It's the end of the . . . .

year as we know it, and we feel fine ~ well sort of.  Any number of germs running in our house, but we'll get over it.  Just taking time here, to say goodbye to 2014!  Praying for a better 2015.  It's been a long year with a lot of physical and mental stuff going on.  Hoping for a better year next year.

Hope to start it with a good night sleep, after a movie marathon with the family.

Stay safe everyone, have fun, and see you next year!!

Here's a link to the blog where I've been writing more regularly lately.  Check it out if you want.

November's Posting

It's all about tradition.  It's all about who puts the star on the tree.  It's all about remembering the "rules" that keep the tradition going.

Thankful this year, no one needed me to remember those rules and they just knew who's turn it was.  Thankful for a son not need a step stool or ladder, for the first time to get the Star on top of the tree.  Such a weird sensation, to see the man cub doing his thing without help!

Thankfulness ~ can it be intentional

Have you ever thought much about being thankful?  About trying to find things, each and every day to be joyful about?

Will admit that it is hard to do some days.  There are days that are rough and tough to get through; just plan hard.  How can finding joy be accomplished on those days?

I've been blogging, on another page, for 81 days straight now about joy.  There have been days that are incredibly easy, so very easy.  The list is long.  Other days, I have to try hard to find just 3 (kind of a self imposed minimum).  I'm finding now that is becoming a habit, something I look forward to seeking out each day.  Things that are different, memories of people, how sounds or music effect me.  Finding it amazing, that even with the hard days, I am able to find, on average, over 5 things to be thankful for.

What can you be thankful for today?  What can you write down that makes you smile during a rough patch?  Maybe it is a sunset, or person, or a kind act!  Be intentional, be thoughtful, be on the lookout.  Find that joy!

Take a look at mine, if you need help getting started: http://joydiscovered.blogspot.com/

My Once a Month Post

We got school pictures in last week!  Turned out fairly well and am pleased with them!

 Our sixth grader

Our ninth grader

What maybe the only post

. . . . for the month of September!  Troop 1412 had their fall Court of Honor last night.  Ian received his Tenderfoot rank and two Eagle required merit badges.  Simon earned 5 merit badges, 3 Eagle and 2 regular.  Both boys were excited to have one of their grandparents there!

Why this one is so neglected is that I have been blogging about Joy, daily, here!  Take a look if you like.

Finding Passion Again!

It's not a total secret that this past summer was a rough one!  Life threw some curve balls that were surprises and rocked my world.  Have felt quite blessed to have family and friends to surround us in prayer as we (yes, I include Kevin in this) walk through the last few months.

Been getting the help needed, from doctors, and am beginning to feel "normal" again.  Fully know there are good days and bad days; but what makes me realize and give thanks, is that I see and feel my passions coming back.  Today, all four of use jog/walked a 5K and I came in last in just under 52 minutes (could not jog or run because of other health reasons).  The exercise high is still going strong a couple hours later.  I even took out some paint and got started on decorating my I Pad stand that my dad built for me.  See here!

Any hoot, would be amiss if I also wasn't thankful for Matthew 9:12-13:

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

So I leave you with a sweaty, post 5K, photo!

P.S. Think I might be addicted to walking fast and

some day jogging!

 

Wrap up of Week 2

We're finishing up week two of school!  Not much to much to mention; it's had it's good moments and it's bad moments; easy moments and difficult moments.  Feels like we're still in a learning curve with one in high school now.

Not many photos to share for school, but here is what we do have:

 Reading "Homer Price" for Beyond Five in a Row.

We had to make donuts!

Was outside the other day and noticed our side yard

The colors amazed me.  Purple Cone Flowers, Butterfly Bush,

and Black Eyed Susans.  Just looked pretty.

What Teacher In-Service Looks like!

Today is Thursday of our "first official week"!  I've been trying hard to play catch up on planning.  It has been a rough summer in our house, so school planning has gotten dropped.  Not something I am proud of, but we're getting through the days and I am ahead, a bit.  Here is what it looks like at our house:

 A corkboard in desparate need of updating!

Let's not talk about the subway art to the right,

it is almost back in season :(

 Floor near my desk, as I sort through various

paperwork, create planning pages, books,

and numerous other things.

My desk almost looks normal, but with dust.  Hope

in a couple weeks things will be all straightened out.

As my husband likes to say, "It's a process, one step at a time".  I've got plans for this week; some subjects are easy enough to map out because we've used them so many times, it is second nature by now; other subjects have a shorter time frame and we're working into those.

In the mean time, I'll keep chipping the to do list down, helping the boys learn, and doing other things that need to get done. 

One day at a time, one task at a time!

Post Script:
I've updated various parts of this blog, in small ways and more obvious ways.  Let me know what you think!

First Day of School

Here are our 2014/2015 school year photos:

 First day of 9th and First day of 6th!
Think it is kind of funny that they each wore

their "favorite" color top and black shorts.

 Reading the note on the back of the sign.

 6th grader

 9th grader

 Need Charlotte in the photo too!

First field trip of the year.  Neither kid

wanted to leave the house!  Took a bit

for them to realize we were using money

earned from selling stuff for small milk shakes.

Our first PJ run.  An event I learned about

through Five in a Row!

Simon's Classes:

Biology with lab at Co-op

Art at co-op

Literature

Writing

Algebra 1 and Geometry

Modern History

German

P.E. through various things

Ian's Classes:

Dangerous Boys at Co-op

Cooking at Co-op

Literature

Writing

Spelling

Zeta (not sure what all is taught in this level of MUS)

Modern History

Spanish (his choice)

P.E. through various things

Time to log off.  I am one tired wife, mom, teacher, the whole shebang.

New School Year, New Journey

 We officially start the 2014/2015 school year tomorrow.  This summer has had a lot of ups and downs.  Through it all, blog writing has not been high on my list.  Figured I needed to stop in and at least put in an appearance before school starts. 

Simon will be in 9th grade ~  first year of high school.  Lot more demanding, but think he's up to the challenge.

Ian is starting 6th ~ around here, that is "top dog" in the elementary school.  Yeah, he's the only one in elementary school so it doesn't mean a whole lot.

Lots of new stuff to learn and do.  Tomorrow, I'll share more about the subjects and the obligatory first day photo.

Come back tomorrow, if you care, to see about our school year.

New Blog, New Journey

I've been seeking joy and gratitude in the little things, off and on for awhile now.  A lot lately.  Switching to a new blog for that.  Will occasionally keep this one up.  Here's the new one, if you want to check it out.

http://joydiscovered.blogspot.com/

Slowing Way Down

Would not call the lack of writing since an 11 th birthday neglect as much as a lack of desire to write.  Things change in our lives, priorities change, things get added, things get dropped.  This was an easy drop.

I began this blog when our oldest was in second grade and needing data for a math graph.  It quickly became a place to journal our Five in a Row adventures.  Fast forward 7 years and now our two boys are fine young men entering 9th and 6th in the fall.

Don't believe this will be shut down and not sure it will be updated often anymore.  In a pursuit to figure out what is next, what is right and true for where we are.

Thank you to all who have read, fairly regularly, and to those who stumble upon my musings.

May your days be blessed!

Honoring Our Birthday Boy!

Didn't we do this last Monday?

    Wait, don't I say something like this just about every year?  Repeat parties a week apart.  Love those boys born on the 13th and 20th.

Today we celebrated an 11th birthday.  Eleven 11's hidden last night, for this mornings activities.

 Woods out back!  Pinks, lavenders, blues!

 Woods out front!  Yellows, peaches, lavenders!

 Green stars all over the table!

 We don't buy cake toppers!  We make them or use what we have.

Someone wanted a trooper for a cake, so he got several.

Yes, a piece of "grass" was out of place, so it got blasted!  What else are

you going to do with a gun that big?

 Different angle of troopers!

Birthday presents!

Yes, we ran out of paper while wrapping last night!

Smallest first (his choice), new pics for his guitar

from Christmas!

 Book he's "begged" for and finally got!

Love being able to figure out exactly what they want

without having to ask!!

Cake before dinner!  Why, yes please!

green frosting feet!

 Just because we took a photo like this last week!

 Chillin with friends at Laser Tag Event!
How convenient for older brother that there

were a couple teens there for him to hang with as well.

Great time honor our birthday boy!

Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

The "perfect grilled cheese" will mean something different to just about everyone.  It is about the type of bread used, the selection of cheese (s), butter on the outside, fry pan vs. iron skillet.  Lots of choices to be had.

One common thing, if I could be so bold, is that the cheese needs to be warm and gooey and melted.  The sandwich CAN not be cold on the inside and black on the outside from having heat to high.

In resent years, I like to get the iron skillet going at about 4 (electric stove, no clue what that equates other than not quite medium heat), then get the sandwich ready.  To encourage the sandwich to heat all the way through, I will take an 8" x 8" cake pan and flip it over the sandwich.  This keeps the heat in and doesn't smush the sandwich like a panine press would.  It also always for a slower browning of the bread and allows for the heat to go all the way through the sandwich.  Remove the pan, flip the sandwich, and put the pan back on.  I can get a lightly browned grilled cheese sandwich that has gooey cheese on the inside every time doing this!

So how do you make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich?

Beautiful Moment!

Nature is a beautiful thing.  Taking time to just see it and be in awe can help reset the day, week, or almost any funk (well, until you are rapidly pulled out of moment)!  Here is one thing thing I saw today that made me pause!

Loved the shadows on the pantry and wall

into the dining room.  Colors were warm.  If it'd

been somewhere else, with a comfy chair,

it would have been inviting a book, cup of tea,

and a blanket!

 This was the view through the dining room window (and

a very dirty dining room window).  Beautiful view!

With a sick child, I was quickly pulled out of the moment, but thankful for a beautiful moment.

Fourteen years in the making!

It's been a celebration of our oldest birth!  14 years ago he made his presence know.  Slow start to the day, a good breakfast, and the unfortunate task of school work.  Let the boys have a "clean pj day" again on this Monday (think it might become routine as this was the second Monday we've done this!  Next Monday maybe a repeat as well).

 The effects of home made cake.  Lots of dishes, lots of mess, all for a

chocolate cake.  Coco powder everywhere (not in the cake, but for dusting the pan.

No "white" flour marks even though cake was being frosted).

 Second 8"x8" pan ready for cake batter.  Making a "Grass Block" from

Minecraft and Vanilla Ice Cream for snow balls.

 Think I used to much coco powder to dust the 2 cake pans!

This is the leftover!

 Finished cake!

A few toppers and a couple extras,

made by a loving brother.

 Close up of the toppers I made!

 Steve and a creeper!

 A tradition born last year.  Their age, printed that many times.

Hidden around the main level for them to find.  It kept Simon

occupied while I slept in this morning!  Was surprised to find

that he even did a bit of school before I got up!

 Blue stars scattered on the table for a child

who has been known to like blue!

Joys of being oldest, folks dubbed him

the blue one and his younger brother

the green one!

 The presents, so hard to resist,

all day.  But he made it till his father

got home.

 Blue paracord, to add to his

red and black he got for Christmas.

 Three sizes of S hooks.

 Multi tool!

 The guys!

Someone wanted to pose for the camera!

This is fourteen years in the making!  Along with a brother 3 years and 1 week younger!  And yes, we did make it to Simon's favorite restaurant, CiCi's, we just went this past Saturday night!