Outside my window....raining cats and dogs, very stormy! Tonado's had been all around earier this morning.

In the kitchen...maybe....poppyseed chicken for supper, going to have to get creative, as nearing the end of the month and grocery funds are low!

I am thankful for...my church, for praying friends, for a home where I'm safe and warm.

I am praying for....schooling issues, our church prayer list, Haiti,some family stuff.

I am creating.....working with DD#3 on a patchwork for her doll Kaya

I am happy about... the box of books I got yesterday at the thrift store! Yes I know I've mentioned book clutter lately  but I never could or would have got this amount and value of books by buying them staight out, they were alot of Beverly Lewis, and some other of the Amish Novels! Can't Wait!!

I am thinking....about how fulfillinng it was to work in the Thrift store yesterday! My job was to sort clothes, something I'm very good at (thanks to having four daughters!)  DD#2 went for a little while too!

Around the house....

the re-organized bookshelves in a new location

the diningroom/sewing room right now

here's one of my sorting piles

here's my BIG sorting pile, the school table!

trash bin from the school room

another one of those clutter collectors, this one in the kitchen!

my display of Christmas cards, we're still enjoying!

candles burning smell so good!

Have a warm, fuzzy, BLESSED day!!!!!!      ~Jill~ 

Piles everywhere, that is my school room right now!!! I also had started some in our bedroom piles before , but set them aside when DH (who is feeling some better now) started cleaning out the computer desk and file cabinet! That is a job that definitely needed done! Anyway I'm a little overwhelmed by the piles, but glad for the job done! School will have to be in other place of the house for the "School" table is Loaded down!! So anyone out there have a great love for filing things away??? Come on Over!!!

Outside my Window today....   things are looking up! supposed to get to 72 today! I'm back to my capris and short sleeves!!! The capris may be a little pre-mature but I like them better than long pants, maybe because I spent half of my life wearing skirts and dresses that came to about that length, and it just makes my legs feel better!

Kid news.... We went to DD#3's first upwards game where she is cheerleading Sat. morn. She is beyond excited! Pics to come!  DD#2 is doing better on her Math now!! She's been enjoying her Christmas gift, that is some kind of designing clothes thing, I think it's from Project Runway . DD#1 had her first babysitting job last evening! It was for about 3 1/2 hours about 2 houses down from us. They are also friends from our church.  DD#1 has just been into all kinds of things, mainly doll house (with loving family) lately. I love to listen to her play, she has such an imagination, and I just think HOW does she come up with all this stuff at only age 3???

Creations...DD#3 and I started on a patchwork quilt for her Kaya Indian doll last evening, (using one of Daddy's old flannel shirts and some other scraps.) It's definitely patchwork! Wished I could have done it better, but she was rushing me along, wanting it finished last night, which we did not! So maybe later today! Pics to come!

Today...I'm getting ready to go volunteer at the ministry thrift store for a few hours, then back to sorting my own junk! LOL!

You know you live in a small town when going to the local grocery store is the highlight of your teenage daughters day/week! Could be something to do with the carry out or boys or cashiers, think????

It's warming up!!! 63 degrees!!!! We had a field trip today, but DH woke up with 102 fever, so I and the little girls stayed home to help take care of him. Since the weather is so nice and Hannah was a little dissapointed about the field trip, I decided to pack our pbjs and walk up to the park. So that's what we did while DH went to the Dr.

It FELT so good to be outside and feel the SUN so warm again!!! It also felt good to watch the happy faces of my little girls as they were so excited to have a little pic-nic and run and play at the park. I know I far too much take the little things for granted... like listening to thier squeals of delight when I was pushing them on the swings, and watching thier little legs run from the slide to the merr-i-go-round! So I just want to soak it all up while I can!

Yesterday I went to pick up some old sewing machine's at a lady's house, and decided to unexpectedly visit her daughter next door (who is my friend) I hadn't visited her since they had moved in to thier new house. Anyway, it was just the spur of the moment kind of thing I needed!!! It so lifted my spirits so much and kind of put things back in prospective for me again.

I know I have got to calm down alot about alot of things! I'm rarely doing anything I'd like to do anymore around home because I'm so keyed up about what everyone else is supposed to be doing, like SCHOOL !!! I've gave myself such anxieties over stuff that I have a hard time sitting down to sew or write or read to the girls. PLEASE pray for me in this area of my life, I really want and need to change.

I guess that's all for now, I just needed to get this off my mind 

Outside my window....dark and 46 degrees, it was some warmer today!

I am wearing.... a pink sweater and brown corduary pants

I am praying about.... several needs on the church prayer list, and for somethings in my own life that need improving

I am happy about.....honestly I'm happy that this school week is coming to an end, it has not been one of the best

I am creating.....ideas in my head about re-decorating some rooms

Around the house.... I hear the piano being played, the TV is on, DD#4 just woke up from a late nap, a few piles in my bedroom and little girls room where I've been sorting stuff 

I am reading....just been enjoying reading alot of peple's blogs lately

I am thinking about...possibly getting to go on the Homeschool field trip tomorrow to San Loius Mission

I am thankful for....the time I spent today at a friends house and how it lifted my spirits!

A few plans for the weekend....hopefully cleaning out this messy computer desk corner! Also going to an Upward Game where DD#3 is a cheerleader for the first time, and church on Sunday

I am sharing....this goofy pic of me sitting at my messy computer desk doing on of my favorite things... Blogging! LOL!!

Have a great weekend!!!!!

I'm still going thru stuff in the house and in storage totes! A few weeks before Christmas, I emptied about 4 or 5 totes of baby clothes to the new thrift store that is managed by the area churches. It's something I felt God dealing with me to do for a while, and when the Thrift Store came in, I REALY felt this was the time and the place for it all to go. MIND you, that, I struggled with this, because it was my yard sale money, and I was so sentimental!!! It was a little less hard to yardsale it because it didn't all go at one time, so IF, IF, I'd changed my mind or IF I'd needed it again, I'd still have some of it. So DH couldn't understand why I was so emotional that day! I told him it felt like I was getting a surgery, so final!!  Anyway I'm glad I gave it, and it's a matter of trust for God to meet our future needs.  So lately, I've been going thru stuff around the house, you know, pictures colored by the girls, toys, and a few more clothes. I just want an orederly enough house that we don't feel tied down by stuff, like we can go outside and play instead of having so much to clean up all the time. So how many Dolls is sensible to keep? How many pjs does one child need? What about keeping the older girls toys for the younger ones? How much clothes to you keep from the older child to save for the younger 3 - 4 years apart? And then, theres the books....they are like old friends or relatives, we've had some of them so long!!!! Well, I'd really like to have your input, What works for you??

  When Bro and Sis In Law and nephew got here we all went out to Mexican for supper New Years Eve.

DH and his nephew just being silly!

Cold New Years Day in Panama City!

Bro and Sis In Law

Niece Sarah with Hope

Caleb and Hannah Grace

Birthday dinner out for Dave....

Oysters, anyone??? they were great!!!

Happy Birthday to Dave, Happy Birthday to Dave (he's 36 now!)

Pretty Leah, my oldest DD

back to the house for some card playing...

My nephew's wife Megan (the one that's in Afganistan)

A wonderful time was had by all!!!!

She finially came! It only took about a week to get her, after the company said she was backordered until the mid of Feb. Hannah Grace has wanted Kaya for about a year, so she put all her Christnas Money and Birthday Money together and made the big purchase of Doll and some of her nice accessories.    

One happy seven year old forsure!!!! 

Christmas Eve dinner at home

The oldest two dear daughters

one of our little traditions is drinking these little cokes on Christnas Eve, we call them Santa Cokes

somebody's excited...

yesssss!

two very happy girls!!

new blender for Daddy, can't wait till he makes something in that!

another gift for Daddy

here's the excited girl again!

tear's in her eyes, so happy to recieve her camera!

the girls with thier bass-pro shirts

Wow, a new doll!

I love this one!

That's all for now.....

Here she is, she was bound to come, no matter how much I dreaded her coming.....yes I'm talking about January, mainly the first few weeks of her! I'm trying to get back into routine, have taken babysteps getting all the Christmas put away! Have'nt been sleeping well at night, and I don't get into a good sleep until DH leaves and the sun is shining in my window! Guess I'm like a big cat soaking up the sun!  By then it's really later than I should get up!     Another thing about January, she always seems to bring cold with her! I know it has been cold all across this country and everyone that doesn't live here says "cold in Fl.??" well yes it has been! One thing that gets us is we live in an old house, so our floors are very cold and air coming in around the windows, and in general, most people here just don't invest in alot of sweaters and fleecy clothing because we would rarely need it. So I guess since this cold spell is lasting so long, it has really hit us hard!!!!! Ok enough complaining about January, time to say some good things....she does make us want to cuddle on the couch with our family members, or with a good book (which I did this past week!). She makes us want to work that big puzzel,or play games with the Family. She causes us to stop and take a look at the calendar and do some planning for all the months to come. She inspires us to make those good, hot homecooked meals, and maybe some cinnimon rolls (if you're not avoiding sweets like myself!)!!!! So, she's here, may as well make the best of her stay and concentrate on the good things she brings .

couch time!