Life as we know it…

Just a few pictures to post from last week and our weekend….

Hope you are having a great one! Coming up this week, I hope to post a Biscuit tutorial, and also a Book Recommendation. I hope you’ll come back for a visit. I love your visits! If you don’t have a blog, I believe you can send me a comment Anonymously. :) I would love to hear from you.

We had a Birthday Girl last week! Erin turned SIX!

Enjoying the chocolate…..

These blocks are at the Dollar Store for $2 or so…they are wooden and my kids love them!

Caught this of my oldest holding my youngest..:) This was in the morning, thus the lack of expressions…

Working on my new HERB GARDEN!!! :)

Taking a water break….

Tilling the ground….

A little closet organization for the children…..

My Garden Tub….:)

See the baby Collards??

We have some new ‘critters’ on our farm and I hope to get some pictures of them today to post soon. I’ll leave you in suspense of what kind of critters they might be. I’ll give you a hint: They are very noisy and unusual looking! :)

God Bless you RICHLY! Glorify Him in everything you do today.

Bittersweet Milestones...

A soft whine escapes her lips as she drinks from the silicone nipple. Too rough, too cold.

She shakes her head, no, and sinks into my chest.

She wallows around, trying to get into a comfortable position.

A familiar position.

She looks up at me, sweetly, those big eyes gleaming, "Mama?"

"What, baby?"

"Nilks?"

Gone-gone

She settles down into my chest again, seeming to be wide awake.

It would have been easier if she would've just started kicking and screaming.

Mama?

What, baby?

Nilks?

The time has come.

It is a bittersweet moment.

This morning, she awakes, goes and gets her cup, drinks a bit and looks at me curiously.

She's hungry right away.

We have pancakes, early, before any of the others rise. She and I.

Now she is dancing on the table.

Silly girl.

Silly Big girl.

You like Pink?

I recently converted the room where my 3 oldest slept to a girls only room. Yesterday I had it all spruced up (New year De-cluttering, anyone?) so I snapped a shot of it to show you:

Here’s before:

Insert Pink. Lots of Pink.

More?

Need I be corny and say she is tickled pink about her new room? She still prefers to sleep with her brothers, but, oh well, it’s a big adjustment for her.

Have a WONDERFUL weekend! :)

What a Blessed Weekend!

Good morning, readers friends! I trust that you had a wonderful weekend filled with God’s blessings upon your family. No doubt, you did, because:

Every good and perfect gift is from above. and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

Thursday night was my first ever Piano Recital and it turned out great! The weather was awful and I thought that would surely hinder our crowd, but we had a turnout of about 35 people, I’d presume! My students did splendidly:

my older students…one is missing due to being out of town…

My youngest student, with lil sis admiringly looking on…

one with my only male student :)…and the refreshments

A close-up of the cake….yummy…made by my Aunt :)

Then Saturday night, lo and behold, we were invited to a Sweet 16 fancy-smancy birthday party! I could even bring a date! See who I brought…

He’s been my date for 14 years now! :) Oh, and he was in mid-song during this picture. He is so known for his singing ability and to be able to find an appropriate song for every situation/occasion. :)

Oh, but here is the Birthday Girl (yes, she is pictured in one of the above photos):

Our best friends who sat at the table with us:

My childhood friend married my husband’s childhood friend….:)

Sunday morning found us in front of the opened freezer door, trying to get some relief for my crouping daughter. Ella and I stayed home with her from church. Erin spent lots of time resting (i.e. watching Dora..ha) and I straightened up the house a bit. Before the ‘men’ came home, she and I made a pizza for lunch.

working on the crust….

Puttin’ on the toppings…

More toppings (the peppers are fresh from the garden)…..Bellpeppers, olives, peps, banana peppers, portabella shrooms….

Ready to go in…..

There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of making and eating your own homemade pizza! It was really good, even if I did forget to put the salt and oil in the crust. :)

Before the kids napped, I read to them a little out of our current Read-Aloud,

During their nap, I worked on a project that I will unveil in a separate post tomorrow. I also started to work on organizing the kids’ rooms. I feel like that is a project that I need to revisit every month for it to stay organized! Anyway, I sorted blocks, littlest pet shops, animals, small trucks, baby toys, baby dolls, magnetic toys, etc…into separate bins. I even broke a sweat and I’m not so sure I rested enough for a Lord’s Day. :/

While the men went back to church for Evening Worship, Erin settled back in front of Dora (I never let her watch that much Dora, or anything for that matter, but, I digress…we did swing for awhile). Once I noticed she seemed very lethargic and her cheeks were flushed. I decided I’d better check her temp. It was 101.8. I thought I would wait a little before I gave her medication so the fever could do its work. I made some cookies, Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies (for you, Amy, j/k) and then worked some more on my organizing. Erin’s fever seemed to get worse, so I told her to get in the bathtub and then I would take her temp after her bath. It was 103. I gave her Tylenol and within minutes her fever was completely gone and she was playing. I told my husband that someone was praying for our little girl. I have never seen temperature go down that fast!

Here she is…doing a quiet activity before bed …making a clock…(she loves to sleep in her slip)

Here is Evan playing with the newly organized small trucks:

I’ve got to take more pictures of Emory…he is practicing the guitar and taking lessons from his Dad now. I will have to get a picture of him playing. He really does look like a natural.

Well, today has begun. The children are awake and it’s time to begin our day! May you be blessed. :)

PS. Check out our Garden Tour in the post below!

Thank you for your comments. They are so encouraging to me. Honestly.

Why we’ve decided to say No to..

Barbie

Before my little girl was old enough to play with Barbies, I didn’t really give Barbies much thought as to whether or not they would or would not reside in my home. If someone would have asked me, “Are you going to let your daughters play with Barbies?” I would have just sort of looked at them blankly like, “Why wouldn’t I, I did!”

One day, right before my oldest daughter was old enough to play with Barbies, but definitely not interested (remember we did pigs for forever a couple of years), I came across this article in a No Greater Joy magazine (be sure to sign up for their free magazine).  I started out thinking about it some, but this article didn’t really convince me totally. What did convince me is that I started noticing these hoochy mama Barbies were dressed in a way that I would never want my daughter to dress. Need another picture or two?

My daughter has had a few Barbies that were bought for her by other people. We have since trashed all of her Barbies and she has total understanding of why we have done so. We have discussed this with her and she is supportive somewhat. :) I know she will completely understand when she is older.

Maybe I could buy only modest Barbies? (I tried to find a modest Barbie picture, but after 6 Google Image Pages I really couldn’t find one I thought was modest). What happens when the Barbies are undressed? If your little girl is like mine, you will find the dolls without clothes more than with. Have a look…

This is so repulsive to me. I feel like I have posted porn on my blog twice in one month! (Pray Saints :)

If you have sons in your home (as I do), is this the image you want them to see on a daily basis—or even an occasional basis—or even a once a year basis? Please, if you do decided to continue with Barbies in your home, at least make sure they stay covered.

Speaking from experience, Barbies are sources of imaginative play for young girls and this can result in a form of idolatry. I have watched little girls play with Barbie and Ken and immediately that would get still and just sit and hold Barbie and Ken for many moments, somewhat lost in their own play. Young girls can and will pretend they are Barbie and Ken is, well, their boyfriend and then they will act out certain scenes, which will depend upon how ‘educated’ the little girl is. Is. this. Healthy?

Little girls will want to dress like their Barbies (or the correct term is undress like their Barbies). Teenage life will not come soon enough for your precious little girl.

I know you are like me in wanting to preserve your daughter’s girlish years. Her innocence. Her femininity.

Pray about what God would have you do. I would encourage you to make sure that godliness reflects in what your children watch and with what your children play. You will not be alone in your decision. My brother’s wife had on her last 2 year’s Christmas lists, No Barbies! She has 3 precious little girls to preserve. I recently talked with this mother of 10 and she mentioned that she never allowed Barbies to be played with by her daughters. Dolls help young girls learn to be mothers, not Barbies. Barbies teach young girls about having a Ken/Barbie relationship and about how to be a teenager.

I would love to hear your comments yay or nay.

PS If you are looking for great, wholesome toys for your children, check out www.visionforum.com.