The blogger returns

Wow, it never ceases to amaze me how busy life can get! I'm falling quite behind on the blogging front lately... So, for those friends and family that only find out how we're doing from my writing- I'd better get back to work! :) Hmmmm...where to start?!

Well, the kids are doing well. So far we haven't been ill at all- which is very wierd for us. Usually, we're on virus #12 by this point in the season...so this is a huge blessing. Of course, I'm waiting for the shoe to drop.

Homeschooling is going smoothly- I've backed down to about 1.5 hours a day on most days. We do breakfast and chores right after waking up and then start our Bible time, followed by math, phonics/reading, handwriting and learning games. That's about the extent of our schooltime right now; just the basics! My oldest is not as applied as he could be, but I think that's because Mommy isn't making a huge deal about that right now. When I 'push' for him to excel, he always does.

Little one is getting taller, but the poor child refuses to gain weight! :) He eats like a bird (unlike anyone else in this family) and could take or leave mealtimes. He gets excited to be a part of school time and is learning phonics right alongside of older brother. Hoorah!

My photography business is doing quite well. I did my last outdoor shoot for the season last weekend and brrrrrr was it chilly! I think it was in the high 20's with lots of wind and absolutely no sun. I dressed quite poorly- only a shortsleeve shirt and a fleece. Husband was kind enough to loan me his coat and my son gave me his little toboggan- I must have looked the sight! The client booked a two hour time slot (senior pic) and we were all shaking by the end!

With the demand to continue the business through the cold season, I decided to purchase a great deal of indoor equipment; backdrops, lighting, props, etc. I know we are in the holiday season, but I hope it keeps up this busy even after Christmas! I'm enjoying working with the families and making some extra money as well.

Our church plant is going well. We have stayed around 20-40 people on a weekly basis and are enjoying getting to know new families and the tried and true ones even better. As of the new year, we will finally transition into a full fledged Sunday morning service... I think. Part of the joy of starting something yourself is that you get to 'make the rules'. Please keep us in prayer as we reach out to the unsaved in our community.

One of the mothers from our church is going to run with me this Thanksgiving morning for a 4 miler race for a local charity benefit. I'm slightly nervous, because although I renewed my membership at the local gym, I'm only running indoors right now! We're gonna freeze on Turkey day!

So, our Thanksgiving plans include a ham this year. I've never cooked a turkey and I don't plan to start this year. Is that bad? Can you have a real holiday meal without the turkey? I'll let you know how it goes...

A blessed day to all!

Angelena

Smoky Mountain Christmas

Can I tell you how excited I am? We decided, this year, to do something different for our Christmas holiday! Our family (hubby, the boys and me) and my parents- are going to the Smoky Mountains for Christmas week! Our cabin is pictured above...

Instead of gifts, we opted to put our money toward a relaxing week in the Tennessee mountains... enjoying the hot tub, nature walks, quietness of nature and all around togetherness time! Memories! I'm so excited for the memories! Baking cookies, the smell of the pine cabin, reading the Word with the boys on the wrap-around porch, listening to Nat King Cole in the wee hours of the morning, finding our tree out in the middle of the woods and decorating it with popcorn... ahhh!

Can you smell Christmas? I love this time of year! I can't wait to praise the Lord and celebrate His birth in the beauty of his peaceful creation...

Family photos

Well, it's been a while since I've blogged! I can't tell you how busy I am right now with the photo biz, homeschooling and the new church plant! Life is 'crazy-ola'. I'm thinking that I need to re-think my organization skills... there has to be a better way to keep everything in orderly fashion!

My parents came over this evening to get their pics taken for their Christmas cards... they looked so cute and matched so well in their lime green and white trendy sweaters. My boys got some pictures with them (totally not matching G&G, but lookin' cute!). Thought I'd let you all see... Hoping you are doing well! Love reading your comments...

Thank You

The Proverbs Woman Fall Home Show

The director of the senior center and myself after a long fun day!

A little out of focus (had my old point n' shoot camera on me!), but shows some of the tables at the event.

Here is a portion of my table; had a lot of fun decorating it!

My awesome cousin has a home business and she sent some fabulous items to sell! They sold like hotcakes... have some items remaining too! Anybody want to purchase a gift basket?

Another shot of my table before anybody else arrived. I decided to be super early to get it all done; that way I could help others when they got there. Too bad I was locked out... :) Oh well! Someone eventually saw me at the door! Ha!