To Do List Updates

So I have been hacking away at my To Do List. Here are my To Do List updates and 1 addition. Amber at Journey of Grace made her own To Do List and it helped me to remember something I wanted on mine. =) Anything in red still needs to be done, I cannot figure out how to strike through text on Blogger.

1. Clean Out and Organize Desk: It's filled with stuff I never use. I really need somewhere to plan lessons, write thank yous and pay bills (yuck). I have this wonderful desk Cale bought me on our 1st wedding anniversary and it never gets used because it's so filled with junk. This is silly and I need to fix that.

2. Go through all Bookshelves and Books: I need to organize and take all the books not needed to used bookstore. We have a bit of a book obsession in this house. =)

3. Clear off Dresser in Bedroom: For some reason our dresser is a dumping ground for anything that does not have a home or we are just too lazy to put in its proper place. It is so bad now things are spilling to the floor if you breathe near it. Past time for this to be done!

4. Order Updated Pictures and Redo Frames in Living Room: I have lots of frames on a shelf in my living room. But I have not updated any pictures since before Caroline was born. That was 18 months ago ya'll. Poor Caroline, good thing she's too little to notice.

5. Sort Through All Kids Toys: My children have too many toys! We need to go through them all, throw away any that are broken or not worth saving and pass along those that they no longer play with.

6. Organize Toys, Playroom and Kids Bedroom: I have a great idea for this! I am so excited to get this one accomplished and I'm just waiting on a shelf we ordered from Walmart to come in. I will do a whole post about this once I start and once it's finished.

7. Go Through Every Bin In the Storage Room: Why I have some things that I have stored is beyond me. I bet I could empty LOTS of boxes and make LOTS of room if I get this done. I will just remind myself over and over again toNOT, "store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." That should help me be ruthless as I am sorting through everything.

8. Go Through all Closets and Clothes: I need to pack away things the kids have outgrown and give away clothes that Cale and I do not wear. Then I need to make a list of any clothing items needed. Poor Cale is in desperate need of new undershirts and socks. Why do men feel it is okay to wear socks riddled with holes?

9. Finish Shower in Upstairs Bathroom: This one is going to require a plumber. But we have been blessed with some financial gifts this Christmas and I think it is now possible. THANK YOU NANA AND PAPA!! I have called and made an appointment for a quote on this though!!!

10. Pray About, Create and Implement New Schedule and Start a Chore Plan: I have already started this one. I've been praying, discussing with my husband, and researching the best plan for our family. I think we've hit upon the answer. So I'll post more about this once we get started.

11. Finish Lesson Plans For Jan - June: I have January and February done! 4 more months to go. I actually enjoy lesson planning, I just need the uninterrupted time to finish. Hard to come by sometimes with little ones. But Cale is very supportive in this area. So I am not worried.

12. Make Decisions About School Room Organization: We are blessed to have a school room. But guess what, it's a giant mess so we are not using it. Then I started to wonder, should we have a school room? Would it be better to find another solution since we tend to do parts of school on the couch, dinning room table, etc. I am still pondering this one. If you have any suggestions please tell me. I like things about both ways and dislike things about both ways. Obviously I need to pray on this one.

13. Garden: Our family really wants to try The All New Square Foot Gardening this summer. So I need to get the book, plan and budget this. FUN!

14. Paint: This one is at the end for a reason. I would love to paint the bathroom upstairs and the kids room downstairs. But this would be something that we would do after everything else on this list is done. We have not painted these rooms ever and we have lived here over 6 years now. They are pretty dingy and yucky looking, but that is cosmetic. So it will have to wait till the end.

Yes, still lots of red. But lots of items done and done well. So I am pleased with the progress.

Organizing With "Help"

I have really been cracking away at that To Do List. I'll update it soon, I am pretty excited about how much has been accomplished so far.

Part of the reorganizing process in our storage room involved the addition of a new shelf. It took a little longer to put it together than you would think because of all the wonderful "help" we had. Although I have never had so much fun putting a shelf together before.

The finished product and all of the builders. Quite the good looking crew.

Then of course, it would be silly to let such a good box go to waste. So we spent the rest of the night having some good old fashioned fun.

You can't see it, but Caleb is inside the box Caroline is on top of. He was laughing like crazy.

And this is just the cutest baby in the world, so I had to throw this picture in. Isn't she getting so big? She looks like a little girl in this picture, not a baby anymore. Sometimes life goes too fast for Mama.

A few of you commented about making your own To Do Lists. Please do! I would love to get some organizing ideas. I'm sure you are all better at it than me. Plus, it feels great to cross stuff off!

Caleb, Legos, Jonah and Faith

Caleb spent one of our recent Winter afternoons building Legos. This afternoon he built the ship that Jonah was on while he was sailing to Tarshish. There was lots of sound effects involved in the whole process as well.

I asked Caleb how it was going and he told me:

Caleb: (in a very matter of fact tone) "Don't worry mom, the ship won't sink cause they'll just toss Jonah off."

Mama: "Poor Jonah."

Caleb: (in an exasperated tone) "Shesh mom, that's what happens when you try and run away from God."

Caleb: (in a consoling tone) "But don't worry. He can ask for forgiveness and it will be okay."

If we could all have the faith of a 4 year old. Sure would make life much easier all around.

Blog Awards and Bloggy Love, Again

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "ya'll are jut the best bloggy friends!" I have been given another blog award, thank you, thank you, thank you.

This one is from Michelle at Delightful Learning. If you have never been to Michelle's blog you have to head over and check it out. Her blog is in my top 5 favorite blogs that I read. She has a very strong faith and lives her beliefs on a daily basis. Her obedience to the Lord is an inspiration and has actually made me turn of my computer and open my Bible.

She also has some amazing posts about Biblical History and Biblical History For the Very Young. I have used many of her ideas and have many more bookmarked for the future.

But best of all, she is real. She struggles, gets tired and has bad days and she is not afraid to blog about it. Very refreshing. So thank you so much Michelle for the award!

In order to receive this award I am supposed to answer these questions in one word. Not easy for me, since I so love to talk, but I've given it my best shot. I do love a challenge.

1. Where is your cell phone? None
2. Your hair? Long
3. Your mother? Jackie
4. Your father? John
5. Your favorite food? Salty
6. Your dream last night? Weird
7. Your favorite drink? Tea
8. Your goal? Growth
9. What room are you in? Bedroom
10. Your hobby? Blogging
11. Your fear? Fear
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Wherever God Wants Me (I know not 1 word, sorry)
13. Where were you last night? Tired
14. Something you aren’t? Finished
15. Muffins? Yum
16. Wish list item? Growth
17. Where did you grow up? South
18. Last thing you did? Lunch
19. What are you wearing? Comfy
20. Your TV? None
21. Your pets? HAIR!!!
22. Your friends? Smile
23. Your life? Blessed
24. Your mood? Busy
25. Missing someone? Yes
26. Vehicle? Focus
27. Something you’re not wearing? Makeup
28. Your favorite store? Marshalls
29. Your favorite color? Green
30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Happy
32. Your best friend? Husband
33. A place that I go over and over? Walmart =(
34. Someone who emails me regularly? Friends
35. Favorite place to eat? Lucille's

That was actually pretty fun! Next I get to pass it on to someone else. I have passed along blog awards before, there are so many wonderful bloggers out there. But this time around I want to pass this award to Amber at Refined Metals Academy. Amber gave me my first ever blog award! I love her enthusiasm for teaching her children. So great to see a mama who feels that way. Plus we have kiddos the same age, so it's always fun to see what they are up to. And she has a strong faith as well. Can't ask for a better combo in a Mama. Oh, and she comments on my blog and this makes me smile. Thanks, Amber.

To Do List

I was inspired by Michelle at Steadfast Home to post my own to do list. I like this idea because it keeps me organized, accountable and shows me what type of progress I'm making. Hopefully this will motivate me to accomplish lots and lots! So here's my list, in no particular order:

1. Clean Out and Organize Desk: It's filled with stuff I never use. I really need somewhere to plan lessons, write thank yous and pay bills (yuck). I have this wonderful desk Cale bought me on our 1st wedding anniversary and it never gets used because it's so filled with junk. This is silly and I need to fix that.

2. Go through all Bookshelves and Books: I need to organize and take all the books not needed to used bookstore. We have a bit of a book obsession in this house. =)

3. Clear off Dresser in Bedroom: For some reason our dresser is a dumping ground for anything that does not have a home or we are just too lazy to put in its proper place. It is so bad now things are spilling to the floor if you breathe near it. Past time for this to be done!

4. Order Updated Pictures and Redo Frames in Living Room: I have lots of frames on a shelf in my living room. But I have not updated any pictures since before Caroline was born. That was 18 months ago ya'll. Poor Caroline, good thing she's too little to notice.

5. Sort Through All Kids Toys: My children have too many toys! We need to go through them all, throw away any that are broken or not worth saving and pass along those that they no longer play with.

6. Organize Toys, Playroom and Kids Bedroom: I have a great idea for this! I am so excited to get this one accomplished and I'm just waiting on a shelf we ordered from Walmart to come in. I will do a whole post about this once I start and once it's finished.

7. Go Through Every Bin In the Storage Room: Why I have some things that I have stored is beyond me. I bet I could empty LOTS of boxes and make LOTS of room if I get this done. I will just remind myself over and over again to NOT, "store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." That should help me be ruthless as I am sorting through everything.

8. Go Through all Closets and Clothes: I need to pack away things the kids have outgrown and give away clothes that Cale and I do not wear. Then I need to make a list of any clothing items needed. Poor Cale is in desperate need of new undershirts and socks. Why do men feel it is okay to wear socks riddled with holes?

9. Finish Shower in Upstairs Bathroom: This one is going to require a plumber. But we have been blessed with some financial gifts this Christmas and I think it is now possible. THANK YOU NANA AND PAPA!!

10. Pray About, Create and Implement New Schedule and Start a Chore Plan: I have already started this one. I've been praying, discussing with my husband, and researching the best plan for our family. I think we've hit upon the answer. So I'll post more about this once we get started.

11. Finish Lesson Plans For Jan - June: I have January and February done! 4 more months to go. I actually enjoy lesson planning, I just need the uninterrupted time to finish. Hard to come by sometimes with little ones. But Cale is very supportive in this area. So I am not worried.

12. Make Decisions About School Room Organization: We are blessed to have a school room. But guess what, it's a giant mess so we are not using it. Then I started to wonder, should we have a school room? Would it be better to find another solution since we tend to do parts of school on the couch, dinning room table, etc. I am still pondering this one. If you have any suggestions please tell me. I like things about both ways and dislike things about both ways. Obviously I need to pray on this one.

13. Paint: This one is at the end for a reason. I would love to paint the bathroom upstairs and the kids room downstairs. But this would be something that we would do after everything else on this list is done. We have not painted these rooms ever and we have lived here over 6 years now. They are pretty dingy and yucky looking, but that is cosmetic. So it will have to wait till the end.

Okay, that's it for now. As you can see from my list I am in desperate need for reorganization, decluttering and updating. It has just been so long since I have done these things. Our family has grown, we have accumulated too much stuff, and I can not keep the house clean or orderly. This is making me crazy. And honestly none of these things are my strong suits. So hopefully this list will get me in gear and, God willing, will bring some peace of mind to this Mama! I'll keep you posted.

Caroline's Little Lamb

Today we read in the Bible about the angels announcing the birth of Christ to the Shepherds and their visit to baby Jesus. Caleb announced after we finished reading that he likes the Old Testament better. Well then. So Caroline did this little lamb craft on her own.

I put the glue down for her and she put all the cotton balls on.

Only thing was she did not care for the little pieces of cotton that stuck to her hands.

So when we were done she did a little clean up.

And all was well again. We now have a pretty cute little lamb, both Caroline and the cotton ball variety.

Nativity Snack

We have been reading lot of great Christmas books this year. You can see many of them over on the sidebar. After reading, "This Is The Stable" we made this cute nativity snack from Hubbard's Cupboard.

Caroline loved this snack. I wish I had taken a picture of the incredible blob of a snack she had made. In this picture she had already eaten most of it. You can see that Daddy helped her make the stable. There were LOTS more pretzels and graham crackers. Very few marshmallows. I guess she is not a marshmallow fan.

This is Caleb's, he did not want to be in the picture. Caleb has always been very creative. He wanted to have shepherds as well. So he made them out of pretzels with little marshmallows as heads.

We have had lots of snow and extremely cold weather this year (24 below the other day). So I am glad to have these indoor activities we can all do together. It has been so much fun.

Need To Remember This

I read this recently and it really lifted me. I have a terrible habit of comparing myself to others. I only wish I could remember where I read this. =)

It only takes...

...One Macy's catalog to convince me I'm not beautiful enough

...One Timberdoodle catalog to convince me that I'm not homeschooling enough

...One Vision Forum catalog to convince me I don't have character enough

...Yet just One Word from God shows me that I am loved more than enough!

Thank you Lord!

Whisper Tubes and Bible Verses

We had the best time this past Saturday morning! We each made our own "whisper tubes." I got the craft idea from Hubbard's Cupboard. We had such fun decorating them with foamies, stickers, markers and ribbon. Even Caroline made a small whisper tube of her own.

Then we whispered, yelled and sang our Bible verse through them. "Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

We did this in the morning after breakfast. So sorry for the bed head and pjs. We pretty much stay like that for a good long while on Saturdays.

Here's Caroline saying her Bible verse. Or at least that's what we assumed she was saying. None of us speak fluent toddler.

Here's Caleb yelling the verse. Any excuse to jump on the couch and yell. Only with Bible verses I told him. =)

I absolutely cherished this time together. I am still smiling just writing the post about it. Thank you Lord for my wonderful family.

Christmas Fun

Although it may seem I've fallen off the face of the earth, or the bloggy world at least, I am still here. We have just been having a great time as a family celebrating Christmas. From reading all of your blogs, it seems like ya'll are having a wonderful Christmas season too.

Here are a few of the fun things we have done so far.

Caleb playing with our Fisher Price Nativity. He LOVES this toy. I LOVE this toy. If you do not have this toy, well, you are missing out. =)

We've also made a few Christmas crafts. This is a spoon angel Caleb made after one of our Bible readings about the angel Gabriel.

Evan came over one evening and we made Hershey Kiss Christmas Trees.

This would be Caleb eating one of the leftover ice cream cones from our tree craft.

And my favorite Christmas activity so far, the tree. I always love our get the tree day and our decorate the tree night. Here are daddy and Caroline by our beautiful tree. It is filled with ornaments that each hold a special memory. Probably why I love this day so much.

God has blessed us with so many special memories already this Christmas season and it's only the 6th. I hope each of you can say the same. This is such a special time of year!