Well, I am home from the hospital. The surgery went well and I am recovering. I have to stay in bed for a couple of days. Today I slept most of the day so it went by pretty fast! I hope to be able to sleep tonight. My leg pain is gone, but my leg does feel funny, apparently that is normal. I do have a lot of back pain so I hope that goes away soon. I have to wear those white support stockings for two weeks! They aren't bothering me now but I know they will become annoying soon!

That's all the energy I have right now, hopefully I will be able to type more soon!

My big secret is that my husband returned from deployment this weekend. I am so excited that he is home! Well, he isn't home quite yet, but he will be home soon. He actually is returning two months early because he wanted to be home for my surgery. Isn't he great?!??!?! I know that doesn't happen very often in the military, but I am thankful that he was able to make it work. I also realize how hard it was for him to leave behind the other guys to finish the job.

Of course, my husband had a big surprise for me as well. When I picked him up at the airport I almost didn't recognize him. He had lost over 30 pounds! He looks great and I am so happy about his new healthy lifestyle. We had to go and buy him new pants because his clothes were falling off! I am so proud of him. I told him he should of entered Small Town Mom's contest and he could of won me some scrapbooking stuff.

I have posted a before and after picture so you all can see the difference!

Before

After

He did not want to stand for a picture this morning but I was just so proud of him, I made him!

Well, I am alone all day in a hotel while he is doing work stuff, so I think I am going to catch up on all my friends' blogs and find out what is going on!

One of my blogger friends needs help. She is having a hard time homeschooling her oldest son (age 10). I think it is more attitude than ability but you can read her post and decide for yourself.  If any of you have any words of encouragement for her, please stop by and post them.

Thanks!

Today was our official first day of school. I am so tired that I don't have the energy to blog the entire day but here are some of the highlights.

We started school at 9am and ended at 5:30pm

We did not cover all the subjects

My mom was here watching my three littles, so I could focus on school with the older ones

We are still finishing books from last year

Okay so maybe these are lowlights. I figure with a start like this it can only get better right?!?!

More thoughts later after I get a good night's sleep.

Here is my contest update. I have lost a whopping 1 pound! But I actually have a very good excuse. Instead of posting new pictures of myself, since I basically look the same, I have decided to post pictures of my excuse...

a herniated disc. I go to the doctor on Tuesday to find out what we are going to do about it.

Here are the pictures....

Obviously I am posting these for the benefit of my husband, who wasn't here to share in the fun of the MRI, but I figured for those of you medical junkies, you might like to see them as well.

Once I get fixed, I hope to join the contest full force!

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Well I have decided after weighing myself at my son's well check-up yesterday that drastic measures needed to be taken. So I am entering Small Town Homeschool's contest. I tipped the scales at a horrendous 141. That is only one pound less than I weighed when I delivered my 12 year old. Ouch! After a few attempts of having the kids get a picture I decided to just post some fairly recent pictures of me because I think they are accurate. So here it goes...

Front view... (I'm in red and that is my 50 year old aunt!)  notice the arms and a little too full in the face. Also, I really need a new hairstyle

Side view... something definitly needs to be done about the mummy tummy.

Front view... crummy posture and again the mummy tummy.

I would hope to lose about 15 pounds but would be happy with 10. This is difficult for a few reasons. One being a pinched nerve in my lower back that makes any weight bearing activity painful. Two, my husband is gone so exercise time is limited. But I am determined to be lean and mean by the time he returns.

As a side note my husband, being the wise man that he is, does not think I need to enter this contest. He said he liked me just the way I am. Very smart guy, but all the same I wish there were less of me to like!

 Heart for Home blogged recently about the television. She wanted to know how other homeschool families deal with the television. I had been meaning to respond to her on this but I was delayed a few days, then last night we had an incident with the tv and I figured it was time to address it.

Let me start by saying that we do own a tv. It is in our bedroom and we have a vcr/dvd player hooked up to it. We live in the country so we have no television signal. The only things we can watch are movies or videos. We also have a dvd player installed in our suburban. I resisted this idea for a while, but when traveling 800 miles with 6 kids it is nice to have them entertained for a while. And even though at some point in my life I had visions of singing songs, license plate bingo, and other fun games, the reality is that tv makes traveling a lot easier.

That being said, I still make poor, uninformed choices about the movies my kids watch. My husband has said, "maybe we should just say that we don't watch movies." to which I replied, "we don't?" He then asked me what good comes from the kids watching Hollywood movies, and I said, "well pretty much nothing." And then I thought about all the bad and it seemed pretty bad.

So, is the tv inherently evil, I don't really think so. But is what is on tv evil, yes, I would say, most of the time there is very little of redeming value on television.

If you think of some of the movies that have been produced in the last several years.

Little Mermaid - disobey your father and you will find true love and acceptance

Mulan- disobey your father and you will find true love and save your country

The Incredibles- if this movie wasn't animated it would be rated PG 13 for violence and sexual overtones.

Ice Age- Evolution, evolution, evolution.....

I could go on and on,

Besides all of the poor values, violence, and potty humor conveyed in current media there is a deeper issue.

When kids sit in front of the tv on a regular basis they develop an appetite for entertainment. They become less creative, less willing to serve, less able to work together. Watching tv together as a family doesn't promote family togetherness. There is no interaction, there are no conflicts to resolve, they are just being entertained.

There are so many more worthwhile activities that our children could be doing, why would we want to fill their lives with something that has so little worth.

My goal for my children is that they become followers of Christ, leaders, disciples for Him. I want them to find joy in serving others not in serving themselves. In my opinion, a constant dose of tv and movies is not compatible with the life I would like my children to lead.

I would encourage those of you who are struggling with this issue, go through your movies. Do they promote the same ideas that you believe are right for your family? If so great, if not throw them away. Don't send mixed messages to your kids, what is okay for them to watch is not okay for them to mimic. If our message to our children is clear, it will be easier for them to follow, if it is cloudy they can easily become lost.

I would challenge you to find someone who grew up without tv or movies and ask them if they have any regrets? Then find someone who grew up with a tv in every room and full cable and ask them the same question.

This post is not meant to insult or criticize anyone, just to get you thinking.....

Today my oldest son turns ten. It is hard to believe that our sick little baby has grown into a strong, healthy, happy young man. He has never met an animal he didn't like or a person he didn't want to help. He has the sweetest spirit of anyone I know. He also loves being outside, riding his bike, fishing, hiking, or just sitting in the closest tree. He is a reflection of his father in many ways.

And whenever he turns up missing I know to check the local creek, where we usually find him, fully dressed, knee deep in water, with a pocket full of crawdads. He is truly 100% boy, but is growing up into a delightful young man.

We love you!

So as our 7th homeschooling year begins I figured it would be wise to put on paper why we homeschool. I have read and heard about making a family vision statement, or homeschooling goals, but for some reason, even though I am a very goal oriented person I have never done these things. (as a side note, I kind of think it would be the husband's job to put together the family vision stuff) Anyway, I think I don't put these things on paper because I don't want to fail. I don't want to get to the end of another school year and realize that I haven't met a single goal! That is, of course, ridiculous, someone once said, "if you don't know where you are going, any train will take you there." I need to have goals and a purpose even if I can't achieve all of them. And when the going gets tough this year I can always look back at this list and remember why we are doing this and remember that the best things in life are usually the hardest!

Why We Homeschool

1. I believe the Lord commands it.

Deu 6:5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Deu 6:6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

Deu 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deu 6:8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Deu 6:9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

2. Our family relationships are the most important, after our relationship with God, I feel this can best be achieved by maximizing our time together as a family.

3. I want our chidren to be taught from a Christian worldview.

4. I want to tailor each child's education based on their strengths and weaknesses.

5. I want to shelter my children from the things of this world until we have built a firm foundation. Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

6. I want my children's hearts to be tied to their parents and siblings, not friends, teachers, or coaches.

7. I want to build strong character in my children.

8. I love my children and want the very best for them.

So as we start to prepare for a new school year, I will keep this list close and refer to it often.

Now I am off to start a list of homeschooling goals for each child this year. I am hoping to finish before Christmas!

Have a great Friday!

I recently had the pleasure of reading Life of  Komodo Dragon. This e book is 31 pages and in my opinion is probably an upper elementary reading level, but could be enjoyed by anyone interested in learning more about these strange creatures.

Here are some of the things I liked about this book. First, it is told in a story format. The story follows a Komodo dragon from birth for several years until she lays her own eggs. This makes the story very easy to read and enjoyable. Second, terms that are new and unfamiliar are internet linked to other sites so you can find out even more information as you read. The pictures in this book are great. Some are a little graphic, but nothing worse that what you would see on a National Geographic/ Animal Kingdom sort of show. Plus, that is their life, she doesn't try and sanitize the reality of nature, and in my opinion that is a good thing.

Finally, my favorite part of this book, and I don't know if it was intentional, is the fact that there are no evolutionary references in this book. So many times when I try to read books to my kids about reptiles the book starts with "millions of years ago....." Since we don't believe in millions of years, this is always a distraction when reading.

This book makes no mention of evolution or creation.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about the Komodo dragon. 

I am going to have my 12 year old daughter post a review soon....

As soon as I can think of some kind of contest to have I will be giving away a free copy of this great book!

You can purchase this book here. You can also learn more about the author and read other reviews by checking out her blogger site.

Here is my entry for the Summer Photo Contest. It was very hard to choose my favorite photo, but I think this one is just awesome, especially the look on the face of my son who is not jumping!

To enter the contest just head on over to Sam's News.

I am currently reviewing an e book by Melissa Markham about the Komodo Dragon.  I must say it is very interesting. I want to read it a few more times before I post my review. I am also going to have my 12 year old daughter read the book and write a review of her own.

The really cool thing is, after I review this book I get to have a contest and give the lucky winner a free copy of this book! Sound exciting?!?!?

Now I just need to decide what sort of contest to have, hmmmm......

For those of you who are not related to me and read this blog feel free to skip this entry, I am sure you are all getting bored with the photos! These are for Dad!

This one was just too cute not to post!

She spent more time in the pool tonight and is getting used to the water. She lasted about 30 minutes and then got tired and went to bed. Tomorrow I think we will try her in her float again to see if she likes it!