Jesse Tree and Other Thoughts

Today is December 1! I cannot believe that December is here already. The year has certainly gone by quickly - and what a year it has been. I'm looking forward to the new year that will hopefully bring steady employment for my husband and health insurance for the family!

We planned to go to Disney at the campground for Christmas. I noticed, however, that I am having a really hard time getting into the Christmas mood. Maybe it is because we aren't going to be home. We will miss Christmas Eve service at our new church. Decorations seem pointless. So now I am having second thoughts about going. I still have plenty of time to cancel the trip. My hubby and I are talking about it - plus it would certainly free up some extra cash. Besides, we are going camping the very next weekend with friends for New Years Eve. I am really really thinking I want to be home. As much as I LOVE Disney, it isn't home.

So on Facebook yesterday, The Homeschool Channel posted a link to making a Jesse Tree. I looked at the link and watched the video and decided to add it to our December schedule. There is a small devotional book to print out that goes along with each ornament. Here is the link. I believe you have to register to see the link, but it is free! I am looking forward to making the Jesse Tree with the kids over the next few weeks.

I'm already starting to get into the Christmas spirit more!

Also, I just have to share what my grown up Christmas wish list is. Although the chances of getting this, at least this year, are slim to none - I really want the Bible Study Library from Logos Bible Software. Logos just upgraded to version 4 and it looks amazing. It can even sync with an iPad or iPhone. My boss "said" he was getting me an iPad for Christmas, so we will see. He is good about saying stuff and not following through! In the meantime, while I save the money to got Logos, I am playing around with e-Sword. You can download e-Sword for free at here. Then you can download additional commentaries, dictionaries, Bibles, maps, graphics and other goodies. I downloaded a few commentaries and maps along with Foxes Book of Martyrs and John Calvin's Institute of the Christian Religion. The better items you have to pay for download rights, which as I showed my husband, wouldn't take long at all to equal the cost of the Logos library I want. And Logos comes with so much more!!

And finally, with December 1 being today, that means only 16 more days until Tron Legacy comes out. Caleb is counting down the days. As long as the movie is appropriate, I can totally see him loving it. He is a video game crazed child - he is even in a class to learn how to design and program video games. He can barely read but knows something about programing! Yep, Tron Legacy will be right up his ally.

Sisters Giveaway

My friend, Erica Stidham, has pubished her first children's book, Those Silly Sisters, Swimming in the Rain. This is so cool for her!

So she is giving away a copy of the book at her blog, Amazing Adventures Await. All you have to do is let her know you shared on your blog or with friends about her book. It promises to be an awesome book - I'm getting one for my little Taya for Christmas! So sweet!

I'm sure you will be blessed by her book - Erica is an amazing woman!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

What is on your menu? We are celebrating Thanksgiving with my friend Betsy and her family. We are leaving today to go over to Ft. Wilderness at Disney World for 4 nights. Betsy and her family are coming over tomorrow to eat with us and then head over to the Magic Kingdom to see the Christmas Decorations and Cinderella's castle all decorated.

Thanksgiving in a camper will be different for sure! But here is our menu:
Smoked Turkey
Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Corn
Green Bean Casserole (Perfect 10 Diet style)
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pecan Pie
French Silk Pie

We are looking forward to a weekend away. Hopefully have a little relaxation time if we can resist the urge to go to the parks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful for Friendships

I have a post up at Laced With Grace today. You can read it here.

Thank you again, Kat, for taking the time to edit my devotion and help me pull my writer's block thoughts together! Your awesome!!

Oh, and for those of you who don't know...Kat has a story published in Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas Magic. I would encourage everyone to read her story, it truley is amazing!!! So happy for you Kat!! (And I still need to pick up my two copies :)

New Diet

I know, it has been so long since I have done anything with this blog.

I have had a busy couple of weeks. Two weekends ago, my hubby and I had a small getaway for our 14th anniversary. It was so much fun, but we did miss the kids.

Prior to our leaving for the trip, my friend (Betsy) and I planned to begin the Perfect 10 diet. You can read specifics about the diet in the book but it basically gets rid of all processed food, low fat food and sugar in order to balance 10 hormones that contribute to weight loss.

We started the diet last Monday. So it was a good thing Mark and I indulged at Boma's (at the Animal Kingdom lodge) before - just a side note - Zebra Domes are to die for! YUMMMMMMMM

So when our actual anniversary rolled around on the 26th, we didn't celebrate by eating. I stuck to my new diet perfectly. Even prepared a meal for a girl at church who was in a car accident and didn't cheat once.

Then the weekend rolled around with our camping trip for Halloween. And yes, I cheated. Pancakes. Small tortilla shells. 1 or 2 (well maybe 3 or 4 - but who is counting) cookies, Kungulash and yes more Zebra Domes. Then the kids collected lots of candy. Did I mention I have an addiction to 3 Muskateers??? So, yeah I nibbled on a few candies as welle

But today is a new day and I am back to my perfect keeping of the diet. Tonight we had chicken with artichoke hearts in fire roasted diced tomatoes with a tossed salad and freshly sliced avocodo. OK, so it isn't Zebra Domes but it will do!! This phase is 3 weeks long - no grains, no pasta, no sugar. So I will probably do it a few days longer to make up for my cheats. However, with cheats and all, I have lost 6 lbs in a week and a half. I am really excited about that and motivated to keep on going.

I'll report how the 3 weeks went when completely over. Yes, this is hard. Yes, our grocery bill is now back to pricey (not much couponing for organic foods) and yes, I have eliminated all processed foods (except those cheat days).

Dr. Aziz's book is very interesting (just be warned, he is an old earth believer so you have to take some of the logic with a grain of salt) but otherwise most of what he says makes perfect sense.

So hopefully with this strict diet and excercise, I will finally get some results. And my braces come off December 14th. Now if I can just get contacts again, I will be a new person :)