Hodgepodge of Things: 1000 Gifts

0007 Stillness

0008 Friends who help make things pretty

0009 Music

0010 Mountains that look like they've been sprinkled with powdered sugar

0011 Brother & Nephew

0012 Gracie girl

0013 Early mornings

Pumpkin Carving

Time for Pumpkin carving!!

Dirty Hands

Admiring her Mickey carving

Proud to finally carve herself

Mikey...the Perfectionist

Kathryn's Creation

My carving for Gracie

Mikey's Masterpiece

Runic Plates

Our history lessons have brought us to study the Vikings. Finally, something to excite the bored boy stuck with his sisters! We have all been enthralled actually! So, with much trepidation, (because we all know how much I love to do crafts) we make runic plates in the tradition of the Vikings. Runes are the characters of the Viking alphabet, we have learned. We had a lot of fun...well, most of us. Some of us are much too into perfection and have quit way too early. Oh the joys of motherhood!

The girls and their plates. (maybe I will be able to get mr. perfectionist to finish and put his picture up later!!) They have painted their plates gold and written the Runic alphabet around the edges and their names are written in Runic in the middle.

That is our lesson for the day!! Tomorrow...Attila the Hun!

A Grateful Heart

When I sat down to write today, my heart and mind were tired. My body is tired from all the tasks of the day, and my soul is tired from hearing my children bicker throughout the morning. But, I am determined to remember the things that make my heart most thankful; and slowly, as I start to go through my pictures, a funny thing happens. My heart feels lighter, and my soul is put at ease and I am strengthened by gratitude. And you know, downstairs, almost miraculously, my children begin to serve one another. A home is now at peace. So...

0001 A home at peace.

0002 14400 Seneca Road

0003 An extended family

0004 Time with family in beautiful new surroundings

0005 Hot air balloons right outside my window

0006 A God that is faithful to bring peace when we obey His voice.

We are half way through our Monday, and all I have done is run from one child's need to the next. I am watching and hearing my attitude slowly drift in a downward spiral. I come upstairs to print something out on my computer and I come across a blog that I love to read. I found it through a friend who has this link on her blog. This has become my absolute favorite blog to visit and I visit it daily. Ann Voskamp is the writer of this blog "A Holy Experience" and has challenged me in ways I have not been challenged in a very long time. So, she has challenged her readers to keep a running list of things they are thankful for until they reach 1000 of them. So, I am determined to start this running list of thanks. The other thing I have been challenged to do is similar, but a bit more personal. I am determining to keep a journal of thanks and to write in this journal three times a day. Here is the link of the blog that has spurned me on to this. I cannot put it in better words than she does here. http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/10/dare-to-be-daniel-pilgrimage-in-prayer.html

So, here and there, I hope to share with you the things I am thankful for in hopes that my attitude will be one of thankfulness for the blessings God has given me.

P.S. You will have to pause the music on my page (at the bottom) in order not to have my playlist run on top of her playlist!!

Our first week of school-FINALLY!

Our first week of homeschool has been one of ups and downs. The first two days were spent telling our middle to "sit down", "be quiet"," work diligently son". Mikey has had his challenges this week. He has not slept well, he is fidgety and anxious. But, with much prayer and much counsel from wise friends who have been down this homeschooling path, we are in a better state toward the end of this week. I am learning that schedules are great, but so are happy productive children. I thank God we have been given such the privilege to come to Him with our requests and I am thankful that He gives wisdom when we ask. We are a happy family as this week ends; content with home, school and each other. He is faithful.

Welcome to New Mexico

Well, we have made it across country without any major issues!! What a feat for this family! Our adventure is alive and well and within 10 days of leaving Maryland, we have driven 1900 miles, unpacked and entire house and are settling in just fine. I have to take a moment to say thank you to our wonderful friends the Hooks and the Ellisons who have labored to make this happen so quickly. What a blessing from our loving God to have friends who have welcomed us with open arms, loved our kids, fed us, done our laundry and made us feel so loved. We could not have done this without you dear friends. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

So, now our new life begins! We are taking this week to explore our new town, which is very alive at the moment with the balloon fiesta here. And, next week we officially start O'Halloran Academy!!

God has been good to this little family and we look ahead with hearts full and ready for what is to come.