Batter...Up!!!

We are not normally "play ball in the house" type of parents . However, we couldn't pass up the girls and their creative minds...a toy microphone for a bat and a foam pool ball for the baseball. We all played baseball in the family room complete with all the bases. We had so much fun!!!

Daddy pitching to Madeline...

Daddy pitching to Mia...Madeline is on 3rd base. There were several home runs that night!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever. ~ Psalm 107:1

Our day was so relaxing & peaceful. My hubby did get the day off work, (we thought he was going to have to work) thank you Lord!! Our family in Tampa couldn't come this time...we missed you! It was Dad, Mom, Carl & Darlene, Grace, PJ & Tiffany and the four of us. I forgot to take pictures with Grace, Tiffany & PJ.

This was our school board...w/ tags describing some of the things we are thankful for with Psalm 107:1 written on the bottom.

Our Menu:
Turkey w/ gravy & cranberries, cornbread dressing, salad, sweet potato souffle, peas, corn casserole, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie, chocolate chip & homemade gingerbread cookies.

It was a beautiful day with a high in the low 70's :)

Dad/ Grandpa

Mom/ Grandma

Darlene (my sis) & Carl

Uncle Carl, Aunt Dee- Dee & the girls

Sisters & Best of Friends :)

Me & My Honey

The girls added to the menu with Gingerbread cookies they had made...I made this one :)

Patch the Pirate

The girls are in Patch the Pirate this year instead of AWANA. They are enjoying this and had their first performance last night. As you can see in this picture, they were singing one of the songs they have learned. Mia is the one with her hands covering her face, Madeline is to the left of her. We are in one of those "seasons" and praying for the Lord's direction and so grateful for His grace that covers us!

Touring Daddy's Work...

After the birthday party we went and picked up Roy at work. The girls were so happy he invited them to come in and see where he works. They got to ride on the golf cart from the sales gallery to the resort, see the models, have cotton candy and they represented our family so well. Good job, girls! :)

Part of the resort behind them...also a Par 3 golf course

Christmas tree in the lobby...in mid-November :)

Sweet Sisters!

Cotton candy break :)

Inside the unit in the living room...

Screened lanai overlooking the lake

Daddy & Mia up front...

Mommy & Madi on the back!

Pirate's Cove Birthday Party for Josh!

The girls were invited to a fun birthday party for their friend Josh at a miniature golf course. This was their third time ever playing and it was a nice chilly day. The other two times they played we were on vacation in the Smoky Mountains and it was VERY cold then.

Mia, Ethan, Josh (Birthday Boy) & Madeline

The girls were playing with Ethan...I was amazed at how fast all the kids zipped through the course. It was fun to watch...except maybe when Mia lost her ball in the water! :)

Madeline...wow, she is growing up so fast!
As most parents would say, "where did all the time go"?

This was a really neat cake...a pirate ship, of course!

Mia enjoying her cake...yummy!

Happy Birthday Josh...thanks for inviting us to your super, fun party!

How Exciting...I Won!!

This is my first time to win a giveaway! I had entered a contest last Thursday on Christy's blog and received word this morning that I had won...I was so happy!!!

The book is from Salem Ridge Press titled Mary Jane--Her Book. Check out Christy's blog and the Salem Ridge Press to find out what it is all about. The girls and I are very excited to receive this sweet story.

Thank you Christy for offering this giveaway and all the valuable homeschooling info on your site. :)

An Awesome Giveaway...

Wouldn't you love to be blessed one of these?

Head on over to the Old Red Barn Co ...you have until Monday night at 7:00 pm US EST on November 17th to enter for your chances to win!

You Know You Have A Lot On Your Mind...When You...

Might leave your house looking like this!! Surely, I couldn't be the only one this has happened to?

One black Croc on the left foot...one black Clark on the right foot!

We were headed out the door to lunch with my Dad and thankfully I looked down at my feet just before reaching the driveway to find this wonderful sight! It seems like over the past few days I have been thinking or reflecting much more than what is generally normal for me. I am looking forward to the holidays for some down time to have a break from schooling and some time to just read and relax. While I was on The Homespun Heart tonight I saw Monica's post about Christy's book giveaway next Thursday. Check it out & enter to win!

Making Your Home A Haven: Day 5...Inviting & Giving

Today is about inviting others into your home and reaching out... giving to others around you...neighbors, friends, church members, to name a few.

I was not able to participate today but I will put this into practice in the days ahead. I still have quite a bit of work to get this haven in order...I am thankful to be off to a good start from being encouraged, motivated and blessed by so many kind words this week. All the blogs I visited this week were such a delight and offered so many wonderful ideas! :) Thank you so much Monica for pouring your heart into this for all of us to be so blessed.

We did have a nice day today. Roy was playing in a golf tournament...Praise God he was able to get off work! My Dad came over and took the girls and I to lunch at Friendly's and then we came back and put together a 300 piece puzzle he brought over. After that we played Monopoly for at least a couple hours. Later on it was time for the girls & I to go outside and see if we could see the shuttle going up. It was pretty cloudy...we did spot it for a bit...after it was higher up in the sky. At that point it just appeared as a white light...we missed the pretty orange tones! :) We then realized we were locked out of the house...thankfully Roy was on his way back about 15 minutes away and the girls had sweaters on to protect from the mosquitos.

Grandpa & the girls at Friendly's

Mia chose the traditional hot fudge sundae today :)

Madeline chose mint chocolate chip with hot fudge :)

The 300 piece 2' x 3' Snow White puzzle

We were pretty far along playing Monopoly here. Mia was getting tired and bored of us playing this game and Madeline didn't want to stop!

Thanks for coming over Dad and treating us to lunch...we had a lovely afternoon!

Making Your Home A Haven: Day 4...Fun

Today is all about bringing fun into our homes! Check out Monica's blog to read about today's challenge at The Homespun Heart you will be very encouraged.

The girls and I will be doing school early today and hopefully be finished by 12:00, 1:00 at the latest. We have a playdate with our friends Michelle & Sarah and I am hoping to get together a craft that they can do here together. Later on the girls will be at Grandma's and Roy & I each have our bible study tonight.

Today in my quiet time with the Lord I feel it is about resting in HIM...no matter what comes up, whatever situations arise where I am tempted to become anxious or worried. To just pray and place it in His hands and rest in the promise of His word and His sweet presence. Many times in the past I have chosen to entertain or analyze events in my head and have gone through much torment simply by not remembering...this battle does not belong to me!!! The enemy would love for me to do this, to wear me down in hopes that I would forget who I am. I am a child of God and I have the mind of Christ...and that is something to rest in!!!!

Hope you ladies have a joyful day creating fun for your families!

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Here is how our day went...

We got the schoolwork done and then our friends came over and we had a wonderful time visiting. I wasn't able to get a craft together this time...I WILL plan ahead next time :)
It was a great surprise when Daddy called on his way home from work and offered to get pizza for all of us. Thanks for coming over Michelle & Sarah...it was so fun hanging out!

Madeline, Sarah & Mia

I can't remember what they were laughing at now?? :)

We had story time with them. They each read to us...it was so sweet to hear them and how much they are learning.

Pizza Party!!

Happy Birthday Roy!!!

Happy Birthday Roy...

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Denise, Madeline & Amelia

We had a first ever this morning...we were out of milk (forgot to get it on the way home last night) so we had birthday cake for breakfast!!! It was good at first... the girls of course loved it, it was a little tough on the tummy though that early.

Mia woke up Daddy this morning at the doorway to our bedroom with a birthday hat on and a party blower...Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

When I thought I was going to make pancakes (before realizing we had no milk) the girls were preparing the table. When I came in there they had gotten out a tablecloth, placemats for the three of us with fish on them and a bunny one for the birthday boy! They chose multi-colored, checkered cloth napkins and paper ones with festive turkeys on them. They also brought out a birdhouse they had painted for Daddy and a little pot of flowers they had gotten me in the past.

It was the sweetest & cutest unmatched table I have ever seen...they are so precious!! :)

We hope you have a wonderful birthday honey and we are so grateful that you are off this year for us to all be together.

We love you~
Denise, Madeline & Amelia

Praise God the headache went away for us to go out and celebrate at Cracker Barrel- Thanks Papa! We had a great time and the girls enjoyed looking around in the store.

They were so polite and outgoing in ordering their meal tonight. Great job girls! :)

Making Your Home A Haven: Day 3...Cared For

Well, to update from yesterday...

It was a very challenging day. I started out by dusting & doing laundry and I didn't get much further then that. Then I was focused with the girls & their schoolwork. I think I had hopes of doing too much cleaning in between the girls doing their seatwork. That was unfair of me and led to my impatience with them. We did get the schooling done...it could have gone much smoother though had I not been so overwhelmed with "my plans".

Roy was home and he was VERY helpful as he always is. My awesome husband swept the kitchen and vacuumed...I am so thankful & blessed!

It was a busy day and we had a community meeting to attend for homeschooling last night. I made my hubby's birthday cake right before we left. It was at this meeting that the Lord showed me something about this day of cleaning. I thought it was about me tackling some of the many areas that I had gotten behind on. With the events of the day though, through my moments of frustration, impatience & anger at times...He showed me it was about cleaning my heart out yesterday. The need to adjust the focus in some areas and to be cautious of the direction I was traveling in others.

I did not have my quiet time with the Lord yesterday. I am so grateful that His plans don't depend on my obedience or lack of obedience to Him. I am blessed by all that he showed me yesterday and how I can make life so difficult & complicated when I don't keep him first. I am encouraged today that Joy truly does come in the morning!

Today is my husband's birthday...Happy Birthday Honey! What better way to care for this home than to celebrate my wonderful husband and enjoy this day with our girls. He woke up with a pretty bad headache so please agree with us in prayer that it will be gone in Jesus' name.

I pray that all of your days are going well and that you are blessed! God is so Good!!!!

Making Your Home A Haven: Day 2...Clean

This is one of my favorite things to do...clean. Even though many areas in our home don't currently reflect that! I will not have as much time today to work on this in order for the girls & I to get the schoolwork done. I got carried away going through the clutter yesterday. :)

Today I plan to...

clean the bathrooms
dust all rooms
clean the windows - front door & back sliding door (they are bad!)
sweep all floors
vacuum
mop- if time allows

It was such a treat to wake up today and go in the kitchen and have a bare counter top greet me!

I have so much more peace than I did yesterday at this time. I am so grateful to be doing this challenge and I am so encouraged by all of you ladies! :)

Have a Blessed Day!

Making Your Home A Haven: Day 1... Clutter

One of the blogs I enjoy reading The Homespun Heart is devoting this week to "Making Your Home A Haven". Check out Monica's blog- this is so encouraging to tackle some of the areas we avoid or may become overwhelmed with. There are endless opportunities for our home to benefit from this challenge! I am looking forward to this and I hope the results will be a blessing for my family.

Lord, Thank you for this day and all that you are doing in my life. I pray for wisdom and guidance this week as I dedicate this undertaking to you...for how you desire this home to operate. I praise you in advance for your grace that will carry me through some of these areas. I ask that I will see myself as you see me. At the end of this week, I am believing you will have transformed some areas in my life that in the past I have chosen to turn away from. My desire is to please you with a willing heart and fully assume the role you have given to me in this home as a wife, mother, teacher & friend. I ask for you to bless each person who is participating and I pray for unity in their homes and fruit to abound as a result from this. I pray for your provision in all areas of their lives. I give you all the Glory Lord...thank you for your love! In Jesus' Name- Amen

Today is all about: CLUTTER . I have several areas that I accumulate this and some of those areas have no 'homes' for all these things. Our home does not have a lot of storage, yet I know a lot of this could just be disposed of.

My challenge with all of this is time management. I am looking forward to "planning" in several areas of day to day life. This I believe is the one thing holding up everything else. I must commit to a schedule (more than a daily to- do list) and then I know the habits will soon follow.

Currently, I get up very early with my husband (5:30 am) make his lunch, iron a shirt (if needed) and sit down to join him in reading the Word and having coffee. We always pray before he leaves for work. On his drive into work, I read The Daily Bread daily devotional. Then I have my quiet time in the Word before the girls are up. From then on there are no set times with anything else. In the process of an unplanned day somehow schooling, eating, household chores, etc. are completed. However, not in an efficient and orderly way (as I desire) or a way that I desire for our girls to be taught.

There are also some roles in the home that I have not assumed responsibility for...thankfully, I am extemely blessed with an amazing Husband. This does not lighten the load of conviction that weighs on my heart though. :) I know I can do more...and the Word says... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

I am excited and encouraged by the challenges and possibilities this week holds. One thing is for sure...God is so Good!!

I will tackle the linen closet and the kitchen counter today. Here are the before & after pictures...

Before & ...

After!

It took a while to go through all of this paperwork. I am very pleased with what I was able to complete today. There are still several things that I need to file...no complaints! This was a huge blessing to be a part of this project. It was very motivating and good to have the accountability. I feel so much better already and that was just one part of this room! I'll save the draws full of more stuff for another day :)

Before & ...

After!

This took a long while to complete. I would still like to go back again and go through the bins on the very top shelf. There wasn't enough time to go through and toss out what was outdated or unused. I wound up with 1- 1/2 wastebaskets full of trash from old & outdated items. Then I was able to assign each bin for a particular use...medicine & toiletries, haircare, and hands & feet. Now when something is needed right away, I or my hubby can go right in and get it. Instead of wondering if we still have it or not? :)

It was a great evening...after dinner we finished watching the third disc of Christy. I really love this series! Everyone was in bed earlier tonight too...except for me. :) I am looking forward to tomorrow~ Good Night.

Thanks again Monica for leading this! Lord thank you for guiding me through this day and blessing me with your favor to complete these tasks. I have enjoyed walking through this day with you and meditating on the fact that there are no limitations with you.