My WordPress blogging was just too jumbled and not focused enough. It was time for a change.

For the Family’s Sake…

Princess 2011

Why am I moving? I love that I can have categories AND tags on WordPress, but in the end the inability to custom design my blog without a) paying money to WordPress and b) finally overcome my inability to understand CSS has let me to move on. I think that little ‘followers’ widget is pretty cool, too!

In any case, as soon as the details are in place, I’ll post the link. I’m sure my three readers will be happy to know I’ll be back!

While there are many talented and successful Christians in the world today, they are merely vessels for God’s message of grace, hope, and power. Our focus should never be on the container for the message. Instead, what is most important is the integrity of the messenger no matter the situation, so that the message can be seen without distraction. God’s power, not our own, is what sustains us; we are simply a vessel, a tool, in the hands of the Lord.

Interesting thought. But if that’s truly how Christians operate in this culture why all Christian music artists beautiful? Is there no one who is less-than-perfect who can sing and perform? No one who is too short or too fat? I also wonder if I’m the only one who ever thinks about this.

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude – #386-394!

sharing pictures on Facebook ~ made possible by our Lexmark printer/scanner

red meat

friends who will stop at the University book store for you, saving you from trying to find a parking place on campus and waiting in mile long lines on the first day of class

listening to the choir sing on Sunday morning – breathtaking!

rice socks

big three-ring binders

text messages

summer

beaches with soft white sand and warm waves

I see something familiar…

Those are MY boots!

Alas, who can get mad at faces as sweet as these?

Wait. Forget that last question.

Our week started with one sleepy teenager spending the day napping after a senior high youth lock-in at church Sunday night. Messed with my new discipline of Monday morning meetings.

Completely unrelated to the grouchy, sleepy teenager, I somehow got a bee in my bonnet and decided I NEEEEEEEEDED pizza for dinner. “Somehow” happened to be a friend posting about Gino’s East and me remembering the awesome pizza we had when we were home in November and then me suddenly realizing that was the last time I had pizza. More than six weeks without pizza! For the record, Papa John’s is a poor substitute for good Chicago pizza.

Tuesday basketball practice got cancelled because of a last-minute game against the Catholic school in town. (Go Lady Blazers! Another win: 39-31!) Rather than rushing to get things done before practice, we had all day for school. I held our ‘Monday’ meeting and discussed the rise of Islam in the Byzantine Empire. Argued whether the correct way to say it is ‘BIHzantine’ or ‘BUYzantine’.

Wednesday, we headed to town so Princess could take her driver’s test. Around here that is an all morning adventure. Unlike the bigger county next to us where you schedule an appointment, our county is walk-in. You get there around 9:30am and then hang around until it’s your turn. Unfortunately, she didn’t pass the first go-round so we’ll be back in B-ville next week (weather allowing).

Thursday the girls had a game scheduled in a town two hours away. A game that was causing me much anxiety as I watched the weather forecast all week. The weather was merciful and the snow started hours before scheduled so the game was cancelled early in the day. It turned out to be a serious work day – the girls working on school and me finishing printing and planning the rest of our Tapestry of Grace unit.

The part came for our wood stove, so I got to have my day sitting in front of the fire drinking hot coffee while a blizzard raged outside. Awesome! (Okay… just a Kentucky blizzard, but that was good enough for me!)

Being stuck at home all day Thursday gave the girls time to finish their work, so on Friday they got their first SNOW DAY of the season! They spent the afternoon sledding at their uncle’s. I stayed home and finished the last of the lesson planning. Then into town last night so Princess and a friend could work on their yearbook pages. I got to eat RED MEAT while they were working!

It was incredibly normal, somewhat boring to the outside observer. And it was good.

That’s what we’re up to here in Wingfield. Wonder what other families are doing in around the world? Check out the WEEKLY WRAP-UP on weird, unsocialized, homeschoolers.

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude – #354-385!

pizza

homemade chocolate chip cookies

watching television with the kiddos

leftovers

sharp cheddar cheese

extra basketball games thrown into the schedule

“snow” days that keep us home all day

Sonic ice

online ordering: stove latches & grinder bowl lids

watering cans

peace lillies

new vacuum cleaner filters

bathroom tile laid by daddy

maps

blogging friends

hope for the future

generous parents and in-laws

headlights

someone else to do the dishes

orange kitty cats

space heaters

gas powered wood splitters

four lane divided highways

zantac (see #354 & #355)

PhD mechanical pencils

fingernail clippers

a husband who wants his kids homeschooled

prayer

community

early service

being a mom

longer days of spring

Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday.
No basketball practice.
No basketball game.
No confirmation class.
No choir.
No yearbook pictures.

Not enough snow to build a decent snowman.

It snowed all day Tuesday and much of the day Wednesday, but there was barely two inches of accumulation. I’ve never in my life seen it snow for so long and have it amount to so little. So we did school. No outside activities, but not enough snow to warrant skipping school to go out and play in it.

Everyone finished their school work by Thursday morning.

The end of the week was more normal. Basketball practice on Thursday and a game Friday night. Another big win for the Lady Trailblazers! Both Princess and Flower Child played a great game.

That’s what we’re up to here in Wingfield. Wonder what other families are doing in around the world? Check out the WEEKLY WRAP-UP on weird, unsocialized, homeschoolers.