Merry Christmas 2013

 The Kiddos

The nice picture

The "goofy" shot I promised the kids so that I could get a nice picture.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

The BEAST Log Splitter

On Saturday, Dad Bailey brought his fabricated log splitter he designed and built for Tim. The coolest part to this splitter is that a lot of other hands helped out too. Andy, Tim's brother and Perry, the brother-in-law played a large part in this lovely machinery as well.

As some of you know, we have quite a few acres of land. With this land is our lovely house and with this house is an outdoor wood furnace that takes a LOT of wood. Last year we went through nearly 22 cords of wood as it was an exceptionally long winter. This year, we are trying to gather at least 20+ cords of wood....right now we have around 16-17. This "BEAST" will help us out a lot!

Thanks Dad and Mom Bailey & Family for taking real good care of us!

AWANA - Growing to KNOW, LOVE and SERVE the Lord Jesus

This year ALL four of my kids participate in Awana, Wednesday evenings at our church!

 

Hannah - Puggles, Caleb - Cubbies, Ben - Sparks, and
Micah - T&T (Truth and Training)

A highlight in their week!

25 Ways to Communicate Respect

I found this topic/discussion on this blog. Great reminder!

"If you’ll make it your habit to do these things, the next time you tell your husband how much you respect him, he won’t have to wonder if you really mean it."

1. Choose Joy
   It’s true: A happy wife makes a happy life. Please don’t use moodiness as an attempt to manipulate your man, but in all things rejoice, because that’s the right thing to do. (1 Thessaonians 5:16; Philippians 4:4)
2. Honor His Wishes
   Give weight to what your husband thinks is important. Make those things a priority that matter most to him, whether it’s having dinner ready when he gets home from work or keeping the house tidy or limiting computer time. Don’t make him ask twice. (Philippians 2:4)
3. Give Him Your Undivided Attention
   Yes, I know that women are masters of multi-tasking, but when your husband is speaking to you, make a point to lay other tasks aside, look into his eyes, and listen to what he is saying with the goal of understanding and remembering his words.
4. Don’t Interrupt
   Have you ever been around a person who won’t let you finish a sentence? That gets old fast. Even if you think you already know what your husband is going to say, allowing him to say it without cutting him off mid-sentence shows both respect and common courtesy.
5. Emphasize His Good Points
   Sure, he has his faults (as do you), but dwelling on them will only make you (both) miserable. Choose instead to focus on those qualities in your husband that you most admire. (Philippians 4:8)
6. Pray for Him
   Ruth Graham advises wives to “tell your mate the positive, and tell God the negative.” Take your concerns to God. Faithfully lift up your husband in prayer every day, and you will likely notice a transformation not only in him, but in yourself, as well. (Philipians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
7. Don’t Nag
   Your husband is a grown man, so don’t treat him like a two-year-old. Leave room for God to work. You are not the Holy Spirit, so do not try to do His job.
8. Be Thankful
   Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Don’t take your husband for granted. Be appreciative for everything he does for you, whether big or small. Always say thank you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20)
9. Smile at Him
   Smiles spread happiness. Smiles have even been shown to create happiness. Smiles are contagious. And a smile makes any woman more beautiful.
10. Respond Physically
    Did you know that the way you respond (or don’t respond) to your husband’s romantic overtures has a profound effect on his self-confidence? Don’t slap him away when he tries to hug you or make excuses when he’s in the mood. Your enthusiastic cooperation and reciprocation will not only assure him of your love, but will make him feel well-respected, too. (1 Corinthians 7:3-5)
11. Eyes Only for Him
    Don’t compare your husband unfavorably to other men, real or imaginary. It is neither fair nor respectful and will only breed trouble and discontent. Avoid watching movies or reading books that might cause you to stumble in this area, as well. (Psalm 19:14; Proverbs 4:23)
12. Kiss Him Goodbye
    I once read about a study done in Germany which found that men whose wives kissed them goodbye every morning were more successful than those who weren’t kissed. Success and respect often go hand-in-hand, so be sure to send him off right, and don’t forget to greet him with a kiss when he returns home, for good measure. (2 Corinthians 13:12)
13. Prepare His Favorite Foods
    Although the rest of the family is not overly-fond of spaghetti, my husband loves it, so I try to make it at least two or three times a month as a way to honor him. Next time you’re planning meals, give special consideration to your husband’s preferences. (Proverbs 31:14-15)
14. Cherish Togetherness
    I love to sit near my husband, whether at home or away. Our church shares potluck dinners every Sunday afternoon, and although the men and women normally sit separately to visit, I like to position myself close enough to my husband that I can listen to the conversation, as I think everything he says is so interesting. At home, I’ll take my book or handwork to whatever room in the house he’s working in, just to be close to him, because I enjoy his company, even when neither of us is talking.
15. Don’t Complain
    Nobody wants to be around a whiner or complainer. It is grating on the nerves. Remember the serenity prayer: accept the things you can’t change, courageously change the things you can, seek wisdom to know the difference. (Philippians 2:14)
16. Resist the Urge to Correct
    I know one wife whose spouse can’t tell a story without her stopping him fifteen times to correct inconsequential details: “It wasn’t Monday evening, it was Monday afternoon…. It wasn’t blue, it was turquoise…. He didn’t ride the bus, he took a shuttle.” Please. Please. Please. Don’t ever do that to your husband — or to anyone else, for that matter! (Proverbs 17:28)
17. Dress to Please Him
    Take care of your appearance. Choose clothes your husband finds flattering, both in public and around the house.
18. Keep the House Tidy
    To the best of your abilities, try to maintain a clean and orderly home. Seek to make it a haven of rest for your entire family. (Proverbs 31:27)
19. Be Content
    Do not pressure your husband to keep up with the Jonses. Take satisfaction in the lifestyle he is able to provide for you. (1 Timothy 6:6-10; Hebrews 13:5)
20. Take His Advice
    Do not dismiss his opinions lightly, especially when you’ve asked for his counsel in the first place. Make every effort to follow your husband’s advice.
21. Admire Him
    Voiced compliments and heartfelt praise are always welcome, but you should also make it your habit to just look at your husband in a respectful, appreciative way. Think kind thoughts toward him. He’ll be able to see the admiration in your eyes. (Luke 6:45)
22. Protect His Name
    Honor your husband in the way you speak of him to family and friends. Guard his reputation and do not let minor disagreements at home cause you to speak ill of him in public. Live in such a way that it will be obvious to others why your husband married you in the first place. (Proverbs 12:4; 22:1)
23. Forgive His Shortcomings
    In the words of Ruth Bell Graham, “A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.” Please do not hold grudges against your husband. Do not allow a root of bitterness or resentment find a home in your heart. Forgive your husband freely, as Christ has forgiven you. (Mark 11:25; Matthew 18:21-35)
24. Don’t Argue
    You are not always right, and you do not always have to have the last word. Be the first to say, “I’m sorry.” Be willing to accept the blame. It takes two to argue, so “abandon a quarrel before it breaks out.” (Proverbs 17:14; 21:19; 25:24)
25. Follow His Lead
    If you want your husband to lead, you must be willing to follow. Neither a body nor a family can function well with two heads. Learn to defer to your husband’s wishes and let final decisions rest with him. (Ephesians 5:22-24)

Proverbs 18:22 tells us, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” Do these 25 things consistently, and your husband will never have trouble believing that fact.

Fall at the Bailey Homestead

Hannah running back to the house after our walk around the upper property.

Coming up the driveway

Looking back down the driveway

Ben and Micah coming back from the mailbox...deep in conversation. They must be talking about Legos!

Tim and Hannah. I love how she is looking at her daddy.

Caleb enjoying our fall walk

Look at this gorgeous maple tree color looking up our driveway.

Family pictures

On September 15, we had the amazing Amanda Joy Photography shoot pictures of the extended and immediate families. She did such a great job!

Como Zoo

 On Monday, Sept. 16th we went to Como Zoo with a bunch of family from Tim's side. 

Here is our group of "monkeys!" 

 Micah and Ben with a gorilla...a rather LARGE one!

 Family picture by the Carousel. It was FREE that day! Bonus.

 Our 3 year old!

 Micah - tough dude

 Tim with Caleb

 Ben Boy & Me with Hannah

 This is our group!

 Hannah with her daddy and (below) a partial group of kids

 Caleb posed for this shot. What a cutie!

 nearly 10 years of marriage!

Our 4 blessings! Ben was a little "under the weather" that day.

First day of School!

The Students:

Micah

 Ben

 Caleb

 Hannah

The scholars at work:

 Hannah working on the letter "A"

 Caleb really wanted to play "Skipo" with dad last night, but he needed more work on his numbers. 

Playing "Skipo" with dad next month....here we come!
The way to remember the #2, "Around and back on a railroad track - Two, two, two!"

Micah working on "Word Roots" and Ben boy working on "Handwriting without Tears." His favorite was the 'Pencil pick-ups' exercise

Porch BEFORE and AFTER

 A couple weeks ago my dad offered to help "dress up" the front porch columns. He is a gifted wood craftsman and I agreed to his help with no hesitation! Let's just say, I was his assistant and gopher.

We began by making a trip to Menards to buy the pine wood to wrap the 6 posts you see in the before photo. It took 3 full days to complete and then I painted 2 coats of exterior white paint about a week ago before we hosted our July 4th week of festivities. See here and here for pictures.


BEFORE:

AFTER:

What a difference some pine wood, screws, and exterior white paint make in transforming a porch! 

Next project: painting the porch and back deck with Restore

More tubing down the river....

This is how our 'Burb looks as we travel down the road to get to the river launch

 The kids excited to go a 4th time this week!

 This time Caleb is looking at the camera

 The kids getting use to the water as dad unloads the vehicle

 Dad unloading the vehicle

The older boys having fun once we reached the end of our 50" journey down the river.

MORE fun!

 Getting ready to tube down the river with the Kochendorfer family....this will be our 2nd time this year (we did go with the Haislets, but I didn't have my camera handy)

 Caleb dreaming of his river raft ride....or just plain tired!

 Tractor tire swing time that evening

 The hostess and the host the evening of July 4th

 Jeremy brought sparklers for the kids

 Hannah's first time holding FIRE!

 Slip 'N Sliding the morning of the 5th...now it is 3 lengths long! Way too much fun!

 The kids are lined up for their turn!

 Lunch on the deck with the cousins!

 Tim cutting into the Ice Cream Cake

 Another round of kids to go tubing down the river

The oldest Bailey cousin with the youngest cousin (Baby Silas)