Sharing The Journey

Mar. 8, 2008

It's Snowing!

Posted in Family Scrapbook

Daffodils and crocuses are dotting our backyard. Spring has made her stamp. BUT it is snowing today! Oh happiness for the children who have yet to see more than a sprinkling of snow this winter. The deck now has a thick dusting of powdery snow while the rocks near the woods wear almost an inch.The children are having so much fun letting the snow tickle their noses and open mouths. They are making mini-snow dogs as I write.... Little Josh is insistent that we keep a large part of the deck a virgin plot of snow. No shoes will adulterate that pristine whiteness.

I know my friends in the north will shake their shakes at our awe but snow is such a rare entity here, so excuse our excited joy! I'm so happy thinking how so many children in my part of the world will wake up feeling so thrilled at the snow-capped roofs they see everywhere they turn!

It's funny. We were supposed to have a moms' breakfast at a friend's house this morning. But the overpasses and 565 are closed till probably noon. So that special event is canceled as some moms cannot go anywhere. We take snow very seriously here, lol.

Okay, going to make hot chocolate for the children now.

Hey we might even light a fire this morning!

Mar. 6, 2008

Preposterous!

Posted in Cultural Commentaries

Read about it here!

Pray that any decision will not curtail our future liberty to home school.

Feb. 29, 2008

Let Not your Heart be Troubled...

Posted in Spiritual Musings

The ladies' Bible Study was wrapping up. We shared prayed concerns. My left eye is not doing better! I blurted out. Recently its already puckered vision spiraled downwards and fear that my “good” eye would go that way sneaked into my heart. Then my mom. My dear precious mom who lives so far away. Her cervical spondylosis is disabling her. She is now in pain, and I am absent. My mom who has showered me with unconditional love ALL my life is in pain. My heart is in shards thinking about it.

A dear lady closed us in prayer. She prayed for healing, if that is the Lord's will. She prayed for wisdom on the doctors' part. Then she prayed the developments in my life would draw me closer to the Lord. What a beautiful prayer. Ultimately, our bodies will decay, no matter what preventive measures we take. We can prolong the quality of our lives, but if there is no real intimacy with the Lord, everything is in vain.

My bad “vision” reminds me to fix my eyes on the Lord. It helps me see people with love and not in judgment. Daily I choose to enjoy the beauty of God's creation (including my family!) rather than to focus on what's wrong with this world (the whole election process has not been good for my soul). My mother's pain makes my own daily chores a wonder to behold. Why, my fingers, my hands and arms, they work! Like I can run the vacuum cleaner so effortlessly. Housework is a daily dance of being joyful in the Lord. Not every time, but when I choose to. I have a choice.

Yes, my heart is heavy, but it is also liberated!

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Feb. 26, 2008

Apple Cleanse

Posted in Healthy Living

In less than two hours I get to eat. DH and I are on an apple cleanse today. We had planned to do this once a month but have only finally taken the bull by its horns. The concept is simple. Eat apples for breakfast and lunch. Apples in any form. Let your digestive system rest and your body gently detoxify. For dinner, have a simple one with lots of veggies and some carbs and protein (unless you believe in combining which I do but I am not that disciplined yet).

This morning I packed dh 4 small cups of apple sauce and five fresh gala apples. And two packets of African Rooibos tea. When I called him at 2.00pm, he said he had a cup of apple sauce and an apple left. And a pack of tea. He asked how I was doing and I said I wasn't even hungry the whole day.

It just feels good to rest my system. Over the months I've been consuming too much junk and am trying to get back on track. This gentle cleansing should boost my desire to reach my health goals.

So what are we having for dinner? (I assured dh he would have a nice one)

Brown rice
Ginger chicken
Steamed kale and broccoli
Sweet potatoes
Sprouts

Actually, I can't wait.

Feb. 23, 2008

A New Meal is Born!

Posted in Family Scrapbook

I had not cooked fish since my son was born, his sister being allergic to seafood. We recently had them tested and they were fine with salmon. I was so happy. But Josh disdains the smell of salmon. This morning I shaped a dozen salmon patties and pan fried them in butter. For breakfast, I made a salmon patty sandwich for my young man. He bit into it and grinned. He had just eaten the last bit, and declared that it was very good. He was “well-pleased”. I was thrilled. Ah, the simple joys of being a mama.

I personally like my salmon patties with a dash of lemon juice and home-grown sprouts. Yummy!

Feb. 12, 2008

Josh Moments

Posted in Family Scrapbook

My birthday (seriously, I have to think how old I'm going to be!) is coming up soon and my little Josh wants me to give me something "precious".Over dinner he asked if I knew of something that I didn't know so he could give that to me. Duh? Actually he wants to give me one of his toys but according to him I know exactly what he has so unless he knows something of which I don't know exist he can't give that to me, can he?

Then before I read him his goodnight story, he was quite tearful. "I can't write you a story for your birthday (I think his sister is writing one for me, bless her heart). Okay, he can't read or spell yet but that hasn't stopped him from writing me a "story".

"Why not?"

"I don't know how to write about plots."

"You don't know what?"

"Plots. Che-che (his sister) says a story isn't a story if there is no plot."

Oh, precious.

Okay, other treasured questions:

1. Can water burn?
2. How cold is the bottom of the Tennessee River?
(I learned that it's around 55 degrees, courtesy of DH)

Hmm....there are more but oh well, I can't remember. Mental decline with age....

Feb. 12, 2008

Listen to This!

I was bogged down by the primaries. And I'm now very behind in my 90-day challenge. It may have to be a 120-day challenge for me now. But I'll persever.

For more about Ron Paul, subscribe to his blog.

Also this is a must-listen when he spoke at Liberty University last week.

Click for intro and parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Ron Paul's inspiring speech at Liberty University.

Feb. 1, 2008

Cud to Chew

If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls that live in tyranny. - Thomas Jefferson

"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy" - James Madison 4th USA President

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." - John Quincy Adams

Feb. 1, 2008

Who is Ron Paul?

I spoke to a dear friend on the phone just now. When I asked her if she knew who Ron Paul was, she asked, "Who is he?"

This is for you, Amanda. He is:

The only true republican conservative on the ballot
The only practicing medical doctor on the ballot
The only one who has never used his faith as part of his platform
The only one to have delivered more than 4,000 babies without ever having filed a claim against Medicare opting instead to “No Charge” his fees
The only one whose 5 children attended college without using a student loan
The only strict constitutionalist on the ballot
The only one advocating the individual states rights to govern themselves, as per the Constitution
The only 10th term public servant on the ballot
The only one to reject, in total, his lucrative congressional pension
The only one to return his unused Congressional Budget to the treasury, each and every year he has served
The only one to have NEVER voted for a congressional pay raise
The only one for our right to keep and spend the fruits of our labor
The only one calling for abolishing the Internal Revenue Service
The only one calling for repealing the 16th Amendment Income Tax
The only one calling for repealing the Federal Reserve Act of 1913
The only one calling for an immediate halt to the printing of fiat money
The only one calling for a hard backed, honest money policy
The only one calling for the use of precious metals as an optional currency
The only one calling for open, publicly televised government meetings and hearings
The only one calling for free trade policies and bartering for goods and services
The only one advocating abolishment of ALL ENTANGLING treaties, alliances, trade agreements and pacts
The only one calling for an end to secret and covert operations by the various clandestine departments of government, whether or not they be “officially recognized” as such
The only one advocating to abolish the Department of Education
The only one who believes that Parents should have control of their children’s education and NOT the Federal Government
The only one advocating a REAL downsizing of the government
The only candidate to have NEVER voted for any bill or legislation that was contrary to the Constitution, period
The only candidate to have NEVER voted for a tax increase, period
The only candidate to have NEVER voted in favor of abortion, period
The only candidate to have NEVER voted in favor of federal gun control in any form
The only candidate to have NEVER voted to aggressively invade a foreign sovereignty at any time or any reason, period
The only candidate who advocates the closing ALL foreign based U.S. military operations and re-deployment of ALL military personnel back to the United States in order to provide a strong, well-trained, well-armed, well-paid, and well-equipped military to defend and protect this country against attack, as called for in the Constitution
The only candidate calling for abolishing and dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security
The only candidate calling for abolishing the “Patriot Act”
The only candidate calling for the restoration of the rights, civil liberties and personal freedoms guaranteed to ALL AMERICANS under the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, including Habeas Corpus
The only candidate who publicly states his belief that all men are created equal
The only candidate whose stands on the political issues of today are exactly as they were in 1976 when he ran for Congress
The first and only candidate to have raised more than $20 million dollars, in one calendar quarter, without having one red cent of it come from Corporations, PAC’s, Unions, Political factions, matching Federal funds or any source other than from his more than 150,000 individual grassroots American donors
The first candidate whose message has been all but totally censored by every form of the American MainStreamMedia in a blackout the likes of which has never been seen before in American politics
The only candidate who, in spite of being targeted by such a media blackout, has still managed to place higher (in the contests held to date) than Mr. Huckabee, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Romney, on at least one occasion. So far, he has defeated Mr. Giuliani in every contest, all of the former having been considered at one time as “the top tier” candidates. Dr. Paul outlasted Mr. Thompson, Mr. Tancredo, and Mr. Hunter who have dropped out of the race.

Thanks to ricknhouston on the Daily Dose campaign headquarters blog who wrote this list.

Jan. 31, 2008

God is Good

Posted in Spiritual Musings

Last night was the first time I visited this blog.

Reading about the Davis family just broke my heart. Please be in pray for them.

Life is too short and precious to be obsessed about trivial things. Savor your moments. Be thankful for dirty dishes. Love your children. Hug your husband. Trust God. Live for eternal treasures. Count your blessings. God is good. All the time. Even when we don't understand why He allows the Davis tragedy to transpire. May the Lord comfort that precious family.

Jan. 24, 2008

Wishes and things

Posted in Family Scrapbook

My inspiring online neighbor has tagged me with this assignment. Renae wants me to write five wishes for things I want, but don’t need, and five wishes of a spiritual nature.

Now, this should be fun. Actually I think I have everything* I need except for air tickets for the whole family to visit my mom and sister in Singapore (I've not been there in nearly 7 years: I just wait for them to visit me). Now can you imagine not being able to just drive over to visit your mom? Boo hoo hoo. :(

*of physical and temporal nature, that is

Okay, wishes that I don't need... bet you can see a common thread. It's either school or something related to physical activity (not that I'm that big on physical activity...but dreams are free).

1. A huge laminating machine so I can laminate all my time line figures and big charts.
2. A pair of custom-made skating shoes so I can learn to skate without my bunions & spurs pinching and screaming at me.
3. A motor-home so we can do school on wheels (and visit Mandi, Renae and all my BPA friends along the way).
4. An indoor swimming pool (with sky lights above) that's filled with sea water.
5. A dance studio so I can exercise and dance to my heart's content.

Wishes of spiritual nature.

1. A truly loving heart with not a spot within.
2. "She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue."Proverbs 31:26
3. A prayer warrior others can depend on. Matthew 18:19,20
4. Holiness. 2 Peter 3:14
5. Sweet contentment. Hebrews 13:5

I'll be Little Joan this evening and not tag anyone. :)

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Jan. 23, 2008

What for Dinner?

Posted in Family Scrapbook

"Hmmm...Shepherd's Pie will be nice for dinner," I thought loudly as I looked at my heaping bowl of mashed potatoes after lunch. I was also thinking of the picture of the pie in yesterday's Life section of the newspaper. That reminded me how long it had been since I made that - 3 years maybe- and that is also one of my husband's favorite dishes.

"Yuks, I don't want Shepherd's Pie!" my Josh declared. He and his sister were at the kitchen table playing a math game I recently made for them.

"You'll like it," his sister responded, as she rolled her dice. "Anything with mashed potatoes is yummy."

"But I don't want to eat shepherds!" he added.

And both his sister and I burst out laughing. It didn't occur to me he actually thought I might bake some shepherds in my pie! Afterall we have chicken pie and rabbit pie and I was just joking about possum pie earlier...(we have been reading Thornton Burgess's Old Unc' Billy Possum). Anyway, this one is a keeper.

And maybe I should I really make Shepherd's Pie more often.

Jan. 22, 2008

Faith, Family, Friends

Posted in Family Scrapbook

The past four days were great as dh was home the whole time! I wish he could work at home or retire or something! Sometimes I cannot believe how blessed I am to have married this incredible man. He is steady, wise, easy-going, funny and kind. And very understanding of my quirks. We saw a picture once of a rock and a kite. The kite was laughing in the air and would have flown to who knows where but for the rock which held the end of the string. We chuckled over that cartoon. Dh is my rock who keeps me steady, and I'm his kite who shakes up his world now and then. I guess we complement each other. :)

For the past 3-4 days now, we built a lovely fire at 5.30pm each evening. We would sip hot cocoa, nibble on ginger snaps and enjoy the roar of the flames. Last night we roasted marshmallows for the first time (!) and the children thought that was the coolest thing. Sitting around the fire-place and listening to dh strum his banjo and watching the children play with the doll-house is one of my favorite things these days.

Today I thank God for my family. There are so many things we can fuss about. So many situations to worry over. But we have God. And when we have faith and family, we can smile and say, "Life is good." And add to that the wonderful friends God has brought into our lives, we can say, "Life is wonderful."

So to all my friends reading this, "Thank you for being my friend. God bless you and yours today!"

Jan. 16, 2008

Some Ramblings.....and a Snow Poem

Posted in Family Scrapbook

Well, the days have melted into one another...It is hard to believe that half of January has already zipped by us. I was hoping that things would be more organized by now, but it seems that I'm still spending too much time in the kitchen. Maybe if I wasn't too fussy about sweeping and wiping the kitchen floor after every meal, I might save some time. My husband and mother say I clean the floor more often than most folks clean in a week. I had a friend who said she didn't mind eating from my kitchen floor (we don't wear shoes around the house so that helps, I guess). Maybe I'm compulsive-obsessive in that area. Hmmm....

Oh, last Friday, a deer went in front of my husband's truck. Thankfully the damage was minimal, the deer was just dazed and most of all, my dear husband was all right, if not a bit surprised. We picked him up after he drove the truck to the body shop and then after we got home, he took the van to work. So school was disrupted that day.

Actually it doesn't take much for school to be disrupted. We are pretty spontaneous. Like this morning, upon waking up, my daughter asked, “Can today be a train day?” And I thought, “Why not?” Maybe I could catch up with my Bible reading (I was so happy I caught up over the weekend; in fact I was ahead, but once more I'm two days behind ) and organize my guest room (repository of Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff especially since the attic entrance is in that room). “Train Day” means she gets to follow her heart and read or write or create anything related to trains (her passion). “Train Day” means we forget about school for the day. We did our memory verses and a little study, and happily I let her loose. Too bad I was in the kitchen much of the time and never got to tick off things from my to-do list (blogging was not one of them – blogging is just relaxing to me...).

DD had her violin lesson at 2.30pm and on our way home, it started to snow really prettily. Just little flurries. I know while friends in the north do get tired of snow, we don't get enough of it, if all. I knew the chances of it sticking were nil but the children had high hopes of the snow accumulating. They ran into the back yard and squealed with joy as they stuck out their tongues to catch the tiny snow flakes. Poor things. I hope we get at least a few inches of snow in the several weeks! They so want to make at least a snow-baby! I made them hot cocoa when they came back in and dd told me she wanted to write a little poem about snow.

So here it is. I thought it was very sweet. :) She does have a way with nature poems I must say.

“How Gently It Falls Down” - A Poem about Snow

by Michiko Gibson

It falls gently to the earth.
How gently it falls down.
We step and make footprints in the tuff.
How gently it falls down.
Rabbits frolic and run.
It's for them great fun.
How gently it falls down.

Okay, we're done with dinner and dh is doing the dishes for me while I sit in front of the computer. He is kindness personified. Oh, he's done. I hear him practicing the banjo now. I'm going to make a big mug of hot tea now and catch up on my reading.

Jan. 4, 2008

We've Only Just Begun...

Posted in Spiritual Musings

Well, I've decided to take the 90-day Bible-reading challenge and as of Day 4, I'm 19 chapters behind. I'm supposed to have completed Genesis today. Big sigh, but this time round, I refuse to be discouraged. Even if I don't succeed in reading the Bible in 90 days, if I persevere, I'll finally get to Revelation. If it takes me twice or thrice as long, so be it. I'll still complete it. Little by little, I'll get there.

Mile by mile is a trial; yard by yard is hard; but inch by inch is a cinch.

Dec. 30, 2007

"Today is the Best Day."

Posted in Spiritual Musings

My four-year old son has a great attitude. Each morning, when he wakes up, he flashes me the brightest smile (which never fails to melt my heart) and declares, "Today is the best day!"

Now, my freshly-turned ten year old is not anything like that. With all her itches at night , poor girl, she usually wakes up unrefreshed and grouchy. Smiling the first thing in the morning is for her a monumental task unless I announce "No school today," or pop the rare chocolate chip in her mouth. (You should see how her lips slowly curl into a contented smile when it dawns on her what's in her mouth.)

So, to her brother's eager pronouncement, she invariably responds, "That's not possible! Everyday cannot be the best day. There can only be one best day."

So a little comical exchange will follow between the siblings. And of course I will intervene and assure my Josh that every day can indeed be the "best day" and remind my not very sunny-in-the morning girl that it is all right for her brother to make that daily proclamation.

"He has a great attitude, you see."

And he does, for when night time comes, unless he is very tired, he usually says,"Today was the best day. Tomorrow will be the best day too."

I love it. And I pray he will continue to have that sunny and happy disposition; that joy of life and that confidence that life is great. And there is no problem mommy or daddy cannot solve. Of course when he is older, I hope he realizes that there is nothing God cannot solve. His parents have feet of clay after all.

Wish you could have that kind of attitude?

Well, as this year comes to a close, I realize my own attitude towards homeschooling and a few other areas of life needs some attention. Badly. While this year has been super in many ways, I know my general attitude has been, well, not good. That it was bad is to put it mildly. My patient husband, who knows me VERY well, confirms what I know all along. I need an attitude change. A big one.

So I'm going to spend the next couple of days committing my life's outlook to God. He alone fully understands. He alone sees my weaknesses and motives. He alone knows my heart. And only He can change me, transform and renew me.

Yes, I'm excited about 2008. Many tasks and goals to accomplish. But first things first. And that is inviting, begging the Lord to work in my hard heart. My cold attitude. No more holding back. No more reservation. Maybe, just maybe then, I will be more fruitful for Him. And like my little Josh, maybe I can confidently see every day as "the best day" , for every day is the day that the Lord hath made.

Happy New Year!

Dec. 28, 2007

Pink Mama

Posted in Family Scrapbook

I have to blog this. My little Joshie (please remain "my little Joshie "for along, long time!) loves the color pink on me. Each time I wear pink, his eyes light up and he says I look pretty. Now isn't that precious? Kids don't lie, right? Lol.

Two nights ago, I had on my pink nightgown. We were snuggling at bedtime and just before he drifted to slumber land, Joshie touched my cheek and said, "You are my star. You are beautiful." He added, "Always wear pink." This little four year old sure knows how to speak so sweetly, lol.

So to please my little man yesterday, I had on a pink blouse. He was tickled. Then I wore my pink PJs last night and okay, I confess, I'm still in my PJs now. After this entry, I'm going to take a shower and see if there are more pink stuff to wear today. I need to ask my husband for a "happiness" allowance. With this allowance, I'll buy more pink clothes. Then my greatest fan will be very happy and of course that will make me happy too, lol Hey, research has shown that pink sooths and calms. When they painted jail walls pink, inmates became less violent.

So wear pink today for a calmer and more peaceful home. :) Or better still, be the star in your children's eyes.

Dec. 27, 2007

Happy 10th Birthday, Sweetie Pie

Posted in Family Scrapbook

Last night we had a count-down. We used the computer clock. 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1- and precisely at 8.28pm, we broke into a birthday song for my daughter. I ended up weeping. She turned ten, you see. Two whole hands of fingers I have to hold up when I'm asked how old she is. Where have all the years flown to? It seemed like yesterday when she entered our lives and changed us forever. My precious little baby is ten years old.

We celebrated her birthday with friends on December 1^st so we could concentrate on Christmas. Her two cousins (9 and 11) and eight friends (ages 3 to 12) from three dear families came together to commemorate her special day on that day. It was a simple party. All the older children who attended the party had either read or been read to, the Viking Quest Series so the birthday theme was based on that series of books. My daughter wanted essentially a non-structured party so I didn't plan any activities. Actually we did make two die-casts with cardboard and clay so the children could make some Viking coins, but on the day of the party, I realized the casts didn't work so well so we ditched the idea.

I baked a lemon pound cake (daughter's favorite) and an eggless Grandma's Chocolate Chip birthday cake (so Josh, who has egg allergies, could eat it) which I decorated with a Viking ship. The children also had crackers with cheese sails, strawberry sweets, my daughter's current favorite ice-cream : chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream, and lemonade. A pot of white chili also simmered on the stove for anyone who wanted something warm.

First, everyone decided to explore the woods so we took an invigorating hike in the woods behind our house. Then after the cake and ice-cream, the children dressed up and enacted excerpts from the books in the back yard while the moms chatted. The highlight of the party was making flat bread (I had the dough ready). After it was baked, they ate the warm flat bread (with slices of cheese I had cut from a huge chunk) in the chill of the night. Armed with flash lights, they watched the stars, ate and laughed the whole hour away.

So that was my daughter's 10^th birthday party.

She was happy, happy, happy that evening. All she wanted was to have ALL her favorite friends come together to act out excerpts from the Viking Quest and she had her wish. As for gifts, her friends were generous. She collected two huge bags of items on behalf of the Voice of the Martyrs. They should be heading towards the orphans in Sudan soon.

Yesterday was her actual birthday. Daddy was home (he's on leave till next year, hurray!). He had been working on the Princess Anne doll house for almost a week. Unfortunately, with 800 more shingles to stick on the roof, he was not quite finished with the doll house. The birthday girl was nonetheless thrilled with it. She had also chosen the two colors of the paint for the house with her daddy a few days earlier without knowing what the paint was for. When she saw her favorite colors on the house, she squealed with delight. I can't wait for the house to be ready. I'll be sure to post a picture of it here! And as for my gift to her...ah, she was just absolutely thrilled. She spent a long time looking at it, and reading the little things I wrote next to each photo I had chosen for the frame. For those of you who have been waiting to see what it looks like, here it is. It is not very clear as the frame is big but you get the overall picture.

After she opened all the presents, we went ice-skating! Yes, DD, Josh and me were in the rink for about an hour or so. DD did it without the “walker” this time. I'm so proud of her! We were pretty famished after that so we headed towards her favorite sandwich cafe. She had a bread bowl (sourdough) of potato soup and a bottle of chocolate milk. She also wanted a huge ABC sandwich (which she couldn't even manage a bite as the soup was plenty). She loves the pastries from the cafe so we took away four of her favorite kind. (We still have two pastries in the fridge). Then later in the afternoon, three friends (all sisters) came over with Christmas gifts and also a birthday gift. That made the afternoon so special for her too especially when they all had chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream together again.

That evening, she thanked me profusely for a wonderful birthday. And of all the wonderful gifts she had received from family and friends, she loved the photo collage best. We will hang it in her room soon and it is something she will want to gaze into often as she is reminded of her mama's enduring love. I'm so happy she loves that gift! We're now planning to do a similar one for her brother for when he turns five in April. :)

Happy birthday, my darling daughter. You are just too precious and I pray God will continue to guide you as you seek to grow in Him. May the Lord protect you always and may you grow up into a woman after His own heart. Mama loves you so very much!

Dec. 23, 2007

This and That before Christmas

Posted in Family Scrapbook

I finally completed the little project I had embarked for my sweet daughter's 10th birthday! It's a collage of photographs taken over the past ten years. I've put them together scrapbook style, with the heading : "Ten Years of Mama and Me". I bought a 28 by 22 inch picture frame to make my dh a special 50th birthday gift earlier in the year but decided to save that for my daughter instead. I will post a photo of it after her birthday (which falls a day after Christmas). Meanwhile, dh is trying to complete assembling her "Princess Anne" doll house. I hope he can complete it by her birthday. He may have to work on Christmas Day to achieve that. It will be a lovely legacy to pass to other generations and he doesn't want to do a sloppy job of it.

But it is Christmas Eve tomorrow! I hope all my dear friends reading this are all set for Christmas! DH and dd still have to go to Toys R Us tomorrow to get little Josh his special gift - a side loader something. On my part, I've bought, made and wrapped everything for everyone on my list. All I need to do now are:

1) Bake cookies
2) Bake a lemon pound cake
3) Make two Tirimasu Bowls
4) Make egg nog (I just bought a dozen of fresh farm eggs so they should be safe raw) for dh and daughter. I don't really care for it and my Josh still has egg allergies.

Our Christmas eve tradition is very simple. We order pizzas. This is a real treat as the only time we eat pizzas is in church (once a year), at a pizza place (two times a year, at the most, and only when we have house guests) and when we visit friends who order pizzas for us. I might make pizzas 2-3 times a year but other than that, the kids don't get to eat pizzas much. This tradition of ordering pizzas began before we had children and well, this will be our twelveth year doing it.

Our Christmas lunch will be untraditional this year. We always visit my dh's folks for lunch. And for the first time since I married into this precious family, we're not going to have turkey or ham. Instead we're going to have a BBQ lunch. DH has an uncle who lives in another county but who does the best BBQ meat and my FIL will be driving to his farm to get a nice platter of homemade BBQ meat tomorrow, or maybe on Christmas morning. My MIL, sisters-in-law and I will prepare buns, side dishes and desserts. Nice and simple. :)

Meanwhile, have a wonderful and merry Christmas! May the Lord bless you and all your loved ones with precious memories and joy in celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Dec. 20, 2007

The Day After....

Posted in Family Scrapbook

Okay. I cannot deceive myself. I am not young anymore. My poor bones and muscles are aching after yesterday's falls. But it was so fun...I cannot wait for our next visit to the skating rink. Man, I sound like my children.

Dec. 19, 2007

Fun, Fun, Fun

Posted in Family Scrapbook

We went ice-skating today. Can you believe it? It was my children and my first visit to an ice skating rink. I learned to roller-blade some 15 years ago, and had not touched the roller-blades since. I wasn't good at roller skating and the thought of learning how to skate on ice at my age was a bit scary. But we rented two “walkers” for our children and while watching them attempt to ice-skate, I thought I could try. So I rented a pair of skates and when one of the children took a break, I used the spare “walker” to help me move along. That I could roller-blade helped, but I was somehow nervous of the ice under my feet and didn't dare to let go of the walker till towards the end.

Josh and Michiko learning to skate with the help of their "walkers".

Oops, someone took a tumble!

Here I am. The boy next to me is Thomas. He is my dear friend's son.He skated well, but he was holding the walker so Josh could skate without it.Here you can also see Josh on his own two feet.

Oh, it was so fun despite falling twice. The first was on my tail-bone (ouch!) and the second was on my left hip and thigh (I haven't checked but I bet there is a big bruise now). Actually, my tail bone is hurting a bit now. I injured it nearly five years ago when I was going down the slide while playing with the kids and I landed real hard on the tail bone.

As a little girl, I dreamed of either being a ballerina or a ice-skater. I never became a ballerina in the real sense, but I did fulfill my dream of dancing on stage this year. :). My goal now is to be able to skate more naturally, if not gracefully, by the end of 2008. That should be a fun goal! :) Lord willing my tail-bone and bunions don't give me trouble!

Dec. 14, 2007

Ain't a Stranger...

Sometimes strangers affect you more than you know. Let me call him “Andrew”. I guess he wasn't really a stranger. I saw him a couple of times a month, sometimes more, the past few years. We would pass each other and give each other a friendly nod. Sometimes he would attempt a shy smile and I'd smile back. We might have exchanged a few pedestrian greetings. Beyond our casual encounters, I don't think we knew anything more about each other. Andrew was “just” another store clerk at my favorite grocery store. I was a faithful shopper there.

Last week, when I was checking out, I noticed a photocopy of a notice stuck on the side of the check-out counter. Andrew passed away on December 3rd. He died after a long illness. That was less than a week ago. My heart hurt some as I asked the cashier from what he had passed away. “Cancer,” she said grimly. Oh, to think all those months when we greeted each other he was probably undergoing some kind of treatment. Come to think of it, he did look rather frail and weak. And he continued working all that time. Did he have to work while so ill? Was he married? Did he leave a young family? He didn't look too old. Maybe in his early forties, the most. That's not old, not to me anyway,when I'm way up there in the forties myself.

This morning I saw that sign again when I paid for my groceries. There was again the picture of Andrew, in his Publix uniform. And once more, I hurt inside. This Christmas would be a sad one for his family. What surprised me was that his passing on has left a little crack in my heart. It seems strange that someone I knew just casually could do that to me. But then, I realize that the employees at Publix are not just faces. I know a few on first-name basis, and some of them must know my tastes pretty well. I am a very familiar sight and I make my voice heard. If I need a special cut, the butcher is pleased to cut me one. If I think the vegetables are not too fresh, two of my “friends” there are happy to get me fresh ones from the store-room. And if I find expired products, I usually let the manager know. I compliment them when they bring in more organic stuff.

Publix is the place I usually shop alone while the children are home with my husband. It's the place I look forward to going each week to “relax” as I take my time to check out labels and watch with fascination the jets of mist watering the vegetables. Publix is like an “extended family”to me. It is part of my permanent social landscape, so to speak. The familiar faces, the familiar layout, the familiar building – they give me a sense of security and sameness that all is well, and that tomorrow will be like today.

Then Andrew, one of the familiar faces, had to go. And that has shaken that stability. My little world of peace and calm has been rocked. It reminds me once more that things can change. People come and go. Things we take for granted today may be gone tomorrow. It reminds me of the fragility of life, the preciousness of a human life.

So yes, I grieve. I grieve because Andrew seemed too young to die, and I also grieve because of the reminder of life's changeableness – I who crave sameness in things important to me.

Good bye, Andrew, and thank you for being part of the Publix family. Your quiet and humble manner had touched me more than you ever knew. May God bless the family you had left behind.

Dec. 9, 2007

Immanuel

Posted in Family Scrapbook

We finally picked our Christmas tree yesterday. It looks beautiful in our living room as it shimmers with 300 tiny lights and shows off gorgeous ornaments – many homemade, some special gifts from dear friends, and the rest we bought over the years. Every year, I give each of my children a special ornament. I haven't gotten them one yet this year. I might make them one this year. DD can spend hours under the tree, playing with the ornaments. She is a strange one. She gives the ornaments names. She remembers the names she baptized them with last year and when I ask her how she plays with the ornaments she says she makes up stories about them. She does that with our shell display too. Each shell has a name and each shell is part of a saga she continues to spin over the years. How wonderful to have such an imagination.

Oh, on Friday, we went caroling. There were 12 children and 8 adults in all and did we have fun! Last year, most of us had frozen toes, but on Friday, the weather was perfect - cool, with a gentle breeze that had just the right hint of winter chill. We went to a different street from last year and sang to maybe 8 families. We were warmly received and we returned to our home slightly tired (we had to walk up a hilly slope to reach my front door) but pretty uplifted. The rest of the evening was spent drinking wassail, cocoa, lemonade, water, tea and eating snacks. The children also put up a Christmas play for the adults at the end of the evening and that was wonderful to watch.

This evening we lighted our second Advent candle...how we enjoy our nightly devotions with daddy.

May the Lord grant you peace and joy this Advent season. My heart is filled with joy this evening as I recall the Lord's faithfulness throughout the year. He is faithful in every way – big and small- and our lives can be continually filled with His peace . There is no more need to strive or feel insecure because the Lord is come! Immanuel! God is with is!

Dec. 2, 2007

Please Help Little Jessica

Little Jessica, who is just nine, is in need of a new liver. And you have an opportunity to help her! She and her mom have written a cookbook to raise funds for her medical bills. Read all about it on Jessica's website.

Cyndi Kinney from Knowledge Box Central has also organized a fund raiser for the family. This page will explain three ways you can help. One of them will also result in you receiving $200.00 worth of some great products! Be a blessing today and help if you are led to.

Many blessings.

Nov. 27, 2007

Bye Bye Berrysong

Just three more days.

For nearly 18 months, I was a business owner of an Internet business called Berrysong. If you click on the Berrysong link after November 30th, you will find nothing. Come December 1st, Berrysong will be snowballed.

Like many home school moms I was eager to be a financial blessing to my husband. I thought if I found the perfect product, being a Merchant Mama would be relatively simple To some extent I did find the "perfect product". I had been using the product all along and had been recommending it to friends and relatives for a few years. It was economical and effective. And which home school mom didn't want to buy non-toxic stuff for her household use?

But having an online store was not as straightforward as I had thought. I will share the challenges of owning an online store one day. This post is more an announcement that as from December 1st, I'm no longer the owner of Berrysong.

Any regrets being a Merchant Mama for 18 months? Not really. I learned so much about Internet Marketing through this experience. That was invaluable! Nothing like getting your feet wet! I also enjoyed interacting with my customers. In fact, one of the ladies I met online has become one of my best friends. If not for Berrysong, I would not have "met" her!

The only regret is the time I had spent developing the business could have had been spent on my children, husband and my personal study and reading.

If I want Berrysong to really succeed, I know I need to invest more time into it. And I'm not willing to sacrifice that kind of time now. In everything, there is a season. And this is not the season.

Nov. 27, 2007

FREE Advent Study

Posted in Home Education

I had meant to post this last week but the long weekend activities overtook my intentions. If you are still wondering what to do for Advent, look no further. Check out this FREE study.

Nov. 21, 2007

Giving Thanks

My amazing friend, Candice Steward, wrote me a very touching email
and I have her permission to share it here. Read it and be blessed!

And as we celebrate Thanksgiving, may our heart not grow weary of
the familiar...may we appreciate all the many blessings of this life with a
renewed spirit of thanksgiving.

Happy thanksgiving!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Giving Thanks by Candice Steward

I have always enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving and reflecting back on the
past year and the blessings of our Lord. However, this year, I have spent
the past two months seeing things a bit differently – through the eyes of
our newly adopted children from Liberia. I consider myself to be a pretty
grateful / thankful person on the whole, but it is absolutely amazing how
much in my daily life that I simply take for granted. These are some of the
things which I am giving thanks for this year . . .

--We have 7 faucets inside our home where we can get fresh, clean, safe
drinking water by simply turning a knob. The orphanage where our children
lived recently had a well installed, but before that, workers had to walk
45 minutes to get to the nearest well and walk back with however much
water they could carry. This was their only source of water for drinking,
cooking, bathing, washing, etc. I will never again complain about having
to wait for the water to get to the desired temperature from my tap! J

--We have three automobiles with seatbelts and carseats, plus gas stations
on nearly every corner. Although gas is higher this year and we have
changed our driving habits accordingly, we can drive and purchase fuel
when needed. While my husband was in Liberia to bring our children home,
it was rainy season. On the Sunday that he was there and attended church,
nearly the entire congregation had walked there – many from at least an hour
away, in rain and mud up to their ankles or higher. I wonder if I would be
that faithful?

--We have access to health care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When
one of our adopted children had a horrible earache and I had tried every
natural remedy I could find over a three day period, they all three assumed
that we wouldn’t really be able to do anything about it and she would just
have to suffer through it. They were absolutely amazed when we jumped
in the car, drove to the doctor’s office, had an exam, and got a prescription
filled – all within a 3 hour period. I may not always be happy with all of our
medical choices, but I am very thankful that we have access whenever we
need it.

--We have grocery stores, buying clubs, farmer’s markets, and food co-ops
everywhere! Our Liberian children are absolutely amazed by the amount of
food and the food selections that we have nearly everywhere we turn – and
yet, I rarely batted an eye at it. I will NEVER forget the first time that they
were helping me put groceries away in our pantry after I had returned home
from the store. Our oldest daughter turned to me with a look of absolute
amazement on her face and in a near whisper, said, “Mama, we’re rich!
God blesses us much!” To me, it looked like a lot of beans and rice and
other budget-stretchers, but to her, it was the Lord’s gracious provision.
So very humbling for this Mama!

--We see war on the news and in the papers and yet it has never really
touched my family. I know there are others who have lost dear loved ones
to war and I am so very grateful for their sacrifices to guard our freedoms
and to keep war as far from us as possible. These children of ours lived
among war, nearly their entire lives. They saw things that as an adult I
have no desire to ever see. I am very grateful for our freedom – to worship,
to educate our children, to vote, and so much more.

--I am so very thankful for a Lord who stretches me and uses me – even
when I think I can stretch no more and even when I feel so many others
could be better used. He has given me a husband who loves and guides
me. He has given me children who love me and teach me so much. We
had hand-me-down clothes given to us for our adopted son and we have
been going through them all, sorting out what fits him now and what does
not. After we had gone through about half, Elijah looked at the pile of “keepers”
and said, “Mama, look at my clothes. I have plenty!” What a lesson for me
to learn. Thank you, Lord, for the little lesson-teachers You have blessed
me with.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In Him,

Candice

Candice Stewart -- Wife to Kevin,
Mama to the Stewart Tribe
(Abigail, 10, Sophia, 7, Emma, 6,

Elijah, 5, Samuel, 4, Olivia, 3,
Chaella, 22 mos., Amaris, 22 mos.,
and Baby Jack due 3/08),
and fully devoted follower of Christ!

Join the journey!! www.bringingthemhome.net