I havent written in a while... time sure flies, we have been just coasting is why I guess I havent written, you know in those times of just fine-ness (I am sure that isnt a word) you are not in the valley and you are not mountian top!! just good.. I should tell you about my trip to TX, I went to the Ladies Retreat for the North East TX Calvary Chapels, I rode my motorcycle SOLO... I was a little scared but it was just great!! On the way there I was caught in the biggest tornado like storm, I was riding in IT, I finally got to a gas station that thankfully had a Diner place, so I spent a couple of hours there eating and getting stared at. On the other side of that storm was freezing!!! Well I finally made it to Daingerfield, TX around 4pm and tryed to get warm, it took half the night in the blankets to get warm... that was Thursday on Friday I went to Walmart and got some warm clothes to ride home in.  We rode (in the car) to the retreat... it was great, should I say more, the speaker was Debbie Bryson it was awesome, I met up with all my old friends from Calvary Chapel Mt. Pleasant, TX... we introduced some friends to Starbucks who are not totally addicted ( I am sure someday they will find Starbucks put something in the coffee that makes you want only Starbucks and all the time!!) sorta like cigerattes you know what saying they use to say they were just fine then later we find out people cant quit!! anyhow anyone reading, I am kidding of courseI rode home on Monday when I left at 8am the temp was 38,  anyhow I put on all my clothes and RODE. The only thing I was still freezing about was my hand so I stopped in Shreveport and bought some winter gloves, and the rest of the ride just ROCKED!!!

I think about the Homeschool Blogger all the time, hoping I am not losing all my friends... the weather has just been beautiful!! So we went camping, and Joe and I have been riding our Harleys, everywhere!! We have had some really great bonding rides.. of course all the kids can't go so that is our "Calgon Take Me Away" time.. The kids have been sleeping out under the stars the last few nights and really enjoying the weather.. because the weather here in Louisiana just isnt really great for sleeping under the star all the time.. I just dont have much exciting going on, the biggest thing was that Squirrel!! and the kids are just getting up and getting school done so they can play outside!! hurray!! Its the dream school !! 

Ok.. I have a minute to tell about the rat that we found the day it rained... Joe has been on vacation and I just haven't been getting on the computer.  So the little animal we found was a couple day old squirrel.  We just couldn't believe it... I guess it is pretty common but I have never seen a baby squirrel, there is some real specific thing you cannot do .. like feed them cows milk or you will kill it... oops, .   We quickly changed that, but really we only fed it couple drops....  you can feed them special puppy milk... anyhow it was fun but very demanding, they have to be fed every 2 hours.. thats over night too!! I haven't done that in a while!!  It was fun while it lasted... it didn't make it... even thought we did our best!! Very Great Schooling!!!! Here is the pic of the Squirrel.

Well, today it rained a lot.. and after a few hours of rain the yard was flooded, the kids had to STOP school and go outside to play, because there were crawfish everywhere, they also found a baby rat that I guess lost is mother in the flood which for our little animal friends was like the whole Noah thing.. anyway my daughter is nursing the little rat.. who doesnt even have its eyes open, it really looks just born... we will see if it lives??? and the kids found...oh about 30 crawfish... I had to go to the bank and left them hunting for little animals in the yard... they called me on the phone and asked me to pick up some crawfish food... (is there such a thing..remember I am not from here..) anyway I was at the bank not the store so I told them I couldnt get them anything... I came home and did some other things and they came into my room and asked if they could boil their crawfish... I just told them they were too small.  So we have 30 starving crawfish in a tub on our back patio...and a baby rat that really needs its mother !

You know the dream...all the children sitting around the dining table doing lessons, everyone quiet and well behaved.  That is the homeschool dream and I guess it happens to some but rarley to me... I get the dream days now and again... But today... is crazy, I had to take some phone calls after breakfast, so the dream is that the kids cleaned up the breakfast mess and started on their lessons and my older kids help the younger ones until I am free again... but oh no .. I have to become unholy before any of this gets done.. Why??? is that...? couldnt the kids clean up, I mean after all I fixed french toast and I was so June Cleaver and all... Well back to reality. I hate to get unholy, it makes me feel so bad, I just want my children to obey and do the things I ask without me getting ugly... then I am reminded of James 3 and how we use our tongue to bless God and curse men...then I feel like I shouldnt have yelled.. but then the kids listened.. I guess its  that  Dr. Dobson saying.. I trained them to be that way by letting them only move when I yell... so now what do I do... ?? Pray !!      

Well the house is clean... and the kids are in bed, and I have a minute to write something nifty... Our ladies bible study leader asked if anyone wanted to lead the next study... I think the Lord is leading me there, I have been a Christian for many years and have never lead. The Lord was telling me James.. but I was saying how about something else... like 1 Timothy or 1 Corinthians.. it funny how you hear what the Lord wants but you want to do something different, why would I want to do that when if He is leading then it will be just right...! 

All day long things happen that I think I should write about and then when it comes time to write I cant think of the things... I guess they call it writers block or something like that or my life is just so Blah... I want to write really interesting and helpful things.. like...

you can save lots of money if you shop with a list... and plan meals ahead.. I knew this and have done this in my life but havent for a while and just started up again... we have spent on shopping before 1000.00 on food for, oh, a couple of weeks... last week I spent 140.00 for 2 weeks... I didnt have to buy much meat, or pool supplies but I dont think pool supplies count as food... hummm!  I am thinking that is a huge savings.. we would shop without a plan and  just buy whatever, a bunch of this and a bunch of tha, some stuff lasts for a month and some lasts 2 days..like,  Corn dogs last 2 days.. one of those huge boxes from Sams... Gone!  the other benifit of all this is that the kids are not cooking for themselves.. which is good to know for the kids but the mess is almost not worth it... well it is late again.  nighty nite

And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.  Luke 21:25-28

Ahhh.... is'nt that Cool!!

I have been married for 20 years this year to my husband and over that time we have moved about 19 times.. Job changes, lay-offs, plant closings, and plant sellings.  We grew up in Southern CA, my husband (not at that point) Joe, joined the Marine Corps, we got married in 1986. Shortly after that I joined the Marine Corps, we had our first child, and I got out.  We had 2 kids in CA.  Joe got out of the Military and got a job at Shell Oil Co, in Wilimington, CA..They sold the plant and we got moved to Glen Carbon, IL, we were there for 10 years, while there we had all of the rest of the children and began Homeschooling. (we have 1b17, 2g15, 3b13, 4b11, 5b10, 6g8, 7g7).  Shell decided to sell that plant and we were part of the layoff.  We moved to Corpus Christi, TX, then back to our house in IL (it wasnt selling, and I got real sick, like transfusion sick.) we looked for work there but there was none.. in his field, we then moved to northeast TX, the plant closed there, we finally got back with Shell in Bakersfield, CA, They decided to sell that plant.. we we currently are in LA ( for the past 2 years). We have been very blessed to have been homeschooling the whole time, sometimes feeling like we were not "schooling" properly, but learning all the way.  At this point this is my favorite house but not my favorite state, (its hot, I hate the heat) and my favorite place it IL (4 seasons) and I miss my homeschool friends and support.  I miss all the Churches we helped plant and been "members" of.. We will make it through! And through it all our family motto has been

 "BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED".

So its not that I am undecided about my curriculm choice. It's just that this year we don't fall under any of those categorys... we have in the past fallen under several of those, but this year... sad but true we are using a fill in the blank curriculm. Which I must say is working out really good. Everyone is actually getting "School" done and I can read it.  Curriculm we have used in the past include, Abeka, Rod and Staff, Charlotte Mason, and loads of bookshelves full of books that worked or didnt work.  Can I get an Amen?!  Last year we did Tapestry of Grace (really great if you are the only one using those books in the library, we had 4 or 5 of us using the same year, Year 1).  So I guess that is the reason for the fill in the blank, I needed a break.  Whew!!

Ok this is the first post, and I have already written it over a few times, I am thinking who in the world would be interested in what I have to say, then I say to myself  I have been very interested for the past 5 hours reading everyone elses blogs, I can't believe it is 12:10am.  I have to get up in the morning and teach school, hopefully being part of this site will leave me refreshed and I will find the support that I lack in my area. I found this site in The Old Schoolhouse Mag.  A few months ago and have been a reader, getting up my courage to try this blogging thing.  It is really time for sleep..