The 'whys?' have begun....

The Christmas decorations are all up & for the most part have not been played with too much by little people fingers.  I set the nativity set up on top of our coffee table this year.  Usually, it's underneath the tree a bit and may or may not get kicked around a bit by little feet.  The manger was built by my Grandfather and it's one that I'll cherish forever.  However, parts of it need to be repaired...the hot glue just isn't holding like it used to.  This year, I bought new little nativity people for the manger. Ones that I have had my eye on since last year's craft show.  I told the kids that they should NOT touch them...y'all know how long that lasted...so I've changed my mind to "be very careful with those".  So far, so good.
Anyhoo...the other night Maggie was admiring the stable from the couch.  Our conversation went a bit like this, "Momma, baby Jesus in there."
"Yes, yes He is."
"What's He in?"
"He's in the stable. Jesus was born in a stable."
I can see her trying to figure out what in the world her momma is talking about...I tell her,
"A stable is a barn."
"Why He born in a barn?"
"Because His momma, Mary and Joseph were on a long trip and she started to feel like she was going to have Baby Jesus so she asked to stay at the inn. (Again, I see that she has no idea what an inn is.)  She asked to stay at the hotel, but it was very busy in Bethlehem and there were no more rooms at that hotel, but the innkeeper said that she could stay in the barn with the animals."
Maggie thinks on this for a few seconds and then informs me,
"Momma there were buildings up the road to stay in."

Love that girl.

Apple Orchard Time...

I did remember to charge my camera battery.
I did remember to grab said battery and camera before we left the house.
Did I remember to PUT said battery inside of the camera before we hopped on the hay ride out to the apples, you ask?
NO! They would have been such sweet pictures, too.
Maggie dragging her sweet little bag of apples behind her in the muddy tractor tracks.  
Molly sitting on the bale of hay with her friend, Kaylynn.
Max hanging off the side of wagon (opposite his mom & dad) with his buddies.

Max did spend some time (about 10 minutes) picking apples with his dad while the girls and I went off to pick some golden delicious.  After those 10 minutes, Max came down the trail looking for Bella.  Bella is a pretty cool 9-year old and we are blessed to that her and her sister our such good buddies with our kids.

Now, I ask you...WHEN did my son have so many birthdays that he is off with his pals running around the apple orchard? WITHOUT being under his momma's wing???
When did my girls become so big that they don't need the arm of their daddy to hold them on the hayride wagon?

Where does this time go???

I do so love being a mom...

Escaping out of bed for the 3rd time tonight, Molly comes up to me & says, "I just have 3 questions for you."
"Ok. 3 questions and then TO BED."
"Alright Mom. The 1st one I forgot so I'll ask you tomorrow morning. The 2nd question is 'Does Jesus have to die every time we sin?' "
With tears, I hug her, compose myself and then ask her what her last question is. She looks up at me, grabs my face and says "this is the last one" and plants a big ol' kiss on my cheek.
I do so love being a mom.

Garden Challenge...Month 2...

Here we are, the 2nd month of the Homeschool Village's Garden Challenge.  Not much has changed around here, except more rain, more rain & more rain.  I am grateful for the rain. It has made everything soooo green. My flowers are loving it. They are perking up more and more & looking fuller & fuller everyday.  We did have an 80 degree day a few Sundays ago. It was WONDERFUL!!! I got to go thru the beds a bit and get them weeded & a few things trimmed.

I am just noticing that huge weed to the right of my friendship stone. That did get pulled a few hours ago. Again, this is our "Amanda Garden". This is where we'll be putting all things pink & purple in honor of my best friend.  I have been looking at different garden articles at the library (when I escape there kidless).  I've just remembered that I didn't write any of the titles of those magazines down.  I suppose a trip to the library is in the cards tomorrow!

This hydrangea is in our front flower beds. I am always so happy to see that first bud.  This was my grandmother's hydrangea. It's so beautiful & it gets bigger and bigger every year. LOVE it!

This is the front of our house. I pulled out whatever was there a few years back. I found a Redbud tree that I would like to put there (we lived in Kentucky for 2 years & one of my favorite trees down there is the Redbud tree...it's the first thing I remember seeing when we drove down there...miss KY so very much...would love to put one somewhere), but I have a feeling that it would go to be way too big for that spot. Thoughts on that? Thoughts too for anything else I could put there. I really do not like either one of the things still growing there.  That bush thing (I have fogotten at the moment what it's called) is such a pain to me.  It's thorns are as long as my arm. I just want to get rid of it. And...don't get me started on whatever that pine tree/evergreen lookin' thing is.  Ideas, please!

These bushes (there's 2 of them...just took a pic of the one) are ones that I am sooo excited about.  I am not sure what they are. My mom could tell you...(again, failing at my duties on this post). These were ones that I also discovered while living down south. A home near us had these in their front yard. They are beautiful.  The ones down south were purple. These didn't bloom last year & I can't remember if the tag told me the color or not. Either way, I am going to be surprised. Another reason, I am excited about the growth on these (and they are growing quickly...2 weeks ago they were still underground) is that we haven't been able to grow much of anything in this part of the flower bed since having a drain system put in several years ago. Have I mentioned that I am excited about these plants???

Now that it's May 1st, I am looking forward to more sunshine & not so much rain...but oh how green the rain makes God's treasures!!!

Can't wait to check out everyone's posts!

Happy Gardening!!!

Wednesday Wrap-Up on Thursday...

Outside my window... I see the rain. I thought about complaining once again about the stinkin' rain, but then I watched video of those deadly tornadoes down south in Alabama.  They have lost 178 people so far.
I'll take the rain.
I love the rain.

I am thinking... of the dad that lost his life while protecting his daughter from a falling tree in that storm. What a dad. I know we wouldn't think twice about protecting our kiddos from anything.

I am thankful... for my husband, his job, our home, our kids, not having to worry about where we are going to lay our head at night. So many out there are still struggling.

From the kitchen...I hear Maggie's footsteps. No doubt she is looking for a chocolate bunny to eat for breakfast.

I am wearing...my comfy pj bottoms, my shirt from yesterday & perfect black sweater cardigan. I wish I could wear it everyday!

I am creating...our plan for the next school year. Hope that I can work it so that we start our school year right after Memorial Day. Can't wait for the new school room!!!

I am going...to begin 31 Days to Clean on Sunday, for the entire month of May.  I really can't wait. I am hoping that it has as great of effect on me as it has had for others! Go here to download yours!

I am reading...The Parting by Beverly Lewis. I think I've mentioned before that I am a huge fan of Amish fiction. I also have another 11 books on hold from the library that are coming my way. I can't wait! Thank you Jesus, for those you have given the gift of writing. I do so enjoy it!

I am hoping...and praying that my sweet friend's mom is miraculously healed from the brain tumors that they found a week ago today. To say that she has been through so much would be an understatement. Please pray with me.

I am hearing...the sound of the garbage truck, a few coughs from upstairs, the fridge...wonder how long that will last :)

Around the house...I see sooooo much that needs to be picked up.  I just keep telling myself that as soon as we are done with school I'll have 3 weeks to take care of it all! I can certainly do it all in 3 weeks, right?!?

One of my favorite things...just laughing with my husband. So often, we are caught up in the day to day stuff that we forget to just have fun. I love when we just hang out, kid, & laugh like we used to do all of the time back in college.....before real responsibility & the wonder of having kiddos :)

Pictures I am sharing...are from Molly's birthday weekend. The first is from her birthday lunch with the girls...the two sisters along with their aunts, nana & me. The second is from after her gymnastics party on Saturday. Max wanted to play with the dolls as well :) And the final picture is of Molly & her "real" bible. She has been so excited about getting one ever since Max got his "real" one on his 6th birthday. She couldn't believe that hers had her name on it & Max's didn't. (They didn't offer embossing back then :) )

First Wednesday Wrap-Up

I have a few blogger & "real-life" friends that do a Wednesday wrap up. Hoping that this will also help me be a more dutiful blogger! :)

Here goes...first of many (I hope.)

Outside my window...our Easter eggs are hanging from our tree in the front yard. When we hung them I was having a sort of "how did we end up in the city" day.  Then Jesus sent me one of those moments that He so often does (and I so often don't pay enough attention). An older gentleman drove by, honked & gave our family a thumbs up. 

Jesus moments.

I love them.

I should cherish them more.

I am thinking...of precious last conversations.  A year ago today, I listened as my best friend told me that she was in the hospital and should be home in a few days. We decided that when she felt better we were definitely going to get together. 

I told her I loved her.

She said, "I love you, too."

That was the last thing she ever said to me.

Four days later she passed away.

I am thankful...that God saw it in His plans to bring us home to Michigan before my sweet friend went Home.  I fear I may have missed that final good-bye to her.  I am thankful that the anniversary of her death is on Easter.

From the kitchen...there should be dinner finishing up, but it's just the kids and I tonight....going out sounds so much easier & fun!

I am wearing...comfy jeans, short sleeve purple shirt that I need to get rid of b/c of holes, a hoody sweatshirt, and no socks. I do NOT want to be wearing a sweatshirt & I draw the line at wearing socks at the the end of April. At least we don't have 12 inches of the white stuff like they do up north.

I am creating...well, my brothers-in-law, father-in-law and hubby are creating walls for our schoolroom. I can hardly wait!!! Just seeing the wood nailed to the walls gets me all giddy about it. I can't wait for real walls!!!

I am going...to be right here with our families this Easter Sunday. I can't wait.

I am reading...a new author at the moment. I have been reading Amish fiction lately. I LOVE it! However, my newest favorite authors don't have enough books to keep me busy :) My new favs...Amy Clipston, Beth Wisman, Cindy Woodsmall.

I am hoping...that there will be a surprise warm up and no rain on Friday evening. I have a date night with my man & I would love to catch a baseball game with him. It's been 4 years since we've been to a Tigers game.

I am hearing...Mat Kearny on grooveshark. I think I like it.
Oh & the furnace just kicked on....another "no, no" on April 20th.

Around the house...I see my 5 year old hopping around. How is she 5 already?!?

One of my favorite things...being Up North with my sweet family. Can't wait to return there this summer.

Pictures I am sharing...are of my best friend, Amanda. I miss her.

Molly when she was about a year and a half old. Where has the time gone???

And the last picture, my favorite family picture....or one of the very few that Maggie is actually looking at the camera!

World Geography Curriculum Giveaway!

I LOVE Confessions of a Homeschooler! I just purchased her USA Geography curriculum and she is now giving away one copy of her Expedition Earth curriculum.
Go here to see all of the ways that you can enter to win!!!
I am still deciding whether we are going to travel the nation or the globe next year!

Garden Challenge!!!! Is it spring yet???

I recently found The Homeschool Village through Homeschool Creations.

I thought that The Homeschool Village's Garden Challenge was the perfect way to get back into my blogging that I so often put on the back burner.

This is where we'll be digging in as soon as the weather decides to warm up here in Michigan.

 This is our flower garden. I may try planting some blueberries here, too. We'll see how that turns out.

Every year I have grand plans for our flower garden space. I spend time during the winter months ripping pages from various magazines whenever I come across them. They never seem to come to complete fruition, though. My mom is probably my biggest help. We usually spend at least a few Saturdays a summer at the local farmers market picking out just the right flowers to be planted. We have a patch of Black-Eye Susans, beautiful roses (that were planted way before we moved in here 7 years ago), a bunch of other periennels that pop up every year...I have no idea of the names.  I love gerbera daisies! I tend to scatter them all over the flower bed. Something about how bright they are...just LOVE that God made them so colorful.

Along with everything that is there, plus other things that my mom suggests, we'll be planting lots of wildflowers and having some fun with NaturExplorer's Wonderful Wildflowers and Butterflies Flutter By
In the sunny/shady corner of our flower garden we'll be putting as many pink flowers as we can possibly fit. My best friend passed away almost a year ago and to say that she LOVED the color pink would be an understatement. Right now it's a dreary little corner and I couldn't bare to post that photo. Can't wait to fill in all of that space with PINK!
  

Last year was our first year with a vegetable garden. I loved it when the kids would come in with a handful of cucumbers and tomatoes.

We planted beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, corn (I got a little over-zealous with that one), zucchini & squash. The corn toppled and over-shadowed our peppers, squash, and beans. We did get LOTS of tomatoes and cukes, though. This year, we hope to extend the garden a bit to make room for a bit more.

These three kiddos will also be having some fun with the Garden Preschool Pack over at Homeschool Creations.  The kids really enjoy her packs. I know your kids will too!!! If you link up over at The Homeschool Village with your own Garden Challenge post, you'll get an additional 15 page bonus pack for your Garden Preschool Pack from Homeschool Creations.

See you back here at the end of April!



A New Year...

How can it be 2011 already?
I feel as if I have a theme building on this blog...I don't blog, I do blog, I don't blog, I promise to blog....and then it's another year gone by.
How could our 4th of July trip already be 6 months behind us???
When did time stop creeping by and when did it start flying and fleeting right before my very eyes???
Apparently, I have some cleaning up & editing to do on this blog. It'll have to wait though.
I promised myself that I was going to start having my hind end in bed by 10 pm. I can read when I'm there, but I have to be in bed.
It is currently a quarter to midnight and I am sitting at my kitchen table on this thing.
When will I learn?
Probably the same time that I learn to blog more than a few times every 6 months!
Happy 2011 All!!!