Candle By Night

I can't believe it. It's almost impossible to believe that Sweet E went from this.......to...... . 1 week old 1 year old 2 years old 3 years old 4 years old 5 years old 5 1/2 years old  this. She has grown up so much! Happy 6th Birthday Sweetie! I love you so much. God has blessed our family by giving you to us. You are growing up into such a beautiful, sweet little lady. :-)

I finally made my own vanilla! I had the supplies for a couple of weeks, but I had a hard time getting the pickle smell out of the jar lid. But I finally figured it out. I boiled the lid with some baking soda for a little bit. Then added lemon juice. After boiling it for a while I but it into a plastic bag with some activated charcoal. The next day...no pickle smell! So I could finally get started on making the vanilla. I used the instructions from Heavenly Homemakers . I purchased a pound of vanilla beans from Olive Nation with the discount code from Heavenly Homemakers.   I cut 80 beans to put into the gallon jar . Then I poured a gallon of vodka into the jar. After 6 months I will have a gallon and a half of pure vanilla! I didn't have a half gallon jar so I just used the vodka bottle. I had poured a little of it into the gallon jar and had room to add 40 beans. I had 120 beans. The exact amount called for ...for a gallon and a half. Not that it would matter if I was...

In our homeschool lessons spelling isn't very strict at this point. By that I mean we don't have spelling tests or anything yet (next year we will do more of that). But I was given the opportunity to review some spelling software called SpellQuizer . I am very excited about this program. Knowing that I have something new and different in my homeschool arsenal is exciting. (I know, I am weird like that). It's a downloadable program (which is always a plus) and it's so easy to customize it to your child's needs. They even have a special link for homeschoolers . You can make up a spelling list for your child in just a few seconds. They have video demonstrations as well. You can go to this link and see a quick and information demonstration on how to create spelling lists, practicing the lists, sharing and importing lists. You can use this program with any curriculum. That's what is so great about it! Even if I change my mind on what curriculum I am going to use t...

Boy, I sure have a lot to catch up on. I am afraid to say it.......no one is sick in our home. I don't want to say it, fearing that it could change any minute. :-) We have had sickness in this home since Christmas time. Beloved and Big T were on antibiotics the other week (Makes the 4th time since the first of November for Beloved.) Can't wait for spring to come and the children can play outside more often! Between being sick and the weather, cabin fever is really bad in our home! But we did have a lot to keep us busy in February. February 7th was Little E's 4th birthday. This little boy can drive me crazy most days, but when I do get an "I love you" he melts my heart. (And let me just add that I am blessed to get an I love you from him once every two weeks. Seriously.....he isn't affectionate) Mr. Ornery is 4! He had a hard time deciding what kind of cake he wanted. But finally decided on a Clifford rice crispie cake. I am pretty happy with how it t...

  If you know our family, you know that anything with dragons immediately has the children's attention. Oh, on a quick sidenote, I am so excited that I know how to say the illustrators last name. Thanks to my BIL. Anyway here is a little bit about the book. Description - Roger loves adventure. Today he’s playing pirate, sailing the high seas, dancing to the hornpipe, and catching fish. But the wind’s blown him off course and he’s . . . well . . . lost.   When Padraig, a kitten-sized, bug-eating dragon, encounters the lost turtle, he offers to help Roger find his way home. Roger’s directions take some time to follow—his house looks brown, sounds like singing, smells like baking, feels like sand, and tastes like strawberries—and along the way, Roger and Padraig become friends. And friendship always yields unexpected rewards. Like cookies. Padraig is very patient with Roger as they try to find his home. He never loses his temper, but is kind and caring about the situa...

I find it so funny that I am able to write a review for Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Beloved and I were going to read this book, along with a couple that are friends of ours, for a study. We ended up meeting one time and our schedules got so crazy it never was continued. Anyway, when I was offered a chance to review this book I figured it would be a great opportunity to finally finish reading it. I am glad I did! Book Description- A Marriage Book with a Difference! A Revolutionary Message "I've been married 35 years and have not heard this taught." "This is the key that I have been missing." "A lightbulb moment." "You connected all the dots for me." "As a counselor, I have never been so excited about any material." "You're on to something huge here." A Simple Message A wife has one driving need -- to feel loved. When that need is met, she is happy. A husband has one driving need ...

Little E! I can't believe you are 4 today. I love you so much! Brand New! 1 year 2 years old 3 years old 3 1/2........My ornery little boy.

It's been a couple of days since the ice storm, but the effects are still holding strong. We had one very unnerving night as we heard a number of things come crashing down outside (on the roof and all around). Of course the tree was right about the master bedroom so we heard ice come crashing down all night long. Not fun at all! Why do the limbs from our neighbors tree always fall in our yard?! They never seem to fall in his I am more upset with this particular limb..... It tore the cable line off the house. You can see the arrows pointing to the cable and the spot where it should be.  I had Beloved throw the cable line up and over the swing set to keep the dog from tripping over it and possibly chewing on it.  This silver maple lost a lot of limbs that night (and it's the one that dropped ice over our heads all night long). One of the limbs on our bush didn't make it. Split right down the middle. These arrows show a limb that fell out of our tree in t...

Well, a Mama can dream right? Although four new restaurants did just open up in our home. Big T's Treats, Sweet E's Bistro, Little E's Eats, and Special K's Cafe. The children were so adorable. They made up their own menus and everything. :-) We obviously need to work on counting money and how to write prices. ;-)  But it was nice that bacon and eggs were free and so were the drinks. She enjoyed coming up with her own menu. Beloved had a hard time deciding on what to order.   It's so much fun to watch them come up with stuff like this. They were sad when we told them it was bedtime because they weren't done playing. They are always asking for paper to make up new menus. :-) And a quick update on the family. We are still fighting sickness. On Friday Little E threw up in the van and last night (about 8 times) Sweet E was throwing up. We are just waiting to see if Big T or Special K comes down with anything. I pray it stops with those two. We have been s...

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God - Philippians 4:6  Why? Is it all part of becoming an adult? Of being a homeowner is more like it. I never seemed to have this problem until last year. Something will happen (that I can't control) and my stomach starts to turn and my heart races. Just like last night. Nothing big. We just have a drippy faucet in the shower. About a year ago my husband tightened a screw or something and fixed it, but it was late last night so he just shut off the hot water to the shower. Well, it got me to thinking of a leaking pipe (that goes to the outside) we have and all the pipes that we should replace soon. (No others are leaking, but it would be a good idea...you know?) All I can see is money dripping out of the faucets (A "perk" of living in town). If we had well water I probably wouldn't fret about it so.  Like I said, it's nothing I can do. ...

One more post for today. By Brother and Sister-in-Love use to have a party every New Year's Eve. Since they moved to the family farm that tradition fell to the way side. But this year, at the spur of the moment, we were blessed to spend time with them, their family, and my Father and Mother-in-Love. (Minus one niece...she already had plans.) Everyone had a lot of fun and we ended our night well before midnight. Were getting old you know. Haha :-) Special K couldn't quite figure out the hat My Father and Mother-in-Love are ready for a party. :-) Fun times! Happy New Year! The children wanted to take these home.....I think not. When we made it back to our home Little E and Special K went to bed. Beloved, Big T, Sweet E and me played Blokus until midnight. Promptly at 12:01 we headed to bed. :-)

if it's already the middle of January. Who cares if I post Christmas pictures now? I'm behind okay? Just leave me alone. ;-) I don't know what it is. I just can't get back into the habit of posting every few days. I am lucky if I download pictures two weeks after they are taken. That is how bad I have gotten. Shame on me. But, because I haven't posted pictures lately what's the difference if I just do it now. So here you go. Christmas pictures in the middle of January.  First up is the present I made for Beloved. I had this idea just come to me when I was walking by an old globe that we had. I thought of the idea this past summer (I think). The globe isn't accurate and so I wanted to find a new use for it. I also wanted Beloved to have something in his office that he would enjoy. So...why not a rotating photo album. I printed a LOT of pictures of our family. There is a picture of each of the children when they were born, our engagement and wedding photo, an...