Look To The Sky

Everyday

There are lots of things I do everyday.

Wake up (although this morning it was awfully hard!!!! LOL!  The kids having colds or whatever and myself for that matter has worn me out),

Have breakfast (can I say I had hot tea first thing the past couple of days- my favorite that is running out! eek!)

Feed the kids (and this is a workout in itself).

Talk to my honey while he is at work when he calls me for a little conversation...and I love hearing his voice. I always have loved his voice. I guess this goes back to the fact that just after we got engaged I was in Nasvhille and he here in Ohio, and we used LOTS of phone cards those weeks.

Homeschool... I have pulled stuff out of my hat, so to speak, the last couple of weeks.  Stress or fatigue on my part I guess. Actually, though, it's the fact that I have things planned so much in my head and utilize my creative process so much, it's easier that way.  Call it unschooing I suppose!

Get ideas for creating products for Etsy! This is one of the most favorite things of the day.  When I feed the baby, that is my chance to be inspired.  

Praying...Rich and I pray for and with our children each and every night.  This is so important to us, and to them. Ella and Philip make sure we don't forget. 

What I WANT to do each day are the following:

scrapbook (not likely lol!)

do something else creative, for Etsy or for my house (much more likely to happen)

throw something away, organize a little bit, or donate something (this would help our close quarters)

read my Bible (I am so not good at this every day...make me feel badly in my heart)

I think I am going to start these "wants" before New Years..get a jump on things!

By the way, my sweetie allowed me to order a brand new Singer sewing machine for my birthday! I am so excited! I think it'll arrive next week, really, maybe ON my birthday! Sweeeettt!!! I can't wait to play with it.  I started a quilt for myself but can't do anything else with it until I have a machine I am comfortable with. I even called my grandma this afternoon, I was so happy.

Tomorrow, I hope to share some things I have been working on- my sister in law, Lisa, and I have been collaborating quite a bit and today we finished a delightful project together.   She brought it over this afternoon to return to me after she completed her portion.  I won't tell you what it is, but it is made of wool roving, burlap, vintage white and cream buttons, a vintage clock hand, and white linen.   It's sitting up on my piano. I so don't want to sell it now...it's beautiful, more beautiful than I had envisioned in my head yesterday.  And that I owe to Lisa, my wonderful seamstress!

Blessings!

Productivity

I have really enjoyed playing around with this new blog. I am THRILLED to have my blog name spelled right! LOL! I am working on adding some Christmas music, so be prepared when you come back to my blog. I don't want anyone to jump out of their seat if they hear unexepected music. From my own experience, I know that isn't pleasant, but I do enjoy hearing music on others' blogs. Anyways.....I have had a busy, but productive, day for the most part.

Minus the 3 hours between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. when our baby boy was coughing so much he was choking. It took both of us parents to work with him (we were both so tired). I do think he is on the mend tonight though. I love the vaporizer in his room (well, it's our room!). I need one myself, so it works out. I think I may be getting a touch of whatever he had/has. Not too bad though. But, maybe it was my fibromyalgia since I got 4 hours of sleep? No?

I stayed home with the three kids while Rich attended church. I really wanted him to go because he missed last week due to work. I was able to nap with the baby this late morning! If that hadn't happened, I don't know what life would've been like the rest of the day. Not much to it, I guess.

I made a sweet potato casserole for supper. I started a couple of Etsy projects. I am delighted with my new creations and can't wait to share with my store partner, Lisa! Speaking of Lisa, I can't tell you how joyfully creative my sister in law is. I appreciate what she does, how she does it and the spirit in which she does it in. Last night we had a "craft night." I couldn't believe I stayed there almost 3 and a half hours! We talked about our ideas, helped each other, and even created a little bit. It was honestly one of the best nights I have had in awhile. We plan on making this a frequent thing.

Before I went over for "craft night" (and enjoyed their delicious hot chai tea!!! and homemade cinnamon roll!), Rich and I went out with some new friends from church. They started going to NSCOG right after we had left! Their names are Sarah and Jason, and we really enjoyed ourselves, and our Panera soup. What made the night extra special was that we were (get ready!)....without ANY children!!! So it was an official OFFICIAL date! Usually, for us anymore, a date wtih the baby is a date. LOL! Our neighbor girls watched the three and I know that a good time was had by all.

Something else that happened today that was inspiring (and making me feel like a respected mom!)....Philip and Ella organized this terrible-of-a-mess craft tackle box for me, swept the kitchen floor, rid up all the toys in the living room, AND dusted furniture. They did this while their daddy was out playing music with a friend at a nursing home this afternoon. I told them it would be important to try to clean up our home for our special daddy, before he came home. They got totally into the idea, and waallllahhh! He noticed too, when he came in the door. The kitchen floor was the first thing he saw, and he KNEW right away someone had swept it. Philip was very proud when he told his daddy HE did it. I am amazed at how careful Philip actually does sweep the floor. Honestly, he gets that from his daddy, who taught him all he knows about keeping a nice floor. And, of anyone, he knows well. I leave the floor cleaning to him because he does a great job of it. I appreciate how we can work as a team, Rich and I. We've always done that, since we were first married. Because of my fibromyalgia, he understands my limitations, and some more limitations if I have a mental fog. God blessed me for sure!

Oh, before I forget.Yesterday during the day, while I was in the house alone with a sleeping Will David, and the kids and Rich were sweeping out our van, I heard a knock on the front door. I opened it and there were two little kids, named Ella and Philip, who began to sing. One (I think Philip) started to sing We Wish You A Merry Christmas, and the other (Ella) sang Happy Birthday at the same time. Hi-Lar-Ious. I don't know how they kept on singing, right next to each other, while singing separate songs. It was soooo cute! They did that because my birthday is coming up in a week and a half or so...they remembered and thought to do this on the own!

Well, the time is getting away from me quickly. I suppose I need to be more deliberate about posting to my blog. I miss it. I miss my blogging friends. I miss talking socially online. It's interesting how this comes in waves. I think the wave has just started- hoping to let it grow so I can enjoy "surfing!" HA!

Have a wonderful Monday- Cyber Monday, don't forget!
Blessings!

Freedom

What a rich heritage our country has even after only several hundred years.   Ella and I have been reading a lot about how Thanksgiving became a holiday.  We've studied more than just the norm-  we've inspected thoughts from all perspectives.   She's read several books concerning the history leading up to this most wonderful holiday that have been "unshelved" by libraries, due to their age.   Nonetheless, they are books that grasp some of the most forgotten facts of this special day, Thanksgiving.   I've appreciated how she's been eager to learn, and stretch her mind.   Of course, we've inserted some different activities the past couple of weeks that help her to refresh her memory and sit down and write or draw...such as what it was like to be a Pilgrim child in 1621.    She misspelled NO words and only forgot the capitalization and punctuation on just a couple words.   That makes me so happy. We've taken strides.   And it is so exciting to see her blossom into this first grader who loves (for the most part!) to do her work.  

Yesterday, as it was Thanksgiving, we took the time out to celebrate with family.  Rich had to work, so we didn't see him until later that evening.   Will David has been sick but was without a fever that morning so off we went to my parents' house for some turkey!  The baby still has some stuff going on there with drainage, and coughing. This morning, well, early morning, like, say 4 a.m. I had to get up with him so he could sit up and stop the coughing, poor thing.   Today was better over all for him, and I actually was able to cook a turkey, mash some pretty good mashed potatoes, I must say!, and make some homemade gravy.   We have so much turkey now so I plan on sharing with my grandma and my mom and dad.  Bless her heart, my mom did so much for our family meal yesterday.   I am glad to be able to reciprocate a bit. 

Today, I also went out by myself to a few places, and I had some nice (inexpensive) finds. At a local antique store, called Vivian's, I actually found some stocking stuffers for the kids.  Golden Books, one for each, for a quarter a piece.  Also, a vintage little rolling kitty toy for Will David's stocking.  A horse plate for Ella that was only 50 cents made it's way into my shopping basket.   On to a craft store where I found a cousin's Christmas gift on sale, and then FINALLY the Russell household has stocking holders. We've had to struggle with that issue for years.  I am proud to say, it is now resolved. Five separate stocking holders later. Luckily, they were inexpensive (but very nice!) and then half off!  That is the ONLY way I was able to get them.

I have been lacking in the blog posting lately because I feel stuck mentally. Hoping to get that cloud gone.  I think that moving here, to Typepad, will help me get some inspiration!   I have some more things to do to complete my design.   There is a lot here to work with so it may take me a few days to get the blog how I like it (the banner bigger, some widgets, etc...).

Soon, I will share some of my photographs of some creations I've made with felt. I LOVE FELT.  It is just so wonderful to work with.   Sigh.  Also, I am loving this vintage pink thread I have had and finally have begun to craft with it.   Soon, the goodies will be in the etsy shop, A Spoonful Of Charm.  Well, maybe not TOO soon.  I am hoping to have them in right after Christmas, in preparation for Valentines Day. Did I just mention V-Day?    Time just goes by so fast....having children, for me, has certainly proved this fact.   Today, especially, I have been able to love little moments of time with them.   A few hours ago, I pulled Ella up to her feet and we danced to some Christmas music in the kitchen.  Rich quickly followed suit and got Buddy to join in. Will David was asleep so he missed out on our goofiness!  Another day!