What to Do

There are many children ill at our elementary school and so we've had a couple days off of school to try and recover. Thankfully our own children are healthy. The high school girls had school, but the younger boys have had to find things to do. The weather has been beautiful, so at least they've been able to go outside. My youngest wrote a story for awhile, they've played some games. (I was almost ready to get them some boxing gloves for awhile today)

I myself, have been ill since Sunday with cough, low grade fever, aches and the like. I've puttered away with laundry and read a little. I rested. I called my grandson to wish him a Happy Birthday. This afternoon I was getting a little bored and I needed to do something. Basket weaving was a little more than I wanted to tackle. I knew I'd have too much mess to clean up, so I decided to try my hand at a little painting instead. I had some blank boards and after a little searching, I was inspired to try a sign. This is how it turned out.

End of a Busy Week

You'd think that a Saturday morning would be a good time to sleep in right? Wrong. Since I'm usually awake by 4:30 on weekdays, I guess sleeping in was 6:00 AM. It's finally starting to get light out in the early AM now. I know this will help to jump start my mornings. Can hardly believe we are into March already. Work at school keeps me busy and when I get home, it's supper, homework, and bedtime.

Well, instead of tossing and turning, I decided to get out of bed. I enjoy the quiet of the house when nobody else is up. My devotions led me to a study of Hebrews 13 this morning for which I'm thankful. I was particularly drawn to verse 17 "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."  

Being a parent, it is constantly on my mind, to teach obedience to authority. But as an adult, I need to also keep in mind how I'm doing in that area. I need to remind myself that those in authority over me "watch for my soul."  Sometimes we'd all like to think that it's nobody's business but our own. Not so. Thanks be to God for the forgiveness we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We had a big snowstorm overnight. Guess I should have taken some pictures, because I heard it was likely to be gone by early in the week when temps reach the 50s. It's been a mild winter and we haven't had a single snow day off from school all year. It started to snow at 1:00 Friday and by 3:00 the roads had already become very snow covered and slippery. This morning our little dog was sunk in up to his neck when I let him outside. 

I enjoyed the day with our oldest son. We went to Madison to get groceries from Whole Foods and Hy Vee. Usually he's on his way out the door early in the morning, and I don't see him until supper. Our paths cross briefly, but we don't get to spend that much time together.

The grand boys should be here sometime tomorrow for a visit. Can hardly wait!

It was spirit week for the high school kids this week. Here are a couple pics of our girls and some of their friends.

Our Maria, second from the right

Green Day. Saskia on the right

A Christmas Story

It's the season of giving, which sometimes makes it difficult for those of us with the adult mindset to grasp. What do I buy? I hate shopping! I can't find the right color. Everything costs so much! Would it be too tacky to just get a gift card? I don't have time.... and there are a million and one reasons, I know of, that would keep me away from the store this time of year.

For a little child, it can be so much more exciting, especially when the gift they make comes from the labor of their own hands. I walked into the middle room at school one day to pick up some math papers to correct, while the teacher was explaining something about the parent gifts the students were making. One of my children is a student in that class and I guessed that my timing wasn't the best, so I grabbed the papers and hurried on out. However, all of  it reminded me of a story from a few years ago when our youngest son constructed his first Kindergarten Christmas gift...

He came running to the car, carrying a little foil gift bag and was so very excited! "Here is your present Mom! I made it myself!"
"Well, I can't wait until Christmas so I can open it!" I told him. 
"I dropped it though, so it might be broken....," replied a pint size little boy, burdened with a backpack, winter boots and his little foil bag. I wasn't quite sure what to say, so I simply left it and when we got home we put it under the tree and I gave him a big hug.

Over the next several days I pondered what to do with the little gift. I didn't want to disappoint the little man who was so excited about giving us his gift. Christmas wasn't a time to teach lessons about being careful and not running with fragile things and all that... at least in my mind a lecture didn't seem appropriate at the time. And I didn't know for sure that it was even broken.

A couple nights before Christmas Eve, I got to the point where it was bothering me so much I knew what I had to do. I climbed out of bed in the middle of the night, and I found the little bag under the tree. I took it over to the table and very carefully lifted the contents out. Inside, there was a little paper clay vase, molded around a plastic drinking cup and it was worse than I feared, it was indeed, very broken. I sighed...

I don't have a surgeons hands, and I'm no miracle worker, but I went to the drawer and got out a bottle of Elmer's glue and went to work. Piece by piece I was able to see how it all fit together and I glued, and fitted. Then I put rubber bands in place to hold it together and very gently I put it back into the bag and put it under the tree. Trying not to seem mocking, I said a little prayer that the repair might take, for the sake of my little boy. The next night I went sneakily to the tree again and got out the little bag to remove the gift again. Carefully, I removed the rubber bands, and behold, the little vase, though cracked and patched, stood on it's own.

Christmas came and as the gift came to me and my husband to open, Tim handed it to me with a wink for I had told him the story of what I had done. I opened the little foil bag (I almost can't write this without a tear shed) as my apprehensive little boy looked on. I carefully lifted the little vase out of the bag all in one piece as his eyes got as big as saucers. "It's not broken!", he cried.

For me, this was one of the best gifts. Not the little vase itself, but the smile, the joy, a gift of love, a memorable gift that can never rust or tarnish, that a thief can not steal, that can remain in a heart for ever and always. I'll always be thankful for that moment.

Before the foundation of the world, God purposed to send Jesus Christ into the world to pay the ransom price for broken, sinful mankind. Lives so badly shattered that they would seem beyond repair, God bound their wounds and healed them, so that they could have new life, new meaning, new purpose. Because of this, we can have joy unspeakable, a joy that can remain in our hearts forever and always. Christ is the gift that can never be taken from us. We can trust this above all else and have true comfort in nothing else. This is hope, this is love, this is Christmas.

The Christmas Vase

Secret Santa Swap

Well, I finally put the rest of my Secret Santa package together and have it all boxed up and ready to go in the mail. I decided to spell out Christmas and have included some of my swap partner's favorite things, like white and dark chocolate and mint tea. There is also something that has to do with one of her favorite hobbies and a couple of mine. Here is just a small hint.

The Song of Simeon

 One of my favorite times of the school week is Monday when we have all school singing. Teachers and students alike, all go to one room and raises hearts and voices in praise to the Lord. We've been working on songs for the Christmas program which is a favorite time of the year. To hear young children tell the story of Christ coming to earth for our salvation is such a blessing. This year the children will be singing Song of Simeon, one of the spiritual songs, metrically arranged. 

As I once again looked up the passages from the Gospel of Luke, it struck me that Christ came during a time of a great spiritual drought in Israel. A devout man, such as Simeon, longed for the day to see the Savior's face, as he had been promised by God.  He looked forward to the day when God's people would be delivered from not only physical, but spiritual slavery. As Simeon took the Christ child into his arms, he was filled with joy that we can't begin to imagine. It is a reminder for us, to come into God's house, embracing the heart of Christianity, which is Christ. Only then can we have true joy in the season in which we celebrate Christ's birth, and also throughout our lives.

The Song of Simeon

Lord, in thy temple we appear,

As happy Simeon came,

And hope to meet our Savior here,

Oh! make our joys the same!

With what divine and vast delight

The good old man was filled,

When fondly in his withered arms

He clasped the holy child.

"Now I can leave this world," he cried,

"Behold, thy servant dies!

I've seen thy great salvation, Lord,

And close my peaceful eyes.

"This is the light prepared to shine

Upon the Gentile lands;

Thine Israel's glory and their hope,

To break their slavish bands."

Jesus! the vision of thy face

Hath overpowering charms!

Scarce shall I feel death's cold embrace,

If Christ be in my arms.

When flesh shall fail, and heart-strings break,

Sweet will the minutes roll;

A mortal paleness on my cheek,

But glory in my soul.

Another Swap

I've had so much fun with the apron swaps, an Easter Basket swap and more recently the table runner swap, that I've signed up for this last swap of the year and I think it will be a fun one. The challenge is to send something special to your swap partner following these guidelines.

At LEAST One Handmade Item

Something to Read (book, magazine, poem)

Something for the Tree (garland, ornament, topper, skirt)

Holiday Goody (candy, cocoa, tea, coffee, chocolate)

Challenge: Include one gift for each letter needed to spell out a word from the season (SNOW, JOY, FAITH, LOVE, HOPE, GIFT, TREE, JESUS, STAR, SANTA, etc).

Then we need to wrap it all up and send it. From past swaps I know that it's as much fun to put these together as it is getting my own in the mail. Can't wait to find out who my partner is. This is going to take some thinking! Here's the questionnaire that we all had to fill out. 

1. What are your hobbies? Sewing and basket weaving
2. What are your favorite colors? Green, purple
3. Do you collect anything? Not really. I do have a few antique kitchen gadgets and cookie cutters.
4. Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? Not sure if I'm really allergic, but don't do well with cat or rabbit hair.
5. Do you have any pets? Dog
6. Coffee, Tea, or Chocolate? All
7. What do you like to read? Historical Fiction, Classic Lit., Country Sampler Magazine, Crafts and Things, Christian (solidly Reformed) books
8. Do you prefer Cookies or Candies as a sweet? Like both
9. What is your favorite holiday treat? cider, cheese and crackers, any candy with chocolate and mint
10. Describe your favorite holiday tradition. Going to church for the Christmas program that the children present. Also like watching "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas",  "Charlie Brown Christmas" and older versions of "A Christmas Carol"
11. Did you believe in Santa as a child? When I was very young.
12. When do you open presents? Usually Christmas Day, although that's not set in stone.
13. Do you put up a tree and when? Usually sometime during Christmas week
14. Does your tree have a theme? Usually decorate with ornaments that the kids have collected or made through the years. Have been trying to change that from time to time. One year we did a small tree with white lights, white roses and red bows. Last year we did gold ribbon and white lights. Not sure about this year yet.
15. What has been your favorite gift to give? Handmade items, games that the family can play.  to receive? Last year my husband gave me a silver necklace with a pearl-the first time he ever bought me jewelry for a Christmas gift. It was a complete surprise, and very special! I wear it most days.

This and That

Wow! Time flies. Can't believe that we are through another week and through the first quarter of our school year. Report card day was yesterday and overall I think everyone did pretty well.

The girls had their choir and band concert Tues. night. Was really blessed by the music. It was wonderful.

Has been a busy week and a busy month. Can't wait until the weekend because we are going to see the grand boys. My husband does some cleaning at school, and I'm thankful that we found some people to help us out this weekend so that we could leave right after school on Friday.

These guys are growing way to fast for me!

I've been slowly working on my project for the Flirty Apron Swap blog.  I love the challenge of figuring out what to make. Finally finished my table runner and working on tuck- ins. Hope my swap partner doesn't give up hope, but it will be in the mail soon. (pictures to come)

My dad is in the hospital with bacterial pneumonia. That's a scare! Yesterday I was prepared to leave and go up to see him, in case he would have taken a turn for the worse. Talked to him this morning and he said he was doing better, but probably wouldn't be home until Saturday.

Love a good roast and veggies. That's what's in the crackpot tonight. The weather has been getting colder, so a little comfort food sounds good. Then maybe jammies and a good book.