Wrapping Up Kindergarten

Only three more weeks until I'll officially declare this school year over. Levi has done so well. We've worked our way through the starfall.com website and his reading is really exceptional for a kindergartener. I know that sounds like bragging, but I really can't take much credit for it...he just seemed to pick it up. I started him on English for the Thoughtful Child this spring and we both like it. It does have quite a bit of writing and he gets a little tired of that. Sometimes I make him plow through and sometimes I let him narrate to me.
We've also covered the whole Saxon K book and we're working on Saxon 1. I really love Saxon's spiral approach of doing a little of everything everyday, building on concepts slowly. But Levi does get bored with it, so I edit quite a bit when I know he's had enough repetition. As a matter of fact, we probably could've skipped Saxon K altogether. Now I know.
He's on Book 3 of the Draw Write Now series. I love these books for drawing and handwriting. Levi loves to draw so he loves them, too. We're almost done with the beginning MindBenders book and Beginning Geography: How to Use a Map - both of these have been fun. This spring we started doing Spelling as a separate subject using Spelling Workout A. I skipped the first few lessons because they seemed a little simplistic for a kid who's already reading, but the book itself is really good. We've done lots of other things like making a nature notebook, learning hymns, memorizing the books of the Bible and learning the catechism. Most importantly (to me, anyway) we've both gotten used to the idea of homeschooling and learned to adjust things when they need to be adjusted.
I planning now for next fall. I've planned to follow the general outline of The Well Trained Mind since I first read the book when Levi was a baby. The thing that appeals most to me is the idea of studying history in the order that it happened. We bought The Story of the World already and Levi is going through the activity book picking out projects he wants us to do (will I really be able to stomach making a real chicken mummy? that's right mummifying a chicken we bring home from Kroger, y'all).
Since we'll be beginning with ancient history in the fall I wanted to go back just a little farther and study how history started in the first place. Of course Levi already knows the creation account from the Bible. But I wanted to really delve into it a little deeper this summer so we're going to do a unit study on Genesis using books like these
The Creation
Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden
Dinosaurs of Eden
Dinosaurs by Design
The True Story of Noah’s Ark
Tower of Babel
There will probably be a lot of emphasis on dinosaurs if I know Levi...I just plan on exploring whatever he shows an interest in.
I think I'll post about what I'm planning for next year later since this post is already probably more than you ever wanted to know. Just one (maybe two) last thing(s). If you're homeschooling little ones or thinking about it, Holly has a great series going on here, here, and here. And I've decided to start kindergarten with Brenna next fall, even though she's just turning four this summer. I'm certainly not trying to rush her at all, but it's really just a matter of labels. She insists on doing school with Levi anyway and if she isn't ready for first grade work after one year of Kindergarten we can always do another year. For me having a grade level is just about the kids being able to answer "what grade are you in?" when other kids ask them. It will make history study much easier, though. We'll study ancient history, for example, next year when Levi is in the first grade and Brenna is in Kindergarten so she'll start at the beginning, too.

Recuperating

Everyone is feeling better...we're left with just a few sniffles and stuffy heads. Everything looks better after a visit to Grandma's house. The pecan trees are in bloom - maybe not so great for my allergies, but definitley balm for my soul! I don't know why Grandma's yard makes me feel so much better, and I don't know why I don't load up the kids and go more often. They had a blast fishing...

And I got to eat fish and unwind while the kids played and my uncle put the baby to sleep... It just doesn't get much better than that.

Still sick...

The kids are all better and straining at the bit to get outside and play. It is beautiful here - blue skyies, light breezes. Casey is even feeling better. But I'm still sick. I'm guessing it's a full-on sinus infection cause I feel lousy! I'm going to doctor myself up this evening and go to bed early. I have to get better before Friday - my grandparents are having a fish fry!

Some Sort of Spring flu has knocked us for a loop

I think this is the first time that all of us have been sick at one time - a right of passage, I suppose for moms of "large" families. We've all had fevers, sinus issues, and assorted other aches and pains all week. Well, Brenna has really only had a runny nose so I guess this might not qualify as my first epidemic after all. But it was major enough to keep us all home from church today and that almost never happens. I hate to admit this, but it was so relaxing to get up and just hang out at home. Casey is usually home on Saturday mornings now that he's quit his side business, but he's usually up bright and early to work downstairs (that reminds me, I need to post more pictures soon). So it's pretty rare that I get to sleep in but that's just what I did this morning. It was lovely.
Despite being quite sick this week, I've still had more energy than I can remember having in a long time. Nursing Christian has been tough for the last few months and, as sad as I was to end it, I feel a lot better physically. It's been the perfect time to start the getting organized plan. The new grocery plan is up and running. I've really just gone back to the way I used to do things, which I'll have to write about after the kids go to bed. But I'm also making a lot more things from scratch and looking for a lot of substitutes for the convenience foods we've gotten (much too) used to. The reality of having four little kids doesn't always match my ideal of making all our food from scratch. Sometimes it's better to feed them frozen pizza if it means we have time to do a science project or play outside a little longer. But we all like Casey to be home to play, too. And the better steward I am of our resources, the more he can be home. It's all a big balancing act. Which hopefully will be easier when my ears stop popping.

Field Day Is Tough on Babies

Here's a picture of Christian because I can't believe I forgot to take the camera with me to Field Day. We're just getting involved in the homeschool group here in town and so far Levi is really enjoying it. Today was the first really good and hot day - to hot for me and the littles to stand outside and watch, but that was fine with Levi. He made new friends and was fine. It's always me that's a little nervous.

We were all pretty tuckered out when we got home though.

Spring Schedule

Okay, here's the first draft of the new spring schedule. We'll see what gets tweaked over the next few days...

6 AM
Feed Christian
I’d like to get up and have some quiet time in the mornings
7 AM
Jack’s usually up by now, I’d like everybody to get up and start on their morning chart before Casey gets home
Breakfast
We can all sit down for breakfast together and then I can take a shower while Casey hangs out with the kids
Before 9 AM
Casey goes to sleep
School time
Feed Christian and put him down for a nap around 10
Around 11
Finish up school for the morning
Kids play
I can do whatever I need to work on for that day
1 PM
Lunch for everybody
Kid need to pick up toys while I fix lunch
After we eat, Jack goes down for a nap and big kids pick out books for reading time
Quiet Rest Time/ Reading Time
Big kids read or are read to for 30 min to an hour, then rest w/tv
While they rest I can work at my desk or on whatever I didn’t get done earlier
Around 2:30, feed Christian and put him down for an afternoon nap
After QRT (3- 4)
Go outside to play
5 PM
Come inside to fix supper
Wake up Casey
Kids can play
6 PM
Eat supper
Clean up kitchen, kids pick up toys
Baths & get ready for bed @ 8
Feed Christian at 8 and put him to bed
Around 9
Casey gets ready for work
I can finish up my projects
Go to bed at 11

Well, that would be a "regular" day. There are lots of exceptions to the rule...
Grocery shopping on Thurs @9 - Levi can do school after we get home
Library Tues @ 10:00 - Levi can do school after we get home
Church Wed @ 7 - supper at 5:30
Baseball practice 5:30 Monday - supper @7
6:30 Wednesday - supper @ 5:30
Baseball games? Who knows?
Thorough housecleaning - Friday mornings 9-11, short school after
Field Trips/Play dates - Friday afternoons

I got something on my list started! I'm so excited! I've already missed my bedtime, though. I'm going to need to work on that.

Getting Organized

This sure seems to be a recurring theme around here. That's probably because, while I love getting organized - containers! lists! schedules! - staying organized is not my strong suit. Hmmp. Not my strong suit, indeed. And things change so fast around here that I have to revamp everything pretty regularly so even if I did manage to stick with a plan for any length of time, I'd be making lots of adjustments all the time. At least that's my story.

So back to the organizing. When the first Duggar special came on tv (and I have them on tape, y'all) I just knew I'd pick up a couple of tips. And I did - we now write our names on cups and only buy one kind of socks - the thing that stood out the most was a comment the dad made about the mom not really being all that organized until their fourth child came along, at which point it became a matter of survival:) I, um, see what they mean. I have Mommy Brain in the extreme. And, yet, I essentially have to be the brain for myself and four other people. If I don't write it down, it never happened. Also, as the kids get bigger there's more to do - homeschool, baseball, church things, etc.
So all of this has been to say that I'm going to spend this spring getting things in order with a system that will be easy to live with. Some things I've already got figured out, but I'll be writing about all of it here because, like I said, if I don't write it down, it never happened. And on that note, here are the first areas I'll be working on...

• getting the car in order for spring/summer outings - I have a good start here, but I still need to clean out the car and get it nice and neat
• kids rooms need to de-cluttered. I like the way both rooms are organized, but sometimes there is just too much stuff
• the grocery shopping system is working very well, but I want to get it written down and I want to work on spending less on groceries
• laundry! I've tried doing some every day and I've tried saving it all for one big laundry day, but neither of those plans seem to work to well for us.
• my kitchen needs organizing something awful - the fridge is crowded with leftovers no one ever eats, I can't remember what's in the downstairs freezer, and my cabinets are pretty inadequate for the way I shop.
• Jack needs to start potty training, which doesn't sound like an organizational issue. But trying to get four kids quickly to the potty in Walmart for an emergency is a feat for a civil engineer:)
• Our daily schedule needs revamping now that we're going places again. Staying home has been lovely this fall and winter, and I'm still trying not to run around much, but it's time to venture back into the world.

That's not all (by any means), but it's all I can think about right this minute without my brain exploding so I'll leave it at that for now. Hopefully, I can get some work done on our schedule today and post an update tomorrow. Hopefully.

I can't decide if this is scary or hysterical...

I just read this article, "Three Kids? You Showoff" by Pamela Paul, in the Post. It's hard for me to imagine that people really think it takes a million (that's right, the author guesstimates a million) dollars to raise a child. Or that anyone would have a child to show off. They do realize that children are real live people, right, not a new purse or a cool car. Right? And children need a nanny? Or two nannies? And squash?!? Are people really making their kids take squash lessons to get them into Harvard? I had no idea my poor children were so deprived! Only one mom to care for all four of them? Only one extra activity per year (regular old baseball? I guess a state school is in their future, huh?)? Cold diaper wipes? Plain old wooden blocks instead of an iPod or Wii?
Check back with me in 12 years to see how much we spent on Levi - I'm guessing we'll come in a little under Ms. Paul's budget.

Staving Off Mommy Guilt Via Advanced Planning

Levi's first baseball practice was last week on what seemed like the coldest day this year. The long sleeves I put on the kids were useless in the face of biting wind. Not the best of times to discover that Casey had cleaned out the trunk of my car for me...taking all the jackets inside. So how come I was still the one feeling guilty about my freezing little ones? Cause I'm the mommy, that's why. But my friend Debbie came to the rescue pulling hoodies out of the back of her van like some kind of supermom, wordlessly reminding me that I need to get our "on the go" stuff organized. Through the winter we stayed home a lot, just venturing out for church and our library's storytime. But now that baseball has started up we'll be running a lot more and running with a baby and a toddler (and a preschooler...and, oh did I mention, a kindergartener?) requires much more stuff. And so I must organize the stuff. Also, organizing the stuff is a handy way to avoid trying to figure out why I feel threatened when other moms appear to have it more together than I do. Cause really, that's a whole other post.
So...what does one need to keep several small children warm or cool (you just know as soon as I remember to put sweatshirts in the car it will be 99 degrees), fed, entertained, safe, clean (enough), and out of (too much) mischief?

• sweatshirts or jacket
• baby wipes and diapers
• a small first aid kit
• a potty seat lined with a diaper in a plastic bag
• paper towels
• extra clothes & underwear for babies and toddlers
• a throw blanket and/or plastic tablecloth for picnics or for sitting on when the ground is wet
• Tylenol & Benedryl ( I might add Valium to this list later)
• plastic bags and baggies
• sunscreen
• a hand broom to knock the sand of the playground set before they get in the car
• drinks and snacks
• toys, paper and crayons or markers (which would hold up better in a hot trunk? Probably markers, huh?)

I have a rubbermaid container in the trunk that usually holds most of this stuff, but I may need to upsize a tad. On the one hand, I like to be a simple mom.

Need a drink? There's the water fountain.

Want a snack? Use your money.

Bored? Go play on the playground.

But my kids are too little for all that simpleness to be very effective. One mom with four kids (one who's yelling "hey, mom, watch this" like every.five.seconds.) is NOT simple and I need to just admit that and move on. So what am I forgetting on this list? What other possible scenarios could I be prepared for?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

I certainly did. Jack woke us all up very early but as I was grumbling to myself I remembered Mary walking to the garden to prepare Christ's body. I'm sure she wasn't complaining about the early hour - she was on her way to do the only thing she knew to do for her Master. And aren't I doing all of this for Him? So I snuggled with my babies and we read the Resurrection story. What better way to start the day?!
The day wasn't all perfect (um, by any stretch of the imagination), but I did have a wonderful peaceful feeling all day long. Here's hoping I can hold onto it.
Because baseball starts tonight.

Jobs

Being a mom is a big job all by itself. Even just raising one child - feeding them healthy food, seeing that they're educated, involved in appropriate activities, making sure that they grow and develop at the rate they should, all the various appointments involved, making sure they get enough love and attention - well it takes a lot of brainpower. Multiply that by four. And factor in a husband with scheduling issues ( to put it mildly!). Add in homeschooling, church, and trying to run a house. No wonder I'm tired:) It doesn't leave much time for deep thought. Or any thought for that matter, which is why posting here is so random. It isn't that we aren't doing interesting things, I just don't have time to blog about them.
I do seem to have especially a lot on my plate right now...Christian is teething (the first one is through! yeah! please no one remind me how many more to come!). Levi is also having some dental issues so we're finding a dentist. Fun. Can you feel my dread? I hate the dentist. Speaking of Levi, he's finishing up everything I had planned for kindergarten already, but I hate to lose the momentum we finally have going so we're starting on some new stuff. And the kids have started Kids Club at church on Wednesday nights, which is fun, but really messes up our evening routine. And there is red crayon melted on about 1/4 of the clothes we own - any ideas? And I'm trying to rearrange the grocery budget since groceries have gone up right along with gas. The church library I started is still sitting in my garage. And the garden (how can I be behind already?!). Plus Easter!
Okay, I've got to stop there. I'm getting tired just thinking about all that. Actually, I'm going to have to scratch some of that. I just realized as I was typing it out (and that is only a partial list!) just how nuts it is to try to do all that with four little ones. No wonder I haven't been anticipating Easter like I want to. Who's had time to think about it! So I'm off to look at my to do list and see what should be cut and what should be postponed. Then I'm getting out the Easter stuff!

Great Post at Mommy Life

I just thought y'all might want to take a look at this post. This is a subject that really touches a nerve with me. I came right up against it for the first time last year at Thanksgiving and I really liked reading an author's take on it.

Consignment Shopping for Kids

There is not much secondhand shopping in our little town. Yardsales are wonderful and plentiful, but it's tough to get out of the house alone on Saturday mornings and, frankly, I'd pay full-price before I'd try to take four kids yardsaling. Thankfully there is a huge consignment sale for all things kid-related twice a year. I've been shopping there since Levi was a baby and in the last few years I've sold some things, too. Last year I even made more than I spent! Last fall I was too busy to sell anything and only shopped a little on the last day (everything half off!), so I'm planning on making up for it next week! Hopefully, I'll be able to clean out some storage space, make a little money, and get all of the kids spring/summer clothing bought in one fell swoop. Since this is a big project I thought I'd think out loud for a bit and try to get organized.
The first thing I need to do is go through the clothes we have in storage and in the closets and pull out the clothes I'd like to sell. Since there may be more babies in our future I don't want to get rid of everything, but I do feel like I'm holding on to too much. For the boys clothing, I'll only get rid of things we have too many of and things we just don't use (I've been holding on to a baby sleepsack for 6 years, but I swaddle new babies so it's never been used). The girl's clothing is a little trickier. We only have Brenna so far so I feel wasteful holding on to all her clothing and yet I'm especially attached:) I think I'll save most of her church dresses, coats and shoes, but only keep the really precious casual stuff.
Once that's done I'll separate the "to be sold" pile into fall/winter and spring/summer piles and tag everything. The woman who runs this particular sale has very specific rules about sorting and tagging, which I used to thing was such a pain. It makes shopping so easy, though!
Now, I'll prepare to shop! Thanks to my parent's generosity and hand-me-downs from my sil, I don't have to buy much. But as I'm going through all the clothes, I can pull out what will fit this spring and summer. Christian's clothes are already out since I keep clothes for the whole first year in one container -otherwise I'd be getting out a whole new wardrobe every few months. Looking at what they already have will make it easy to put together a list of what they still need. And, hopefully, prevent me from going crazy with the church dresses. I love church dresses:)
One final thing I need to remember is to make a list of everyone's size and make a tracing of everyone's feet.
Then I'll go to the first sale for seller's only. This is where the best deals are snatched up and where you find the best selection. I also try to go back on Saturday when everything is half-priced, but this sale is so well attended that most of what is left will have been over-priced to begin with. There are deals to be had, but I don't kick myself if I miss it.
I'd also like to go through the movies and toys to see what we could thin out. I'm not sure I'll have time though so that may be put off until we move everything downstairs. Then I'll just set it aside for the fall sale. And I keep meaning to make up a few extra baby carriers and hairbows to sell. Sometimes my good ideas are more than I can follow up on though so we'll just see how that goes.
Next I need to think through exactly what kinds of clothes the kids need. They have a pretty simplified "uniform" already but I'd like to have it written down. My brain seems incapable of processing thought these days (as in I frequently don't remember the you know, thing that you say with the letters word I'm trying to say).

Progress on the Downstairs

Casey has really gotten a lot done already. We had to wait for the air conditioning unit to get here since the whole plan hinged on whether or not we could get a deal on it. We bought it directly from the manufacturer - there's a plant here in town - and saved a ton!

This is the new closet in the big bedroom downstairs. I'm hoping the double folding doors will make this wide closet more accessible than the one in Brenna's room which only has a narrow door - and lots of wasted space.

Here's the bathroom. It has a wall now and a bathtub! We've done a lot of wondering about why the builders put the toilet so close to the plumbing for the tub - there is just enough room. I'm looking around now for a vanity and sink. I really like this... but $1500.00 (on sale!) is a little out of my price range! I'll have to see what I can come up with...

This is the closet in the small bedroom. I originally didn't want a closet in this room. It's fairly small and I didn't really want to eat up any floor space. Plus I already had the furniture all arranged in my head:) But after discussing it with hubby and my remodeling guru, Meredith, I mentally rearranged things and made space for a closet.

I'm getting very excited about all this. Hubby keeps reminding me that there will probably be very little cash left over for decorating when we get done - I think he's worried I'm getting too carried away:) But I'm hitting the yardsales and planning on having one myself to raise some spending money.

Perhaps this should've been a big kid only event...

I thought we'd make homemade valentines. Seemed like a simple enough project. I let them eat their valentine candy from Grandma. Oh. My. Word. The control freak in me wanted to hand them each little heart shaped doily and tell them where to put it and how much glue to use, but I'm trying over come that impulse. Mostly because it doesn't work - they're way too fast for me. And that's why some of the valentines Brenna made have candy wrappers glued inside - that's right, empty (possibly licked clean, but I kinda hope not) candy wrappers. They had lots of creative fun - that's what I keep telling myself. Now excuse me, I have some slave driving, um, I mean supervising to do.

New stuff at my house

It's looking like a season for new stuff at our house. The new haircolor is looking pretty good. It isn't a new color exacly, just a little more "toffee" and a lot less mousy. I liked the Perfect 10 haircolor alot (the comb thingy is great), but the scent was quite strong. The conditioner smelled great, though.
In other news...Levi is ready for first grade work. We've nearly finished everything I had planned for kindergarten because he flew through the work (and because I didn't want to overschedule him so I didn't plan enough). By the end of February he'll be done with the Starfall reading workbooks - which we have loved - and with the Saxon Math K (I should have just started with the first grade Saxon). It's also time for the third Draw Write Now book. I'm ready to start planning for the fall, but I guess I'll be planning out the rest of this year first!
We're planning our garden. I've never done a vegetable garden before. Casey tilled up some land for me at our old house when Levi was a baby because I wanted a garden, but surprise, surprise having a baby was more of an adjustment than I thought and the garden just didn't happen. This year I'm planning to start very small and put my little helpers to work!
And one final new thing...an exercise program. Now the whole weight loss thing is hardly new to me. Stop laughing, y'all. But exercise is a whole different story. My aunt has had wonderful success with Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds videos. Dawn recommended them ages ago and I even went so far to as to buy the video a couple of months ago, but I put off trying them until the other night and now I'm kicking myself for not trying it sooner. It's so quick and simple, I can do it in front of the tv without moving furniture around and it's effective - I can feel the burn:) Meredith's post about her new scale really got me thinking so I've been talking to Levi and Brenna about being good stewards of our bodies and making healthy choices...hopefully my desire to be a good example will overrule my desire for more chips.
So, all that, combined with working on the downstairs, means there's a lot going on here at Walton's Mountain:) But that means more to blog about!

It's the first ever Fight the Frump Friday!

I'm sitting here at the computer in my black yoga pants and black t-shirt with my really dark brown (when did my hair get so dark?) hair pulled back in a ponytail. Blah. No makeup, no polish, no perfume. Blah. Care to guess how I'm feeling? That's right. Blah. So I've been reading Mrs Fussypants' fabulous blog and waking up to the idea that a) I've gotten frumpy and b) there is something I can do about it. I'm just tickled with her Fight the Frump Friday idea so I'm joining right in.
Now I could use some new clothes, I need to lose weight, and I'm dying to try that new mineral makeup stuff. But yesterday I pulled 14 grey hairs out of my very dark hair so I'm starting at the top with this stuff...in butterscotch boom or full-tilt toffee (who comes up with this stuff?). I use to dye my hair all the time but I haven't done it in ages because, well, because I have four kids and I don't have time. But it only takes 10 minutes and I need to lighten up:) Also, there was a $7.00 off coupon. Just how expensive is this stuff if they're going to take seven bucks off? Whatever. I want to feel pretty:)

A happy ending

A mom in the UK got a wonderful gift from her twin baby girls when they were born. Y'all go read all about it!

Where did my positive outlook go?

I'm generally a "try to see the good" kind of person. But four to five to six months after I have a baby I lose it a little. Or a lot depending on time of day, depth of mess. Some days are better than others. I'm not so much depressed as just discouraged and overwhelmed. And tired. Of course much of it's hormones...I get that. But also this is just hard. Four kids is hard. Four kids when the oldest is just six is HARD. Just when I need a a positive outlook the most, it's no where to be found. So here it is, my search for a better attitude.

• Yes, my kitchen is a disaster area. But a yummy supper is all cooked and the dishes in the dishwasher are clean.
• I look a mess, but I did get a shower this morning.
• We're not going to make it to church tonight, but the new kids class doesn't start until next week (and I'm sure I'll have it all together by then, hahahahaha).
• Christian seems to want to nurse all.the.time...but he doesn't seem to have any of the reflux problems Jack had.

Some how I just know things will look better when bedtime rolls around:)

Doesn't Christian look thrilled to be my model?

This is our heirloom dedication gown (I'm not exactly sure what all of the differences are between dedication ceremonies and infant baptisms). At least it will be an heirloom one day. My grandmother made it when I was expecting Levi. When she made my wedding dress, she saved the leftover material and used that to make the baby gown. It's actually made from the soft cotton material that lined my dress and its lining is made from the ivory satin that was the outside of my dress. Like my wedding dress inside out. We knew that Levi would be a boy and we didn't want anything that looked too girly. You know, for a dress:) The gown is very simple. I requested something more Little House than Victorian. It has a thin line of simple lace on the hem. The blue ribbon on the front is easily changed for a baby girl - although I've only had to swap it out once. There is a precious bonnet that goes along with the gown but it is temporarily misplaced. It also has blue ribbon for ties, but I don't change them since Brenna wore my baby bonnet/wedding hankie for her dedication.

All our babies have worn the gown and we hope all our grandchildren (maybe even great-grandchildren!) will be able to wear it. My plan is to eventually embroider the names or initials of every baby who wears it around the hem.
I'd also like the embroider "made by Grandma Mary" somewhere in it.

Most of the Nazarene churches that I've been to don't make as big a fuss over baby dedications as other churches that have christenings or infant baptisms. I'm sure a few of the people at our church think a gown is bit over the top:) It's a very special tradition though, so we tend to go all out. You can read a little more about the ceremony here. After the church ceremony, we've usually gone out to eat with the whole crowd of family, but this time we decided to have everyone come back to the house. It was so lovely. We were able to invite the pastor and his family, my children's "church grandparents" and our friends Debbie and Steve and their precious kids. Plus we could just relax and visit with everyone instead of only getting to talk to the people at your end of the table. If we're ever blessed enough to do this again we'll definitely skip the restaurant.

Traditions are really important to me. I'm not sure if it's because of growing up as an Army brat and moving so often or if it's because I come form such a large but close-knit clan. Or maybe the combination of the two. But whatever it stems from, I love my family's traditions and I love creating new ones for our family. I'd love to hear about your traditions, too!

And so we begin

When we bought this house four years ago we got a decent deal because the bottom half was unfinished (well, except for the laundry room). But with just one toddler and one on the way, we weren't in any big hurry to finish it. Three bedrooms, a living room and a playroom (shh, it's really a dining room), a kitchen and two baths seemed so huge! But with four kids we're starting to feel the squeeze. First it was a bigger table...ours is from our newlywed days and really only seats four - not five and a highchair. Then we started talking about the master bedroom which is essentially a catch-all for the stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else - Casey's guitar's and speakers, my sewing machine and craft stuff. Before we knew what happened we were thinking about finishing the downstairs!
This is the front bedroom downstairs. We'll have to put in a closet, but nothing too major in here. For now this will be a guest room and my sewing room. I'm not quite ready to move any of the kids downstairs yet and they're all enjoying sharing rooms for now anyway so there's no need to.

This will be the bathroom. I have lots of ideas for in here, but hubby keeps pointing out where things "have to go" and that is so annoying. He just doesn't appreciate my vision. Of course he would say that I don't appreciate he has to build this stuff:)

This room is behind the garage. We're planning on putting up a wall just this side of the white door you see down there to make this a smallish bedroom or office. The rest of the space will still be hubby's workroom accessible through the garage.

This is one end of the den/schoolroom. We've been using it to store outside toys so we'll have to come up with a plan for those. For awhile at least this room will be the playroom - no tv!

This is the other half of the den - the schoolroom half. I'm getting so excited planning all the bookshelves (although hubby reminds me we need walls before bookshelves - buzzkiller).

But, first things first, we have to set a budget. Casey is planning on doing the majority of the labor himself with some help from a friend at church (an a/c guy), my dad (former electrician) and my grandpa (a carpenter). I'm so lucky to have such a handy hubby and so many other smart men who are willing to help!

This house is such a blessing. If we never finished the downstairs, I'd be content - the upstairs is really wonderful. But as our kids grow and as our family keeps growing (I hope!), it sure will be nice.

Jack's 2nd Birthday

He's getting so big! That's a balloon in his hand, by the way:) My little buddy!

The big meal plan

In my effort to get things a little more organized around here, I finally got around to making a list of the meals we eat pretty regularly. I tried to plan for a month's worth although what we actually eat in any given week depends on what is on sale and what we have on the calendar for that week. Having this nice neat list means I can just check the sales ad and pull menus from the list - no more "hamburger's on sale.....hmm, how many diifferent ways can we eat hamburger meat." Also, it should make stocking and shopping from the freezer a lot easier. We'll see...

30 Days of Supper
Flank steak, grilled or broiled, vegetable, & twice baked potatoes*
Hamburgers*, grilled or broiled, salad and fries
Potatoes and sausage (frozen potatoes o‘brien w/ sliced keilbasa), veggie tray
Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, meatballs*, or marinara*, salad & garlic bread
Pizza, veggie tray
Tacos (made with browned then frozen hamburger meat), salad & fries
Chicken and red pepper quesadillas, veggie tray, and fries
Country vegetable plate (cabbage, potatoes, squash, blackeyed peas, macaroni and cheese*)
Fajitas or enchiladas*, salad & fries
Gyros pork pockets, vegetable, baked potatoes
Pork lo mein*, egg rolls
Inside out egg rolls, rice
Baked steak, mashed potatoes & gravy
Ravioli (frozen) w/ bottled or frozen spaghetti sauce, salad & garlic bread
Potato soup, salad & garlic bread
Chili, cornbread
Tortellini soup, salad & garlic bread
Wager schnitzel, vegetable, mashed potatoes & gravy
Pork chops w/ peppers and onions, potatoes alfredo, vegetable
Pasta carraba (fettuccini w/ chicken, peas, and mushrooms in alfredo sauce), salad and garlic bread
Beef stew, biscuits
Meatloaf*, vegetable, potato wedges
Salisbury steak*, vegetable, mashed potatoes & gravy
Pork roast, vegetable, sweet potato gnocchi or baked sweet potatoes
Lemon pepper chicken fingers, potato wedges, salad
Chicken marsala, garlic mashed potatoes, salad, garlic bread
Breakfast (sausage, pancakes or Hashbrown casserole*, eggs and grits)
Philly cheese steak wraps, salad or veggie tray, potato wedges
Lasagna*, salad & garlic bread
Chicken and dumplings, biscuits salad

Vegetables
Steam/sautéed: kale, green beans (add soy sauce), broccoli, spinach, squash
Corn on the cob
Roasted or grilled onions, asparagus, cauliflower
Squash casserole*
Veggie tray usually includes baby carrots, celery sticks, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas and/or cucumber with dip

* make two and freeze one or make a big batch for the freezer
italics - super fast and easy

A Quick Homeschool Idea

One of my ideas for this year is to incorporate some new things into our homeschool, to fill in a few holes. One of the problems I've been having is keeping up with our reading. For one thing, we read in spurts and I wanted reading to become more of a daily habit. Also we would bring books home from the library and wind up reading them all in one morning the day they were due:( And I could never remember what we had read and I had no way of knowing approximately how many books we were reading. So...I've been browsing at lots of wonderful blogs to get ideas and I ran across this great idea at By Sun and Candlelight. And our new reading program was born.
Each month I'll make or buy some small decorations (snowflakes for January, maybe hearts for February) and when we read a book, we'll write the title on it and hang it on the french doors at the end of the school/play room. At the end of the month I can take them down and copy the titles into a word.doc and then throw the decorations away. I also cleared off the sofa table at the other end of the room to display the books I want to read for each week. We'll read those during Snack and Story time (Levi's brilliant idea). One idea he didn't care for at first was a daily reading time. We've always had quiet rest time (mommy's sanity demands it) and it used to be that they were occasionally allowed to watch a few shows during QRT (Levi and Brenna, anyway, Jack still naps in his room and Christian usually naps near me), but you know how fast that went from occasionally to every stinking day. So now the first part of QRT is reading time for Levi and picture-reading time for Brenna, then the second part is a show mommy picks or a real rest.
The first two days were a struggle (I want to watch tv. I don't like those books. I'm done already, why can't I get down. Etc.) But today went perfectly and I am greatly encouraged. At a baby shower once we all went around the circle and gave the new mommy one word "gifts" that she would need to be a good mother. I remember someone said love, someone said patience. I don't remember what I said back then with only one perfect angel to my name (I think he was a couple of weeks old at the time), but I know what I'd say now. Perseverance! No matter how strong willed they are, my will has to be stronger (or fake it til you make it, right?).

The Best Funeral I've Ever Been To...

We lost my Aunt Ef this week. I would say that she was my favorite aunt, but I actually have several favorite aunts (some of whom may read this!). She was very high on my list. She died very suddenly in a car accident, just a year and a half after my Uncle Jack. Yesterday would've been his birthday and I think maybe Jesus called her Home to be his birthday present. Her funeral this afternoon was soo...her. There was lots of laughter through tears (her favorite emotion - and a line from a favorite movie). There were lollipops. There was a big old purdy grapevine wreath she would have loved. There were lots of family and friends telling stories about her. And there were some good stories y'all. This was a woman someone should write a book about. As my hubby said..."she wasn't the life of the party, she WAS the party."
We're all supposed to think of some things that will remind us of Aunt Ef - her daughter read quite a list. Here's mine...

• a red hat
• a toe ring
• sunglasses on the top of someone's head
• flipflops
• a buffet

I went on several "sister trips" with her, my granny and two more aunties to the mountains. I don't think I can really describe these trips - let's just say they were full of yard sales, flea markets, 2-hour feedings, apple barns, boiled peanuts (which we snacked on between the two hour feedings), and laughing - the pee-your-pants kind of laughing. And I got quite an education on those trips. Actually, I got to thinking last night about all the things I learned from my Aunt Ef.

Play with your husband, have fun together always. A lady should always have a hankerchief. A glue gun covers a multitude of sins. If someone comes to your house they must eat. If your fixing them something to eat, make it fancy and delicious. If they try to leave, beg them to spend the night like nothing would make you happier. If you succeed in getting them to stay, get up real early to make a big old breakfast for everybody. Anything you really need you can find at a yardsale. If you find something you like, pick it up and carry it with you until you decide if you want it. And go on and buy it, because you'll kick yourself later if you don't. Pretty always helps. Fat may be the truth, but just say fluffy. Don't neglect your girlfriends! Kiss and hug hard - like you mean it. Never be too embarrassed to have fun - and tell the story when you're through.

She was amazing and I was blessed to have her for an aunt. I will miss her so much, always. I'm off to put on my biggest & gawdiest earrings, prop up my freshly painted toenails and drink a margarita in rememberence:) I love you, Aunt Ef.

Ideas for the New Year

I don't do resolutions anymore. I'm finally old enough to realize that I have tendency to go overboard and, while I always manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat (thanks to my mom!) sometimes the stress of resolutions and deadlines is just more trouble than it's worth. So, while I've read all the articles on how to set goals (write it down! make it qualifiable! set a deadline!) that's just more than I feel like biting off right now. So instead I have...ideas. Thoughts. Things I'd like to think about and maybe get started on. Yeah, it's gonna be that kind of year:)
Idea number one - I want to lose weight this year. Now I've said that every year and every year I start a diet and fail. I'm not going to do that this year...instead I'm going to preform a little experiment. I'm giving up coke (stop laughing if you know me in real life! I said stop! Really, I mean it this time!). I'm just giving it up for a few weeks to see if I lose any weight. If I lose a couple of pounds without any other changes, I think that will be motivation to give it up for good - plus I'll be over the withdrawal symptoms so it should be easier. I give it up every time I get pregnant so I know it can be done! Once I'm over that hurdle I'll see what other steps I can take.
Idea number 2 - getting a fresh handle on our budget. Making a budget is never a problem for us, it's figuring out the practical day-to-day how to make it work that gives us fits. Do we use the envelope system? The in-house checking account system? The cash-only system? We need something that doesn't fall apart the first time I buy something online and that prevents Casey from stopping in for milk and coming outwith a cartful - you know, cause he's the only one that does that;)
Idea number 3 - homeschool. We've been chugging along in kindergarten this year. Levi's reading well and he's learning every day. The problem is I haven't been very organized about it so far. We have days where we get a lot done and days where we don't do much of anything and I've been fine with that. But I'm feeling not so fine with it lately, mainly because he needs more of a challenge and because I know we're going to need much more structure as we get into "big kid" stuff. So I want to start setting aside some time to prep every week. There are so many wonderful things to do and learn about! I've gotten so much inspiration from Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight. I've even taken her fabulous filing crate system and made it my own.
My last (for now) idea...getting more "religion" in our lives. I know how that sounds and y'all will have to understand that I don't mean we need "religion" in a pharisee-like way as if that's what saves us. What I mean is that over this last year we have really enjoyed Christmas and Easter much more because of our focus on Him - the religious traditions (like the Adornaments and Easter Tree) that teach us and points us to Him have added so much to our holidays. I'd like to start observing more of the traditions of my faith, not in a legalistic way but in a what a privilege kind of way. I'm especially thinking about the Sabbath and about teaching the kids to worship. Also, I want to get more involved at church this year. I've really pulled back over the last few years since Brenna was born - it was absolutely necessary, too! But I really miss it so I'm looking for new ways to be involved that don't mean abandoning my family responsibilities.
So...lots of exciting stuff to think about. Almost too much for my tired mind to process right now. Especially when I have a grocery list to make and extra blankets to find (it's finally good and cold here, y'all!). I guess I'll reread this in the morning so I can remember what I'm supposed to be thinking about:)

What a couple of weeks!

It has really been a whirlwind around here. Just before Christmas, and just after my parents and sister got here, we had Christian's dedication. It was so precious to me. Our pastor has dedicated all four of our kids now and he gives us a rose for each one to symbolize the beauty and pain in each life. His daughter, our favorite babysitter, sang Jesus Loves Me and the second stanza of Because He Lives (how sweet to hold a newborn baby and feel the pride and joy he gives...but greater still, the calm assurance...this child can face uncertain days, because He lives) - it was so beautiful. Christian wore our family gown, sewn by my grandma when Levi was born from the leftover lining of my wedding dress. Thankfully, he slept through the whole thing. Afterwards, we had family and friends back to the house for a buffet lunch. I had plans to do the whole thing myself, a la Meredith, but got quite behind and my mother saved me from an all night cooking marathon with a quick trip to Walmart for cream puffs and many other goodies. She is incredibly generous. We wound up having a really yummy meal. Spiral sliced ham - I bought the Kroger brand on sale a few weeks ago and froze it, then glazed it with honey mustard. It got lots of compliments. A big veggie platter with dip (the sugar snap peas went the fastest). Big crockpots full of shells and cheese, rolls for sandwiches and a relish tray. Then dessert...oh delicious dessert. We had cranberry bars and white chocolate bark with orange, cranberries, and walnuts. And the cream puffs! My sister had brilliantly stashed an extra box so we had a few more while we sat and rehashed the party (there were more than enough on the buffet). It was so nice to sit back and relax with everyone instead of trying to visit in a restaurant.

Then we had Christmas Eve at my grandparents' houses. Jack got sick so we called it a night a little earlier than usual. Christmas morning was just about perfect - I think we hit a nice balance this year with the gifts. The living room still looked like FAO Schwartz exploded though - they have very generous grandparents and great grandparents and aunts and uncles:)

My sister left on the day after Christmas for a mission trip to Mexico. I'm on pins and needles waiting for her to get home so I can hear all about it (and so I'll know she's safe - we haven't been able to talk to her since she left San Jose).

My niece and nephew were here from Ohio. It always amazes me how much they can grow in the six months between visits. My nephew and my parents got to be with us on Sunday when Casey was re-baptized. Y'all that just made my whole holiday! He was baptized as a kid, but he said he just felt like he wanted to recommit himself to God and this was a great way to show it. It had such an impact on Levi and on my nephew, Eric - you should've heard the questions!

I know this post has been super long already, but one more really incredible thing happened this holiday. My best friend since forever, Betty, had a beautiful baby girl - Lily Rose. Isn't that the lovliest name? I'm just so tickled for all of them! With all of our kids (mine mostly boys, her's mostly girls) I sure hope some of them wind up getting married:)

And now...on to the New Year! I have so many plans for our homeschool and I'm considering using this blog as a way to keep myself organized and accountable (I'm all about the big plans...follow through, not so much). So how is your new year going so far?

Our Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas
from
the Millers!

I hope you’re having a wonderful Christmas, enjoying your family and celebrating the birth of The King. We’ve had such a busy year that I’m really soaking up the peacefulness of this season - staying up to stare at the Christmas tree is my new favorite pastime:)
Most of you know we were blessed to enlarge our home again this year…by another two feet! Christian is such a joy; we can’t remember what we did without him. He seemed pretty serious those first few weeks, wondering what he’d gotten himself into no doubt, but now he’s settled right in and made himself at home.

Jack has really grown this year. He started the year on the small side due to reflux, but once we got that under control he started eating like a champ! He’s kind of the court jester around here - he loves nothing better than to make one of us laugh.

Brenna turned three this summer - she had a princess party and that still sums up her personality pretty well. I took her to see The Nutcracker last week and we had the best time. She’s asking for ballet classes already so that may be something that we start this year…well, we’ll see:)

Levi started kindergarten at our little homeschool this year. He was a little annoyed at the beginning of the year that his friends had to go to “all the time school” and weren’t quite as available to play, but now that we’ve met some other home schooling families with boys his age, I think we’re over that hurdle. We took our first field trip with the local home school group to the fire station and, when you’re a five year old boy, it just doesn’t get any better than that:) His big news though is that he learned to read this year! We celebrated by getting him his very own library card.

My baby sister, Bethany, started college this year - I can’t believe it either. She’s studying to become a missionary and going on her first foreign missions trip this winter. I’m so glad I begged for a baby sister for all those years:)
My brother had a big year, too. He enlisted in the Army after leaving the Navy and is serving in Iraq. We all wish he could be home for Christmas, but hopefully he will get leave soon and get to come for a visit. I am so unbelievably proud of him - please keep him in your prayers.

Casey and I haven’t changed much from last year so you’ll have to just remember what we look like. Apparently we’re always behind the camera! He’s still working hard and being the best husband I could ever ask for (and a pretty incredible dad, too!). And I manage to keep busy:) Really though I feel like I’m doing exactly what God made me to do and that’s a great feeling (notice I didn’t say I was always doing it well, but I guess I’ll work more on that next year).
I hope all of y’all have an amazing Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
All our love,
Casey, Shannon,
Levi, Brenna, Jack, and Christian

This brought tears to me eyes

Most of y'all probably know my baby brother is in Iraq. I miss him something fierce and I sure would love it if y'all would pray for him. This movie just made my heart swell today. Military men and women sacrifice every day - they're away from their home, their family. My brother misses things like grits and koolaid. Can you imagine missing grits and koolaid?
It doesn't matter where you stand on the war or what your personal politics are - it just matters that we owe these men and women and their families our gratitude. Be on the look out for a soldier or a seamen you can thank this holiday...if nothing else bake your local recruiter some cookies! They have a pretty tough job these days.

The end is in sight

The end of the Christmas projects that is. I'm working on denim quilts for the boys' new bunkbeds and fancy pillows for Brenna's princess bed. Also we're having a lot of company on Sunday after Christian's dedication (cause I like to do everything all at one time) so I decided to finish Brenna's doll furniture, too. And I'm making a gift or two - one down, two or three to go in that department. Plus the cooking! I've got quite a bit of that planned as well. My parents and my sister will be here on Saturday so they can help with the after dedication buffet food, but I'd like to have the goodies for Christmas Eve done before they get here. I'm so excited about making the fudge for my grandma's house this year! Levi asked her for her "secret recipe" a year or two ago and he's finally going to get to really help me make it. I'm not sure why he thought it was a secret - she uses the recipe on the back of the marshmallow fluff jar:)
We're also making baklava, oreo truffles, saltine toffee, divinity and nuts:) I can hardly wait! The menu for the buffet is still in the works. I bought a spiral sliced ham when it was on sale and I've decided on dessert (the only hard part is narrowing it down!) - pecan tassies, flourless brownies, and lemon squares. Yum! I might as well make the desserts for Christmas Day at my sis-in-law's while I'm at it - Red Velvet Cake (without nuts per my nephew's request) and Lemonade pie (another of my Grandma's specialties).
With this much to do it seems like I'd be all stressed out doesn't it? But actually it's been fun:) I've taken a brief leave from housekeeping for a day or two, but it always gets picked up before hubby sees it anyway (well, almost always!). And we're officially on Christmas break from homeschool, although he's still reading books and helping me cook and doing lots of science experiments with his fabulous new science kit. It's just so good to be a little creative, a little hospitable after almost a year of trying to keep my head above water. That's a mighty nice Christmas gift for me:)

Decking the Halls (and doors!)

The silk flower wreath I got the year I got married has been past its prime for quite some time. I don't think I've even hung it since we've been in this house. So I tore it all apart this afternoon and. remembering Meredith's post about reworking artificial wreaths with fresh greenery, set out to make it presentable again. Only one problem, our puny fake tree didn't offer up any trimmings. But, hey, Middle Georgia is known for its pine trees so off I went into the woods behind the house. One pine tree y'all. One pine tree with anything green on it at all. This drought is nasty when the pine trees give up. But I hacked off enough sprigs to fill in the wreath and added my favorite ornament - the Nativity - it's too heavy for the fake tree. Maybe it will give our visitors something to think about while they wait for me to shovel a path, uh, I mean walk to the door.

I totally spaced on posting the updated laundry pictures (for before pictures see here). My camera is taking very fuzzy pictures and it's been in my bag to ask my friend the camera expert about. I still need a rolling cart or something to corral the detergent so I can use the top of the dryer, but I am so happy with the coverup! I've had this beautiful valence in my closet forever. I loved the Waverly pattern, but it just didn't quite fit anywhere in the house. Now it's making me happy every time I do laundry!

Praise Baby (which we love!) is giving away free stuff so naturally I'm taking advantage! Go here to try to get some free stuff of your own:)

My birthday boy!

Levi turned six today! I'm going to replace this picture tomorrow (edited to remove a precious picture of other people's children) with his official "on the steps" birthday picture, but some good friends (they must be good friends - I let them in my house even though it looked like a tornado hit it!) stopped by and this is the motley crew we wound up with on the steps. That's the birthday boy down front. I don't know where Jack's other sock went.
Levi had a boy's day with his friend Ryan on Saturday. We picked him up for a picnic at the park. Little did they know they'd find themselves on a secret mission! After playing for awhile and eating lunch they found a mysterious envelope addressed to Secret Agents Levi and Ryan (actually I used their last names, but I don't want to do that here). The note inside said that there was a birthday surprise waiting for them if they followed the clues. The next note led them to the pet store where we visited with all the animals while a very helpful salesgirl hid the next clue for me...that one led us to the library where we looked at all of Levi's favorite books until we found the next clue which led us to this fabulous little ice cream parlor where double scoops were waiting for them. I had actually planned a few other stops, but I didn't want to rush them and we were on a schedule so I cut a few things. I think it was long enough to hold their attention with out getting (as Brenna is wont to say) bwa-wing. They had a ball! What amused me the most about the whole thing is that it never crossed their minds that I might be behind the whole thing! They went through a list of every person they'd ever met trying to guess who the other "secret agent" might be and my name was never even mentioned! So, I'm either a truly gifted actress, or (more likely) so completely uncool that I'm not "secret agent" material.
I just simply can't believe that my baby is six already. When I started this blog he was just barely three, freshly out of pullups. Now he's all about Transformers and science kits. He promises he's never getting married - never going to leave me, but I have a feeling I won't be able to hold him to that.

Busy day!

I finally got the batteries in my camera recharged so I can post pictures soon. Right now I'm getting ready for Levi's birthday surprise. He turns six on Monday (I'm pretty sure someone had accelerated the earth's rotation since he was born!) and since we only do parties on odd years, I wanted to come up with something just a little different for him to do this year. We'll have a family dinner (pizza - his favorite!) and cake on Monday, but today...well, I'll let you know how it goes!

Nuts

Ever since I saw this post over at Meredith's the other day, I've been thinking about making some jars of spiced nuts for gifts (or to beef up another gift). My grandma always makes sugared pecans at Christmas and they are so good. But she also has a yard full of pecan trees. Nuts are not especially cheap - especially the yummy ones like pecans and cashews and macadamias! Since I didn't go down to Grandma's to pick up pecans from the yard this fall (but somebody remind me to next year - I can put Levi and Brenna to work!), I thought I was going to have to table the idea for this year. But yesterday when we headed out to buy groceries I got brave enough to venture in Big Lots first (it takes a lot of gumption to take four kids on more than one errand in a day!). Big Lots had nuts everywhere! I bought several 9 oz cans of Cashew Lovers Mix (cashews, almonds and macadamias) for $3 each. Then Kroger had roasted peanuts on sale 12 oz cans for $1. If I mix the two, two cans of the mix to every 1 can of peanuts (much better than the standard can of mixed nuts which advertises that it's no more than 50% peanuts), that comes out to six 10 oz jars for $1.40 each. Unless my math is fuzzy. Or I can't find the canning jars that I know I stored somewhere. Or I eat too many of them while I'm cooking them (you know, to make sure they're good).
By the way, pictures are coming of the laundry room in all it's new glory. I didn't get everything done that I wanted to (yet!) but it looks so much better!

Crystal's Challenge

I have been dying to take part in Crystal's Challenge this week to make our homes a haven. But I'd already missed the first day and I knew I'd be busy this week and might miss more days...and if I can't do it just right, I don't do it at all...and that's why some places in my house still look like we just moved in, even though we've been here almost four years! So I figured something is better than nothing and decided to get busy in the laundry room. And, gracious, it needed some work.
This is the first thing hubby sees when he gets home since he enters from the garage. Sad, huh? Also, in all honesty, I have to tell y'all that this is not all the laundry. There were three baskets on the couch waiting to be put away. The actual laundry room is behind folding doors and it's not so pretty. The grocery sack for trash - ick. The piles of handwashables waiting forever to be hand washed. I don't just love looking at the outlet and water pipe thingies behind the washer. What to do...what to do?

And, to show you how often I clean off the top of the dryer...

That's my mom's diet coke. She was here before Halloween. Sigh

I probably won't get after pictures up until tomorrow...but I promise it'll look better today!

I love a real tree. The smell and finding just the right one and, did I mention?, the smell. But the biggest reason I love a real tree is that I hate (yes, I said the "h" word) putting together the artificial tree. Ugh! All that work and it itches your arms and you still haven't even started decorating! But we just didn't have the time to go looking for a real tree this year once we discovered we'd also have to buy a new stand. So we hauled out the fake one and I plastered a smile on my face. And that's when the very first miracle of my Christmas season happened. Y'all, Levi and Brenna put that tree up by themselves. And they were happy to do it. That blessed day that all the other moms of many have been promising me (the day when the oldest kids will finally start to really be some help!) has arrived!
We had a tree trimming party - just the six of us - with sugar cookies and cider and eggnog (for me - no one else likes it)and Christmas music. I let the kids hang the ornaments so my tree looks like this...

But, tonight, sitting here with my new baby and smelling his milky breath while my "big kids" are all nestled snug in their beds...it feels like this...

The Caramel Cake recipe

This is a really good cake and if you don't tell anyone that you used a cake mix, they'll never know:)

1 pkg white cake mix
1 c milk (try to use whole, it makes a difference)
1 stick of melted butter
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
1 stick butter (I said good, not good for you!)
1 c brown sugar (you can make it with light or dark, but it's best with half of each)
1/4 c milk
2 c confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Bake up the cake in two layers and let them cool. When they're cool, make the frosting. Mix the butter and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over med-high until it boils. Add the milk and bring it back to a rolling boil. Then take it off the heat. Add the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla and beat by hand (or use a spoon, haha) until smooth and thick. Frost fast because this stuff will harden up. If it gets crunchy before you're done, heat it up slowly while stirring and it should smooth back out. It makes a pretty and yummy cake! Let me know how you like it, Dawn!