Christmas Photos!

We had a fun time making our annual Christmas photos at a friend's house. Here's one of the poses the kids came up with. What does it remind you of, Kylie?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and your family a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving, remembering how good God has been to us this year.

Let the Cooking Begin!

Sweet Potato Pie
Caramel-Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Buttermilk Rolls
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan-Strusel Topping

That's what's going on in my kitchen at the moment. What's going on in yours?

Thinking about Advent

For several days I've been pondering Advent and Christmas. I've spent a great deal of time reading about Advent on Elizabeth Foss' blog and Leila Lawler's blog. I've made lists and borrowed some beautiful Christmas books at the library this week while there is still a good selection. And I've looked at this great website about St. Nicholas, which I used last year. I've spent some time praying about it and talking to the girls and David, who are my sounding boards. I went to Family Fun and looked around for awhile, which is always great inspiration for craft ideas.

I want my children to know why we have Christmas - I've always tried to teach them about Jesus and tried to do things that are meaningful as well as fun during the season. Over the years, we've probably tried it all. And we've had a good balance, I believe. We've always celebrated Advent, sometimes at home and, since we've been United Methodists, at church every year. But this year, because of life's busyness, it has become even more important to me to slow down and anticipate the birth of Jesus instead of burning out on Christmas before it's even here.

It's very difficult to celebrate Advent when we live in a Christmas world. But Advent is a 4 week season of reflection and Christmas is only a one day holiday which we've made into an entire season - winter, spring, summer, fall, and Christmas. Why have we skipped the holiness of one to indulge in the craziness of the other?

Every morning David reads the lectionary scriptures for the day, so this is already in place for Advent. Instead of only having the wreath and lighting the candles at church, I'm planning to have a set at home that we can light at breakfast and lunch (our main meals) so we can anticipate the coming of Jesus every day and think about Him. I already have a Christmas centerpiece for the table and David picked up some red candles which I'll use with it. I prefer red over purple since it goes with my other decorations.

I have a beautiful ceramic Nativity, made by my mother-in-law when we got married, that has survived 33 years of moves. I want to put it out slowly this year - Mary and the angel first, then Joseph, so we have time to really think about them and what they must have gone through. We can save the baby Jesus until Christmas and the wise men until Epiphany, so we can look forward to those pieces joining the little family.

We celebrated St. Nicholas day last year and the kids loved it, so we will do that again. The website I've linked is really super and has lots of things to learn and do.

I would like to delay putting up the tree until later in the month. We normally put it up around Katie's birthday, which is December 12th and take it down the day after Christmas. Why not put it up a bit closer to Christmas and enjoy it during the 12 Days of Christmas, which lasts until Epiphany?

We have our activities at church, cookie baking, and Christmas movies which we all enjoy. And I have some twaddle-free read alouds which will enhance our experience. I found the instructions for a few ornaments to make with Abby, my little crafter. And we can't skip looking at lights a day or two before Christmas. But by the time we get to that activity, perhaps we won't be so burned out and exhausted we don't even do it, as has happened the last few years.

The Christmas season is terribly busy until we go to the candlelight communion service at church and have a special time of prayer with our pastor, my husband. Then we come home and finish cooking the special supper, which we serve when David comes in. A hush falls over the lovely table, set with the best dishes and gleaming with candlelight. That moment is when Christmas really begins in our family.

I'm looking forward to celebrating Advent in a more meaningful way this year, looking for the coming of JESUS.

Read Aloud Week!

It's almost lunch time. There's bean soup in the crockpot, because the oven is going full blast. Rachel has already made a beautiful 3-layer chocolate cake with chocolate curls and more chocolate drizzled all over the top. Carrie has her pumpkin-pecan cake layers made and is waiting to make the cream cheese frosting. Emily is mixing up chocolate layers and will make white frosting, then press chunks of white chocolate and almonds all over the outside. Anna and I are waiting in line for our turn with the mixer and the oven to make a whipping cream pound cake and another pumpkin-pecan cake to give out for samples.

I've already made a Wal-mart run for some more pie pans and bananas for the pudding tomorrow. While I was there, I took advantage of sweet potatoes for 25 cents per pound and a reduced price on cranberries, which I throw into the freezer and use all year. I also picked up lots of pita bread and a round loaf of multi-grain bread for tomorrow night's communion service at church. We're missing Katie, who is out of town helping Granny to start her Christmas shopping this weekend. Big doings today!

Abby and I started a new book for her history.


And now Abby and Thomas are watching David Macaulay's Castle on DVD, as a go-along for The Duchess Bakes A Cake.

We're going to be off school next week, but we will read Calico Captive as a read aloud, probably starting it sometime this afternoon after our work is finished.


Read aloud week is almost over, but it's one of our favorite activities and we look forward to it with much excitement.

Read Aloud Week!

The kids played at an Agape Feast for senior adults yesterday and had a great time!

We're back to school today, plus starting our baking frenzy (7 fancy cakes, 4 pies, and a banana pudding) for an auction on Sunday night to benefit Hope International.

Today's books....

My favorite autumn book!

Forget the movie - this book is the best!
(mine is an earlier edition illustrated by Holly Johnson, but I couldn't find a good image of it to use)

A sweet Thanksgiving story....

P.S. We finished Brighty of the Grand Canyon today and it ended with Thanksgiving! How wonderful was that?

Read Aloud Week!

Today's new books....

It's fun to re-read Cranberry Thanksgiving and remember the FIAR lessons we've learned in the past.

We're reading The Sign of the Beaver for Abby's history.

And Thomas is reading a Hardy Boys mystery independently.

We started The Duchess Bakes a Cake for our FIAR study for the next couple of weeks. My plan is to have a medieval feast when I have a chance to work it into our schedule.

Our Thanksgiving Tree

Carrie put up the Thanksgiving tree today and cut out all the leaves. We'll each take one leaf every morning and write something we're thankful for, keeping it going until Thanksgiving Day. Then we thank God for each thing and look back over the leaves from time to time to remember what we've said.

Read Aloud Week!

We read a few Thanksgiving books every year to remind the little ones what it's all about.
We started off with this one today.

I've purposed to read an animal book every time I have read aloud week, so we can learn a little more about nature. I bought this book at a library sale because it is by Marguerite Henry, who also wrote Justin Morgan Had a Horse. It's a new read for us, and we like it.

A Dream of a Trip!

All six girls and I took a fun trip last week to visit friends and we had a fabulous time shopping, seeing old friends, eating out, and staying at our friend's house, which was just like being at a luxurious bed and breakfast.

One guy, eleven women. How cool is that?

Katie French-braided the girls' hair. Aren't they delicious?

Having dinner with my good friends.

We visited with our special friend, who is our definition of a true Southern Belle.

Friends!

(Sorry some of the pictures are blurry. The camera has decided that sometimes it makes clear ones and sometimes not. I decided to post the best ones anyway.)

Happy 20th Birthday, Rachel!

Happy Birthday to our wonderful daughter!

Happy 13th Birthday to Carrie!

Simple Woman's Daybook (November 2, 2009)

Outside my window...
cold, but the leaves are beautiful!

I am thankful....
for Carrie, who turns 13 this week and Rachel, who turns 20 on Friday.

I am going...
to stay home this week, but we may go for a drive today since it's sunny and beautiful.

I am reading...
a couple of books by Rosamund Pilcher - my first time with this author. I think I'm getting hooked.

From the learning rooms....
reading, writing, and arithmetic this week. And The Giraffe That Walked to Paris for FIAR, one of my favorite books.

On my mind....
Christmas shopping and Thanksgiving cooking. Planning a medieval feast for Thomas. Making our family Christmas picture sometime this week.

From the kitchen....
birthday cakes and birthday meals.

Around the house...
I'm going to re-organize the bookshelves today. I really need another one badly, but I'm going to try to put a few in baskets for easier access.

One of my favorite things....
sun glinting through the leaves.

I'm looking forward to....
going to visit out of town friends next week with all the girls. And Thanksgiving just around the corner.

A picture thought I'm sharing....
my husband's birthday celebration yesterday.

Happy Birthday to My Special Sweetheart!

I love you.