Simple Woman's Daybook--a day late 6/8/2010

FOR TODAY, TUESDAY JUNE 8, 2010...

Outside my window... it is sunny, but I am shaded here in Pete's office by a huge crabapple tree. I never really understood the full value of mature trees till we moved into this house. We now have shade on almost every window of the house, protecting us from the hot Alabama sun. We don't yet have the intolerable summer heat yet, but it's fast approaching!

I am thinking... about Jon and the other soldiers and servicemembers in Afghanistan and Iraq who are now in the "outta sight, outta mind" camp; America has its irons in too many fires, I'm afraid. The health care debacle, the economy, recovering recession, educational failures, and now this huge oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico...our minds are not on the hundred-some-odd-thousand members of the armed forces that are continuing a mission that has been going on for so long that they sometimes forget why they're there. I'm afraid it's making far too many of the younger ones very disheartened and distrusting of our government--my son included. This is a recipe for disaster, I fear.

I am thankful for... God's provision. Yet again, He has provided a job that would protect Pete and in turn, our family, from financial insecurity. Pete turns in his letter of resignation today from the job he's been in since February; the Defense Department contract for that job is teetering on thin foundations, and it scared Pete to know that, for two weeks, he didn't really know if he was going to have a job come the first of June! Besides, he has become soooo bored sitting behind a computer all day doing ONE task over and over. I'm so thankful that he is now able to move on to the job that he's wanted to do for nearly ten years. God is indeed good!

From the learning rooms... Now that Kelsey is an official high school graduate and THAT stress has passed, I can focus more pointedly on the remaining students in our homeschool! While we're not truly "doing school" during the summer months, I am working on reading with Morgan and Jamie--Morgan couldn't really care less about reading, but Jamie is chomping at the bit trying to get her nose in those books! What I'd hoped for has started to materialize in that Morgan is beginning to SEE that Jamie's interest in learning has launched Jamie ahead of Morgan...that doesn't exactly sit well with big sis, so she's now listening far more intently to reading lessons, and as I'd figured, she's picking up on it pretty quick! In the actual "learning room", I'm getting things decorated how I like so it feels more like a "school" room instead of just an all-purpose catch-all room where school stuff is buried in among my scrapbook supplies!

From the kitchen... loaded baked potatoes tonight! I'm even thinking about stopping by Pig 'N Out for some BBQ pork to top them with. This is one of Morgan's favorite meals (aside from tacos, which we're having tomorrow night, complete with homemade flour tortillas--YUM!) and it's one that the rest of us never tire of having.

I am wearing... my jammies, still, as my denim capris tumble dry.

I am creating... a poster-border to go around the top of the walls in the school room, comprised of little mini-posters that I printed off of the internet (I'll have to do some backtracking to find the link; I can't remember for the life of me where I got them from!) that list Godly character traits and Bible verses to go along with them.

I am going... grocery shopping later on today, as well as to the post office to mail off another box for Jon. Silly boy was craving Flaming Hot Cheetos and wasabi peas! I guess it's not hot enough yet in Afghanistan! I also tossed in some Crimson Tide gear (a "flag" for him to drape over his bed and a big ole coffee/travel mug) for him to display proudly in his little corner of the tent to bug his Tennessee Vols fan neighbor!

I am reading... Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson and Christianity or Humanism: Which Will You Choose? by Robert Waggoner. One encouraging, the other challenging and quite frightening. Have you ANY IDEA how greatly secular humanism has invaded the Church? It's shocking, I tell you.

I am hearing... all five little girls playing IN the box of wooden blocks that I dragged out of the schoolroom. Apparently, Shelby really loves knocking down towers of blocks; it's driving her sisters bonkers!

Around the house... we're just in "maintenance" mode now, plus getting some semi-haphazard gardening done here and there. Pete was FINALLY able to mow the grass over the weekend so it no longer looks like a wild African savannah.

One of my favorite things... hearing my older children defend the Gospel and New Testament Christianity. They've both still got their struggles (some WAY bigger than others), but the seeds are there and every now and then, a strong little shoot pokes its head through the mucky sand. It gives me hope that we didn't completely ruin them!

A few plans for the rest of the week... continuing to put the schoolroom together, putting some mulch around my new flower bed (and maybe some sort of border?), and pretty much nothing else other than just "being". It's nice to have this down-time for a little while, even if I am super-busy during the day, I am not swamped with deadlines all over the calendar!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... from our trip to the Botanical Gardens when my parents were here for Kelsey's graduation...the butterfly house is one of our favorite spots, and I just love catching a beautiful monarch (or two!) perched on a flower. God is such an amazing artist!

I'm a day late with my Daybook, but if you want to join in, go visit Peggy's site!