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A Project

Valerie Basham

January 3, 2013

This is what you see when you open the door from the carport:

Oh! Welcome! Come on in!

Notice the coats? We used to cram about 17 more coats on this little rack.

But yesterday, my wonderful husband bought me the following coat hook bar, which he promptly installed for me this morning:

Ahhh…here is the new home to those 17 other coats, and the best part is that it’s at kid-height, so they can hang up their own coats. Did you get that last part? Hang up their own coats. Someone please say, “Merry Christmas, Mom.”

Above the new coat rack is our “library book shelf”, aka “the iron and starch shelf”.

This is what is below the coat rack. A pair of boots and a rug in desperate need of vacuuming.

But blogging is so much more fun than vacuuming.

Until next time,

Fifteen Blessed Years

Valerie Basham

2 comments

January 2, 2013

I can’t believe that I’ve been married for fifteen years already! I remember thinking during those first few years, which were very difficult, that couples who had been married for 25 years or more were amazing – and here I am, only a decade from that mark! Marriage was, and is, hard. That’s why the divorce rate is so high. It takes work. My husband and I have faced many challenges together. We’ve moved eight times. We’ve had five children in five different cities and hospitals. We’ve been to funerals of family members together. We’ve sat in hospitals with our children, and even had two ambulance rides with them. We have faced financial reversal more than once. Oh, and we’ve had our share of “discussions”. We’ve had to say “I’m sorry” to each other more times than we can count! Yet, through it all, here we are. Our love isn’t perfect, but it’s strong, because it’s built on the Rock – Jesus Christ. He has seen us through each valley.

The beginning: January 2, 1998, at Victory Baptist Church, Benton, Arkansas.

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for not only bringing my man into my life, but for sustaining us as we’ve walked life’s road together these fifteen years. I pray that He gives us many, many more.

Fifteen years later, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Here are a few past posts about my amazing husband and our life together:

Our engagement story
Our love story
What I love about him
A special memory
Our Fourteenth Anniversary
About Terry (The only post written by Terry!)

Wow, I just listed six posts in a few minutes! The scary thing is, there are many more stored away in my archives. I love my husband very much, and I love writing, so I guess I just combine the two pretty often.

Terry has always been my hero, as well as my cheerleader. He believes in me more than anyone else. Last July, I received my first paycheck for writing. He took the check to a printer and had them photocopy the check in color, then he framed it for me. I don’t think I have anything more precious in my possession than that little gift. What a joy to know he cares about what I care about; he believes in me. I don’t deserve his love, but I am truly grateful.

Start 2013 the Right Way

Valerie Basham

2 comments

January 1, 2013

It’s January first of a brand new year. I have put away the tree and decorations, cleaned out some clutter (four Walmart sacks full) and have started another journey through God’s Word just this morning. It’s cloudy here, and cold, but I love it! The last two summers were exceedingly dry and hot, so this wet, cold weather is a welcome change.

I have posted here about how I want everyone to read the Bible this year. Even if you read just one chapter a day, it will change your life. I tell my little Sunday school students to try reading one verse a day. It’s not much perhaps, but it will get them in the habit, and we all have to start somewhere.

I thought I’d share some of my morning routine to give you some ideas for creating your own quiet time space.

I get up before everyone else so I am assured of a true quiet time. Interruptions during Bible reading can be frustrating and of course, distracting. With five children, this means I get up before the sun. But it’s worth it.

I have my coffee {with vanilla creamer}, my Bible, my journal and my favorite pen in a safe place where no one will bother it. Nothing steals your Bible-reading-joy like starting to underline a verse only to find your pen is gone. I keep my things put up, but I have hidden a spare pen, just in case. (Insert evil laugh here) I like the fine-point blue pens. Fine-point makes it easier to underline or jot a note in a tight space and blue shows up better against the black or red print of my Bible.

Here’s my set up: Box of tissues (because I have allergies that flare up in the mornings), my favorite journal and pen, my Bible, my coffee and a little daily devotional booklet called The Baptist Bread (only available for churches to order). Notice the spiral notebook to the right of the computer screen? That’s very important. You see, I have a rather active mind. Okay, let’s just admit it, shall we? My mind wonders during my devotional time. I think about something I want to Google. A title for a book pops into my head, or a story idea. I want to remember to mail a note to someone, etc. These thoughts randomly pop into my mind (probably from Satan to distract me). I can either stop reading my Bible and go do those things, or I can wait till I’m done. The problem was that when I waited, I would finish and think, “What was that thought? What was I going to do?” (See! It’s got to be the Devil! Why else would I only remember during my Bible reading time? Fishy if you ask me!) So that old, mostly-used-up spiral notebook has been a great help with this dilemma. Now, when a random thought pops into my head, BAM! I jot it down, forget about it and get back to thinking about my Bible reading. When I’m done with my devotional time, I read my list and take care of those things that only came to mind during quiet time. Problem solved.

This is my favorite journal. I have already gone through one. When I used it up, I did some research to find another one. I love that it has over a hundred pages which are lined. I love that it is hardback and spiral bound – it’s sturdy and easy to fold back to write on. I slide my pen down the little spiral thing for storage. Each day, I write the day of the week and the date on a section of a page (I usually only need to use half a page a day). Below the date, I write the word “read” and then I fill in the chapters which I read that day. Today, I read Genesis 1-2, Matthew 1 and Proverbs 1. Below that, I write in a verse that blessed me, or a thought on a verse. If nothing comes to mind to jot down, I just leave it. At least I can go back and see what passages I read on that given day. Sometimes, I write down burdens or blessings, since writing is my favorite thing to do. I just recently started writing down what the weather is on that day…because I’m an insane list-freak.

Here’s the latest addition to my “space”. 🙂 It’s a Mary Engelbreit day-by-day calendar! I love Mary’s artwork, don’t you? Each day has a cheerful drawing with a little saying. This adds some nice color to my little desk. I use this desk a lot – Bible time, grading papers and typing on my laptop – so I want to make it a happy place.

I hope these ideas will help generate some for your own quiet time. 2012 is over, and it held many challenges and lessons for me. I don’t know what I would have done without God’s Word to guide me daily. It was my comfort, my teacher, my light and my encouragement through many dark days. I expect 2013 to be just as challenging. Why? Because I’m still robed in flesh, and my flesh is sinful, because I’m still living in a sin-cursed world, and because the devil is still loose on this world. Perhaps this will be the year that my Saviour will return. But if not, I’m thankful for His Word and His Holy Spirit. Let’s start 2013 the right way – with God’s Word!

May the Lord bless you richly in 2013!

Books Read in 2012

Valerie Basham

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December 31, 2012

I am hurriedly trying to get my “end of the year” posts finished, that’s why I’ve done three in one day. Sorry for the overload! 🙂 Here’s the list of books I read in 2012. My goal was to read 40, and I surpassed that goal. I’m pleased considering that many of them were over 500 pages. I had set a goal to read three books about writing, and I met that goal as well. I also did a lot of writing, but I have no idea if it will ever see the light of day. If nothing else, it was good practice!

I read 30 new authors this year!It was nice to branch out a bit, since I tend to stay with familiar names when it comes to reading.

I’m already compiling my reading list for the coming year, so leave me a comment if there’s book you love. I’m always looking for new titles and authors.

Here’s the list, in case you’re curious, although this is mostly for my own reference. The titles in bold type were books I read aloud to the children.

Non-Fiction

Killing Kennedy – Bill O’Reilly

The Light and the Glory – Peter Marshall and David Manuel

By Searching – Isobel Kuhn

Life Skills for Kids – Christine M. Field

Spoken from the Heart – Laura Bush

Archimedes and the Door of Science – Jeanne Bendick

1776 – David McCullough

Plot & Structure – James Scott Bell

Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint – Nancy Kress

On Writing – Stephen King

Suffering and Death: The Saint’s Highest Calling – Randy R. Pike

The Garner Files – James Garner

John Adams – David McCullough

Augustus Caesar’s World – Genevieve Foster

Invincible Louisa – Cornelia Meigs

The Ocean of Truth: The Story of Sir Isaac Newton – Joyce McPherson

Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography – William Anderson

Fiction

The List – Robert Whitlow

Shepherd of the Hills – Harold Bell Wright

Tara Road – Maeve Binchy

And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie

Home to Harmony – Philip Gulley

Just Shy of Harmony – Philip Gulley

Signs and Wonders – Philip Gulley

Christmas in Harmony – Philip Gulley

And the Shofar Blew – Francine Rivers

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms – Cindy Woodsmall

More Stories In Grandma’s Attic – Arleta Richardson

Treasures from Grandma – Arleta Richardson

The Trumpet of the Swan – E. B. White

Flint – Louis L’Amour

The 21 Balloons – William Pène du Bois

The Nine Tailors – Dorothy L. Sayers

The Discovery – Dan Walsh

The Westing Game – Ellen Raskin

The Golden Goblet – Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Dinosaurs Before Dark – Mary Pope Osborne

Remembering Christmas – Dan Walsh

Christmas at Harrington’s – Melody Carlson

Be Still My Soul – Joanne Bischof

The Story of the Treasure Seekers – Edith Nesbit

A Very Special Delivery – Linda Goodnight

Farmer Boy – Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mountain Born – Elizabeth Yates

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas – Agatha Christie

Highlights of 2012

Valerie Basham

2 comments

December 31, 2012

I put together this collage of some of our family’s big moments from this last year. It really made me sad to see how much the kids have changed in just one year…and the years are not slowing down any! It’s yet another reminder to slow down and enjoy life.

Most of the events pictured below I blogged about: Leslie lost her two front teeth, each child started a new year of school and had a birthday, Terry and I got to enjoy a trip to Hot Springs and we all went to Magic Springs (theme park), Niagara Falls and Canada. Laci learned to ride a bike and started Kindergarten and we got to see my friends, Ava, in Memphis, and Dixie, when she stopped by here last January. It was a wonderful year, full of God’s blessings! {click to enlarge}

Thank you for reading! Happy New Year!

Musical Mitchell

Valerie Basham

3 comments

December 31, 2012

Here are a couple of videos of Mitchell enjoying his new Christmas gift! The first one is “I Am Resolved” and the second is a partial version of “Carol of the Bells”. He sure has been having a good time with it. Click play below, or click HERE.

Click below for “Carol of the Bells” or go HERE.

Christmas Memories, 2012

Valerie Basham

6 comments

December 30, 2012

This year was a very special Christmas. Terry and I were able to get each of our children a gift they were not expecting. And I love surprising my children! Here are some snapshots of our special memories. I realize this post will mostly be of interest to our family, so if you’re not related, consider yourself warned! 😉

Since we were able to visit the Farmer Boy home in Malone, NY, and we’ve read Farmer Boy as well as other Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, I decided to make an “Old Fashioned Christmas goody bag” to commemorate our memories. I put these inside the kids’ stockings. It had an orange, a peppermint cane and a penny. I only wish I’d had some knitted mittens to put inside! Maybe next year. 🙂

The little girls, clean and scrubbed and wearing new jammies on Christmas Eve.

Everyone on Christmas Eve, ready for bed.

The gifts beneath the tree, Christmas Eve.

Matthew got a sword fighting set (foam). He has had a blast, but even though it’s foam rubber, it can still hurt! We’ve had to tell him to be careful. 🙂 He also got a farm tractor and trailer and some farm animals, but he got so busy playing, I didn’t get a photo of those.

Lauren gave Matt a gun, and boy did he love it!

Taking careful aim, with his eyes closed. 🙂

Terry set up the girls’ gift, a Barbie Dream House, on Christmas Eve. We had it under a sheet. I was so pleased at how patient they were to take off the sheet. They didn’t run in greedily to grab what was theirs. That made me very happy.

Taking it all in…it has a fireplace that glows and crackles, a toilet flushing sound for the bathroom, as well as the sound of the shower running, a TV that goes up and down behind the fireplace, a door bell, elevator, a fridge with a light and it’s fully furnished!

Laci’s blurry joy! 🙂

Happy girls.

Mitchell’s gift – portable piano keyboard – was hard to hide and wrap. I decided we would go on a scavenger hunt to find it! Here he’s opening the first clue, which was:

“You opened the box, but don’t lose hope. Go look under the bar of soap.”

He found the second clue under the bar of soap in our main bathroom. It said:

“Finding this gift is not a breeze. Go look under the dog bowl, please.”

Here he’s reading the last clue:

“You’re almost done, I promise you. All your dreams will soon come true.

Our gift to you, our fine young man, is found inside the trunk of the van!”

He nearly fell when we ran onto the carport to see the trunk of our van with a sign that said “YOU DID IT!”. He opened the trunk to find his gift – a portable piano with headphones and stand. He began shedding tears of joy, which made me and his dad do the same. There is no greater joy to hear your children walk in truth, and, I might add, to see their grateful hearts. 🙂 It was a moment that I will treasure forever.

We had some fun with Lauren’s gift, too. We wrapped her gift in one box, then a bigger box, then an even bigger box! It was in Mitchell’s keyboard box, which Mitch was hoping was his gift, so we tricked both of them! haha! Here she’s opening the final box. I love the look on her face when she sees what it is – a 3DS! She was thinking she’d have to save up her own money for one, which she’s been doing for several months. We surprised her, too!

Sheer delight.

Yes!

The kids’ drew names and each bought a sibling a gift. I got this precious moment between Laci and Mitchell as she gave him her gift.

Mitch drew Lauren’s name. It’s nice to see them being nice. 🙂

Laci got Dad a journal and one of his favorite pens.

Leslie bought a stapler for her dad. (That was extra special since she lost his other one! lol!)

Lauren bought Dad some of his favorite snacks – candy pretzels!

Mitch got Dad a new sweatshirt.

Laci bought me a coffee cup.

Sweet Leslie – she bought me a blanket and then had saved back some of her Sunday School Christmas candy and wrapped it up for me. Her thoughtfulness touched my heart. She and Laci also made me the bell necklace!

Lauren got me this “Family” sign. It’s perfect; it’s one of my favorite words!

Mitchell got me some hot pads. My other ones were getting threadbare and he noticed that my hands got burned a few times. If I look worn out in the above photos, it’s because I was! Staying up late and getting up early for weeks takes its toll. I’ve been enjoying the break from school and sleeping in a little later!

Our Christmas meal: Brisket, homemade BBQ sauce, homemade mashed potatoes, cranberry salad, stuffing, rolls, green been casserole, and peas. Dessert was pumpkin pie, chocolate pecan pie, and Dutch apple pie. We feasted like kings, as Mitchell said!

One blessed lady.

Thanks for reading about our Christmas adventures!

A Christmas Eve Tradition

Valerie Basham

4 comments

December 30, 2012

Since 2009, my family and I have carried on a little Christmas Eve tradition. We go to our local Waffle House for supper! It was the only place open to eat that first year we did it, and we liked it so much that we continued it in the years since (unless we have company). They have large booths that seat up to six people, and in 2009, that’s exactly how many we had in our family. Even with Matthew added, we still fit in one booth, because his little high chair sits on the end.

My husband and I ate at Waffle House in Conway, Arkansas, on our way home from our lengthy two day honeymoon in Heber Springs, Arkansas. It was just the two of us, broke but in love, in a wide booth enjoying a tasty waffle with covered hash browns back then. This year, we were so crowded that we didn’t have enough room on the table for all the plates! We had to cut up waffles and combine them with the eggs and bacon in order for it all to fit.

And it was wonderful.

One side of the booth, as we waited for our breakfast supper.

The other side of the booth.

Matt was on the end.

Lauren’s food is yummy!

Terry enjoyed his coffee!

Matt tried to pour the syrup.

Mitchell being silly!

Laci’s waffle was good, but here she’s getting full.

We never would have imagined fifteen years ago as we began our life’s journey together that God would bless us with five beautiful children! I know we’re crazy – we enjoy being crammed into a booth together eating breakfast for supper. But, as I sat there, I was enjoying so much more than the delicious, greasy food. I was listening to the laughter of my children and their conversation. I was savoring each moment, like the tiny, syrup-covered hands of my baby. In a few days – or so it will seem – he will no longer be tiny! As we sat together, I was engraving the image of their tender faces into my memory bank. One day, when they are all quite grown up, I can look back and enjoy this closeness once more, even if it’s just in my imagination.

Favorite Websites of 2012

Valerie Basham

4 comments

December 27, 2012

Well, 2012 is nearly done. I always spend time in December reflecting on the past year and planning for the one to come. I am a planner, by nature. I love lists. I love to jot things down as I think of them and I love organizing things. I like schedules, too. I thought I’d take just a minute of your time and share my most used websites from this year. I’m excluding this one (Blogger) and Facebook. I use those a lot, every year. However, the sites listed below are ones I’ve either started using for the first time, or ramped up my usage in 2012.

www.paperbackswap.com – This is the place for finding the cheapest books around. You post a minimum of ten books that you want to get rid of and receive a free credit to order a book, free! When someone requests a book from your list, you mail it to them and receive a book credit in return. You can also sign up and purchase credits for under $4 – that includes shipping! For a homeschooling mom, or anyone who loves to read, this site is a dream come true. I’ve used it more this year than ever! I’ll be sharing the books I read in a later post.

www.goodreads.com – Another book-related site, it’s become not only a great resource for book reviews, but also a nice place to keep a tally of the books I’ve read, am currently reading, and want to read. If you’re on there, look me up! I’d love to hear about your favorite books. You can even set up a yearly reading goal. I set a goal to read 40 books this year and have succeeded beyond it! It feels good to see the percentage rise with each book I read.

www.picmonkey.com – This is a really popular place to edit photos and I just started using it this year. It’s fun and easy. Try it, if you haven’t already!

www.christianbook.com – I’ve used this site a lot over the years, but this year I’ve used it even more. I discovered that ordering books and paying shipping is cheaper than driving two hours to pick them out in person, then two hours back! I’ve gotten some great deals on the books and free shipping a few times.

www.amazon.com – Again, I’ve used Amazon for years, but it’s become a new favorite since I got my Kindle Fire for my last anniversary. I have found scads (is that a word?) of free apps and books, and bought some music as well. I have heard the Prime membership is a great savings for avid Amazoners – maybe I’ll try that next!

www.pinterest.com – It’s my new best friend. I have found ideas for gifts, recipes, crafts and more. Many of my friends can’t sleep because they have”Pinsomnia”. I’m not that far gone, but close. I will never get everything done on my pin-boards, but it’s fun dreaming. I look at it as plans for my retirement. Oh, wait, moms don’t retire…well, plans for my “empty nest” years. 🙂

www.education.com – I just found this site this month and L-O-V-E, love it! A myriad of choices in coloring pages and worksheets. I’ll be adding this to my homeschooling links page for sure! Be careful though, you can only download ten items free each month. Choose wisely. 🙂

www.mamaslearningcorner.com – Another site with great printables! If you want to homeschool at a very low cost, here’s a place that can help.

Have any favorite sites that you use all the time? Please share them!

We Lived the Dream

Valerie Basham

6 comments

December 26, 2012

We’ve all heard it a hundred times – some even more than a hundred. “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…” Well, those of us in the south have dreamed that dream for many years only to be heartbroken on Christmas morning. Some of us even gave up the dream a long time ago. But, for the first time in my life of thirty…something years, I had a white Christmas in ArkansasIt! Don’t get me wrong, we see snow down here occasionally. Usually January or February. One time, many moons ago, we even had some in March! But never on Christmas Day. It was a beautiful sight! We didn’t get as much as our friends in central Arkansas got, but they got the power outages, too, so I can’t complain that we only saw about an inch of snowfall. Here are some pictures from our lovely Christmas snow!

Coming down peacefully on Christmas evening.

A dusting of sugar covers the ground. Well, that’s what it looks like, anyway. 🙂

When I downloaded my pictures onto my laptop, I found this one! I have a very sweet husband. And, in case I haven’t mentioned it, I love him very much.

This is the day after Christmas. Everything was so beautiful, and there was hardly any traffic so it was very quiet outside. I love snow! I love the cold weather!

Another picture from my husband. I like how the sun is peeking out between the snow covered limbs. We didn’t see it much in the days following Christmas, making this photo even more special.

Here are a few more pictures taken the day after Christmas:

If you read my blog often, you know that I’ve had a difficult year. I know some people say that when they see a cardinal or a butterfly or a rainbow that they are reminded – in a very personal way – that God loves them. They see those things as “hugs from God”. Well, I enjoy all of God’s creation. I don’t have to look far to be reminded of His great love for me. But, when I saw this snowfall in south Arkansas on Christmas Day, I couldn’t help but feel loved! It wasn’t just a beautiful sight to behold, it was a miracle! He reminded me on Christmas Day that, yes, He still does miracles.

I’m praying for many more in the year to come.