Happy Thanksgivukkah

It hasn’t happened since 1918 and won’t happen again until 2070. Thanksgiving and the 1st night of Hanukkah falling on the same night is a rare phenomenon and quite a special reason to celebrate. We’ve had a great week lighting candles, playing dreidels, and being with family. Pete usually has four days off for Thanksgiving […]

Repurpose an old basket to make a mini-sukkah

Since we are Messianic, many people often ask us when we celebrate the birth of Jesus since we do not celebrate Christmas. Yes, we DO celebrate this momentous event, but we do it during the fall, during the Festival of Tabernacles, or Sukkot. I did not celebrate Christmas with my family growing up, but there […]

Ketziah’s Simchat Bat

A blessing for daughters. That’s what a Simchat Bat is. It literally means the “joy of a daughter.” I’ve also heard it referred to as a Brit Bat, or Covenant for Daughters. Since we have so many daughters, we have always wanted a special way to bless them and acknowledge their entry into our family, […]

Bringing forth incense – Ketziah’s birth story

She’s finally here! Arriving on Father’s Day, 2013, Ketziah has entered our family unit and we’ll never be the same. A lot has been transpiring in my heart and mind over the past several weeks leading up to her birth. Since we never know how a birth is going to change us, I have had […]

Make way for baby!

Well, she’s not here just yet, but she is well on her way and we anticipate her arrival any day now. I’m really proud of the girls for pushing through and being so diligent with the rigorous schedule I’ve laid out for them the first 15 weeks of this school year. And we made it! […]

Music to our ears

I was taught to play the piano when I was about 6 or 7. Over the years, I received piano lessons as the family budget allowed, and then I took a year or two of lessons as a young adult once I was working and could pay for it myself. All in all, I’d say […]

Winding down & ramping up

We are coming to a close of this school year. It’s true that we have six weeks still left “on the books” but there are many curricula we use that do not go through a full 36 week year. Math is finishing up, science is finishing up, and spelling and grammar are quickly coming to […]

Favorite ♥ Moments Bunkbeds & Potties

This isn’t as much of a favorite moment for school subjects as it is an ode to twin potty training. How does this fit into the school day, you might ask? It fits in every 20 minutes when the timer beeps and we drop everything for a quick run to sit on the brightly-colored plastic […]

Proof of life

I’ve never had an early ultrasound during any of my pregnancies. We always would get one ultrasound between 20 and 24 weeks to check baby’s development and get a view of the gender if possible. But this time, due to my extreme morning sickness, I had such a hard time waiting to see if I […]

Great expectations

Pete and I recently found out that we are expecting an addition to the family next spring. We are thrilled about this new little person, and of course the children are excited about having a new baby to tote around. Finding out about a pregnancy is always a little difficult for me when I consider […]