and the word became flesh........

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:1-5

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of hi government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this." Isaiah 10:10

"He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right "to become children of God, who "were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:10-13

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end." Luke 1:31-33

"And the angel said to them, "Fear not for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.......and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" Luke 2:10-14

my right hand helper.....and thoughts on gift giving

I love to give gifts, but the wrapping part has never been my most favorite....Gift bags in my estimation were a great invention! I was not a super mom who spent a lot of time wrapping with my kids....and really didn't do a great job early on with helping them shop for other people. Merl has always been lovingly willing to do most of the wrapping if I do the shopping. Works for me. Though he doesn't have a ton of time on his hands.

Thankfully, we have been blessed with a gifted daughter who seems to really shine in this area! This year Madison has done a fabulous job encouraging the other kids in their gift giving and packaging. She has been especially helpful in working with Allison and Jonathan to make ornaments, tags, and cards to give away.

A week or so ago when I became frustrated with tripping over wrapping and tissue paper, scissors, etc. I suggested that she help me set up a temporary wrapping area in our spare room. "Oh! I will do it all, don't even worry about it!" Worry about it I did not - and went on my way. Later in the day this is what I found.......

On the door.....

the view from the door....

let there be no question of what the instructions are.....

so many options!

organization......

this girl is hired!.....

I know there are many families who are trying to take the emphasis of gift giving away on Christmas and on the most important: Jesus Christ. We are attempting to do that too in various ways.....

But I will say - I do love seeing our kids get so excited about giving to one another - even when it is simply a pack of gum or box of crayons. It is a spirit I am hoping to bottle up and promote after December 25th.....

As for the wrapping of the gifts.....I think we are in good hands and I doubt I'll have to wrap a single package!!!!!

grandmas are for sugar and spice and everything nice

Last year it seems I baked myself into oblivion during the Christmas season. This year has been much different since I've been struggling with my health a little. Seems survival mode has been the only "mode" here. This weekend I thought to myself: this year there will be no cookies and no Christmas cards going out........disappointing, but reality of the situation. The world wouldn't end I told myself.....but then mom offered to come the other day and bake with the kids - something I just hadn't had the energy to do.

In actuality it is a better scenario.... Grandma has more patience, kind words, and a fresh outlook on baking with four helpers! Flour on the floor is not near as catastrophic to her......licking fingers and spilling frosting less terrible. What a blessing to have a momma that can drive across town to give her little girl a rest and at the same time enjoy her grandchildren! Thanks, mommy - love you....

Curious George

Helpful Henry and Henrietta

Outstanding big sister

Persistent Allie

Gentle encouragement

Concentration

Seriously.....

Pure dickens......!

Careful concentration!

Mix up with the mixer!

What an excellent teacher.....

Would you like some cookie with those sprinkles?

Finished products......lots of cookies and happy hearts!

12 years strong!

Madison and Aslan - her best buddy

Joyful....thankful.....capable......organized......creative......persistent......that is our Madison! In the past 12 years she has matured into quite the young lady. I would venture to say she is my right hand.....I can depend on Madison to help with preparing meals, decorating the tables, ironing, cleaning bathrooms, floors, bedrooms, helping with doing her sister's hair, or making the shopping list. If she could drive I am confident Madison could complete my shopping on her own! Often if I have forgotten something as we are racing out the door or in the store she remembers. Thank goodness for her fresh brain! Madison has persevered in her schoolwork, developing into quite a writer and working on her other subjects with patience and dedication!

It is a blessing to watch your children thrive in ways you couldn't have imagined. Madison seems to have a natural way with little preschoolers......she can have them all lined up and busy with an activity in no time! She has an eye for decorating and crafts that I never had.....what a bonus to have her to make gift tags, place cards, gift wrapping, table decorations, etc.! I admire several aspects of Madison's personality that I don't have...she loves to swim - working out 4 times a week - just for the sheer pleasure of exercising! I was dedicated to my training always - but in a more goal driven way - competitively.....even now I struggle to work out for the pleasure of it! Madison exhibits amazing self discipline when planning what she eats and has a great interest in healthy eating habits. She reads most of the labels when we shop - alerting me to what products have MSG, white flour, and sugar! If she had our way we would eat all organic! If she doesn't know how to do something she is not afraid to learn and works at it until she figures it out - as a result she is sewing, learning calligraphy, advanced baking and cooking, swimming, and understanding the game of soccer in depth.

Dedicated swimmer

Madison at a class at the State Capitol learning about our government and politics!

Studious pair......

She is one awesome goal-keeper!

All these wonderful qualities aside, it is most fun to watch Madison love and encourage other children - study God's word daily - help her younger brothers and sisters memorize scripture.....and selflessly share with others. Our family changed forever 12 years ago on November 29 - and we can't imagine a day without her......Happy Birthday, precious Madison Joy! We love you and are proud of you!

"May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

there is a 6 year old in the house!

Time races by......gallops.....rushes.......it is impossible to stop the days - so I am forced to slow down myself.... Hug more, talk more, spend more time listening, reflecting, and enjoying. Sweet Allison can't be 6 in my mind.....seems just yesterday we met her.

This was a monumental year for her! It is a privilege to watch her character mature and flourish. Allie is an encourager! She seems to know when I am having a tough day and there she is, rubbing my back and saying loving words. She has a kind heart toward the needs of her brothers, sister, and friends too. The Lord seems to have given Allison a gift of sensitivity and nurturing. Allie is working hard in school to read, grasp math, and learn about other cultures of the world. She is an apprentice of sorts under her siblings who diligently teach her the basic jobs around our house. She is now fully dependable at setting the table, loading and unloading the dishwasher, wiping down her bathroom, folding and putting away her clothes, and many other chores!

I love how each of the children the Lord has blessed us with has such different personalities, gifts, and interests. What a joy to watch them develop and grow! Happy Birthday to Allison today - we love you so much!

Lost her first tooth just a few weeks ago!

Learned to ride a bike this year.....

.......and scale tall mountains!!!!

Officially a stronger swimmer......

Diligent student.....

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 1 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (Allison's birthday verse)

the orange chicken calamity

Over the last several weeks I have been going on and on to several of my friends about a great website with crockpot recipes......I made an awesome Spinach Pesto Lasagna a week or so ago and have been experimenting with other ideas on the site. Recently I had also been thinking about how to solve an orange chicken dilemma I was having. The chicken in the frozen version (from Trader Joes) was just too greasy. I think it is the first frozen prepared food I've bought in I don't know when. I was also irritated by the expense. Well no need to worry - I searched orange chicken on the crockpot site and bingo - the recipe sounded great and the picture looked yummy! I was so thrilled about making it I even emailed the link to a few friends and my mom saying - "look what is in the crockpot for tonight!"

I doubled the sauce because I like plenty and happily went off to PE class, dreaming of the lovely dinner we would have waiting at home when we returned. I left it cooking on the counter since we were taking the crockpot tipping dog with us......and Aslan and I walked around the track at PE with my attentive friends as I bragged about the extraordinary dinner I anticipated. It is said that pride goeth before the fall......

Fast forward to 3:30pm. In unusual fashion, Merl surprised us at PE (dressed as the Hulk - another whole blog in itself)....so ended up taking the dog and Ryan home with him. When I called after piano to tell Merl we were on our way he says, "Oh - by the way we aren't at home....we are getting the oil changed." Immediately I said "Please tell me you left the crockpot cooking in the laundry room." (My way of avoiding catastrophe with the counter surfing hound.) "No......didn't think of that."

Marvelous - I have the best dinner of the century bubbling in the crock pot and he left the counter king loose in the house with it! Quickly I sifted through other dinner options in my mind as I was 99.9% sure that the dog had devoured our meal or at least tipped the pot over (He has done it before.....yes, I know that most of you are questioning why we keep this dog. That is another blog too.) As soon as the car rolled in the driveway Madison ran inside.....only to return screaming......"It's still there! The dinner is still in the pot!"

This should have been my first clue.

Why on earth would he not go after this sweet smelling treat?

Well my friends, because even though I have come a long way in my cooking aspirations - there are still disasters. In almost 20 years of dating/marriage - up until this night there were only 3 that were dumpster worthy:

1) When I cooked my favorite chicken and rice casserole in a pot I'd stored potpourri in......

2) Cheesy corn casserole......when I asked Merl what he thought of it he simply said, "It's not my favorite." After I tasted it and decided I couldn't eat another bite, we escorted it to the dumpster and went out.

3) The weird pasta dish I served when my in-laws and niece visited..... My mother in law gracious as she is, stated it was fine, my father in law - who I have never seen refuse any food or not clean his plate - cleaned his plate, and my niece simply said ...."It's not my favorite" - hmmm.....must be a popular family line!

I don't know what went wrong......for one thing - my orange chicken did not look like the picture of hers......I could have made a mistake in the amounts of ingredients.......not sure really if I agreed with the list of ingredients as I put them in....my gut told me they might not be such a good combination. People do say I have a good gut.....

In any case, the first thing Merl said was - "It's not my favorite." Oh boy - clue number two. Then Madison began to voice her opinion. I tasted mine and it was horrible. Jonathan and Allie wouldn't try it. 0-5......until Ryan - who bite after bite kept saying - "It's really not that bad." Not sure what planet he is from but I couldn't finish mine.

Probably would have helped if my expectations hadn't been so high - but even then......so now hear this - for all of you I sent the link to - you may want to tweak the sauce a bit. I am going to do some research on the situation......certainly I would not blame it on the wonderful lady whose site I so enjoy! There are about 100 comments after the recipe saying how great it is! It could be us. Even so, tonight in our household it was deemed a megaflop. Even Aslan wasn't interested in it....

In fact, as I was cleaning up the kitchen I noticed Madison had taken the time to make sure I didn't forget the incident and had added a note to my planner:

Totally cracked me up.....

I can take it - it's the truth - but in our house failure is just a part of the process - eventually determination and perseverance will have their way and we WILL enjoy orange chicken in the slow cooker! Guarantee it!

girls and books - 2010

It is days like this that make "it" all worth it. "It" being hour after hour of lesson planning, long nights of curriculum research, and the locking horns with my children who think I am a slave driver when I am asking them to simply do their math. "It" would be homeschooling. Often I wonder if "it" will be profitable. Profitability is difficult to measure.... good thing there are days when I can sit back at the end and be amazed and thankful. The older the kids get, the more I realize the less I am in control.....this is often a relief. I am beginning to comprehend that regardless of my mistakes and failures, God does in fact have a plan for these precious vessels - and he is cultivating character in them. I take pleasure in watching this process.

This is Madison's third year participating in a literature club - and her second with the current group of girls. What a blessing they are! Each year Madison has taken more responsibility when we host - we really work as a team on it - makes for a lighter load thanks to her creative abilities and other skills! Our book for discussion was Caddie Woodlawn.....I was stumped on what to do for an activity or theme....but Madison came through with wonderful thoughts and began research on things to do. I love how she has an eye to put things together (something I often lack) - and how she has the confidence and perseverance to keep working at her task until she is pleased with it. Since the Woodlawn children get tired of eating turkey everyday in the book - she chose a "turkey" theme - and we decided to emphasize hosting Thanksgiving . We wanted to share our love of hosting others in our home and how to make guests feel welcome.

During her internet research, Madison saw an idea for using a pear for a place card.....she especially loves making place cards when we have guests so loved this unique idea.

We were both up late the night before......Not because we had to be but because we sleep better AFTER the work is done! I was doing dishes and starting the bread dough while Madison was mixing up the beginning of cookies and setting the table. She designed and completed the table decorations herself.

Here are the lovely young ladies waiting for their turkey soup, fruit salad, and bread! Don't they look eager?

Madison wanted to play some games....so she looked into Thanksgiving activities online and shared them with her friends after lunch while I cleared the table and put the food away. Then it was on to our book discussion. I must say - this was my favorite part of the afternoon! The girls are learning the socratic method of analyzing literature and it is remarkable to hear from them. This month we were talking in more depth on the history of the author and setting of the story. Each club they also share what they saw as the main conflict of the book, the rising action, climax, denouement, and conclusion - not to mention the setting, theme, and characters. We enjoyed an almost one hour dialogue. It was full of thoughtfulness, exuberance, deliberation, listening, and excitement. What a joy. I was so proud of them all!

Amanda carefully reviews her chart.....

Rachel contemplates her notes.....

Rebekah shares her thoughts as Grace and Audrey look on.....and yes - I was leading the discussion while shooting pictures at the same time! Just couldn't help it - they were so purposeful and intent. After our lively conversation we moved on to making turkeys from pumpkins. One of our favorite Thanksgiving decorations is wooden turkey parts we put in a pumpkin so we thought of a way to simplify the idea.....Madison and I made a model and we went from there. Even Allie even made her own all by herself!

Nine adorable and unique turkeys!

Several of the goals of literature club for our girls is to magnify the glory of God as we cultivate character, enrich their friendships with one another, train them how to discern what they read, and develop their interests and talents. Worth the time spent in commitment and preparation - every minute.