simply grand reading

Have you ever been disappointed when you turn the last page of a book?

Such was the case with me last night.

Thankfully, there are many more in this series and my sister, Cathy, kindly

said she'd send the next one my way.  

The name of the book, already, you ask?!

The Yada Yada Prayer Group

 

There are eight in the series.

Here's the synopsis of book #1:

What do an ex-con, a former drug addict, a real estate broker, a college student, and a married mother of two have in common? Nothing, or so I thought. Who would have imagined that God would make a prayer group as mismatched as ours the closest of friends? I almost didn't even go the Chicago Women's Conference--after all, being thrown together with five hundred strangers wasn't exactly my "comfort zone." But something happened that weekend to make us realize we had to hang together, and the "Yada Yada Prayer Group" was born! When I faced the biggest crisis of my life, God used my newfound Sisters to show me what it means to be just a sinner saved by grace.

I loved this book because it inspired me to live my faith "out loud", daily, in the relationships God places along my path. 

It also exemplifies the verse. . ."Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn."

The author is Neta Jackson. 

She and her husband Dave, live in Chicago and have

also written the popular Trailblazer Series

 

 

 

 

and the Hero Tales series which we've enjoyed during our

morning home school "table time".

 

 

Books can be dangerous.  The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life."      ~Helen Exley

 

My handsome H-man celebrated his ninth birthday, recently.

So I asked him what his favorite book has been?

Without hesitation, he said The Boxcar Children.

The author is Gertrude Chandler Warner.

There are 150 mystery books in the series.

It is definitely a favorite around here. 

Especially when Oma reads out loud. . .sometimes an entire book in one sitting.

Happy Saturday and Happy Reading!

fall thanks

Count your blessings.

Be thankful.

In all things, give thanks.

I want to begin this week of our very full family fall routine,

with a heart of thankfulness.

 

To God be the Glory, Great things He hath done. . .

            I'm remembering the awesome worship time at church today.

Harvesting fresh vegetables from our garden is a daily blessing.

A safe and secure home for my family.

New friends and old friends. . .God blesses me with special relationships.

Knowing my eternal future is secure!

For His angels who surround me.

Unlimited choices and freedoms living in America provides.

Loving family who are there to help, to pray, to laugh, to love, and to encourage.

 

Sunday Blessings,

Tomato Time

The time has come.

Tomato time that is.

Tomatoes arriving on my counter.

Daily.

By the dozens.

So far, I've made a big pot of spaghetti sauce, and delicious salsa.

Tomorrow it will be chili.

My question is whether we will eat them as fast as they come. 

So far the above is true.  But I would still love to learn to "can" this year.

I've been enjoying the cherry tomatoes. . . Just pop 'em in my mouth for a snack.

Then I got to thinking. . . Is the tomato a vegetable or a fruit?

This is what I found. . .

To really figure out if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, you need to know what makes a fruit a fruit, and a vegetable a vegetable. The big question to ask is, DOES IT HAVE SEEDS? If the answer is yes, then technically, (botanically) you have a FRUIT. This, of course, makes your tomato a fruit. It also makes cucumbers, squash, green beans and walnuts all fruits as well. Along with the fruit from from a plant or tree, we can often eat the leaves (lettuce,) stems (celery,) roots (carrots,) and flowers (broccoli.) Many of these other parts of the plant are typically referred to as VEGETABLES. Now don't go looking for tomatoes next to the oranges in your grocery stores; fruits like tomatoes and green beans are usually (alas, incorrectly) referred to as "vegetables" in most grocery stores and cookbooks.

So now I know.

And you know too.

Although, maybe you already knew what I did not know.

Ok, I'll stop.

Look what else I found. . . 5 Lessons from the garden about fruit bearing:

1. Fruit needs water in order to reach it’s fullest potential

You can probably ask your five-year old how to take care of a plant and they will tell you that it needs water to survive. And if you have ever kept a garden, you have surely realized that if only water it once a week during the summer months your harvest is going to be much smaller. On the other hand, if your plants are receiving frequent and consistent watering, the plants are going to be stronger and the fruit is going to be better.

Psalm 1:3 (NIV) - He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

2. Good soil is very important

The soil contains a lot of the nutrients that cause the growth of the plants. There are tremendous differences between good soil and bad soil. This was one of the reasons I said that good potting soil was one of my 10 things worth spending more on. We need to be spiritually receptive to allow the seeds of God’s word to grow and develop the way they should.

Matthew 13:23 (NIV) - The one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

3. Death brings life

John 12:24 (NIV) – I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

We must die to ourselves and our own desires and submit to God’s plan. In doing so, like the above verse states, we will bear much fruit.

4. Pruning produces more fruit

I am by no means an expert gardener, but I have found this one to be true. It doesn’t make sense while you are doing it, but the results prove its effectiveness. God is an expert gardener and He knows which areas of our lives can be pruned to make us more effective. It does hurt, but the end result is beautiful.

John 15:2 (NIV) – He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

5. A branch can’t bear fruit separated from the plant

That is a no-brainer right? Well, I don’t know about you, but I have caught myself trying to do that in my own life. I will find myself trying to accomplish things in my own strength rather than “abiding in Him.” All the fruit that we will bear in our lives will be a result of us being connected to our source: God. Just like a severed branch can bear no fruit, neither can we bear any fruit if we are not abiding in Him.

John 15:5 (NIV) – I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

 

Blessed Sunday,

Look, there they are!

Labor Day weekend around here means lots of traffic.

But not if you're traveling in the sky!

Longtime friends came by plane to visit.

We kept checkin' the skies and listening to the radio.

First, we heard them. . ."3 miles out".

A few moments later, "Look, there they are!"

We watched them make a smooth landing on this very windy day.

 

Papa has had a dream of owning his own plane.

His hanger worked perfectly for storing the plane for the weekend.

Bob and Judy are special friends of our family.

My mom grew up with Judy.

In fact she doesn't remember life without her special friend.

They each grew up in Illinois, married their husbands, and ended up in Southern California to raise their families. 

We spent many holidays together with them and their children, Bryan and Kym.

Judy is the "original" Oma (German for grandmother).  Judy became a grandma first and her grandkids called her Oma from the beginning.  My mom always noted what a very special relationship Judy had with her grandchildren.

When my mom became a grandma for the first time, almost thirteen years ago, she decided to be called Oma too.

So that's my story for today.

Special friends.

Special Omas.

Happy Saturday!

Schooltime!

This week we welcomed began a new home school year journey at Simply Grand Faith Academy.

(I've read that you should name your home school. Not sure about Simply Grand but it seems to go with the theme; the blog. . . Simply Grand Central; the cattery. . . Simply Grand Bengal Cattery)

ANYWAY, the students weren't as excited as I'd hoped but Mr. E. said my expectations were a bit too high.

We've started slowly and I've found a few holes in my curriculum ordering but I must say that it feels good to be back into the routine.  AND I can tell the kids are a year older and maybe (shhh) able to work a bit more independently.

This seems to be my goal since there's only one of me around here. 

I could use another me.  A tutor, a cook, a housekeeper, a. . .

Truth be known, God takes good care of me. I have the best family, friends and neighbors AND six kids who I'm teaching to tackle more of mom's tasks!

Since my usual question to any home school mom seems to be, "What curriculum do you use?" I thought I'd share what books we'll be opening throughout the year.

Math:  ABEKA(1st, 3rd & 7th) and Teaching Textbooks(5th)

Language:  ABEKA(all)

Bible:  Alpha Omega Lifepac(5th and 7th)

Science:  ABEKA(1st, 3rd, 5th) and Apologia General Science (7th grader)

History:  ABEKA(all)

Vocabulary:  Wordly Wise (3rd, 5th & 7th)

Spelling:  Building Spelling Skills by Christian Liberty Press (3rd, 5th, 7th)

Geography:  ABEKA (all)

Reading Comprehension:  ABEKA (all)

General Reading:  Sonlight  (all)

7th grade Composition:  Write-At-Home (online assignments and writing coach)

7th grade Latin:  Z-man is on a wait-list at Veritas Press Academy for their online class.

It's always a bit "rocky" getting settled into the school year. 

We're looking forward to the long weekend.

Plans for boat and water fun may be on hold as the weather has turned windy and quite chilly on us.

We see signs of fall as the first few leaves begin turning beautiful autumn hues.

Happy Labor Day weekend!

Hanna's Sneak Peek

  

More photography fun!

This time with Hanna. . . a blue-eyed brunette entering her senior year in high school.

Hanna wanted some indoor shots. 

This means my bedroom with the bright morning sun. 

Little A was looking on . . . and as the sun kept rising I needed Hanna to move closer to the window.

Eventually, we opened up the windows and I headed outside.

I shot on the left side of the window while Little A played on the right side.

The natural light is so. . .naturally pretty.

Just like Hanna.

Hanna, may you look to the light of the Lord as you seek His direction in the exciting years ahead.

Happy Thursday!

Will's Sneak Peek

A dashing young high school graduate.

A dear family friend.

A college-bound, math major.

An avid Brewer fan.

A sibling to eight.

An uncle to three.

A soldier for Christ.

Will. . .  "May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26.   

Happy Wednesday,

P.S.  If you ever question that math major. . .

I think you'd make a convincing secret service agent! :)

the hammock

My family jokes about the fact that Papa (my dad) is such a saver that there are still items with the moving sticker on them from 1972 when the family moved from Illinois to California.  But every once in awhile we hit the jack pot and are glad that he kept something that we would like to use.  Oma (my mom) thinks these occurrences are unfortunate since they perpetuate Papa's desire to SAVE every. single. thing.

Not long ago Z-man noticed a hammock down in Papa's storage room.  Perfect for our backyard!  Indeed it has been the entertainment of the summer for the kids.  I always plan on more hammock time with a book in hand but it hasn't happened as much as I'd like.

Yesterday, while taking pictures of Jaci, the hammock turned out to be my favorite backdrop. 

So, thanks for saving the hammock, Papa. . .It's been fun for the kids, and a great photo prop too!

Happy Friday!  

P.S. You know it's been a long week when it's 3:00 in the afternoon and you notice you've been wearing your shirt inside out!  Yep, that was me!

Jaci's Sneak Peek

Amidst a week with too many commitments it was so refreshing to tap into my love of photography this morning.

Jaci will be a senior this fall (how can it be so?) and asked if I'd take a few indoor pictures for her.

After attaching a black sheet to the ceiling of my bedroom, having her look toward the light coming in the window, and fiddling with my camera settings, I captured a few sweet (no flash) shots of this blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty. . .

The kids had her giggling as they were strategically placing blowing fans toward her face . . .I was trying to accomplish the wind-blown hair look.

And since I had a willing subject, we ventured outside to the awesome natural light. . .

 

 

 

Jaci has a heart for God and a very bright future ahead of her.

 

God bless you, Jaci!

Happy Thursday!

Face Painting

While the older boys were at camp recently, the rest of the cousin crew spent hours having fun with face painting!  I love this kit by Klutz.  You can check it out at Amazon.com

 

The fun part for the kids is looking through the 50 pages and choosing which “face” they’d like.   The paint is water based and comes off the skin easily.  It’s a great gift idea for kids ages 6-10+.

The cousin crew left this afternoon.

We had a great visit and many memory making moments.

Not even strep throat kept this crew from having a good time!

Between all nine kids there is usually one needing medical attention during each visit . . . remembering the broken arm, ear infections, stomach flu and many a skinned knee.  (Thanks Cathy, for the extra box of band-aids!)

Now it’s back to reality and the thought of getting ready for a garage sale and organizing curriculum for the beginning of a new school year which is just around the corner.

Yikes!

Happy last day in July!

Heather

summertime fun

Our summertime activities have continued.

My sister and family have been visiting from Michigan and the kids have kept us quite busy as usual.

Altogether we had nine kids in ten years and it's been quite the adventure.

We keep reminiscing about the days of diaper changes, two naps, strict meal times and early bed times.

We are excited to announce we are diaper and "sipee-cup" free!

The past week we've been. . .

canoeing,

swimming,

kayaking,

go-carting,

fishing

::deep breath::

miniature golfing,

pontoon(ing),

tubing,

and

sleeping real well each night!

Today was miniature golfing. . .

The weather has been beautiful.

More pictures of our fun weeks together to follow.

In other news. . .

Miss Rachael made THE BEST Guacamole Dip this evening.

Here's her recipe. . .

1.  Smash your ripe avocados

2.  Add chopped onion

3.  Add chopped cilantro

4.  Add chopped tomato

5.  Add minced garlic

6.  Add a few squirts of lime juice

Stir all together and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips!

Thanks Rachael!

Oh, and one other tidbit. . .there may be an upcoming "bun in the oven" (or two, or three) around here.

For Lucy the cat, that is. 

We'll keep you posted!

Happy Wednesday!

blueberry blast

Our vacation activities last week in Holland, Michigan included our traditional morning of blueberry picking (and eating). 

All in all. . . 72 pounds of blueberries were picked in 2 hours. . .  We’re getting more productive and efficient as the years go by!

No stroller in the blueberry patch this year. . . .Little A joined the pickin’ crew! 

I think her philosophy was pick two, eat one. . . then another.

This week we’ve eaten our fair share of blueberries as you can imagine.

We keep them on the counter and we all take handfuls throughout the day.

We’ve enjoyed blueberry pancakes and cobbler too.

The blueberry cobbler was delicious!

You can check out the recipe at AllRecipes.com

I had wanted to make a pie,  but the fresh berries disappeared too fast and I needed to freeze a few boxes to enjoy throughout the winter.

Hope you’re enjoying some summertime traditions too!

Happy Wednesday!

Heather

I Do

I do. . .love this summertime season and break from our daily home school responsibilities.

I do. . .love family vacations and the freedom from my daily mealtime duties.

I do. . .love watching my kids play in the sunshine and water.

I do. . .love fans & air conditioning (especially since these hot flashes have descended upon me!)

I do. . .love eating freshly picked blueberries! (72 pounds we picked last week!)

I do. . .love relaxing in the hammock in the backyard.

I do. . .love looking at the freshly cut flowers my neighbor graciously gave us.

I do. . .love having my sister and kids visiting this month.

I do. . .love the garden my husband has once again planted (and the 50 tomato plants!).

I do. . .(hope) I love to can jars of tomatoes!

I do. . .love traditional family time and fun at “the cottage” in Holland, Michigan.

I do. . .love a beautiful summer wedding.

On July 4th we watched my husband’s cousin, Marva, say “I do” in a lovely outdoor ceremony.  Everything from the wedding party,the reception “mansion”, to the flowers. . . was Beautiful!

Congratulations John and Marva!

We know you are having a grand time honeymooning in Thailand!

May God bless you with a long and happy life together as husband and wife.

Happy Tuesday in July,

Heather

celebrating with sushi

June 16, 1989. . .21 years ago

Canoga Park, California

We walked down the aisle and said I do. . .for better or worse, in sickness and health, till death do us part.

And here we are, 21 years later.

Oh yes, there have been many changes!

Despite the obvious ones in hair color and weight (yikes!). . . we've been blessed with our growing love for one another, six beautiful, healthy kids, and thankfully more health than sickness.

We celebrated by heading to a sushi restaurant in town.

It was a first for us, and we had such fun trying new food.

We were cautious on our first visit and opted for the cooked variety.

Deeeelicious!  We'll definitely being going back again.

  

And we ended our get-away evening with a little somethin' sweet.  Yum!

I love lovin' this guy. . .for better or worse, in sickness and health, til' death do us part.

Here's to 21+ more years for us, honey!

Always,

weekend surprise

What a fun surprise to receive a call from my dear friend Jenny on Friday!

Jenny and I have been friends since 2nd grade where we met at our school in Tarzana, California.

We keep in touch several times a year; recently more often as she's been facing some medical trials.

I knew she was in a neighboring state last week going through a battery of medical tests and I was awaiting an e-mail as to the results.  It was a double celebration as she called to report the good news on the test results and that the possible surgery on Monday had been cancelled. . . AND that she was on her way to come visit me!

I had met her three boys in 2008 on a trip with my sister to visit her.

It was wonderful to have her in our home and meet our children. 

They each loved meeting Miss Jenny and playing air hockey with her. . . one of her favorite games!

We had a great two days talking about life, love, marriage, kids, family and praying for God's sovereign hand throughout life's challenging times. 

We also watched The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock.  What a great movie!

She graciously cooperated with her picture-taking friend. 

She's a fun-loving brunette beauty.  Always has been, always will be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love you, Jenny!

Simple Woman's Daybook

 

For today, Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Outside my window.....The skies are dark and the air is a cool 50 degrees at 10:30pm.

I am thinking....how I've missed picture taking and blogging since my busy family schedule has taken me out of the house and into the car more these days.

I am thankful.....for special times the kids are able to have with their grandparents.

I am wearing.....black shorts, aqua colored t-shirt and a black cardigan sweater.

I am hearing.....nothing but the hum of the computer since all the kids are in bed. Ahhhhh, I love the quiet.

I am creating.....lists of curriculum and school supplies for next fall.

I am going.....to miss our first born as he leaves on a road trip to the East coast with his grandparents this weekend.

I am still reading.....Johnny Tremain to the kids in the morning.

I am praying.....for healing for our brother-in-law's father.

I am remembering.....the laughter of the kids as they watched Tim Hawkins videos on YouTube.

I am hoping.....for some sunshine tomorrow.

On my mind.....sibling relationships and how God wants me to act and react to this family challenge.

Noticing that....The recent rain we've had makes the landscape so wonderfully green!

Pondering these words.....I love the Lord because he hears my prayers and answers them.  Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I breathe! Psalm 116:1-2 TLB

From the kitchen.....I tried a Chicken Florentine Style recipe from Giada De Laurentiis of the Food Network Channel yesterday and it was so tasty. . . even the kids liked it!

Around the house....I've been tackling projects which have created piles of clothes for our garage sale we are hoping to have in August.

One of my favorite things.....my morning quiet time of prayer, bible reading and simply "getting inside my own head".

A few plans for the rest of the week.....packing Z-man for his trip, pot luck for our homeschool group, getting the boat put into the water, and a dentist appointment.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you....

The new Corelle plates I ordered.  Have I mentioned that I love dishes and tableware?!

Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook. If you'd like to visit others who are participating or write a journal yourself, please stop over at Peggy's at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Happy Tuesday!