Diary of a Woman Learning

So the other day I was praying (or actually speaking to God without really meditating on it, to be honest) and I get a response as clear as day. You see as a teen, I often played games with God where I would sit with my Bible and I would wait for God to show me a verse. Sometimes it was for me and other times it was to share with others, but always He came through. It was a lot of fun and I often remember those days and wonder why I don't just pick up my Bible (even when I am bored and TRYING to find something on TV to watch or looking for a book to read) and do it. So the other day, I was pulling my hair back (as it was to be a windy day in Oklahoma and I need little help from the wind to be annoyed with my hair in my face :o) and plain as day, I heard in my spirit "Matthew 14:7". I promised to look it up and as I finished up in the bathroom I was "paged" by a family member who needed my help immediately. The day began that way and finished much the same with m...

So was your Christmas a blessing? We enjoyed a lot of time together and with other family members...even after minor accidents! :o) *Before you continue reading pleaase be warned that there are some pictures that might be considered mildly gory. Kiddo had an incident this week and I have added some pics...if you cannot handle the sight of blood, please skip them. I made them small just in case you wanted to jump past them.* Wednesday Hubby worked until nearly noon and then they enjoyed the annual Christmas luncheon. I worked diligently at home for hours putting together my contributions to the Christmas Day meal so that all I had to do on Thursday was bake everything. (Cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, ham with pineapple pieces, sweet potato casserole, the gravy for the mashed potatoes and a veggie tray with Ranch dip were MY portion alone! My sister-in-law put together just as much!) Hubby says the Luncheon at work was a good time and it was especially prosperous as Hubby re...

I am not sure when I will be back on here, so I wanted to post this while I had a chance. Yesterday we finished up our Christmas shopping (we had very little to do anyway) and today Kiddo and I are going to meet with some of my old friends from my last church for lunch - what a great time we'll have! It is super cold and feeling more and more like Christmas every hour! Old friends, good food, Christmas lights and the story of Jesus...aahhhh! :o) Wednesday we'll have a long day. I have several dishes to prepare Wednesday morning (for baking at my mother-in-law's house on Thursday) and when Hubby gets off of work about noon we'll head up to Tulsa to visit MY family. We won't be back until probably near midnight or so and then when we wake up we'll have our Christmas here (just the three of us)...that's why I am preparing the dishes on Wednesday morning. I just won't have time Thursday! We'll spend most of Christmas Day with Hubby's family at his pa...

We have worked hard...and even through illness (I'll spare you the details but you will be glad to know Kiddo had a stomach bug and not strep throat - it's not pretty, but at least he doesn't need to be on antibiotics again!) and we have just finished making our fudge. We only need to let it cool and set up and then we'll package it up. That's easy enough to do in baggies and stuff! Kiddo is feeling MUCH better - after keeping me up all night long - and even managed to help us clean up some of the utensils. :o) Here are some pictures: This is called cookie cutter fudge...you fill cookie cutters and let it set up and then you package them up - isn't this a great idea? (By the way, you can just use practically any fudge recipe. This is almost identical to the one we used...the measurements are just a tad bit different, but this would be easier to do because then you don't have leftovers in cans and jars.) Once we filled up the cookie cutters, I had to get cr...

So we've finished ONE batch of fudge...and in the process of boiling one mixture to add it to the chocolate and stuff...well...Kiddo got sick. He told Daddy - oh sorry...I mean DAD now - that he thought he was gonna get sick so he hurried to the bathroom. Poor baby! He looks pitiful, doesn't he? (Chuy the Chihuahua is keeping him company while Dad helps me with the fudge.) Well, like I said we have made one batch and I have another batch to go...THEN we'll have Christmas finished once I get everything packaged. Here are the pics of our Christmas stick that I promised you. First, with the flash so you can see our Christmas-themed books and packages with PART of our Christmas gifts ready to go. (Oh...and the nuts...as if there aren't enough nuts in THIS house already!) Then one with-OUT the flash so you can oooh and aahh the pretty lights like I do. :o) Poor Kiddo was just teary-eyed as he said goodnight. He always gets clingy and weepy when he's sick and it sure does...

That's what Hubby calls it anyway! :o) Kiddo decorated it all by himself last night...later I'll update with a picture of the Christmas Stick at night - I hope. Tonight we're gonna have Bubble Pizza (so Kiddo can try it - but I already KNOW he'll LOVE it!) and after dinner we are going to make fudge...ten POUNDS of it. SERIOUSLY...TEN POUNDS! Hope you all are getting in the Christmas spirit! We are...we've been out SEVERAL times looking at lights and listening to Christmas music. Oh! I didn't even TELL you about Mrs. Pink pushing buttons on my radio last Saturday night...we found REGGAE CHRISTMAS MUSIC! We were JAMMIN '! : oD It was great...now I REALLY want to find a Christmas Reggae CD because I love reggae music...I did even before this, but I never THOUGHT about Christmas Reggae! Oh the things you learn about me on my blog! :o) Be blessed!

It has been a long week and I really have not wanted to post...don't really know why though - I've had a good week! Saturday night we went to Yukon to see the light displays. We went with Mr. and Mrs. Pink - we even split up into the girls and the guys! (I drove the girl's car...we referred to it as the "Fun-vee" - totally makes sense if you've seen Iron Man because the guys were in the "Hum-drum-vee". Oh yeah! We laughed HARD about that one! :o) We were so silly - in the Fun-vee, anyway. We laughed and then laughed more. It started hurting we were laughing so hard. However - Teen Girl Pink :o) laughed along with us (although 6 y/o girl Pink was quiet and acted thoroughly confused throughout most of the night :o) and when I teasingly asked Teen Girl Pink if she was gonna go look at Christmas lights again she said "only if I get to ride with YOU!" I really didn't think she would WANT to as silly as we were...but I guess laughter is a tie...

I am tagging my friends Valerie , Traci and Natalie . I hope you enjoy their blogs...you really should check them out. Valerie is so sweet and posts wonderful things about her friends and family including LOTS of pictures - which I don't do a lot of... Traci is so creative and I love seeing all the cute craft and decor ideas she has...if only I were so creative! :o) Natalie is hilarious! She posts about her family ( and exercise :o), a little bit about her homeschooling journey and a lot about God. Read THIS post if you really want to get down to business! I can't wait to see if they accept my challenge! :o) Be well and be blessed!

My friend Cindy tagged me so now I get to blog about 8 random things...hmm... 1. I had 2 dogs growing up that were named PePe - and both of them were chihuahuas, my mom LOVES chihuahuas! 2. I have a TON of guilt for not having a set time to study my Bible...and I know that I only have to START it - but I just cannot seem to set aside time regularly. I know, I should...I really do want to! I just lack putting it into action! 3. I lived in two different houses growing up - that's all. And ONE of those I don't even remember because I was only 2 weeks old when we moved out! (My parents were trying to rent a cute little house, but the landlord would not do any repairs so they had to move out and find a better place.) Every now and again, when Hubby and I are in that town (it is nearby and we find ourselves there often since Hubby's family lives there in the same town) we'll drive by. It has been fixed up now and is so sweet! 4. I always wanted an older brother. I'm the ...

Kiddo asked me this morning, "Mom, what is that called? A disposable thumb? That monkeys have?" "Almost, Honey...that is OPPOSABLE. It means that it is on the opposite side of your other fingers so you can pick things up and pinch your fingers and thumb together..." :o)

I did not know Gene Mitchell well...it seems that I missed out on a huge blessing. The funeral service was very nice and it was officiated by Gene's former pastor and good friend and current pastor and good friend...both. It was touching and positive and very much to the point. Gene was a good Christian man that lived a good Christian life, touching the lives of nearly every person who met him. While I was not close to Gene or his beautiful wife, Ann, I knew him as a kind, funny man who thoroughly loved his family and what I learned today said much the same. Hubby left the service and said how much he would like for people to say those things about him at his service...but that he didn't think they could. (We were just babies then! August 8th, 1997) Hubby and I have been together for over twelve years now, and married for more than eleven. I used to think "What am I doing wrong that I cannot help him to feel better about himself?" Now I better understand that I can...

Well, Monday we went to an Incredible Pizza Homeschool Day - it was a great time and a big treat. We don't often have the funds to go, so we kind of splurged to be able to go this time. Kiddo loved it. The theme was "A Case for Santa" and they used science experiments to prove that the "magic" that Santa uses can be proved scientifically so THEORETICALLY it is possible that Santa is real. Kiddo doesn't believe in Santa...however I explained that I believe St. Nick was a man who did wonderful things for others, so it is possible that his giving spirit lives on and THAT is what people call Santa. It works for us...and I don't think God would have a problem with that. But I did explain that others DO believe in Santa and that it is NOT Kiddo's responsibility to INFORM them. :o) Tuesday I wasn't feeling well. I literally did nothing all day. Kiddo watched some TV, played some on the computer and even cuddled with me a bit while I sat. It was nice to ...