Jul. 25, 2008 - Show N Tell Friday - Dollywood!

To visit more Show N Tell Friday posts, please head on over to Canadagirl's blog! 

To celebrate all the birthdays last week, we headed to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  This was a surprise for my daughter who thought that we were going on a long hike for dad's birthday.  We even brought along backpacks to make it look legit.  Our first stop after arriving was dropping our dog off at Doggywood!  Yes, even dogs can have fun at amusement parks!

They have a quaint little chapel where they actually hold church services on Sunday's.

We enjoyed some great Bluegrass music.

 The Kratt Brothers (Chris & Martin) from Zoboomafoo did a great entertaining show.  That is a real snake and baby zebra.

We took a 5 mile train ride with a real steam engine.

The next two pictures are of the Tennessee Tornado - a 70 mph ride with three big loops.  Mama stayed on the ground for this one.

A cute display using plant pots to make plant pot people.

A cute sign on the old schoolhouse - times have sure changes!

The old-fashioned ice cream parlor.

We had a great time in the great Smokey Mountains at Dollywood!  There are many great rides - my favorite was the wooden rollercoaster, "Thunderhead" (unfortunately I was too busy enjoying it to take a picture!), many great shows, old-time craftsman and a great atmosphere!

Jul. 22, 2008 - Wordless Wednesday - Ventura

For great Wordless Wednesday posts, or to participate yourself, check out Tiany's blog!

My daughter and I made it to California yesterday!  Yea!  A month of fun in the sun.  Here are some pictures of the beautiful Ventura, California area.

The gorgeous coast!

The Ventura Pier.

I sure miss these beautiful Bouganvillia bushes - such vibrant colors!

Downtown Ventura.

Have a great week!

Jul. 15, 2008 - Blessing Hill Farms

Check out this great new publication!

Thanks to Amongst the Oaks where I saw this great idea!  Go to Flicker to make your own publication!  This was really fun to do!

Jul. 14, 2008 - Simple Woman's Daybook

For July 14, 2008

Outside my window....A beautiful sunny day with a nice breeze blowing and 70 degrees out at about 10 a.m.

I am thinking....Will I get it all done this week?  We have three birthdays, and my daughter and I will be leaving next Monday to visit family for a month in California - so packing and getting everything set up for my husband while we are gone.

I am thankful for....My family, my husband's job that was so long in coming and is extra precious now, that we get to visit my parents next week, and our friends.

From the kitchen....Today is spaghetti and meatballs!  Wanted it kid friendly since my daughter is having a friend over tonight.

I am wearing....Khaki capis, green shirt and sandals - need to be ready for the higher temps later today.

I am creating....A new altered book and making an instructional e-book to go along with it.  I'll have to put it on hold during our vacation time though.

I am going....to CALIFORNIA!  Next monday we leave, and it's definetly on my mind all week.  We'll be staying with my parents and I'll also get to visit my mother-in-law and friends.

I am reading....Now that's a loaded answer!  I have probably six or more books I've been reading.  Here's the ones I've been reading the most - 1.  "What the Dog Did" - a funny recollection of a family's beagle exploits.  2.  "Loving God with all Your Mind" by Elizabeth George  3.  "Fat is not Your Fate" - and interesting book on weight loss taking into account that we all lose and gain for different reasons according to our body type.

I am hoping....For a wonderful birthday week for all in our family - hubby, daughter and dog.

I am hearing....My washing machine go "klunk de klunk de klunk".  The washer and dryer were a freebie, so no complaints really.  In fact, after dragging my laundry to the laundromat for a couple of years, I am so thankful for them, klunk do klunk or not.

Around the house....All is pretty quiet (except for the washer).  Daughter is still trying to wake up.

One of my favorite things....The excitement and thrill of getting ready to leave on a much anticipated vaction.

A few plans for the rest of the week....Celebrate our three birthdays, wrap presents, make cards, pack, run last minute errands, make a list for my husband to follow while we are gone -  he has to take care of the dog and gerbil which he's not used to.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing....My husband and my sweet daughter born 13 years ago this week.  Happy Birthday!

Please go to The Simple Woman's Daybook to check out more wonderful entries!

Jul. 13, 2008 - Birthday Week

We have quite the busy week of birthdays this week!  We will be celebrating 3 birthdays!  Hubby's, daughter's and the dog.

Here's my three precious birthday ones! 

Jul. 8, 2008 - The Joys of a Simple Walk

This last weekend we went to our own "Hundred Acre (well, not quite) Woods" in the Appalachian Mountains.  Since we bought this property a year and a half ago, it just totally amazes me.  Last year we didn't get to experience it fully due to a late frost that killed a lot of buds, so this year has been a wonderful surprise.  Luckily we don't live far from it, so we make it out there about once a week.  God has created such wonders, and I am amazed at how our little corner of the world changes from week to week - it seems every week something new is blooming and making itself known.  For me, I feel so much more energized after being out in His creation, seeing the delights He has mastered around every corner - the thrill of seeing a deer in our woods (even though we see many, each is a delight), seeing the markings a bear has left, hearing the birds joyous chorus, finding out that we have an abundance of rasberry bushes, the view of the distant mountains, the gentle babbling of the brook, and the soft fragrant breeze.  Yes this is truly paradise, and it is indeed our "Blessing Hill".

Here are a few of the delights found this last weekend.

Our view of the mountains.  I never get tired of the view.

 I believe this is an Eastern Box Turtle.  We saw two of these guys today.  One was digging a little hole.

Some dainty and graceful Queen Anne's Lace.

Some delicious blackberries!  They're not at their peak yet, but we still had a nice little snack.

Some beautiful Black-Eyed Susan's.

Isn't God's handiwork wonderful!  Have a blessed day!

Jul. 7, 2008 - Schoolhouse Planner Giveaway!

Check out this great new Home and Homeschool planner! 

Angela at Homeschooling and Loving it is giving away a copy of the Schoolhouse Planner to one lucky recipient.   She did a great review of this product - she loved it!  This planner has everything a homemaker and homeschooling mom needs - all in one place.  So don't miss out, go over to Angela at Homeschooling and Loving it and enter the contest today.

Jul. 5, 2008 - Where Should I Live?

I found this fun quiz on Jenn's site. They sure got it right for me!  How about you?

You Should Live in the Country

You are laid back, calm, and good at entertaining yourself. You don't need an expensive big city to keep you busy. You'll take the peaceful life over the stressful life any day of the week.

Jul. 3, 2008 - The Best Home and School Planner Ever!

Wow!  Check out this fantastic planner put out by our favorite TOS Schoolhouse Magazine.  This planner includes everything you will need for your homeschool year - school and home.  There isn't another planner out there like it.  They have taken all of your suggestions and ideas and compiled it into one fantastic planner, so that everything you need to plan in your life can be in one place, making your busy life a little simpler

Click here to get a sneak peek! 

Here is a sample of what's included:

Jul. 2, 2008 - Wordless Wednesday - Mount Rushmore

For great Wordless Wednesday posts, or to participate yourself, check out Tiany's blog!

In honor of the 4th of July (can you believe it's already here), I've pulled out some pictures of our trip to Mount Rushmore.

No picture can do this justice.  It is so much more majestic in person.  A great place to visit if you haven't ever been there.

One of the highlights of this trip was meeting Don "Nick" Clifford, one of the original carvers on Mount Rushmore.  Quite a fascinating man.  I believe he's the only original worker that is still alive.  He was there signing a book he wrote about his experiences in helping to carve this masterpiece.

While there we also saw this beautiful mountain goat grazing along the road.  These guys are hard to find, so we felt very blessed to come across one so unexpectedly. 

 Hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July!

Jun. 27, 2008 - Show N Tell Friday - Altered Book

To visit more Show N Tell Friday posts, please head on over to Canadagirl's blog! 

I wanted to share an Altered Book project I had been working on.  An Altered Book is a hardback book that has been altered by adding collage, scrapbook papers, stickers, paint, paint accents, three-dimensional items, photographs, memorabilia, drawers and niches for treasures.  Usually it's based on a theme or event, but can be anything that you want it to be.  No rules!  Just whatever suits your fancy.  I had so much fun working on the project, that I was a little sad when it was over.  I'm already getting ready to start my next one!

This is the cover of a book I made for a friend with the theme of "God's Gifts to us".  I just used an old hardback book that still had a good spine and painted the covers and added my embellishments.

This is the inside front cover.  I added a little note inside the pocket that I had made, added scrapbook paper and stickers.

 Here is a page with a painted background, the windows open...

To reveal a saying.

I made several niches on this page - one with the ladybug in it, one with the lavender and one with the bottle of sand.

Close-up of the niche of shells and bottle of sand.

The niche where I placed the lavender.

Since this book was for a friend, I made it very personal with things I knew she enjoyed and that we enjoyed together.

Here I added some lace and a teacup in a tiny niche.

I copied the back of a very old postcard and included it.

Here's the book looking down at the pages, notice the small drawer - it actually works.  This book is not meant to lie flat, but be filled with fun and memories making it a little pudgy.

I put a key in the drawer with a little saying (not shown).

Hope you have enjoyed one my latest projects.  This was one of my favorite projects to do, it was so much fun!  I'm thinking of writing an E-book with step by step instructions on how to do a project like this.  What do you think? 

Jun. 23, 2008 - Menu Plan Monday

For more great Menu Monday's, please visit Tiany's site!

My daughter is back from camp - had a great time!  Got a lot done, but of course not as much as intended.  We've had a couple of great blessings from God in the past couple of weeks, and these have kept me busy also.  First blessing - God gave us a great second car.  A friend told us about it, he was originally going to buy it, and when he decided he wasn't going to buy it we jumped at the chance.  It was very inexpensive and had only 56,000 miles on it.  A 97 year old woman was moving to a retirement home and was selling everything.  It is in really good shape (just needs a couple of things done to it).  We've had only one car for several years, so it will be so nice to be able to get out a bit more and nice that we can get more involved with the many homeschooling activies around here.   The second blessing is the new home we bought.  It will be so nice to have a place of our own again.  God brought this to us as we were waiting to hear back from another place we were trying to get (it was a bankruptcy and they were taking a lot of time making decisions - it had been over a month and they still hadn't  decided to take our offer).   The one we bought was on the next street and in a better location and in perfect condition with all appliances included, not to mention almost the same price as the fixer-upper (the other one needed new floors, paint and all appliances).  God is so good!

To Do:

• Clean out the new (to us) car
• Continue working on scrapbooking album
• Continue reading for continuing education
• Get ice maker fixed
• Continue catching up with blog friends
• Give dog a bath
• Start working on altered book
• Start sewing project

Devotions:  Continue with The Genesis Record (study through Genesis) and reading Psalms

Meals:

• Monday - Tacos
• Tuesday - Ham, potatoes, carrots
• Wednesday - Eat at baseball game
• Thursday - Walnut salad with chicken
• Friday - Goulash, garlic bread, salad

Have a great week!

Jun. 18, 2008 - New Summer Blog Look

Hello!   Hope you are having a great day!  I hope you like my new summer blog look.  It's not quite done yet - had a lot of internet problems while doing it yesterday and I gave up.  Hopefully I can get it all finished today.  The picture at the top was taken in Mackinac Island at a little Bed & Breakfast.  Mackinac Island, Michigan is a great summer destination - no cars allowed on the island, only horses and bicycles dot the quaint victorian streets.

Jun. 16, 2008 - Menu Plan Monday

For more great Menu Plan Monday's, check out Tiany's site!

My daughter is off to camp this week.  I know she will have a wonderful time.   She was so excited to go and see the friends she had met last year, plus her best friend was able to go this year.  Time for mom to get all those  long forgotten projects out and tackle them.  Here's a list of what I want to accomplish this week.

• Wash all the comforters
• Get ice maker fixed
• Order school books
• Get out sewing machine and get it working again
• Start altered book project
• Make summer themed wreath
• Work on scrapbook album
• Blog makeover for summer look
• Catch up with blog friends
• Birthday gift for friend
• Drop off clothes to Salvation Army
• Wash chair cushions
• Continue reading book for continuing education
• Wash dog

Meals:  Since it's just hubby and I, we are going to eat lite this week. 

Devotions:  Continue with Genesis Record and reading Psalms

Jun. 13, 2008 - Friday Show and Tell - Pets

Check out Canadagirl's for more Show N Tell Friday's!

I thought since a lot posted on pets last week, I would include mine this week.  After all, they are a part of the family too.

Here's our little dog, Sammy - such a character.  Loves to run and play, and loves to be on a schedule.  He's a little upset that my daughter (he's really her dog) is staying up later now that it's summer.  He really likes his 9:30 bedtime.   He loves all his multitude of toys, and plays with them all.  When I put them all in a basket I have for them, he then will take each one out, one at a time, and plays with them.

Here's our gerbil, Skittles.  He's really fun to watch, and he too likes a strict schedule.  He spends his mornings cleaning and re-decorating his cage (moving piles, fluffing up his nest, sweeping, etc.).  In the evening he likes to exercise on his wheel while we are watching TV.  He usually then sleeps all through the night.  He loves his little treats and comes running when you say the word "treat".

Jun. 11, 2008 - I'm Back Finally!

Hello!  I didn't mean to be gone so long.  I was just going to take a few days off and it turned into a little longer, well maybe a lot longer.  Life just seemed to have gotten in the way.  But in the meantime I got a lot of housework done, got some things organized, worked on a couple of projects and now school is over and summer vacation has started.  Yeah!  I'm now getting started on some long forgotten projects.  I've missed blogging and visiting your blogs, and now that it's summer I should have more time to catch up and start blogging away again.

Mar. 17, 2008 - Monday Meanderings

 For more great Monday Meandering Posts, visit Tiany!

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Bible Study/Devotions:  Anne Graham Lotz Bible Study "Vision of His Glory"

To Do:

• Laundry/ironing
• Work on BF's birthday present
• Fix up daughters room - net to hold stuffed animals
• Catch up on blogs
• Work at storage unit one day

Clean: 

• Laundry room
• Kitchen cabinets
• Kitchen

Training them Up: 

• Small remembrance celebration on Monday - daughters anniversary of accepting Jesus into her heart
• Make sure morning routine is being adhered to

Menu:

Monday:  Split pea soup, chicken curry sandwiches, salad

Tuesday:  Ham, lima beans, cauliflower

Wednesday: Dinner at church - maked deviled eggs 

Thursday:   Spicy Mongolian Beef, carrots, rice

Friday:  DD eats at youth group at church - leftovers for mom & dad

Mar. 14, 2008 - Show N Tell Friday - Sewing Wreath

For more great Show N Tell Friday's, visit Canadagirl!

Here is my sewing themed wreath that I made of vintage items purchased at an estate sale.  I made this to sell on ebay, but my husband wanted me to keep it, he said it looks so much like me!

Here is the overall wreath.

This is a vintage needle pack with the needles still inside.

I found a bunch of old quilt pieces that someone had made for a quilt, also I believe that's an old hug hook, and a pair of old scissors.

There's a cute little jar filled with old buttons, a wooden needle holder (still has needles in it), an old thimble advertising granulated sugar and old spool of thread. 

Very old spool of thread and of course lots of buttons!

Mar. 13, 2008 - Life's Adjustments

I find it interesting how changes, no matter how positive, always leave a funny feeling inside me for awhile.  I guess it's just that unfamiliarity feeling with the new routines. 

With my husband's new job , we are having to make new adjustments and routines.    We now get up much earlier (still getting used to that one), and even though it's sometimes hard to roll out of the bed, we get up and ready to start our day much earlier, and school gets started on time and usually finished much earlier.  I have more washing and ironing to do now, and a specific time to have dinner ready.  I will have to do more errands on my own now (my husband loved to do errands and grocery shopping - didn't miss doing that).  We didn't have a real good routine before, at least not everyday routine (that has its benefits, but sometimes things don't get done).  Things are actually starting to fall into place and feel more normal in our daily routines now that its been about two weeks.  It's kind of nice knowing what most of my days are going to be like.

We also took our little dog to get him fixed this week.   Now with my last dog, this was a non-event (in fact you would have thought he went to the best dog party around), but our new sweet little dog, is let's face it, a little on the wimpy side.  When our Golden Retriever was fixed they were calling me early on the day of surgery to come get him because he was so awake and active, this one we picked up the day after surgery and he moaned and groaned all day giving us a pathetic "what have you done to me" look.  Now on day 3 after surgery, he's finally starting to act more like his normal self. 

Also started a new Bible Study this week at church - Anne Graham Lotz "Vision of Glory".  This is an inductive Bible Study on the book of Revelation.  It's very different from any other bible study I've done, and it's taking some getting used to. 

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Ecc. 3:11

Mar. 12, 2008 - Wordless Wednesday - Sleeps Like a Rock

For great Wordless Wednesday posts, or to participate yourself, check out Tiany's blog!

Yes, my daughter slept all night with a carbinger/clock on her ear!  What possessed her you may ask?  She wanted to make sure she woke up to its alarm - she sleeps like a rock and often never hears her alarm, so why not attach it to my ear, I'm sure I'll hear it then!