Great Homemaking Blogs!! :-)

I'm so excited. Lady Lydia (also known as Mrs. Sherman) has listed my blog in her blog roll of Great Homemaking Blogs!! Wow, that feels special. Lady Lydia writes for Ladies Against Feminism - a great website!! She is a total lady and is very inspirational in her writings for homemakers and women of God!!!

Check out her blog and her writings - Home Living.

Country Armoire by Kay Lamb Shannon from allposters.com

Kraft Food and Family

I was hopping around this afternoon from Like Merchant Ships to Blissfully Domestic and was reminded of a favorite magazine - Kraft Food and Family. I was trying to think back - I think it was my sister-in-law, Glenda, who first showed me this magazine. It's great. We've cooked lots of fun and easy recipes from it. I can't wait until my new Spring issue comes. You can order through the mail free or check it out online.

The Alligator Party

I am planning an alligator party for my little boys this summer (June). I just ordered the alligator - check it out. They are also getting alligator beach towels (they go to a summer program with our church where they go swimming sometimes, so this will be fun towels for them to use over the summer).

That's as far as I've gotten. Anybody have any good alligator party ideas? :-)

The twins will be turning 7 and Terry is turning 5. It will probably be a mix between boys and girls at the party.

Today's New Flowers

After Troy's doctor appointment in Greenville this morning we stopped by two nurseries and got some new flowers for the front two flower beds.

At the first stop we got two flats of white petunias. These are my children's favorite - they remind them of their Granny - she loves flowers and CAN'T say PETUNIA!!!
We also got four different pepper plants for the garden - a yellow bell pepper, a red bell pepper, a hot red pepper and a banana pepper. I love using the hot peppers and banana peppers in our salsa!! Brenda and Emily are fixing to plant the pepper plants and weed the front beds for the flowers.

At the second stop we bought one flat of yellow pansies. They were so pretty - but expensive!! Wish I could have bought two more flats!!! Maybe the next trip to Greenville we'll stop again. That's all my gardening money for the week!!

Witnessing

This woman reminds me of my Mimi with the way she speaks. She's beautiful isn't she?

Easter Day

Our family
The children The boys
The girls
Me and Artie

Our family's Easter

We had a beautiful Easter this year. I think it all stems from learning about the liturgical year - mostly from Dawn's blog .

We began our week on Monday with our Spring Cleaning - we still have a long ways to go with that and are dedicating Mondays throughout Spring to work on that task.

Midweek we learned of Spy Wednesday and Judas' plans for betrayal. We began watching The Gospel of John DVD. I had never seen this movie before and totally loved it. It was pretty much word for word taken from the book of John. It was a beautiful portrayal of Jesus. We watched the whole movie from the creation of the world through God's voice to the part where Judas goes to seek to profit from betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. We stopped the movie right there and continued to story from there on out day to day in the order it occurred. We finished off the night with "silver dollar" pancakes - remembering how Jesus' disciple turned on him - how He faced the same sort of trials we face even today.

Thursday we had great plans, but they all seemed to fall to the wayside. Troy had a doctor's appointment that morning and then we stopped by Aldi's while we were on that side of town and somehow the rest of the school day ended up lost!!!

Friday we redeemed the time. Artie was off for Good Friday and joined in our studies. We started with the events that happened on Thursday - the Lord's Supper, in the garden, the soldiers arrest. We stopped right there and talked about what had taken place (remember the kids ages go from 4 to 15, so there is much review to make sure the littles are up to speed with everything). After we talked, we had our own Lord's Supper - a beautiful family time. We followed up with the events from Friday - Jesus being crucified - We stopped the movie while he was on the cross - trying to show the children it wasn't just a quick thing - as time went on - we would ask the little children - where is Jesus now - He's still on the cross...

My grandparents stopped by a visit right as we turned the movie off. It was a nice surprise. Everyone had to show there own special things to Mimi and Grandy - from wrestling moves to cartwheels and backbend kickovers.

After they left, we ate lunch and then watched the rest of the movie up to Jesus being place in the tomb. All through Saturday - the same question - where is Jesus now - He's in the tomb still.... but tomorrow he won't be.

Sunday was beautiful. We woke and went to church together. We fill up our pew~~ imagine that!! We went to Sunday school also. After church we finished the movie - witnessing Jesus resurrection!!! We talked about he fact that Easter-tide is a season and how Jesus didn't automatically rise up to heaven - he still walked the earth for days and had teachings to give us. We will follow up the next weeks looking over what He had to teach. We had a nice lunch - a picnic ham, cheese potatoes, green beans and whole potatoes, macaroni and cheese, crescent rolls, followed by Easter baskets with some goodies for all and finished up the day with some Easter egg hunting.

I think the was the best year of keeping our focus on Jesus and teaching the kids what it was all about. We didn't "deprive" them of Easter egg hunts or all the goodies, but that wasn't the main focus and everyone loved learning more and more of Jesus. Troy even said, I've heard about Jesus and Easter all my life, but didn't realize that he still walked the earth after his crucifixion - I thought He was only here for about 4 more hours. It's so fun to see we still have so much to learn.

Hopefully I will get some pictures up later...

Past, Present, Future

I found a cute meme at Singing a Verse of My Song's blog today. I was cruising through some of the comments to Dawn's Book Study and found it.

Past, Present, Future





20 years ago . . .


1. I was attending the University of South Carolina in Columbia

2. I was very involved in Campus Crusade for Christ

3. I was spending most weekends with Artie - he would often come up after work at midnight (an hour away) - those crazy college hours we kept!! This is when we were "just friends"!!




10 years ago . . .


1. I was married and very in love with Artie

2. Living in Inman with three children, babysitting two others - Ryan and Cassie - people would look at me so strange when I went out will all five - who knew then that I would end up with my own 7!!

3. Attending Restoration church - every time the doors would open as Troy likes to say




5 years ago ...


1. I was waiting on Terry's birth - my last baby!!

2. Learning to adjust to having 4 children under the age of 3!!

3. Still in love with Artie



3 years ago . . .

1. Brian moved out - very hard time

2. Began gardening - loved it!!

3. Still in love with Artie



1 year ago . . .

1. Beginning the girls homeschooling - all boys in public school

2. Began blogging

3. Loving Artie more and more





So far this year . . .


1. I began learning about the liturgical year

2. I started exercising (another post maybe)

3. I enjoy Wednesday's when the children are in church classes and Artie and I have an hour alone!




Yesterday . . .

1. I exercised

2. I worked on my spring cleaning

3. I missed Artie while he was with his family for a funeral




Tomorrow. . .

1. I will plan our menus for this week

2. I will pay the bills.

3. I will look forward to Artie being off for Good Friday




In the next year I shall...

1. Love God more

2. Love my children more

3. Have more and more time to love on Artie!! :-)

Mitten Strings for God - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 from Mitten Strings for God is Morning.

Morning is a short chapter talking on .... Mornings!! :-)

One of my favorite quotes - "Someday our boys will decide that they have grown too old to climb into bed with Mom and Dad for cuddles before the work of the day begins."

I only have one left who still climbs in bed with us in the morning. I savor every moment of it!!! Terry is the only child who isn't school age and doesn't have the pressures of waking early at a certain time. He almost always gets up to see the twins off to school (7:00) and most days wakes to see his daddy off (6:00). After the joy of telling everyone good bye (he tells Bobby to "run like the wind" when he hears the bus rolling down our street) and asking his daddy to honk the horn when he leaves, he will cuddle back up in our bed and go back to sleep for a couple of hours. It is so precious to me that he loves his family enough to rise on his own and see them for those special moments in the mornings!!!

One of the things we have been working on the past year as a family is getting more sleep. I don't know of anything better to help mornings start on a good note. When school started back we realized that the little boys needed much more sleep. They put in a long hard day in first grade. We are usually beginning to lay them down at 7:00. This is very opposite my normal nature. It has been many a night, especially in the summers that we didn't sit down for dinner until 8 or 8:30. So, the first thing we did was move dinner time up. We try and be eating by 6:00 and that puts us on a good track. They usually go straight from dinner to preparing for bed. After the little children were on a good track, we realized that the older children weren't getting enough sleep either. We begin laying them down at 8:00. They still drag that out some nights an hour or more (brushing teeth, laying out clothes for tomorrow, writing in journals, reading), but at least they are headed the right direction. Just this week, Artie imposed a new bedtime for us - 9:00!! By nature I am a night owl. That doesn't play out well to begin your day at 5 or 5:30!!! I am working hard to work with him - the only real problem is when American Idol is on past 9:00!! :-) I am keeping the TV on listening but closing my eyes and trying to get sleepy. When we were first married, I would stay up hours past Artie - that's when I got most of my house work done - then I would sleep in late in the mornings (that's the way my mama always did it - my daddy worked 3rd shift most of my life). Years ago I realized that wasn't the pattern of the Proverb 31 woman - Proverbs 31:15 - She riseth also while it is yet night - and began changing a lifelong habit!! So, I always rise early, but some days still have mornings when the rush is over find myself snuggling up with Terry under the covers and falling back asleep!!!

Usually on first sight, everyone is greeted with Good Morning. Terry is my favorite to hear him come down the stairs and say Good Morning. Brenda and Emily kinda look like me in the morning - their eyes are barely open - just trying to find their way to the bath room for a nice warm bath.

Our Saturday mornings are my favorite. We usually sleep in til 8 or so (on good days it might be 9 or 10!!!!!!) I usually fix a big breakfast for everyone. A big breakfast here is a gallon of milk, 2 dozen eggs, a pound of bacon, a box of grits and a couple of cans of biscuits or a loaf of toast. I'm still loving my Christmas griddle to cook our bacon and eggs on - it's great for fried eggs (which I messed up for years!!).

Sunday mornings are a big more rushed preparing for church. The more work done on Saturdays to prepare, the better the mornings!!

The Big Spring Clean

The BIG SPRING CLEAN has begun at the Quinn Home.

The girls are I are using this week and then the following Monday's through Spring to do our spring cleaning. This is the first year we've done an actual Spring Cleaning during spring and I'm already thrilled with it.

We began in the living room yesterday. Here's what we've done so far...

We are continually running the dishwasher and washing machine (both never rest in this house!!)

Folding all clean clothes and continuing as more appear

unpacking 1 box of spring clothes a day

packing up 1 box of big wintry clothes a day - boots, quilts, heavy sweaters

dusted the work room folding table

Living Room -

Moved all furniture and cleaned underneath - amazing what you'll find under there - that's where I found my chord to my camera so I can download my pictures again!!

took down everything from the walls - 11 pictures in the living room

dusted and cleaned the glass on all the pictures

knocked down all cobwebs in corners and around the ceiling

dusted the tops of the four doors and one double window

took everything down from the top of the two double bookcases - dusted and cleaned each item

took the covers off the couch, chair and washed

cleaned under the couch and chair cushions - again amazing what all was there!!

washed the rocking chair cushions

washed the rocking chair

cleaned off the tops of the piano, round table, end table, TV & dusted

scrubbed the baseboards and around the edges of the floors

washed all door knobs

packed a pile of things to move to the out building

put Bobby's school picture in a new frame (old one broke and has been laying on the piano for a month or so)

wash the outside of the bricked and painted fireplace

wash the mantle

washed down the treadmill

washed the ceiling fan

hand scrub the outside perimeter of the floor while all the furniture was moved out

and the big one - washed the walls - we have 12 foot high ceilings - and the room is pretty big - it took so long but looks so good now!! Brenda went around on Artie's ladder and scrubbed the tops while I crawled on my knees doing the bottoms. I'm so old. My arms were so sore last night I could have cried!!!

We still have a pretty big list to do in the living room - we have the following left...

wash all glass - double windows, 8 pains in front door, 4 pains on each side of door, 12 pains on door to hall, a set of French doors to girls room, four bookshelves doors with 4 pains each - lots of grubby little finger prints to clean

clean off the top of the dresser - that's where all our cleaning stuff is stashed while we are working

clean out the drawers of the dresser and end table - now done

clean the TV screen - now done

clean out both double bookshelves and cabinets beneath both - pack up all that can be taken to Goodwill - one done so far

wash the outside of the bookshelf (all that's left of the scrubbing - my arms couldn't stand anymore yesterday) - one done so far

polish the piano

air out the big rug - done

sweep and finish hand mopping the middle of the floor

We just put new curtains in there a couple of weeks ago, so I don't have to take those down to clean.

Artie was laughing at how slow I am at cleaning things, but was happy with the results. He was the one who pointed out that we weren't gonna finish the whole house in a week and suggested we take one school day a week to continue. I think this is a great lesson for the girls to learn. I know for a fact, that my life would have been better if I had ever learned how to clean a house!!! Brenda loved it yesterday - she said she like it because it was something different than go clean up your bedroom floor. She also loved working on the ladder!!

I wish I had taken some before pictures, but maybe I'll get some later as we move around the house.

Diego

So, here is the Deigo room. It is shared by all three little boys. Terry has a little race car bed on the right of the picture. Bobby's twin bed is across the room on the left. They have two little closets on each side of the toy box under the window.

Here you can see a little more of the set up of the room. Stephen's bed is on the far left against another wall. Their dresser is on the far wall and then a big walk-in closet is on the left of the dresser. I don't think it shows in any of the pictures. So, there is plenty of room for all the little boys and all their toys!!



Stephen (there you can see the door to the walk in closet on the right of the picture)

Each boy wanted their picture taken on their own bed. Bobby

Terry

Go Diego Go!! :-)





So, I still have a little more to do up there. I am looking for new door knobs (for old doors), there is some electrical work Artie's gonna do for me. I need new light switch and outlet covers and a light cover still. But the main part is finished now!!! I think it turned out cute!!

Wrestling Pictures are Up!!

Scroll down and check them out.

:-)

The Diego Room is Finished

Pictures to come soon!!!!

State Wrestling Finals!!!

A couple of days ago, we moved the computer from our bedroom (in hopes of keeping the children out more) and into the dining/school room. In the process, I've lost the chord to download my pictures - as soon as it turns up, I'll upload the matching pictures.



Great, the pictures are here now. This is the Indian Wrestling Team!!

Brothers!!

Last Saturday, Stephen, Bobby and I woke and left the house at 5:00AM!!! We were headed to our first State Wrestling Finals!!! They were so excited.

It was hosted at Eastside High School in Greenville (about an hour away from our home). The place was packed when we got there and continued to fill through out the morning!!

Tuesday night at practice, Bobby had weighed in at 60 pounds and Stephen at 59. Both were signed up to wrestle in the 60 pound weight class. That meant that if they weighed in Saturday at 61 - they wouldn't be able to participate!! So, breakfast was held until after weigh-ins - they made it - both weighing in at 58 1/2.

They had a fun breakfast of honey buns, bananas and orange juice.

Stephen wrestled first and Bobby had a bye. Stephen lost his first match but put up a good show.
Here is Stephen's first match. Again - this is the boy that ended up winning the whole thing for their weight class.

Stephen wrestled his second match before Bobby had wrestled at all. The moment we've been waiting all year for ----- Stephen won his first match!!!!! Yeah!!! I had prayed for him (not that he would be the best or win them all, but just that he would get the enjoyment of winning one match this season - that's okay for a mother to pray right?) :-) It was a true pin - 1-2-3 - Stephen's hand was raided in victory!!! I was so happy for him. He's worked and practiced all year for this.

Here is Stephen's first pin!!!!!

Next it was Bobby's time to wrestle finally. Because Bobby didn't wrestle all year - he started halfway through - this was his first tournament. He had a good first match, but the other wrestler won. Because of Bobby's bye the first round, he still had one more match....
Here is Bobby's first match. Look how low that boys was, I knew it didn't look good before it even began!!! :-)

Every sport's mother's nightmare. . . .

Stephen and Bobby were wrestling each other for fourth place and a medal!!!


I told them I was gonna be yelling for who ever was on the bottom. It lasted forever. Stephen started out in a furry and got most of his points, then Bobby came bursting back. Next thing you know it was tied 6 to 6 and they were going into overtime!!! Next one to score a point wins - Bobby took Stephen down and won the point and medal.

(That's Bobby on the far left)


What a hard place to be in!! We ended up enjoying the fact that both boys won their first wrestling match on the same day in the State Finals!! What a blessing to have a brother so close to you!!!

Such a busy week!!

It has seemed like such a busy week. I haven't blogged at all!!! I've got lots of good pictures to get up!! Let's see what I can get done today...

Mitten Strings for God - Chapter 1

So, Dawn's beginning her book study today at By Sun and Candlelight.


Chapter 1 from Mitten Strings for God is Dailiness.


The author, Kathrina Kenison, discusses the most dear times of our lives aren't the ones where the cameras are flashing (birthday, Christmas) but the daily moments that pass by often unnoticed.

Some of my favorite dailiness activities -

going to sleep beside my best friend every night

hanging clothes on the clothesline on pretty days

getting a good bye kiss from Terry - one on each cheek, one on the lips, a hug, he tells me I'm pretty and then tells me to honk the horn when I get in the car

cereal

helping Brenda and Emily with their cooking

having devotion time with Troy and hearing all his many thoughts

folding clothes on my bed - packing away things that are too little, throwing away things that are stained, placing everything where it belongs, knowing everyone has the things they need for tomorrow

sitting down to dinner together as a family

watching Stephen and Bobby practice their wrestling

reading a good Beverly Lewis book

getting caught up in a good movie

listening to the little children as they read

Here is my favorite quote from the end of the first chapter...

"The daily rhythms of life, the humble household rituals, the nourishment I provide - these are my offerings to my children, given with love and gratefully received."








"

Mitten Strins for God Book Study

Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight is having a book study on Mitten Strings for God. I had previously not heard of this book before Dawn mentioned it. It looked so good, I got a copy from Amazon.

Here are the chapters from the book...

1. Dailiness

2. Morning

3. Peace

4. Quiet

5. Simplicity

6. TV

7. Play

8. Secret Paces

9. Wants and Needs

10. Stories

11. One-on-One Time

12. Surrender

13. Breathing

14. Healing

15. Listening

16. Nature

17. Enchantment

18. Grace

19. Rhythm

20. Truth

21. Helping

22. Discipline

23. Stretching

24. Nurturing

25. Sabbath

26. Spirit

27. Balance

28. Choices

29. Wingbeats

This is the quote that Dawn's mentions from the introduction -

"No doubt some of the notions in these pages will seem simple. But I find it is most often the simple gesture or the small goal well met that reaps the greatest reward. And, in our busy lives, it is often the simple gesture that is overlooked, the simple need that is never satisfied ...

We all know this to be true. But sometimes we forget."

What to Wear?

My Favorite Picture of the Week....

I found this on AllPosters - created Solomon.

Shelfari

I updated my bookshelf on the bottom of the blog page with our new and current books we are reading. I added in 3 that Troy's working on too - now that's he's home with us.

For Today

I thought I might use Peggy's list for what she is doing for today...


FOR TODAY

I am THANKFUL...for my family - my heart

I am SEEING...Brenda eating breakfast with her hair still wet from her morning shower

I am HEARING...the morning news in the background - seems like Hillary just won't go away but I think McCain is up for the fight

I am WEARING...Artie's shirt, blue jeans, tennie shoes and a ponytail - seems like I need a little work on this outfit today!

I am READING...the Bipolar Child

I am HOPING...spring is here!!

I am GOING...to Terry's speech class this morning

On my DESK...folders full of coupons, my Bible, some school books, a pile of papers to file - my desk needs as much attention as my outfit for today

I am THINKING...too much to do today to work on this desk!! :-)

I am WORKING...on laundry, dinner plans, school assignments

In the GARDEN...tiny little lettuce leaves are beginning to pop up

I am FEELING...ready for the day, a little cold, maybe my new outfit for the day will include a sweater for the morning

From the KITCHEN...Emily's night to cook - more Rachael Ray - Shrimp Creole

Out the WINDOW...Artie called on his way to work this morning and showed the boys and I Venus!!

MY SIMPLICITY FOR TODAY...seeing Terry asleep in our bed (he wakes to tell Artie and the little boys bye before work and school and then curls up in our bed to go back to sleep). He's such a doll.

Wordless Wednesday

Today is Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom...

Peter Pan

Peter and Wendy

Since Emily finished her free reading book - Charlotte's Web - today we started a new one - Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.

Here's a paragraph I loved in our reading...

"Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter when she was tidying up her children's minds. It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning, repacking into their proper places the many articles that have wandered during the day. If you could keep awake (but of course you can't) you would see your own mother doing this, and you would find it very interesting to watch her. It is quite like tidying up drawers. You would see her on her knees, I expect, lingering humorously over some of your contents, wondering where on earth you had picked this thing up, making discoveries sweet and not so sweet, pressing this to her cheek as if it were as nice as a kitten, and hurriedly stowing that out of sight. When you wake in the morning, the naughtiness and evil passions with which you went to bed have been folded up small and placed at the bottom of your mind; and on the top, beautifully aired, are spread out your prettier thoughts, ready for you to put on."

Makes me miss my mama.... :-) Things were always put just so for me when she was alive... she was definitely one of those mama's who made everything right and good.

Tackle It Tuesday

Today is Tackle It Tuesday at 5 Minutes for Mom. I have to tackle my e-bay account!!! I have feedback that needs to be left. I have books that have sold that need to be mailed. That will involve finding or buying packaging, postage, and the post office.

Anything you need to tackle today?

WWJD

Today Emily started her first devotional book. We are reading What Would Jesus Do by Helen Haidle. It is based on the classic book In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon. The actual book she is reading is older than she is. Artie and I gave it to Brian and Troy in 1997 for Christmas; back when we lived in a trailer in Spartanburg - our first real home of our own.

I hope Emily enjoys it and learns how look at life's situations and respond as Jesus would.

Menu Plan Monday

What, Menu Plan Monday on Tuesday??? Okay, I'm a little behind this week. The plan's been in effect, just not posted yet!! :-)

Friday - Friday night was girl's night out to Alice in Wonderland - we had Brenda's Fettuccine Alfredo left over from last week - it was very yummy

Saturday - Saturday was our second night out with The Taming of the Shrew - we left all the boys with a fun boys' meal - chicken wings and French fries

Sunday - Artie had made a request last week for burritos. We use to fix this a good bit when we were dating and first married. We hadn't fixed it in years.

Monday - Gwyn's Chicken Casserole - from my friend Gwyn (who is busy learning to cook food like the people from the Dominican Republic!!)

Tuesday - (wrestling night) - Brenda's new Beef Stroganoff

Wednesday -(church night) - Kids - Spaghettios, Artie and I - out alone!!

Thursday - (wrestling night) Emily's Rachael Ray - Quick Creole Shrimp -