Memorial Day 2014 - Freedom Isn't Free!

Remembering all those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country.  Thank you.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 

John 15:13

In Remembrance and Uplifted Prayers ~

Austin's Beach Home School Graduation Celebration

It's hard to believe we have graduated our 2nd son from our home education program!  The years progress ever so quickly and it seems like yesterday that this young man was tagging along while we planted flowers, hatched butterflies and did all the fun hands-on learning with Zach, his older brother.  Those years were wonderful years BUT the years ahead are filled with anticipation of what the Lord will use him to do.

Senior Pictures taken April 2014 Mantanzas Inlet, Flagler Beach and Marineland

Upon his request, no 'formal' ceremony was held; no speeches, no diploma presentation or no walking in cap and gown.  His desire for his high school graduation,{and completing his first year of college classes} was to relax {before his summer college classes began - just 4 days after his celebration was held}.  He wanted to enjoy time on the beach with his friends, family and mentors.  So, the planning happened over a 4 week period, he made his guest list, postcard invites were mailed and the preparations began.  It was to be more than "just" a beach day so here's what we planned for...

Home Education Graduation 2014 ~ Austin

It is with a joy filled heart that we celebrate the completion of our second eldest son's home education graduation.  I think the pinnacle of homeschooling is when your children grow into young men and young women, who are strong in their faith, walking according to their convictions and the training of years of love, discipleship, admonition and even rebuke.  Austin has become a young man with determination, motivated by goals he has set and the plans the Lord has laid before him to walk in.

Christmas 2013

It has been a great length of time since my last post...summer...and here we are approaching Christmas!  The time flies in our home and MUCH living has taken place in the months since my last post.  The reality is, I have wanted many times to sit down and write a post, however the life of a momma of many lacks the time do so on more occasions than not.  Such it has been in my home. 

Menu Planning with a Menu Board ~ Happy 2013

What a great way to spent starting a New Year...Happy 2013!  This is one of the projects I worked on to bring in the New Year in an effort to start well in 2013.  Chore charts were revised, schedules will be tweaked and a menu board was created!  Not to mention having packed all the Christmas decor away, rearranged furniture and put back in place our normal home decorations.  Things are clean and ready to begin our days uncluttered and organized.  One of the projects I did on New Year's Eve, which I'd like to share with you, was to create a Menu Board.

I have done menu planning for years.  I have done simple plans by just writing out my menu for the week...index cards, dry erase board, or even on a list.  I have created rotating menu plans using an index card system to a more formatted one created on Microsoft Word.  Menus have been done for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinners.  Weekly, bi-monthly and even a four/five week meal rotation plan have been created. 

Well, in this season of life, with so many "unexpected's", I am now moving on to give the menu board a try.  I found this idea on Pintrest {where else!} and loved it!  {Oh, just a quick invite...I'd love for you to join me on Pintrest.  Visit my sidebar and follow along.  You'll find all my favorite finds on my boards, added to regularly...so join now to gather some ideas that may work for you.} 

Merry Christmas

 

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba!  Father!"  So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

  Galatians 4:4-7

 

What a hope filled passage, which was the message preach this past Sunday.  Praying that your Christmas is focused on Jesus...

 

Our Redeemer.

 

Our Savior.

 

Emmanuel.

Merry CHRISTmas from our family to yours! 

Simple Gifts for Christmas...Joy-filled and Christ-centered

Gift making is underway at our home with many helping hands to make the load lighter {although not always neater}.  We are excited to give you a peak at what we will be sharing with family, friends, neighbors, music instructors and others of whom the Lord has brought into our lives.

With the colder weather sneaking back into our Florida days and nights, this makes for the perfect gift to warm the body...

Autumn Creating and Decorating

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons!  I live in Florida therefore we have to create autumn in our home, as our location doesn't provide the beauty of "change in seasons".  This year, after pulling down our autumn decorations and going through them all these are some of the elements we decided to use in adding touches of autumn to our home.

Glass bead pumpkins & gourd placed on wooden pillar candlesticks; autumn leaf garland swagged over mirror; a splash of color added in our foyer with reminders of gratitude and praise plaques; layered beans added to our bubbled hurricane glass vase {pinto beans, black beans and yellow corn} with a pumpkin candle added to the center and an autumn wired-ribbon tied to the base

Forty one...

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:5-11

~~~~~~~~~~~

Another year, marking life.  In light of Scripture, it causes me to reflect and wonder how my days are spent.  My heart's desire is to use each one to give God glory in all that I do.  How short I have fallen...

One year ago today...

Today is a very special day.  I remember the anticipation….I remember the anxiety of waiting {15 additional days once man’s “anticipated date of arrival” had passed!}…I remember the struggle of resting in God’s PERFECT timing and my great desire to hold the precious gift He was giving our family again.

Minutes after delivery ~ a photo collage of a labor of love

Remembering Those Who Served Bravely...Thankful Indeed

In honor of all who have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect and defend our country throughout the years, we give thanks!  May the Lord bless the families who have lost loved ones in battle and those who have served our country bravely, honorably and sacrificially.  May He bless each family, who even now,  has someone serving in our Armed Forces…not only is the serviceman or servicewoman to be honored, but we give thanks to their families…understanding that it is a sacrifice for you as well having your loved one in the military.

He is good...

Thank you all for your prayers and comments of encouragement.  Although I have not be posting about life here, we have been busy living it.  We are all doing well and the days in our home are very full.  Things continue to move according to the Lord's sovereign plan for our lives and I am so thankful to rest in this. 

He is good.

The loss of a loved one can bring about so many things.  So much learned and continue to be learned as we journey on this road of life.

Life IS a vapor...

God has fixed our day of birth, just as He has fixed our day of death...

Grief is personal, yet His peace does provide comfort which surpasses all understanding...

Lives lived according to His word brings blessing and hope and contentment {striving for that} ... 

Soon after Mom's passing, life as I knew it changed forever.  Many truths were revealed.  My grief is not at her passing so much.  I rely on the truth that her last two years were a gift of time...a gift for her to reconcile many relationships she had.  A gift to our family to be able to minister to her, sharing truth with her, helping to care for her and investing in memories for my children to draw from over the years.  A gift in being able to not only witness His mercy, faithfulness and grace, but to experience it as well.  A gift...one received with a thankful heart.

Love...

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragnant offering and sacrifice to God. 

Ephesians 5:1-2



According to history, on February 14, 269 a young man named Valentine was martyred for his faith.  History has pointed to several men named Valentine and legends vary on their lives.

Some say he was a young man with a tender heart who aided Christians who were undergoing martyrdom...he was not a Christian at the time, however converted to Christianity during his time in prison.  For what?  It is not known.  He would not renounce his faith and wrote letters to his friends saying, "Remember your Valentine."

Others say Valentine was a Roman priest who secretly married men against the orders of Emperor Claudius, to avoid husbands being sent to war.  This enraged the emperor who desperately needed soldiers.

And yet still another legend states the Roman priest refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods and was martyred for his defiance.  Legend has it that while he was imprisoned, his testimony was shared and his prayers for healing of the jailer's daughter brought her healing.  He left her a note signed "Your Valentine".  What do any of these accounts have to do with the way Valentines' Day is celebrated today? 

Today Valentine's Day marks a time of celebrating love and friendship...a time the retailers seek to profit .  We don't do anything overtly special for the day but do try to add extra emphasis on simple acts of kindness and love.  In the past we have made breakfasts special by making hearts shaped pancakes in the past or having strawberry milk.  We have made Valentine's cards and shared with friends, family and neighbors.  Each year I purchase little gifts for the children and leave out to bless them and show our love for them...

As Christians, our focus is Christ and every day is a day to remember the LOVE that came down...all things are filtered through that truth.  Today, I listened to a sermon by Pastor John MacArthur which is here, "Walking in Love, Part 1".  This is the first in a series of sermons he has preached on the topic.  As I listened to it, I had such a broken heart for all the times I have fallen short...short on love, short on forgiveness and just thank God for His love for me...undeserved LOVE.

Today, for the fun of it, I fixed the girls hair and with Alyssa's help made mine the same way.  We tried to do heart shaped twists that Connie shared, but I just couldn't get it, so we kept it simple with a pull-through ponytail.  I really need to play more with fun hair dos...like some of the ones that Shaunell does.  Wow!



Alyssa's pull-through pony was quite SIMPLE to do and does look very feminine, I think.



With Alyssa's help, here's mine.  A lot more hair to pull through and hard for me to do since it is so long.  Two are better than one.  ;D

Kailynn's little pull-through pony...a little more challenging to get all those strays in thanks to her doing some hair cutting in recent days.  ;-)

I think for tonight's meal...spaghetti with meatballs, a lovely green garden salad with RED tomatoes and Texas garlic toast.  As I sit here, I think about that Disney movie the Lady and the Tramp I saw YEARS ago...I think that had spaghetti and meatballs....love.  XD  Oh yeah, for dessert {not a norm during the week....} peanut butter pies Logan made last night topped with little Wilton heart sprinkles.

What about you?  Any special traditions or projects you have done this year to show your love, friendship and kindness in your family?  Just drop a quick note or link back to a related post in the comments area...

Blessings ~

P.S.  Does anyone out there in the blog world have a SIMPLE pattern or how to video tutorial on how to make a prairie bonnet?  A special request of Alyssa for her birthday...Thanks in advance!

Merry CHRISTmas 2011

From our family to yours...may you have a Merry CHRISTmas and a joyfilled New Year! 

Our Smith Family Christmas photo cards this year...

Blessings in Him ~

How We are Celebrating Christmas AND a Christmas GIVEAWAY

It's been a blurr of a year with November over and December already here!  We had a blessed Thanksgiving with Mom and friends joining us.  A joy-filled time of giving thanks and fellowshipping together.

What a wonderful time of year! December is a month usually full of activities. Oh, there is shopping and Christmas gatherings, the end of sports seasons and final games, concerts and special events, decorating and baking…the list goes on and on.  And if it isn't full enough already...we now have a daughter who has decided it's time to begin potty training...wonderful, yes...however, the first of the year surely would have been better for us.  ;-)

She's doing well for 26 months...just decided to do what sissies do and hopped on AND successfully tinkled.  ;-)  Hersey kiss for the big girl!

 It is a wonderful time of the year and sometimes all this activity can create an atmosphere that actually can rob us of the joy of the season.  In hopes to keep our center of all we do around Christ we have a few "Family Challenges" posted as an encouraging reminder...

It is with intentional effort, this year we have created these family challenges to keep our time focused on Christ and the reason for our joy. The end of November, I made all the necessary copies, laminating things we will do again in the future {new traditions} and made the purchases necessary for being able to begin in December. Some new things we are doing as a family this year to keep Christ in our Christmas are:

1. Reading the Christmas account {Luke chapter 2} nightly with our Christmas Eve reading being done by candlelight…

2. Doing a “Twelve Days of the Nativity” activity beginning on the 13th of the month. This activity was something I found here which will provide a fun way for our children to learn more about the different elements of the Christmas account…especially the younger ones. We are hoping this activity will provide a time for us to reflect a bit deeper on the historical account of Christ’s birth, the events and people involved in that night and a prompt for conversation about what those people may have been experiencing that wonderful night.

These are the cards I printed on plain white paper, added a cover page using Mrs. Grossman stickers and then laminated each page.  To finish, I hole punched the top and ran a ribbon through the stack of cards.

This is the sweetest nativity set...the kids LOVE playing with it, so until we start The 12 Days of Nativity {we have decided to do it BEFORE Christmas starting on the 13th} they are getting joy from it.

3. We have challenged our family to do “Simple Acts of Kindness” each day for members of our family. These acts will involve blessing someone in the house in secret and leaving behind a “Because you are loved…” note to encourage them.

Once again, I made "Just because you are loved..." slips {using Microsoft Word label format}, then printed them out and laminated them for being able to continually using them through the year.  ;D

4. For fun and opportunity to bless someone in our neighborhood, we are also going to be doing a “Ring and Run” outreach based on The Twelve Days of Christmas song. I found a sweet version here {or here if that one isn't working} this year and made a few minor changes to fit our family and gifts we wanted to give. This event is another great teaching opportunity for “blessing others in secret”.

Here's our basket of blessings, labels printed out and attached to each item.  Starting on the 13th, we will "Ring and Run" leaving behind a little blessing for someone close by...

Chocolate...lots of chocolate...doesn't chocolate makes things just a little bit better?  :D

5. Decorating our tree with a focus on Christ…red ornaments {to represent His blood}, ornaments with the names of God written on them {I purchased red shatterproof balls and used a gold permanent pen to write one name of God on each ball…of course, I didn’t write all His names, but selected a few we wanted to focus on}, red stars {to remind of us of His blood again and the star set in the sky to lead to His birthplace} and adorenments the children will be making again this year.

Our tree this year, as a reflection of Christ...an evergreen {from North Carolina...thank you, sweet friends} as a reminder of Life we have in Christ and red to remind us of the blood He shed.

6. Select a conversation starter at each dinner meal to prompt discussion about different Christmas aspects…from the historical account to what different symbols mean.

This group of questions and some additional ones were taken from Celebrating A Christ-Centered Christmas.  Loved this idea and will make this part of our annual celebration...so more laminating.  :D

Things we have done and will do again this year include:

1. Having candy canes with the Legend of the Candy Cane poem attached to them at the front door ready to give to those who visit us {mailman, UPS/FedEx drivers, neighbors, other delivery people, etc.} as well as a simple book “For the Joy” by John Piper and a tract from Billy Graham.  This legend is in the form of a Christmas tree or you could use this one to attach to candy canes for giving away.

A shot before the legends were attached to the candy canes.

2. Hide Jesus from our nativity set until Christmas morning and then the first child who awakes that morning gets to put Him in the nativity scene and move the shepherd up to the stable area.

Where is our LORD?  {Hidden until Christmas Day and then the early riser will get to place Him in the stable.}

Wallah!

3. Attending Christmas concerts and Christmas service.

4. Driving through well decorated neighborhoods and trying to find nativity scenes the night before Christmas.

5. Opening one special gift on Christmas Eve {always new PJ’s} so they can wear them to bed and have Christmas morning pictures to remember.

6. Mark & I purchase “three gifts” for each child to be opened on Christmas Day. This is to represent the three gifts that were presented to Christ from the Wiseman. {They do get more than three gifts…due to them giving presents for one another, receiving them from other family members and friends, but our gifts to them are limited to three.}

7. Hosting a Christmas gathering at our home. In the past we have done things such as a craft day here or Christmas gift making time with other families at our home. Other ideas could include a Birthday Party for Jesus, a couple’s night, or even hosting a time to watch someone else’s children to allow them to Christmas shop. The point for us, whatever the event, is to show hospitality to others.

8. Lots of baking…for family, friends, neighbors, coaches, music instructors, pastors, etc. This year may pose a slightly higher challenge with having a new baby in the home {and now 4 who are 5 and under...}, but we will do what we can. Last year we had our nieces join us for two baking days, in which we made family cookie/cake recipes and then sent home some of what they helped bake…lots of fun.

9. Send a Christmas photo card and family newsletter to all our family, friends and those who are close in distance recapping our year. I have done this for the 22 years we have been married…some years more in depth than others due to time, but it is always a blessing to connect with those that aren’t near in distance and encourage those who are. Our family so enjoys reading the cards and newsletters we have received and seeing how families have grown each year.

Something else we have done with all the cards and newsletters we receive at Christmas is to place them in a basket on our kitchen table AFTER Christmas. Each night through the month of January, we each select a card from the basket {randomly} and pray for that person/family that evening. This has been a sweet tradition for us to purposely pray for others and to hear the things our children lift up about the person they are praying for…

What family traditions do you have? How do you spend the month of December? How do you keep Christ as your focus during a season so full? Your comment will be a blessing to me and to those visiting. May your month be filled with joy!

P.S. In honor of Christ and Christmas, I would like to host a Christmas Blessing Giveaway. It’s my way to encourage and thank you for visiting here.  What is the giveaway? A Christmas gift basket filled with items to bring joy to you this month. All entries must be received by 11:59PM EST on Monday, December 12th.  A winner will be randomly chosen on Tuesday, December 13th. The winner will be announced on my blog and then upon receiving mailing info, the gift will be mailed to the blessed winner and hopefully received by Christmas {depending on our postal delivery...}...fun! 

How to enter {one entry for each item you do below}?

1. Leave a comment {as mentioned above}.

2. Do a Christmas related post and link back here…be sure to mention my giveaway AND include your post link.

3. Join above as “Those Encouraged”…even if you are an email subscriber, click to follow to gain another entry THEN leave a separate comment saying you have joined.

And what will this basket consist of???

Elsie's Christmas Party, Wonderful Names of a Wonderful Lord, For Your Joy, Handel music CD, metallic silver note cards and matching envelopes for you to embellish, snowflake stickers, a names of God bookmark, and a little sweet surprise...may it bring joy to your Christmas!

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Women Living Well Wednesdays

In my life this past week…


Care giving was a primary focus. Mom had a difficult week so added time with her was adjusted into our days {and nights}. A yielding heart to God’s direction and flexibility from each person in the family is both important components to handling curve-balls thrown into normal routines. For me, a knowledge and keen awareness of how life is truly just a vapor, does help accept changes to our schedule. In the BIG picture of life, we are not guaranteed another day, let alone another moment. With mom being sick these past couple of years and seeing first hand the mercy of God in that does make prioritizing what truly is most meaningful to be first, even when it is not convenient. To live in peace in the sovereignty of God in all areas of our lives…to make the most of each moment…to create memories and deep relationships with those He has put into our lives…to hope that I would be yielding to be used by Him for His glory in whatever capacity He calls me to…to be ready in season and out of season to share the Word which is the hope within me. These are the truths that I try to meditate on and allow to encourage me to do what is right.

What’s coming up this week…

the usual Orchestra practices, football practices and game, a much anticipated home school park day to take advantage of the glorious Florida autumn weather and an appointment with my mid-wife {looking forward to seeing how much Carolyne has grown}.

In our home school this week…

Carolyne continues to be a good nurser, is sleeping a bit better during the days and is greatly loved by all her siblings…not lacking love and attention. Liz and K continue to keeping us on our toes, provide MANY opportunities for training and give me encouragement on how great they are GOING to be as they get older…after their energy is refined. ;-)

Enjoying a good nap this past week...

Graham’s excitement for learning is rewarding and makes learning easy…new letters, continuing to learn blend sounds and sounds out WORDS! He is doing well with math and quotes his addition families during meals often. ;-)

Alyssa continues to work on multiplication and division in ABeka 3 Arithmetic, is enjoying reading The Secret of the Maple Tree {and a myriad of other books…my bookworm} and has asked several times for our sewing time to make skirts…maybe during our Thanksgiving break.

Logan worked on science this morning making the earth out of Rice Crispie treats…Apologia Astronomy. It worked well for the most part ~ until covering the treat balls with melted chocolate…VERY messy and made them start to come apart…fun though and a reminder that learning is messy, but sometimes the mess makes it memorable. ;-)

Before the Crispie spheres were covered in chocolate...that was the messy part that was stopped after covering about six of them.  Oh well, the mess was part of the fun and makes learning the layers of the earth memorable. ;-)

As I type this post, Austin is in his private cello lesson then will be off to orchestra after that. He continues showing diligence in his studies in spite of helping with home projects, pitching in with younger siblings when needed and taking on several paying jobs this past week. I am pleased with how the Lord is using it all to further develop good character in him which will make him a better husband and father one day.

Zach took a small reprieve from work and studies this weekend to enjoy a weekend event our family enjoys twice a year. Good fellowship time, good music and just time away from his normal routine will hopefully give a boost to upcoming papers and finals.

Things I’m working on…

food storage areas. Mark has added adjustable wall shelving in our garage to maximize the space I have for my food pantry. The heavy duty shelf unit we had been using had a lot of wasted space and things just didn’t fit properly. With the new shelving I have increased my storage space and was able to adjust each shelf to the height needed to the food items I keep on it. I have been working on stocking my pantry for rainy days, taking advantage of sales {especially buy one get one offers} to stretch the ever decreasing value of our dollars. In this economy you never know what the next day will be like, so having extra on hand just makes good economic sense…we always need to eat. ;-)

I’m cooking…

This week’s menu:

Sunday: Out-to-eat BBQ after a full day of activities

Monday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, yellow rice, mixed veggies and biscuits
        Old-fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies {yummy!}

Ready to be put in the oven...



 Tuesday: Cheesy sausage and rice casserole {I also add about 5 sliced yellow squash to our casserole and more rice}, croissants

Wednesday: Shrimp Alfredo over bow ties, Texas toast and buttered peas

Thursday: Slow cooked BBQ chicken, pressure cooked potatoes, green beans w/bacon & onions

Friday: Meatball alphabet veggie soup, rolls

We enjoy this soup on cold days...it's expected to be highs of 67 on Friday, so a perfect compliment to the day.  ;-)

Saturday: Leftovers

I’m grateful for…

#22 ~ messy learning

#23 ~ lives intertwined daily…homeschooling is an instrumental part of keeping our lives connected

#24 ~ laundry to wash…the day will arrive when the work load is minimal and I will miss having the dirty laundry drawers filled

#25 ~ Fall Jamboree traditions…a weekend full of folk and gospel music, good friends, barn dancing, special treats

#26 ~ a boy who beams with delight as his feet dance the Broom Dance, Virginia Reel & Gypsy Dance to name a few

A more confident boy he selects 4 girls to dance with on the Broom Dance...too funny.

#27 ~ a picnic lunch in spite of mosquitoes and looming rain

#28 ~ thorns…a reminder of how such a small thorn causes such discomfort…a picture of how little sins cause big pain…great life lessons.

#29 ~ hard work…good character being sown through doing the hard things

#30 ~ pumpkin cookies and a cold glass of milk

I’m praying for…

the Light to shine in this dark world…that we would not miss our opportunities to speak truth into the lives of all He brings into our paths and that our lives would reflect His love, mercy and grace…the world all around us needs Him so.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Visit Joy here for a list of great Thanksgiving resources to enhance this upcoming holiday...she has a lovely blog and her post is an encouragement to have a heart of gratitude.

Blessings ~

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Menu Plan Monday

A wonderful weekend filled with many activities…Friday evening, my husband and I enjoyed a “date night” out to kick off his birthday celebration…just the two (well, technically three) of us. We enjoyed a very filling meal locally, then drove along the beach…stopped and walked (something we haven’t done in a while) with white sand between our toes, the salty wind blowing and the gentle rolling of the (too cool for me) waves along the coastline. We continued our drive along the beach for a while then stopped for a little shopping (birthday gifts from the youngest to be opened by dad on Saturday) and ended our evening enjoying sweet treats from Cracker Barrel ~ coca-cola cake…yum!

Saturday we spent together as a family (with Zach not having to work until later that afternoon), doing things locally...with cake and presents in the afternoon and a simple grilled dinner with swimming in the evening. A good day as we celebrated my husband.  A day spent relaxing, refreshing and enjoying being together…

Sunday we were invited to an afternoon cook-out and to attend church with friends prior to that. The day was filled with a sweet time of worship, a sound message as the Word was taught and an afternoon of fellowship around a shared meal, outdoor games and varied conversations…faith, politics, education, children…all seasoned with grace.  Children enjoyed playing with old friends and meeting new ones ~ such simplicity in the relationships of children...we can learn much from them.

Memorial Day gave our family additional time to remember all who have served our country, by laying down their lives protecting the freedoms so graciously embraced by each of us now.  We prayed for those currently serving our country and protecting our freedoms…one man in particular, leaving his wife and child behind as he faithfully protects our freedoms. Additionally, this day will mark the blessing of new life as his wife gave birth to their second child…bearing the name of our free country.  Precious blessing, thanksgiving and praises are being lifted up!

This week we look forward to spending time with a dear friend visiting from out-of-state. Our prayer is that it would be a time of refreshment, encouragement and support as this is her first trip since her husband went to be with the Lord 3 months ago. The week will be flexible to accommodate time with her and meals will be kept somewhat simple as we seek to take this week to relax during what is the beginning of our summer break.

Monday: leftovers

Tuesday: Cheesy beef n’ rice casserole, corn-on-the-cob, biscuits {errands to library, p/u items from a friend and minor shopping trip to health food store & Wal*Mart}

A versatile recipe...use beef, sausage or venison...I also add yellow squash to ours for flavor, color and nutrients.  Check our my step by step photo tutorial post here.

Wednesday: EASY Baked BBQ chicken{...for oven version, follow same recipe except bake at 350 degrees covered for 1 1/2-2 hours...I use a stoneware baker which bakes to tender delight!}, potatoes, garden salad {with some lettuce from our garden and maybe shredded radish, too}, whole wheat rolls

Thursday: Tomato gravy pork chops, yellow rice, mixed veggies, applesauce

Friday: Broccoli-ham Hot Dish {new recipe}, sliced wheat bread with butter and fruit side
Saturday: Zesty Chicken Wings {new recipe} and Party Chicken Wings {new recipe}, veggie sticks, pasta salad and/or fruit bowl, chips, etc. {Fellowship get-together, Lord willing…}

Sunday: SIMPLE Sunday ~ leftovers, sandwiches, etc.

May each of you be blessed as you gather around your meal table this week ~

To read other Menu Plans, click here…thanks for hosting each week, Laura!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY...Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Outside my window...{if you look out the front window, spring green everywhere ~ trees, grass, flowers ~ jasmine in bloom, rose bush offering large red fragrance, magnolias fill the air BUT out the back…oh my, still a construction zone ~ DIRT (can’t wait until trees are down, fence is finished and sod can be laid!), both sides of the fencing done…lovely white border, garden boxes are really filling out with fruits and veggies, orange blossoms fading into tiny green round oranges, BUT oh that back yard! Holding on to the vision of final results…}

I am thinking...I seem to lose motivation around this time of year regarding current year school and want to always jump into the next year’s planning; watching how the children are drawn toward the beautiful weather and need prodding to keep focused...but knowing this is their tendency, I do fit in lunches at the park or additional outside time during the day to help provide more focused afternoons {last week we met my husband for lunch at a quiet park and witnessed several learning opportunities...a hummingbird, a Carolina wren's nest, and the icing on the cake was a raccoon scavenging a dumpster for lunch}
I am thankful for...a week off from normal school schedules as Resurrection Day marks the first day of our Easter break.

I am praying for…a friend and her family's soon departure to minister to her oldest daughter across the ocean opposite, another friend...in marking the end to one season of life while embracing a new opportunity to assist her husband with business, my mom…changes and that each day would be one she embraces as a gift, endurance for myself and new energy to work on tasks that have been pushed to the side

From the learning rooms...Easter break! {although this week will be a break from ‘normal’ routine, we will still work on preparing for portfolios…yearbook scrapbooks, gathering samples, finishing up writing assignments, etc.}

From the kitchen...leftovers from dinner last night: smoked ham, baked macaroni n’ cheese, salad, corn-on-the-cob, cranberry sauce and bread {Resurrection Sunday dinner was postponed to Monday which coincided with Austin’s 15th birthday…so we enjoyed a nice sit-down meal with friends after Orchestra and embraced the two days together}

What is a party without cake & ice-cream?  He wanted to make his own cake...so lots of vanilla icing and candy sprinkles it was!  {Notice the two candle blowers...K & Graham blew as soon as we stopped singing and Austin was the accommodating big brother...}

I am creating...notes of gratitude and encouragement to send to a few friends and loved ones today

I am going...to take one to football practice this evening {will provide me an hour or so to catch up on some grading…as well as, watch him practice and prepare for the championship game this Saturday!}

Last playoff game, this past Saturday...Logan was so excited to intercept this pass and return for a touchdown...the team was cheering him on all the way & they won a nail-biting game...now for the Championship Game this Saturday!

I continue reading...the Bible, Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening and My Utmost for His Highest

I am hearing...the washer spinning, pages turning in a workbook, the hum of a fan…what’s missing? I need to put on some Christian music ~ maybe one of my favorites to set the tone of today.

Around the house...order in some areas, disorder in others…a few paper piles to tackle that has been pushed off for quite some time.

One of my favorite things…seeing anticipation in my children

Anticipating the empty tomb...Resurrection Rolls baking after all the children prepared them Resurrection Day morning ~ Zach did our reading as each child helped in preparing the "body" {marshmallow}, click here for the recipe.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

Sunrise Birthday Tradition...15 years ~ a beautiful array of light beginning another day of life

Blessings this week ~

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