FOR TODAY

Outside my window...Beautiful day enjoyed greatly by my children playing in their tree house.

I am thinking...Soon my kids finals will be over, and I will not need to drive them to school; but will stay home instead. I'm so proud of my kids hard work and good grades. I'm especially proud of my third born daughter's first semester at college. She is realizing she can really do this, despite her being hesitant at first.   

I am thankful...that I am magnificently blessed with a wonderful husband and amazing family

In the kitchen...Some cleaning, then I'm hoping one of my boys will make some of their yummy oatmeal cookies.

I am wearing...Still in my PJs they are so comfy!

I am creating...A to-do-list for my home schooling and house work.

I am going...To drive my kids to and from school 2 more days.

I am wondering...Which book to read next, once I'm done with the one I'm currently reading. So many choices, most likely means I'll wind up reading two.

I am reading...Cheaper by the Dozen, it's turning out to be one of my favorite books. 

I am hoping...All goes well with the arrival of our baby. I'm about 5 weeks away from my due date. 

I am looking forward to...Organizing my bedroom and possibly a new paint job.

I am learning...To read more fluently in Hebrew. 

Around the house...I'm enjoying our family room that my husband has worked so hard to finish. Fresh paint and new furnishings make our family room and library a better, more pleasant place for homeschooling. 

I am pondering...How to go about getting more exercise into my day, and taking better care of my health. 

A favorite quote for today..."Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."  -Winston Churchill

One of my favorite things...Praying early in the morning with my children. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: Drive my girls to school and take two of my boys to the library. Get more accomplished during our homeschooling.

A peek into my day...

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Making Meaningful Memories

 It's a wonderful thing to be a stay-at-home mom enjoying the presence  of one's family. I'm grateful for the years I've been blessed with this privilege.  Things have changed though, and have brought me to a point where I am finding myself employed and away from the home as many other mom's out there. I can't complain, as I am working in a place I like; however, I do miss being at home where I no doubt belong. This is the reason that I haven't had time to get on the computer, much less write anything.

 Because of the time I'm away, I'm having a difficult time balancing my time wisely to spend with my kids and keep up with my housework among other responsibilities. I am grateful however, for the opportunity to work near the house which enables me to come for lunch and spend more time at home. I'm trying to get creative and find ways to make the best of the current situation. If all goes as planned, I'll leave work and be a stay-at-home mom again in about three more months. For now, I'm praying for the strength to get through this time and counting the days until I'm home all day again with my family. I don't want to miss being with my children.

 Though I'm working five days a week, we've managed to make time to do a few things the kids enjoy. Here I'll share some shots taken from these special times.

                                                     Out for some ice cream

                                                             
                                                           Outdoor Play

                                                  Road Trip With my Teens

                                                      At Garner Park

                                                                Hiking

                                                   Our Nice Little Cabin

                                                  Making use of this fireplace

                                             Couldn't leave technology behind

                                                  Bundled up for the trip back

Tea Party With the Girls

Visit to Grandma's

Got to Love Pesach Cleaning!

Not enough time for a post, so instead here's a funny video...

The Children Get It: Passing Down our Beliefs to our Children

Pesach is now over, and we are now in the process of counting the Omer. My Pesach dishes have been put away and most things used put back into a storage container labeled with the feast's name with a black permanent marker. Much time and energy were invested in preparing for the feast to the last detail. New dishes were purchased which was a whole ordeal in itself, as I had to make several trips back to the store to get the right match and take back a set with a broken bowl. We changed our kitchen drapes to a gold and white combination for the special occasion, to go along with the table settings and tablecloths. Everything was beautiful and specially set apart for this occasion.

Although I do love to have beautifully table settings, this was not the main focus of this time. Our priority for all the prep was twofold. First of all, we wanted to make sure that all the chametz was destroyed and no trace of it left in our homes, in order to obey the command. To us this meant using separate dishes than the ones we normally use throughout the year in which we eat all manner of foods containing chametz. Next, we wanted to make it quite clear to our children of the importance of obeying the commandment and the special care and deliberate effort invested in this. When we begin our preparations, the children get the importance of the coming date. They remember all the detailed cleaning. They get why we will no longer be using our commonly used dishes for our daily meals. They get our diet for the next few days will be undergoing some major changes. Everything is different, and they get why. And if they are too young, it's an excellent opportunity for them to begin learning and storing up memories for future years.

This time becomes a time of anticipation. We actually look forward to this feast. Everyone enjoys eating the matzo bread, and the creative ways in which we adjust our daily meals. Using special dishes is also a constant reminder of the absence of chametz and its meaning. All the preparation and changes can be a good thing. It's a lesson and reminder of the biblical command to remove the leaven from our dwelling places. It's a blessing to obey HaShem's mitzvahs as a family. We see this feast not as a burden which is difficult to keep, but as a blessing that we may take part of in joyful obedience. As we finished our Seder and began picking up, we could hear our two-year-old singing in his sweetest baby voice the following chorus lines, "Dai, Da-ye-nu...Dai, Da-ye-nu...Dai, Da-ye-nu...Da-ye-nu, Da-ye-nu, Dayenu!" It was indeed a memorable feast.

Not neccesarily spring cleaning

We have begun our yearly routine, of deep cleaning. I don't necessarily clean for the sake of the spring tradition, though. The cleaning we'll be doing, around here, will be with the exclusive purpose of honoring G-d and His Word. Our goal is the complete removal, of chametz(anything containing leaven). These following weeks will be spent in intense deep cleaning. We'll be basically going through a detailed to-do-list of all the cleaning that is to be done around the house.We will be dusting every book, from our library, and cleaning our shelves carefully. The kitchen appliances will also be moved to clean behind them; as from time to time a cookie or other bread-like food may roll under it. Rugs will be washed; living and family room furniture vacuumed carefully. Our curtains will be washed and some walls may be painted at this time. The children's rooms will need some detailed cleaning, especially their closets which need to be reorganized. Usually my husband takes this time to check for any repairs or maintenance, that may need to be done as well. This usually winds up spilling over unto the yard and he'll end up having the kids cleaning up all sorts of stuff around our small property. The next few weeks will be the busiest, as now I have to divide my time, between driving my son to school (which keeps me many hours away from home) and working to get all my cleaning done in time for Pesach.
Here I am posting some links to these excellent sites with very helpful lists for the removal of any food products containing chametz. (Also included in the links other helpful sites on the topic of chametz).

http://oukosher.org/index.php/passover/article/which_foods_are_chametz/
http://www.betemunah.org/chametz.html
http://judaism.about.com/library/3_howto/ht_searchchametz.htm
http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/485958/jewish/Chametz-vs-Matzah.htm
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/117150/jewish/Cleaning-Checklist.htm
http://www.ka.org.au/index.php/Pesach_Guide/The_Mitzvah_of_Disposing_of_Chametz.html

http://www.suite101.com/content/traditional-forbidden-chametz--foods-on-pesach-a209687

Keeping Busy at Home

So many things have been on my mind lately but I’ve had very little time to write. My time is spent mostly on housework and cooking. I have to say though, I’m really enjoying cooking. My kids are constantly telling me they like my brown rice among other things, which is a big relief. I still think my daughter Ruth makes the best rice.

 At the time I’m working on reorganizing my bedroom and closet. There is so much left to do. Maybe if I get it all done this week or next, I’ll have time to repaint before the month is over. There is also a sowing project that I’m anxious to work on soon (new curtains for our family room). If all goes well with organizing, I’m planning to move on to our family room/home library next.
Lately what’s been mostly in my heart is how I can be a better wife. I have been so blessed with an amazing husband, that I wish also to be a blessing to him. My heart’s desire is to truly be the proverbs “woman of valor”. Throughout the day while working around the house, I’m meditating on Hashem’s Word on the subject. Listening to Doug Phillips’ message on The Wise Woman’s Guide to Blessing Her Husband’s Vision has inspired me. I pray Hashem gives me the wisdom to be the helpmeet I was created to be.
Also lately, I gladly have spent more time with my firstborn, David. I drove him to a campus nearby where he registered for college. Later that week, I had to drive him back for his assessment tests. Every moment I spend with him is an opportunity to share G-d’s Word, which is one of the things I like best. I love when we talk about the Scriptures and how he can serve Hashem in his life. His books were ordered online, and are now on the way soon to arrive. We are so happy for him and know he’ll do great.
My daughter Chava has been keeping busy lately practicing on her keyboard and learning music. This week, we drove her to practice with our congregation’s music team and I was amazed at how well she did for it being her first time. Soon she plans to leave the dance team to join the music team; which also means I’ll be driving her to practice every week. It’s so great to see her enthusiasm for music and how her hard work is paying off.
So many things are going on that I need to slow down and take some time to plan my schedule better. Besides my chores and homeschooling my kids, I need to always make time for prayer/devotions and personal reading. I’m so blessed to be free to stay at home and serve my family in their various needs. I’m also especially thankful for my husband’s hard work and support;  which does free me to stay at home to begin with.
 

Chava at Zion’s music rehearsal

A Full Day's Work

Usually with everyone's help we get things done around the house. Some days are good and some not so much. Work can quickly get behind in a home of twelve people, especially when the majority is yet quite young. That's why I've come to appreciate my daughters' help so much. Lately though, things around the house have changed a bit. Ever since, about a little over a week ago, when my oldest daughter broke her foot work has been somewhat challenging. Now she needs to be cared after, as she's unable to do most things on her own. On the bright side, it's my opportunity to serve her and for the rest of the family too. We're praying for her recovery. 

This morning we had an early start. The kids woke very early to complete their basic homeschooling lessons. We use Christian Light workbooks, which are very practical and can be done by the kids mostly on their own. Naturally, we also took the necessary time to read this week's Torah Portion. After lunch, we gathered around our kitchen table to work on History together. This took longer to do because of the different grade levels. Before I knew it, I had to rush to start cooking a meal before my husband got home and barely had time to get some laundry done. Time went by fast, and I didn't get to do all I wanted. I'm hoping for a much more productive day tomorrow.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
                                                                             Proverbs 16:3

                                    she's needing cruthes to get by

                                          
                                                some books we used today

                                                    looking at a book