I'm Thankful

As Thanksgiving season is upon us I have pondered my blessings and have realized we have  so much to be thankful for. Each day I wake up and have breath I am truly thankful. Life can bring some down times and even in these times I have learned over the years to find joy amidst every trial. If I look hard enough, I find "bits of grace" woven throughout our journey and upon reflecting this I realize I may not know the bigger picture but I am confident in the One who does.

 Sometimes I fail to notice the simple things in my day that all add up to sweet moments with my friends or family. I want to include these simple blessings because they are all a part of my Life and make me smile when I remember them or take a moment to savor them.

I am THANKFUL for:

warm cozy nights reading to excited children snuggled on a big couch

hot stew in a crockpot with dumplings bubbling on top

braiding my little girl's long dark hair

getting on the floor to build train tracks with the boys

paintings and drawings handed to me to put up on the fridge

wet drooly kisses from a little toddler who wants to kiss me on the cheek

hearing about my beloved's day at work

long heart to heart conversations with my girlfriends at ladies night out

spa nights with my little girls with mud masks, cucumber slices, and manicures

wrestling with the boys, all 3 of them!

listening to oldies with my dad, just because thats what we always did

children that charge at Grampa when he walks in the door

yummy "turkey in the oven" aromas that fill the house and remind us of thanksgivings past...

soft lullabye music in the wee hours of the morning as I rock my toddler back to sleep

hard belly-laughs with the children as we remember funny things they've all said

quiet time before the house stirs

the lovely scent of freshly bathed children who insist on having baby lotion on their faces after bath

warm flannel sheets washed and adorned on our queen sized bed

crisp fall evenings for family walks to the nearby park

prayers said by children who love God

Blessings 1-20 that I am truly thankful for!  I am a blessed woman and I could think of so many more little snippets of wonderful things....but maybe for some other posts...as I think of them...

What are you thankful for ?!

The Family Table

Hello!

I just wanted to write about something today that I believe is an important aspect of our Home and thought I would share a bit about it.
We are big believers in the "Family Table" and have strived to implement it more consistently into our lives. The idea basically comes from growing up with parents who made it a rule that no matter what , each night we sat together as a family for dinner. Now this took some sacrifices and planning on my parent's part as they had a very busy Landscaping business and Dad had alot of men who worked under him and plenty of deadlines and big jobs to complete. Often Dad worked late in the night just  to accomodate our Family time earlier in the evening. That is something I never really thought about or appreciated about my parents until now that I am a  parent myself.. They MADE IT WORK. They just did. Most importantly, they valued us children and made us priority  and to make sure they were the ones to "train us up" in the way we should go.

I remember we had a very long sturdy table and it was often a  very full table, with not only us four children,  but often neighborhood kids who were playing at our house who were invited to stay. My mother was a great cook and delighted in surprising Dad with new recipes she tried and raised us to be the most non-picky eaters mainly because of the variety she offereed and exposed us to as children.
Now I am not saying you need to be an amazing chef to enjoy this routine, it just brought that much more excitement when we could smell the aromas coming from Mom's kitchen while we were playing hide and seek downstairs.

When we were called to the table, the girls helped Mom to serve the dishes and the boys were responsible for filling the cups with drinks. We would sit down and Dad would sit at the end and it wasn't long before we were all sharing about our day. Halfway through our meal, Dad would start telling us stories or teaching us some moral principal and thinking back now, he often would relate it right to the events we had talked about already from that day. He had such a way of explaining things and was not only interesting but humorous. We learned so much from those family discussions and it brought Life to our home. We looked forward to what Dad and Mom would have in mind for our talks each night. This was also the time that Dad would say positive things over us and we grinned ear to ear, especially when it came to our turn. I have fond memories of learning valuable lessons  at the Family Table.

As much as I have carried these memories through the years, I realize they were a starting point for me to continue on with the tradition. Now that we have a housefull of Children and many personalities developing it has been interesting at our own Family Table. We really enjoy getting to know each child and teaching them how to interact, take turns, share and be mindful of their sibling's feelings. It poses a challenge as well, especially with toddlers and preschoolers to teach them to sit quietly even when they are done their meal.
Eventually they get used to it and even babble away adding their two cents in. The children all laugh , especially now when Hannah does it. 

It is amazing how much our children will pour out their hearts (even the Boys!) when we give them the oppurtunity. Many disagreements between siblings have been sorted out too at meal time.  Often we will give them a verse, a quote, a poem and ask them to comment and even the young ones like to particiapate.

I found a great book that we have used as a guide lately in our family discussions and would recommend it. It is called "Gather Round the Dinner Fable" by Steven James (Honor Books Publishing company) It starts off with an idea, an activity or object lesson and discussion starters. Sometimes as parents it is not always easy to come up with exact topics or discussions, and we have found this book is helping us do just that!

Well I hope that by sharing with you all a bit of insight into our Home, it may bless and encourage you to implement something like this in your own home. It doesnt have to be anything too extravagant, just simple. What is important to children (we have noticed) is the Quality Time spent with them, getting to know them and sharing lifelong lessons with them is something they do cherish and look forward to!

A busy Nest....

Hello Everyone!
Life has been busy as usual at the "Nest" and we've all been adjusting to new routines, projects and back to school life. My days fly by and sleep is something i definitly have not had enough of!
We have a teething toddler who has been up frequently in the night, a big boy who is night potty training, and older children who enjoy chatting instead  of sleeping when it comes to bedtime. Needless to say, our nights are sometimes late and interupted. Life goes on in a busy home with many "littles" and we must persevere. I have been blessed to catch a few naps in the afternoons and am so happy that "Family Quiet Hour" has been a success thus far!

The children have started their programs again but this year we have decided to be more conscientious as to what we involve ourselves in. Last year I noticed we seemed to be running to different programs and were not home as much as I think we should have been. These programs were beneficial and provided great learning/social oppurtunities,  but as a family I realized  our time together was not as relaxing and often rushed. I sometimes had a playgroup in the morning, and then we would go the drop-in playcenter and by the time supper came, we had fussy children who were simply exhausted and ready for bed! This mama knows better this year , and are reaping the benefits already! All around the children are well rested, better behaved and we are not as stressed.
All in all its been a great September and I am excited as we move into the Fall season. I have been noticing the leaves are changing colors and even starting to fall. I love each season as it arrives and Fall happens to be one of my favorites!

Well, I am off to switch laundry but wanted to leave a quick update!
Have a great week everyone!!

How to be Perfectly "Miserable"....

How to Be Perfectly Miserable

Think about yourself,

Talk about yourself,

Use "I" as often as possible,

Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others

Listen greedily to what people say about you,

Expect to be appreciated,

Be suspicious,

Be jealous and envious,

Be sensitive to slights,

Never forgive a criticism,

Trust nobody but yourself,

Insist on consideration and respect,

Demand agreement with your own views on everything,

Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown,

Never forget a service you may have rendered,

Be on the outlook for a good time yourself,

Shirk you duties if you can,

Do as little as possible for others,

Love yourself supremely and ...

Be Selfish!

This recipe is guaranteed infallible!!

Author Unknown..

are these little girls not Sweet?!

I found this video years ago and was captivated by it!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8dZom-srPM
Check it out..they did so well for their age...

Smoothies...a building Block for Healthy Living

One of our favorite things to do is make nutritious smoothies. They are easy and fun to blend up. I would recommend a good quality blender because once your family gets a taste of these, they will be asking for Smoothies often!

The Basic Smoothie:


2 bananas

10-12 frozen strawberries

1 cup of apple juice
 
 
The High-C Smoothie:

2 bananas

1 orange

2 kiwis

10-12 frozen strawberries

½ cup of frozen blueberries

1-2 cups of orange juice
 

Eclectic Smoothie

2 bananas

1 apple

1 orange

1 chunk of fresh pineapple

1-2 cups of apple juice
 
There are so many variations and options. You can add any fruit and sometimes you can add soymilk, whole milk or rice milk.  Our family enjoys these as a wholesome breakfast, midday "pick-me-up" snack
or even a bedtime snack. I sneak in some BarleyLife for an added serving of fibre and important vitamins especially for the little ones.
 
 
 

Peaches n' Cream Smoothie

2 Bananas

1 cup of frozen peaches

1 cup apple juice


Exotic Smoothie:

2 bananas


1 mango

2 kiwis

½ a papaya

10-12 frozen strawberries


1-2 cups cranberry juice

Berry Refresher:



2 bananas


1 cup of raspberries


½ cup frozen blueberries

10-12 frozen strawberries


1-2 cups cranberry juice

Happy Smoothie Making!

Around the Corner....

Hello All!

We have been blessed here at the "Nest" and have been soaking up whatever sun we can, savoring Summer.
I have found that the last week has been getting cooler and some nights we've been doubling up the blankets. That can only mean that summer is almost on the way out and around the corner is September and Fall. 

I have been making it a purpose to try to "rise up early" again like I do every year around this time. I am trying to train my body to get on an earlier schedule so that I have a few weeks to ease up to it.  Sadly, with me it's been hit and miss. I admit it-I love my sleep too much. 

I think I may need to head to Wal-Mart and purchase an alarm clock. I know too well the feeling of starting the day later and trying to play "catch-up" the rest of the day. NOT how I want to start September. My personal goal is to be up out of bed at 6:30 and I think that is more realistic than my original 6:00 a.m goal. It doesn't help that the children enjoy their sleep in the mornings too and sometimes can sleep in till 9:00 am!

 Along with getting up early, I have started to write out my routine in my Home Management Binder and started to fill out my menu plans and lunchbox ideas for September. It takes some planning and organizing to get 2 preschoolers up ready for their programs, and  4 children ready for school. 

 The mornings are full with making lunches, getting diapers changed, overseeing that  6 children are dressed appropriately, boys hair combed, girls hair done up, wholesome breakfast made and eaten in set amount of time,  6 sets of  teeth brushed, 6 faces washed, homework put in proper backpacks, and all outdoor clothing on properly. Not too mention prayers that are prayed, kisses and hugs exchanged and words of blessing spoken over their day. It is very busy but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

With that being said, we still have to finish purchasing back to school clothing and switch over from summer to fall clothing. This includes going through ALL the clothing in all the dressers and getting rid of clothes that are out of season and no longer fit. I have an account with a second-hand store called "Mainly Clothes" here in town that carrys "mint" condition Brand name clothing . I bring my clothes there for exchange of in-store credit. Last time I went to browse there, I had $25 in my account from my old stuff being sold! It felt so great to be able to buy more kids clothes with my in store credit- it felt like I was getting it all for free!

Yesterday I bought all the children their new socks and underwear, because after a year of washing it is incredible at how many mismatched sets there are, and of course with boys there are numerous holes in their socks. I like to start Fresh. I bought some of their school supplies too.  I bought them cute stainless steel hot food containers for their lunches, as with many children they do get bored with sandwhiches all the time.

We are trying to be as prepared as we can for this school year. I find each year that comes around it does get a little bit more challenging because there is usually one more child starting school and it takes me a good few weeks to get my routine down pat and for things to run smooth in the morning...that is until I messe it up by sleeping  in!! ha!


Praying I will be able to master getting up early in the next 2 weeks!!! 

so true

Summer Fun!

Hello Everyone;


We have been enjoying our summer days here at the Nest immensely. Each day has been filled with activities, beach days, daytrips and lots of birthdays. We have four birthdays alone just in the month of August! That has meant alot of  BBQ's, spending time with loved ones and friends, and CAKE.


One of the fun things the children enjoy doing each summer is creating their own "Lemonade Stand". This is often set up in our living room and the odd time they are allowed to go out to the front of our house on the sidewalk to setup and sell their lemonade to families or children walking by. They are at the point now where they can make the lemonade on their own with minimal help and its wonderful to see them work together cooperating for their common goal.

They spend the morning creating their own signs, making their own  little money box and getting all the cups and the pitcher ready. With their permission I thought I would share with you all the recipe that  they use. It is super easy , yet is not necessarily for the health conscious ! ha!

 

EASY LEMONADE

Mix well in a 2 quart pitcher:

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup sugar

6 cups of cold water

Chill until ready to serve~

PS. For the most enjoyable lemonade experience, pour into frosty clear glasses and garnish with a sliced lemon and a fresh strawberry or cherry !!

oh...and dont forget the ICE!

I will post later in the week  but just wanted to say hello and update you all.

Cheers!

Been a long while...!

Greetings !! wow..this month sure has flown by! I have been extremely busy as this summer has been filled with activities, outings, and at the end of most days I collapse into bed! I have not had much time for blogging or updating.
I plan to post about some of the things we have done this past month, and try to update more frequently.
Above is a picture of Me with the "littles" I thought I would share. They are just so cute!!
Just wanted to pop in and say hi, as now I am off to get some laundry done (Laundry NEVER ends here at the Nest!)
Cheers!
Nikiyah