Winter Break Wonderments

We took 2 weeks off of school for our winter break this year.  Usually I am indifferent of any break or vacation because I still have the same amount of work to do if not more from extra activities.  I'm not complaining that's just part of being a homemaker/mother/wife.  Well this time I was really looking forward to the break.  I told the children maybe this means I'm getting older and am wanting to slow down more. Hopefully not-I dont have time to slow down yet.  : )

Here are some highlights of our winter break:

1.  We bought a winter, porcelean village set and this year I did something different.  I put this set down at everyones level instead of up where it can only be seen and not touched.  I wanted the younger ones to be able to play with this set up. David and Peter set it up.  We told everyone the "rules" of how to play with them-be gentle, no clanking them together, etc).  This little village has brought hours of entertainment.



The winter village

Molly can spend half the day playing with them


2.  Peter and I watched the eclipse together.  It was a little cloudy, but still fun.  We also got to see our neighborhood owl swooping around the back field.



Peter watching eclipes

Lunar Eclipes

 

 3.  Finally got around to cooking the only pumpkin from this years garden.  Washington had such an odd spring weather, which in turn made my garden to be a flop!  Hopefully next year will be better.  Amy and I roasted the seeds and made pies with the pumpkin. 



The lone 2010 pumpkin

Yummy pumpkin pies!

 
4.  Ben, who can be quite industrious, hooked up the laptop to the TV so that we all could all enjoy a nice (screen saver) fire in the fireplace.  It's got the sound effects and everything!

Our TV/Fireplace



 5.  We finally are finishing our dinning room!  The biggest wall is now painted.  I thank Ben for this.  If he hadn't taken on filling of holes, sanding, and doing it all so quickly it wouldn't be done yet. 

Molly doing her part of the dinning room project

 6.  Of course on vacation one should have leisure time!



Amy staying up late reading a good book

Board games!



David reading

Playing cards

Kids took pictures of a hungry squirrel-with chicken bone?



Sam & Molly remembering summer days

7. We think of, miss, and pray often for Seth.  God loves him even more than we ever could.  We received a letter from him this New Years Eve Day.  He says he's doing well and will be glad to be home.



Our back yard sunrise

Motherhood Moments

Molly has been sick off and on for the past few days.  She is a lot better but just has an aweful cough.  Last night, as she was coughing away, I was trying to remember all of the things I can do to ease her discomfort: give her tea, water, cough drops, turn on the vaporizer.  I can never remember if the humidifier or the vaporizer is better.  You'd think I would remember after eight children, but I don't.

Well, Molly and I were up on and off until at least 3:30 in the morning.  She was in torment and I was in torment.  As soon as I would doze off she would wake up coughing again.  At one point she was just wide awake so I prayed for her, sang to her, hoping somehow this would help her sleep better and longer.  But it didn't.  Oh well.  I know there are bigger problems.

This morning I woke up wishing I could sleep a lot longer while Molly woke up singing, "It's the best day ever, it's the best day ever............."  Talk about praise being perfected in the mouth of babes.  While I am lamenting about my lack of sleep she is obeying Psalm 149:5  where it says

"Let the saints be joyful in glory;  Let them sing aloud on their beds................"

Dual Initials

David was so happy this morning to realize that he and his dad have the same initials:

"D.O. for David O'Brien and D.O. for Dad O'Brien!"

Molly's Memory Verse

Molly enjoyed learning her memory verse this week.  She learned it in less than a day since I turned it into a song for her. Hmmmmm, I should do this more often  : )

Watch her sing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcTRiFgzCKg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thank you Letha for recording her!

The Traditional Autumn Hike

Kids Autumn Collection 2010

For years, our family has loved hiking, playing in woods, etc. Anything that has to do with outside and exploring. So for the past ten years, we've had a tradition of taking a hike every autumn. Naturally, we call it our, "autumn hike" .  Well, Sunday found us on our annual autumn hike .  Even though it is December, it is still officially autumn.  Usually our hike is done on Thanksgiving Day (or around that time if the weather is bad).  We collected lots of leaves, pine cones, ferns, and other interesting things. The smaller children are always fascinated by all the many different kinds of rocks.  Afterwards, we get a poster board and Steve and the children glue all our treasures on.

This fun, relaxing time puts a new meaning to the words "take a hike."  : )

Sam, David, & Molly

Molly needs a break!

Sam & David