Log cabin cozy

I picked up this blanket at Wal-mart the other day. It's so soft and warm and it reminds me of log cabins and Christmas time! :) I just had to share ... slightly awkward, I know, but I still had to.

Unexpected gift of beauty!

*~I told you the family I work for totally spoils me! Thank you, so very, very much Mrs. J.~*

In which we learn the proper process for adding large numbers

Good evening ... er ... morning ... ahhh ... very early morning (happy for me, I haven't figured out how to make the "posted at ..." clock on my blog accurate, so you don't really know what time it is). All you smart peeps out there should have been asleep awhile ago. Me, well, things happen, they run in your mind, they keep you up, you can't sleep, so what do you do ... post and tell people about it. :) So now you all get to read my late-night-should-be-sleeping-way-to-crazy-for-normal-people post. Such lucky peeps you are.

On a different subject, during church tonight a little six-year-old girl sat next to me. As she comes from an artistic family she asked if she could draw, so I handed her my notebook. She drew actual pictures of things for a little while before, when I looked down, much to my surprise, I saw this ... (note: pictures were not taken during church, but after I'd arrived home with said notebook :) )
























She was, as you can tell, practicing her math. :) How cute is that!? But as I observed, I watched her try new things such as adding "large" numbers. It greatly amused me how she came up with the "hard" answers. Observe ...




In picture #1 we see the easy problems (thus the texts and lines (please click on the pictures to get a better view)) but the hard problem is what we're looking at ... 6+8=? We see in neon greenish circle the first number is 8. The next line shows that 8 can become two 4's + 6. :) Or thus ... 44 6. (I'm not quite sure what the other 6 is doing down by the ones, but it's there because it needs to be, I'm sure.) We then see that because it is still to hard to add them up that we write the correct number of ones (backward mind you) that equal the two parts of the problem. She wrote out eight ones, then she wrote out six ones and then she counted them all. :) Thus ... 6+8=14. Got that? Good, moving on ...
In picture #2 we see much the same thing, only the problem is now 7+6=? But instead of trying to figure out how to break down the different numbers as before (ex. 8 is two 4's.) we just start writing ones (also, they continue to be written backward, it's easier that way). First seven ones, then six ones. And then we add them all together. Yup, you guessed it 7 backward ones + 6 backward ones = 13 backward ones! And then we discover that if we make one number change (ex. 6 to a 7, figure it out, then change the newly changed 7 to a 8 for the next problem and figure it out) we can easily figure these problems out as well! How fancy is that?!Well, I hope you've all learned as much as I did. But, seriously, I loved watching how she figured it out. I could see her mouthing different things, see her counting, "see" the wheels in her head turning. It was great joy!

*::*A Perfect Day *::*

This morning I rolled out of bed around 7:30, jumped in the shower, dressed, gathered my things and jumped in the car. Once at work I sat, looked at some books, talked, read Winnie-the-Pooh (!!), held M., and ate dinner. Nothing out of the ordinary, just the typical things I've come to love and long for at the J. house.

However, little did I know that today God had something very different in mind. After dinner the oldest J., J. (yes, I did mean to type J twice) decided it was the perfect time for a walk in the woods next to the house, to see "the clearing" in the somewhat softly falling, somewhat large, snowflakes. (And as some of you just read, I love big, slow falling snowflakes.) J. informed me that it was beautiful when it snowed. It would be a very large, over sized understatement to say I was thrilled! Walk, in the woods, in the snow? Seriously!!?? Yes!! (Actually, as we were walking through the woods, and I was observing the barley-snow-covered ground, the not-too-close-together trees, and the lack of large obtrusive plants, I was thinking the only thing (at least that I can mention) that would have made the moment better would have been if I had been dressed in a long, maroon, velvet dress with a long, black, hooded velvet cape (like elves wear) ... simply perfect.)

So after some minutes of bundling various little ones up, waiting for various older ones to bundle up and making sure everything was ready, we headed out. They almost convinced me to wear a pair of their old boots, but they didn't have any that would fit me ... ha ... so I was able to wear my right-sized, more desirable tennies. :)

Out we went, into the snow, complete with a soft wind that blew my loose hair around (two steps out the back door I regretted not putting my hair up ... and about fifty million times of flinging it over my shoulders (which was hard to do with M. in my arms) I regretted it even more, but chose to look on the bright side, I love the wind in my hair ... just not my face). The walk was absolute bliss!! I couldn't have planned it better. Surrounded by the family I've come to love, by the snow, by the openness of the country, by the woods ... yes, pure, complete bliss. (Picture: us starting our woodland bound adventure. There is one little person you can't see, he's at the very front of the "line" but he got behind someone as I snapped the picture.)

(Below: the "woods")

(Below: "Traveling" Buddy)

We walked some time until we came to "the clearing", but as I was contentedly happy to walk in the snow and woods I didn't take much note of time. It was gorgeous! Just as J. said it would be. A beautiful clearing of trees in the trees. Snow covered the ground, snow blew gently in the air and stuck to your hair, eye lashes, face and anything else, the weather wasn't overly cold ... it was just right. (Pictures left and right: "the clearing")




Walking around to different fallen trees, observing icicles on tree branches, looking at tree trunks that had (according to J) developed a "defense mechanism" (the tree had actually grown around the barbed wire that had been put on it at sometime), leaning my head back and closing my eyes to feel little snowflake fingers on my face, I couldn't help but smile. I was thoroughly enjoying myself to say the very least! (Pictures: (left) a fallen tree ... obviously (right) eating snow? ... looking at the sky? ... enjoying snowflake "fingers" on the face? ... who can say. It just totally pictures what I felt like doing (and did do) ... notice also, little pink bundle of baby in his arms :)


(Below: same fallen tree as above)

(Below: said icicles)

(Below: "defense mechanism" tree trunk. Notice, on the left side of the trunk, the barbed wire coming out, yes, o-u-t of the tree.)

As we turned to leave "the clearing", J, who was leading us on our delightful journey, decided to take us for a longer walk in the woods ... or he had until the little ones were getting cold and ready to head for home. So home we headed.

(Below: picture of the sky, courtesy of N.)

Back in the house we unbundled little ones, and big ones :), cuddled under blankets with little ones, and sat around on the couch and love seat. To add to the wonderfulness and to my great delight, at my request we were able to listen to "A Charlie Brown Christmas". It did require some work, some messing around with cords, some changing position of speakers, some "Okay, don't move" time, but we were able to enjoy (or at least I did) a short time of Charlie Brown ... until the kids tired of it and we moved on to something more desirable. But while it played it was such a delight and added such joy to the moment (to the day really) of "thawing" after such a wonderful walk in the woods, that I couldn't help but smile and thank the one who worked so hard to make it work (even though after I found out how much work it was going to be to make it work and I insisted it wasn't necessary he was determined to make it work ... and did). Yes, you know who you are :) ... thank you ever so much!

And, if that wasn't bliss, joy and delight enough, homemade (much labored over) hot chocolate was produced ... complete with a hat of whipped cream! It was delicious!! Just the thing. You know how something just "hits the spot" ... yeah, that's what it was. (Again, you know who you are ... thank you.) (Pictures: (left and right) need I say anything ... but yum!)





As I was on a time schedule I had to drink my hot chocolate in a quick (but not too quick) manner. Upon seeing I had drained my cup L. came to inquire about my having a second cup. I responded that I would love another cup, but had not the time. She then vanished into the kitchen. On my way out of the house I walked through the kitchen and was informed that I was to take a travel mug of hot chocolate with me. :) (Sweet "kitchen help"!) It almost lasted me all the way home, but not quite. How very kind and thoughtful they are to and of me! I'm so spoiled over there!


The ride home was just as beautiful and wonderful. A soft snow fell, making things white-ish, gray and almost foggy looking. I also slowed down (actually stopped) to take some pictures of some buildings that I see every day. They are very happy with snow on them. Don't you agree? A wonderful end to a wonderful day.






































But after all that, I think I've officially said all I dare say. There were many more things that made my day the most wonderful and perfect ... but they are un-shareable. So I keep them in my mind, pray over them and surrender them to Christ.

Thank you all (both bloggie peeps and J.'s) for sharing this wonderful, memorable day with me! It truly was perfect! I hope in spite of my rambling, un-logical, unintelligent, overly wordy, rather confusing way of telling you that you got most of it. :)

To see pictures better click to enlarge them.

Peace...

*I don't know what it is ... the color, the shinning glass, the wood beneath, the flame, the smell ... but something about these pictures just says peace and serenity to me.*

Cold White Beauty

*~::I love snow. It's so cozy, like a blanket, tucking everything in pure white silence. It makes me want to find a big, fuzzy, warm blanket and curl up by a fire with a cup of hot tea, hot chocolate or coffee. I love the way it crunches when it's cold. I love big, soft, slow-falling snowflakes that stick in your hair and on your eyelashes and face when you go walking in them. I love bundling up to stay warm. I love cold nights when you have to pile on the blankets and put on long pants to stay warm. I just love snow!::~*

Psalm 119 ...

67) Before I was afflicted I went astray.
But now I keep Your word.
66) You are good, and do good; ...

71) It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statues.
72) The law of Your mouth is better to me
Then thousands of coins of gold and silver.

::~:: Cozy Sunday ::~::

::~:: Cozy Dinner ::~::
A family in church made us Sunday dinner. How kind and wonderful is that?!










::~:: Cozy Dinner Music ::~::
I love this C.D. It's one of my favorites. Although, I'm not sure where you can get it any more. I think we bought it at Wal-mart. And yes, we are listening to Christmas music. :)
::~:: Cozy Decorations ::~::
Leah put together a beautiful decoration just before dinner. String, lights and a crystal bowl ... what could be more cozy?






























::~:: Cozy Tea and Outdoors ::~::
Yes, it is snowing here. I'm so excited!! The wind is blowing really hard, making it colder, so it's time for tea, sweaters, long fuzzy socks, big fluffy blankets and projects!











::~:: Cozy Coziness ::~::
A blanket I'm crocheting for Mama and squares I'm crocheting for a blanket for a friend.

It's today...

...The funeral is today. Yesterday was the visitation. I cannot even begin to explain the love and comfort I felt as we grieved for Grandma, but we did not grieve without hope. We know Grandma is with our Lord and Savior and we could not even think of having her back from such glory!! The prayers and the hugs and the flowers from different people ... it was amazing how the Lord used such things to bring about His peace yesterday. So I ask you, again, to continue to keep us in your prayers. Yesterday was hard ... very hard, but today will be much harder, I think. But where we have pain, sorrow and misery, Christ has healing, peace, and mercy! What a joy to walk through this time with Christ in our hearts and minds! Please pray that Christ would be our focus today as we talk to many, many friends and family. That Christ would be made much of, that He would rise above all in our conversations, thoughts and hearts! Thank you, dear, dear bloggie friends.

Please pray

Some of you may remember when my Grandma came to stay with us a while back (and then went home) because she wasn't doing so well. God numbered her days before she was born and that number came. Grandma passed away Saturday night or Sunday morning. Please pray for my Father and his siblings as they try to work everything out for funeral and such, also pray that the peace and grace of our Father and Lord would completely surround them in this time of sorrow and pain. Also, please keep the rest of my family (aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, parents, and such) in your prayers that this would be a time of showing the goodness and love of our Father to those around us. That His light would be what people see in this time of our grief. Thank you so much! Please, if you feel the need, stop over (here or here) and let my father know your praying for him.

My new favorite things!

I'm not really sure what these are "technically" called, but I'm now referring to them as my "spice bowls" because they are small enough to grind just a little bit of spices in them. They are the most wonderfully beautiful things!! I just love them!

Keys to help you wait

My Dad just bought me the book 'Before You Meet Prince Charming' by Sarah Mally of Bright Lights. It was recommended on a blog that has since been closed. I have only read the first five or six chapters (well, actually that makes me about half way through :)) but I LOVE it. I highly recommend this book to any one waiting for their "prince charming". Sarah Mally has a wonderful focus on Christ in this book and it is a wonderful encouragment. But as I was reading through I came across a list she gave of keys to help you wait and I was so encouraged that I had to share it with you, and this list can also be used not just for waiting for your furture mate but anything the Lord has called you to wait for.

Keys to Help You Wait

• Give up your dreams and expectations. Actually, you don't have to give them up; but rather, exchanged them. Exchange your dreams for something far better -- God's perfect plan. Choose to will what God wills (Mt. 10:39).
• Stop. Be still and know that He is God. Consider the awesome power of the God that you serve. What seems impossible to you is nothing for Him. Be still and watch Him work (Ps. 46:10).
• Get out a sheet of paper and begin to list the benefits that you are experiencing through this time of waiting. Don't just make a list in your head. It is helpful to actually write out the benefits. Don't stop until you have at least ten benefits on your list.
• Rejoice in this time of waiting. I know it is hard. It's hard for me too. As I mentionted, waiting is one of the most difficult things God asks us to do. Sometimes it feels like you just can't wait any longer. But struggles and trials are important parts of our lives. Scripture commands us to rejoice in these times of trials (Jas. 1:2, 1Pet. 4:12-13).
• Redirect your focus. Don't focus on the waiting; focus on the Lord.
• In the little events of daily life, learn to look to the Lord to supply your needs and carry your burdens. Have the attitude of David who prayed, "On Thee do I wait all the day ... My soul, wait thou upon God; for my expectation is from Him" (Ps. 25:5, 62:5).
  

Well whadaya know ... a post

Hello bloggie peeps!!! It's been quite a while ... a long while in fact. I haven't been up to much. How about you guys? Leave me a comment about how your life is. I haven't had much Internet connection time lately so I haven't been up-to-date on all of your blogs, so leave me a note, let me know you're still out there!

Although I haven't been blog hopping and blog posting I have been taking pictures, so sometime in the future, (I cannot say near nor far) there will be a post with pictures.

Check out Greta's cutness here and here since I have nothing interesting to say.

Until next time, so long fellow bloggie peeps!