Austin Family Adventures

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Holiday Lights

We went "light looking" (as the kids call it) last night! It's always so much fun to see the displays people have. I love lights. Not so much that I want the job of setting them up, but I sure do enjoy other people's displays. We ended at a home that you could walk through the yard looking at all the displays. There was a tree decorated for every taste. There was deer naming. Santa comes on the weeknds. Buses bring people out to this house. They've been doing it for 40 years and their light bill is about 600$ a month. It was fun to see! The kids were amazed!

Balcony

Merry Christmas from the church balcony!

Birthday

Someone's had a birthday, she's so glad....

Yep, it beats the alternative! :) I'm thankful for every year the Lord blesses me with.

I love this gift. I've wanted a lamp like this for quite some time. It reminds me of my childhood because we had one that we used. We'll use ours on Friday nights.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Christmas in China

Christmas Around the World

What fun it has been studying how different countries celebrate Christmas. In China, there are few that celebrate Christmas (1%) compared to the population, but you still see festivities around. I find it interesting that many of the plastic trees and decorations are made in China, but the people making them might not know what they are for!

My children decided to rename themselves as Chinese children! Today they were Shoo-ying, Yen-chi, and Tien-min. I had them make name tags so I could remember. Elijah's name tag said "10 men" which is exactly how it sounds!

A tradition that is becoming popular, on Christmas Eve, is giving apples. Many stores have apples wrapped up in colored paper for sale. People give apples on Christmas Eve because in Chinese Christmas Eve is called 'Ping An Ye' (which means quiet or silent night) and the word for apple in Chinese is 'Ping Guo' which sounds similar.

We read that they celebrate Chinese New Year at the same time that they celebrate Christmas. They set off lots of fireworks, including sparklers. We just happened to go to Tennessee for Thanksgiving where they have huge fireworks stores year round. Perfect!

They also celebrate with Chinese Paper Lanterns. Lots of lanterns!

Kung Hei Shing Taan!

(Merry Christmas)

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Christmas in Norway

Christmas Around the World

It's extremely cold in Norway at Christmas time! Good for sledding and skiing and such. My boys would like it there. Me? I'd rather try Australia or some place in the southern hemisphere sometime. :) The beach at Christmas time sounds fun!

One of the Christmas treats in Norway is called Good Grud. There is suppose to be 2 dots over the letter u, but my computer won't do that. It's a dessert or pudding type of rice. The rice is cooked in two quarts of milk at a low temperature. I can imagine it ends up much more creamy than we experienced just cooking it on the stove. We also added way less sugar (like 1 T instead of 1 C) because it was sweet already! Their tradition is to hide an almond in one of the servings and whoever gets the almonds wins a piece of candy! I see on the internet that there is a red berry sauce people put over it also, but our book didn't say that.

Here is a link in case you'd like to try making Good Grud. Also called Norwedian Rice Pudding Dessert.

Chaeli's serving had the almond!

We also made some really neat woven paper heart baskets that are popular in Norway. It took us quite some time to figure out how to weave them so they ended up as baskets, but finally Chaeli was able to do it and show the rest of us. Now they just want to keep making these. Our paper baskets will end up on our Christmas tree as ornaments.

Here is a link for the woven paper heart baskets if you'd like to make them!

God jul (goo-yul) from Norway!

Christmas in Germany

During the month of December we are studying "Christmas Around the World." I think it's as much fun for me as it is the kids! :) I love this kind of stuff. We add more than just Christmas to it so we refresh ourselves on other country facts also. Here's Germany!

Muesli is a favorite German breakfast.

Potatoes and sausage are also very prominent foods. Their sausages, however, are more white than what we are use to.

Chaeli named this little guy Frederick Adelbert Tinnefeld. The last two names she got from two different German church members. :)

German Christmas stars are seen all over Germany as ornaments and decorations. This was pretty tricky but we figured it out!

Here is the link if you want to try making a German Paper Star - “Froebel Sterne”

"Frohe Weihnachten"

Friday, December 5, 2014

Grandparents

Grandmother and Granddad with their 5 grandchildren.

Elijah, Camden, Dillon, Chaeli, and McKayla

Quotable Kids

The kids were talking about what day they would get married on. Chaeli was talking about Friday and Elijah never! Dillon says, "What day do you think I want to get married on?" We guessed a few but we didn't guess right as his answer was, "Wednesday." What?! I asked why and his response was, "so my wife can watch me go swimming in the evening." Apparently he is only going swimming on Wednesdays and he likes the idea of her watching him. The moment was hilarious. We laughed so hard!
Words of wisdom from the almost 5 year old: "Mama. If you want my room to stop being a pigsty then stop giving me stuff." :) True. True.
Wearing a white skirt and having just spilled something on it, I said, "guess I can't wear this anymore." Chaeli's reaponse: "Just put white out on it!"
Wisdom from the 4 year old to his siblings: "The more times you think you can, then you can." At least someone's been listening!
I was singing a song and scratching Elijah's back while putting him to bed and he said to me, "Don't scratch cause I might get duckbumps." hahaha....he makes me laugh!! I told him that he meant goosebumps and he giggled and said, "goosebumps and duckbumps!"
"Mommy...you, me, and papa are the only ones who haven't lost a tooth." Whew...I sure hope it's not me or papa who are next!! :)
Chaeli is just starting a typing program and she asked if I had learned to type when I was a girl. I said I remembered learning to type on a typewriter back in 9th grade. I asked her, "do you even know what a typewriter is?" She replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, I've seen one in a museum." Now that makes me feel old! :)
While we were at the bank setting up savings accounts for the boys, the clerk asked Dillon his birthday. He told her Feb 5 to which she respond, "which year?" He looked at her like it was a trick question and with a big grin he said, "every year!" I could hardly contain my laughter!!
Three year old's are just funny, I tell you! I asked Elijah not to saw the word 'now' in the phrase 'turn it off now' because it sounded rather demanding. Dillon and he are playing with a train set and when there's a problem he has started saying, "Please turn it off this day!" hahahaha!
Hilarious!!! Lately whenever littlest boy is frustrated with biggest boy, he states very sternly, "Dillon Nichole Austin." Of course, it frustrates biggest boy because that is Chaeli's middle name, but it is so humorous to me!! :)
After thinking and talking to himself quietly for a bit at supper Elijah said out loud: "Misterssippi and Mississippi go together."
Why is my 6 year old the voice of reason? I said I felt like making cookies. He said, "Remember, sickness is going around." Hmph. True.
Chaeli pointed at Elijah's knee and said, "this is the kidney." Not liking when they lead little brother astray, I let her know that wasn't okay. She said, "it's a kid knee." That made me laugh!
After listening to Give Me Oil in my lamp Elijah informed me that really "it should be May I Please Have Oil in my Lamp." :)
Dillon is trying to help Elijah understand N,E,S,W as they play. I mentioned to Dillon that at three he would have a hard time understanding. In a frustrated voice Elijah says, "I do understand. They are north right now and soon they're gonna be yeast!"
I said "Amen" after praying with Elijah and started tucking him in. He said, "And could you please ask Jesus to come get us?" Of course, I did.
So thankful that when my littlest one is scared of the dark he says, "Can you pray,Mommy?" Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus!
I'm singing: "I believe in a hill called Mount Calvary. I believe whatever the cost....I'll still cling to the Old Rugged cross." Elijah looks at me and asks, "is that a real song?" I tell him yes and he says, "thank goodness."
I asked Elijah if his pants were too big. As he pulled them up he responded, "No they just keep falling down a little."
Chaeli: "I don't think I want to get married now because he'll want to kiss me a lot."
We've been learning about the voting process and reading about some of our past presidents. Apparently, at lunch Dillon was still thinking about it. Dillon: "I want to vote for Lincoln." Me: "I do too, son, but that isn't possible." Dillon: "Too bad." Yes, it really is too bad. :)
Snuggling Elijah on my lap, I said to him, "Can you just stay little so I can snuggle you always?" "Sure!," he replied. Finally one of my kids agreed to stay small!
The end of the school week and Chaeli says, "Dillon, if we have any free time, let's play school." He furrows his eye brows and shakes his head no...
"I love you all day, Mommy, and I love you all night." -Elijah
I exclaimed in Elijah's presence that my nose was so stuffy and wasn't working. He said to me, "Mine isn't. You can use it." How generous!
Dillon announced that he needed both David and I to sit down together. He proudly comes in and presents us both with a one dollar in quarters. "This is for you, Mommy and Papa....for taking care of me." We assured him that we would do it without pay, but he insisted! :)
I was reminding Dillon that when something doesn't work we should keep trying. I said, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. If at second you don't succeed, try, try again. If at third you don't succeed, try, try again. If at hundredth you don't succeed...." (paused waiting for Dillon to finish). Chaeli piped up with, "ask for help!"
‎"I could do more because I listened better." Dillon quote after swimming lessons this morning. Good lesson to remember!
I told Elijah he needed to try going potty. In all seriousness he responded, "I already went potty. I went yesterday."
Elijah wanted to skip the rest of his meal and just go right to the applesauce at the end. He never finished so he didn't get applesauce. As he brought his plate to the sink he exclaimed, "In heaven I'm just gonna eat applesauce!"
We're in the garden looking over the tomato plants and Chaeli says to me, "Mommy, where are the aroma tomatoes?" I guess roma tomatoes do smell good!
Music to this mommy's ears: "I can't wait to have my personal worship. I love reading my Bible!" -Dillon
Elijah and I were walking/running ahead of the others down the pier. Joyfully he says, "We're beating the others up!"
I was explaining to Elijah the role of an air traffic controller and how he tells all the planes when to come in and when to take off. I ended with "because he can see everyone." There was a pause, a thought. Elijah says, Oh...is it Jesus?"
Standing at our tent during campmeeting, Elijah states to me, "Mr. Shultz just went by. First the girl Mr. Shultz, then the boy Mr. Shultz.
I was sad that we couldn't go to church on David's birthday because Chaeli wasn't feeling well. Dillon says to me, "Well, you know all things work together for good. We may not like the process though." Praise the Lord for children who give us spiritual reminders!
I walk into the kitchen where Elijah is on the counter with a bag of carob covered peanuts. Around his mouth is all brown. I said, "Elijah, why are you eating those without asking?" He said very seriously, "Mommy, I just ate one, two, free....and free more!" At least he's honest!
Elijah while trying to take his shoes off: "Mommy, the tie-er won't untie!"
Elijah is sitting on the counter next to me as I'm making popcorn for supper. He leans over and says, "There's a melody singin' in my heart!" Big grin and then he goes back to singing. That kid makes me smile! :)
Dillon: "I'm having a brainstorm." Me: "You are? What do you mean?" Dillon: "My mind is thinking about one thing and then thinking about another thing. Round and round."
I said to Elijah, "You need one of the big kids to help you with that." He replied, "You are a big kid, Mommy." :)
This morning on Elijah's third birthday he said, "When I was little..."
As I'm putting Chaeli to bed just now she says to me, "I wish I could have gone to school with you. But I can't, you're my mom." Love that girl!
Standing on my bed, Elijah is forcefully saying, "Take these pillows hence!" Correspondingly he throws them off!
Chaeli said to me, "Are they washed?" Elijah responded with, "I don't want squash!"
Dillon said to me this evening, ‎"Whenever I start to do something hard I think of "whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." That makes a parent happy!
Dillon informed me this evening, "I think there will be fireworks in Heaven - on the night we get there!" I can't deny that it will be quite the celebration! :)
"I'm gonna get down and have a time out." -Elijah
"Dear Jesus, I'm sorry for making you cry. Amen." -Elijah
Elijah is playing with the train track set and I see him putting back in the container. "Are you putting it away," I ask. "Yes, I'm taking it to where Papa lives," he replied. I laugh big and then ask, "where does Papa live." Very matter of factly he said, "In the office."
Just over 2 1/2 and Elijah says to me, "I like red and blue. Red and blue make purple." Wow!
Dillon asked, "Mommy, when Jesus comes is everyone going to love Jesus?" I explained that everyone would have had a chance to say "yes, I love Jesus" or "no, I don't love Jesus." After a moment of thought Dillon replied, "when I grow up, I want to be a missionary."
"I'm gonna be loving you," Elijah said, as he jumped into my lap. A very good start to my day!
Chaeli reading a road sign: "Lane ends. Marriage Left." {chuckle...}
The kids and I were out identifying trees. Chaeli and I were pondering over our last tree leaf when I looked up to realize that Dillon was standing at the neighbor's chicken coop singing "I've Been Redeemed." Maybe it wasn't specifically to the chickens but it really made me laugh!
From the mouth of the five year old: "I have lots of dollars in my wallet because I want to feel like a real man." :)
Chaeli, said, "when I'm all grown up, I'm going to skip being a mommy and just be a grandma." To that Mommy responded, "so should I have done that?" Chaeli: "Yeah... NOOO!!"
From the FIVE year old: "I've been thinking whether I want to ride a motorcycle when I grow up....I don't want to get hurt, you know." Wonder how long he's been pondering this deep question. :)
The group is singing 'These are the Days of Elijah.' Elijah looks at me with wide eyes and says, "They're singing me!"
Elijah referred to a pastor friend of ours today as "Mr. Katie." Katie is his wife.
"Lay down," I said to Elijah. He sits back up and says, "I can lay up, Mommy."
Very sincerely Dillon says to me today, "Mommy, did you know there was a state called Dilaware?" Until I broke the sad news to him, he thought it was cool that there was a state that started the same as his name!
My 5 years old is cleaning and shining my kitchen sink for the third night in a row! And it really does sparkle when he's done!! The first night he said to me, "come over here and watch, Mama, so you will know how to do it too." :)
E's little 2 yr old voice right before breakfast - "Is it hungry time, Mommy?"
During Sabbath school this morning E told me, "There's nots (snot) in my nose." I looked and it wasn't runnning out so I said we would blow it in just a minute. He turned to me and blew on my nose. He said, "I blow mommy's nose." :)
I said, "I can't wait to get my Sabbath school programs." Chaeli replied, "I can't wait till I can drive." My, oh my!!
You know...the people they use to bury in pyramids?? Chaeli's answer: "Oh yeah. Dummies." Mommy: "I think you mean mummies." We were really trying to get the word Pharoah but the answer was just so funny!
We were talking about symbols of America and I asked Chaeli what reminded her of the USA. Dillon pops up with, "Walmart!"
At potluck to a friend of ours Dillon dramatically says, "Give me pie, or I die!"
We had just made some pretty healthy caramel popcorn. Chaeli says with a big smile on her face, "Mommy, this doesn't taste like it's healthy!"
Dillon quote: "Chaeli, you take some and I'll take the other some."
"Mommy, Jesus can do magic. He can snap His fingers and it just happens." - Dillon
I said to Dillon, "My ears itch!" He replied, "Then don't listen." :) Hope it solves my problem.
Once again my 4 year old cracks me up! He's laying next to me and I hear him sniffing. When I look at him, he says, "I'm smelling you to see if you are good to eat!"
I was holding Elijah and thought I smelled something so I asked Dillon to come over and smell Elijah's bottom. After smelling, Dillon looked at me and very slowly and seriously said, "Yuuuck. It smells like chips." Upon changing the diaper I confirmed my suspicion that it was NOT chips in there!
Chaeli was trying to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels today. Even amid all the falls, Dillon was her greatest fan. All of a sudden he exclaimed, "Hot dog! She's good!" Makes me chuckle every time I replay it in my mind! :)
I had to trim a few of Elijah's hairs tonight for the first time. I said, "should we keep them?" "Yes," says Chaeli. "Yeah," says Dillon. "Lets glue them to Papa's head!"
Chaeli says, "a ride-on!" Huh is my reply. "A ride-on shovel," she says as we pass a front end loader!
Chaeli: "I have a good forehead. I can remember!"
Chaeli about the Superbowl: "I was watching my favorite part where they get down on their hands and knees and run into each other!"
After hearing "The First Noel" only a few times, this is what Chaeli was singing: "The first noel the angels did say, on a cold winter morning in fields and in hay... :)
You know your husband has done too many funerals when one morning you say, "I wonder what Papa is doing," and your three year old replies, "Maybe he went to the graveside."
I had just finished singing "You are my Sunshine" to Dillon. 5 minutes later He comes over to me and says, "Do you remember that I'm your little Mary Sunshine and no one can take me away?"
We hung out at the beach this afternoon. While we were in the water, I said, "Dillon, see the big fish." He tensed up and said, "Does it swallow?" :) I reassured him that they wouldn't swallow him like the big fish swallowed Jonah. "Ooohh...okay," he said.
"I have to close my eyes. When I open my eyes the sun hurts my eyebrows." --Dillon
"Mommy, when we play Sabbath school and church tomorrow, can we have potluck too?" Chaeli asked.
Totally out of the blue Dillon says, "Thank you, God, for blue blankies."
Dillon: "Mama..........I love you. You and me are gonna be neighbors." (he's talking about heaven!)
Chaeli's favorite phrase of the evening: "Go up thou bald head." She kept saying this to Dillon as they played on the porch this evening. :)
"Dillon, we need to decide what we're going to get Papa for his birthday." He replied, "Let's get him a BIG duck!" (we both had a good laugh) "What kind of duck are you talking about," I asked. "A BIG, BIG duck!"
"Dillon, why are you up so early?," mama asked. "Because I want to see you, Mama," Dillon sweetly replied. Even though it was 5:30am, I surely couldn't send him back to bed after that.
Dillon is standing near me giving me a funny look. "Are you okay," I ask. "Yes, mommy. I just love you." he says, as he runs away.
"Dillon, it's time to take a nap," I said. "Do you need to go potty?" "No, I don't have to go. I went last week," he replied.
"Chaeli, your gum is darker red now that you're chewing it," I said. "That's because I turned it inside out," she replied.
"Look at that tree Dillon." I said, "See the red and yellow and orange and green all over it?" "Yes," said Dillon. "We should do that to our tree."
Lately Dillon has been singing the song "In the Garden." At supper yesterday he started again and sang, "I keep coming to the garden alone..."
Chaeli says to Dillon: "Dillon. Did you know that Jesus made Adam out of dirt and then blowed heat into him and he became a real lived person?"
Dillon got 10 dimes from Grammy and we explained about tithe to him. Going up the stairs last night with his dimes, I reminded him that one was for Jesus. He took one dime and placed it on a stair. "I'll leave it right here so Jesus can get it," he said.
After explaining to Dillon that mommy has a baby growing in her tummy, he turned and said to us, "I'll water it."
According to Chaeli, I am now "the baby lady."
Chaeli was telling me that she needed help putting a tape in the tape player. She said to me, "I forgot how. I haven't done this in years!"
Dillon is on the stairs with his hands folded, crying and crying during a little meltdown! He stops and says to me, "Pray, Mama." Usually we pray for self-control during these episodes and he knew he needed to!
I'm going to wake Dillon up. I say, "Wake up, Dillon. We're going to MOOville so we can eat ice cream." Dillon's eyes pop open. He says, "It's gonna be cold.....I'm gonna say brrrrrrr."
Inside Chaeli's head: "I have a piggy bank. Dillon has a piggybank. Mommy is putting money in our Sabbath school jar." Chaeli says to mommy: "We have lots of money in this house!"
We're driving down the highway last night and we pass a small lake on Dillon's side of the car. All of a sudden Dillon exclaims, "Oh, a swimming pool!"
At the end of dinner tonight Chaeli said to me, "I'm all done. I can't eat anymore." ....2-3 minutes later.... "Well," she added, "done with this food. I have room for pie."
No matter what Dillon's actual memory verse is for the week, if you ask him to say his memory verse, he'll say to you, "Be kind to one another. Ephesians 4:32." It's the first one he's ever learned completely by memory so in his mind, THAT is his memory verse!
As any good parent, we're endeavoring to teach our kids to speak politely. When Dillon wants us to hold him he says, "May you please hold me?"
Whenever I tell Chaeli that I like what she is wearing she kindly tells me that when she grows up, she'll share it with me. The implication is that it will be larger as well! :)
We were playing on the playground behind our church school and suddenly Chaeli exclaims, "My shirt is clean! Clean as dirt!"
Traveling home from church not long ago, Dillon was in the mood to sing..."Amazing grace how sweet MY sounds..." Truly, it was sweet! :)