We are doing the Hurricane Trance...this is dance that you will see many Floridians (transplants and natives) do when there is a disturbance in the Atlantic or the Gulf.  You can see them driving around with a blank expression deep in thought of what they "should" be doing.  They can also be spotted in the stores mindlessly stacking water and can goods in their shopping carts; because it is what the media has told them to do.  We sit in front of our TVs much like the entire country did after 9-11 waiting for the weather up dates every three hours, for days on end because as you may know hurricanes tend to give you many days advanced notice.  Every channel giving their description of the "cone of probability".  And even with all this technology, we still don't fully know where a storm is going to make land fall until it's bearing down on us. 

I can't say that I'm fully excluded from this Hurricane Trace.  However, I am well over hearing about this storm every time I speak with someone or turn on the TV.  I'm still spread out between here and there...kinda kicking myself for not just moving last weekend and getting it over with.  I just keep telling myself that everything happens for a reason.

We've been packing for the past 5 days straight.  Of course, we probably could have packed the entire apartment up in a day or so if we didn't have to live here at the same time.  But that's ok because we aren't able to move things home until next weekend anyway.  I have the kids' rooms and bathroom done. My bathroom and most of my bedroom.  The only thing left is to finish my bedroom, the kitchen and the living room.  I've already took everything off the walls and packed up the book shelf; that in itself was the biggest part of the living room.

Today we will head back home for me to work the weekend.  I've only been working three days a week for 2 weeks, and I'm already exhausted.  I am hoping that I will regain some energy when I'm not living a double life; here and there.....and trying to move us back there.  I still haven't ordered our LA and Math, we aren't going to start school until the day after labor day (that's our usual start date so that's okay)...we have some time.  Did I say I'm leading a double life.....I think it's more like a triple or quadruple life, LOL...

I found out yesterday that I will be moving home....not just back to my hometown, but back to my HOUSE.  I am so thrilled!!  The details of how this is going to happen is a little harder to explain so I will just leave it at we are going home. I pray that everything works out.  We are supposed to get the house back at the beginning of September.  I have my contractor waiting to do two projects that are going to make a world of difference (to me anyway).  We are filling in the floor in the master bedroom.  It was built with plywood and 2x4's...I know, I know what was I thinking?  So ~~> we are going to fill the floor with concrete to raise it to the level of the rest of the house (our master bedroom used to be the carport), and we are going to extend the roof out on the back of the house so that we have a sort of porch area out the back door at the pool.

Boy, I sure do miss living at home.  I hope I keep this appreciation for the house that we call home.  My kids are thrilled. They are looking forward to swimming in our pool and playing in the back yard.  I'm looking forward to being home for all the holidays that are coming up.  Decorating, dressing up the kids for Halloween, carving pumpkins, Thanksgiving Dinner (which we will be cooking at my house regardless of what the others in my family do), and ah, Christmas...  I will be back to update you as things happen...we will be moving our stuff out of the apartment and into a storage unit next weekend. 

One little baby step at a time...

Every summer when my kids are between 4-5 years old they have learned to swim.  I was pretty sad when I realized that since we are renting out our home until next summer, my Taylor was going to miss out.  While I was away working a few weeks ago, Tommy taught my little monkey how to swim!  He spent lots of quality time with the kids which included taking them swimming at our apartment.

Last night we took the kids swimming (in between rain storms) and I got to see first hand what Taylor refers to as "swim lessons".  She is totally swimming!!  I mean he has taught her to swim to him many different ways....she jumps in the pool and swims, he throws her and she swims and she'll even kick off the side of the pool.  Last night we taught her how to come up for air.  She is so proud and we are SO proud of her.

I'm very thankful that she is learning such a vital skill, especially living on the coast and having a pool in the back yard.  She still has a long time before I will trust her like I do Bryce and Caitlan...they've earned their trust.  But there is a light at the end of the tunnel....one day I will have a back yard without a pool fence (well, maybe).

My friend Marsha did this and since I read hers...she considered me tagged and I thought that I would go ahead and introduce you to my husband.  For those of you that know him...here's a deeper look and for those that don't take a few minutes to meet the man of my dreams!!

1. Who is your man?  Tommy  

 2. How long have you been together?  We've been together for almost 12 years and will celebrate our TENTH anniversary October 2...we will have our first 48 hours alone since we became parents, and we're looking for an adventure.  Got an ideas?

Today we ventured out to do some research on buying a different car.  We weren't sure if we would trade in the suburban or the van.....um.....since we only have the suburban here with in Orlando with us we started with that.  We had the Chevy dealership down the road from our place make us an offer.  I was shocked (actually that is an understatement).  Don't get me wrong, I knew that the big SUVs have taken a hit but when they offered me $2,000 for a vehicle I paid 9x that just 2.5 years ago.  I was thinking...."are you serious?!?!"  I told them they were way off and they upped the offer to $4,000.  If I was serious about getting rid of the gas guzzler, I would have taken them up on their offer, but I couldn't find anything on their lot worth giving up my paid off vehicle for.  I had success with CarMax when I sold my Camry last year so I decided that it was worth driving there to see what they would offer....and they felt they were being generous by offering us $2,500. I really feel that God is leading us here...and if we were supposed to get rid of the suburban it would have worked out. We've decided that we are better off selling/trading the van and getting Tommy a small truck.  After our quick trip to the Chevy dealership turned into a 4 hour trip + dinner, we found a truck that Tommy has all but fell in love with.  The draw back for me....it's ORANGE!!!  The dealership was closed so he will call them in the morning.  We also found a white S-10 (just in case the orange S-10 isn't for sell since we think it might be a display truck). 

We will officially be moved in 18 days.  Our goal is 8/13 since we are truly only wasting money going back and forth here.  I started full-time this week at work....yippie!! And we are working on becoming DEBT FREE....I actually have been working toward this for about a year.  But with Tommy starting school and the move and the move again there has been set backs.  We are starting the baby steps using the principles taught by Dave Ramsey. It's not hard, but requires discipline!  I always seem to forget the first step though in my haste to "get started". 

It's 3am and I'm up again.  I spent the weekend working, and Tommy stayed in Orlando with the kids.  It worked out well.  But I have to work tomorrow night so we are leaving to to go back to my mom's in the afternoon tomorrow.  This back and forth is killing me. I'm ready to be settled! Then I/we need a vacation...

I accepted a full-time position at the hospital in my department.  I wasn't sure that I was going to get it because I applied 6 weeks ago.  I hope this will be a good thing.  I look forward to having a weekend off here and there so that I can spend time with my family.  I would like to go see Michelle this year.  I hope that we can make that work. 

Ok, I'm running out of sleep time....Only 284 more days.......

Tommy was sick today so we all had an afternoon all together.  We all needed that!!  We were to Downtown Disney and had lunch and played for a while.  It was our first trip there.  We had lunch at McDonald's (Ewww, yes I know) and then on to the the Lego store and Disney store and Mr Potato Head/My Little Pony store.  It was a good day. 

Tomorrow I will head back home to work the weekend.  This will be the first weekend that I am traveling alone.  Tommy is staying with the kids in Orlando.  He's still not feeling good.  He thinks he has a cold, I think it's stress.

Below is a silhouette of the kids that we got at Downtown Disney...I just love it...best money I've spent in a longtime!

Well, I have been back in Orlando for a few days now.  It's been raining every day.  But that isn't the problem.  My problem is that I think I'm allergic to the trees that my apartment in surrounded by.  I'm not sure if they are Oaks, but I tell you I start having reactions within miles of this place and it doesn't get better until I've been back home overnight. 

**maybe I'm just allergic to this apartment and this whole set up, LOL**

The kids haven't been out of the apartment since Sunday....we are climbing the walls.  We have decided to attempt to save so money by driving one vehicle.  So, Tommy is at school all morning and by the time he gets home....it's like he brings the rain with him.  I'm trying to think of some "we live in FL with the afternoon thunderstorm blues" attitude kickers. I'll come up with something?!?

Here in the last few days I've been trying to organize a trip to see my best friend and her family in Tennessee.  It's been almost a year since I've seen her....but it feels like years!  Her babies are growing up and I wish that we could be apart of each others lives like before.  But I don't see that happening, because she's happy where she's at and I've learned that I'm happy in my hometown too. 

I've never driven so far alone.  But the problem isn't that I will be alone.  It's that I will be driving over 800 miles (one way) alone with my 3 young ones.  I've gotten alot of great advice from my friends on the UL but I'm starting to see this trip as alot of work.  I'm thinking that I should waiting until Tommy can go.  Maybe we can go up for Christmas lights and pictures like we had plan to do last year.  It would be so nice to have pictures of our babies together.  I have alot to think about.

Well....my little one's up now....and she's already upset about something....so let the day begin

"I look forward to  the day when people who want to homeschool don't need to submit a letter of  intent. People who choose to send their children to school would sign a waiver saying they wish to give up their rights and responsibilities to educate their own children and would like the state to do so for them  instead."

-Quote by a homeschool friend.....

It's been many months since I've been here to blog...and MANY things have changed and many things are coming full circle.

Back in March, we decided that it was time for Tommy to find a trade or something since his boat building career was something that was pretty much taken from him in his 2004 car accident.  So, we packed up our life and house and moved to Orlando.  Tommy began school for auto mechanics in April after we "settled in".  Due to Tommy's schedule it was in our best interest that I continue to work at the hospital in our hometown.  Shortly after spending every weekend at my mom's, where I worked at night and slept during the day.  I also realized that about Wednesday of every week I was pretty depressed and it was affecting everyone in the family.  Our second floor apartment faces the southwest (where the sun is not until the afternoon) and we are literally in the trees so there is a very limited amount of natural light that comes in at all during the day.  I am serious it looks like evening in my living room/kitchen ALL DAY.  I decided that staying at my mom's might give us some consistency.  Tommy headed back to our apartment every week and we stayed with my mom.  Since I was sleeping during the weekend while he was at my moms with us, this started to be very hard on our marriage...because essentially we never saw one another.  After being at my mom's for 3+ weeks, I was lonely and overwhlemed and Tommy was lonely also and something had to change.  We decided to  terminate our lease.  All of us are going to move to my mom's in August, and Tommy will commute with a friend (who also happens to be a family member) that he met at school.  This will require discipline from all of us...considering that Tommy will need his sleep (because he will have to get up at 3am during the week) and the kids will need to learn to be quiet for him to sleep and study.  But I feel that having him home with us every night for dinner will be HUGE!

So, now we are slowly packing trying to get things in order.  I will again be arranging the move (with the movers and the truck and getting a bigger storage unit)....I will also need to help my mom organize her house.  She has lots of stuff that has been given to her by people that she loves...or that she feels is worth "something" so I need to help her pare down for her sake and for the sanity this will provide once there are two families in one house.

I am looking forward to this.  I am also still on the countdown to getting my house back....only 291 days!!

Well, here we go into our second month of homeschooling.  I have to say that things are going well.  We are all learning new and interesting things about one another.  We spend a great deal of time together as  family and love it.  Reading out loud is one of our favorite things to do.  God is so good, I love when he woos me into things for my (and my family's) good that I might otherwise have over looked.

Thank you Lord!!

It's been a couple of weeks since we officially started our first year of homeschooling.  Things have been going great.  We are still finding our way...but we are having a great time doing it.  Our family dynamics as a whole have changed.  We do EVERYTHING together.  Bryce and Caitlan are on the same team...he plays football she cheerleads.  She takes horseback riding lessons...and loves it!  They also participate in JBQ - Junior Bible Quiz at church.  We have lots planned for the future...traveling, field trips, science fairs etc.  I love to watch the kids play together now.  We enjoy the slow mornings, the chance to be a family.  We do breakfast, clean up, school and later in the afternoon we are free to do the things we choose to do.  This has been a great choice (I'm so glad God chose this for us). 

Caitlan and Korbi

BRYCE, CAITLAN AND TAYLOR......THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Still waiting on the DVD player to be shipped in (Labor day weekend isn't helping)...And the Learning Language Arts Through Literature (LLATL) that I ordered have not arrived yet either. Tuesday was supposed to be our first day of school.  I think that I'm going to go ahead and make it a school day...it just doesn't look like we will have math or lang. arts?  We can do Bible and work on some other things that were supposed to be extras while we wait for things to come in.  I spoke to the kids tonight about us starting some school and Byrce who is nine and does very well in school covered his ears.  I explained to him that this will not be like how he remembers school...he said really, we won't have just 30 minutes outside and then sit at our desks for the rest of the day (WHOA that was an insight to his image of school).  I explain to him that school was NOT going to last 6-7 hours a day like "real school".  And that we would have lots to do but we wouldn't always be sitting at the dining room table doing it either.  He seemed more interested.  Caitlan and Bryce are really interested in taking field trips to Seaworld (we have yearly passports), she wants to learn about Orcas and be a whale (specifically Shamu) trainer when she grows up. They also want to visit a couple of farms (a real farm and a reptile farm) that we have in the middle of the state.  I figure that we can go just about anywhere and call it school if we explore and talk and learn...isn't that what learning is all about?

'til next time~~~~>

I thought this whole time that I was SO ready.  I pulled my stuff out to begin our first year of homeschooling, and I get really nervous.  Then a couple of days later, I pulled one subject out, BIBLE.  I realized that it was not what we needed.  Maybe alittle to mature for my audience of 9 and under.  Ok, let's try math.  My reaction to my husband...."what do you mean the DVD player isn't working?"  Our math curriculum is partially on DVD...and I can't really start without the DVD player working....SO, I am taking a set back.  Talking to my HSing friends and regrouping my ideas.  Just when I think I have it all together, I see it begin to crumble.  Well, I'm bandaging the crumbling pieces and working on getting the ball rolling.  

'til next time~~~~> 

Well, as the summer starts to come to an end we are looking forward to starting our FIRST year homeschooling.  I am so excited.  I have all my stuf pulled out.  I figure little by little I will pull things out and introduce them to the kids.  This will give me an idea of the things they really like and the things they aren't really keen on.  This way I knwo what we need to get out of the way and the things that will go smoothly.  This will be trail and error for some time.  We are going to Cocoa for Tommy to take his class for his new career.  We are slowly transitioning into position to make this move smoothly.  I look forward to being home much more with the kids.  They need me these days, and God knows I need them.  It makes my heart SWELL when my 4 year old looks at me with a huge smile and says "We missed you, Mommy".  I want my home back.  I had to turn it over to my husband and family after my husband's accident.  I had to get through school......but it's been almost 3 years and it's time for me to become the parent in the home again.  I want to be the one cooking the meals and washing the dishes and the laundry again.  What woman in the right mind actually says "I want to cook/clean/stay home with 3 kids all day"????  I can't believe that I miss that.  I believe that it has a lot to do with the role of a mother.  I only have some much time left with my children as children. 

I just can't wait until we are in full swing.  I look forward to things of FALL...Halloween, Thanksgiving and on into Christmas.  We want to see the leaves change and snow.....and the Christmas lights in Nashville this year......Life is so full and great....God is so good!!

THANK YOU JESUS, for giving me such as awesome life  =)

Below is a picture of Taylor last Saturday at her FOURTH birthday party!

It's almost 6AM.  The first of my many night shifts is coming to a close.  I'm enjoying being in labor and delivery at my local hospital.  I wonder what God has in store for us as we close in on the first of our homeschooling years.  We aren't doing formal "school" right now...but we are taking the opportunities to teach as they come.  It's nice to really set our kids apart from everyone elses and let them be who God intended for them to be.  Bryce turns NINE this weekend.  OMgoodness...I can't believe it.  They are all growing so fast.  "God please help me to soak up every moment..."  Til next time.....

Tomorrow is the last day of school for the kids...then we are official HOMESCHOOLERS!!!  They are so excited.  God is molding our family into what he wants it to be...HOW FABULOUS!!

Tomorrow is my 29th birthday as I have said before....and I came home from work to dinner and cake and ice cream.  And the best part it was just the five of us!! Check us out below........

I just love being a Mom!!!

Today my daughter's kindergarten teacher is marrying my mom's 1st cousin's son...is that a little too southern for you?  We've lived here in Florida for so long (6 generations deep) that eventually...if you aren't a transplant from another city/state, some where along the lines we are related.  I am about to start getting ready for the wedding. I was going to where this awesome dress (a previous bridesmaid's dress) BUT I just remembered that I was in the sun this week (with a bathing suit with wide straps) and it s strapless dress  I guess I will be wearing something else.

Monday is my TWENTY-NINTH birthday.  I love my birthday.  Not for any particular reason but the fact that it's my birthday.  I will be working ALL day...but that's okay!

We went to Cypress Gardens Thursday.  It was so nice!  It's a water park and theme park mixed!!  It's beautiful...so beautiful that I got all caught up in the moment and I didn't take ONE picture.  I loved it and cannot wait to go back.

PRAYER REQUEST: I ask that you pray for my household.  We are all doing just fine...but I want to be home with my kids (hubby's a stay at home dad right now) and that my husband be the bread winner and that I be the one to homeschool our children.  I just got the job that I wanted to retire with in say 30-35 years...I thought that I would end up here 10 years from now...not this soon.  So, I don't want to burn my bridges...But I feel God pulling at my heart strings, I should be home with my kids and be their teacher.  Please pray that God, gives us the answers on how/when to do this and that through it all we stay in his will.

Til next time...

Caitlan LOVES Animals!!!!

I was taking pictures from over head while we were at the zoo Friday....not real sure what I would actually see.  As I scroll through the pictures I got, I see these...OMgoodness...this child has so much love for all animals.  What cracks me up is this....I asked her "How did you end up kissing the giraffe?" She replies........

"He started it..."

We're are getting very excited here.  When we made the decision to finish the rest of the school year before starting our homeschool adventure, I didn't realize how long it would really take to get to the end of the year.  The kids have alot going on...partys, field trips, graduations. I'm exhausted from just trying to keep things straight in my head.  Caitlan and I went to the zoo on Friday...the Friday before that was filed day (a day at a local camp where they could swim in the lake and slide down water slides).  AND the Friday before that Bryce and I went to the park and the fountains (talk about sunburn). This coming Thursday is Cypress Gardens theme park and then Friday and Saturday are wedding days for Caitlan's teacher (who just happens to be marrying into our family....). Then the next Wednesday is awards day...and then Friday is kindergarten graduation....see, pretty busy uh???

This is mother's day weekend...every year this weekend usually revolves around other women...my mom, my mother-in-laws and now my sister-in-laws.  I even took on the task of hosting a table at our church's Women's Ministry's Spring Tea this morning.  It was nice...and an honor to host for these women. The Bible says it's better to give than to receive, right?

A week from Monday is my birthday...TWENTY NINE....Oh my goodness!!!  I think it's great.  At 29, God has given me a great family, awesome kids, a loving husband who thinks the world of me and a fabulous job.  I honestly couldn't ask for anything more.  So, age is just a number...I've felt 30 my whole life anyway, so bring it on :o)

BELOW ARE PICTURES OF ME WITH EACH OF MY BEST FRIENDS:

AND THIS IS ME AS I WALKED OFF THE STAGE,

WHOO HOO I FINALLY FINISHED...I REALLY DID IT!!!

I struggle every morning having to do the before school routine.  I just want to take them out now.  Bub is in the middle of SAT testing, so taking them out this week is not a good option.  The have earned this end of the year play time where there are lots of field trips and it's a more relaxed atmosphere.  I don't want to deny them that but I am ready for the rat race to end.  43 days until the end of the year (if we make it...).

I have decided to take the satellite cable out of my son's room.  I understand this is not a foriegn concept, but I'm just realizing that there is nothing WHOLESOME on tv anymore, not even and sometime especially cartoons.  My next mission is to censor the games...I only let him play the games I approve (according to ratings) but I just realized that the people that come up with the ratings DO NOT have the same morales and values that I have that I am trying to instill in my children.  Explain to me why a cartoon that is meant for small children has sexual references???  There is almost no such thing as innocence.  I guess I've been being naive...

I'm sorry this has not been the most upbeat post...but ARRRGGHHHH I am so mad.  Now is the time to change these things...I applaud the women of this blog site for the changes you've already made and for the women who have taken a stand from the beggining....KUDOS TO YOU!!!   

Well, it's settled...I'm officially coming back to my local hospital to work in labor and delivery here.  I loved my job at the new place, but it was just too far (among the other things like the contract that just seemed to appear 2 weeks after I had started working there).  I missed my family.  It is such a great feeling knowing that I don't have to drive anymore like I have been doing.  I get to drive a big whoppin' 7 minutes home (as apposed to 90+ minutes).  I will see my kids before (until school is out) and after I work and I will only be working 3 days not 4-5 like I am now.  I left this completely up to God...and I am certain that he gave me the job that I was supposed to get.  I am SO excited!!!

Yesterday was my first day off in almost 6 days, so I let the kids stay home from school.  I missed them and I wanted to spend sometime with them.  We ended up going to a dinosaur exhibit at a local botanical garden.  They give you a map and you go through the huge garden looking for these dinosaurs.  The kids loved it.  We found a place where the kids could use paint brushes to find "dinosaur bones".  It was so neat!  A few minutes after the kids began to play, a photographer for our local newpaper came over and asked to take pictures of the kids.  He was real nice not intrusive or disruptive to their playing (which really was a delight to watch my children just the 3 of them playing together...in harmony).  This morning I awoke to see my beautiful babies on the front page of the local section...Now I know that every time we venture out as homeschoolers we won't be photographed for the paper. But even aside from the picture in the paper it was nice to just be together as a family learning, talking and exploring!!  Also, I wonder what the kids' teachers will say when they see the kids on the front of the newspaper.  Guess we are BUSTED!  ...just 48 more days!!!

Well, I've been at my new job for a couple of weeks right now.  The drive is tough but being away from my kids is the worst.  Being away from my family is killing me.  I'm glad that I didn't let go of my job here in my hometown.  I'm thinking about coming back to work in our small hospital here at home.  I wonder what people will say.  I have a great job...the exact job that I always considered my dream job...BUT, you know sometimes in this life we think we know what we want and what is right for us.  And when we get it we realize that it's not all it's cracked up to be.  When we decided to homeschool, I thought that I could be part of that even if I was commuting 200 miles a day and pulling 12 hour shifts 3 times a week.  WHAT WAS I THINKING???? Tommy has been doing very well with his new business and he has also be offered a position with a local contracting business to be kind of an office manager...but it will be from home.  This is answer to much prayer.  I see the Lord putting us in the position be a strong homeschool family.  It's like everytime that I look up from the daily grind I see that God is slowly twisting and mold our family into the way He wants it.  God is so good!

Happy Easter.  This is the day the tomb was found empty!!  This is the day that Jesus went to heaven to be with His Father.  One day I'll live with them...FOREVER!! 

It's been a very busy two weeks...

Friday March 30th, Bryce and I went to the Science Fair. He won superior for his project.  It was about the structure of the eye.  It was a pretty good day.  I'm very proud of him, beyond the science fair.  He's such a good kind hearted boy.  I come across lots of children who don't think of anyone but themselves. But he's so aware of others; so sensitive.  I got to sit back and watch him interact with his friends and the new people he met at the Science Fair. It makes me all emotional thinking of the kind of young man he's becoming.  He makes me proud.

I started my new job this week.  Check out the website...WINNIE PALMER HOSPITAL it really is as awesome as it looks.  I am real happy to be there.  Thursday, Tommy and the kids came up and we went to SeaWorld after I got off and ate at our favorite pizza place...FLIPPERS.  We took a drive down International Drive (you know where it take you an hour to go 4-5 miles due to traffic).  It was real nice we got to spend sometime in the car talking with the kids and just being silly.  Bryce and Tommy made up this game, kind of like punch buggy but since you don't see very many of them around..they were seeing who could find the most Chevys and Fords (Bryce was Chevy and Tommy was Ford).  It was so funny, Bryce was having a hard time keeping up with Tommy's count of Fords and as we were driving we seen a HUGE billboard for Chevy with a BIG Silverado truck on it...I said "Hey, Bryce that has to count for like 100 Chevy's"...he agreed!!

All five of us went to sunrise service this morning.  It was pretty cold!!  It was a beautiful sunrise, slowly it warm up to a balmy 50 degrees. But the breeze that was constantly blowing was a bit chilly.  It was so nice to have my whole family there.  I am SOOOO happy to say that Tommy gave his life to the Lord Monday April 2, 2007...it's nice to have my husband to stand beside in faith, I've been praying for this for many many years!!

Now, we're off to go visit family, lots of great food and Easter egg hunts...I hope that you enjoy your Easter! 

Well, I finally decided to start posting on here again.  As we end the "official" school year and begin the summer before our FIRST year of homeschooling, I want to track some of our life.  I'm not sure who will check back here and keep up with us...but it's nice to have a place to "store" memories.  In the last months I have take on two jobs for the time being.  At our local hospital and at a big women and babies hospital in another town.  I'm real excited because I get to venture into a new and exciting speciality....

~*~*LABOR AND DELIVERY*~*~ 

Aside from being a Mommy and wife, this is my dream job. This is why I went to nursing school.  I have decided to put off graduate school for awhile.  I have alot on my plate with the commute to the new job and the decision to homeschool the kids.  Tommy is now at home full-time with the kids.  He's such an EXCELLENT father.  I look forward to our partnership in this new segment of our journey.  I'm so thankful that God brought Tommy and I together.  He's good at what I'm weak at and visa versa.  We are doing everything that we can to get through the rest of the school year.  I want to bring them home now!!!  We went to the Coastal Florida Curriculum Fair and bought the curriculum that we will be using next year...I'm so excited I want to start right now.  Bryce is finishing up third grade and Caitlan is finishing kindergarten.  They are doing well, but I see the ways of the world creeping in from everywhere.  I just want to keep the innocent for as lond as possible. I hear my niece and nephew talk who are the same age and it makes me sad that they know the things they already know.  God gave me the job of protecting our children; their hearts, their minds and their souls.  And that is what we are going to do. I apologize in advance to those of you that think that we're not doing the right thing for our children...but that's just it, they're our children.  After much prayer and seeking the Lord's will for our family, we have decided to take the road less traveled (per usual for us).  I also encourage you to come back here often, especially as Fall rolls around and we really get started.  I'll put up pictures and tell you all about our adventures together.

YEAH BABY!!! I passed the state boards and I am officially a REGISTERED NURSE.  I am so glad that is over.  Now, we can start focusing on our decision to have DH stay home (and go to college) and bring the kids home to homeschool (oh yea, and for me to go to work...heehee).  Everywhere we go, I see things that we could be teaching the kids...like today (and yesterday) we went to the beach. I look around and see the wonders of the world and I just get all excited about teaching the kids at home.  We have been spending more and more time alone with the kids.  It's been GREAT!  I see them act completely different, when we spend a little time focusing them.  They're great kids...Life is about to change for us in great ways.  I can't wait!

I returned from Tampa this afternoon.  My mom and I headed over there yesterday evening so that I could wake up refreshed for the NCLEX this morning.  For those of you that are familiar with the NCLEX this is the state board exam that graduate nurses take for their licenses.  I was quite relaxed.  Much more than I expect to be.  I spent the last 4 days repeating and memorizing Phil 4:6-7.  "Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and petition present your requests to God.  And the peace that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" ....those very verses are the ones that helped me to focus on the Lord and got me through this.  Now, all I have to do is wait for Friday.  This is my focus right now.  After I am sure that I passed this exam...then I can regroup and refocus on my new homeschool endeavor.  More later....

Today was awesome!  I went to my friend's house and she showed me the curriculum that she uses for her children.  She had lots of other homeschooling (HSing) curriculums for me to look at.  I am so excited.  I want to bring home my kids and start teaching them at home tomorrow.  I think that I have picked part of the curriculum...it's called Cantering the Country.  It looks really exciting I have so many ideas.  I am going to take my state boards tomorrow for my license as a registered nurse (*~*YEAH!!!*~*).  So, I have to take a break from this endeavor for the moment (which is hard, because as you see I am here typing my first homeschool blog page).  We have the rest of the school year before we begin HSing, due to the fact that we have already paid their tuition for the remained of the year.  This will allow us to plan ahead, and prepare our home and our bank account for this.  The plan is for Tommy to stay at home and for me for work full-time.  Since I will be working at night, I will be able to rest on the days after I've been at work all night.  We are choosing our studies very carefully, so that we can plan accordingly.  We can't wait to be able to take mini vacations as we want.  That's the glory of working 3 days a week.  Plus, I see things coming home from school with my kids that I just don't want in my house.  The least of these is my baby came home from preschool today (she's 3 mind you) and she says "You're not my friend".  What is that?  I mean it's not that she said bad words BUT having her say this revealed to me that some one at her school has said this to her.  Some people may think this is harmless and frankly, yes it will not kill her to be told this.  But if this is what is being said to my 3 y/o, imagine the things that are being said to my 5 & 8 y/olds.  Speaking of them...my five year old had a melt down a week ago (I'm talk tears, hyperventilating the works) because this girl in her class has told her that she's not pretty.  That she's getting fat (she's almost 6 and weighs 41 pounds, is this kid kidding me).  She also said you need straight blonde hair, your hair is too curly...WHAT??  My children go to a private school...in kindergarten, yes I do expect the children to act different, and I don't expect that my daughter (in kindergarten) would be having the discussion that I used to have with my friends when we were more like 12. HSing will allow us to allow our children to be innocent longer.  The world just doesn't allow for that anymore.  I say let them be little, it doesn't last long enough these days.  So that's where we are in our new adventure called HOMESCHOOL.  Right now, we have chosen to not tell our family and friends because we want to get our ducks in a row first. We are concerned that NO ONE is going to support us on this.  So, for now, this is between us and this blog site...  Til next time...................