http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...  I hear my kids running outside.

I am thinking...  About a friend that just suffered a terrible loss. I'm keeping her in my prayers.

I am thankful...  My baby is sleeping in his bed beside mine; and I feel so blessed to have a healthy newborn baby boy. Life is beautiful!

In the kitchen... A delightful smell fills the air. My daughter just made spaghetti sauce from scratch and my other daughter is cooking some pasta. Earlier, my son made some pizzas for everyone. I can't complain. 

I am wearing...  Some comfy sweats and a t-shirt. Anything that makes it easier to nurse my baby boy is my ideal wardrobe.

I am creating...  Nothing at the moment, just taking time to rest and bonding with my newborn.

I am going... To stay put. I visited my mom out of town yesterday and have been quite busy the past few days. I desperately need some rest.

I am wondering... What the menu for Shabbat  should be. We need to do our shopping by tomorrow.

I am reading... A couple of books. One that I started a while back is titled G-d in Search of Man by Joshua Heschel

I am hoping...  To get work done. I have much house work awaiting me. 

I am looking forward to... My brother-in-law and his family are visiting next week; can't wait to see them. 

I am learning... How important it is to continue studying Torah and specially  living by it.

Around the house...  It seems much quieter since three o my sons went out, and the little ones are in the family room.

I am pondering...  How to simplify my life and get rid of many things that just clutter.

A favorite quote for today...  One who does not increase [his knowledge] decreases it. -Pirkei Avot 1:13 

One of my favorite things... Is holding my baby in my arms. Then again, everyone around here wants to hold him, which means I mostly get to hold him at night.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Set up dentist appointments for my kids. Clean up my family room and library.

A peek into my day...  I haven't taken many pictures lately but this picture about sums it up.

Giant Menorah; New Design

Once again, my husband had a great idea concerning a project he set out to do. I have to say, I'm so glad to be able to see his talent and creativity at work. He worked in quick manner, as he had a clear idea of a design for a new menorah. I enjoyed helping him, though I did very little. Here is a couple of photos of both the process and finished project. By the way, the menorah is now the property of a local congregation; we were glad to hear they liked it.

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

Photo Experiment or Experience

My 1st and 2nd born holding their baby sister

My husband was home for the day, and I suggested we do something together. We had no pictures with our baby so it's decided to visit a park for some photographs.  Yes, even my always-busy-college children were persuaded to join us.  As we left the house I rushed out the door reminding my first born he was to take the last three of his siblings and meet us.  Actually, though we had talked of going to a park to get some family pictures taken, we were running quite late.  It was a bit disappointing at first. When we arrived, we rushed to a favorite spot where a creek now had dried up. As the kids sat on a log, we began taking some snap shots in a hurry. The lighting was going faster than anticipated as the sun went down, and not all my kids had arrived. Then it hit me, why not use the circumstances to our advantage. Yes, we would continue taking pictures but this time with a twist. My idea was to go for a silhouette theme. Bearing in mind, there was little time for planning which resulted in some overlapped figures, I was quite pleased.

Rushing to find a spot for some shots

Some of my kids posing for some pictures

It was sad to see the creek had dried up

Look up!

My 3rd born daughter joins in

Showing the baby to wave

A picture with Dad

We scramble for a spot

Some random arrangement

Last few pictures with light

Still some kids missing

They finally arrive

Wondering how to make this work

First few experimental shots

My daughter

The camera is set to take our pictures

Some kids are overlapped in the images

Another try

Kids by themselves

Trying to get them all in

Making eye shapes

Getting creative

Just having fun

We take s last picture with a flash