Merry Christmas

From

The Tribe

2009 Has Been A Remarkable Year!

Mary (Mer Mer), age 12 , is looking like a teenager, but behaves remarkably like a thirty year old.

Jacob (Cob), age 10, leaves the house remarkably quiet when he is absent.

Abigail (Abi), age 8, looks, talks and acts, remarkably like her mother.

Baruch (Rooker), age 5, a friend of all animals and a lover of great heights is remarkably thoughtful.

Abram (Abe), age 3, exhibits a remarkable aptitude for danger, excitement and singing at high decibels.

Chloe (Chlo Chlo), age 18 mo, is remarkably sweet.

Drew and Beth are remarkably close to turning 40.

If we are given strength to see another 40 years, we hope it will be doing battle to “see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  2 Corinthians 4:4

Happy New Year! With Love,

Drew, Beth, Mary, Jacob, Abigail, Baruch, Abram and Chloe

Making Bath Salts as Gifts

My friend Maribeth had a couple links of fb, one of which lead me to this great, inexpensive gift idea! (Thanks Maribeth!) The Frugal Family Fun Blog gives a great step by step illustrated instruction of what I am now posting on.

I used green food coloring and eucalyptus oil in some for variety.  

Mix 10 drops of food coloring with 3 drops of oil, add to 2 cups of epsom salts and stir.

Abram and Chloe were my big helpers on this project.  Abram really enjoyed filling up the jars and fastening the lids.  Chloe mostly hindered :-)

Here we used red food coloring and lavendar oil.  The red turned out sort of a pinkish orange.  It is kinda weird but will still make a great gift!

The third one from the left was suppose to be purple but I thought it turned out kind of grey looking.  I think the problem was that I didn't mix the 6 drops red and 4 drops blue together before I added the essential oil.  Or now that I think about it maybe I got the recipe mixed up and put in 6 drops blue and 4 drops red.  Whatever, I still liked the final outcome.

My Mamma

I have been feeling extremely homesick for my Mamma lately . . .

Matt and Michelle's fine offspring with Grandma Schoeppe

And here are some pictures of Mom's room at Emeritas.  Mom is getting along a bit better.  Some of you may not know her hip broke in May and she has had a long recovery road!

These photos were taken by my sister Terry in October

Simplifying Life

I ordered these tin cups from a camping supply on line 2 years ago.  

Each family member has their own cup, simplifying my life greatly!  

Drew's dad kindly engraved the kids names on their cups.

  The yarn helps all of us in quick identification as well.

The Many Faces of Baruch

Taken April 2008

We measured all the children in April 2009, then again in Nov. 2009.  Mary had grown 3 1/2 inches!  And amazingly so had Baruch. . . or at least that's how he measured up.  About 4 days after measuring everyone, and telling multiple people how much Baruch and Mary had grown Baruch sheepishly approached me to tell me he had been on his tip toes during the measuring session!  Let it be known he has grown 2 1/2 " since April.  I am so thankful his deceitfulness bothered him :-)

The Many Faces of Abram

The Many Faces of Chloe

Photos taken Nov 7, 2008.

Amazing how much she has grown and changed!

Little Finds

My friend Laurie recently told me Aldi started carrying natural peanut butter! At 1.79 for 18 oz verses 2.19 for 16 oz. I am excited! Since I have my set list at Aldi I rarely scan the shelves for anything off the list. I guess they have been carrying it a while. I pray I would use the savings wisely for the glory of the Lord.

Early Morning Ponderings

As I walk the paper route in the morning I pray as the Spirit leads for the souls sleeping and waking in the homes I pass. Some I know by name, some by face, some I have never seen. The thought struck me this morning how little I think about these people if my path does not cross theirs in some shape or form. Being a very visual learner, I hate to admit, but if you are out of my sight, you may be out of mind. I need reminders here and there to remember those I love.
Pictures on the refrigerator, notes on the calendar, an item given to me as a gift all spur my mind to pray for those I love. God is not so. No one ever escapes His watchful eye. He not only knows each and every person, He created them, He sustains them. He is the giver of life. I am so in my own little world, God is HUGE. I am humbled to belong to Him.

Psalm 139:7-16 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,

If I dwell in teh remotest part of the sea,

Even there Your hand will lead me,

 And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,"
Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
For You formed my inward parts; 

You wove me in my mother's womb.

I will give thanks to You, 

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works, 

And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

The Down Side of Potty Training

Chloe has shown a lot of interest in making pee pee on the potty.  The first time she went to the bathroom door and tried the handle while saying "pee pee", which sounded more like baby,  I thought she is certainly not ready to potty train already.  But she continued so I thought I might as well give training a shot and sure enough there was music to my ears!  Then a couple days ago she asked again and Mary took her and sure enough a soft tinkle!    So when she asked today I got her all set up on the potty.  Then Baruch asked for a drink so I left her in the potty to tend to him.  Then I went to make a phone call and next thing I know . . .  Uh Oh!  She went poo in the upstairs bathroom, stepped in it and trailed it through my room and down the steps.  Jacob so wisely commented, "I guess this is the down side of potty training."

It is amazing how much activity one eighteen month old child carries on in any given day!

Abi or Lucy?

Abigail has been asking to have her hair cut for quite some time.  O.kay - ever since we watched The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.  Saturday was her big day.  Baruch and Abram were sleeping and Mary, Jacob and Chloe went with Dad on a few errands.  First I cut it like this:

But that wasn't quite short enough, so then I cut it some more:

This was the perfect length.  Now all we had to do was wait for one of those boys to wake up and introduce them to their cousin Lucy.  Baruch woke first and fell for it for a short time.  Abram woke a half hour later and with Baruch calling her Lucy too it took him a bit longer to recognize her as Abigail.