The Vow

To do list for tomorrow( the 16th)

- clean kitchen

- pick up rest of house

- girls room needs to be picked up

- clean bathroom

- laundry

work on my room

- bake cookies

- shoping list and go to store

Devin Birthday!!!!!! ( Prescott Trip)

we had such a blessed time. we were able to spend a day and a half with my parents even had a little girl time with Nana on Friday. it was so nice. I am just so grateful for the time we got to spend there. we were also able to get the van here to Tucson and the Yukon to Kingman so that was a blessing. we did get to see Miss Roslyn for her bday but she was recovering from her trip and not feeling real good when she got back so it was more of a drive by visit but we were able to give her, her gift and I hope she enjoys it.  Next visit we will try to do a Full Girl's day with Rachel and Roslyn since we didn't get to do much a visit this time.

But even if we didn't get to spend alot of time with The Hall family we did get to spend some quality time with Grandma and Charlie and that was nice. and since we never know if we are going to be in Prescott at the same time it is nice to get to spend a few hours with them.  the highlight of the trip  for us  was Devin's birthday party though. It is so special to be at his party. I am just so amazed how much he has grown and how utterly cute that little boy is. he had such a wonderful birthday and we so enjoyed being there but why talk about it a picture is worth a thousand words right so here are some pics of the party.

 
 
 
 
  
 

Day 1 of Chanukkah.

Day 2: the story of Hanukkah.

Lesson plan:

talk about the story of Hanukkah

ask kids questions about what would they do if they were Judah Maccabees.

Song of the day: I am antiocus and the march of the Maccabees.

what did we learn? well the girls did really good on what they would do and honestly they were almost witnessing to me about GOD while they were explaining to me what they would do and why they would follow GOD. there Daddy would have been so proud of there answers they were very good. and more in depth then what I would have thought. Katie had to answer what the abomination of Decoration was. Tyna had to tell the story of the Maccabees and then write what the difference between the true miracles were verse the traditional story of the oil.

Just in case you want to know the story there is a wonderful free download  of the story from a messianic point of view on first fruits of Zion

our Judah Maccabees. Katie made the sign.

she is so excited she finally got in the right place this is try 3.

reading my dog is jewish to me.

My 3 antiocuses. they are mean looking huh?
 
 
 

Chanukkah Shamash Candle

Happy Hanukkah everyone.

we are so excited this year. obviously we are not able to do the traditions for the day before Hanukkah. but we are so excited to share with everyone our love of this FUN tradition of celebrating the festival of lights.

Lesson plan:

Read my dog is jewish and talk about all of the holiday

talk about Hanukkah.

Song of the day: Hallelujah

what did we learn? well we talked about what we do for Hanukkah and how we get ready for Hanukkah. we also talked about the songs that we sing. tyna and Kat wrote out 2 of the most famous songs Driedal and Oh hanukkah. jackie drew a picture of how we get ready for Hanukkah.abby did the front of the lap book and a graphic inside the sham ash candle.

just a quick lesson of what the sham ash candle is: On every Hanukkah Menorah or Hanukkah  there are nine branches. Eight for the eight nights of Hanukkah, and the ninth branch holds the Sham ash candle. The sham ash candle is the first candle lit, It is used to light all the other candles. The word Sham ash literally means "the servant."

 

I really live in a ZOO!!!

that was too cute not to share. this is a normal thing for my house.

Happy Birthday to all of you born today. for our family it is one of the most importan days, Cause we have 4 birthdays today. Happy birthday to Molly, Allyssa, Roslyn and Devin we love you!!!!!

art day.....

Some days you just need to let it out. say what needs to be said even if it is just to let it all out in art. so today that is what we did. the girls and I did art!!! so let me share are art

 

THe Brit Milah:

(Gen 17:10)

"This is My covenant which you guard between Me and you, and your seed after you: Every male child among you is to be circumcised.

(Gen 17:11)

"And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall become a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

(Gen 17:12)

"And a son of eight days is circumcised by you, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with silver from any foreigner who is not of your seed.

(Gen 17:13)

"He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your silver, has to be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant.

(Gen 17:14)

"And an uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, his life shall be cut off from his people – he has broken My covenant."

Brit milah, which means "covenant of circumcision," 

that is where we were today. it was a interesting ceremony having never been to one. I felt more sorry for the parents then Zebadiah, he seemed to be pretty good about it but they were a wreck.  No I didn't take pics of the cutting I really didn't think that was a picture perfect moment. but the service was nice and I did get some pics of the service

 
 
  
 

Let me tell you what's a happening!!

I am going to get really busy starting tomorrow so I probably wont be posting much this week but I will post tomorrow night and that should be it for me until chanukkah starts.   Tomorrow we will be going to our first Brit Millah ( Circumcision) this will be a most interesting thing for us since we have never ben to one.

God has blessed us with a gift the ability to get to go to prescott ( thank you)  this weekend. I am so happy and we will get to stay hopefully an extra day so that we can get to see miss Roslyn. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. but due to us going we are going to have to do 3 of our Chanukkah lessons early ( this week)  which is fine but it makes for a busier week than what I was planning.  I am going to post ( or that is the plan) every day of chanukkah so that you can share with us what we are doing and there will be a video each day as well. so please check it out cause the girls will be working really hard on all this.

now to the lists  I have things that have to be done so here are the list of what I know has to be done so far...... ( the list might get larger as the day gets closer.)

Sundays list

• showers
• get ready for Brit millah
• take invites!!!

Monday's list

• Lapbook
• video songs
• clean house
• refrigerator and board
• menu
• go to store ( that night when joe gets home)
• Laundry
• write blog post ( to be posted on 11th.)
• make phone calls.
• painting.
• sweep and mop house
• Laundry

Tuesday:

• Lapbook
• video songs
• write blog pos
• reg school work
• Landry
• t ( post on 12th)
• sweep and mop

Wednesday:

Cheri and girls are coming over to play

• Lapbook
•  pull out clothes for prescott and pack
• video song
• write post( post on 13th)
• reg school work 
• Pack car as much as possible
• office clean up
• Laundry

Thursday:

• last min. packing
• reg school work
• make dinner on the go
• sweep and mop.
• make sure all laundry is DONE

Packing check list

• clothes for girls for 3 days and 3 nights
• small movie case
• 1 toy each
• blanket and pillow ( washed)
• coat for each
• clothes for Joe and I
• coat for joe and me
• Pillow for me
• bible
• Ipods
• chargers for phones and Ipods
• camera
• make up case
• girls overnight case.
• presents for Devin and Roslyn.

In the cooler

• Dinner for Thursday
• drinks
• chips
• snacks
• lunch for sunday

Friday: MOM's day

we will be at mom's for dinner we might go drive around prescott friday before lunch.

 Saturday: Devin's day

we will be going to the party in chino that afternoon

Sunday: Roslyn's day

we hope to see Roslyn that morning and be on our way before lunch so we can get home in time for Joe to get ready for Court.

A time to miss home.

It  seems that the time of year is upon me, the time of year when I long for home. long to be in my moms kitchen or having coffee at star bucks with my friends. I don't know why but right when december hits this feeling hits. I am trying so hard to get back home for Devin's birthday but I don't think we can make it and I so badly wanted to be there.  I feel like we miss out so much on seeing Devin and Roslyn and My cousin Laura's little girls and all of them have a birthday coming up on the ninth and I am going to miss another birthday.  I was there to see Alyssa after she was born and she was just the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, until Christyna came along 3 years later and now she is turning 12 and that just means I missed her birthday AGAIN and Bella's birthday again.  And please don't get me started on how much I miss with Roslyn. I have never got to be there like I have wanted to do, I have not made one birthday for her.  and even if we magical make it this year Roslyn wont be there she will be in california and I will not even get to spend time to see her. and I miss her and Rachel, I know it is silly since I make an effort every time we are there to have lunch with her and try to see everyone as much as possible but it never seems enough. and I just always feel the weight of that around this time. the worse thing for me is this year is that we will miss Devin's first birthday. my very first nephew and we can't be there.  I feel like the worlds worst aunt to both of them. I am only aunt to 2 kids and they share a birthday and I can't be there.   I just wanted to do this, this year if I made it to this one it wouldn't be so bad that I didn't make it every other time.  anyways that is how it is.  I am sad. I miss my family. I miss time with my "sister" I miss it all. I look around and the holidays are coming and it should be snowing and it isn't here, and I just miss them all. I miss seeing everyone. I just wish we were in a place where we could see everyone more or at least be somewhere where we felt more at home.  Katie said to me yesterday " mommy when we move will be home?"  I wanted to cry. I have not done my job making this home. even in the apt we had a home. So for all who are praying and if you aren't please do pray for us. we need to move to  a HOME. and in the mean time while we wait, we will be  praying  for a safe and wonderful birthday to my niece and my nephew and my Cousin  on there very special birthdays.

Getting ready for Chanukkah....

the time is coming up very fast. chanukkah is right around the corner. so the question arises how am I going to make this chanukkah different and special? well this year we were able to get some new decorations which the girls were more than thrilled about. I was able to get a felt chanukkiah banner that you add the candles to. I have always wanted one and thought about making one for the girls since they are not cheap but this year I found one for just under $10. the girls can add a candle to it every day and the best part is, it will become a tradition for our family and a wonderful memory for us. We took this weekend to start our tradition of putting away the fall decorations and moving in to the winter decorations. we also decorated the living room and especially the window of the living room with the chanukkiahs.  
I also got some snowflakes to decorate the house with.  the girls enjoyed decorating the house and we made a full day of it. it was a wonderful day. I am excited and so our the girls to get the house ready for this time of year and getting ready for the blessing that Chanukkah brings.  Even thought Chanukkah is not one of the 7 feast that  



are talked about in the old testament I find the tradition of celebrating this holiday a joy and an enriching experience for my family. this will make our 4th chanukkah and each year I find out new things about it. This year I  am using a book that we have had since our 2nd chanukkah as a guide for a teaching the kids about channukah  each day. As most of you know we don't do school on the holidays but this is not a commanded feast but a good lesson so I am going to be making a lapbook with the girls for channukkah. each day having each kid having an assignment to do for the lapbook, then we will either have a cooking lesson, a movie or a book about chanukkah to read. we will also be reading the lesson provided by FFOZ. This is only the second  lapbook I have designed and I am just praying that this goes as well as I have planned. I will be posting pics of the progress cause I am thinking if it goes well I might sell my lessons. we will see though. I want to know how well it works. speaking of Lapbooks as promised here is a photo of the Thanksgivng lapbook.