Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) Reorganized some of the living room after my in-laws gave us their entertainment center & a chair yesterday. (They're moving & downsizing.)

2) On Tuesday, all of us got out of the house at the exact time we planned! We are usually on time for things, but don't always manage to leave as planned, but for some reason everything fit together & we left at the time we said.

3) I reviewed my goals from 2010 to see how well I did. Surprisingly, I did better than expected. I did have a lot on my list, but I'd broken it down in easily manageable sections. Next up...reworking those things I didn't accomplish into a list of goals for 2011.

Can you believe that the next edition of these Small Successes will be in 2011? Thank you for sharing these successes w/ me each week.

Have a Blessed New Year...FULL of Small Successes!!

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for a wonderful Christmas weekend. We celebrated w/ Casinodad's family here at our home on Christmas Day & w/ my family at my parents' house on Sunday. Lots of fun, food, & family time!

2) I'm thankful that Casinodad & the older three munchkins had a safe, enjoyable trip to visit his dad & aunt yesterday. The Saint & I stayed home because we don't trust our van on long trips anymore. (We're holding out until income tax time for another one.)

3) I'm thankful for the fun day I had w/ The Saint yesterday while the others were out of town. We did some shopping, had lunch at Taco Bell, & enjoyed each other's company.

4) I'm thankful for the wonderful gifts I received for Christmas, especially those from Casinodad. He got some great deals on two books (The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton & The Imitation of Christ), & the DVD & music soundtrack for the movie Bride & Prejudice (no, that is not a typo...it is "Bride" & it's a fun movie. You can see my review of it HERE.)

5) I'm thankful for the AWESOME deals I found for Casinodad for his presents! I found a beautiful pro-life rosary w/ fetal images on each of the Our Father beads, then I hand sewed a small pouch for him to keep it in. Also, the day I stopped by Fr. Corapi's site, there was a 50% off sale. I was able to get his conversion story, a CD of four of his more popular homilies, & a book of his letters. I don't think I'd ever been so excited to give presents to him & he loved every one!

2010 Goal Review

Remember this post from the beginning of the year? 2010 Goals I figured goals would be easier to accomplish than resolutions. As the year is just about over, I thought I'd take a little time to review those goals. I had narrowed this list down to six broad goals. Then in a notebook, I broke each down. So, let's see how I did:

1) EAT BETTER (more fruits, veggies, & whole grains; less sugar & desserts; more water)

While I do eat mostly wheat/grain breads, I didn't do as well upping the fruits & veggies. And sweets? That's my downfall, especially this time of year! I did well on the water for a while & just recently, I've started drinking more...especially at work on Saturdays where there is a water cooler right in my office.

2) EXERCISE (walking; stretching exercises I found in a magazine; buy a Wii Fit - & use it!)

I did well for a while. I was doing the Wii Fit at least 4x a week & when the weather was nicer, I'd take walks w/ the munchkins around the neighborhood. Unfortunately, as my back started to bother me more, I couldn't keep these up. At the moment I'm caught between a rock & a hard place...I want to exercise & I should to strengthen my core muscles, but the more I do the more my back hurts. We'll see what the neuro surgeon says.

3) DECLUTTER / ORGANIZE THE WHOLE HOUSE (regular cleaning schedule; go room by room to declutter; organize files & recipes; make family binder; update family medical files)

I made up a regular cleaning schedule & a room by room list, but we never followed it completely. There were a couple areas that I really got cleared out, including our master bedroom. However, w/ four munchkins, it seems like there is ALWAYS clutter. The one thing I did start was to never leave a room w/out first making it a little better than it was when I entered. This can be as simple as picking a pillow off the floor & putting it back on the couch. I never did make it to the files & recipes.

4) BUDGET / FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION (get back on track w/ Dave Ramsey's plan; make & stick to a budget; pay off bills & start saving more; use an envelope system for cash)

While we are not debt-free yet, we did pay off a few bills & are now down to just a couple. We have stopped using credit cards...a big savings right there! One of the things that helped was that I started working on Saturdays. It is a big sacrifice for our family at this time, but I really think it is a good plan for our family at this time.

5) FAMILY (make a weekly family night; more family meals even if Daddy's not home from work; catch up w/ & stay on track for school; less yelling & more encouragement; chore chart for all)

We haven't been able to do a family night every week like I wanted, but we have definitely managed to spend more time together as a family. We do make sure that we eat together as much as possible. As to school, I think we've done great at staying on track...more so than in the past. We still have moments of frustration & not liking school, but much less than the past. I still need to work on the chore chart...I created one, but we haven't stayed on track. I do try to have a "clutter drill" for the munchkins a few times a day. This helps to keep the mess down a bit throughout the day.

One of the things I really tried to do was take the time to listen to the munchkins instead of trying to accomplish something else at the same time. I would stop what I was doing & look into their eyes. This shows them that I really am listening & that they are important!

6) PERSONAL (more spiritual time; start day earlier; get back to my creative outlets of scrapbooking & stamping)

I think the personal goals were the ones I did the best with. I've spent more time in prayer & reflection this year...still not as much as I'd like, but more than the past. With the exception of a few days here & there, I've done well keeping up w/ the daily readings. I use The Word Among Us & I love their reflections on the days readings. They have great articles in each book, too. Also, having not been a big rosary pray-er in the past, I have spent more time w/ it this year & find it very comforting. I've found myself to be more easy going...not stressing, especially over this out of my control. I think the deeper prayer life has contributed to this.

As to my creative outlet, I've resigned myself to the fact that scrapbooking & rubber stamping just aren't going to happen for a while. I've been able to hand make a few Christmas gifts & other items throughout the year & I do try to do some of the kids art projects w/ them. So, for now, I think that's what I can manage.

Overall, I don't think I did too bad. Yes, there were many things that didn't get done, but throughout the year, other things came up that became more important. We've had to deal w/ my back issues which really limited a lot of things I that I wanted to accomplish. The Archangel was diagnosed w/ ADHD, so there have been many trips to doctors, psychologists, & pharmacies. The heat of the summer was horrible this year, so many of the outdoor things I wanted to do were either postponed or canceled. But, if you look back at all my posts for A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings every Wednesday & Small Successes every Thursday, you can see that life has been good to us.

In less than one week, we begin a new year. I think I'll spend some time reflecting on this past year & rework my goals for 2011. I'm thinking that these goals will probably be the same, just modified a bit.

I wish you & your families a very Happy New Year...full of many wonderful blessings!

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for the great time we had baking cookies w/ Casinodad's sister & BIL on Sunday afternoon. Lots of good cookies greet me every time I go into the kitchen!

2) I'm thankful my MRI went well last Thursday & was not as scary as I've heard others say. I just prayed the Rosary the whole time. (BTW - I got the results this morning. I have mild arthritis in my back so next up...a trip to a neuro surgeon to see where I go from here.)

3) I'm thankful for the sights, scents, & sounds of this blessed season...twinkling lights, scented candles & potpourri, music, great books & movies, etc.

4) I'm thankful that, for the first time in many years, I'm actually on top of things (shopping done & most are wrapped, baking done, cards mailed, & we're managing to keep the house mostly straightened up!)

5) But most importantly...I'm thankful for the upcoming birth of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, none of the above would have any meaning for me!

Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) I cleaned AND de-cluttered the kitchen counters, including cleaning out the toaster & microwave. I put away all the things I don't use on a regular basis...like that ice cream maker (Brrrrr!)

2) I put flannel sheets on all the beds last weekend...just in time for these frigid temperatures we've been having this week. Aaaaahhhhhh! They are so cozy at night, making it hard to get up in the morning!

3) I've started some of the cookie doughs for holiday baking. Currently waiting in the fridge are batches for pizzelles & rum butter stars. Later today, we make up doughs for thumbprint & Mexican Wedding Cake cookies. I also bought the rest of the baking supplies, including the ingredients for my grandmother's Easy Fudge (butterscotch chips, chunky PB, & marshmellows....Mmmmmm!)

4) Yes, a bonus this week - Casinodad & I took The Prophet & The Archangel to our parish's Reconciliation Service last night. It was The Archangel's first time & we are so proud of him. Despite not feeling well & having a stuffy nose, he did very well. For me, it was nice to go to one of the visiting priests. He was an associate pastor at the parish I went to as a little girl.

BTW - According to The Prophet on the way out of our church last night, Santa checks his list twice because of the kids who go to Confession! So, if you're needing a second chance to get on Santa's list, you might want to head to the nearest church ASAP for an Advent Confession!

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful that we are (HOPEFULLY) getting all the colds & illnesses out of the way this week so that we can have an illness-free Christmas! (See...I'm finding the positives in the negatives this week!)

2) I'm thankful for my dear husband who has been starting the coffee maker for me the past few mornings. Because of everyone being sick, I've not been sleeping well & have been sleeping in some. So, having the coffee all ready for me when I come downstairs is WONDERFUL!

3) I'm thankful for a beautiful funeral & celebration of life on Saturday for my best friend's mom. Casinodad, The Prophet, & I were able to participate per her wishes. Casinodad was a pallbearer, The Prophet was one of the servers, & I sang, leading former members of the folk group we used to belong to. (And my dad, who is a deacon, gave a beautiful homily. I think it's always nice when the homilist knows the family & the dearly departed...it gives a personal tone to the homily.)

4) I'm thankful the Holy Spirit was w/ me for the previously mentioned singing. Her mom wanted me to sing Schubert's Ave Maria & I was able to do it w/out breaking down.

5) I'm thankful that The Archangel passed his review w/ our parish's deacon & will make his first Reconciliation this evening.

Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) Even though we've fallen off our meal plan for a bit, I've still managed to make some decent meals w/ what we have on hand this week.

2) For the most part, I've been staying on top of the dishes this week. Now, the island, kitchen table, counters, & floor are definitely ANOTHER story!

3) We finally put our tree up last night. We usually do it Thanksgiving weekend, but time just got away from us this year. A couple of years ago, we needed a new tree (yes, we are artificial people right now!) & decided to downsize. So we have a nice, somewhat thin 6ft tree & just have the munchkins put their ornaments on it. They did a great job, too. I only had to move a couple around to fill in spaces.

Have you had a successful week? Check out Faith and Family Live every Thursday to share yours & see what others have been up to!

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful that we're starting to see some positive results from The Archangel's new ADHD medicine. There's not a big change & we still have a ways to go, but after negative results from previous meds, this is somewhat encouraging.

2) I'm thankful for the wonderful homilies by our pastor & deacons. On Sunday, I was brought to tears by our pastor's words & last night, at the Holy Day Vigil Mass, he brought laughter.

3) Following up on #2, I'm thankful that The Prophet is learning from the homilies. I know it's tough for him to focus sometimes, so it's AWESOME when he can tell us what he's learned.

4) I'm thankful for the strong faith I see developing in The Princess. Whenever we ask her what she'd like for Christmas, she says she wants a Catholic room...books, statues, pictures, rosaries, etc. Every couple of days, she'll disappear up in her room for a while, then come downstairs w/ toys & books that she wants to give away...all in an effort to make room for her Catholic items.

5) This final one I type w/ a heavy heart...last night, my best friend's mom (who was like a second mother to me) passed away. My thanks in this sad time is that she is no longer suffering. I'm also thankful for having her in my life. She was truly a wonderful woman & will be greatly missed.

The Prophet's Birth Story & 10th Birthday Photos

Note: I wanted to post his hospital photo here, but I'm having trouble w/ our scanner.

On April 10, 2000, I took a home pregnancy test & was absolutely delighted that it was positive! We hadn’t been trying to get pregnant for long & we were quite (pleasantly) surprised by how quickly it happened. The pregnancy progressed very well & I had no morning sickness, other than a few nauseous moments here & there (sorry if I’m rubbing that in for any of you!) We decided to wait instead of finding out the sex before birth.

I continued to feel great until a few weeks before my due date of December 10. On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I went for my weekly check-up. I’d been swelling quite a bit & they found that my protein levels were higher than they should be. So, the next day, I had to do an all day urine test then take it to the hospital Thanksgiving morning to be tested. Even w/ the paperwork, apparently they didn’t know what to do w/ it & it sat on the counter until Friday morning. I called my doctor’s office & they got back to me later in the afternoon to say that I had pre-eclampsia & to go directly to the hospital for induction…do not pass go, do not collect $200, & absolutely, DO NOT finish that Italian chicken sub you’d started eating!!!

I called Casinodad at work & told him to get home because we had to go to the hospital. Once there, they got me all wired up…monitor for the eventual contractions, baby’s heartbeat monitor, Foley catheter because I hadn’t dilated at all yet, & an IV loaded w/ stuff! Once I was dilated to 3cm, they started the Pitocin in the IV. Now if you’ve never had Pitocin before, count yourself lucky! It’s a drug to help start contractions. It’s not so bad at first, but they gradually increase the amount & by the time it’s at full strength, those contractions are kicked into overdrive, coming practically on top of each other. I had fully intended to go natural & avoid an epidural. (WHAT? You’re going to put a needle where?) After trying several other drugs to ease the pain, I caved & practically begged for the epidural! AAAAHHHHHH! What relief!

Because of my increased protein levels & high blood pressure, there was a slight danger of seizures, so they added Magnesium Sulfate to my IV. I am a person who likes to relax by reading & was looking forward to enjoying a book between contractions. However, the Magnesium Sulfate dilated my eyes, making reading blurry & impossible. Even watching TV was tough.

Once I got the epidural, things seemed to progress much quicker. I couldn’t feel any of the contractions & once it was time to push, they had to tell me when to do it! I only had to push for an hour & at 9:03pm on Saturday, November 25, 2000, The Prophet was born.

Casinodad was there to catch him when he came out & my dad was the one to cut the cord. Now, I know many of you are probably wondering how on earth I could have my father in the delivery room w/ me. I asked him for several reasons & we were both comfortable w/ it. When my sister & I were born, Dad was not allowed in the delivery room, so he missed out on that experience. Then, when my sister had her first child, my mom was there w/ her. So, I wanted to see if my dad wanted to be there for my first child. (Anyway…when a woman gives birth, she has to give up any sense of modesty, doesn’t she?) I really think it helped The Prophet bond w/ my dad & to this day, they still have a close relationship.

So there you have it…The Prophet’s birth story. I can’t believe it’s been ten years since that day. He has grown into an amazing young man who loves his siblings, his faith, anything Star Wars, Legos, & spending time w/ his friends & cousins.

Happy Birthday Dear Son! We love you & are so proud of you.

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for a wonderful Christmas weekend. We celebrated w/ Casinodad's family here at our home on Christmas Day & w/ my family at my parents' house on Sunday. Lots of fun, food, & family time!

2) I'm thankful that Casinodad & the older three munchkins had a safe, enjoyable trip to visit his dad & aunt yesterday. The Saint & I stayed home because we don't trust our van on long trips anymore. (We're holding out until income tax time for another one.)

3) I'm thankful for the fun day I had w/ The Saint yesterday while the others were out of town. We did some shopping, had lunch at Taco Bell, & enjoyed each other's company.

4) I'm thankful for the wonderful gifts I received for Christmas, especially those from Casinodad. He got some great deals on two books (The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton & The Imitation of Christ), & the DVD & music soundtrack for the movie Bride & Prejudice (no, that is not a typo...it is "Bride" & it's a fun movie. You can see my review of it HERE.)

5) I'm thankful for the AWESOME deals I found for Casinodad for his presents! I found a beautiful pro-life rosary w/ fetal images on each of the Our Father beads, then I hand sewed a small pouch for him to keep it in. Also, the day I stopped by Fr. Corapi's site, there was a 50% off sale. I was able to get his conversion story, a CD of four of his more popular homilies, & a book of his letters. I don't think I'd ever been so excited to give presents to him & he loved every one!

Macy's Parade Took a Major Detour

I'll admit that I've not always been a big fan of watching parades, especially after marching in so many throughout high school. Now that I have the munchkins though, I think it should be part of their childhood. So, yesterday morning, I turned on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, telling The Saint that there would be lots of character balloons to see. He was so excited as he sat on my lap watching & waiting, waiting & watching. Boy, did those balloons fall flat!

I had the parade on for about 40 minutes. Do you know how much of the parade itself we saw? Maybe three minutes, at the most, when they went to commercials...and even then the middle of the screen was covered w/ ads. What did we see in between the commercials? We saw Meredith & Matt talking...discussing how close the parade route was to their location or sharing new TV shows. We saw a performance from some group of accapella singers...basically an ad for their show starting soon. We saw Al Roker being extremely obnoxious trying to talk to a high school's percussion members AS THEY WERE PERFORMING. (I was in marching band...I know how annoying, distracting, & rude that is!) We also saw Al Roker sitting in the stands talking to TV actors for NBC shows. Can you say, "Publicity stunt!"

Where was the actual parade? Such a disappointment! I felt so bad for The Saint...he kept asking for the balloons.

Okay...my rant is over now! Other than that, we had a GREAT Thanksgiving. I'll try to get a post up in the next few days, including pictures. I took a bunch!

Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) With a little of the boys' help, I cleaned their room & moved a few things around. It really looks great now!

2) On Monday, I joined many Christians worldwide to fast & pray for Christians in Iraq. I only ate three meals that day & each time I started to feel hungry, I offered another prayer.

3) I successfully made a four-layer round cake for The Prophet's birthday today. I'll do a birthday post in the next few days w/ photos!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!
May God Bless You Abundantly!

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) We stopped by Kroger Marketplace after church Sunday while waiting for the munchkins to get out of PSR & just happened upon a 30% off of ALL toys & games! We got about 1/3 of the munchkins' Christmas shopping done there...things we were already planning to purchase elsewhere at higher prices. THANKS FOR SALES!

2) Yesterday, I ran multiple errands w/ all four munchkins around lunchtime...not usually a good idea. This time, however, they were all really good. We were at the doctor's for an hour for The Archangel's ADHD appt., grocery shopped at Aldi (where they helped shop & didn't ask for everything in sight), & ran inside the bank. Knowing they'd be hungry, we stopped for a quick bite at McDonalds in between. THANKS FOR THEIR GREAT BEHAVIOR!

3) After almost a week of back & forth phone calls, our insurance company finally approved the prescription for The Archangel to try for his ADHD. It's a new medicine that is supposed to be good for both his ADHD & aggression/defiance. It's biggest side effect is not loss of appetite, like many other meds...which is great in our case because he is so skinny. (He eats, but he's so active he just burns off all the calories.) THANKS FOR THE APPROVAL OF THIS MEDICINE.

4) My parents got back last week from an almost two week trip out west. While I missed them, I know they had a great, well-deserved trip. THANKS THAT THEY MADE IT BACK SAFELY (esp. driving through blizzard-like conditions in Colorado!)

5) We were stopped at a traffic light yesterday next to an SUV that had the best sticker on the window. It said, "Body Piercing Saved My Life." I was a bit puzzled at first, until I saw the picture above...a hand w/ a nail piercing the wrist. THANKS FOR THIS AWESOME DISPLAY OF FAITH!

I am thankful for all of my dear readers & wish all of you a wonderfully, blessed Thanksgiving tomorrow! God bless each of you!

Small Successes - The Food Edition!

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) Using the pumpkin puree I made last week, I surprised the munchkins w/ pumpkin pancakes the other morning for breakfast.

2) I got through yesterday even though I was out of coffee...LOL! I did have a cup of instant, but that is just NOT the same!

3) I read this idea somewhere once & decided to try it...each of the munchkins got to pick out a fresh fruit or vegetable from the store. It had to be one they'd never tried before.

The Results:
The Archangel chose an avocado which only The Princess liked. It just cut it into cubes & tossed it w/ olive oil, salt, & pepper. (I know the obvious choice would have been guacamole, but Casinodad & I are not big on it.)

The Princess chose parsnips & they were a hit w/ everyone except The Archangel. I used this Roasted Parsnips recipe (I used horseradish sauce instead of plain horseradish) I found online & they were DELICIOUS! So good, in fact, that I bought more parsnips last night to make again this weekend!

The Prophet wanted star fruit, but I can't find any right now (out of season) so he chose a papaya instead. We'll try it when it ripens a bit.

UPDATE to the homemade dishwasher recipe I posted in last week's Small Successes: It didn't work w/ our dishwasher. Even w/ the vinegar rinse, everything came out w/ a cloudy film on it & they felt kind of dry. Back to store bought for now, but I'm not giving up! Powdered detergents have not worked w/ our water in the past, so I'm thinking perhaps I should search for a gel/liquid detergent. Any thoughts?

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

This week, I'd like to feature my thanks in pictures.


Casinodad (or Goofy Pirate Man in this photo!)

The Prophet (soon to be 10)

The Archangel (age 7 1/2)

The Princess (age 5, going on 15...in a good way!)

The Saint (a typical 2 yo boy!)

Personal Care - For Ladies Only!

(FYI - This post is all in good fun! I apologize in advance if this offends anyone, but I couldn't resist posting this!)

Ladies,
When you choose your feminine care products, what prompts you to make your purchase?

Is it the brand that you love & trust?

Is it the cost?

Is it because of the absorbency?

Or is it because of the "Shimmering" plastic applicator?

Yeah, I thought so...I'd go for the shimmering too...LOL! (And don't you love how my camera caught that nice little glare too? Kind of enhances the shimmering aspect!)

Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) As I said in yesterday's thankful post...we've done 2 art projects this week. As much as the munchkins love to do art, I'm not always up for the messes that are also created, so art is usually pushed to the back burner. This week, they used watercolors on Monday & oil pastels on Tuesday.

2) I cut up two of the four little pumpkins my mom gave us, cooked them down, & pureed them for future recipes. While I had the puree out, I decided to make some spiced pumpkin bread. Topped w/ pumpkin ice cream & a bit of chocolate fudge Magic Shell, we had a DELICIOUS dessert after dinner.

3) I replenished several of our homemade cleaners & made up a new one also. I found a super easy recipe for dishwasher detergent at diy natural. It only takes two ingredients: washing soda & borax. You just use 1 T. of each in your dishwasher. (I mixed 1/2 c. of each in an airtight container & just used 2 T. of the mixture.) For a good rinse, it also says to add white vinegar to the rinsing agent hole.

Has your week been a good one? Celebrate your successes at Faith and Family Live.

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for a productive school week so far! We've done 2 art projects (maybe this should be a Small Success tomorrow since it's such a BIG achievement on my part!) & the munchkins have been very cooperative w/ all their subjects.

2) I'm thankful for the nice 60 degree weather we've had this week. I've been able to open up the house & air out the germs that have been creeping in.

3) I'm thankful for my Catholic faith. Each day I continue to grow stronger in my beliefs & understanding of this beautiful faith.

4) I'm thankful for the gift of music & the wide variety of styles that I am able to enjoy. Last night, I'm listened to a couple tapes (yes, I said tapes!) that I haven't listened to in years...James Galway's The Enchanted Forest & Kitaro's Kojiki...beautiful Japanese music. (I've been drawn to Oriental music for years & even played a couple of Japanese pieces for my college flute recitals.)

5) I'm thankful for the many great authors out there. Without them, I wouldn't be transported to different worlds, times, & places. I love to be carried away by a good book. Right now, I'm reading (& enjoying) Jan Karon's latest in the Fr. Tim novels, In the Company of Others. In this one, she takes her readers to Ireland & adds a little mystery to Fr. Tim & Cynthia's trip.

Fall Family Fun 2010 - Part Three (2nd post today)

Continuing our Hocking Hills trip...

These next photos were taken at Ash Cave, one of six natural areas in the Hocking Hills region. Open on one side, it spans 700 feet & has a horseshoe-shaped rim. From front to back, it is 100 feet & it is about 90 feet from the rim to the floor. What a beautiful cave! (If you're interested, more detailed information on Ash Cave can be found HERE.)

There are two paths to follow. We chose the lower trail because it is handicapped accessible & didn't think the rougher ground would be good w/ the stroller. There was a large stump along the trail. Three of the four munchkins were just fine w/ Mom's photo shoot there. Can you guess which one was ready to move on?!?

The Saint w/ another light saber, er...stick! Check out those Jedi moves as The Archangel runs away in the background!
The sunlight hit so perfectly during this photo. Isn't it beautiful?

I took this one standing underneath the rim of the cave.

Along the path w/ the cave in the background

When we arrived in Hocking Hills, it was too early to check into our cabin, so we drove around a bit. We passed Lake Logan & decided to stop there the next day.

There were two beautiful swans who seemed to have no fear of humans.
There was an older gentleman feeding breadcrumbs to the swans. I had to hold The Saint back because he wanted to pet them.

Unfortunately we didn't have swimsuits w/ us this trip, but we did let the munchkins wade in the water. The Saint didn't quite understand "wading" & kept wanting to splash, jump, & sit in the water. He's such a boy!!! Needless to say, everyone got baths upon our return to the cabin!

Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) I cleaned parts of the basement. No, not the toys...the cobwebs from most of the ceiling & the dust/lint around the washer & dryer. It's amazing what a big difference just those things can make!

2) I made a GREAT main dish for dinner Tuesday night...pasta! It's so versatile that everyone in the family was satisfied. The older boys ate buttered noodles, Casinodad had alfredo sauce w/ imitation crabmeat & asparagus in it, & The Princess & I had the same but w/ sauteed onions added (just like you see them do on the cooking shows...Mmmm! The kitchen smelled so good!) The Saint had the same, but mostly ate the crab & asparagus.

3) I learned some lessons from an Adam Sandler movie!!! I wrote up a review & my reflections about the movie 50 First Dates HERE. Warning: If you haven't seen the movie, my review does contain numerous spoilers.

Wordless Wednesday - Festive Pizzas by Casinodad (2nd post today)

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful that The Princess has been so helpful around the house lately...even doing things w/out being asked. I see such a loving & pleasing spirit in her.

2) I'm thankful to see how generous the munchkins have been w/ their Halloween candy. They gave some to The Saint, Casinodad, & me. They've also given a bunch to their friends.

3) I'm thankful for a safe drive to drop off our van last night & that my mother volunteered to watch the munchkins for us. The ABS & Brake warning lights lit up in our van last Friday & we couldn't get it in until today.

4) I'm thankful for the Fall memories our family has made this year. See Part 1 and Part 2, w/ more parts to come because I took so many photos!

5) I'm thankful that Casinodad & I both have jobs right now in this tough economy. Sure we are hurting, just like everyone else, but our family is together, healthy, & our needs are met.

Fall Family Fun 2010 - Part 2 (2nd Post Today)

Okay...I didn't realize how many pictures we took while in Hocking Hills. So, I think I'd better break these Fall posts up even more. Here is installment one of Hocking Hills.

This was the outside of our cabin...Noah's Ark Cabin. We LOVED it & can't wait to go back next year.

The view upon entry, made even better by that handsome man & adorable munchkins in the kitchen!

The munchkins' bedroom...because there were no rails & hardwood floors, they were allowed to play on the top of the bunk, but not sleep there.

The master bedroom...quite a high bed!

Dinner time & my dear hubby is holding onto two of his favorite things...food & me!

The munchkins loved eating their meals at this kitchen island, big enough for all four of them.

The rest of the photos are from our trip to the KOA campground. They had a gem mine. The older three munchkins each got a small bag of sand & gems to use in the sluice. I think this was the highlight of the trip...they had so much fun, as you can probably see on their faces. They were so focused on finding their gems, including the super tiny ones. I don't think any gem was left behind!

Casinodad & I took turns keeping an eye on The Saint. Here they are discussing the finer points of basketball.

The Saint enjoyed mining the rocks on the ground & playing in the water of the sluice.