Wow, what a winter it has been.

Since early November when I posted last, 

We finished the first half of our Classical Conversations Homeschool Year

(Love this group!)

My 3rd born turned 7

My 1st born turned 12

We celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas

I had two stents put in an artery that had narrowed

I had surgery to remove 1 1/2  ribs on my left side that were compressing that narrowed artery

Thank you to my wonderful friends and family who took care of my home and children while I was away, and who continue to give a helping hand as I recover and try to catch up on life.

For my friends and family, I did not get out any Christmas cards to anyone

So please accept my belated Merry Christmas to you :o)

Below are some pictures from our last few months 

 

Playing ball at Classical Conversations

Our mad scientist putting eggs away

Our 7 year-old and his best buddy at Classical Conversations

Brother and Sister Fun

Thanksgiving Fun with Cousins

Thanksgiving Weekend Flag Football Game with church family

Big Brother against Little Brother Football Fun

Siblings playing card game

Turning 7!!!!!

Mom spending time in the hospital

Nanna reading time

Christmas Time

Friends make life fun!

For the word of God is living and active

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active.   Sharper than a double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Raising children is a challenge.   Parenting is a blessing in ones life that requires a lot of work, a lot of patience, and a lot of prayer.   

One tool that we have been using in our parenting, is listening to audio teachings together.  We have always been a huge fan of listening to audio dramas together, but now we added on a different type of listening pleasure to our family time. At least a few times a week, we , as a family, listen to a sermon/teaching on OnePlace.com.   

We've always tried to do devotionals, and bible studies together, but recently we have added listening to sermons together.    That used to only happen on Sunday morning as we worshipped in church together.   I found OnePlace months ago, and have so enjoyed it.    They have such a variety of teaching and preachers, that we have been able to find timely topics to listen to.   We have been amazed at how the Word has been actively changing our children.   This past week, we had listened to 3 very great preachings.  Our older kids sat and listened to them, taking some notes.   Afterwards,  we have talked about what we learned and discussed what God's Word says about the topic.    Today, I realized how much our kids have been changed by these teachings.     Two of our teachings this week have been on obedience, and the last one was on the tongue.   I can't explain to you how amazed I am at the maturing I have seen.   The conversations we have had, along with the wise choices I see being made have been amazing.   I, myself have been listening to teachings from One Place as I clean at night.   What a great ministry!!

Our last few months...

Pictures from our last few months.

A lot of swimming lessons

 Each morning, we make fresh juice.   

The normal juice is made of carrots, apples, oranges, and kale or spinach.  The kids love helping.

We were blessed to be able to attend my cousins wedding last weekend.

We had a lovely time sharing in their special day and visiting with family.

After the wedding, we took a few days to relax and refresh.  

Day 1 was spend at a few different parks.

Day 2 was a surprise stop at Legoland.  

What a great portrait of this handsome guy.  Shows his personality well!

I think our little boy is somehow related to the Wolverine :o)

The hairstyle was done by the winds of hurricane Sandy.

14 steps

I came across a list that I found to be hilarious and at times very true!
I hope you enjoy it as much as i did!!!
Love my kids, and love this season of life.








14 STEPS TO FOLLOW BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO HAVE CHILDREN!!!!

Most people will tell you that 'it' is the hardest, most rewarding, roller coaster job you will ever have. No pay, 24/7 on duty and at times it seems like with very little rewards. Being a parent has it's ups and downs, I wouldn't change my title as 'mummy' for anything in the world, however when this came through my in-box from a great friend it made me laugh (a lot!).

Test 1: Preparation

Women: To prepare for pregnancy

1.Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.

2.Leave it there.

3.After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.

Men: To prepare for children:-

1.Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself

2.Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3.Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.

Test 2:Knowledge

Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behaviour.

Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.

Test 3: Nights

To discover how the nights will feel:

1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.

2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.

4. Set the alarm for 3am.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.

6. Go to bed at 2.45am.

7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.

9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.

10.Make breakfast.

Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.

Test 4: Dressing Small Children

1.Buy a live octopus and a string bag.

2.Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hangout.

Time Allowed: 5 minutes.

Test 5:Cars

1.Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.

2.Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.

3.Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.

4.Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.

5.Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Test 6: Going For a Walk

a.Wait.

b.Go out the front door.

c.Come back in again.

d.Go out.

e.Come back in again.

f.Go out again.

g.Walk down the front path.

h.Walk back up it.

i.Walk down it again.

j.Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.

k.Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.

l.Retrace your steps.

m.Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.

n.. Give up and go back into the house.

You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Test 7: Conversations with children

Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.

Test 8: Grocery Shopping

1.Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.

2.Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.

3.Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.

Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Test 9:Feeding a 1 year-old

1.Hollow out a melon

2.Make a small hole in the side

3.Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side

4.Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.

5.Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.

6.Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor.

Test 10:TV

1.Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney.

2.Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.

Test 11:  Mess

Can you stand the mess children make? To find out:

1.Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains

2.Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3.Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look?

4.Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor and proceed with step 5.

5.Drag randomly items from one room to another room & leave them there.

Test 12: Long Trips with Toddlers

1.Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly. Important Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.

2.Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.

You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Test 13:Conversations

1.Start talking to an adult of your choice.

2.Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.

You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Test 14:Getting ready for work

1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.

2.Put on your finest work attire.

3.Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it

4.Stir

5.Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt

6.Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture

7.Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel

8.Do not change (you have no time).

9.Go directly to work

You are now ready to have children. ENJOY!! 

http://blog.mamami.co.uk/2011/11/14-steps-to-follow-before-you-decide-to.html