A New Springtime

Advent Happenings

 I am trying to stay focused on trusting in God's will and keeping the advent spirit of waiting patiently. I am receiving many graces from all of the prayers people have been offering up. During this time we always have our advent wreath set out on our dining room table. 

 

I finally found a wonderful advent calender at the St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, MA. I love the nativity scene and each day it has a scripture reading. I hung it from a ribbon above our school cabinet.

I have also put out our basket of winter and Christmas read alouds. This year we have two new ones I picked up a while ago while thrifting. One is "The legend of The Poinsettia" and the other one is "Cranberry Christmas".

 

I have also completed one of the boxes for our Godchild. I wanted the theme to be, Let Heaven and nature Sing". I was pleased with the way it came out.

 

Included is a "Kids' Nature" book, a bird feeder (a find for $3.99 at The Christmas Tree Shops), a hat and scarf ( a retro floral print), Christmas socks ( w/ JOY printed on them), 4 pine cone bird treats, and a ST. Francis wall plaque.

To wrap it I used the clear cellophane and made a tag to finish it off.

I like to use everyday ordinary miracles, such as nature, as gifts for my Godchildren. I guess I love to see God in His wonderful creation and I hope to pass that on to them. As we all prepare this advent may we all, Heaven and nature, sing!
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Heaven and Nature Sing

Heaven and nature sing, this is the theme for our advent season. We are working on preparing gifts for our family and friends. I am going to make up nature baskets which will include nature and religious books, a bird feeder, bird seed, handmade pincone feeders, two bulbs in a pot, two plaques one of St. Francis and the other of the person's patron saint.

Today we started out by making the pinecone bird feeders.

     

 We collected pinecones on the side of the road. We tied each one with jute.

 

We used skippy peanut butter, creamy, you are not supposed to use the kind with nuts. The birdseed is a blend of different nuts, seeds and fruit.

  

Here are the kiddos getting all sticky.

We are putting them in the cellophane candy bags to make them look pretty and also it will keep them in tact. Each basket is going to have about five or six in them.

   

We did about twelve in a short period of time. I will do a post on the finished baskets when we get one completed.
 
 
 

 
  

Waiting in Joyful Hope

 Thank you for all of the prayers that were offered up for us. I surely felt the grace of God through all of them. Today we found out that our precious baby has passed away. We went in for the ultrasound at about 11:00 today and were saddened to find out that the baby had left us at about 9 weeks. Joe (hubby) and I both cried as we held each others hand. The bond of our marriage grew even stronger as we were of one heart. The angel in the picture is the called,The Angel of Hope. I hope to see our little one face to face again some day in Heaven!

   

 We got to see the our little one and were able to get a couple of ultrasound  pictures.  It  was such a comfort to be able to see the baby. A couple of weeks ago I was inspired with the name Ezekiel. I used to love this song which went, "Ezekiel saw the wheel way up in the middle of the sky, Ezekiel saw the wheel way in the middle of the sky. The big wheel turned by luck, the little wheel turned by the grace of God. It's a wheel in a wheel way in the middle of the sky." It was based on the readings in the Bible from the book of Ezekiel. I looked up the name and it means, Strength of God. How appropriate for the occasion. 

   

   Ezekiel Coleman

 I have decided to try and let things happen naturally. It is really hard at this point to want to schedule any kind of procedure. I was given a script for pain medicine in case I need it. I just don't want to rush into things.  I am trying to be patient and trust in God. Please keep praying for God's mercy.
  
 
 
 
 

Prayers Please

I could use some extra prayers, please. Last night, I began to have some spotting. I called the ob/gyn and he said it is not unusual to have some spotting in the first trimester. I am 11 weeks now. I do not have a history of spotting in my full term pregnancies. In the past the spotting has led to a loss of the baby. I know not all cases are the same so there is still hope.

On monday, I will be scheduled to have an ultrasound. I will post on the results. I know God is with me and His peace is present. There is comfort in that, years ago I would be in a panic. Thank God for His grace!

An Easy Arrangement

 I love those long bouquets of flowers at the store for Thanksgiving and Christmas but by the time all of the money goes to buy the food there is nothing to spare. I decided to try and make one myself using silk flowers I already had at home. I bought a styrofoam block for $2.00 and a candle for less than a dollar.

Step 1

  

Insert the candle into the styrofoam.

Step 2

  

Start to fill in on either side with some long branch type stems. I had faux bittersweet and some leaf stems. For Christmas, I would use the faux red berry branches and some holly leaves.

Step 3

   

 In order to fill in the middle and give it a nice focal point, I used fuax pumpkins about 3 inches in diameter. For Christmas, I would use faux apples or pomegranates.

Step 4

   

 Fill in both sides evenly. Whatever I put on one side, I mirrored it on the other side. Poinsettias  would be nice for Christmas. I like the maroon ones to match the colors in my dining room but I bet the red ones would look quite nice with some white carnations mixed in.

Step 5

  

Fill  in all of the sides so no Styrofoam is showing and put on the table to enjoy. I will store mine and reuse it next year.

 
 
 
  
 

My Little Turkey and more!

 

Her shirt reads, "My little turkey" and that she is. She keeps us laughing and we could gobble her up!
 

 After years of having Thanksgiving, I finally have it down pat. Since it is usually my mother plus the eight of us I only have to concentrate on our favorites. The kiddos don't like any kind of casserole dishes with things mixed together so that narrows the menu down to a pretty simple one.

Horderves

• Crackers, Cheese, Pepperoni
• Shrimp, Cocktail Sauce
• Deviled Eggs
• Tortillas and Salsa
• Black Olives

Main Menu

• Turkey
• Stuffing
• Dirty Rice
• Mashed Potatoes
• Potato Salad ( for hubby)
• Green Beans
• Sweet Potato
• Dinner Rolls

Dessert

• Sweet Potato-Pecan Pie
• Chocolate Chip Cookies (backed by Raphael)

 I started cooking at about 5:00 and finished about 8:00. I had prepared certain things earlier. I peeled the potatoes and put them in a big bowl of ice water. Joseph, sixteen, browned the hamburger for the dirty rice. Hubby always orders a pizza the night before the big day which makes it so much easier for me.

After the meal was cooked, except the turkey, I set the table.

 All of the food was delicious and I love to prepare it for the ones I love. It was so sweet to hear all of the kiddos thank me after dinner. I could tell they had really enjoyed the meal. That was the best part for me.

 I can remember in years past when the family was younger, I used to feel so stressed with the whole ordeal of preparing the meal and everything else but know it is like old hat. I am comfortable and more confident with the whole routine. Thanks be to God!

Simple Things to be Thankful For

 It seems I have been taking pleasure in the simpler things in life! Here are three of them I have been enjoying the most.

    

 This book I picked up for  a quarter at our library's annual book sale. It isThe Trapp Family Singers written by Maria VonTrapp.The beginning is quite similar to the movie but the middle and latter parts are more detailed. Each night I try to read some before I doze off.

   

 I have set aside an hour each day from 3:00 to 4:00 for the kiddos and I to rake the yard. It has been great for me because I need the exercise and the cardiovascular work out. We have been faithful to our routine except on rainy days and it gets me out of the house. I feel invigorated afterward and I feel like I have gotten a good work out. Today we almost completed the entire backyard. Maybe one more hour and it'll be done. I am going to have to find another means of outside exercise. Maybe start  walking around the go cart track the kids created.

   

 Last, but definitely not least is my little butter bean. She has so much personality and makes us all laugh. She loves to entertain us with her singing, her chase me game and her smiles. Such simple things but so much joy! A quote from Maria Von Trapp, " No, we are not poor. We just don't have any money." This is how she responded to one of her friends who kept on telling her she was poor. She truly knew that value was in her family and the simple things she enjoyed in life.

 I hope everyone has a simple and wonderful Thanksgiving and May God be with you!
 
 
 

Inspirations

 Morning sickness is starting to subside.( I am about 10 weeks along.) This is a benefit to me mentally and physically. It is so hard to function and run a household, homeschool, etc. when you are nauseous. During these times in the past I have relied on Martha Stewart's television show for some inspiration and teaching lessons, so I decided to do the same this pregnancy.Her show is on from 10:00 to 11:00 Monday through Friday. She is very inspirational and educational at the same time.

 It can be used as a great springboard for seasonal ideas and field trips. Last week she baked pies, studied bulbs and plants, and talked about protecting kestrels and broad-tailed hawks from pesticides. The kiddos drew the kestrel in their nature notebooks. Raphael is becoming quite the artist!

 

 I decided a couple of small field trips could be made to try and incorporate what we learned from the show. We went to a local garden center and viewed the different amaryllis,hyacinth, paper white, and tulip bulbs. We purchased about four different varieties of paper whites, a couple of mini daffodils, and one hyacinth. We will plant them next week after Thanksgiving and eagerly await there arrival for Christmas.

    
 
  Another small excursion was a trip to Backyard Birds a local store. We needed a new tube bird feeder and we picked up some seeds for our feathered friends.When we got home we set up our  feeding station in a new area.  We will be able to see it from our dining room table where we sit during school time . This year we are trying out suet. Hopefully we will attract some woodpeckers.

   

Here's one of my favorite girls excitedly waiting the arrival of some birdies.

 

Computer Down

 I haven't been blogging at all for the past month because my computer is out of commission. Hubby finally got around to disconnecting the machine and is getting ready to send it out. I have been able to get supper ready on time a lot more since the I haven't been able to blog. I know that is a good thing but at the same time it hasn't given me much time to reflect on my life. I do need some personal time and I use my blog to keep an account of all of the precious moments and blessings I have in my life.

 It has been a blessing to me as a, stay at home mom, to be able to share and read about other mom's and their families. Since I haven't been writing it has been difficult for me to appreciate my vocation and to remember that I do have a valuable role as wife, mother and homeschooler.

 The time off of the computer has aloud me to see how much I miss writing and sharing and that is has been a gift from God to me. I hope to be back on-line soon and I hope to hear from you all soon.

Dancing In The Sunshine

  I was so filled such joy as I witnessed this beautiful dance today. Nothing can compare to the spiritual experience that took place in my heart as God allowed me to see His glory.

  

 As we were doing school this morning, I happened to look over and see this taking place. Little Eliana was reaching up and playing with the stream of sunshine that was coming in through the window. 

   

She was twirling  around and waving her precious hands in the luminous ray. I t was so intriguing to her and just as thrilling for the rest of us to watch this ballet.

Such a simple moment...
  
  

blessed us beyond measure. We all started to join in. Abbey began to move her head in and out of the light while Max waved his pencil faster and faster. No toy could have brought about a more awe inspiring spectacle.

 

 Over the years I have been anxious about many things and still do but when I experience the, dances in the sunshine, I am able through God's grace to know that he is the orchestrator and I have nothing to fear.God has shown me many beautiful moments in my life such as this and gives me His peace knowing he is the one leading the dance.