January Is Slipping Away

Can it really be January 10? I had so many good intentions of keeping the blogging going without interruption in 2012. I really did. Then last week happened!

Paul was in Atlanta all week for Passion. He left Sunday after church, and my sister and her family arrived for a one night stopover Sunday night. Everyone except Patches enjoyed the visit. Patches was NOT HAPPY about another cat being in her house! She slept with me that night and woke me up by making a horrible noise when my sister's cat dared come in the room. 

We started school back after they left, but we made Monday a catch-up-on-projects day. Our favorite project was to have tea time, complete with homemade scones and freshly whipped cream! In addition to school (and dance and piano) the girls were preparing for 4-H contests held last Saturday. Faith, Joy, and Grace all sewed things for the sewing contest. All four entered pictures in the photography contest, and they all baked something for the sugar cookery contest.

We stayed up late working on projects more than once. And then I would just veg by watching some of the Passion sessions online or Downton Abbey on Netflix. I thought about blogging, but my brain was too tired!

Paul got home Friday in time to see our frantic last-minute preparations! I know he must have felt a bit overlooked. We spent Saturday morning at the contest. Each of the girls won at least one ribbon. There were a few tears when Joy realized that Grace had won more than she had, but they didn't last too long. I'm so proud of all their hard work!

This week hasn't been quite so busy, so I hope to share my 2012 words soon. (I know I could have today, but my mind is fuzzy from some major sinus/allergy crud I'm having!)

Photo Shoot

 

Here are a few of the photos from our photo shoot yesterday.  I really like the ones by the train tracks.  The scenery was interesting, and the light was gorgeous!

Persevere: It Bears Repeating!

Today was almost like a normal Thursday. Except we didn't do school. And I got to have lunch with Paul and a sweet church friend. So maybe it wasn't so much like a normal Thursday.

But today Hope did go to her weekly piano lesson, and Faith went to a ballet class. I also took some outdoor pics of the girls which we hope to use as New Year's cards. I really meant to send out Christmas cards, but it was cloudy EVERY SINGLE day we didn't have a million other things going on before Christmas. So we're sending New Year's cards. They're more memorable, anyway!

We took a few pictures at a local park, and then we drove out a few miles in the country and took some pictures by some railroad tracks. The light was great, and those pictures turned out so pretty. I'll put a couple up tomorrow when I can access the "big computer." 

After we came home from Faith's dance class, we all watched Baylor play in the Alamo Bowl. I really thought Baylor would have an easy win against an unranked team. I was wrong! It was a nail-biter right up to the end. But the Bears pulled it out and won! We, of course, were super excited. It's so fun to see my alma mater doing so well! Sic Em Bears!!!

A few years ago I think most people would have never thought Baylor was capable of having a winning season, much less a bowl game win and a Heisman Trophy winner.  But the players and the coaches persevered. I think our church plant is a bit like my favorite college team. We don't look like much to some people, but if we persevere we are capable of seeing God move in and through us in big ways. Sometimes I get tired of the struggle. But, like the Baylor Bears football team, if I persevere, big things can happen.

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. ~ Gal. 6:9

Rest for the Weary

I could get used to these relaxing days with nothing to do! Today I had absolutely nothing on my agenda. I slept as late as I wanted, and I spent most of the day relaxing. I know I probably should have gotten more done, but I think the rest nourished my soul more than a more organized kitchen or bedroom would have. And I did do some straightening up along the way.

My girls and I all share a need for rest. Even my most driven child is not truly driven. She's just a bit more goal-oriented than the rest of the females in our house. (Paul is the only driven one in our family.) So we're savoring this week of rest. And I'm hoping that it refreshes our minds and spirits so we are joyfully ready to begin our formal studies again next week.

Now my girls are having late-night fun with sleepover guests. Because when you already have four girls, what are two more? Actually, they're all very good. I can't guarantee they'll go to bed anytime soon, but that's what sleepovers are for!

The Perfumery

 

My living room smells like an old lady convention right now!  I'm not sure if my headache is from sinus pressure or the smell!  Inspired by the perfume making kit we gave Hope for Christmas, the bottles of cologne my sister and her husband gave us as a gag gift (Chantilly, Tabu, Stetson, etc.), and stories of my sister and me mixing our own perfumes out of old make-up and perfume samples at my grandmother's house, the girls decided to make their own perfume using spices and those strong perfumes.  I'm not sure if the candles we lit are helping any or if my nose has gotten used to the stench, but I don't think it's as strong now as it was an hour ago. 

Each girl tried to make one perfume that smelled good and one that smelled bad.  They most definitely succeeded with the bad-smelling ones!  I don't think garlic powder was ever intended to be used in a perfume.  And I'm really wondering why people in the 70s thought Tabu and Chantilly were scents they wanted to smell like.

While I do remember making some pretty bad-smelling perfumes with my sister, I don't remember the whole house reeking after we had finished our concoctions.  My grandmother was a patient woman.

But my girls made more than just perfume tonight.  They made some fun memories.  And those memories will linger longer than the smell.  (Which I'm really hoping doesn't linger long at all!)

 

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Hope had her Christmas piano recital tonight.  She played "Linus and Lucy" (that fun song from A Charlie Brown Christmas) and "Skating" (the song in the beginning of A Charlie Brown Christmas).  She played both of her songs very well.  I'm so glad Hope has found her niche in piano.  She tried ballet for several years but quit after she became frustrated.  She actually was pretty good, but she really didn't like wearing the tights and leotard!  Piano has been a great fit for her.  She likes playing and practices without me having to prod her to do so.

After her recital she got to choose where we would go eat supper.  She chose her usual, Cracker Barrel.  She loves getting the pancakes there!  I was disappointed that they didn't have the wonderful apple pork chop I had there last year.  Apparently, everyone on the highway decided to eat there, too, so we had to wait to be seated.  We were all happy that we had eaten some cookies at the reception after the recital!  

And, yes, we made MORE cookies to bring to the reception because some of my girls wanted to save the cookies we decorated for our family!  This batch was shortbread with drizzled chocolate on some of them.  Only some because we ran out of time to do them all.

We had fun singing Christmas carols all the way home!  We got home in time to straighten up a bit before my sister and her family came on a stopover from where they live to their next Christmas destination.  Her son was already asleep, but her daughter had a lot of fun playing with her cousins.  Patches did not enjoy the visit because my sister brought her cat.  Fortunately, some growling and a few hisses was the worst of the cat encounters.  (They mostly avoided each other in separate rooms.)

Now off to do some of the many Christmas preparations that need to be done!

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Deck the Cookies

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We got creative tonight, baking and decorating sugar cookies for Christmas.  The girls had lots of fun and stayed up too late.  Some of their cookies were quite detailed, and they spent about an hour decorating the cookies.  I so enjoy watching their creativity at work.

In addition to making cookies, they were making memories.  And memories are worth a little lost sleep now and then.  And good cookies are worth a few extra calories now and then!

 

Truffles for Teachers

 

Today my girls made these truffles to give to their ballet, tap, and piano teachers for Christmas.  They did all the work themselves, and even cleaned up some!  They were so easy, and they taste fantastic!  (Yes, our quality control team is vigilant in such matters.) We packaged them in these inexpensive containers, and will deliver them tomorrow at their lessons.  We're all so thankful for the wonderful women who teach my girls things that I can't!

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Gingerbread Village

We set up our gingerbread houses into a gingerbread village.  They really look cute!  And we didn't even make too big a mess with the powdered sugar snow.  

Today was our 4-H Christmas party.  I took the younger girls to the skating rink to skate for a while (The older ones don't really care for skating.), and then I picked up the older girls and we met the rest of our group at a shelter for children and teens.  Our group had brought gifts to be given to the children staying there.  The director and a case worker explained how the shelter works.  I think it really opened my girls' eyes to see how tough some children have it!  We then got to visit for a short while with the kids staying there.  We had to leave before we had done much visiting because Faith had another commitment.  I wish we could have stayed longer.

We then brought Faith to meet her ballet teacher and some ballet friends at the theater to see The Nutcracker.  While she watched the movie, the younger girls and I did some very unproductive shopping.  But we did have fun!


I'm so thankful that we can do fun shopping.  And that my girls don't have to spend Christmas in a shelter, even a nice one like the one we visited.  We have so much to be thankful for!

Christmas Lights

 

Today was a very Christmas-y day!  After church, lunch, and nap, the girls and I decorated gingerbread houses.  I found a great set with five small gingerbread houses at Target last year, and we bought it again this year.  So each of us had our own house to decorate.  We supplemented the candy in the kit with some of our own.  And I must say we made some mighty fine houses.  We still need to set them up all together.  (Maybe that will be tomorrow's pic!)

After some Pizza Hut pizza, we loaded up the Suburban and went to look at Christmas lights.  Our first stop was a nearby house that has an amazing show set to music!  They do a fantastic job, and at the same time, they present the true meaning of Christmas.  We then drove to a group of three houses in the country owned by members of the same family.  The pictures at the top are from those houses.  Our favorites are the oak trees.  We drove through a local park that had some fun lights, and then we saw a few more neighborhoods.  We finished the evening with our traditional "Christmas light looking" (as the girls call it) snack:  ice cream.  This time from McDonald's because they girls like their McFlurries, and they have a small size that only costs a dollar.  Faith and I really wanted a Chick Fil A milkshake, but, of course, they're closed on Sunday, so we had to make do with a McDonald's shake.  It was good, but not as good as Chick Fil A.

Now it's bedtime, and since we still have a week of school before we take a break for Christmas, I had better get some girlies tucked in!

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We're Thankful for Our Jesse Tree

 

I did find the good paper.  So we're faithfully putting our pictures on it.  The paper underneath is a list of ways God has blessed us today.  It ranges from fun (pie) to serious (good health, each other, God's presence, hope) to those things that we take for granted (indoor plumbing).  

While I would love to have lengthy family dinners every night where we carry out our Christmas traditions, that doesn't happen every night.  On Mondays and Tuesdays we have to eat in shifts because we have back to back ballet classes from 4:45 until 7:30.  While I know we could make the girls quit dancing, they love it!  And their dance classes give our homeschooled daughters some much needed interaction with other girls.  Faith especially is learning so much from seeing how difficult a worldly life can be as she sees some of her classmates choices and consequences.  

All that to say that our Jesse Tree devotional was done during commercials while we were watching The Waltons after Faith came home from dance.  But we did it.  I enjoyed that time, and I hope the girls did, too. Maybe learning about Jesus in the midst of daily life is even more meaningful than the idealized picture of the perfect family that sometimes invades my mind.   

Love and Compassion

One of the sad things about having pets is that they don't always live as long as we would like them to live.  This is especially true of small pets.  Over the years we have had several sets of gerbils.  Most lived a regular gerbil lifespan (2-3 years), but Hope's last gerbil, Inka III, lived around 4 years!  After it died, we got 4 new gerbils, one for each girl.  

We'd had the gerbils for only 2 or 3 months when Hope realized that her new gerbil, Inka IV, was sick.  We hand fed it and loved on it and prayed for it, but it didn't make it.  Hope was so sad!  I was sad, too.  I so wanted to spare her from this pain.  But I couldn't.  

After Joy found out she told Hope that Hope could share her gerbil and could even call it Inka.  Then Hope gave Joy the sweetest hug!  I try to teach and model compassion to my girls, but sometimes I wonder if they are getting it.  That night I saw that, at least some times, they do.  It touched me to see these two girls, who are the ones who are at odds the most out of all the girls, share such a sweet moment of love and compassion.

Hope is doing well now.  And I think that Joy's compassion played a part in soothing her pain.  I pray that as my girls grow and experience other pain and difficulties that they will be there for each other and comfort one another with compassion and love.  

Smile!

Now that I finished blogging about 2010, I can start blogging about 2011!  Hey, January's not even over yet.  Pretty good for a chronic procrastinator!

We've spent more time this month visiting oral health professionals than at any other time in my adult life.  (I did have braces as a child, so I spent some time at the dentist and orthodontist.)  The girls had a routine cleaning early in the month.  We've known fro some time that Grace would need some orthodontic work because of an underbite, and our dentist said it was finally time.  We got an appointment the next day for the orthodontist who just began practicing with our dentist.  After the x-rays and the icky-tasting tooth molds, we learned that her bottom jaw is growing faster than her top jaw.  So not only will she need braces, she'll also need a type of head gear!

They put in some spacers, and we made an appointment for the braces.  She got her braces last Monday.  She was really excited about them!  She chose green bands to go around her brackets, and she really does look cute.  They have to make some kind of device that will attach to her head gear, so she doesn't have that yet.  And the braces make it difficult for her to suck on her tongue, which is what either led to or exacerbated her underbite.  Yay!  They are already helping!

After hearing my friends talk about the pain of getting braces, I was surprised that Grace only had minimal discomfort.  Cutting her food into small pieces and taking ibuprofen controlled it.  And she told me today that she could bite into pizza again without pain or discomfort.

I was very surprised by the financial pain of braces!  I had no idea that eight months to a year of braces would cost more than several used cars we have purchased!  And when I asked the going rate for a full set, I couldn't believe it!  Unfortunately for us, Hope will be needing braces in the near future, and Grace may need another set when she's older.  I'm glad we took our Disney trip last year!  

But a healthy smile is worth it.  And Grace is such a happy child that we see that smile often!

A Day in the Life

I woke up tired this morning.  Maybe staying up to read just one a few more chapters of the book I was reading wasn't such a good idea.  I had to wake up all the girls so they could get something to eat before we started school.  Usually Hope is awake before I am, but this morning she was tired, too.  (I blame the extreme silliness I heard from her and Faith at about 9:45 last night.

We were reading about John the Baptist this morning, and the girls were quite grossed out by the eating locusts thing.  We ended this morning with enough time for me to spend half an hour on the exercise bike before lunch.  Faith cooked the frozen pizza for her and the twins.  Hope cooked herself a waffle.  I made a meatball sandwich from the leftover meatballs I made Sunday night.  YUM!

I showered after lunch, and then we had a leisurely afternoon of reading and a nap for me and reading and play for the girls.  I did science with Joy and Grace, and all the girls listened to part of a Haydn CD for music time.


I made a big pot of chili last night, so dinner planning was easy!  I did make Pioneer Woman's cornbread (Scroll down for the cornbread recipe.)  And I even figured out the secret for keeping it from getting too brown on the bottom:  don't melt the butter on High!  Not all the girls like chili, so I also "cooked" some chicken nuggets and fish sticks.


Then we were off to the 4-H Pet Show.  Rebecca entered our cat, who did NOT enjoy it!  But Patches did win Coolest Cat!  Of course, we've always known how cool she is.  Hannah helped out with running the pet show.  All the girls loved seeing all the cute pets, and we had to exercise some serious willpower and resist taking home the adorable Miniature Australian Shepherd puppies that were for sale!  I also got to visit with a sweet friend from our former church.


We got home, watched the new David*Crowder Band video, then the girls asked to see this one, and the girls got ready for bed.  Paul went to help a good friend install floors in the house he is building.  


All is quiet now.  Netflix is calling!  (But the dirty dishes are silent!)

Hope for the Future

Overheard in my car today:

Hope: "I hope the antichrist comes soon."
Me: "Why?'
Hope: "So Jesus will come back sooner."

I have never met anyone, let alone a child who longs for Jesus' return as much as she does. I know I don't. But I want to!

Of course, she may have been anxious for the return of Jesus on this particular day so she wouldn't have to ride in the car to take her sister to dance class.

If I Could Save Time in a Bottle

Yesterday was the Daddy/Daughter Valentine Party at church. The girls have always had so much fun at this event. This year was Joy and Grace's last year. Next year they will be over the age limit (which I wish were older than it is!) Paul got to read the story. The girls made fun crafts. And much sugar was consumed by all!

I started thinking last night about how much I'm enjoying this stage of our family's life. I really enjoy the age everyone is right now and would like to freeze time at least for a little while! We are at that beautiful season where the girls are independent enough to buckle up in the car, but still need to be tucked into bed at night. Independent enough to stay home with Faith while we go on a date, but still want us to say goodbye before we drop them off at dance or piano or church (often with a kiss!).

Faith is in that wonderful stage of early adolescence where she is still more child than adult. Although I see God maturing her so much spiritually and am so loving that, I also love that she can still be a little girl. I'm so thankful she isn't eager to grow up to fast and is enjoying this last taste of the freedom of childhood. I know these days are numbered, so I want to treasure them.

Hope is really growing up, too. She is much more willing to try new things, which has sometimes been a challenge in the past. I also see her taking more ownership of her things and some of her responsibilities. She's definitely still all child, but an older, more mature child.

Joy and Grace are at that wonderful, joy-filled stage of childhood. Life is just so much fun for them! (Which may be more a factor of their personalities than of their age.) They are so fun and so girly!

I know the coming years will be filled with changes. Driving will replace dolls. Wearing real make-up will replace the current sleepover make-overs. School will get harder. But I pray many things will remain the same. I pray they continue to want our input in their decisions. That they continue to be and have good friends. That they still WANT to spend time with our family. And that they retain their childlike faith while they grow deeper in love with Jesus!

Lord, Help me not to get so caught up in the busy-ness of life and school and schedules that I forget to savor and treasure these wonderful blessings You have given me!!

I Think I Need Another Break!

Thanksgiving Break wasn’t much of a break in our house. We spent several days getting ready for and then performing in the Great Russian Nutcracker. And by we I mean Faith, Joy, and Grace. I just ferried them to the studio and the theater and made buns and bought tights and such. The girls all did such a great job! And afterward Faith and I went to the cast party at our dance instructor’s home. Joy and Grace went home with Hope, Daddy, and Nana. Because for them mingling with Russians doesn’t begin to compare with Nana time! Faith, however, appreciated the unique experience and was able to get many autographs.

I cooked a pretty good Thanksgiving dinner. But without turkey. We had ham and a rotisserie chicken along with homemade bread, cornbread dressing, and that sweet potato casserole with all the butter, pecans, and sugar. And pie, of course!

I was able to get some shopping done. Not the 4 am variety, but some realistic 8ish shopping. I really didn’t need much, but I was able to get my niece’s present and the little girls got some new jeans and leggings. Paul did get us a new TV! We now have a wonderful new flat screen!

We put up our tree on Thanksgiving day, much to the delight of the girls. They put on all of the ornaments themselves, and I must say they did a fine job! I love our tree. It won’t make Southern Living, but each ornament has a history and means something.

We went to a nearby Christmas tree farm as well. We have an artificial tree, but we all enjoy looking at the beautiful “real” trees, eating the biscuits and sausage, and riding on the hay ride.

The girls really liked the Snowman Tree!

Joy and Grace watching some syrup making!

Walking through the trees.

I want to write more, but there’s a piece of chocolate chip pecan pie calling my name! And I don’t think I can ignore it any longer!

Overheard

Some recent quotes:

"And God told Abraham, 'Y'all are going to have a baby.'" ~Grace, narrating the story of Abraham and Isaac. (I always knew God spoke Southern!)

"I'm going to open this card with joy!" ~ Joy, before opening a card from Nana

"Next, I think I want some church heels." ~ Grace, commenting on her desire for shoes with heels

You gotta love 7-year-olds!!

The Letter of the Law Is...H

I learned recently what the letter of the law actually is. According to one sweet daughter, it's H. Of course, she didn't say it in so many words, but I got the message anyway.

She and her sister were having a fight disagreement when I heard her yell say loudly, "I h-word you!" Our girls all know they aren't allowed to say hate. (Except for hating the devil. One takes great delight in hating the devil.) But she wanted to express the sentiment. So she was in perfect obedience of the letter of the law, but missed the spirit of the law. Legalism starts early!

We discussed that she actually loves her sister, and that anger doesn't give us the right to be unkind. And the two involved in this episode are best friends once again.

And I realize that as a mom, my girls are ready for me to begin going beyond the what of the law to the why of the law: that we want to reflect Jesus in everything. And He only hates sin - and the devil!

American Girls

During the Christmas trip to visit my family, we found time for a side trip the The American Girl Store. We had been planning this for months, and the girls weren't disappointed! We all had so much fun! The girls had been saving their money for months, and each one had a nice amount accumulated. We first visited the doll salon where they all had some of their dolls' ears pierced and where Joy and Grace got a doll's hair styled. The stylists were so nice and did a great job, even on the doll that has lost a great deal of hair!
The girls each bought a pet for their dolls. Faith, Hope, and Joy bought the calico cat because, of course, our cat is a calico. Grace bought Kit's basset hound just because she liked it. Faith and Grace also bought outfits. Faith had been needing a new dance bag, and I bought her a really cute one on sale for $10! She likes it a lot, and all of her stuff fits!

After our shopping, we had a snack at the Bistro. We had some ice cream, a milkshake, and cookies and milk. The milk came in the cutest container! It was a little jar with a small cup on top. Joy and Grace had so much fun pouring the milk into the cup and drinking it! Of course, their dolls joined us for our snack.

Elizabeth, in her new hairstyle, and Kit

Josefina, Hope's Kit, and Faith's Kit

Samantha, with her lovely hairstyle

Finally we sent Hope's beloved Josefina to the doll hospital. Much of her hair had fallen out, and Hope had asked for her head to be replaced as her main Christmas gift. We won't get her back for a few weeks, but when she returns, she'll be as good as new!

We had a fabulous time at the American Girl Store, and the girls want to return there some time. I'm sure we'll be back!