A Daybook Entry

Each Monday I plan to join with Peggy from the The Simple Woman and many others who are celebrating the joy of simplicity. Here's a peek into my life right now...

FOR TODAY (December 15, 2008)...

Outside my window... a cold and shivery yard. It is 16 degrees Fahrenheit right now! (yesterday morning it was 61 when we left for church!) A wide variety of birds are visiting the feeder outside of my kitchen window, grateful for the extra calories. Their presence is a happy reminder of the Lord's watchful care for me. If not even a sparrow can fall to the ground without His knowledge, how much more must he care for me?

I am thinking... of all of the plans we have for the week. School work to complete first, then we will get to devote our time to preparation for Nate's arrival on Saturday!

I am thankful for...

Advent. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus' birth I have had many opportunities to contemplate anew the tremendous gift that was given to us. Unmerited favor. God's riches at Christ's expense. My heart yearns to grasp the enormity of this.

From the learning rooms… Working hard for three more days of school, then Christmas vacation until the beginning of January! We are ready for the change of pace.

From the kitchen... a garlic smothered chicken in the crock pot dinner served over long grain brown rice. We are big garlic lovers here and I do believe that the aroma of this cooking all day is almost as good as actually eating it! mmmmm......

I am wearing... favorite cozy floral overalls and white mock turtleneck.

I am creating... Smittens, skirts for the girls and I, plus an ongoing work of a Christmas scrapbook. Then yummy kitchen creations later this week....

I am going... to take three of the children to piano this afternoon and plan to be happily at home the rest of the week until we head up to the airport on Saturday to pick up Nate! We are all counting down the days until that reunion!

I am reading... Luke, plus studying Hebrews.

I am hoping... to pace myself well and choose to do only the things that the Lord would have me do. I can so easily attempt *way* too many projects at once!

I am hearing... Abbie playing with our Great Pyreneese "Lance," Hannah putting dishes away in the kitchen and Jake working on mudding and taping the sheetrock in our old kitchen where the walk-in pantry will be. I am *really* looking forward to having that space finished!

Around the house... As mentioned above, completing work on our old kitchen, then planning to paint that room later this week, plus I believe that I will paint the hardwood floor in that room. We have hardwood floors throughout the rest of our house, but I have never painted any of them. This floor, however, is not in very good shape. It contains a variety of different woods and several different widths of boards, plus many small holes that we have patched in the past with wood putty. I am envisioning a base coat of black, then a coat of a terra-cotta-type color. I many stencil around the edges too~ we'll see. I love distressed things (as long is it is not *me* that is distressed!), so I am envisioning the black showing through the terra-cotta color at some point in the future.

One of my favorite things... color.... I find great delight in newly painted walls, in stacks of brightly colored calico fabrics and even jars of buttons (sorted by color, of course)! Okay, scrapbooking papers sorted by color is a happy thing for me too!

A few plans for the rest of the week: school, sewing, cooking, Christmas baking, wrapping gifts, and writing our Christmas letter.

Here is picture thought I am sharing... my little apron and gardening hat rack. The girls and love to wear aprons~ there are stories behind each one! The "amazing grace" sign and little birds were Christmas gifts from my parents~ thanks so much Mom and Dad! I smile each time glance at this...