I’m hoping the momentum will carry on through the new year!  I’m very content right now and though there are some new skills I’d like to learn and a few new habits I’d like to make, I’m not looking to make any huge changes this year.  I want to continue to be happy and content with what I have and not look forward at the uncertain future or look back at what cannot be changed.

Happy 2012.

The week before Thanksgiving Sal finally found a job.  It’s only seasonal but it’s been a blessing.  He has also found a part-time job starting on January 1st.  He will be working as a gate attendant at one of the country clubs in the area.  It’s a night job so he will still be able to continue going to school during the day.   We’re hoping he can stay on at his seasonal job as a part-time employee,too, and then we should be ok.

We’re adjusting to not having him home often now.  I miss having him here at bedtime but I’m sure glad to see him when I wake up.  Facing putting the kids to bed alone is sometimes a bit overwhelming, too, but we’re hitting a pretty good routine now.

The house is decorated for Christmas now and Mesa spent the afternoon baking chocolate peppermint cookies.  I’m almost done with our shopping but I still have quite a few things to make.  I’ve been in a rut and I’m so glad that I feel like I’ve snapped out of it!

I hope that I’ll be back to share more in my space.

My amazing husband.  My sweet, crazy kids.  My sister and her husband and my niece.  My parents.  My cousin and his family.

I am so blessed to have almost all of my family nearby.  Tonight when my sister picked Onee up, I invited her back for dinner and she was able to come and enjoy lasagna with us.  I love having her just a few blocks, 8 to be exact, away.

I was able to stop by parents on the way home from Olivia’s dental appointment and visit my dad and my mom stopped by yesterday afternoon just to say hello and see the kids.  I love that we are able to just stop in and say hello!  I remember how close I was to my maternal grandparents and I am so glad that my kids have that chance, too.

I’m very thankful for friends.  I personally don’t have many at all any, but I’m so thankful that my children all have one or two good friends.  I love when they come over in the afternoons and I can hear them giggling and making up games or when I hear Olivia talking on Skype to her friend in Pennsylvania as though she were right there in her room hanging out with her.

Friendship is so important.  I’m glad that I am married to my best friend.

I am thankful for clean water to drink, cook, bathe, and clean with.  As I start the month with no soda, I was very grateful for clean, cool water every time I had a glass today.  Not to mention the 4 loads of laundry I was able to wash today.

I’m tired.  I’m tired of running the kids places and having them come home and act like completely different children.   Lately that issue has become serious.  O12 has a friend that really brings out the worst in her and we’ve had to sever the ties.  Even talking on the phone with this friend would change her entire demeanor.  Since we cut off their communication I’ve noticed that she’s more loving with us and more open and communicative.  I know that we made the right decision.

The hardest thing for me is wondering if those kind of decisions are right.  I’m working really hard on not second guessing- especially when we really feel the Lord’s calling.  I’m such a worrier and I really like happy.  Happy kids, happy husband, happy family- those make me happy. 

Help me learn to say no!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

* 4 Eggs
* 1-½ cups Sugar
* 1 cup Coconut Oil
* 1-¾ cup Pureed Pumpkin
* 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
* 1 cup Whole What Flour
* 1 teaspoon Salt
* 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
* 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
* 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
* 2 teapoons Nutmeg
* 1 package Cream Cheese (8 Oz.)
* ⅓ cups Sugar
* 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (optional)

Makes 18-24 muffins. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or put paper liners in 24 muffin wells.

Cream together the cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly with a stand mixer on medium speed (you could also do this with a hand mixer or by hand). Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, the oil, and the pumpkin puree. Beat well on medium speed (1-2 minutes). Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, and blend well.

To assemble the muffins, fill muffin tins halfway with the batter. Add a dollop of the cream cheese filling (about a teaspoon) and top with remaining batter. Sprinkle brown sugar lightly over top of muffins.

Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and muffins are springy to the touch.

I found this recipe originally at Tasty Kitchen, but I made some modifications. It still has a lot more sugar than I would like but I didn’t want to experiment too much when I was having guests over. 

In the not so distant past, I would have lost it at that point.  But I didn’t.  I calmly and firmly told them that there would be no television or video games this morning.   It was like a light bulb went off over their heads and they stopped arguing with me.  They didn’t stop arguing with each other right away, but that ended fairly quickly as well.

After that point we really had a productive day.  The girls finished their math lessons and read.  L7 read for me in the back room and did some work with the math manipulatives.  The baby went down for her nap on time and slept for 2 hours, too! 

I was able to keep up with day 2 of the Get Dressed Challenge.  I’m not dressed super nicely- I have jeans on, but I’m wearing a nice top and did my hair again.  The kids kept asking where we were going this morning because I was dressed “up”. 

I feel better already- more accomplished.  I’m hoping that it will give me the motivation to get the kids up and dressed quicker than usual- especially O12.  I end up having to remind her so many times to get dressed that I’m angry and yelling before she finally does it.

Now I’m off to make apple cinnamon muffins for our play date this afternoon!

Sweet M10 has been doing a lot of baking and she made dinner all by herself the other night.  O12 is not as interested in anything.  She’s my tough one.  The other day we were on Pinterest and looking at fall/winter crafts and found these beautiful garlands.  We found out that they were made by finger knitting so we sat down and taught ourselves via YouTube last night.  It’s such a wonderful thing to do.  We have about 4 feet of red garland already done!  We can easily do it when we’re sitting together in the evening and even L7 wants to get in on the action.

I realize what a time sucker media has been in our lives.  I really don’t mind a movie here or there, but the tv is full of senseless cr*p and there are so many worthless things online as well.  But it’s been hard to find things for the kids to do instead.  We’ve been playing a lot of board games, doing arts and crafts, and reading.  I know it’s going to take some time though.  It’s taking me time, too.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13