with Saran Wrap, take a sharpie, write “Dad” on it, put it in the refrigerator, and make sure that Dad gets a taste when he comes home.
5. I love the way my 5 year old daughter holds my face in her both of her hands when she wants to talk to me. I have no idea why she does it, but it makes me laugh!
I hope your children make you smile today!
08 Tuesday May 2012
Posted in Family
Hopefully, in a few weeks, we plan to pick out one (or two) of these cute darling baby bunnies to take home! My friend Carol, who owns the bunnies and their mama, took this picture of them for me and let me know that they are just starting to open their eyes. The children can hardly wait!
04 Friday May 2012
Posted in Family
(My children playing at the park)
You’ve heard of “older” folks telling stories of their youth. They remember the good times of the past which seem brighter and shinier than the tough times and they’ll say those were “the good ole days.” Well, their past was once their present. Our present will be our past, if the Lord tarries and gives us grace enough to grow old. When we are home together enjoying our family time you might hear my husband say “THESE are the good ole days!” I do believe he is right, so right!
