Happy Homemaker Monday - November 20, 2017

Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
and all the sweet ladies of Happy Homemaking Monday!

Note: This post includes affiliate links.

Good Morning, Sweet Ladies! HAPPY MONDAY! 😊

Well...here it is...the Monday before Thanksgiving! All our weekend plans fell through as I was sick in bed with a stomach bug for over 36 hours...no work Saturday (that's gonna hurt), no church Sunday morning, and no Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends Sunday afternoon. I was so disappointed! 

As of yesterday morning, I had no idea how I was going to rearrange and manage everything, but, as the day wore on, I felt better and better. I ended up making four pumpkin pies yesterday afternoon. The thawed turkey is still in the fridge, but is going into the oven shortly. We have decided to host an impromptu dinner for whosoever is willing and able to come this evening. Someone's got to eat all this food before we head to our daughter's on Wednesday! 😄

As for the rest of the week everything went pretty well according to plan. All of the Terrific Turkey programs are behind me now (two library programs and the last homeschool program of 2017). The programs were a huge hit with the children. They really enjoyed viewing the real, stuffed turkey borrowed from the Missouri Department of Conservation. I will share a few photos later in this post. 🦃

With the help of the grandlittles I managed to get the main tree up in the Van Gogh room Wednesday night, and my husband and I worked on the outside lighting and the rest of the house on Thursday. We had everything done, but the Jesse Tree in the kitchen and the little tree in our bedroom. I  finished those two last night. We try to have everything done before we leave to go to KC each year. That way it's done and we can step right into the Christmas season upon our arrival home. 

The main tree...the big tree with the lighted angel
tree topper...sits in the Van Gogh room. It just
seems to belong with the color and sparkle of it all!

My Mom's Tree
Last year was the first Christmas after Dad's death. I found
Mom's tree in a Christmas barrel in the shed and put it up for the
first time since she's been gone (over 12 years now and after she
passed, my dad wouldn't have a tree up). Our youngest daughter
about lost it the first time she walked in and saw Grandma's Christmas
tree sitting there...just like Grandma used to decorate it. I used Mom's
vintage lights and all of her ornaments...some of them still from when I
was a little girl. I think some of them were my grandma's even! Anyway,
I did the same thing this year. It's a way of keeping Mom and Dad's
memory alive throughout the holidays for all of us.

Just some little Christmassy knick knacks and
things adorn the shelves in the livingroom.

I have little Christmas trees throughout the house. This
little silver one sits in the livingroom. I think I need
to get some fake snow to set those houses on...don't you?

This is the Jesse Tree. It sits in the kitchen where
we spend most of our time...eating, visiting,
reading, and doing our Bible study. Of course, most
of the ornaments for it will be added one at a time
as we go through each night of Advent. 

This little tree adorns the vanity in our bedroom.
I love the way the lights reflect in the mirror.

And, of course, the Nativity. It's my favorite of
all Christmas decorations always. Someday I
want a big, lighted set for the front lawn. 

Well...on with today's post and we'll see how far we get...

The weather...

Right now it's 44 degrees and sunny. From now on through the 10-day forecast the highs promise to be in the 50's and 60's with lows in the 30's and 40's and practically no chance of precipitation. For now that's great! It makes for fair traveling weather and it's easy on the utility bill! 💵

Right now I am...

Having a cup of tea as I work on this post and thinking about the day ahead. I need to get showered and dressed soon, then start checking things off the to-do list for the day. 

On my reading pile...

Still plugging away on these same two. On the next to the last chapter of first one (should have it done by next week), but am deliberately lagging behind on the second. I recently discovered that there is an updated and expanded edition and I just ordered it. As I started in a previous post, A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George is my all-time favorite book ever! I can't wait to see what's new! 💓

How You Can Be Led by the Spirit of God
by Kenneth E. Hagin

A Woman After God's Own Heart
by Elizabeth George

On the menu this week...

- Monday - (delayed Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends here) turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, heavenly corn, cranberry sauce, hot rolls, and pumpkin pie with whipped topping 
- Tuesday - turkey Italian sausages, fried cabbage, and cornbread

- Wednesday - whatever daughter has on her menu in KC

- Thursday - Thanksgiving dinner at daughter and son-in-law's in KC

- Friday - grilled salmon, baked sweet potato, and steamed broccoli

- Saturday - leftovers 
- Sunday - leftovers 

On my to do list....

- Monday - Plan week ahead, make lists, weekly "home blessing" , laundry (actually only need to do a quick spruce up...cleaned and disinfected everything after being sick over the weekend on Sunday, which included doing the laundry and bedding, so that's all pretty much done)

- Tuesday - Return stuffed wild turkey to the Missouri Department of Conservation in Joplin, pack to go to daughter and son-in-law's in KC

- Wednesday - Travel to KC and enjoy time with family there
- Thursday - Enjoy Thanksgiving Day with family in KC and, depending on what's going on and who's up to it, maybe go to the Plaza for the annual lighting ceremony 

- Friday - Travel home from KC, visit with friends in Blue Springs on the way back, unpack
- Saturday - Work
- Sunday - Church

In the craft basket...

Nothing at the moment, but need to be getting some things figured out soon. Family Christmas for us is the 9th of December. It's the only weekend that the whole family can be together and I'm quickly running out of time. Better get to hoppin'! 😲

Looking forward to this week...

Spending time with family and kicking off the Christmas season in Kansas City. 

From the camera...

The stuffed wild turkey from MDC and the library display.
We read SEE HOW THE TURKEY GROWS and A
PROUD AND PERKY TURKEY. What a fun book!!! 🦃

This is a real turkey egg. Our naturalist found it in
an abandoned nest when they were putting in the new
campsites at the park. He watched and waited for a
few days and, when she didn't come back, he took
an egg for us to use for interpretation purposes. 🥚

These two cuties insisted on having their picture
taken with the wild turkey. The children really enjoy
getting to view a real turkey up close and they're
amazed at how big they really are. 🦃

Miss Tay exhibits her beautiful turkey art next to the
wild turkey on display. She's such a cutie and she's super
smart! She literally cracks me up with some of the
stuff that she says! I love this little girl! 💔

Scripture Passage...

Well, Ladies, that's it for this week. I pray that each and every one of you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that the Lord's blessings in your life are many. 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and all the sweet ladies of Happy Homemaking Monday!

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