Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

There are many days where this quote comes to mind but not more often than New Year's Eve.

Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?

-Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

 Happy New Year

My Special Christmas Gift

I finally just remembered to take a picture of a gift Brad made for me for Christmas.

I found the 5 Shelf about two weeks ago, tweaked the plans a little and Brad did the rest! I love him! And I adore my new shelf. 

Rest

Mmmm, rest. Just the word brings a form of peace in me. This past year Brad and I have really tried to make time a couple days a month to rest. We leave the house in order to get away from the noise and responsibilities of the home for an hour or two. It is on the calendar. We encourage each other to follow through with this time. Yet somehow I still don't feel rested.

Sunday, at church the sermon looked at Ephesians 5:15-20

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 He focused on the second part of verse 18,

Instead, be filled with the Spirit

The part of this that stood out to me most was that this is a continual process. We need to continually ask God to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are saved the Spirit is with us, we don't lose our salvation or the Spirit but we need to be recharged. The example given was that of a cell phone battery. Your cell phone has a battery. When the power is drained you do not have to replace it but it does have to be recharged. That charge will not hold for years or even weeks, only days. We need to be recharged by the Holy Spirit continually in the same way.

Leaving the house and taking a break form the children and household responsibilities will only take me so far. I can only find true rest in Him. I was reminded again this morning as a homeschooling mom I need to set aside time to rest. Heather from Oh My Stinkin Heck has a super blog. She guest posts about homeschooling on The Pioneer Woman and today she had a great post about rest. Here is an excerpt

In all the discussion about curriculum, planning, organization, teaching and learning there is one very important post that has yet to be made–a post about the importance of rest.

For many of us homeschooling is part of a greater balancing act. We juggle the job of educating our children with additional responsibilities; caring for a family and home, nurturing our relationship with our spouse or significant other, participating in community or church activities, working full or part-time in or away from home, not to mention carving out time to indulge in our personal hobbies or interests.

We are, in a word, busy.

You can read the rest on The Pioneer Woman. I pray that 2011 will be filled with rest for both you and me. Go take a moment to add it to your calendar, leave a sticky note somewhere or tie a string around your finger. However you will remember take the time to find rest.

My Beloved Collage

This is my collage that I put together three years ago.

• it measures 2'x3'
• it has 60ish photos
• we love looking at all the pictures of when Bookworm was little and Gypsy was first born
• there are no pictures of Monster

I now have over 100+ new photos sitting in a box overwhelming me. 

• how do I choose only 60ish of the 100+ new photos
• what do I do with this masterpiece
• why isn't this wall ten times bigger to hold more frames

One thought I had was to take this collage and mod podge it to a canvas I have sitting in my craft closet. There is a spot in our bedroom I could hang the canvas. But I know in a few years from now I will want to make another collage to fill the frame. Do I just keep putting the old collage on a new canvas and fill our basement family room walls? I have not ever used mod podge on photos on a canvas, does it work? I must look into this...

HELP me, please!!!

Holiday Nights

 The night after Christmas Brad and I went to Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village. We had a lovely time walking around looking at the houses as they had been decorated for Christmas originally. I was excited to use my new camera and try out some different shots. Too bad for me, and the budget, because the photo walk confirmed that I want a new lens, now if I could only decide which lens is best for me now.

Yummy deserts at the Ford Home

Lanterns lighted the way around the entire village including here outside the Ford Home

Lights strung on Main Street

Window display in the Main Street Toy Store

Workers distributing more lanterns outside Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Complex

A Christmas Tree in the Sarah Jordan Boarding House

My favorite photo of the night, the Edison Homestead

The Christmas Tree inside the Edison Homestead 

Martha-Mary Chapel, Brad's sister and husband were married here almost 11 years ago

One shot that got me really thinking I would like a different lens

The 1913 Herschell-Spillman Carousel 

And this is the winning shot that confirmed that I would like a new lens, I just couldn't get the sign to focus and the lights on the carousel to go all bokeh

Model T Truck

William Ford Barn

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas a few days late to blog land. Here are a few scraps from our Christmas Day festivities. 

Santa got a little full from the yummy cookies we left him and wasn't able to finish the last one. Good thing the children can help out with that!

Santa left Gypsy a pair of real ballet slippers. This was also the last picture taken of her before a stocking holder fell on her head.

Bookworm also received a pair of ballet slippers from Santa.

After the children opened their gifts from Santa, he leaves one gift for each child in our home, Gypsy went to get her stocking. We didn't even see her head over to the shelf but in the darkened basement I suddenly noticed the lights twinkling. Before I knew it all three of the children's stockings, holders and all were falling on her head. Fortunately only one really hit her, the corner landed right in the middle on the top of her head. Once the bleeding and crying were stopped we were able to happily finish opening the stockings.

Journals, markers, toothbrushes and a few little toys had all been stuffed in the stockings.

"No, I'm Princess Belle, not Gypsy!"

Cinderella

Books, books, books. We love getting books!

Monster loves his sisters' Jessie dolls and was excited to now have his own Woody doll.

Monster showing Gypsy were to find her cute button nose amongst the flashy new glasses.

Monster was gathering all his trains and cars in this bag and carried it all around.

Such a proud little boy with his bag of trains.

Monster's new Island of Sodor

Christmas Fettuccine 

After watching The Holiday a few years ago Brad and I now have Christmas Fettuccine, mmmmmm! I hope everyone had an amazing day, Merry Christmas!

Minivan Express

 Brad and I were getting the children ready for bed when Gypsy went to put her dolls on her bed and discovered something shiny sticking out from under her pillow. I found her standing in her dark room examining the ticket. I turned the light on and asked what she found. "A ticket," she replied. Bookworm figured out something was going on and was excited Gypsy had a special ticket that was found in her bed. We asked her if she had one in her own bed, she said no but then ran to check. They both started jumping around and went to look in Monster's bed and found one for him. Gypsy started making train noises, how she jumped from ticket to train so fast I can only attest to The Henry Ford and Thomas and Friends.

Stickers, Glow-in-the-Dark bracelets, snacks and juice boxes were all waiting for the children in the Minivan Express. Christmas music was playing and I had my special punch for the tickets. Bookworm wanted me to punch her name like in the Polar Express, sorry cutie my punch isn't that magical. 

Here are a few houses we saw. Brad and the girls were really excited to see the Snoopy Snow Machine. Brad because it brought back childhood memories and the girls, well, they just love Charlie Brown.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that next year when they find these golden tickets under their pillows squeals and jumping will soon follow. 

Sweet Kitchen of Mine

 Just for my, Nina!

Aren't those lights to die for?! The snowflake idea isn't my own I found it over at In Between Laundry, isn't she too cute? I was out today getting some super glue and sandpaper and ran into Joann's to see if they still had these snowflakes and they did, two in a package for $1.00! I spotted the glittery stars and already had the ribbon so $3.00 and I have a cute new kitchen decoration.

See the pretty lights. They make me so happy.

A little of our tradition.

The door is no longer yellow. I will go on a hunt to see if I can find one of the few pictures of yellow. Fortunately for you the pictures won't leave permanent damage like the real thing.

Notice what I keep listed on our message board? MIA Toys. Whenever the children or I find that there is a missing toy I jot it down so we can keep a look out. Which reminds me there is a missing magnet that needs to be added to the list...

I made this collage shortly after we "finished" the kitchen three years ago. I don't know what to do to update it now. How can I possibly take out any of these sweet photos of my family?

We had a visitor who didn't want to sleep tonight. Good thing he is cute!

a little bokeh before bed