The Love Challenge for February

My friend Dea has challenged us to memorize 1 Cor 13.1-13 during the month of February!

Let me know if you will join us. I think she plans to post reminders and encouragements throughout February. What a great challenge, thanks Dea!

Next post I will put up picts of CA for those of you who did not see them on Facebook. Plus I really want to see them again myself. :0)

For many of us we are surrounded by snow and lacking simple things such as heat and power. Let's remember to thank the Lord for His gift of this beautiful white stuff that replenishes the earth (and kills the germs), but also to ask Him to protect all those out there with no electricity! Evansville, IN was hit particularly hard.

Short post folks. Enjoy it when you can- usually I have so much more to say. Off to work from home for a couple of hours. See ya! Stay safe out there.

Add Ons to the Last Post

Few things give me the thrill that organizing gives me. Just ask Pookie. I am sure I drove her nuts begging her to let me re-arrange cabinets and furniture. Such patience she had!

Three more organizing ideas:

Julie Morgenstern is like the Grand Master of organizers. The rest of them all got started with her! She may be a bit deeper than you want, but she covers it all and gives a great foundation. That is why  the three books on my last post were so helpful and inspiring. They were quick, easy and put things back in the forefront of my mind, but I am glad I had read Julie's books a few years ago.

Emilie Barnes has some lovely ideas and thinks it can all be done in 15 minute increments. That is quite a relief for most of us. It may take you MANY 15 minute increments, but that is easily squeezed into ANY schedule! She tackles every area of life from entertaining to labeling. Barb R.- might be a great way to organize the boxes for Africa! See her section on the card file box with 3x5's and coordinating numbers on boxes. 

For time management many have found Elizabeth George's book helpful. I read it. It IS good. It is practical and riddled with great Scriptural encouragement. However her sample of a poor schedule (that was apparently NOT a good way to live and had driven her to her doctor' office numerous times) looked fabulous to me, a DREAM schedule. Needless to say I did not get it, and I still struggle with that one. Apparently reality and I do not co-exist. :0)

So have fun and let me know how it goes!

Merry ECard 2008 (No mailings this year-saving a tree!)

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

And then he was 12...

Isaac turned 12 on the 26th!!! I almost have two full blown teenagers!Grandma's homemade cakes. Always a hit. Alex & Colleen got their pie as well. Sans butter. Ask Colleen. ;0)That is Shandy the new addition at the grandparents' home. I think he wore her out! I know she wore out our dog, Phoebe. Isaac is a sweet and precious fella...and a big pest (a dominant Corcoran trait). That is Shandy again-going into Colleen's hair.

Is it genetic or environmental? Age old quandary. A more serene moment in the week.

Honorable mentions!

My Dad turned 79 on the 24th! For his birthday he got to go to the hospital with a blood clot in his lung. Oh the fun.

Breanna turned 18 on the 22nd! She is like family so she gets to go in the blog. :0)

A fine time was had by all.

I do hope you all had a LOVELY Thanksgiving. Don't we have much for which to thank our Lord?! Even if your holiday did not look like a Norman Rockwell painting- the Lord has offered you eternal life thru His Son's death for you on the cross. It doesn't get any better, friends.

The Built-ins!

Wayne Schechter of Yankee Woodworking-wood master and Mike Wilkerson-self employed floor master (wood, carpet, tile, slate, whatever), both made the beauty of our home possible. I finished the built-ins to match the floors. They are all in maple. The pictures make them more yellow than they are in real life. We are so very thankful for how they enhance our home! The mantle will be built soon and then I can stain and finish that as well. It would be nice to have that done by Christmas for the nativity scene. :0)

Thanks guys! It looks GREAT! Now on to fill them with stuff. The stuff that has been lying all over my floor for the last few months. Yea, soon we will have places to sit again!

A New Corcoran!

Well, sorta new. Quinn Patrick was born to Christopher's brother, Ryan and his wife Stephanie, in May. He was ushered into this world with lots of prayers and much determination and struggle. We are thrilled he is here. Safe and sound. And really cute. Enjoy my indulgence in sharing him with you all!

Bath Time!

Proud Parents!

Happy Grandparents!

Happy Late Birthday (last Saturday) to his Uncle Shawn!!!!!!!!!! We assume it was a lovely time with Kristin!

Political Activism-1

We heard Gov. Sarah Palin speak today. Wow! She is every bit as good as Obama on the stage. I was very impressed with what we heard. Very. Finally. Most of it anyway. She talked about balancing the budget in 4 years. FOUR. And she ended with a strong push to take care of disabled/handicapped children. Now I wish we had gone to hear Barack Obama last week as well. Great experience. Easy to get there, park and get out. Wow! 

The unprepared Boy Scout. It was cold out in the clouds and wind. Brrr.


Jaime and Abigail Schechter went with us. Hubby Andrew picked up the tickets yesterday and Abigail got us VIP entrance due to having a stroller. Thanks Abigail!!!  Note the freezing Alexes who did not bring a jacket or sweatshirt. Brr again!

People were hootin and hollerin most of the time. It was very energetic. The opening band was the Bellamy Brothers. They were good. It was country music though. Not very multi-culturally sensitive. Felt sorry for the brothers that were there.

What a neat experience. Isn't homescholing great? We got to GO TO government class today. Hands on Learning!

Faces of Rejoicing

Faces of joy.

http://jaimeschechter.blogspot.com/2008/10/grateful-friday.html

Another dear sister's blog has Grateful Friday posts. What at GREAT idea. Pun intended. :0)

When raising rowdy & rambunctious toddler boys I put a sheet on the fridge that was titled:

"Praise God for Positives".

Everyday I wrote down something positive that had occurred that day. In the midst of numerous "training" opportunities I would often assume nothing pleasant had occurred all day. That sheet helped me see I was wrong. Can you say "good counseling homework idea"?

I wonder now that I am raising two teen aged boys....

Ramblings

School is going well. It is over so very quickly each day. Then he is free to fill his time with things that truly matter in a young man's life: creatures from the creek, homemade parachutes, walking the dog. The things of life.

My younger one began 6th grade today in the public school system. His last year there, I hope. He is very excited to see old friends missed over the busy summer. I pick him up in an hour to hear about the fun things that he did today, his first day back.

I think the AC/furnace AND fridge are all about to go kaput. Oh, joy. I think I would rather spend the money on a trip to Hawaii. Is that an option? Jaime, we do not get to practice the nothing new for a month gig right now, bummer.

My hubby is traveling again. Eating at new restaurants and burning the midnight oil. He is missed.

The built-in bookshelves are still not built in. They are still in the garage. Every time I fix something a new problem arises. Now I get to sand them down- part of them anyway- and re-stain and re-polyurethane them. Oh, joy. Will they ever be finished?

Level two of the counseling program begins Monday. Then I will have a lot of my own homework to do each week. I really need to get those shelves finished!!!

Well, that's all that is going on at our house. Drop us a line and catch us up with yourselves!

Tag, I'm It

First, Do check out our friends' post about their trip to China to pick up their daughter. The Simmons family is there right now and could use your prayer!

http://ofpathsanderrands.blogspot.com/

Second, Joy tagged me so I will answer these questions. Then I'm going to tag Jaime, Dea, Wendy, Susan, Erin, Monique and Pookie

You are supposed to answer with one word, you know how I am incapable of THAT!

Enjoy!

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse

2. Your significant other? Mowing

(not sure what happened to #3!)

4. Your mother? Dining Out

5. Your father? FL

6. Your favorite thing? Books

7. Your dream last night? Odd

8 Your favorite drink? Coffee/Tea

9. Your dream/goal? Passion/Simplicity

10. The room you’re in? Den

11. Your hobby? Eating

12. Your fear? UnSovereignty

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Worthy/Organized

14. What you’re not? Disloyal

15. Muffins? Poppyseed

16. One of your wish list items? No Debt

17. Where you grew up? Michigan

18. The last thing you did? Dark Chocolate

19. What are you wearing? Yoga Pants

20. Favorite gadget? Air Conditioning

21. Your pets? Doggie

22. Your computer? MacBookPro

23. Your mood? Tired

24. Missing someone? Yes

25. Your car? Japanese

26. Something you’re not wearing? Contacts

27. Favorite store? Depends

28. Like someone? Lots

29. Your favorite color? Red

30. When is the last time you laughed? Last Night

31. Last time you cried? Daily

What do you TREASURE?!

A Mother's Bragging Rights...

Cynthia had this on her Facebook from her son Adam who recently directed this film...

http://www.resolved.org/Downloads.aspx?titlevar=
The%20Parable&videosource=http://www.resolved.org/media/video/
TheParable.flv&poster=http://www.resolved.org/media/video/TheParable.jpg

I cannot figure out how to download it at the moment. Sorry. Just copy paste this link.

This 5 minute video is intense- really draws you in and then leaves you to question your own heart. Everyone worships. Where do you lay down your time, talents, treasures- in homage?