My name story

One of my favorite stories that my mom tells me is the one of how I was born and how my name came to be mine. There is nothing gruesome here, I promise. Nothing embarrassing. Just a nice story, It's ok... keep reading!

My dad is one of 5 boys (one died after birth), and I have two older brothers. (or bothers, as I typed... haha!) My parents figured that they would have all boys. When my mom was pregnant with my oldest brother, she was trying to find a girl name that they liked. There weren't many that they agreed on. My mom worked at a hospital, and she found the name Jill. They both liked that one. Then they had to find a middle name. Again, it was a tough process.

My mom put a basket at the nurse's station, and she asked for middle names to go with Jill. Finally someone put in the middle name Suzanne, and that was the one! They didn't use it with my oldest brother, then the didn't use it with my second brother either.

When I was born, they announced it was a girl. My dad started to cry. My mom asked what he thought, to say something. He said, "I can't... I'm crying!" How sweet is that?!

Reportedly on the way home, my oldest brother who was in kindergarten, sang the ABC's to me.

My parents also told me that when my first girl cousin was born, he didn't believe it when they told him it was a girl. He had to see for himself! He went on to have 3 out of 4 nieces in that one family, and when I was almost 10, my younger sister was born! So my dad, one of 5 boys, ended up having 3 boys and 2 girls of his own.

I thank God often for my family, what a blessing they are to me!

Writing prompt #4: Tell the story of your birth.

Genesis 21:1-3
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.

Deuteronomy 32:18
You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.

1 Samuel 2:21
And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

Getting old...

You know you're getting old because...

I've been feeling old the last few months. I've tried to deny that I am the big 4-0, but it is true. There are days that I feel may age, and these are a few indicators...

1. My oldest daughter began high school this fall. (?!)

2. I have aches and pains in my hips and back for no real reason.

3. I take lots of vitamins and several prescription medicines. (And I have one of those daily cases too...)

4. I'm getting more and more forgetful... What year was Mallory born? I told the clerk wrong at the pharmacy last week!

5. I liked music in junior high that is now called, "Classic Rock."  Which I think is wrong, by the way!

6. I have a niece that's married with three kids... Which means I am a Great Aunt! (My great aunts were old!!)

7. I have way too many gray hairs on my head...but I don't really wanna color them. I like the moistness and curl of my hair and don't want to dry them out!

8. I'm getting weird things like skin tags on my neck...?

9. I feel really rotten the next day if I don't get at least 7+ hours of sleep at night.

10. I have only one living grandparent left and he is nearing 100! Which makes me feel not so old at the same time! I really hope my Grandpa makes it to his 100th birthday, that will be a big party!

Writing prompt #5: You know you're getting old because...

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Proverbs 16:31
Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.

Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.

Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
2 Timothy 1:5
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Toss-back Tuesday: Summer as a kid

I recently saw a writing prompt about what summer was like when you were a kid. I didn't get pictures from my parents house until just this weekend, so I am finally getting around to writing about my summers.

Summers lasted forever, with lots of time to forget everything we learned in school. We had long days of playing outside, when my hair turned blonde and my skin turned brown. I don't remember putting on sunscreen until I was maybe 10, and that was when we went to the pool. When I was in preschool, my parents had an above-ground pool in our backyard. I don't remember much about it, except my green bikini, since I was only five years old when we moved from that home. But I do love this picture showing my tiny behind and two of my church friends. My oldest brother is in the pool smiling at the camera.

Such cute hinies...

Another memory that I have of other summers "way back when" is of my family going to a cottage in Michigan (I think). We usually went there with friends from church, or longtime friends (with kids) of my parents, and family. I love the carefree attitude we had while we were there, with spending lots of time in the lake. I remember there was a hot metal slide there and one time I was afraid I would be stung by a dragonfly. (Just the name is scary, right?!) I like my plain blue swimsuit that I had, and since I had no permanent front teeth, I couldn't have been more than six years old.

 I am still in contact with the girl in the middle on Facebook. Not sure if she reads my blog or if she'd like to see this picture... but I think it is a cute one of me (on the right).

 The evenings would get cool and we kids would put on our footie pajamas. I like seeing me in my pink ones (which look too big) and my friends from church (the same ones in the pool picture above). We're so cute, and very late-70's in our styles. What great memories I have of summers... now they are not as fun... what did my mom do to keep us all entertained?

What about you? What were summers like when you were a child? I'd love to hear about it!


Psalm 74:17
It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.


Luke 18:16
But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.


1 John 3:2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

"Toss-back" Tuesday

"Toss-Back" Tuesday

Since I already have something that I do on Thursdays (and I can't do "throw-back Thursdays), I thought occasionally this summer that I would post an old picture. Mama Kat's has a writing prompt this week about what you were like as a child, and would your youngest child be friends with you?

Here it is:

This is me (on the right) and my neighbor friend Becky. I love this picture for two reasons: because I don't have many pictures of this friend that I had before we moved when I was 5. She had two sisters, and we wrote letters for a few years, but eventually lost touch. The other reason that I love this picture is for the outfits we are wearing-- polka dots and crazy stripes-- totally 1978! (I may have been 4 1/2 in this picture, not exactly sure...)

Yes, I think my youngest daughter would have been friends with me. She likes hats and Avengers-- things that were not too popular for girls then. But she will play with dolls and cars-- which I think is what we are playing with in this picture. We both like/ liked playing outside, riding bikes and playing with our older brothers.


Writing prompt #5: When you were your youngest child's age, what were you like? Would you have been friends with your child? Why or why not?

How about you? What were you like as a child?

Luke 2:51-52
 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

1 Thessalonians 2:6-8
We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

Frugal Friday: Infinity scarves

Last week I went to Wal-mart and looked around in the fabric section. I found some nice fabric on clearance and bought it. I was thinking of making a vest like my sister has out of a one-yard piece of fabric, but bought the wrong type of fabric. So today I made it into an infinity scarf!

I used this tutorial, which I have used before. You can see another infinity scarf I made here. An infinity scarf is one that can be wrapped around your neck more than once, not left dangling. I like the way it hangs.

I bought more than one type of fabric, but my machine was acting up and didn't get it finished yet. But summer break is here, so I can work on it later! (And my mom was out of town, so she couldn't help!)

I look forward to wearing it lots! The best part is that it only cost me about $2.00!!

Writing prompt #5: Pinterest inspired! Share something you pinned and actually tried.

Psalm 104:2
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent...

Proverbs 30:4
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!

Mark 15:46

So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

I wish I had spoken up....

In my college days, I was an R.A. (Resident Assistant) in the dorms for three years. Most of the time I enjoyed the job. In my first year as an R.A., (when my future hubby was my Resident Director!) I lived on the second floor. Late one weekend night, I was off-duty and sleeping in my room just down the hall from the stairwell door.

I was not sleeping hard, as was often the case in the dorms. They were always loud until after 2:00 a.m. on the weekends. Since I was an R.A., I slept with one ear open most of the time. It was quite tiring. At times I was a counselor, at times a discipline enforcement officer, other times a friend laughing with the girls on my floor. I was always good with names, and I knew many of the residents that lived in my dorms.

This particular night, I believe it was spring. I don't remember what I had done that evening, but I do remember this incident. I had gone to the bathroom, and all looked quiet. A few minutes later, I heard a crash near the stairwell. I didn't get up because I figured someone had fallen on the stairs, probably carrying something. I heard some laughter and exclamations from some guys. 

I didn't sleep, feeling like I needed to check outside my room. I opened my door, while in my pajamas, and looked into the hallway. Much to my dismay, there was the exit sign about the door to the stairwell, hanging off the ceiling, broken. AAH!?!! Sigh. If I had gotten up when I heard the noise, and spoken up then, I might have caught the people who broke the sign. I called my R.D. Joshua at the time and we later had it repaired. Oh well...

It's not a good memory, but I learned a lesson that night. If you hear something odd, go check on it. It has served me well as a mother to my children. I check on them often in the night if I hear crying or whimpering. My hubby will check too, if he hears the kids. God has His own ways of preparing us for what lies ahead, using our experiences in the past to form who we are today. 

Was there a time you wished you had spoken up or done something differently? What did you learn from it?

3.) Describe a time when you wish you had spoken up.

Proverbs 31:9
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Luke 6:45
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Acts 25:18-19
When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.

Poem: My Spot

A writing prompt for this week was to write a poem about your favorite spot. Here is my attempt!

Cozy comfy spot on the couch!

My Spot

I have a spot
My favorite spot
And guess what?
It's not near the tv!

It is equipped
With a phone, a pen
A Bible and when
I get tired it's just right

My cozy spot
With blanket nearby
To snuggle with girls
Big and small

A Table for coasters
Holds water and drinks
A great place to study,
Read and think

Near our bay window
sunshine enters in
a place to glance and gaze
the weather and the kids

It is my spot
My favorite spot
A comfy corner
Just for me!

Showing my spot and the window nearby

Writing Prompt #3: Write a poem about your favorite place to be.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my feet,  a light on my path.

Luke 5:16

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Luke 11:1

[ Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer ] One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Making me smile...

Recently, we had a "family game night" with our kids. We do not do this enough. We all usually really enjoy it, and it is a good bonding time. On this particular night, we played Yahtzee, which is a game that we haven't played too often.

 My youngest daughter, age 3 1/2 wanted to "play" too, but we couldn't very well have her score her own paper. I gave her one score page, which she wrote on with her pencil. After a few minutes, she still wanted to play. I gave her one die to roll for me, and she liked that.

 Our six-year-old needed some help too, and she was on a team with Daddy. She did great writing her numbers and trying to keep score.

Showing off her score card...

 Bethy keeping "score" on her own score sheet...

 Rolling with gusto!

 YAHTZEE!! She helped Mommy roll one! YEA!

These pictures make me smile. I know before too long she will be scoring and writing her own numbers, but for now I am glad she can be on my team and share in the excitement of a good roll with me. I think we got some good game-players growing up in our house! That is a good thing, since we love to play games!

Writing prompt #5- Tell about something that made you smile this week.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21

¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ²⁰ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, ²¹ so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Mom Quotes

Here are some things that I say in our house, that may not be said in other homes...

1. Did you check the chickens today?

2. It's school time, do your work!

3. Please obey right away, with a smile.

4. Do what's right, with all your might.

5. Be kind all the time, even when it's hard.

6. How long did you play football outside? (FOUR hours one time!)

7. Put your shoes IN the basket!

8. Show Daddy your lapbook...

9. Mallory, the neighbor's sheep are calling you...

10. Yes, I'll get your blanket and baby Elmo so you can sleep with them.

Some of these are things said to encourage godly behavior (see #3, 4, 5), while others are said to encourage cleanliness, good sleep (#10), and chores getting done (#1). But they are all honestly things that I say or have said in our home! I love our busy homeschool, chicken farming, somewhat rural, Christian life with kids!

Writer's Prompt #4: Write a list of 10 things you have said to your kids that other moms might not say.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Genesis 4:7
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Why am I a princess? {repost}

 No Food Friday today, but this is a fun post for Friday this week! Enjoy this repost from a few years ago, that I wrote about my favorite Disney princess, Cinderella.

Why am I a princess?

Me, in a crown...

Why am I a princess? My dad, Gerry Mulder is not a king, we may have royalty WAAAAAY back in our lines, but I doubt it. My Mom Muriel is not a queen, she is not royalty, although my Dad may treat her that way sometimes on her birthday or their anniversary. So why am I, Jill, a PRINCESS?

Well, I am a daughter of THE KING. What king? King Jesus! Jesus is the Lord of my life, the Master of all, the one that I live for and pledge allegiance to. I try to live for Him each day and do things that honor Him. I am thankful for His grace, love and strength that helps me do all that I do. He is an amazing God!

SIlly princess socks

Here is an excerpt from a book that I read which talked about this very topic.

“Cinderella”, the beloved fairy tale of our youth, captures wonderfully Satan’s tactics as the Storyteller. As you remember, Cinderella lived with her stepsisters, a shrewish pair who made her sleep with the coal in the furnace room and had her convinced she would never be more than a maid. I remember thinking as I looked at the pictures of Cinderella in my child’s storybook, “Doesn’t she know how beautiful she is? Can’t she see she is so different from her stepsisters both inside and out? Why doesn’t she just look in the mirror?

But the voices of the stepsisters were loud and Cinderella could only see in her mirror darkly. She continued to take her abuse and serve them right up until the invitation to the Prince’s Ball came. When Cinderella shyly suggested that she might like to go, the stepsisters mock her to scorn for thinking that she would fit in with people of such grace and beauty. As she helps them stuff into their costumes and does her best to hide their ludicrous ugliness, they continue to mock her foolishness in thinking that the prince would ever want anything to do with her. When God’s grace comes in the form of Cinderella’s fairy godmother and dresses her in a beautiful gown, she does finally look in the mirror and sees clearly her great beauty, but she believes it is all due to magic. 

Of course, the prince recognizes her as the one he has been looking for all his life. He spends the evening dancing with her, totally enraptured in her presence. As the clock strikes twelve, Cinderella fears being exposed for the homely housemaid she believes she is, and runs from the room, losing a glass slipper in the process. Even though she still has the other glass slipper in her possession, she does not come forward when she hears the prince is searching the city for the one who can wear the dainty shoe.

Once again, the stepsisters’ voices has convinced her that she is contemptible in soul and body, good only for the homeliest of tasks. Fortunately for Cinderella, the prince is a romantic who will not give up searching the city until he has found her, and they live happily ever after. And so it will be with us who are the beloved of the great Prince who is Jesus. It is this destiny that so enrages our enemy and makes him determined to destroy the love affair that he can never have a part in.

                     -From the Sacred Romance by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis  (pp109-110)

I even own a Cinderella purse!

I do LOVE Cinderella, it is my favorite fairy tale. I love the idea that she worked, although she was royalty and that she was rewarded for it, by being invited to the ball, even though she was considered a servant girl in her own home. I love how the prince searches for her, and doesn't stop until he finds her. Just like the parable of the lost sheep,  the lost pearl  and the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. That is how Jesus, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, searches and longs for YOU. Are you letting Him be the Lord and King of your life? Have you asked to be His child and part of His kingdom forever?

 You can read more about how to do that here: http://www.campuscrusade.com/fourlawseng.htm

 Here are two cute princesses that live at my house!

Princess Bethany, age 10 months

Princess Mallory age 3

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Writing prompt #4: If you had to choose a Disney princess to live the rest of your life as... which princess would you choose and why?

What I'm studying...

During December of last year, I was thinking of studying the book of Psalms in the new year. I had originally thought I would just read a psalm or a portion of a psalm each day. Then I found a book on the shelf at my parents' home that I decided to borrow. The book is Praying with the Psalms by Eugene Peterson. You may know Eugene Peterson as the author of The Message paraphrase of the Bible.

This is not a new book, it was published in 1993. Each day includes a reading in the Psalms (from your own Bible), a verse from that passage on the page, a short meditation and a prayer. The book is just a mere 4 X 6 inches, but packs a punch for me each day! I enjoy reading the author's simple thoughts on the passage, I only wish the meditation was longer. 

Here is a description of the book:

"The Wisdom of David for a Year of Devotion Prayer is both our most human action and our most human language. But, as with any other language, we may find ourselves clumsy and undisciplined in our attempts at it. Praying With The Psalms can help Christians become fluent in the language of prayer, encouraging us to pray even when we don't feel like it, and to learn prayers that are both honest and right. Based on the life and words of David, the Psalms provide insightful reflections on depression, anger, frustration, fear, and insecurity, as well as joy, exhilaration, triumph, and gladness."

 from CBD

In addition to reading my devotional book and psalm portion each day, I have been enjoying the meditations in my NIV Women of Faith Study Bible. I received this Bible a few years ago on my birthday. A friend had a NIV Study Bible that was literally falling apart. I has seen others using the same Bible and had looked at it in the store and really liked it. My husband bought me the Women of Faith version and it has been very encouraging to me. I like the wider margins and meditations written especially for women.

Besides reading, I also spend time in prayer. One prayer guide that I like is a parents' prayer guide, with 31 Biblical virtues to pray for your kids, one each day of the month. I have posted about this before here. You can find a nice printable version here. They are written by Bob Hostetler, and I actually I have second one that I use (see picture below). It focuses on the character traits of God. I have gotten both copies of these lists in my church foyer, but have also found 31 Days to Praise online here. It is a wonderful way to focus my praise and prayer each day on one attribute of God. Each day contains an attribute and Bible verse to begin. God is worthy of our praise, and is a God of many facets. It is a neat way to worship and adore God each day.

That is what I am studying in my quiet times this year. What are you studying? I'd love to hear about it!

Faithful Blogging Prompt #50:

"How do you read the Bible?  Do you read straight through, follow a Bible reading program, etc?"

http://faithfulbloggers.com/

And last (but not least!) Bible verses that apply...

Psalm 119:108
"Accept, LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws."

Isaiah 26:8
"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts."

Psalm 1:1-2

"Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night. "

Embarrassed...

I have been blessed in many ways. I have a wonderful family, and amazing husband, four fabulous kids, and much, much more. But I have not been so blessed in the bosom department. There is a reason one of my friends in high school called me, "the boobless wonder." It's not quite that bad, but I do like undergarments that provide me with a little extra. My cups runneth over when I was pregnant, and I was so thankful that I could nurse my babies, all four of them. The same friend from the above quote gave me some fabulous brassieres when I got married. She also advised me with some other undergarments which I purchased at a large women's lingerie store in our local mall.

The bra in this discussion was called a "water bra". It was supposedly filled with water and made to look more realistic or natural. I purchased two, a white one and a black one. I wore the white one more frequently, because the black one was somewhat scratchy. I wore these bras often during our first 5-7 years of our marriage. I don't dispose of my bras too often, they usually have more than one hole before I get rid of them.

One Sunday afternoon in early Spring, my father-in-law, who lives in our town, paid our little family a visit. I was wearing the said white bra under one of my new shirts that I had received for my birthday. We were relaxing, chatting, watching TV, playing with our daughter and son at the time, Rebekah and Caleb.

I began to feel something wet on my shirt. I just thought I had spilled something, since I am not the most coordinated person in the world. But the spot didn't dry like fabric usually dries here in the west, quickly. In fact it seemed to get bigger... ? Weird.

Then it dawned on me that it wasn't just a wet spot, but it was oily. I knew I didn't spill oil on myself. I got to thinking. Where could this spot have come from? Hmmm... then I figured out it was from my BRA! My bra must have had a hole in it, and it was leaking out onto my shirt!

And my father-in-law was there! He probably wondered why I had a spot on my shirt and didn't say anything. What a nice guy, but still... I was quite embarrassed and am embarrassed just thinking about it today!

I know, not a horribly emBRAssing moment, but it was enough for me to never buy a water bra again! I take my padded undergarment cushions in another form! It was tough to get the oil out of that shirt though!

http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/

Our love story (repost!)

There was a writing prompt this week about "write how your husband popped the question", and I wrote about it back in March. It is a fun story to read, so I am reposting the link for Mama Kat's.
Enjoy the read!

http://thywordisalamptomyfeet.blogspot.com/2011/03/once-upon-timeour-love-story.html

School starts tomorrow...

written on Tuesday, August 23, 2011


School starts tomorrow.

That sentence means something different for homeschoolers. For homeschoolers, it means that Mom gets to work alongside her kiddos. She gets to be there for all of the ups and downs of learning. Mom gets to be the one that sees her child's "A-HA!" moment in learning, when they "get it". Mom gets to be the one that chooses what they learn and when. Dad may get to teach them one subject, like math, science or Bible. Usually Mom is the primary teacher, the one that grades their papers, keeps them on task, and still wipes their tears, as Mom always has.

Some moms look forward to their kids going back to school so they can have a break. For homeschool Moms, it's the opposite. It is the start of using a curriculum, and working on the 3 R's... right alongside the students, your own children. It is teaching your child to add, subtract, multiply and divide. It is teaching your child the letter sounds and how to read. It is working on their handwriting, first printing and later cursive. Homeschool moms get back to work when school starts.

The new school year beginning marks a new time to read new books on the couch, maybe one or four  missionary biographies over the year. It is sitting at the table, explaining their grammar and the rules of capitalization. It is helping them learn punctuation and practice it in their writing. It is exploring new things in science that your child may not have ever learned before...like how the eye or ear works. It is learning in depth with your child all about a country, such as Brazil.

It is getting to be together, day-in and day-out, not getting away from the child, but fostering the relationship. It is helping your child get along better with their siblings, who will become their life-long friends. It is reading the Bible together first thing in the morning, and memorizing Scripture together. It is teaching character traits and seeing your child grow in the area of patience, or perseverance.

I am looking forward to getting back into the daily routine, not making spontaneous trips to the store, but plan them better. I look forward to being with my kids at the table learning together again. Sometimes I wonder if I am ready. It seems like a big job to teach my kids. But I know God is with us and has a plan for us. "I will never leave you or forsake you."(Hebrews 13:5) "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) I am so thankful that He will help me all along the way. I have a good teacher to learn from- Jesus! May I strive to be like Him each and every day as I teach my children. I have given this year to the Lord, and I hope it is one of our BEST!

How about you? Are you ready?

School starts tomorrow.

This is a writing prompt by Mama Kat's. Prompt 4: Write a post that begins and ends with the same sentence.

Our kindergartener!!

Our third grader!

Here are a few pics of our first day yesterday...

Our 7th grader!

Simple Woman's Daybook

Simple Woman's Daybook

I've done this once before, to see that entry, check here.

For Today... August 8, 2011

Outside my window... the sun is shining brightly, the temp is a lovely 73 degrees.

I am thinking... God is awesome and His promises are true!

I am thankful for...a good night's sleep and extra cash from the yard sale this weekend, and that my mom came to visit!

From the learning rooms... The kids on summer break, but we are still completing math pages and doing reading and writing...we'll start again in about 2 weeks!

From the kitchen... breakfast partially done, and meal planning still needs to happen for the week...

I am wearing... a purple shirt and dark blue shorts.

I am creating...lesson plans for the kids! (worked on B's scrapbook recently...) 

I am going... to swim lessons with older three kids, Bethany at the "splash pad".

I am reading... "Dream when You're Feeling Blue" by Elizabeth Berg.

I am hoping... that our family pictures turn out well tonight!

I am hearing... the kids playing musical instruments together... 

Around the house...we have new school supplies, and are getting organized for school to begin soon! 

One of my favorite things...completing a puzzle that most of the family worked on- it was fun!

A few plans for this week... school planning, family pics, homeschool conference Fri. & Sat. 

A picture thought that I am sharing with you... 

Bethany so sweet on the couch with her "nigh-nigh!"

The Simple Woman's Daybook is brought to you by Peggy over at http://www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ 
Check it out if you, too are seeking the simple life.

Enjoy,

~Jill