Today's Christmas Tip

Today's Christmas tip is to enjoy the Thanksgiving holidays! I do celebrate Thanksgiving, it just doesn't require as much advance planning and work as Christmas does. We decorate for fall at the beginning of September, so our "Thanksgiving" decorations are actually displayed and enjoyed longer than our Christmas ones. Since I get a head start on Christmas preparations, I am able to enjoy the week of Thanksgiving. We have school on Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, and then on Tuesday afternoon travel to my parents' house. I usually spend Wednesday helping my mother cook for our family Thanksgiving meal (the girls help too), and on Thursday my brothers and their families and my grandmothers join us for a yummy Thanksgiving lunch. Later Thursday afternoon, my family heads home.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, we put up our Christmas tree! What a fun day that is! I buy the children one or two new ornaments each year, wrap them, and let them open them before we begin decorating the tree. I look for ornaments with a special meaning for each child.....an interest they have had that year, a color or theme that they like, or something with their name or inital on it. I always write the year on the back of the ornament with a Sharpie if possible. 14 years ago my original intention was to give the children ornaments each year, and when they left our home to begin a home of their own, I would give them a box of their ornaments from years past. I have changed my mind. If they all take their ornaments, my tree will be bare! So, when they begin decorating their own tree, I plan to continue buying them a couple of ornaments each year for their very own tree. They will just have to fill in with colored balls for a few years!

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is our Thanksgiving dinner with Jimmy's family. Jimmy, his sister, his brother's wife, and I help Granmomma prepare the meal. We also spend time on this day putting up Granmomma's Christmas decorations, including putting up and decorating her tree. The grandchildren enjoy this immensely. Granmomma and Pop sit in their recliners and watch the transformation.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Funny Leah!

Tonight at the supper table we were all sitting around talking about nothing in particular. Out of the blue Leah said, "You have to be careful not to step on a rusty nail because it could pork your skin, and then you would have to go to the hospital and get a flu shot!"
We all just laughed and laughed! Leah uses the word "pork" for "poke" all the time. As in, "This tag is porking me!" or "Those rocks are porking my feet!"
Funny Leah!

12 Miles and Christmas Decorations

Olivia, Julie, and I ran 12 miles today. The temperature was a "slightly cool" 39 degrees! It was freezing! Hopefully it won't be any colder for the actual race (2 weeks from tomorrow). Our time was 1 hour, 59 minutes. I am hoping to complete the half marathon in under 2 hours, 15 minutes....we'll see!

As soon as we got home from running, we began putting out our Christmas decorations. We have everything done except for the tree. We buy our tree on Friday after Thanksgiving. Leah and Sam were so excited by all of the pretty Christmas things. Sam just chattered away and carried around a nutcracker the whole time.

I am getting behind on my Christmas card schedule (GASP!) It will be too cold to take an outdoor picture tomorrow. I am not sure when the weather will cooperate--hopefully in time for me to get the cards ordered within the next week.

Bible Study

I normally read one chapter a day from my Bible, copy a verse or two into my binder, and write my thoughts or plans for applying the Scripture to my daily life. However, as I began reading James last week, I realized that the first chapter alone would take me several days to study. Chapter one of James contains so many wonderful verses!

Here are the verses I studied today:
Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22)

It is not enough to just read my Bible each morning (or night) and check that off of my "To-Do" list. I also must not dismiss a verse or passage thinking that it does not apply to ME or MY LIFE. That would be deceiving myself. All of God's Word applies to me, and all of God's Word demands my full attention when reading and studying it. I must really pay attention to what I am reading, and I must make an effort to apply the teachings in my life that very day.

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)

I must continue spending time reading and studying my Bible on a regular basis all of my life. I must hide God's Word in my heart (memorizing Scripture) so that I will not forget what I have heard. I will be blessed if I:

1. study the Bible intently
2. continue to study the Bible
3. not forget what I have read (Scripture memory)
4. put into practice on a daily basis what I have read.

Shopping for Siblings

My children like to give gifts to each other on special occassions, and Christmas is no exception. They enjoy making gifts for each other, but they like a "store bought" present to give also. Instead of taking five children into Walmart, Toys R Us, or the Dollar Store to buy presents for their four siblings, keep everyone's gifts hidden, pay 5 separate times, and get the sacks into the car without anyone's surprise being spoiled, I let the children shop in "Mama's Store".
After I am through Christmas shopping for the children, I let them take turns coming into the storage room and viewing the other children's gifts. I charge each child $20, and they "buy" a gift for each of their four siblings. This way I know that the children are buying and receiving items that (1) the child really wants (2) are educational and/or long lasting (3) are practical and needed. This method of shopping has been really successful for our family. In case you are wondering, yes, the children get way more for their money this way. I am not expecting full reinbursement for the costs of the gifts, I only want them to spend their own money on each other.

Today's Christmas Tips

1. Begin wrapping the gifts you have purchased. Try to wrap three presents a day. Stack them where you were storing them and add bows when you are ready to put them under the tree.

2. It's time to work on your Christmas cards. If you are using boxed cards you need to begin signing them (hopefully you bought them last year after Christmas when they were 75% off!). If you are sending photo cards, plan what your children will wear and take the picture. It usually takes us more than one session to get the "perfect" photo. I plan to take the first pictures this Saturday. The next time you are near the post office, buy your Christmas stamps.

Co-op Planning

I spent Saturday with a wonderful group of girls planning our spring semester homeschool co op. Thankfully, two of the ladies were super organized (my kind of girls!), and had prepared handouts to make the planning session run smoothly. We all brought yummy brunch food and snacks to share and enjoy. We are using the unit study curriculum, KONOS. The character trait is cooperation, and the unit is States and Regions of the U.S. plus the Civil War. The entire unit is 16 weeks. We will follow a schedule of weekly co-ops on Fridays for 4 weeks followed by a one week break.
The children are broken down into 5 age groups. Two to three teachers (moms) will teach each group, staying with the same group for 4 weeks. I have children in 4 of the different groups! I am really excited about this co-op. We haven't co-opped in over a year, and this is the most organized group I have worked with. We are going to have so much fun! I am sure I will be posting weekly about our experiences when we begin in January.

Today's Christmas Tip

Today's tip is about organizing your gifts as you wrap them. If you are like me, you have more than one Christmas celebration, with gifts going to more than one family gathering, plus the ones you will be opening in your own home. I have two different ideas:

1. Choose 3 (or however many different gatherings you have) different rolls of wrapping paper. Wrap all of the gifts for people that you will be opening presents with in one location with the same paper. For example, I would wrap my side of the family's gifts in green and white polka dot paper; Jimmy's side of the family's gifts in red and green "Merry Christmas" paper, and the gifts that are exchanged between my family and me on Christmas morning would be wrapped in candy cane striped paper. The presents are easily sorted this way. You can keep all of the gifts under the tree, and just easily gather all of the ones you need for a particular family event. When I use this method, I also choose a 4th roll of paper to wrap the gifts that go to people outside our home, but not to family gatherings (Sunday school teachers, piano teachers, the children's friends, etc.)

2. Wrap the gifts in whatever paper you choose, but designate a place to store the presents, sorting them by destination. When I do it this way I put my family's gifts on our guest bed, Jimmy's family's gifts on the guest bedroom floor, and the gifts for others on a table in my storage room. Our family gifts go under the tree.

Some years I wrap each of our family member's gifts in the same paper, using a different roll of paper for each person.

Happy Wrapping!

Tagged!

I am finally doing this tag. My friend, Liesa, tagged me. Here are my instructions:

GRAB THE BOOK NEAREST TO YOU, GO TO PAGE 56, GO TO THE FIFTH SENTENCE AND COPY A COUPLE OF SENTENCES FROM THERE.

1. What is the key to understanding our roles as wives?
2. Where are peace and joy found?
3. If your husband does not love you, does that negate your responsibility or prevent you from fulfilling your role?
4. What is the gift that God gives that will help you in your pursuit of becoming a help meet?

This is from Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl, which is my all time favorite marriage book. I highly recommend it! Mrs. Pearl is extremely blunt, but if you apply the book's general principles to your marriage the results are wonderful.

Happy Reading!

Today's Christmas Tip

As you are buying gifts, keep a list of the quantity and type of batteries that you will need. After you purchase all of the batteries, you can go ahead and put the batteries in the gift, and while you are at it, cut off all of those annoying plastic ties.

Under Construction!

As you can see, I have a new Christmas layout! I wanted to go ahead and put it on so we can all enjoy it for a few weeks.

I have some tweaking to do to get the blog looking like I want it too. I plan to do this late tonight. Check back tomorrow for a new holiday look!

Just a Few Pictures

Last Saturday Jimmy, Julie and Clay ran a 5K at the Vardaman Sweet Potato Festival. The rest of us stayed home.

Julie and Clay at the race

This Saturday night we met the Johnsey family for supper, and then we all walked downtown to observe the 8000 luminaries. We made a stop at the coffee shop to warm up with coffee, hot caramel apple cider, and hot chocolate.

Joey and Clay

Leah. Olivia, Julie, and Lana Kate

Today Jimmy took some pictures outside of Leah and Sam. The leaves on the trees are so beautiful this time of year.

Sam posing

Sam climbing the rock wall

Sweet Leah

Countdown to Christmas

Every few days, I am going to try to share what we are doing here at our house to prepare for the Christmas season. This week I have bought my Christmas stamps and shirts for the children for our Christmas card photo. I will post our Christmas card photo right after I send them out (I like to mail them Nov. 30 or Dec. 1). It usually takes us more than one session to get the perfect (or acceptable!) photo to use for our card! Also, I have updated my address list, and it is ready to print on mailing labels.

The first week or so in November is really the best time to finish your online shopping. That way you can ensure that your packages will arrive in time for the holidays. I am still waiting to order from American Girl. The past couple of years they have offered free shipping during part of November. I am giving them another week or two, then I guess I will have to go ahead and order....and pay shipping. I noticed that one item that my girls want is already on backorder until April!!

Remember, as you shop to designate a location for your gifts so you can find them when it is time to wrap. Also, keep a list of what you buy and who it is for. I redid my Christmas notebook recently. It was previously in a spiral bound notebook, and I made a binder with laminated dividers to use as my Christmas Binder. I put the old spiral notebook in the inside pocket of the new binder. I used Christmas paper, and it looks really festive!

Menu Monday

I know that it is THURSDAY, but I have just been so busy this week. I am glad to see supper ideas on any day of the week....I hope you are too!

Hash Brown Potato Soup, salad with crunchies
Smothered Chicken, brown rice, strawberry salad (see Vicki's blog for these recipes)
Chicken Manicotti, salad
Leftovers
7 Can Soup, cornbread, salad
spaghetti, salad

Yes, we have had salad every night this week. I bought a huge (2 lb. I think) box of organic spring mix on sale for $5.99. I love it because it is already in bite sized pieces and is washed. We still have enough salad greens to last us until Sunday! On Monday I browned 8 oz. of walnuts and 1 package of ramen noodles in 1/2 stick of butter. We are using those "crunchies" and/or chow mein noodles on top of our salad each night. I made the dressing from Vicki's blog (I halved it), and I have sliced strawberries or tomatoes each night to add to the salad. Leah likes her salad with ranch dressing, crumbled tortilla chips, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Time for School!

It is 8:48 a.m. Breakfast is hot and ready, my Bible lesson for the day is ready, our schoolwork is all planned and ready........and I am ready! But where are my children??? They are all in the yard trying to rescue a poor cat (not our cat)! We heard a huge commotion of barking dogs a little while ago, and when the children investigated, they found our three outside dogs barking their heads off at the cat they had treed. The petrified cat tries to come down the tree, only to be pounced on by Lucky, our rather large black dog. So back up the tree the cat goes.....and the barking resumes. The kids are out there with ham and leashes, trying to entice the dogs to come inside (great!--they are so clean!!), so they can get the cat down and to safety. I am sure they would like for this cat to become our pet, but I am also sure that if the cat ever gets out of the tree safely, he will bolt from our property, never to return!
I am off to check on their progress.....breakfast is getting cold.

Trick or Treat!

Tonight we went to the Princes's house for their annual Halloween party. Each year we gather together for supper and trick or treating in their neighborhood. In case you think I stay up all night sewing matching costumes for my dear children, think again! At about 2 hours before the start of the party, I sent the children upstairs to the dress-up closet to find something suitable to wear. Here is what they dressed as:

Indian

The Tooth Fairy

Jason Castro (American Idol)

Mary Ingalls

Laura Ingalls

Here are some pictures from the party. Notice that Sam still does his "picture face" whenever he sees a camera!

Sam

The Girls

Leah, Avery, Anna Kate, Lilly Grace

The Boys

Parker, Clay, Carson, Ashton

Lynn and Leigh

We had a great time! Thanks Leigh for opening up your home.

Race For the Cure & Spartan Cookout

The Race For the Cure 5K was held last Saturday. The weather was sunny and cold, perfect for a race! This was the last race our cross country team participated in together. The Spartans competed very well! Many of them won awards, and they all had good racing times. Here are the results for my family--times are in the sidebar: Jimmy--3rd in age group; Olivia --1st in age group (4th female overall finisher); Julie--2nd overall female finisher; Clay--1st in age group.

Leah and Sam were worn out from getting up so early. By now, they are used to waking up very early on Saturday mornings, getting in the car still wearing their pajamas, dressing when we get to the race site, and spending time inside and outside of the stroller, cheering the family on.

Leah during the awards ceremony
Sam resting during the awards ceremony

After the race, the Spartan team along with their families gathered at our house for a cookout. The children had a super time eating, playing basketball, climbing in the barn, running through the woods, and playing football in the yard. The parents participated in these activities plus sat around enjoying the nice weather and visiting. It was such a fun afternoon.

Mr. Scot cooked the hotdogs. He also made friends with Sam.

After we ate, Coach Heather presented the Spartans with various awards for their success this season.

Clay listening to Coach Heather

The Spartans presented Coach Heather with a sweatshirt and gift to show their appreciation for all of her time and hard work.

Courtney and Olivia

The Spartan team awaiting their awards.

Exciting Discovery!

Clay and Sam discovered a muscadine vine this morning while exploring in our woods. They rushed in and excitedly showed me their find! The muscadines are huge and ripe. Now all of the children except Olivia have abandoned their schoolwork to pick muscadines. Fun! I know what we will be eating for lunch today!

Countdown to St. Jude Half Marathon

Some of you have asked me what my training schedule is for the remaining 6 weeks until the race (Dec. 6). Here it is: on the shorter days, after warming up I run continuously. On the long run days I alternate running 1 mile, walking 1 minute.
Week 1: 5,5,4,9
Week 2: 5,5,4 10
Week 3: 5,5,4,11
Week 4: 5,5,4,12
Week 5: 5,5,4 ,8
Week 6: 4,3,3, 13.1 (Race!)

I'm Back!

We have been without internet service since last Thursday! Since we live out in the country, we have to have satellite internet (or dial up), and our service is sometimes unpredictable and unreliable. It often doesn't work on really cloudy days, and it never works if it is raining even the slightest bit. But this time it wasn't the weather. After spending an hour on the phone with my friends at technical support in India, and another half hour with advanced technical support in Florida, the Hughes.net people determined that my problem was due to a satellite in outer space being misaligned. So the dish in my yard was no longer able to send or receive a signal. I asked them if I could just go outside, climb a ladder and adjust my dish until I could get my internet service working again, but the nice Indian man emphatically said, "NO! Only trained professional technicians could service the dish!" (I was only kidding!)

Yesterday, a real, live person came to service my dish. He stayed 3 hours to complete a "30 minute" repair. He was successful!

I have a lot of online work to catch up on--posting on this blog, reading blogs, reading emails, and online Christmas shopping. I better get started!

2 Timothy 4:2

"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction." (NIV)

I understand that in this Scripture, Paul is writing to Timothy, giving him instructions concerning spreading the gospel, but when I was reading this verse yesterday, I considered applying these verses to parenting. Here are my notes.

Preach the Word--As Christians, our primary goal of parenting should be teaching our children God's Word. This is not a responsibility we should take lightly or leave to the Sunday school teachers. We must be diligent in teaching them about God, Jesus, salvation, Bible history, prayer, and Christianity. They must see us live out what we are teaching. Teaching children God's Word cannot be relegated to a 20 minute session a few times a week, but must be an ongoing process, a lifestyle. Consider Deuteronomy 6: 6-9. "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." (NIV)

be prepared--We must have a plan for raising and training our children. We need to communicate to them clear goals and expectations for their behavior. We also need to clearly tell them the consequences of disobedience. We may have to be creative here. I know that frequently my children will disobey me about something, and I have not thought of a consequence beforehand. I know that they need a punishment, but in the middle of the situation, I cannot clearly think of something appropriate. Plan ahead! Be prepared. Think of things that your children do that you would like to discipline them for, and then make a list of consequences. It is even more effective if you communicate these consequences with your children before they are needed. For example, for our older children I have made a list of various chores that I would like to have completed, but do not make the time for on a regular basis, or they are chores that are always needing to be done. (cleaning out the van, sweeping out the garage, vacuuming the kitchen and den, vacumming the storage room, etc.). My children know that if they complain about their daily work, bicker with their siblings, or just in general have a bad attitude about chores or schoolwork, the consequence is completing one of the extra chores from the list. You could also include raking part of the yard, weeding the flower beds, etc.

in season and out of season--Parenting, disciplining, and training our children is an ongoing process. We must continually parent our children. It is not something we do once or twice and then check off our list. The challenges of parenting continue throughout our children's lives.

correct--We must immediately correct wrong behavior and bad habits. Even when it is not convenient for us to do so (even when you are blogging and you hear your 2 year old hit your 4 year old). Don't let little things slide. Address the undesired behavior quickly every time. If you already have your plan (see be prepared), this is easier to do.

rebuke--I looked up this word in the dictionary to get an accurate definition. Rebuke means to reprimand, reproof, admonish, scold. Basically, let the child no in no uncertain terms that their behavior is wrong, and you expect them to stop. You can point out their wrongdoings quickly and kindly without resorting to yelling or threatening. But do not sugarcoat things. They need to know that they are wrong. Again, this can be done with a pleasant voice. No one likes to be berated, and a rebuke is received much easier when delivered in a kind, loving voice.

encourage--This is extremely important! We cannot spend all of our time correcting and rebuking. Don't encourage when a reprimand or correction is in order, but spend every moment you can encouraging your child. Treasure him. Smile at him. Speak to him in a loving and kind voice. Praise him for his work and behavior. As mothers, we must model a pleasant, happy, and contended attitude. It is easier for a child to function under encouragement than constant rebuke. Look for the good in your child and acknowledge it!

with great patience--We must consider the great patience that God has extended to us. "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) Patience is also listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit--qualities that we as Christians should be striving for on a daily basis. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22 (NIV) We must be patient as we are rearing our children. They are immature. We cannot expect perfection from them. In fact, we must expect mistakes and forgetfulness. We must patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage them--over and over again.

and careful instruction--Children do not automatically know how to act in a given situation. They do not know the rules and expectations we may have for them. They are naturally self-centered and selfish (just like we are!). It is our job to carefully instruct them, little by little. Teach them right from wrong. Model correct behavior. Practice expected behavior in particular situations. This has been a most helpful tool for me. I try to practice everything with my children......standing in line at the post office, sitting quietly in a church service or at a doctor's appointment, answering the door, getting in and out of the van without hurting a sibling, how to get my attention when I am on the phone or visiting in person with someone....Just think of situations when your children have not behaved as you have liked, and instruct them the right way and then practice! Practicing is usually fun for them.
Instruction will be continual. As our children grow, we have new and more lessons for them. Remember when instructing to communicate your expectations and consequences.

Parenting is hard work! With prayer, careful attention to God's Word, and a happy attitude, we can enjoy this rewarding task. Remember, the days are long, but the years are short. Let us live in such a way that we can look back on our parenting journey with no regrets.

Menu Monday

Monday--homemade pizza: I set out personal pan sized pizza crusts, and everyone makes their own, using the following toppings: sauce, cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions, heated frozen grilled chicken strips, browned sausage, and pepperoni. YUM!
Tuesday--gone to a party!
Wednesday--crock pot chili, salad, chess squares; taking a meal to a friend with a new baby--Mexican Beef casserole, chips and salsa, salad, chess squares
Thursday--chicken casserole, rice, steamed broccoli (never cooked this last week)
Friday--shrimp scampi served over angel hair pasta
Saturday--Spartan cook out leftovers
Sunday--grilled pork chops, Ranch potatoes, green beans

Diabetes Dash 5K

Thanks to our cross country coach, Heather, I ran my fastest 5K time ever on Saturday!! 25:33! I was thrilled! Heather set the pace for me at the beginning of the race, and after about 2 minutes, I wasn't sure if I could keep up. She was so encouraging though, and her encouragment convinced me that I could run that fast.

Unfortunately, running that fast did reinjure my knee. It didn't hurt Saturday, and it didn't hurt yesterday (however I have had muscle soreness), but today when I did a slow 5 mile fun, I could tell that the old injury was back. :( I had planned to run fast in the Race for the Cure 5K this Saturday, but now I think I am just going to take it slow. I don't want to jeopardize my plans of running the St. Jude half in December. Still, I sometimes feel competitive! Sometimes it is hard to just run slow and easy in a RACE!

Our homeschool cross country team did super in the 5K. Most of the team members improved their personal times, and several Spartans received trophies. My family did well too.
Jimmy won 1st place in the 40-49 males; I won 3rd place in the 30-39 females!!; Olivia won 2nd place overall female; Julie won 1st place overall female; and Clay won 1st place 9 and under males. Jimmy's brother, Russ also ran this race. He doesn't even train, and he won 3rd place in the 20-29 males.

Thanks to Aunt Jenny and Aunt Megan for watching Leah and Sam during the race.

More About Fall Break

Leah and Sam playing in the water at the Children's Museum yesterday

Enjoying a kid's drink from Starbucks

What a busy week! We have packed as much as we could into this week off from school. Jimmy has completed many home improvement projects, we are attending our gospel meeting at church, we all went to the dentist (my brother) yesterday, we shopped at Target while in Memphis, and I have tried to stay caught up on laundry in spite of all of the busyness. The children are enjoying their time off from school, and Olivia and Julie have had more time than usual to blog. Check out their blogs for more details about the fun we have been having during our Fall Break. The week concludes with a 5K race tomorrow in Corinth. My sister in law, Megan plans to watch Leah and Sam so I can run without the stroller. One of Jimmy's cousins, Stacee, is meeting me at the race so we can run together. She is also training for the St. Jude Half Marathon. We plan to run that race together too.

This Week's Menu

Tuesday--fruited chicken, brown rice, green beans
Wednesday--roast with carrots, potatoes, and onions, green beans, bread, banana pudding--We're feeding the visiting preacher, that's why we're having dessert!
Thursday--BBQ chicken salad
Friday--Mexican Casserole (new recipe), salad
Saturday--Chicken and Rice casserole (new recipe), steamed broccoli
Sunday--leftovers, cereal

Fall Break

This week is fall break. Jimmy is off work all week, and we are off from official homeschool for the week too. We came down to Jackson yesterday after our morning church service. We are staying with Jimmy's brother Russ and his wife Megan for a couple of days. We attended the church where we worshipped when we lived here last night. (We lived in Jackson for the 1st 9 years we were married. Jimmy completed medical school, residency, and fellowship while we were here.) We were delighted to visit with our old church family. They had never met Sam and had only seen Leah when she was a baby. It was great seeing all of our old and dear friends.

After supper with Russ and Megan at one of our old favorite restuarants, Mazzios, Megan and I had a rematch of Singstar. I finally beat her on one of the songs, "Material Girl". I think I had an edge, because I knew all of the words already, and Megan was probably 5 or 6 when that song was popular! Then Russ demonstrated a new game for us, Dance Dance Revolution. It was hilarious! Playing this game is much harder than it looks! It was a lot of fun, and we had a lot of laughs!

This morning we went for a family run. All 7 of us. We haven't all run together in quite a while, so it was fun. Jimmy and the children let me set the pace, so they had a pretty slow run. We did go 7 miles though.

Next on our agenda is to check out a new mall that has been built since we moved from here, and then supper with Russ, Megan, and one of Jimmy's high school friends and his family.

Enjoying our fall break!!

Tippah County Lake XC Meet

Earlier today was the Tippah County Lake XC meet. Our homeschool cross-country team ran excellently! We had participants in the JV girls and boys and the Varsity boys. Our JV girls' team won 2nd place overall and 4 of our girls finished in the top 15 and were awarded t shirts. They were all so happy! Julie won 1st and Olivia 2nd in the JV race. Their times are in the sidebar.
Since this race was held at a state park, we all took picnic supplies and stayed most of the day. The weather was pleasant, and the children all had an enormous amount of fun. Julie has blogged all about it, complete with pictures. Check it out.

We have been so blessed with a super xc coach--Heather! She is just wonderful, and I appreciate all of the time she has spent and the sacrifices she has made to coach our homeschool xc team. She has 4 young children of her own that she homeschools---plus making time to coach our team. Wow! Please visit her blog too for a recap of the day.

Clay did not run in this meet because he was camping with his Pops (my daddy). Twice a year, the members of our Contenders For the Faith club take a father/son camping trip. Since Jimmy had to work Friday, and he needed to attend the xc meet (to set up the tent, carry all of the supplies---you have to park a long way from the event in xc meets!-- and document the day in pictures and video), my daddy took Clay on the campout. He went with Clay on the last one too, and they both seemed to have a wonderful time! Jimmy was able to spend a few hours at the campsite last night. Clay said that he didn't go to bed until midnight, and he was up at 6:00 a.m. ready to ride his 4 wheeler. He was tired this afternoon!

Fruited Chicken and Rice

29 oz. can tomato sauce
20 oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
4-6 boneless chicken breasts (I use the frozen ones)
11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained

1 box instant brown rice

Combine all ingredients except chicken, oranges, and rice. Place chicken in bottom of crock pot and pour mixture over it. Cook on high for 4 hours. Prepare rice just before serving time. Just before serving, mix in oranges. Serve chicken and sauce on top of rice.

Half-Marathon Training

New music on my iPod.......$21
Babysitter........$5o
Successfully running 9 miles today.......Priceless!

Happy Birthday Jimmy!

Yesterday was Jimmy's birthday. We had a busy day, and Jimmy had to work. He was able to meet us for cross country practice and run with the team. We served him a nice supper complete with his favorite dessert--pecan pie. I only make pecan pie for his birthday, so I have not perfected the recipe. The filling is always too runny, but it tastes good! Jimmy's parents surprised us with a short visit around suppertime. I think Jimmy had a great birthday night!