Sundays are always busy.  Dan took Gideon on a special date to Starbucks early in the morning and found that the NEX had some good prices on real trees.  After a quick oatmeal breakfast we headed over there.  We found a really cute 6 foot tree with no brown needles and full to the top.  We decorated it after church.  Something about having a lit Christmas tree always makes a room feel cozy.  I wish I could figure out something else for the rest of the year. 

Church was very special.  A 102 year old Pearl Harbor survivor, Jim Downing, came to give the sermon. He is a retired Navy Lt. and worked on staff with the Navigators for 30 years.  I was so honored to be there listening to him talk about how to have a fulfilled life.  My favorite points were:1. People who use their gifts for money and personal gain have a high survival rate and that those who choose to dedicate their gifts to God make the right decision, 2. Be the best in your profession.  People will come from all over to hear your testimony (i.e. Dr. Ben Carson), 3. We are fulfilled when we are doing what God designed us to do...everything created was created for a purpose.
It was also mentioned that Mr. Downing read 3-4 books a week, along with the bible, to "get truth into you".  He suggested history books and biographies.   I cried when Chaplain introduced him and said that Jim had come to Christ through the influence of his shipmates.  Please, Lord, may you be present on our ships and give courage to the Christians to share you! 

A lady at church talked to me about how well my children are behaved and how quiet they are.  I wasn't sure who she was talking about because my children are NOT quiet.  It was very clear she had some sort of idea that I have it all together and keep my kids in line perfectly.  This has happened a few times over the last month.  It always makes me very uncomfortable because I don't want people to put me up on some kind of pedistle as super mom.  I'm not.  Some days I wish I could sit in my bed and watch Netflix on the laptop all day!  My kids certainly misbehave at times and I don't do nearly what I should with homeschool and bible teaching.  It's interesting that other people seem to see the good and I mostly think about my failings. 

AWANA was exciting.  I was a little rude when the other secretary asked if Dan could fill in for her and felt terrible about it!  Of course she should go to the kids' Christmas party for her husband's work.  But the exciting part was that Ashton and Landon finished their books and Mareea finished her entire review book.  Thea is one Challenge away from finishing her book.  We have come a long way from the beginning of the year when I had to spoon feed them the verses to get them to work on them to now where they will work on their own. 

For dinner we have apple slices, cheddar cheese slices and a mountainious bowl of popcorn.  This has become our dinner every Sunday night.  With all 7 kids at AWANA and Dan and I volunteering there is no one home to cook and it's really nice to have something easy and good.  It's everyone's second favorite meal after pizza. 

I'm putting together a list of things to order for curriculum.  The boys are about finished with their math books and Dan is going to put them both into the 6th grade book together.  Landon is ready and it will simplify things a little.  I'm trying to decide about putting Thea and Mareea together in Math next year.  If Mareea works all summer I think she could catch up.  It would sure make things easier, but I don't want her to struggle constantly.  She's really smart and I would hate for her to feel like she is not.  I really feel like confidence in their school work is so much more important than just pushing to get ahead or making things easier for mom.