Holiday Magic- Nov. 21

Seeing the animated bears play in Richland Fashion Mall, next to Barnes and Noble

Playing at Edventure...trying to get all the value of our living social annual membership that I can. We really like their library, puppet theater, and dress-up theater at the base of Eddie.

Grafted into the Wilhoit family...comes naturally

Jr. bakers made yummy pumpkin spice cake pops, challah, and pumpkin waffles. I worked on sweet potatoes and A ventured into the woods to hunt down a ferocious beast. (Thank goodness for Butterball!)

 

School Adventures

 

It just so happens that we were able to visit all four of our classrooms and participate in learning with our siblings and future classmates.

On Friday, I was able to teach a class for Brennan's third grade class on Gullah culture.

Monday, we joined up with Mary Jayne's first grade class for their fabulous fall festival to learn about economics.

 

It just so happened that fifth grade had a guest speaker teaching on composting so we were able to sit in and participate in those experiments too and Natalia was able to meet some smiling faces.

I see the value in these first two quarters of learning at home, but am very thankful that our kids will be able to join their classes at our school in January when everyone returns from the break.

Making soil with worms...we're squeamish, so we'll continue to buy our compost that someone else harvested commercially.

We learned that "life is sticky". The biotic glue from organic material holds the forest soil together while the plowed up garden soil disintegrates in the water.

Today, we went to middle school for Laurel's Greek monologue. We have been listening to the Percy Jackson series so we felt right at home with all the laurel wreathes and kids in togas.

Penelope, faithful wife of Odysseus

 

Then we celebrated being homeschoolers by spending the rest of the day at Edventure with more farm to store to table economics, snowville, and lots of books at the library, with a few Pilgrim and Thanksgiving books thrown in during the carpool lines.

Now we're all ready for the break!

 

Manna

The thing about manna is that you could only get what you needed for that day...or it would get full of maggots and smell. (Exodus 16:20).

I feel a little bit like the Israelites, making daily food runs to the store as we plow through gallons of milk and bunches of bananas evaporate before my very eyes... Or cleaning out the leftovers that got forgotten and are now growing mold cultures in the back of the fridge. Hey kids! Look at this science experiment. (Everything has to count in our homeschool experience.)

On a spiritual level, I see how God kept His people looking to Him, and not allowing them to rely on themselves and their bountiful supply or organizational skills.

In our transition to being a family of seven, I have run out of patience pretty much every day. It's humbling to SCREAM at your kids, "Be nice to one another. Stop fighting!" Where is that woman who could conduct classrooms of 104 students? Why do a mere five send me into orbit most days? Throw some hormones on top of frustration to my family ideals and you better watch out. Mama is NOT happy.

Humility, dependence. A fresh sense of my need for God. I am not as patient and kind as I imagined myself to be. It just took the blessing of this challenge to show me who I really am, and more importantly, who God really is....quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. (James 1:19b).

I am thankful that He is working to make me more like Himself.

 

Carried

 

Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Psalm 28:9

In the midst of rehearsals for the Singing Christmas Tree, events at the kids schools, homeschool planning, wondering what is for dinner, and trying to keep the messiness of seven people at bay, I rest in a verse like this.

David called out to God, "Unless You reach down and save me, I will go down to the pit." (v.1) This is not exactly a season of joy and ease, but it is good. I am coming to understand David's dependence on God in various circumstances. He was sometimes confident and joyful, doing a jig in the streets in his undergarments. Sometimes on the verge of depression. David's strength was not his own, but in calling out to God, "Carry me!" He was a shepherd. He knew what it was like to carry sheep and lead people, but he also needed to be carried himself from time to time.



(Google images)

God is FOR me, not against us. Romans 8:31

This weekend we were able to enjoy a drive-in movie and a marionette show with our kids and steal away on a date with friends. We had moments when no one was fighting and all sat down to family dinner. Moments when I remember that our season of craziness is good and that God is keeping us going.

Thankful for work, and food, and the company of friends

 

Gratitude

Cleaning the grime off pennies with vinegar and salt. Studying chemical reactions and chemical changes. I would like a little vinegar and salt bath to wash the grime off my heart some days!

We enjoyed celebrating the upcoming wedding of friends. These ornaments served as a guest book and contained a memory, prayer, or piece of marital advice for the new couple.

We were thankful to clear out the school books and fill the counters with snacks for an evening. We were thankful for three grandparents who took care of our kids so that we could have an adult evening. It takes a village to throw a party.

 

 

Autumn Glory

Holy, holy, holy

Is The Lord God Almighty;

The whole earth is full of His glory.

Isaiah 6:3

 

I pass this row of trees in my neighborhood many times a day as I drive to and from carpool. Each time I round the curve I pause to look up and drink in the beauty around me. Inside, where I am giving spankings, taking away dollars, cleaning crumbs, and ordering out push-ups and sit-ups for contrariness, I lose sight of the beauty that is around me if I will only pause to see it.

I pray for transformation....from glory to glory, more and more into His image and less and less of the howling banshee that I really am at the core, left to myself.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

 

Kept

 

 

The Lord bless you and keep you

The Lord make His face shine upon you

And be gracious to you

The Lord turn His face toward you

And give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

We had this verse as the benediction in our wedding. I can sing these words in a little Michael Card song that I remember from my college days. But, just this morning as I read them again, I noticed the word "Keep".

I have understood blessing, and sensing the smile of God on your life. I have basked in His acceptance and favor through Christ. But just now am I learning to understand what it means to be "kept" by God, when life is spinning out of control. Even life full of happy, good things, but more than I can handle.

He is the one who holds it all together, and keeps me from losing it.

This November I am thankful for you, God.

We were just informed of our third travel dates to finalize our adoptions. We will miss my brother's birthday and our two youngest children's birthdays, but accept that it is what it is, and soon, we will be finished with this stage of the long hard process. (We missed our middle daughter's birthday and our anniversary last time, so that seems par for the course.)

Keep us close to you, God, as holiday season approaches, and help me not to drown in the details. I want to walk with you in gratitude, peace, and joy.