Sylvia, Caeden, and I went to Goodwill this afternoon and she found this beautiful gown for $6!

Lovedliness

Sylvia recently started a fashion blog, just for the fun of it.  She and her friend Alexis have done a couple photo shoots, and today I had the pleasure of doing some photos with Sylvia in the cold, wind, and rain.  It was pretty fun, actually. 

She styled a black turtleneck and an old pair of Caeden's jeans he grew out of several different ways for her posts this week.  

You can find her blog at

https://lovedliness.blogspot.com

The Oreo Shirt

Several weeks ago, Jeremy bought about 6 or so packs of Oreos when he and Caeden were at the store one day.  Caeden noticed a Meijer coupon that said he could get a free Oreo t-shirt.  He begged Annah (since I refused, and she is 18) to fill out the form for him, and he has been VERY anxiously awaiting the arrival of his t-shirt.  It came today, and he could not be more pleased!

A flannel a day

For my birthday in November, Jeremy and the kids bought me a great flannel shirt from American Eagle.  It's really soft with pretty colors, and at some point I joked that I loved it so much I wanted twelve more.  

So for Christmas, they bought me 5 more in different colors!  I decided to take a selfie in each one when I remembered, and I finally got one with the 6th color today.

January 5th - I really like this one...it is extra thick and soft

January 7

February 11 - At the end of a long day.  This shirt is my favorite rosy red.

February 28 - 

\

March 14 - This is the birthday shirt. 

March 17 - Ridgeview blue!  When I looked at this selfie, I realized I forgot to put mascara on today.  I look as tired as I am.  Man, this time change has been kicking my butt ALL WEEK!!!  Ugh!!!

Those are my 6 flannels from my family that I have enjoyed wearing all winter!

It's good Friday, and the kids are home off school.  I asked Sylvia if she would model some of the shawls I've been crocheting that are shiny and best for formal occasions.  While looking for something for her to wear that would be appropriate, she saw my old prom dresses and wanted to try on this one.

I wore this for my senior prom in 1995. 

We did get a few nice pictures before it started raining.

Annah helped too.

And my little buddy and I got a nice selfie this evening.  I love hanging out with my kids.
They are pretty cool people!

Our church didn't have a Good Friday service this year, so we decided to watch The Passion of The Christ at home tonight.  Caeden really, really didn't want to see it, but we decided it was time.  I really should watch it more than once a year, because it does force me to think about what Jesus did for us.  Painfully beautiful.

Yesterday was a "big" day for me.  Fortunately, it passed quietly, with only sweet and kind wishes from friends and people I love.  I remember my parents' 40th birthdays, and they included a black cake with tombstones and a visit from the grim reaper and his giant sickle.  I'm very thankful there were no such surprises for me. Jeremy took the 5 of us out to Red Lobster on Saturday night, and that was a nice gift.

There was a giant supermoon that was supposedly the most spectacular in years.

Caeden started out this Monday with one of his new Star Wars t-shirts.  He now has enough that he plans to wear one every day this week.

Sylvia is plugging along with physical therapy on her knee.  She is ready to be over it, but is doing pretty well keeping up with her exercises 2-3 times a day at home.

I am just so stinkin' proud of this guy!  Tonight Jeremy coached the very first official wrestling practice of the Ridgeview High School wrestling team!  He has 6 wrestlers--3 freshman, 2 sophomores, and a senior.  Two of these guys have no wrestling experience at all, and the others have a variety of experience.  It is very exciting!!!

Sylvia played a little trumpet tonight, and is thinking she may play with the HS pep band in a few weeks. 

Fun times at our house these days!

First week of school

Whew, it is Sunday evening, and we can now say we made it through the first full week of school. If there are any mommas of babies reading this, and people have told you that you will sleep when they get older, I hate to burst your bubble...That is not always true!  Sometimes you are up all night talking with a teenager, or crying with your spouse, or praying over the lives and relationships of people you love. 

On Tuesday, I had a terrible day emotionally/mentally.  I won't go into details of why, but I was pretty much feeling worthless and (as Anne Shirley would say) "in the depths of despair."  I just stayed stuck in it most of the day, even though I tried to pray and seek the Lord through it....It was really more like "wallowing" in it.  Yuck!

Wednesday, I tried to better my attitude, and Jesus did help me, but I was still pretty touchy. 

I did wear my favorite capris of the summer, and listened to some good music, scripture, and podcasts.  All of those things helped too.

That evening, we had a mandatory meeting at school.  All students had to have a parent present to sign a form so each student could receive their school-issued Chromebook. We are pretty excited that the school has made it possible for every student to have his/her own computer, and they will be using more technology to help the students learn and teachers and students to communicate.

We were all a bit disgusted though, when seemingly the entire community rushed towards the Chromebooks like ravenous animals toward food before the speaker had even finished.  It was pretty rude and appalling.

We hung back, and the kids each got their Chromebooks and we were home in less than an hour, including the drives there and back, listening to the 2 speakers, and waiting in 3 different distribution lines. The kids all got logged in at home and set their background photos--very important.

I set up a charging station on a little 3-shelf cart in the guest room, because they are required to bring them to school with a full charge each day.  Another thing to remember to put in the backpack each morning...

Sylvia came to me after getting ready for bed, needing to talk.  I'm pretty sure I said all the wrong things, and then Jeremy and I were awake most of the night talking and crying and praying, as well as closing windows and making sure a storm didn't rain inside the house.

Thursday evening, I took Annah to marching band practice, and picked her up very frustrated that seemingly everyone in the band didn't care to be there.  Jeremy took Sylvia on a daddy-daughter dinner date to Biaggi's, and they had a good time.  Caeden showed me around his Chromebook, and told me how his teacher last year would let him listen to the Star Wars: The Force Awakens soundtrack on YouTube while he worked on assignments in class.

I made mittens this week!  I also made a matching scarf and hat to go with them.
I hope to sell them as a set.

I'm loving this purple color!

Speaking of loving colors, Caeden is having fun with his colored hair glues and his mohawk!  On Friday, he decided to try the bright pink.  As I globbed it in his hair, I said, "My father would have a conniption fit if he knew I was sending my son to school with a fluorescent pink mohawk!"  Please, Dad, don't disown your grandson (or daughter)! It's still the same heart in there, regardless of the haircut or color!  

Annah came home from school on Friday upset about a friendship and wanting to talk.  I'm thankful I can be home when the kids get home from school and need to process interactions and relationships and emotions from the day.  I don't always know what to say, but I'm glad I can offer hugs and pray over them.  I think parenting teens is definitely more difficult mentally and emotionally than the physically exhausting years of parenting little ones.  (Another reason to be thankful we had babies when we were pretty young!)

The girls both have quite a bit of homework this weekend, and somehow Caeden has made it through the first week of school with very little homework and very little struggle.  

 I started Saturday morning lessons up again yesterday.  Jeremy spent the morning chatting with Annah, then met some friends for golf.  I played piano for a small wedding at church in the afternoon.  Sylvia and I watched Anne of Green Gables, and she enjoyed it much more than the book.  

This morning, we had a family meeting [sermon] at church.  

It was beautiful to see our church family gathered around the altars.  We really do have to depend on Jesus in this life.  

We didn't realize there was no youth band rehearsal today, so the 5 of us got to have lunch together at Steak'n'Shake.  Jeremy even splurged for shakes for all of us.  The kids were shocked how big they were!  

Sylvia and Caeden went with us to Annah's violin lesson, and Caeden sat in the pavilion to read one of his new Star Wars books he got from the Bookmobile yesterday.  Sylvia picked a book from the Little Free Library.

When we got home in the evening, we settled on watching Ramona and Beezus, which turned out to be a pretty cute and sweet family movie.  I'm thankful for all the times we have together as a family--whether they are emotionally draining, full of elation, or just relaxing and hanging out together.  It's all good stuff when we can get the right perspective.

"But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day." - Joshua 23:8

It's the holiday season!

The kids and I slept in this morning, while our diligent husband/daddy went to work at his usual early hour.  He came home early, and drove us all the way to my parents' house.  Mom made a yummy pot of chili, and Travis and his whole family came over to share it.  It is wonderful to be together!  I've been looking forward to Thanksgiving for months! And my heart is so full to enjoy precious moments together these next few days!

After Trav, Erin, and the little ones had to go home for bedtime, Gram asked if she could give some early Christmas gifts--even though we are having our family Christmas celebration on Friday.  I quickly said, yes, knowing what she was giving the kids.

New winter coats for everyone!  For the past couple weeks, Annah has been wearing a coat that was sort of ruined when it went through the dryer and wasn't supposed to; Caeden has been wearing his winter coat with an entire side ripped out of it; and Sylvia has been sort of "making do" with a fuzzy fleece hoodie or her old coat that is about 4 sizes too small--and getting really annoyed at me for not getting her a new coat.  The girls had begged me several times for a new coat.  I now realize Caeden was really content to wear his ripped coat and did not complain once. But they all really did need new winter coats!

Thank you so much for our new coats, Gram and Krampa!

Everyday blessings

Junior high school is a tough place to be.  I'm thankful for a bit of time alone with Sylvia Monday evening on the way to her rehearsal, and thankful that she will talk to/with me about the tough stuff.

These guys had a riveting game of chess going when we came home Monday night. 

Tuesday was another foggy morning.  I walked to Donna's house in the fog and mist for Moms In Prayer, and thought Arrowsmith was pretty in the fog.

 Thursday, I rehearsed with the choirs at school.  Addie is playing the alma mater for the high school choir, so I had a minute to snap a picture.  Annah caught me.

The doorknob on our basement door hasn't been fully functional for years, and it always falls off.  Today, Sylvia was reminiscing about how she and her siblings used to pretend it was a microphone.

 Tonight as we were eating supper, Annah angrily disclosed the fact that she hates it when Caeden fake punches at her.  I don't know...the rest of us think it's pretty funny when he gets such a big reaction out of her...

Caeden wore his favorite socks today.  I didn't realize they were his favorite socks until he told me so today.  They're his favorite because they have Felix the Cat on them, and it reminds him of the time he watched Felix the Cat cartoons one day when he was home from school sick on the couch.

I love the "everyday" blessings of this life.