prayer wisdom and what about the weekend?

This past weekend our family went to have a fellowship meal and evening worship dinner with some friends (whose lives intertwine with ours in more ways than one,) and their church family.

The meal  was yummy but I'll probably remember something from the worship time far better.  Speaking was a young man who led us in a study on prayer. To cover everything would be far too long for my limited jotting time but his main point stuck with me.
So often we are so full of our problems or our friends problems and we are asking God for help, forgiveness etc.
We tend to act as if "me" and my spiritual health was the central issue.
Ultimately though, is it not that God in all His glory reign, that He be seen?
When we are focused on that, will other issues not start falling in place as well?
Of course I'm not giving a well-rounded covering of the sermon.
But, Let God be seen is added to my treasure chest of thinking about my Sovereign God, an added wisdom to my prayer life.

What are you doing this weekend?

Lee and I plan to : celebrate 11 years of marriage!
                                Lee and boys go watch some friends in a run
                               
                                me:get ready for our babysitters
                                    maybe go to a relief sale with my cousin

Tonight? Make quiche for our neighbors/friends who had a baby recently.

Happy Friday!
with love,
~pilgrimama

about a kind of graduation

Last night we graduated Squirrelgirl to a-big girl bed! What is our life coming to?
Yep, the bottom bunk of a bunkbed p[assed on from the older Brothers of this here Pilgrimhouse.

Lee and I are happily installed in our lovely perch in a bedroom that is child-free for the first time in about four years!!!!!!!

And, yes, of course I am a little sad.
Once again I am having to admit that my children do not stay little for always!!!

But at least I am helping them develop their wings...

~LOVE,
pilgrimama

happy first day of fall!

It has been such a rainy transition into autumn. I could go for some sun before long but oh well..

The boys and I worked on math and spelling in some fun ways.

We also went to pick up a mattress cover for The New Bed. Jess read signs all over the store! He is pretty much getting to be smooth at it. Sigh.He is getting so grownup.

The boys are doing manstuff with their dad like going to a toolsale.
The girls and I plan to go visit a new baby who recently arrived on a street near us! We're so happy for the new mommy and daddy.

I made some handmade cards using my circle punch and fancy gold pen. We'll deliver one for the baby's family today. Along with some clothes and an I Spy board book (which I remember my little boys enjoying as wee people).

Then we plan to come home and make pancakes for dinner and have our video/movie night. (This is our solution to wanting to watch stuff sometimes but wishing to greatly limit it.)

Happy Friday evening!

~pilgrimam

Track-ly thoughts and other such jibber....

Last night I went to the track after an exhausting evening (the boy energy in this house is awesome. Mmmhmmn.) Lee and I were both supposed to be in a meeting but I could not face that so sent Lee.
Anyhoo,when he came back, I went to the track with Alex and did lots of very fast walking.
I did not run,partly because the children had turned up their noses at my good dinner(ok,maybe a little salty) and I felt compelled to eat some of their leftovers as well as my own late dinner. So I had eaten to recently to be much interested in running...  

I did not feel like going to any kind of track last night. Typically by the time my evening shift of motherhood is done I mostly want to shuffle hunchbacked to bed!

But what happens when I go? I am so happy to have done it. These fall evenings with their refreshing air are a joy to work out in!
Try it friends. I know you think you can't fellowmothers but please give it a shot!
I think you will be surprised!
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It's a rainy,dark and chilly morning but an hour when a Proper Mother would get about her day. But since I am who I am, I am going to spoil myself and crawl back into the new queen sized bed Lee installed in our room and finish some sleeping. I feel a defecit in my sleep bank and it's highly important that Sleep Defecits are not left too long,no?

night....
~pilgrimama
Sweet Tuesday to all!

thoughts on "weaving"

I'm on the quiet 1st floor, with my Squirrel at my side. The shelves are lined with books.
Some of them old,maybe full of older tales. Some of them newer,shiny.
Off to my right a teacher talks to his students. His teacherly voice tells of things like stocks and bonds.
I search for books with large print for my oldest child.
I find thick books with enough story to reach for a while. Yum.
Beyond the books I find other things,things to touch and play with, a box of rock specimens.
This quietness, this abundance of all kinds of materials inspires me. Probably the freedom inspires me too.
I'd love to go to a dream school, where I could read, pop in on classes when it corresponded with my studies,go exploring, assemble a curiosity cabinet........
Probably what I'm really savoring also, is all that quiet  :).

Life's not really like that for me, not like that university library I was sitting in.
It's noisy, with lots of structures to help reign in  the mass of human energy held here in this small space.

But,maybe,maybe there still is/can be a similarity to my dream learning space.

We already do lots of sitting around and learning from people who know, carving,crocheting,music,bicycle repair.
We sit around and read.

Maybe the biggest ingredient I'm missing is the quiet. Heh!

And this year I am being more intentional to quietly track learning trails and compile markers on the trails. Markers that say we were here, we have touched this information, it is being woven into our learning weaving.

I hope I'm raising some happy weavers, interested in these pieces of art they're creating, not some factory drudges putting in their time......

~pilgrimama

happy learning report

I am refreshed this morning. Very thankful for that! Dealing with the weekly laundry and getting it all put away was hard but it's sooo worth it! (well there's a bit left in the dryer but i shall deal with that quickly) Not having to think about laundry every day is huge for me.
Changing over to doing laundry in the beginning of the week has been a fairly recent change but pretty much a habit now and I wouldn't change it! So nice to have Laundry Free days! I figured if Grandma had a laundry day so could I! Well, my version is more than 1 day exactly but still....


The children have started Physical Education classes at a local university. Three of the children that is. I have to work really hard at coordinating it all but I think it's a really good thing for them!

We have finished our first Boxcar Children book for this season and Jess is working on his first Magic Treehouse book as silent reading.

Math = a couple math sheets to ease in. And suddenly the boys know how to skip count by hundreds !  I just asked Jess to skip count by 2's and he's doing it! I needn't have worried!

I bought a kids theater game and we had fun playing yesterday,especially the girls as it was geared for younger children.

Chess club for the boys tomorrow! Our learning is humming a happy tune!

May your learning times be happy today as well!

                                 ~pilgrimama

hello sun!

The sun has been out today for one of the longest times this week,I think! Very nice for laundry drying! Thank-you God!
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I'm thinking how being a mom to growing young ladies and gentleman leaves very little room for slacking-or having one's priorities in the wrong places.

It's intense people! A different type than the up-every-two hours-for-feedings intense, but still.......

God help me.

It's good work.

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Off to shop for our Special Friday night dinner etc.!!!

Happy Friday night!

~pilgrimama

back on track

I am back at the track!
Celebration!

Walking and running give me so much energy and make me energized!

Last night was a great night back after being so busy with wedding stuff and camping and recovering from all of it!


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The children are really working on crocheting-so funny!

We discovered yesterday that the puppet kit the library had us believing was lost is actually alive and well on the circulation rack. A letter letting me know would have been lovely-instead of the last letter which claimed I owed $28. At least the'd taken the charge off our card which was helpful.

I met a new homeschool mom -always interesting to put faces to names.

Alex and I worked on making a little mulched and bordered space for our garbage and recycling containers so they won't get all mud-splashed each time it rains.

And today-Happy Friday!

~pilgrimama

funny or unusual list

Funny or unusual things so far (this week):

It has rained and rained!

The children are sitting around crocheting or some such thing,learned from visiting friends.So funny to see them kicking back with it!

We bought two large, orange watermelons at the co-op. $1.79 per watermelon--woo-hoo!

I am a little behind in my laundry-not funny!

Probably should go do that...


Happy Wednesday!

~pilgrimama

list of fave wedding stuff

Some favorite things about the wedding last Saturday:

• eating farmer's market donuts with the bride before the wedding
• being in bare feet for the wedding,all of us, even the bride. 
• standing (in the outdoor wedding) in the beating down sun and passing each other glasses of water
• the sweet hearts of the bride and groom,a dear brother and sister in Christ
• all the colorful signage
• the gourmet potluck reception meal

And now I think I've mostly processed the wedding part of the weekend!

What's up next??

~pilgrimama

on the other side.....

Two big weddings over for our church family.

Blessing times/showers over.

Helping do all the DIY stuff for weddings done.

Bridesmaid duty done.

Camping with out of town family the night of the second wedding done.(it was crazy great!)

Check. Check! Check.

Here our family and the church family is on the other side.

In our home anyway, I will start to focus on my own family again, in a more intentional way.

Homeschool-I am hoping it will be awesome this year!

I feel like trying to keep the calendar as free from commitments as possible except for the children's engagements.

I want to nurture my relationships with them(children) deeply! I want to nurture my relationship with my husband and with my God.

• I hope to:
•  celebrate the fall season
• take my vitamins
• cook healthfully
• get back to jogging and walking
• homeschool-enjoy learning all around
• bake with Chelsea
• just sit and be with my children!
• go to the chiropractor
• Probably lots more but there's a start!

~pilgrimama

weekend list

Today is prep day.

• 1 Rehearsal dinner tonight.
• 1 rehearsal tonight
• 1 camping trip with out of town guests planned for tomorrow.
• Oh,yeah, be in the wedding tomorrow.
• 2 little girls with hair to wash.
• 1-2 pairs of sandals to buy.
• 1  meal left to cook at home.
• 1 basket of dry laundry left to put away at this point.
• Millions of blessings!

happy weekend!

~pilgrimama

happy September!

Friends,now begins my favorite time of year and I intend to celebrate!

My time is severely limited right now as we are knee deep in helping with/being in a wedding. And then a family camping trip right after!
But soon,soon,soon I plan to be taking full advantage of the season!

I am here with coffee in hand,recovering from the bridal blessing/shower I co-hosted last night.
I am still trying to figure out what's up or down....
The boys have a very energetic young friend over too-which adds an extra element to the whole scene!

I think if I go wash some dishes it may help me wake up,so off I go!

~pilgrimama