• May. 25, 2008 - Convention "2008"
Florida Parents Education Association Annual Convention "2008"
FPEA is the largest homeschool convention in the U.S. (there are three categories that claim this, a) most square footage, b) most vendors, (c) most in attendance. We are "C". We had over 14,000 attend last year. I tell you this because even "I" was reading for calm and quiet by the end of the weekend. It is quite a bit to take in.
 Hubby saying goodbye!
HOTEL
 Arrival Time! (Oh My!!! The Excitement Level)
Wednesday Night Girls
 Wednesday Night Roomies! (Kim, Mary, Alice, Elizabeth)
Our Beautiful Hotel Suite
 Our Beautiful Suite
 View From Balcony (10th floor)
 Everything Stopped To Watch The American Idol Finale
Leaders Forum
 Kim And I Had The 9:00am Slot! "Accepting Who I Am As A Homeschooler"
 Mary Pretending Like She Wasn't A Bit Nervous...., 
 Leaders From My District...., (AMAZING women and PRECIOUS friends)
 Lunch Time!
Convention Kick-Off!
 My Thursday & Friday Night Roomies (Niki, Jen, Ashley, Caitlyn.., missing Maggie who came later)
 Vendor Hall Getting Ready To Open..., Ching$$$- Ching$$$
PRANK Time
 Dawn Geers, Monica Guerra, Korey Provard & Anna Grace bought this sign and taped it to our hotel room door. As I was getting ready to go downstairs Saturday morning this was looking me in the face. I screamed very loud and to the laughter of those standing outside our door. I have to say, they took the cake (THIS year! )
Mary's Personal Purchases
Let me start by telling you that I am a card carrying member of the "Heart Of Dakota" Fan Club. This is our core program which covers...,
History/Science/Copywork/Handwriting/Poetry/Bible/Music/Art/Activities/Spelling/English/Math! (I personally use Time4Learning for our math) I tell you this because you will not see any of the above items in my purchases.
Drivers Ed
 Brandon
Organization
 Dave Weber was my FAVORITE Workshop Speaker!
The workshops I attended were:
Sticks & Stones Exposed
Overcoming Life's Goliath's
HELP! I'm Spread So Thin! (His organizational System Intro)
Life Time Organizer
There are "3" basic components of his system:
1- Main Calendar- "Be-There" Events Only
2- "1-31's" To-Do List
 Can you see the numbers 1-31 on the right side?
 To-Do List (this is my FAVORITE part and no other system has this)
1-31 represents a day of the month. These are your "To-Do" lists. For instance, If a business tells me to call them on 27th, I would NOT write this on my master calendar but on my "To-Do" Pages. I would turn to day 27 and write it on this page. That way I can forget it.
3- A-Z Files
 Dave explains that the most UNDER used portion of a date book are the address pages. In this day and age of cell phones many of us store our phone numbers via our cells. Though we send cards for birthday's and Christmas, e-mail has massively cut back our need for snail mail. So though I WILL use these pages for addresses the real power of this "A-Z" section is that it is my personal filing section. Let me explain:
This is a picture of a documentation Record (AKA: D.R.)
 At the top of the page you will write what you are documenting. As a board member w/ my local homeschool support group there are many events we plan months in advance. We will begin to work on our conference scheduled in February months ahead in June or July. I might write..., "Conference" on a D.R. form and schedule it under "C", in my "A-Z" files. Whenever I need to "retrieve" or "add" info regarding our conference I just flip to "C" in my A-Z section and there it is.
There is a 4th part of the program:
 Floating "To-Do" List.
This list is something that doesn't need to be assigned a specific time. These are the things that clutter up my brain, but it needs no immediate action. One example I have is that I always like to take notes after an event, of things I want to do differently the next time. For instance, when we did our "Homeschool Mom Tea" last November I wrote down that we needed 30mins of just plain ol' socialization at the beginning instead of jumping right into the program. Now I don't need that info until I begin my planning for the tea next September, but because I kept notes I can always retrieve it from under "T" in my "A-Z" section.
The whole purpose of a Master System is that you write it down, close the book and forget about it, until it's time to remember. It allows you to be "present" when your home by giving you permission to forget tiny details, since they are already recorded somewhere permanently.
The one habit the system requires is that you work in your "master" system each day. You check your calendar, your To-Do List for things you need to "DO" and you also add things you need to record. As you bring home those business cards with appointment dates or as I come home from a homeschool board meetings with notes, I need to make it a priority to record it in my MASTER planner and not to allow those cards or notepads to just float around.
Life Time Organizer Website
Managers Of Their Homes
 This is a program to schedule your day for routine type things. I actually bought this several years ago and it didn't work. At the time I had two babies and it was impossible for me to keep them on task and to still accomplish what "I" needed to do. But we are in a new stage with older children and as their life and mine get busier we need to have a routine to accomplish everything that needs to get done.
Managers Of Their Chores- A Chore System
I will have to put this together next month when I go out of town to the riverhouse for my annual planning retreat.
M.O.T.H and M.O.T.C. Website
Our "24 Family Ways"
 The purpose of this program is that it's a family bible study that helps your home to have rules that promote friendship among siblings, strong relationship between parents and children, etc...,
Whole Heart Ministries Website
The G.O.A.T. Program
 It's an inter-active program that teachers 10& Up the skills of Goal Setting, Problem Solving and Time Management
The G.O.A.T. Program Website
The Squire and the Scroll
 "Children will gain valuable insight as they learn, along with the young squire, what it means to face the dangers of temptation, and what it takes to guard one's heart from all that is impure." (taken from excerpt on back of book)
I cannot tell you how much I missed my family. As I go away to convention, though I enjoy the fellowship and FUN with girlfriends, the main purpose is to fill my cup with a deep desire to serve my family. I come home with eager arms waiting to hold my boys and embrace my husband. They eagerly await my arrival because they know Mama got them goodies:
 "The Word Of God Is Quick, And Powerful.., And Quicker Than Any Two-Edged Sword"
New Shirt
World's Largest Jaw Breakers!
Not Pictured:
Brandon received a Purity Ring. He's sleeping, I'll give it to him when he gets up and take a picture! (smile)
I know some friends and family have asked how to order the "Betty/Olive" talk we did at convention. It will soon be available on-line for 7.50 + shipping. "I" am not selling these, it's done by a company called rhino-technologies.
Here are all the pictures taken put together in an album On-Line: Convention Photo's
Thank you for all your prayers and to my friends who were there, thank you for the forever memories I will carry in my heart! I really missed those unable to be there, but totally understand. Until next Year....., 
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Posted by Amy 
Posted by 
Posted by 
• May. 25, 2008 - Untitled Comment
I loved hearing about your convention experience. I agree you do come back refreshed to serve your family.
Wow, the tiki face was quite intimidating!!
Can't wait for next year:)
Korey