The blessings of motherhood

Isabelle's new dress!

I made a new dress for my 2yr. old.  It is just a basic pattern, but I love the fabric.  For one, I got it on the clearance rack at walmart, and two, it has that "vintage" look to it.  Anyhow, just want to share a few photos:

Gabrielle, my 7yr. old, helped a little with this.  She is very excited, my friend and I are going to begin sewing classes with our daughters this week.  Their first project will be aprons, and then I want to make colored dirty clothes bags for each bedroom.  A white bag, light and dark bag to help the kids with their sorting.  What are some other things we can use as a beginning project for our girlies?  Any ideas would be great!

Blessings, Rossie

Out of the mouths of babes...

We had an "Abraham" moment that I just had to share.  This 6yo. boy of mine colors my calander with the silly/hillarious/hysterical mind that he has.  I don't know where he gets his humor, but I will say that his rather quiet/inverted daddy of his likes to glide and prance through Blockbuster video store as if he were a gazelle.

As the story goes:

Mom - "Okay son, sound out this word."

Son - "SSSSSAAAAADDDDD"

Mom - "Now say it fast"

Son (while now distracted by the paint on the wall in front of him) says, "MAD"

Mom - "No son you did not say the sound MMMMM, you said SSSSSSS..........son please look at the page...son? Hello....it's right here....just look down...Son?"

Son - "I'm sorry mom, I'm just confused in my brain...I think there's a party going on in there!)

Mom - (Silence)

[Enter third party]  Kids in next room - (booming laughter)

Son - (big grin)

Mom - (to the calander to write this interresting reading experience amid laughter throughout the house)

Sigh...oh the joy of homeschooling!

My Friday...

Well, it turns out my roast last night was much larger than I had thought, so we had roast, carrots, mashed potatoes & gravy (little tip, I bought a huge bag of potatoes on sale, and they lasted so long...in the fridge), wild rice and stewed tomatoes.  So tonight we will be having the menu posted yesterday...I love when this happens!

Today is my "Deep cleaning" day as is every Friday.  If you do not have a home management planner and would like to build one, then head on over to Large Family Logistics.  She has a great system that I have followed for quite some time.  She is a list maker/planner/scheduler lady like myself, and I love it!

On my cleaning list for today:

Vacuum

Mop

Wash doorknobs and door frames

Wash windows

Scrub tubs and toilets

Dust

Sort laundry (tomorrow is "Laundry Day")

1 load laundry (I do one load per day, and finish on Saturday along with doing all the bedding Saturday)

Water plants

My daily chores

Of course, I don't do this all myself, that is why I have children!!!  After our morning routine and morning chores, we do school and then get on with the good stuff!  Deep cleaning day is actually fun for all of us...this is the day the kids get to switch around chores, and do the "fun" things.  My 3 year old especially loves the hand held vacuum that he uses to suck up all the dust bunnies under the beds and in the corners of the house.  Anyway, hopefully it all goes smoothly!

Happy Friday!

How do I get my "Catagories" list to show!

I am a computer clutz, and I cannot figure out how to get my Catagory list to show in the right hand column!  Any help would be fantastic...also those of you who have had your Blog makeovers, do you do it by yourself...or do you have someone else do it for you??  I love them and would love to have something to fit my personality more!

Blessings, Rossie 

Created to be his Help meet!

I am reading the book Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl:

And after throwing the book across the room a few times I came to the realization that she really speaks the truth.  She is not crazy and judgementat as I first had thought, she is doing what God has commanded her to do.  She is teaching us women that our job as help meet and keepers of our home is a HUGE job!  You will not find a job description in all the world as detailed nor as important as this job, and she is teaching us the meat...no sugar coating and no beating around the bush.  She is putting her neck out and takes a lot of heat for what she says, and I admire that and am thankful for it!

Anyway all that to say, I wanted to list a few of the qualifications we have as wives and mothers listed in her book:

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not falce accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober,

Sober - To do one's duty, be moderate, self-controlled, thoughtful, and to learn to make wise decisions and judgements.

to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet,

Discreet - Prudent; wise in avoiding error and in selecting the best means to accomplish a purpose;circumspect;courteous, polite, honest dealings.

chaste,

Chaste - Pure in thought, word, and act, and to be modest and honorable in all things.

keepers at home,

Keepers - Being on guard, watching, caretaker.

Home - Seat of domestic life.

good,

A Good woman is genuine, joyful, virtuous, valuable, competent, ready, kind, benevolent, merciful, hardworking, agreeable, pleasant, congenial, honorable, faithful, gracious and wise.

obedient to heir own husbands,

Obedient - Yielding, willing and eager to accomplish injunctions or desires, abstaining from that which is forbidden.

that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Titus 2:3-5

Wow...is there a school where we can go to get a degree in all these areas??  Absolutly not!  We need to be seeking God's help and counsel in all these areas, our job is so very important and we can not risk doing it without His help.  You are all amazing women and I am so thankful that I have this family here to help me grow in the areas that I am weak (which is most), encourage me to seek the Lord and lifting me and my family up in prayer...I love you ladies!

Okay, this is turning out to be a bit more sappy than I had intended...Sorry!

Homestead Kitchen Challenge

My menu for this evening is:

Pulled pork sandwiches (frozen half a pork loin)

Salsa (in pantry)

Beans (canned Texas Ranch Style)

Salad w/h'made Italian dressing

Peach cobbler (canned peaches)

Lemonade ( I have that powdered kind that I need to get rid of)

Homestead Kitchen Challenge!

I am joining my friend Patti over at Collins Country in her "Homestead Kitchen Challenge"

This is for all of us that need to purge our pantry...a much need thing in my home!!  Go on over to her blog to read the rules, but be sure to leave a comment for me that you have joined in this challenge so that I can visit your blog and hopefully get some great "purging" meal ideas!

My first meal:

Hawiian Honey Ham (ham has been in the freezer too long, can of pineapple and honey glaze)

Can of green beans (w/balsalmic vinegar, and bacon...also been in the freezer too long)

Wheat rice (mixed with a can of stewed tomatoes)

Homemade wheat rolls

For a bunch of purging items, this actually sounds very good to me...What have I been waiting for???  Thanks Patti!

Works for me Wednesday!

My works for me Wednsday is paint!  For those of you who don't already know, I love to paint things...when I am just needing a change or want to "liven" up the house, I don't go buy something new (expensive furniture, bedding etc.)  Nothing gives a makeover like a good ol' paint job!  Sometimes it is an old piece of furnature like HERE, and other times it is a faux headboard like HERE, and then there are times like the present when a stinky boy's bedroom needs a good fixin' up!

If you don't live on a farm, you can create one on a bedroom wall...how??..you might ask!

WITH PAINT!!

Works for me Wednesday...on Tuesday!

Well, this morning my 3yo. looked outside and said, "Mommy it's sure FROGGY outside."  This is one of those moments I do not want to forget, and althogh I do have a "mommy journal" I am not always good about keeping up with it.  So, I wanted to share a little tid bit I have been doing for quite a few years to remember these funny little things or milestones that my kids reach. 

Drum roll please...

I write them on my calander!!!!!!!  Then at the end of the year, I transfer them into my journal, or if there are only a few (not likly...I have funny children) I just cut them out and put them in my journal.  This helps me remember and in the future, it will give them something to go back and look at.

Anyhow, just wanted to share that!

My wonderful hubby!

Today I have been thinking how utterly blessed I am with my husband.  I called him to tell him that I am so impressed with him.  Not many women are able to stay home with their children, homeschool, have their bills paid, food put on the table, recieve fabulous gifts and be completely, loved and cherished by their husbands.  I told him that really he is something special.  I told him that even though he gets stressed and has to work many hours, I see God blessing him and his work.  My husband is self employed and is able to provide for not only the needs of our family, he goes out of his way to provide for our desires.  Even beyond that, he makes time to provide for us emotionally.  I had to tell him that for some reason, it dawned on me what a gift he is (duh...I know).  You know what he said??  Nothing for a moment...he was speechless, and this is when I realized that he needs to hear this all the time.  That is what I am here for...I am his helpmeet!  I can't do much by means of physically helping him, but I can help him other ways.  He is running a race for our family, and I need to be offering him that cool drink.  I need to be his refreshment when he has had a long day.  I need to encourage him and be his prayer warrior!!  Forget all his shortcomings, in the long run, he is doing so much so that his family can be blessed!  What an amazing man!!!  Our guys need to hear that they are special, that we know how hard they work.  My husband knows every little thing I am struggling with...I am a woman...I talk!!!!!  I cannot even begin to imagine what he struggles with because he has the heart not to want me to worry.  We can't wait till they are vocalizing their struggles, for a man, this may be too late!  We need to be anticipating it, uplift them...praise them...thank them...pray for them...interceed on their behalf...be the helpmeet God has called us to be!!

Okay, sorry,  I am now putting down the megaphone, and stepping off my soapbox.

Blessings, Rossie