Two out of three isn't bad

The sign says, "Please keep off rail."

Hyde Street Pier is a magnificent location for history, science, math and FUN! We took the daddy on a cable car past Lombard Street and Chinatown too Ghiardelli Square and Transamerican pointed tower.

A Sunday in San Francisco with Daddy

Not a painting, but a good day showing Daddy what we've seen and what we needed to see. Here the Gs are in Chinatown at the corner of Grant and Clay.

True Women Galore!

While attending the True Woman conference in Schaumburg Illinois this week, I made some observations about the 6000+ mommys in the room. 99.9% believe you when you say that comfy shoes are better than heals while attending a conference. There were so many women and so little room on the conference hall chairs. I will be more exact and say that the conference chairs were not built for child-bearing hips sitting in a row. Simple as that...

I enjoyed hearing Dr Piper, Nancy Leigh Demoss, Mary Kassain, Karen Loritts, Holly Elliff, Devi Titus, and to some extent, Janet Parshall. I'd heard everything Mrs. Parshall said while listening to the Revive Our Hearts podcasts, so it wasn't that earth shaking. I met ladies from California, Chicago, Kansas, Missouri, Maryland and everywhere (except Vermont and Hawaii). There was a huge group from the Dominican Republic. I needed this time and now...

I have to pack for the attempt to get to SFO with Daddy and the kids. Take care :-)

Our little girl reads her first Little Golden Book!

Independent readers are popping up all over the place! Yes, first graders are reading stories and little golden books about a "shy little kitten." I'm pleased as punch and look forward to independent readers. Readers who read away hours of cold Chicagoland nights and days. I pray for time used wisely to explore pages and pages of books.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month

Our family enjoyed dinner with a young pastor and his wife from New Church last night. They pastor the 20 somethings group at church and they pray that God will take them to the Middle East mission field next summer. We shared some histories for each of us and got to know each other better. The children had spent some time with this couple one evening, shortly after they found out they were pregnant, while Daddy and I went to a meeting. But now, it's almost time for their first baby to arrive. I'm so glad to get to know them and their goals for the future.

Have you visited openly with one of your pastors lately? Real life visits are rewarding.

Brisk Chicagoland

I prepared the first hot chocolate of the season today too.

Wood floors in the living and dining room are done. School is still being held in my bedroom until Daddy is home long enough for us to move the furniture out of the library/den.

Tell tale signs of autumn

Pumpkin spice latte is back, but it just didn't taste the same. It's nippy and moist in Chicagoland and I'm still drinking coffee, but maybe not a 5$ calorie laden cup of spiced latte anymore. Maybe it's my affair with my favorite tea, but maybe I've out grown the pumpkin latte. I'm anxious to save money for the Thanksgiving trip to Europe/ Asia Minor, but you'd think I could justify how much I deserve a decent latte. I went on a date to a new mom/pop Italian place on Friday night for a few hours with a stop at the bookstore to put my hands on travel books for Bavaria and Cappadocia, but waited to buy my choices on Amazon today. I'm even saving money for the trip by reading a kids' mystery series from the library instead of buying them or renting movies to fill my entertainment budget.

The series, btw, is called The Roman Mysteries, and I love it! I found it by searching for juvenile Roman fiction at the library. I made the kids listen to one of the books on the drive back and forth from Iowa. I started reading another book in the series to them out loud, because the library doesn't have the audio for it. But now I've read ahead and am on the next book. I made the Daddy read some to the kids (he's the expert in Latin btw). The story discusses a time period that I'm very interested in about the early church. The sermon today at New Church started a series on The Acts of the Apostles, which of course, delves into my favorite part of the world apart from Central Texas and western Iowa, that is Turkiye.

So, the rain stopped and the temperature is dropped. I've added a blanket to the beds and pulled out the cold weather clothes. I'm busy ripping up the carpet in the living room as the dining room is finished. The wood flooring is available for pickup anytime I'm ready to go up there and pay for it. I've contacted some people who are experts with power nailers, but in the mean time I'm set to prep the floors with black paper and the insulation level with a staple nailer. Soon the 17 boxes of flooring with arrive to set for 3 days and be power nailed by someone. Pray. Yep, I'm not big on asking for help and locating day labor. I will wait on the Lord according to His plan, but in the meantime to prepared for whatever He delivers.

And, btw, home school my kids, be a soccer mom, a gymnast mom, a piano lesson mom AND an AWANA mom all at the same time.