Monday, November 16, 2009

Thanksgiving

I love Fall. It is my favorite season. Coming up is the quintessential, American, Fall holiday: Thanksgiving. It is a wonderful time to spend thanking God for our blessings. I find myself today, however, being crabby and ungrateful. I don't have a single reason why. So in order to pull myself out of my lethargic unhappiness I have decided to write down the things and folks I am so grateful for:
I AM THANKFUL....

1. ... that God saw fit to save me. He didn't have to, but He did. Not only has He saved me from Hell, He also walks with me and talks with me. How amazing to have the Creator of the Universe hang out with you?
2. ...for the beauty around me. I think I might be able to buy evolution except for beauty. Why is the world around beautiful? Why do we find it majestic and beautiful? Why does my heart swell with glorious emotion at lovely sunsets, breath-taking rainbows and the rippling of a brook?
3. ...for my husband. I am thankful for the bad times as well as the good. I am so grateful that today I got to wake up next to my best friend. It has not always been so, but I hope and pray that the bad times keep us both doing our best to keep the friendship alive during easy and hard times.
4. ....for my children. They all have their moments when I think the gypsies sound like a tempting option for them (as I am sure they would gladly trade their mama for a better model at times:). Still I would characterize them as happy and fun. I love them all and couldn't imagine life without a single one.
5. ...that I get to stay home. Far from being a hateful drudgery, it is a blessing to be able to be a "home-maker." There are aspects of the job that I don't like. Still I get to spend my day doing what I like the best for and with the folks I like the best. I get paid dividends that far exceed monetary compensation for an outside job.
6. ...to be healthy.
7. ...to have my mom around.
8. ...that I have good friends.
9. ....that I have a great church. Though the church should be many things, it often times is not. I am thankful that my church family might not always be what they should be, but they are willing to die trying.
10. ...that this list could go on and on. Now that I have started I am thinking of all the wonderful things in my life and I have a better attitude.

Now back to work.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Two Reasons Why We Homeschool

This begs the question: How do you eat with your mouth closed? I usually tell my children to CHEW with their mouths closed, but EAT? Um, how does one put the food in that way?

The only lunch number my children need to know is whether they want 1 or 2 sandwiches, 2, 3 or 4 apples slices. Yes, we do need to work on quieter voices. It would probably help if the teacher would refrain from throwing food or spitting water from time to time. Why, oh why could they not simply say, "Only touch your food?" I took these pictures at the Harvest Party. I thought they were pretty funny.