half a century

robin turned 50 on the 18th, so we attempted to have a little surprise something for him. t.j. had given us a gift certificate to red lobster for christmas, so, since it's our friends darrell and sue's favorite place to eat, we went with them, and the plan was to have everyone be at the house when we got back. but there was a congregational meeting at church (we didn't go because we're not members yet. the members classes are during sunday school and since we *teach* sunday school, we haven't been able to do all the classes yet. we've met with pastors to finish 3 of the 4, now we just have to find time to meet with the last group of people) and people didn't get there before we got home. that was okay. all their kids were already at the house, and robin loves people, so i think he was surprised and happy. tj's dad shares a birthday with robin, but is a few years younger :)

2 days after christmas

the sunday after christmas, we headed to virginia to meet my mom and jerry, my sister sherry and her family from michigan (sans mark-we missed you-because of his new job) and my brother billy and his family from tennessee. we met sherry and her 4 kids somewhere on 81 so i could help navigate since she wasn't feeling well.

we were meeting in virginia because my mom turned 70 on january 2nd, and she wanted to treat us to a mountain getaway vacation together, which meant renting a lodge that sleeps 22. it was beautiful and we had a GREAT time. we went to the masanutten water park and on walks looking for animal tracks (lots of deer, the kids think they saw bear, and lots of little birds, squirrel, etc.).

so glad we didn't have to drive from florida, and that we're close enough now to see my family more than once a year. thanks mom and jerry!

also before christmas.....

we are blessed to have an awesome sledding hill behind our development, close enough for the kids to walk. on this particular trip, i was out looking for the wayward puppies (who keep digging out under the temporary chicken wire fence we've put out) and took my camera with me to catch a few shots before the sun went down. their friend, veeble (sp?) was with them, seen in the picture of the jump they made.









at the end of a beautiful day....

scenes from christmas 2

grandma and grandpa came up for a christmas lunch. (SO NICE to have them this close!)
the boys set the table.
olivia made the placecards and holders.
i made dinner!

scenes from christmas 1

from the creativity files of olivia----
i gave her these and told her to try making a nativity scene or something christ-massy.

she returned them like this (three wise men):



the boys had fun making an igloo at the end of the driveway:


3!! some were easier to get in and out than others.....

trials

i've been thinking a lot lately about trials.

friends in a courtroom hoping for justice for the murder of their disabled son at the hands of his night nurse.

relatives fighting for their lives against a cancer that has no known cause.

friends welcoming a child into the world with a known genetic disorder that has already claimed the life of her sibling.

a sister losing her vision yet suffering with joy.

and i got to thinking, as i watch my kids wrestle and come and go with friends, that many of us have a very limited view of what a trial is.

we think it's a rough day.
or a situation that we don't know how to handle on our own (that we will have forgotten about by next tuesday).

but no--a trial in a court of law (certainly james knew his stuff) can go on indefinitely.
i guess that's why he continued:

and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
james 1:4

what a promise! we think.
if we just endure, we'll be perfect and want nothing.
the problem is, we cannot do that on our own.
we... don't have the wisdom.
we... don't know where to begin.
we... don't have the capacity for that kind of knowledge.

fortunately, he doesn't stop there. he tells us exactly what to do:

but if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,
who gives to all men generously and without reproach,
and it will be given to him.
james 1:5

what's the catch, we ask?

but let him ask in faith without any doubting,
for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea
driven and tossed by the wind.

for let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
james 1:6-7

thank you, Father of wisdom, that You are The Way. The Truth. The Life.
we would be shipwrecked without you.

consider it all joy, my brethren,
when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
james 1:2-3

rainy day/winter activities (mops talk)

"it rained and it rained and it rained. piglet told himself that never in all his life, and he was goodness knows how old - three, was it, or four? --never had he seen so much rain. days and days and days. "if only," he thought, as he looked out of the window, "i had been in pooh's house, or chirstopher robin's house, or rabbit's house when it began to rain, then i should have had company all this time, instead of being here all alone, with nothing to do except wonder when it will stop."
a.a. milne "winnie the pooh"

ever feel like a prisoner to rain in your own home? we wonder, too, with piglet, that if we could just have some company, instead of being alone, it might become more than just another dreary day. today we're going to share some ways to turn a rainy day into something a bit more exciting. i'm not going to share too much with you this morning, to allow you plenty of time to share in your groups what works in your home.

one of the best things you can do, is to prepare ahead of time. prepare a rainy day box that you keep in a special closet or place and inside put things that you don't normally use like:
* age appropriate art supplies *special snacks (for tea time) * books (pop up books are good here) * toys to rotate (train set, duplos, playdough, puzzles) * special toys (magnifying glass, slinky, etc.) * bean bags, * card games *balloons (choking hazard for small children, use with care) * old magazines to be cut up * musical instruments (fill an easter egg with rice and tape around the seam) * junk mail, especially the kind that comes with stickers

try to see your house in terms of centers--different activities that can be done in different areas of your home.

for instance, in the kitchen, you can have your child help you:
-cook
-organize a drawer or cabinet
-make an indoor "sand box" with rice (or oatmeal or lentils or beans) in a large box and various measuring cups, scoops)
-pudding finger paint
-fold kitchen towels (even if they're already folded-small children love this challenge when taught how to do it)
-sweep/scoop up dirt

in the family room you can play some games:
^bean bag toss
^mailbox (write notes--even unintelligible ones)
^carpet raceway
^go fish
^hide and seek--many options here. take turns hiding and seeking a stuffed animal, do a treasure hunt, or make a list of things around your house for your child to find, like a scavenger hunt)
^put painter's tape on the floor for hopscotch or balance beam
^animal charades
^grocery store
^if pickles could talk (any inanimate object in your house).
true confessions: when i was potty training my boys, and i knew they had to go, but they didn't think they did, i would make the potty seat/mouth "talk" to the boys saying "i'm thirsty" and they would fall for it every time and giggle the whole way...
^gymnastics skills
^stretching
^old fashioned games like drop a clothespin in a gallon jug, pin the _____ on the ______

in the bathroom, give them a bath just for fun (let them drop in a few drops of food coloring. it won't stain their skin, but they'll get a kick out of watching the color change). teach them how to clean different areas-sink, floor, toilet, cabinets.

you can do an indoor tent or fort, a wall mural (janbrett.com has some free that are great and go along with her books), have a teddy bear picnic, teach them a new song, dance! visit your favorite "other" place (ours has typically been the library or the children's section of a major bookstore).

think of all the things they could do as a momma's helper== sort socks or silverware, practice manners or setting a table, wipe down baseboards, wash windows or walls with just plain water. play musical pots/pans.

art is always fun, but maybe you can do some out of the ordinary things: make a free puzzle by cutting up the front of a cereal box. make a popsicle puzzle by taping 6-10 sticks together, turn it over to the other side, draw a picture on it, then take the tape off and mix up the sticks (works great for readers with a message or Bible verse too). do a surprise bag, or maze, tape markers or crayons to matchbox cars and have them drive/draw on a big piece of pzper. make an obstacle course, or get out soft balls and the laundry basket.

don't forget to go outside and enjoy the rain if possible. have your child use markers to draw on a coffee filter and put them on a cookie sheet out in the rain. make a rain gauge. enjoy!

discussion questions
1.) is there anything else you'd like to discuss today?
2.) what is the most challenging thing about a rainy day to you?
3.) what works well in your home on a rainy day?
4.) do you have any positive childhood memories incuding rain?
5.) brainstorm as a group some of your favorite songs/games you plan to teach your child the next rainy/snowy spell....

snow..

we ended up getting about 12/15 inches. church was canceled but our friends, the hurlberts, came for lunch anyway. there's an awesome sledding hill behind our development that the kids have enjoyed going to. karis was supposed to go to work at qvc (christmas rush you know) but robin got the car stuck just past our driveway (they hadn't plowed our street yet).

at one point, it was windy and the snow was really coming down, and mike looked at me with his big smile and said, "mom! blizzards are SO MUCH BETTER than hurricanes!" and went on his merry way. gotta love those southern born boys...

all in all, we are so thankful for snow. it's wonderful, quiet, pure, miraculous joy. thanks Lord!

guest post: mike

all i want for christmas......

is my two front teeth!

more catching up

last month when we had nick's birthday party, karis, her friend brittany from church and olivia went on an impromptu photo shoot around the corner. it's so fun to see what pictures end up on my camera....

karis bought her first car with a little help from grandpa craven.
it's a honda accord 4 dr that "drives like a dream" and has the dings to prove it.

colorable alphabet

i first saw this idea here and even though we've had these pans a while, and have made chocolates in them, i hadn't made crayons until now. they'll make great gifts for my 3yo sunday school class.

one starry night

this year our church put on an awesome christmas dinner, complete with various entertainment and concluding with a children's play, "one starry night." mike was a shepherd and jack was a speaker. they did a really good job, and we were very proud.

mike, a shepherd


jack, the speaker

the group, including friends denae and mikayla

poor baby boy

is on day four of a fever, and just doesn't feel well. at least he looks comfy (barb--that's the new duvet cover/pillowcase from ikea. the cheapest one there--$9 for the set) and he has his faithful panda to keep him company.

catching up....before the new year

olivia had her first of many concerts with clchm (see collage for what that stands for). she has enjoyed this chorus made up entirely of homeschoolers. you can see where the orchestra (also made up entirely of homeschoolers) joined them later. mrs. lasala, the director, has very high standards, and the results show it. we really enjoyed the concert, and are glad olivia enjoys it as well.

advent (mops talk)

how many of you have had a great couple of weeks since we last met? i can say that i had one day that stood out to me as being a really great day. everything went well, it was great weather, i got everything on my list done and i got to thinking wouldn't it be great if every day was like today? but then i thought some more and decided that if everyday went so smoothly, then i wouldn't appreciate it. Christmas is like that for me. and until i realized what advent was all about, i didn't know how to fully appreciate it.

here's the power point presentation that went with my talk:

Advent

View more presentations from rufam.

i have a confession to make, for about 20 years, i didn't like Christmas. the memories of one Christmas while in my teens held back the joy i saw so many others experience. and even after i had kids, i felt i couldn't fully participate even in their joy. until. i changed my view of anticipating Christ's birth at Christmas to anticipating seeing Him in His fullness in heaven.

**we can only joyfully, expectantly look forward to Christ's return if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.****
the way we do this is to

Acknowledge you are a sinner in need of a Savior
Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Confess your sin and repent (turn from sin)

There is no greater gift. Please talk to me, or Beth, or Ruth or someone on the steering committee if you have questions or want to know more.

Merry Christmas!

discussion questions:
1.) is there anything else you'd like to discuss this morning?
2.) if you already celebrate advent, what one idea would you like to add?
3.) share some ways you keep the focus on Christ at Christmas.
4.) what is one Christmas tradition you've kept from your childhood? on you've started new with your children?
5.) share a prayer request if you feel comfortable doing so.

happy thanksgiving!

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
Gilbert K. Chesterton

we are thankful this year to be close enough to have robin's parents over for our noon meal. i am thankful for all the hands of help i had in the kitchen, and for a husband who lets me nap afterwards. we had a wonderful thanksgiving eve church service last night. we had so. much. food. and lots of leftovers. good times, good memories. i did forget to get the ingredients for our traditional turkey candies but karis saved the day, even though she couldn't find candy corn, mike and ikes made a more colorful turkey.

landis valley museum

another benefit of the library is a free family museum pass to some local museums. we were planning on going to another museum about an hour away, but their special festivities were cancelled due to the weather. it turned out to be for the best anyway, since it was only gray and slightly drizzly and robin got to go with us. the girls were all busy, so it was just me and the boys. fun!

they already had the visitor center decorated for christmas. the museum shop was having an open house, with carolers dressed in time period garb and free refreshments. jack saw his awana teacher, and robin met up with an old co-worker.

i love it all, but i especially liked the school house. that is, until the boys got carried away in their make believe outhouse adventure (but all that pretending did send us on a quest to find the nearest "real" bathroom).
silly boys.

sweet 16

happy birthday nick
we love you and are proud of you
now...onto driving!



we celebrated a week ago with a surprise party after church.
give boys food and a ball and they're happy.
not totally sure he was surprised.
but for sure sure that he had a great day.

today we celebrated with his favorite dinner and chocolate trifle for dessert.

flashback friday

two questions:

do you recognize the friends?

do you know in what state we were living at the time the photos were taken?
(you can answer in the comments, you don't have to send an email)

finally 4

after the panda cake fiasco of september pete insisted he was still 3 because he hadn't had his panda cake yet (remember, we only served cupcakes). apparently, in his mind at least, you don't actually turn the next year until you've had the cake you requested.

i guess we waited a little bit too long to finally make the panda cake. after we made this, sang to him, and he blew out 4 candles. we asked him how old he was now and he said, "five."

try to convince him otherwise.

(the scrape on the side of his face is where he hit a tree branch while jumping out of a tree he climbed in the backyard)

loving

we are soooo loving fall............

dinner funny

after reading proverbs 9 after dinner:

mom: "what does rebuke mean?"

jack: "....throw up?"

olivia: "no, that's re-puke"

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

another guest post

made by jack, in honor of our divided household.

World Series 2009

View more presentations from rufam.

guest blogger: jack henry

sharing his favorite lunch/snack to make.

How To Make A Quesadilla

View more presentations from rufam.

food traditions

a couple of months ago, i read molly wizenberg's book and was touched by the simplicity of documenting family favorite recipes and the stories behind them. why, we should all write books! of course, i have never been a witty writer, and have never been interested in being published (my cousin, mike, and i tried to co-write a book once, he was the author, i was the illustrator. i think we were about 10) but family history is something i wish was documented more often (my aunt gail is the family champion for the robinson side of the family--she's dug up so much interesting information on my dad's parents/grandparents).

so, since the purpose of this blog is to document our family history, i hope to share (and have an occasional guest blogger or seven) some of our favorite recipes and the story behind them. in that spirit i present to you, chicken poppyseed casserole:

this became a family favorite after i had our third child and our oldest was just 2 years and 9 months old. my lovely southern friend/mentor (we were living in pa at the time, so her southern charm was somewhat of a novelty) jeanette brought this meal to us since we were quarantined for the first 2 months of his life.

chicken poppyseed casserole
serves 4-6? i always double it the kids love it for leftovers

2 c. cooked cut up chicken (layer in 8x8 pan)
mix together:
one can cream of chicken soup (i make my own from ground navy beans and some chicken broth)
and one cup sour cream. spread on top of chicken

crush one sleeve of ritz type crackers (a great job for a kid with some frustration to get out)
and mix with one stick of melted butter.

sprinkle with poppyseeds (adds no real taste, but makes it look pretty)
bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
serves great with rolls and brown sugar carrots.

on today's agenda

*edited 9:37 pm* nick tested negative for strep. the doctor thinks it's swine flu, though they didn't do the bloodwork (the test is not accurate, and her daughter had it with the exact same symptoms). his fever is down some tonight and he had enough energy to take a shower! romeo has a fever too (apparently from inflammation in his pelvis), got a shot for pain and is on two different pain killers for an apparent bruised tail bone. that will teach him to run away late on a sunday night in the dark, even if it was a full moon.

6:30 wake up/work out/shower and dress

7:40 greet makenna at the door, wake up big girls

8:30 take nick's temp. he can't talk and he looks terrible (it's 103* again. in spite of fever reducing medicine)

9-12 mops (mothers of preschoolers). thankfully i'm not speaking this morning. karis, makenna and olivia go with me. karis drives (still not quite used to that....)

(cancelled nick's oral surgeon check up appt. so i can)
1:15 take nick to doctor for his continuing 103* fever, now accompanied by a throat so sore he cannot speak or get out of bed

4:00 take romeo to the vet since he hasn't walked normally since sunday night (something appears to be wrong between his back legs. he keeps his tail tucked in and won't let me touch it or look at it.) he can hardly do the stairs and doesn't get up from his spot in the sun.

juliet is worried sick.

(picture from last year, raking florida neighbor mr. jim's leaves)

5:30 feed everyone something for dinner. it was supposed to be meatloaf, but i used that ground beef for the world series taco party we had saturday night (when the yankees won!) when we had more people than i originally planned. wishing now i had quickly gone to the store to replace that meatloaf meat....

6:00-9 take haley to gymnastics, pick up her two friends cody and karis from church to take with us. drop them off.

_____ guess what time i'll get to bed tonight? and how many kids will have a heinz list (catch-up school work) from the kind of day their teacher had?

fountain of youth

one book i'm so glad i kept from our homeschooling days is anna comstock's handbook of nature study.



i read this today and found it to be so true among the various people i've met:

"it is not years which make people old;
it is ruts, and a limitation of interests.
when we no longer care about anything except our own interests, we are then old, it matters not whether our years be twenty or eighty."