I Need a Silent Night

Tis the season...the season when we all run ourselves ragged trying to smash three month's worth of activities into one month. The season to be sick, tired, broke and grumpy...to find material ways to bless and honor those we love. Do you feel stressed just thinking about it? How have we let this season get so out of control...where is Christ in our Christmas and how can we get back to a simpler way of celebrating what is for many, a Holy Day...I am not sure that I have the answers...but I think it takes focusing on Christ and being brave or bold enough to say...we're going to do a little something different this year, saying no to the extra activities that push us over the edge...I'm not sure about you, but I think I need a Silent Night...


I've made the same mistake before
Too many malls, too many stores
December traffic, Christmas rush
It breaks me till I push and shove

Children are crying while mothers are trying
To photograph Santa and sleigh
The shopping and buying and standing forever in line
What can I say?

I need a silent night, a holy night
To hear an angel voice through the chaos and the noise
I need a midnight clear, a little peace right here
To end this crazy day with a silent night

December comes then disappears
Faster and faster every year
Did my own mother keep this pace
Or was the world a different place?

Where people stayed home wishing for snow
Watching three channels on their TV
Look at us now rushing around
Trying to buy Christmas peace

I need a silent night, a holy night
To hear an angel voice through the chaos and the noise
I need a midnight clear, a little peace right here
To end this crazy day with a silent night

What was it like back there in Bethlehem
With peace on earth, good will toward men?

Every shepherd's out in the field
Keeping watch over their clock by night
And the glory of the Lord shone around them
And they were so afraid

And the angels said fear not for behold
I bring you good news of a great joy that shall be for all people
For unto you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord
And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace

I need a silent night, a holy night
To hear an angel voice through the chaos and the noise
I need a midnight clear, a little peace right here
To end this crazy day with a silent night
To end this crazy day with a silent night

Happy, Busy Days

So, I have been a bad blogger, but time just goes by so fast. I thought I would update everyone on what all I have done recently...
Canning- well, not much got done in this category...I will try again next year with our garden, but start MUCH earlier. Our bumper crops...Carrots and GREEN TOMATOES...we are actually going to pick ALL of the tomatoes today and see if we have enough to can anything when they ripen.
Crafting: Well, I haven't done too much here...we already have 2 Christmas Projects done, and three in the works...at some point of being done. Having some trouble with one, need an item for another and we had supplier issues for the third. I will try to post pictures when Christmas is over...I don't know if my family reads this or not, but I'd rather not take chances.
Sewing: While technically a crafting item, I have a few sewing projects I need to work on...Grace and I need to finish 2 skirts, I would like to make aprons for us...I am such a sloppy person in the kitchen... and I still have a quiet book in the works...
Cooking: Menu planning fell by the wayside this month when my hubby said, "I would like __________________ for dinner tonight." So, now I am trying to get back on the plan...I LOVE menu planning, because when I have a plan, dinner is much easier...when I fail to plan...I plan to fail...I found a recipe for Pork and Mushroom stew that was served over apple mashed potatoes that looks SO incredible. I hope to try it soon and report on that. A friend gave me a recipe for gingerbread scones that I hope to try soon. Today, nothing says fall like gingerbread scones...I hope they taste as good as they sound. I am also hoping to try my hand at making buttermilk bisuits again...either I have not made these correctly OR I do not have a good recipe yet, but I LOVE biscuits and am going to try a new recipe soon. I have learned a couple things about biscuit making that I did not know before...I did not know there was an ART to making biscuits. On a similar note, I have told many people that I cannot make banana bread...I think I know what my trouble is and I also think I have confirmed it...GLASS PANS...I use Glass pans to make it in...and I think it bakes better in metal pans. It is ALWAYS either overcooked or undercooked...NO MATTER WHAT I DO...so I am on the lookout for 2 or 3 metal pans at a REALLY GOOD PRICE!
I went to a baby shower at church yesterday...there is NOTHING more beautiful that a pregnant woman...(well, unless it's me...I do not feel beautiful when I am pregnant)...she was blessed with a wonderful devotion, gifts, gift cards and sweet friends. A friend of mine made her this quilt...they are so adorable...she has made these quilts for most of the babies in the church (some of whom are in their mid-twenties now!) and I almost cried when she held it up...these quilts truly are special...a beautiful tradition in our church...
We have had a couple of deaths too in our church family...always sad on our end...one was a founding father almost of our church...a pillar for sure, the other was a new little lamb and so sad. We are trying to come alongside and support these families right now.
Our family has just started attending Bible Study Fellowship...we are studying Isaiah this year. I am so excited that all of us are in this study. I love BSF and I am so happy to be back...when I last went, my oldest was 5...so it's been awhile. I am already learning so much about this book, about myself, about history and about God...and we are only on lesson 2.
Well, I keep hearing some harsh words...time to redirect everyone.
Love you!
C~

Goodbyyye JUUUULYYYYYYY

said in your best Dave Neihaus voice (Mariners announcer)...

So July came in with my mom in the hospital with back surgery...she ended up in the recovery for seven and a half hours because her oxygen saturation levels were too low...and July went out with out friend Timothy in a coma from Cerebral Malaria...and we thought he was not going to make it through it...
Sprinkled throughout July were you usual things...Doctors appointments, meetings, etc...and also a couple of extras...taking a friend in for surgery, three family birthdays and Vacation Bible School...we also had a surprise...we thought DD broke his foot, but it turns out, he has something called Kohler's Disease, which, as I understand it, is when the tissue inside a little bone in your foot dies before that bone hardens and the bone collapses on itself...it will heal just fine, but it will take about a year to do so...
Things to be thankful for...
Well, we are SO thankful for Timothy being with us and gaining his strength, we are thankful for DD's foot not being broken, I am thankful that I am still 29, and I am very thankful that July is OVER!
August has so far brought the flu to our home...three down...hopefully NO MORE to go!
Love,
C~

What's on Your List Today?

I feel like an industrious busy beaver...I made one batch of Strawberry freezer jam last night and I made my very first batch of soap...that was an experience, but thanks to my good friend Lanita, I am less freaked out than I was. I am making Goat's Milk soap and I expected a nice milky colored soap, so it was a shock when it turned BRIGHT YELLOW. After adding all of the fats, it toned down to the color of baby poo...I am hoping as it SAPONIFIES that it will tone down some more.
So in a bit, I need to run to the store to get some more pectin for another batch of freezer jam...we are ALL OUT (well except for the kiwi jam that no one likes...), then I need to get dinner made so it can be popped into the oven before I get home later...AND we have about a bajillion loads of laundry to get done...
I think I will make a coffee mix first and then get busy...
What's on YOUR list today?

Circling our Wagons and more...

Well, many of you are sick of hearing about this, so just skip it...I wanted to record this as a memorial stone for where we were and where I hope we will go...
So at the Christian Heritage Conference, one of the concepts I heard was Circling Our Wagons...this is a technique we are using to change attitudes for the better. It involves being together more as a family and less as individuals doing seperate things. We have been getting a lot of...why can't we do this? So and so can...and so and so this and so and so that...and quite a bit of questioning authority, rolling the eyes and refusing to get our things done...I won't bore you all with the details...but right now, no one is getting in (friends coming over) and no one is getting out (going to friends or to various events) and this does include facebook, etc...our children are in a sort of disbelief, but most of them have gotten a clue that the sooner I clean up my act, the sooner life can return to what we used to know...Oh, they are SO funny!!! But, one Mr. is not quite getting the hang of it yet...I think it will get much more painful for him as he gets told no longer than I am sure he wants to hear...
Another little thing I picked up from the Duggar's Book is the game they play to work on getting the children to do what they are asked immediately and cheerfully...so I will say to the Principessa, go into the kitchen and open all of the cabinet doors...she will say, "Yes Momma, I would be happy to." Then she runs off to do it and come back...It is just little fun and silly things to get her in the habit of having a right heart and doing what she is asked quickly...
So, today, after church, her Sunday School teacher gave her a little bit of praise and said that she noticed and was encouraged by her obedience in Sunday School...just a little tidbit to make a Momma's heart happy!!! So we will keep working on it.

I recently started a schedule where I have entered all of my major housekeeping chores into my Outlook with reminders and alarms...this way we know things are getting done properly, with regularity and more than just the surface. We all work together to accomplish the task, making lighter work for all of us. This is ONLY for major things, not daily picking up. I am hoping that once we have completed a full cycle, my husband will be greatly encouraged knowing that we are trying to make a happy home for him (For him, a happy home is not only one where there is no bickering, but that it is picked up...no clutter, clean, etc) We still have quite a ways to go, but I am greatly encouraged by the small steps...

Well, my task for Sunday afternoons is lesson planning, and it is done for this week...I am thinking, maybe I should do one more week, so I am not planning so close to when they need to accomplish their work...Just in case...I will see what happens...

So, I think that is all that is on my mind for today...I know, it is feast or famine around here...but such is the way it is!

Love,
C~

unplugged

Well a couple of my friends have been talking about getting Unplugged for a period of time...one day a week, this time each day, etc...well, maybe I need to get plugged in...I have not blogged for quite some time...sorry to say...it may stay that way for a while... Life just seems like it is spinning out of control, faster and faster everyday...while I try to keep up on housework, schoolwork and relationships in our family, we have extra things which pull us out of our home...like Physical Therapy and Doctor's appointments and it just is. So if you don't hear from me often, I am sorry, but growing babies do not wait...my oldest is proof of that...he will be 15 soon. My youngest will be 3 next week. Life is but a vapor and then it is gone. Way too fast.

Resurrection Blessings

I hope you all had a great Resurrection Day...we did...and we are grateful that all the Cannon family (the ones who live in this house) were at church together for the first time in months...many of you know that our van died back in October...bad transmission...well it is FINALLY running again and all of us can ride together (well legally that is!!! jk). We had a beautiful cantata and a great message...we got to see old friends...and greet the saints at Seven Lakes...a good day. The rest of the day was quite...my poor MIL was sick and so we had to cancel our family gathering. I hope she is feeling better soon. I have heard that there is a terrible flu going around where you are really sick for weeks, rather than days...
Well, time for me to get off now...I have to start dinner. I think we will be having scalloped potatoes and ham.

Until next time,

A New Day

So, it is a new day in the Cannon family as we prepare to take my oldest down to our state capitol for his week of paging...he does not want to do it, but we all think it will be a great experience for him...so off we go.
I have been short on time and long on tasks lately and needing to make more laundry soap, so last night, I just made the powder...so we will see how that works....it is much easier to deal with than the liquid goo, but makes much less....
I feel like I have been sewing my brains out to make doll dresses for three birthday girls...my daughter and two others...but they are NOW DONE! I still need to get a couple of little jackets done, but that will be a piece of cake after 12 dresses!!!!
I am behind on my recipe cards as well...almost done with the holiday ones, but I also have a comofort recipe and a Valentine's recipe I need to quickly get finished...then I need to see what the next one is...
And that is about it...for today at least...
Gotta go...we're late, as usual!!!!!

4 months...

That's how long it's been since blogging...I've heard that there have been those who have been checking...and Surprise....here is a new post....Well, it's been a whirlwind 4 months...when I last posted, David had just had his surgery...he probably had his cathetar pulled on that very day...So August and September had us VERY concerned with Joshua's health and we ended up taking him to Children's Hospital on September 13th...We had been trying to get him healthy in more natural methods, but as he was not putting on weight and slowly losing, we just got to the place where we could not have him one more pound down. We stayed in the hospital for 6 days and had MANY tests done...and were given the diagnosis of basically Juvenile Arthritis...so he has a mixture of meds that is helping him to feel better and EAT MORE...in the six weeks since we have been out of the hospital, he has gained 27 pounds and we are thrilled...pretty soon we are going to have to make good on a promise...when he reaches 100 pounds, we told him he could have a cell phone...I am on the quest for how to fill up teenagers and when I figure it out, I will probably write a book...
Speaking of books...ever the book lover...I am reading a couple of good ones right now...
Do Hard Things...a great book to motivate your teens (maybe even tweens) to rebel against low expectations...
I just finished a book about Princess Grace that was interesting...didn't really know anything about her, Rainier or Monacco before...or her death...
I'm also reading John Adams by David McCullough...I enjoyed 1776, so I am looking forward to this...the trouble is that I am reading it before bed, so I only get a page or two done night...even that will get me through it eventually...after that, I have another McCullough book on Harry Truman...I am looking forward to reading that because he was not considered a good President until many years after his term...interested in learning more about his life...
I have been collecting books for our history year...Fall of Rome through American/French Revolutions
So enough about books...the holidays are upon us and we are in the middle of planning our gift giving...we will be making A LOT of what we are giving and are gathering supplies and ideas. I think we will be making our first things early next week. Any great ideas you would all like to share? I'm not going to share much here...just in case anyone is peeking. We have hockey tournaments Thanksgiving Weekend and Christmas weekend beginning with the day after, so we will need to be organized, which is laughable if you know us well!!!
We are frantically sanding some 1 x 4 pieces of wood for a craft bazaar this weekend at church...I felt kind of bad not getting very much done, so I had an idea to make these nativity sets, which we are making for Christmas, but I am leaving these ones unpainted...so people can paint them how they like...anyway...the sanding is going SOOOOOO SLOOOOOOWWWWWW...what I wouldn't give for an electric sander right now...if I didn't always get these last minute ideas, I'd be doing good...Just call me last minute Larry...
Well, I need to go...gotta get busy getting children doing what they need to do...
Talk to you soon!
Carrie

Monday or Tuesday

I posted this on a message board, but wanted to share it here too...because it really shows how scary I can be...so here is Monday's post on Tuesday...

Well we have had a crazy weekend and are starting the week off kinda crazy too!

All last week was spent preparing for a yard sale and I will just say this...in 12 hours we made this amount...then we list two things on craigslist and within twelve hours sold two bigger items and made more than double what we made during the two day garage sale....hmmm...maybe that should tell me something!
So we still have a few big items that I will gradually be listing on Craigslist, then I will make some goodwill trips, then HOPEFULLY, we will have an EMPTY GARAGE...oh that will be the day~!So in between all of this, on Thursday I went to a play and got to see only half of it because DAVID had had ENOUGH!
Friday was a co-op meeting and garage sale
Saturday was Garage Sale and women's night...
Sunday-Church...then I wanted to crash, but my house is a pit, so we worked on that a little....
Today, school, skating lessons, trip to the ortho because Joshua is out of rubber bands...AND we have to be there next week....and a homeschool meeting tonight

I wanted to tell you all about the women's night we had a church...it was alot of fun...they called it the Parade of Aprons...you were supposed to bring an appetizer and the recipe for it...they had some cooking type conversation starters...like what was the worst thing you ever made, etc...then a friend and I each did a make and take recipe card...they turned out cool...so we had about 12 ladies making these cards...they had some little prizes...it was fun...

Anyway, I got there a little early, because I live life on the edge and had no idea what on earth I was going to do for my make and take...so I was grabbing the paper cutter from the copy room and misjudged the door opening...clonked the cutter into the door and the cutter jabbed me in the eye...it hurt SO bad...I was laughing ( because I couldn't believe I was so stupid) and crying because it hurt so bad...I put my hand up to it and then looked at my hand...there was blood all over... so I went to the bathroom to clean up..and it is this LITTLE NICK OF A THING....bled like I had a GASH and needed stitches...I couldn't believe it. SO it swelled up and I had this mini goose egg of a thing on my eye....today it is turning purple...it's not real big...it just hurts like it is...so if you see me, you can rest assured that I should not be trusted with particular things and that nothing with a spectacular story happened....and you can laugh with me....just don't let me catch you doing it...it really did hurt!

Well, because I do that kind of stupid stuff all the time....both physically and spiritually, I am really GLAD that God's mercies are NEW every morning....clean slate...and we can do it again and by God's grace it will be better, because we will have learned a lesson from our Father God and we are walking with the indwelling Spirit guiding us into all truth...If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It doesn't have to be a Manic Monday~!
Recipe cards...My friend made the top one...I made the bottom one...

Front...

Back...

C~