Well, closing time is almost here. I can hardly believe it. Buying our first home is so exciting, and nerve racking, and all at the same time. We will move in October, so please keep us in your prayers.

Homeschooling is coming along well. I am reading a great book by Dr. Raymond Moore and Dorothy Moore. I love their books. I am also looking through some books about composting and building chicken coops. I can't wait to start planning my first garden, and building some animal shelters.

This is an exciting time. More to come!!!

Today is a very sad day indeed. We have watched Steve Irwin for over ten years now, dodging crocs, snakes and going on lots of wild adventures. At first I could barely watch, I had my hands over my eyes half the time convinced he may get eaten by a croc. He quickly changed the way that I felt about crocs and many other animals. One of my three year old daughters favorite animals now are crocs. Today Steve Irwin died, news reports say, of a stingray wound to the heart. It is very rare for such a thing to happen. I was in shock and deeply saddened to hear of this. My heart and prayers go out to his wife Terri, and their two young children. Our prayers are with you. We loved you so much Steve, we will never ever forget you.

Well, today was a good example of unschooling so I thought I would share. Today the boys were rolling three hockey pucks down the stairs and keeping score (physics and math). Today I was reading how to make homemade yeast and I shared it with the boys (science, cooking). Then they were talking about muscles over lunch, and blood types and stomach acid (science, health). My son is playing monopoly and wanted to know if 10 percent or 200 was more. We figured out that it depends how much money you have, and how to know whether to pay one or the other (economics, math). My other son created a habitat for his toy frog. He made a pond, added plants, rocks, turtles, fish and trees (biology) He also simulated the scene of a plane crash using his toys (we had a plane crash here in Kentucky the other day and he overheard the news).There were passengers, a fire truck, firefighter with all their equipment and his plane was taken apart into pieces.

None of these ideas or conversations were started by me. This is a good example how kids love to learn, and are learning and thinking every day. Today the tele has been off all day. I will tell you if it wasn't for my Moody Science videos which we love, I would take an axe to the thing. Hubby would never go for that LOL!

Well, I have rambled enough for now! Have a blessed day!

I breathed a big sigh of relief. After a terrible experience with a mortgage company we were ready to pull out and never look back. I was about to pack and go back to New England. I was VERY frustrated. We have a much better, nicer and more honest mortgage broker now, and within 24 hours we got our loan approved. SIGH. It was taking weeks with the other company, and NO answers. Let me tell you there has been one thing after another but finally it is looking good. We have the appraisal coming up, and then closing. Once I have the keys in my hand I think I will finally breathe a really big sigh of relief! But for now I feel good. God has really been guiding us and protecting us through all of these things. It is just amazing how we got here, so fast and with no problems. I can look back now and clearly see Gods hand in all of this, and I trust He is still here guiding us and protecting us as we go.

We had the inspection, and we are now waiting for the problems to be fixed. It wasn't that bad, just one big issue, and a long list of small easy to fix items :-)

My husbands job has been very unsteady, which is extremely difficult for us. He has another job now as a backup, and he would change jobs if it were not for us buying this home right now. We don't want to make any changes before closing day. I applied for a job and was planning on working some nights and weekends. Sunday I became very depressed and spent a few hours crying. I realized that I did not want to leave my kids. I moved half way across the country away from all my friends and family to a place where I know NO ONE so that I could stay home. I felt the Lord was speaking very clearly to me, that my place is at home with my children. I decided I will do even more to help live even more frugally then we already do. So, anyone want our cats?

On a brighter note, today was our first day of school. We are using Weaver from AOP. It went really well. The boys did a great job and my three year old even did school too, she made a very nice collage with a glue stick and some cut out pics that I had in my school cabinet.

We studied about radio waves, newspapers and all the traditional subjects too. We are going to start reading Carry on Mr. Bowditch. We just finished The Mouse on the Motorcycle.

Well, that is all for now. Please keep us in your prayers as we walk by faith through this journey.

God Bless!

Thank you for praying for us. We have a deal and we will be closing by November. We will be in our new home by Thanksgiving. I am so excited. It just doesn't seem real to me yet! We continue to ask for your prayers as we go through the mortgage underwriting, the inspection and the appraisal.

The kids are all doing well. The boys are so excited about having their own bedrooms. My daughter is a little apprehensive. I think she is wondering... we are moving again?????

My husband and I are so excited. I am thinking about colors and going through my gardening books and seed catalogs trying to plan my garden, and flowers. I am not sure what he is thinking. I know he wants to buy a tractor :-)

Well, signing off for now. More of our adventures later.

Well, the good news is that our offer was accepted for the house. The bad news is, they want to stay in the house 30 days AFTER closing. We are not going to allow that, we have been told by many people including our realtor and mortgage broker NOT to do that. We would own the home, and if they didn't move out, or if something happened to them, or the house it would be on our hands!! The insurance we would have to have would be thousands of dollars. I am asking for your prayers again. We have given them almost two months until the closing date to give them plenty of time to move. This may cause us not to purchase this house, and this would be a huge setback for us.

It is so emotionally draining and I worry about the kids, because they love the house and they are really excited about it. I am just not up to starting over again right now. SIGH. God has a plan, and if we don't buy this home I know it is because He is protecting us, or He has something better planned. BUT that still doesn't make it easy to let go!!

We covet your prayers at this time.

:-)

Hello everyone. We have been looking for a home, and we have found what we are looking for. Please pray for us during this time.  The stress us mounting and I am feeling very homesick right now. My husband hurt his back at work, and they will not pay him for the days he is out. I know there is a purpose for all these trials. I pray it will bring us all closer to Jesus.  He desperately needs a new job. I know that I can count on all my friends here to pray for us during this time.

God bless you all!

My Savior Loves

My Savior Lives

My Saviors always there for me

My God He was

My God He is

My God is always gonna be

Amen.

GOD'S THOUGHTS ON LAWNS

GOD:
Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is
going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions,
violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect
no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil,
withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the
long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees and flocks of
songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all
I see are these green rectangles.

St. FRANCIS;
It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They
started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill
them and replace them with grass.

GOD:
Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract
butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive
to
temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing
there?

ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it
green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any
other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD:
The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast.
That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut
it-sometimes twice a week.

GOD:
They cut it? Do they then bail it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS:
Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD:
They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS:
No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD:
Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow.
And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS:
Yes, Sir.

GOD:
These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on
the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves
them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS:
You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so
fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so
they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD:
What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer
stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the
spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they
fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the
soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

ST, FRANCIS:
You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle.
As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and
pay to have them hauled away.

GOD:
No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter
to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS:
After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they
call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the
leaves.

GOD:
And where do they get this mulch?

ST FRANCIS:
They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD:
Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine,
you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us
tonight?

ST. CATHERINE:
"Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a story about....

GOD:
Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St Francis.

My inlaws came to visit last week. It was so good to see them. I really miss them and I have been homesick lately. We went to the Newport Aquarium and we all petted the sharks. It was amazing. I have loved sharks since I was a little girl. Jaws is one of my favorite movies, and I remember seeing it at the drive in theater. Of course I do not think they are killing machines as the movie portrays. I love the great white. Someday I am going to Australia to see them up close and personal.

So what are y'all doing with your summer days?