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