A Blessed Woman's Daybook

Outside my window ~ The weather is warm and beautiful.  Too bad the kids are stuck inside with bronchitis.  I noticed the wildflowers or maybe weeds are starting to bloom.  I picked a few for us to study.  God is so incredible!

I'm hoping ~  Everyone's well soon.  We are anxious to spend time with family!

Weight Watchers this week ~  Down 2 lbs this week!  Thats a total of 11.4!  Yay!  I feel soooo much better physically and spiritually.

Recipe of the week ~ Spinach Lasagna Rolls.  These were so good and easier to assemble than your standard lasagna, in my opinion.  I used more sauce than shown :)

I'm listening to ~ The House Cat's CD - Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia.  Lots of good inspirational music.

I'm enjoying ~ My guitar lessons.  The House Cat is a good teacher!  Right now I'm learning Beautiful and Let your light shine by Bethany Dillion.  It's interesting how we came to listen to her.... She sings the song Dreamer from that movie.  We really liked her voice so we checked into her music.  I was thrilled to find out that she's a Christian artist!  She's definitely one of our favs!

Lenten cleaning from week two ~ I know it's a little late but, I've been busy! :)  Weekly focus was bedrooms.  We spent a lot of time cleaning out closets, going through clothing and doing a little re-decorating.  We took down drapes, scrubbed baseboards and I tried to clean the edges of the carpet that the vacuum doesn't quite get.  Still not perfect but better than before :)

The girls room

Snuggle Bug and I found this precious little bird house lamp for $3 on Sat.  We had some mother-daughter time and enjoyed shopping at one of our favorite stores, Mission Possible Thrift Store.  Proceeds there benefit a local homeless shelter.

We also found this great book shelf for only 8 bucks!

The House Cat was happy with her new CD rack for $2!

And I just love this painting of The Holy Family, given to Honeybee by her Godparents, surrounded by SB and HCs First Holy Communion dishes and El Divino Nino.

My room...

Do you remember Jessica's what's on your nightstand post?  On mine now is a special little book stand made by Buck and his Dad.  There stand some of my favorite books, our wedding photo and my special Good Shepherd picture.

I finally framed a painting by The House Cat that had been leaning in between the wall and my nightstand.  I just love it!

Buck and Honeybee's room...

Toys were sorted and stored in plastic bins.

Shoes were sorted and hung.  If you look closely you will see a door hanger made by HC for prayer time.  She made one for each of us this Lent.

Lenten Cleaning week three ~ Lets see....  Sick kids...  spraying Lysol.  Had the air conditioning guy come and clean the air duct intake.  Smells soooo much better now!  I hope killing that mold and mildew will help with Snuggle Bug's allergies.

Still trying to convince the sugar ants to find a new home.... 

Keeping an eye out on craigslist etc. for an Entertainment armoire.  Our entertainment center has seen its better day.  I'd love to be able to close the doors and hide all of the stereo equiptment etc.  Also watching out for matching twin comforters for Buck and Honeybee's Bunk bed.

Plans for next week ~ Hope to start on the big kitchen project.  I'm sure it'll take at least two weeks.  It needs a head to toe cleaning!  We are looking into updating the cabinets a little with wainscoting and paint.  I also plan to take everything out of the cabinets and pantry, replace shelving paper, and pass along items that haven't been used in a year.  I've asked my honey for a 5 gallon bucket of white paint - semi -gloss at least!  Must be able to wipe down frequently! :)

40 bags ~ We've been filling up lots of bags.  I need to ask hubby what the count is.  It feels so good to go through things, make a home for what you use and give away the rest!

My picture thought ~

Honeybee's new apron... a special gift from her Godmother.

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Wordless Wednesday ~Fall Outside and In~

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My Thanksgiving Week Daybook Entry

For Today ~ Monday, November 23, 2009

Outside my window ~ The sky is grey and the ground is covered with a beautiful blanket of colorful leaves. Only a few pretty red leaves are left hanging onto the top of our Sugar Maple in the front yard.


I am hoping ~ To get outside with the kids and collect some of these beautiful leaves before they are all gone. I have this wonderful book checked out from the library. I hope to be able to do a little something from it. It's very informative. It tells you how to clean and prepare the leaves you bring in. I also read an article on decorating your home with them. It said to press them in a book and display in small glass beakers and vases. Very Beautiful :)

I am hearing ~ More stuffy nose sniffles and coughs :( We all just finished a round of antibiotics for strep throat and sinus infections. I sure was hoping that would get us through the end of the year.

I am praying for ~ The House Cat's nerve conduction study to go well tomorrow. I'm hoping it will give us the answers to why her arm is still bothering her after all this time. I'm also keeping a dear friend and her family in my prayers as she takes care of her aged father who was just diagnosed with pneumonia and 4th stage lung cancer.

I am thinking of ~ My time spent in our Good Shepherd Atrium yesterday. I just love working with little children. Seeing the wonder in their eyes as they listen to a lesson on The Land of Israel or The Annunciation is just so enduring. I tried to be a good girl and sit in a chair for my lessons... At one point I found myself down on a mat with a child helping them to paste the symbols on the land of Israel map. A sweet brown eyed 4 year old placed her hand on my shoulder and said, "Mrs. Lori, You're not supposed to be on the floor!" :) Too cute!

The House Cat came in and shared Advent songs with us at the end of class. I am so glad she's able to play her guitar again. The 3 year olds enjoyed learning these new songs and the 4 and 5 year olds picked right up on them from last year. I think their favorite was the Advent Wreath Song....Sitting with my brothers, sitting with my sisters, sitting by the advent wreath. Waiting with my brothers, waiting with my sisters, waiting by the advent wreath. Why are we waiting boys? Why are we waiting girls? Who are we waiting for? Stand up and sing. HE is the KING! He is the Lord of Lords! That's who we're waiting for, that's who we're waiting for!

Preparing for Thanksgiving ~ We are enjoying Reading ~Cranberry Thanksgiving, P is for Pilgrim, One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims, An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, and Watching Mouse on the Mayflower, An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving,and William Bradford and The First Thanksgiving.


I'm also making our Thanksgiving shopping list. I'll share more on that later :) We will celebrate with my parent's this year. I'm so thankful to have them so close now.

I am planning on perusing Enchanted Learning's Site for activities for Buck and Honeybee. Last year we had fun with this.

Living the Liturgical Year ~ Today we celebrate St. Clement and Bl. Miguel Pro. We read a wonderful poem on Miguel Pro this morning from Cloud of Witnesses II. Once Upon a Time Saints had a great story on St. Clement, the second bishop of Rome. Tomorrow we remember St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions. Wednesday, it's Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Thursday - St. John Berchmans. Saturday we celebrate Saint Catherine Laboure. This will be a great day for a craft on The Miraculous Medal!

Then on Sunday ADVENT begins!

One of my favorite things ~ Music. All kinds. As long as God likes the message :) Right now I'm listening to I'd Need A Savior by Among the Thirsty.

I actually Enjoy ~ Clothing my family. Yes, that includes doing the laundry! I'm so thankful to be back in action there!

May God Bless You and Your Family This Week :) Love, Lori

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Wordless Wednesday ~ Pretty Acorn Caps

A fun and easy craft ~ makes a pretty centerpiece.

Check out more Wordless Wednesday fun here.

A Blessed Way To Begin Each Day

Beginning our day gathered together with our morning basket is such a beautiful way to start the day. I'm so thankful to Wildflowers and Marbles for sharing this inspiration. Actually, this is not the only thing I have picked up from her. And to think - she's here in Alabama! I really hope to meet her one day.

My schedule states 8:30 is our start time. However, this is very flexible. We begin our day at the Holy Water Font by blessing ourselves with Holy Water. We repeat a beautiful line a special priest uses, "Let us begin, as we begin all things; "In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." We tell Jesus good morning and pray our scapular morning offering.

Then we move over to the sofa and have our morning "together" time. We look up the saint of the day and light our candle. A dear friend once gave us globe candle holders representing the different liturgical colors. We check the church calendar for the color of the day and light the insertable candle, which we buy at our church's gift shop.

We read about the saint of the day and also the Daily Mass Readings. The House Cat and Snuggle Bug take turns reading aloud the first reading and the Gospel. I read/sing the Psalm and Buck and Honeybee lead the Alleluia for us. We might reflect for a moment on a line that has touched us or I might have found the Bible story in one of our Children's Picture Bibles to re-tell the story with. Next we incorporate some sort of music. We have been studying songs for Benediction in English and Latin. So we will sing those. Sometimes we will pop in a CD and listen to a song that goes with one of the readings of the day. There are so many wonderful Catholic artist out there! We especially love Danielle Rose, Donna Cori Gibson, and Adrianne Price.

What comes next varies, I may read from:

Once Upon A Time Saints or

Angel Food For Boys and Girls or

Catholic Mosaic or

Our Birds and Their Nestlings

This is such a treasure I stumbled upon on Amazon.

I have reserved an hour block for our morning gathering. By no means is it to the minute, or sometimes even hour. If I'm getting a slow start and the big girls are ready on time, they might go ahead and complete their math lessons before we begin. The important thing is that we do come together sometime in the morning to offer our days to God.

We close our time together by praying The Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, O My Jesus, Come Holy Spirit and the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. We thank God for the gift of homeschooling and ask Him to bless dad in his work and be with all of those we have promised to pray for.

May God Bless You in All You Do!

A Blessed Woman's Daybook May 18, 2009

Pondering in my thoughts.....

Yesterday we celebrated the Graduation Mass for the 2009 class. It was the 12th graduating class of Our Lady of Good Counsel Home School group. Three of the thirteen students had been home schooled with the group since it's origin. I just LOVE the fact that our graduation ceremony immediately follows the Holy Mass. I can't think of a better way for our graduates to start this new chapter in their lives! We were immensely blessed to be able to serve our Lord by providing the music for Mass this year. My Honey and the House Cat did an awesome job playing guitar and singing. Snuggle Bug, Buck, Honeybee and myself also were part of the family choir :) I'm sure it brought great joy to our Lord for Him to hear Honeybee singing to the top of her lungs at times :) We are so blessed to be a part of this home school group and also very thankful to our administrator and her husband for all of their hard work. We will be praying for these graduates and their families. May they always turn to God for guidance so to live the life He has planned for them!

Outside my window....

It is much cooler this morning following the rain yesterday. The suet feeder is empty... Things are pretty quiet. I'd love to be out doors working on making a garden. I guess it will have to wait though since I've been overdoing it a bit and really must rest this week.

To live the liturgy.....

This Thursday we celebrate Our Lord's Ascension into heaven. I've fallen so far behind on The Garden of the Good Shepherd book. Thankfully it is reusable :)

In My Reading Basket....

Sharon Lovejoy's books on gardening with children. I came across these books on Wildflower and Marbles. I plan on buying them as soon as I can. They are WONDERFUL!

To Be Fit and Healthy...

I pulled out my old copy of Fertility Cycles and Nutrition, by Marilyn Shannon. I'm taking lots of notes and hoping to implement healthier eating habits in our home. It's not easy, as you well know. First step - no junk in the house! Second step - start walking as soon as my body permits.

My picture thoughts....

You've got mail

Anniversary Roses from My Sweetheart

Buck's ready for action.

Hope you all have a very blessed week. Visit more daybook entries at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Mystery Solved

I wonder who we're feeding here?

In Like a Lion

March came roaring in, here in the deep south. What a beautiful and fun filled day we all had!

Want to know where "In like a lion - Out like a lamb" originated? Check this out.

My Daybook - Better Late Than Never

FOR TODAY... Friday Nov.7, 2008...

Outside My Window...The leaves are absolutely gorgeous! They are starting to fall from the Red Leaf Maple out front.

I am thinking...God is incredible!

From the learning rooms...Tissue boxes, Faith and Freedom Readers, creative writing.

From the kitchen...Coffee my honey made before he left for work:)

I am creating...Our reading list for November(letter B, Thanksgiving study)

I am hoping...Our colds go away soon.

I am hearing...Holy Baby DVD, Buck and Honeybee excited that the garbage truck is out front and that their "friend" on the back waved to them.

Around the house...BOOKS, BOOKS, and more BOOKS!

One of my favorite things...Clear sinus passages :)


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:Staying in, trying to get well. I hope to begin work on our history timeline in the school room.

From my front yard...

A IS FOR ACORN

Today is a perfect day for acorn study!

The wind is gusting and the nuts are falling.

Buck and Honeybee made A's from acorn caps and we read

Buck said he'll be wearing his baseball helmet outside today! :)