Mar. 29, 2007 - God's Beautiful Creation
Oh, what beautiful spring weather we're having today. I went out early this morning for a walk with my camera in hand to take a few pictures of some of the flowers that are in bloom around here. Little did I know that I would find lots more than just flowers to photograph. There were these beautiful spider webs everywhere I looked. It was really foggy this morning and the webs were easily visible covered with the morning dew.
Then when the kids got up, they were looking at the pictures that I had taken and H and Z wanted me to go back out and go for a walk with them. So the three of us, and Sue (the dog) struck out, again with camera in hand. We just took some time to enjoy God's beautiful creation, the sights, the sounds, even the smells. We had such a good time. The kids even started to help me look for beautiful things to photograph.
I thank God today for His beautiful creation. How could anyone look around at the marvels He has created and doubt the maker Himself exists? All of creation is just too magnificent to think it could all 'just happen' without a divine plan.
So, have you been outdoors today to witness God's beautiful creation? If not, check it out, you'll be glad you did. Here's some of the pictures I took this morning.
Ok, that's all it will let me put. I guess I'll have to remove some of my other pictures and then try again.
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 23, 2007 - The Lord Is So Good To Us.
note: I'm removing the pictures from this entry to make room for new ones.
We did finally get our foundation for our new house finished last Saturday. I promised a dear friend that I would post some pictures and I'm just now getting around to it. So here are some pictures from Saturday. I have LOTS more, but these are just a few showing just a little of the work that went into finishing the concrete. I have a new appreciation for concrete finishers and thank God that I don't have to make a living doing this everyday. Those poor guys have to stay in a stooped over or kneeling position all day long.
I have lots of pictures from each step leading up to this day. It has taken a lot of work to even get to this point. We have learned a lot of things along the way and we still have a LONG way to go. It was SO exciting to see those cement trucks rolling in that morning. I don't think I was fully convinced that this was really going to happen until that first truck actually arrived and asked where we wanted him to start pouring. I had a flood of emotions hit me all at once. I immediately began thanking God. Those who know us know how long we have waited and how hard we have worked for this house. It is a definite dream coming true for us. We still have a lot of work ahead, but I have no doubt that God will continue to provide, just as He has all along. We give all the honor and glory to HIM!
This first picture shows the second load of cement being dumped. This is on the back side of the house and is the area where our master bathroom and closet wil be.
In this picture, you can see that the trucks were coming one right behind another. There was just a flurry of activity going on. It was exciting.
In this one, you can see some of the work that the finishers do. We learned that, at this point, their work had just begun. There were still many things they needed to do to finish out the concrete. This was about 7:30 a.m. They wouldn't be done until about 4:30 p.m. You can see Zac, our 7 year old in the far left of the picture looking on.
Here they're using a long telescoping tool to begin to smooth the cement and pull some of the water off of it.
Here they are finishing out the front porch. The man standing is using a large broom to create lines to provide a non slip surface for the porch. The one kneeling is smoothing the cement and readying it for the lines.
This is a machine they use to give the cement an even smoother, even finish. They made many passes over the slab with this thing. I don't know what it's called. My boys called it a 'whirlybird'. It really put a smooth polished look on the slab.
In this last picture, Stacy, my dh, is feeling how smooth the concrete is now. You can see one of the finishers still working on the far end. You can see what a fine job these finishers did. We now have a beautiful, smooth foundation for our new home.
The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Psalm 126:3
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 22, 2007 - Lessons On Buoyancy
I have never seen a child get so excited about buoyancy in all my life. Z studied about buoyancy in science today and he has been going all through the house this afternoon gathering items to test in the bathtub, and even some things from the yard. He keeps coming back in here all excited telling me about what floats and what doesn't. I think his biggest surprise was that a glass bowl could float unless it is filled with water. He was thrilled to find that out, though I don't know why. He also got pretty excited when the tomato stayed half in the water and half on top (his words). Then after a little while in the water, it sank.
He has definitely provided some entertainment around here today. It was truly a joy to see him having so much fun while also learning! I would have missed out on that if he was gone all day to a public school. Oh to see that kind of joy in his eyes everyday! Days like this remind me once again why we do this. 
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 19, 2007 - Missing a Humble, Meek, Quiet Spirit
I have prayed for a long time that God would give me a humble, meek and quiet spirt. It is my heart's desire to be loving, kind and meek in everything I say and do, to have a true servant's heart, a heart like Jesus. It is days like today that remind me just how far off that mark I truly am.
Yes, it has been one of those days. A day when I am just overwhelmed with all that I have to do. As usual when I am feeling overwhelmed, my children are the ones who suffer for it. I have been anything but humble, meek, quiet, gentle, loving, or kind to them today. I am praying for a better tomorrow, and also a better evening for this day.
You know, so many times, I think people, non-homeschooling people have the impression that we homeschooling mothers have super human powers or that we have it all together and are just the epitome of what patience should be. I base that on the number of comments I, personally, receive from people telling me that they would never have the patience to do what I do. To which my answer is always, "neither do I". That is the truth, I don't have the patience it takes to teach three children, on three different grade levels, about six different subjects each, plus extra-curricular activities, keep the house clean or at least not in filthy disarray, which it is usually bordering 
, make sure everyone has clean clothes and food to eat, make sure the bills get paid, the dog fed, the library books returned on time, plus duties at church, and the list goes on and on.
I'm being honest, I don't have the patience, the strength or the perserverance for any of it. It is only with God's help, grace, and strength that anything ever gets accomplished around here. It is days like today that remind me of that. I can do nothing on my own, absolutely nothing. Which leads me back to my prayer for a humble, meek and quiet spirit. I'm thinking, maybe the reason God hasn't fully fulfilled that request is so that I fully remember that I can do nothing without Him. Perhaps He wants to be sure that I am reminded often how much I DO need Him and how far off the mark I get when I don't fully rely on Him and rest in His presence.
Thoughts anyone?
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 16, 2007 - Busy Day
Oh you all should see us today. It has been somewhat of a comedy around here. We have been so busy. Dh took off work today so we could finish up our foundation for the house in time for the concrete and finishers to arrive first thing tomorrow morning. So here's what we had to do today, some of which we still have left to finish. We're just taking a late lunch break right now. We started out bright and early this morning finishing up some last minute preparations on the dirt and form boards before the exterminator came to spray the foundation for termites. Then the exterminator arrived and totally drenched the dirt. So we let that soak in a bit, then it was time to spread the plastic sheating over the dirt. This is where it began to get quite comical. You see, the wind has been blowing something fierce all day long. Well, just imagine two adults, one teenager and two children trying to work with 20' wide by 40' long pieces of plastic sheating with the wind blowing so hard that you would have absolutely NO trouble getting a kite off the ground, without running with it.
Now, what we needed to do with it is to spread it flat on the ground, covering the whole foundation of the house, in 20' wide strips down the whole width of the house. It seemed like everytime we would get one side down, the other side would fly up and once the wind got up under it good, it was REALLY hard to get it back down to the ground. Then we would start with the next row, and the one before it would fly up again. Then we would have to start all over. It took us quite a while to get all of that done. Now we're all worn out from wrestling with the plastic, but we still have more work to do. Now we have to put down the rebar and the wire that will go inside the concrete slab. Who knows what kind of comedy of errors that might bring. 
Ok, we're off to eat and get back to work. Who says homeschool is boring? We're covering all kinds of subjects and topics today with lots of hands-on practice. 
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 15, 2007 - A New Look....Again
I decided to change the look of my blog again, as you can tell. I get tired of looking at the same thing and need to change it up every now and then. My husband picks at me all the time about the way I'm always changing things. It must be my ADD tendencies kicking in. With Spring being just around the corner, I decided to go with something with a Spring feel to it. I also wanted something a bit more feminine. Y'all know I'm surrounded with camo and boy 'stuff', so I guess I just needed something a little more 'girlie' to look at for awhile, and hey, it matches that picture of me with the flower in my hair.
I think I look a little silly with that flower in my hair, but I do treasure the picture because my 14 year old picked that flower for me, back in September or October. Then he put it in my hair and said "ok, smile Mama and let me take your picture." So I think of him whenever I look at the picture. So now y'all know the story behind the picture.
Sadly, it also reminds me of how fast he is growing up. I was thinking the other day that we only have four more years until he turns 18! 
Where oh where do the years go? His daddy is always picking at him and telling him that he's kicking him out at 18. I told him he has to stop telling him that because it is not too far off, so it's not a joke anymore. My little baby boy is no longer a little baby boy, but a tall young man. None of them are little baby boys anymore for that matter, not even the youngest. He's even growing up and maturing on me. How dare he! I am thankful, though, that as they grow physically, they each seem to be growing spiritually as well. And none of them are ashamed to be around Mom and Dad yet.
Baseball season is upon us with practices set to begin this week. That will keep us busy throughout the next few months, as if we needed anything else to help keep us busy. H & Z are excited about playing, though. They always are. B decided he doesn't want to play this year because he knows how busy we will be working on the house. We enjoy watching them play, but it does get pretty hectic when they each are sometimes playing in different places at the same time. Those games are hard when you can't see both of them play.
Well, I guess that's it for today. Oh, y'all tell me what you think of the new look and which one you have liked the best.
• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 9, 2007 - Getting Back to the Blog
I haven't blogged in quite a while, mostly because I just haven't had time to really write anything meaningful. We are in the process of beginning construction on a new house, which by the way, we are building ourselves. This, along with homeschooling, housework (which, unfortunately, has been at a minimum lately with everything else going on) and all the other normal day to day stuff has simply taken up all the time I have. I decided I need to add something, though, since it has been so long. So for everyone that has been fussing at me about not writing, here you go. 
It's certainly not very meaningful, but it's a start to get me back in the habit of writing. I do miss writing...I miss having time to write. I guess if nothing else, I can keep you all up to date on the progress with the house.
Right now we are trying to get all the plumbing roughed in so that we can get our slab poured, hopefully next weekend. We've been working hard on getting this house started for over a year now. We started with sawing our own lumber from downed trees after Hurricane Katrina. We've had all that lumber drying and now we're trying to move forward with as much as we can afford to do. It is exciting to finally see something tangible going on out in the yard. It's actually starting to look like the foundation of a house. I know it will still be a LONG time though, before it is finished and we can actually move into it.
God has blessed us greatly since we decided to build this house without borrowing money. Certainly God has blessed us our whole lives, undoubtedly, I don't mean He didn't bless us before, He certainly has. I just mean that since we decided to do this without borrowing, God has opened some doors for us and has provided things for the building of this home in some ways that we honestly would never have thought possible. It is simply amazing what our God can do when we simply trust Him and let Him show off! 
• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Dec. 21, 2006 - We're Dreaming of a White Christmas
It's raining a lot here today. It looks like it will be for the next several days. I love to watch the rain, it is so soothing, but it also makes for a dreary day. That's the way I'm feeling today, just dreary...and achy. The change in the weather always makes my muscles and joints ache, especially since my car accident 2 and a half years ago.
It looks like it's going to be raining for Christmas. It's not cold right now, but it will be for Christmas, unfortunately not cold enough for snow. We would really LOVE that if it would. My kids have always prayed for snow, but we've never gotten enough for them to even make a snowball. We don't get much snow down here in South Mississippi...
just hurricanes. We did get a good snow fall waaay back in March of 1993, but my oldest son was only 3 months old then, so he doesn't remember it. We do have pictures of him in the snow though. Maybe we should just pray for colder temperatures for Monday. A white Christmas would be sooo beautiful, just once.
For now though, we'll just have to deal with all this rain....and achy joints.
• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Dec. 14, 2006 - A New Look
I wanted to make my blog look more Christmas-y, but I couldn't find a template that looked Christmas-y. I did find this one, however, and I thought it looked a bit wintery instead. So I decided to try this one out for awhile. I wish I knew enough to change it around and add new things, but I don't. I'm afraid if I attempt it I will mess everything up. So I will just stick with the templates for now. I do want to find a new picture to post. I'll see what I can find.
Well, the Christmas lights the boys put up yesterday look pretty good for their first attempt. Now they are counting the days down until the big day.
Today I overheard Bradley and Hunter doing a bit of plotting. I didn't hear the plan, but I heard enough whispers & shhhs to know that it sounds like they are plotting something for my birthday tomorrow. So I'm anxiously awaiting to see what the plan is. But, shhh...don't tell them I'm onto them. Ahhhh RATS!!! I was just found out. Bradley came by and was reading over my shoulder. I hope I didn't ruin the plot.
I just finished reading The Homeschool Minute email from yesterday. This week's topic is "boys." Ahhh, a topic dear to my heart! It seems there is a club over at The Homeschool Minute called the "Three Boys Club." It's for those with, well....three boys, of course. Now what I want to know is...can I join? Pretty, pretty please!! I think I really do qualify, having three boys, you know, and no girls.
Life really is interesting raising three boys. It is also very challenging, but really very rewarding also. Even with those challenging times, it is something that I am so glad God called me to do. I can't imagine my life without any of my three boys. It would probably be rather boring and dull.
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Dec. 13, 2006 - Finally Able to Update My Blog
HSBlogger has been down all week for maintenance. Things have changed a bit, so I will have to get used to the new look and feel. I have been able to login, but haven't been able to post any new entries, until now.
The boys have been busy today stringing Christmas lights up around the porch. We haven't put any outside for a few years now, mostly because I haven't wanted to take the time to do it. They decided that we needed some out there and they are big enough to do it themselves, so I gave them the box of lights and said "have fun." It is nice to not have to do it all myself.
Now we are anxiously awaiting darkness so we can see how they look. They used several strands of white, one strand of multi colored, and one strand of blue, so this should be interesting. (I sure do miss all the old smilies. They're gone with the new software upgrade or whatever happened this week. Now there's only a few. Maybe they will come back eventually.)
I'll let y'all know how they turn out after we see them in the dark.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
