because I don't want to disappoint my friend ...

I have been all by myself for the last couple of hours.  My sweet hubby took all three of our kids to a magic show at a local church tonight. 

Thank you, Ronnie for giving me a little time to myself ... it was wonderful. 

While at the show, my friend, Marie, asked Ronnie where I was and he told her that I was having a little alone time ... and was probably blogging. 

Actually, blogging did cross my mind, but I chose something a little messier instead.

And, in my defense (not that I really need one) it is kind of Marie's fault that I didn't blog tonight.  Well, Marie's and Donna's to be exact.

You see, last week at a Mom's meeting with our homeschool group, Marie and Donna invited LB and me to join a co-op that they have started called Keepers at Home.  The name pretty much speaks for itself.  I loved the idea from the moment they mentioned it to me.  Girls and their moms getting together to study the Bible, learn about home making and crafts, and build friendships along the way ... sounds like a winner to me.  Besides, I welcome any opportunity to spend time with other moms ... either soaking up ways to homeschool better, or building friendships of my own.  On top of all of these good things, the boys were included, too.  They played with k'nex and legos while the girls did their thing.  It was great to see them hanging out with other boys and enjoying themselves ... especially D, who doesn't get to play with other boys too often.

My friend B said it best ... it is like "showers of blessings" ... and I totally agree.

You may be wondering what any of this has to do with how I chose to spend my time tonight.  The answer is simple.  This week the girls learned to decoupage.  LB did a clipboard.  Some of the other girls covered picture frames or wooden letters.  All of them seemed to enjoy what they were doing and quite frankly, I wanted to try it out.  I have done a few things in the past but hadn't thought about it in awhile, until this week.  Tonight, I covered a clipboard in scrapbooking paper and a few other things.  Eventually, I'll probably share some pictures of LB's work and maybe mine, too ... but for now, I want to get back to my project.

So, Marie, if you arrived home tonight expecting some really deep and thought provoking  post ... I am sorry to disappoint you.  But, I did manage to pry my fingers apart long enough to post something and anyway, you only have yourself to blame!

my first tuesday daybook

#7 for 2010

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Outside my window ~

it is still winter ...

we aren't used to this much uninterrupted winter weather this far south.

I am wearing ~

blue jeans and a light blue shirt ... I am still barefoot though.

I am hearing ~

"There Is Love" by Peter, Paul and Mary

This song was sung at our wedding and listening to it still gets to me.

 I think I'll put it at the top of my playlist so you can hear it, too.

I am going ~

to be running all day.

I am noticing that ~

I really missed doing my daybook last week. 

I really enjoy starting off my week this way.

I am thinking ~

that I can finally tell LB today about the new venture we will be starting tomorrow.

I am hoping ~

to actually purchase furniture this week ...

we have looked several times and I think we are narrowing down what we want.

I am reading ~

The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers

I am creating ~

wish lists for next year's school.

I am remembering ~

several things that I should have done yesterday ... I really need to do them today.

Counting my blessings ~

a talk with an old friend, getting to know new friends better, 

music, hearing my kids sing, a new book.

On my mind ~

how blessed my family is.

Words that I am pondering ~

How does being a "new creature" in Christ affect your daily routines?

From the learning rooms ~

more cleaning than school this week.

From the kitchen ~

I really don't know ... that is sad isn't it.

Around the house ~

ugh ... I have been neglecting bathrooms and I will tackle them this week.

A few plans for the rest of the week ~

I don't think I have really formulated plans for this week yet ...

I'm not sure why, but I just can't get a handle on direction for this week.

One of my new favorite things ~

watching old - I mean really old, like from the 1980's, tv shows on the internet.

A picture to share with you ~

my parents' house in the snow

Please take a moment to visit The Simple Woman's Daybook

to see other daybooks or to participate.

Thanks for visiting!

I hope you have a great week!

a random post to sum up a rather random week

I looked up the defintion for random and found this:

random ~ having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective
(http://www.thefreedictionary.com/random)

I'd say that is a perfect summation of this past week ... one of those two steps forward and three steps back kind of weeks.

There were some good elements to the week ... 

Both kids aced their math tests this week and since math tests are the only things that get graded around here, they really like seeing those papers. 

My Mama's best friend from highschool came to visit this week with her husband, who happens to be my Daddy's first cousin, and I got to visit with them for a little while on Wednesday.  I love seeing Mama and Bett together ... I firmly believe that such a friendship is truly a gift from God.

I finally broke down and bought myself a new pair of jeans, and I like them so much I may go back and get another pair!

We had our final consultation before D's dental surgery on March 1st.  It went pretty well and we were able to get some really helpful information from the guy who does the insurance billing for the anesthesiologist.  Hopefully, we will be able to use what he gave us to convince our medical insurance to pay their part, but even if that doesn't work, he has assured us that they will work with us.

Our family made a trip to Lifeway tonight and I splurged a bit on a new Selah cd and a book by Francine Rivers, which I can't wait to get into.

There were some not so good elements to the week as well ...

There are several things I could mention in this category, but they are all insignificant in light of one single thing.  As a matter of fact, my entire week, good and bad, is totally insignificant when placed in the light of what other members of my family are going through tonight.

My Uncle - Mama's brother-in-law - was diagnosed this week with a fast growing leukemia which is added to the skin cancer that he was already battling.  He was discharged from the hospital today to go home under the care of hospice. 

To be perfectly honest, I just don't have any words.

So tonight, with this situation and some hurting friends heavy on my heart, I opened my new Selah cd and found many wonderful songs, but one in particular that seemed to speak directly to my heart and these situations.  The song is called Unredeemed.  I hope it speaks to you as well.

(Don't forget to pause the blog music ... the player is at the bottom of the page)


If you want to hear Todd Smith telling about how this song found its way onto a Selah cd, click here.

winter wonderland

This is not a normal winter sight in central MS ... in fact, the last time I saw the news, we were headed for

a record setting snow fall here.  I am sure that it is a nightmare for officials and road crews,

but these little people have had a blast.

As soon as they finish their lunch and warm up for a little while, we are going to head down to my parents' house to play in their fresh snow and, I'm sure, take some more pictures ... maybe we'll even venture out into the woods and see how it looks ... that is if I can find one more set of dry clothes for each of them!

It measured about 4 1/4 inches on the trampoline

daybook

#6 for 2010

Monday, February 7, 2010

Outside my window ~

I am beginning to see some blue sky, but I don't expect it to last.

I am wearing ~

my jammies ~ would you expect anything different from me?

I am hearing ~

the boys playing in their room and my blog music.

I am going ~

to be at home again today … unless I decide to take the kids to the library.

I am noticing that ~

I am almost as (or maybe even more) impatient as the kids for them to be able to play outdoors again.

I am thinking ~

that I must begin to work on choosing a curriculum for the
British Lit class I’ll be teaching in co-op in the fall.

I am hoping ~

that we get to go furniture shopping again this week …

I can’t wait to replace our broken-down couch with something new.

I am reading ~

nothing and I am beginning to have withdrawals …

I need to find something soon!

I am creating ~

Absolutely nothing … maybe I’ll find time to go buy some new material this week.

I am remembering ~

that I need to get the details for the kids’ Valentine party this week.

Counting my blessings ~

Ronnie handling our taxes so that I don’t have to,

the experience of true worship,

a couple of hours of uninterrupted chatting with my parents on Saturday,

a kitchen stocked with everything I need to cook supper tonight.

On my mind ~

a family dealing with an unexpected loss.

Words that I am pondering ~

Be still, and know that I am God:

I will be exalted among the heathen,

I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

From the learning rooms ~

we are just going to keep on, keeping on.

We are al little behind in reading from last week, so we will catch that up today, I hope.

I am still looking at what to order for next year and hope to finalize that soon and get it ordered.

From the kitchen ~

we pretty much exhausted our leftovers yesterday, so I will have to cook today.
I am thinking that beans will be good tonight. I tried out a great recipe to cook
rice in the oven over the weekend and I’ll probably try that again sometime this week.

Around the house ~

I think today is the day that I must tackle my dirty refrigerator, ugh!

The kids need to get the trash collected from around the house before the

garbage truck comes.

A few plans for the rest of the week ~

a trip to the library, a valentine party on Friday,

as well as another dental consultation for D.

Hopefully some more furniture shopping and

maybe even a date night for Ronnie and me.

One of my favorite things ~

a lively discussion in Sunday School.

A picture to share with you ~
The kids ready to do their reports last week ...
I was very proud of them, they did a great job and had a lot of fun doing it.

JW as Davy Crockett

 LB as Laura Ingalls Wilder

My verse for the week ~

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed,

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3:17

Please take a moment to visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Thanks Peggy, for hosting this each week!

Thanks for visiting!

I hope you have a great week!

the salsa recipe that isn't really mine

This week in my daybook I shared a picture of veggies roasting in the oven for salsa and a couple of people asked about the recipe so I thought I'd share it with you today.

First, in the interest of full disclosure, this is not "my" recipe.  My sister-in-law brought this wonderful salsa to our family's new year's gathering at my parents' house.  I could have skipped all the other food and just eaten the salsa ... I'm telling you, this stuff is addictive, so be prepared.  It is a little time consuming to make, but very much worth the effort.

I just knew that Rebecca had spent hours testing and coming up with the perfect recipe since she always has great ideas for new things.  So, she surprised me this time by just giving me the website where I could find the recipe.  I have made the salsa a couple of times, as has another one of my sisters-in-law.  We have each made adjustments to meet the tastes of our family, but the basic recipe is still the same.

I have to tell you that the first time I made the recipe I was too cheap frugal to buy the roma tomatoes that it called for, which was a mistake.  The results were still quite tasty, but just not the same.  I am looking forward to this summer when I can try out the recipe with different types of fresh tomatoes - hopefully some from my own garden.  Until then, if I am going to take the time to make the recipe, I will splurge on the good romas ... which I actually found for a decent price at Sam's Club.

One piece of advice if you are going to make this salsa ... read the comments below the recipe on the website.  I found lots of good information about customizing the salsa to individual tastes.  For me, I don't really like the tomato skins, so I removed some of them before blending.  Another great tip is to cut and core the tomatoes before roasting, this seemed to simplify the process of handling the hot veggies.  I also really like the flavor of cilantro and cumin, so I upped the amounts of these two ingredients slightly.

I happened to be watching one of my favorite chefs on tv last night - Rick Bayless.  (I am sure you were expecting some food network personality, but this show actually comes on Create  ~ a PBS station.)  He was actually talking about salsas and how in Mexico they aren't so much for chips and dip as they are condiments for various dishes or even used as an ingredient in the dishes.  His daughter, who is often on his show, make a mac-and-cheese dish with salsa that actually looked pretty good.  He made another salsa that he used as a topping for grilled fish ... all these ideas make me wish my kids liked actually liked salsa.  I am planning to use some in a baked chicken and rice dish ... I guess the boys will just have to eat PB&J that night.

You can find the recipe for my salsa on the allrecipes.com website. 

Thanks, Rebecca!

there usually isn't a creek in my yard, but ...

By the back fence

Under the swingset

The front sidewalk

The front yard

I'm not griping about the weather, but I would be lying if I said that I am not looking forward to some dry weather ... especially since we are all tired of being cooped up in this house ... sometimes a little togetherness goes a loooooong way!

daybook ~ I can't believe it is already February!

#5 for 2010

Monday, February 1, 2010

Outside my window ~

gray skies and frost on the ground.
It looks like the sun just might be trying to peek through the clouds, though.

I am wearing ~

gray sweats and a blue CHEB t-shirt

I am hearing ~

The Basics of Life by 4-Him playing on LB's cd player.
This song was playing on my computer when LB came in one day and told me that she
believed what the song was saying and that she thought she needed to be a Christian.

I am going ~

to enjoy my Monday at home. 

The first week of the month is always a busy one, so it iwll be nice to be home today.

I am noticing that ~

doing my daybook and reading other daybooks has made me very aware of the fact that my
"I am wearing" section rarely changes ... but I just can't make myself get dressed to go out
when I am only going to be cleaning house and teaching school on most Mondays.

I am thinking ~

about how much less stressful this week should be.

I am hoping ~

that my Daddy's shoulder surgery goes well this week,

and praying for a quick recovery time.

I am reading ~

the kids' school books are about all I have time for this week!

I am helping to create ~

costumes for LB and JW for their monthly book reports with our homeschool group.

The assignment is to read a book about a historical figure and present the report as that person.

LB chose Laura Ingalls Wilder and JW chose Davey Crockett

I am remembering ~

how much I enjoyed our 5th Sunday lunch yesterday after church.

I love spending time with my church family and getting to know them better as we share a meal.

Counting my blessings ~

the good news Mama got last week, finally having an answer to D's dental issues,

time spent with Ronnie making plans this weekend,

Ronnie making a menu for the week so I could spend more time planning the school week,

my kids' imaginations.

On my mind ~

friends and family struggling with serious illnesses.

Words that I am pondering ~

I am satisfied with Jesus,
But the question comes to me,
As I think of Calvary,
Is my Master satisfied with me?
from the hymn "Satisfied with Jesus" by B.B. McKinney

From the learning rooms ~

Book-It! reports for Wednesday and co-op work for Friday will have priority,
but both kids also have math quizzes and LB has to take her unit test in math as well. 
Add in normal language and reading and that should keep us pretty busy for the week.

From the kitchen ~

I really haven't looked at Ronnie's menu yet, so all I know is that we will have pork chops
for supper tonight.  I do know that the goal was to only include items we already have on hand
so as to avoid a trip to the grocery store if we can manage it.  I know we'll need a few things
(like milk and butter) before the week is out, but it will be interesting to see if we I can stick
to the plan and cook what I am supposed to each night!

Around the house ~

the bread is rising in the machine, the washer and dryer are already going and I have completed my school prep for the week ... all I need to do now is get the kids up and going.

A few plans for the rest of the week ~

besides the extra school stuff I've already mentioned, I get to go out with the Women on Mission ladies from church on Thursday night.  I am looking forward to getting to visit with the other homeschool moms after Book-It! on Wednesday and then getting to visit with the church ladies on Thursday evening.

One of my favorite things ~

listening to the kids come up with all kinds of crazy ideas while they play. 
They have such vivid imaginations and the things they come up with never cease to amaze me.

A picture to share with you ~
one of my  new favorite things to do in the kitchen ... roasting veggies for homemade salsa

My verse for the week ~

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed,

 do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3:17

Please take a moment to visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Thanks Peggy, for hosting this each week!

Thanks for taking the time to read about my day!

I hope you have a great week!