Charlotte Mason blog carnival #6

I sure hope people don't rely on me for their news source, it seems I am always a day late and a dollar short!

Anyway, the latest Charlotte Mason blog carnival was posted on Tuesday. You can find it here, enjoy reading it if you haven't already!

Blogger Friend School #10 Cookie Exchange

In the spirit of Christmas, the BFS assignment this week is all about Christmas cookies and traditions.

I don't know if this is my ultimate favorite cookie for the holidays, but it is one of the really good ones and it has lots of memories behind it.

Chocolate Peanut Cookies

Chocolate dough:
1c flour
3/4c sugar
1t salt
1/2c shortening
1 egg
2oz unsweetened chocolate melted
1t vanilla

Peanut butter dough:
2T flour
1/2c firm packed brown sugar
1/4c creamy peanut butter
2T softened butter

In large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the chocolate cookie dough.

In small bowl combine the ingredients for the peanut butter dough.

Spoon 1t of chocolate dough and 1/2t of peanut butter dough together. Drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Press with a fork dipped in flour.

Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes. Let cool for a minute before removing from the cookie sheet.

As far as sharing a memory, tradition or story of Chirstmas past, it has a lot to do with the cookie recipe I just shared. The recipe is taken from a book titled Pillsbury's Bake Off Cookie Book (copyright 1967). I still have the very warn out copy of the book that my mom had when we were little girls. One habit she had that I have carried on is to write little notations in her cookbooks next to recipes as she tried them. The recipe I shared up above was first made by mom at Christmas time in 1977- when I would have been two years old. I can go through the book and find a lot of the recipes she used to make during my childhood.


A verse I have been thinking upon lately would be- Is 55:8-9

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

On a side note, do you know that the verse just down from those (vs 12) is a really good song as well?

12 “For you will go out with joy
And be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

I learned that song as a child and it was always one of my favorites.

Wednesday's Website #7

I have been feeling really not into posting lately. Either I have been busy or just haven't wanted to talk about anything. However, I still will be posting my Wednesday websites and here is this week's- Craftster
Its a forum where people post all sorts of crafts they are making and ideas they have. There is a ton of really neat stuff (and also some not so neat stuff, so browse with caution) and you could easily spend all day looking around.

Wednesday's Website #6

I am here and still alive. I have been a little lacking for conversation and too busy to type! Here is the website for the week, actually its two. These are fun ones that you can share with your children.
The first site I just found out about. I found it through someone else's blog, although I can't remember who. I read too many of them I guess! Anyway, its a snowflake making program that is really neat. It folds your paper the way a snowflake paper is suppose to be folded and allows you to make the really intricate snowflakes you always dreamed of making.
The other site is a mad libs type of site. For each story it will make you choose the words needed with drop down menus and you wont see the final story till you are done. It helps the cheating factor that way! I don't know about you, but I always liked these when I was younger.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Thursday's Thankful Thirteen (20)

Here is my list for the week-

1) God's law for showing us our need for a Savior.

2) God's law for protecting us from the heartbreak that comes with sin.

3) God's love for sending Christ to save us.

4) God's mercy for not letting us get what we deserve.

5) God's tenderness towards us even when we have pushed him and pushed him.

6) God's awesomeness- so awesome he created the world.

7) God's intimacy- he knows every hair on our heads.

8) God's power as he is able to control the wind and the waves and move mountains at his command.

9) God's faithfulness- he will never ever ever turn his back on me.

10) God's holiness- he is so much cleaner and purer and more perfect then we can ever imagine.

11) God's wisdom as he knows what is best for us and will never steer us wrong.

12) God is self-sufficient, I don't have to worry about him being around because he *needs* to, he is here because he *wants* to.

13) He is immutable, never changing, no surprises here. God will always do and be the same no matter what.

Here's the kind of test that I like!

I just took a test to see how intelligent the content of my blog is. And the result is-

Charlotte Mason blog carnival #5

I missed the posting of the new Charlotte Mason blog carnival. For some reason it did not show up at the right spot on the RSS feed. The carnival is being hosted this week by On Our Journey Westward- which happens to be a really good blog to keep an eye on. Here is the link, enjoy!

Blogger Friend School #9 Bountiful Blessings

For this week's assignment, we are suppose to first list three bountiful blessings that the Lord has provided for us. It amazes me that even in the midst of all the junk there is so much to be thankful for.
1) Even though my husband hasn't been able to work for two years now, he is here and his back is improving some (he has been doing his own therapy three days a week at a local pool).
2) We are surrounded by so many family members and friends that love us and care for us.
3) We have six wonderful children who bless my life more then I deserve.
4) My oldest two daughters were baptized two weeks ago (I am hoping to post some pictures here soon).
5) The Lord has found me important enough to him to send his son to die for me.

That's more then three but I usually post a list every Thursday of 13 things I am thankful for, so that is a start to this weeks list. Come back tomorrow and see the other eight.

Next I am suppose to share about our Thanksgiving Celebrations past or present.

My family spends the day with my dad and that side of the family. My dad and step-mom host the meal. I keep saying that maybe I will host it one year, but trying to get everyone in my house and seated at a table scares me off! We usually have the usual foods- turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, etc. Our family is really laid back at most holidays- Christmas is the big one for us.




Here is a picture of me on Thanksgiving 04 pregnant with Timothy- can you tell I get really big with my babies? I wasn't due for another two months!







This is also from 04. This is my dad with Charlotte (my oldest) and Daniel (then my youngest but now the oldest of the three boys).








Last picture to share is from 05. This is my oldest four with their older (and intensely admired) cousin Samael. Timothy was around but at ten months was probably hanging around with mommy.




My verse to share is suppose to remind me of my blessings. The one the girls are memorizing this week is really good at reminding my how much God loves me and cares for me.

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Wednesday's Website #5

I wanted to type this up early so that I can have it on the blog all day on Wednesday instead of posting it right at the end of the day. I know that Thanksgiving is just coming in another week and I hope no one thinks I am rushing things, but I like to plan ahead and thought you might want to also. This website is all about making paper snowflakes and also has a wealth of other information about snowflakes. It might be a good addition to your homeschooling lessons in the next month or so. Even though we still have a week until Thanksgiving, it did snow a few flakes here last week and you know that more is just around the corner!

On the precious gift of life

Another link to check out- a wonderful peace written on life and how it is truly a gift from God. Every day is one more gift he has given us to live. I know several people dealing with life taking diseases and plan on sending them a link to this post.

Veteran's Day

In honor of Veteran's Day I wanted to post a link to this story about one man's realization about his father's service in the military and how important it was. Whatever your feelings about war and its necessity, we are free because of the men and women who have served our country heroically over the last 200+ years. Take the time to thank someone today.

Blogger Friend School #8 Dirty Laundry

This week's assignment is all about laundry- both real and figurative. First I am to share our laundry habits. Then I need to share a piece of my heart that I have either recently struggled to clean up or am currently trying to get right. Last, of course, is a verse- but this one has to pertain to my struggles.

Our laundry is really a lot less then most people we know. We have a front load washer (which holds a lot of clothes) and try to only wash things that are dirty- if you only wore it for a few hours to church on Sunday morning then put it away to wear again. Our pre-puberty children don't need their sheets washed every week as well. Therefore, I manage to do two, sometimes three loads of clothes a week and one or two loads of diapers (family of eight with two in diapers).

The three girls are responsible for stripping beds and taking clothes to the basement where our laundry area is. I sort the clothes between light loads and dark loads. In the summer I line dry the clothes and in the winter I use the dryer. The freshly washed laundry gets brought up to the living room (by me), sorted (by me again) and then I take care of my husband's and my own clothes and the girls take care of everything else. (Except for Daniel's (almost 5) underwear and some rags that Daniel folds himself.) The girls are then to take all the laundry they forlded up to the rooms it belongs in and put it away where it goes. Of course that rule does not get followed by me very well, so while everything else gets put away fairly nicely, my room has clean clothes always waiting to be put away.

Now for the dirty laundry of my heart. I have been thinking a lot lately about forgiveness and what that really entails. I had always assumed that I had forgiven people for hurts they have done to me but I wonder if sometimes I have let things fade from memory but not really addressed the hurt that was caused by the offense.

If you cannot talk about something ten years after it happens without feeling a sense of bitterness towards the person who wronged you, is that forgiveness? Should you feel any sort of resentment or uneasiness around them?

Then there is the trust issue- if you have forgiven someone, how do you balance forgiveness with the lack of trust you have in them afterwards? Can you forgive without reopening yourself up for them to hurt you again? Is there room in forgiveness for letting someone work their way back to level ground with you?

I found a really good series of radio transcripts by Nancy Leigh DeMoss that deal with this very issue. I heard the one on the radio and plan to listen to the others soon.

My verse is- Colossians 3:13
13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Thursday's Thankful Thirteen (19)

This week I have 13 Bible verses I am thankful for. I pondered if I should type out each verse or just put the references. Then I figured who would actually look up each verse if I don't post it on the list? So here they are in their entirety:

1) Philippians 4:11-12
11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

2)Philippians 4:18-19
18I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.


3)Ephesians 5:15-16
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

4) Ephesians 3:17-19
17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

5)Ephesians 4:4-6
4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

6)Ephesians 2:4-7
4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

7) Galatians 5:22-23
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

8)Galatians 5:1
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

9)John 8:32
32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

10)Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

11)Psalm 55:22
22 Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

12)Psalm 34:4-7
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

13)Job 19:25
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

Wednesday's Website #4

I was listening to Nancy Leigh DeMoss yesterday morning and her radio show was on forgiveness and forbearance. It was a really good show and was part of a series she is doing on the subject. I thought I would share a recommendation o read the transcripts. Then I remembered what a great website she has and thought I would share it as my highlighted website of the week. Read some of her radio archives or read up on some of the many topics she has articles on. No matter what you read on her site it will bless you immensely.

Consumer Math- practical application

Last month I wrote about the importance of teaching our children consumer math. I followed up that post with another one concerning what should be covered when we teach them consumer math. Today I checked out Jamin's blog and she was showing off her 13yo son's lapbook all about money and finances. Not only did she show all the topics he covered, but she also mentioned about how the lapbook was put together from free resources she found at Homeschool Helper (a site I highlighted with a previous Wednesday Website post).

Thursday's Thankful Thirteen (18)

Today's Thankful list is in picture form!