Merry Christmas! This photo was taken last week at Ed's office Christmas party. I spent many hours last week finishing up the dresses for Ava & Jenna. I started them in a sewing class in September, and finished them the night before the party.

We are a little behind in other areas of Christmas at the Woody house, but finally, we are caught up. Many of you know, the girls and I have spent a lot of time out of town over the past several months. Some of these travels were to help my sister (who is going through an unexpected divorce). The blessing in all this is that we are continually amazed at God's provision in what is a very difficult situation. If you have been praying for her, please continue!

At our house, we finally put up some acceptable decorations outside today. Last weekend (our first one at home since before Thanksgiving), I came down with a cold bug that zapped my energy so nothing happened at home. Now, we at least have a few presents under the tree, but more importantly, we are together and KNOW the real spirit of Christmas does not rest in decorations or the right tree, but in that Christ came into the world to save us. And, saving we need-Saving from our own devices, tendencies and all the world has to offer. I am giving great thanks for my family and friends. Many of whom are facing serious and varying trials. I am tremendously blessed and encouraged by all the friends God has placed in my life.
Here is wishing you all a blessed Christmas knowing that God is working his purposes for those who love Him!

I hardly know what to say it has been SO long since my last post. I have been ON the road a lot, and obviously one of those trips was to Disney World! Our girls are five now, and I can hardly believe it.

We are winding up a 12 week semester with our Classical Conversations homeschool group and will be reviewing for the month of December as we eagerly get ready to celebrate the birth of Christ. The girls have a new endeavor in the apprentice choir of the Columbia Children's Choir. They do love music and to sing.

My sister has really been going through a difficult time, and my heart is really burdened for her. The Lord has given me great comfort through His word in Romans 12:3 " Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." How applicable this is to everyone in every situation!

Well, I know this is short, but my time is short right now. God bless you all!

Tired??

This is actually the third or fourth time I have attempted to make a new post, but each time I have been sidetracked for one reason or another. Ed and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this week. We had a wonderful meal out, and we spent part of that time with some dear friends who were also celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary!

Life seems just plain full. I am feeling tired a lot and struggle to meet my daily goals for what I want to do around the house. I have not been consistently working out since May, and I can certainly tell in my waistline. I just have been unable to wake myself up at o' dark thirty to get any exercise. Well, except for last week one morning, and I was attacked by a dog during my walk. I do have some lovely bruises on my leg to show for it. Ed got me an iphone for our anniversary, and I am really enjoying the ipod feature- so much so that I was cleaning the kitchen listening to the ipod all the while Ed was locked out of the house and could not get my attention even by knocking or ringing the door bell.

I hope to catch up on some rest this week, and if not, I'll just pray and trust that God will meet me each day to accomplish what really needs to be done for His kingdom. I'd love to find someone to exercise, jog or walk with in our area just for some accountability. So, please put that in your prayers for me. Hope everyone has a blessed start to the week.

That's all for now. I'll try to get some new pics up soon.

The Big City

Our big weekend trip was to the big city of Atlanta. We went to see Nathan and Jessica's new (well, he is 6 months old now) baby, Wyatt. Let me just say how sweet it was to hold him. Both Wyatt and Hank are really great kids. I'm a little jealous because I've never seen them fussy. It seemed to me that my children were always fussy when they were young.

We had a wonderful time and great food at Chez Woody Atlanta. Of course, we had to go to the Flying biscuit for breakfast on Saturday. I can only think of one word- YUM. Ava & Jenna had SO much fun jamming in Nathan's basement. It's amazing how much Jenna liked the drums. We made it back home on Saturday evening so we could get to church on Sunday. The girls started cherub choir on Sunday evening, and I think they really liked it.

We did have a surprise upon our return. Our garage had been broken into. The only thing missing- Ed's bike. Guess it was a one man job because my bike is still there. The locksmith is supposed to be here today to fix the garage lock, but he hasn't called yet. That's all for now from the Little House

Where has September Gone?

Okay, wasn't it just September 1st a day or so ago? I know they say time speeds up as you get older but really I am not that old, and time is going by so quickly. So, if you are reading this you must want to know what is going on at our house. We were able to play rescue to a friend in need on Friday when her car broke down. She was never so happy to be friends with a homeschooling family because she dropped us back at home, and we let her have our car for the rest of the day. Saturday, our whole family went to the all local farmers market. I just love that place. Then, as a real treat, I went to see the Julie/Julia project with my friend Kristy. Maybe only the second or third time I have been to the theatre since the girls were born. It is a GREAT movie. I read the book and thought it was only okay, but the movie is four stars. I was totally fascinated by Julia Child's life. After the movie, our neighbors had us over for a cook out. Sunday, we returned the favor and had them over for lunch after church.

On Labor Day, we did a little bit of "school", and then went to the Zollers for some food and fun in the pool. It's midweek now, and I am trying not to be nervous about my new sewing class tonight. I'm not the type that usually gets intimidated, but for some reason, I think I might be. On the bright side, a dear friend, Tara is also in the class. Tara and I worked together for 4 years or so at CENTA. She is one of the friends who inspired me to take up sewing in the first place.

We spend Thursday back at Classical Conversations which again is such an inspiration for me. The girls are also living the material and school. They actually ask to do school a lot. I am taking this as a good sign. We are now on the 4th book in the Little House series- "On the Banks of Plum Creek", and the girls are still calling me Ma sometimes. I'm not so fond of this, but last time I asked Jenna not to call me Ma, she said, "okay, Jeannie".

So we do have fun weekend plans, but I don't want to give anything away. So, you will just have to check back next week.

Our Supper Co-op

Many of you know, I have been in a supper co-op since October of 2005. I can hardly believe it has been neary 4 years worth of great meals, and friendship on top of that. So, it works like this: We are 1 of 4 families. We cook Monday through Thursday. Each family cooks the main dish only one night and delivers that meal to the other families. For example, tonight, we are having Caribbean chicken salad.

A lot of people, when they find out about this immediately think it is a GREAT idea. Others, however, quickly say, "I could never do that". Well, I took a few pics of the meal I made a week or so ago so you could see what it looks like. It was Italian sausage, peppers and cheese grits. I made the grits in the crock pot. I did have to chop a fair amount of onions and peppers, but it was worth it.

Kelly, Kristi, Sarah and I meet once a quarter (or so) to plan all the meals. Yes, we do allow changes- even last minute ones. Not only have we been through many meals together, but we have been through births, deaths, moves and a whole host of other life events. Another plus, the week of your birthday, everyone brings you a meal, and you get the week off! Now, that's what I call a gift. On that note, I better set the table for our meal....

Lots of Fun at Little House

Things have been hopping around here. This past weekend, Clay and his 5 wonderful children came to visit while Brooke was enjoying her Mommy-cation. Ava & Jenna had SO much fun with all their relatives. I posted a pic of the BIG girls playing beach on the driveway. It is such a blessing to have them all so close in age.

We started homeschool this week. We have completed three days, and Ed said something about only 12 more years to go. Seriously, it is a lot of fun. The girls are enjoying it and so am I. Ava keeps asking if we can "do more school". To sum it up, so far so good. I really enjoyed our meet and greet with Classical Conversations (CC) last week. We will meet every Thursday morning. This is such a great thing for me- to have all that encouragement from other homeschooling moms. And, A & J's little class is so sweet.

Sometime a week or so ago, I did take the time to do some embroidery. I am learning to merge stitch files with other files and to stack embroidery objects. I hope to get back to sewing soon. Maybe, I need to go cut out my next project now.

Oh, how could I forget. Today is the 12 year anniversary of our first date. We do have a babysitter coming and dinner plans to celebrate. My how time flies, especially when you are having fun.

Something in the Coffee??

Many of you know I grew up in very rural Kentucky. I remember desperately wanting a mailbox so a mailman could deliver our mail or even just neighbors. My plan was to leave my hometown upon high school graduation and well, honestly, never move back. And, I didn't

Now, before you think it was all bad, there are somethings about living in the country that made my childhood incredibly rich. On the other hand, the city has some things to offer that just can't be had in the country. I am not what most people would call a "country girl", but I do find myself thinking lately of how nice it could be to be slightly more rural (let me define this by saying I mean 30 minutes travel time to a nice city). Before one gets too carried away, let's just take this country living thing in stages. So, this has me thinking -is it because I have taken up sewing and will be homeschooling that I am having these earthy desires? Yikes, I did read that knitting book, too.

Okay, maybe Ed has been putting something in the coffee. That must be it, right??

Food, Inc.

I went to see Food, Inc. last night. It was very thought provoking on how the food we eat in this country is controlled by a few powerful companies, politics, and of course, greed. Last year, Ed and I read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, and we both loved it. The message from both is really the same. We, as a country, have turned a blind eye regarding where our food and how it gets to our table. I would highly recommend seeing the film and/or reading the book above. Food, Inc. will be out on DVD in October. Now, Barbara and I don't agree on religious views, but otherwise, you will find her book a great read. I think we will get back to buying more things locally. Off to the farmer's market at the zoo after Little Gym today.

Life Can Be A Rollercoaster

Since my last post, our lives have been very busy and at times, quite stressful. I feel like I am barely keeping up with the things that need to be done and making even less progress with things I want to do. But, I am encouraged by God's word to us in 1Peter 5:7- Casting all your care upon Him: for He careth for you.

So during those times of discouragement, I take great comfort in God's care for me and my family. On a lighter side, I have in the past month read two great books. One titled "The Help" which is probably the best piece of fiction I have read in a long time. Secondly, one of the funniest books I have ever read "Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter". I was laughing so hard in the hospital waiting room that I was holding back tears (for fear it would disturb the other folks in the waiting room). Now, I know what you are thinking, and I really don't think you have to be a knitter to enjoy this book. I have knitted exactly 3 things in my entire life: a hot pad for my mother when I was probably 8, and 2 scarfs while I was pregnant. If you even think you'd like to knit, I would recommend this book as a funny introduction to where you may be headed. I am trying to resist getting the second in the series something about Free Range knitting. That's all for now. Sorry so brief, but the duties of life are calling.

Sew little time..so much to sew

Some of you know, I have developed a fondness bordering on addiction with sewing projects. I get lots of questions about what I am working on so here are the latest. The apron is mine. I saw a similiar one in Southern Living a few months back. I clipped it, and decided to try making it- no pattern or directions just me working at it until I got it worked out. The jumper is the beginning of Ava & Jenna's fall wardrobe. An A-Line reversible jumper with a monogram on one side and the silly monkey on the reverse. It was super fun to see it come together. That's all for now.

Mama Said There'll Be Days Like This

I wrote this as the first in a series of "A Day in the Life" pieces for the Greater Columbia Area Mothers of Twins Club monthly newsletters. It just seemed like a good place to start the blog, and it was already written (an added bonus).

Our days as mothers probably bear more similarities than differences. We love our children. And, we frequently find our love being made visible in the work we do for them. We worry are they eating healthy? We plan activities for them and hope they are not watching too much TV. Most days we cook, clean, clothe (in one form or another), train and teach them. This is an awesome responsibility.

Even though the work we do for our children is frequently the same from day to day, each day is different no matter how alike our tasks may seem. For this, I am glad. Life with children guarantees one will never experience boredom.

This day began like most any other. By 6:30am both girls were cuddling in bed with me. My husband, Ed had made the coffee and was walking our dog. Breakfast was my first duty of the day. We were having muffins made in a donut shaped pan because Jenna “doesn’t like muffins” and bacon- which was actually turkey bacon, but we can’t say that because Ava doesn’t eat animals. She has not yet figured out that even regular bacon comes from a pig. I will cry when she finally figures this out.

The muffins, I mean, “donuts” stick to the pan. This has never happened before. Ava spills an entire cup of juice, on the just cleaned floor, not once but twice. This is ironic because I had spent the previous day cleaning. I sort of wipe up the mess and carry on with getting ready.

Ava and Jenna have art camp this morning, and I have planned several errands. I drop them off and get going.

I go to:

JoAnn’s- craft supplies- I am planning to have the girls do some beginning needlepoint with large hoops, burlap and blunt tapestry needles. I know they are going to love this.

Sherwin Williams- 2 gallons of paint for what seems like my never ending home improvement.

Educational Wonderland- pick up previously laminated items.

Wal-Mart- Canning supplies- Ava really wants to can something since we read Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.

Library- Pick up books on hold

The morning behind me and all tasks accomplished, I pick up Ava & Jenna. Once we are home, I get them settled for rest time. They listen to Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingles Wilder. I unload the dishwasher, deal with the juice mess from the morning, shuffle and fold some laundry, RSVP to a birthday party, make a hotel reservation, and run the vacuum downstairs where there is a surprise awaiting me under the ottoman. Yes, I found a spot where our dog had crawled under the ottoman and regurgitated something on the living room rug. I set to cleaning this up, and Jenna comes down to ask, “Is rest time over?” Then she begins to call out, “My clock says 3:22” and so on. I finally relent and declare rest time over. We decide to make magic popcorn for snack. The Jiffy Pop, I thought, would be amusing for the girls to watch. As the foil pouch expanded, a tear formed around the seal and popcorn began to shoot out the side something like ammunition out of an AK-47. At first, this was funny until some of the kernels caught on fire. I turned off the gas and began to blow the flames to no avail. My second line of defense was trying to swat out the now five to six inch flames with a damp dish cloth. The phone begins ringing. It seems like forever before the machine picks up. I finally conclude I must dump baking soda on the flames AND my previously cleaned stove top. Thankfully, this snuffs out the fire. The aftermath, however, was stinky and required the use of a shop vac.

We were able to eat the popcorn that stayed in the foil, and while I was cleaning up, we were able to discuss and later practice what we would have done if I had been unable to put out the fire. This was a teachable moment that I could never have planned. The fire also generated quite a lot of excitement from the girls around the time Ed came home. They loved telling Daddy about the fire.

Later, we do get out the cross stitch supplies. They do love it, and Jenna says she is stitching a burning down house. After we say our prayers and get ready for bed, they want to know if we can make magic popcorn again. I am still thinking about that.