WooHOO!

Tuesday nights are hectic due to Bible Study. Arielle made dinner for everyone tonight! She made shake and bake chicken, oven fried french fries, salad and fruit.

YES! What a great help it was to me....and she felt pretty good about it too. This is a big crew to feed and she DID IT!

Another Outlaw in the Family

Arielle wanted to teach Zander math today. She did. They had a blast. Then he wanted her to read some books to him. They read for a good 40 minutes.

Stacia likes Arielle to read to her. I heard her say, “Arielle, read me” and “Please read me”. Arielle told her to wait until she was done reading to Zander. She tried to take Zander’s book. I stepped in and told her no. She ran out of the room in tears.

About 5 minutes later she came back into the room, dragging Arielle’s pink back-pack. She headed for the back door and said, “I go now.” I know it is terrible, her face was tear streaked….but I couldn’t help it….I really can’t help myself. Blogging is a disease…but I really needed to take a last photo of her before she hit the outlaw trail!

Her bag was FULL of BOOKS! ::snort:: We hugged, snuggled, cuddled and read books.

First Monday in Advent

That title should say it all. ::snort::

Zander and I went in bright and early for his second root canal today. I remembered as we drove that I’d forgotten the camera. Zander actually asked me to PLEASE go home and get the camera because he would like a photo of him and Dr. S. Here you go!

Zander marched right in, laid back, and opened his mouth. Dr. S told him he could shut his mouth and he said, "Well what? Aren't you going to fix my tooth?" ::snort::

We love Dr. S. He will be a Concordia preferred provider by January. Yippee! We won't transfer the WHOLE family, but I will have Zander and possibly Stacia seen here. I received the check today from Concordia for the first tooth. They would NOT pay AT ALL for the laughing gas. The least I can do is post a photo of that spendy gas in use....

Our total was $467 (minus 10% military discount from Dr. S) – Concordia sent $180. I had hoped for at LEAST half. Ah well. Dr. S is WONDERFUL with Zander and worth the extra $ and the beans and rice this week. ::snort:: Oh yes, Zander got the dolphin room again and shared how he prays for dolphins every night.

Great news is that Dr. S discovered when he got in there that the nerve in this tooth had really NOT been damaged. He didn’t have to have a root canal – just a crown put on. It was cheaper and much less time. Mike arrived just as we were signing all the paperwork at the end. ::snort::

After the appointment Zander and I went to McDonalds for ice cream. We then headed to Office Max for a new hard drive.

Nolan and I headed for speech. After speech we came home and grabbed Arielle and made the rounds of Dollar Stores and grocery stores. I was buying things to make little gifts for Tuesday Night Bible Study and Ladies Tea on Saturday. I can’t write more about that now – but will show pictures tomorrow night.

At dinner Zander eyes teared up. He informed us, "First you got me this silver tooth. Now this one (accompanied with pointing) and I can't chew on any side now." The poor boy had thought when told last week not to chew on his silver tooth that it meant EVER....I think he'll be happier with the tooth now that he realizes he CAN chew with them. LOL

Debbie and son Michael or “Mock” as Stacia calls him, came over to scan some homework to Steve, who is still deployed. Dad will help with the Alg homework and scan it back. ::snort::

It was a full day.

Super Sunday

It’s been a busy, productive, great day…..and I even have time to blog because the men all went running and are sweaty – so they MUST take showers.

The day began with RE (Religious Education). Mike and I teach the pre-school – 5th grade. We did have a few others besides our own, but they’ve all pcs’d (moved) so it’s just us and our bambinos. Here are a couple of shots from RE.


Then on to the Traditional Service. Mike teaches children church in this service. I try to train Stacia. I sort of created a stir in chapel when I took photos of Debbie and her boys lighting the Advent candle. Steve is still deployed and he loved the other photos I’ve been able to email. These will be dark – but they ARE photos.

Debbie and her boys joined us for lunch.

Mike and I then went to the Gospel Service. Great message, fun singing….time to pray through my school options.

My dryer has been giving me fits. It was purchased when we moved here….it takes 3 hours to dry a load. This means that the thing literally runs 15 – 18 hours a day. Mike disconnected the hose earlier in the week and it began to work. He suspected something amiss in the attic. When we moved in the inspector made the owner change the vent. They’d been venting to the attic and he told him to vent to the outside. Mike found THIS (and more) in the vent shaft…..

Evidently he cut a hole in the roof, and stuffed the material in the venting shaft. Hmmm….disappointing. My dryer works great now.

Many were involved in fixing the dryer….

While Mike and Jared focused on the dryer, Josiah studied (dead week coming up), and Jamin and I took everyone else to finish putting in the candle lights on the other ½ of our yard…and to get our nativity back together. Poor Mike was called from the attic to help. We have been talking about the “babe in the shadow of the cross” for years and wanting to portray that somehow. I loved the photo on Linda’s blog. Jared asked if he could make us a cross in place of any other hands-on projects for the rest of this unit. I’m telling you it’s hard to be a “let’s play” mom with “nose to the grindstone students”. ::snort:: Here's a photo of our Nativity and I'll post a photo of the whole thing when Jared get's the cross done.

Mike installed two hooks on either side of our entryway for me to hang fripperies on. I didn't have any Christmas things to hang...but I love this sign. It's my favorite. I debated about putting it outside, but the boys think it will be safe with the message it bears.

Then we began our Advent traditions.

Mike marked our countdown candle.

Yeah, this was Arielle’s favorite and it’s nice – but I’m going to have to find something that will BURN down by the 24th. ::snort:: It is supposed to be a 40 hour candle. I thought with 2 hours a day we could do it – but it burns DOWN THE MIDDLE.

We discussed the first day of our Advent Study.

Josiah got to light the candle because we know he’ll be missing most of our family circles.

Mike read the first night of Jotham’s Journey aloud…. by the time we get to the end of this the GIRLS WILL BE HOME, as will Mom and Dad and Nicholas! I'm smiling big!

Stacia is busy.

Here she systematically transferred the Little People Nativity to a new location…the antique seed planter.

It appears that another hard drive is about to go...the computer I currently use. I seem to use up harddrives. Mike is discussing all sorts of options - which I don't really understand the pros and cons of....but it appears I'll soon have another bigger hard drive.....

Jamin

Jamin is not often featured in blog photos…..but today he had Jared help him on a project. He’s working for a photo that will portray some scenes from his book and himself as an author. Here are a few shots they took.



I love how they got the light to shine on his pen in this photo....and the photo catches some of his intensity and shyness too.


And here is Jamin after a night of work at Chick Fil A – he comes from a long line of messy cooks. ::snort::

DEBBIE,

Here's the link to my "Better than Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing". Enjoy. Stacia doesn't blow up when she eats this - and the others seem to like it too.

First Sunday in Advent

The Prophecy Candle

The miracle of Christmas is...that the God of the universe became flesh and dwelt among us.

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” which means, “God with us.” (Matt. 1:23)

Advent directs us to look back at the first coming of Christ and ahead to the second coming. The Prophecy candle focuses our attention even further back than Christ’s first coming. God spoke through the Prophets that He was sending His Son into the world. The theological term “transcendence” calls attention to the fact that God is beyond our comprehension. Isaiah 6:1-5 is an example of this “otherness.” The term “immanence” denotes God’s nearness and involvement in the affairs of mankind. We see that God is beyond human understanding, and, yet, He is near to us. He demonstrates this in the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. The name of the one He is sending is Immanuel which means “God with us.” The miracle of Christmas is not that a child was born in a manger but that the God of the universe became flesh and dwelt among us.

As you spend time reading and meditating on the following scripture, consider the full breadth of the experience of the Prophecy candle. We rejoice at the celebration of His first coming; we are reminded of the reason that He came, and we are looking forward to His coming again.

Monday – Gen 3:16 I will put enmity between…your seed and her seed…
Tuesday – Gen 22:1-19 God will surely provide Himself the lamb…
Wednesday - John 1:1-14...He was in the world...and ..the world did not recognize him...
Thursday – I John 4:7-10 …God sent His only begotten Son…
Friday – I Thess 4:13-18 …and the Lord Himself will come down…
Saturday - Rev 22:12-14 Behold I am coming soon…