Happy Thanksgiving!

My Dh holding our "little punkin' head"

Simple Woman's Day Book

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FOR TODAY Monday November 17th

Outside My Window...
Its cold enough to snow

I am thinking...
What a mess this house is (sigh)

I am thankful for...
My messy house, because it is ours and we have 5 wonderful kids to mess it up


From the kitchen...
Coldcuts and cheese on french bread sandwiches and fruit for dinner tonight

I am wearing...
Jogging pants and a t-shirt ... took the kids to open gym earlier today

I am creating...
a knit little hat for Mary, its mostly orange with a little green top to look like a pumpkin

I am going...
CRAZY ... from looking at houses for sale and plans from builders ... really need to make a decision what we are going to do one of these days

I am reading... La Dolce Vida and other favorite blogs

I am hoping...
To honor and please God as I walk through my day

I am hearing...
My giggly 5 month old, playing with her 13 year old big sister ... what a wonderful noise

Around the house...
TOYS and LEGOSS and SHOES and LAUNDRY!!!
AHHHH ... its everywhere and its taking over

One of my favorite things... My kids! Ooops I guess thats 5 favorite things ;-)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Still trying to decide if we buy or build a new home, seeing a few more houses for sale and meeting with two different builders this week. One child has gymnastics three days this week, we all will eat dinner at church on Wed evening, one has choir practice on Wed., one has a harp lesson Thurs. and a horseback riding lesson on Fri. My 13 year old dd would like to go get her hair cut, go to try squeeze that in.


Here is picture thought I am sharing...
A necklace I would like to win from Kristen at La Dolce Vita
Be sure to go visit her online store HERE

Featured Reader

I was Kristen's Featured Reader today over at La Dolce Vida

Thanks Kristen!

Kristen makes the most beautiful jewlery. See photos of the necklace I bought here. And please help me win another piece of her beautiful jewlery by leaving a comment after reading my interview here

Learning About Thanksgiving

We have really been enjoying using lapbooks this year as part of our learning and homeschooling. If you have not read much about lapbooks you might want to google it sometime. Below is a photos of the Thanksgiving Lapbook we are currently working on and we'll have it finished the end of this week and I'll post the finished project then. But for today I want to share the fun we are having learning about Thanksgiving.







We have ordered most of our lapbook sets from Hands of a Child and in this Thanksgiving unit there was a section on Thanksgiving feasts and food, so tonight we decided to try some of things the people at the first thanksgiving might have enjoyed, we even cooked over an open fire at grandma and grandpa's house:

Our Bed

Ahhh ... these sweet morning moments when we are both just waking up:






When our oldest daughter was just a few months old we realized that the crib thing was just not working for our family, she stilled nursed frequently, seemed to need another warm body near by and both my dh and I slept better knowing she was right there next to us. So her crib became our oversized laundry basket and we were happy. But then we had to begin defending our way of sleeping. That was back before we had internet, so I found all my information at La Leche League meetings and from other moms, in books and in articles (we spent a lot of time in the library back in those days). I was glad to have the written and researched information to share with those who questioned if sharing a bed with our baby was the "right thing to do" or if it was really safe. I can never judge what is "right" for another mother or another family and I don't want to but for us this has always felt so right. I am so glad we followed our hearts and snuggled all our kids for a time in our "big bed".


http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/family_bed.html
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T071000.asp#T071006
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/familybed.html

International Babywearing Week

Uh-oh, someone went and asked me to post about my favorite carriers ... this could be a long post;-)

I've posted about this before but in honor of this being International Babywearing Week I wanted share my favorite baby carriers and reasons we wear our babies.

Also wantd to let know your should visit Adventures in Babywearing to get some more great info.

Oh how I love babywearing! My stash at this point is still a bit "boyish looking" since my last three babies have been boys, so I'm looking forward to investing in some pink stuff for our Little Miss Mary

Here are a few photos of some of my favorites:

Probably what I consider my "most comfy wrap type carrier" is
My Storchenwiege Woven Wrap (plus I really like the colors)






After Zeke was born I discovered Mei Tais for the first time, thanks to another LLL Leader ... I LOVE my mei tais now! Not sure how I lived without them.
My first mei tai was a Freehand Mei Tai:
This one turned out to be my dd's favorite one to use when she wears her brother



I have purchased and used a Sachi Mei Tai:
(yep we really were standing in our snow filled back yard)



But the Mei Tai I ended up using the MOST was my Maya Tie:



I do also own a Didymos Wrap, and though its not as comfy as my Storchenwiege Wrap, I like it bacause I got the one with the LLL logo on it. Had to have a friend of a friend pick this up in Germany for me:





And then there is my tried and true ring slings ... thats where it all started for me. I was first introduced to ring slings and babywearing at a LLL meeting when we lived in WA. I'll have to try dig up a photo of that one and scan it in (that was pre digital cameras, you know). Since then I have continued to get one brand new Over The Shoulder Baby Holder (otherwise known as OTSBH) sling for each new baby. I like the OTSBH in the newborn and tiny infant stage, then I tend to move on to Maya Wrap ring sling. Over the years I have learned to do about anything with babay or toddler in a sling, including tie dying!

Here are photos of my favorite Maya Wrap ring sling:





And when Mary was born I purchased a Hotsling in PINK!!!




And I should probably add:

A great place to read reviews on each kind of carrier is www.thebabywearer.com

My favorite place to order new slings and wraps
is Attached to Baby

My wraps are:
Storchenwiege
and Didymos

My Mei Tais are:
Freehand
A Maya Tai
and a Sachi

My Ring Slings are:
Maya Wrap Ring Sling
Over the Shoulder Baby Holder

And if you would like to hear from other babywearing mama's and see some of their favorites please visit: Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing

Wordless Wednesday

Mary is really enjoying the discovery of her hands:

Go Fish - Vacation BIBLE School

I've Fallen In Love

Have you ever fallen? Fallen so deeply in love ...
... that the smell, the sight, even her breath,
just makes your heart beat quickly?

Your heart swells and your mind quivers
at the love you see and hold.
More precious than all you own.

God has blessed me with this love,
more tham once, has my heart swelled this way
Five beautiful blessings have I held.





I am in awe each day I awake and look into my children's eyes. The God who created the universe itself, the same Master who planned the planets and the ocean tides created these beautiful persons in my precense. The faith and trust bestowed me to raise such precious souls ... my minds quivers, but I love with all my heart.

Homeschool Memoirs #10

Please come join us for Homeschool Memoirs over at www.homeschoolblogawards.com

This is our 10th Homeschool Memoirs so this week it’s going to be about 10 timely facts about you! Write 10 interesting, crazy, weird, fun facts about you! Include facts about you as a woman, a wife, a mommy, a homeschooler, a homekeeper, a taxi-driver, a cook, etc


1.I love having 5 kids

2.We love snow

3.We love to travel

4.I love coffee, consequently most of our kids love coffee too

5.We enjoy using My Father's World curriculum

6.I love the other homeschoolng moms over at The Homeschool Lounge

7.I am NOT a morning person ... maybe why I like coffee so much?

8.We are currently planning two vacations for next year, one to Disney and the other to a friend's wedding in Argentina

9.I think I have an addiction to chocolate (maybe coffee too)

10.We are trying to document the first 365 days of our 5th child's life on a blog


And if you really want to know any more ... for my one hundredth post I wrote a 100 things about me post, here