My unofficially, unadopted, child wrote this and all I can say is-

Yeah! That's what I meant!

Down Once More....

Seriously.

While California is trying to decide whether or not a parent really needs to be certified to teach their own children,

there's a teacher in Florida working with other people's children who isn't.

He has a temporary teaching certificate. He's trying to get his permanent certification.

"Machacyk, 49, has dyscalculia, a type of dyslexia that involves numbers. His learning disability puts him at a fifth-grade math level. The state certification test asks questions on a 10th-grade level."

"Machacyk, at one point, lost count of how many times he has taken the state's General Knowledge Math test. (The answer, he later recalled, is five.)

He does know this: He has failed every one of them."

It takes a score of 200 to pass the math test. Machacyk came close once, with a 181. But it might've been a fluke, he said. "I sweated through that and guessed on most of them," he said."

Now, I'm not saying he isn't a fabulous art teacher. He may well be and it sounds like he has quite a fan base. I'm not even saying that I wouldn't let my kids take art from him. And I'm definitely not saying that his disability is laughable because it isn't.

But honestly.... he's teaching children with state approval without meeting all the requirements that California would require of me?

I'm sorry but that just makes me laugh.

Genesis 2:18:

"The LORD God said,
"It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a helper suitable for him."

When The Lord God said that, it was in reference to Adam.
Adam, who was alone.
Literally.
There were no other people.
The population was 1.

Today, none of us are "alone". 

1 Corinthians 7 says:

"Now to the unmarried and the widows I say:
It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.
But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry,
for it is better to marry than to burn with passion."

"Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife."

"An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs:
Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.
But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—
how she can please her husband."

So is marriage wrong? Absolutely not.
But it also not "required".

"But if you do marry, you have not sinned;
and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.
But those who marry will face many troubles in this life,
and I want to spare you this."

Whether or not the Lord has planned for my 18-yr old to marry remains to be seen.

There's No Place Like Home...
There's No Place Like Home...
There's No Place Like Home...

I'm staying home today!
Last week was one road trip after another.
I hate road trips.

Every day had a far driving "have to" on it.

Tu: Take the Harley in for regular maintenance- 2 hr. round trip.
W: Pick the Harley up from regular maintenance- 2 hr. round trip.
Th: Doctor's appointment for regular maintenace- 2 hr. round trip.
F: Have taxes done- 3.5 hr. round trip.
Sa: Everything I put off all week and chauffering child (1 hr. round trip)
Su: Church- 2hr. round trip.

By the end of the week I was feeling:

But I'm on strike now and I'm staying home today.
All day.
Just knowing this makes me feel:

All images:
www.allposters.com/

It's Friday and I'm having a "flashback".

After the break (just home from the ER):

After the permanent cast:

And a month later, a revised birthday party to the zoo (instead of the Moonwalk in the yard):

Ah, the romanticized and oh-so-commercial holiday.
You either love it or hate it.

I love it.
Do you want to know why?
Do you even really care?
No matter.
I'll tell you anyway!

I love Valentine's Day because of:

He's MY Valentine.
And today's my anniversary.
And he picked the date.

God's gift to me.
At a time when I didn't even think God remembered me.
A man strong enough to deal with me and gentle enough to tame me.
A man who loves me for who I am and what I am.
My man!
*sigh*

I haven't mentioned the 18-yr old for awhile. She's still alive. And I feel kind of bad that I haven't said much about her lately. But the truth is that she seems to be holed up in the shire, for the most part.
Now I'm not complaining about the studying. Her grades are phenomenal and so I'm proud of her.
But I do get tired of looking for her and only finding this:
She does come out on occasion...

Normally, I read through other people's ideas and either try them or dismiss them outright.
If I try them, it's because something sounds like it's a good idea and I figure I'll give it a shot.
I have to tweak of course because, well, it's just that I must.

And sometimes the ideas that look good, and sound good, simply won't work for me.
And if it's an idea that seems to work for a huge amount of people then I know it must be that the problem is me.

So I'll just come out and tell you that planning a menu for my household weeks, or even months in advance, does not work for me.

Now I'm not knocking that a lot of you can do it. I think it's wonderful!

But here's why I can't do it:
1. I look at the list of foods and get bored. Honestly! After I've seen, say, sloppy joes on a list for days I just get tired of seeing it and have to change it.

2. I'm half an hour from a grocery store and just in that time it takes to drive it, I'll change my mind.

3. I'll ask my husband what he wants for dinner next week and he'll say he has no idea.
He'll say, "How do I know what I'll be hungry for next week?"
I'll follow with, "If you don't know what you want next week, how should I know what you want next week?"

4. If I plan to make something that's time consuming, something else always comes up that has me scarmbling for a replacement at the last minute.

5. When the day comes that I'm scheduled to make something, often I just don't think it sounds good.

6. It's not cheaper for us. It seems as if everything I need from my planned menu is at it's highest price when I shop!

7. It's detrimental to my walk with the Lord! I would concentrate so much on "being a good steward" that I would neglect the "give us our daily bread" portion of faith. And He hasn't let us go hungry...

So to relieve my stress of trying to make something fit that just doesn't, here's what I do:

I shop for 5-7 days in advance by simply buying what's on sale that week.

And as I tell my kids, everything in the grocery store goes on sale at some point.
And it's at that point that I buy it.
It's so much cheaper for me to skip the ground beef that's $3.19 a pound (and that's the 73%), and head to the chicken that's on sale for $.49 a pound.
When we left the store the other day, it hit me.
I mumbled something about spending $41.00 for a few things and my youngest asked me if that was a lot.
I stopped and did the math and said;
"Wait! I just got enough food to feed five of us for 6 days for $41.00!
NO! That's not a lot at all!
As a matter of fact, that's CHEAP!"

And that does work for me!

My dishwasher died.
We saw it coming, we just didn't know "when".
Apparently, "when" is now.

I love dishwashers.
I mean I REALLY love dishwashers.

We got our first one when I was 6.
I only have hazy memories of my first five years of life being without one growing up.

And there was that time we rented a house that didn't have one.
Which is a time filled with ugly rememberances of never-ending piles of dirty dishes.
Hours spent washing, drying, and putting away to cook another meal that led to more washing, drying, and putting away which led to,
but I digress....

When we bought our land, I told my astonishingly patient, long-suffering, and wonderful husband that I didn't care if we had to pitch a tent to live in as long as we had a really long extension cord to run a dishwasher.

Cleaning windows? No problem!

Digging ditches? Sure!

Mucking excrement? I'm there!

Just so long as I don't have to wash dishes.
I HATE washing dishes.
Did I mention that I really, really, don't like doing dishes?

But the kids are all old enough to help now.
And we've been keeping a pan of clean, soapy water and washing as we go.
And it hasn't been so bad.

I'm even thinking of stretching this long enough to see if it makes a big difference on the electric bill.
And dish soap is cheaper than dishwashing detergent.
And I feel all housewifey when I do them now.

Maybe we'll just do without one completely.

But I'm still saving up for THIS one just in case the novelty wears off:

Ain't she a beaut??!! *sigh* 
Two independent wash drawers mean you can wash two separate loads completely independently
9 cycles for every washing need
Superior washing performance incorporates the worlds first flow through detergent dispenser prevents detergent burn so your dishes last longer
ENERGY STAR® qualified

And for a whopping price tag of $1,511.84 (+ tax), I'll be saving for a long time!

Yep.
I'm self-diagnosed.
But I'm just sure I have "Adult-Onset Attention Deficit Disorder".

What else can it be?

I start the washer to run a load.
While the detergent is getting all friendly with the water, I set off to get the hamper.
On my way, I'm called by my child to answer a question about schoolwork.
Or my husband needs something and doesn't know it's location.
Then I see something out of place and pick it up and put it in it's rightful location.
I stop to make my bed.
I pull something out of the freezer for dinner.
I Google a new recipe idea.
I...

....forget the washer.
It has run through all the cycles and is now clean.
Laundry still needs to be done but my washer is clean.

We love this lady:She's my mother-outlaw and today is her birthday.

She's an amazing lady.
And I use the term "lady" very tightly here.
She's gracious and kind.
And she can cook Cajun food that's so good you'll eat like a hog.
Have lots of tea on hand, though...

She's got a HUGE heart.
And a forgiving nature.
And is graciousness personified.

I won't tell her age because, well, I'm afraid she'd smack me.

She's the total opposite of me.
Her idea of casual is my idea of dressy.
She won't leave the house without her face on and I... just have my face.
You get the idea.

And she does an awesome Mae West impersonation.

Most folks call her "Kathy".
The kids call her "Nona".
I used to call her "mother-in-law".
Now I call her friend.

Happy Birthday, Kathy.
I love you!

GQ

This kid amazes me:

She's smart, funny, sassy, and creative.
Only thing is, she doesn't know it...

But who else could fiddle with a paper clip and end up with unique jewelry?

The Old English ones.....

I have always wanted an Old English Sheepdog.
Ok, maybe not "always", but for a really long time.
And I will probably never get one.
There's none to be had in our area.
The closest I can find is about 14 hours from us.
Then there's the price.
EGADS! Anywhere from $800-$1000 DOLLARS!
And for only about $250 more, I can have one delivered here to the boondocks.
So it most likely ain't happening....
(Sorry- but my grammar gets real bad when I'm despondent.)
I didn't want to bore anyone with that information so I never posted about it.

But there's been that niggly feeling that my 11-yr old may have been misunderstood in a previous post when she said; "You look like a sheepdog because of your hair."

Saying your mother looks like this:
might be misconstrued as rude or insulting.

But just look at that fluffy heap!!
Is that not the cutest dog on earth?
And I even love to have my head scratched like that!
But what does that have to do with how I look?
Well, if you take a *coughcough40somethingwoman* and add in a lot of hair and understand that she started going gray in high school then you get this:

"If you won't use chemicals to dissuade geese, deer, and other wildlife from binging on your vegetables, you need to control the deer population.
This means organic farms need hunting to reduce crop loss more than traditional farms do.
So, all you vegetarians who eat only organic- have you thanked a hunter lately?"

from: The Politically Incorrect Guide to Hunting

It started Friday night.
Guy took the girls Christmas shopping so they could get something for me
(here's where you say,  "AWWWWW").
That's a big deal!
So besides the obvious thoughtfulness, I was going to have time alone...
You know, as in "all by myself".
As in "now I can complete a thought uninterrupted".
As in... well, you get the idea.
It happens twice a year.
Only I was bored and lonely.
Go figure...

But even worse, I wasn't feeling 100%.
More like 50%.
Ok, 20%.

The beginnings of a summer cold.
Yes, I said "summer".
It's hot here during the day and cool at night.
By Saturday, I was miserable.
"Please just shoot me", I kept saying.
They thought they were being nice by refusing....

But Saturday was a beautiful day and I had lots that needed to be done.
So I went to the city which is an hour's drive away.
I took the oldest daughter with me.
She's good for sympathy and stuff.
Usually.

What I didn't count on was the folks out there.
They were all so disgustingly nice.
And chit-chatty.

I looked in the mirror.
I was lookin' pitiful
One eye nearly slammed shut with puffiness from the constant streaming of liquid.
The other bloodshot.
Walking like Quasimoto.
Or a zombie.
And I suppose it's not very ladylike to admit that I wanted to just stuff a Kleenex in my nose to deal with the running.

And I wanted to scream, "GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE."
But that wouldn't be very nice, or so my oldest kept telling me.

How about, "Do I look like I actually care, right now?"
No go on that one, either.
Then I got a lecture a gentle reminder on how God loves them, too.

So I thought it best to just come back home.

In 1958,
Elvis was inducted in the Army.
Alvin Ailey established the American Dance Theatre.
The U. S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that schools in Little Rock must integrate.
Eisenhower ordered the Marines into Lebanon at the request of President Chamoun, who feared overthrow.
A first class stamp was three cents.
Tim Tam won the Kentucky Derby.
The Bridge on the River Kwai won the Academy Award for best picture.

And, 49 years ago today, my wonderful man was born.

This is the man that the Lord created especially for me.
He knew I'd need someone who could caulk the hurt spots and offset my pecularities.
Someone who's just about the polar opposite of me.
Someone who keeps me balanced.

Since today is his birthday, I thought I'd share some of the things that make up why he's so wonderful.

1.  Anyone who likes Jennifer Anniston better than Angelina Jolie is a keeper!
2.  A man who listens to Ray Price and George Strait has to have a good heart.
3.  When I see a gorgeous woman and say, "You can't have her" he ALWAYS responds with, "I don't want her".
4.  He doesn't look at the Victoria's Secret catalogue.
5.  He lets me see his silly side.
6.  He's never cranky in the middle of the night (not that I am....*ahem*).
7.  Will sing "Mmmm, I like it like that" during Any Man of Mine by Shania .
8.  Has the most forgiving heart of any human I've ever known.
9.  Can fix things.
10. Is a walking encyclopedia.
11. And he lets me flip through radio stations to my heart's content.
12. But mostly, he loves me. He really loves me.

When a young friend of ours (in his 20's) brought his girlfriend over to meet us, he explained us this way:
"When you meet Guy he looks so mean but he's just as nice as can be.
But she (pointing at me), looks so sweet but she's mean as a snake."

It's all about balance....

I have serious issues with cooking a turkey.
The first one I tried to cook was, well, many years ago.
Many years.
It caught on fire in the oven.
No joke.

It was also the last one I tried to cook.

After that, I learned to accept invitations to the homes of friends.
I could bring a side or a dessert.
No problem.

Or I could simply order a whole meal from whatever grocery store was nearest.
I did that a few times.

Then my wonderful husband retired from the military and we moved near family.
It's easier for them to come here.

But I still don't cook the turkey.

Well, I do cook it.

After my mom comes to my house and gets it ready,
I'm actually the one who puts it in the oven and turns on the heat.

But I refuse to put my hands into the places that no self-respecting turkey would allow.
I just didn't know Mr. Tom that well....
And I fear starting my house on fire.

But I do eat.
I'm really good at that!

Sorry, Mr. Tom.

We're a non-drinking family.
We have a dear friend who's a pastor.
We have an empty wine bottle.
The 11-year old picks up the bottle and says to the pastor, "Want a refill?"

My husband worked all last weekend.
Then he got called in Monday night to his regular job.
He got home late and settled in and he got called in again to his regular job.

This is a thirty minute drive one way.

He comes home from work Tuesday and decides to take a nap.
He can get a good two-hour nap in before friends arrive for dinner.
The night goes well and we're saying our "good-byes" and his stupid phone rings and he gets, yup, called in to his regular job.

He gets home at 1:30 a.m. and gets a nap before he goes to work for the day.

Yes, I wait up for him. Yes, I'm bleary-eyed. Yes, I'm feeling a little cranky.

So how come he's so good-natured?

The man's a saint, I tell ya!

...contests or drawings often.
I'd say "never" but that wouldn't be completely honest.
Pretty close, though.

I'm not against contests and drawings.
I think they're really cool.
It's just that there's just always something that causes me distress.

Take the drawing over at The Gremlin Wrangler, for instance.

I thought about entering.
I wanted to enter.
And I doubt I'd win.
But on the off-chance, however slight, that I might win I couldn't decide which child I'd want to have a picture of.

Seriously.
Can you imagine the trauma it would cause no matter which child I picked?
I would feel like I slighted a child.
I'd feel like I was saying I loved one more than the other.
I'd feel like I was giving them a head start on having as many issues as I do.
So I've decided I'll save up and buy one of each.

Then I'll have to decide whether to let it be a present to a loving family member or keep them for myself.
But that's a whole 'nother issue.

I'm assuming the rest of the world is more balanced.

(Edited to add:
Congratulations to Jenny of Just Taking Notes for being the winner of the drawing! )

FruitfulFamily has a really good entry here:

OH, WHAT A BURDEN!

It's a subject we've discussed often in our home since it's a huge problem in our area.

And thanks to TC, I'm going to check out an online Bible study at The Reformed Home Schooler.

I'm just in a thinkin' mood today.

Remember this Guy?:

He's my husband. He's awesome. Tough as nails. Tougher, really.

20 years in the Marine Corps.
A skilled marksman.
Cool under pressure.
He can do all the stereotypical "macho" things; mechanical, electrical, woodworking, carpentry, etc.
Rides a Harley.

See the shed he's building?
See how good he looks on that bike?
Sorry- sidetracked for a minute....

Oh! And he kills things.
But only for food, and never more than we need.
He's practical.

So why is it that he turns to mush around our girls?

When the 18-yr old was younger, he decided she needed a bike. So he takes her on his lunch break to get one. And he leaves a pregnant me to chase her up and the down road to let her learn to ride.

A year or so later, she leaves the bike parked behind his truck and he backs over it and squooshes it.

He told her to put it up when she was done.
He told her that numerous times.

So he told her again.

She was crying.
Her heart was broken.
And then he said;
"It's partly your fault for leaving it there.
But it's partly my fault for not looking where I was going."

And then he took her to the store to get another one.

The youngest found a turtle a few years back.
A pond turtle.
She named him "Franklin", of course.
Franklin died after a year.
That's a good long time for a pond turtle in captivity.

But her heart was broken.
And the tears rained down.
She had lost her "best friend", she told him.
So my husband squatted down and asked her if a puppy would help.
Which left me on a mission to find an acceptable turtle substitute.

The girls want a bunny now.
They "need" a pet.

Besides the two dogs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and horse...

So he okayed that.

Yeah, he's tough!

Living in a rural area is different.
For me, anyway.

Everybody knows everybody's news-
good and bad.

Your "stuff" is just out there for all to see....
and discuss, of course.

So, we're "the homeschoolers".
The ones with the scarlet "H" on our foreheads.

Thankfully, my kids have a wonderful reputation in the area.

(Local store owner said to me:
"Your kids are all so nice, and smart, and well-mannered. You sure they're yours?
Because we goof often, I gave the mature response and stuck out my tongue.)

Once in awhile, another family will try homeschooling for a bit.
Not often but it happens.
Never lasts for long...

So that gives everyone a chance to discuss homeschooling with me when I'm out and about.
Because they know of a family that homeschools, they are quite knowledgeable about it.

So yesterday while I was at the post office, a reference to a homeschool family came up that wasn't positive.
The implication being that we were the exceptions...

And it hit me.

When kids have parents that don't care, will any educational method will work?

So I asked that.

And a great discussion ensued.

I say "great" because we both were thinking.
A lot.
And the truth is that the kids that are in public schools who have parents that don't care, don't do well in public school.
And the kids whose parents are claiming homeschooling because the parents are "too lazy" to put them in school don't do well.

And it's not about the educational choice.

And everyone knows my nearest neighbors. They're the ones that are always screaming and cussing at their kids. Both parents have been arrested a few times. And their kids are in public school. And the littlest one flunked kindergarten and first grade. So he's in second grade and "should" be in fourth. Has the schooling they've chosen failed those kids?

Or have the parents?

I'm just sayin'....

(Let me preface this by saying that this company is in no way responsible for this post. )

When the 18-yr old was many years younger, we got her a My Twinn doll.

I thought it was the coolest concept ever. Ok, I still do...

Anywaaaaay, I sent in the photo and I filled out the specifics on what color her eyes are and where her freckles are and what type and color her hair was and all the ever-so-important details.

And she got a doll that looked a lot like her.

And matching clothes, of course.

Like this one. (Not my child but you get the idea....)

So for many years now I've felt that we've neglected our youngest.
I think she needs an awesome My Twinn.
Picture dark wavy hair. Green eyes. A porcelain complexion. And overalls. And even high-top sneakers. or even cowboy boots.

I got a new catalog in the mail and gave it to her just in case.

Her thoughts?

"Uh, mom? That would kind of freak me out to have a doll that looked like me."

I wonder if the 18-yr old would want another one that looks like her now?

I hate to cook.
My husband likes to eat.
Every day, even.
*sigh*

So for him, and the kids, I cook.

On weekdays, I even make my husband breakfast, oh, say, about 90-95% of the time.
Sometimes, I oversleep....

The kids usually fend for themselves.
Hey! They need those life skiils, right?

On weekends, I make a big breakfast for all.

I even cook dinner regularly.
But if I can sneak in an eat out, I'm there!

If anyone else has this particular problem, I've started saving recipes that are mostly affordable and definitely easy.
For those, ohmyit'stimefordinneralready? times.

Feel free to take a look at some of those here:
Guy is Hungry

And I'd love to have more of the easy, somewhat affordable, ideas.
But my husband must have meat with each meal,
and he likes his foods separate (as in no casseroles),
and he doesn't like pork,
and his favorite is beef.

Anyone, anyone?

What a wonderful surprise! 

From AFJen88 over at Air Force Homeschoolers:

That brought a smile to my face this morning.
She has that effect on me...
Thank you, AFJen88!

The award creater said:
The thing that I love most about blogging is that I learn so much about a person just by reading their blog. I have met MANY wonderful people with wonderful stories to tell and I am grateful every day for each person that I have the pleasure of crossing paths in life with.

I wanted to create something special for the top ten people who have inspired me through their blogging; the stories they tell and the lives that they lead with grace and dignity. I visit their blogs for inspiration and encouragement.

(I'm not sure AFJen88 caught the "grace and dignity" part so we'll just not mention it )

So for those who make ME smile, let me pass this on to:

First is Arby over at Arby's Archives. He has that dry (subtle) sense of humor that sneaks up on you and gets you laughing out loud. Which then causes your kids to come in and ask what's so funny. Which leads to reading his newest post out loud and laughing again. But I digress...
He also has a Cary Grant avatar which shows impeccable taste. 'Nuff said.

Then there's Debbles107 over at Musings by Debbie. She doesn't post very often *hint hint*. But her posts are sweet and her boys are adorable! And she is a thoughtful commenter. So, by post or by comment, she makes me smile!

And there's CreativeLearning at her blog who has posts that are funny or sweet or silly, or even all three. And photos. She makes me smile!

And sockmonkey over at The Daily Yada. Come on, admit it. Just reading her name and blog made ya smile! Her posts are an eclectic mix (some border on insane). I look forward to a new post just to see what she's up to this time!

Oh, and skdenfeld of Some Assembly Required..... Some days I have trouble getting past her avatar. It memerizes me. For the last few days, I've had fun watching the changes. And her posts even make me smile, too!

And kympossible (who's profile I'm not allowed to view - go ahead, you know you want to look) at Forest & Stream Club Academy has a peaceful, conversational writing style that makes me smile. And I always smile at her great ideas as I sneakily add them to our own lessons.

Then, there's also cyndiegirl72 at Homeschool Fuel who amazes me with her energy! I've told my children that if I die and they moved in with her, they'd be fine. Better off, even. But it's not going to happen since I'm too selfish for that! Reading her blog makes me smile just knowing that her children are so blessed to have her!

And Zookeeperof10 (read that again, s l o w l y ) at ZooKeeper & the F-Troop makes me smile- sometimes in amazement that she does so much. And sometimes in amazement at what a sweet spirit she has. And I won't harass her for not posting more. I'll just smile and be happy when she does get a chance to!

Last, but definitely not least, is kellieann at Hilltop Academy. In the best possible way I have to say that she's on the insane side! Her posts are funny and her kids are cute. Just gotta smile at that! Though I am still waiting for my chocolate-glazed doughnut....

And one more time to AFJen88 - that only makes 3 for you!

And because I'm feeling all special, reveling in the warm fuzzies, I thought I'd share this:

We expect others to fix their own faults and overlook or accept ours.

The video:

Blood of Heroes

For older kids this would be a great history lesson!
See it.
Read the text. 
Discuss it.
School's over for the day.
That's what happemed to us the first time we found this.
For younger kids, you may want to watch it first.

From the website:

It's after midnight and I'm still up.

I do have those nights where I just can't sleep.

This is not one of those.

This is one of those,
"I refuse to let my husband leave for a 2nd job at 2:30 a.m. to drive 1 and 1/2 hours to work a 12-hour shift to drive 1 and 1/2 hours to get back and have to fix his own breakfast on his day off while I'm fast asleep"
kind of things.

I don't deserve this man.

He's taken this 2nd job to help "us". 
So I'll make him breakfast and then go to bed.
He'll be grateful.
And he won't be cranky.

And he feels blessed?? 

So I need to focus on the good in all this. The good that he sees...

*This chance for side work has come at a time when we need it the most. It is an answered prayer.
A few weeks back, my husband ran into a guy he used to work with. He asks my husband how work's going and my husband says it's going well except they don't want to cut loose of any overtime. The guy says he's got so much work going on that he's having a hard time finding people for weekend work. This came about after much prayer from my husband. After more prayer, he accepted the opportunity.

*This particular job is an hour and a half drive one way.
The Harley gets 55 mpg. And the car was back in the shop a few days ago.

*He can make much more than I could.
He makes 4 or 5 times what I could in a weekend. He has a "useful" skill.

*These opportunities will be steady but not every weekend.
If I were to get a weekend job, I'd have to work every weekend- no matter what.

We talked about this again today. He actually explained to me that it's such a help to him to have me here taking care of things so he can do this. And besides, according to him, I work hard at home.

Yeah, the place I can quit and take a nap if I need to.
The place I can just quit doing anything if I don't feel like it that day.

Have I mentioned how wonderful my husband is?
And did I mention that I just don't deserve him?
Did I also mention that I'm holding on to him, anyway?

Things here lately have been a little more chaotic than usual.
Today's looking to be a bit quieter.
I'm just not sure if I know how to handle that.

My husband has been working a second job and thanking God for the opportunity.

The beautiful lady in the previous picture is my ex-mother in-law.
Does that make her my mother outlaw?
She came in from Louisiana and stayed with us for a few days.
Not long enough...

My in-laws will be here in a few days from Texas.

In the meanwhile, we had a homeskool graduation and 18th birthday celebration last week.

It was simply wonderful.  

I was amazed at the generosity of spirit of the guests.
They gave one young lady a night she will never forget!

As a mom, I was so amazed to see how much one young lady touched the lives of so many.

As a mom, I was amazed at the graciousness of the youngest (11) who gave her all to let her sister have her special night.

As a mom, I was amazed by the generosity of the baby boy (25) who taped it all.

This thing called family, it's a good thing!

18 years ago today I was still in Hawaii.
I remember because 18 years ago my oldest daughter was born.
18 years.
She's 18 today.
18.
Wow.

I'd love to make a big ole pot of coffee and bore everyone with all those photos of her life. But alas, I only have a few digital ones. And most are really poor quality.

But I'm a mom so I'll post them anyway!

She only weighed 4 pounds and 6 ounces when she was born. 
*insert non-existent digital photos here*

When she was two, we moved to Louisiana. That was where Granpa taught her to eat watermelon:

She was born knowing how to laugh and smile.
Since she was born, she has kept me laughing and smiling.

She loves animals. Except roosters. Especially small, strong-willed horses.

She's always game to try new things. Even ice skating.

She sings. Constantly. Sometimes for pay.

Or at the nursing home for love.

Or at festivals.

Or even making her first CD four years ago.

And at VBS as the music director.
*No photo here.*

But she's always singing.

And sometimes I make her write.
In No Certain Order....
A Teen's Perspective on Homeschooling
Truly Free

She's amazing. Ok, so maybe that sounds like parental prejudice. And no doubt that's in there. But she took Algebra 1 as her first college course and made an "A". And she took English 1 over the summer and made an "A". Think she'll listen to me now?

She's a little over 4'10". Not quite 4'11".
95 pounds soaking wet.
Wears a size 12 from the kid's department.
With a one ton heart.

And lots of hair.

I love you, Little Girl.

I never once thought that I would ever move to the country and actually hose turkey poop off the porch before the sun came up.

Never.

Tag-wielding TC

(Let me preface this by saying that I'm referencing marriages in general. All marriages have some sort of rocky times and I'm not referring to those times. And I'm absolutely not speaking of abusive marriages!)

To:

TC over at Fish in My Hair has created a truly wonderful award!
Check out the Grace and Peace Award. Usually, I laugh. This made me smile.

Zookeeperof10 over at ZooKeeper & the F-Troop could use a little cheering up and I know nothing about being Postpartum. She's sweet and funny and I'd so love to give her a big hug!

I've always been fascinated by anyone who can solve a Rubik's Cube. I've only known one person that could. And I used to love to mess up it just to watch it get fixed! But Ann over at Tallwoods Blog has a video of her husband solving it!

And one blog entry that had me laughing out loud was Peace! Peace! Pretty Please! by LizzieBee over at:  A Grain of Mustard Seed . You must know teen girls to really appreciate this....

And don't tell Chris of The World As Seen By A Teen Named Chris that I voted for Zebras!

Some of the coolest, bestest, people in the whole world are back home!
And they'll be here tonight.

That means I have to get ready.

No, not the house cleaning stuff.
  I don't have little ones so my life is relatively clutter-free. And with three of us here during the day, the cleaning is quick.

No, not the cooking stuff.
  We'll have pizza, it's easy. I learned long ago that simple foods are less stress when having people over.

No, not the Bible study stuff.
  Conversations tend to center around Christ, anyway.

But I do have to get ready-

for fellowship with people who live what they believe!
for laughter with people who are so joy-filled it's contagious!
for kindness so real you can feel it!
for love that just overflows!
for people who bring out the best in us because they see only the best....

Welcome home, Fabulous Ford Family!

20 Reasons to Homeschool-
from a teen's perspective:

(in no certain order...)
~ Your teacher really loves you. (Certainly not there for the pension!)

~ You can wear fuzzy slippers during schooltime!

~ Bathroom breaks don't require permission.

~ Your teacher can give you hugs and kisses and no one can squawk. (PDA's are everyday!)

~ You have a say in your horizon.

~ You ALWAYS bring your pets to school.

~ Field trips don't have to be scheduled months in advance.

~ You don't HAVE to work at a desk... Sprawling on the floor is just as acceptable (and certainly more comfortable)!

~ It's not "un-cool" to like your parents.

~ You can learn at your own pace; you don't have to speed up or slow down to keep up with others.

~ Blemishes and bad hair days don't affect your social status.

~ Freedom of expression actually exists in the classroom.

~ Peer pressure isn't much of an issue.

~ No uniforms!

~ You're automatically on a first-name basis with the local librarians.

~ You find yourself spending more time with the people who matter most to you: your family. And you actually enjoy it!

~ Your curriculum doesn't have to be politically correct. (It can actually be accurate!)

~ Creativity is welcomed rather than stifled.

~ It's okay to love learning. You aren't in the 'geek' or 'nerd' category if you do.

~ NO CAFETERIA FOOD! 

Seriously.

What's the picture on your desktop background?

I think it tells a lot about a person...

I'll go first.

But I don't want to know what it says about me.

So we went to the library.

ZooKeeper & the F-Troop is passin' the love around. 
And it was HARD!
I mean really hard.
And thinking about me isn't my favorite pasttime.
I'm boring.
That just made it harder.

Ok, this is just getting weird! We're now a 2-Harley family.... I'm thinking one or two more and we'll be looking like a motorcycle gang.

Apparently our baby boy wasn't thrilled with the price of gas to fill his pick-up (8 cylinder). And he bought himself a Harley. Only his is the Nightster.

My husband has this one:

And now they ride their bikes to work together.

Boys are weird!

our youngest was born. I was feeling a bit melancholy last night as I tucked her into bed. It was the last time I'd ever say "Good Night" to a 10-year old child of mine. I don't mind aging but I sure hate that my kids are growing up so fast!

This child was a gift from God when I thought we were done having children! I went to the doctor for flu symptons and was shocked to find out it wasn't the flu... I can't say I was excited at the news.

We had lost two. We had a son (Austin) who was stillborn and we buried him in the tiniest little casket. Then we had a miscarriage. So the thought of going through that again had me anything but joy-filled.

I took a job teaching pre-school while I was pregnant since it was only part-time. Seven months into the pregnancy we went on a Girl Scout trip that was in Columbia, SC. I left work on Friday and got our things together and headed off. Everyone settled in well and I woke up in the hotel on Saturday morning in labor.

"Here we go again", I thought. I wanted to head home. Instead, we headed to the nearest hospital-
And a beautiful 4 pound, 2 ounce baby girl was born alive and healthy!

Thank you, Lord!

She's 11 today.

And this is the cradle Daddy built for her all those years ago:
It stays in the living room (I pulled it out from the wall for the pic) and holds the quilts we use in the evenings when we have family movie time. It's such a wonderful reminder to me of God's blessings and of the rainbow after the flood!
Happy Birthday, Little One!

A few years ago I was having a particularly difficult time dealing with attacks from *ahem* family members. Normally, I can handle it.

That time, it was coming from so many different directions at the same time that I was at a boiling point.

The ironic part was that all the suggestions were conflicting. It would not be possible to do all the things I was told I "should" do.

I was sitting on the front steps to clear my head. And maybe I was plotting horrendous things....

Anyway, my ever-so-wonderful husband came out and sat beside me and asked me what was wrong. So I told him.

Keep in mind that he's a retired Marine. His answer is usually to shoot first. Ok, not really!

But he gave me some of the best solace I'd ever been given; he gave me real life war examples.

The first:

I have only two men out of my company and 20 out of some other company.
We need support,
but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us.
I have no one on my left and only a few on my right.
I will hold.

~1stLt. Clifton B. Cates, USMC;
in Belleau Wood, 19 July 1918

"All right,
they're on our left,
they're on our right,
they're in front of us,
they're behind us...
they can't get away this time!"

-~Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC

I laughed so hard that things just seemed to fall into perspective. The hug helped, too!
And they say men ain't sensitive!

Six months ago my husband got himself a Harley.
The 10-yr old teases him and says; "Dad got his PhD... 'Pretty Harley-Davidson'!"

But here's why I even mention his new toy, love, bike:
Any time someone finds out my husband has a new bike, they immediately launch into a list of people they knew who died on a motorcycle.

When we got our car, no one said that they knew 500 people who were killed in a car accident.

When my kids got a bicycle, no one mentioned the people they knew who were killed on one.

I'm selfish enough to want my husband to live to be really old- with me. I dream of the days when we'll have our "wheelchair dates". But if the Lord calls my husband home while he's riding that Harley, I know he'll be with Jesus and be happy and he'll have died doing something he loved.

So if you find out about my husband's Harley; just be happy for him.

Science with Dad is on hold for a bit.... But definitely not forgotten!

Just temporarily postponed by doctor's visits.

My husband is one of those extremely healthy people. He still is, but all of a sudden he gets this nasty looking spider bit above his knee and a day surgery to get his septum fixed along with this hugely swollen knuckle.

The surgery was supposed to be short; 10-15 minutes. But the poor doc finds so many fractures that he has to take out the septum, lay it on the table, and piece it together. Which, of course, adds to the pain and recovery time.

The spider bite has gone way down from the original 10 inches in diameter.

And the finger isn't broken, just needs a long time to heal...

Wait!
Did I say science has been postponed?
That's not right! He's been our science.
We've been studying HIM!

What a great weekend we had!

Saturday was spent pittering and puttering with nothing that HAD to be done! A day with spud time! I got to weed in the garden while my wonderful husband had a bonfire going to burn accumulated limbs. Kids milling around, in and out. Eating leftovers as we got hungry. Beautiful weather...

A whole glorious day of nothing with family!

And Sunday! A beautiful time of fellowship at church followed by a trip to the state fair! Wandering and playing games and riding rides. Just being together. Ending with a log ride and a soaked family! We don't often "waste" money on such a money-losing venture. What fun it was!

No stress, no worries, just a really nice weekend!

From an e-mail: A poem sent from a Marine to his Dad.

THE MARINE

We all came together,
Both young and old
To fight for our freedom,
To stand and be bold.

In the midst of all evil,
We stand our ground,
And we protect our country
From all terror around.

Peace and not war,
Is what some people say.
But I'll give my life,
So you can live the American way.

I give you the right
To talk of your peace.
To stand in your groups,
and protest in our streets.

But still I fight on,
I don't *gripe*, I don't whine.
I'm just one of the people
Who is doing your time.

I' m harder than nails,
Stronger than any machine.
I'm the immortal soldier,
I'm a U.S. MARINE!

So stand in my shoes,
And leave from your home.
Fight for the people who hate you,
With the protests they've shown.

Fight for the stranger,
Fight for the young.
So they all may have,
The greatest freedom you've won.

Fight for the sick,
Fight for the poor
Fight for the cripple,
Who lives next door.

But when your time comes,
Do what I've done.
For if you stand up for freedom,
You'll stand when the fight's done.

By: Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert, US Marine Corps

~by Paul Ott

When we first moved to the country - and I do mean the country!- almost seven years ago, I was struggling to simply bloom where I was planted. I wasn't looking to thrive; just survive!

But my husband seemed so content out here. He just exuded peace. He loves the country and I love him, so what could I do? Complain and make him miserable? Or give it a fair shot?

After the first year, I noticed some things:

1.  We were saving money! Since it's almost an hour to drive to the nearest Wal-Mart, we only went about once a month. No more stopping by for one or two things only to grab a few more.

2.  We didn't "need" as much as I thought we did! If it was a "need", I'd be willing to drive the 30 minutes to "town" or the nearly hour to the "city". I usually wasn't willing because it usually wasn't a "need".

3.  I was less stressed. As an introverted-extrovert, I need some down time. With no neighbors near, I get it. Now, I have nothing against neighbors! Honest! But living in a sub-divided neighborhood meant people would stop by and chit-chat which was nice. And I do miss it sometimes. But then I'd get little or nothing done and have to race to try to catch up. And sometimes I would just get "talked out" and not even want to chat with my own family.

4.  I didn't have to stay on high alert. We have few strangers stopping by. We're so far off the beaten track that you usually have to mean to get here if you do. All the city noises and crime worries have diminished. I used to fret about cars stopping by the house. Were they really lost or were they scoping out my kids? I can hear a vehicle coming now long before I see it and I can see it through the trees long before it gets to my door. If it's someone we don't know, the kids stay inside while I walk out to see who it is and what they want.

5.  My husband can hunt and still be back in time for dinner! We have woods surrounding us. My husband loves to hunt. Used to be he'd have to take a whole day, join a local club and pay high dues, drive a good distance, etc. Now, he just walks for a bit and comes back refreshed.

6.  The food is better! We grow fresh fruits and vegetables and it's so much fun to walk out and just pick what we want! It's better for us and it's cheaper and we did it! And the wild turkey is awesome! So much more moist and tastier and bigger! And the pride my husband has in providing the old-fashioned way is heart-warming.

So far it's been a busy summer.

We've been having a wonderful time and we've been doing lots of great stuff.

But now I'm officially tired.

I want to be bored!

I want to revel in the the nothingness of idleness!

I want to be a spud....

And if I hear one more person in real life say their kids are bored and so are they-

well, I'll just tell them to praise the Lord for boredom!

My husband and I headed to the city with our youngest daughter, who was nine at the time. We had an interesting discussion on sin and how it starts out as a thought before it leads to an action. The drive was almost an hour so we had lots of time to talk! Some examples would be children murdering each other over a pair of tennis shoes. I'm sure they didn't set out to murder someone. But somewhere along the line, envy /or coveting /or hate became an evil seed that was planted and the end result of that 'little' sin became murder.

Or take David in the Bible. He was not where he was supposed to be: "But David tarried still at Jerusalem" (2 Samuel 11) . Something that simple led to so much more. He wasn't where he was supposed to be. From that he looked at Bathsheba; then he had her brought to him; then an illegitimate child; then a death.

My daughter said; "So it all begins in the heart?"
"YES!"
How right she is! How simple that is!

And we were also discussing forgiveness. And how holding on to anger leads the unforgiving to let that fester and turn into hate and gossip and other bad stuff.

So forgiving someone is best for the one who's been wronged!

And it doesn't mean that you put yourself back in a situation where they can mistreat you again. It just means that you let go of the bad feelings through Christ.

She said; "Forgiveness is like vegetables for your heart. It's good for you."

I'm so glad we homeschool. I still have so much to learn!

I garden.

It's a hobby - but it's also the cheapest therapy around for *those days*! :P

I don't know much about gardening; I just know that I enjoy the digging and the planting and even the weeding. I love the way a garden looks and I love driving home only to glance up and see all the amazing color from flowers.

Because I don't know much about it, I'm trying to learn all I can. I always read the "idiot sticks". You know, those informational plastic inserts that come with a new plant. I even save them to refer back to. And I'm constantly searching online for more information to make sure I do all I can to keep the plant alive and thriving!

What I have learned so far is that a lot of tending to a garden involves a lot of protecting. As the plant matures, it's roots get stronger and it's more resilient to weather changes and watering conditions and anything else that might kill a new tender plant. It requires regular care. Enough food, enough water, but not too much. It requires protection from the elements.

"The goal of winter protection is not to keep plants warm but instead to protect them from factors such as damaging wind, heavy snow and ice, and the alternate freezing and thawing of the soil beneath the plants. "
The goal is to protect them. Hmmmm.....

"Protection could be offered by planting susceptible plants in a sheltered location and providing additional water during dry periods or prior to expected hard freezes. Foundation plantings are often injured by ice and snow falling from the roof on their frozen branches. It is sometimes necessary to construct a temporary shelter for shrubs in a precarious situation."

A sheltered location...... Hmmmm......

"Newly transplanted trees and shrubs, divisions of perennials, and hardy bulbs are all growing roots, drawing on soil nutrients and moisture around them."

Growing roots...... and drawing from around them..... Hmmmm.....

"Protect the tender bark of young trees from gnawing critters by wrapping stems or trunks with wire or commercial tree-guard products."
Protecting FROM.... Hmmmm.....

"Screen evergreens, particularly exposed broad-leaved types, from drying winter wind and sun by setting up burlap screens or shade cloth shelters."
Protection with screening and shelters... Hmmmm......

Great advice for gardeners...

Great advice for parents, too.

And that is why we homeschool!



Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;
tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Teach them to your children,
talking about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up.
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, ...
Deuteronomy 11:18-20

My step-daughter is here for the WHOLE summer. Over three months! That's a first for us... It's usually just half of that. So we have lots of "want to do's" tempered by the "ain't no way's".

But what we CAN do is a Unit Study. With a lapbook/notebook. She loves doing crafts with us (which I seem to only make time for when she's here). And she loves to learn as long as it's not "schoolish". She's never liked school. That's a loooong story that I won't bore anyone with. But we love to learn and for the short time she's here, she seems to enjoy it, too. You just gotta love science and history when my husband's around cause he can simplify it so that even I understand.

So I decided that a Unit Study would be just the thing. And when I mentioned it to the kids - the agreed!

Now I just have to figure out how to fit it into the budget and schedule...

Today my youngest is TEN!

1

0

That means she'll be in double digits till she's 99.

I don't mind me getting older...
but I sure hate that my kids are growing up so fast!

But she's excited!
She gets to open 10 presents.

One an hour.

That fills the time while Daddy is at work and makes it "feel" like her special day all day. The presents are all sizes and prices, with nothing high dollar.

And on her birthday, she usually gets up extra early to open her first one before Daddy leaves for work. That's usually a DVD that she can watch for awhile till the timer starts for the every hour gift. This year, since she still likes TMNT, we found her one with over four hours of cartoons. She snuggled up watching it now!

Happy Birthday, Little One! You bring us such joy!

And I'm still looking for Christian teen bloggers to show my teen that there really are some here!

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/CrossView/139930/

I know there are some around here...

I'm trying to talk my oldest daughter into starting a blog here.

She's 16,

going on 30.

Anyway, I've told her that this is a fun place with people of all ages. In our "real world" it's hard to find strong Christian teens.

I wanted to show her some of the teen blogs I've come across and now I can't find them. So if anyone knows of a Christian teen with a blog here, please let me know!

Thanks!!!