Poll Results and New Poll

I'm closing this poll. It appears that Anne of Green Gables is the favorite series among respondants, followed by Narnia at 22%, Little House at 20%, Lord of the Rings at 16%, and
Little Britches and Redwall both at 10%.

Check out the new poll....if you were making a lifestyle change and had to choose ONE of these appliances, which would it be? I have several friends asking me and would love to have your input as well. Obviously, this will be influenced by what you already own, and current health/eating goals of your family.

Psss - I'm assuming a microwave, ok? ::snort::

Homeschool eStore Black Friday Sale

You can go here to see a list of free downloads that are available today and tomorrow from this company. There are some great notebooking pages, unit studies, worksheets, math and science etc. I posted earlier listing what I'd been told was available but wanted to share the direct link to the page from which you can download.

My kind of Black Friday shopping - from home and FREE!

Advent Inductive Study

I wanted to be sure to share an advent study that we've done for years. It takes a bit of work. I've given it to my older children to do on their own, we discuss aspects of it, the younger kids love the coloring....we've used it in a variety of ways.

Take a look here and see what you think.

Thanksgiving 2007

Mike and I started the day off by going to the Dining Hall. Mike said the prayer, we greeted and visited students, I sat down and had a nice conversation and cuppa tea with another young lady and waited for Mike to show up. ::snort::

This impressed me - the Mayflower from produce....it impressed the food service workers that I took photos.

I tried a new thing with the turkey this year - A THERMOMETER - and roasting it for an hour at 350* and then about 20 hours at 200. It was juicy and tender. Loved the set you bought Mike for BBQing, Mom and Dad.

We had a friend's family over whose husband is deployed. We laughed that last year Mike was gone. This year Steve was gone. We HAVE to get together next year when both may be home. LOL It was a relaxing day. Photos in no real order.
Games

Mike occupied the younger game players

We gave the Chocolate Fountain a trial run - looking towards the Ladie's Tea

All approved.....

Note the left side of the fountain - WHY? Did it need more chocolate by this point????

....though we do need to think about daintiness for the Ladie's Tea - and maybe provide wet wipes and bibs...

Playing....Stacia's in a Horse Phase - which motivated lots of fun....






Mike set up "the screen" 120 inches...

Stacia couldn't stay awake long enough to even watch the start of the movie!

It was a great day with friends and family. We were able to talk to the big kids. It was even cool enough for us to have a FIRE! We even had flakes of SNOW, they melted before they landed but they were THERE. I can't believe the temps dropped 40* overnight around here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't help but think that last year Mike was not home on this day. I'm so very thankful to have him HOME this year. I miss our baby girls {::snort::} terribly, but know that they are going to have a wonderful day in Spokane. We'll see everyone in December.

I've been thinking and decided to post. As you sit around today and recount the things for which you are thankful, will you remember to say a prayer for the troops who are far from home and for their families who wait for them here at home?

The Holidays (birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Anniversary, and Valentine's Day) were hard for us as a family with Dad missing. I'm sure they are for others too.

If you read this, and your dh or son or daughter are currently deployed know that you are in our prayers. We are so very thankful around here for men and women who volunteer to serve their God and country in the military and for those heroes at home, who support, encourage, and run the home while the troops are far away.

Ah Thanksgiving - the season when we stop to think of all we have to be thankful for instead of all the things we don't have and want/need. May this season have been the start of a new level of contentment in our lives.

We wish you and yours the best of days with friends and family.

Sights from Today

Jamin made "Fiddle Faddle"

Nolan & Arielle made door hangers


We continued to pass out bags

In a great show of teamwork, Arielle, Nolan, and I finished all the stitching before Thanksgiving on the cloth.

I made a Chocolate Pecan pie for tomorrow and Arielle made one for tonight - her first pie - and it was quite good - everyone said so. She's our non-eater, but she enjoyed everyone elses' pleasure. Isn't that the sweetest smile? I'm so thankful for a daughter in the midst of all my rough and tumble boys - who I love dearly BTW!

We made cookies -

You are SO BUSTED MISTER!

I need to buy more scoops - but the old fashioned way works too

And tonight ::snort:: this is so funny ::gasp:: in the Fellowship Hall after the ECUMENICAL SERVICE (Where Stacia represnted all Protestant Minister's kids EVERYWHERE)::snort:: Stacia ran off with the....

Can you see what Mike has intercepted? She snagged the BIG container of Coolwhip from the serving table. ::snort:: She's never even seen this at home and somehow focused right in on it. When all laughed she told them "It's NOT funny."

GREAT YOUNG MEN!

I was driving home yesterday with the little ones from some errand that had to be run, when I began to feel a bit blue that the girls weren't around for Thanksgiving. We were such an effortless team during holidays and such.

I got home and found that Jared and Jamin had cleaned the house. Jamin had also baked....