~ThanksgivingThisYear~

Thanksgiving weekend.

Whenever I am fortunate enough to have an easy holiday,
one that "goes off without a hitch"
I always, always, always think of the people 
who have a less than picturesque
Thanksgiving or Christmas 
or whatever the day may be.

I think about the people with the flu...
The ones who have recently lost a loved one...
The sweet grey haired man or woman spending their day alone...
The parents who's kids don't bother coming home...
The soldiers over seas, living in barracks, lucky if able 
to face time loved ones.


I remember the Thanksgiving that we spent sick. All sick.
Avery was a new born baby.
Reese was 2, Jake was 4.
We had flown home from Kansas, excited to spend a treasured few days with family.
Sparing you from the details, 
we "enjoyed" about four nights taking turns
coming down with viral digestion woes. (if you get my drift)
It.was.bad.
But months later, MANY months later,
We were able to laugh about it.
To this day, it is still,
"Remember THAT Thanksgiving?!!"….

I'm not guaranteed that every day will be a happy day.
I am, however, guaranteed that He promises grace for the 
difficulties I am sure to face.
I am encouraged to
"Take no thought for tomorrow…"
And that,
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace 
who's mind is stayed on Thee…"

With that in mind,
I purpose to enjoy every minute,
to strive to really live in the moment, and
to not get stuck fixating on the past or the future.

This year was wonderful.
Full of family
Good WoNdeRfUL food
Laughter
A little shopping
6 beds, one sofa, and two pallets were full for two nights 
People were everywhere
Cold weather and cozy fires
Night time snuggles with a four year old with an ear ache.
I missed my brother and one sister not being here but all the grandkids were together.
What an undeserved gift it was.

~stacey

~Don'tGetStuck~

Had the privilege of going on an almost all day shopping excursion with some sweet gals today. 
My one friend picked me up and gracefully endured my incessant chatter that started before we were even out of my driveway.

I apologetically told her that apparently I hadn't reached my adult conversation quota for the last couple days…..well make that the last few weeks…. and I thanked her for listening so kindly. 
She heard my school woes, my anxiety about one kid who doesn't talk enough, and one who talks entirely too much, and a host of other things. 

Good friends who catch verbal vomit are priceless.

I got back home, promptly changed into my pajamas and got the recap of the day with the babysitter.
Come to find out, J and A went AT IT. 
Even enough to make my four year old notice. That's bad.
I decided the time has come to plan daily "team building" to encourage good sibling relationships between these two. They were sent outside alone, together to play for a half an hour and they also get the privilege of sleeping in the same room for two nights with a half an hour of interaction before bedtime that does not include electronics. (they just came downstairs with a lego creation they had built and said, "I think this is working")

It's a good plan, I think. 

Reminds me of the old Haley Mills movie The Parent Trap where the girls are at camp and the director forces them to share a cabin after the fighting was out of control. 

We've embraced Thanksgiving break to the fullest and we are only one day in. 

Put up two big trees and four little kid trees.

Watched Home Alone and The Grinch. 

Christmas cards ordered.

 Spent 7 hours picking up and placing out of place stuff. 

(what is UP with that?!!…the mess, I mean. man.)

Costco AND Publix run complete.

Looking forward to family coming in town Wednesday.

Lights, lights, and more lights,

tacky, sentimental ornaments,

broccoli casserole and cheese apples,

Bing Crosby, 

NO SCHOOL,

Holiday Inn,

The sweetest preschool Thanksgiving program 

you have EVER seen,

cozy, slower paced nights with family,

are some things that make my temporal Thanksgiving and Christmas SO much fun. 

Peace that passes all understanding,

A Savior who came to this earth, if only JUST for me,

Promise of eternal life, 

Grace extended when my plans don't go as planned,

The promise that God comforts the oppressed,

A friend who texts me at 5:45 in the morning to see if I'm up, spending a little time in God's Word and prayer……sweet accountability to do the things 

that keep me in the right frame of mind,

A celebration of a Holy Night 

that is not limited to a square on a calendar,

are the things that make my inner man so full of joy, 

my heart could burst.

~happy Thanksgiving
      ~happy no school
             ~happy start of Christmas
                     ~to all of you.

~stacey
p.s. refuse to get stuck in the regret of yesterday
or the fear of tomorrow. be in the present. 

~JustToday~

It's been a good day at the hacienda.
Jake (aka WE) completed 25 notecards on John Wycliffe. 
It's his 7th grade research paper and I am quite proud of the fact that it's only 6:40 and we got all 25 done.
Only 25 more to go…..thinking we will have to dig up more sources, though.

All you mamas of little ones……enjoy learning multiplication facts, long division, and parts of speech. It gets worse. 
Trust that.

We have been squeezing the juice out of these recent warm days.
Basking in the sunshine and soaking it all in.

They say an "arctic blast" is coming our way.
Brad makes fun of me but I have the urge to go on a "milk and bread run" 
just because I know it's about to get cold. 
I'm telling you!
I was supposed to be a grizzly bear. 
Stock up for winter...
gain a few pounds...
have everything I need in my cave...
and
sleep.
:-)

Hoping your Tuesday has been full of 
faith
gratefulness
and 
victories.
If not,
don't give up.
the sun will come up tomorrow.
~stacey

~TheWeekendAndGideon~

Here I sit.
Kitchen is clean only because I refused to let anyone leave until it was so. 
(Even the "but I need to go to the bathroom" excuse fell on deaf ears) 
Bar stools are pushed in, can lights are off, candles and lamps are on. Brad is tucking Emma in and big kids are showering and reading.
Dinner was homemade comfort food…..the very best kind.
We all six sat around the old Ethan Allen table that I bought years ago from an ad in the paper for practically nothing.
Reese dimmed the lights, I'm sure for the cozy factor.
Because I am in a current war over untimely snacking, every one ate just about everything on their plates quite happily. 

It is now the second night of the whole time change thing. 
It's just NOT my favorite.
I mean, it's 6:30 and it's been dark for close to 30 minutes. 
I've been in pajamas since about 5:30. (which will make two days in a row)
No, I won't be in p.j.s  every day at 5:30 but I can't say that's not my default. 
I think bears have it right with the whole hibernation thing. ;-)
Dark=Bedtime as far as I'm concerned. 
I loved it when I was little because I thought it was awesome to be able to stay up past dark.
Not so much, any more. 
It's become a bit of a joke, really.
My sister offered to purchase a sun lamp for me.
Yesterday morning Brad looked at me and said,
"Well. Are you going to survive this evening?"
(I laughed)
My friends love me even with my crazy bits and for that I am thankful. 

But! 
It's all good….every day is a gift and this weekend was such fun.
Dressing up is one of my kids favorite things.
Friday was a cool, crisp night, and one that usually proves to be cozy.
My parents came up, as did Cameron and Abby, 
aka Chameron and Bobby. (what Emma used to call them)
Saturday was football, football, a TJ Maxx run, and more football. Sunday was a gymnastics meet, grandparents, and a short game of back yard football. 

It's November already.
I must admit I frequently feel 
outnumbered
outmanned
overwhelmed
incapable
and 
insufficient.
There are days I question the whole way we do things.
The rat race
Our cushioned, self centered
"I'm gonna get mine" 
American dream mentality.
I'm currently asking God to give me a fresh perspective
of my purpose here on this earth.
I want to matter.
To make a difference.
To love people well.
To do what needs to be done 
so that when I get to the 
beginning of eternity I hear
"Well done, good and faithful servant."
Is there any thought more repulsive than to coast through
life never having done anything or never having fulfilled your purpose?
I seem to be drowning in school, schedules, feeding, clothing, paying bills, carpooling, taxi cab driving, laundry, cooking, and countless other mundane tasks.
But this nugget of truth….
this little sentence Brad read last night brings me to tears this night.
He was reading the story of Gideon to the kids.
It's in Judges, chapter 6:

"The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."

"Pardon me, my lord," Gideon replied,

"but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? 

Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, 'did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian."

(here is the good part)

"The Lord turned to him and said,

"Go in the strength you have and save Israel…."

Go in the strength you have.
That just reeks of grace. I don't know the theology and right and wrong about God and grace in the Old Testament but I do know that I am in desperate need of God's mercy and that,
"Go with what you got, Gideon. I know you are lacking, but I've got you covered….just start walking with whatever you have.
Do the best you can with what you have right now..."
THAT is why I am a Believer in Jesus Christ.
THAT is why I'm committed to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Moses.
Because He covers me in all my insufficiencies,  inadequacies,  and short comings. 
So, tomorrow and this week, I will
go in the strength I have.
I will look for God's glory and grace right here in the middle of my mundane, normal, American life.
He put me here and He has a purpose and plan for me and for you.
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father…" Col. 3


And a few shots from the weekend….
I'm so thankful for these little people God has entrusted to me 
and for the older people who help me know how to rear and train them. 
I love the oldies and the youngins!

~stacey