Catch up

Catch up time!  It’s been so long since I’ve updated!  Poor neglected blog!  But that’s the nice thing about it...I can always “catch up” with an update.  

We just finished our 2nd quarter of school.  My 5-11 year olds take turns reading out loud to me 2x a day.  I spend a lot of time listening to reading!  And I love watching their speed, comprehension, pronunciation, and expression improve each month!  Little by little...precept upon precept...being faithful...it’s one of my favorite principles!  Our new favorite reading spot is the trampoline.  The only drawback to it is that the little ones all want to hop on to listen too, but always end up bouncing.  Have you ever tried to read something when being bounced?  It’s as bad as getting car sick!

We’ve been painting!  Something we talked about doing for months and finally got brave enough to try it...and it looks really nice!   And it’s very practical...as in 12 children practical!  Are you curious what we did/are doing?  :)  I’ll wait till we get a bit more done and then share pictures.  But feel free to guess in the meantime!  

Our Saturday white board chore method is working well!  Each Saturday, I just list all the chores I’d like each child to do under their name and then they go in order checking off each one as it’s completed.  I first walk around the house/yards and take note of what needs to be done.  The younger ones have worked especially well...and I think the success lies mostly in the fact they are allowed to write on Mommy’s white board which is normally off limits. :)

I planted radishes with Josiah and Noah a couple weeks ago and we have 45 little radish plants in our planter box right now.  They boys are learning the poem “In the Heart of a Seed” by Kate Brown and each morning we run out to water our plants while we recite it.

We had a couple of visitors from England this month...Wales to be exact! It was so interesting to be able to hear all about their area of the world and their accent alone was captivating!  They were vacationing in our area, and had car problems.   The auto parts store owner called Daniel to come help translate and since they had to wait for a few hours for their vehicle to get repaired, we invited them over.  They were such a nice couple.   I gave them my little New Testament/Psalms and are praying they come to know Jesus as their Savior.

Some ladies from our church came over Monday to help plan a baby shower for Hna. Lupita...a dear sister in Christ who just gave birth to a little (5 lb!) baby girl.  Lupita and her husband have recently come to Christ and were telling Daniel today that they would like to get baptized!

I’ve been reading through the Bible again this year...it’s been so wonderful!  I’ve recently read the story of Joseph...one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  What you meant for evil, God meant for good.  What a beautiful verse!  Fills my heart with so much hope and just makes me want to trust my Lord all the more.  What a precious story of forgiveness and love!  The children are reading through the New Testament with me too and we’re reading through the book of John as a family during evening Bible time.  We also just learned another hymn together in harmony.

  The chorus…

If Jesus goes with me I’ll go anywhere.  Tis heaven for me where ere I may be if he is there.  I count it a privilege here His cross to bear.  If Jesus goes with me I’ll go anywhere. 

The second verse talks about carrying the gospel across the burning deserts.  The third verse talks about being called to bear your cross at home.  Where ever He calls you, He is there! What a wonderful, faithful Savior!

Saturday Afternoon Chore Board

For those of you who have asked, I finally thought to take a picture of Hna. Tola making salsa the other day.  There are several ways to make it and this day we were making a chunky salsa. :)  Cook tomatoes and chilies on a hot skillet.  Peel the tomatoes being careful not to burn your fingers! :)

Chop them all up with a knife.

You can see we added some minced garlic right in the center of the pile...you can add whatever you'd like.  Oh, and don't forget to salt it!

We added some chopped cilantro and onion too.  And there it is!

And this is why I don't update here much!  I sat down this afternoon to upload some picture from our camera when this little guy popped into my open bedroom window from outside and said, "Mommy, do you want to play play dough with me?"  And I couldn't resist! :)

Each Day

How quickly the weeks go by!  We are on our last few lessons of second quarter, and it seems like we just started our new school year. 

Daniel  wrote out this year's church and family activities/events on his calender, and I have a feeling this entire year is going to go by fast!  But each day is the day the Lord has made.  Each day is so full of His blessings.  This year, I've been asking Him to help me see each and every part of each day as a treasured moment.  Often times, a mom's day may seem to be full of  "the same routine".  Especially during the school year, I need to be home most every day, all day long, in order to get through each days lessons and take care of the needs of the home/family.  

Since Samuel is our last baby, it has made each of those "baby moments" we share each day extra sweet.  Washing each of his fingers and toes during his bath, smelling his soft skin after rubbing him with lotion,  cuddling him, reading to him, and even changing his diaper...I wonder how many diapers I've changed all together? :)  

And my eyes seem to have been opened all the more to the multitude of moments I share with my children each and every day.  And what a precious gift each moment shared, each task done, each and every day can be.  

I've asked the Lord to help me do all I do in love.  And with love comes so much joy.  And gratefulness too!  And then the formerly mundane, routine becomes alive and exciting! 

We had a couple of sickies this week.  Beka and Samuel were down for most of the week, but yesterday, Beka perked back up and this morning was up early, dressed, and ready to go.  Samuel seems to be a bit better today too. 

Early in the week, Daniel had to go down to La Paz, so we tagged along.  We listened to a couple of Lamplighter Audio Dramas on the trip which made it seem much shorter.  And of course, the trip was more than worth it when we got to eat pizza! :)  And pick up a few supplies! 

Today is Saturday...cleaning day here at home!  Last week, I tried something that worked great.  I listed the 7 oldest children's names on the white board and wrote chores under each name with a line to check it off when they completed it.  They had to go in order and have me check their completed chore before they moved on to the next one.   I had the younger ones be my helpers, and we all got lots done!  I'm going to try it again for today. 

Oh, and I tried a new Sunday lunch which was a hit.  I put beans on in the morning before church and let them cook.  When we got home, I refried them while I cooked some rice, and then cut up some onions, peppers, and chicken, added some seasonings, and sauteed them while I made some salsa.  We had chicken fajitas! :)  It only took about 30 minutes to get everything done once I got home.

 I think tomorrow, we'll have Cottage Pie.  

May you enjoy the many blessings each day holds and praise the wonderful Lord who gives us all!

Sisters~  Susannah is wearing a dress my mom made for me when I was little.

Nehemiah and Samuel helping me sort beans Sunday morning

Lunch! :)

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PIZZA!!!

What do you think?  They make the BEST hamburgers!  

What's a dozen?

This has been a wonderful week...the most wonderful of the entire year, in fact!  

And I have so much I want to write down but it will have to wait.

You see, tonight is Friday.  

And, there is a man that I've been dating for over 20 years. 

 And I'm still dating him.

 And he'll be here in 15 minutes or so (I added the "or so" because #1, I like the word so, and #2, because I know this man well, and he just might be late :) ).   

Hot coffee, a warm hand to hold my cold one, and lots of talking, listening, laughing, and never a disagreement (it took me forever to learn, but the key...just always agree or sweetly smile and submit :) ). 

I love him! 

________________________

The real reason I'm here...I had to write this down before I forget...

I was teaching Noah math this week and they were introducing to him the concept of "a dozen".  

The examples greatly confused him.

*Your mom goes to the store and buys a carton of eggs.  That's 1 dozen.

We buy 5 flats a week.  That's a bit more than a dozen...150 to be exact.

*Your dad buys a dozen donuts for a breakfast treat.  

The poor boy looked like he was getting hungry thinking about it.

So I said, "Don't worry, Noah.  It's not that hard.  A dozen is how many children God gave Daddy and Mommy."

He finally understood!  

Now if I could only think of a way to explain what "seasons" are!

Today was the BEST day all year! :)

Happy New Year!  What a wonderfully, blessed past 2 weeks it has been.  It seems like we were looking forward to Christmas vacation and all that it held for weeks.  It was so full and our hearts are as well.

It went by so very quickly, yet as I think through all we did, it seems so very long.

*Traveling through our town and the surrounding areas to give the children here the Christmas boxes

*Enjoying so many of our favorite Christmas traditions as a family and church

*The joy of watching the children give and receive their gifts.  Most of them couldn't wait for Christmas morning not because of what they might get but because they were so excited to see everyone open up what they had given.  Just blessed my heart so much!

*Daniel, Timothy, and Elijah with the young men/ladies from our church attending a preaching conference with other believers.  They came home so blessed and we enjoyed listening to all their stories.

*Cleaned, organized and moved around furniture!  As Abigail said, "Oh, it just feels like we have a brand new house!" :)  

*I matched AND put away 2 weeks worth of socks.

That's 392 if you want to do the math  :)  I just did for fun!

Really, it wasn't that bad...I had the little ones keep me company and the best part was the boys coming home and seeing their drawers organized and full of matched, clean socks! :)

*Went to the city and got groceries!  We now have more food than candy!

*Talked with my sister, sister in law, mommee, mother in law, wrote letters/emails to friends, and played oh so much with my children.

*And went on a date with my husband.

Last night, we played games, made pizza together and ate it, did fireworks, and before the littler ones got too tired, we sat around the living room, read Psalm 19, and then shared with each other what we wanted the Lord to work in our lives this year.  Areas in which we have weaknesses and desire to change.  It was sweet hearing the children's thoughts.  

Some of my thoughts/desires for this year:

*Love.

I want to love Him more, show love each and every moment of every day to my husband, children, have His love for others.

Love suffereth long and is kind. Love is not easily provoked. Love seeketh not her own.  Love is not puffed up.  Love thinketh no evil.  Love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  

Love never fails.

* I want the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart to be acceptable  in Thy sight, Oh Lord.  

* I want to pray more.

*And I want to do my best each day for my Lord.

We prayed together and woke up to a brand new day and a brand new year!  

And it's been the best day all year!

And I have fed my children oatmeal for breakfast every day this year ;)

May God bless you all richly this new year.  He is always faithful and good!