Monday, January 31, 2011

Chloe's Song

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Snapshot Summary #28



Saturday
22 - January, 2011






Sunday
23 - January, 2011

Out to eat to celebrate Grandma's 93rd Birthday

Then back to her house for fun and games!


Monday
24 - January, 2011
Happenings around the house . . .





After Bible Study . . .


Tuesday
25 - January, 2011
Happenings around the house . . .





Wednesday
26 - January, 2011
The children have been reading a mystery book which inspired them to try out invisible ink. They juiced a lemon, then wrote on a piece of paper with it, using a toothpick. To read invisible message, heat up the paper, just be careful not to burn it!



Cob frosting a cake for the first time. Mary and Abi frosted cakes for the first time too, I just failed to capture that on film.


Thursday
27 - January, 2011
Abram hard at his phonics lesson.
He loves to do "school"!



Friday
28 - January, 2011

We had a great day with Tonya and kids here for science. We each built a brain out of clay, making the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem each out of a different color. We then built neurons out of pipe cleaners, dendrites, cell body, axon and axon terminal each of a different color. Then Tonya and I enjoyed encouraging each other in the Lord while the kids played. I have really enjoyed our science times. With each new body system we study I am amazed anew at how "fearfully and wonderfully made" we are. God is an amazing creator!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Oatmeal in the Crockpot!

I finally found a crockpot oatmeal recipe that worked for me! I have tried several in the past, always striving to have a cook all night - little to no morning prep breakfast. The ones I have made in the past come out WAY too gooey, like a big sticky blob. This recipe used 6 Cups of water to 2 Cups of steal cut oats. I used a total of 13 1/2 Cups water and 4 1/2 Cups oats and added 3/4 teaspoon sea salt. Right before retiring for the night, I added the ingredients, turned the crock on low put on the lid and woke up to wonderfully creamy oatmeal. After adding 1/2 rapadura, 1 t cinnamon and 1/4 t almond extract it was ready to serve!!! I served it with cranberries on the side as not everyone enjoys them. Everyone really enjoyed breakfast. There were some leftovers so I put them in the blender at 10:00 and added some homemade yogurt and frozen berries for our snack time. Yum, yum fruity smoothy.

Crockpot Oatmeal
13 1/2 Cup Water
4 1/2 Cup Oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cook on low in crockpot for 8 to 10 hours.

Stir in
1/2 C rapadura
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
14 teaspoon almond extract

And Enjoy!!
Serve with nuts and fresh or dried fruit if desired.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Down Time

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Snapshot Summary #27



Friday
14 - January, 2011

We had some friends join us for a wii party! Jonny and Jimmy live close by and already knew the ropes of wii playing. Cob even asked them to bring their own remotes. Shortly after they arrived the neighbors dog came up missing so off the boys ran to help find Hector! It didn't take them too long to find Hector but they came home without Jimmy! I was just starting to worry when I saw him walking toward the house!! The next game of choice was . . .

table tennis. The boys were pretty evenly matched so there were some really good volleys. Before long Pa and Grandma arrived to join in the fun!

Saturday
15 - January, 2011



Chloe and I kind of did our own thing today. We headed to a meeting, then to Aldi, back home to unload, put away and get lunch on the table. In the afternoon I baked a bread. Drew took the other children and his parents to a raptor presentation. They also had a baby cougar! I was thankful to get so much done and Drew said the children enjoyed their time with Pa and Grandma.

Sunday
16 - January 2011






The children enjoyed having friends come for what turned out to be a - longer than expected (and much enjoyed) time. Our plans are not His plans. Poor Kathy dropped Ezra and Keziah off with the plan of picking them up around 4:30 only to experience van trouble. We had a great time with the children. Mary, Abi and Keziah worked on a small quilt. They were easy to photograph, Ezra and the boys never stood still long enough!

Monday
17 - January 2011

Laura brought her children along to bible study tonight. The children were thrilled to have friends here two days in a row. They all played together so nicely. They did divide into girls/boys and rotate half way with one group in the basement and the other group upstairs. Bible study has been very encouraging! Last week we memorized Proverbs 21:5"Steady plodding brings prosperity but hasty speculation brings poverty." I have been so encouraged to just keep plodding away at what I know the Lord desires of me. Steady! Easy does it! Keep going . . . plod, plod, plod.


Flora and Chloe




Tuesday
18 - January 2011

We snuck into John and Miriam's (at Miriam's request) to help John celebrate his birthday. Surprise!?! Yes he was. We gladly stayed for the strawberry cake with chocolate frosting John made.

Chloe waiting patiently for the host to take the first bite.
Our neighbors that have become very dear to us, John and Miriam.

Wednesday
19 - January 2011





Participating in Bible study Monday night and a Birthday celebration Tuesday makes this our first Family Worship since the Lord's Day! Ahhhh our family needed this nourishing time.

Friday
21 - January 2011


We had another busy day. Aldi in the AM. Stringed instrument practice in the afternoon. Drew's parents came to watch the little three as Drew and I are now in on the lessons. Funny how good it sounds when Keith is playing with us and how pathetic when we are home playing on our "lone" (to quote Renee's kids). After lunch (which Drew's mom brought, yummy meatballs) the little ones took naps, Pa and Cob played ping pong and Mary took Mary E. and Abi to St. Vincents and Good Will and I made bread and pizza crusts. Supper was a bit late, then Drew and I had a date. I feel so spoiled we have had so many dates lately! We really needed to talk budget though and weren't organized enough to do it so, well, we'll just have to have another date again!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Tents in the Living Room

We literally live in our living room during waking hours. Our living room transforms into wonderful things during all hours of a day!I am so thankful to have all this little people surrounding me to fill this house with life.



Saturday, January 15, 2011

Snapshot Summary #25 and #26



Sunday 2 - January, 2011 through Wednesday 3 - January, 2011 It's a New Year so I planned to hit it hard around here!! Unfortunately I woke up Monday morning with an awful headache and was completely out of commission for the entire morning. I managed to keep the older two on their school schedule while Abi helped care for the younger ones. Mary was wonderful preparing supper and Jacob helped her scrub potatoes for lunch. By Tuesday AM I was praising the Lord for good days! We did a good bit of school Tuesday and enjoyed bible study here Tuesday night. Our Wednesday night study was cancelled so the kids were able to help me clean a bit and organize some in anticipation of my sister Terry's arrival. She got in around 1 AM. We chatted a bit and I fed her a bit of steaming hot goulash before crashing

Thursday
6 - January, 2011
The kids were all so excited they asked every 5 minutes from the time the first awakened (6:30 AM)until the hour of Aunt Terry's rousting (about 10 AM). She caught Chloe and I showering so the kids greeted her first. We headed over to Emmaus and played ping pong and air hockey for a bit, then had lunch when we got home. Lunch was way late as the chicken hadn't finished cooking AND my rice cooker broke!! Two strikes in one meal. After lunch everyone laid down for naps. The older three did not sleep but the rest of us sure enjoyed our snooze. When Chloe woke up the first thing she said was "Did aunt Terry spend the night?" her second sentence - "Can I go in and see her?" After a half hour or so I let Chloe go in. At first she wanted to wake her up but when she got in the room she decided she would rather snuggle.



After supper the kids took an official pledge of sharing and opened Aunt Terry's Christmas present to all of them. They were ecstatic to find a wii under the wrapping paper. Jacob's reaction could not have been better. He was beyond thrilled.



Friday
7 - January, 2011

One thing Terry told me she wanted to do while visiting was let Drew and I have a date so that is just what we did. Drew picked me up and bought me a sandwich while Terry babysat. We enjoyed our date, Thanks Terry!


Terry, Mary E., Jacob, Abigail and I played a game of Farkle while the little ones napped.




Congratulations on winning Aunt Terry!



Saturday
8 - January, 2011

Puzzling with Aunt Terry


Click here to see the finished puzzle (well, almost finished)

Snuggling with Aunt Terry!



Game watching with Aunt Terry!



Saturday
10 - January, 2011

I forgot to bring the camera to the River Museum. We enjoyed an extremely cold guided outdoor winter wetland walk as well as watching the local fire department do a rescue from the river. We thawed out a bit between the two and ended with an interesting demonstration of different canoes and water vessels used by the native Americans. Terry finished the puzzle at 10:30 PM! Well, she finished it all but the missing piece!! I was actually amazed there weren't more pieces missing. I mean truly, it sat in our kitchen hub bub. See 13 - January for the rest of the story.

Sunday
9 - January, 2011

No one wanted to say goodbye to Aunt Terry. So sad to see her go but I new David and Renee and their children would never forgive us if we kidnapped her.




group hug!




Monday
10 - January, 2011
We hit the week running. School went well. Bible study went well. Praise the Lord for good friends and His word!

Tuesday
11 - January, 2011


Wednesday
12 - January, 2011
I don't know why but by the end of the day I felt completely maxed out. Baruch really wanted to take his rc helicopter to the gym to fly it. I thank the Lord for my children but tonight I thanked Him for the break when Drew left with all of them for the gym!

Thursday
13 - January, 2011
We went ice skating with several other home schooling families this AM. Everyone enjoyed skating! Chloe preciously walk/skated on her extra wide double blades. Abram hilariously knee knocked while pushing a chair for balance. Baruch whizzed and crashed, whizzed and crashed continually. Abigail showed great coordination and control. Jacob signed up for the hockey team, no not really, but he would have I'm sure if I suggested it. Mary glided about swan-like between infrequently graceful falls. I enjoyed the ice too and enjoyed helping the little ones try gliding, spinning, turning and stopping - none of which I am the best at and all of which I think are important skills on the ice.

BTW the snapshotless summaries are due to lack of photos! I did just start charging the camera battery:-) Oh and guess what I found when I stepped onto the back porch this afternoon? The missing puzzle piece!!!!

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