New Job and Internet silence

Happy Advent!

Sorry to have been so silent.  I changed jobs and have been internet less for quite some time.  I tried going to the local library but the branch library didn't have enough band width and I kept getting booted off.

So I am finally able to get back on and thought I would let you know that I am still around.

I hope that your advent is productive.  We are enjoying our move to St. Anne's in Livonia.  MK is in the choir and the youngest has already served twice.

The people are friendly and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. Plus it's the whole enchilada.

I probably won't be here again for quite a while again.  I am hoping to have some time to post all my Christmas projects.  I have actually been quite prolific this year, but it still doesn't seem like enough.

Take care!

Your friend in Christ,
Kate

Graduation party day

Our first homeschool graduate, MK.  She is a very dedicated learner and while she had times where motivation was problem, more often than not she was the one pushing to make sure we got through her lessons.

I am very proud of the young lady she has become.  I am very graced by God to have such a daughter.  She is up to any task and really loves things that surprise me ~ Chemistry, Algebra...the logic of it all.  Most of all her faith.  I am impressed with all my younger children's knowledge of the Faith.  I find it funny when I get home and am eager to share something only to find out they already knew about that.  Guess I have to catch up.  It is my plan this summer to try to get in more reading on the Faith.

We have a college graduate as well.  Another VERY motivated daughter.  She has a degree in Music and Psychology. 

She would probably not be happy with me about this picture but it is the best one I could find.  She is a very entertaining young lady. When times were tough she would leave us random silly pictures on my husband's camera.  We are very proud of all she has accomplished as well.

Thank you Lord for gifting us with two such wonderful young ladies.

Thanks for stopping by!

God Bless,
Kate

Trying to find the good

So yesterday's post was quite depressing, huh? I still feel like my fingernails are just barely holding me onto the edge of the cliff. In the spirit of trying to find something good, as in "Count Your Blessing" or "There must have been something good", we will try to find the blessings that I can remember in all of this.
First - this is the first time since possibly grade school when I have had such supportive and helpful friends. They were the first people I let know that Larry was in the hospital and their first question was how can we help. Not only was that the first question but when I stated how they could help, they said okay and just gave what was asked for. Isn't that amazing? I don't know how many times people will say how can we help and you state a direct answer and then receive - oh well, I am not sure about that.
Not so this time. This time everything I have asked for, I have received. God is truly wonderful that way, especially in such a messy place.
I am thankful that God also gifted me with the most awesome daughter. She has not only stepped up to the plate, she has continued to hit line drives and get things done. She has become my support - for good or bad - the person who discusses things with me because I can't discuss them with the dh at the moment. She is working with me and the younger ones to get a routine going so they are pitching in more and lining up behind her at the plate.
It is still hard and I know it will continue to be hard while he goes through the long recovery. But at least I know that people have got my back. God has placed them there just for me. :)

A Letter

Dear Mom,
Another year has passed. The children are getting bigger. This year the little guys made gifts. Mary Kate made a present for everyone. Mac created a family gift. Sean also created a family gift. Mary Kate knit gifts for Larry, Shannon and I then made blankets for the boys. Sean wrote a comic book for the family and Mac picked out toys that he felt suited each of us.
Shannon made a few gifts and bought others. We decided that our theme was Warmth. LOL We all got things to keep us warm through the winter. Something we could each cuddle in or use while outside working the farm.
I miss talking to you. I miss the random calls you would make just see how things were going. I miss your laugh. I hope you and dad are having a good time. Silly I know but I wonder. Are you playing euchre? Is Dad still so competitive he forgets to have fun? I think he may have overcome that one.
I have much to do for this year. Not sure what will and won't be accomplished. The past year seemed to fly by. Is that just a getting older thing? The time just seems to fly by. I know the kids feel that it is crawling by - but they are kids. :)
If you get the chance send Andy some help. I pray for him daily but I am not sure that the prayers are asking for the right thing. Not sure how to change that. I keep trying to change how or what I am asking. So keep an eye on him, k?
I wish I could give you another hug.
Love you!
Kate

Unity on the Homefront

My husband and I have been telling people - Plant a garden. I realized that is not easy especially if a couple don't agree that that is what needs to be done. I know that I was on that boat for a long time. Gardening was my husband's thing. i had other things that I wanted to do. I didn't wish to join in the effort. I am sorry that I put so much of that on him.
I still don't have a burning desire to garden but I know that we must create our own food as much as possible. I am a willing worker these days. That means I do what he tells me needs to be done. He is the planner and designer and he will be there in the execution. Now I will be there too. I will be in the garden planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and preserving. The children will also be working along side of us as well. These are skills that they need.
After you have committed to gardening, then you have to recruit your help and support. Don't get discouraged - it has taken my husband five years to get me on the bandwagon. Of course, it;s helped that I am not good at executing my own dreams. I write just about every day but i am not good at pursuing publication. I have many works in progress that tend to get little attention. I have moments but I don't use them very constructively.
So I am happy to be a worker bee. Point me in the right direction and I will do the assigned task. I enjoy seeing the excitement on my husband's face when we discuss the garden layout. He complains sometimes about how hard it was to pull us along. Our oldest daughter will probably continue to resist, but we continue to hope that eventually she'll get it.

So plan,recruit, direct and then plant, nurture, grow, and harvest.

Good luck to you all!

Lovingly Made

I read that you should pour loving thoughts into your cooking. It’s supposed to nourish your family spiritually as well as physically.
I practice this particularly when I am making bread. I love the kneading process. It feels very therapeutic. Kneading bread got me through some rough days after my parents died.
I remember baking bread with my mom. She would let me sift the four. We didn’t have bread four so we sifted it twice. She would give me a bowl – a huge green plastic bowl – set the flour canister next to me, hand me the sifter and tell me to start sifting flour. I imagine that I sifted much more than we used, but it was a good job to keep a little one busy.
She loved to knead bread too. Later, when I was grown, she and I had a discussion about the changes that were made to that bread recipe. Now they had you beat the mixture when you added the yeast, milk, shortening, sugar and salt to the flour. They also suggested using the mixer with the dough hook attachment to knead the bread.
She and I agreed that took all the joy from making bread. It also removes the ability to add love to the dough. Cooking shouldn’t always be about how fast you can get the job done; it should be about how much love you can infuse into the final product.
Happy baking!

What to write?

I've been ruminating about what to write for my first post. I thought and thought and decided in the end to just write something.
My two boys are on the edge of believing in Santa Claus. We moved recently and I think I may have lost the lists that they "sent" to Santa that I of course intercepted. My younger son obligingly gave me another list which he addressed to Santa. My other son is a little smarter and I fear that even if I ask for a new list he will hold something back to see if Santa really exists. We have always explained for those who are ready to ask point blank that Santa is more of an idea. It is the joy that you get from giving to someone you love. Their joy becomes your own.
I believe this is really true and not just a line. I still remember how it felt to make something for everyone in my family for the first time. I was so excited that Christmas. As the youngest of ten children - no that is NOT a typo there are ten children in my family - it's hard to keep up with the older guys. My oldest brothers - Tom, Mike and Dan - bought everyone a gift every year for what seemed like many, many years. It meant a lot to me to return the favor.
So one year, I made everyone an ornament with popcycle sticks and yarn. I went around and asked for favorite colors. I told them that I was doing a project for school and needed to know. Once I knew the colors, Mom took me to the dime store and I picked out the different colored yarn. Then I proceeded to make yarn oranaments for everyone. It felt so great to hand out my presents to everyone. I felt very grown-up.
I want my children to share that experience so this year I have been looking for ideas of neat presents that they could make for each other. I know that it will mean more work for me, but I think we will all enjoy the results!
Enjoy each day this wonderful Christmas season.