Sunday

Woke up this morning to the white stuff. :) Matthew ran yelling through the house excitedly, and LOUDLY, announcing the snow's arrival.

Cory called and left a message on the machine. We were sorely disappointed to have missed his called especially since it's been 3 weeks since we last spoke due to the difficlties with the phone card. Cory left a l-o-n-g message so we figured he was hoping someone would pick up. We're three hours behind Ft. Jackson, S.C. While Kaila and I were talking about how disappointed we were, Cory called again. He only had a few minutes to chat but said he got all six of our letters last week (jokes, military humor, letters, drawings from Matthew, etc.)

After speaking to Cory today, Kaila and I contacted lots of friends and family asking if they could send a note to keep his spirits up.

When I was in basic training, you know--back in the dark ages--my dad wrote to me virtually every day. At the bottom of each letter he wrote how many days I had left til graduation. I still have every. single. letter I received in basic....from my mom, a cousin, my high school best friend. Those letters were a HUGE encouragement for me. We're trying to do the same thing for Cory. In one of my letters I wrote to Cory: "Basic training becomes the yardstick by which every thing else in your life will be measured." Another mass mailing is ready for the week and Matthew drew more pictures.

Happy 9th Birthday Emma!

Emma's birthday was very low key this year. Whenever there is a holiday, family event (birthdays, homecoming, family outing) Max and Gerard's behavior goes off the deep end. When it was time for the cupcakes, Max started acting up, trying to get negative attention and steal the limelight from Emma. The rest of us ignored his behavior. Emma was thrilled with her gifts: a princess alarm clock to wake her in the mornings for school and a Fisher Price dollhouse (hers broke almost a year ago). She's been playing with it ever since and has thanked us repeatedly.

Earlier in the day Emma and I had a really good talk, about her feelings, her behavior of late and how much she misses being homeschooled. A lot of healing came out of that talk.

Happy Birthday Emma! We love you!

I'm thankful!

Today I am so grateful for the two letters we received from Cory today. The phone card he purchased hasn't been working so we haven't been able to talk to him for almost two weeks. The timing was perfect. Earlier in the day Matthew had been crying about how much he was missing his oldest brother.

Thankful for the opportunity of letter writing. An added bonus: it's helping Matthew's penmanship.

That the girls' appointment went well today.

I'm grateful we were able to talk to Max about the missed teacher/parent conference and without too much drama on his part. He notified us after the fact.

For the gift of laughter and especially for my children's sense of humor.

I am especially grateful that no matter what we need, God finds a way to provide.

Routines

After homeschooling exclusively for 15 years, adjusting to the public school schedule and also a job schedule, is taking some time. It's a challenge being on the school system's schedule instead of having the freedom to make my own. That being said, I'm grateful for the break. The past four years have been particularly difficult.

Max is trying very hard to keep his school life and home life compartmentalized. He behaves very well at school. The school staff and I decided to put Max in regular classes for social studies and language arts. I am very thankful for the free after school care so Max can complete his homework there. It is a huge blessing not to have that power struggle with him on a nightly basis.

Next week are parent teacher conferences and report cards are due home soon. For some reason, Emma thought homework was optional. I have no idea where she got that impression so her report card should be interesting.

Matthew is doing very well with his homeschool studies. We're using Touchpoints for math and Explode the Code for phonics. P.E. is his time at the gym every day with Wayne. Now Matthew is into rock climbing and hanging upside down on the rock climbing wall. He's decided when he grows up he'll open his own gym so kids can lift weights too. He does at home, but it's against policy at the gym.

Our Zumba classes continue to grow which is wonderful and exciting! This month the girls and I made The Blessing Mix. For our Zumba students, we added bracelets with the word *Zumba* on them (purchased from zumba.com). They've been a hit with our classes! Kaila and I are sure to tell them what a blessing and inspiration they are to us. At this point in my life, I never dreamed I'd be teaching a Zumba class. I still struggle to overcome the negative and insecure thoughts that enter my mind. I remind myself of why I am doing this--for those who are taking our class. Seeing their excitement, their tears (especially after the cool down listening to Josh Groban's "Thankful"), hearing their stories, is SO worth it!

I am also in awe at God's Divine Providence especially concerning our Zumba class schedule. I have plenty of time to homeschool Matthew in the morning, our classes are in the afternoon and I'm home before the kids get home from school.

There's a Catholic mom's night out scheduled for this week so I'm looking forward to that.

We have been continuing to attend mass at the chapel that offers the Latin mass. It has been a little bit of a transition, adjusting, but I think it's exactly what we need.

So much to be thankful for...

I am grateful for God who loved me into existence.

I am thankful for an abundance of God's grace.

For a loving and supportive husband, who encourages me and still makes me laugh.

My children who are growing (or in some cases already grown) into loving, faith filled people.

For the opportunity to live near my parents and sister.

For an awesome employer.

Thankfulness

Today I am grateful for all of our veterans, active duty service members and their families for their service and sacrifices made on behalf of our country. May God continue to bless you all abundantly.

I am thankful for my friends and especially those with a wicked sense of humor, who continue to make me laugh even though we're 2,400 miles apart.

I am grateful for the invention of motrin.

I am thankful to be upright and moving after teaching two Zumba classes on Monday. :)

The Patch (a sweet boy story)

I've been wanting to share this story about Matthew because I want to have it somewhere so I don't forget it.

Part of it is *delicate* so I hope not to offend any readers. With that disclaimer, here goes!

My left hip has been hurting since Kaila and I changed our playlist and choreography lineup for one of our classes favorite songs, Rompe. So, I've diligently been taking motrin and putting a lidoderm PATCH on it to help with the pain, trying to heal the affected hip.

As I was utilizing the bathroom, I heard my name called, like so many times before. "Mama?" I heard Matthew ask through the closed bedroom door. "Yes?" I called back. "May I come in?" I told him he could. Matthew opened the bedroom door and while standing outside the closed bathroom door where I could hear him so much better, "Mama?" "Yes, Matthew, what is it?" "Um, ah.....I found something for you that you can use. Matthew proceeded to slide a pantyliner under the door. As he did so Matthew proclaimed, "It's a PATCH for your hip, Mama! And I might need one later 'cuz I hurt my bum the other day at the pool."

Gem of the Day

Matthew just told Kaila, "You're a gift from Jesus to me." :*)

30 Days of Thanksgiving-Sunday edition

I am grateful for:



Wayne being able to go with us to the chapel for the Latin mass.



For Kaila's friend, Mari, who offered and provided transportation for the girls to get to youth group.



For the new young adults group at church.



The welcoming and loving spirit at our new church home.

Advent Resources

Can you believe Advent begins in 21 days? Are you ready? After mass this morning, I realized I needed to kick it in gear so I'll have the resources on hand. In our move from Pennsylvania to Idaho, all of our holiday movies were lost. All of them. So, I ordered Nicholas, the boy who became Santa and did you know Veggie Tales has a new movie titled St. Nicholas, the joy of giving?

If your family has enjoyed the Jotham Journey trilogy, just fyi, the books are being reprinted again. This year Bartholomew's Passage-A Family Story for Advent is the first. This is the one book out of the trilogy we didn't have. I'm excited we'll have a new family read aloud for advent.

I'll be ordering two of these: Absolutely Advent! workbooks so Emma and Max can work on them over their school Christmas break.

I also plan to order this: Lapbooks for Catholics-Advent lapbook.

On the *to do list* is to call Dumb Ox Publications this week to order the family advent calendar. The kids (and adults) enjoy cutting, coloring and assembling the calendar.

I also need to find a box to use for our Blessing Box.

UPDATE: Realizing I was forgetting one, a prompting from the Holy Spirit reminded me: Holy Heroes Advent Adventure (free). Click on the link and sign up for free coloring pages, online videos, crosswords and word scrambles during the season of Advent.