We're doing well here. More snow yesterday ... expecting more today, too. :( Yuck. At least it's been a little warmer - it's supposed to get up to 31 today!
Finally got all the Christmas stuff taken down and put away, and the house picked up. We had dinner company last night, which was good motivation to get the Christmas stuff put away! I love my Christmas tree, though, so it was a little sad. The living room feels much bigger without it!
This morning, I got up and went walking at the mall with Terra, and then came home and shoveled half the driveway and both sidewalks. YAY for exercise! I need to go finish my exercising ... but I'm taking a break and eating breakfast right now! Hmm ... what else is new ... not much ...
So, I leave you with a picture of me and my adorable niece ...
Thank you for the invitation, but I think we are staying at Seth and Danielle's. They live 5 min from Portage and asked us to come. I'm excited we'll see you there though. I don't think I've seen Matt lead songs yet...
Although I almost wish we weren't - it wasn't so busy there! :)
We had a really good visit in Texas. I think my favorite part was wearing flip flops to breakfast yesterday morning. :) We got to see lots of cool people - Zane & Julie, Stanley & Aleisha, Dan & Percy, Xanthea, Lesli & Larry, Lance & Sarah, and LOTS of people at Kleinwood and Dowlen. :) And now that I've done all that, I'm sure I have forgotten someone. Oh, well - don't get offended. :)
We also got some good things done. Matt did some handyman projects for Mom - some bookshelves put together, a new kitchen faucet, and some yardwork. I also went through all of my boxes at their house once and for all, and made a final decision on everything. Lots of stuff is going in Mom's garage sale in a couple of months - if you're in the NW Houston area, check out the garage sale. :) I brought some stuff home - this time around, mainly books! - and have a few little things left for someone to bring up to me when they come up to visit, or for me to get the next time I'm there.
Last night, we flew in, walked out to the parking lot, drove home, got pizza for supper, and watched football/worked on Bible class stuff. This morning, we had a workday at the building to get the classrooms put together. They look fantastic, in my opinion! :) I'm excited about all the new material - I think this is going to be really good for our bible class program! :)
This afternoon, I have a couple more little projects to work on for Bible class tomorrow, and then I need to work on house stuff. The tree needs to come down, the suitcases need to be unpacked (thankfully, I had time to do laundry there before we left, so we have no dirty clothes from Texas), menu planning for next week needs to get done ... yeah. Busy day. But I don't know what I'd do with myself otherwise! :)
So, how was your week? How's your weekend going? What are your plans?
What new material are you trying out? We are using Ken Weibler's books for all the kid's and young adults. It's based on doing a bible study at home each day of the week.
Hmmm.... I don't think I have a song about Abraham. However, I can write one for you, if you just let me know what you want it to cover and the age group. Do you want hand motions? ;-) (Seriously, I can write something for you and it shouldn't take too long to do.)
Cool. After we finish the Weibler, our kid's are going to be combined to do Our Spritual Heritage! And I think I'm teaching, too! :0) It will be a bit before we get there, but that's okay!
Isn't it great when you can unpack clean clothes?! I try to do that,too.
Today I got up and started cleaning like a mad woman! I got everything I wanted to done. My husband is cleaning the office and organizing everything so that we are all caught up there as well. It is so nice to know everything is put away and cleaned...it has been a while since I have had the energy and now I am exhausted. Bleh!
Going out with some girlfirends tonight. Weather here in San Antonio is in the low 80's and I think that is really crazy for January 3rd!
What exciting new things are you implementing in the Bible classes? What work was done on the classrooms?
Afriend called Brent the other day about a congregational singing (possibly in NW IN) on January 23 using the Sumphonia supplements. He didn't leave many details. Do you guys know anything about it--location, time...?
Happy New Year! Thursday morning we drove to Allen with Craig's parents to visit his brother & his family. We got back this afternoon. We had a good visit with them. We played a lot of Apples to Apples & Mexican Train. I glad you had a good trip. :)
Yes, Portage is right. I finally talked to Seth. They are starting at 7. I hope we can go since Brent is off work that night, but we'll have to see. Portage is quite a haul for us. I learned 2-3 new ones from the supplement over the weekend though: "He's Risen," "Lord, Increase My Faith," and "O Sons and Daughters, Sing Your Praise." Oh, and "Ancient Words..." I like the Sons and Daughters one the best, although singing about having faoth like Abraham's could never be bad. : )
hello, i'm from the grocery gamers group- the one with the coupon train. the girl who has it now is willing to add you if you'll just leave your address on the thread! thanks
It was SO WARM in Texas! Woo hoo! We were in Dallas for a few days last week. We went on a walk and I was just soaking in the sun. Aaron got too hot and laid down on someone's lawn. wimp.
Comon' - keep the tree up! Yours has lots of red, so it absolutely qualifies as a Valentine's Day tree! (*smile* I think I used to drive Ashlee crazy by keeping our mini-tree up until February.... maybe I should apologize for that at some point.)
My maiden name is Hardison. I wish I could be at the singing, but it's a 5 hour drive there! :(
I am wanting to ask the elders here, where I worship, if we might be able to order the Sumphonia supplements. I always wonder to myself why everybody sings the golden oldies when there are such beautiful, NEW songs out there!!!!!
Actually, we've been here for a couple of days. :) It's so nice here - actually, almost uncomfortably warm. There's a cool front coming through tonight, though, so that should help some. :)
We had Christmas just for us before we left Illinois Thursday. It seemed silly to bring a bunch of stuff down, just to take it back up with us. So, we did that there. Matt got, among other things, a new pair of jeans. I got a rice cooker - very helpful, since I'm apparently incapable of making rice without scorching it! :)
We've done a whole lotta not much since we got here. Matt did some work yesterday - put together a bookshelf for my mom, and worked in the yard a little bit. I went to the mall with Matt yesterday morning - we walked for a bit, and then did some shopping. Then, Mom and I went grocery shopping. I spent the rest of the day making yummy confections for Christmas presents. Lesli and Larry got in around 11 last night - their flight was delayed and delayed and delayed. Savannah apparently slept most of the time, so she was pretty alert by the time they got here.
Today, I slept in a bit, b/c I was up sick in the night. :( Then, I got my hair cut this morning (yes, I'm still growing it out - it just needed a trim), and then came home. We had lunch with everybody, and then had Christmas. Among my more exciting gifts, a copy of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, which I'm very excited to read. I also got a locket, and a yummy looking cookbook. Very exciting, overall! :)
Tonight, we're having Chinese for dinner. Tomorrow, we're having Shipley's Donuts (mmmmm ...), then heading to worship. My brother and his wife will meet us there. Afterward, we'll all come back to the house for lunch, and then family pictures. As soon as family pictures are over, Matt and I will jet off to Beaumont, and meet up with Bannings and Dawsons for a bit before services. Matt's preaching at Dowlen Road tomorrow evening, and we'll hang with the gang after, then drive back home.
That's all I really have planned so far ... we'll see what else happens. I know we're watching the Alamo bowl Monday night ... from Dad's living room. We decided it wasn't worth $140 to go see Mizzou in person - they're just not that good this year. :) So we'll watch on Dad's new big screen (50") high-def TV. Almost as good as in person, anyway!
I can't believe you don't like how warm it is here!!! Which baby would you like? I'm going to keep Jaxson, he's got a cough and runny nose and isn't eating well b/c of it... so your pick, Kirby or Alex (hint, Alex is a much better eater than Kirby and your Mom held Kirby last Sunday and can let you know how much she spit up... so your choice!)
thank you. We probably won't be but maybe. We attend at Cy-fair now and I am off this week so we may go and visit family. Its kinda up in the air. So we will see!
Alex is turning out to be a pretty happy baby, we woudn't have guessed that 3 months ago! Sorry I didn't get to talk to you, it's hard to get around when I have to manage babies... I hope you've enjoyed your stay and I'm sorry you must return to the COLD weather of Chicago...
okay! I didn't know ya'll were in town for that long :-) The other babies are as happy... Jaxson probably not as much, he just doesn't find it as fun to smile and laugh like Alex and Kirby. I would say Kirby probably smiles and laughs the most.
Well, turns out I haven't really been back online...I don't think I've been on pleo since October and I've been really awful at updating myself on the info....So sorry to hear - what God allows us to experience sometimes I cannot understand but I know that in some way, some how, things will work out - as we are told in scripture. Well, I hope you both have the happiest of happy New Year's and hope to be online a little more!
Hi! Thanks for the invitation! I am planning to come to Joliet on Monday. However, Catherine has to work that afternoon and doesn't think she could make it to work on time if she comes with me. So... I guess we'll have to try for another time. She usually works on Mondays, though, so we might have to come up with another plan.
I promised non-weather posts, and they're coming, but this was just too momentous to pass up.
I earned my activity points today, in a big way.
I spent 70 minutes ...
Shoveling snow.
And by the end of it ...
I had icicles on my hat.
The problem was, while I was shoveling and Matt was chopping at ice ...
It was still snowing. I shoveled the left side of the driveway first. Matt said we got about a half inch in the time we were out there. :(
On the plus side, our deck table looks like a bed ...
Seat, anyone?
And the best part ... it's been like this since about 2 AM, and won't be done till 4 or 5 pm ... TOMORROW. :( Right now it's sleeting/freezing raining. :( We don't like that part.
More interesting things soon. I promise. For reals.
Yuck!! If the weather continues to be bad, I'm going to be stuck here and miss work on Friday!! (That would be the 4TH time in less than 3 weeks!!) I really don't want to call in AGAIN!!
I like your hatcicles. One year when we lived in Terre Haute it snowed a record 63 inches over the course of the winter. I remember going out to shovel the driveway and I couldn't reach the shoveled snow up to the top of the banks we had created on either side of the driveway from the previous snows.
Wow. Those are some impressive icicles! We just have freezing rain and a lot of rain here. I'm a little jealous of your snow, but I do rather like the ability to leave my house when I want to. :)
When I got out of work yesterday, I had at least 5 inches of snow on my car. I started at the front and worked my way to the back. By the time I got the back cleaned off, and stopped and looked, I had to go back to the front of the car and start over! It was covered in fresh snow. GRR.
Did you see the flakes today? Here they were so big that it looked like the sky was throwing snowballs at us.
It is falling at an alarming rate. We just finished shoveling the driveway of the house we are pet sitting at and I'm afraid to go back and see 3 more inches... p.s. I like your hat icicles!
Christmas is this week, and my radio station has begun playing 24/7 Christmas songs. I heard one this morning on the way home from the mall that had me giggling the whole time.
It's by BareNakedLadies, featuring Michael Buble. If you haven't heard it, it's classic BNL style.
Elf's Lament
I'm a man of reason, and they say "'Tis the season to be jolly"
But it's folly when you volley for position
Never in existence has there been such a resistance
To ideas meant to free us
If you could see us, then you'd listen
Toiling through the ages, making toys on garnished wages
There's no union
We're only through when we outdo the competition
I make toys, but I've got aspirations
Make some noise
Use your imagination
Girls and boys, before you wish for what you wish for
There's a list for who's been
Naughty or nice, but consider the price to an elf
A full indentured servitude can reflect on one's attitude
But that silly red hat just makes the fat man look outrageous
Absurd though it may seem, you know, I've heard there's even been illegal doping
And though we're coping, I just hope it's not contagious
You try to start a movement, and you think you see improvement
But when thrown into the moment, we just don't seem so courageous
I make toys, but I've got aspirations
Make some noise
Use your imagination
Girls and boys, before you wish for what you wish for
There's a list for who's been
Naughty or nice, but consider the price to an elf
You look at yourself
You're an elf
And the shelf is just filled with disappointing memories
Trends come and go, and your friends wanna know why you aren't just happy making crappy little gizmos
Every kid knows they'll just throw this stuff away
We're used to repetition, so we drew up a petition
We, the undersigned, feel undermined
Let's redefine "employment"
We know that we've got leverage, so we'll hand the fat man a beverage
And sit back while we attack the utter lack of our enjoyment
It may be tough to swallow, but our threats are far from hollow
He may thunder, but if he blunders, he may wonder where the toys went
I make toys, but I've got aspirations
Make some noise
Use your imagination
Girls and boys, before you wish for what you wish for
There's a list for who's been
Naughty or nice, but consider the price
Naughty or nice, but consider the price
Naughty or nice, but consider the price to an elf
take two of my favorite contemporary artists, put them together and have them create a song that I dig alot.
Yeah, this is an example of that greatness. :-)
