Christmas Countdown Planner

I love the 24/7 Mom's site. Love it! I watch the show whenever I can and I have won prizes a couple times. Tricia, the owner, is amazingly organized. The last show I was able to watch she talked all about her Christmas Binder. She has written an article about it and she is now posting weekly reminders for the countdown to Christmas. I wanted to share the article here so that if you are interested you can start also. The countdown started last week but I just made mine tonight. So you can catch up easily. Check it out and let me know if you are going to follow along. :)

12-Week-Countdown-To-An-Organized-Christmas

The weekly reminder posts and show information are on the site.

24/7 Mom's- Week 1

Gossip

I apologize for missing a post last week... again. My family has been taking turns with some virus. I was sick for a week and a half myself and still have a little bit of a lingering cough.

Sometimes I will have something just hit my spirit and I need to write about it. I am not sure what exactly brought it up today but here it is. Gossip.

Proverbs 16:28 A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.

Why do we gossip? Did we not learn in grade school that it never works out the way you think it will? Didn't you get yourself in enough trouble and not want to go there again? I have never liked gossip, not a fan at all and if you start trying to talk to me about someone I am probably going to give them the benefit of the doubt. I am probably going to say something you don't like and we won't be talking about it anymore. Usually someone who gossips wants you to go along with it and listen if nothing else. I really try to put a stop to that right away.

I have been hurt by gossip way too much. It's happened in my family. There isn't much to do but forgive and move on but I know it's being done and it still hurts. Do you think that it's ok to gossip about someone if you do it in church? Well it's not. Don't you think it could divide the church, causing you to focus on the wrong things? Do you think it's ok to gossip if you are only talking about someone with your sister? It's not. It divides families and homeschool groups and churches. It changes the opinions about the other person no matter what you think and they will not be able to hide how they feel. They are probably going to say something to that person that lets them know you guys were talking about them. Trust me.

I can tell you that the people who have gossiped about me don't really know me, not well anyways, even the family members. They talk about things I have done or they believe I have done and it's not true and always misunderstood. Some of those people try to pretend and be nice to my face and others don't really care too much and they say things that let me know I was the topic of a recent discussion. Their opinion of me has been forever changed and I can't do anything about it. It's hurtful.

The worst part of this? All the people I know doing it claim to be Christian. What does God say about gossip? Do you follow Jesus or do you say you do, while acting however you want to? I don't care about how you try to appear to others, God sees all my friends. Think before you gossip.

I do know that I don't care about impressing others. If you want to gossip about me, just know that I know about it and I am going to let God handle you, but you are missing out, cause I am a pretty cool person. :) I do my best to serve Jesus and he knows my heart no matter what you may think you know about me. I will not tell you all the things I do or try to lift myself up to make you like me. These verses explain why I believe we shouldn't do that.

My hope is that this will just make you think before you talk. Think about the person you may be hurting. Think about how as a Christian you look to the non-Christian who could be seeking. May the Lord convict your heart and help us all to live the way He has commanded. This world needs us to show God in all areas of life. <3 p="p">

Psalm 10:3
For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.



"[But] take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise you will have no heavenly recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

When you pray, do not be like hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

Matthew 6: 1-8 (NAV)

Some School Stuff

I have a few pictures from our first couple weeks of school to share. We did have some light days and some days Meghan couldn't do anything as she caught a cold or something. She seems to be mostly better now except a little left over conjestion. We should have lots going on this week.

Fifth grader

Kindergartner

Preschooler

 

Craft time.

 

Thought I would share our "school area". This is just where we are doing calendar time and a place to have everything organized and ready to use.

 

Puzzle time

 

 

Kaden and Ellie using window markers.

 

Meghan making friendship bracelets during her online American Girl Club.

 

Ellie having some straberries. :)

 

Kaden the police officer wanted in on a picture too.

 

 

 

Muffin Tin Monday

Happy Labor Day everyone!  We have had a nice day, just hanging out and resting. I am glad because I have been tired! Tomorrow it's back to homeschool for us, Meghan and I have hair cut appointments and I have cake club in the evening. Of course all the normal stuff like cleaning and feeding people will probably happen too.

On that note here is our latest Muffin Tin meal to share.

 

Homemade uncrustables with either pb and j or pb and honey. They each had a treat, cubes apples, a rice cake, cubed cheese and goldfish crackers.

 

Next week I hope to plan something themed. I have to plan ahead on these or they just get thrown together. :)

FREEEEEE

Here is Foundations Bible Curriculum for FREE!! This is through Currclick also but just click on the link.. :) YAY

http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/free-foundations-3-year-bible-study-curriculum-save-44-85/

Muffin Tin Monday

Here is our latest Muffin Tin Lunch. We haven't been doing them much through the summer so the kids were super excited to see them come out.

We have peanut butter and honey uncrustables made with our little Pampered Chef tool, cinnamon graham crackers, raisins, peanuts, banana slices and a few red, white and blue marshmallow stars.

I found a new pink ice cream shaped muffin tin over the summer too. Cute!

Check out Muffin Tin Mom for lots of great meal ideas!

Hello Out There (First Day of School)

Is anyone out there?   Bueller??

I know I haven't been blogging regularly. That should change now that we are getting back to a regular schedule. We didn't take the summer off from school but we just did Math and lots of Reading. I almost feel like we were off.

I have a new schedule now, lots of activities and trips planned, new curriculum and another child added to the "school age" mix. Kaden is in Kindergarten this year and Meghan is in 5th grade, (wow). Ellie must do everything they do so she asks for school work all the time. She will work on preschool.

Today was our first official day of the new school year so I decided this year to take them to breakfast. Here are some pictures. We went to Paradise Bakery because the little local place I was going to take them was closed. I have no idea why because it was their business hours. Oh well. We shared egg croissants and bagels. Then the kids had a cookie. Their cookies are the best. :)

I will have more pictures of our "Not Back to School Day" later.

Here are a few from last week.

Stay tuned! I promise to blog more soon!

A Few Easter Photos

Photos from Kaden's 5th Birthday