Not Quite Ordinary Observations

For Today...Monday, January 4, 2016

In the great outdoors...cloudy and chilly. Temps are finally feeling a bit more wintry, and supposedly the big bad Polar Vortex should be hitting next week. We’ll see what happens! 

Within our four walls...getting back to normal. We’re all a bit groggy and sluggish, but routine feels good.

There is some residual clean-up that still needs to be accomplished, though. I think the girls finally got all of their wall hangings and knick knacks into new homes in their room. The final rearranging task of the break was adjusting my work space so I can keep the sewing machine out. That is functional, but there are still quite a few things that have not found their new homes yet.

A heart of thanksgiving...for routine; for friends; for children who grow and stretch themselves because that’s what they like to do, not because they have to fulfill a requirement; for children who love the Word of God.

A heart of prayer...for smooth transition into some schedule adjustments; for this new year in our church; for our Almyra family as they welcome a new pastor; for growing hearts; for the Choates as they work out financial details to get tickets purchased and prepare to return to the Solomons very soon.

Random observations...I love my new desk setup, but it’s a bit on the chilly side. Looks like it’s right around 60° in here right now, so it’s not too bad. But, if the big bad cold shows up next week, I might need a little extra warmth!

My silly children...are growing up SO FAST. I just thought it went too quickly when they were little and were constantly learning and very obviously growing by leaps and bounds. Now that they’re older, it’s a little less obvious at a glance, but it’s much more obvious in daily life. The things they’re accomplishing and the ways they’re participating in the family dynamics catch me off guard on a regular basis. Wow.

Thoughts from the kitchen...this is soup month!! With one exception, every meal we make this month will be soup. At least, that’s the plan. Today we are trying a new super-simple crock pot potato soup recipe. Other soups on the calendar are the staples like chicken noodle or chicken & rice, chili, dumplin’s, and broccoli cheese. But, we’re also trying out a beef and barley recipe, introducing the kids to lentil soup and corn chowder, enjoying the pasta e fagioli and spicy cheese recipes we discovered last year, and giving lasagna soup a try. Oh, and then there’s the mushroom, beef, and ravioli recipe we found a year or so ago. Except we’ve changed it to a tortellini, and we use hot and sour soup instead of beef broth. Mmmmm. It’s going to be a yummy month!

On my bookshelf...another Julie Klassen book I haven’t yet read – The Dancing Master this time. It’s my one-chapter-a-day fiction choice this time around. Meanwhile, it’s time to get back to processing through some non-fiction. I’m looking at my shelf trying to decide what I’m going to tackle first. I’d love to commit to one a month.

Coming up on Joy of Writing this month, you should finally see my Everyday Grace review, as well as reviews of Sue Edwards’ new Philippians study and the latest novels from Patrick W. Carr, Julie Klassen, and Elizabeth Camden.

Projects...finish my desk reorganization; make some nightgowns; finish the jacket for the Pooh Bear I made Steven for Christmas; making my personal Joy of Writing blog a little prettier. This blog is probably overdue a makeover as well! 

Sounds of the moment...music in the next room and occasional noises as the kids process through chores. Well, what do you know – the vacuum just started up!

From Hibbard Academy...a schedule adjustment. We find ourselves experiencing more and more interrupted weeks. Four days of school is all well and good once a month or so. But, when we only really get five days in once or twice a month, we start falling behind! So, we’re moving to a four-day schedule, just keeping five days of work planned. Much prayer went into the decision, and now much prayer is going into the implementation – especially for my high schooler! She’s excited, though, about having one day a week to be able to write and create freely. I think that will help her stay motivated through longer school days the rest of the week, so that’s a blessing.

A favorite thing from last week...New Year’s Eve with the Choates. And I don’t think I got a single picture! But, we sure did have fun!

The planner...back to AHG and Scouts tonight and a Mother-Daughter tea this weekend. Otherwise, a pretty normal school/work week.

Because visuals are fun...even the stuffies are nerds in this house!