We're all still alive over here. In case you were wondering! ;)
I apologize for the severe lack of posts in the month of November.
Blogging has been put on the back burner for several reasons:
One, my computer is so slow that it's really hard to get up the patience to deal with it anymore. It takes me at least 5 times as long to do anything (upload pics etc) as it would someone with a decent working computer. (ours is a 1998 Compaq that is FILLED with pictures making it sloooooooower than molasses)
That really takes the fun out of it for me.
It makes for so much more work and so lately, it's been bagged.
Two, our office/school room is cooooooold. I haven't pulled the heater from the garage yet so we've been doing school in our living room in front of "the fire" these days. I've been checking blogs, email, Facebook etc with my Kindle Fire. It's easy to read posts with but it's not really "post friendly".
Three, we're just plain busy.
School is going really well this year. Still working out kinks as always but it is soooooooooo much better than last year. (which all things considered isn't saying a lot, I guess, since last year was horrible ;))
Between school, family, keeping up with my house, all things fall related etc, there hasn't been much time to spend blogging.
I do miss it though and have so many posts that I'd love to share. Hoping 2013 will be a more productive year for this blog. It's on my resolution list! ;)
What have we been up to this month? Here is a completely random list of some of this months highlights:
- We voted...and then later cried. ;)
- I started a [morning] devotional book called Character Makeover by Katie Brazelton - I have been finding that the Holy Spirit has been using additional messages on the radio, church messages, random quotes heard etc to speak to me about the things I am studying in this book...I love that He works like that...because I am seeking Him, I am finding Him. It's been hard (He must increase and I must decrease)...but also a great delight bringing Him in closer focus.
- Because of the above (I believe), this month has also had it's fair share of trials. I won't share them in detail but let's just say that when you are seeking God...Satan takes notice and he doesn't like it. Tests come your way and spiritual warfare is no picnic.
- For fun, I've been reading the Divergent fictional series by Veronica Roth - almost finished book two, Insurgent - great series...very similar to The Hunger Games, I'd say... It is a Good Reads recommend and I highly recommend the series as well.
- I got to spend a wonderful girl's day out with my cousins, Kim and Kelly, along with my sister, Julie - we spent the whole day in Lancaster, PA - breakfast at the Gap Diner, shopping and sampling of jam's, jellies and other yumminess in Kitchen Kettle village, dinner and finally off to see The Perks of a Wallflower. From beginning to end, the day was absolutely perfect in every way. :)
- My husband is a former Marine so we celebrated Veteran's Day in style at our church where they had a fantastic spiritual message on patriotism. The Valley Forge Highland Band performed and the church honored the veterans following the service with a nice big delicious lunch for the veterans and their families. Because my grandfather and father are also veterans, my whole family was there - it was such an amazing experience being surrounded by all of those good, brave men and women who at one time or another fought for our country.
- My parents celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary on the 16th. :)
- My sister and I attended the final premiere of The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn 2. We started it together and ended it together. T'was a fantastic night. Always such a pleasure to be with my girl. :)
- Nicolas and Natalie won the challenge of reciting the entire Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish for their Spanish class and were rewarded with a $5 gift card (each) to Five Below - so proud of them!
- Noah got a very good progress report for his first semester of preschool this year. Love that little guy! He and Jeremy also attended Dad's night at school and both had a great time. :) This is our last year with RBCNS so every event is bittersweet.
- Natalie began doing landscape painting in art class.
- Nicolas started his first ever basketball season with PVBYL and so far, he LOVES it. Surprisingly, we have a southern belle coach (from Tennessee)...SHE is not fooling around...clearly loves the game and the kids and we're looking forward to a great first season.
- Nick and Nat are still in karate class weekly and they are progressing really well - November 8th marked one year since we've been in karate.
- We got to spend a great night with the Rosenzweig crew with dinner and a movie at our house - Gina and I have been friends since the first day of kindergarten and now our children are friends as well. We feel so blessed to have our childhood dreams come true and still be as close as we all are. Just love them! :)
- Thanksgiving Day took place with my family this year which I was so thankful for. There is nothing like being surrounded by your family at the holidays. We had our big Thanksgiving meal at my Pop Pop's house as per usual. He is 89 years old and still does the turkey himself...along with a fantastic side of sausage stuffing. Soooo good. The rest of the family takes part by bringing all of the yummy sides. This year, I brought a couple of pumpkin pies and some festive cookies for the kids. The weather was beautiful so after dinner, we went outside to take some family pics (like the one shown above) - hoping for a good Christmas card shot. ;) Some of the men went off to a shooting range for the afternoon while some stayed back to watch your typical Turkey Day football game. Some of us girls, mapped out a plan for the evening's shopping event. :) The kids had a blast being together and playing random games. Thank You Lord was sung before the meal and Uncle John read from Psalm 100. So thankful for a Christian family...for good, Godly people who uplift and encourage. For family who likes to laugh...a lot. For awesome memories. For big hugs. For being able to pass family traditions down to my own children and giving them the gift of a loving family as well.
- Thanksgiving night, my sister and I decided to participate in our now traditional Black Friday shopping trip (this is our third year). My mom decided to join us as well this year which made it extra fun. She didn't think that she'd be able to hang but she wound up being such a trooper and even was the last one to give in to exhaustion. (I bet she could have even kept going!). We left for our excursion a little before 8 p.m. on Thursday night and didn't get home until after 8 a.m. Friday morning. We.had.so.much.fun. Haven't laughed like that in a long time! Our 5 a.m. breakfast was especially fun as mom finally succumbed to a little bit of delirium and couldn't stop laughing! I seriously LOVE my family. Aside from the great deals we managed to get and the satisfaction of now having quite a bit of our Christmas shopping under our belts, the best part was just being together. It's not often that we get out "just us girls" like the old days so when we do, it's such sweet sweet fellowship. :)
- We have one week left in November and I'm hoping to fill it with more of the same...more good times with friends and family. We'll also be taking down the fall decor and decking our halls for Christmas (still trying to fathom that it's almost here already!).
As all of our months are, November was wonderful. Yes, there were trials but at the end of the day, I'm so thankful for this life. I am so incredibly blessed with the family and friends I have. And more than anything, I'm so blessed and thankful that God chose me for this life. I'm so thankful to be His child. November is a great time to remember all of the many things we are thankful for but the truth is that I am ALWAYS thankful. It's all so much more than I deserve and I certainly take nothing for granted.
Hope that you all had an amazing November with Thanksgiving. Hoping to start posting again soon as I have missed this!
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