Daybook 10/19/10

Outside my window...

is another beautiful day. The sun is shining and there is a slight coolness to the air.

I am listening to...

the tick of the school room clock and my fingers on the keyboard, the children are all still asleep.

I am wearing...

my favorite pj bottoms and a cami.

I am pondering...

so many things... routines, cleaning, homeschooling, parenting, marriage...the list goes on.

I am reading...

Water for Elephants (which so far has been surprisingly good...it was a recommendation and I'm not always too sure about those :) and A Beginner's Guide to Prayer (it's time for me to do some spiritual reading too).

In the kitchen...

I've actually cooked this past week and am looking forward to spending more time in the kitchen this week. A very dear friend introduced me to Relish and I am loving the ease and simplicity of having my grocery list prepared and having all I need on hand to create new meals for my family.

I am thinking...

that I am so very blessed to have a wonderful husband, 4 great kids, an awesome puppy, lots of wonderful friends, and a God who loves me.

I am creating...

a clean and organized home, and it feels really good. Maybe I'll get to that sewing desk before Christmas :)

Towards a living education...

I am loving the lesson plans I created which fit so well with our lifestyle. Lots of reading and math this week. We are really focusing on the Odyssey this week so hopefully we will all have a better understanding of it :)

Beauty in the home...

Still working on the kitchen this week, but it's almost done. And the washroom is better than I could have imagined...I almost don't mind doing laundry...ALMOST, I said.

The domestic church...

we celebrated the liturgy of St. Luke yesterday and Fr. Chris said some prayers for my dad. A beautiful day. I'm looking forward to resurrecting our prayer time, or at least MY prayer time.

I am hoping and praying...

for God's forgiveness.

In the garden...

the children planted some flower boxes to go in front of the kitchen windows.

One of my favorite things...

getting a book I have been wanting in the mail. Now I need to finish what I am reading so I can start on it... Remember thy First Love.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

trying to keep it simple again this week - school, hockey, dance, music lessons, rehearsals, cleaning, cooking and bills.

A picture thought to share...

Memory Eternal!!!

Blessings!!!

theresesophia

Daybook 10-11-10

Outside my window...

a dark, cool evening.

I am listening to...

the hum of the tv and a "cop" show

I am wearing...

pajama bottoms and a cami

I am pondering...

how slowly the days pass while the months and years fly by.

Ia m reading...

Bag of Bones

In the kitchen...

looking forward to actually doing some cooking this week. The cooler weather has me anxious to do some baking as well.

I am thinking...

that I want to get my sewing machine desk put together this week and set up my machine...I'm ready to sew.

I am creating...

two blankets for hockey, actually Rosebud will be doing most of the work while I supervise.

Towards a living education...

we are back to hitting it hard after some light weeks while we had visitors. Focusing on math and reading this week and especially adding in more literature.

Beauty in the home...

kitchen almost complete. Hoping to finish up cleaning projects at our new home this week along with organizing our paper monster.

The domestic church...

is quiet this week.

I am hoping and praying...

that I will feel God's peace this week and next.

In the garden...

the roses are blooming.

One of my favorite things...

reading at night with my youngest.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

planning to keep our schedule simple this week - the usual hockey and dance, along with a focus on school, cleaning and cooking.

A picture thought to share...

Blessings!!!

theresesophia

Daybook 10-5-10

Outside my window...

an absolutely beautiful, cool autumn morning

I am listening to...

the computer hum and a clock ticking...the rest of the house is still quiet

I am wearing...

my winter nightgown

I am pondering...

why some people can't enjoy life and be thankful for the beautiful blessings that God has given them

I am reading...

Bag of Bones by Stephen King. Not typically a Stephen King reader but I was encouraged to read Under the Dome and loved it. This one looks to be a pretty good read too.

From the kitchen...

the kitchen has been very quiet while we have had guests for almost two weeks. Now it is time for a major grocery shopping trip and time to get "cooking."

I am thinking...

that today might be a great day for a nature walk.

I am creating...

this blog post??? Not feeling very creative right now...just wanting to get outside and enjoy the day.

Towards a living education...

I have been really enjoying our lesson plans and weekly assignment sheets. I need to do a post soon to update our educational information and I need to update my sidebars as well.

Beauty in the home...

has been my main focus over the past few weeks. Visitors are always such a good motivator :)

The kitchen needs a little more work. The gameroom and "multi-purpose" room are last on the list and will hopefully be finished this week. Now that the weather is cooler, I hope to work on painting the school room furniture.

The domestic church...

has been very quiet lately. Definitely an area we need to focus on now that company has gone.

Not sure where to begin though.

I am hoping and praying...

for someone very dear to me who is experiencing some spiritual distress.

In the garden...

I have disassembled the four garden plots we had made at our other house and am trying to get the flowerbeds cleaned and planted for curb appeal.

One of my favorite things...

a clean and organized HOME. We are almost there and it feels soooooo good!!!

A few plans for the rest of the week...

dance and hockey (of course), big hockey tournament this weekend, finish organizing the gameroom, multi-purpose room and kitchen and keep going with our cleaning, sort stuff for a garage sale and get things priced, lots of errands to catch up on now that company has gone, get cracking on our lessons and enjoy this beautiful weather.

A picture thought to share...

Let Hockey season begin!!! WooHoo!!!

Blessings!!!

theresesophia

The Pain of Childbirth

As I think back sixteen years, I remember the anxiety of knowing that our first child was to be born in a few hours. Two weeks past my due date, there was no hope of this baby introducing herself to the world on her own. The fear left me breathless...how much is this going to hurt??? I know it will be worth it but what if I can't handle the pain??? As I think back now, I realize how foolish I was...

The physical pain was barely a blip on the radar of the pain I feel each year as the 14th of September approaches. My heart breaks, my eyes water, and my mind drifts back to that beginning. Each year her wings become stronger and I realize that each year, I am one year closer to watching her begin her flight away from the home she has known. She grows, she stretches and soon she will build her own nest. Each year, the pain of childbirth becomes stronger and more intense as I see her becoming the woman God has planned for her to be. No longer the child of my heart but now a being with a life of her own.

As the pain of birthing this young woman year after year overwhelms me, I now turn to the Theotokos. "Help me through this... Show me how you could bear this!" And she whispers to me... "Treasure these things in your heart!" And so along with all of the joy (watching her dance, hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, feeling her hug), I will also treasure the pain of watching her grow, knowing that it is through the pain that great things will come.

A very Joyous Feast to you all and a very Blessed Birthday to our sweet princess!!! Many years!!!

Blessings!!!

theresesophia

Daybook 8-2-10

Outside my window...

beautiful green grass even though the temperatures are over 100...my husband is doing a great job on the yard :-)

I am listening to...

the TV in the other room...hmmm...this seems to becoming the norm...maybe we should be doing school instead (or maybe the only time I can post on this blog is when they are watching TV...hmmm)

I am wearing...

summer pajamas...okay, it's after 2 in the afternoon but sometimes you just have to take a day off, right???

I am pondering...

when I should go to the grocery store. I'm out of diet dr. p*pper and that just should NOT happen at this house!

I am reading...

Divine Justice I haven't read anything by this author before so we'll see, not really getting into yet.

From the kitchen...

I actually have some menus for this week. Now I just need to make a trip to the store and actually COOK...lol.

I am thinking...

that a diet dr. p*pper would be really good right now!!!

I am creating...

a clean house, twenty years of photo albums, lesson plans, and menus...now you know why I needed a day off...lol!

Towards a living education....

the 2010-2011 lesson plan forms have been made. I need to complete the information on the forms and then all lesson plans for the year should be complete...WOOHOO!!!

Beauty in the home...

LOTS accomplished last week. The rooms for Stinkbug and Sugarcake are done. Master bedroom and master bathroom are done. This week will focus on the living areas.

The domestic church...

lots more praying this week.

I am hoping and praying...

for a very dear friend who came down with pneumonia while on a Boy Scouts camp out with his son. Hopefully he will continue to heal and will be able to go home soon.

In the garden...

the flowers keep blooming thanks to my husband (and my dad...wink, wink).

One of my favorite things...

an ice cold diet dr. p*pper... can you tell I'm a little obsessed right now???

A few plans for the rest of the week...

complete lesson plans for the new school year, clean and decorate family areas,

get old photos organized and in albums and the cd's uploaded to the computer, and of course, buy a case of diet dr. p*pper to get me through the rest of the day...lol. Oh, and did I mention hockey lessons and a hockey tournament this weekend???

A picture thought to share...

Ahhh!!!

Blessings,

theresesophia

Daybook 7-19-10

Outside my window...

another scorcher...yuck...I am so NOT a hot weather gal. Thank goodness for the trees and awning that make this yard almost tolerable.

I am listening to...

a children's show on the television and our dog chewing on one of HER toys :-)

I am wearing...

my "clown" outfit as my family so lovingly calls it... to me, they are called "work" clothes

I am pondering...

"Don't take it personally, even if they mean it that way." So sorry I can't give credit because I don't know who said. I read it in an email and have really been looking at how that applies to some hurtful things that someone told me. I'm not there yet so if anyone has words of wisdom, I'd love to hear them.

I am reading...

Facebook...lol...books have been set aside for the moment. I am really enjoying catching up with friends.

From the kitchen...

not much although I am looking at some recipes that don't require a lot of heat in the kitchen.

I am thinking...

this is going to be a tough week. Yesterday marked 9 months since my dad passed and this Friday would have been his birthday.

I am creating...

photo albums of all our old photos. 20 years worth is not an easy task. Luckily a local photo shop is having a sale on converting photos to cds. Going year by year, I'm getting them on cd then getting them stored on the computer. Photos go in an album and when all our done then I will make photo books online for each year.

Towards a living education...

my oldest has found a math curriculum...monumental!!! We've been doing a little science, math, and reading, and hope to add a little history this week.

Beauty in the home...

I am pleased with the master bathroom and hoping to do a little decorating in the master bedroom this week.

The domestic church...

will be pretty quiet this week...just lots of praying.

I am hoping and praying...

that my dad is enjoying eternity

In the garden...

luckily my husband has been tending and caring to the flowers otherwise everything would be straw.

One of my favorite things...

learning that my daughter will not just be on the girls practice team but will get to play at least 15 games with the girls AA team. I am so excited for her and so very thankful for her coach...who is the absolute best!!!

A few plans for the rest of the week...

dance camp for my oldest, hockey for the other 3, lots of cleaning and decorating, some painting and cleaning at the old house, lots of praying for my dad.

A picture thought to share...

My dad and I in 1992

Blessings!

theresesophia

Daybook 6-28-10

Outside my window...

It is dark, the day is almost over and it is wet after much needed rain

I am listening to...

My girls talk on the phone and my husband playing the guitar

I am wearing...

a necklace that my daughter received for playing hockey (she wanted me to have it).

I am pondering...

why my mother wants me to call her everyday

I am reading...

Coal Run...just started it so I'm not too sure about it yet but I'm trying to read some books I have around the house before I get any more

From the kitchen...

Absolutely nothing!!!

I am thinking...

that my lists from last week have really been helping me focus. I feel like I've been much more productive.

I am creating...

a clean garage at the house we need to sell. It's hot but in small doses, I've been able to clear some space. I hope to finish that this coming weekend.

Towards a living education...

Just a few items to order but most curriculum is in place. This week I'll be working on assignment sheets for the year and a weekly schedule.

Beauty in the home...

Won't be much this week as I try to focus on getting the other house cleaned out to sell.

The domestic church...

will be quiet this week as we spend some time with family.

I am hoping and praying...

For all who will be traveling over the next few weeks with vacations.

In the garden...

Rain, sweet beautiful rain.

One of my favorite things...

celebrating another year of marriage (20 years on Wednesday) to the best goofball this side of heaven

A few plans for the rest of the week,

some alone time with my husband, time with family, and lots of cleaning on that other house

A picture thought to share...

20 years!!!

Blessings!

theresesophia