Queen Buzzy Bee's Easter Weekend

What does a queen buzzy bee do with her Easter weekend? Well...

First of all, I spent Friday finishing up the Hunger Games third series book with my 13 year old daughter, and went to watch the movie at the theaters. Bedtime came late because we stayed up in anticipation of how the final book ended. We read all three books in two weeks or less - often times in to the night together. They were hard to put down. We liked the books much better than the movie.



I also weeded the garden... or rather, parts of the back yard - with my eldest. Garden is a bit of an overstatement. Seems all we have growing back there are weeds and huge, flowering stalks of Cilantro that tower over the toddler. It has been fun watching the bees, butterflies, and caterpillars. I've got my eye on a section of the yard that is difficult to get to with the lawn mower because of a granite and rock pathway that cuts it off. I'm thinking of mulching and planting flowers and bushes to remedy the problem. Every time we mow it seems that part gets forgotten and since it has shade, the grass is uneven and patchy there anyway. When I find some time to research native Austin-Area shade-loving plants, I'm going to plan a large flower and shrub bed there. Anyone want to weigh in on some favorites?

Below in this vase are cilantro (tiny white blooms), a small purple wildflower weed, and the two roses we have in the yard. Daddy cut the red rose bush back this winter and it is exploding right now.



Of course, there were more photos "developed" for the church directory. I wanted to be finished by this weekend, but it has been slower going than I predicted. My eyes and head hurt after staring at the screen for so long, so I have to take breaks. Keeping the kids from getting in trouble if I sit for very long is also a problem... sneaky little monsters!

I've enjoyed learning how to get around in Lightroom through the process of this project, though. I finally think I have it figured out for the most part. I am hoping to be done with this major project by Friday. It will be a huge relief - and I'm sure the elders will be thrilled to move forward with the picture directory.

Next up for "developing" are the bluebonnet pictures I took last Friday!



Hubby and I killed a couple of green men on Saturday. My right shoulder is still sore. 51 out of 54 shots is not bad for a first timer. I tried open sight and a really nice scope. I prefer scope, but only because I could see where the bullet went easily with magnification. It didn't make much difference in the result. I seem to be much better at aim with rifles than I am with handguns.

The tape below? Oh, that's just to make it easier to see from 50 and 100 yards away. Every 20 or 30 shots they tape up the green man to cover the previous holes so you can see where your new rounds hit.



Then, there was small-town church with family in the country. Big time hospitality and Easter lunch. I may move in with cousin Paige if she promises to make me turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce once a month. I'm still wishing I had brought home leftovers.



I also hired a little helper to work on fixing a lot of broken photos and links on my blog. You probably haven't even noticed, but I had two years worth of ancient Geocities-hosted, broken photos from back in 2005-2007 that needed updating. So now, if you are looking back through old field trips and homeschool posts, the photos will magically re-appear. Why might I be doing this, you ask? Well... I'm willing to share the secret: I'm moving to WordPress this month! Finally - after nearly three years of thinking about moving to WordPress... and after nearly two years of owning my own hosting on WordPress... I'm actually doing it.

Let's just hope it happens this month as planned. I'll believe it when I see it. You'll notice when you see it, too. Big hint: the site has been redesigned. Make sure you are surfing in on sprittibee.com and not my blogger url! I've been told it will happen in April... so keep your eyes open!

How about your family... what's going on with you? What did you do over Easter weekend?

 


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Christmas 2011 Photo Wrap-Up

1. Grandma Betty and her lovely sisters (who all COOK like Ninjas), 2. Christmas Eve at Grandma's #christmas #holiday #tree, 3. Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Musil, 4. Worm Pie, Frosty, and a Cardinal on the tree #christmas, 5. Good Christmas Eats #holiday #christmas #food, 6. Christmas Day 2011, 7. A child's dream come true. #christmas #toys, 8. Pink December #christmas #nature #plants, 9. My little sugar lump. #cute #instababy, 10. fireplace-crawl, 11. bettytree2011, 12. Frosty #snowman #winter #January #happy #smile

I know it isn't Camera Phone Friday yet, but I wanted to wrap up the Christmas pictures just like I'm wrapping up the Christmas decorations. I'm on the ball this year getting things put away.

We're boxing more than Christmas up, too. We have already taken a load of clothes to good will, a load of old towels to the animal shelter, and soon we'll be taking a load of stuffed animals to the fire station. Oh, and two boxes to the post office.

Then there are the bookshelves that still need to be purged and the closets to go through in the kids' rooms. And the piles of paperwork and procrastination projects to tackle...

So while I'm busy trying to keep my sanity over here... be sure to stop by the Homeschool Post where we have an even busier mama talking about enjoying the journey today. That seems to be a theme lately.

I hope you are enjoying life's little moments as treasures where ever you are and what ever you are doing!









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Holiday Happenings 2011

:::Family and Good Food:::

The holidays are a blur from November through January.  You can hardly tell where Thanksgiving begins and the tree comes down after New Year. One thing is for certain this year, though... my cards might not be making it out before March. Hey... I hear Jesus' birthday was probably closer to spring anyway.

"That's my story and I'm stickin' to it."

Here's the quick photo breakdown, from right to left, top to bottom...

1) Jessie and Morgan (cousins) trying to see who was the tallest. Morgan is growing like a weed and is now just barely an inch shorter than her mama.
2) My Thanksgiving Turkey - sharpie on Solo - mixed media.
3) Grandma Betty's Pilgrim and Indian salt and pepper shakers (cute-tastic).
4) The tiny man in Nana's upstairs game room baby corner - peeking out of the play house.
5) Three of my sweeties in the sunlight - sitting on aunt Paige's couch
6) My signature dish at Thanksgiving: Sweet Potato Bliss.
7) Someone I always miss at the holidays: my grandma - with Aunt Paige back in the 70's
8) Aunt Sara's turkey cookies. God love her, the girl can bake like a ninja.
9) Aunt Angie, Paige and me. Everything looks better in black and white.
10) Chipotle Tacos. Because they are tasty. (off topic, I know)
11) A big catty yawn. Because the holidays make you TIRED.
12) Marsha's picture of people picking coffee beans. Because you drink lots of coffee when you travel as much as we do for the holidays. #roadtrip


What are you up to this Christmas?



I've done a lot of things this year that we haven't done in ages.  Like cooking our own Christmas meal at home. A friend of mine gave me a free turkey and it just sort of 'happened' that we had Christmas dinner with mom before we went to go celebrate with Kevin's side of the family. It was a really nice treat. Kev said it was the best turkey he had ever eaten. {I love it when people compliment my cooking.} We had sweet corn cake, baked sweet potatoes, and baked rosemary potatoes to go with our mouth watering turkey and gravy.



Morgan said at the table Tuesday night, "So this is what it is like to have a cozy family Christmas at home? I like it." It was the first that she can remember. We had one like it when we were living in Arkansas away from family, but it was much better having my mother to share it with us last week. The presents that Chickie got the kids are on layaway still, so maybe we'll do that in January.



We bought gifts this year, too. It has been a long time since we have bought more than just one or two gifts. We don't even buy gifts for each other most years. We put gas in the car and take the kids to open gifts at their grandparents as our "present" for the holidays, and rarely we sign up for the gift exchange name draw. This year, a little birdie told us that the cousins were buying gifts for our kids, though. It just so happened that there was enough money left from the transmission loan that Kev took out to fix our SUV to buy some gifts this year.

It felt great to spend an evening wrapping gifts with my 12 year old. I taught her how to tape and tuck and create her own tags from wrapping paper snips. She helped me shop, too. It was a rare treat to be part of the "crazy" last minute shopper mayhem with her. She told me she loved giving presents more than getting them. I couldn't agree more. I can't wait to see their cousin's faces when they open the presents on Christmas day.



I'm looking forward to Christmas eve feast at Grandma Betty's house tomorrow night. I'm taking baked Cauliflower and Spanish Rice. I think they will be having ham and tamales... sweet potatoes, twice baked potatoes, cheese and crackers, sweet tea, WORM PIE, apple crumb cake, red velvet cake roll, creamed spinach, rolls, sugar cookies, egg nog, cake balls, green beans, corn pudding, cabbage... and more. Nobody does cookin' like a big Tex-Czech family does cookin'.

If our tire pops on the way home, Kevin can just put me on the bottom of the car and keep driving. I'll be a big fat roll of jelly by the 26th. Just in time for the 17 Day Diet to start back up on New Years Day. I'm dreading preparing myself to eat like a rabbit again...

And then there is my birthday week coming up... which is a whole 'nother topic all together. If I told you how old I was turning, I'd have to kill ya. But at least I'm getting what I want for my birthday this year. It's something I've wanted since I was five years old. You'll have to wait and see what it is... because there's a big, long story attached to it.



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My Bad Christmas Cat

:::Who, me???:::

He only LOOKS innocent.  Trust me.

Meet Quaker. He's a good kitty that I got a few years ago the week before Thanksgiving. His cage had a warning sign at the shelter. It said, "THIS CAT BITES."

Most of the time, he's a sweetheart. He snuggles, nudges, rubs, purrs, and tries to lay on your head pillow to get attention.

Last week, he SCRATCHED the baby's cheek, though. And that's a NO-NO around here. I chased him down the stairs with a belt and caught the end of him with a pop as he quickly squished his huge self out of the cat door to the garage in horrified retreat from the raving lunatic mama and her bleeding little man-cub.

I doubt he'll ever do that again.

Dogs might not be smart enough, but old kitties CAN learn new tricks.



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Un-Perfect Holiday Traditions

My husband and I have always been ones that DRIVE at Christmas. We're both only children from divorced families, so our kids have four sets of grandparents. I've been doing the holidays at my in-law's house for nearly 20 years. Our personal family tradition, without us really deciding on it, has become an annual gypsy holiday traveling adventure - packing up suitcases and listening to Christmas music while the Texas miles stretch out behind us.

When I got married and had kids, I imagined the type of traditions I wanted for my kids. I figured creating new traditions would fix the dysfunction of my past - and that I could create something for my kids that I didn't have.

What I had in mind for the holidays was much like a Norman Rockwell painting: everyone in the family bowing for a prayer, reading from scripture about Jesus' birth and what it meant for humanity... you know - the "reason for the season" stuff. In my ideal, all of us went to some sort of church service, we baked birthday cakes for Jesus instead of cookies for Santa, we gave presents or money to the poor, and we sometimes met in the mountains somewhere at a cabin that everyone rented so there would be memories of snow.



In my dreams of how Christmas was to be there were always exterior lights on the house. The checkbook always had enough money in it for at least one nice gift for every family member. Oh, and the lights on the tree (that promptly went up the day after Thanksgiving) never went out on the bottom half because the cat chewed through the wiring.

My perfect Christmas included caroling and driving through Christmas light displays with everyone singing and merry (and no one got a ticket on the way there because they were speeding). The glass ornaments never broke, and the carpet never got huge hot chocolate stains, either. In my bubble of utopian holiday bliss there were plenty of kisses under mistletoe and Daddy always stayed up until midnight on purpose - just so he could ring in the new year with yours-truly.

Cue the loud snap as I wake up from that candy-land dream... fast forward to real life...

Each year I packed up the suitcases for our week or two with the relatives and the reality of how the holidays weren't measuring up to my ideals became more and more clear. Things weren't matching up to my "White Christmas" dreams. Not anywhere close. [Forget the fact that we live in Texas and snow is an anomaly.]

There are some traditions that just aren't possible any more. People don't live forever.
[My grandpa wasn't carving the turkey any more in my grandmother's pink dining room that stayed meticulously clean. My cousin who grew up playing with me in the cow pastures chasing barn cats was gone. There won't be any more root-beer floats watching Johnny Carson with Pawpaw and hatching plans to get up and peek on the grownups as they play Santa and wrap gifts.]

Sometimes there are conflicts of schedule or family situations you just can't fix.
[My dad didn't call me at Christmas last year and my kids haven't seen him for ages. My mom might not come with us at Christmas and probably will be spending the holidays with her sister. My in-laws don't go to church. The extended family on my mom's side hardly ever get together in one place any more, and when they do, it seems that there's never time to sit down and really spend time together like we did when Mawmaw was around and everyone was "spending the night" to open gifts in the morning.]

Isn't it funny how your past and present merge in a sugar-plum fairy ink-blot test of your emotional state each Christmas? No wonder people get the "holiday blues". Even with a strong faith, the holidays can be a time of broken dreams and second guessing yourself. I can't imagine how mixed up the Santa camp can get when removing the baby from the manger.

Even though I had aspirations for new traditions, I never was able to get that perfect Christmas to materialize... and shucks, my big kids aren't toddlers any more. One of them is turning 15 this winter. Time is running out.



Am I going to be bitter about it and keep trying to measure the holidays up against a pipe dream? Or can I find a way to make the best of real life and make the most of the time we have with our treasured family members - even if they do holidays differently than our Norman Rockwell vision of how holidays should look?

Do you have a perfect vision of how Christmas should look? How does it really look in your family? Have you found ways to create new traditions in your family?

How about sharing some of the traditions YOUR family does that you LOVE for the holidays... counting your holiday blessings and being thankful for the small things that make the season special for you?


My Family's Merrily Un-perfect Christmas Tradition Goodness:

...bubble lights and forest animal ornaments with real fur at my dad's house... his passion for Christmas was contagious and I loved the way he always took us to the Christmas Store in Dallas to buy a special ornament when I was a kid.

...I love how we've always taught the kids about the real St. Nick and his true story, about Jesus, and how my daughter told me "I'm so glad you taught us the truth" when she was about 6 after seeing Polar Express...

...my husband and my first Christmas together, getting lost on the way to my grandma's house and shopping together to buy everyone in the family a present - something we haven't been able to do for a very long time as a one-income family.

...to-die-for Christmas dinner with trimmings (and 'chocolate worm-pie') at Kev's mom's and the Lutheran candle-light service we all attended for so many years with them.... and opening presents on Christmas eve after we get home (where everyone got a "Santa Banana" gift as well, which was a gag-gift that told about that person's personality or past)...

...presents and sugary sweets with Pop and Nana and their much needed Christmas money they so generously share with their kids, spending lazy mornings in bed and having Pop fix you eggs "Sunny-Side-Up" whenever you want them (how he always makes me crispy bacon and has oatmeal cream pies and Special Dark chocolate bars stashed for me), games that all the siblings and their spouses play until the wee hours and all the joking and laughing that goes on....


...the kids cuddling with Chickie (my mom), eating out with her and going to see a movie or browse an antique shop (how she can never say no - and always buys them something special) - going to see the drive-thru lights with her and having her help put up the tree (we love how she always wants a copy of every photo we take - it shows how much she loves us and the kids)...


...going to see the Nutcracker with my dear friend Paula and her children, and watching my niece sing and dance to it in her recital...

...the anticipation we all have to rush home and see all these people who are so dear to us... the thought of spending time on the road with my family, drinking coffee and hot chocolate and listening to and singing Christmas songs... the warmth in my heart to know that not only did God give me the gift of salvation through his tiny newborn son... but He also blessed me with THIS FAMILY - the wonderful gift of love... the people that we can touch, hold, hug, laugh and cry with. Life is so precious when you share it. Christmas is the same.

I want to start a tradition of being thankful - and positive - and truly counting my blessings as presents from the Lord this year. I can't wait to add new things to the Christmas Goodness list this year.

Link up with me if you have some holiday wonder to share!




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A Memorial Day Tribute

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ~ 1 John 3:16

The picture above is of my grandpa ... he flew during World War II for the Royal British Canadian Air Force. He held one of his best friends in his arms as he died. Years after his tour of duty (not sure how many of them he took), he was decorated with some of the highest honors for bravery that Canada offers to its military heroes. He yet never spoke of the experience and put behind him all the horror of war so that he could live out his life as a good husband, father, and ultimately grandfather before his death in 1991. I still miss him.

Today I dedicate my post that I wrote over at the Homeschool Post to his memory, and also to the life and example of my husband's father who fought in Vietnam.

Do come visit the Post to read more... "Memorial Day: A Deeper Reason for Remembering"...

Resurrection

There are disappointments in life, it's true.

I have had to let go of people: you can't make them love you, you can't please them all, we are all terminal - and our loved ones eventually will pass on.

I have had to let go of dreams: growing up, you realize that many of the dreams of youth aren't attainable... and when you raise a family, many times a parent must sacrifice dreams for reality's needs.

I have had to move away from places I loved... and I've been stuck - unable to afford to go places and see people I care about for various reasons.

We've had our down and out days... floods ravishing our homes, jobs lost, friends and family dying, dangerous situations, desperate times... hearts breaking.

But there has always been this:

Job 19:25 ~ "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth."

I know that whatever comes, I have an eternal reward waiting. There is comfort and hope in the Gospel story because of my Lord's resurrection and promise of eternal life for those that love Him. Even if there is pain on this side of eternity...

John 17:24 ~ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."

Take away a man's purpose, and you take away the meaning from his life. Purpose is essential. The Christian has purpose because of the resurrection of Christ.

He rose again. That means there's more to this life than heartache and eventually dust.

People may fail you. Life may hurt.

But JESUS LIVES.

I know my redeemer lives. And that makes all the difference in the world.

May your heart be open to Him and His promises this Easter... as the world celebrates his resurrection and the promise of His return. May you find healing and hope in His Word. He's the only thing that won't disappoint.

An Angel of a Valentine

After Christmas, my husband was threatening that he was going to cut the baby's hair if I didn't do it. I didn't want to cut those golden curls off; however, I knew that he meant business... so I talked him in to waiting until I could get a good Valentine photo session in.

We got out the fake angel wings, the white Christmas lights, the felt heart, and a puffy white blanket... and set the little man on the dining room table. I haven't been able to afford a great lighting kit for head shots and indoor portraits yet - so we made use of some harsh window lighting the best we could. I'm all for natural light. I REFUSE to use a flash.

Have you ever tried to photograph a 22 month old that has more energy than the Energizer Bunny? It takes nerves of steel... LOTS of patience... and a bag of Skittles.

He wiggled.
He squirmed.
He tried to crawl off the table.
He cried.
He beat at the angel wings.
He screamed, "NO!"
He whined.
He broke the first heart I gave him to hold.
It was like trying to catch a fish with your bare hands.

But we got it done. Even if half of the pictures are ruined by the candy he was eating somehow contorting his face - or showing when he opened his mouth.



Yep. Two of these pictures are Skittles shots. I'm such a bad mom for feeding my toddler hard candy.

After our torture photo session was over, THEN came the fun part... creating a Valentine card with Tiny Prints online. Tiny Prints is an online card and photo gift company. They even ship your cards for you if you chose that option. I had my postcards sent to me and we addressed and sent them off this week to our family and friends.  

I LOVED seeing my cupid shots on a Valentine. I feel totally on top of things to have actually SENT Valentine cards out - because I'm usually late at sending cards (and most everything else as well).





I promised to review my experience and the product that Tiny Prints provided, and here's what I liked:

- super easy card creation and personalization with just a few clicks
- very thorough options for every aspect of your print process so you get exactly what you are wanting
- love that you can use your own photos OR pick a pre-designed card if you don't have time to 'dabble' with designing your own
- the amazing and very large collection of designs
- the fact that they have a REAL LIVE production designer team to further customize and tweak your final product until it is exactly what you hoped for
- the final product is polished and high quality
- they'll ship your cards for you
- you can design a card and schedule it to ship up to a year in advance of the holiday or ocassion
- they have other products: stationary, notebooks, address labels, custom stamps, photo books, calendars and photo gifts
- I adore the personalized mint tins for baby showers or weddings that they offer



In fact, I liked my cards from Tiny Prints so much that I'm considering using them for my birth announcements for the peanut. That is, if I can ever get the newborn photo session done. I never did get around to doing it for my little Viking... so these Valentines are his debut through snail mail to the extended family and friends.

I just know they'll love the cards. But not as much as I love my little Valentine (even without those pretty curls).

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Disclosure: Tiny Prints gave me free product to review but my opinion was not compensated for, nor was this post.

The BIG FAT Annual List Tradition

At the end of every year, I make a list. I don't have anything against resolutions... but that's for another post - and they are very general for me... mostly about heart matters rather than physical things. My BIG FAT ANNUAL list is mostly a guideline so that I can aim towards a goal. I make long lists, so I don't expect myself to get it ALL completed... sort of like how you can't read every book in the library. Lists are living, breathing, always-changing reminders of things that you don't want to forget about... things that are important to you. They aren't meant to intimidate... but to be a safety net when you aren't sure what to do next. Glance back at the list... and there's always something there for you to check off - and checking things off is like a piece of dark chocolate: delicious!

I brought some of this list over from 2009 - which was when I started this big fattie... because it is either relevant again (with ANOTHER new baby on the way... I was expecting the Viking back then), or because there were things that never got done. I made sure to clean it up and add new things, too. Something old and something new.

Want to make your own list for 2011? Join me. You can sign up for the linky here... I'll pick a random participant and mail you a special gift if you share your list with me. Who knows, maybe you thought of something I didn't!


134 things to do in 2011
________________________
(Key: Bold = Working on it this month, Strike = done)

1. Spend time every day with God - prayer journal, prayer, meditation, Bible reading
2. Pay off a credit card
3. Get hospital bag ready for labor and delivery
4. Put up the crib
5. Paint Morgan and the baby's room
6. Sell the car seat/stroller combo and get a new car seat and double stroller
7. Finish painting the book case for the baby's room
8. Completely give up soda pop with sugar or artificial sweeteners - forever
9. Read a book/watch marriage tapes with my husband (about relationships)
10. Find a really good homeschool groove
11. Get the Christmas decorations put away by January 15th and up by December 1st
12. Fix Kev's truck
13. Do the Love Dare for my husband
14. Buy a baby book
15. Have the baby and make sure to get photos of his wrinkly feet
16. Put school before housework no matter what the house looks like
17. Get the taxes done for 2010
18. Print my list and start checking it off
19. Get completely caught up with grading, recording, filing, and portfolios for school
20. Wash, organize and prepare for baby
21. Redesign my blog
22. Spend time outdoors every other day (why is this so hard for me?)
23. Finish indexing my blog (after the move to WP)
24. Buy 5 new must-have books or curriculum texts for the school library: Book of Time, ...
25. Work on a project for a company needing homeschool expertise
26. Listen to/watch the Word of Promise New Testament all the way through
27. Work on being better about routine - bedtimes, getting up, school times, etc.
28. Purge emails and keep the boxes cleaned out
29. Renew library card and pay fee
30. Do another 5-10 portrait/conference photography jobs for my portfolio
31. Get through my review box and do all the give-aways I've committed to
32. Make birth announcement cards after the baby comes
33. Have the kids copy a book in the Bible
34. Learn how to use the stupid video camera
35. Say no to something I can't do - without feeling guilty
36. Set aside a planning day for homeschool every other month
37. Prepare and plant the garden for Spring
38. Homeschool Tracker lesson planning/recording weekly
39. Do a new Bible study
40. Cut my hair in February
41. Blog about procrastination projects completed
42. Keep a correspondence calendar/notebook and keep in touch with family and friends all year
43. Make a budget
44. Install a baby gate at the top and bottom of the stairs
45. Purge things we don't need - sell, donate, & throw away
46. Quilt some pillows with Ammie for the school room & baby bedding/bedspread
47. Get portraits made of all the children together and our family after the baby comes
48. Redo our school schedule and adjust as needed to our new routine
49. Print the photos we have in digital format and put them in albums
50. Help the kids blog every week
51. Install Win7 on my hateful laptop
52. Work on my blog series each week
53. Read 3 homeschooling how-to books to inspire and encourage me as a teacher
54. Start doing a family devotional and reading time
55. Reorganize my closet and sell my maternity clothes
56. Get down to my pre-pregnancy weight and then my goal weight after the baby arrives
57. Sync the iPad
58. Get a case for my iPad
59. Cook and freeze meals
60. Create a will and make sure life insurance papers are updated
61. Send Kristen's wedding pictures to her
62. Schedule time for myself every day and keep a journal as to how it is spent
63. Get Kaden to organize his display of Lego creations
64. Read 50 GOOD books with the kids
65. Keep up with menu plans and weekly meals at home (eat out less)
66. Get a few large cooking pots (cast iron, dutch oven, casserole, deep cake pan)
67. Get a water softener system for the house so our appliances don't die
68. Put the photos in albums
69. Get pictures made in a photo booth
70. Let the kids cook a meal without help for dinner each month
71. Train someone to take over admin at the Post
72. Read to the kids every school day
73. Do more art and fun activities with the kids for school
74. Height and weight measurements twice a year for kids
75. Declutter once a month (set a schedule up for it)
76. Nature journal with the children each week
78. Finish our state postcard project by the end of this school year and fill out our state books more
79. Find a good place to back up my photos online & organize them on my external
80. Send Valentine postcards
81. Be better about birthdays and Christmas giving/thoughtfulness
82. Reward myself with a special treat when I get half way through the list
83. Go swimming once a week while the pool is open
84. Get a copy of our credit reports and go through them
85. Post a recipe on Gathering Manna three times a week
86. Pick peaches
87. Print a blank 2011-12 calendar (school year) for my dayplanner in August
88. Deep clean the house
89. Go to the doctor and have my moles checked
90. Do more with coupons/find more ways to be frugal
91. Finish one scrapbook
92. Experiment with digital scrapbooking
93. Go on a retreat or a God-centered conference to charge myself up
94. Have someone over for dinner each month
95. Finish reading the manual for the camera and read a digital photography book
96. Give the kids standardized tests
97. Paint a painting
98. Fix the king bed frame
99. Organize scrap supplies and papers
100. Let the kids have more sleepovers
101. Make window coverings for the upstairs
102. Learn how to make dolmas
103. Participate in Flat Stanley
104. Donate books to the library or another homeschool mom
105. Thanksgiving in June or July (just for fun)
106. Buy a cordless mouse and keyboard
107. Get a new house phone system
108. Watch the rest of the Beth Moore videos that I left off in my last Bible study of hers
109. Have at least 10 date nights in 2011: 1 - Greek food in January, ...
110. Make cookies and take them to the librarian
111. Go on 8 field trips, 1 M to the Opera, ...
112. Host a holiday gathering at my house
113. Go through the last boxes in the garage from our move 3 years ago (ha!)
114. Decorate Kaden's room and paint his walls
115. Redesign Kaden's blog
116. Hire a maid to come help with cleaning the house at least 5 times in 2011: 1. Lucy over in January, helps me take down my tree!, 2. After the income tax return ...
117. Buy a drawer full of new underwear and bras
118. Plan ahead to do Ann's Advent Devo next year & Jesse Tree
119. Eat at the Melting Pot
120. Steam clean the carpets
121. Install overhead lighting in the game room
122. Get Photoshop and Light Room/learn how to use them
123. Do a web design for money
124. Add new handles to the filing cabinets?
125. Tile the bathrooms upstairs
126. Save money for doing our flooring next year (every year we push this out)
127. Finish decorating the garage (hanging tools, pegboard, painting concrete & walls)
128. Get a new set of beaded jewelry and a hat at Charming Charlies
129. Buy some lighting/lamps for the bedroom
130. Make Christmas ornaments and bake cookies next holiday season
131. Make 2010-11 annual letter for next Christmas
132. Detail the cars
133. Take the kids to see Christmas lights next year, plan on going to Little Bethlehem ahead of time
134. Create a new holiday tradition for our family

And I'm sure there will be more... things that get added along the way. I'll add anything extra to my monthly "check-up" posts to keep track of how I'm progressing - rather than bog this list down.

I first plan to organize the list in to a daily, weekly, and monthly chunks... and to count out the leftover assignments to see how many "procrastination projects" I'll have to complete each month to get the list finished. Then I'll probably pencil them on a blank yearly calendar by month as they seem to fit (obviously the Christmas related ones will go at the END of 2011).

After I have a digestible, organized idea of how to go about tackling my list, I'll be writing out each month's chunk on a blank sheet of paper (writing helps me internalize things)... and I'll keep that small list in my dayplanner to see each day when I open it.

Sounds like a plan, eh? Want to join me and all the other crazy list-makers out there? Just add your link below.



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Let's see your list!!!

Your Christmas Focus

I used to expect the holidays to be perfect - to be this ideal image of caroling, smiles, everyone and everything magically falling in to synchronized step... and every year the human element (flawed) of the holidays would break my heart.

Someone angry,
crowds unruly,
parking spaces illusive,
finances failing,
traffic jams,
sickness ....

...and the bruised heartstrings from family dynamics that just don't add up to a Christmas archetype.

Christmas rarely (if ever) looks - or feels put together 'perfectly' - like the cover of a magazine or the perfect scene on a greeting card. 

Tears come on Christmas.

Pain comes on Christmas.

Last year, I got in really close with my camera - the tree (which represents the small cross we bear) and the problems all became the bokeh in the background of the image. The real focus of Christmas became clear through my lens. This child. This chance. This gift which eventually cost everything He had.

Christmas is not about perfection.

A stable full of animal stench is not perfection.

Labor and delivery pains are not 'comfortable' and smiles are saved for ONLY AFTER the contractions.


Christmas is about giving of yourself - of your life. Giving the gift you are given away.

The gift of forgiveness.
The gift of sacrifice.
The gift of a needed embrace - a shoulder to cry on...

Christmas is an IDEAL in the flesh... in the stench of human brokenness.

The 'holiday atmosphere' is all about what you focus on. How closely you have your eyes on the real meaning of the season..

... and whether you can take a deep breath while the world spins with glitter around you... and know that you are truly loved.

Then you can share that love with someone else.

That's where meaningful memories begin and broken expectations end.

That's Christmas.



*This post was a comment made on Blissfully Domestic's Hallmark Holiday Moments Giveaway. I figured it merited repeating since all holiday memories are made based upon how we perceive each moment we are blessed with. My prayer is that God can show us how to make the most of each second of this December, and to see through His eyes, the potential if only our attitude and heart are in the right place.

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Blessed Thanksgiving

May your blessings be so great that there are leftovers.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. ~ Psalm 23:5

'Can We Have Thanksgiving Next July?'... or.... 'My Pre-Holiday Pregnancy Update'

Pregnancy is a strange experience; wonderful and horrible all at the same time. The little swishing limbs and eager expectations of meeting a miniature, brand new family member are such indescribable joys. The stretch marks, strange body malfunctions, spreading hips and feet, swelling and heartburn... not so enjoyable.

I hesitate to give updates because they usually tempt me to complain. At least I find the whole ordeal rather humorous to some extent - I haven't lost my sense of humor yet (ask me about that during the next 'transition' phase of labor and I'll let you know if I still have it).

The photo below was at 31 weeks last time... and I look at least that big now. Not brave enough to get the camera out.



I'm 28 weeks and 3 days today. That means, if my doctor's calculations are correct (and she's a smart cookie - so I don't doubt they might be) this baby is likely to be big enough to float in the Macy's Parade. Well, maybe not this week - but by the time he gets here for sure (assuming I don't split like a faded car-seat before then).

I was 2 months away from having the Viking when things started getting this bad last time....

The Viking in my Ribs and Other Pathetic Complaints

12 more weeks to go. Oh my. That's like 3 FULL months.

Let me give you an idea of why 12 more weeks is very worrisome:

Let's start WAY back so I can give you a clear picture of what pregnancy usually looks like for me....

Imagine me at 118 pounds. Boy, those were the days. I believed all that 'eating for two' stuff. It didn't help that my first child was incompatible with anything (including MEXICAN FOOD) unless it was dripping in cream and chocolate. The fact that all of my children are Winter babies - born just after the holidays certainly hasn't helped my figure through the years. In case you haven't noticed, there's a LOT of really GOOD food available during the holidays... and holiday food is my favorite.

To make a long story short, here are my pregnancy stats:

Baby 1: 118 lbs. + 60 during pregnancy = 178 delivery
Baby 2: 134 lbs. + 36 during pregnancy = 170 delivery

Then I swallowed a Diamond Ring...


Sad First Week of School
Miscarriage: 139 lbs. + 6 during pregnancy = 145

Baby 3: 144 lbs. + 30 during pregnancy = 174 delivery

Baby 4: This pregnancy... starting at 147 + ? = ?

You would think that I might be having this kid in the 170's. Right? That seems to be a pattern... no matter how thin I am, my body has an internal timer near 175 pounds and OUT POPS THE BABY.

All would be great with that idea if I wasn't still THREE MONTHS out and already 166 lbs! Did I mention that the holidays are coming up... and there will be food?



Here's me the week before Baby K was born, at Target - on the old-people scooter because I couldn't walk. Mind you, I was only 174 pounds. That's only 8 pounds away from RIGHT NOW, people. So you can imagine how miserable I already feel. My doctor is considering going on vacation for the next three months so she won't have to listen to me beg her to 'get the baby out'. She has nightmares still from the last pregnancy she endured with me. Poor thing.

I guess I shouldn't complain that the heartburn is beginning again... because I'm pretty sure there won't be seconds for me of anything this Thanksgiving or Christmas. If I were a 6 year old, I would be stomping my feet and crossing my arms because "It JUST ISN'T FAIR." Thanksgiving and Christmas foods are my favorite in the whole wide world. Even better because I'm not the one having to cook them all.

Wanna know what's on the menu at Kevin's Mom's side?

Turkey
Dressing
Sweet Potato Yeast Rolls
Mustard Greens
Sweet Potato Casserole
Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Cabbage
Corn Pudding
Brussell Sprouts?
Green Beans
Pinto Beans
Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Sweet Tea
Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Pie
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Bread
Fruit Salad
Green Jello
Oreo Balls
Cheesecake

We aren't going to this feast, unfortunately. However, I can't help but think that it is very fortunate for my next doctor appointment that we are missing it this year.

Sadly, I'm pretty sure that the food at Kev's Dad's house will be equally wonderful, with only a slight bit less focus on dessert. Nana makes a mean stuffing and her Nut and Jello Salads are AMAZING (she has a green one and a really pretty wine colored one).

[As I was typing this, Pop just called to ask me what I needed to make my Sweet Potato Bliss. Oh, about "6 sticks of butter" I told him. I was only exagerating a little bit. Sweet Potato Bliss is my favorite.]

So... today, I'll be getting my glucose screening at the blood lab and trying to avoid the cheeseburger I'm craving. And then later this week, I'll be watching the scale as closely as I watch the sales for Black Friday. The online ones that is... because this pregnant mama is NOT standing in lines at 5AM for anything.



...Because I'm already grumpy about having to skip seconds on Thanksgiving.

All I want for Thanksgiving - and Christmas - is a really slow weight gain, relief from the pressure of this elephant sitting on my chest, very little if any heartburn (so I can actually enjoy my cranberry and dressing)... and the promise of an easy delivery (of a baby that is NOT bigger than the last one - HELLO 9 pounds of agony with your arm folded beside your head!). Oh, and it would be nice if my relatives would all commit to having another Thanksgiving meal in June. Or even July. We can crank down the A/C and pretend like it isn't 104 degrees, even. By then, I'm sure I'll be breathing a lot better - and I'll even volunteer to make more than one of the dishes.

Thanksgiving in July. I like the sound of that.



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Quick Links
What to Take to the Hospital When You are in Labor and Delivery
Owly Baby Shower
Labor and Delivery for the last Baby Bee
Trees in the Baby Nursery
Memo From My New Blog Editor

Family on the Fourth

Family is a wonderful thing. We're visiting ours over the holiday. How about you?

What happens at a family gathering for the Bee folk?

.Cooking
.Feasting
.Cleaning Up
.Cousin Time (legos, toys, Xbox, Wii, movies, giggle fests...)
.Laughing
.Hanging Out
.Swimming
.Chit Chatting
.Grilling

It's all good. Well, except for the fit throwing that is bound to happen when Baby K is in a strange place (which happened for over an hour today at lunch time).

Speaking of food... do you need that last dose of Patriotic Inspiration for tomorrow's festivities? Follow me over to the Homeschool Post for today's 4th of July food links.

I'll try to upload some pictures tomorrow, but I'm not promising anything. I might add Napping to the list up there instead. Holiday vacations are a lot of work for an 8-week pregnant mama!

Have a super wonderful 4th of July!

Happy Easter 2010

From our little bee hive, we wish you a very wonderful Easter celebration. May God bless your family and light your way. Thank you for visiting here.



P.S. If you wanted something pretty to put on your computer desktop for April , click over and visit the Post. Dawn created desktop calendar that you can download for free.

My Little Night Owl's First Birthday Party

The baby's first birthday party was fabulous. We had a lot of fun with our owl theme - making our own invitations, decorations, cupcakes, and bookmarks to give to guests.



The kids and I created these invites and wrote on them with a nice black pen -

Guess Whooo's 1?
Come celebrate with us!
Address
Time
RSVP #
Lunch and cake served!

Simple, cheap, and a great craft for older siblings of little Viking babies. My son said it was the most fun thing he's done this school year. I felt rather shamed since I have slacked off on the hands-on and crafts so much with a baby in the house. I'm glad they enjoyed the creating and crafting.



Each one was different - colors, papers, imaginations run wild...



We served a yummy lunch of Lasagna Roll Ups, Lasagna Roll Ups Florentine (with Alfredo instead of marinara - and no meat), stuffed mushrooms, rolls, garlic bread, and garden salad. My husband made the mushrooms, I made all the lasagna pans, and my wonderful family brought the salad, rolls, and garlic bread. It helps to enlist extra hands for food prep when you plan to serve lunch at parties!



Mushrooms and owls just go together so nicely. I guess it's the forest element? Whatever the reason, I adore stuffed mushrooms. They are really easy to make, so I don't know why we make them so rarely. Recipes for many of these things are on my food blog - just click the "Food" link on my sidebar and search by keyword over there!



We hung these cute owls that the children made from our ceiling fan, down the stairs, and from our kitchen light over our breakfast table. They looked great with brown ribbon and orange paper streamers.



You can't have a first birthday party without balloons. You know that, right?



When shopping for the last of our party groceries, I happened upon these pussy-willows at Sam's Club for 4$. They went great with these orange roses. I love fresh flowers. I'm still enjoying them - they make the dining room look bright and happy.



The snacks were a hit - and we tried to avoid a ton of junk food... we served a fruit tray, pita chips with hummus, olive bar goodies, deviled eggs, and chips with nacho-cheese dip.

Can you believe that I forgot to set out the crackers and cheese and pickles? I also forgot to make the punch. Good thing we had plenty of Coke, Sprite, bottled waters, and Aunt Linda's home made iced tea. Southern sweet iced tea is the mainstay at all of our gatherings - no matter the occasion.



Our colors for the party were brown, green and orange. No particular reason. Those happen to be the nursery colors, the colors we did for the baby shower, and my favorite colors (my daughter's favorite colors, too). The balloons, plates, cups, napkins, utensils, streamers, and cupcakes all fit the theme nicely. We even managed to find green and orange Easter basket grass to fill our party favor tins.

The tins were from Target in the dollar bin section - and so were the Slinkies and pencils we gave away. We filled them with candy and made owl bookmarks for each child. I gave each kid a package of sparklers or pops to take home in their tins, too - and made sure to give the tins away as they were LEAVING (so they wouldn't catch my house on fire... I'm sure their parents are all praising me now for this wonderful parting gift). We had planned to make them each a home-made various artist CD, but time got away from us. The wee little babies got board books instead. Much, much safer than fireworks.

Our bookmarks came complete with hand-written poetry:

Wise old owl sat on an oak;
The more he saw, the less he spoke;
The less he spoke, the more he heard;
Why aren't we like that wise old bird?
~ Unknown





Morgan mixed up our cake mixes (we did one set in Gluten Free because we have some friends and family that can't eat gluten) and I made the fudge icing. Originally, it was supposed to be light and fluffy chocolate icing... but it ended up more like fudge. We used open mini Oreos for the eyes, dark chocolate M&M pupils and a side-ways Reece's Pieces for the beak. I would have spent more time on them if I had not still been working on them when the doorbell started ringing. Another cute addition would have been halved large Oreo wings.

My icing was a first try, as I had never made chocolate icing before. It came out too thick... so it got hard before I finished sticking things in to the faces of the owls. You live and learn. They tasted yummy, and that was all that mattered.



The baby was excited to open gifts. He wasn't really old enough to enjoy it at Christmas, so this was a treat. I was surprised that he stayed on my lap and participated. Morgan slept through her first birthday gift opening after having a complete meltdown and needing to nurse just after her cake episode. The pink icing on her cake caused her face to break out, too. Her 3 year old big brother got to open all her presents. This party went much better for baby number 3 - and we tried to keep things moving as quickly as we could - knowing that he was missing a nap.



At 1 year of age, it's not taboo to taste your presents. This adds a whole extra sensation to gift unwrapping.



We made a little time for play after the unwrapping frenzy. Each toy was tested before sharing with friends.



When all was said and done, though, it was the ball-point pen that stole the day. There were many tears when mama finally pried it out of his death-grip. Unfortunately it was AFTER he wrote on one of his new shirts. Hope I can get it out with some rubbing alcohol.



This candy wheel/nest was a cute addition to the dining room table, but I'm not sure it was such a great idea for the kids. Thankfully there was plenty of sunshine and most of the hoodlums er, children disappeared in to the back yard for pop gun fights and outdoor play. I'm quite sure that they all had plenty of glucose flowing through their veins, though. As if the cupcakes weren't enough.

The baby got a lot less messy this time while eating his cake than he did on his 'real' birthday when we let him dig in to a store-bought cake. He stayed comfy in his pajamas all day, too - which made skipping nap time less traumatic; I'm sure of it.



However, there were a few party guests who weren't able to skip naptime. I can't wait to attend little cousin Heston's birthday party next. I think I'll take all the stuff we planned to make punch with. Isn't he cute?