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.
Wildflowers
Friday, February 25, 2011
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!
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.
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!
- We had the Christmas holidays and my husband got a new job.
- Which meant he had to get ready to move @ 11 hours from us.
- 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)
- 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)
- Then there is school which I really needed ( still need to ) focus on more.
- 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.
- 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.
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!
Hope that you can attend one of these great conventions.
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
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!
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!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Getting back
Yesterday, I visited my doctor for another post-op check-up. Things are good. I can increase my activity slowly and start getting back to normal. YYYYEEEAAHHH! I am so looking forward to this. I am ready to get back. My kids are ready. My husband is ready. We really do enjoy our normal day to day homeschooling life.
I am so thankful for my parents. They came and spent 3 weeks helping to take care of me and my family. I know that I am so blessed to have them! My husband and kids have been helpful too. I also have to say that my doctor was great and am thankful that all test results came back cancer free. God has been so good to me!
Now, I need to plan to get back on track with school. This week we will do a little catch up and next week we will work pretty diligently to get where we need to be. I really don't think we are too far behind. I would like to get a couple of good weeks in before Thanksgiving.
We always take time off in December to study a Christmas theme, so I need to start thinking about that too. So, for the next couple of days ....plan, plan, plan...!!!!
I am so thankful for my parents. They came and spent 3 weeks helping to take care of me and my family. I know that I am so blessed to have them! My husband and kids have been helpful too. I also have to say that my doctor was great and am thankful that all test results came back cancer free. God has been so good to me!
Now, I need to plan to get back on track with school. This week we will do a little catch up and next week we will work pretty diligently to get where we need to be. I really don't think we are too far behind. I would like to get a couple of good weeks in before Thanksgiving.
We always take time off in December to study a Christmas theme, so I need to start thinking about that too. So, for the next couple of days ....plan, plan, plan...!!!!
Friday, October 29, 2010
I overdid it
I guess I overdid it last weekend and Monday. On Monday and early Tuesday I was in a lot of pain. I went to the Doctor Tuesday morning and he thought I may have pulled an internal stitch or two. He told me to stay off my feet and do very little until next Tuesday. It is a setback, but a small one. I have tried very hard to follow Doctor's orders. The hardest part has been asking for others to take care of me. I really appreciate my family's help.
I am hoping to get back to a more regular school schedule next week. It has been two full weeks of extra worksheets, reading, Hopefully by two weeks we will be good. (Just before the Holidays!) I am not stressing about that so much, because we started school a little early and had stayed on track pretty well this year.
Hope that you all have a great weekend!
I am hoping to get back to a more regular school schedule next week. It has been two full weeks of extra worksheets, reading, Hopefully by two weeks we will be good. (Just before the Holidays!) I am not stressing about that so much, because we started school a little early and had stayed on track pretty well this year.
Hope that you all have a great weekend!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Recovering
Slowly, slowly I am recovering! Last Friday I went in for a total abdominal hysterectomy. The doctor did the routine hysterectomy and discovered a mass behind my left tube. It was wrapped around my large intestine. He successfully removed the mass also. He was unable to remove my appendix, due to the mass removal taking an extra amount of time. I was sent home on Saturday and slept and slept. I was very sore for days. The pain medication makes me dizzy for a little while after I take it, so I have to watch that. Today, (Sunday) I am starting to decrease the medication a little and hopefully will be able to continue to keep decreasing a little each day.
I have had 3 c-sections and knew that the recovery would be similar, but I must say that I am more sore than I remember being with the c-sections. (I am sleeping though!) I am also older now and this surgery did take a little extra time than had been anticipated. All in all, God watched over me and I had a great surgeon! I am doing well and improving each day. I am also blessed that the pathology report came back that there was no cancer. I am so blessed.
My parents are wonderful! They have been so helpful to me and my husband these past couple of weeks! The kids have so enjoyed having them here. I really appreciate their help!
Yesterday, Matt took my dad, Samuel and Emily to Wilmington to tour the USS North Carolina.
He has wanted to do this for quite a while now. The weather was perfect and I was taken care of here, so off they went. They had a fabulous time. Samuel loved it. It was a great memory making day for them.
I stayed home (of course) with SarahAnne, my mom and sister. We enjoyed a quiet and relaxing day. I've had a lot of those lately, during this recovery. I have read two books, watched a lot of HGTV and food network, cleaned out my coupon organizer, taken naps, and had long talks with my family.
I hope to get back to blogging again later in the week. May you all have a blessed week!
I have had 3 c-sections and knew that the recovery would be similar, but I must say that I am more sore than I remember being with the c-sections. (I am sleeping though!) I am also older now and this surgery did take a little extra time than had been anticipated. All in all, God watched over me and I had a great surgeon! I am doing well and improving each day. I am also blessed that the pathology report came back that there was no cancer. I am so blessed.
My parents are wonderful! They have been so helpful to me and my husband these past couple of weeks! The kids have so enjoyed having them here. I really appreciate their help!
Yesterday, Matt took my dad, Samuel and Emily to Wilmington to tour the USS North Carolina.
He has wanted to do this for quite a while now. The weather was perfect and I was taken care of here, so off they went. They had a fabulous time. Samuel loved it. It was a great memory making day for them.
I stayed home (of course) with SarahAnne, my mom and sister. We enjoyed a quiet and relaxing day. I've had a lot of those lately, during this recovery. I have read two books, watched a lot of HGTV and food network, cleaned out my coupon organizer, taken naps, and had long talks with my family.
I hope to get back to blogging again later in the week. May you all have a blessed week!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Prepared and Waiting
Book basket--filled!
A workbox for each -- with worksheets, puzzles, fun things-- filled!
School work for the week-- completed.
Chores caught up on!
Errands finished.
Grandparents on their way!
I have preparations completed and now I wait. I am scheduled for Friday afternoon for my hysterectomy. I am ready to get this surgery over. I know the recovery will be tough, so I'm ready to get it going.
We completed our school work early this week and caught up on filling our notebooks. We sorted some things and tied up some loose ends. It has been a light week. We finished Brazil and South America. After my recuperation, we will head off to Norway. Emily will continue her studies and is pretty much on track. She may even complete her Latin study a little early!
I filled one box with a variety of things for Samuel and SarahAnne to do while I rest next week. They also have a book basket filled with books for reading and Awanas to study. The weather should be cooler, for some outdoor physical education and nature study. They will play a variety of boardgames with my parents who will be here. So I think homeschool will continue next week, even without the regular teacher!
I am so thankful for my family. My husband is so supportive. My parents and sister are traveling down from Ohio to stay with the kids and help out when I come home. They are all so great. I am blessed with a great family. The kids are so excited to see them, that it overshadows the concern of the surgery to them. That is a good thing.
I may not be posting for a little while, but I hope not to be away too long. Until then, I would appreciate a little prayer. Thanks.
I filled one box with a variety of things for Samuel and SarahAnne to do while I rest next week. They also have a book basket filled with books for reading and Awanas to study. The weather should be cooler, for some outdoor physical education and nature study. They will play a variety of boardgames with my parents who will be here. So I think homeschool will continue next week, even without the regular teacher!
I am so thankful for my family. My husband is so supportive. My parents and sister are traveling down from Ohio to stay with the kids and help out when I come home. They are all so great. I am blessed with a great family. The kids are so excited to see them, that it overshadows the concern of the surgery to them. That is a good thing.
I may not be posting for a little while, but I hope not to be away too long. Until then, I would appreciate a little prayer. Thanks.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Autumn Blesssings
This is my favorite time of year. I sometimes stress about getting everything "picture perfect". I want to have pumpkins and mums on my front porch. I want to have candles lit all over my house and lots of fall deserts. I want pretty autumn place mats on my table with a nice centerpiece. I don't have all of these things, I do have a couple and that will have to do this year.
God is already decorating our world for us and He allows us to view it. He has given us a world with the most beautiful seasons. Where we live now, the seasons are not as evident as we are used to, but we have a yard full of trees (several oaks). We have lots of nuts and pinecones and squirrels. It is a nice fall nature study!
God gives us a multitude of blessings with each season. I believe the ones in autumn are just an overflowing bounty. We should always have a thankful heart, but this time of year, I seem drawn more to thankfulness with the holidays coming. May we all be thankful for God's many blessings.
God is already decorating our world for us and He allows us to view it. He has given us a world with the most beautiful seasons. Where we live now, the seasons are not as evident as we are used to, but we have a yard full of trees (several oaks). We have lots of nuts and pinecones and squirrels. It is a nice fall nature study!
I love the smells of fall.
The pumpkin, caramel, apple, and cinnamon.
I love the smell of warm soup and baking bread.
Hay and crisp leaves, rain.
These things are so comforting.
I love the sounds of fall.
Crunchy leaves when your walking,
wind blowing through the trees with leaves falling down
and laughter of children jumping in a leaf pile.
Friday, October 8, 2010
OVERWHELMED
Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Overwhelmed by all you have to do? Overwhelmed by homeschooling? Keeping house? Church? Activities? Extended family? Finances? Medical concerns?
There are times, we all feel overwhelmed. I certainly do! I try to live up to the housekeeping standards of others or the homeschooling or the BLOGGING! I have to remind myself, that my situation (life) is different than the other persons. God gave me these abilities and there are some things that I am really good at and somethings not so good.
It seems sometimes that I really need an extra clone of myself to get through the day! Things tend to go undone on those days. And that frustrates me. It makes me feel like I'm a failure. It upsets me that my kids didn't do their chores better. Or that my kitchen needs painted and I don't have time. So I end up catching a glimpse of Martha Stewart, Paula Deene, or an HGTV show and that makes me feel worse.
This week in our Bible reading for MFW, we read Matthew 6:25-34. It was meant to be. God put that reading there on that day for me to read! He tells us not to worry about things. God will take care of us.
Here are the last 2 verses which sums it all up:
There are times, we all feel overwhelmed. I certainly do! I try to live up to the housekeeping standards of others or the homeschooling or the BLOGGING! I have to remind myself, that my situation (life) is different than the other persons. God gave me these abilities and there are some things that I am really good at and somethings not so good.
It seems sometimes that I really need an extra clone of myself to get through the day! Things tend to go undone on those days. And that frustrates me. It makes me feel like I'm a failure. It upsets me that my kids didn't do their chores better. Or that my kitchen needs painted and I don't have time. So I end up catching a glimpse of Martha Stewart, Paula Deene, or an HGTV show and that makes me feel worse.
This week in our Bible reading for MFW, we read Matthew 6:25-34. It was meant to be. God put that reading there on that day for me to read! He tells us not to worry about things. God will take care of us.
Here are the last 2 verses which sums it all up:
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given
to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:33-34
I hope to remind myself of this and give more of my thoughts to Jesus. I want to seek Him more and not worry. I know I will still worry some, but I hope to do better!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Anticipating......
Well, I had hoped to be getting lots of things accomplished this week. We are doing ok, but not doing double in anything. Maybe tomorrow. Do you ever have days when you just can't seem to get motivated beyond what you have to do? I am having one of those days. I hate feeling like this. I have been researching a little on post-hysterectomy recovery and it is getting a me a little down, I really need to get it in gear and accomplish some things before next week.
We are enjoying the cooler temperatures this week! (Finally!) On Monday we had cheesy potato soup and buttered rolls. Just perfect for fall.
The acorns keep falling and hitting my roof. At first, I thought there was something ON my roof. We have a lot of trees on our yard and quite a few are oaks.
The kids and I went out yesterday and picked up a big basket full of pinecones from our yard. We probably could have picked up 2-3 more, but that was enough. Maybe we will use them in a Christmas craft. We will see.
I am hoping that tomorrow will be better. I need to make a list and prepare some things for the kids to do the week after my surgery. My parents are coming to visit and will stay for a few days, so I'm not counting on school for a few days. I just don't want to get weeks behind, when we have gotten off to such a good start this year. I am counting on getting in some reading for all of us! Some read alouds and some books for individual reading! I know that that will be something they can continue on their own! Any ideas? Any book suggestions?
We are enjoying the cooler temperatures this week! (Finally!) On Monday we had cheesy potato soup and buttered rolls. Just perfect for fall.
The acorns keep falling and hitting my roof. At first, I thought there was something ON my roof. We have a lot of trees on our yard and quite a few are oaks.
The kids and I went out yesterday and picked up a big basket full of pinecones from our yard. We probably could have picked up 2-3 more, but that was enough. Maybe we will use them in a Christmas craft. We will see.
I am hoping that tomorrow will be better. I need to make a list and prepare some things for the kids to do the week after my surgery. My parents are coming to visit and will stay for a few days, so I'm not counting on school for a few days. I just don't want to get weeks behind, when we have gotten off to such a good start this year. I am counting on getting in some reading for all of us! Some read alouds and some books for individual reading! I know that that will be something they can continue on their own! Any ideas? Any book suggestions?
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Preparing and counting down.....
This coming week I will spend preparing. We will be doubling up on some subjects and trying to get ahead on some house chores. Why? Because I am scheduled to have a total hysterectomy on Oct. 15th. There are a couple of reasons why this should be done. I have had this recommendation from more than one doctor. I have put it off for a while already. I am not looking forward to it, but feel like it must be done. I hope I will feel better. I really have no idea how long recovery will take. I ask for your prayers
that things will go well.
This weekend, we took some time to get a few things done, do some leaf raking/sweeping, and cooking ahead. We did take some time out to watch a little football too!
We are at week 10 this week! Wow. It is hard to believe we are that far already. Eight weeks till Thanksgiving and 12 weeks till Christmas! SarahAnne and I have worked on few little crafts. I have also searched the Internet for new Christmas ideas. I love looking at Christmas things. I love all the ideas. We are planning to make candles this year. (I'll let you know how that goes.) We planned to do it last year, but we had just moved in our house on October 31st, so we decided not to be so ambitious.
I pray that you all have a good week. Enjoy all of autumn's bounty of blessings.
that things will go well.
This weekend, we took some time to get a few things done, do some leaf raking/sweeping, and cooking ahead. We did take some time out to watch a little football too!
We are at week 10 this week! Wow. It is hard to believe we are that far already. Eight weeks till Thanksgiving and 12 weeks till Christmas! SarahAnne and I have worked on few little crafts. I have also searched the Internet for new Christmas ideas. I love looking at Christmas things. I love all the ideas. We are planning to make candles this year. (I'll let you know how that goes.) We planned to do it last year, but we had just moved in our house on October 31st, so we decided not to be so ambitious.
I pray that you all have a good week. Enjoy all of autumn's bounty of blessings.
Friday, October 1, 2010
"Making Your Home a Havan" Fall Challenge
This morning while blog hopping I ran across a blog, Women Living Well . Courtney is having a fall challenge. I just love fall and decided to hop aboard! Just thought I'd pass it along to you. So enjoy those pumpkin scented candles and apple cider and beautiful crisp mornings! Happy Fall to you!
Friday wrap-up
Here it is Friday and I've finally gotten around to blogging. It has been a pretty usual week around here, except that we have had so much RAIN. (We really needed rain, but not so much at once.) School has gone pretty well. My son and daughter are doing so good at multiplication and spelling this week that I have been less concerned about getting everything else finished. Those are the focus this school year.
We have started our study of Brazil and we are all enjoying studying all the different animals, fruits and spices of the rain forest. The kids are really getting into the geography game, also. This weekend I hope to do some fall baking and talk more about spices.
We made some Kool-aid Playdough. I've had the recipe for a few months and finally decided to get it out and make some. It was so easy. It only took around 10 minutes, total! It turned out really nice and the kids played for 2 hours after we made it, so it was definitely worth it!
It is suppose to smell like the flavor, ours must have been old. There was hardly any smell. We also added some food coloring to ours, before kneading.
We may make some more this weekend, but first I need to buy some cream of tartar. We used it all in the last batch. Quick and easy. Hope you and your little ones enjoy!
We have started our study of Brazil and we are all enjoying studying all the different animals, fruits and spices of the rain forest. The kids are really getting into the geography game, also. This weekend I hope to do some fall baking and talk more about spices.
We made some Kool-aid Playdough. I've had the recipe for a few months and finally decided to get it out and make some. It was so easy. It only took around 10 minutes, total! It turned out really nice and the kids played for 2 hours after we made it, so it was definitely worth it!
Kool-aid Playdough
1/4 cup salt
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp cream of tartar
1 envelope Kool-aid
1 cup water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1. Mix flour, salt, tartar, Kool-aid and water in medium saucepan. Stir in oil.
2. Mix over medium heat 3-5 minutes until mixture forms a ball in center of pan.
3. Remove from pan. It will be hot, knead until soft.
4. Store in a Ziploc bag or airtight container.
It is suppose to smell like the flavor, ours must have been old. There was hardly any smell. We also added some food coloring to ours, before kneading.
We may make some more this weekend, but first I need to buy some cream of tartar. We used it all in the last batch. Quick and easy. Hope you and your little ones enjoy!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Our path of Frugality
In May 2009 my husband lost his job. (Like so many others.) He was layed off from a job that he loved. A job that he was very good at and one that looked to be promising; career-wise. It was a real blow to us. So unexpected.
We immediately put our house up for sale. (We had moved there specifically for the job.) We started purging and had a yard sale. We started scouring the Internet for jobs. It was a tight market and a difficult time.
God blessed us with our house selling within a little over 3 months. It was truly God. We lived in the middle of rural Kentucky with about 7 houses for sale in a two mile stretch. We also got a fair price!
We had no job to go to at this time. We put most things in storage and some stuff with our parents. Meanwhile my husband continued to look for a job. He had an interview in Kansas and one in North Carolina. He was blessed with the job in North Carolina. That is the short, very condensed story of how we ended up here.
We are living on less money and still recovering from moving expenses among other things. Needless to say, we try to cut corners on things and live more frugally than ever before. I have always used coupons and tried to be frugal but now it is more necessary.
We have learned so much during this time. We've grown closer as a family. We better appreciate the things we have. We've tried to teach our kids to be thankful for what we have and the blessings that God has given us.
I play the coupon game at CVS, Walgreens and Target. I love Aldi and it is only 2 miles from my house! I have stocked up on some nice little surprises for my kids and saved us quite a bit of money. It does take time and sometimes I don't do all that great and other times I hit a home run! It all helps though. I am learning daily to be a better steward of the things God has blessed my family with.
Below are some of my favorite saving money sites:
http://www.couponingtodisney.com/
http://www.savingwithamy.com/
http://www.5dollardinners.com/
http://kingdomfirstmom.com/
http://southernsavers.com/
Hope you enjoy these. Do you have any money saving sites to share?
We immediately put our house up for sale. (We had moved there specifically for the job.) We started purging and had a yard sale. We started scouring the Internet for jobs. It was a tight market and a difficult time.
God blessed us with our house selling within a little over 3 months. It was truly God. We lived in the middle of rural Kentucky with about 7 houses for sale in a two mile stretch. We also got a fair price!
We had no job to go to at this time. We put most things in storage and some stuff with our parents. Meanwhile my husband continued to look for a job. He had an interview in Kansas and one in North Carolina. He was blessed with the job in North Carolina. That is the short, very condensed story of how we ended up here.
We are living on less money and still recovering from moving expenses among other things. Needless to say, we try to cut corners on things and live more frugally than ever before. I have always used coupons and tried to be frugal but now it is more necessary.
We have learned so much during this time. We've grown closer as a family. We better appreciate the things we have. We've tried to teach our kids to be thankful for what we have and the blessings that God has given us.
I play the coupon game at CVS, Walgreens and Target. I love Aldi and it is only 2 miles from my house! I have stocked up on some nice little surprises for my kids and saved us quite a bit of money. It does take time and sometimes I don't do all that great and other times I hit a home run! It all helps though. I am learning daily to be a better steward of the things God has blessed my family with.
Below are some of my favorite saving money sites:
http://www.couponingtodisney.com/
http://www.savingwithamy.com/
http://www.5dollardinners.com/
http://kingdomfirstmom.com/
http://southernsavers.com/
Hope you enjoy these. Do you have any money saving sites to share?
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Some of our favorite curriculum
I recently had a friend ask what some of our favorite curriculum has been. She is starting a folder for future ideas. So I thought I'd share with her and you at the same time!
- Explode the Code - these books are great for teaching phonics. They are also inexpensive!
- Apologia- My oldest daughter has used Apologia since 7th grade and although challenging, it is very thorough and well-planned. We love the creation view and how evolution is also presented as a theory.
- Considering God's Creation- I used this book over a 2 year period with Samuel and SarahAnne. It is across between lapbooks and unit studies. They enjoyed it. We stretched it out to cover some topics more in depth.
- My Father's World- Although we are still new at using this curriculum, I must say I do like it a lot already. We are using Exploring Countries and Cultures and have already gained so much geography knowledge. We also like having the Bible all planned out and the mission emphasis.
- Latina Christiana- Emily has used this for a couple of years now and has really loved this. It is below her grade level, but she had no prior Latin. She has pretty much done this independently. She will soon progress to the next level and wants to add Greek. So it must have been inspiring as well.
- Wordly Wise- Emily only used this one year, but I really liked the vocabulary building!
- Teaching Textbooks- Again, another new one to us this year. Emily is using the Geometry curriculum and is really liking it. She is again pretty independent at this.
- Notgrass History- This is another new one for us this year. We examined this at the Mid-West Homeschool Convention and we were impressed right away. Excellent! This is very well researched and written. It also includes English and Bible credits as well as world history.
- All About Spelling- We are using this one also for the first time. We have a struggling speller and I can already see some progress! I pray this continues. I have high hope for this based on reviews.
- Library- We have such a big personal pile of books (Don't we all?) that we use for school. We also scour the public library for books, cds, dvds. Some libraries have teacher kits that you can check out with tons of books and resources. (We used one in the spring on the human body with skeletons that worked like a puzzle.)
- Usborne books. Great quality books. We also like DK books.
Some great Homeschool Websites:
The Homeschool Lounge-I can not tell you how I love this place. If you have a question, a concern, a prayer request or just need to talk with another mom, then this is the place!- Homeschool Share- tons of resources from other homeschool moms that share! Unit studies, lapbooks, etc.
- Free Homeschooling 101- nice site that list all kinds of free websites.
- Spelling City- my kids love to play these games with their spelling words. It is FREE!
- Star Fall- great phonics games for little ones. FREE.
Again, this list is not complete. I have lots more on my favorites file. These are just a few. Maybe some will be new to you! Do you have any sites that you love too?
Monday, September 20, 2010
A full weekend
This past weekend was full! On Saturday, we attended the Oceania Naval Air Show in Virginia Beach. It was awesome. The power of the jets, the knowledge and skill of the pilots, and the history of planes made it a great outing. We were surrounded by military and military history. It was good exposure for us and our kids.
I kept thinking throughout the day of a friend of ours that gave his life for our country just 2 short months ago. He was just a couple of weeks shy of turning 24. He was killed in Afghanistan. I hope I never take for granted the freedom we have in this country and all of the blessings God gives us daily.
Sunday was Emily's birthday. She had spent the weekend with her aunt and uncle and Matt picked her up late Sunday morning. We had a birthday celebration Sunday afternoon. We were all tired from the road trips, so we enjoyed some football on TV.
Today we had a slow start, and some whiny attitudes. We all have those days. Our day did get much better. We finished school with a celery experiment and crafts and reading!
I kept thinking throughout the day of a friend of ours that gave his life for our country just 2 short months ago. He was just a couple of weeks shy of turning 24. He was killed in Afghanistan. I hope I never take for granted the freedom we have in this country and all of the blessings God gives us daily.
Sunday was Emily's birthday. She had spent the weekend with her aunt and uncle and Matt picked her up late Sunday morning. We had a birthday celebration Sunday afternoon. We were all tired from the road trips, so we enjoyed some football on TV.
Today we had a slow start, and some whiny attitudes. We all have those days. Our day did get much better. We finished school with a celery experiment and crafts and reading!
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