Play Doh Boogers and Other Things God Blessed Me With

I love weeks where things fall into place, even when they don't go the way I had planned.  My dear husband had an unhealthy week altogether.  This kind of thing can really disrupt my organized, meticulously planned week of homeschooling and running my household. God has *finally* shown me over the past few years, though, that this is not necessarily a bad thing and that it is part of HIS plan anyway.  His plan is always better than mine.  :)

What began as some pesky little Crohn's Disease symptoms, escalated to the point that he had to remain in bed for a few days.  When he finally began to recover, an infected tooth sent him to the dentist for repair.  Thankfully, all of his ailments are resolved now and we're enjoying a laid-back weekend!

During this week, I had many moments where I stopped just to think about HOW I was juggling so much at once.  Don't misunderstand, this week had nothing on the weeks that Doug is in the hospital recovering from surgery, but it was a challenging week, nonetheless.  Time and time again, God gave me just what my family needed to make our life feel less hectic and even productive.  Ellery was beyond excited to play Play Doh during school one day--for two hours straight!  She ended up making "boogers" out of the green Play Doh (those brothers teach her well!) and I had to stop often to look at her many creations, but that time she kept busy was a very appreciated gift.  And so, I thanked God that day for Play Doh Boogers.

 
I was able to start and finish a cute pair of monkey slippers during my breaks (aka: naptime).   You can check them out on my Etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89849288/knitted-monkey-slippers


I also found a wonderful web site for making tests.  If you home school your children, I highly recommend this free web site:  https://www.easytestmaker.com/default.aspx.  A BIG time-saver for me!

A Snowy Day

After weeks of waiting, my children's prayers for snow have finally been answered!  While they wanted the snow so that they could go skiing, they seemed pretty happy about tromping around our backyard in it.  Their Dad has promised them a half-day of school to go skiing, but is having a terrible week with his Crohn's Disease and isn't quite up to this kind of physical activity.  Growing up around a sick father has taught them a lot about waiting, patience, and compassion!  My heart is sad for them sometimes when this happens, but I know that this will make them remarkable men, husbands and fathers some day.                                 

They informed me that it wasn't good "packing snow," so my snowman will have to wait for a while. Instead, they rolled around, played on the swing set and trampoline and wrestled with our dog (there's something about a boy in snow pants that makes him feel strong enough to tackle a 90-pound Golden Retriever!).  Brodie tried out his new snowball launcher from Grandpa, but the snow was a bit too fluffy.  Instead they set some "traps" in case anyone tries to jump over our fence.  Apparently they saw some footprints, likely from the gas meter reader, and are convinced someone is going to end up over our fence (these kids have some lively imaginations!). Of course, they eventually got bored with the snow--plus, Ellery hit her head on the patio steps and needed her Momma--and came in for hot cocoa and cinnamon toast.  The perfect ending of a snowy day!

While all of this snowy fun was taking place, I was able to finish knitting an adorable new baby set that includes a sweater, a brimmed hat, and slippers.  It would make a wonderful baby shower gift! You can find it in my Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89694036/golden-baby-sweater-hat-and-slippers-set?ref=v1_other_2