I am Thankful...

It's 10 Things Tuesday again! The weeks just seem to be flying by at this point. I sure do have a lot to be thankful for. I don't know if I can narrow it to ten this week, but I'll give it my best shot.

1. I am so thankful that I finally got some restful sleep last night! Sleepy mom doesn't go over very well around here. : )
2. I am thankful that 45 women signed up do be in the Beth Moore Study that I am leading for Women's Ministry this fall. I can hardly believe it! God is going to do big things through this study! What an awesome privilege to be His servant!
3. I am thankful that my husband had 23 leaders show up to his Sr. High Youth team meeting! WOW! I love it when God goes above and beyond our expectations. I can't wait to see what He is going to do through Sr. High Ministry this year.
4. I am thankful that God is showing me how He answers prayer in powerful ways.
5. I am thankful for this last bit of nice weather we are having before the rain and eventually, snow comes.
6. I am thankful for my man, who was willing to spend his free time out in the garage sorting and cleaning this weekend.
7. I am thankful for the safe delivery of my friend Melodi's baby boy, George. Congratulations Mel! What a blessing!
8. I am thankful for the many ways that God blesses this family. He's always taken care of us. May I never doubt or take advantage of His faithfulness to provide what we need.
9. I am thankful for the encouragers God has put in my life.
10. I am thankful for the wonderful privilege of being a mom.

Talking Matters

Well, it's been a long week, and I'm glad it's Friday. I thought before I turn in for the night I would take a little time to have a cup of coffee with some Company Girls. I have decaf on hand for all of you out there who prefer it this late in the day!

This week my favorite small thing was "Talk to Me, Babe!" The idea was to sit down and talk to your man about what they'd like to talk about. This task wasn't too hard for me this week because there is a lot going on in our lives right now to talk about. A new job for one. My dh just got hired on as the new Worship Pastor at a local Church where we live. We also talked a lot about his current job...realty. He's closing two deals right now, while transitioning into his new job. His week was packed with meetings and phone calls. Somehow in the midst of it all though, we connected and I asked him not one question, but several. About his day, his meetings this week, and how he's handling this transition.

He shared his fears with me as well as some of his dreams, plans, and goals for the future. He talked about the difficulties of working two jobs at once, and opened up about the excitement of beginning a new chapter in our lives. What an incredibly intimate time we had together, all because I showed interest in what matters to him. It made me realize how important it is to genuinely show interest in what my loving dh has to say.

From Fantasy Football (which I now have a better understanding of) to job transitions, when my dh talks, I'm going to try harder to open my ears and heart and listen. After all, I am his wife, his helper, and his best friend.

Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

10 Things Tuesday

Recently Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary started a new thing called Company Girl Coffee. It's a great way for Company Girls to connect and visit one another's blogs. This past Friday I visiting XBOX WIFE, and I came across another idea that I liked. It's called 10 Things Tuesday, and the idea is to post 10 things that you're thankful for each week. The idea of being thankful is very important to me, so I thought I would join in and share the blessings in my life.

1. We made it through our first round of colds and everyone is on their way back to full health.
   
2. Fall has arrived and the leaves right outside my kitchen window are turning beautiful shades of red and orange.
3. It rained yesterday and I love the smell in the air after a good fall rain.
   
4. Yesterday we finally purchased a much needed second car and we paid cash for it.
   
5. Women's Bible study starts this week, which means connecting with friends that I haven't seen all summer.
   
6. Star gazing in the back yard on crisp, fall nights. This time of year we head out to the trampoline and watch stars before bedtime.
   
7. Hot Cocoa, Apple Cider, and Tea. It's good to be in the warm drinks season again! I love wrapping up in a blanket with a nice mug of something warm to drink!
   
8. Fall also means that it's time for soups and stews and using my crock pot more! I love the smell of dinner filling the house with half the work it would take on the stove!
   
9. Football season! Yes, I said it. I am thankful for football season. I love to sit with my husband and watch a Seahawks game. Football makes him happy, and when he's happy, I'm happy! : )
   
10. I'm thankful for making new friends that live all over the place through blogging. I really enjoy learning about their lives and sharing mine. I'm so glad to be a part of 10 Things Tuesday.

Come on in for Special Breakfast!

I love Saturday mornings! Especially this time of year. The kids are back in school, so Saturday becomes our "lazy day". We lounge around in our pjs in the morning cuddling, and watching cartoons together. Then around 8:00am or so, I make "special breakfast." The kids have gotten to where they wake up with excitement, wondering what they're having each week. I like to mix it up with a variety of homemade items, along with french toast, pancakes, eggs, potatoes, and bacon. (Not all at the same time, of course!)

On these mornings I am often reminded of my childhood and our own "special breakfasts" Whether it was in my own childhood home, or visiting at my grandparents, there was sure to be some sort of great smelling "brunch" being thrown together in the kitchen. Some of my fondest memories of my grandparent's house are going out to dig up some potatoes, scrub them, and prepping them for fried potatoes and ham. Yep, we were a breakfast family alright. We even sometimes had breakfast for dinner!

Ok. So my breakfasts aren't quite that homemade. I get my potatoes from the store, not my garden. But I put just as much love and preparation into my cooking. And this morning, I just happen to be using a recipe handed down to me from my grandma. We call it Pull-Apart. Some people call it monkey bread. It's quick, easy, and yummmmmmy! : ) I've been helping to make it or making it myself ever since I can remember.

For Company Girl Coffee this week, (and the small thing for Tuesday) I thought I'd share this yummy recipe with all my friends. (Hope you don't mind, grandma!) I have cut it in half to work in a bread pan, but my grandma used to make it in a round bundt pan. Enjoy!

Grandma's Pull-Apart:

2 cans biscuits

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tbsps cinnamon

1 stick butter or margarine

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cinnamon and sugar. Cut biscuits into quarters and roll in cinnamon & sugar mixture. Place in bread pan in two layers. Melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining cinnamon & sugar mixture and stir until boiling. Pour over biscuits. Bake for 25 minutes. Flip upside-down on plate and enjoy!

Oh! There's my timer now! I'm off to enjoy some yummy cinnamon Pull-Apart with my kiddos! : )

Going Bananas

I've mentioned before that I am a faithful company girl. There is seldom a "small thing" that I miss. I am so grateful that someone as wonderful as Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary (see sidebar) is faithful enough to come up with so many great ideas for us company girls. : ) Well, she's come up with yet another great idea, and it's called "Company Girl Coffee." She's encouraged us to visit one another's blogs by hooking us up through Mr. Linky. So here's my story for the week.

The small thing today was "Don't be Silly?" The task was to lighten up, and be silly in some way or another. Me, a 34yr old mom of 5 kids, be silly? No Way. (JK) Actually, I'm pretty silly with my kids most of the time, but I can also get to where I'm taking life way too seriously. Like yesterday (see previous post). So today's small thing was perfect timing.

I tried to keep it pretty light all day long, but there was one particular moment this morning where I had the kids all rolling with laughter. BC(5) came to me this morning as I was standing at the counter making breakfast. He said "Mommy, can you make me a banana on a plate please?" Before he knew it, I was sweeping him up off of the floor and placing him on the kitchen counter on his plate. "Ok, You're a banana!" Roars of laughter filled the kitchen and it took us about five minutes to recover. I'm really surprised their dad didn't wake up to see what all the commotion was! : )

So there's my Company Girl moment of the day. There's nothing better than hearing the giggles of my five little blessings. I hope that it can make someone else laugh too. Laughter is one thing this company girl welcomes in her home.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.'" Psalm 126:2

Great is His Faithfulness

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. " Lamentations 3:22-23

Ever have one of those days where you just can't wait for it to end? The kind of day when you can hardly wait to crawl under the covers, close your eyes, and wake up to start a new, better day? I have. Yesterday was that day for me. It seemed like it was never going to end.

Author Brooke Noel has good things to say about bad days. "I don't have bad days. While there are moments during the day that can be challenging or troubling, very rarely do I let that moment seep into the attitude of the entire day. If my morning is challenging, then come lunchtime I take a moment to clear my mind and "restart my day" anticipating nothing but the best for the afternoon. Surely, there is joy to be found each and every day. If we let a challenging circumstance set the stage for the entire day, we miss that joy and the opportunity of the day at hand."

She is not the only one that has good advice about bad days. The psalmist says in psalm 118:24 "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." It is a verse that I have had memorized since I was a small child. I have recited it over and over. I have sung the words many times in several different versions of song. I have meditated on it in moments of sadness, anger, and stress.

Yes. There is there is joy to be found in each and every day. Even if it is hidden in the small places of life. An answered prayer. A child's smile. A kind word spoken by a friend. If we focus on the positive things throughout our days, the not so great becomes less of a burden. Then, at the end of a tough day, we can be reminded of what the old Hymn says.

"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be."

Love Rules

At the beginning of every year, my kids come home with a list of classroom rules for me to review, sign, and return to the teacher. Along with the rules, there is a list of what the consequences will be if they are broken. Here are a few examples of the "classroom rules":

• I will follow directions the first time
• I will listen while others are talking
• I will keep my hands, feet and other objects to myself
• I will work quietly and not disturb others
• I will follow school rules and respect school property
• I will work and play in a safe manner
• Manners matter!
• Be a friend to everyone
• Share with everyone
• Help clean up

All of these rules are important for classroom management. Not only that, but every single one of them relates in one way or another to our own household rules. I am really working on teaching my children that we have rules in this house, and there are consequences to breaking them. The number one rule in our house? Love one another. They hear it over, and over, and over again.

This morning, my two oldest children got into it and came to mom to be referee. JS didn't want RL sitting next to him, but instead of working it out with words, he pushed her right off the chair. Rachael used words, but she mostly shouted them at him. Not good, all around.

I talked them through the situation and how they could have handled it differently, and then I dealt out the consequences. Consequence for JS: he doesn't get to sit in the chair the rest of the day because he pushed his sister. Since RL didn't do anything physical to her brother, but rather just needs to work on her communication skills, she got off with a warning. Then I made them apologize to each other and hug.

From there, I took it a step further and read to them and their siblings from Colossians 3:12-14. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." We discussed different ways that we can "put on love", and then I sent them off to school. Hopefully, this lesson will sink in and be noticeable here at home, at school, and in all other areas of their young lives.

More on Routines

Well, it's the second week of school and we are working out our routines as we go. Last week we worked on our morning routine. That seems to be running pretty smoothly now. What I noticed though, about our day, was that when my older two kids came home from the bus stop in the afternoon, things would break out into chaos. I would literally have 4 little mouths talking to me all at once! I felt like I was entering a football stadium!

This week, on Monday, I came up with a plan. I typed up our "afternoon routine", printed it off, and posted it right in the entryway for all to see. Our afternoon routine consists of:

• Take shoes off and put neatly in closet
• Take important papers out of backpack and give to mom or place in drawer
• Hang backpack neatly in closet
• Snack
• Homework
• Reading time
• Free time

It seems to be working so far. The kids can take one look at the list and know what they need to do next. There's no shouting, no questions, and mom can make it through the afternoon without losing her mind! : )

Structure and order. It's a work in progress around here. I'm learning just how important, and necessary it is when you have children.

First Day of School and Routines

Ahhh, the first day of school! It was actually yesterday, September 2nd. This year I have three out of five kids in school.

BC is entering into kindergarten, and very excited about it! JS is in first grade this year. RL, my oldest, is in second.
They only do half day kindergarten here, so I have BC home in the afternoons. JS was a little nervous about transitioning from half days to whole days, but he seemed to like it well enough yesterday. He was pretty pumped about riding the bus home with his sister. Since we only have one car, their dad can take them to school, but not pick them up. I think the idea of bus riding was more of a concern to me than my kids. It has turned out ok though.

School time means switching to school routines. We've been working on that one for a couple of weeks now. The kids no longer get to sleep in late and be lazy all morning. (That means mom doesn't get to be lazy either!) Here's what a typical school morning looks like for us:

• Wake up


• Get dressed


• Eat some breakfast, brush teeth


• Make sure everything is in backpacks and ready to go out the door

Pretty simple, right? You would think so! We try to get backpacks and shoes ready as a part of our bedtime routine so that we don't have to worry about it in the mornings. Actually, the first day of school ran rather smoothly. Everyone was very excited and we were ready to go out the door early. I was so proud of everyone for taking care of themselves and keeping on task. I even got some cute "first day of school" pictures. : )

This morning, though, was totally the opposite of yesterday. Anything that could go wrong did. I guess I need to work on being ok with that. Routine is good, but when life throws you curve balls, you gotta adjust your swing to hit them out of the park. (IDK, it sounded good as I was typing it!) Anyway, I just need to remind myself that having a routine in place is important, but it can't be so rigid that I freak out if something happens to throw it off.

For example, my toddler decided today was the day to pick up two hand fulls of cheerios and throw them across the dining room while I was trying to help JS get his folder back into his backpack. Crunch! Crunch! is all I heard as another child decided to walk all over them. Ugh. Where's the dog when you need him?

Actually, today has been the "day of spills". Cheerios, water, juice, milk, coffee...you name it and it's been spilled. Do you know what though? I've managed to maintain my composure, in spite of all those accidents. It's a good thing too, because one of them happened while I had a young friend of mine over that I am currently mentoring. It wouldn't set a very good example for her if I lost it when my coffee was spilled on the couch cushion now, would it? I simply told her that accidents happen, and messes can be cleaned. Maybe the next time her toddler spills milk, (or anything for that matter) she'll think of me and smile. I hope so. I pray so.

I guess what I'm trying to say as I ramble on about all this is that no matter what kind of perfect routine I try to put in place, there's always bound to be glitches. What matters is how I react to those glitches. At any given moment, I can have anywhere from two to ten little eyes watching me to see how I am going to react. That's very sobering to think about. Glitches are temporary. The impression that I make on their little hearts is often permanent. Need I say more?

Matthew 18:6 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."