We took a 4 day trip to Death Valley, California.... It is an awesome place to visit with so much history.... Scotty's Castle to Charcoal Kilns.. it is awesome! 

l-r: Backrow: Cathy, Jesse, Casey, Nancy, Mike, Robert, Koleen, Tim, Corinn, Christian, Terry, and our dog Cleo at Badwater...

Scotty's Castle

Brother & Sisters: l-r: Cathy, Nancy, and Tim

Charcoal Kilns, Death Valley, California

Well, where should I begin? We took a few camping vacations this year... which was nice, since we bought a newer tent trailer then the one we had....  We didn't make it on our annual camping trip to the Sequoiah's but we had a nice summer all the same....

School started in September, with Christian going into RSP class for help with reading... he stayed there until December... when we made the decision to discontinue RSP classes.. Christian is doing so much better, reading every written word he can find... he loves the library, and finally enjoys reading, and writing stories.... it is amazing... he is not the same child he has matured so much....

The kids all played winter ball this year.. Christian made the choice to play again... he had fun, Casey go to pitch in 2 games which was a dream come true for him, and Corinn was able to pitch in her games as well... She was the starting pitcher.... Which was a dream come true for her as well...

We are now getting focused on school again, which is hard to do.... Once you take a little break, it is like learning to ride a bike all over again.... So, since I have fallen of the School bike, i need to hop right back on and start peddling....  See you all down the road....

and so has 2007...   it is hard to believe that it is already 2008.... That 8 years has gone by since the whole Y2K scare.... Remember that??? Stocking up on gas, money and food... I know you all are laughing, but honestly, how many of you stocked up on those very things??? I know I did....

Now, it is 2008, and I am turning 40... Wow! I never wanted to see this year come... I remember when I was like 16 and started the counting down of years, so many years till I was 18, then 21, then 25, then 30, then 40... 2008 back then in 1984 seemed like such a long ways off... But nope, now it is here.... Not only is it here, but for the first time in my life, Easter is on my birthday.... my 40th and Easter all on the same day.... God does have a sense of humor doesn't he???

Here is to 2008... may we follow our dreams, follow our hearts, and follow after God whole heartedly....

It is amazing that we as humans find it easier to critize then to praise a person, especially our children.  Isn't it easier to tell them what they have done wrong then to praise what they have done right??  I find this especially true in my own life.  There is a saying, I know I have seen around different places, but it says if you live with Criticism, you learn to Criticize, but if you live with Praise, you learn to Praise.  I can look back over my life and see all the criticism I had, but the praise doesn't stand out to much.  Oh, how I want to be different with my children, yet I see myself as following the same patterns. 

It wasn't until I began reading a book that someone had given me, that I finally saw what criticism can do to a child and adult.  Oh we hear the "so called" experts, who tell us this, but it isn't until we are slapped with reality that we as a parent see it. 

Webster defines Criticize as:  1. to consider the merits and demerits of and judge accordingly. 2. to find fault with; point out the faults of...

Yet the Bible tells us to Judge not, lest we be judged. Matt. 7:1. 

Why is it that we can be nice to a total stranger, yet be angry with the ones we love. Should it not be the other way around? 

I am going to make every effort to lift my Husband and my Children up, then to push them down with my criticism. 

If this has touched you, I hope you will make an effort to do the same.......

It has been awhile since I blogged.... Things have gotten crazy around here... We started Softball and Baseball again, in February.  Casey's team went to the playoffs they did awesome! They came into the playoffs in 6th place and ended in 3rd place!!!! Way to go Cubs!  Corinn's softball team ended in 2nd place! Way to go Ladybugs!!!

With all that being said, we have started on a journey of finding out what learning disabilities Christian has....  There are days I just want to sit down and cry.... Because how can we pay for all this?? But there are the other days, when I know Jesus will take care of Christian and the rest of us.   I keep praying that we will get through this.... 

Do you ever have one of those days? Days when you wish you could have just stayed in bed, pulled the covers over your head, and hid from the world?

Only to have your precious little children, come in throw the covers off your head, and ask "Oh are we playing a game?"

Today is.... one of those days.  I thought I was ahead of the game, oh but was I wrong! These are days that I know God does have a sense of humor.  It is during these times that we see just how funny he can be!  I can just see him rolling around up in heaven, holding his belly laughing... "Boy I got her good didn't I?"  It is days like this when I come off so cocky, thinking I am up early, I got everything done, oh ya baby! This is going to be a Great Day! That is when God says... Oh really??? Are you taking credit for this day, and how early you got things done?? Well, I will just see about that!

I was up early, ready to go.  Showered, make-up dressed.  My dear sweet children, were up, showered and dressed all with 30 minutes to kill.  We were due at our homeschool parkday at 9:45am.  We left the house at 9:30am... Didn't have to rush, no yelling at all the crazy drivers in California. Nope, just a great day.  Can I tell you that lasted until approximately 10:30 am.  That is when my oldest, Casey, and my youngest, Corinn decided to play catch with the football.  Well, I had seen them playing, and thought oh isn't that great they are playing together, not fighting together! They were just trying to pass time waiting for their friends to get to the park.  5 minutes later Corinn came running over to me, pinky swelling as we spoke.  She said, Casey threw the ball, and well, she heard her finger go "SNAP"!

Yep! Another broken bone in her hand... In May 2006 she broke her right arm at the wrist. She was in a cast for 6 weeks.  Today she broke her pinky finger close to the hand.  No cast so far... but we will see.

I thought girls were suppose to be easy...... Boy! was I wrong!

Introducing

Rionna Rae Nicole Romero

Born: Jan 8, 2007

@ 25 weeks Gestation

Time: 10:16 am.

Wt: 1 lb. 9.9 oz

Length: 13.5"

Well, the holidays are officially over! I am not sure if I should cheer, or be sad.    We started school back at the end of July, I wasn't ready but Tim wanted to make sure we were on track.. Which in the long run worked out so that we could take the whole month of December off, and not have to worry about am I doing enough school... Can you believe my kids started asking when school was going to start again... I was shocked... There really are days that take your breath away...

So here we are January 4, 2007, and our Co-op starts again tomorrow.... The kids are so excited to be starting school work again, they can't contain themselves.  They got their new backpacks that Grandma Judie got them out and got all their stuff put in, and there was no fights about going to bed tonight.... I can't believe how God has blessed us with Co-op... The kiddos are learning so much, and they love going.  Also, going to Co-op on Fridays has made them more eager to work at home. 

Please excuse me while I have a euphoric moment.......

Wow! It seems like yesterday when we were welcoming in the New Year 2006!  I can still remember Y2K and how everyone was afraid, and how the lines at the gas stations were around the corner.  But here we are, almost 7 years later and things are just ticking along... 

Christmas is a time when I want to slow down, do the advent calendar studies with my kids, teach them exactly what Christmas is about... But we don't... Oh, but wouldn't it be fun I think... fun to just reflect on our Lord, and really put the focus of Christmas on him.  But here I sit after spending 2 hours taking my kiddos Christmas shopping to be their presents for Dad...  Wondering, "Didn't we just celebrate Thanksgiving?" "Like yesterday?" 

I wonder is it just me? or do others feel that this month just flies by, that we are never really ready for Christmas, and yes we are all standing in line at the check outs on Christmas Eve as the Clerks yell into the PA systems, get out of the store!

With that being said.... I want to wish everyone a Very, Very, Merry Christmas!

Since I last posted! Things have been so crazy around my freeway!  Dh was off the week of Thanksgiving and he spent pretty much the whole week cleaning out all the of my little hiding spots for junk around the house!  I know some of you are thinking, how wonderful, but I know some of you are feeling my anxiety attack....  But I will say it is nice to finally have all the clutter cleaned out of those rooms and closests.... But now the kiddos are sleeping in the office... and I don't have time to post anymore, I would ususally check emails and post at night.. So things will be slow....

Homeschooling has been coming along great... I will say in the 5 years that I have homeschooled this year is finally the year that seems like things are coming together nicely... It is nice that we actually get to take this month off from school....

Well, may you all have a wonderful week!

Looking out from Mitchell Cavarans

Corinn & Nancy inside Mitchell Cavaran

We decided to take a family getaway to Mitchell Cavarans over the weekend.  It was a great opportunity for learning that is for sure!  The kids learned about the cavaran plus how the plants sustain themselves in the desert during the summer season.  I told dh we could count this weekend as school.  

So Monday comes and we just couldn't pull it together, dh came home asking what we have done, and by the looks of the house and kids, well... Nothing!  I went to bed thinking tomorrow has to be better!  I received a magazine for homeschoolers a few days ago, and there was an article from a mom about how she kept up on things.  So I read it... or shall I say poured over it! LOL

So today, we started by assigning chores, and setting the timer for 1 hour.  WOW! how amazing the house looks now! We went from chaos to disorder.. but we are coming along! I told the kids we did 4 hours worth of work in 1 hour because there are 4 of us!  PTL...

Then we set the timer, and we did 1 hour of school, had lunch and set the timer again for 1 hour of school.. Here it is 2:30 and we are done!!!! With chores and school.. YIPEE!

Tomorrow we will set the timer and spend 1 hour in our bedrooms! I will let you know how it goes!

I feel so accomplished today!

I find that somedays are better then others when it comes to homeschooling my kiddos! 

After being gone for a long weekend, I find it hard to jump right back into schooling.. I often wonder is it just me? or do other Homeschool moms have the same problems.  It seems that the kids pick up on our lack of getting back to organization and help us to make those detours.  I see the flashing merge to the left signs now.  I want to stay right on the straight path, but I keep merging left.  How do we keep ourselves flowing in the same direction? Flowing so we get our alotted days in so that we are not schooling through the summer.

One way that I have found is to have my dear sweet Husband make me accountable by asking the kids about school everyday.  Oh the joys of homeschooling..... Somedays we love it and somedays, well, you get the picture!

   Christian (7) and Casey (10) on the Last Day of Winter Ball!

By now everyone has heard about the Esperanza Fire burning in Beaumont.  The fire is about 30 minutes from us.  On Thursday night, the first night it started, we were going to Awana's and you could see the eerie orange burning on the hills. At that moment I said a silent prayer for those Fireman who were killed that morning. Not realizing how they would be entwinned with our lives.  The smoke was so thick on Friday it looked midnight. I drove the kids up to Gilman Springs Road to see if the fire had jumped highway 79 and was burning in the badlands. It had, we couldn't see flames but you could see big clouds of white smoke.  On Saturday at the baseball games you could see the tankers flying over head.  On Sunday night we went to homefellowships and our worship leader, who is a firefighter, wasn't there. We were told that he has been at the hospital supporting the family of the surviving firefighter who was burned over 95% of his body.  When we got home we saw our Leader on TV, he looked worn out and emotionally drained. 

Last night, I received an email from one of my Twins Club MOMs stating that one of the fallen firefighters, was a father of 5 children 2 of which are twin boys. As Chaplain of my state organization I am now preparing a Silver Pitcher form, in hopes that we can raise monies for this family.  The sad thing is the father was remodeling the families home from a 2 bedroom to a 4 bedroom, and now the work is not done, and this family has no other means of completeing the work.  We have all been asked to send letters to the extreme makeover home show to see if they will come and help this family. 

Please pray for all of the families of these fallen firefighters, remember they rush in when we rush out!

Well, today started out exhausting.  I went to bed around 1am, because I was to busy learning all the fun stuff I could do with my blog, check out my blinkies and music! Thanks to my Dear Sister-in-Law!  I had to be up by 6am in order to get the kiddos up for baseball games today.  Corinn had a game at 8am! We came home for 4 hours then back to the field for Christian's game at 2:15 and Casey's at 3:45!  We will not be leaving before 5:30pm or 6 today!  Casey and his team will be playing in a tournament this month for baseball.  He is very excited!  The 2 boys have their official last games today, which they are kinda sad about.  Corinn still has 3 more games....

Look out freeway here we come!

 Casey, Christian, and Corinn with Grandpa Tony in Oceanside, CA

Yeah! I finally did it! I finally created a Blog!  Sometimes life can feel like we are on a freeway! In California that is all we have freeways. It can sometimes take you 30 minutes to go 10 miles.  Enough about my lack of time!

I have 3 beautiful children, Casey Starr who is 10, he is in the 5th grade, Christian who is 7, he is in the 2nd grade, and Corinn who is 7 as well, and she is in the second grade.  We have been homeschooling for about 5 years now, can't believe how fast time flies.  We attend a Mega Church in Moreno Valley which we have been fellowshipping at for 8 years. 

I want so much to slow down... Smell the flowers... but the only way we smell them is when we drive through the orange grove with the windows down....

Until next time!