Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Friday, February 25, 2011

This Week

We are here in Dayton this week.  Today we have a dusting of snow over sleet and it is cold.  The kids and I have been bundled up here in the apartment doing some school. 

We have been working on cub scout achievements for Samuel, doing puzzles, playing games and reading.  It has been relaxing.

This weekend we are planning to get out and visit the Cincinnati Museum at Union Terminal.  The girls and I also hope to visit a Super Jo Ann Fabric store.  It will be good to get out and run around a little.  Even at home in NC we tend to be homebodies more lately.

It has been nice visiting here and we will hate to leave, but we must go back to North Carolina Monday.  Hopefully, in a couple of months at worst, we can all be living under the same roof again.  We are trusting in God's timing and His plan.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Sunshine!

What a beautiful day we are having here in North Carolina!  It is near 80 degrees and sunny!  I know we have not had nearly the hard winter that some have had to endure, but I still welcome the warmth and the sunshine.  It really does do one's perspective good.

I sent the kids outside right before lunch to play and fixed them a little picnic to eat outside.  They really seemed to enjoy it. 

We have had a good week of school and are looking forward to next week because we are traveling to Ohio to see Grandparents and Daddy, too!!  We are staying all week.  We are taking some school with us and plan to visit Union Terminal in Cincinnati while we are there.  We also may find something else educational to do.  We are going to be flexible.  I know we will be taking books and games and will continue our Bible reading.  I believe it will be enough. 

This Saturday is Samuel's Pinewood Derby.  It is his first and he is looking forward to it, but doesn't really know what to expect.  I'll try to post some pictures.  His car is a "shark".  It is blue and silver and has a big fin on top!

Hope you all have some sun today and enjoy your weekend!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

It has been a while

Hi there!  Yes, I know it has been a  L O N G while since I posted anything.  I do apologize.  Life sometimes demands that we make choices and I had to choose to take care of other things. 

  1. We had the Christmas holidays and my husband got a new job. 
  2. Which meant he had to get ready to move @ 11 hours from us. 
  3.  Which also meant that we needed to get our current house on the market and get things de-cluttered and sorted. (still working on this)
  4. Right before he did that I took a part time job typing legal transcriptions which I just gave up almost two weeks ago.  (just couldn't get the hang of this)
  5. Then there is school which I really needed ( still need to ) focus on more.
  6. We also had some traveling to get my husband settled into his new apartment and for us to look around the area.  Which is Dayton, Ohio by the way. 
  7. Along with these excuses we also had everyday life to accomplish.
Enough of the excuses.  Life has been busy and will continue to do so.  I may not post often, but I will try to post more often.

 We are doing well in school and are already looking at curriculum for next year.  Of course, I am trying to make some lists to take with me to the Mid-West Homeschool Conference!  We have our tickets and are excited!

Hope you all have a wonderful Valentines Day.  May you spend it with the ones you love!



Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanksgiving



 
Thanksgiving!  I love Thanksgiving.  I have so much to be thankful for.  We all do.  This year we are traveling "home" to my parent's house for Thanksgiving.  It has been 5 months since we have been there, they have traveled here though.  It is about a 9 hour drive and although we will not cross any ocean, it seems almost like a "Mayflower" voyage.  We pack and prepare, we anticipate, we check the weather, and the excitement is building as we get closer!

I remember when I was in elementary school and we would make paper turkeys and study pilgrims, the mayflower and Squanto.  I loved everything about it!  So I have always tried to instill a thankful attitude with my children. 

Sometimes, I wonder if  one can really grasp "thankfulness" until they have been without or until they have seen others go through tough times.  I seem to realize the meaning more as I am older.  Our family has been through some changes in the last couple of years and I believe my children can understand  "thankful" more now.

These are a few of the many things I am thankful for, not in any order:

I am so looking forward to visiting with family this Thanksgiving. 
It will be so nice to travel "back home" to familiar roads and sites!
We have a nice, warm and dry house.
We have plenty of food to eat.  I am thankful for this, even though sometimes I complain about the increase in pricing, God still provides for us.
My husband is my best friend and is so supportive to me and our family.
My children are healthy, smart and kind.
We are able to homeschool.
We have great friends.
We live in the United States.  It is not perfect, but we have many freedoms that others do not.
I am thankful for Facebook and the Internet which allows me to stay in touch with family and friends and make new friends!
I am thankful for the laughter of my children!
I am thankful that Emily loves to cook!
I enjoy seeing SarahAnne being crafty and how she is improving in the details.
I love seeing Samuel get so excited building Lego's and doing "science experiments" with his dad.
I am so thankful for our extended family and the joyous times we share together.
I am thankful that I came through surgery fine and had a good report.
I am thankful for my parents and all of their help and support of my family.

This Thanksgiving, I pray that you and your family enjoy each other and have a wonderful time of fellowship and create many happy memories.   Let's all remember to thank the Lord for His abundant blessings.





Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Our moving experience

Moving.....we all dread the thought of it.  We have moved many many times in our life.  Someone told us once, that our furniture should have wheels! 

We were married in January of 1994.  We have moved at least 11 times!  No, my husband is not in the military.  We didn't move each time for a new job, but sometimes.  It was easier to do when the kids were younger, because they had less STUFF.  We had less STUFF. 

We have moved from smaller to bigger homes and from bigger to smaller ones.  We have moved to be closer to family.  We have moved to be closer to work.  We have moved because of work. 

Last October, we moved from Kentucky to North Carolina.  It was the longest, hardest , most expensive move ever!    Matt had lost his job in Kentucky in May and was provided one in North Carolina.  We sold our KY house (Thank you, Lord!) at the beginning of July.
We packed things into storage until a job offer... not knowing where we would go.  We took our most precious things to our parents' home until we moved.  We stayed there, too. 

Matt had two job interviews.  One in Kansas and one in North Carolina.  At the end of July, he was offered a job in North Carolina.  He took it and started a new job in August.  We stayed in Ohio with my parents.  We took a couple of trips down to look for housing and found one in September.

It has been the hardest move we have ever made.  We knew no one here.  We were far away from the people we loved and the places we knew.  The culture is different than were we came from.

Through all of this, God has blessed us.  We found a house that had been foreclosed.  It provides us with a school room, in addition to everything else we need.  We are 3 hours from the Outer Banks of North Carolina!  We have a great neighbor, who right away introduced our kids to her grandkids.  (They are now friends.)  We have grown closer as a family.  We have learned so much by this experience.

I believe that one day we will be moving, yet again.  I don't have any plans right now, but I know that God is in control and His plan will work for me even when I don't understand it.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Midwest Homeschool Conference

I just had to post really quickly.  I am so excited!  I just found out that the Midwest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio will have the Duggars as speakers!  In addition to all of the other great speakers.  If you have never been to a homeschool convention.... let me highly recommend this one!  It is so inspiring!  Also overwhelming, especially the first time!  (all of the curriculum in the vendor hall will make your head spin!)

Beginning in 2011, there will also be conferences organized by the same people as the Midwest Convention, in three other places in the United States.  So you may be able to travel to the one closest to you.  We will travel back to Cincinnati.  Why?  Because, we have so many friends that attend that one and we just LOVE Cincinnati!  If you plan to go to the one in Cincinnati, let me know and we can plan to meet!  I am getting more excited. 

Ask my husband, he will tell you that I was a changed woman after my first conference.  I went by myself.  It was so much smaller then and still it was unbelievable!  So many vendors, speakers, so many homeschoolers!  The next year, I took him with me!  This past year, we took Emily.  It is a highlight of our year.  I'm writing the dates on my calendar!

-  Cincinnati, Ohio               March 31- April 2, 2011

  - Greenville, South Carolina        March 17-19, 2011

 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania       June 23-25, 2011

 - Memphis, Tennessee                March 3-5, 2011

Hope that you can attend one of these great conventions.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

My little extra time...

Well, I woke up extra early this morning......uh, ok, I  really had a little extra time because of the time change.  I could always use a little extra time!  Anyway, since I've been off the blogging path for a while now I decided to do a little blog hopping.  It was nice to visit and see what everyone has been up too. 

I am still slow, but am making some progress and hope to have a good full week of school this coming week.
The kids are starting to think about the holidays.  (ok, I am too!)  Emily is wanting to decorate and put up the tree already.  We may do a little decorating by getting out our Christmas village, but not the tree, yet.  Our Christmas village goes up high on a shelf above our built-in bookcases, so it is something Matt has to do. 

It seems, the rest of the crew has risen!  Emily has the coffee brewing, so it is time for me to go. 

Hope you all have a blessed day!