thanksgiving review

we drove back yesterday from western WA. we had drizzle for the first few hours and then just clouds. today back in boise, its sunny and clear blue skies--my kind of day. i was amazed at how much i've forgotton how gray and drab WA can be, for days on end, and how much it depresses me. but like i told my mom and my sister: i didn't go for the weather!

it was a delight to spend time with my mom. we took her with us to our in-laws who live a couple hours north on whidbey island. it was a wonderful time with mike's family. the meal was scrumptious---josiah had 3 helpings of his grandma's awesome orange jello salad. the girls played a game of sequence and my niece and i beat her mom and her grandma! youth was victorious!

we also celebrated joe's b-day with it being so close. joe was gifted with everything clone wars. he got the new dvd from one grandma and a lightsaber that lights up and makes noise from the other grandma. his dream come true!

i also got to spend time with one of my sisters and her family. her son watched josiah one evening, watching his new dvd and devouring pizza while we went to red robin for another scruptious meal. and i wonder why my jeans feel a little snug today???

driving around my ol stompin grounds i was amazed at how much it has changed. new stores and restaurants, new roads and intersections. the puget sound doesn't look like a recession has hit from my cursory glance, but time may tell ....

i didn't get to visit the water as i wanted to, but with all the clouds and gray i wasn't too disappointed. maybe next time we visit ...

all in all, we had a wonderful trip but are glad to be home again. back to the blue skies and sunshine. back to mounds of laundry to get washed. back to hearing joe watch his clone wars dvd for the upteemth time ....

and to wrap this up, i'm so thankful for family, for friends, and for blogging friends i've gotton to know over the past year.

... on the road again ...

yesterday we headed out on the road and drove the 10 hours from boise to the seattle area. it was a fun, uneventful trip and we got great gas mileage to boot! this was the first long road trip with our silver bullet and we weren't sure how she would do. but i am impressed.

i didn't have a chance to let you all know that i had a question posted on 5 minutes for special needs about joe's sleep habits. if you're interested, hop on over and see what my question was and the great wisdom from the other parents.

we are heading up to see my mom this afternoon and heading up to my in-laws tomorrow morning for Thanksgiving.


p

Great Quote

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.

C. S. Lewis

Monday over at the Simple Woman's Daybook

hosted by peggy over at The Simple Woman's Daybook


FOR TODAY November 24 ...

Outside my window... sunshine, yay sunshine!

I am thinking... of our plans to head over to Seattle for Thanksgiving

I am thankful for... the opportunity to be with family on Turkey Day

From the kitchen... clean and shiny so it will be a nice sight to come home to

I am wearing... jeans, my fav green floral cotton top, and hair tossed up with a barrette

I am creating... more cards to take over to my sis and her friend. they've commissioned me to make cards for Christmas. for more, see my blog handmade blessings

I am going... to finish laundry, iron hubbies shirts, pack up for the 3 of us

I am reading... an agatha christie mystery "parker pyne investigates"

I am hoping... for no mishaps, an uneventful trip to and from

I am hearing... the dryer tumbling, the radio jabbering, my computer humming

Around the house... suitcases open, folded laundry, stacks of books,dvd's, etc

One of my favorite things... being with family and traveling

A few plans for the rest of the week: spending time with my sister, taking my mom up to my inlaws for thanksgiving, knitting, reading, eating turkey, relaxing, and giving thanks for all my blessings

cell phone no more

we have had a cell phone in some form or another for the last 18 years. and yes, they have been around that long! my husband had one of those large brick phones that had the atenae sticking out of it. it got sketchy reception, but it was for his biz. it wasn't until the late 90's that we added a phone for me. our son came along, we had the money and i was just sure i would need a phone for those emergencies that happen with kids. i got the cute red nokia and loved feeling important enough to have a cell phone. ya, i'm that shallow.

over the years we would change our phone plans. more minutes when we had lots of calls to do or when we used our cells as our only phone. it was nice not having a landline at times. less minutes when it just got too costly or didn't seem to be needed. we got a few new phones over the years, some good and some not so good. and we had the unexpected need for new phones after the dog ate ... not one ... but two! ... i said TWO phones in ONE week. not only did we get a new phone, but we found the dog a new home. and yes we warned the new owners of the dogs desire to eat cell phones among other things.

about a year ago we started thinking about cutting the umbilical cord to the cell phone. we contacted our service provider to find out when our contract would be up. not til fall they told us. unless we wanted to pay their outrageous "get out of jail free" fee.

i counted down the days to when we could get rid of the cell phones and the monthly payment. the university apt we moved into provided a free landline with the apt so our need for a cell phone was not as big as our need to decrease our cost of living. when we were finally able to send in our last payment, i was overjoyed. our last day happened to fall on a friday. that weekend something felt off. it wasn't until a few days later that i realized that i had used my minutes to call long distance to friends and family scattered far from boise. i know there are answers for this problem, but i hadn't bought a long distance phone card yet at that point. and i noticed that when i'm driving to and fro, i often think of a phone call i need to make. old habit of making calls while driving which i'm probably better off not participating in.

eventually when funds allow we'll probably get a cell again. but i don't plan on going back on an overpriced 2 yr plan with one of the big companies. rather i'm toying with getting one of those pay as you go phones. no contract, no paying for minutes i'm not using, no hassle if i decide i need to cut costs for awhile.

so how bout you: are you cutting back? have you reviewed any long standing habits to see how you might cut corners? i'd love to hear your story.

ps: its kind of nice not to be interupted all the time too.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Josiah

you're 11 years old now today. all boy, but still my special one. the one who loves to giggle, laugh, tickle. who loves pizza and desserts and mashed potatoes and mac n cheese. who loves to go swimming, play challenger baseball, play tag and watch tv. who gives smiles and hugs generously. who still cuddles with me in bed. who loves to be read to, sung to and talked to. tho a boy of "few" (none) words, you have learned how to get your needs met.

we love you Josiah and can't wait to see what another year holds. thanks for coming and blessing our family with your presence.

(no photos to go with this post =( my computer is indisposed and i'm using hubby's computer. thx hubby!)

being frugal

this has been a subject i have toyed around with diving into. becuz of the economy it seems to be of more interest to people. but that's not my only motive for bringing it up. rather, moving to boise we have downsized. we went from a 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1940's tudor style home with a full basement and single car garage, fenced yard in a great n'borhood to a 2 bedroom student apt across the street from the university. hubster used to work part time to subsidize our disability income and i picked up odd jobs now and then. now we are living in a more expensive area with less income. we are hoping that a job at the university comes thru for hubby next semester, but regardless we are having to tighten our belts.

in years past, i have had to be frightfully frugal, and other times i have been able to spend more freely. i am wanting to revisit my previous frugal ways and learn some new ones. i know i can do it cuz i've done it before.

meanwhile, our pastor at the Pursuit has been preaching a 3 part series on Money. entitled appropiately enough: MONEY, MONEY, MONEY (you know the tune!) one thing he keeps stressing is that money, finanaces, moulah is really a matter of the heart. its not so much about how much we have or don't have, but what is our attitude about how much i have or dont' have. and that leads me to the question of the day: am i content?

there is a verse in timothy that says godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 tim 6:6) now i confess that while i have tried to live a godly life, it has not always been a content life. and therefore, there has not been a whole lot of gain, let alone great gain in my life up to this point. you see not being content, even when we had more, robbed me of so much. it robbed me of my joy, it robbed me of being able to give of myself and my resources, it made me continually be in search of something else ...

knowing this about myself, coming into this move to boise and downsizing our stuff and our lifestyle, i have been making an effort of being conscious of where my contentment/discontent equation lies. i have been making a concerted effort to be content in where we are in life. part of it has been easier, since i know that this will most likely be temporary. michael has 2 years of schooling and after he graduates he will be looking for a job that pays more like we were accustomed to be being paid. but there are no guarentees in life; as james says "come now you who say. "today or tomorrow we shall go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit" yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. you are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

so i'm trying not to just look to the future and wait this time out, but rather i am willing myself, choosing to be content, to be happy even in this season of life. even if it lasts for the rest of my life.

yes, we need to pay down and pay off our debt we have foolishly incurred. yes, i want to get to a place of financial freedom where i can give financially to ministries i believe in. yes, we need to build up a savings nest for unexpected emergencies. pastor paul's sermons covered these areas and showed the truth from the Word as to how we should do this and why. if you're interested, you can go to the pursuit and download the sermons onto your ipod or mp3 player.

but for me, from this day forth, i am choosing to be content.

Great Quote #3

The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.

C. S. Lewis

Bond, James Bond

on sat we met up with my brother and his wife, to see the latest bond movie. wow, what a ride! it was fast paced from the outset. it had the typical bond girls, the evil enemies of a new operation, the tuxes, the martini's, and the dead bodies. the movie connected with the last one and wrapped up some storylines while adding new ones to the mix. all in all, a very enjoyable outing for us. plus we had time to chit chat a bit with my brother and sis in law both before and after the movie.

and hubby and i had some us time without #1 son. we hooked up with a great babysitter from church. mackensie's mom is one of the teachers in the special friends class that joe attends and mackensie did a great job with him. as a mom, i'm always looking for good babysitters who like joe and will keep him in line.

next up is joe's b-day and if the reviews are good, i think we'll be taking him to see "bolt".

What am I thankful for?

its another thankful thursday here at challenges and adventures. if you want to join others hop over to grace alone ... check out what others are thankful for or write a list of your own.





i am thankful for the challenges that God has brought into my life. i dont' think i could always say that. we went thru years of infertility that i wasn't much thankful for, and then when we had our son, i was so thankful for him. but when we found out he had a disability my faith crashed against the rocks. how could i be thankful for that? but it was having a son who had a disability and learning deeper who God is and what His plan is for this earth, my life included, that i am thankful for. if i had not had Josiah, i don't know if my faith would have been tested like that or that i would have grown in my faith. God used my son as the melting pot to refine what little silver there is in my life. he used the trials i have endured to be the chisel to scrape off the gunk, not fun when it happens, but oh so needed to see what lies beneath. God has used trials to prune me and shape me, and for that i am thankful. i am thankful that he didn't leave me in the condition i was in 10, 15 , or 20 years ago. He loves me too much to leave the gunk on me. i am thankful that He cares that much about me. and i'm thankful that He knew what it would take to mature me, but not break me.

so what about you? what are you thankful for today?

Great Quote

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

C. S. Lewis

Giving Thanks Challenge Update

well, i forgot to update my thankful list over the weekend. i think i'm going to put my list on the side bar under the button instead of doing a separate post each day! so look on the side bar for my thankful updates. and tell me, what are you thankful for?

update: fall into reading

i think we're about half way thru the fall into reading 2008 so i thot i'd give you an update, sorry thing that it is.

i have totally ignored my reading list, tho i do have 3 books on my sidetable just waiting to be picked up. i started reading dies the fire and couldn't get into it, so i'm crossing that one off my list. instead i went back to my fav author, agatha christie and read the blue train. another fine mystery from the queen of mystery. i have also started reading created to be his helpmeet and am in the first or 2nd chapter. i like to read it slow so i can chew on the good stuff she talks about.

at this rate i will probably not get to all my books, unless i put some serious time into reading. a new goal i have is to get my son to sleep before i need to go to sleep. that would give me some time to read before bed. we'll see if i can make that happen.


how 'bout you? how are you doing on your reading stack? did you join the reading challenge?

rainy days and mondays ...

peggy at the simple woman's daybook has a new spot for all of us who like to join in with her on mondays. click here and join us in the fun!



FOR TODAY Nov 10,08

Outside My Window... the sun is peeking out spreading its sunshine on us.

I am thinking... of how to make my house a haven of comfort for my family

I am thankful for... LIFE!! wonderful, glorious life. with family, friends, fellow believers

From the kitchen... teriyaki chicken in the crockpot, dirty dishes from oatmeal this morning, the lingering scent of my decaf mocha.

I am wearing... still in my pink pj's. gotta get dressed!

I am creating...cards: b-day, thinking of you, get well, thanksgiving, Christmas, just becuz ...

I am going... nowhere today---ahhhh! a stay at home day.

I am reading... created to be his helpmeet. reading it slowly this 2nd time around so i can digest it and put it into practice.

I am hoping... we can go back home for thanksgiving

I am hearing...praise music on my radio

Around the house... evidence that the #1 son was home, crayons needing picked up, toys scattered, videos in disarray.

One of my favorite things... talking to my sister on the phone each week. we have a thursday afternoon date on the phone to connect.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: get back to gym, make pumpkin choc chip muffins, go to the library, see a movie with hubby and friends.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Frugal Dinners Update

here's my update of how the end of the month meals went. the cheese quesadilas went over well, but i noticed my husband scrounging around later mumbling something about protein. the salmon fettucine was good, tho i didnt' realize til too late that the salmon had bones in it! ugh. i didn't make hot dog buns, instead i made a pasta dish with the bratworst and that worked out fine. and on sunday i had forgotton that they were serving lunch for us at the membership class we attended.

since then i've been calculating an approximate of how much i'm spending on dinners, with a high of almost $8 for french dips i made at home, and a low of $4 on the taco salads i made the other night. i think keeping our dinners to $5 is a challenge i can do.

thanks for all you comments you left on what you do when you're looking for frugal meals. i have a feeling with this economy i'll be revisiting this subject often.

If I Was ...

found this on another blog (of course!) and thot i'd play along.
(disclaimer: this is how i like to think of myself or want to be, which may not be the same as how i really am)

If I was a month, I would be... May

If I was a day of the week I would be... lazy Sunday morning

If I was a number I would be... 7

If I was a planet I would be... Pluto

If I was a direction I would be... West (go west, young man)

If I was furniture I would be... comfy, cozy reading chair

If I was a liquid I would be... amaretto

If I was a sin I would be... greed

If I was a mineral I would be... black jade

If I was a metal I would be .. sterling silver

If I was a tree I would be... japanese cherry tree in full bloom

If I was a fruit I would be .. blackberries

If I was a flower I would be... peony

If I was the weather I would be .. sunshine

If I was a musical instrument I would be... saxaphone

If I was one of the elements I would be... fire

If I was a color I would be... cherry cobbler red

If I was an animal I would be... siberian tiger

If I was a sound I would be... train

If I was a song lyric I would be... "Cherish is the word I use to describe
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could
Mold you into someone who could
Cherish me as much as I cherish you"

If I was a song I would be... "Bring the Rain" by Mercyme

If I was a music genre I would be... ballad

If I was a perfume I would be... something light and fresh

If I was a feeling I would be... contentment

If I was a book I would be… epic fantasy

If I was food I would be… the most decedent chocolate dessert

If I was a place I would be ... the beach

If I was a taste I would be... chocolate & caramel with a hint of vanilla

If I was a scent I would be… ocean sea air

If I was a word I would be… LOVED

If I was a verb I would be… dancing

If I was an object I would be… a well loved book

If I was a clothing item I would be… a favorite t-shirt

If I was a body part I would be… hands

If I was an expression I would be… a contagious laughing smile

If I was a cartoon character I would be…

If I was a movie I would be… "the princess bride"

If I was a shape I would be… heart shaped

If I was a season I would be… spring

If I was a quote I would be… no matter where you go... there you are.

Thankful Thursday

its thankful thursday during the the thankful month challenge---double whammy!









so today, i am thankful for my God. for knowing Him as my Savior and leader. for His sovereignty in this universe. for His all knowing, ever lasting presence, and all powerful power. there is no one like my God.

i am thankful for being included in His family. for His guidance, wisdom for me. for giving me His Word so that i can know Him more fully each and every day. for His comfort and love. words cannot express my gratitude for the Lord God Almighty.

"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and besides thee, i desire nothing on earth. my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever ....but as for me, the nearness of God is my good; i have made the Lord God my refuge, that i may tell of all thy works." psalms 73: 26, 28

My New Header with Picture

did you notice? i changed the picture on my header. i was getting really nostaligic every time i saw daisy up there gazing back at me. i thot it was time for a change. so now you get to see my son sitting at a restaurant enjoying his fav italian food, PIZZA!

what do you think? keep it? try again? doesn't matter? its your opportunity to give your input on what you'd like to see on my blog.

Thankful Challenge # 3

i am thankful for a new day, bright sunshine and warmth. a new day to praise the Lord, to live for Him, to give of myself. yes, i am thankful.

Giving Thanks # 2

i am so thankful that this election cycle is coming to a close! enough already!!! but really, it is a blessing to have free elections here in the US. to be able to choose our officials who take care of govt business.

and i am thankful that no matter who is in the white house or congress or the local mayors office, God is on His Throne. He is the just judge, the righteous advocate, and the sovereign Lord over all.

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. ps 103:19

Thankful Month #1

none of my family are consistent bloggers. my 83 yr old mother actually blogged for awhile but has gone on to more important writing adventures, which i applaud. so when i write something on my blog i have to forward it to them so they will see it. they don't get the "go visit your fav blogs each day or several times a day! to see whats new" so i sent them my blog about doing the thanksgiving challenge. i encouraged them to start their own thankful list. and then, (the point to which i'm getting to here), i told them how thankful i am for them, the women in my life. i have a wonderful godly mother, 2 wonderful sweet sisters and an equally wonderful sisiter in law who lives here in idaho. it has been so fun to live in the same town after the many years of being in different states or cities.

i'm thankful for their voice in my life, for the love and care they deposit into my love tank, for the sound of their voices when we get to chat on the phone or face to face. i'm richer becuz of these women in my life and i wouldn't have it any other way. except maybe that we could all live closer!

so what are you thankful for today? and are you going to join me in the thanksgiving challenge?

The Thankful Month

In honor of the month of November, which boasts a most wonderful holiday, Leah over at South Breeze Farm is hosting her 2nd Annual Giving Thanks Challenge! i haven't done this before but its not too late to join in now.

Leah writes: All you have to do is post one thing you're thankful for each day somewhere on your blog. It doesn't even have to be an actual thought-out post. Just start making a list on your sidebar - somewhere you can see it every day to encourage an attitude of thankfulness.It doesn't matter if you start now, November 1st, or sometime mid-month. It's never too late to acknowledge God's love for you and His faithfulness to you!

head over to leah's blog if you're interested in joining and come back here and see what i'm thankful for. i'll be posting one thankful idea each day for the rest of November.

My 2nd Bloggy Award!!!

christy over at christy's creations gave me the kreative blogger award. isn't that cool? i dont' feel like i deserve it tho, as i'm not sure i'm that creative. like i told my sis in law awhile ago, "i don't have an original thot often, but i'm a great copy-er" i see someone else's great idea and i'll swipe it without a 2nd thot. always giving credit to the original creator, of course! and sometimes i'll even tweak it a bit.

Now I have to list 6 things about myself and pass the award on to 6 other Kreativ Bloggers!

Okay, 6 things about myself…

I re-taught myself to knit after having a knitting hiatus for over 10 years.

I learned to sew when i was in high school home ec, but didn't really pick it up til i was married and bought my first sewing machine.

The one craft i'd like to learn but don't feel like i've ever had time to devote to it is quilting. maybe someday ....

I didn't really learn to cook until i got married.

I had a journal of first names i liked when i was in jr high. it had hundreds of names in it.

I was a cheerleader in jr high and loved it.


And I’m passing the award to…

~carrie at with all that i've been given
~cindy at still his girl
~monica at the homespun heart
~gayle at grace for gayle
~nicole at 60 piggies
~gibee at kisses of sunshine

all great creative bloggers who are worth your time checking out. each with their own gifting and interests. i just love the bloggy world, don't you?

Look What I Found

i was surfing the web and ran across this great website. its called $5 dinners. the blogger welcomes the readers with this great summary of her blog. " Thanks for joining me on my frugal journey of attempting to make $5 dinners every night that are nutritious, balanced and delicious! .... I hope you are inspired to add a $5 meal into your family's dinner menu!"

since our funds have tightened up since moving i'm excited to peruse her website and try her many recipes. i've never really figured our how much i spend on meals which might be a place to start.

how 'bout you? found any great sites lately worth sharing? i love to surf and see what's out there.