November Randomness

November 23rd...only 32 days until Christmas...and a week after that is the new year.  Where did this year get to?!

Yesterday we enjoyed spending the day with my family.  We also celebrated my Dad's birthday as well as 2 of my brothers' birthdays (I'm having trouble with what the proper punctuation is for that).  Before going, some of the kids enjoyed watching some of the Macy's Day Parade.

Normally today I would get out my boxes of Christmas decorations and decorate.  But with Thanksgiving falling so early this year, I decided to wait until next weekend.  But this morning I'm feeling a bit nostalgic and second-guessing that decision.  Autumn is working today, though, and she usually helps me so I will wait for a day that she is home.

The kids did minimal school work the week of Haydyn's adoption as I was spending some time doing a bit more thorough cleaning than normal, so today (or at least this morning) we will be doing school work.  I will also be mentally thinking through if there is anything that we need (like jeans or snow pants) that I should be buying this weekend with all of the sales.  This afternoon (and/or Monday afternoon) I will probably do some online shopping.

The sky is getting lighter as I type...it's a beautiful, cold, clear morning just as last night was cold and clear with a full moon.

Time marches on...last year my "word of the moment/year" was "Hope".  I've started thinking about that again.  The word that's been coming to my mind is "Strong".  I've contemplated "Courage" as well, but "Strong" keeps coming to me...as when Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians, "When I am weak, then I am strong"

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I don't delight in all of those things...but I'm working on giving thanks in all circumstances, I'm inspired by the men & women who persevere in their faith under great adversity, I'm convicted of my own shallowness.  And I'm very aware of my weaknesses.  There's a song by Legacy Five from many years ago with the line "Strong in the strength of someone else" (referring to God)...so that's "my" word for the coming months/year (I don't feel bound by a calendar year...I have a "word" until I have a different one).

Happy Thanksgiving!

And Little Man makes 9!

I see that my blog has been quiet...even quieter than normal!

In September 2016, our boys' brother joined our family.  We had thought we were "done" with adding children, but not so!  Friday, he became officially part of our family.  I'm happy to be (once again) finished with the paperwork (well, almost...) and caseworkers visiting our house. 

In other news, we have another licensed driver!

I can't believe it's the holiday season already...and Thanksgiving is next week!

Homeschooling is going better than I expected.  I love the flexibility of working in all of our extra appointments.  We have 3 more weeks of homeschool co-op for this semester and then we have a break until January.

My reading has slowed down a bit.  Today I was reading a little booklet about "Restorative Practices" for schools.