The Reynolds Nation

It's official....we are on holiday! And it feels so good! Two weeks off for Christmas break and I am so ready for it. No Ancient Greece, no spelling tests, no phonics, no reading, no writing, no science experiments....it s so nice. Every kids needs a break, well I think it s more important that every homeschooling mom needs a break even more. So glad to have my days free and clear...with no planned agenda! Have a few things left to buy for Christmas, but that's it. After a marathon of a couple of weeks we are in hibernation mode.

Daddy was taking the kids home the other day and he had to stop for gas...somewhere in between there he got candy for all of them. Here is the sweetest of boys eating away with the biggest grin on his face. Mama wasn't there to regulate the intake! Fun times!

I can say so much about my William! He requires the most work...he is the loudest...most demanding...talks the most....jumps the highest...find the sticks the fastest...and tries to get around the rules the most. He really strives to stay one step ahead of you. But he wouldn't be William without all that. He has been that way since the very beginning. But he is starting to change a bit...no he hasn't slowed down one bit, but he is maturing and growing up. He will now sit down and do lessons with me. He is actually starting to color in the lines and he loves you to read to him. A year ago I couldn't get him to sit still long enough to read one book. He is 100% boy!!! The best part about him is that he is my most sensitive child and you have to be so careful how you talk to him. So, here is a picture of him yesterday that my friend took when he was in class making his craft. He loves class time at church and enjoys every minute of it...he is a favorite of many of t...

It's really early on Sunday morning. I woke up at 5:45 and I knew that my sleep time was over. I am now downstairs in a dark house enjoying the peace and quiet. It doesn't happen a lot around here, that's for sure. The sun should be rising soon, that's when I will sneak back upstairs and hop in the shower. Before the kids ever knew that I was here...hehehe! Sundays are great days around here. We worship corporately in the morning with our church family and then we spend the rest of the day together. I am posting a picture of the kids from a few weeks ago when Matt cut down one of our trees. The kids were moving large pieces of wood and transported lots of leaves in their buckets. If you have read the news lately you will have heard about most Americans having a Vitamin D deficiency. Because they are never outside and spend too much time in front of the television. Not here at the Reynolds Nation...it's a must that my kids act like lunatics outside every day...unless...

Bryn went to her Christmas party, hosted by the Junior Youth leaders. It is a fun night because the kids get to dress up in formal clothes and they are served a nice dinner. Bryn, looked so beautiful...and made Matt and I tear up a bit. It seems like yesterday Bryn was two, walking around with her cabbage patch doll with all those curls on her head. Now, she is tall, curvy and looking very mature. So, here are a few photos from last night. Matt and I had a great time as chaperone's (when did we get old enough to be chaperone's???)! Here is your future!!! What a great group of kids...who love God and a believe that they have a destiny in Him!!!!

We have had some crazy busy weeks the past few weeks...and they are not ending until after Christmas. But we did take some time off this past week to take Bryn away for her "Purity Weekend." Matt and I believe that we should take our children away and have a time to talk about the different aspects of life they should be approaching. This weekend was not to just talk about sex, but about modesty, abstinence, self-esteem, dress, peer pressure...etc! The best thing is to get out of your normal environment. It makes it more special and easier to talk because you are not distracted by normal every day responsibilities. We took Bryn to a condo on the beach which we rented from a friend. It was awesome to talk to her and realize that she knew nothing about sex. Even at almost 13, she was still very innocent. What an awesome testimony. Even in today's world our children do not have tainted by the worlds view and all of it's inaccuracies about sex. We focused on G...

I had to post a picture of our tree. It went up last night...after much anticipation from the kids. We told them last weekend, that we will decorate on Thursday (it was our only free night), and they were holding us to it. They were so excited all day...waiting for daddy to get home and get all of our decorations out. So, here it is in all of it's splendor...our favorite part is just sitting around in the room, with the lights off...enjoying the time together. Last night, Esther sang a song she wrote and Judah gave us his rendition of Silent Night. It was so sweet. So, here goes the swing of the Christmas season...with a renewed focus on the meaning of Christmas this year!!! The original Santa Baby!!!!

Well, it finally happened! It has occurred three other times here at our house..and now once more. Matt and I bought this Barney doll 12 years ago....Barney was all the rage and our little Bryn just loved him. I still remember her hugging the television screen and kissing it when he said goodbye. So, over the years we have continued to watch Barney, but not in the same capacity as back then. But the Barney doll continued to move down to each child. He slept in Caleb's bed, Esther's bed, and William's bed. As each child grew up, the Barney doll naturally went on to the next child. But William tried to keep him a bit longer...he wasn't willing to give him up! We tried to talk him into it...Judah tried to snatch him out of the bed...but William would just not budge. He wasn't willing to give him up....Until a few weeks ago...we had the official transition. William wasn't overly eager, but we talked to him about getting bigger and that it was time for Bar...

I just had to post pictures of our new niece and nephew!!! Our families have increased over the past month. Leah Amy Grace Reynolds was born to Matt's brother Joe and his wife Charity on October 18th. And Luke Michael Warnock was born to my brother Michael and his girlfriend Dawn on November 9th. So, when they both happened to be here on Thanksgiving I got a snapshot of the two of them. Babies are so sweet and are such a blessing. Sorry the pictures aren't very clear, but you know how hard it is to take a picture of a moving baby!!! Here is Leah at the hospital . Luke the other day, busy eating his hands!

From our family to yours... Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Yesterday, I baked eight loaves of bread...pumpkin and zucchini (my personal favorite)...and four dozen pecan tassies (new recipe that got rave reviews around here)! My mom always baked bread Thanksgiving week when I was a child, so I have carried on the tradition. Today is my pie day...I will bake 4 pumpkin pies and 2 apple! The kids have been helping me bake and there has been lots of enthusiasm in the kitchen. Anytime the Kitchenaid mixer is being used the kids are asking, "what are you baking." So that's what going on in this house...lots of baking and spending time with the kids. Couldn't get any better!

I just had to post this picture. We buzzed William's hair this week and we couldn't believe how much he looked like Xavier (on the left). Xavier is my brother's son and we never thought they looked like each other until now. We also got Cohen, Xavier's brother, in the shot (in the middle)because he looks the most like Xavier when he was a baby. Love having all the kids here...it's always fun, always loud, but that's what it's all about. More later...have a week off of school for Thanksgiving!

I had to post this picture. Here is Judah the other night after our final practice with the drama team. He had run around the warehouse for a couple of hours..in the cool of the evening. And he just wore himself out. Matt dressed him and he stayed asleep! He was out cold!

Not sure if we ever fit this title, but it sounds good. I am posting a picture of Judah, with his adored Mia. We find Judah all the time hanging out with his special friend...it's sweet! Life is good...busy as usual. We completed our final inspection on the addition this week...though there is still work to do, we finished all that the state needs us to finish. So glad it is done. A bit weary from all the work that had to be done, and still be done...but we are so close. I will post pictures when it is complete. Matt is incredibly busy with his new job...his google calendar looks incredibly scary...he is still in the adjustment process, so pray for him! I am busy with school, church and everything in between...with thoughts about the upcoming holidays and what to prepare for that time. I am heading out for the night with my best friend Jessica...a bit of a ladies night! Needed badly by this mommy! More updates later. Have a great Sunday!

To end the month out with a bang, we decided to dip apples in caramel tonight...then smothered them in M&M's, peanuts, and chocolate chips. We did this a few years ago, and the kids loved it. So, here are a few pictures of the little kids enjoying there treat. Goodbye October, see you next year!

PUMPKIN PIE CAKE DESSERT-This is a very easy and delicious dessert for a crowd...1 – 29 oz can pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 3 tsp cinnamon, 3 large eggs, 1 large can Evaporated milk (Not sweetened condensed)1 Yellow Cake Mix, 1 cup pecans, chopped, 1 cup butter, melted Combine the pumpkin, sugar, salt, cinnamon, eggs, and milk and place in a 9 X 12 – inch baking dish. Sprinkle one box dry yellow cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the pumpkin mixture and dribble the melted butter over the top.Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes. Serve with real whipped cream. I made this dessert for our pumpkin party last week! It was delicious and the whole pan was gone by time I got home (one left for my mom and Matt, but that was gone immediately). It is a quick recipe and will make your home smell so festive! You can make this a bit healthier...by adding honey instead of sugar and you can add flour instead of the cake mix. I also used my own pumpkin puree...

Just a quick moment to shout Hallelujah!!! Monday afternoon, Matthew confirmed that he was offered the position of full trainer/liaison with Blue Cross for Berlin and Denys Insurance. The position has been in progress for a few weeks, but now his official start date is November first. Though he has been training new agents for the past year, his responsibilities have expanded and now he is on salary with benefits!!! I am so excited for him...and he will still be selling insurance, just not full time. Matthew has always been such a loyal, consistent worker for our whole marriage...I have never worried about him being the provider. His work ethic is strong and he is focused on his job. He is such an asset to this company and he has such favor there...a great relationship with his boss and co-workers! So here are three cheers to my man! Great Job!!!

Just wanted to post a picture from a few weeks ago of Judah and Cohen. Cohen is my nephew, almost exactly a year younger than Judah (though not much different in size). He visits us every week now, and we love having him here. It's all about family!

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang myfirst painting on the refrigerator, and I immediatelywanted to paint another one.When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed astray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kindto animals.When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make myfavorite cake for me, and I learned that the littlethings can be the special things in life.When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say aprayer , and I knew that there is a God I could alwaystalk to, and I learned to trust in Him.When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make ameal and take it to a friend who was sick, and Ilearned that we all have to help take care of eachother .When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give ofyour time and money to help people who had nothing,and I learned that those who have something shouldgive to those who don't.When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take careof our house and everyone in it, and I l...

I wanted to post a few pictures from my birthday at Epcot. The picture of Bryn and I in front of the huge ball isn't coming through, so here are a few others from that day. Of course, we had a blast and it was a lot of fun spending one on one time with Bryn that day. With five kids, you don't get as much of that. I posted a picture of the pin they give you when you get in free for your birthday...it was actually kind of cool, because you could recognize all the people other who were also celebrating their special day and all day long the workers at Disney say Happy Birthday...so by the end of day I think I was told about 200 times. They also give pins to your family and friends that say "I Am Celebrating." Bryn is wearing hers in the last picture posted. All in all, a great day. Something different...I am not a huge Disney fan, but we still had a great time!

I just had to post these pictures from yesterday. We went to our local pumpkin patch and picked out our pumpkins for the season. The kids were so excited and they had a great time selecting the perfect pumpkin for themselves. Judah is in the picture above...is he cute or what? Here they all are after selecting their pumpkins. The patch had several varieties to choose from...orange, white, red and bumpy. It was fun picking out our favorites. Here is Esther with her pumpkin and her favorite friend, Tiptop, the giraffe. I love this picture. Two of my boys smiling and having a nice time. Their big smiles make my day! We had a fabulous day on Saturday. We visited both of Matt's grandmothers, ate lunch with one of them...went shoe shopping in the late afternoon (where the clerk asked me, "do you watch all these kids all the time?" Where I replied, "yes, they are all mine!" They were behaving beautifully , but five kids can be overwhelming to anyone.) W...

I have been a sad poster lately. Life has been so busy with the kids, church and work...I don't get much time to sit down and write. It is six o'clock in the morning...I woke up and I was out of bed...my body can't change from the normal week schedule...so my house is quiet, the kids and Matt are still sleeping. It is actually quite pleasant. My little William is at Nana and Pappap's house for the night...I missed his normal chatter last night. He was so sweet when he left. Nothing new going on here really. We are in the rhythm of school and that is going well. We have so far had an awesome school year...lots of work done and much progress. The weather has been incredibly hot, but today it is supposed to cool down. The temp outside is 63 degrees...better than yesterdays 76 degrees...and these are our lows. It is only supposed to be 74 degrees today...I have so been looking forward to fall...and it may be finally here! So, that's why I posted this picture...with the...

I had to take a moment to talk about Bryn. Ninety days ago, she came up to us and said that she had heard about some others wanting to take the ninety day challenge to read the whole bible through and she wanted to participate. We knew that this was a huge act, so we told her that it was a big commitment and if she chose to do this then she would have to complete it. We try to stay consistent on this issue...make a commitment then keep it! So, today is her day. She kept to her commitment and today is her day of completion!!! She read her whole, entire bible in 90 days at age 12!! Unbelievable in this day and age. There were days that were hard to keep, but she was so persistent . She kept her word, her promise. I am amazed that at this age she was able to do this. She pushed through the hard parts...I thought we were going to lose her in Deuteronomy...but she held on tight. So, today...my shout goes out to my Bryn!! Good job!!!

I am writing in ORANGE today, because we have finally entered my favorite month of the year!!! October!!!! Not only is it my birthday month, but it usually is when the weather changes a bit here in Florida. I am sitting here with the windows open...enjoying the cool morning air. Yes, I am sure my air conditioning will be on later, but that's okay. A little break from the FPL bill is nice, right? Been busy the past couple of weeks. Of course, school keeps us going at a crazy speed...we have been able to be outside more, which is so nice! We took the last week or so to come down from our super busy days from our anniversary services for our church. And tomorrow we are going to Epcot for the day for my birthday. Disney has a deal this year where you can get in for free on your birthday! How awesome is that! So, Matt, Bryn and I are going to Epcot. We haven't been since I was pregnant with Bryn 12 years ago. So we are so excited to take her. The little kids are going ...

Esther went to a birthday party yesterday...dressed up as a cowgirl! I thought I would post some pictures...you can see how much she has grown this summer...my six year old, first grader...seems like yesterday she was sleeping in my arms! Here is Esther with a few friends...Abby(on Esther's right) and Esther have been friends since birth...now they are the best of friends! Esther taking her turn to groom the horse....she was a bit shy at first, but got comfortable really fast! Esther and Kayla at the end of the party...so cute and they both had a great time! Allison R .

IF YOU GIVE A MOM A MUFFIN… If you give a mom a muffin, She’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it. She’ll pour herself some. Her three-year-old will spill the coffee. She’ll wipe it up. Wiping the floor, she’ll find dirty socks. She’ll remember she has to do laundry. When she puts the laundry in the washer, She’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer. Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper. She will get out a pound of hamburger. She’ll look for her cookbook (”101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger”). The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow. She will look for her checkbook. The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old. She’ll smell something funny. She’ll change the two year old’s diaper. While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring. Her five-year-old will answer and hang up. She’ll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee. Thinking of coffee will...

It's five o'clock and I have been up for an hour. I went to bed really early, still trying to recover from our packed-full weekend. I woke up and just prayed for my sons this morning...they are on my heart and I felt led to intercede for them and to stand boldly before the throne for them this morning. Due to my recent Daniel Fast, my prayer life has took on a whole new level. Yes, I have always prayed, but now it is different. I feel a greater need and desire to spend time with the Father...to love on Him, to worship Him and to share my heart. He is always ready and waiting for us. William has a bug bite right above his eye from this weekend. Over the course of the last couple days, it got infected. It is the worst place to have an infection, because it can actually affect your eye sight. If it doesn't look better this morning, then we have to go up to Halifax to do IV antibiotics for him. Our whole family laid hands on him yesterday afternoon and at four this morning, I f...

Well, I realized that I hadn't gone back to my blog...I have been gone for awhile. First for my Daniel fast and then the last few days of our Cumbre at our church. I am too tired to write much right now, but just wanted to tell you that I am back and have lots to post. I told Matt today that just a few days off of "media related" items really takes the draw out of them. I barely have been on facebook, the tv has virtually remained off (which isn't hard for me) and life is a so easy without them. It is a good cleanse. We just had four days worth of meetings at our church anniversary celebration. Because of this we are exhausted and we are laying low for the rest of the day. We put our jammies on after church and we decided not to do anything the rest of the day. Tomorrow is our catch-up day and then back to the grind. So, I will be back later this week with updates!

Taking a 10 day break from all media...I will be missing from any blogging. Expecting to hear a lot from the Lord. Read Daniel 1 while I am gone. Selah

We just finished our last day of the first week of school...and I am physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted! It has been a marathon week and my feet don't know when they are allowed to stop. I worked for the county, 22 hours this week, schooled three children, washed 13 loads of laundry since Monday, made a uncountable amount of meals and snacks, loved on a ton of hurt feelings, fixed a few boo-boos, made 2 million phone calls and still somewhat kept my sanity. Amazing! All through God's grace and love! Now on to another 175 days...keep me in prayer, lol!

Yes, we must admit it but summer is over and we are back to school. Back to the grind. Back to the schedule. The lazy days of summer are gone. The high temps are still here, but what do you expect we are in Florida! We normally wait until the day after Labor Day, but with the holiday landing a bit late this year we decided to start a week early. The kids are getting restless anyway, so it is time. And I am also at the point where I am very ready. So, yesterday we started bright and early...and we were together on the couches for bible time at ten minutes after eight. Our goal is to always to start by eight thirty, so we did good for the first day. Caleb and Esther (my first graders) have a heavier load this year than last...but they are enjoying all the time with me. I am even doing a small program with William, and he is loving it. Not quite ready to sit still for long periods of time, but wanting to do "school" with mommy. Bryn is in 7th grade this year (I can...

Here is our resident drummer. Caleb taking some instruction from Matt last night. Matt had some new music and he took some time and worked with Caleb. Caleb has a natural rhythm and he picks up on beats after only listening to a song one time. They had a great time. The other kids did it too, but didn't have the same beat going on. A little twister goes a long way...the game came out in 1966, but it still holds true today. The kids loved it, but most of them couldn't reach the other side. Judah was so funny...dancing around the board...and William being so confused about the right and left sides. Here is William trying so hard to stretch across. He did so good for the first time...he is so insistent to take time and work hard.. persistent he is! We have some incredibly busy weeks coming up, so we took some time out to have a family night. We ate dinner, played twister, ate cookies made that afternoon by the kids, and listened to some worship music...a great night. ...

Today is the last day off before school starts on Monday. The summer has gone by so fast! It seems like it just started and I had such good intentions to finish so much stuff. And yes, I did...but not as much as I wanted. But I did swim with the kids a lot...and we did go to the beach more than ever...and we had a total blast!! No complaints about the summer. I did clean out some areas of my house...we did paint the inside...but we are still working on the addition...just about done, but not quite. School books are starting to pour in from the UPS man and mailman...the kids are so excited when they open up the boxes. They are ready to start and have their routine again, and so am I! This break was much needed and enjoyed, but I look forward to the days ahead. For everything there is a season...

Today I was finally able to purchase all of our curriculum for school...only a week before school starts. Thankfully, it will be here in time for school to start a week from today. I was able to purchase a history set last week on ebay...100 dollars cheaper then a brand new set. This is the first year that I have spent the amount that I spent today...last year I thought $300 was a lot...but with 3 kids in school the amount rose considerably. I did purchase several items that will be reused, so I am excited for that. With all the little kids following, I will be able to get my money's worth. Put aside the cost (which I must admit is much less than one month's fees for private school and even less than what the average parent spends on back to school clothes and supplies), and realize that every dollar spent and time spent is an investment in my kids. That is the most awesome thing about homeschooling. Every day is a time to plant seed in their lives...and to explore and open up ...

I woke up this morning feeling a bit road weary. Have had a busy week...here at home. Trying to finish some of the things that I set out to do for the summer. We are coming up to our last week of summer...we start school on the 31st. So excited to start our new school year...I usually feel that way after summer...tired of the lack of routine and ready to make some progress. Though we did have an awesome summer...I think the kids grew two inches a piece, Judah is talking like crazy and Matt and I are finally finding our place of leadership at church. It is awesome! This week though, we have been pressing in about our finances. The slowing in the economy has been making a pinch in Matt's sales. And we are trying to make decisions about my job and my future there....since my need to keep my full attention at home is greater than ever before. So we are keeping our eyes on the Lord...we are totally dependant on Him...He is our focus. The Lord is squeezing out thought and ways from this ...

William was sitting on the bench at our dining room table the other day...I was in the living room minding my own business...and then William says to me, "mom, will Caleb become white for Christmas?" I said, "no, William." "Caleb will be black forever?" "Yes William." And that was the end of conversation. I don't know where this stuff comes from. I had to blog this so I wouldn't forget. Out of the mouth of babes...brings a lot of laughter in our home!