Just Call Me Herenya

I found this on Angry Chicken and since we are HUGE Lord of the rings fans I just had to try it! Turns out my name in Elvish is Herenya which is pronounced Hair-ehn-yah.
Kate is Manwathiel prnounced Mahn-wah-thee-ell.
Duane's name is only listed under a different spelling which means something different than what his name means so I chose his middle name which is Mornenion pronounced More-nehn-ee-on
Elijah is Hirnaeranin pronounced Here-nie-rah-neen
Seth is Cilmeon pronounced Kill-mee-on

Try it out and let me know what your Elvish name is!

Gorgeous Giveaway

The fabulous Dana at Old Red Barn Co. is giving away THREE gorgeous quilts! Can you believe it ! Three! It would be so awesome to win one! Not that I have much luck in that department but one can hope right!

Four Letters, One Important Word

I have been having a really hard time this semester. Trying to balance 3 classes, subbing, family and home is proving to be difficult. Lately as the semester has been winding down and papers are due it has gotten increasingly worse. Not to mention I have been sick for the last two weeks and have not been able to get much done. But last night was bad. Duane was at practice so it was just me and the kids. I had had a sinus headache all day that I was unable to get rid of and it was getting worse by the second. It was bed time and there were toys and games to be picked up, school clothes to get ready and books to read. As I discovered that Seth didn't have any clean uniform pants in his drawer I lost it. My head was pounding and the tears were flowing. I began thinking about the paper I needed to start that night and also everything I needed to get ready for Monday because I was supposed to sub. I called Duane, who was already on his way home, sobbing. I couldn't think, talk, or move without excruciating pain in my head. I woke up this morning feeling groggy, sick, guilty over not subbing and anxious over the paper I still have not started. When I walked into the kitchen I saw this on the fridge. Amidst a myriad of magnets, spelling tests, school projects and drawings, four letters which spelled one very important word.

I think it was there yesterday, spelled out by one of the boys, but I didn't notice it, perhaps that was part of the problem. But it dawned on me that I was forgetting to do one very important thing. Pray. I mean we pray at meals and bedtime but I am forgetting to pray regularly as part of my relationship with God. I plan to leave it up there as long as the kids will allow me. Just as a daily reminder of the wisdom of children and my need for God.

Fun with Pumpkins & the Camera

A couple of weeks ago the kids & I went to a local park for one of their fall festivities. The kids love this park because it has a super fun children's garden that encourages them to explore, imagine & play. They got to paint pumpkins, hide from trolls and play in the garden. Seth decided he wanted to paint his pumpkin orange. He hasn't let that pumpkin out of his sight since. He sleeps with it, plays with it, takes it to school and eats with it sitting by his side on the table.

While the kids were playing here,
I was playing with my camera and discovered a few tricks that I forgot it could do. Cool huh! This first one is my favorite! each pot is a different color but I thought the blue stood out the most.