Hey!

Are you getting ready for the new school year? Need some help getting organized? Just wish you could have a personal friend to walk you through all of the planning bit-by-bit? My friend, Cindy Rushton, has given me permission to share a resource that she developed just for this purpose. I am so excited to give it to you! It is a audio and ebook set that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away to help us get familiar with her resources. Here is the link:

Well I was asked by a few to show my new look!  I cut and dyed my hair for my 34th birthday.  My sweet hubby finally agreed to the hair cutting.  The color was a big hit in the house and my son wants to know if I could do BLUE next time!  NOT LOL. 

So here is the new me and my sweetie!

Me and my Sweetie

This is a wash out and I will be going a little darker next time.  Or maybe blond for summer.  hehe

I do have one more photo.  I have a beautiful one of my parents and I had to share.  I love them so much, they are such a blessing.  My girls will be leaving with them on Tuesday for a few weeks.  There are very excited.

My wonderful Parents!

DON'T FORGET!

Time for the Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008!

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Free Gifts--ebooks, audios, downloads!
Special offers from your favorite Online Vendors!
Mp3 Downloads for all audios (over $2000 in workshops!)

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Bahama Blessings

Heidi Jo

Hey!

I just got an email from my friend, Cindy Rushton.  She is "pumped" about her upcoming Ultimate Homeschool Expo.  Actually, she is so "pumped" that she has just shared a sneak peek into her Membership Site.

You see one of the neat things about the Ultimate Homeschool Expo is that everything is ONLINE. Cindy builds a private, exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the UHSE in one place--it has audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $40. It is truly ULTIMATE!

Anyway, back to the reason that I am sharing with you...

Cindy just sent me permission to give you a sampler of one of her free gifts that is included on the Membership Site. I am so excited to give it to you! It is a audio and ebook set that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away on the Membership Site. Here is the link:

We just had the best "day of rest" ever.  We headed to the beach right after church today.  It was perfect!  Sunny but breezy, the water was a little cold for me but the kids loved it.  My sweetie went spearing in the boat with his best friend while we played on the beach.

I want to share photos of every thing we caught and will be eating very soon.  So, here is what we brought home today.

Crawfish

Hog Fish

Queen Triggerfish

Lion fish

Hawksbill Turtle (brought it home just so the kids could get a good look)

We let him go as soon as everyone got to hold him.

So this week we are going to have a yummy menu plan.

-Minced Crawfish

-Boiled Hogfish

-Fried Lionfish

Hope you all had a great weekend too.

Bahama Blessings

Heidi Jo

I have been very busy with homeschooling, my writing and Homeschool EXPO.  I have just finished teaching 2 seminars with Cindy Rushton.  One on Easy Homeschool Planning (my NEW book) and the other on Care About Cooking.  We have had a few weeks already of super pre-EXPO sessions.  I am always blessed by others willing to share their thoughts and struggles.  You can get your Ultimate Homeschool Expo ticket HERE You are not going to want to miss a second of this.

Well, I knew is would be a good day when my 9 year old daughter wrote a 2 page letter, back and front, to a friend with out my prompting!  This is my struggling writier!!!  We also reviewed s and 's at the end of the word and she really got it.  It was like I could see the light bulb going off.  It's things like that, that make a homeschool mama SMILE.  It is so refreshing to see our Lifestyle of Homeschooling at work!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend

Bahama Blessings

Heidi Jo

Anyway, there are 4 simple rules to this fun game of internet tag.
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, here are my 7 random and potentially weird facts about myself:

1. I do not use hairspray! ever!

2. I love handline fishing.  I could do it all day!

3. I am a little over organized and have to let a lot just "go" with 4 kids.  My husband actally says it is a sickness!

4. I love, love, love coffee!

5. I hate steak

6. I hate sad movies. Life is enough, I don't need a movie to make me cry. LOL

7. I have swam with the dolphins 4 times.  It really was one of the most amazing experiences.

Here are the seven people I’ve tagged:

Steph

Mary

Tiany

Carol

Dana

Letitia

Melissa

Have Fun!!!

Hi my dear friend,

I have got a super goodie to share with you.  My friend Cindy Rushton has given access to a wonderful article to share with you all.  I know you will all enjoy it as much as I did.

Here is the article:

Jumpstart on the Charlotte Mason Approach

http://www.cindysdesktop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/JumpstartCharlotteMason.pdf

 Bahama Blessing

Heidi  JO

Hi all

As you can see from my title be have choosen our "school" name.  WOOHOO!!

I have put it up as my new header for this blog.  Mostly because Bahama Blessings is my website title.  You can view that at www.Heidijokemp.com I have been working on tons of forms.  I have so much in the works too. 

Well, have a great weekend.

Bahama Blessings

Heidi Jo

How to Bulk cook with Ground Beef

I just did this last night, so here is my bulk cook day.

I start by browning 10 pounds of ground beef.  I then drain the fat.  I blended 4 cans of chickpeas and added it to the meat (this is how you can stretch your meat amount).  I fry this down with the meat.  I then blend 4 onions and 4 sweet peppers (my kids don’t like “things” in their food) and fry that down also.  I then add about 2 cups of white wine and simmer.

Scoop out 2 meals worth (around 2 pounds) of beef and put it in a separate pan.  I add 2 packages of taco mix to the meat, along with the other called for ingredience.

Scoop out 2 pounds of meat mixture and add to packages of chili mix along with other called for ingredence.

I usually make a meal of Sloppy Joes too.  You need about a pound of meat and a package of Sloppy Joe mix.

I use the rest of the meat to make spaghetti sauce.  I made homemade last night because I was given a case of tomatoes but I use jarred sauce too.  With this sauce I make 3 Baked Ziti and save the rest for just sauce.

I package and label everything and store in my freezer.  Now I have

 \

2 meals of Chili

2 meals of tacos

1 meal of Sloppy Joes

3 Baked Ziti

2 meals of Spaghetti

This gives me at least 2 meals a week for a month with leftovers.

I have been in Las Vegas for almost a week.  I went on busness with my husband.  Along with being a wife, mom, teacher and writer I am also a buyer for our Shoe company.  We attended the WSA in Las Vegas.

The trip over all went very well. It did not go the way I had
planned but.... God had other plans.

I had planned a to get tons of writing done and really enjoy the time
with my husband. but, the second day in Vegas I was hit with the
worst migraine I have every had. I did not eat, drink or move (with
the exception of trips to throw up in the bathroom) for 24 hours. I
have to honestly say I have never experenced pain like that and I
have had migraines for years. The only thing that got me through was
the Lord. If I wasn't sleeping I was praying. I could truely feel
the Lord so close, He was truely my rock! Even through all the pain,
it was one of the most amazing experences in my walk with Christ. I
could actually feel the arms of God wraping around me and rocking me
to sleep!!! It seems weird to say, but I am so blessed by this that
I wouldn't change it if I could.

So, no writing was done. And I was very busy at the show, but
everything went well!!! I am very glad to be home and with the kids
again.

My parents handeled it amazingly and actually left this morning to go
and watch my sisters 4 kids for the week. They are truely amazing
and I am blessed to have them.

So, I am back into the swing of things today. I have a few things to finish up our time traveler
unit on Colonial Life and then my girls, my girls will be
going with my parents for 2 1/2 weeks.

My mom homeschools them while they are there (did I tell you that my
mom is SUPER) and they get to minister in the public schools with
them (my parents are missionaries in Cat Island). They love to visit
and bless the people of that island. I am so excited as they get to
experence missions at such a young age.

So, next week I will start on that writing I wanted to do.  And I have a few treats planned for my boys, who are 4 and 3.  They love the special alone time with mom.

I hope to get to posting here more often.  I am getting my schedule worked out for the month so we will see.

Bahama Blessings

Heidi Jo