Our Bustling Christmas

I have not had a chance to share any photos from my home while it was decorated for Christmas.  This Christmas we traveled to NC to visit family.  I was so excited to see my new niece.  We left our home early on the 23rd of December.  We chose not to open presents with the kiddos until after we got back from our trip.  Truth was, I had not bought anything for them before our trip.  This had to be the worse year for me being ready for Christmas.

On Christmas Eve we visited Biltmore House.  It was such a beautiful sunny day, but it was freezing.  When we left PA it was in the 60's and 70's.  For some reason I was not thinking it would be colder down south, but it was!  When we finished our tour of the house, we walked out into a wonderful flurry of snowflakes!  It was so festive.  I love how the Lord knows what can make these moments so memorable.  It really felt like Christmas.

Our stay was short in NC.  After many wonderful meals, lots of laughter, and special moments with my new niece we had to say good-bye.  We headed back to PA early on the 27th.  The next day I was geared up to do some crazy, quick Christmas shopping.  I really found some great deals.  This might not be a bad idea to do every year!  I shopped till I dropped and was able to buy everything I needed in 4 hours.  I came home and wrapped the gifts in brown paper and newspaper.  I re-used the CHRISTMAS TAGS I had made last year, and I was ready for the kiddos.  They came home from spending a day with dad; we read the Christmas story together, prayed, and then in 10 minutes all that hard work was undone and there were some happy kiddos.

It was a very special Christmas season for our family.
God is so Good!

Our Trip to Lititz

Today was the first day this summer that we actually took a day trip together as a family.  It was so nice to be together.  We went to Lititz, Pa.  There was a huge craft show going on. 

It was so nice to walk around the town and look at the beautiful homes.  Most everyone seemed to have taken real good care of their properties.  It was very Norman Rockwell .... until we hit the craft sale part.  The vendor's tents took away from the small-town America feel.  It was actually a bit overwhelming at moments.

 I was surprised at how much my preference of crafts has changed over the years.  I still loved all of the primitive, country crafts, but I was more drawn to the rustic antique vendors. I loved the smell of these wreaths!  It brought back memories to our whole family of staying with a dear friend in Connecticut.  Funny how smells and memories go hand in hand...some good and some bad...this memory was very good :)

 The highlight for one of the boys was flipping the back seat on our 'new' van to eat lunch.  Really these kiddos are the greatest!  I love my family!  

We actually ended the day going through a huge Antique mall.  We didn't even get through the whole mall before it closed.  

How was your Saturday?

A Father to the Fatherless

I have been thinking a lot lately about the importance of fathers in the home.

I look at my hubby.
 I know I could not have chosen a better man to be the father to my children.
He has always looked out for the family- -trying not to put work, church, or the busyness of life before his time with the family.

As my daughter has grown older, I remember being her age.

As she walks with her daddy, she has a trust I did not share.
As she yields to his embrace, she has a peace that I did not have.
As she cuddles up to her dad, I see a contentment in her heart. 
She has a bond that I did not know.
She has a father on earth that fills her heart with love, trust, and contentment.
I see it in her smile.

I, and many other girl's, missed out on the love of an earthly father.
Whether it was because we were children of a single parent, a deceased father, or maybe just the child of a father who was never around or showed us the attention and love we needed.
But......
I found LOVE, TRUST, PEACE, and CONTENTMENT in my Heavenly Father.
The Lord has made me what I am today.
He continues to give me PEACE, JOY, and HAPPINESS as I yield to His will and walk in His ways.

A FATHER of the FATHERLESS........... is God in his holy habitation. Ps. 68:5

Yes, I can see now what God designed in a family.
I can experience, second hand, the love that a father should share with his children.
What a blessing my husband is to our children, and what an encouragement he is to me to see what a father should be.

Happy Father's Day
 Danny!

Pallet Project #1

At our church's work party my oldest son was put in charge of throwing away some pallets.
My son knew how much I was wanting to try some projects using pallets and saw an opportunity for me to get some trash treasure.
Hubby and I drove in separate cars that night.
He went home first before my treasures were known to him.
Hubby wasn't too thrilled when he was trying to get them out of our van after three men strategically stuffed placed 3 pallets in my van.
At least I could still fit all the kiddos in the van, and we got home safely :)

Today I wanted to make some raised garden beds for my little garden.

The nails were very rusty.

The boards did NOT come off easy.

In fact, I ended up hitting my shin with a hammer twice in the same spot.

What crazy person does that and still insists on completing a project?

ME :)

I had my famous helper getting nails out of the boards.

Guess who?

Yep, my little buddy--always ready to work.

I know I did this all wrong, but I nailed the boards together.  

I probably should have used screws to attach them

It works for me.

We planted some onions and peas in them that a friend gave me.

Today was so lovely.

We have a total of 18 days of school left.

I love this pic of their boots.

The bars remind me of a sort of prison that the kiddos have with school work, yet they want to be outside in the dirt.