Owner: Duckabush Blog URL:http://www.edgren.com/wordpress/ Join Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2007 02:07:58 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: The musings and ravings of a bloggart family with five children, a homeschooling mama and a computer geek papa; all trying to serve the Lord and survive each day with plenty of laughter (and not too much shoving). Site statistics:Click here
Tuesday Tips for Parenting - Physical Exercise 2007-09-24 23:20:39
Raising a large family can be challenging in the Pacific Northwest. As the winter rains settle in, sometimes for weeks at a time, cabin fever can become a serious problem. The kids can get a little antsy, too.
When we first moved to Washington, Kathy used to throw the kids in the van and drive around, looking for sunshine. Happily, gas prices were comparatively cheap in those days, but it was a rather expensive and fruitless hobby. My wife eventually gave it up in favor of her affair with the coffee bean, in all its varied forms. “Nothing beats the rainy-day blues like a triple-shot-white-chocolate mocha!” she trills, cheerfully.
Later, we lived on the Olympic Peninsula, on the edge of the rainforest. During the winter, the sun would clear the ridge only between 10:30 am and 2 pm, when it deigned to shine at all. As we huddled inside, away from the incessant damp, we suffered from an excess of boundless youthful energy. We desperately sought an outlet for that res Read more:Tuesday
, Parenting
, Exercise
Spiritually Drained 2007-09-24 01:03:52 You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won’t grow weary
You’re the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
Everlasting God by Chris Tomlin
My spirit was drained and my soul weary by the time Sunday evening approached. I had a full morning of ministry and Bible study. The afternoon was largely spent in intense conversation and prayer with a new accountability partner. By the time I returned home, there was less than an hour before we needed to leave for the Concert of Prayer. I felt close to tears. My spiritual muscles were sore from use and my faith joints creaky and protesting.
Tim drew me outside to sit with him in the sunshine. We basked in the warmth of the late afternoon and spent precious minutes in sweet conversation. He did NOT offer to take the children off to church and let me stay home.
WFMW — And Now a Word from Our Readers 2007-10-02 22:58:58
It’s backwards day at Rocks in My Dryer. Instead of sharing a tip or helpful pointer, we’re supposed to ask a question. The readers provide the advice. Visit
Works for Me Wednesday to see if you can help some other poor bloggers.
I can barely think where to start, I have so many questions and areas in which I need help.
Menu Planning - I’m terrible at it. I never seem to get my act together. I copy down recipes, circle amazing dishes in my Taste of Home magazine and then end up making the same old boring dishes.
Chore Organization - again, a disaster for me. I’m great at handing out candy bribes and convincing the children to clean the house for me, but don’t have a system for keeping up with the regular chores.
If you have any advice or wisdom for me, please, please, please share it!! Point me to links, blogs, articles, magazines. I’ll take any and all advice. Do I sound pitiful enough?
Since Tim and I share this blog, I asked him what
Tuesday Tips for Parenting - Making the Most of Mealtimes 2007-10-02 00:24:04 When I get home from work, I’m often tired and hungry. By the time we sit down for dinner, I’m frequently ravenous (unless I’ve already devoured everything in the fridge while waiting for dinner, in which case I’m stuffed). Either way, I don’t usually have a lot to offer in terms of deep and insightful spiritual teaching.
Our evening meal is generally a time to share news about the day, but sometimes this can turn into a blame-fest of epic proportions. As they report the events of the day, my children occasionally accuse one another (and sometimes, in their enthusiasm, they’ll accidentally implicate themselves) in various types of wrongdoing. Frankly, I’d rather not know about some of those things, and the bickering that ensues among the children can wear on the soul.
Much easier to curl up on the couch and hide from everyone as Joshua did this morning. He claims he was “sick” but I think he was trying to avoid work.
A f Read more:Tuesday
, Parenting
If Someone Were Watching … 2007-10-01 01:01:42 Today our pastor preached the fourth sermon in our month long Choose stewardship campaign. The four topics were Invite, Belong, Serve and Give. This morning’s sermon was on giving, looking at the story of the widow’s coin in Luke 21.
As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)
You decide, are these two giving out of their wealth or poverty?
It was an excellent sermon, encouraging us to give generously and delight in God’s blessing in our life as we serve Him with our time, energy and finances. I was struck by the picture of Jesus visiting the temple and observing people as they placed their gifts in the offering.
“What would i Read more:Watching
Grumpy Mother Seeks Cheerful Programmer 2007-09-30 01:02:29 Tim has been working a good portion of the day on a contracting job for a friend. Throughout it all, he has remained cheerful and upbeat. I’ve done almost nothing all day - I didn’t make meals for the family (except to throw some leftovers in their general direction), I handed out laundry and cleaning jobs to the children, I went off shopping with Rachel and got in a power workout - how is it possible I am still so gloomy?
Is there a little girl in there somewhere?
Even after reflecting on the day, I’m perplexed as to the cause of my melancholy spirit. Perhaps it’s the rain, which appears to have settled in for the weekend. Maybe it’s the long list of things I “should” do but didn’t get to at all.
There she is!!
I am thankful for an amazing husband who encourages me, prays for me, and sends me off to enjoy Mommy Time without ever making me feel guilty. At the end of a long day, he still carves out the time to read the Bible to the Read more:Programmer
Socktoberfest 2007-10-14 23:35:40 October is an important month in our family. Tim and Joshua both have birthdays as does my sister in law, Elizabeth. Several of my dear friends also celebrate their birthdays in October. With all of these gala events, there’s hardly room for other parties or festivals. Or so I thought.
I may change my mind.
A new cyber friend of mine, Cindy from Still His Girl, hosts an annual Chocotoberfest. If you click on this link she gives specific details on how to throw your very own Chocotoberfest. There are contests and prizes and chocolate desserts galore. It looks like an amazing, fun night full of deliciousness. I wonder if Cindy had one of these little treasures at her party.
This is a must at any Chocotoberfest.
Sadly, I am currently living a no sugar life. Since most chocolate is usually found paired with sugar of some form, a chocotoberfest might not be the best choice for me. Cindy’s husband, Tim’s new pencil pal, has a different idea; instead of chocolate,
Do All Children Long for a Dog 2007-10-14 02:28:07 Or cat or guinea pig? What is the origin of this deep seated desire for a pet?
Notice how Joshua keeps one hand on the mouse while holding a dog on his lap. That’s my boy!
My good friend and neighbor, Julee, recently (as in yesterday) acquired a dog. It was unexpected and a complete gift - food, accessories, dog carrier, dog all free. My kids have been writhing in jealous envy ever since.
Tonight the kids had an opportunity to dog sit little Mia while Julee and her family were at church. What a thrill. We’re probably the only family on the planet who would go around offering to pay for the opportunity to pet sit.
Joshua is not as dog crazy as the rest of the children but he was in the comfy chair and Mia was looking for a cozy resting place. Up into his lap the dog climbed. The main responsibility of this evening’s pet sitting job was to keep the dog awake. This picture looks mighty suspicious.
Joshua, is that little dog sleeping?
We did our best. She Read more:Children
I Am a Winner! 2007-10-13 01:31:38 As a result of poor timing on the part of my parents, I missed the brief era in American education when it was fashionable to emphasize self esteem at the expense of excellence. My public-school teachers, in callous disregard of my tender little heart, stubbornly insisted that my grades correlate with my performance, so that I graduated from high school with more B’s than A’s. In college, this worrying trend persisted, and I was forced into a much closer acquaintance with my deficiencies than I would have wished. Sadly, being a grown-up isn’t all it is cracked up to be, and opportunities to rise above the mundane are infrequent.
Every once in a while, however, life offers an opportunity to reverse the negative flow; last week I found just such a chance.
Wouldn’t you award this man a prize?
I don’t read many blogs, but I do sporadically follow the adventures of Scott, a clever and quirky Dad, husband and pastor in the wilds of Indiana. One day I happe
Dishes Anyone? 2007-10-12 03:26:37 What would you do with a young man, about to turn 14, who FORGOT to do the dinner dishes? Yes, Joshua, my oldest son, was so engrossed in his Carcassonne game with his father that he forgot to wash the dishes. He didn’t even appear to give the job a second thought. I came home from a baby shower and was sure to remind him of his responsibilities.
I mean, isn’t this why we have children, so they will wash the dishes and do the laundry?
Maybe Joshua and Tim had a little wager on the ole Carcassonne game and the loser was responsible for the kitchen clean up. Yes, that must be it. That would explain that smile on Joshua’s face. He’s sure he’s about to win.
So how come it’s after midnight, everyone is bed and I’m up washing dishes? I guess I lost.
And yet with a husband who initiates Special Days with his children and a teenager who WANTS to spend time with his father, I think it’s far more fitting to say I won. Those dishes suddenl Read more:Anyone
Heading to Work Out 2007-10-11 00:23:48 This Reunion Count Down is a killer. All the working out is seriously cutting in to my busy social life (ie blogging time). I don’t know how people fit consistent, regular exercise into their schedules. Maybe if I were a morning person it would be easier. I would get up early, while the children were still tucked quietly in their beds, and enjoy an invigorating, brisk work out. Hmmm. That so isn’t going to happen.
Heading
off to the Y with trainer Julee.
In the meantime, I steal away an hour here and there every day to exercise. Today I did some weight training in the morning and then went BACK to the Y in the evening for an hour of cardio. Whew! Don’t I sound energetic and motivated. Or is it desperate and obsessed?
Only a couple more weeks until reunion time. I figure I can remain committed for that long. If nothing else, this has certainly been quite the experience. I’m logging in my food (calories, fat, carbs, proteins) and exercise (time and
WFMW - Great Coffee at Home 2007-10-10 00:00:35 It’s fall and time for cool days, slippers and snuggly quilts. As the weather turns grey and rainy (Fall in the pacific northwest is pretty much grey and rainy) I find myself stocking up on boxes of tea in all flavors and assortments.
However, this being coffee land (the Coffee
Belt?), I thought I would discuss coffee for this week’s Works for Me Wednesday. If you hate coffee and are strictly a tea drinker, please don’t leave, scroll to the bottom and leave a comment about your favorite type of tea.
Before I moved to Washington I had only a passing interest in coffee. I enjoyed it occasionally, not caring much about roasts, brands, or mode of brewing.
For five years we lived out in Washington’s beautiful rainforest territory, 30 minutes to an hour from the nearest grocery stores or shopping centers. Lets just say there wasn’t a Starbucks around the corner. During that time I perfected a Poor Man’s Mocha:
Mug of hot coffee
Package of hot c Read more:Great
Tuesday Tips for Parenting - Play a Game 2007-10-09 00:04:20 This tip is so basic, I feel a bit sheepish posting it, but I still think it’s worth sharing.
Take the time to play a game with your child.
That’s it.
Ignore the mess in the family room. Let the dirty dishes sit in the sink for an extra hour or two. Don’t worry about folding laundry. Screen calls and allow the answering machine to do its job.
Put on the kettle and make tea or hot cocoa. Pop some popcorn. Turn an everyday, average afternoon or evening into Game Night.
I know it’s difficult to set aside time with dance, gymnastics, and sporting events eating up the week days. And don’t even get me started about homework. What joy, however, to carve an hour out of the day to sit together and play a game. The laughter and time spent as a family will create precious memories and a legacy for your children.
For a great collection of game reviews (complete with pictures and detailed information), go to Callapidder Days. Katrina regularly share game Read more:Parenting
, Tuesday
Have Some Whipped Cream 2007-10-08 01:09:40 This being Tim’s birthday week (he can’t have the entire month because Joshua’s birthday is also in October - they have to share), we invited Grandma and Grandpa to join us for lunch after church. In a rare fit of planning and organization, I put ingredients for a hearty stew in the crock-pot before leaving for church. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again.
A lovely lunch in honor of Tim!
Because no birthday of Tim’s would be complete without some serious chocolate, we had an ice cream pie for dessert. I think ice cream pies could happily replace traditional birthday cakes in our family. Upon reflection, however, I should note Grandma makes an amazing Black Forest Cake that often graces Tim’s birthday celebrations.
Of course, who needs cake or pie when you can go straight to the toppings.
We didn’t have any candles but there was plenty of whipped cream to go around.
Happy Birthday (Week), Tim. We love you!!
Kathy
Project 365 - Day 2 Read more:Cream
Chestnuts, Roasting on an Open Fire 2007-10-07 01:07:44 Well, not exactly an open fire. Or roasting, really. Or chestnuts, to be completely truthful.
It all started on a quiet Saturday. Nobody was away on an overnight, nobody had friends over, nobody had meetings or other engagements out of the house.
Kathy and I opened the day in prayer, asking God specifically that He would help the day to be a fun relational day, and that the attitudes of the kids would reflect the fact that we like being together as a family. At breakfast, as I tickled and laughed with the children, David asked me, “Why are you being like this, Daddy? Usually you don’t act like this. I have been a bit preoccupied many recent Saturdays with work and other responsibilities. Time to have some silly family togetherness.
Around 2 pm, I inveigled everyone into a walk around the lake near our house; although it started to drizzle, we had a good time. As we left the park, I noticed two large chestnut trees, having recently dropped hundreds of their glossy mah
Outback Birthday Bash 2007-10-06 01:07:06 I have a wonderful husband. Truly, he is helpful and kind, funny and wise, patient and thoughtful. He also understands being a mother of five is exhausting, full-time work with no overtime pay.
Those pamphlets for Whispering Pines (Home for Haggard Homeschooling Moms) sometimes look mighty appealing.
As a result of this awareness, Tim is very careful to make sure I carve out time for myself - walks with a neighbor, work-outs at the Y, and occasional outings with girlfriends. Last week I snuck off on Thursday night for some shopping with another homeschooling mom. This evening I went to dinner at the Outback
, celebrating a friend’s birthday.
Sabrina, Holly and I after a delicious dinner.
We had a wonderful time, talking and laughing, discussing everything from courtship to September 11. On the way home I reflected on how generous Tim is to me. He hardly ever takes time for himself in this way yet never fails to encourage me to go off and enjoy myself. I came home ref Read more:Birthday
“Hey Kids” Club 2007-10-20 02:01:26 David and Sarah were invited to their first Hey Kids Club meeting this evening. You might not recognize the name of this organization, it’s new and rather exclusive. I’m sure it will be wildly popular in no time. The founders are two sisters who decided they wanted to have a club for their friends. After much deliberation, argument and long discussion, they came up with this catchy name. I like it. Short, sweet, and to the point.
Some of the Hey Kid members in warmer weather.
Membership is VERY restricted, although older brothers can sometimes finagle invitations if they side step the parents and go straight to the core members (ages six and eight). Clever and efficient. Tonight’s opening event included dinner and a movie. Special activities to come: Thanksgiving crafts and cookie decorating. I’m telling you, this is a great club.
Sarah has been waiting all week for tonight’s party.
With Joshua off at a sleepover and the younger three at the H
14 Things I Love About My Boy 2007-10-19 00:34:00
He loves Jesus. My son is serious about being a fully-devoted disciple of Jesus and he orders his life in obedience to the scripture. He studies his Bible and goes with me to prayer meetings from time to time.
Joshua is kind. He sword-fights with David, reads books to Sarah, plays with Rachel and Daniel and helps them with their schoolwork.
He likes to laugh. Even the dumbest jokes that I tell, often get at least a chuckle. He has a hearty, un-self-conscious laugh that delights the listener’s soul. One of my favorite things to do is to watch him read one of my funny blogs.
Joshua loves to read. Whether it is whipping through Ivanhoe or savoring Losing Joe’s Place, he has a keen appetite for good books.
So many books, so little time.
He is a faithful servant. Just try keeping him away from church, when tables or chairs need to be set up or taken down. And don’t get between him and the car when groceries need to be unloaded!
Joshua loves games, the more c
Happy Birthday, Joshua!! 2007-10-18 03:02:30 Dear Joshua
,
Good morning! It tickles me that you come down every day and read the blog first thing. Soon you’ll need a warm blanket to ward off the morning chill. Settle in to my comfy chair and let me be the first to wish you a happy birthday. We’ll just call this little blog my Birthday
Note to you.
I am so proud of you, Joshua! You are an amazing 14 year old and I am constantly struck with wonder that God placed you in our family and allows me to be your mother. You are growing to be an intelligent, kind, careful, diligent, serving, fun, and godly young man. I love hearing your thoughts on books, friendship, youth group and life’s daily events.
I looked aside for just a minute and turned back to find you confidently striding down the path to adulthood. How did that happen?
The years go by too quickly.
Thank you for being kind and patient with your brothers and sisters. Thank you for holding me accountable in areas of purity, honesty and self-lessnes Read more:Happy
, Happy Birthday
WFMW - Sleeping Away the Night 2007-10-16 22:04:31 After a rather serious (controversial?) parenting tip on tv viewing and a silly post on Socktoberfest, I thought it was time to get practical. How handy that Works for Me Wednesday has arrived.
I am a night owl, no question about it. If I could, I would stay up late every night and sleep in until 8:30 or 9 am every morning. I’ve found, however, that I can’t efficiently run my household or homeschool the children without starting a little earlier in the day. Sigh. These are the great tragedies of life.
Needless to say, sleep is VERY important to me.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
Tim and I have been blessed with children who are fairly good sleepers, and we do our best to train them to that end. Over the years we stumbled upon a little secret that has helped the entire family sleep better.
A small table fan. Amazon.com and Bed, Bath & Beyond both sell a version for $10 to $15. These little a Read more:Sleeping
, Night
Tuesday Tips for Parenting - Throw Out Your TV! 2007-10-15 23:36:37 Apart from teaching us to love Jesus, one of the best things my parents did for me and my siblings was to fail to buy us a TV. Oh, we had a 9″ black & white TV for about 15 months while my grandmother lived with us — she was almost entirely blind and liked the noise for company. And my folks used to rent a TV and a VCR on a few long weekends during the winter for video-fests … so we weren’t completely TV-free.
The rest of the time, we didn’t have one at all. When others talked about “Who shot J.R.?” (I thought they were talking about Tolkien) or the latest escapades of Don Johnson in Miami Vice, my eyes would glaze over. I thought Moonlighting was working a second job, and wondered why it was so popular among high school students. Some people thought I was pretty weird: “You don’t have a TV?” they would gasp. Some assumed that our family was poverty-stricken, and would check to see if I was wearing shoes. Even Read more:Tuesday
, Parenting
, Throw
WFMW - Diet and Exercise 2007-10-24 01:31:16 Tim did an excellent job of handling the blog while I was off playing Cranium with the girls. Now if I can just get the keyboard back (he has a surprisingly strong grip) I can write this week’s Works for Me Wednesday post.
Since I’m reaching the end of my Reunion Countdown, I thought I would share a few of my diet and exercise observations. Chime in with your own tips on the subject, I still have a little ways to go to reach my goal, and love hearing how other people are winning this battle.
Reflections on Diet and Exercise
- Keys to Losing Weight
Move More/Eat Less - I know, this is so obvious I shouldn’t even have to say it, but I have been really surprised to find out how true this actually is.
There was one point in my life when I was doing aerobics 4 times a week (The Firm - weight training and cardio mixed) and walking 5 to 6 days a week. I did NOT lose weight. My body did tone a bit but it was incredibly slow. I was not eating very well. It wasn’
Tuesday Tips for Parenting — Take a Break 2007-10-23 01:14:25 For the past two months or so, we’ve been presenting “Tuesday
Tips for Parenting
”, some of which have been well-received, and others that have been simply, er, received.
We’re away from our dear kiddos as we attend this church leadership retreat, so we didn’t really have anything to say about parenting, except that is awfully nice to take a break, every now and then. Your marriage provides the water in which your parenting is accomplished — if the marriage suffers, it becomes much more difficult to parent from a balanced perspective. While we’re here, purportedly, to build relationships with other church leaders, truth be told, Kathy and I are mostly having fun with each other.
Our children are fortunate to have grandparents on both sides of the family that love them and take an active interest in their lives. Over the years, we have been thoroughly blessed by our parents’ willingness to pinch-hit for us, sometimes for days at a time. Read more:Break
The Newlywed Game 2007-10-22 01:43:07 When Kathy and I were first married, we joined a Sunday School class for young married couples at the church we attended. The church was in the southwest corner of Connecticut, and many of the couples were as feisty and outspoken as you might expect, in the shadow of New York City.
I remember one of our gatherings in which we decided to play a homemade version of the Newlywed Game. “This will be fun,” we said, “what a great way to get to know everyone and poke a little fun at ourselves at the same time.”
Har, har, har.
Unfortunately, the game proved a little too volatile for our competitive group, and some of the players actually became angry with their spouses over answers. “I still can’t believe you didn’t know the name of my third grade teacher,” I might have snarled at Kathy.
After months of practice with cue cards (and still getting the answers wrong), Kathy and I decided that starting this game had been a serious mistake. &ldq
Work Party Slacker 2007-10-21 02:19:48 Today I had the privilege of attending a work day and board meeting for The Refuge, a Christian Retreat and Conference Center being constructed on the Olympic Peninsula, along the Hood Canal. For the last seven years or more, this project has been under development, and is finally coming to fruition, as the main lodge rises majestically from the ground.
My parents have waited a long time for this dream to become a reality.
When I was a boy, I perfected the knack of walking into the kitchen as the last dish was dried, or rounding the corner of the garage as the last leaves were stuffed into bags. Mastery of this work-avoidance skill took a lot of practice and stealth, but I was able to spare the time, having hoarded many hours by the clever expedient of not doing my homework.
In 1999, we moved to Western Washington, and almost immediately my parents began hosting ‘work parties’ as they attempted to transform the grounds of the Refuge from a swamp to an elk pasture (they t Read more:Party
, Slacker
Pruned Branches 2007-10-28 00:11:29 This morning I was reading from the gospel of John, chapter 15, in which Jesus teaches His disciples about their foundational purpose in life: to bear spiritual fruit. I was struck by the fact that, as a branch, there is no easy path available to me that avoids hardship:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me
Rainy Virginia 2007-10-27 01:06:05 I have been told that this area of Virginia
hasn’t had any rain since July. That all ends now and really, what better way to make Washingtonians feel at home than serve us Starbucks with plenty of rain. The Starbucks I had to pay for, but the rain was on the house (car, hotel, campus, college students, and on and on).
Did we bring umbrellas? Of course not. In Washington it mainly drizzles or mists, it doesn’t actually RAIN. Here we got a massive downpour lasting pretty much the entire day.
Did we walk around the campus, reminiscing about our college days?
No.
Did we stroll down the old parts of town, admiring the beauty?
No.
Did we buy the $22 umbrella in the college bookstore?
No, but it was a near thing.
Thankfully we are here for several more days and the weather is supposed to clear up by the end of the weekend. I’m sure we’ll enjoy that stroll down memory lane sooner or later. Meanwhile we visited with old friends, looked at hundreds of old Inter
Duracell or Energizer 2007-10-25 22:07:48 When you set out on a trip, you just never know who the Lord is going to place in your path. I’ve flown next to silent businessmen, focused on their newspapers or laptops, elderly women who chat about their grandchildren, college students heading home on break, moms with little ones, and everything in between.
I have never, and I mean, NEVER sat beside a fellow traveller who stores his AA batteries IN his ear!!
Duracell in one ear and Energizer
in the other.Yikes!
This young man celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday and was flying home to visit friends and family in New Hampshire. He slept most of the flight (Tim said I couldn’t sneak up and take pictures without his permission) but we had a lovely chat during the landing. He had suffered from a collapsed lung six months ago and still had a bad cough. I told him I had five children and they would NOT believe me if I didn’t have a picture of his ear, um, shall we call it, art.
Do not look at this picture if you a
Thanksgiving Ideas 2007-11-02 02:08:52 I’m passing along two fantastic ideas from a friend of mine. De’Etta is an Air Force chaplain’s wife, living in Texas, with 9 children. She is a constant source of wisdom and encouragement as she homeschools her children and shares her life openly with other moms.
Thanksgiving
Tablecloth - Every year each of the people joining De’Etta and her family for Thanksgiving write their names on a table cloth. After the holidays, one of the girls embroiders the names onto the table cloth. Over the years she not only has a record of the children’s signatures as they change and mature, but also remembrances of loved ones who celebrated with them. What a wonderful memory maker!
Thanksgiving Tree - another rich tradition. A basket of leaves sits in the entryway, throughout the season people are encouraged to grab a leaf and jot down something they are thankful for and then add the leaf to the tree.
We made a similar tree in 2003, using handprints as the leaves.
Happy Halloween 2007-11-01 03:13:33 What a great day! The best costume all day? Our local Christian radio channel dressed up as a Christmas station for the day. Very creative. Although it was a bit odd to listen to Christmas music on Halloween
.
As we head to church for the Harvest Carnival, Daniel worries about proper Cape Etiquette.
Has anyone else pulled out Christmas cds yet? Tim and my brother, Thom, usually have a race to see who can start listening to Christmas music the earliest. Our competitive spirit reveals itself in strange ways.
Although the children could have dressed up very convincingly as college students, they chose something else for tonight’s Harvest Carnival.
My friend Jodi surprised us with a bag of William and Mary t-shirts. Five shirts, all different! What a fun reunion gift.
Joshua and David went as Civil War soldiers. Ask Joshua how many years he’s donned some version of this costume for Halloween.
Sarah was beautiful in a Belle costume. Rachel went as a black kitty and D Read more:Happy
, Happy Halloween
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