Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... Dark, dreary and brrrrrr ......

I am thinking... about a book I want to write called Coffee with June and the Future Queen.

I am thankful ... for a teenage son who tells me that he loves me "to the moon and back 10 times" and his best friend who brings our trash can down from the curb when he comes over.

I am wearing... gray yoga pants, a gray thermal shirt, a blue and gray striped zip-up hoodie and Nike's.

I am planning... to get serious about getting Eli's birthday party scheduled.

I am creating... daily Christmas activities with Brynne.

I am going... to sit here for another glorious 30 minutes before it's time to get everybody up and ready for school.

I am reading... The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (again. I only got through page 300 when it was due last time and my friend Tamara owns the book so loaned it to me to finish the other 600 pages.) Tomorrow I am starting the Rediscovering Christmas challenge with my friend Shannon and six other women ... Join us!!

I am hoping... that Kyndal will get serious about getting a job.

On my mind... keeping things low-key until Christmas.

From the learning rooms... So glad to be back to our school routine! Dawson is starting a new unit on Ancient Rome (which will also include a study of Jesus' birth and life). In Science his unit is on geology. Should be fun! Brynne's studies will have a concentration on Christmas this whole month. We will be doing lots of activities! Kyndal is doing great in every class but Geometry and I'm afraid she's just not doing everything she can to help herself. Eli got his progress report and has 90% and above on everything. Reading is still his weak area, but I see some improvement.

Noticing that ... I've been more tired than usual in the evenings the past couple of nights. I've gone to bed really early and can't seem to be able to stay up and watch some t.v. with Rick after the kids go to bed. I think my last few crazy weeks are just catching up to me.

From the kitchen... We are finally having that Crock Pot Lasagna tonight!!!

Around the house... Are the remnants of fall and Thanksgiving crafts. It's time to start replacing them with Christmas ones.

One of my favorite things... is having two furry doggies curled up against my back while I sleep. I think it makes me feel like I am nurturing even when I'm sleeping.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Today is Tuesday which means I don't do anything outside of this house if I can help it! Kyndal does have physical therapy, but that's it. Tomorrow Brynne and I will head to the library in the afternoon. On Thursday afternoon Kyndal and I are touring the Vo-tech facility where she has applied. On Friday Brynne has her Homeschool Coop Christmas party and that evening her and her daddy are going to a Father-Daughter dance. The rest of us will just be taking it easy all weekend. Yea!!!

From my picture journal.

Eli and his grandma at lunch yesterday at school. He cried when she left.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Kyndal's Bedroom Makeover

Here are pics from Kyndal's bedroom makeover. I will be posting specifics about some of the individual projects, soon.

Before ~

After ~

It just amazes me to see the before and after photos! We still have just a couple of things to do: add another ribbon strip to her bulletin board wall by the window, add a black panel going into her dressing closet, possibly add a rug and a lamp, and I've ordered a poster I created from Zazzle.com that has an Audrey Hepburn quote she likes.

I will be having some posts coming soon about the spray painting we did and how I made the pillows without sewing.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday ~ Turkey tetrazzini (leftovers!!)

Tuesday ~ Crock pot lasagna (yes .. we really are going to get to it this week!)

Wednesday ~ Fend For Yourself

Thursday ~ Hot dogs and mac and cheese (Brynne's request)

Friday ~ Chicken and bows

Saturday ~ BBQ pork sandwiches

Sunday ~ Homemade calzone

More menu ideas are at The Organizing Junkie.

Rick Rocks ~ (Oooops, I was so busy shopping Friday I forgot to post about him!)

As is my usual custom, I planned a project bigger than me. For Kyndal's 16th birthday we gave her a bedroom makeover. When we moved into our new house three years ago she chose a stripes and polkadots theme. She had clearly outgrown it. She was ready for something more sophisticated and chose a Tiffany-inspired black, white and Tiffany blue color scheme. I, of course, had grander plans!

This makeover was going to involve painting her furniture black, covering her striped wall, painting her bedroom, lots of spray painting and accessorizing! I was honestly going to do it all myself. I didn't expect, or even ask, Rick to help. But he loves a good project so he offered to help me.

And help he did!!  He sanded the furniture, primed the dresser drawers, painted her entire room and assembled furniture. But more importantly he made me stop and do proper prep work and do things right the first time. (Sounds like I didn't do anything, doesn't it.)

How in the world I thought I would get this all done by myself is a mystery. Without him, it wouldn't have happened!

Mind you, I was busy as well. But I'm more into the planning and creating and, did I mention accessorizing? The follow-through always sometimes trips me up.

With his help we created the most amazing bedroom! I cannot wait for her to see it this afternoon when she gets home! We are surprising her. She knows that we were working on it, but she doesn't know that it will be completely finished when she gets home.

{Stay tuned for some specifics later ... but this post is about Rick.}

I love this man! He makes my life so much easier! And he provides me with so much laughter! After he was done with his part of the bedroom, I found him in the storage room cleaning up our old Christmas trees, boxing them up and putting them away, properly storing ornaments. Then I came downstairs and the dishwasher was running. Later I noticed it was unloaded. He just does these things without me having to ask or nag. He is such a great partner!

Rick Rocks!

The Simplest of Thanksgivings

Going to bed the night before Thanksgiving I was a little bummed that we weren't going to be spending Thanksgiving with any extended family. And Kyndal and Dawson are at their dad's, so it just seemed so uneventful at our house.

But it turned out to be such a great day!

Rick let me sleep in, so I got up at 9:30 to see him and the kids watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We had a huge project planned for this weekend, so after some coffee Rick and I got started while the kids watched t.v.

On Wednesday night the kids made some sign-holding turkeys. Then Thanksgiving morning I cut out some shapes and read them a poem called "I'm Thankful For .." and they used the shapes to make a landscape placemat. Then we read a couple of Thanksgiving books.

Eli's turkey

Brynne's turkey

We had a simple but yummy dinner of roasted turkey breast, noodles and stuffing, surrounded by all of the other fall crafts Eli and Brynne had done over the past few days.

Thanksgiving evening we went to the movies. Eli and Rick went to see Megamind and Brynne and I went to see Tangled. Eli really wanted to spend some time alone with Rick, so we decided to separate for the movie. Dang movies are expensive these days, especially now that every movie is in 3-D and they charge you an extra $3 per ticket!

We came home and got the kids ready for bed and Rick and I went straight to bed also. I got up at 4 a.m. yesterday morning and hit the stores for Black Friday madness. I'm one of those weirdos that loves Black Friday shopping. I didn't have anything specific on my list that had to be bought today. But with my Christmas list in hand, I headed out. I took the leisurely approach ... letting people crowd in front of me, go ahead of me in line. I just chuckled at how serious people were about getting a $4 pair of pjs. Anyway, I did great with my shopping and knocked out a good portion of my list. And I enjoyed my time alone. I got home around 9:30 a.m. and we spent the rest of the afternoon on our "little project".

We really enjoyed our time together the past two days. It was a simple and fantastic Thanksgiving.

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too.

Thankful

Today I am thankful for two very specific things: My husband and children.

As I stood fixing my coffee this morning, I had tears in my eyes as I heard a St. Jude's commercial on television. There are real families with real sick children who are not home with their families today but are, instead, in a hospital. As my children are watching the Macy's Day Parade, there are real children who are receiving cancer treatments for their terminal cancer. I am thankful for healthy children.

And then I immediately thought of my friend Vee who is spending her Thanksgiving without her husband who died tragically two weeks ago. Her children and unborn child are without their father. I am thankful for my husband.

Nothing else in this world matters.

I am Thankful.

At Least I Had a Reason to Clean My House

We have our house for sale again. We had a showing today. They seemed interested, but have their own house to sell. Selling a house is brutal!

Well, at least I had a good reason to clean my house. This is the first time it's been clean from top to bottom in a long time. That's a good way to start Thanksgiving break.

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... It went from 80 degrees yesterday to freezing cold today! Brrr!!!

I am thinking... about how exhausted I am. This craft party has about done me in. And I am mad at myself that I have let it consume so much of my time because I feel like the kids' birthday parties have gotten the shaft this year because I just haven't had anything left to put into them.

I am thankful ... for a night of pizza, beer and The Devil Wears Prada after a horrible day.

I am wearing... the total opposite of what I was wearing yesterday. I went from a short sleeved shirt and capris to a sweater, scarf and Uggs.

I am planning... to start cleaning my house for a showing tomorrow afternoon.

I am creating...Kyndal's 16th Birthday Bedroom Makeover.

I am going...enjoy my family this weekend.

I am reading... The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah.

I am hoping... that our house showing goes good tomorrow.

On my mind...is how tired I am but how much I have planned to get accomplished this weekend.

From the learning rooms... We didn't do a thing this week. Eli's school had it's Fall Craft Party both yesterday and today. With that I was at school both days. Brynne got to participate with Eli and Dawson volunteered today with me. We definitely need a break! I want to get the next few weeks planned, though, so Dawson and I can start a new unit on Ancient Rome and Brynne and I can start a Christmas unit. Eli got his progress report and is doing really, really well. Kyndal stayed up super late last night working on an essay that was due today but that she had known about for quite a while. That girl is a procrastinator!

Noticing that ...people are less and less committed to things they sign onto.

From the kitchen... Going to make some BBQ Pepperjack Chicken in a bit.

Around the house... Are more messes than I want to clean up, but I have to get started!

One of my favorite things... cracking open my eyes in the early morning and smelling my coffee already brewed.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Tonight and tomorrow I am cleaning like a mad woman for our house showing. Then Wednesday night I'll be sanding and priming Kyndal's bedroom furniture to paint it and clearing out her room. On Thanksgiving Day it will just be Rick, Eli, Brynne and I, and we are going to have a toned-down Thanksgiving dinner and maybe take in a movie. Somewhere this weekend I am completely redoing Kyndal's bedroom for her 16th Birthday present. I have tons to do! I also want to get up on Black Friday and do some shopping alone. Then it will be back to working on Kyndal's bedroom. Kyndal and Dawson will get back from their dad's on Sunday night and we'll get ready for a new burst of school until Christmas.

From my picture journal.

Me and the girls at Orange Leaf on Kyndal's birthday.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Menu Plan Monday

We have a crazy, busy couple of days before Thanksgiving. For us, Thanksgiving is actually a slow down as we aren't traveling anywhere this year and it will just be our little family for turkey and stuffing.

Here's what we are having this week:

Monday ~ Crock pot lasagna (we didn't get to this last week because of an invite to a dinner)

Tuesday ~ BBQ pepper jack chicken and linguine

Wednesday ~ Fend for Yourself

Thursday ~ Turkey and stuffing casserole with noodles

Friday ~ Mushroom turkey tetrazzini

Saturday ~ Stuffed peppers

Sunday ~ Salmon, veggies and rice

Have a Happy Thanksgiving week!

Christmas Shopping from the Comfort of Home

With all of the great "Free Shipping" Deals you can get nowadays by shopping online, it is almost ludacris to even consider going out into stores to shop! (I say this as I make plans to get up and do Black Friday this week.)

Anyway, yesterday I sat down and did some online shopping. All total I bought about 20 gifts (including mine from Rick that I picked out) and our Christmas cards, spent about $280 and only spent $12 total in shipping! And I never even got out of my jammies to do it!

I got some great deals! And do you know how I find out about most of them? From other bloggers. And, especially from my friend Sherri at Luv a Bargain. You just have to sign on to follow her blog! She always clues me in on the best deals! It's amazing how much money she saves me every holiday, and throughout the year. Thanks, Sherri!

I hope your shopping is going well!

Our Christmas Card Reveal (look away if you don't want me to spoil the surprise!)

I just had to go ahead and reveal our Christmas card. I know I said I wouldn't but I couldn't wait!

Shutterfly gave us 50 free 5x7 stationary cards, just by promoting them! And, before you think I promoted them just to get the free cards ... think again! I found the coolest card that was perfect for what we were wanting to portray as a family this year!

Not only did I get the perfect Christmas card (for free), but I also decided to order my yearly photo calendars from there this year (they are 30% off right now, so hurry) and I got a couple of other fun gifts, as well, all at great prices!  The shipping was free (use code SHIP30) and I will have the products within the next week. Everything I ordered was exactly what I wanted at a great price. Getting the free cards was just icing.

Thank you, Shutterfly, for the opportunity to promote your products. I am so excited about the things I ordered!! And I am proud to introduce the outside of our Christmas cards. The inside is even cooler!

Most Wonderful Story Christmas 5x7 folded card

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Rick Rocks ~ Another Grateful Edition

We have a phrase in our family .. "whoa down", as in "you need to whoa down a bit" or "he whoa'd me down when I was freaking out."

Rick has the ability to do that for me. I have mentioned in lots and lots of a few posts that I don't like to be told what to do. I'm pretty sure I'm 'all that', that I have all the wisest answers. Hmmmmm ..... no.

I am a control freak of the greatest proportions, especially when it comes to my kids. I do all things with order and structure, and expect {too often} for everyone else to do the same. As Dr. Phil would say, "How's that workin' for ya?"

I have a teenager (well, actually a couple of them). But the teenager I'm talking about is 16 years old, as of yesterday. And, how-did-this-happen?, she has a life of her own now! And it consists of friends, and boyfriends, and conflicts and other things. And, I'd love nothing more than to micro-manage all of that for her.

But, then I remember how, even as a teenager (especially as a teenager), I didn't like to be told what to do. And I always hated that I wasn't trusted. And I knew I wasn't trusted.

Rick's upbringing was the complete opposite. He had virtually no supervision and no rules. He was completely trusted. (Thankfully he was very responsible and a great kid who didn't fall into any real trouble.)

So, this past weekend when I was upset about a way that Kyndal was handling a situation, I wanted to get all in her business and voice my opinion(s) and take care of things for her. And it was stressing me out. And I was up several times in the night thinking about it. And it's really been bumming me out that she is so content spending so much time away from us. So, I was a little panicked and needed to do something ... now!

And then Rick "whoa'd me down". We had a great talk about typical teenage behavior, and what a great kid Kyndal is, and how she needs to be free to make some of her own mistakes while the stakes are still low in her life, and how as a teenager I hated to be untrusted and micro-managed and how I am allowing her to grow and mature by just staying out of some things and how she needs to learn how to navigate some of her relationships on her own.

It was hard, but I took his advice.

And then after the weekend was over, and she was home talking to us, it became clear that she had made some pretty great decisions all on her own. And then when she was really upset about another situation with a family member, I was so glad that I hadn't frustrated her all weekend with my management of her life. Because, it was me she came to, to talk and cry and ask for advice.

Without Rick that probably would have ended up being a completely different situation. He balances me so well and helps take away my panic and helps me to see the bigger picture.

I am so grateful to have him!

HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY KYNDAL!!!

Go here to see a post about our girl. She is 16 years old today. What a great day of celebration!

We love you, Kyndal!

Rediscovering Christmas Bible Challenge

My friend Shannon at Welcome to our Wonderland has put out a great challenge that I am planning to accept. It's not a hard one and it goes along with my desire to put the spirit back into Christmas.

The Rediscovering Christmas Bible Challenge asks each of us to read one chapter of the Book of Luke each day starting December 1st. There are 24 chapters in the Book, so it takes you right up to Christmas Eve.

I'm in, Shannon. Will any of you join us? Go to Shannon's blog to find out more.

Please continue to be in prayer for my friend Vee and her children Faith, Caleb and unborn Carter. In her words, she is "suffocating with pain" and is "terrified of figuring out life without [Jeremy]." Those are two specific things you can pray about for her.

My heart just breaks every time I think of her.

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... It is a sunny, beautiful day, but it's pretty chilly!

I am thinking... about the 1950's woman versus the Proverbs 31 woman versus the woman of the 21st century. Someone needs to write a book about it.

I am thankful ... that I have a life partner who balances me so well. This weekend he was able to 'whoa me down' about an issue so that I didn't make things worse. Turns out his advice was the best ever and things turned out so good without my intervention. That was a confidence booster for someone and a victory for me as a parent.

I am wearing... black and red track pants, a red long-sleeved t-shirt, a white zip up hoodie and tennis shoes.

I am planning... an old-fashioned Christmas.

I am creating... the final items for the Fall Craft party that is at school next Monday and Tuesday, some photo Christmas gifts  and the finishing touches to our Christmas card.

I am going... to get some hot green tea in minute to perk me up before our afternoon school lessons.

I am reading... A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola. Gotta read the rest of what I am going to read tonight because it has to go back to the library tomorrow. I'll definitely have to check it out again. Too many nuggets of information for one reading.

I am hoping... that Rick gets that big break.

On my mind... is Kyndal's birthday. In two days I will have a 16 year old daughter. Weird.

From the learning rooms... We are so busy all the time, but loving it! Trying to add in some Thanksgiving lessons for Brynne. Eli is close to doing 100 addition problems in 4 minutes with no mistakes. He loves doing that! Dawson is finishing up his unit on Ancient Greece and we are moving on to Ancient Rome after Thanksgiving. Kyndal just keeps working at inching up that Geometry grade!

Noticing that ... it might actually be greater to just give someone trust than to require that they earn it.

From the kitchen... Dawson! He's cooking tonight!

Around the house... Are leaves, leaves, everywhere leaves.

One of my favorite things... sitting on the couch, with whoever will sit with me.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Crazy, busy week! Kyndal has physical therapy a couple of afternoons. Brynne has homeschool library tomorrow. Kyndal's 16th birthday is on Thursday! Friday morning we have coop (which I am helping lead .. MORE crafts!). Then that afternoon is our Kindergarten/1st Grade Fall Craft Party work day (we have to make pumpkin scented playdough for 150 kids.) On Saturday I am heading to Tulsa to do some Christmas shopping at An Affair of the Heart. Then on Sunday I will need to get the whole house cleaned and laundry done, since I won't have time to do any of it this week.

From my picture journal.

At the Oklahoma Aquarium playset at the airport waiting for daddy to get back from his way-too-long business trip to Aruba!

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Menu Plan Monday

The reason we had an easy couple of weeks in the kitchen was because Rick was on a business trip. When he is here I like to make sure I make a good meal to thank him for working so hard all day for his family. I also like to make sure he has something to take in his lunch the next day, and a lot of our kid-meals don't reheat well. So, while he was gone we just ate whatever we wanted.

Now we are back to normal, so real meal planning resumes this week ...

"Mexican" Monday ~ Grilled burritos

"Taste of Home Cookbook" Tuesday ~ Dawson's Greek Menu (we decided to wait until Rick got home to enjoy it with us.)

"Whatever You Want" Wednesday ~ Fend for Yourself

"The Favorites" Thursday ~ Chicken and dumplings

"Freezer" Friday ~ Chili times 2, and hot dogs

"Sandwich" Saturday ~ BBQ pork sandwiches

"So Easy" Sunday ~ Crock pot lasagna

Have a great week! And check out other menu ideas at The Organizing Junkie.

My Goals for a Busy, Busy Week!

Yeah, I've done it again! I've scheduled a week that no normal person can pull off. This week I have two afternoon work days for the Fall Craft Party that is at school the following week. I have Brynne's homeschool library day. Kyndal's 16th birthday is Thursday. She will have physical therapy three afternoons. Then I allowed myself to help run another craft party at coop on Friday morning. All of this needs to be done on top of school for Dawson and Brynne.

How will I make it? With lots of planning and preparation and by taking one day at a time.

To help myself out, I have done/plan to do these things:

1.  Get all of my weekly housecleaning and laundry done on Sunday.
2.  Get all of our homeschooling lessons copied (if necessary) and put in workboxes so they at our fingertips.
3.  Get up every morning this week and go for a run.
4.  Refer to the Meal Calendar each morning and get out anything that needs thawed out for the night.
5.  Have meals ready by 5:30 p.m., kitchen cleaned up by 6:00 p.m., and all baths done by 7:00 p.m.
6.  Get all bedtime necessaries done by 7:00 p.m.
7.  Prepare the night before for the next morning.
8.  Vowing to not take it out on my family when I get overwhelmed because I have totally overdone it!

Doing these things will make my week go much more smoothly.

And, I have Saturday to look forward to: A friend and I are heading to An Affair of the Heart for some shopping.

Check Out the Shutterfly Photo Card Options

Simplicity ... Old Fashioned ... Family

These are the words that describe how I have been feeling about the Holidays this year. I've posted about it a couple of times already and will be posting a lot more about it in the weeks to come.

In the past I have gone to great lengths, with great stress, to get a good family picture for our yearly Christmas card. I've had a vision in mind that I wanted to recreate ... at all costs!

This year, I just wanted a simple photo of the kids to show how much they have grown up this past year. Last weekend we took some great photos. I got the perfect simple and earthy shot.

So when I went looking for a photo Christmas card to use, I was immediately drawn to the selection at Shutterfly.com! They had so many cards to choose from, and I found the  perfect  card that reflected my mood this year.

You can go here to see their selection of Holiday cards or you can go here to see their selection of Christmas cards. Whatever you are looking for, you can find it in one of these two places ... guaranteed!

Not only do they have an amazing selection of Holiday and Christmas cards, they also have many other photo gift options. Every year I make a photo calendar for family members. I am designing my calendar on Shutterfly right now! Go here to see their many options.

And while browsing the site I found the greatest photo gift for one of my teenagers. He will love it!

If you are a blogger, you can get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… Sign up at http://bit.ly/sfly2010.


I'd love to show you the card I chose to use this year, but I don't want to ruin the surprise ... sorry!

Rick Rocks ~ Grateful Edition

Rick has been on a business trip for the past two weeks and just got back yesterday! He has never been gone for that long. The longest he has been gone at once was a week. So, it was quite an adjustment for us to be without him. He even missed Halloween, which was hard on the kids!

And after hearing that my sweet friend Vee's husband was killed in a tragic accident on Tuesday, I am especially grateful that he is home safe and sound!

Here are some other reasons I am grateful for Rick this week ...

1.  He actually preferred this

to this

2.  He got home yesterday morning and spent three hours of his afternoon sitting at Wal-Mart getting me new tires for my Suburban.

3.  He swung his daughter on the swings and went to his little boy's Veteran's Day program.

4.  He got up this morning and resumed his "job" of making the bed.

5.  He'll be home all weekend to spend time with us.

I am grateful to have a husband who likes to be with his family and who takes such good care of us!

I'm so glad you're home, babe!

** I am also linking up at I'm grateful for ... at Domestic Princess in Training this week.

PLEASE BE IN PRAYER (and hug your husband today!)

Please pray for my blogging friend, Veronica. On Tuesday her husband fell out of a tree stand and died. He was only 31 years old. They have two beautiful little children under the age of six and Vee is pregnant with their third child, halfway through her pregnancy.

I am absolutely numb from the news of this.

Who cares that Garth Brooks' daughter tp'd my house.

An Old-Fashioned Christmas

I'm typically known as a Grinch when it comes to Christmas. I've been that way for years. I have often said that if it wasn't for the kids I wouldn't even put up a Christmas tree. Yes, it's that bad! Last year Rick was on a business trip when it was time to decorate the house and I did it all myself. I was actually tempted to say curse words during the process. I had to have a discussion with myself about my attitude to continue with a joyful heart and spirit.

We have tried different things at Christmas. We've gone to church. We've had family here. We've gone back home. Every year has left something lacking. The Spirit of Christmas was just not present!

It all starts every year at about the beginning of October. I get annoyed at the Christmas decorations that are already out. I don't want to hear Christmas music continuously from November 1st-December 31st! I get worn out with the commercialism and stress over gifts and spending days decorating a house that nobody even sees. Every year I say, "Why do we do this?"

By Christmas morning, some kind of expectation has not been met so we're all grouchy.

Last year we had a huge snow and ice storm on Christmas Eve. Kyndal was in Missouri and so was my extended family. They were all supposed to drive down Christmas morning. I had the house decorated and cleaned, the big turkey and fixins ready to cook and nobody was here to enjoy it .... nobody except for Rick and me, Dawson, Eli and Brynne. And you know what? It was a simple, white-covered, peaceful and lovely Christmas! Everyone enjoyed it. (With the exception of having to take down all those many decorations, it was a perfect Christmas weekend.)

So when Brynne and I read the book An Early American Christmas by Tomie dePaola, I instantly knew why I had been so disillusioned with Christmas for so long and exactly how I want our family to spend our Christmas this year.

The whole time I was reading the book I was so at peace, and had a huge smile on my face. I felt happy at the thought of Christmas! If you know me, you know what a big accomplishment this is!

(btw ... the same type of thing happened to us on Easter this year and it was the most meaningful Easter we ever celebrated.)

In the book, the Early Americans did not celebrate Christmas for a month or more. They started really preparing just a few days before. It was a homemade Christmas. It was simple. They celebrated time together as a family. And they did all as a welcome to the Christ Child.

They made homemade bayberry candles, paper ornaments, moravian stars, apple ring and popcorn garlands, painted nuts as ornaments, baked lots of Christmas cookies. They decorated a small, real tree. It was brought into the home on Christmas Eve. The family put out a nativity set. They lit the candles as a welcome to Jesus. They sang Christmas hymns.

Sound peaceful to you?

I had already made a decision that I would only be putting up a Christmas tree and stockings this year. Our fake tree had finally gone caput at the end of last Christmas, so we were going to have to buy a new tree this year.

My desire for a simpler and more meaningful Christmas, and my reading of this book, have given me an idea for how I would like us to spend this Christmas. Rick and I have discussed it and he said, "Go for it."

Soooooooo, stay tuned for our plans. I can tell you that it will resemble the Early American Christmas I described above.

(Yes we will still have presents and fun and movies and games and eating. I do have kids who love electronics.)

I don't think I have ever been as excited for Christmas as I am right now!

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... The sun is shining so brightly! Its beautiful against all the colored leaves. It's going to be a beautiful day today ... mid-70's and sunny.

I am thinking... about so many things right now! My mind is kind of a jumbled crazy mess. I'm not sad or depressed or anything. I just have a lot of "how I want to be living my life" kind of thoughts.

I am thankful ... that my mom is a great grandma, even from so far away.

I am wearing...denim skinny jeans, a black and turquoise button-up shirt and my new black boots my mom bought me.

I am planning... all the specifics for the Fall Craft Party at school that is in two weeks ... two weeks????

I am creating...my new philosophy on how I spend my time.

I am going... to get outside today and rake up some leaves and collect acorns and twigs for our craft party. The weather is just going to be too beautiful not to get out in it!

I am reading... A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola.

I am hoping... that Rick knows how much he is loved!

On my mind... is how I am just tired of being angry and bitter at certain people for how they have treated me in the past. I felt like God freed me from that this morning and we agreed to just forgive and start fresh today. With that, though, I made a promise to God and myself that from this day on, when someone does or says something to hurt me, that I will address it right then and there and put it away.

From the learning rooms... Brynne continues to read and do her work with such excitement! Eli appears to have had a breakthrough on reading and all-of-a-sudden is doing much better. Dawson has been showing me real effort the past week or two, and I have appreciated it. And Kyndal has gotten all of her lower grades up, and is still working hard. I really couldn't be much happier with everyone's progress.

Noticing that ... I feel so much better and productive all day when I get up and run in the mornings .... duhhhhhhh!!!!!

From the kitchen... One last easyish week before I get more serious about my meal planning.

Around the house... Are sleeping bodies that need to get up and ready for school.

One of my favorite things...(and I know I am likely in the minority on this) is the time change. I love that it gets dark early in the evening {because the kids are forced to be in the house early and getting ready for bed early which means my day gets to be over earlier .. I am not a night person!} and I love that it's lighter in the mornings earlier {because then I am not running in the pitch dark which scares me to death and the brighter mornings get me more motivated.}

A few plans for the rest of the week...Welcoming home my husband from his two-week business trip!!!! That's pretty much it.

From my picture journal.

The 2010 Christmas card runner-up. We decided against including the dogs. But they'd like to take this opportunity to say "Merry Christmas" before they get removed.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

A Nomination ~ Please Vote!!

Journey to Excellence has been nominated for an award in The Homeschool Post's 2010 Homeschool Blog Awards! {Thanks for nominating me, Shannon!}

You can go here to vote for me! You just scroll down to the bottom and click on Best NEW Homeschool Blog (No. 19), then click on the dot next to Journey to Excellence, then hit the "Vote" button.

Tell your friends to vote, too! There are some great homeschooling resource prizes involved!

If you are interested in homeschooling, look around at some of the other great blogs, too. All of my favorites have been nominated for at least one award.

Thanks!!

Menu Plan Monday ~ One Last Easyish Week

The first step in being like a 1950's wife is to plan meals. That way you are prepared to have a meal ready for your husband when he walks in the door from work, instead of throwing something together at 7:00 p.m. or after or needing to run to get some fast food because there's nothing in the house to prepare. You can read my 1950's wife post here.

This will be our last Easyish week before I get back to planning my meals based on my days-of-the-week acronyms. Here's what we are having this week ...

Monday ~ Chicken and noodles (didn't have this Saturday night because Grandma was visiting and they wanted turkey burgers)

Tuesday ~ Sausage and biscuits

Wednesday ~ Fend for Yourself

Thursday ~ Dawson is finally making our family an entire Greek meal of Greek Salad, Feta Chicken and Lemon Custards.

Friday ~ Chicken fettucine

Saturday ~ Chicken sandwiches and Homemade pasta salad

Sunday ~ Ramen and crackers

There are some yummy fall menus over at The Organizing Junkie. Go check it out!

The 1950's Wife

At one time in my life I attempted to live the "new" American dream of a woman ... get your degree, have a high-profile and high-paying job, be married, have children, own a home, drive a nice car, etc.

I was feeling a definite pull toward being a stay-at-home mom, taking care of my family and home full time. But that was not possible for me with all of the financial demands of that American dream.

Those days were a blur and ended in divorce, displaced children and a longing for a completely different kind of life.

Rick and I were married in 2001 and although I worked for a period of time after we got married, he gave me the honor and privilege of quitting work to take care of our family full time. Then we added two more children .. and a new home .. and some dogs. And then this year we decided to bring a couple of the kids home to homeschool.

I feel in my element for the first time in my life! I love it! I am exhausted, yes! But I am fulfilled. I find myself enjoying things that I never imagined I would, like gardening. I have a dream of us living in an old farmhouse (and remodeling it) and having an even simpler life than we have now.

I have got to where I am completely content at home and don't have much desire to leave it, hardly ever! I know of so many other women who need "girl time" or need "to get out of the house". And I wonder if I am the only one in the world who doesn't need or want that.

I want to learn to sew and to do more gardening and to take care of family even more than I already do now.

I want to be the kind of wife that my husband is excited to come home to in the afternoon. I want to have the kind of home that is a safe haven for my family.

I have told Rick recently how much I wish we lived in the 50's. Honestly, I don't give two hoots about equality of women or anything of the sort. It's great that women have rights and if they want them, they should have them. But I find that it's a relief to let Rick be the leader of our home. Unfortunately I try to take back that role from him all too often. And I find that at the times I am most unhappy are the times that I am trying to be the ruler of all.

Here is an article (that has been stated to possibly be a spoof, or actually a page out of an older home economics books instead of from an article from a 1950's Good Housekeeping magazine) that sets out what a wife should do to be A Good Wife to her husband. Go here to read it. I thought I'd stir up some controversy ... what do you think?

I'll get the conversation flowing .. I think if wives took on this role, we'd have more happy marriages and families. There, I said it.

Rick Rocks ~ Because Apparently He's My Motivation!

The last business trip Rick went on was the longest he has ever been away from home in one period of time.

While he was gone I had no motivation to do anything!

I cooked all easy kid food, and one night we even had cookies for dinner. Many days went by without washing my hair or wearing anything but yoga pants and hoodies. I cleaned, but without any real care. In the evenings I would be in my pjs by about 6:30 p.m. (which isn't really anything too new.) One afternoon I even took a nap on the couch from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The coffee table became my nest with my computer, school books, books I was reading, coffee cups and water bottles. I even had a couple pair of shoes on the floor by me.

The dogs loved this new relaxed me! They beg me every day with excessive whining to sit down so they can nap on me. At times I would have all four dogs laying on or near me.

Sure, the kids were all fed, bathed, got their school work done and got good nights of sleep. But beyond that, I was pretty much worthless.

Rick Rocks ~ Because apparently he's my motivation!!

Brynne's Future Plans

Brynne and I had the cutest conversation last night.

She told me that when she becomes a "big lady" she is going to live one house away from me. I asked her what she was going to do for a job and she said, "clean my house." Then she said, "Well some ladies play golf. I'm going to play golf."

I asked her if she was going to have kids and she said, "I don't know them yet." She said, "I'm going to get a dog. Her name will be 'Susie'." And then she said she is going to have another dog named 'Chloe'.

I asked her if her kids were going to go to school or do school at home. She said, "What if any of my kids are like Eli?" I said, "What do you mean?" She said, "What if they don't talk good?" She said, "If they talk good they can stay home for school. If they can't talk good then they will go to school like Eli."

She said her daddy (she meant husband) was going to stay home and teach her kids with her. I said, 'Who is going to make money to pay for your house?" She said, "I'm not going to have to pay for my house."

It was precious. Basically, she's planning to be me, but play golf like her daddy.

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... It's chilly and overcast and I can hear a train whistle in the distance.

I am thinking... about how my time with Kyndal is so close to being over. I know that as soon as she graduates she will move back to Missouri, with her dad's side of the family, and I will lose my influence over her. I wonder if I have instilled enough of myself in her and if I have done enough to prepare her for what I think life will bring her way.

I am thankful ... for quiet nights at home.

I am wearing... gray fleece pants and a black zip up hoodie.

I am planning... meetings for the Fall Craft Party at school.

I am creating... ahhhhh, nothing again for a bit. The frog costumes about did me in.

I am going... to schedule Kyndal's appointment with Vo-Tech today so that she can continue on her journey of applying for cosmetology school, and schedule her next round of physical therapy for her back.

I am reading... A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola.

I am hoping... that Eli's teachers and I can come up with some solutions to help him with his difficulty in reading.

On my mind... is how hypocritical some are vocally in the name of being a Christ-follower and how I used to do the same things, in my petty judgments and in putting myself on a pedestal of believing I had "the answers" for someone else. It's all a matter of arrogance and pride.

From the learning rooms... Brynne read an entire book yesterday that she had never heard or read before. She was so excited! Eli passed his first Math Masters test by doing 100 addition problems in 5 minutes! (Where he is lacking in reading, he more than makes up for in math skills.) Dawson is doing great and learning a lot (evident by the questions and comments he makes through the day). He is currently doing a First Aid project and is starting a paper model of the Parthenon today. Kyndal is working hard to get her Geometry grade up and even skipped any Halloween festivities to study for a test she has today. She also applied for Vo-Tech this week hoping to get accepted into the cosmetology program so she can get her cosmetology license (for free!) before she graduates from high school.

Noticing that ... we have a terrible electrical system. I have never replaced so many lightbulbs as I do in this house. And don't even get me started on the outlet issues.

From the kitchen... Another easy week!

Around the house... I am not hearing anything but a clock ticking and my fingers clicking on the keyboard.

One of my favorite things... is sleeping in on the weekends.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Other than our school activities, we have nothing going on until this weekend when my mom, sister and niece are coming for a visit. We won't be doing much other than just hanging out. I'm sure there will be shopping involved.

From my picture journal.

Our dinner last Friday night. Yes, we had Snickerdoodle cookies and coffee with flavored creamer.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Menu Plan Monday

Another easy-peasy week ...

Monday ~ Tacos

Tuesday ~ Soup and grilled cheese

Wednesday ~ FFY

Thursday ~Spaghetti

Friday ~Hot dogs

Saturday ~Chicken and noodles

Sunday ~ Pancakes