This Christmas....

I am writing this post from my bed...because I have come down with the flu.  A couple of days ago, I started feeling a funny feeling in my throat, and started feeling quite tired.  I was hoping it was just due to exhaustion from all the preparing I had been doing for Christmas, and because I had been tending to sick children all weekend and following, and because of other current matters.  But during the night, the feeling in my throat turned to excruciating pain that kept waking me up, along with the feeling of fever and body aches.  I had come down with the flu.

I spent the whole next day in bed, not feeling like myself, but treating myself with remedies that I thankfully learned over the past few years.  My husband braved sitting next to me, much of the time, keeping me company.  I got one little card from Understanding Heart, and a sweet little note from Trusting, that said, "Dear Mommy I Love you, I hope you feel 100% better."--along with a drawing of him and his mommy.  It is so sweet when your little children remember you even when you are shut up in your room away from them all day.

A yak we saw on one of our recent family walks

I am still in bed today, but feeling so much better.  It is such a beautiful, sunny day and quite warm, and I can hear many birds chirping, and the cows mooing outside.  The children have enjoyed some outside playtime with Daddy today.  Quite a change from all the recent rain we've been having, with mostly dull, gray skies.  The children and Daddy have now gone on a walk to the organic farm, and I wish I could have gone with them.  But the Lord has me here.  How I am reminded in these quieter moments the Lord gives me that I must remember to pray, for there is so much to pray about.  And while I may forget, my Saviour never leaves me and is always with me, ready and waiting to hear from me.

While I am feeling a bit better, I am almost tempted to get up and go do some laundry, for I enjoy doing laundry, and it really needs to be done. But in this big, old house, that would require a lot of walking.  Apparently, no one has reminded Golden that she should help out by doing some laundry, though she has been helping in other ways such as getting meals for the family.

I am staying in bed, except for a few little trips up and down in my room.  I've been going through a few drawers of paperwork and cleaning things out, little by little.  It is amazing how much paper piles up these days and takes up so much of our space and time.  I would be happy to be rid of it all.  I am getting rid of whatever I can, but keeping those keepsakes from the children and necessary items.

My husband has gotten me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers.  There are dark pink roses, lilies, and some other strange but beautiful flowers I am not familiar with.  They are brightening up the room and providing the sweetest scent to cheer me.

I hope you all are doing well and have had a merry Christmas.

It Has Been a While

It has been a while since I've posted.  I need to reply to some dear comments that were left.  There have been so many "goings-on" for the past several months.  I want to take more time to record little snippets of home-life, so I do not forget the wonderful things that go on day-by-day.  I've given little nicknames to some of our children in this post.

The other day, Excellent Virtue, Trusting, Understanding Heart, and Full of Grace were having a tea party with the little puppies with the tea set that Daddy bought them a couple of years ago.  It was truly adorable, and Faithful Understanding took some pictures of them.

I have been so very busy wrapping present after present this year for Christmas.  Last year, my husband did most of the Christmas shopping since I wasn't really able to.  But this year, I asked him for a budget for the children so I could buy them things, and he generously obliged.  I spent many hours looking for good deals to buy things for the children (and for him).  I did this online so I would be able to be at home and not spend many hours driving around to different stores which I am not familiar with. The presents have been coming in the mail, and it almost seems like too much, but I guess perhaps nice to bless them with some things they haven't been able to have for some time now.  I was sure to find and buy them some edifying Christian books, as I loathe just buying "play things" that have no value for eternity.  Filled with Grace and Faithful Understanding have not only been looking for Christmas presents for their "secret" family members in our gift exchange, but they have been busily making and buying presents for everyone in our family, with their own money they received over the year.  They do not have a lot of money, but they have chosen to use it to bless others.  What wonderful children!  I am so blessed to see what the Lord is doing in their lives.

We had quite a bit of company around Thanksgiving time, and also went visiting at some other people's houses.  I felt quite worn out afterwards, as I usually do, but I think the Lord is growing me in the area of hospitality, which I know I need to do.

I have ordered some math visuals and manipulatives for some of our children.  I had thought we could get by without them and only rely on our textbooks, but it seems we need more than that for some areas.  I always look forward to getting new school materials, so I am excited for the new things to come.

We have watched the beautiful autumn leaves come and go, and now the wet, rainy, windy weather visits us more frequently.  We have had to bring out more blankets and have more fires, but each season is a blessing from God.

We are so very blessed by our dear Lord & Saviour, & I hope you may feel so too.