This morning its Brrrr cold in Alabama at 28.  I've got daughter snuggled in our old antique bed where it was piled with quilts, her room has so many windows its cooler on days like this, so when Daddy left for work, in she trodded at 12 to snuggle in.

  This morning I am up for cleaning out our Master closet. This is stage two, where more ruthless sacking up is needed, giving away that which isn't used and needed to those who can use it.  I dislike a crowded closet and grew up with hooks on the wall in an antebellum home, so I do not see use for more than five or so outfits if they are chosen well.  Currently there are still too many.

   Dh and I had some difficult talks this weekend.  It culminated in a family meeting before church and the teens were given a chance for input on the stress causers. It was a good family meeting and we all left in better shape.

    This week I am packaging Christmas for Oklahoma family so that Dh can take it when he leaves Friday. We did a shop yesterday to finish 4 presents we didn't have yet and had a wonderful experience with 50% off sales and then additional coupons to get each gift for $6.99 or so.  I was so thrilled. The teen boys 3 piece Joe Boxer flannel sets (shirt, boxers, pajama pants) were 5.99, usually 29.99 and our boys love them so that was very good. We have $200  budgeted for individual gifts for all ($200 total for 6 of us) and then we are buying one family gift for $300.  We also have 8 extended family that will come out of that budget. Some of it is homemade (like Christmas dresses) and other things are purchased carefully. One purchase yesterday gave us a $25 gift card as a bonus, so that became a present purchaser.  Another store had a free $25 card, so we found a $30 item and the $5 difference was our cost. That kind of thing.  We're almost done, two more things we have to find for son1 on the list at the price we want then its done. Christmas is 3 items or less per child at our home and usually one per mom and dad. Its about the gathering, food and fellowship of celebrating God, not anything else here.

    We are changing our plans for Thanksgiving. Friday through Wednesday the boys and girls will be at their natural dad's in Arkansas hunting with family there, and Dh will be in Oklahoma then we will all meet at my dad's for Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday.  Chase will most likely return to his dad's through the weekend to hunt, but my dad has cancer, and we felt we all need to go, Dh needs to be at his Grandad's as well, but he is in the hospital, so Dh will spend Fri- Wed in his town.  A busy week to be sure...I hope Fri through Wed I get alot accomplished at home alone and at least a little down time as well.

     I am planning, since our Christmas buying is over, that the weeks in December I can take advantage of holiday sales and stock up food supplies. Coupons have been great combined with sales.  Yesterday libby cans were 50 cents, and I had a coupon for 3/50cents, so that got them down to 33 cents apiece.  Aldi had a $10 off coupon, everything helps, then we have the cupboard to share as we find folks who need help.

God is good, I am thankful and that closet is waiting!

Sweetie

I wrote a post about a trouble I was having with my stepson, which after reading the comments was deleted.  I was upset and needed to vent.  Instead of the prayers I thought would be given I was told that my husband was not doing his part in helping me raise the boys.  My husband is doing the best that he can.  He takes care of 6 people including Nick's Mom, whom has not had a job for years.  We are paying off our debts so in order for the kids to have a decent Christmas he has had to work to make extra commissions.  Plus, if his boss says that he has to go to Seattle or wherever to sell then he has to go.  No ones job is safe in this economy and everyone has to keep their noses to the grindstone. 

Bryan has never nor would ever say that he was being like his Mom when Nick was around.  It was said privately to me in our bedroom when the kids were asleep down the hall.  Nick knows that we get frustrated with him, but that line has never and will never be crossed in regards to his mother.  Honestly, we do not ever consider her as a part of anything we do.  She lives 2000 miles away, talks to Nick maybe once a week, and has no say in his life, by her decision.  We have given custody papers which she has refused to sign.  Nick will not visit her, he can decide at his age, until she signs the papers.  He says he doesn't want to visit her until he has the proof that she has to send him back.  He wants nothing to do with her, but we try to force him to have somewhat of a relationship with her because she is his mother.  Trust me, its hard because when he gets off the phone he yells at us for forcing him to pick up the phone-we did stop forcing him to return her calls.

I work by saving money for my husband, taking care of the kids because it is not anyone else's responsibility, and sell baked goods and books on Amazon.  About the baked goods, they were cooling and I could not put them away or it would have melted the plastic.  Of course I should have said something to Nick as soon as he walked in the door, but I was doing homework with my other son and it didn't occur to me at the time.  It was mentioned that if I worked my husband would be home to help me.  If I was to work outside of the home I would only work when the kids are in school or my husband is home.  I cannot, however, work outside of the home because I have a workers compensation injury and have not been released by my physician.  

I felt that my husband and I were being attacked.  Apparently I am not allowed to feel frustrated raising a teenager with emotional problems stemmed from his Mother's beatings and rantings on top of his hormonal changes.  This is the end of this conversation now and forever. 

I promise, I will NOT talk about my family life again.  Only our family knows what happens in our home from now on.

P.S. My other son is not perfect, as was mentioned in a comment.  The difference with him is that the formative years he was raised by me and no one, even his teachers, say he is a problem.  Bryson is a people pleaser.  Nick is not. 

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

• 3 cups cauliflower, diced small
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups half and half
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Directions

Blanch cauliflower in boiling salted water and refresh under cold water. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in large saucepan, add onions and saute until tender and translucent. Add garlic and saute' 30 seconds. Add flour and cook and stir 2 minutes. Whisking hard, add half and half and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir in cheese. Add the seasonings and mustard. Lower heat to be sure soup does not boil again or it may curdle. Add cauliflower and heat through. Garnish with bits of red pepper and lots of minced parsley. Makes 2 quarts.

Parents' Responsibilities

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your strength.

And these words which I command you today shall be in your
heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when
you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

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We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

Psalm 78:4-7 NIV

__________________

Train up a child in the way he should go,
even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 NASB

__________________

And now a word to you fathers. Don't make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4 NLT

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But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:14,15 NIV

The apostle Peter knew that hard days lay ahead for his fellow believers. So he reminded them about their security as children of God: they were chosen by Him, born into a living hope, given spiritual protection during this life, and guaranteed eternity in heaven with their Father. Peter then gave them specific ways to prepare for the coming trials. His words, divinely inspired by the Lord, can guide us as well.

His first instruction relates to our minds: What we believe has a direct impact on our response to life's problems. If we trust that God is looking out for us, then we will feel less threatened by hard circumstances. But if we decide we must rely on ourselves, then we are more likely to react poorly to situations beyond our control. A negative attitude--whether from anger, fear, worry, or jealousy--can make a hard time worse. Preparation for the future starts with developing biblical thinking.

A second lesson from Peter is to be "sober in spirit"--in other words, to maintain our balance in the midst of crises (v. 13). That requires resisting quick fixes to problems and refusing to embrace ungodly ideas or philosophies. Our enemy Satan is quick to offer suggestions designed to trip us up or turn us away from God's path. With the Spirit's help, we can learn to stand firm in a crisis and steadfastly follow the Lord.

Our culture is increasingly distancing itself from Jesus Christ and opposing His followers. Are you preparing spiritually for whatever the future holds?

Here we go again...I got a letter this week from the company that prints our newspaper. I also received a phone call from the Newspaper Office today..... We have a carrier, who is always faithful to deliver it, plus she encloses her bill, which we always pay several months in advance. I wondered why I had got a bill when my paper isn't due to be paid until January. I called my newspaper person today, and it seems everyone who gets the newspaper got the same letter and a bill. What they want you to do is allow them to do direct billing to your bank account....NO WAY !....we allowed the insurance company to do this and they took out three months all at once...they got shut off, too......I am so disgusted. I told the lady on the phone...#1....I did not authorize you to start my newspaper on Nov. 9th...I have a carrier, and I have paid for my paper. I did not talk to anyone to start it, so do not send me another bill...When I talked to my carrier I was told it was being outsourced as well, you did not know WHO you were talking to, it was not the Abilene office. Dear Lord, here we go again...now they are messing with my newspaper...

I just stopped in real quick to say that the first day of Holiday Homemaking freebie is up!! So go stop by our website and pick up the ebook :) Today's ebook is "Be An Indian!" We have easy indian costumes and a woodworking project for the boys to make a pioneer gun!

I'm temporarily changing this template to one that I (and everyone else for that matter) can stand to look at without getting a headache! I'm not a procrastinator, I'm itching to fix this thing, but there are only so many hours in the day. The Holiday Homemaking deal has consumed our attention! So, till the day before Thanksgiving, the occupied sign shall be on my door!

Have a blessed day everyone! And enjoy the free ebooks!