Cut-out cookie time!

These are still my favorite Christmas treat. My recipe has nutmeg in it...mmmm!

Christmas busy-ness

School's out! Yay! We had our home school co-op party on Tuesday, where we caroled a nursing home and decorated cookies and ate pizza. We had a good turn-out, and it's always good to see the kids interacting with each other. Wednesday was our AWANA store and Christmas party and the last one until January (she said with exceeding great joy). Thursday afternoon we went to Rebecca's school to watch the 4 classes on her wing put on a little Christmas program. It was SO CUTE! I loved it. If you watch the video you'll see Rebecca's dance moves. Ha!
Friday I drove the girls 3 hours to Conway where we had lunch with my Mom, then we met up with Mike and a bunch of students and they followed us another 3 hours to Rogers where we got to see Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio's "Glory in the Highest" tour. It was indescribable. (No pun intended. Okay, it was.) Seriously, it was a very moving, worshipful experience. I loved it. We also had supper and spent the night with Chuck and Holly and Kate and Grayson. They were very good friends of ours our first year and a half in Magnolia, and we've missed them a bunch since they moved. It was great spending a little time with them.
On our way home yesterday the girls and I stopped to visit my Mom again, and my brother Matt and his family, who are spending Christmas there before moving to Colorado Springs. It's been a year and a half since we've seen them, so that was fun. We'll get to see them again Christmas day.
It was dark the last hour of our drive, so we judged the Christmas lights we saw to pass the time. Our neighborhood won. :)
We also kept track of state license plates on the trip, and would you believe we saw 31 states, just driving 6 hours and back, all within the state of Arkansas? I guess there's no place like home for the holidays.

Do you see what I see?

When you look at this picture, what do you see?
I see my grandmothers, who used ornaments as nametags on my Christmas presents.
I see my Dad, who brought me a little doll ornament from Germany.
I see my Mom, helping me paint a little wooden elf when I was five.
I see Mike's dad, and I can imagine Mike decorating the tree as a little boy in Texas.
I see Mrs. Barrett, and the families in Virginia that became family to us.
I see my brother, so proud of our Stuart heritage he gave us a Stuart plaid bear.
I see each of my baby girls.
I see the baby I lost 7 years ago today, and my friend Marnie, who came to our house that night with a little Joshua ornament.
I see a trip with my friend Sandra, when Mike and I were dating, and the hope I had that the ornament I gave him would end up on my tree forever.
I see our honeymoon, and each of our moves and mission trips and vacations.
I see teachers, and I see students.
I see Mikayla's friend Josephine, my high school friend Amanda, college friends Angie and Mandy, Fort Worth friends Karry and Beverly, former student friends Matt and Jackie, Chris and Julie, and Becky, and Idaho friends Tim and Denise.

I see love.

I won again!!

I won another blog drawing! Vicki Courtney was giving away Travis Cottrell's Christmas CD, and I won. :) It came in the mail today, and we're listening to it on our lazy Saturday.

Ten on the Eleventh (hey, life is busy)

10 things we've done in the past 10 (11) days

1. Sunday night (technically Nov. 30, but I'm counting it)--Heard Robert and Sharon Pinkston share about their work in Canada at our church's Lottie Moon soup and cornbread supper. I went to college with Robert and Sharon, and they haven't changed a bit! I loved seeing their kids, and learning a little about their lives.

2. Monday night--Attended a one night marriage seminar at Beech Springs camp. Mike and I got to spend a few hours without kids, talking about our relationship, visiting with other adults, having supper, laughing at videos. It was fun.

3. Tuesday night--BCM Christmas party, with good food which included cheesecake!, silly games, Luke 2, and dirty Santa. We got a $10 Sonic gift card and some funny Christmas socks!

4. Wednesday night--AWANA night--my most, um, challenging Cubbie wasn't there, so it went really, really well. :)

5. Thursday night--Magnolia Christmas parade, concluding with the Celebration of Lights at SAU. This is one of my absolute favorite things about living in Magnolia. The parade is short, but has people we know, and 3 bands, and I just love cheering for them and embarrassing my children! We watch from near campus, then walk over for cookies and cocoa, choir and handbell performances, and the girls sit on Santa's lap. We even get a free picture, about 5 minutes later!! It's neat to see how the girls have changed each year.

6. Friday night--Jessica and Mikayla's Sunday School Christmas party "Christmas Around the World." I got to share about Mozambique. It was fun and exhausting.

7. Saturday night--Mike and Kecia's Sunday School party for supper, then I went to choir practice, then I went back to the party--just in time for it to end.

8. Sunday--Hanging of the Green--Another favorite thing about Magnolia. It's even more fun now that I'm singing in the choir. We decorated the worship center, and the adult choir, kids choir, and youth choir sang, usually together. I just wish I didn't always tear up when the kids sing, it makes it hard to see my music!

9. Tuesday--made a gingerbread house. The girls did most of it by themselves!

10. Wednesday--AWANA pajama night + movie, followed by choir rehearsal...in my pajamas. It was fun, I may start wearing them every week!

Sandusky Academy Christmas Recital

You are cordially invited to the Sandusky Academy Christmas Recital. Sit back and enjoy!
"Ode to Joy" by Jessica Sandusky on the piano

Mikayla Sandusky on the recorder presents: "I Saw Three Ships"

"The Holly and the Ivy"

and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"

Thanksgiving wrap-up

Wednesday: wrote Christmas cards while driving to Beaumont, Texas, to stay with Mike's brother and his family. Saw "Blind Side" and "Planet 51"
Thursday:
7 am--woke up to the words "We need you in the bathroom." Mikayla's stomach had been hurting her all night long, and she had, um, rid herself of the problem. On Mike's foot. After that she was fine!
10 am--drove to Magnolia, Texas, to have Thanksgiving dinner with Mike's family. Even his Mom got to come!

Rebecca, of course, was spoiled rotten by all the cousins.

All the family had a lot of fun cooking, talking, and laughing together.

We ate around 3, and then my friends Mark and Karry, who live in Phoenix, drove up from his parents' house to visit. She and I shared an apartment for 2 years in Fort Worth, and it was soooo good to see them!

The Texas A & M vs. ut game was fun, in spite of the bad ending. Mike, David, and Tod cheered for A & M, while Zachary and Ethan cheered for ut. But it was all in good fun!

While the boys watched the game, Jeannie and Robin helped Mikayla and Rebecca make a gingerbread house. They had fun, and it turned out really cute.

Friday:  We got back to Beaumont late, because we didn't leave until after the football game, so I didn't get up early to shop on Friday, but I did shop. Renee took me to Target and the mall, and it wasn't too crowded. I had fun, and got some good deals! We pretty much shopped all day, while the kids and husbands played on the Wii and played miniature golf. Rebecca had fun playing with their dog, Bear.  When she thought he looked cold, she covered him with her blankie!

Saturday: We took the kids to play at a park, then had lunch at the mall before driving home. Mikayla was dying to do the bungee jump thing at the mall, and talked Rebecca into doing it with her. They loved it! I kept trying to get a picture of them doing flips, but my camera was too slow.

We took a slight detour on our way home, to see the Festival of Lights in Natchitoches, Lousiana. None of us had been there before, and we all enjoyed it! We looked at the lights, ate Natchitoches meat pies, foot long corn dogs, sausage on a stick, gator (yes, alligator) bobs, and funnel cakes on the river, and watched a fireworks show. It made us all feel so festive.

Walking back to the car we all "got" to pet a live gator--only in Louisiana are gators so much a part of Christmas! There's even one pulling a crawdad on waterskis next to the nativity scene at the bottom...ha!

It was another late night, and a busy time, but a really good Thanksgiving break. Now we're counting the days until Christmas!!

Jarvis

We went to see "Blind Side" the night before Thanksgiving. If you get a chance to see it, do. I thought about my Jarvis throughout the whole movie.
My first teaching job was in Fort Worth, Texas, at a poor, black school in Como--one of (if not THE) scariest neighborhoods in the city. I didn't know any of that when I took the job, I just knew it was kindergarten, and came with a paycheck. It was a difficult job, but ended up feeling like home, oddly enough.
My second year there, a boy named Jarvis was put in my class. Everybody warned me about him--crack baby, emotionally disturbed, out of control.  The first day of school he walked in with his big brown eyes, looking terrified, and I led him to a ball of play-dough on a table.  He picked it up and started playing with it, as sweet as pie.  That may be when I fell in love with him. He rarely talked--was very shy--pulled his arms and head into his shirt a lot, and occassionally hid under a table, but was never a big problem. 
He lived with his mom, who was still on crack. One time he was out for a few days, and when he came back I asked why he was gone, and he said he was sick (throwing up). I asked who took care of him: "my brother." I asked how he helped him, and he said, "Gave me potato chips and Coke." :(
The day I just about called the state and begged them to let me adopt him was when I sent the kids out to recess and he didn't go, but just stood by my elbow looking at me. I asked him why he didn't go play, and he just shook his head. I asked if he felt bad, and he shook his head again. I asked if he wanted to go talk to Mr. Williams (counselor) and he shook his head again.  Then tears just started streaming silently down his cheeks, one after another. It broke my heart--I had to pull him onto my lap and just hold him. He never would tell me what was wrong. Oh, I loved that boy.
The year after that, when school started I saw him, and he didn't know where to go, so I was showing him, and he reached out to hold my hand! That was very rare for him, too. That was a great moment. I think that was also about the time he started living with his aunt, who was a good woman, and a good mom (I had her son one year.) That was great for Jarvis, but meant I would never get to adopt him--and I had been seriously wanting to, single as I was.
He was finishing the 3rd grade when we moved to Idaho. Before we left I took him to McDonald's for lunch. I picked him up from his grandma's, and bought him a kid's meal, and let him play on the playground. I can still see him, a great big 9-year-old grinning ear to ear laying on his back in the ball pit. Then we moved to Idaho and that's the last I know about him. Why didn't I get more involved with his family, so I could keep in touch with him? Why didn't I at least get his address, for heaven's sake, so I could write him? Why didn't I do more to help? I have prayed for him faithfully, but my fear robbed me of a blessing.
The year before last I went to Fort Worth for a funeral and was able to visit our friends the Lasiters and go back to Como for a visit during the school year, which is something I'd been wanting to do for a long time. One of my fellow kindergarten teachers was still there, and the secretary, Mrs. Leonard. I think Mrs. Leonard has always been and will always be at Como. So I asked her if she knew anything about where and how Jarvis was (he's 24 now) and she said she thinks she heard he was in the military--maybe the Navy. I was thrilled to hear it--that would be great for him. I hope someday to know for sure that he's okay. But for now I'll just keep praying for him...and looking for him every now and then on facebook...

Look what we did this week!

Now we're in Texas for a Sandusky Thanksgiving--happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy List!

Happy List # 52: listening in on my children's pretend play. (Mikayla had a friend sleep over Friday night, and they wrote and acted out a play. So cute!)

#53: Daughters reading together in peace and harmony

#54: Kindergarten Thanksgiving feasts

Fun times

We had a lot of fun this week. The sun was shining, and we had fun raking leaves, and walking and riding our bikes around our neighborhood.



 

On Tuesday Jessica, Mikayla, and I took a long lunch and went to our church to wrap a few Operation Christmas Child boxes. It got me ready for the season!
That night we went bowling in El Dorado with the BCM. We had a good turn-out. First-timers got to come free, and we had several! We all had a lot of fun.  The girls all want to have their birthday parties there next year.
Wednesday night was Cubbies and don't even get me started. Sigh. I had a meeting of the wills with a 3-year-old.  I won.
Thursday I woke up tired and had a headache all day, but still had fun that night. My Bible study girls came over for supper, and we sat around talking and laughing for quite a while. Then a few of them stayed and watched August Rush with us. 
Friday was our home school co-op Thanksgiving party, which I was co-in-charge-of.  Parties are really just not my thing.  I would make a terrible room mother. Which is why I've never been one. It was fun, though, and after they ate and skated a little they made paper-cup turkeys which we took to the nursing home for table decorations. I enjoyed watching Jessica and Mikayla have fun with girls their ages.
That night we went to watch the Magnolia Panthers' play-off football game...they lost. But we enjoyed it anyway. We saw a lot of people we knew; in fact, Rebecca sat with a friend from school, Jessica and Mikayla hung out with friends from church, and Mike and I sat with some home school co-op friends.  It was cool enough to feel like football, but not freezing. I really enjoyed watching the band. :)
Today was just a good ol' Saturday when I never even put my contacts in! Slept late, watched home movies from MY childhood while I ironed, and stayed home all day.  And that wraps up a week in the life of the Sandusky family.
(After 16 years of marriage, I still don't know how to write the plural of Sandusky.)

10 on the Tenth

10 Things I'm Thankful for:
1.  America! We're studying China in school right now, and it really makes me realize how blessed we are.  Even before Communism, they had little to no freedom. Thank you, Lord, for freedom!
2. My family--my husband, who loves God and me and our kids, and works so hard; 3 amazing daughters, when there was a time I thought I'd never have a child; a mom and dad who loved each other 'til death did them part, and raised me in complete love and security; 2 big brothers who looked out for me and never really understand how I looked up to them; plus all their families and aunts and uncles and cousins and, in heaven, grandparents. Even though we only saw each other once a year or so, I always knew they loved me.
3. Forgiveness in Christ.  I guess that one should have gone first, huh?  Please forgive me!
4. Modern conveniences.  With as many missionary friends as we have, I am beginning to appreciate "little" things like plumbing, clean water, dependable electricity, appliances big enough to be useful, heat and a.c., cell phones, and the internet (thanks, Al Gore!)
5. The chance to home school.  I never in a million years planned to home school, but God moved us to a place and time that it became evident that it was the best choice for our family, and I'm SO glad He did. I have loved getting to spend time with my girls, and feeling like we can take time to learn about things like manners, and a Biblical world view, and missions, and house keeping, and cooking, and purity.  Now I hope I use this chance to the fullest.
6. Friends! I have been blessed with friends who love me and understand my weirdness my whole life, and I don't know why or how. But I'm thankful! From Donna Doyle in Mission Friends in Pensacola, to Mendy and Julie and Jenny in Virginia (and Mendy & I still talk on fb!), to Alyssa in San Diego, to Amanda and Heidi and Malinda and Lisa in Conway, to Angie and all of Flippen First and OC Bailey 3rd West at OBU, to my single &  newlywed friends at Wedgwood, to Denise and Tami and Siri in Idaho, to Rebecca and Holly in Magnolia--what fun we've all had.
7. My husband has a job.  With a salary that allows me to stay home. And benefits. And a very flexible schedule. And working with college students, which is my favorite age outside of kindergarten--and much less responsibility. He even gets paid to study the Bible--how cool is that?
8. Changing seasons in a beautiful world.
9. All the places I've been able to go in my life, due to being raised in the Navy then marrying a college minister--because we drove most of the time, I've been able to see so much of this country, and a couple places outside of it! I love seeing new things, and appreciate the differences in places.
10. Unexpected gifts.  The last couple of weeks I've had a few! First, my Mom came to visit (we had so much fun together, just playing dominoes, shopping, getting a manicure, watching TV) and while we were antiquing we found a little shelf we both liked and she bought it for my birthday...which is January 24! What a surprise. :) Then, Mike went to our state convention and met my friend Lottie Lydia, who with her husband Sean is a missionary in Poland, and when he came home he brought gifts from her! An embroidered tablecloth and 3 painted wooden eggs.  We were all just delighted. See what great friends I have! Thank you for being one of them.

My new shelf

Polish gifts

It's November 5 again

I thought this year was going to be easier, but I find myself crying again.  It's been 8 years since that horrible day I wrote about here, and it still hurts so bad.
But I wanted to share a piece of my dad with you.  My mom was cleaning out a desk and found some graph paper she thought I could use with home school.  I found Dad's writing in it, and was able to decipher some of it. (ha) On one side was a plan for a vegetable garden--he LOVED gardening, and was very good at it. 

On the other side was a plan for what I assume is a Sunday School lesson--he LOVED teaching, too, and was very good at it, too!  This was just an outline, and was pretty rough, but still gave me food to chew on.
Here it is:
Subj. 1 Thess 1:1-9  Exemplary believers 

1. Elements of an example
2. Following an example
3. Becoming an example

My opinion--Feeling--attitude toward subject?  positive--a lot to learn in 10 verses


Goal (Class should...)

1. understand that each believer is "in" Christ and Father God
2. be able to demonstrate a work of faith
3. tell an unbeliever "my life is an example" you can follow
4. show a labor of love
5. realize all believers are role models: what do we imitate? who do we imitate? what do we tell the world they will be if they imitate you?
6. tell others their hope--what is your hope?

Lord = Master, John 20:28
Jesus = Savior, Matt. 1:21
Christ = Messiah, John 1:41
What does this teach you?


Benefits

1. motivation to works, labor, and patience will be silver, gold, and precious jewels, not wood hay, and stubble
2. lead others to see Lord in our actions--preach the Word always, use words only when necessary
3. lead other to imitate Christ by imitating you

I can only imagine...

Storm pictures

I tried to get some pictures of the "river" gushing through our carport, but it was too dark.  But here are pictures of the tornado damage less than a mile from our house.

That is one trailer on the right, split in two by a tree.  Notice the uprooted trees and downed power lines. It's pretty mild compared to Arkadelphia in the 90's or even last year's record setting tornado in north Arkansas.  But it was still scary to be driving in!

I'm still amazed we didn't even lose power.  The bayous and rivers are just now cresting, so even though we haven't had rain since Friday, some houses in Bossier City are just now flooding.  One elementary school there just reopened yesterday.  Even here, when I walked my mile yesterday there was water still running across the road at one point!