Grains of Sand

My daughter went on her first date. She's four. The invitation came in the mail requesting the presence of Princess Megan with her favorite Knight. Her Knight was Dad. When they arrived at the hall the paparazzi were there taking pictures. The tables were decked out with candles and jewels. There were crafts and a dance. While recounting her date to me M said that everyone's faces were green, even dad's. I later learned that was because the candles made everyone look green. She ate a pink cupcake and drank orange juice and dad ate a blue cupcake and drank coffee. Her Knight carried her while they danced and at the end of the evening she brought home her craft and a princess wand as a souvenir. I hope there are many more dates with dad. It sure made her feel special!

I just entered to win His Creation cards over at Treasured .  You can enter too!  Just visit Connie and tell her your favorite Christmas tradition by noon today and you just might be the lucky winner.  Good Luck!

An interesting tidbit from Geekdad.  The Science and Technology of Bananas.   Now I know!  Thanks Geekdad.

FOR TODAY December 20, 2011 Outside my window... it's pretty dark, but it looks cloudy again. I am thinking... that I haven't seen the sun in a long time and think I must be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  I gave a speech on SAD when in high school and it has stuck with me ever since. I am thankful... for internet Christmas shopping.  We're almost finished and we didn't leave our house to run amuck with the general population at the mall this year.  And, before you gasp and tell me I should buy locally, I want to say that I do that the rest of the year and that using the internet to shop has kept this mom and dad sane and less stressed about everything. :) From the learning rooms... reading some books on World War II but we are mostly on our Christmas break. In the kitchen... bread baking day.  Should have some yummy muffins and loaves of bread to enjoy after lunch. I am wearing... a charcoal gray shirt and my jammie bottoms...

I actually did it.  I took an idea from one of my many pins on Pinterest and made chocolate covered pretzels with the kids!  After a bit of trial and error, the last two turned out great!  Haha.  No matter what they look like, they are very tasty and a fun project with the kids.

On Friday we enjoyed a field trip to the air museum.... The Wright Flyer Aerocar! No trip is complete without Legos! You could hear the intake of breath from the boys when they discovered all the Lego planes. Propeller of the 'Duck'.  The other picture didn't turn out, but the duck has a large pontoon that you can almost see on the bottom of this picture. Havilland Mosquito made of wood! Airman Logan Airman Ethan This was our first time at the air museum and we will most certainly go back.  At the end of our tour the kids were able to enjoy many hands on activities.  They 'flew' a plane, went up in a hot air balloon and tried hang gliding.  They also enjoyed learning how a jet engine works, listening to the difference in sound between thunder and a sonic boom and much more.

Remembering a weekend fishing on the lake

Christmas is only 10 days away!  For those of you who are still trying to think of the perfect gift for your children, you have to read The 5 Best Toys of All Time posted by Geekdad.

Christmas time is always a fun time of year.  When I think of Christmas I think of family and friends, gifts and trees, lights and cozy fires, snow on the ground (maybe not this year?), cookies and treats, wreaths and bows, red army kettles and toys for tots and most of all the birth of our Savior. Most of these things are easily incorporated into the holiday because they are everywhere, but how do you celebrate Christ amid all the other stuff?  That has been a top priority in this house and I'm always searching for another way to show or tell the kids that Jesus is the reason for the season. One great way we've been able to do this the past couple of years is by reading a story for advent.  This year we are reading Bartholomew's Passage by Arnold Ytreeide.   It is the sequel to Jotham's Journey that we read last year.  The story unfolds day by day until Christmas, and the boys just love it.  They look forward to these stories more than de...

FOR TODAY December 13, 2011 Outside my window... a warm blanket of gray clouds.  Thankful for the warmer temps. but I miss the sun. I am thinking... of my in-laws as they move from their home of 40+ years and embark on a new adventure in their lives. I am thankful...  that my laptop is charged.  Blogging from a comfy chair is always more fun. From the learning rooms... we enter World War II.  Something the boys are looking forward to after the Great Depression. In the kitchen...  It's cake day at AWANA tonight so we are baking a cake to symbolize the true meaning of christmas. I am wearing... shades of purple. I am creating... a never ending 'to-do' list. I am going... to continue decorating for Christmas today.  Hopefully I'll finish before too long. I am wondering... if we lived in a warmer climate, would we see less illness during the months of October-March? I am reading... The Small Woman by Alan Burgess.  A...