Today - Outdoors

A break in our day to venture outdoors is always appreciated and loved. A light breeze, slight sun - much cooler weather. We played on the playground, skipped rocks, said hello to ducks, gathered shells and rocks, talked, laughed and had fun. I live for being outside. Now our son plays outdoors with his neighbor friend while our daughter reads, hubbie is gone and I finish up a few last things for the day before starting the dogs dinner and our dinner.

Onto a quiet evening and looking to tomorrow, Thanksgiving. 

There is much to be thankful for.

 Sometimes it may seem like a simple life..but it is a blessed and loved life. Simple days have the best pleasures.

This Week

Happy Thursday! This week so far we've....

Baked Cookies

Veggie Chips for Snack

Read

Danced

Watched Ballet on YouTube

Studied Rocks and went on a 'finding' walk

Learned more about the USA

 Practiced Math daily

Attended boy scouts 

Friends over

Crock Pot Soup for Dinner

Spent time together and had fun!

and the weeks not over yet....

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies with Walnuts (kuddos to my husband on these!)

 Our son's collection..

 Recipe for White Chicken Chili -Crock Pot or if you want to go meatless, just add additional beans and corn! http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/White-Chicken-Chili-_Crockpot_-1204486

Tasty but a little spicy for the kids!

Truly a blessed week thus far.

Saturday Hike

At first it was to be a trip to hike in the mountains among the tree's then our son remembered some trails we hadn't been to in years. So plans changed but hiking still remained the activity of the day. Listening for sounds, bird watching with binoculars, lots of pictures taken by our son and this momma, several miles walked, wonderful conversation about plants, animals, rocks and minerals.

A beautiful Saturday spent together. We love getting out in nature together...

 Slightly hard to see...but can you see the honeycomb directly in the center of the below photo!? 

Pretty awesome site with binoculars, photo just doesn't do it justice. Pretty spectacular coming out of the rocks. Kids agreed coolest thing we saw on our day hike!

Beautiful hike.

Library and Park Friday

We are still trying to establish our family rhythm and weekly routine...but its becoming more and more consistent that we are getting back in to going to the Library and Park every Friday. Its something we all look forward to. New stories, new school books, more to learn, exploring, playing, reading, being silly and having fun. Our son and I usually are the ones to run and play while Dad and daughter sit and read anxious to dive in to the books they gathered up at the Library trip.

Our beautiful daughter...

 Our son working more on his wooden fort project this week...

 Park play

 Yep this momma is IN the tube slide with our son...laughing all the way down.

Never grow to old to play, slide, swing, run, jump and have fun.

 Book worms

 This weeks collection...can you tell where our interests are at the moment!? (And this wasn't even all the books collected...our daughter has more in her room of ballet, crafting and stories.)

Loving family library and park day.

This and That

Hello Thursday! I can't believe tomorrow is Friday. How the weeks fly by at times. Work, School, Play, Classes, Friends, Family, Good Meals, Good Times. Busy but the good kind...not too much. Just enough home time and out time.

A little venture to gymnastics class this week for our son. A few ballet classes for our daughter. Our son had a friend over on the holiday yesterday so this momma camped out in our daughters room for some quiet work time. Blessed to be a work at home, homeschooling and stay at home mother. Our daughter stretched, listening to classical music while I worked and we chatted off and on in between. Then she read quietly while I finished up some calls. I even got in a few quiet moments to work on perfecting my crocheting that I have recently learned. Dinner together made by my husband of shrimp curry and a quiet evening of a few shows and bed early.

Blessed.

Beauty is everywhere...embracing simple days of love and laughter and family time.

Sunday

A beautiful weekend for our family. A stay at home weekend. More games, more baking, more crafting and friends over again as well on Sunday. A little cleaning and working too. The evening brought homemade sushi and some miso soup for dinner then church/bible study at home and a few games of UNO again before baths and bedtime. Relaxing weekend was had by all of us.

Breakfast of homemade wheat biscuits and honey.

Basic Biscuit Recipe 

 Our son and his pup snuggling in for bedtime together.

 Beautiful family moments.

Saturday at Home

I love stay at home days.That's what we did yesterday and it was wonderful! Slept in, made a hot breakfast for the kiddo's, snuggled up on the couch in warm blankets. Had lots of hugs, laughs and chatted about what we would like to do for the day at home.

Our Saturday...

>Fried Eggs on Toast for breakfast

>Snuggles, Hugs, Laughter

>Scraps to Chickens- and Chicken watching

>Sugar Cookie baking for Momma and Daughter

>Make Believe with Our Son

>Cleaned Rooms

>Kitchen scrubbed down

>Momma learned how to crochet

>Ballet research and video watching for our daughter

>Friend came over to play with our Son...Lego & Minecraft time

>Home made biscuits with our Dinner of Red Roasted Potato's, Sauteed Kale & Mushrooms

>Family game night of UNO

>Family Movie Night

Photo credit link

Yes, stay at home days are pretty great....slow moving, family time, good for your soul time. 

Happenings Around Here

This last week was filled with dance classes for our daughter, knitting finally after too long of a break for momma, learning, building a wooden fort, playing, working, cooking, treating the chickens and friends. 

Life is good. We are blessed. 

A few lines from my devotionals this week...
"Find fulfillment in My Presence. This entails being satisfied with much or little, accepting either as My will for that moment. Instead of grasping and controlling, you are learning to release and receive."

"Many of your decisions are based on habitual responses and your desire to please yourself or others. This is not My way for you. Strive to please Me in everything and make my presence your deepest delight."

And my favorite devotional of this week:

 The start....this coming week we'll be finishing it up...

May your weekend be filled with happiness, family time and worship.