Look what I made!

I made skirts for Kiera and I out of jeans that had worn out spots on them. Nifty huh? :-)

It amuses me (kind of) that every time I get out my sewing machine, I need my resident mechanical mind, aka Gabe, to help me relearn how to use it....

11*5*10

Nov 5: I am grateful for God's creativity! I am awed beyond belief when I wonder at the precise design of His creation. From the stars in the sky to the brilliant colors which exist where no one witnesses them, from the grandest whale to the microscopic machines which make life possible... Along the same lines, I am so thankful that He has called me by name, that I may recognize that He alone is Creator, and that I am not an accident.

11*4*10

Nov.4: I am thankful that life is not about me. It's all about Him. He wants me to be conformed to His image so that others can see Him in my life. As humbling as it is, I find comfort in the fact that everything I am clouds or blocks His light shining through me, but as I see His will and listen to Him, the light will shine brighter and the window of my life will become more transparent. I am thankful that for all my mistakes, He is greater still.

11*3*10

Nov. 3: I am thankful for all the godly examples in my life. From my pastor and his wife, to mentoring couples we've known for years, to family members on both sides, I know we are TRULY blessed to have those who can help us to examine our perspectives, learn from what God is saying, and humble ourselves when the situation calls for it! I'm thankful for the storms I've witnessed in lives near to me- for the opportunity to pray for God's will, not my own. To see miracles that have no other explanations.

11*2*10

Nov. 2: I am thankful for the Word. It truly is alive, teaching and molding me through its pages. I love how I can read a story I've "known" nearly all my life, and yet He still uses it to teach me a fresh word, a new understanding. I appreciate my freedom to own several copies and different translations with no fear of persecution. I love the technology of our day; the blueletterbible.com where I can search for further knowledge and understanding, having esword on Gabe's phone- all the ways we can have immediate access to the most important book we own.

Thankful it's November? 11*1*10

Can anyone else NOT believe it's November? Last year I chose not to do the thankful thing because I was afraid I would sound redundant, but this year I feel like doing it would be helpful to my overwhelmed feelings day in and day out. So here goes:

Nov 1: I am so thankful for my Father God. He continues to amaze me at how He gives wisdom when I am at the end of myself, turning to Him to whom I should have turned first. He is Faithful to meet us where we are, to show us the way through the storms step by step.

Ooohh... and yet as I wrote this I was inspired to write 30 days of how thankful I am for God in my life... This will be good, and it will definitely require further inspiration! Even though He is Infinite... my mind is not! What a great idea- Thank you Lord!

Fundraiser for our Homeschool Co-op: Deadline NOV 3

We do a gift card fundraiser to help cover our insurance and rent at our little co-op.

How it works:
1. You order your gift cards.
2. You send me a check along with the ending printout page of what you ordered.
3. The co-op purchases these cards at a discounted rate, allowing them to keep the difference.

I hope you will consider what purchases you will be making this holiday season and consider pre-purchasing gift cards to cover that expense. There is a huge variety of brands available- go to shopwithscrip.com to take a gander! Visa is also included; it's located under "specialty retailers."

To enroll/order:
Go to shopwithscrip.com and click on the green box on the left hand side that says "Family Sign Up!"
Enter your information.
On the next page, enter our enrollment code "C3936L9223618"
Go through the ordering process. Print out the ending page with your total and send it to me along with a check for the total amount.

November 3rd is our deadline, so as long as you order by the end of that day (Wednesday) and let me know that your check is in the mail, I'll include your order. I'd really appreciate all the help we can get! Thank you!!

***Another way you can support us is to enroll with your Safeway club card at escrip.com. Our organization name is Columbia Christian Homeschool Co-op. It's very easy, and all you have to do is use your club card when you shop! Thanks!

Reformation Day Fun!

Us girls, all dolled up :-) Do I look like a servant girl?
Our little ladies, plus Esther

Now, isn't that just darling?

Gabe's trying to show our Dan and Lindsey what Isaac was doing in his professional picture in the back room- crossing his eyes while examing his sucker!.. And Isaac, chewing on his "gold" coin.

Peeking? Who me?

Melia, being quizzed on her knowledge of Biblical relics...

Kiera with our friends, (l-r) Grace, Abby, (K) and Chase

Isaac discovering the JOY of Tootsie Pops! (and that gal in the back? She MADE that dress!!!)

Isaac participating in "Calvin's Recommendations to the Council"

Gabe caught this shot... I witnessed her a different time nailing that arrow to the wall! That's so fun because she prayed last night that she would do good at the bow & arrow game!! :-)

Most of the kids who came dressed up!

And, for the record, Kiera was NOT A PIRATE! (Her own emphasis!) By the end of the night she would admit that she was a princess pirate. But not a pirate princess :-) I told her Daddy was the Dread Pirate Roberts, and she was his little princess!

Hungry Monkey

Tonight I returned from a 30 second trip to the bathroom to dump shampoo on the girls' heads, only to find an Isaac Monkey on top of the table spooning himself seconds of the potatoes that had not yet been cleared. He looked at me, picked up an empty cup, and indicated that he would like some water with his potatoes.

yikes.

Oh, yea, and he didn't eat any of the roast that went with those potatoes... "uh oh!"

A situation that left me with my mouth open (in my head anyway)

Tonight at work, I'm sitting in the break room enjoying my dinner. Next to me sits a new gal that I have not met. I don't even know her name. We're watching the news, which is doing a special report on heroin and some kid is telling his story.

All of the sudden, she gasps, "Oh no, they kicked him out of school for getting caught doing heroin? I don't think that's a good idea. Then he's just out on the street. He needs to be in school."

What???!!

And yes, I have many responses to that :-) but I wanted to see if any of you had some you'd like to share...! *grin!*