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Today is my 9 year old son's birthday! I can't believe he's 9! He's outside swimming with his brothers and just loving life! We are going to go out to dinner and then for ice cream when his dad gets home from work. He loves chicken wings so he's picked Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner and then Dippin Dots at the mall for ice cream. Grandparents were here all weekend so another cake is not necessary! He is my tender hearted little boy who just loves life. He is generous, kind and a peace maker. I am so blessed with this little boy and I just thank God for him. I know God has great plans for him and I look forward to seeing those plans unfold. Happy Birthday son, I love you! |
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I typed a whole post with my goals and Lo and Behold, it's gone! I'm annoyed! Don't know if I will repost or not. |
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For most people April 15 represents the dreaded "tax deadline". I, too, have always dreaded April 15th, but not beacause of taxes. It is the birthday of my daughter who I relinquished for adoption 18 years ago. Hard to believe that 18 years ago I was an eighteen year old girl scared to death, driving to an out of town hospital to give birth. Even harder to believe is how faithful my God is. How much He loves me. He was not satisfied to let me sit in the mire. He had other plans! He brought me a wonderful husband, blessed me with 4 more beautiful children and most of all He has bound my broken heart. I can actually face tomorrow with my eyes fixed on Him and a peace in my heart. My friends, it is a peace that transcends all understanding. It isn't a peace you can buy. It only comes through allowing the healer of hearts to work through all the muck and mire. To be an open book before my Savior is one of the most freeing and liberating things in my life. I've lived so much of my life trying to "fix" all my messes so I could be accepted and for so many years I lived not knowing that God has always accepted me, no matter what. He may not have liked the roads that I've travelled and the paths I've chosen, but He's always accepted me and loved me. It's only the magnitude of His love that has enabled me to heal. Thank you Jesus for taking all of my shame, guilt, and condemnation for me. May I always LOVE much! "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little" (Luke 7:47) Happy birthday dear daughter wherever you may be and may you know my heart's desire is that our paths will cross again. |
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I've been thinking lately about my family's time and how we spend it. We finish up with school in the afternoon around 3:00 and then it's basically "free time". I'm not opposed to down time and I enjoy time to myself, but I've just been feeling "incomplete". I'll admit in the past I've bought into a lot of the homeschool rhetoric that goes around and not all of it is bad. The thing is.....I want more! I want more than just being home every day teaching my children, cleaning my house, and planning nutritional meals. I feel like I'm on a tread mill and am going nowhere. It's the same thing everyday. Yes, I know that there are always going to be dishes to wash and teeth to brush, but I want more. I want my family to have purpose. I want us to be fulfilling the purposes God has for our family. The problem is I haven't been completely clued in as to what those purposes are. It's more than where we are now, I know that! We could easily fill up our time with sports or some type of lessons, but that isn't our purpose. I want my children to grow up loving God and being excited about Him and the work they're doing to further his kingdom. I want to do my part in fufilling the great commission (and no, it's not be fruitful and multiply). I don't want my family to be apathetic and only concerned about themselves. I don't want them to be religious and live by a set of good intentioned rules. I want to be out in the world making a difference. This doesn't happen on Sunday for me. It doesn't happen during the week. Essentially it doesn't happen very often. I want that to change. I want my family to be purposeful. I want my children to be excited about doing for others. I want us to break out of our box and take the first step in getting involved. I want my children to see needs and figure out a way to meet them, not just agree that it's sad and go home to their electronic toys and assume someone else will fix it. I want my family to be the man in the story of the Good Samaritan who stopped and cared. I don't want them to care more about sports than others. I don't want them to care more about grades than others. I don't want them to care more about church than others or the latest movies or toys. I want our focus to be on doing our part to fix the things that are wrong in this society, not turning a blind eye. I'm tired of learning about what we're supposed to be doing and not doing it. I'm seeing the danger in the teaching that EVERYTHING happens in the home. Then why was Jesus found among the multitudes? I want to be among the multitudes. I want my children working side by side with their parents meeting the needs of others and being excited to do it. Our lives are not our own, but sadly most days we live like they are. |
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We make these every Saturday night before Easter as a way to remind us of Jesus' death and resurrection. Easy, fun and great for family devotions. Materials: Bible 1 Cup whole pecans 3 Egg Whites 1 tsp. vinegar 1 Cup sugar 1 large resealable plastic bag Wooden spoon or mallet Wax paper
1. Preheat oven to 350. This must be done or cookies will not turn out. Cover cookie sheet with a layer of wax paper. 2. Explain to family members that you are making a special cookie that will help them learn about the death and resurrection of Jeus. 3. Fill the bag with pecans. Ask someone to beat them with the mallet. Talk about how Jesus was beat. Read Mark 15:15. 4. Pass vinegar around for each person to smell. Ask, "can you imagine being given this to drink? This is what the Roman soldiers gave Jesus to drink when he was thirsty." Read John 19:28-29 5. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. As the eggs are added, explain thta eggs are a symbol of new life. Read John 10:10-11 and 1 John 5:12. 6. Give each a pinch of salt. Explain, "When we cry, our tears contain a little salt." Add the salt and tell them that is a reminder of the tears Jesus' family and friends cried when he died. Read Luke 23:23 and John 20: 11-13 7. Add sugar. Sugar = the sweetness of God's love for us in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins. Read Ephesians 5:12 8. Beat mixture on high until stiff peaks form (12-14 min.). The mixture will turn white, the color of purity. Read Psalm 103:12. 9. Gently fold nuts into mixture. Drop by tsp. onto cookie sheet. You are done. Explain that before he died, Jesus said, "Everything is done!" He was saying that the price for our sins was paid. Read John 19:30. 10. Turn oven off. Place cookies inside and close door. Explain that this is a reminder of Christ's friends putting him in the tomb. Reade Matthew 27:57-65 11. Time for bed. Read John 20:19-20. Explain that Jesus' friends were anxious about leaving Jesus in the tomb. 12. Open the door and take out the cookies on Easter morning. Take a bite, surprise! The cookies are hollow and empty inside, just like Jesus' tomb. Read Luke 24:1-12 |
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I can't believe my littlest boy is turning five tomorrow! Boy, time flies! This little boy is so precious and since the day he was born has been doing things his way. It's inconvienient a lot of the time and requires much patience and love most days, but I know he is going to be a great man of God when he is older. He was an overdue baby and was supposed to be induced, but he decided to make his appearance shortly after the Dr. left to go home for the night. I kept telling the nurses that he was coming, but they didn't listen to me. They were all out and about when my water suddenly broke (exploded was more like it) and they came rushing back in to find me having my little guy on the bed. No stirrups, no nothing. I just rolled onto my back, opened my legs and out he came! My husband was freaking out and the nurses were all in a flurry of activity and the cord was wrapped around his neck! The nurses tried to loosen it and and then just resorted to cutting it! He was such a sweet little thing with a head full of hair that stood up all over the place. Sometimes I wish I could just have one of those days back when he would just snuggle up to me. He's still a cute, sweet thing with a mind of his own and isn't easily persuaded out of his opinions. He is a blessing and a challenge which makes life interesting around here on a daily basis. I love him and am so proud of this little boy who is turning five! Boys do something to this mom's heart and I sure do love them and am so glad that God has blessed me with three of them! |
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Yipee! I got my new Sonlight catalog in the mail this week and was so excited. There has been much talk of their new language arts. The LA was the one thing that I didn't LOVE about Sonlight. I wasn't the only one, many customers have been having the same trouble with it that I had and end up ditching it. There were elements that I liked, but it was way to advanced in the area of grammar. Sonlight sent a letter out a couple of weeks ago and they had Ruth Beechick look at the LA and she helped revise the whole thing! I was really happy when I got the catalog and saw what they had done. It looks great! One dictation per week, just enough grammar, and lots of opportunity to write. That is the area that we need the most help with. I was planning a switching to Bob Jones this year for LA, but in light of the new and improved Sonlight I think we're going to give it a try. I'm planning on using the BJU Homesat program for math and science for my oldest and maybe my 8 yo. too. |
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Yes, I've changed my template AGAIN! I get bored easily, what can I say? Actually, I chose this one because I am weaning myself off coffee and that little face on the cup is probably what I'll look like! Due to hypertension issues I am trying to implement some natural ways to lower my BP and cutting down on my caffeine intake is one of them. So this template should remind me to only have 1 cup a day right? Seriously, it's nothing for me to down 1/2 a pot in the morning. Not healthy. Okay I'm not sure how long this template will last because I don't like the entries on the right, it's hard to read IMO. |
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Writing has always been a struggle at our house. We are currently using a combination of Sonlight Language Arts and The Write Stuff Adventure. The assignment my oldest completed this week was called "Dogs Talk" and the purpose of it was to write a dialogue in order to learn how quotation marks are used. Thanks to the dictation that we do every week my oldest is pretty good with quotation marks. My son didn't want to write about dogs so I let him pick which animals he wanted to use. He asked if he could use Nascar drivers and I told him to stick with animals this time. This is what he came up with, a cross between his two favorite things, Nascar and hermit crabs. "Crabs Talk" The hermit crabs at Exotic Pets store are very active and are gearing up for a race. "Well Bob looks like it's going to be a great race," said John. "Yes, it does. In the pole is Dale Crabhardt," said Bob. "And starting last is Jeff Crabdon," said John. "And lets get on our way!" announced Bob. As the race was about to begin the crabs notice and employee approaching with a small boy tagging behind her. "Wait! A pet store employee is coming, call the race off!" exclaimed John. "Look at this Bob, every crab is acting cute to see if they get picked to get out of here," said John. "Oh look at that! Tony Strecrab is trying to be fast." "Oh no! Kurt Crabbusch flipped on his back, " exclaimed John. "And look at Jeff Crabdon as he is being rejected," said Bob. Dale Crabhardt was the one who caught the boy's attention. The clerk reached into the habitat to retrieve the crab and put him in a box for his journey to his new home. "It looks like Dale gets to go to a new home, " said John. "And that's a rap for today. This is Bob Crab saying, 'goodbye.' " |
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I always like to get a glimpse into the "how" and "when" of other people's homeschooling. So I thought I'd write a how we do it kind of post. So here goes.... The boys have independent work that they are responsible for each day. This work consists of: calculadders (which I love), daily grams, handwriting, Wordly Wise (once a week) and my 8 year old has a phonics workbook that he does a page of each day. The boys will usually work on this first thing in the morning while I'm busy in the shower or with the baby.
We use Sonlight therefore we have quite a bit of reading to do each day so we start our day out with that. I've found if I put that off we usually end up getting behind. Before we start our read alouds we do a devotion from Josh McDowell's Youth Devotions, which is one of the better devotion books we've used.
After our read alouds we move on to spelling or dictation. We do both 2x a week so I usually alternate. By the time we get done with that it's usually right about lunch time so we take a break.
After lunch, we start math. That usually takes about 15 minutes of instruction and then they are left on their own to finish. Once a week I have them complete a writing assignment so they will usually start that after math on Monday and continue working the different stages of the writing process throughout the week until they finish with their final, polished copy.
My oldest works on his World Book and Eastern Hemisphere Explorer work in the afternoon which is all done on the computer and takes him about 45 minutes to complete.
That's our day in a nutshell and of course we always have various interruptions. I'm still in the process of working science into our schedule and so far I've done it in the summer and counted various videos and audios as science. We've done lots of the Moody video series, Amazing Creatures that Defy Evolution and Jonathan Park audio series. We also have a box of experiments from Holy Cow Science that we need to complete. |
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There are some lessons that you want to learn the first time. I'm not always good at that. God often has to tell me things over and over before I "get" them. This one particular lesson I hope I never have to repeat because it was painful and it looms in my thoughts often. It involves a childhood friend whose life was cut short. Her name was Dania and she would be 39 years old tomorrow. When we moved to Florida to be closer to my grandparents we started attending their church and Dania was one of the first people I met. She was very different than me, but yet we had a connnection. We were friends through high school and into college. That is when our lives took very different turns. We were both living are lives independently of God though we both grew up in Christian homes and went to church every Sunday, Sunday night and Wednesday. We went to countless youth camps and retreats through the years to boot. Somehow, our relationships with God were not the focus of our lives. We were living our lives in a reckless manner and sowing seeds of destruction. We both came to a crossroads and took different paths. Mine led me back to the loving arms of my heavenly Father. Hers led her into a life of drugs and a wandering restlessness. Our relationship came to a catastrophic end and we never spoke again. Our families hated one another. It was a time of great loss in my life. A few years ago my parents returned to our hometown after being away for many years. It was with great trepidation that I went to visit them the first time. Too many skeletons in the closet, so to speak. We went to dinner and, lo and behold, I noticed Dania sitting at the bar. This was not the Dania I remembered. The years had been hard on her and I knew her choices had taken a toll on her. I watched from afar, but pride and fear kept me from approaching her. Later in the week the Lord spoke to me and told me that I needed to reach out to her and share with her the Jesus that I had found. He wanted me to tell her of the hope, love, healing, and deliverance that I had found. My intentions were good. I was going to call her one day. I never got the chance. I got a frantic phone call from my mother one Sunday afternoon and she told me that Dania had been in a fatal car accident. I was heartbroken. My chance was gone. I attended her funeral not even sure if I would be welcome. I was more than welcomed, I was embraced. Her mother clung to me and I clung to her. The animosity of years passed melted away and we cried in each other's arms. God is so good. The enemy was hitting me hard with the "what ifs" and I was feeling such condemnation. After all, was she even a Christian? Her life didn't reflect God and the thought of her spending eternity seperated from God was more than I could think of. What if I had called when God told me to? Would things have turned out differently? God longs to use us, but when we say no he will use someone else as he did in this case. As I was sitting in the corner contemplating all the questions that were bombarding me a couple approached me. It was our Sunday School teachers from years ago. They had been visiting Dania and encouraging her. They KNEW she had a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. What blessed words those were. God wanted to use me. He wanted to restore what the locusts had eaten. I was so busy thinking it through and contemplating the situation that He used someone else. The next time God wants to use me I don't want to hesitate. This poem was written by Dania and found in her car. This was written by someone who knew the Lord of that I'm sure. Rain Down Love I can't help but somehow wonder What would happen if it rained down love? If God unleashed His Holiness and Goodness And let it pour from above? Leaving no heart or soul untouched No desire left to terrorize, What if God let it rain down love Falling from His own eyes? Cleanse away these impurities, Predjudice,hate,insecurities We are all your children God, I'm down on my knees...please... Let it rain down love My heart can't take another war to even the score, Another homeless one in rags. Another coffin sent home wrapped in a soldier's flag. You sent us here to learn to love So how did we get it so wrong??? God, I pray you hear the pleading In the message of this heart's song. Open the heavens and bless us with love Let it pour down on our streets, Where so many guns, drugs,anger, and egos meet. Fill us up with innocence God help us to be kind Please wash our eyes in love And make us all color blind. Purge judgement from our hearts If some call you by another name Etch it on our souls, God, That you love us all the same. Remind us to reach our to the least For then we truly touch your face. Empower us with humility And fill us with your amazing Grace. |
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Happy Valentine's Day! This year I got some stickers, some little bags and laid out markers and card stock and had the kids each make each other a card. When they were finished making the cards they put them into the bags and then last night I added some candy. They were happy. My oldest said he liked this year better than last year because last year I got them each a devotional book! Who would have thought that candy would beat out a devotional book? I admit I'm a book fiend and love to thrust them at others. Apparently my children would rather me thrust junk food at them instead! Oh well, they can't ever come back and tell me I didn't try to feed their souls as well as their bodies! My husband actually bought me a bunch of stuff for Valentine's Day which he never does! I've been having some health issues lately so of course I start wondering if maybe he thinks this is our last Valentine's Day together or something. Awful, I know, but I really had that thought cross my mind. He got me a necklace with a diamond and ruby heart, a dozen roses, 2 Yankee candles, and a pretty tart warmer that is a bird bath and an archway of roses. SEE!! I usually get a card and some flowers. Of course I HAD to know where he got the $$ for all of that because I do the finances and we don't have much extra for extravagant spending like that. Well, he won some Miller Beer display contest and got a Visa Check Card as a prize and he spent it on me! Isn't that sweet. I really do have one of the best husbands in the world!! He's so much better to me than I am to him. I really need to work on that. Hope you all had a nice Valentine's Day!
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Haven't had much to write about lately as things have just been moving along. I have started doing more intensive school with my 4 year old at his insistence. Instead of intensive I should have used the word consistent. We did add Hooked on Phonics to the mix because I've used it before and it's quite simple and effective. I've already been thinking about what to do for next year. I like to change things up a bit rather than keep everything the same. I get bored. I do love Sonlight because every year the books are different and I don't have to pick them. I still haven't found anything I LOVE for writing. That is the area that I feel like we fall short in constantly! Spelling and writing! Right now we are using Sonlight and Daily Grams, but I'm just not in love with Sonlight's LA. It seems a bit hard and obscure. Maybe I'm just not teaching it right, who knows? Don't know what I'll use for next year, but I'm looking at Writing Strands and IEW. Any suggestions??
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It's Monday again and we had a pretty productive day. The weather here has been a little on the gloomy side and I'm sick of it. I could never live in places where the weather stayed like this, it's depressing! My husband will be zipping in and out this evening because he has a meeting to attend at church and tomorrow night he won't be home until late because he has an all day work meeting. I HATE weeks like this. On a more positive note my husband will be beginning a mentoring program we got at the homeschool convention last year! It's called Teknon and the Champion Warriors. It's written for pre teen boys and it covers various different subjects like fear, failure, purity, pornography. It is based on a fictitious novel with different greek characters. Pneuma represents God in the story. The story is one that will appeal to young teens. I think it's great for men who need a starting point to talk with their boys about some of the more sensitive issues in life. I feel so blessed that God gave me a husband who will take the time to do this with his son and think my sons are pretty blessed too! At the end of the program my husband will plan a significant celebration for my son during which he will present him with some meaningful gift, maybe a purity ring or something. I'll post about it from time to time and let you know how it goes in case anyone else would be interested in giving it a try. Here's the Champion Warrior Creed: "if I have the Courage to face my fears; Honor, which I show to Pneuma and my fellow man; the proper Attitude concerning myself and my circumstances; the Mental Toughness required to make hard decisions; Purity of heart, mind, and body; the Integrity to stand for what I believe, even in the most difficult situations; effective Ownership of all the is entrusted to me; and focused Navigation in order to successfully chart my course in life; i will live as a true champion warrior, committed to battling evil, and changing my world for Pneuma's Glory." |
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We just got finished watching Facing the Giants and it was awesome! If you haven't seen it you don't want to miss it. The message was all about facing your fears and giving them to God. It was just what I needed after the week I had! With God all things are possible! |
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After a break last week because my husband was on vacation we are back to school and I'm on the computer! Does anyone get the picture?? I'm having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. Anyway, I ran across a blog and took one of those silly little quiz thingies. I would post it, but I'm computer illeterate even after 2 college courses!! The quiz was to find out which Peanuts character you are most like. Cute, huh? Well, go figure, I ended being someone I've never even heard of. Who is Rerun?? Uhh, that's who it said I was and the scary part is the description was pretty accurate. Here's my description: "skeptic at heart, you enjoy reading and learning above all else. You often find yourself on the fringe of things and people tend to overlook you. You often use your charm to conceal your cleverness." Okay, I don't put much stock in these kinds of things, but gosh couldn't I have been Snoopy, Lucy, or Peppermint Patty. Nope, not me, I'm Rerun. Just the name kind of scares me. I think this was my CLUE to get off the computer and on to more beneficial things in life like my children! Adios, for now. |
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We are back from our weekend in Georgia and it went pretty well. I was really praying that it would be a stress free trip and for all intents and purposes it was. This was really a trip for my husband and children and I was along for the ride. He got to reconnect with his family and that was good for him. Saturday night we went to the "races" to watch his cousin race. I ended up in the car with the baby because she did not like the noise and it was noisy. The boys had a good time and after the race we went back to their aunt's house for chili. I was so proud of my boys because they don't really like chili but they each had a bowl! It's the little things that make me proud, what can I say! The next day most of the family met for lunch in a big banquet room. My husband got to see lots of aunts, uncles and cousins that he hasn't seen in years. His mom had 5 brothers and sisters so there lots of people there. Not many children though. We had the most with four. We got the usual comments regarding our family size and one aunt (by marriage) even told me, "NO MORE" as if that was going to influence us. After lunch everyone left and we went back to his aunts house. She insisted that we go to the motel and get our stuff and spend that last night with her. She has such a sweet spirit and was so glad to have us in her home. The kids loved her and loved the way she doted on them. Her house is so warm and cozy and just being there made me feel like I had stepped in a time machine. It was so old fashioned, but so filled with her love it just made it feel like home. She is a Christian and I loved seeing the evidence of it in her home. There were Bibles everywhere, little plaques, and scripture cards on the kitchen table. I know her prayers had something to do with my husband's salvation. We got up Monday morning to a real old fashioned country breakfast and chatted for awhile over coffee. I listened and learned quite a bit about their childhoods. I've always tried to "see" what made my MIL the way she was and I really got some insight listening to their conversations. My MIL wasn't there so it was a real conversation about real issues. If we can ever walk in someone elses shoes even through their stories it can shed so much light and give us the grace and mercy it takes to love some people. I want so much to love like Christ, but with my MIL it has always been such a struggle. We had a good chat at Christmas and I gleaned from that conversation too. My favorite quote is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and it says this, "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and sufferring enough to disarm all hostility." I believe that with my whole heart and have tried over and over to apply that to my relationship with my MIL, but it hasn't worked over the years. I know God is using her in my life to learn how to forgive over and over and over and over. I so want to grow to the point that I can see past her behavior and into her past so that all hostility will be disarmed. Maybe this weekend will be a starting point. |
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Tomorrow is my dad's birthday and boy, what a year he's had. I am praying so fervently that this year will hold better things for him (healthwise). He's had severe back pain for many years and in November underwent extensive back surgery. Weaning himself off the pain medication that he's been on for years had been an ordeal and he is still experiencing back pain which he thought the surgery would alleviate. I'm still hopeful that his back is still in the healing process and that the pain will be completely gone. I was always told growing up that I was his best birthday present. I was adopted and was actually born on my mom's birthday which is in December. On my dad's birthday (tomorrow) they got the phone call that they would soon be getting a baby. Then a few weeks later, I came home. I had to stay in the hospital for about 6 weeks because I was too small and they wanted to fatten me up before they let me be adopted. I really look at the birthday thing as a confirmation for me from God that He knew exactly what he was doing doing placing me in the family that he did. My dad was always such a hard working man. He was in the military for 25 years, so much of my younger years were spent living in different parts of the world. We lived in the Phillipines and Japan. When I was in third grade we moved to the states and lived in San Diego. When my brother was approaching 8th grade my dad retired. He wanted us to be settled during our high school years and not be moved from place to place. My dad LOVED the military and I know that was a big sacrifice for us. For many years he just never really found a job that fit him. He was a career military man through and through. He got his teaching degree and lasted for 1/2 a year (kids were not his thing), then he went through various retail jobs, and finally decided to get his LPN degree and spent the remainder of his years as a nurse, which surprisingly, he was very good at. The neat thing about him being a nurse is that my mom has been a nurse and is a nurse practitioner and although she was above him professionally there was never any competition or jealousy. He has always been so proud of my mom's accomplishments. My dad is who he is. He doesn't put on "airs" for anyone and at times I wish he would. Our family isn't real huggy and we don't really talk about our feelings, but I knew I was loved by my dad because of his actions. He lost his dad at 7 years old and was raised by his mother. He and his brothers were over 20 years apart and are both now deceased. I respect and admire my father so much and although there are many things that I want to do different with my children I know that he did the best job he could with us. A friend and I were talking recently about how we tend to marry men like our fathers. I didn't really agree because I couldn't think of how my husband and father were alike at all. They are very different. As I was thinking about it, it dawned on me that my husband is an extremely hard worker and that is the very thing that stands out to me about my father. I can't remember my husband ever calling in sick and I can't remember my dad ever taking a sick day either. When I got my first job my dad told me that I needed to be there 15 minutes early in case they needed me. I also remember the first time I "tried" to call in sick and wasn't. My dad was so disappointed in me that I ended up going to work. He was very loyal and believed in doing your best, my husband is the very same way. They are both great men who I respect and admire. |
You always know where you stand with him. His is a man of integrity and I always felt secure even with all the moving around we did. He is a man of many talents also. He taught himself how to play the piano and currently plays the organ for their church, he is a self taught painter, and can do and fix anything. I don't think there is anything that he can't do. I'm not just saying that because he's my dad either!|
Hard to believe it's Monday again. We completed a full week of school last week and studied Mongolia. This week we are on to Russia. I didn't think I would enjoy the books on Mongolia, but they were actually really good. Never really knew what a powerful group they were. I took a real Sabbath yesterday and didn't even go to church. I had a few hours alone and it was very refreshing. I don't think I've had any time alone since my daughter was born over a year ago. The house was quiet and it was so nice. The last several months Sundays have been really busy and I have come home with a massive headache. We've made some changes that will work better for our family, but I just needed a break. I've been in the nursery the last 5 weeks, then there's church, then there's group after church. We don't get home until late afternoon and then I have a cranky baby for the rest of the evening because she didn't get a decent nap. I wasn't planning on a Sabbath, but I got completely engrossed in a book the night before and couldn't put it down. My husband fell asleep on the couch and came in at 2:45 and I was still reading! When the alarm went off I was NOT getting up. The whole family gave me a hard time the rest of the day, but it was such a refreshing break I didn't care. Friday we are going to Georgia to visit some relatives on my husband's side. Let's just say it should be interesting. The last time we were there was for a family reunion. We only had two children at the time and it was different. Some of the adults were drinking beer and decided that it would be funny to let their toddlers have sips of it. Suffice it to say, I wasn't amused! I've warned my children that they may encounter some backwoods culture just so they'll be prepared. We aren't staying very long so I guess we'll survive. |
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Give me the choice between Ellen and Oprah and I'll take Ellen any day. I really like her as a talk show host and while I don't agree with the lifestyle she's chosen I still think she does a great job. She's funny, but not at the expense of others and she seems like a genuinely nice person. Anyway, Terri and Bindi Irwin were just on and they are so sweet. We were so sad when Steve Irwin died and it was so nice to see his family carrying on. That little Bindi is so cute and articulate for being only 8 years old. His wife seems so strong and her children are fortunate to have her as a mom. It was really touching to see them on the show tyring to carry on their husband and father's legacy. |