Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #24

Today I am thankful for the chance to spend Thanksgiving with family. I don't think I've gotten to do that since college. I'm thankful that my mom and I split the cooking duties, and I didn't have to cook the whole meal by myself!

I am thankful for the traditions our family has now - our "Thanksgiving tree," our little homeschool Thanksgiving unit, and this year we created "Blessing Mix" for the first time. We made so much that we were able to share it with our friends!

I am thankful that we were able to have Thanksgiving in our own home for the first time this year. (Last year our house was covered in boxes.) I am thankful that we are all in good health, and for the great weather we had! The girls were able to get out and run around and ride their bikes, which was awesome.

I am thankful that the Methodist Church has a Thanksgiving service in the morning with music from the African Universal Church choir. They were awesome. Seriously, that is THE way to start your Thanksgiving off right. I went from being in a good mood to being in an AWESOME mood. I loved it. (Loved the free jar of homemade jelly we got there too!)

I am thankful that we all had a good time, and that our table was covered with God's bounty - and plenty of leftovers to last all weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #23

Today I am thankful for hair dye!

I've been "gray" since I was 23. Yes, really. I found my first gray hair at the age of 23. And it wasn't even really gray. It was SILVER. Like glow-in-the-dark SILVER.

I've been a huge fan of Clairol ever since.

Lately, though, the box stuff from the store hasn't been working. Yeah, at the age of 35, I now officially have "resistant gray" hair. Wonderful, right?

So this week I got my hair professionally colored. I love it - I actually look my age again, instead of like a frumpy mom. In fact, I think I look pretty good, if I say so myself!

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #22

Today I am thankful for "first world" conveniences.

Like dishwashers, washing machines and dryers! I dislike using them, but that doesn't compare to how bad life would stink without them. As much as I love the Little House on the Prairie series, I have no need to go back and relive them! (I could still do without ironing, though.)

Hmmm, does anyone have a hint what my day is going to look like tomorrow?

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #21

Today I am thankful for apple butter.

Warm, fresh, homemade apple butter.

My house smells fabulous!

Chunky Sweet Spiced Apple Butter
4 cups (about 1 1/4 pounds) peeled, chopped Granny Smith apples
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine apples, sugar, vinegar, 2 tablespoons butter, cinnamon, salt, and cloves in crock pot. Cover, cook on LOW for 8 hours. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and vanilla. Cool completely. Makes 2 cups.


This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #20

Today I am thankful for new mercies every morning.

Saturday was a particularly horrendous day in our house. As my mom says, kids just can only be good so many days in a row. Well, Saturday was the end of our angel streak, I guess.  And yeah, when I say horrendous, I mean HORRENDOUS. I think I had PTSD/hangover/jet lag from the whining and temper tantrums, as I could barely get out of bed until close to noon on Sunday.

Anyway, this song has been running through my head nonstop, and after a few hours I realized what song I was singing.

"Mercies New" by Nichole Nordeman
Is it fair to say I was lured away?
By endless distractions and lovelier attractions then
Or fairer still, my own free will
Is the better one to blame for this familiar mess
I've made again


So I would understand if You were out of patience
And I would understand if I was out of chances
Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it's true, You make all Your mercies new


The distance left between East and West
Is how far You would go to forget the debt I'd owe
And thrown into the sea, the wicked ways in me
Will never have a chance to wash back on the sand

So I would understand if You would make me pay
I would understand lying in the bed I made again
Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it's true, You make all Your mercies new


Up comes the sun on every one of us
Gone, gone, gone the guilt and shame that knew Your name

Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it's true, You make all Your mercies new

I am so thankful that every morning is a fresh start, a new day. I am so thankful that God wipes our slate clean and gives us new chance upon new chance.

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #18

Today I am thankful for bedtime!

And yes, just because it's bedtime and the house gets quiet and I get some peace.

But also, because I love the bedtime rituals we have. Once the insanity of bath time and getting clothes on two wild little girls is completed, we snuggle up on the big bed. If time, we will read a story (either connected to our homeschool unit, a holiday theme, or a Bible story).

After the girls say their prayers, we each go around the room saying one thing we want to thank God for, and we pray a prayer over those items. Sometimes they are sweet, and sometimes it's silly, like marshmallows! Then the lights go off and I get to the very best thing in the world.

Cuddle with my girls. My girls are the best snugglers and give the best hugs and kisses. And as I kiss them goodnight, I always remind them how much I love them but how much more Jesus loves them than I do. Then with a good tuck-in, and a sweet dreams I'm done. For at least five minutes until I'm called in to give one extra hug and kiss and a pat on the back.

The great thing is that no matter how much they've been a terror all day, I can still count on those sweet hugs around my neck to make it all worthwhile.

idea from: http://www.itakejoy.com/close-every-day-with-a-blessing/


This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #17

Today I am thankful for my brave little girl.

Lily is my little scaredy cat. She's phobically terrified of just about everything, and always has been. Seriously, anything not human (and frankly, most of them too) is on her possible freakout list.

But today we went to a petting farm. I've been wanting to surprise them with this for weeks.

And about halfway through the trip, the owner brought out a rabbit. Lily told me she needed to hold that rabbit. And she did.

And then it was time for the pony ride. Goodness, you could see the battle Lily was going through right on her face. She was so scared but wanted to get on that pony so bad. She told me she wanted to ride, but asked me if I would hold her hand. This is how the ride started:

And after one lap around, this is how it ended!

I have never been so proud of my little brave girl, who finally chose to push past her fears, and take her very first pony ride!

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #16

Today I am thankful for goats. And forgiveness.

Let me explain.

Earlier this week we were studying the letter G with Abby, and "Goat" is our theme for the unit.

The Bible verses for this unit were this:

“When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the altar, he must present the live goat. He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat. Then a man specially chosen for the task will drive the goat into the wilderness. As the goat goes into the wilderness, it will carry all the people’s sins upon itself into a desolate land.
--Leviticus 16:20-22 (nlt)
(This is part of the description of the rules of sacrifice for the annual
Day of Atonement for the Jewish people in the Old Testament.)

Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow
could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think
how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds
so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit,
Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
-- Hebrews 9:13-14 (nlt)

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten
so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep,
have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet
the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
--Isaiah 53:5-6 (nlt)

While reviewing these verses with Abby, we had a long talk about the word sin. What it was, why God didn't like it, and that if people wanted to be with God the sin had to be taken away.


This morning, we were playing a word game, making silly sentences with her flashcard words. (Our favorite was "Ann sat in the mud.") One of the flashcards had the word "sin" on it, and Abby asked what that word meant. I reminded her of our conversation about the goat that used to be sent in the wilderness carrying the sins of the people far away. I told her that today if we wanted Jesus to take away our sins we needed to say we were sorry and ask for forgiveness, and he would take our sins so far away they can never be found again. She nodded, and we moved on.


This afternoon, when we were getting out of the car back at home from picking up Lily, Abby said to me (in a very, "Oh, by the way" voice): "Mommy, when you went inside and picked up Lily and I was waiting in the car? I asked Jesus to take my sins far, far away."

And she skipped away.

My jaw just dropped. I literally said, "Oh. Okay."

So today, I am so thankful for goats. And the forgiveness Jesus Christ gives each of us, taking our sins far, far away.


This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #15

Today I am thankful for rain! It has washed the pollen out of the air, and I can breathe again!

(This one is short and sweet!)

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #14

Today I am thankful for homeschooling.

Because that mean that there is no rush, rush, rush, get this kid's teeth brushed, fix that kid's hair, convince this one that YES she must wear clothes to school, somehow find something to wear myself while nagging that one to make her frickin' bed.

This morning though, I got to sleep in (a little. Never get to sleep very long with these girls.) We all got to snuggle up in my bed while I read my Bible chapter for the day. We discussed clothes -- we are a house of females after all -- and decided that yes, it's probably a good idea to wear them, and even better if they match. We got to eat a real, hot breakfast and I could calmly run a load of dishes and wipe down the kitchen. I sat down and checked email and did my online thing while the girls ate breakfast.

And at about the same time I'd be just arriving home from the normal morning carpool, we all sat down to start our school work, with a MUCH less frazzled Mommy.

(PS. We are starting to "wean" Lily off of preschool since Joel will be home soon. Today was an "off" day for us - if that helps this post make a little bit more sense.)


This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #13

Today I am thankful for my bathroom scale.

Note that I didn't say I liked it. In fact, at the moment the scale and I are not on speaking terms.

However, just like a good friend who is always gonna tell you what you need to hear whether you want to hear it or not, that bathroom scale never lies.

And this morning it told me to quit eating so much junk.

Which is why I'm not currently speaking to that friend. I am, however, back on my diet.

"And so, dear brothers, I plead with you, to give your bodies to God.
Let them be a living sacrifice, holy -- the kind He can accept.
When you think of what He has done for your, is this too much to ask?
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person
with a fresh newness in all you do and think.
Then you will learn from your own experience
how His ways will really satisfy you." --Romans 12:1-2 (nlt)

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #12

Today, this is what I'm thankful for (emphasis mine):

"But despite all this,

OVERWHELMING VICTORY IS OURS

through Christ

who loved us enough to die for us.

For I am convinced

that nothing can ever separate us from His love.

Death can't and life can't.

 The angels won't, and all the powers of hell itself

cannot keep God's love away.

Our fears for today,

our worries about tomorrow,

or where we are --

high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean --

NOTHING

will

EVER

be able to separate us

from

the love of God

demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ

when He died for us."

-- Romans 8:37-39

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #11

Today I'm thankful for all those that serve our country to keep us safe.

I'm thankful for all of our military. My father was a Marine during Vietnam. Some of our dearest, sweetest friends are or have been in the military in some form or fashion.

But since the Foreign Service doesn't have a "day," I really want to put a shout out to them as well. For as much as Congress and certain idiotic presidential wannabeswant to complain about the Foreign Service, Foreign Service Officers serve our country as well.

These folks serve our country with words, not guns. They try to improve our economy by promote US products and goods overseas. They try to improve relationships with other countries, and increase understanding of our country abroad (and let me tell ya, those are two very hard jobs because there are many countries that don't like us and don't understand us). And most of all, they try to use words and communication (diplomacy) to keep those that serve our country in the military out of harm's way. They try to keep us from having to go to war in the first place.

Unfortunately, talking doesn't always work. And no one regrets more when diplomacy fails than the Foreign Service Officers themselves.

It's not a flashy, exciting job. It's often thankless, as most people don't have a clue what the Foreign Service is, much less what they do. You never hear about when diplomacy works, only when "talks break down."

From what I've seen it's a lot of meetings, a lot of talking heads, a lot of dinners of rubber chicken (or something less identifiable) that you smile through even though you've put in 50+ hours that week and are wishing you were home. It's mountains of paperwork and reports and bureaucratic nonsense. It's days and weeks and months and years of all of it.

Foreign Service Officers work in almost every single country around the world. They're not in only nice, cushy countries. (Though I'd like to say the "cushy" countries were some of the biggest pains to live in.) They're in third world countries. They're in the Middle East. And they are war zones like Afghanistan and Iraq as well.

I'm not in the Foreign Service. I married into this, and just like military spouses, I had to "marry" this life, in order to marry Joel. I don't regret this at all, because supporting him and his career is my small way of serving my country as well.

So today, I'd like to give a quick shout out to all those around the world, and say how thankful I am for all of you out there, serving your country, no matter how you might go about doing it.

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #10

I didn't post last night because I was so tired and just went to sleep.

So I'm gonna day that yesterday I was thankful for sleep!

I have been fighting severe insomnia for several months now. Everytime I get myself "trained out of it," and think I'm over it, I'll have one bad night and start over again. I've always had a bad night here or there, but honestly, never to this extreme. And Joel not being home right now hasn't really helped.

So Tuesday night, I didn't sleep at all. And nothing I tried worked, including reading one full book, watching 3 TV shows and a movie. Wednesday I managed to get a two hour nap, but I spent the entire day just wired for no reason (and no, I don't drink caffiene at all ever, so that's not it).

But, Wednesday night and Thursday night I managed two full nights of sleep in a row! So, I'm very thankful for sleep!

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #9

Today I am thankful for a working refrigerator and ice maker!

The ice maker has been on the fritz for a while, and finally the repairman came to check it out today. Seems the motor was fried, which was a 10 minute fix for him.  PLUS, the home warranty covered the repair! So, while it's not a nice, new, pretty replacement model fridge, I am very happy that we now have ice!


This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #8

Today I am thankful for bubble baths and a good book.

Today was a long day and the end didn't come fast enough. And even though the end came at 7:15pm (gotta love it getting dark and the girls going to bed earlier), I was creaking. Really. I can't be old enough to be CREAKING.

Which is why tonight called for a major bubble bath and a new book to read on my Nook. And some prune-y skin later, I almost feel  . . . less than old . . . again. A little chocolate helped too.

So that is it for today.


This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #7

Today I am thankful for our country.

We've lived in four countries so far on three continents. Living overseas has made Joel and I more patriotic and appreciative of "home." It is pretty common to hear one of us say, "God Bless America" over just about anything. Grocery stores. High school football games. Basically anytime we find something easily and/or when things work the way they should. Heck, a trip to Walmart and I practically break out in song. 

I know many of you guys won't get that. I understand. But after getting used to two-hour grocery trips that cost $200 for what we'd get here for $50 (without couponing, because that does not exist overseas) where the bulk of those two hours are spent attempting to read product labels in a different language (am I buying canned peas or canned tomatoes?), yeah, shopping in the US is pure joy.

And there are parts of life that are taken for granted here that we revel in. Small town parades. High school football games. Good Chinese food. (No lie- we have yet to find decent Chinese food in any of the other countries we lived in or visited.) Libraries filled with books in English! You guys seriously don't know how good you've got it. We do, and we're loving that we've got to spend the past year or so "back home."

And just as soon as it all seems like "old news," we'll head back out to start learning to appreciate the good ole' USA all over again.

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #6

Today I am thankful for a sense of humor.

My children crack me up. I know, I'm the mom and of course everything I think everything they say is hilarious.

But they are!

Lily, at the age of three, is the biggest comedian. She loves making up jokes. Three year old jokes aren't always the most complicated in the world, but I love them anyway.

Maybe it's really the pure pleasure she takes in telling them that I love so much. She has so much fun telling her jokes, that sometimes she will literally fall down on the floor laughing too hard. And her laugh is infectious, partly because she's so quiet and reserved in public and rarely shows that side of her personality.

This afternoon she asked me if I was going to stay in my pajamas forever. (Umm, I'm in a pair of yoga pants. No need to be uncomfortable if I'm not leaving the house, right?)

And may I point out she asks this as she is wearing her Cinderella princess costume? Complete with tiara, heels and jewelry? And she's been wearing the exact same outfit for two full days?
My yoga pants are apparently not up to her standards.

She also likes to tell me, "Yes Sir," instead of "Yes, Ma'am." (We've been working on manners.) She knows exactly what she's doing. But in three-year-old humor, there is nothing funnier than using boy words on your mom, and girl words on your dad. She actually slapped her leg when she cracked herself up with that one.

And tonight at bedtime she had me laughing so hard when I was trying to be stern. I was giving the girls the nightly, "GO TO SLEEP" (with the implied "OR ELSE") talk, and Lily told me she needed to give me a kiss. I go over to her bed and say, "Okay, give me a big one then."

She promptly blows her mouth up with air like a huge balloon so she can give me the biggest gift possible. And blew a raspberry. On My Face. I had to leave the room.

So yes, I am thankful. Thankful I have a sense of humor, or at least one that loves preschool jokes.

This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #5

Today I am thankful for a great shower. No, really.

You moms know exactly what I'm talking about, don't ya?

This morning my girls woke up early. TOO EARLY. Which is of course nothing new.

But they actually played quietly in their room until a respectable hour. And then went downstairs to the playroom to play. So I decided to take a shower.

And they were still playing happily.

So I decided to go ahead and get dressed. IN REAL CLOTHES.

And they were still playing.

So I did my hair. REALLY. I pulled out the flat iron and straightened my hair.

About that time, they came and started asking for food. (Sigh. I know, right?)

Thankfully, I was able to distract them for about five minutes.

AND PUT MAKE UP ON!

Seriously, when does that happen? It's like a Mommy Miracle.

Too bad I didn't have anywhere to go with my great hair day.


This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.

Thanks-Giving Blog Challenge, Day #5

Today I am thankful for a great shower. No, really.

You moms know exactly what I'm talking about, don't ya?

This morning my girls woke up early. TOO EARLY. Which is of course nothing new.

But they actually played quietly in their room until a respectable hour. And then went downstairs to the playroom to play. So I decided to take a shower.

And they were still playing happily.

So I decided to go ahead and get dressed. IN REAL CLOTHES.

And they were still playing.

So I did my hair. REALLY. I pulled out the flat iron and straightened my hair.

About that time, they came and started asking for food. (Sigh. I know, right?)

Thankfully, I was able to distract them for about five minutes.

AND PUT MAKE UP ON!

Seriously, when does that happen? It's like a Mommy Miracle.

Too bad I didn't have anywhere to go with my great hair day.


This is my first attempt at a blog challenge, something you might see friends doing on Facebook - "__ days of Giving Thanks." I thought this was a very fitting challenge to get myself back into a regular habit of blogging again. Feel free to join me, and post your own blog link in the comments below, so we can keep up with each other! Follow others that are participating HERE.