The Gabby Moms: A Year in Review

A couple years ago, someone named Lorrie Flem added me on Facebook. I dug around a little to see who this Lorrie Flem was and decided she sounded like someone I wanted to know through Facebook. Immediately, I began enjoying her daily posts, and then I knew she was someone I wanted to be friends with! Her posts were so encouraging and challenging to me as a wife and mother. I was so blessed to be Lorrie's Facebook friend.

When Lorrie (who later changed her account and is now my friend via Eternal Encouragement. Add Eternal Encouragement to your Facebook!!!), began looking for bloggers to write reviews of her products, I jumped on board. The Gabby Moms program has been an even greater blessing to me than the original daily posts. I have loved being a part of this program throughout the past year. Every single product spoke to my heart and either reminded me of something I needed to hear or taught me something new. Lorrie's heart comes through all of her writings, and my heart resonates with hers.

What I liked about this program is that it isn't overly demanding. There is one product per month to review. I've been a part of another review program that was absolutely overwhelming for me, and there was no warning in advance to let the reviewers know it was going to be so busy. On the flip side, the Gabby Moms program is manageable even for this busy homeschooling mom. It is reasonable and doable.

This program has allowed me to laugh, cry and be challenged every step of the way. I haven't been disappointed in anything. I highly recommend that you give this program a try. You will learn. You will be encouraged. You will be challenged. You will be motivated. You will be given the tools you need to help you to become a better homemaker, wife, mother, and more. 

Click the link below if you'd like to read more about it. I don't think you'll be disappointed! I'll be continuing in 2012, and I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for me as a Gabby Mom!

Pneumonia

I have pneumonia. This is why I haven't been blogging. I have felt terrible for days. Yesterday, I went to urgent care. FIVE hours later, I left with five prescriptions including a nebulizer. I've never had pneumonia. I've never used a nebulizer. I don't know if I've ever had a fever as high as the one I had last night. I am grateful that the meds seem to be working in that my fever is down significantly today, and the mucinex is definitely doing its job. Please pray for me, blogging friends. I will be so grateful if you do!

25 Days of Christmas Days 21-22

Day 21

Christmas Extravaganza

Our church had a special service filled with tons of musical talent. There are some amazing musicians in our church, and this gave all of us a chance to minister with our gifts. I cannot even tell you with words how blessed I was by some of the great singing and playing we heard last night. The first photo is some of the KidStuf kids singing some Christmas songs to kick things off.

Eric sang "Mary, Did You Know?" I asked him to sing it because he's amazing and the song is perfect for his voice. It seriously makes my heart melt when my husband sings this song. 

Have you ever heard the lyrics to this song? They are incredible. Just think about Mary kissing the face of God. It gets me so completely excited to think about that. Today, I read the story of Mary beginning when she first heard from Gabriel through her visit with Elizabeth, and I am in awe of who Mary was. Whatever God handed her, she willingly accepted it. She didn't complain knowing how people would react when they discovered her pregnancy. And can you imagine how much her heart hurt when Jesus was on the cross? I know how much my heart hurts when my kids hurt, but Mary's pain had to be so much greater. This is a woman of great character. I want to be more like Mary, more like Jesus!

I may have gotten a little side-tracked there, so back to the rest of Day 21.

I sang a song called "I Believe" originally recorded by Natalie Grant. I love Natalie Grant. I'm certain I didn't do her song justice, but I loved singing it!

I also got to play "Carol of the Bells" with a flute quartet. I've played with these ladies a couple times now, and I enjoy it every time. It is so nice to have opportunities to use what God has given me to minister through music.

Day 22

Gift Wrapping Day

I can't post the gifts, but I can post a very messy photo of our wrapping supplies. I can assure you, this was once very well organized. And then we moved. And this is what came out of my attic. 

Three days to go!!! I'm super excited to spend some more quality time with my favorite people! More photos to come!

25 Days of Christmas Days 16-20

I realize I'm not doing much better than I was at keeping up with my 25 Day blog posts. This month has been crazy busy, and this is in spite of the fact that we limited our calendar this season. In fact, we've been on a school break for a week and a half, and I'm still waiting for a day off! Maybe next week, right? 

Day 16

Lukas' Spiritual Birthday

When I was growing up, I was introduced to the idea of celebrating spiritual birthdays by my best friend, Sarah. Her family had cake and a special dinner to celebrate the day each child asked Jesus into their heart. We have grown to love this tradition with our kids. This year, for Lukas' 7th spiritual birthday, the kids decorated a Little Drummer Boy Cake. They had so much fun doing it even though it was cut into about 30 minutes later. On an unrelated note, Ava does not suddenly wear glasses. They were a prop in a play the kids were in last year.

Day 17

Cookie Baking Day

Powdered sugar faces. Ava put more on her own face than she splashed on mine. We always spend a Saturday in December baking cookies, making fudge and other treats. We began this tradition the very first year of our marriage in our little upstairs apartment in Marion, Indiana, and now the kids look forward to it as much as we do. This year, we made Russian teacakes, thumbprints, oatmeal cinnamon chip bars, chocolate fudge, and saltine toffee. The kids are still holding out for sugar cookie cut-outs and peanut butter cookies. It is a good thing we give so much of these treats away!!!

Day 18

Christmas Party with friends

Our friends, the Killianys, hosted a Christmas party at their home along with Sarah's parents, the Swansons. Incidentally, this is the same family I mentioned above with the spiritual birthday photos. We had an amazing evening singing and worshiping with them and many other familiar faces and then enjoyed some sweet fellowship afterward. 

Day 19

Christmas Card Making

I love glitter. It is always worth the mess. Shiny things make me happy. Very, very happy. This is what my table looked like this morning since I let the kids leave the mess overnight so they could make more cards today. So worth the sparkles!

Day 20

Santa Claus Visit

Since we ended up at the mall today, and there was NO ONE waiting to see Santa, we surprised the kids with a visit. The children are certain this was not the REAL Santa. Their explanations for this were varied and hilarious including the fact that he was much too short to be Santa, his beard wasn't long enough and Santa absolutely has to be at the North Pole this week. Lukas kept giving me a look like I was crazy to even ask that question. I'm still not sure what is behind that look. Let it be known that I purposefully didn't dress them up for this year's Santa visit because they would have caught onto the surprise, and, had their been an extensive line to see Santa, there wouldn't have been a surprise. Also, Ava chose her crazy outfit today. When you are 7, you can wear anything. 

I make no promises about my future posts other than to say that days 21-25 will get posted either in increments or all at once. Haha! Check back soon!

Christmas Presence

I wrote this post for the Intentional Journey. This month, we're focusing on Christmas memories and the magic that comes around this time of year. Click on over and see what other authors have written this month!

December 1987. I was 11. I was an angel in our elementary school's Christmas program that year, and I had one single line. "Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth. Good will toward men." I was, by no means, the star of the show, but I was excited about my part. 

The only issue darkening my excitement a little that year was that my daddy was going to miss the performance. Dad worked out of state for years, doing whatever it took to support our family. I don't remember where he was working that winter, but I imagine that it was somewhere warmer than Ohio since he made a career of building cable television systems. I don't remember having a conversation about Dad missing the show, but I remember wishing that he would be there.

The night of the performance was so exciting. We were performing in the high school auditorium, which was a pretty big deal to a bunch of elementary school kids. Children were running all over the place speaking too loudly and trying to be still in spite of the anticipation of performing. We were all being ushered here and there until it was time to perform. The play began with my friends Zach and Dani playing the lead roles. I stepped up to the microphone with two other girls all dressed as angels ready to announce the coming of Jesus. 

As my eyes panned the auditorium, I saw a shadow.

A man was leaning against the left wall of the auditorium toward the back of the room. 

Dad.

There was no mistaking him even with the shining stage lights in my eyes.

To say that I delivered that line with all my heart would be a vast understatement. My dad was there to see me! He drove all the way home in the middle of the week to see me perform. My one line may have seemed small in the big scheme of things, but his presence during that performance was huge. He was there, and it meant the world to me.

Being there for that elementary Christmas program was inconvenient. Dad had to drive all day and miss work to make it happen. He went above and beyond the call of duty as a father to be there at a moment when my little girl heart wanted him to be there more than anything, when anyone realistic would have understood if he wasn't able to make it. 

Those sacrifices made by my dad on that day have left me with a precious, childhood memory that I will never forget, a memory that comes to mind every December whenever I hear the Christmas story from the book of Luke. It reminds me to always thank Jesus for a daddy who wanted to be there and a heavenly Father who knew how important that was to this little girl.

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, good will toward men."

Luke 2:13-14

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week…It was a roller-coaster kind of week, and not for the reasons you would expect this time of year. Sure, we had your normal Christmas season kind of busyness going on, but we also have a situation in our life that is causing us to feel emotionally drained. This has sent us on the kind of roller-coaster ride that you can't wait to get off. Jump off. While screaming. While poking Satan's eyes out. Is that too much of a visual for a homeschool mother's journal? Maybe. But that is truth.

In our homeschool this week…Officially, we have been on Christmas break this week. We have crafted, baked and decorated a cake and done a lot of reading together. We wrapped up a study of Daniel early in the week and read some great, inspirational books during our evening worship time. It has been a great week in this regard!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…Plan breaks in your school year, and don't fret over being a few assignments "behind" (who defines that anyway?) and borrow days from your break. FYI: You can't borrow days from a break. That's called not taking a break. I realize that it is always nice to not be behind, but, at the same time, your kids need the break for their brains to catch up with all that is expected from them academically. We realized a few years ago that, more than anyone, I needed a three week break at Christmas. It allows me to fully enjoy the season and to be able to participate in various Christmas activities without feeling stressed-out(well, less stressed-out at least). This 3 week break is not negotiable in our house. We are always ready for it, and we always enjoy it to the fullest! School starts again in our house on January 3rd. We'll be ready to hit the books hard!

I am inspired by…My husband who is showing incredible strength, grace and integrity in the midst of a very, very difficult situation.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…This evening, we had a blast at a party for our Sunday School class. Tomorrow, we'll be home most of the day except for a rehearsal I have for a little while in the afternoon. Sunday afternoon will be spent with my folks, and we're going to another Christmas party on Sunday evening at our dear friends, the Killianys. We are all super excited about it! It'll be a busy weekend, but it'll be a fantastic weekend too!

My favorite thing this week was…shopping with Eric. We needed that afternoon and evening together so desperately. We began our afternoon by using Starbucks giftcards that Eric received at work. We were there for quite a while reading our Bibles, journaling (me, not him), sipping coffee and chatting about what God was showing us. These are the most important moments in life.

Questions/thoughts I have…What do you do when someone you thought loved you actually hurt you and your family so deeply that the repercussions could be detrimental to everyone involved for a very, very long time?

Things I’m working on…Trusting the Lord. Remembering that He is good and just and unfailing.

I’m cooking…I'm BAKING tomorrow with the whole family. We're doing sugar cookie cut-outs, oatmeal cinnamon chip bars, chocolate fudge, Russian tea cakes, thumbprints, and peanut butter cookies. I realize that's a tall order for one day of baking, but we'll knock as much out as we can in one day. We all look forward to this day every year!

I’m grateful for…The amazing, incredible, kind, caring, outstanding people God has put into our lives. We are facing a very high-stress situation in our lives, the highest stress we have ever faced, but we are surrounded with friends and family who are loving and praying us through it. How amazing is it to know that intimate friends and family in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and California are all praying for every single detail of our situation? Isn't that amazing? And others who don't know the details are praying as well from even more states than that. God rocks, and these people who know us are believing and praying for God's protection and provision for our family in this season. I can't say enough. God. Is. Amazing. And these people of His? They're pretty cool too.

I’m praying for…truth, protection, deliverance, provision.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…"For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love." Psalm 33:4-5

Click on the graphic at the beginning of this post to see what other homeschooling moms have been up to this week!

25 Days of Christmas: Days 9-15

I know, I know. I'm super behind on my 25 Days of Christmas posts. This is because we visited friends last Saturday, and someone who shall remain nameless was asked to pick up my camera bag (because my hands were full with other stuff), and that someone left it there. 30 minutes from our house. On the way to our Day 10 activity. Argh. Our friends are coming into town tomorrow, and they'll be dropping it off. I am going to go ahead and post the last week's worth of activities. I took some photos on Lukas' camera. I'll post pics from my camera in a separate post soon. I know there are some good ones on there! So here's me catching up.

Day 9

Live Nativity

These photos are the ones I want you to see. Our church, Coshocton Christian Tabernacle, has done a live nativity in the past, and they brought it back this year. We aren't just talking Mary and Joseph in a stable with a few animals standing by. We're talking the entire Christmas story from birth to judgement day. You know what, you just need to see the pictures. It was fantastic! We enjoyed it so much that we drove through twice in a row!

Day 10

Roscoe Village Tree Lighting

I don't actually have any photos of this since this was the day my camera was left behind, and we didn't have Lukas' camera with us. Every year, Roscoe Village, a historic canal era town, hosts a tree lighting complete with candles and "Silent Night" each Saturday in December leading up to Christmas. It is beautiful, peaceful, and breath-taking. All those people singing "Silent Night" while holding candles standing beneath the giant tree is a sight to behold. I doubt any camera could have captured it. It was a beautiful evening (even if it was absolutely frigid!). If you are local, they'll have another one this coming Saturday!

Day 11

Movie Day

Generally, we watch one movie on a movie night, but I knew this family would need a lazy Sunday afternoon and evening. We watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in the afternoon and The Santa Clause in the evening. Two of our favorites this time of year!

Day 12

The Legend of the Candy Cane

Do you know this book? It's a nice story that gives some meaning to this simple Christmas candy. We read it every Christmas. After we read it, we add candy canes to our Christmas tree.

Ava thinks it is funny to wear Lukas' old PJs. :)

Day 13

Felt Mitton Ornaments

Left to right: Lukas, Kendra, Ava, Eric

Aren't these absolutely adorable? I saw them on Pinterest, and I loved them. I couldn't find the tutorial when it was time to actually do the craft, but it was pretty self-explanatory. The kids did all of their own sewing, which they absolutely loved. I have been thinking about adding some basic hand sewing into our schedule anyway, so why not have fun making Christmas ornaments while we're learning?

Day 14

Christmas Lights??? Shopping sprees???

We were supposed to go driving to look at lights yesterday, but it didn't happen. Eric and I were in Columbus Christmas shopping. The kids were with my parents shopping in Newark. We all got back to their house between 10 and 11. We got home at 11:30, and we promised to look at lights together another night. The kids looked at lights with their grandparents, so they still got to enjoy them!

Day 15

Charlie Brown Christmas

Very shortly, we will head to church for choir rehearsal. Since Ava has dance on Thursdays and it makes our evening schedule tight between dance and choir if we have dinner, we have dinner after choir practice. Tonight, we will eat in the living room and watch Charlie Brown Christmas. Don't you just love it when Linus reads the Christmas story? Did you know that the producers wanted to cut that scene, but Charles Schultz insisted it be kept in the script?

I promise I'll be better about posting in the next TEN days!!! That's right! 10 days until Christmas!!! Can't wait!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

 

In my life this week… This week was a blur. Stress does that.

In our homeschool this week…We had a rather chaotic week. The teacher was a little crazy. Or a lot crazy. It was not my finest hour, nor my finest week. My kids were troopers in spite of the little bit of crazy mama that was ever present. The good news is that if crazy mama sticks around (I'm praying she gets a grip very, very soon), school is out until next year. :) I love saying that. It makes me smile.

I am inspired by…Christmas lights. They're beautiful, aren't they? They make me pause and ponder the fact that the whole country is lighting up their lawns to honor the king of kings. They may not realize they're honoring Him, but Christmas wouldn't exist without Him, and so the lights shine for Jesus.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…Tomorrow, we're hanging with some great friends for the afternoon, and then we're taking the kids to the Roscoe Tree Lighting in the evening. Sunday, we'll head to church followed by a family day at home!!! Can't wait for that!

My favorite thing this week was…The books we've been reading. This week, we read a picture book version of Little Women that includes the chapter of the novel in which the March girls celebrate Christmas. My kids loved it! We also read from A Little House Christmas, which includes chapters from the whole Little House series all about how the Ingalls family celebrated each Christmas. Laura is a favorite of ours. We love reading about her. Also on our reading agenda this week was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. We were supposed to finish it today, but I decided that we could watch Frosty Returns instead. Yep. I sure did. Then it was one thing after another, and, even though the kids are super excited to hear the end of the book, we didn't get it accomplished today. We'll read it over the weekend. If you haven't read it, it is well worth it!

What’s working/not working for us…We didn't have much fun this week during our school day. I've been so extremely stressed-out, and it took all I had to get the academics accomplished. This method does not work in the long-run. Fun needs to show up, especially at Christmas. Thankfully, we have 2 full weeks to craft, enjoy Christmas specials, read great stories and enjoy each other and some down time (and a 3rd week to enjoy after Christmas too!).

Things I’m working on…getting through each day without falling completely apart.

I’m reading…To the kids. A lot. For myself? Not so much. Maybe next week when we're on break.

I’m cooking…Last night we had smothered chicken (chicken marinated in soy sauce and dry mustard then smothered with green pepper, onion, mushrooms and cheese), and a fantastic couscous pilaf. Tonight we ate a casserole made with ground beef, onion, creamed corn, mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. Tomorrow, I'm not cooking. We're having venison tenderloin with friends. We'll see how the children like that.

I’m grateful for…Eric.I couldn't get through without him.

I’m praying for…A situation that is not our fault that is having a drastic effect on our lives. Please pray for God's protection on our lives and for His provision as well. He knows all the details and He knows all our needs. Pray that I remember that. Sometimes, it feels like I'm pressing through the darkness, trying my hardest to get through the muck to no avail. And by sometimes, I mean often. Too often.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share… "Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time." Oswald Chambers

Click on the graphic at the beginning of this post to see what other homeschooling moms are writing in their journals.

25 Days of Christmas Days 6-8

Day 6

St. Nicholas Day

 Lukas coloring a picture of St. Nicholas

Ava was sitting right next to me. Don't you love her "Laura" braid (she calls them Laura braids after Laura Ingalls Wilder).

St. Nicholas Day is not a day that we necessarily celebrate since we are not Catholic, but the real St. Nicholas was a pretty phenomenal man, so we take the time to read The Story of St. Nicholas each Christmas. This year, we went a little more in depth discussing how some of the legends began and how St. Nicholas is celebrated throughout Europe. At the end of all this, I thoroughly expected my 10 year old to ask about Santa, but he did not. He still believes, and I'm okay with that. 

Day 7

Frosty the Snowman

So, I didn't take a photo. I thought about taking a pic of the TV screen, and I thought about taking a pic of the DVD case, but the case actually has a bunch of Christmas specials on it, so I didn't. We watched Frosty whilst enjoying dinner in the living room. And, if I'm telling the truth, we had a bump in the road on the 7th, so we watched this on the 8th. And, since I'm telling the whole truth, you should know that I can quote half the lines in Frosty the Snowman, and I am most proud of this feat.

Day 8

Family Game Night

We let the kids decide between Wii or board games, and they both agreed on Wii games for this evening. That's right, the children AGREED. We played MarioKart, Super Mario Brothers and Lego Rock Band. It was a fun evening! We should do this more often!

Check back to see what fun things we do over the weekend. We've got some great things planned!

25 Days of Christmas 2011 Days 4-5

Day 4

Legacy of Love Christmas Program

The kids at our church ministered last night by performing the musical, Legacy of Love. Lukas had a significant speaking part and a solo. Ava had a beautiful solo, which she got to sing with her Daddy since Eric had the one adult part in the play. Here are a few more pictures from the performance.

You needed to see the full view of the famous Christmas sweatshirt.

Day 5

Angel Ornaments

Top left: Ava, Top right: Lukas

Bottom left: Eric, Bottom right, Kendra

It was a pretty big deal to the kids that we all make one of these, so we did. We had to modify the instructions, which you can find HERE (I found it on Pinterest, of course), because I didn't have the beads with faces, and I wasn't planning to go buy them just for this craft.We used marbles, which meant we also had to modify how the string was attached a little and trim the top of the cone shape so that there was a little opening. It worked. They turned out beautifully and will soon be hanging on our tree (the kids will hang them in the morning since the glue needed some time to dry).

Scripture Shot

But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.

Psalm 55:16-18

I am holding onto this scripture for myself and my family, and I hope that you will also. No matter what you're going through, God is with you, and He will protect you. 

25 Days of Christmas Days 1-3

If you look in my archives for last December, you'll see posts about our family's 25 Days of Christmas celebration. This is year number 7 of 8 that we have started celebrating with the kids on the first of December with little things each day. Some days the celebration is bigger, but most days it is simple. Here is what we have done so far this month.

Day 1

Paper chains

I thought the kids might have outgrown this Christmas countdown, but, after discussing whether or not we would do it this year, I have concluded that there is a possibility that we will be making paper chains to countdown the days until Christmas until the children are married and begin to do it with their spouses and their own children. I'm good with that. I love seeing paper chains hanging around the house this time of year.

Day 2

Movie Night

This movie is hilarious. I love it. Eric loves it. The kids now love it. It is one of the few movies that make my very short list of quotable lines. It may not have anything to do with the true meaning of Christmas, but it is good for a laugh! Or many, many laughs. 

"You see gum on the street, leave it there. It's not free candy."

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

Day 3

Finnish Star Craft

You can find this craft HERE. Fair warning, don't do this with 7 and 10 year olds. Maybe 12 year olds could handle it with direct instruction. My sister kind of warned me, but I wanted to do it so desperately that I did it anyway. The star at the top is the one I did out of random scraps just so I knew how to instruct the kids. The one on the bottom left with the plaid green/red and matching red accent paper is Ava's. Eric helped her. I helped Lukas with the blue star. He chose an accent paper that doesn't show up very well in the photo, but it looks perfect in person. Ava used 2-sided paper, which was the only scrap of 2-sided Christmas paper that I could find(2-sided paper is probably best for this craft). I love them all. If you decide to try this, you can use paper or fabric. I would love to do a bunch of these with fabric for another year. Another FYI...the tutorial isn't very specific about how large your strips should be. Ours were 12 inches long and 3/4 inches wide (my first one was 1/2 inch). They're huge. My sister's other warning was that making them small made them much more challenging, so we went with big. I love them, so it's all good. But...they will not be hanging on the tree since they would kind of take over the landscape.

Check back again soon for more 25 Days of Christmas highlights!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week…I wish I could tell you what this week was like in words, but I can't even express it. It was...difficult. I'll leave it at that.

In our homeschool this week…School was accomplished. Sort of. Mostly. Lukas is working on converting fractions to decimals, and he has decided this is "easy." Ava is working on subtraction facts. We read some beautiful Christmas picture books this week. Our favorite so far has been The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, which I just accidentally discovered is also a movie. I have reserved it at our library, and I'm hoping it becomes available in time to watch it. We also started reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. If you haven't read it, do it. Your children will laugh. You will laugh. And laughter? It's good for the body, mind and soul!

I am inspired by…strong people. I wish I was one.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…Tomorrow, we're going to church, having lunch with my parents and then going back to church in the evening for the kids' Christmas musical(which they are super excited about). This coming week, we'll be all over town and even have a trip to Columbus on the calendar for Mom's oncologist appointment.

My favorite thing this week was…Today was my favorite. We didn't necessarily do anything extraordinary. We went to the grocery, came home and enjoyed a simple, relaxing brunch, crafted, rehearsed, cut a couple heads of hair and had an overall productive day, but that's not what makes it my favorite. What makes it my favorite thing about this week is that I did all of this with my favorite three people.

What’s working/not working for us…Me + physical therapy = homeschooltastrophe (that's a word from the official homeschooler's dictionary). By this I mean, spending an hour and a half, 3 days a week, at my chiropractor's office greatly benefits my body, but it does not greatly benefit the rhythm of our homeschool. We're bumping back to two days of treatment next week(I do the exercises at home on the days I'm not there), and we're going to afternoon appointments. Let's hope that helps.

Questions/thoughts I have…You don't want to know. Really. You just don't.

Things I’m working on…Yelling. Or not yelling. See my recent Gabby Mom's Review.

I’m reading…The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Anne of Avonlea (still), Made to Crave, and I'm thinking about starting Little Women this week.

I’m cooking…chicken tetrazzini last night. Tonight? Leftovers.

I’m grateful for…a husband who is a man of integrity, who stands up for what is right even when it is hard, who loves his kids with all his heart and loves me even in my unloveable moments, who chose the rode less traveled, who leads our family toward Jesus a little more everyday. 

I’m praying for…Oh, dear readers, there is so much on our hearts right now. Pray for us. Pray for discernment, peace, and protection.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…