Thinking About Home

Pinspiration

2012-01-28T22:30:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, my daughter Kristin told me about a birthday tradition in their family. At dinner time on each person's birthday, they go around the table, each sharing some particular thing that they like about the birthday boy or girl.

I loved this idea! When my dad's birthday rolled around I wanted to do this at our family celebration, but I wondered aloud whether I should "steal" Kristin's idea. And then Bekah said to me,

"Mom, it is not "stealing" to be inspired by a great idea."

I had to agree with her, and we did use that great idea at my dad's party.

Enter "Pinterest."

Oh my. Talk about inspiration. Talk about great ideas.

My daughter Kati joined Pinterest. I have heard bloggers raving about Pinterest. Then I "eavesdropped" on a couple of facebook friends who were pinning. And yesterday I took the plunge and pinned my first pin on my first board. After midnight, I closed the laptop and firmly told myself, "No more pinning. (Today.)"

My first pin: "Cabinet color inspiration" on Kitchens board.
(...lest you think I've forgotten about painting those kitchen cabinets...)

So let me ask you. Do you pin?

Soup On Tuesday: Week 4

2012-01-24T23:33:00.001-05:00

Another winter Tuesday, another soup night. This week, I made a "copy cat" recipe based on the Broccoli Cheddar soup that my husband has enjoyed several times at Panera Bread.

We all decided that this one is not a repeat. While it was loaded with vitamins (carrots, onions, and a generous amount of broccoli) and flavor (the broccoli flavor was pronounced), it was also loaded with fat. I am not typically a low-fat kind of cook. (I should be, but I am not.) But this soup was too rich for me. If I were to make it again, I would probably reduce the amount of cheese by half.

The real success of the night were the French baguettes that Kati made to accompany the soup!

Remember last week when I hinted to the resident baker that it would be nice to have some homemade bread with our soup? Well, this morning I reminded her. And then when I began to cook dinner tonight, I asked her what she had decided, thinking that she must be planning to make muffins or some sort of quick bread since she had not yet begun. Gasp! (from Kati)...she had forgotten my request. She did a quick Google search (the word "fast" was one of her search terms) and announced that she was going to make Fast French Baguettes.

I must confess that I doubted that we would be having hot yeast bread by the time the soup was ready...but she surprised me! She substituted rapid rising yeast for regular, allowed the dough to rise in a warmed oven, and shortened a bit of the rise time.* And the bread was ready before the soup!

Tonight's soup...and bread...

Click ~here~ for soup recipe.
Click ~here~ for bread recipe.

Have you ever tried a "copy cat" recipe? Did you think it was as good as the restaurant version?

* Note: Kati also substituted some whole wheat pastry flour for some of the white flour, but, of course, that had no effect on the speed. ~smile~

Sunday Snapshots: Bookshelves (And Dessert)

2012-01-23T09:30:00.002-05:00

Sunday afternoon was spent at Kristin and Brian's house this week. Saturday's plans to deliver and install a set of bookshelves for them were waylaid by unsuitable weather, so we went with Plan B (although I think it may have been C or D or even E by the time we got all of the details worked out).

The important thing is that they now have bookshelves! They have some smaller bookshelves here and there, but no place to store the lion's share of the many, many books collected by this homeschooling, reading, book-loving family. (Have I told you that Kristin and Brian met at the library?) I will be very surprised if the painting of these bookshelves does not begin today. (Have I also told you that Kristin is not a procrastinator like her mom?)

Of course, we took time out for a delicious lunch, and for dessert of a luscious lemon-filled coconut cake and fudgy brownies. Wouldn't you?!

"Burnt Hills" Is On the Wall

2012-01-21T14:29:00.002-05:00

It was certainly worth the wait!

This morning, we finished the frame, inserted the print, and...VOILA...hung the picture in its home in the kitchen! It is just what was needed to freshen up my surroundings. (Do you, too, feel the need for freshened up surroundings in January?) I can't stop looking at that wall. I love it!

The big picture, so to speak...

...and the close-up.

A happy ending for this story!

Star Struck!

2012-01-19T08:59:00.001-05:00

(In Which I Make a Short Story Long)

Do you like to hear the story behind a gift? We do! In fact, it can often take us a long time to open gifts because there are stories to tell. "The reason I chose that one..." "You'll never guess where I found this..." "It was the night that Dad and I went to the house tour..."

This year, a gift from Ron had a story that was almost better than the gift! Well, no...it wasn't really better. But the story did make the gift even better!

I like to freshen things up in my house from time to time. (I used to rearrange the furniture when I got in the mood for a change. There are two reasons why I do not do that anymore. One, I have too much stuff. As we have filled the rooms with furniture over a span of thirty-one years, everything has its place and there are just not a lot of ways to move things around. Two, I am just too old. In my younger days, it was nothing to, on a whim, shift and drag and slide large pieces of furniture all over the place, trying for a new perspective. And if I didn't like the result, I'd just shift and drag and slide everything back. Today? It is me that I am shifting, dragging, and sliding and that is enough.)

So with a mind to freshen up the house a bit, I looked at the picture that hung over the loveseat in the kitchen, the one that had been hanging in the same place since we remodeled the kitchen in 1995...and I decided that we needed to relocate that picture and hang something else there. I might have mentioned that a Warren Kimble picture would be perfect in that spot. ~smile~

Now for the story...
In mid-November, Ron secretly ordered a Warren Kimble autographed print as a Christmas gift for me! He had it shipped to Kristin's house, and he and she waited for it to arrive. When a few weeks went by with no signs of said print, and then when our bank statement had no record of the transaction, he decided to call the business. He spoke with Elena and learned that the company who took care of orders had quit, and so Ron's order was lost in the other company's records. Elena told him to mail them a check for the print, and that it would be mailed out right away.

More time went by, and Ron called again to make sure that his check had arrived. He spoke with a gentleman who told him that Elena was not there, and that he wasn't sure whether the check had arrived because they had not checked the mail, but that Elena would return his call.

Shortly afterward, Elena did call Ron, and she assured him that the print had been mailed. "Warren, when did you mail 'Burnt Hills'?" she asked someone in the room.

"Warren"?!

Ron had talked to THE Warren Kimble!

So as Ron told me this story on Christmas Eve, I was star struck!

My husband had had a conversation with Warren Kimble. I looked at him with new respect.

The print did not arrive in time for Christmas, but it did not matter to me one bit. I knew that it was on its way, and that it had been mailed personally by Warren Kimble.

It arrived at Kristin's house the week after Christmas, and she brought it when they came for dinner. While everyone else was filling their plates, I sat on the loveseat and carefully opened my print, admiring Warren's very neat handwriting on the address label. Inside was the desired print, with the promised autograph. There was even one of Warren's own business cards, which I have put up on my refrigerator below the family photos. (I wonder if he minds me calling him by his first name.)

I continue to be star struck.

"Burnt Hills" has not yet been hung above the loveseat. Ron made a frame for it on Saturday, and I am painting it this week. I promise to show it to you when it's up.

And you can oooh and aaah over the art that was created by the Warren Kimble...who talked with my husband.

Soup On Tuesday: Week 3

2012-01-17T20:55:00.003-05:00

Another winter Tuesday, which means it was the night to make soup--this time Pizza Soup! It was a new one for us, but it was a hit for our pizza-loving family...and quite quick and easy.

Tonight's soup...

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion
1 lb. Italian sausage
3 cups water
2 15-oz. jars pizza sauce
1 1-oz. package pepperoni, chopped
1 32-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella

Directions:

In a large soup pot, over medium heat, cook Italian sausage and onion.
Add water, pizza sauce, pepperoni, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Before serving, stir in Parmesan. Garnish with shredded mozzarella.

Next week, I'll be experimenting with a "copy cat" recipe from one of my favorite places. Hmmmm...maybe I can convince our resident baker to make some kind of bread each Tuesday to go with our soup. A good idea, yes?

Sunday Snapshots: A Birthday and More

2012-01-16T11:56:00.000-05:00

Brrrrrr...a Sunday afternoon that felt like winter! The grandkids arrived with layers of sweaters and hats and coats and boots and mittens galore, and I marvel that Kristin and Brian are brave enough to venture out at all during the winter months with all of those extra pieces. (As our own four children were born over an almost 21 year stretch, I never had more than two little ones at a time who needed help with their outerwear, so I am impressed.)

We spent the afternoon either hovering near the woodstove, or moving away from it to cool off, or cringing as tiny people walked a bit too close for (our) comfort.

We celebrated Brian's birthday (photos 1 and 3) yesterday...with lots of chocolate! Kristin had made a delicious chocolate buttermilk cake. Kati provided brownies with a secret ingredient (I think she plans to blog about it this week). We had cookies-and-cream ice cream. And Brian brought a ginormous box of Russel Stover chocolates that his grandmother had sent him. (Photo 2: Ben sneaking a peek at that candy!)

(I know...poor us.)

After the party, the children played "jobs." Bekah printed music. Maddie was a pet sitter. Owen had a post office and he and Bekah, Maddie, and Aunt Kati designed oodles of stamps. Gavin was a banker and made money (5). Yes, he made money!

The day ended with another play from the drama team (4). This one is a serial. Other acts to come on future Sunday afternoons.

Confessions Regarding Morning Time

2012-01-13T10:48:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I promised to share some of the reality of our Morning Time, and here it is.

Morning Time is one of my favorite parts of our homeschool day. Over time, I have seen encouraging results of our gathering these little grains of sand. Life is breathed into our souls as we read His Word, sing the words of the hymns of the church, read beautiful poetry, and soak in the works of the masters of music and art.

But as I have talked about our "Morning Time" so often here at Thinking About Home, I think it is only fair that I also share with you some of the nitty gritty details.

Morning Time doesn't usually happen five days per week.
Our ideal is to have Morning Time five days per week. But I am pleased when we accomplish four (or even three) days. Every little bit feeds our souls. Remember, "little grains of sand..."

Morning Time is sometimes abbreviated.
On days when our schedule is tight, we will omit elements of our Morning Time plans. If we have sore throats, we don't sing. If someone has finished her poetry memorization but hasn't chosen a new poem, then we'll leave out poetry for a few days. (We always begin Morning Time with Bible reading though, as that is the most important.)

Morning Time is sometimes in the afternoon.
Yes, it's true. I am not a morning person, so there are days when the girls (well, this year it is just the girl) begin their independent work before I am ready for Morning Time. So we get to it later in the morning, or even in the afternoon. (Morning Time in the afternoon displeases Bekah for whom names matter. "How can it be Morning Time when it is afternoon?, " she complains.)

Morning Time plans have been altered.
Sometimes, one of us will change a poem because the one we've chosen just doesn't click, or (dare I say?) we've become bored with it. Or maybe we'll all decide that we have learned enough about a particular artist and move on to one who engages us. Or we'll decide to hang out with a composer or poet beyond the end of our designated term (as we are currently remaining with Bach for another term).

Now you know the true story of our Morning Times.

But just because we do not achieve perfection does not mean that the time is wasted! As I have said many times, our lives are richer because we have made time for the good, the noble, the beautiful.

Perfect or not, Morning Time is a valuable part of our little homeschool.

Morning Time: Winter 2012

2012-01-12T12:30:00.001-05:00

Wintertime is a great time for collecting our little grains of sand. Life slows down just a bit, and so Morning Time can be more consistent. It continues to be one of the most gratifying parts of our day, a time that enriches us, one that is well worth the minutes that are sown in exchange for the bounty that is reaped.

Morning Time currently looks something like this...

BIBLE READING
We continue to read through the passages listed in the Daily Bible Reading Plan for Children, found ~here~ , which features Bible stories and truths that every child should know. Bekah is enjoying this walk through the Bible, and sometimes presses me to read a longer passage, or the next passage...which, of course, I usually do. Why would I say no to more Bible reading?

BIBLE MEMORY

We will learn more verses in Romans 8. Our goal is to memorize the entire chapter this year. We have memorized the first six verses, and we memorized the last five verses last year, but there's a quite a chunk in the middle, so I'm not sure that we'll reach our goal (this year).

SING A HYMN

We are learning “"Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”, by Louisa Stead, a lovely hymn for year's beginning.

POETRY RECITATION

Bekah: “The Country Mouse and the Garden Mouse” by Christina Rosetti

Mom: “Who Shall Deliver Me?” by Christina Rosetti (Yes. Again. The ~ahem~ older brain has difficulty with memorization, but I love this poem and its message, and so I am determined to keep on with it, in lieu of choosing another poem to partly memorize.)

POETRY EXPOSURE

We're taking a somewhat different tack this term, and instead of concentrating on the works of a single poet, we are reading poems with an animal theme. We are using the book Poetry For Young People: Animal Poems as a springboard, but may also choose some from Favorite Poems Old and New.

LISTEN TO A PIECE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

We are continuing to listen to the music of Johannes Sebastian Bach. Although we typically study three composers each year, this year we may only get to two. The fact that we often missed Morning Time over the holidays, combined with the fact that there is so much music by Bach, and also combined with the fact that Bekah is serious about music, causes me to think that we will benefit by another term with Bach.

ART APPRECIATION

We are studying the works of the popular American artist/illustrator Norman Rockwell. Rockwell was not one of the artists I had selected to cover this year. But we began our December with Norman (we had picked up an advent calendar at an after Christmas sale at Barnes and Noble last January), and then I came across some other resources in ~this post~. Kati brought out of her thimble collection one with Rockwell's painting of Tiny Tim, and we were reading A Christmas Carol as a family read aloud. So...Norman Rockwell it is! We are especially enjoying Norman Rockwell: Storyteller With a Brush, a delightful read.

Norman Rockwell's Tiny Tim, 1934

(image from allposters.com)

Would you like to hear about our Morning Time reality? Join me tomorrow for Confessions Regarding Morning Time.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For more reading about "Morning Time":

An introduction to our own "Morning Time"
What Is Morning Time? by Cindy Rollins
Cindy's Inspiration for Morning Time
Kathy's "Morning Stack"

Soup On Tuesday

2012-01-10T23:52:00.002-05:00

After my meltdown last Tuesday—the one that ended so well with a (mostly) orderedly house and delicious soup for dinner—I decided to go with a soup theme on Tuesday evenings during the winter months.

I really like having "theme" nights on the dinner schedule. During the years that Kati took gymnastics on Monday afternoons, we had some kind of Mexican food every Monday evening. For several years, we had breakfast-for-dinner on Bible study nights. And of course, we still do carryout on our Friday family movie night. (By the way, I was introduced to "theme" nights by my friend Mary, my organizing inspiration!)

"Theme" nights ease up some of the decision making. There are already parameters in place before I search my entire recipe collection. I like already having some direction before I plan the week's menu.

"Theme" nights also encourage me to try new recipes. I tend to get in a rut and prepare the same meals over and over. But having a theme causes me to venture out and try some new ideas that fit the theme. I have already looked in the soup section of my Soup/Bread recipe notebook, and have found quite a few recipes that I have never tried. I have decided that I will not repeat a soup for at least two months.

Tonight's soup...

Ingredients:

5 bacon slices, cut into 1/4-inch peices
1/2 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
1/2cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 cups milk
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 6.5-oz. cans minced clams, undrained
1 pound small shrimp

Directions:

In a large soup pot, over medium heat, saute bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Drain fat from pot.
Reduce heat to low. Add butter and stir until melted. Add onion and saute until soft. Add flour, salt, and pepper, stirring constantly until well blended. Add milk, stirring constantly until sauce comes to a boil and thickens.
Add potatoes and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add clams with their juice, shrimp, and reserved bacon, and simmer until thoroughly heated. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Notes:
I wanted to add Old Bay^® seafood seasoning to this soup, but decided to let everyone add it (or not) at the table to accomodate different spice preferences. I think that it adds the perfect zest to the chowder. (The photo I included is my own bowl of soup with a generous addition of Old Bay^®!)

Do you ever do "theme" nights?

Sunday Snapshots: Chicken Butt!

2012-01-08T23:59:00.000-05:00

Yep. That's what I said...Chicken Butt!

Today, the grandboys brought a book to share with their Papa.

Kati had stayed overnight with them this week and helped out while their mama had dental surgery, so she happened to be there when Kristin first read the book to Owen (5) and Ben (3). She reports that Owen laughed uproariously throughout the book--the uncontrollable kind of laughter, the kind that comes from way down and leaves one barely able to breathe! As soon as the book was over, he ran to get Gavin and Maddie to tell them to come and listen, and then he laughed almost as much the second time around!

So today, Owen handed the book to Papa to read, and before the first page was turned, all of the children were gathered around him.

Some silly jokes, generous use of the word "butt", and a Papa to enjoy it all with you...smiles all around!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

And just for good measure, I must show you this little chubby-cheeked sweetie...

The Difference A Day Makes

2012-01-04T13:43:00.001-05:00

Yes, what a difference!

When I posted this crazed rant yesterday, I was in a dither due to post-holiday disorder in my house. When my house is in a dither, so am I.

But I did "get back to work"...and amazingly enough, it did not take me 31 days to get it all back together.

I came up with a stategy. Stop flitting all over the place, from one untidy mess to another, and just tackle one spot at a time. I also enlisted help. (Great idea, Vee!)

First, I planned to eat, because if I didn't do that first, it might be too late to make preparations.

Sausage Bean Chowder (recipe at the very bottom of ~this post~)
and Sister Schubert's^® whole wheat rolls

Then Kati and I tackled Mount Dish-more while Bekah worked on her math.

After the math lesson, we all did a Ten Minute Tidy. (Remember, that's thirty minutes worth of tidying with three of us working together!)

By this time, I could feel calm returning. Now that many areas were tamed, I could look around and see what else needed doing.

I did some read alouds with Bekah, and taught her science lesson, and then...guess what! Another Ten Minute Tidy!

Then we set about the pleasant business of decorating...a different runner on the table, some new candles placed, a simple mantle display...

Today, I got out this tray that Ron and I made years ago (he made it; I painted it)

...and stocked it with tea supplies to cozy up our winter.

A beautiful collection of instrumental hymns is playing in the CD player, the scent of a cinnamon roll candle is filling the air, and pork ragu is simmering on the stovetop.

And it didn't take 31 days! :-)

Goals?

2012-01-03T12:05:00.000-05:00

I have been pondering goals for the New Year--personal goals, house projects that I'd like to accomplish, goals for our homeschool.

But today? I don't even know where to begin. The house looks like a train wreck, and I can't think straight.

Ron had the day off yesterday, and we decided to dismantle the holiday decorating and put away all the gifts. We were going great guns until Ron decided that we should go out for dinner as a last hurrah before he returned to work and we got back to our homeschool routine. Well, we couldn't say no to that offer, and so we left for an early dinner and an errand, but by the time we got back home, the momentum (or was it our energy?) was gone.

This morning I have tried to get organized, but I feel like I am spinning my wheels, much like my washing machine is furiously spinning the bed sheets as I type. I am flitting about from one spot to the next, but I am not making a dent in the work that needs to be done. And now I sit here blogging as Bekah is practicing the piano. Hmmm...

Another mystery. Why is it that I don't remember what went where when I am putting the house back together after Christmas? Does that happen to anyone else? I mean, it was only a month! There is no logical reason why I cannot remember what was on this table or that cabinet before I decorated for Christmas, but for the life of me, I cannot. Crazy.

There are still dishes in the sink (and they're spilling over onto the counter too), three bare beds, lots of blah surfaces, piles of school papers to organize, dinner to plan, laundry to fold.

You know that blog series I wrote back in October...you know, the one that was titled "31 Days to Make Your House a Home"? Well, I am certainly not living up to those ideals today! There are no candles lit. The house is not tidy. There is no beautifully set table. (You can hardly even see the top of the table.) I have not planned to eat. And Ugly Stuff is all over the place!

Hey, wait a minute! That series was 31 Days to Make Your House a Home!

That's all I need...31 days.

Back to work...

Reflections: 2011

2011-12-30T12:41:00.001-05:00

For many years, our family has made a list of the past year's highlights. We record births and deaths and major life events, but we also include vacations, lost teeth, and room remodels. Basically, we record anything that seems significant to any family member.

I have been reflecting on this past year, 2011. It has been a year of highs and lows, a year of rejoicing and weeping, a year of accomplishment, a year of loss, a year full of His grace.

As I am reflecting, I am going to share a highlight or two from each month, as recorded here in my bloggy space. Join me if you like.

JANUARY

Our visit from our faraway family (son Ryan, his wife Sarah, grandbabies Eve, Nora, and Peter) was far and away the highlight of this first month of the year! I made a Smilebox collection of some sweet moments of our together time.

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words

FEBRUARY

How can the shortest month of the year seem so l-o-n-g? Maybe it was because the flu made its way through our family of four...one. at. a. time. Sometime between being sick and being nurse, I scratched out these musings about our preparations for our visitors and our preparations for the King of kings.

Preparing

MARCH
The day of sorting spring and summer clothes with all of the little girls turned my thoughts toward changes.

Changing Clothes

APRIL

April was full (with Bekah's birthday and Resurrection Sunday, and Kristin and Brian moving into their new home), but my thoughts were turned towards the end of our school year--Kati's last end of the school year.

Are You Lighting the Fire?

MAY

I began with a lesson inspired by a little boy's thorn...

The Thorn

...and then there was the bathroom remodel (yikes!).

Good News and Bad News

and

Bathroom Show and Tell

JUNE

Our June highlight was, of course, Kati's graduation, a day of tears (mostly joyful!) and celebration and reflection.

A Milestone

JULY

Oh, what a month of emotional extremes...a visit from Ryan, a beautiful celebration of marriage for family friends, a graduation party...but also intense sadness as dear friends neared the end of their earthly sojourn, and Ron's father reached the end of his.

Rejoicing and Weeping
and
Still Rejoicing and Weeping

AUGUST

How do I choose just one post from August? This is our month of SIX birthdays (including Ryan and Kristin and a triple birthday extravaganza) and THREE anniversaries (including our own and Kristin and Brian's 10th).

But I also mused about passing along valued treasures...

From One Generation to Another

... and the weeping continued as my friend's husband went to his Heavenly home.

Weeping

SEPTEMBER

A new baby (my first great-niece), a charming wedding...and back to school with one student.

Her Very First Time

OCTOBER

In October, I wrote from my heart for all thirty-one days in my series...

Thirty-One Days to Make Your House a Home

NOVEMBER

We were thankful as we savored the moments...and I created another Smilebox of Thanksgiving memories.

Sunday Snapshots: Savoring the Moments

and

Thanksgiving Memories 2011

DECEMBER

The year's theme of "rejoicing and weeping" continued as my beloved friend Ann slipped from her bed of suffering into His presence...

Home Free

and we celebrated the first coming of Emmanuel.

Memory-Making Moments

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee.

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not.

As Thou has been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness;

Great is Thy faithfulness.

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hast provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

(Words by Thomas Chisolm)

A Breakfast Request

2011-12-29T11:26:00.000-05:00

This morning I ask Bekah what she would like for breakfast. I expect her to say toast with Nutella, or maybe a poptart, as she is not a big eater and usually wants something simple for breakfast. However, she is a detail person, artsy and all about "pretty," and this morning she says,

I want a half of a cranberry bagel,

cut in half,

with cream cheese on both sides,

not like a sandwich,

laid on the plate like a butterfly.

(How's that for detail?)

Fait accompli!

Memory-Making Moments

2011-12-27T23:18:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve

Pinky, unhappy with her Christmas present ~ Bekah and Kati, happy with their gift from Ryan

It was a four generation Christmas!

With the grandmothers

Three daughters, one son-in-law, five grandchildren!

Ron's mother ~ My dad and mom

Top left: Alaine looking at my nephew Alec
Bottom left: My sister Linda and me
Right: Kati with my great-niece Isabel

On Christmas evening, we "visited" Ryan, Sarah, Eve, Nora, and Peter
via Skype.

Yes, it was a day of memory-making moments!

A Christmas Card For You

2011-12-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

From our home to yours...

...our Christmas card to you, blog friends.

So often at Christmas time, our thoughts are centered on Christ as a baby. And indeed, what an incredible miracle, that He came, as a baby, born of a virgin, into such humble surroundings, fulfilling all of the Old Testament prophecies of His birth.

But, as believers, we are never far from the fact that this baby was THE MESSIAH, the long-awaited One, the One who was born to die, who came to redeem! He is Emmanuel—God with us! Hallelujah!

*** *** ***

I love Christmas music. Many of the traditional carols have such rich, stirring lyrics...with the dawn of redeeming grace...God with man is now residing...Ye who sang creation's story now proclaim Messiah's birth...born that man no more may die.

There are also some meaningful contemporary Christmas songs. (My daughters Kristin and Kati have shared some favorites on their blogs, ~here~ and ~here~.)

I want to share one of my favorite contemporary Christmas songs as a part of our Christmas card to you. It is "You Are Emmanuel" recorded in 1995 by the group Truth. I was hoping to find it on youtube, but the only video ~here~ is of very poor quality.

Instead, I have linked to grooveshark online radio, which has the original recording, and I have provided the lyrics below so you can read along as you listen.

Such beautiful music, such wonderful words...You Are Emmanuel.

YOU ARE EMMANUEL

You are the Rock that will not fall,
You are the God above us all,
Oh, Lord, You are Emmanuel.
You are Messiah who has come
You are the long awaited One
Oh, Lord, You are Emmanuel.

Emmanuel, among us and within us
Emmanuel, to earth you freely came
To overcome our evil
To dwell among Your people
Emmanuel, we praise Your name.

You are the bright and morning star,
You are the healer of our hearts,
Oh, Lord, You are Emmanuel.
You are the song the angels sing
You are the mighty King of kings
Oh, Lord, You are Emmanuel.

Emmanuel, among us and within us
Emmanuel, to earth you freely came
To overcome our evil
To dwell among Your people
Emmanuel, we praise Your name.

We pray that you will know Emmanuel, and that He will be "God With Us" to you in the coming year.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

2011-12-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

♪ ♫ ♪ How lovely are thy branches ♪ ♫ ♪

It's not part of the song, but...

far lovelier are the dear daughters

around the trees!

Bekah in front of the kitchen tree

Kati beside the family tree in the living room

And the gorgeous photography is a gift

from my dear (and talented!) friend, Frances.
(♥ thank you ♥)

Linking up with Kristin's Gather Round Your Tree Linky Party

House Tour: Behind The Scenes

2011-12-21T08:41:00.001-05:00

Many of you left such kind words when you visited the Old-Fashioned Farmhouse Christmas, and I am so happy that you enjoyed the tour!

But I thought that you might want to take a peek at what went on behind the scenes.

I must say that online house tours are perfect for procrastinators (like me).

If it were a live tour, then I'd have to be ready at the appointed hour--house totally clean and organized, cookies already baked and artfully arranged, Ron and I dressed in our holiday best greeting you cheerfully at the front door.

But for an online tour, the rules are different. (Whew!) You can move a bit of clutter out of camera range. You don't have to bake at all. You can take pictures while wearing your jammies. And no one arrives at your house until you say so. (If you're not ready when the hostess opens the Linky Party, you just don't link.)

So on the day (yes, THE day...remember, I'm a procrastinator) of Melissa's Christmas Tour of Homes at The Inspired Room, I go into the living room to turn on my new pre-lit Christmas tree...and it wasn't pre-lit or any other kind of lit. No. lights. at. all.

I call Ron at work and tell him that today is the day of the house tour and what can I do with this tree that doesn't light. For some reason, he doesn't think that I am weird, and calmly does some absentee trouble shooting. I decide to turn the situation over to clear-headed Kati (who has had her own tour of her Christmas-y craftyy bedroom ready to go for days), and she and Ron have several phone conferences

Meanwhile, I snap pics all around, avoiding one certain dark-ish corner of the house.

Here is dear Kati, hard at work learning some mechanical and electrical skills...

There were ~~a few~~ many bloopers, like this one with pajama-clad Bekah running into the room and some table clutter visible in the background...

...and this one where my lack of photography skill was "glaringly" obvious.

And then there was Pinky, who seemed to be everywhere. (There is really just one Pinky.)

When I had finally finished taking pictures and went about the business of doing my hair, I cut a gash in my finger with a tube of hair gel. Really. I couldn't make this up.

But at the end of the day, the tree was alight, the post was up, and my finger had (mostly) stopped bleeding.

Surely next year I'll get ready earlier. Right?

(I think I hear the laughter of my loved ones...)

Sunday Snapshots: What Makes a Party?

2011-12-19T10:13:00.000-05:00

It didn't start out to be a party.

But after lunch, someone wanted to play Christmas Carol Charades...

...and then we had dessert
with coffee or hot chocolate or mint hot chocolate or Winter Spice tea

...and then a piano duet by the eldest and youngest daughters

who played "Silent Night."

So when everyone left, the littles each clutching a candy cane,

it felt like we had celebrated.

(I think it was a party.)

"The House of Mourning"

2011-12-17T23:39:00.001-05:00

1. A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

2. It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

3. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Ann's memorial service was today. It was such a beautiful tribute to our beautiful friend...and honoring to the Lord, as her life and her death gave testimony to Him.

After the service, we headed to a Christmas party for Ron's side of the family, which seemed to me an odd juxtaposition of events.

Throughout the day, a phrase from the Word of God kept running through my mind—"it is better to go to the house of mourning"—so tonight, I looked it up to discover the rest of the words and the context of the phrase.

Oh, this passage is quite contrary to our natural way of thinking. The day of death is better than the day of birth? Sorrow is better than laughter? It is better to go to the house of mourning?

We talked about this on the way to the party.

Why would it be better to go to the house of mourning?

Perhaps it is because as we think about death, we are faced with mortality.

Perhaps it is because we are sober.

Perhaps it is because we are focusing on what is important, what is lasting, what is eternal.

Perhaps our hearts can be turned a little more toward our Heavenly home.

"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning."

Old-Fashioned Farmhouse Christmas

2011-12-12T23:59:00.002-05:00

Emmanuel
God With Us

Because He came, and because He lives, we can celebrate every day in His mercy and grace.

But here at The Farmhouse, we like to enjoy the holidays by making things extra cozy, extra comfy, extra bright, all the while keeping things simple and kind of old-fashioned. When you live in an old house, that just seems to be the way to go.

Come on in, and join our old-fashioned celebration!

Farmhouse Dining Room

In this room, we gather with friends and family for special meals. It is around this table that we have our Christmas morning brunch, as well as birthday and holiday and company dinners throughout the year.

This Christmas, the mantle is decorated with greenery and real and faux fruit. (Can you tell which are real?) Ron's tree is in the corner, candles are lit on the sideboard...all we need are some holiday guests!

Farmhouse Living Room

Here is where you'll find our family tree, festooned with special ornaments collected over the years. No "theme" tree here...just everything from embroidered hearts to a small piano to a domed cupcake to a brass hammer to a glittery Eiffel Tower!

As we have no mantle in the living room, we hang our stockings on a primitive cabinet (which Ron built with old wood) and line candlesticks across the top.

The carolers are "singing" atop the piano; Bekah is often playing a round of carols below. Pinky (our black kitty) has found a cozy holiday corner. (You can read about my own cozy corner ~here~.)

The Farmhouse Kitchen

Now you're in the room that is the hub of our house. It is where we share family meals. It is where we homeschool. It is where the coffee is hot. It is where people always end up, no matter where the gathering begins.

For Christmas, the kitchen has its own kitchen-y tree, decorated with popcorn and gingerbread men and dried orange slices.

Pomanders fill the tureen. Cookie cutters, candy canes, and an antique rolling pin sit among some yellow ware bowls. A cornhusk nativity (that is older than some of my children) sits among others.

The astute observer may notice that Pinky has also found a cozy corner in the kitchen. And some may be wondering about the very long cane that is propped against our school cabinet. The "cane" is actually a shepherd's hook, an early Christmas gift from my son Ryan who knows my love for sheep.

This little lantern sits at our back door...and now that you've spent some time with us, you qualify as a back door friend! You'll come back again, won't you? And next time, you can use the back door.

Merry Christmas to you as you celebrate Emmanuel, God With Us!

:: : :: : :: : :: : :: : :: : :: : :: : :: : :: : :: : ::

Do you love house tours like I do?

If so, you can virtually traipse through

myriads of houses dressed in their holiday best

(~swoon~)

just by clicking on the tours below!

Home Free

2011-12-11T01:08:00.001-05:00

We knew that the day would come, the day that our dear friend Ann would leave this earthly realm for another.

Ann had suffered with ALS. She told me once that the Lord had deemed that she should glorify Him through her life with this disease, that she had only one opportunity to do that, and she wanted to do it well.

And "do it well" she did. Oh, how she did.

Why was it that when I visited her, I came away encouraged?

Why did she pray daily for members of my family, and for others?

Why did she want to hear about my small troubles?

Why did she speak so often about the Lord, and His great love, and His grace?

Because she was living her life as an offering to her King, even as her world was becoming smaller and more limited and more restricted, and even as she was learning what it meant to die to everything but Him.

On Friday, the day came.

But even as I mourn, I rejoice at her release. She is no longer bound by her earthly body. In my mind's eye, I can see Ann dancing, her feet no longer lame. I see her raising her hands, those hands no longer crippled by ALS. I hear her praising the Lord who saved her, with a voice that is no longer weak. I see dear Ann, totally whole, in the presence of the King of Kings who has been preparing her for this place all along.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Welcoming Window

2011-12-08T09:56:00.001-05:00

We have had this little Christmas tree in our dining room for years, decorated simply, with white lights, rafia garland, and yarrow picked from the backyard each July.

But there was a year that I needed to simplify. It was the year that I was on modified bed rest with a difficult pregnancy, and I decided that we could certainly do without dozens of cookies and fresh cut greenery...and this small tree. Ron kept asking when we were going to put up the dining room tree, and I kept saying that we could do without it this year.

Then one evening I was called into the dining room...as decorating consultant. Ryan was home on college break, and Ron had enlisted his help. So the two of them assembled and trimmed the little tree, while I sat in a chair and directed this small scale operation. (As I recall, I eventually got up and helped with the yarrow.)

I kept wondering why this Christmas tree seemed to be so important to Ron. Why did he insist that it be decorated? There was the tree in the living room, and other festive touches elsewhere. Wasn't that enough for this year of simplifying?

Then I learned the reason.

It was not this view that was so important to him...

...it was this view.

Ron told me that this is the view that he sees when he gets home from work at the end of the day. It is a welcoming window to him. It says that the long day is over. It says now you are home. It says it is Christmas inside.

So now each year as we decorate the little dining room tree, I think of it as Ron's tree, a part of his welcoming window.

Downtown Christmas

2011-12-06T09:52:00.000-05:00

Perhaps I'm a little old-fashioned, but instead of the mall with all its cookie cutter stores, I'll take the charm of a downtown stroll and inviting storefront windows and decorated lampposts and a sweet old dog lying in front of a bewreathed door.

Essential (And a Few Other Things)

2011-12-05T10:14:00.003-05:00

In the busy-ness of this season of celebration, it is important to keep a quiet heart.

This quiet corner beckons me. I must spend some time there each day.

Sometimes I bring my morning coffee.

Sometimes I light my favorite Christmas candle.

Sometimes Pinky joins me.

But the real delight is here...God's Holy Word, the light of my path, the two-edged sword, the food for my soul.

If you're looking for ideas for some cute (mostly quick and easy) handmade Christmas gifts, take a peek at my daughter Kati's blog, Kati's Little Corner of the World. All last week, she featured Christmas Gift Ideas. (And I can vouch for the "cute" factor!) I think you'll find some things you can pull together at the last minute too.

While you're there, take a peek at some of her Photo Friday posts. (This past Friday's photo made me smile.)

I'm tucking this week's edition of Sunday Snapshots in here. I happen to think that this video clip is cuter than cute, but I don't want to be like your Uncle Joe who showed you all 427 pictures of his Florida vacation...so I'll just say, take a look at it if you want to see two adorable boys lip-syncing to "Christmas, Don't Be Late", as in Alvin and the Chipmunks. Good times!

Small Actors

2011-11-29T10:44:00.001-05:00

"There are no small parts, only small actors."

Mrs. Armstrong

If you've ever read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (we have read it aloud countless times!), you might recognize the above quote by Mrs. Armstrong. She says it every year as she assigns parts in the church Christmas play...and the children have no idea what she's talking about.

This year, we had our own host of "small actors" who presented the Christmas story in the farmhouse kitchen. Actually, we had a pageant last year too (you can see it ~here~), but this year the acting troupe kicked it up a notch as they had newly assigned roles, new script, and new costumes. (We were told the "director" was Gavin. But whenever there was a glitch, the actors called "Bekah!"...and Bekah was seen rewriting script, Bible in hand, all weekend. ~smile~)

The angel of the Lord (Bekah) announces the good news to Mary.
The angel speaks to Joseph (Owen) in a dream.
Shepherds (Owen and Gavin) quaking with fear.
Mary (Maddie), Joseph (Owen), and Baby Jesus (who was acted by a doll this year because Baby Alaine, at 14 months, is "too squirmy").
Final scene

And the audience loved it!

Thanksgiving Memories 2011

2011-11-26T01:12:00.001-05:00

Glimpses of our day...

Make a free photo slideshow

Giving Thanks to the Giver

2011-11-23T09:51:00.000-05:00

Although many of my "favorites" are prone to change (favorite hymn, favorite poem, favorite book), my favorite holiday is pretty consistently Thanksgiving. Maybe it's because it is celebrated during the glorious autumn season. Maybe it's because I love dishes and napkins and tablecloths and an excuse to use place cards. It could be because I love being with my family and hosting family gatherings. It might be because the traditional Thanksgiving meal is just sooooo good. Or maybe it's because Thanksgiving is simple and straightforward; it's a low stress, one-day affair. I also love the inspiring history behind the story of the first Thanksgiving.

All of these things contribute toward making Thanksgiving my favorite holiday. But the nitty gritty of it is that Thanksgiving is a time to focus on gratitude. And being thankful is an empty idea, merely a feel-good exercise in positive thinking, unless we are offering our thanks to the Giver of the gifts!

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
(Psalm 100:4,5)

Primitive Tom

2011-11-22T10:52:00.002-05:00

The newest member at our Thanksgiving table this year will not be a new grandbaby. Instead it will be this primitive tom turkey that I made using the instructions found ~here~.

Place cards will be turkeys too, using this download from marthastewart.com.

What about you? Do you keep your table decor consistent, or do you like to change things up a bit from year to year?

* * * * * * * * *

Today, I'm linking up with Tracy at Beneath My Heart for November's best DIY project.

Head on over for some house-y inspiration!

Sunday Snapshots: A Fitting Farewell to Fall

2011-11-20T23:59:00.001-05:00

Remember the ginormous marshmallows?

And the fact that we couldn't roast them last Sunday because it was too windy to have a fire?

Well today was the day!

After lunch, we brewed coffee and took dessert out on the patio.

Papa built a fire...and out came the marshmallows!

With all of their sugary energy, the littles decided to play badminton.

But, alas, there were but four rackets and five willing players.

A wise adult suggested an alternative activity,

which became THE ACTIVITY of the day!

(I think the marshmallows were forgotten.)

To a racketless child, his mother said,

"Why don't you make a pile of leaves and then jump in it?"

All of a sudden, the rackets and shuttlecocks were abandoned,

and everyone began working on a pile of leaves!

They used their hands to make piles.

They used their feet to drag leaves.

Some worked in teams.
Some worked solo.
(All were competitive.)

They used badminton rackets as rakes.

Then an enterprising youngster asked for real rakes!

They petitioned their parents for help.

I think they would have built leaf piles to the sky!

But, as adults tend to do, we put an end to their fun by reminding them

that it would soon be dark

and that the grands would have to drive home

and that surely their leaf piles were big enough now.

But wait!

This was not the END of their fun...

it was the BEGINNING

for now it was time to

JUMP!

photo by Kati

Even the adults got in on the JUMPING!

No, I did not jump.
Someone had to take the pictures, right?

Thanksgiving Medley

2011-11-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

You may have seen this before; I have posted it each November in the three years that I have been blogging. I need to be reminded again and again...

This year, I am adding a medley of Thanksgiving hymns at the end.

For years, I have kept this quoted passage tucked within the pages of my Bible. I can't even remember where I first found it. I only know that it pierced my heart so deeply that I wanted to keep it near, to be able to read it again and again and again. My human heart is so prone to complaining; yet I know that it should be filled only with gratitude. So when I find myself murmuring, I return to this place of eternal perspective and fall on His mercy. Lord, forgive me for forgetting your amazing grace.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Our culture is riddled with a poisonous spirit of entitlement. We always think we deserve more. We’re disappointed with our family, our neighbors, church, the waitress, the sales clerk, and the department of motor vehicles. Ultimately, we’re disappointed with God. He hasn’t given us everything we want.

What madness! If only we could see our situation clearly—even for a moment. We deserved expulsion; He gives us a diploma. We deserved the electric chair; He gives us a parade. Anything less than overwhelming gratitude should be unthinkable. He owes us nothing. We owe Him everything. When you realize you deserve nothing better than hell, it puts a “bad day” in perspective, doesn’t it?

Christians in Sudan—who’ve suffered unspeakably for their faith—are deeply grateful for God’s daily blessings. But us? We whine and pout.

Thankfulness should draw a clear line between us and a Christless world. If the same spirit of entitlement and ingratitude that characterizes our culture characterizes us, what do we have to offer?

If I grasp that I deserve hell, I’ll be filled with gratitude not only for God’s huge blessings—including my redemption and home in heaven—but also for His smaller blessings: sun, rain, a beating heart, eyes that see, legs that walk, a mind that thinks...And because Christ allowed Himself to be crushed under the weight of my sin, I’ll enjoy forever a clear mind and a perfect body...Never believe anything about yourself or God that makes His grace to you seem anything less than astonishing. Because that’s exactly what it is.

~Randy Alcorn, The Grace and Truth Paradox, Multnomah Publishers 2003, pp. 33-35

Diary Of A Whim

2011-11-15T23:54:00.000-05:00

SATURDAY MORNING:
I am busy with Saturday things.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON:
I think about painting the kitchen cabinets. A lot. I am suddenly obsessed with the idea. And I want to do it now.

SATURDAY EVENING:
Ron and I go out for a Christmas errand and a coffee date. When he mentions going to Lowe's, I quickly agree. That is a clue that something is up, and he looks at me quizzically. In Lowe's, he goes his way, and I go to collect a gazillion paint samples.

LATER SATURDAY EVENING:
This happens...

SUNDAY MORNING, AFTERNOON, AND (EARLY) EVENING:

I look at the gazillion paint chips taped to my cabinets. Over and over. In different lights. Asking the opinion of every family member. I go online to research how-to's. I read Ron the how-to from This Old House's website, knowing that he is a fan of TOH. I watch a few YouTube videos of men who make it look easy and quick.

SUNDAY (LATER) EVENING:

Ron asks me to abandon the idea of doing this project before the holidays.

MONDAY:

I reassess our calendar for these next ten days before Thanksgiving. (Yikes!)
I imagine my Thanksgiving dinner...with both tables in our farmhouse kitchen...and I imagine that kitchen with all the cabinet doors removed and the untidy innards displayed...and I imagine my aversion to this scenario.

TUESDAY:

I concede to Ron that he is right. (~whimper~) I will abandon the idea. For now.

But stay tuned, because in January...

Sunday Snapshots: Random

2011-11-14T00:16:00.001-05:00

~ It was a warmish November day today. We had planned to build a fire in the firepit and roast some of those new ginormous marshmallows per Maddie's request, but it was quite breezy and Papa decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. No fire, no fly away embers, no sugar coma. Instead, the children played outside for hours, and were granted permission to have a Twilight Picnic of peanut butter sandwiches and yougurt, back at the edge of the woods. They sat on a large tree stump and covered part of it with a flannel sheet to serve as the table. Bekah was the picnic photographer.

~ While most of the youngsters were at the Twilight Picnic, I dressed this sweet thing in her jammies and read her a story.

~ Before her ride home, the sweet thing reached for a lollipop that Aunt Kati was holding. Maybe she knew she had been deprived of her ginormous marshmallow?

~ Now I have to tell you the background of the next snapshot.

This week, Bekah noticed some marks on the chimney in our living room. On closer inspection, she discovered that these marks were letters...f, a, n, g. Fang?

Can you see them?

How about now?

I remembered that my son had a propensity to autograph all sorts of things when he was a boy--books, my grocery list, furniture, walls. He once penciled his name, R-y-a-n, on his bedroom wall with the n carrying on in a line that lasted for three walls. When we questioned him, he claimed that it was "an accident."

I wondered if he was the engraver of these chimney letters.

So tonight when he called us, we asked him if he knew anything about the word "fang" written on the chimney. Laughing, he said, "I don't remember writing it there."

Come to find out, Fang was his self-appointed nickname back in the day, when he had a fascination with wolves and wolf sketches. So "Fang" had autographed the chimney...and had gotten away with it for approximately twenty years. We decided that the statute of limitations had expired, especially since we all got a lot of laughs out of the story. Besides, Ryan said that he's sure it was "an accident." ~smile~

He also suggested that, since it was pencil and could be erased, it would probably be reduced to a misdemeanor anyway. But I figure that if "Fang" has gone twenty years unnoticed, I'll just leave it there.

To-Do List For Saturday

2011-11-12T12:11:00.000-05:00

1) A little cooking...

Vegetable-beef soup simmering on the stove, pork roast thawing for Sunday.

2) A little cleaning...

Should be more than a little, I suppose, but we'll at least get the house presentable for Sunday.

3) A little contemplation...

Could I possibly paint my kitchen cabinets before Christmas? Before Thanksgiving? Am I nuts? Isn't there enough to do already? Can I even decide on a color, for heaven's sake? Did I really encourage my friend to "go for it" when we discussed painting her cabinets, and then waffle about doing my own? Should I "go for it" myself while Ron thinks it's a good idea? Am I crazy?!

***

(I will accept any feedback on item # 3. Would you ever contemplate such a project before the holidays?)

Thanksgiving: Making It Fun For the Kids

2011-11-11T08:31:00.002-05:00

Thinking about the Thanksgiving mice has me thinking about celebrating Thanksgiving with children.

I find it rather easy to please the adults. Serve a bounty of food, keep the coffee hot and the desserts aplenty, and we're good to go, eating and chatting for hours on end.

Kids, on the other hand, can eat what they want from the Thanksgiving feast in about five minutes, and they don't seem to want to listen to the rest of us chat for hours on end. So we try to find ways to make the day meaningful and fun for them too. Here are some of the things we have tried.

Dress up.

This picture is from the archives. Thanksgiving 1990. Our two oldest children and my niece and nephew dressed as pilgrim and Indians to respresent those at the first Thanksgiving.

L-R: son Ryan (8), nephew Andrew (5), niece Amy (7), daughter Kristin (10)

We have never had such deluxe costumes since then, but my mom found some really cute Pilgrim lady hats and Pilgrim man collars made of cardstock a few years ago. (Unfortunately, I must have been too busy preparing the meal to take any pictures.)

Arrange seating to include the children.

At one time, the four in the above picture were content to sit at a "children's table," but that changed as they grew older. We puzzled over how to include them when there were only so many seats in the dining room, until one year when someone had the idea to move both tables into our large-ish farmhouse kitchen. Then we were all in the same room, no one felt left out, and we mixed up the seating from year to year. Sometimes, we would have everyone draw numbers to see where he or she would sit. Sometimes I designed the seating plan, and we made placecards to mark each person's spot at the table.

The big kink in this plan: Someone(s) has to move all the furniture. (And move it back.) This fact has threatened to nix the plan on several occasions, but so far, we have always had folks who wanted it this way badly enough to do the grunt work.

Ron and Kati doing the grunt work

Yes, we are a family who goes to extremes.

You don't have to rearrange entire rooms. But do try to find a way to make the children feel included at your Thanksgiving dinner.

By the way, this year, although we will have both tables in the kitchen again, the children want to sit together, so I'm planning a special kids' table. Fun!

Plan some activities for the kiddos.

Our dining room becomes a sitting room/playroom, but you could devote a corner of your family room or living room to some kid play.

We bring in the basket of Duplos.
When we had a Little Tykes kitchen, the kids cooked a pretend Thanksgiving dinner, complete with Kleenex mashed potatoes.
We set a small table with crayons, coloring pages (like ~these~), stickers, Thanksgiving stencils, and lots of paper.

"What do I do first?"

Sometimes, we'll plan a Thanksgiving craft. Check out your local library for a book of simple seasonal ideas.
I display posters of the Mayflower and Plimouth Plantation.

I set up "Pin the Tail on the Turkey" for the kids (and adults sometimes!) to play. I bought mine at Target's dollar section a few years ago. (You can buy one ~here~. Or draw your turkey and a few hats, if you're a bit artistic.)
Speaking of drawing, you may want to try to draw a turkey using my friend Kim's instructions. Click ~here~. I think I can do this!

Of course, the Thanksgiving mice are around.

Playing with the Pilgrim mice

Getting a check-up before dinner

Everyone, kids included, will join their voices in singing a Thanksgiving hymn (Bekah will accompany us), and we'll all record a blessing on a leaf (or two or many) for the Thankful Tree. (Picture of our Thankful Tree ~here~.)

It all adds up to a kid-friendly Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving Mice

2011-11-10T10:42:00.000-05:00

These dear little mice fall under the category of "new" heirlooms. They are not antiques, but they have become treasures as the children have played with them from year to year.

My mom bought a pair of these Thanksgiving mice years ago. I oohed and aahed over them so much that she bought me a pair the next year.

Mom is like that. You're almost afraid to admire anything. She'll either buy you one, or give you hers. In this case, she did both, because a few years later, she gave me her own pair, and now I have all four little Pilgrims.

The children have played with the mice for many Thanksgivings. They are as expected as the turkey and stuffing (and perhaps enjoyed more). I learned recently that they are not mix-and-match--there are definite pairs of husband and wife mice. (Apparently only discerning eyes can tell them apart.)

Bekah and the grands played with them last Sunday while the adults were lingering at the table. It was reported that (horrors!), the boys were making them "modern mice" with elevators and a toilet and a playground with a slide and a sandbox. The girls were not cool with that.

I was also informed this year that we need another mouse. Since Benjamin is old enough to play mice now, there are not enough to go around. But an internet search was fruitless, so it appears that the children will have to share the tiny Pilgrims for now.

Sunday Snapshots: Savoring the Moments

2011-11-07T11:51:00.010-05:00

Sa·vor v: To appreciate fully; enjoy or relish

Yesterday, we celebrated Kati's birthday...again. Her eighteenth (!) birthday was earlier in the week. She invited some friends over for games and birthday cheesecake on Tuesday. On her actual birthday, we girls treated ourselves to a day of shopping and pumpkin spice frappuccinos, and then we all went to Kati's favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. But Sunday afternoons are usually the time for family gatherings, and so we gathered to rejoice and mark Kati's passage into adulthood. Oh my...can I really be the mother of three adult children?

The answer to that question, of course, is Yes, I most certainly am. And although it sometimes seems as if all of my children were babies such a short time ago, I have learned that time does indeed fly by, and lifetimes pass lightning-quick in hindsight, and James was spot-on about it being a vapor, and that the only way to approach the whirlwind of days is to offer them to the Lord and to savor the moments.

Savoring moments like these...

Kati with 18 candles on her cake

Overheard from the children:

"Wow! Will that many candles fit on the cake?!"

As the candles were lit, "It's really getting bright!"

Sweet voices singing to Kati

Enjoying the gifts right along with her
In this picture, they are oohing and aahing over a "cake plunger."

I guess they could all imagine the cream-filled cupcakes that Kati will make using this handy tool.

(Leave it to Gammy to find such a clever thing! She is the best gift-finder.)

Kati with Gammy

Both all dolled up and looking beautiful in their purple!

(Gampy was working, but we sent him a piece of pumpkin birthday cake.)

Kati with MomMom

Last year, MomMom and PopPop came together.

We keenly felt his absence.

And these moments...

Baby (baby?) Alaine
the center of attention at the adult table

as she ate her birthday tacos while standing in her chair...

...my son-in-law (a wonderful father!) helping Ben with a puzzle...

...and lingering at the table

for grandmother-granddaughter time

We savored the moments as we went around the room, each telling something that we liked about Kati. She gives me piggy-back rides. I like her hair. She has a gentle spirit. (This is a new tradition for us, borrowed from Kristin's family.)

When Ron took his mother home after the party, she gave him a bagful of treasures that had belonged to his father—a pocket knife, some French and German coins he brought home from his stint oversees as a World War II soldier, an award watch with his name engraved, a monogrammed handkerchief. Last night found Ron savoring these tangible mementos and reminiscing.

Savoring the moments...and being thankful to our Father for all of His blessings.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
(Psalm 90:12)

Sunday Snapshots: October

2011-11-05T17:46:00.005-04:00

Sunday Snapshots? On a Saturday?

While I was busy with other things in October, I neglected to post any Sunday Snapshots...so today is catch-up day!

Here are some glimpses of our October Sundays...

The Animal Kingdom :-)

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The Dearth Ends

2011-11-03T23:53:00.001-04:00

In this post, I bemoaned the fact that I had not posted any pictures of my grandchildren for thirty-one days. I also ~~warned you~~ promised you that I would be sharing some. So I just looked back through the October photos and made some oh-so-difficult choices. What does one do when one has gazundles of adorable pictures of adorable children in adorable poses doing adorable things? I suppose I could put gazundles in this post...or I could steal just a few of my favorites from Kati's mid-October photo shoot and try to forget that there is so much more cuteness in the files.

My youngest daughter Bekah (10) is in the middle.
The others are four of the Nearby Grands:
Ben (3), Gavin (almost 9), Owen (5), and Maddie (7).

"Be silly," said Aunt Kati. So they did.

The Baby Nearby Grand, Alaine (1)

And because I'm an equal opportunity Gran...

here are the Faraway Grands on a recent camping trip
(photos stolen from their mother's facebook album):
Nora (2), Eve (4), and Peter (10 months)

Thank you for indulging me. :-D

Thirty-One Days of ...

2011-11-01T10:38:00.001-04:00

31 days of sleep deprivation

31 days of tea at midnight...vanilla honey camomile

31 days of looking through scads of files, looking for the right photo

31 days of "Oh my goodness, we have got to get our schoolwork done!"

31 days of thinking about 31 days

31 days of whispering/calling, "Kati, are you still awake?".... "Kati, are you still awake?"

31 days of no posts with pictures of my grandchildren! (That will change soon!)

Late night computer session

BUT it was also...

31 days of meeting new friends

31 days of focus

31 days of sharing my heart

31 days of delight

Thanks to all who joined me on this journey!

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 31 ~ Hold Loosely

2011-10-31T00:35:00.003-04:00

And so we have come to the last of these thirty-one days.

On the very first day of the series I said,

Home is made up of beautiful sights, lovely aromas, tantalizing tastes, comforting touches and textures, and lively sounds. But it is more than our physical surroundings and the appeal of the senses. It is also the intangible beauties of attitude and atmosphere. The best home is a reflection of our Heavenly Home, a humble foreshadow of that Home that is promised to His children.

I have attempted to offer you some new ways of looking at your home, and your own place in it. Maybe one or two ideas have inspired you to brighten your home—in its surroundings, or in its atmosphere.

There's one more thought that I'd like to leave with you...hold it loosely.

You see, I am merely a steward of my home, my little piece of the here-and-now. It is not really mine. It is where He has placed me right now, today. And I am responsible, as His steward, to take good care of it, and to do my best, and to do it with all my heart (as unto the Lord, and not to men, Colossians 3:23).

But if He should choose to take it away, or move me to another place, then I must loosen my grip and say, "Yes, Lord."

Now that may sound as if my attitude is oh-well-no-problem-easy-come-easy-go, but that is certainly not the case. I love my home. As I told you ~here~, I had to learn to love it, but now I can hardly imagine myself anywhere else! Home is a good place to be. However, it is a only a temporary gift. I must hold it loosely, while I hold tightly to eternal things.

For the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18b

May you and I be able to declare with Martin Luther,

" I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

God bless you as you continue to make your house a home...while you focus on the things that are eternal!

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 30 ~ Books For Inspiration

2011-10-30T01:12:00.002-04:00

In making a home, there are a few books that I have found helpful through the years. They are all quite different, but each one has had an influence in some area as I have tried to make my own home.

The Bible

Oh yes, this is the most important one! I would not even begin to attempt to make a home without the true foundation which is the Word of the Lord.

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."

The Way Home and All the Way Home by Mary Pride

When I discovered these books, it was like a breath of life...a whole new way of looking at my role of wife and mother, but through the lens of the Word of God. The ideas presented were such a contrast to the values of our modern society, and even a contrast to many of the values of the church.

The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer

Creative ideas to spark your own creativity while you strive to make your home a place of beauty and blessing.

The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot

I found this book to be inspirational as Elisabeth Elliot tells of the home in which she grew up. The author shares family stories and the guiding principles of her parents' home as they raised their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

The Reluctant Entertainer by Sandy Coughlin

Within these pages, the author provides you with the tools of making your home a place of welcome and hospitality. Read this, and your perspective on "entertaining" will change.

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Since today is the day for recommendations, I am going to suggest that you read my daughters' blogs, as they have also written 31-days series this month!

Kristin, my oldest daughter, is wife to Brian and the mother of five beautiful treasures! During the month of October, she has been writing encouragement from her own experience: 31 Days for the Struggling Mama.

Kati, my second daughter-third child, recently purchased a nifty new camera with some graduation money. She has been learning her new camera, snapping away, and posting some of her favorites on 31 Days of Photography Fun.

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 29 ~ Hide Ugly Stuff

2011-10-29T00:52:00.000-04:00

Don't leave it in sight. The ugly stuff, that is.

Living in an older house, we know all about lack of storage space. The builders of our house did not alot much square footage to closets, and the few that they built were eensy-weensy. So we have had to be creative in finding places to put our belongings.

Of course, the first answer to storage problems is to purge! I find it necessary to purge fairly often to keep our stuff to a manageable level.

But my second principle of storage is to hide ugly stuff.

Put it away. Put it in a basket. Put it in a cupboard. Put it in a closet. Put it in a pretty container. Put it behind closed doors.

Choose furniture with drawers or doors.

Choose sofas with skirts. (Lots of stuff can fit under a sofa. My scrapbook box and our Wii balance board are under the living room sofa. The kitchen loveseat conceals shoes, as we have no mudroom or foyer at the back door.)

Choose to have your husband build some closed cabinetry at the bottom when he creates your built-in bookcases. (Yes, I know I'm lucky.)

Put your dish soap in a pretty pump container if it must sit on your kitchen counter. Hide extra rolls of toilet paper under the vanity. Put daily mail in a deep basket (or sort it when it enters the house).

Corral legos and blocks in a basket.

Why not look around your house and see if you see anything ugly? Then find a way to either purge it, or hide it.

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{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 28 ~ Celebrate the Seasons

2011-10-28T00:38:00.005-04:00

Add some simple touches to celebrate the seasons.

A home that has some seasonal touches looks like a home that is cared for and loved. It says that its keeper has taken a little time to do something that is beyond the ordinary stretch of days. If I look inside a house and nothing tells me what season it is, it feels a bit sterile or detached.

I admit that I go all out for fall decorating--inside, outside, every nook and cranny! I adore fall...the cooler temperatures, the return to routine, the spectacular beauty.

I enjoy decorating for Christmas too. (You can take a peek at the farmhouse dressed for Christmas by clicking ~here~.)

The other seasons have more subtle touches--paper snowflakes, winter berries, tea tray on the kitchen counter...forsythia clippings, lighter colored dishes and trays...flowers inside and out, maybe a sea shell here or there.

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Genesis 8:22

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Do you decorate for the seasons? In a big way or a small way?

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

2011-10-28T00:09:00.001-04:00

For a dessert recipe with some autumn flair, try this!
Adapted from this recipe...
(Word to the wise: Don't omit the allspice...it is so-o-o-o-o good!)

Linking up today with Kristin's Comfort Food Friday.

CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar, divided
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Directions:

Grease 9-inch cake pan. Preheat oven to 350°.
Whisk together ½ cup of the sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Sprinkle in pan. Evenly distribute cranberries over sugar mixture. Set aside.
In an electric mixer, cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend into creamed mixture. On low speed, beat in milk.
Spoon batter into pan over berries.
Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Let cool completely before turning out of baking pan onto serving platter.

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 27 ~ An Ordinary Tradition

2011-10-27T00:01:00.002-04:00

Sometimes little rituals in your day or week

can make ordinary times special.

At our house Friday Movie Night is one of those rituals.

The evening begins with take-out for supper. (Yahoo!)

After dinner (and an easy clean up!), we put on the coffee

and our night at the movies (usually something from Netflix) begins!

And what would movie night be without movie snacks?

To ensure variety, we pick numbers at the beginning of the month, and each person has a week to choose the carry-out meal and the movie. (If it were my turn every week, we'd eat Chinese food and watch You've Got Mail.)

What daily or weekly rituals does your family have?

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 26 ~ Holiday Traditions

2011-10-26T01:42:00.003-04:00

I have chatted with you about traditions, and why I feel that traditions are important. I have shared some of our mealtime traditions. And today, I will tell you about some of our holiday traditions.

A Month of Thankfulness
Thanksgiving is more than one day at our house. We read Thanksgiving books. (Read ~here~ for some of my recommendations.) We sing Thanksgiving hymns, all month long, choosing one to sing together around our Thanksgiving table before the blessing and the feast. (Click ~here~ to read about a beautiful collection of Thanksgiving music.)

One of our most blessed holiday traditions is our Thankful Tree. All through the month, we write our thanks on cut-out leaves. We mail leaves to Ryan's family so that they are represented on our tree. Any guests who visit during the month are invited to add their blessings. And we add a few more on Thanksgiving Day, as each person is given a leaf as they arrive. (Click ~here~ to read details about our Thankful Tree.)

Christmas Movies

We watch lots of Christmas movies! Most of the time, I am wrapping gifts or making to-do lists while watching, but we try to fit in as many as possible during the short season. And there are a few that have a very definite date or occasion on which they must be viewed. Why? It's a tradition! (You know...you do it once, and then the next year, and then it is set. in. stone.)

A Christmas Carol (with George C. Scott) must be seen on Black Friday and must be accompanied by Thanksgiving leftovers. When we write out Christmas cards, we must watch Eloise at Christmastime which we recorded from television onto a VHS tape. If we are not finished with the cards (we rarely are), we watch Eloise at the Plaza, which isn't even a Christmas movie, but it's tradition nonetheless. The Homecoming is reserved for Christmas Eve, with the exception of one Christmas Eve when our VHS tape broke (nightmare!), but now we have the DVD and all is well.

(I must add that we have lots of favorite Christmas books, too! I gather them from all of the bookshelves, and we read through at least one chapter book, and numerous shorter "picture books" during the season.)

Annual Christmas Ornaments

When the older children were small, we began giving them a special Christmas ornament each year. We tried to find one that was either indicative of their personality or their interests, or that represented a significant event in their lives that year. We continued this tradition...and so now we give ornaments to each of our four children, our son-in-law and our daughter-in-law, and our eight grandchildren. Yes, that is a lot of ornaments, and some years I am tempted to discontinue this tradition, but then I find the perfect one for Ryan or for Owen or for Eve, and my enthusiasm returns with gusto.

As part of the tradition, we give these out on Christmas Tree Night (after we eat our subs—another part of the tradition), and it is thrilling to this Gran and Papa to watch the eager faces as they open their treasures one by one.

(To read more about our tradition, and to see some pictures of the special ornaments, click ~here~.)

First-Day-of-Spring Baskets

We used to do Easter baskets, but several years ago we changed plans. Resurrection Day is such a glorious beautiful day of rejoicing, that it almost seemed to trivialize the significance of the holiday to make a big deal out of chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks. But chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks are such fun, and my children had always received such treats...so Ron and I decided that, as the first day of spring is exciting and something to celebrate, and bunnies and chicks and flowers certainly represent the spring of the year, we would begin the tradition of the Spring Basket.

It is great fun to squirrel away (rabbit away?) little treats to fill the baskets! Candy, yes...but also pajamas with a bunnies-having-a-tea-party design, recipe cards, cute socks, garden seed packets, pencils, boxes of tea, nail polish.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

These are some traditions that are meaningful to our family. I am sure that yours are different from ours. The important thing is that each family takes the time and the care to create traditions that are meaningful to you! These are strong family memories that will make your house a home.

Addendum:

There is also nothing wrong with changing a tradition, or adding a new one. After all, families are not static. Our own has gone through many changes—the addition of more children, children growing up and leaving the nest, the addition of grandchildren, the relocation of our son and his family (across many miles), to name a few. We must adapt our traditions with the changes in family dynamics.

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 25 ~ Use Your Heirlooms

2011-10-25T01:23:00.001-04:00

Do you have any family heirlooms?

If you do, may I suggest that you get them out and use them? If you don't, there are no family memories attached to them, so they won't mean anything to those who will have them next.

My great aunt told me over and over about the "moss rose tea set" that I was to have. It had been her mother's (my great-grandmother's) and she treasured it highly. But when she gave it to me, I put it on a corner cupboard in my dining room...and there it sat for many years. It received a weekly dusting, some admiration, and that was about it.

A few years ago, I decided that our own family should have some "history" with the tea set too, so on Kati's sixteenth birthday, we carefully washed each piece, and used it to serve tea to her party guests. Of course, I did not want anything to be broken, but I was willing to risk it for the sake of the special occasion, the sense of family connection, and the simple pleasure of using the beautiful heirloom.

I also have a set of silver spoons that belonged to some ancestor on my mother's side. These spoons were wrapped in a piece of flannel in my sideboard...until the day of a family party when I decided to unwrap them, put them in a little crock, and use them for stirring cream and sugar in the coffee. These spoons are engraved with mysterious initials..."mysterious" because we cannot decipher them! At many family gathering since then, we have guessed and figured at those initials, and we still have not come to any consensus. But that just adds to the fun of using these family pieces.

I have a couple of treasures from my paternal grandparents. One is my grandmother's sewing basket, which I use for storing ribbon and trim.

The other is this table with bamboo legs (I wonder where it came from) that we have had on our back porch for I don't know how long.

Your "heirlooms" don't have to be valuable (most of mine aren't!). They don't have to be family pieces. For goodness' sake...they don't even have to be old! They can be new or thrifted pieces that you have deemed to be special.

But do try to use your special pieces from time to time...to appreciate beauty, to create family memories, and to make your house a home.

Imagine my surprise when I read this post today by Brenda at Coffee Tea Books and Me. We seem to be thinking along the same lines! Hop on over and read her wise words about "using the good stuff".

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 24 ~ The Law of Kindness

2011-10-24T00:26:00.000-04:00

I probably don't need to say this... but...

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't allow your children to hit one another, or call one another names, or bully or belittle one another.

These rules have been FIRM ones in our house, and I am so glad! Our children have always been encouraged to be courteous and kind to one another. (I am not referring to good-natured teasing...but you know when the law of kindness has been broken.)

The benefits are many!

The team concept is fostered.
Siblings learn to be the best of friends.
Peace is the norm in the home.

One of the first Bible verses that we had our children* memorize was this one:

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

And I can still hear those tiny voices with their lisps and their baby "r" sounds as they recited that nugget of gold from the Word of God.

And just as it is important for siblings to treat one another with kindness, it is equally important for adults to use kindness in their dealings with their children, and with one another. Dare I say that there is a difference between Godly admonition, correction, and instruction in righteousness (I Timothy 3:16) and yelling and screaming and disrespect? (And dare I say that I have broken the law of kindness?)

I propose that a house is not a home unless the law of kindness prevails.

* Some of my grandchildren have also memorized Ephesians 4:32...which warms my heart.

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 23 ~ Consider Homeschooling

2011-10-23T01:16:00.000-04:00

If your children are small and you have begun to think about school choices...or if your children are in a traditional school and they spend most of their day outside of the home (and a chunk of the time they are at home doing homework)...

Consider homeschooling.

My older two children were in the 6th and 4th grades when we (finally) decided to take the path of homeschooling. I had considered it for several years, but didn't think that I could do it.

I was a nervous wreck. Even though I was convinced that the Lord wanted us to do this, and I even became enthused about it, I thought that it meant the end of my "freedom" and the beginning of a difficult task.

So wasn't I surprised when I found that (in some ways) it was easier? No longer were we pulled apart, spending the greater part of the day in different places. No longer did my children need to follow the agendas of other people (and not the people who loved them). No longer were we slaves to the schedule that someone else had set, nor were we slaves to their ideas.

By the end of our first week of homeschooling, I knew that we had found our way. It was God-centered. It was home-centered. Our family worshiped together, prayed together, tended our house together, learned together. We had become a team.

Bringing our children home to school was one way that we made our house a home.

(Oh...and that "freedom"? I never missed it!)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

More of my musings about home education...

A Lesson in Abundance

What's the Goal?

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 22 ~ Provide Reading Corners

2011-10-22T00:21:00.000-04:00

Ingredients for a reading corner:

Cozy chair
Nearby lamp
Place to set a cup of tea or coffee
Book

A favorite reading corner in our house is on the loveseat in the kitchen. (We I have been known to stare down the person who got to this reading corner before I did.) It has all of the right ingredients.

This chair is an appealing spot, but the lamp is not quite bright enough for me, especially in the evening. I once put a floor lamp beside it which improved the situation greatly, but, alas, I had robbed the lamp from the space by my husband's recliner, which meant that he could not see to read the newspaper, and so I returned it. (It was only fair, since Ron usually moves from my favorite spot on the loveseat when I stare him down.)

We also have reading chairs in each of the bedrooms.

You just can't have too many reading corners!

Where do you curl up with a book?

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 21 ~ Children's "Room" For Expression

2011-10-21T00:02:00.002-04:00

A child can learn to make her (or his) house a home by having some say in how that room is decorated. Let them choose the colors, the style, and fill it with the things that make them happy.

I was twelve years old when our family moved to a new town and I had my own room for the first time. My mother allowed me to choose the colors for my space, and I chose bright yellow and orange. (It was the seventies after all! ~smile~) I found the brightest yellow bedspread you have ever seen. I decorated with butterflies, including the string art butterfly I hung over my bed. I sometimes wonder why Mom didn't close the door to my room, but she let me be.

I have tried to allow my own children the same leeway when making their rooms their own. (Fortunately, they have all had better taste than I had. Or maybe it's because they did not grow up in the seventies.) But in our country-style farmhouse, we have at different times had children's rooms decorated in everything from shabby chic to pink with a capital P to animal skulls and nutria pelts. (Yep.) And it's okay.

Children who are sharing a room may have to work a little harder to have a space that reflects their individual personalities, but it can be done. Kristin and Kati shared a room for seven years...and there is a thirteen year age difference between them! One side of the room had a Fisher Price doll house and stuffed animals and a poster with the numbers 1 to 10; the other side had a CD player and posters of contemporary Christian singers. But they had matching quilts and eyelet curtains and a bookshelf with both classics and picture books, and it worked (with an occasional request from Kristin not to buy Kati any "big toys").

So what about you? Do you give free reign to your kids' expression in their rooms?

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{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 20 ~ Be At Home

2011-10-20T00:42:00.000-04:00

To make a house a home, you need to spend some time there. Making it cheerful. Making it welcoming. Making it homey.

When I was a new wife and a young mother, I went. I did this; I did that. I went here; I went there. If you wanted me to join a club, teach a class, or go shopping with you, I'd do it. I tried to make a home, but it's kind of hard to make a home when you're not there much.

In time, the Lord called my heart to my home.

Yes, I had been a "stay-at-home mom," but my attentions were often directed outside of my home and family. Then the Lord gave me a new vision of my role as a wife and mother, and being at home became a pleasure. Home was where I wanted to be!

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine...

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (Titus 2:1, 3-5)

Of course, there are errands to be run, and times to go out to fellowship or help or visit.

But to truly make a house a home, there has to be someone there to do it!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 19 ~ Read Aloud

2011-10-19T00:12:00.004-04:00

Choose a book to read aloud as a family.

Sharing a book is a wonderful way to create family memories, learn together, and collect a treasure trove of shared knowledge and stories.

Dad usually chooses the family read aloud. After all, we girls read (or have read) lots of books together as part of our homeschool studies, so this is a chance for Dad to have some input into our learning. His selections bring some male influence into our reading, and he sometimes chooses books that we may not have read otherwise.

Think your family is too old to do this?

Think again! We have continued to read aloud long after each child learned to read. In fact, we read aloud as long as they are physically present. And I hope that Ron and I will continue to share books aloud, even after the last child has left the nest!

Some of our family read alouds:

The Swiss Family Robinson (Johann Wyss)
Daniel Boone: The Opening of the Wilderness (John Mason Brown)
Around the World in Eighty Days (Jules Verne)
All of a Kind Family series (Sydney Taylor)
Young Abraham Lincoln (Carl Sandburg)
Across Five Aprils (Irene Hunt)
A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
Drake: The Man They Called a Pirate (Jean Lee Latham)

Sharing a love of literature, history, or just a good story...another way to make a house a home.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 18 ~ Discover Linen Spray

2011-10-18T00:40:00.001-04:00

There is nothing like climbing into a bed made with freshly laundered sheets smelling of lemon verbena! Mmmmmm...

I have found inexpensive bottles of linen spray at discount stores like Marshalls and HomeGoods. They come in all kinds of luscious scents: lemon verbena, lavender, honeysuckle... Just spray some on your clean sheets as you iron them.

Oh, you don't iron? No problem! Just spritz them after you put them on the bed.

(You can also use linen spray to freshen a rug, a throw pillow, a dresser drawer...)

Yet another way to use scent to make your house a home!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 17 ~ Set the Tone

2011-10-17T01:01:00.000-04:00

The woman (wife and/or mother) has the power to set the tone in the home.

I have never liked the phrase, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Not because I doubt the truth of the statement, but because it is usually said in a flip manner by someone who thinks that that is funny. The image is that of a family cowering because Mama is displeased. Funny? Not really.

I believe that a woman has tremendous power to influence the attitudes of those in her home.

I am not denying the headship of the man; I believe wholeheartedly that the husband/father is the authority in the home. He is responsible to lead, to teach, to protect, and to love.

But...if I am frazzled, or angry, or blue...

if I am ungrateful, or discontent, or grumpy...

then I can see the effect that those attitudes have on my husband and children.

And that is sobering.

But...if I am encouraging, and hopeful, and worshipful,

if I am faithful, and patient, and meek,

then I can also see the effects of those attitudes ripple through my home.

Yes, I believe that a mama sets the tone for her household.

A while back, I blogged about a book that we were reading, and how a particular passage impacted me:

We have been reading The Yearling, written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in 1938. In this coming of age story, the Baxter family—Penny, Ora, and twelve-year-old Jody—live a hard life in the Florida scrub region at the turn of the century.

It is November, and the first frost has come to the scrub. The Baxters are in the “front room”, enjoying the first hearth-fire of the year, Penny smoking his pipe, Ora sewing, Jody lying on the floor in front of the fire, daydreaming.

Ma Baxter said, “Now throw a stick on the fire. I cain’t quite see to foller my seams.”

She had cut down a pair of Penny’s winter breeches for Jody.

She said, “Now take another notion to grow like you done this spring, and I’ll be cuttin’ down your breeches to fit your daddy.”

Jody laughed out loud and Penny pretended to be offended. Then his eyes twinkled in the firelight and his thin shoulders shook. Ma Baxter rocked complacently. They were all pleased whenever she made a joke. Her good nature made the same difference in the house as the hearth-fire had made in the chill of the evening.

If you are familiar with this story, you know that Ora is a hard woman, who fusses, criticizes, and has a sharp tongue. Life has been hard for her—she has lost six children before Jody is born, the family is always on the edge of having enough to get by on, they work extremely hard and have constant set-backs—and she has been hardened by it. In the passage that I quoted above, however, Ora is in an unusually good humor, and that is why her family is so much enjoying the evening spent in front of the fire. Their spirits are lightened because "Mama is happy."

"Her good nature made the same difference in the house as the hearth-fire had made in the chill of the evening."

The first time I visited my dear friend Debbie at no spring chicken, I was struck by this quote by Laura Ingalls Wilder that Debbie has in her blog header:

"Let's be cheerful! We have no more right to steal the brightness out of the day for our own family than we have to steal the purse of a stranger. Let us be as careful that our homes are furnished with pleasant and happy thoughts as we are that the rugs are the right color and texture and the furniture comfortable and beautiful!"

Most of us would be horrified at the thought of stealing the purse of a stranger, but are we ever guilty of stealing the brightness out of the day for our families?

I must insert here that I am not saying that we should not be "real". There is a right time for sorrow and grief, for sadness and tears. I am not suggesting that we waltz about with our insincere smiles, pretending that everything is great when it isn't. It is neither real, nor truthful, nor helpful to do such a thing.

What I am saying is that our attitudes should reflect His grace, and when they do not, then we are robbing our families of brightness. Even in sorrow, there can be the brightness of hope. In tears, there can be brightness of encouragement. In need, there can be the brightness of reassurance. In everything, there can be a heart of thankfulness.

I do not write this post from the perspective of a woman who has mastered this, this gift and this responsibility of setting the tone. I am afraid that I am not always that gentle heart and encouraging presence that is my ideal. Sometimes I get annoyed. Sometimes I have a chip on my shoulder, or an offended spirit.

But I write about this concept because I believe it to be true. A woman sets the tone in her home.

So how do I go about setting the proper tone, or being that gentle, edifying presence?

Hear the wise words of my daughter-in-law, Sarah:

I find that it does no good to simply 'resolve' to be more pleasant and full of grace. It's the Lord's grace that allows me to be gracious to my family and His mercy that keeps me from my self.

I believe that is the answer! Accepting the Lord's grace for us, and extending that to the members of my family.

This week, will you join me in extending His great grace to our husbands and children? Will you allow Him to help you set the tone in your home?

Setting the proper tone can make your house a home!

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 16 ~ Build It

2011-10-16T00:01:00.005-04:00

I have always been intrigued by this Bible verse—the concept that I am able to build my house, but also that I also have the power to pull it down. With my own hands.

I want to be a builder, not a destroyer!
And I acknowledge that I must totally—totally—rely on His guidance to be that wise woman.

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{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 15 ~ Cushy Seats

2011-10-15T01:35:00.003-04:00

Once upon a time, the Lady of the House bought a lovely high-backed colonial sofa. Oh, how she loved it!

Her family? They hated it!

It wasn't cushy. It didn't invite you to curl up on it with a book. It didn't invite you to take naps on it, much less spend the night on it if you were sick and needed to stay downstairs.

But she loved her sofa so much that when the fabric started to wear, she had the thing reupholstered, and she loved it even more with its new clothes. (Did you hear the collective sigh of the children?)

There came a day, however, when it was time to buy a new sofa.

This time she decided to go for comfort. So she hunted high and low for a colonial fabric that she could love combined with a cushy sofa.

Her family loves her for it.

Moral of this tale:

Comfort is more important than beauty in making a house a home.

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 14 ~ Set a Pretty Table

2011-10-14T02:11:00.001-04:00

Setting a pretty table is a joy!

Holiday and party tables are easy to make festive.

We usually go the extra mile to set a table for company.

But even weeknight suppers can look pretty if you take just a little bit of care.

Setting a pretty table doesn't mean that you have to use fine china and the heirloom silver every night. Just try to make your table look inviting to your own family.

(Even breakfast can be pretty!)

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To end this week's theme of thoughts about mealtime, I am linking up with Kristin's Comfort Food Friday. This recipe is a family favorite, and is a breeze to make!

SAUSAGE BEAN CHOWDER

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk pork sausage
16-oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained
16-oz. can black beans, drained
1-lb. can diced tomatoes
4 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 bay leaves
1½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon thyme
fresh ground pepper to taste
2 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

Directions:

Cook sausage until brown. Pour off fat.
In large pot, combine beans, tomatoes, water, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and all spices. Cover and simmer for one hour.
Add potatoes. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes more.
Remove bay leaf and serve.

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 13 ~ Turn Off the TV!

2011-10-13T00:36:00.002-04:00

When we first got married, we would often have the TV on at dinner time, watching the news or some favorite show. But somewhere along the line, we made it a policy to turn off the television while eating. After all, how can you have great conversation, share family stories, tell about your day, focus on one another, when the TV set is competing for your attention? (And compete it does! Have you ever watched people in a restaurant or a food court when a television is present?)

Instead, play some pleasant background music. Or even get crazy and have no sounds at all except for the voices of those at your table.

Two afterthoughts...

1) In our modern age, I'd have to include all technological gizmos in with the television. Let the answering machine handle phone calls. Turn off all cell phones. No texting. No blackberries. No computer. (Did I leave anything out?)

A few years ago, we had taken a day trip and had stopped to have a nice dinner on the way home. At the table next to ours in the restaurant was a young man and his wife and their two small children. During the entire meal, this man handled business on his cell phone, sometimes at the table, sometimes outside. What he did not do was connect with his wife or his children. Now maybe this was not a typical pattern for him. Perhaps there was a business emergency that needed his immediate attention, and most nights he chatted and joked and was with them. But I left the restaurant that night sad for his wife, sad for his children, and sad for him. They all missed an opportunity to be together, for although he was present in body, he was not there.

2) I am thinking that there are exceptions to the "no TV" rule. There are occasions when the movie or television show is the event. We eat pizza every Christmas Eve while watching "The Homecoming." Your family might eat chili while watching the Super Bowl. But most of the time, the mealtime itself is the event.

Let's eliminate distractions from the main event! Mealtime connections will make your house a home.

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{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 12 ~ Plan to Eat

2011-10-12T00:01:00.003-04:00

Is this a "no brainer" for most of you? I wonder why it took me so long to learn this little trick:

Plan to eat.

It's something we have to do every day, as we make our house a home. So why not have a plan?

Mine is simple. I do rudimentary meal planning as I grocery shop, making sure that I have something penciled in for each day. The plan is flexible and the days' entries can be juggled around to fit the real week's schedule, or to answer someone's meal request, or to take advantage of some inspiration.

Then I make it a goal to have a definite dinner plan by lunchtime each day. That way, I can get something out of the freezer if I need to. I can begin a soup or some spaghetti sauce early enough to have it ready by the dinner hour. Or I can arrange simple preparations around the day's activities.

But there isn't that scratching of the head and stewing (no pun intended) and fretting at 4:30 pm.

It's not rocket science...if I plan to eat.

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{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 11 ~ Mealtime Traditions

2011-10-11T01:49:00.001-04:00

On Day 7, I chatted about traditions and promised to share some. Then yesterday I stated my case for making family mealtime a priority. So today, I thought I would combine the two thoughts and share some ideas for mealtime traditions.

BIRTHDAY DINNERS
Let the birthday boy or girl (or adult) choose the menu.

From the time that I baked potatoes for my baby daughter's first birthday (she did not vocalize her choice that year, but I knew what she liked!), to the many times that I have cooked oyster fritters (that I do not eat!) for my hubby, to the times when I have asked my adult children to make a Sunday-near-your-birthday dinner request, to the times when my middle daughter asked to go out to her favorite Mexican restaurant (fun!), I have always aimed to please! (Of course, when it's my own birthday, Ron usually grants my request to go out to eat, with the budget determining the dining selection. He aims to please too!)

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

Have some predictable elements in your holiday menu.

Our holidays are usually celebrated with extended family. That really makes it great for me, because I do not have to prepare the entire meal; everyone brings something (or many things!) to contribute. Menus vary some from year to year, but there are also favorite dishes that show up regularly. There are deviled eggs on Resurrection Sunday, chicken salad at our Christmas buffet, fried chicken on Mother's Day, and Thanksgiving...well, let's just say that there are lots of "regulars" served at that meal. (My brother-in-law once wondered why we ladies make such a big deal about planning Thanksgiving dinner when we all end up cooking the same things every year. In our defense, that is simply not true. Sometimes we don't have sauerkraut.)

Our Christmas breakfast is the one menu that hasn't changed in years. Both sets of grandparents join us and we eat an egg-and-potato casserole (recipe shared below), Mom's sausage balls, her orange-cranberry bread, a fruit salad, and crockpot oatmeal. Every year.

SEASONAL MEALS
Let the season determine some mealtime traditions.

At our house, summer is a time for homemade ice cream, hamburgers cooked on the grill, corn-on-the-cob, fresh tomatoes, and this favorite dish made with lots of our garden veggies. We don't eat outside very much because we one of us ~~do not care for~~ can not stand the heat and humidity.

Autumn is a time for cooking hot dogs on the fire pit, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, sweet potatoes, and chili. We like to eat on the patio on weekends, and have friends and family over to share.

Winter is a time for Christmas cookies, soups simmering on the stove, homemade bread, and lots of hot drinks. We enjoy sipping hot tea while watching movie marathons like Cranford or Bleak House or all of the Jane Austen stories.

Spring is a time for asparagus and early strawberries and pavlova. We enjoy beginning the new round of extended family holiday dinners and birthday celebrations, beginning with Bekah's birthday and Resurrection Sunday. (We have a brief winter lull in holidays and birthdays, as there are none in February or March. Yet.)

Mealtime traditions are another way to make your house a home.

CHRISTMAS MORNING CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 package (24 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ pound sausage
½ cup chopped onion
6 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Pat hashed browns with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Press into a greased 9x13 baking dish; brush with melted butter.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.
Cook sausage and onion until sausage is browned and onion is soft.
Sprinkle cheese, sausage, and onion into the crust.
In a bowl, beat the eggs, half-and-half, and salt; pour over sausage.
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

NOTE: I prepare this casserole on Christmas Eve...up through and including step #5. Then I allow it to cool a bit, cover it with foil and refrigerate overnight. On Christmas morning, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. It is baking while we are opening gifts and visiting with our parents. Easy peasy!

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 10 ~ Make Dinnertime a Family Affair

2011-10-10T01:07:00.003-04:00

Perhaps one of the surest ways to make a house a home is to make the dinner hour a priority.

Family mealtimes are a priority at our house...always have been, always will be. There is just something about that time when everyone comes together, sits around the table, and shares a meal. And it's not just about the food.

We connect at meal time...not only a physical connection, in that we're all in the same place at the same time, but a relational one.

We share conversation. We talk about the details of our day. We talk about the upcoming birthday party. We talk about what we learned in our homeschool read aloud, or who we saw at the grocery store, or what we want to watch on movie night. We talk about the Bible passages that Mr. Phil read on Sunday and the discussion that followed.

We share family history and family stories. Dinner topics often lead to stories of our younger years. This is how our kids learn about our lives, and the lives of their grandparents and great-grandparents, and thus, they discover their own history. (Since there is such an age difference on our four children, we often discover that there are stories that the younger two have not yet heard.)

We share our values in the daily gathering at the dinner table. Values are communicated in the honest, open day-to-day talk.

We share time together, simply enjoying one another's company. Shared mealtimes encourage family unity.

We enjoy stillness and respite. The dinner hour is a time to slow down the pace, a time to relax. It's a time to feed the body and the soul.

Dinnertime is an anchor for the day.

Sometimes mealtime is lively. There is laughter and engaging conversation.

Sometimes mealtime is quiet. People are pensive...or just plain tired.
Sometimes meals are special, wonderful food served on a beautifully set table.
Sometimes the meal is canned soup and grilled cheese sandwiches (or leftovers, as it was last night).

But a meal that is shared by a family (whether that family is one with a table full of children, or a couple whose children have grown*) is a special occasion of grace and blessing.

Consistently sharing meal time is an important part of making a house a home.

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* My friend Kim over at Thistle Dew is writing a fascinating blog series, "31 Days of ReFeathering My Nest." Kim is a very recent (and young!) empty nester (her youngest daughter got married only a couple of weeks ago), and so during the month of October, she is gathering her thoughts and exploring new ways to ReFeather her nest. (This ReFeathering includes a bedroom make-over. I don't know about you, but I am always interested in a room make-over!)

If you're an empty nester, or if you just want to follow along with Kim and learn in advance, pop on over to Thistle Dew for a charming perspective on ReFeathering!

{31 Days to Make a House a Home} Day 9 ~ "Throw" Out Some Warmth

2011-10-09T00:01:00.005-04:00

Keep a variety of blankets and throws handy.
They provide visual warmth to a room, and...well...actual warmth to a body!

We add throws to most of our seating (three seasons of the year).

I keep a big basket in the living room with extra blankets and throws...

and even the ubiquitous Snuggie^®.

Because everyone appreciates a little extra warmth.

Comfy and cozy is the name of the game when you want to make your house a home.

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Psssst...

Tomorrow, I will be sharing one of the most important elements of making your house a home! Do you have any guesses?